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Comparison of Wound Outcomes for Absorbable versus Non-absorbable Suture after Carpal Tunnel Release
Get PDFBackground and Hypothesis:Carpal tunnel release (CTR) is a common hand surgery procedure. Despite the large volume of CTRs performed worldwide (400,000-600,000 cases/year), there is no consensus as to the optimal suture material for incision closure. In this study, we sought to compare outcomes of absorbable and non-absorbable suture for skin closure after CTR. Our hypothesis was that that there is no statistically or clinically significant difference in wound-related outcomes between the cohorts.
Project Methods:All patients who underwent primary open carpal tunnel release (CTR) at a large, public county hospital in Indianapolis, IN were identified by CPT code (64721). All patients were treated by one of two fellowship-trained hand surgeons. The most recent 50 patients treated between September 2022 and May 2023 by each surgeon were identified. Surgeon “A” uses 4-0 vicryl rapide for closures (absorbable). Surgeon “B” uses 4-0 nylon for closures (non-absorbable). Adverse events (AE) were defined as infection, dehiscence, or suture granuloma observed at any follow-up appointment. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board.
Results:100 patients were identified - 4 patients were lost to follow-up and were excluded from the study. Of the remaining 96 patients, 46 received absorbable suture and 50 non-absorbable suture. Of the 46 patients who received absorbable suture, 8 experienced AE (17.4%). None of the 50 patients who received non-absorbable suture experienced an AE. There was a statistically significant difference in AE between the absorbable and non-absorbable suture cohorts (p=0.002). Patients with absorbable suture averaged 1.61 follow-up appointments, whereas those with non-absorbable suture averaged 2.32 (p=.0008).
Conclusion and Potential Impact:In this study, absorbable suture resulted in more wound-related complications after CTR. However, patients with non-absorbable suture had more post-operative follow-up appointments. These findings should be considered when selecting suture material for skin closure after CTR
Clinical Uses of Nanopore Sequencing in Recurrent Acute and Chronic Otitis Media
Get PDFBackground. Otitis Media (OM) is a widespread problem that has an incidence of 10.85% worldwide, 51% occurring under the age of 5. Emergence of drug resistant bacteria contribute to high incidence of recurrent acute otitis media (AOM) and chronic otitis media with effusion (COME). Despite this, the standard of care for treatment is empiric antibiotics. Molecular microbiology diagnostics may enable clinicians to provided pathogen directed antibiosis. Nanopore sequencing is a highly accurate method of identifying a broad range of pathogens when compared with multiplex PCR. We hypothesize that nanopore sequencing is an effective method for detection of pathogens in the middle ear and nasopharynx of patients with recurrent or chronic OM.
Methods. Bacterial Culture, multiplex PCR (BioFire PNA panel), and nanopore sequencing (MinIon, Oxford Nanopore Technologies) were tested on 60 middle ear and nasopharynx samples. Chi-Square test was used to examined differences in bacterial identification among the methods.
Results. Bacterial identification using nanopore proves to be more sensitive in identification of 16 of the 18 unique pathogens when compared with multiplex testing. Of the 5 most common OM bacterial pathogens (S. pneumoniae, M. catarrhalis, H. influenza, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa), nanopore identified 3 pathogens (S. pneumoniae, M. catarrhalis, P. aeruginosa) at higher levels, 1 at the same rate (H. influenza), and 1 did not receive any readings (S. aureus).
Conclusion. This is the first study to utilize nanopore sequencing to assess pathogens in the middle ear fluid of children with OM. While nanopore genomic sequencing is still in the early stages of use, it has potential to comprehensively identify bacteria with more sensitivity when compared to the current clinical standards. The next step of data analyzation will include bacterial identification in nanopore that multiplex PCR and traditional bacterial cultures cannot test for
Frederick Douglass in the British Isles (1845–1847): A Reassessment of Approach, Achievement, and Legacy
Get PDFFrederick Douglass’s first tour of the British Isles (1845–1847) proved a pivotal episode in the life of the legendary campaigner and the broader fight against slavery. Douglass made over three-hundred speaking appearances during his nineteen-month stay—sparking public debate, generating hundreds of newspaper articles, and reinvigorating an antislavery movement that had largely stalled in Britain since the 1830s. Douglass’s campaigning revealed early glimpses of his rhetorical skills and political instincts, including his successful navigation of the “white slavery” controversy and an impressive publicity blitz on the nation’s newspapers. However, Douglass’s time in Britain was not an unmitigated success. This paper examines the limitations of his work—including the failure to successfully pressurize the Free Church of Scotland into returning donations linked to slavery, and the strategic decisions that limited Douglass’s ability to deliver tangible results. In so doing, the paper attempts a more nuanced and dispassionate assessment of Douglass’s tour—evaluating his visit as a political campaign (not an oratory showcase) with successes and failures that shaped the most influential Black American of the nineteenth century
More than Death: Traversing the Enchanted Ravine with Archetypal Children in Ray Bradbury’s Illinois
Get PDFThis article examines Ray Bradbury\u27s Illinois stories, focusing on “the ravine” as a liminal space that bridges the mundane and the supernatural. The characters\u27 journey through this ravine echoes mythological and literary motifs, embodying Kierkegaardian anxiety and Eliade\u27s concept of sacred space. The ravine, imbued with a spectral agency, represents a primordial realm predating civilization, challenging both children and readers to confront existential and ontological questions. By engaging with contemporary philosophical perspectives like Object-Oriented Ontology and New Materialism, the analysis traces how Bradbury\u27s depiction of the natural world fosters a materialist re-enchantment and underscores the palpable connection between childhood sensibilities and cosmic mysteries. The article situates Bradbury\u27s work within the tradition of gothic literature, highlighting his unique contribution to the genre through the ontological and metaphysical renegotiation experienced by his young protagonists
Assessment in Higher Education and Student Affairs Graduate Education: Professionalization and Its Implications
Get PDFCourses focused on assessment within higher education have proliferated across Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) graduate programs, tied to an emphasis on using data and evidence in decision making in the field. The intended outcomes and curriculum of these courses vary widely between institutions, at times producing confusion over the competencies needed in student affairs assessment. This project evaluated syllabi from over 100 HESA graduate assessment and evaluation courses to develop a more robust understanding of the skill sets of entry-level student affairs practitioners entering the field from HESA graduate programs and the core outcomes and texts of student affairs assessment education. We describe student affairs as a field engaged in the process of professionalization (Perozzi & Shea, 2023, McGill et al., 2021) through the development of standardized knowledge and the ongoing integration of community-driven standards. Study findings illustrate that courses tended to focus on technical knowledge, such as data collection methods and analysis, over the political and contextual dimensions of assessment. Extant standards and competencies, as well as emerging topics and methods, were also incorporated inconsistently. Implications for faculty, practitioners, early career professionals, and professional associations are discussed
Professional Development in Equity-Centered Outcomes Assessment: The Utility of a Meta-Assessment Rubric
Get PDFCore skillsets for student affairs educators have been articulated in several professional standards. However, the expected assessment skillset is not always addressed in graduate programs; in turn, many student affairs educators feel unprepared to engage in outcomes assessment. Our study showcases the utility of a new equity-centered meta-assessment rubric to provide needed assessment training to student affairs educators. Results support the use of this rubric to advance equitable assessment and programming on college campuses
Radiological Findings in Patients Presenting with Brief Resolved Unexplained Events (BRUEs)
Get PDFBackground/Hypothesis: Brief resolved unexplained events (BRUEs) are events in infants characterized by cyanosis, abnormal breathing, abnormal tone, and altered responsiveness. Practice guidelines define high-risk and low-risk BRUEs and do not recommend imaging in low-risk patients. We evaluated imaging in these patients and hypothesized that high-risk patients would have more imaging studies and abnormalities.
Methods: Using the radiology information system, a retrospective review was performed between 2016-2022 for patients <1 year presenting with BRUE. Defined search terms were used to identify imaging within one week of presentation. Patients were evaluated for clinical presentation, medical history, physical examination, imaging studies ordered, and final diagnoses.
Results: 126 patients were identified. 113 patients (46 female; 93 high-risk), between 3 and 355 days old (average age 97 days), met inclusion criteria. Imaging included chest radiographs (99), head CTs (24), brain MRIs (19), skeletal surveys (16), and others (22). There was no difference in the number of imaging studies obtained between these groups (p=0.423, Mann-Whitney U test). However, a greater proportion of high-risk patients had imaging abnormalities (p=0.023, Fisher’s exact test). Only 1/20 (5%) low-risk patients had abnormal imaging (PCR proven viral bronchiolitis). 26/93 (28%) high-risk patients had abnormal findings, most commonly on chestradiographs (15), brain MRIs (9), head CTs (4), and skeletal surveys (3). 18/26 high-risk patients had imaging abnormalities leading to a diagnosis other than BRUE (viral bronchiolitis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, nonaccidental trauma, perinatal HSV infection, ventricular septal defect, double aortic arch, intestinal malrotation, and neurofibromatosis). Overall, 7/93 (7.5%) high-risk BRUE patients had significant pathology.
Conclusion: High-risk patients were more likely to have an imaging abnormality compared to low-risk patients, which is consistent with current imaging recommendations given only one low-risk imaging abnormality. Interestingly, 7.5% of the high-risk patients had significant pathology diagnosed by imaging
Characterization of the Function of Carbonic Anhydrase 8
Get PDFBackground/Objective: Severe asthma is a complex pulmonary disease characterized by airway inflammation, bronchoconstriction, and acid-base dysregulation. In the Severe Asthma Research Program bronchoscopies, transcriptomics showed CA8 as a gene that is strongly associated with asthma severity. CA8, however, lacks classical CA enzyme function: it does not catalyze hydration and dehydration of CO2. The function of CA8 in the airway epithelium remains unknown. We hypothesize that CA8 serves a protective role in the airway due to its down regulation in patients with severe asthma. We aim to characterize the function of CA8 bystudying its potential as an enzymatic protein.
Methods: We used colorimetric assays to detect and quantify nitrogen oxides. We tested for Snitrosothiolsynthase, denitrosylase, nitrate and nitrite synthase, and nitrite reductase activitiesusing the Griess reagent in conjunction with Saville denitrosylation reagents and with reduction using vanadium chloride. Samples were incubated for 60 minutes. We then went on to design ametabolomic experiment in which products will be identified by NMR: for these, we transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells using lentivirus containing GFP-labeled CA8 or emptyvector (negative control).
Results: CA8 protein does not have these following enzymatic functions: SNO synthase,denitrosylase, nitrite and nitrate synthase, and nitrite reductase. We successfully transfected with GFP-labeled CA8 and are awaiting results of the metabolomic studies.
Conclusion and Potential Impact: Isolated CA8 does not appear to have any nitrogen oxideredox activities relevant to asthma. The next steps include confirmatory western and SNOwestern blots to determine protein s-nitrosylation using transfected CHO whole cell lysate. Extracellular medium pH will also be measured. We will then move on to NMR-basedmetabolomics. This will help us better understand the biochemical mechanisms of CA8.Ultimately, this can provide researchers with a novel approach to asthma treatments
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Promote Muscle Regeneration in a Diabetic Mouse Model of Critical Limb Threatening Ischemia
Get PDFCritical limb threatening ischemia (CLTI), the end stage of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), is diagnosed in 500,000 patients each year, often results in amputation, and has a ~50% 5-year mortality rate. Diabetic CLTI patients experience especially high morbidity and mortality, and no effective non-surgical therapy exists for this population. Our Phase II MOBILE trial demonstrated that autologous bone marrow nucleated cells were unable to prevent amputations in diabetic patients; however, data from a Phase I trial shows that allogeneic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BMD-MSC) stimulated angiogenesis in ischemic muscle, including diabetics. While allogeneic MSC may be an effective cell preparation to treat diabetic CLTI, passaging-related cell senescence prevents generation of sufficient cell numbers for therapeutic use. The development of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived MSC overcomes cell senescence issues and offers the possibility of genetic modifications to enhance cell function. The current study was designed to determine potential mechanisms by which iPSC-MSC stimulate muscle regeneration in a rodent CLTI model.
The CLTI mouse model was created by ligation/excision of the femoral artery in male polygenic diabetic TallyHo mice. Mice with intramuscular administration of iPSC-MSC displayed positive indicators of muscle regeneration compared to vehicle control mice. Real-time PCR performed with gastrocnemius muscle obtained 7- or 30-days post iPSC-MSC injection showed an increase in mRNA expression for MyH3, MyoD1, Mrc1, FoxP3, and VEGF-A vs. vehicle treated muscle, indicating promotion of muscle regeneration, M2-biased macrophage expression, T regulatory cell (Treg) expansion, and vascular proliferation. Downregulation of the NADPHoxidase subunit p47phox indicated a decrease in oxidative stress in the treated mice. The results are consistent with iPSC-MSC promotion of muscle regeneration via a Treg mediated stimulation of the M1-M2 macrophage phenotypic shift. Thus, human iPSC-MSC could be an effective treatment to stimulate muscle regeneration and ameliorate CLTI in diabetic patients
Socio-Demographic and Behavioral Predictors of Admission for Kidney Disease in an Urban Hospital in Northwest Indiana
Get PDFBackground: The CDC estimates more than 1 in 7 American adults have Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and nearly 800,000 live with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD); the majority of whom require dialysis. Current literature demands further exploration on how social determinants of health (SDOH) influence inpatient and emergency services utilization for CKD/ESRD-related exacerbations. This study examined socio-demographic and behavioral factors associated with hospital admission for CKD/ESRD. It is part of a three-phased Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) partnership between IUSM-NW and St. Mary Medical Center (SMMC) to examine and address relationships between SDOH, patient demographics, health behaviors, and health outcomes from January 2022-January 2025.
Methods: This retrospective study analyzed a limited dataset generated by SMMC from EPIC™ with SDOH, demographic, health behavior, and health outcomes data obtained from adult inpatients between January 2021 and March 2023. CKD/ESRD was determined by admission diagnosis ICD-10 Code N18. Data analysis utilized SPSS 29.0 to produce frequencies, Chi-Square tests (p<0.05), and a binary logistic regression (p<0.05). This study was exempted by Indiana University Human Research Protection Program (IRB # 14040).
Results: This study included 10,953 inpatient admissions involving predominantly white (78.4%) and older adult (68 ± 21) patients. CKD/ESRD represented 96 admissions. The bivariate analysis found a significant association between CKD/ESRD admissions and age (p<0.001), race (p<0.001), sex (p=0.008), insurance type (p=0.030), and smoking tobacco use (p=0.004). After adjusting for all factors, being Asian (OR=12.172, p<0.001), Black (OR=3.702; p<0.001), female (OR=0.518; p=0.003), publicly insured (OR=2.76; p=0.014), and former smoking (OR=1.606; p=0.045) were significantly associated with CKD/ESRD admission.
Conclusions: This study revealed several demographics, SDOH, and health behaviors associated with CKD/ESRD admission in an urban hospital. Uncovering predictors of CKD/ESRD admission enables focused interventions to decrease admissions. The next CBPR phases will apply advanced statistical analyses to further explore these relationships and codevelop interventions