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The Effects Of Relationship Quality And Duration On Negative Word-Of-Mouth After A Low-Contact Service Failure, Tuğberk Kara, Tugba Tugrul

Marketing Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article examines the effects of relationship quality (RQ) and relationship duration (RD) on negative word-of-mouth (WoM) after a low-contact service failure. Partial least square structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data collected through a scenario-based online survey (n=153). First, unlike the inconsistent findings in high-contact service research, the results showed that RQ led to decreased negative WoM in low-context service failures, namely telecommunication. Second, this research contributes to the literature by revealing the negative effect of RD on customers’ tendency to spread negative WoM. In addition, RD did not moderate the relationship between RQ and negative WoM.

Peace With Painful Memories, Mona Muzammil, Muzammil Arshad, Washain Muzammil

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

This Book helps you identify and heal from childhood emotional neglect so you can be more connected and emotionally present in your life.

Do you sometimes feel like you’re just going through the motions in life? Do you often act like you’re fine when you secretly feel lonely and disconnected? Perhaps you have a good life and yet somehow, it’s not enough to make you happy. Or perhaps you drink too much, eat too much, or risk too much to feel something good. If so, you are not alone and you may be suffering from emotional neglect.

Are you one …

Interview With Gloria Chavez, Gloria Chavez, Ashley Mariscal

ANTH 4306/6306 Anthropology of Borders

Narrative of Gloria Chavez's journey from her upbringing in a border community to her current role as Chief of the Border Patrol in the Rio Grande Valley sector. Chavez reflects on her 29-year career in law enforcement, starting from humble beginnings. She discusses her family dynamics, the influence of her siblings and cousins, and pivotal moments that shaped her career trajectory. The interview underscores the importance of hard work, mentorship, and personal resilience in achieving success. Chavez's experiences living in a border area and being a Latina in a predominantly male agency highlight the unique challenges and opportunities she has …

Border Queer Narratives: Exploring Lgbtq+ Experiences On The Us-Mexico Border, Eva L. Millan

ANTH 4306/6306 Anthropology of Borders

This project seeks to document and elevate the voices of queer and LGBTQ+ individuals who call the RGV home. In a region often marked by its complex cultural intersections, this endeavor aims to weave together a mosaic of narratives that are too often relegated to the margins.

Review: A Brick And A Bible: Black Women’S Radical Activism In The Midwest During The Great Depression, By Melissa Ford, Brent M. S. Campney

History Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

The 2022 Symposium On Dementia And Brain Aging In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: Highlights On Research, Diagnosis, Care, And Impact, Raj N. Kalaria, Gladys Maestre, Simin Mahinrad, Daisy Acosta, Rufus Akinyemi, Suvarna Alladi, Ricardo F. Allegri, Faheem Arshad, David Oluwasayo Babalola, Noe Garza

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Two of every three persons living with dementia reside in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The projected increase in global dementia rates is expected to affect LMICs disproportionately. However, the majority of global dementia care costs occur in high-income countries (HICs), with dementia research predominantly focusing on HICs. This imbalance necessitates LMIC-focused research to ensure that characterization of dementia accurately reflects the involvement and specificities of diverse populations. Development of effective preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic approaches for dementia in LMICs requires targeted, personalized, and harmonized efforts. Our article represents timely discussions at the 2022 Symposium on Dementia and Brain Aging …

Clinical Efforts Double Disparity For Nonphysician Urim Faculty: Implications For Academic Family Medicine, Stacy A. Ogbeide, Deepu George, Adrian Sandoval, Yajaira Johnson-Esparza, Maria Montanez Villacampa

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

With a new definition of high-quality primary care and the shift in nonphysician faculty’s role as core faculty members in family medicine residency programs, new attention is needed on the delineation of clinical efforts and clinical efforts disparities across disciplines (eg, psychology, marriage and family therapy, pharmacy) within departments of family medicine. Additionally, those who identify as underrepresented in medicine (URiM), specifically those who are nonphysician faculty, are dually impacted by the clinical efforts double disparity. This paper examines the current landscape of clinical efforts in academic family medicine for physician faculty and nonphysician faculty as well as discusses how …

Statistical Genetic Approaches To Investigate Genotype-By-Environment Interaction: Review And Novel Extension Of Models, Vincent P. Diego, Eron G. Manusov, Marcio Almeida, Sandra Laston, David Ortiz, John Blangero, Sarah Williams-Blangero

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Statistical genetic models of genotype-by-environment (G×E) interaction can be divided into two general classes, one on G×E interaction in response to dichotomous environments (e.g., sex, disease-affection status, or presence/absence of an exposure) and the other in response to continuous environments (e.g., physical activity, nutritional measurements, or continuous socioeconomic measures). Here we develop a novel model to jointly account for dichotomous and continuous environments. We develop the model in terms of a joint genotype-by-sex (for the dichotomous environment) and genotype-by-social determinants of health (SDoH; for the continuous environment). Using this model, we show how a depression variable, as measured by the …

Driving In Cars With Noise: Reflections On An Audio Research Methodology, Randall W. Monty

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

The Holobiont, Food Justice, And Gaia 2.0 A Post-Human(Ist) Approach To Functional Medicine, Rosalynn A. Vega

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Functional medicine is a personalized and holistic approach to treating chronic disease. In this article, I build upon posthumanist literature by examing how functional medicine practitioners are decentering and destabilizing what it means to be human. Functional medicine discourse on the holobiont, which considers the human as an assemblage of different microbial species, reframes the “humananimal” (see Nayar 2018) as the “humicrobe.” I engage Gaia 2.0 (see Lenton and Latour 2018) when analyzing the interconnectivity, interdependence, and mutualism of all life. My approach to interconnectivity interweaves both functional medicine descriptions of systems biology and Luhmann’s (2012) approach to system’s theory …

A Comparative Analysis Of Positive And Negative Stimuli For Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy: A Pooled Analysis Of Two Studies And A Systematic Review, Arankesh Mahadevan, Vamsikalayan Borra, Lakshmi Prasanna Vaishnavi Kattamuri, Vikash Jaiswal, Ikechukwu R. Ogbu

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is characterized by transient myocardial dysfunction triggered by both negative and positive emotional experiences, known respectively as broken heart syndrome (BHS) and happy heart syndrome (HHS). Despite the scarcity of comparative analyses between HHS and BHS in the literature, our pooled analysis, incorporating two retrospective registry analyses of 1395 TTC patients (57 HHS and 1338 BHS), reveals that while BHS is more prevalent, both conditions exhibit similar clinical presentations and outcomes. Statistical analyses, utilizing binary random effects models, indicate that diabetes mellitus is less common in HHS patients and serves as a predictor for BHS. Furthermore, there …

A Phenomenological Approach To Legal Epistemic Injustice, Christopher Thomas Phillippe-Rodriguez

Philosophy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Injustices in legal contexts are widespread, yet we usually tend to think of them through a social lens. The study of epistemic injustices increases the resolution of this lens; it identifies how we wrong others as "knowers." In this paper, I propose that the tradition of phenomenology may be invoked to describe and identify instances of epistemic injustice in legal contexts. In order to justify this claim, I establish a phenomenological methodology predicated on the synthesis of two ideas: (1) the phenomenological recognition of the Other, and (2) society's duty to endow its members with an epistemic sphere of action.

The Power Of Promotores: Enhancing The Ability Of Medical Students To Provide For And Communicate With Underserved Populations, Jesse Allen, Suzette Jimenez, Ricardo Belmares, Jose Manuel De La Rosa, Nathan A. Holland, Jessica Chacon

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

To increase community health knowledge, the El Paso Health Education and Awareness Team (EP-HEAT) was established at Paul L. Foster School of Medicine. The Medical Student Run Clinic (MSRC) emphasizes community health care access. Promotores de salud (community health workers) increase health care awareness and connect predominantly underserved communities with resources. Surveys were conducted to determine how EP-HEAT and MSRC patients’ communication with promotores affected their access to health care and communication skills. Surveys demonstrated that 91% of EP-HEAT members agreed that working with promotores improved their communication ability. All MSRC patients surveyed stated interacting with promotores helped improve health …

Promoting Diverse Perspectives: Addressing Health Disparities Related To Alzheimer's And All Dementias, Gladys Maestre, Carl Hill, Percy Griffin, Stephen Hall, William Hu, Jason Flatt, Ganesh Babulal

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Dementia research lacks appropriate representation of diverse groups who often face substantial adversity and greater risk of dementia. Current research participants are primarily well-resourced, non-Hispanic White, cisgender adults who live close to academic medical centers where much of the research is based. Consequently, the field faces a knowledge gap about Alzheimer's-related risk factors in those other groups. The Alzheimer's Association hosted a virtual conference on June 14–16, 2021, supported in part by the National Institute on Aging (R13 AG072859-01), focused on health disparities. The conference was held entirely online and consisted of 2 days of core programming and a day …

Antidiabetic Drug Jardiance (Empagliflozin) Effectively Attenuated The Weight Gain Induced By The Antipsychotic Drug Zyprexa (Olanzapine) In Female Wistar Rats, Ghulam Md Ashraf

Research Symposium

Atypical antipsychotic drugs are commonly associated with undesirable side effects including body weight gain (BWG) and metabolic deficits. Many pharmacological interventions have been tested to minimize or prevent these side effects. Preliminary evidence suggested that antidiabetic drugs may be effective in attenuating the BWG induced by antipsychotic drugs. In the first phase, we carried out a 28-day study to standardize the correlated effective dosage of the antidiabetic drug empagliflozin (EMPA) and the antipsychotic drug olanzapine (Ola). Rats were divided into control (vehicle), Ola-4 and Ola-8 (4 and 8 mg/kg/OD, IP, respectively), and EMPA-10 and EMPA-20 (10 and 20 mg/kg/OD, IG, …

Hesitation Towards The Covid-19 Vaccine In The United States: A Digital Ethnographic Study [Vacilación Ante La Vacuna Contra El Covid-19 En Estados Unidos De América: Un Estudio Etnográfico Digital], Rosalynn A. Vega

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Following the authorization of the use of COVID-19 vaccines in babies age 6 months through children 4 years old in the United States, some individuals (parents, pediatricians, and communicators) framed COVID-19 vac-cination as an issue of access, while many others expressed hesitancy, and some resisted recommendations from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In this context, this study aimed to explore: 1) divergent reactions to the authorization of COVID-19 vaccine use in children aged 6 months to 4 years; and 2) opposing logics underlying attitudes towards pro-vaccination, anti-vaccination, and vaccine hesitancy regarding COVID-19 vaccines. To achieve this, a …

At-Risk Freshmen Student Retention After Stem Intervention, Edna Orozco, George Padilla

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) areas are one of the fastest-growing majors in the nation. Engineering is projected to add the second largest number of new jobs from 2016 to 2026 with 140,000 new jobs (Torpey, 2018).According to the National Center for Education Statistics despite all the research done throughout decades to improve the issue of retention in STEM areas about half of the students who pursue a degree in STEM will either leave or change majors.

Purpose: This study aimed to sample at-risk college freshmen students from the College of Engineering & Computer Science, to describe and …

Update On The Role Of Muc13 In Pancreatic Cancer: A Promising Early Detection Biomarker, Anupam Dhasmana, Swati Dhasmana, Sheema Khan, Meena Jaggi, Murali M. Yallapu, Subhash C. Chauhan

Research Symposium

Background: With the rise in pancreatic cancer (PanCa) prevalence and mortality rate, by 2030 it will secure second position among leading causes of cancer-related deaths. Due to poor prognosis of PanCa only 11% of PanCa patients have a 5-year survival rate, resulting in an equal mortality rate and incidence rate. 85% of PanCa are Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The main clinical challenge with PanCa is poor treatment outcomes due the late diagnosis. Currently, there are traditional biomarkers panels available for diagnosis, however, these biomarkers do not have optimal sensitivity and specificity for PanCa. Considering this alarming unmet clinic need, our …

Relationship Among Cognitive Performance, Physical Activity (Pa), Demographic, And Individual Lifestyle Characteristics Among Aging Hispanic Population, Ulku Karabulut, Bryan Mixumi, Imtiaz Masfique Dowllah, Murat Karabulut

Research Symposium

Purpose: To investigate the association among different intensity and duration of physical activity (PA), cognitive domains (executive function, processing speed, and memory), and demographic and lifestyle characteristics of aging Hispanic population. PA has been identified as a promising non-pharmaceutical preventative intervention for Alzheimer disease and other dementias. This study aims to provide a better understanding of the effects of different intensities of PA on cognitive performances of aging Hispanic population.

Methods: For this study, 441 Hispanic (age ≥60) participants’ data from NHANES (20112014) were analyzed. The protocol was approved by the NCHS Research Ethics Review Board, and all data …

Investigating The Potential Double-Edged Score Of Immigration-Related Stress, Discrimination, And Mental Health Access, Arthur R. Andrews, Kevin Escobar, Sandra Mariely Estrada Gonzalez, Sara Reyes, Laura M. Acosta

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Prior work has suggested that discrimination and immigration-related stress may impede mental health care seeking and utilization among Latinx populations. These effects may be more nuanced as both discrimination and immigration-related stress may increase symptomology, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Both symptoms may, in turn, prompt attempts to seek care. The current study examined the direct effects of discrimination and immigration-related stress on care access, as well as potentially indirect effects with PTSD and depression symptoms as mediators. Interviews and online surveys were completed with 234 Latinx residents of the Midwest, assessing everyday discrimination, discrimination in healthcare, PTSD …

Exploring Neuroplasticity Changes In Neurotoxin-Induced Parkinson’S Disease: A Preliminary Analysis Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Tomas Gomez Jr., Daniel Salinas, Kelsey Potter-Baker, Nawaz Hack, Ramu Vadukapuram

Research Symposium

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative condition that affects movement, cognition, gait, and significantly impacts one's quality of life. Studies have suggested that neurotoxin pre-exposure is related to PD pathology and progressive motor/non-motor deficits, though it remains unclear how neurotoxin exposure affects neuroplasticity. The present study aimed to examine neurotoxin–induced PD-associated neuroplasticity changes in relationship to mental acuity and PD motor functionalities.

Methods: 7 voluntary participants experiencing early-stage PD symptoms with self-reported neurotoxin pre-exposure were enrolled in the longitudinal, repeated-measures clinical study; 2 sex-matched, age-matched, and occupation-matched healthy subjects were recruited for controlled comparative analysis (n=9). UTRGV’s Institute …

Effect Of Alcohol Consumption On Cognitive Decline Among Mexican Adults, Silvia Mejia-Arango, Ihsan Salloum, Gladys E. Maestre

Research Symposium

Background: Studies on the association between alcohol use and cognitive impairment have yielded controversial results suggesting a reduced risk of dementia in drinkers vs. nondrinkers. We aimed to examine the effect of alcohol use on cognitive trajectories among Mexican adults aged 50 and over.

Methods: Data are from 5,898 cognitively normal individuals (2,512 men and 3,386 women) from the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS) with a mean age of 59 years (50-90 years) at baseline (2001) and followed-up after 11 years (2012). The Cross-Cultural Cognitive Examination was the cognitive battery measuring verbal memory, visual memory, attention, and …

Metabolic Syndrome Traits Exhibit Genotype-By-Environment Interaction In Relation To Socioeconomic Status In The Mexican American Family Heart Study, Vincent P. Diego, Eron G. Manusov, Xi Mao, Marcio A. Almeida, Juan M. Peralta, Joanne E. Curran, Michael C. Mahaney, Harald H. H. Goring, John Blangero, Sarah Williams-Blangero

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Background: Socioeconomic Status (SES) is a potent environmental determinant of health. To our knowledge, no assessment of genotype-environment interaction has been conducted to consider the joint effects of socioeconomic status and genetics on risk for metabolic disease. We analyzed data from the Mexican American Family Studies (MAFS) to evaluate the hypothesis that genotype-by-environment interaction (GxE) is an essential determinant of variation in risk factors for metabolic syndrome (MS).

Methods: We employed a maximum likelihood estimation of the decomposition of variance components to detect GxE interaction. After excluding individuals with diabetes and individuals on medication for diabetes, hypertension, or dyslipidemia, we …

Gene Expression Networks Regulated By Human Personality, Coral Del Val, Elisa Díaz De La Guardia-Bolívar, Jorge Igor Zwir, Pashupati Mishra, Alberto Mesa, Ramiro Salas, Guillermo F. Poblete, Gabriel A. De Erausquin, Emma Raitoharju, Mika Kähönen

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Genome-wide association studies of human personality have been carried out, but transcription of the whole genome has not been studied in relation to personality in humans. We collected genome-wide expression profiles of adults to characterize the regulation of expression and function in genes related to human personality. We devised an innovative multi-omic approach to network analysis to identify the key control elements and interactions in multi-modular networks. We identified sets of transcribed genes that were co-expressed in specific brain regions with genes known to be associated with personality. Then we identified the minimum networks for the co-localized genes using bioinformatic …

Demystifying The Link Between Social Media Addiction And Sharing Without Verification: The Role Of Absentmindedness And Wellbeing, Murad Moqbel, Khaled A. Alshare, Michael A. Erskine

Information Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

We use salience and dual-system theories as the lens to investigate how (via which intervening mechanism) and when (under what condition(s)) social media addiction impacts unverified information sharing. Based on results from analyzing data from 234 social media users, we found that social media addiction augments unverified information sharing, and that absentmindedness partially mediates this relationship. Furthermore, we establish that wellbeing status buffers the harmful impact of social media addiction on unverified information sharing and absentmindedness.

Diondre Also Has Bad Days: Cannabis Use And The Criminalization Of Black Youth, Rommel Johnson

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Black, school-aged youth may experience socioeconomic, psychological, and emotional difficulties that affect their mental health, leading to maladaptive ways of coping, such as cannabis use. Instead of getting treatment and support to help them manage their stressors in positive ways, Black youth often receive punitive school practices, including referrals to the juvenile justice system. Counselors who work with school-aged youth are likely to encounter many Black youth and can thus either be instrumental to their psychological development or inadvertently impede their well-being with over-pathologization and criminalization of their cannabis use. In this article, the author reflects on a particular experience …

Comparative Health Disparities: International Perspective, Oluwadamilola Omojola, Betty Onyebu, Rosalynn A. Vega

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

After completing this brick, you will be able to:

• Explain health disparity, inequity, and inequality1
• Compare inequity and inequality in low and middle-socioeconomic countries to high-socioeconomic countries.2
• Describe factors that contribute to health disparity3
• Understand the comparative approaches used in understanding health disparities4
• Understand limitations in addressing health disparities

Identifying The Best Cutoff Value Of The Fecal Occult Blood Immunochemical Test In The Detection Of Advanced And Neoplastic Colorectal Lesions [Identificación Del Mejor Punto De Corte De La Prueba Inmunoquímica De Sangre Oculta En Heces En La Detección De Lesiones Colorrectales Avanzadas Y Neoplásicas], Patricia Gaggero, Eduardo Fenocchi, Cecilia Silva, Juan C. Lopez-Alvarenga, Natalia Lambert, Fabian Batista, Sergio Sobrino-Cossio, Jonathan R. White, Adolfo Parra-Blanco

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Objective: Screening is an effective tool for detecting colorectal lesions in asymptomatic subjects. There is a positive correlation between fecal immunochemical test (FIT) values and the size of tumors. Despite the efficacy of screening, the detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) remains low. The primary objective was to evaluate the best FIT cutoff value for detecting advanced adenomas and CRC among individuals at average risk in a country with a high incidence and morbidity from CRC.

Methods: This observational and prospective study analyzed consecutive cases in 1461 asymptomatic subjects with a positive FIT (≥ 100 ng hemoglobin [Hb]/ mL) referred for …

Contemplating On The End Of Integrated Care-Part Ii: Living The Questions To Foster Adaptability, Deepu George, Parinda Khatri

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

This article extends the use of the ecocycle planning framework to describe challenges ahead for the integrated care and Collaborative Family Healthcare Association (CFHA). The authors make the case that to remain agile and adaptable, there are contextual, ecological, and moral challenges that integrated care and CFHA should keep in the forefront as they navigate the future of an inequitable health care system that is morphing at a rapid pace. These influences include but are not limited to challenges of social determinants of health, artificial intelligence, generational differences in technology among older and younger populations, the moral issue of poverty, …

Applications Of Information Literacy To Teaching Independent Music Analysis, Katrina Roush

School of Music Faculty Publications and Presentations

Undergraduate and graduate music students learn many tools beneficial for music analysis, and they practice applying these tools to music in their music theory classes. However, they often struggle to perform useful analysis on their own without the guidance of an instructor. They can have trouble understanding that analysis should communicate their personal interpretation of a work, and they may not realize that independent analysis usually requires some preparatory work (analytical research),such as discovering if others have analyzed the work and learning new analytical methods. This article shows that there is a strong connection between various steps in the music-analytical …