Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Inhalation Therapy In Patients Receiving Mechanical Ventilation: An Update, Arzu Ari, James B. Fink, Rajiv Dhand

Respiratory Therapy Faculty Publications

Incremental gains in understanding the influence of various factors on aerosol delivery in concert with technological advancements over the past 2 decades have fueled an ever burgeoning literature on aerosol therapy during mechanical ventilation. In-line use of pressurized metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs) and nebulizers is influenced by a host of factors, some of which are unique to ventilator-supported patients. This article reviews the impact of various factors on aerosol delivery with pMDIs and nebulizers, and elucidates the correlation between in-vitro estimates and in-vivo measurement of aerosol deposition in the lung. Aerosolized bronchodilator therapy with pMDIs and nebulizers is commonly employed in …

Do Social Conditions Affect Capuchin Monkeys' (Cebus Apella) Choices In A Quantity Judgment Task?, Michael J. Beran, Bonnie M. Perdue, Audrey E. Parrish, Theodore A. Evans

Language Research Center

Beran et al. (2012) reported that capuchin monkeys closely matched the performance of humans in a quantity judgment test in which information was incomplete but a judgment still had to be made. In each test session, subjects first made quantity judgments between two known options. Then, they made choices where only one option was visible. Both humans and capuchin monkeys were guided by past outcomes, as they shifted from select- ing a known option to selecting an unknown option at the point at which the known option went from being more than the average rate of return to less than …

Health & Sciences Librarians Newsletter, Brenna Helmstutler, Sharon Leslie, Lesley Mackie, Ida Martinez, Todd Prusin, Jackie Werner

University Library Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Taking The Perspective That A Depressive State Reflects Inflammation: Implications For The Use Of Antidepressants, Jill Littrell

SW Publications

This paper reviews both the evidence that supports the characterization of depression as an inflammatory disorder and the different biochemical mechanisms that have been postulated for the connection between inflammation and depression. This association offers credible explanation for the short term efficacy of antidepressants, which have short term anti-inflammatory effects. Evidence for those anti-inflammatory effects is discussed. Evidence of the contrary long-term effects of antidepressants, which increase rather than decrease inflammation, is also reviewed. It is argued that this increase in inflammation would predict an increase in chronicity among depressed patients that have been treated with antidepressants drugs, which has …

Road Dust Lead (Pb) In Two Neighborhoods Of Urban Atlanta, (Ga, Usa), Daniel M. Deocampo, Phillip Jack Reed, Alexander P. Kalenuik

Public Health Faculty Publications

Road dust continues to be a major potential reservoir of Pb in the urban environment, and an important potential component of child Pb exposure. This study presents ICP-AES analyses of metals in 72 samples of road dust (<250 >μm) collected in the urban core of Atlanta, Georgia. In the Downtown area, median Pb concentrations are ~63 mg/kg Pb, with high values of 278 mg/kg. For comparison, median Pb values in a nearby residential neighborhood (also in the urban core) were ~93 mg/kg, with a high of 972 mg/kg. Geospatial variability is high, with significant variation observed over tens to hundreds …

Correlates Of Suicide Ideation And Attempt Among Youth Living In The Slums Of Kampala, Monica H. Swahn, Jane B. Palmier, Rogers Kasirye, Huang Yao

Public Health Faculty Publications

While suicidal behavior is recognized as a growing public health problem world-wide, little is known about the prevalence and risk factors for suicidal behaviors among street and slum youth in Africa, and in Uganda, specifically. The number of youth who live on the streets and in the slums of Kampala appears to be growing rapidly, but their mental health needs have not been documented, which has hampered resource allocation and service implementation. This study of youth, ages 14–24, was conducted in May and June of 2011, to assess the prevalence and correlates of suicidal behavior. Participants (N = 457) were …

Laboratory Office Hours As Outreach In The Health Sciences: Better Research Skills For Better Careers, Todd Prusin

University Library Faculty Publications

Medical librarianship is changing in healthcare environments. Since 1996, by which time the standards that determine how hospitals acquire accreditation changed, many hospitals are acquiring accreditation without a qualified medical librarian on site. For that reason, it has become even more important that healthcare professionals, doctors, nurses and other clinicians, learn to access and evaluate quality information as an integral part of their academic training. Because of this, medical clinicians must begin their careers with strong research skills. These skills must be attained during their academic matriculation and studies in the field of librarianship have shown that departmental outreach hours …

The Bogota Ciclovia-Recreativa And Cicloruta Programs: Promising Interventions To Promote Physical Activity, And Social Capital In The City Of Bogota, Andrea D. Torres

Public Health Theses

Abstract

Background: The Ciclovia program (60.3 miles of streets temporarily closed to motorized vehicles and open to pedestrians) and the Ciclorutas (186.4 miles bicycle paths network) represent two policy and built environment approaches that have been implemented in Bogota, Colombia to increase access to recreational and physical activity (PA) opportunities and promote active transportation. Both programs have other potential public health outcomes such as quality of life and social capital. Both physical activity and social capital have been demonstrated to be strongly related with health. The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the participants from Ciclovia and …

A Survey Of Point Of Use Household Water Treatment Options For Rural South India, Kendralyn G. Jeffreys

Public Health Theses

Contaminated drinking water is one of the major health challenges facing people in the developing world. The country of India leads the world in under age five mortality due to diarrheal disease, which is attributed to water and food contamination. While the Indian government has made progress in expanding access to improved water sources in the last decade, the microbiological quality of the water is unpredictable. Point of use household water treatment systems can provide clean drinking water for people who do not have access to a clean water source. This report examines five non-electrical point of use household water …

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status And Skin Cancer Using The Health Information National Trends Survey, 2005, Erin Ruoff

Public Health Theses

Background: Skin cancer is one of the most preventable forms of cancer yet for certain types of skin cancers, it can be fatal if it goes untreated. While ultraviolet radiation is the main cause of skin cancer, there are several other risk factors, including sunburn history, smoking, environmental pollutants, family history, personal history, and skin color. Practicing sun protection behaviors and receiving regular skin cancer screenings can prevent the cancer from ever developing. This study examines the demographic and socioeconomic status risk factors for skin cancer.

Methods: The Health Information National Trends Survey data was used from 2005. Using this …

Training Mothers Recovering From Substance Abuse To Identify And Treat Their Children’S Illnesses, Lela E.A. Strong

Public Health Theses

Parents who abuse drugs and alcohol are at increased risk of child maltreatment, including the neglect of their children’s health. The present research investigates the effectiveness of the SafeCare® Health module in training mothers with a history of substance abuse living in a residential treatment facility to correctly identify and treat their children’s illnesses. Three mothers of children ages 5-years-old and younger participated in the study. Using a multiple-baseline, single-case experimental design, the research team examined the participants’ ability to select the most appropriate course of action for addressing their children’s illnesses. Results indicate that parents’ skills increased steadily during …

Impact Of Insurance Status On Childhood Immunization Uptake, Lindsey M. Webb

Public Health Theses

Economic barriers remain an obstacle to ensuring that children in the United States are protected against vaccine-preventable diseases. Disparities persist despite programs in place to alleviate them, such as the Vaccines for Children program, which provides free vaccines for eligible children. Using data from the 2010 National Immunization Survey, this study addresses whether insurance status has an impact on immunization uptake by investigating associations between vaccine receipt and insurance type, VFC eligibility, and insurance continuity. Logistic regression was performed using possible important factors suggested in the literature. Among children in the national sample, results showed strong associations between up-to-date immunization …

Changes In Sexual Risk Perception And Risk Taking Among Urban African American Adolescents, Rosa M. Steen

Public Health Theses

Background: Adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 24 acquire nearly half of all new STDs in the United States, yet they represent only 25% of the sexually active population. Young men and women in this age group have the highest rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, especially in the African American population. Adolescent risk factors include having a history of pregnancy or STDs, being arrested or incarcerated, substance abuse, early sexual debut and having 4 or more lifetime sexual partners. Protective behaviors such as parental involvement, school enrollment, and consistent condom use have been associated with decreased incidence …

Comparison Of Screening Methods For Pre-Diabetes And Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus By Race/Ethnicity And Gender, Ashleigh E. Heath

Public Health Theses

INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVES: Current screening guidelines for pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus note that there are discrepancies in diagnosing the disease using the fasting plasma glucose test, oral glucose tolerance test, and HbA1_c in high-risk populations. The objective of this study is to compare the effectiveness of screening methods for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and pre-diabetes by race/ethnicity and gender.

METHODS: Secondary analyses of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2005-2008) were performed using SPSS 19.0. Screening outcomes were assessed and compared for a sample of n=10,566, NHW, NHB, MA, and Multiracial/other men and women. Analyses included …

An Evaluation Of The Pre-Release Planning Program Of The Georgia Department Of Corrections And A Qualitative Assessment Of Reentry Experiences Of Program Participants, Alison N. Mccullough

Public Health Theses

Higher rates of HIV are seen within correctional systems across the United States. Georgia has one of the largest correctional populations in the country and HIV rates among prisoners are elevated when compared to the state as a whole. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the Pre-Release Planning Program of the Georgia Department of Corrections and to identify reentry needs unique to persons living with HIV. This evaluation was informed by the post-release experiences of participants who described their own reentry journeys through semi-structured qualitative interviews. A convenience sample of 45 program participants was recruited to complete a …

Self-Harm And Suicide Attempts Among High-Risk, Urban Youth In The U.S.: Shared And Unique Risk And Protective Factors, Monica H. Swahn, Bina Ali, Robert M. Bossarte, Manfred Van Dulmen, Alex Crosby, Angela C. Jones, Katherine C. Schinka

Public Health Faculty Publications

The extent to which self-harm and suicidal behavior overlap in community samples of vulnerable youth is not well known. Secondary analyses were conducted of the “linkages study” (N = 4,131), a cross-sectional survey of students enrolled in grades 7, 9, 11/12 in a high-risk community in the U.S. in 2004. Analyses were conducted to determine the risk and protective factors (i.e., academic grades, binge drinking, illicit drug use, weapon carrying, child maltreatment, social support, depression, impulsivity, self-efficacy, parental support, and parental monitoring) associated with both self-harm and suicide attempt. Findings show that 7.5% of participants reported both self-harm and suicide …

Evaluation Of The Impact Of The Plastic Biosand Filter On Health And Drinking Water Quality In Rural Tamale, Ghana, Christine E. Stauber, Byron Kominek, Kaida R. Liang, Mumuni K. Osman, Mark D. Sobsey

Public Health Faculty Publications

A randomized controlled trial of the plastic BioSand filter (BSF) was performed in rural communities in Tamale (Ghana) to assess reductions in diarrheal disease and improvements in household drinking water quality. Few studies of household water filters have been performed in this region, where high drinking water turbidity can be a challenge for other household water treatment technologies. During the study, the longitudinal prevalence ratio for diarrhea comparing households that received the plastic BSF to households that did not receive it was 0.40 (95% confidence interval: 0.05, 0.80), suggesting an overall diarrheal disease reduction of 60%. The plastic BSF achieved …

Dynamic Adaptation Process To Implement An Evidence-Based Child Maltreatment Intervention, Gregory A. Aarons, Amy E. Green, Lawrence A. Palinkas, Shannon Self-Brown, Daniel J. Whitaker, John R. Lutzker, Jane F. Silovsky, Debra B. Hecht, Mark J. Chaffin

Public Health Faculty Publications

Background: Adaptations are often made to evidence-based practices (EBPs) by systems, organizations, and/or service providers in the implementation process. The degree to which core elements of an EBP can be maintained while allowing for local adaptation is unclear. In addition, adaptations may also be needed at the system, policy, or organizational levels to facilitate EBP implementation and sustainment. This paper describes a study of the feasibility and acceptability of an implementation approach, the Dynamic Adaptation Process (DAP), designed to allow for EBP adaptation and system and organizational adaptations in a planned and considered, rather than ad hoc, way. The …

A Randomized Controlled Trial Of The Plastic-Housing Biosand Filter And Its Impact On Diarrheal Disease In Copan, Honduras., Anna M. Fabiszewski De Aceituno, Christine E. Stauber, Adam Walters, Rony E. Meza Sanchez, Mark Sobsey

Public Health Faculty Publications

Point of use drinking water treatment with the BioSand filter (BSF) allows people to treat their water in the home. The purpose of this research was to document the ability of the Hydraid plastic-housing BSF to reduce diarrheal disease in households who received a BSF in a randomized controlled trial. The trial of the Hydraid plastic-housing BSF was carried out in rural, mountainous communities in Copan, Honduras during April of 2008 to February of 2009. A logistic regression adjusting for clustering showed that the incidence of diarrheal disease in children under 5 years was reduced by approximately 45% (odds ratio …

The 1918–19 Influenza Pandemic In Boyacá, Colombia, Gerardo Chowell, Cecile Viboud, Lone Simonsen, Mark A. Miller, Rodolfo Acuna-Soto, Juan M. Ospina Díaz, Abel Fernando Martínez-Martín

Public Health Faculty Publications

To quantify age-specific excess-mortality rates and transmissibility patterns for the 1918–20 influenza pandemic in Boyacá, Colombia, we reviewed archival mortality records. We identified a severe pandemic wave during October 1918–January1919 associated with 40 excess deaths per 10,000 population. The age profile for excess deaths was W shaped; highest mortality rates were among infants (age), followed by elderly persons (>60 y) and young adults (25–29 y). Mean reproduction number was estimated at 1.4–1.7, assuming 3- or 4-day generation intervals. Boyacá, unlike cities in Europe, the United States, or Mexico, experienced neither a herald pandemic wave of deaths early in 1918 …

Epidemiological Characteristics And Underlying Risk Factors For Mortality During The Autumn 2009 Pandemic Wave In Mexico, Gerardo Chowell, Santiago Echevarria-Zuno, Cecile Viboud, Lone Simonsen, Mark A. Miller, Irma Fernandez-Garate, Cesar Gonzalez-Bonilla, Victor H. Borja-Aburto

Public Health Faculty Publications

Background: Elucidating the role of the underlying risk factors for severe outcomes of the 2009 A/H1N1 influenza pandemic could be crucial to define priority risk groups in resource-limited settings in future pandemics. Methods: We use individual-level clinical data on a large series of ARI (acute respiratory infection) hospitalizations from a prospective surveillance system of the Mexican Social Security medical system to analyze clinical features at presentation, admission delays, selected comorbidities and receipt of seasonal vaccine on the risk of A/H1N1-related death. We considered ARI hospitalizations and inpatient-deaths, and recorded demographic, geographic, and medical information on individual patients during August-December, 2009. …

Risk Factors For Mortality Among 2009 A/H1n1 Influenza Hospitalizations In Maricopa County, Arizona, April 2009 To March 2010, Gerardo Chowell, Aurimar Ayala, Vjollca Berisha, Cecile Viboud, Mare Schumacher

Public Health Faculty Publications

We analyzed individual-level data on pandemic influenza A/H1N1pdm hospitalizations from the enhanced surveillance system of the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, AZ, USA from April 1st, 2009 to March 31st, 2010. We also assessed the the risk of death among A/H1N1 hospitalizations using multivariate logistic regression. Hospitalization rates were significantly higher among Native Americans (risk ratio (RR) = 6.2; 95% CI: 6.15, 6.21), non-Hispanic Black (RR = 3.84; 95% CI: 3.8, 3.9), and Hispanics (RR = 2.0; 95% CI: 2.0, 2.01) compared to non-HispanicWhites. Throughout the spring, 59.2% of hospitalized patients received antiviral treatment; the proportion of patients treated …

Recrudescent Wave Of Pandemic A/H1n1 Influenza In Mexico, Winter 2011-2012: Age Shift And Severity, Gerardo Chowell, Santiago Echevarria-Zuno, Cecile Viboud, Lone Simonsen, Concepcion Grajales Muñiz, Ramón Alberto Rascón-Pacheco, Margot González-León, Victor Hugo Borja Aburto

Public Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND:

A substantial recrudescent wave of pandemic influenza A/H1N1 that began in December 2011 is ongoing and has not yet peaked in Mexico, following a 2-year period of sporadic transmission. Mexico previously experienced three pandemic waves of A/H1N1 in 2009, associated with higher excess mortality rates than those reported in other countries, and prompting a large influenza vaccination campaign. Here we describe changes in the epidemiological patterns of the ongoing 4th pandemic wave in 2011-12, relative to the earlier waves in 2009. The analysis is intended to guide public health intervention strategies in near real time.

METHODS:

We analyzed demographic …

Feasibility Study Of Social Media To Reduce Intimate Partner Violence Among Gay Men In Metro Atlanta, Georgia, Sheryl M. Strasser, Megan Smith, Danielle Pendrick, Sarah Boos-Beddington, Ken Chen, Frances Mccarty

Public Health Faculty Publications

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a major public health issue occurring in the United States and globally. While little is known in general about IPV, understanding about the prevalence of physical IPV among gay men is even more obscure. There is a clear disparity in violence research attention focused on this vulnerable segment of society. This cross-sectional survey study was conducted to examine the feasibility of enrolling 100 gay men from Atlanta into an IPV survey study. The survey was administered via Facebook. Ninety-nine usable surveys were collected. Chi-square tests reveal that minority ethnic status, illicit drug use, and non-disclosed …

Controversies In Psychiatry And Dsm-5: The Relevance For Social Work (Occasional Essay), Jill Littrell, Jeffrey R. Lacasse

SW Publications

This essay addresses recent controversies surrounding the forthcoming fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5—the first major revision of the DSM since 1994), as well as questions regarding the safety and efficacy of psychotropic medications discussed in the public domain. Mental health professionals across a wide range of professions have signed a petition to the DSM-5 Task Force protesting changes in the new edition, and critiques of psychiatric medications are increasingly disseminated in the media. These issues have particular relevance for children in foster care, who receive diagnoses and medication at high rates. The general …

The Controversy Over Antidepressant Drugs In An Era Of Evidence-Based Practice, Jill Littrell, Jeffrey Lacasse

SW Publications

Questions regarding the efficacy of antidepressant drugs have been a recent focus of attention in the national news both in print and in the television media. Many clients will have questions regarding what they can believe and how they can address mood problems. Social workers constitute a greater percentage of the mental health work force than any other profession. Thus, social workers will probably be asked by clients about these issues. This article presents information on the efficacy of antidepressants for both the short and long term. It covers adverse effects and withdrawal symptoms. Clients' self-determination should be honored. However, …

Children In Foster Care And Excessive Medications, Jill L. Littrell

SW Publications

Children in foster care system are more likely to receive diagnoses of major mental illness and to be medicated with powerful medications such as antipsychotic drugs. Reasons for the increased risk of the actual mental illnesses and for the diagnoses of illness among children in foster care are reviewed. The reliabilities of various diagnoses are considered. The legitimacy of the rationale for early medications to prevent later disability is discussed. The very real hazards of medicating with antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, stimulants, mood stabilizers and antidepressants are reviewed. A discussion of advocacy efforts occurring around the United States on behalf of medicated …

Relationship Of Body Mass Index And Activity Level With Sleep Quality Among College Women, Caroline Wuertz, Yesmira Chia, Jiwon Lee

DISCOVERY: Georgia State Honors College Undergraduate Research Journal

Introduction: The effects of obesity and a sedentary lifestyle on overall health have been thoroughly researched. It is also common for college women to prioritize studying over healthy sleeping habits. However, little is known regarding Body Mass Index (BMI) and activity level and their relationship with sleep quality among college women. Determining these relationships would be beneficial in educating college women about the implications of their behaviors. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to: 1) explore the relationship between BMI and sleep quality, and 2) examine the relationship between levels of physical activity and sleep quality among college women. …

Investigating The Solvation, Binding Mode, And Free Energy Of A Minor Groove Dna Complex Using Atomistic Computer Simulations, Keon Reid

DISCOVERY: Georgia State Honors College Undergraduate Research Journal

Two helical (alpha and beta) strands form DNA. The DNA structural background provides grooves which may act as a binding site. The major groove is 22 Å wide whereas the minor groove is 12 Å wide. The minor groove of the double-stranded DNA can interact with many different classes of ligands in a sequence specific fashion. Netropsin is an oligopeptide with antibiotic and antiviral activity that binds tightly to an adenine-rich sequence of DNA. Atomic resolution x-ray crystal structures of the DNA-netropsin complex have been solved and many experiments have been carried out over the year to understand the thermodynamics …

Efficient Error Correction For Next-Generation Sequencing Of Viral Amplicons, Pavel Skums, Zoya Dimitrova, David S. Campo, Gilberto Vaughan, Livia Rossi, Joseph C. Forbi, Jonny Yokosawa, Alexander Zelikovskiy, Yury Khudyakov

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Background: Next-generation sequencing allows the analysis of an unprecedented number of viral sequence variants from infected patients, presenting a novel opportunity for understanding virus evolution, drug resistance and immune escape. However, sequencing in bulk is error prone. Thus, the generated data require error identification and correction. Most error-correction methods to date are not optimized for amplicon analysis and assume that the error rate is randomly distributed. Recent quality assessment of amplicon sequences obtained using 454-sequencing showed that the error rate is strongly linked to the presence and size of homopolymers, position in the sequence and length of the amplicon. All …