PHARMACOKINETICS OF KETOROLAC TROMETHAMINE IN HORSES AFTER INTRAVENOUS, INTRAMUSCULAR, AND ORAL SINGLE DOSE ADMINISTRATION

Bianco, Alexandra W. M.S., Purdue University, August 2015. Pharmacokinetics of ketorolac tromethamine in horses after intravenous, intramuscular and oral single dose administration. Major Professor: Sandra D. Taylor

The effect of education on parental attitudes and beliefs towards vaccines

Introduction: The importance, safety, and efficacy of vaccines has been questioned more than ever despite the clear and significant effectiveness of vaccines to reduce the incidence of severe illnesses.1 Currently, the only required education before administering vaccines is the Vaccine Information Statements (VIS), which is provided by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) at each vaccination visit. These statements outline benefits and risks of vaccines but are written at an above-average reading level and do not directly address specific vaccine concerns. Many vaccine concerns can be assuaged with proactive education by providers at early well-child visits. Objective: To determine the best methods for providers to educate parents about vaccines. Methods: 241 studies were found through Pubmed and Pediatric Journal searches. 93 records were screened, and 14 articles were assessed for eligibility. Three randomized trials were chosen and a systematic review was performed for each. Intervention: All studies provided an easy-to-read pamphlet that addressed specific questions about vaccine safety, importance, and efficacy. One study (Williams, et al) also provided a video addressing common vaccine concerns. Results: In all studies, supplemental educational information led to improved attitudes about vaccines. None of the studies reported a significant change in the number of on-time vaccines received. Mothers in all groups stated they preferred to receive vaccine information prior to the first visit when vaccines were administered. Conclusion: Easy-to-understand, accessible information addressing vaccine concerns provides more confidence in recommended vaccination schedules as compared to receiving the standard VIS. Providing these educational handouts prior to the first vaccination visit eases parent concerns without taking additional provider time

Effects of Amphetamine on Striatal Dopamine Release, Open-Field Activity, and Play in Fischer 344 and Sprague–Dawley Rats

Previous work from our laboratories has shown that juvenile Fischer 344 (F344) rats are less playful than other strains and also appear to be compromised in dopamine (DA) functioning. To determine whether the dysfunctional play in this strain is associated with deficits in the handling and delivery of vesicular DA, the following experiments assessed the extent to which F344 rats are differentially sensitive to the effects of amphetamine. When exposed to amphetamine, striatal slices obtained from F344 rats showed a small increase in unstimulated DA release when compared with slices from Sprague–Dawley rats; they also showed a more rapid high K+-mediated release of DA. These data provide tentative support for the hypothesis that F344 rats have a higher concentration of cytoplasmic DA than Sprague–Dawley rats. When rats were tested for activity in an open field, F344 rats presented a pattern of results that was consistent with either an enhanced response to amphetamine (3 mg/kg) or a more rapid release of DA (10 mg/kg). Although there was some indication that amphetamine had a dose-dependent differential effect on play in the two strains, play in F344 rats was not enhanced to any degree by amphetamine. Although these results are not consistent with our working hypothesis that F344 rats are less playful because of a deficit in vesicular release of DA, they still suggest that this strain may be a useful model for better understanding the role of DA in social behavior during the juvenile period

Inversion produces opposite size illusions for faces and bodies

Faces are complex, multidimensional, and meaningful visual stimuli. Recently, Araragi and colleagues (Araragi, Aotani, & Kitaoka, 2012) demonstrated an intriguing face size illusion whereby an inverted face is perceived as larger than a physically identical upright face. Like the face, the human body is a highly familiar and important stimulus in our lives. Here, we investigated the specificity of the size underestimation of upright faces illusion, testing whether similar effects also hold for bodies, hands, and everyday objects. Experiments 1a and 1b replicated the face-size illusion. No size illusion was observed for hands or objects. Unexpectedly, a reverse size illusion was observed for bodies, so that upright bodies were perceived as larger than their inverted counterparts. Experiment 2 showed that the face and reverse body size illusions were maintained even when the photographic contrast polarity of the stimuli was reversed, indicating that the visual system driving the illusions relies on geometric featural information rather than image contrast. Our findings show that size illusions caused by inversion show a high level of category specificity, with opposite illusions for faces and bodies

Promoting Health Across the Lifespan: Stress Management Topics

This document contains six lesson plans. The first lesson plan is designed to introduce the principles of mindfulness and stress management through music listening and mandala free drawing activities. The second lesson plan addresses stress management in the workplace through the introduction of the Freeze Frame method. The third lesson plan is designed to teach stress management through the principle of gratitude. The fourth lesson introduces the mind-body connection and principles of self-care through self-assessment of behavior. The fifth lesson plan is designed to discuss issues of mental illness and to provide resources to address mental health concerns. The sixth lesson plan addresses time management skills and the implementation of SMART goals to improve academic success. The content is intended for high school or college-aged students and health care professionals. Each lesson plan has a topic overview, time and format information, Healthy People 2020 Objectives, National Health Education Standards information, learning objectives, key concepts and terms, materials needed, and teaching steps. This material was developed by Plymouth State University students as a part of their coursework for Promoting Health Across the Lifespan, in fall 2016 with Dr. Barbara McCahan

Carbon Free Boston: Buildings Technical Report

Part of a series of reports that includes: Carbon Free Boston: Summary Report; Carbon Free Boston: Social Equity Report; Carbon Free Boston: Technical Summary; Carbon Free Boston: Transportation Technical Report; Carbon Free Boston: Waste Technical Report; Carbon Free Boston: Energy Technical Report; Carbon Free Boston: Offsets Technical Report; Available at http://sites.bu.edu/cfb/OVERVIEW: Boston is known for its historic iconic buildings, from the Paul Revere House in the North End, to City Hall in Government Center, to the Old South Meeting House in Downtown Crossing, to the African Meeting House on Beacon Hill, to 200 Clarendon (the Hancock Tower) in Back Bay, to Abbotsford in Roxbury. In total, there are over 86,000 buildings that comprise more than 647 million square feet of area. Most of these buildings will still be in use in 2050. Floorspace (square footage) is almost evenly split between residential and non-residential uses, but residential buildings account for nearly 80,000 (93 percent) of the 86,000 buildings. Boston’s buildings are used for a diverse range of activities that include homes, offices, hospitals, factories, laboratories, schools, public service, retail, hotels, restaurants, and convention space. Building type strongly influences energy use; for example, restaurants, hospitals, and laboratories have high energy demands compared to other commercial uses. Boston’s building stock is characterized by thousands of turn-of-the-20th century homes and a postWorld War II building boom that expanded both residential buildings and commercial space. Boston is in the midst of another boom in building construction that is transforming neighborhoods across the city. [TRUNCATED]Published versio

Response to radiation in renal medullary carcinoma

Renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) is a rare and highly aggressive malignancy arising from the renal medulla and found mostly in patients with sickle cell trait. RMC usually presents with widely metastatic disease. We describe a young man diagnosed with metastatic RMC who sustained a complete response to systemic chemotherapy but developed brain metastases with leptomeningeal involvement and subsequently had a partial response to brain irradiation. The use of radiation in the management of RMC is reviewed. Due to the apparent propensity for RMC to spread to the central nervous system, prophylactic treatment such as craniospinal irradiation should be considered along with chemotherapy in patients with metastatic RMC to potentially improve the progression-free interval

Spinal cord stimulators and radiotherapy: First case report and practice guidelines

Spinal cord stimulators (SCS) are a well-recognised treatment modality in the management of a number of chronic neuropathic pain conditions, particularly failed back syndrome and radiculopathies. The implantable pulse generator (IPG) component of the SCS is designed and operates in a similar fashion to that of a cardiac pacemaker. The IPG consists of an electrical generator, lithium battery, transmitter/receiver and a minicomputer. When stimulated, it generates pulsed electrical signals which stimulate the dorsal columns of the spinal cord, thus alleviating pain. Analogous to a cardiac pacemaker, it can be potentially damaged by ionising radiation from a linear accelerator, in patients undergoing radiotherapy. Herein we report our clinical management of the first reported case of a patient requiring adjuvant breast radiotherapy who had a SCS in situ. We also provide useful practical recommendations on the management of this scenario within a radiation oncology department