Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Leadership Perspectives On Osteopathic Medical School Applicants To Pathology Residency Training, Melissa R George, Charles F Timmons, Kristen Johnson, Stephanie Barak, Mary P Berg, Bronwyn Bryant, John M Childs, Julie Katz Karp, Barbara E C Knollmann-Ritschel, Amanda Lofgreen, Thomas Mccarthy, Victor G Prieto, Gary W Procop, Tyler Sandersfeld, Kristie L White, Cindy B Mccloskey

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The number of graduating allopathic (MD) medical students matching into pathology has declined in recent years, while the number of osteopathic (DO) medical students has increased modestly, given the rapid expansion of osteopathic medical schools. Nonscholarly publications and materials on the internet often perpetuate negative perceptions of osteopathic physicians. Anecdotally, perspectives exist that some pathology residency programs are not DO-friendly; however, the reasons and how widespread an effect this might be are unclear. Our survey queried pathology chairs and residency program directors about their perceptions of osteopathic applicants and their knowledge of osteopathic medical school/training in general. This study utilized …

Rare Genomic Copy Number Variants Implicate New Candidate Genes For Bicuspid Aortic Valve, Steven G Carlisle, Hasan Albasha, Hector I Michelena, Anna Sabate-Rotes, Lisa Bianco, Julie De Backer, Laura Muiño Mosquera, Anji T Yetman, Malenka M Bissell, Maria Grazia Andreassi, Ilenia Foffa, Dawn S Hui, Anthony Caffarelli, Yuli Y Kim, Dongchuan Guo, Rodolfo Citro, Margot De Marco, Justin T Tretter, Kim L Mcbride, Dianna M Milewicz, Simon C Body, Siddharth K Prakash, Ebav Investigators, Bavcon Investigators

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), the most common congenital heart defect, is a major cause of aortic valve disease requiring valve interventions and thoracic aortic aneurysms predisposing to acute aortic dissections. The spectrum of BAV ranges from early onset valve and aortic complications (EBAV) to sporadic late onset disease. Rare genomic copy number variants (CNVs) have previously been implicated in the development of BAV and thoracic aortic aneurysms. We determined the frequency and gene content of rare CNVs in EBAV probands (n = 272) using genome-wide SNP microarray analysis and three complementary CNV detection algorithms (cnvPartition, PennCNV, and QuantiSNP). Unselected control …

Reporting Quality Of Endoscopic Colorectal Cancer Screening Randomized Controlled Trials: Adherence To Recommendations And Interventions, Fouad Jaber, Khalid Ahmed, Osama Hamid, Willie Mohammed Johnson, Saqr Alsakarneh, Abubaker O Abdalla, Yazan Abboud, Mouhand Mohamed, Dushyant Singh Dahiya, Shifa Umar, Mohamed Abdallah, Mohammad Bilal, Aasma Shaukat

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In 2013, the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) steering group published recommendations to standardize reporting quality in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We aim to assess adherence to SPIRIT reporting guidelines in RCTs on endoscopic colorectal cancer (CRC) screening and participants' adherence to trial protocols.

METHODS: We searched databases for RCTs evaluating flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy for CRC screening published in English language through September 2023. Each eligible study was evaluated using the 8 core SPIRIT statement areas, totaling 51 points. Each item received 1 point if it met the criteria and 0 points if …

Clinical Acceptability Of Automatically Generated Lymph Node Levels And Structures Of Deglutition And Mastication For Head And Neck Radiation Therapy, Sean Maroongroge, Abdallah Sr Mohamed, Callistus Nguyen, Jean Guma De La Vega, Steven J Frank, Adam S Garden, Brandon G Gunn, Anna Lee, Lauren Mayo, Amy Moreno, William H Morrison, Jack Phan, Michael T Spiotto, Laurence E Court, Clifton D Fuller, David I Rosenthal, Tucker J Netherton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Auto-contouring of complex anatomy in computed tomography (CT) scans is a highly anticipated solution to many problems in radiotherapy. In this study, artificial intelligence (AI)-based auto-contouring models were clinically validated for lymph node levels and structures of swallowing and chewing in the head and neck.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: CT scans of 145 head and neck radiotherapy patients were retrospectively curated. One cohort (n = 47) was used to analyze seven lymph node levels and the other (n = 98) used to analyze 17 swallowing and chewing structures. Separate nnUnet models were trained and validated using the separate …

The Immunobiology Of Myelodysplastic Neoplasms: A Mini-Review, Shruthi Kannan, Rolando A Vedia, Jeffrey J Molldrem

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This mini review summarizes the immunobiology of myelodysplastic syndromes, specifically focusing on the interactions between immune cells, cytokines, and dysplastic cells within the tumor microenvironment in the bone marrow. We elucidate in detail how immune dysregulation and evasion influence the initiation and progression of myelodysplastic syndromes, as well as resistance to therapy and progression to AML. In addition, we highlight a range of therapeutic strategies, including the most recent breakthroughs and experimental therapies for treating MDS. Finally, we address the existing knowledge gaps in the understanding of the immunobiology of MDS and propose future research directions, promising advancements toward enhancing …

Nasal Bots Carry Relevant Titers Of Cwd Prions In Naturally Infected White-Tailed Deer, Paulina Soto, Francisca Bravo-Risi, Carlos Kramm, Nazaret Gamez, Rebeca Benavente, Denise L Bonilla, J Hunter Reed, Mitch Lockwood, Terry R Spraker, Tracy Nichols, Rodrigo Morales

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease affecting farmed and free-ranging cervids. CWD is rapidly expanding across North America and its mechanisms of transmission are not completely understood. Considering that cervids are commonly afflicted by nasal bot flies, we tested the potential of these parasites to transmit CWD. Parasites collected from naturally infected white-tailed deer were evaluated for their prion content using the protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) technology and bioassays. Here, we describe PMCA seeding activity in nasal bot larvae collected from naturally infected, nonclinical deer. These parasites efficiently infect CWD-susceptible mice in ways suggestive of high infectivity …

High Resolution X-Ray Spectra Of The Time Evolution Of Emission From Metastable Electronic States Of Highly Charged Ni-Like Ions, Timothy Burke, Endre Takacs, Dipti, Adam Hosier, Galen O'Neil, Joseph Tan, Hunter Staiger, Aung Naing, Joan Marler, Yuri Ralchenko

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

ABSTRACT: Metastable levels of highly charged ions that can only decay via highly forbidden transitions can have a significant effect on the properties of high temperature plasmas. For example, the highly forbidden 3d

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: NOMAD calculated time evolution of the ratio of the Ni-like and Co-like lines in Nd at varying electron densities compared with measured ratios.

Harnessing Microrna-Enriched Extracellular Vesicles For Liquid Biopsy, Song Yi Ko, Wonjae Lee, Honami Naora

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Extracellular microRNAs (miRNAs) can be detected in body fluids and hold great potential as cancer biomarkers. Extracellular miRNAs are protected from degradation by binding various proteins and through their packaging into extracellular vesicles (EVs). There is evidence that the diagnostic performance of cancer-associated extracellular miRNAs can be improved by assaying EV-miRNA instead of total cell-free miRNA, but several challenges have hampered the advancement of EV-miRNA in liquid biopsy. Because almost all types of cells release EVs, cancer cell-derived EVs might constitute only a minor fraction of EVs in body fluids of cancer patients with low volume disease. Furthermore, a given …

Case Report: Cardiac Neuroendocrine Carcinoma And Squamous Cell Carcinoma Treated With Mr-Guided Adaptive Stereotactic Radiation Therapy, Xinru Chen, Julius K Weng, Angela Sobremonte, Belinda M Lee, Neil W Hughes, Mustefa Mohammedsaid, Yao Zhao, Xiaochun Wang, Xiaodong Zhang, Joshua S Niedzielski, Sanjay S Shete, Laurence E Court, Zhongxing Liao, Percy P Lee, Jinzhong Yang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We present two cases of cardiac metastases adjacent to the right ventricle in a 55-year-old male and a 61-year-old female, both treated with magnetic resonance (MR)-guided adaptive stereotactic radiation therapy (SBRT). The prescribed regimen was 30Gy delivered in 3 fractions using a 1.5 Tesla magnetic resonance linear accelerator (MR-linac). Patients exhibited favorable tolerance to the treatment, with no observed acute toxicity.

Lifelong Direct Error-Driven Learning For Uav Altitude Estimation In Different Weather Conditions, Shirin Nasr-Esfahani, Jagannathan Sarangapani

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

While deep neural networks achieve remarkable visual perception capabilities for UAV position and orientation estimation, their resilience to different weather conditions still needs improvement. These models often suffer from catastrophic forgetting when adapted to new environments, losing previously acquired knowledge. Lifelong learning methods aim to balance learning flexibility and memory stability. In this paper, we present an image-based approach to estimate the relative altitude of a UAV using 2D images under varying weather conditions, including sunny, sunset, and foggy scenarios. Our experiments demonstrate significant performance degradation when the model is trained sequentially on different weather datasets, especially when new images …

Lifelong Safe Optimal Adaptive Tracking Control Of Nonlinear Strict-Feedback Discrete-Time Systems, Behzad Farzanegan, S. Jagannathan

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents a comprehensive approach for achieving multi-task safe optimal adaptive tracking (MSOAT) for a class of nonlinear discrete-time systems, particularly those in strict-feedback form, utilizing a multi-layer neural network (MNN)-based framework. To begin, a cost function with a novel Barrier function (BF) term is introduced for each subsystem to address the weak safely reachable problem, serving as a crucial tool for guiding the system's trajectory toward the safe set while avoiding unwanted sets. To deal with the tracking problem, the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) framework is used through the actor-critic MNN-based backstepping technique to estimate the solution of the value …

Hcl 3050: Professional Writing & Critical Analysis For Healthcare Leaders (Syllabus), Gregory Hughes

Healthcare Leadership Syllabi Archive

Course Description: This course focuses on writing, critical thinking and analysis relevant to the health-related issues and its impact on healthcare leadership. An introduction to basic principles of presentation styles, professional business transmissions, and writing concepts are provided as it relates to healthcare leadership.

Hcl 3000: Healthcare Leadership, Management, And Organization (Syllabus), Gregory Hughes

Healthcare Leadership Syllabi Archive

Course Description: This course emphasizes essential healthcare leadership and management principles in the healthcare environment. An overview of organization, leadership, management, and change theories are discussed to enhance the student’s knowledge of the impact proficient leadership has within the healthcare landscape. Planning, decision-making, influencing, project management, and effects of environment, technology, and human behavior on an organization will also be addressed as it relates to healthcare leadership and management.

Hcl 4010: Healthcare Statistics & Research, Gregory Hughes

Healthcare Leadership Syllabi Archive

Course Description: This course presents an overview of how healthcare research and statistics are essential to problem solving and descision making in the managerial decision-making process as a healthcare leader.

Hcl 4605: Internship In Healthcare Leadership, Gregory Hughes

Healthcare Leadership Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Culminating experience allowing students the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge and skills in an appropriate professional setting, including completion of the Educational Testing Service Proficiency Profile Test.

Predictors Of Obesity In Hypothyroid Patients Under Treatment, Mohamed Zakarya Nooh, Moustafa Mohammed Gaballah Elnagar, Mohammed Abd El-Raouf Korany, Raghda Samy Ahmed El-Meligy Matard, Moustafa Bakrey Hamed Ata

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Objectives: to evaluate obesity and insulin resistance relation in treated hypothyroid patients attending Menoufia university hospital.

Background: Hypothyroidism is a common endocrine disorder resulting from deficient secretion of thyroid hormone. Africa has the highest prevalence (14.2%) while Asia has the lowest prevalence (5.8%). “obesity” is a disease where body fat and body-fat distribution exceed the level considered healthy. Through the production of adipokines adipose tissue affects the activity of the Hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid (HPT) axis system. Insulin resistance and autoimmune thyroid disease have shown to influence each other.

Patient and methods: Our study included 254 Egyptian hypothyroid patients under treatment …

Effect Of Covid 19 On Pre-Existent Hypertension And Its Impact On Unmasking New Onset Hypertension In Recovered Cases: A Single Center Experience, Devang Kulkarni, Shital Patil, Anant Kulkarni, Gajanan Gondhali

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Introduction New onset hypertension and aggravation of hypertension during the post-COVID period are issues of concern having very limited data published on them. Hence, the current study was conducted with the aim of studying the blood pressure profiles as new onset hypertension, preexistent hypertension and an aggravation of preexistent hypertension in post-COVID patients. Methods Retrospective cohort study conducted between October 2021 to March 2022, included 800 post-COVID patients above 18 years of age treated at the DCC (dedicated covid care center) irrespective of their disease severity and comorbidity after a valid written consent. All the study cases were followed after …

Silent Signs: The Hidden Impact Of Aseptic Pyuria In Chronic Kidney Disease, Egypt, Ghadir Mohamed Elsawy, Basma Aref Altaweel

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Introduction: This study, Element Type, reflects the prevalence of and clinical significance of aseptic pyuria among CKD patients in Egypt, addressing the vital knowledge gap that exists in understanding what implications this condition presents to the patient. More than 10% of the world's population suffers from chronic kidney disease that is characterized by progressive loss of renal function and requires monitoring of various clinical parameters, including pyuria and white blood cells present in urine. Aseptic pyuria is commonly misunderstood as a UTI and thereby mistreated with unnecessary antibiotic courses due to the presence of white blood cells with no bacterial …

Laboratory Evaluation Of Essential Oils Extracted From Peppermint And Eucalyptus Plants Against The Rat Flea (Xynopsylla Cheopis) And Evaluate Their Effects On Some Vital Process In Albino Rat, Rasha Ragheb Hassan, Micheal William Mikhail

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

The effectiveness of peppermint and eucalyptus oils was examined in the current study to the rat fleas (Xenopsylla cheopis). The constituents of each oil were identified by GC-MS. The LC50 and LC90 for each essential oil were calculated after 1 and 24 hours exposure. The effect of peppermint and eucalyptus oils on some vital process in albino rat treated with 1/10 and 1/20 of LD50 were studied for the ALT, AST, Urea and creatinine levels. TNF-α and IL-6 levels also were studied. Data indicated that peppermint essential oil had more efficacy than that of eucalyptus for 1 and 24 hours …

The Central Corneal Thickness (Pachymetry) Changes Following Uneventful Phacoemulsification Surgeries, Tarek Ibrahim Badr

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Background:

The most popular cataract surgery method in the world is phacoemulsification surgery. There are two kinds of phacoemulsification: longitudinal and torsional. Our research compares the changes in central corneal thickness (pachymetry) after longitudinal and torsional phacoemulsification.

Patients and Methods:

In this prospective randomized trial, we will assess the changes in pachymetry following torsional versus longitudinal phacoemulsification. Our study will comprise fifty eyes with nuclear cataracts ranging in severity from grade 1 to grade 3.

Results :

Comparing postoperative pachymetry modifications between torsional phaco and longitudinal phaco revealed no statistically significant difference between the two groups.

Conclusion:

We came to …

Role Of Progesterone And Inhibin A In Predicting The Adverse Outcome Of Pregnancy, Ahmed Hassan Khedr, Amany Seif Mohammed Soliman, Yasmine M. Amrousy, Shaimaa Elsayed Belal

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Background: The prediction of future miscarriages in patients who have had a first-trimester abortion can be improved by measuring levels of inhibin A and progesterone. Pregnancy outcomes can be improved by using this important information to direct clinical treatment and care Objective. Progesterone and Inhibin A during the first trimester can be used to quickly and precisely detect pregnancy outcomes, improving prenatal services. Methods: A total of 180 women from Badr City Hospital participated in the study, split up into two groups: group b contained ninety women who had undergone a first-trimester abortion, and group a comprised ninety well-being expectant …

One-Year Single Center Initial Experience Of Supine Pcnl, Alaa Ali Mousa, Fayez El Askari, Abdelhamid Khattab

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Objectives: to study the safety and efficacy of supine position in percutaneous nephrolithotomy in treatment of large renal stones. Methods: A retrospective study included 51 patients with large renal stones (more than 2 cm) planned for PCNL operation underwent percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in modified flank supine position from October 2022 till August 2023. We excluded from this study as uncorrectable coagulopathy, active urinary tract infection (UTI), and pediatric patients, younger than 18 years. The study protocol was approved by Damanhur National Medical Institute (HD000188/22/11/2023). Results: The most common site of stone was renal pelvis in 17 cases (33.3%) then stag …

Evaluation Of Iron, Zinc And Vitamin D Deficiencies In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder At The Hearing And Speech Institute, In Egypt, Azza Samy, Iman Elrouby, Eman S. Eldin, Eman S. Abd El-Ghaffar

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopment disorder with a multifactorial etiology. Each iron, zinc and vitamin D are essential for cognitive, behavioral and motor development. Deficiency of any of these micronutrients may affect ASD symptoms.

Objective The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the level of iron, zinc and vitamin D levels in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with normal children and to associate between the deficiency of these nutrient elements and the severity of ASD symptoms, in order to help in improvement of ASD symptoms by supplying the deficient elements.

Patients and …

Different Cohort, Disparate Results: Selection Bias Is A Key Factor In Autopsy Cohorts, Kathryn Gauthreaux, Walter A. Kukull, Karin B. Nelson, Charles Mock, Yen-Chi Chen, Kwun C. G. Chan, David W. Fardo, Yuriko Katsumata, Erin L. Abner, Peter T. Nelson

Neurology Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: Research-oriented autopsy cohorts provide critical insights into dementia pathobiology. However, different studies sometimes report disparate findings, partially because each study has its own recruitment biases. We hypothesized that a straightforward metric, related to the percentage of research volunteers cognitively normal at recruitment, would predict other inter-cohort differences.

METHODS: The National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC) provided data on N = 7178 autopsied participants from 28 individual research centers. Research cohorts were grouped based on the proportion of participants with normal cognition at initial clinical visit.

RESULTS: Cohorts with more participants who were cognitively normal at recruitment contained more individuals who …

Physical, Emotional, And Occupational Dimensions Of Wellness And Their Applicability: A Feasibility Study, Josephine Savitski

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This feasibility study investigates a health and wellness intervention program based on the 7 Dimensions of Wellness framework, emphasizing evidence-based methods, accessibility, and participant independence. The research combines insights from a comprehensive literature review, which explores resources essential for designing, implementing, and executing health literacy based interventions targeting three dimensions of wellness. The study outlines methods for participant selection, program delivery, and data collection, synthesizing existing research and scholarly works to provide insights into effective strategies, educational tools, and interdisciplinary approaches. Despite the absence of statistical analysis, pre- and post-survey results demonstrate positive trends. Reflections on observed outcomes highlight adaptability, …

Infant Molds For Cleft Deformities, Hannah Brunow, Drew Reinbolt, Rhonda Troyer, Christian Miller

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Cleft lip and palate are very common birth defects where the roof of a baby's mouth and lip do not form properly while in the womb. Babies born with cleft lip or palate can undergo surgery after going through a process to make the initial gap smaller through incrementally smaller, retainer-like appliances. We will be trying to find a way to improve the pre-surgery process by implementing 3D printing. We will be performing this research for a craniofacial orthodontist at Akron Children's Hospital. We hope that our success will lead to a decrease in the amount of time spent making …

The Cardiorespiratory Differences Between Physically Trained Vs Untrained Collegiate Competitive Riffle Athletes, Jakob Rankin

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research study will examine the differences in cardiorespiratory response of trained vs untrained physically active collegiate athletes participating in the sport of Competitive Rifle. The goal of this study is to determine how the heart and lungs respond from participation in Competitive Rifle with division one collegiate and intercollegiate club athletes. If successful, this study will help to determine a correlation of athletic performance in the sport of Competitive Rifle and structured physical training. We will also compare the results of males vs females within both division one and club athletes. The final output of this project is to …

Social Determinants Of Health: Evaluation Using Rates Of Vision Screening And Follow-Up Examinations, Madeline Dyer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Vision care is essential to the quality of life of young children, impacting them over the course of their lives. Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) affect the likelihood of a child having access to appropriate care specified by the Bright Futures. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of SDOH on the completion of vision screening and the rate of follow-up with an eye care provider when applicable. In addition, rates of instrument-based vision screening and recommended ophthalmology follow-up were compared with COI, a metric assessing the quality of resources available and the conditions that matter for …

Effects Of Energy Drink Additives On Crayfish Metabolism, Katherine Paltz

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The effects of caffeine and additives commonly found in energy drinks were tested on crayfish to record changes, if any, in their metabolism. Three experimental groups were studied: 1. Caffeine; 2. Caffeine + Glucuronolactone; 3.) Caffeine + Glucuronolactone + Taurine. Caffeine is a common stimulant used to improve mental awareness, headaches, memory, and athletic performance. Glucuronolactone is connected with cardiovascular issues and aggressive behavior. Taurine is said to improve mood and focus. The experiment was performed at two different caffeine levels: 600mg and 1200mg for an initial 1 hour of exposure and 10 hours after exposure used as a pseudo-baseline. …

The Impact Of Different Forms Of Physical Activity On An Athlete's Memory., Hannah Lebeck

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Memory is an integral part of human life, needed for all aspects of daily living, especially for college students. Previous research has shown a plethora of benefits to several systems of the body for those who participate in chronic aerobic activity. This research has shown chronic aerobic physical activity to provide an enhanced memory through numerous physiological adaptations. Studies on chronic anaerobic activity and its effect on the brain are minimal, demanding more research be done. PURPOSE: Determine the effect of aerobic and anaerobic exercise on memory and cognitive function in different classifications of collegiate athletes. METHODS: Study to consist …