Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Significance Of Cell-Surface Α2,3-Linked Sialic Acid In Osteoclasts, Christopher S. Harding

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Osteoclasts are giant, multinucleated cells that, alongside osteoblasts, are central to maintaining physiologically healthy bone. The functions of osteoclasts and osteoblasts-degrading and depositing bone matrix, respectively-are paired in healthy bone tissue, thereby yielding no net bone loss or deposition. When these functions become imbalanced, it results in net bone loss or gain, depending on which cell type is being outcompeted. Osteoporosis is one of the most common pathologies stemming from such an imbalance, and predominantly affects postmenopausal women, as the ablation of circulating estrogen-a pro-death signal for osteoclasts-causes a prolongation of osteoclast lifespan and consequent lengthening of their resorptive activity. …

Covid-19 Academic Integrity Violations And Trends: A Rapid Review, Thomas Maryon, Vandy C. Dubre Mrs., Kimberly Elliot, Mary Helen Fagan, Emily Standridge, Christian Lieneck

Healthcare Policy, Economics and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The rapid shift from classroom course delivery to online education modalities during the COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on academia. Student loss of face-to-face interaction, the lost social benefits of the educational milieu, and restricted instructor ability to control both the learning environment and assessment process have been significant. The purpose of this paper is to discover if due to the unplanned shift to online course delivery, educators and researchers experienced impacts to academic integrity during the peak of the online shift. A systemic review utilizing the PRISMA methodology of peer reviewed literature published during the period of March …

Stochasticity Among Victims Of Covid-19 Pandemic, Ramalingam Shanmugan, Gerald Ledlow, Karan P. Singh

Healthcare Policy, Economics and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article provides a thorough explanation of methods and theoretical concepts to detect infectivity of COVID-19. The concept of heterogeneity is discussed and its impacts on COVID-19 pandemics are explored. Observable heterogeneity is distinguished from non- observable heterogeneity. The data support the concepts of heterogeneity and the methods to extract and interpret the data evidence for the conclusions in this paper. Heterogeneity among the vulnerable to COVID-19 is a significant factor in the contagion of COVID-19, as demonstrated with incidence rates using data of a Diamond Princess cruise ship. Given the nature of the pandemic, its heterogeneity with different social …

Changes In Brain Oxygenation Of Rugby Players Before And After Head Trauma, Megan Benmore

Honors Program Theses

Clinicians often rely on simple neuropsychological and balance tests to diagnose concussion and determine return to sport. These tests are not fully comprehensive and lack a measure of brain physiology, warranting the need for an objective biomarker, especially in sports with frequent head trauma (e.g., rugby). The high number of concussions occurring in recreational sport necessitates an affordable and accurate biomarker to easily assess the severity of trauma. The purpose of the present study was to address this issue, using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to assess relative changes in oxyhemoglobin (O₂Hb), deoxyhemoglobin (HHb), total hemoglobin (tHb) and hemoglobin …

Intergenomic And Epistatic Interactions Control Free Radical Mediated Pancreatic Β-Cell Damage., Jing Chen, Renhua Li, Sarah Knapp, Guizhi Zhu, Robert L Whitener, Edward H. Leiter, Clayton E Mathews

Faculty Research 2022

Alloxan (AL)-generated Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) selectively destroy insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells. A previous genome-wide scan (GWS) using a cohort of 296 F2 hybrids between NOD (AL-sensitive) and ALR (AL-resistant) mice identified linkages contributing to β-cell susceptibility or resistance to AL-induced diabetes on Chromosomes (Chr) 2, 3, 8, and a single nucleotide polymorphism in

A-Kinase Anchor Protein 1 Deficiency Causes Mitochondrial Dysfunction In Mouse Model Of Hyperoxia Induced Acute Lung Injury., Ramani Soundararajan, Helena Hernández-Cuervo, Timothy M Stearns, Anthony J Griswold, Sahebgowda Sidramagowda Patil, Jutaro Fukumoto, Venkata Ramireddy Narala, Lakshmi Galam, Richard Lockey, Narasaiah Kolliputi

Faculty Research 2022

No abstract provided.

Health Workers On The Political Frontlines, Gideon Lasco

Development Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Role Of Morphological Awareness In Language And Literacy In Children With And Without Developmental Language Disorder, Melissa Phelan

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Past research has shown phonological awareness is highly correlated with language and literacy success in children with and without Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), but a less examined area of language and literacy is morphological awareness. Delayed morphology in children with DLD has been studied extensively in spoken language, but relatively little in written language in the DLD population. This study explored two research questions: 1) Is morphological awareness related to language and literacy success in children with and without DLD, and 2) Is morphological awareness impaired for those children with DLD and dyslexia similarly to that of phonological awareness. A …

Analyzing The Effect Of Interview Time And Day On Emergency Medicine Residency Interview Scores, Alanna O’Connel, Sean Greco, Peter Tomaselli, Megan Stobart Gallagher, Robin Naples, Dimitrios Papanagnou

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Learning Objectives: To analyze whether interview date or time has an effect on residency interview score for applicants to Emergency Medicine residency programs.

Efficacy Of Dexmedetomidine As An Opioid Sparing Adjunct To Regional Anesthesia For Shoulder Surgery, Matthew Austin

Nurse Anesthesia Student Capstones

Regional anesthetics are often the preferred route for patients who are having orthopedic shoulder procedures (Rai & Bhutia, 2017). Traditionally, plain local anesthetics, like bupivacaine or ropivacaine, are used as the local anesthetic of choice because of their fast onset and relatively predictable duration of action. However, several different additives have been trialed to prolong the duration or improve the density of regional blocks. When looking at additives to regional anesthetic techniques, side effects and duration of the block can be unpredictable and unpleasant. For example, additives like fentanyl, morphine, and dexamethasone have been trialed in regional techniques and have …

The Impact Of Expanded Tele-Mental Health On Quality-Of-Care Indicators: A Three-Pronged Regression Analysis At Los Angeles County’S Department Of Mental Health, Ami Bhatt

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Background: The use of Tele-Mental Health (TMH) skyrocketed after the COVID-19 pandemic led to the announcement of a public health emergency in March 2020. This rise coincided with soaring rates of mental health issues and increasing demand for accessible and sustainable treatment, all while meeting physical distancing requirements. TMH use is theorized to improve timely access to care and provide opportunities to improve quality of care indicators in individuals and at the health systems level. Research Question: How has the widespread adoption of Tele-Mental Health changed quality of care (QoC) indicators among patients of LA County Department of Mental Health’s …

Physician’S Resistance To Ehr Post Successful Organizational Adoption: Dual Factors Investigative Study, Sawsan Abdullah Altammar

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The introduction of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) has drastically improved the quality of health care, streamlined the processing of its tasks, and enhanced the retention of patient data for the hospitals of today. This research is a response to a call for an investigation of the reasons or factors that could affect health care workers’ decision to use or to resist software once it has been implemented. Physicians form the focus of this study because previous research demonstrates that physicians are an important user group of EMR. Physicians’ attitudes about using and their resistance to correlate with the attitudes of …

Emergency Department Use Among Probationers Enrolled In The Riverside University Health System, Whole-Person Care Pilot Program, Nirshila Chand

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Formerly incarcerated individuals suffer from poor health outcomes and often overuse emergency department (ED) services because of a lack of access to care and insurance coverage upon reentry to their community. The Riverside County Whole Person Care (WPC) pilot program implemented by Riverside University Health System (RUHS) was designed as a reentry program developed to address these challenges and ensure that releasees successfully transition back into the community. The primary aim of this project was to assess whether participating in the RUHS WPC program reduced emergency department (ED) use among recent releasees. This was a cross-sectional retrospective study of formerly …

Papanicolaou (Pap) Test And Human Papillomavirus (Hpv) Test Adherence: Sexual Violence Victims And Fear Of Retraumatization, Murielle Sighe Ngoumkam

CGU Theses & Dissertations

To include all vulnerable women population who faced barriers to participating in preventive cervical cancer screening, the public health community must better understand the factors that affect their decision for getting Pap and HPV tests. Public health must understand the sexual violence victims, a subgroup of women who faced the onset of trauma and explore their adherence to routine screening. This study investigated whether sexual women with a history of sexual violence (SV), likelihood to get screened for cervical cancer would be impacted given the fear of suffering from secondary trauma during conventional screening procedures. Methods: Knowledge of cervical screening …

Targeting Bcl-2 Family Proteins In Therapy Induced Senescent Cancer Cell Models, Wade Cook

Theses and Dissertations

Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) originates from numerous different cell types in the lungs and is among the deadliest of cancers. Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas (HNSCC) are derived from the mucosal membranes of the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx. Both NSCLC and HNSCC are predominately caused by tobacco smoke inhalation and as such mutations in the tumor suppressor gene TP53 are common. Since similarities exist in the root cause of NSCLC and HNSCC, they may also share similarities in treatment methods. Cisplatin is a platinum-based DNA damaging agent that has been used as a cancer chemotherapy for decades. …

The Relationship Between Nursing Faculty Stress And Gratitude Journaling, Kathleen L Whalen

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

“The relationship between nursing faculty stress and gratitude journaling”

Kathleen L. Whalen, MS RN – Regis University

The National League for Nursing (NLN) has reported a national shortage of nursing faculty. Some of the factors involved are limited qualified faculty, schools’ inability to offer competitive wages, and faculty leaving due to stress or retiring. A quality improvement project was developed for full-time faculty in a university nursing program in dealing with stress, which could aid in retention. A quasi-experiment with a pre-test and post-test design was used to measure participants’ stress using the Perceived Stress Scale–10 (PSS-10) before and after …

N Y State Dent J January 2022

The New York State Dental Journal

In the January 2022 issue, the reader will find the following feature articles:

• A Call to Do Better: Addressing Diversity within the Dental Profession
• Moving on in the New Year
• Destination Dental School: A Remote Pipeline Program to Increase Student Diversity
• Alteration in Facial Contour Associated with Aging

This issue includes regular columns with regional news impacting the New York membership including: editorial and perspectives columns, legal, association activities, component news, continuing education opportunities, and classifieds.

A Call To Do Better: Addressing Diversity Within The Dental Profession, Fabiola Milord Dds, Mph

The New York State Dental Journal

Current systems have not been successful in addressing the existing racial inequities between black dental professionals and other racial groups. This group in particular seems to have less visibility and representation in organized dentistry. Nowhere has this been more obvious that during the COVID-19 pandemic whereby African-American professionals were not as prominently featured in offering their viewpoint and expertise. In this paper, insights regarding the topic of diversity are discussed in order to gain perspective into a situation that has existed far too long.

The Dangers Of Aces, Olivia Carey, Thea Forrest, Adna Abdi

Maine Medical Center

ACEs stands for Adverse Childhood Experiences, included (but not limited to) physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, substance abuse, neglect, dysfunctional families, and mental illness'. ACEs impacts childhood development and increases chances of future health implications.

Relationships Of Serum Cc16 Levels With Smoking Status And Lung Function In Copd, Kelli C. Gribben, Jill A. Poole, Amy J. Nelson, Paraskevi A. Farazi, Christopher S. Wichman, Art J. Heires, Debra J. Romberger, Tricia D. Levan

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

Background: The club cell secretory protein (CC16) has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and low CC16 serum levels have been associated with both risk and progression of COPD, yet the interaction between smoking and CC16 on lung function outcomes remains unknown.

Methods: Utilizing cross-sectional data on United States veterans, CC16 serum concentrations were measured by ELISA and log transformed for analyses. Spirometry was conducted and COPD status was defined by post-bronchodilator FEV₁/FVC ratio < 0.7. Smoking measures were self-reported on questionnaire. Multivariable logistic and linear regression were employed to examine associations between CC16 levels and COPD, and lung function with adjustment for covariates. Unadjusted Pearson correlations described relationships between CC16 level and lung function measures, pack-years smoked, and years since smoking cessation.

Results: The study population (N = 351) was mostly male, white, with an average age over 60 years. An interaction between CC16 and smoking status on …

Walking Improvement In Chronic Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury With Exoskeleton Robotic Training (Wise): A Randomized Controlled Trial, Dylan J. Edwards, Gail Forrest, Mar Cortes, Margaret M. Weightman, Cristina Sadowsky, Shuo-Hsiu Chang, Kimberly Furman, Amy Bialek, Sara Prokup, John Carlow, Leslie Vanhiel, Laura Kemp, Darrell Musick, Marc Campo, Arun Jayaraman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Study design:

Clinical trial.

Objective:

To demonstrate that a 12-week exoskeleton-based robotic gait training regimen can lead to a clinically meaningful improvement in independent gait speed, in community-dwelling participants with chronic incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI).

Setting:

Outpatient rehabilitation or research institute.

Methods:

Multi-site (United States), randomized, controlled trial, comparing exoskeleton gait training (12 weeks, 36 sessions) with standard gait training or no gait training (2:2:1 randomization) in chronic iSCI ( > 1 year post injury, AIS-C, and D), with residual stepping ability. The primary outcome measure was change in robot-independent gait speed (10-meter walk test, 10MWT) post 12-week intervention. Secondary …

Developing, Monitoring, And Reporting Of Fidelity In Aphasia Trials: Core Recommendations From The Collaboration Of Aphasia Trialists (Cats) Trials For Aphasia Panel, Nicholas Behn, Madeleine Harrison, Marian C. Brady, Caterina Breitenstein, Marcella Carragher, Julius Fridriksson, Erin Godecke, Argye Hillis, Helen Kelly, Rebecca Palmer, Miranda L. Rose, Shirley Thomas, Donna Tippett, Linda Worrall, Frank Becker, Katerina Hilari

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Developing, monitoring, and reporting of fidelity are essential and integral components to the design of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in stroke and aphasia. Treatment fidelity refers to the degree to which an intervention is delivered as intended and is directly related to the quality of the evidence generated by RCTs. Clear documentation of treatment fidelity in trials assists in the evaluation of the clinical implications of potential benefits attributed to the intervention. Consideration of the implementation requirements of a research-based intervention as intended in a clinical context is necessary to achieve similar outcomes for a clinical population. Despite this, …

Impact Of Covid-19 Lockdown On Physical Activity Behaviours Of Older Adults Who Participated In A Community-Based Exercise Program Prior To The Lockdown, Kaoru Nosaka, Caitlin Fox-Harding, Kazunori Nosaka

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study investigated the impact of the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown on community-dwelling older adults attending a community-based exercise program to seek strategies to keep them active during self-isolated situations. A two-phase mixed methods approach included a survey followed by in-person focus groups. Forty-eight participants, with 32 starting a community-based exercise program before the lockdown and 16 joining the program after the lockdown, completed a questionnaire survey about physical activities before and during the lockdown. This was followed by three focus groups (26 participants in total) to identify factors influencing physical activity behaviours found in the survey. The survey found that …

Work-Based Concerns Of Australian Frontline Healthcare Workers During The First Wave Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Michella Hill, Erin Smith, Brennen W. Mills

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective: This research sought to gauge the extent to which doctors, nurses and paramedics in Australia were concerned about contracting SARS-CoV-2 during the country's first wave of the virus in April 2020.

Methods: Australian registered doctors, nurses and paramedics (n=580) completed an online questionnaire during April 16–30, 2020 (period immediately following the highest four-week period (first wave) of SARS-CoV-2 confirmed cases in Australia).

Results: During April 2020, two-thirds of participants felt it was likely they would contract SARS-CoV-2 at work. Half the participants suggested Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) supplies were inadequate for them to safely perform their job, with two-thirds …

The Use Of Complementary Medicine During Childbearing Years: A Multi-Country Study Of Women From The Middle East, Diana Arabiat, Lisa Whitehead, Samia Gaballah, Nazi Nejat, Ebtehal Galal, Eman Abu Sabah, Nazek Smadi, Inas Saadeh, Randa Khlaif

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The prevalence of self-prescribed complementary medicine (CM) use is an area of concern across the Middle East. We conducted a descriptive qualitative study to describe women’s use of CM during their childbearing years in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Iran. The study conducted using face to face audio-recorded interviews with 70 participants. Our findings showed that women used several herbal plants to ease pain and discomfort during menstruation and/or during pregnancy and in postpartum care. Acupuncture, meditation, and massage were less likely to be used by women. The impact of CM was often described in relation to perceived usefulness and …

Myokine Expression And Tumor-Suppressive Effect Of Serum Following 12 Weeks Of Exercise In Prostate Cancer Patients On Adt, Jin-Soo Kim, Rebekah Louise Wilson, Dennis Taaffe, Daniel A. Galvao, Elin S. Gray, Robert Newton

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose:

Although several mechanisms have been proposed for the tumor-suppressive effect of exercise, little attention has been given to myokines, even though skeletal muscle is heavily recruited during exercise resulting in myokine surges. We measured resting serum myokine levels before and after an exercise-based intervention and the effect of this serum on prostate cancer cell growth.

Methods:

Ten prostate cancer patients undertaking androgen deprivation therapy (age, 73.3 ± 5.6 yr) undertook a 12-wk exercise-based intervention including supervised resistance training, self-directed aerobic exercise, and protein supplementation. Body composition was assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and muscle strength by the one-repetition maximum …

Why Do Parents Refuse Childhood Vaccination? Reasons Reported In Finland, Johanna Nurmi, Bronwyn Harman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aims: This article examines the reasons for partial and complete refusal of childhood vaccination as reported by parents in Finland. It analyzes perceptions and experiences central in vaccination decisions. Methods: The analysis is based on 38 in-depth interviews with Finnish parents who have refused all or several vaccines for their children. The interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Three categories of reasons were identified in the analysis: 1) risks and effects of vaccination – concern about and/or experiences of possible side-effects was the most important reason for avoiding vaccines; 2) distrust – participants did not trust vaccination recommendations …

Creating A Novel Approach To Discourse Treatment Through Coproduction With People With Aphasia And Speech And Language Therapists, M. Cruice, S. Aujla, J. Bannister, N. Botting, M. Boyle, N. Charles, V. Dhaliwal, S. Grobler, Deborah Hersh, J. Marshall, S. Morris, M. Pritchard, L. Scarth, R. Talbot, L. Dipper

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Although spoken discourse is an outcome prioritised by all stakeholders in aphasia rehabilitation, assessment and treatment of discourse are not routine clinical practice. The small evidence base, varied clinical expertise, multiple barriers in the workplace, and challenges for clients in understanding their altered language abilities all contribute to this situation. These factors need serious consideration when developing a new treatment. Involving intended stakeholders as partners in the development process is recommended. This assists with future implementation by ensuring assessment and treatment are practical, feasible, and acceptable to those who will deliver and undertake it.

Aims:

This paper reports on …

Associations Of Fat And Muscle Mass With Overall Survival In Men With Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis, Pedro Lopez, Robert U. Newton, Dennis R. Taaffe, Favil Singh, Laurien M. Buffart, Nigel Spry, Colin Tang, Fred Saad, Daniel A. Galvao

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background

To systematically review and analyse the associations between fat and muscle mass measures with overall survival in men with prostate cancer.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted in CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PubMed, and Web of Science databases from inception to December 2020, while abstracts from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA), and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) conferences were searched from 2014 to 2020. Eligible articles examined the association of body composition measures, such as fat mass (e.g., fat mass, visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and …

Derivation Of A Prototype Asthma Attack Risk Scale Centred On Blood Eosinophils And Exhaled Nitric Oxide, Simon Couillard, Annette Laugerud, Maisha Jabeen, Sanjay Ramakrishnan, James Melhorn, Timothy Hinks, Ian Pavord

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Reduction of the risk of asthma attacks is a major goal of current asthma management. We propose to derive a risk scale predicting asthma attacks based on the blood eosinophil count and exhaled nitric oxide. Biomarker-stratified trial-level attack rates were extracted and pooled from the control arms of the Novel START, CAPTAIN, QUEST, Benralizumab Phase 2b, PATHWAY, STRATOS 1-2 and DREAM trials (n=3051). These were used to derive rate ratios and the predicted asthma attack rate for different patient groups. The resultant prototype risk scale shows potential to predict asthma attacks, which may be prevented by anti-inflammatory treatment.