Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Download Full Pdf Issue Vol. 2, Iss. 2, Thomas Jefferson University-Public Health Link, March 2006

Public Health Link

Volume 2, Issue 2, March 2006 includes: accreditation update, poster sessions, Population Health Forum, Sigma XI Research Day and Annual APHA meeting.

Pnes: Neuropsychological Impairments & Psychological Symptomatology, Adriana Macias

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The present study utilized a standardized neuropsychological evaluation and self report measures to compare 52 female patients, 18 years of age and older with a video-electroencephalogram (V-EEG) confirmed diagnosis of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) (n₁=29) to a group of left temporal lobe epilepsy (L-TLE) demographically matched patients (n₂=23). In an attempt to overcome methodological confounds of previously reported studies, participants were chosen based on stringent exclusion criteria, which barred mixed etiologies. The purpose of this study was to investigate possible differences in neuropsychological functioning, mood, and personality characteristics between individuals with PNES and those with L-TLE. …

Pakistan - Country Profile Of Cancer And Cancer Control 1995-2004, Yasmin Bhurgri, Asif Bhurgri, Sania Nishter, Ashfaq Ahmed, Ahmed Usman, Shahid Pervez, Naila Kayani, Rashida Ahmed, Sheema H. Hassan, Ahmed Riaz, Hadi Bhurgri, Imtiaz Bashir

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Patient Information: An Empirical Modeling Approach, Tony A. Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

With rising costs and increasing complexities, many hospitals seek to better understand the intricate details of their operations. Increasingly, these organizations have a strong desire to accurately predict the resources required to effectively treat their patient load. This research investigates patient length-of-stay in a hospital neurological unit using an empirical modeling approach. Factors significantly affecting patient length of stay were identified and used to construct a regression model. The predictive model provides hospital decision makers with a compact tool to input what-if scenarios and predict future patient treatment lengths, thus, allowing the hospital to properly allocate resources.

Fitness, Knowledge, Progress: Assessing Physician Qualification, Lisa Sprague

National Health Policy Forum

The informed and empowered consumer is an ideal invoked by many would-be health care reformers. An actual consumer wishing to don the mantle of power may be hindered by the scarcity of information available, particularly with respect to choosing among physicians. How is one to know who is best qualified? This issue brief looks at the basics of physician qualification and the processes by which physicians are licensed, credentialed, and board-certified. It examines how the evolution of these processes (for example, the move from lifetime certification to ongoing maintenance of certification) affects clinicians and their patients. The rise of quality …

Identification Of Critical Determinants On Ace2 For Sars-Cov Entry And Development Of A Potent Entry Inhibitor, Dong P. Han, Adam Penn-Nicholson, Michael W. Cho

Faculty Scholarship

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is caused by a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV. Virus entry into cells is mediated through interactions between spike (S) glycoprotein and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Alanine scanning mutagenesis analysis was performed to identify determinants on ACE2 critical for SARS-CoV infection. Results indicated that charged amino acids between residues 22 and 57 were important, K26 and D30, in particular. Peptides representing various regions of ACE2 critical for virus infection were chemically synthesized and evaluated for antiviral activity. Two peptides (a.a. 22–44 and 22–57) exhibited a modest antiviral activity with IC(50) of about 50 μM and 6 μM, …

Different Public Health Interventions Have Varying Effects, Paula Diehr, Anne B. Newman, Liming Cai, Ann Derleth

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

Objective: To compare performance of one-time health interventions to those that change the probability of transitioning from one health state to another. Study Design and Setting: We used multi-state life table methods to estimate the impact of eight types of interventions on several outcomes. Results: In a cohort beginning at age 65, curing all the sick persons at baseline would increase life expectancy by 0.23 years and increase years of healthy life by .54 years. An equal amount of improvement could be obtained with a 12% decrease in the probability of getting sick, a 16% increase in the probability of …

Worker Crushed To Death By Falling Steel Coil, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Other

On April 13, 2005, a 40-year-old male laborer was moving a 5-feet by 9-inch coil of slitted steel, weighing 6600 pounds, when it fell on him. The laborer was in the process of wrapping a chain through the middle of the coil and through a homemade device on the forks of a forklift when the coil tipped over. As the laborer tried to move away from the falling coil, it landed on his left side, breaking his left leg and causing internal injuries. Other workers in the area did not see, but heard the commotion of the falling coil. The …

Health Benefits In Retirement: Set For Extinction?, Mark Merlis

National Health Policy Forum

Nearly 18 million people rely on employer-provided retiree health benefits to fill gaps in Medicare’s coverage or to provide basic insurance until they reach Medicare age. Rising costs have led many employers to limit benefits, require participants to pay a larger share of the costs, or stop offering coverage at all for workers who have not yet retired. This background paper describes recent developments in retiree health benefits, possible future trends, and policy options for slowing the erosion of coverage or providing alternative ways for retirees to meet their expected medical expenses.

La Bibliothèque Publique, Un Lieu De Travail : L'Ergonomie Appliquée À Un Projet D'Aménagement De Comptoir De Service, Patrick Vincent, Micheline Marier, Élise Ledoux, Marie Bellemare, Louis Trudel, Sylvie Montreuil

Rapports de recherche scientifique

No abstract provided.

Download Full Pdf Issue Volume 2, Issue 1 - Msph Newsletter 2006

Public Health Link

This is the first issue of 2006 and it highlights upcoming events and an accreditation update.

Rural Health Research In Progress In The Rural Health Research Centers Program, Maine Rural Health Research Center, Muskie School Of Public Service

Faculty, Staff, and Alumni Books

This book describes the research and policy analysis projects underway in the Rural Health Research Centers Program of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP), Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The objective of this program is to produce research and policy analyses that will be useful in the development of national and state policies to assure access to quality physical and behavioral health services for rural Americans.

Working Drivers Killed In Motor Vehicle Collisions Were Not Wearing Safety Belts, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Kentucky Haz Alerts--Motor Vehicle

To prevent motor vehicle injuries while working:

• Employers should implement a comprehensive employee driver safety training program.
• Employees should wear seat belts at all times.
• Employees should be aware of distractions and pay attention at all times.

Tag Snp Selection For Finnish Individuals Based On The Ceph Utah Hapmap Database, Cristen J. Willer, Laura J. Scott, Lori L. Bonnycastle

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

The pattern and nature of linkage disequilibrium in the human genome is being studied and catalogued as part of the International HapMap Project [2003: Nature 426:789-796]. A key goal of the HapMap Project is to enable identification of tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that capture a substantial portion of common human genetic variability while requiring only a small fraction of SNPs to be genotyped [International HapMap Consortium, 2005: Nature 437:1299-1320]. In the current study, we examined the effectiveness of using the CEU HapMap database to select tag SNPs for a Finnish sample. We selected SNPs in a 17.9-Mb region of …

Do Industrial Back Support Belts Reduce Stress In Asymmetric Lifting?, Ryan Jamor Brown

Theses

The objective of this research is to determine the effects of wearing a back support belt during repetitive asymmetric lifting in terms of heart rate, blood pressure, static lift capacity, body discomfort rating and subjective rating concerning the effectiveness of a back support belt. The type of belt used in this study was of knit nylon and elastic construction designed for industrial use.

Eight female participants lifted a crate from the table to knuckle height at a rate of three lifts per minute for a period of 20 minutes; one set with wearing back support belt and one without back …

The Vaccine Industry: Does It Need A Shot In The Arm?, Eileen Salinsky, Cole Werble

National Health Policy Forum

This paper broadly examines the scientific, regulatory, and economic factors that contribute to constrained vaccine production capacity, periodic vaccine shortages, and perceptions of inadequate investment in new vaccine product development. It describes the vaccine development and production processes and summarizes how regulatory requirements influence these activities. Market dynamics related to vaccine supply and demand are also explored, including an examination of the industry’s cost structure, potential market size, and purchaser price sensitivity. A broad range of policy interventions designed to address shortcomings of the vaccine market are considered.

Gpnn: Power Studies And Applications Of A Neural Network Method For Detecting Gene-Gene Interactions In Studies Of Human Disease, Alison A. Motsinger, Stephen L. Lee, George Mellick, Marylyn D. Ritchie

Dartmouth Scholarship

The identification and characterization of genes that influence the risk of common, complex multifactorial disease primarily through interactions with other genes and environmental factors remains a statistical and computational challenge in genetic epidemiology. We have previously introduced a genetic programming optimized neural network (GPNN) as a method for optimizing the architecture of a neural network to improve the identification of gene combinations associated with disease risk. The goal of this study was to evaluate the power of GPNN for identifying high-order gene-gene interactions. We were also interested in applying GPNN to a real data analysis in Parkinson's disease.

Survey Findings: Children Served By Mainecare, 2005, Catherine Ormond, Deborah Thayer

Disability & Aging

No abstract provided.

Energy Efficiency, R. Steven Konkel

Environmental Health Science Faculty and Staff Research

Using energy efficiently can reduce the cost of heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning, which account for a significant part of the overall cost of housing. Energy costs recur month-to-month and are hard to reduce after a home has been designed and built. The development of an energy-efficient home or building must be thought through using a systems approach

Community Participation In Tribal Diabetes Programs, Carolyn Smith-Morris

Anthropology Research

No abstract provided.

Barriers For Latino Immigrants Seeking Health Care Services, Jennier Ng'andu

2006 Latino Health Summit

At the time of the presentation Ms. Ng'andu was Health Policy Analyst, National Council of La Raza.

This presentation was part of a larger track "Immigrants, Refugees, Asylees and the Undocumented: Understanding Laws that Impact their Health and Well-Being"

From the brochure:

Participants will gain a better understanding of the various status types (e.g., immigrants, refugees) of Latinos residing in the United States and learn how these status types impact individual legal rights. Specific areas to be addressed include employment, bad debt and collections, domestic violence, human trafficking, access to culturally and linguistically appropriate health care services, and access to …

Brochure And Schedule Of Events, Latino Health Summit, Virginia Commonwealth University

2006 Latino Health Summit

Brochure and Schedule of Events, including abstracts for the Latino Health Summit, November 16-17, 2006

Recruitment And Retention Of African Americans With Severe Mental Illness In Community Research, Michelle Hampton, Mary White, Linda Chafetz

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Designing Employer-Sponsored Mental Health Benefits, Rachel Sethi, Joanne Jee, Lisa Chimento, D. Richard Mauery

Health Policy and Management Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Adherence To Principles Of Motivational Interviewing And Client Within-Session Behavior, Delwyn Catley, Kari Jo Harris, Matthew S. Mayo, Sandra Hall, Kolawole S. Okuyemi, Thuy Boardman, Jasjit S. Ahluwalia

Public and Community Health Sciences Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine whether counselor adherence to Motivational Interviewing (MI) principles was associated with more productive within-session client behavior in a smoking cessation trial for African American smokers. For these analyses 89 baseline counseling sessions of the trial were audiotaped and coded using the Motivational Interviewing Skill Code (MISC). Counselor adherence indicators included a global subjective rating of MI adherence and the frequency of MI-consistent and MI-inconsistent counselor behaviors described in the MISC. Indicators of productive client behaviors included global subjective ratings of within-session client functioning and counselor-client interaction, as well as the frequency of …

Characteristics Of Social Smoking Among College Students, Kimberly Waters, Kari J. Harris, Sandra Hall, Niaman Nazir, Alex Waigandt

Public and Community Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Social smoking is a newly identified phenomenon in the young adult population that is poorly understood. We investigated differences in social smoking (smoking most commonly while partying or socializing) and other smoking within a convenience sample of college smokers (n = 351) from a large midwestern university. Results revealed that 70% of 351 current (past 30-day) smokers reported social smoking. No significant difference was found in motivation to quit between smoking groups. However, a significant difference was found between groups in confidence to quit, the number of days smoked, and the number of cigarettes smoked on those days. More …

Social Psychology, Calamities, And Sports Law, Michael Mccann

Law Faculty Scholarship

This Article examines the role of situational pressures, fundamental attribution errors, and legal frameworks in how professional sports actors respond to the threat and occurrence of calamities. Both natural and manmade threats to American health are likely to rise over the next decade. Such threats may include catastrophic weather, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and communicable disease pandemics. In response to these threats, professional sports leagues, professional athletes, fans, and media might engage in unprecedented behavior. Consider, for instance, increasingly-devastating weather patterns, and how they might animate leagues to relocate franchises to cities with more favorable forecasts. The same outcome might …

Pierce Law Participates In Pandemic Influenza Vaccine Ip Management Meeting, Stanley P. Kowalski

Law Faculty Scholarship

On April 18, 2006 several members of the greater Pierce Law community participated in an important meeting held at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland. Organized by The Centre for the Management of Intellectual Property in Health Research and Development (MIHR), the meeting “Intellectual Property Management Strategies to Facilitate Early Access and Global Health Benefits: Case Studies in Pandemic Influenza and Malaria” had the objective of exploring and discussing IP issues which impact the distribution of vaccines to developing countries, a topic of heightened worldwide importance given the potential threat of a global influenza pandemic. In an …

Translation As A Function Of Modality: The Potential Of Brief Interventions, Chudley Werch, Jerry L. Grenard, Jeanpaul Burnett, Julia A. Watkins, Steve Ames, Edessa Jobli

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

The purpose of this article is to examine the potential of brief intervention (BI) as a modality for translating health behavior intervention research into practice. We discuss common definitions of BI, applications within common models of translation research, effects of BI on a range of health behaviors and across various populations, current and potential mechanisms, and uses for dissemination to practice. A number of advantages of BI suggest they are well suited for translating behavioral research. In addition, findings from 13 systematic reviews of BI effects show their potential versatility. Basic research on motivation, decision making, and persuasion may be …

Strengthening Care And Support Services In The Era Of Treatment: Symposium Report, Horizons Program

HIV and AIDS

Sub-Saharan Africa has been devastated by the AIDS epidemic, with almost 26 million people infected in the region. As international attention continues to focus on sub-Saharan Africa as the region most affected by AIDS, hopeful signs have emerged, such as increased access to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Although the availability of ART has greatly increased in South Africa, care and support services continue to play a critical role in the lives of people infected and affected by HIV. In response to a growing call from program managers and researchers in South Africa to engage in a dialogue with policymakers and donors …