Digital Commons Network^™

Multi-Resolution Graph Neural Networks For Spread Prediction, Petr Kisselev

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Perceived Risks, Reasons For Use, And Barriers To Cessation Among Youth Who Use Multiple Tobacco Products, Sierra L. Patterson, Isabellle Duguid, Sonia A. Clark, Seth M. Noar, Allison J. Lazard, Jim F. Thrasher Ph.D., Ma, Ms, Adam O. Goldstein, Sarah D. Kowitt

Faculty Publications

Background

Many interventions aim to reduce youth tobacco use, but few have focused on youth who use multiple tobacco products (MTPs). This qualitative study sought to understand how youth who use MTPs view tobacco product risks, describe reasons for MTP use, and perceive barriers and facilitators to cessation.

Methods

We conducted seven virtual focus groups with 30 US youth ages 14–20 years who reported using e-cigarettes and smoking a combustible tobacco product in the past 30 days. We used a semi-structured focus group guide to ask youth about perceived health risks of tobacco products, reasons for MTP use, and thoughts …

Finding Solutions: Meeting Essential Needs To Overcome Health And Educational Inequities Among College Students, Nicholas Freudenberg, Rashida Crutchfield

Publications and Research

Many economic, academic, and social factors influence college completion, and scholars have documented that a significant cause of students leaving school before graduation is that many do not have their basic needs for food, housing, and health care met. These barriers undermine their academic success by forcing students to reduce the time spent on their studies, work more hours, or stop out of school to support themselves or their families. Unmet essential needs jeopardize academic and life success for students in higher education across the United States and widen racial/ethnic and class inequities in college completion and health. Our review …

Standardizing And Scaffolding Health Care Ai-Chatbot Evaluation: Systematic Review., Yining Hua, Winna Xia, David Bates, George Hartstein, Hyungjin Tom Kim, Michael Li, Benjamin Nelson, Charles Stromeyer Iv, Darlene King, Jina Suh, Li Zhou, John Torous

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Health care chatbots are rapidly proliferating, while generative artificial intelligence (AI) outpaces existing evaluation standards.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to develop a structured, stakeholder-informed framework to standardize evaluation of health care chatbots.

METHODS: PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses)-guided searches across multiple databases identified 266 records; 152 were screened, 21 full texts were assessed, and 11 frameworks were included. We extracted 356 questions (refined to 271 by deduplication and relevance review), mapped items to Coalition for Health AI constructs, and organized them with iterative input from clinicians, patients, developers, epidemiologists, and policymakers.

RESULTS: We developed the Health …

Pathways And Challenges In The Clinical Translational Of Radiopharmaceuticals For Pediatric Investigations, Erik Stauff, Hanieh Karimi, Heidi H. Kecskemethy, Thomas H. Shaffer, Reza Vali, Lauren W. Averill, Xuyi Yue

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

Radiopharmaceutical development and clinical translation face numerous scientific, ethical, and regulatory challenges, particularly within the pediatric population. Although molecular imaging holds significant promise for improving diagnosis and treatment across a spectrum of diseases, including pediatric-specific conditions like Kawasaki disease, autism spectrum disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and neuroblastoma, the path from discovery to clinical application remains problematic. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides three primary pathways-traditional Investigational New Drug (IND) applications, exploratory Investigational New Drug application (eIND), and the Radioactive Drug Research Committee (RDRC) mechanism-to facilitate clinical translation of radiotracers. However, these frameworks are not specifically tailored to pediatric needs. …

Mutant P53 Variants Differentially Impact Replication Initiation And Activate Cgas-Sting To Affect Immune Checkpoint Inhibition, Kang Liu, Lidija A Wilhelms Garan, Fang-Tsyr Lin, Weei-Chin Lin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Prior research shows that Akt-dependent phosphorylation of TopBP1 in S phase results in the switch of TopBP1/Treslin binding to TopBP1/E2F1 binding, which is important to prevent replication re-initiation in late S and G2 phases. Here, we demonstrate that contact, but not conformational, mutant p53 can override this switch by binding to both TopBP1 and Treslin, thereby facilitating persistent TopBP1/Treslin interaction in late S and G2 phases, which ultimately leads to over-firing of replication initiation. This increases micronuclei formation, which is further enhanced by genotoxic stressors such as doxorubicin, PARP inhibitors, or ATR inhibitors. Consequently, contact mutant p53 increases the sensitivity …

The Barriers And Facilitators Of Maternal Influenza Vaccination, Rashida Karida Jones

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Influenza remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, with Black individuals disproportionately affected. Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable due to their modulated immune state, placing them at increased risk of complications, hospitalization, and intensive care admission. Despite strong evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of maternal seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV), uptake remains suboptimal. This study employed a multi-method design to identify barriers and facilitators of maternal SIV uptake, with a particular focus on racial disparities.

Quantitative analyses utilized the Florida Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (FL PRAMS) dataset from the years 2018–2022. In the fully …

Implementing Diabetes Education And Prevention Protocol, Lilyanna B. Conkle, Alyssa M. Woodall

Scholars Week

This Evidence-Based Practice project proposes the implementation of a diabetes education and prevention protocol in school systems to address the rising prevalence of diabetes among students. The initiative includes mandatory pre-academic year training for school staff to improve recognition and response to diabetes related emergencies. To support school nurses, often the sole healthcare provider on campus; a mobile app will be introduced to alert personnel during emergencies and provide evidence-based intervention steps. This approach aims to enhance student safety, improve health outcomes, and ensure timely, coordinated care.

Serum Response Factor Is Essential For Endometrial Function And Prevention Of Inflammatory Fibrosis, Ryan M Marquardt, Sara A Grimm, San-Pin Wu, Peter F Lais, Shu-Yun Li, Xin Xu, Erin Smithberger, David Cunefare, Charan Ganta, David Olson, Eunhee M Jeong, Jae-Wook Jeong, Bruce A Lessey, John P Lydon, Francesco J Demayo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Pregnancy requires a supportive uterine environment facilitated by steroid hormone–regulated differentiation of endometrial stromal fibroblasts into decidual cells and tight control of inflammation. Serum response factor (SRF) is a widely expressed transcription factor essential for mesenchymal cell growth and differentiation with noted roles in hormonal regulation of muscle tissues but little characterization in reproductive organs. Here, we reveal that endometrial SRF is dysregulated in human endometriosis and is critical for female reproductive success in mice through regulation of endometrial stromal and epithelial cells. Immunohistochemical analysis identified decreased endometrial SRF expression in infertile endometriosis patient tissues. RNAi-based SRF knockdown in human …

Design Considerations For Conversational Agents To Assess The Social-Emotional Well-Being Of Young Children In Low-Income South African Communities, Lucretia A. Williams, Elizabeth A. Ankrah, Catherine E. Draper, Caylee J. Cook, Franceli L. Cibrian, Jesus A. Beltran, Kimberley D. Lakes, Gillian R. Hayes

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

A variety of digital technologies have been used to support early childhood development (ECD) programs in low-income South African communities. Even though technology has provided opportunities to increase access to health interventions, the lack of trust and socio-economic constraints under which these tools would need to work pose complex challenges. We examine home visitors’ work processes, experiences, and preferences of a conversational agent to support their work of administering social-emotional well-being assessments to young children ages 0-5. Analysis of the results of focus groups with 51 home visitors indicates the need for designing conversational agents that support ECD in the …

Increasing Pediatric Hpv Vaccination Rates, Brooke A. Nicholas

Dissertations

Increasing Pediatric HPV Vaccination Rates

Abstract

Problem: The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted infection that affects more than 80% of the population within the United States (Eisenhauer et al., 2020). HPV can develop into cervical, anogenital, and oropharyngeal cancers (Eisenhauer et al., 2020). About 4,000 individuals die from cervical cancer alone each year (O’Leary, 2022). The HPV vaccine, though recommended by the ACIP and AAP, is below national vaccination rates in comparison to other vaccines (O’Leary, 2022).

Methods: This quality improvement project is a non-randomized controlled trial that observed HPV vaccine dose completion rates for patients aged 9-14 …

National Alliance Of Sickle Cell Centers Consensus Recommendations On Sickle Cell Disease Health Maintenance: A Consensus Statement, Seethal A. Jacob, Melissa Frei-Jones, Sana Saif-Ur-Rehman, Monica L. Hulbert, Andrew R. W. O'Brien, Crawford Strunk, Anthony Villella, Ravi Talati, Amma Owusu-Ansah, Francis Coyne, Patrick T. Mcgann, Parul Rai, Robin Miller, Angeli Rampersad, Vishwas Sakhalkar, Neha Bhasin, Deepa Manwani, Sophie Lanzkron, Julie Kanter

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

IMPORTANCE: The most common inherited blood disorder in the world, sickle cell disease (SCD) is a known global health concern. While survival of children into adulthood has improved significantly over the last few decades in high-resource countries, substantial gaps in care standards and limited practice harmonization persist.

OBJECTIVE: To provide up-to-date recommendations for preventive care and treatment of all people living with SCD and its related comorbidities.

EVIDENCE REVIEW: As part of the National Alliance of Sickle Cell Centers (NASCC), 41 pediatric and adult sickle cell disease experts developed consensus standards and recommendations based on available evidence and expert consensus …

A Temperature-Sensitive Crispr-Cas12a System For Sterile Insect Technique, Christina Nguyen, Ahmed Idowu Omotayo, Sara Sanz Juste, Xuechun Feng, Víctor López Del Amo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The sterile insect technique (SIT) reduces population numbers by releasing sterile males that produce non-viable progeny. Specifically, CRISPR/Cas9-based precision-guided SIT (pgSIT) generates sterile males through genetic crosses of two transgenic lines: a Cas9 strain and a guide RNA (gRNA) strain targeting male sterility and female viability or infertility. However, pgSIT requires separate maintenance of the two lines and sorting to obtain sterile males, creating possible challenges for scaling. To overcome this, we propose using Cas12a nuclease, which is inoperative at lower temperatures but active at higher temperatures. Here, we develop a Cas12a-based pgSIT system involving a single strain containing both …

Ireland Blossoms Through Multiculturalism - Designing For Community Connection, Julia Kuczera, Shirley Casey, Hilary Kenna

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

Ireland's Infrastructure: From Delays To Deliveries!, Conor Barnett, Keren Goodman

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

Making Buildings Smarter And More Sustainable With Ai, Anthony Lowe, Martin Klepal

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

Pause For Policy - The Cognitive Cost Of Cannabis Use In Adolescence, Michael O'Connor, Linda Kelly, Emma O'Hora, Claire O'Doherty, Ciaran Brown, An Hsu, Sahar Riaz, Frank Crosson, Darren Roddy, Mary Cannon

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

From Recognition To Action: Advancing Nutrition Care In Irish Healthcare, Aoife Gillane, Sarah Donovan, Lisa Ryan

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

Editorial, Anne M. Friel, Brigid Hooban, Therese Montgomery, Anne Marie O'Brien, Cormac Quigley, Edel Mcneela, Eva Campion, James Walshe, Sinead Loughran

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Food Security Sustainability Through Digital Information Extension Services In Rural Uganda: Maize Postharvest Evidence-Based Strategies, Jackline Estomihi Kiwelu, Patrick Ngulube

Libraries

Background Postharvest losses caused by poor drying and storage practices lead to maize waste, reduced food availability, unsafe food due to aflatoxin contamination, and income loss for farmers. This exacerbates food insecurity and threatens the livelihoods of rural communities. Leveraging digital solutions to provide quality maize postharvest handling information is critical to mitigating these challenges.

Objective This study examined maize postharvest handling extension information services provided by rural agricultural extension officers in selected districts of Uganda, focusing on how evidence-based practices supported by information sources, expert knowledge, and ICT infrastructure ensure the quality and relevance of the information delivered.

Methods …

Examining Gender And Ethnic Disparities In Scientific Authorship To Promote A Culture Of Equity, Diversity And Inclusion At A University School Of Public Health, Paula Christen, Julia Michalow, Tristan Naidoo, Hillary Topazian, Sabine An Elsland, Abeer Arif, Marc Baguelin, Gemma Clunie, Sarah Essilfie-Quaye, Chinedu Momoh

Brain and Mind Institute

In public health research, diverse perspectives are vital to identify biases that homogenous teams might miss. Since publication metrics influence career progression, we investigated publication rate disparities within a School of Public Health. We analysed 18 322 peer-reviewed publications by 513 affiliated researchers between 2014 and 2023 using multivariable regression models and network analysis to assess the impact of gender, ethnicity, job level and centrality in the School’s research network on publication rates. We found a persistent gender gap in publication rates across job levels and ethnicities, with men publishing more than women (incidence rate ratio 1.30, 95% confidence interval …

Acceptability, Feasibility And Preliminary Evaluation Of The Who Caregiver Skills Training For Children With Developmental Disabilities In Rural And Urban Kenya, Amina Abubakar, Eva Mwangome, Paul Mwangi, Vibian Angweny, Martha Kombe, Rachel Mapenzi, Patricia Kipkemoi, Patricia Kipkemoi, Beatrice Mkubwa, Silas Onyango

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Background Interventions to improve the developmental outcomes of children with developmental disabilities (DDs) in low-resourced settings such as Kenya are limited. The WHO caregiver skills training (CST) was developed to address social and communication needs of children with DDs through caregiver-mediated engagement strategies. This study investigated CST’s acceptability, feasibility and evaluated its effect on behavioural, communication and quality of life outcomes for children with DDs and their caregivers in Kenya.

Methods The settings were rural Kilifi and Korogocho informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. A sequential mixed-methods design consisting of three phases. First, CST materials translation to Swahili, stakeholder consultations and …

Identifying Sex- And Gender-Specific Endocrinological, Lifestyle, Psychosocial, And Socio-Cultural Targets For Alzheimer's Disease Prevention In Africans: The Female Brain Health And Endocrine Research In Africa (Fember-Africa) Project, Chinedu Momoh, Benard Aliwa, Lukoye Atwoli, Karen Blackmon, Edna Bosire, Samuel Gitau, Harrison Kaleli, Ciru Kamanda, Linda Khakali, Rachel Maina, Peter Mativo, Sylvia Mbugua, Zul Merali, Kendi Muchungi, Anne Njogu, Douglas Nyankira, Alice Ondieki, Catherine Onyancha, Stanely Onyango, Jasmit Shah, Sheena Shah, Cynthia Smith, Dilraj Sokhi, Sheila Waa, Thomas Thesen

Brain and Mind Institute

Dementia rates are rising globally, with the burden increasing most rapidly in low- tomiddle-income countries. Despite this, research into Alzheimer’s disease and relateddementias (ADRD) among African populations remains limited, with existing modelsbased on Western cohorts that overlook sex-, gender-, and ancestry-specific factors.The Female Brain Health and Endocrine Research in Africa (FemBER-Africa) project,hosted at the Brain and Mind Institute, Aga Khan University, Kenya, will establish adeeply phenotyped cohort of 250 African individuals across the ADRD spectrum. Itwill assess sex-specific risk factors linked to ethnicity, lifestyle, and endocrinologicalvariables using fluid-based biomarkers (blood and saliva), neuroimaging (magneticresonance imaging and positron emission tomography), and …

Prevalence And Determinants Of Nomophobia Among Healthcare Workers In Nepal: A Cross-Sectional Study, Prakash Banjade, Asmita Itani, Munish Sharma, Reena Shah, Jasmit Shah, Aakansha Singh, Rahul Kashyap, Salim Surani

Brain and Mind Institute

Introduction: Nomophobia, the fear of being without a mobile phone, has become a significant concern in the current digital age. Healthcare professionals rely heavily on mobile devices for communication and information access. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of nomophobia among healthcare workers in Nepal.

Methods: A modified Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) was used to determine nomophobia scores. Demographic characteristics such as age, gender, race, type of smartphone, hours spent on a smartphone, and type of medical specialty were considered to evaluate nomophobia in diverse groups of healthcare workers. Summary statistics were presented as frequencies …

State Of Menstrual Health Education In 2024: Content Analysis Of Us K-12 Public School Education Standards, Emily Richardson, Sarah Bemis, Page Dobbs, Hope Ballentine, Shristi Bhochhibhoya, Victor Kwaku Akakpo, Kylie Lovett

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Exploratory study aiming to assess the prevalence and time of initiation of menstrual health curriculum in US public school education standards by state. Methods: US public school Kindergarten-12th grade education standards from each state's Department of Education website, including D.C. (n = 51), were searched for menstruation, menstrual, menses, menopause, period, menarche, reproduction, puberty, and growth and development. Results25.5% (n = 13) of US education standards include menstruation. Of these, constructs of comprehensive menstrual health were recorded including abnormal menstruation (n = 6), menstrual hygiene (n = 6), menopause (n = 1), and stigma (n = 7). Education is …

The Battle Over Water Fluoridation Comes To New York City: Organized Dentistry Is Quick To Respond To Ill-Conceived Effort To End 60-Year Practice And Vows To Stay With It Until The Threat Passes., Lance Plunkett Jd, Llm

The New York State Dental Journal

Water fluoridation has been experiencing its woes lately, beset by an adverse court decision, questionable science, collapsing federal public health priorities and public suspicion often fueled by hysteria. Against all this, New York City stood strong as a pioneering large municipality safely fluoridating its water since 1965 for the benefit of the public and reducing dental caries significantly over decades.

Structural-Level Stigma Within Emergency Food Assistance Programs: Perspectives From Delaware And Pennsylvania, Mckenna M Halverson, Evyn Y Appel, Valerie A Earnshaw, Raquelle Powell, Grace Sands, Nithila Chrisostam, Shreela V Sharma, Allison Karpyn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

To characterize the ways in which structural stigma manifests within emergency food program settings.

Methods : We conducted 30-minute semi-structured interviews with 18 emergency food program clients in Pennsylvania and Delaware between August and December of 2024. The discussion guide included open-ended questions regarding client experiences of structural stigma, with an emphasis on issues of access and quality. Demographic data and household food insecurity (Hunger Vital Sign) were also captured. A hybrid inductive and deductive coding approach was used to analyze the data.

Results : Structural stigma is a persistent issue within emergency food program environments, impacting both participant access …

Exploring The Future Of Occupational Safety Research: A Strategic Foresight Approach, Jessica M K Streit, Sarah A Felknor, Nicole T Edwards, John J Howard

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

A team from the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health conducted a strategic foresight project to explore the future of occupational safety research (OSR). Data collected via systematic horizon scanning and key informant interviews were synthesized into six drivers of OSR change: (1) technological advancement, (2) partnerships and public trust, (3) prioritizing research investments, (4) safety and health integration, (5) data and science quality, and (6) worker protections. These drivers served as the basis for envisioning four potential OSR futures. Analysis of the resulting scenarios identified opportunities to enhance and advance OSR methods and approaches, innovation, systems thinking, …

Mitigating Food Insecurity-Related Stigma: A Review Of Intervention Strategies, Evyn Y Appel, Mckenna M Halverson, Valerie A Earnshaw, Tania Cruz Cordero, Maya Rozin, Raquelle Powell, Grace Sands, Nithila Chrisostam, Sarah E Katz, Shreela V Sharma, Allison Karpyn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To characterize intervention strategies addressing food insecurity-related stigma implemented in federal nutrition programs (e.g. SNAP, WIC) and emergency food programs (e.g. food pantries, food cupboards) within high income countries.

Methods: Six databases (PubMed, PsychINFO, Web of Science, CINAHL, Sociological Abstracts, Dissertations and Theses Global) and the Internet were searched through September 2024. Data on study characteristics and stigma intervention characteristics were extracted with a structured template. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used.

Results: The review found 46 intervention strategies across 18 articles. The majority of articles were based in the United States (89.9%) with the remaining portion from …

Women’S Unique Health Needs And The Sustainable Development Goals: A Meeting Report From The 79th United Nations General Assembly Science Summit, Irene Aninye, Sarah Chew, Nicole Althaus, Michele Barry, Ru-Fong Cheng, Carolyn Harris, Eleanor Nwadinobi, Beth Battaglino, Aisha Brooks, Marleen Temmerman

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

Biological sex, hormones, and gender uniquely affect health and disease, often resulting in disparities for women across the lifespan and from different racial and ethnic groups, geographical locations, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Without intentional investment and infrastructure to support good health and wellbeing for women, half of the world’s population remains vulnerable to preventable morbidity and mortality. The Society for Women’s Health Research and ECHAlliance–The Global Health Connector convened a women’s health program as part of the 10th Annual Science Summit during the United Nations 79th General Assembly. This hybrid event was held in New York, NY, (USA) and virtually in …