Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Mucosal Immunization With Chad-Sars-Cov-2-S Prevents Sequential Transmission Of Sars-Cov-2 To Unvaccinated Hamsters, Tamarand L Darling, Houda H Harastani, Astha Joshi, Traci L Bricker, Nadia Soudani, Kuljeet Seehra, Ahmed O Hassan, Michael S Diamond, Adrianus C M Boon

2020-Current year OA Pubs

COVID-19 vaccines have successfully reduced severe disease and death after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Nonetheless, COVID-19 vaccines are variably effective in preventing transmission and symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we evaluated the impact of mucosal or intramuscular vaccine immunization on airborne infection and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Syrian hamsters. Immunization of the primary contact hamsters with a mucosal chimpanzee adenoviral-vectored vaccine (ChAd-CoV-2-S), but not intramuscular messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine, reduced infectious virus titers ~100-fold and 100,000-fold in the upper and lower respiratory tract of the primary contact hamster following SARS-CoV-2 exposure. This reduction in virus titer in …

Activated Carbon Derived From Rice Husk Biomass Using Pyrolysis-Assisted Tartaric Acid Activation For Removal Of Reactive Orange 16 Dye: Adsorption Modeling Using Response Surface Methodology, Ahmed Saud Abdulhameed, Ruihong Wu, Abdallah Reghioua, Harun M. Mbuvi, Zaher Mundher Yaseen, Zaharaddeen N. Garba

AUIQ Complementary Biological System

In the current work, rice husk (RH) biomass was pyrolyzed using tartaric acid as an activating agent to produce activated carbon (AC). For 60 min, the procedure was run at 700 °C and 5 L/min of nitrogen (N₂) flow rate. The study used response surface methodology (RSM) and a 3-level Box-Behnken design (BBD) to optimize the extraction efficiency of rice husk activated carbon (RHAC) in eliminating reactive orange 16 (RO16) dye from an aqueous solution. Different process parameters, such as pH (2–12), RHAC dose (0.04 – 0.14 g), and time (60-240 min), were chosen as part of the …

Oil Palm Fronds Activated Carbon Via Microwave-Assisted H3po4 Activation: Box-Behnken Optimization For Crystal Violet Dye Removal, Nur Atirah Shamsudin, Qistina Omar, Ismaniza Ismail, Noor Artika Hassan, Syarifah Abd Rahim, Nur Fazreen Dzulkafli, Ruihong Wu, Soon Kong Yong

AUIQ Complementary Biological System

The extensive use of crystal violet (CV) dyes may cause water pollution. A highly porous and functionalized activated carbon can be used for adsorption of CV dyes. Activated carbon was prepared from oil palm fronds through microwave-assisted pyrolysis and activation with phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄) for removal of CV dye from wastewater. The physico-chemical characteristics of oil palm fronds activated carbon (OPFAC) was employed by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis, Scanning Electron Methodology-Energy Dispersive X-Ray (SEM-EDX) analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and point of zero charges (pH_pzc). The adsorption parameters such …

Advancement In In-Silico Drug Discovery From Virtual Screening Molecular Dockings To De-Novo Drug Design Transformer-Based Generative Ai And Reinforcement Learning, Dony Ang

Computational and Data Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

The field of drug discovery has seen remarkable advancements over the past few decades, transitioning from traditional experimental methods to highly sophisticated computational approaches. One of the pivotal techniques in this evolution is virtual screening, which utilizes molecular docking to predict the interaction between small molecules and target proteins. This method has significantly accelerated the initial stages of drug discovery by enabling the high-throughput screening of large chemical libraries. By simulating the binding affinity and stability of potential drug candidates, virtual screening has become a cornerstone in identifying promising compounds for further development.

A notable application of virtual screening was …

Yoga-Based Occupational Therapy For People With Upper Extremity Dysfunction: An Educational Video Series, Bianca Salgado, Steven Gerardi, Mary Smith

Summer 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

The upper extremity (UE) is essential for daily activities and occupational tasks. The inability to perform these tasks can negatively impact self-efficacy and hinder injury recovery. Current hand therapy often focuses on biomechanical approaches, neglecting these psychosocial aspects and deviating from core occupational therapy (OT) principles. Integrating yoga into OT for UE injuries and disorders can fill the gap in hand therapy needed to address psychosocial factors. However, Certified hand therapists who are occupational therapists lack the knowledge to integrate yoga-based interventions into OT practice for clients with UE conditions. The purpose of this project was to create an educational …

Medical School Watercooler Newsletter - August 1, 2024, Lindsay Hughes

Watercooler Newsletter

This is the August 1, 2024 edition of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine’s newsletter - Watercooler.

Contents Include

• Welcome, Class of 2028!
• Medical students present summer research at 51st annual event
• New hospitalist joins internal medicine faculty
• USA Health Pediatrics expands with addition of Garlapati
• Menger invited to speak at UCSF Pediatric and Adult Spine Course in Hawaii

Melodic Memories: A Guidebook To Enhance Dementia Care Through Music, Sofia Phillips, Mary Smith, Angela Blackwell

Summer 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

This project focused on developing a guidebook titled Melodic Memories, designed to help occupational therapy (OT) practitioners incorporate occupation-based musical interventions into their practice. The guidebook aims to enhance occupational engagement (OE) and quality of life (QoL) for individuals with dementia residing in long-term care facilities. The presentation explores the impact of dementia on individuals, including how it affects their OE and QoL, and highlights the challenges posed by long-term care environments. It also emphasizes the therapeutic potential of music in improving dementia care for OT practitioners. The development of Melodic Memories was based on the Lived Environment Life …

A Scoping Review: Comparison Of Tezepelumab And Mepolizumab In The Treatment Of Persistent Severe Asthma, Alex Liaw, William Chang, Travis Adelman, Josh Guffey, Jason Brumitt

Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc)

Uncontrolled moderate to severe asthma is a disease process that persists despite the maximum therapy of either oral corticosteroids OCS or inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and long-acting B2 agonists (LABA)1,4 . Severe asthma affects less than 10% of the patients with asthma.5 Asthma can be differentiated as type 2 (Th2) asthma which is characterized by inflammation driven by T-helper (Th) type-2 cells, and non-type 2 asthma, which encompasses all other forms of asthma that do not involve type 2 immune responses. About 50%-70% of the population is diagnosed with type 2 asthma and most patients with severe asthma have at least …

Exploring The Use Of Withania Somnifera (Ashwagandha) In Treating Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Systematic Review, Samuel Packham, Heather Justice, Travis Adelman

Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc)

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common disorder affecting approximately 4% to 7% of US adults. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders defines GAD as persistent and excessive worrying about various aspects of life that occurs most days for at least six months. This anxiety is excessive in both its intensity and its scope, impacting various aspects of life and causing significant impairment in daily functioning. Due to its high prevalence, there is a need for effective and safe treatments. Current guidelines for treatment of GAD recommend either monotherapy or combination therapy using pharmacological and/or psychosocial modalities. Pharmacological …

How Should We Measure Effectiveness Of Medical-Legal Partnerships?, Prashasti Bhatnagar, Deborah F. Perry, Margaret E. Greer

HJA Scholarship

Medical-legal partnerships (MLPs) try to mitigate health inequity by uniting legal and health professionals to respond to legal determinants of patients’ health. While there is a long tradition of “patients-to-policy” work in MLPs, the current empirical evidence base has evaluated MLP effectiveness by assessing benefits to individual patients, clinicians, and hospital and legal systems. This article calls for future research to measure how community power, which includes shifting power to impacted communities to develop and lead equity-focused agendas, is built as both a process and an outcome of MLPs.

Renal Mass Imaging Modalities: Does Body Mass Index (Bmi) Matter?, Young Son, Mark E. Quiring, Raeann M. Dalton, Brian Thomas, Noah Davidson, Dayna Devincentz, Collin Payne, Sahil H. Parikh, Benjamin A. Fink, Thomas Mueller, Gordon Brown

Jefferson Health - New Jersey Papers

PURPOSE: Accurate measurement of renal mass size is crucial in the management of renal cancer. With the burdensome cost of imaging yet its need for management, a better understanding of the variability among patients when determining mass size remains of urgent importance. Current guidelines on optimal imaging are limited, especially with respect to body mass index (BMI). The aim of this study is to discern which modalities accurately measure renal mass size and whether BMI influences such accuracy.

METHODS: A multi-institutional chart review was performed for adult patients undergoing partial or radical nephrectomy between 2018 and 2021, with 236 patients …

Treatment Of Plantar Fasciitis For An Individual With An Intellectual Disability That Interferes With Communication And Compliance To Home Program: A Case Report, Ryan J. Ostermeier

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Introduction. Approximately 10% of Americans deal with plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis can lead to negative impacts on quality of life. Furthermore, treatment of individuals with intellectual disabilities affecting communication presents a unique set of difficulties. This case study summarizes the evaluation process and treatment of one female patient with bilateral plantar fasciitis who also has an intellectual disability.

Case Description. This specific patient was diagnosed with intellectual disability secondary to a carbamoyl phosphate synthetase I (CPS) deficiency at birth. She presented to physical therapy at age 35 with bilateral plantar heel pain of 6 months following an increase in activity …

Evaluation Of The Alveolar Crest And Cemento-Enamel Junction In Periodontitis Using Object Detection On Periapical Radiographs, Tai Jung Lin, Yi Cheng Mao, Yuan Jin Lin, Chin Hao Liang, Yi Qing He, Yun Chen Hsu, Shih Lun Chen, Tsung Yi Chen, Chiung An Chen, Kuo Chen Li, Patricia Angela R. Abu

Ateneo Laboratory for Intelligent Visual Environments

The severity of periodontitis can be analyzed by calculating the loss of alveolar crest (ALC) level and the level of bone loss between the tooth’s bone and the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ). However, dentists need to manually mark symptoms on periapical radiographs (PAs) to assess bone loss, a process that is both time-consuming and prone to errors. This study proposes the following new method that contributes to the evaluation of disease and reduces errors. Firstly, innovative periodontitis image enhancement methods are employed to improve PA image quality. Subsequently, single teeth can be accurately extracted from PA images by object detection with …

Factors Affecting Mental Health Of College-Aged Individuals, Jada Shannon

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

College can be a trying time for many students, from the stresses of a new academic load to dealing with financial insecurities. This could be a time where mental health issues, like anxiety and depression, are first starting to emerge, and many look to find ways to cope that may not be beneficial. Previous research has looked at many factors individually as to what the underlying factors could be, but none examine the main factors, sleep, physical activity, social media, and digital technology, simultaneously and little is known about how these factors affect anxiety and depression, as well as the …

The Effect Of Phonomotor Treatment In A Telepractice Model: An Experimental Study, Jessica Mulch

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study provides an investigation into the effectiveness of a modified version of Phonomotor Treatment (PMT) for treating apraxia of speech (AOS) in a telepractice model. A single-subject design was utilized to provide treatment to a participant with post-stroke apraxia of speech and aphasia. Treatment occurred two hours a day, five days a week, for four weeks. Targets were selected specifically for the participant after initial probing and testing. Data was taken to measure the chosen targets for acquisition, maintenance, and generalization. The data collected includes pre-treatment (before starting treatment), post-treatment (directly after treatment), and follow-up (10 weeks after the …

Evaluating Stormwater Erosion Prevention And Sediment Control Best Management Practices Using High-Resolution Rainfall Monitoring And Field-Based Assessment Tools, Brittany Pekara

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Advancing stormwater management methods and technology is critical as runoff from impermeable surfaces increases with urbanization and development. Stormwater runoff is highly susceptible to contamination from non-point source pollution and causing flood impacts following rain events, which varies spatially and temporally in an urban landscape. To counteract the impacts of contamination and drainage issues, Best Management Practices (BMPs) are implemented to reduce the effects of stormwater runoff; however, the unpredictable nature of storm events can make methods for effectively monitoring impacts difficult in trying to capture first flush inputs, flood threats, and sedimentation sources. This research utilizes a highresolution rainfall …

Thoughts From The Frontline - August 2024, Tennessee Center For Nursing Advancement, East Tennessee State University

Thoughts from the Frontline Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Utilizing The 4ms Framework To Create A Structure And Process To Support Voluntary Health Assessments In Affordable Housing, Elyse Perweiler, Jennifer Degennaro, Sherry Pomerantz, Marilyn Mock, Margaret Avallone, Aaron Truchil, Stephen Singer

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: A growing number of older adults live in senior affordable housing, many with limited support systems and representing underserved or disadvantaged populations. Staff in these buildings are in a unique position to identify and address the healthcare and biopsychosocial needs of their residents and link them to services and supports.

METHODS: Staff in four affordable housing sites received training on the 4Ms approach to caring for older adults and conducting resident health assessments. They learned to collect comprehensive health information using a 4Ms Resident Health Risk Assessment (4Ms-RHRA) and results are entered into a customized electronic database. Embedded flags …

Analyzing The Message Complexity, Signal Words, And Readability Of Medical Tourism Warning Messages, Alicia Mason, Sakshi Bhati

Faculty Submissions

Medical tourists are deemed to be a vulnerable patient population because they often have limited knowledge of the specialized health care treatment and services they seek. They are also frequently unfamiliar with the medical tourism physicians, providers, and facilitators with whom they interact. As a result, travel, biomedical, and procedural risks are often difficult to define and estimate. This analysis uses computer-automated technology to analyze the risk and warning messages distributed by government and private medical associations to medical tourists. Results show these messages are often complex and highly textual with little visual graphic elements. The messages frequently lack key …

A Bundle Of Care For Prevention, Early Recognition, And Treatment Of Hyaluronic Acid Dermal Filler Associated Vascular Occlusion, Genny Sanders

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

Background: Hyaluronic acid (HA) dermal fillers, an injectable used for cosmetic use, are gaining popularity, and are expected to continue to do so in the projected future. With the rise in the number of patients seeking these procedures there is a correlated rise is adverse events, including the complication of vascular occlusion. Vascular occlusion has the potential for detrimental outcomes, and clinicians performing these procedures are responsible for educating patients about these risks. As whole, the healthcare community must be prepared.

Purpose: A quality improvement (QI) project was created to help clinicians prepare, prevent, recognize, and treat hyaluronic acid dermal …

Implementation Of An Evidence-Based Intervention To Improve Human Papillomavirus (Hpv) Vaccination Rates Of Children Newly Admitted To A Residential Facility., Krista Danielle Fitzgerald

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

Background: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than 42 million Americans are presently infected with the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). The nurse practitioner (NP), who provided primary care to children at the residential facility, reported that only 60-70% of children were consented for HPV vaccination.

Purpose: The purpose of this evidence-based intervention was to have 90% of newly admitted children consented and vaccinated for HPV. The specific aims of this project were to (1) increase staff HPV/HPV vaccine knowledge, (2) implement an updated evidence-based consent form, and (3) increase the HPV consent and vaccination rates.

Methods: …

Renal Mass Imaging Modalities: Does Body Mass Index (Bmi) Matter?, Young Son, Mark E Quiring, Raeann M Dalton, Brian Thomas, Noah Davidson, Dayna Devincentz, Collin Payne, Sahil H Parikh, Benjamin A Fink, Thomas Mueller, Gordon Brown

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

PURPOSE: Accurate measurement of renal mass size is crucial in the management of renal cancer. With the burdensome cost of imaging yet its need for management, a better understanding of the variability among patients when determining mass size remains of urgent importance. Current guidelines on optimal imaging are limited, especially with respect to body mass index (BMI). The aim of this study is to discern which modalities accurately measure renal mass size and whether BMI influences such accuracy.

METHODS: A multi-institutional chart review was performed for adult patients undergoing partial or radical nephrectomy between 2018 and 2021, with 236 patients …

Determining The Key Education Priorities Related To Heart Failure Care In Nursing Homes: A Modified Delphi Approach, James Mcmahon, David R. Thompson, Christine Brown Wilson, Loreena Hill, Paul Tierney, Jan Cameron, Doris S. F. Yu, Debra K. Moser, Karen Spilsbury, Nittaya Srisuk, Jos M. G. A. Schols, Mariëlle Van Der Velden-Daamen, Gary Mitchell

UK CARES Faculty Publications

There is currently a limited understanding of what nurses in nursing homes view as the key education priorities to support their ability to provide the appropriate care for residents with heart failure (HF). A modified Delphi technique was utilized to gain a consensus on the key education priorities for nurses working in nursing homes in Northern Ireland. An initial list of items (n = 58), across 19 domains, was generated using the findings of a scoping review and stakeholder interviews, and a review of available clinical guidelines. Two rounds of surveys were undertaken. Items were presented using a 5-point Likert …

Smoke Evacuation In The Operating Room, Meghan Holley, Mckenzie Moon

Nurse Residency

In perioperative staff, does mandating the use of smoke evacuation in the surgical setting compared to no smoke evacuation decrease the amount of exposure to toxic byproducts found in surgical plume for each surgical case?

Perceptions And Visual Awareness Of Urban Karst Flooding To Inform Preparedness Planning And Management Actions, Grace Hermann

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Awareness and perception of flooding can heavily affect how an individual or community prepares for flooding. Flood awareness can be affected by factors like past flood experience and demographics. Flood experience and demographics can affect flood awareness differently based on factors including the types and cause of flooding. Flooding in karst landscapes can vary from other types of flooding and neither perception nor awareness of karst flooding has been directly studied before. This study explored both expert and non-expert flood awareness and perception and flood policies in a karst landscape through interviews with experts, surveys, and cognitive mapping activities. The …

Development And Application Of The Sinkhole Hazard Risk Index To Inform Karst Policy And Mitigation Planning, Meghan Puente

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Sinkholes are geologic hazards that occur in karst landscapes and can be highly destructive and costly. Sinkhole mitigation plans and development policies are nonexistent at the federal level within the United States and vary significantly at the state level. The lack of a unified standard for sinkhole mitigation planning is partly due to a lack of available data and resources needed to assess sinkhole risk. While there are established sinkhole assessments within the literature, they focus more on the detection and prediction of sinkholes rather than a holistic approach to risk assessment. The goal of this study is to create …

Parameter Estimation For Stroke Patients Using Brain Ct Perfusion Imaging With Deep Temporal Convolutional Neural Network, Shake Ibna Abir

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Acute ischemic stroke, caused by cerebral artery blockage, is a leading cause of long-term disability and mortality. Effective management relies on accurate, timely assessments from neuroimaging data. Computed tomography perfusion (CTP) imaging is crucial in evaluating stroke patients, offering detailed maps of cerebral perfusion to identify irreversibly damaged tissue and at-risk areas. This detailed assessment is essential for informed therapeutic decisions.

Key perfusion parameters derived from CTP imaging, including cerebral blood volume (CBV), cerebral blood flow (CBF), time to peak (TTP), and mean transit time (MTT), are crucial for understanding the extent and nature of cerebral ischemia, providing valuable insights …

Dean's Research Newsletter, August 2024, Neil W. Schluger

SOM Dean's Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Adult-Onset T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma-Leukemia Presenting With Petechial Rash: A Case Report., Kelly Kimball, Vissy Elad, Edward J Hamad, Christopher Wasco

Oncology Articles

T-cell acute lymphoblastic lymphoma-leukemia (T-ALL) is a rare neoplastic disease with presenting symptoms that are often non-specific. As such, accurate diagnosis requires high clinical suspicion and assessment of bone marrow aspirate with flow cytometry and morphology. While remission is achievable in most patients, the five-year survival rate is only 48% despite treatment. The standard chemotherapy regimen is referred to as hyper-CVAD, where CVAD stands for cyclophosphamide, vincristine sulfate, Adriamycin (doxorubicin), methotrexate, and dexamethasone. In this study, we describe a 38-year-old female who presented with atraumatic abdominal bruising and a petechial rash on the upper and lower extremities. Imaging revealed a …

An Innovative Patient-Centred Approach To Heart Failure Management: The Best Care Heart Failure Integrated Disease-Management Program, Christopher Licskai, Anna Hussey, Madonna Ferrone, Cathy Faulds, Melissa Fisk, Shanil Narayan, Tim O'Callahan, Andrew Scarffe, Shannon Sibbald, Dhssraj Singh, Teresa To, Jari Tuomi, Robert Mckelvie

Health Studies Publications

BACKGROUND: The management of heart failure (HF) is challenging because of the complexities in recommended therapies. Integrated disease management (IDM) is an effective model, promoting guideline-directed care, but the impact of IDM in the community setting requires further evaluation.

METHODS: A retrospective evaluation of community-based IDM. Patient characteristics were described, and outcomes using a pre- and post-intervention design were HF-related health-service use, quality of life, and concordance with guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT).

RESULTS: 715 patients were treated in the program (2016 to 2023), 219 in a community specialist-care clinic, and 496 in 25 primary-care clinics. The overall cohort was predominantly …