Pro-inflammatory diet and depressive symptoms in the healthcare setting.

Background: Depression is a highly prevalent disease affecting more than 350 million people and has recently been associated with low-grade chronic inflammation. The role of diet in the development of a pro-inflammatory state was demonstrated in a recent study that found a high Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Index (EDII) score was associated with increased concentrations of circulating plasma inflammatory markers. It is becoming increasingly clear that diet and depression are linked, but the relationship itself has not been determined with absolute certainty.

Nelson-Denny Reading Test Scores as a Predictor of Student Success in Osteopathic Medical Education.

Background: Reading skills are crucial in medical school, where students are expected to absorb an onslaught of new and complex material. Studies on reading assessment in osteopathic medical education are lacking.

Objective: To address gaps in the literature related to reading assessment and to investigate the correlation of the Nelson-Denny Reading Test with various performance indicators in osteopathic medical education.

Osteopathic Medical Students Entering Family Medicine and Attitudes Regarding Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment: Preliminary Findings of Differences by Sex.

Context: Factors distinguishing osteopathic physicians from their allopathic counterparts include the use of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), application of osteopathic principles and practice (OPP), and a greater likelihood of entering primary care, specifically family medicine (FM). In the United States, the percentage of entering osteopathic medical students who were female rose from 14.3% in fall 1977 to 44.

Self-Reported Minimalist Running Injury Incidence and Severity: A Pilot Study.

Introduction: Minimalist running entails using shoes with a flexible thin sole and is popular in the United States. Existing literature disagrees over whether minimalist running shoes (MRS) improve perceived severity of injuries associated with running in traditional running shoes (TRS). Additionally, the perceived injury patterns associated with MRS are relatively unknown.

Lower extremity biomechanical relationships with different speeds in traditional, minimalist, and barefoot footwear.

Minimalist running footwear has grown increasingly popular. Prior studies that have compared lower extremity biomechanics in minimalist running to traditional running conditions are largely limited to a single running velocity. This study compares the effects of running at various speeds on foot strike pattern, stride length, knee angles and ankle angles in traditional, barefoot, and minimalist running conditions.

Relationship of admissions variables and college of osteopathic medicine variables to performance on COMLEX-USA level 3.

Context: New accreditation standards require that all US colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) publically report the first-time pass rates of graduates on the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination-USA (COMLEX-USA) Level 3. Little is known about the extent to which admissions variables or COM performance measures relate to Level 3 performance.

Objective: To examine the relationship of admissions variables and COM performance to scores on Level 3 and to assess whether a relationship existed between Level 3 scores and sex, curriculum track, year of graduation, and residency specialty in the first postgraduate year.

Effect of osteopathic manipulative treatment on middle ear effusion following acute otitis media in young children: a pilot study.

Context: Childhood acute otitis media (AOM) is highly prevalent. Its usual sequela of middle ear effusion (MEE) can lead to conductive hearing loss, for which surgery is commonly used.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of an osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) protocol on MEE resolution following an episode of AOM.

Tobacco dependence curricula in US osteopathic medical schools: a follow-up study.

Context: Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of illness and death in the United States. A 1998 survey of US osteopathic medical schools identified deficiencies in tobacco dependence curricula.

Objective: To assess the current content and extent of tobacco dependence education and intervention skills in US osteopathic medical school curricula.

Salivary uric acid as a noninvasive biomarker of metabolic syndrome.

Background: Elevated serum uric acid is associated with obesity, hypertension and metabolic syndrome. Because a linear relationship exists between serum and salivary uric acid (SUA) concentration, saliva testing may be a useful noninvasive approach for monitoring cardiometabolic risk. The goal of this pilot study was to determine if SUA is increased in patients with metabolic syndrome and to investigate correlations between SUA and individual cardiometabolic risk factors.

Which U.S. medical schools are providing the most physicians for the Appalachian region of the United States?

Purpose: To identify the U.S. medical schools with the most graduates practicing in rural, urban, and economically distressed areas of Appalachia.