Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Metastatic Pancreatic Carcinoma And Experience With Folfirinox - A Cross Sectional Analysis From A Developing Country, Muhammad Nauman Zahir, Adnan Abdul Jabbar

Department of Radiation Oncology

Background: Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer related death with median survival ranging from 3 to 6 months for metastatic disease. Palliative chemotherapy has been the backbone of treatment in advanced stage and has evolved over time. Data pertaining to the disease are scarce from our part of the world where treatment poses a significant challenge due to lack of resources.MATERIALS AND Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed for all patients presenting with stage IV pancreatic carcinoma at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan between January 2008 and December 2012. Data were collected using a …

Burden, Causes, And Outcomes Of People With Epilepsy Admitted To A Rural Hospital In Kenya, Symon M. Kariuki, Eddie Chengo, Fredrick Ibinda, Rachael Odhiambo, Anthony Etyang, Anthony Ngugi, Charles R. J. C. Newton

Family Medicine, East Africa

Objective: People with epilepsy (PWE) develop complications and comorbidities often requiring admission to hospital, which adds to the burden on the health system, particularly in low-income countries. We determined the incidence, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), risk factors, and causes of admissions in PWE. We also examined the predictors of prolonged hospital stay and death using data from linked clinical and demographic surveillance system.

Methods: We studied children and adults admitted to a Kenyan rural hospital, between January 2003 and December 2011, with a diagnosis of epilepsy. Poisson regression was used to compute incidence and rate ratios, logistic regression to determine …

Electroencephalographic Features Of Convulsive Epilepsy In Africa: A Multicentre Study Of Prevalence, Pattern And Associated Factors, Symon M. Kariuki, Steven White, Eddie Chengo, Ryan G. Wagner, Kenneth A. Ae-Ngibise, Angelina Kakooza-Mwesige, Honorati Masanja, Anthony Ngugi, Josemir W. Sander, Brian G. Neville, Charles R. Newton

Family Medicine, East Africa

Objective: We investigated the prevalence and pattern of electroencephalographic (EEG) features of epilepsy and the associated factors in Africans with active convulsive epilepsy (ACE).

Methods: We characterized electroencephalographic features and determined associated factors in a sample of people with ACE in five African sites. Mixed-effects modified Poisson regression model was used to determine factors associated with abnormal EEGs.

Results: Recordings were performed on 1426 people of whom 751 (53%) had abnormal EEGs, being an adjusted prevalence of 2.7 (95% confidence interval (95% CI), 2.5–2.9) per 1000. 52% of the abnormal EEG had focal features (75% with temporal lobe involvement). The …

Accountable Care Organizations: A Summary Of The Challenges And Possible Solutions In The U.S. Health Care Marketplace, Kyle Ingram, Mark Wendling Md

USF-LVHN SELECT

No abstract provided.

Prevalence And Factors Associated With Convulsive Status Epilepticus In Africans With Epilepsy, Symon M. Kariuki, Angelina Kakooza-Mwesige, Ryan G. Wagner, Eddie Chengo, Steven White, Gathoni Kamuyu, Anthony Ngugi, Josemir W. Sander, Brian G.R. Neville, Charles R.J. Newton

Family Medicine, East Africa

Objective: We conducted a community survey to estimate the prevalence and describe the features, risk factors, and consequences of convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) among people with active convulsive epilepsy (ACE) identified in a multisite survey in Africa.

Methods: We obtained clinical histories of CSE and neurologic examination data among 1,196 people with ACE identified from a population of 379,166 people in 3 sites: Agincourt, South Africa; Iganga-Mayuge, Uganda; and Kilifi, Kenya. We performed serologic assessment for the presence of antibodies to parasitic infections and HIV and determined adherence to antiepileptic drugs. Consequences of CSE were assessed using a questionnaire. Logistic …

Prevalence And Risk Factors For Active Convulsive Epilepsy In Kintampo, Ghana, Kenneth Ayuurebobi Ae-Ngibise, Bright Akpalu, Anthony Ngugi, Albert Akpalu, Francis Agbokey, Patrick Adjei, Damien Punguyire, Christian Bottomley, Charles Newton, Seth Owusu-Agyei

Family Medicine, East Africa

Introduction: epilepsy is common in sub-Saharan Africa, but there is little data in West Africa, to develop public health measures for epilepsy in this region.

Methods: we conducted a three-stage cross-sectional survey to determine the prevalence and risk factors for active convulsive epilepsy (ACE), and estimated the treatment gap in Kintampo situated in the middle of Ghana.

Results: 249 people with ACE were identified in a study population of 113,796 individuals. After adjusting for attrition and the sensitivity of the screening method, the prevalence of ACE was 10.1/1000 (95% Confidence Interval (95%CI) 9.5-10.7). In children aged <18 years, risk factors for ACE were: family history of seizures (OR=3.31; 95%CI: 1.83-5.96), abnormal delivery (OR=2.99; 95%CI: 1.07-8.34), problems after birth (OR=3.51; 95%CI: 1.02-12.06), and exposure to Onchocerca volvulus (OR=2.32; 95%CI: 1.12-4.78). In adults, a family history of seizures (OR=1.83; 95%CI: 1.05-3.20), never attended school (OR=11.68; 95%CI: 4.80-28.40), cassava consumption (OR=3.92; 95%CI: 1.14-13.54), pork consumption (OR=1.68; 95%CI: 1.09-2.58), history of snoring at least 3 nights per week (OR=3.40: 95%CI: 1.56-7.41), exposure to Toxoplasma gondii (OR=1.99; 95%CI: 1.15-3.45) and Onchocerca volvulus (OR=2.09: 95%CI: 1.29-3.40) were significant risk factors for the development of ACE. The self-reported treatment gap was 86.9% (95%CI: 83.5%-90.3%).

Conclusion: ACE is common …

Fortifying The External Peer Review: An Editorial Perspective, Saba Sohail

Department of Radiology

No abstract provided.

Mechanisms Of Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field (Nspef)-Induced Cell Death In Cells And Tumors, Stephen J. Beebe

Bioelectrics Publications

The evolution of pulse power technology from high power physics to biology and medicine places nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs) in positions for in vitro and in vivo applications as non-ligand agonists that not only bypass plasma membrane receptors for induction of intracellular signaling pathways, but also bypass intracellular oncogenic impasses to induce cell death by regulated mechanisms. Based on work reviewed here, a likely scenario for cell and tumor demise includes nsPEF-induced permeabilization of the plasma membrane, Ca2+ influx, dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential, which is likely due to events beyond permeabilization of the inner mitochondrial membrane, cytochrome …

Sudden Death, Aortic Rupture In Horses, Literature Review, Case Studies Reported And Risk Factors, Abelardo Morales Briceño, Aniceto Mendez, Kimberly Brewer, Charlie Hughes, Thomas Tobin

Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center Faculty Publications

Sudden deaths of horses in multiple equestrian disciplines have been attributed to acute and chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to perform a review of aortic rupture in horses analyzing, case studies and assessing risk factors. The literature has reported a total of 137 cases of aortic rupture in horses for 28 years (1986-2014), with approximately five horses dying of aortic rupture per year. Histopathologically, there are observed discrete macroscopic degenerative changes in the intima layer only in the aorta. The histological evaluation in the beginning portion of the aorta of the heart evidenced degenerative …

Long-Term Overall Survival From A Phase 1 Trial Using Intratumoral Plasmid Interleukin-12 With Electroporation In Patients With Melanoma, Adil Daud, Kathryn T. Takamura, Tu Diep, Richard Heller, Robert H. Pierce

Bioelectrics Publications

No abstract provided.

Ablation Of Myocardial Tissue With Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields, Fei Xie, Frency Varghese, Andrei G. Pakhomov, Iurii Semenov, Shu Xiao, Jonathan Philpott, Christian Zemlin

Bioelectrics Publications

Background

Ablation of cardiac tissue is an essential tool for the treatment of arrhythmias, particularly of atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and ventricular tachycardia. Current ablation technologies suffer from substantial recurrence rates, thermal side effects, and long procedure times. We demonstrate that ablation with nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs) can potentially overcome these limitations.

Methods

We used optical mapping to monitor electrical activity in Langendorff-perfused New Zealand rabbit hearts (n = 12). We repeatedly inserted two shock electrodes, spaced 2–4 mm apart, into the ventricles (through the entire wall) and applied nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEF) (5–20 kV/cm, 350 ns duration, …

Gait Intervention For Improvements In Human Top Speed Running, Michelle Buechner

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Between individuals faster sprinting speeds are achieved by applying greater stance average forces against the running surface. Recent evidence further indicates that elite level performers also strike the ground with leg kinematics that differ from those of non-elites and that these leg movements act to enhance the force transients occurring in the milliseconds following foot-ground impact. I investigated whether sprint performance could be enhanced through a short term gait intervention, consisting of 3 laboratory training sessions wherein subjects (n = 6) completed 5 high-speed runs on an instrumented force treadmill at 90% of their measured top sprint. The subjects received …

An Assessment Of The Health Needs Of The Transgender Community In Montana, Karishma Chainani

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Transgender individuals face a unique set of challenges in their day to day lives. While issues regarding stigma and discrimination are well documented in the literature, most of the information about transgender people has been gathered in urban settings. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to explore factors that influence quality of life and risk of infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis C (HCV), Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD’s) among transgender people living in Montana. A questionnaire was developed after a thorough review of the literature as well as a review of existing assessments. The questionnaire was reviewed by …

Possible Effects Of Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields On Proteins, Stephen J. Beebe

Bioelectrics Publications

No abstract provided.

Cell Stimulation And Calcium Mobilization By Picosecond Electric Pulses, Iurii Semenov, Shu Xiao, Dongkoo Kang, Karl H. Schoenbach, Andrei G. Pakhomov

Bioelectrics Publications

We tested if picosecond electric pulses (psEP; 190 kV/cm, 500 ps at 50% height), which are much shorter than channel activation time, can activate voltage-gated (VG) channels. Cytosolic Ca²⁺ was monitored by Fura-2 ratiometric imaging in GH3 and NG108 cells (which express multiple types of VG calcium channels, VGCC), and in CHO cells (which express no VGCC). Trains of up to 100 psEP at 1 kHz elicited no response in CHO cells. However, even a single psEP significantly increased Ca²⁺ in both GH3 (by 114 +/- 48 nM) and NG108 cells (by 6 +/- 1.1 nM). Trains of …

Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Prevent Pulmonary Endothelial Hyperpermeability And Acute Lung Injury By Regulating Heat Shock Protein 90 Function, Atul D. Joshi, Nektarios Barabutis, Charalampos Birmpas, Christiana Dimitropoulou, Gagan Thangjam, Mary Cherian-Shaw, John Dennison, John D. Catravas

Bioelectrics Publications

Transendothelial hyperpermeability caused by numerous agonists is dependent on heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) and leads to endothelial barrier dysfunction (EBD). Inhibition of Hsp90 protects and restores transendothelial permeability. Hyperacetylation of Hsp90, as by inhibitors of histone deacetylase (HDAC), suppresses its chaperone function and mimics the effects of Hsp90 inhibitors. In this study we assessed the role of HDAC in mediating lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced transendothelial hyperpermeability and acute lung injury (ALI). We demonstrate that HDAC inhibition protects against LPS-mediated EBD. Inhibition of multiple HDAC by the general inhibitors panobinostat or trichostatin provided protection against LPS-induced transendothelial hyperpermeability, acetylated and suppressed Hsp90 …

Blast-Induced Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Through Ear Canal: A Finite Element Study, Praveen Akula, Yi Hua, Linxia Gu

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Purpose The role of ear canal in transmitting blast waves to the brain is not clear. The goal of this work is to characterize the influence of ear canal on blast-induced mild traumatic brain injury through a computational approach.

Methods A three-dimensional human head model with single-side ear canal details was reconstructed from computed tomography images. The ear canal was positioned either facing the incident blast wave or facing away from the blast wave.

Results The blast wave-head interaction has demonstrated that the overpressure within the ear canal was substantially amplified when the ear directly faced the blast wave. When …

Large Dsdna Chloroviruses Encode Diverse Membrane Transport Proteins, Gerhard Thiel, Timo Greiner, David Dunigan, Anna Moroni

James Van Etten Publications

Many large DNA viruses that infect certain isolates of chlorella-like green algae (chloroviruses) are unusual because they often encode a diverse set of membrane transport proteins, including functional K+ channels and aquaglyceroporins as well as K+ transporters and calcium transporting ATPases. Some chloroviruses also encode putative ligand-gated-like channel proteins. No one protein is present in all of the chloroviruses that have been sequenced, but the K+ channel is the most common as only two chloroviruses have been isolated that lack this complete protein. This review describes the properties of these membrane-transporting proteins and suggests possible physiological functions and evolutionary histories …

Basic Epidemiology, Center For Leadership In Public Health Practice

Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Center

Basic Epidemiology, a training course from the USF Center for Leadership in Public Health Practice, develops the awareness and knowledge of public health workers who may be deployed on Field Epidemiology strike teams. It is designed to help them assist local, regional, state, and national epidemiology staff in disease investigations during surge capacity. Basic Epidemiology is a required prerequisite for the IFIRST and IFIRST-2 programs.

Reassessment Of Risk Genotypes (Grn, Tmem106b, And Abcc9 Variants) Associated With Hippocampal Sclerosis Of Aging Pathology, Peter T. Nelson, Wang-Xia Wang, Amanda B. Partch, Sarah E. Monsell, Otto Valladares, Sally R. Ellingson, Bernard R. Wilfred, Adam C. Naj, Li-San Wang, Walter A. Kukull, David W. Fardo

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Faculty Publications

Hippocampal sclerosis of aging (HS-Aging) is a common high-morbidity neurodegenerative condition in elderly persons. To understand the risk factors for HS-Aging, we analyzed data from the Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics Consortium and correlated the data with clinical and pathologic information from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center database. Overall, 268 research volunteers with HS-Aging and 2,957 controls were included; detailed neuropathologic data were available for all. The study focused on single-nucleotide polymorphisms previously associated with HS-Aging risk: rs5848 ( GRN ), rs1990622 ( TMEM106B ), and rs704180 ( ABCC9 ). Analyses of a subsample that was not previously evaluated (51 HS-Aging cases …

Antiproliferative And Antiestrogenic Activities Of Bonediol An Alkyl Catechol From Bonellia Macrocarpa, Rosa Moo-Puc, Edgar Caamal-Fuentes, Sergio R. Peraza-Sánchez, Anna Slusarz, Glenn Jackson, Sara K. Drenkhahn, Dennis B. Lubahn

Faculty Scholarship

The purpose of this study was to investigate antiproliferative activity of bonediol, an alkyl catechol isolated from the Mayan medicinal plant Bonellia macrocarpa. Bonediol was assessed for growth inhibition of androgen-sensitive (LNCaP), androgen-insensitive (PC-3), and metastatic androgen-insensitive (PC-3M) human prostate tumor cells; toxicity on normal cell line (HEK 293) was also evaluated. Hedgehog pathway was evaluated and competitive 3H-estradiol ligand binding assay was performed. Additionally, antioxidant activity on Nrf2-ARE pathway was evaluated. Bonediol induced a growth inhibition on prostate cancer cell lines (IC50 from 8.5 to 20.6 µM). Interestingly, bonediol binds to both estrogen receptors (ERα (2.5 …

Acl Injuries In Female Athletes: Are Prevention Programs The Answer?, Brooke Chandor

Honors Theses

Around 400,000 people tear their anterior cruciate ligaments (ACLs) every year in the United States. The majority of these injuries occur during athletics, and most commonly to females. Their neuromuscular abilities, anatomies, and hormones put female athletes at a much higher risk of ACL injury than male athletes. The current gold standard of treatment, ACL reconstruction, is an imperfect technique at best. It leaves patients with much higher risk of both ACL reinjury and early onset of osteoarthritis. Prevention programs, aimed at reducing the neuromuscular risk factors in female athletes, have proved to effectively reduce the number of noncontact ACL …

The Growing Crisis In Maine: Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, Olivia Avidan

Honors Theses

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) is a Maine epidemic. In addition to having medical repercussions, NAS is intrinsically linked to social, political and economic factors. NAS is a conglomeration of symptoms, short-term and long-term, that affect a child that has been exposed to opioids in utero. These factors that impact NAS are interdependent. The past decade is characterized by a dramatic rise in NAS cases in Maine. This paper explores the social, political and economic landscape surrounding NAS in an effort to describe fully the syndrome’s effect on both individuals and the community as a whole.

The Effects Of Curcumin On The Expression Of P53 And Bcl-2 Oncoproteins On The Human Breast Carcinoma Cell Line Mda-Mb 468, Angelin S. Shajan

Theses and Dissertations

We studied the effects of curcumin on the proliferation and viability of MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells and its effects on the expression ofBcl-2 and p53 proteins in these cells. Based on previous studies, we predicted a dose-dependent increase in p53 (tumor suppressor) expression, and a decrease in Bcl-2 (anti-apoptotic oncoprotein) expression. Briefly, MDA-MB468 cells were seeded into 12-well plates at 2.0 * 104 cells/well and allowed to grow for 72 hrs. Cells were treated with curcumin at 0, 25, 50 and 100 pM in triplicate at time zero and cultured for another 24 hours. All data were obtained using a …

Portrait De L’Accueil Et De La Formation À L’Embauche Des Étudiants Occupant Un Emploi Pendant L’Année Scolaire, Élise Ledoux, Luc Laberge, Chloé Thuilier

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Le cumul études-travail a crû de manière significative au cours des 30 dernières années au Québec. Plusieurs entreprises, notamment dans le secteur des services, comptent sur les étudiants pour pourvoir une partie de leurs besoins en main-d’œuvre. Ces emplois permettent aux étudiants de développer une première expérience professionnelle, mais ils les exposent également, tôt dans leur parcours professionnel, à certains risques professionnels qui peuvent avoir des impacts sur leur santé et leur sécurité. Les conditions d’accueil et d’intégration des nouveaux travailleurs sont de plus en plus reconnues comme une cible de prévention pertinente.

À partir d’entrevues menées auprès de 70 …

The Validity Of The Obsessive-Compulsive Syndromes As Emotional Disorders, Doty Jennings

Masters Theses

Recent changes to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders have grouped together syndromes which are referred to as the obsessive-compulsive spectrum (OCS). The grouping of these syndromes is disputed because of lack of empirical verification for an organization purportedly based on research that supports similarity of observed symptoms. The taxonomy of emotional disorders was tested as an alternative model. Consistent with the model of the emotional disorders, this empirical research tested two proposed characteristics. The first was whether three OCS syndromes (hoarding syndrome, body dysmorphic syndrome, and obsessive compulsive syndromes) shared the broad factor of neuroticism or negative …

Examining College Faculty And Staff's Levels Of Confidence And Preparedness In Recognizing And Responding To Distressed Students, Rachel L. Chlebanowski

Masters Theses

Mental health on college campuses is a large focus, as students attending college with diagnosed mental illnesses are becoming more prevalent (Hunt & Eisenberg, 2010). While college campuses should be a safe and supportive environment for students, many faculty and staff do not know the resources available to students, nor are faculty and staff able to identify when students are suffering from a mental illness (Bateman, 1997). This study was designed to identify staff and faculty's ability to work with students with mental illness, including identifying warning signs, as well as recognizes campus resources. The study took place at a …

Motivational Interviewing For Parent-Child Health Interventions: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Belinda Borrelli, Erin M. Tooley

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Purpose: Motivational interviewing (MI) is a patient-centered approach focusing on building intrinsic motivation for change. This paper presents a meta-analysis of parent-involved MI to improve pediatric health behavior and health outcomes.

Methods: Study inclusion criteria: (1) examined modifiable pediatric health behaviors (< 18 years old); (2) used MI or motivational enhancement; (3) conducted a randomized controlled trial with a comparison group (non-MI control or active treatment group); (4) conducted the intervention with only a parent or both a parent and child; and (5) were written in English. Twenty-five studies (with 5,130 participants) were included and independently rated. Weighted mean effect sizes, using random-effects assumptions, were calculated.

Results: Relative to comparison groups, MI was associated with significant improvements in health behaviors (e.g., oral health, diet, physical activity, reduced screen time, smoking cessation, reduced second hand smoke) and reduction in body mass index. Results suggest that MI may also outperform comparison groups in terms of dental caries, but more studies are needed. MI interventions were more …

The Effects Of Kinesio Tape On Sports Performance: Vertical Jump And Shuttle Run Performance In Women's College Basketball Players, Holly Wohltman

Masters Theses

Introduction: Since Kinesio tape (KT tape) was invented in the mid-1970s, studies have been lacking in producing strong evidence to support the claims of its ability to enhance performance. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of KT tape at enhancing sports performance, in the areas of vertical jump and shuttle run performance, in Illinois College Women's Basketball Team, participants ranged from 19-22 years of age.

Methods: There were eleven female basketball players ranging from the ages 19-22 years were recruited to participate in this study. All participants performed a vertical jump test and a shuttle run …

Facebook Addiction And Impulsive Decision-Making, Daniel Delaney

Masters Theses

This study examined the relationship between Facebook "addiction" and impulsive decision-making. Impulsive decision-making as measured by the delay discounting task is associated with a number of addictions and other problem behaviors. We gave 152 students a paper-based packet including the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale to measure problematic Facebook use and a delay discounting task to assess impulsivity. 16 Facebook "addicted" participants were matched to 16 control participants on demographic data to compare differences in impulsivity. Likewise, we explored whether a correlational relationship between Facebook addiction scores and impulsivity existed. We found that Facebook "addicts" discounted delayed rewards more quickly than …