Public Health Commons^™

The Eco-Epidemiology Of Pacific Coast Tick Fever In California, Kerry A. Padgett, Denise L. Bonilla, Marina E. Eremeeva, Carol A. Glaser, Robert S. Lane, Charsey Cole Porse, Martin B. Castro, Sharon L. Messenger, Alex Espinosa, Jill Hacker, Anne Kjemtrup, Bonnie Ryan, Jamesina J. Scott, Renjie Hu, Melissa Hardstone Yoshimizu, Gregory A. Dasch, Vicki Kramer

Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Rickettsia philipii (type strain “Rickettsia 364D”), the etiologic agent of Pacific Coast tick fever (PCTF), is transmitted to people by the Pacific Coast tick, Dermacentor occidentalis. Following the first confirmed human case of PCTF in 2008, 13 additional human cases have been reported in California, more than half of which were pediatric cases. The most common features of PCTF are the presence of at least one necrotic lesion known as an eschar (100%), fever (85%), and headache (79%); four case-patients required hospitalization and four had multiple eschars. Findings presented here implicate the nymphal or larval stages of D …

Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are Ted Talk Annotated Resource List, Elizabeth Hurm

Undergraduate Research Award

No abstract provided.

Multi-Sector Analysis Of The Progress And Challenges Of Soil-Transmitted Helminth Eradication In Rural Udaipur, Jessica Ellis

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

India is home to 240 million children currently at risk of Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis, which is spread via unclean water, soil, and food, and causes acute pain and malnutrition. While acknowledging the research debates over WASH and mass drug administration, this study seeks to identify the systemic multidisciplinary issues affecting STH elimination efforts in rural Udaipur. Twenty-three interviews were conducted in villages, government departments, NGOs, and medical sectors to identify the challenges within each approach to deworming, and their experiences with multi-sectoral collaboration. The most recurring issues across disciplines were need for invested local leadership, increase in health literacy of adults, …

How We’Ll Fight The Next Deadly Virus Ted Talk Annotated Resource List, Susie Roy

Undergraduate Research Award

No abstract provided.

Manufacturing And Engineering [Career Paper], Mahdi Alawami

Undergraduate Research Award

No abstract provided.

Solid Waste Management Of Disposable Diaper Sanitation And The Connection To Environmental Awareness For Women In Zanzibar, Micalea Leaska

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project examined the solid waste management of disposable diapers in three locations, Stone Town, Mangapwani and Vikokotoni, within Zanzibar, Tanzania. Its methods included field observations of the solid waste disposal system in Zanzibar and interviews with women about their rationales for buying and using disposable diapers. For one of the first times, the data collected during this project will further assist to educate women about the benefits of cloth diapers and the negative effects disposable diapers create for Zanzibari families and the environment. This study has observed one of the most growing concerns regarding excess solid waste contributing to …

Estimation Of P(X > Y) When X And Y Are Dependent Random Variables Using Different Bivariate Sampling Schemes, Hani M. Samawi, Amal Helu, Haresh Rochani, Jingjing Yin, Daniel Linder

Biostatistics: Faculty Publications

The stress-strength models have been intensively investigated in the literature in regards of estimating the reliability θ = P (X > Y) using parametric and nonparametric approaches under different sampling schemes when X and Y are independent random variables. In this paper, we consider the problem of estimating θ when (X, Y) are dependent random variables with a bivariate underlying distribution. The empirical and kernel estimates of θ = P (X > Y), based on bivariate ranked set sampling (BVRSS) are considered, when (X, Y) are paired dependent continuous random variables. The estimators obtained are compared to their counterpart, bivariate simple random …

Fto Genotype And Weight Loss: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of 9563 Individual Participant Data From Eight Randomised Controlled Trials., Katherine M Livingstone, Carlos Celis-Morales, George D Papandonatos, Bahar Erar, Jose C Florez, Kathleen A Jablonski, Cristina Razquin, Amelia Marti, Yoriko Heianza, Tao Huang, Frank M Sacks, Mathilde Svendstrup, Xuemei Sui, Timothy S Church, Tiina Jääskeläinen, Jaana Lindström, Jaakko Tuomilehto, Matti Uusitupa, Tuomo Rankinen, Wim H M Saris, Torben Hansen, Oluf Pedersen, Arne Astrup, Thorkild I A Sørensen, Lu Qi, George A Bray, Miguel A Martinez-Gonzalez, J Alfredo Martinez, Paul W Franks, Jeanne M Mccaffery, Jose Lara, John C Mathers

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of the FTO genotype on weight loss after dietary, physical activity, or drug based interventions in randomised controlled trials.

DESIGN: Systematic review and random effects meta-analysis of individual participant data from randomised controlled trials.

DATA SOURCES: Ovid Medline, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane from inception to November 2015.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STUDY SELECTION: Randomised controlled trials in overweight or obese adults reporting reduction in body mass index, body weight, or waist circumference by FTO genotype (rs9939609 or a proxy) after dietary, physical activity, or drug based interventions. Gene by treatment interaction models were fitted to individual …

Rickettsiologist Pavel F. Zdrodovskii: Larger Than Life, And Not Just For His Famous Book, Marina E. Eremeeva, S. N. Shpynov, I. V. Tarasevich

Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

This article highlights the biography and scientific accomplishments of Pavel F. Zdrodovskii and his contributions to understanding the biology, pathogenesis, treatment, prevention and epidemiology of brucellosis, rickettsioses and many other infectious diseases.

Variation Of Driving Skill Among Elderly Drivers Compared To Young Drivers In Japan, Indri Hapsari Susilowati, Akira Yasukouchi

Kesmas

Penelitian ini menganalisis kemampuan mengemudi pada pengemudi lanjut usia (lansia) dibandingkan dengan usia muda di Jepang dan melihat keterampilan mengemudi yang kurang sehingga dapat memengaruhi risiko kecelakaan di jalan raya. Subjek penelitian adalah pengemudi usia muda dan lansia, terdiri dari 10 mahasiswa (20 - 24 tahun) dan 25 pengemudi lansia (14 laki-laki dan 11 perempuan) berasal dari The Silver Menpower Center, organisasi bagi lansia > 60 tahun. Pengemudi lansia dibagi menjadi dua kelompok, yaitu lansia 1 berusia 60 - 65 tahun (10 orang) dan lansia 2 berusia > 65 tahun (15 orang). Kemampuan mengemudi dievaluasi dengan simulator permainan mengemudi dalam laboratorium. Analisis …

Rural-Based Health Promotion Model For Pregnant Women In Banyumas District, Elviera Gamelia, Dian Anandari, Dyah Umiyarni Purnamasari

Kesmas

Penelitian sebelumnya menunjukkan bahwa pengetahuan pelayanan prenatal di wilayah pedesaan masih rendah yang berdampak pada perilaku buruk sehingga mengembangkan model promosi kesehatan dibutuhkan untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan prenatal, sikap dan perilaku. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengembangkan model promosi kesehatan pelayanan prenatal di wilayah pedesaan berdasarkan penilaian kebutuhan. Penelitian dilakukan pada Juni 2015 dengan pendekatan kualitatif melibatkan 16 ibu hamil pertama di trimester ketiga dengan kehamilan berisiko sebagai informan kunci dan 16 anggota keluarga yang tinggal bersama ibu hamil dan mengetahui kehidupan sehari-harinya, 27 bidan dan 3 tokoh agama sebagai informan tambahan. Teknik pengumpulan data adalah wawancara mendalam dan observasi untuk ibu …

Well Water Consumed And Urolithiasis In Gedangsari Subdistrict, Yogyakarta, Sulistyawati Sulistyawati, Fardhiasih Dwi Astuti, Ruri Trisasri, Asep Rustiawan

Kesmas

Tanah di wilayah Kecamatan Gedangsari mengandung batuan kapur. Masyarakat di daerah ini banyak yang mengkonsumsi air minum dari sumur gali yang mengandung kadar kalsium tinggi, dan banyak yang menderita urolithiasis. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendapatkan gambaran distribusi kalsium atau Ca(OH)2 pada air sumur dan menjelaskan hubungannya dengan kejadian urolithiasis. Penelitian dilakukan di Kecamatan Gedangsari, Kabupaten Gunungkidul selama Juli sampai November 2013. Penelitian dilakukan secara potong lintang dengan konfirmasi uji titrasi di laboratorium. Sejumlah 94 sampel sumur dipilih secara acak dari populasi 3.849 sumur. Kriteria pemilihan sampel adalah sumur gali yang telah digunakan untuk minum oleh penduduk berusia lebih dari 30 …

Identification Of Pathogenic Leptospira In Rat And Shrew Populations Using Rpob Gene And Its Spatial Distribution In Boyolali District, Dyah Widiastuti, Zumrotus Sholichah, Agustiningsih Agustiningsih, Nastiti Wijayanti

Kesmas

Leptospirosis merupakan masalah kesehatan di Indonesia. Hingga April 2014, dilaporkan kasus leptospirosis yang ditularkan oleh tikus di Kabupaten Boyolali dengan angka kematian 83,3%. Genus Leptospira terdiri dari ratusan serovar dan tipe genetik yang hidup di pelbagai jenis habitat. Pengelompokan spesies Leptospira berdasarkan gen rpoB dapat digunakan karena tingkat polimorfisme gen tersebut tinggi. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi serovar bakteri Leptospira pada populasi tikus di Kabupaten Boyolali menggunakan analisis hubungan kekerabatan didasarkan pada polimorfisme gen rpoB dan menggambarkan distribusi spasial tikus positif Leptospira di Kabupaten Boyolali. Penelitian potong lintang dilaksanakan pada bulan April 2014 di Desa Sindon Kecamatan Ngemplak dan Desa …

Measles Immunization And Vitamin A For Prevention Of Pneumonia In Indonesia, Ratno Widoyo

Kesmas

Pneumonia merupakan penyebab kematian tertinggi pada anak di Indonesia setelah diare. Pengendalian pneumonia dapat dilakukan dengan peningkatan cakupan imunisasi campak, pertusis, Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn), dan Haemophilus influenzae b (Hib). Vaksin Spn dan Hib belum masuk ke dalam kategori imunisasi wajib di Indonesia. Vaksin campak lebih memiliki pengaruh langsung terhadap pneumonia dibandingkan dengan vaksin pertusis. Pemberian imunisasi yang disertai pemberian vitamin A akan meningkatkan titer antibodi pada anak. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh pemberian imunisasi campak dan vitamin A terhadap kejadian pneumonia. Metode penelitian adalah potong lintang dengan menggunakan 13.062 data anak yang terdapat pada data Survei Demografi dan Kesehatan …

Role Of Hearth Program With Undernutrition Incidence Among Toddlers In Tangerang City, Gizella Gizella, Dany Hilmanto, Dedi Rachmadi

Kesmas

Kelompok yang rentan terhadap gizi kurang adalah balita. World Health Organization (WHO) menyatakan kematian anak bawah lima tahun (balita) akibat gizi kurang sebesar 54% pada tahun 2002. Di Indonesia, prevalensinya mengalami peningkatan dari 17,9% pada tahun 2010 menjadi 19,6% pada tahun 2013. Di Kota Tangerang, terdapat 1,43% balita yang mengalami gizi buruk pada tahun 2013. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk membuktikan secara valid hubungan antara Program Pos Gizi yang meliputi perilaku pemberian makan, perilaku kebersihan balita, perilaku mencari pelayanan kesehatan dan perilaku pengasuhan balita dengan kejadian gizi kurang pada balita. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kuantitatif, potong lintang, menggunakan data primer serta …

Good Corporate Governance Implementation And Performance Of Civil Servant, Muhammad Hasan, Dumilah Ayuningtyas, Misnaniarti Misnaniarti

Kesmas

Dalam rangka mencapai visi dan misi, setiap rumah sakit harus menjalankan tata kelola perusahaan yang baik (Good Corporate Governance/GCG). Penerapan GCG sendiri bertujuan untuk meningkatkan kinerja pegawai secara optimal, yang akhirnya akan meningkatkan kinerja organisasi. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis hubungan penerapan prinsip-prinsip GCG terhadap kinerja pegawai negeri sipil (PNS) Rumah Sakit Umum Lapangan Natuna Kabupaten Kepulauan Anambas. Jenis penelitian ini adalah deskriptif analitik dengan desain potong lintang pada 56 PNS. Pengumpulan data dilakukan pada tahun 2012 dengan kuesioner terstruktur. Digunakan analisis dengan uji kai kuadrat dan regresi logistik, dan untuk penyederhanaan model dilakukan eliminasi terhadap faktor perancu dengan menggunakan …

Environmental, Behavioral Factors And Filariasis Incidence In Bintan District, Riau Islands Province, Zainul Ikhwan, Lucky Herawati, Suharti Suharti

Kesmas

Tingkat mikrofilaria filariasis di Kabupaten Bintan masih tinggi, khususnya di Kecamatan Teluk Bintan, Teluk Sebong, dan Sri Kuala Lobam. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan faktor risiko lingkungan (faktor fisik, biologi, kimia, sosial budaya, ekonomi) dan faktor perilaku dengan kejadian filariasis. Jenis penelitian observasional analitik yang dilakukan pada Mei – September 2015 dengan desain kasus kontrol, yang terdiri dari jumlah kasus 33 orang penderita filariasis dan kontrol 65 orang bukan penderita filariasis dengan teknik cluster sampling. Populasi penelitian adalah masyarakat di Kabupaten Bintan. Data yang diperoleh dianalisis menggunakan uji kai kuadrat dan regresi logistik. Hasil menunjukkan adanya hubungan pengetahuan (nilai …

The Impact Of Patient Navigation On The Delivery Of Diagnostic Breast Cancer Care In The National Patient Navigation Research Program: A Prospective Meta-Analysis., Tracy A Battaglia, Julie S Darnell, Naomi Ko, Fred Snyder, Electra D Paskett, Kristen J Wells, Elizabeth M Whitley, Jennifer J Griggs, Anand Karnad, Heather Young, Victoria Warren-Mears, Melissa A Simon, Elizabeth Calhoun

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

Patient navigation is emerging as a standard in breast cancer care delivery, yet multi-site data on the impact of navigation at reducing delays along the continuum of care are lacking. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of navigation on reaching diagnostic resolution at specific time points after an abnormal breast cancer screening test among a national sample. A prospective meta-analysis estimated the adjusted odds of achieving timely diagnostic resolution at 60, 180, and 365 days. Exploratory analyses were conducted on the pooled sample to identify which groups had the most benefit from navigation. Clinics from six …

Diabetes Is Associated With Cerebrovascular But Not Alzheimer's Disease Neuropathology, Erin L. Abner, Peter T. Nelson, Richard J. Kryscio, Frederick A. Schmitt, David W. Fardo, Randall L. Woltjer, Nigel J. Cairns, Lei Yu, Hiroko H. Dodge, Chengjie Xiong, Kamal Masaki, Suzanne L. Tyas, David A. Bennett, Julie A. Schneider, Zoe Arvanitakis

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: The relationship of diabetes to specific neuropathologic causes of dementia is incompletely understood.

METHODS: We used logistic regression to evaluate the association between diabetes and infarcts, Braak neurofibrillary tangle stage, and neuritic plaque score in 2365 autopsied persons. In a subset of >1300 persons with available cognitive data, we examined the association between diabetes and cognition using Poisson regression.

RESULTS: Diabetes increased odds of brain infarcts (odds ratio [OR] = 1.57, P < .0001), specifically lacunes (OR = 1.71, P < .0001), but not Alzheimer's disease neuropathology. Diabetes plus infarcts was associated with lower cognitive scores at end of life than infarcts or diabetes alone, and diabetes plus high level of Alzheimer's neuropathologic changes was associated with lower mini-mental state examination scores than the pathology alone.

DISCUSSION: This study supports the conclusions that diabetes increases the risk of cerebrovascular but not Alzheimer's disease pathology, and at least some of diabetes' relationship to …

The Precarious Health Of Young Mexican American Men In South Texas, Cameron County Hispanic Cohort, 2004–2015, Gordon P. Watt, Kristina Vatcheva, Derek M. Griffith, Belinda M. Reininger, Laura Beretta, Michael Fallon, Joseph B. Mccormick, Susan P. Fisher-Hoch

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduction

Hispanic men have higher rates of illness and death from various chronic conditions than do non-Hispanic men. We aimed to characterize the health of Mexican American men living on the US–Mexico border in South Texas and elucidate indications of chronic disease in young men.

Methods

We sampled all male participants from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort, an ongoing population-based cohort of Mexican Americans in Brownsville, Texas. We calculated descriptive statistics and stratified the sample into 3 age groups to estimate the prevalence of sociodemographic, behavioral, and clinical factors by age group and evaluated differences between age groups.

Results

Obesity …

Apoe Ε4 Allele Modifies The Association Of Lead Exposure With Age-Related Cognitive Decline In Older Individuals, Diddier Prada, Elena Colicino, Melinda C. Power, Marc G Weisskopf, Jia Zhong, Lifang Hou, Avron Spiro, Pantel Vokonas, Plus 4 Others...

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Continuing chronic and sporadic high-level of lead exposure in some regions in the U.S. has directed public attention to the effects of lead on human health. Long-term lead exposure has been associated with faster cognitive decline in older individuals; however, genetic susceptibility to lead-related cognitive decline during aging has been poorly studied.

METHODS: We determined the interaction of APOE-epsilon variants and environmental lead exposure in relation to age-related cognitive decline. We measured tibia bone lead by K-shell-x-ray fluorescence, APOE-epsilon variants by multiplex PCR and global cognitive z-scores in 489 men from the VA-Normative Aging Study. To determine global cognitive …

Retention Of Mothers And Infants In The Prevention Of Mother-To-Child Transmission Of Hiv Programme Is Associated With Individual And Facility-Level Factors In Rwanda., Godfrey B Woelk, Dieudonne Ndatimana, Sally Behan, Martha Mukaminega, Epiphanie Nyirabahizi, Heather J. Hoffman, Placidie Mugwaneza, Muhayimpundu Ribakare, Anouk Amzel, B Ryan Phelps

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVES: Investigate levels of retention at specified time periods along the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) cascade among mother-infant pairs as well as individual- and facility-level factors associated with retention.

METHODS: A retrospective cohort of HIV-positive pregnant women and their infants attending five health centres from November 2010 to February 2012 in the Option B programme in Rwanda was established. Data were collected from several health registers and patient follow-up files. Additionally, informant interviews were conducted to ascertain health facility characteristics. Generalized estimating equation methods and modelling were utilized to estimate the number of mothers attending each antenatal care visit …

Improved Estimation Of Optimal Cut-Off Point Associated With Youden Index Using Ranked Set Sampling, Jingjing Yin, Hani M. Samawi, Daniel Linder

Biostatistics: Faculty Publications

A diagnostic cut-off point of a biomarker measurement is needed for classifying a random subject to be either diseased or healthy. However, the cut-off point is usually unknown and needs to be estimated by some optimization criteria. One important criterion is the Youden index, which has been widely adopted in practice. The Youden index, which is defined as the maximum of (sensitivity + specificity −1), directly measures the largest total diagnostic accuracy a biomarker can achieve. Therefore, it is desirable to estimate the optimal cut-off point associated with the Youden index. Sometimes, taking the actual measurements of a biomarker is …

Environmental And Community Health In South San Diego County: A Behavior Analysis Of Recreational Ocean Users Along Imperial Beach, California, Trista Brophy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Garbage & sewage runoff into the Pacific Ocean at the shoreline along the U.S./Mexico Border region poses serious health and environmental threats. The purpose of this study was to analyze the current beach users’ behavioral factors that may be linked to illness prevalence from Coronado Island to the U.S./Mexico border at Imperial Beach in San Diego County. It is a continuation of a study completed by Wildcoast and Imperial Beach Clinic in 2011. The study tried to answer the following two major questions: How have the number of illnesses reported by users along South San Diego County beaches changed in …

Burden Of Disease Resulting From Lead Exposure At Toxic Waste Sites In Argentina, Mexico And Uruguay, Jack Caravanos, Jonathan Carrelli, Russell Dowling, Brian Pavilonis, Bret Ericson, Richard Fuller

Publications and Research

Background: Though lead contaminated waste sites have been widely researched in many high-income countries, their prevalence and associated health outcomes have not been well documented in low- and middle-income countries.

Methods: Using the well-established health metric disability-adjusted life year (DALY) and an exposure assessment method developed by Chatham-Stephens et al., we estimated the burden of disease resulting from exposure to lead at toxic waste sites in three Latin American countries in 2012: Argentina, Mexico and Uruguay. Toxic waste sites identified through Pure Earth’s Toxic Sites Identification Program (TSIP) were screened for lead in both biological and environmental sample media. Estimates …

Predictors Of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome In Buprenorphine Exposed Newborn: Can Cord Blood Buprenorphine Metabolite Levels Help?, Darshan Shah, Stacy Brown, Nick Hagemeier, Shimin Zheng, Amy Kyle, Jason Pryor, Nilesh Dankhara, Piyuesh Singh

ETSU Faculty Works

Background

Buprenorphine is a semi-synthetic opioid used for the treatment of opioid dependence. Opioid use, including buprenorphine, has been increasing in recent years, in the general population and in pregnant women. Consequently, there has been a rise in frequency of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), associated with buprenorphine use during pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to investigate correlations between buprenorphine and buprenorphine-metabolite concentrations in cord blood and onset of NAS in buprenorphine exposed newborns.

Methods

Nineteen (19) newborns who met inclusion criteria were followed after birth until discharge in a double-blind non-intervention study, after maternal consent. Cord blood and …

Using Wastewater-Based Epidemiology To Estimate Drug Consumption—Statistical Analyses And Data Presentation, Caleb J. Banta-Green, Alex J. Brewer, Christoph Ort, Dennis R. Helsel, Jason R. Williams, Jennifer A. Field

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Aim

Analysis of wastewater samples can be used to assess population drug use, but reporting and statistical issues have limited the utility of the approach for epidemiology due to analytical results that are below the limit of quantification or detection. Unobserved or non-quantifiable—censored—data are common and likely to persist as the methodology is applied to more municipalities and a broader array of substances. We demonstrate the use of censored data techniques and account for measurement errors to explore distributions and annual estimates of the daily mean level of drugs excreted per capita.

Measurements

Daily 24-hour composite wastewater samples for 56 …

Development And Validation Of A Remote Sensing Model To Identify Anthropogenic Boreholes That Provide Dry Season, Refuge Habitat For Anopheles Vector Mosquitoes In Sub-Saharan Africa, James Pkemoi Kukat

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A lack of surveillance systems is an impediment to public health intervention for perennial vector-borne disease transmission in northern tropical savanna region of Kenya. The population in this area are mostly poor nomadic pastoralists with little acquired functional immunity to Plasmodium falciparum, due to infrequent challenges with the parasite. A common characteristic in tropical savanna climatic zone is the availability of riverbeds that have anthropogenic boreholes that provide malaria vector mosquitoes, such as Anopheles gambiae s.l and Anopheles funestus, with aquatic refuge habitats for proliferation and endemic transmission to proximity human households during the dry-season. Unfortunately, currently there …

Total Versus Partial Splenectomy In Pediatric Hereditary Spherocytosis: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Leonardo Guizzetti

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Publications

To compare the clinical effectiveness of total (TS) or partial (PS) splenectomy in pediatric hereditary spherocytosis, a systematic review and meta-analysis was performed (PROSPERO registration CRD42015030056). There were 14 observational studies comparing pre- and post- operative hematologic parameters. Secondary outcomes include in-hospital infections, surgical complications, symptomatic recurrence and biliary disease. TS is more effective than PS to increase hemoglobin (3.6 g/dL vs 2.2 g/dL) and reduce reticulocytes (12.5% vs 6.5%) after one year; outcomes following PS are stable for at least 6 years. There were no cases of overwhelming post-splenectomy sepsis. A population-based patient registry is needed for long-term follow-up.

Monitoring Gambling Impacts In Massachusetts: Honing Strategies And Preventing Harm, Rachel A. Volberg, Amanda Houpt

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

In November 2011, an Act Establishing Expanded Gaming in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts was signed into law (Chapter 194 of the Acts of 2011). This legislation permits casinos and slot parlors in Massachusetts under the regulatory auspices of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC). Section 71 of the Expanded Gaming Act requires the MGC to establish an annual research agenda to assist in understanding the effects of casino gambling in Massachusetts and in minimizing the negative impacts. Research activities launched thus far include a comprehensive study of the social and economic impacts of casino gambling in Massachusetts (SEIGMA), a cohort study …