Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Smoking, Depression, And Hospital Costs Of Respiratory Cancers: Examining Race And Sex Variation, Baqar A. Husaini, Robert S. Levine, Phillip Lammers, Pam Hull, Meggan Novotny, Majaz Moonis

Center for Prevention Research Publications

Objective To investigate the effect of smoking and depression on hospital costs for lung cancer (LC).

Methods We extracted data on depression, smoking history, demographics, and hospital charges for patients with respiratory cancers (ICD-9 codes 161–163, 165) from the 2008 Tennessee Hospital Discharge Data System. The sample (n=6665) was mostly white (86%) and male (57%). Age-adjusted rates were developed in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention methods, and hospital costs were compared for patients with LC with versus without depression and a smoking history.

Results Three findings (P<0.001) emerged: (1) the LC rate was higher among blacks than among whites, and higher among men than among women; (2) while 66% of LC patients smoked (more men than women without racial variation), 24% had depression (more females and whites were depressed); (3) the LC hospital cost was 54% higher than the non-LC hospital cost, and this cost doubled for patients with LC with depression and smoking versus those without such characteristics.

Conclusion While LC is more prevalent among …

High-Content Screen Using Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) Embryos Identifies A Novel Kinase Activator And Inhibitor, Werner J. Geldenhuys, Sadie A. Bergeron, Jackie E. Mullins, Rowaa Aljammal, Briah L. Gaasch, Wei-Chi Chen, June Yun, Lori A. Hazlehurst

Clinical and Translational Science Institute

In this report we utilized zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos in a phenotypical high-content screen (HCS) to identify novel leads in a cancer drug discovery program. We initially validated our HCS model using the flavin adenosine dinucleotide (FAD) containing endoplasmic reticulum (ER) enzyme, endoplasmic reticulum oxidoreductase (ERO1) inhibitor EN460. EN460 showed a dose response effect on the embryos with a dose of 10 μM being significantly lethal during early embryonic development. The HCS campaign which employed a small library identified a promising lead compound, a naphthyl-benzoic acid derivative coined compound 1 which had significant dosage and temporally dependent effects on notochord …

Depression Treatment Among Elderly Medicare Beneficiaries With Incident Cases Of Cancer And Newly Diagnosed Depression, Monira Alwhaibi, Suresh Madhavan, Thomas Bias, Kimberly Kelly, Jamie Walkup, Usha Sambamoorthi

Clinical and Translational Science Institute

Objective—Depression treatment can improve the health outcomes of elderly cancer survivors. There is a paucity of studies on the extent to which depression is treated among elderly cancer survivors. Therefore, this study estimated the rates of depression treatment among elderly cancer survivors and identified the factors affecting depression treatment. Methods—A retrospective cohort study design was adopted, and data were obtained from the linked Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) and Medicare database. Elderly individuals (≥ 66 years) with incident cases of breast, colorectal, or prostate cancer and newly diagnosed depression (N=1, 673) were followed for six months after the depression …

Evaluating The Safety And Efficacy Of Classical Greek And Roman Treatments Compared To Modern Treatment, Morgan A. Wynes

Senior Honors Projects

Classical Greek and Roman civilizations survived for centuries and have greatly influenced the civilizations that have succeeded them. The treatments of diseases of both civilizations changed over time as physicians and philosophers such as Hippocrates and Galen developed a better understanding of the human body. Some of the treatments for disease used in ancient Greece and Rome remain in use today.

This project was designed to assess the safety and efficacy of classical Greek and Roman medicinal treatments and compare them to modern day treatments. The first step of the project was to identify classical diseases with telltale symptoms that …

Himmelfarb Headlines - May/June 2017, George Washington University, Health Sciences Library

Himmelfarb Headlines (2009 - present)

News and information about Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library of interest to users.

Choriocarcinoma With Brain, Lung And Vaginal Metastases Successfully Treated Without Brain Radiation Or Intrathecal Chemotherapy: A Case Report, Anja Frost, Jonathan Sherman, M. Katayoon Rezaei, Alivia Aron, Micael Lopez-Acevedo

Neurological Surgery Faculty Publications

Highlights:

• • There is no consensus on optimal treatment for GTN and brain metastases.
• • Brain metastasis treated with craniotomy and intravenous, EMA-CO chemotherapy
• • Intravenous high-dose methotrexate may be adequate to treat brain metastases.

Gis Internship At Umass Medical School Information Technology Department, Qiming Shi M.S.

Sustainability and Social Justice

Abstract

GIS INTERNSHIP AT UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL IFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Qiming Shi

This paper summarizes my internship at the University of Massachusetts Medical School Information Technology Department in Worcester, MA, which lasted for 1 year. I worked on several projects correlating health and disease outcomes to spatial and temporal factors where I not only brought my technical skills in GIS but also turned my solution into a useful web application, using R Shiny.

It was a great learning and professional experience, and I learned a great deal about R programming and public health GIS.

I would highly recommend Internship at Umass …

The Effect Of Blood Flow Restriction Training With The Quadmill On Peak Isometric Knee Extensor Strength 2017, Brandon Schrom

Master's Theses

Traditional training methodologies that improve muscular strength use loads as low as 75% of a person’s one-repetition maximum and as high as 110% of a person’s one repetition maximum. With these high loads comes a greater risk for injury. Blood flow restriction (BFR) training is a potential solution to this problem. BFR training originated in Japan, where it was called Kaatsu. With this method of training, a trainee ties a tourniquet around the proximal end of a limb to reduce blood flow to and from the limb’s muscles. The purpose of this study was to determine whether three-weeks of BFR …

Imposed Versus Affect-Based Resistance Training Intensities On Adherence, Session Affect, Session Perceived Exertion, And Intrinsic Motivation Measures During A Six-Week Program In Novice Female Lifters 2017, Ryan Joseph Brennan

Master's Theses

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that individuals perform resistance training exercises at a specific intensity based on external load (percentage of one repetition maximum; %1RM). However, only 29.6% of adults in 2013 reported strength training two or more times per week. Furthermore, individuals lifting at recommended percentages vary in their pleasure and displeasure. Self-selected exercise seems to promote positive affective responses, in part, due to the perceived autonomy. The effects of regulating exercise intensity using affect as opposed to imposed intensities as a means for improved fitness, promoting exercise behavior, and enhancing other psychological outcomes have yet …

The Price Of Whole-Genome Sequencing May Be Decreasing, But Who Will Be Sequenced?, Deborah A Marshall, Karen V Macdonald, Jill Oliver Robinson, Lisa F Barcellos, Milena Gianfrancesco, Monica Helm, Amy Mcguire, Robert C Green, Michael P Douglas, Michael A Goldman, Kathryn A Phillips

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

AIM: Since whole-genome sequencing (WGS) information can have positive and negative personal utility for individuals, we examined predictors of willingness to pay (WTP) for WGS.

PATIENTS & METHODS: We surveyed two independent populations: adult patients (n = 203) and college seniors (n = 980). Ordinal logistic regression models were used to characterize the relationship between predictors and WTP.

RESULTS: Sex, age, education, income, genomic knowledge and knowing someone who had genetic testing or having had genetic testing done personally were associated with significantly higher WTP for WGS. After controlling for income and education, males were willing to pay more for …

William Walker And The Seeds Of Progressive Imperialism: The War In Nicaragua And The Message Of Regeneration, 1855-1860, John J. Mangipano

Dissertations

For a brief period of time, between 1855 and 1857, William Walker successfully portrayed himself to American audiences as the regenerator of Nicaragua. Though he arrived in Nicaragua in June 1855, with only fifty-eight men, his image as a regenerator attracted several-thousand men and women to join him in his mission to stabilize the region. Walker relied on both his medical studies as well as his experience in journalism to craft a message of regeneration that placated the anxieties that many Americans felt about the instability of the Caribbean. People supported Walker because he provided a strategy of regeneration that …

Self-Affirmation: The Antidote For Lateral Violence In Nursing, Amanda Millan

Senior Honors Projects

Lateral violence or workplace bullying occurs when overt or covert acts of aggression are carried out between colleagues. It is usually perpetrated by someone of higher authority. It is discouraging to discover that nursing, such an esteemed and trusted profession, is plagued by the issue of lateral violence. This worldwide phenomenon not only affects nurses but also the patients in their care. Some of the negative consequences of nurse-to-nurse bullying include increased stress and subsequent health issues, low staff morale, increased absenteeism, and low quality of patient care. Some potential solutions to this issue include implementing zero tolerance policies, interrupting …

Nutrition And Fitness In Norwegian Culture, Marte E. Johannessen

Senior Honors Projects

In developed nations, the leading causes of death and disability are non-communicable chronic disease conditions, including cardiovascular disease, lung disease, obesity, and diabetes. Currently, individuals in Norway have a life expectancy and healthy life expectancy for men and women that ranks in the top 20 in the world, while the United States performs more poorly, with rankings in the top 50. Life expectancy in the United States may be in uenced by the fact that approximately 50% of adults live with one chronic disease condition (ie, hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, hepatitis, weak or failing kidneys, asthma, …

American English Speakers' Perception Of Non-Native Phonotactic Constraints: The Influence Of Training In Phonology, Bailey R. Pearson

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of the present study was to examine the differences between perceptions of non-native phonotactic rules and constraints by monolingual English-speaking undergraduate students in a program of communication disorders who had taken and passed a course in the study of phonology and by undergraduate students in communication disorders who had not yet taken a course in phonology. Participants listened to audio recordings of words from Hindi, Hmong, Kurdish, Russian, and Swedish recorded by speakers fluent in those languages. Each of the words contained at least one phonotactic constraint that is not permitted in American English phonology. Participants were instructed …

The Impact Of Technology On Individuals With Down Syndrome And Their Families, Morgan N. Fritz

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the role technology plays in the everyday lives of individuals with Down syndrome and their families. Data was collected via an online questionnaire for parents of adolescents with Down syndrome and took place in two phases: the pilot phase and the large-scale data collection phase. The pilot phase consisted of constructing, giving, and modifying the questionnaire. The large-scale data collection phase included disseminating the questionnaire through social media and resulted in 107 responses. These revealed that technology is widely used by individuals with Down syndrome. As a main outcome, technology provided these …

Healthcare And Homelessness: How Can We Better Service The Health Needs Of Homeless Individuals? A Case Study Of The City Of Worcester, Ma, Kali Adams

Sustainability and Social Justice

Health care for the homeless is a major problem in American communities. Understanding the gaps, barriers and limitations in this system is imperative to providing homeless populations appropriate care. This research aims to understand the gaps in the homeless system of Worcester, Massachusetts through interviews with hospital staff and employees of agencies working with the homeless population. Analysis revealed an extremely divided system between provision of health care and provision of social services to Worcester’s homeless population. Across these two systems there was limited to no collaboration, communication and understanding. In order to provide more adequate care to homeless individuals, …

The Role Of Public Versus Private Health Insurance In Ensuring Health Care Access & Affordability For Low-Income Rural Children, Erika C. Ziller Phd, Jennifer D. Lenardson Mhs, Amanda Burgess Mppm

Access / Insurance

Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) have played a critical role in ensuring access to health insurance coverage among children and have been particularly important sources of coverage for rural children. More than 35.5 million children were enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP in September 2016—accounting for just over half of total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment. Given the large proportion of rural children covered by public insurance, it is critically important to understand the role of that coverage in ensuring access to affordable healthcare for rural children. Using data from the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children’s Health, this study …

Mapping The Interaction Between Lrrc59 And Cip2a Oncoprotein, Tamika C. Reed

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

The oncogene cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (CIP2A) has been shown to promote oncogenesis through numerous protein-protein interactions. CIP2A was initially found to be a direct inhibitor of the PP2A tumor suppressor protein; however, new research has demonstrated that CIP2A can act independently of PP2A through protein-protein interactions resulting in deregulation of the cell cycle and the development of therapeutic drug resistance, tumorigenesis, and cell proliferation. It has been shown that leucine rich repeat containing 59 protein (LRRC59) binds to and is required for the nuclear translocation of CIP2A, thereby making this interaction a target for drug therapy. Thus, …

Characterization Of E-Cadherin Regulation In Response To Zeb1 Inhibition In Endometrial Cancer Cell Lines, Chidozie Paul Chukwu

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the process in which cells lose their epithelial structure during gastrulation. This process also affects the migration and movement of tumor cells and promotes invasion and metastases of endometrial carcinomas. Down-regulation of E-cadherin (CDH1) by transcription factors is the key target of EMT modulators and is achieved mainly by ZEB1 (zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1). Current research looking at restoration of E-cadherin expression in vitro involves the use of small molecules such as histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors and DNA methyltransferase inhibitors. Trichostatin A (TSA) and small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) are tools that …

Comparison Of Pharmaceutical Calculations Learning Outcomes Achieved Within A Traditional Lecture Or Flipped Classroom Andragogy, H. Glenn Anderson Jr., Lisa Frazier, Stephanie L. Anderson, Robert B. Stanton, Chris Gillette, Kim Broedel-Zaugg, Kevin W. Yingling

Pharmacy Practice & Administration

Objective. To compare learning outcomes achieved from a pharmaceutical calculations course taught in a traditional lecture (lecture model) and a flipped classroom (flipped model).

Methods. Students were randomly assigned to the lecture model and the flipped model. Course instructors, content, assessments, and instructional time for both models were equivalent. Overall group performance and pass rates on a standardized assessment (Pcalc OSCE) were compared at six weeks and at six months post-course completion.

Results. Student mean exam scores in the flipped model were higher than those in the lecture model at six weeks and six months later. Significantly more students passed …

The Emotional Cost Of Caring: Compassion Fatigue Experienced By Nurse Staff On An Inpatient Geriatric Behavioral Health Unit, Susan Annette Campbell

Theses and Dissertations from 2017

Purpose: Research studies on the prevalence of compassion fatigue (CF) in nursing have been conducted in various clinical settings. There has been limited empirical research conducted on nurses working within the geriatric behavioral health setting, which can present increased nursing challenges related to the chronic health problems of aging coupled with acute behavioral health crises. The purpose of this quantitative, descriptive research study was to identify the prevalence of CF in RN and LPN staff within an inpatient geriatric behavioral health unit setting in two comparably sized hospitals. Design/Methods: An electronic survey design (consisting of demographics and the ProQOL v. …

Dispositions Of First Year Teachers Who Teach Mathematics For Social Justice, Kyndall A. Brown

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

For over 10 years, mathematics educators have sought to use mathematics tasks with social justice contexts to engage students. While student teachers in the UCLA Teacher Education Program (TEP) engage in social justice tasks in their secondary mathematics method classes, very few teachers use these types of tasks with students in the classrooms. The master’s inquiry projects of three TEP students who engaged their students in social justice tasks are analyzed to determine how their backgrounds and positionality influenced their instructional decision making. Results show that personal experiences in the teachers’ lives, as well as a desire to increase motivation …

Sexual Orientation Differences In Treatment Expectation, Alliance, And Outcome Among Patients At Risk For Suicide In A Public Psychiatric Hospital, Martin Plöderl, Sabine Kunrath, Robert J. Cramer, Jen Wang, Larissa Hauer, Clemens Fartacek

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Sexual minority (SM) individuals (gay, lesbian, bisexual, or otherwise nonheterosexual) are at increased risk for mental disorders and suicide and adequate mental healthcare may be life-saving. However, SM patients experience barriers in mental healthcare that have been attributed to the lack of SM-specific competencies and heterosexist attitudes and behaviors on the part of mental health professionals. Such barriers could have a negative impact on common treatment factors such as treatment expectancy or therapeutic alliance, culminating in poorer treatment outcomes for SM versus heterosexual patients. Actual empirical data from general psychiatric settings is lacking, however. Thus, comparing the treatment outcome …

A Qualitative Study Of The Effects Of The University Of Arkansas Autism Support Program, Jessica Post

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

Individuals who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder are often united by the following characteristics: difficulty communicating and interacting with others, inhibited ability to function socially, difficulty functioning academically or at work, and trouble transitioning to independent lifestyles (Lord, 2013). The purpose of this study was to determine how undergraduate students with Autism Spectrum Disorder perceive the helpfulness of the University of Arkansas Autism Support Program in the following areas: reducing college- related stress, facilitating academic success, facilitating social success, and preparing individuals for independent adult roles. In short, the study sought to determine the effects of the …

The Role Of The Expansion Segment 7 Of 25s Rrna During Oxidative Stress In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Ethan Gardner

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Translation is an essential process for protein expression in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Like any cellular process, translational factors are prone to damage when the cell is under stress. One common stressor that nearly all cells may experience is abnormal levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Damage caused by ROS has been associated with disease ranging from neurodegenerative impairments, to the aging process of cells. These oxygen radicals are capable of damaging a litany of molecules including nucleic acids, and molecular factors involved in translation. It has been shown that tRNA can be cleaved upon ROS-induced stress and these fragments …

A Comprehensive Program Plan For Providing Therapeutic Recreation Services In A Private Practice Setting 2017, Tracy J. Frenyea

Master's Theses

The purpose of this project was to create a comprehensive program plan and operations manual as an example of a private practice in therapeutic recreation. One goal was to provide a fresh approach to therapeutic recreation, one that embraces a strengths-based paradigm in a holistic environment nurturing the six domains of well-being and the aspirations of individuals served. To operationalize this goal, a thorough review of literature was undertaken and reported on; theoretical foundations and practice models were explored and selected; guiding principles, goals, and objectives were identified; a comprehensive program plan as well as specific intervention plans were created; …

The Power Of Plants, Rebecca Barchus

Senior Honors Projects

Natural and homeopathic remedies have seen quite a resurgence in popularity over the past few years. Many people are seeking natural solutions or treatments for a wide variety of conditions. There are almost as many different modalities as there are plants. In the realm of natural solutions plants can be used in their raw, unadulterated state in the same way plants are used as food. Plants can also be further processed into concentrated supplements, tinctures, and essential oils. While the interest in the use of plants as a complementary and alternative medical practice has increased, many still dismiss the topic …

Preserving Dignity In The Long Term Care Of Actively Dying Residents, Libby-Rose Cronican

All College Thesis Program, 2016-2019

As one goes through the process of aging and approaches death, they experience a series of losses: from the loss of physical or mental ability to the ultimate loss of life. These losses make the individual vulnerable to harms that can come from a variety of sources. One source is found within the everyday interactions of long-term care nurses and aides with their elderly, dying residents. Creating this harm stems from a poor nursing practice where the nurse or aide fails to recognize and promote the resident’s dignity and autonomy. The normal notion of dignity and autonomy does not encompass …

Musical Ear Syndrome: What Do We Know?, Cara D. Pestel

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to review the existing literature regarding Musical Ear Syndrome and other related auditory hallucinations. While the existence of auditory hallucinations is evident, their cause is unclear and widely understudied. There was a need for existing information to be compiled for use in the healthcare field. This review of existing literature will aid speech-language pathologists, audiologists, nurses, psychologists, and physicians in understanding this condition and what differentiates it from other various disorders. This will allow these professionals to better understand the experiences and needs of those with Musical Ear Syndrome.

Ada News - 05/01/2017, American Dental Association, Publishing Division

ADA News

Established in 1970 as the official newspaper of the American Dental Association, the ADA News serves practicing dentists and others allied to the dental profession in the U.S. and internationally. It is the No. 1 source of news and information about the many benefits and services the ADA delivers to members daily as well as timely information on scientific, social, political and economic developments affecting dentistry and health care.