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University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

2021

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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Patient Perceptions Of Trauma-Focused Telemental Health Services Using The Telehealth Satisfaction Questionnaire (Tsq), Bianca T. Villalobos, Aubrey R. Dueweke, Rosaura Orengo-Aguayo, Regan W. Stewart Dec 2021

Patient Perceptions Of Trauma-Focused Telemental Health Services Using The Telehealth Satisfaction Questionnaire (Tsq), Bianca T. Villalobos, Aubrey R. Dueweke, Rosaura Orengo-Aguayo, Regan W. Stewart

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Telehealth services can address many barriers to traditional office-based mental health services. Few studies have assessed youth and caregiver perceptions of and satisfaction with trauma-focused interventions delivered via telemental health. The current study presents data collected using the Telehealth Satisfaction Questionnaire (TSQ), which was developed to measure child and caregiver satisfaction with services, comfort with the telehealth equipment, and barriers to traditional office-based services. Thirteen clinicians delivered home- and school-based Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) via videoconferencing on tablets and computers to 60 child patients (71.7% Latinx, 18.3% Black, and 10.0% non-Hispanic White). Patients and caregivers completed the TSQ at …


Von Willebrand Factor Levels In The Diagnosis Of Von Willebrand Disease: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Mohamad A. Kalot, Nedaa Husainat, Abdallah El Alayli, Omar Abughanimeh, Osama Diab, Sammy Tayiem, Bader Madoukh, Ahmad Bilal Dimassi, Aref Qureini, Barbara Ameer Dec 2021

Von Willebrand Factor Levels In The Diagnosis Of Von Willebrand Disease: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Mohamad A. Kalot, Nedaa Husainat, Abdallah El Alayli, Omar Abughanimeh, Osama Diab, Sammy Tayiem, Bader Madoukh, Ahmad Bilal Dimassi, Aref Qureini, Barbara Ameer

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Von Willebrand Disease (VWD) is associated with significant morbidity as a result of excessive mucocutaneous bleeding symptoms. Patients with VWD can experience easy bruising, epistaxis, gastrointestinal and oral cavity bleeding, as well as heavy menstrual bleeding and bleeding after dental work, surgical procedures, and childbirth. Early diagnosis and treatment is important to prevent and treat these symptoms. We systematically reviewed the accuracy of diagnostic tests using different cut-off values of VWF:Ag and platelet-dependent VWF activity assays in the diagnosis of VWD. We searched Cochrane Central, MEDLINE, and EMBASE for eligible studies. Two investigators screened and abstracted data. Risk of bias …


Levels Of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme And Apolipoproteins Are Associated With Alzheimer’S Disease And Cardiovascular Diseases, Chun Xu, Debra Garcia, Yongke Lu, Kaysie Ozuna, Donald A. Adjeroh, Kesheng Wang Dec 2021

Levels Of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme And Apolipoproteins Are Associated With Alzheimer’S Disease And Cardiovascular Diseases, Chun Xu, Debra Garcia, Yongke Lu, Kaysie Ozuna, Donald A. Adjeroh, Kesheng Wang

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Angiotensin-converting enzyme-1 (ACE1) and apolipoproteins (APOs) may play important roles in the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). This study aimed to examine the associations of AD, CVD, and endocrine-metabolic diseases (EMDs) with the levels of ACE1 and 9 APO proteins (ApoAI, ApoAII, ApoAIV, ApoB, ApoCI, ApoCIII, ApoD, ApoE, and ApoH). Non-Hispanic white individuals including 109 patients with AD, 356 mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 373 CVD, 198 EMD and controls were selected from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) dataset. Multivariable general linear model (GLM) was used to examine the associations. ApoE ε4 allele was associated with …


Is A Forensic Cohabitation Program Recovery-Oriented? A Logic Model Analysis, Shu-Ping Chen, Wen-Pin Chang, Bryan Fleet, Santoch Rai, Steve Panteluk, Alberto Choy, Deann Hunter Dec 2021

Is A Forensic Cohabitation Program Recovery-Oriented? A Logic Model Analysis, Shu-Ping Chen, Wen-Pin Chang, Bryan Fleet, Santoch Rai, Steve Panteluk, Alberto Choy, Deann Hunter

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background. Recovery orientation is a movement in mental health practice. Although general mental health services have taken the lead in promoting recovery, forensic psychiatric systems have lagged behind because of the need to reconcile recovery principles with the complexities of legal mandates. Advocating recovery and making systemic changes can be challenging because they require seeking a balance between the competing duties to the patient and the public. This paper used a logic model framework to demonstrate a cohabitation program that placed a woman and her newborn infant in a secure forensic rehabilitation unit, and analyzed the key assumptions of recovery …


Genome-Wide Association Study Identified Insc Gene Associated With Trail Making Test Part A And Alzheimer's Disease Related Cognitive Phenotypes, Kesheng Wang, Chun Xu, Amanda Smith, Danqing Xiao, R. Osvaldo Navia, Yongke Lu, Changchun Xie, Ubolrat Piamjariyakul Dec 2021

Genome-Wide Association Study Identified Insc Gene Associated With Trail Making Test Part A And Alzheimer's Disease Related Cognitive Phenotypes, Kesheng Wang, Chun Xu, Amanda Smith, Danqing Xiao, R. Osvaldo Navia, Yongke Lu, Changchun Xie, Ubolrat Piamjariyakul

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: The Trail Making Test (TMT) Part A (TMT-A) is a good measure of performance on cognitive processing speed. This study aimed to perform a genome-wide association study of TMT-A in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods: A total of 757 individuals with TMT-A phenotypes and 620,901 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were extracted from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative 1 (ADNI-1) cohort. AD related cognitive phenotypes include TMT-A, TMT-B, Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ), Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB), and Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale 13 (ADAS13). Multivariable linear regression analysis of TMT-A was conducted using PLINK software. The most TMT-A …


Covid-19 And Chronic Diabetes: The Perfect Storm For Reactivation Tuberculosis?: A Case Series, Genesis P. Aguillón-Durán, Ericka Prieto-Martinez Dr, Doris Ayala, Juan García Jr., John M. Thomas Iii, Juan Ignacio García, Brandon Michael Henry, Jordi B. Torrelles, Joanne Turner, Eder Ledezma-Campos, Blanca I. Restrepo Dec 2021

Covid-19 And Chronic Diabetes: The Perfect Storm For Reactivation Tuberculosis?: A Case Series, Genesis P. Aguillón-Durán, Ericka Prieto-Martinez Dr, Doris Ayala, Juan García Jr., John M. Thomas Iii, Juan Ignacio García, Brandon Michael Henry, Jordi B. Torrelles, Joanne Turner, Eder Ledezma-Campos, Blanca I. Restrepo

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic is predicted to have a net negative effect on tuberculosis control, with an estimated excess of 6.3 million tuberculosis cases and 1.4 million deaths by 2025. Programmatic issues such as the lockdown of tuberculosis services affect all patients, while biosocial factors have a differential impact on an individual’s risk for tuberculosis or adverse tuberculosis outcomes.

Case presentation

We report three Hispanic cases of incident tuberculosis (two males, 43 and 44 years old; one female, 49 years old) after resolution of coronavirus disease episodes. Coincidentally, all cases shared a common risk factor: a chronic history …


Lrg1 Is An Adipokine That Mediates Obesity-Induced Hepatosteatosis And Insulin Resistance, Sijia He, Jiyoon Ryu, Juanhong Liu, Hairong Luo, Ying Lv, Paul R. Langlais, Jie Wen, Feng Dong, Zhe Sun, Ravindranath Duggirala Dec 2021

Lrg1 Is An Adipokine That Mediates Obesity-Induced Hepatosteatosis And Insulin Resistance, Sijia He, Jiyoon Ryu, Juanhong Liu, Hairong Luo, Ying Lv, Paul R. Langlais, Jie Wen, Feng Dong, Zhe Sun, Ravindranath Duggirala

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Dysregulation in adipokine biosynthesis and function contributes to obesity-induced metabolic diseases. However, the identities and functions of many of the obesity-induced secretory molecules remain unknown. Here, we report the identification of leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein 1 (LRG1) as an obesity-associated adipokine that exacerbates high fat diet–induced hepatosteatosis and insulin resistance. Serum levels of LRG1 were markedly elevated in obese humans and mice compared with their respective controls. LRG1 deficiency in mice greatly alleviated diet-induced hepatosteatosis, obesity, and insulin resistance. Mechanistically, LRG1 bound with high selectivity to the liver and promoted hepatosteatosis by increasing de novo lipogenesis and suppressing fatty acid β-oxidation. LRG1 …


Efficacy And Safety Of Covid-19 Convalescent Plasma In Hospitalized Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Mila B. Ortigoza, Hyunah Yoon, Keith S. Goldfeld, Andrea B. Troxel, Johanna P. Daily, Yinxiang Wu, Yi Li, Danni Wu, Gia F. Cobb, Andrew N. Dentino Dec 2021

Efficacy And Safety Of Covid-19 Convalescent Plasma In Hospitalized Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Mila B. Ortigoza, Hyunah Yoon, Keith S. Goldfeld, Andrea B. Troxel, Johanna P. Daily, Yinxiang Wu, Yi Li, Danni Wu, Gia F. Cobb, Andrew N. Dentino

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Importance: There is clinical equipoise for COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) use in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

Objective: To determine the safety and efficacy of CCP compared with placebo in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 receiving noninvasive supplemental oxygen.

Design, setting, and participants: CONTAIN COVID-19, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of CCP in hospitalized adults with COVID-19, was conducted at 21 US hospitals from April 17, 2020, to March 15, 2021. The trial enrolled 941 participants who were hospitalized for 3 or less days or presented 7 or less days after symptom onset and required noninvasive oxygen supplementation.

Interventions: A unit of …


A Multilayer Network Model Of The Coevolution Of The Spread Of A Disease And Competing Opinions, Kaiyan Peng, Zheng Lu, Vanessa Lin, Michael R. Lindstrom, Christian Parkinson, Chuntian Wang, Andrea L. Bertozzi, Mason A. Porter Dec 2021

A Multilayer Network Model Of The Coevolution Of The Spread Of A Disease And Competing Opinions, Kaiyan Peng, Zheng Lu, Vanessa Lin, Michael R. Lindstrom, Christian Parkinson, Chuntian Wang, Andrea L. Bertozzi, Mason A. Porter

School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

During the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicting opinions on physical distancing swept across social media, affecting both human behavior and the spread of COVID-19. Inspired by such phenomena, we construct a two-layer multiplex network for the coupled spread of a disease and conflicting opinions. We model each process as a contagion. On one layer, we consider the concurrent evolution of two opinions — pro-physical-distancing and anti-physical-distancing — that compete with each other and have mutual immunity to each other. The disease evolves on the other layer, and individuals are less likely (respectively, more likely) to become infected when they adopt the pro-physical-distancing …


Case Report: Neurologic Presentation Of West Nile Virus: Difficult Diagnosis, Eron G. Manusov, Amalia Mora Campuzano, Omar Ahmed, Samantha Macias, Carolina Gomez De Ziegler, Gerardo Munoz Monaco Dec 2021

Case Report: Neurologic Presentation Of West Nile Virus: Difficult Diagnosis, Eron G. Manusov, Amalia Mora Campuzano, Omar Ahmed, Samantha Macias, Carolina Gomez De Ziegler, Gerardo Munoz Monaco

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

West Nile virus infections have surged across the globe. South Texas, located on the path of bird migration, with Culex quinquefasciatus and other Culex species, and biotic primers that predispose the area to epidemics (floods, amplifying hosts, and lack of mosquito control and prevention) remains a highly endemic area for arbovirus spread. West Nile virus infection ranges from mild febrile illness to severe central nervous system involvement. The purpose of this report is to highlight complex presentations of WNV and how confounding presenting symptoms delay diagnosis. The secondary goal is to describe how pandemics, such as SARS-CoV-2, can overwhelm the …


Candida Pericarditis Presenting With Cardiac Tamponade And Multiple Organ Failure After Combined Damage Control Thoracotomy And Laparotomy With Splenectomy In A Trauma Patient: Case Report And Review Of Literature, R. A. Siller, Jeffrey Skubic, J. L. Almeda, Adolfo E. Kaplan Dec 2021

Candida Pericarditis Presenting With Cardiac Tamponade And Multiple Organ Failure After Combined Damage Control Thoracotomy And Laparotomy With Splenectomy In A Trauma Patient: Case Report And Review Of Literature, R. A. Siller, Jeffrey Skubic, J. L. Almeda, Adolfo E. Kaplan

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Candida pericarditis is a rare condition which has previously been described after cardiothoracic surgery and immunosuppressive states (Geisler et al., 1981; Eng et al., 1981; Kraus et al., 1988; Kaufman et al., 1988; Tang et al., 2009; Glower et al., 1990; Carrel et al., 1991; Rabinovici et al., 1997; Canver et al., 1998; Farjah et al., 2005; Gronemeyer et al., 1982 [1-11]). We describe the case of a 19-year-old male blunt trauma patient, who survived a damage control thoracotomy and laparotomy with splenectomy, who later developed a loculated Candida pericardial effusion, complicated with cardiac tamponade and multiple organ failure, and …


Evaluation Of The Equivalence Of Different Intakes Of Fruitflow In Affecting Platelet Aggregation And Thrombin Generation Capacity In A Randomized, Double-Blinded Pilot Study In Male Subjects, Ranjit Kumar Das, Tanushree Datta, Dipankar Biswas, Ruedi Duss, Niamh O’Kennedy, Asim K. Duttaroy Dec 2021

Evaluation Of The Equivalence Of Different Intakes Of Fruitflow In Affecting Platelet Aggregation And Thrombin Generation Capacity In A Randomized, Double-Blinded Pilot Study In Male Subjects, Ranjit Kumar Das, Tanushree Datta, Dipankar Biswas, Ruedi Duss, Niamh O’Kennedy, Asim K. Duttaroy

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background

The water-soluble tomato extract, Fruitflow® is a dietary antiplatelet which can be used to lower platelet aggregability in primary preventative settings. We carried out a pilot study to investigate the range of intakes linked to efficacy and to make an initial assessment of variability in response to Fruitflow®.

Methods

Platelet response to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) agonist and thrombin generation capacity were monitored at baseline and 24 h after consuming 0, 30, 75, 150 or 300 mg of Fruitflow® in a randomized, double-blinded crossover study in male subjects 30–65 years of age (N = 12). Results were evaluated for …


The Evolution Of Blood Flow Restricted Exercise, Eduardo D. S. Freitas, Murat Karabulut, Michael G. Bemben Dec 2021

The Evolution Of Blood Flow Restricted Exercise, Eduardo D. S. Freitas, Murat Karabulut, Michael G. Bemben

Health & Human Performance Faculty Publications and Presentations

The use of blood flow restricted (BFR) exercise has become an accepted alternative approach to improve skeletal muscle mass and function and improve cardiovascular function in individuals that are not able to or do not wish to use traditional exercise protocols that rely on heavy loads and high training volumes. BFR exercise involves the reduction of blood flow to working skeletal muscle by applying a flexible cuff to the most proximal portions of a person's arms or legs that results in decreased arterial flow to the exercising muscle and occluded venous return back to the central circulation. Safety concerns, especially …


Steviol Represses Glucose Metabolism And Translation Initiation In Pancreatic Cancer Cells, Sonam Kumari, Mohammed Sikander, Shabnam Malik, Manish Tripathi, Bilal B. Hafeez, Murali M. Yallapu, Subhash C. Chauhan, Sheema Khan, Meena Jaggi Dec 2021

Steviol Represses Glucose Metabolism And Translation Initiation In Pancreatic Cancer Cells, Sonam Kumari, Mohammed Sikander, Shabnam Malik, Manish Tripathi, Bilal B. Hafeez, Murali M. Yallapu, Subhash C. Chauhan, Sheema Khan, Meena Jaggi

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Pancreatic cancer has the worst prognosis and lowest survival rate among all cancers. Pancreatic cancer cells are highly metabolically active and typically reprogrammed for aberrant glucose metabolism; thus they respond poorly to therapeutic modalities. It is highly imperative to understand mechanisms that are responsible for high glucose metabolism and identify natural/synthetic agents that can repress glucose metabolic machinery in pancreatic cancer cells, to improve the therapeutic outcomes/management of pancreatic cancer patients. We have identified a glycoside, steviol that effectively represses glucose consumption in pancreatic cancer cells via the inhibition of the translation initiation machinery of the molecular components. Herein, we …


Combined Amplification And Sound Therapy For Individuals With Tinnitus And Coexisting Hearing Loss: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Purushothaman Ganesan, Hansapani Rodrigo, Jason Schmiedge, Rob Reiter, Simham Swapna, Vinaya Manchaiah Dec 2021

Combined Amplification And Sound Therapy For Individuals With Tinnitus And Coexisting Hearing Loss: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Purushothaman Ganesan, Hansapani Rodrigo, Jason Schmiedge, Rob Reiter, Simham Swapna, Vinaya Manchaiah

School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

BACKGROUND: The heterogeneity of tinnitus perception and its impact necessitates a tailor-made management approach in everyone. The current study examined the effects of residual inhibition in combined amplification and sound therapy in individuals with tinnitus and coexisting hearing loss.


METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on patients with tinnitus and coexisting hearing loss between 2016 and 2019. A total of 72 patients provided with combined amplification and sound therapy were divided into 3 groups based on residual inhibition: (i) complete residual inhibition, (ii) partial residual inhibition, and (iii) negative residual inhibition. Tinnitus severity was measured using the Tinnitus …


Development Of A Novel Strategy To Improve Checkpoint Immune Response In Pancreatic Cancer, Poornima Devi Shaji Dec 2021

Development Of A Novel Strategy To Improve Checkpoint Immune Response In Pancreatic Cancer, Poornima Devi Shaji

Theses and Dissertations

Pancreatic Cancer is the 3rd lethal causing cancers in United States with a survival rate less than 5-7%. In advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer, treatment options are restrained to surgery because of its extreme aggressiveness. Immunotherapy, one of the current advanced treatments has shown promising response in other cancers. However, this therapy is limited in pancreatic cancer due to desmoplasia and fibrotic tumor microenvironment (TME).

Our superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONS) of curcumin (Curcuma longa, principal curcuminoid of turmeric) have potential ability to inhibit desmoplasia and tumor stroma with an increased bioavailability. This would soften up the tumors for …


A Statistical Comparison Of Covid-19 In The United States Across Political Affiliations And Census Regions, Margarito Torres Dec 2021

A Statistical Comparison Of Covid-19 In The United States Across Political Affiliations And Census Regions, Margarito Torres

Theses and Dissertations

In mid-January 2020, the United States reported their first cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from a passenger returning from Wuhan, China. Initially, the situation wasn’t very alarming as in China and European countries, but the situation began to worsen in March 2020 when the number of cases began to multiply. Then, in a matter of a few months, the United States became the number one country in terms of total cases and total deaths from COVID-19. We have been closely observing the United States and the world since July 2020. Our study aims to compare the political affiliations and …


Do Nursing And Pharmacy Students Practice What They Preach On Safe Drug Storage And Disposal? A Cross-Sectional Study, Tamara Al Rawwad, Patrici K. Schrader, Andrea Brooks, Lillian Duong, Douglas Thornton Dec 2021

Do Nursing And Pharmacy Students Practice What They Preach On Safe Drug Storage And Disposal? A Cross-Sectional Study, Tamara Al Rawwad, Patrici K. Schrader, Andrea Brooks, Lillian Duong, Douglas Thornton

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Research has confirmed a lack of knowledge regarding the risks of unused medications including diversion, misuse, or accidental overdose among health care professionals (Abdulmajeed, 2020). Nurses and pharmacists are often who patients interact with the most regarding medications; therefore, early education on proper storage and disposal is vital (Bowen, Rotz, Patterson, & Sen, 2017; Celio, Ninane, Bugnon, & Schneider, 2018).

Objectives: The study's objective is to explore safe drug storage and disposal knowledge, attitudes, and practices of professional pharmacy (Pharm.D.) and nursing students.

Design: This research is an exploratory cross-sectional study from May to September 2019.

Methods: An anonymous …


How Should Medical Schools Foster Equity And Inclusion In Admissions?, Adela Valdez, Lala Forrest, Alessandra Jimenez, Kim-Thu Pham Dec 2021

How Should Medical Schools Foster Equity And Inclusion In Admissions?, Adela Valdez, Lala Forrest, Alessandra Jimenez, Kim-Thu Pham

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

This commentary in response to a case considers how merit and features of medical school applicants’ dossiers should be drawn upon in admissions processes to promote equity and inclusion in medicine. It is argued that medical schools should incentivize inclusion by redefining merit in their admissions goals and processes, promote meaningful inclusion, and show institutional leadership in addressing social justice.


Searching For Imaging Biomarkers Of Psychotic Dysconnectivity, Amanda L. Rodrigue, Dana Mastrovito, Oscar Esteban, Joke Durnez, Marinka M. G. Koenis, Ronald Janssen, Aaron Alexander-Bloch, Emma M. Knowles, Samuel R. Mathias, John Blangero Dec 2021

Searching For Imaging Biomarkers Of Psychotic Dysconnectivity, Amanda L. Rodrigue, Dana Mastrovito, Oscar Esteban, Joke Durnez, Marinka M. G. Koenis, Ronald Janssen, Aaron Alexander-Bloch, Emma M. Knowles, Samuel R. Mathias, John Blangero

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Background: Progress in precision psychiatry is predicated on identifying reliable individual-level diagnostic biomarkers. For psychosis, measures of structural and functional connectivity could be promising biomarkers given consistent reports of dysconnectivity across psychotic disorders using magnetic resonance imaging.

Methods: We leveraged data from four independent cohorts of patients with psychosis and control subjects with observations from approximately 800 individuals. We used group-level analyses and two supervised machine learning algorithms (support vector machines and ridge regression) to test within-, between-, and across-sample classification performance of white matter and resting-state connectivity metrics.

Results: Although we replicated group-level differences in brain connectivity, individual-level classification …


Identification And Characterization Of Bisbenzimide Compounds That Inhibit Human Cytomegalovirus Replication, Nicole Falci Finardi, Hyeongjun Kim, Lee Z. Hernandez, Matthew R. G. Russell, Catherine M-K Ho, Vattipally B. Sreenu, Hannah A. Wenham, Andy Merritt, Blair L. Strang Dec 2021

Identification And Characterization Of Bisbenzimide Compounds That Inhibit Human Cytomegalovirus Replication, Nicole Falci Finardi, Hyeongjun Kim, Lee Z. Hernandez, Matthew R. G. Russell, Catherine M-K Ho, Vattipally B. Sreenu, Hannah A. Wenham, Andy Merritt, Blair L. Strang

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications and Presentations

The shortcomings of current anti-human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) drugs has stimulated a search for anti-HCMV compounds with novel targets. We screened collections of bioactive compounds and identified a range of compounds with the potential to inhibit HCMV replication. Of these compounds, we selected bisbenzimide compound RO-90-7501 for further study. We generated analogues of RO-90-7501 and found that one compound, MRT00210423, had increased anti-HCMV activity compared to RO-90-7501. Using a combination of compound analogues, microscopy and biochemical assays we found RO-90-7501 and MRT00210423 interacted with DNA. In single molecule microscopy experiments we found RO-90-7501, but not MRT00210423, was able to compact DNA, …


Reassessing Associations Between White Matter And Behaviour With Multimodal Microstructural Imaging, Alberto Lazari, Piergiorgio Salvan, Michiel Cottaar, Daniel Papp, Olof Jens Van Der Werf, Ainslie Johnstone, Zeena-Britt Sanders, Cassandra Sampaio-Baptista, Nicole Eichert, Anderson M. Winkler Dec 2021

Reassessing Associations Between White Matter And Behaviour With Multimodal Microstructural Imaging, Alberto Lazari, Piergiorgio Salvan, Michiel Cottaar, Daniel Papp, Olof Jens Van Der Werf, Ainslie Johnstone, Zeena-Britt Sanders, Cassandra Sampaio-Baptista, Nicole Eichert, Anderson M. Winkler

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Several studies have established specific relationships between White Matter (WM) and behaviour. However, these studies have typically focussed on fractional anisotropy (FA), a neuroimaging metric that is sensitive to multiple tissue properties, making it difficult to identify what biological aspects of WM may drive such relationships. Here, we carry out a pre-registered assessment of WM-behaviour relationships in 50 healthy individuals across multiple behavioural and anatomical domains, and complementing FA with myelin-sensitive quantitative MR modalities (MT, R1, R2∗).

Surprisingly, we only find support for predicted relationships between FA and behaviour in one of three pre-registered tests. For one behavioural domain, …


Exploring Self-Perceived Employability In People With Disabilities And Other Intersecting Identities, Kerra Lajoy Daniel Dec 2021

Exploring Self-Perceived Employability In People With Disabilities And Other Intersecting Identities, Kerra Lajoy Daniel

Theses and Dissertations

People with disabilities are the largest minority group in the world representing 26% of the world’s population. More specifically, in the U.S. 61 million Americans have a diagnosed disability. However, intersectionality studies have not been inclusive of this particular population and disability studies have yet to extensively examine intersectionality in PWDs. Centering individuals with disabilities who also identify with multiple marginalized social identities , such as being a woman, a person of color or a member of the LGBT community is important since these individuals’ experiences are not uniform in nature. PWDs experience higher rates of discrimination, unemployment, and …


Comparison Of Statistical Methods For Modeling Count Data With An Application To Length Of Hospital Stay, Gustavo A. Fernandez Dec 2021

Comparison Of Statistical Methods For Modeling Count Data With An Application To Length Of Hospital Stay, Gustavo A. Fernandez

Theses and Dissertations

Hospital length of stay (LOS) is a key indicator of hospital care management efficiency, cost of care, and hospital planning. Therefore, understanding hospital LOS variability is always an important healthcare focus. Hospital LOS data are count data, with discrete and nonnegative values, typically right-skewed, and often exhibiting excessive zeros. Numerous studies have been conducted to model hospital LOS to identify significant predictors contributing to its variability. Many researchers have used linear regression with or without logarithmic transformation of the outcome variable LOS, or logistic regression on a dichotomized LOS. These regression methods usually violate models’ assumptions and are subject …


Characterization Of Biomarkers For Alzheimer’S Disease And Hiv-1 Associated Neurocognitive Disorders, Armando Garces Iii Dec 2021

Characterization Of Biomarkers For Alzheimer’S Disease And Hiv-1 Associated Neurocognitive Disorders, Armando Garces Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by progressive cognitive decline and the accumulation of amyloid beta and neurofibrillary tangles in regions of the brain. These protein deposits are known to generate multiple effects on the brain that lead to neurodegeneration. It has been established that (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) HIV-1 accelerates the aging process of people living with HIV-1. Moreover, there is significant clinical evidence indicating a potential link between the neurodegeneration developed by those with an HIV-1 infection and AD. HIV-1 viral infection causes cognitive impairment known as …


A Grounded Theory Study: Barriers And Expectations Of Elementary Educators Who Teach Students With Autism, Abbie M. Munoz Dec 2021

A Grounded Theory Study: Barriers And Expectations Of Elementary Educators Who Teach Students With Autism, Abbie M. Munoz

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study’s purpose is to garner a better understanding of the barriers and expectations of general and special education elementary teachers when teaching students with autism. Pervious research indicates that school aged children being identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder has significantly increased (Evans, 2016). According to federal law (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, 2004; No Child Left Behind, 2001) teachers are required to educate all students in their classroom including students with special needs. While several studies have been conducted on how to education and support students with autism in the classroom, few qualitative studies have been …


Factors Influencing Intent To Take A Covid-19 Test In The United States, Sheila Rutto Dec 2021

Factors Influencing Intent To Take A Covid-19 Test In The United States, Sheila Rutto

Theses and Dissertations

In 2020, COVID-19 became the first pandemic in the world’s history that brought the entire world to an abrupt and unexpected halt. Since the first reported case of the disease to date, the novel coronavirus has been able to wreak havoc in literary every corner of the globe and left an ever-growing number of unprecedented fatalities. The normal way of life has been disrupted, and the level of uncertainty about the end of this pandemic continues to manifest to many. Due to the urgency to bring this pandemic under control, medical officers have been able to recommend actions that people …


Positive Well-Being And Satisfaction With Life: Variables Affecting The Quality Of Life Of People With Bipolar Disorder, Maria Del Trevino-Zuniga Dec 2021

Positive Well-Being And Satisfaction With Life: Variables Affecting The Quality Of Life Of People With Bipolar Disorder, Maria Del Trevino-Zuniga

Theses and Dissertations

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a highly prevalent and severe mental illness of significant public health importance. Characteristics of BD include dramatic shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels affecting a person's ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. These shifts in mood and energy levels are more severe than everyone's regular ups and downs (Rihmer & Kiss, 2002). Managing BD is complex; and social and occupational life disruptions are well-documented, including higher divorce rates, unemployment, and suicide (Marrag et al., 2015). Research has consistently shown individuals with BD have a higher mortality rate compared with the general population (Walker et al., …


Identification And Characterization Of Bisbenzimide Compounds That Inhibit Human Cytomegalovirus Replication, Nicole Falci Finardi, Hyeongjun Kim, Lee Z. Hernandez, Matthew R. G. Russell, Catherine M-K Ho, Vattipally B. Sreenu, Hannah A. Wenham, Andy Merritt, Blair L. Strang Dec 2021

Identification And Characterization Of Bisbenzimide Compounds That Inhibit Human Cytomegalovirus Replication, Nicole Falci Finardi, Hyeongjun Kim, Lee Z. Hernandez, Matthew R. G. Russell, Catherine M-K Ho, Vattipally B. Sreenu, Hannah A. Wenham, Andy Merritt, Blair L. Strang

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications and Presentations

The shortcomings of current anti-human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) drugs has stimulated a search for anti-HCMV compounds with novel targets. We screened collections of bioactive compounds and identified a range of compounds with the potential to inhibit HCMV replication. Of these compounds, we selected bisbenzimide compound RO-90-7501 for further study. We generated analogues of RO-90-7501 and found that one compound, MRT00210423, had increased anti-HCMV activity compared to RO-90-7501. Using a combination of compound analogues, microscopy and biochemical assays we found RO-90-7501 and MRT00210423 interacted with DNA. In single molecule microscopy experiments we found RO-90-7501, but not MRT00210423, was able to compact DNA, …


Neuroimaging Association Scores: Reliability And Validity Of Aggregate Measures Of Brain Structural Features Linked To Mental Disorders In Youth, Luiza Kvitko Axelrud, André Rafael Simioni, Daniel Samuel Pine, Anderson M. Winkler, Pedro Mario Pan, João Ricardo Sato, André Zugman, Nadine Parker, Felipe Picon, Andrea Jackowski Dec 2021

Neuroimaging Association Scores: Reliability And Validity Of Aggregate Measures Of Brain Structural Features Linked To Mental Disorders In Youth, Luiza Kvitko Axelrud, André Rafael Simioni, Daniel Samuel Pine, Anderson M. Winkler, Pedro Mario Pan, João Ricardo Sato, André Zugman, Nadine Parker, Felipe Picon, Andrea Jackowski

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

In genetics, aggregation of many loci with small effect sizes into a single score improved prediction. Nevertheless, studies applying easily replicable weighted scores to neuroimaging data are lacking. Our aim was to assess the reliability and validity of the Neuroimaging Association Score (NAS), which combines information from structural brain features previously linked to mental disorders. Participants were 726 youth (aged 6–14) from two cities in Brazil who underwent MRI and psychopathology assessment at baseline and 387 at 3-year follow-up. Results were replicated in two samples: IMAGEN (n = 1627) and the Healthy Brain Network (n = 843). NAS …