42 research outputs found
Can We Laugh? Jewish American Comedy\u27s Expression of Anxiety in a Time of Change, 1965-1973
This Honors project is a site of intersection of my academic and activist interests in interrogating Whiteness, my social identity as a cultural Jewish American, and my creative passions in comedy performance. The tragicomic films The Graduate, Goodbye, Columbus, and Annie Hall of the 1960s and 1970s articulate the painful process of Jewish self- and group-definition in relation to dominant culture amidst fractures amongst Jews and external hostility and invitation. The collision of Jews’ long history of humor as a cultural practice and the turbulence and ambivalence of the post-World War II moment facilitated a space for Jewish tragicomedy in popular culture, a space that allowed for a release of painful tensions of assimilation and identity formation
Fit to Perform: A Profile of Higher Education Music Students’ Physical Fitness
Musicians are often called athletes of the upper body, but knowledge of their physical and fitness profiles is nonetheless limited, especially those of advanced music students who are training to enter music’s competitive professional landscape. To gain insight into how physical fitness is associated with music making, this study investigated music students’ fitness levels on several standardized indicators. 483 students took part in a fitness screening protocol that included measurements of lung function, flexibility (hypermobility, shoulder range of motion, sit and reach), strength and endurance (hand grip, plank, press-up), and sub-maximal cardiovascular fitness (3-min step test), as well as self-reported physical activity (IPAQ-SF). Participants scored within ranges appropriate for their age on lung function, shoulder range of motion, grip strength, and cardiovascular fitness. Their results for the plank, press up, and sit and reach were poor by comparison. Reported difficulty (22%) and pain (17%) in internal rotation of the right shoulder were also found. Differences between instrument groups and levels of study were observed on some measures. In particular, brass players showed greater lung function and grip strength compared with other groups, and postgraduate students on the whole were able to maintain the plank for longer but also demonstrated higher hypermobility and lower lung function (FEV1) and cardiovascular fitness than undergraduates. 79% of participants exceeded the minimum recommended weekly amount of physical activity, with singers the most physically active group and keyboard players, composers, and conductors the least active. IPAQ-SF scores correlated positively with lung function, sit and reach, press-up and cardiovascular fitness suggesting that, in the absence of time and resources to carry out comprehensive physical assessments with musicians, this one measure alone can provide useful insights. The findings indicate that music students have adequate levels of general health-related fitness, and we discuss whether adequate fitness is enough for people undertaking physically and mentally demanding activities such as making music. We argue that musicians could benefit from strengthening their supportive musculature and enhancing their awareness of strength imbalances
Endoscopic Versus Surgical Intervention for Jejunal Bezoar Formation
Bezoar-induced small bowel obstruction is a rare entity, but it should be highly suspected in those with prior abdominal or bariatric surgery. The cornerstone of treatment for intestinal bezoars has been surgical exploration to relieve the obstruction. We present a patient with obstructive jejunal phytobezoar formation that was relieved via an endoscopic approach rather than a surgical modality
Opioid Use Disorder is Associated with Increased Mortality and Morbidity in Patients with Gastroparesis
Background: Opioid use disorder (OUD) epidemic has been declared a nationwide public health emergency by the Department of Health and Human Services. There are limited data regarding OUD in patients with gastroparesis. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of OUD on the outcomes in patients hospitalized with gastroparesis and to delineate the trends associated with OUD and gastroparesis using a nationally representative sample. Methods: We used the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample database from 2005-2014 to identify patients hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of gastroparesis (ICD 9 Code: 536.3) and a concurrent diagnosis of OUD. We used Pearson chi-square analysis to compare demographics, the independent samples t-test to assess differences in length of stay and cost of care, and multivariate regression analysis to adjust for confounders. Results: Between 2005 and 2014, a total of 145,700 patients with a primary diagnosis of gastroparesis were hospitalized in the United States, of whom 4519 (3.1%) had a concurrent diagnosis of OUD. The prevalence of OUD in gastroparesis doubled from 2.1% in 2005 to 4.3% in 2014. After adjusting for confounders, patients with OUD had greater in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio 2.7, 95% confidence interval: 2.1-3.5). Patients with OUD also had significantly longer hospital stays and higher costs. Independent predictors of OUD in patients with gastroparesis were younger age, female sex, alcohol use, depression, and Medicaid insurance. Conclusion: OUD in patients with gastroparesis is associated with greater mortality and healthcare resource utilization
Seasonal Impacts on the Incidence of Esophageal Variceal Hemorrhage: A Nationwide Analysis across a Decade
Background/Aims: Seasonal variation has previously been reported in relation to the incidence of non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding; however, the impact of seasonal variation on variceal bleeding is not known.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database from 2005 to 2014. International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification- 9th Revision codes were used to identify patients hospitalized with a primary or secondary diagnosis of esophageal variceal hemorrhage. The data were analyzed based on the month of hospitalization. Our primary aim was to assess seasonal variations in variceal bleed-related hospitalizations. The secondary aims were to assess the impact of seasonal variation on outcomes in variceal bleeding including in-hospital mortality and healthcare resource utilization.
Results: A total of 348,958 patients hospitalized with esophageal variceal bleeding were included. The highest number of hospitalizations was reported in December (99.3/day) and the lowest was reported in June (90.8/day). In-hospital mortality was highest in January (11.5%) and lowest in June (9.8%). There was no significant difference in hospital length of stay or total hospitalization costs across all months in all years combined.
Conclusions: There appears to be a seasonal variation in the incidence and mortality of variceal hemorrhage in the United States. December was the month with the highest number of daily hospitalizations while the nadir occurred in June
Seasonal Impacts on the Incidence of Esophageal Variceal Hemorrhage: A Nationwide Analysis Across a Decade
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Seasonal variation has previously been reported in relation to the incidence of non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding; however, the impact of seasonal variation on variceal bleeding is not known.
METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database from 2005 to 2014. International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification- 9th Revision codes were used to identify patients hospitalized with a primary or secondary diagnosis of esophageal variceal hemorrhage. The data were analyzed based on the month of hospitalization. Our primary aim was to assess seasonal variations in variceal bleeding-related hospitalizations. The secondary aims were to assess the impact of seasonal variation on outcomes in variceal bleeding including in-hospital mortality and healthcare resource utilization.
RESULTS: A total of 348,958 patients hospitalized with esophageal variceal bleeding were included. The highest number of hospitalizations was reported in December (99.3/day) and the lowest was reported in June (90.8/day). In-hospital mortality was highest in January (11.5%) and lowest in June (9.8%). There was no significant difference in hospital length of stay or total hospitalization costs across all months in all years combined.
CONCLUSION: There appears to be a seasonal variation in the incidence and mortality of variceal hemorrhage in the United States. December was the month with the highest number of daily hospitalizations while the nadir occurred in June
Gastrointestinal Alpha Heavy Chain Disease With Persistent Campylobacter Jejuni Colonization and Refractory Giardiasis
Alpha heavy chain disease (αHCD) is a rare variant of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma characterized by expression of a monotypic truncated immunoglobulin α heavy chain. αHCD frequently involves the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and its pathogenesis has been linked to clonal B-cell expansion from chronic immune stimulation by infectious agents. We report a rare case of GI αHCD with 5 concomitant pathogens identified on a GI multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction panel, featured by persistent Campylobacter jejuni colonization and refractory giardiasis