Medical Specialties Commons^™

Genotyping And Drug Resistance Patterns Of M. Tuberculosis Strains In Pakistan., Mahnaz Tanveer, Zahra Hasan, Amna R Siddiqui, Asho Ali, Akbar Kanji, Solomon Ghebremicheal, Rumina Hasan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background:The incidence of tuberculosis in Pakistan is 181/100,000 population. However, information about transmission and geographical prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains and their evolutionary genetics as well as drug resistance remains limited. Our objective was to determine the clonal composition, evolutionary genetics and drug resistance of M. tuberculosis isolates from different regions of the country.

Methods:

M. tuberculosis strains isolated (2003-2005) from specimens submitted to the laboratory through collection units nationwide were included. Drug susceptibility was performed and strains were spoligotyped.

Results:

Of 926 M. tuberculosis strains studied, 721(78%) were grouped into 59 "shared types", while 205 (22%) were identified …

Splenic Rupture, Secondary To G-Csf Use For Chemotherapy Induced Neutropenia: A Case Report And Review Of Literature., Nehal Masood, Asim Jamal Shaikh, Wasim Ahmed Memon, Romana Idress

Section of Haematology/Oncology

Introduction: Chemotherapy Induced neutropenia is a frequent and serious complication of cytotoxic cancer treatment. Granulocyte colony stimulating factors (G-CSF) are frequently used to counter neutropenia, attempt rapid recovery of Patients and allow for continuation of treatment without compromise on dose, especially in curative malignancies. Generally regarded as safe, G-CSF use has been very rarely reported to have resulted in serious side effects, such as, splenic rupture. Case Presentation: We are reporting a case of a twenty years old man, who was being treated for T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and received colony stimulating factors for treatment of severe neutropenia and …

Topical Application Of Entry Inhibitors As "Virustats" To Prevent Sexual Transmission Of Hiv Infection, Michael M. Lederman, Robin L.P. Jump, Heather A. Pilch-Cooper, Scott F. Sieg

Faculty Scholarship

With the continuing march of the AIDS epidemic and little hope for an effective vaccine in the near future, work to develop a topical strategy to prevent HIV infection is increasingly important. This stated, the track record of large scale "microbicide" trials has been disappointing with nonspecific inhibitors either failing to protect women from infection or even increasing HIV acquisition. Newer strategies that target directly the elements needed for viral entry into cells have shown promise in non-human primate models of HIV transmission and as these agents have not yet been broadly introduced in regions of highest HIV prevalence, they …

Outcomes In Culture Positive And Culture Negative Ascitic Fluid Infection In Patients With Viral Cirrhosis: Cohort Study, Lubna Kamani, Khalid Mumtaz, Umair S. Ahmed, Ailia W. Ali, Wasim Jafri

Department of Medicine

Background: Ascitic fluid infection (AFI) in cirrhotic Patients has a high morbidity and mortality. It has two variants namely, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) and culture negative neutrocytic ascites (CNNA). The aim of this study was to determine the outcome in cirrhotic Patients with culture positive (SBP) and culture negative neutrocytic ascites. Methods: We analyzed 675 consecutive hepatitis B and/or C related cirrhosis Patients with ascites admitted in our hospital from November 2005 to December 2007. Of these, 187 Patients had AFI, clinical and laboratory parameters of these Patients including causes of cirrhosis, Child Turcotte Pugh (CTP) score were recorded. Results: …

Identifying People At High Risk For Developing Sleep Apnea Syndrome (Sas): A Cross-Sectional Study In A Pakistani Population, Fawad Taj, Zarmeneh Aly, Mahwash Kassi, Mansoor Ahmed

Department of Medicine

Background: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is associated with many cardiovascular and psychiatric diseases. Day-time sleepiness is a common consequence of sleep apnea and correlates with road-traffic accidents (RTA). Pakistan has a high prevalence of factors which predispose an individual to OSA and death from RTAs are a huge burden. However there is a dearth of prevalence studies in this regard. We aim to understand local relevance of the disease and estimate the prevalence of individuals high-risk for OSA. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted among 450 individuals at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), which is a tertiary care teaching hospital …

Denaturation And Unfolding Of Human Anaphylatoxin C3a: An Unusually Low Covalent Stability Of Its Native Disulfide Bonds, Jui-Yoa Chang, Curtis C-J Lin, Silvia Salamanca, Michael K Pangburn, Rick A Wetsel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The complement C3a anaphylatoxin is a major molecular mediator of innate immunity. It is a potent activator of mast cells, basophils and eosinophils and causes smooth muscle contraction. Structurally, C3a is a relatively small protein (77 amino acids) comprising a N-terminal domain connected by 3 native disulfide bonds and a helical C-terminal segment. The structural stability of C3a has been investigated here using three different methods: Disulfide scrambling; Differential CD spectroscopy; and Reductive unfolding. Two uncommon features regarding the stability of C3a and the structure of denatured C3a have been observed in this study. (a) There is an unusual disconnection …

Kelly, Rita Helen Roberts (Fa 353), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of paper (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 353. Paper: "Good Mothering through Breast Feeding: Observations of a Meeting of the La Leche League" written by Rita H. Kelly for a Western Kentucky University folk studies class.

Bullying Of Medical Students In Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Survey., Syed Ahmer, Abdul Wahab Yousafzai, Naila Bhutto, Sumira Alam, Amanullah Khan Sarangzai, Arshad Iqbal

Department of Psychiatry

Background: Several studies from other countries have shown that bullying, harassment, abuse or belittlement are a regular phenomenon faced not only by medical students, but also junior doctors, doctors undertaking research and other healthcare professionals. While research has been carried out on bullying experienced by psychiatrists and psychiatry trainees in Pakistan no such research has been conducted on medical students in this country. Methodology/Principal Findings: We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire survey on final year medical students in six medical colleges of Pakistan. The response rate was 63%. Fifty-two percent of respondents reported that they had faced bullying or harassment …

Mesenteric Panniculitis With Pedal Edema In A 33-Year-Old Pakistani Man: A Case Report And Literature Review., Abdul M Zafar, Muhamad A Rauf, Tabish Chawla, Gule Khanda

Department of Radiology

Introduction:Mesenteric panniculitis is a rare pathology of unknown etiology characterized by inflammation and fibrosis in the mesentery. Its protean clinical and radiological manifestations make it a diagnostic challenge. There is no established treatment available for its management. The clinical outcome is inconsistent, with the prognosis ranging from complete resolution without any treatment to rapid progression culminating in death. Case Presentation: A 33-year-old Pakistani man presented with vague abdominal pain, an ill-defined epigastric mass and bilateral pedal edema. A detailed review of his history and laboratory investigations did not point to any diagnosis. The Patient underwent an exploratory laparotomy based …

Effects Of Shielding Adenoviral Vectors With Polyethylene Glycol On Vector-Specific And Vaccine-Mediated Immune Responses, Eric A. Weaver, Michael A. Barry

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Many individuals have been previously exposed to human adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5). This prior immunity has long been known to hinder its use for gene therapy and as a gene-based vaccine. Given these immunogenicity problems, we have tested whether polyethylene glycol (PEG) can blunt immune effects against Ad5 during systemic and mucosal vaccination. Ad5 vectors were covalently modified with 5-, 20-, and 35-kDa linear PEG polymers and evaluated for their ability to produce immune responses against transgene antigen products and the vector itself. We show that shielding Ad5 with different-sized PEGs generally reduces transduction and primary antibody responses by the …

Fatal Transfusion Related Acute Lung Injury Following Coronary Artery By-Pass Surgery: A Case Report., Fauzia Ahmad Bawany, Hasanat Sharif

Section of Cardiothoracic Surgery

Background:Transfusion related acute lung injury (TRALI) is a potentially fatal Acute Lung Injury following transfusion of blood components. Hypotheses implicate donor-derived anti-human leukocyte antigen or granulocyte antibodies reacting with recipients' leukocytes, releasing inflammatory mediators. Lack of agreement on underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms renders improving transfusion safety difficult and expensive.

Case Presentation:

Literature search has not revealed any case of TRALI from Pakistan. We report the case of fatal TRALI in a 68 year old male who received blood products after coronary artery by-pass surgery.

Conclusion:

This article aims to create awareness about this complication and suggests that post …

Evaluation Of The Stability And Validity Of Participant Samples Recruited Over The Internet., Daniel Z Lieberman

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Faculty Publications

Research conducted via the Internet has the potential to reach important clinical populations of participants who would not participate in traditional studies. Concerns exist, however, about the validity of samples recruited in this manner, especially when participants are anonymous and never have contact with study staff. This study evaluated two anonymous samples that were recruited over the Internet to test an online program designed to help problem drinkers. The two studies were conducted 3 years apart, and different recruitment strategies were utilized. Despite these differences, the two samples were highly similar in demographic and clinical features. Correlations that have been …

Knowledge Of Pain Management In Older Adults As A Content Area For Continuing Professional Education For Licensed Nurses, Wanda Cleveland Dubuisson

Dissertations

The research of the last 30 years has revealed the inadequacy of pain management in the older adult. Although evidenced-based clinical practice guidelines exist to direct the management of pain in the older adult, health care providers are either unaware or lack the proper understanding of the guidelines. This study investigated the differences in knowledge of pain management in older adults when examining licensed acute care nurses and extended care nurses. It sampled 118 acute care nurses working in two hospitals in Mississippi and 78 extended care nurses working in six extended care facilities (ECF) in Mississippi.

Based upon the …

Genomic Rna Profiling And The Programme Controlling Preimplantation Mammalian Development., Christine E Bell, Michele D Calder, Andrew J Watson

Obstetrics & Gynaecology Publications

Preimplantation development shifts from a maternal to embryonic programme rapidly after fertilization. Although the majority of oogenetic products are lost during the maternal to embryonic transition (MET), several do survive this interval to contribute directly to supporting preimplantation development. Embryonic genome activation (EGA) is characterized by the transient expression of several genes that are necessary for MET, and while EGA represents the first major wave of gene expression, a second mid-preimplantation wave of transcription that supports development to the blastocyst stage has been discovered. The application of genomic approaches has greatly assisted in the discovery of stage specific gene expression …

Consistency Check Of Planned Adaptive Option On Helical Tomotherapy., M Schirm, S Yartsev, G Bauman, Jerry J. Battista Dr., Jacob Van Dyk

Oncology Publications

This study aims to evaluate a new Planned Adaptive software (TomoTherapy Inc., Madison, WI) of the helical tomotherapy system by retrospective verification and adaptive re-planning of radiation treatment. Four patients with different disease sites (brain, nasal cavity, lungs, prostate) were planned in duplicate using the diagnostic planning kVCT data set and MVCT studies of the first treatment fraction with the same optimization parameters for both plan types. The dosimetric characteristics of minimum, maximum, and mean dose to the targets as well as to organs at risk were compared. Both sets of plans were used for calculation of dose distributions in …

Awareness Of The Risk Factors, Presenting Features And Complications Of Hypertension Amongst Hypertensives And Normotensives, Syed Nabeel Zafar, Saqib A. Gowani, Faria Amber Irani, Mohammad Ishaq

Section of Cardiology

OBJECTIVES: To assess the level of awareness with regards to risk factors, presenting features and complications of hypertension. Moreover, to Compare the level of awareness amongst patients (hypertensives) and nonpatients (normotensives) in Karachi, Pakistan.METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out on a random sample of 440 people (220-normotensives/220-hypertensives) using an interview based questionnaire. Data entry was performed on Epi-info v 6 and managed and analyzed on SPSS v 14. Proportions were calculated for categorical data, means and standard deviations were calculated for continuous data.RESULTS: Hypertensives had a higher mean awareness score than the normotensives (p

Pathological Sub-Types, Risk Factors And Outcome Of Stroke At The Nairobi Hospital, Kenya, James Jowi, Peter Mativo

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: Stroke is one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality the world over. Established risk factors such as arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cigarette smoking, hyper-lipidaemia, micro-vascular rupture, male gender, age and observed co-morbities such as sickle cell disease, HIV/AIDS infection and cerebral malaria are increasingly being encountered in the tropics.

Objectives: To determine pathological sub-types, risk factors, in-hospital period prevalence and in-hospital outcome of stroke.

Design: Hospital-based retrospective study.

Setting: The Nairobi Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya.

Subjects: Patients with recorded diagnosis of stroke/cerebral vascular accident; as per WHO criteria for diagnosis of stroke, …

The Effects Of A 40mg Lasik Treatment On The Threshold Frequency Of Electrically Induced Muscle Cramps, Sara F. Bergeron

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Context: Muscle cramps that are caused by exercise can be painful and debilitating to an active individual. One theory to explain the cause of exerciseassociated muscle cramps is dehydration. While dehydration is a popular theory it has 111 yet to be studied as a sole factor to the incidence of muscle cramps. Objective: To examine the effect of mild dehydration on the threshold frequency (TF) of electrically induced muscle cramps (EIMC) in the flexor hallucis brevis.

Silencing Of Mbd1 And Mecp2 In Prostate-Cancer-Derived Pc3 Cells Produces Differential Gene Expression Profiles And Cellular Phenotypes, Yaqinuddin Ahmed, Farhat Abbas, Syed S. Naqvi, Mohammad U. Bashir, Romena Qazi, Sohail A. Qureshi

Section of Urology

Alterations in genomic CpG methylation patterns have been found to be associated with cell transformation and neoplasia. Although it is recognized that methylation of CpG residues negatively regulates gene expression, how the various MBPs (methyl-binding proteins) contribute to this process remains elusive. To determine whether the two well characterized proteins MeCP2 (methyl-CpG-binding protein 2) and MBD1 (methyl-CpG-binding domain 1) have distinct or redundant functions, we employed RNAi (RNA interference) to silence their expression in the prostate cancer-derived PC3cell line, and subsequently compared cell growth, invasion and migration properties of these cell lines in addition to their respective mRNA-expressionprofiles. Cells devoid …

Oncolog Volume 53 Number 12, December 2008, Stephanie P. Deming, Virginia M. Mohlere

OncoLog MD Anderson's Report to Physicians (All issues) Archives

• Mantle Cell Lymphoma
• Sparing the Nipple During Mastectomy
• House Call: Taking Medicine? Be Aware of Food-Drug Interactions

Psychological Distress And Change In A Pediatric Obesity Population, Amy Rebecca Beck

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Pediatric overweight and obesity is a growing national epidemic with 15 percent of children ages 6-19 considered obese and at least 22 percent considered overweight. While there is considerable research pointing to contributing factors of obesity, there is a paucity of research which elucidates what contributes to successful intervention. Considering that by the year 2050, nearly 50 million Americans may be obese, understanding the factors delineating success of weight loss and prevention is a necessity. The purpose of this study was to utilize archival data from the LLU Growing Fit Program to evaluate the levels of psychological distress experienced by …

Intramedullary Spinal Cord Metastases And Radiation Therapy: A Case Report, Daniel Ikeda, James S. Harrop Md

JHN Journal

Intramedullary spinal cord metastases (ISCM) are a clinically rare, although devastating, complication of disseminated cancer. These lesions have been reported to originate from many types of solid tumors, although primary lung carcinoma, particularly small cell, is the most common etiology. These metastases, which can occur anywhere along the spinal cord, often represent the end-stage of the disease process with limited survival outcomes.

Patients with ISCM may develop a variety of neurological deficits with treatment goals aimed at palliation. Different modalities of treatment have been found to preserve or restore ambulation and neurological function. The options for therapeutic intervention include surgical, …

Cervical Intramedullary Ganglioma, Harminder Singh Md, Ashwini Sharan Md, John K. Ratliff Md

JHN Journal

A 48 year male presented to the ER with severe headaches which were episodic in nature and which had been present for several weeks. Patient had a history of traumatic head injury (TBI) several years prior. Otherwise, he was in good health with no significant past medical or surgical history.

On physical exam, patient was oriented x 3 with an intact cranial nerve exam. He had significant upper and lower extremity spasticity with mild hand intrinsic weakness. His motor exam was otherwise unremarkable. His gait was very spastic. He had sustained lower extremity clonus, upgoing toes, and increased tone in …

Surgeon Opinions On Use Of Epidural Steroids In Treatment Of Lumbar Disk Disease: Results Of An Online Survey, John K. Ratliff Md, Mitchell Maltenfort Phd, Bryan Lebude

JHN Journal

“Standard of care” can vary along regional and specialty lines; it is common to discover that a local “standard” can be different somewhere else. Opinions may differ between pain management specialists, primary care physicians, and spine surgeons with regard to use of conservative treatment modalities.

Opinion within a given group of practitioners, however, should converge. Local differences between hospitals may exist, but conferences, professional journals, and national boards for certification are mechanisms that should act to maintain homogeneity within a professional group. It could be expected that commonly utilized treatment approaches within a well defined group of sub-specialists should converge. …

Case Report: Intramedullary Cervical Spinal Cord Hemangioblastoma With An Evaluation Of Von Hippel-Lindau Disease, Steven Falowski Md, Ashwini Sharan Md, James S. Harrop Md, John K. Ratliff Md

JHN Journal

History of Present Illness

MO is a 49 year old male with a history of multiple sclerosis who presents with a one year history of progressive numbness in his shoulders bilateral and upper back. The patient describes occasional sharp pains that radiate to his first three fingers on his right hand. He denies weakness, clumsiness, difficulty walking, or bladder/bowel dysfunction. He describes no problems with handwriting, or fine motor skills.

Jhn Journal (Download The Full Pdf Of This Issue), Robert H. Rosenwasser Md

JHN Journal

Complete December 2008 issue of JHN Journal

Spinal Cord Stimulators: An Introduction, Steven Falowski Md

JHN Journal

Pain can be divided into two broad categories, nociceptive pain and neuropathic pain. Nociceptive pain is a dull, throbbing pain which results from irritated nerves after physical tissue injury. This is seen commonly in cancer or after a fracture. Nociceptive pain is amenable to treatment with pain medications such as opioids and/or anti-inflammatories. Neuropathic pain is described as burning, shooting, or shocking pain. This type of pain results from nerve damage or abnormal nerve conduction such as pain exhibited with failed back syndrome, post surgical pain, neuromas, shingles, and complex regional pain syndrome (previously called RSD or causalgia). Neuropathic pain …

Minimally Invasive Surgery For Skull Base Tumors, James J. Evans Md, Marc R. Rosen Md

JHN Journal

The Jefferson Center for Minimally Invasive Cranial Base Surgery and Endoscopic Neurosurgery reflects three of the current evolutions in neurological surgery. The first of these is reflected in the name of the Center itself. Surgical Procedures, Minimally Invasive, a Medline Subject Heading since 1998, is defined as:

Procedures that avoid use of open invasive surgery in favor of closed or local surgery. These generally involve use of laparoscopic devices and remote-control manipulation of instruments with indirect observation of the surgical field through an endoscope or similar device. With the reduced trauma associated with minimally invasive surgery, long hospital stays may …

Clinical Guidelines Written By Residents, David W. Andrews Md

JHN Journal

“Variation” is an innocent word that that can represent many levels of frustration to the clinician. Variation among patients is the least of these; the physician expects patients and their individual problems to be as diverse as the human race itself. Variation within a practice should be due to matching the specific needs of the specific patient. Other variations can mean trouble if they represent differences in understanding of the problem among clinicians and other allied health practitioners. These differences could be between institutions or even between shifts within one institution.

Intracerebral Hemorrhage For The Palliative Care Provider: What You Need To Know., B Brent Simmons, Susan M Parks

Department of Family & Community Medicine Faculty Papers

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) makes up 10%-30% of all strokes. Palliative care providers are often asked to get involved with ICH cases to aid with development of short-term and long-term goals. Prognosis can be calculated using the ICH score (based on Glasgow Coma Score score, ICH volume, presence of intraventricular hemorrhage, age, and location of origin) or the Essen score (based on age, NIH Stroke Scale [NIHSS], and level of consciousness). Do-not-resuscitate (DNR) status is important to discuss with families. Expert consensus states DNR is appropriate if the patient has two of the following: severe stroke, life-threatening brain damage, or significant …