Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Letter To The Steam Journal Readers, Deborah Freund

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

A letter to the readers from the President of Claremont Graduate University, President Deborah Freund, welcoming the inaugural issue of 'The STEAM Journal'.

Is Obesity Socially Contagious?, Ciani Jean Sparks

Statistics

The main objective of this paper is to analyze three different articles that discuss whether obesity could be socially contagious. According to the World Health Organization in 2013, obesity is the fifth leading risk for deaths around the world. This disease has dramatically increased in the last decade, which has led scientists to believe there are other factors contributing to the epidemic besides genetics. The first article I analyzed, written by Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler, provided a logistic regression model to estimate the odds of a person becoming obese. The model included the explanatory variables: age, sex, education, smoking …

Nursing Student Voices: Reflections On An International Service Learning Experience, Molly Kerby, Eve Main

Gender & Women's Studies Faculty Publications

For the past decade participation in service and experiential learning in higher education has increased. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of BSN and MSN students participating in a multidisciplinary service-learning course in a rural, underserved village in Belize. Researchers analyzed student journals utilizing qualitative data analysis techniques. There were eight consistent themes found in the student journals. The findings indicate that international service learning opportunities increase students' awareness of their place in a global society and the potential contribution they can make in society. For the past decade, service and experiential learning in higher …

Cell Death Pathways In Directly Irradiated Cells And Cells Exposed To Medium From Irradiated Cells, K.K. Jella, Amaya Garcia, Brendan Mcclean, Hugh Byrne, Fiona Lyng

Articles

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare levels of apoptosis, necrosis, mitotic cell death and senescence after treatment with both direct radiation and irradiated cell conditioned medium. Materials and methods: Human keratinocytes (HaCaT cell line) were irradiated (0.005, 0.05 and 0.5 Gy) using a cobalt 60 teletherapy unit. For bystander experiments, the medium was harvested from donor HaCaT cells one hour after irradiation and transferred to recipient HaCaT cells. Clonogenic assay, apoptosis, necrosis, mitotic cell death, senescence and cell cycle analysis were measured in both directly irradiated cells and bystander cells Results: A reduction in cell survival was …

The Santa Clara, 2013-02-28, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

The Santa Clara, 2013-02-21, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

Observational Intensity Bias Associated With Illness Adjustment: Cross Sectional Analysis Of Insurance Claims, J. E. Wennberg, D. O. Staiger, S. M. Sharp, D. J. Gottlieb

Dartmouth Scholarship

Objective: To determine the bias associated with frequency of visits by physicians in adjusting for illness, using diagnoses recorded in administrative databases.

Setting: Claims data from the US Medicare program for services provided in 2007 among 306 US hospital referral regions.

Design: Cross sectional analysis. Participants 20% sample of fee for service Medicare beneficiaries residing in the United States in 2007 (n=5 153 877).

Progress Realized: Trends In Hiv-1 Viral Load And Cd4 Cell Count In A Tertiary-Care Center From 1999 Through 2011, Howard B. Gale, Manuel D. Rodriguez, Heather J. Hoffman, Debra A. Benator, Fred M. Gordin, Ann M. Labriola, Virginia L. Kan

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

Abstract

Accumulating evidence suggests that alterations in immune function may be important in the etiology of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). To identify genetic markers in immune-related pathways, we evaluated 3,985 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 230 candidate gene regions (adhesion-extravasation-migration, arachidonic acid metabolism/eicosanoid signaling, complement and coagulation cascade, cytokine signaling, innate pathogen detection and antimicrobials, leukocyte signaling, TNF/NF-kB pathway or other) in a case-control study of 344 PTC cases and 452 controls. We used logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios (OR) and calculate one degree of freedom P values of linear trend (PSNP-trend) for the association …

Data Mining The Functional Characterizations Of Proteins To Predict Their Cancer-Relatedness, Peter Revesz, Christopher Assi

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

This paper considers two types of protein data. First, data about protein function described in a number of ways, such as, GO terms and PFAM families. Second, data about whether individual proteins are experimentally associated with cancer by an anomalous elevation or lowering of their expressions within cancerous cells. We combine these two types of protein data and test whether the first type of data, that is, the functional descriptors, can predict the second type of data, that is, cancer-relatedness. By using data mining and machine learning, we derive a classifier algorithm that using only GO term and PFAM family …

The Santa Clara, 2013-02-14, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

Influenza Forecasting With Google Flu Trends, Andrea Freyer Dugas, Mehdi Jalalpour, Yulia Gel, Scott Levin, Fred Torcaso, Takeru Igusa, Richard E. Rothman

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Background: We developed a practical influenza forecast model based on real-time, geographically focused, and easy to access data, designed to provide individual medical centers with advanced warning of the expected number of influenza cases, thus allowing for sufficient time to implement interventions. Secondly, we evaluated the effects of incorporating a real-time influenza surveillance system, Google Flu Trends, and meteorological and temporal information on forecast accuracy.

Methods: Forecast models designed to predict one week in advance were developed from weekly counts of confirmed influenza cases over seven seasons (2004–2011) divided into seven training and out-of-sample verification sets. Forecasting procedures …

The Santa Clara, 2013-02-07, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

Dimethyl Sulfoxide (Dmso) Exacerbates Cisplatin-Induced Sensory Hair Cell Death In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Phillip M. Uribe, Melissa A. Mueller, Julia S. Gleichman, Matthew D. Kramer, Qi Wang, Martha Sibrian-Vazquez, Robert M. Strongin, Peter S. Steyger, Douglas A. Cotanche, Jonathan I. Matsui

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Inner ear sensory hair cells die following exposure to aminoglycoside antibiotics or chemotherapeutics like cisplatin, leading to permanent auditory and/or balance deficits in humans. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are used to study drug-induced sensory hair cell death since their hair cells are similar in structure and function to those found in humans. We developed a cisplatin dose-response curve using a transgenic line of zebrafish that expresses membrane-targeted green fluorescent protein under the control of the Brn3c promoter/enhancer. Recently, several small molecule screens have been conducted using zebrafish to identify potential pharmacological agents that could be used to protect sensory hair cells …

Examining Advances In Technology And Hospitality Information Strategy, Robert J. Kauffman, P. Oconnor

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Hospitality managers have turned to IT to streamline reservations, capture new customer data, and build market share. Internet-based reservations, advertising and communication, social media, and mobile phones offer technology-led opportunities for value cocreation with customers. We aim to stimulate sharing of new ideas, current applications and emerging managerial know-how for the hospitality industry, while bringing new submissions to CQ.

The Santa Clara, 2013-01-31, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

The Santa Clara, 2013-01-24, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

Can Changes In Angiogenic Biomarkers Between The First And Second Trimesters Of Pregnancy Predict Development Of Pre-Eclampsia In A Low-Risk Nulliparous Patient Population?, Leslie Myatt, Rebecca G. Clifton, J. M. Roberts, Catherine Y. Spong, Ronald J. Wapner, +10 Additional Authors

GW Biostatistics Center

OBJECTIVE:

To determine if change in maternal angiogenic biomarkers between the first and second trimesters predicts pre-eclampsia in low-risk nulliparous women.

DESIGN:

A nested case-control study of change in maternal plasma soluble Flt-1 (sFlt-1), soluble endoglin (sEng) and placenta growth factor (PlGF). We studied 158 pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia and 468 normotensive nonproteinuric controls.

SETTING:

A multicentre study in 16 academic medical centres in the USA.

POPULATION:

Low-risk nulliparous women.

METHODS:

Luminex assays for PlGF, sFlt-1 and sEng performed on maternal EDTA plasma collected at 9-12, 15-18 and 23-26 weeks of gestation. Rate of change of analyte between first and …

The Santa Clara, 2013-01-17, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

The Santa Clara, 2013-01-10, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

2012 Southern Nevada Existing Conditions Report, Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coaltion, Lincy Institute, Unlv Urban Sustainability Initiative, Unlv School Of Community Health Sciences, Jennifer Pharr Phd, Courtney Coughenour

Lincy Institute Reports and Briefs

No abstract provided.

Atrazine And Nitrate In Public Drinking Water Supplies And Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma In Nebraska, Usa, Martha G. Rhoades, Jane L. Meza, Cheryl L. Beseler, Patrick J. Shea, Andy Kahle, Julie M. Vose, Kent M. Eskridge, Roy F. Spalding

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

A secondary analysis of 1999–2002 Nebraska case-control data was conducted to assess the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) associated with exposure to nitrate- and atrazine-contaminated drinking water. Water chemistry data were collected and weighted by well contribution and proximity of residence to water supply, followed by logistic regression to determine odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). We found no association between NHL risk and exposure to drinking water containing atrazine or nitrate alone. Risk associated with the interaction of nitrate and atrazine in drinking water was elevated (OR, 2.5; CI, 1.0–6.2). Risk of indolent B-cell lymphoma was higher …

Modeling The Impact And Costs Of Semiannual Mass Drug Administration For Accelerated Elimination Of Lymphatic Filariasis, Wilma A. Stolk, Quirine A. Ten Bosch, Sake J. De Vlas, Peter U. Fischer, Gary J. Weil, Ann S. Goldman

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

The Global Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) has a target date of 2020. This program is progressing well in many countries. However, progress has been slow in some countries, and others have not yet started their mass drug administration (MDA) programs. Acceleration is needed. We studied how increasing MDA frequency from once to twice per year would affect program duration and costs by using computer simulation modeling and cost projections. We used the LYMFASIM simulation model to estimate how many annual or semiannual MDA rounds would be required to eliminate LF for Indian and West African scenarios with varied …

Environmental Exposure To Pyrethroids And Sperm Sex Chromosome Disomy: A Cross-Sectional Study, Heather A. Young, John D. Meeker, Sheena E. Martenies, Zaida I. Figueroa, Dana Boyd Barr, Melissa J. Perry

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

Background

The role of environmental pesticide exposures, such as pyrethroids, and their relationship to sperm abnormalities are not well understood. This study investigated whether environmental exposure to pyrethroids was associated with altered frequency of sperm sex chromosome disomy in adult men.

Methods

A sample of 75 subjects recruited through a Massachusetts infertility clinic provided urine and semen samples. Individual exposures were measured as urinary concentrations of three pyrethroid metabolites ((3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3PBA), cis- and trans- 3-(2,2-Dichlorovinyl)-1-methylcyclopropane-1,2-dicarboxylic acid (CDCCA and TDCCA)). Multiprobe fluorescence in situ hybridization for chromosomes X, Y, and 18 was used to determine XX, YY, XY, 1818, and …

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 54 Number 3, Winter 2013, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

16 - TO CATCH A THIEF by Vince Beiser. Mathematician George Mohler has helped equip police in Santa Cruz and L.A. with an algorithm that predicts where crimes might happen next. Is this the future of policing?

22 - HOW TO PREVENT A BONFIRE OF THE HUMANITIES by Michael S. Malone '75, MBA '77. A veteran chronicler of Silicon Valley looks at why the high-tech industry needs-and wants-folks who know how to tell a story.

26 - A POEM, A PRAYER, AND A MARTINI FOR THE RHINO Two conversations with Chancellor William J. Rewak, S.J.-who's just published his first collection …

Special Issue On Medical Simulation, Michel Audette, Hanif M. Ladak

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Faculty Publications

We would like to welcome you to this Special Issue on Medical Simulation, the first of its kind not only for SIMULATION: Transactions of The Society for Modeling and Simulation International, but for any technical journal. Our respective backgrounds are an indication of the technical and clinical breadth of medical simulation, as we approach the subject as primarily medical image analysis and biomechanics experts respectively, each with a variety of clinical interests spanning virtual reality (VR)–based neuro-, orthopedic and ear-nose-and-throat surgery. Moreover, we believe that the breadth of the papers that comprise this issue reflects an even broader perspective. After …

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 …

Momentum 2013, Jessica Canedo

Momentum

A journal of undergraduate research

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.

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 55 Number 1, Fall 2013, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

6 - ONE IN A MILLION By Michael E. Engh, S.J. A note of thanks from the president to SCU alumni. For the Leavey Challenge, you came through in record numbers to secure a $1 million challenge grant for the University.

20 - GOOD LIGHT: A PHOTO RETROSPECTIVE with Charles Barry. For a quarter century he has told Santa Clara's stories in photographs. Here are a few.

26 - YES, BUT IS IT THE RIGHT THING TO DO? By Sam Scott '96. From business to government to college campuses, it's not always a question that gets asked. But here's how …