Diseases Commons^™

Growing Up In Rural India: An Exploration Into The Lives Of Younger And Older Adolescents In Madhya Pradesh And Uttar Pradesh, K.G. Santhya, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, Iram Saeed, Archana Sarkar

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This technical report describes the situation of adolescents according to a baseline assessment conducted in selected villages in India. The objectives of the assessment were to explore the attitudes, practices, and behaviors of adolescent girls, their adolescent brothers and if married, their husbands, with regard to sexual and reproductive matters, including HIV; their perspectives on adolescent girls’ and boys’ vulnerability to HIV and ways in which it can be mitigated; and the perspectives of parents and other critical adults in the community on the vulnerability of adolescent girls and boys to HIV. Results will be used to: (1) enhance adolescent …

The Effectiveness Of Educational Support To Orphans And Vulnerable Children In Tanzania And Uganda, Mary Shann, Malcolm Bryant, Mohamad Brooks, Paul Bukuluki, Denis Muhangi, Joe Lugalla, Gideon Kwesigabo

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

Little evidence is available to assist policy makers and donors in deciding what kinds of programs in developing countries are more likely to be effective in supporting the entry and continuation of OVC in secondary schools. This is particularly important for females whose education has direct bearing on child mortality in the next generation. This study gathered four kinds of educational outcome measures in two East African countries ravaged by the AIDS/HIV pandemic. The goal was to determine whether direct scholarship aid to individual students versus various forms of block grants would be more effective in promoting lower rates of …

Winning The Battle Against Surgical Site Infections, Lisa Farthing Msn, Rn, Cnor, Michelle Reigard Rn, Cnor

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Initial Survey On Black-Spot Disease (Digenea: Strigeoidea: Diplostomidae) In Select Arkansas Fishes, C. T. Mcallister, R. Tumlison, H. W. Robison, S. E. Trauth

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

A Machine Learning Approach To Diagnosis Of Parkinson’S Disease, Sumaiya F. Hashmi

CMC Senior Theses

I will investigate applications of machine learning algorithms to medical data, adaptations of differences in data collection, and the use of ensemble techniques.

Focusing on the binary classification problem of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) diagnosis, I will apply machine learning algorithms to a primary dataset consisting of voice recordings from healthy and PD subjects. Specifically, I will use Artificial Neural Networks, Support Vector Machines, and an Ensemble Learning algorithm to reproduce results from [MS12] and [GM09].

Next, I will adapt a secondary regression dataset of PD recordings and combine it with the primary binary classification dataset, testing various techniques to consolidate …

A Review Of Comparison Of Complications Of Vaginal Hysterectomy With And Without Concomitant Surgery For Sui: A 5 Years’ Experience At A Tertiary Care Hospital Of Pakistan, Raheela Mohsin Rizvi, Munnazza Akhtar, Nadeem F. Zuberi

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Objective. The study was performed to review the complications of surgery for POP with or without surgery for SUI. This included the need for second procedure two years after the primary surgery. Study Design. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional comparative study at the Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) was used to identify women who underwent vaginal hysterectomy with anterior/posterior repair alone and those with concomitant tension-free vaginal tape surgery for urodynamic stress incontinence. Results. The 28 cases of VH/repair combined with TVT were compared for complications with 430 cases of VH …

Atlas-Based Analysis Of Cardiac Shape And Function: Correction Of Regional Shape Bias Due To Imaging Protocol For Population Studies, Pau Medrano-Gracia, Brett R. Cowan, David A. Bluemke, J. Paul Finn, Alan H. Kadish, Daniel C. Lee, Alistair A. Young

Office of the President Publications and Research

Background: Cardiovascular imaging studies generate a wealth of data which is typically used only for individual study endpoints. By pooling data from multiple sources, quantitative comparisons can be made of regional wall motion abnormalities between different cohorts, enabling reuse of valuable data. Atlas-based analysis provides precise quantification of shape and motion differences between disease groups and normal subjects. However, subtle shape differences may arise due to differences in imaging protocol between studies.

Methods: A mathematical model describing regional wall motion and shape was used to establish a coordinate system registered to the cardiac anatomy. The atlas was applied …

Psychiatric Nursing Care For Patients With Cardiac Disease, Gail Stern Msn, Donna Petruccelli Msn, Crnp, Np-C, Jeanne Manavizadeh Bsn, Rn, Pccn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Is The Use Of Intestinal Helminths Safe And Effective In The Treatment Of Allergic Rhinitis?, Tanner Mccalley

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this EBM review is to determine whether the use of intestinal helminths is safe and effective in the treatment of allergic rhinitis.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three English language, blinded randomized controlled trials from 2009, 2010, and 2010.

DATA SOURCE: Randomized, controlled, blinded trials comparing the use of intestinal helminths versus visually matched placebo as a treatment for allergic rhinitis found using PubMed and Ovid databases.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Several different systems were used to evaluate the symptoms or occurrence of AR. Bager et al.2010 uses symptom scores of AR scale of 0 …

Is Dapsone Gel Safe And Effective For The Treatment Of Acne Vulgaris?, Amy Patel

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not dapsone gel is safe and effective for the treatment of acne vulgaris.

STUDY DESIGN: A review of three English language studies published in 2007. Includes two randomized, double-blind, controlled trials and one open label, noncomparative study. DATA SOURCES: Randomized, controlled trials comparing dapsone gel to vehicle gel control were found using PubMed and Cochrane database.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Success on the Global Acne Assessment Score (GAAS) and reduction in acne lesion counts

RESULTS: The two randomized, controlled trials and the open-label noncomparative study …

Is Oral Rivaroxaban Safe And Effective In The Treatment Of Patients With Symptomatic Dvt?, Ami A. Patel

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not oral rivaroxaban is safe and effective in the treatment of patients with symptomatic DVT.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three English language primary randomized controlled trial studies published from 2007-2011.

DATA SOURCES: Three randomized controlled trials studying the effectiveness and safety of rivaroxaban in the treatment of patients with symptomatic DVT in comparison to enoxaparin and placebo.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Outcomes measured were episodes of recurrent DVT and bleeding. Patients were monitored for the proposed treatment period and seen at fixed intervals that were matching …

Is Valdecoxib An Effective Treatment Option To Improve Pain In Adults With Diagnosed Osteoarthritis Of The Hip Or Knee?, Karen A. Mcsorley

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not Valdecoxib is an effective treatment option to improve pain in adults with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee.

STUDY DESIGN: This review consists of three randomized control trials; two were published in 2002 and the third in 2006.

DATA SOURCES: Sources were studies comparing groups taking Valdecoxib 10mg QD to placebo, which were found via Pubmed, MEDLINE, Ovid, and Cochrane databases.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: The three articles measured various outcomes: pain improvement, stiffness, physical improvement, adverse effects, and onset of analgesia during acute pain …

Does Metformin Use During Pregnancy Effectively Reduce The Rate Of Early Pregnancy Loss In Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome?, Inna Prikhodko

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine “Does Metformin use during pregnancy effectively reduce the rate of early pregnancy loss in women with polycystic ovary syndrome?”

STUDY DESIGN: This review is based on two primary double-blind, randomized controlled trials and a prospective controlled trial that was not randomized or blinded to evaluate whether metformin, a medication used to manage PCOS, can also prevent early pregnancy loss in women with PCOS.

DATA SOURCES: All articles used were published in English, in peer-reviewed journals, and located through PubMed, OVID and COCHRANE databases..

OUTCOMES MEASURED: …

Is Electrical Muscle Stimulation Effective In The Progression Of Oral Feeding, For Patients With Dysphagia, Caused By A Stroke?, Kristen Iaconelli

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not electrical muscle stimulation is effective in the progression of oral feeding, for patients with dysphagia, caused by a stroke.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of 3 randomized controlled trials, published between 2008-2009.

DATA SOURCES: All 3 randomized controlled trials were found using the Cochrane database.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: All 3 studies measured subjective swallowing function pre- and post-treatment, however, each trial differed in the way they measured this. Permsirivanich et al used a functional oral intake scale (FOIS), or a 7-point scale reflecting the patient’s report of …

Does Ranibizumab Improve Best Corrected Visual Acuity In Adults With Diabetic Macular Edema Compared To Those Without Ranibizumab?, James E. Huang

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective evidence based medicine (EBM) review is to determine whether or not ranibizumab improves best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in adults with diabetic macular edema compared to patients who do not receive ranibizumab.

STUDY DESIGN: The selective review examined best corrected visual acuity values reported from published, primary literature sources that examined the efficacy of ranibizumab in diabetic macular edema.

DATA SOURCES: Two double blind randomized controlled trials and one case control study were selected and reviewed.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) as measured from Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study visual …

Are Sodium Alginate Solutions Effective In Reducing Postprandial Symptoms In Adults With Gastroesophageal Reflux?, Kristi L. Hackman

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not sodium alginate solutions are effective in reducing postprandial symptoms in adults with gastroesophageal reflux?

STUDY DESIGN: A review of three English language studies published from 2006-2011. Includes two randomized, double-blind, controlled trials and one controlled case series.

DATA SOURCES: Randomized, placebo-controlled studies evaluating the effectiveness and safety of sodium alginate solutions (Gaviscon) for managing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms in adults were located using the PubMed, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library databases.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: The primary measures of effectiveness used were the Reflux Severity Index Questionnaire …

Does Daily Intake Of Glucosamine Supplements Prevent The Need For Knee Replacements Later In Life For Adult Patients Predisposed To Osteoarthritis?, Nancy Helmy

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not daily intake of glucosamine supplements prevents the need for knee replacements later in life for adults predisposed to osteoarthritis.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three English language primary randomized controlled trial studies published between 2001 and 2008

DATA SOURCES: Three double blind randomized control trials comparing glucosamine supplements to placebo were found using PubMed.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Outcomes were measured using radiographic studies of the knees, joint space measurements, and symptoms were evaluated using Lequesne and WOMAC indexes.

RESULTS: The Reginster (2001) and Pavelka (2002) studies demonstrated no …

What Is The Effectiveness Of Roxithromycin In Management Of The Signs And Symptoms Of Rheumatoid Arthritis?, Adriana Distanislao

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not roxithromycin is effective in management of the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three primary studies in the English language published in 2006, 2009, and 2011.

DATA SOURCES: Randomized, controlled and double blind clinical trials testing the effectiveness roxithromycin in management of inflammation and signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis were found using the PubMed and Ovid databases.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Improvement in the signs and symptoms of tenderness/inflammation using the American College of Rheumatology-20 (ACR-20) scoring approach, improvement of quality of …

Is Starting Antiretroviral Therapy (Art) In Hiv Positive Adults With Cd4 Cell Count Of <300 Cells/Μl Within Four Weeks Of Initiating New Tuberculosis (Tb) Therapy More Effective In Reducing Mortality Rates Than Starting Art Four Weeks Or Later After Initiating New Tb Therapy?, Janna Erlien

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) in HIV positive adults with CD4 cell count of /µl within four weeks of initiating new tuberculosis therapy more effective in reducing mortality rates than starting ART four weeks or later after initiating new tuberculosis therapy.

STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review of three English language primary studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2011.

DATA SOURCES: Three open label, randomized, controlled trials published in 2011, comparing the timing of ART for HIV+ adults with confirmed or suspected new TB …

Is Modafinil (Provigil®) Effective In Improving Cognitive Function In Adults With Narcolepsy?, Stephanie V. Bui

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not modafinil (Provigil®) is effective in improving cognitive function in adults with narcolepsy.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of all English language primary randomized controlled trials from 1996 to 2010.

DATA SOURCES: Double-blind, randomized controlled trials that compared modafinil (Provigil®) to a visually matched placebo were found using OVID, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Databases.

OUTCOME(S) MEASURED: Each of the three trials assessed the effect of modafinil on cognitive and executive function by Low-Resolution Brain Electromagnetic Tomography (LORETA), and the following assessment tools: Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Multiple Sleep …

Is The Use Of Honey An Effective Dressing Option For The Treatment Of Diabetic Foot Ulcers?, Michelle A. Wimmer

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether or not honey could be used as an effective topical treatment for diabetic foot ulcers in diabetic patients.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three primary journal articles published in English between the years of 2008 and 2010.

DATA SOURCES: Two Randomized Controlled Trials comparing honey as a treatment for diabetic foot ulcers to either previous failed treatments or Povidone Iodine Solution, and a pilot prospective study, exploring the effectiveness of PEDYPHAR a royal jelly ointment. All articles were found using Pubmed, OVID and Cochrane Database.

OUTCOMES MEASURED …

Does Yoga Aid In The Reduction Of Short-Term Anxiety In Adult Female Breast Cancer Patients?, Lora K. Brown

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not yoga aids in the reduction of short-term anxiety in adult female breast cancer patients.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three English language primary studies, published between 2007 and 2010.

DATA SOURCES: Two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and one before and after comparison study were found using PubMed, Medline, and OVID. These studies analyzed yoga intervention in adult female breast cancer patients suffering from anxiolytic effects.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: The main outcomes measured were anxiety state level and symptom severity and distress experienced by patients through use of the …

Is Local Infiltration Analgesia (Lia) A Safe And Effective Method For Post-Operative Pain Management After A Unilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty (Tka)?, Brooke A. Bonnette

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether or not local infiltration analgesia (LIA) is a safe and effective method for post-operative pain management after a unilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA).
STUDY DESIGN: Review of three English language primary studies published in 2010 and 2011.

DATA SOURCES: Three randomized controlled trials comparing local infiltration analgesia to three separate controls: epidural analgesia, placebo infiltration and femoral nerve block found using PubMed.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Clinical outcome was measured by total morphine use postoperatively and average knee pain intensity at rest and upon movement postoperatively. Total morphine use …

What Is The Effectiveness Of Onabotulinumtoxina (Botox®) In Reducing The Number Of Chronic Migraines (Cm) In Patients 18-65 Years Old?, Kristin A. Beddingfield

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox®) is effective in reducing the number of chronic migraines (CM) in patients 18-65 years old? Study Design: Review of three published, double blind randomized controlled trials were used for this review, which were found on PubMed; were selected based on their relevance to the clinical question and if they included patient oriented outcomes.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: The outcomes measured were headache/migraine free days measured by >50% responder rate analysis, the Treatment Responder Rate based on Physician Global Assessment, and total adverse events reported by …

Is Phlogenzym Effective In Reducing Moderate To Severe Osteoarthritis Pain In Adults?, Vanessa K. Wood

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not Phlogenzym (or ERC) effective in reducing moderate to severe osteoarthritis pain in adults.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three randomized controlled trials in the English language from 2001 to 2006.

DATA SOURCES: Two double blind RCTs and one open RCT was found using Cochrane Library EBM Online Database, Ovid Medline, and PubMed Online.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Each of the three studies measured for pain at rest, pain with motion, and restricted function at baseline assessing efficacy using the Lequesne’s Algofunctional Index, visual analog scales, and …

Is High Dose Radioactive Iodine-131 More Effective Than Low Dose Iodine-131 In The Therapy Of Patients With Hyperthyroidism?, Tyler L. Warnecke

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not high dose radioactive iodine-131 is more effective than low dose iodine-131 in the therapy of patients with hyperthyroidism.

STUDY DESIGN: The review included three primary English language studies that were peer reviewed articles published in 2003, 2010 and 2011.

DATA SOURCES: This paper evaluates three randomized control trials (one prospective randomized and two comparative randomized) looking at the effectiveness of high dose and low dose radioactive iodine-131 for the treatment of hyperthyroidism.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Each study examined patients being treated with high …

Is Transdermal Glyceryl Trinitrate A Safe And Effective Treatment For Primary Dysmenorrhea?, Sarah E. Visich

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective evidence based medicine review is to determine whether or not transdermal glyceryl trinitrate is a safe and effective treatment for primary dysmenorrhea.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of two English language randomized control trials (RCTs) published in 1996 and 1999 and one English language pilot study in 1997.

DATA SOURCES: Two double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled cross-over studies and one pilot study comparing transdermal glyceryl trinitrate to placebo were found using PubMed, Medline and OVID.

OUTCOME MEASURED: Outcomes measured were based on pain intensity scores (PID) assessed on a visual analog scale and the …

Does Etravirine Decrease Central Nervous System (Cns)/Neuropsychiatric (Nps) Adverse Events Compared To Efavirenz, In Hiv Positive Patients?, Angelo D. T. Smith

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not Etravirine (ETR) decreases adverse reactions on the central nervous system (CNS) compared to Efavirenz (EFV) in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) positive patients.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three, English language, primary randomized controlled trial studies published in 2011.

DATA SOURCES: Three randomized controlled trials studying the possible decrease of ADR’s in HIV positive patients who are taking Efavirenz compared to study medication Etravirine.

OUTCOME(S) MEASURED: Outcomes measured were by surveys from patients that assess the development or cessation of CNS ADR’s. The self …

In Adults With Acute Diarrhea, Which Treatment Is More Effective Between Loperamide And Racecadotril?, Lorena A. Castillo

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine which treatment is more effective between loperamide and racecadotril to treat acute diarrhea in adults.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three English language primary randomized controlled studies published from 1999-2005.

DATA SOURCES: First study was a RCT that was double blinded, double placebo, parallel study group and second and third study was RCT single blinded, comparative parallel group that all compared efficacy of loperamide and racecadotril. These were all found by using PubMed, COCHRANE and NCBI.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Each of the studies measured the efficacy of each …

Inhibition Of The Host Translation Shutoff Response By Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Triggers Nuclear Envelope-Derived Autophagy, Kerstin Radtke, Luc English, Christiane Rondeau, David Leib

Dartmouth Scholarship

Macroautophagy is a cellular pathway that degrades intracellular pathogens and contributes to antigen presentation. Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection triggers both macroautophagy and an additional form of autophagy that uses the nuclear envelope as a source of membrane. The present study constitutes the first in-depth analysis of nuclear envelope-derived autophagy (NEDA). We established LC3a as a marker that allowed us to distinguish between NEDA and macroautophagy in both immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. NEDA was observed in many different cell types, indicating that it is a general response to HSV-1 infection. This autophagic pathway is known to depend on the …