Publications by authors named "Chaffin K"

Background/objectives: Individuals are turning increasingly towards online resources, such as TikTok, to educate themselves on their medical conditions. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prominent example, as women report dissatisfaction with the diagnosis process and treatment options. This study aims to provide a content analysis of the quality of PCOS health information on TikTok.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on the growing trend of patients using online platforms to seek medical information about primary headaches, highlighting the potential for encountering misinformation.
  • It aims to evaluate the quality and extent of online content related to conditions like migraines and cluster headaches, while identifying gaps in knowledge that can assist healthcare providers.
  • The methodology includes a systematic review of various community forums and social media platforms, with a descriptive data analysis and results expected to be shared in a peer-reviewed journal.
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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates the chemical stability of different transvenous lead materials, focusing on Optim leads, by analyzing the molar mass of extracted pacing and defibrillator leads from Emory University Hospitals.
  • - Researchers examined 70 extracted leads, comparing the chemical degradation of insulation materials like poly(ether)urethane and Optim over various implant durations, with findings showing Optim's molar mass decreased to 40% after 10 years.
  • - The reduction in molar mass for Optim indicates potential premature insulation defects, which correlates with higher rates of electrical malfunctions observed in these cardiac leads.
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Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is a common pathological condition associated with low back pain. Recent evidence suggests that mesenchymal signaling cells (MSCs) promote IVD regeneration, but underlying mechanisms remain poorly defined. One postulated mechanism is via modulation of macrophage phenotypes.

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Introduction And Objectives: In clinical trials, patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype (GT)1a infection and baseline resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) at amino acid positions 28, 30, 31, or 93 receiving elbasvir/grazoprevir for 12 weeks achieved lower rates of sustained virologic response (SVR) than those without baseline RASs. SVR rates in patients with RASs were improved when elbasvir/grazoprevir treatment duration was extended from 12 to 16 weeks and administered concomitantly with ribavirin.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective, observational analysis using electronic health record abstraction.

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Diarrhea is an adverse effect of antimicrobial therapy in horses. This matched, case-controlled study compared the fecal microbiome and metabolome of horses on antibiotics that developed diarrhea (AAD, = 17) to those that did not develop diarrhea (ABX, = 15) and to a control population not exposed to antibiotics (CON, = 31). Fecal samples were collected from horses that were matched for diet and antimicrobial agent (including dose, route, and duration of therapy).

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Ten years after a new poly(dimethylsiloxane)urethane material was introduced as part of a long-term medical device implant, an unexpectedly high rate of in-service degradation was observed. The chemical signatures of molecular degradation in the materials were not identified during the comparatively short preclinical assessment of biostability. This outcome highlights the need to transform the assessment of biostability for new materials used in long-term implanted medical devices to protocols that rely more heavily on accelerated in vitro testing.

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Background & Aims: Depression and anxiety can have negative effects on patients and are important to treat. There have been few studies of their prevalence among patients with cirrhosis. We aimed to characterize the prevalence and risk factors for depression and anxiety in a large multi-center cohort of patients with cirrhosis.

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DNA methylation is an important epigenetic mark involved in gene regulation and silencing of transposable elements. The presence or absence of DNA methylation at specific sites can influence nearby gene expression and cause phenotypic changes that remain stable over generations. Recently, development of new technologies has enabled the targeted addition or removal of DNA methylation at specific sites of the genome.

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A 10-year-old Quarter Horse gelding presented to the Texas A&M University Veterinary Teaching Hospital with a six month-history of ataxia and lameness in the hind limbs. The horse was treated presumptively for equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) based on clinical signs but was ultimately euthanized after its condition worsened. Gross lesions were limited to a small area of reddening in the gray matter of the thoracic spinal cord.

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Segmented polyurethane multiblock polymers containing polydimethylsiloxane and polyether soft segments form tough and easily processed thermoplastic elastomers (PDMS-urethanes). Two commercially available examples, PurSil 35 (denoted as P35) and Elast-Eon E2A (denoted as E2A), were evaluated for abrasion and fatigue resistance after immersion in 85 °C buffered water for up to 80 weeks. We previously reported that water exposure in these experiments resulted in a molar mass reduction, where the kinetics of the hydrolysis reaction is supported by a straight forward Arrhenius analysis over a range of accelerated temperatures (37-85 °C).

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Ovarian cancer metastasizes via exfoliation of free-floating cells and multicellular aggregates from the primary tumor to the peritoneal cavity. A key event in EOC metastasis is disruption of cell-cell contacts via modulation of intercellular junctional components including cadherins. Ascites is rich in lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a bioactive lipid that may promote early events in ovarian cancer dissemination.

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The equine small intestine is challenging to evaluate ultrasonographically. In humans, hydrosonography has been used to improve ultrasonographic images of the small intestine. We hypothesized that fasting horses for 24 h would enhance the ability to image the small intestine transabdominally by separating intestinal loops and reducing intraluminal gas, and that the administration of intragastric contrast agent would further improve that ability.

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This study determined the antimicrobial activity of tulathromycin against Rhodococcus equi in vitro. Ninety-eight virulent isolates of R. equi from equine clinical cases were examined, of which 20 isolates were macrolide resistant.

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Rhodococcus equi is an important pathogen of foals aged 1-6 months. Evidence exists that foals are exposed to a wide diversity of R. equi strains in their environment.

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The objective of this study was to determine the in vitro antimicrobial activity of gallium maltolate (GaM) against Rhodococcus equi. A total of 98 virulent bacterial isolates from equine clinical cases were examined, of which 19 isolates were known to be resistant to macrolides and rifampin. Isolates were cultured with various concentrations of GaM and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were determined after 24 and 48 h.

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The Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is a large freshwater turtle endemic to river systems that drain into the Gulf of Mexico. Turtle populations were sharply reduced by commercial harvest in the 1970s and 1980s; however, the species has yet to be protected under the Endangered Species Act. While anthropogenic stressors such as habitat fragmentation and degradation and illegal capture continue to threaten populations, the degree to which disease may be contributing to any decline of the Alligator Snapping Turtle is unknown.

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Objective: To determine clinical activity and toxic effects of ifosfamide when used to treat cats with vaccine-associated sarcoma (VAS).

Animals: 27 cats with a nonresectable, recurrent, or metastatic VAS.

Procedure: Each cat received ifosfamide (900 mg/m(2) of body surface area) as an IV infusion during a 30-minute period.

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The records of 19 dogs with cutaneous mast cell tumor and regional lymph node metastasis (WHO Stage 2) were reviewed to determine the efficacy of radiation therapy in this population. Dogs with grade I (n = 1), grade II (n = 16), and grade III (n = 2) cutaneous mast cell tumor were included in this study. All dogs were treated with a combination of pre-irradiation surgical cytoreduction of the primary tumor, irradiation of the primary tumor and regional lymph node, and oral prednisone.

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Multiple myeloma was diagnosed in two cats with monoclonal hyperglobulinemia, proteinuria, and plasma cell proliferations in bone marrow. An immunoglobulin G-producing myeloma occurred in the vertebral bone marrow of one cat, and twice responded to surgical reduction followed by a combination of local irradiation and chemotherapy. The cat's survival time was approximately 2 years.

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Spectacular advances in organometallic chemistry over the past two decades have resulted in single-site catalysts that are revolutionizing production of polyethylene (PE) and isotactic polypropylene (iPP). This report describes an unanticipated benefit of metallocene-catalyzed semicrystalline polyolefins, namely welded joint strengths in PE/iPP laminates that can exceed the cohesive strength of the constituents. We propose that interfacial polymer entanglements, established in the molten state and subsequently anchored in chain-folded lamellae upon crystallization, are responsible for this intrinsic property.

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51 college students were administered the Reasons for Living Inventory, Zimbardo's Time Perspective Inventory, and the Environmental Deprivation Scale-Questionnaire. Pearson product-moment correlations indicated that those functioning well (low scores on the Environmental Deprivation Scale-Questionnaire) tended to have high scores on the future subscale of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (r = -.45, p < .

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32 male parolees and probationers were administered the questionnaire form of the Environmental Deprivation Scale followed by the standard oral interview for the purpose of comparing written responses with oral responses usually necessary to score the scale. Pearson correlations were .89 between written and oral responses and .

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