Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Formant Changes In Amateur Singers After Instruction In A Vowel Equalization Technique, Emily Mullins Heaton

Theses and Dissertations

Vowel equalization is a technique that can be used by singers to achieve a more balanced vocal tone. The technique balances corresponding front and back vowels, which share approximate tongue heights, and also balances high and low vowels in a more neutral or centralized lingual posture. Formants are resonance peaks that define each specific vowel. This study measured shifts in the first and second formants (F1 and F2) of the vowels /e, i, ɑ, o, u/ following training in vowel equalization. Prior to the training, the vowel formants were measured in amateur 15 college-aged singers. They sang the first two …

Researchers’ Views On Ethical Challenges In Healthcare Cluster-Randomized Trials, Andrew Mcrae

Research Day (Arts & Humanities, FIMS, and Education)

• Cluster-randomized trials (CRTs) commonly used in education, public health, healthcare and social sciences
• Groups of individuals randomly assigned to receive one of 2 (or more) comparator interventions
• Effect of interventions evaluated after collecting data from individual group members
• Ethics guidelines developed for oversight of research enrolling individual subjects
• Little specific guidance for ethical conduct of CRTs
• Lack of guidance may lead to variability in ethics reviews between jurisdictions and over time

Never The Twain Shall Meet? Interspecialty Bioethics Education And Practice In Relation To Informed Consent For Surgery-Related Anesthesia, Kyoko Wada, Abraham Rudnick

Research Day (Arts & Humanities, FIMS, and Education)

The objectives of this research project are:

• Identify and analyze ethical problems concerning known practices regarding informed consent for surgery-related anesthesia
• Propose solutions to these problems, with a focus on interspecialty bioethics education

Conceptual Problems In Research Ethics, Charles Weijer

Research Day (Arts & Humanities, FIMS, and Education)

This poster addresses these issues:
• What good is medical research?
• What is owed to the study subject?
• When is research risk acceptable?
• How should we conduct research in developing countries?
• How should we conduct research involving communities?

Management Of Kawasaki Disease In Texas: Policy Implications, Alberto Coustasse, Doohee Lee, Cody Arvidson, Julius J. Larry Iii, Witold Migala

Management Faculty Research

Kawasaki Disease (KD) is the leading cause of acquired cardiovascular disease among children, but KD has received little attention on its management from a policy perspective. The core objective of this paper is to review the literature, identify problems related to KD, and evaluate and offer some policy alternatives to effectively prevent and treat KD epidemiologically in Texas. Policy options suggested in this paper include, among others, (1) establishing a mandatory national KD registry system (along with active surveillance), (2) introducing sentinel providers, (3) requiring mandatory reporting of KD by hospitals, and (4) sponsoring policy KD research and practice.

Electronic Medical Records: Is It Working In Long Term Health Care?, Krista Phillips, Chris Wheeler, Josh Campbell, Alberto Coustasse

Management Faculty Research

Long-term care (LTC) facilities possess unique characteristics in terms of implementation and utilization of electronic medical records (EMRs). The focus of LTC is on a population requiring care encompassing all aspects associated with quality of life rather than simply acute treatment. Because this focus is of a larger scale than traditional medical facilities, the priorities in the implementation and utilization of EMRs are higher in accessing patient history information. The purpose of this study was to determine the EMR utilization in the chronic care settings. In conclusion, the literature review performed does not support the fact that EMRs are currently …

Consumer Consent Options For Electronic Health Information Exchange: Policy Considerations And Analysis, Melissa M. Goldstein, Alison L. Rein

Health Policy and Management Faculty Publications

The issue of whether, to what extent, and how individuals should have the ability to exercise control over their health information represents one of the foremost policy challenges related to the electronic exchange of health information. The current landscape of possible consent models is varied, and the factors involved in choosing among them are complex. States and other entities engaged in facilitating the exchange of electronic health information are struggling with a host of challenges, chief among them the establishment of policies and procedures for patient participation in their exchange efforts. While some have adopted policies enabling patients to exercise …

Diagnosis Of Enteric Fever In The Emergency Department: A Retrospective Study From Pakistan., Uzma R. Khan, J. Razzak, Ali Faisal Saleem Dr, Adnan Ahmed, Sabeena Jalal

Department of Emergency Medicine

Background:Enteric fever is one of the top differential diagnoses of fever in many parts of the world. Generally, the diagnosis is suspected and treatment is initiated based on clinical and basic laboratory parameters.
Aims: The present study identifies the clinical and laboratory parameters predicting enteric fever in Patients visiting the emergency department of a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan.
Methods:This is a retrospective chart review of all adult Patients with clinically suspected enteric fever admitted to the hospital through the emergency department during a 5-year period (2000-2005).
Results:A total of 421 emergency department Patients were admitted to …

Distribution Of Allatostatin C-Like Immunoreactivity In The Central Nervous System Of The Copepod Crustacean Calanus Finmarchicus, Caroline H. Wilson, Andrew E. Christie

Health Sciences and Kinesiology Faculty Articles

The C-type allatostatins (C-ASTs) are a family of highly pleiotropic arthropod neuropeptides. In crustaceans, transcriptomic/mass spectral studies have identified C-ASTs in the nervous systems of many species; the cellular distributions of these peptides remain unknown. Here, the distribution of C-AST was mapped in the nervous system of the copepod Calanus finmarchicus, the major contributor to the North Atlantic’s zooplanktonic biomass; C-AST-immunopositive neurons were identified in the protocerebrum, in several peripheral ganglia associated with feeding appendages, and in the ganglia controlling the swimming legs, with immunopositive axons present throughout the ventral nerve cord. In addition, axons innervating the dorsal longitudinal …

Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Use Tgf-Β To Suppress Allergic Responses In A Mouse Model Of Ragweed-Induced Asthma, K. Nemeth, A. Keane-Myers, J. M. Brown, D. D. Metcalfe, J. D. Gorham

Dartmouth Scholarship

Bone marrow stromal cells [BMSCs; also known as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)] effectively suppress inflammatory responses in acute graft-versus-host disease in humans and in a number of disease models in mice. Many of the studies concluded that BMSC- driven immunomodulation is mediated by the suppression of pro- inflammatory Th1 responses while rebalancing the Th1/Th2 ratio toward Th2. In this study, using a ragweed induced mouse asthma model, we studied if BMSCs could be beneficial in an allergic, Th2- dominant environment. When BMSCs were injected i.v. at the time of the antigen challenge, they protected the animals from the majority of …

Rbc And Wbc Fatty Acid Composition Following Consumption Of An Omega 3 Supplement: Lessons For Future Clinical Trials, Theodore R. Witte, Alexander J. Salazar, Oscar F. Ballester, W. Elaine Hardman

Biochemistry and Microbiology

Background: Results from increasing numbers of in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that omega 3 fatty acids incorporated in cell culture media or in the diet of the animals can suppress the growth of cancers. When human clinical trials are initiated to determine the ability of omega 3 fatty acids to alter growth or response to chemotherapeutic interventions of cancers, it will be essential to determine the omega 3 intake of individuals in the trial to determine compliance with consumption of the supplement and to correlate with endpoints of efficacy. We wondered if the fatty acid composition of …

Medical School Watercooler Newsletter - March 21 2010, Lindsey Lyle

Watercooler Newsletter

This is the March 21, 2010 edition of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine's newsletter - Watercooler.

Contents Include:

• How the health care bill affects you | Fox10tv.com
• Finding The Right Shoe For You
• April Med School Cafe' - "Perimenopause: Managing the Big Change"
• Background on Healthcare Reform
• Oncology Outlook 2010

Comparison Of A New Opposed Phase Imaging Protocol To The Standard Conventional Mri Protocol In Demonstration Of Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease At 1.5t., Peter C. Magabe

Master of Medicine in Imaging and Diagnostic Radiology

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to compare diagnostic yield of a new Opposed Phase Imaging protocol [OPI] to the standard conventional MRI protocol [CONV] in demonstration of lumbar degenerative disc disease at 1.5T. Materials and Methods: A total of 102 patients suspected of lumbar disc disease were examined using the two protocols. Images from both protocols were then analyzed independently by two radiologists. Category of disc disease[normal, bulge ,protrusion, extrusion] and anatomic clarity of spinal structures related to disc disease[nerve roots, osteophytes, modic changes and hemangiomas ] were assessed using a standard 4 point scoring scale [1=inadequate,2 =adequate,3=normal …

Trpm7-Mediated Ca2+ Signals Confer Fibrogenesis In Human Atrial Fibrillation, Jianyang Du, Jia Xie, Zheng Zhang, Hiroto Tsujikawa, Daniel Fusco, David Silverman, Bruce Liang, Lixia Yue

UCHC Articles - Research

Rationale—Cardiac fibrosis contributes to pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation (AF), which is the most sustained arrhythmia and a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Although it has been suggested that Ca2+ signals are involved in fibrosis promotion, the molecular basis of Ca2+ signaling mechanisms and how Ca2+ signals contribute to fibrogenesis remain unknown.
Objective—To determine the molecular mechanisms of Ca2+-permeable channel(s) in human atrial fibroblasts, and to investigate how Ca2+ signals contribute to fibrogenesis in human AF.
Methods and Results—We demonstrate that the transient receptor potential melastatin related 7 (TRPM7) is the molecular basis of the major Ca2+-permeable channel in human …

Metagenomes From High-Temperature Chemotrophic Systems Reveal Geochemical Controls On Microbial Community Structure And Function, William P. Inskeep, Douglas B. Rusch, Zackary J. Jay, Markus J. Herrgard, Mark A. Kozubal, Toby H. Richardson, Richard E. Macur, Natsuko Hamamura, Ryan Dem. Jennings, Bruce W. Fouke, Anna-Louise Reysenbach, Frank Roberto, Mark Young, Ariel Schwartz, Eric S. Boyd, Jonathan H. Badger, Eric J. Mathur, Alice C. Ortmann, Mary Bateson, Gill Geesey

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Yellowstone caldera contains the most numerous and diverse geothermal systems on Earth, yielding an extensive array of unique high-temperature environments that host a variety of deeply-rooted and understudied Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya. The combination of extreme temperature and chemical conditions encountered in geothermal environments often results in considerably less microbial diversity than other terrestrial habitats and offers a tremendous opportunity for studying the structure and function of indigenous microbial communities and for establishing linkages between putative metabolisms and element cycling. Metagenome sequence (14-15,000 Sanger reads per site) was obtained for five hightemperature (>65°C) chemotrophic microbial communities sampled from …

Association Of Depression With Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes Among Adults Aged Between 25 To 60 Years In Karachi, Pakistan., Shazia Perveen, Muhammad S Otho, Muhammad N Siddiqi, Juanita Hatcher, Ghazala Rafique

Section of Cardiothoracic Surgery

Background:The combination of depression with type 2 diabetes is a public health problem. If diabetes is managed in its initial phase, the morbidity and mortality due to this combination may be prevented at an early stage. Therefore, we aimed to determine the association of depression with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes among adults aged between 25 to 60 years in Karachi, Pakistan.

Methods:

From July 2006 to September 2007, a matched case control study (n = 592) was conducted in Civil Hospital, Karachi. Incident cases of type 2 diabetes (n = 296) diagnosed within one month were recruited from …

Efficient Activation Of Reconstructed Rat Embryos By Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitors, Robin L. Webb, Kirk A. Findlay, Michael A. Green, Tina L. Beckett, M. Paul Murphy

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Background

Over the last decade a number of species, from farm animals to rodents, have been cloned using somatic cell nuclear transfer technology (SCNT). This technique has the potential to revolutionize the way that genetically modified animals are made. In its current state, the process of SCNT is very inefficient (<5% success rate), with several technical and biological hurdles hindering development. Yet, SCNT provides investigators with powerful advantages over other approaches, such as allowing for prescreening for the desired level of transgene expression and eliminating the excess production of undesirable wild-type animals. The rat plays a significant role in biomedical research, but SCNT has been problematic for this species. In this study, we address one aspect of the problem by evaluating methods of activation in artificially constructed rat embryos.

Principal Findings

We demonstrate that treatment with a calcium ionophore (ionomycin) combined with a variety of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors is an effective way to activate rat embryos. This is in contrast to methods developed for the mouse embryo, which tolerates much less specific chemical treatments. Methods developed to activate …

Optimizing Vaccine Allocation At Different Points In Time During An Epidemic, Laura Matrajt, Ira M. Longini Jr.

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

For current pandemic influenza H1N1, vaccine production started in the early summer, and vaccination started in the fall. In most countries, by the time vaccination started, the second wave of H1N1 was already under way. With limited supplies of vaccine, it might be a good strategy to vaccinate the high-transmission groups earlier in the epidemic, but it might be a better use of resources to protect instead the high-risk groups later on. We develop a deterministic epidemic model with two age-groups (children and adults) and further subdivide each age group in low and high risk. We compare optimal vaccination strategies …

Effective And Compassionate Communication Between Hospital Staff And Parents Of Children With Newly Diagnosed Cancer, Natalie Volz

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

This study was conducted to determine the most effective and compassionate modes of communication for hospital staff at The Children's Hospital to use when conveying information to parents of children with cancer. Twelve parents whose children were four to twelve weeks post diagnosis were interviewed. Parents were asked a series of eleven open-ended questions addressing their experience with hospital staff's communication skills. Recurring themes resulting from the interviews include delivery of diagnosis, value of information, receptiveness to questions and availability of hospital staff. These themes reveal that parents value thorough and complete explanations of their child's diagnosis and treatment plans, …

Dopamine Neuron Stimulating Actions Of A Gdnf Propeptide, Luke H. Bradley, Josh Fuqua, April Richardson, Jadwiga Turchan-Cholewo, Yi Ai, Kristen A. Kelps, John D. Glass, Xiuquan He, Zhiming Zhang, Richard Grondin, O. Meagan Littrell, Peter Huettl, Francois Pomerleau, Don M. Gash, Greg A. Gerhardt

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Neurotrophic factors, such as glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), have shown great promise for protection and restoration of damaged or dying dopamine neurons in animal models and in some Parkinson's disease (PD) clinical trials. However, the delivery of neurotrophic factors to the brain is difficult due to their large size and poor bio-distribution. In addition, developing more efficacious trophic factors is hampered by the difficulty of synthesis and structural modification. Small molecules with neurotrophic actions that are easy to synthesize and modify to improve bioavailability are needed.

METHODS AND FINDINGS: Here we present the neurobiological actions of dopamine …

Praeger, Susan Second Interview For The Miami Valley College Of Nursing And Health Oral History Project, Donna M. Curry, Pam Namenyi, Susan Praeger

Wright State University - Miami Valley College of Nursing and Health Oral History Project

Donna Miles Curry and Pam Namenyi interviewed Susan Praeger about the BEACON program at Wright State University College of Nursing and Health. Dr. Praeger discussed her interest in creating the BEACON program as well as its history.

Today - March 17, 2010, Loma Linda University

TODAY

Inside this issue:

-- 17th annual foundation gala raises $675,000 for heart care at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital
-- Loma Linda University's unexpected Palestinian connection
-- Occupational therapy students to work at East Campus
-- OT department sends students into community outreach programs
-- School of Nursing student wins a car for regularly donating blood since age 17
-- Innovative mural in library lobby depicts Jesus in multi-ethnic context
-- Laura Willes closes her accounts after 39 years
-- Loma Linda Chamber of Commerce honors prominent LLU physicians
-- LLU School of Nursing establishes faculty and staff exercise program …

Climate Change, Environmental Justice, And Vulnerability: An Exploratory Spatial Analysis, Sacoby M. Wilson, Roland Richard, Lesley Joseph, Edith M. Williams

Faculty Publications

Research has demonstrated that vulnerable populations including disadvantaged populations of color live in areas that may place them at higher risk of exposure to social and environmental hazards. Due to climate change, these populations may experience worse health outcomes and environmental health disparities. The purpose of this project was to explore the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to assess areas that may be vulnerable to climate change across the United States. We employed ArcGIS 9.3 to create vulnerability scores for areas across the country that may be that may be impacted by climate change at the county level in …

Using The Stages Of Change Model To Choose An Optimal Health Marketing Target, Paula Diehr, Peggy A. Hannon, Barbara Pizacani, Mark Forehand, Jeffrey Harris, Hendrika Meischke, Susan J. Curry, Diane P. Martin, Marcia R. Weaver

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

Background: In the transtheoretical model of behavior change, “stages of change” are defined as Precontemplation (not even thinking about changing), Contemplation, Preparation, Action, and Maintenance (maintaining the behavior change). Marketing principles suggest that efforts should be targeted at persons most likely to “buy the product.”

Objectives: To examine the effect of intervening at different stages in populations of smokers, with various numbers of people in each “stage of change.” One type of intervention would increase by 10% the probability of a person moving to the next higher stage of change, such as from Precontemplation to Contemplation. The second type would …

Theta-Activity In Anterior Cingulate Cortex Predicts Task Rules And Their Adjustments Following Errors, Thilo Womelsdorf, Kevin Johnston, Martin Vinck, Stefan Everling

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Accomplishing even simple tasks depend on neuronal circuits to configure how incoming sensory stimuli map onto responses. Controlling these stimulus-response (SR) mapping rules relies on a cognitive control network comprising the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Single neurons within the ACC convey information about currently relevant SR mapping rules and signal unexpected action outcomes, which can be used to optimize behavioral choices. However, its functional significance and the mechanistic means of interaction with other nodes of the cognitive control network remain elusive and poorly understood. Here, we report that core aspects of cognitive control are encoded by rhythmic theta-band activity within …

Use Of Parthenolide Derivatives As Antileukemic And Cytotoxic Agents, Peter A. Crooks, Craig T. Jordan, Xiaochen Wei

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Patents

To view this abstract, please download this patent.

Engagement In Mental Health Treatment Among Veterans Returning From Iraq, Tracy Stecker, John Fortney, Francis Hamilton, Cathy D. Sherbourne, Icek Ajzen

Dartmouth Scholarship

Objectives: Many veterans return from combat experiencing a variety of mental health concerns. Previous research has documented a stigma associated with seeking treatment that interferes with the decision to seek treatment. This study, conceptualized using the theory of planned behavior, assessed beliefs about mental health treatment in order to understand mental health treatment seeking behavior among a group of returning National Guard soldiers who served in the war in Iraq.

Methods: Participants were one hundred and fifty Operation Iraqi Freedom National Guard soldiers who screened positive for depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder or alcohol abuse disorder …

Eicosapentaenoic Acid Preserves Diaphragm Force Generation Following Endotoxin Administration, Gerald S. Supinski, Jonas Vanags, Leigh Ann Callahan

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: Infections produce severe respiratory muscle weakness, which contributes to the development of respiratory failure. An effective, safe therapy to prevent respiratory muscle dysfunction in infected patients has not been defined. This study examined the effect of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), an immunomodulator that can be safely administered to patients, on diaphragm force generation following endotoxin administration.

METHODS: Rats were administered the following (n = 5/group): (a) saline, (b) endotoxin, 12 mg/kg IP, (c) endotoxin + EPA (1.0 g/kg/d), and (d) EPA alone. Diaphragms were removed and measurements made of the diaphragm force-frequency curve, calpain activation, caspase activation, and protein carbonyl …

The N400 Event-Related Potential In Children Across Sentence Type And Ear Condition, Laurie Anne Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the neurophysiology of semantic language processing in children, ages 5 to 12 years. A well-established marker of semantic processing, the N400 event related potential (ERP), was analyzed within and across child age groups. Child N400s were recorded in response to correct sentences, semantically incorrect sentences, and syntactically incorrect sentences. N400s were also recorded across ear condition to examine potential processing differences. Children across all age groups consistently demonstrated N400s in the semantic error condition. N400s were also regularly observed in the syntactic error condition; especially, for younger children. Younger children also demonstrated N400s even in response to …

Trends In Salmonella Enteric Serovar Typhi In Nairobi, Kenya From 2004 To 2006, Doris M. Mengo1, Sam Kariuki, Ann W. T. Muigai, Gunturu Revathi

Pathology, East Africa

Background: Typhoid fever is a global health problem. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the current annual global burden of typhoid is approximately 22 million new cases, 5% of which are fatal.

Methodology: To assess the trends in antibiotic resistance in 100 Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi strains were isolated from the blood of patients in Nairobi, Kenya, from 2004 to 2006. All isolates were tested against ampicilin, chloramphenic, nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, cotrimoxazole, cefuroxime, cefriaxone, amoxycillin/clavulanic acid, tetracycline and gentamycin. Susceptibility and resistance were determined using MIC and disk diffusion tests.

Results: From 2004 to 2006 a total of 100 …