Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Comparison Of Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute And European Committee On Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Guidelines For The Interpretation Of Antibiotic Susceptibility At A University Teaching Hospital In Nairobi, Kenya: A Cross-Sectional Study, Ali Kassim, Geoffrey Omuse, Zul Premji, Gunturu Revathi

Pathology, East Africa

Background: The Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) guidelines are the most popular breakpoint guidelines used in antimicrobial susceptibility testing worldwide. The EUCAST guidelines are freely available to users while CLSI is available for non-members as a package of three documents for US $500 annually. This is prohibitive for clinical microbiology laboratories in resource poor settings. We set out to compare antibiotic susceptibility determined by the two guidelines to determine whether adoption of EUCAST guidelines would significantly affect our susceptibility patterns.

Methods: We reviewed minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of various antibiotics routinely …

Reference Intervals For Thyroid Stimulating Hormone And Free Thyroxine Derived From Neonates Undergoing Routine Screening For Congenital Hypothyroidism At A University Teaching Hospital In Nairobi, Kenya: A Cross Sectional Study, Geoffrey Omuse, Ali Kassim, Francis Kiigu, Syeda Hussain, Mary Limbe

Pathology, East Africa

Background: In order to accurately interpret neonatal thyroid function tests (TFTs), it is necessary to have population specific reference intervals (RIs) as there is significant variation across different populations possibly due to genetic, environmental or analytical issues. Despite the importance of RIs, globally there are very few publications on RIs for neonatal TFTs primarily due to ethical and technical issues surrounding recruitment of neonates for a prospective study. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report from Africa on neonatal RIs for TFTs.

Methods: We used hospital based data largely derived from neonates attending the wellness clinic …

The Male Of The Species: A Profile Of Men In Nursing, D Stanley, T Beament, D Falconer, M Haigh, R Saunders, K Stanley, P Wall, S Nielson

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Aim: To establish a profile of men in nursing in Western Australia and explore the perception of men in nursing from the perspective of male and female nurses.

Background: A project team, including some of the current authors, produced a YouTube video and DVD about men in nursing which led to further inquiry on this topic.

Design: The study employed a non-experimental, comparative, descriptive research design focused on a quantitative methodology, using an online survey in early 2014.

Method: A convenience sample incorporated registered and enrolled nurses and midwives in Western Australia.

Findings: The range of data included demographic information …

The Cancer Nurse Coordinator Service In Western Australia: Perspectives Of Specialist Cancer Nurse Coordinators, L Monterosso, V Platt, M Krishnasamy, P Yates, C Bulsara

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Objective: In Western Australia the cancer nurse coordinator (CNC) role is unique, state wide and situated in nursing. It requires the domains of clinical expert, resource consultant, educator, change agent, researcher and advocate to facilitate seamless coordination of care for patients across metropolitan, rural and remote geographical areas of Western Australia. This study examined the role, function and impact of CNCs from the perspective of coordinators themselves.

Design: Prospective two-phase mixed method study. This paper reports data from the Self Report Activity Questionnaire in Phase one.

Setting: The state-wide Western Australian Cancer Nurse Coordinator Service.

Subjects: Metropolitan and rural CNCs …

Health Professionals Learning To Always Care For Patients, K Russell

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

During the summer break, semester two and four students from the Bachelor of Nursing at The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle Campus, worked with the Fremantle Hospital and Health Service Accreditation Team to develop educational material for staff and visitors on the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (NSQHS) – especially standard 2.

This collaborative approach to provide a unique clinical placement, that intrinsically benefits the student and health service, reminds us that learning in today’s modern healthcare system should embrace areas of practice outside of the traditional clinical nursing role.

Adapting The Nominal Group Technique For Priority Setting Of Evidence-Practice Gaps In Implementation Science, N Rankin, D Mcgregor, P Butow, K White, J Phillips, J Young, S Pearson, S York, T Shaw

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Background: There are a variety of methods for priority setting in health research but few studies have addressed how to prioritise the gaps that exist between research evidence and clinical practice. This study aimed to build a suite of robust, evidence based techniques and tools for use in implementation science projects. We applied the priority setting methodology in lung cancer care as an example.

Methods: We reviewed existing techniques and tools for priority setting in health research and the criteria used to prioritise items. An expert interdisciplinary consensus group comprised of health service, cancer and nursing researchers iteratively reviewed and …

Communication Factors Impacting On The Ability Of A Family To Adjust To Caring For A Family Member Following A Catastrophic Injury In Western Australia, Caroline E. Bulsara, Beatriz C. Briand, Anne Mckenzie, Rachael Moorin

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Objectives: The study identified the issues for families affected by catastrophic injury in the early days post injury with a view to highlighting the need for some key changes to the system in Western Australia.

Methods: The research used a community participatory research framework to conduct the study. Overall, twenty-three carers of those with a catastrophic injury were interviewed using semi-structured interviewing technique. Transcripts were analysed using an iterative thematic analysis framework.

Results: The lack of preparedness for families in adapting to a family member with a permanent injury was highlighted. Experiences during the early days following the event had …

Would You Recommend Nursing As A Career To Men?, D Stanley, T Beament, D Falconer, M Haigh, R Saunders, K Stanley, P Wall

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Objective : The principle objective of this study was to establish a profile and perception of men in nursing in Western Australia. This paper will discuss one sub-objective which sort to explore responses to the question: “Would you recommend a nursing as a career to males that you know?”

Design: Main study was a quantitative, descriptive survey design, however the question under review was significantly qualitative in nature and analysed as such.

Setting : The study took place across Western Australian public and private sector health care facilities, nurse education institutions and non- government providers across rural, remote and metropolitan …

Isolated Gastric Tuberculosis Mimicking Malignancy, Wasim Memon, Saad Siddiqui

Department of Radiology

Isolated tuberculosis of upper gastrointestinal tract is a rare pathology, often mimicking malignancy in clinical presentation and radiological features. We present a case of middle aged gentleman with isolated tuberculosis of stomach, proven on histopathology and showing remarkable improvement on follow up.

Embracing The Power Of Belongingness: A Descriptive Mixed Method Research Study, K Russell, S Alliex, H Gluyas

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Clinical placements should provide nursing students with a positive environment for learning in which they develop a framework for future practice. The literature articulates that this is not always the case. The objective of this research was to develop, implement and evaluate a new education seminar for nursing staff—The Art of Clinical Supervision (ACS), designed for nurses to provide a toolbox of strategies to better support students whilst on clinical placement. The ACS was presented in Western Australia, in both metropolitan and regional health services, in both the public and private health sector. This sample consisted of 199 registered …

Institutionalized Training Of Research Editors, Saba Sohail, Jamshed Akhtar

Department of Radiology

No abstract provided.

Role Of An Adenylyl Cyclase Isoform In Alcohol's Effect On Cyclic Amp Regulated Gene Expression In Mammalian Cells, Rebecca Ann Hill

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Research suggests that the cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling pathway including CREB-CRE regulated expression of various genes is implicated in the predisposition to and development of alcoholism in humans. Alcohol also induces changes in inflammatory and immune responses; these changes increase the incidence of pneumonias and other infections, which can negatively affect recovery from infections. Cyclic AMP (cAMP) is known for its immunosuppressive effects and is also required for proper development of the immune system. Previous work in our laboratory has demonstrated that ethanol enhances the activity of adenylyl cyclase (AC) in an isoform-specific manner; type 7 AC (AC7) is most …

Effect Of Twisted Fiber Anisotropy In Cardiac Tissue On Ablation With Pulsed Electric Fields, Fei Xie, Christian W. Zemlin

Bioelectrics Publications

Background: Ablation of cardiac tissue with pulsed electric fields is a promising alternative to current thermal ablation methods, and it critically depends on the electric field distribution in the heart.

Methods: We developed a model that incorporates the twisted anisotropy of cardiac tissue and computed the electric field distribution in the tissue. We also performed experiments in rabbit ventricles to validate our model. We find that the model agrees well with the experimentally determined ablation volume if we assume that all tissue that is exposed to a field greater than 3 kV/cm is ablated. In our numerical analysis, we considered …

Assessing Household Drinking Water Needs: Reaching Many One Water Filter At A Time In Los Robles, Nicaragua, Erinkate E. Springer

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Water quality and water scarcity have dominated international health and environmental management initiatives for decades because of the devastating impacts poor water quality has on child mortality and general public well-being, particularly in developing countries. Non-profit organizations, private utilities, and government agencies have invested significant financial resources and time to increase access to improved water sources in low-income countries. However, the sustainability of water improvement project benefits have been disappointing due to a lack of community and household capacity to operate and maintain introduced water systems. This paper evaluates a community/household based water improvement project introduced by a small non-governmental …

Examining The Relationship Between Throwing Injuries Sustained In Adolescent Baseball Players And Use Of An Injury Prevention Smartphone Application "Throw Like A Pro", David S. Grove

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Objective: To describe the use rate of the injury prevention smartphone app “Throw Like a Pro” (TLP), and determine the relationship between use of the app and throwing injuries in adolescent baseball players.

Design and Setting: The smartphone application TLP was distributed to adolescent baseball players. Instruction was given on correct use of the application. Stretches, exercises, and application features were demonstrated to subjects. Data on use and injuries was compiled through self-reported surveys.

Subjects: A convenience sample of adolescent baseball players (n=20) aged 13-18 from the Babe Ruth Little League organization in Missoula, Montana were selected.

Measurements: A modified …

Pulmonary Embolism In A Collegiate Soccer Player, Jessica Paske, Valerie Moody

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Background: Pulmonary embolism is a blood clot that occurs in the lungs, which decreases the oxygen levels in the body. Large or multiple pulmonary emboli can be fatal. This case involves a 20 year old female soccer player (goalkeeper) who was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism during the middle of the regular season. Upon initial assessment, the athlete presented with soreness and redness over her left distal adductors after getting cleated during practice a few days earlier. The initial assessment was adductor tendinitis and treated conservatively. Subsequently, the area became hot, red, and painful and the athlete was removed from …

The Impact Of Hydration Status During Heat Acclimation On Physiological Strain And Exercise Performance, Michael W. Schleh

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Heat acclimation promotes adaptations to attenuate physiological and perceptual strain associated with heat stress, and may be enhanced by promoting dehydration during acclimation. Purpose: To determine i) the effect of fluid delivery during acclimation by inducing dehydration (DEH=0.5 mL / kg / 15 min) vs. euhydration (EUH=2.0 mL / kg ^/ 15min) following three heat acclimation bouts on heat stress factors, and ii) to determine if fluid delivery (EUH vs. DEH) affects aerobic performance in the heat. Methods: Thirteen aerobically fit males completed 90-minute heat stress test (HST) in hot conditions (40°C, 30% RH) walking at 50% VO₂ max …

A Brief But Intensive Language-Literacy Intervention For An Adolescent, Minako I. May

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The current service delivery model most frequently used in a school setting involves short, infrequent sessions over a 180-day school year. To date, there is no research that supports the current service delivery model as being the most effective and efficient model of intervention. As students transition from elementary to middle school, this model is particularly problematic for the adolescent student because of a rotating school schedule, increasing language demands of the academic curriculum, and development of self-perception and academic self-concept. A brief but intensive language-literacy intervention that takes place outside of the school year may be an effective and …

A Latent Profile Analysis Of Drinking Patterns Among Nonstudent Emerging Adults, Cathy Lau-Barraco, Abby L. Braitman, Amy L. Stamates, Ashley N. Linden-Carmichael

Psychology Faculty Publications

Research indicates that nonstudent emerging adults, as compared to their college-attending peers, are at higher risk for experiencing alcohol-related problems, including alcohol use disorders. The present study sought to extend the limited research on nonstudent drinking by (1) identifying sub-groups of nonstudent drinkers based on their drinking patterns and (2) determining the extent to which social-cognitive between-person factors related to drinking (i.e., social expectancies, perceived drinking norms, social drinking motivations) distinguish these sub-groups. Participants were 195 (65.1% men) nonstudent emerging adult heavy episodic drinkers recruited from the community. Mean age was 21.88 (SD = 2.08) years and 45.4% were unemployed. …

Analysis Of Ca²⁺ Mobilization Of Nanosecond Pulses In Cells, Iurii Semenov

Bioelectrics Publications

Exposure to nanosecond electric pulses (nsEPs) evokes transient rise of cytosolic free Ca²⁺ concentration ([Ca²⁺]i) in the cells. We quantified the external Ca²⁺ uptake, intracellular Ca²⁺ release and uncover interplay of these processes for CHO-K1 cells upon exposure to single 60 ns pulse in the range of amplitudes from 0 to 30 kV/cm. NsEPs are distinguished by the ability to electroporate intracellular membranes. We studied how duration of nsEPs is related to efficiency of intracellular membranes electroporation comparing ability of single 300-, 60- and 10 ns pulses to recruit Ca²⁺ from endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in respect to the uptake of …

Hydrocortisone, Vitamin C And Thiamine For The Treatment Of Severe Sepsis And Septic Shock: A Retrospective Before-After Study, Paul E. Marik, Vikramjit Khangoora, Racquel Rivera, Michael H. Hooper, John Catravas

Bioelectrics Publications

BACKGROUND: The global burden of sepsis is estimated as 15 to 19 million cases annually with a mortality rate approaching 60% in low income countries.

METHODS: In this retrospective before-after clinical study, we compared the outcome and clinical course of consecutive septic patients treated with intravenous vitamin C, hydrocortisone and thiamine during a 7-month period (treatment group) compared to a control group treated in our ICU during the preceding 7 months. The primary outcome was hospital survival. A propensity score was generated to adjust the primary outcome.

FINDINGS: There were 47 patients in both treatment and control groups with no …

The Protective Role Of Mlcp-Mediated Erm Dephosphorylation In Endotoxin-Induced Lung Injury In Vitro And In Vivo, Anita Kovacs-Kasa, Boris A. Gorshkov, Kyung-Mi Kim, Sanjiv Kumar, Stephen M. Black, David J. Fulton, Christiana Dimitropoulou, John D. Catravas, Alexander D. Verin

Bioelectrics Publications

The goal of this study was to investigate the role of MLC phosphatase (MLCP) in a LPS model of acute lung injury (ALI). We demonstrate that ectopic expression of a constitutively-active (C/A) MLCP regulatory subunit (MYPT1) attenuates the ability of LPS to increase endothelial (EC) permeability. Down-regulation of MYPT1 exacerbates LPS-induced expression of ICAM1 suggesting an anti-inflammatory role of MLCP. To determine whether MLCP contributes to LPS-induced ALI in vivo, we utilized a nanoparticle DNA delivery method to specifically target lung EC. Expression of a C/A MYPT1 reduced LPS-induced lung inflammation and vascular permeability. Further, increased expression of the …

Activation Of Dna Pattern Recognition Receptors After Plasmid Electrotransfer In Melanoma Cells And Tumors, Loree Heller, Masa Bosnjak, Katarina Znidar, Maja Cemazar

Bioelectrics Publications

(First sentence) In vivo electroporation or electrotransfer, the application of controlled electric pulses, enhances delivery of plasmid DNA to a wide variety of healthy tissues as well as tumor types.

A Dielectric Rod Antenna For Picosecond Pulse Stimulation Of Neurological Tissue, Ross A. Petrella, Karl H. Schoenbach, Shu Xiao

Bioelectrics Publications

A dielectrically loaded wideband rod antenna has been studied as a pulse delivery system to subcutaneous tissues. Simulation results applying 100-ps electrical pulse show that it allows us to generate a critical electric field for biological effects, such as brain stimulation, in the range of several centimeters. In order to reach the critical electric field for biological effects, which is similar to 20 kV/cm, at a depth of 2 cm, the input voltage needs to be 175 kV. The electric field spot size in the brain at this position is similar to 1 cm(2). Experimental studies in free space with …

A Novel Copper (Ii) Complex Identified As A Potent Drug Against Colorectal And Breast Cancer Cells And As A Poison Inhibitor For Human Topoisomerase Iiᶐ, Shayna Sandhaus, Rosella Taylor, Tiffany Edwards, Alexis Huddleston, Stephen J. Beebe, Alvin A. Holder

Bioelectrics Publications

A novel complex, [Cu(acetylethTSC)Cl]Cl · 0.25C₂H₅OH 1 (where acetylethTSC = (E)-N-ethyl-2-[1-(thiazol-2-yl)ethylidene]hydrazinecarbothioamide), was shown to have anti-proliferative activity against various colon and aggressive breast cancer cell lines. In vitro studies showed that complex 1 acted as a poison inhibitor of human topoisomerase IIᶐ which may account for the observed anti-cancer effects.

Salman, Salman, Tsos

TSOS Interview Gallery

Salman and his family are from Afghanistan, where he worked as a doctor. He worked for fifteen years for a mining institute, and before that he worked in various hospitals with Americans and Germans for another combined 15 years. The family ran into problems with the Taliban, who threatened violence if he didn’t close his drugstore. During that same time, his son witnessed a suicide bombing at his school. Their daughter was forced to abandon her education when the Taliban poisoned the water at her school. They fled in attempts to live a normal life again and escape the threats …

Emal, Emal, Tsos

TSOS Interview Gallery

Emal was a gate security guard in the Afghan army and a supplier for American forces at the airport. Before leaving Afghanistan, Emal was kidnapped by Daesh, beaten, thrown into a pile of bodies, and left for dead. He woke up weeks later in hospital with adent in his skull, brain damage, and mental/emotional problems. When he was able, Emal fled with his wife and six kids, but they travelled with smugglers in separate cars and got separated. Iran police deported his wife and children back to Afghanistan. Emal continued on and eventually made his way to Oinofyta refugee camp …

Large Genomic Differences Between Moraxella Bovoculi Isolates Acquired From The Eyes Of Cattle With Infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis Versus The Deep Nasopharynx Of Asymptomatic Cattle, Aaron M. Dickey, John D. Loy, James L. Bono, Timonthy P. L. Smith, Mike D. Apley, Brian V. Lubbers, Keith D. Dedonder, Sarah F. Capik, Robert L. Larson, Brad J. White, Jochen Blom, Carol G. Chitko-Mckown, Michael L. Clawson

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Moraxella bovoculi is a recently described bacterium that is associated with infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) or “pinkeye” in cattle. In this study, closed circularized genomes were generated for seven M. bovoculi isolates: three that originated from the eyes of clinical IBK bovine cases and four from the deep nasopharynx of asymptomatic cattle. Isolates that originated from the eyes of IBK cases profoundly differed from those that originated from the nasopharynx of asymptomatic cattle in genome structure, gene content and polymorphism diversity and consequently placed into two distinct phylogenetic groups. These results suggest that there are genetically distinct strains of M. …

Unusual Late Onset Of Parenchymal Neuro-Behçet Disease, Wai Wai Miller, Demetrios Konstas, Chetan Gandhy, Derrick Robertson

Neurology Faculty Publications

Neuro-Behçet disease (NBD) is a multisystem inflammatory disorder characterized by oral lesions, genital lesions, uveitis, and neurological deficits. If left untreated, it may lead to worsening neurological function and can be fatal. Here we present a case of a 52-year-old woman who was diagnosed with Behçet disease (BD) as a teenager and had a relatively mild disease course. Decades later after her initial DB diagnosis, she presented to our hospital with a chief complaint of headache. She did not have focal neurological deficits or any active mucosal lesions. Upon further investigation, the patient was found to have multiple inflammatory changes …

Impact Of Dementia Behavioral Crises Events On First Responder And Family Systems In Idaho: An Exploratory Study, Trina Stolp, Mary Brown, Sarah Toevs, Mike Berlin

Public and Population Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Enhancing quality of life for people with dementia is identified in Healthy People 2020 as a public health priority. In Idaho, the proportion of individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) is projected to increase by 81 % - 127 % between 2000 and 2025. Policies designed to address needs of this population must be based on an understanding of system wide impacts of disease. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the impact of behavioral crises related to dementia on first responders. For the purpose of this study, “first responders” were defined as individuals employed …