Medical Specialties Commons^™

Oncolog Volume 54, Number 06, June 2009, John Lebas, Maude Veech

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

• Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia: Refining Approaches to Treatment
• Advancing the Treatment of Lymphedema
• House Call: Hospice: Comforting Care When the End Is Near

Field Testing Adolescent Females For Cardiovascular Disease Risk, C. Jayne Brahler, Wesley R. Stephens, Betsy Donahoe Fillmore

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Over-fatness and poor cardiovascular (CV) fitness are well-documented risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adults, but less is known about their association with disease risk in adolescents. This study aimed to determine the relationship between anthropometrics, fitness, and CVD risk.

Six anthropometric indicators of body fatness, seven measures of fitness, and seven metabolic and hemodynamic CVD risk factors were measured in a convenience sample of 28 female high school students (15-18 years of age). A tally was made of the number of factors for which each subject was outside the normal reference range (CVD risk).

Correlation analyses were completed …

Parents Ask: Am I Risking Autism If I Vaccinate My Children?, Rhea Paul

Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

There is no evidence that autism is caused by any vaccine or any additive or preservative ever used in one. There have been large, well-controlled studies done all over the Western world that have confirmed this finding over and over again. There is no reason for any parent to deny a child the crucial protection today’s vaccines offer out of misguided fear that doing so would increase the risk for autism.

Quality Of Life And Depression: Outcome Markers For A Weight Management Program, Cecilia Dueñas

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Pediatric obesity has become a national epidemic and current trends suggest a continued increase. Obese children have been found to have higher incidences of depression and a lower quality of life (QOL) than children from other often more severe medical populations. As a result, weight management programs are on the increase with the majority measuring outcome success through weight loss and decreased body mass index (BMI). It is evident however, that health factors are not the only factors associated with obesity, and that psychosocial components are important as well. The Loma Linda University Growing Fit Program is unique in that …

Mnte-2-Pyp And Radiation In A Prostate Cancer Model: Implications For Radiotherapy, Adeola Y. Makinde

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

A major limitation of successful radiation therapy in cancer treatment is the increase in normal tissue damage as higher doses are used to achieve greater tumor destruction. Radiation dose optimization in cancer therapy requires achieving maximum tumor destruction with minimal damage to normal tissue Antioxidants have been shown to protect normal tissues against radiation damage, as radiation-induced tissue damage results predominantly from reactive oxygen species that directly damage cellular components. However, for effective use as normal tissue radioprotectants in radiotherapy, these antioxidants must not protect the tumors. Mn (III) tetrakis (N-ethylpyridinium-2-yl) porphyrin (MnTE-2-PyP) is a metalloporphyrin antioxidant that has been …

Attitudes And Beliefs That Predict Taiwanese Older Adults' Intentions To Attend Strength And Balance Training Programs, Shih-Fan Lin

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The rate of participation in the strength and balance training (SBT) program, an effective fall prevention intervention, is very low among older adults. To increase older adults' participations in SBT programs, this study involved an observational and cross-sectional study design to understand factors that affect Taiwanese older adults' intention to attend SBT programs utilizing the theory of planned behavior. Questionnaires that measured constructs of the theory of planned behavior (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral, normative, and control beliefs) were collected from 221 community-dwelling Taiwanese elderly women between the age of 55 and 94. Simple correlations and multiple …

Tuberculosis In San Bernardino County, 1993-2004 : Lifestyle And Environmental Factors, Anuj Bhatia

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

An observational retrospective study was conducted for tuberculosis (TB) cases between San Bernardino County (SBC), Riverside County, and the state of California from 1996 to 2004. A univariate comparison between San Bernardino County and California indicated a higher proportion of U.S. born cases in SBC. Additionally, it was found that San Bernardino had a higher proportion of non-injection drug using TB cases, compared with California in 1996. Further comparisons were made along country of birth between TB cases in San Bernardino County from 1993 to 2004. Notable differences were observed for injection drug use, non injection drug use, alcohol abuse, …

It Is More Than Just A Reproductive Healthcare Visit: Experiences From An Adolescent Medicine Clinic, Marlene B. Huff, Kimberly K. Mcclanahan, Heather A. Brown, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

The gynecologist may be the only physician that an adolescent depends on for primary and reproductive healthcare services. Because adolescent females often make personal healthcare decisions without the benefit of supportive parents/caregivers, it is imperative that the gynecologist understands the developmental issues encountered during this phase of life. The objective of this study is to identify cited complaints of adolescent females seeking reproductive care and, thus, provide gynecologists with needed information about the medical/mental health issues that may be encountered during routine reproductive care exams. The study group was adolescent females between the ages of 12 and 20 years old. …

Outbreak Of Dengue Fever In Karachi 2006: A Clinical Perspective, Muhammad Mehmood Riaz, Khalid Mumtaz, Muhammad Shoaib Khan, Junaid Patel, M. Tariq, Harith Hilal, Shaheryar Ahmed Siddiqui, Farrukh Shezad

Section of Internal Medicine

OBJECTIVE: This study reports clinical manifestations and spectrum of severity of dengue fever (DF), dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS) in adult patients admitted during 2006 outbreak in Karachi. A rough estimation of cost of care was also calculated.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was done at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi from January to December 2006. Patients suspected of having DF with positive dengue IgM antibodies were included and records were reviewed. Patients were divided into DF, DHF and DSS as per WHO classification, and the severity of clinical manifestations was determined.

RESULTS: A total of …

Prion Protein Glycosylation Is Not Required For Strain-Specific Neurotropism, Justin R. Piro, Brent T. Harris, Koren Nishina, Claudio Soto, Rodrigo Morales, Judy R. Rees, Surachai Supattapone

Dartmouth Scholarship

In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the glycosylation of the pathogenic isoform of the prion protein (PrP^Sc) might encode the selective neurotropism of prion strains. We prepared unglycosylated cellular prion protein (PrP^C) substrate molecules from normal mouse brain by treatment with PNGase F and used reconstituted serial protein cyclic misfolding amplification reactions to produce RML and 301C mouse prions containing unglycosylated PrP^Sc molecules. Both RML- and 301C-derived prions containing unglycosylated PrP^Sc molecules were infectious to wild-type mice, and neuropathological analysis showed that mice inoculated with these samples maintained strain-specific patterns of PrP …

Intravenous Inoculation Of A Bat-Associated Rabies Virus Causes Lethal Encephalopathy In Mice Through Invasion Of The Brain Via Neurosecretory Hypothalamic Fibers., Mirjam A R Preuss, Marie-Luise Faber, Gene S Tan, Michael Bette, Bernhard Dietzschold, Eberhard Weihe, Matthias J Schnell

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

The majority of rabies virus (RV) infections are caused by bites or scratches from rabid carnivores or bats. Usually, RV utilizes the retrograde transport within the neuronal network to spread from the infection site to the central nervous system (CNS) where it replicates in neuronal somata and infects other neurons via trans-synaptic spread. We speculate that in addition to the neuronal transport of the virus, hematogenous spread from the site of infection directly to the brain after accidental spill over into the vascular system might represent an alternative way for RV to invade the CNS. So far, it is unknown …

The Frequency Of Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia In Patients Undergoing Elective Cardiac Bypass Surgeries, Natasha Bahadur Ali, Bushra Moiz, Yasmin Rehman, Mohammad Salman, Shahid Ahmed Sami

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Objective: To determine the frequency of Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT) in patients undergoing elective cardiac bypass surgeries and to observe the platelets evolution post surgically in these patients.
Method: A prospective study was designed and 100 unselected consecutive patients undergoing elective cardiac bypass surgery were enrolled and evaluated. The clinical and laboratory details were noted before and after surgery. Their platelet counts were observed from day 0 (prior to surgery) to day 5 post operatively. Particle gel immunoassay was used to demonstrate the presence of antibodies against heparin-platelet factor 4 complexes.
Results: There were 86 males and 14 females with …

Oral Iron Chelation Therapy With Deferiprone In Patients With Thalassemia Major, Raihan Sajid, Farooq Ghani, Salman Adil, Mohammad Khurshid

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy and adverse effects of deferiprone in patients with Thalassemia Major.

METHODS: A prospective case series study was conducted at the Fatimid Foundation Blood Bank and Haematological Diseases center Lahore. A total of 87 patients entered into the study between September 2005 and November 2006. Deferiprone was given at subsidized rates at a dose of 75/mg/day for seven days. Physical examination and initial Laboratory investigations were done in all patients at the start of the study. Physical and laboratory data were filled on a questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 10.0.

RESULTS: Eighty seven patients with …

Evaluation Of Two Elisa Assay Kits Against Rt-Pcr For Diagnosis Of Dengue Virus Infection In A Hospital Setting In Karachi, Pakistan, Erum Khan, Vikram Mehraj, Amna Nasir, Nabil Ahmad Khan, Bushra Billoo, Tariq Moatter, Rumina Hasan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate two commercially available ELISA-based kits against RT-PCR for the diagnosis of dengue virus infection in a Tertiary Care center in Karachi.METHODS: During the 2006 Dengue outbreak, sera were collected from patients clinically classified as dengue fever and graded according to WHO grading. Out of these, 83 samples were selected randomly and analyzed using two different commercial kits (PanBio versus Calbiotech) and were compared with RT-PCR. Clinical charts of the inpatients were also reviewed. Statistical significance was considered at P < or = 0.05.RESULTS: Clinically, a total of 29 (69%) in-patients were diagnosed with dengue haemorrhagic fever, the remaining 13 (30.9%) were diagnosed as dengue fever. Diagnostic PCR was positive in 73 (87.9%) of the total 83 patients. PanBio capture ELISA had a sensitivity of 83.5%. Calbiotech on the other hand, had a sensitivity of 50.7%. The association of PanBio assay with PCR was found to be statistically significant (p

Acetabular Morphometry And Prevalence Of Hip Dysplasia In The South Asian Population, Masood Umer, Yasir J. Sepah, Sharjeel Asif, Iqbal Azam Syed, Muhammad Umar Jawad

Section of Orthopaedic Surgery

We carried out a cross-sectional study to measure the association of the seven acetabular parameters with pelvic morphometry and prevalence of hip dysplasia in our population. Convenience sampling was carried out and 250 consecutive patients who came to AKUH for intravenous pyelogram and had no complaints in the region of the hip joint were enrolled in the study. Post-micturition standardized plain antero-posterior pelvic radiographs of 250 asymptomatic adults (500 hip joints) was studied. There were 136 males (54.4%) and 114 females (45.6%). Mean age of our study population was 38 years (15-78 years). The average center edge angle was 35.5±6.6° …

Frequency Of Preoperative Anxiety In Pakistani Surgical Patients, Mohammad Faisal Jafar, Fauzia Anis Khan

Department of Anaesthesia

OBJECTIVE: To measure the frequency of preoperative anxiety in patients coming to our hospital and to correlate Visual analogue scale (VAS) with State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaire.

METHODS: This cross sectional study included 300 ASA I and II adult surgical in-patients admitted over a period of one year. STAI questionnaire and VAS was used as study tools. STAI score of > 44 or VAS score of > or = 50 were considered as significant anxiety. Enrolled patients were visited by primary investigator the day before surgery and patients were asked to fill the STAI questionnaire and VAS score.

RESULTS: Significant preoperative …

Wound Infiltration With Bupivacaine Versus Ketorolac For Postoperative Pain Relief In Minor To Moderate Surgeries, Mohammad Irfan Akhtar, Mohammad Saleem, Jawad Zaheer

Department of Anaesthesia

OBJECTIVE: To compare the analgesic efficacy of Bupivacaine 0.25% wound infiltration with Ketorolac incisional infiltration in relieving postoperative pain for first twenty-four hours.

METHODOLOGY: Analytical, interventional and comparative study was performed on seventy patients, of both sexes, with varied age groups. Patients underwent minor and moderate surgeries, confined to American Society of Anaesthesiologist ASA category 1-II. Patients were selected by convenience sampling and were divided into two groups i.e. Group I and Group II. Group-I comprised of thirty five patients and were infiltrated with Bupivacaine 0.25% at wound margins postoperatively. Group-II also comprised of thirty-five patients and were infiltrated with …

A Randomized, Phase Ii Trial Of Two Dose Schedules Of Carboplatin/Paclitaxel/Cetuximab In Stage Iiib/Iv Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (Nsclc), M.A. Socinski, Mansoor Saleh, D.F. Trent, T.W. Dobbs, L.M. Zehngebot, M.A. Levine, R. Bordoni, P.J. Stella

Haematology and Oncology, East Africa

Background: This trial investigated the efficacy and safety of weekly cetuximab combined with two different schedules of paclitaxel/carboplatin for stage IIIB/IV non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: A total of 168 patients with previously untreated stage IIIB/IV NSCLC were randomized to arm A, cetuximab (400 mg/m² day 1 followed by weekly 250 mg/m²) + paclitaxel (Taxol) (225 mg/m²)/carboplatin (AUC6) day 1 every 3 weeks or arm B, same cetuximab regimen plus paclitaxel (100 mg/m²) days 1, 8, and 15 every 3 weeks and carboplatin (AUC6) day 1 every 4 weeks. Treatment continued for a …

Old Disease, New Targets--Part-I, Solid Malignancies, Shiyam Kumar, Nehal Masood, Asim Jamal Shaikh

Department of Radiation Oncology

Targeted agents are now an integral part of treatment regimens for some cancers. Trastuzumab is established in treatment of human epidermal receptor 2 (Her2) positive breast cancers, with improvements in both, the disease free and over all survival. Monoclonal antibody (MoAB) against vascular growth factor receptor (VEGF), bevacizumab and cetuximab a MoAB against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are establishing their role in a many cancers after making their mark in colorectal cancer. Sorafenib and sunitinib have success stories in renal carcinoma. The Sorafenib Hepatocellular Carcinoma Assessment Randomized Protocol (SHARP) trial has established sorafenib role in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, while …

Impact Of Infection Control Activities On The Rate Of Needle Stick Injuries At A Tertiary Care Hospital Of Pakistan Over A Period Of Six Years: An Observational Study., Afia Zafar, Faiza Habib, Roshan Hadwani, Muslima Ejaz, Khurshid Khowaja, Rozina Khowaja, Seema Irfan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background:Accidental exposure to blood and body fluids is frequent among health care workers. They are at high risk of nosocomial transmission of blood borne pathogens due to injuries caused by used sharps. We are reporting impact of surveillance and educational program on the rate of needle stick injuries among health care workers at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan.

Methods:

At Aga Khan University Hospital sharp injuries are reported to infection control office. To reduce these incidents a quality improvement project was inducted in the year 2005. Health care workers were educated, surveillance data from 2002 to 2007 was …

Individualized Learning Plans: Faculty As Facilitators, Ann Burke

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Introduction: Individualized learning plans (ILPs) are documented personal learning objectives developed by a learner with the help of a facilitator. The Pediatric Residency Review Committee requires residents to accomplish one ILP per year. Faculty members, including program directors, who are newly responsible for facilitating development of resident ILPs may feel unprepared for the task. They are likely unfamiliar with the concepts of ILPs, and most have not created an ILP of their own. Methods: This paper-based faculty development curriculum is designed to educate faculty members on ILPs. The materials include a didactic introduction regarding ILPs and an overview of adult …

Commencement, Georgia (2009), Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine

Commencements

Georgia Campus Commencement Program, 2009. Degrees include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Inaugural Class and Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences Second Class.

Commencement Speaker: Lieutenant General Ronald R. Blanck, D.O., U.S. Army, Ret. Vice-Chairman of the Board of Martin, Blanck & Associates.

Hiv Policy: The Path Forward--A Joint Position Paper Of The Hiv Medicine Association Of The Infectious Diseases Society Of America And The American College Of Physicians., Christine Lubinski, Judith Aberg, Arlene D Bardeguez, Richard Elion, Patricia Emmanuel, Daniel Kuritzkes, Michael Saag, Kathleen E Squires, Andrea Weddle, Jennifer Rainey, M Renee Zerehi, J Fred Ralston, David A Fleming, David Bronson, Molly Cooke, Charles Cutler, Yul Ejnes, Robert Gluckman, Mark Liebow, Kenneth Musana, Mark E Mayer, Mark W Purtle, P Preston Reynolds, Lavanya Viswanathan, Kevin B Weiss, Baligh Yehia

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Executive Summary

The American College of Physicians (ACP) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) have jointly published 3 policy statements on AIDS, the first in 1986 [1], the second in 1988 [2], and the third in 1994 [3]. In 2001, the IDSA created the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA), and this updated policy paper is a collaboration between the ACP and the HIVMA of the IDSA. Since the last statement, many new developments call for the need to reexamine and update our policies relating to HIV infection. First, there have been major advances …

Covariate-Adjusted Nonparametric Analysis Of Magnetic Resonance Images Using Markov Chain Monte Carlo, Haley Hedlin, Brian S. Caffo, Ziyad Mahfoud, Susan Spear Bassett

Johns Hopkins University, Dept. of Biostatistics Working Papers

Permutation tests are useful for drawing inferences from imaging data because of their flexibility and ability to capture features of the brain that are difficult to capture parametrically. However, most implementations of permutation tests ignore important confounding covariates. To employ covariate control in a nonparametric setting we have developed a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm for conditional permutation testing using propensity scores. We present the first use of this methodology for imaging data. Our MCMC algorithm is an extension of algorithms developed to approximate exact conditional probabilities in contingency tables, logit, and log-linear models. An application of our non-parametric …

A Case Study On Using The Via Christi Breastfeeding Assessment Tool In A Clinical Setting, Rouba Taha

Honors Scholar Theses

Aims- The goal of this study is to obtain a subjective point of view of the use, benefits, and shortcomings of the Via Christi breastfeeding Assessment Tool in a clinical setting.

Methods- This case study is based on a single yet detailed interview with a lactation consultant who has utilized the Via Christi Breastfeeding Tool in a clinical setting.

Findings- Advantages of the Via Christi Breastfeeding Assessment Tool include that the tool is practical and concrete, encompassing both a subjective dimension and the basic elements of breastfeeding. Shortcomings of the tool include its non-specificity in focus on the feeding technique …

Myd88 Expression By Cns-Resident Cells Is Pivotal For Eliciting Protective Immunity In Brain Abscesses., Sarita Garg, Jessica R. Nichols, Nilufer Esen, Shuliang Liu, Nirmal K. Phulwani, Mohsin Md. Syed, William H. Wood, Yongqing Zhang, Kevin G. Becker, Amy Aldrich, Tammy Kielian

Journal Articles: Pathology and Microbiology

MyD88 KO (knockout) mice are exquisitely sensitive to CNS (central nervous system) infection with Staphylococcus aureus, a common aetiological agent of brain abscess, exhibiting global defects in innate immunity and exacerbated tissue damage. However, since brain abscesses are typified by the involvement of both activated CNS-resident and infiltrating immune cells, in our previous studies it has been impossible to determine the relative contribution of MyD88-dependent signalling in the CNS compared with the peripheral immune cell compartments. In the present study we addressed this by examining the course of S. aureus infection in MyD88 bone marrow chimaera mice. Interestingly, chimaeras where …

Medical Education Digest, Vol. 11 No. 3 (May/June 2009), Nova Southeastern University

Medical Education Digest

No abstract provided.

Clinical Field-Strength Mri Of Amyloid Plaques Induced By Low-Level Cholesterol Feeding In Rabbits, John A. Ronald, Yuanxin Chen, Lisa Bernas, Hagen H. Kitzler, Kem A. Rogers, Robert A. Hegele, Brian K. Rutt

Robarts Imaging Publications

Two significant barriers have limited the development of effective treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. First, for many cases the aetiology is unknown and likely multi-factorial. Among these factors, hypercholesterolemia is a known risk predictor and has been linked to the formation of b-amyloid plaques, a pathological hallmark this disease. Second, standardized diagnostic tools are unable to definitively diagnose this disease prior to death; hence new diagnostic tools are urgently needed. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using high field-strength scanners has shown promise for direct visualization of b-amyloid plaques, allowing in vivo longitudinal tracking of disease progression in mouse models. Here, we present …

A Novel Codon Insert In Protease Of Clade B Hiv Type 1., Parris S Jordan, Art Poon, Joseph Eron, Kathleen Squires, Caroline Ignacio, Douglas D Richman, Davey M Smith

Division of Infectious Diseases and Environmental Medicine Faculty Papers

A novel combination of three codon inserts in the pol coding region of HIV-1 RNA was identified in a highly antiretroviral experienced study subject with HIV-1 infection. A one codon insert was observed in the protease region between codon 40 and 41 simultaneously with a two codon insert present in the reverse transcriptase region at codon 69.

Human Cerebral Neuropathology Of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Peter T. Nelson, Charles D. Smith, Erin L. Abner, Frederick A. Schmitt, Stephen W. Scheff, Gregory J. Davis, Jeffrey N. Keller, Gregory A. Jicha, Daron Davis, Wang-Xia Wang, Adria Hartman, Douglas G. Katz, William R. Markesbery

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Faculty Publications

The cerebral neuropathology of Type 2 diabetes (CNDM2) has not been positively defined. This review includes a description of CNDM2 research from before the ‘Pubmed Era’. Recent neuroimaging studies have focused on cerebrovascular and white matter pathology. These and prior studies about cerebrovascular histopathology in diabetes are reviewed. Evidence is also described for and against the link between CNDM2 and Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. To study this matter directly, we evaluated data from University of Kentucky Alzheimer's Disease Center (UK ADC) patients recruited while non-demented and followed longitudinally. Of patients who had come to autopsy (N = 234), 139 met …