Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Qualitative Dosimetric Comparison Of Helical Tomotherapy, Coplanar Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy, And Non-Coplanar Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy For Radiotherapy Of Centrally Located Brain Tumors, Robert Hayward

Masters Projects

Abstract Introduction The purpose of the work is to see if there is a dosimetric benefit to using one treatment modality over another when treating centrally located brain tumors. These modalities include helical tomotherapy, non-coplanar VMAT, and coplanar VMAT. Methods Thirty plans were created from ten previously treated patient’s datasets. All patients were planned using a simultaneously integrated boost with a PTV54 and PTV 60. The conformity index and homogeneity index were compared for targets. Dose maximums and means were compared for critical structures between the plans and modalities. Results A significant difference was found for the conformity index for …

Racism As Public Health Crisis: Assessment And Review Of Municipal Declarations And Resolutions Across The United States, Dara D. Mendez, Jewel Scott Phd, Rn, Fnp-C, Linda Adodoadji, Christina Toval, Monica Mcneil, Mahima Sindhu

Faculty Publications

Racism in the United States has been cited as a key driver of racial health inequities. Racism as a public health crisis has been in the forefront, particularly with respect to state and municipal governments that have developed legislation, resolutions, and declarations. This policy brief includes a review of resolutions and declarations across the US related to Racism as a Public Health Crisis through the end of September 2020. There were 125 resolutions reviewed for content related to the history of racism, reference to racial health equity data, content related to action steps or implementation, and any accompanying funding or …

Ceftolozane/Tazobactam Versus Meropenem In Patients With Ventilated Hospital-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia: Subset Analysis Of The Aspect-Np Randomized, Controlled Phase 3 Trial, Jean-François Timsit, Jennifer A Huntington, Richard G Wunderink, Nobuaki Shime, Marin H Kollef, Ülo Kivistik, Martin Nováček, Álvaro Réa-Neto, Ignacio Martin-Loeches, Brian Yu, Erin H Jensen, Joan R Butterton, Dominik J Wolf, Elizabeth G Rhee, Christopher J Bruno

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Ceftolozane/tazobactam is approved for treatment of hospital-acquired/ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia (HABP/VABP) at double the dose approved for other infection sites. Among nosocomial pneumonia subtypes, ventilated HABP (vHABP) is associated with the lowest survival. In the ASPECT-NP randomized, controlled trial, participants with vHABP treated with ceftolozane/tazobactam had lower 28-day all-cause mortality (ACM) than those receiving meropenem. We conducted a series of post hoc analyses to explore the clinical significance of this finding.

METHODS: ASPECT-NP was a multinational, phase 3, noninferiority trial comparing ceftolozane/tazobactam with meropenem for treating vHABP and VABP; study design, efficacy, and safety results have been reported previously. The …

Unveiling And Addressing Implementation Barriers To Routine Immunization In The Peri-Urban Slums Of Karachi, Pakistan: A Mixed-Methods Study, Amna Tanweer Yazdani, Ameer Muhammad, Muhammad Imran Nisar, Uzma Khan, Yasir Shafiq

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Great disparities in immunization coverage exist in Pakistan between urban and rural areas. However, coverage estimates for large peri-urban slums in Sindh are largely unknown and implementation challenges remain unexplored. This study explores key supply- and demand-side immunization barriers in peri-urban slums, as well as strategies to address them. It also assesses immunization coverage in the target slums.
Methods: Conducted in four peri-urban slums in Karachi, this mixed-methods study consists of a baseline cross-sectional coverage survey of a representative sample of 840 caregivers of children aged 12-23 months, and 155 in-depth interviews (IDIs) through purposive sampling of respondents (caregivers, …

A Self-Sampling Collection Program As An Approach That Can Provide More Women Cervical Cancer Screening To Detect Hpv In Kazakhstan, Assem Suleimenova

International Programs

A potential for self-sampling Human Papillomavirus testing to include more of the female population in low- and middle- income countries in the cervical screening program (the example of Kazakhstan).

Effects Of Wearing A Mask On Face Perception: A Literature Review Of 2 Experimental Research Studies, Arda Fidanci

International Programs

The face is the most important and informative source for non-verbal communication in social life. COVID-19 has deeply affected our non-verbal communication due to wearing a mask covering a major part of the face. In accordance with this, 2 research studies show that wearing a mask negatively affects face recognition, including face identification and emotion reading. It can be concluded that wearing a mask makes harder our daily social conversations due to concealing the rest of the face.

Influence Of Posterior Elements On The Correlations Between Microarchitecture Parameters Of Trabecular Bone And Stochastic Predictors From The Dxa Scans Of Human Lumbar Vertebrae, Indu Reddy Enukonda

Health and Kinesiology Theses

Osteoporosis is a bone disease affecting both postmenopausal women and older men. Bone fractures caused by osteoporosis are a major health concern, creating a great economic burden to our society. Bone mineral density (BMD), a measure of bone mass by Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA), is a major risk factor for bone fractures. In addition to BMD, trabecular microarchitecture also contributes to bone strength and therefore is a risk factor for osteoporotic fractures. Recently, stochastic predictors derived from DXA scans have been found to correlate with trabecular microarchitecture in human vertebrae. In routine clinical scans of the human lumbar spine, posterior …

Hospital-Based Ultra-Sonographic Prevalence And Spectrum Of Thyroid Incidentalomas In Pakistani Population, Faheem Ullah Khan, Kiran Hilal, Iftikhar Ali, Mehreen Samad, Rabiya Tariq, Wiqar Ahmad, Muhammad Arif Saeed, Noman Khan

Department of Radiology

Introduction: Thyroid incidentalomas (TIs) are clinically asymptomatic nodules found accidentally during imaging studies ordered for some other reasons. Being easily accessible, non-invasive, and inexpensive, thyroid ultrasound (US) is a key investigation in the management of thyroid nodules.
Methods: This ultrasound-based cross-sectional study was performed in the radiology department of a major tertiary care hospital. Every second patient visiting the emergency department was a potential candidate for a thyroid ultrasound. Patients having ages greater than 20 years were included in the study.
Results: A total of 250 patients were included in the study. Out of these, 175 were female and 75 …

College Of Health Professions News, Georgia Southern University

College of Health Professions: News & Publications (2012-2023)

• WCHP Faculty Named Inclusive Excellence Fellows

Closing Communication Gaps For Unplanned Surgical Patients: One Pre-Op Checklist At A Time, Seda L. Vash

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: Unplanned, inpatient surgical patients were experiencing poor outcomes and dissatisfaction with their overall care. This surgical patient population also lacked communication from their healthcare teams with regard to plans of care throughout their hospital stays.

Context: This was a quality improvement project for the unplanned, inpatient surgical patient population in the Central Valley of California. Approximately 13% of this hospital’s surgical patients required post-surgical care in the inpatient units. These patients, according to unfavorable HCAHPS scores, experienced unsatisfying care and insufficient communication from their healthcare teams, including physicians and nurses.

Intervention: This project implemented an Add-On Communication Tool for …

Racism As Public Health Crisis: Assessment And Review Of Municipal Declarations And Resolutions Across The United States, Dara D. Mendez, Jewel Scott Phd, Rn, Fnp-C, Linda Adodoadji, Christina Toval, Monica Mcneil, Mahima Sindhu

Faculty Publications

Racism in the United States has been cited as a key driver of racial health inequities. Racism as a public health crisis has been in the forefront, particularly with respect to state and municipal governments that have developed legislation, resolutions, and declarations. This policy brief includes a review of resolutions and declarations across the US related to Racism as a Public Health Crisis through the end of September 2020. There were 125 resolutions reviewed for content related to the history of racism, reference to racial health equity data, content related to action steps or implementation, and any accompanying funding or …

Applying Theoretical Models Of Positive Emotion To Improve Pediatric Asthma: A Positive Psychology Approach, Brooke N. Jenkins, Judith T. Moskowitz, Jill Halterman, Zeev N. Kain

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Positive emotion, encompassing feelings such as joy and happiness, has been shown to predict a multitude of health outcomes. However, the role of positive emotion in pediatric asthma is not understood. No work to date has examined how positive emotion may offer benefits to children and adolescents with asthma. Based on theory and models of positive emotion and health, we hypothesize that positive emotion may improve asthma outcomes through mediators such as health behaviors and health-relevant physiological functioning. Moreover, boosting positive emotion during times of stress may be particularly relevant in mitigating asthma symptoms. In the present commentary, we elaborate …

Leveraging Strategic Foresight To Advance Worker Safety, Health, And Well-Being, Jessica M K Streit, Sarah A Felknor, Nicole T Edwards, John Howard

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Attending to the ever-expanding list of factors impacting work, the workplace, and the workforce will require innovative methods and approaches for occupational safety and health (OSH) research and practice. This paper explores strategic foresight as a tool that can enhance OSH capacity to anticipate, and even shape, the future as it pertains to work. Equal parts science and art, strategic foresight includes the development and analysis of plausible alternative futures as inputs to strategic plans and actions. Here, we review several published foresight approaches and examples of work-related futures scenarios. We also present a working foresight framework tailored for OSH …

Carveol Attenuates Seizure Severity And Neuroinflammation In Pentylenetetrazole-Kindled Epileptic Rats By Regulating The Nrf2 Signaling Pathway, Arooj Mohsin Alvi, Lina Tariq Al Kury, Abdullah Alattar, Ikram Ullah, Asmaa Jan Muhammad, Reem Alshaman, Fawad Ali Shah, Arif Ullah Khan, Jinxing Feng, Shupeng Li

All Works

Epilepsy is a neurodegenerative brain disorder characterized by recurrent seizure attacks. Numerous studies have suggested a strong correlation between oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in several neurodegenerative disorders including epilepsy. This study is aimed at investigating the neuroprotective effects of the natural compound carveol against pentylenetetrazole- (PTZ-) induced kindling and seizure model. Two different doses of carveol (10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg) were administered to male rats to determine the effects and the effective dose of carveol and to further demonstrate the mechanism of action of nuclear factor E2-related factor (Nrf2) in PTZ-induced kindling model. Our results demonstrated reduced levels of …

Discharge From Hospital To Home: Implementation And Use Of The Ahrq Ideal Chf Discharge Planning And Aha Chf Discharge Checklist, Eric Jason Byrd

Master's Projects and Capstones

Section I: Abstract

Problem: Hospital readmission rates in the congestive heart failure (CHF) population is a quality concern. As excessive readmissions tend to indicate low quality of care, government and private healthcare payers are increasing their focus on 30-day readmission rates as a new quality measure for hospitals.

Context: This was a quality improvement project for a telemetry unit at a medical center in the Central Valley of California. There are 56,551 members in the Central Valley enrolled in the healthcare provider system and 2,567 patients with a primary or secondary diagnosis of CHF. Within the healthcare system, CHF was …

Improving Patient Knowledge On Medication Communication, Deborah Cha

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Problem: Effective medication communication, including potential side effects, is a key determinant of safe patient care and better health outcomes. 3SA scores a 1-2 out of 5-stars for medication communication with the HCAHPS survey from October 2020-March 2021.

Context: As one of the medical-surgical units at this California hospital, it serves the purpose of providing medical and/or surgical management to acutely ill patients. The unit is a 24-bed, 1:5 nursing ratio with medical-telemetry and Covid-19 overflow.

Intervention: The interventions include a structured, evidence-based multi-component program in improving patient knowledge about new medications they receive, the possible side effects of …

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Ambulation Project, Jennifer M. Rose

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Problem: The enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) Ambulation Project aims to increase early ambulation of cesarean section patients in the maternal child inpatient unit. The current data has shown inconsistency with the application of the ERAS program with the maternal population. Instituting standardization of care and documentation, along with increasing patient centered care, has the potential to decrease the hospital length of stay (LOS).

Context: This quality improvement project standardizes the education provided to staff nurses and patients; allotting more time for staff to create meaningful relationships with their patients. A microsystem culture utilizing patient centered care …

Testing A New Workflow To Integrate The Voice-Of-The-Customer In Readmission Analysis For Skilled Nursing Facility Readmissions From Home, Stephanie Edurese Bilbao

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

There are multiple layers of oversight across the healthcare delivery system. Measuring acute hospital readmissions has been identified as an important outcome measure of quality care. Our patients are one of the major stakeholders in the healthcare system. One role of a clinical nurse leader is to integrate evidence-based leadership practices that identify and assess outcomes, mitigate risk, enhance health promotion, deliver highly effective patient care, and ensure transparent relationships with stakeholders. Rationales for examining and re-designing the readmission analysis workflow based on the customer’s experience are discussed in this paper. The global aim of the project is to …

Atypical Presentation Of Systemic Arthritis In A Toddler With Down Syndrome., Emily Worley, Weijie Li, Jordan T. Jones

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) is a chronic, inflammatory disease of childhood, which is characterized by the combination of arthritis, serositis, daily, high-spiking fevers, and evanescent macular rash and can present with the life-threatening complication of macrophage activation syndrome (MAS). Children with Down syndrome (DS) have complex medical challenges related to abnormalities in their immune system, which can cause a broad spectrum of disease manifestations, which can occur atypically. Children with DS are at increased risk for arthritis and interstitial lung disease (ILD) associated with sJIA that has high mortality. This case report outlines an atypical presentation of sJIA in …

Ventricular Fibrillation Due To A Likely Pathogenic Sos1 Variant: An Unrecognized Etiology Of Infantile Sudden Death?, Christopher Follansbee, Lindsey Malloy-Walton

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

We present the case of a female infant presenting after a ventricular fibrillation arrest found to have ectopic atrial tachycardia (EAT). Evaluation revealed a likely pathogenic variant in SOS1 not previously reported in affected individuals. SOS1 variants are associated with Noonan syndrome, which belongs to a family of related genetic syndromes affecting the RAS/MAPK signaling pathway. To date, this is the first case reported of a ventricular fibrillation arrest in a patient with a RASopathy-related variant prior to development of the typically associated structural cardiac phenotype and may represent a previously unrecognized etiology of sudden death during infancy.

Brucella Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis: A Systematic Review, Karima Taamallah, Fatma Hammami, Hedi Gharsallah, Makram Koubaa, Mounir Ben Jemaa, Wafa Fehri

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Objective: Brucella prosthetic valve endocarditis is a rare but a life-threatening complication of brucellosis. It remains a diagnostic challenge. Optimal treatment of Brucella prosthetic valve endocarditis is debated. Available data is limited to case reports or small case series. The purpose of this study was to systematically review all published cases of Brucella prosthetic valve endocarditis in the literature. Method: A systematic review of PubMed database, Google, Google Scholar, and Scopus (From January 1974 to the present) for studies providing epidemiological, clinical and microbiological data as well as data on treatment and outcomes of Brucella prosthetic valve endocarditis was performed. …

Forward Together Update [Welcome Back, Cdc Face Coverings, & Bor Prohibits Face Covering And Vaccination Requirements], August 10, 2021, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Response to COVID-19

Shares a welcome back message with encouragement for vaccination against COVID-19 and gives an update for the CDC's recommendations on face coverings. Also reminds that The Board of Regents, State of Iowa guidelines prohibit all public universities from requiring masks or vaccinations on campus.

2021-08-10_Michiganoverview_Covidlongtermcare, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Michigan COVID-19 Long Term Care Data

The COVID Long Term Care Facilities page was obtained from Michigan's COVID-19 data page: https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/0,9753,7-406-98163_98173-526911--,00.html.

This report is created by the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services from data self-reported by long-term care facilities into EMResource. Data for all reporting facilities is posted weekly each Monday.

The information below represents COVID-19 data reported directly to MDHHS by licensed and operating Skilled Nursing, Home for the Aged and Adult Foster Care facilities (licensed to serve 13 or more individuals) in Michigan from January 1, 2020. All long-term care facilities additionally have an obligation to report COVID-positive residents and/or staff …

Covid-19 Newsletter (Vol. 84), Center For Disaster Medicine, New York Medical College

COVID-19 Newsletter

No abstract provided.

2021-08-10_Michiganoverview_Covidsymptoms, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Michigan COVID-19 Syndromic Surveillance System Data

The Syndromic Surveillance System Data report was obtained from Michigan's COVID-19 dashboard, from under the link "​Coronavirus Symptoms": https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus. Data was compiled by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). The information was updated three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Syndromic Surveillance System data is obtained from approximately 183 facilities participating in syndromic surveillance (132 Emergency Departments (ED), 51 Urgent Cares) across the State of Michigan. The reporting is based on individuals who present at EDs and may not be representative of the overall population. The coronavirus-like symptoms query searches visit free-text (chief complaint, …

2021-08-10_Michiganoverview_Covidvaccinestats, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Michigan COVID-19 Vaccine Data

The COVID Vaccine Dashboard page was obtained from Michigan's main COVID-19 page: https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/0,9753,7-406-98178_103214-547150--,00.html.

Previously reported numbers of administered vaccine doses may change as new data are received. A possible lag in reporting vaccine doses will result in increases in numbers previously reported.

This report is created by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Division of Immunization from data reported to the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR).

The dashboard contained the tabs Vaccines Delivered, Delivery Trend, Doses Administered, Doses by Vaccine, Doses Metrics, Coverage, Coverage Metrics, State Level Metrics, Enrolled …

Physics Of Martial Arts: Incorporation Of Angular Momentum To Model Body Motion And Strikes, Alexis Merk, Andrew Resnick

Physics Faculty Publications

We develop a physics-based kinematic model of martial arts movements incorporating rotation and angular momentum, extending prior analyses. Here, our approach is designed for a classroom environment; we begin with a warm-up exercise introducing counter-intuitive aspects of rotational motion before proceeding to a set of model collision problems that are applied to martial arts movements. Finally, we develop a deformable solid-body mechanics model of a martial arts practitioner suitable for an intermediate mechanics course. We provide evidence for our improved model based on calculations from biomechanical data obtained from prior reports as well as time-lapse images of several different kicks. …

Coronavirus Update 8-10-21, The Coronavirus Planning Team

University Briefings & Virtual Events

We are sharing this year’s version of the Pioneer Promise. While it remains a commitment to one another to follow protocols that will keep the community safe, it has been adapted to reflect fewer restrictions and procedures as we move toward more normalcy on campus. Just like last year, students, faculty and staff will be asked to sign the Pioneer Promise before the semester begins.

Predictive Biomarkers For 5-Fluorouracil And Oxaliplatin-Based Chemotherapy In Gastric Cancers Via Profiling Of Patient-Derived Xenografts., Deukchae Na, Jeesoo Chae, Sung-Yup Cho, Wonyoung Kang, Ahra Lee, Seoyeon Min, Jinjoo Kang, Min Jung Kim, Jaeyong Choi, Woochan Lee, Dongjin Shin, Ahrum Min, Yu-Jin Kim, Kyung-Hun Lee, Tae-Yong Kim, Yun-Suhk Suh, Seong-Ho Kong, Hyuk-Joon Lee, Woo-Ho Kim, Hansoo Park, Seock-Ah Im, Han-Kwang Yang, Charles Lee, Jong-Il Kim

Faculty Research 2021

Gastric cancer (GC) is commonly treated by chemotherapy using 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) derivatives and platinum combination, but predictive biomarker remains lacking. We develop patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) from 31 GC patients and treat with a combination of 5-FU and oxaliplatin, to determine biomarkers associated with responsiveness. When the PDXs are defined as either responders or non-responders according to tumor volume change after treatment, the responsiveness of PDXs is significantly consistent with the respective clinical outcomes of the patients. An integrative genomic and transcriptomic analysis of PDXs reveals that pathways associated with cell-to-cell and cell-to-extracellular matrix interactions enriched among the non-responders in both …

Exercise As Self-Care To Combat Nurse Burnout, Jessica Petefish

Theses and Graduate Projects

The demands on nurses continue to grow, inducing stress and other symptoms of burnout. Nurse burnout can cause short and long term physiological and psychological symptoms. Nurse burnout not only affects nurses but has implications for patients and hospitals as well. Exercise has been proven to have many health benefits and the ability to alleviate symptoms of burnout. Nurses on a hematology/oncology unit cited burnout as their reason for leaving the unit. This project proposes a walking program as a self-care method to reduce symptoms of nurse burnout. Utilizing Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring and her idea of self-care …