Digital Commons Network^™

Prevalence And Factors Associated With Regular Fast-Food Consumption Among Adults In The Uae: A Cross-Sectional Study, Ala Al Rajabi, Rafiq Hijazi, Lynne Alexandra Kennedy

All Works

Objectives: To assess the prevalence and identify sociodemographic predictors of regular fast-food consumption (R-FFC) among United Arab Emirates (UAE) adults to inform public health nutrition responses to growing diet-related ill health in the region. Design: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study using purposive, convenience sampling. Data were collected using an online survey adapted from two validated surveys and distributed via social media platforms. R-FFC was defined as visiting a fast-food restaurant to eat ≥ 2 times/week. Pearson’s χ ² tests and multiple binary logistic regression models were used to investigate prevalence and predictors of R-FFC. All statistical significance was considered …

Mbnl Loss Of Function In Smooth Muscle As A Model For Myotonic Dystrophy Associated Gastrointestinal Dysmotility, Janel A M Peterson, Jesus A Frias, Andrew N Miller, Krishnakant G Soni, Yi Zhang, Zheng Xia, John W Day, Geoffrey A Preidis, Thomas A Cooper

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is the most common adult-onset muscular dystrophy and severely affects multiple organ systems, including the brain, heart, skeletal muscle, and gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Despite 80% of individuals with DM1 experiencing GI dysfunction that affects their daily life, the mechanisms of GI dysmotility in DM1 remain an understudied aspect of the disease. DM1 is caused by a CTG repeat expansion in the DMPK gene that, when expressed as an expanded CUG repeat RNA, sequesters and reduces the activity of the muscleblind-like (MBNL) RNA-binding protein family. We developed a mouse line with conditional, smooth muscle-specific knockout of …

Molecular Effects Of Glucose On Mir503hg-Regulated Genes In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Victoria Reid, Barbara Yang, Kyle Russo, Melina J. Sedano, Ramesh Choudhari, Enrique I. Ramos, Shrikanth S. Gadad

School of Medicine Publications

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive breast cancer subtype, characterized by a lack of key hormone receptors in tumor cells. As there are limited treatment options for these patients, it is crucial to understand the underlying mechanisms by which TNBC constantly evolves and evades treatments. In this regard, the pervasive nature of transcription provides a potential reservoir of transcripts, including both coding and noncoding, that TNBC leverages to sustain a proliferative advantage and support tumor growth. TNBC is affected by energy sources such as glucose, which can have a profound impact on gene expression regulation mediated by various …

Intouch Week Of December 15, 2025, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Record Numbers, Remarkable Research Define 30th Medical Student Research Forum
• Wellness Ambassador Program Welcomes New Student Leaders
• New Test Could Revolutionize Lyme Disease Diagnosis
• Meal Plan Launches Through Vemos Pay
• Off Campus, On Craft: Jeanne Chamas Keeps the Department on Track and the Community in Step

Cv: Maria Josefina Natividad (Medical Assistant, Pharmacy Technican), Maria Josefina Natividad

Health Sciences Department Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

Loss Of Mfap5 And Its Effect On Skin Homeostasis And Wound Healing, Chen Han, Heidi Yuan, Timothy J Koh, Lin Chen, Robert P Mecham, Luisa A Dipietro

2020-Current year OA Pubs

MFAP5, also known as microfibrillar-associated glycoprotein-2 (MAGP2), may influence parameters of skin wound healing related to scar formation. To further elucidate its role in skin wound healing, we assessed skin wound repair in Mfap5

Development Of An Evidence-Based Nutrition Protocol For Professional Pickleball Athletes, Laura Morales

Department of Nutrition Student Projects

Professional pickleball has expanded rapidly, yet sport-specific nutrition guidance remains absent. Current information available to athletes comes largely from non-professional or industry sources and lacks an evidence-based foundation. This project aims to address that gap by developing a nutrition protocol tailored specifically for professional pickleball players. The approach synthesizes data from pickleball workload studies, racket-sport physiology, and established sports nutrition consensus statements. Key focus areas include fueling strategies, protein distribution for recovery, hydration and sodium planning, heat acclimation and cooling practices, travel and jet-lag management, altitude considerations, and evidence-based supplementation. By integrating findings from racket-sport analogs and intermittent high-intensity training …

Acute And Chronic Effects Of Neuroinflammation On Hippocampus And Anterior Cingulate Cortex Network Dynamics, Lauren A. Crew

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Neuroinflammation has emerged as a critical modulator of cognitive function and neural circuit dynamics, yet the distinct contributions of acute and chronic neuroinflammation to brain function remain poorly defined. This dissertation examines how inflammation independently alters large-scale neural activity and behavior, focusing on interactions between the hippocampus (HPC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), regions essential for memory and executive processes. Using in vivo electrophysiological techniques in a rodent model, this study compares the effects of short-term (acute) and prolonged (chronic) neuroinflammatory states, induced via Poly I:C, on neural oscillations, regional coherence, and spatial coding. Findings reveal that even transient inflammation …

Extracellular Matrix-Mycaf Signatures Correlate With Resistance To Neoadjuvant Apd-L1 Immune Checkpoint Inhibition With Durvalumab + Metformin In Hpv+ Hnscc, Pablo Llerena, Hani Samarah, Kathryn Nunes, Zhao Lin, Kelly Bridgham, Sruti Tekumalla, Amiti Jain, Larry A. Harshyne, Sanket Kumar Shukla, Ioannis Vathiotis, Madalina Tuluc, Stacey Gargano, John R. Eisenbrey, Scott W Keith, David Cognetti, Voichita Bar-Ad, Adam J. Luginbuhl, Rita S. Axelrod, Rajanikanth Vadigepalli, Hushan Yang, Diana Whitaker-Menezes, Megan Roche, My G. Mahoney, Athanassios Argiris, Charalambos C. Solomides, Jennifer Johnson, Md, Mouadh Barbirou, Amanda Miller, Andrew P. South, Ramkrishna Mitra, Alban J Linnenbach, Ubaldo E. Martinez-Outshoorn, Joseph Curry

Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have demonstrated clinical benefit in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC); however, single-agent efficacy is limited, leaving significant unmet needs. Metformin may synergize with ICIs, offering promise to improve response rates. We leveraged multiomic data from a randomized, presurgical neoadjuvant trial (NCT03618654) evaluating a single infusion of the anti-PD-L1 ICI durvalumab with or without daily, standard dose metformin in previously untreated, nondiabetic patients with HNSCC to understand predictors of response and the effect of combination therapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Clinical, pathologic, and correlative data were analyzed to investigate response and resistance mechanisms. We present …

Methylation-Based Signature To Distinguish Indolent And Aggressive Prostate Cancer, Muheng Liao, Jace Webster, Amy Ly, Emily Rozycki, Christopher A Maher

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Prostate cancer management faces significant challenges in distinguishing indolent from aggressive disease, particularly since most patients are intermediate-risk and therefore hinders the ability to recommend standardized treatment recommendations. Moreover, current prognostic tools including Gleason scoring and tumor staging demonstrate limited accuracy for predicting disease progression and tumor recurrence. DNA methylation serves as a stable epigenetic modification that directly regulates gene expression, making it an ideal biomarker for cancer prognosis. Therefore, this study leveraged whole-genome enzymatic methylation sequencing on 120 patients to develop a novel prognostic signature for aggressive prostate cancer progression. We analyzed 20,849 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) and employed …

Objective Vs. Perceived Maternal Smartphone Use And Observed Mother-Infant Interaction Quality, Alison K. Ventura, Lara N. Wolfers, Sarah M. Coyne, Rachel Pfafman, Sabrina Uva, Karla I. Ceja Almontes, Aniruddha S. Shinde, Adam M. Galovan, Brandon Mcdaniel

Health Services and Informatics Research

Introduction:

Prior research links maternal smartphone use to reduced sensitivity and responsiveness to infant cues, but emerging evidence suggests that mothers' perceptions of their smartphone use - such as feelings of empowerment or distress - may also shape the quality of mother-infant interactions. This study examined how both objective and perceived smartphone use related to mother-infant interaction quality in naturalistic settings.

Method:

Participants were 147 mother-infant dyads from a longitudinal study of smartphone use and infant development. When infants were 2 months old, mothers completed 5 days of ecological momentary assessment (EMA), reporting time spent with their infant, perceived smartphone-related …

Current Insight Into Ldlr And Pcsk9 Genetic Variants: Investigating Genetic Keys To Cholesterol In A Cohort Of Stroke Patients From Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Loury Priskila, Lenggana Relung Atmadi, Arya Taksya Bagaskara, Andreas Mercyan Anggitama

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Stroke is the second leading cause of mortality worldwide. In Yogyakarta, Indonesia, the incidence of stroke (14%) is higher than the national average. We therefore investigated the roles of LDLR rs688 (C/T) and PCSK9 rs562565 (A/G) polymorphisms in familial hypercholesterolemia as predictors of first-time ischemic stroke.

Methods: In this case-control study, 119 first-time ischemic stroke patients were divided into dyslipidemia (N = 71) and non-dyslipidemia groups (N = 48). The DNA of the nucleotide polymorphisms LDLR rs688 (C/T) and PCSK9 rs562556 (A/G) was extracted and analyzed using the PCR-RFLP method, and statistical analyses were performed to evaluate …

Moving Toward Healthy Ageing: The Role Of Physical Activity In Cognitive Function And Self-Esteem Among Older Adults In Türkiye, Canan Birimoglu Okuyan, Müjde Kerkez

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between religious attitudes and breastfeeding attitudes and the effect of this relationship on breastfeeding practices.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 251 older adults. Data were collected using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, the Standardized Mini-Mental State Examination, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Spearman’s correlation and chi-square tests were employed for statistical analysis.

Results: Physical activity levels were positively correlated with both cognitive function (r = 0.546, p < 0.001) and self-esteem (r = 0.168, p < 0.05). No significant association was observed between cognitive function and self-esteem. Physical inactivity, cognitive decline, and low self-esteem were more prevalent among women, participants with lower educational attainment, those with chronic diseases, and individuals engaged in polypharmacy.

Conclusions: The findings emphasize the importance of integrating physical activity promotion into national healthy ageing policies, particularly in Mediterranean contexts such …

Low-Dimensional Signatures Of Neuronal Activity Associated With Long-Term Operant Conditioning In Aplysia, Sara Vanaki, Nicholas O Gonzalez, Curtis L Neveu, Yuto Momohara, Behnaam Aazhang, John H Byrne

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Operant conditioning is a form of learning in which a behavior is reinforced by reward. Operant conditioning has multiple temporal domains, ranging from short-term, lasting a few minutes, to long-term, persisting for at least 24 h. The extent to which short- and long-term operant conditioning memories rely on shared or separate neural mechanisms is poorly understood. Voltage-sensitive dye (VSD) imaging has been used previously to record the activity of a large number of neurons simultaneously in the buccal ganglion to measure changes in neuronal activity during short-term operant conditioning. We examined neuronal activity using VSD 24 h after operant conditioning …

Targeting Kinesin Family Member 20a Sensitizes Stem-Like Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells To Standard Chemotherapy, Yayoi Adachi, Weilong Chen, Cheng Zhang, Tao Wang, Nina Gildor, Rachel Shi, Haoyong Fu, Masashi Takeda, Qian Liang, Fangzhou Zhao, Hongyi Liu, Jun Fang, Jin Zhou, Hongwei Yao, Lianxin Hu, Shina Li, Lei Guo, Lin Xu, Ling Xie, Xian Chen, Chengheng Liao, Qing Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), being both aggressive and highly lethal, poses a major clinical challenge in terms of treatment. Its heterogeneity and lack of hormone receptors or HER2 expression further restrict the availability of targeted therapy. Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs), known to fuel TNBC malignancy, are now being exploited as a vulnerability for TNBC treatment. Here, we dissected the transcriptome of BCSCs and identified kinesin family member 20A (KIF20A) as a key regulator of BCSC survival and TNBC tumorigenesis. Genetic depletion or pharmacological inhibition of KIF20A impairs BCSC viability and tumor initiation and development in vitro and in vivo. …

Protocol For Isolation Of Lipid Droplets And Mitochondria From Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells For Lipidomic Analysis, Ran Zhao, Liang Zhang, Shuxin Dong, Kazuharu Kamachi, Saurabh Kumar Gupta, Hiroki Akiyama, Jalen Nguyen, G Lavender Hackman, Michael Andreeff, Alessia Lodi, Jo Ishizawa

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Lipid droplets (LDs) are dynamic organelles critical for lipid and energy homeostasis. LD dysregulation is implicated in various diseases, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which exhibits aberrant lipid metabolism and chemoresistance. Here, we describe an effective protocol for the co-isolation of LDs and mitochondria from lipid-deficient cell types, e.g., AML cells. We detail procedures for the isolation, quality verification, and results from mass spectrometry-based lipidomic analysis. This protocol enables the functional study of organellar lipidomic regulation in AML.

Ankimedbench: Evaluating Hierarchical Medical Knowledge In Language Model Embeddings, Neel Patel

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Despite achieving over 90% accuracy on medical benchmarks, recent studies show physicians cannot effectively leverage language models to improve clinical reasoning. Current benchmarks test isolated factual recall, but clinical practice requires hierarchical navigation through diagnostic categories—starting broad and narrowing systematically from chest pain to cardiovascular pathology to myocardial infarction to specific STEMI types. Existing evaluations cannot measure whether models preserve this taxonomic structure essential for clinical reasoning.

We introduce AnkiMedBench, built from 16,512 medical flashcards used by students preparing for licensing exams. Cards are organized across six hierarchy levels spanning 16 broad medical specialties to 672 specific diseases and conditions. …

Spinach (Spinacia Oleracea L) Flavonoids Are Hydrolyzed During Digestion And Their Bioaccessibility Is Under Stronger Genetic Control Than Raw Material Content, Michael P Dzakovich, Alvin L Tak, Elaine A Le, Rachel P Dang, Benjamin W Redan, Geoffrey A Dubrow

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

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Facts And Hopes Of Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Redirected Nk T Cells, Amy N Courtney, Xin Zhou, Gengwen Tian, Ying Wang, Leonid S Metelitsa, Gianpietro Dotti

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered invariant NK T cells (CAR-NKT) are a novel cell platform for cancer immunotherapy. Unlike conventional T cells, NKTs are characterized by innate antitumor properties, minimal alloreactivity, and a unique ability to modulate the tumor microenvironment. This article provides a comprehensive overview of preclinical and early clinical studies evaluating CAR-NKTs in both autologous and allogeneic clinical settings. We discuss the contributions of CAR signaling domains, cytokine coexpression, and other functional measures that correlate with CAR-NKT persistence, function, and metabolic fitness. We also discuss the critical role of immunocompetent animal models in elucidating the interactions of CAR-NKTs with …

Mitochondrial Complex Ii Orchestrates Divergent Effects In Cd4+ And Cd8+ T Cells, Keisuke Seike, Shih-Chun A Chu, Yuichi Sumii, Takashi Ikeda, Meng-Chih Wu, Laure Maneix, Dongchang Zhao, Yaping Sun, Marcin Cieslik, Pavan Reddy

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Mitochondrial metabolism orchestrates T cell functions, yet the role of specific mitochondrial components in distinct T cell subsets remains poorly understood. Here, we explored the role of mitochondrial complex II (MC II), the only complex from the electron transport chain (ETC) that plays a role in both ETC and metabolism, in regulating T cell functions. Surprisingly, MC II exerts divergent effects on CD4+ and CD8+ T cell activation and function. Using T cell-specific MC II subunit, succinate dehydrogenase A-deficient (SDHA-deficient) mice, we integrated single-cell RNA-seq and metabolic profiling, with in vitro and in vivo T cell functional assays to illuminate …

A Long Non-Coding Rna Leat1 Mediates The Hormone Responsiveness Of Efnb2 During Male Urogenital Development, Deidre Mattiske, Pascal Bernard, Paul E Gradie, Richard R Behringer, Paul A Overbeek, Rachel J O'Neill, Tiffany Phillips, Melanie Stewart, Neil Youngson, Gerard Tarulli, Andrew J Pask

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The novel long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) Leat1 is extraordinarily conserved in both its location (syntenic with EfnB2, an essential gene in anogenital patterning) and sequence. Here we show that Leat1 is upregulated following the production of testosterone from the developing testis in mice and interacts with EfnB2, positively regulating its expression. Leat1 expression is suppressed by estrogen, which in turn suppresses the expression of EfnB2. Moreover, the loss of Leat1 leads to reduced EfnB2, resulting in a severe hypospadias phenotype. The human LEAT1 gene is also co-expressed with EFNB2 in the developing human penis, suggesting a conserved function for this …

Transdiagnostic Links Of Reward Processing In Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder And Depression, Kevin M Wagner, Matti Cervin, Jessica S C Cheng, Jasmine Arriaga, Vanessa Zavala Cruz, Dayan Berrones, Josselyn S Muñoz, Renee M Frederick, Jacey L Anderberg, Belinda E Núñez Bracho, Victor R Adorno, Leonardo F Fontenelle, Andrew D Wiese, Latin American Trans-Ancestry Initiative For Ocd Genomics (Latino), Brazilian Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorder Working Group (Gttoc), James J Crowley, Eric A Storch

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objectives: Transdiagnostic models aim to uncover shared mechanisms across mental disorders. Reward responsiveness (the ability to experience pleasure from rewarding stimuli) is a plausible, yet underexplored, transdiagnostic mechanism linking obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression. This study used network analysis to (1) examine how key reward responsiveness domains are interlinked in individuals with OCD and (2) explore how each domain is uniquely associated with OCD and depression.

Methods: A total of 1345 individuals with a history of OCD symptoms (ages 18-88, 71 % women) from Latino communities in the United States (including Puerto Rico) and nine Latin American countries completed validated …

Shedding Light On Seasonal Depression: Practical Strategies For Pediatric Care, Mike Smith, Sara R. Gould

Pediatrics in Practice: A CME Podcast

As daylight fades and winter approaches, pediatricians often see an uptick in mood-related concerns among children and adolescents. In this episode, we explore how to recognize the signs of seasonal depression, differentiate it from other mood disorders, and apply evidence-based interventions. Our expert guest shares practical screening tools, treatment options—including light therapy and behavioral strategies—and tips for partnering with families and schools to support mental health during the darker months. Whether you’re in primary care or a specialty clinic, this conversation offers actionable insights to help you guide patients through seasonal challenges.

Click here to stream the podcast episode.

Radiogenomic Profiling Of Prostate Tumors Prior To External Beam Radiotherapy Converges On A Transcriptomic Signature Of Tgf-Β Activity Driving Tumor Recurrence, Anson T. Ku, Uma Shankavaram, Shana Y. Trostel, Hong Zhang, Sumeyra Kartal, Houssein A. Sater, Stephanie A. Harmon, Nicole V. Carrabba, Yang Liu, Hyunnam Ryu, James A. Proudfoot, Boon Hao Hong, Bradford J. Wood, Peter A. Pinto, Peter L. Choyke, Mack Roach, Howard M. Sandler, Stephanie L. Pugh, Kenneth L. Zeitzer, Lucas C. Mendez, Nirav S. Kapadia, William A. Hall, Anand B. Desai, Radka S. Stoyanova, Alan Pollack, Elai Davicioni, Melvin L. K. Chua, Baris Turkbey, Adam G. Sowalsky, Deborah E. Citrin

Einstein Health Papers

PURPOSE: Clinical risk grouping based on PSA, tumor grade, and disease extent guides treatment intensity for localized prostate cancer. However, many patients with intermediate- or high-risk disease treated with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) still develop biochemical recurrence (BCR). Early identification of patients at high risk for BCR could enable personalized treatment strategies.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We prospectively enrolled 29 patients with intermediate- or high-risk prostate cancer undergoing EBRT and ADT. Pretreatment biopsies (n = 60) underwent whole-transcriptome microarray and whole-exome sequencing. Patients received multiparametric MRI at baseline and 6 months after treatment, with a median follow-up …

Biophysical Simulation Enables Segmentation And Nervous System Atlas Mapping For Image First Spatial Omics, Lina Mohammed Ali, Aldrin Kay Yuen Yim, Emanuel Gerbi, Thien Nguyen, Nicholas Tu, Faith Ikede, Remi Sampaleanu, Diana Grigore, Jason Waligorski, Colin Kremitzki, Liya Yuan, Wendy Dong, Robi Mitra, Jeffrey Milbrandt, William Buchser

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Spatial omics (SO) produces high-definition mapping of subcellular molecules within tissue samples. Mapping transcripts to anatomical regions requires segmentation, but this remains challenging in tissue cross-sections with tubular structures like axons in peripheral nerve or spinal cord. Neural networks could address misidentification but are hindered by the need for extensive human annotations. We present SiDoLa-NS (Simulate, Don't Label-Nervous System), an image-driven (top-down) approach to SO analysis in the nervous system. We utilize biophysical properties of tissue architectures to design synthetic images of tissue samples, eliminating reliance on manual annotation and enabling scalable training data generation. With synthetic samples, we trained …

Protocols For Antioxidant Testing: A Mini Review Of Common Assays And Approaches, Abdulsalam Halboup, Sameer A. Alkubati

AUIQ Complementary Biological System

Antioxidants play a pivotal role in mitigating damage caused by oxidative stress, which is implicated in aging, inflammation, neurodegeneration, and various chronic diseases. With the growing interest in natural and synthetic antioxidants across nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and food industries, the need for reliable, reproducible, and standardized testing methods has become increasingly urgent. This mini-review provides a structured overview of the most widely used antioxidant testing protocols, categorized into in vitro chemical-based assays (e.g., DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, metal chelation), cell-based assays (e.g., DCFH-DA for intracellular ROS detection), and in vivo biomarker-based models. Each method’s principle, experimental protocol, advantages, and limitations are critically …

Prevalence Of Giardia Infection: A Cross-Sectional Study In Basra Province, Iraq, Sarah Kamal Naser

AUIQ Complementary Biological System

Giardiasis is a common parasite infection that is seen more frequently than any other parasitic infection worldwide. This infection is especially prevalent in tropical areas and in developing nations that have a poor standard of living and poor health conditions. The Giardia parasite is able to infect people of any gender, as it enters the body by the mouth, passes down the oesophagus, and finally reaches the stomach, where it is not negatively impacted by gastric acids. The goal of this study is to determine the extent to which patients who were treated at Al-Zubair General Hospital in Basra, Iraq, …

The Incorporation Of Salivary Diagnostic Testing In Dental Hygiene Program Curriculum; A Pilot Study Using A Self-Reported Questionnaire, Carrie B. Palmer-Hawkins

Dental Hygiene ETDs

This study evaluated the incorporation of salivary diagnostic testing in dental hygiene program curricula. A recruitment email and survey link were sent to a convenience sample of 296 CODA-accredited program directors in the United States. Using a descriptive research approach, the survey gathered quantitative and qualitative data exploring directors’ perspectives on the role of salivary testing in dental hygiene education. Thirty-seven responses were gathered over three weeks, and 34 participants were included in the study, resulting in a response rate of 13%. Thirty-eight percent (n=13) reported incorporating salivary testing into their dental hygiene program curriculum through didactic or clinical coursework. …

Neurobehavioral Mechanisms Of Psychotic-Like Experiences And Cannabis Use, Ethan Campbell

Psychology ETDs

As cannabis use has increased steadily over the past decade, there is critical need to evaluate early cannabis use as a potential risk factor for the development of psychosis. Neurobehavioral mechanisms underlying novelty salience could clarify how cannabis exposure may influence subclinical psychotic-like experiences (PLEs). The present study leveraged dynamic functional connectivity and task-fMRI to assess the role of novelty processing in cannabis use and PLEs. A group of brain regions dynamically tied to the salience network while viewing short films were found to increase their activation as a function of stimulus novelty during a novelty bandit task. PLEs were …

The Effect Of Platelet Rich Plasma Injection Vs. Steroid Injection On Plantar Fasciitis, Brian Nangle, Lasya Ampaty

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Objective: Assess the ability of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections to perform better than steroid injections in a population refractory to conservative treatment. Design: Systematic literature review. Methods: Searches were done in PubMed and Scopus, utilizing the terms platelet-rich plasma, steroid injection, and plantar fasciitis. The following limits and terms were used: published in the last 5 years, randomized control trial, used both VAS scale and AOFAS scale. Results: All 3 studies demonstrated that PRP injections allowed more pain reduction and improved stability when compared to steroid injections. Conclusion: PRP injections offer a well-tolerated, minimally invasive procedure for patients refractory to …