Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Characteristics Of The Health Information Technology Workforce In Georgia, Imaobong Ekpo, Emmanuel Akowuah, Bettye Apenteng, Samuel Opoku

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Advancement in medical technology, as well as the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, has in part influenced the demand for health information technology (HIT) workers. While other sectors have experienced a tremendous increase in the information technology workforce, the health sector lags in this regard. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of the HIT workforce in Georgia, relative to surrounding states and the United States.

Methods: The supply of the HIT workforce in Georgia, surrounding states, and the United States was estimated using data from the 2014-2016 American Community Survey (ACS). …

The Ethics Of Parental Refusal To Vaccinate: Costs, Community Safety, And Individual Rights, Olatanwa Adewale, Carla Cooper, Pascal Felix, Ashley K. Mitchell, Justin Savage, William A. Mase

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), vaccination has reduced the burden of infectious diseases to a significant extent. In recent times, however, the focus has been more on vaccine safety rather than effectiveness. As with any other public health program, immunizations and associated policies are designed to protect the health of the public. Compared to minor risks of side effects of vaccination, the risk of infection often rationalizes the use of vaccination. In states like Georgia, with fewer outbreaks associated with non-vaccination, the need to access community immunity remains constant. Though some articles have assessed parental refusal of …

The Impact Of Maternal Literacy Skills On Child Weight In Mozambique, Ashley Watson, Shannon Self-Brown, Iris Feinberg, Whitney Rostad

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Infant mortality is a serious public health problem. One factor that is strongly associated with infant mortality is low weight in children. The percentage of underweight children under the age of five in Mozambique was 16% in 2012. In order to reduce the number of underweight children in this country, contributing caregiver characteristics of this problem should be investigated. One potentially relevant characteristic is maternal literacy, which has been under investigated. Objective: This study aims to determine whether maternal literacy affected the weight and body-mass-index (BMI) of children ages 0 to 3 years old in Mozambique.

Methodology: A cross-sectional …

Relationship Between Self-Report And Observed Parenting Among Parents In Treatment Versus Not In Treatment Populations, Rabab Zahidi, Jessica S. Rogers, Wendy P. Guastaferro, Daniel J. Whitaker

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Most maltreatment, by definition, is a failure of parenting. However, even without maltreatment, poor parenting can lead to a variety of negative outcomes including social, emotional and behavioral problems. Given that parenting plays a key role in child outcomes, one of the foci of interventions are parenting programs. Interventions for parents must be evaluated using standardized assessment tools, which leads to an important question; how can we best assess parenting? Observational methods (observing a parent and child interact) are often regarded as the gold standard in the assessment of parental behaviors but are cumbersome to administer. Self-reports of parenting …

Sociodemographic And Biometric Factors Associated With Eating Behaviors Among African American Women Aged 18-74, Takiyah J. Thomas, Jammie M. Hopkins, Riba Kelsey-Harris, Folashade Omole, Ernest Alema-Mensah

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Obesity is a growing problem in the United States and is disproportionately increasing among African Americans. The objective of this study is to examine the sociodemographic and biometric factors associated with eating behaviors among African American women.

Methods: We analyzed data from the 2009-2010 dietary screener and weight history questionnaire from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Multivariable analyses were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) to determine the association between six specific eating behaviors and different sociodemographic and biometric factors. Analyses were conducted using SAS 9.4.

Results: The analyses show …

Living Arrangement: A Contributor To Vascular Disease In Asymptomatic African American Women, Meldra Hall, Elizabeth Ofili, Rigobert Lapu-Bula, Ernest Alema-Mensah, Stephanie Miles-Richardson

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Diminished social support has shown to lead to worse cardiovascular outcomes and since cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States (U.S.), it is critical to non-invasively study its precursor- vascular disease (VD). Assessing the impact social support has on vascular outcomes can unveil potential CVD susceptibilities in at-risk populations. African American women exhibit the greatest burden of CVD morbidity and mortality; therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the association between living arrangement/social support and impaired vascular function in asymptomatic African American women.

Methods: Vascular function was assessed by a non-invasive …

The Business Case For Investing In Social And Behavior Change For Family Planning, James Rosen, Nicole M. Bellows, Lori Bollinger, Willyanne Decormier Plosky, Michelle Weinberger

Reproductive Health

Although the development field generally considers social and behavior change interventions essential parts of quality health programs, lack of synthesized information on costs and effectiveness means that decision-makers under-appreciate and under-fund social and behavior change efforts. This business case uses evidence to answer questions about the effectiveness, cost, cost-effectiveness, and return on investment from social and behavior change efforts. To develop this family planning social and behavior change business case, nearly 200 studies were evaluated. All USAID strategic priorities for global health—preventing child and maternal deaths, controlling the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and combating infectious diseases—employ social and behavior change approaches to …

Legitimacy In International Dispute Resolution In The Age Of Anti-Globalization, Nationalism, And Isolationism: How Geographical And Legal Cultural Diversity On The International Bench Can Promote Regional And International Cooperation, Alina Ng Boyte

Cardozo International & Comparative Law Review

The article argues that implicit biases, such as availability bias, affect heuristic, and endowment effect, significantly impede international cooperation and effective problem-solving in the global legal system. By addressing these cognitive errors, international legal institutions can foster trust, promote collaboration, and achieve socially just outcomes. The analysis highlights the role of legal frameworks and distributive justice in overcoming these biases, using the example of global efforts to eliminate child labor as a successful case study.

If We Don’T Look, We Won’T See: Measuring Language Development To Inform Literacy Instruction, Suzanne M. Adlof, Tiffany P. Hogan

Faculty Publications

Oral language abilities enable children to learn to read, and they predict future academic achievement and life outcomes. However, children with language impairment frequently go unidentified because schools do not systematically measure oral language development. Given that identification paves the way for treatment, schools should increase attention to oral language development, particularly within response to intervention (RTI) frameworks, which aim to prevent learning disabilities by identifying and intervening at early stages. Formal schooling should address language comprehension (in addition to word reading) to ensure an adequate foundation for future reading comprehension. In support, we overview the developmental relations between oral …

Acetaminophen Protein Adducts In Hospitalized Children Receiving Multiple Doses Of Acetaminophen., Sibo Jiang, Valvanera Vozmediano, Susan M. Abdel-Rahman, Stephan Schmidt, Laura P. James

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Previous reports have questioned the safety of multiple doses of acetaminophen administered to ill children. Acetaminophen protein adducts (adducts) are a biomarker of acetaminophen-induced liver injury and reflect the oxidative metabolism of acetaminophen, a known mechanism in acetaminophen toxicity. In this prospective observational study, we analyzed adduct concentrations in 1034 blood samples obtained from 181 hospitalized children (1 to 18 years inclusive) who received 2 or more doses of acetaminophen. Linear regression analysis showed that serum adduct concentrations increased as a function of the cumulative acetaminophen dose, which could be attributed, in part, to a long half-life of adducts (2.17 …

Recent Advancements In Aptamer-Bioconjugates: Sharpening Stones For Breast And Prostate Cancers Targeting, Saeid Maghsoudi, Bahareh Taghavi Shahraki, Navid Rabiee, Ronak Afshari, Yousef Fatahi, Rassoul Dinarvand, Sepideh Ahmadi, Mojtaba Bagherzadeh, Mohammad Rabiee, Lobat Tayebi, Mohammadreza Tahriri

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Breast and prostate cancers are common types of cancers with various strategies, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, for their therapy. Since these methods have undesired side effects and poor target affinity, neoteric strategies—known as aptamer-based smart drug delivery systems (SDDSs)—have been developed in recent years to overcome the obstacles of current treatment, and investigated for a clinical trial. The high affinity and versatility of aptamers for binding to the corresponding targets make them highly noticeable agents in the drug delivery domains. In addition to their exceptional benefits, aptamers are able to overcome tumor resistance because of their high selectivity and …

J Mich Dent Assoc October 2019

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Every month, The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association brings news, information, and features about Michigan dentistry to our state's oral health community and the MDA’s 6,200+ members across the state. No publication reaches more Michigan dentists! This month's issue features an articles on the Dental Assistant shortage and MDA's efforts to address it, antibiotic stewardship in dentistry, and a LEAD (Leadership Exploration and Development) showcase.

Comparison Of Echocardiographic Measurements To Invasive Measurements Of Diastolic Function In Infants With Single Ventricle Physiology: A Report From The Pediatric Heart Network Infant Single Ventricle Trial., Suma P. Goudar, Victor Zak, Andrew M. Atz, Karen Altmann, Steven D. Colan, Christine B. Falkensammer, Mark K. Friedberg, Michele Frommelt, Kevin D. Hill, Daphne T. Hsu, Jami C. Levine, Renee Margossian, Christopher R. Mart, Joshua Sticka, Peter Shrader, Girish S. Shirali, Pediatric Heart Network Investigators

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: While echocardiographic parameters are used to quantify ventricular function in infants with single ventricle physiology, there are few data comparing these to invasive measurements. This study correlates echocardiographic measures of diastolic function with ventricular end-diastolic pressure in infants with single ventricle physiology prior to superior cavopulmonary anastomosis.

METHODS: Data from 173 patients enrolled in the Pediatric Heart Network Infant Single Ventricle enalapril trial were analysed. Those with mixed ventricular types (n = 17) and one outlier (end-diastolic pressure = 32 mmHg) were excluded from the analysis, leaving a total sample size of 155 patients. Echocardiographic measurements were correlated to …

Billed And Paid Amounts For Preventive Procedures In Dental Medicaid, K. Wagner, Aniko Szabo, Elaye Okunseri, Christopher Okunseri

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Objective:

To examine trends and variations in billed and paid amounts for preventive dental procedures by race/ethnicity, age, and sex in Wisconsin dental Medicaid.

Methods:

We analyzed data from the 2001 to 2013 Wisconsin Medicaid claims database for preventive dental procedures for children and adults. Billed and paid amounts for preventive dental procedures were aggregated over a visit and adjusted for inflation based on the Medical Care Consumer Price Index produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2013. Quantile regression was used to examine the trends over time and the effect of patient demographics.

Result:

At the 50th and …

Impact Of An Electronic Best-Practice Advisory In Combination With Prescriber Education On Antibiotic Prescribing For Ambulatory Adults With Acute, Uncomplicated Bronchitis Within A Large Integrated Health System, Courtney M. Pagels, Thomas J. Dilworth, Lynne Fehrenbacher, Maharaj Singh, Charles F. Brummitt

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: To determine the impact of a passive, prescriber-directed, electronic best-practice advisory coupled with prescriber education on the rate of antibiotic prescribing for acute, uncomplicated bronchitis in ambulatory adults across a large health system. Design: This study was a quasi-experiment examining antibiotic prescribing for ambulatory adults with acute bronchitis from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2018. The intervention was implemented in December 2016 for emergency departments and urgent care clinics followed by ambulatory clinics in September 2017. Setting: Outpatient settings across a health system, including 15 emergency departments, >30 urgent care clinics, and >150 ambulatory clinics. Participants: All adults …

A Graphene Based–Biomimetic Molecularly Imprinted Polyaniline Sensor For Ultrasensitive Detection Of Human Cardiac Troponin T(Ctnt), Meysam Karimi, Mohammad Rabiee, Mohammadreza Tahriri, Reza Salarian, Lobat Tayebi

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

In the present work, a biomimetic nano-molecularly imprinted polymer (N-MIP) electrode based on a graphene screen-printed electrode was developed for the ultrasensitive detection of cardiac troponin T (cTnT). The biomimetic cavities for targeted sensing for analyte were fabricated by the electropolymerization of conductive co-polymer matrix of aniline and carboxylated aniline on the graphene oxide (GO) electrode, in the presence template protein (cTnT for cardiac troponin T probe) by cyclic voltammetry. The surface characterization of the sensor was performed using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The best biomimetic surface nanotexture was obtained at …

Self-Assembling Of Graphene Oxide On Carbon Quantum Dot Loaded Liposomes, Mohadeseh Hashemi, Javad Mohammadi, Meisam Omidi, Hugh D.C. Smyth, Bharadwaj Muralidharan, Thomas E. Milner, Amir Yadegari, Davoud Ahmadvand, Mohammad Shalbaf, Lobat Tayebi

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

This paper describes the design of stimuli-sensitive theranostic nanoparticles, composed of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) self-assembled on thermosensitive liposomes encapsulated doxorubicin (DOX) and carbon quantum dot (CQD) (CQD-DOX-rGO-Tlip). The rGO-Tlip particles have been observed to be flower-shaped objects. The thermoresponsive and theranostic potential of CQD-DOX-rGO-Tlips have been studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescent assays. The chemo-photothermal potential of rGO–Tlip on MD-MB-231 cells during NIR laser irradiation has been examined using MTT assay. Also, the ability of rGO–Tlip to be taken up by MD-MB-231 cells has been studied using confocal microscopy and flowcytometry. …

Encephalopathic Presentation Of West Nile Virus Neuroinvasive Disease Confounded By Concomitant History Of Acute Alcohol Withdrawal, Alyssa Profita, Kristin Haglund

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

West Nile neuroinvasive disease (WNND) is a rare and severe manifestation of West Nile virus (WNV) infection that occurs in less than 1% of infected persons. It should be considered in patients who present with fever, neurological symptoms, and a history of recent outdoor activity where mosquitoes were active. This article highlights a case of a 55-year-old man whose history and symptoms of WNND were confounded with an alternate diagnosis, acute alcohol withdrawal. An overview of WNV infections, and important historical clues and objective findings characteristic of neuroinvasive disease, is discussed to increase readers' knowledge of WNV and awareness of …

Workplace Bullying: A National Survey Of Dental Hygienists, Savannah Dawn Sundburg

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

Problem: Workplace bullying in health care affects career satisfaction, career longevity and patient outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine if bullying was occurring in dental hygiene employment settings as well as its prevalence in a convenience sample of dental hygienists.

Methods: After IRB approval, 1200 subscribers to a professional dental hygiene journal were invited to participate. Employing the validated Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R), participants were asked to indicate how often they experienced 22 defined negative behaviors according to rate of occurrence (never, now and then or monthly, weekly or daily) over the past six months. Bullying was …

Optimal Control Applied To Cancer Vaccine Protocols, Brady Fritz

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

This article is written to document the research conducted by student Brady Fritz and mentor Dr. Norma Ortiz-Robinson during the 2019 Student Summer Scholars Program at Grand Valley State University. The mathematical model used was developed by Dr. Ami Radunskaya and Dr. Sarah Hook, and it describes the population of certain groups of cells over time after administration of a certain cancer vaccine. The model was programmed into specialized software that evaluates the optimal control of the vaccine given specified control parameters. The output was then analyzed to properly describe the solution obtained.

Examining The Effect Of A Hypothetical Safe Injection Facility On Hiv And Hcv Transmission Rates In Kent County, Michigan, Trevor Ditmar

McNair Scholars Manuscripts

Previous literature has established that increases in prescription opioid misuse has resulted in similar increases in injection drug use (IDU), collectively referred to as the “opioid epidemic” in the US. Due to this surge in IDU, incidence of Hepatitis C (HCV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are on the rise in many regions. Research conducted in Canada and elsewhere has supported the use of Safe Injection Facilities (SIFs) and Needle Syringe Programs (NSPs) to mollify disease incidence, but only NSPs are operating in the US despite SIFs having been in use in Canada for several decades. As little research has …

Mental Health And Gun Violence: A Link Held By Misperception, Neil Morte, Kelly L. Sullivan

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Development And Validation Of The Needs Of Children Questionnaire: An Instrument To Measure Children's Self-Reported Needs In Hospital, Mandie Foster, Lisa Whitehead, Diana Arabiat

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

AIM: To develop and psychometrically test the needs of children questionnaire (NCQ), a new instrument to measure school-aged children's self-reported psychosocial physical and emotional needs in paediatric wards.

DESIGN: This is an instrument development study based on recommendations for developing a reliable and valid questionnaire.

METHOD: The NCQ was developed over three phases between February 2013-April 2017 and included item generation; content adequacy assessment; questionnaire administration; factor analysis; internal consistency assessment and construct validity. Psychometric properties were assessed after 193 school-aged children completed the needs of children's questionnaire in four paediatric areas in Australia and New Zealand.

RESULTS: The development …

Genetic Characterization Of Early Renal Changes In A Novel Mouse Model Of Diabetic Kidney Disease, Lois A. Balmer, Rhiannon Whiting, Caroline Rudnicka, Linda A. Gallo, Karin A. Jandeleit, Yan Chow, Zenia Chow, Kirsty L. Richardson, Josephine M. Forbes, Grant Morahan

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Genetic factors influence susceptibility to diabetic kidney disease. Here we mapped genes mediating renal hypertrophic changes in response to diabetes. A survey of 15 mouse strains identified variation in diabetic kidney hypertrophy. Strains with greater (FVB/N(FVB)) and lesser (C57BL/6 (B6)) responses were crossed and diabetic F2 progeny were characterized. Kidney weights of diabetic F2 mice were broadly distributed. Quantitative trait locus analyses revealed diabetic mice with kidney weights in the upper quartile shared alleles on chromosomes (chr) 6 and 12; these loci were designated as Diabetic kidney hypertrophy (Dkh)-1 and -2. To confirm these loci, reciprocal congenic mice were …

Phld 9334: Financial Management Of Public Health, Linda Kimsey

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course examines the structure and functioning of the finance components of the Public Health System using Federal Basis Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (FGAAP). It will provide DrPH students with the theory, concepts, and tools necessary to make better decisions regarding the acquisition and deployment of resources, and promote the financial well-being of public health organizations. The course will discuss the following topics: financial goals; time value analysis; financial risk and return; debt and equity financing; capital decisions; cost of capital; capital investment decisions; business valuation; and leasing decisions. Students will apply the material learned in real world (case) settings …

Hspm 7133 Section A: Public Health Policy & Ethics, Bill Mase

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

The course prepares learners to understand complex health and human service-related systems in order to inform effective practice-based ethical decision-making. The primary focus of the course relates to public health policy and practice. Major content areas include health policy institutions, the health policy process, ethical political considerations, social determinants of health, workforce, health care financing, medical technology, health care organizations, the public health system, primary care systems, and other health-related issues impacting the health of the public. Strategies of implementing change through policy making and the legislative process are covered.

Hspm 7090-02f: Managerial Epidemiology, Bill Mase

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

No abstract provided.

Hadm 7300 – Healthcare Financial Management Ii, James H. Stephens

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course addresses selected financial management concepts and practices in health care organizations. It is a broad introduction to important financial theories, issues, tools and terminology that administrators need to know to manage health care organizations.

The health care environment today places increased emphasis on the financial implications of both managerial and clinical decisions. This emphasis, in turn, has created a need for financial skills among many clinicians and managers that in the past have not been required.

All business decisions have financial implications. As a result, all health care managers must be financially literate so that they can work …

Geph 7134 Social Marketing For Health Communication, Dziyana Nazaruk

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course is designed to familiarize students with the history and current applications of health communication theory and strategies to public health practice and research. This course examines how to structure, develop and evaluate social marketing, media advocacy, risk communication and advocacy skills for change. In addition, systematic qualitative data collection processes such as interviewing skills, participant observation and focus groups will be developed. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking skills to help students analyze and utilize these skills in research and practice.

Pubh 9231 – Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Jian Zhang

College of Public Health: Faculty Syllabi (2014-2021)

This course is designed to introduce the student to the ever-expanding area of chronic disease epidemiology. Students will be introduced to the current status of chronic disease and control programs, methods used in chronic disease surveillance, intervention methods, and modifiable risk factors. Some of the major chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease, diabetes and arthritis will be discussed in detail. Pathophysiology and clinical features of common chronic conditions will also be presented.