Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Occlusive Membranes For Guided Regeneration Of Inflamed Tissue Defects., Woojin Choi, Utkarsh Mangal, Jin-Young Park, Ji-Yeong Kim, Taesuk Jun, Ju Won Jung, Moonhyun Choi, Sungwon Jung, Milae Lee, Ji-Yeong Na, Du Yeol Ryu, Jin Man Kim, Jae-Sung Kwon, Won-Gun Koh, Sangmin Lee, Patrick T J Hwang, Kee-Joon Lee, Ui-Won Jung, Jae-Kook Cha, Sung-Hwan Choi, Jinkee Hong

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

Guided bone regeneration aided by the application of occlusive membranes is a promising therapy for diverse inflammatory periodontal diseases. Symbiosis, homeostasis between the host microbiome and cells, occurs in the oral environment under normal, but not pathologic, conditions. Here, we develop a symbiotically integrating occlusive membrane by mimicking the tooth enamel growth or multiple nucleation biomineralization processes. We perform human saliva and in vivo canine experiments to confirm that the symbiotically integrating occlusive membrane induces a symbiotic healing environment. Moreover, we show that the membrane exhibits tractability and enzymatic stability, maintaining the healing space during the entire guided bone regeneration …

The Effectiveness Of Disinfection Protocols In Osteopathic Family Medicine Offices, Riley Phyu, Harrison A Patrizio, Thomas Boyle, Todd Schachter

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

CONTEXT: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) pose a substantial public health threat. Despite significant strides to curb HAIs in hospital environments, outpatient settings have not received the same degree of attention. Given their emphasis on holistic, patient-centered care, osteopathic family medicine offices are pivotal in both disease prevention and comprehensive patient treatment. The importance of simple yet effective disinfection protocols, such as thorough cleaning between patient appointments, cannot be overstated in these settings because they are integral to minimizing disease transmission.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to assess the effectiveness of the current disinfection protocols in osteopathic family medicine offices.

METHODS: A cross-sectional …

Bisphenol-A And Phthalate Metabolism In Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders, T Peter Stein, Margaret D Schluter, Robert A Steer, Xue Ming

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: The etiology of autism spectrum (ASD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity (ADHD) disorders are multifactorial. Epidemiological studies have shown associations with environmental pollutants, such as plasticizers. This study focused on two of these compounds, the Bisphenol-A (BPA) and Diethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP). The major pathway for BPA and DEHP excretion is via glucuronidation. Glucuronidation makes insoluble substances more water-soluble allowing for their subsequent elimination in urine.

HYPOTHESIS: Detoxification of these two plasticizers is compromised in children with ASD and ADHD. Consequently, their tissues are more exposed to these two plasticizers.

METHODS: We measured the efficiency of glucuronidation in three groups of children, …

Sctiger: A Deep-Learning Method For Inferring Gene Regulatory Networks From Case Versus Control Scrna-Seq Datasets., Madison Dautle, Shaoqiang Zhang, Yong Chen

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

Inferring gene regulatory networks (GRNs) from single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) data is an important computational question to find regulatory mechanisms involved in fundamental cellular processes. Although many computational methods have been designed to predict GRNs from scRNA-seq data, they usually have high false positive rates and none infer GRNs by directly using the paired datasets of case-versus-control experiments. Here we present a novel deep-learning-based method, named scTIGER, for GRN detection by using the co-differential relationships of gene expression profiles in paired scRNA-seq datasets. scTIGER employs cell-type-based pseudotiming, an attention-based convolutional neural network method and permutation-based significance testing for inferring GRNs among …

How Often Do Medical Students Change Career Preferences Over The Course Of Medical School?, Sebastian Rachoin, Olga Vilceanu, Natali Franzblau, Sabrina Gordon, Elizabeth Cerceo

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Departmental Research

INTRODUCTION: During the preclinical years, students typically do not have extensive exposure to clinical medicine. When they begin their clinical rotations, usually in the third year, the majority of the time is spent on core rotations with limited experience in other fields of medicine. Students then must decide on their careers early in their fourth year. We aimed to analyze how often medical students change their career preferences between the end of their second and their fourth year.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, cohort study using the American Association of Medical Colleges Year 2 Questionnaire (Y2Q) and Graduating Questionnaire (GQ) …

Cerebrovascular Disease In Covid-19., James E Siegler, Savanna Dasgupta, Mohamad Abdalkader, Mary Penckofer, Shadi Yaghi, Thanh N Nguyen

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Departmental Research

Not in the history of transmissible illnesses has there been an infection as strongly associated with acute cerebrovascular disease as the novel human coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. While the risk of stroke has known associations with other viral infections, such as influenza and human immunodeficiency virus, the risk of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke related to SARS-CoV-2 is unprecedented. Furthermore, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has so profoundly impacted psychosocial behaviors and modern medical care that we have witnessed shifts in epidemiology and have adapted our treatment practices to reduce transmission, address delayed diagnoses, and mitigate gaps in healthcare. In this narrative …

Development Of A Covid-19 Vulnerability Index (Cvi) For The Counties And Residents Of New Jersey, Usa., Remo Disalvatore, Sarah K Bauer, Jeong Eun Ahn, Kauser Jahan

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

The coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19, has impacted countless aspects of everyday life since it was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization in March of 2020. From societal to economic impacts, COVID-19 and its variants will leave a lasting impact on our society and the world. During the height of the pandemic, it became increasingly evident that indices, such as the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), were instrumental in predicting vulnerabilities within a community. The CDC's SVI provides important estimates on which communities will be more susceptible to 'hazard events' by compiling a …

The Effects Of Natural Epigenetic Therapies In 3d Ovarian Cancer And Patient-Derived Tumor Explants: New Avenues In Regulating The Cancer Secretome., Rebeca Kelly, Diego Aviles, Catriona Krisulevicz, Krystal Hunter, Lauren Krill, David Warshal, Olga Ostrovsky

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Departmental Research

High mortality rates in ovarian cancer have been linked to recurrence, metastasis, and chemoresistant disease, which are known to involve not only genetic changes but also epigenetic aberrations. In ovarian cancer, adipose-derived stem cells from the omentum (O-ASCs) play a crucial role in supporting the tumor and its tumorigenic microenvironment, further propagating epigenetic abnormalities and dissemination of the disease. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor derived from green tea, and Indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a histone deacetylase inhibitor from cruciferous vegetables, carry promising effects in reprograming aberrant epigenetic modifications in cancer. Therefore, we demonstrate the action of these diet-derived compounds in …

Pandemic Response Officers: Integration Between Medical, Public Health, And Higher Education Systems To Expedite Prevention And Response., Anne C Jones, Genevive R Meredith, Donna Leong, Sabine Jamal, Rachel Buckwalter, John D Clarke, Marin Clarkberg, Allan Bishop, Frank Cantone, Claire Espey, Frank Kruppa, Mary George Opperman, Gary A Koretzky

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

CONTEXT: Research and policy studies alike have enumerated population and community health benefits of system integration between medical, public health, and social entities. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the necessity of a well-trained and adequately staffed public health and medical workforce in order to process SARS-CoV-2 cases and prevent subsequent transmission. Higher education systems, in particular, represented defined populations of exposure and transmission. Opportunities existed for collaboration and task sharing between institutions of higher education and local public health departments to limit spread and impacts.

PROGRAM: This article describes the Pandemic Response Officer (PRO) program at Cornell University, …

Timing Of Invasive Mechanical Ventilation And Death In Critically Ill Adults With Covid-19: A Multicenter Cohort Study., Adam Green, Jean-Sebastien Rachoin, Christa Schorr, Phil Dellinger, Jonathan D Casey, Isabel Park, Shruti Gupta, Rebecca M Baron, Shahzad Shaefi, Krystal Hunter, David E Leaf

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Departmental Research

PURPOSE: To investigate if the timing of initiation of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) for critically ill patients with COVID-19 is associated with mortality.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data for this study were derived from a multicenter cohort study of critically ill adults with COVID-19 admitted to ICUs at 68 hospitals across the US from March 1 to July 1, 2020. We examined the association between early (ICU days 1-2) versus late (ICU days 3-7) initiation of IMV and time-to-death. Patients were followed until the first of hospital discharge, death, or 90 days. We adjusted for confounding using a multivariable Cox …

Impact Of Food Environments On Obesity Rates: A State-Level Analysis., Elizabeth Cerceo, Elena Sharma, Anne Boguslavsky, Jean-Sebastian Rachoin

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Departmental Research

INTRODUCTION: Limited access to healthy food in areas that are predominantly food deserts or food swamps may be associated with obesity. Other unhealthy behaviors may also be associated with obesity and poor food environments.

METHODS: We calculated Modified Retail Food Environment Index (mRFEI) to assess food retailers. Using data collected from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey, the NJ Department of Health (NJDOH), and the US Census Bureau, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the interaction of obesity with the food environment and assessed smoking, leisure-time physical activity (LPA), and poor sleep.

RESULTS: There were 17.9% food deserts …

Spherocytosis In Newborn Secondary To Novel Heterozygous Mutation In, Daphna Varadi, Benjamin Caplan, Maria Scarano, Rafat Ahmed

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Departmental Research

This case report describes a novel mutation of the SPTB gene as a potential pathogenic cause of spherocytosis. A 3-week-old male presented with clinical and laboratory signs consistent with hemolytic spherocytosis, including jaundice, hyperbilirubinemia, anemia, reticulocytosis, negative Coombs test, no ABO or Rh incompatibility, and a peripheral blood smear notable for numerous spherocytes. His laboratory work demonstrated persistent anemia despite daily folate prompting next-generation sequencing which revealed a novel mutation in the SPTB gene resulting in a nonfunctioning protein product. Correlation of the genetic finding with clinical presentation may help guide management for this and future patients.

Recent Advances In Antimicrobial Peptide Hydrogels, Aryanna Copling, Maxwell Akantibila, Raaha Kumaresan, Gilbert Fleischer, Dennise Cortes, Rahul S Tripathi, Valerie J. Carabetta, Sebastian Vega

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Departmental Research

Advances in the number and type of available biomaterials have improved medical devices such as catheters, stents, pacemakers, prosthetic joints, and orthopedic devices. The introduction of a foreign material into the body comes with a risk of microbial colonization and subsequent infection. Infections of surgically implanted devices often lead to device failure, which leads to increased patient morbidity and mortality. The overuse and improper use of antimicrobials has led to an alarming rise and spread of drug-resistant infections. To overcome the problem of drug-resistant infections, novel antimicrobial biomaterials are increasingly being researched and developed. Hydrogels are a class of 3D …

Physician Stress In The Era Of Covid-19 Vaccine Disparity: A Multi-Institutional Survey, Sarah Zahl, Debasis Mondal, David Tolentino, Jennifer A Fischer, Sherry Jimenez

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

CONTEXT: Healthcare workers are at a high risk of infection during infectious disease outbreaks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the availability of several vaccines against COVID-19, the absence of vaccination in patients and colleagues remains a continuous source of stress in healthcare workers. We conducted a survey of physician preceptors, both MDs and DOs, to explore the impact of differences in the patients' and colleagues' vaccination status on their well-being, stress, and burnout.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to determine whether exposure to unvaccinated patients and/or colleagues increases stress and burnout in physician preceptors by utilizing a …

Comorbidities And Risk Factors Associated With Insomnia In The Elderly Population., Neil Mookerjee, Nicole Schmalbach, Gianna Antinori, Subhadra Thampi, Dylan Windle-Puente, Amy Gilligan, Ha Huy, Megha Andrews, Angela Sun, Roshni Gandhi, William Benedict, Austin Chang, Ben Sanders, Justin Nguyen, Maanika Reddy Keesara, Janet Aliev, Aneri Patel, Isaiah Hughes, Ian Millstein, Krystal Hunter, Satyajeet Roy

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Departmental Research

INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVES: Sleep disorders affect around 50 to 70 million Americans, with chronic insomnia being the most common, especially in the elderly population. With an 11-fold increase in the US office visits due to insomnia, from 0.8 to 9.4 million, between 1993 and 2015, it is imperative to identify the modifiable risk factors. The aim of our study was to examine the association of risk factors and comorbid medical conditions with insomnia in patients 65 years, and older.

METHODS: We performed a retrospective electronic medical record review of the patients aged 65 years and older, who visited our suburban internal medicine …

Oxygen Insufflation Through The Bronchoscope Channel For Sedation-Induced Hypoxia: Safe And Effective., Wissam Abouzgheib, Henry Miller, Thaddeus Bartter

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Departmental Research

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate both efficacy and safety parameters for insufflation through the bronchoscope as a method of recovery from sedation-induced hypoxia. To explore parameters applicable to use in human beings using an animal model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two adult pigs were sedated enough to depress respiratory drive. The effects of insufflation at 15 l/min (the upper limits of flow that might be used clinically) were then evaluated. Pressure and volume responses to bronchoscopy during intubation and without an endotracheal tube in place were recorded. Several assays were performed for each scenario, with each animal acting as its own control. Recovery …

Rna Sequencing In Hypoxia-Adapted T98g Glioblastoma Cells Provides Supportive Evidence For Ire1 As A Potential Therapeutic Target., Brian E White, Yichuan Liu, Hakon Hakonarson, Russell Buono

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Departmental Research

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive brain cancer with a median survival time of 14.6 months after diagnosis. GBM cells have altered metabolism and exhibit the Warburg effect, preferentially producing lactate under aerobic conditions. After standard-of-care treatment for GBM, there is an almost 100% recurrence rate. Hypoxia-adapted, treatment-resistant GBM stem-like cells are thought to drive this high recurrence rate. We used human T98G GBM cells as a model to identify differential gene expression induced by hypoxia and to search for potential therapeutic targets of hypoxia adapted GBM cells. RNA sequencing (RNAseq) and bioinformatics were used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) …

Allostatic Load In Opioid Use Disorder: A Scoping Review Protocol., Jaimie Qiuyun Fan, Hillary Miller, Amanda Adams, Rebecca Bryan, Matthew Salzman

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Departmental Research

INTRODUCTION: Opioid use disorder affects 2.1 million individuals in the USA, causing more than 100 000 overdose-related deaths annually. While the neurobiological model of addiction is well described and accepted, there is a lack of morbidity and mortality prognosticators for patients struggling with opioid use disorder. Allostatic load index is a promising candidate for the basis of a prognostication tool. Previous studies show that allostatic load predicts both morbidity and mortality in a variety of cohorts. This scoping review protocol provides the rationale and steps for summarizing and presenting existing evidence surrounding allostatic load in the context of opioid use …

Dpc29 Promotes Post-Initiation Mitochondrial Translation In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Kyle A. Hubble, Michael F. Henry

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Mitochondrial ribosomes synthesize essential components of the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system in a tightly regulated process. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mitochondrial mRNAs require specific translational activators, which orchestrate protein synthesis by recognition of their target gene's 5'-untranslated region (UTR). Most of these yeast genes lack orthologues in mammals, and only one such gene-specific translational activator has been proposed in humans-TACO1. The mechanism by which TACO1 acts is unclear because mammalian mitochondrial mRNAs do not have significant 5'-UTRs, and therefore must promote translation by alternative mechanisms. In this study, we examined the role of the TACO1 orthologue in yeast. We …

Dissociating Statistically Determined Normal Cognitive Abilities And Mild Cognitive Impairment Subtypes With Dctclock., Emily F. Matusz, Catherine C. Price, Melissa Lamar, Rod Swenson, Rhoda Au, Sheina Emrani, Victor Wasserman, David J Libon, Louisa I. Thompson

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the DCTclock can detect differences across groups of patients seen in the memory clinic for suspected dementia.

METHOD: Patients (n = 123) were classified into the following groups: cognitively normal (CN), subtle cognitive impairment (SbCI), amnestic cognitive impairment (aMCI), and mixed/dysexecutive cognitive impairment (mx/dysMCI). Nine outcome variables included a combined command/copy total score and four command and four copy indices measuring drawing efficiency, simple/complex motor operations, information processing speed, and spatial reasoning.

RESULTS: Total combined command/copy score distinguished between groups in all comparisons with medium to large effects. The mx/dysMCI group had the lowest total …

Does The Osteopathic Pedal Pump Reduce Lower Limb Volume In Healthy Subjects?, Jill S. Adams, Sahil H. Parikh, Brandon J. Goodwin, Donald R. Noll

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

CONTEXT: Lymphatic treatments are gentle and passive techniques believed to enhance movement of lymph back into the central circulatory system. Animal studies provide supportive evidence, yet there are few studies in humans.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to investigate whether the osteopathic pedal pump protocol reduces volume in the lower limbs of healthy subjects.

METHODS: A total of 30 first- and second-year medical students were recruited. Subjects were excluded from participating if they had acute asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure, active infections, fractures of the lower extremities, or metastatic cancer. A within-subjects study design …

Vitamin D3 Supplementation At 5000 Iu Daily For The Prevention Of Influenza-Like Illness In Healthcare Workers: A Pragmatic Randomized Clinical Trial., Noud Van Helmond, Tracy L Brobyn, Patrick J Lariccia, Teresa Cafaro, Krystal Hunter, Satyajeet Roy, Brigid Bandomer, Kevin Q Ng, Helen Goldstein, Ludmil V Mitrev, Alan Tsai, Denise Thwing, Mary Ann Maag, Myung K Chung

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Departmental Research

Vitamin D supplementation has been shown to reduce the incidence of acute respiratory infections in populations at risk. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of preventing viral infections in healthcare workers. The aim of this study was to assess the hypothesis that vitamin D3 supplementation at 5000 IU daily reduces influenza-like illness (ILI), including COVID-19, in healthcare workers. We conducted a prospective, controlled trial at a tertiary university hospital. A random group of healthcare workers was invited to receive 5000 IU daily vitamin D3 supplementation for nine months, while other random healthcare system workers served as controls. All healthcare …

Autophagy And Apoptosis: Current Challenges Of Treatment And Drug Resistance In Multiple Myeloma., Omar S Al-Odat, Daniel A Guirguis, Nicole K Schmalbach, Gabriella Yao, Tulin Budak-Alpdogan, Subash C. Jonnalagadda, Manoj K Pandey

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Departmental Research

Over the past two decades, the natural history of multiple myeloma (MM) has evolved dramatically, owing primarily to novel agents targeting MM in the bone marrow microenvironment (BMM) pathways. However, the mechanisms of resistance acquisition remain a mystery and are poorly understood. Autophagy and apoptosis are tightly controlled processes and play a critical role in the cell growth, development, and survival of MM. Genetic instability and abnormalities are two hallmarks of MM. During MM progression, plasma malignant cells become genetically unstable and activate various signaling pathways, resulting in the overexpression of abnormal proteins that disrupt autophagy and apoptosis biological processes. …

Discovering New Potential Inhibitors To Sars-Cov-2 Rna Dependent Rna Polymerase (Rdrp) Using High Throughput Virtual Screening And Molecular Dynamics Simulations., Dylan Brunt, Phillip M Lakernick, Chun Wu

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), is an essential in the RNA replication within the life cycle of the severely acute respiratory coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), causing the deadly respiratory induced sickness COVID-19. Remdesivir is a prodrug that has seen some success in inhibiting this enzyme, however there is still the pressing need for effective alternatives. In this study, we present the discovery of four non-nucleoside small molecules that bind favorably to SARS-CoV-2 RdRp over the active form of the popular drug remdesivir (RTP) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) by utilizing high-throughput virtual screening (HTVS) against the vast ZINC compound database coupled with extensive …

Successful Buprenorphine Transition While Overlapping With A Full Opioid Agonist To Treat Chronic Pain: A Case Report, Kishan V. Patel, Sidharth Sahni, Lanvin F. Taylor

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Buprenorphine is a partial mu opioid agonist that has been increasingly utilized to treat patients with chronic pain and opioid use disorder (OUD). The drug has proven to provide significant chronic pain relief at low doses ranging from 75 to 1800 mcg. The conventional buprenorphine transitional process delays its introduction until patients begin withdrawal. However, this process can pose a barrier to both patients and providers due to some patients' inability to tolerate traditional prerequisite withdrawal. To our knowledge, this is a rare reported case to describe a transitional process utilizing buccal buprenorphine in which a patient with chronic pain …

Peer Reviewed Evaluation Of Registered End-Points Of Randomised Trials (The Pre-Report Study): A Stepped Wedge, Cluster-Randomised Trial., Christopher Jones, Amanda Adams, Benjamin S Misemer, Mark A Weaver, Sara Schroter, Hayat Khan, Benyamin Margolis, David L Schriger, Timothy F Platts-Mills

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Departmental Research

OBJECTIVE: To test whether providing relevant clinical trial registry information to peer reviewers evaluating trial manuscripts decreases discrepancies between registered and published trial outcomes.

DESIGN: Stepped wedge, cluster-randomised trial, with clusters comprised of eligible manuscripts submitted to each participating journal between 1 November 2018 and 31 October 2019.

SETTING: Thirteen medical journals.

PARTICIPANTS: Manuscripts were eligible for inclusion if they were submitted to a participating journal during the study period, presented results from the primary analysis of a clinical trial, and were peer reviewed.

INTERVENTIONS: During the control phase, there were no changes to pre-existing peer review practices. After journals …

How Did The Dietary Habits Of Patients With Chronic Medical Conditions Change During Covid-19?, Sahil K. Patel, Adarsh Gupta

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

CONTEXT: Previous studies have examined the changes in the dietary habits of general populations during the COVID-19 pandemic but have not focused on specific populations such as those with chronic medical conditions (CMCs). Prior to major vaccination efforts, 96.1% of deaths were attributed to patients with preexisting CMCs, thus it is important to examine how this population has endured changes.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to identify differences in dietary habits, lifestyle habits, and food attitudes between those with CMCs compared to the populations without chronic medical conditions (non-CMCs) since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: An …

Is Cadaveric Dissection Essential In Medical Education? A Qualitative Survey Comparing Pre- And Post-Covid-19 Anatomy Courses, Smriti Kochhar, Tasfia Tasnim, Adarsh Gupta

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

CONTEXT: With the surge of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2 [COVID-19]), the modality of teaching anatomy has shifted from in-person cadaveric dissection to virtual lessons for incoming first-year medical students. As a result, we aim to assess the impact that this curriculum change has on student perspectives.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to understand the relative effect of a virtual anatomy course implemented during the pandemic (2019-2020) on the confidence, skills, and perspectives of first-year medical students compared to medical students who had traditional in-person anatomy at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine (Rowan SOM) in Stratford, New Jersey.

METHODS: The authors …

Characterization Of Gut Microbiome And Metabolome In Helicobacter Pylori Patients In An Underprivileged Community In The United States, Brian White, John D Sterrett, Zoya Grigoryan, Lauren Lally, Jared D Heinze, Hyder Alikhan, Christopher A Lowry, Lark Perez, Joshua Desipio, Sangita Phadtare

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a bacterium that infects approximately half of the world's population, is associated with various gastrointestinal diseases, including peptic ulcers, non-ulcer dyspepsia, gastric adenocarcinoma, and gastric lymphoma. As the burden of antibiotic resistance increases, the need for new adjunct therapies designed to facilitate H. pylori eradication and reduce negative distal outcomes associated with infection has become more pressing. Characterization of the interactions between H. pylori, the fecal microbiome, and fecal fatty acid metabolism, as well as the mechanisms underlying these interactions, may offer new therapeutic approaches. Aim: To characterize the gut microbiome and metabolome in H. …

Usability Of Electronic Health Record-Generated Discharge Summaries: Heuristic Evaluation., Patrice Dolhonde Tremoulet, Priyanka D Shah, Alisha A Acosta, Christian W Grant, Jon T Kurtz, Peter Mounas, Michael Kirchhoff, Elizabeth Wade

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Obtaining accurate clinical information about recent acute care visits is extremely important for outpatient providers. However, documents used to communicate this information are often difficult to use. This puts patients at risk of adverse events. Elderly patients who are seen by more providers and have more care transitions are especially vulnerable.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to (1) identify the information about elderly patients' recent acute care visits needed to coordinate their care, (2) use this information to assess discharge summaries, and (3) provide recommendations to help improve the quality of electronic health record (EHR)-generated discharge summaries, thereby increasing patient …