Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Healing Power Of Antitrust, Theodosia Stavroulaki

Northwestern University Law Review

Millions of Americans live in hospital deserts—communities where people lack geographic access to hospitals and primary care physicians. People living in these deserts often miss doctor appointments, delay necessary care, and stop adhering to their treatment. In this way, hospital deserts exacerbate the health disparities plaguing America. This Article demonstrates that hospital deserts are not inevitable but the result of several business strategies—including noncompete agreements and merging with competitors—and antitrust enforcers’ unwillingness to recognize these harmful practices as antitrust violations. To cure the issue of hospital deserts, this Article makes three proposals. First, antitrust enforcers and the courts should expand …

Prevalence Of Flat Foot Among School-Age Girls And Its Relationship With Body Mass Index And Activity Level, Hisham Mohamed Hussein, Ehab Kamel, Walid Mohamed Kamel, Ibrahim Metwally Dewir, Ahmed Abdelmoniem Ibrahim

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Background: The foot and ankle are important structures in the skeletal system of the human body. Deviation in normal structure of the foot,such as in flat foot deformity, can lead to many health problems. Our study aimed to explore the prevalence of flexible flat foot (FFF) among school-age female students in the Ha’il region, Saudi Arabia, and to assess the association between the body mass index (BMI), activity level, and FFF in the selected samples. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 543 female students between 7 and 12 years of age. Data regarding age, height, weight, level …

Physiotherapists' Knowledge Of Ageing And Its Associated Factors, Unyime Jasper, Olayinka Akinrolie, Cornelius Mahdi Ishaku, Nnamdi Mgbemena

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: To evaluate knowledge of ageing and its associated factors among Nigerian physiotherapists (PTs).

Methods: We used a three-part questionnaire. Knowledge of ageing was evaluated with Palmore’s Facts on Aging Quiz (FAQ). Certain questions in the FAQ were modified to reflect the local setting. We conducted a validity and reliability check on the questionnaire using test-retest with 10 PTs. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA and multiple linear regression.

Resullts: Out of 204 PTs invited, 186 agreed to participate. Test-retest of the FAQ revealed a Cronbach alpha of 0.78. The age of participants ranged from …

Impact Of An Education Session On Improving Female Collegiate Athletes’ Comfort With Women’S Health Topics, Pauline Skowron, Ramandeep Kaur, S. Andrew Cage, Carly Wadle, Laurel Trail, Lynzi K. Warner, Brandon J. Warner

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a face-to-face education session on women’s health topics to improve comfort among college female athletes when discussing women’s health topics with coaches, athletic trainers, and primary care physicians. A secondary purpose was to assess the effectiveness of the education session on college female athletes’ perceived knowledge of topics related to women’s health. Methods: A total of 44 female collegiate student athletes competing at an NCAA Division II institution consented to and participated in this study as a convenience sample (age= 20 ± 1 years). Immediately prior to the …

Congenital Rickets, Melissa Intriago

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

No abstract provided.

How Did Covid-19 Impact Physiology Research Globally? – Lessons Learned And Future Recommendations, Jeet Patel, Santanu De

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

The Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused massive changes in the medical field across the globe. As the whole world moved from in-person to remote activities, students found themselves in a predicament where they were compelled towards schooling and work online from home. This would mean that all projects, research, tests, and meetings were conducted over Zoom or other online meeting platforms. Laboratories were shut down or only a limited number of people were allowed to enter to conduct the necessary research. This paper discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic affected research process and experiments within various aspects of the …

Analyzing And Mitigating The Risks Of Patient Harm During Operating Room To Intensive Care Unit Patient Handoffs., Nara Regina Spall Martins, Edson Zangiacomi Martinez, Cláudia Marquez Simões, Paul Barach, Maria José Carvalho Carmona

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

Patients continue to suffer from preventable harm and uneven quality outcomes. Reliable clinical outcomes depend on the quality of robust administrative systems and reliable support processes. Critically ill patient handoffs from the operating room (OR) to the intensive care unit (ICU) are known to be high-risk events. We describe a novel perspective on how risk factors associated with the process of patient handoff communication between the OR and the ICU can lead to flawed communication, degraded team awareness, medical errors, and increased patient harm. Data were collected from two semi-structured focus groups using a five-step risk management approach at a …

Neutralizing Antibody Immune Correlates In Covail Trial Recipients Of An Mrna Second Covid-19 Vaccine Boost, Bo Zhang, Youyi Fong, Lauren Dang, Jonathan Fintzi, Shiyu Chen, Jing Wang, Nadine G Rouphael, Angela R Branche, David J Diemert, Ann R Falsey, Daniel S Graciaa, Lindsey R Baden, Sharon E Frey, Jennifer A Whitaker, Susan J Little, Satoshi Kamidani, Emmanuel B Walter, Richard M Novak, Richard Rupp, Lisa A Jackson, Chenchen Yu, Craig A Magaret, Cindy Molitor, Bhavesh Borate, Sydney Busch, David Benkeser, Antonia Netzl, Derek J Smith, Tara M Babu, Angelica C Kottkamp, Anne F Luetkemeyer, Lilly C Immergluck, Rachel M Presti, Martín Bäcker, Patricia L Winokur, Siham M Mahgoub, Paul A Goepfert, Dahlene N Fusco, Robert L Atmar, Christine M Posavad, Jinjian Mu, Mat Makowski, Mamodikoe K Makhene, Seema U Nayak, Paul C Roberts, Peter B Gilbert, Dean Follmann

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Neutralizing antibody titer has been a surrogate endpoint for guiding COVID-19 vaccine approval and use, although the pandemic's evolution and the introduction of variant-adapted vaccine boosters raise questions as to this surrogate's contemporary performance. For 985 recipients of an mRNA second bivalent or monovalent booster containing various Spike inserts [Prototype (Ancestral), Beta, Delta, and/or Omicron BA.1 or BA.4/5] in the COVAIL trial (NCT05289037), titers against 5 strains were assessed as correlates of risk of symptomatic COVID-19 ("COVID-19") and as correlates of relative (Pfizer-BioNTech Omicron vs. Prototype) booster protection against COVID-19 over 6 months of follow-up during the BA.2-BA.5 Omicron-dominant period. …

Viroporin Activity Is Necessary For Intercellular Calcium Signals That Contribute To Viral Pathogenesis, J Thomas Gebert, Francesca J Scribano, Kristen A Engevik, Ethan M Huleatt, Michael R Eledge, Lauren E Dorn, Asha A Philip, Takahiro Kawagishi, Harry B Greenberg, John T Patton, Joseph M Hyser

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Viruses engage in a variety of processes to subvert host defenses and create an environment amenable to replication. Here, using rotavirus as a prototype, we show that calcium conductance out of the endoplasmic reticulum by the virus encoded ion channel, NSP4, induces intercellular calcium waves that extend beyond the infected cell and contribute to pathogenesis. Viruses that lack the ability to induce this signaling show diminished viral shedding and attenuated disease in a mouse model of rotavirus diarrhea. This implicates nonstructural protein 4 (NSP4) as a virulence factor and provides mechanistic insight into its mode of action. Critically, this …

Priority Competencies For Designated Education Officers In The Veterans Health Administration, Duane R. Bidwell, Anita Samuel, Ronald M. Cervero, Steven J. Durning, Sherri L. Stephan, Erin L. Patel, Marjorie A. Bowman, Holly S. Meyer

Population and Public Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Designated Education Officers (DEOs) at Veteran Health Administration (VHA) hospitals are senior educational leaders tasked with oversight of all clinical training at a particular facility. They prioritize dozens of tasks and responsibilities each day, from educational policy and strategy to staff management, financial planning, onboarding of trainees, and facility planning and management. Clarifying priority competencies for the role can help executives recruit, appoint, and evaluate capable personnel and promote effective, efficient performance. Using a federally developed method of competency analysis, researchers consulted a panel of subject-matter experts to identify priority competencies for DEOs, using data from a 2013 study that …

Exploring The Pathogen Profiles Of Ancient Feces, Drew Capone, David Holcomb, Amanda Lai, Karl Reinhard, Joe Brown

Karl Reinhard Publications

Analysis of ancient desiccated feces – termed paleofeces or coprolites – can unlock insights into the lives of ancient people. We collected desiccated feces from caves in the Rio Zape Valley in Mexico (725-920 CE). First, we extracted DNA with methods previously optimized for paleofeces. Then, we applied highly sensitive modern molecular tools (i.e., PCR pre-amplification followed by multi-parallel qPCR) to assess the presence of 30 enteric pathogens. We detected ≥1 pathogen associated gene in each of the ten samples and a mean of 3.9 pathogens per sample. The targets detected included Blastocystis spp. (n=7), atypical enteropathogenic E. coli (n=7), …

Using Implementation Mapping To Design An Implementation Strategy For Classroom-Based Physical Activity Approaches In Elementary Schools, Timothy J Walker, Derek W Craig, Christopher D Pfledderer, Kempson Onadeko, Emma E Saving, Hildi M Nicksic, Krista Patlovich, Keisey Fumero, John B Bartholomew, Maria E Fernández

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Physically active breaks and lessons are evidence-based approaches to improving student's physical activity. Yet, schools and teachers face implementation challenges, requiring the need for effective implementation strategies.

Purpose: Use Implementation Mapping to develop an implementation strategy for physically active breaks and lessons in elementary schools.

Methods: With our partner school district, we assembled a planning group with expertise in education, public health, and implementation science. The group completed five Implementation Mapping tasks: (i) conduct needs and assets assessment and identify adopters and implementers, (ii) identify implementation outcomes, performance objectives, and determinants, and create matrices of change objectives, (iii) choose …

Improving Cooking Skills, Lifestyle Behaviors, And Clinical Outcomes For Adults At Risk For Cardiometabolic Disease: Protocol For A Randomized Teaching Kitchen Multisite Trial (Tk-Mt), Jennifer Massa, Candace Sapp, Kate Janisch, Mopelola A Adeyemo, Auden Mcclure, Natalia I Heredia, Deanna M Hoelscher, Tannaz Moin, Shaista Malik, Wendelin Slusser, David M Eisenberg

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This protocol describes a study to investigate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a novel Teaching Kitchen Multisite Trial (TK-MT) for adults with cardiometabolic abnormalities. The TK-MT protocol describes a hybrid lifestyle intervention combining in-person and virtual instruction in culinary skills, nutrition education, movement, and mindfulness with community support and behavior change strategies. This 18-month-long randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the feasibility of implementing a 12-month, 24 class program, assess preliminary study efficacy, and identify barriers and facilitators to implementation.

METHODS: The intervention program includes 16 weeks of intensive hands-on culinary and lifestyle education classes followed by eight …

Racial Disparities Of Type 2 Diabetes Through Exercise: The Multi-Ethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis, Tong Xia, Roch A. Nianogo, Qingzhao Yu, Tamara Horwich, Preethi Srikanthan, Kosuke Inoue, Matthew Allison, Zuo-Feng Zhang, Karol E. Watson, Liwei Chen

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Introduction: Persistent racial and ethnic disparities exist for Type 2 diabetes in the U.S. Racial and ethnic minorities have a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes, and studies suggest that they engage in less exercise than White population. This study examined whether and to what degree racial differences in Type 2 diabetes were explained by exercise. Methods: Adults aged 45–84 years without Type 2 diabetes at baseline (2000–2002) were included from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis cohort and followed through 2020. Associations between race and Type 2 diabetes were examined using multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression. The effects of exercise …

Keeping Kids Safe At Meals: Preventing And Responding To Choking, Mia Dustin, Savannah Daines, Stacy Bevan, Palak Gupta, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos

All Current Publications

Introducing solid foods is an exciting developmental milestone, but it can also raise concerns about choking for parents and caregivers. Choking occurs when an object, such as food or a toy, blocks a child’s airway and prevents air from moving in and out of the lungs. This fact sheet offers practical guidance on how to prevent food-related choking, recognize the signs of a choking emergency, and what to do if a child is choking.

Sex Differences In Response To Diet Enriched With Glutathione Precursors In The Aging Heart, Aude Angelini, Grecia Garcia Marquez, Anna Malovannaya, Marta L Fiorotto, Alexander Saltzman, Antrix Jain, Joann Trial, George E Taffet, Katarzyna A Cieslik

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Common features of the aging heart are dysregulated metabolism, inflammation, and fibrosis. Elevated oxidative stress is another hallmark of cardiac aging that can exacerbate each of these conditions. We hypothesize that by increasing natural antioxidant levels (glutathione), we will improve cardiac function. Twenty-one-month-old mice were fed glycine and N-acetyl cysteine (GlyNAC; glutathione precursors)-supplemented or control diets for 12 weeks. Heart function was monitored longitudinally, and the exercise performance was determined at the end of the study. We found that the GlyNAC diet was beneficial for old male but not old female mice, leading to an increase of Ndufb8 expression (a …

From Theory To Practice: Integrating Safe Patient Handling And Mobility Into Occupational Therapy Curriculum (Part 2/2), Kimberly Santorufo, Asha Roy

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy academic institutions continue to teach manual patient handling as the standard of practice despite recent evidence, legislation, and guidelines from the American Occupational Therapy Association on hazards of manual approaches. A paradigm shift is necessary in occupational therapy academic curriculums to include didactic education and hands-on training of safe patient handling and mobility informed approaches. There is currently no standard of practice available in occupational therapy education on how to incorporate safe patient handling and mobility into preexisting curriculum, which emphasizes manual patient handling as the standard of care. The guidelines presented offer academic institutions recommendations on how …

From Theory To Practice: Integrating Safe Patient Handling And Mobility Into Occupational Therapy Curriculum (Part 1/2), Kimberly Santorufo, Asha Roy

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapists are at high-risk of musculoskeletal injury because of the manual and physical demands of job-related tasks. Many occupational therapists are sustaining injuries or changing careers because of an injury. Safe patient handling and mobility approaches should be used in occupational therapy practice to ensure the safety of both patient and therapist while assisting patients in meeting occupation-based and patient-centered goals. However, despite legislation, guidelines from the American Occupational Therapy Association, and recent evidence, most occupational therapy academic programs and educators continue to teach manual patient handling as the standard of practice. To ensure safety, longevity, and career-retention, academic …

Adverse Childhood Experiences: Healing Through Storytelling And Mindful Narrative Therapy, Julie Kemp

Mindfulness Studies Theses

This study presents research about the nature and prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), the mental and physical impacts to individuals exposed to ACEs, and incorporating mindfulness practices into therapeutic approaches to treating them, particularly Mindfulness-Based Narrative Therapy (MBNT). It is important because ACEs have become a global crisis, with the potential for interfering with psychological and physical development, early mortality, and other harmful life outcomes. This thesis provides critical information for mindfulness teachers and practitioners, therapists, educators, regulators, parents, and individuals subjected to ACEs.

The methodology includes extensive literature searches for narrative therapy and mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in peer-reviewed …

Harm Reduction Without Supportive Policing: Experiences Of Drug Users In Nepal, Chandra Jha, Dennis Donovan

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

This study explored the impact of drug criminalization and policing on harm reduction efforts in Nepal. In contexts marked by widespread corruption, drug criminalization often exacerbates the mistreatment by law enforcement of people who use drugs (PWUD), creating substantial barriers to their accessing harm reduction services. Utilizing a constructivist framework and a modified grounded theory approach, we conducted in-depth interviews with 20 PWUD to examine their experiences with drug use, interactions with police, and the consequent effects on harm reduction efforts. Three key themes emerged: the exploitation of PWUD as a significant source of income for corrupt police officers, the …

Associations Between Social Determinants Of Health And Mental Health Disorders Among U.S. Population: A Cross-Sectional Study, S. Tanarsuwongkul

Faculty Publications

Aims

The impact of social determinants of health (SDOH) on mental health is increasingly realized. A comprehensive study examining the associations of SDOH with mental health disorders has yet to be accomplished. This study evaluated the associations between five domains of SDOH and the SDOH summary score and mental health disorders in the United States.

Methods

We analyzed data from a diverse group of participants enrolled in the All of Us research programme, a research programme to gather data from one million people living in the United States, in a cross-sectional design. The primary exposure was SDOH based on Healthy …

Association Between Joint Exposure To Ambient Air Pollutants And Carotid Plaque: The Mediating Role Of Cardiometabolic Risk Factors, Yunfei Li, Ze Han, Xiaoyu Zhao, Yueruijing Liu, Zhiyuan Wu, Jinqi Wang, Xia Li, Xiuhua Guo, Lixin Tao

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Research has shown that exposure to joint air pollution is related to atherosclerosis, but little evidence has been found for carotid plaques. Our objective is to assess the association between exposure to joint air pollutants and carotid plaque and explore the mediating role of cardiometabolic factors in this relationship. Methods: The Beijing Health Management Cohort (BMHC) study followed participants recruited from 2013 to 2014 until December 31, 2020. All participants underwent carotid ultrasound and were free of carotid plaque at baseline. A satellite-based land-use regression (LUR) model was applied to estimate air pollution exposure. The joint exposure to air …

What Factors Influenced Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy? Evidence From Social Media, Huseyin Zeyd Koytak

Population Health Research Brief Series

Vaccine hesitancy is one of the most significant threats to global public health efforts. Despite the rapid development and deployment of effective vaccines, resistance to vaccination has persisted in many communities, undermining collective immunity and prolonging health crises, including most recently the COVID-19 pandemic. This brief summarizes findings from a study that used data from over 50 million tweets (later rebranded as X) from 2020 to 2022 to investigate the patterns, justifications, and socioeconomic roots of vaccine hesitancy in the United States. The authors find that Twitter users in states with lower levels of education, higher poverty and unemployment rates, …

A Proposed Mhealth Intervention To Address Patient Barriers To Colposcopy Attendance: Qualitative Interview Study Of Clinic Staff And Patient Perspectives, Jennifer Hemler, Rachel Wagner, Brittany Sullivan, Myneka Macenat, Erin Tagai, Jazmarie Vega, Enrique Hernandez, Suzanne Miller, Kuang-Yi Wen, Charletta Ayers, Mark Einstein, Shawna Hudson, Racquel Kohler

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer disparities persist among minoritized women due to infrequent screening and poor follow-up. Structural and psychosocial barriers to following up with colposcopy are problematic for minoritized women. Evidence-based interventions using patient navigation and tailored telephone counseling, including the Tailored Communication for Cervical Cancer Risk (TC3), have modestly improved colposcopy attendance. However, the efficacious TC3 intervention is human resource-intense and could have greater reach if adapted for mobile health, which increases convenience and access to health information.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe feedback from clinic staff members involved in colposcopy processes and patients referred for colposcopy regarding adaptions …

Use Of Ai In Family Medicine Publications: A Joint Editorial From Journal Editors, Sarina Schrager, Dean A. Seehusen, Sumi M. Sexton, Caroline Richardson, Jon Neher, Nicholas Pimlott, Marjorie A. Bowman, José E. Rodríguez, Christopher P. Morley, Li Li, James Domdera

Population and Public Health Sciences Faculty Publications

There are multiple guidelines from publishers and organizations on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in publishing.1–5 However, none are specific to family medicine. Most journals have some basic AI use recommendations for authors, but more explicit direction is needed, as not all AI tools are the same.

The Functional Fitness Of The Community Dwelling Older Adults In Shan Dong Of Mainland China In Comparison With The Population In Hong Kong, Zongtao Li, Yu Teng, Huigang Wang, Hao Liu, Lei Zhao

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Purpose: To compare the functional fitness (FF) of the community dwelling older adults in Shan Dong (SD) of mainland China with their peers in Hong Kong (HK). Methods: 1887 older adults living in SD were measured with Senior Fitness Test (SFT) One sample T test was used to determine the age grooup difference in each FF component between the population of SD and HK. Results: Compared with their HK peers, SD older adults showed higher performance in the task of 30s arm curl, but lower abilities in 30s chair stand, back scratch, chair sit & reach, and 8 ft …

Students' Perceived Value And Emotions In Turkish Physical Education: Testing Moderation By Gender And Sports Involvement, Mehmet Ceylan, Kelly L. Simonton

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Physical Education (PE) has been recognized as a key element in developing student enjoyment for physical activity and healthy lifestyle habits. Student emotions may dictate learning and motivation, but less is known regarding the perceptions of value and control that shape these emotions. Specifically, within certain K-12 PE national curriculums and cultures, the goals and objectives of PE, along with its emphasis on physical activity and sport, may influence the emotional response of students and their perceived value of PE. If students feel a lack of value, negative emotions, and marginalized by the content then it is unlikely their experiences …

Mental Health Conditions Of Adults With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease And Comorbidities, Amanda M. Hinson-Enslin, Luis E. Espinoza, Jennifer L. Talleff

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Although the association is not well understood, people with COPD are likely to suffer from mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Due to this occurrence, the aim of the present study is to better understand the mental health experience and COPD comorbidities of U.S. adults with a COPD diagnosis. The final sample comprised 1,676 U.S. adults who were surveyed in the 2019 National Health Interview Survey adult public file. Logistic and ordinal regression were used to calculate adjusted odds ratios for comorbid conditions predicting depression, anxiety, and the number of mental health issues, respectively. Depressive symptoms were more …

Evaluation Of Financial Risk Protection Provided By Private Health Insurance In Malaysia, Ng Rui Jie

Student Works (2020-2029)

Private health insurance (PHI) has emerged as an alternative health financing option to public health financing, with the goal of achieving and maintaining universal health coverage. Despite its growing prominence, there is ongoing debate about the extent to which PHI contributes to financial risk protection. In Malaysia, the prevalence of PHI coverage has increased due to factors such as an expanding affluent demographic, government encouragement, and challenges in public healthcare delivery. However, there have been very limited studies assessing the financial risk protection provided by PHI in Malaysia, making this a critical gap that this research aims to address. To …

Uncovering The Binding Mechanism Of Mutated Omicron Variants Via Computational Strategies, Sajjad Haider, Nadeem Ahmad, Muhammad Shafiq, Ali Raza Siddiqui, Mohammad Nur-E-Alam, Aftab Ahmed, Zaheer Ul-Haq

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The COVID-19 pandemic, triggered by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has resulted in nearly 630 million cases and 6.60 million fatalities globally, as of November 2022. SARS-CoV-2, a species of the Coronaviridae family, has a single-stranded positive-sense RNA genome as well as four main structural proteins (S, E, M, and N) required for viral entrance into target cells. The spike protein (S) influences this entry through interactions with human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) receptor. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognized numerous variants of concern (VOCs) that involve Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron, having multiple mutations within the spike protein, altering infection …