Digital Commons Network^™

Improving Health Literacy: Parental Medical Decisions Regarding Lower Extremity Amputations, Rebecca Aber

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

There are currently several injury severity scores, such as the LSI, MESI, MESS, and PSI that are used in the United States to form recommendations for limb amputation or reconstruction. These scores are based on data from adults, yet they are used for patients of all ages. Because parents with limited health literacy tend to make less informed medical decisions for their children regarding amputations, a pediatric version of a current injury severity score would help to guide these medical decisions. The pediatric version would be created from a pre-existing score by redesigning the variables used within the score. The …

Stains Induce Apoptosis And Autophagy In Primary And Transformed Mast Cells, Patrick A. Paez

Theses and Dissertations

Statin drugs are widely employed in the clinic to reduce serum low density lipoproteins (LDLs) in patients with hypocholesteremia. In addition to their cholesterol-lowering effects through HMG CoA reductase antagonism, isoprenyl lipids necessary for membrane anchorage and signaling of small G-proteins are abrogated. We previously found that statins suppress mast cell activation in murine and human cells, suggesting these drugs might be useful in treating allergic disease. While mast cell function is critical to allergic inflammation, mast cell hyperplasia and survival also impact these diseases, and were not studied in our previous work. In this study, we describe Fluvastatin-mediated apoptosis …

Genomic Comparisons And Genome Architecture Of Divergent Trypanosoma Species, Katie Bradwell

Theses and Dissertations

Virulent Trypanosoma cruzi, and the non-pathogenic Trypanosoma conorhini and Trypanosoma rangeli are protozoan parasites with divergent lifestyles. T. cruzi and T. rangeli are endemic to Latin America, whereas T. conorhini is tropicopolitan. Reduviid bug vectors spread these parasites to mammalian hosts, within which T. rangeli and T. conorhini replicate extracellularly, while T. cruzi has intracellular stages. Firstly, this work compares the genomes of these parasites to understand their differing phenotypes. Secondly, genome architecture of T. cruzi is examined to address the effect of a complex hybridization history, polycistronic transcription, and genome plasticity on this organism, and study its highly …

System Genetic Analysis Of Mechanisms Underlying Excessive Alcohol Consumption, Maren L. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Increased alcohol consumption over time is one of the characteristic symptoms of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). The molecular mechanisms underlying this escalation in intake is still the subject of study. However, the mesocortical and mesolimbic dopamine pathways, and the extended amygdala, because of their involvement in reward and reinforcement are believed to play key roles in these behavioral changes. Multiple gene expression studies have shown that alcohol affects the expression of thousands of genes in the brain. The studies discussed in this document use the systems biology technique of co-expression network analysis to attempt to find

patterns within genome-wide expression …

A Pipeline For Creation Of Genome-Scale Metabolic Reconstructions, Shaun W. Norris

Theses and Dissertations

The decreasing costs of next generation sequencing technologies and the increasing speeds at which they work have lead to an abundance of 'omic datasets. The need for tools and methods to analyze, annotate, and model these datasets to better understand biological systems is growing. Here we present a novel software pipeline to reconstruct the metabolic model of an organism in silico starting from its genome sequence and a novel compilation of biological databases to better serve the generation of metabolic models. We validate these methods using five Gardnerella vaginalis strains and compare the gene annotation results to NCBI and the …

Identifying Parameters For Robust Network Growth Using Attachment Kernels: A Case Study On Directed And Undirected Networks, Ahmed F. Abdelzaher

Theses and Dissertations

Network growing mechanisms are used to construct random networks that have structural behaviors similar to existing networks such as genetic networks, in efforts of understanding the evolution of complex topologies. Popular mechanisms, such as preferential attachment, are capable of preserving network features such as the degree distribution. However, little is known about such randomly grown structures regarding robustness to disturbances (e.g., edge deletions). Moreover, preferential attachment does not target optimizing the network's functionality, such as information flow. Here, we consider a network to be optimal if it's natural functionality is relatively high in addition to possessing some degree of robustness …

A Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis For Streptococcus Sanguinis Microarray Experiments, Erik C. Dvergsten

Theses and Dissertations

Streptococcus sanguinis is a gram-positive, non-motile bacterium native to human mouths. It is the primary cause of endocarditis and is also responsible for tooth decay. Two-component systems (TCSs) are commonly found in bacteria. In response to environmental signals, TCSs may regulate the expression of virulence factor genes.

Gene co-expression networks are exploratory tools used to analyze system-level gene functionality. A gene co-expression network consists of gene expression profiles represented as nodes and gene connections, which occur if two genes are significantly co-expressed. An adjacency function transforms the similarity matrix containing co-expression similarities into the adjacency matrix containing connection strengths. Gene …

Considerations In The Provision Of Mental Health Services Toward Arabs, Dalia Khoury

Theses and Dissertations

Existing evidence suggests that disparities exist in the use of mental health services by Arabs in the U.S. While there are likely many factors that contribute, lack of cultural competence of mental health providers is one potentially important barrier for mental health service use among racial/ethnic minorities, including Arabs. The primary purpose of this study was to identify and examine factors related to the development and existence of cultural competence toward Arabs. Variables measuring demographics, professional characteristics, familiarity with Arabs, prior experience and knowledge of Arabs, and readiness for change were tested with a randomly selected sample of mental health …

Resolution Of Inflammation Rescues Axon Initial Segment Disruption, Nicholas M. George

Theses and Dissertations

Axonal domains are required for proper neuron function. These domains are unstable and degenerate concurrent with the inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS) and the inflammatory disease models experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced inflammation. Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that the axon initial segment (AIS) is maintained independently of the presence of myelin, but that AIS disruption is seen in MS as well as EAE and LPS-mediated inflammation. AIS loss can be interrupted in the early stage of EAE using the anti-inflammatory drug Didox. However, the potential for Didox directed repair of the AIS in later …

Influence Of Historic Landscapes And Contemporary Species Management On Chesapeake Bay Bald Eagles And Osprey, Catherine B. Viverette

Theses and Dissertations

Influence of historic landscapes and contemporary species management on Chesapeake Bay Bald Eagles and Osprey

Catherine B. Viverette

Co-distributed species with well documented demographic histories can provide good models for testing alternative hypotheses about the impact of evolutionary history, contemporary landscapes, and species management on current distribution and population structure. The Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) and Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) have been extensively studied, managed and monitored across their North American breeding range, particularly in the Chesapeake Bay. We used a combination of ecological niche modelling, diet reconstruction, and population genetic modeling to understand the role of …

Curcumin/Melatonin Hybrids As Neuroprotective Agents For Alzheimer's Disease, John Saathoff

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the leading cause of dementia, affecting ~5.2 million Americans. Current FDA approved medications provide mainly symptomatic relief and there are no agents available to delay or cure this disease. Multiple factors such as amyloid-β aggregates, dyshomeostasis of biometals, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation have been implicated in the development of AD. Even though significant advances have been made in understanding the mechanisms leading to AD, the exact etiology still remains elusive. Given AD’s multifactorial nature, a multifunctional strategy of small molecule design would help to identify novel chemical templates. Recently our lab …

Role Of Vav2 In Podocyte Inflammasome Activation And Glomerular Injury During Hyperhomocysteinemia, Sabena Conley

Theses and Dissertations

Hyperhomocysteinemia (hHcys) is a widely known pathogenic factor in the progression of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and it is also associated with an increased risk for injurious cardiovascular pathologies during ESRD. HHcys is linked to the formation and activation of the NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, characterized as a critical early mechanism initiating the inflammatory response. NADPH oxidase (NOX)-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediate the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in podocytes in response to elevated levels of homocysteine (Hcys) in vitro and in vivo. However, it remains unknown how NLRP3 inflammasome activation is triggered by NOX. The …

The Impact Of Urbanization On Mosquito-Borne Viruses, Nikhita Puthuveetil

UROP Posters

Mosquito-borne diseases such as yellow fever, dengue, and West Nile are rapidly emerging across the globe. Their emergence is often aided by the growth of their vector population, or the organisms that transmit the virus to the host. Urbanization and land use often destroys the habitat of the virus and its vector. However, the virus and its vector often survive despite the changes to its environment. The goal of this paper is to find out exactly how urbanization and changes in land use affect mosquito-borne viruses and how these viruses survive despite the destruction of their habitats. To understand how …

Ink (2015 Spring/Summer, Culture Cover)

Ink, 2008-

The student-run features magazine covering the fashion, art, music and culture worlds at VCU and in Richmond. Published annually in print and updated regularly online. This issue had two covers.

Geriatric Telemedicine: Background And Evidence For Telemedicine As A Way To Address The Challenges Of Geriatrics, Ronald C. Merrell

Surgery Publications

Objectives

The global population of elderly people is increasing at a remarkable rate, which may be expected to continue for some time. Older patients require more care, and with the current model of care delivery, the costs may be expected to rise, although higher cost is unsustainable. For this reason, a new pattern of practice is needed. Telemedicine will be presented as a highly effective and necessary tool in geriatrics.

Methods

This review will present some of the background and evidence for telemedicine as a way to address the challenges of geriatrics through geriatric telemedicine. Some of the evidence for …

Wses Guidelines For Management Of Clostridium Difficile Infection In Surgical Patients, Massimo Sartelli, Mark A. Malangoni, Fikri M. Abu-Zidan, Ewen A. Griffiths, Stefano Di Bella, Lynne V. Mcfarland, Ian Eltringham, Vishal G. Shelat, George C. Velmahos, Ciarán P. Kelly, Sahil Khanna, Zaid M. Abdelsattar, Layan Alrahmani, Luca Ansaloni, Goran Augustin, Miklosh Bala, Frédéric Barbut, Offir Ben-Ishay, Aneel Bhangu, Walter L. Biffl, Stephen M. Brecher, Adrián Camacho-Ortiz, Miguel A. Caínzos, Laura A. Canterbury, Fausto Catena, Shirley Chan, Jill R. Cherry-Bukowiec, Jesse Clanton, Federico Coccolini, Maria Elena Cocuz, Raul Coimbra, Charles H. Cook, Yunfeng Cui, Jacek Czepiel, Koray Das, Zaza Demetrashvili, Isidoro Di Carlo, Salomone Di Saverio, Irina Magdalena Dumitru, Catherine Eckert, Christian Eckmann, Edward H. Eiland, Mushira Abdulaziz Enani, Mario Faro, Paula Ferrada, Joseph Derek Forrester, Gustavo P. Fraga, Jean Louis Frossard, Rita Galeiras, Wagih Ghnnam, Carlos Augusto Gomes, Venkata Gorrepati, Mohamed Hassan Ahmed, Torsten Herzog, Felicia Humphrey, Jae Il Kim, Arda Isik, Rao Ivatury, Yeong Yeh Lee, Paul Juang, Luis Furuya-Kanamori, Aleksandar Karamarkovic, Peter K. Kim, Yoram Kluger, Wen Chien Ko, Francis D. Labarbera, Jae Gil Lee, Ari Leppaniemi, Varut Lohsiriwat, Sanjay Marwah, John E. Mazuski, Gokhan Metan, Ernest E. Moore, Frederick Alan Moore, Carl Erik Nord, Carlos A. Ordoñez, Gerson Alves Pereira Júnior, Nicola Petrosillo, Francisco Portella, Basant K. Puri, Arnab Ray, Mansoor Raza, Miran Rems, Boris E. Sakakushev, Gabriele Sganga, Patrizia Spigaglia, David B. Stewart, Pierre Tattevin, Jean Francois Timsit, Kathleen B. To, Cristian Tranà, Waldemar Uhl, Libor Urbánek, Harry Van Goor, Angela Vassallo, Jean Ralph Zahar, Emanuele Caproli, Pierluigi Viale

Surgery Publications

In the last two decades there have been dramatic changes in the epidemiology of Clostridium difficileinfection (CDI), with increases in incidence and severity of disease in many countries worldwide. The incidence of CDI has also increased in surgical patients. Optimization of management of C difficile, has therefore become increasingly urgent. An international multidisciplinary panel of experts prepared evidenced-based World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) guidelines for management of CDI in surgical patients.

Prevalence And Factors Predictive Of Intraocular Fungal Infection In Patients With Fungemia At An Academic Urban Tertiary Care Center, Elena Geraymovych, Joseph H. Conduff, Puneet S. Braich, Christopher T. Leffler, Vikram S. Brar

Ophthalmology Publications

Objective

To report the prevalence and to identify factors predictive of intraocular infection in patients with fungemia receiving prophylactic antifungal therapy.

Methods

A retrospective review of patients who received prophylactic antifungal therapy and a dilated fundus examination at an academic urban tertiary care center from 2000 to 2007. Basic demographic information, fungal species grown, antifungal agent(s) used, number of positive blood culture specimens, visual acuity, visual symptoms, and known risks of disseminated candidiasis were noted. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors significantly associated with intraocular fungal infection.

Results

A total of 132 patients with positive fungemia culture …

Transcriptional Network Growing Models Using Motif-Based Preferential Attachment, Ahmed F. Abdelzaher, Ahmad F. Al-Musawi, Preetam Ghosh, Michael L. Mayo, Edward J. Perkins

Computer Science Publications

Understanding relationships between architectural properties of gene-regulatory networks (GRNs) has been one of the major goals in systems biology and bioinformatics, as it can provide insights into, e.g., disease dynamics and drug development. Such GRNs are characterized by their scale-free degree distributions and existence of network motifs – i.e., small-node subgraphs that occur more abundantly in GRNs than expected from chance alone. Because these transcriptional modules represent “building blocks” of complex networks and exhibit a wide range of functional and dynamical properties, they may contribute to the remarkable robustness and dynamical stability associated with the whole of GRNs. Here, we …

Medical Literary Messenger (Vol. 3, No. 1, Fall 2015)

Medical Literary Messenger

Gone / Carl Zettelmeyer -- A Faded Scar with Palpable Edges / Melissa Cronin -- Broken / Mary Sesso -- Going Viral / Nancy Brewka-Clark -- Epitaph / Sherre Vernon -- Ringing the Bell / Michelle M. Tokarczyk -- Shiva Dream / Jennifer Kemnitz -- Anorexia Nervosa / Mohamed Osman -- Hospice Nurse Retires / Laura Rodley -- Fernand / Sharon Israel -- Morgenbesser’s Lament / Ronald W. Pies -- Dietary Rounds / Virginia Aronson -- Blindness / Mohamed Osman -- The Proper Ways / William Palmer -- Overnight / Richard Hubbard -- Needle to Neck / Megan Lemay -- …

Widely Used Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Icp0 Deletion Mutant Strain Dl1403 And Its Derivative Viruses Do Not Express Glycoprotein C Due To A Secondary Mutation In The Gc Gene, Cristina W. Cunha, Kathryne E. Taylor, Suzanne M. Pritchard, Mark G. Delboy, Tri Komala Sari, Hector C. Aguilar, Karen L. Mossman, Anthony V. Nicola

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) ICP0 is a multi-functional phosphoprotein expressed with immediate early kinetics. An ICP0 deletion mutant, HSV-1 dl1403, has been widely used to study the roles of ICP0 in the HSV-1 replication cycle including gene expression, latency, entry and assembly. We show that HSV-1 dl1403 virions lack detectable levels of envelope protein gC, and that gC is not synthesized in infected cells. Sequencing of the gC gene from HSV-1dl1403 revealed a single amino acid deletion that results in a frameshift mutation. The HSV-1dl1403 gC gene is predicted to encode a polypeptide …

Widely Used Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Icp0 Deletion Mutant Strain Dl1403 And Its Derivative Viruses Do Not Express Glycoprotein C Due To A Secondary Mutation In The Gc Gene, Cristina W. Cunha, Kathryne E. Taylor, Suzanne M. Pritchard, Mark Delboy, Tri Komala Sari, Hector C. Aguilar, Karen L. Mossman, Anthony V. Nicola

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) ICP0 is a multi-functional phosphoprotein expressed with immediate early kinetics. An ICP0 deletion mutant, HSV-1 dl1403, has been widely used to study the roles of ICP0 in the HSV-1 replication cycle including gene expression, latency, entry and assembly. We show that HSV-1dl1403 virions lack detectable levels of envelope protein gC, and that gC is not synthesized in infected cells. Sequencing of the gC gene from HSV-1 dl1403 revealed a single amino acid deletion that results in a frameshift mutation. The HSV-1 dl1403 gC gene is predicted to encode a polypeptide …

Intracellular Uropathogenic E. Coli Exploits Host Rab35 For Iron Acquisition And Survival Within Urinary Bladder Cells, Neha Dikshit, Pradeep Bist, Shannon N. Fenlon, Niyas Kudukkil Pulloor, Christelle En Lin Chua, Marci A. Scidmore, Jason A. Carlyon, Bor Luen Tang, Swaine L. Chen, Bindu Sukumaran

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) are common and morbid infections with limited therapeutic options. Previous studies have demonstrated that persistent intracellular infection of bladder epithelial cells (BEC) by UPEC contributes to recurrent UTI in mouse models of infection. However, the mechanisms employed by UPEC to survive within BEC are incompletely understood. In this study we aimed to understand the role of host vesicular trafficking proteins in the intracellular survival of UPEC. Using a cell culture model of intracellular UPEC infection, we found that the small GTPase Rab35 facilitates UPEC survival in UPEC-containing vacuoles …

Intracellular Uropathogenic E. Coli Exploits Host Rab35 For Iron Acquisition And Survival Within Urinary Bladder Cells, Neha Dikshit, Pradeep Bist, Shannon N. Fenlon, Niyas Kudukkil Pulloor, Christelle En Lin Chua, Marci A. Scidmore, Jason A. Carlyon, Bor Len Tang, Swaine L. Chen, Bindu Sukumaran

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) are common and morbid infections with limited therapeutic options. Previous studies have demonstrated that persistent intracellular infection of bladder epithelial cells (BEC) by UPEC contributes to recurrent UTI in mouse models of infection. However, the mechanisms employed by UPEC to survive within BEC are incompletely understood. In this study we aimed to understand the role of host vesicular trafficking proteins in the intracellular survival of UPEC. Using a cell culture model of intracellular UPEC infection, we found that the small GTPase Rab35 facilitates UPEC survival in UPEC-containing vacuoles …

Orientia Tsutsugamushi Ankyrin Repeat-Containing Protein Family Members Are Type 1 Secretion System Substrates That Traffic To The Host Cell Endoplasmic Reticulum, Lauren Viebrock, Sean M. Evans, Andrea R. Beyer, Charles L. Larson, Paul A. Beare, Hong Ge, Smita Singh, Kyle G. Rodino, Robert A. Heinzen, Allen L. Richards, Jason A. Carlyon

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Scrub typhus is an understudied, potentially fatal infection that threatens one billion persons in the Asia-Pacific region. How the causative obligate intracellular bacterium, Orientia tsutsugamushi, facilitates its intracellular survival and pathogenesis is poorly understood. Many intracellular bacterial pathogens utilize the Type 1 (T1SS) or Type 4 secretion system (T4SS) to translocate ankyrin repeat-containing proteins (Anks) that traffic to distinct subcellular locations and modulate host cell processes. The O. tsutsugamushi genome encodes one of the largest known bacterial Ank repertoires plus T1SS and T4SS components. Whether these potential virulence factors are expressed during infection, how the Anks are potentially secreted, and …

Understanding Host-Switching By Ecological Fitting, Sabrina B. L. Araujo, Mariana Pires Braga, Daniel R. Brooks, Salvatore J. Agosta, Eric P. Hoberg, Francisco W. Von Hartenthal, Walter A. Boeger

Biology Publications

Despite the fact that parasites are highly specialized with respect to their hosts, empirical evidence demonstrates that host switching rather than co-speciation is the dominant factor influencing the diversification of host-parasite associations. Ecological fitting in sloppy fitness space has been proposed as a mechanism allowing ecological specialists to host-switch readily. That proposal is tested herein using an individual-based model of host switching. The model considers a parasite species exposed to multiple host resources. Through time host range expansion can occur readily without the prior evolution of novel genetic capacities. It also produces non-linear variation in the size of the fitness …

Structural Studies Of Aav2 Rep68 Reveal A Partially Structured Linker And Compact Domain Conformation, Faik N. Musayev, Francisco Zarate-Perez, Martino Bardelli, Clayton Bishop, Emil F. Saniev, R. Michael Linden, Els Henckaerts, Carlos R. Escalante

Medicinal Chemistry Publications

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) nonstructural proteins Rep78 and Rep68 carry out all DNA transactions that regulate the AAV life cycle. They share two multifunctional domains: an N-terminal origin binding/nicking domain (OBD) from the HUH superfamily and a SF3 helicase domain. A short linker of ~20 amino acids that is critical for oligomerization and function connects the two domains. Although X-ray structures of the AAV5 OBD and AAV2 helicase domains have been determined, information about the full-length protein and linker conformation is not known. This article presents the solution structure of AAV2 Rep68 using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). We first determined the …

Prevalence And Factors Predictive Of Intraocular Fungal Infection In Patients With Fungemia At An Academic Urban Tertiary Care Center, Elena Geraymovych, Joseph H. Conduff, Puneet S. Braich, Christopher T. Leffler, Vikram S. Brar

Ophthalmology Publications

Objective: To report the prevalence and to identify factors predictive of intraocular infection in patients with fungemia receiving prophylactic antifungal therapy.
Methods: A retrospective review of patients who received prophylactic antifungal therapy and a dilated fundus examination at an academic urban tertiary care center from 2000 to 2007. Basic demographic information, fungal species grown, antifungal agent(s) used, number of positive blood culture specimens, visual acuity, visual symptoms, and known risks of disseminated candidiasis were noted. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors significantly associated with intraocular fungal infection.
Results: A total of 132 patients with positive fungemia culture …

Chemokine Function In Periodontal Disease And Oral Cavity Cancer, Sinem Esra Sahingur, W. Andrew Yeudall

Periodontics Publications

The chemotactic cytokines, or chemokines, comprise a superfamily of polypeptides with a wide range of activities that include recruitment of immune cells to sites of infection and inflammation, as well as stimulation of cell proliferation. As such, they function as antimicrobial molecules and play a central role in host defenses against pathogen challenge. However, their ability to recruit leukocytes and potentiate or prolong the inflammatory response may have profound implications for the progression of oral diseases such as chronic periodontitis, where tissue destruction may be widespread. Moreover, it is increasingly recognized that chronic inflammation is a key component of tumor …

Integrating Mrna And Mirna Weighted Gene Co-Expression Networks With Eqtls In The Nucleus Accumbens Of Subjects With Alcohol Dependence, Mohammed Mamdani, Vernell Williamson, Gowon O. Mcmichael, Tana Blevins, Fazil Aliev, Amy Adkins, Laura Hack, Tim Bigdeli, Andrew D. Van Der Vaart, Bradley Todd Webb, Silviu-Alin Bacanu, Gursharan Kalsi, Coga Consortium, Kenneth S. Kendler, Michael F. Miles, Danielle Dick, Brien P. Riley, Catherine Dumur, Vladimir I. Vladimirov

Psychology Publications

Alcohol consumption is known to lead to gene expression changes in the brain. After performing weighted gene co-expression network analyses (WGCNA) on genome-wide mRNA and microRNA (miRNA) expression in Nucleus Accumbens (NAc) of subjects with alcohol dependence (AD; N = 18) and of matched controls (N = 18), six mRNA and three miRNA modules significantly correlated with AD were identified (Bonferoni-adj. p≤ 0.05). Cell-type-specific transcriptome analyses revealed two of the mRNA modules to be enriched for neuronal specific marker genes and downregulated in AD, whereas the remaining four mRNA modules were enriched for astrocyte and microglial specific marker genes and …

Waterpipe Smoking And Regulation In The United States: A Comprehensive Review Of The Literature, Linda Haddad, Omar El-Shahawy, Roula Ghadban, Tracey E. Barnett, Emily Johnson

Social and Behavioral Sciences Publications

Background: Researchers in tobacco control are concerned about the increasing prevalence of waterpipe smoking in the United States, which may pose similar risks as cigarette smoking. This review explores the prevalence of waterpipe smoking in the United States as well as the shortcomings of current U.S. policy for waterpipe control and regulation. Methods: Researchers conducted a literature review for waterpipe articles dated between 2004 and 2015 using five online databases: MEDLINE, CINHAHL, ScienceDirect, PMC, and Cochrane Library. Results: To date, few studies have explored the marketing and regulation of waterpipe smoking in the U.S., which has increased …