Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Childhood Idiopathic Pulmonary Hypertension: A Case Report, Nathaniel Balmert, Joseph Prahlow

Research Day

Introduction: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized as average pulmonary artery pressure of greater than 25mm Hg at rest. Childhood idiopathic pulmonary hypertensions (CIPH) is distinguishable from PAH by the absence of family history or underlying disease. Symptoms of CIPH include dyspnea, exercise limitation, and syncope. Common organ-specific changes include right ventricular hypertrophy and right ventricular strain. We present the case of a 6-year-old girl presenting with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension aggravated by esophageal intubation. Methods: This case is from the files of one of the authors, a forensic pathologist. Case Report and Discussion: Diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension when …

Enhancing Childrens Social-Emotional Learning Skills Through Mindfulness Practices, Shun Yi Wan, Stephanie Chang, Jordan Fenlon, Amrith Shettigar, Mckenzie Johnson, Sam Lealofi

Research Day

Background: The Kalamazoo Eastside neighborhood has been subject to a great deal of economic and functional instability, particularly impacting the youth. Local demographic studies indicate that 90% of children are eligible for free or reduced lunch due to low income, 58% of households are single-female households, and 29% of parents do not have a high school diploma. Eastside Youth Strong (EYS) is a local organization focused on improving the lives of these children. This study will be investigating the EYS afterschool program’s mindfulness initiative. Purpose: Social and emotional learning were chosen to be studied because these skills are critical for …

Delivery Of Health Education In Adolescents With Behavioral Health Challenges, Ashley Akkal, Ransome Eke Md, Phd, Sulin Wu, Amy Rechenberg, Michael Madrid, Jose Lopez-Vera, Duncan Vos

Research Day

BACKGROUND Adolescents with behavioral health issues tend to have inadequate access to health education, and are thus less aware of the importance of personal and dental hygiene, exercise, and healthy diet and lifestyle habits. Due to this disparity, this population has been known to harbor a higher prevalence of STI’s, drug and alcohol abuse, physical altercations, juvenile detention, and suicide attempts. PURPOSE The overall objective of this study was to examine the effect of integrating a health science curriculum in this population. METHODS Participants aged 5-17 years old were recruited and assigned to either control or science groups by Family …

A Case Of Native Valve Staphylococcus Epidermidis Endocarditis With Cardiac Abscess Formation, Emily Cordes, Chris Jacob, Mark Loehrke

Research Day

Introduction: Staphylococcus epidermidis is the most common commensal bacteria of the skin; however it can be pathogenic and is the most frequent cause of medical device associated endocarditis. It is also a well-known cause of endocarditis in IV drug abuse (IVDA). However, in individuals without obvious disruption of the skin barrier, it is a relatively rare, but emerging entity of native valve endocarditis. Coagulase negative staphylococci account for only 1-5% of community acquired native valve infective endocarditis and most resolve with treatment. We report a case of a 56 year old male with an aggressive strain of community acquired Staphylococcus …

Challenges In The Diagnosis And Management Of Pediatric Pulmonary Tuberculosis In Madagascar, Emily Cordes, Richard Roach

Research Day

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality in Madagascar. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2015, the estimated incidence of TB was 57,000 and 11,000 of those cases were of patients less than 14 years old. Of the reported cases, 89% were bacteriologically confirmed. However, it is well established that bacteriologic confirmation of TB in children is especially difficult. Therefore, the incidence of TB in the pediatric population in Madagascar, and likely worldwide, is under estimated. We report a case of a 4 year old male that illustrates the challenges in diagnosis and management …

Widening The Differential: A Case Of Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis Disguised As A Fever Of Unknown Origin, Emily Cordes

Research Day

Introduction: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is an under recognized, aggressive inflammatory disease characterized by excessive activity of histiocytes and lymphocytes. According to the HLH-2004 guidelines, five of the following eight criteria must be met to diagnose HLH: fever >38.5¡ã C, splenomegaly; cytopenias affecting ¡Ý two cell lines; hypertriglyceridemia/hypofibrinogenemia; evidence of hemophagocytosis in the bone marrow, spleen or lymph nodes; hyperferritinemia; low NK cell activity; or high levels of soluble CD25. Once a diagnosis of HLH is established, investigations for infectious, malignant or autoimmune etiologies must be pursued. We report a case of fever of unknown origin (FUO) that presented multiple times …

Social Determinants - Impacting Or Causing Disparities In Patient Care?, Shaena Faye Freeman Md, Kristi Vanderkolk Md

Research Day

Health disparities secondary to social factors including socioeconomic status, race, gender and ethnicity are well known to the health community and are a troubling issue in the United States. Social determinants are defined by the WHO as the structural “conditions people are born, live, grow, work and age in…determined by wealth distribution and available resources…that are mostly responsible for health inequalities.” We present here the case of TL, a 49 year old African American female who presented to the emergency department three times with atypical coronary disease symptoms in the setting of recent NSTEMI with subsequent 3 vessel CABG. At …

Cryptococcal Empyema: A Rare Manifestation Of Disease, Mohamed Mortagy, Larry Lutwick, Stephen Breisach

Research Day

Introduction: Cryptococcus neoformans is a pathogenic yeast that is generally acquired by man from the environment via the respiratory route. Despite this route of acquisition, overt pulmonary infection is uncommonly diagnosed and the disease is usually manifest as a subacute meningitis which is mostly manifest in individuals who are celluarly immunoincompetent such as those on cancer chemotherapy, receiving anti-solid organ rejection medications and those with HIV/AIDS. Infection of the pleural space with C. neoformans is quite uncommon. We report a non-immunosuppressed man who was found to have infection of the pleural in the wake of bacterial empyema who was successfully …

Infection-Associated Mycobacterium Fortuitum Infection, Dennis T. Huang, Larry Lutwick

Research Day

Introduction: Mycobacterial species are unusual causes of skin and soft tissue infections and can be difficult to diagnose in the absence of consideration as they often require specific culture media and longer incubation times. We report a Mycobacterium fortuitum subcutaneous abscess in a diabetic related to medication injection that was initially diagnosed without specialized media or prolonged incubation times. Case Report: A 48 year old diabetic female developed a progressive subcutaneous swelling in the tissues of the right lower abdominal wall where she had been injecting liraglutide. Because of continued enlargement "to almost egg size" with pain, she was empirically …

Acute Hypoxic Respiratory Failure As A Complication Of A Urinary Tract Infection During Pregnancy: A Case Presentation, Manpreet S. Narwal, Susan Jevert-Eichorn, Narinder Nina Clair

Research Day

Urinary tract infections (UTI), as well as asymptomatic bacteriuria, have the potential to cause serious morbidity during pregnancy making it imperative to identify and treat them promptly. If left untreated, a UTI can lead to pyelonephritis and sepsis. More importantly, UTIs are independently associated with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), premature rupture of membranes (PROM), preterm delivery, pulmonary edema, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), preeclampsia, and cesarean delivery. We report the case of NC, a 19 year old G1P0 at 36 weeks and 3 days GA who presented to the hospital with concern for rupture of membranes with associated back and …

Determining Best Practices Of Peer Mediation Methods In Kalamazoo Public Schools, Melanie Bourgeau, Dagan Hammar, Neil Hughes, Sarah Kemp, Sydney Spitler, Cathy L. Kothari Phd

Research Day

Determining Best Practices of Peer Mediation methods in Kalamazoo Public Schools Melanie Bourgeau, Dagan Hammar, Neil Hughes, Sarah Kemp, Sydney Spitler, Catherine Kothari BACKGROUND Peer mediation is a method of conflict resolution in which a conflict between two people or groups is guided by a fellow student in order to reach an agreement. Peer mediation has been shown to be an effective tool in helping students resolve conflict and how to respond to future conflicts. This has led to a reduction in school violence and suspensions in schools that have adopted this method. Several methods have been employed in the …

A Review Of Transcatheter Ablation For The Treatment Of Avnrt In Children, Keegan Colletier, Sulin Wu, Stephanie Van Alsten, Brittany Chow

Research Day

Background: Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) is an arrhythmia due to re-entrant rhythm within the region of the atrioventricular (AV) node, which accounts for most supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) cases in children. There are two main pathways involved for the re-entrant rhythm, slow and fast pathways, with different anatomic locations and involvement in the circuit associated with AVNRT. AVNRT is rare in newborns, but an increase of prevalence throughout childhood was previously reported.Study Objective/Purpose: Currently, Radiofrequency (RF) ablation is the primary method for the treatment of AVNRT in pediatrics. However, multiple modalities with varying efficacies can also be utilized. In this …

4th Ichita And 13th It Forum Call For Papers, Western Michigan University

International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement Brochures

Conference held November 2-3, 2017 at the Fetzer Center at Western Michigan University with the theme "Exploring Health IT Innovation and Cyver Security in the Digital Era."

The Association Between Neighborhood Factors And Mexican Americans’ Mental Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review, Kai Wei, Jaime Booth

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This systematic review seeks to elucidate the association between neighborhood factors and Mexican American mental health outcomes. We searched PsycINFO and Academic Search Premier for studies related to neighborhood factors and mental health. Google Scholar was used to identify additional studies, followed by a manual inspection of the related work. Eleven studies were identified. Nine studies found that neighborhood factors had a significant impact on mental health among this group. Neighborhood compositional factors influenced mental health directly, among which minority concentration was found to be protective for Mexican American mental health. Neighborhood contextual factors influenced mental health directly and indirectly …

When ‘Places’ Include Pets: Broadening The Scope Of Relational Approaches To Promoting Aging-In-Place, Ann M. Toohey, Jennifer A. Hewson, Cindy L. Adams, Melanie J. Rock

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Aging-in-place is a well-established concept, but discussions rarely consider that many older adults live with pets. In a ‘pet-friendly’ city, we conducted semi-structured interviews to explore perspectives of community-based social support agencies that promote aging-in-place, and those of animal welfare agencies. Applying a relational ecology theoretical framework, we found that pets may contribute to feeling socially- situated, yet may also exacerbate constraints on autonomy experienced by some older adults. Pet-related considerations at times led to discretionary acts of more-than-human solidarity, but also created paradoxical situations for service-providers, impacting their efforts to assist older adults. A shortage of pet-friendly affordable housing …

Differences In Amphetamine/Dextroamphetamine Prescriptions In Areas With & Without Large Universities, Heather Bacon

Honors Theses

This investigative study is examining trends in stimulant prescribing for several Michigan counties. An ex-post facto design was used to determine trends in the amount of amphetamine/dextroamphetamine dispensed in four Michigan counties containing large universities and two Michigan counties not containing large universities over the years 2007-2012. The study found suggestive evidence that there is an increasing trend of amphetamine/dextroamphetamine prescriptions filled in both counties with and without large universities. Suggestive evidence was also found that counties with large universities display a greater average amount of amphetamine/dextroamphetamine dispensed than counties without large universities for the years 2007-2012. Because the study …

Retinal Ganglion Cell Neuroprotection Induced By Neuropharmacological Agents In An In-Vivo Model Of Glaucoma, Quinn Ameel

Honors Theses

Recent discoveries from this lab have demonstrated that activation of alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7 nAChRs) on retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in the retina is linked to neuroprotection of RGCs that are typically lost in glaucoma-like conditions. Various chemical agents have been produced to increase overall neurotransmission of ACh from cholinergic neurons. DMP-543 is an agent that increases calcium release from cholinergic synaptic terminals. Donepezil is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor that inhibits the breakdown of ACh in the synaptic cleft, prolonging ACh’s effect. In this study, the neuroprotective activity of these two agents was analyzed at the synapse between starburst amacrine …

The Oncolytic Potential Of Tanapoxvirus To Treat Retinoblastoma, John D. Christie

Masters Theses

Retinoblastoma is the leading cause of intraocular malignancy in children under 2 years of age. Current treatments, while generally effective in eliminating the tumor, have many negative side effects. Oncolytic virotherapy is the use of either wild type or recombinant viruses, to destroy tumor cells. There are currently several viruses being engineered as potential therapeutics for a wide range of cancers. They offer tumor specific alternative to current therapies with lesser toxicity. This study looked at the oncolytic efficacy of multiple tanapoxviruses (TPV) recombinants in an in vitro retinoblastoma. Here we have tested recombinants of TPV for their ability to …

Effect Of Listening To Music During Warmup On Wingate Anaerobic Test Performance, Russell P. Fox

Masters Theses

The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether or not different music conditions would affect performance on the Wingate anaerobic test. We also sought to explore the effect of music on psychological variables such as, rating of perceived exertion (RPE).

16 subject (8 males, 8 females) listened to either pre-selected music, self-selected music or white noise during a 10-minute warmup, cycling at 50 Rev.min-1 for 10 minutes with a light resistance of one kilogram. Once the warmup was completed they performed a Wingate Anaerobic test against a resistance of 7.5% of their body mass in kilograms.

There were …

Visual Impairment And Factors Associated With Difficulties With Daily Tasks, Anne T. Riddering

Dissertations

In the past 10 years, the number of American adults with visual impairments has increased from 1 million to 4 million and is expected to double to 8 million people by the year 2050 (The Eye Diseases Prevalence Research Group, 2004; National Eye Institute, 2013). Therapies to treat retinal diseases causing visual impairment, such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration (Massof, 2002; Mogk, 2011), have evolved in the past two decades (Gupta et al., 2013; Hooper & Guymer, 2003), but little research has examined recent population and difficulties with performing daily activities. Different types of professionals, including ophthalmologists, optometrists, …

Factors Affecting Community Participation In Young Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Molly Bathje

Dissertations

Young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) participate less frequently in communities than other disabled and non-disabled peers (Verdonschot, de Witte, Reichrath, Buntinx, & Curfs, 2009) even though they express a desire to participate (Kampert & Goreczny, 2007) and federal policy mandates community inclusion (Haertl, 2014). Participation in one’s community is linked to health and quality of life (World Health Organization, 2002). The broad goal of this three paper dissertation is to contribute to a deeper understanding of what facilitates and impedes community participation for young adults with IDD by (1) developing a new conceptual model, (2) evaluating a …

Bischof And Byrd-Jacobs To Present In Quest For Honors College Deanship, College Of Education And Human Development

Family and Consumer Sciences News

Dr. Christine Byrd-Jacobs, associate dean of the Graduate College, will present at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2, in the honors college lounge.

Dr. Gary Bischof, professor and chair of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, will present at 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, also in the honors college lounge.

The Bill Of Rights: What Does It Say?, The U.S. National Archives And Records Administration

Pandemic Response and Religion in the USA: Law and Public Policy

No abstract provided.

Puzzleart Therapy: Connecting The Pieces In Search Of Answers, Jennifer Fortuna

Open Journal of Occupational Therapy: Occupation and the Artist

Alli Berman has been an artist, educator, author, and lecturer for more than 25 years. Her art can be found in private, corporate, and nonprofit collections around the world. Berman is the creator of PuzzleArt, a series of small abstract paintings that combine to form a modular puzzle. When a stroke impacted Berman’s quality of life, she turned to art for answers. Engagement in a meaningful activity, such as painting, provided her motivation and strength for continued physical and psychological healing. The PuzzleArt concept evolved from a simple exercise that helped Berman to fit all of the missing pieces back …

Puzzleart Therapy: Connecting The Pieces In Search Of Answers, Jennifer Fortuna

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Alli Berman, a New York based artist, provided the cover art for the Fall 2016 issue of The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy (OJOT). “Sunlight Underwater” is a 12 piece PuzzleArt painting made from acrylic on American maple that measures 22x30. The PuzzleArt concept began as a simple exercise that evolved into a therapeutic modality. When a sudden stroke impacted Berman’s well-being and quality of life, it was art that helped her to make connections during recovery.

Reclaiming And Proclaiming The Use Of Crafts In Occupational Therapy, Emily Leenerts, Cynthia Evetts, Emily Miller

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.

What's In The Fridge? Unique Competencies Of Community-Based Occupational Therapists, Sunny R. Winstead

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of Academic Fieldwork Coordinators Regarding The Value Of Fieldwork In Emerging Areas Of Practice, Victoria G. Wilburn, Kate E. Decleene Huber, Julie Gahimer, Candace Beitman, Elizabeth S. Moore

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

This study investigated the perceptions of academic fieldwork coordinators (AFWCs) regarding emerging areas of practice as fieldwork experiences for entry-level occupational therapy (OT) students. Further, this study explored several aspects of fieldwork experiences in emerging areas of practice on student personal and professional development, academic curriculum, partnering community agencies, and the profession at large. A survey designed through Qualtrics®, an electronic survey system, was sent to 163 AFWCs of fully accredited master’s and doctoral entry-level OT programs. Forty-four participants (27%) completed the 16-question survey. Significance at p < .05 was found in higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy student performance when compared to traditional areas of practice. Common perceptions found among the AFWCs related to emerging areas of practice fieldwork experiences included: improved student professional and personal skills, increased connections and collaborations across and in health care disciplines, an enhanced ability to define and understand OT. Continued opportunities for fieldwork in emerging areas of practice are essential as the profession contemplates new markets and avenues in a changing health care environment.

Ot Practitioners’ And Ot Students’ Perceptions Of Entry-Level Competency For Occupational Therapy Practice, Minetta Wallingford, Lisa J. Knecht-Sabres, Michelle M. Lee, Lavonne Ellen St.Amand

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

This study examined occupational therapy (OT) practitioners’ and OT students’ perceptions of the importance of 12 specific OT-related entry-level competency skills and the number of weeks required to consistently demonstrate skills for entry-level competency. The results indicated that, on average, practitioners (n = 39) and students (n = 38) agreed that all of the items were important. However, the students had significantly higher ratings regarding the importance of communication, occupation and client-centered goals, time management, interventions, and use of theory and evidence. They also rated a higher number of minimum weeks required to consistently demonstrate entry-level competency. The …

High-Fidelity Simulation In Occupational Therapy Curriculum: Impact On Level Ii Fieldwork Performance, Rebecca Ozelie, Catherine Both, Emma Fricke, Carolyn Maddock

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Simulation experiences provide experiential learning opportunities during artificially produced real-life medical situations in a safe environment. Evidence supports using simulation in health care education yet limited quantitative evidence exists in occupational therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the differences in scores on the AOTA Fieldwork Performance Evaluation for the Occupational Therapy Student of Level II occupational therapy students who received high-fidelity simulation training and students who did not. A retrospective analysis of 180 students from a private university was used. Independent samples nonparametric t tests examined mean differences between Fieldwork Performance Evaluation scores of those who did and did not …