Digital Commons Network^™

Modeling, Analysis, And Prediction Of Covid-19 Dynamics With Interacting Subpopulations And Implicit Behavior Using Physics-Informed Neural Networks, Naima Aubry-Romero, Alonso Ogueda-Oliva, Padmanabhan Seshaiyer

Spora: A Journal of Biomathematics

In this paper, we consider an extended SEIR compartmental model that incorporates young and old interacting subpopulations, allowing for cross-group transmission dynamics. Implicit behavioral changes are included to determine the influence of social behavior on coronavirus transmission dynamics. The basic reproduction number, the average number of secondary cases of infection produced by a single primary case, is derived for both the explicit and implicit model using the next-generation matrix method. We solve the associated differential equation systems and estimate useful parameters in the explicit model using physics-informed neural networks (PINNs). Our results point to how the PINNs approach offers an …

Positively Impacting Traffic Safety Culture For Indigenous Youth: A Heritage-Focused Approach, Jacob Steven Pehrson, Ahmed Abdel-Rahim, Logan Prescott

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This paper presents the development of heritage-focused outreach materials with the objectives of positively impacting traffic safety culture for Indigenous youth to reduce the number and severity of traffic crashes impacting these communities. The approach presented in this paper includes involving local community leaders in traffic safety education and incorporating culturally based material in outreach education. This could empower Tribal communities to preserve their cultural identities while acquiring the expertise needed to promote traffic safety.

The Implications Of Alpha-Gal Syndrome For Dental And Medical Treatment, Adam Degenova Mba, Kristi Soileau

New Orleans Dental Association News

Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction to a mammalian sugar molecule introduced through tick bites. With rising U.S. diagnoses, dentists must recognize AGS symptoms and understand its implications. Many dental medications and materials contain mammalian-derived ingredients, requiring providers to adapt treatment plans and remain vigilant for delayed allergic responses in undiagnosed patients.

Noda News Summer 2025

New Orleans Dental Association News

New Orleans Dental Association (NODA) News includes regular columns with regional news impacting the New Orleans membership including: columns from the President and Executive Director, feature articles relating to the field of dentistry, association events and upcoming activities, component news, continuing education opportunities, and classifieds.

From Aortic Stenosis To Cardiomyopathy: The Hidden Impact Of Undiagnosed Acommissural Unicuspid Aortic Valve, Muhammad Sabri, Hamza Muhammadzai, Angad Bedi, Eddy Mizrahi, Matthew Collins

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Unicuspid aortic valve (UAV) is a rare congenital anomaly, diagnosed in individuals aged 30 to 50. It is associated with aortic stenosis or aortic regurgitation, potentially leading to heart failure. We report a case of a 28-year-old male with an acommissural UAV, aortopathy, critical aortic stenosis, and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, presenting with shortness of breath. This case is notable for late presentation of an acommissural UAV, which typically manifests in childhood.

Impact Of Fructose-Enhanced Solid And Soft Drink Diets On Metabolism, Physiology, And Gut Microbiome In Pregnant Rats, Xiaoyuan Han, Linda D. Shortliffe, Neeraja Kambham

Pacific Faculty Work

Introduction: High fructose consumption is linked to hypertension and metabolic disorders. We hypothesize fructose (solid and/or liquid) may further influence dietary patterns. To investigate potential effects, we compared eating behaviors, physiological and metabolic measures, and gut microbiome in pregnant rats fed solid or liquid fructose-enhanced (soft drink) diets to those fed standard chow. Methods: Pregnant rats were assigned to three dietary groups: (1) standard chow and water (CW), (2) standard chow and decarbonated soft drink (CS, decarbonated Sprite with 5.89% fructose w/v), and (3) 60% fructose chow and water (FW). Body weight, blood pressure, food and liquid intake, fasting blood …

Differential Efficacy Of Bevacizumab And Erlotinib In Preclinical Models Of Renal Medullary Carcinoma And Fumarate Hydratase-Deficient Renal Cell Carcinoma, Niki M Zacharias, Manuel Ozambela, Menuka Karki, Rong He, Pankaj K Chauhan, Pedro I Pesquera, Andres E Hernandez Gonzalez, Oscar Ochoa, Alberto Pieretti, Huiqin Chen, Carolyn De La Cerda, Zhiyuan Yu, Abha Grover, Samantha Hicks-Peña, Natalie W Fowlkes, Lei Wang, Tapati Maity, Priya Rao, Giannicola Genovese, Nizar M Tannir, Jose A Karam, Pavlos Msaouel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) and fumarate hydratase (FH)-deficient renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are rare and highly aggressive cancers. Although the combination of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibition by bevacizumab and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibition by erlotinib is clinically used for both diseases, the differential effect of each component has not been investigated. Transcriptomic profiling revealed that RMC and FH-deficient tumor tissues demonstrate increased EGFR but not VEGF expression compared with adjacent normal kidney. Subsequent in vitro studies revealed that RMC and FH-deficient cell lines are sensitive to erlotinib treatment, whereas clear cell RCC cell lines are resistant. …

Irradiation Of Prostate Cancer Alters Circulating Small Extracellular Vesicle Functions, Aejaz Sayeed, Vaughn Garcia, Cecilia E. Verrillo, Rachel M. Derita, Md Niamat Hossain, Shiv R. Krishn, Samuel Sey, Christopher D. Shields, Adrian D. Altieri, Qin Liu, Khalid Sossey-Alaoui, William K. Kelly, Lucia R. Languino

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

It is known that β1 integrins and a downstream signaling molecule c-Src are upregulated in prostate cancer (PrCa) tissues, are co-expressed in circulating small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) and contribute to cancer progression. Here, we demonstrate that sEVs from PrCa patients show robust expression of both β1 integrins and c-Src. The impact of irradiation, a widely used therapy for the treatment of PrCa, on circulating sEVs is however not fully understood. We show that sEVs isolated from the plasma of transgenic adenocarcinoma of mouse prostate (TRAMP) mice, stimulate migration and anchorage-independent growth of recipient cancer cells, but sEVs are not active …

Evaluating Nutrition, Exercise, And Education, On Mental Health And Quality Of Life In Menopause, Jill R. Stone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Physical inactivity, poor nutrition, and a lack of understanding of menopause adversely affect mental health and quality of life in women entering menopause. Metabolic changes during this period can lead to an increase in visceral fat, loss of muscle mass, depression, and anxiety. These metabolic changes are linked to a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. This cross-sectional quantitative study, guided by the health belief model, explored the contribution of adopting specific nutrition strategies, exercise, and education in women during menopause transition to help manage mental health (as measured by depression and tension), and quality …

A Hedgehog-Foxf Axis Coordinates Dental Follicle-Derived Alveolar Bone Formation, Mizuki Nagata, Gaurav T Gadhvi, Taishi Komori, Yuki Arai, Chiaki Tsutsumi-Arai, Angel Ka Yan Chu, Seth N Nye, Yuntao Yang, Shion Orikasa, Akira Takahashi, Peter Carlsson, W Jim Zheng, Joshua D Welch, Noriaki Ono, Wanida Ono

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The alveolar bone is a specialized mineralized structure supporting the lifelong functionality of the tooth in mastication. The alveolar bone develops from the dental follicle (DF) during tooth root formation due to deliberate epithelial-mesenchymal interactions. However, how DF progenitor cell fates are regulated toward alveolar bone osteoblasts remains unknown. We find that Hedgehog signaling activities are transiently activated during the onset of tooth root formation and alveolar bone formation. Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP)-expressing DF cells are highly responsive to Hedgehog signaling, yet constitutive Hedgehog activation using Pthrp-creER and Ptch1-floxed alleles potently suppresses alveolar osteoblast and ligament differentiation of PTHrP+ DF …

Medical Biotechnology Symposium Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman 5th And 6th February 2024 Gene Hunting In Breast Tumours And Cells To Reveal Chemotherapy Resistance As Predictive Markers Of Response, Sultan Qaboos University

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Immature Acta2r179c/+ Smooth Muscle Cells Cause Moyamoya-Like Cerebrovascular Lesions In Mice Prevented By Boosting Oxphos, Anita Kaw, Suravi Majumder, Jose E Esparza Pinelo, Ting Wu, Zbigniew Starosolski, Zhen Zhou, Albert J Pedroza, Xueyan Duan, Kaveeta Kaw, Angie D Gonzalez, Ripon Sarkar, Michael P Fischbein, Philip L Lorenzi, Lin Tan, Sara A Martinez, Iqbal Mahmud, Laxman Devkota, L Maximilian Buja, Heinrich Taegtmeyer, Ketan B Ghaghada, Sean P Marrelli, Callie S Kwartler, Dianna M Milewicz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

ACTA2 pathogenic variants altering arginine 179 cause childhood-onset strokes due to moyamoya disease (MMD)-like occlusions of the distal internal carotid arteries, but the mechanisms of pathogenesis are unknown and no preventive treatments exist. Here we show that Acta2R179C/+ smooth muscle cells (SMCs) fail to fully differentiate and maintain stem cell-like features, including increased migration and glycolytic flux compared to wildtype (WT) SMCs. Increasing mitochondrial respiration with nicotinamide riboside (NR) drives differentiation and decreases migration of Acta2R179C/+ SMCs. Carotid artery injury of Acta2SMC-R179C/+ mice leads to premature death, intraluminal SMC accumulation leading to MMD-like occlusive lesions, neurologic symptoms, …

Predictive Indicators For Graduation Upon Acceptance Into A Naacls-Approved Medical Laboratory Science Program, Warren Hovis

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the influence of selected academic and personal demographic characteristics on student success at a NAACLS-accredited medical laboratory science program in the southern portion of the United States.

Both academic and demographic categories were selected on students who entered the medical laboratory science program from 2014 to 2019 (pre-COVID). The sanitized, archived data set was provided by the MLS department and the registrar and student affairs office at the participating school. The extant data set contained academic and demographic variables, collected over a five-year period, of initially over 170 accepted MLS students. …

Protective Role Of Dietary Short-Chain Fatty Acid Propionate Against Autoimmune Responses And Pathology Of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus In Mrl-Lpr Mice, Hui Wang, Yuejin Liang, Paul J Boor, Kamil Khanipov, Yuanyi Zhang, Xiaoying Yu, Chandra Shekar R Ambati, Nagireddy Putluri, M Firoze Khan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects multiple organs, including the skin and kidneys. The etiology of SLE remains unclear but involves hormonal, environmental, and genetic factors. Environmental factors, such as diet and microbiota-derived metabolites, among which short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are major players, can influence autoimmune disease pathogenesis.

Objectives: This study investigates the involvement of SCFAs in the pathogenesis of SLE and further investigates the effect of propionate (PA) supplementation on SLE disease outcome in MRL-lpr mice.

Methods: Cecal SCFAs from mouse models with varying degrees of SLE disease activities (C57BL/6, MRL+/+, and MRL-lpr) …

Oxytocin Reduces Asymmetries In Dominance Relationships Between Pairs Of Captive Female Lions, Jessica C Burkhart, Abby Guthmann, Evianne M Dubois, Sarah R Heilbronner, Craig Packer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Free-ranging female African lions maintain symmetrical social relationships by respecting each other's "ownership" of valuable food items rather than by supplanting subordinates according to well-defined dominance hierarchies. However, captivity often skews relationships in captive carnivores, hence we investigated whether captive female lions demonstrate obvious dominance relationships. Oxytocin has been shown to elicit context-specific impacts that equalize dominant subordinate relationships, thus we hypothesized that oxytocin would reduce any asymmetries found between dominants and subordinates in captive lions. We designed two experimental protocols for investigating pairwise relationships. We first identified dominant individuals by performing neutral trials that allowed each female equal opportunity …

Current Landscape Of Preclinical Models For Pediatric Gliomas: Clinical Implications And Future Directions., Syed M. Faisal, Monika Yadav, Garrett R. Gibson, Adora T. Klinestiver, Ryan M. Sorenson, Evan Cantor, Maria Ghishan, John R. Prensner, Andrea T. Franson, Kevin Ginn, Carl Koschmann, Viveka Nand Yadav

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Pediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGGs), particularly diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs), are among the most lethal brain tumors due to poor survival and resistance to therapies. DMGs possess a distinct genetic profile, primarily driven by hallmark mutations such as H3K27M, ACVR1, and PDGFRA mutations/amplifications and TP53 inactivation, all of which contribute to tumor biology and therapeutic resistance. Developing physiologically relevant preclinical models that replicate both tumor biology and the tumor microenvironment (TME) is critical for advancing effective treatments. This review highlights recent progress in in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models, including patient-derived brain organoids, genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs), and …

Commentary On Blaser's "Antibiotic Use And Its Consequences For The Normal Microbiome", Fred C. Tenover

AMR Commentary

If you have not read this eye-opening commentary by Dr. Martin Blaser about the negative impact of the widespread use of antibiotics in children, you should. The goal of giving antibiotics to children usually is to treat an infection — an earache, a respiratory tract infection, or perhaps a potentially deadly bloodstream infection. Those antibiotics, however, will often kill more than just the bacteria that are causing the infection. Humans have large quantities of “good bacteria” in our intestinal tracts, on our skin, and elsewhere on our body that play an important role in keeping us healthy.

Pilot Survey Of Attitudes Toward Xenotransplantation Among Nursing Students In London, Uk., Daniel Rodger, Luz A. Padilla, Daniel J. Hurst, David K C Cooper, Gilberto Buzzi, Antonio Ríos

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Solid organ xenotransplantation has been approved for clinical trials in the United States. Because of the role of nurses in patient decision-making, it is important to understand the attitudes of the future nursing workforce toward xenotransplantation. This pilot study aimed to investigate the attitudes of adult nursing students toward xenotransplantation.

METHODS: A cross-sectional survey design was used. The online pilot survey was completed by 33 undergraduate adult nursing students at one university in London, England. A minority of the hospitals that students may have had a clinical placement in had a transplant unit. The protocol for this study was …

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Small Colony Variants And Their Effects On The Inflammatory Response In The Cystic Fibrosis Bronchial Epithelium, Daphne Nallamala, Emma L. Matthews, Viviana Acevedo Rua, Federico I. Prokopczuk, Jarrod W. Barnes, Eriel Martinez, Stephanie Krick

Expo Student Presentations

2025 Summer Expo Poster Presentation

• Health Sciences & Health Professions

Evanescent - Issue 6

Evanescent

Evanescent: A Journal of Literary Medicine is the journal of the Eakins Writing Project, which also sponsors the Drs. Theresa and Charles Yeo Writing Prize. The Eakins Writing Project is supported by the Jefferson Center for Injury Research and Prevention, located in the Department of Surgery of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia.

Contents:

10 - From the Editors

11 - Basketball: Youth to Older by Dr. Charles Yeo

13 - A Follow-up from the Editors

14 - Prism by Yazan Bader (Third Place Winner)

17 - Reflections on Shards of Glass by Ana Maria Lopez

19 - The Dragonfly’s Journey by …

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 37. What About Wallace On Vaccination . . . ?, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Best known for his natural history studies on evolution and biogeography, Alfred Russel Wallace (1823−1913) had a significant second career as a social critic. One of his most controversial stances was his position on (smallpox) vaccination. Anti-vaxxers of the present frequently bring up his name as a resource for their side, but the situation is not so easily reducible to that.

Bibliometric Analysis Of Congenital Toxoplasmosis: A Ten-Year (2013-2023) Review Of Research Publications, Festus Mulakoli, Horatius Musembi, Ann Kimani

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Background:Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular protozoan, infects more than one-third of the global population and causes toxoplasmosis, which can lead to severe fetal complications in pregnant women. The global prevalence of latent toxoplasmosis in pregnant women is 33.8%, with regional variations and risk factors, including the consumption of undercooked meat, exposure to cat feces, and consumption of contaminated water. Pregnant women lack sufficient awareness of these risk factors, necessitating enhanced education, regular screening, and counseling during antenatal care for early detection and management.

Aim: This study performed a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of research on congenital toxoplasmosis published between 2013 …

Full Issue, Volume 13, Number 1, Donna J. Peterson, Scott Cummings, Elizabeth Gregory North

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

No abstract provided.

Oxytocin's Role In Feelings Of Social Connection And Loneliness, Cecile Sunahara

Psychology Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the role of oxytocin (OT) in feelings of social connectedness. Healthy male and female participants (N=138) were exposed to a task designed to elicit feelings of social connectedness to close others (i.e., the Social Connection Task); participants’ salivary OT levels were measured in response to this task. Using ecological momentary assessment (EMA), data were collected on participants’ feelings of social connectedness in daily life. Results from the current study showed that, among male participants, OT levels decreased in response to the Social Connection Task, while no change in OT was observed among female participants. OT reactivity to …

The New Professional: Reimagining Rapport: Innovative Ways Dental Teams Connect With Patients, Amrita Patel Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article explores innovative communication strategies for dental practices to enhance patient interaction. It highlights the importance of digital onboarding for streamlined intake, two-way text messaging for efficient appointments, and personalized video messages to foster connection. Practices are adopting multilingual communication and AI tools like chatbots for 24/7 inquiry handling, integrating them with patient records for tailored responses. Interactive platforms with 3D visuals and video tutorials are used for patient education, empowering them in oral health decisions. The article also emphasizes leveraging social media for engagement, capturing real-time patient feedback, and maintaining empathy-driven human interaction despite technological advancements

The Loss Of Opa1 Accelerates Intervertebral Disc Degeneration And Osteoarthritis In Aged Mice, Vedavathi Madhu, Miriam Hernandaz-Meadows, Ashley Coleman, Kimheak Sao, Kameron Inguito, Owen Haslam, Paige Boneski, Hiromi Sesaki, Ruteja Barve, John Collins, Makarand Risbud

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Recent studies have highlighted the importance of mitochondria in NP cells and articular chondrocyte health. Since the understanding of mechanisms governing mitochondrial dynamics in these tissues is lacking, we investigated the role of OPA1, a mitochondrial fusion protein, in their homeostasis. OPA1 knockdown in NP cells altered mitochondrial size and cristae shape and increased the oxygen consumption rate. OPA1 governed the morphology of multiple organelles, including peroxisomes, early endosomes and cis-Golgi and loss resulted in the dysregulation of autophagy. Metabolic profiling and

The Effect Of Individual Variation On Epidemiological Dynamics: From Super-Spreaders To Landscapes Of Risk, Alexis Shannon Beagle

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Individuals that make up a population always display some level of variation between members. At the smallest scale, individuals always maintain genetic variation, but variation continues to arise at other scales of biological organization from physiological or immunological variation within individuals to variation in behavior between individuals that can be both genetically and environmentally mediated. The role of individual variation is particularly important in the context of infectious diseases because there is strong evidence that infections are highly heterogenous, indicating that patterns of individual variation drive a significant portion of the epidemiological patterns we observe. Individual variation leads to heterogeneity …

Sex Differences In Motor Unit Behavior In Patients With Parkinson's Disease, Yuichi Nishikawa, Kohei Watanabe, Aleš Holobar, Tetsuya Takahashi, Noriaki Maeda, Hirofumi Maruyama, Allison Hyngstrom

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

The aim of this study was to determine whether there are sex differences in motor unit firing behavior in patients with Parkinson's disease. Twenty-seven patients with Parkinson's disease (females = 14 [age = 71.1 ± 6.8], males = 13 [age = 69.2 ± 10.3], Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III score; females = 10.8 ± 4.8, males = 11.4 ± 1.4) performed a contraction at 30% of the maximal voluntary contraction. For each participant, motor unit spike trains were decomposed from high-density surface electromyography data recorded from bilateral vastus lateralis muscles via blind source separation algorithms. In addition to …

The Effects Of Midwifery Students’ Simulation Training In Perineal Repair: A Quasi-Experimental Study, Zahra Sadat Pajohideh, Solmaz Mohammadi, Fatemeh Keshmiri, Azam Honarmandpour, Azam Jahangirimehr

Journal of Asian Midwives (JAM)

Background: The decrease in normal deliveries and episiotomies in midwifery practice has reduced the experience of midwifery students in perineum repair. This study examined the effect of perineal repair simulation training on the clinical skills of midwifery students by designing, implementing and evaluating simulation models in procedural education.
Methods and materials: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 60 midwifery students in intervention and control groups at Shoushtar, Iran, from September 2018 to August 2021. The intervention group received simulation training before entering the formal clinical education courses, while the control group took part in workplace-based training. The clinical repair skills …

The Answer To Perimenstrual Distress Is Not Automatically Prescription: Review Of Allopathic And Integrative Approaches To Mental Health Care For Pms & Pmdd Symptoms, Grace Oja

University Honors Theses

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) affect a notable percentage of people who menstruate. PMS/PMDD have a wide range of symptoms that negatively impact mental well-being and quality of life. This review is the culmination of a database search to review current allopathic treatments for PMS/PMDD, which often include oral contraceptives and antidepressants, and explore evidence-based methods for integrative and alternative treatments to address some of the limitations of standard allopathic care, including limitations on which symptoms they address and side effects. This paper aims to examine how integrative medicine may expand existing treatments for PMS and PMDD …