Medical Specialties Commons^™

Habilitation Training Curriculum: Is It Useful?, Ryan K. Cole, Christine Wyman

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting approximately five million Americans. Paul Raia, PhD, Vice President, Clinical Services at the Alzheimer’s Association, MA/NH Chapters, developed a training curriculum called Caring for People with Alzheimer’s Disease: A Habilitation Training Curriculum. The Alzheimer’s Association’s Maine Chapter has been implementing this training in care facilities across Maine. The purpose of this project was to evaluate if this training is perceived as useful in direct care settings.A secondary goal of the project was to determine if this training should be adapted for use in other settings in which professionals of varying …

Processing And Characterization Of Innovative Magnesium Alloys For Biodegradable Orthopaedic Implants, Christopher E. Smith

Dissertations

There is a need for innovation in medical implant devices through novel biomaterials that will improve the quality of life. The first step in the creation of a foundation of knowledge and technology to improve these implant devices is through the creation of new alloys with the capabilities of biodegradation and bioabsorption without a toxic effect that will pass through FDA regulatory procedures. In this study, unique heat treatment processing techniques coupled with innovation in elemental alloying produced distinctive magnesium (Mg) based alloy systems. The MgZnCa system was used as the underpinning system where four groups of novel alloys were …

Inhibition Mechanisms Of Type 2 Diabetes, Jalise Maree Cotton

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is the most common form of diabetes mellitus which affects approximately 8.3% of the popula@on (diabetes.org 2013). T2D is most oDen brought on by reduced sensi@vity to insulin receptors. This is thought to be caused by a muta@on in the gene Insulin Receptor Substrate-­‐ 1 (IRS-­‐1). It is the suppression of IRS-­‐1 that leads to inac@va@on of signaling molecules insulin signaling pathways causing insulin resistance (Victor D. H. et al). This literature review will focus on the major mechanisms of inhibi@on of the insulin signaling pathways.

[Sabbatical Report], Dana Burr Bradley

Sabbatical Reports

Write, submit and present information on geriatrics.

The Cutting Edge Spring 2014, Wright State University Department Of Surgery

The Cutting Edge Newsletter

A twelve page newsletter created by the Department of Surgery documenting current affairs of the department. This issue features a dedication to former faculty Robert Peter Turk, faculty news, a listing of special lectures, clinical news, and more.

Evidence For Aberrant Astrocyte Hemichannel Activity In Juvenile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (Jncl)., Maria Burkovetskaya, Nikolay Karpuk, Juan Xiong, Megan Bosch, Michael D. Boska, Hideyuki Takeuchi, Akio Suzumura, Tammy Kielian

Journal Articles: Pathology and Microbiology

Juvenile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (JNCL) is a lysosomal storage disease caused by an autosomal recessive mutation in CLN3 that leads to vision loss, progressive cognitive and motor decline, and premature death. Morphological evidence of astrocyte activation occurs early in the disease process and coincides with regions where neuronal loss eventually ensues. However, the consequences of CLN3 mutation on astrocyte function remain relatively ill-defined. Astrocytes play a critical role in CNS homeostasis, in part, by their ability to regulate the extracellular milieu via the formation of extensive syncytial networks coupled by gap junction (GJ) channels. In contrast, unopposed hemichannels (HCs) have …

Summary Of Pediatric Quality Measures For Children Enrolled In Mainecare Ffy 2009-Ffy 2013, Mary Lindsey Smith Phd, Msw

Population Health & Health Policy

In Maine, a key objective of the IHOC CHIPRA demonstration grant is to collect and report on the Initial Core Set of Children’s Health Care Quality Measures (referred to as the “CHIPRA Core Measures”), a set of 24 standardized, evidence-based measures identified by CMS for use by State Medicaid and CHIP programs. This report presents the results of the 18 CHIPRA Core Measures that were collected using MaineCare claims, Vital Statistics or survey data and reported to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for FFY 2013. Also included in this report are an additional three measures from the …

The Impact Of Salsalate Treatment On Serum Levels Of Advanced Glycation End Products In Type 2 Diabetes., Joshua I Barzilay, Kathleen A. Jablonski, Vivian Fonseca, Steven E Shoelson, Allison B Goldfine, Christopher Strauch, Vincent M Monnier, Tinsal-T2d Research Consortium.

GW Biostatistics Center

OBJECTIVE Salsalate is a nonacetylated salicylate that lowers glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Here we examined whether salsalate also lowered serum-protein-bound levels of early and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) that have been implicated in diabetic vascular complications. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Participants were from the Targeting Inflammation Using Salsalate for Type 2 Diabetes (TINSAL-T2D) study, which examined the impact of salsalate treatment on hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and a wide variety of other parameters. One hundred eighteen participants received salsalate, 3.5 g/day for 48 weeks, and 109 received placebo. Early glycation product levels (HbA1c and fructoselysine …

Genetic Risk Of Progression To Type 2 Diabetes And Response To Intensive Lifestyle Or Metformin In Prediabetic Women With And Without A History Of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus., Shannon D Sullivan, Kathleen A. Jablonski, Jose C Florez, Dana Dabelea, Paul W Franks, Sam Dagogo-Jack, Catherine Kim, William C Knowler, Costas A Christophi, Robert Ratner, Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group.

GW Biostatistics Center

OBJECTIVE The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) trial investigated rates of progression to diabetes among adults with prediabetes randomized to treatment with placebo, metformin, or intensive lifestyle intervention. Among women in the DPP, diabetes risk reduction with metformin was greater in women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) compared with women without GDM but with one or more previous live births.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We asked if genetic variability could account for these differences by comparing β-cell function and genetic risk scores (GRS), calculated from 34 diabetes-associated loci, between women with and without histories of GDM.

RESULTS β-Cell function was …

A Rare Case Of Myasthenia Gravis With Coexisting Muscular Dystrophy, Sommayya Aftab, M Haroon Hamid, Tipu Sultan

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease in which antibodies are directed against postsynaptic membrane of neuromuscular junction, resulting in muscle weakness and fatigability. We report a rare case of an 11 years old boy who was a known case of myasthenia gravis presented with progressive weakness and wasting of facial and limb musculature and was found to have coexisting muscular dystrophy most like facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD).

University Of New England’S College Of Osteopathic Medicine 2014 Peter Morgane Research Fellowship Recipients, University Of New England College Of Osteopathic Medicine

Peter Morgane Research Fellowships

2014 recipients of the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine's Peter Morgane Research Fellowship.

Association Of Airborne Aspergillus With Asthma Exacerbation In Southern Pakistan., Ali Bin Sarwar Zubairi, Iqbal Azam Syed, Safia Awan, Afia Zafar, Asifali Imam

Department of Medicine

Background: Exposure to airborne fungi has been related with exacerbation of asthma in adults and children leading to increased outpatient, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations. Hypersensitivity to these airborne fungi may be an important initial predisposing factor in the development and exacerbation of asthma.

Objective: This study was conducted to determine an association between fungal types and spore concentrations with the risk of asthma exacerbation in adults.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2008 to August 2009 at the Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi, Pakistan. All adult (age≥16 years) patients presenting to the hospital with acute asthma exacerbation …

The Clinical Trial Design, Haider A. Naqvi

Department of Psychiatry

No abstract provided.

Brain Blast 2014 Poster, Annie Leslie

Brain Blast

Announcement poster for UNE's Brain Blast 2014, a pechakucha-style brain health and safety awareness and learning event.

Hallervorden Spatz Disease – A Rare Clinicoradiological Diagnosis, Anam Abrar, Arsalan Ahmad, Ejaz A Khan

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Hallervorden Spatz disease, also known as pantothenate kinase associated neuro-degeneration, is a rare, progressive neurological disorder usually seen in first decade of life. It is associated with extrapyramidal effects, dysarthria and dementia. Hallervorden Spatz Disease is also associated with psychiatric symptoms, depression and behavioral changes. Affected patients are disabled predominantly by dystonia. MRI, in later stage of the disease, shows “eye of the tiger’ appearance which is fairly diagnostic of Hallervorden Spatz Disease. Response to drugs is often poor and of limited value to these patients. This report highlights a classical case of Hallervorden Spatz disease that presented as an …

Fundus Autofluorescence Imaging: Fundamentals And Clinical Relevance., Yasir J. Sepah, Abeer Akhtar, Mohammad Ali Sadiq, Yamama Hafeez, Humzah Nasir, Brian Perez, Narissa Mawji, Diana J. Dean, Daniel Ferraz, Quan Dong Nguyen

Journal Articles: Ophthalmology

Fundus autofluorescence (FAF), a relatively new imaging modality, focuses on the fluorescent properties of pigments in the retina to generate images that help us view various disease processes from a different perspective. It aids us in the understanding of the pathophysiology of different retinal disorders. Recently, FAF imaging is being used commonly to help us in the diagnosis, prognosis as well as in determining the treatment response of various retinal disorders. It generates an image based on the distribution pattern of a fluorescent pigment called lipofuscin. Knowing the distribution pattern of lipofuscin in the normal retina is key to understanding …

Efficacy And Safety Of Sitagliptin For The Treatment Of New-Onset Diabetes After Renal Transplantation., Brian P. Boerner, Clifford D. Miles, Vijay Shivaswamy

Journal Articles: Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism

New-onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT) is a common comorbidity after renal transplantation. Though metformin is the first-line agent for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, in renal transplant recipients, metformin is frequently avoided due to concerns about renal dysfunction and risk for lactic acidosis. Therefore, alternative first-line agents for the treatment of NODAT in renal transplant recipients are needed. Sitagliptin, a dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor, has a low incidence of hypoglycemia, is weight neutral, and, in a small study, did not affect immunosuppressant levels. However, long-term sitagliptin use for the treatment of NODAT in kidney transplant recipients has not been studied. …

Labrad : Vol 40, Issue 1 - April 2014, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi

LABRAD - Departments of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Radiology Archives

• Provocative Testing for Growth Hormone Disorders
• Serum Procalcitonin for Early Sepsis Diagnosis
• Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS)
• Understanding Six Sigma Methodology
• Blood Collection for Culture
• Molecular Analysis of Alpha Thalassaemia by Multiple Ligation Probe Assay
• Prognostification of Acute Myeloid Leukemia with FLT 3 Mutation
• Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) for Detection of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infection in the Host
• Meeting Report: The 37th Annual Conference of the Pakistan Association of Pathologists

Correlations Of Skin Fold Thickness And Validation Of Prediction Equations Using Dexa As The Gold Standard For Estimation Of Body Fat Composition In Pakistani Children., Zainab Hussain, Tazeen H. Jafar, Maseeh Uz Zaman, Riffat Parveen Hussain

Department of Radiology

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the correlation between dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and skin fold thickness (SKF) equations for estimation of body fat (BF) composition in secondary school children and validation of prediction equations by Slaughter, Goran and Dezenberg.

DESIGN:

Cross sectional analytical study.

SETTING:

Joint Commission for International Accredited (JCIA) tertiary care hospital of Karachi, Pakistan from January 2010 to May 2010.

PARTICIPANTS:

The study was approved by the Hospital's ethical review committee. Written and verbal consents were obtained from principals of two schools and parents of 99 children (mean age of 14±1.89 years; min-max 9-19 years; 54 men and …

A Long-Term Study Of The Effects Of Antiviral Therapy On Survival Of Patients With Hbv-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma (Hcc) Following Local Tumor Ablation., Hie-Won Hann, Robert Coben, Daniel Brown, Laurence Needleman, Ernest Rosato, Albert Min, Richard Hann, Kyong Bin Park, Stephen Dunn, Anthony J. Dimarino

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

The ultimate goal of antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Earlier we reported favorable effects of antiviral therapy on survival of HCC patients following curative tumor ablation (Int J Cancer online 14 April 2010; doi: 10.1002/ijc.25382). It was the first observation made in the United States. We now report 12 year follow-up of this patient group. CHB patients with no prior antiviral therapy with a single HCC (≤ 7 cm) were studied. All patients underwent local tumor ablation as their first option. Patients diagnosed before 1999 received no antiviral treatment while those diagnosed …

Pharmaceuticals And Personal Care Products: Emerging Contaminants In Aquatic Ecosystems, Jenny E. Zenobio

Open Access Theses

In recent years, the presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in aquatic systems has led to research on their fate and effects. PPCPs have been found in mixture in wastewater effluents, surface, ground, and drinking water at low concentrations from areas of intense urbanization. Although adverse effects to human health from the current environmental concentrations are unlikely, the impacts to ecological receptors are not clear. We performed field and laboratory studies to quantify and evaluate effects of PPCPs on fish. First, a field study was conducted at the Baca National Wildlife Refuge, Colorado (2010-2012) because a portion of …

Feasibility Of Pulsed Proton Induced Acoustics For 3d Dosimetry, Fahed M. Alsanea

Open Access Theses

Proton therapy has the potential to deposit its energy in tissue with high conformity to the tumor and significantly reduced integral dose to normal tissue compared to conventional radiation, such as x-rays. As a result, local control can be enhanced while reducing side-effects and secondary cancers. This is due to the way charged Particles deposit their energy or dose, where protons form a Bragg peak and establish a well-defined distal edge as a function of depth (range). To date, the dose delivered to a patient from proton therapy remains uncertain, in particular the positioning of the distal edge of the …

Oncolog, Volume 59, Number 04, April 2014, Zach Bohannan, Joe Munch, J. Delsigne

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

• New fat Grafting Technique Improves Aesthetic Outcomes Following Head and Neck Reconstructive Surgery: A new gat grafting technique is enabling reconstructive surgeons to maximize aesthetic outcomes following major reconstruction for head and neck cancer treatment-related defects
• INBRIEF: Invasive Bladder Cancer Subtypes Resemble Breast Cancer Subtypes
• New Kinase Inhibitors Hold Promise for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Other B-Cell Malignancies: New targeted therapies against chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) are eliciting overall response rates similar to those achieved using standard chemoimmunotherapy but with fewer toxic effects
• HOUSE CALL: Animal-Assisted Therapy- Interacting with pets helps recovery

Wandering Acute Myocardial Infarction., Kamal R. Joshi, D Lynn Morris, Vincent M. Figueredo, M.D.

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Incorrect electrode placement or cable connection during electrocardiographic (ECG) recording can significantly alter the ECG morphology. We report a case of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction causing a diagnostic dilemma due to cable interchange.

Bisphenol A Increases Atherosclerosis In Pregnane X Receptor-Humanized Apoe Deficient Mice, Yipeng Sui, Se-Hyung Park, Robert N. Helsley, Manjula Sunkara, Frank J. Gonzalez, Andrew J. Morris, Changcheng Zhou

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Bisphenol A (BPA) is a base chemical used extensively in many consumer products. BPA has recently been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in multiple large-scale human population studies, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. We previously reported that BPA activates the pregnane X receptor (PXR), which acts as a xenobiotic sensor to regulate xenobiotic metabolism and has pro-atherogenic effects in animal models upon activation. Interestingly, BPA is a potent agonist of human PXR but does not activate mouse or rat PXR signaling, which confounds the use of rodent models to evaluate mechanisms of BPA-mediated CVD risk. …

Metformin Inhibits Androgen-Induced Igf-Ir Up-Regulation In Prostate Cancer Cells By Disrupting Membrane-Initiated Androgen Signaling., Roberta Malaguarnera, Antonella Sacco, Alaide Morcavallo, Sebastiano Squatrito, Antimo Migliaccio, Andrea Morrione, Marcello Maggiolini, Antonino Belfiore

Department of Urology Faculty Papers

We have previously demonstrated that, in prostate cancer cells, androgens up-regulate IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR) by inducing cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) activation and CREB-dependent IGF-IR gene transcription through androgen receptor (AR)-dependent membrane-initiated effects. This IGF-IR up-regulation is not blocked by classical antiandrogens and sensitizes cells to IGF-I-induced biological effects. Metformin exerts complex antitumoral functions in various models and may inhibit CREB activation in hepatocytes. We, therefore, evaluated whether metformin may affect androgen-dependent IGF-IR up-regulation. In the AR(+) LNCaP prostate cancer cells, we found that metformin inhibits androgen-induced CRE activity and IGF-IR gene transcription. CRE activity requires the formation of a CREB-CREB …

Brain Blast 2014 Speakers Poster, Annie Leslie

Brain Blast

Poster from UNE's Brain Blast 2014 listing the presenters at this event.

Tumor Radiation Therapy Creates Therapeutic Vaccine Responses To The Colorectal Cancer Antigen Gucy2c., Matthew Witek, Erik S Blomain, Michael Sullivan Magee, Bo Xiang, Scott A Waldman, Adam E. Snook

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: Radiation therapy (RT) is thought to produce clinical responses in cancer patients, not only through direct toxicity to cancer cells and supporting tumor stroma cells, but also through activation of immunologic effectors. More recently, RT has potentiated the local and systemic effects of cancer immunotherapy (IT). However, combination regimens that maximize immunologic and clinical efficacy remain undefined.

METHODS AND MATERIALS: We evaluated the impact of local RT on adenoviral-mediated vaccination against the colorectal cancer antigen GUCY2C (Ad5-GUCY2C) in a murine subcutaneous tumor model using mouse CT26 colon cancer cells (CT26-GUCY2C). Immune responses were assessed by ELISpot, and clinical responses …

Stroke In Women: Burden, Challenges And Future For Pakistan, Maria Khan, Mohammad Wasay

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

The burden of stroke is increasing around the world in both men and women. South Asia is home to 20% of the world’s population but harbors almost 80% of world strokes. Previously sex specific data on stroke incidence, prevalence, severity and mortality was not available. Now over recent years this aspect has received attention. A systematic review in 2009 concluded that although stroke in women is less common compared to men, it has a greater severity and case fatality. Although this kind of data is not available from Pakistan, some preliminary reports suggest that this might be the case in …

Clinical Predictors Of Mechanical Ventilation In Guillain-Barré Syndrome (Gbs), Sumaira Nabi, Sadaf Khattak, Muhammad Irshad Awan

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Guillain-Barre’ Syndrome is the most common cause of acute flaccid paralysis worldwide. One of the most serious complications is respiratory failure warranting mechanical ventilation which is required in about 30% of the patients. Various studies have been carried out to identify clinical factors which could help identify patients with impending respiratory failure and facilitate elective mechanical ventilation in these patients to reduce the associated mortality. Material and methods: 92 patients diagnosed with GBS were enrolled from February 6, 2013 to August 5, 2013 in department of Neurology, PIMS, Islamabad. Each patient was then be managed accordingly and monitored for therequirement …