Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Community Health News, Georgia Southern University

Health Policy & Community Health: News & Publications (2011-2018)

• Parental Perceptions

Health Policy & Management News, Georgia Southern University

Health Policy & Community Health: News & Publications (2011-2018)

• Dr. Tarasenko named Exceptional Reviewer
• Temporal Trends in Preparedness Capacity
• Parental Perceptions

Transcriptome Profiling Of Spinal Muscular Atrophy Motor Neurons Derived From Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells., Miho Maeda, Ashlee W Harris, Brewster F Kingham, Casey J Lumpkin, Lynn M Opdenaker, Suzanne M Mccahan, Wenlan Wang, Matthew E R Butchbach

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

Proximal spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an early onset, autosomal recessive motor neuron disease caused by loss of or mutation in SMN1 (survival motor neuron 1). Despite understanding the genetic basis underlying this disease, it is still not known why motor neurons (MNs) are selectively affected by the loss of the ubiquitously expressed SMN protein. Using a mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) model for severe SMA, the RNA transcript profiles (transcriptomes) between control and severe SMA (SMN2+/+;mSmn-/-) mESC-derived MNs were compared in this study using massively parallel RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). The MN differentiation efficiencies between control and severe SMA mESCs …

Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Time To Cure Of Incontinence Present At Nursing Home Admission, Donna Z. Bliss, Olga Gurvich, Kay Savik, Lynn Eberly, Susan Harms, Jean F. Wyman

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Abstract

As many as half of older people that are admitted to nursing homes (NHs) are incontinent of urine and/or feces. Not much is known about the rate of cure of incontinence present at NH admission, but available reports suggest the rate is low. There have been racial and ethnic disparities in incontinence treatment, but the role of disparities in the cure of incontinence is understudied. Using the Peters-Belson method and multilevel predictors, our findings showed that there were disparities in the time to cure of incontinence for Hispanic NH admissions. A significantly smaller proportion of older Hispanic admissions were …

Disparities In Access To Health Insurance And Workers’ Compensation Benefit Between Non-Contingent And Contingent Farm Workers In U.S. Agriculture, Abay Asfaw

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The share of contingent employment has increased significantly in the last two decades. Not much is known about the impact of this shift on disparities in access to health insurance and other benefits. I examined disparities in access to any type of health insurance, employer-sponsored health insurance and workers’ compensation (WC) benefits between contingent and non-contingent workers in U.S. agriculture. I used the National Agricultural Workers Survey and the extended Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition technique to estimate disparities. Contingent employment could be a barrier to access of health insurance and WC benefit, which in turn could contribute to health inequalities in the …

Physicians' Attitudes About Recommending Surgery For Early Stage Lung Cancer And Possible Reasons For Racial Disparities, Franklin R. Mcguire

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

PHYSICIANS’ ATTITUDES ABOUT RECOMMENDING SURGERY FOR EARLY STAGE LUNG CANCER AND POSSIBLE REASONS FOR RACIAL DISPARITIES

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Patient refusal for lung cancer surgery is significant, but other factors, such as negative framing of the treatment discussion, may be involved. Physician attitudes could influence the nuances of and therefore the conclusions of these discussions. We determined physicians’ attitudes and the influence it has on possible decisions against lung cancer surgery, particularly surgical rates for blacks, using a companion survey.

Methods: The study is a prospective, multicenter observational trial conducted at five sites in North and South Carolina from December …

Internet Use For Health Information Among American Indians: Facilitators And Inhibitors, Melissa K. Filippi, Christina M. Pacheco, Charlotte Mccloskey, Rebecca Jeanne Crosthwait, Justin Begaye, Jb Kinlacheeny, Won S. Choi, K Allen Greiner, Christine M. Daley

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Our research team explored Internet use among a heterogeneous American Indian (AI) population to determine Internet use in relation to health information seeking behaviors. Participants examined an AI culturally-tailored tobacco website as an example to explain what they wanted in an AI Internet health site. Using community-based participatory research, we conducted 10 focus groups with non-college AI men and women (N=96), stratified by age (18-29, 30-49, and 50 and over) to better understand their perceptions of Internet use and health information needs. We found that Internet use varied greatly among all strata. Participants referenced WebMD^© more than any other …

American Indian Men's Perceptions Of Breast Cancer Screening For American Indian Women, Melissa K. Filippi, Joseph Pacheco, Aimee S. James, Travis Brown, Florence Ndikum-Moffor, Won S. Choi, K Allen Greiner, Christine M. Daley

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Screening, especially screening mammography, is vital for decreasing breast cancer incidence and mortality. Screening rates in American Indian women are low compared to other racial/ethnic groups. In addition, American Indian women are diagnosed at more advanced stages and have lower 5-year survival rate than others. To better address the screening rates of American Indian women, focus groups (N=8) were conducted with American Indian men (N=42) to explore their perceptions of breast cancer screening for American Indian women. Our intent was to understand men’s support level toward screening. Using a community-based participatory approach, focus groups were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed …

Association Analysis Of Reported Attitudes And Culturally Competent Behavior Engagement Among Public Health Department Employees, Marla B. Hall Phd, Jeffrey J. Guidry Phd, E. Lisako Mckyer Phd, Corliss Outley Phd, Danny Ballard Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Objective: The purpose of this research is to analyze the association of attitudes and beliefs on engaging in culturally competent behavior.

Design: Explorational case study of individuals employed within an urban public health department.

Participants: Employees (n=90) from four metropolitan clinical sites of an urban public health department located in the southwest region of the United States were solicited and recruited during a monthly staff meeting. This sample is representative of 84% of the total employees which is comprised of 107 individuals.

Main Outcome Measures: The Cultural Competence Assessment is designed to explore individual knowledge, feelings …

Trauma Patient Satisfaction Survey Opens Discussion About Bias In Health Care, Marie Crandall

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background

Patient satisfaction is an important part of quality care, and patient backgrounds can influence satisfaction with care. Since trauma disproportionately affects the underserved, this study aimed to determine the effects of race and insurance status on trauma patient satisfaction.

Methods

The validated Trauma Patient Satisfaction Survey (TPSS) was administered to 143 hospitalized trauma patients. ANOVA and Chi2 statistics were used to compare demographics with patient satisfaction. Qualitative data were analyzed with EZ-Text.

Results

Of the 143 patients surveyed, 95 (66%) were African American, 33 (23%) were Caucasian, and 15 (10%) were Latino. Sixty-one patients (43%) were uninsured. No statistically …

Selection Of An Eevolved Orthogonal Ne-Acetyllysine Trnasynthetase That Can Incorporate The Unnantural Amino Acid L-Homocitrulline Site-Specifically Into Proteins, Jaclyn Alatrash, Camelia Baleanu Gogonea, Stanly L. Hazen, Joseph Didonato

Undergraduate Research Posters 2014

Oxidatively damaged apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1, the main protein constituent of high density lipoprotein (HDL) - the “good cholesterol”) has been isolated from circulating plasma and atherosclerosis plaque with modification of lysine amino acid residues to homocittruline (carbamyllysine) in apoA1 identified as a modification found increased in smokers that correlates with elevated cardiovascular risk for myocardial infarction (MI), stoke or death. The selected carbamyllysine tRNA synthetase will then be used to express a series of human apoA1 alleles containing amber codons in place of various lysine residues and assayed for its ability to form nascent HDL particles and to activate NF-κB …

Pharmacological And Pre-Clinical Testing Of 5-Nidr As A New Therapeutic Agent Against Brain Cancer, Seol Casey Kim, Anthony Berdis, Jung-Suk Choi

Undergraduate Research Posters 2014

Approximately 4,000 children in the United States are diagnosed annually with a brain tumor. Brain cancers are the deadliest of all pediatric cancers as they have survival rates of less than 20%. Although surgery and radiation therapy are widely used to treat adult patients, chemotherapy is the primary therapeutic option for children. One important chemotherapeutic agent is temozolomide, an alkylating agent that causes cell death by damaging DNA. In this project, we tested the ability of a specific non-natural nucleoside developed in our lab, designated 5-NIdR, to increase the efficacy of temozolomide against brain cancer. Cell-based studies demonstrate that the …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Cell Membrane, Ali Naserallah, Valentinas Gruzdys, Xue-Long Sun

Undergraduate Research Posters 2014

Cell membrane plays critical cellular functions in both physiological and pathological pathways and thus is important target for both basic and applied biomedical research. The domain structure features of cell membrane strongly affect the functions of membrane embedded biomolecules such as proteins and carbohydrates. However, understanding the structural aspects of membrane effects on the embedded biomolecule’s function have not been able easily to do due to limited approaches available. We have engaged in fabrication of cell membrane mimetic systems for functional analysis of membrane proteins and cell surface carbohydrates [1,2]. Thrombomodulin (TM), an endothelial integral membrane protein, plays central roles …

The Use Of Elastin-Like Polypeptides As A Drug Carrier Material: A Compatibility Study, Michael G. Price, John P. Gavin, Eric Helm, James T. Cole, Nolan Holland

Undergraduate Research Posters 2014

Stimuli responsive self-assembling nanoparticles of elastin-like polypeptides are promising platforms for targeted drug delivery and release. These particles spontaneously assemble from elastin-like polypeptide building blocks in solution. The nanoparticles stably self-assemble under specific temperature, salt, and pH conditions and can dissociate upon changing of these conditions. With appropriate design, the surface of the particles can be decorated with labels that cause them to accumulate in specific diseased tissues. In addition, the size of the particles is appropriate to minimize undesirable rapid clearance from the body. In this study, we are testing the ability of the elastin-like polypeptide core to store …

What Are The Best Skeletal Indicators Of Handedness?, Margret B. White, Anne Su

Undergraduate Research Posters 2014

Previous research indicates that there are asymmetries in limb bone structure and dimensions. It is hypothesized that these asymmetries are the result of hand preference, or repeated unilateral mechanical loading. The aim of this study was to first identify the best skeletal indicators of handedness by means of a comprehensive literature search. Based on the previous findings of other researchers, we examined non-pathological male individuals (N=19, aged 20-35) from the Hamann-Todd Skeletal Collection at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History for asymmetry of paired second metacarpals, by measuring the difference between right and left diameters at mid-shaft. We also tested …

Alternative Reaction Pathways To Metformin Hydrochloride, Mohammed S. Suleiman, Stephen A. Reeves, Jorge E. Gatica

Undergraduate Research Posters 2014

Metformin Hydrochloride is an important pharmaceutical used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The current manufacturing of this product involves a well-known and proven process. The process includes the dissolution and reaction, followed by the precipitation of Metformin Hydrochloride. Although reliable and effective, the current process relies on the use of a solvent; which later needs to be eliminated from the precipitates. The purpose of this project is the investigation of an alternative reaction pathway which will avoid the use of solvents and simplify the final purification stage. The anticipated benefits include reduced costs for the processing and a …

Rnase L Contributes To Lipid Metabolism, Morgan Ashcraft, Chunfang Liu, Qiaoyun Zheng, Aimin Zhou

Undergraduate Research Posters 2014

Macrophage-derived foam cell formation is a milestone of the atherosclerotic lesion initiation and progression, leading to cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Foam cells are formed from the disruption of a homeostatic mechanism that manipulates the uptake, intracellular metabolism and efflux of cholesterol within macrophages. Although studies have yielded much information about the homeostatic mechanism, the molecular basis of foam cell formation remains to be fully understood. We recently found that deficiency of RNase L attenuated macrophage functions including macrophage migration and its endocytic activity. Furthermore, RNase L markedly impacted the expression of certain pro- and anti-foam cell genes in macrophages. Most …

Asymmetrical Variation In The Trabecular Bone Within The Human Lumbar Vertebrae Of The Libben Hunting Population, Andrew S. Dickson, Anne Su

Undergraduate Research Posters 2014

Trabecular bone, a porous network of struts found within mammalian bone, has been understood to show regional variations in response to weight bearing activities. In this study, the L4 vertebrae were examined from a population of prehistoric hunters and gatherers, with the hypothesis that the trabecular bone would show left-right asymmetry that may be an indicator of asymmetry in trunk and upper limb use such as during spear throwing. The L4 vertebra of 10 male individuals aged 18-35 were digitally imaged using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). Trabecular bone properties were quantified in the left and right sides of each vertebral body, …

Enhanced Expression Of Codon Optimized Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculosis Antigens In Lactobacillus Salivarius, Christopher D. Johnston, John P. Bannatine, Rodney Govender, Lorraine Endersen, Daniel Pletzer, Helge Weingart, Aidan Coffey, Jim O'Mahony, Roy D. Sleator

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

It is well documented that open reading frames containing high GC content show poor expression in A+T rich hosts. Specifically, G+C-rich codon usage is a limiting factor in heterologous expression of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) proteins using Lactobacillus salivarius. However, re-engineering opening reading frames through synonymous substitutions can offset codon bias and greatly enhance MAP protein production in this host. In this report, we demonstrate that codon-usage manipulation of MAP2121c can enhance the heterologous expression of the major membrane protein (MMP), analogous to the form in which it is produced natively by MAP bacilli. When heterologously over-expressed, antigenic determinants …

Lin28a Expression Reduces Sickling Of Cultured Human Erythrocytes, Jaira F. De Vasconcellos, Ross M. Fasano, Y. Terry Lee, Megha Kaushal, Colleen Burns, Emily Riehm Meier, Molly Anderson, Antoinette Rabel, Raul Braylan, David F. Stroncek, Jeffery L. Miller

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Induction of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) has therapeutic importance for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and the beta-thalassemias. It was recently reported that increased expression of LIN28 proteins or decreased expression of its target let-7 miRNAs enhances HbF levels in cultured primary human erythroblasts from adult healthy donors. Here LIN28A effects were studied further using erythrocytes cultured from peripheral blood progenitor cells of pediatric subjects with SCD. Transgenic expression of LIN28A was accomplished by lentiviral transduction in CD34(+) sickle cells cultivated ex vivo in serum-free medium. LIN28A over-expression (LIN28A-OE) increased HbF, reduced beta (sickle)-globin, and strongly suppressed …

Ethanol Pharmacokinetics In Neonates And Infants, Elizabeth Marek, Pharmd., Walter K. Kraft, Md

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

Introduction:

Ethanol has been used for years in neonatal and infant liquid medications, yet the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and safety of ethanol in this vulnerable population have not been well characterized. The purpose of this review is to raise awareness of ethanol use as an excipient in neonatal and infant medications and to provide insight, based on the available evidence, into clearance rates of ethanol in babies. We also discuss ethanol pharmacokinetics in adults, theoretical pharmaco-kinetic changes in neonates and infants as it may apply to ethanol disposition, and case reports involving ethanol exposure in neonates and infants.

Materials and methods: …

Sequence-Based Antigenic Change Prediction By A Sparse Learning Method Incorporating Co-Evolutionary Information., Jialiang Yang, Tong Zhang, Xiu-Feng Wan

CVM Publications

Rapid identification of influenza antigenic variants will be critical in selecting optimal vaccine candidates and thus a key to developing an effective vaccination program. Recent studies suggest that multiple simultaneous mutations at antigenic sites accumulatively enhance antigenic drift of influenza A viruses. However, pre-existing methods on antigenic variant identification are based on analyses from individual sites. Because the impacts of these co-evolved sites on influenza antigenicity may not be additive, it will be critical to quantify the impact of not only those single mutations but also multiple simultaneous mutations or co-evolved sites. Here, we developed and applied a computational method, …

Skin Cancer Risk Perception And Sunscreen Use In Adolescent Female Soccer Athletes, Cheryl L. Butera Phd, Msn, Aprn, Fnp-Bc, Np-C, Phn

Dissertations

Over 3.5 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed annually in the United States. In adolescent females ages 15-19, melanoma is the second most common form of cancer. The greatest risk factor for skin cancer is ultraviolet rays from the sun. Research has shown that sunscreen use is protective of all skin cancers, especially melanoma. The purpose of this study was to obtain perceptions about risk of skin cancer and sunscreen use among 13- to 18-year-old adolescent female club soccer athletes as a basis for effective interventions to improve sunscreen use in this population. The Health Belief Model was employed …

Ebola: Towards An International Health Systems Fund, Lawrence O. Gostin

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The current outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in West Africa is spiraling out of control, but it never had to happen. What can the international community do now to bring the epidemic under control, and how can we prevent the next one?

The counties most affected by Ebola (Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone), rank among the lowest in global development, lacking essential public health infrastructure. If the affected countries had adequate public health systems, they probably would have contained Ebola within rural settings, avoiding the first outbreak in major urban areas.

More than 130 health workers have died from …

The Significance Of Dynamical Architecture For Adaptive Responses To Mechanical Loads During Rhythmic Behavior, Kendrick M. M. Shaw, David N. Lyttle, Jeffrey P. Gill, Miranda J. Cullins, Jeffrey M. Mcmanus, Hui Lu, Peter J. Thomas, Hillel J. Chiel

Faculty Scholarship

Many behaviors require reliably generating sequences of motor activity while adapting the activity to incoming sensory information. This process has often been conceptually explained as either fully dependent on sensory input (a chain reflex) or fully independent of sensory input (an idealized central pattern generator, or CPG), although the consensus of the field is that most neural pattern generators lie somewhere between these two extremes. Many mathematical models of neural pattern generators use limit cycles to generate the sequence of behaviors, but other models, such as a heteroclinic channel (an attracting chain of saddle points), have been suggested. To explore …

Biofeedback Relaxation Techniques In Addressing Cortex-Hypothalamus Control Loop For Motivation Of Obesity Avoidance, Liljana Bozinovska, Ahmed Majekodunmi

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

This research explores how the achievement motivation pathway in the cortex influences hypothalamic activity, which could influence appetite control and obesity avoidance. The objective was to examine the sympathetic/parasympathetic feedback loop, and the influence of various biofeedback relaxation techniques on lowering heart rate (HR) and electrodermal activity (EDA). The methodology used was a standard biofeedback mechanism with visual representation of the measured physiological parameters. The feedforward part of the said feedback loop is controlled by hypothalamus while the feedback part is evaluated by the cortex. The participants were young adults and the sample size was ten. The results revealed that …

Food Insecurity And Psychological Well-Being Among Women Living With Hiv/Aids On Antiretroviral Therapy In The Alabama Black Belt, Andrew A. Zekeri, Youssouf Diabate

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

The objective of this research was to estimate the prevalence of food insecurity and determine if food insecurity is associated with psychological well-being among women living with HIV/AIDS. Survey data were collected from 268 women living with HIV/AIDS attending two clinics that provide medical and social support services to HIV-positive patients who live in 23 counties in Southeast Alabama. The results indicated that, using USDA food security scale, 54% of the women were food insecure. Multiple regression analysis results indicated that income, depressive symptoms, race, and participation in SNAP were significant predictors of food insecurity; employment and education were not …

Moving Toward A Potential Treatment: Isis, Chdi Researchers Outline Upcoming Huntington's Disease Gene-Silencing Trials, Kenneth P. Serbin

At Risk for Huntington's Disease

No abstract provided.

Glutathione: A Possible Link To Autophagy In Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Dilip Shah, Swapan K. Nath

Center for Translational Medicine Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Predictors Of Healthcare Professionals’ Attitudes Towards Family Involvement In Safety-Relevant Behaviours: A Cross-Sectional Factorial Survey Study, Rachel Davis, M Savvopoulou, R Shergill, S Shergill, D Schwappach

Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVES: To investigate predictors of healthcare professionals' (HCPs) attitudes towards family involvement in safety-relevant behaviours. DESIGN: A cross-sectional fractional factorial survey that assessed HCPs' attitudes towards family involvement in two error scenarios relating to hand hygiene and medication safety. Each survey comprised two randomised vignettes that described the potential error, how the family member communicated with the HCP about the error and how the HCP responded to the family member's question. SETTING: 5 teaching hospitals in London, the Midlands and York. HCPs were approached on a range of medical and surgical wards. PARTICIPANTS: 160 HCPs (73 doctors; 87 nurses) aged …