Publications by authors named "R E Whitmire"

Objective: To evaluate family-reported caregiver experiences and health care utilization of patients enrolled in the Pennsylvania Medical Home Program (PA-MHP) statewide practice network and compare results to PA-MHP practices' Medical Home Index (MHI) scores. We hypothesized families enrolled in higher-scoring patient-and-family-centered medical homes (PCMH) on completed MHIs would report decreased caregiver burden and improved health care utilization.

Methods: We analyzed surveys completed by families receiving care coordination services in PA-MHP's network and each practice's mean MHI score.

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Intra-articular delivery of therapeutics to modulate osteoarthritis (OA) is challenging. Delivery of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), the natural protein inhibitor of IL-1, to modulate IL-1-based inflammation through gene therapy or bolus protein injections has emerged as a promising therapy for OA. However, these approaches suffer from rapid clearance and reduced potency over time.

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Thin films assembled from microgel building blocks have been constructed using a simple, high-throughput, and reproducible centrifugation (or "active") deposition technique. When compared to a common passive adsorption method (e.g.

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Inflammatory responses to implanted biomedical devices elicit a foreign body fibrotic reaction that limits device integration and performance in various biomedical applications. We examined chronic inflammatory responses to microgel conformal coatings consisting of thin films of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogel microparticles cross-linked with poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate deposited on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). Unmodified and microgel-coated PET disks were implanted subcutaneously in rats for 4 weeks and explants were analyzed by histology and immunohistochemistry.

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Silica-gold (SiO(2)-Au) nanoshells are a new class of nanoparticles that consist of a silica dielectric core that is surrounded by a gold shell. These nanoshells are unique because their peak extinctions are very easily tunable over a wide range of wavelengths particularly in the near infrared (IR) region of the spectrum. Light in this region is transmitted through tissue with relatively little attenuation due to absorption.

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