Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Letter From The Dean, Rebecca Deen

Stimulus: A Medical Humanities Journal

No abstract provided.

Letter From Dr. Gellman, Steven Gellman

Stimulus: A Medical Humanities Journal

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Stimulus Team, The Stimulus Team

Stimulus: A Medical Humanities Journal

No abstract provided.

Uta 3, Hoang D. Tuyen

Stimulus: A Medical Humanities Journal

No abstract provided.

My Castle, Amal Eltahir Ali

Stimulus: A Medical Humanities Journal

No abstract provided.

Creator Biographies, The Stimulus Team

Stimulus: A Medical Humanities Journal

No abstract provided.

Recognition Of Evidence-Based Traditional And Complementary Medicine (Tcm) In G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration: Pointers For Homoeopathy, Subhash Kaushik

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

India just wrapped up its G20 presidency role, but not without key commitments for a promising future. It was, indeed, a heartening sight to see all twenty countries of the G20 group together on one platform, united to fight and address various global matters – with the theme ‘वसुधैव कुटुंबकम’, meaning ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ at the core of all discussions. The comprehensive document, G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration: Strengthening Global Health, and Implementing One Health Approach covers various aspects of global development and stability. Interestingly, under the subject ‘Strengthening Global Health and Implementing One Health Approach’, the …

Individualised Homoeopathic Medicine Versus Placebo In The Pain Management Of Knee And Hip Osteoarthritis: A Double-Blind, Randomised Controlled Trial, Azizul Islam Khadim, Vivek Kumar Shail, Kanak Kumar, Sabiha Naaz, Abhijit Chakma

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive, degenerative disease affecting large weight-bearing joints. The severity of symptoms varies among individuals; whereas pain and stiffness are the most troublesome complaints. Homoeopathic medicines have the potential to manage pain episodes. Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the effect of individualised homoeopathic medicine (IHM) in managing the pain of knee and hip OA. Methods: A prospective, double-blind, randomised (1:1) placebo-controlled trial was conducted on 60 individuals suffering from OA at R.B.T.S. Govt. Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Muzaffarpur. Visual analogue scale for pain (Score-A-1), stiffness (Score-A-2) and loss …

Effectiveness Of Individualised Homoeopathic Intervention In Warts – A Case Series, Dastagiri P, Chakravarthy S.G.S, Renu Mittal

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

Verruca vulgaris, also known as common warts, is benign lesions caused by the non-malignant human papillomavirus, affecting approximately 10% of the population globally. It may range from 1 mm to several cm, and are mostly seen on the extremities, followed by the face. They may be transmitted by direct or indirect contact and lead to cosmetic concerns, itching and mild to severe pain while doing activities. Conventional treatment has destructive therapies such as salicylic acid, cauterisation and cryosurgery, which induce many adverse effects from local to general. However, an individualised homoeopathic approach can be used to effectively treat these warts, …

Physicochemical Standardisation Of The Homoeopathic Drug, Apis Mellifica: A Preliminary Attempt, Bibaswan Biswas, Satyajit Maity, En Sundaram, Gv Narasimha Kumar, Satish Patel

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

Background: Unlike the mainstream biomedical system, honeybees’ therapeutic use has long been well documented in the homoeopathic system. The medicine prepared from the whole honeybee, Apis mellifica, is on the Essential Drug List. Objective: An in-depth physicochemical standardisation of this homoeopathic drug is attempted. Material and Methods: In this study, first the raw drug was authenticated, and then its pharmacopoeial parameters were measured, e.g. moisture content, foreign matter, different ash values, alcohol and water-soluble extractive values. Further, the mother tincture of Apis mellifica was prepared from the authentic raw drug. The pharmacopeial parameters of in-house mother tincture …

Homoeopathic Medicines Modulate Inflammatory Functions And Adhesion Receptor Expression In Human Blood Cells: An In Vitro Study, Nibedita Dalpati, Shubham Kumar Rai, Divya Singh, Shiba Prasad Dash, Sukanti S. Sarangi, Mahabahu Nayak, Pranita P. Sarangi

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

Background: Homoeopathic medicines are used extensively for the treatment of many human diseases and are shown to affect immune cell functions. However, our understanding of the immunomodulatory effects of such medicines and associated mechanisms of action remains limited. Objectives: The present study aims to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of Arsenic album, Rhus toxicodendron, Hepar sulphuris and Bryonia alba on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced peripheral blood neutrophils and monocytes. Materials and Methods: In this work, neutrophils and monocytes were treated with different homoeopathic dilutions of 30C potency separately, followed by stimulation with the LPS, to examine the immunomodulatory effects of these …

A Scientific Convention On World Homoeopathy Day: ‘Homoeoparivar – Sarvajan Swasthya, One Health One Family’ – A Conference Report, Babita Rani Kondle, Divya Taneja, Subhash Kaushik

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

The Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy organised a scientific convention on World Homoeopathy Day on April 10th, 2023, at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, to commemorate the 268th birth anniversary of Dr. Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann. The conference’s theme was ‘Sarvajan Swasthya Homoeoparivar – One Health, One Family’. The convention’s aim was to come together in this profession as a Family/Parivar to collate the experiences of policymakers, researchers and practitioners to create a harmonious growth of Homoeopathy and to achieve the potential that Homoeopathy reaches each household of the country as the first line of treatment.

Research Highlights, Arti Goyal, Anamika Singh

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

Research Highlights

Elastic Stable Intramedullary Nail Fixation Versus Submuscular Plate Fixation Of Pediatric Femur Shaft Fractures In School Age Patients: A Prisma-Compliant Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Donglai Hu, Zihang Xu, Tao Shi, Hui Zhong, Yuting Xie, Junjie Chen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Studies of clinical outcomes that compare the elastic stable intramedullary nail (ESIN) with the submuscular plate (SMP) were controversial. The meta-analysis was performed to summarize existing evidence, aiming to determine whether ESIN was superior to SMP in pediatric femur shaft fractures.

METHODS: Search strategies followed the recommendations of the Cochrane collaboration. Electronic searches such as PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane were systematically searched for publications concerning ESIN and SMP from the inception date to March 2023. Two investigators independently searched, screened, and reviewed the full text of the article. Disagreements generated throughout the process were resolved by consensus, …

A Case Report: A Patient Rescued By Va-Ecmo After Cardiac Arrest Triggered By Trigeminocardiac Reflex After Nasal Surgery, Xu Zhang, Bin Sun, Chen Pac-Soo, Daqing Ma, Liwei Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Rationale:

Cardiac arrest (CA) caused by trigeminocardiac reflex (TCR) after endoscopic nasal surgery is rare. Hence, when a patient suffers from TCR induced CA in the recovery room, most doctors may not be able to find the cause in a short time, and standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation and resuscitation measures may not be effective. Providing circulatory assistance through venous-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) can help healthcare providers gain time to identify the etiology and initiate symptom-specific treatment.

Patient concerns:

We report a rare case of CA after endoscopic nasal surgery treated with VA-ECMO.

Diagnoses:

We excluded myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, allergies, …

Effect Of Sex And Cross-Sex Hormone Treatment On Renal Monocarboxylate-Transporter Expression In Rats, Hao Wei, Annie Lee, Qing Zhang, Melanie A. Felmlee

Pacific Faculty Work

Proton- and sodium-dependent monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs/SMCTs) are determinants of renal clearance through the renal reabsorption of monocarboxylate substrates. Prior studies with intact females and males, ovariectomized females and castrated males have revealed the hormonal regulation of renal monocarboxylate-transporter expression, prompting investigation into the regulatory role of individual hormones. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of exogenous sex and cross-sex hormones on renal MCT1, MCT4, CD147 and SMCT1 mRNA and membrane-bound protein expression. Ovariectomized (OVX) females and castrated (CST) male Sprague Dawley rats received estrogen and/or progesterone, testosterone, or a corresponding placebo treatment for 21 days …

Mucocele Of Lower Lip Treated With Constitutional Homoeopathic Medicine Silicea – A Case Report, Uma Maheswari M.S, Sisir P R, Gopukumar S T

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

Introduction: A mucocele is a mucus-containing benign cystic lesion of the salivary gland. Based on the histological features, they are classified into two types, mucous retention cysts and mucous extravasation cysts. They appear in the minor salivary glands due to mechanical damage to the gland or its duct. The case study presented here is a detailed analysis of a 6-year-old male child affected by mucocele of the lower lip and its homoeopathic treatment and significance. Case Summary: A 6-year-old child presented with complaint of a swelling over the mucosa of the lower lip. Initially, the swelling was small, …

Homoeopathic Management Of Non-Responsive, Nodulocystic Acne: A Case Report, Padmalaya Rath, Indu Shukla

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

Introduction: Nodulocystic acne is a severe form of acne that can significantly damage the skin and impact the quality of life. Although oral isotretinoin is considered an effective conventional treatment for such cases, it often fails. A case of severe facial nodulocystic acne is reported here, where allopathic treatment failed to control the condition. Homoeopathic treatment was administered, and the patient improved. Case Summary: A 16-year-old female patient presented with pustular, nodular, cystic and painful eruptions on the face, which were treated with individualised homoeopathic medicine Tarentula cubensis. The symptoms improved without any relapse. The causal attribution of …

Tinea Cruris Treated With Individualised Homoeopathic Medicine – An Evidence-Based Case Report, Yogeshwari Gupta, Arvind Sharma, Samridhi Sharma

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

Introduction: Tinea cruris, also commonly known as jock itch, is a skin infection caused by dermatophytes which are pathogenic fungi affecting genital, pubic, perineal and perianal areas. Tinea cruris more commonly affects men and affects adults more than children. Conventional management involves the use of topical antifungal agents and oral therapy in extensive cases. Case Summary: A case of tinea cruris in a 30-year-old male patient is reported, which was effectively treated with individualised homoeopathic medicine. Based on the totality of symptoms, the homoeopathic medicine Natrum muriaticum in 200C potency was prescribed as the first dose and improvement …

Structurally Competent Healthcare And Health Inequities, James Meza

Conference Presentation Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Pathophysiological Concepts And Screening Of Cardiovascular Disease In Dialysis Patients, Gift Echefu, Ifeoluwa Stowe, Semenawit B. Burka, Indranill Basu-Ray, Damodar Kumbala

School of Medicine Publications

Dialysis patients experience 10–20 times higher cardiovascular mortality than the general population. The high burden of both conventional and nontraditional risk factors attributable to loss of renal function can explain higher rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and death among dialysis patients. As renal function declines, uremic toxins accumulate in the blood and disrupt cell function, causing cardiovascular damage. Hemodialysis patients have many cardiovascular complications, including sudden cardiac death. Peritoneal dialysis puts dialysis patients with end-stage renal disease at increased risk of CVD complications and emergency hospitalization. The current standard of care in this population is based on observational data, …

The Power Of Protective Factors: A Framework For Mental Health Action And Education, Rich Stowell

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Mental health advocates, practitioners, and research have long used the framework of risk factors and protective factors to understand mental health. This article examines the origins of the concept of protective factors and describes how it contributes to the applications of resources in the mental health space.

Neurologic Outcomes For Adult Spinal Cord Ependymomas Stratified By Tumor Location: A Retrospective Cohort Study And 2-Year Outlook, Keanu Chee, Grégoire P Chatain, Michael W Kortz, Stephanie Serva, Keshari Shrestha, Timothy H Ung, Jens-Peter Witt, Michael Finn

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Determine whether craniocaudal spinal cord tumor location affects long-term neurologic outcomes in adults diagnosed with spinal ependymomas (SE). A retrospective cohort analysis of patients aged ≥ 18 years who underwent surgical resection for SE over a ten-year period was conducted. Tumor location was classified as cervical, thoracic, or lumbar/conus. Primary endpoints were post-operative McCormick Neurologic Scale (MNS) scores at < 3 days, 6 weeks, 1 year, and 2 years. One-way ANOVA was performed to detect significant differences in MNS scores between tumor locations. Twenty-eight patients were identified. The average age was 44.2 ± 15.4 years. Sixteen were male, and 13 were female. There were 10 cervical-predominant SEs, 13 thoracic-predominant SEs, and 5 lumbar/conus-predominant SEs. No significant differences were observed in pre-operative MNS scores between tumor locations (p = 0.73). One-way ANOVA testing demonstrated statistically significant differences in post-operative MNS scores between tumor locations at < 3 days (p = 0.03), 6 weeks (p = 0.009), and 1 year (p = 0.003); however, no significant difference was observed between post-operative MNS scores at 2 years (p = 0.13). The mean MNS score for patients with thoracic SEs were higher at all follow-up time points. Tumors arising in the thoracic SE are associated with worse post-operative neurologic outcomes in comparison to SEs arising in other spinal regions. This is likely multifactorial in etiology, owing to both anatomical differences including spinal cord volume as well as variations in tumor characteristics. No significant differences in 2-year MNS scores were observed, suggesting that patients ultimately recover from neurological insult sustained at the time of surgery.

Adaptive Octree Meshes For Simulation Of Extracellular Electrophysiology, Christopher Bc Girard, Dong Song

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Objective. The interaction between neural tissues and artificial electrodes is crucial for understanding and advancing neuroscientific research and therapeutic applications. However, accurately modeling this space around the neurons rapidly increases the computational complexity of neural simulations. Approach. This study demonstrates a dynamically adaptive simulation method that greatly accelerates computation by adjusting spatial resolution of the simulation as needed. Use of an octree structure for the mesh, in combination with the admittance method for discretizing conductivity, provides both accurate approximation and ease of modification on-the-fly. Main results. In tests of both local field potential estimation and multi-electrode stimulation, dynamically adapted meshes …

Cocaine Use Disorder Effects On Blood Oxytocin Levels And Oxtr Dna Methylation, Manassés Soares Souza, Breno Sanvicente-Vieira, Aline Zaparte, Talita Baptista, Maria Aparecida Nagai, Flávia Rotea Mangone, Ana Carolina Pavanelli, Thiago Wendt Viola, Rodrigo Grassi-Oliveira

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Substance use disorders have been associated with alterations in the oxytocinergic system, but few studies have investigated both the peptide and epigenetic mechanisms potentially implicated in the regulation of oxytocin receptor. In this study, we compared plasma oxytocin and blood DNA methylation in the OXTR gene between people with and without cocaine use disorder (CUD). We measured the oxytocin levels of 51 people with CUD during acute abstinence and of 30 healthy controls using an enzyme immunoassay. The levels of DNA methylation in four CpG sites at exon III of the OXTR gene were evaluated in a subsample using pyrosequencing. …

Heterogenous Lung Inflammation Ct Patterns Distinguish Pneumonia And Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Pneumonitis And Complement Blood Biomarkers In Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Proof Of Concept, Muhammad Aminu, Naval Daver, Myrna C B Godoy, Girish Shroff, Carol Wu, Luis F Torre-Sada, Alberto Goizueta, Vickie R Shannon, Saadia A Faiz, Mehmet Altan, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, Hagop Kantarjian, Farhad Ravandi-Kashani, Tapan Kadia, Marina Konopleva, Courtney Dinardo, Sherry Pierce, Aung Naing, Sang T Kim, Dimitrios P Kontoyiannis, Fareed Khawaja, Caroline Chung, Jia Wu, Ajay Sheshadri

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) may cause pneumonitis, resulting in potentially fatal lung inflammation. However, distinguishing pneumonitis from pneumonia is time-consuming and challenging. To fill this gap, we build an image-based tool, and further evaluate it clinically alongside relevant blood biomarkers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied CT images from 97 patients with pneumonia and 29 patients with pneumonitis from acute myeloid leukemia treated with ICIs. We developed a CT-derived signature using a habitat imaging algorithm, whereby infected lungs are segregated into clusters ("habitats"). We validated the model and compared it with a clinical-blood model to determine whether imaging can add …

New Jak3-Insl3 Fusion Transcript-An Oncogenic Event In Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma, Loka Reddy Velatooru, Cheng Hui Hu, Pedram Bijani, Xiaohong Wang, Pierr Bojaxhi, Hao Chen, Madeleine Duvic, Xiao Ni

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Constitutively activated tyrosine kinase JAK3 is implicated in the pathogenesis of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL). The mechanisms of constitutive JAK3 activation are unknown although a JAK3 mutation was reported in a small portion of CTCL patients. In this study, we assessed the oncogenic roles of a newly identified JAK3-INSL3 fusion transcript in CTCL. Total RNA from malignant T-cells in 33 patients with Sézary syndrome (SS), a leukemic form of CTCL, was examined for the new JAK3-INSL3 fusion transcript by RT-PCR followed by Sanger sequencing. The expression levels were assessed by qPCR and correlated with patient survivals. Knockdown and/or knockout assays …

Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Foot-And-Mouth Disease Vaccination Of Animals In The Buffer Zone Of The Republic Of Armenia In 2016–2020, Satenik Kharatyan, Khachik Sargsyan, Hasmik Elbakyan, Tigran Markosyan, Pertsh Tumanyan, Varduhi Hakobyan, Vazgen Sargsyan, Manvel Badalyan, Gayane Chobanyan, Jenna E Achenbach

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a high impact viral disease of livestock for which vaccines are extensively used for limiting the spread of infection. Armenia shares a border with both Turkey and Iran where FMD is endemic, making vaccination an important component of Armenia's control strategy. Additionally, Armenian veterinary services utilize both passive and active monitoring for prevention control.

METHODS: We sought to determine the immune status of animals vaccinated against FMD and to evaluate the effectiveness of our vaccination policy in Armenia. This was conducted in three regions including Shirak, Armavir, and Ararat Region which are located in the …

Efficacy Of Scrambler Therapy In Patients With Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: A Single-Arm, Prospective, Pilot Study, Seung Hee Yoo, Won-Joong Kim, Ji Seon Chae, Bo Kyung Kang, Min Jeong Kang, Min Hyouk Beak

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: A variety of medications are available to manage painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), but the proper treatment remains challenging. Accordingly, various neuromodulation modalities have been used. However, no prospective clinical trials have evaluated the use of scrambler therapy (ST) in painful DPN. This study aimed to explore the long-term effects of ST in managing painful DPN.

METHODS: The patients received 10 consecutive STs of 45 minutes every 1 to 2 days. The primary outcome was pain score. We measured the visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores at baseline, during ST, immediately after ST, and at 1, 2, 3, and …

Effectiveness Of Maternal Mrna Covid-19 Vaccination During Pregnancy Against Covid-19-Associated Hospitalizations In Infants Aged <6 Months During Sars-Cov-2 Omicron Predominance - 20 States, March 9, 2022-May 31, 2023., Regina M. Simeone, Laura D. Zambrano, Natasha B. Halasa, Katherine E. Fleming-Dutra, Margaret M. Newhams, Michael J. Wu, Amber O. Orzel-Lockwood, Satoshi Kamidani, Pia S. Pannaraj, Katherine Irby, Aline B. Maddux, Charlotte V. Hobbs, Melissa A. Cameron, Julie A. Boom, Leila C. Sahni, Michele Kong, Ryan A. Nofziger, Jennifer E. Schuster, Hillary Crandall, Janet R. Hume, Mary A. Staat, Elizabeth H. Mack, Tamara T. Bradford, Sabrina M. Heidemann, Emily R. Levy, Shira J. Gertz, Samina S. Bhumbra, Tracie C. Walker, Katherine E. Bline, Kelly N. Michelson, Matt S. Zinter, Heidi R. Flori, Angela P. Campbell, Adrienne G. Randolph, Overcoming Covid-19 Investigators

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Infants aged < 6 months are not eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. Vaccination during pregnancy has been associated with protection against infant COVID-19-related hospitalization. The Overcoming COVID-19 Network conducted a case-control study during March 9, 2022-May 31, 2023, to evaluate the effectiveness of maternal receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine dose (vaccine effectiveness [VE]) during pregnancy against COVID-19-related hospitalization in infants aged < 6 months and a subset of infants aged < 3 months. VE was calculated as (1 - adjusted odds ratio) x 100% among all infants aged < 6 months and < 3 months. Case-patients (infants hospitalized for COVID-19 outside of birth hospitalization and who had a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result) and control patients (infants hospitalized for COVID-19-like illness with a negative SARS-CoV-2 test result) were compared. Odds ratios were determined using multivariable logistic regression, comparing the odds of receipt of a maternal COVID-19 vaccine dose (completion of a 2-dose vaccination series or a third or higher dose) during pregnancy with maternal nonvaccination between case- and control patients. VE of maternal vaccination during pregnancy against COVID-19-related hospitalization was 35% (95% CI = 15%-51%) among infants aged < 6 months and 54% (95% CI = 32%-68%) among infants aged < 3 months. Intensive care unit admissions occurred in 23% of all case-patients, and invasive mechanical ventilation was more common among infants of unvaccinated (9%) compared with vaccinated mothers (1%) (p = 0.02). Maternal vaccination during pregnancy provides some protection against COVID-19-related hospitalizations among infants, particularly those aged < 3 months. Expectant mothers should remain current with COVID-19 vaccination to protect themselves and their infants from hospitalization and severe outcomes associated with COVID-19.