Medical Specialties Commons^™

What Is The Safety And Efficacy Of Tarenflurbil (R-Flurbiprofen) In Mild To Moderate Alzheimer’S Disease?, Lauren Viscount

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review is to determine what is the safety and efficacy of Tarenflurbil (R-flubiprofen) in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s Disease.

Are Proton Pump Inhibitors A Safe And Effective Treatment For Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease In Infants Less Than Twelve Months Old?, Mariah Smith

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether or not proton pump inhibitors are a safe and effective treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease in infants less than twelve months old.

Is Clofibrate (Atromid-S) A Safe And Effective Adjunctive Treatment To Phototherapy For Neonatal Jaundice?, Nicole Tindall

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: To determine, “Is clofibrate a safe and effective adjunctive treatment to phototherapy for neonatal jaundice?”

Does Beta Amyloid Immunization Reduce Amyloid Plaques And Preserve Cognitive Function In Patients With Alzheimer’S Disease?, Andrea Sasin

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this systematic review is to examine the efficacy of beta amyloid immunization in reducing amyloid plaques and preserving cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

The Effectiveness And Safety Of Antibiotic Treatment In Healing Tympanic Membrane Perforation In Aboriginal Children, Shannon M. Rice

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether or not antibiotic treatment is safe and effective in healing tympanic membrane (TM) perforation in Aboriginal children diagnosed with chronic suppurative otitis media and otitis media with effusion less than 16 years of age.

Is Maternal Buprenorphine Use During Pregnancy Effective In Preventing Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome?, Danielle L. Parrott

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether or not maternal buprenorphine use during pregnancy is effective in preventing neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).

Does Massage Therapy Promote Weight Gain In Preterm Infants?, Tyler Rychlewski

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether or not massage therapy promotes weight gain in preterm infants.

Is Lenalidomide, In Combination With Dexamethasone, A Safe And Effective Treatment For Relapsed Multiple Myeloma?, Sarah Moncado

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether or not lenalidomide, in combination with dexamethasone, is a safe and effective treatment for relapsed multiple myeloma.

Is Iron Sucrose (Venofer) A Safe Treatment For People With Chronic Kidney Disease?, Kait Reid

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to determine if Iron Sucrose (Venofer) is a safe treatment for people with Chronic Kidney Disease.

Is Actemra (Tocilizumab) In Combination With Methotrexate An Effective Treatment For Rheumatoid Arthritis In Patients Who Had An Inadequate Response To Methotrexate Alone?, Jennifer Nagle

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether or not Actemra (tocilizumab) in combination with methotrexate is an effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis in patients who had an inadequate response to methotrexate alone. Previous studies have shown other biologic agents and disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) to have some efficacy in treating rheumatoid arthritis. However, tocilizumab is a newly approved FDA drug and therefore, its efficacy in treating RA has yet to be determined.

Is Extract Err731 From The Rheum Rhaponticum Effective In Relieving Menopausal Symptoms In Women Aged 45 To 55 Years Of Age?, Annette M. Merlino

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether ERr 731 extract from the Rheum rhaponticum plant is effective in relieving symptoms of menopausal symptoms in women aged 45 to 55 years of age

Does Dietary Intervention Have An Effect On The Progression And Ultimately The Treatment Of Prostate Cancer?, Jenna M. Lombardi

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether or not dietary intervention has an effect on the progression and ultimately the treatment of Prostate cancer.

Is Acupuncture Effective In Reducing Nausea And Vomiting In Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy?, Kara Meekins

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE- The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether or not acupuncture effective in reducing nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing chemotherapy.

How Safe And Effective Is Infliximab In The Treatment Of Children With Moderate To Severe Crohn’S Disease?, Jackie Linh

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether or not “how safe and effective is infliximab in treatment of children with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease?”

Is Kangaroo Care Effective In Reducing Procedural Pain In Neonates?, Sara A. Deringer-Kohorst

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether Kangaroo Care is effective in reducing procedural pain in neonates.

Is A Musical Intervention Effective In The Reduction Of Needle Related Procedural Pain In Children?, Heather B. Good

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE:Trypanophobia, or the fear of needles and needle pain is a very common occurrence in children, one that can have significant impacts into adulthood and on an individual’s lifelong healthcare. The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether or not a musical intervention is effective in the reduction of needle-related procedural pain in children. The author searched OVID Medline and Cochrane databases for peer-reviewed articles and systematic reviews addressing the topic, published in English after 1996. Three randomized controlled trials were selected on the basis of their being POEM’s and not included in previous systematic reviews, the results …

Does Venlafaxine (Effexor) Decrease The Frequency Of Hot Flashes In Women With Breast Cancer?, Allison Berneking

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether or not “Does venlafaxine (Effexor) decrease the frequency of hot flashes in women with breast cancer?”

Optimal Port Placement And Automated Robotic Positioning For Instrumented Laparoscopic Biosensors, Brady King

Wayne State University Dissertations

OPTIMAL SURGICAL PORT PLACEMENT AND AUTOMATED ROBOTIC POSITIONING FOR RAMAN AND OTHER BIOSENSORS

by

BRADY KING

January 2011

Advisors: Dr. Abhilash Pandya, Dr. Darin Ellis, Dr. Le Yi Wang, and Dr. Greg Auner

Major: Computer Engineering

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Medical biosensors can provide new information during minimally invasive and robotic surgical procedures. However, these biosensors have significant physical limitations that make it difficult to find optimal port locations and place them in vivo. This dissertation explores the application of robotics and virtual/augmented reality to biosensors to enable their optimal use in vivo.

In the first study, human …

Effects Of Two Group Approaches On Life Satisfaction And Mood Of Older Females In Nursing Homes, Bede Redpath Ryan

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of two group counseling therapy interventions on levels of life satisfaction and mood disturbance of older women, age 65+, living in two Detroit-based skilled nursing home facilities. This quasi-experimental, two-treatment group design examined the pretest-posttest data of two group counseling therapy interventions, Group Art Therapy (GAT) and Group Life Stories Narrative Therapy (GLSNT). Seventeen participants completed the bi-weekly, 90-minute sessions, over a four-week period. A univariate ANCOVA with group membership as fixed independent variable was used to compare life satisfaction post scores with pre scores as covariates. Mean scores were …

Human Trophoblast Survival And Invasion In The Developing Placenta: Autocrine Regulation By Hbegf, Philip Jessmon

Wayne State University Dissertations

HBEGF is a multifunctional protein in early pregnancy that induces cytotrophoblast (CTB) cell differentiation to an invasive phenotype, protects against apoptosis, and is involved in an autocrine signaling mechanism that leads to its own protein synthesis. CTBs exist in a low O₂ environment during the first 10 weeks of implantation, during which they invade the decidualized uterine stroma. Inhibitors of intracellular signaling pathways demonstrated that at 20% O₂ HBEGF induces an increase in cell migration through the ERK, MAPK14, JNK, or PIK3 pathways downstream of signaling through its ERBB receptors. Also downstream of these four pathways, HBEGF induces …

Differences In Breast Cancer Tumor Size, Stage, And Survival By Socioeconomic Position In Young Women, Julie Maureen Tomaska

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although the incidence of breast cancer in women under 40 years of age is somewhat rare, young women tend to present with cancer that is more advanced and with poorer prognostic characteristics. This research will be important to providers, women and their families and those seeking to clarify screening guidelines. The purpose of this quantitative, retrospective, cohort study was to evaluate differences in prognostic characteristics by socioeconomic position (SIP). The cohort was comprised of females aged 18 to 39 with a primary diagnosis of breast cancer. Data were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registry for all primary …

Assessing Doppler-Derived Pressure Gradients And Liver Echogenicity To Predict Liver Disease, Joy D. Guthrie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Liver disease causes an estimated 36,000 deaths in the United States each year. Currently, to detect liver disease, an invasive biopsy is required. Other, less invasive diagnostic alternatives are needed. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of a modified form of sonographic screening, including portal, hepatic, and splenic venous pressure, hepatic venous waveform analysis, portal vein diameter, and echogenicity of liver parenchyma in predicting liver disease. The study was based on conversion of a velocity measurement to a pressure gradient, allowing a fluid comparison between known catheterization venous pressures and sonographic Doppler-derived pressure gradients. This study …

Development Of A Novel Metallo-Lipid Microparticle Delivery System For A Leishmania Mexicana Dna Vaccine Candidate, Joanna B. Valencia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Background and Significance.

The leishmaniases are an important group of neglected tropical parasitic diseases caused by parasitic protozoa of the genus Leishmania. International health authorities estimate that 350 million people around the world are at risk for contracting leishmaniasis. Two million new cases occur each year and 12 million people are presently infected worldwide. Leishmaniasis is endemic throughout the Americas region including all of Central America, most of South America, Mexico and southern Texas. Leishmania is also considered a threat to the military readiness of U.S. troops deployed to the Middle East or Latin America.

First- and second-line treatments …

Basal Internal Anal Sphincter Tone, Inhibitory Neurotransmission, And Other Factors Contributing To The Maintenance Of High Pressures In The Anal Canal, S. Rattan, J. Singh

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Faculty Papers

Maintenance of the basal tone in the internal anal sphincter (IAS) is critical for rectoanal continence. Effective evacuation requires a fully functional rectoanal inhibitory reflex (RAIR)-mediated relaxation of the IAS via inhibitory neurotransmission (INT). Systematic studies examining the nature of the INT in different species have identified nitric oxide (NO) as the major inhibitory neurotransmitter. However, other mediators such as vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), ATP, and carbon monoxide (CO) may also play species-specific role under certain experimental conditions. Measurements of the intraluminal pressures in the IAS along with the force of the isolated IAS tissues are the mainstay in the …

Prenatal Programming Of Human Neurological Function, Curt A. Sandman, Elyssia Poggi Davis, Claudia Buss, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

The human placenta expresses the genes for proopiomelanocortin and the major stress hormone, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), profoundly altering the "fight or flight" stress system in mother and fetus. As pregnancy progresses, the levels of these stress hormones, including maternal cortisol, increase dramatically. These endocrine changes are important for fetal maturation, but if the levels are altered (e.g., in response to stress), they influence (program) the fetal nervous system with long-term consequences. The evidence indicates that fetal exposure to elevated levels of stress hormones (i) delays fetal nervous system maturation, (ii) restricts the neuromuscular development and alters the stress response of …

A Survey Of Georgia Adult Protective Services Staff: Implications For Older Adult Injury Prevention And Policy, Sheryl M. Stasser, Judith Kerr, Patricia S. King, Brian Payne, Sarah Beddington, Danielle Pendrick, Elizabeth Leyda, Frances Mccarty

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Introduction:

The aging population is a rapidly growing demographic. Isolation and limited autonomy render many of the elderly vulnerable to abuse, neglect and exploitation. As the population grows, so does the need for Adult Protective Services (APS). This study was conducted to examine current knowledge of older adult protection laws in Georgia among APS staff and to identify training opportunities to better prepare the APS workforce in case detection and intervention.

Methods:

The Georgia State University Institute of Public Health faculty developed a primary survey in partnership with the Georgia Division of Aging Services’ leadership to identify key training priority …

The Cultural Context Of Alzheimer’S Disease: The Impact Of Perception And Knowledge On Willingness To Seek Medcial [I.E., Medical] Help Among Ghanaian Immigrants In The United States., Olivia Owusu-Boakyewaah

Theses and Dissertations

This correlational study explored the knowledge, perceived seriousness, and willingness to seek medical help for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) among Ghanaian Immigrants currently residing in the Unites States. Study participants were 163 Ghanaian Immigrants between the ages of 45 and 90, attending Ghanaian community churches in Virginia and Maryland. Significant results include a positive correlation between knowledge and perceived seriousness of the disease, perceived seriousness of the disease was negatively correlated with caregiving experience. These results as well as several seemingly counterintuitive findings are discussed in terms of the Health Disparities and Psychometric challenges. Specifically, these results points to the necessity …

Aplastic Anemia: Clinicohaematological Features, Treatment And Outcome Analysis, Rabia Wali, Zehra Fidoo, Salman Adil, Muhammad Ahmed Naqvi

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Objective: To determine the clinicohaematological features, treatment and outcome of children diagnosed with aplastic anemia at a single institution.

Study Design: Observational study.

Place and Duration of Study: The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from January 1999 till December 2008.

Methodology: Medical records of children aged less than 15 years of age diagnosed with aplastic anemia were reviewed. Clinicohaematological features, treatment and its response to therapy and outcome were recorded. Results were described in percentages.

Results: Ninety patients were diagnosed to have aplastic anemia (AA); 65 were male during the study period. Age ranged from 1 to 15 years. Fever …

Immunoproliferative Small Intestinal Disease (Ipsid), Shahid Pervez, Khalid Mumtaz, Syed Siddiq Ullah, Nake Akhtar, Naureen Ali, Hina Aaqil

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

This study describes the frequency, demographics, clinical presentation, endoscopic findings, histopathological features, treatment and outcome of 'Immunoproliferative small intestinal disease' (IPSID). Archives contained a total of 27 cases of IPSID diagnosed and treated over an 18-year period. A M: F ratio of 2.4:1 was seen with a mean and median ages of 28.7 and 25 years. Most patients (68.8%) presented with abdominal pain and diarrhoea. In the majority (62.5%), duodenum was the primary site of involvement. Endoscopy showed polypoidal, raised or flat lesions. Biopsy findings included blunting or flattening of villi with dense plasma cell infiltrate and lymphoepithelial lesions. Twenty-four …

Gastric Malt Lymphoma: A Rarity, Shahid Pervez, Naureen Ali, Hina Aaqil, Khalid Mumtaz, Syed Siddiq Ullah

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Association of Helicobacter pylori (H. Pylori) infection with gastric ‘Mucosa Associated Lymphoid Tissue’ (MALT) lymphomas (MALTomas) is well established. In this study the frequency and characteristics of gastric MALToma over a period of 18 years was evaluated. During this period 24 patients with gastric MALToma were diagnosed; out of them, 13 (54.2%) had active H. Pylori infection. The mean and median age was 49.7 and 53.5 years. The male: female ratio was 17:7. The common presenting complaints were epigastric pain (n=10) and dyspepsia (n=9). Endoscopic findings revealed mild gastric hyperemia (n=16), superficial erosions (n=4) and superficial ulcers (n=4). It was …