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Effects of Occupational Therapy Intervention in Low Vision
Get PDFThe purpose of this CAT is to investigate therapeutic intervention and its effects for improving independence in occupational performance, overall health, quality of life, and mental health in adults over 40 with acquired low vision. This CAT contains nine peer-reviewed research articles from national journals. Study designs include one randomized controlled trial, seven systematic reviews, and one non-randomized controlled trial. All studies relate directly to the components of our evidence-based practice question and will be used to support further research on the optometry and occupational therapy collaboration. All of the articles specifically describe various interventions used in the low vision population within the scope of occupational therapy. The majority of studies showed benefits of OT with low vision clients, but the findings were not statistically significant. Further research is needed to address the limitations of previous studies and to investigate the effectiveness of OT interventions such as adaptive equipment education, home programs, ADL/IADL modifications, and mental health support. Goal attainment scaling could be implemented to monitor and document client progress and determine the effectiveness of OT collaborative models for individual clients
How One Library’s Location Change Impacted Health Information Requests: Comparing Zip Codes and Health Disparities to Inform Library Services: Data Files
Get PDFAn Unexpected Outcome of a Pediatric Simulation Encounter for Occupational Therapy Students.
Get PDFThis presentation reviewed how to plan and implement a pediatric simulated educational experience to align with the targeted course learning objective(s). Participants learned how to incorporate best practices into simulation education in order to advance occupational therapy education
Survey of Client Perspective On The Use of Veterinary Telemedicine For Chronic Disease Management
Get PDFVeterinary Telehealth is a rapidly growing sector of Veterinary Medicine. Technological advancements have allowed for vast changes in the way chronic disease states can be managed. There are many facets of telemedicine that must be researched to determine the productiveness of such technological advances. The first step in determination of implementation is that of community acceptance and likely utilization. This project’s scope is to determine client perspective on the use of veterinary telemedicine for chronic disease state(s) management
Investigation of a Novel Mitophagy Regulatory Pathway and Chemical Inducer
Get PDFMitochondria are vital organelles that coordinate cellular energy homeostasis and also have important roles in cell death. Therefore, the removal of damaged or excessive mitochondria through autophagy, a process called mitophagy, is critical for maintaining proper cellular function. Much of the research elucidating the mechanism and regulation of autophagy was performed in yeast cells, so there is still a lot of mystery surrounding how mitophagy is promoted and regulated in mammals in general and in different tissues. The most well understood mechanism involved in mitophagy is the PINK1-PARKN pathway. However, studies often rely on severe mitochondrial damage using CCCP that is considered non-physiological. To find novel regulators of mitophagy in mammalian cells, we used a previously published screen for autophagy regulators to identify the MEKK3-MEK5-ERK5 pathway as a potential regulator of mitophagy in the absence of exogenous damage. Here, I provide evidence that genetic or pharmacological inhibition of the MEKK3-MEK5-ERK5 pathway increases mitochondrial content by reducing lysosome-mediated degradation of mitochondria under basal conditions. I confirm that the MEKK3-MEK5-ERK5 pathway is not required for non-selective bulk autophagy, damage-induced mitophagy, or restraint of mitochondrial biogenesis, confirming a selective role in basal mitochondrial degradation. Furthermore, inhibition of MEK5 or ERK5 in erythrocytes leads to defective mitochondrial elimination and impaired erythrocyte differentiation. In addition to finding a novel mitophagy promoting pathway, we also worked to discover a novel mitophagy inducing compound. There are several different mechanisms for mitophagy induction, so there is considerable interest in the field in identifying novel chemical modulators that promote the efficient removal of mitochondria through different pathways
Mechanisms of BAK Activation in the Initiation of Mitochondrial Apoptosis
Get PDFMitochondrial apoptosis is crucial for normal mammalian development and adult homeostasis being regulated by B-Cell Lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) proteins. Deregulation of BCL-2 proteins form the basis for myriad of human pathologies including cancer and autoimmune diseases. Therefore, BCL-2 proteins are considered key therapeutic targets. BCL-2 homologous antagonist/killer (BAK) is an effector of outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) pemeabilization or mitochondrial poration. Despite progress in understanding BAK-mediated mitochondrial poration, the underlying multi-step mechanism is not clearly defined. Here, we provide mechanistic details on the early steps in this process related to BAK activation, including transient direct activation and autoactivation. We demonstrate for the first time the consequences of direct BAK activation by BH3 ligands for BAK destabilization, which is a requisite for mitochondrial poration. Our high-resolution crystal structures of engineered BID BH3 ligands bound to BAK have captured the rearrangements of a buried electrostatic network at the base of hydrophobic groove, which explains the role of helix α1 destabilization in direct BAK activation. Furthermore, we defined a novel mechanism of BAK autoactivation in trans whereby the exposed BH3 domain (helix α2) engages dormant BAK in a “BH3-in-groove” conformation to amplify BAK activation in mitochondrial poration. The crystal structure of the BAK BH3-BAK complex unveils the structural basis of in trans autoactivation. The structure provides evidence for destabilization of the buried electrostatic network of helix α1 similar to that observed during direct BAK activation. We comprehensively validated this mechanism by mutagenesis in the context of BAK BH3 peptides and full-length BAK protein. Additionally, we probed BAK activation with small molecules identified in a fragment-based screen as well by modifying existing BCL-xL inhibitors. Our results suggest that alterations in helix α1 rearrangements are common basis for both direct activation by BH3 ligands and helix α2 mediated autoactivation of BAK. It is possible that both activation steps are required for formation of activated BAK intermediate which may interact with outer mitochondrial membrane to form pores and subsequently initiate mitochondrial apoptosis. Targeting both direct activation and autoactivation by mimicking the conformational changes induced by BH3 peptides changes could serve as a potential strategy for treating number diseases caused by deregulation of BCL-2 family proteins. Overall, our studies redefine BAK activation mechanistically and provide strong preliminary data towards the design of small molecule BAK modulators for apoptosis research
Bad Blood at the Tuskegee Crossroads: Informational Ethics, Whistleblowing, and the Media
Get PDFQuestion: How can we improve information literacy teaching methods in the health sciences? This paper describes one possible solution in the application of the ACRL Framework to whistleblowers, the media, and the Tuskegee Untreated Syphilis Study. The design of the instructional activity includes a lecture, workshop, assignment, and discussion essay.
Setting/Participants/Resources: Communication Disorders Information Literacy students in a three-credit-hour class, INF 310, in a four-year, public master’s level institution.
Brief Description: Based on experiences in this class, we examine how librarians in the health sciences can frame whistleblowing in the context of the Tuskegee Untreated Syphilis Study. We focus on in-class exercises based on the study which ran from 1932 to 1972 and followed 600 rural black men in Alabama with Syphilis. The researchers withheld diagnosis and treatment information. Peter Buxton finally succeeded in ending the study and is credited with the dawn of modern medical ethics. The social impact of the exposure of the study with the help of media intervention serves as an example of the value and influence of health information and the responsibility to maintain transparency.
Evaluation Method: Pre and post-tests given during and after the semester to assess knowledge practice outcomes. Discussion essay via Canvas.
Results/Outcomes: Post assessment data indicated that students had a better understanding of the value of health information within the context of the Tuskegee Untreated Syphilis Study and Peter Buxton’s actions.
Conclusions: The ACRL framework addresses many of the difficult concepts inherent in health science information literacy instruction and provides an improved outline of how to teach the complexities of the ethical use of information
What Medical Students Want: a Ten Year Library Survey at a New Medical School
Get PDFObjective: To assess and evaluate the past and current performance of library services, resources, and space with the purpose of informing decisions in designing a library serving a new medical school.
Methods: The Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine (HWCOM) at Florida International University opened its doors to its first class in 2009. Shortly after, the medical library began seeking student feedback by administering a 15-question survey to each class. The inaugural Class of 2013 and other cohorts were queried at various points in their curriculum. Starting with the Class of 2017, the library began consistently administering its survey to students at the end of their second year. Most questions were multiple-choice, but some gave students the option to choose “other” and provide free responses. In 2018, the library began administering the survey electronically using Qualtrics. Later, the pen and paper responses were transcribed to that software. The library now has data from all seven classes that have graduated plus two more classes yet to graduate in 2020 and 2021.
Results: The survey indicated the following: online resources are used far more than the facility, the hours were mostly adequate, and that more than half preferred a combination of print and electronic textbooks. For those who did not use the library, the major reasons they gave were because either (a) they preferred to study at home, or (b) the library was too far from the buildings where they attended classes. When it came to overall satisfaction, more than three-quarters of respondents indicated they were in the satisfied range. The greatest need for improvement lay with the facility and amenities.
Conclusion: After analyzing the data collected, librarians were able to determine students’ preferences for library space, services, and resources, as well as how those preferences have changed with the increasing class sizes over time. As the medical school continues to grow, and the idea of a new medical library becomes a reality, this data will inform the design of the structure, collection, and services that librarians will provide. Even though students were satisfied with our services and resources, in regards to the facility, there are aspirations for group study spaces, various furniture, more space, and more windows to provide natural light
Collaborating across Organizations for a Remote Area Medical Event: Providing Consumer Health Information and Assessing Health Literacy
Get PDFObjective: The University of Tennessee’s Preston Medical Library’s (PML) consumer health information service partnered with local librarians and Remote Area Medical (RAM) to increase consumer health information access as well as assess health literacy levels of RAM attendees.
Methods: Librarians contacted RAM and obtained permission to both participate in the Knoxville, TN event and conduct anonymous health literacy assessments using the Newest Vital Sign (NVS) tool. Approval was obtained from PML’s institutional IRB. An email gauging participation interest was sent to local librarians at various institutions. A Zoom meeting was then set up to discuss RAM and participant expectations. A librarian with previous experience of partnering with RAM spoke at the meeting about his experiences and answered questions. Librarians volunteered for specific times so that two people were always at the library’s information table.
Results: Ten librarians from across four different academic institutions attended the February RAM event and staffed a table with consumer health information handouts, health information request forms, and other informational materials. 137 people visited the table and 13 filled out health information request forms. Mental health was the subject area most frequently requested. Sixteen participants completed the NVS health literacy assessment tool. Results indicate that the majority of participants likely had adequate health literacy.
Conclusions: Participating in the RAM event allowed for collaboration with multiple institutions in the local area, further building relationships for future collaborative efforts. Through participating in the Knoxville RAM event and analyzing collected data, researchers sampled health literacy of RAM attendees and planned more focused consumer health information outreach. Two other RAM events in east Tennessee were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the library will participate in the annual Knoxville RAM event on a continual basis
Open for Business: Offering Physical Library Spaces in the COVID Era
Get PDFObjective: Our goal was to safely reopen physical library spaces at the Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library for use by various Emory University user groups including students, faculty, and staff during the COVID pandemic of 2020. Because our university brought a subset of students back to campus, we felt it was important to offer safe, socially distanced seating and workstations in the library.
Methods: In collaboration with Emory University’s environmental and safety health officers, we made determinations of the number of seats that could safely be offered. Seating was removed or cordoned off or otherwise signposted. We implemented a reservations system to limit the number of people in the library at one time and to ensure that all library visitors had completed the University’s requirements for returning to campus. In addition, cleaning materials were distributed around the library for easy access by library staff and users. Library staff monitor user behavior and issue reminders as needed.
Results: We were able to open the library on July 6th at approximately 25% of our normal capacity. Students adhere to library expectations and we have been able to gradually offer additional spaces.
Conclusions: With careful planning and collaboration with other University service points, libraries can partially reopen their physical spaces and create a climate of safety, compliance, and comfort for their users