Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

State Agency Promising Practice: Iowa’S Governance Group: Facilitating Partnerships That Support Integrated Employment, Allison Hall, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

In 1998, five state agencies formed the Governance Group. Partner agencies included: Iowa Workforce Development, Department of Human Services, Department of Education, Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services and Department of Human Rights. The group was developed in response to a Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) request for proposals that included an advisory group for systems change efforts to expand employment opportunities to individuals with disabilities. By 2000, the five original partners had expanded their efforts by agreeing to provide oversight and consultation to a Department of Labor (DOL) Work Incentive Grant and brought on two additional partners, the Department for the Blind …

State Agency Promising Practice: Nevada’S Regional Forums - Creating A Shared Responsibility For Improving Employment, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

The Nevada Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities sought to engage community stakeholders and acquire knowledge to further the employment agenda by funding three regional summits. Using the State Employment Leadership Network’s (SELN)* selfassessment preliminary findings as a basis, the summit steering committee created a framework for summit participants. Through a rigorous planning process and comprehensive 2-day summits in three regions of the state, Nevada was able to create a shared, multistakeholder plan of action with the goal of improving the current employment support system for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Pharmacy-Level Quality Measures And The Consumer: Preferences And Attitudes, Zainab S. Shahpurwala

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objectives. To determine the perceptions of consumers toward community pharmacy quality measures and compare their perceptions regarding their pharmacy's overall quality before and after exposure to these measures. To explore the use of evaluative criteria applied by consumers to determine their preference for information related to these measures. Methods. Focus groups were used to refine attributes and levels used in the quantitative phase of the study. An Internet-based survey was administered to a national, online, consumer panel of community pharmacy patrons using maintenance medications. Descriptive statistics, MANOVA and t-tests were used to determine and compare perceptions related to the community …

Pharmacokinetic Evaluation Of A Novel Compound, Sn79, A Putative Sigma-2 Receptor Antagonist, By Intravenous And Oral Administration In Rats, Harsha Vinnakota

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Considering the alarming rates at which substance drug abuse, especially cocaine, is increasing in today's society, there is a lot of impetus on the development of medications that can effectively help alleviate its toxicity and addiction. The affinity of cocaine to sigma receptors (sigma-1 and sigma-2) rendered the hypothesis that blocking sigma receptors could be a possible mechanism to attenuate cocaine-induced toxicity and addiction. In this view, SN79, a synthetic compound with selectivity to both sigma-1 and sigma-2 receptors garnered our attraction for its use as an antagonist. This dissertation encompasses detailed investigation of SN79 from drug discovery and development …

The Strategic Value Driver Model: A Methodology For Examining Value Drivers For A New Pharmaceutical Product In Diabetes, Sumit Verma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective. Objective The primary objective of this study was to explore a new methodological framework—Strategic Value Driver Model (SVDM), for examining value drivers for new pharmaceutical inhaled insulin in diabetes. Methods. A cross-sectional, internet-based survey was used to collect a sample of 483 Type 2 diabetic patients via national panel of diabetic patients. The sample had two subgroups—insulin-naïve (52.9%, n=255) and insulin-user (47.1%, n=227) patients. The comparative performance of insulin syringes/vials, insulin pen and inhaled insulin was captured on four product attributes (i.e., safety, convenience, clinical efficacy and cost) after asking the patients to report the importance of these attributes. …

Conflicts Of Interest In Clinical Practice Guidelines, Lisa Cosgrove, Allen F. Shaughnessy

Counseling, School Psychology & Sport Faculty Publication Series

Clinical practice guidelines are used increasingly across medical specialties and settings, making evaluation of their utility and validity a critical public health issue. In this paper, we describe some of the challenges that specialty organizations face as they try to ensure that their guidelines are trustworthy and useful. We examine the practice guidelines for Major Depressive Disorder recently published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), identify five sources of potential bias that may affect the guideline development process and offer suggestions based on our review. For example, even for mild depression, this guideline privileges pharmacotherapy over other interventions, despite questions …

Tomographic Assessment Of Different Attachment Sizes In Implant Supported Overdenture, Fardos N. Rizk, Marwa Sabet, Wael Amer

Dentistry

objective: This research was carried to evaluate which ball size mounted on bar splinting two implants supporting overdenture is more favorable regarding bone height and density. material &methods: Two implants(Tut Dental Implant System,ECDI Cairo, Egypt) splinted by bar (OT bar Multiuse attachments,Cas,RHEIN 83, ITALY) carrying two balls (OT Cap attachments, Cas, RHEIN 83 Italy) were inserted in n=10/gp. Patients were divided into two groups according to the size of the balls used which were either micro1.8mm or macro 2.5mm (control group). For all patients overdentures were constructed & conventional tomograms were taken. Crestal bone height & density around the implants …

Natural Products Chemistry Of Leads Acting On Mrsa, Hcv, Malaria, And Depression Disorders, Mohamed Ali Mohamed Ali Ibrahim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nature has proven to be an endless source of abundant diversity of chemical entities with varying biological activities. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 80% of the world's population depends on traditional medicine for treating their everyday health problems. According to Gordon Cragg, former director of the natural products branch of the NCI, ″Nature has produced wonderfully complex molecules that no synthetic chemist could ever dream up.″ Moreover, he emphasized that over 60% of cancer therapeutics have been derived from nature whether directly through isolation or indirectly through semi-synthesis. Various examples have been reported such as extracts from Catharanthus …

Market Response To Food And Drug Administration's Safety Warnings: A Case Study Using An Interrupted Time Series Analysis Of The Medicare Database For 2006-2008, Hafiz Oko-Osi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of a safety warning on the utilization rates of thiazolidinedione oral anti-diabetes medication using an interrupted time series analysis. Methods: We extracted data from a five percent national sample of Medicare Part D beneficiaries for the periods between January 2006 and December 2008. Beneficiaries with Part D claims for thiazolidinediones were classified into appropriate-use, at risk, and contraindicated groups based on certain comorbid conditions. We assessed the effects of the May 2007 FDA safety warning about an ongoing safety review of rosiglitazone's potential to increase cardiovascular risks on thiazolidinedione utilization rates using an interrupted time …

Factors That Physicians Find Encouraging And Discouraging About Electronic Prescribing: A Quantitative Study, Krutika Satish Jariwala

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research objective. While the adoption of e-prescribing is growing, the Institute of Medicine's recommendations that all prescriptions be routed electronically by 2010 certainly has not been met. Therefore, the objective of this study is to compare the factors that physicians find encouraging and discouraging about e-prescribing based on their e-prescribing adoption status. Study design. Cross-sectional, descriptive design. An Internet-based survey was sent to national convenience sample of physicians. Using e-prescribing literature, 44 items were developed concerning various factors related to the adoption of e-prescribing. Physicians rated how much the factors encouraged them or discouraged them about e-prescribing. Analysis procedures included …

Factors Affecting Community Pharmacy Owners' Attitudes Toward And Likelihood To Adopt Rxsync Service(Sm), Namita Joshi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Factors affecting community pharmacy owners' attitudes toward and likelihood to adopt RxSync ServiceSM. Objective. There is an increased recognition of the role of pharmacists in the provision of patient care services. Therefore, understanding factors that affect pharmacists' attitudes and likelihood to implement pharmacy services is warranted. The objective of this study is to examine how community pharmacy owners' entrepreneurial and demographic characteristics, perceptions of pharmacy service characteristics (perceived benefit, perceived compatibility, and perceived complexity), workload perceptions, and the number of pharmacy services they already offer, affect their attitude toward and likelihood to adopt RxSync ServiceSM, a newly developed prescription management …

Event-Related Potential Studies Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Critical Review And Synthesis, Arash Javanbakht, Israel Liberzon, Alireza Amirsadri, Klevest Gjini, Nash N. Boutros

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Despite the sparseness of the currently available data, there is accumulating evidence of information processing impairment in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Studies of event-related potentials (ERPs) are the main tool in real time examination of information processing. In this paper, we sought to critically review the ERP evidence of information processing abnormalities in patients with PTSD. We also examined the evidence supporting the existence of a relationship between ERP abnormalities and symptom profiles or severity in PTSD patients. An extensive Medline search was performed. Keywords included PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder, electrophysiology or EEG, electrophysiology, P50, P100, N100, P2, …

Rhodococcus Equi Venous Catheter Infection: A Case Report And Review Of The Literature, Rosalinda Guerrero, Ashish Bhargava, Zeina Nahleh

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Introduction

Rhodococcus equi is an animal pathogen that was initially isolated from horses and is being increasingly reported as a cause of infection in humans with impaired cellular immunity. However, this pathogen is underestimated as a challenging antagonist and is frequently considered to be a mere contaminant despite the potential for life-threatening infections. Most case reports have occurred in immunocompromised patients who have received organ transplants (for example kidney, heart, bone marrow) or those with human immunodeficiency virus infection. Infections often manifest as pulmonary involvement or soft tissue abscesses. Bacteremia related to R. equi infections of tunneled central venous …

Spatial-Temporal Analysis Of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma In The Nci-Seer Nhl Case-Control Study, David C. Wheeler, Anneclaire J. De Roos, James R. Cerhan, Lindsay M. Morton, Richard Severson, Wendy Cozen, Mary H. Ward

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Exploring spatial-temporal patterns of disease incidence through cluster analysis identifies areas of significantly elevated or decreased risk, providing potential clues about disease risk factors. Little is known about the etiology of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), or the latency period that might be relevant for environmental exposures, and there are no published spatial-temporal cluster studies of NHL.

Methods

We conducted a population-based case-control study of NHL in four National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) centers: Detroit, Iowa, Los Angeles, and Seattle during 1998-2000. Using 20-year residential histories, we used generalized additive models adjusted for known risk factors …

Clue: A Randomized Comparative Effectiveness Trial Of Iv Nicardipine Versus Labetalol Use In The Emergency Department, W Peacock, Joseph Varon, Brigitte M. Baumann, Pierre Borczuk, Chad M. Cannon, Abhinav Chandra, David M. Cline, Deborah Diercks, Brian Hiestand, A Hsu, Preeti Jois-Bilowich, Brian Kaminski, Philip Levy, Richard M. Nowak, Jon W. Schrock

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Introduction

Our purpose was to compare the safety and efficacy of food and drug administration (FDA) recommended dosing of IV nicardipine versus IV labetalol for the management of acute hypertension.

Methods

Multicenter randomized clinical trial. Eligible patients had 2 systolic blood pressure (SBP) measures ≥180 mmHg and no contraindications to nicardipine or labetalol. Before randomization, the physician specified a target SBP ± 20 mmHg (the target range: TR). The primary endpoint was the percent of subjects meeting TR during the initial 30 minutes of treatment.

Results

Of 226 randomized patients, 110 received nicardipine and 116 labetalol. End organ damage …

Rad6b Acts Downstream Of Wnt Signaling To Stabilize Β-Catenin: Implications For A Novel Wnt/Β-Catenin Target, Brigitte Gerard, Larry Tait, Pratima Nangia-Makker, Malathy Pv Shekhar

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Aberrant Wnt/β-catenin signaling is associated with breast cancer even though genetic mutations in Wnt signaling components are rare. We have previously demonstrated that Rad6B, an ubiquitin conjugating enzyme, stabilizes β-catenin via polyubiqutin modifications that render β-catenin insensitive to proteasomal degradation. Rad6B is a transcriptional target of β-catenin, creating a positive feedback loop between Rad6B expression and β-catenin activation.

Methods

To isolate subpopulations expressing high or low Rad6B levels, we transfected MDA-MB-231 or WS-15 human breast cancer cells with ZsGreen fluorescent reporter vector in which the expression of ZsGreen was placed under the control of Rad6B promoter. ZsGreen^{high …}

Integrating An Internet-Mediated Walking Program Into Family Medicine Clinical Practice: A Pilot Feasibility Study, David E. Goodrich, Lorraine R. Buis, Adrienne W. Janney, Megan D. Ditty, Christine W. Krause, Kai Zheng, Ananda Sen, Victor J. Strecher, Michael L. Hess, John D. Piette, Caroline R. Richardson

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Regular participation in physical activity can prevent many chronic health conditions. Computerized self-management programs are effective clinical tools to support patient participation in physical activity. This pilot study sought to develop and evaluate an online interface for primary care providers to refer patients to an Internet-mediated walking program called Stepping Up to Health (SUH) and to monitor participant progress in the program.

Methods

In Phase I of the study, we recruited six pairs of physicians and medical assistants from two family practice clinics to assist with the design of a clinical interface. During Phase II, providers used the …

The Prevalence Of Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking Among The General And Specific Populations: A Systematic Review, Elie A. Akl, Sameer K. Gunukula, Sohaib Aleem, Rawad Obeid, Philippe Jaoude, Roland Honeine, Jihad Irani

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

The objective of this study was to systematically review the medical literature for the prevalence of waterpipe tobacco use among the general and specific populations.

Methods

We electronically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the ISI the Web of Science. We selected studies using a two-stage duplicate and independent screening process. We included cohort studies and cross sectional studies assessing the prevalence of use of waterpipe in either the general population or a specific population of interest. Two reviewers used a standardized and pilot tested form to collect data from each eligible study using a duplicate and independent screening process. …

Histone Deacetylases (Hdacs) In Xpc Gene Silencing And Bladder Cancer, Xiaoxin S. Xu, Le Wang, Judith Abrams, Gan Wang

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Bladder cancer is one of the most common malignancies and causes hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide each year. Bladder cancer is strongly associated with exposure to environmental carcinogens. It is believed that DNA damage generated by environmental carcinogens and their metabolites causes development of bladder cancer. Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is the major DNA repair pathway for repairing bulk DNA damage generated by most environmental carcinogens, and XPC is a DNA damage recognition protein required for initiation of the NER process. Recent studies demonstrate reduced levels of XPC protein in tumors for a majority of bladder cancer patients. …

Phylogeny And Adaptive Evolution Of The Brain-Development Gene Microcephalin (Mcph1) In Cetaceans, Michael R. Mcgowen, Stephen H. Montgomery, Clay Clark, John Gatesy

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Representatives of Cetacea have the greatest absolute brain size among animals, and the largest relative brain size aside from humans. Despite this, genes implicated in the evolution of large brain size in primates have yet to be surveyed in cetaceans.

Results

We sequenced ~1240 basepairs of the brain development gene microcephalin (MCPH1) in 38 cetacean species. Alignments of these data and a published complete sequence from Tursiops truncatus with primate MCPH1 were utilized in phylogenetic analyses and to estimate ω (rate of nonsynonymous substitution/rate of synonymous substitution) using site and branch models of molecular evolution. We also tested …

Unfolded Protein Response In Cancer: The Physician's Perspective, Xuemei Li, Kezhong Zhang, Zihai Li

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a cascade of intracellular stress signaling events in response to an accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Cancer cells are often exposed to hypoxia, nutrient starvation, oxidative stress and other metabolic dysregulation that cause ER stress and activation of the UPR. Depending on the duration and degree of ER stress, the UPR can provide either survival signals by activating adaptive and antiapoptotic pathways, or death signals by inducing cell death programs. Sustained induction or repression of UPR pharmacologically may thus have beneficial and therapeutic …

A Supermatrix Analysis Of Genomic, Morphological, And Paleontological Data From Crown Cetacea, Jonathan H. Geisler, Michael R. Mcgowen, Guang Yang, John Gatesy

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Cetacea (dolphins, porpoises, and whales) is a clade of aquatic species that includes the most massive, deepest diving, and largest brained mammals. Understanding the temporal pattern of diversification in the group as well as the evolution of cetacean anatomy and behavior requires a robust and well-resolved phylogenetic hypothesis. Although a large body of molecular data has accumulated over the past 20 years, DNA sequences of cetaceans have not been directly integrated with the rich, cetacean fossil record to reconcile discrepancies among molecular and morphological characters.

Results

We combined new nuclear DNA sequences, including segments of six genes (~2800 …

Bio::Phylo-Phyloinformatic Analysis Using Perl, Rutger A. Vos, Jason Caravas, Klaas Hartmann, Mark A. Jensen, Chase Miller

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Phyloinformatic analyses involve large amounts of data and metadata of complex structure. Collecting, processing, analyzing, visualizing and summarizing these data and metadata should be done in steps that can be automated and reproduced. This requires flexible, modular toolkits that can represent, manipulate and persist phylogenetic data and metadata as objects with programmable interfaces.

Results

This paper presents Bio::Phylo, a Perl5 toolkit for phyloinformatic analysis. It implements classes and methods that are compatible with the well-known BioPerl toolkit, but is independent from it (making it easy to install) and features a richer API and a data model that is …

Analysis Of Positional Candidate Genes In The Aaa1 Susceptibility Locus For Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms On Chromosome 19, John H. Lillvis, Yoshiki Kyo, Gerard Tromp, Guy M. Lenk, Ming Li, Qing Lu, Robert P. Igo Jr, Natzi Sakalihasan, Robert E. Ferrell, Charles M. Schworer, Zoran Gatalica, Susan Land, Helena Kuivaniemi

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a complex disorder with multiple genetic risk factors. Using affected relative pair linkage analysis, we previously identified an AAA susceptibility locus on chromosome 19q13. This locus has been designated as the AAA1 susceptibility locus in the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database.

Methods

Nine candidate genes were selected from the AAA1 locus based on their function, as well as mRNA expression levels in the aorta. A sample of 394 cases and 419 controls was genotyped for 41 SNPs located in or around the selected nine candidate genes using the Illumina GoldenGate platform. …

Cloudaligner: A Fast And Full-Featured Mapreduce Based Tool For Sequence Mapping, Tung Nguyen, Weisong Shi, Douglas Ruden

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Research in genetics has developed rapidly recently due to the aid of next generation sequencing (NGS). However, massively-parallel NGS produces enormous amounts of data, which leads to storage, compatibility, scalability, and performance issues. The Cloud Computing and MapReduce framework, which utilizes hundreds or thousands of shared computers to map sequencing reads quickly and efficiently to reference genome sequences, appears to be a very promising solution for these issues. Consequently, it has been adopted by many organizations recently, and the initial results are very promising. However, since these are only initial steps toward this trend, the developed software does …

A Protein Network-Guided Screen For Cell Cycle Regulators In Drosophila, Stephen T. Guest, Jingkai Yu, Dongmei Liu, Julie A. Hines, Maria A. Kashat, Russell L. Finley Jr

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Large-scale RNAi-based screens are playing a critical role in defining sets of genes that regulate specific cellular processes. Numerous screens have been completed and in some cases more than one screen has examined the same cellular process, enabling a direct comparison of the genes identified in separate screens. Surprisingly, the overlap observed between the results of similar screens is low, suggesting that RNAi screens have relatively high levels of false positives, false negatives, or both.

Results

We re-examined genes that were identified in two previous RNAi-based cell cycle screens to identify potential false positives and false negatives. We …

Double-Layer Mesh Hernioplasty For Repairing Umbilical Hernias In 10 Goats*, Jose M. Vilar, Juan A. Corbera, Giuseppe Spinella

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Umbilical hernias in goats are uncommon and can vary in their etiology and management. Hernioplasty can be done by closing the abdominal wall with a horizontal mattress pattern using absorbable sutures. However, larger defects (hernial ring size >3 cm) generally require the use of prosthetic materials that allow for a tension-free repair. In this study, 10 young female goats with umbilical hernias and hernial ring sizes ranging from 7-10 cm in width were treated using a double-layer polypropylene mesh. An ultrasonographic examination was performed to assess healing and connective tissue production.

The Egg, Sperm, And Beyond: Gendered Assumptions In Gynecology Textbooks, Andrea Bertotti, Regina Rust

Sociology & Criminology Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Probabilistic Models For Patient Scheduling, Adel Alaeddini

Wayne State University Theses

In spite of the success of theoretical appointment scheduling methods, there have been significant failures in practice primarily due to the rapid increase in the number of no-shows and cancelations from the individuals in recent times. These disruptions not only cause inconvenience to the management but also has a significant impact on the revenue, cost and resource utilization. In this research, we develop a hybrid probabilistic model based on logistic regression and Bayesian inference to predict the probability of no-shows in real-time. We also develop two novel non-sequential and sequential optimization models which can effectively use no-show probabilities for scheduling …

Neuropathological Diagnosis Of Alzheimer's Disease: The Relationship Between Postmortem Assessment, Cognitive Function And Functional Status In Centenarians, Emily Elizabeth Richardson

Wayne State University Theses

Several sets of neuropathological criteria have been used for the postmortem diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease (AD), but few studies have examined these criteria in the oldest old. For this study, we examined a sample of centenarians, all of whom received AD assessments using four different neuropathological criteria: Khachaturian, Braak and Braak, CERAD, and NIA-R. Findings indicate that NIA-R criteria differed significantly from CERAD and Khachaturian criteria. In addition, NIA-R and CERAD criteria predicted performance on the MMSE and three FOME indices; Braak and Braak criteria predicted performance on the MMSE and one FOME index. Finally, we examined the relationship between …