Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Creating A Social Communication Module For Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Erin Walton

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Research (Hales, Carroll, Fryar, & Ogden, 2017) shows that those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience poorer physical health and fewer opportunities for social interactions than typically developing peers. As the prevalence of ASD increases, it is essential to consider effective interventions that target multiple skill areas for individuals seeking therapy. Youth ages 9 to 17 with ASD may experience physical health and social communication benefits from the implementation of a social communication curriculum module that could potentially be incorporated with Bingocize®, an online application that incorporates bingo with physical exercise, as well as educational content. Social communication educational …

Impact Of Geographic Location And Social Determinants Of Health On Lung Cancer Incidence And Mortality Rates, Katherine Ashley

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This paper studies the effect of geographic location and socioeconomic status, specifically level of education and income, on rates of incidence and mortality of lung and bronchus cancer. While some prior studies have focused on socioeconomic status’ and global geographic location’s impact on these rates, few have focused on the impact in Appalachian Kentucky and non-Appalachian Kentucky. In this paper, level of education and income are controlled for using four variables: median household income, percentage of persons in poverty, percentage of high school graduates or higher who are at least 25, and percentage of persons with a bachelor’s degree or …

A Study Of Kindergarten Language Screening Performance Across Schools With Variable Demographic Compositions, Baylee Lackey

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The Quick Interactive Language Screener (QUILS) for language impairment was designed and normed for children of diverse backgrounds. This study examined the utility of the QUILS in a diverse school district by comparing failure rates across five elementary schools. Schools varied in racial composition (non-White range: 20.45 – 80%) and socioeconomic status (free/reduced lunch qualified range: 35.35 – 100%). Among 321 currently-enrolled kindergartners, 272 completed the QUILS. Using author recommendations for kindergarten-aged cutoff scores, the district-wide screening failure rate for primarily monolingual English speakers (n = 212; via parent questionnaire) was 16.51% (range: 7.69 – 34.29% per school). Failure rates …

The Role Of Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier 1 (Mpc1) In Heart Failure And Its Implications For Cardiac Recovery, Obadiah Issachar Kirk

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Heart failure (HF) is a complex syndrome with high mortality rates around the world. HF also has diverse etiology as many things contribute such as hypertension, obesity, coronary artery disease, inflammation, and cardiac arrhythmias. Studies have shown that unloading of a failing heart with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) can lead to cardiac recovery in a subpopulation of individuals with advanced HF. RNA-sequencing and protein expression analysis of myocardial tissue from HF patients who underwent the LVAD implant and heart transplant indicated that subpopulation of HF patients who responded to LVAD unloading had significantly lower levels of mitochondrial pyruvate …

Technology In Healthcare: How Artificial Intelligence Will Revolutionize The Profession, Ashley L. Mccowan

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

The topic of artificial intelligence is a hot topic in the U.S. healthcare system and despite some uncertainties, continues to be increasingly integrated into healthcare delivery. Artificial intelligence can be used for different purposes including but not limited to data storage, decision making and image analysis. Critics of artificial intelligence in healthcare are skeptical of its ability to provide security of medical information and afraid that it will eventually replace the need for human healthcare workers. Although the critics skepticisms seem rational, further research of artificial intelligence in healthcare shows that those fears are not based on fact. Artificial intelligence …

Side Effects And Efficacy Of Isotretinoin In College Students, Brittany Smith

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Acne vulgaris is a serious disease that can have serious consequences for the person who has the condition. Acne can occur on the face, chest, back, and among other locations on the body. Its pathogenesis is complex and has many factors. Ahmad (2015), states acne involves abnormal keratinization, hormonal dysfunction and immune hypersensitivity. This condition can range from mild, moderate, or severe. Acne can be debilitating to the person who is struggling with it. Acne can occur at any age, but it is seen more often in adolescents. According to Marron, Tomas-Aragones, and Boira (2013), acne is prevalent in up …

Immunologic Analysis Of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer In People Living With Hiv, Ramsey Yusuf

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Among people living with HIV (PLWH), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has emerged as the most common non-AIDS defining cancer and a leading cause of death. PLWH with NSCLC are diagnosed at younger ages and demonstrate worse outcomes compared to the general population. Global immune dysregulation in the setting of HIV infection may account for these disparities, however little is known about the immunobiology of HIV-associated NSCLC. The goal of this study was to investigate the clinical and pathology of NSCLC in PLWH. This retrospective cohort study examined HIV-associated and uninfected NSCLC cases within Yale-New Haven Hospital between 2000-2016. Medical …

Maternal Anxiety And Neural Responses To Infant Cues, Emily Vancor

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Maternal anxiety is highly prevalent during pregnancy and the postpartum period and is associated with disruptions to children’s socioemotional development. These long-term outcomes are thought to be mediated in part by anxiety’s effects on parenting and parental sensitivity to infant cues. Recent event-related potential (ERP) studies have found a positive association between generalized anxiety symptoms during the perinatal time and enhanced sustained processing of neutral infant faces. It has been suggested that for perinatal women with anxiety, the uncertainty of how an infant with a neutral expression may be feeling could be experienced as distressing, leading to enhanced sustained neural …

Graduate Medical Education Annual Report 2019-2020, Children's Mercy Hospital

GME Annual Reports

Annual report of the Children's Mercy Hospital Graduate Medical Education department, including pediatric residency, internal medicine/pediatrics residency, fellowship programs, medical students, continuing medical education, and library services.

Ddx 2.0: Efficacy Of A Differential Diagnosis Course For Ms3s Considering Primary Care And Non-Primary Care Specialties, Maya V. Prabhu

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Objective: To assess if medical students interested in pursuing a primary care specialty are more receptive and have a more positive attitude towards formulating differential diagnoses (DDx) using metamemory techniques (MMTs). Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of data obtained from 113 MS3 students from the Boonshoft School of Medicine. Students generated timed DDx for a clinical case before and after an instructional didactic session about MMTs. Demographic data (including intended medical specialty and attitudes towards the overall process) were collected. Paired t-test compared screened and unscreened DDx before and after the intervention. Mixed-repeated measures ANOVA compared pre- and post- intervention screened and …

Depression And Disability In The United States, Colleen Pennington

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Objective: To compare the prevalence of cognitive disabilities, mobility disabilities, and depression rates by varying categories including U.S. State, gender, and region. Methods: Data was obtained from the CDC Wonder data set for the prevalence of cognitive and mobility disabilities from the U.S. states for the years 2017-2018. Data was also obtained from the CDC for incidence of depression among the general population and those identifying with any disability. Data was analyzed with ANOVA and t-tests using SPSS. Results: Results reveal a significant difference in disability type and gender throughout the United States. There is also a significant difference in …

Differences In Social Determinants Of Health Between Rural And Urban Counties Of Ohio, Megan E. Luft

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate any possible differences in social determinants of health between rural and urban counties of Ohio and how the determinants relate to each other. Methods: All data for each variable (percentage of population who have some college education, food insecurity rate, number of primary care physicians per population, average mentally unhealthy days for adults in a month, drug overdose death rate, life expectancy, and child poverty rate) was collected through County Health Rankings and Roadmaps from either statewide or nationwide programs through different studies and surveys from 2013-2017. I utilized descriptive statistics, …

The Effects Of Daily Sunlight Levels On Suicide Rates, Amna Amin

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

The correlation between sunlight and mental health has been long studied and is even involved in the development of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), with subsequent development of light therapy for affected individuals. This points towards the question of the effects of varying levels of daily sunlight in the United States on rates of suicide – a reflection of the extreme state of suboptimal mental health. I have ventured to study this question, using publicly available data on the daily sunlight levels in various states in the U.S. during each month of the year and the rates of suicide in those …

The Relationship Between Asthma, Race & Fine Particulate Matter In The United States, Samantha Mcknight

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Objective: To assess how environment and race may impact childhood asthma prevalence. Methods: I analyzed data from CDC WONDER (www.wonder.cdc.gov). I performed descriptive statistics on average fine particulate matter for various states, as well as descriptive statistics on childhood asthma prevalence for various states. I determined if there was a correlation between states with higher prevalence of childhood asthma and states with higher levels of fine particulate matter using Pearson correlation. I used ANOVA with post hoc test to determine childhood asthma prevalence based on race/ ethnicity in the various states.

Results: The mean fine particulate matter in the 49 …

The Relationship Between Upstream Variables And Diabetes In Ohio, Brenna Lammers

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Chronic illness is a significant contributor to disease burden in the US. Among these chronic conditions, diabetes is one of the most prevalent. Knowing the relationships between various factors and the prevalence of diabetes would be beneficial to creating targeted approaches to address this major public health problem. Therefore, the objective of this project was to elucidate the relationship between social determinants of health (unemployment, food environment index, and access to exercise opportunities) and access to care variables (ratio of population to primary care physicians and percent uninsured) with prevalence of diabetes by county in Ohio. This was done through …

Investigating Gray And White Matter Microstructure In Parkinson Disease Patients Using Diffusion Weighted Imaging, Wafaa Sweidan

Wayne State University Dissertations

Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized histologically by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN), and clinically by motor symptoms. PD pathology extends beyond the SN, and involves the presence of intraneuronal inclusions in neuronal bodies (Lewy bodies) and dendrites (Lewy dendrites). A staging system for Lewy pathology has been proposed, where it is hypothesized that the disease initiates in the peripheral nerves system and spreads along a caudal-rostral pathway to the brain stem and the cerebral cortex. Histological and imaging studies highlight a role for cortical Lewy pathology and atrophy, respectively, in mediating the …

A Geostatistical Study Of Socioeconomic Status (Ses), Rurality, Seasonality And Index Test Results As Drivers Of Free Private Groundwater Testing In Southern Ontario, 2012–2016, Shahryar Qayyum, Paul Hynds, Harriet Richardson, Kevin Mcdermott, Anna Majury

Articles

Approximately 12% of the Canadian population uses private wells for daily water consumption; however, well water testing rates are on the decline, resulting in an increased risk of waterborne acute gastrointestinal illness. To date, limited research has explored the determinants influencing well testing practices. Accordingly, the current study sought to investigate the drivers of “one-off” and repeat well water testing in southern Ontario during the 5-year period 2012–2016, using the worlds largest private groundwater testing data-frame. Data from >400,000 wells were geospatially integrated with all tests conducted by the provincial laboratory in southern Ontario. The Ontario Marginalization Index (ON-Marg) was …

Blood Eosinophil Counts In Clinical Trials For Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Dave Singh, Mona Bafadhel, Christopher E. Brightling, Frank C. Sciurba, Jeffrey L. Curtis, Fernando J. Martinez, Cara B. Pasquale, Debora D. Merrill, Norbert Metzdorf, Stefano Petruzzelli, Ruth Tal-Singer, Christopher Compton, Stephen I. Rennard, Ubaldo J. Martin

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

No abstract provided.

Heme Metabolism Genes Downregulated In Copd Cachexia, Ava C. Wilson, Preeti L. Kumar, Sool Lee, Margaret M. Parker, Itika Arora, Jarrett D. Morrow, Emiel F.M. Wouters, Richard Casaburi, Stephen I. Rennard, David A. Lomas, Alvar Agusti, Ruth Tal-Singer, Mark T. Dransfield, J. Michael Wells, Surya P. Bhatt, George Washko, Victor J. Thannickal, Hemant K. Tiwari, Craig P. Hersh, Peter J. Castaldi, Edwin K. Silverman, Merry-Lynn N. Mcdonald

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

INTRODUCTION: Cachexia contributes to increased mortality and reduced quality of life in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and may be associated with underlying gene expression changes. Our goal was to identify differential gene expression signatures associated with COPD cachexia in current and former smokers.

METHODS: We analyzed whole-blood gene expression data from participants with COPD in a discovery cohort (COPDGene, N = 400) and assessed replication (ECLIPSE, N = 114). To approximate the consensus definition using available criteria, cachexia was defined as weight-loss > 5% in the past 12 months or low body mass index (BMI) (<  20 kg/m

RESULTS: The prevalence of …

Machine Learning-Based Automated Phenotyping Of Inflammatory Nocifensive Behavior In Mice., Janine M Wotton, Emma Peterson, Laura C. Anderson, Stephen A Murray, Robert E Braun, Elissa J Chesler, Jacqueline K White, Vivek Kumar

Faculty Research 2020

The discovery and development of new and potentially nonaddictive pain therapeutics requires rapid, yet clinically relevant assays of nociception in preclinical models. A reliable and scalable automated scoring system for nocifensive behavior of mice in the formalin assay would dramatically lower the time and labor costs associated with experiments and reduce experimental variability. Here, we present a method that exploits machine learning techniques for video recordings that consists of three components: key point detection, per frame feature extraction using these key points, and classification of behavior using the GentleBoost algorithm. This approach to automation is flexible as different model classifiers …

Improving The Evaluation Of Copd Exacerbation Treatment Effects By Accounting For Early Treatment Discontinuations: A Post-Hoc Analysis Of Randomized Clinical Trials., Agnieszka Król, Robert Palmér, Virginie Rondeau, Stephen I. Rennard, Ulf G. Eriksson, Alexandra Jauhiainen

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) clinical trials aimed at evaluating treatment effects on exacerbations often suffer from early discontinuations of randomized treatment. Treatment discontinuations imply a loss of information and should ideally be considered in the statistical analysis of trial results, particularly if the discontinuations are related to the disease or treatment itself. Here, we explore this issue by investigating (1) whether there exists an association between the risks of exacerbation and treatment discontinuation in COPD clinical trials and (2) whether disregarding this association can cause bias in exacerbation treatment effect estimates. We focus on the hypothetical estimand, i.e. …

Agonist-Specific Desensitization Of Pge2-Stimulated Camp Signaling Due To Upregulated Phosphodiesterase Expression In Human Lung Fibroblasts, Francisco J. Nunez, Nancy Schulte, David M. Fogel, Joel Michalski, Stephen I. Rennard, Raymond B. Penn, Myron L. Toews, Rennolds S. Ostrom

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

Pulmonary fibrosis is characterized by fibroblasts persisting in an activated form, producing excessive fibrous material that destroys alveolar structure. The second messenger molecule cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) has antifibrotic properties, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) can stimulate cAMP production through prostaglandin E (EP)2 and EP4 receptors. Although EP receptors are attractive therapeutic targets, the effects of long-term exposure to PGE2 have not been characterized. To determine the effects of long-term exposure of lung fibroblasts to PGE2, human fetal lung (HFL)-1 cells were treated for 24 h with 100 nM PGE2 or other cAMP-elevating agents. cAMP levels stimulated by acute exposure to …

Myrf Represses Nodal Signaling Via Furin During Left-Right Patterning And Gastrulation, Sarah Amalraj

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common major birth defect in children, affecting nearly 3% of children and is the leading cause of infant mortality. Heterotaxy (Htx) is a disorder of left-right (LR) patterning, in which organs, including the heart, are mispatterned relative to the LR axis. Htx is associated with severe forms of CHD, but its genetic causes remain largely undefined. Exome sequencing studies of large patient cohorts have recently revealed hundreds of CHD/Htx candidate disease genes, which now need to be validated in experimental systems for causality in order to better understand the causes and biological mechanisms …

Campus Map: Online Learning Spaces For Commuters, Sacred Heart University

University Briefings & Virtual Events

Sacred Heart has numerous outdoor spaces and informal places to study in our buildings. However, to provide additional options for learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have identified four areas throughout our campuses where students may choose to participate in online learning.

St. Vincent’S College, Sacred Heart University Student Guide 2020-2021 Edition, Sacred Heart University

Handbooks & Factbooks

The Student Guide is the official student handbook and provides essential St. Vincent’s College policies and procedures for academic progression and graduation. This guide is intended to supplement the University Catalog and provide information specific to our programs. All students are expected to review and abide by the current Student Guide.

Allergic Reaction In Hem/Onc Patient, Children's Mercy Kansas City

Clinical Pathways (Formally Known As Care Process Models)

No abstract provided.

Fostering Trauma-Informed Schools By Considering The Experiences Of Teachers In Working With Trauma-Exposed Students, Allison A. Stiles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High rates of trauma exposure among youth in the United States and the detrimental effects of trauma on students’ psychosocial and academic outcomes are well-established. Such findings have engendered the emergence of trauma-informed schools across the nation. While research regarding trauma-informed schools has understandably focused on the needs of students, shockingly little is known about teachers’ experiences in working with trauma-exposed students. In particular, very few studies have examined the relationship between teachers’ indirect exposure to student trauma and related symptoms of secondary traumatic stress (STS), as well as factors that may predict STS levels or explain variation in the …

Development And Guiding Principles Of The Icelandic Model For Preventing Adolescent Substance Use, Alfgeir L. Kristansson, Michael J. Mann, Jon Sigfusson, Ingibjorg E. Thorisdottir, John P. Allegrante, Inga Dora Sigfusdottir

Public and Population Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Adolescent substance use—the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and other harmful drugs—remains a persistent global problem and has presented ongoing challenges for public health authorities and society. In response to the high rates of adolescent substance use during the 1990s, Iceland has pioneered in the development of the Icelandic Model for Primary Prevention of Substance Use—a theory-based approach that has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing substance use in Iceland over the past 20 years. In an effort to document our approach and inform potentially replicable practice-based processes for implementation in other country settings, we outline in a two-part series of articles the …

Covid-19 Personal Protective Equipment Sterilization System, Uwe Reischl

Public and Population Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

A portable system based on a non-destructive sterilization method was developed that consists of a chamber producing ozone concentration levels reported in the scientific literature to deactivate 99.9% of all microorganisms. The system includes a small cordless 30mg/h ozone generator placed inside a 20L enclosed chamber. Personal protective equipment is loaded into the chamber and automatically exposed to an ozone concentration up to 18 ppm for 30 minutes. PPE is then removed and ventilated in open air to allow residual ozone to degrade to oxygen. The paper describes the design and performance characteristics of this technology.

A Medial Congruent Polyethylene Offers Satisfactory Early Outcomes And Patient Satisfaction In Total Knee Arthroplasty, Benjamin M. Frye, Caitlyn Patton, Jason A. Kinney, T. Ryan Murphy, Adam E. Klein, Matthew J. Dietz

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Although a successful operation, almost 20% of patients are dissatisfied with total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to see if a medial congruent (MC) polyethylene would offer satisfactory early outcomes and patient satisfaction after TKA.

Methods

We reviewed prospectively collected data on 327 TKAs using multiple bearings within the same implant system. Ninety-six received an MC bearing, 70 received a cruciate-retaining (CR) bearing, and 161 received a posterior-stabilized (PS) bearing. We evaluated the visual analog scale pain scores and range of motion (ROM) at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 1 year; …