Diseases Commons^™

Senior Night, Aleyah Rastetter

Reflections, Poetry, Photos, and other Writings

This is a letter regarding the loss of my senior year of high school.

Data Analysis Of A National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (Nhanes) To Identify The Relationship Between Obesity And Cancer, Reyhaneh A. Yazdi, Ramona Stone

Public Health Sciences Student Work

Introduction: Obesity and cancer independently are two important causes of death in the USA. A growing number of studies shows that these two chronic illnesses are related.

Objective: To examine the relationship of cancer and obesity using BMI and Waist Circumference (WC) as indicators using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dataset.

Method: NHANES (2013-2014) dataset was used to obtain information on BMI, Waist Circumference (WC), and cancer (presence or absence) among the participants. The prevalence of obesity and cancer was tested with Pearson λ^2 test and the relationship of these two with education (5 levels) was examined …

Giving Credence To The Experience Of X-Linked Hypophosphatemia In Adulthood: An Interprofessional Mixed-Methods Study, Melissa Hughes, Carolyn Macica, Catherine Meriano, Maya Doyle

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is a rare X-linked dominant metabolic bone disease, often diagnosed in childhood but causing increasing physical debilitation and pain in adulthood. Physical comorbidities of XLH in adulthood include pervasive and early-onset degenerative arthritis, mineralizing enthesophytes and osteophytes, osteomalacia and pseudofracture, dental abscesses, and hearing loss.

Methods: This mixed-methods analysis included physical findings, diagnostic imaging, occupational and physical therapy assessments, and semi-structured interviews by social work to understand the functional outcomes and lived experience of XLH in adulthood, through connections between qualitative data obtained by social work and occupational therapy with the quantitative findings from other disciplines. …

Can Magnetic Resonance Imaging Predict Pathologic Findings For Endometrioid Endometrial Cancer?, Elizabeth L. Dickson Michelson, Jessica J. F. Kram, Kayla Heslin, David Baugh, Vikram Bamra, Jiahao Hu, Abhishek Shukla, Scott A. Kamelle

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility of precisely measuring tumor diameter and myometrial invasion in patients with endometrioid endometrial cancer (EEC) using preoperative contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Adult patients with confirmed diagnosis of complex hyperplasia with atypia or EEC were included. Three radiologists separately measured tumor diameter and myometrial invasion. Basic descriptive statistics were used to describe patient characteristics and to compare radiology- and pathology-measured tumor diameter and myometrial invasion. Using the pathology results for tumor diameter as the gold standard for comparison, at least 1 radiologist was able to predict largest tumor diameter within 5 mm …

Challenges Of Pediatric Disease In Adulthood, Dennis J. Baumgardner, Brian Chicoine

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Some chronic diseases — such as the rare bone disease X-linked hypophosphatemia, the impetus for a study reported within Volume 7, Issue 2 of the Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews — are diagnosed in childhood but become more symptomatic in adulthood. In this editorial, the challenges, pitfalls, and opportunities regarding the care of adults with childhood-onset chronic diseases are examined using Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, congenital heart disease, and Hirschsprung disease as examples.

What Outcomes Matter To Patients After Joint Or Spine Surgery?, Robin R. Whitebird, Leif I. Solberg, Christine K. Norton, Jeanette Y. Ziegenfuss, Stephen E. Asche, Elizabeth S. Grossman

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are increasingly used in clinical care, but there have been few studies of what patients identify as the most important outcomes.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 65 patients undergoing hip or knee replacement, spinal discectomy/laminotomy, or a spinal fusion. Interviews focused on outcomes patients identified as important, perceived usefulness of standardized PROMs measures, and contextual situations important to their care. Data were analyzed using a directed content analysis approach.

Results: Patients identified desired outcomes that were unique and important to them. Their preferred outcomes focused in the areas of freedom from pain, getting back …

The Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire In Randomized Controlled Trials Of Treatment For Ulcerative Colitis: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Aaron Yarlas, Stephen Maher, Martha Bayliss, Andrew Lovley, Joseph C. Cappelleri, Andrew G. Bushmakin, Marco D. Dibonaventura

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: The 32-item Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ-32) is the most frequently used instrument to capture disease-specific quality of life in randomized clinical trials for ulcerative colitis. This review and meta-analysis provides the first synthesis of evidence regarding the sensitivity of IBDQ-32 total and domain scores to treatment efficacy.

Methods: A systematic literature search and risk-of-bias assessment yielded 14 articles that were included in the primary analysis. Treatments were categorized as efficacious if they met the primary efficacy endpoint (which was not the IBDQ-32); otherwise they were categorized as non-efficacious. A continuous measure of treatment efficacy was calculated for …

Positive Emotions And Favorable Cardiovascular Health: A 20-Year Longitudinal Study, Julia K. Boehm, Ying Chen, Farah Qureshi, Jackie Soo, Peter Umokoro, Rosalba Hernandez, Donald Lloyd-Jones, Laura D. Kubzansky

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

No studies have examined whether positive emotions lead to favorable cardiovascular health (CVH) early in the lifespan, before cardiovascular disease is diagnosed. Moreover, the direction of the association has not been thoroughly investigated. Among younger adults, we investigated whether baseline positive emotions were associated with better CVH over 20 years. We also considered whether baseline CVH was associated with subsequent positive emotions during the same period.

Participants included 4196 Black and White men and women from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study. Positive emotions and cardiovascular-related parameters were each assessed in 1990 (this study's baseline), with repeated …

Does Patient-Provider Race/Ethnicity Concordance Impact Outcomes For Adults With Lupus?, Pamela C. Delis Phd, Rn, Cne, Inge B. Corless Phd, Rn, Fnap, Faan, Indigo Young Ms, Ccc-Slp, Mary W. Hildebrand Otd,Otr/L, Jessica G. Bell Ms, Amanda Tarbet Mslis

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background: Health disparities exist among the 1.5 million Americans with lupus, with women of color bearing higher disease rates and burden. Complex reasons include genetics, comorbidities, and socioeconomics. These factors may lead to differences in health-related outcomes in lupus.

Aim: To determine if patient-provider racial/ethnic concordance plays a role in outcomes for adults with lupus.

Method: For this scoping review, the authors searched PubMed Medline and CINAHL using keywords and subject headings for lupus, race or ethnicity, and patient-health professional concordance.

Results: Despite an intentionally broadened search of literature, the authors identified a lack of studies examining the topic.

Conclusions: …

Effect Of Poverty Level On The Relationship Between Hyperlipidemia And Cardiorenal Syndrome, Sri K. Banerjee Md, Phd, Raymond Panas, James Diegel, Karen Banerjee

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Purpose. Elevated cholesterol is known to be associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) independently. Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS), a recently defined syndrome, is characterized by renal failure that is closely interrelated to cardiac dysfunction. The effect of socioeconomic status on cardiorenal syndrome has not been explored in a multi-ethnic population. In this retrospective secondary analysis, the hypothesis was tested if socioeconomic status modifies the effect of hyperlipidemia on CRS.

Methods. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is a cross sectional survey done on the non-institutionalized population of the United States. All patients from the NHANES …

Coronavirus Update 4-24-2020, The Coronavirus Planning Team

University Briefings & Virtual Events

Working behind the scenes on our responses to this pandemic and our plans to get back to campus are a group of task forces appointed by President Petillo. Each task force is appropriately populated with the University staff and faculty with the knowledge and experience to tackle the issues before them, and these leaders are bringing in others throughout campus as needed.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Literature Review And Comprehensive Treatment Analysis, Charlton Mechling

Honors Thesis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic and debilitating autoimmune disease. The varying levels of severity of rheumatoid arthritis make it notably unique. Rheumatoid arthritis is not strictly an inflammatory disease of the joints; it is an extensive disease with many extra-articular manifestations that complicate its treatment and management. In addition to being a disease that is internally driven by the body’s immune system, current research reveals the pervasive influence of environmental factors on the disease’s severity and activity. This literature review examines the pathophysiology of RA, its implications on the body, and current treatment options to ameliorate some of its …

Continuous Glucose Monitors To Decrease Hypoglycemia, Sara B. Woodcock

MSN Capstone Projects

Diabetes is a disease that affects millions of people from children to older adults. There is no cure, although it can be managed to prevent complications. Education of student nurses is where they are born and raised to become nurses who save and change lives. Teaching student nurses in depth about diabetes as a disease and the treatments that best fit their specific needs is where educating patients begins. Learning about a secondary option for blood glucose checks can make all the difference for several patients. Multiple finger sticks daily has been the leading way to check blood sugar for …

Examining Zika Virus: Transmission, Diagnosis, Treatment, And Prevention, Noura Taybeh

BU Well

The Zika virus is a mosquito-borne virus that was first isolated in Uganda in 1947 and has since caused outbreaks in many parts of the world. It has multiple routes of transmission and may cause acute illness and death if not treated. The Zika virus becomes a major concern if transmitted from mother to fetus as it increases the chance of birth defects and developmental problems to the unborn baby. This article highlights the importance of early diagnosis and describes Zika virus’ transmission, treatment, and prevention.

Your Best Shot At Surviving The Flu Season, Isabella Liu

BU Well

Millions of individuals become ill from the influenza virus every year. As an existing public health issue, it is important for patients to understand that the best way to combat the influenza virus is through prevention. This article explores key aspects of the influenza vaccine and highlights its importance in the healthcare community.

How Immune T-Cell Augmentation Can Help Prevent Covid-19: A Possible Nutritional Solution Using Ketogenic Lifestyle, Ravi K. Kamepalli Md,Fidsa,Cwsp

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

A Systematic Search And Review On The Efficacy, Safety, And Cost-Effectiveness Of Utilizing Lactobacillus Probiotics In Concurrence With Prescribing Antibiotics To Reduce Clostridium Difficile Infection Rates In Hospitalized Patients, Laura Sheehan

Nursing Masters Papers

Incidence of Clostridium difficile infection, (CDI) in patients receiving antibiotics is significant. In 2017, there were approximately 223,900 cases of CDI in hospitalized patients alone (Center for Disease Control [CDC], 2017). Despite enhanced infection control measures, CDI rates remain prevalent and are associated with increased costs to healthcare. An integrative literature review and synthesis was performed. Studies were analyzed to delineate if Lactobacillus containing probiotics, when administered concurrently with high risk antibiotics, decrease CDI rates for patients in the inpatient hospital setting. Additional analysis of probiotic safety and a cost versus benefit analysis was researched. The purpose of the review …

In Vivo Data: Treatment With The F11r/Jam-A Peptide 4d Decreases Mortality And Reduces The Generation Of Atherosclerotic Plaques In Apoe-Deficient Mice, Anna Babinska, Cristina C. Clement, Yan Li, Joanna Wzorek, Tomasz Przygodzki, Marcin Talar, Marcin Braun, Maria Swiatkowska, Yigal H. Ehrlich, Elizabeth Kornecki, Cezary Watala, Moro O. Salifu

Publications and Research

The data in this article focus on the F11 Receptor (F11R/JAM-A; Junctional Adhesion Molecule-A; JAM-A, F11R), a cell adhesion protein constitutively expressed on the membrane surface of circulating platelets and localized within the tight junctions of healthy endothelial cells (ECs). Previous reports have shown that F11R/JAM-A plays a critical role in the adhesion of platelets to an inflamed endothelium due to its’ pathological expression on the luminal surface of the cytokine-inflamed endothelium. Since platelet adhesion to an inflamed endothelium is an early step in the development of atherosclerotic plaque formation, and with time, resulting in heart attacks and stroke, we …

Combatting The Pandemic, Roche Also Forges Ahead With Critical Phase 3 Huntington's Disease Clinical Trial, Kenneth P. Serbin

At Risk for Huntington's Disease

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Role Of Rap1a In Medial Arterial Vascular Calcification, Amelia Grace Haydel

Honors Theses

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States with one of the major contributors being vascular calcification, characterized by the deposition of calcium-phosphate hydroxyapatite. Once thought to be a passive process due to aging, medial vascular calcification is becoming better understood as a tightly regulated, cellmediated process. Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) within the medial arterial layer respond to inflammation, oxidative stress, and changes in pyrophosphate levels, which induce differentiation into osteoblast-like cells. Fibroblasts within the adventitial layer (AFBs) also alter their function in response to vascular calcification signaling, although this is largely understudied. The AGE/RAGE …

Enhancing Engagement In Older Adults With Alzheimer's Disease At A Reminiscencce Therapy Adult Day Center, Kendra C. Gillio

Student Capstone Papers

Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative form of dementia, which can impair an individual’s executive functioning, orientation, and memory; ultimately leading to mood and behavior changes (Alzate, 2018). Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting approximately 60% to 70% of the older adult population aged 65 and older (Santos da Silva, de Oliveira Alves, Barros Leite Slagueiro & Bezerra Barbosa, 2018). Currently, the number of individuals with dementia is estimated at approximately 50 million people worldwide and is expected to climb to 152 million people by the year 2050 (Rathbone, et. al, 2019). Damage to the brain develops …

Valbenazine Has A Small But Meaningful Benefit For Tardive Dyskinesia, Joseph Friedli, Ryan Quick, Reem Sobh, Samantha Cowing

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A critical appraisal and clinical application of

Hauser RA, Factor SA, Marder SR, et al. KINECT 3: A Phase 3 Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Valbenazine for Tardive Dyskinesia. Am J Psychiatry. 2017;174(5):476-484. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.16091037

and

Factor SA, Remington G, Comella CL, et al. The Effects of Valbenazine in Participants with Tardive Dyskinesia: Results of the 1-Year KINECT 3 Extension Study. J Clin Psychiatry. 2017;78(9):1344-1350. https://doi.org/10.4088/JCP.17m11777

exploring the efficacy of a newer therapy for tardive dyskinesia, and describing recommendations for a patient with acute medical problems and longstanding tardive dyskinesia.

Fact Or Myth: The Flu Can Be Caused By The Flu Vaccine, Arleigh Wood

Virtual 2020 Spring Student Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

To many, the flu vaccine seems like a threat to an otherwise healthy individual. People often get the flu after receiving the flu shot, which does not promote confidence in the general public. These and other reasonings have created a myth that the flu vaccine can cause the flu. Understanding how the vaccination is created and how it interacts with the immune system helps to realize why the flu vaccine cannot cause the virus. For the vaccine to work, adaptive immunity must be activated by the introduction of the viral particles in a safe manner. An effective immune response from …

Ua94/6/1 My Story: Wku Softball's Morgan Mcelroy, Morgan Mcelroy

Student/Alumni Personal Papers

My Story is a series of first-person feature articles written by WKU student-athletes. The student-athletes will be telling their own stories in their own words. This article written by softball senior Morgan McElroy, whose career came to a sudden end last month between the team’s midweek game and weekend series in Texas.

Vaccines In Current Culture: The Hpv Vaccine Controversy, Alyssa Johnston

Senior Honors Theses

The use of vaccinations has drastically decreased mortality and morbidity rates related to infectious disease and has become an intrinsic part of modern health care. However, the fear of risks related to vaccines has been partially responsible for the decisions of many parents to delay or avoid vaccinating their children. The human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine specifically is one of the most controversial vaccines in current culture due to reports of new onset or exacerbation of autoimmune diseases, infertility, and even death following its administration. This review synthesizes information regarding the relevance and safety of the HPV vaccine, as well …

469— Life Or Death: Decision Making In Sexual Disease Treatment Matters, Jason Ipolito

GREAT Day Posters

Syphilis is an STI that has recently made a resurgence in homosexual populations. When infected, a patient has two options: seek treatment immediately or do not seek treatment. I used a system of differential equations that includes susceptible, exposed, treatment receptive, treatment non-receptive, cured, and dead state variables in order to determine the relationships among transmission rate, treatment options, and death rate. My model suggests that an individual’s treatment option has a larger effect on death rate than the transmission rate inherent to the disease. The model also contains two sets of equilibria: an unstable trivial disease free condition and …

483— Effectiveness Of Mmr Vaccination In Orthodox Jewish Neighborhoods, Meenu Mundackal

GREAT Day Posters

Measles is a highly contagious disease, where large outbreaks arise by direct contact between susceptible (unvaccinated) and infectious individuals. Many Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods were affected by measles from 2018-2019. To quantify the vaccination effort on this susceptible population, a retrospective analysis was used to study the NYC and Rockland County populations using a differential equations model. A subsequent model, known as a realistically-structured network model, studied only the NYC population, in relation to typical household size. Vaccination strategies were applied to three cohorts: unvaccinated family members, members with 1 prior MMR dose, and members with 2 prior MMR doses. The …

280— Exploring The Geographic Distribution Of Childbed Fever Deaths In Mid-19th Century Rochester, Ny, Meaghan Parks

GREAT Day Posters

Childbed fever, formally called puerperal fever or puerperal septicemia, is an infection typically contracted by women after childbirth. Historically, childbed fever was a serious threat to maternal health. Childbed fever is caused by exposure of open wounds or abrasions, which are common after giving birth, to group A and B Streptococcal bacteria. Ignaz Semmelweis discovered that hand washing using a chlorinated solution reduced cases of childbed fever in 1847. This project reviews the instances of death from childbed fever in Rochester, New York from 1837-1860 and later from 1907-1919 and attempts to determine which areas of the city had the …

484— Modeling Social Distancing Methods And Their Effectiveness In Combating The Spread Of Ebola, Rachel Fair

GREAT Day Posters

Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is a rare but severe disease that is transmitted among humans through direct-contact with, and close proximity to, infected bodily fluids. From 2014-16, West Africa experienced the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded, infecting over 28,000 people, and killing over 11,000. Although the symptoms of EVD are treatable, the disease can be extremely deadly, with an average of 50% EVD cases resulting in fatality. In areas where healthcare is scarce and vaccinations are not readily available, the practices of social distancing and self-quarantining have been shown to be highly effective in combating the spread of EVD. To …

465— Modeling Vaccine Efficacy For Tuberculosis In A Prison Population, Kaitlyn Mundackal

GREAT Day Posters

Tuberculosis is a highly contagious disease and is particularly problematic in confined communities such as prisons. I simulated how Tuberculosis moves through a prison population and tested how much vaccination effort is needed to control its spread. To explore this, I tested adding ever increasing numbers of randomly placed edges in a network and determined the size of the largest component. Afterwards, I removed edges in the model using two different methods, one illustrating if the edges were removed randomly and the other starting with prisoners that had the most connections, to simulate the effect of vaccination. My results show …