Junior Recital

List of performers and performances

Pyomyositis mistaken for septic hip arthritis in children: the role of MRI in diagnosis and management

Septic arthritis is an orthopaedic emergency which requires timely management to prevent joint destruction and poor outcome. Differentiating septic arthritis from transient synovitis in pediatric patients is aided by the use of Kocher criteria which have excellent sensitivity but lack specificity. In addition to these two disorders, primary pyomyositis is bacterial infection of skeletal muscle that most commonly affects children. Patients present with pain, swelling, fever, and elevated inflammatory markers which mimics septic arthritis. If left untreated, pyomyositis can lead to abscess formation and sepsis. Due to potential for nearly identical presentations of septic arthritis and pyomyositis, differentiation of these two disorders can be aided with the use of MRI which has a high sensitivity for detecting muscle edema and abscess formation. In this case series, we discuss the use of MRI to assist with the diagnosis of pyomyositis versus septic arthritis. The authors advocate the use of MRI in questionable or complicated cases of septic arthritis or where synovial fluid aspiration is unable to be obtained promptly

Convocation

Program listing performers and works performe

Inhibition of Cholinergic Signaling Causes Apoptosis in Human Bronchioalveolar Carcinoma

Recent case-controlled clinical studies show that bronchioalveolar carcinomas (BAC) are correlated with smoking. Nicotine, the addictive component of cigarettes, accelerates cell proliferation through nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR). In this study, we show that human BACs produce acetylcholine (ACh) and contain several cholinergic factors including acetylcholinesterase (AChE), choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), choline transporter 1 (CHT1, SLC5A7), vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT, SLC18A3), and nACh receptors (AChRs, CHRNAs). Nicotine increased the production of ACh in human BACs, and ACh acts as a growth factor for these cells. Nicotine-induced ACh production was mediated by α7-, α3β2-, and β3-nAChRs, ChAT and VAChT pathways. We observed that nicotine upregulated ChAT and VAChT. Therefore, we conjectured that VAChT antagonists, such as vesamicol, may suppress the growth of human BACs. Vesamicol induced potent apoptosis of human BACs in cell culture and nude mice models. Vesamicol did not have any effect on EGF or insulin-like growth factor-II–induced growth of human BACs. siRNA-mediated attenuation of VAChT reversed the apoptotic activity of vesamicol. We also observed that vesamicol inhibited Akt phosphorylation during cell death and that overexpression of constitutively active Akt reversed the apoptotic activity of vesamicol. Taken together, our results suggested that disruption of nicotine-induced cholinergic signaling by agents such as vesamicol may have applications in BAC therapy

Convocation

Program listing performers and works performe

Convocation

Program listing performers and works performe

The Victims Court: A Study of 622 Victim Participants at the International Criminal Court

This multi-country study interviews 622 survivors of war crimes and crimes against humanity is an independent study written at the request of the International Criminal Court and released at the Assembly of States Parties meeting in The Hague on Nov. 20, 2015. The study finds that meaningful victim participation at the International Criminal Court (ICC) hinges on greater investment by member states in outreach and educational programs, so that victims can more fully understand their rights under the Rome Statute

Bearing Witness at the International Criminal Court: An Interview Survey of 109 Witnesses

https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/facultybooks/1043/thumbnail.jp

Contribution of rural electrification to household income in Moshi district, Tanzania

Tanzania is among the countries with lower rural electrification rates. It is estimated that less than five percent of the rural population are using grid electricity services. This study assesses the contribution of rural electrification to household income in Moshi District, Tanzania. Specifically, the study aimed at identifying income generating activities undertaken using grid electricity, assessing the contribution of grid to household income as well as identifying the challenges in utilization of grid electricity services in income generating activities. A multistage sampling technique was used to select a total 120 (60 with grid and without grid services respectively) respondents for the study. The study identified among others, iron wedding, compact disc burning and grain milling as income generating activities influenced by presence of grid electricity. The household annual income ranged from 800 000 Tshs to 46 000 000 Tshs and there were statistically significant differences in income between households with grid electricity services and those without. In addition, the study identified reliability of services, high application standards, and higher bill as challenges associated with grid electricity services. The study concludes that grid electricity contributes to increased household income. Furthermore, the study recommends that, the government and development partners should secure necessary financial resources to invest in rural electrification