Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Tale Of Two Cities? The Heterogeneous Impact Of Medicaid Managed Care In Kentucky, James Marton, Aaron Yelowitz, Jeffery C. Talbert

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

Does managed care produce lower health care utilization and costs through better aligned financial incentives and alternative delivery methods (the “pure” HMO effect) or by attracting more healthy enrollees (enrollee selection)? The purpose of this paper is to shed new light on this fundamental question using a quasi-experimental approach that exploits the timing and county specific implementation of Medicaid managed care plans in two distinct sub-sets of Kentucky counties in the late 1990s. We find large differences in the relative success of each region in reducing utilization that are likely driven by important differences in plan design. Asthmatic children enrolled …

The Lli Chronicle Volume 2 Number 5, Nova Southeastern University

Lifelong Learning Institute Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Peer Support In Centers For Independent Living: What Do We Know?, Craig Ravesloot Ph.D., Bob Liston, University Of Montana Rural Institute

Health and Wellness

Peer support is ubiquitous.It is defined as a helping relationship between an individual who has experience living under certain conditions assisting another person to cope with and adapt to similar circumstances.It has been gaining in popularity and use since its early adoption in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), and has been used widely, and with good effect, with people experiencing a variety of both physical and mental health conditions.

The Center For The Study Of Ethics In Society At Twenty-Five, Michael S. Pritchard

Center for the Study of Ethics in Society Papers

Center for the Study of Ethics in Society: Celebrating 25 Years - Presented November 15, 2010.

Informatics And Data Mining Tools And Strategies For The Human Connectome Project, Daniel S. Marcus, John Harwell, Timothy Olsen, Michael Hodge, Matthew F. Glasser, Fred Prior, Mark Jenkinson, Timothy Laumann, Sandra W. Curtiss, David C. Van Essen

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Workplace Protection Factors For Different Biological Contaminants, Kyungmin Jacob Cho, Tiina Reponen, Roy Mckay, Alok Dwivedi, Atin Adhikari, Umesh Singh, Rakesh Shukla, M. Susan Jones, Gordon Jones, Sergey A. Grinshpun

Nursing Faculty Publications

This study compared workplace protection factors (WPFs) for five different contaminants (endotoxin, fungal spores, (1→3)-β-D-glucan, total particle mass, and total particle number) provided by an N95 elastomeric respirator (ER) and an N95 filtering facepiece respirator (FFR). We previously reported size-selective WPFs for total particle numbers for the ER and FFR, whereas the current article is focused on WPFs for bioaerosols and total particle mass. Farm workers (n = 25) wore the ER and FFR while performing activities at eight locations representing horse farms, pig barns, and grain handling facilities. For the determination of WPFs, particles were collected on filters simultaneously …

Successful Aging And The Epidemiology Of Hiv, David E. Vance, Teena Mcguinness, Karen Musgrove, Nancy Ann Orel, Pariya L. Fazeli

Gerontology Faculty Publications

By 2015, it is estimated that nearly half of those living with HIV in the US will be 50 years of age and older. This dramatic change in the demographics of this clinical population represents unique challenges for patients, health care providers, and society-at-large. Fortunately, because of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and healthy lifestyle choices, it is now possible for many infected with HIV to age successfully with this disease; however, this depends upon one’s definition of successful aging. It is proposed that successful aging is composed of eight factors: length of life, biological health, cognitive efficiency, mental health, …

Time Course Of The Attenuation Effect Of Repeated Antipsychotic Treatment On Prepulse Inhibition Disruption Induced By Repeated Phencyclidine Treatment, Ming Li, Erik He, Nick Volf

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Antagonism of prepulse inhibition (PPI) deficits produced by psychotomimetic drugs has been widely used as an effective tool for the study of the mechanisms of antipsychotic action and identifying potential antipsychotic drugs. Many studies have relied on the acute effect of a single administration of antipsychotics, whereas patients with schizophrenia are treated chronically with antipsychotic drugs. The clinical relevance of acute antipsychotic effect in this model is still an open question. In this study, we investigated the time course of repeated antipsychotic treatment on persistent PPI deficit induced by repeated phencyclidine (PCP) treatment. After a baseline test with saline, male …

A Teaching Project For The Participants Of The Benton Boys & Girls Club To Optimize Nutritional Health, Karen Milen

Graduate Research Projects

The prevalence of childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. The long-term health problems and co-morbidities that are associated with obesity and increased Body Mass Index (BMI) are numerous and well documented. Recommendations from Healthy People 2020, a government program designed to provide a comprehensive set of disease prevention and health promotion objectives for the nation (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010) include “Nutrition and Weight Status” as one of the focus areas. Healthy People 2020 also have a list of Leading Health Indicators which will be used to measure the health of the Nation …

Effects Of Canola And Corn Oil Mimetic On Jurkat Cells, Gabriela Ion, Kayla Fazio, Juliana A. Akinsete, W. Elaine Hardman

Biochemistry and Microbiology

BACKGROUND: The Western diet is high in omega-6 fatty acids and low in omega-3 fatty acids. Canola oil contains a healthier omega 3 to omega 6 ratio than corn oil. Jurkat T leukemia cells were treated with free fatty acids mixtures in ratios mimicking that found in commercially available canola oil (7% α-linolenic, 30% linoleic, 54% oleic) or corn oil (59% linoleic, 24% oleic) to determine the cell survival or cell death and changes in expression levels of inflammatory cytokines and receptors following oil treatment.

METHODS: Fatty acid uptake was assessed by gas chromatography. Cell survival and cell death were …

Reflections On The Role Of The Ethics Center At Wmu, Shirley Bach

Center for the Study of Ethics in Society Papers

Center for the Study of Ethics in Society: Celebrating 25 Years - Presented November 15, 2010

Reflections On The 25Th Anniversary Of The Wmu Center For The Study Of Ethics In Society, Ronald Kramer

Center for the Study of Ethics in Society Papers

Center for the Study of Ethics in Society: Celebrating 25 Years - Presented November 15, 2010.

Vacht Knock-Down Mice Show Normal Prepulse Inhibition But Disrupted Long-Term Habituation, S. Schmid, E. Azzopardi, X. De Jaeger, Marco Prado, V. F. Prado

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

The neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) plays a crucial role in both the central and peripheral nervous system. Central cholinergic transmission is important for cognitive functions and cholinergic disruptions have been associated with different neural disorders. We here tested the role of cholinergic transmission in basic cognitive functions, i.e. in prepulse inhibition (PPI) and short-term habituation (STH) as well as long-term habituation (LTH) of startle using mice with a 65% knockdown (KD) of the vesicular ACh transporter (VAChT). These mice are slow in refilling cholinergic synaptic transmitter vesicles, leading to a reduced cholinergic tone. Prepulse inhibition has been assumed to be mediated …

Integrin-Linked Kinase: A Scaffold Protein Unique Among Its Ilk, Lina Dagnino

Paediatrics Publications

Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) is a scaffolding protein with central roles in tissue development and homeostasis. Much debate has focused on whether ILK is a bona fide or a pseudo- kinase. This aspect of ILK function has been complicated by the large volumes of conflicting observations obtained from a wide variety of experimental approaches, from in vitro models, to analyses in invertebrates and in mammals. Key findings in support or against the notion that ILK is catalytically active are summarized. The importance of ILK as an adaptor protein is well established, and defining its role as a signaling hub will be …

Determining A Method For Rendering Low Cost Cdse(Zns) Core(Shell) Quantum Dots Aqueous Soluble Via Amphiphilic Polymer Wrapping, Patrick Mcbride

Materials Engineering

Herein is described the procedure of two amphiphilic polymer wrapping techniques that may be employed for obtaining aqueous soluble quantum dots (QDs) for use in biological fluorescent imaging applications. The advent of QDs has led to new nanoscale fluorescent materials that exhibit unparalleled quantum yields (QYs), high resistance to photobleaching, tunable emissions, and
absorption over a large optical range. However, the QD synthesis employed here at Cal Poly to obtain bright, photostable CdSe(ZnS) core(shell) QDs involves the use of organic solvents and surfactants, leading to hydrophobic QDs. Since all of biology relies on aqueous solubility, this hydrophobicity creates a major …

Alumni Journal - Volume 82, Number 2, Loma Linda University School Of Medicine

Alumni Journal, School of Medicine

Features:
5 | Homecoming 2011
8 | Gold Anniversary Class
10 | Silver Anniversary Class
20 | Alumnus of the Year
24 | LLUSM Proton Report

Departments:
4 | From the Editor
36 | The Alumni Fund
37 | AA President's Page
38 | Dean's Page
39 | You Say This
40 | Holding Fund
41 | Placements

What's Happening: June, 2011, Maine Medical Center

What's Happening

No abstract provided.

Terrorist Bombings: Medical Response In A Developing Country, Hasnain Zafar, Ahmed Jawad, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim, Ayaz Ahmed Memon, Aamir Hameed Khan, Muhammad Shahrukh Effendi, Saeed Qureshi

Section of General Surgery

Objective: To evaluate the process of transport and immediate Emergency Department (ER) management of mass casualties following the recent bomb blasts in Karachi and review in detail the medical response and management of victims undertaken in these two incidents.
Methods: Eyewitness accounts of the victims, medical personnel and newspaper clippings were used to understand and identify difficulties faced during the rescue process. Data regarding presenting injuries and their outcomes was also collected from all victims presenting to the emergency department at Aga Khan University Hospital.
Results: Seventy nine individuals died and over 250 victims were injured in the two incidents. …

Reducing High-Risk Drinking In Mandated College Students: Evaluation Of Two Personalized Normative Feedback Interventions, Diana M. Doumas, Camille Workman, Diana Smith, Anabel Navarro

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study evaluated the efficacy of two brief personalized normative feedback interventions aimed at reducing heavy drinking among mandated college students (N = 135). Students were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: web-based assessment with self-guided personalized normative feedback (SWF) or web-based assessment with counselor-guided personalized normative feedback (CWF). Results indicated students in the CWF condition reported significantly greater reductions in weekly drinking quantity and binge drinking frequency than those in the SWF group at follow-up (M = 8 months). Students in the CWF group also reported significantly greater reductions in estimates of peer drinking from baseline to the …

Applying Community Participatory Methods To Meet Women's Mental Health Needs In Karachi, Pakistan, Nargis Asad, Judith Mcfarlane, Saima Hirani, Farhana Madhani, Shireen Shehzad

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Poor mental health is a global epidemic with women affected more often compared to men. Compromised mental health jeopardizes women's health and functioning and also the health and wellbeing of their children. To promote women's mental health, principles of community participatory methods were used to design and implement a mental health program, which was predicated on empirical research, sensitive to community culture and needs, and delivered by Lady Health Workers in an urban slum area of Karachi, Pakistan. The sequential steps of community participation, program development, implementation and strategies for sustainability are described.

University Of New England’S College Of Osteopathic Medicine 2011 Dean's Research Fellowship Recipients, University Of New England College Of Osteopathic Medicine

Peter Morgane Research Fellowships

2011 recipients of the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine's Peter Morgane Research Fellowship (known then as the Dean’s Research Fellowship).

Caloric Restriction, Aerobic Exercise Training And Soluble Lectin-Like Oxidized Ldl Receptor-1 Levels In Overweight And Obese Post-Menopausal Women, Tina E. Brinkley, Xuewen Wang, Noriaki Kume, Hirokazu Mitsuoka, Barbara J. Nicklas

Faculty Publications

Background—Elevated circulating levels of soluble lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (sLOX-1) have been observed in obese persons and are reduced by weight loss. However, it is not known if combining caloric restriction (CR) with exercise training is better in reducing sLOX-1 levels than CR alone.

Objective—We examined whether the addition of aerobic exercise to a weight loss intervention differentially affects sLOX-1 levels in 61 abdominally obese postmenopausal women randomly assigned to a CR only (n=22), CR + moderate-intensity exercise (n=22), or CR + vigorous intensity exercise (n=17) intervention for 20 weeks. The caloric deficit was ~2,800 kcal/week for …

Persons With Dementia Missing In The Community: Is It Wandering Or Something Unique?, Meredeth Rowe, Sydney S. Vandeveer, Catherine Greenblum, Cassandra N. List, Rachael M. Fernandez, Natalie E. Mixson, Hyo C. Ahn

Nursing Faculty Publications

Background: At some point in the disease process many persons with dementia (PWD) will have a missing incident and be unable to safely return to their care setting. In previous research studies, researchers have begun to question whether this phenomenon should continue to be called wandering since the antecedents and characteristics of a missing incident are dissimilar to accepted definitions of wandering in dementia. The purpose of this study was to confirm previous findings regarding the antecedents and characteristics of missing incidents, understand the differences between those found dead and alive, and compare the characteristics of a missing incident to …

Re-Vitalizing Worthiness: A Theory Of Overcoming Suicidality, Evelyn Gordon, John R. Cutcliffe, Chris Stevenson

Nursing Faculty Publications

Rates of suicide and suicidality have risen in many countries in recent years and in Ireland this trend has been particularly evident among young men (NOSP, 2005), focusing attention on how best to respond to this group. Although mental health professionals have been identified as a key group to respond to the suicidal person, it has been suggested that they are ill-prepared for working in this area (Maltsberger & Goldblatt, 1996; Ting et al., 2006; Cutcliffe & Stevenson, 2007). This study aimed to address these issues by developing a theoretical understanding of suicidality among young men to inform professional practice. …

Center For The Study Of Ethics In Society: Celebrating 25 Years, Center For The Study Of Ethics In Society

Center for the Study of Ethics in Society Papers

Papers presented for the Center for the Study of Ethics in Society Western Michigan University.

Reflections On The Role Of The Ethics Center At Wmu, James A. Jaksa

Center for the Study of Ethics in Society Papers

Center for the Study of Ethics in Society: Celebrating 25 Years - Presented November 15,2010.

Use Of Geocoding And Us Census Data To Assess Determinants Of Outcome In Trauma Patients, Krista M. Goodman Md, John J. Hong Md, Sherrine Eid Mph, Leslie Baga Bsn, Ccrc, Michael M. Badellino Md, Mph, Facs, Michael D. Pasquale Md, Facs

Department of Surgery

No abstract provided.

Chd Knowledge And Risk Factors Among Filipino-Americans Connected To Primary Care Services, Alona Dalusung-Angosta

Nursing Faculty Presentations

Problem:

Despite growing numbers of FAs in the U.S. and high CHD prevalence, only limited studies are available in the the literature.

Contributing factors?

• Lack of knowledge
• Sociodemographic (SD)/Socioeconomic (SE) variables

Triphasic Computed Tomography (Ct) Scan In Focal Tumoral Liver Lesions, Saima Hafeez, Muhammad Shahbaz Alam, Zafar Sajjad, Zahid Anwar Khan, Waseem Akhter, Fatima Mubarak

Department of Radiology

OBJECTIVE: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of triphasic spiral CT in differentiating benign from malignant focal tumoral liver lesions.

METHODS: The study was conducted in Department of Radiology of Aga Khan University Hospital and Sind Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Karachi from Feb 2006 to Feb 2007. By convenient sampling, 45 patients found to have focal tumoral liver lesions were recruited for one year period and their triphasic CT scans findings were evaluated and later correlated with histopathology. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of triphasic CT scan were calculated.

RESULTS: Among 45 patients, 136 …

Ischemia Impairs Vasodilation In Skeletal Muscle Resistance Artery, Kyle Remington Struthers

Master's Theses

Functional vasodilation in arterioles is impaired with chronic ischemia. We sought to examine the impact of chronic ischemia and age on skeletal muscle resistance artery function. To examine the impact of chronic ischemia, the femoral artery was resected from young (2-3mo) and adult (6-7mo) mice and the profunda femoris artery diameter was measured at rest and following gracilis muscle contraction 14 days later using intravital microscopy. Functional vasodilation was significantly impaired in ischemic mice (14.4±4.6% vs. 137.8±14.3%, p<0.0001 n=8) and non-ischemic adult mice (103.0±9.4% vs. 137.8±14.3%, p=0.05 n=10). In order to analyze the cellular mechanisms of the impairment, a protocol was developed to apply pharmacological agents to the experimental preparation while maintaining tissue homeostasis. Endothelial and smooth muscle dependent vasodilation were impaired with ischemia, 39.6 ± 13.6% vs. 80.5 ± 11.4% and 43.0 ± 11.7% vs. 85.1 ± 10.5%, respectively. From this data, it can be supported that smooth muscle dysfunction is the reason for the observed impairment in arterial vasodilation.