Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Obesity And Surgical Wound Healing: A Current Review, Yvonne N. Pierpont, Trish Phuong Dinh, R. Emerick Salas, Erika L. Johnson, Terry G. Wright, Martin C. Robson, Wyatt G. Payne

Surgery Faculty Publications

Objective. The correlation between obesity and deficient wound healing has long been established. This review examines the current literature on the mechanisms involved in obesity-related perioperative morbidity. Methods. A literature search was performed using Medline, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Internet searches. Keywords used include obesity, wound healing, adipose healing, and bariatric and surgical complications. Results. Substantial evidence exists demonstrating that obesity is associated with a number of postoperative complications. Specifically in relation to wound healing, explanations include inherent anatomic features of adipose tissue, vascular insufficiencies, cellular and composition modifications, oxidative stress, alterations in immune mediators, and nutritional …

The Effects Of A Single Event Interprofessional Education (Ipe) Experience On Occupational Therapy Students, Jodi Schreiber, Anthony Goreczny, Melissa L. Bednarek, Susan R. Hawkins, Mark L. Hertweck, Susan E. Sterrett

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of a single interprofessional education (IPE) seminar on student attitudes toward interprofessional education (IPE) at a small northeastern university that housed an entry-level Master in Occupational Therapy (MOT) program. Method: Investigators used the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) to determine attitudes of thirty-six MOT students after attending an interprofessional seminar.Results: Participant response rate of MOT students was 88.9% percent. The analysis of data revealed no significant differences between MOT student attitudes toward IPE pre and post IPE seminar. Conclusion: Several factors are discussed that may have contributed to …

Setting The Stage For Arv-Based Prevention For Women: A Snapshot Of The Zimbabwean Context, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

Zimbabwe, with an estimated population of 12.7 million people, is among the countries in sub-Saharan Africa most affected by the HIV epidemic. Given the urgent need for HIV-prevention options for women, a number of projects are underway to prepare for introduction of tenofovir gel should it be shown to be effective. One of these is a toolkit developed by the Population Council to assist policymakers and program managers in identifying the most strategic opportunities for introducing tenofovir gel. The toolkit includes three related components: a landscape analysis, a discussion guide for key opinion leader interviews, and a program planning tool. …

Isokinetic Fatigue Characteristics For The Leg Extensors Versus Flexors, Elias M. Carrillo, Matt S. Stock, Jacob A. Mota, Kendra D. Olinghouse, Alexander S. Drusch, Brennan J. Thompson

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Maximal isokinetic muscle actions are often used in research studies to examine fatigability and even estimate muscle fiber-type. However, the majority of previous investigations have examined these topics for the leg extensors (i.e., quadriceps), and we are unaware of investigations that have specifically assessed the fatigue characteristics for the flexors (i.e., hamstrings). The purpose of this study was to compare the percent decline values for the leg extensors versus flexors for 50 and 100 repeated, maximal concentric isokinetic muscle actions. Fifteen healthy men (mean ± SD age = 23 ± 3 years; body mass = 94.1 ± 11.9 kg) with …

The Heart Weight–Body Weight Coefficient In Kenyans Aged 14 Years And Above, Mbayah Etabale

Master of Medicine in Anatomic Pathology

Background: The heart size has traditionally been assessed using absolute reference weights. But the heart weight (HW) has been shown to depend on one’s body size hence a better measure is the ratio of the HW to the body weight (BW) – the HW-BW coefficient. Initially noted to be 0.43% and 0.40% in males and females respectively, recent studies have shown an increase of up to 0.51%. Objective: To determine the HW-BW coefficient in Kenyans aged 14 years and above. Methods: One hundred and four deceased Kenyans aged 14 years and above, with no heart or chronic lung disease, were …

Paracrine-Rescued Lobulogenesis In Chimeric Outgrowths Comprising Progesterone-Receptor-Null Mammary Epithelium And Redirected Wild-Type Testicular Cells, Robert D. Bruno, Corinne A. Boulanger, Sonia M. Rosenfield, Lisa H. Anderson, John P. Lydon, Gilbert H. Smith

School of Medical Diagnostics & Translational Sciences Publications

We have previously shown that non-mammary and tumorigenic cells can respond to the signals of the mammary niche and alter their cell fate to that of mammary epithelial progenitor cells. Here we tested the hypothesis that paracrine signals from mammary epithelial cells expressing progesterone receptor (PR) are dispensable for redirection of testicular cells, and that re-directed wild-type testicular-derived mammary cells can rescue lobulogenesis of PR-null mammary epithelium by paracrine signaling during pregnancy. We injected PR-null epithelial cells mixed with testicular cells from wild-type adult male mice into cleared fat-pads of recipient mice. The testicular cells were redirected in vivo to …

Acute Kidney Injury In Lymphoma: A Single Centre Experience, Muhammad Abdul Mabood Khalil, Hira Latif, Abdur Rehman, Waqar Uddin Kashif, Safia Awan, Zarghona Khalil, Uziar Mushtaq, Maria Ahmad, Muhammad Ashhad Ullah Khalil, Manickam Ranga Sami

Section of Nephrology

Background. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common but least studied complication of lymphoma.

Objective. To determine the frequency and predictors of AKI in lymphoma and to study the impact of AKI on hospital stay and mortality.

Methods. Retrospective review of medical records of hospitalized lymphoma patients aged ≥14 years between January 2008 and December 2011 was done.

Results. Out of 365 patients, AKI was present in 31.8% (116/365). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that independent predictors for AKI included sepsis (odds ratio (OR) 3.76; 95% CI 1.83-7.72), aminoglycosides (OR 4.75; 95% CI 1.15-19.52), diuretics (OR 2.96; 95% CI 1.31-6.69), …

The Effect Of A Preanaesthesia Clinic Consultation On Adult Patient Anxiety In Aga Khan University Hospital; A Cohort Study, Anthony Kamau

Master of Medicine in Anaesthesiology

Background: Preoperative anxiety is a common perioperative complication, according to studies done it is seen in approximately 11-80% of adults undergoing surgery. Various pharmacological and non pharmacological techniques have been used to reduce preop anxiety. One of the goals of the preanaesthesia clinic is to allay anxiety. Literature shows that a preanaesthesia clinic evaluation reduces anxiety however b current studies done on anxiety and the preanaesthesia clinic have not quantified this reduction. Objective: To determine the reduction in anxiety in patients evaluated in the clinic versus those evaluated in the ward. Study Design: A cohort and before – after study …

Sampling Local Fungal Diversity In An Undergraduate Laboratory Using Dna Barcoding, A. H. Harrington, A. F. Bigott, B. W. Anderson, M. J. Boone, S. M. Brick, J. F. Delsol, R. A. Hotchkiss, R. A. Huddleston, E. H. Kasper, J. J. Mcgrady, M. L. Mckinnie, M. V. Ottenlips, N. E. Skinner, K. C. Spatz, A. J. Steinberg, F. Van Den Broek, C. N. Wilson, A. M. Wofford, A. M. Willyard

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Traditional methods for fungal species identification require diagnostic morphological characters and are often limited by the availability of fresh fruiting bodies and local identification resources. DNA barcoding offers an additional method of species identification and is rapidly developing as a critical tool in fungal taxonomy. As an exercise in an undergraduate biology course, we identified 9 specimens collected from the Hendrix College campus in Conway, Arkansas, USA to the genus or species level using morphology. We report that DNA barcoding targeting the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region supported several of our taxonomic determinations and we were able to contribute 5 …

Adolescent Crash Rates And School Start Times In Two Central Virginia Counties, 2009-2011: A Follow-Up Study To A Southeastern Virginia Study, 2007-2008, Robert Daniel Vorona, Mariana Szklo-Coxe, Rajan Lamichhane, J. Catesby Ware, Ann Mcnallen, David Leszczyszyn

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background and Objective: Early high school start times (EHSST) may lead to sleep loss in adolescents ("teens"), thus resulting in higher crash rates. (Vorona et al., 2011). In this study, we examined two other adjacent Virginia counties for the two years subsequent to the above-mentioned study. We again hypothesized that teens from jurisdictions with EHSST (versus later) experience higher crash rates.

Methods: Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles supplied de-identified aggregate data on weekday crashes and time-of- day for 16-18 year old (teen) and adult drivers for school years 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 in Henrico and Chesterfield Counties (HC and CC, respectively). …

Residual Disease And Hpv Persistence After Cryotherapy For Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia Grade 2/3 In Hiv Positive Women In Kenya, Hugo De Vuyst, Nelly R. Mugo, Silvia Franceschi, Kevin Mckenzie, Vanessa Tenet, Julia Njoroge, Farzana S. Rana, Samah R. Sakr, Peter J.F. Snijders, Michael Chung

Pathology, East Africa

Objective: To assess residual cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2/3 disease and clearance of high-risk (hr) human papillomavirus (HPV) infections at 6 months after cryotherapy among HIV-positive women.

Design: Follow-up study.

Methods: 79 HIV-positive women received cryotherapy for CIN2/3 in Nairobi, Kenya, and underwent conventional cytology 6 months later. Biopsies were performed on high grade cytological lesions and hrHPV was assessed before (cervical cells and biopsy) and after cryotherapy (cells).

Results: At 6 months after cryotherapy CIN2/3 had been eliminated in 61 women (77.2%; 95% Confidence Interval, (CI):66.4–85.9). 18 women (22.8%) had residual CIN2/3, and all these women had hrHPV at …

Epidemiology Of Malaria In A Village In The Rufiji River Delta, Tanzania: Declining Transmission Over 25 Years Revealed By Different Parasitological Metrics, Anna Färnert, Victor Yman, Manijeh Vafa Homann, Grace Wandell, Leah Mhoja, Marita Johansson, Salome Jesaja, Johanna Sandlund, Kazuyuki Tanabe, Ulf Hammar, Matteo Bottai, Zul Premji, Anders Björkman, Ingegerd Rooth

Pathology, East Africa

Background: Assessments of the epidemiology of malaria over time are needed to understand changes in transmission and guide control and elimination strategies.

Methods: A longitudinal population study was established in 1985 in Nyamisati village in the Rufiji River Delta, Tanzania. A physician and research team lived in the village 1984–2000. Parasite prevalence by microscopy and two PCR methods, spleen rates and haemoglobin levels were measured in repeated cross-sectional surveys between 1985 and 2010. Passive surveillance of malaria cases was maintained until end 1999. Bed nets were distributed after the surveys 1993, 1999 and 2010.

Results: In 1985, overall parasite prevalence …

Editorial: Nurses’ Role In Improving Interdisciplinary Delirium Care In Inpatient Settings: Steps For Action, Annmarie Hosie, Jane Phillips

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

A Transition Program To Primary Health Care For New Graduate Nurses: A Strategy Towards Building A Sustainable Primary Health Care Nurse Workforce?, C Gordon, C Aggar, A Williams, L Walker, S Willcock, J Bloomfield

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Background: This debate discusses the potential merits of a New Graduate Nurse Transition to Primary Health Care Program as an untested but potential nursing workforce development and sustainability strategy. Increasingly in Australia, health policy is focusing on the role of general practice and multidisciplinary teams in meeting the service needs of ageing populations in the community. Primary health care nurses who work in general practice are integral members of the multidisciplinary team but this workforce is ageing and predicted to face increasing shortages in the future. At the same time, Australia is currently experiencing a surplus of and a corresponding …

Uchunguzi (Journal Watch/Montre De Journal) April 2014, Benjamin Wachira

Family Medicine, East Africa

Content: If you want to know how we practised medicine 5 years ago, read a textbook. If you want to know how we practised medicine 2 years ago, read a journal. If you want to know how we practise medicine now, go to a (good) conference. If you want to know how we will practise medicine in the future, listen in the hallways and use FOAM (Joe Lex, 2012). FOAM is free, open-access medical education. As stated in the Hippocratic Oath: “…and to teach them this art – if they desire to learn it – without fee and covenant”, the …

Uchunguzi (Journal Watch/Montre De Journal) September 2014, Benjamin Wachira

Family Medicine, East Africa

No abstract provided.

Uchunguzi (Journal Watch/Montre De Journal) December 2014, Benjamin Wachira

Family Medicine, East Africa

No abstract provided.

Burden Of Epilepsy In Rural Kenya Measured In Disability-Adjusted Life Years, Fredrick Ibinda, Ryan Wagner, Melanie Bertram, Anthony Ngugi, Evasius Bauni, Theo Vos, Josemir Sander, Charles Newton

Family Medicine, East Africa

Objectives: The burden of epilepsy, in terms of both morbidity and mortality, is likely to vary depending on the etiology (primary [genetic/unknown] vs. secondary [structural/metabolic]) and with the use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). We estimated the disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and modeled the remission rates of active convulsive epilepsy (ACE) using epidemiologic data collected over the last decade in rural Kilifi, Kenya.

Methods: We used measures of prevalence, incidence, and mortality to model the remission of epilepsy using disease-modeling software (DisMod II). DALYs were calculated as the sum of Years Lost to Disability (YLD) and Years of Life Lost (YLL) …

Exposure To Multiple Parasites Is Associated With The Prevalence Of Active Convulsive Epilepsy In Sub-Saharan Africa, Gathoni Kamuyu, Christian Bottomley, James Mageto, Brett Lowe, Patricia Wilkins, John C. Noh, Thomas B. Nutman, Anthony Ngugi, Rachael Odhiambo, Ryan Wagner, Angelina Kakooza-Mwesige, Seth Owusu-Agyei, Kenneth Ae-Ngibise, Honorati Masanja, Faith Osier, Peter Odermatt, Charles Newton

Family Medicine, East Africa

Background: Epilepsy is common in developing countries, and it is often associated with parasitic infections. We investigated the relationship between exposure to parasitic infections, particularly multiple infections and active convulsive epilepsy (ACE), in five sites across sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods and Findings: A case-control design that matched on age and location was used. Blood samples were collected from 986 prevalent cases and 1,313 age-matched community controls and tested for presence of antibodies to Onchocerca volvulus, Toxocara canis, Toxoplasma gondii, Plasmodium falciparum, Taenia solium and HIV. Exposure (seropositivity) to Onchocerca volvulus (OR = 1.98; 95%CI: 1.52-2.58, p

Conclusion: This study investigates how …

Premature Mortality In Active Convulsive Epilepsy In Rural Kenya: Causes And Associated Factors, Anthony Ngugi, Christian Bottomley, Gregory Fegan, Eddie Chengo, Rachael Odhiambo, Evasius Bauni, Brian Neville, Immo Kleinschmidt, Josemir W. Sander, Charles R. Newton

Family Medicine, East Africa

Objective: We estimated premature mortality and identified causes of death and associated factors in people with active convulsive epilepsy (ACE) in rural Kenya.

Methods: In this prospective population-based study, people with ACE were identified in a crosssectional survey and followed up regularly for 3 years, during which information on deaths and associated factors was collected. We used a validated verbal autopsy tool to establish putative causes of death. Age-specific rate ratios and standardized mortality ratios were estimated. Poisson regression was used to identify mortality risk factors.

Results: There were 61 deaths among 754 people with ACE, yielding a rate of …

18fdg Synthesis And Supply: A Journey From Existing Centralized To Future Decentralized Models, Maseeh Uz Zaman, Nosheen Fatima, Zafar Sajjad, Unaiza Zaman, Rabia Tahseen, Areeba Zaman

Department of Radiology

Positron emission tomography (PET) as the functional component of current hybrid imaging (like PET/ CT or PET/MRI) seems to dominate the horizon of medical imaging in coming decades. 18Flourodeoxyglucose (18FDG) is the most commonly used probe in oncology and also in cardiology and neurology around the globe. However, the major capital cost and exorbitant running expenditure of low to medium energy cyclotrons (about 20 MeV) and radiochemistry units are the seminal reasons of low number of cyclotrons but mushroom growth pattern of PET scanners. This fact and longer half-life of 18F (110 minutes) have paved the path of a centralized …

Mdct Of Small Bowel Obstruction: How Reliable Are Oblique Reformatted Images In Localizing Point Of Transition?, Wasim Memon, Yasir Jamil Khattak, Tariq Alam, Luca Maria Sconfienza, Muhammad Awais, Shayan Sirat Maheen Anwar

Department of Radiology

The goal of this study is to prospectively assess the additional value of oblique reformatted images for localizing POT, having surgery as a reference standard. Materials and Methods. 102 consecutive patients with suspected small bowel obstruction (SBO) underwent 64-slice multidetector row CT (MDCT) using surgical findings as reference standard. Two independent GI radiologists reviewed the CT scans to localize the exact POT by evaluating axial images (data set A) followed by axial, coronal, and oblique MPR images. CT findings were compared to surgical findings in terms of diagnostic performance. McNemar's test was used to detect any statistical difference in POT …

North American Lyme Borreliae: New Distributions And An Insight Into Borrelia Bissettii Infection, Immune Response And Transmission In A Murine Model, Brian Francis Leydet Jr

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Lyme borreliosis is an emergent threat to human health. It is estimated that 300,000 cases of Lyme disease are diagnosed annually in the United States. In recent years, non-traditional areas are starting to report more and more cases. While much research has gone into the tick and bacteria responsible for the disease, frequently new Borrelia species are being described and implicated in human illness. These species often go unstudied, and their threat to human health is not known. In the hopes of closing knowledge gaps on Lyme borreliosis in the US, we surveyed a non-endemic state, Louisiana, for Lyme Borrelia …

Delivery Of Interleukin-15 To B16 Melanoma By Electroporation Leads To Tumor Regression And Long-Term Survival, Bernadette Marrero, Shawna Shirley, Richard Heller

Bioelectrics Publications

Electroporation (EP) is a method used to physically deliver therapeutic molecules such as plasmid DNA directly to tissues. It has been used safely and successfully in clinical studies and preclinical cancer models to deliver genes to a variety of tissues. In cancer research cytokine therapy is emerging as a promising tool that can be used to boost the host response to tumor antigens. The delivery of cytokines as recombinant proteins can result in toxicity and other adverse effects; however the delivery of cytokine genes using EP has been shown to be safe and effective. Interleukin 15 (IL-15) is a cytokine …

Temporal Modulation Of Plasma Species In Atmospheric Dielectric Barrier Discharges, Aijun Yang, Xiaohua Wang, Dingxin Liu, Mingzhe Rong, Michael G. Kong

Bioelectrics Publications

The atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge in helium is a pulsed discharge in nature and the moment of maximum species densities is almost consistent with peak discharge current density. In this paper, a one-dimensional fluid model is used to investigate the temporal structure of plasma species in an atmospheric He-N₂ dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). It is demonstrated that there exist microsecond delays of the moments of the maximum electron and ion densities from the peak of discharge current density. These time delays are caused by a competition between the electron impact and Penning ionizations, modulated by the N_{2 …}

The Effectiveness Of A Dual Task Concussion Assessment For Identifying Impairments In Concussed Athletes, Kristin R. Bockelman

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Context: Commonly used single task (ST) concussion assessments are unable to identify lingering impairments following a concussion. Current dual task (DT) assessments use cost prohibitive technological assessments not available to most clinicians, creating the need for a clinically applicable dual task assessment to identify impairments. Objective: To determine if a DT assessment consisting of the Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC) and with the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) is able to identify impairments. Design: Prospective longitudinal. Setting: Research laboratory. Participants: Concussed student-athletes and matched health controls, 18 females, 10 males. Concussed group: age 19.00±0.88, height 174.53±12.06 cm, and mass 75.28±22.02 …

Characteristics Of Dental Follicle Stem Cells And Their Potential Application For Treatment Of Craniofacial Defects, Maryam Rezai Rad

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Utilization of patient-specific stem cells in regenerative medicine provides a novel treatment approach for diseases and disorders. Embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells can differentiate into any cells found within the body; however, ethical, technical and safety concerns have to be overcome before they can be used in clinics. Patient-specific stem cells can be isolated from adult tissues with no ethical, fewer technical, and safety concerns. Obtaining tissues for stem cell isolation usually requires invasive procedures, but impacted teeth are often extracted in the clinics and can be used for isolation of dental follicle stem cells (DFSCs). The …

Light Stimulates The Mouse Adrenal Through A Retinohypothalamic Pathway Independent Of An Effect On The Clock In The Suprachiasmatic Nucleus, Silke Kiessling, Patricia J. Sollars, Gary E. Pickard

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The brain’s master circadian pacemaker resides within the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). SCN clock neurons are entrained to the day/night cycle via the retinohypothalamic tract and the SCN provides temporal information to the central nervous system and to peripheral organs that function as secondary oscillators. The SCN clock-cell network is thought to be the hypothalamic link between the retina and descending autonomic circuits to peripheral organs such as the adrenal gland, thereby entraining those organs to the day/night cycle. However, there are at least three different routes or mechanisms by which retinal signals transmitted to the hypothalamus may be conveyed …

Dens Agenesis And Cervical Vertebral Malformation In A Labrador Retriever Puppy, Elisa Salas, Henry E. Cerny, Seth P. Harris

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Cervical vertebral malformations can cause acute or progressive pain, paralysis, and potentially death. Herein we present a case report of dens agenesis; cervical vertebral malformations of C1, C2, C6, and C7; subluxation of C1 and C2 and C4 and C5; and associated degenerative myelopathy in a 5-month-old female Labrador Retriever puppy. We additionally review current knowledge regarding pathogenesis and treatment.

Viruses As Nanoparticles: Structure Versus Collective Dynamics, S. Sirotkin, A. Mermet, M. Bergoin, V. Ward, James L. Van Etten

James Van Etten Publications

In order to test the application of the “nanoparticle” concept to viruses in terms of low-frequency dynamics, large viruses (140–190 nm) were compared to similar-sized polymer colloids using ultra-small-angle x-ray scattering and very-low-frequency Raman or Brillouin scattering. While both viruses and polymer colloids show comparable highly defined morphologies, with comparable abilities of forming self-assembled structures, their respective abilities to confine detectable acoustic vibrations, as expected for such monodisperse systems, differed. Possible reasons for these different behaviors are discussed.