Digital Commons Network^™

Elevated Chemerin Levels In Pakistani Men: An Interrelation With Metabolic Syndrome Phenotypes, Syeda Sadia Fatima, Kiymet Bozaoglu, Rehana Rehman, Faiza Alam, Abdul Shakoor Memon

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Chemerin is a novel protein linked to adipocyte differentiation and the development of metabolic imbalances. We sought to examine the relationship of chemerin with metabolic syndrome disturbances including body fat percentage, serum lipid, glucose, insulin levels and body fat percentage in lean and obese volunteers. A cross-sectional study of 90 randomly selected healthy males from Pakistan were divided into three groups as per Body Mass Index (BMI) criteria for South Asian Population. Anthropometric measurements were taken for BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference and body fat percentage, while serum analyses were performed for fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, fasting lipid profile …

Meeting The Challenge: Technological Advances In Stroke Rehabilitation, Peggy Seminara Rn, Ne-Bc, Mha, Bernadette R. Anderson Bsn, Rn, Alberto Esquenazi Md

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Upper Extremity Function Between Female Breast Cancer Survivors And Healthy Controls: Typical Self-Report Of Function, Motion, Strength, And Muscular Endurance, Mary Insana Fisher

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Many women who have experienced breast cancer (BC) report continued impairments in upper extremity (UE) function beyond the time required for normal healing after surgical treatment. Most research supporting this has not made comparisons between survivors of breast cancer (BCS) to a sample of healthy women. This lack of comparison to a healthy cohort prevents an understanding of whether continued deficits in UE function are due to normal aging or the BC treatment.

The purpose of this research was to compare quality of life (QOL) and UE function among long term breast cancer survivors and similar aged women without cancer. …

Helping Refugees Navigate The Health Care Maze, Jenna Fox, Andy Kay

CwiC-PH

Jenna’s main focus during her Bridging the Gaps assignment at NSC was an outcomes assessment for use in grant applications. Her side projects included client service and education development

Analysis Of Importance Of Implementing Spiritual Assessment And Care Of Patients In Clinical Settings, You Na Park

CwiC-PH

Health professionals need to take care of patients’ spirituality, evaluate various spiritual approaches from both professional and public voices, and address concerns and potential conflicts in meeting the patients’ spiritual needs. There is a number of strategies and solutions to addressing the concerns of spiritual assessments and management of the patients in clinical setting.

The Contribution Of Schizophrenia To Homelessness: Analysis Of The Housing First Model And Possible Prevention Of Serious Mental Illness, Elijah Grillo

CwiC-PH

The Problem

• 2.6 million schizophrenics in the US accounting for more inpatient treatment days than any other medical illness (national cost: $62 billion/year).

• 6% (~160,000) are homeless or live in shelters

• Make up 36% of the 700,000 homeless individuals in the US.

Integrated Medical Pluralism To Sustain Health Care In The Indian Trans-Himalayas, Jane Babiarz

CwiC-PH

Inadequate health care delivery in the Indian trans-Himalayas arises from the harsh landscape and climate, poverty, the inaccessibility of health care centers, and a burden of chronic diseases and preventable acute illnesses that exceeds the number of traditional healers in the region. Systematizing a pluralistic healer network that integrates NGOs, international health organizations, mobile camps, district clinics, and traditional healers could address the issue of sustaining health care in this region. The backbone of this strategy would be a pre-existing resource relied upon by public and private health organizations: community health workers.

Perceptions Of Emergency Department Crowding In The Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania, Jesse M. Pines, Joshua A. Isserman, John J. Kelly

Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

Introduction: The state of emergency department (ED) crowding in Pennsylvania has not previously been reported.

Methods: We assessed perceptions of ED crowding by surveying medical directors/chairs from Pennsylvania EDs in the spring of 2008.

Results: A total of 106 completed the questionnaire (68% response rate). A total of 83% (86/104) agreed that ED crowding was a problem; 26% (27/105) reported that at least half of admitted patients boarded for more than 4 hours. Ninety-eight percent (102/104) agreed that patient satisfaction suffers during crowding and 79% (84/106) stated that quality suffers. Sixty-five percent (68/105) reported that crowding had worsened during the …

Roadmap...Setting The Course For Patient And Family Involvement In Their Plan Of Care (Poster), Kristina Holleran, Tracie Heckman Msn, Rn, Cmsrn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Imatinib Reverses Doxorubicin Resistance By Affecting Activation Of Stat3-Dependent Nf-Κb And Hsp27/P38/Akt Pathways And By Inhibiting Abcb1, Jonathan T. Sims, Sourik S. Ganguly, Holly Bennett, J. Woodrow Friend, Jessica Tepe, Rina Plattner

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Despite advances in cancer detection and prevention, a diagnosis of metastatic disease remains a death sentence due to the fact that many cancers are either resistant to chemotherapy (conventional or targeted) or develop resistance during treatment, and residual chemoresistant cells are highly metastatic. Metastatic cancer cells resist the effects of chemotherapeutic agents by upregulating drug transporters, which efflux the drugs, and by activating proliferation and survival signaling pathways. Previously, we found that c-Abl and Arg non-receptor tyrosine kinases are activated in breast cancer, melanoma, and glioblastoma cells, and promote cancer progression. In this report, we demonstrate that the c-Abl/Arg inhibitor, …

The Biodiversity Hypothesis And Allergic Disease: World Allergy Organization Position Statement., Tari Haahtela, Stephen Holgate, Ruby Pawankar, Cezmi A. Akdis, Suwat Benjaponpitak, Luis Caraballo, Jeffrey Demain, Jay M. Portnoy, Leena Von Hertzen, Wao Special Committee On Climate Change And Biodiversity

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Biodiversity loss and climate change secondary to human activities are now being associated with various adverse health effects. However, less attention is being paid to the effects of biodiversity loss on environmental and commensal (indigenous) microbiotas. Metagenomic and other studies of healthy and diseased individuals reveal that reduced biodiversity and alterations in the composition of the gut and skin microbiota are associated with various inflammatory conditions, including asthma, allergic and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), type1 diabetes, and obesity. Altered indigenous microbiota and the general microbial deprivation characterizing the lifestyle of urban people in affluent countries appear to be risk factors …

What's New In Adult Reconstructive Knee Surgery., Carl A Deirmengian, Jess H Lonner

Rothman Institute Papers

No abstract provided.

Focused Anticoagulation Service In Family Medicine Residencies, Ivy A. Click, Emily Flores, Leonard Brian Cross, Douglas Rose

ETSU Faculty Works

A report on the creation of a new program to improve family medicine residents' understanding, and quality of care, of anticoagulation patients. Patients requiring anticoagulation therapy pose unique issues requiring a systematic approach to their care, balancing the potential benefit from therapy with possible adverse events. Here, we describe a model that helps to standardize both the care received by patients on anticoagulation therapy as well as the training of family medicine residents caring for those patients. A team-based model of care (family medicine residents, clinical pharmacists, and nurses) is used to achieve the goals of improved care and education. …

The Institutional Context That Supports Team-Based Care For Older Adults, Anna Foucek Tresidder

Dissertations and Theses

The aging population in the U.S. is dramatically increasing; it is predicted that not only will individuals live longer but also that they will live with multiple chronic diseases that could require high levels of medical and social resources. While the aging population increases, the number of health care providers choosing to specialize in caring for the elderly is decreasing just as dramatically. Teams are believed to be a possible response to more efficiently use the providers available, take advantage of alternative provider types, and integrate a range of health and social services to meet patient needs more effectively. Interdisciplinary …

Synchronous And Asynchronous Theta And Gamma Activity During Episodic Memory Formation., John F Burke, Kareem A Zaghloul, Joshua Jacobs, Ryan B Williams, Michael R Sperling, Ashwini D Sharan, Michael J Kahana

Department of Neuroscience Faculty Papers

To test the hypothesis that neural oscillations synchronize to mediate memory encoding, we analyzed electrocorticographic recordings taken as 68 human neurosurgical patients studied and subsequently recalled lists of common words. To the extent that changes in spectral power reflect synchronous oscillations, we would expect those power changes to be accompanied by increases in phase synchrony between the region of interest and neighboring brain areas. Contrary to the hypothesized role of synchronous gamma oscillations in memory formation, we found that many key regions that showed power increases during successful memory encoding also exhibited decreases in global synchrony. Similarly, cortical theta activity …

Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase-1b Regulates The Tyrosine Phosphorylation Of The Adapter Grb2-Associated Binder 1 (Gab1) In The Retina, Ammaji Rajala, Ashok K. Dilly, Raju Vs Rajala

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Gab1 (Grb2-associated binder 1) is a key coordinator that belongs to the insulin receptor substrate-1 like family of adaptor molecules and is tyrosine phosphorylated in response to various growth factors, cytokines, and numerous other molecules. Tyrosine phosphorylated Gab1 is able to recruit a number of signaling effectors including PI3K, SHP2 and PLC-γ. In this study, we characterized the localization and regulation of tyrosine phosphorylation of Gab1 in the retina.

Results

Our immuno localization studies suggest that Gab1 is expressed in rod photoreceptor inner segments. We found that hydrogen peroxide activates the tyrosine phosphorylation of Gab1 ex vivo and …

Being In The Moment, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

There seems to be a disconnect between the moment in time and really experiencing it. In the past, if one were privileged to reach late life, one would take time to be in that moment, rather than trying to avoid it. This returns us to the observations of being in the moment and having the full experience of it. Reflection is a gift to be opened in late life.

Medications As A Risk Factor In Falls By Older Adults With And Without Intellectual Disabilities, Patricia Slattum, Edward F. Ansello

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Review common intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors for falls by older adults.

2. Compare risk factors for older adults with and without intellectual disabilities.

3. Focus on medications as a risk factor among a complexity of risk factors.

4. Suggest steps to improve appropriateness of medication regimens, as a step to help reduce risk for falls.

Virginia Post: Improving Patient- Physician Communication About End Of Life Care, Chris Pile, Laura Pole

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Examine the complexities of medical decision-making at the end of life and the inadequacy of advance directives alone to affect care at the end of life.

2. Demonstrate how effective communication can facilitate medical decision-making and improve congruency between care received and patient goals, priorities, and values.

3. Discuss the National POLST Paradigm and the current status of POST in Virginia.

Timeslips: Creativity For People With Dementia, Anne Davis Basting

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Recognize the value of creative storytelling for people with dementia, with its shift in emphasis from memory to imagination.

2. Understand the impact of creative storytelling upon facilitators, storytellers, audiences, and readers.

3. Explore the potential mechanisms at work in creative storytelling.

Pre-Pregnancy Bmi And Weight Gain: Where Is The Tipping Point For Preterm Birth?, Saba W. Masho, Diane Bishop, Meaghan Munn

Family Medicine and Population Health Publications

Background

Obesity in pregnant women is a major problem affecting both the mother and her offspring. Literature on the effect of obesity on preterm birth is inconsistent and few studies have investigated the influence of weight gain during pregnancy. This study examined the effect of maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and weight gain during pregnancy on preterm birth.

Methods

Data from the Collaborative Perinatal Project (CPP) on 45,824 pregnant women with singleton, live-born infants with no severe congenital anomalies was analyzed. Primary outcome variables included preterm (< 37 weeks of gestation), categorized into spontaneous preterm with and without premature rupture of membrane (PROM) and indicated preterm. Maternal BMI was categorized into underweight (BMI < 18.50), normal weight (BMI =1 8.50 – 24.99), overweight (BMI = 25.00 – 29.99), and obese (BMI ≥ 30.00). Multinomial regression analysis was conducted and OR and 95% CI were calculated.

Results

The rate of spontaneous preterm birth with PROM among overweight women decreased with increasing …

Antibiotic-Like Actions Of Vitamin D, Franklin D. Shuler Md, Phd, Josh Hendrix, Adam Short, Sammy Hodroge

Orthopaedics

Vitamin D is a secosteroid hormone that has expanding importance for a healthy lifestyle and disease prevention. A multitude of studies have highlighted that vitamin D acts not only in bone and calcium homeostasis but is critically important for human immunity. The discovery that the storage form of vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D3) can be locally converted to the active form (1,25-hydroxyvitamin D3) in immune cells, epithelial cells and numerous other non-renal tissues highlights the importance of maintaining sufficient stores. When responding to a specific external stimulus, like bacterial invasion, intracrine synthesis of active vitamin D has the ability to regulate …

Few U.S. Public Health Schools Offer Courses On Palliative And End-Of-Life Care Policy, Dale Lupu, Caroline Deneszczuk, Tara Leystra, Rebecca Mckinnon, Victoria Seng

Physical Therapy and Health Care Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Palliative care has been identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a critical policy element for the relief of suffering, yet palliative care policy receives minimal attention in mainstream U.S. public health journals, conferences, or textbooks. In the ’90s, documentation of the lack of attention to end-of-life and palliative care in medical and nursing curricula led to concerted efforts to improve medical and nursing education in palliative care. No such educational effort has yet been directed toward public health professionals.

Objective: This study's objective was to quantify current course offerings covering palliative and end-of-life care from a public …

Impacts Of Social Networking Sites On Patient Care In The Emergency Department, Anne Bennett, Ali Pourmand, Robert Shesser, Jesus Sanchez, Joseph Joyce

Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

The use of Facebook is ubiquitous among both patients and physicians. Often Facebook intrudes into medical practice, thereby highlighting its potential to be either a positive or negative factor in a patient's medical care. Despite being a “hot topic” in the medical literature, very few real world examples exist of physicians actually using information obtained from Facebook to reach a diagnosis or otherwise affect patient care. We present a case involving a 13-year-old girl who posted photographs and captions on Facebook demonstrating suicidal ideation. The patient's parents were alerted to the girl's statements in her Facebook profile and brought her …

Enhancing Communication Between Scientists, Government Officials, And The Lay Public: Advancing Science And Protecting The Public's Welfare Through Better Multi-Stakeholder Interfacing, Clark J. Lee, Patrick P. Rose, Earl Stoddard Iii

Homeland Security Publications

No abstract provided.

Prostate Cancer: Can Multiparametric Mr Imaging Help Identify Patients Who Are Candidates For Active Surveillance?, B. Turkbey, H. Mani, O. Aras, J. Ho, A. Hoang, A. R. Rastinehad, H. Agarwal, V. Shah, M. Bernardo, P. L. Choyke, +8 Additional Authors

Journal Articles

PURPOSE: To determine whether multiparametric magnetic resonance (MR) imaging can help identify patients with prostate cancer who would most appropriately be candidates for active surveillance (AS) according to current guidelines and to compare the results with those of conventional clinical assessment scoring systems, including the D'Amico, Epstein, and Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment (CAPRA) systems, on the basis of findings at prostatectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This institutional review board-approved HIPAA-compliant retrospectively designed study included 133 patients (mean age, 59.3 years) with a mean prostate-specific antigen level of 6.73 ng/mL (median, 4.39 ng/mL) who underwent multiparametric MR imaging at 3.0 …

A Quantitative Link Between Face Discrimination Deficits And Neuronal Selectivity For Faces In Autism, Xiong Jiang, Angela Bollich, Patrick Cox, Eric Hyder, Joette James, Saqib Ali Gowani, Nouchine Hadjikhani, Volker Blanz, Dara S. Manoach, Jason J.S. Barton, William D. Gaillard, Maximilian Reisenhuber

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Faculty Publications

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) appear to show a general face discrimination deficit across a range of tasks including social–emotional judgments as well as identification and discrimination. However, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies probing the neural bases of these behavioral differences have produced conflicting results: while some studies have reported reduced or no activity to faces in ASD in the Fusiform Face Area (FFA), a key region in human face processing, others have suggested more typical activation levels, possibly reflecting limitations of conventional fMRI techniques to characterize neuron-level processing. Here, we test the hypotheses that face discrimination abilities …

Impact Of Varied Low Resolution Phantoms On Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy Dose Distributions, Aarohi Shyam Padhye

Theses Digitization Project

The primary purpose of this thesis is to discuss the usefulness of image segmentation techniques in creating accurate proton dose distribution plans. The calculation of the proton dose distribution has to take into account the material (tissue, bone, brain) in the treatment area of the patients body.

Stereotactic Localization And Targeting Accuracy For Experimental Proton Radiosurgery, Yin Chen

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to improve an existing experimental proton radiosurgery system at Loma Linda University Medical Center to reach sub-millimeter accuracy before proton radiosurgery with narrow beams can be used in a clinical trial. Protons, different from photons (i.e., x-rays or gamma rays), are charged with particles that slow down in matter and release a burst of energy near the end of their range (maximum depth of penetration), which is called the Bragg peak, named after the physicist William Henry Bragg who discovered it in 1903. Photon beams deliver most doses over a large area near the …

Fiducial-Free Alignment Verification Techniques For Intracranial Radiosurgery, Kenneth Matthew Williams

Theses Digitization Project

This thesis serves as the basis for a method using image registration to automate patient alignment in an effort to eliminate the dependency on the fiducial markers as well as improve the accuracy efficiency of the alignment process. Proton beams are an external beam modality of radiation therapy that can be used effectively for radiosurgical applications due to the dosimetry advantage of the Bragg peak. The Bragg peak is a phenomenon exploited by proton beam therapy to concentrate the effect of the beams on the tumor while minimizing damage to critical structures and other health tissues within the patient.