Other Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Culture And The Development Of Traditional Medicine In Africa, Rowland Edet, Oyedolapo Isaac Bello, Julianah Babajide

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Traditional medicine has been the dominant healthcare system in Africa before westernization, civilization and colonialism. For people living in the rural areas, traditional medicine is easily available, accessible and affordable. The purpose of this paper is to examine how the cultural way of the life of Africans has contributed to the emergence and development of traditional therapeutic systems in the continent. By explaining the way Africans perceive illness and disease, this paper argues that various forms of healing were predicated on the sociocultural environment of the people. The paper therefore opts for concerted efforts in the development of traditional medicine …

Improving Enzymatic Hydrolysis Of Brewer Spent Grain With Nonthermal Plasma, Rajeev Ravindran, Chaitanya Sarangapani, Swarna Jaiswal, Peng Lu, Patrick J. Cullen, Paula Bourke, Amit Jaiswal

Articles

In this study, a new pre-treatment method based on novel non-thermal plasma technology was developed to improve the enzymatic hydrolysis of brewer’s spent grain (BSG) and subsequent bioethanol production. A submerged dielectric barrier discharge plasma reactor system was applied for this purpose. Pre-treatments were performed by taking into account variables including; voltages (22 kV, 25 kV and 28 kV), solvent (acid, alkali and water) and time (5, 10, 15 min). The resulting treated biomass was subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis. A 2.14-fold increase in yield of the reducing sugar was achieved post hydrolysis when the biomass was treated in water for …

Career Regret Among Physician Assistants: A Comparative Survey Of Primary And Specialty Care Careers, Talia Sierra, Jennifer Forbes, Michael Nelson

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: This study investigated if career regret varies among physician assistants (PAs) practicing in primary and specialty care fields. This information may assist practicing and aspiring physician assistants when selecting or changing their career path.

Methods: A survey was emailed to 5,000 primary and specialty care physician assistants. Items indicating career regret were compared between primary and specialty care groups.

Results: Eight hundred and thrity-four (16.7%) completed surveys were received back. Career regret is similar between primary and specialty care physician assistants, with low reports from both groups. No statistical significance was found between primary care and specialty care groups …

Total Energy Intake And Self-Selected Macronutrient Distribution During Wildland Fire Suppression, Alexander N. Marks, Joseph A. Sol, Joseph W. Domitrovich, Molly R. West, Brent C. Ruby

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Introduction: Wildland firefighters (WLFF) work long hours in extreme environments resulting in high daily total energy expenditure (TEE). Increasing work shift eating episodes and/or providing rations that promote convenient feeding has shown augmented self-selected work output, as has regular carbohydrate (CHO) consumption. It remains unclear how current WLFF feeding strategies compare to more frequent nutrient delivery. Our study’s aim was to determine WLFFs’ self-selected field total energy intake (TEI), composition, and patterns feeding during wildland fire suppression shifts.

Methods: 86 WLFF (16 female, 70 male; 27.5 ± 6.4 yr) deployed to fire incidents across the United States throughout the 2018 …

Occupational Therapy Student Conceptions Of Self-Reflection In Level Ii Fieldwork, Susan L. Iliff, Gaylene Tool, Patricia Bowyer, Diane Parham, Tina S. Fletcher, Wyona M. Freysteinson

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Self-reflection is paramount to the development of professionalism and serves as the foundation of adult education and lifelong learning. Pedagogical approaches in health sciences programs that promote self-reflection are growing in popularity. Current literature identifies a gap in what and how students conceive self-reflection and whether self-reflection is creating professionals that meet the challenges of today’s healthcare climate. This qualitative study explores the conceptions of self-reflection for occupational therapy students in Level II Fieldwork. The use of phenomenographic methodology guided the collection of information-rich data through semi-structured interviews. Twenty-one occupational therapy graduates volunteered to participate in the interviews. Verbatim transcripts …

Systematic Control Of Aged Skeletal Muscle Following High-Intensity Stretch-Shortening Contraction Exercise Training: Epigenomic Regulation And Signaling Factors Underpinning Adaptation, Marshall Alan Naimo Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Sarcopenia, the age-related decline in skeletal muscle mass, results in a loss of strength and functional capacity, which subsequently increases the risk of disease, disability, frailty, and all-cause mortality. Exercise is known to be an efficacious paradigm for improving health and attenuating or preventing many chronic diseases. For the previous two decades, our laboratory has established an in vivo rodent dynamometer model to explore the effects of various skeletal muscle training paradigms following stretch-shortening contractions (SSCs).The responses tohigh-intensity resistance-type exercise training (RTET) using this physiological model ranges from adaptation, characterized by enhanced skeletal muscle performance along with increased muscle mass, …

Factors Affecting The Survival And Implantation Of Human Blastocysts Following Vitrification, Hamish Barblett

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The increased cell numbers, presence of the blastocoel and rapid cell re-organisation have required the development of specific survival criteria post warm to effectively select the most viable blastocyst for transfer. Pre-freeze blastocyst expansion and post warm re-expansion have been shown to contribute significantly to the chances of an implantation and subsequent live birth. The aim of this study was to explore factors that influence the outcome of blastocyst transfers after vitrification and warming, and hopefully improve outcomes by further applying improvements in future cycles. Variables from 8 years of vitrified/warmed blastocysts were retrospectively compiled and analysed to determine the …

Effect Of Strong Electrolyte Containing Gelling Aids On The Sol-Gel Transition Temperature Of Hypromellose 2910, Elnaz Sadeghi

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

Hypromellose, or hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) - has been widely used for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications due to its advantages, including that it is modifiable in terms of viscosity, and it has the ability to form thermally reversible hydrogels. The thermal gelation temperature (T_Gel) of a given HPMC solution strongly depends on its characteristic grade and the solution concentration. Applying certain additives can modify the T_Gel even further; depending on their nature and concentration. With the addition of said additives, a lower or higher T_Gel can be obtained. For example, the addition of sodium chloride (NaCl) reduces …

Effectiveness Of High-Fidelity Human Patient Simulation In Learning To Manage Medically-Complex Infants, Erin Clinard

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Survival of preterm and medically-complex infants has dramatically increased over the past thirty years due to significant advances in medical care and technology, however the developmental costs of survival are substantial. Comprehensive care of premature babies is critical and there is a need for more neonatal therapists, including speech-language pathologists (SLPs), with the knowledge and confidence to provide that care.

Students in graduate SLP programs often receive little clinical experience or dedicated coursework in pediatric feeding and swallowing, especially with medically-complex infants. However, hands-on and experiential learning can support the development of the necessary foundational knowledge and confidence of students …

Health-Related Perception And Responsibility Behavior Among Individuals With And Without Chronic Illness, Danielle Dohrmann

Theses & Dissertations

Few studies have examined perceptions of responsibility attribution and well-being, and health responsibility behaviors in individuals with none, one, and multiple chronic illnesses. Adults (N = 421) in medical clinics completed questionnaires for this cross-sectional descriptive study. The Revised Causal Dimensional Scale measured responsibility attribution whereas sub-sections of the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program evaluation measured well-being perception and the health responsibility behavior of communication associated with a clinic visit. Chi-square, Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal-Wallace tests were used to examine demographic characteristics and group differences. Individuals with multiple morbidities and of advanced age perceived their illnesses as more stable and rated …

Housing Condition Impact On Pae Learning And Bdnf Expression., Annette K. Fernandez Oropeza

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

Prenatal alcohol and early life stress exposure are associated with reduced levels of BDNF in the frontal cortex. Several studies have implicated (BDNF) in frontal cortex as important contributor of learning and memory. In the present study, we look to determine whether early housing conditions could mitigate the impact of prenatal alcohol exposure on learning as well as BDNF expression in sex-specific manner in frontal cortex of mice. Compared to control, prenatal alcohol mice expresses reduced total BDNF levels and displayed reduced freezing behavior response during contextual fear conditioning in both female and male mice. Female displayed increased BDNF levels …

Assessment Of Interprofessional Team Collaboration Scale (Aitcs): Further Testing And Instrument Revision., Carole Orchard, Linda L Pederson, Emily Read, Cornelia Mahler, Heather Laschinger

Nursing Publications

INTRODUCTION: The need to be able to assess collaborative practice in health care teams has been recognized in response to the direction for team-based care in a number of policy documents. The purpose of this study is to report on further refinement of such a measurement instrument, the Assessment of Interprofessional Team Collaboration Scale (AITCS) first published in 2012. To support this refinement, two objectives were set: Objective 1: to determine whether the items from the data collected in 2016 load on the same factors as found for the 2012 version of the 37-item AITCS. Objective 2: to determine whether …

Gender, Gender Roles And Academic Success In Diverse College Students, Noelle Rowe

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

More than ever before, college serves as an important entity to further an individual’s personal and professional goals. An interesting pattern has emerged: women are outpacing men in college enrollment, as well as in degree attainment. Hegemonic masculinity serves as one of many theories to explain this gender gap. Additionally, little research has focused on the topic of hegemonic masculinity exhibited by men of color. Thus, this study had three purposes: to understand the academic behavior and achievement of racially diverse college students, understand how hegemonic masculinity contributes to decreased academic achievement among males, and how hegemonic masculinity differs across …

Beyond Continuing Education: Continuing Professional Development And The Cth, Jeff Goad

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

"The CTH exam is taken by physicians, pharmacists and nurses. From country to country and profession to profession, there is a wide variety of travel clinic practice and the training of travel medicine providers. One-time assessments, such as the CTH exam, are important to establishing a standard level of knowledge, but ongoing education that focuses on the knowledge and skills necessary to provide the pre-travel clinic consultation should be a priority."

Acoustofluidics And Soft Materials Interfaces For Biomedical Applications, Frank A. Fencl

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

This dissertation describes fabrication of devices and other tools for biomedical applications through the integration of acoustofluidic systems with bio separation assays, instrumentation components, and soft materials interfaces. For example, we engineer a new class of transparent acoustic flow chambers ideal for optical interrogation. We demonstrate efficacy of these devices by enhancing the signal for high throughput acoustic flow cytometry, capable of robust particle focusing across multiple parallel flowing streams. We also investigate an automated sampling system to determine the parameters of transient particle stream focusing in between sample boluses and air bubbles to model a high throughput, multi-sampling acoustic …

Exposure To Household Air Pollution From Biomass Cookstoves And Levels Of Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide (Feno) Among Honduran Women, Megan L. Benka-Coker, Maggie L. Clark, Sarah Rajkumar, Bonnie N. Young, Annette M. Bachand, John R. Balmes, Robert Brook, Tracy L. Nelson, John Volckens, Steve J. Reynolds, Ander Wilson, Christian L'Orange, Nicholas Good, Casey Quinn, Kirsten Koehler, Sebastian Africano, Anibal Osorto Pinel, Jennifer L. Peel

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Household air pollution is estimated to be responsible for nearly three million premature deaths annually. Measuring fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) may improve the limited understanding of the association of household air pollution and airway inflammation. We evaluated the cross-sectional association of FeNO with exposure to household air pollution (24-h average kitchen and personal fine particulate matter and black carbon; stove type) among 139 women in rural Honduras using traditional stoves or cleaner-burning Justastoves. We additionally evaluated interaction by age. Results were generally consistent with a null association; we did not observe a consistent pattern for interaction by age. Evidence …

Winds Of Change – Predicting Water-Based Recreationists' Support And Opposition For Offshore Wind Energy Development In The Great Lakes, Michael D. Ferguson, Samantha L. Powers, Nate E. Trauntvein, Jeffrey B. Jacquet, Alan R. Graefe, Andrew J. Mowen

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

This study examined the factors influencing water-based recreationists' perceptions of support and opposition towards off-shore wind energy development (OWD) on Lake Erie. Much of the proposed or future Lake Erie OWD infrastructure may either be within or adjacent to public lands, waters, and protected areas, raising concerns about the potential environmental and social impacts upon recreation stakeholders. The limited body of OWD research within the United States has suggested there are numerous factors that may influence overall perceptions of support and opposition such as political orientation and beliefs in climate change. Moreover, recent research has proposed that the perceived recreation …

Optimizing Quality Of Care By Patient Satisfaction For The Department Of Orthopaedics - A Survey Study, Milad Modarresi, Ammar Qureshi, Rodrigo Aguilar, Meghan Anderson, Felix Cheung

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Introduction: Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and System (HCAHPS) has provided a standardized survey method in order to evaluate the patient’s satisfaction on the care they are provided. While overall patient satisfaction is clearly a multidimensional concept, the HCAHPS survey covers 8 domains of health care. This study tries to identify and establish the main determinants to patient’s level of satisfaction during their visit to Cabell Huntington Hospital Orthopaedics department.

Methods: Data was collected from surveys handed in 3 consecutive months; June, July and August of 2013. Sixteen questions were selected from HCAHPS that were appraised to be relevant …

Tablet-Based Collection Of Patient-Reported Data In Diverse, Low-Income Populations: A Case Study In Breast Cancer Risk Assessment, Cristina O'Donoghue, Celia P. Kaplan, Rebecca Howe, Laura J. Esserman, Eliseo J. Perez-Stable, Elissa M. Ozanne

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background: Tablets and other technologies are evolving tools to collect personalized health data. However, the quality of data collected by these tools in vulnerable populations is unknown. We explore the acceptability and reliability of a Breast Health Questionnaire app’s use by diverse, low-income women against a pen/paper survey.

Methods: Women who spoke English or Spanish were recruited to complete a tablet and a paper/pen questionnaire prior to their screening mammography. The usability and reliability of the BHQ app were assessed and analyzed.

Results: Of 116 women, 94 (81%) found the app easy to use. Reliability between the app and the …

Local Impact - Serving Our Community, Loma Linda University Health

Scope

Table of Contents

Features
10 | Outreach to San Bernardino
14 | Community Health Workers
16 | Creating community for the disabled
18 | Water safety in Coachella Valley
19 | People of impact
24 | Serving the homeless with a sacrament
26 | Better child mental health for better physical health
28 | Guilds support children

Departments
4 | From our President - Why we serve
6 | Innovation - Published research
30 | Vision 2020 - Update in images
32 | Giving - Philanthropy focus
34 | Gallery - Commencement 2018
38 | Alumni - Serving nearby
40 …

The Chapman Bone Algorithm: A Diagnostic Alternative For The Evaluation Of Osteoporosis, Elise Levesque, Anton Ketterer, Wajiha Memon, Cameron James, Noah Barrett, Cyril Rakovski, Frank Frisch

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Osteoporosis is the most common metabolic bone disease and goes largely undiagnosed throughout the world, due to the inaccessibility of DXA machines. Multivariate analyses of serum bone turnover markers were evaluated in 226 Orange County, California, residents with the intent to determine if serum osteocalcin and serum pyridinoline cross-links could be used to detect the onset of osteoporosis as effectively as a DXA scan. Descriptive analyses of the demographic and lab characteristics of the participants were performed through frequency, means and standard deviation estimations. We implemented logistic regression modeling to find the best classification algorithm for osteoporosis. All calculations and …

Experimental Evaluation Of The Importance Of Colonization History In Early-Life Gut Microbiota Assembly, Inés Martínez, Maria X. Maldonado-Gomez, João Carlos Gomes-Neto, Hatem Kittana, Hua Ding, Robert J. Schmaltz, Payal Joglekar, Roberto Jiménez Cardona, Nathan L Marsteller, Steven W. Kembel, Andrew K. Benson, Daniel A. Peterson, Amanda Ramer-Tait, Jens C. Walter

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The factors that govern assembly of the gut microbiota are insufficiently understood. Here, we test the hypothesis that inter-individual microbiota variation can arise solely from differences in the order and timing by which the gut is colonized early in life. Experiments in which mice were inoculated in sequence either with two complex seed communities or a cocktail of four bacterial strains and a seed community revealed that colonization order influenced both the outcome of community assembly and the ecological success of individual colonizers. Historical contingency and priority effects also occurred in Rag1^-/- mice, suggesting that the adaptive immune system …

Exposure To Household Air Pollution From Biomass Cookstoves And Blood Pressure Among Women In Rural Honduras: A Cross‐Sectional Study, Bonnie N. Young, Maggie L. Clark, Sarah Rajkumar, Megan L. Benka-Coker, Annette Bachand, Robert D. Brook, Tracy L. Nelson, John Volckens, Stephen J. Reynolds, Christian L'Orange, Nicholas Good, Kirsten Koehler, Sebastian Africano, Anibal B. Osorto Pinel, Jennifer L. Peel

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Growing evidence links household air pollution exposure from biomass cookstoves with elevated blood pressure. We assessed cross‐sectional associations of 24‐hour mean concentrations of personal and kitchen fine particulate matter (PM2.5), black carbon (BC), and stove type with blood pressure, adjusting for confounders, among 147 women using traditional or cleaner‐burning Justa stoves in Honduras. We investigated effect modification by age and body mass index. Traditional stove users had mean (standard deviation) personal and kitchen 24‐hour PM2.5 concentrations of 126 μg/m3 (77) and 360 μg/m3 (374), while Justa stove users’ exposures were 66 μg/m3 (38) and 137 μg/m3(194), respectively. BC concentrations were …

Alumni Journal - Volume 89, Number 3, Loma Linda University School Of Medicine

Alumni Journal, School of Medicine

Features
16 | The Unwritten Curriculum
18 | Engaging the Next Generation in the Pursuit of Medicine
21 | Department Reports: Surgery and Radiation Medicine
26 | Graduation 2018
40 | Last Chance Ranch
41 | The Struggle Is a Victory
42 | The Rhythm in the Words

Departments
2 | From the Editor
5 | From the President
6 | From the Dean
8 | This and That
10 | School of Medicine News
14 | The Student Fund
44 | Book Review
45 | AIMS Report
46 | Alumni News
47 | Classified/Placement Ads
48 | In Memoriam …

Distinct Neuropsychological Profile And Associated Neurochemical Changes In Individuals With Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathy, Lactic Acidosis, And Stroke-Like Episodes (Melas), Emily B. Leaffer

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathy, Lactic Acidosis, and Stroke-like Episodes (MELAS) is a maternally inherited progressive multisystemic disorder. Occurrence of seizure and/or stroke-like episode, as well as classic biomarkers (i.e., cerebral lactic acidosis, depleted N-acetylaspartate (NAA)), have been linked to neuropsychological deficit and trigger the developmental cascade of neurodegeneration affecting posterior prior to anterior brain regions. While a pattern of global deterioration has been reported, systematic examination in a large MELAS cohort has not been conducted.

Objective: First, we examined verbal and visual memory function and its relationship to brain metabolites (lactate, NAA) in individuals with MELAS. Second, we hypothesized that MELAS …

Implementation Of A Screening Protocol To Improve Provider Assessment Of Depression In Patients With Psoriasis, Marlee Bryant

Doctoral Dissertations and Scholarly Projects

Patients with psoriasis are at an increased risk for depression. Despite this risk, many dermatology care providers do not screen for depression in practice, including providers at the target practice for this project. This evidence-based practice pilot project was purposed to increase dermatology providers’ assessment of depression in patients with psoriasis. This project involved implementing a depression screening protocol at one private dermatology practice and educating providers on the use of the protocol including the embedded depression screening tool, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. The project leader used a quasi-experimental design and collected data utilizing retrospective chart reviews completed pre- and …

Alumni Journal - Volume 89, Number 2, Loma Linda University School Of Medicine

Alumni Journal, School of Medicine

Features
14 | True Sustenance
17 | Department Reports: Pediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynecology
24 | APC 2018 Review

Departments
2 | From the Editor
4 | From the President
6 | From the Dean
9 | This and That
10 | School of Medicine News
12 | AIMS Report and Awards
13 | The Student Fund
34 | Book Review
37 | Classified/Placement Ads
38 | Alumni News
39 | In Memoriam
43 | Historical Snapshot
44 | What's Up Doc? - Daniel L. Bouland '82

Extras
8 | New Board of Directors Members and Alumni Association Officer

Uams Summer Health Literacy Study, Merritt Osment

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: Health Literacy is a barrier to self-care; patients often lack the skills to understand complicated instructions that deal with medications, wound care, follow up schedules, and preventative care. Patients who undergo hip and knee replacements are often older adults, a population that normally struggles with various aspects of health literacy. Patient education materials are a common means of communicating with these individuals. However, if the patient does not understand the materials that they are given, they are more likely to experience negative side effects after their operation. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare the health literacy …

An Opportunity For Pharmacists To Help Improve Coordination And Continuity Of Patient Health Care, Jon C. Schommer, Lawrence M. Brown, Ryan (Alyssa) Bortz, Alina Cernasev, Basma T. Gomaa, Keri D. Hager, Lisa Hillman, Olihe Okoro, Serguei V. S. Pakhomov, Paul L. Ranelli

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Pharmacist workforce researchers are predicting a potential surplus of pharmacists in the United States that might result in pharmacists being available for engagement in new roles. The objective for this study was to describe consumer opinions regarding medication use, the health care system, and pharmacists to help identify new roles for pharmacists from the consumer perspective. Data were obtained from the 2015 and 2016 National Consumer Surveys on the Medication Experience and Pharmacist Roles. Out of the representative sample of 36,673 respondents living in the United States, 80% (29,426) submitted written comments at the end of the survey. Of these, …

Development And Implementation Of A Homogeneous And A Heterogeneous Anthropomorphic End To End Quality Assurance Audit System Phantom For Magnetic Resonance Guided Radiotherapy Modalities Ranging From 0.35 T To 1.50 T, Angela Steinmann

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Introduction: Magnetic resonance (MR) guided radiation therapy (MRgRT) is an emerging field that integrates an MR imager with either a linear accelerator or three radioactive cobalt-60 sources. Before institutions participate in multi-institutional NCI-sponsored clinical trials, they are required to perform a credentialing test provided by IROC-Houston. During the credentialing test, end-to-end phantoms are used to evaluate the institution’s ability to perform consistent and accurate radiation treatments. IROC-Houston’s conventional anthropomorphic phantoms are not visible in MR, thus they are insufficient for MRgRT systems. The purpose of this work was to create an anthropomorphic thorax and a head and neck (H&N) phantom …