Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Evaluation Of House Staff Candidates For Program Fit: A Cohort-Based Controlled Study, Soo-Hoon Lee, Phillip H. Phan, Sanjay V. Desai

Management Faculty Publications

Background: Medical school academic achievements do not necessarily predict house staff job performance. This study explores a selection mechanism that improves house staff-program fit that enhances the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Milestones performance ratings.

Objective: Traditionally, house staff were selected primarily on medical school academic performance. To improve residency performance outcomes, the Program designed a theory-driven selection tool to assess house staff candidates on their personal values and goals fit with Program values and goals. It was hypothesized cohort performance ratings will improve because of the intervention.

Methods: Prospective quasi-experimental cohort design with data from two house staff …

Intolerance Of Uncertainty And Self-Compassion In Medical Students: Is There A Relationship And Why Should We Care?, Maria Poluch, Jordan Feingold-Link, Dimitrios Papanagnou, Jared Kilpatrick, Deborah Ziring,, Nethra S. Ankam, Md

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

Managing the uncertainty of clinical practice represents a significant source of stress for clinicians, including medical students transitioning into the clinical workplace. Self-compassion, a strategy to better cope with stress and burnout, may represent a skill that can be leveraged to better prepare learners for the uncertainty inherent in clinical practice. A negative correlation between intolerance of uncertainty and self-compassion has been demonstrated in undergraduate students and in the general population. An examination of this relationship in medical students may help inform future curricular development for addressing burnout in undergraduate medical education. We electronically administered the Intolerance of Uncertainty Short …

Exploring How Public Health Partnerships With Community-Based Organizations (Cbos) Can Be Leveraged For Health Promotion And Community Health., Senila Yasmin, Rayna Haque, Kaneza Kadambaya, Marzia Maliha, Maha Sheikh

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

The Academic Public Health Corps (APHC) works to support local public health in Massachusetts through varying models of collaboration. In the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic, one initiative of the APHC has been to partner with community-based organizations (CBOs) to address vaccine hesitancy and improve overall community health. The purpose of this article is to share how the APHC partnered with CBOs in Massachusetts to address COVID-19 concerns within their respective communities, and present strategies to empower communities, share resources, and increase health promotion. The APHC partnered with 2 CBOs who received the Massachusetts COVID-19 Community Grants distributed by Health …

Exploring Climate, Wellbeing, Resilience, And Resistance In 2slgbtq+ Leisure Spaces: A Mixed Methods Study To Advance Inclusion, Tin Vo

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Participating in queer sports groups, rainbow choirs, trans virtual discussion groups and other Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexually and gender diverse (2SLGBTQ+) leisure activities can offer participants safety from societal heterosexism and cisgenderism and opportunities for community connection and peer support, as well as foster their overall wellbeing. Yet, transgender/gender nonconforming (TGNC), racialized, and/or disabled individuals, and those with other diverse identities are often marginalized in these spaces. Though researchers have studied exclusion within 2SLGBTQ+ leisure spaces, relatively little is known about how the climate of these spaces shapes social and mental health outcomes. Connected to …

"If We're Not Loud, We're Not Cared For": Empowerment In Transgender Peoples' Healthcare Experiences, Chase Valiant

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Healthcare plays a crucial role in the health and quality of life of transgender (herein trans) people. The experiences people have when accessing healthcare, can have significant effects on future interactions with the healthcare system as well as individual health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to gather insights into trans peoples’ positive healthcare experiences and health outcomes through the lens of empowerment. Fifteen interviews with trans men and trans women were drawn from a larger study of trans peoples’ experiences of discrimination. Thematic analysis was undertaken to identify key themes in the data. Experiences of empowerment were facilitated …

Polymeric Nanovaccine Delivery System For Influenza Vaccine, Chaitanya K. Valiveti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Vaccines are the most efficient and cost-effective method for preventing illnesses caused by infectious pathogens. Even though the great success of vaccines over decades, the development of safe and robust vaccines is still essential for emerging new pathogens, re-evolving old pathogens, and improving the insufficient protection given by existing vaccines. One of the most critical strategies for developing effective new vaccines is selecting and using a suitable adjuvant or immune stimulant. Immunologic adjuvants are essential for improving vaccine potency by enhancing the immune response of vaccine antigens. The amount of antigen could be spared with improved potency, especially during mass …

An Automated Classifier For Child-Directed Speech From Lena Recordings, Janet Y. Bang, George Kachergis, Adriana Weisleder, Virginia A. Marchman

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Severity Assessment Of Impairment In Spinal Cord Injury; A Systematic Review On Challenging Points About International Standards For Neurological Classification Of Spinal Cord Injury, Mahmoud Yousefifard, Mostafa Hosseini, Alireza Oraii, Alex R. Vaccaro, Vafa Rahimi-Movaghar

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Objective: Assessment of spinal cord injuries (SCI) severity is usually done according to the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI). However, a limitation of ISNCSCI has not been thoroughly evaluate; therefore, a systematic review was performed to gather current evidence on the limitations of the ISNCSCI for assessing SCI. Methods: An extensive literature search was performed using Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane library, and Scopus for all articles up until the end of 2017 and then was updated to the end of 2020. Data was summarized by two independent reviewers and limitations of the ISNCSCI …

The Impact Of Preoperative Neurological Symptom Severity On Postoperative Outcomes In Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy, Gregory R Toci, Jose A Canseco, Brian A Karamian, Michael Chang, Giovanni Grasso, Kristen Nicholson, Emily M Pflug, Glenn S Russo, Daniel Tarazona, I David Kaye, Mark Kurd, Alan S. Hilibrand, Barrett I. Woods, Jeffrey A Rihn, D Greg Anderson, Kris E Radcliff, Christopher K Kepler, Alex R. Vaccaro, Gregory D. Schroeder

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Study design: The study design is a retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To compare patient-reported outcomes between patients with mild versus moderate-to-severe myelopathy following surgery for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM).

Summary of background data: Recent studies have demonstrated that decompression for CSM leads to improved quality of life when measured by patient-reported outcomes. However, it is unknown if preoperative myelopathy classification is predictive of superior postoperative improvements.

Materials and methods: A retrospective review of patients treated surgically for CSM at a single institution from 2014 to 2015 was performed. Preoperative myelopathy severity was classified according to the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association …

Bottom‐Up Versus Top‐Down Strategies For Morphology Control In Polymer‐Based Biomedical Materials, Alexander B. Cook, Tristan D. Clemons

Faculty Publications

The size and shape of polymer materials is becoming an increasingly important property in accessing new functions and applications of nano-/microparticles in many scientific fields. New synthetic methods have allowed unprecedented capability for the facile fabrication of anisotropic and shape-defined nanomaterials. Bottom-up approaches including: emulsion polymerization techniques, amphiphile self-assembly, and polymerization-induced self-assembly, can lead to polymer particles with precise dimensions in the nanoscale. Top-down methods such as lithographic templating, and 3D printing, have increased the access to unique particle shapes. In this review, these recent developments are appraised and contrasted, with future research directions providing that focus on biomedical applications. …

Maternal Diet In Pregnancy And Child’S Respiratory Outcomes: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis Of 18 000 Children, Sara M. Mensink-Bout, Evelien R. Van Meel, Johan C. De Jongste, Isabekka Annesi-Maesano, Adrien M. Aubert, Johnathan Y. Bernard, Lin-Wei Chen, Cryus Cooper, Sarah R. Crozier, Wojciech Hanke, Nicholas C. Harvey, James R. Hébert Scd, Barbara Heude, Joanna Jerzynska, Cecily C. Kelleher, John Mehegan, Fionnuala M. Mcauliffe, Catherine M. Phillips, Kinga Polanska, Carolina L. Relton, Nitin Shivappa Mbbs, Mph, Ph.D., Matthew Suderman, Vincent Wv Jaddoe, Liesbeth Duijts

Faculty Publications

Rationale Severe fetal malnutrition has been related to an increased risk of respiratory diseases later in life, but evidence for the association of a suboptimal diet during pregnancy with respiratory outcomes in childhood is conflicting. We aimed to examine whether a pro-inflammatory or low-quality maternal diet during pregnancy was associated with child's respiratory health.

Methods We performed an individual participant meta-analysis among 18 326 mother–child pairs from seven European birth cohorts. Maternal pro-inflammatory and low-quality diets were estimated by energy-adjusted Dietary Inflammatory Index (E-DII) and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) scores. Preschool wheezing and school-age asthma were measured using …

Regulation Of T Cell Function By Protein S-Acylatio, Savannah J West, Darren Boehning, Askar M Akimzhanov

Journal Articles

S-acylation, the reversible lipidation of free cysteine residues with long-chain fatty acids, is a highly dynamic post-translational protein modification that has recently emerged as an important regulator of the T cell function. The reversible nature of S-acylation sets this modification apart from other forms of protein lipidation and allows it to play a unique role in intracellular signal transduction. In recent years, a significant number of T cell proteins, including receptors, enzymes, ion channels, and adaptor proteins, were identified as S-acylated. It has been shown that S-acylation critically contributes to their function by regulating protein localization, stability and protein-protein interactions. …

"It’S Just Another Thing”: Perceptions Of Well Water Quality And Barriers In An Arsenic Hot Spot, Linzy Rosen

Honors Theses

Privately owned water is the primary source of drinking water for 43 million Americans. Although residential or private wells are susceptible to a variety of contaminants, the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 positions individuals as responsible for the testing, remediation, and management of this water. Despite the elevated presence of arsenic in Maine, which is linked to various cancers, cardiovascular disease, and neurological damage, little is known about how private well owners perceive the safety and quality of their own water.

This study takes a qualitative approach to understanding concerns and opinions by conducting semi - structured interviews with …

Feasibility And Acceptability Of Administering A Functional Cognitive-Communication Assessment To Individuals With Self-Reported Concussion, Mackenzie Ann Brown

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Purpose: Individuals who experience ongoing symptoms after sustaining a mTBI may not receive the help they need because the deficits they endorse on self-report measures are not identified on current standardized cognitive assessments. The purpose of the current investigation is to determine how to better document ongoing cognitive-communication deficits and to characterize the nature of how these deficits impact daily life and communicative participation, using a multidimensional assessment protocol.

Method: A multiple case study design was selected to comprehensively document the cognitive-linguistic functioning of multiple individuals with concussion. Five participants completed one session over a telehealth platform that included four …

Attachment Theory To Inform Intervention In Correctional Populations With Adverse Childhood Experiences And Substance Use Disorders, Samantha Mendoza

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Research shows a correlation exists between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and poor mental health such as psychiatric and substance use disorders (Adshead, 2018). Research further suggests a correlation between ACEs and insecure attachment in adults (Adshead, 2018). The National Institute on Drug Abuse (2020) estimates 85% of the correctional population either has a substance use disorder or was incarcerated for a drug-related offense. This paper theorizes that those involved in the correctional system with a history of high ACE scores and substance use also experience insecure attachment, which is not currently addressed in correctional SUD programs. Attachment theory moderates the …

Erythema Multiforme After Third Covid-19 Vaccination (Pfizer-Biontech), Sonali Batta, Austinn C Miller, Susuana Adjei, Laurie A Temiz, Stephen K Tyring

Journal Articles

We present a case of erythema multiforme (EM) associated with a third (booster) dose of COVID-19 vaccination in a patient who had no cutaneous reactions to previous doses. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of vaccine-associated EM occurring after a third/booster vaccination. Furthermore, our case emphasizes the need to remain vigilant for vaccine-associated EM in any patient recently vaccinated, regardless of whether previous vaccinations were administered without cutaneous reactions.

Deletion Of Period Genes Exacerbates Diet-Induced Obesity In Female, But Not Male, Mice, Elizabeth Kantra

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Sex differences in obesity in mice are mediated by differential responses of circadian rhythms to high-fat feeding in males and females. Other studies also showed circadian Period genes regulate diet-induced obesity in mice. In this study, we investigated the role of the Period genes in regulating sex differences in obesity. Male and female C57BL/6J wild type, Per1/2 KO, and Per1/2/3 KO mice were housed in 12L:12D and fed high-fat diet for 12 weeks. We found a striking sex difference in obesity such that disabling the Period genes exacerbated adiposity in female, but not male, mice. Increased adiposity in female Period …

Impact Of Provider Cultural Competency On Latino/Hispanic Patients During End-Of-Life And Hospice Care, Nicholle Nacionales

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background: Cultural competency in healthcare means delivering high quality care to patients with diverse beliefs, attitudes, values, and behaviors. Latinos/Hispanics are one of the fastest growing ethnic group and with an aging population, there is an increased need for providers to deliver culturally sensitive end-of-life and hospice care. Latino/Hispanic patients face many disparities that affect their quality of care which cultural competency aims to address. Purpose: The purpose of this literature review is to identify factors that affect Latino/Hispanic patient’s end-of-life and hospice care and how cultural competency of providers can influence management of their pain and quality of …

Intermittent Fasting And Reduction Of Cardiovascular Disease Risk, Ethan Dekam

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background: Cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Intermittent fasting is a unique intervention that is beginning to be studied more extensively for weight loss, positive alterations in serum lipid profile, and improvement of insulin resistance which are all modifiable risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease.

Purpose: The research question at the center of this literature review is: does the addition of intermittent fasting reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease? The reduction of cardiovascular disease was studied through alterations in weight, cholesterol, and diabetic labs.

Methods: A comprehensive literature review …

An Analysis Of Kindergarten Childhood Disease Vaccination Rates And Practices In Bay Area Counties, Janice Zelaya

Master's Projects

Immunizations are the most effective method for preventing communicable diseases, especially among children. Ensuring that children are vaccinated is of the utmost importance but remains a challenge due to misinformation and the growing anti-vaccination movement. With a population of 39.5 million people as of 2020 (Census Bureau, n.d.), California is the most populous state in the United States. In 2020, the San Francisco Bay Area, which includes the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma, is home to 7.7 million of those people (Census Bureau, 2021). This research will explore how …

Biomedical Applications Of Lanthanide Nanomaterials, For Imaging, Sensing And Therapy, Qize Zhang, Stephen O'Brien, Jan Grimm

Publications and Research

The application of nanomaterials made of rare earth elements within biomedical sciences continues to make significant progress. The rare earth elements, also called the lanthanides, play an essential role in modern life through materials and electronics. As we learn more about their utility, function, and underlying physics, we can contemplate extending their applications to biomedicine. This particularly applies to diagnosis and radiation therapy due to their relatively unique features, such as an ultra-wide Stokes shift in the luminescence, variable magnetism and potentially tunable properties, due to the library of lanthanides available and their multivalent oxidation state chemistry. The ability to …

Role Of Morphological Awareness In Language And Literacy In Children With And Without Developmental Language Disorder, Melissa Phelan

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Past research has shown phonological awareness is highly correlated with language and literacy success in children with and without Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), but a less examined area of language and literacy is morphological awareness. Delayed morphology in children with DLD has been studied extensively in spoken language, but relatively little in written language in the DLD population. This study explored two research questions: 1) Is morphological awareness related to language and literacy success in children with and without DLD, and 2) Is morphological awareness impaired for those children with DLD and dyslexia similarly to that of phonological awareness. A …

The Combination Of Tlr7/8 And Tlr4 Adjuvants In An Influenza Vaccine Produce Unique Antigen-Specific Adaptive Immunity And Protect Against Lethal Heterologous Influenza Challenge, Shelby Lynn Cole

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Influenza virus infection is a global health concern resulting in death and illness each year, which disproportionally effects high-risk individuals. While there are several approved vaccines for seasonal influenza, there are some limitations to consider: current vaccines provide minimal cross protection against seasonally drifted influenza subtypes, influenza vaccine strains change each year, requiring timely manufacture of a new vaccine. Thus, vaccines capable of inducing a more robust and broadly protective immune response to multiple influenza subtypes remains a critical unmet need. Adjuvants and novel delivery systems are an interesting and promising avenue of exploration for enhancing and broadening seasonal influenza …

Safety And Efficacy Of Auto-Lipofilling In Facial Rejuvenation: A Meta-Analysis Study, Abdalla Elsadany, Yasser Helmy, Osama Alshahat

Al-Azhar International Medical Journal

Abstract Background: Autologous fat transfer has been practiced and described as a promising method in facial rejuvenation. Many randomized and observational studies have been published with scanty of evidence came from review and meta-analysis. This study aims to evaluate the evidence-based practice regarding the efficacy and safety of autologous fat transfer in an updated meta-analysis study. Method: Systemic review and meta-analysis using (PRI SMA) statement was achieved. Literature search was performed in PubMed, PLOS and Cochrane library. Many of the search engines have been used including EKB platform to download the articles from SCOPUS and Clarivate databases, starting from 2017 …

Serum Level Of Endothelial Markers In Patients With Psoriasis Vulgaris With Or Without Arteriogenic Erectile Dysfunction, Elsayed Zayed, Essam Abd El-Aal, Ahmed Elshahed, Nabil Ismail

Al-Azhar International Medical Journal

Background: Psoriasis is a widespread systemic chronic cell immune-mediated inflammatory condition of the nails, skin, and joints that affects adults and children of different age groups. The inability to initiate and/or sustain an adequate erection for satisfactory sexual performance is known as erectile dysfunction (ED). Aim: The objective of this research is to measure serum ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in the periphery and penile blood to evaluate endothelial function in psoriasis patients with or without arteriogenic erectile dysfunction thus can serve as an early marker of endothelial cell injury and their possible future role in management of these disorders. Patients and …

Risk Factors Predicting Urological Complications Of Living-Donor Renal Transplantation-A Single Center Experience, Mohamed Ismaiel, Ibrahim Tagreda, Sherif Swar, Mourad Mourad

Al-Azhar International Medical Journal

Background: Urological complications following kidney transplantation are not unusual and can be associated with risk of graft failure. Objective: to estimate occurrence of urological complications following living donor kidney transplantation and correlation with relevant risk factors related to complications development. Patients and methods: The current trial was achieved at urology department in the national institute of urology and nephrology and included 240 patients who underwent renal transplantation, data was collected from patient files and recorded, complications were correlated with pertinent risk factors and the influence of complications on graft survival was assessed. Results: Urological complications occurred in 26.3% of patients. …

Iucd Insertion And Fixation Versus Insertion Only During Cesarean Section, Mahmoud Mahmoud, Hossam Elkatatny, Abd Elhalim Abd Elhalim

Al-Azhar International Medical Journal

Background; Women who have a caesarean section (CS) are in a unique position to receive the IUD (IUD). Aim and objectives; to assess the efficacy, safety, convenience and complications of copper IUCD inserted immediately after expulsion of the placenta during lower segment caesarian section and comparison of the results according if the IUCD is fixed or not. This is carried out by clinical assessment and follow- up by ultrasound. Subjects and methods; This is Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial, was carried out at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sohag General Hospital (Sohag, Egypt), on 200 pregnant women, during twelve months …

Two Dimensional And Color Doppler Ultrasound Scoring In Evaluation Of Anterior Low Lying Placenta And Its Adherence To Previous One Cesarean Section Scar Inthe Third Trimester, Mohammed Wasel, Mohammed Anwar, Bassem Abdel-Aziz

Al-Azhar International Medical Journal

Background: Placenta accreta is a potentially fatal obstetric disease which necessitates a multidisciplinary strategy to treatment.The occurrence of placenta accreta has grown, which appears to be correlated with the rising rate of cesarean deliveries. Women with myometrial damage from a prior cesarean birth, especially those with placenta previa anterior atop the uterine scar, are at the highest risk of placenta accreta. Objective: To assess the accuracy of each 2D & CDF in diagnosing placenta accreta and to identify the prevalence, risk variables, and outcome of treatment of women with placenta accreta. Patients and Methods: The study is a prospective cohort …

Increase Young Age Incidence Of Colorectal Carcinoma Among Cohort Of Egyptian Population., Ahmed Elhadidy, Tamer Haydara

Al-Azhar International Medical Journal

Background; Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is not uncommon malignancy that represent a common cause of mortality worldwide as well as in Egypt however its overall incidence and mortality has been declining, still rising of CRC incidence were observed in young patients among Egyptian population, we felt that scanty of data available about incidence of colorectal carcinoma among Egyptians. Objectives: to investigate the disparity of age-related changes in CRC among cohort of Egyptian population. Patients and Methods: retrospectively we analysed eight years data including the data of 965 patients those had done colonoscopy for different clinical presentations and had been diagnosed as …

Pregnancy Outcomes Following Hysteroscopic Septoplasty Of Incomplete Uterine Septum, Ehab Elhelw

Al-Azhar International Medical Journal

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate pregnancy outcomes pre- and post-hysteroscopic septoplasty (HS) of the uterine septum, based on the size of the septum. Methods: A single-center, retrospective study was conducted at Al-Azhar University Hospital, New Damietta, Egypt, over two years, from April 2018 till April 2020. The study included adult (22-37 years) female patients with the incomplete uterine septum (Class Vb: partial). In all of the patients, HS and laparoscopy were done at the same time. Patients were classified into two groups; Spontaneous abortion (SA: n=50) and primary infertility (PI: n= 40). Results: The age of …