Other Medical Sciences Commons^™

An Assessment Of The Use Of Chimpanzees In Hepatitis C Research Past, Present And Future: 2. Alternative Replacement Methods, Jarrod Bailey

Experimentation Collection

The use of chimpanzees in hepatitis C virus (HCV) research was examined in the report associated with this paper (1: Validity of the Chimpanzee Model), in which it was concluded that claims of past necessity of chimpanzee use were exaggerated, and that claims of current and future indispensability were unjustifiable. Furthermore, given the serious scientific and ethical issues surrounding chimpanzee experimentation, it was proposed that it must now be considered redundant — particularly in light of the demonstrable contribution of alternative methods to past and current scientific progress, and the future promise that these methods hold. This paper builds on …

An Assessment Of The Use Of Chimpanzees In Hepatitis C Research Past, Present And Future: 1. Validity Of The Chimpanzee Model, Jarrod Bailey

Experimentation Collection

The USA is the only significant user of chimpanzees in biomedical research in the world, since many countries have banned or limited the practice due to substantial ethical, economic and scientific concerns. Advocates of chimpanzee use cite hepatitis C research as a major reason for its necessity and continuation, in spite of supporting evidence that is scant and often anecdotal. This paper examines the scientific and ethical issues surrounding chimpanzee hepatitis C research, and concludes that claims of the necessity of chimpanzees in historical and future hepatitis C research are exaggerated and unjustifiable, respectively. The chimpanzee model has several major …

Thoracic Target Volume Delineation Using Various Maximum-Intensity Projection Computed Tomography Image Sets For Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy, David A. Zamora

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

The motion of lung tumors during respiration makes the accurate delivery of radiation therapy to the thorax difficult because it increases the uncertainty of target position. The adoption of four-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) has allowed us to determine how a tumor moves with respiration for each individual patient. Using information acquired during a 4D-CT scan, we can define the target, visualize motion, and calculate dose during the planning phase of the radiotherapy process. One image data set that can be created from the 4D-CT acquisition is the maximum-intensity projection (MIP). The MIP can be used as a starting point to …

Evaluation Of The Quantitative Accuracy Of A Commercially-Available Positron Emission Mammography Scanner, Adam Springer

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Objective: The PEM Flex Solo II (Naviscan, Inc., San Diego, CA) is currently the only commercially-available positron emission mammography (PEM) scanner. This scanner does not apply corrections for count rate effects, attenuation or scatter during image reconstruction, potentially affecting the quantitative accuracy of images. This work measures the overall quantitative accuracy of the PEM Flex system, and determines the contributions of error due to count rate effects, attenuation and scatter.

Materials and Methods: Gelatin phantoms were designed to simulate breasts of different sizes (4 – 12 cm thick) with varying uniform background activity concentration (0.007 – 0.5 μCi/cc), cysts and …

An Implantable Mosfet Dosimeter Modified To Act As A Fiducial Marker, Joseph S. Dick

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

In external beam radiation therapy, it is imperative that the prescribed dose is administered to the correct location and in the correct amount. Though several ex vivo methods of quality assurance are currently employed to achieve this goal, verifying that the correct dose is received within the patient in situ is impossible without the capability of measuring dose inside the patient. Recently, a method of measuring dose delivered within the patient has been developed, an implantable MOSFET dosimeter. This dosimeter is implanted within the patient and records the dose received. Since the dosimeter is implanted in the patient, it could …

Organ Transplants: Ethical, Social, And Religious Issues In A Multicultural Society, Noorzurani Robson Associate Prof. Dr., A. H. Razack, N. Dublin

Associate Prof. Dr. Noorzurani Robson

Recent advances in the fields of organ donation and organ transplant have introduced new hope for the treatment of serious diseases. However, this promise has been accompanied by several issues. The most common issue raised is ethical implications, but in a multicultural society like Malaysia, additional concerns arise pertaining to social and religious issues. These concerns needs to be addressed as attitudes toward and acceptability of organ donation varies according to social, culture, and religion. The diverse cultural, religious, and traditional concepts pertaining to organ donation may hamper its acceptability and cause a lack of willingness to donate organs. The …

The Vision Of Toxicity Testing In The 21st Century: Moving From Discussion To Action, Melvin E. Andersen, Daniel Krewski

Toxicology and Animal Models in Research Collection

Over the past year, a series on commentaries have appeared in the Toxicological Sciences Forum Series related to the 2007 National Research Council (NRC) publication, Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A Vision and A Strategy. The first article in the series provided an overview of the vision and was accompanied by an editorial by the three editors of Toxicological Sciences. During the past year, eight invited commentaries from the academic, industrial, and regulatory sectors have provided diverse perspectives on the vision, noted challenges to its implementation, and highlighted aspects of toxicity testing that were not addressed in …

Illicit Ketamine Induced Frequency Of Micturition In A Young Malay Woman, Noorzurani Robson Associate Prof. Dr., B. Vicknasingam, S. Narayanan

Associate Prof. Dr. Noorzurani Robson

Issues. The growing use of illicit ketamine among young adults poses a public health concern in Malaysia. In contrast to medical use of ketamine, illicit use has been reported to produce adverse effects on the urinary tract and, in particular the bladder. Approach and Key Findings. This case report describes a young Malay woman who developed severe bladder symptoms (urinary frequency) after consuming illicit ketamine. A history of illicit ketamine use was initially missed, and she was consequently diagnosed and treated for a urinary tract infection. Her symptoms persisted despite several courses of antibiotics. The patient was subsequently referred to …

A Modular One-Generation Reproduction Study As A Flexible Testing System For Regulatory Safety Assessment, Richard Vogel, Troy Seidle, Horst Spielmann

Experimentation Collection

The European Union’s Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH) legislation mandates testing and evaluation of approximately 30,000 existing substances within a short period of time, beginning with the most widely used “high production volume” (HPV) chemicals. REACH testing requirements for the roughly 3000 HPV chemicals specify three separate tests for reproductive toxicity: two developmental toxicity studies on different animal species (OECD Test Guideline 414) and a two-generation reproduction toxicity study (OECD TG 416). These studies are highly costly in both economic and animal welfare terms. OECD TG 416 is a fertility study intended to evaluate reproductive performance of animals …

Schizophrenia, Substance Use And Aggressions: What Are The Relationships?, Rusdi Abd. Rashid, Noorzurani Robson Associate Prof. Dr., Ahmad Hatim Sulaiman, Rabaiah Salleh, Nor Zuraida Zainal, Mas Ayu Said, Mohammad Hussain Habil

Associate Prof. Dr. Noorzurani Robson

Objectives: The objective of the study is to determine the prevalence of substance abuse for alcohol, cannabis, opiates, stimulants, solvent and other substances among patients with schizophrenia in Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta (HBUK), Perak , Central Peninsular of Malaysia. This study also aims to determine the association of substance abuse with aggression, the demographic characteristics and total duration of hospitalization. Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study whereby the first 194 subjects diagnosed to have schizophrenia based on International Classification of Disease, 10th edition (ICD-10) criteria were taken from data registry of patients admitted to HBUK from January until February …

Practical Considerations In Regenerative Medicine Research: Iacucs, Ethics, And The Use Of Animals In Stem Cell Studies, Susan Vandewoude, Bernard E. Rollin

Biomedicine and Animal Models in Research Collection

The intent of US federal laws mandating IACUC review of animal-related activities was to satisfy contemporary socioethical concerns by introducing deliberations about ethics and animal welfare into the research process when animals are used. These laws and the system they chartered have worked well for the most part in providing opportunities for consideration of animal welfare as a vital part of animal research. As a result, investigators today are far less naïve about the ethical issues raised by research on animals and typically more sympathetic about the need for such consideration. As evidence of this growing awareness, the literature on …

Varenicline – A New Pharmacotherapy For Smoking Cessation In Primary Care Practice, Noorzurani Robson Associate Prof. Dr.

Associate Prof. Dr. Noorzurani Robson

Background: Cigarette smoking causes significant morbidity and mortality and is a major public health concern worldwide. Primary care doctors are in a unique position that enables them to promote smoking cessation, as smokers are more aware of their health at the time of their clinic visit. It is thus important to offer effective treatment to help smokers stop smoking. Methods: A search of PubMed was done up to 16 December 2009, using the keywords “varenicline” alone, “varenicline” and “family medicine”, and “varenicline” and “primary care”. The search produced 426 articles on varenicline. The articles that were chosen were case reports, …

Nicotine-Replacement Therapy: A Proven Treatment For Smoking Cessation: Cpd, Noorzurani Robson Associate Prof. Dr.

Associate Prof. Dr. Noorzurani Robson

Smoking is a major cause of cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases and cancer. Despite the high prevalence of smokers worldwide, smokers are often neglected and not offered effective assistance with quitting their habits. In order to overcome this public health burden, effective treatment is needed to help smokers stop smoking. Among the pharmacological treatments available, nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT), when prescribed in combination with behavioural support, has been proven to be effective in helping a wide range of smokers to quit. NRT helps smokers during the withdrawal process by replacing a proportion of the nicotine formerly obtained from cigarettes. NRT is available …

Alcohol Use And Psychosocial Correlates Among Aborigines In Central Penisular Malaysia, R. Abd Rashid, W.A. Irnee, M.M.A. Zahari, A.S.A. Nordin, Noorzurani Robson Associate Prof. Dr., A.H. Sulaiman, R.A. Kadir, D. A. A. Rahim, H. Peters, M. A. Said, H. Habil

Associate Prof. Dr. Noorzurani Robson

To determine the prevalence of alcohol abuse/dependence, psychiatric morbidity and psychosocial correlates among Malaysian aborigines.

Development And Validation Of A Measurement Scale To Analyze The Environment For Evidence-Based Medicine Learning And Practice By Medical Residents, Fangqiong Mi

Wayne State University Dissertations

A growing number of residency programs are instituting curricula to include the component of evidence-based medicine (EBM) principles and process. However, these curricula may not be able to achieve the optimal learning outcomes, perhaps because various contextual factors are often overlooked when EBM training is being designed, developed, and implemented. The purpose of the study was to develop and validate an instrument, the EBM Environment Scale, to analyze the environment for EBM learning and practice as perceived by medical residents.

The development of the EBM Environment Scale underwent the process of content domain identification, item generation, review by content experts …