Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Novel Multi-Network Approach Reveals Tissue-Specific Cellular Modulators Of Fibrosis In Systemic Sclerosis, Jaclyn N. Taroni, Casey S. Greene, Viktor Martyanov, Tammara A. Wood

Dartmouth Scholarship

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multi-organ autoimmune disease characterized by skin fibrosis. Internal organ involvement is heterogeneous. It is unknown whether disease mechanisms are common across all involved affected tissues or if each manifestation has a distinct underlying pathology.We used consensus clustering to compare gene expression profiles of biopsies from four SSc-affected tissues (skin, lung, esophagus, and peripheral blood) from patients with SSc, and the related conditions pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and pulmonary arterial hypertension, and derived a consensus disease-associate signature across all tissues. We used this signature to query tissue-specific functional genomic networks. We performed novel network analyses to contrast …

A New Class Of Inhibitors Of The Arac Family Virulence Regulator Vibrio Cholerae Toxt, Anne K. Woodbrey, Evans O. Onyango, Maria Pellegrini, Gabriela Kovacikova, Ronald Taylor, Gordon Gribble, F. Jon Kull

Dartmouth Scholarship

Vibrio cholerae is responsible for the diarrheal disease cholera that infects millions of people worldwide. While vaccines protecting against cholera exist, and oral rehydration therapy is an effective treatment method, the disease will remain a global health threat until long-term solutions such as improved sanitation and access to clean water become widely available. Because of this, there is a pressing need for potent therapeutics that can either mitigate cholera symptoms, or act prophylactically to prevent the virulent effects of a cholera infection. Here we report the design, synthesis, and characterization of a set of compounds that bind and inhibit ToxT, …

Examining Regionalization Efforts To Develop Lessons Learned And Consideration For Department Of Defense Medical Facilities, Erik B. Schuh

Theses and Dissertations

The increase in competition locally and globally has forced companies to become more efficient. One way for companies to gain efficiency is by regionalizing their facilities by either consolidating or collocating to a particular location. A comprehensive literature review addressed the advantages and disadvantages organizations have used in the past when regionalizing. This insight was used on a case study looking at military hospitals in the National Capital Region. The case study was used to find potential cost savings for three surgical procedures by consolidating each procedure to the lowest cost hospital. Future years were then forecasted to find cost …

Optimal Configurations For Aerosol Monitoring With Multi-Rotor Small Unmanned Aerial Systems, Inna D. Chavez

Theses and Dissertations

Applicability of aerosol sampling on multi-rotor unmanned aerial systems (UAS) platform was investigated. Multi-rotor UAS have impacts of wind speed, turbulence, and orientation possibly contributing to sampling bias. The SKC IMPACT sampler, Tecora C.A.Th.I.A., and modified three-dimensionally printed Universal Inlet for Airborne-Particle Size-Selective Sampling were selected based on particle size-selectivity and operational independence to wind. Airflow visualizations concluded that below UAS fuselage was optimal sampler placement. Tests were conducted with Arizona Road Dust in a still-air chamber, and aerosolized sugar in a wind tunnel. Inlet mounting was evaluated in, upright, upside-down, and horizontal orientations. Horizontal orientations of all inlets resulted …

Metabolic And Molecular Insights Into An Essential Role Of Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase., Li Q. Zhang, Leon Van Haandel, Min Xiong, Peixin Huang, Daniel P. Heruth, Chengpeng Bi, R Gaedigk, Xun Jiang, Ding-You Li, Gerald Wyckoff, Dmitry N. Grigoryev, Li Gao, Linheng Li, Min Wu, J Steven Leeder, Shui Qing Ye

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) is a pleiotropic protein implicated in the pathogenesis of acute respiratory distress syndrome, aging, cancer, coronary heart diseases, diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, and sepsis. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of NAMPT in these physiological and pathological processes are not fully understood. Here, we provide experimental evidence that a Nampt gene homozygous knockout (Nampt-/-) resulted in lethality at an early stage of mouse embryonic development and death within 5-10 days in adult mice accompanied by a 25.24±2.22% body weight loss, after the tamoxifen induction of NamptF/F × Cre mice. These results substantiate that Nampt …

Determining The Predictors For Neurologic Etiology On A Syncope Patient In The Ed, Alfonso Remigio Abraham, Rohit Vinod, Julie Lamoureux, Andres Soto

All Publications

No abstract provided.

Determining The Predictors For Cardiac Etiology On A Syncope Patient In The Ed, Alfonso Remigio Abraham, Rohit Vinod, Julie Lamoureux, Andres Soto

All Publications

No abstract provided.

Entrustable Professional Activities To Assess Trainee Management Of The Social Determinants Of Health, Brown David, Karim Hanna, Kaitlin Ross, Hugo Jimenez-Vazquez

All Publications

No abstract provided.

Prevalence And Economic Impact Of Patient Reported Penicillin Allergy In A Community Hospital, Loida Portalatin-Perez, Maria Perez Arias, Ana Lopez-Samblas

All Publications

No abstract provided.

Improving The Identification And Treatment Of Sepsis Through A Pediatric Sepsis Screening Tool, Pujol Michael, Tanya Cohn, Julie Lamoureux, Andrea Prentiss, Martin Nariznis

All Publications

No abstract provided.

Evaluate The Impact Of Polymerase Chain Reaction (Pcr) Rapid Diagnostic Testing On Time To De-Escalation Of Antibiotic Therapy In Methicillin Sensitive Staphylococcus Aureus (Mssa) Bacteremia, Nydia Rivera-Berrios, Maria Perez Arias, Katia Abaunza, Julie Lamoureux

All Publications

No abstract provided.

Development Of Tools For Stable Transfection In The Human Filarial Parasite Brugia Malayi Via The Piggybac Transposon System, Johan Chabanon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Brugia malayi is one of three species of nematode known to cause lymphatic filariasis (LF) in humans. LF infects over 120 million people, causing debilitating disease. Various global programs have been launched in the past 20 years to eliminate LF. These programs have greatly scaled up the resources and efforts allocated to halting the transmission and reducing disease burden. Only a few drugs are used to treat LF, and resistance is thus a devastating possibility. Research aimed at identifying new drug targets could therefore prove essential in elimination of LF.

Genetic manipulation of B. malayi has been limited to transient …

Occupational Noise Exposure Evaluation Of A Group Of Groundskeepers At A University Campus, Monica Elisa Garcia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Every year, twenty-two million workers are exposed to potentially damaging noise at work. Last year, U.S. businesses paid more than $1.5 million in penalties for not protecting workers from noise. (OSHA, 2016). In the United States ten million people have some kind of noise related hearing loss (CDC, 2016) and noise damage to the ear may not be detected until it is great enough to cause hearing impairment.

Grounds keeper’s functions consist of a variety of activities that require the use of powered tools such as mowers, riding mowers, leaf blowers, pressure washers, trimmers/edgers and chainsaws. OSHA has stated that …

The Effect Of Clinical Experience On Perceived And Self-Reported Empathy In Novice Speech- Language Pathology Clinicians, Erline Vieira Nakano

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the field of medicine, empathic providers have been found to bring numerous benefits to a clinical encounter as they are better able to elicit detailed and thorough case histories, build rapport and therapeutic alliance with patients, and foster greater compliance with treatment recommendations. Despite its multiple benefits, empathy has not been researched systematically within the field of speech-language pathology. In medical training, empathy has been found to decline by the time medical students are introduced to direct patient care. Currently, no information is available regarding the empathy trajectory of novice speech-language pathologists.

The goal of the current project was …

Development Of A Transfection System For The Free-Living Amoeba Naegleria Fowleri Using The Piggybac Vector, Kati Räsänen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Naegleria fowleri is a free-living amoeba that causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). In the United States, there are between 0-8 cases of PAM per year, with approximately 98% of cases resulting in death. High case fatality and limited treatment options highlight the need for better understanding of this organism in terms of its biology and pathogenicity. Transfection is a useful tool that allows for the study of gene function, but at present no transfection systems have been established for N. fowleri. This study attempts to establish a transfection system for N. fowleri using the piggyBac vector, with the hope of …

An Academic Practice Partnership In South Fl: Satisfaction Of Nurses Who Participated, Beatrice Sikah, Maria Ojeda, Carolyn Lindgren

All Publications

No abstract provided.

The Use Of Procalcitonin As A Sepsis Marker In A Community Hospital, Deoro Nathalia, Maria Gauthreaux, Joseph Scott, Julie Lamoureux

All Publications

No abstract provided.

Transitioning To Team-Based Primary Care, Karim Hanna, Paul Di Capua

All Publications

No abstract provided.

Breathing Better: Asthma Quality Improvement On The Neighborhoodhelpmobile Health Center, O'Meara Mary, Kaitlin Ross, David Brown

All Publications

No abstract provided.

Reliability And Validity Testing Of A Rubric Aimed At Assessing Quality Of Responses In A Virtual Journal Club, Sally Bonet, Simone Cheong, Lizette Gonzalez

All Publications

No abstract provided.

Wade & Bolton: Medical Critique, Andre Hellegers, M.D.

The Catholic Lawyer

No abstract provided.

Arkansas, Meet Tarasoff: The Question Of Expanded Liability To Third Persons For Mental Health Professionals, J. Thomas Sullivan

Arkansas Law Review

Lawyers are typically asked why they are able to represent people who are guilty of committing crimes. Mental health professionals, in contrast, appear to be subjected to questioning about why they did not figure out that their patients were about to commit crimes—typically the issue arises only with violent crimes—and why they didn’t manage to stop them.

Functional Studies Of Ccaat/Enhancer Binding Protein Site Located Downstream Of The Transcriptional Start Site., Yujie Liu, Michael R. Nonnemacher, Aikaterini Alexaki, Vanessa Pirrone, Anupam Banerjee, Luna Li, Evelyn Kilareski, Brian Wigdahl

Kimmel Cancer Center Papers, Presentations, and Grand Rounds

Previous studies have identified a CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) site located downstream of the transcriptional start site (DS3). The role of the DS3 element with respect to HIV-1 transactivation by Tat and viral replication has not been characterized. We have demonstrated that DS3 was a functional C/EBPβ binding site and mutation of this site to the C/EBP knockout DS3-9C variant showed lower HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) transactivation by C/EBPβ. However, it was able to exhibit similar or even higher transcription levels by Tat compared to the parental LTR. C/EBPβ and Tat together further enhanced the transcription level of the …

Total Parenteral Nutrition In Patients Following Pancreaticoduodenectomy: Lessons From 1184 Patients, Cullen Worsh, Talar Tatarian, Md, Pgy-4, Awinder Singh, Michael J. Pucci, Md, Jordan M Winter, Md, Charles J. Yeo, Md, Harish Lavu, Md

Department of Surgery Posters

Poster presented at Sigma XI Student Research Day at Thomas Jefferson University.

Background:

Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) has historically been used conservatively in the management of patients after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD).

In this study, we evaluate the indications for and outcomes associated with TPN use in a high-volume pancreatic surgery center.

Why Physicians Switch Electronic Health Record Vendors, Pete Andresen, Michelle Shussler, Kyle Sowards, Alberto Coustasse Dr.Ph. Md

Management Faculty Research

There are many factors involved when a physician chooses to switch Electronic Health Record [EHR.] vendors including system functionality, cost, poor customer service, company reputation, platform of software, meaningful use certification, and various others. The purpose of this research study was to locate the various reasons that lead to switching vendors and the barriers and benefits associated with doing so. System functionality and cost were the two largest deciding factors in switching vendors. Shifting regulatory standards require additional functionality to fulfill quality reporting measures including the Meaningful Use and Physician Quality Reporting Systems standards and many physicians and health systems …

Outcomes In Necrotizing Enterocolitis (Nec) Treated With Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor (Gcsf) And Intravenous Immunoglobulin (Ivig) Vs Standard Of Care Alone: Rct Interim Safety Analysis, Sanjeet Panda, Courtney Briggs-Steinberg, Brian Debenedictis, Sri Narayana, Edmund F. La Gamma

NYMC Faculty Posters

No abstract provided.

Big Data: Harnessing The Beast!!, Rebecca Hovemeyer, Debra Stinson, Beteseb Gebremariam, Alberto Coustasse Dr. Ph, Md, Mba

Management Faculty Research

The healthcare industry’s growing use of health information technology has contributed to the enormous accumulation of health care data, leading to active use of the term big data. Although there has been large amounts and varieties of complex data captured during patient care, this data has remained vastly underutilized. The purpose of this study was to assess the variety of benefits and barriers of obtaining meaningful information from big data in healthcare.

The methodology utilized was a qualitative literature review that referenced 17 sources published between 2005 and 2016.Findings suggest that applied big data analytics within the healthcare arena can …

Icd-10 Implementation: Is The Workforce Ready?, David P. Paul Iii, D.D.S., M.B.A., Ph.D, Patricia A. Sacconi, Pamela Ann Glover, Robert Marriot, Alberto Coustasse Dr. Ph, Md, Mba

Management Faculty Research

After many delays, the U.S. finally implemented ICD-10-CM/PCS on October 1, 2015, bringing the U.S. into line with other industrialized nations, most of which have been using ICD-10 for many years. We outline the benefits and challenges to the preparatory activities of the ICD-10-CM/PCS implementation for the U.S. healthcare industry. To ease the transition, CMS allowed healthcare facilities to submit test claims prior to the implementation date, and delivered feedback on the acceptability of those claims. Early results indicated a relatively smooth transition, although some questions regarding the available data remain. Additional data, especially data concerning outcomes, is required.

Medicare Fraud, Waste And Abuse, Jamie Bush, Leslie Sandridge, Cierra Treadway, Kimberly Vance, Alberto Coustasse Dr. Ph, Md, Mba

Management Faculty Research

In 2014, the U.S. spent approximately $3 trillion on health care. Medicare accounted for $554 billion of these costs and around $60 billion were squandered due to incorrect billing methods, abuse, and fraud. Types of fraud included: kickbacks, up coding, and organized fraudulent crimes. To reduce the financial burden associated with these activities, the U.S. has created various fraud prevention programs. The purpose of this study was to identify methods of Medicare fraud, examine the various programs implemented by the U.S. government to combat fraud and abuse, and determine the effectiveness of these programs. While fraud prevention strategies have proven …

The Trends In Dtca And Effects Of Dtca By Pharmaceutical Firms In The United States, Sathorn Preechavuthinant, William K. Willis Drph, Alberto Coustasse Drph, Md, Mba

Management Faculty Research

The Direct-to-Consumer Advertising (DTCA) of pharmaceutical firms has been defined as an attempt of pharmaceutical companies to advertise products directly to patients (comsumers). Pharmaceutical DTCA has been criticized due to its inappropriateness and some urged the need to strengthen regulations. The DTCA has an impact on the public from both a benefit and harm concern. The purpose of this study is to investigate the current trend of pharmaceutical DTCA in the US and its effect on patients, physicians, and drug utilization. The methodology used in the research is literature review and semi-structured interview. The pharmaceutical DTCA showed reduction in total …