Medical Specialties Commons^™

Risk Estimation Toward A Natural History Model For Low Grade Glioma Patients, Anh Thi Hoang Pham

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Glioma is a common type of primary brain tumor that represents 28% of all brain tumors and 80% of malignant tumors. According to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), gliomas account for 53%, 35% and 29% of all brain tumors (68%, 74% and 81% of malignant brain tumors) among children (aged 0-14), teenagers (aged 15-19) and young adults, respectively. Gliomas are often diagnosed through radiological imaging and histopathology. There are two main groups of gliomas following World Health Organization’s classification: Low grade gliomas (LGG), or grade I and II gliomas; and high grade gliomas …

Using An Online Learning Module In A Nursing Program To Improve Knowledge And Skills To Prevent Falls In The Community Dwelling Older Adult Population, Susan Kane Patton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nationally, 28.4% of older adults fall each year. Falls and resulting injury result in decreased mobility, functional impairment, loss of independence, and increased mortality. Utilization of evidence based protocols by providers to identify older adults at risk of falling is limited and rates of participation by older adults in prevention activities is low. Because of nursing’s increasing role in caring for older adults, development of fall prevention education for nursing students would result in increased awareness of the need for fall prevention in community dwelling older adults and increased access of older adults to falls risk assessment. There is a …

Cooling Effectiveness Of Modified Cold-Water Immersion Method Following Exercise-Induced Hyperthermia, Katherine Elizabeth Luhring

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Context: Recommended treatment of exertional heat stroke (EHS) includes whole body cold-water immersion (CWI); however, remote locations, spatial or monetary restrictions challenge CWI feasibility. Thus, the development of a modified, portable CWI method would allow for optimal treatment of EHS when restrictions apply. Objective: Determine cooling efficacy of modified CWI (tarp assisted cooling with oscillation; TACO) following exertional hyperthermia. Design: Randomized, crossover controlled trial. Setting: Environmental chamber (33.4 ± 0.8°C, 55.7 ± 1.9% relative humidity). Patients or Other Participants: Sixteen (9 males, 7 females) volunteers (26 ± 4.7y, 1.76 ± 0.09m, 72.5 ± 9.0kg, 20.7 ± 7.1%body fat) with no …

Evaluation Of The Effects Of Radiation On The Positioning Of Histones And Other Proteins, Ashley Elizabeth Foster

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Nucleosomes and the secondary structure of DNA play an important role in many cellular processes that are contingent on DNA accessibility, such as replication, transcriptional regulation, and DNA repair. Recently, there is also growing evidence that the association of histones and DNA to form a nucleosome offers protection from DNA degradation. Specifically, that the inherent structural properties of DNA organization can help protect DNA from exogenous damage such as radiation. In this study, we sought to evaluate the effects of radiation on the positioning of histones and other proteins.

In this experiment, we optimized established protein protocols in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. …

Comparison Of Wound Complications In Open Vs Closed Lateral Internal Sphincterotomy For Anal Fissure, Arthur Yushuva Md, Gregg M. Baranski Md, John S. Park Md

Department of Surgery

No abstract provided.

Doulas Could Improve Foreign-Born Women’S Perinatal And Postpartum Satisfaction And Increase Health Providers’ Cultural Competency In A Multicultural Urban Area Of The United States., Crystal Kazik

Sustainability and Social Justice

Doulas act as a cultural bridge between clients and providers through the support, advocacy, and education they provide. Unfortunately, migrant women may be at a disadvantage for accessing and benefiting from their services due to a variety of socioeconomic and cultural factors including predisposed ideas of care and structure based on experiences in native countries, language barriers, lower health literacy, and a lack of awareness and understanding from hospital/clinic staff.

A strategic multifaceted approach utilizing doulas, such as Boston Medical Center’s collaborative and culturally competent model, may greatly improve foreign-born women’s experience and satisfaction with healthcare when pregnant and giving …

Diffusion Modeling And Device Development For Peritoneal Membrane Oxygenation, Liana Hatoum

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a pulmonary disease that causes hypoxemia and respiratory failure. The mortality rate for ARDS ranges between 27% and 45%. Current treatments including mechanical ventilation and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) are often associated with high risk complications including barotrauma, infection, thrombosis, and hemorrhage. Alternative pulmonary support techniques are needed to improve the survival rate of patients suffering from ARDS. Previous studies introducing pure O₂ gas, perfluorocarbons and red blood cells into the intraperitoneal (IP) cavity have reported no effect or only a mild increase in oxygenation. Here we report peritoneal membrane oxygenation (PMO) using …

A Prediction Model For Acute Core And Lower Extremity Injuries In Division 1 Collegiate Football Players, Alexandra Aline Mcdonald

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Context: Various intrinsic factors such as high exposure, poor endurance of core muscles, previous injury, strength deficits, suboptimal neurocognitive function, and orthopedic abnormalities have been found as predictors for sprains and strains among collegiate football players. Objective: Assess the applicability of pre-participation assessments as predictors of core or lower extremity injury. Design: Cohort Study. Setting: National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I football program. Patients or Other Participants: Athletes who underwent mandatory pre-participation examinations before preseason football training over two consecutive seasons (n=225). Main Outcome Measure(s): Associations between preseason protocols and injury incidence for core and lower extremity injuries were established …

A Medical Editor's Utopia, Saba Sohail

Department of Radiology

No abstract provided.

Chronic Bronchitis And Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Copd) Among Textile Workers In Karachi, Pakistan, Asaad Ahmed Nafees, Zafar Fatmi, Muhammad Masood Kadir, Nalini Sathiakumar

Community Health Sciences

Objective: To determine the frequency and predictors of chronic bronchitis and COPD among textile workers in Karachi, Pakistan.
Study design: Cross-sectional survey.
Place and duration of study: Karachi, Pakistan, from October to December 2009.
Methodology: Male textile workers from 15 mills of Karachi were inducted. Data was collected using American Thoracic Society respiratory questionnaire (ATS-DLD-78-a) and spirometry.
Results: Out of 372 participants, 29 (7.8%) workers had chronic bronchitis (4, 9.1% aged ≥40 years) and 25 (6.7%) had COPD (12, 27.2% aged ≥40 years). Workers with chronic bronchitis had significantly decreased lung function compared to the healthy workers. Those reporting severe …

Evaluation Of Antibiotic Use In Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Of A Developing Country, Qalab Abbas, Anwar Ul Haq, Raman Kumar, Syed Asad Ali, Kashif Hussain, Sadia Shakoor

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) patients are often prescribed antibiotics with a low threshold in comparison to patients elsewhere. Irrational antibiotics use can lead to rapid emergence of drug resistance, so surveillance of their use is important.
Objectives: To evaluate the use of antibiotics in relation to bacteriological findings in PICU of a Tertiary Hospital.
Methods: Retrospective review of medical records of all children (age 1 month-16 years) admitted in our closed multidisciplinary-cardiothoracic PICU from January to June 2013 was performed, after approval from Ethical Review Committee. For each antibiotic, indication (prophylactic, empiric, therapeutic) and duration of use were …

Stop Stunting: Situation And Way Forward To Improve Maternal, Child And Adolescent Nutrition In Afghanistan, Ariel Higgins Steele, Piyali Mustaphi, Sherin Varkey, Humayoun Ludin, Najibullah Safi, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

No abstract provided.

A Study On Automated Process For Extracting White Blood Cellular Data From Microscopic Digital Injured Skeletal Muscle Images, Bibek Karki

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Skeletal muscle injury is one of the common injuries caused by high-intensity sports activities, military related works, and natural disasters. In order to discover better therapies, it is important to study muscle regeneration process. Muscle regeneration process tracking is the act of monitoring injured tissue section over time, noting white blood cell behavior and cell-fiber relations. A large number of microscopic images are taken for tracking muscle regeneration process over multiple time instances. Currently, manual approach is widely used to analyze a microscopic image of muscle cross section, which is time consuming, tedious and buggy.

Automation of this research methodology …

Creating A Dynamic, Multi-Purpose Correction For Multiple Geometries And Field Sizes To Account For Off-Axis And Asymmetric Backscatter With Varian Portal Dosimetry, Remy Manigold

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Intensity modulated radiation therapy and volumetric modulated arc therapy are increasingly common in radiation therapy due to their benefits of target conformity and normal tissue sparing. Due to the complexities of plan delivery and the precision required, the dose delivered must be accurately measured for quality assurance (QA). One of the most efficient ways to perform patient-specific QA when using clinical linear accelerators (linac) is to use an electronic portal imaging device (EPID). Amorphous silicon (aSi) Electronic Portal Imaging Devices (EPIDs) are attached to the linac and can provide real-time feedback with spatial resolution on the order of sub-millimeter pixel …

Results From Application Of An Absorbable Synthetic Membrane To Superficial And Deep Second Degree Wounds, Sigrid A. Blome-Eberwein Md, Patrick Pagella Rn, Cnp, Deborah Boorse Rn, Cnp, Hamed Amani Md

Department of Surgery

No abstract provided.

Bleeding And Thromboembolic Events In Patients With Heartmate Ii Mechanical Circulatory Support, Salman Allana, Carrie Chapman, Nancy Sweitzer, Maryl Johnson, Takushi Kohmoto, Margaret Murray, David Murray, Zhanhai Li, Peter S. Rahko

The VAD Journal

Background: Bleeding and thromboembolic events (TE) are common complications following HeartMate II (HMII) implantation. The aim of the study was to review our experience related to bleeding and TE events in patients with a HMII and identify factors associated with increased risk of these events.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 70 consecutive patients who received a HMII between May 2006 and December 2011. The patients were followed for 12 months or until cardiac transplantation, device explantation or death. Major bleeding was defined by INTERMACS criteria with intracranial bleeding events added.

Results: There were 48 bleeding events in 28 (40%) patients with …

Pulmonary Primary Blast Injuries, Moe Uddin

Honors Scholar Theses

Primary underwater explosions are particularly dangerous because of the water properties relative to air, and the resulting pathologies presents difficulty in determining their etiologies. The whole body is affected by the blast wave and the survivor is considered a trauma patient. The exact mechanism of injury is not well understood. In the literature, there are inconsistencies between the explosive and the resulting outcome of the experimental animals. Primary lung blast injuries is the leading cause of mortality in underwater explosions and this explores the different pathologies, symptoms, and treatments that are currently available.

Descriptive Epidemiology Of Somatising Tendency: Findings From The Cupid Study., Sergio Vargas-Prada, David Coggon, Georgia Ntani, Georgia Ntani, Karen Walker-Bone, Keith T. Palmer, Vanda E. Felli, Raul Harari, Lope H. Barrero, Sarah A. Felknor, David Gimeno, Anna Cattrell, Matteo Bonzini, Eleni Solidaki, Eda Merisalu, Rima R. Habib, Farideh Sadeghian, Muhammad Masood Kadir, Sudath S. P. Warnakulasuriya, Ko Matsudaira, Busisiwe Nyantumbu, Malcolm R. Sim, Helen Harcombe, Ken Cox, Leila M. M. Sarquis, Maria H. Marziale, Florencia Harari, Rocio Freire, Natalia Harari, Magda V. Monroy, Leonardo A. Quintana, Marianela Rojas, E. Clare Harris, Consol Serra, J. Miguel Martinez, George Delclos, Fernando G. Benavides, Michele Carugno, Marco M. Ferrario, Angela C. Pesatori, Leda Chatzi, Panos Bitsios, Manolis Kogevinas, Kristel Oha, Tiina Freimann, Ali Sadeghian, Roshini J. Peiris-John, Nalini Sathiakumar, A. Rajitha Wickremasinghe, Noriko Yoshimura, Helen L. Kelsall, Victor C. W. Hoe, Donna M. Urquhart, Sarah Derrett, David Mcbride, Peter Herbison, Andrew Gray, Eduardo J. Salazar Vega

Community Health Sciences

Somatising tendency, defined as a predisposition to worry about common somatic symptoms, is importantly associated with various aspects of health and health-related behaviour, including musculoskeletal pain and associated disability. To explore its epidemiological characteristics, and how it can be specified most efficiently, we analysed data from an international longitudinal study. A baseline questionnaire, which included questions from the Brief Symptom Inventory about seven common symptoms, was completed by 12,072 participants aged 20-59 from 46 occupational groups in 18 countries (response rate 70%). The seven symptoms were all mutually associated (odds ratios for pairwise associations 3.4 to 9.3), and each contributed …

Preference-Sensitive Decisions Of Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer: The Need For Decision Support, Julie Van De Haterd, Helene Voogdt-Pruis, Ilse Raats, Rianne Van Den Brink, Haske Van Veenendaal

Patient Experience Journal

Because of disease progression and the increasing number of treatment options, patients with metastatic breast cancer face multiple decisions over time. Our aim was to identify the multiple decisions patients with metastatic breast cancer face in order to decide which decision aids will be developed. First, we analyzed the clinical practice guidelines to identify decisions encountered by patients with metastatic breast cancer and healthcare professionals. Furthermore, an online questionnaire for patients, a focus group interview with patients and interviews with healthcare professionals were performed. In addition, we performed a systematic literature research and internet search to identify relevant decision support …

To What Extent Did Blood Transfusion Systems And Technologies Modernize During World War Ii?, Hannah J. Leblanc

Young Historians Conference

This investigation will explore changes in blood transfusion during World War II (1939-1945). Medical technology and collection systems for whole blood and blood plasma in particular will be examined. The focus of this investigation will be the United States, but Great Britain will also be mentioned due to its close blood transfusion-related interactions with the United States during this period. Additionally, blood transfusion prior to World War II and in modern times will also be considered in this investigation to provide context and to allow assessment of modernization during the war. However, artificial blood substitutes will not be considered, nor …

Preoperative Assessment Clinic Reduces Total Joint Arthroplasty Case Cancellations, Angelica Adriano

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

The purpose of this evidence-based project was to reduce the rate of elective total joint arthroplasty case cancellations by implementing a nurse practitioner-led Preoperative Assessment Clinic (POAC), in the orthopedic department of a major southern California Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital. Retrospective data collected in a 12-month time period showed a surgical cancellation rate of 22%. Reasons for delays or cancellations included: medical instability, abnormal labs and/or studies, patients requiring referral to specialists, dental clearance, patient-initiated cancellations, and active infections. The POAC reduced the rate of case cancellations at 1 year to 17% and at 2 years to 9%. Lost revenue …

Isolation Frequency And Susceptibility Pattern Of Non-O1 And Non-O139 Vibrio Cholerae In A Tertiary Health Care Laboratory, 1999-2012, S Irfan, N Fasih, N K. Ghanchi, Erum Khan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

In the past decade the importance of non-O1 and non-O139 strains of Vibrio cholerae has been highlighted globally. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of non-O1 and non-O139 V. cholerae in Pakistan. Data of stool specimens yielding growth of non-O1 and non-O139 V. cholerae isolated at a national referral laboratory from 1999 to 2012 were retrospectively analysed and evaluated for resistance to ampicillin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, co-trimoxazole and ofloxacin. A total of 95 800 stool samples submitted over 1999-2012 yielded 3668 strains of V. cholerae, of which 6% were non-O1 and non-O139 V. cholerae. A high …

How Recipient Age Affects Long Term Survivability In Heart Transplantation Patients, Daniel Baker

Honors Theses

Heart transplantation is very traumatic for the human body. It involves physically taking out an organ that is vital for normal function and replacing it with an organ that is foreign to the body. However, it is sometimes thought that this is a very well known and well-researched procedure, when the reality is that the very first heart transplant took place less than 50 years ago by Dr. Christiaan Banard (Brink & Hassoulas, 2009). During the last 50 years many breakthroughs have been discovered and the procedure has been vastly helped by the rise of immunosuppressant’s and new surgical technology, …

Verification And Quantification Of Surface Electromyographic (Emg) Activity Of The Masseter Muscle, Kelsey Bowles

Honors Theses

Purpose: The goal of the present study is to develop and evaluate an automated technique for measuring biting and chewing related surface electromyographic (EMG) activity of the masseter muscle.

Methods: Data from 28 neurologically healthy participants between the ages of 18-40 were selected for this study. The procedure for collecting the bite/chew data consisted of the participant biting down and chewing three small breath mints while an EMG sensor recorded the masseter muscle activity. A five-step Matlab-based algorithm was created to accurately identify onsets and offsets of each bite and chew event.

Results: Compared to manual measurements using standard …

Measures Of Resident Burnout, Empathy And Emotional Intelligence As A Function Of Years In Post-Graduate Training, Kevin Weaver Do, Amy B. Smith Phd, Marna R. Greenberg Do, Mph, Facep, Elaine A. Donoghue Md, Robert D. Barraco Md, Mph, Joann Quinn Phd, Jennifer Macfarlan, Bernadette Glenn-Porter Bs, Bryan G. Kane Md, Jeanne L. Jacoby Md

Department of Pediatrics

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Red Blood Cell Distribution Width As A Prognostic Marker In Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Monika Podhorecka, Dorota Halicka, Agnieszka Szymczyk, Arkadiusz Macheta, Sylwia Chocholska, Zbigniew Darzynkiewicz

NYMC Faculty Publications

Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a quantitative measure of the variability in size of circulating erythrocytes. It was recently reported that RDW is a prognostic factor for infection diseases, cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, as well as some neoplasms. Moreover, RDW is remarkably strong predictor of longevity, including all causes of death, for adults aged 45 years and older. To explain this occurrence it was proposed that persistent IGFs/mTOR signaling is one of the factors that play a role in affecting the RDW and mortality.The above observations induced us to analyze the prognostic role of RDW in chronic lymphocytic …

Genetic Association Of Deleted In Colorectal Carcinoma Variants With Breast Cancer Risk: A Case-Control Study., Xinghan Liu, Xijing Wang, Sidney W. Fu, Zhijun Dai, + 9 More

Medicine Faculty Publications

Deleted in colorectal carcinoma (DCC), a netrin-1 dependence receptor, is correlated with cell progression, migration, and adhesion. Evidence indicated that DCC was frequently down-regulated in many cancers. However, the association of DCC with breast cancer remains uncertain. We conducted a case-control study to investigate the impact of three DCC gene variants (rs2229080, rs7504990, and rs4078288) on breast cancer susceptibility in Chinese women. This study included 560 breast cancer patients and 583 age-matched healthy controls from Northwest China. The three gene variants were genotyped via Sequenom MassARRAY. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were utilized to evaluate …

Did Garin And Bujadoux Actually Report A Case Of Lyme Radiculoneuritis?, Gary P. Wormser, Vanessa Wormser

NYMC Faculty Publications

A 1922 report by Garin and Bujadoux is widely regarded as describing the first case of neurologic Lyme borreliosis. Although the patient reported had a tick bite followed by the development of a rash and radiculoneuritis, there were a number of highly atypical features, raising the question of whether the patient, in fact, had neurologic Lyme borreliosis. The paper may not deserve the historic recognition that it has received.

The Effects Of Iron Deficiency Anemia And Iron Supplementation In Pregnancy, Anna J. Cox

Senior Honors Theses

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a condition that occurs in both underdeveloped and developed countries worldwide. This disorder is diagnosed in an individual who presents the common signs and symptoms of anemia along with consistently low clinical markers of stored iron. Iron deficiency (ID) usually precedes a diagnosis of IDA as the insufficient amount of iron often goes undetected until one’s quality of life is diminished. Certain populations, such as women who are pregnant or of reproductive age, are particularly at risk for ID and the development of IDA. During pregnancy, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for iron is greater …

Network-Driven Plasma Proteomics Expose Molecular Changes In The Alzheimer's Brain, Philipp A. Jaeger, Kurt M. Lucin, Markus Britschgi, Badri Vardarajan, Ruo-Pan Huang, Elizabeth D. Kirby, Rachelle Abbey, Bradley F. Boeve, Adam L. Boxer, Lindsay A. Farrer, Nicole Finch, Neill R. Graff-Radford, Elizabeth Head, Matan Hofree, Ruochun Huang, Hudson Johns, Anna Karydas, David S. Knopman, Andrey Loboda, Eliezer Masliah, Ramya Narasimhan, Ronald C. Petersen, Alexei Podtelezhnikov, Suraj Pradhan, Rosa Rademakers, Chung-Huan Sun, Steven G. Younkin, Bruce L. Miller, Trey Ideker, Tony Wyss-Coray

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Biological pathways that significantly contribute to sporadic Alzheimer’s disease are largely unknown and cannot be observed directly. Cognitive symptoms appear only decades after the molecular disease onset, further complicating analyses. As a consequence, molecular research is often restricted to late-stage post-mortem studies of brain tissue. However, the disease process is expected to trigger numerous cellular signaling pathways and modulate the local and systemic environment, and resulting changes in secreted signaling molecules carry information about otherwise inaccessible pathological processes.

Results: To access this information we probed relative levels of close to 600 secreted signaling proteins from patients’ blood samples using …