Femetinide is a synthetic retinoid with chemotherapeutic activity against various malignancies. After oral administration to animals, femetinide was found to be incompletely absorbed and excreted primarily in feces. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanism(s) responsible for the transport of femetinide across Caco-2 cell monolayers with an aim to determine the possible reasons for poor oral absorption of fenretinide. Fenretinide was found to be highly lipophilic (log P = 7.4) and practically insoluble in water. The water solubility of fenretinide was enhanced by formulating it as a Povidone K 25 solid dispersion. The Transepithelial Electrical Resistance (TEER) and antipyrine permeability (transcellular marker) were not affected after treatment with 0.5% PVP K 25 on the apical side. The apparent permeability coefficient (Papp) of fenreti nide was extremely low [(8.8 ± 0.5) x 10-8 cm/sec] even in the presence of 4% bovine serum albumin (BSA) in the receiver. The apical to basolateral (AP-BL) transport appeared linearly related to the fenretinide concentration ( 125-640 μM), thereby indicating that femetinide penneates the Caco-2 monolayer by passive diffusion within the concentration range. Transport studies at different donor (apical) pH conditions (6.0 or 7.4) revealed that no pH-dependent transporters were involved in the apical to basolateral transport of fenretinide across the Caco-2 monolayer. Efflux transporters like P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and the paracellular pathway did not play a significant role on the permeability of fenretinide. The partitioning of highly lipophilic molecules like fenretinicle from the cell membrane into the receiver depends on the composition of the receiving medium. The permeability of fenretinide increased with an increase in the bovine serum albumin (BSA) concentration (0 to 4 %) in the receiver. The addition of RBP to the receiving medium containing 4 % BSA increased the permeability of femetinicle clue to a greater binding affinity of fenretinicle for RBP. Significant amount (13-15% of the initial amount) of drug was found to accumulate in the cell membrane. The permeation of femetinide in Caco-2 monolayers is limited due to extensive accumulation in the cell membrane and poor partitioning from the cell membrane into the receiver medium.

Viewing a seizure as a behavioral chain consisting of a precursor aura phase and a climactic phase has moved researchers to introduce behavioral techniques either singularly or in combination at aura to circumvent seizures. Many of the aura interruption techniques have been shown to be effective in reducing seizure rate, but a systematic examination and application of the technqiues and the additive effects of. combinations have not been explored . The present study examines by way of an A-B-A-B-BC-B-BC single subject design the singular and additive effects of three aura interruption techniques (i.e., startle, shake, and differential reinforcement of other behaviors). The study involved four developmentally disabled adults for which an aura was discerned by way of a self-report measure, and an observable behavior scale. Clients were randomly assigned to one of six aura interruption combination pairs designed to encompass all permutations of the three aura interruption techniques singularly and in combination. Observers (i.e., parents or care home operators) were trained by way of videotapes and role-playing situations on how to detect and record seizure occurrences as well as when and how to introduce the aura interruption technique(s). Results indicate that aura interruption techniques alone are effective in reducing seizure rates below baseline levels and that techniques in combination with others do not produce further reductions in seizure rates.

Sensory substitution--The replacing of an impaired sensory channel by a properly functioning one--is possibly best manifested today in attempts to provide visual aids for the blind. The tactile vision substitution system (T.V.S.S.) is an example of one such visual aid. The system presents patterned tactile stimulation to the skin of the observer provided by the output of a closed-circuit television system. Research conducted with congenitally blind Ss in evaluation of the T.V.S.S. has provided useful information concerning the potentialities and limitations of the prototype systems, similarities and differences between tactile and visual perception, and the development of "visual" perception in the congenitally blind Investigation demonstrated that the congenitally blind Ss can learn to make valid judgements of three-dimensional displays with the T.V.S.S. Such judgements are made on the basis of properties contained in the proximal stimulation properties analogous to the monocular clues of depth presence in vision, such as linear-perspective, apparent elevation in the visual field, size change as a function of distance, occlusion, and texural gradients. Similarities have been noted between judgements made by sighted Ss using vision and by blind Ss using the T.V.S.S. on comparable tasks. A display consisting of two slightly displaced alternating lights is perceived in both situations as a single spot of light moving back-and-forth between two display boundaries. A rotating drum made up of alternate black and white stripes is, when stopped, perceived as briefly moving in the opposite direction. External localization of the source of stimulation also occurs with both sensory inputs. The major differences between the visual and tactile inputs that have been noted have occurred in form recognition tacks. Although blind Ss using the patterned tactile stimulation are able to identify both geometric forms and abstract patterns, accuracy is consistently lower than that of sighted Ss using vision, and the latencies for the blind Ss are significantly longer. It is hypothesized that the longer latencies for the blind Ss using the T.V.S.S. can be accounted for primarily by the need to hand-position the television camera during scanning. A major factor in the lower accuracy for the tactile group is the noted difficulty in detecting and identifying display features located within a mass of stimulation. This difficulty with internal display detail may be a function of sensory inhibition and/or masking. The research findings support a concept of sensory substitution as well as a theory of perception which stresses the modality of many qualities contained in visible displays. Further research is needed to determine the significance of sensor movement--either eye movements or camera manipulation--in the perceptual process.

It has become apparent in recent years that many centrally active agents possess potential anti-inflammatory capabilities. The central or peripheral mechanisms of action for these agents have not been delineated nor has their clinical efficacy baan established or refuted. The centrally active drugs, cryogenine and tetrabenazine (a benzoquinolizine derivative), previously have been shown in this laboratory to inhibit certain models of induced inflammation. The present study in rats verifies the anti-inflammatory properties of cryogenic and established that a structurally related series of benzoquinolizine derivatives possessed the capability of inhibiting both exudative (carrageenan-induced pedal edema) and proliferative (cotton pellet granuloma) models of inflammation when administered orally.

Previous research has shown that 45% of malpractice claims are due to insufficient and late follow-up of test results and limited communication methods provided to patients. This study explored the preferred communication methods between a patient and a healthcare provider. The technology acceptance model served as the conceptual framework. A quantitative research design was used to examine patients’ perceived usefulness, attitude, perceived ease of use, and adaptability regarding mobile technology. The primary means of data collection was the use of a survey questionnaire. Participants included a random sample of 118 women seen in a local health department in the women’s clinic and sexually transmitted disease clinic. The research questions focused on exploring test result notification using an electronic mobile device. A chi-squared test was used to answer each research question. The results of the chi-squared analysis revealed no significant association between the use of text messaging and communication with a health provider. There was a significant difference in the mean score in the preferred method of communication of an abnormal test result and a normal test, and that there is not a significant association between the use of a mobile device (IV) and response rate (DV) to test result notification with a health provider. The results from this study offer public health departments a better understanding of patients' preferred test notification method, which untimely creates a positive social change by reducing untreated sexually transmitted diseases.

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Introduction and Background Individuals in rural areas do not have the same access to health care as individuals who live in urban areas. Individuals who live in rural areas tend to not get the care that they need due to income and location. Purpose Statement Healthcare differs for those who live in rural versus urban populations. How can the intervention of telehealth help to decrease the health disparities for individuals who live in rural communities? Literature Review We searched the phrases “rural and urban” and “health disparities” in google scholar and restricted the search to articles that were published from 2018 to now and we narrowed it down to 3 articles. For the two articles that included our intervention of telehealth we did a Google Scholar advanced search and used the keywords “telehealth” and “health disparities” and filtered the search to where the most recent would be shown and we narrowed it down to 2 articles. Findings The research that we collected strongly suggests that there are health disparities among rural areas compared to urban areas, meaning that rural areas do not have as good of access to adequate health care. The intervention of telehealth however could help improve the health disparities for those in rural areas. Conclusions Rural areas do not have as good of access to healthcare as those who live in urban areas. Our research gave a variety of different examples of how rural areas have a disadvantage when it comes to the quality of healthcare individuals receive. Telehealth can help to decrease these health disparities and improve the quality of care that individuals in rural areas receive.

Menthol is added to cigarettes to make smoking more convenient. Menthol is considered a contributing factor that makes smoking appealing to youths and their continuous smoking initiation, which progresses to regular cigarette smoking and addiction, especially among youths ages 12 to 19. Menthol encourages approximately 4,000 youths to experiment with smoking daily in the United States, of which approximately 1,000 become active smokers. Not enough is known regarding the influence of menthol on youth smoking initiation/smoking behavior. A quantitative analysis of data from the 2014 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) was used to explore the association between age, race/ethnicity, gender, grade (education level), and menthol cigarette smoking among youth ages 12 to 19. The sample size for this study consisted of 115 adolescents aged 12 to 19 years, in the United States taken from the 2014 NYTS data. The theoretical framework for this study was the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The independent variables were ethnicity/race, gender, age, and grades (education level), while the dependent variable is the type of smoking: menthol versus nonmenthol. Bivariate analysis revealed that there was a statistically significant relationship between age (p = <.001), race/ethnicity (p = <.001), gender (p = <.001), grade (education level) (p = <.001), and menthol cigarette smoking; however, no statistically significant results were obtained in the multivariate regression analysis. Future research is needed to better determine and understand the factors associated with youth smoking initiation and behavior. The potential positive social change impact of this study is a better understanding of youth smoking behavior and the development of more effective prevention interventions to protect the health of this vulnerable population.

Policy makers view electronic medical records as a way of increasing efficiency in the U.S. health care system. However, hospital administrators may not have the clinical background to choose a documentation system that helps the health care team safely increase efficiency. The purpose of this case study was to examine health care team members' attitudes and perceptions of quality of care and efficiency amid a documentation system change. The theory of change was the theoretical foundation for the study. The 6 research questions were designed to elicit information about what the health care team experienced when a documentation system changed and how the change affected health care workers' stress level, chance of medical errors, ability to deliver quality care, and attitudes about hospital efficiency. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the 15 members of a health care team who volunteered from the group and met the inclusion criteria for the study (i.e., employed during the documentation system change). The participants represented all aspects of the health care team to create a bounded case. The interview responses were hand coded to find common themes among the participants. Most participants revealed that the implementation of the new system increased their efficiency and the quality of care they offered to patients. Participants felt that the training and implementation of the system was inadequate and not specific enough for their group. By providing health care administrators with more information about the health care teams' perceptions during a change in documentation systems, they may be able to improve implementation of a new system, creating more sustainable change with less negative impact.

Obesity is a significant global issue, and its incidence has increased over time. A substantial percentage of the U.S. population suffers from this disease with a relatively high prevalence seen in individuals from the Caribbean. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore Caribbean women's perception of how migration to South Florida may have impacted the onset of obesity in this population. The social ecological model provided the framework for the study. Data were collected from 1-on-1 interviews held with 12 female participants between the ages of 18 and 35, who previously resided in the Caribbean at a healthy weight but became overweight after migration to the United States. The information collected were analyzed using manual coding to identify 5 themes: consciousness of weight gain, challenges associated with weight gain, factors causing weight gain, attitudes toward weight gain, and efforts aimed at weight loss. Participants reported they felt that migration adversely affected their health by causing weight gain which eventually developed into obesity, caused by a modification to their lifestyle as well as an overall change in attitude towards weight gain. The social change implications of these findings are that they may be used to raise awareness of the risks of obesity among Caribbean immigrant women and to develop interventions to address the issue. Such interventions may result in increased well-being, healthier lifestyles, and prevention of obesity associated morbidity and mortality among this population.