Digital Commons Network^™

2-Aminobutyrate Mediates The Impact Of Air Pollution On Blood Biomarkers Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Peidi Zhou, Sheila Tripathy, Ellen J Kinnee, Jiaxuan Duan, Kevin Kip, Xuemei Zeng, Victor Villemagne, Tharick Pascoal, Mark Mapstone, Eric A Whitsel, Oscar I Lopez, Christie Ballantyne, Thomas K Karikari, Bing Yu, Steven Reis, Annie Cohen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: We examined the impact of mid-life metabolites on late-life Alzheimer's disease (AD) plasma biomarkers and whether these metabolites mediate air pollution effects.

Methods: In the Heart Strategies Concentrating on Risk Evaluation (Heart SCORE) cohort, we applied high-dimensional regression and meditation models, adjusting for observed and latent confounders, with replication in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Exposures included mid-life fine particulate matter (PM2.5), black carbon, metals, and metabolites. Outcomes were: late-life plasma p-tau(181, 217, and 231) and amyloid beta 42/40 (Simoa assays).

Results: In the Heart SCORE study, seven lipid- and amnio acid-pathway metabolites measured in mid-life were …

Bridging Access Gaps In Radiotherapy: Knowledge-Based Planning In A Resource-Constrained Clinical Setting, Baozhou Sun, James A Kavanaugh, Taoran Li, Angel Velarde, Vicky De Falla, Francisco Reynoso

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background/purpose: Radiotherapy access in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is severely limited by shortages of trained personnel, high patient volumes, and large waiting times for manual treatment planning. Knowledge-based planning (KBP) has shown promise in high-income settings, yet its feasibility in resource-constrained environments remains underexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of adapting a KBP model developed at a high-income institution for clinical use at Liga Nacional Contra el Cáncer (LNCC) in Guatemala for gynecological radiotherapy planning.

Materials and methods: A RapidPlan KBP model (Varian-Siemens Healthineers, Palo Alto, CA, USA) originally developed at Washington University in St. Louis using …

Maternal Fish Intake In The Year Prior To Conception And Birth Defects, National Birth Defects Prevention Study, 1997-2011, Richard Finnell, Nithya Lakshmi Mohan Dass, Eirini Nestoridi, Marcia C De Oliveira Otto, Julie Peterson, Tunu Ramadhani, Mark A Canfield

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Epidemiologic data on the association between maternal fish intake and birth defects are sparse. Our objective was to assess associations between maternal fish intake and 52 different birth defects, most of which have not been assessed previously.

Methods: Using logistic regression, data was analyzed for 29,242 mothers of infants with birth defects and 10,973 mothers of control infants who participated in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS) and delivered between 1997 and 2011. We focused on associations between mothers who reported high fish intake of 2 or more servings of fish per week for the year prior to …

Factors Associated With Postpartum Depression Symptoms Following Antepartum Hospitalization, Alison N Goulding, Daniel Palacios, Sukru Aras, Hu Chen, Sasidhar Pasupuleti, Marika Toscano, Nicole Cirino, Israel C Christie, Zhandong Liu, Emily S Miller, Terri L Fletcher

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Background: Hospitalized antepartum patients are at increased risk for postpartum depression (PPD). Developing approaches to identify those at highest risk for PPD would enable timely and targeted intervention.

Objective: We aimed to identify factors associated with the development of PPD symptoms in hospitalized antepartum patients and to assess their predictive utility.

Study design: This retrospective cohort study included pregnant individuals hospitalized in a regional referral center due to medical or obstetric complications between 2012 and 2025. Data were extracted from the electronic health record, including demographics, medical and obstetric history, hospitalization characteristics, and postpartum Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores …

Validation Of The German Version Of The Movement Disorder Society Non-Motor Scale (Mds-Nms), Kristof Wunderlich, David Geißler-Lösch, Isabel Wurster, Roswitha Kemmner, Kathrin Brockmann, Sheng Luo, Christopher G Goetz, Glenn T Stebbins, Pablo Martinez-Martin, Tiago A Mestre, Alvaro Sanchez-Ferro, Monica M Kurtis, Michelle H S Tosin, Roberta Balestrino, Chi-Ying R Lin, Carmen Gasca-Salas, Heinz Reichmann, Bjoern H Falkenburger

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Optical Coherence Tomography As An Emerging Technique For Identifying Pediatric Middle Ear Effusion, Ana Sofia C Ibarrola, Maritsa Ixba, Elton Lambert, Yi-Chun Liu, Anna H Messner

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: Acute otitis media (AOM) and otitis media with effusion (OME) rely on accurate characterization of middle ear effusion (MEE). Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a potential modality for noninvasive analysis of MEE, thereby assisting with otitis media diagnosis. This study aims to compare the diagnostic performance of OCT with otoscopy and tympanometry in pediatric patients.

Methods: A prospective convenience sample of 164 pediatric patients aged 6 months to 12 years was recruited from two tertiary care pediatric otolaryngology clinics. During their visit, each child underwent otoscopy, tympanometry, and OCT evaluation. Scans were reviewed by both a fellowship-trained pediatric otolaryngologist …

The Impact Of Tracheal Intubation Attempts On Chest Compression Fraction During Pediatric Cpr: A Report From The Videography In Pediatric Resuscitation (Viper) Collaborative, John Breslin, Jennifer Murphy, Crystal Macdonald, Tara Neubrand, Laura Rochford, Sage Myers, Benjamin Kerrey, Aaron Donoghue

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Aim: To examine the association between tracheal intubation (TI) attempts and chest compression (CC) pauses on chest compression fraction (CCF) during pediatric CPR across a network of emergency departments.

Methods: Prospective observational cohort by the Videography in Pediatric Resuscitation (VIPER) Collaborative. Videorecorded CPR events were reviewed to measure CC pauses and characterize TI attempts. CCF was calculated as the proportion of time compressions were delivered during each event. Events were categorized based on whether TI-associated pauses occurred, and CCF was compared using Wilcoxon rank-sum testing.

Results: A total of 183 CPR events were included. The median event duration was 971 …

Derivation And Validation Of The Pediatric Community-Acquired Pneumonia Severity (Pedcaps) Score: A Prospective Cohort Study, Richard M Ruddy, Samir S Shah, Allison Cator, Matthew J Lipshaw, Geoffrey A Capraro, Laura F Sartori, Amy Y Cheng, Leah Tzimenatos, Patrick S Walsh, Claudia R Morris, Chris A Rees, Son H Mclaren, Tamar R Lubell, Chari D Larsen, Justin Moher, Eileen J Klein, Shubhada Hooli, Nathan Kuppermann

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a frequent and costly cause of pediatric emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations. Previous prognostic tools for CAP are limited by small samples, single-center or retrospective designs, lack of generalizability to ED settings, lack of biomarkers, or limited objective data. To overcome these limitations, we will derive and externally validate a prediction rule for pediatric CAP severity in a large, multicenter prospective cohort.

Methods: This is a prospective cohort study of children 3 months to 18 years old with CAP who present to EDs within the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network. Enrollment began 8/2023 …

Development And Pilot Testing Of Transdiagnostic Exposure Therapy/Behavioral Activation For Autistic Adolescents With Internalizing Disorders, Callie Murphy, Ogechi C Onyeka, David Riddle, Tracy Dibbs, Leandra N Berry, Robin P Goin-Kochel, Eric A Storch

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Internalizing disorders disproportionately affect autistic adolescents, though limited research has focused on tailoring therapy for this population. The purposes of this paper were (1) to describe the development of a transdiagnostic exposure therapy/behavioral activation intervention for autistic adolescents with internalizing disorders, and (2) to present a pilot test of feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of the intervention. The development of this therapy is described in detail, which prioritized the following domains: (1) building on the existing evidence base of exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy for autistic youth with anxiety disorders, (2) involving caregivers considerably, (3) incorporating autism-specific considerations into case conceptualization and …

Gender Disparities Among General Surgeons: A Comprehensive Review, Julie Holihan, Devi Bavishi, Kush Brahmbhatt, Rebecca Franks, Zuhair Ali, Karla Bernardi, Christine Castillo, Mike Liang, Rachel Wong, Michele Loor

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Unlike in-house call, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) does not require a postcall day for "home call" shifts. Despite this, we hypothesize that on-call residents are still in the hospital for the majority of their shift despite having the luxury of home call and, thus, are not protected by ACGME postcall duty hour regulations.

Methods: A prospective single center survey study was conducted by surveying junior and senior residents who completed overnight call shifts from January 2023 to April 2023 at one of the busiest level 1 trauma centers in the United States. Data include number …

A Scoping Review Of The Associations Between Ascariasis, Helicobacter Pylori Infection And Gastric Pathologies, Nina L Tang, Jacob J Williams, Jennifer Stockton, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Jill E Weatherhead

Library Staff Publications

Ascaris infection-ascariasis-is the most common human parasitic worm infection worldwide and induces damage and cellular changes within the stomach. Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium of the stomach that also causes gastric pathologies globally. Importantly, Ascaris, H. pylori, and gastric diseases all disproportionately affect individuals in resource-limited settings. However, the associations between ascariasis, H. pylori infection, and gastric diseases remain relatively unexplored. We synthesized the existing research associating Ascaris infection with H. pylori infection and/or gastric pathologies. Records were identified in OVID Medline, Embase and Web of Science using search terms for ascariasis, H. pylori infection, and gastric abnormalities and additional …

High-Penetrance Rare Variants Underlying Familial Lung Cancer Risk: Insights From Genetic Epidemiology Of Lung Cancer Consortium, Vikram R Shaw, Claudio Pikielny, Bo Peng, Chao Cheng, Spiridon Tsavachidis, Xiangjun Xiao, Dakai Zhu, Younghun Han, Ivan P Gorlov, Olga Y Gorlova, Michael Cole, Colette R Gaba, Erin L Crawford, Kristen Purrington, Ellen L Goode, Ping Yang, James Mckay, John K Field, Geoffrey Liu, Rayjean J Hung, Jun Xia, Jiyeon Choi, Matthew B Schabath, Jaclyn Lopiccolo, David C Christiani, Joan Bailey-Wilson, Ann G Schwartz, James C Willey, Diptasri Mandal, Susan M Pinney, Christopher I Amos

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Rare, deleterious germline variants are key contributors to inherited lung cancer (LC) risk. The Genetic Epidemiology of LC Consortium (GELCC) has curated valuable high-risk LC families and is uniquely positioned to uncover rare, high-penetrance variants underlying familial LC (FLC).

Methods: We performed whole-genome and exome sequencing on germline DNA from 120 high-risk LC families (177 FLC cases, 309 unaffected relatives). We prioritized rare (allele frequency < 1% in the genome aggregation database), potentially deleterious variants present in two or more FLC cases. These variants were then validated in 10,085 sporadic LC (SLC) cases and 612,970 controls.

Results: We identified 118 candidate variants, 28 of which were validated in SLC with strong statistical support. We discovered a novel pathogenic axis of three truncating variants in GALNT6, MUC4, and ERBB3 genes, which …

Protecting Minors From Medical Malpractice Act: Implications For Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Michael J Brenner

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Antibiotics Aren’T Enough

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

A Population-Based Assessment Of Cancer Risk In Children With Vacterl, Rachel D Harris, Tania A Desrosiers, Andrew F Olshan, Amanda E Janitz, Michael E Scheurer, Charles J Shumate, Angela E Scheuerle, Sharon E Plon, Chad D Huff, Ann Nordgren, Barbara Luke, Philip J Lupo, Jeremy M Schraw

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Cancer risk in children with VACTERL, a nonrandom co-occurrence of ≥ 3 defects (vertebral, anal, cardiac, tracheoesophogeal fistula, renal, and limb), remains unclear. We evaluated this association in a population-based study. We analyzed data from the Genetic Overlap Between Anomalies and Cancer in Kids (GOBACK) Study, a US registry linkage cohort. VACTERL was defined as the presence of ≥ 3 associated defects. Cox regression was applied to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for cancer risk before age 18 in children with VACTERL compared to children without birth defects. Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to estimate cumulative incidence …

Assessment Of Correctness, Content Omission, And Risk Of Harm In Large Language Model Responses To Ophthalmology Continuing Medical Education Questions, Li Wang, Douglas D Koch, Allison J Chen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy and prose responses of 2 large language models (LLMs) to ophthalmology continuing medical education questions.

Design: Question prompts and multiple choice (MC) answer options were input into the 2 LLMs, and responses were analyzed for accuracy and assessed for evidence of correctness, completeness, bias, and potential harm using a previously reported standardized rubric.

Subjects: Basic and Clinical Science Course questions and MC answer options from the American Academy of Ophthalmology question bank were used as inputs into the 2 LLMs (ChatGPT-4 and Google Vertex's Gemini Pro 1.5).

Methods: The MC responses were assessed for accuracy …

Reducing Transfusions In Neuromuscular Spinal Fusion: A National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatrics Quality Improvement Project, Valentina Briceño, Melissa Ard, Lisa Hensch, Jun Teruya, Tanisha G Daugherty, Wallis Molchen, Ryan D Coleman, Darrell Hanson, Frank T Gerow, Nicole I Montgomery

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Pediatric spinal fusion can result in substantial blood loss, particularly in patients with scoliosis related to underlying neuromuscular (NM) disease. Transfusion is frequently required but carries risks including transfusion reactions, alloimmunization, volume overload, and infection.

Local problem: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatrics (ACS NSQIP-P) is a nationally validated, risk-adjusted national outcomes registry. At our institution, ACS NSQIP-P data identified our institution as a high outlier in transfusion for neuromuscular scoliosis patients.

Methods: A multidisciplinary group convened from January 2024 to June 2024 to design and implement a perioperative pathway with the primary goal of …

Noncanonical Clock Regulators Control Stress Responses In Digestive Diseases, Dongyin Guan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The digestive system is essential for nutrient absorption, processing, and waste elimination. The expression of many genes and physiological processes within this system exhibits a 24-h rhythmicity. However, modern lifestyle factors, such as jet lag, shift work, and irregular eating patterns, significantly disrupt these rhythms, triggering various stress responses and contributing to numerous digestive disorders. Here, we focus on emerging studies on noncanonical clock regulators involved in stress responses, integrate these novel findings into the established model of the core circadian clock, and highlight recent advances in the development of novel therapeutics targeting these 24-h regulators. In addition, we discuss …

Interplay Between Genetic Ancestry, Self-Reported Race And Ethnicity, And Clinical Factors In Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Redial Consortium Report, Maria I Castellanos, Olga A Taylor, Veronica Garcia-Morales, Austin L Brown, Pagna Sok, Jeremy M Schraw, Van Huynh, Kathleen F Ludwig, Laura J Klesse, Sandi L Pruitt, Amy E Hughes, Kevin Tien, Kenneth M Heym, Timothy Griffin, Rodrigo Erana, Juan Carlos Bernini, Maria M Gramatges, Elizabeth G Atkinson, Philip J Lupo, Michael E Scheurer, Karen R Rabin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children, and its incidence and outcomes vary by race and ethnicity.

Methods: The Reducing Ethnic Disparities in Acute Leukemia (REDIAL) Consortium has assembled a cohort of patients < 25 years at diagnosis to examine genetic and neighborhood-level factors influencing ALL. As the cohort is ongoing, for this report, we examined sociodemographic and cytogenetic factors that might be associated with ALL outcome disparities.

Results: Among 2,512 patients diagnosed between 2005 and 2020, we observed distinct patterns of genetic ancestry and residential characteristics across self-reported race and ethnicity. Latino children, who comprised 55.3% of the cohort, had a mean Amerindigenous ancestry proportion of 50.9%, whereas non-Latino White children exhibited a predominantly European ancestry (mean = 78%). Neighborhood-level analysis revealed significant socioeconomic and geographic differences by …

Dolutegravir Developmental Toxicity Is Mitigated By Magnesium And Folate In Zebrafish Embryos, Katheryn A Neugebauer, Daniel A Gorelick

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Integrase strand transfer inhibitors have transformed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) therapy, yet the widely prescribed drug dolutegravir (DTG) has been linked to developmental toxicity, and its teratogenic mechanism remains unclear. Here, we used zebrafish to dissect DTG toxicity during early vertebrate development. DTG exposure from 2-4 h post-fertilization (hpf) to 24 hpf produced high mortality and abnormal morphology. Co-treatment with folates partially restored normal morphology, whereas calcium had no effect. Strikingly, supplementation with magnesium (Mg) partially rescued DTG-exposed embryos, implicating Mg availability in protection. In competitive binding assays, Mg increased binding of folate to purified folate receptor (FOLR1) by 30% …

Brillouin Microscopic Assessment Of Retinal Stiffness During Reactive Müller Gliosis, Sajedeh Saeidifard, Irina V Saltykova, Kamryn N Gerner-Mauro, Alexander W Schill, Kirill V Larin, Ross A Poché

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Increased retinal stiffness is associated with reactive gliosis, fibrosis, and extracellular matrix remodeling—hallmarks of early retinal damage in conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. In this study, we demonstrate that Brillouin microscopy can detect stiffness changes in the damaged mouse retina that coincide with reactive Müller gliosis. Using acute retinal slice cultures, we generated two-dimensional Brillouin maps of both NMDA-damaged and untreated control retinas. Raw spectral images were processed to calculate the Brillouin frequency shift (BFS), which serves as a readout of tissue stiffness. Within 24 hours of NMDA treatment, damaged retinas exhibited a significant …

Mif-Cd74 Signaling Drives Immune Modulation In Medulloblastoma, Xu Guo, Alaide Morcavallo, Diego Chillon Pino, Carlos Lorenzo Gido Nery, Sumana Shrestha, Chantelle E Bowers, Courtney Himsworth, Alberto Delaidelli, Bethany Remeniuk, Sonia Morlando, Brandon Wade, Freya Gordon, Yara Sanchez-Corrales, Bei Hopkins, Natalie Monteiro, Darren Locke, Miao Liu, Jacob Torrejon Diaz, Kevin Greenslade, Barbara Martins Da Costa, Karen Barker, Colin Kwok, Olumide Ogunbiyi, Anya Fletcher, Stacey Richardson, Carlos Custodia, Rafael Roque, Thomas Jackson, Regan Barfoot, Sergi Castellano, Rebecca M Hill, Olivier Saulnier, Thomas S Jacques, Michael D Taylor, Claudia C Faria, Olivier Ayrault, Poul H Sorensen, John Anderson, Louis Chesler, L Frank Huang, Steven C Clifford, Laura K Donovan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Relapsed medulloblastoma remains a significant therapeutic challenge as it is near universally fatal. The tumor microenvironment of medulloblastoma plays a critical role in tumor progression, influencing tumor growth, immune evasion, and therapeutic resistance. We hypothesized that defining tumor-immune interactions in diagnostic and relapsed medulloblastoma may uncover mechanisms of immune evasion and identify novel therapeutic targets.

Methods: We analyzed paired primary and recurrent RNA-sequencing data from 140 medulloblastoma patients to profile immune cell composition and validate spatial relationships within the TME. To identify key tumor-immune interactions, we developed a novel algorithm to detect receptor-ligand pairs using single-cell RNA-sequencing data. These …

A Multi-Institutional Epid-Based 3d Dose Reconstruction Model In A Virtual Phantom For Standardized Patient Qa, Benchmarking And Auditing For Stereotactic Radiosurgery, Ching-Ling Teng, Seng Boh Lim, Andrew Dipuglia, Richard Popple, Michael Lovelock, Ashley Cullen, Conor K Mcgarry, Victoria Robinson, Sergei Zavgorodni, Baozhou Sun, Xiaodong Zhao, Matthew Schmidt, Juan-Francisco Calvo-Ortega, Gemma Warner, Andrew Cousins, Michael Barnes, Peter Greer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background and purpose: For single-isocentre multi-target (SIMT) stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), benchmarking, auditing and inter-institutional standardisation of dose verification remain challenging as they require specialized equipment and expertise. This work aims to develop and validate an electronic portal imaging device (EPID)-based technique to determine 3D dose in a virtual spherical phantom which is applicable across institutions for SIMT SRS dose verification.

Materials and methods: Small-field output factors from 11 international centres were measured in-water for the TrueBeam linear accelerator, including jaw-defined and high-definition multi-leaf collimator (MLC) fields from 0.5 × 0.5 to 20 × 20 cm2 and depths from 1.5-20 cm. …

Survodutide For The Treatment Of Obesity: Baseline Characteristics Of The Synchronize Cardiovascular Outcomes Trial, Sean Wharton, Svenja Burger, Samina Ajaz Hussain, Martina Brueckmann, Elena Startseva, Constanze Fey, Mikhail N Kosiborod, Biykem Bozkurt

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Ethical Use Of Artificial Intelligence For Clinical Vignettes, Henna Iqbal, Jennifer J. Park, Yelena Burklin

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

The purpose of this report is to introduce a systematic process model for publishing clinical vignettes through vignette-based learning (VBL), with an emphasis on the ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI). We have provided a comprehensive walk-through outlining the process from initial case identification to the final dissemination of clinical vignettes, and we have highlighted how AI tools can support each step. This guide is intended to be especially beneficial for clinicians and early-career medical professionals aiming to develop and submit their cases for presentations, publications, and other avenues of knowledge sharing.

Impact Of Innovative Interprofessional Practice And Education Intervention Led By Graduate Medical Education Resident Physicians With School-Based Nursing In 32 School Districts, Christoffer A. Amdahl, Hans Drawbert, Sadra Forati, Tyler Fields, James Mantil, Afsha Rais Kaisani, Marci Ayers, Michele L. Mccarroll Phd

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

School nurses play a critical role in student well-being, underscoring their growing importance in both education and health care systems. Research consistently demonstrates their contributions to individual student care and broader population health.

Methods

This resident-led project explored community-based partnerships to facilitate mutual learning between school nurses and graduate medical education (GME) physicians. Conducted during the 2023–2024 academic year, this quality initiative (QI) involved the Medical City Healthcare (HCA Healthcare) GME programs and North Texas school districts. Educational resources were delivered through in-person teaching sessions led by resident physicians and hands-on medical simulations. School nurses who attended the Continuing …

Enhancing Resident Preparedness For The American Board Of Surgery Certifying Exam Through Low-Stakes Mock Oral Sessions, Camila R. Guetter, Taylor Locklear, Omar Haque, P Nina Scalise, Saptarshi Biswas, R. Wesley Vosburg

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

The American Board of Surgery (ABS) requires trainees to pass both a written qualifying examination (ABSQE) and oral certifying examination (ABSCE) to achieve board certification. The high-stakes nature of the ABSCE, which assesses knowledge, clinical judgment, and decision-making, necessitates extensive preparation. To address the challenges of the ABSCE format and associated trainee stress, structured mock oral programs have been developed. Here we evaluate the impact of structured mock oral sessions on residents' comfort levels and familiarity with the ABSCE at a single institution.

Methods

A mixed-methods survey was given to 50 general surgery residents in different training years who …

Lost In The Fine Print: A Phenomenological Inquiry Of Adhd, Student Loans, And Scarcity, Gaurav R. Sinha, Lakshya Kadiyan, Leon Banks, Kannappa V. Shetty

Journal of Student Financial Aid

The primary objective of this phenomenological study was to explore the cognitive and affective challenges faced by individuals experiencing ADHD and their student loans, particularly through the lens of “scarcity theory”. We analyzed 250 posts (~86 pages/67,000 words) from an online community on Reddit, where individuals experiencing ADHD shared experiences related to student debt. Thematic analysis was employed to identify key themes in these posts. Four key themes emerged: (1) ADHD and baseline mental bandwidth, highlighting preexisting executive functioning challenges that limit cognitive and affective capacity; (2) demands of student loan debt, which intensify stress through complex repayment systems and …

Dementia Detection In Low-Resource Languages: Evaluating Translation-Assisted Transfer Learning For Multilingual Clinical Assessment, Kylar A. Deloach

Honors Theses

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a growing global health concern, with millions of people affected worldwide and cases expected to rise significantly in the coming decades. Early detection is critical for patient treatment and care, and recent advances in natural language processing (NLP) have shown promise in identifying linguistic markers associated with AD. However, most existing work has focused on English, leaving speakers of other languages with limited access to such tools. This study investigates how effective AD detection models trained on English data are at transferring to Greek, a low-resource language with limited dementia-related speech data available. We propose a …

Ai- Ready Assignments: Using Infographics To Translate Pedagogy Into, Kim Nehls

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

I developed an AI teaching infographic assignment in a doctoral-level Seminar in College Teaching (EDH 780) that requires students to design their own original course assignment for any course that meaningfully integrates AI, and then they communicate the assignment visually through an infographic.