Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing Impact Of Heat Waves On Pregnancy And Lactation Amidst Climate Change: A Scoping Review., Susan Anyango, Grace Nakate

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Background: The escalation of heat waves, attributed to climate change, represents a global public health concern, with pregnant
and lactating women identified as particularly vulnerable due to Physiological and hormonal changes.

Aim: To review the existing research on the effects of heat waves on pregnancy and lactation, identifying potential health risks and outcomes.

Methods: A structured search across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar was conducted using terms related
to heat waves, pregnancy, lactation, and climate change. Inclusion criteria focused on peer-reviewed empirical
studies in English.

Results: Heat waves are linked to increased risks of preterm labor, low …

Patient-Reported Outcomes Following Operative And Nonoperative Management Of A3 Versus A4 Thoracolumbar Burst Fractures, Barry T. S. Kweh, Charlotte Dandurand, Alex R. Vaccaro, Klaus J. Schnake, Mohammad El-Sharkawi, Richard J J. Bransford, Andrei Fernandes Joaquim, Harvinder Singh Chhabra, Ulrich J. A. Spiegl, Dimitri Hauri, F. Cumhur Öner, Gregory D. Schroeder, Jin Wee Tee

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare patient-report outcome measures in patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures managed either operatively or nonoperatively.

METHODS: A prospective multicenter observational study was conducted of neurologically intact patients who sustained traumatic thoracolumbar burst fractures managed operatively or nonoperatively. Outcome measures included scores on the EQ-5D index, EQ-5D visual analog scale (VAS), pain numerical rating scale (NRS), and AO Spine Patient Reported Outcome Spine Trauma (PROST) tool and patient satisfaction with follow-up up to 2 years. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test and Cochran-Armitage test were used to evaluate differences between continuous and ordinal variables, respectively. …

Gastrointestinal Symptoms After Sport-Related Concussion: Prevalence And Patterns In A Multi-Cohort Analysis, Emma Finnegan, Ed Daly, Katherine J. Hunzinger, Lisa Ryan

Department of Exercise Science Faculty Papers

Background/Objectives: Concussions occur across all sports globally; however, inconsistent symptom recognition continues to challenge diagnosis, management, and recovery. Although concussion effects extend beyond neurological dysfunction, gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms remain insufficiently captured within current assessment frameworks and may influence athletes’ fuelling choices and food tolerance during recovery. This study aimed to describe the prevalence and patterns of GI symptoms reported among athletes with a history of concussion and to explore whether symptom prevalence and burden differed by sex and country. Methods: A total of 401 adult athletes (225 males; mean age 32.4 ± 11.3 years) with a history of concussion were …

Toxitarget: A Multi-Omics Database For Toxicant-Responsive Molecular Targets, Ravindra Kumar, Tianyi Fu, Prashant Kumar Kuntala, Benpeng Miao, Shuhua Fu, Daofeng Li, Frederick L Tyson, Marisa S Bartolomei, Cheryl L Walker, Ting Wang, Bo A Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Environmental toxicant exposures can induce widespread alterations in both the transcriptome and epigenome of mammals, and directly contribute to the increased risk of various diseases, including cardiovascular disorders, cancer, and neurological disorders. To evaluate how early-life toxicants produce long-term impacts on the transcriptome and epigenome in mice, the Toxicant Exposures and Responses by Genomic and Epigenomic Regulators of Transcription II (TaRGET II) Consortium generated a landmark resource comprising 3607 multi-omics datasets from longitudinal studies in mice. The molecular changes in responding to distinct environmental toxicants, including arsenic (As), lead (Pb), bisphenol A (BPA), tributyltin (TBT), di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), dioxin (TCDD), …

Correction: Misregulated Alternative Splicing In Endometriosis: A Role For Aberrant Mrna Variants In Endometriotic Cell Growth, Venkata Naga Goutham Davuluri, Michelle Dias, Roxanna Llinas, Neha Kamath, Pooja Popli, Shannon M Hawkins, Chandrakant Tayade, Elise T Courtois, Hari Krishna Yalamanchili, Ramakrishna Kommagani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

This corrects the article "Misregulated alternative splicing in endometriosis: a role for aberrant mRNA variants in endometriotic cell growth", 149.

Community-Based Education For Hypertension Management Through Lifestyle Modifications – An Evidence-Based Practice Project, Elizabeth Mkroyan

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Hypertension is a highly prevalent chronic disease and a leading contributor to numerous life-threatening complications, including cardiovascular disease and stroke. Time constraints during routine clinical encounters often limit providers' ability to deliver comprehensive education on nonpharmacologic strategies. Community-based educational programs can help close this gap by teaching people about changes they can make to their lives in safe places like a Church. This evidence-based practice project aims to evaluate whether community-based education on lifestyle modifications can improve self-efficacy, self-care practices and behaviors and have high rates of participant satisfaction with the intervention.

Characteristics Of People Who Inject Drugs Approached For Injection Assistance In Rural Kentucky, April Young, Ryli Hockensmith, Preston T Tolbert, Susan Westneat, Peter Vickerman, Jack Stone, Hilary L Surratt, Kayo Fujimoto, Hannah K Knudsen, Rachel Vickers-Smith, Katherine L Thompson, Laura Fanucchi, Julia Kollitz, Jennifer R Havens, Melvin D Livingston

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: This study aims to understand the characteristics of people who inject drugs approached by others for injection assistance.

Method: Peer-referral and outreach were used to recruit rural adults who recently injected drugs in Appalachian Kentucky (n=435). Interviewer-administered questionnaires elicited data on participant characteristics and injection assistance. Descriptive statistics and generalized estimating equations clustered on peer-referral recruitment chain were used for analysis.

Results: Nearly one-third (30.1%) reported others had come to them for injection assistance. People approached for assistance were slightly younger (prevalence ratio [PR]: 0.91, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.85-0.99) but otherwise, demographically similar to their counterparts. Those approached …

A Comparison Between Carlin And Dna Typewriter In Crispr-Mediated Lineage Tracing, Fengshuo Liu, Xiang Zhang, Yipeng Yang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: CARLIN and DNA Typewriter are two major breakthroughs in CRISPR-based lineage tracing technology. It is essential to understand the potential and performance of these methods in lineage tracing, which provides important guidance on experimental design.

Results: In this study, we systematically compare these two strategies using a unified stochastic simulation framework with known ground-truth lineages. By explicitly modeling CRISPR editing dynamics, barcode evolution, and cell division processes, the framework enables quantitative benchmarking of lineage reconstruction accuracy across diverse experimental parameter regimes. Both methods are evaluated using multiple accuracy metrics, including Robinson-Foulds accuracy and triplet accuracy, allowing a comprehensive assessment …

Resilience And Social Support On Depression Risk For Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients In South Tangerang, Indonesia, Adhityawarman Menaldi, Sali Rahadi Asih, Farah Ainul Mardhiyyah

Kesmas

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major public health concern with psychosocial impacts, such as reduced resilience and depression. This study examined the moderating role of perceived social support on the relationship between resilience and depression among individuals diagnosed with COPD in South Tangerang, Indonesia. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted between January and February 2024 using self-administered questionnaires. Participants were adult patients with clinically diagnosed COPD, recruited from all public health centers (PHC) in South Tangerang. A total of 125 participants met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. Participants had a mean age of 41.46±15.69 …

Determinants Of Musculoskeletal Disorder In Formal And Informal Workers In Indonesia, Herlina J. El-Matury, Nabila Syahlan, Mohd Rafee B. Baharuddin

Kesmas

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a leading cause of disability globally and are strongly influenced by occupational conditions. Evidence comparing MSD risk between formal and informal workers remains limited, particularly in developing countries. This study examined the association between individual and job-related factors with MSD symptoms among formal and informal workers in Indonesia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,089 workers in North Sumatra Province, Indonesia, from August 2024 to December 2025. Participants were recruited using stratified convenience sampling from both the formal (office and health workers) and informal (drivers, traders, and farmers) sectors. MSD symptoms were assessed using the Nordic …

Associations Among Pork Intake, Weight-Loss, And Diet Quality Outcomes In A Commercial Weight-Management Program, Ana M Palacios, Grace Anderson, Beate Henschel, Alexandra M Lee, Kelli M Richardson, Chelsie Parker, Stephanie L Dickinson, Jing X Kersey, David B Allison, Gary D Foster, Michelle I Cardel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Pork is a common source of high-quality protein. However, it is typically recommended in moderation due to its saturated fat content, especially as its role in weight management, weight-loss (WL) programs, and overall diet quality is not well understood. This study aimed to identify associations among pork intake, WL, and diet quality among adults with overweight or obesity participating in a weight management program (WMP).

Methods: This secondary analysis used data from a 6-month randomized controlled trial (NCT05648344) evaluating the effectiveness of a WMP on diet quality. Data were collected through online surveys and the Automated Self-Administered …

Extending The Global Impact Of Dnp Education: Integrating Scholarly Dissemination And International Practice Projects, Cynthia Plonien, Pricilla Muisyo, Deborah Behan, Kristine Cope, Cathy Brown

Nursing Faculty Publications & Presentations

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program at the University of Texas at Arlington initiated a global outreach effort in 2024 through two complementary strategies: expansion of a digital repository to support dissemination of DNP scholarly work and implementation of pilot DNP projects in Kenya. Together, these initiatives represent an integrated model for global engagement that combines knowledge dissemination with application of practice-based scholarship. The repository has facilitated international access to DNP projects, demonstrating significant global reach across multiple countries. Concurrently, a pilot project in Kenya was established through a strategic in-country professional partnership, enabling culturally relevant and sustainable implementation …

Clonal Reshaping And Clinical Outcomes After Rechallenge In Ici-Associated Myocarditis: Integrated Single-Cell And Tcr Repertoire Analysis, Jian Zhang, Xiaozhen He, Yerui Zhang, Xianling Qian, Yu Song, Shilong Zhang, Zheng Li, Zhiming Wang, Bo Lu, Qingqing Cai, Leilei Cheng, Yan Wang

Center for Translational Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated myocarditis (ICIAM) poses significant challenges for cancer immunotherapy, particularly regarding the safety and efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) rechallenge.

METHODS: The present study analyzed 23 cases of ICIAM by integrating longitudinal clinical data with single-cell RNA sequencing and T-cell receptor profiling of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from three representative patients before and after ICB rechallenge. The single-cell cohort comprised two patients who experienced recurrent irAEs upon rechallenge and one patient who did not develop recurrent irAEs.

RESULTS: Among 12 patients (52%) who experienced recurrent irAEs upon rechallenge, myocarditis recurrence occurred in 8 cases, …

The 2026 Fifa World Cup: Communicable Disease Risks And Advice For Visitors To Canada, The United States, And Mexico, Alfonso J Rodriguez-Morales, Ivan Arturo Rodríguez-Sabogal, Beatriz Elena Porras-Pedroza, Álvaro A Faccini-Martínez, Daniel Grisales-Nieto, Florencia Escarrá, Pasesa Pascuala Quispe-Torrez, Francisco Javier Membrillo, Tomás Orduna, Susana Lloveras, Tânia S S Chaves, Miguel M Cabada, Cecilia Perret, René Echavarría, Ana F Ribeiro, Melinda Tanabe, Fernando Bazzino, Maximiliano Ramirez, Baruch Diaz, Karen Mirna Loro Morejón, Karen Daly, Reinaldo Rosas, Maria Belen Lopez, Cristina Miranda, Marisa Liliana Fernandez, Yasemin Özsürekçi, Wasin Matsee, Yenddy Carrero, Cristian Biscayart, Sergio Cimerman, Maria L Avila-Aguero, Roberto Debbag, Jose Brea, Alejandro Risquez, Jaime David Acosta-España, Rolando Ulloa-Gutierrez, Carlos Espinal, Carlos N Torres-Martinez, Marta González-Sanz, Aula Abbara, Jill Weatherhead, Mario Masana

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Unbiased Niche Labeling Maps Immune-Excluded Niche In Bone Metastasis, Zhan Xu, Fengshuo Liu, Yunfeng Ding, Tianhong Pan, Yi-Hsuan Wu, Yujiao Han, Jun Liu, Igor L Bado, Weijie Zhang, Ling Wu, Yang Gao, Xiaoxin Hao, Liqun Yu, Xuan Li, David G Edwards, Hilda L Chan, Sergio Aguirre, Michael Warren Dieffenbach, Elina Chen, Siyue Wang, Yichao Shen, Dane Hoffman, Luis Becerra Dominguez, Charlotte Helena Rivas, Xiang Chen, Hai Wang, Yibin Kang, Zbigniew Gugala, Robert L Satcher, Xiang H-F Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Metastatic cancer cell fate is shaped by the local microenvironment niches. To unbiasedly define the cellular and molecular features of metastatic niches, we developed sortase A-based microenvironment niche tagging (SAMENT), which selectively labels cells encountered by cancer cells during metastasis. Applying SAMENT across multiple cancer models and target organs revealed shared niche features, including macrophage enrichment and T cell depletion, alongside marked organ-specific phenotype heterogeneity in niche macrophages. In bone, metastatic niches are enriched for macrophages expressing estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) with active ERα signaling. Conditional deletion of Esr1 in macrophages significantly impaired bone colonization by enabling T cell infiltration. …

Pregnancy Outcomes After In Utero Exposure To Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors, Morgan Bou Zerdan, Bruna Kfoury, Eliane Aoun, Sarah Diane Hmaidan, Roni Nitecki Wilke, Jeffrey A How, Terri L Woodard, Pamela T Soliman, Laurie J Mckenzie

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Importance: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed the management of cancers affecting reproductive-age patients, yet their impact on pregnancy outcomes remains incompletely understood. We describe two cases of maternal and fetal outcomes associated with ICI exposure during pregnancy and present a comprehensive literature review.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted at MD Anderson Cancer Center (1 January 2015 to 31 December 2024) to identify patients exposed to ICIs during pregnancy. Clinical data including cancer type, treatment timing, pregnancy course, and maternal and neonatal outcomes were collected. A narrative literature review was also performed using PubMed to identify reported cases …

Target Trial Of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Agonists Versus Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors And Mortality In Hemodialysis, Dustin Le, Duncan Kilpatrick, Walter K. Kraft, Morgan E. Grams, Bernard G. Jaar, Jung-Im Shin

Division of Nephrology Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: The comparative effectiveness of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists (GLP-1s) versus dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors (DPP-4s) in hemodialysis is unknown.

METHODS: Using 2011 to 2021 US Renal Data System and Medicare claims data, we emulated a target trial comparing new users of GLP-1s versus DPP-4s with patients who survived ≥ 90 days on in-center hemodialysis before medication initiation. We used inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) and Cox proportional hazards models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs).

RESULTS: We identified 3671 GLP-1 and 12,039 DPP-4 users. After IPTW, mean age was 63 years, 52% male, 63% White, and mean body mass …

Development Of A Second-Generation Rarα Selective Antagonist As An Orally Bioavailable, Effective, Safe, And Reversible Male Contraceptive, Rui Shi, Kristen John, Xuan Qin, Ehfazul Haque, Taimeng Liang, Narsihmulu Cheryala, Feng Li, Henry L Wong, Gunda I Georg

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

We report the design and SAR studies of benzopyran-, benzofuran-, and benzothiophene-derived inhibitors of the retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα) for male contraception. SAR studies identified critical features influencing activity, such as the optimal positioning of antagonism moieties and substituents, leading to the discovery of (S)-4-(5-(2,8-dimethyl-5-(p-tolyl)-2H-chromen-3-yl)-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)­benzoic acid (compound 23). Compound 23 is a highly potent RARα inhibitor (IC50 = 0.051 nM) with excellent selectivity (>1650-fold over RARβ and >1960-fold over RARγ) and ADMET properties. Compound 23 is orally bioavailable and reduces sperm counts in mice for a full male contraceptive effect …

Icam1high Neutrophils Sculpt Tumor Evolution And Metastasis Through Symbiotic Adhesion And Reverse Migration, Ling Wu, Zhan Xu, Jun Wang, Fengshuo Liu, Yunfeng Ding, Yang Gao, Siyue Wang, Jun Liu, Hilda L Chan, Weiguo Wu, Yi-Hsuan Wu, Liqun Yu, Xiaoxin Hao, Xuan Li, David G Edwards, Cher Sha, Tobie D Lee, Nan Guan, Sergio Aguirre, Luis Becerra-Dominguez, Dane Hoffman, Xiang Chen, Charlotte Helena Rivas, Xiaoyuan G Yan, Igor L Bado, Weijie Zhang, Qian Zhu, Arun Sreekumar, Robert L Satcher, Xiang H-F Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Neutrophils are a prominent component of the tumor microenvironment that can have both pro- and anti-tumor functions. By analyzing neutrophils across different human cancers, we revealed an ICAM1high subset enriched in the tumor microenvironment, which were also observed in murine triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) models. ICAM1high neutrophils exhibited an enhanced capacity for cell-cell adhesion specifically with tumor cells retaining epithelial features, and this adhesion conferred mutual advantages to both cell types. In contrast, cancer cells with mesenchymal-like phenotypes were vulnerable to neutrophil-mediated cytotoxicity due to decreased cell adhesion and elastase resistance. These opposite effects drove tumor evolution toward a …

Panda-Plus-Bench: A Clinical Benchmark For Evaluating The Robustness Of Ai Foundation Models In Prostate Cancer Diagnosis, Joshua L. Ebbert, Dennis Della Corte

Faculty Publications

Artificial intelligence foundation models are increasingly deployed for prostate cancer Gleason grading, where GP3/GP4 distinction directly impacts treatment decisions (active surveillance vs. intervention). However, these models may achieve high validation accuracy by learning specimen-specific artifacts rather than generalizable biological features, limiting real-world clinical utility. We introduce PANDA-PLUS-Bench, a curated benchmark dataset derived from expertly annotated prostate biopsies designed specifically to quantify this failure mode. The benchmark comprises nine carefully selected whole slide images from nine unique patients containing diverse Gleason patterns, with non-overlapping tissue patches extracted at both 512 × 512 and 224 × 224-pixel resolutions across eight augmentation conditions. …

Projected U.S. Cardiovascular Disease Burden From Heat Exposure For Future Greenhouse Gas Scenarios, Gokul Parmeswaran, Sai Rahul Ponnana, Santosh Kumar Sirasapalli, Niketh Surya, Tong Zhang, Zhuo Chen, Jean-Eudes Dazard, Salil V. Deo, Sanjay Rajagopalan

Faculty Scholarship

Importance: Climate change may reverse decades of improvements in cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in the US; however, comprehensive regional projections of heat-related CVD burden in the US are unavailable. Objective: To use the county-level observed (2010-2016) heat-related CVD burden in the US to obtain the projected rates through 2050 according to the mean (shared socioeconomic pathway [SSP] 2-4.5) and high (SSP5-8.5) greenhouse gas (GHG) emission pathways. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional ecological analysis used county-level summary data including all counties in the contiguous US from 2010 through 2016 as baseline data with projections to 2030 and 2050 under SSP …

Dnp Repository: Using Technology To Help Nurse Leaders Make A Global Impact, Cynthia Plonien, Cathy Brown, Vanessa Garrett

Nursing Faculty Publications & Presentations

DNP Repository: Using Technology to Help Nurse Leaders Make a Global Impact

Background

Prior to the repository implementation, UTA DNP scholarly projects were not tracked by the university. Publications estimates suggest 5–10 projects annually, based on Google Scholar.

Purpose

The purpose of this quality improvement project is to enhance scholarly dissemination and engagement by leveraging the UTA DNP Scholarly Project Repository, aligning with AACN Essentials, AONL Competencies, and CCNE Standards to support evidence-based practice and leadership development.

PICO Question

In DNP programs (P), how does implementing an open-access scholarly repository (I) compared to traditional limited publication practices (C) affect scholarly …

Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scoring Implementation In A Critical Access Hospital, Jasmine A. Hobbs

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Mechanically ventilated patients who are boarding in rural emergency departments face an increased risk of inconsistent sedation management due to the lack of standardized protocols and the extended transfer times to higher levels of care. The variability in sedation practices can lead to both under- and over-sedation, which negatively affects patient comfort, safety, and clinical outcomes. Research suggests that sedation protocols incorporating the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) can shorten mechanical ventilation duration and improve clinical outcomes. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of a targeted educational intervention on improving nursing knowledge and comfort with the RASS …

Implementation Of A Provider-Focused Multimodal Educational Initiative To Address Polypharmacy And High-Risk Medication Use In A Home And Community Medicare Advantage Setting, Jennifer Butler-Rickard, Kellie Olsen, Eileen Stuart-Shor, Craig Drew

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

BACKGROUND: Community-dwelling adults are at risk for adverse drug events such as falls, hospitalizations, cognitive decline, drug-to-drug interactions, and mortality related to high-risk medication use and polypharmacy, often defined as concurrent use of five or more different medications. Lack of provider knowledge of polypharmacy and high-risk medication use as well as suboptimal communication with primary care providers can lead to gaps in medication management in this vulnerable population.

LOCAL PROBLEM: Patients seen by the Comprehensive Annual Health Assessment Program advanced practice clinicians (APCs) at the project Medicare Advantage insurer organization often experience polypharmacy. Given the lack of provider knowledge of …

Do Rural-Urban Disparities Translate Into Nursing Complexity At Hospital Admission? Evidence From A Single Tertiary-Care Pediatric Hospital In Italy, Manuele Cesare, Gianfranco Damiani, Gloria Anderson, Jessica Preziosi, Rosemary Frasso, Leonardo Villani, Nursing And Public Health Group, Vittorio Maio, Antonello Cocchieri

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Rural-urban disparities are well documented in pediatric healthcare, influencing access, service organization, and outcomes. However, whether these differences extend to the domain of nursing care remains unclear. This study examined the association between degree of urbanization and nursing complexity among children admitted to a single tertiary-care pediatric hospital, comparing clinical, organizational, and nursing characteristics across geographic groups.

METHODS: Routinely collected electronic nursing documentation and hospital administrative records were retrospectively examined in a tertiary-care pediatric hospital in Rome, Italy. Children aged 2 to < 18 years were consecutively included. Degree of urbanization was defined using the ISTAT-derived DEGURBA classification. The study outcome for nursing complexity corresponded to the number of nursing diagnoses documented at hospital admission. Descriptive analyses and a multivariable negative binomial regression model assessed the association between urbanization and nursing complexity, adjusting for age, sex, DRG weight, number of medical diagnoses, and chronic conditions.

RESULTS: Among 1652 pediatric hospitalizations, those from rural areas showed a higher clinical burden, with significantly higher …

A Remote Intervention To Improve Medication Nonadherence Guided By A Marker Of Risk Derived From The Electronic Health Records Of Adolescent Transplant Recipients, Eyal Shemesh, Ravinder Anand, Rachel A Annunziato, Emily M Fredericks, Jennifer Garcia, Nitika Arora Gupta, Lawrence C Kleinman, Alyssa Kriegermeier, Krupa R Mysore, Vicky L Ng, Steven J Lobritto, Shreena Patel, Emily Rothbaum Perito, Elizabeth B Rand, Rene Romero, Robert S Venick, Sarah Duncan-Park, Jeffrey Mitchell, Sarah G Anderson, Margaret L Stuber, Miguel Reyes-Múgica, George V Mazariegos, Benjamin L Shneider

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Improving medication adherence in adolescents who had a liver transplant (iMALT), a prospective, block-randomized, single-blind, controlled multisite study in 13 pediatric transplant centers, used the medication level variability index (MLVI) to identify nonadherent adolescents. It compared a 2-year remote behavioral telemetric intervention (TI) that focused on adherence and addressed barriers to standard of care (SOC). The primary endpoint was the composite incidence of centrally determined (3 masked pathologists) rejection, death, retransplantation, or consent withdrawal. In 148 participants (TI group, n = 72 and the SOC group, n = 76), with a mean age 15.5 years, there were twice as many …

Repeated Head Impacts Establish A Senescent Cranial Bone Marrow Niche That Impairs Brain Metabolism, Patrick J Devlin, Romeesa Khan, Trang H Do, Bryce E West, Janelle M Korf, Gary U Guzman, John Ahn, Alexander Saltzman, Antrix Jain, Chunfeng Tan, Rene Flores, Micheal E Maniskas, Sean P Marrelli, Anna Malovannaya, Erica Underwood, Rodney M Ritzel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) of any severity is associated with long-term systemic inflammation and increased risk of peripheral comorbidities, yet the mechanisms driving immune dysregulation and accelerated aging after repeated sub-concussive head impacts remain poorly defined. Here, we investigated the acute and chronic effects of repetitive head impacts (RHI) on distal and proximal bone marrow compartments in the femur and calvaria, respectively.

Methods: Using a modified weight-drop mouse model delivering rotational and acceleration-deceleration forces (3 hits/week for up to 16 weeks), RHI produced no mortality, skull fracture, hemorrhage, or brain leukocyte infiltration. Bone marrow stem and progenitor cell proliferation, …

Food Insecurity And At-Home Vegetable And Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Availability: Tx Sprouts Randomized Controlled Trial, Keally Haushalter, Shreela V Sharma, Marissa Burgermaster, Natalie S Poulos, Erin A Hudson, Jennifer M Daspin, Mariela Jimenez Rivero, Jaimie N Davis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Food insecurity and the at-home availability of vegetables and sugar-sweetened beverages both influence dietary intake. However, most research on food insecurity and the at-home availability of vegetables and sugar-sweetened beverages is cross-sectional, which is problematic as both change frequently. Therefore, this study assessed how changes in food insecurity were associated with changes in the at-home availability of vegetables and sugar-sweetened beverages among those in the intervention and control groups of TX Sprouts. Parents who participated in TX Sprouts, a gardening, cooking, and nutrition cluster-randomized trial conducted with primarily Hispanic, low-income 3rd-5th-grade students, completed surveys at baseline and at the nine-month …

Mitochondria-Er Contact Sites (Mercs) In The Cell Cycle: Molecular Architecture And Functional Remodeling Across Cellular States, Eduardo Silva-Pavez, Bruno Torres-Gonzalez, Michelle Sotomayor, Benjamín Cartes-Saavedra, Dorian V. Ziegler, Yessia Hidalgo-Fadic, Ulises Ahumada-Castro

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Mitochondria–endoplasmic reticulum (ER) contact sites (MERCS) are nanoscopic, dynamic platforms integrating metabolism, signaling, and stress responses to regulate cell fate. These nanoscopic interfaces remodel continuously to meet the demands of proliferating, quiescent, and senescent cells. We synthesize evidence that MERCS actively coordinate local Ca2+ signaling, non-vesicular lipid transfer, and proteostasis to shape mitochondrial function and cellular homeostasis. We discuss how MERCS architecture changes across the cell cycle and during arrest, distinguishing adaptive from maladaptive remodeling, and consider therapeutic potential in aging and age-related disease.

Evaluating Stroke Recognition And Prehospital Quality Metrics In Emergency Dispatch: A Retrospective Cohort Study Comparing Mimics And Confirmed Strokes, Nedim Leto, Elisabeth Farbu, Paul Barach, Conrad Arnfinn Bjørshol, Martin Kurz, Soffien Ajmi, Annette Fromm, Christopher Kalhagen Bjerkvig, Thomas Lindner

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES: Accurate identification of acute stroke by the Emergency Medical Dispatch Centre (EMDC) is essential for timely treatment and efficient resource use. However, stroke mimics-conditions resembling stroke can often lead to overtriage, complicating emergency care. We aimed to quantify EMDC stroke overtriage and compare characteristics of stroke mimics with confirmed stroke cases.

DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING: Patients with suspected stroke identified by the EMDC in Western Norway between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2022.

PARTICIPANTS: A total of 8,261 patients with EMDC suspected stroke were included. Stroke suspicion was determined using the Norwegian Medical Priority Dispatch System, which …