Background: Changes in payment models incentivize hospitals to vertically integrate into sub-acute care (SAC) services. Through vertical integration into SAC, hospitals have the potential to reduce the transaction costs associated with moving patients throughout the care continuum and reduce the likelihood that patients will be readmitted.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the correlates of hospital vertical integration into SAC.
Aim: To understand the underlying cellular mechanisms during inactivation of Escherichia coli in response to antimicrobial solution of nonthermal plasma-activated N-acetylcysteine (NAC).
Methods And Results: The recommended techniques were used to demonstrate E. coli cellular and transcriptomic changes caused associated with peroxynitrite and compared with plasma-treated NAC solution.
Soc Work Public Health
February 2019
State Medicaid programs increasingly use case management to manage enrollees with chronic conditions who may become cost intensive for the program. The authors examined the impact of Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH)'s case management on care expenditures for Medicaid enrollees with various chronic diseases, over 2011 to 2014. The authors matched case-managed enrollees with three controls per case using health conditions and sociodemographics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe issue of medication nonadherence has generated significant interest because of its complexity from both cost and outcomes perspectives. Of the 3.2 billion prescriptions written annually in the United States, estimates indicate that half are not taken as prescribed, especially among patients with asymptomatic chronic conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Colloid Interface Sci
June 2018
Dimethylamine borane (DMAB) has been considered as one of the important hydrogen sources with a simple process by the help of the efficient catalyst. For this purpose, herein, platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs), placed inside carbon black hybrid (Pt NPs@CBH), activated carbon (Pt NPs@AC) and Vulcan carbon (Pt NPs@VC), have been prepared as highly monodisperse catalysts for dehydrogenation reactions of DMAB at room temperature. The morphological and physical structure of the monodisperse catalysts have been identified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) etc.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGlucose enzyme biosensors have been used for a variety of applications such as medical diagnosis, bioprocess engineering, beverage industry and environmental scanning etc. and there is still a growing interest in glucose sensors. For this purpose, addressed herein, as a novel glucose sensor, highly sensitive activated carbon (AC) decorated monodisperse nickel and palladium alloy nanocomposites modified glassy carbon electrode (Ni-Pd@AC/GCE NCs) have been synthesized by in-situ reduction technique.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis research aimed to identify perceived barriers and facilitators of farm-to-consumer (FTC) retail outlet (eg, farmers' markets, farm/roadside stands) usage among Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) participants residing in Birmingham, Alabama. Additionally, associations between barriers and facilitators reported and daily fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake were examined. A sample of 312 lower income women (mean age = 27.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStrategies for musculoskeletal tissue regeneration apply adult mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) that can be sourced from bone marrow- and lipo-aspirates. Adipose tissue-derived MSCs are more easily harvested in the large quantities required for skeletal tissue-engineering approaches, but are generally considered to be less osteogenic than bone marrow MSCs. Therefore, we tested a new molecular strategy to improve their osteogenic lineage-differentiation potential using the fungal metabolite cytochalasin D (CytoD).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe quantity and quality of bone depends on osteoblastic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), where adipogenic commitment depletes the available pool for osteogenesis. Cell architecture influences lineage decisions, where interfering with cytoskeletal structure promotes adipogenesis. Mechanical strain suppresses MSC adipogenesis partially through RhoA driven enhancement of cytoskeletal structure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnn Clin Microbiol Antimicrob
November 2017
Background: Acinetobacter baumannii is a nosocomial pathogen which is establishing as a major cause of morbidity and mortality within the healthcare community. The success of this pathogen is largely due to its ability to rapidly gain resistance to antimicrobial therapies and its capability to persist in an abiotic environment through the production of a biofilm. Our tertiary-care hospital has showed high incidence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) isolates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn multicellular organisms majority of the cells remain in a non-dividing states of either quiescence (reversible) or senescence (irreversible). In the present study, gene expression signatures unique to quiescence and senescence were identified using microarray in osteosarcoma cell line, U2OS. It was noted that certain genes and pathways like NOD pathway was shared by both the growth arrest conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To compare the efficacy and safety of two long-acting dual bronchodilator combinations: indacaterol/glycopyrrolate (IND/GLY) versus umeclidinium/vilanterol (UMEC/VI).
Methods: Studies A2349 and A2350 were replicate, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, active-controlled, cross-over studies in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD. Patients were randomized to sequential 12-week treatments of twice-daily IND/GLY 27.
Purpose: To examine cash value voucher (CVV) redemption behavior and its association with fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption among women who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
Design: Cross-sectional.
Setting: Jefferson County, Alabama.
Addressed herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of a tert-nonyl mercaptan (TNM) functionalized reduced graphene oxide (rGO) supported palladium (Pd) nanoparticles (NPs) (Pd/TNM@rGO) as electrochemical sensor. The highly monodisperse Pd/TNM@rGO nanocomposite was applied for electrochemical determination of hydrogen peroxide (HO) at a potential range of -0.6 to +0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFQinhuangdao coastal waters in northern China are heavily impacted by anthropogenic and natural activities, and we anticipate a direct influence of the impact on the bacterioplankton abundance and diversity inhabiting the adjacent coastal areas. To ascertain the anthropogenic influences, we first evaluated the seasonal abundance patterns and diversity of bacterioplankton in the coastal areas with varied levels of natural and anthropogenic activities and then analyzed the environmental factors which influenced the abundance patterns. Results indicated distinct patterns in bacterioplankton abundance across the warm and cold seasons in all stations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe number of freestanding emergency departments (FSEDs) is growing rapidly in the United States. Proponents of FSEDs cite potential benefits of FSEDs including lower waiting time and reduced travel distance for needed emergency care. Others have suggested that increased access to emergency care may lead to an increase in the use of emergency departments for lower acuity patients, resulting in higher overall health care expenditures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA 4-methylbenzothiazole linked maleimide-based single molecular bifunctional probe 1 has been synthesized for the colorimetric and fluorometric detection of highly competitive HS and cyanide ion in aqueous DMSO media. The probe 1 selectively detected CN under the UV-vis spectroscopy through the rapid appearance of deep pink color. The bright pink color developed due to ICT in the moderately stable cyano substituted enolate intermediate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTrans Am Clin Climatol Assoc
May 2018
Stem cells respond to environmental signals that induce their differentiation to cells that make up specialized tissues and organs. Our laboratory has focused on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that supply bone osteoblasts and marrow adipocytes, an output that appears to be reciprocal. Case in point: exercise promotes osteogenesis and bone formation, and inhibits marrow adipose accrual.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this study, we investigated the environmental impacts of scallop culture on two coastal estuaries adjacent the Bohai Sea including developing a quantitative PCR assay to assess the abundance of the bacterial pathogens Escherichia coli and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Scallop culture resulted in a significant reduction of nitrogen, Chlorophyll a, and phosphorous levels in seawater during summer. The abundance of bacteria including V.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTwo new ruthenium(II) complexes of Schiff base ligands (L) derived from cinnamaldehyde and ethylenediamine formulated as [Ru(L)(bpy)](ClO), where L = N,N'-bis(4-nitrocinnamald-ehyde)ethylenediamine and L = N,N'-bis(2-nitrocinnamaldehyde)-ethylenediamine for complex 1 and 2, respectively, were isolated in pure form. The complexes were characterized by physicochemical and spectroscopic methods. The electrochemical behavior of the complexes showed the Ru(III)/Ru(II) couple at different potentials with quasi-reversible voltammograms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Hospitalists, or physicians specializing in hospital-based practice, have grown significantly since they were first introduced in the United States in the mid-1990s. Prior studies on the impact of hospitalists have focused on costs and length of stay. However, there is dearth of research exploring the relationship between hospitals' use of hospitalists and organizational performance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPathogenic and/or opportunistic fungal species are major causes of nosocomial infections, especially in controlled environments where immunocompromised patients are hospitalized. Indoor fungal contamination in hospital air is associated with a wide range of adverse health effects. Regular determination of fungal spore counts in controlled hospital environments may help reduce the risk of fungal infections.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFibrocystic Breast Disease (FBD) or Fibrocystic change (FC) affects about 60% of women at some time during their life. Although usually benign, it is often associated with pain and tenderness (mastalgia). The synthetic steroid danazol has been shown to be effective in reducing the pain associated with FBD, but the cellular and molecular mechanisms for its action have not been elucidated.
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