Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Estimation Of Uninsurance Rate: Comparison Of Four Estimation Methods, Jackie Zhang, Renee Hotchkiss, Thomas Wan

Thomas T.H. Wan

Objective: Although high percentage of the uninsured is an important public policy issue, the discrepancies in both state and national estimates of the numbers of uninsured are reported. This study compares four advanced estimation methods for uninsurance, by using Florida Health Insurance Survey data as an example. Design: The four predictive models include decision tree, neural network, general logistic regression, and two-stage logistic regression. Risk factors to uninsurance are identified. Population: The study sample comes from the Florida Health Insurance Study data collected for the Florida Agency of Health Care Administration in 1999, representing the first large-scale study designed exclusively …

Environmental Equity Is Child's Play: Mapping Public Provision Of Recreation Opportunities In Urban Neighbourhoods, Jason Gilliland, Martin Holmes, Jennifer Irwin, Patricia Tucker

Trish Tucker

This paper examines the spatial distribution of recreational opportunities for children and youth in a mid-sized Canadian city (London, Ontario), in relation to the socioeconomic status of neighbourhoods and estimated local need for publicly provided recreation spaces. Public recreation facilities (N = 537) throughout the city were identified, mapped and analysed in a geographic information system. To explore potential socio-environmental inequities, neighbourhoods (N = 22) were characterized by socioeconomic and environmental variables, an index of neighbourhood social distress, a neighbourhood play space needs index, and measures of the prevalence and density of recreational opportunities. The results of the spatial analysis …

Feasibility Of A Campus-Based "Buddy System" To Promote Physical Activity: Canadian Students' Perspectives, Patricia Tucker, Jennifer Irwin

Trish Tucker

Objective: To explore the characteristics of a university-wide buddy system that students would be receptive to using. Methods: This study targeted a heterogeneous sample of undergraduate university students age 18 to 25 y. An experienced moderator, using a semi-structured interview guide, conducted 13 focus groups (n = 65). Focus group discussions were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Inductive content analysis was conducted independently by two researchers. Measures were incorporated throughout to ensure data trustworthiness. Results: The value of this campus-based physical activity intervention was emphasized by the vast majority of participants. Five main themes exemplified students' preferences: sign-up methods; matching …

Surveillance Of The Colorectal Cancer Disparities Among Demographic Subgroups: A Spatial Analysis, Chiehwen Hsu, Francisco Soto Mas

Francisco Soto Mas

Objective: The literature suggests that colorectal cancer mortality in Texas is distributed inhomogeneously among specific demographic subgroups and in certain geographic regions over an extended period. To understand the extent of the demographic and geographic disparities, the present study examined colorectal cancer mortality in 15 demographic groups in Texas counties between 1990 and 2001. Methods: The Spatial Scan Statistic was used to assess the standardized mortality ratio, duration and age-adjusted rates of excess mortality, and their respective p-values for testing the null hypothesis of homogeneity of geographic and temporal distribution. Results: The study confirmed the excess mortality in some Texas …

Depressed Contractile Responses To Neurokinin A In Idiopathic But Not Neurogenic Overactive Human Detrusor Muscle, Donna Sellers, Christopher Chapple, Douglas Hay, Russell Chess-Williams

Russ Chess-Williams

Objective: The role of tachykinins such as neurokinin A in regulating bladder function is unclear, but NK2 receptors seem to mediate contraction in the human bladder and it has been suggested that these peptides may have a role in the pathophysiology of bladder dysfunction. The present study investigates neurokinin receptor-mediated contractility of detrusor muscle in the idiopathic overactive and neurogenic overactive bladder and investigates the neurokinin receptor subtypes involved.

Methods: Human bladder was obtained from patients undergoing cystectomy (normal) or clam cystoplasty (idiopathic overactive) and from patients with spinal injuries (neurogenic overactive). Strips of isolated detrusor muscle were mounted in …

2007 Tschochner Superiority Of Infectivity-Based Over Particle-Based Methods For Quantitation Of Drug Resistant Hiv-1 As Inocula For Cell Cultures.Pdf, M Tschochner

Monika Tschochner

No abstract provided.

The Plant Structure Ontology, A Unified Vocabulary Of Anatomy And Morphology Of A Flowering Plant, Katica Ilic, Elizabeth A. Kellogg, Pankaj Jaiswal, Felipe Zapata, Peter F. Stevens, Leszek P. Vincent, Shulamit Avraham, Leonore Reiser, Anuradha Pujar, Martin M. Sachs, Noah T. Whitman, Susan R. Mccouch, Mary L. Schaeffer, Doreen H. Ware, Lincoln D. Stein, Seung Y. Rhee

Peter Stevens

Modeling The Incubation Period Of Anthrax, Ron Brookmeyer, Elizabeth Johnson, Sarah Barry

Ron Brookmeyer

Models of the incubation period of anthrax are important to public health planners because they can be used to predict the delay before outbreaks are detected, the size of an outbreak and the duration of time that persons should remain on antibiotics to prevent disease. The difficulty is that there is little direct data about the incubation period in humans. The objective of this paper is to develop and apply models for the incubation period of anthrax. Mechanistic models that account for the biology of spore clearance and germination are developed based on a competing risks formulation. The models predict …

Howe V. Mgh And Hudson V. Texas Children's Hospital: Two Approaches To Resolving Family-Physician Disputes In End-Of-Life Care, Michael Moreland

Michael P. Moreland

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Bnp Testing In Heart Failure, Jenny Doust, Richard Lehman, Paul Glasziou

Jenny Doust

Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels are simple and objective measures of cardiac function. These measurements can be used to diagnose heart failure, including diastolic dysfunction, and using them has been shown to save money in the emergency department setting. The high negative predictive value of BNP tests is particularly helpful for ruling out heart failure. Treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin-II receptor blockers, spironolactone, and diuretics reduces BNP levels, suggesting that BNP testing may have a role in monitoring patients with heart failure. However, patients with treated chronic stable heart failure may have levels in the normal range (i.e., BNP …

Using Electronic Patient Records In Mental Healthcare To Capture Housing And Homelessness Information Of Psychiatric Consumers, Richard Booth

Richard G Booth

No abstract provided.

Obligations In Offering To Disclose Genetic Research Results, Conrad Fernandez, Charles Weijer

Charles Weijer

No abstract provided.

Organochlorine Levels In Seawater And Sediment From The Florida Gulf Coast, If Present, Are Low. , Richard B. Philp

Richard B. Philp

Seawater and sediment from the Florida panhandle coast were assayed for a panel of 28 organochlorine insecticides and PCBs. No samples exeeded the detection limits of the analytical technique, which were well below levels reported for other ocean locales. Organochlorine levels in this area of the Gulf must be very low. This does not preclude their biomagnificatioon up the food web.

Organochlorine Levels In Seawater And Sediment From The Florida Gulf Coast, If Present, Are Low., Richard B. Philp

Richard B. Philp

Abstract Seawater and bottom sediment from two areas of the Gulf of Mexico near-shore waters along the Florida panhandle, one near Panacea (South of Tallahassee) and the other, St. Joseph Bay, about 100 km to the west, were analyzed for organochlorines (OCs). The first area is contiguous with the open water of Apalachee Bay and receives significant fresh water inflow. The second is a long, narrow bay with a north-facing mouth adjacent to the mainland and little fresh water inflow. Samples were analyzed for a panel of 28 OCs including several insecticides and metabolites as well as hexaxhlorobenzene and total …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Antiretroviral Adherence Interventions: Using Marginal Structural Models To Replicate The Findings Of Randomized Controlled Trials., Maya L. Petersen, Yue Wang, Mark J. Van Der Laan, David R. Bangsberg

Maya Petersen

Randomized controlled trials of interventions to improve adherence to antiretroviral medications are not always feasible. Marginal Structural Models (MSM) are a statistical methodology that aims to replicate the findings of randomized controlled trials using observational data. Under the assumption of no unmeasured confounders, three MSM estimators are available to estimate the causal effect of an intervention. Two of these estimators, G-computation and Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighted, can be implemented using standard software. G-computation relies on fitting a multivariable regression of adherence on the intervention and confounders. Thus, it is related to the standard multivariable regression approach to estimating causal …

Modeling An Outbreak Of Anthrax, Ron Brookmeyer

Ron Brookmeyer

Introduction

On October 2, 2001 a sixty-three-year-old Florida man who worked as a photo editor at a media publishing company was admitted to an emergency department complaining of nausea, vomiting, and fever. His symptoms began four days earlier on a recreational trip to North Carolina. The man died shortly thereafter. An astute clinician quickly made the surprising diagnosis of inhalational anthrax, which is a serious and deadly disease. The diagnosis was surprising because inhalational anthrax is extremely rare; only 18 cases were reported in the United States between 1900 and 1978. Public health officials at first believed that the Florida …

Airborne Measurements Of Carbonaceous Aerosol Soluble In Water Over Northeastern United States: Method Development And An Investigation Into Water-Soluble Organic Carbon Sources, A. P. Sullivan, Richard E. Peltier, C. A. Brock, J. A. De Gouw, J. S. Holloway, C. Warneke, A. G. Wollny, R. J. Weber

Richard E. Peltier

A particle-into-liquid sampler (PILS) was coupled to a total organic carbon (TOC) analyzer for 3 s integrated measurements of water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) in PM1 ambient particles. The components of the instrument are described in detail. The PILS-TOC was deployed on the NOAA WP-3D aircraft during the NEAQS/ITCT 2004 program to investigate WSOC sources over the northeastern United States and Canada. Two main sources were identified: biomass burning emissions from fires in Alaska and northwestern Canada and emissions emanating from urban centers. Biomass burning WSOC was correlated with carbon monoxide (CO) and acetonitrile (r2 > 0.88). These plumes were intercepted in …

Concentrations And Sources Of Organic Carbon Aerosols In The Free Troposphere Over North America, Colette L. Heald, Daniel J. Jacob, Solène Turquety, Rynda C. Hudman, Rodney J. Weber, Amy P. Sullivan, Richard E. Peltier, Eliot L. Atlas, Joost A. De Gouw, Carsten Warneke, John S. Holloway, J. Andrew Neuman, John H. Seinfeld, Frank M. Flocke

Richard E. Peltier

Aircraft measurements of water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) aerosol over NE North America during summer 2004 (ITCT-2K4) are simulated with a global chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem) to test our understanding of the sources of organic carbon (OC) aerosol in the free troposphere (FT). Elevated concentrations were observed in plumes from boreal fires in Alaska and Canada. WSOC aerosol concentrations outside of these plumes average 0.9 ± 0.9 mg C m 3 in the FT (2–6 km). The corresponding model value is 0.7 ± 0.6 mg C m 3, including 42% from biomass burning, 36% from biogenic secondary organic aerosol (SOA), and …

The Anatomy Of A Sport Managenemt Sales Class, Anthony Lachowetz

Anthony J Lachowetz

No abstract provided.

Traditional Medicine And Traditional Music In Madagascar, Nat Quansah

Nat Quansah

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Timing Of Radiotherapy After Breast-Conserving Surgery In Patients With Positive Or Close Resection Margins, Young Age, And Node-Negative Disease, With Long Term Follow-Up, Olga Vujovic, Anil Cherian, Edward Yu, A. Dar, Larry Stitt, Francisco Perera

Edward Yu

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of timing of radiotherapy after conservative breast surgery on local recurrence in women with positive resection margins and young age, treated without systemic therapy. Methods and materials: A total of 568 patients with T1 and T2, N0 breast cancer were treated with breast-conserving surgery and breast irradiation, between January 1, 1985, and December 31, 1992, at the London Regional Cancer Centre. 63 patients (11.1%) had positive/close resection margins (< 2 mm) and 48 patients (8.4%) were age < or = 40 years. For patients with positive resection margins, the time intervals from breast surgery to breast irradiation used for analysis were, 0 to 8 weeks, > 8 to 12 weeks and > 12 weeks. For patients < or = 40 years, the intervals used for analysis were 0 to 8 weeks and > 8 weeks. Results: Median follow up was 11.2 years. For patients …

Internet Chat Rooms: Connecting With A New Generation Of Young Men Of Color At Risk For Hiv Infection Who Have Sex With Other Men., Sheldon Fields

Sheldon D. Fields

The purpose of this study was to explore the use of gay-related Internet chat rooms by young men who have sex with other men of color (YMSMC) in a specific catchment area. Participants were 104 YMSMC age 18 to 24 (M = 21.56) who were encountered in two gay-related Internet chat rooms during April 2005. Participants were mainly African American (53.7%, n = 56), HIV-negative (57.6%, n = 60), and online looking for some type of sexual encounter (80.7%, n = 84). The results of this study support the need to develop specific culturally appropriate HIV prevention Internet outreach protocols …

Age-Related Dystrophin–Glycoprotein Complex Structure And Function In The Rat Extensor Digitorum Longus And Soleus Muscle, Kevin M. Rice, Deborah L. Preston, David Neff, Michael L. Norton, Eric R. Blough

Eric Blough

Age-Related Dystrophin–Glycoprotein Complex Structure And Function In The Rat Extensor Digitorum Longus And Soleus Muscle, Kevin M. Rice, Deborah L. Preston, David Neff, Michael L. Norton, Eric R. Blough

Kevin M Rice

Age-Related Dystrophin–Glycoprotein Complex Structure And Function In The Rat Extensor Digitorum Longus And Soleus Muscle, Kevin M. Rice, Deborah L. Preston, David Neff, Michael L. Norton, Eric R. Blough

Deborah L Preston

Exposure To Environmentally Relevant Doses Of The Xenoestrogen Bisphenol-A Alters Development Of The Fetal Mouse Mammary Gland, Laura Vandenberg, Maricel V. Maffini, Perinaaz R. Wadia, Carlos Sonnenschein, Beverly S. Rubin, Ana M. Soto

Laura Vandenberg

Humans are routinely exposed to bisphenol-A (BPA), an estrogenic compound that leaches from dental materials, food and beverage containers, and other plastic consumer products. Effects of perinatal BPA exposure on the mouse mammary gland have been observed in puberty and adulthood, long after the period of exposure has ended. The aim of this study was to examine fetal mammary gland development at embryonic day (E)18 and assess changes in the tissue organization and histoarchitecture after exposure to an environmentally relevant dose of BPA. In unexposed fetuses, the relative position of the fetus with respect to its female and male siblings …

Current Controversies In Critical Care Pharmacotherapy: Incorporating Evidence Into Practice. How Can We Start Nutrition, Jane Gervasio

Jane M. Gervasio

No abstract provided.

Nursing Students’ Empowerment In Distance Education: Testing Kanter's Theory, Elizabeth Ledwell, Mary-Anne Andrusyszyn, Carrolll Iwasiw

Mary-Anne Andrusyszyn

This qualitative, explanatory study examined Post-RN baccalaureate nursing students’ experiences of empowerment with distance education and computer conferencing (CC) for fit with the constructs of Kanter’s (1977, 1993) Theory of Structural Power in Organizations. Seven post-RNs from Canadian distance education nursing programs were interviewed. Interview transcripts were examined using content analysis. Kanter’s theory was useful in describing empowerment structures in distance education courses. Feedback from instructors, access to library facilities, and support from employers and family are essential elements of an empowering educational experience. Students missed face-to-face contact. Two themes unrelated to Kanter’s theory—self-direction and determination to succeed—emerged. This study, …

Age-Related Functional Recruitment During The Recognition Of Famous Names: An Event-Related Fmri Study, Kristy Nielson, K Douville, M Seidenberg, J Woodard, S Miller, P Antuono, M Franczak, S Rao

Kristy Nielson

Recent neuroimaging research shows that older adults exhibit recruitment, or increased activation on various cognitive tasks. The current study evaluated whether a similar pattern also occurs in semantic memory by evaluating age-related differences during recognition of Recent (since the 1990s) and Enduring (1950s to present) famous names. Fifteen healthy older and 15 healthy younger adults performed the name recognition task with a high and comparable degree of accuracy, although older adults had slower reaction time in response to Recent famous names. Event-related functional MRI showed extensive networks of activation in the two groups including posterior cingulate, right hippocampus, temporal lobe …

Assistive Technology Enhancement Of Written Expression For Individuals With Neurodevelopmental Disorders [Poster], Laura Greiss Hess, Kerrie Lemons Chitwood, Susan Harris

Laura Greiss Hess