Medicaid patients seen at federally qualified health centers use hospital services less than those seen by private providers.

Federally qualified health centers, also known as community health centers, play an essential role in providing health care to millions of Americans. In return for providing primary care to underserved, homeless, and migrant populations, these centers are reimbursed at a higher rate than other providers by public programs such as Medicaid. Under the Affordable Care Act of 2010, the role of the centers is expected to grow.

Isolation and characterization of murine mandibular condylar cartilage cell populations.

Objectives: The mandibular condylar cartilage is a heterogeneous tissue containing cells at various stages of chondrocyte maturation organized into 4 zones: superficial, polymorphic, flattened, and hypertrophic. The goal of this study was to use transgenic mice containing chondrocyte maturation markers fused to fluorescent protein transgenes to isolate and characterize homogenous cell populations of the mandibular condylar cartilage.

Methods: Fluorescent reporter expression in the mandibular condylar cartilage of transgenic mice containing the 3.

Evaluation of selenium in biological sample of arsenic exposed female skin lesions and skin cancer patients with related to non-exposed skin cancer patients.

The antagonistic effects between selenium (Se) and arsenic (As) suggest that low Se status plays an important role in arsenism development. The objective of present study was to assess Se contents in biological samples of As exposed females have skin lesions and cancer with related to non-exposed skin cancer patients. The biological samples (blood and scalp hair) of As exposed group comprises, female skin cancer (ESC) patients admitted in cancer hospitals have skin lesions (ESL) and exposed referents have not both diseases (ER), belongs to As exposed area of Pakistan.

Comparative in vitro cytotoxicity study of carbon nanotubes and titania nanostructures on human lung epithelial cells.

The aim of this study is to assess in vitro cytotoxic effects of titania nanostructures and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by exposing A549 lung epithelial cell line to these materials. Titania nanotubes (TiNTs) were grown by hydrothermal treatment of TiO(2) nanoparticles, followed by annealing them at 400°C. The titania nanostructures obtained on annealing (mixture of nanotubes and nanorods) were hollow and open ended, containing 3-5 layers of titania sheets, with an internal diameter ∼3-5 nm and external diameter ∼8-10 nm, and a specific surface area of 265 m(2)/g.

Sex differences in chondrocyte maturation in the mandibular condyle from a decreased occlusal loading model.

Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs) predominantly afflict women of childbearing age. Defects in mechanical loading-induced temporomandibular joint (TMJ) remodeling are believed to be a major etiological factor in the development of TMD. The goal of this study was to determine if there are sex differences in CD-1 and C57BL/6 mice exposed to a decreased occlusal loading TMJ remodeling model.

Case-control study of male cancer patients exposed to arsenic-contaminated drinking water and tobacco smoke with relation to non-exposed cancer patients.

The investigated data indicated that inorganic arsenic in drinking water is associated with increased mortality from different types of cancers. In the present study, biological samples (blood and scalp hair) of male subjects having lung and bladder cancers and non-cancerous subjects belonging to arsenic (As)-exposed area of southern parts of Pakistan were analysed for As contents. The As levels in drinking water of understudy area showed that sections of understudy population are exposed to arsenic concentrations, which was 3-15-fold higher than the permissible level (<10 μg/L).

Levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead, manganese and zinc in biological samples of paralysed steel mill workers with related to controls.

The determination of essential trace and toxic elements in the biological samples of human beings is an important clinical screening procedure. This study aimed to assess the possible effects of environmental exposure on paralysed male workers (n = 75) belonging to the production and quality control departments of a steel mill. In this investigation, the concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, lead, manganese and zinc were determined in biological samples (blood, urine and scalp hair samples) of exposed paralysis and non-paralysed steel mill workers.

Evaluation of zinc in scalp hair and blood samples of tuberculosis and diarrhea male human immunodeficiency virus patients.

Background: The consequence of zinc (Zn) deficiency has been associated with an increased risk of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) disease progression and mortality.

Methods: This study examined the association between low scalp hair and blood Zn concentrations and opportunistic infections in hospitalized patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The study was performed on sixty two male HIV+ patients (HIV-1) from different cities in Pakistan.

Inorganic arsenic speciation in groundwater samples using electrothermal atomic spectrometry following selective separation and cloud point extraction.

A method has been developed for speciation of total, total inorganic and organic arsenic (As) species in groundwater samples. The inorganic species of As((III,V)) were separated from organic forms by adsorbing on alumina (Al(2)O(3)) whereas the organic As was eluted out. The retained inorganic As species was eluted by 0.

Localization of 4-hydroxy 2-nonenal immunoreactivity in aging human retinal Müller cells.

Müller cells play a pivotal role in maintaining retinal homeostasis of the extracellular fluid environment. Information on whether human retinal Müller cells suffer from oxidative stress with normal aging is lacking. We examined post mortem human retinas for the localization of a biomarker of lipid peroxidation (4-hydroxy 2-nonenal, 4-HNE) by immunohistochemistry.

Silver nitrate in interventional pulmonology: treating a case of persistent bronchopleural fistula.

Bronchopleural fistula (BPF) is a communication between the pleural space and the bronchial tree. A BPF occurs when an injured bronchus fails to heal; the condition is associated with high morbidity. The treatment of persistent BPF includes various surgical procedures.

Comparative study of liver cancer patients in arsenic exposed and non-exposed areas of Pakistan.

The investigated data shows that arsenic (As) in drinking water is associated with increased mortality from different types of cancers including liver cancer. In this study, blood and scalp hair samples of male liver cancer patients and healthy referents belonging to As exposed areas of Sindh Pakistan were analyzed for As contents. The As levels in drinking water of understudy area showed that sections of this population was exposed to 3-15-folds higher concentrations of As than permissible limit.

Determination of arsenic in scalp hair samples from exposed subjects using microwave-assisted digestion with and without enrichment based on cloud point extraction by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry.

A simple and rapid cloud point extraction (CPE) procedure was applied for preconcentration of trace quantities of arsenic (As) in scalp hair samples. The samples were subjected to microwave-assisted digestion in a mixture of nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide (2 + 1, v/v) prior to preconcentration by CPE. The As in digested samples was complexed with ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC), and the resultant As-PDC complex was extracted by a nonionic surfactant, octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol (Triton X-114).

Murine TMJ loading causes increased proliferation and chondrocyte maturation.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of forced mouth opening on murine mandibular condylar head remodeling. We hypothesized that forced mouth opening would cause an anabolic response in the mandibular condylar cartilage. Six-week-old female C57BL/6 mice were divided into 3 groups: (1) control, (2) 0.

Prenatal complex rhythmic music sound stimulation facilitates postnatal spatial learning but transiently impairs memory in the domestic chick.

Early experience has a profound influence on brain development, and the modulation of prenatal perceptual learning by external environmental stimuli has been shown in birds, rodents and mammals. In the present study, the effect of prenatal complex rhythmic music sound stimulation on postnatal spatial learning, memory and isolation stress was observed. Auditory stimulation with either music or species-specific sounds or no stimulation (control) was provided to separate sets of fertilized eggs from day 10 of incubation.

Early effects of orthodontic forces on osteoblast differentiation in a novel mouse organ culture model.

Objective: To develop a mouse orthodontic organ culture model and examine early-induced changes in osteoblast differentiation markers within the periodontal ligament (PDL) and alveolar bone.

Methods: Mandibles from 4- to 12-week-old transgenic mice were dissected and hemisected. A conventional superelastic orthodontic spring (25 grams) was bonded to the incisor and first molar on one side of the mandible; the other side served as a control.

Evaluation of toxic risk assessment of arsenic in male subjects through drinking water in southern Sindh Pakistan.

The arsenic (As) hazardous quotient was estimated based on concentration of As in drinking water and scalp hair of male subjects of two age groups (n=360) consuming As contaminated water at different levels and non-contaminated drinking water. The total As concentrations in drinking water of less-exposed (LE) and high-exposed (HE) areas was found to be 3- to 30-fold higher than the permissible limit of the World Health Organization (2004) for drinking water, while the levels of As in drinking water of non-exposed (NE) areas was within the permissible limit. The levels of As in scalp hair samples of male subjects of two age groups belonging to NE, LE, and HE areas ranged from 0.

Zinc and iron determination in serum and urine samples of thyroid patients using cloud point extraction.

A simple and rapid cloud point extraction method was applied for preconcentration of trace quantities of zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) in biological samples (serum and urine) of thyroid patients prior to determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The metals in serum and urine samples were complexed with 1-(2-thiazolylazo)-2-naphthol and entrapped in the surfactant octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol (Triton X-114). After centrifugation, the surfactant-rich phase was diluted with 0.

Potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sodium levels in biological samples of Pakistani myocardial infarction patients at different stages as related to controls.

Background: Many studies have examined the association between cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and the intake of essential micronutrients (potassium (K+), calcium (Ca(2+)), magnesium (Mg(2+)), and sodium (Na+)). They may separately reduce the CVD incidence to a small degree over the short term levels. The aim of the present study was to compare the levels of micronutrients in biological samples (whole blood, urine, and scalp hair) of myocardial infarction (MI) patients of both genders where ages ranged from 45 to 60 years at first, second and third heart attack (n = 232).

Evaluation of arsenic levels in grain crops samples, irrigated by tube well and canal water.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the uptake of arsenic (As) by grain crops (wheat, maize and sorghum) grown on agricultural soil irrigated with tube well water (SIT) as test samples and for comparative purposes, same grain crop samples grown on agricultural soil irrigated with fresh canal water (SIC) were marked as control samples, collected simultaneously from three sub-districts of Khairpur, Pakistan. Moreover, this paper demonstrated the total and EDTA (0.05 M) extractable As in both understudied soils that correlate with the respective total As in the edible parts of the studied grain crops.

Mucinous cystadenoma of the ureter.

Mucinous cystadenoma of ureter is not a known entity. We describe an interesting case showing features of mucinous cystadenoma arising in the ureter in which the tumor was incidentally detected in a 53-year-old man with significant secondary hydronephrosis and nonfunctioning kidney.

Determination of arsenic in scalp hair of children and its correlation with drinking water in exposed areas of Sindh Pakistan.

This study was focused on the analysis of arsenic (As) levels in scalp hair of children (age, <10 years) collected from two towns of Khairpur, Pakistan, to evaluate the effects of As-contaminated groundwater. For comparative purposes, scalp hair samples of children were also collected from that area having low levels of As (<10 μg/L) in drinking water. Groundwater and scalp hair samples of children were collected and analyzed by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry prior to microwave-assisted acid digestion.

Status of toxic metals in biological samples of diabetic mothers and their neonates.

The mechanism of transport of trace elements from the mother to the newborn is still not well known. The aim of present study was to compare the status of trace toxic elements, arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) in biological samples (whole blood, urine and scalp hair) of insulin-dependent diabetic mothers (age ranged 30-40) and their newly born infants (n = 76). An age and socioeconomics matched 68 nondiabetic mothers and their infants, residing in the same locality, who were selected as referents.

Distribution of copper, iron, and zinc in biological samples (scalp hair, serum, blood, and urine) of Pakistani viral hepatitis (A-E) patients and controls.

The aim of the present study was to compare the level of copper (Cu), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) in biological samples (serum, blood, urine, and scalp hair) of patients suffering from different viral hepatitis (A, B, C, D, and E; n = 521) of both gender age ranged 31-45 years. For comparative study, 255 age-matched control subjects, of both genders residing in the same city were selected as referents. The elements in the biological samples were analyzed by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry, prior to microwave-assisted acid digestion.

Chromium and manganese levels in biological samples of normal and night blindness children of age groups (3-7) and (8-12) years.

This study was designed to compare the levels of chromium (Cr) and manganese (Mn) in scalp hair, blood, and urine of night blindness in children age ranged (3-7) and (8-12) years of both genders, comparing them to sex- and age-matched controls. A microwave-assisted wet acid digestion procedure, was developed as a sample pretreatment, for the determination of Cr and Mn in biological samples of night blindness children. The proposed method was validated by using conventional wet digestion and certified reference samples of hair, blood and urine.