Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of 16 Weeks Of Protein And Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation On Appetite Regulation In Postmenopausal Women., Annjeanette Coambes

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

With life expectancy continuing to increase and menopause typically occurring at age 51, women now spend a significant portion of their lifespan in the postmenopausal stage, facing increased health risks such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and cancer. Estradiol, which postmenopausal women show deficiency in, has been shown to be associated with appetite- related peptide hormones cholecystokinin (CCK), leptin, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), and peptide tyrosine-tyrosine (PYY). This study aimed to investigate the effects of protein and omega- 3 fatty acid (O3FA) supplementation on appetite hormones, energy intake (kcal/day), and BMI (kg/m!) in postmenopausal women over a 16-week supplementation …

Cost Saving And Resource Limited Public Health Interventions In Southeast Asia, Amanda Blackwelder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Public health interventions are any activity with the objective of improving human health such as preventing or curing disease, reducing the severity or duration of a disease, or assisting in regaining function after a disease or injury. These interventions are known to be impactful; however, those living with the highest burden of disease such as individuals in low- and middle-income countries have limited money and resources to successfully implement these interventions. Southeast Asian countries are among some of the middle-income countries effected by the lack of affordable interventions. The aims of this study were to assess cost saving and …

Automated, High-Throughput Platform To Generate A High-Reliability, Comprehensive Rectal Cancer Database, Neal Bhutiani, Mahmoud M G Yousef, Abdelrahman Yousef, Mohammad Zeineddine, Mark Knafl, Olivia Ratliff, Uditha P Fernando, Anastasia Turin, Fadl A Zeineddine, Jeff Jin, Kristin Alfaro-Munoz, Drew Goldstein, George J Chang, Scott Kopetz, John Paul Shen, Abhineet Uppal

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Dynamic operations platforms allow for cross-platform data extraction, integration, and analysis, although application of these platforms to large-scale oncology enterprises has not been described. This study presents a pipeline for automated, high-fidelity extraction, integration, and validation of cross-platform oncology data in patients undergoing treatment for rectal cancer at a single, high-volume institution.

Methods: A dynamic operations platform was used to identify patients with rectal cancer treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center between 2016 and 2022 who had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) imaging and preoperative treatment details available in the electronic health record (EHR). Demographic, clinicopathologic, tumor mutation, radiographic, and …

Vascular Complications And Outcomes Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement In Patients On Chronic Steroid Therapy: A Meta-Analysis, Song Peng Ang, Jia Ee Chia, Vikash Jaiswal, Muhammad Hanif, Ananya Vadhera, Sudarshan Gautam, Anuradha Raut, Saira Rafaqat, Vamsikalayan Borra, Harshwardhan Khandait

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Chronic steroid (CS) therapy was reportedly linked to increased vascular complications following percutaneous coronary intervention. However, its association with vascular complications after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) remained uncertain, with conflicting results being reported.

Objective: The authors aimed to compare the rate of vascular complications and outcomes between patients with and without CS use after TAVR.

Methods: The authors conducted a comprehensive literature search in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases from their inception until 18th April 2022 for relevant studies. Endpoints were described according to Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 definitions. Effect sizes were pooled using DerSimonian and Laird random-effects …

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 …

Intersectional Model Of Service Use: Understanding Transgender And Nonbinary Healthcare Access, Jarrod Call, Brendon Holloway

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Transgender and nonbinary (TNB) people often have difficulty accessing healthcare services because of the systemic forces of transphobia and cisgenderism. Despite this, there is little theory specifically designed to examine healthcare access among TNB people. We conducted a literature review to identify studies examining TNB healthcare access. We screened a total of 2,050 unique articles for inclusion, resulting in a final sample of 46 articles that met the review criteria. Theories used and key findings were coded to inform the development of the Intersectional Model of Service Use (IMSU) for TNB people. The IMSU builds upon current theoretical frameworks including …

Knowing The Patient As A Person: Social Media Listening And Gadamerian Analysis Of Nurses’ Expressions Shared During The Covid-19 Global Health Pandemic, Janusz A. Kaleta

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: COVID-19 has dramatically changed human-to-human interactions from in-person to the nonhuman domain of virtual space. In January 2021, every 28 seconds one person died of COVID-19 in the United States. An average of 3,100 Americans died each day during the deadliest month of the pandemic. As of January 2023, the number of COVID-19 deaths in the USA surpassed 1.000.000 people. In hospitals, human-to-human interactions were often limited to seeing one’s eyes behind the face shields, and respirator masks, and hearing a muffled voice, or sounds of the ventilators. In New York State 452 nurses died during the pandemic.

Research …

Navigating Religious Attitudes Towards Assisted Reproductive Technology, Gretchen Ruschman

Gaines Fellow Senior Theses

As global infertility rates increase, the growing utilization of assisted reproductive technology (ART), specifically in vitro fertilization (IVF), has introduced a range of ethical concerns. Religious beliefs play a crucial role in shaping societal norms and guiding individual ethical deliberation, which is also true in navigating the ethical framework surrounding ART. Therefore, it is important to acknowledge the role of religion in shaping perspectives on ART and explore the role of religion in ethical decision-making on an individual and a community scale. This study explored different religious perspectives on ethical issues surrounding the current state and potential future advancements of …

Changing Fire Regimes And Nuanced Impacts On A Critically Imperiled Species, Jeremy T. Rockweit, Katie M. Dugger, Damon B. Lesmeister, Raymond J. Davis, Alan B. Franklin, J. Mark Higley

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildfire activity throughout western North America is increasing which can have important consequences for species persistence. Native species have evolved disturbance-adapted traits that confer resilience to natural disturbance provided disturbances operate within their historical range of variability. This resilience can erode as disturbance regimes change and begin operating outside this range. We assessed wildfire impacts during 1987–2018 on the northern spotted owl, an imperiled species with complex relationships with late and early seral forest in the Pacific Northwest, USA. We analyzed population- and individual-level wildfire impacts across the frequent-fire portion of the owl’s geographic range at two spatial scales and …

Variables Impacting First Time Pass Rates Of Msot Students, Amy L. Brzuz, Julia M. Hawkins-Pokabla, David Prier

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

To enter practice as an occupational therapist, one must complete an occupational therapy program at an accredited institution and then pass a national certification exam. This exam is called the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) Exam. Individuals can take the exam more than once to achieve a passing score but must pay a fee each time. Not passing the first time can lead to stress, increased costs, and delayed entrance into the profession. Thus, being a first-time passer is ideal. The purpose of this retrospective quantitative study was to identify variables impacting first time pass rates of …

Moving From Conventional To Adaptive Risk Stratification For Oropharyngeal Cancer, Vlad C Sandulache, R Parker Kirby, Stephen Y Lai

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) poses a complex therapeutic dilemma for patients and oncologists alike, made worse by the epidemic increase in new cases associated with the oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV). In a counterintuitive manner, the very thing which gives patients hope, the high response rate of HPV-associated OPC to conventional chemo-radiation strategies, has become one of the biggest challenges for the field as a whole. It has now become clear that for ~30-40% of patients, treatment intensity could be reduced without losing therapeutic efficacy, yet substantially diminishing the acute and lifelong morbidity resulting from conventional chemotherapy and radiation. At the same …

Attitudes Toward The Amish Held By Nursing And Social Work Students At A Midwestern University, Lora Wyss, Rosanna Hess

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

As Amish populations increase and move across North America, the likelihood grows that healthcare professionals will come into contact with them. No studies have been conducted to examine contact frequency with or attitudes of healthcare providers toward the Amish. The aims of this study were to examine attitudes toward the Amish among nursing and social work students attending a Christian liberal arts university in a Midwestern state, and, to determine the relationship between students’ cultural awareness, their knowledge of the Amish, their contact with the Amish, and their attitudes toward the Amish. The participants were anonymously surveyed using the Revised …

Role Of Soluble Urokinase Type Plasminogen Activator Receptor (Supar) In Predicting Mortality, Readmission, Length Of Stay And Discharge In Emergency Patients: A Systematic Review And Meta Analysis, Syeda Tayyaba Rehan, Hassan Ul Hussain, Eman Ali, Kanwal Ashok Kumar, Shehroze Tabassum, Muhammad Hasanain, Asim Shaikh, Gibran Ali, Zohaib Yousaf, Muhammad Sohaib Asghar

Section of Internal Medicine

Background: Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is an inflammatory biomarker that is used to predict mortality, readmission, early discharge, and LOS, thus, serves as a useful tool for ED physicians. Our study aims to analyze the efficacy of suPAR in predicting these prognostic markers in ED.
Methods: We performed a comprehensive search on 6 databases from the inception to 30th November 2022, to select the following eligibility criteria; a) observation or triage trial studies investigating the role of suPAR levels in predicting: 30 day and 90-day mortality, 30-day readmission, early discharge (within 24hr), and LOS in patients coming to …

Malignant Colorectal Cancer In The Rio Grande Valley: A Demographical Study, Kevin M. Camstra, Vijian Dhevan

Research Symposium

Background: There is abundant demographical data available that provides an excellent general statistical overview of colorectal cancer (CRC) within the Hispanic population in South Texas. Much is known about the overarching trends regarding incidence, prevalence, mortality and screening rates among this specific population as compared to other racial and ethnic groups at the state and national levels. Despite our understanding of these broad trends, few studies have taken a step inward to provide a closer demographical analysis of a CRC population here in the Rio Grande Valley. In this study, we narrow the scope and take a closer look …

Tobacco, Alcohol And Diet As Mortality Risk Factors: The Secondary Analysis Of The 25-Year Cohort Study, Alina Egorova, Bulat Idrisov, Romany Redman, Stanislav Otstavnov, Sergey Soshnikov

Journal of Health Research

Background: Individual lifestyle risk factors have been linked to increased mortality globally; however, there is limited data on these associations in Russia. A secondary analysis of the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS) data was conducted to close this gap.

Methods: The secondary data have been obtained from a nationally-representative annual cohort survey conducted by the Higher School of Economics (HSE). In this original study, for the first time in Russia, we extracted RRs for researched risk factors. Of additional original value, we made a prospective-retrospective cohort based on a representative longitudinal survey and provided the deaths as outcomes for survival …

Major Factors Influencing The Utilization Of Maternal Health Services In Nepal, Kaitlyn Alessi, Michael Ierardi, Nadia Anderson, Sujan Babu Marahatta, Cyril Blavo

HPD Articles

According to the World Health Organization, maternal health services (MHS) include antenatal care, perinatal care, and postnatal care. MHS have been underutilized in Nepal and are contributing to an increased morbidity and mortality in the region leading to various adverse outcomes for both mothers and their newborns. Many of these adverse outcomes can be avoided with increased use of antenatal, perinatal, and postnatal checkups.

Atrial Fibrillation Management In Hispanic Adults, Tania Borja

Dissertations

Background: Research has found atrial fibrillation (AF) to be the primary or a contributing cause of death on 183,321 death certificates, and an underlying cause of death for 26,535 Americans in 2019. Findings indicate an increased AF diagnosis in White people compared to racial and ethnic minorities, contrasting widespread findings of increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease and ischemic strokes in minorities. Significant disparities—by race and socioeconomic status in disease distribution and access to testing and lifesaving treatments—have been documented, specifically associated with social determinants of health (SDOH); i.e., the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age. …

A Preliminary Examination Of Sexual And Physical Victimization 6 Months After Recent Rape, Kate Walsh, Amanda K Gilmore, Anna E Jaffe, Patricia Frazier, Linda Ledray, Ron Acierno, Kenneth J Ruggiero, Dean G Kilpatrick, Heidi S Resnick

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

One in four US women will experience a completed or attempted rape in their lifetime, and more than 50% of survivors will experience two or more rapes. Rape and physical violence also co-occur. Multiple experiences of sexual and physical violence are associated with elevated mental and physical health problems. This secondary analysis examined the prevalence and correlates of experiencing sexual or physical violence within 6 months of a sexual assault medical forensic exam (SAMFE). Between May 2009 and December 2013, 233 female rape survivors aged 15 and older were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial during a SAMFE in the …

Cerebral Vasomotor Reactivity To Assess Brain Dysregulation In Post Covid Neurological Syndrome, Musharaf Mohiuddin

Health and Kinesiology Theses

Background: COVID-19 has wide-ranging physiological effects, with many patients complaining of persistent asthenia following recovery from the acute phase of the infection. The frequent term for this is Long Haul COVID (LHC). While we have tools to measure effects on general physiology in human subjects, a metric for cerebral dysregulation is lacking. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) is closely regulated in the healthy young person. Dysregulation has been well described in many conditions, including Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES), and is associated with neurological deficits. Cerebral Vasomotor Reactivity was used as a tool to assess this dysregulation.

Methods: Transcranial Doppler (TCD) …

Pilot Study Using Sideline Hand-Grip Dynamometry To Assess Strength Changes In A High School Baseball Season: A Feasibility Study, Thomas Munro, Jason D. Yoderq, Brian R. Lee, Brian S. Harvey

Research Days

Background: Upper extremity injuries are common in baseball players. Objective measurements could assist in determining early signs of fatigue before injury occurs. Using HGD to measure strength changes may help identify early signs in the injury process. To our knowledge, HGD has not been tested on high school baseball players in the sideline setting. It is feasible to perform hand-grip dynamometry on-site at the high school level and HGD measurements will change throughout the season in varsity baseball athletes. Secondary aim: Asses HGD measurement in the context of injury/pain/fatigue/pitching.

Objectives/Goal: It is feasible to perform hand-grip dynamometry on-site at the …

Active Toxoplasmosis Infection: Efficacy And Safety Of Treatment Options, Daniele Krouse

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

This literature review intends to investigate the safety and efficacy of two different drug treatment regimens, pyrimethamine versus trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, for active toxoplasmosis infections. Affecting nearly 11% of the United States population and up to 80% of the populations of tropical countries, Toxoplasmosis infection is the second leading cause of death from food borne illness. Current classic management of active infection with pyrimethamine is correlated with numerous undesirable side effects, high cost and need for complex use of adjunctive medications. It is necessary to identify alternative treatment options with fewer side effects, less complex regimens, lower cost, and easier access for …

Symptoms Of Depression And Anxiety And Subsequent Use Of Nicotine And Thc In Electronic Cigarettes, Stephanie Clendennen, Jacob Smith, Aslesha Sumbe, Baojiang Chen, Anna Wilkinson

School of Medicine Publications

Background: This study examines whether symptoms of depression, anxiety, or comorbid depression and anxiety are associated with future use of nicotine or THC in e-cigarettes.

Methods: Data were from an online survey of youth and young adults in urban areas of Texas with complete data (n = 2,307) in spring 2019 (baseline) and spring 2020 (12-month follow-up). Multivariable logistic regression models examined associations between self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, or comorbid depression and anxiety at baseline and past 30-day e-cigarette use with nicotine or THC at 12-month follow-up. Analyses adjusted for baseline demographics and baseline past 30-day e-cigarette, combustible tobacco, …

The Effects Of Balance Exercises On Lower Extremity Injury Prevention: A Systematic Review, Madason Gene Leif Spt, Bailey James Neises Spt, Zach Thomas Sebern Spt, Ryan John Hanks Spt

Physical Therapy Student Research Projects

Background: Previous systematic reviews have identified injury risk predictors of sport-related lower extremity (LE) injuries based on exercise programs. There are limited studies indicating the advantage of single-leg balance (SLB) training and its effectiveness in lowering injury rates. Research Question: Investigate which types of balance training were used in effective injury prevention programs. Methods: A systematic review utilizing the SPORTDiscus and PubMed databases. Inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials from the last 10 years that included LE injury prevention, a balance training component and participants aged 10-30. Results: 5 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis, comprising 2,926 athletes. Three …

The Relationship Between Increased Wages And Nurse Satisfaction And Intent To Stay, Jean Andres

College of Health Sciences Posters

The recent COVID-19 pandemic contributed to a negative climate in healthcare and increased the workforce demands of nurses leading to decreased satisfaction and an unprecedented staffing crisis. Further compounding the problem, staffing agencies have offered fiscally lucrative contracts that enticed experienced nurses to leave permanent staff positions for external contract agency nursing.

Research Questions for this study are as follows:

• RQ1: What is the relationship between increased wages and nurse satisfaction?
• RQ2: What is the relationship between increased wages and intent to stay?
• RQ3: What is the relationship between demographic variables and nurse satisfaction?
• RQ4: What is the relationship demographic …

The Use Of Non-Icu Confusion Assessment Method (Cam) For Delirium Management, Stephanie Barendt, John Sharon Hudson

College of Health Sciences Posters

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect the use of the non-intensive care unit confusion assessment method (non-ICU CAM) as an early screening tool for delirium would have on the nursing practice of medical surgical nurses. This quasi-experimental study focused on early screening and prevention training of inpatient nurses caring for adult inpatients to proactively reduce episodes of delirium. The training included an educational video on how to perform the non-ICU CAM assessment, 4 scenarios to test knowledge on scoring patient, and techniques for reducing delirium if patient is positive. After one month of multimodal training for …

Associations Between Involvement In Shared Activities With Plwd, Relationship Closeness, And Loneliness Of Friends And Family, Marielle W. Quinn

Public Health Theses

Objectives. To examine the association between self-reported relationship closeness, loneliness, and engagement in shared activities with a person living with dementia (PLWD) in a community sample of family members and friends of PLWD. Methods. Using data from a Qualtrics-administered online survey, we examined involvement in shared activities of 51 respondents who have or had a family, friend, or intimate relationship with a PLWD. Outcome variables included relationship closeness, measured with the Inclusion of Other (IOS) scale, and loneliness, measured using a revised three-item questionnaire from the UCLA loneliness scale. Results. The main findings of the study were as follows: 1. …

Neurocognitive Correlates Of Cerebellar Volumetric Alterations In Youth With Pediatric Bipolar Spectrum Disorders And Bipolar Offspring, Kirti Saxena, Alessio Simonetti, Christopher D Verrico, Delfina Janiri, Marco Di Nicola, Antonello Catinari, Sherin Kurian, Johanna Saxena, Benson Mwangi, Jair C Soares

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence points towards the involvement of the cerebellum in the processing of emotions and pathophysiology of mood disorders. However, cerebellar and related cognitive alterations in youth with pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) and those at high risk to develop the disorder, such as bipolar offspring (BD-OFF) are not clearly defined.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate cerebellar gray and white matter volumes, cognition, and their relationship in youth with PBD and BD-OFF.

METHODS: Thirty youth (7 to 17 years, inclusive) with PBD, 30 BD-OFF and 40 healthy controls (HC) were recruited. Study participants underwent a computer-based cognitive battery assessing affective processing, executive …

Cultural Competence With Humility Using Interprofessional Multicultural Learning Activities: Student Perceptions, Michele L. Tilstra, Cara A. Berg-Carramusa, Tiffany J. Peets, Karen M. Keptner

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

This study examined students’ perceptions of interprofessional multicultural learning activities used to develop cultural competence with humility (CCH). Limited research exists on student perceptions of learning activities for CCH in entry-level occupational therapy educational programs. This exploratory, mixed methods study used an anonymous online survey, the Learning Activities Survey (LAS), to collect student quantitative ratings and qualitative feedback about CCH learning activities and their experience within the Counselors and Occupational Therapists Professionally Engaged in the Community (COPE) program. A deductive thematic approach was used by two investigators for qualitative analyses of COPE learning activities by alignment …

Exploring Relationship Among Programmatic Expertise, Work Engagement, And Turnover Intentions Across Different Generation Cohorts In State And Local Governmental Public Health Agencies, Stephanie L. Irvin

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the relationship among public health programmatic competencies, work engagement, and turnover intentions among state and local public health workers. It also explored the moderating role of generational cohorts in these relationships. It employed a quantitative secondary data analysis using the 2021 PHWINS survey, a collaboration between the de Beaumont Foundation and The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. The study's principal findings shed light on critical relationships within the public health workforce: Firstly, an increase in programmatic expertise among public health professionals is linked to increased work engagement, particularly notable within the Millennial cohort. Secondly, a …

Does Lower-Limb Osteoarthritis Alter Motor Cortex Descending Drive And Voluntary Activation? A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Myles C. Murphy, Christopher Latella, Ebonie K. Rio, Janet L. Taylor, Stephanie Martino, Colin Sylvester, William Hale, Andrea B. Mosler

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: The aim of the study was to quantify motor cortex descending drive and voluntary activation (VA) in people with lower-limb OA compared to controls. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis according to the PRISMA guidelines was carried out. Seven databases were searched until 30 December 2022. Studies assessing VA or responses to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS; i.e. motor evoked potential, intracortical facilitation, motor threshold, short-interval intracortical inhibition, and silent period) were included. Study quality was assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute criteria and evidence certainty using GRADE. The meta-analysis was performed using RevMan inverse variance, mixed-effect models. Results: Eighteen studies …