Digital Commons Network^™

Subunit Composition Of The Katp Channels That Modulate Contractility Of Skeletal Muscle During Fatigue, Rosa Scala, Yuezhou Chen, Berk Mizrak, Gretchen A Meyer, Colin G Nichols

2020-Current year OA Pubs

ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels are among the most expressed ion channels in skeletal muscle sarcolemma. While all KATP subunits can be detected in skeletal muscles, transcripts are enriched for KCNJ11 and ABCC9, suggesting that noncanonical Kir6.2/SUR2A assembly may constitute the majority of sarcolemmal KATP channels, but there has been no systematic dissection of KATP makeup in skeletal muscles. Here, we used a unique collection of murine lines selectively lacking specific channel-forming subunits (knockout, KO), and combined a genetic and pharmacological approach to determine which subunits of KATP channels are functionally relevant for skeletal muscle contraction. Under fatiguing conditions, isometric tetanic …

Long-Term Inactivation Mediated By Different Fgf-A Homologues On Heterologously Expressed Nav1.2 Currents, Yenisleidy Lorenzo-Ceballos, Pedro L Martinez-Espinosa, Xiao-Ming Xia, Christopher J Lingle

2020-Current year OA Pubs

A-isoforms of cytosolic growth factor homologous factors (FGF11-14) mediate long-term inactivation (LTI) of voltage-dependent sodium (NaV) channels. LTI is a rapid onset process that is competitive with the fast inactivation (IF) intrinsic to NaV channels, with little or no interconversion between inactivated states. Since recovery from LTI is orders of magnitude slower than recovery from IF, repetitive depolarizations lead to use-dependent accumulation of NaV channels in slow recovery states, thereby limiting NaV availability during trains of action potentials. Of the two or more N-terminal splice variants of the various FGF homologues, LTI specifically arises only from the A-isoform of each …

Applying The Ottawa Charter To Evaluate Health Literacy Outcomes Of The Little Aussie Bugs Course For Australian Early Childhood Educators, Amelia Ruscoe, Elizabeth J. Cook, Eleanor K. O'Brien, Leesa N. Costello, Gillian Kirk, Ros Sambell, Theresa Rayfield, Amanda Devine, Ruth M. Wallace

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Early childhood offers an important opportunity to lay the foundations for lifelong health literacy. The Little Aussie Bugs (LAB) dialogic book series and online professional development (PD) course were designed to support Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) educators to embed health literacy concepts, including hygiene, healthy eating, and oral health, into everyday learning routines. This mixed methods study evaluated the course pilot and examined its contribution through the lens of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion—a framework comprising five interrelated action areas: building healthy public policy; creating supportive environments; strengthening community action; developing personal skills; and reorienting health services. …

Ct-Derived Epicardial Adipose Tissue Density And Its Association With Systemic Inflammation And Functional Impairment In Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: A Prospective Cross-Sectional Study From Oman, Arif Albulushi, Ahmed Tawfek, Ahmed Basuoni

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Background: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is strongly influenced by cardiometabolic comorbidity and systemic inflammation. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is a biologically active visceral fat depot in direct contact with the myocardium, and CT-derived EAT density (attenuation) may reflect inflammatory adipose remodeling beyond adipose quantity alone. However, the clinical relevance of EAT density in HFpEF remains uncertain.

Objectives: To evaluate the association of CT-derived EAT density with systemic inflammatory biomarkers, functional capacity, health status, and echocardiographic indices of HFpEF severity in a prospective cross-sectional cohort.

Methods: In a prospective cross-sectional study conducted between January and July 2024 at …

Barriers In Diagnosing Gender Dysphoria In Youth: A Scoping Review, Kayla Perfetto

Scoping Protocols

Objective: Specifically, through this review, I aim to explore the barriers influencing clinicians when diagnosing gender dysphoria in youth populations. The objective of this scoping review is to understand the extent and type of evidence in relation to this topic.

Introduction: The existing literature highlights significant uncertainty among mental health professionals in diagnosing and providing care for transgender and gender-diverse youth, posing substantial challenges for tailored support. This scoping review aims to condense the extant literature on the variables impacting clinicians’ diagnosis of gender dysphoria in children and adolescents, addressing critical gaps and providing a comprehensive resource for stakeholders.

Inclusion …

Developmental Stability Of Task-Rest Neural Efficiency In Youth Using A Threat And Cognitive Control Task, Parmis Khosravi, Julia O. Linke, Anjali D. Poe, Chase Antonacci, Reut Naim, Elise M. Cardinale, Katharina Kircanski, Anderson M. Winkler, Nathan A. Fox, Daniel Samuel Pine, Simona P. Haller

School of Medicine Publications

Behaviors arise from coordinated neural activity across diverse spatial and temporal scales. Prior work has linked better task performance and cognitive functioning to patterns of global network connectivity requiring minimal reconfiguration when switching between task demands. This metric indexing similarity in functional connectivity across task and rest has been termed “neural efficiency.” Here we assess stability of neural efficiency over approximately 3 years in adolescence, specificity across two task-rest combinations and associations with anxiety. At approximately age 16 and/or 19, 95 participants completed a resting state scan alongside a cognitive control and/or threat task. Neural efficiency was quantified as partial …

Reducing Communicable-Disease Risk After Earthquakes: Vaccination And Prevention Lessons For Venezuela's Doublet, Alfonso J Rodriguez-Morales, Ivan Arturo Rodríguez-Sabogal, Adriana Sucari, Wendy Moncada, Lili Vanessa Hernández-Serrano, 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, Bernal Cordero, Virgilio Lezcano, Amanda Guerrero, Herberth Maldonado, Luis Cuellar, Ines Ceron, Yori Roque, Melisa Florentin, Rosa Infante, Ana Carvajal, Lily M Soto-Ávila, Marbelys Hernández, Hector Villaroel, Gianmary Miozzi, Rafael Navas, Moraima Hernández, Carlos Pérez-Vega, Manuela Mérida, David A Forero-Peña, Juan-Carlos Navarro, Claudia Beltrán-Arroyave, Mario Masana

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

High-Order Brain Interactions During Ketamine-Induced State Changes: A Functional Marker Of Response In Late-Life Treatment-Resistant Depression?, Krisha Shah, Rubén Herzog, Alan C Swann, Brittany O'Brien, Rahul Balakrishnan, Sanjay J Mathew, Nicholas Murphy

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Ketamine is a fast-acting intervention for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), yet only a subset of patients show robust clinical response, and the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. High-order interactions (HOI) derived from multivariate information theory provide a framework for examining nonlinear dependencies among brain regions beyond pairwise connectivity. One such metric, the O-information, captures the balance between synergistic and redundant interactions across three or more variables. In this secondary analysis of a randomized, double-blind, midazolam-controlled trial (NCT02556606), we examined EEG-derived HOI in 30 late-life veterans with TRD following a single 40-minute intravenous infusion of ketamine (0.1, 0.25, 0.5 mg/kg; n = …

Clinical Outcomes After Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction With Palmaris Longus Versus Gracilis Autograft In Baseball Players: A Cohort Analysis, Michael C. Ciccotti, Brooks Martino, Frank Cautela, Nathaniel Tchangou, Daniel Kwak, Eric Didomenico, Harrison S. Fellheimer, Christopher C. Dodson, Steven B. Cohen, Michael G. Ciccotti

Rothman Institute Papers

BACKGROUND: Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction (UCLR) is a common procedure for overhead athletes, particularly baseball players sustaining partial or full UCL tears. Palmaris longus (PL) and gracilis (GR) autografts are the most frequently used graft sources, yet limited data compare clinical outcomes in baseball athletes.

PURPOSE: To compare patient-reported outcomes after UCLR with PL versus GR autografts in baseball players.

STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS: Patients who underwent isolated UCLR with either PL or GR autograft and a minimum of 2 years of follow-up were identified. All reconstructions were performed using the Modified Jobe or …

Aberrant Ciliogenesis Induced By Enhanced Bmp Signaling Causes Heterotopic Ossification, Hiroyuki Yamaguchi, Jianbo Wang, Fangfang Yan, Jiarui Bi, Radbod Darabi, William R. Lagor, Zhongming Zhao, Aris N. Economides, Yuji Mishina, Yoshihiro Komatsu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling is a principal driver of heterotopic ossification (HO), yet how aberrant BMP activity structurally reprograms cellular signaling machinery to develop HO remains unclear. Here, we identify BMP signaling as a direct upstream regulator of ciliogenesis that coordinates a multi-stage, pro-osteochondrogenic signaling relay during HO. Using a conditional gain-of-function BMP mouse model (Acvr1Q207D/+), we demonstrate that enhanced BMP signaling promotes primary cilium biogenesis and axonemal elongation through canonical Smad1/5/9-dependent transcriptional activation of intraflagellar transport (IFT) Ift20, a core component of the IFT machinery. Rather than operating via a singular downstream cascade, these elongated …

Tranexamic Acid In High-Risk Shoulder Arthroplasty Patients: Safety Across Thromboembolic, Cardiac, Renal, And Neurologic Risk Profiles, Tarishi Parmar, Akin Adio, Asim Handy, Mohammad Daher, Alec Kellish, Adam Khan, Joseph A. Abboud

Rothman Institute Papers

INTRODUCTION: Tranexamic acid (TXA) effectively reduces blood loss and transfusion requirements in shoulder arthroplasty. However, concerns regarding thromboembolic, neurologic, cardiac, and renal complications have limited its use in medically high-risk patients. This study evaluated temporal trends and the safety of TXA in high-risk patients undergoing total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA).

METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using TriNetX, identifying patients who underwent shoulder arthroplasty (2012-2025). Patients were stratified by preexisting high-risk conditions, including prior thromboembolism, renal failure, atrial fibrillation, seizure disorders, and visual disturbances. Within each subgroup, patients receiving TXA were propensity score-matched to those who did not. Perioperative TXA …

Impact Of Wet Vs. Dry Hair And Varying Hair Changes On Surface Dose And Setup Consistency In Whole Brain Radiation Therapy, Dyanira Salinas

Masters Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to quantify how varying hair conditions—dry hair versus wet hair, complete hair loss, and the use of hair extensions—influence surface dose during WBRT. The study evaluated mask fit differences between the varying hair parameters and the potential implications for immobilization accuracy.

Methods: Four CT scans were acquired with a water phantom and varying hair parameters. A whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) plan was created on a dry wig human hair scan using 6MV photos. Thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) were used to measure surface dose for each hair condition. Gap between the water phantom and …

Advancing Bioinformatics With Language Models: Components, Applications, And Perspectives, Jiajia Liu, Mengyuan Yang, Yankai Yu, Haixia Xu, Tiangang Wang, Kang Li, Xiaobo Zhou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Large language models (LLMs) are deep learning-based artificial intelligence models that have achieved remarkable success in natural language processing. Typically composed of neural networks with billions of parameters, they are trained on massive unlabeled datasets using self-supervised or semi-supervised learning. Beyond language, LLMs hold immense potential for addressing complex bioinformatics challenges. This review provides a comprehensive overview of transformer-based model applications in genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, drug discovery, and single-cell analysis. We discuss critical components, including tokenization strategies for diverse biological data, transformer architectures, attention mechanisms, and pretraining approaches. We also survey currently available foundation models and their downstream applications across …

Spatiotemporal Patterns Of Vaccine Uptake For Measles Outbreaks In Katsina State, Nigeria, Zeenat Kabir Asma'i

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Measles remains a public health concern in Nigeria despite the availability of effective vaccines, yet limited research has comprehensively examined spatiotemporal patterns and contextual determinants of vaccination coverage and measles incidence in Katsina State. Guided by the socioecological model, this quantitative ecological study examined spatiotemporal patterns of measles incidence among children aged 9–59 months of age across 183 wards in 34 local government areas of Katsina State, Nigeria, from 2018 to 2022. Confirmed cases (n = 376) were analyzed using negative binomial regression and spatial methods, including Moran’s I, SaTScan, and geographically weighted regression (GWR). Urban wards had higher incidence …

Elective Genomic Sequencing For Adults In Research, Clinical And Commercial Contexts, Michael D Linderman, Sophia M Adelson, Tala M Berro, Jennifer L Anderson, Scott D Crawford, Tshaka J Cunningham, Edward D Esplin, Altovise T Ewing-Crawford, Daiva E Nielsen, Stacey Pereira, Tara Schmidlen, Heather Andrighetti, Steven B Bleyl, George M Church, Eden V Haverfield, Madhuri Hegde, Lazaridis N Konstantinos, Paul Kruszka, Debra Leonard, Thomas May, Molly Mcginniss, Vaibhav Pandya, Eric E Schadt, Bastian Greshake Tzovaras, Bethany Zettler, Amy L Mcguire, Robert C Green

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Purpose: Elective genomic sequencing (EGS) returns monogenic disease findings in multiple genes, including potentially novel variants, and may also provide participants with carrier status, pharmacogenomic and other health-related information. The PeopleSeq Study assessed participants' motivations for and concerns about EGS and the associated clinical and psychosocial outcomes across diverse EGS providers.

Methods: We administered a shared questionnaire to participants who chose to undergo EGS via 18 academic, clinical, or commercial EGS platforms.

Results: We enrolled 1575 participants, of whom 1147 (72.8%) completed a questionnaire after receiving their EGS results. A majority (60.3%) of the participants who completed a post-result questionnaire …

Multiplexed Plasmon-Enhanced Lateral Flow Assay For Early Diagnosis Of Acute Kidney Injury, Heng Guo, Yuxiong Liu, Ravi Jada, Ying Liu, Carissa Ng, Aquiles Payte, Jiaying Xu, Connor Malone, Jie Zhao, Kedhareswara Sairam Pasupuleti, Arda Aidan Arikan, Sameer Thadani, Srikanth Singamaneni, Ayse Akcan Arikan, Limei Tian

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Early diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) remains a major clinical challenge due to the delayed and insensitive nature of conventional markers such as serum creatinine. Urinary protein biomarkers, including neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and cystatin C (CysC), provide earlier and complementary information on kidney injury, but their clinical translation is limited by the lack of rapid, quantitative, and multiplexed point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tests. Here, we report a multiplexed plasmonic-fluor-based lateral flow assay (p-LFA) that enables sensitive, quantitative, and simultaneous detection of NGAL and CysC. By harnessing ultrabright plasmonic-fluor nanolabels and ratiometric fluorescence analysis, the p-LFA achieves picogram-per-milliliter analytical sensitivity …

A Conserved Mechanism For Dimerization And Activation Of Superfamily 1a Uvrd-Family Helicases, Binh Nguyen, Kacey N Mersch, Ankita Chadda, Eric A Galburt, Timothy M Lohman

2020-Current year OA Pubs

DNA helicases are ATP-dependent motor proteins that catalyze duplex DNA unwinding and are involved in DNA repair, recombination, and replication restart. Prominent members of the non-hexameric SF1A UvrD-family helicases are Escherichia coli UvrD, Rep, Bacillus stearothermophilus PcrA, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) UvrD1. SF1A monomers are processive 3'-to-5' single-stranded DNA translocases but need to be activated to become DNA helicases. One mechanism of activation is dimerization. Whereas Rep, UvrD, and PcrA form non-covalent dimers, the Mtb UvrD1 helicase forms a redox-dependent covalent dimer. Dimerization of Mtb UvrD1 occurs between the same regulatory domain (2B) within each subunit stabilized by a disulfide …

Building Academic-Community Partnerships To Reduce Rural Health Disparities, Latoya J. O'Neal, Marcia Brown, Biswadeep Dhar, Noemi Reyes, Brittany Blake, John Diaz, Karla Shelnutt

Journal of Extension

Rural health disparities are increasing in the United States. Academic–community partnerships between Extension and faith-based organizations present a unique opportunity to improve health outcomes in rural areas. The main objective of this study was to identify the perceived barriers, needs, and strategies for implementing effective and sustainable health promotion programs through Extension and faith community partnerships. We conducted semi-structured interviews with Extension professionals and faith community leaders (N = 15). Our results suggest that academic–community partnerships could leverage shared needs, resources, and strategies to serve as a model for reducing health disparities among low-income, minoritized adults residing in rural …

Adapting And Delivering An Extension Diabetes Self-Management Support Program To Serve The Hispanic Community, Camden Bryan, Samantha Kanny, Christina Dietz, Danielle Mcfall, Michelle Parisi, Michelle Stancil, Johanna Bruen, Rhonda Matthews, Windsor W Sherrill

Journal of Extension

Expanding Extension education programs to serve the Hispanic community will be important as this population continues to grow. The rate of diabetes is higher among the Hispanic population than the non-Hispanic population; however, the barriers to implementing a health education program and recruiting participants are plentiful. This paper highlights the work conducted by the Clemson Cooperative Extension Service, in partnership with organizations across South Carolina, to adapt and deliver the Health Extension for Diabetes program to the Hispanic community. It offers insights into effective strategies for program adaptation, recruitment, and delivery that agents can use to overcome barriers and increase …

Collaboration Is Key: Improving And Increasing Inclusive Programming Through Partnership, Brandy D James, Elizabeth Sparks, Fiona S Davey, Burris Duncan, Nadine Chau

Journal of Extension

Collaborative partnerships between Cooperative Extension offices and the University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities are a key opportunity to assess and improve accessible, inclusive programming for the communities they serve. This article outlines such a partnership between local Extension, the local UCEDD, and the local Network for Down Syndrome. It reviews their collaborative process and the resulting pilot program—-an inclusive cooking class. Evaluations of the program and collaborative process demonstrate that the partners' collaboration enabled organizational capacity building and improved service provision for persons with Down Syndrome.

Rapid Recovery Of Peripheral Oxygen Saturation In Hypoxic Covid-19 Patients With Ivermectin/Doxycycline/Zinc Multidrug Therapy, Sabine Hazan, Adriana C. Vidal, Eleftherios Gkioulekas, Anoja W. Gunaratne, Sibaish Dolai, Robert L. Clancy, Peter A. Mccullough, Thomas J. Borody

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Several combination therapies for the early outpatient treatment of COVID-19 were proposed by independent research groups at the onset of the pandemic during 2020 and 2021. In this observational study, we report on the outcomes of an off-label triple combination therapy, consisting of ivermectin, doxycycline, and zinc, with adjunct vitamin C and D3 supplementation, which was used on high-risk COVID-19 patients. These patients refused an initial recommendation to seek inpatient care, despite a high-risk presentation compounded with one or more comorbidities and/or severe hypoxia. Telemedicine was used to administer personalized treatment to patients at home, who did not have access …

Behavioral Intentions And Use Of Telehealth Among Afro-Caribbean Immigrants In Florida, Patsy Patricia Lindo-Wood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many researchers have documented the benefits of telehealth in managing cardiovascular disease and its risk factors. However, acceptance and use of telehealth among immigrants in the United States were low compared to other users, and little is known about Afro-Caribbean immigrants and their telehealth acceptance and use. Guided by the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, this study explored how performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions shape behavioral intentions and telehealth use among Afro-Caribbean immigrants in Port St. Lucie, Florida. A generic qualitative design with a purposive sampling strategy was used to interview 17 Afro-Caribbean …

Leadership-Mediated Retention Strategies To Sustain Workforce Capacity And Performance In Public Health, Meredith Winslow Wilkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Workforce retention challenges continue to affect public health leaders by contributing to staffing shortages, reduced organizational capacity, and disruptions in service delivery. Public health leaders are concerned with employee turnover because it affects workforce stability, organizational performance, and the ability to meet community health needs. Grounded in Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore effective workforce retention strategies used by public health leaders to retain skilled staff and strengthen organizational capacity and revenue. The participants were eight public health leaders in the Northeast region of the United States with responsibility for workforce management and …

Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation For Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis On Responder-Based Outcomes And Between-Study Heterogeneity, Clemens Heiser, Marcel Braun, Colin Huntley, Michael Hutz, Thomas Michael Kaffenberger, Maurits Boon

Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Faculty Papers

Background: Hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HNS) is an established surgical therapy for adults with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who are intolerant to positive airway pressure. Although aggregate response rates of ~70–80% have been reported, substantial variability across clinical settings remains poorly understood. Prior meta-analyses have largely emphasized pooled continuous outcomes, limiting interpretation of responder-based endpoints and drivers of between-study heterogeneity. Methods: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis was performed. MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL were searched from inception through 31 December 2025. Eligible studies enrolled adults with OSA treated with implantable HNS, reported Sher-defined response (≥50% AHI reduction and residual …

Bi-Allelic Loss-Of-Function Variants In Tmem63b Cause Syndromic Surfactant Dysfunction Disorder, Sock Hoai Chan, Audra N Iness, Jill A Rosenfeld, Mir Reza Bekheirnia, Lindsay C Burrage, Matthew Hoi Kin Chau, Chaerish Eint Myet Chae Htoo, Eric C Kao, Shamika Ketkar, Wan Wan Lim, Xi Luo, Rifhan Mazlan, Elizabeth Mizerik, Kein Seong Mun, Kalyani R Patel, Lorraine Potocki, Christina K Rapp, Xavier Roca, Ana Saianda, Ignacio Iglesias-Serrano, Everlyn C Siew, Donald Yuhui Sim, David R Spielberg, Sok-Kun Tae, Jing Xian Teo, Julian Warfsmann, Fan Xia, Child-Eu Registry, Saumya S Jamuar, Ee Shien Tan, Matthias Griese, Weng Khong Lim, Meow-Keong Thong, Keren Machol

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Transmembrane protein 63B gene (TMEM63B) encodes a mechanosensitive ion channel expressed in alveolar type II epithelial cells, where it mediates stretch-induced surfactant secretion. While heterozygous gain-of-function variants in TMEM63B have been associated with developmental and epileptic encephalopathy, no human disorder has previously been linked to bi-allelic loss-of-function variants. Here, we report five individuals from four unrelated families with childhood interstitial lung disease and bi-allelic predicted loss-of-function variants in TMEM63B. Affected individuals presented with early-onset respiratory distress, chronic hypoxemia, and diffuse parenchymal lung abnormalities on chest imaging. One individual died in infancy, two underwent bilateral lung transplantation, and two require oxygen …

Perspective On Lessons Not Learned: From Coley’S Toxins To Microbial Drug Delivery, Guidance For Institutional Review Boards (Irbs), Brian P. Hanley, Alejandro J. Betancourt, Gustavo Gross, Wilbur (Bo) Bowne

School of Medicine Publications

The bacterial and toxin methods of cancer treatment date back 130 years. This paradigm rests on nonspecific bacterial-toxin-generated immunotherapy. This high-risk oncology research is experiencing a renaissance of methods that are among the most effective yet. Glioblastomas and other resistant cancers are the modern touchpoint, because of remission history following sepsis. Spurred by recent research deaths, we discuss protocols IRBs should consider in live bacterial or synthetic immuno-stimulatory trials. Human systemic inflammatory response syndrome immunology is unique due to non-functioning SIGLEC-13 and 17, which control excessive Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) signaling. This is not a technicality like human CD8+/CD4+ T …

Extracellular Vesicle-Mediated Transfer Of Gsdme-Nt Pores As A Mechanism Of Inflammation Propagation, Bifeng Xiao

Master's Theses

Inflammasomes are multiprotein complexes that initiate inflammatory signaling through activation of caspase-1, cytokine maturation, and cleavage of Gasdermin D (GSDMD). Cleaved GSDMD forms membrane pores that contribute to cytokine release and pyroptotic cell death. Recent evidence suggests that extracellular vesicles (EVs) may facilitate the intercellular transfer of inflammatory mediators. This study investigated whether GSDMD N-terminal fragment (GSDMD-NT) associates with EV-enriched fractions and contributes to inflammation propagation. Doxycycline-inducible HeLa cells expressing FLAG-tagged GSDMD-NT were used to generate EV-enriched fractions. Western blot analysis detected GSDMD-NT-associated material within EV fractions, while EV marker analysis supported successful enrichment of EV-associated material. Exposure of recipient …

Peer-Peer Mentoring In Undergraduate Medical Education (Ume): Scoping Review Of Us-Based Medical Schools, Sakshi Sehgal, Jordon Brinkley, Andrea Kadima, Sydney Wright, Nicole Winston Ms, Pharmd, Edd

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Mentorship plays a formative role in undergraduate medical education (UME) From shaping professional outcomes to developing longitudinal personal relationships, various forms of mentorship can influence student progress meaningfully, particularly for students from underrepresented or marginalized backgrounds. Though faculty-student mentorship has been readily investigated, limited knowledge exists regarding peer-peer mentorship structures, particularly within UME in the American medical education model. This scoping review sought to investigate existing peer-peer mentorship models, as well as report on the need for further mentorship within this realm in UME.

Methods: This scoping review employed Arksey and O’Malley’s framework. We conducted a systematic and comprehensive …

The Role Of Social Determinants Of Health In Hydroxyurea Adherence Among Persons With Sickle Cell Disease: A Systematic Review, Doreen O. Ugwu, Lori L. Vick, Terika Williams, Aurela Nikaj, Seyi Omeh, Benjamin Becerra Dr., Tilicia Mayo-Gamble

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Objective: Georgia has one of the highest prevalences of sickle cell disease (SCD). For Georgians living with SCD, inadequate medication adherence is associated with important clinical outcomes. One important area that is understudied in SCD is the impact of social determinants of health (SDoH) on medication adherence. A foundational understanding of SDoH is needed to introduce, inform and carry out programs and interventions designed to facilitate hydroxyurea adherence through the state of Georgia.

Method: We conducted a systematic literature review to synthesize the literature on SDoH addressed in studies to improve hydroxyurea adherence in persons with SCD. SDoH were based …

Caregiving And Mental Health Among Mothers During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Makayla Elise Techentine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic led to reliance on family members or friends to care for the sick, resulting in a burden of informal caregiving stressors and relationship to mental health. Guided by the stress process model, this quantitative, cross-sectional study aimed to assess the relationship between caregiving stressors and the mental health of mothers of children aged 18 years or younger who were serving as informal caregivers. Secondary data from the 2020-2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (N = 1,772) considered the independent variables related to caregiving stressors, including hours spent caregiving, time since becoming a caregiver, personal care …