Digital Commons Network^™

The Relationship Between Dietary Sodium Intake And Cognitive Function: A Narrative Review, Samantha L. Gardener, M. Fu, L. Morini, T. Schwartzkopff, G. Savage, R. N. Martins, S. R. Rainey-Smith

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose of Review: This narrative review provides discussion on current evidence regarding the relationship between sodium intake and cognitive function in animal and human studies, as well as potential mechanisms underlying this relationship. Recent Findings: Recent evidence suggests high sodium intake is associated with development of cognitive impairment and neural dysfunction. Additionally, studies have proposed that high sodium intake is associated with increased aggregation of Aβ-amyloid and that hypertension (for which high sodium intake is a risk factor) modulates the relationship between Aβ-amyloid and development of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. However, while animal studies demonstrate a consistent relationship between …

Translation, Cross-Cultural Adaptation, And Psychometric Validation Of The Team Emergency Assessment Measure (Team) Into European Spanish: A Multi-Perspective Study Including Peer-Assessment, Esther Leon-Castelao, Jose Luis Medina-Moya, Alejandro Durante-Lopez, Pedro Castro-Rebollo, Simon Cooper, Antoni Ruiz-Bueno, Jordi Bañeras

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: The Team Emergency Assessment Measure (TEAM) is the most widely used tool for evaluating emergency team performance, with robust psychometric evidence across multiple languages and settings. However, no European Spanish version has been validated, and no previous TEAM study has simultaneously assessed teamwork from four complementary rater perspectives: instructors from the learners’ own specialty, instructors from other specialties, self-assessment by the performing participants, and peer-assessment by observing peers. This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and psychometrically validate a European Spanish version of the TEAM (s-TEAM) and to evaluate its reliability and validity across these four perspectives in emergency …

Assessing Content Validity Of The Osteo-Taq(Aus) Using Cognitive Interviews: Cross-Jurisdictional Evidence From Uk Osteopathic Practice​​, Oliver P. Thomson, Elena Golder, Gopi Anne Mcleod, Jerry Draper-Rodi, Steven Vogel, Brett Vaughan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: The Osteopaths’ Therapeutic Approaches Questionnaire (Osteo-TAQ) has demonstrated content, construct, and face validity across multiple jurisdictions but required cognitive validation for use in the United Kingdom (UK). Objectives: To assess the cognitive content and face validity of the Australian-adapted Osteo-TAQ (Osteo-TAQ(Aus)) with practising UK osteopaths, and to determine whether any revisions were necessary. Methods: Cognitive interviews were conducted with six (n = 6) UK osteopaths using a combination of think-aloud and verbal probing techniques, informed by the Cognitive Interview Reporting Framework (CIRF). Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using team-based content analysis to identify issues of item interpretation, clarity …

Bone, Muscle, And Physical Function Measures In Older Adults According To Levels Of Social Disadvantage: A Cross-Sectional Study, Jason Talevski, Sharon Brennan-Olsen, Stefanie Bird, Sara Vogrin, Alison Beauchamp, Mizhgan Fatima, Cassandra Smith, Gustavo Duque

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Summary: This cross-sectional study of 300 older adults (aged ≥ 50 years) found that less education, lower income, and health care card ownership are associated with reduced bone, muscle, and physical function measures. This underscores the need for targeted preventive strategies for osteoporosis and sarcopenia that address socioeconomic-related disparities. Purpose: The prevalence of chronic diseases follows a social gradient, although this is unclear in musculoskeletal conditions. This study aims to examine the association between social disadvantage and diagnostic measures of osteoporosis and sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults. Methods: A single-centre, cross-sectional study was conducted in adults (≥ 50 years) residing …

Do Flywheel Exercises Provide Eccentric-Overload Training?, Darjan Spudić, Kazunori Nosaka

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Interests in eccentric resistance exercises have been increasing in both research and practice. However, implementing eccentric resistance exercise training is often challenging due to the mechanical limitations of traditional training equipment. To address this, flywheel (FW) devices emerged as a practical alternative. FW devices are commonly considered to provide eccentric-overload training, in which the load is greater in eccentric than concentric phase. However, this is not always the case. In this article, we summarize the mechanical and physiological factors influencing the effectiveness of FW devices in achieving eccentric overload. Then, we discuss a significant limitation of FW resistance exercise in …

Methylated Cfdna May Distinguish Between High- And Intermediate-Risk Uveal Melanoma: A Pilot Study, Mike Wu, Daniël P. De Bruyn, Ruben G. Boers, Aaron B. Beasley, Daan M. Hazelaar, Stavros Makrodimitris, Joachim B. Boers, Jolanda Vaarwater, Ronald O.B. De Keizer, Robert M. Verdijk, Nicole C. Naus, Dion Paridaens, Saskia M. Wilting, Elin S. Gray, Wilfred F.J. Van Ijcken, Joost Gribnau, Annelies De Klein, Erwin Brosens, Emine Kiliç

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Uveal melanoma (UM) is a highly aggressive malignancy with a metastatic risk that depends on the molecular subclass. This subclass can be determined through molecular characterization of tumor-derived tissue. With eye-sparing treatments, tumor tissue is rarely available for molecular testing. We hypothesized that minimal invasive biomarkers such as methylated cell-free DNA (cfDNA) or circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) can be used for prognosis and monitoring of patients. Methods: Plasma cfDNA was isolated from healthy blood donors (HBDs, N = 19) and UM patients (N = 22). Plasma was collected at baseline (localized disease, N = 13) and during follow-up (metastatic …

Body Composition And Muscle Health Changes After Providing Vascular Imaging Results In Older Adults: Secondary Analysis Of A Randomised Controlled Trial, Jack Dalla Via, Simone Radavelli-Bagatini, Marc Sim, Abadi K. Gebre, Catherine P. Bondonno, Kun Zhu, Shelby Mullin, John T. Schousboe, Richard J. Woodman, Markus P. Schlaich, Moira Sim, Pawel Szulc, Douglas P. Kiel, Wai H. Lim, Robin M. Daly, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Joshua R. Lewis

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Provision of vascular imaging results has been investigated to prompt changes towards healthy lifestyle behaviours, but effects on body composition and muscle health are unknown. Aim: This secondary analysis of a 12-week parallel-group randomised controlled trial (RCT) aims to explore body composition and muscle health effects of providing healthy lifestyle education (Ed) with and without abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) results. Methods: A total of 240 Australian community-dwelling older men and women (mean ± SD age 68 ± 5 years; 58% female; 57.1% with evidence of AAC) were randomised to AAC + Ed (n = 121) or Control + Ed …

Discriminative Performance Of Externally Validated Dementia Risk Prediction Models: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Blossom C.M. Stephan, Jacob Brain, Kaarin J. Anstey, Tanya Buchanan, Claire V. Burley, Elissa Burton, Jennifer Dunne, Linda Errington, Matthew Gorringe, Zhongyang Guan, Bronwyn Myers, Serena Sabatini, Marc Sim, William Stephan, Eugene Yee Hing Tang, Narelle Warren, Mario Siervo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Data on the external validation of current dementia risk prediction models has not yet been systematically synthesised. This systematic review and meta-analysis collated results from three previous reviews to evaluate the predictive discriminative performance of dementia risk models when validated in population-based settings. Methods: Embase (via Ovid), Medline (via Ovid), Scopus, and Web of Science were searched from inception to June 2022 with an updated search conducted up to November 2024. Included studies (1) had a population-based cohort design; (2) assessed incident late-life (i.e. ≥ 60 years) dementia; and (3) reported predictive performance of at least one dementia risk …

Enhancing Independence And Social Connection: The Impact Of A Tailored Exercise Program On New Residents Transitioning Into Australian Residential Care Facilities, Stacey Scott, Annette Raynor, Julie Dare, Jennifer Grieve, Leesa Costello

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Transitioning from independent living to a residential care facility often results in a significant loss of independence, autonomy, and connectedness, leaving new residents with profound feelings of loss and grief. In light of these challenges, this study explored the potential benefits of a tailored in-house exercise program for new residents. Methods: The study took place in an Australian residential care facility and included four new residents (aged 72 to 88, 75% female), who participated in a 12-week tailored exercise program led by an exercise physiologist. A focused ethnographic approach was used to obtain a comprehensive data set, drawing on …

A Genomic Approach For Accurate Identification Of Closely Related Species With Next-Generation Sequencing Samples, Nour Al Dain Marzouka, Amira Al-Aamri, Fatima Alshamsi, Mariam Khalili, Sarah El Hajj Chehadeh, Meera S. Mohamed, Yassir Mohammed Eltahir, Rafeek Koliyan, Mohamed Moustafa Abdelhalim, Assem Attia, Mira Mousa, Guan Tay, Habiba Alsafar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Accurate species identification from Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) data remains challenging, particularly for closely related species such as sheep (Ovis aries) and goats (Capra hircus). Through analysis of mapping quality metrics and Kraken2 taxonomic classification of 40 WGS sheep and goat samples, we demonstrate that conventional approaches yield ambiguous results, with overlapping alignment rates and inconclusive taxonomic assignments. We present a robust comparative genomic approach that uses species-specific genomic regions to distinguish these species in WGS samples. We define species-specific regions as those exhibiting distinctive coverage patterns: average coverage when samples are aligned to their matching reference genome but absent/low …

Eccentric Exercise: Muscle Damage To The New Normal, Kazunori Nosaka

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

No abstract provided.

Adding A Weight To Constrain The Trunk Increases Knee Joint Kinetics During Sidestep Cutting In Female Athletes, Daniel Kadlec, J. Jordan, Jacqueline Alderson, Sophia Nimphius

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Sidestep cutting exposes the knee to high multiplanar loads that both challenge tissue capacity and provide an opportunity to develop resilience through progressive exposure. This study investigated task constraints applied at the trunk and preparatory step and changes in lower-body joint kinetics associated with ACL injury risk during sidestepping in female athletes. Twenty-one trained female athletes performed six sidestep conditions: pre-planned and unplanned sidesteps, each with and without trunk (holding ~ 5–7.5% body mass at chest level) and preparatory-step (ducking under an adjustable rope at eye height) constraints. Relative joint power at the hip, knee, and ankle was analysed using …

Association Of Glycd147 With Carotid Atherosclerosis: Evidence From Integrative Analyses, Cuihong Tian, Yang, Xingang Li, Hongxia Zhang, Jieyi He, Jinxiu Zhu, Yequn Chen, Xuerui Tan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory cardiovascular disease that progresses with ageing. Glycosylation plays a significant role in inflammation and contributes to the pathogenesis of ageing-related diseases, including atherosclerosis. Cluster of differentiation 147 (CD147), a glycosylated agonist of matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9), serves as an inducer of atherosclerosis and atherothrombosis. However, the effect of glycosylated CD147 (GlyCD147) on atherosclerosis remains unclear. This research aims to identify whether GlyCD147 is associated with atherosclerosis. Methods: To begin with, a clinical case-control study was designed to assess the differences of CD147 and GlyCD147 between 69 carotid atherosclerosis (CAS) cases and 69 controls. Traditional atherosclerotic …

Co-Creating An Intervention To Prevent Injuries In Police Force Recruits: A Concept Mapping Study Of Police Force Recruits, Police Force Staff, Health Professionals, And Research Experts, Myles Murphy, Andrea B. Mosler, Garth Allen, Alex Donaldson, Clare L. Ardern, Carolyn A. Emery, Martin Hägglund, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Joanne L. Kemp, Debra Langridge, Tiffany Mcalinden, Thomas Mirco, Sophia Nimphius, Simone Radavelli-Bagatini, Kiera Staley, Vanessa Sutton, Evert Verhagen, Andrea M. Bruder

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: Police force recruits have a high musculoskeletal injury burden, which results in a substantial economic burden and can lead to attrition. The objective of this study was to identify and prioritise the strategies perceived as important and feasible to reduce the prevalence, incidence, and burden of injury in police force recruits. Design: Mixed-methods concept mapping study. Methods: Forty-eight participants were recruited from four broad groups: police force recruits/officers; police force staff; health professionals; and research experts. Participants brainstormed statements in response to a prompt (“To prevent injury and/or reduce the impact of injury on law enforcement recruit training, I …

Effects Of Resisted Movement Training On Change-Of-Direction Speed In Recreationally Active And Trained Individuals: A Systematic Review With Network Meta-Analysis And Meta-Regression, Mingyang Zhang, Urs Granacher, Ruixiang Yan, Hallvard Nygaard Falch, Rodrigo Ramirez-Campillo, Kai Xu, Xing Zhang, Jinming Li, Shubo Xu, Yulin Luo, Duanying Li, Jian Sun

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: The ability to change directions quickly is critical for performance and injury prevention in multidirectional sports, yet the influence of resisted movement training (R-MT) on change-of-direction (COD) speed remains uncertain. Therefore, we aimed to examine the effectiveness of various R-MT methods on COD speed in individuals ranging from recreational to international level and to determine the relationship between test angle and COD adaptations. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, Scopus, and Google Scholar from inception to August 2025. Random-effects pairwise meta-analyses and a Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) synthesized effects of vertically resisted plyometric and …

Implementation And Effectiveness Of A Food Education Intervention To Promote Plant-Based Foods: A Partially Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial, Henna Vepsäläinen, Satu Kinnunen, Sari Niinistö, Leena Forma, Suvi T. Itkonen, Tuuli E. Korhonen, Liisa Korkalo, Heli Kuusipalo, Jelena Meinilä, Kaija Nissinen, Susanna Raulio, Ros Sambell, Mari Åkerlund, Suvi M. Virtanen, Maijaliisa Erkkola

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Legumes can substitute for meat and are thus a particularly important food group for environmental sustainability. As the use of legumes among Finnish children is marginal, there is potential for a substantial increase in their consumption. However, food education delivered through early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings has rarely focused specifically on environmentally sustainable foods, such as legumes. This study describes the implementation and effectiveness of an ECEC-delivered food education intervention within the FoodStep study. Methods: The partially cluster-randomized FoodStep intervention aimed to increase the supply of vegetables, legumes, fruits, berries, and sustainable fish while reducing the provision …

Graft Survival And Rejection With Repeated Human Leukocyte Antigen (Hla) Mismatch In Kidney Transplantation: A Retrospective Multicentre Cohort Study Protocol, Henry Guo, William Mulley, Narelle Watson, Rhonda Holdsworth, Anne Taverniti, Jon Downing, Alycia Thornton, Lucy Sullivan, Fiona Hudson, Christopher E. Davies, Ryan Gately, Armando Teixeira-Pinto, Germaine Wong, John Kanellis, Wai Lim

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Candidates awaiting repeat kidney transplantation face substantial immunological barriers due to prior human leukocyte antigen (HLA) allo-sensitisation. Re-exposure to previously mismatched HLA antigens may increase the risk of acute rejection and premature graft loss. Although avoidance of repeat HLA mismatches (RMM) has been standard practice, emerging evidence suggests this risk varies according to the specific HLA allelic RMM and anti-HLA antibody profile to the RMM. Here we describe the protocol for a retrospective registry-based cohort study that aims to determine the differences in graft outcome between recipients who received kidney transplants with and without RMM, and to examine the …

Preventive Behaviors Associated With Fall Incidence Among Older Adults Living In Rural Communities Of Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study, Rujira Nonsa-Ard, Sirapat Khodseewong, Kasama Wongprachum, Chaiwut Bourneow, Ploypailin Aneknan, Sumattana Glangkarn, Davina Porock

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: The escalating population of older adults poses a significant challenge, particularly in lower-middle-income countries like Thailand. Falls represent a critical public health concern in this demographic. This study aimed to identify risk factors influencing fall occurrence in older adults within a specific rural community context, where the majority of participants remain engaged in farm work.

Methods: A cross-sectional study design was utilized, involving 1,256 participants recruited by the multistage random sampling approach. Data were collected via a questionnaire that included: demographic information, the Thai version of the Barthel Activities of Daily Living (ADL), the Thai Fall Risk Assessment Tool …

The Impact Of Virtual Reality Simulation On Developing Competence And Confidence In Non-Technical Skills In Nursing. A Scoping Review, Katie Janz, Karen Clark-Burg, Khaya Morris-Binelli, Brennen Mills, Amanda Graf

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Medical errors are a global concern and can compromise patient safety, with up to 80% of these errors directly linked to non-technical skills (NTS) failures. Traditional simulation using mannikins is resource-intensive, and virtual reality simulation (VR) has the potential to offer comparable outcomes with enhanced consistency and lowered resource requirements, but the effectiveness of VR to teach and enhance NTS has been underexplored.

Aim: This scoping review explores the existing literature on VR simulation as a method for teaching NTS in nursing to evaluate whether VR simulation yields positive learning outcomes, particularly in comparison to traditional training methods such …

Abcb5⁺ Mesenchymal Stem Cells Enable High-Ratio Cellular Augmentation Of Bone Grafts Without Loss Of Osteogenic Function, Jakob Hofmann, Tim Niklas Bewersdorf, Ulrike Sommer, Kai Borcherding, Karsten Thiel, Christoph Ganss, Matthias Gerstner, Markus H. Frank, Gerhard Schmidmaier, Mark Andreas Kluth, Tobias Grossner

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Autologous bone grafting remains the standard for reconstruction of bone defects but is constrained by limited graft volume and loss of osteogenic capacity when expanded with acellular materials. We hypothesized that allogeneic ABCB5⁺ mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can serve as a biologic cell source to augment bone marrow-derived MSC (BM-MSC) populations without impairing osteogenesis. Primary human BM-MSCs from five donors were combined with GMP-manufactured ABCB5⁺ MSCs at graded replacement ratios (0–95%) and cultured under osteogenic conditions for 21 days. Osteogenic potential was evaluated using complementary assays of mineralization, biochemical activity, and matrix composition. Robust osteogenesis was maintained across all groups, …

Primary Breast Sarcoma In Pediatric, Adolescent, And Young Adult Patients: A Single-Institution Retrospective Review, Amelie D. Perrier

Summer Research Program Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Correctional Officer Suicide: A Theory-Driven Investigation Of Acquired Capability And Suicide Behavior, Abigail R. Andersen

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A growing body of research suggests that correctional officers (COs) die by suicide at a significantly higher rate compared to the general population and some other public safety personnel. Despite what is known about this phenomenon, an understanding of the risk factors driving the high rate of suicide among this population remains unclear. Specifically, little attention has been paid to specific risk factors for suicide among this population and there is an overall absence of theory-driven research investigating CO suicide. The present study sought to address the gap in this area of research by investigating potential risk factors for suicide …

Medication Management And Caregiving Stress Or Benefit In Children With Medical Complexity., Casey O'Hare, Nicole Werner, Makenzie Morgen, Sophie Kooiman, James Feinstein, Michelle A. Chui, Gemma Warner, Anna Jolliff, Brittany Storhoff, Kristan Sondegren, Danielle Gerber, Jens Eickhoff, Ryan J. Coller

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

This study quantified medication management experiences for children with medical complexity and associations with caregiver stress or benefit. Using data from the MedS@HOME trial, involvement of professional caregivers was associated with increased caregiver benefit, and greater network collective efficacy was associated with increased caregiver benefit and decreased caregiver stress.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, ID NCT05816590.

Characterization Of Regulation Of Ace2 And Morphogenesis (Ram) Pathway Components In Aspergillus Fumigatus, Devi Naga Jyothi Bale

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Aspergillus fumigatus CotA is a conserved protein kinase and predicted orthologue of Cbk1, a terminal kinase of the Regulation of Ace2 and Morphogenesis (RAM) network. In our previous study, disruption of CotA resulted in carbon source dependent invasive growth with the mutant exhibiting preferential growth on glucose but severely impaired growth on alternate carbon sources. This pathway in other fungi has been implicated in the regulation of morphogenesis, stress responses, and virulence, but this study is the first one to characterize it in the pathogenic filamentous fungus.  In yeast, the RAM network includes the CotA ortholog, Cbk1, and associated proteins, …

Comparative Performance Of Physiological Vital-Sign Forecasting Under Random And Patient-Wise Splitting Using Deep Learning, Lavanya Vasavi Chittem Reddy

Theses and Dissertations

Physiological vital-sign forecasting estimates future measurements based on recent temporal patterns and can support analysis of continuously recorded monitoring data. This study comparatively evaluated deep feedforward, recurrent, bidirectional recurrent, long short-term memory, and bidirectional long short-term memory architectures for one-step-ahead forecasting of peripheral oxygen saturation, heart rate, and pulse rate. Each model received consecutive observations of peripheral oxygen saturation, heart rate, pulse rate, respiratory rate, and age, while separate single-output models predicted the next value of the selected target.

Random and patient-wise data splitting were compared using identical input definitions, preprocessing procedures, model architectures, and training hyperparameters. The strongest architecture …

Evaluating The Pulse Of Exercise Programs: Developing And Validating The Intervention Usability Scale For Exercise (Iuse) To Enhance Implementation And Adherence, Anne Inger Mørtvedt, Eva Ageberg, Steven Elmer, Kevin Trewartha, Erich Petushek

Michigan Tech Publications

Background: Adherence to exercise interventions is often suboptimal, despite numerous studies documenting barriers and facilitators. Usability may be a critical yet underexplored determinant of adherence. This study aimed to develop and assess the psychometric properties of the Intervention Usability Scale for Exercise (IUSE). Methods: Item generation and content validation involved cognitive interviews and feedback from eight exercise intervention stakeholders and ten target users from the general public. Subsequently, 526 target users from University, Qualtrics and Prolific participant panels assessed exercise programs through an online survey. Dimensionality was assessed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), and bifactor models. …

Smart Medical System Integrating Clinical Workflows For Robust Skin Cancer Detection Across Heterogeneous Pathologies, Ahed Abugabah, Prashant Kumar Shukla, Suchi Mishra, Abhishek Dwivedi

All Works

Skin cancer is among the most prevalent and life-threatening dermatological diseases worldwide, with melanoma responsible for a substantial proportion of skin cancer–related deaths due to delayed and unreliable diagnosis. Conventional clinical screening based on visual inspection and expert interpretation is inherently subjective and often affected by inter-observer variability, lesion heterogeneity, and imaging artifacts, highlighting the need for accurate and generalizable automated diagnostic systems. This study proposes a novel hybrid deep learning architecture for skin cancer classification that integrates an attention-guided autoencoder with a transformer-inspired global context modeling module, forming a unified and robust representation learning framework. The encoder–decoder structure is …

Living Next Door To Mcdonald’S: A Qualitative Study Of Community Submissions And Resident Realities Pre- And Post Development, Roslyn Giglia, Jacinta Francis, Jana Buckle, Clare Whitton, Ros Sambell, Frith Klug, Lukar Thornton, Siobhan Hickling, Katherine Kent, Gina Trapp

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: The proliferation of fast-food outlets (FFOs) in residential areas has raised growing concerns about their impact on community health, safety, and wellbeing. This qualitative study examined both pre-development community consultation submissions and post-development resident experiences surrounding the development of a McDonald’s outlet in a newly established suburb on the urban fringe of Perth, Western Australia (WA). Methods: Using a qualitative descriptive design, the study analyzed 183 community submissions lodged with the local council prior to development and conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 residents living within 300 m of the outlet after construction. Results: Content analysis revealed strong opposition, with …

Evaluation Of A No-Code Ai Model For Detecting Periapical Radiolucencies: Impact Of Anatomical Region On Diagnostic Performance, Manal Hamdan, Kevin W. Yu, Marguerite Miller, Stephanie J. Sidow, Zaid Badr, Sergio E. Uribe

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Background

To develop a no-code artificial intelligence (AI) model for the detection of apical radiolucent lesions and to assess how lesion location influences the model’s diagnostic performance.

Methods

312 periapical radiographs were retrospectively collected, each accompanied by a corresponding cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan obtained within six months and a radiology report authored by board-certified oral and maxillofacial radiologists. These reports served as the reference standard, and all findings were cross-verified by the primary investigator through CBCT review. The dataset included 181 images with at least one apical radiolucent lesion and 131 lesion-free controls. Using the no-code AI platform LandingLens …

Mtorc2-Nav1.2 Signaling Drives Early Hyperexcitability In Alzheimer’S Disease Mouse Model, Nolan M Dvorak, Jeffrey L Noebels

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Hyperexcitability is a biomarker of early-stage Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and hastens cognitive decline later in its course. Mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling contributes to the slope of this trajectory, as evidenced by early increased brain expression and the rescue of hyperexcitability by genetic deletion of mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2); however, a molecular mechanism directly linking mTOR signaling to membrane hyperexcitability in early-stage AD remains elusive. Here, we show that hyperactive mTOR signaling stimulates the voltage-gated Na+ channel 1.2 (Nav1.2), a previously identified downstream phosphorylation target of mTORC2 and a key regulator of membrane electrogenesis. Augmented Nav1.2 channel function induced …