Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Iowa Conference On Communicative Disorders [Program, 2008], Iowa Conference On Communicative Disorders

Iowa Conference on Communicative Disorders Programs

The Iowa Conference on Communicative Disorders provides continuing education activities in speech- language pathology that are acceptable to the State of Iowa and the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association. Areas of emphasis include adults and pediatrics.

Comparative Roles Of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (Hsv-1) Glycoproteins In Cytoplasmic Virion Egress, Hyuncheol Lee

LSU Master's Theses

HSV-1 acquires its final envelope by budding into cytoplasmic vesicles thought to be derived from Trans-Golgi Network (TGN) membranes. This process is facilitated by interactions among the carboxyl termini of viral glycoproteins and tegument proteins. To investigate the relative importance of different viral glycoproteins in cytoplasmic virion morphogenesis, a set of recombinant viruses were constructed silencing expression of the glycoprotein E (ΔgE), the carboxyl terminus of glycoprotein D (gDΔcp), and the membrane protein UL20 (ΔUL20). In addition, recombinant viruses were constructed having the ΔgE+gDΔcp, and the ΔgE+ΔgM (glycoprotein M) deletions. These recombinant viruses were constructed using the double-red, site-directed mutagenesis …

Management Of The Neck In Differentiated Thyroid Cancer, David M. Cognetti, Edmund A. Pribitkin, William M. Keane

Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Faculty Papers

Differentiated thyroid cancer is characterized by an excellent long-term prognosis, which unlike other head and neck carcinomas, is not influenced definitively by regional lymph node metastasis. The relative rarity of the disease, together with its tendency for delayed metastasis and its low mortality, makes a prospective randomized trial comparing treatment outcomes difficult. As a result, the effect of cervical lymph node metastases on survival is unclear, making meaningful recommendations for their management somewhat subjective. This article discusses guidelines for the management of the neck in differentiated.

A Comparison Of Morphophonic Faces And The Picture Exchange Communication System On The Production Of Verbal Communication In Preschoolers With Autism, Ashley Nicole Bourque

LSU Master's Theses

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) exhibit difficulties with both verbal and nonverbal language with approximately 50% of children diagnosed with autism remaining functionally mute into adulthood (Charlop & Haymes, 1994; Charlop-Christy, Carpenter, Le, LeBlanc, & Kellet, 2002). This study explored intervention using the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) for two nonverbal preschoolers with ASD. The effects of PECS using two picture systems, Picture and Words (P&W) and MorphoPhonic (MPh) picture word, was assessed in the communicative outcomes after 6 weeks of intervention. This study asked if MPh picture words would elicit more picture-exchange communication acts in functional contexts than …

Phenotypic Characterization Of Canine Cranial Cruciate Ligament Associated Synoviocytes, Sunil C. Vasanjee

LSU Master's Theses

Identification of synoviocytes surrounding the canine cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL) has not been investigated. Objectives 1) Develop and validate a technique to identify and quantify normal canine CrCL associated synoviocytes. 2) Compare synoviocyte phenotype proportions surrounding normal and abnormal canine CrCLs Design In vitro experimental Animals Cranial cruciate ligaments from 4 intact female and 6 intact adult male mixed-breed dogs (objective 1) and from 8 adult female hound dogs (objective 2) Methods Objective 1) Normal CrCLs - CD18 and HSP25 epitopes were colocalized using immunohistochemistry. Sagittal sections were quantified in the proximal, middle, and distal aspects of each section. Western …

Molecular Determinants Of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Tumorigenicity, Haixia Kong

LSU Master's Theses

A conditional silencing system using anti-gB siRNAs was devised to investigate the structure and function of the KSHV gB. Transient co-transfection of plasmids constitutively expressing gB and anti-gB siRNAs in 293 cells substantially inhibited gB mRNA levels and protein production. Similarly, transient expression of siRNAs into the basal cavity-based lymphoma cells (BCBL-1) caused substantial reduction of gB transcription and protein synthesis. TaqMan real-time PCR and infectivity assays showed that gB was essential for virion egress and infectivity. Transfection of a codon-optimized gB not recognized by the anti-gB siRNAs, efficiently rescued virion egress and infectivity in BCBL-1 cells in the presence …

Diagnosing Antiretroviral Treatment Failure In Resource-Limited Settings, Ronald Alexander Cantrell

All ETDs from UAB

This dissertation had three central goals. The first was to review the existing literature for reports of virologic failure among adults initiating non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-based antiretroviral therapy in resource-limited settings. The second was to describe the epidemiology of virologic failure over the first 6 months of therapy in Lusaka, Zambia. The third was to examine the performance of different approaches for diagnosing virologic failure. We performed a meta-analysis using data from previously published reports to create summary estimates for the prevalence of virologic failure and found that the lowest estimate of the 95% confidence interval was 10% or higher …

The Developmental Functions Of Bdnf And Mecp2 On Dendritic And Synaptic Structure, Christopher A. Chapleau

All ETDs from UAB

Mutations in the transcriptional repressor MeCP2 cause Rett Syndrome (RTT), a mental retardation disease associated with reduced dendritic architecture of cortical pyramidal neurons, in addition to a decrease in the number of dendritic spines. I present the first quantification analysis of spine density in postmortem human brain tissue, demonstrating that hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons have reduced spine densities in RTT patients throughout their lives. One gene that MeCP2 regulates is BDNF, an important developmental factor that modulates synaptic transmission and plasticity, as well as spine formation and maturation. In immature cultured hippocampal neurons, cell-autonomous expression of BDNF accelerates the differentiation …

Enzymatic And Proteomic Analysis Of Spinal Cord In A G93a Als Mouse Model, Page Jones

All ETDs from UAB

Mutations to copper,zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn SOD or SOD1) are the only known causes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disorder characterized primarily by death of spinal motor neurons. While the molecular mechanisms responsible for motor neuron death in this disease remain to be elucidated, recent studies implicate mitochondrial dysfunction as a key factor in the pathogenesis of ALS. In support of this, we observed ALS-dependent alterations in key functions including creatine kinase activity and ATP levels, which could be linked to changes in the mitochondrial proteome. Importantly, extensive research efforts have failed to develop a treatment that significantly …

Calmodulin Binding To Cellular Flice Like Inhibitory Protein Modulates Fas-Induced Signaling And Tumorigenesis In Cholangiocarcinoma, Pritish Subhash Pawar

All ETDs from UAB

Cholangiocarcinoma, a fatal tumor arising from biliary epithelium, has very poor 5-year survival rate due to lack of early diagnosis and effective therapies. Induction of the Fas-mediated apoptosis is a promising therapeutic target in this tumor. Studies from our group and others have indicated that Fas-expression correlates inversely with disease progression and that CaM-antagonists induce apoptosis in cholangiocarcinoma cells in a Fas related manner. Further, we reported a direct and dynamic interaction of CaM and Fas and that CaM is recruited into the Fas-stimulated death inducing signaling complex (DISC), suggesting a cross talk between Fas and CaM pathways. The studies …

The Mechanism Of Silver Dissolution For Biomedical Devices And Hygienic Coating Applications., Yanmei Ma

Doctoral

This work focuses on the mechanism of silver dissolution for biomedical and hygienic coating applications. The research work began from the investigation of silver dissolution behaviour from pure silver and silver-platinum alloys in solutions with or without chloride using the technique of cyclic volammetry (CV). A zero resistance amperometry (ZRA) measurement was carried out to study the effect of platinum on the silver dissolution behaviour in 0.89%wt. NaCI solution. The mechanism of silver dissolution from pure silver and silver-platinum alloys in 0.89%wt. NaCI solution was proposed by an equivalent circuit model under the investigation of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). It …

The Effects Of Posture On Quantitative Eeg And End Tidal Co2 Duringstandardised Optimal Hyperventiation In Healthy Adults And In Patients With Childhood Absence Epilepsy And Attack Disorders, Ann Coughlan

Doctoral

Hyperventilation is used as an activation procedure during EEG. It induces hypocapnia, which elicits changes in brain wave activity that may be diagnostically useful. The mechanism of action by which Hyperventilation (HV) produces slow theta/delta waves on EEG remains conjectural. Four criteria determine the magnitude of HV response: vigorous exchange of air, blood glucose levels, age of subject, and posture. Effects of posture are poor studied quantitatively. Objective: A Standardised Optimal Hyperventilation Protocol (SOHVP), which elicited Hyperventilation Induced High Amplitude Rhythmic Slow activity (HIHARS) during EEG controlling for posture seated (stOHV) and supine (spOHV) is presented and validated. Method: Respiratory …

Combination Of Natural Variability Estimation With Real Time Measurement For Mushroom Shelf Life Assessment., Leixuri Aguirre

Doctoral

The shelf life of mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) is affected by the natural variability of the produce which influences the perishable vegetable quality. One of the main causes of this variability is non-homogeneity in the product maturity at harvest, resulting in each vegetable batch being at a different stage of senescence. The present work aims to study a new approach to improve the assessment of the shelf life of mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) taking into account this variability. The study of variability involved the: i) study of the shelf life, quality parameters and variability of the mushrooms and modelling these experimental laboratory …

Taller Regional De Utilización De Resultados De Investigación Operativa Para Incrementar El Acceso, La Calidad E Integración De Los Servicios Anticonceptivos En América Latina Y El Caribe, M. Estela Rivero-Fuentes, Antonieta Martin

Reproductive Health

En octubre de 2007, el programa Fronteras de la Salud Reproductiva (FRONTERAS) realizó un taller regional de tres días en La Antigua, Guatemala, para difundir los resultados de sus proyectos de investigación operativa. Durante el taller, los participantes escucharon los avances en la metodología anticonceptiva y escucharon las estrategias efectivas que probó FRONTERAS para incrementar el acceso al DIU y la vasectomía; la integración de la planificación familiar con los servicios posparto, postaborto y PTMI. Los investigadores habloaron sobre los resultados de los estudios, los gerentes de los programas explicaron cómo se usaban los instrumentos y se habló de la …

Guía Operativa Para Programas De Educación Sexual Y Servicios De Salud Reproductiva Para Jóvenes, Ofelia Aguilar, Lorena Santos, Marisa Diaz Infante, Rocio Mejia, Ricardo Vernon, Antonieta Martin

Reproductive Health

El presente libro tiene como fin poner al alcance de personas y organizaciones interesadas en establecer políticas y programas de servicios y educación sexual para los jóvenes, una guía basada en el Programa Gente Joven que implementa la Fundación Mexicana para la Planeación Familiar, A.C. (MEXFAM). Consideramos que los componentes y las actividades de este programa pueden ser adaptados en otras latitudes y así enriquecer proyectos orientados al trabajo con jóvenes.

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The purpose of this book is to make available, to people and organizations interested in establishing policies and programs on sexual education and services for young people, a …

Lutte Contre La Pratique De L'Excision Au Mali: De L'Approche Santé À L'Approche Basée Sur Les Droits De L'Enfant-Rapport D'Evaluation Du Programme Du Centre Djoliba, Anta Fall Diagne

Reproductive Health

Depuis les années 1980, Save the Children Suède soutient des activités visant à éliminer la pratique de l'excision organisées par le Centre Djoliba au Mali. Le but de cette évaluation est d'examiner l'impact du programme du Centre Djoliba sur la vie de communautés sélectionnées et en utilisant une approche basée sur les droits de l'homme et de l'enfant, pour examiner les changements majeurs dans les communautés cibles. Cette approche a conduit à une meilleure compréhension de ces droits et à la volonté des communautés d’essayer d’intégrer les connaissances acquises sur ces droits dans leur vie quotidienne. Cependant, l'environnement socioéconomique défavorable …

Managing And Preventing Female Genital Cutting (Fgm/C) Among The Somali Community In Kenya, Maryam Sheikh Abdi, Guyo W. Jaldesa, Ian Askew

Reproductive Health

This report details the Council’s innovative work with religious leaders to reduce the practice of FGM/C in the Somali community in Northern Kenya. In the mid to late 2000s, through the USAID Frontiers project, the Council successfully engaged religious leaders and scholars as community educators to correct the customary misconception that FGM/C is a requirement of Islam. Through sermons and training sessions, these leaders were able to dis-associate FGM/C from Islam, raise public awareness about the harms associated with the practice, and encourage its abandonment.

Evaluation Of The Long-Term Impact Of The Tostan Programme On The Abandonment Of Fgm/C And Early Marriage: Results From A Qualitative Study In Senegal, Nafissatou J. Diop, Amadou Moreau, Helene Benga

Reproductive Health

In 1998–99, a village empowerment program was implemented in the Thiès/Fatick and Kolda regions of Senegal by the nongovernmental organization Tostan, to mobilize communities to hold public declarations in support of abandoning harmful traditional practices, including female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and child marriage. The information presented in this report indicates that many did end the practices following a public declaration, however, the lack of follow-up in the field and the absence of support mechanisms pose a large obstacle. Nevertheless, the program achieved significant results: knowledge of life skills resulting in positive changes and a shift in the perception of FGM/C …

Analysis Of The Evolution Of The Practice Of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting In Burkina Faso, Nafissatou J. Diop, Zakari Congo, Aina Ouedraogo, Alphosine Sawadogo, Lydia Saloucou, Ida Tamini

Reproductive Health

This study was undertaken as a collaboration between the Population Council’s Frontiers in Reproductive Health program and the Comité National de Lutte contre la Pratique de l’Excision (CNLPE) within the Ministry of Social Action and National Solidarity in Burkina Faso. The creation of a favorable environment for the campaign against excision in Burkina Faso has facilitated various anti-cutting activities over the past two decades and enabled the achievement of gains, both in terms of awareness and behavior change. However some of the strategies need further readjustment: among the reasons why excision still continues in Burkina Faso is a certain view …

Institutionalization Of Quality Assurance Within District Health Management: Experiences From Maharashtra And Karnataka, M.E. Khan, Anurag Mishra, Vivek Sharma, Jaleel Ahmad, Jose Joseph, Venkatesh Srinivasan, K.M. Sathyanarayana, Viji Vargees, K.D. Maiti, Rashmi Sharma

Reproductive Health

The Population Council, with financial support from UNFPA, provided technical assistance to the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka, India in implementing a quality assurance (QA) program and helped its institutionalization in the district level of health management. An analysis of all the facilities covered as of December 2007 revealed substantial gaps in the infrastructure and human resources available to provide good-quality services, as well as adherence to standards for providing the services. To build the capacity to undertake QA visits, the Population Council and state authorities organized a series of events to orient and train state and district officials, facility-level …

Using Systematic Screening To Integrate Health Services In India And Senegal: Pilot Study Versus Scale-Up Results, James R. Foreit

Reproductive Health

This study examines the effectiveness of using systematic screening to integrate health services in India and Senegal. First, a pilot study of relatively small-scale experiments was undertaken to determine if systematic screening for unmet needs for health services could increase the number of preventive care services clients receive at healthcare visits. FRONTIERS then participated in the scale-up to test the effect of different supervision and training strategies on the frequency of provider screening. Results show that systematic screening may have the potential to produce important increases in the number of services provided in many developing country settings at the pilot …

From Pilot To Program: Scaling Up The Kenya Adolescent Reproductive Health Project, Humphres Evelia, Japheth Nyambane, Harriet Birungi, Ian Askew, Rikka Trangsrud, Eva Muthuuri, Irene Chaami, Agnes Odawa, Lucy Musyoka, Susan Mutungi, Margaret Githuiya, Joan Omuruli

Reproductive Health

The Population Council’s Frontiers in Reproductive Health Program and the Program for Appropriate Technology in Heath collaborated with three Government of Kenya ministries—Education; Health; and Gender, Sports, Culture and Social Services—to design and implement the Kenya Adolescent Reproductive Health Project with the goals of: improving knowledge about reproductive health and encouraging a responsible and healthy attitude toward sexuality among adolescents, delaying the onset of sexual activity among younger adolescents, and decreasing risky behaviors among sexually active adolescents. Key findings from the pilot project showed that the three ministries could successfully implement these interventions with high participation among parents and youth. …

The Potential For Sustainability Of Malaria In Pregnancy Initiatives In East And Southern Africa: Kenya And Malawi, Washington Onyango-Ouma, Sam Agatre Okuonzi, Doreen Ali, Harriet Birungi, Annie Mwangi

Reproductive Health

This study assesses the sustainability of initiatives to improve maternal and child health survival by preventing and treating illness from malaria, and documents best practices for promoting sustainability and lessons for replication in countries where malaria is endemic. The study applied the Child Survival Sustainability Assessment framework to initiatives in Kenya and Malawi to analyze progress toward sustainability, including not only a biomedical perspective but also the human, social, and organizational processes that influence sustainability of health projects. The report concludes that Malaria in Pregnancy (MIP) interventions were sustained within and beyond the project districts in both countries. Furthermore, both …

Integrating Tuberculosis Case Finding And Treatment Into Focused Antenatal Care In Kenya, Charlotte E. Warren, Annie Mwangi

Reproductive Health

The Population Council/FRONTIERS program, in collaboration with the National Leprosy and Tuberculosis Programme, the Division of Reproductive Health, and the Provincial Health Management Team in Western Province, Kenya, received PEPFAR funding to improve screening for tuberculosis (TB) for pregnant women, including HIV-positive pregnant women. An intervention was tested to strengthen TB case detection to ensure that maternal and child health providers, in addition to providing antenatal care and PMTCT services, also screen and assess the client’s need for TB services and refer for further management. The effectiveness of this approach was demonstrated by the increased number of pregnant women who …

Technical Assistance To The Interagency Coordination Group Seeking To Reduce Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, Nafissatou J. Diop

Reproductive Health

This report documents technical assistance provided by FRONTIERS to the Interagency Coordination Group seeking to reduce female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in sub-Saharan Africa. In particular, staff assisted the group in networking, learning to talk to each other, setting up an operational way of functioning, and influencing key international policy and programmatic documents. Lessons learned through operations research on FGM/C were disseminated widely through the group’s activities and FRONTIERS technical assistance influenced several plans of action and implementation programs. The report notes that in addition to better networking for presenting a common regional vision during the development of policy and programmatic …

Creating The Conditions For Scaling Up The Integration Of Reproductive Health Services For Men In Health And Family Welfare Centers In Bangladesh, M.A. Mannan, Jafar Ahmad Hakim, Syeda Tazneen Waris, Ashraf Ali, Akm Nurul Hakim, Abdul Hannan, Sameena Chowdhury, Saria Tasnim, Saiful Islam, Aqm Rezaul Karim, Sharif M.I. Hossain, Ubaidur Rob, M.E. Khan

Reproductive Health

An operations research study, supported by the Population Council’s Frontiers in Reproductive Health (FRONTIERS) program, showed that reproductive health services for men could be feasibly and acceptably integrated within the Health and Family Welfare Centres in Bangladesh, which have been primarily women-centered health facilities. Given these findings, a follow-up study was implemented to create the conditions for scaling up the model through identifying and piloting the operational details to consider when taking the intervention to scale. The findings presented in this report suggest that this model of service delivery and training can be scaled up countrywide, preferably in stages. To …

Strengthening The Financial Sustainability Of Two Population Services And Training Center (Pstc) Clinics (Bangladesh), Population Services And Training Center (Pstc), Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

The Population Services and Training Center of Bangladesh (PSTC) operates 15 clinics and 150 satellite posts that provide an Essential Services Package (ESP) to the poor, consisting of child health, family planning, maternal health, communicable disease treatment, and limited curative care. The objective of this study was to conduct an operations research study to determine the feasibility of improving cost recovery in two clinics by raising prices. It appears that the study design was too ambitious for PSTC, a service delivery organization with no prior research experience. Lack of experience was compounded by the resignation of all three PSTC research …

Strengthening Emergency Contraception In Nepal, Mahendra Pd. Shrestha, Sharif M.I. Hossain, M.E. Khan

Reproductive Health

A national workshop on emergency contraception was organized in Nepal by the Family Health Division within the Ministry of Health in 2004, with technical assistance provided by the FRONTIERS program of the Population Council. Among many conclusions from the workshop, one recommendation was that emergency contraceptive pills (ECP) should be introduced through the government family planning program to assist in reducing unwanted pregnancies. Based on the Population Council’s past experiences with introducing and mainstreaming ECP services in Bangladesh and India, a phase-wise introduction of ECP in Nepal was recommended. The project findings suggest that Nepalese women continue to face an …

Situation Analysis Of The Integration Of Family Planning Services In Postpartum, Postabortion And Prevention Of Mother To Child Transmission Programs In The Dominican Republic, Gisela Quiterio, Maritza Molina, Marija Miric, Ricardo Vernon, M. Estela Rivero-Fuentes

Reproductive Health

A diagnostic study of the provision and use of contraception in postpartum, postabortion, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programs in the Dominican Republic was conducted with funding from USAID. The objectives of the study were to assess the contraceptive knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of providers and clients; the degree to which information, counseling, and delivery are implemented in postpartum, postabortion, and PMTCT services; the quality of these services; and the readiness of postpartum, postabortion, and PMTCT services to offer contraceptive services. The report finds that family planning services are linked to antenatal, delivery, and postpartum care in most of …

Helping Egyptian Women Achieve Optimal Birth Spacing Intervals Through Fostering Linkages Between Family Planning And Maternal/Child Health Services, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Sarah Loza, Amal Zaki

Reproductive Health

The Population Council’s USAID-funded Frontiers in Reproductive Health (FRONTIERS) program, in collaboration with the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population and the NGO Social Planning, Analysis and Administration Consultants, conducted an operations research study to measure the acceptability and effectiveness of two birth spacing message models in Upper Egypt. Overall, the study found that providing birth spacing messages to low-parity women during antenatal and postpartum care and also to husbands through community awareness activities was feasible and acceptable. As a result, birth spacing messages have been integrated into service delivery guidelines for antenatal and postpartum care, and IEC materials on …