Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Liposomal Eribulin (E7389-Lf) Plus Nivolumab: A Potential Treatment Option For Patients With Advanced Gastric Cancer?, Ali Raza Shaikh, Daniel Lin

Jefferson Hospital Staff Papers and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Harnessing The Potential Of Several Local Indonesian Tuber-Derived Starches As Pharmaceutical Excipients, Ronald Horison, Silvia Surini

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

Starch is one of the widely required excipients in pharmaceutical dosage forms manufacturing. Indonesia’s rich biodiversity, encompassing tubers like arrowroot, taro beneng, porang, ganyong and yams, harbours the potential for novel starch excipient sources. These tubers provide starch variations with distinct functional properties influenced by the natural starch granules’ properties and amylose-amylopectin ratio. Previous research utilizing natural and modified starches from these tubers has demonstrated their potential in pharmaceutical formulation. These starch tubers have been studied and provided promising results in tablet formulation and film development. Additionally, they could be involved in developing more advanced dosage forms, such as starch …

Recovery After Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells (Hbm-Mcs)-Derived Extracellular Vesicles (Evs) Treatment In Post-Mcao Rats Requires Repeated Handling, Yolanda Gomez-Galvez, Malvika Gupta, Mandeep Kaur, Salvatore Fusco, Maria Vittoria Podda, Claudio Grassi, Amit K. Srivastava, Lorraine Iacovitti, Elena Blanco-Suarez

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Faculty Papers

Rehabilitation is the only current intervention that improves sensorimotor function in ischemic stroke patients, similar to task-specific intensive training in animal models of stroke. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) are promising in restoring brain damage and function in stroke models. Additionally, the non-invasive intranasal route allows EVs to reach the brain and target specific ischemic regions. Yet unclear is how handling might enhance recovery or influence other therapies such as EVs after stroke. We used the transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model of stroke in rats to assess how intensive handling alone, in the form …

Identification Of New Leads Against Ubiquitin Specific Protease-7 (Usp7): A Step Towards The Potential Treatment Of Cancers, Sumaira Javaid, Seema Zadi, Muhammad Awais, Atai-Tul Wahab, Humaira Zafar, Innokentiy Maslennikov, M. Iqbal Choudhary

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Ubiquitin-specific protease-7 (USP7) is an important drug target as it regulates multiple proteins and genes (such as MDM2 and p53) with roles in cancer progression. Its inhibition can hinder the function of oncogenes, increase tumor suppression, and enhance immune response. The current study was designed to express USP7 in a prokaryotic system, followed by screening of small molecules against it using biophysical methods, primarily STD-NMR technique. Among them, 12 compounds showed interaction with USP7 as inferred from NMR-based screening. These compounds further caused destabilization of USP7 by reducing its melting temperature (T_m) up to 6 °C in …

The Black And African American Connections To Parkinson's Disease (Blaac Pd) Study Protocol, Lana M Chahine, Scott A Norris, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Determining the genetic contributions to Parkinson's disease (PD) across diverse ancestries is a high priority as this work can guide therapeutic development in a global setting. The genetics of PD spans the etiological risk spectrum, from rare, highly deleterious variants linked to monogenic forms with Mendelian patterns of inheritance, to common variation involved in sporadic disease. A major limitation in PD genomics research is lack of racial and ethnic diversity. Enrollment disparities have detrimental consequences on the generalizability of results and exacerbate existing inequities in care. The Black and African American Connections to Parkinson's Disease (BLAAC PD) study is part …

Evaluating A Virtual Facilitation Workshop With Antimicrobial Stewardship Teams Within A Cluster Randomized Stepped-Wedge Trial, Sara Malone, Kelly Bono, Jacqueline M Saito, Shawn Rangel, Jingxia Liu, Jason G Newland, Virginia Mckay

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) often function naturally as facilitators within clinical hospital settings, by working with individuals and teams to reduce unnecessary antibiotics. Within implementation science, facilitation has been studied and evaluated as an implementation strategy that can accelerate and improve fidelity to implementation efforts. This study describes a novel, virtual facilitation strategy developed and served as an intervention within the optimizing perioperative antibiotics for children trial (OPERATIC trial). This paper: (1) describes ASP team's preferences for and use of a facilitation workshop and (2) describes sustained use of facilitation skills throughout the study period.

METHODS: Study participants included …

10.21.2024 Orsp Connect, Liz Williamson

ORED Newsletter

Jerry Martin

NIH Grants Process Primer Training

Nature Masterclasses Writing a Review Paper Course

Utility Of The Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening In Military Medicine: A Systematic Review, Carrie W. Hoppes, Tomas Garcia De La Huerta, Stefanie Faull, Margaret Weightman, Margaret Stojak, Leland E. Dibble, Ryan Pelo, Peter C. Fino, Holly Richard, Mark E. Lester, Laurie A. King

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Introduction

The Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS) was created as a brief clinical screening tool for identifying vestibular and ocular motor symptoms and impairments post-concussion. It was found to have predictive validity in correctly identifying concussed athletes from healthy controls. In 2018, the Military Acute Concussion Evaluation 2 (MACE2) replaced the original Military Acute Concussion Evaluation (MACE); the most prominent change between the MACE and MACE2 was the addition of the VOMS. Despite its adoption into military medicine, it is not known if the addition of the VOMS to the MACE2 is acutely helpful, and if it provides additional information for …

Current Understanding Of The Impact Of United States Military Airborne Hazards And Burn Pit Exposures On Respiratory Health, Janeen Trembley, Paul Barach, Julie Tomáška, Jedidah Poole, Pamela Ginex, Robert Miller, Jacob Lindheimer, Anthony Szema, Kimberly Gandy, Trishul Siddharthan, Jason Kirkness, Joshua Nixon, Rosie Lopez Torres, Mark Klein, Timothy Nurkiewicz, Tammy Butterick

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Millions of United States (U.S.) troops deployed to the Middle East and Southwest Asia were exposed to toxic airborne hazards and/or open-air burn pits. Burn pit emissions contain particulate matter combined with toxic gasses and heavy metals. Ongoing research has demonstrated that exposures to the airborne hazards from military burn pits have profound and lasting health and wellness consequences. Research on the long-term health consequences of exposure to open burn pits has been limited. Work continues to understand the scope of the health impacts and the underlying pathobiology following exposures and to establish care standards. The U.S. Sergeant First Class …

Sexual Dimorphism In Impairment Of Acetylcholine-Mediated Vasorelaxation In Zucker Diabetic Fatty (Zdf) Rat Aorta: A Monogenic Model Of Obesity-Induced Type 2 Diabetes, Rifat A. Islam, Xiaoyuan Han, Sonali Shaligram, Mitra Esfandiarei, John N. Stallone, Roshanak Rahimian

Pacific Faculty Work

Several reports, including our previous studies, indicate that hyperglycemia and diabetes mellitus exert differential effects on vascular function in males and females. This study examines sex differences in the vascular effects of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in an established monogenic model of obesity-induced T2D, Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) rats. Acetylcholine (ACh) responses were assessed in phenylephrine pre-contracted rings before and after apocynin, a NADPH oxidase (NOX) inhibitor. The mRNA expressions of aortic endothelial NOS (eNOS), and key NOX isoforms were also measured. We demonstrated the following: (1) diabetes had contrasting effects on aortic vasorelaxation in ZDF rats, impairing relaxation to …

Α4 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors In Lipopolysaccharide-Related Lung Inflammation, J. Ritzenthaler, Walter H. Watson, Jesse Roman

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Faculty Papers

Sepsis remains an important healthcare challenge. The lungs are often affected in sepsis, resulting in acute lung injury characterized by inflammation. Mechanisms involving lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation of toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling with induction of proinflammatory pathways have been implicated in this process. To date, however, studies targeting these pathways have failed to improve outcomes. We have found that LPS may also promote lung injury through the activation of α4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α4 nAChRs) in immune cells. We observed increased expression of α4 nAChRs in human THP-1 monocytic cells exposed to LPS (100 ng/mL, 24 h). We also observed that …

Comments On The Paper “Data-Driven Gating (Ddg)-Based Motion Match For Improved Ctac Registration Ejnmmi Physics 2024; 11(1):42”, Tinsu Pan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Misregistration between CT and PET in PET/CT is mainly caused by respiratory motion or irregular respiration during the CT scan in PET/CT. Other than repeat CT, repeat PET/CT, or data-driven gated (DDG) CT, there is no practical approach to mitigate the misregistration artifacts and subsequent CT attenuation correction (CTAC) of the PET data. DDG PET derives a respiratory motion model based on the multiple phases of PET images without hardware gating and it allows for a potential correction of the misregistration artifacts based on the respiratory motion model. The purpose of this commentary was to compare the recent two publications …

The Black And African American Connections To Parkinson’S Disease (Blaac Pd) Study Protocol, Lana M Chahine, Naomi Louie, J Solle, Fulya Akçimen, Andrew Ameri, Samantha Augenbraun, Sabrina Avripas, Sarah Breaux, Christopher Causey, Shivika Chandra, Marissa Dean, Elizabeth A Disbrow, Lauren Fanty, Jessica Fernandez, Erin R Foster, Erin Furr Stimming, Deborah Hall, Vanessa Hinson, Ashani Johnson-Turbes, Cabell Jonas, Camilla Kilbane, Scott A Norris, Bao-Tran Nguyen, Mahesh Padmanaban, Kimberly Paquette, Carly Parry, Natalia Pessoa Rocha, Ashley Rawls, Ejaz A Shamim, Lisa M Shulman, Rebeka Sipma, Julia Staisch, Rami Traurig, Rainer Von Coelln, Peter Wild Crea, Tao Xie, Zih-Hua Fang, Alyssa O'Grady, Catherine M Kopil, Maggie Mcguire Kuhl, Andrew Singleton, Cornelis Blauwendraat, Sara Bandres-Ciga

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Determining the genetic contributions to Parkinson's disease (PD) across diverse ancestries is a high priority as this work can guide therapeutic development in a global setting. The genetics of PD spans the etiological risk spectrum, from rare, highly deleterious variants linked to monogenic forms with Mendelian patterns of inheritance, to common variation involved in sporadic disease. A major limitation in PD genomics research is lack of racial and ethnic diversity. Enrollment disparities have detrimental consequences on the generalizability of results and exacerbate existing inequities in care. The Black and African American Connections to Parkinson's Disease (BLAAC PD) study is part …

Endovascular Therapy Versus Medical Management In Isolated Posterior Cerebral Artery Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Multinational Multicenter Propensity Score-Weighted Study, Hamza Adel Salim, Benjamin Pulli, Vivek Yedavalli, Basel Musmar, Nimer Adeeb, Dhairya Lakhani, Muhammed Amir Essibayi, Kareem El Naamani, Nils Henninger, Sri Hari Sundararajan, Anna Luisa Kühn, Jane Khalife, Sherief Ghozy, Luca Scarcia, Inayat Grewal, Benjamin Yq Tan, Robert W Regenhardt, Jeremy J Heit, Nicole M Cancelliere, Joshua D Bernstock, Aymeric Rouchaud, Jens Fiehler, Sunil Sheth, Ajit S Puri, Christian Dyzmann, Marco Colasurdo, Xavier Barreau, Leonardo Renieri, João Pedro Filipe, Pablo Harker, Răzvan Alexandru Radu, Mohamad Abdalkader, Piers Klein, Thomas R Marotta, Julian Spears, Takahiro Ota, Ashkan Mowla, Pascal Jabbour, Arundhati Biswas, Frédéric Clarençon, James E Siegler, Thanh N Nguyen, Ricardo Varela, Amanda Baker, David Altschul, Nestor R Gonzalez, Markus A Möhlenbruch, Vincent Costalat, Benjamin Gory, Christian Paul Stracke, Mohammad Ali Aziz-Sultan, Constantin Hecker, Hamza Shaikh, Christoph J Griessenauer, David S Liebeskind, Alessandro Pedicelli, Andrea M Alexandre, Illario Tancredi, Tobias D Faizy, Erwah Kalsoum, Boris Lubicz, Aman B Patel, Vitor Mendes Pereira, Max Wintermark, Adrien Guenego, Adam A Dmytriw

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Despite the proven effectiveness of endovascular therapy (EVT) in acute ischemic strokes (AIS) involving anterior circulation large vessel occlusions, isolated posterior cerebral artery (PCA) occlusions (iPCAo) remain underexplored in clinical trials. This study investigates the comparative effectiveness and safety of EVT against medical management (MM) in patients with iPCAo.

Methods: This multinational, multicenter propensity score-weighted study analyzed data from the Multicenter Analysis of primary Distal medium vessel occlusions: effect of Mechanical Thrombectomy (MAD-MT) registry, involving 37 centers across North America, Asia, and Europe. We included iPCAo patients treated with either EVT or MM. The primary outcome was the modified …

Micrornas Are Enriched At Covid-19 Genomic Risk Regions, And Their Blood Levels Correlate With The Covid-19 Prognosis Of Cancer Patients Infected By Sars-Cov-2, Simone Anfossi, Faezeh Darbaniyan, Joseph Quinlan, Steliana Calin, Masayoshi Shimizu, Meng Chen, Paola Rausseo, Michael Winters, Elena Bogatenkova, Kim-Anh Do, Ivan Martinez, Ziyi Li, Loredana Antal, Tudor Rares Olariu, Ignacio Wistuba, George A Calin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Cancer patients are more susceptible to an aggressive course of COVID-19. Developing biomarkers identifying cancer patients at high risk of COVID-19-related death could help determine who needs early clinical intervention. The miRNAs hosted in the genomic regions associated with the risk of aggressive COVID-19 could represent potential biomarkers for clinical outcomes.

Patients and methods: Plasma samples were collected at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from cancer patients (N = 128) affected by COVID-19. Serum samples were collected from vaccinated healthy individuals (n = 23) at the Municipal Clinical Emergency Teaching Hospital in Timisoara, Romania. An in …

Racial Variability In Immune Responses Only Partially Explains Differential Systemic Sclerosis Disease Severity, Kamini E Kuchinad, Ji Soo Kim, Adrianne Woods, Gwen Leatherman, Laura Gutierrez-Alamillo, Maureen D Mayes, Robyn Domsic, Paula S Ramos, Richard M Silver, John Varga, Lesley Ann Saketkoo, Suzanne Kafaja, Victoria K Shanmugan, Jessica Gordon, Lorinda Chung, Elana J Bernstein, Pravitt Gourh, Francesco Boin, Daniel L Kastner, Scott L Zeger, Livia Casciola-Rosen, Fredrick M Wigley, Ami A Shah

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To understand if autoantibodies account for racial variation in disease severity, we compared autoantibody distribution and associated phenotype between self-identified black and white systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients.

Methods: 803 black and 2178 white SSc patients had systematic testing for autoantibodies using Euroimmun (centromere (ACA), RNA-polymerase III (POLR3), Scl70, PM/Scl, NOR90, Th/To, Ku, U3RNP and Ro52) and commercial ELISA (U1RNP). In this observational study, logistic regression was performed to assess the association between self-identified race and outcomes, adjusting for autoantibodies. To estimate whether the effect of race was mediated by autoantibody status, race coefficients from multivariate models including and excluding …

Optimizing Niclosamide For Cancer Therapy: Improving Bioavailability Via Structural Modification And Nanotechnology, Russell Wiggins, Jihoo Woo, Shizue Mito

School of Medicine Publications

Niclosamide, a drug originally used to treat parasitic infections, has shown potential as a possible cancer treatment, but poor absorptive and solubility properties are believed to limit its effectiveness. Researchers are exploring modified structures of the drug along with advanced delivery methods, particularly nanotechnology, to improve niclosamide’s absorption profile and improve its specificity in regard to targeting cancerous cells. These efforts intend to produce more effective tumor-targeting compounds, which can be employed as pharmacological cancer treatment options when appropriate. If successful, these efforts will provide new tools for scientists and doctors, offering a novel approach regarding the treatment of a …

Temporal Variations In And Predictive Values Of Abg Results Prior To In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest, Mina Attin, Jie Rin, Chad Cross, Sidath Kapukotuwa, Ryan Shao, Peter G. Kaufmann, C.D. (Joey) Lin, Kim Arcoleo

Nursing Faculty Research

In-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) has been understudied relative to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Further, studies of IHCA have mainly focused on a limited number of pre-arrest patient characteristics (e.g., demographics, number and types of comorbidities). Arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis, one of the most common diagnostic tests for assessing and managing critically or acutely ill hospitalized patients, reflects pathophysiological changes associated with adverse events or complications, including IHCA. Yet the predictive and prognostic values of patterns of pre-arrest ABG parameters for IHCA have not been fully studied. The purpose of this retrospective pilot cohort study was to investigate temporal variations in …

Perioperative Chemoimmunotherapy Induces Strong Immune Responses And Long-Term Survival In Patients With Hla Class I-Deficient Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Marta Molina-Alejandre, Francisco Perea, Virginia Calvo, Cristina Martinez-Toledo, Ernest Nadal, Belén Sierra-Rodero, Marta Casarrubios, Joaquín Casal-Rubio, Alex Martinez-Martí, Amelia Insa, Bartomeu Massuti, Santiago Viteri, Isidoro Barneto Aranda, Delvys Rodriguez-Abreu, Javier De Castro, Joaquín Mosquera Martínez, Manuel Cobo, Ignacio I Wistuba, Edwin R Parra, Javier Martín-López, Diego Megías, Rafael Muñoz-Viana, Federico Garrido, Natalia Aptsiauri, Francisco Ruiz-Cabello, Mariano Provencio, Alberto Cruz-Bermúdez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Loss of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I expression and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) are common events implicated in the primary resistance of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to immunotherapy. However, there is no data on perioperative chemoimmunotherapy (ChIO) efficacy or response mechanisms in the context of HLA class I defects.

METHODS: Baseline HLA class I tumor status (HLA-deficient (HLA-DEF) or HLA-proficient (HLA-PRO)) was determined by DNA LOH combined with immunohistochemistry for protein levels in tissue of 24 patients with NSCLC treated with perioperative nivolumab plus chemotherapy from NADIM trial (NCT03081689). We integrated HLA tumor status with molecular data …

Estrogen Plus Progestin And Colorectal Cancer: Long-Term Findings From The Women's Health Initiative Randomized Clinical Trial, Rowan T Chlebowski, Aaron K Aragaki, Kathy Pan, Juhua Luo, Thomas E Rohan, Karen C Johnson, Jean Wactawski-Wende, Su Yon Jung, Qian Xiao, Sayeh Lavasani, Joann E Manson, Michael S Simon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We report long-term colorectal cancer findings from the Women’s Health Initiative trial where 16,608 postmenopausal women with a uterus were randomized to daily conjugated equine estrogen (CEE) 0.625 mg, plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) 2.5 mg, or placebo. When intervention ended after 5.6-years, while there were 44% fewer colorectal cancers in the intervention group (43 vs 72, P = 0.003), the cancers more commonly were lymph node positive (59.0% vs 29.4%, P = 0.003). Now after cumulative 24-year follow-up, with 431 breast cancers, CEE plus MPA no longer influenced colorectal cancer incidence (215 [0.15, annualized rate %] vs 216 [0.15], HR …

Analisis Aktivitas Fisik Pekerja Mal Pelayanan Publik Kota Cilegon, Muhammad Syifa Abdy Mulya, Indri Hapsari Hapsari Susilowati

National Journal of Occupational Health and Safety

Physical activity is important because it has so many benefits. Even so, there are still many workers who are exposed to the risk of lack of physical activity. For this reason, it is necessary to know what affects the implementation of physical activity in workers. Quantitative design was used with a cross sectional study on 58 Cilegon Public Service Mall workers who met the criteria. As a result, 65.5% of workers are classified as active, 34.5% of workers are inactive and 12% of workers do not carry out any physical activity at all. Level of education (p value = 0.005), …

Apixaban Versus Enoxaparin To Prevent Venous Thromboembolism In Post-Operative Patients With Gynecologic Cancers At An Urban Academic Medical Center, Victoria Diamond, Katherine Gerber, Geno J. Merli, Rebecca J. Mercier, Aaron Shafer, Norman G. Rosenblum

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: A recent clinical trial demonstrated that the use of apixaban was safe and equal to enoxaparin (LMWH) in post-operative gynecologic oncology patients. This study aimed to determine if these findings are applicable in a diverse patient population at a single site urban academic medical center.

METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent an exploratory laparotomy for confirmed or presumed gynecologic cancer from the years 2017-2023 at a single-site urban academic medical center. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis with LMWH was standard practice at our institution up until January 2021 after which apixaban became standard for post-operative …

Curcumin Attenuates Smoking And Drinking Activated Nf-Κb/Il-6 Inflammatory Signaling Axis In Cervical Cancer, Vivek Kashyap, Prashanth K. B. Nagesh, Ajay K. Singh, Andrew Massey, Godwin P. Darkwah, Aaron George, Sheema Khan, Bilal Hafeez, Nadeem Zafar, Murali Yallapu, Meena Jaggi, Subhash Chauhan

School of Medicine Publications

Background

High-risk strains of HPV are known to cause cervical cancer. Multiple clinical studies have emphasized that smoking and drinking are critical risk factors for cervical cancer and its high-grade precursors. In this study, we investigated if smoking and/or drinking augment the molecular mechanisms of cervical carcinogenesis and defined a potential therapeutic approach for their attenuation.

Methods

The impact of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and/or ethanol (EtOH) exposure on cervical cancer cells was assessed by measuring changes in their cell migration and invasion characteristics. Expression of HPV16 E6/E7, NF-κB, cytokines, and inflammation mediators was determined using qRT-PCR, immunoblotting, ELISA, luciferase reporter assay, …

Editorial: Exploring The Potential Of Nanobiomaterials In Biomedical Engineering: Assessing Biocompatibility, Toxicity, And Future Prospects, Narsimha Mamidi, Ebrahim Mostafavi, Murali M. Yallapu

School of Medicine Publications

No abstract provided.

Reviewer Acknowledgements, Randy Wykoff, Emily Wilson

Journal of Appalachian Health

We at the Journal of Appalachian Health would like to thank the multitude of reviewers who have volunteered their time, talents, and attention to the journal. Reviewers help us consider the rigor and quality of the submissions we receive, and their willingness to read material ahead of publication ensures we can bring timely research to our readers in Appalachia and further afield.

Impacts Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Intimate Partner Violence And Child Maltreatment Services In Rural Northwest North Carolina, Elisabeth G. Galphin, Adam Hege, Amy Dellinger Page

Journal of Appalachian Health

The current study examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on IPV and child maltreatment services in rural northwestern North Carolina. Qualitative interviews were conducted with eight professionals representing six service organizations across four counties. The findings highlighted challenges these agencies faced throughout the pandemic, new risks for the clients served, and positive outcomes. In addition, it has been a useful learning experience as public health and social service agencies learn to serve their communities more effectively moving forward. This is especially relevant for rural communities, as it has put public health preparedness at the forefront.

Assessing Chronic Pain Among Adults Diagnosed With Diabetes Residing In Rural Appalachia, Brittany L. Smalls, Adebola Adegboyega, Courtney Ortz, Ellen Combs, Md. Tofial Azam, Philip M. Westgate, Nancy Schoenberg

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Appalachian populations have some of the highest rates of overdose and comorbidity, all of which are considered risk factors for and contributors to chronic pain.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of comorbidity, disability (physical limitations), and depression with chronic pain among a community-based sample of Appalachian adults living with diabetes.

Methods: This study used baseline data to conduct a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data (n=356). Data included sociodemographic, disability (physical limitations), chronic pain, and depression measures. These data were collected and analyzed from 2017–2019. Multiple logistic regression was used to investigate the association …

The Impact Of Primary Care Physician Capacity On Preventable Hospitalizations: Identifying Bright Spots In The Appalachian & Mississippi Delta Regions, Michael Topmiller, Peter J. Mallow, Hoon Byun, Mark Carrozza, Yalda Jabbarpour

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Several studies have documented that higher rates of primary care physicians are associated with lower rates of preventable hospitalizations. Counties with higher rates of preventable hospitalizations are found in the Appalachian and Mississippi (MS) Delta Regions.

Purpose: (1) To determine if the association of primary care capacity with preventable hospitalizations is different in the Appalachian and MS Delta regions compared to the rest of the U.S., and (2) to explore primary care capacity in counties with lower-than-expected preventable hospitalization rates.

Methods: This study modeled preventable hospitalizations with primary care physicians (PCP) per 100,000 (PCP capacity) while controlling for several …

Psychosocial Factors, Stress And Sleep Among Rural Appalachian Kentucky Residents With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Blake Dipaola, Zoe Taylor, Eric Hennemann, Brittany L. Smalls, Philip M. Westgate, Nancy Schoenberg

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Rural Appalachian residents experience higher rates of most chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Stress and sleep deficiency also are common in the region.

Purpose: To better understand these associated health burdens, the relationship among these conditions and psychosocial factors—such as depressive symptoms, distress, empowerment, and social support—was examined among Appalachian residents with T2DM.

Methods: Using data collected from a community-based sample of Appalachian adults with T2DM, the study examined whether psychosocial factors were associated with perceived stress (Cohen Perceived Stress Scale) and self-reported sleep deficiency (Epworth Sleepiness Scale). Multilevel linear mixed effects regression modeling was used …

Nutrition Education Needs And Barriers Of Uninsured Clients Who Utilize Free Clinics In Western North Carolina, Manan Roy, Alisha Farris, Erin Loy, Lauren Sastre, Danielle L. Nunnery

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Many uninsured adults rely on free health clinics for prevention and treatment of chronic disease. Little is known about the nutrition education needs of adults served by free health clinics, especially those living in counties within the Western North Carolina Appalachian Mountain Region.

Methods: An in-person survey was distributed to 202 clients of two free health clinics in western North Carolina. Descriptive analyses were conducted to determine frequency distributions for food and physical activity practices, acceptable topics and strategies for nutrition education, and the acceptance and barriers for various modalities.

Results: Depending on the clinic, 49-58% of participants were …