Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Evaluating Technology-Mediated Collaborative Workflows For Telehealth, Christopher Bondy Ph.D., Pengcheng Shi, Pamela Grover Md, Vicki Hanson, Linlin Chen, Rui Li

Articles

Goals: This paper discusses the need for a predictable method to evaluate gains and gaps of collaborative technology-mediated workflows and introduces an evaluation framework to address this need. Methods: The Collaborative Space Analysis Framework (CS-AF), introduced in this research, is a cross-disciplinary evaluation method designed to evaluate technology-mediated collaborative workflows. The 5-step CS-AF approach includes: (1) current-state workflow definition, (2) current-state (baseline) workflow assessment, (3) technology-mediated workflow development and deployment, (4) technology-mediated workflow assessment, (5) analysis, and conclusions. For this research, a comprehensive, empirical study of hypertension exam workflow for telehealth was conducted using the CS-AF approach. Results: The CS-AF …

Hospital Effluents And Wastewaters Treatment Plants: A Source Of Oxytetracycline And Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria In Seafood, Bozena Mccarthy, Samuel Obeng Apori, Michelle Giltrap, Abhijnan Bhat, James Curtin, Furong Tian

Articles

The present study employs a data review on the presence and aggregation of oxytetracycline (OTC) and resistance (AMR) bacteria in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and distribution of the contaminated effluent with the aid of shallow and deep ocean currents. The study aims to determine the fate of OTC, AMR bacteria in seafood, and demonstrate a relationship between AMR levels and human health. This review includes (1) OTC, (2) AMR bacteria, (3) heavy metals in aquatic environments, and their relationship. Few publications describe OCT in surface waters. Although, OTC and other tetracyclines were found in 10 countries in relatively low concentrations, …

Direct Oral Anticoagulants For Stroke Prevention In Patients With Atrial Fibrillation And Bioprosthetic Heart Valves, Vardhmaan Jain, Kirtipa Bhatia, Devika Aggarwal, Agam Bansal, Bharat Narasimhan, Michael J. Hendrickson, Sameer Arora, Michael J. Ricciardi, Arman Qamar

Articles

No abstract provided.

Synergistic Anticancer Response Of Curcumin And Piperine Loaded Lignin-G-P (Nipam-Co-Dmaema) Gold Nanogels Against Glioblastoma Multiforme, Xinyi Zhao, Bilal Javad, Daxing Cui, James Curtin, Furong Tian

Articles

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive and commonly diag- 11 nosed brain cancer and presents a strong resistance to routine chemotherapeutic drugs. 12 The present study involves the synthesis of Lignin-g- p (NIPAM-co-DMAEMA) gold 13 nanogel, loaded with curcumin and piperine to treat GBM. The application has three 14 functions: (1) overcome the limitations of biodistribution, (2) enhance the toxicity of an- 15 ticancer drugs against GBM, (3) identify the uptake pathway. Atom transfer radical 16 polymerization was used to synthesize the Lignin-g-PNIPAM network, crosslinked with 17 the gold nanoparticles (GNPs) to self-assemble into nanogels. The size distribution and …

Converging Technologies: Targeting The Hallmarks Of Cancer Using Ultrasound And Microbubbles, Janith Wanigasekara, Andressa Maria Aguiar De Carvalho, Patrick J. Cullen, Brijesh Tiwari, James F. Curtin

Articles

Various complex biological effects occur when ultrasonic compression waves travel through biological material. The myriad of biological outcomes instigated by ultrasound are evident when viewed through the lens of the hallmarks of cancer. Herein, we summarise the therapeutic potential of ultrasound, enhanced by microbubbles, for the treatment of cancer.

Friends And Family Matter Most: A Trend Analysis Of Increasing E-Cigarette Use Among Irish Teenagers And Sociodemographic, Personal, Peer And Familial Associations, Joan Hanafin, Salome Sunday, Luke Clancy

Articles

Background

E-cigarette ever-use and current-use among teenagers has increased worldwide, including in Ireland.

Methods

We use data from two Irish waves (2015, 2019) of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD) to investigate gender and teenage e-cigarette use (n = 3421 16-year-olds). Using chi-square analyses, we report changes in e-cigarette ever-use, current-use, and associated variables. Using multivariable logistic regression, we analyse the increase in e-cigarette use and socio-demographic, personal, peer and familial associations, focusing on gender differences.

Results

E-cigarette ever-use increased from 23% in 2015 to 37% in 2019, and current-use from 10 to …

Increased Smoking And E-Cigarette Use Among Irish Teenagers: A New Threat To Tobacco Free Ireland 2025, Salome Sunday, Joan Hanafin, Luke Clancy

Articles

Introduction

Tobacco Free Ireland is an Irish Government policy which demands that the prevalence of tobacco smoking in Ireland be less than 5% by 2025. From 1995 to 2015, teen smoking decreased from 41% in 1995 to 13.1 % in 2015, and SimSmoke modelling suggested that the 5% 2025 target was achievable in that group (1). But, in 2019, current smoking (smoked in the past 30 days) increased overall from 13.1% in 2015 to 14.4% in 2019, with the increase being greater in boys than girls (16.2%) vs (12.8% ) (2). This threatens the Tobacco Free Ireland endgame and we …

Financial Toxicity During Breast Cancer Treatment: A Qualitative Analysis To Inform Strategies For Mitigation, Laila A. Gharzai, Kerry A. Ryan, Lauren Szczygiel, Susan Goold, Grace Li Smith, Sarah T. Hawley, John A.E. Pottow, Reshma Jagsi

Articles

Financial toxicity from cancer treatment is a growing concern. Its impact on patients requires refining our understanding of this phenomenon. We sought to characterize patients' experiences of financial toxicity in the context of an established framework to identify knowledge gaps and strategies for mitigation. Semistructured interviews with patients with breast cancer who received financial aid from a philanthropic organization during treatment were conducted from February to May 2020. Interviews were transcribed and coded until thematic saturation was reached, and findings were contextualized within an existing financial toxicity framework. Thirty-two patients were interviewed, of whom 58% were non-Hispanic White. The mean …

A New Pediatric Monteggia Fracture Type 4 Variant, Ehab S. Saleh

Articles

Introduction: Monteggia fracture-dislocations are rare and complex injuries that usually involve a fracture of the proximal ulna associated with a proximal radioulnar and radiocapitellar joint dislocations. These injuries comprise

Hemp Growth Factors And Extraction Methods Effect On Antimicrobial Activity Of Hemp Seed Oil: A Systematic Review, Klaudia Ostapczuk, Samuel Obeng Apori, Giovani Estrada, Furong Tian

Articles

The bioactive Hemp Seed Oil (HSO) is becoming very popular in the medical and research fields due to its antimicrobial properties against several diseases caused by bacteria and fungi. However, the effect of hemp-growing factors and extraction methods on the bioactivity of HSO does not receive adequate research attention. Therefore, this review aims to investigate the effect of growth factors and extraction methods on the antimicrobial activity of HSO. Articles were retrieved from Google Scholar and the Scopus database and screened against inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study revealed that HSO prefers warm climates and favorable humidity ranging from 20 …

Voices From A Prison Pandemic: Lives Lost From Covid-19 At Lakeland Correctional, Kimberly Thomas

Articles

Coronavirus tore through jails and prisons like wildfire. In some states, more than half of the people incarcerated there tested positive for COVID-19; nearly 400,000 people in prison across the United States have tested positive. For people in prison, COVID-19 brought the loss of close friends, solitary confinement, loss of connection with family and programming, lack of information, and fear of contracting the virus. It has also reminded those who are incarcerated of the one-dimensional way in which people in prison are perceived. As stated by one collaborator, Cory Souders, "[s]o many men and women who come to prison are …

Going Off The Deep End - The Life And Controversies Of Henry Heimlich, Md, Bradford L. Walters, Matthew Drogowski

Articles

No abstract provided.

Allogenic Fibular Bone Graft Reconstruction With Complete Regeneration Of The Lateral Malleolus After En Bloc Resection Of A Distal Fibular Aneurysmal Bone Cyst: A Case Report, Kalli E. Mortenson, Lawrence M. Fallat

Articles

Aneurysmal bone cysts are expansile lytic lesions that most commonly affect the metaphysis of long tubular bones. These lesions are locally aggressive and predominately occur within the first two decades of life. Currently the most widely used surgical treatment involves intralesional curettage of the affected bone. However, there have been several reports of high recurrence rates with this technique. We present a case of a 12 year old female who presented with an aneurysmal bone cyst of the lateral malleolus of the right ankle. The patient underwent multiple surgeries and ultimately had complete surgical resection of the cystic lesion and …

When We Know Better, We Do Better: Maintaining And Retrieving Advance Directive Documents In The Electronic Health Record, Linda Caurdy-Bess, Sara Damiano, Amy Fresch, Marilyn Begle, Srikala Yedavally-Yellayi, Hany A. Eraqi, Ali H. Mahmood

Articles

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 1. Define and understand the value of an advance care planning system approach at a large health system. 2. Learn how to evaluate the rate and quality of advance directive documents uploaded in the EHR. 3. Gain practical skills to leverage stakeholder engagement and resource development to enhance an advanced care planning system approach.

A Rare Case Of Jejunal Perforation Due To Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disease 27 Years After Liver Transplant, Marcos Rosado, Thomas Serena, Zophia Martinez, Erich Schwartz, Harris Mainster

Articles

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) is a well-known post-transplant malignancy common in both solid organ and stem cell transplants. The incidence of PTLD in adult liver transplant recipients is approximately 2.8%. While most often presenting in the first year after transplant, PTLD can occur at any time. This case report narrates a 61-year-old female with a history of liver transplant in 1992 for autoimmune hepatitis that was found to have a jejunal perforation due to PTLD 27 years later. The patient presented to the hospital with a fifteen hour history of left sided abdominal pain that was progressively worsening. The patient …

Adapting An Agent-Based Model Of Infectious Disease Spread In An Irish County To Covid-19, Elizabeth Hunter, John D. Kelleher

Articles

The dynamics that lead to the spread of an infectious disease through a population can be characterized as a complex system. One way to model such a system, in order to improve preparedness, and learn more about how an infectious disease, such as COVID-19, might spread through a population, is agent-based epidemiological modelling. When a pandemic is caused by an emerging disease, it takes time to develop a completely new model that captures the complexity of the system. In this paper, we discuss adapting an existing agent-based model for the spread of measles in Ireland to simulate the spread of …

E-Cigarettes And Smoking In Irish Teens: A Logistic Regression Analysis Of Current (Past 30-Day) Use Of E-Cigarettes, Joan Hanafin, Salome Sunday, Luke Clancy

Articles

Aim

Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among Irish teenagers has risen significantly. In 2019, prevalence of current use (last 30 days) among 15–17-year-olds was 17.3%. We examine social determinants of adolescent e-cigarette current use.

Subject and methods

A stratified random sample of 50 schools in Ireland was surveyed in 2019, part of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD), with 3495 students aged 15, 16, and 17. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression [providing adjusted odds ratios (AORs)] analyses were performed using Stata version 16.

Results

Current e-cigarette users were more likely to be male (AOR = 0.55, …

Raman Spectroscopic Characterisation Of Non Stimulated And Stimulated Human Whole Saliva, Genecy Calado, Isha Behl, Hugh Byrne, Fiona Lyng

Articles

Human saliva is a unique biofluid which can reflect the physiopathological state of an individual. The wide spectrum of molecules present in saliva, compounded by the close association of salivary composition to serum metabolites, can provide valuable information for clinical diagnostic applications through highly sensitive vibrational spectroscopic techniques such as Raman spectroscopy. However, the nature of saliva, in terms of collection and patient-related characteristics, can be considered factors which may strongly affect the Raman spectral profile of salivary samples and disrupt the search for specific salivary biomarkers in the detection of diseases. The main objective of this study was to …

U-251mg Spheroid Generation Using Low Attachment Plate Method Protocol, Lara J. Carroll, Brijesh K. Tiwari, James F. Curtin, Janith Wanigasekara

Articles

3D cell culture is a process used to grow cells in vitro to mimic an in vivo environment. 3D cell models are very useful for understanding disease mechanisms and exploring drug therapeutics. 3D cultures can be grown from cells taken from cancer organoids in patients. Once grown, they can be used to screen for small molecule drugs or they can be genetically modified in order to analyse disease pathways or predict the toxicity or efficacy of a drug treatment. These cultures decrease the need to use animals in research and provides more reliable results as it uses human physiology. This …

Using A Hybrid Agent-Based And Equation Based Model To Test School Closure Policies During A Measles Outbreak, Elizabeth Hunter, John D. Kelleher

Articles

Background

In order to be prepared for an infectious disease outbreak it is important to know what interventions will or will not have an impact on reducing the outbreak. While some interventions might have a greater effect in mitigating an outbreak, others might only have a minor effect but all interventions will have a cost in implementation. Estimating the effectiveness of an intervention can be done using computational modelling. In particular, comparing the results of model runs with an intervention in place to control runs where no interventions were used can help to determine what interventions will have the greatest …

Suicide Prevention And Mood Disorders: Self-Exclusion Agreements For Firearms As A Suicide Prevention Strategy, Melvin G. Mcinnis, Stephen B. Thompson, Sofia D. Merajver, Carl E. Schneider

Articles

Suicide involves a complex set of behaviors and emotions that lead up to actions that may be based on planning and forethought or the result of impulse. While there are a host of antecedent circumstances the presence of a mood disorder, primarily depression, is the most common factor in suicide. While management of depression is recognized as important prevention strategy in depression, the means by which suicide occurs must be a critical element of prevention. Policies that lower access to the means for suicide will decrease the fatality. Guns are associated with half of suicides and the case fatality rate …

Identifying Predictors Of Peripheral Intravenous Catheter Failure Using A Novel Combination Of Clinical And Ultrasonographic Assessments, Amit Bahl, Steven Johnson, Nicholas Mielke, Patrick Karabon

Articles

No abstract provided.

Transitioning Cell Culture Cure Labs From Campus To Online: Novel Strategies For A Novel Time, Jaime L. Sabel, Kendra Wright, Jacob J. Adler, Gary Bates, La Shall Bates, Sumali Pandey, Amanda M. Simons, Sarah J. Swerdlow, Nathan S. Reyna, Lori Hensley

Articles

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) provide a way for students to gain research experience in a classroom setting. Few examples of cell culture CUREs or online CUREs exist in the literature. The Cell Biology Education Consortium (CBEC) provides a network and resources for instructors working to incorporate cell-culture based research into the classroom. In this article, we provide examples from six instructors from the CBEC network on how they structure their cell-culture CUREs and how they transitioned the labs to online in the spring semester of 2020. We intend for these examples to provide instructors with ideas for strategies to …

Gene Expression And Data Analysis Pipeline Using Cancer Bioportal In The Classroom, Chassidy N. Barnes, Blake P. Johnson, Stefanie W. Leacock, Ruben M. Ceballos, Lori L. Hensley, Nathan S. Reyna

Articles

At institutions with an emphasis on authentic research experiences as an integral part of the biology curriculum, COVID created a huge challenge for course instructors whose learning objectives were designed for such experiences. Moving such laboratory experiences online when remote learning became necessary has resulted in a new model for CUREs that utilizes free online databases to provide not only a novel research experience for students, but also the opportunity to engage in big data analysis. Cancer BioPortal (cBioPortal) is an open-access collective cancer research resource for storing and exploring clinical, genomic, proteomic, and transcriptomic data. cBioPortal eliminates the computational …

Improved Walk Test Performance And Blood Pressure Responses In Men And Women Completing Cardiac Rehabilitation: Implications Regarding Exercise Trainability, Felipe Araya-Ramirez, Jose Moncada-Jimenez, Peter W. Grandjean, Barry A. Franklin

Articles

Purpose. To evaluate changes in walk test performance and blood pressure (BP) responses following a 12-week exercise-based outpatient cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program. Methods. Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) and resting systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), post-6MWT heart rate (HR), and post-6MWT BPs were measured before and after CR in 311 (237 men,74 women) patients. Using age as a covariate, 2 by 2 (Gender × Measurement) ANCOVAs were used to determine differences in 6MWT performance and hemodynamic variables. Results. After adjusting for age, men covered a greater 6MWT distance than women; pre-CR versus post-CR program values are as follows: men, 429.3 …

The Potential Of Raman Spectroscopy In The Diagnosis Of Dysplastic And Malignant Oral Lesions, Ola Ibrahim, M. Toner, Steven Flint, Hugh Byrne, Fiona Lyng

Articles

Early diagnosis, treatment and/or surveillance of oral premalignant lesions are important in preventing progression to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The current gold standard is through histopathological diagnosis, which is limited by inter and intra observer and sampling errors. The objective of this work was to use Raman spectroscopy to discriminate between benign, mild, moderate and severe dysplasia and OSCC in formalin fixed paraffin preserved (FFPP) tissues. The study included 72 different pathologies from which 17 were benign lesions, 20 mildly dysplastic, 20 moderately dysplastic, 10 severely dysplastic and 5 invasive OSCC. The glass substrate and paraffin wax background were …

Biomedical Applications Of Vibrational Spectroscopy: Oral Cancer Diagnostics, Hugh Byrne, Isha Behl, Genecy Calado, Ola Ibrahim, M. Toner, Sheila Galvin, Claire M. Healy, Steven Flint, Fiona Lyng

Articles

Vibrational spectroscopy, based on either infrared absorption or Raman scattering, has attracted increasing attention for biomedical applications. Proof of concept explorations for diagnosis of oral potentially malignant disorders and cancer are reviewed, and recent advances critically appraised. Specific examples of applications of Raman microspectroscopy for analysis of histological, cytological and saliva samples are presented for illustrative purposes, and the future prospects, ultimately for routine, chairside in vivo screening are discussed.

Self-Expanding Metal Stent (Sems) Placement To Treat Bleeding From Late Radiation Esophagitis, Inayat Gill, Bana Antonios, Zaid Imam, Gahad Ghaith

Articles

Radiation esophagitis is a serious complication occurring in patients receiving radiotherapy for head and neck cancers. Current treatment with proton pump inhibitors and mucosal protectants provides symptomatic relief with few studies showing improvement in erosive esophagitis or ulceration. Use of self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) in cases of erosive radiation esophagitis refractory to medical therapy has not been studied. We report a case of a patient presenting with recurrent hematemesis from late (chronic) radiation esophagitis with bleeding esophageal ulceration successfully treated with SEMS placement after failure of conservative medical management, proposing a possible utility for SEMS in this setting.

Incoherent Radar Imaging For Breast Cancer Detection And Experimental Validation Against 3d Multimodal Breast Phantoms, Antonio Cuccaro, Angela Dell'aversano, Giuseppe Ruvio, Jacinta Browne, Raffaele Solimene

Articles

: In this paper we consider radar approaches for breast cancer detection. The aim is to give a brief review of the main features of incoherent methods, based on beam-forming and Multiple SIgnal Classification (MUSIC) algorithms, that we have recently developed, and to compare them with classical coherent beam-forming. Those methods have the remarkable advantage of not requiring antenna characterization/compensation, which can be problematic in view of the close (to the breast) proximity set-up usually employed in breast imaging. Moreover, we proceed to an experimental validation of one of the incoherent methods, i.e., the I-MUSIC, using the multimodal breast phantom …

Familial Factors In The Development Of Social Anxiety Disorder, Christine M. Olson

Articles

The purpose of the current article is to explore familial factors that influence the development of social anxiety disorder (SAD) in children and adolescents, including parenting, sibling relationships, and family environment. A multitude of interrelated genetic and familial factors have been found to cause and maintain SAD in children and adolescents. There are many challenges in diagnosing and treating the disorder. Knowledge and awareness of familial factors provide insight on targeted treatments that prevent or ameliorate SAD.