Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Proximal Muscle Weakness And Debility Secondary To Polymyositis: A Case Report, Adam Meidinger

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Polymyositis (PM) is the most common inflammatory myopathy in persons over age 50. It predominantly causes weakness at proximal musculature including the trunk, hips, thighs, shoulders, upper arms, and neck leading to challenges with ambulation and mobility, community activities, and difficulty swallowing, eating, and talking. Studies have shown physical therapy to be a staple in the plan of care for treatment of PM to aid in the restoration of muscle function and to improve or prevent further loss of strength. The purpose of this case report is to outline physical therapy's role in the treatment of a …

Physical Therapy And Above-Knee Amputation Pre-Prosthetic Rehabilitation: A Case Report, Sierra J. Maucort

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: Promotion of functional mobility through surgical and therapeutic interventions has seen a dramatic increase within the past decade due to the aging population and increased push for objective functional assessment data. A key to obtaining optimal functional performance is core stability and this can be applied to individuals with a variety of limitations including an amputation. The purposes of this case study are to look at the preprosthetic rehabilitation regimen of an individual with an above-knee amputation and discuss the importance of key elements that should be present in a pre-prosthetic training program to allow a …

Serum Biomarkers Compared To Neural Imaging In The Differentiation Of Stroke Etiologies, Kevin Conboy

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Stroke is a leading cause of disability and morbidity and the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, and the second leading cause of death worldwide.

• Early restoration of blood flow is the most effective treatment of ischemic stroke by intravenous thrombolytic therapy within 3-4.5hrs of symptom onset.

• Patient outcomes have been shown to improve with earlier thrombolytics, each 15 minute increment increases survival by 3.0-4.0%.

• Non-contrast CT is the current standard for differentiation of stroke. It is beneficial due to speed of acquisition and its high sensitivity in ruling out hemorrhagic stroke.

• …

Sublingual Immunotherapy: Is It A Viable Option To Subcutaneous Immunotherapy When Treating Allergic Rhinitis?, David Ryan Kesterson

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a very common debilitating disease that can be detrimental to one’s lifestyle, work, and home life. Immunotherapy is the only treatment option that has disease modifying capabilities with a proper therapeutic regimen. Subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) was developed over 100 years ago and has been the gold standard in immunotherapy for many years in the United States. During these years many adverse reactions have been reported with SCIT along with non-adherence to total treatment. The introduction of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) over 20 years ago gave providers a promising alternative to SCIT.

• Method: A review …

Chemotherapy Cancer Treatment And Cognitive Dysfunction, Caitlyn Cameron

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

The prominence of cognitive dysfunction because of cancer treatment, referred to as “chemo brain” is increasing due to the number of cancer survivors. Research on chemotherapy related cognitive dysfunction has been focused on breast cancer survivors. The purpose of this study was to establish if a connection between chemotherapy cancer treatment and cognitive dysfunction exists. This evaluation of literature explored PubMed, DynaMed, Psychiatry Online, and Cochrane which compared cognitive abilities before and after chemotherapy cancer treatment. This paper examined the research over the last 10 years, of women ages 18-70 and the connection between chemotherapy treatment and cognitive dysfunction. Jansen …

Vitamin D Supplementation And Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Pamela Rangen

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are prone to hypovitaminosis D because of their photosensitivity.

• Vitamin D has beneficial effects not only on bone metabolism but also on the function of the immune system.

• Vitamin D levels depend on many variables, including sun exposure, age, ethnicity, body mass index, use of medications and supplements.

• Patients with SLE avoid the sun because of photosensitive rashes and potential for disease flare, so adequate oral supplementation is critical.

• In addition, to the traditional known metabolic activities, vitamin D has been shown to modulate the immune system, and its …

A Comparison Of Traditional Care And Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Treating Depression Following Open Heart Surgery, Derryk Allen

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Depression occurs shortly after open heart surgery in many patients. When depression is identified, traditional treatment consists of antidepressant medications along with cardiac rehabilitation and follow up care but these visits may not address depression. The purpose of this study compares traditional care with cognitive behavioral therapy. Does cognitive behavioral therapy more effectively manage depression than traditional care among male and female patients that have undergone open-heart surgery and acquired depressive symptoms? An article search of the following databases was conducted: PubMed and The Cochran Library. The review of literature explored studies that compare treatment between traditional care and CBT …

Safety And Efficacy Of Electronic Cigarette Use In Smoking Cessation, Matthew R. Coy

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Smoking is the most prevalent cause of avoidable mortality in the world

• Smoking cessation decreases likelihood of developing CV disease, stroke, cancer, and chronic lung diseases

• The purpose of this study is to assess if E-Cig’s are effective in smoking cessation and to evaluate the safety of their use

The Effectiveness Of Antibiotic Treatment In Lyme Neuroborreliosis, Lane Lindeman

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Lyme disease is caused by human infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, a spirochete transmitted by the Ixodes tick which is indigenous primarily to an increasingly large area of the Northeast and Midwest United States.

• Manifestations of Lyme disease vary greatly, and can result in significant neurologic symptoms associated with complications of neuroborreliosis or neurologic Lyme disease.

• Diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease and its complications has been a source of debate and confusion for providers and patients alike.

• The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness and efficacy of antibiotic therapy in patients with symptoms …

Should The Pharmacologic Management For Chronic Hepatitis C Encompass A Response Guided Therapy Treatment Plan?, Sarah Viscarra

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Pharmacologic advances have been made with the development of new drug therapies that essentially cure the hepatitis C virus, such as sofosbuvir. The purpose of this study is to determine whether sofosbuvir should encompass a response guided therapy treatment plan versus a standard treatment protocol, in efforts to limit the risk of adverse effects and to minimize the cost of treatment. The systematic review of literature retrieved from Pub Med and Cochrane, explored studies that compared a standard treatment protocol of 12 weeks, in male and female adults ages 18-90 years, to response guided therapy treatment plans based on each …

Opportunities And Challenges In The Use Of Personal Health Data For Health Research, Matthew J. Bietz, Cinnamon S. Bloss, Scout Calvert, Job G. Godino, Judith Gregory, Michael P. Claffey, Jerry Sheehan, Kevin Patrick

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Objective: Understand barriers to the use of personal health data (PHD) in research from the perspective of three stakeholder groups: early adopter individuals who track data about their health, researchers who may use PHD as part of their research, and companies that market self-tracking devices, apps or services, and aggregate and manage the data that are generated.

Materials and Methods: A targeted convenience sample of 465 individuals and 134 researchers completed an extensive online survey. Thirty-five hourlong semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with a subset of 11 individuals and 9 researchers, as well as 15 company/key informants.

Results: Challenges to …

Euphoria From Drinking Alcoholic Beverages May Be Due To Reversible Constriction Of Cerebral Blood Vessels: Potential Roles Of Unrecognized Ionized Hypomagnesemia, And Release Of Ceramides And Platelet-Activating Factor, Burton M. Altura, Aimin Zhang, Nilank C. Shah, Gatha J. Shah, Asefa Gebrewold, Bella T. Altura

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (Middletown) Publications and Research

The authors discuss the feeling of euphoria when drinking alcohol. They summarize studies that suggest this feeling is due to blood vessel constriction, and explain why they believe that the specific mechanism that results in euphoria is the rapid, reversible release o free magnesium ions ([Mg2+]) coupled to the release of ceramides and platelet-activating factor (PAF).

Division Of Research, Unm Department Of Orthopaedic Surgery

UNM Orthopaedic Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Blood Loss Between Short-Stem And Conventional Femoral Implants In Total Hip Arthroplasty, Sean Kuehn, Drew K. Newhoff, Dukens Labaze, Aditi S. Majumdar, Rick J. Gehlert

UNM Orthopaedic Research Journal

Background: Although the postoperative results of total hip arthroplasty (THA) are generally successful, the standard technique and implant design have many proposed modifications. The purpose of the current study was to determine if using short-stem femoral implants minimized the intraoperative blood loss during THA when compared with conventional THA.

Methods: The medical records of patients who underwent THA using short-stem and conventional femoral implants between 2009 and 2013 were reviewed. Patients with previous surgical procedures for treating the acetabulum or proximal femur and patients without reported hematocrit levels were excluded; subsequently, a total of 53 patients for each group (short-stem …

Bilateral Hip Apophysitis In Young Athlete: A Case Report, Brooke Vandenbergh

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: Today, children are beginning to partake organized sports at a younger age. With this increased demand on their young bodies, the medical field is seeing an increase in acute and overuse injuries. Muscle imbalance and weakness have been linked to overuse injuries in athletes. The purpose of this case study is to examine the benefit and treatment effect of physical therapy guided exercise focusing on the individuals' muscle imbalances and correcting movement patterns to relieve stress on the iliac crest.

Case Description: Patient was a 16-year-old female who was seen at Physical Therapy for bilateral …

Pharmacological Blockade Of The Calcium Plateau Provides Neuroprotection Following Organophosphate Paraoxon Induced Status Epilepticus In Rats, Laxmikant S. Deshpande, Robert E. Blair, Beverly A. Huang, Kristin F. Phillips, Robert J. Delorenzo

Neurology Publications

Organophosphate (OP) compounds which include nerve agents and pesticides are considered chemical threat agents. Currently approved antidotes are crucial in limiting OP mediated acute mortality. However, survivors of lethal OP exposure exhibit delayed neuronal injury and chronic behavioral morbidities. In this study, we investigated neuroprotective capabilities of dantrolene and carisbamate in a rat survival model of paraoxon (POX) induced status epilepticus (SE). Significant elevations in hippocampal calcium levels were observed 48-h post POX SE survival, and treatment with dantrolene (10 mg/kg, i.m.) and carisbamate (90 mg/kg, i.m.) lowered these protracted calcium elevations. POX SE induced delayed neuronal injury …

Impaired Immunological Synapse In Sperm Associated Antigen 6 (Spag6) Deficient Mice, Lauren Folgosa Cooley, Mohey Eldin El Shikh, Wei Li, Rebecca C. Keim, Zhengang Zhang, Jerome F. Strauss, Zhibing Zhang, Daniel H. Conrad

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Sperm associated antigen 6 (SPAG6), a component of the central apparatus of the “9 + 2” axoneme, plays a central role in ciliary and flagellar motility; but, its contribution to adaptive immunity and immune system development is completely unknown. While immune cells lack a cilium, the immunological synapse is a surrogate cilium as it utilizes the same machinery as ciliogenesis including the nucleation of microtubules at the centrosome. This prompted our hypothesis that SPAG6 critically regulates the formation and function of immunological synapses. Using bone marrow reconstitution studies of adult WT mice, we demonstrate that SPAG6 is expressed in primary …

The Prostaglandin E2-Ep3 Receptor Axis Regulates Anaplasma Phagocytophilum-Mediated Nlrc4 Inflammasome Activation, Xiaowei Wang, Dana K. Shaw, Holly L. Hammond, Fayyaz S. Sutterwala, Manira Rayamajhi, Kari Ann Shirey, Darren J. Perkins, Joseph V. Bonventre, Thangam S. Velayutham, Sean M. Evans, Kyle G. Rodino, Lauren Viebrock, Karen M. Scanlon, Nicholas H. Carbonetti, Jason A. Carlyon, Edward A. Miao, Jere W. Mcbride, Michail Kotsyfakis, Joao H. F. Pedra

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Rickettsial agents are sensed by pattern recognition receptors but lack pathogen-associated molecular patterns commonly observed in facultative intracellular bacteria. Due to these molecular features, the order Rickettsiales can be used to uncover broader principles of bacterial immunity. Here, we used the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis, to reveal a novel microbial surveillance system. Mechanistically, we discovered that upon A. phagocytophilum infection, cytosolic phospholipase A2 cleaves arachidonic acid from phospholipids, which is converted to the eicosanoid prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) via cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) and the membrane associated prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1). PGE2-EP3 receptor signaling leads …

Does The Addition Of Standard Systematic Biopsies To Targeted Prostate Biopsies Influence Treatment Choices For Patients And Clinicians?, William Behl, Jinxing Yu Md

MD Student Summer Research Fellowship Program Posters

Addition of standard systematic prostate biopsy to targeted biopsy in patients with elevated PSA and no prior systematic prostate biopsy within the preceding 3 years detected PCa GS ≥ 7 on the opposite side of the prostate from the target lesions (with no significant abnormalities on mp-MRI) in 13% of patients. This result may influence treatment choices, particularly for those patients considering focal therapy for PCa.

First Trimester Vaginal Microbiome As Pregnancy Outcome Predictor, Sarah K. Rozycki, Jennifer M. Fettwis

MD Student Summer Research Fellowship Program Posters

• We have developed clinical definiKons of healthy and complicated pregnancies based on pathologies that will be used in future VaHMP studies.

• Although one study7 found dysbioKc vagitypes in all three semesters of women who had PPROM, none of our PPROM subjects had a BVAB1 vagitype, and there were equal Gardnerella vaginalis vagitypes in both the controls and subjects who had PPROM (Fig. 2).

• While there were more PPROM subjects with Lactobacillus iners vagitypes, this Lactobacillus is less protecKve as it can coexist with pathogenic anaerobic bacteria.

• “Candidatus Mycoplasma girerdii”, Lactobacillus jensenii, and Ureaplasma were significantly associated …

Tumor-Reactive Immune Cells Protect Against Metastatic Tumor And Induce Immunoediting Of Indolent But Not Quiescent Tumor Cells, Kyle K. Payne, Rebecca Keim, Laura Graham, Michael O. Idowu, Wen Wan, Xiang-Yang Wang, Amir A. Toor, Harry D. Bear, Masoud H. Manjili

Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center Publications

Two major barriers to cancer immunotherapy include tumor-induced immune suppression mediated by myeloid-derived suppressor cells and poor immunogenicity of the tumor-expressing self-antigens. To overcome these barriers, we reprogrammed tumor-immune cell cross-talk by combined use of decitabine and adoptive immunotherapy, containing tumor-sensitized T cells and CD25⁺ NKT cells. Decitabine functioned to induce the expression of highly immunogenic cancer testis antigens in the tumor, while also reducing the frequency of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and the presence of CD25⁺ NKT cells rendered T cells, resistant to remaining myeloid-derived suppressor cells. This combinatorial therapy significantly prolonged survival of animals bearing metastatic tumor …

Development Of A Translational Model To Screen Medications For Cocaine Use Disorder I: Choice Between Cocaine And Food In Rhesus Monkeys, Amy R. Johnson

Pharmacology and Toxicology Publications

Background

Homologous cocaine self-administration procedures in laboratory animals and humans may facilitate translational research for medications development to treat cocaine dependence. This study, therefore, sought to establish choice between cocaine and an alternative reinforcer in rhesus monkeys responding under a procedure back-translated from previous human studies and homologous to a human laboratory procedure described in a companion paper.

Methods

Four rhesus monkeys with chronic indwelling intravenous catheters had access to cocaine injections (0, 0.043, 0.14, or 0.43 mg/kg/injection) and food (0, 1, 3, or 10 1 g banana-flavored food pellets). During daily 5 h sessions, a single cocaine dose and …

Substance Use And Depression Symptomatology: Measurement Invariance Of The Beck Depression Inventory (Bdi-Ii) Among Non-Users And Frequent-Users Of Alcohol, Nicotine And Cannabis, Ashlee A. Moore, Michael C. Neale, Judy L. Silberg, Brad Verhulst

Psychiatry Publications

Depression is a highly heterogeneous condition, and identifying how symptoms present in various groups may greatly increase our understanding of its etiology. Importantly, Major Depressive Disorder is strongly linked with Substance Use Disorders, which may ameliorate or exacerbate specific depression symptoms. It is therefore quite plausible that depression may present with different symptom profiles depending on an individual’s substance use status. Given these observations, it is important to examine the underlying construct of depression in groups of substance users compared to non-users. In this study we use a non-clinical sample to examine the measurement structure of the Beck Depression Inventory …

Residents, Unm Department Of Orthopaedic Surgery

UNM Orthopaedic Research Journal

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Diabetes Education On Nurses’ Knowledge Of In-Patient Diabetes Management, Arletha Coffey

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Research strongly supports the use of an educational intervention to improve nurses’ knowledge of management of patients with diabetes (Abduelkarem & Shareif, 2013; Holmes & Dyer, 2012; Modic et al., 2013; Yacoub et al., 2014; Young, 2011). Nursing leadership in a small rural acute care facility voiced concerns related to ineffective communication among bedside nurses and lack of evidence-based knowledge in regard to prompt recognition, treatment and follow-up of episodic hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic reactions. The researcher used a convenience sample of 65 registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) from the critical care, progressive care, obstetrics, and medical-surgical units …

Telestroke: An Approach To The Shortage Of Neurologists In Rural Areas, Sarah Mcsweeney, Jean Pritt, Angie Swearingen, Alberto Coustasse

Management Faculty Research

Telestroke has provided swift, lifesaving treatment and has afforded patients the ability to be treated in an efficient manner in rural areas where neurologists may not always be available. It has been reported that Telestroke in rural areas has increased the ability to treat patients by being able to access a neurologist for assistance in evaluating the patient to determine if administering lifesaving in treatments were needed. The utilization of Telestroke has been shown to increase the use of IV Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA) which improves outcomes such as better quality of life, lower disability and improved rehabilitation. Employment of …

The Qualitative And Quantitative Effects Of Patient Centered Medical Home In The Veterans Health Administration, Samuel N. Lovejoy, Eric Stalnaker, William K. Willis, Alberto Coustasse

Management Faculty Research

Since the 1990’s, the Veteran’s Health Administration (VHA) has implemented a system of primary care that has been considered some of the best care that can be offered (Klein, 2011). The Patient Center Medical Home (PCMH) Model, also called “Patient Aligned Care Team” (PACT) in the VHA, has been coordinating and integrating services which ensure optimal health outcomes at an acceptable value (Bidassie, Davies, Stark, & Boushon, 2014).

PACT was created in 2010, building on 20 years of the VHA transforming from a loosely based system of inpatient services to a provider of outpatient primary care for veterans. From 2010 …

Big Data Management In United States Hospitals: Benefits And Barriers, Chad Schaeffer, Ariful Haque, Lawrence Booton, Jamey Halleck, Alberto Coustasse

Management Faculty Research

Big Data has been considered as an effective tool to reduce healthcare costs by eliminating adverse events and reducing readmissions in hospitals. The purpose of this study was to examine the emergence of Big Data in the United Sates healthcare industry, to evaluate hospital’s ability to effectively make use of complex information, and to predict the potential benefits hospitals might realize if they are successful. The findings of the research suggest that there were a number of benefits expected by hospitals when using Big Data analytics, including cost savings and business intelligence. In addition, hospitals have recognized that there have …

Quality Of Care And Profitability In Not-For-Profit Versus For-Profit Nursing Homes, David P. Paul Iii, Tyler Godby, Sarah Saldanha, Jazmine Valle, Alberto Coustasse

Management Faculty Research

Nursing home residents across the Unites States rely on quality care and effective services. Nursing homes provide skilled nurses and nursing aides who can provide services 24 hours a day for individuals that could not perform these tasks for themselves. Not-for-Profit (NFP) versus For-Profit (FP) nursing homes have been examined for utilization and efficacy, however, it has been shown that NFP nursing homes generally offer higher quality care and greater profit margins compared to FP nursing homes. The purpose of this research was to determine if NFP nursing homes provide enhanced quality care and a larger profit margin compared to …

Costs, Staffing, And Services Of Assisted Living In The United States: A Literature Review, Amy Kisling, David P. Paul Iii, Alberto Coustasse

Management Faculty Research

Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs), which provide a community for residents who require assistance throughout their day, is an important part of the long-term care system in the US. The costs of ALFs are paid either out of pocket, by Medicaid or by Long-Term Care Insurance (LTCI). Monthly costs of ALFs have increased over the past five years on an average of 4.1%. The purpose of this research was to examine the future trends in ALFs in the US to determine the impact healthcare on costs. The methodology for this study was a literature review and a total of 32 sources …