Digital Commons Network^™

Metabolic Regulator Errγ Governs Gastric Stem Cell Differentiation Into Acid-Secreting Parietal Cells, Mahliyah Adkins-Threats, Sumimasa Arimura, Yang-Zhe Huang, Margarita Divenko, Sarah To, Heather Mao, Yongji Zeng, Jenie Y Hwang, Joseph R Burclaff, Shilpa Jain, Jason C Mills

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Parietal cells (PCs) produce gastric acid to kill pathogens and aid digestion. Dysregulated PC census is common in disease, yet how PCs differentiate is unclear. Here, we identify the PC progenitors arising from isthmal stem cells, using mouse models and human gastric cells, and show they preferentially express cell-metabolism regulator and orphan nuclear receptor Estrogen-related receptor gamma (Esrrg, encoding ERRγ). Esrrg expression facilitated the tracking of stepwise molecular, cellular, and ultrastructural stages of PC differentiation. Esrrg^P2ACreERT2 lineage tracing revealed Esrrg expression commits progenitors to differentiate into mature PCs. scRNA-seq indicated the earliest Esrrg+ PC progenitors preferentially …

Assessing The Uptake Of Biosimilar Insulin Glargine Among Physicians For The Treatment Of Diabetes In South Africa, Euganthri Pillay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In South Africa, diabetes is a serious problem where 1 in 9 adults has diabetes, making it the country with the highest diabetes prevalence on the African continent. Even though insulin is an absolute necessity for treating diabetes, it is unaffordable to millions. Biosimilar insulins, however, are innovative medicines that are similar but not exact copies of the originator insulin, making alternative treatment affordable to patients. The problem is that, in South Africa, it is still not known whether patients have access to biosimilar insulin in a country where diabetes is rampant. The diffusion of innovation theory was used to …

Shea Position Statement On Pandemic Preparedness For Policymakers: Building A Strong And Resilient Healthcare Workforce, Robin L.P. Jump

Faculty Scholarship

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many areas in the United States experienced healthcare personnel (HCP) shortages tied to a variety of factors. Infection prevention programs, in particular, faced increasing workload demands with little opportunity to delegate tasks to others without specific infectious diseases or infection control expertise. Shortages of clinicians providing inpatient care to critically ill patients during the early phase of the pandemic were multifactorial, largely attributed to increasing demands on hospitals to provide care to patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and furloughs.¹ HCP shortages and challenges during later surges, including the Omicron variant-associated surges, were largely attributed to HCP …

A One Health Approach To Enhancing Sars-Cov-2 Surveillance, Lauren C. Cybulska

Dissertations and Theses

Background

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in humans, can also infect domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and cats (Felis catus). Susceptibility and viral transmissibility in these species are concerns for public health due to the spillover risk to humans or other animals. This dissertation uses a One Health framework to explore key issues on this topic. We aim to identify gaps in understanding of SARS-CoV-2 in companion animals and investigate novel surveillance methods through human, animal, and environmental health perspectives.

Methods

Paper 1 provides an in-depth exploration of …

Perception Of Pre-Existing Dm2 Management Among Pregnant Asian Indian Immigrants During Covid-19, Sanya Bedi Grewal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease that exerts a significant burden among communities by increasing healthcare costs, reducing productivity, higher rates for premature mortality, and tangible socioeconomic burden, which overall reduces the quality of life. The purpose of the study was to explore the perception of pregnant Asian Indian immigrants regarding diabetes self-management strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Five women were recruited via purposive sampling from Facebook groups. Data were collected via individual interviews using Facebook groups. The health belief model was used to help understand and interpret the findings. Clarke and Braun’s thematic analysis method was used to …

Exploring Associations Between Poverty, Race/Ethnicity, Gender, And Childhood Obesity In Cherokee County, South Carolina, Lillie Mae Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood obesity (CHO) rates have increased significantly worldwide over the last decade. The magnitude of CHO extends beyond physical health to include economic stability, social connections, and access to daily living resources. CHO is complex and requires a multifaceted approach that may differ from traditional prevention approaches and treatment. Over the years, interventions have focused on maintaining a balance of healthy eating and active living to reduce weight and promote lifelong behavior change. Body mass index (BMI) surveillance studies have been conducted in Cherokee County, South Carolina since 2012 to assess and inform CHO interventions. However, the data have not …

Perception Of Pre-Existing Dm2 Management Among Pregnant Asian Indian Immigrants During Covid-19, Sanya Bedi Grewal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease that exerts a significant burden among communities by increasing healthcare costs, reducing productivity, higher rates for premature mortality, and tangible socioeconomic burden, which overall reduces the quality of life. The purpose of the study was to explore the perception of pregnant Asian Indian immigrants regarding diabetes self-management strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Five women were recruited via purposive sampling from Facebook groups. Data were collected via individual interviews using Facebook groups. The health belief model was used to help understand and interpret the findings. Clarke and Braun’s thematic analysis method was used to …

Exploring Associations Between Poverty, Race/Ethnicity, Gender, And Childhood Obesity In Cherokee County, South Carolina, Lillie Mae Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood obesity (CHO) rates have increased significantly worldwide over the last decade. The magnitude of CHO extends beyond physical health to include economic stability, social connections, and access to daily living resources. CHO is complex and requires a multifaceted approach that may differ from traditional prevention approaches and treatment. Over the years, interventions have focused on maintaining a balance of healthy eating and active living to reduce weight and promote lifelong behavior change. Body mass index (BMI) surveillance studies have been conducted in Cherokee County, South Carolina since 2012 to assess and inform CHO interventions. However, the data have not …

Irx4204 Induces Senescence And Cell Death In Her2-Positive Breast Cancer And Synergizes With Anti-Her2 Therapy, Cassandra L Moyer, Amanda Lanier, Jing Qian, Darian Coleman, Jamal Hill, Vidyasagar Vuligonda, Martin E Sanders, Abhijit Mazumdar, Powel H Brown

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: Rexinoids, agonists of nuclear retinoid X receptor (RXR), have been used for the treatment of cancers and are well tolerated in both animals and humans. However, the usefulness of rexinoids in treatment of breast cancer remains unknown. This study examines the efficacy of IRX4204, a highly specific rexinoid, in breast cancer cell lines and preclinical models to identify a biomarker for response and potential mechanism of action.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: IRX4204 effects on breast cancer cell growth and viability were determined using cell lines, syngeneic mouse models, and primary patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumors. In vitro assays of cell cycle, apoptosis, …

Building Trust: The Role Of Place-Based Consciousness In Vaccine Hesitancy, Ramsey W. Ash

Quantitative Social Science Undergraduate Senior Theses

Vaccine hesitancy poses a threat to public health initiatives of the 21st century. Following a stark divide in the rural/urban COVID-19 vaccine uptake and harsh disparities between these areas in COVID-19 moralities and morbidities, further understanding of the drivers of vaccine hesitancy are needed. This study makes use of the framework of place-based consciousness (PBC), pioneered by scholars of rural political science, such as Katherine Cramer, to explore this phenomenon as a mechanism by which to understand vaccine hesitancy. To examine this, an experimental survey was distributed to 300 Americans (150 rural and 150 urban) that inquired about their PBC, …

A Retrospective Review: Oxford County Wellness Collaborative's Contributions To Community Health, Emma Schwartz, Rachel M. Gallo Mph

Children, Youth, & Families

Since 2011, Oxford County Wellness Collaborative (OCWC) has been transforming personal, environmental, and economic health by building strong relationships among people and organizations. OCWC contracted with the Data Innovation Project at the Catherine Cutler Institute of Health and Social Policy to synthesize previously collected or reported data and collect primary data to conduct a retrospective evaluation. The evaluation team used this data to convey past successes, better understand the outcomes of the collaborative to date, and provide recommendations for OCWC’s next steps in furthering its impact.

Polarization, The Pandemic, And Public Trust In Health System Actors, Alessandro Del Ponte, Alan S. Gerber, Eric M. Patashnik

Political Science Faculty Articles and Research

Context: Public opinion on the performance of health system actors is polarized today, but it remains unclear which actors enjoy the most or the least trust among Democrats and Republicans, whether the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced how people view their own physicians, and whether doctors have retained the ability to influence public beliefs about policy issues.

Methods: The authors conducted two national surveys in 2022 and 2023 to examine these questions.

Findings: Democrats rated the performance of medical research scientists and public health experts during the pandemic more highly than did Republicans and independents. About three in ten Republicans said …

One Health In The Philippines: A Review And Situational Analysis, Lystra Zyrill A. Dayapera, Jenica Clarisse Y. Sy, Sary Valenzuela, Samantha Julia L. Eala, Ciara Maria Ines P. Del Rosario, Karen Nicole C. Buensuceso, Adrian S. Dy, Danielle A. Morales, Anna Giselle Gibson, Geminn Louis C. Apostol

Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health Publications

The Philippines faces a complex and interconnected web of human, animal, and environmental health issues, including zoonotic and reverse zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, food insecurity and contamination, and threats from environmental degradation. This paper examines these issues, existing interventions, and their implementation challenges. The overall framework used to analyze the level of operationalization of the One Health approach is the Multi-sectoral One Health Coordination Framework developed by the World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization, and the World Organization for Animal Health. A two-step process was conducted: literature review, followed by consultations with government and non-government stakeholders across national, subnational, …

Associations Between Disordered Eating Behaviour And Sexual Behaviour Amongst Emerging Adults Attending A Tertiary Education Institution In Coastal Kenya, Stevenson Chea, Adama Kazienga, Eunice Oyugi, Isaac Menza, Carophine Nasambu, Fauz Ibrahim, Osman Abdullahi, Amin Hassan, Amina Abubakar, Kristien Michielsen

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Background Sexual behavior (SB) is a well-documented pathway to HIV acquisition in emerging adults and remains common amongst African emerging adults. Previous research in high-income countries indicates a correlation between disordered eating behavior (DEB) and engaging in sexual behaviors. We aimed to describe the relationship between DEB and SB amongst emerging adults attending a tertiary educational institution at the Kenyan Coast.

Methods We applied a cross-sectional design nested in a young adults’ cohort study. Eligibility included sexually active emerging adults aged 18–24 years. Three DEBs (emotional, restrained and external eating) were assessed using the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire and analysed …

Application Of Methods To Population-Based Surveys To Reduce Bias In Estimates Of Sars-Cov-2 Infection Burden In The Population, Saba Qasmieh

Dissertations and Theses

BACKGROUND: Population-based surveys designed to randomly sample the population can be a critical and complementary tool to traditional surveillance approaches. Probability-based surveys enable the measurement of SARS-CoV-2 testing and outcomes that avoid issues around self-selection into testing, making them an effective approach to address ascertainment bias in passive surveillance. For surveys to be a useful and reliable surveillance tool for understanding the burden and distribution of SARS-CoV-2 infection, they need to capture prevalence estimates that are both valid and reliable to be optimally informative for public health measures. The dissertation was undertaken to address three main gaps that have implications …

Strengthening U.S. Jail Systems’ Response To Infectious Diseases: An Evaluation Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Erinn Bacchus

Dissertations and Theses

Jails across the United States were struck with increased infections and deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies have shown the structural make up of jails, lack of preparedness plans, and overcrowding contributed to health risks and poor health outcomes both inside jails and local communities. Yet little research has been dedicated to strengthening jail responses to infectious disease outbreaks spanning prevention measures, data collection, and reentry planning. Gaps include information on the (1) myriad infectious disease mitigation strategies used in jails and adherence to CDC prevention guidelines, (2) development of a standardized epidemiologic surveillance system, and (3) experiences working at …

Mobility Repertoires: How Chinese Overseas Students Overcame Pandemic-Induced Immobility, Jiaqi M. Liu, Rui Jie Peng

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The burgeoning field of immobility studies focuses on how migratory aspirations and capabilities shape a given (im)mobility status but devotes scant attention to how people traverse different (im)mobility categories. Through a case study of Chinese students in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic, this article develops two arguments to shed light on migrants’ experiences and strategies in mobility transitions. First, during the pandemic, while China's restrictive travel policies and unfavorable public discourses made return migration extremely difficult, Chinese overseas students also felt unwelcome in the United States, due to visa restrictions and Sinophobic violence. This dilemma of being unable …

Influence Of Parental Nativity And Perceived Neighborhood Environment On Physical Activity And Screen Time Of United States Youth, Natalia I Heredia, Ethan T Hunt, Kevin Lanza

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed how parental nativity and perceived environment are associated with physical activity and screen time of U.S. children and adolescents.

METHODS: Data originated from the 2020-21 U.S. National Survey of Children's Health. We conducted multivariable Poisson regression to assess the cross-sectional association of parental nativity and perceived neighborhood environment variables on parental reports of youth meeting national physical activity and screen time guidelines. We tested interactions of parental nativity and neighborhood environment variables on both outcomes. Analyses were conducted using STATA v17 and p < 0.05 indicated statistical significance.

RESULTS: The sample of 24,928 children and 30,951 adolescents was 11.6 years of …

Kcnk1 Promotes Proliferation And Metastasis Of Breast Cancer Cells By Activating Lactate Dehydrogenase A (Ldha) And Up-Regulating H3k18 Lactylation, Xiangchan Hou, Jiawei Ouyang, Le Tang, Pan Wu, Xiangying Deng, Qijia Yan, Lei Shi, Songqing Fan, Chunmei Fan, Can Guo, Qianjin Liao, Yong Li, Wei Xiong, Guiyuan Li, Zhaoyang Zeng, Fuyan Wang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy and the most significant contributor to mortality in female oncology patients. Potassium Two Pore Domain Channel Subfamily K Member 1 (KCNK1) is differentially expressed in a variety of tumors, but the mechanism of its function in breast cancer is unknown. In this study, we found for the first time that KCNK1 was significantly up-regulated in human breast cancer and was correlated with poor prognosis in breast cancer patients. KCNK1 promoted breast cancer proliferation, invasion, and metastasis in vitro and vivo. Further studies unexpectedly revealed that KCNK1 increased the glycolysis and lactate production in …

Covid-19 Vaccine Confidence, Concerns, And Uptake In Children Aged 5 And Older In Calgary, Alberta: A Longitudinal Cohort Study, Emily J Doucette, Leah Ricketson, Tarannum Tarannum, Isabella Alatorre, Joslyn Gray, Cora Constantinescu, Susan Kuhn, Jessica K E Dunn, James D Kellner

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: Beginning early in the pandemic, there was a worldwide effort to develop effective vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Before and after the approval and implementation of vaccines, there were concerns about their need as well as their safety and rapid development. We explored child demographic characteristics and parental concerns to identify factors associated with the decision to vaccinate.

METHODS: A cohort of 1035 children from Calgary was assembled in 2020 to participate in 5 visits every 6 months for survey completion and blood sampling for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Visits 1 to 2 occurred before approval of vaccines for children; Visits …

Challenges And Implications For Substance Use And Mental Healthcare Among Under-Resourced Women In The Covid-19 Era, Maria C Mejia, Alicia Kowalchuk, Sandra J Gonzalez, Muktha Nair, Lisa Webb, Nadine Scamp

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated disparities in mental healthcare and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment access, especially in under-resourced communities. This study aimed to comprehend the experiences of under-resourced women with SUD during the pandemic, their knowledge and attitudes toward it, and its impact on substance use and treatment access.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study included 66 under-resourced women receiving medically managed withdrawal treatment at a community residential SUD center. Data collection occurred between November 2021 and August 2022, utilizing a 75-item instrument covering COVID-19 exposure and its impact on health, substance use, treatment access, vaccination status, beliefs, and knowledge. Descriptive …

Determining Factors For Improved Uptake Of Harm Reduction Services In The United States: A Study Of Inclusive, Culturally Sensitive Messaging, Lauretta Ekanem Omale

Dissertations

Harm reduction refers to public health policies and programs aimed at decreasing the adverse consequences associated with drug use. While harm reduction services (e.g., syringe exchange programs) can mitigate health risks, marginalized groups face barriers to service access and utilization, partially due to ineffective messaging approaches that fail to align with cultural values and experiences. A one-size-fits-all approach to messaging can negatively impact service utilization, health outcomes, and health disparities. Ineffective communication can lead to poor adherence to treatment, poorer health outcomes, and increased adverse events.

Culturally insensitive communication contributes to stigma, mistrust, and lack of perceived relevance, discouraging service …

A Mixed-Method Analysis Of The Contribution Of Informal Sport To Public Health In Australia, Ruth Jeanes, Justen O'Connor, Dawn Penney, Ramon Spaaij, Jonathan Magee, Eibhlish O' Hara, Lisa Lymbery

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Informal sport is a growth area of sport participation but there has been limited examination of how informal and unstructured forms of participation may contribute to health outcomes that are important for public health. This article aims to address the current lack of data examining the health outcomes associated with informal sport participation and consider the potential role of informal sport within efforts to promote healthier communities through sport. The article seeks to broaden understanding of how informal sport participation can contribute to health outcomes, particularly with regard to increasing physical activity and enhancing mental health and social connection. The …

Performance Of Stunting Reduction Acceleration Team: An Explorative-Qualitative Study In Indonesia-Timor Leste Border Area, Maria Paula Marla Nahak, Veronika Nitsae

Kesmas

Stunting is a complex issue influenced by multiple factors, including specific factors within and outside the health sector. Achieving a significant reduction in stunting needs the involvement of relevant local government offices in the Stunting Reduction Acceleration Team (SRAT). This study aimed to investigate SRAT performance in a specific context of accelerating stunting reduction in Malaka District. This qualitative study, with a phenomenological approach, was conducted in Malaka District, Indonesia, and Timor Leste Border Area from July to September 2023. This study revealed four major themes of SRAT performance to accelerate stunting reduction in Malaka District: activities to accelerate stunting …

Charting A Path To The Quintuple Aim: Harnessing Ai To Address Social Determinants Of Health, Yash Shah, Zachary Goldberg, Erika Harness, David Nash

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

The Quintuple Aim seeks to improve healthcare by addressing social determinants of health (SDOHs), which are responsible for 70-80% of medical outcomes. SDOH-related concerns have traditionally been addressed through referrals to social workers and community-based organizations (CBOs), but these pathways have had limited success in connecting patients with resources. Given that health inequity is expected to cost the United States nearly USD 300 billion by 2050, new artificial intelligence (AI) technology may aid providers in addressing SDOH. In this commentary, we present our experience with using ChatGPT to obtain SDOH management recommendations for archetypal patients in Philadelphia, PA. ChatGPT identified …

Mapping For Tracking Sexually Transmitted Infections By Subdistricts In Surabaya, Indonesia, Destri Susilaningrum, Brodjol Sutijo Suprih Ulama, Fausania Hibatullah, Diandra Soja Anjani

Kesmas

The 2014 shutdown localization of prostitution in Surabaya City, East Java Province, Indonesia, has given rise to an illegal prostitution industry, resulting in the spread of uncontrolled sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Mapping needs to be done to track the spread of the disease. This study used secondary data on STIs in 2020 from the Surabaya City Health Office. By using biplot analysis, this study sought to offer a detailed understanding of the distribution and dynamics of STI cases in different parts of Surabaya. The early-stage syphilis was found in Tegalsari and Krembangan Subdistricts; then, gonorrheal urethritis was found in Tandes, …

The Influences Of Medical Students' Consent To Participate In Thalassemia Research, Raditya Wratsangka, Donna Adriani, Endrico Xavierees Tungka, Aditya Krishna Murthi

Kesmas

An effective way of learning about thalassemia, a complex public health issue with multiple perspectives, is through participating in research. This study used an inductive approach to presume the influencing factors of students' consent to participate in thalassemia research voluntarily. Nested in the preliminary stage of a research series on thalassemia, this study used a consecutive sampling to recruit 140 medical undergraduates. Their knowledge, experience, and attitude to thalassemia and the perception of self-quality life were assessed using self-administered questionnaires. Blood samples were drawn for carrier screening. Students' GPAs were collected from faculty records. Of 140 participants, only 123 had …

Menstrual Personal Hygiene Behavior Among Adolescents With Physical And Intellectual Disabilities, Nur Khotimah Elfiyani, Agustin Kusumayati, Caroline Endah Wuryaningsih, Kemal Nazaruddin Siregar

Kesmas

Reproductive health for adolescents with disabilities is often disregarded, and education on personal hygiene is insufficient because some people perceive menstruation as a sensitive topic and have a false belief that adolescents with disabilities have no sexual desire. This study aimed to determine the overview of personal hygiene behavior among adolescents with physical and intellectual disabilities when facing menstruation. The method used was qualitative, with case studies, in-depth interviews, and observations for data collection. The informants comprised four adolescents aged 19-21 years, two mothers, and two therapists for special needs children. This study was conducted at two growth and development …

Prevention Of Hiv Transmission Among Men Who Have Sex With Men And Compliance With Sexual Protective Equipment, Rico Januar Sitorus, Nurafni Octavia, Merry Natalia Panjaitan, Anita Rahmiwati Rahmiwati, Rizma Adlia Syakurah, Danny Aerosta, Reymart V Sangalang, Yusri Yusri

Kesmas

Sexual orientations, such as gay, lesbian, and bisexual, are prevalent among individuals at high risk of experiencing mental health problems, including drug use, depression, emotional distress, and suicide. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the compliance of men who have sex with men with protective equipment and determine the dominant influential factors. This cross-sectional study included 187 men who had sexual intercourse with men who were recruited from two foundations based in Palembang City, Indonesia, focusing on people living with HIV/AIDS. Data were analyzed using Chi-square and binomial logistic regression. In this context, 50.8% of men who have sexual intercourse …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Well-Being In Cancer Survivorship: Implications For Counselors, Hallie M. Sylvestro, Lindsey K. Umstead, Heather Delgado, Christopher Lawrence, Keith Mobley, Kelly L. Wester, Andrew Wood

Adultspan Journal

Adult cancer survivors represent an important–and growing–population that could benefit from counseling services. This study employed consensual qualitative research to examine the well-being experiences of eight cancer survivors. Findings suggest a broad range of changes to individual well-being following cancer diagnosis and treatment, and indicate counseling can provide an ideal setting for processing such changes. Recommendations for counseling practice and future research are provided.