Digital Commons Network^™

Message Deleted? Resolving Physician-Patient E-Mail Through Contract Law, Michael Mccann

Law Faculty Scholarship

This article examines the impact of e-mail on the physician-patient relationship, and how contract law can resolve the uncertainties incumbent in this nascent form of communication. Significantly, courts have yet to indicate when the physician-patient relationship begins by e-mail, or to what extent e-mail affects the duties of the relationship. Instead of waiting for judicial guidance, physicians and patients can employ specialized contracts to clarify the role that e-mail plays in their relationship. As a result, more physicians and patients will regard e-mail correspondence as a valuable means of communication, and a tool for improving the quality of health care …

Progress And Opportunities In Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual And Transgender Health Communications, Laurie A. Drabble, J. Keatley, G. Marcelle

Faculty Publications

This article describes elements of effective health communication and highlights strategies that may best be adopted or adapted in relation to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations. Studies have documented the utility of multidimensional approaches to health communication from the macro level of interventions targeting entire populations to the micro level of communication between health care provider and consumer. Although evidence of health disparities in LGBT communities underscores the importance of population-specific interventions, health promotion campaigns rarely target these populations and health communication activities seldom account for the diversity of LGBT communities. Advances in health communication suggest promising direction …

Health And Environmental Effects Of Landfilling And Incineration Of Waste - A Literature Review, D. Crowley, A. Staines, C. Collins, J. Bracken, M. Bruen, J Fry, Victor Hrymak, D. Malone, B. Magette, M. Ryan, C Thunhurst

Reports

A literature review on the health effects of landfill and incineration is presented together with an application to Ireland of the findings

A Preliminary Linkage Map Of The Hard Tick, Ixodes Scapularis, A. J. Ullmann, J. Piesman, M. C. Dolan, W. C. Black Iv

United States Public Health Resources

Blackwell Publishing Ltd. A linkage map of the Ixodes scapularis genome was constructed, based upon segregation amongst 127 loci. These included 84 random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers, 32 Sequence-Tagged RAPD (STAR) markers, 5 cDNAs, and 5 microsatellites in 232 F₁ intercross progeny from a single, field-collected P₁ female. A preliminary linkage map of 616 cM was generated across 14 linkage groups with one marker every 10.8 cM. Assuming a genome size of ~ 10 ⁹ bp, the relationship of physical to genetic distance was found to be ~ 300 kb/cM in the I. scapularis genome.

Absence Of Interferon-Γ–Inducible Gene Igtp Does Not Significantly Alter The Development Of Chagasic Cardiomyopathy In Mice Infected With Trypanosoma Cruzi (Brazil Strain), A. P. De Souza, B. Tang, H. B. Tanowitz, S. M. Factor, V. Shtutin, J. Shirani, G. A. Taylor, L. M. Weiss, L. A. Jelicks

United States Public Health Resources

Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) contributes to host resistance during acute infection with Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas’ disease. Inducibly expressed guanosine triphosphatase (IGTP), a 48-kDa guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase), is a member of a family of GTPase proteins inducibly expressed by IFN-γ. The expression pattern of IGTP suggests that it may mediate IFN-γ–induced responses in a variety of cell types. IGTP has been demonstrated to be important for control of Toxoplasma gondii infection but not for resistance against Listeria monocytogenes. We evaluated the role of IGTP in development of chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy in IGTP null mice and C57X129sv (wild …

Accuracy Of Six Commercially Available Systems For Identification Of Members Of The Family Vibrionaceae, Caroline M. O’Hara, Evangeline G. Sowers, Cheryl A. Bopp, Sarah B. Duda, Nancy A. Strockbine

United States Public Health Resources

Six commercially available bacterial identification products were tested with Vibrio alginolyticus (12 strains), V. cholerae (30 strains), Photobacterium (Vibrio) damselae (10 strains), V. fluvialis (10 strains), V. furnissii (4 strains), V. hollisae (10 strains), V. metschnikovii (9 strains), V. mimicus (10 strains), V. parahaemolyticus (30 strains), and V. vulnificus (10 strains) to determine the accuracy of each system for identification. The products included API 20E, Crystal E/NF, MicroScan Neg ID2 and Rapid Neg ID3, and Vitek GNI+ and ID-GNB. Each product was tested only with those species that were listed in its database. Overall, the systems correctly …

Inhibition Of Markers Of Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation By The Hormone Relaxin, Robert G. Bennett, Kusum K. Kharbanda, Dean J. Tuma

United States Public Health Resources

Hepatic fibrois results from excess extracellular matrix produced primarily by hepatic stellate cells (HSC). In response to injury, HSC differentiate to a myofibroblastic phenotype expressing smooth muscle actin and fibrillar collagens. Relaxin is a polypeptide hormone shown to have antifibrotic effects in fibrosis models. In this study, activated HSC from rat liver were treated with relaxin to determine if relaxin can reverse markers of HSC activation. Relaxin treatment resulted in a decrease in the expression of smooth muscle actin, but had no effect on cell proliferation rate. The levels of total collagen and type I collagen were reduced, while the …

Ethanol Consumption Decreases The Synthesis Of The Mannose 6-Phosphatelinsulin-Like Growth Factor Ii Receptor But Does Not Decrease Its Messenger Rna, James Haorah, Richard Macdonald, Julie A. Stoner, Terrence M. Donohue, Jr.

United States Public Health Resources

The mannose 6-phosphatelinsulin-like growth factor I1 receptor (M6P/IGF-IIR) is a protein that facilitates the transport of acid hydrolases into the lysosome. We have shown that chronic ethanol consumption lowers the M6P/IGF-IIR content in rat hepatocytes. Here, we determined the steady-state level of mRNA encoding M6P/IGF-IIR, as well as the rate of receptor synthesis, to ascertain whether the ethanol-elicited reduction in receptor protein content is related to changes in either or both of these parameters. Rats were pair-fed the normal carbohydrate (NC) or low carbohydrate high-fat (LC) liquid diets containing either ethanol or isocaloric maltose-dextrin for 7-8 weeks. RNA was isolated …

Impaired Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis By The Asialoglycoprotein Receptor In Ethanol-Fed Mice: Implications For Studying The Role Of This Receptor In Alcoholic Apoptosis, Shana R. Dalton, Robert L. Wiegert, Cheryl R. Baldwin, Karen M. Kassel, Carol A. Casey

United States Public Health Resources

During receptor-mediated endocytosis (RME), extracellular molecules are internalized after being recognized and bound to specific cell surface receptors. In previous studies of the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) in rats, we showed that ethanol impairs RME at multiple ASGPR sites. Ethanol administration has been shown to increase apoptosis, and we demonstrated increased sensitization to apoptotic induction in hepatocytes from ethanol-fed rats. Although a physiological role for the ASGPR has not been identified, investigators have shown its involvement in the uptake/clearance of apoptotic cells in vitvo. This suggests a potential role for the ASGPR in the removal of apoptotic cells, and the recent …

Interferon Gamma Enhances Proteasome Activity In Recombinant Hep G2 Cells That Express Cytochrome P4502e1: Modulation By Ethanol, Natalia A. Osna, Dahn L. Clemens, Terrence M. Donohue Jr.

United States Public Health Resources

We tested the influence of IFNγ on proteasome activity in parental Hep G2 cells that do not metabolize ethanol, as well as in recombinant Hep G2-derived cells that express either or both alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1). IFNγ treatment increased proteasome activity in VL-17A (ADH⁺, CYP2E1⁺) and E-47 (CYP2E1⁺) cells, but not in Hep G2, VI-R2 (parental cells with empty vectors) or in VA-13 (ADH⁺) cells. Proteasome activation by IFNγ correlated positively with the level of CYP2E1 activity. Treatment of VL-17A cells with agents that inhibit CYP2E1 or the inducible …

Public Health And National Security In The Global Age: Infectious Diseases, Bioterrorism, And Realpolitik, David P. Fidler

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Racism Or Realpolitik? U.S. Foreign Policy And The Hiv/Aids Catastrophe In Sub-Saharan Africa, David P. Fidler

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Effects Of The Pesticides Atrazine, Metoachlor And Diazinon And Binary Mixtures On Proliferation Of Human Fibroblasts, Kavita R. Dhanwada, Yijun Deng, Maureen E. Clayton

International Journal of Global Health

The frequent and heavy use of pesticides in agriculture has led to the contamination of surface and ground waters worldwide. Many questions have arisen about the human health effects of exposure to these pesticides and their mixtures. Most of the information about the adverse human health effects due to environmental contaminants comes from studies that focus on exposure to single rather than multiple contaminants since many of the environmental regulations regarding levels of xenobiotic contamination refer only to individual compounds. In this study, MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) cell proliferation assays were performed with normal human fibroblasts to test the toxicity …

Determinants Of Old-Age Mortality In Taiwan, Zachary Zimmer, Linda G. Martin, Hui-Sheng Lin

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Relationships among socio-demographic characteristics, general assessments of health, and old-age mortality are well established in developed countries. There is also an increasing focus on the connection between early-life experiences and latelife health. This paper tests these and other associations using representative survey data from Taiwan on the population aged 60 and older in 1989, 1993, and 1996 that have been linked to data on deaths between 1989 and 1999 from a national death registry. The study also explores the possible influence of Taiwan’s Universal Health Insurance Program, instituted in 1995, and whether or not the survival of some groups of …

Condom Use And Abstinence Among Unmarried Young People In Zimbabwe: Which Strategy, Whose Agenda?, Ravai Marindo, Steve Pearson, John B. Casterline

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This paper compares the views about abstinence and condom use expressed by young people in Zimbabwe in focus-group discussions with the views underlying national policies and religious and traditional beliefs. Young people’s decisions to adopt one or the other of these risk-reduction strategies may not necessarily indicate genuine individual choices, but rather their deference to adults’ interests as they understand those interests. Policymakers and traditional and Christian leaders promote abstinence as the exclusive strategy for all young people, whereas nongovernmental organizations and the private sector promote condom use. Evidence from the focus-group discussions indicates that adolescents are aware of this …

Population And Development: An Introductory View, Geoffrey Mcnicoll

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

A brief overview of the relationships between population change and economic development, written for readers unfamiliar with the subject. The paper touches on the scale and pace of world development, the economic consequences of population size and rate of growth, patterns of demographic transition, and the scope for policy measures aimed at speeding that transition.

Legal Movements In Intellectual Property: Trips, Unilateral Action, Bilateral Agreements, And Hiv/Aids, Margo A. Bagley

Faculty Articles

This Article begins with an overview of the relationship between the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (the "TRIPS Agreement") and the HIV/AIDS pandemic which created the need for the Doha Declaration. It then discusses two trade-related movements, unilateral action and TRIPS-plus bilateral agreements, that call into question the long-term effectiveness of the TRIPS Agreement process, generally, and the benefits of the Doha Declaration, in particular, in addressing multiple facets of the access to essential medicines problem. This Article concludes that a consideration of these issues should be included in the development of any further TRIPS-related solutions to …

Adolescents And Youth In Pakistan 2001-2002: A Nationally Representative Survey, Zeba Sathar, Minhaj Ul Haque, Azeema Faizunnissa, Munawar Sultana, Cynthia B. Lloyd, Judith A. Diers, Monica J. Grant

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Published by the Population Council's Islamabad office, this is the first comprehensive survey of Pakistani youth. The report provides an unprecedented view of young people's experiences with and attitudes about education, employment, families, and marriage. The report findings confirm the large differences in the current situation of adolescents and youth, males versus females, from different strata of residence and economic status. Addressing these requires government intervention, changes in attitude, and input from the media, women and youth groups, and members of civil society.

My Father Didn't Think This Way': Nigerian Boys Contemplate Gender Equality, Françoise Girard

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

One of the lessons emerging from adolescent programs around the world is the need to create settings where young men can question things that are often seen as unquestionable, such as what it means to be a man. This issue explores the Conscientizing Male Adolescents (CMA) program in Nigeria which, unlike many programs targeting adolescent boys that emphasize short-term activities aimed at preventing disease and unwanted pregnancy, is a long-term program focusing on sexism and critical-thinking skills. An initial evaluation indicates that such programs affirm that we do know how to engage young men, and that historically reinforced gender attitudes …

How Indicators Of Socioeconomic Status Relate To Physical Functioning Of Older Adults In Three Asian Societies, Zachary Zimmer, Napaporn Chayovan, Hui-Sheng Lin, Josefina N. Natividad

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

In developed countries, socioeconomic status has been identified as one of the most important demographic and social determinants of older adult health. The relationship has not been well studied or contrasted across much of the developing world. Yet, with population aging occurring rapidly in much of Asia, understanding the factors that distinguish between those in better and worse health becomes important. To this end, the current study has two main aims. It first examines the degree to which two measures commonly used to indicate socioeconomic status, education and income, relate to the physical functioning of older adults in three Asian …

Population Policy: A Concise Summary, Paul Demeny

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Population policies are deliberately constructed or modified institutional arrangements and/or specific programs through which governments influence, directly or indirectly, demographic change. For any given country, the aim of population policy may be narrowly construed as bringing about quantitative changes in the membership of the territorially circumscribed population under the government’s jurisdiction. Governments’ concern with population matters can also extend beyond the borders of their own jurisdictions. Thus, international aspects of population policy have become increasingly salient in the contemporary world. Additions to the population are primarily the result of individual decisions concerning childbearing. Within the constraints of their social milieu, …

Cultural Norms And Behavior Regarding Vaginal Lubrication During Sex: Implications For The Acceptability Of Vaginal Microbicides For The Prevention Of Hiv/Stis, Sarah Braunstein, Janneke Van De Wijgert

Reproductive Health

This paper presents the results of an extensive review of the literature pertaining to the relationship between vaginal lubrication and the acceptability of microbicides, spermicides, and male and female condoms. The review highlights the need for research that better elucidates norms, preferences, and practices regarding lubrication during sex within and across countries. The second part of the report presents the results of the first phase of a qualitative study on lubrication during sex showing that diverse personal and cultural factors shape preferences and practices and may ultimately affect the acceptability of microbicides. The immediate challenge is to provide women with …

Actions That Protect: Promoting Sexual And Reproductive Health And Choice Among Young People In India, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, Mary Philip Sebastian

Reproductive Health

This paper synthesises the evidence on the sexual and reproductive health situation of young people in India, and explores what we know about underlying factors that place them at risk of or protect them from unsafe and unwanted sexual and reproductive health experiences. The picture that emerges suggests that substantial proportions of young people experience risky or unwanted sexual activity, do not receive prompt or appropriate care, and experience adverse reproductive health outcomes. Contextual factors such as poverty, gender imbalances and lack of education or livelihood opportunities clearly increase the vulnerability of youth. Other factors at the family, community and …

The Role Of Meat, Poultry, And Fish Consumption In The Occurrence Of Rheumatoid And Other Forms Of Arthritis, Asnake Hailu

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Rheumatoid arthritis and other forms of arthritis or rheumatism are now the leading cause of disability in the United States. The etiology and pathogenesis are less understood and available treatment options are not always satisfactory. This dissertation measures the prevalence and cumulative incidence of rheumatoid arthritis and other forms of arthritis or rheumatism, and examines any associations with current and lifetime consumption of meat, poultry, and fish (meat) using the Adventist Health Study and the Adventist Mortality Study databases. From these databases, it was possible to reconstruct a prospective cohort, obtain self-reported information on demographic characteristics, arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, other …

Development Of Dose Coefficients For Radionulides Produced In Spallation Neutron Sources: Annual Report, Phillip W. Patton, Mark Rudin

Transmutation Sciences Physics (TRP)

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Transmutation Research Program has been tasked to support U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) efforts to assess the health risks associated with the operation of each of their accelerator-driven nuclear facilities for both NEPA and PSAR development. Quantifying the radiological risks to workers will have to be addressed during the design and siting of each of these facilities. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Federal Guidance Report No. 11 “Limiting Values of Intake and Air Concentration and Dose Conversion Factors for Inhalation, Submersion, and Ingestion”, developed two derived guides, Annual Limit on Intake (ALI) and …

Family Connectedness And Sexual Risk-Taking Among Urban Youth Attending Alternative High Schools, Christine M Markham, Susan R Tortolero, S Liliana Escobar-Chaves, Guy S Parcel, Ronald Harrist, Robert C Addy

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

CONTEXT: Youth in alternative high schools engage in risky sexual behavior at higher rates than do their peers in regular schools, placing themselves at an increased risk of sexually transmitted disease and unintended pregnancy. Family connectedness is associated with reduced adolescent sexual risk-taking, although this association has not been tested among alternative school youth.

METHODS: A sample of 976 urban, predominantly minority alternative high school students in Houston, Texas, were surveyed in 2000-2002. Survey data were analyzed using logistic regression to determine whether family connectedness is related to sexual risk-taking.

RESULTS: Overall, 68% of students reported ever having had sex. …

Intégration De La Santé Et De La Sécurité Du Travail Lors De La Conception Du Réaménagement D'Un Centre De Tri De Matières Recyclables, Jacques Lavoie, Serge Guertin, Christine Verdon

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Il existe actuellement une quarantaine de centres de tri et de récupération des déchets domestiques au Québec. Selon une étude de l’IRSST faite en 1999, surtout en été, ces centres comportent des risques d’origine chimique, physique, biologique, ergonomique ainsi que des risques à la sécurité des travailleurs. Dans les recommandations d’époque, il était mentionné le besoin d’intégrer les éléments de santé et de sécurité au travail au début de la conception. Les objectifs de cette présente recherche sont 1) de déterminer par une étude de cas les éléments et les caractéristiques à considérer pour la conception et l’aménagement sécuritaire de …

The Politics Of Public Health: A Response To Epstein, Lawrence O. Gostin, Maxwell Gregg Bloche

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Conservatives are taking aim at the field of public health, targeting its efforts to understand and control environmental and social causes of disease. Richard Epstein and others contend that these efforts in fact undermine people’s health and well-being by eroding people’s incentives to create economic value. Public health, they argue, should stick to its traditional task—the struggle against infectious diseases. Because markets are not up to the task of controlling the transmission of infectious disease, Epstein says, coercive government action is required. But market incentives, not state action, he asserts, represent our best hope for controlling the chronic illnesses that …

In Pursuit Of Best Practice : Benchmarking Tools And Processes For The Management Of Hazardous Substances In The Workplace, Barry Chesson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Many organisations now strive to achieve excellence in various aspects of occupational health and safety. Benchmarking of the techniques and approaches of other organisations is becoming a popular way of bridging gaps and seeking to achieve high levels of performance. There exist many sources of guidance in the form of external and internal standards, regulations, codes of practice, publications by professional institutions and similar. However, there are clear shortfalls in terms of tools and processes needed to identify areas of opportunity and to overcome barriers to the efficient transfer of ideas and techniques from one enterprise to another. This is …

Is It 'Too Bloody Late'? : Older People's Attitudes To Physical Activity And To The Recommendations In The National Physical Activity Guidelines, Joan Jackson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Participation in physical activity confers many health benefits by reducing the risk factor for a number of lifestyle related diseases such as diabetes, colon cancer, and heart disease. Other benefits include improved mental and physical well-being. For older people the benefits are even more important; engagement in physical activity extends to such health benefits as reduction in the risk of falls and related potential injuries. However the most significant benefit to older people is that physical activity enables older people to live independently for longer and with a greater sense of well-being. This study explores, through qualitative research, older people's …