Medical Specialties Commons^™

Detection Of The Dietary Xenoglycan N-Glycolylneuraminic Acid (Neu5gc) And Anti-Neu5gc Antibodies Within Reproductive Tracts Of Male And Female Infertility Subjects, Julie M. Sroga, Diana H. Wu, Fang Ma, Eilllen Tecle, Ilana B. Ressler, Rose Maxwell, Rachael Ferrari, Leah Whigham, Pascal Gagneux, Steven Lindheim

Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Publications

Objective

To assess the frequency of dietary xenoglycanNeu5Gc and antibodies in males and females and its impact on fertility.

Design

Prospective study of semen, uterine lavage, and follicular fluid from subjects undergoing infertility evaluation or in vitro fertilization (IVF) and fertile controls.

Setting

University based infertility program.

Participants

Males (n=23) and females (n=27) undergoing semen analysis and saline infusion sonography as part of their diagnostic evaluation and 37 women undergoing IVF were compared to fertile male (n=15) and female (n=14) controls.

Intervention

Neu5Gc was measured by affinity purified antibody staining on Western blots, flow cytometry, and by high performance liquid …

Short-Term Effects On The Fetus And Long-Term Outcome On Children Exposed To Maternal Chemotherapy, Yocheved Kramer

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Ethical questions with regard to treatment arise when pregnant women are diagnosed with cancer. Does the health of the mother or the health of the fetus take priority? However, research suggests that concern over transplacental transfer should not deter those seeking treatments since avoidance of favorable transfer drugs can allow chemotherapy to be a viable option if properly administered. Doctors highly contraindicate the use of chemotherapeutic drugs in the first trimester due to high risks such as teratogenesis and fetal death. However, they reassure that treatment can be given in the final two trimesters. It presents minimal consequences as long …

Understanding The Hygiene Hypothesis And Its Mechanisms, Yaakov Tropper

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The hygiene hypothesis provides an explanation for the sharp increase in atopy over the past several decades by proposing that it is inversely related to the lack of infectious diseases in our society. Although atopy, as well as other hypersensitivity reactions, do have a genetic basis; studies clearly show that environmental and socioeconomic factors play a large role in determining which people will develop allergies. Proposed mechanisms leading to this disorder include an imbalance in the Th1/Th2 complex in the immune system, and a deficiency in Regulatory T cells which controls excessive T cell activity.

Project Spraoi: A Strategy To Improve Nutrition And Increase Physical Activity In Primary School Children, Lisa Delaney

Masters

Introduction: Paediatric obesity has become a global epidemic with many countries developing strategies to help tackle its prevalence. School based physical activity (PA) and nutrition interventions have proven to play a promising role in tackling childhood obesity.

Background: Project Spraoi is an Irish primary school based intervention. The intervention was delivered to an intervention school to help enhance PA and nutritional behaviour amongst pupils. The intervention school was assigned an ‘Energizer’; a trained PA and nutrition change agent who worked with the school to achieve the objectives. For evaluation purposes a control school was recruited.

Methodology: Pupils from the intervention …

Pitch-Count And Its Effects On Shoulder Injuries: How To Keep A Pitcher Healthy, Alexander Malek

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Baseball is currently the fourth most popular sport in high schools across the country. However, pitchers are at a high risk to develop career ending injuries. Overuse can result in SLAP tears as well as torn rotator cuff muscles that can end a dream of pitching professionally. Major League Baseball has teamed up with leading sports medicine researchers to determine safe pitch-count guidelines for pitchers of all ages. Articles were found using Touro’s e-Journal database as well as Pubmed.gov to find pertinent research on this topic. Studies on ball velocity and scapular kinematics were done on three different levels of …

Exploration Of Factors Associated With Patient Adherence In Upper Extremity Rehabilitation: A Mixed-Methods Embedded Design, Enrique V. Smith-Forbes

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Adherence is considered a prerequisite for the success of exercise programs for musculoskeletal disorders. The negative effects of non-adherence to exercise recommendations impact the cost of care, and also treatment effectiveness, treatment duration, the therapeutic relationship, waiting times, the efficiency of personnel and use of equipment. Adherence to therapeutic exercise intervention is a multifaceted problem.

The World Health Organization (WHO) established the multidimensional adherence model (MAM). The MAM describes five interactive dimensions (socioeconomic, healthcare team and system, condition-related, therapy-related, and patient-related factors) that have an effect on patient adherence.

The first purpose of this dissertation was to explore the MAM …

Factors Affecting The Academic Performance Of Optometry Students In Mozambique., James Loughman, Kajal Shah, Kovin Naidoo, Luigi Bilotto

Articles

Purpose. The Mozambique Eyecare Project is a higher education partnership for the development, implementation, and evaluation of a model of optometry training at UniLu´ rio in Mozambique. There are many composite elements to the development of sustainable eye health structures, and appropriate education for eye health workers remains a key determinant of successful eye care development. However, from the first intake of 16 students, only 9 students graduated from the program, whereas only 6 graduated from the second intake of 24 students. This low graduation rate is attributable to a combination of substandard academic performance and student dropout. The aim …

Trailmaking Test Performance Contributes To Subjective Judgment Of Visual Efficiency In Older Adults, Annalisa Setti, James Loughman, George Savva, Rose Anne Kenny

Articles

Introduction.

The determinant factors that influence self-reported quality of vision have yet to be fully elucidated. This study evaluated a range of contextual information, established psychophysical tests, and in particular, a series of cognitive tests as potentially novel determinant factors.

Materials &Methods. Community dwelling adults (aged 50+) recruited to Wave 1 of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, excluding those registered blind, participated in this study (N = 5,021). Self-reports of vision were analysed in relation to visual acuity and contrast sensitivity, ocular pathology, visual (Choice Response Time task; TrailMaking Test) and global cognition. Contextual factors such as having visited …

Development Of A Yeast-Based Assay For The Functional Characterization Of Fkbp52/ Î?-Catenin Interactions With The Androgen Receptor, Theresa Anne Rodriguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Prostate cancer development is uniquely dependent on the androgen receptorâ??s (ARâ??s) transcriptional regulation in response to hormone binding. Current therapies directly target AR acting as an antagonist at androgen binding sites. However, once androgen-dependence is lost, meaning the patient has progressed into a late-stage hormone resistant phenotype, all current treatments are essentially ineffective. Utilizing the yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae we are capable of creating a model system that allows for the exogenous expression of AR while still retaining the chaperone components needed for this steroid receptor complex. The 52kDa FK506 binding protein (FKBP52) has been shown to be an important …

Neural Function, Injury, And Stroke Subtype Predict Treatment Gains After Stroke, Erin Burke Quinlan, Lucy Dodakian, Jill See, Alison Mackenzie, Vu Le, Mike Wojnowicz, Babak Shahbaba, Steven C. Cramer

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Objective

This study was undertaken to better understand the high variability in response seen when treating human subjects with restorative therapies poststroke. Preclinical studies suggest that neural function, neural injury, and clinical status each influence treatment gains; therefore, the current study hypothesized that a multivariate approach incorporating these 3 measures would have the greatest predictive value.

Methods

Patients 3 to 6 months poststroke underwent a battery of assessments before receiving 3 weeks of standardized upper extremity robotic therapy. Candidate predictors included measures of brain injury (including to gray and white matter), neural function (cortical function and cortical connectivity), and clinical …

Development Of A Nutrition Education Tool To Reduce The Risk Of Childhood Obesity In A Northwest Arkansas Hispanic Population, Katherine Ross, Mallori Sando, Cynthia Moore

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

The goal of this qualitative research project is to create a bilingual education tool to equip the participants of the English as a Second Language (EASL) class at the Elmdale Elementary School, in Springdale, Ark., to reduce the risk of childhood obesity in their children. Adults of Hispanic descent are at a high risk for developing obesity and so are their children. Children who are overweight and/or obese have a high risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other health complications. As a side effect of the language barrier some Hispanics experience, it may be difficult for …

Oncology Section Edge Task Force On Breast Cancer Outcomes: A Systematic Review Of Outcome Measures For Functional Mobility, Mary Insana Fisher, Jeannette Lee, Claire Davies, Hannah Geyer, Genevieve Colon, Lucinda Pfalzer

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Background: Breast cancer treatments in women with breast cancer often result in physical impairments that lead to activity limitations and participation restrictions. These limitations and restrictions manifest in impaired functional mobility skills that may impact survivorship. Thus, evaluation of functional mobility is an important part of survivorship care.

Purpose: To identify functional mobility outcome measures that possess strong psychometric properties and are clinically useful for examination of women treated for breast cancer.

Methods: Multiple electronic databases were searched for articles published after 1995. Studies were included if they reported psychometric properties, used clinically feasible methods, were performed on adults, and …

The Effects Of Home-Based Pilates In Healthy College-Age Females, Betsy Donahoe-Fillmore, Mary Insana Fisher, C. Jayne Brahler

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Objectives: To quantify and determine the effects of Pilates on core endurance, hamstring flexibility, balance, body composition/mass and perceived stress level in healthy college age females.

Study Design: Randomized controlled trial design.

Background: Emerging research on the Pilates technique is inconclusive regarding benefits to core endurance, flexibility, balance, body mass, and perceived stress.

Methods and Measures: Female college students (n=57; 18-35 years old) were randomly assigned to a Pilates group, who exercised at home with a DVD, or a control group who did not engage in Pilates practice. Core endurance, hamstring flexibility, balance, body composition and stress measurements were taken …

Diabetes Phenotypes In Transgenic Pancreatic Cancer Mouse Models, Toya Albury-Warren

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Protein Kinase B/AKT, a serine/threonine kinase with three isoforms (AKT1-3), is downstream of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), and signals through the phosphorylation and subsequent activation or inhibition of downstream substrates, such as mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) or glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK-3?), respectively. The AKT1 isoform is predominantly recognized for regulation of cell survival, growth, and proliferation, due to its constitutive activation in pancreatic cancers (e.g., islet cell carcinoma and pancreatic adenocarcinoma). The progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most lethal common cancer, is initiated by activation mutations of the KRas oncogene. This leads to additional …

2-Dimension Analysis Of Frontal Plane Projection Angle In Female Soccer Athletes, Kylee M. Tuchfarber

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

Research has found a variety of mechanisms for ACL injuries. One mechanism that has been found is a decreased valgus control at the knee. One study found that that “the decreased active and passive controls of knee alignments may destabilize the knee and are purported to be measures related to increased risk of ACL injury in female athletes, as they mature” (Myer, Ford, Khoury, Succop, & Hewett, 2011, 248). The age of the subjects (12-16) is important because maturation may be a contributing cause of knee abduction moments (KAM). Three-dimensionalanalysis has been said to be the “gold standard” when analyzing …

Sample Interview Advisory, American Dental Association

Action for Dental Health

No abstract provided.

10 Steps To An Er Dental Referral Program — Wisconsin Case Study, American Dental Association

Action for Dental Health

No abstract provided.

Uterine Fibroid Embolization For Symptomatic Fibroids: Study At A Teaching Hospital In Kenya, John Mutai, Sudhir Vinayak, William Stones, Nigel Hacking, Charles Mariara

Imaging & Diagnostic Radiology, East Africa

Objective: Characterization of magnetic (MRI) features in women undergoing uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) and identification of clinical correlates in an African population.

Materials and Methods: Patients with symptomatic fibroids who are selected to undergo UFE at the hospital formed the study population. The baseline MRI features, baseline symptom score, short-term imaging outcome, and mid-term symptom scores were analyzed for interval changes. Assessment of potential associations between short-term imaging features and mid-term symptom scores was also done.

Results: UFE resulted in statistically significant reduction (P < 0.001) of dominant fibroid, uterine volumes, and reduction of symptom severity scores, which were 43.7%, 40.1%, and 37.8%, respectively. Also, 59% of respondents had more than 10 fibroids. The predominant location of the dominant fibroid was intramural. No statistically significant association was found between clinical and radiological outcome.

Conclusion: The response of uterine fibroids to embolization in the African population is not different …

Mammary Glands Possess Intrinsic Molecular Laterality And Respond Left-Right Differently To Genetic And Pharmacological Manipulation, Jacqulyne Michelle Ponville-Robichaux

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Mammary Glands Possess Intrinsic Molecular Laterality and Respond Left-Right Differently to Genetic and Pharmacological Manipulation. (Under the direction of Ann Ramsdell) More tumors form in the left (L) breast and tumors in the right (R) breast may be more aggressive. These epidemiological findings suggest L-R differences in overall tumor biology depending on the side of tumor origin, leading to the hypothesis that mammary glands are L-R different and have discordant responses to neoplastic risk factors. Here we show that normal mammary glands are molecularly L-R different, and have more mammary stem cells (MaSCs) in the L thoracic mammary gland (TMG). …

Circulating Fibroblast Precursors In Soft Tissue Sarcoma Metastasis, Dayvia Laws Russell

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are rare, malignant tumors of mesenchymal origin that manifest in the connective tissues, including muscle, adipose and deep skin tissue, nerves, and joint tissue. Complications from primary or recurrent sarcomas often lead to increased morbidity, but the most lethal aspect of sarcomas is their propensity for hematogenous dissemination leading to metastatic disease. After development of distant metastases, the median survival for patients with STS is merely 11 to 15 months1,2. Therefore, gaining a better understanding of the metastatic environment is essential to developing new therapies. The tumor microenvironment has been implicated as an essential component for …

Giant Aortic Root Aneurysm Associated With Postductal Coarctation Of Aorta, Raquib Ahmed Faruqui, Fazal Wahab Khan, Benish Fatima, Saulat H. Fatimi

Section of Cardiothoracic Surgery

The aorta is a large blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the rest of thebody. The aortic root consists of the aortic valve and the openings for thecoronary arteries (the coronary ostia). An aortic aneurysm is an abnormal bulgein the wall of the aorta. If an aneurysm develops in the aortic root, the aorta candilate and the aortic valve can leak. If the aneurysm continues to expand, it canrupture and can cause life-threatening internal bleeding.Aneurysms of the aortic root are often due to degenerative disease of media.Aneurysm of the aortic root often affects patients in their second …

Non-Invasive Parameters For The Detection Of Variceal Bleed In Patients Of Liver Cirrhosis, An Experience Of A Tertiary Care Hospital In Pakistan, Anam Umar, Fakhar Qazi, Rukhsana Abdul Sattar, Beena Umar

Section of Gastroenterology

Objective: Cirrhotic patients commonly undergo screening endoscopy for the existence of esophageal varices. The use of this invasive procedure which is expensive, poorly tolerable and generally not acceptable for the patients is increasing due to increasing number of patients with chronic liver disease and their enriched survival. In this study, our aim is to identify clinical, biochemical, and ultrasonography parameters which might noninvasively predict the presence of esophageal varices and risk of bleeding in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Material and Methods: Total 150 Patientsof chronic liver disease admitted in ward-5, JPMC(Sep 2011-Feb 2012) with a complaint of hematemesis or melena …

Clinical And Pathologic Significance Of Integrin Α6Β4 Expression In Human Malignancies, Rachel L. Stewart

Theses and Dissertations--Clinical and Translational Science

Integrins are cellular adhesion molecules that bind cells to the extracellular matrix. The integrin α6β4, a receptor for laminins, is predominantly expressed on epithelial cells where it is present at the basal surface adjacent to the basement membrane. This integrin plays a critical role in maintaining normal cellular functions, yet has also been implicated in promoting invasion and metastasis in human malignancies. While overexpression of the integrin α6β4 has been detected in select human cancers, the clinical significance of integrin α6β4 expression in a number of malignancies has not been determined. The purpose of this study was to examine integrin …

Efficacy Of A Cognitive Training Program For Individuals With Moderate Cognitive Impairment: Evaluating Cognition, Erica Catherine Johnson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the efficacy of a cognitive training program among those with moderate cognitive impairment. A total of 23 individuals participated in the study and were randomly assigned to a wait-list control group or a cognitive training program that consisted of 24 cognitive classes for a total of 12 weeks. The cognitive training classes aimed to activate the six primary cognitive domains impacted with dementia, reaction time, attention, memory, language, visual-spatial skills, and executive functioning. All participants were evaluated with a battery of neurocognitive assessments pre-and post-treatment. The findings tentatively support the use …

Preventative Strategies To Improve Birth Outcomes Among African American Women In Rhode Island, Yvonne Michele Heredia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite increased access to prenatal care, birth outcomes continue to be a major source of disparity among women in the United States. The focus on lifestyle choices and negative behaviors prior to a pregnancy to reduce adverse birth outcomes has become a well-documented strategy. The purpose of this study was to determine if preparing for a pregnancy in advance improves birth outcomes for African American women of childbearing age between the ages of 12 and 45 years in the State of Rhode Island (RI). The theoretical foundation for this study was based on Prochaska's model of change, which is also …

The Effect Of Breakfast Protein Source On Postprandial Hunger And Glucose Response In Normal Weight And Overweight Young Women, Christina Crowder, Brianna I. Neumann, Jamie I. Baum

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Breakfast consumption has been linked to health benefits such as improved weight regulation and glucose control. Studies have shown higher protein breakfasts lead to a greater reduction in hunger compared to breakfasts higher in carbohydrates. However, few studies have examined the impact of higher protein breakfasts from differing protein sources. The objective of this study was to determine if protein quality (animal (AP) versus plant (PP) protein) influences postprandial appetite, food cravings, food intake and glucose response in participants consuming a high protein breakfast (~30% energy from protein). We hypothesized that AP would be more satiating than PP. Normal weight …

Twenty Years After International Conference On Population And Development: Where Are We With Adolescent Sexual And Reproductive Health And Rights?, Venkatraman Chandra-Mouli, Joar Svanemyr, Avni Amin, Helga Fogstad, Lale Say, Françoise Girard, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

The International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo in 1994 laid out a bold, clear, and comprehensive definition of reproductive health and called for nations to meet the educational and service needs of adolescents to enable them to deal in a positive and responsible way with their sexuality. In the context of the ongoing review of the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action and the considerations for a post-2015 development agenda, this article summarizes the findings of the articles presented in this volume and identifies key challenges and critical answers that need to be tackled in …

Challenges And Opportunities For Implementing Evidence-Based Antenatal Care In Mozambique: A Qualitative Study, Adriano Biza, Ingeborg Jille-Traas, Mercedes Colomar, Maria Belizan, Jennifer Requejo Harris, Beatrice Crahay, Mario Merialdi, My Huong Nguyen, Fernando Althabe, Alicia Aleman, Eduardo Berge, Alicia Carbonell, Leonardo Chavane, Therese Delvaux, Diederike Geelhoed, Metin Gülmezoglu, Celsa Regina Malapende, Armando Melo, Nafissa Bique Osman, Mariana Widmer, Marleen Temmerman, Ana Pilar Betrán

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Maternal mortality remains a daunting problem in Mozambique and many other low-resource countries. High quality antenatal care (ANC) services can improve maternal and newborn health outcomes and increase the likelihood that women will seek skilled delivery care. This study explores the factors influencing provider uptake of the recommended package of ANC interventions in Mozambique.

Methods: This study used qualitative research methods including key informant interviews with stakeholders from the health sector and a total of five focus group discussions with women with experience with ANC or women from the community. Study participants were selected from three health centers located …

Barriers To Modern Contraceptive Methods Uptake Among Young Women In Kenya: A Qualitative Study, Rhoune Ochako, Mwende Mbondo, Stephen Aloo, Susan Kaimenyi, Rachel Thompson, Marleen Temmerman, Megan Kays

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Young women in Kenya experience a higher risk of mistimed and unwanted pregnancy compared to older women. However, contraceptive use among youth remains low. Known barriers to uptake include side effects, access to commodities and partner approval.

Methods: To inform a youth focussed behaviour change communication campaign, Population Services Kenya developed a qualitative study to better understand these barriers among young women. The study was carried out in Nyanza, Coast, and Central regions. Within these regions, urban or peri-urban districts were purposively selected based on having contraceptive prevalence rate close to the regional average and having a population with …

Advancing The Sexual And Reproductive Health And Human Rights Of Women Living With Hiv: A Review Of Un, Regional And National Human Rights Norms And Standards, Rajat Khosla, Nuna Van Belle, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Introduction: The right to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is an essential part of the right to health and is dependent upon substantive equality, including freedom from multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination that result in exclusion in both law and practice. Nonetheless, general and specific SRH needs of women living with HIV are often not adequately addressed. For example, services that women living with HIV need may not be available or may have multiple barriers, in particular stigma and discrimination. This study was conducted to review United Nations Human Rights Council, Treaty Monitoring Bodies and Special Rapporteur reports …