Biomedical subjects

Bruce Rosen

Publications and source records attributed to Bruce Rosen.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Can a handwashing intervention make a difference? Results from a randomized controlled trial in Jerusalem preschools.

BACKGROUND: Preschools are often focal points for the spread of illness among young children. The objective of this preschool intervention trial was to determine whether a hygiene program can promote handwashing and thereby reduce illness absenteeism. METHODS: This cluster randomized trial included 40 Jerusalem preschools with 1029 children for 6 baseline days and 66 study days, yielding 73,779 child days. The main outcomes were rates of handwashing and illness absenteeism. The intervention included an educational program and environmental changes. A simultaneous subtrial was run to test a home component. RESULTS: This multi-site intervention program produced sustained behavioral and environmental changes over a 6-month period. An approximately threefold increase in handwashing with soap was observed among preschool children exposed to the intervention. Neither the preschool nor the home intervention program reduced illness absenteeism or overall absenteeism. CONCLUSIONS: This trial illuminates the potential of the preschool as a promising venue for health promotion activities leading to sustained behavioral change, yet suggests the need for enhanced approaches for reducing illness absenteeism.

Absenteeism↗

PubMed2005

Crossing the blood-brain barrier: a potential application of myristoylated polyarginine for in vivo neuroimaging.

As basic neurological research continues to reveal novel targets for therapy, the need to deliver therapeutic agents across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) becomes increasingly important. If developed, delivery modules would bring targeting molecules across the BBB to their respective active sites. In addition, it would be highly advantageous if the bioavailability of these delivered agents could be monitored over time using non-invasive imaging techniques. Here, we describe a versatile delivery module based on a myristoylated polyarginine backbone, which crosses the BBB. Incorporation of the fatty acid group was achieved using a Schotten-Bauman reaction with quantitative yield, and the peptide was further synthesized by conventional solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). We report for the first time the in vivo distribution of the delivery module over time into mouse brain using near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging. The fluorescent cargo was detected in vivo from 24-48 h post IV injection and was further characterized in perfused brains. Immunohistochemical staining of excised brain showed that the delivery module primarily accumulated in neurons with occasional localization in astrocytes and endothelial cells. We conclude that this approach can be used for the delivery of imaging probes and potentially targeted therapeutics across the BBB.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Automatically parcellating the human cerebral cortex.

We present a technique for automatically assigning a neuroanatomical label to each location on a cortical surface model based on probabilistic information estimated from a manually labeled training set. This procedure incorporates both geometric information derived from the cortical model, and neuroanatomical convention, as found in the training set. The result is a complete labeling of cortical sulci and gyri. Examples are given from two different training sets generated using different neuroanatomical conventions, illustrating the flexibility of the algorithm. The technique is shown to be comparable in accuracy to manual labeling.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2002

Whole brain segmentation: automated labeling of neuroanatomical structures in the human brain.

We present a technique for automatically assigning a neuroanatomical label to each voxel in an MRI volume based on probabilistic information automatically estimated from a manually labeled training set. In contrast to existing segmentation procedures that only label a small number of tissue classes, the current method assigns one of 37 labels to each voxel, including left and right caudate, putamen, pallidum, thalamus, lateral ventricles, hippocampus, and amygdala. The classification technique employs a registration procedure that is robust to anatomical variability, including the ventricular enlargement typically associated with neurological diseases and aging. The technique is shown to be comparable in accuracy to manual labeling, and of sufficient sensitivity to robustly detect changes in the volume of noncortical structures that presage the onset of probable Alzheimer's disease.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

Developing Israel's health system: the contribution of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.

The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) has been involved in developing Israel's health services since 1914. The types of involvement and major accomplishments in service development are summarized in Apprendix 1. Over the years, as needs changed and as the service environment expanded, JDC adapted its activities in order to remain a leading force in developing new and innovative services for Israel's most vulnerable populations.

Delivery of Health Care↗

PubMed2001

Functional MRI detection of pharmacologically induced memory impairment.

To examine alterations in brain activation associated with pharmacologically induced memory impairment, we used functional MRI (fMRI) to study the effects of lorazepam and scopolamine on a face-name associative encoding paradigm. Ten healthy young subjects were scanned on four occasions, 2 weeks apart; they were administered i.v. saline during two placebo-scanning sessions and then alternately administered i.v. lorazepam (1 mg) or scopolamine (0.4 mg) in a double-blind, randomized, cross-over design. Both the extent and magnitude of activation within anatomic regions of interest (ROIs) were examined to determine the reproducibility of activation in the placebo sessions and the regional specificity of the pharmacologic effects. Activation within all ROIs was consistent across the two placebo scans during the encoding of novel face-name pairs (compared with visual fixation). With the administration of either lorazepam or scopolamine, significant decreases were observed in both the extent and magnitude of activation within the hippocampal, fusiform, and inferior prefrontal ROIs, but no significant alterations in activation in the striate cortex were found. Both medications impaired performance on postscan memory measures, and significant correlations between memory performance and extent of activation were found in hippocampal and fusiform ROIs. These findings suggest that pharmacologic effects can be detected with fMRI by using a reproducible experimental paradigm and that medications that impair memory also diminish activation in specific brain regions thought to subserve complex memory processes.

Adult↗