Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Demographics, Support Opportunities, And Self-Reported Well-Being Of Patients Presenting For Hepatitis C Treatment At A Federally Qualified Health Center In Philadelphia, Dina Zaret, C. Coleman, M. Dorshimer, J. Kostman, L. Magaldi, T. Preston, R. Rivera, S. Trooskin

Phase 1

Introduction: As the opioid epidemic develops and evolves, the number of people who inject drugs is rising. A growing number of new Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infections have been identified in people who inject drugs.

Objective: This study aims to better understand the demographics, well-being, and satisfaction with medical care of patients presenting for HCV treatment at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in an urban setting. The study also looks to assess the impact of continued connection to holistic medical care.

Methods: Surveys were administered to 51 unique patients at their first visit for HCV treatment. Along with demographic …

Law Library Blog (December 2018) : Legal Beagle's Blog Archive, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Law Library Newsletters/Blog

No abstract provided.

Care Of Adult Cancer Survivors, Kelsey Kloosterman

Doctoral Projects

As innovative cancer treatments emerge, more people are surviving cancer. Cancer survivors have multiple and unique healthcare needs due to their cancer and cancer treatments. Communication among those treating the cancer, primary care providers, and cancer survivors is necessary to coordinate care once treatment is finished. The development of a survivorship care plan that is reviewed with the cancer survivor is intended to facilitate communication among all stakeholders. This quality improvement project examined current practice in a survivorship clinic in a Midwestern health system cancer center that cares for a variety of types of cancer patients. By reviewing evidence in …

Evaluation Of Short Term Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Intervention In A Primary Care Setting, Kevin Hengeveld

Doctoral Projects

Introduction: Depression and anxiety are chronic recurring medical conditions that impact all aspects of health. When depression and anxiety are present with other comorbid diseases, mortality and health care costs are higher. Children and young adults are particularly vulnerable to mental health issues. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for this demographic. Depression is common in adolescents with an incidence of 8 to 20 percent. Primary care provides 70 percent of mental health care in the United States, and the primary intervention offered is pharmacological. Evidence suggests that a combination of medication and psychotherapy provide superior relief of …

Improving Adolescent Risk Behavior Screening: Implementation Of The I-Cloud Rapid Assessment Adolescent Preventive Screening (Raaps) Tool, Donna L. Rinker

Doctoral Projects

Adolescents are engaging in risky behaviors earlier contributing to 75% of adolescent morbidity and mortality with unintentional injuries listed as the most common cause of death among this population in the United States. It is reported that engaging in more than one risk behavior will lead to other risk behaviors resulting in the rise of indirect and direct costs in society today. The scholarly project was conducted in response to a midwestern Michigan primary care clinic need to improve the early identification and documentation of adolescent risk behaviors with evidence-based technology screening. The purpose of this quality improvement project was …

Evaluation Of Presage® As A 3d Dose Verification To Ol In Proton Beams, Mitchell Carroll

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Radiotherapy techniques have advanced and radiation dose plans have become much more complex over the last decade. This is especially true in proton therapy, which involves extremely steep dose gradients as a result of positioning the Bragg peak to cover the volumes to be treated. The Bragg peak can be shifted significantly in the patient as a result of nonuniformities in the tissue composition in its path, which can result in treatment complications. Some traditional dose verification tools used in proton beam commissioning and treatment plan verification are film, TLD, and ionization chambers. Such 0D and 2D dosimeters are incapable …

Atra Reduces Inflammation And Improves Alveolar Epithelium Regeneration In Emphysematous Rat Lung, Swati Uniyal, Anupam Dhasmana, Amit Tyagi, Jai Prakash Muyal

School of Medicine Publications

Introduction

Pulmonary emphysema characterized by alveolar wall destruction is resultant of persistent chronic inflammation. All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) has been reported to reverse elastase-induced emphysema in rats. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are so far unknown.

Objective

To investigate the therapeutic potential effect of ATRA via the amelioration of the ERK/JAK-STAT pathways in the lungs of emphysematous rats.

Methods

In silico analysis was done to find the binding efficiency of ATRA with receptor and ligands of ERK & JAK-STAT pathway. Emphysema was induced by porcine pancreatic elastase in Sprague-Dawley rats and ATRA was supplemented as therapy. Lungs were harvested for …

Diabetes Screen During Tuberculosis Contact Investigations Highlights Opportunity For New Diabetes Diagnosis And Reveals Metabolic Differences Between Ethnic Groups, Blanca I. Restrepo, Léanie Kleynhans, Alejandra B. Salinas, Bassent Abdelbary, Happy Tshivhula, Genesis P. Aguillón-Durán, Carine Kunsevi-Kilola, Gloria Salinas, Kim Stanley, Juan C. Lopez-Alvarenga

School of Medicine Publications

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a prevalent risk factor for tuberculosis (TB), but most studies on TB-T2D have focused on TB patients, been limited to one community, and shown a variable impact of T2D on TB risk or treatment outcomes. We conducted a cross-sectional assessment of sociodemographic and metabolic factors in adult TB contacts with T2D (versus no T2D), from the Texas-Mexico border to study Hispanics, and in Cape Town to study South African Coloured ethnicities. The prevalence of T2D was 30.2% in Texas-Mexico and 17.4% in South Africa, with new diagnosis in 34.4% and 43.9%, respectively. Contacts with T2D …

Polygenic Risk For Schizophrenia And Measured Domains Of Cognition In Individuals With Psychosis And Controls, Rebecca Shafee, Pranav Nanda, Jaya L. Padmanabhan, Neeraj Tandon, Ney Alliey Rodriguez

School of Medicine Publications

Psychotic disorders including schizophrenia are commonly accompanied by cognitive deficits. Recent studies have reported negative genetic correlations between schizophrenia and indicators of cognitive ability such as general intelligence and processing speed. Here we compare the effect of polygenetic risk for schizophrenia (PRSSCZ) on measures that differ in their relationships with psychosis onset: a measure of current cognitive abilities (the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia, BACS) that is greatly reduced in psychotic disorder patients, a measure of premorbid intelligence that is minimally affected by psychosis onset (the Wide-Range Achievement Test, WRAT); and educational attainment (EY), which covaries with both BACS …

Improving Genetic Prediction By Leveraging Genetic Correlations Among Human Diseases And Traits, Robert M. Maier, Zhihong Zhu, Sang Hong Lee, Maciej Trzaskowski, Ney Alliey Rodriguez

School of Medicine Publications

Genomic prediction has the potential to contribute to precision medicine. However, to date, the utility of such predictors is limited due to low accuracy for most traits. Here theory and simulation study are used to demonstrate that widespread pleiotropy among phenotypes can be utilised to improve genomic risk prediction. We show how a genetic predictor can be created as a weighted index that combines published genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics across many different traits. We apply this framework to predict risk of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in the Psychiatric Genomics consortium data, finding substantial heterogeneity in prediction accuracy increases …

Identifying Trippers And Non-Trippers Based On Knee Kinematics During Obstacle-Free Walking, Lauren C. Benson, Stephen C. Cobb, Allison S. Hyngstrom, Kevin G. Keenan, Jake Luo, Kristian M. O'Connor

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

Trips are a major cause of falls. Sagittal-plane kinematics affect clearance between the foot and obstacles, however, it is unclear which kinematic measures during obstacle-free walking are associated with avoiding a trip when encountering an obstacle. The purpose of this study was to determine kinematic factors during obstacle-free walking that are related to obstacle avoidance ability. It was expected that successful obstacle avoidance would be associated with greater peak flexion/dorsiflexion and range of motion (ROM), and differences in timing of peak flexion/dorsiflexion during swing of obstacle-free walking for the hip, knee and ankle. Three-dimensional kinematics were recorded as 35 participants …

Legal Principles And Seminal Legal Cases In Oocyte Donation, Jody L. Madeira, Susan L. Crockin

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Oocyte donation has played an increasingly important role in assisted reproductive technologies since the early 1980s. Over the past 30 years, unique legal standards have evolved to address issues in the oocyte donation procedure itself as well as the disputes over issues, such as parentage, that inevitably arise with new technologies, particularly for individuals seeking to build nontraditional families. This essay will explore oocyte donation's legal aspects as well as seminal law concerning the procedure, including statutory law (uniform and model provisions and enacted state laws) and selected judicial opinions concerning surrogacy and parentage, testing of oocyte donors, mix-ups of …

Occupational Therapy: A Partner For Justice In Jesuit Higher Education, Rebecca M. Aldrich

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

The commitment to justice spans disciplines across Jesuit higher education, including the health sciences. At least 12 Jesuit colleges and universities offer occupational therapy programs, but the profession has been somewhat overlooked as a partner for justice on those campuses. Through a case example focusing on Saint Louis University’s Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy (SLU-DOSOT), this article aims to illustrate the ways in which occupational therapy can be a partner in the promotion and pursuit of justice. A brief overview of the profession’s perspective on occupational justice precedes the description of SLU-DOSOT, and selected examples illustrate the range …

Evaluation Of The Predictive Ability Of A Screening Instrument Used To Diagnose Co-Occurrence Of Anxiety In Children With High-Functioning Autism., Austin Zachary

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety has shown to have a high co-occurrence in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), but has been difficult to co-diagnose. This study analyzed the ability of the Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) to predict positive ASD screenings of the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Parents and children ages 8 to 18 years (N = 100) were screened for anxiety using the SCARED and autism using the SRS. Moderate correlation was found between parent-reported SCARED and positive screening of the SRS (r = .579), with weak correlation found in the child-reported SCARED (r = .105). LASSO regression was conducted …

Effect Of Grape Components On Periodontal Disease., Juili Subodh Shivde

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Half of the adult American population (47 %) are victims of periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory disease which leads to destruction of the tissues supporting the tooth. Periodontitis is initiated by periodontal pathogens and caused by excessive or prolonged host mediated inflammation. Porphyromonas gingivalisis one important agent implicated in the etiopathogenesis of chronic periodontitis. Pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by periodontal pathogens can cause alveolar bone loss and periodontitis. Bone loss is caused by the imbalance of bone formation and bone resorption. Osteoclasts are major cells that cause bone resorption. Moreover, periodontal inflammation also leads to bone resorption. Grapes are rich …

Adolescent Sexual And Reproductive Health In The Gambia., Sandhya Lohani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence is a crucial period in human development. Knowledge and awareness about when to have children, when to have sex, and use of contraceptives impacts the chances of teenage pregnancy and risk of sexually transmitted diseases. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors related to age of sexual debut, teenage pregnancy, and use of contraceptives in the Gambia. This study also compares the data with 2014 survey research conducted in the Gambia. The total study population were 50 adolescents aged 13-21 years from Bafuluto and surrounding communities in the Gambia. Among 50 respondents, …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Targeted Bar Encapsulated Polylactic-Co-Glycolic Acid Nanoparticles To Inhibit Porphyromonas Gingivalis Biofilm Formation., Ranjith Radha Krishnan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Periodontal disease is one of the most prevalent infectious diseases worldwide. Between 30-50% of the global adult population suffers from periodontal disease. Some form of periodontitis is present in 46% of American adults, corresponding to annual expenditures in excess of 14 billion dollars for treatment and prevention. Current treatments for periodontal diseases involve mechanical removal of plaque, correction of risk factors, gingival surgery and/or antibiotic therapy. To our knowledge there is no effective therapeutic approach that aims to limit pathogen colonization of the oral biofilm or re-colonization after treatment. Interaction of the pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis with oral streptococci is critical …

Anatomy 204l: Laboratory Manual (Second Edition), Ethan Snow

Open Educational Resources

This laboratory manual is designed for undergraduate anatomy labs. It includes self-assessment resources and examination set up guides.

Intratumoral Sting Activation Sensitizes Poorly Immunogenic Cancers To Checkpoint Blockade Immunotherapy, Casey Ager

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Unprecedented durable tumor regression can be achieved in patients with checkpoint blockade immunotherapy, yet these responses are rare and are not observed in all tumor types. Castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are two common lethal cancers that remain refractory to checkpoint blockade, requiring development of new therapeutic approaches to promote responsivity in patients with these diseases. Both CRPC and PDAC are characterized by an immunosuppressive tumor milieu rich in cells of the myeloid lineage, which regulate T cell activity in many ways independent of the coinhibitory receptor axis. We investigated whether activation of acute inflammatory signaling …

Bayesian Integrative Analysis Of Omics Data, Youyi Zhang

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Technological innovations have produced large multi-modal datasets that range in multiplatform genomic data, pathway data, proteomic data, imaging data and clinical data. Integrative analysis of such data sets have potentiality in revealing important biological and clinical insights into complex diseases like cancer. This dissertation focuses on Bayesian methodology establishment in integrative analysis of radiogenomics and pathway driver detection applied in cancer applications. We initially present Radio-iBAG that utilizes Bayesian approaches in analyzing radiological imaging and multi-platform genomic data, which we establish a multi-scale Bayesian hierarchical model that simultaneously identifies genomic and radiomic, i.e., radiology-based imaging markers, along with the latent …

Effects Of Weightlifting Training On Isometric Mid-Thigh Pull Rate Of Force Development, Dylan G. Suarez, Kristina Ushakova, Satoshi Mizuguchi, Guy Hornsby, Michael H. Stone

ETSU Faculty Works

PURPOSE: To examine the influence of three distinct training phases on isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) measures in well-trained weightlifters. METHODS: Pre- and post-block IMTP data from 11 collegiate weightlifters was used for analysis. The mean of the best two attempts from each athlete for measures of PF and RFD from 0-50ms, 0-100ms, 0-150ms, 0-200ms, and 0-250ms were used for comparison. In total, results from five timepoints for each of the 11 athletes were examined in order to compare the effects of the three training phases. RESULTS: A repeated measures ANOVA revealed no statistically significant (p ≥ 0.05) effects of training …

A Systematic Approach To High Blood Pressure Risk Analysis And Healthcare Cost Reduction In Young Adults [Metodología Sistemática Para El Análisis De Riesgo Y Reducción De Costos De Servicios Médicos De Hipertensión En Adultos Jóvenes], Francisco Rafael Torres Diaz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to utilize publicly available data to estimate the current rate of occurrence of undiagnosed High Blood Pressure (HBP) in young adults (18 to 24 years old) and the out-of-pocket healthcare expenses associated with complications of HBP, to provide feasible alternatives to mitigate the effects on a region's economy. This has been done by building a Risk Factor Simulation Model that utilizes known HBP risk factors’ correlation to HBP, insurance coverage data, and rate of diagnosis to formulate the average Risk Factor Value for a region, which through an Annual Expected Cost Function estimates the …

Forensic Nursing: Overview Of A Growing Profession, Julie L. Valentine

Faculty Publications

IN THE CURRENT ERA of the #MeToo movement and prominent sexual assault disclosures, these types of crimes are finally receiving the attention they deserve. Our society is acknowledging what research has been telling us for years about the high incidence of sexual violence in the United States. According to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, more than 36% of women have experienced contact sexual violence in their lifetime and 19% have experienced attempted or completed rape. Men also report high rates of sexual violence; more than 17% have experienced some form of contact sexual violence in …

Single Arm Recumbent Bicycle, Alexander Borsotti, Ryan Westermann, Sean Liston

Mechanical Engineering

The goal of this report is to outline and cover the scope of work for the Single Arm Recumbent Bicycle Senior Project. The report will give an introduction of the problem, a background of the existing research or products relating to our project, the objectives of our project, our project management plan, our final design, manufacturing, testing, our project management, and final recommendations for improving the final design. The team is being supported by the Quality of Life Program, a non-profit organization that works to improve the lives of those injured in duty while serving our nation.

Up until now, …

Dementia- Is It High Time To Replace The Term In Neurological Nosology?, Qurat Ul Ain Khan

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Dementia is a term used universally by clinicians and researchers for cognitive impairment that affects a person’s ability to function ((1). This is the term used by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) in their nosology. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders V (DSM V) has replaced the term with Major Neurocognitive Disorder (2). The term HIV- associated dementia (HAD) was also replaced by HIV- associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) by the AAN AIDS Task force

Non Availability Of Antiepileptic Medications, Farida Jan

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” quoting Charles Dickens, I feel living in an era very similar to those times, with an ever widening gap between the different economical classes in our society. With the relative improvement in Health services across Pakistan may over the last 70 years and the absolute disastrous growth of 2.4% in population within the last decade, there is still a lot of disparity between the health care demand and supply for common man.1

Awareness And Approach To Headache: A Survey Of Family Physicians In Pakistan, Abdul Malik, Safia Awan, Aziz Sonawalla, Fayyaz Ahmed, Mohammad Wasay

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Headache is one of the most common complaints in the general population and the most common symptom for a neurology out-patient visit. According to the WHO, the prevalence of adults complaining of recent headache (at least one episode within the last year) is 47%. Despite the large burden of disease, headaches are often overlooked, underdiagnosed and under-resourced. There are several reasons that include lack of awareness among the general public and healthcare professionals and lack of training at both undergraduate and post-graduate level. There is limited data available from many third world countries including Pakistan. Family Physicians (FPs) equivalent to …

Awareness Of Stroke Among General Practitioners, Waleed Shahzad, Hafiza Faiza Mushtaq, Tehmina Inayat, Muhammad Hassan, Haris Majid Rajput, Mazhar Badshah

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Stroke is the 2nd leading cause of death and 3rd leading cause of disability after cancer and ischemic heart disease. The recognition of acute stroke symptoms and knowledge about timely and prompt referral of a patient for possible thrombolysis is a need of time for which general practitioners (as they have to be the first responders many a times across Pakistan) need to be equipped with the advance knowledge about stroke treatment.

Azygos Anterior Cerebral Artery Causing Bifrontal Infarcts: A Case Report, Abdul Khaliq, Palwasha Gul, Pari Gul

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

The azygos anterior cerebral artery (AACA) is an uncommon anatomical variant. There is absence of the anterior communicating artery (ACom) and bilateral anterior cerebral arteries (ACA) form a common trunk and travels superiorly in the interhemispheric fissure. It can result in bilateral frontal infarcts in case of thromboembolism. Therefore its correct diagnosis is of grave importance for better patient clinical outcome. Cerebrovascular infarction is a common condition, however simultaneous symmetrical bilateral infarction secondary to arterial occlusion is a rare entity. We report a case of a 50 years male with thromboembolic event in azygos anterior cerebral artery resulting in bifrontal …

Bilateral Carotid Body Tumors: A Case Report And Review, Dr Asma, Pari Gul, Palwasha Gul

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Carotid body tumors (CBTS) also known as chemodectomas are a type of paragangliomas which originate from the carotid body. Carotid body tumors present as a palpable mass in anterolateral aspect of the neck causing splaying of the external carotid artery (ECA) and internal carotid artery (ICA). Bilateral carotid body tumors are uncommon with a reported incidence of 5 - 10%. CBTs are commonly seen in 4th to 5th decades with female predilection. We report a case of 16 years old boy with bilateral carotid body tumors.