Saint Francis University

About: Saint Francis University is a education organization based out in Loretto, Pennsylvania, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Osteoblast. The organization has 1694 authors who have published 2038 publications receiving 87149 citations.

Utility of clinical decision rule for intensive care unit admission in patients with traumatic intracranial hemorrhage.

Abstract: Background Recent literature suggests the majority of traumatic intracranial hemorrhage does not require intervention. One recently described clinical decision rule was sensitive in identifying patients requiring critical care interventions in an urban setting. We sought to validate its effectiveness in our predominately rural setting. Methods A retrospective study was conducted of adult patients with traumatic intracranial hemorrhage. The rule, based on age, initial Glasgow coma scale score, and presence of a non-isolated head injury, was applied to externally validate the previously reported findings. Results In our population, the rule displayed a sensitivity of 0.923, specificity of 0.251, positive predictive value of 0.393, and negative predictive value of 0.862. The area under curve was 0.587. While our population has a similar adjusted head injury severity score as that from which the rule was developed, significant differences in age and intracranial hemorrhage pattern were noted. Conclusions The rule displayed decreased performance in our population, most likely secondary to differences in age and intracranial hemorrhage patterns. Prospective evaluation and cost-savings analysis are appropriate subsequent steps for the rule.

Prediction of mortality among patients with chronic kidney disease: A systematic review.

Abstract: Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common medical condition that is increasing in prevalence. Existing published evidence has revealed through regression analyses that several clinical characteristics are associated with mortality in CKD patients. However, the predictive accuracies of these risk factors for mortality have not been clearly demonstrated. Aim To demonstrate the accuracy of mortality predictive factors in CKD patients by utilizing the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) analysis. Methods We searched Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library for eligible articles through January 2021. Studies were included based on the following criteria: (1) Study nature was observational or conference abstract; (2) Study populations involved patients with non-transplant CKD at any CKD stage severity; and (3) Predictive factors for mortality were presented with AUC analysis and its associated 95% confidence interval (CI). AUC of 0.70-0.79 is considered acceptable, 0.80-0.89 is considered excellent, and more than 0.90 is considered outstanding. Results Of 1759 citations, a total of 18 studies (n = 14579) were included in this systematic review. Eight hundred thirty two patients had non-dialysis CKD, and 13747 patients had dialysis-dependent CKD (2160 patients on hemodialysis, 370 patients on peritoneal dialysis, and 11217 patients on non-differentiated dialysis modality). Of 24 mortality predictive factors, none were deemed outstanding for mortality prediction. A total of seven predictive factors [N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), BNP, soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR), augmentation index, left atrial reservoir strain, C-reactive protein, and systolic pulmonary artery pressure] were identified as excellent. Seventeen predictive factors were in the acceptable range, which we classified into the following subgroups: predictors for the non-dialysis population, echocardiographic factors, comorbidities, and miscellaneous. Conclusion Several factors were found to predict mortality in CKD patients. Echocardiography is an important tool for mortality prognostication in CKD patients by evaluating left atrial reservoir strain, systolic pulmonary artery pressure, diastolic function, and left ventricular mass index.

First on the List: Search Engine Optimization Contests as Authentic Learning

Abstract: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) describes a set of techniques applied to a Website over time so it achieves a desirable position with a search engine’s rankings. SEO is an important strategy for organizations and individuals in order to promote their brands online. This paper describes an online learning activity that mimics a popular real-world event known as an SEO contest. SEO contest participants make use of a variety of techniques in order to compete for the top position in a search engine’s results when searching for a specified word or phrase. Results from this study show that teachers can leverage an SEO contest as an authentic learning environment to effectively develop college students’ competence in implementing SEO techniques.

“Making Our Work of Art a Masterpiece”: The Aesthetics of Evil in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope

Abstract: In his first Technicolor film, Rope (Hitchcock, Alfred, dir. 1948. Rope. Transatlantic Pictures.), Alfred Hitchcock explores the proposition of murder as a privileged art reserved for the intellectually superior. This article examines Hitchcock’s unorthodox techniques featured in the film, from exceptionally long takes (ranging from four to ten minutes of screen time) to disguised cuts achieved via close-ups of darkened set objects or costumes. Although incongruous with Rope’s more conventional storytelling elements, these daring methods synthesize the film’s ghoulish themes of consumption, decay, and death, evoking feelings of uncomfortable voyeuristic curiosity as Hitchcock toys with the aesthetic possibilities of murder for its own sake.

Proposing Abolition Theory for Carceral Medical Education.

Abstract: Medical schools, like all institutions, are conservative since they seek to maintain and expand on their accomplishments. Stakes are high in carceral medicine given the risks of replicating the inhumane social conditions that exist within prisons and allow prisons to exist. Given the increasing number of partnerships between state and municipal carceral systems with academic medical centers, medical schools must consider which guiding theory they will use to teach carceral medicine. The interdisciplinary theory of prison abolition is best fit for the task of training medical students to think about the long term goals of societal change and public health.