Digital Commons Network^™

Drug Use And Smoking Among Hospitalized Influenza Patients, Connecticut 2011-2014, Georgiana E. Green

Public Health Theses

INTRODUCTION: Globally, influenza is responsible for 3-5 million cases of severe illness annually. In the United States alone, it is estimated that flu-associated infections account for 3.1 million hospitalized days per year. While the overall impact of flu is relatively well-studied, severe influenza is not well-characterized among the substance abuser and smoker populations.

OBJECTIVES: This study characterizes the risks for and complications associated with serious influenza infection among the substance abuser and smoking populations within Connecticut.

METHODS: Data were obtained via retrospective medical chart review. Cases were individuals within New Haven and Middlesex counties hospitalized with a positive influenza test …

A Case-Control Study To Assess Risk Factors For Community-Associated Clostridium Difficile Infection, Samantha Greissman

Public Health Theses

INTRODUCTION: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), initially thought to be acquired in the hospital, has occurred often in persons not recently hospitalized. Community-associated CDI (CA-CDI) may affect healthy individuals who lack the traditional risk factors for health care-associated CDI (HA-CDI). Risk factors for CA-CDI have yet to be fully identified.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess the risk factors for CA-CDI in the small Connecticut sample of a larger multi-state case-control study being conducted by the Emerging Infections Programs, and to help inform analysis of the larger study.

METHODS: A matched case-control study was conducted of consenting individuals. …

Effect Of Physical Activity On Lipid Markers In Breast Cancer Survivors Taking Aromatase Inhibitors: The Hormones And Physical Exercise Study, Norbert Hootsmans

Public Health Theses

The use of aromatase inhibitors (AIs) has been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and unfavorable changes in lipid profile in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors. In other populations, physical activity has been shown to successfully reduce CVD risk and improve lipid parameters. The Hormones and Physical Exercise (HOPE) study was a yearlong randomized trial examining the impact of exercise vs. usual care on AI-associated side effects. This analysis examined the effect of exercise on lipid profiles among HOPE participants.

We enrolled 121 physically inactive (<90 min/wk of aerobic activity and no strength training) postmenopausal breast cancer survivors receiving an AI for at least 6 months. Participants were randomly assigned to exercise (150 min/wk of aerobic exercise and supervised strength training 2x/wk) or to usual care. Fasting blood samples (>12 hours) were collected at the baseline, 6- and 12-month clinic visits. Intervention effects …

Maternal Passive Smoking And Risk Of Small For Gestational Age Among Non-Smoking Chinese Women, Huang Huang

Public Health Theses

Maternal active smoking is an established risk factor for small for gestational age (SGA). The role of maternal passive smoking in SGA, however, is unclear. The present study analyzed data from a birth cohort study conducted in Lanzhou, China between 2010 and 2012 including 8,638 non-smoking women who delivered singleton live births. Among those, 775 were SGA and 7,863 were appropriate for gestational age (AGA). Multivariate logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Potential confounding variables included in the final models were maternal age, education, employment status during pregnancy, parity, maternal …

Effect Of Exercise Vs. Attention-Control On Depression Symptomatology In Ovarian Cancer Survivors: The Women’S Activity And Lifestyle Study In Connecticut (Walc), Meghan B. Hughes

Public Health Theses

Background: With no effective screening tool, ovarian cancer survivors often suffer from unpleasant treatment-related side effects that influence quality of life. Increased physical activity has been associated with lower depression scores in ovarian cancer survivors. However, to date, no randomized controlled trial assessing the effect of exercise on depression has been conducted in this population. The Women’s Activity and Lifestyle Study in Connecticut (WALC) was a randomized trial examining the impact of exercise vs. attention-control on quality of life, body composition, and cancer biomarkers in ovarian cancer survivors. This analysis examined the effect of exercise on depression scores.

Methods: We …

It Takes Two?: Exploring The Supportive Role Of Fathers During Pregnancy And Its Effect On Birth Outcomes Among Young Couples, Grace Kim

Public Health Theses

Few studies have evaluated the relationship between prenatal paternal support and adverse birth outcomes among young couples. Traditionally, paternal support has been measured based on pregnancy wantedness and the presence of the father’s name on the child’s birth certificate. However, these indices may not capture key components of paternal support. The current study developed a paternal support index that expands the traditional view of parental support by incorporating other forms of support, including financial support, accompanying the mother to prenatal care visits, labor/birth classes, ultrasound appointments, and the father’s presence at the child’s birth. We examined its association with various …

Sex Differences Among Adult Influenza Hospitalizations Associated With Age, Race, And Socioeconomic Status In 14 Us Sites, 2010-2012, Kelly Elizabeth Kline

Public Health Theses

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown sex differences in influenza hospitalizations, but sex differences across the United States by demographic characteristics have not been well-established. We investigated potential sex differences across 14 FluSurv-NET (FSN) sites that conduct active population-based surveillance for laboratory-confirmed influenza-associated hospitalizations among residents of 76 counties in 2010-2012, stratifying by age, race, and census tract-level poverty.

METHODS: We used 6,292 laboratory-confirmed adult (>18 years) cases collected by the 14 FSN sites during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 influenza seasons linked to 2010 Census data to calculate overall age-adjusted and age-specific incidence and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for sex …

Alcohol Consumption In Relation To Stroke In A Multi-Ethnic Study Population, Ho Yan Janet Li

Public Health Theses

Background: Stroke accounts for a much larger percentage of deaths in Hawai`i than in the rest of the United States, and Native Hawaiians experience stroke ten years younger than their Caucasian counterparts. Although the exact reason for this disparity is unclear, the high prevalence of alcohol consumption, along with other factors, has raised concerns.

Methods: The objective of this thesis is to assess the relationship between alcohol consumption and stroke in the Kohala Health Research Project, a multi-ethnic cross-sectional study of Hawai`I residents conducted during 1995-2000. Alcohol consumption was defined as binary (yes vs. no) and categorical (nondrinkers, moderate drinkers, …

Reconstructing Neuronal Connectivity From Calcium Imaging Data Using Generalized Transfer Entropy, Jina Li

Public Health Theses

The reconstruction of neuronal connectivity is a very interesting and important topic in neuroscience as it helps with understanding neuronal circuit and function. With the advancement of calcium fluorescence imaging technique, we can now observe the dynamical activity of hundreds of neurons in vivo in one setting, which provides a foundation for inferring connectivity within a community or network. Poor signal-to-noise ratio and low frame rate with respect to neurons’ actual firing rate are challenges that come with calcium imaging data. Here we review several methods that can be applied to calcium imaging data, without the direct need for converting …

Possibilities For Advanced Practice Nursing Through The Eyes Of Physicians: A Descriptive Qualitative Study In Enugu State, Nigeria, Gabriella Tayo Adjapon-Yamoah

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

Nigeria’s critical health care needs and shortage of physicians have led to the independent practice of experienced registered nurses (RNs). These nurses practice without having studied a curriculum specifically geared toward this advanced level, which is not optimal for health outcomes. However, given that Nigeria has not adopted an official advanced practice nurse (APN) role, such training is currently not available.

APNs could provide a skilled, competent choice for Nigerian primary care, but the views of stakeholders like Nigerian physicians may impact official adoption of this role. This paper describes a sample of 12 physicians’ knowledge and attitudes toward the …

Evolution Of A 90-Day Model Of Care For Bundled Episodic Payments For Congestive Heart Failure In Home Care, April Feld

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

CMMI’s Episode Based Payment initiatives propose a large opportunity to reduce cost from waste and variation and stand to align hospitals, physicians and post acute providers in the redesign of care that achieves savings and improve quality. Community-based organizations are at the forefront of this care redesign through innovative models of care aimed at bridging gaps in care coordination and reducing hospital readmissions. This article describes a community-based provider’s approach to participation under the Bundled Payment for Care Improvement Initiative and a 90-day model of care for Congestive Heart Failure in home care.

Reducing Barriers In The Adult Ambulatory Surgery Setting By Implementing Lean Methods, Leonid Gorelik

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

Process impediments and patient flow interruptions in the preoperative setting affect patient care quality and increase organizational costs through inefficient use of operating room time. Lean methodology was successfully applied to improve efficiencies, patient privacy, and quality of care in a hospital-based high-volume adult ambulatory surgery unit. Process improvement strategies were identified and carried out during a rapid process improvement workshop (RPIW), and significant process changes were made to the preoperative work areas.

Validation Of An Emr Prioritization Tool For Diabetes Population Health, Caroline Ruth Piselli

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

The goal of evidence based population health aligned with financial outcomes is to effectively and efficiently manage a defined population to promote wellness, prevent disease progression and manage chronic conditions and acute events. A prerequisite to this model, which is in its early stages of evolution, is an electronic trace of patient information across continuum of care (COC) providers spanning hospitals, physician offices, home health programs, skilled nursing facilities, retailers, payers and new entrants. The information captured along the information trace can be mined from a data repository to analyze cohort specific evidence based care models. A newly formed, large …

Task Shifting To Nursing For A Sustainable Staffing Model Of School-Based Health Center In Under-Resourced Areas, Laura Lee Setliff Whittaker

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

Background: There is a well-established link between health and education (Bundy and Guyatt 1996). An efficient and cost effective way to increase access to care is through school-based services.

Methods: The purpose of this study is to develop a sustainable staffing model of a school-based health center in a country with limited health care resources. Two specific steps towards developing such a model are: (1) to critically review and analyze the evidence in the literature supporting an expanded nursing care practice model for the school-based health center, and (2) to merge the literature review findings with participatory field notes taken …

Fact Sheet, Yale University Office Of Institutional Research

Fact Sheets

No abstract provided.

Analisis De Las Incautaciones Realizadas Por La Agencia De Garantias De Depositios En La Ciudad De Quito Periodo 2006-2008, Montero Palomeque Maria Cristina

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No abstract provided.

Financial Stability Report 2015/2, Central Bank Of Iceland

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No abstract provided.

Medicaid As An Investment In Children: What Is The Long-Term Impact On Tax Receipts?, David W. Brown, Amanda E. Kowalski, Ithai Z. Lurie

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

We use administrative data from the IRS to examine the long-term impact of childhood Medicaid expansions. We use eligibility variation by cohort and state that we can relate to outcomes graphically. We find that children with greater Medicaid eligibility paid more in cumulative taxes by age 28. They collected less in EITC payments, and the women had higher cumulative wages. Our estimates imply that the government will recoup 56 cents of each dollar spent on childhood Medicaid by the time these children reach age 60. This return does not include estimated private gains from increased college attendance and decreased mortality.

The ‘Peter Pan Syndrome’ In Emerging Markets: The Productivity-Transparency Tradeoff In It Adoption, K. Sudhir, Debabrata Talukdar

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Firms make investments in technology to increase productivity. But in emerging markets, where a culture of informality is widespread, information technology (IT) investments leading to greater transparency can impose a cost through higher taxes and need for regulatory compliance. This tendency of firms to avoid productivity-enhancing technologies and remain small to avoid transparency has been dubbed the “Peter Pan Syndrome.” We examine whether firms make the tradeoff between productivity and transparency by examining IT adoption in the Indian retail sector. We find that computer technology adoption is lower when firms have motivations to avoid transparency. Specifically, technology adoption is lower …

Mongolia's Foreign Trade Review (2014), Bank Of Mongolia (Mongolbank)

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No abstract provided.

Argentina Put To Test As Debt Clause Expires; Hedge Funds Dispute, Benedict Mander

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No abstract provided.

Banco Central De La Republica Argentina - 2014 Financial Statements, Argentina: Banco Central De La Repãºblica

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No abstract provided.

Az Mnb Felgyorsítja Az Mkb Bank Újjászervezését, Magyar Nemzeti Bank (Mnb)

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No abstract provided.

Mnb Formally Ordered Mkb Resolution Process On 18 December, Richard Field

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No abstract provided.

Santander, Bpi And Banco Popular Join Race For Novo Banco Assets, Peter Wise

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No abstract provided.

Apollo Among Firms Circling Portugal's Novo Banco, Patricia Kowsmann, Margot Patrick

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No abstract provided.

Apollo Among Firms Circling Portugal's Novo Banco, Patricia Kowsmann, Margot Patrick

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No abstract provided.

Bundesgesetz Über Die Sanierung Und Abwicklung Von Banken, Republic Of Austria: Parliament Of Austria

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No abstract provided.

Pubic Financial Information 3rd Quarter 2014, Citadele

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No abstract provided.

Swaps Allow China To Go On Offensive, China Daily

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No abstract provided.