Digital Commons Network^™

Trends In Hospital Admissions For Myocardial Infarcts For Women In Arizona, Florida And Maryland In 2000 To 2010, Rebecca Farmer Mcintyre

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Coronary arterial disease is the leading cause of death and morbidity in developing countries. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has traditionally been considered a disease affecting mostly men, yet women are increasingly at risk due to obesity and diabetes. However, current trends in the AMI risk for women are not well understood. This study used archival data on hospital discharges from three states within the USA to examine the 10-year trend in presentations of patients to emergency rooms (ER) with a presenting diagnosis of chest pain and AMI, to document rate changes by gender over time. We observed a decreasing number …

Curcumin-Loaded Magnetic Nanoparticles For Breast Cancer Therapeutics And Imaging Applications., Murali M. Yallapu, Shadi F. Othman, Evan Curtis, Nichole A. Bauer, Neeraj Chauhan, Deepak Kumar, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan

All Faculty Articles - School of Engineering and Computer Science

BACKGROUND: The next generation magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with theranostic applications have attracted significant attention and will greatly improve nanomedicine in cancer therapeutics. Such novel MNP formulations must have ultra-low particle size, high inherent magnetic properties, effective imaging, drug targeting, and drug delivery properties. To achieve these characteristic properties, a curcumin-loaded MNP (MNP-CUR) formulation was developed.

METHODS: MNPs were prepared by chemical precipitation method and loaded with curcumin (CUR) using diffusion method. The physicochemical properties of MNP-CUR were characterized using dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and spectroscopy. The internalization of MNP-CUR was achieved after 6 hours incubation with MDA-MB-231 breast …

Association Of Ireb2 And Chrna3 Polymorphisms With Airflow Obstruction In Severe Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency., Woo Jin Kim, Alice M. Wood, Alan F. Barker, Mark L. Brantly, Edward J. Campbell, Edward Eden, Gerard Mcelvaney, Stephen I. Rennard, Robert A. Sandhaus, James M. Stocks, James K. Stoller, Charlie Strange, Gerard Turino, Edwin K. Silverman, Robert A. Stockley, Dawn L. Demeo

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

BACKGROUND: The development of COPD in subjects with alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency is likely to be influenced by modifier genes. Genome-wide association studies and integrative genomics approaches in COPD have demonstrated significant associations with SNPs in the chromosome 15q region that includes CHRNA3 (cholinergic nicotine receptor alpha3) and IREB2 (iron regulatory binding protein 2).We investigated whether SNPs in the chromosome 15q region would be modifiers for lung function and COPD in AAT deficiency.

METHODS: The current analysis included 378 PIZZ subjects in the AAT Genetic Modifiers Study and a replication cohort of 458 subjects from the UK AAT Deficiency National …

Malaria And Related Outcomes In Patients With Intestinal Helminths: A Cross-Sectional Study, Abraham Degarege, Mengistu Legesse, Girmay Medhin, Abebe Animut, Berhanu Erko

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: The effects of helminth co-infection on malaria in humans remain uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate the nature of association of intestinal helminths with prevalence and clinical outcomes of Plasmodium infection.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving 1,065 malaria suspected febrile patients was conducted at Dore Bafeno Health Center, Southern Ethiopia, from December 2010 to February 2011. Plasmodium and intestinal helminth infections were diagnosed using Giemsa-stained blood films and Kato-Katz technique, respectively. Haemoglobin level was determined using a haemocue machine.

RESULTS: Among 1,065 malaria suspected febrile patients, 28.8% were positive for Plasmodium parasites (P. falciparum =13.0%, P. vivax =14.5%, P. …

The Impact Of Participation In A Secondary School-Based Mentoring Program On Urban Females After High School Graduation, Sandra Lee Wesolowski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As thoughts of the future weigh heavily on many adolescents' minds, the at-risk urban adolescent female are at an especially critical point; every decision she makes on a daily basis has the potential to affect the rest of her life (Way, 1995). However, secondary school-based mentoring programs can provide the modality to intervene with at-risk urban adolescent females to increase the likelihood of success both while in high school and after high school graduation.

This study is a phenomonologically-oriented qualitative study that asks the question: What is the impact of participation in a secondary school-based mentoring program on the lives …

Sexual Dimorphism In Periapical Inflammation And Bone Loss From Map Kinase Phosphatase-1 Deficient Mice, Justin Mcabee

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Mitogen Activating Protein (MAPK) kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) has been shown to be a key negative regulator of the MAP kinase pathways of the innate immune system. The impact of MKP-1 in an endodontic model has yet to be studied. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the role of MKP-1 in a bacterial-driven model of pathological endodontic bone loss. Methods: Pulps were exposed in both lower 1st molars of 10-week old Dusp-1+1+IMKP-1 +1+ and Dusp-1-1-IMKP-1-1- mice and left open to the oral environment for either 3 or 8 weeks. At sacrifice, mandibles were harvested and scanned by …

Characterization Of The Behavioral, Biochemical And Molecular Indices Of Stress Produced By Nicotine Exposure And Withdrawal In Male And Female Rats, Oscar Valentin Torres

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Tobacco use is a major economic and health problem. Particularly concerning is that women consume more tobacco products, have a more difficult time quitting, and are less likely to benefit from cessation therapies than men. As a result, women are at higher risk of developing tobacco-related diseases. Women are generally more susceptible to stress and are more likely to cope with stress by smoking as compared to men. During abstinence, women also experience intense anxiety as compared to men and report that the anxiety-reducing effects of smoking are the main reason for continued use and relapse. Thus, stress produced …

The Female And Male Adolescent Breast, Donald E. Greydanus, Stephanie Stockburger, Hatim A. Omar, Colleen B. Dodich

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

The breast is an important organ system for the adolescent female and occasionally for the adolescent male as well. This chapter reviews basic principles of breast concerns and disorders including congenital anomalies, asymmetric breast development, underdeveloped breasts, virginal hypertrophy, breast masses, mastaglia, galactorrhea, gynecomastia in males, and others. Clinicians should be attuned to issues and concerns for this important structure in adolescents.

Pregnancy In Adolescence, Donald E. Greydanus, Marlene B. Huff, Hatim A. Omar, Colleen B. Dodich

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Over 14 million adolescents in the world annually give birth and nearly 800.000 adolescents in the United States become pregnant each year. This paper considers concepts of teen pregnancy including risks to the mother as well as offspring, the adolescent father, issues related to abortion, and concepts of prevention of unwanted pregnancy in youth. Adolescent pregnancy is a global phenomenon affecting all societies and cultures.

Adolescent Female Menstrual Disorders, Donald E. Greydanus, Shawn Sorrel, Hatim A. Omar, Colleen B. Dodich

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

This paper reviews basic concepts of menstrual disorders in adolescents beginning with an overview of menstrual physiology followed by consideration of various abnormal menstrual patterns: amenorrhea (primary and secondary), dysfunctional uterine bleeding, dysmenorrhea (primary and secondary), and premenstrual syndrome.

Using An Established Telehealth Model To Train Urban Primary Care Providers On Hypertension Management, Christopher Masi, Tamara Hamlish, Andrew Davis, Kristine Bordenave, Stephen Brown, Brenda Perea, Glen Aduana, Marcus Wolfe, George Bakris, Daniel Johnson

Project ECHO Bibliography

The objective of this study was to determine whether a videoconference-based telehealth network can increase hypertension management knowledge and self-assessed competency among primary care providers (PCPs) working in urban Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). We created a telehealth network among 6 urban FQHCs and our institution to support a 12-session educational program designed to teach state-of-the-art hypertension management. Each 1-hour session included a brief lecture by a university-based hypertension specialist, case presentations by PCPs, and interactive discussions among the specialist and PCPs. Twelve PCPs (9 intervention and 3 controls) were surveyed at baseline and immediately following the curriculum. The mean …

A Comparative Investigation Of Career Readiness And Decidedness In First Year Stem Majoring Students Participating In A Stem Mentoring Program Imbedded In A Living-Learning Community With Focused Data On Female Stem Students, Nirmala Ramlakhan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Female mentoring success was investigated as an undergraduate intervention utilizing career development practices to reduce dysfunctional career thinking and STEM major retention in first year freshmen females within a living-learning community. Repeated measures MANOVAs and canonical correlations in the causal comparative research design evaluated mentoring’s influence on first year females. Male voluntary participants (n = 126) formulated the comparison group, and female voluntary participants (n = 75) filled the treatment group. Repeated measure multivariate analyses of variances compared differences between the interaction of mentoring and gender over time on dysfunctional career thinking using two assessments: Career Thoughts Inventory (CTI) and …

Depression, Anxiety, And Symptom Profiles Among Female And Male Victims Of Sexual Violence, Ekta Choudhary, Merideth Smith, Robert M. Bossarte

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of The Body Composition Of Female Collegiate Athletes Using The Bod Pod, Adrienne Jennifer Glodt Baker

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

The body composition of female collegiate athletes was measured using the Bod Pod® device. The sample consisted of 75 student athletes, aged 18 to 22 years old. Five sports at the university level were represented, including basketball, gymnastics, soccer, swimming & diving, and soccer. Participants were measured at the preseason and postseason periods. Overall, participants in all five sports were not found to change significantly in total body mass, fat mass, fat free mass, percent body fat, or body mass index from the preseason period to the postseason period at the alpha = 0.05 level. On average, the members from …

Detection Of Evolving Injury To The Brachial Plexus During Transaxillary Robotic Thyroidectomy., Adam Luginbuhl, Daniel M Schwartz, Anthony K Sestokas, David Cognetti, Edmund Pribitkin

Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Continuous intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) of transcranial electric motor evoked potentials (tceMEPs) and somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) has gained universal acceptance as an efficacious method for detecting emerging positional brachial plexopathy or peripheral nerve compression during spinal and shoulder surgery. This has implications for transaxillary thyroid surgery.

STUDY DESIGN: Case report with literature review.

METHODS: The patient underwent robotic transaxillary thyroid surgery with continuous tceMEP and SSEP monitoring of brachial plexus function. We present detailed IONM data depicting the emergence of positional brachial plexopathy.

RESULTS: Significant amplitude loss of both IONM modalities were identified during an evolving positional plexopathy, which …

Chronic Low Back Pain Is Associated With Reduced Vertebral Bone Mineral Measures In Community-Dwelling Adults, Andrew Briggs, Leon Straker, Angus Burnett, John Wark

Research outputs 2012

Background: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) experienced in middle-age may have important implications for vertebral bone health, although this issue has not been investigated as a primary aim previously. This study investigated the associations between CLBP and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-derived vertebral bone mineral measures acquired from postero-anterior and lateral-projections, among community-dwelling, middle-aged adults. Methods. Twenty-nine adults with CLBP (11 male, 18 female) and 42 adults with no history of LBP in the preceding year (17 male, 25 female) were evaluated. Self-reported demographic and clinical data were collected via questionnaires. Areal bone mineral density (aBMD) was measured in the …

Drug Education In Victorian Schools (Devs): The Study Protocol For A Harm Reduction Focused School Drug Education Trial, Richard Midford, Helen Cahill, David Foxcroft, Leanne Lester, Lynne Venning, Robyn Ramsden, Michelle Pose

Research outputs 2012

Background: This study seeks to extend earlier Australian school drug education research by developing and measuring the effectiveness of a comprehensive, evidence-based, harm reduction focused school drug education program for junior secondary students aged 13 to 15 years. The intervention draws on the recent literature as to the common elements in effective school curriculum. It seeks to incorporate the social influence of parents through home activities. It also emphasises the use of appropriate pedagogy in the delivery of classroom lessons. Methods/Design. A cluster randomised school drug education trial will be conducted with 1746 junior high school students in 21 Victorian …

Adjusting For Under-Identification Of Aboriginal And/Or Torres Strait Islander Births In Time Series Produced From Birth Records: Using Record Linkage Of Survey Data And Administrative Data Sources, D Lawrence, D Christensen, F Mitrou, Glenn Draper, G Davis, S Mckeown, Daniel Mcaullay, G Pearson, S R Zubrick

Research outputs 2012

Background: Statistical time series derived from administrative data sets form key indicators in measuring progress in addressing disadvantage in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations in Australia. However, inconsistencies in the reporting of Indigenous status can cause difficulties in producing reliable indicators. External data sources, such as survey data, provide a means of assessing the consistency of administrative data and may be used to adjust statistics based on administrative data sources. Methods. We used record linkage between a large-scale survey (the Western Australian Aboriginal Child Health Survey), and two administrative data sources (the Western Australia (WA) Register of Births and …

Prolonged Sedentary Time And Physical Activity In Workplace And Non-Work Contexts: A Cross-Sectional Study Of Office, Customer Service And Call Centre Employees, A A Thorp, G N Healy, E Winkler, B K Clark, P A Gardiner, N Owen, David Dunstan

Research outputs 2012

Background: To examine sedentary time, prolonged sedentary bouts and physical activity in Australian employees from different workplace settings, within work and non-work contexts.Methods: A convenience sample of 193 employees working in offices (131), call centres (36) and customer service (26) was recruited. Actigraph GT1M accelerometers were used to derive percentages of time spent sedentary (<100 counts per>minute; cpm), in prolonged sedentary bouts (≥20 minutes or ≥30 minutes), light-intensity activity (100-1951 cpm) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA; ≥1952 cpm). Using mixed models adjusted for confounders, these were compared for: work days versus non-work days; work hours versus non-work hours (work days only); …

Intense Physical Activity Is Associated With Cognitive Performance In The Elderly, Belinda Brown, Jeremiah Peiffer, Hamid Sohrabi, Alinda Mondal, Veer Bala Gupta, Stephanie Rainey-Smith, Kevin Taddei, S Burnham, K Ellis, C Szoeke, C L Masters, D Ames, C Rowe, Ralph Martins

Research outputs 2012

Numerous studies have reported positive impacts of physical activity on cognitive function. However, the majority of these studies have utilised physical activity questionnaires or surveys, thus results may have been influenced by reporting biases. Through the objective measurement of routine levels of physical activity via actigraphy, we report a significant association between intensity, but not volume, of physical activity and cognitive functioning. A cohort of 217 participants (aged 60-89 years) wore an actigraphy unit for 7 consecutive days and underwent comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. The cohort was stratified into tertiles based on physical activity intensity. Compared with individuals in the lowest …

Maternal Work Hours In Early To Middle Childhood Link To Later Adolescent Diet Quality, Jianghong Li, Therese O'Sullivan, Sarah Johnson, Fiona Stanley, Wendy H. Oddy

Research outputs 2012

Objective: Previous studies on maternal work hours and child diet quality have reported conflicting findings possibly due to differences in study design, lack of a comprehensive measure of diet quality and differing ages of the children under investigation. The present study aimed to prospectively examine the impact of parental work hours from age 1 year to age 14 years on adolescent diet quality.

Design: Multivariate linear regression models were used to examine independent associations between parents' work hours at each follow-up and across 14 years and adolescent diet quality at age 14 years. A diet quality index was based on …

Altered Expression Of Alzheimer's Disease-Related Proteins In Male Hypogonadal Mice, Eleanor S. Drummond, Ralph Martins, D J Handelsman, A R Harvey

Research outputs 2012

Age-related depletion of estrogens and androgens is associated with an increase in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain pathology and diminished cognitive function. Here we investigated AD-associated molecular and cellular changes in brains of aged hypogonadal (hpg) male and female mice. hpg Mice have a spontaneous, inactivating genetic mutation in the GnRH gene resulting in lifelong deficiency of gonadotropins and gonadal sex hormones. Western blot analysis revealed low levels of amyloid precursor protein and high levels of presenilin 1, amyloid precursor protein C-terminal fragment, and β-amyloid 42 in brains of aged male, but not female, hpg mice. Changes were confined to the …

Clinical And Biomarker Changes In Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer's Disease, R J Bateman, C Xiong, T L Benzinger, A M Fagan, A Goate, N C Fox, D S Marcus, N J Cairns, X Xie, T M Blazey, D M Holtzman, A Santacruz, V Buckles, A Oliver, K Moulder, P M Aisen, B Ghetti, W M Klunk, E Mcdade, Ralph Martins, C M Masters, R Mayeux, J M Ringman, M M Rossor, P M Schofield, R M Sperling, S Salloway, J M Morris

Research outputs 2012

Background: The order and magnitude of pathologic processes in Alzheimer's disease are not well understood, partly because the disease develops over many years. Autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease has a predictable age at onset and provides an opportunity to determine the sequence and magnitude of pathologic changes that culminate in symptomatic disease.

Methods: In this prospective, longitudinal study, we analyzed data from 128 participants who underwent baseline clinical and cognitive assessments, brain imaging, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood tests. We used the participant's age at baseline assessment and the parent's age at the onset of symptoms of Alzheimer's disease to …

The Burden Of Breast Cancer In Italy: Mastectomies And Quadrantectomies Performed Between 2001 And 2008 Based On Nationwide Hospital Discharge Records., Prisco Piscitelli, Maddalena Barba, Massimo Crespi, Massimo Di Maio, Antonio Santoriello, Massiliamo D'Aiuto, Alfredo Fucito, Arturo Losco, Francesca Pentimalli, Pasquale Maranta, Giovanna Chitano, Alberto Argentiero, Cosimo Neglia, Alessandro Distante, Gian Luca Di Tanna, Maria Luisa Brandi, Alfredo Mazza, Ignazio R Marino, Antonio Giordano

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Where population coverage is limited, the exclusive use of Cancer Registries might limit ascertainment of incident cancer cases. We explored the potentials of Nationwide hospital discharge records (NHDRs) to capture incident breast cancer cases in Italy.

METHODS: We analyzed NHDRs for mastectomies and quadrantectomies performed between 2001 and 2008. The average annual percentage change (AAPC) and related 95% Confidence Interval (CI) in the actual number of mastectomies and quadrantectomies performed during the study period were computed for the full sample and for subgroups defined by age, surgical procedure, macro-area and singular Region. Re-admissions of the same patients were separately …

Use Of A Clay Modeling Task To Reduce Chocolate Craving., Jackie Andrade, Sally Pears, Jon May, David J. Kavanagh

School of Psychology

Elaborated Intrusion theory (EI theory; Kavanagh, Andrade, & May, 2005) posits two main cognitive components in craving: associative processes that lead to intrusive thoughts about the craved substance or activity, and elaborative processes supporting mental imagery of the substance or activity. We used a novel visuospatial task to test the hypothesis that visual imagery plays a key role in craving. Experiment 1 showed that spending 10 min constructing shapes from modeling clay (plasticine) reduced participants' craving for chocolate compared with spending 10 min 'letting your mind wander'. Increasing the load on verbal working memory using a mental arithmetic task (counting …

Early Versus Delayed Decompression For Traumatic Cervical Spinal Cord Injury: Results Of The Surgical Timing In Acute Spinal Cord Injury Study (Stascis)., Michael G Fehlings, Alex R. Vaccaro, Jefferson R Wilson, Anoushka Singh, David W Cadotte, James Harrop, Bizhan Aarabi, Christopher Shaffrey, Marcel Dvorak, Charles Fisher, Paul Arnold, Eric M Massicotte, Stephen Lewis, Raja Rampersaud

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: There is convincing preclinical evidence that early decompression in the setting of spinal cord injury (SCI) improves neurologic outcomes. However, the effect of early surgical decompression in patients with acute SCI remains uncertain. Our objective was to evaluate the relative effectiveness of early (injury) versus late (≥ 24 hours after injury) decompressive surgery after traumatic cervical SCI.

METHODS: We performed a multicenter, international, prospective cohort study (Surgical Timing In Acute Spinal Cord Injury Study: STASCIS) in adults aged 16-80 with cervical SCI. Enrolment occurred between 2002 and 2009 at 6 North American centers. The primary outcome was ordinal change …

Absence Of Altered Expression Of Optineurin In Primary Open Angle Glaucoma Patients., Khaled K Abu-Amero, Taif Anwar Azad, George L Spaeth, Jonathan Myers, L Jay Katz, Marlene Moster, Thomas M Bosley

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: To investigate the expression level of the optineurin gene (OPTN) in the blood of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) patients to determine if altered expression is playing a role in primary open angle glaucoma systemically.

METHODS: Patients (n=47) were eligible for inclusion if they met standard clinical criteria for POAG, including age greater than 40 years, intraocular pressure ≥21 mmHg in at least one eye before treatment, normal-appearing anterior chamber angles bilaterally on gonioscopy, and optic nerve injury characteristic of POAG. Control subjects (n=27) were recruited who were free from glaucoma by examination. DNA from patient was sequenced to …

Lymph Node Ratio Is An Important And Independent Prognostic Factor For Patients With Stage Iii Melanoma, Adam C. Berger, Michael Fierro, John C. Kairys, David Berd, Takami Sato, Jocelyn Andrel, Terry Hyslop, Michael J. Mastrangelo

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION:

The incidence of melanoma is dramatically increasing worldwide. We hypothesized that the ratio of metastatic to examined lymph node ratio (LNR) would be the most important prognostic factor for stage III patients.

METHODS:

We retrospectively reviewed our institutional database of melanoma patients and identified 168 patients who underwent lymph node dissection (LND) for stage III disease between 1993 and 2007. Patients were divided into three groups based on LNR (≤10%, n = 93; 10-≤25%, n = 45; and >25%, n = 30). Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS:

The median survival time of …

Improving Performance: Examining The Link Between Self-Efficacy And Support For Secondary Female Math Teachers, Veronique Demetria Zimmerman-Brown

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this study was to explore the possible relationship between teacher self-efficacy among secondary math teachers in Alabama and administrative support, teacher/colleague support, and support through resources. The study also examined whether gender or race related to teachers' sense of self-efficacy. Examining self-efficacy for secondary math teachers is an important step in the strategic support of these individuals and improving student achievement in mathematics. Indeed, a closer look at district and school level support factors related to the self-efficacy of teachers is warranted, given continuing concerns over student math performance. A quantitative study of 105 Alabama secondary math …

Rituximab Therapy In Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis Improves Alveolar Macrophage Lipid Homeostasis., Anagha Malur, Mani Kavuru, Irene Marshall, Barbara P Barna, Isham Huizar, Reema Karnekar, Mary Jane Thomassen

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Faculty Papers

RATIONALE: Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis (PAP) patients exhibit an acquired deficiency of biologically active granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) attributable to GM-CSF specific autoantibodies. PAP alveolar macrophages are foamy, lipid-filled cells with impaired surfactant clearance and markedly reduced expression of the transcription factor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and the PPARγ-regulated ATP binding cassette (ABC) lipid transporter, ABCG1. An open label proof of concept Phase II clinical trial was conducted in PAP patients using rituximab, a chimeric murine-human monoclonal antibody directed against B lymphocyte specific antigen CD20. Rituximab treatment decreased anti-GM-CSF antibody levels in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, and 7/9 patients …