A Retrospective Study of Pulmonary Function Tests in Bronchiectasis: An Infectious Disease of the Respiratory System

Introduction: Bronchiectasis, currently being recognized worldwide, is an abnormal dilatation of the bronchi and bronchioles brought on by recurrent cycles of inflammation and airway infection. Impaired pulmonary function has a predictive significance in bronchiectasis. When treating patients with suspected or confirmed respiratory diseases, pulmonary function tests (PFT) are useful examinations. Very few studies have been done on PFTs in bronchiectasis. The main aim of this study is to study PFTs in bronchiectasis. Method: This is a retrospective observational study done on 50 patients over two years at the tertiary care center. The previous records of patients were collected from the Pulmonary Function Lab. The spectrum of lung functions in patients with bronchiectasis was studied with the parameters in pulmonary function tests to see pre- and post-bronchodilator changes in the study population. Results: After post-bronchodilator use, flow volume curve parameters were significantly increased. The mean responses were significant for both FEV1 (increased from 1.29 to 1.53) and FEV1/FVC (increased from 70.9 to 78.4) criteria. However, there was no significant change for the mean MMEF 25/75 (increased from 1.09 to 1.45) criteria after bronchodilator use. The most common pattern was an obstructive defect 24 (48%). Conclusion: When diagnosing and treating bronchiectasis, lung function tests are a crucial evaluation tool. Objective information regarding the kind and severity of respiratory impairment is provided by lung function testing. An airflow obstruction is the most frequent ventilatory pattern associated with bronchiectasis. There is improvement in FEV1 and FVC following bronchodilator use in bronchiectasis

Intersecting identities and IPV: The impact of sexual and gender minority stressors on intimate partner violence victimization across racial groups

Previous research has found that sexual and gender minority People of Color (SGM-POC) report higher rates of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) victimization than White SGM. In a sample of AFAB SGM people, Whitton et al. (2021) found that sexual minority stressors, adverse childhood experiences, and structural inequalities partially explain this disparity. This study replicates Whitton et al.’s study in a sample with greater sexual and gender diversity and extends the study by examining additional SGM stressors as potential mediators. We used data from a large, nationally-recruited sample of same-sex couples to test the indirect effect of race on IPV victimization (physical, psychological, and sexual measured using the SGM Conflict Tactics Scale-2) via several forms of SGM stress (measured using the Daily Heterosexist Experiences Questionnaire): discrimination, family-of-origin stress, gender presentation harassment, isolation, vicarious SGM stress, and vigilance; internalized stigma (measured using the Internalized Homophobia Scale-Revised), and low social support (measured using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support). Of the 474 participants, 214 (45.1%) were cisgender women, 67 (14.1%) were cisgender men, and 193 (40.7%) were gender minority individuals. Regarding race, n=343 (72.4%) identified as White only, n=78 (16.5%) identified as Black or African American, n=59 identified as Hispanic or Latine, n=24 (5.1%) identified as Asian. Using multilevel logistic regression to account for the nesting of individuals within couples, this study found that race showed no significant relationship between SGM stress, internalized stigma, and low social support to IPV victimization. Future research is needed to refine the measures used to assess SGM stress, internalized stigma, and low social support

Wellness Literature Review - 2024

Introduction: The Journal of Wellness has moved to a single calendar year editorial review of wellness literature. This annual review includes studies published in 2024. Methods: Authors conducted a PubMed and Google Scholar keyword search, narrowing results to interventional studies / clinical trials in humans. Literature in Review: We conducted a thematic review of a selection of relevant papers from the literature search. COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated the rate of burnout and impacted well-being of healthcare providers. Need for intervention in this area has arisen significantly since the pandemic. Post pandemic, working conditions have been normalized to some extent, however, the rate of burnout and reduction in well-being continues. Globally, poor well-being and burnout among healthcare professionals is a serious concern. We focused to identify and summarize studies which experimented various methods of addressing this issue. Conclusion: JWellness highlights developments around HCP wellness. In this review, we highlight studies with experimental research designs, randomized controlled trials, and a few prospective cohort and non-experimental cross-sectional studies with strong methodologies

Kentucky history is Native history: decolonizing Native portrayals in Kentucky museums.

Utilizing prominent decolonial museums scholarship, interviews conducted with anthropology and museum professionals, and Kentucky museum exhibitions, this research explores the history of Kentucky’s public institutions’ Indigenous representation and recommends guidelines to improve their portrayal of Native people. Through a historical analysis, this research finds factors that influence Kentucky institutions’ portrayals of Native history, such as early harmful grave looting of Indigenous ancestral remains, the prominence of the Myth of the Dark and Bloody Ground, and a weakened state governmental Native American Heritage Commission. After considering both decolonial theory and the experiences of Kentucky heritage professionals, this research recommends three methods of decolonizing museums that respond to Kentucky’s past engagement with Indigenous history. Kentucky history institutions may consider evaluating their collections according to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, developing new exhibits in collaboration with Indigenous representatives with ancestral ties to Kentucky, and undergoing structural changes to include Indigenous people in both the museum and governmental realms. These methods are demonstrated in three case studies of Kentucky public institutions that envision a new path of decolonizing their exhibitions and including Native stakeholders in the process

Understanding the properties of repair protein p26 for dry-state preservation of biological materials.

The preservation of complex biological materials in the frozen state has been well established and plays a critical role in the advancement of clinical applications and the pharmaceutical industry. Cryopreservation of complex biological materials has several clinical applications, including vaccine preservation, bone marrow transplants, cell therapeutics, and increasing the shelf life of red blood cells (RBCs) for transfusion. However, many challenges are present, including the use of toxic protective agents and the financial burden of maintaining extremely low temperatures between 193.15 and – 77.6 K (Parihar, Kumar et al. 2023). Lyophilization, or freeze-drying, presents an opportunity to mitigate such challenges. However, dry-state storage of more complex water-loss-sensitive systems has yet to be achieved (Weng 2021). We turned to nature for strategies to help improve lyophilization outcomes and allow for storage at ambient temperatures. The animal extremophile Artemia franciscana, brine shrimp, can survive severe dehydration (desiccation) by upregulation of repair proteins that lessen the damage of water loss and during rehydration. One exceptional repair protein, the small heat shock protein (sHSP) p26, was the focus of this study. Protein expression and purification levels were optimized to study the characteristics of p26 that may allow for it to aid in protection during desiccation. We discovered that p26 physiochemical behavior is exceptionally salt-sensitive, likely promoting liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) and production of liquid condensates, which is believed to play a role in protection during drying. Characteristics of a secondary sHSP, ArHSP21, were also examined to compare the sequence and characteristics of p26 with ArHSP21 to understand how different molecular chaperones influence protection during stress. Additionally, molecular analysis was utilized to determine whether these proteins function independently or work together to enhance biomolecular protection. These sHSPs were identified as potential candidates to improve lyopreservation outcomes in other systems, including complex water-stress-sensitive biomolecules and systems

Reducing Burnout Among Physiatry Trainees During the Pandemic: Instituting a Wellness Retreat

Introduction: Burnout has been described as “a state of mental and physical exhaustion related to work or caregiving activities.” Among resident physicians, burnout is a serious concern that can lead to medical errors and negative patient outcomes. To combat burnout among physiatry trainees during the COVID-19 pandemic, an innovative wellness retreat was created and implemented at the University of Miami’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) Residency Program in March 2021 and February 2022. Methods: The retreat curriculum was designed by the PM&R Residency Wellness Committee and supported by departmental funding. The retreat(s) consisted of three strategies: education and discussion on burnout, instruction and immediate practice in wellness techniques, and team building and bonding activities. All residents (n = 24) and fellows (n = 2) participated in a one-day wellness retreat. The main outcomes included the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) questionnaire, administered at three time points: pre-retreat, 3 weeks post-retreat, and 3 months post-retreat. Results: The wellness retreat included 26 trainees. Their mean age was 31±2 years, 76% were male, 24% female, and self-identified ethnicities were 43% Hispanic, 29% White, 19% Black, and 9% Asian. The highest pre-retreat burnout scores were observed in the PGY-3 class; and the greatest overall improvements were observed in the PGY-2 class after the wellness intervention. Although not statistically significant, PGY groups of trainees trended toward decreased burnout after the intervention. Specifically, residents reported lower CBI scores at 3 weeks post-retreat (except for client-related burnout) and even lower CBI scores at 3 months post-retreat, indicating less total burnout (-11%), personal (-15%), work-related (-10%), and client-related burnout (-5%). Before the wellness retreat moderate burnout mean scores (50-74) were observed among PGY-2 residents in total burnout and work-related burnout, PGY-3 in personal and work-related burnout, and PGY-4 in personal burnout. At 3 months post-retreat, moderate burnout mean scores were only observed among PGY-3 in personal burnout. Conclusion: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this retreat was well received by PM&R residents and may have contributed to improved overall and specific burnout scores amongst participant trainees at all stages

“I need to borrow some money”: How Community College Students of Color Experience Punitive Financial Aid Structured Disbursements

Community college students must navigate complex financial aid policies and procedures to obtain their aid award. In this study, I investigated how Students of Color at a community college experience financial aid disbursements. Through qualitative interviews, I found that community colleges disburse aid to students through a process I define as structured disbursements, which delays students’ receipt of their aid. Using Critical Race Theory (CRT) to frame this study, I argue that racist notions about Students of Color with financial need influence how aid is disbursed in the community college sector, which ultimately harms these students. I provide recommendations for practice and policy to improve student experience with financial aid disbursements

The Publics of Hannah Arendt and Jürgen Habermas

Hannah Arendt’s and Jürgen Habermas’s accounts of the public are notable and important cornerstones in contemporary western political philosophy. This thesis will offer characterizations of Arendt’s account of the public realm in The Human Condition, and Habermas’s account of the public sphere in The Structural Transformation of The Public Realm, comparing and contrasting these accounts to each other in order to highlight the uniqueness of each account; as well the possible contemporary political relevance of these accounts