Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of Cellular Heterogeneity And Immune Cells In Angiotensin Ii-Infused Hemorrhaged Ascending Aortas, Kyung Sik Jung

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

A previous thoracic aortic aneurysm time course study from our laboratory determined that ascending aortic dilation was significantly increased by day 5, and reached a plateau by day 28 of angiotensin II (AngII) infusion. We also found that mice had hemorrhage localized to the ascending aortas by day 5 of AngII infusion. The purpose of these studies was to provide mechanistic insight into the development of AngII-induced ascending aortic hemorrhage.

Male C57BL/6 mice fed normal diet were subcutaneously infused with either AngII (1000 ng/kg/min) or saline for 5 days. To examine cellular heterogeneity, hemorrhaged ascending aortas were collected and sectioned …

Cofilin Navigates Cellular Cytoskeleton And Invasion Responses To Tgf-Β Towards Prostate Cancer Metastasis, Joanne Collazo Santiago

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Cofilin’s activity to nucleate actin filament assembly, is regulated by phosphorylation at a single site on the amino terminus, Serine 3. Phosphorylation at this site abolishes the ability of ADF/cofilin to bind to F-actin and inhibits its severing function. This work characterizes the ability of dephosphorylated cofilin (mutation at Serine 3 site) to navigate prostate cancer actin cytoskeleton and metastatic properties in response to TGF-β. TGF-β increased Lim Domain Kinase 2 (LIMK-2) activity leading to cofilin phosphorylation and decrease actin filament severing in wild type cofilin (WTCFL) PC-3 cells. Constitutively active cofilin in Serine 3 cofilin mutants (S3ACFL) promoted prostate …

Observations On Eye Care In Lamu, Kenya: Overlooked Needs And Proposed Interventions, Erick Henderson, Rebecca Gearhart

Scholarship

These notes draw attention to the underserved eye care needs of residents of Lamu, Kenya. They are comprised of observations that we, Rebecca Gearhart, an anthropology professor at Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU) and Erick Henderson, an IWU biology and pre-optometry major and president of the Optometry Club, made while volunteering at a clinic in Lamu, Kenya during the summer of 2011. Plans to establish a temporary eye clinic emerged after Rebecca discovered that Erick was an optometric technician who might use his portable optometry lens set to fit residents of Lamu Town on Lamu Island for glasses and teach them …

Assessing Undergraduate Nursing Students' Knowledge, Attitudes And Cultural Competence In Caring For Lgbt Patients, Kristy L. Strong

Honors Projects

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) patients experience barriers to health care that include fear of discrimination and limited access to providers knowledgeable about and sensitive to the LGBT population and their specific health needs. This study examined the effectiveness of an educational intervention conducted at Illinois Wesleyan University designed to improve knowledge level and attitudes of nursing students toward LGBT patient care. The educational intervention focused on key terminology, health disparities, medical needs of transgender patients and culturally sensitive communication skills necessary for competent LGBT patient care. Knowledge level and attitudes were evaluated before and after the educational intervention …

Safe And Smart Savings Products For Vulnerable Adolescent Girls In Kenya And Uganda: Evaluation Report, Karen Austrian, Eunice N. Muthengi

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The decision to engage in the development of girl-friendly savings accounts was made as part of the Population Council’s work with adolescent girls in Kenya. In June 2008 the Council and MicroSave Consulting started the Safe and Smart Savings Products for Vulnerable Adolescent Girls. Based on the market research and prior experience with developing programs for adolescent girls, a product concept for a group-based savings account was developed, in which the group model was used to address the legal constraints of minors not being able to hold individual accounts. In Kenya and Uganda, two financial institutions were identified, and the …

Using Geospatial Technologies To Characterize Relationships Between Travel Behavior, Food Availability, And Health, Warren J. Christian

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

Epidemic obesity in the U.S. has prompted exploration of causal factors related to the built environment. Recent research has noted statistical associations between the spatial accessibility of retail food sources, such as supermarkets, convenience stores, and restaurants, and individual characteristics such as weight, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity. These studies typically use residential proximity or neighborhood density to food sources as the measure of accessibility. Assessing food environments in this manner, however, is very limiting. Since most people travel outside of their neighborhood on a daily basis, the retail food sources available to individuals residing in the same area could vary …

Data Mining And Pattern Discovery Using Exploratory And Visualization Methods For Large Multidimensional Datasets, Hsin-Fang Li

Theses and Dissertations--Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Oral health problems have been a major public health concern profoundly affecting people’s general health and quality of life. Given that oral health data is composed of several measurable dimensions including clinical measurements, socio-behavioral factors, genetic predispositions, self-reported assessments, and quality of life measures, strategies for analyzing multidimensional data are neither computationally straightforward nor efficient. Researchers face major challenges to identify tools that circumvent the processes of manually probing the data.

The purpose of this dissertation is to provide applications of the proposed methodology on oral health-related data that go beyond identifying risk factors from a single dimension, and to …

Insights Into Unmet Need In Kenya, Kazuyo Machiyama, John C. Cleland

Reproductive Health

Results from this study demonstrate that most women having unmet need for family planning in Kenya were aware of the two main contraceptive methods and a supply source, but many of the poorest, least educated women and those living in North Eastern Province were disadvantaged in this regard. Targeted expansion of access/information is a priority to meet the need of the disadvantaged populations. Kenya has one of the longest records of successful family planning programs in Africa, but this report has revealed some major defects, in particular excess reliance on two hormonal methods. Major future progress may well depend on …

Oncolog, Volume 58, Number 01, January 2013, Joe Munch, Sunni Hosemann

OncoLog MD Anderson's Report to Physicians (All issues) Archives

• Emerging Vaccines Take Aim at Preventing Recurrent Breast Cancer: Myriad advances have been made in the treatment of breast cancer, and cures are achieved in many patients. However, there are still patients whose cancer recurs, and most of these patients will die of their disease. This indicates a need for other therapies that can be used to prevent recurrent disease. One potential option is breast cancer vaccines.
• Compass: Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Concomitant liver disease affects treatment options
• HOUSE CALL: Music Therapy-Music therapists help cancer patients manage stress and side effects

Why I Am Optimistic About My Post Phd-Degree Life – A Commentary, Sophia L. Johnson

Florida Public Health Review

Public health is an area where we will always need professionally-prepared people. Whereas some soon-to-be graduates are concerned about their future job prospects, others express optimism, undeterred by the economic downturn of the past five years and the funding challenges that currently burden higher education. Staying focused and finding the right niche may be the key to a successful future.

Why I Am Worried About My Post Mph-Degree Life – A Commentary, Marissa Berrier

Florida Public Health Review

Public health is an area where we will always need professionally-prepared people, but despite the aging of the public health workforce, some soon-to-graduate MPH students are concerned that there might not be a place for them. Perhaps now more than ever public health professional programs and schools need to devote increased resources toward internships, skill development, and job placement.

The Multi-State Learning Collaborative Storyboards: Quality Improvement Lessons Learned From 162 Projects, Leslie M. Beitsch, Anooj Pattnaik, Kusuma Madamala

Florida Public Health Review

The Multi-state Learning Collaborative (MLC) brought health departments in 16 states together with public health system partners to prepare for national voluntary accreditation and to implement quality-improvement (QI) practices. Data from each of the MLC participating states were collected through a comprehensive process over three years. An Excel database of several hundred pages was derived, categorized by individual target area, and organized into thematic domains for further study. Available data were culled and compiled for each MLC project and synthesized across MLC target areas. Two-hundred thirty-four health departments participated in 162 mini-collaboratives in nine of ten target areas. Public health …

The Uncertain Future Of The Postgraduate-Degree Life – A Commentary, Cari L. Cuffney

Florida Public Health Review

Public health is an area where we will always need professionally-prepared people, but despite desperate needs to replace persons in an aging public health workforce, some students are concerned that there might not be a quality job for them in the foreseeable future. Perhaps now more than ever public health professional programs and schools need to devote resources toward career counseling and job placement.

College Within The College: Population Health, James D. Plumb, Md, Mph, Rickie Brawer, Mph, Phd, Mches, Abbie Santana, Msph, Rob Simmons, Drph, Mph, Mches, Cph, Nancy L. Chernett, Ma, Mph

College of Population Health Lectures, Presentations, Workshops

College within the College (CwiC) – Population Health Skills for Physicians

• Incorporate culturally relevant information into a treatment plan for a patient

• Counsel individuals about healthy lifestyles

• Identify community support and resources to serve patients

• Coordinate health care services as a member of multidisciplinary teams

• Promote primary and secondary prevention

• Advocate for the needs of patients and the community

• Conduct population health research/evaluation

• Promote healthy lifestyles in communities

• Work in partnership with community based agencies and organizations

Anthropometrics To Identify Overweight Children At Most Risk For The Development Of Cardiometabolic Disease, Corinne A. Labyak, David M. Janicke, Crystal S. Lim, James Colee, A.E. Mathews

Nutrition and Dietetics Faculty Research and Scholarship

Background. Sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD) is a novel anthropometric that correlates more strongly with visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and cardiometabolic disease risk in adults compared with body mass index (BMI). However, little research has evaluated this measurement in children. Objective. To evaluate SAD as a measure of cardiometabolic risk compared with other anthropometrics in overweight/obese children. Methods. This study was a cross-sectional subset analysis of 8- to 12-year-old overweight/obese children. SAD was compared to BMI, waist circumference (WC), BMI z-score, and percent body fat to determine which measurement was most closely associated with cardiometabolic risk factors. A …

Breaking The Silence: Learning About Youth Sexual And Reproductive Health In Egypt, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Sally Saher, Nora El Nawawi

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This collection of research (supported by the Ford Foundation office in Cairo) documents the Population Council’s efforts to build the capacity of young Egyptian researchers to study youth sexual and reproductive health. Understanding the needs of young Egyptians, including their sexual and reproductive health needs, is crucial for developing policies and programs that can help bring about desired changes and improve their health and well-being. Young people must be given accurate information and access to services to protect their sexual and reproductive health and to prepare them for taking on family responsibilities as they get older. This report sets the …

The Contracting World Of Girls At Puberty: Violence And Gender-Divergent Access To The Public Sphere Among Adolescents In South Africa, Kelly Hallman, Nora Kenworthy, Judith A. Diers, Nick Swan, Bashi Devnarain

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This Population Council working paper describes a participatory mapping project undertaken with single-sex groups of grade 5 and grade 8–9 children in urban and rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. At grade 5, female self-defined community areas were equal to or larger in size than those of males in both sites. However, wide gender divergence in access to the public sphere was found among grade 8–9 children. Although curtailed spatial access, especially in urban areas, is intended to protect post-pubescent girls, grade 8–9 girls reported most spaces in their small navigable areas unsafe. Reducing girls’ access to the public sphere does not …

The Ishraq Program For Out-Of-School Girls: From Pilot To Scale-Up [Arabic], Mona Selim, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Khaled El Sayed, Asmaa Elbadawy, Heba El Kalaawy

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

In response to the needs of adolescent girls in Egypt for improved schooling, health, and livelihood prospects, Ishraq (sunrise)—a multidimensional program for 12–15-year-old out-of-school girls—was launched in 2001 by the Population Council in collaboration with CEDPA, Save the Children, Caritas, and local nongovernmental organizations. The program combined traditional tested program elements (literacy, life skills, nutrition) with more innovative ones (sports, financial education). It focused on building a multilayered platform to support and institutionalize the program by educating and mobilizing communities around issues of importance to adolescent girls; forging partnerships between international NGOs, government institutions, and local NGOs; and building capacities …

Capturing The Demographic Dividend In Pakistan, Zeba Sathar, Rabbi Royan, John Bongaarts

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Pakistan’s demographic profile is changing: fertility is slowly decreasing, and people are living longer. If Pakistan succeeds in strengthening education and bringing the full panoply of reproductive rights and reproductive health services to women, it will have taken two important steps in transforming demographic change into poverty reduction and better lives for the great majority of Pakistanis. If it also takes other policy actions that can spur productive employment and investment, positive outcomes are all the more likely. This book brings together many ideas that have been discussed for some time in Pakistan and around the world, including extensive development …

Policy Brief: Adolescent Girls And Migration In The Developing World, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

When a migrant girl is successful, she creates a ripple effect through generations: families and future children will be better off because of her ability to finish school, get a job, and stay healthy. Despite the positive potential of migration for adolescent girls, migrant girls are largely ignored in policy and programs designed to reach migrants and adolescents. Because of their age and gender, migrant girls are especially vulnerable to risks such as exploitative employment. If these girls arrive at their destination and settle in safely, their diligence can enable them to capitalize on new opportunities and become productive, contributing …

Designing, Implementing, And Evaluating A Targeted, Evidence-Based Intervention For A Vulnerable Subgroup Of Girls: A Case Study Of The Filles Éveillées ("Girls Awakened") Pilot Program For Migrant Adolescent Girls In Domestic Service In Urban Burkina Faso, Sarah Engebretsen

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Investing in adolescent girls is crucial in the developing world where a large and growing proportion of the population is under the age of 24. Research has demonstrated that adolescent girls face serious challenges around the time of puberty including withdrawal from (and lack of safety in) public spaces, loss of peers, leaving school, pressure for marriage or liaisons as livelihood strategies, and internalization of harmful gender norms. Investments need to be made at critical moments in early adolescence. While policymakers and development professionals have acknowledged the need to make investments in the poorest girls in the poorest communities early …

Follow-Up Study Of Migrant Adolescent Girls In Domestic Service Who Participated In The First Cohort Of The Filles Éveillées ("Girls Awakened") Program, Sarah Engebretsen

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Circular migration (from rural to urban areas and back) among adolescents is common throughout West Africa, with the principle motivation being the search for economic opportunities, including domestic work. The evidence base on adolescent migration and domestic work is fairly thin. Evidence on programmatic effectiveness generally ends at program completion and does not follow adolescents over time. The current study follows a subsample of migrant adolescent girls in domestic service in urban Burkina Faso who participated in the first cohort of the Filles Éveillées (Girls Awakened) pilot program. Filles Éveillées was designed to provide migrant girls in domestic service with …

The Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program: Lessons Learned From The Pilot Test Program, Karen Austrian, Natalie Jackson Hachonda, Paul C. Hewett

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Adolescent girls in Zambia face a range of risks and vulnerabilities that compromise their healthy development into young women, and lack the social, health, and economic assets to mitigate these risks. The issues that girls are confronted with include high rates of gender-based violence, unsafe sex that puts them at risk for unwanted pregnancy and HIV infection, school dropout, lack of economic resources and income-generating options, and lack of agency and participation. The Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (AGEP) has three major components: safe spaces groups in which girls meet once a week over the course of two years for training …

Comprendre La Vie Des Adolescentes Avant Et Après La Migration: Enquête Réalisée Sur Les Sites D'Origine Auprès D'Anciennes Filles Migrantes Employées Comme Aide-Ménagères, Gisele Kaboré

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Le Population Council met en œuvre un projet en direction des adolescentes migrantes travaillant comme employées de maison dans les zones urbaines au Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou et Bobo-Dioulasso). Ce programme, dénommé «Filles Éveillées», a pour objectif d’élargir les réseaux sociaux des filles et de développer leurs compétences en capacités financières, en santé et hygiène, santé de la reproduction et en compétences de la vie courante. Il offre également aux bénéficiaires l’opportunité d’accéder à l’alphabétisation. Dans un effort d’améliorer ce programme en ville, il s’est avéré opportun de mieux comprendre les circonstances de la vie des adolescentes dans le village avant …

Évaluation De Filles Éveillées : Programme Pilote Pour Adolescentes Migrantes Employées De Maison, Sarah Engebretsen

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Le programme «Filles Éveillées» a été conçu dans le but d’accroître les réseaux sociaux et de développer les compétences des adolescentes migrantes employées de maison au Burkina Faso urbain. Il a fait l’objet de deux cycles pilotes: en 2011-2012 à Bobo-Dioulasso, puis en 2012-2013 à Ouagadougou et Bobo-Dioulasso. Une évaluation de processus a été effectuée entre les deux cycles avant d’évaluer l’efficacité du programme et d’y proposer les améliorations de structure, mise en œuvre et contenu jugées utiles avant le lancement de la seconde cohorte. Cette évaluation a donné lieu aux changements suivants: simplification du contenu programmatique sur la santé …

What Factors Contribute To Or Inhibit Publishing Among Medical Librarians, Skye Bickett, Christine Willis, Melissa Wright

Scholarly Posters

OBJECTIVE: To discover what factors influence librarians to publish or present their work. The study aims to determine what type of publications and presentations are most prevalent, what external factors impact the decision to publish or present, what internal factors affect the decision, and why one chooses to do one rather than the other or both.

Chlamydia Pneumoniae Infection Of Neuronal Cells Induces Changes In Calcium-Associated Gene Expression Consistent With Alzheimer’S Disease, Christopher Andrew Cappellini, Ahmad B. Cader, Keith G. Williams, Juliana Zoga, Susan T. Hingley

Scholarly Posters

Background and Significance: Previous studies have shown that cells infected with Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn) exhibit altered gene expression consistent with that observed in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Furthermore, AD neurodegeneration has been linked to dysregulation of intracellular calcium and calcium-related processes. Therefore, we hypothesize that one mechanism by which pathogenesis evolves in AD is through infection-induced changes in expression of calcium-related genes. Objectives: To determine if infection of neuronal cells with Cpn alters expression of calciumrelated genes associated with neurodegeneration. Methods: SK-N-MC neuronal cells were infected with Cpn (AR39 strain; MOI=1) for 3 to 72 hours, then calcium-related genes were screened …

Pediatric Obesity Class: Teaching Kids How To Live Healthy Lifestyle, Sara Wilson Reece

Scholarly Posters

Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. At The Longstreet Clinic, PC, Diabetes Education and Medical Nutritional Therapy Department, and Pediatric Department have joined together to create the Pediatric Obesity Class to address the epidemic of pediatric obesity in the local community. In the class, the child and parent are taught about calories, how to develop healthy eating habits and become physically active as a family. Visual aids as well as hands on activities for both nutritional and physical activity components of class are utilized. Thus far, approximately 120 children along with their parent(s) have participated in …

Implementation Of Active Learning Components Into An Otc Course, Sara Wilson Reece, Nicole Phipps

Scholarly Posters

When faculty is preparing for didactic class, it is important for the faculty to consider that students only retain about 10% of what they hear, while they retain up to 90% of what they say or do.1 Active learning facilitates learning by enhancing a student’s learning experience in that he/she surpasses understanding of a subject into analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of the subject. Incorporation of active learning strategies such as minute writes and the use of i>clicker audience response system, have been shown to improve a student’s performance on free-recall quizzes and comprehensive exams up to two letter grades.

Untitled, Richard S. Koch

Koch Collection, Papers of Richard S Koch, DO

Provides support for association between spinal asymmetry and heart disease and how osteopathic physicians can help treat heart disease through treatment of asymmetries.