Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

What Evidence Is Available On Apixaban For The Primary Prevention Of Stroke In Patients With Atrial Fibrillation?, Justin Dang, Laura Tsu

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

This drug information question and answer sheet discusses the use of apixaban (Eliquis) for the primary prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Anti-Platelet Therapy In Acute Coronary Syndromes: Updates In Therapy After Stent Implantation, Ryan Mckenzie, Andrew Park, Laura Tsu

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

This home-study CPE activity has been developed to educate pharmacists on updates in anti-platelet therapy after stent implantation.

Treatment Options For Parkinson’S Disease, Sara Russ

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The following is an excerpt from this article: Parkinson’s disease was first described and named Paralysis Agitans in 1817 by British physician James Parkinson (Lieberman 2004). Later on, it took on its current name after Dr. Parkinson. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurological disorder for which the cause is yet to be discovered. Like many other diseases, PD has numerous facets. Throughout all of its different stages, it presents with motor, as well as nonmotor, symptoms (Simuni et al. 2009). Though estimates of people affected by PD are constantly being made, it is difficult to determine a precise and accurate …

Genetically Modified T-Cells Expressing Chimeric Antigen Receptors In The Treatment Of Cancer, Efrat Bruck

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Dr. Carl June and his colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania have succeeded in treating patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia using gene therapy. Two of the three patients treated sustained a complete remission and one a partial remission. The procedure involved transducing the patients’ T cells to express chimeric antigen receptors which target a particular protein found on both healthy and cancerous B cells. Following infusion of the newly transduced T cells, each patient developed clinical symptoms associated with an intense immune response. Shortly thereafter, tumors were completely eliminated in two of the patients and partially eliminated in the third. …

Imatinib Resistance In Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, Rivky Kops

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a disorder of blood stem cells in bone marrow, which leads to a rapid production of white blood cells. Of the patients diagnosed with CML, 95% have the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome, which means that chromosome 22 is smaller than regular (22 q-). Historically, the median survival time for chronic phase CML patients was four to five years, while the accelerated and blast (profusion of immature red blood cells in circulation) phases had a much shorter survival time. Recently, due to the revolutionary new drug imatinib, CML patients diagnosed early have a higher survival rate. Nevertheless, …

How Biological And Non-Biological Disease Modifying Drugs Are Used In The Treatment Of Rheumatoid Arthritis, Esther Mantel

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The following is an excerpt from the introduction to this article: Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term disease that leads to chronic inflammation of the joints and the surrounding tissue. Effects of the inflammation are pain and destruction of the bone and cartilage, which leads to severe disability and, possibly, shorter life expectancy. That is why early diagnosis and aggressive treatment is a fundamental strategy to stop the progression of the disease and suppress the inflammation before the damage is irreversible.

Functional Electrical Stimulation In Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation, Meir Hildeshaim

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The following is an excerpt from the introduction to this article: Spinal cord injury is defined as a “disconnection syndrome” that results in a loss of ability of the spinal cord to communicate ascending and/or descending impulses (Hamid and Hayak 2008). Due to its role as the primary conduit of motor and sensory impulses, spinal cord injury is widely regarded as one of the most catastrophic, survivable injuries a person can suffer. Depending on the severity and placement of the injury, the patient can experience a wide range of disability or death. A mild injury may result in the patient …

Kshv Infection Of Endothelial Cells Manipulates Cxcr7-Mediated Signaling: Implications For Kaposi’S Sarcoma Progression And Intervention, Jennifer Totonchy, Lisa Clepper, Janet Douglas, Liron Pantanowitz, Klaus Fruh, Ashlee V. Moses

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

"CXCR7 was recently characterized as an alternative receptor for the chemokine CXCL12/SDF-1, previously thought to bind and signal exclusively through CXCR4.We recently identified CXCR7 as a key cellular factor in the endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction associated with KSHV infection. CXCL12 signaling is critically associated with tumor growth, angiogenesis and metastasis in several diverse tumors and is one of the most studied chemokine/chemokine receptor interactions in cancer systems. The tumorigenic activity of the CXCL12 signaling axis offers an attractive target for therapeutic intervention in multiple cancers including Kaposi’s Sarcoma (KS). However, most of the research to date was based on the …

Health Effects Associated With Foreclosure: A Secondary Analysis Of Hospital Discharge Data, Nancy N. Menzel, Sheniz Moonie, Melva V. Thompson-Robinson

School of Public Health Faculty Research

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to assess the health effects of high home foreclosure rates in an area of the United States of America and the utility of hospital discharge data for this purpose. Methods.We analyzed hospital discharge data from three postal zip codes using the principal diagnosis for 25 Diagnostic Related Groups associated with stress. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize hospital discharge rates for each condition by year and zip code. To test for differences across time, the Cochran-Armitage trend test was performed. Results. Most conditions did not demonstrate a statistical change between 2005 and 2008. …

Function-­Preserving Filters For Sampling In Biological Networks, Kathryn Dempsey Cooper, Sanjukta Bhowmick, Hesham Ali

Interdisciplinary Informatics Faculty Publications

Assays created to study systems of disease and aging can offer a whole new set of therapeutic targets. However, with experiments of this immense volume, data becomes unmanageable for many traditional analyses. Enter the biological network, a tool for modeling relationships among high-throughput data that is quickly rising in popularity. Small networks (in the order of hundreds to few thousands of nodes) use relationships between network structure to infer biological function; this relationship has been confirmed and used in many studies to advance the study of model organisms. Networks built for assessing entire genomes, or entire protein repertoires, however, tend …

Hepatic Immunosuppressive Effects Of Systemically- Administered Novel Dextran-Methylprednisolone Prodrugs With Peptide Linkers In Rats, Imam H. Shaik, Hitesh K. Agarwal, Keykavous Parang, Reza Mehvar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The hepatic immunosuppressive activities of two novel dextran prodrugs of methylprednisolone (MP) containing one (DMP1) or five (DMP5) amino acids as linkers were studied in rats. At various times (02 weeks) after intravenous administration of single 5 mg/kg (MP equivalent) doses of each prodrug or MP succinate (MPS), livers were isolated and immunologically stimulated ex vivo with lipopolysaccharide. The concentrations of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a in the outlet perfusate were then quantitated to assess immune response. Additionally, the concentrations of DMP1, DMP5, and/or MP were measured in the liver. MPS, DMP5, or DMP1 injections caused a maximum of 48.9%, 63.5%, …

Factors Associated With Failed Induction Of Labour In A Secondary Care Hospital, Neelofur Babar Khan, Iffat Ahmed, Ayesha Malik, Lumaan Sheikh

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Objective: To assess the factors associated with failed induction of labour (IOL) in a secondary care hospital.
Method: This is a retrospective cross sectional study on women admitted for labour induction in Aga Khan Hospital for women Karimabad from 1st Jan, 2009 to 31st Dec, 2009. Induction was considered successful if the patient delivered vaginally and failed if it ended up in Caesarean Section.
Result: Eighteen percent of our pregnant population who underwent induction of labour failed to deliver vaginally. About 25% of 328 nulliparous women had failed induction. With a Bishop score of <5 in 84.3%. In 28.2% with prolonged latent phase of more than 20 hours in Caesarean section had to be performed.
Conclusion: Nulliparity, poor Bishop score and …

Physical Activity, Sleep Patterns, And Health Outcomes In University Law Enforcement Officers, Nicole C. Koebke

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Research indicates that law enforcement officers (LEOs) have a higher prevalence of developing coronary artery disease (CAD) compared to the general population. Sleep deprivation and physical inactivity have been found to be related to many risk factors for CAD. This cross-sectional study examined the health status and the relationship between sleep and physical activity outcomes versus CAD risk factors among 27 University LEOs. The subjects’ health behaviors, and CAD and metabolic syndrome risk factors were described using basic statistics. Accelerometer derived sleep and physical activity outcomes were correlated to measures of health to identify potential relationships. 33% of LEOs were …

Noninvasive Assessment And Modeling Of Diabetic Cardiovascular Autonomic Neuropathy, Siqi Wang

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Noninvasive assessment of diabetic cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (AN): Cardiac and vascular dysfunctions resulting from AN are complications of diabetes, often undiagnosed. Our objectives were to: 1) determine sympathetic and parasympathetic components of compromised blood pressure regulation in patients with polyneuropathy, and 2) rank noninvasive indexes for their sensitivity in diagnosing AN. Continuous 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG), blood pressure (BP), respiration, regional blood flow and bio-impedance were recorded from 12 able-bodied subjects (AB), 7 diabetics without (D0), 7 with possible (D1) and 8 with definite polyneuropathy (D2), during 10 minutes supine control, 30 minutes 70-degree head-up tilt and 5 minutes supine recovery. …

Blast-Induced Brain Injury: Influence Of Shockwave Components, Dexter V. Reneer

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

Blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) has been described as the defining injury of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF). Previously, most blast injury research has focused on the effects of blast on internal, gas filled organs due to their increased susceptibility. However, due to a change in enemy tactics combined with better armor and front-line medical care, bTBI has become one of the most common injuries due to blast. Though there has been a significant amount of research characterizing the brain injury produced by blast, a sound understanding of the contribution of each component of the shockwave to the …

Development And Validation Of A Novel Reporter Assay For Human Papillomavirus Type 16 Late Gene Expression, Beatrice Orru, Ciaran Cunniffe, Fergus Ryan, Stefan Schwartz

Articles

To facilitate the investigations of HPV-16 late gene expression HPV-16 reporter plasmids were generated using previously described sub-genomic HPV-16 plasmids, named pBEL and pBELM, that, similar to the full viral genome, produce primarily HPV-16 early mRNAs and very little, if any, late mRNAs in cervical cancer cells. The HPV-16 late L1 gene was replaced by the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene, or green fluorescent protein (GFP), preceded by the poliovirus internal ribosome entry site (IRES). Results show that the reporter genes mimic the expression of L1 from these plasmids. For example, overexpression of adenovirus E4orf4 protein (E4orf4), polypyrimidine tract binding …

Health Effects Associated With Foreclosure: A Secondary Analysis Of Hospital Discharge Data, Nancy N. Menzel, Sheniz Moonie, Melva Thompson-Robinson

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the health effects of high home foreclosure rates in an area of the United States of America and the utility of hospital discharge data for this purpose.

Methods: We analyzed hospital discharge data from three postal zip codes using the principal diagnosis for 25 Diagnostic Related Groups associated with stress. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize hospital discharge rates for each condition by year and zip code. To test for differences across time, the Cochran-Armitage trend test was performed.

Results: Most conditions did not demonstrate a statistical change between 2005 and …

Quantitative Analysis Of Some Important Metals And Metalloids In Tobacco Products By Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (Icp-Ms), Syed Ghulam Musharraf, Muhammad Shoaib, Amna Jabbar Siddiqui, Muhammad Najam-Ul-Haq, Aftab Ahmed

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background: Large scale usage of tobacco causes a lot of health troubles in human. Various formulations of tobacco are extensively used by the people particularly in developing world. Besides several toxic tobacco constituents some metals and metalloids are also believed to pose health risks. This paper describes inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometric (ICP-MS) quantification of some important metals and metalloids in various brands of smoked, sniffed, dipped and chewed tobacco products.

Results: A microwave-assisted digestion method was used for sample preparation. The method was validated by analyzing a certified reference material. Percentage relative standard deviation (% R.S.D.) between recovered …

Positive Action For Hiv In Schools In Kenya, Francis Obare, Harriet Birungi, Monica Wanjiru, Sheila Bayley, John Kiunjuri, Mary Omondi, Rob Burnet, Bridget Deacon

Reproductive Health

The objective of this study was to test the feasibility of using comic books, role models, and edutainment to communicate HIV and AIDS messages to in-school young people in Kenya, with a view to improving their knowledge about the epidemic, enhancing communication about it, and promoting positive attitudes and behavior among them. The study was implemented by the Population Council in eight secondary schools in Nairobi, as part of the APHIA II Operations Research Project in collaboration with the AIDS Control Unit in the Ministry of Education, Well Told Story, and the National AIDS/STI Control Programme. The study found that …

Infectious Intracranial Aneurysms: Collaboration For Treatment Success, Erin M. Conahan Rn, Bsn, Cnrn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

The Cumulative Impact Of Unemployment On Risks Of Acute Myocardial Infarction, Guangya Liu, Matthew E. Dupree, Linda K. George, Eric D. Peterson

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Employment instability is a major source of strain affecting an increasing number of adults in the United States. Little is known about the cumulative effect of multiple job losses and unemployment on the risks for acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Methods: We investigated the associations between different dimensions of unemployment and the risks for AMI in US adults in a prospective cohort study of adults (N=13 451) aged 51 to 75 years in the Health and Retirement Study with biennial follow-up interviews from 1992 to 2010. Unadjusted rates of age-specific AMI were used to demonstrate observed differences by employment status, …

Retrospective Epidemiologic Analysis Of Influenza Pandemics In Arkansas, A, A. J. Gray, D. Nguyen, B. M. Rowley

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

This study compares influenza mortality in Arkansas during the pandemics of: 1918 (aka Spanish flu), 1957, 1968, and 2009 (H1N1, aka Swine flu). Death certificate and U.S. census data were gathered and analyzed for statistical differences in mortalities based on sex, age, and geographic regions of Arkansas for each pandemic. The geographic regions were defined by the five Public Health Units classified by the Arkansas Department of Health. Regional mortalities were also analyzed across all pandemics to investigate how the different pandemics affected each individual region. Chi-square analyses for each pandemic showed only the 1918 pandemic had statistical differences between …

Overt Cleft Palate Phenotype And Tbx1 Genotype Correlations In Velo-Cardio-Facial/Digeorge/22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome Patients, Sean Herman, Tingwei Guo, Donna M. Mcdonald Mcginn, Anna Blonska, Alan L. Shanske, Anne S. Bassett, Eva Chow, Mark Bowser, Molly Sheridan, Frits Beemer, Koen Devriendt, Ann Swillen, Jeroen Breckpot, Maria Christina Digilio, Bruno Marino, Bruno Dallapiccola, Courtney Carpenter, Xin Zheng, Jacob Johnson, Jonathan Chung, Anne Marie Higgins, Nicole Philip, Tony J. Simon, Karlene Coleman, Damian Heine Suñer, Jordi Rosell, Wendy R. Kates, Marcella Devoto, Elaine Zackai, Tao Wang, Robert J. Shprintzen, Beverly Emanuel, Bernice Morrow, International Chromosome 22q11.2 Consortium

Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Velo-cardio-facial syndrome/DiGeorge syndrome, also known as 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is the most common microdeletion syndrome, with an estimated incidence of 1/2,000 – 1/4,000 live births. Approximately 9–11% of patients with this disorder have an overt cleft palate (CP), but the genetic factors responsible for CP in the 22q11DS subset are unknown. The TBX1 gene, a member of the T-box transcription factor gene family, lies within the 22q11.2 region that is hemizygous in patients with 22q11DS. Inactivation of one allele of Tbx1 in the mouse does not result in CP, but inactivation of both alleles does. Based on these data, …

Examining Cancer-Related Pain And Quality Of Life In Lehigh Valley Home Care Patients, Linda G. Alley Phd, Rn, Hannah D. Paxton Rn, Mph, Michelle D. Flores Bsn, Rn, Carol A. Foltz Phd, Jen Wike Mph, Mba, Vickie Cunningham Bsn, Rn, Jeffrey Etchason Md

Administration & Leadership

No abstract provided.

Biochemical Markers As Evidence Of The Effects Of Environmental Enrichment On Physiological Processes In Huntington’S Disease Patients, Zarghona Ahmadzai Khan

Theses : Honours

Abstract not available.

Adolescence And Contraception, Donald E. Greydanus, Carolyn M. Lentzsch-Parcells, Hatim A. Omar, Colleen B. Dodich

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

The age of adolescence is the time when most adolescents in the world become sexually active with resultant millions of pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. This paper considers methods of contraception for these adolescents, including oral contraceptions, transdermal contraception, mini-pills, intravaginal ring, injectable contraception, intrauterine devices, barrier contraceptives, implants, and others. It is important for clinicians caring for sexually active youth to provide information regarding contraception and appropriate contraceptive prescriptions.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases In Adolescence, Donald E. Greydanus, Jane Seyler, Hatim A. Omar, Colleen B. Dodich

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

High rates of unprotected sexual behavior in adolescents result in millions of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the world. This paper reviews factors inducing high STD rates, specific STDs, and their management based on 2010 US Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC) STD guidelines. Clinicians should screen all their sexually active adolescent patients for STDs and provide preventive education as well as treatment measures.

Analyzing The Effects Of Policy Options To Mitigate The Effect Of Sea Level Rise On The Public Health And Medically Fragile Population: A System Dynamics Approach, Rafael Diaz, Joshua Behr, Anna Jeng, Hua Liu, Franceso Longo

VMASC Publications

A critical question related to climate change concerns to how rising sea level will affect underserved populations and medically fragile population in coastal zones and floodplains. As sea levels rise, coastal waters will regain near-tidal areas and co-mingle with human-made pollutants, resulting from decades of industrial and commercial activity. This poses potential threat and risks to public health and the environment. It is critical that decision makers will initiate a process of parsing resources to the mitigation and management of these issues. The purpose of this research is to model the inherent dynamics of this process and understand how near-term …

Decorin Expression, Straw-Like Structure, And Differentiation Of Human Costal Cartilage, Michael W. Stacey, Janna Grubb, Anthony Asmar, Julie Pryor, Hani Elsayed-Ali, Ali Beskok, Diganta Dutta, Annie Fecteau, Alice Werner, Dennis A. Darby, Robert Kelly

Bioelectrics Publications

Costal cartilage is much understudied compared with the load-bearing cartilages. Abnormally grown costal cartilages are associated with the inherited chest wall deformities pectus excavatum and pectus carinatum resulting in sunken and pigeon chests, respectively. A lack of understanding of the ultrastructural and molecular biology of costal cartilage is a major confounder in predicting causes and outcomes of these disorders. This study analyzed the structure of marginal human costal cartilage (ribs 6-10) through scanning electron and atomic force microscopes and identified the presence of straw-like structures running longitudinally. We also demonstrated that chondrocytes tend to occur singly or as doublets and …

Does Tadalafil Improve Exercise Capacitance In Patients Over 12 Years Old With Pulmonary Hypertension?, Erin Chesnavich

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether or not the oral Phosphodiesterase inhibitor Tadalafil improves exercise capacitance in those over 12 years with pulmonary hypertension.

Study Design: Review of three primary research materials published in English language in 2009. Data Sources: Randomized, controlled, double blind clinical trials found using PubMed, OVID and COCHRANE databases.

Outcome measured: Trials measured 6-minute walking distance and health related quality of life measurements which included: SF-36 (a measure of self reported health status), and the EQ-5D (a patient reported health related quality of life measure), WHO functional class, clinical worsening, and …