Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Secondary Prevention At The Aswan Heart Centre, Amira Athanasios

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death globally, taking the lives of almost 18 million patients around the world each year. The overwhelming majority of cardiovascular deaths take place in low- to mid-income counties, suggesting that most cardiovascular deaths are preventable. In this study, current literature on secondary prevention of coronary artery disease was analyzed. Specific emphasis was given to preventative measures and successes in low income countries. Based on a literature review, a patient questionnaire to better understand patient adherence to preventative measures was created. This questionnaire focuses on patients receiving dual antiplatelet therapy post acute myocardial infarct …

Mutations In Braf Are Associated With Higher Levels Of Immune Infiltrates In Microsatellite-Stable Colon Cancer, Jake Rubin, Eduard Porta Parto

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

While BRAF is among the most well-established oncogenes in human cancers, more recently it has garnered attention for its role in suppressing antitumor immunity, especially in melanoma. Because tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) density is strongly prognostic in colorectal cancer (CRC)⁷, we decided to investigate the connection between TIL density and the BRAF-activating V600E mutation in CRC.

We used ESTIMATE to quantify immune infiltrate in samples from the TCGA colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) dataset (n = 216). This is an algorithm that uses the gene-expression signature of 141 immune-related genes to infer the presence of immune cells in the tumor infiltrate. …

Healthcare Provider And Patient Knowledge, Attitudes And Practices (Kap) Regarding Zika Virus, Quinton Katler, Prachi Godiwala, Charles Macri, Beth Pineles, Aileen Chang, Homa Ahmadzia

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Introduction:

Zika virus emergence in the western hemisphere has prompted the critical need for tailored risk counseling. Our team created a KAP survey in order to assess provider and patient awareness of Zika virus symptoms, transmission, treatment, and current and future concerns in order to inform local risk counseling efforts.

Methods:

The cross-sectional survey was issued in Medical Faculty Associates (MFA) clinics and via online link to healthcare providers and community members. The REDCap Data Collection tool was used to capture responses with subsequent SAS data analysis.

Results:

A total of 172 responses were collected. Most respondents (97%) were aware …

A Medical Student Foray Into The Depths Of Public Health: An Exploratory Investigation Toward A Community Dashboard Characterizing The Experiences Of Frailty In Order To Guide Improvement, An Harmanli, Danielle Fahoome, Burton Masem, Ellen Massey, Beverly Lunsford, Joanne Lynn, Elizabeth Cobbs

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

While it is known that there are many shortcomings in the care of the elderly, their rate and impact on the community and the elderly themselves is not well understood. In exploring the possibilities for using existing data and available informants, a dashboard could be created that would enable a geographic community to understand the experience of living with disabilities in old age, to prioritize problems, and to test improvements.

The methods included a literature review to understand what and how easily information could be accessed, gathered, and presented. In regards to literature on data collection, CMS claims data, MDS, …

Development Of An Interleukin-4-Inducing Principle From Schistosoma Mansoni Eggs (Ipse)-Specific Pcr Assay As A Quantitative Predictor Of Schistosomiasis-Associated Morbidity, Dannah Farah, Evaristis Mbanefo, Michael H. Hsieh

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease affecting between 200-500 million people worldwide. The two species causing most human cases of schistosomiasis are Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma haematobium. The gold standard for diagnosis is parasitological detection of parasite eggs in stool using the Kato-Katz method. Counting eggs shed in stool is labor-intensive and inaccurate. Interleukin-4- inducing principle from Schistosoma mansoni eggs (IPSE) is the most abundant secreted protein from schistosome eggs. We hypothesized that the mRNA transcripts of the IPSE protein may be found in the liver tissue and stool of experimentally infected animals, and that these transcripts can be specifically …

Performance Of Non-Invasive Tests To Predict Significant Liver Fibrosis In Patients With Morbid Obesity, Ahmed Bakhshwin, Patricia Latham

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) affects more than 90% of patients with morbid obesity (MO) and approximately 30% have significant liver fibrosis and/or cirrhosis. Liver biopsy is the gold standard for diagnosis of significant liver fibrosis and cirrhosis; however, several non-invasive tests have been suggested to predict the presence or absence of significant liver fibrosis and to avoid liver biopsy in these patients. The aim of this study was to determine the ability of these tests to predict significant liver fibrosis, specifically in patients with MO.

Methods:

Liver biopsies from patients with MO undergoing gastric bypass surgery were studied in …

Needs Assessment Of Pediatric Radiological Equipment And Cross-Cultural Investigation Into Parental Empowerment In Pediatric Radiology Program Development In The Kingdom Of Bhutan, Danielle Canter

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Background:

Bhutan is a magnificent mountainous country hugged by India to the east and west and by China to the North and South. This peaceful nestled country faces challenges in combating non-communicable diseases due to the lack of radiological equipment necessary for early diagnosis. Prior to implementation of these medical devices, it is imperative to investigate the cultural attitudes, beliefs, and infrastructure, to ensure successful integration. Bhutan is beginning to implement a pediatric radiology program for the nation with the assistance of ABAH Foundation and RAD-AID International, both of whom partnered with graduate students at George Washington University School of …

Nutrition In Medical Education: Where Do We Stand And What Needs To Be Explored?, Rachel Flint, Kathleen Kline, Zhiyong Han, Mark S. Elliott, Natalie Nicolas, Rosalyn Jurjus

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Introduction:

Dietary interventions and nutrition care improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs. Despite status as a necessary topic in medical school education, many U.S. medical schools do not adequately prepare future physicians for everyday nutritional challenges in clinical practice. There is immense research behind the necessity of nutrition education but little concerning the methods of implementing this change. The purpose of this work was to review the current innovations of nutrition curriculum in the literature and discuss future directions for our medical school.

Method:

A systematic search of scientific literature databases was performed to examine existing literature about the …

Concussion Screening Evaluation: Bess Vs Sway, Zachariah Hatoum, Aidan Neustadtl, Jeremy Altman, Aurash Zarrinbakhsh, David Milzman

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Introduction: Rapid evaluation of concussion is important in the pre-hospital setting as an easy test. It is also useful in the ED, as too often little is done for concussed patients. The Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) is the current gold standard for evaluating balance, one of the best predictors of concussion. SWAY, a new gyroscope based iPhone application, is being proposed as a more sensitive and more objective test than BESS. This study will compare Sway to BESS to determine if there is equal efficacy.
Method: 74 scholastic and collegiate athletes were administered baseline balance evaluations using Sway. …

Analysis Of Hiv-1 Quasispecies Sequences Generated By High Throughput Sequencing (Hts) Using Hive, Naila Gulzar, Bhavna Hora, Konstantinos Karagiannis, Krista Smith, Feng Gao, Raja Mazumder

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

The high level of genetic variability of Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) is caused by the low fidelity of its replication machinery. This leads to evolution of swarm-like viral populations often described as quasispecies. High throughput sequencing (HTS) technology provides higher resolution over Sanger sequencing, enabling detection of low frequency variant genomes. However, quasispecies analysis is still a challenge due to the systematic noise, introduced by HTS technology. This leads to the increase in type I errors (also known as false positives) and the underlying genetic diversity, which can lead to mathematically insolvable type II errors (also known as …

Differential Mrna Expression In Ectopic Germinal Centers Of Myasthenia Gravis Thymus, Manjistha Sengupta, Bi-Dar Wang, Norman H. Lee, Gary Cutter, Linda L. Kusner, Henry J. Kaminski

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune neuromuscular disorder resulting in weakness of voluntary muscles. It is caused by antibodies directed against proteins present at the post-synaptic surface of neuromuscular junction (NMJ). A characteristic pathology of patients with early onset MG is thymic hyperplasia with ectopic germinal centers (GC). However, mechanisms that trigger and maintain thymic hyperplasia are poorly characterized.

In order to determine the central mechanisms involved in the pathology, thymus samples from MG patients were assessed by histology and grouped based on appearance of GC compared to samples without them. We assessed the differential mRNA expression profiles between the …

Climate Change, Natural Disasters, And Suicide: A Systematic Review, Ans Irfan, Peter Lapuma

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Background.
Natural disasters are projected to increase due to climate change. Mental health is not a well-researched area in public health, particularly as it relates to environmental health and in the aftermath of natural disasters. The suicide rate is approximately 13 per 100,000 people in the US, nationally. This already high suicide rate warrants researching this area mental health. Understanding the relation between natural disasters and suicide rates might help alleviate human suffering and potentially save lives in the future, in post-disaster settings. This research will further the knowledge of the association between natural disasters and suicide and provide foundation …

E-Cigarettes And Smoking Cessation Among Pregnant Women: Insights From A Secondary Analysis Of A Randomized Controlled Trial, Shawn Chiang, Lorien Abroms

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Background: The use of electronic cigarettes is a rapidly expanding phenomenon. Currently, there is a scarcity of data to help guide decisions regarding the potential harm and benefits of e-cigarettes. This study examines whether pregnant smokers who used e-cigarettes are more likely to quit smoking than those who had never used e-cigarettes.

Methods: Data were drawn from the Quit4Baby study, a text-message-based smoking cessation randomized controlled trial. The sample was comprised of 481 participants with complete follow-up data at 1 month follow-up. Linear and logistics regression models to control for confounds were conducted to evaluate the association between e-cigarette use …

Persistent Organic Pollutants And Mortality In The United States, Kristiann Fry, Melinda Power

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Background/Objectives: Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are environmentally and biologically persistent chemicals that include polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), per- and polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorine (OC) pesticides. Currently, there is limited data on the association between exposure to POPs and the risk of mortality in the general US population. The objective of this study was to determine if higher exposure to POPs are associated with greater risk of all-cause, cancer, heart/cerebrovascular disease, or other-cause mortality in persons aged 60 years and older.

Methods: The analyses included participants aged 60 years and older from the 1999-2006 National Health and …

Victims Or Heroes? How Did Journalists Frame The Ebola Crisis In Liberia?, Tamah Kamlem, Nwanneamaka Ume, Skylar Lisse, Eme Udoh, Jialin Meng

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

The Ebola Virus Disease epidemic in West Africa in 2014 with over 11,000 deaths made headlines worldwide, causing fear and posing a challenge to traditional media, entrusted with the task of reporting about the spread of the disease. Individuals and communities rely on media to obtain health information, including decisions related to disease prevention and behavior to protect their health. Therefore, frames used by the media to report about health emergencies impact public perceptions. Mass media framing during crises has been associated with emotional and behavioral responses that are consistent with the thematic depiction of unfolding events. Moreover, message frames …

Cultural Relevance During Pediatric End-Of-Life Care, Helen Jahna

Nursing Masters

Abstract: Cultural competency is essential to patient and family centered care, and signifies recognition of the patient’s and family’s healthcare beliefs, customs, and values. Understanding these concepts opens communication with families and healthcare providers and brings out information needed to make the End-of-Life process as meaningful, respectful, and comfortable as possible. This study explored pediatric nursing attitudes on education for cultural relevance and cultural consideration during the end-of-life process. A cross-sectional survey was emailed to pediatric nurses working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Pediatric Cardiac Care Center (PCCC) in a children’s center associated within a teaching hospital …

Rapid And Rigorous Il-17a Production By A Distinct Subpopulation Of Effector Memory T Lymphocytes Constitutes A Novel Mechanism Of Toxic Shock Syndrome Immunopathology, Peter A. Szabo, Ankur Goswami, Delfina M. Mazzuca, Kyoungok Kim, David B. O'Gorman, David A. Hess, Ian D. Welch, Howard A. Young, Bhagirath Singh, John K. Mccormick, S. M.Mansour Haeryfar

United States Public Health Resources

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is caused by staphylococcal and streptococcal superantigens (SAgs) that provoke a swift hyperinflammatory response typified by a cytokine storm. The precipitous decline in the host's clinical status and the lack of targeted therapies for TSS emphasize the need to identify key players of the storm's initial wave. Using a humanized mouse model of TSS and human cells, we herein demonstrate that SAgs elicit in vitro and in vivo IL-17A responses within hours. SAg-triggered human IL-17A production was characterized by remarkably high mRNA stability for this cytokine. A distinct subpopulation of CD4+ effector memory T (TEM) cells …

A Project To Enhance Quality Of Life Through Stroke Support Group Activities, Sheryl Ann Watson Williams

MOT Student Capstones

Background: In 2015, participants within a stroke support group reported that, they felt ill prepared to care for themselves following a stroke (Boger, Demain and Latter, 2015). Similar feelings as well as decreased socialization, loss of independence, and changes in mood were reported in another stroke support group setting in 2014 (Muller, Toth-Cohen and Mulcahey, 2014). In an effort to enhance an existing stroke support group, purposeful activities were provided in an educational format to allow for new learning and engagement for all stroke survivors. These interventions are also provided as a means to enhance quality of life and improve …

Road Traffic Crash Related Injured And Fatal Victims In Karachi From 2007 To 2014: A Time-Series Analysis, Rashid Jooma, Masood Ali Shaikh

Section of Neurosurgery

Injuries and deaths due to road traffic crashes (RTC) are major public health concern. The Road Traffic Injury Research and Prevention Center, collects RTC data on injuries and fatalities from five emergency departments in Karachi. Data generating process (DGP) for RTC from 2007 to 2014, for monthly number of fatal and injured victims were analyzed using autoregressive integrated moving average and vector auto regression, time series models. Results provide strong evidence that the DGP for the current levels of the number of fatalities and injured owing to RTCs are significantly influenced by the own past history of the two series. …

Palliative Care: An Alien Concept In Pakistan, Nadia Pyarali Mulji, Sumaira Sachwani

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Every living being has to die. Respecting a dying individual’s personal values and preferences is a challenge. We live in a culture where family decisions are given priority over individual’s wish. To address this challenge, a concept of palliative or comfort care is newly introduced in Pakistan. Palliative care is a multidisciplinary specialty that emphases on prevention and relieving suffering as well as supporting the optimal quality of life of patients and their families (Bailey, Harman, Bruera, Arnold, & Savarese,2014). In Pakistan, the concept of palliative care is like a newborn baby who needs a lot of ethical attention in …

Practices Of Faculty Members Regarding Teaching And Learning Strategies In Nursing Education, Shams Ul Huda, Tazeen Saeed Ali, Kashmira Nanji, Shanaz Hussein Cassum

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Objective: To determine the different teaching learning strategies utilized, percentage of faculty members utilizing these teaching strategies and faculty perceptions regarding effectiveness of these in undergraduate nursing degree programs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan.
Methodology: Cross sectional descriptive design was used to conduct this study. The sample size was 42. The faculty members were recruited from different nursing institutes offering degree programs in KPK, Pakistan. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS & STAT.
Results:Discussion, lecture, group discussion, and PPT were used by 78.6%, 73.8%, 73.8%, and 69% of the faculty members, respectively. However, other learning strategies like debate, PBL, …

Rn To Bsn Education For Future Nurse Leaders, Janice Smolowitz, Courtney Reinisch

School of Nursing Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Transprofessional Education – An Asynchronous Approach, Courtney Reinisch

School of Nursing Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Creating an opportunity inter-professional educational for nursing students involves challenges in logistics and resources.

Innovations In Rn To Bsn Education Through Inter-Professional Partnership, Courtney Reinisch, Janice Smolowitz

School of Nursing Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Early Tranexamic Acid Administration On Mortality, Hysterectomy, And Other Morbidities In Women With Post-Partum Haemorrhage (Woman): An International, Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial, Haleema Shakur-Still, Ian Roberts, Rizwana Chaudhri, Bukola Fawole, Mohamed El-Sheikh, Adesina L. Akintan, Zahida Qureshi, Hussein Kidanto, Bellington Vwalika, Abdulfetah Abdulkadir

Faculty of Health Sciences, East Africa

Background Post-partum haemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal death worldwide. Early administration of tranexamic acid reduces deaths due to bleeding in trauma patients. We aimed to assess the effects of early administration of tranexamic acid on death, hysterectomy, and other relevant outcomes in women with post-partum haemorrhage.

Methods In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we recruited women aged 16 years and older with a clinical diagnosis of post-partum haemorrhage after a vaginal birth or caesarean section from 193 hospitals in 21 countries. We randomly assigned women to receive either 1 g intravenous tranexamic acid or matching placebo in addition …

Llusd Articulator - Volume 28, Number 1, Loma Linda University School Of Dentistry, Clyde Roggenkamp

Articulator (Dentistry)

Contents:

4 | Dean's message
7 | Careers in Dentistry Workshop
8 | Marlene Schultz: first female dental student
10 | Dean's Circle
13 | Norman Britton's "last chance" fund
16 | Beau Story's story
21 | First One Loma Linda Homecoming
30 | Dental caries research revisited
38 | Student research poster competition: LLU to CDA
46 | NEWS
50 | CDR acquires hi-res, 3D Micro-CT scanner

The Surgeon General's Facing Addiction Report: An Historic Document For Healthcare, S. Levy, J. P. Seale, Victoria A. Osborne, K. L. Kraemer, D. P. Alford, J. Baxter, D. S. Finnell, H. Kunins, A. Y. Walley, D. C. Lewis, D. Maclane-Baeder, A. J. Gordon

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

The publication of Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General's Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health presents an historic moment not only for the field of addiction medicine, but also for the United States as a nation. The Board of Directors of the Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse (AMERSA), on behalf of our organization, would like to express our appreciation of the efforts of Dr. Vivek Murthy and the Surgeon General's Office to publish the first surgeon general's report covering substance misuse and substance use disorders.

Program And Proceedings: Nebraska Academy Of Sciences 1880–2017, 137th Anniversary Year, One Hundred-Twenty-Seventh Annual Meeting

Nebraska Academy of Sciences: Programs and Proceedings

Program

Aeronautics and Space Science

Chemistry and Physics

Collegiate Academy: Biology

Collegiate Academy: Chemistry and Physics

Biological and Medical Sciences

Aeronautics and Space Science: Poster Session

Applied Science and Technology

Maiben Memorial Lecture

Anthropology

Earth Science

Applied Science and Technology

Teaching of Science and Mathematics

Environmental Sciences

Friend of Science Award: Kacie Baum and Todd Young

Non-Medical Use Of Prescription Opioids Is Associated With Heroin Initiation Among Us Veterans, Xiulu Ruan, Jin Jun Luo, Adam M. Kaye, Alan David Kaye

School of Pharmacy Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Rural Opioid Prevention And Treatment Strategies: The Experience In Four States [Policy Brief], John A. Gale Ms, Anush Yousefian Hansen Ms,Ma, Martha Elbaum Williamson Mpa

Mental Health / Substance Use Disorders

Little is known about what states with large rural populations are doing to combat opioid use disorders (OUD) in rural communities. This qualitative study identified rural challenges to the provision of OUD prevention, treatment, and recovery services and explored promising strategies to tackle the opioid crisis in rural communities.