Digital Commons Network^™

Analyzing The Relationship Between Preeclamptic Severity And Placental Methylation, Mackenzie C. Maggio

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Preeclampsia (PE) is a life-threatening hypertensive disorder in pregnancy (HDP) characterized by high blood pressure and proteinuria after 20 weeks of gestation. PE poses significant risks to both maternal and child health. An incomplete etiopathogenesis, diverse disease heterogeneity, and limited intervention and detection strategies further exacerbate and perpetuate PE as a major public health concern. By assessing symptom severity of placental tissues from PE pregnancies and analyzing the DNA methylation differences, this thesis aimed to identify epigenetic variations contributing to disease heterogeneity. Using the publicly available dataset GSE 98224, differentially methylated region (DMR) analysis on placental samples (n=48) revealed increasing …

Effect Of Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibody Treatment On Early Trajectories Of Virologic And Immunologic Biomarkers In Patients Hospitalized With Covid-19, Tomas O Jensen, Greg A Grandits, Mamta K Jain, Thomas A Murray, Birgit Grund, Kathryn Shaw-Saliba, Michael A Matthay, Mahsa Abassi, Magdalena Ardelt, Jason V Baker, Peter Chen, Robin L Dewar, Anna L Goodman, Timothy J Hatlen, Helene C Highbarger, Mark Holodniy, Perrine Lallemand, Sylvain Laverdure, Bradley G Leshnower, David Looney, Charalampos D Moschopoulos, Henry Mugerwa, Daniel D Murray, Eleftherios Mylonakis, Stephanie Nagy-Agren, M Tauseef Rehman, Adam Rupert, Randy A Stevens, Stuart Turville, Amy Weintrob, Katherine Wick, Jens Lundgren, Emily R Ko

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (nmAbs) failed to show clear benefit for hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Dynamics of virologic and immunologic biomarkers remain poorly understood.

METHODS: Participants enrolled in the Therapeutics for Inpatients with COVID-19 trials were randomized to nmAb versus placebo. Longitudinal differences between treatment and placebo groups in levels of plasma nucleocapsid antigen (N-Ag), anti-nucleocapsid antibody, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and D-dimer at enrollment, day 1, 3, and 5 were estimated using linear mixed models. A 7-point pulmonary ordinal scale assessed at day 5 was compared using proportional odds models.

RESULTS: Analysis included 2149 participants enrolled between …

Interrelationships Among Local Values Of Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, Heat Index, And Adjusted Temperature, Andrea Giraldo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Occupational heat stress significantly affects outdoor workers who face challenges due to increased heat exposure. Because of the prevalence of heat illness, it is important to measure heat stress for outdoor workers. Monitoring occupational heat stress most often relies on the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) measure. Heat Index (HI) is a widely used measure to account for air temperature and humidity. Adjusted Temperature (Tadj) considers air temperature, humidity and estimates radiant heat. There is interest in predicting WBGT from HI and HI from WBGT. This study builds on previous USF research by Bernard and Iheanacho and Irvin to evaluate …

Landscape Of Pharmacogenetic Variants Associated With Non-Insulin Antidiabetic Drugs In The Indian Population, Ambily Sivadas, S Sahana, Bani Jolly, Rahul C Bhoyar, Abhinav Jain, Disha Sharma, Mohamed Imran, Vigneshwar Senthivel, Mohit Kumar Divakar, Anushree Mishra, Arpita Mukhopadhyay, Greg Gibson, Km Venkat Narayan, Sridhar Sivasubbu, Vinod Scaria, Anura V Kurpad

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Genetic variants contribute to differential responses to non-insulin antidiabetic drugs (NIADs), and consequently to variable plasma glucose control. Optimal control of plasma glucose is paramount to minimizing type 2 diabetes-related long-term complications. India's distinct genetic architecture and its exploding burden of type 2 diabetes warrants a population-specific survey of NIAD-associated pharmacogenetic (PGx) variants. The recent availability of large-scale whole genomes from the Indian population provides a unique opportunity to generate a population-specific map of NIAD-associated PGx variants.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We mined 1029 Indian whole genomes for PGx variants, drug-drug interaction (DDI) and drug-drug-gene interactions (DDGI) associated with …

Preliminary Investigation Of Differences In Host Mitochondria Membrane Potential During Toxoplasma Gondii Infection, Bryan L. Ortega

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan with a broad host range of hosts, including various warm-blooded mammals, including humans. While infections can often be asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals, they can pose significant risks to those who are immunocompromised, as well as pregnant women. Toxoplasmosis represents a significant burden on public health in the United States, with over 800,000 annual infections reported, often leading to severe complications such as symptomatic eye disease and congenital infections. Recent attention has developed regarding its potential association with human neuropathies such as Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and mood disorders. This project investigated differences in host …

Characterizing Multimorbidity Prevalence And Adverse Outcomes In Ethnically And Culturally Diverse Sub-Populations In India: Gaps, Opportunities, And Future Directions, Preeti Zanwar, Robyn Taylor, Tanisha Hill-Jarrett, Elena Tsoy, Jason Flatt, Zunera Mirza, Carl Hill, Arokiasamy Perianayagam

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

India is a large middle-income country and has surpassed China in overall population, comprising 20% of the global population (over 1.43 billion people). India is experiencing a major demographic shift in its aging population. Chronic diseases are common among older adults and can be persistent over the life course, lead to the onset of disability, and be costly. Among older adults in India, the existence of multiple comorbid chronic conditions (i.e., multimorbidity) is rapidly growing and represents a burgeoning public health burden. Prior research identified greater rates of multimorbidity (e.g., overweight/obesity diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and malignancies) in minority …

Racial And Socioeconomic Disparities In Survival Improvement Of Eight Cancers, Vikram Shaw, Baoyi Zhang, Mabel Tang, William Peng, Christopher Amos, Chao Cheng

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Many studies have characterized racial differences in cancer outcomes, demonstrating that black and Hispanic patients have lower cancer-specific survival compared to white patients. However, to our knowledge, a gap in the literature exists regarding racial, socioeconomic, age, and sex-related differences in survival improvement in cancer.

METHODS: We perform a population-based cohort study of 1,875,281 patients with eight common cancer sites from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

RESULTS: The longitudinal data demonstrates that while overall cancer-free survival has improved from 2004 to 2018, certain groups have seen lower rates of improvement. Black patients have the lowest cancer-specific …

Observation On Efficacy And Underlying Mechanism Of Cheek Acupuncture On Ovulation Induction For Infertile Women With Pcos: Case Series, Yi Yang, Lihua Jin, Shasha Xu, Huijun Ye, Xi Luo, Ruilan Li, Yuebing Yue

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

RATIONALE: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common reproductive endocrine disorder among women of childbearing age and is the primary cause of anovulatory infertility, accounting for 70% to 80% of cases. Ovulation induction is the main treatment approach for infertile patients with PCOS. Commonly utilized medications for this purpose are clomiphene citrate (CC) and letrozole (LE). Clomiphene citrate administration results in an ovulation rate ranging from 60% to 85%, while the pregnancy rate is limited to 35% to 40%, and a further reduction is observed in live birth rates. Letrozole demonstrates a slightly higher pregnancy rate and live birth …

Knowledge, Attitudes, And Beliefs Toward Third Hand Smoke, Gisele Tah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Third hand smoke (THS) is gaining significant interest in the environmental and public health fields as a new but dangerous phenomenon. THS is identified as a form of passive smoke consisting of residual nicotine and chemicals that settle on surfaces. THS is reported to be genotoxic in human cells, yet the public has limited or no knowledge of this new concept. The purpose of this qualitative, interpretive, descriptive study was to discover and describe the level of knowledge, attitudes, practices, and beliefs regarding THS among individuals in an eastern U.S. state. Social cognitive theory provided the theoretical framework for this …

Understanding Adherence To Prescribed Medical Regimen To Treat Hypertension Among African American Males, Yolanda Lucian George

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hypertension is referred to as the silent killer and has been for decades. African Americans have been affected disproportionately compared to Whites, leading to a significant medical and financial burden. The literature has demonstrated that even though African Americans have a similar or better awareness of hypertension, they are more likely to have poorer treatment outcomes and have their hypertension less controlled. In this study, the health belief model and the ecological social model were used as the guiding framework to understand this phenomenon. In this qualitative study, semistructured interviews were used to explore and understand the perception of adherence …

Editorial: Reviews And Advances In The Molecular Mechanisms Of Breast Cancer, A. Redfern, V. Agarwal, Suresh Alahari

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Liax Is A Surrogate Marker For Cell Envelope Stress And Daptomycin Non-Susceptibility In Enterococcus Faecium, Dierdre B Axell-House, Shelby R Simar, Diana Panesso, Sandra Rincon, William R Miller, Ayesha Khan, Orville A Pemberton, Lizbet Valdez, April H Nguyen, Kara S Hood, Kirsten Rydell, Andrea M Detranaltes, Mary N Jones, Rachel Atterstrom, Jinnethe Reyes, Pranoti V Sahasrabhojane, Geehan Suleyman, Marcus Zervos, Samuel A Shelburne, Kavindra V Singh, Yousif Shamoo, Blake M Hanson, Truc T Tran, Cesar A Arias

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Daptomycin (DAP) is often used as a first-line therapy to treat vancomycin-resistant

Immuno-Molecular Targeted Therapy Use And Survival Benefit In Patients With Stage Ivb Cervical Carcinoma In Commission On Cancer, Collin A Sitler, Chunqiao Tian, Chad A Hamilton, Michael T Richardson, John K Chan, Daniel S Kapp, Charles A Leath, Yovanni Casablanca, Christina Washington, Nicole P Chappell, Ann H Klopp, Craig D Shriver, Christopher M Tarney, Nicholas W Bateman, Thomas P Conrads, George Larry Maxwell, Neil T Phippen, Kathleen M Darcy

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: To investigate IMT use and survival in real-world stage IVB cervical cancer patients outside randomized clinical trials.

METHODS: Patients diagnosed with stage IVB cervical cancer during 2013-2019 in the National Cancer Database and treated with chemotherapy (CT) ± external beam radiation (EBRT) ± intracavitary brachytherapy (ICBT) ± IMT were studied. The adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for risk of death were estimated in patients treated with vs. without IMT after applying propensity score analysis to balance the clinical covariates.

RESULTS: There were 3164 evaluable patients, including 969 (31%) who were treated with IMT. The use …

Enhancing Prognostic Power In Multiple Myeloma Using A Plasma Cell Signature Derived From Single-Cell Rna Sequencing, Jian-Rong Li, Shahram Arsang-Jang, Yan Cheng, Fumou Sun, Anita D'Souza, Binod Dhakal, Parameswaran Hari, Quillan Huang, Paul Auer, Yong Li, Raul Urrutia, Fenghuang Zhan, John D Shaughnessy, Siegfried Janz, Jing Dong, Chao Cheng

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a heterogenous plasma cell malignancy, for which the established prognostic models exhibit limitations in capturing the full spectrum of outcome variability. Leveraging single-cell RNA-sequencing data, we developed a novel plasma cell gene signature. We evaluated and validated the associations of the resulting plasma cell malignancy (PBM) score with disease state, progression and clinical outcomes using data from five independent myeloma studies consisting of 2115 samples (1978 MM, 65 monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, 35 smoldering MM, and 37 healthy controls). Overall, a higher PBM score was significantly associated with a more advanced stage within the spectrum …

Sex Differences In Revascularization, Treatment Goals, And Outcomes Of Patients With Chronic Coronary Disease: Insights From The Ischemia Trial, Harmony R Reynolds, Derek D Cyr, C Noel Bairey Merz, Leslee J Shaw, Bernard R Chaitman, William E Boden, Karen P Alexander, Yves D Rosenberg, Sripal Bangalore, Gregg W Stone, Claes Held, John Spertus, Kaatje Goetschalckx, Olga Bockeria, Jonathan D Newman, Jeffrey S Berger, Ahmed Elghamaz, Renato D Lopes, James K Min, Daniel S Berman, Michael H Picard, Raymond Y Kwong, Robert A Harrington, Boban Thomas, Sean M O'Brien, David J Maron, Judith S Hochman, Ischemia Research Group

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Women with chronic coronary disease are generally older than men and have more comorbidities but less atherosclerosis. We explored sex differences in revascularization, guideline-directed medical therapy, and outcomes among patients with chronic coronary disease with ischemia on stress testing, with and without invasive management.

METHODS AND RESULTS: The ISCHEMIA (International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness with Medical and Invasive Approaches) trial randomized patients with moderate or severe ischemia to invasive management with angiography, revascularization, and guideline-directed medical therapy, or initial conservative management with guideline-directed medical therapy alone. We evaluated the primary outcome (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or hospitalization for …

High Clinical Exome Sequencing Diagnostic Rates And Novel Phenotypic Expansions For Nonisolated Microphthalmia, Anophthalmia, And Coloboma, Bhavana Kunisetty, Bailey A Martin-Giacalone, Xiaonan Zhao, Pamela N Luna, Brian P Brooks, Robert B Hufnagel, Chad A Shaw, Jill A Rosenfeld, A J Agopian, Philip J Lupo, Daryl A Scott

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: A molecular diagnosis is only made in a subset of individuals with nonisolated microphthalmia, anophthalmia, and coloboma (MAC). This may be due to underutilization of clinical (whole) exome sequencing (cES) and an incomplete understanding of the genes that cause MAC. The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of cES in cases of nonisolated MAC and to identify new MAC phenotypic expansions.

METHODS: We determined the efficacy of cES in 189 individuals with nonisolated MAC. We then used cES data, a validated machine learning algorithm, and previously published expression data, case reports, and animal models to determine …

The Moderating Effect Of Race On The Relationship Between Perceived Supervisor Support And Burnout Amongst Public Health Workers, Douglas Diontay Gaffney, Jr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recent research has shown that burnout is a prevalent problem across the public health workforce. Burnout (BO) contributes to workplace challenges in turnover, employee performance, job satisfaction, and overall quality of life, and is more prevalent among racial minorities. Not only has BO been found to differ across racial demographics, employee perceptions about their level of support from supervisors (PSS) also differ. This quantitative study, informed by Meyer’s minority stress theory, examined Black-White differences in PSS and BO, and whether race moderated the relationship between PSS and BO. Data collected by De Beaumont’s 2017 national public health workforce interest and …

A Greb1-Steroid Receptor Feedforward Mechanism Governs Differential Greb1 Action In Endometrial Function And Endometriosis, Sangappa B Chadchan, Pooja Popli, Zian Liao, Eryk Andreas, Michelle Dias, Tianyuan Wang, Stephanie J Gunderson, Patricia T Jimenez, Denise G Lanza, Rainer B Lanz, Charles E Foulds, Diana Monsivais, Francesco J Demayo, Hari Krishna Yalamanchili, Emily S Jungheim, Jason D Heaney, John P Lydon, Kelle H Moley, Bert W O'Malley, Ramakrishna Kommagani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Cellular responses to the steroid hormones, estrogen (E2), and progesterone (P4) are governed by their cognate receptor's transcriptional output. However, the feed-forward mechanisms that shape cell-type-specific transcriptional fulcrums for steroid receptors are unidentified. Herein, we found that a common feed-forward mechanism between GREB1 and steroid receptors regulates the differential effect of GREB1 on steroid hormones in a physiological or pathological context. In physiological (receptive) endometrium, GREB1 controls P4-responses in uterine stroma, affecting endometrial receptivity and decidualization, while not affecting E2-mediated epithelial proliferation. Of mechanism, progesterone-induced GREB1 physically interacts with the progesterone receptor, acting as a cofactor in a positive feedback …

Wastewater Surveillance For Identifying Sars-Cov-2 Infections In Long-Term Care Facilities, Kentucky, Usa, 2021–2022, James W. Keck, Reuben Adatorwovor, Matthew Liversedge, Blazan Mijotavich, Cullen Olsson, William D. Strike, Atena Amirsoleimani, Ann Noble, Soroosh Torabi, Alexus Lori Rockward, Mohammad Dehghan Banadaki, Ted Smith, Parker Lacy, Scott M. Berry

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Persons living in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) were disproportionately affected by COVID-19. We used wastewater surveillance to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection in this setting by collecting and testing 24-hour compos- ite wastewater samples 2–4 times weekly at 6 LTCFs in Kentucky, USA, during March 2021–February 2022. The LTCFs routinely tested staff and symptomatic and exposed residents for SARS-CoV-2 using rapid antigen tests. Of 780 wastewater samples analyzed, 22% (n = 173) had detectable SARS-CoV-2 RNA. The LTCFs reported 161 positive (of 16,905) SARS-CoV-2 clinical tests. The wastewater SARS-CoV-2 signal showed vari- able correlation with clinical test data; we observed the strongest …

“No Matter How Hot It Is, You Just Have To Do The Work”: Examining Farmworkers’ Experiences With Heat And Climate Change In Idaho, Carly Hyland, Delmy Flores, Grace Augusto, Irene Ruiz, Marielena Vega, Rulon Wood

Public and Population Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction: Farmworkers are one of the populations most vulnerable to climate change. In addition to disproportionate exposure to climate-intensified hazards such as extreme heat and wildfire smoke, many farmworkers face situational and psychosocial stressors that also impact their health.

Methods: We conducted open-ended interviews with 16 farmworkers in Southcentral Idaho during June-August 2023 as part of a digital storytelling project in partnership with the Idaho Organization of Resource Councils (IORC). Interviews assessed participants’ experiences with climate change, perceived impacts on their health, and strategies and barriers to protecting themselves. Bilingual (English/Spanish) study staff translated and transcribed all video recordings verbatim, …

Personal Dosimeter Testing For High Altitude Air Crew, Seth D. Bacon

Theses and Dissertations

In 2014 the Thermo Scientific N2 electronic personal dosimeter became the aircrews’ sole means to record ionizing radiation dose. The production of this dosimeter was discontinued in July of 2021, motivating the Air Force to seek a flight-certifiable replacement. The Thermo Scientific Trudose NG, Mirion DMC 3000, and Fuji NRF-51 electronic personal dosimeters, as well as the Landauer InLight optically stimulated luminescent dosimeter, were subjected to mixed gamma and fast neutron fields simulating a high-altitude flight environment. Dosimeters are evaluated on their consistency and accuracy in reporting dose and compared to the current N2 dosimeter’s reported dose.

Retrospective Cohort Study Of Pure Tone Audiometry Hearing Changes From Ototoxic Metalsand Solvents, Continuous Noise, And Impulse Noise Exposures At Hill Air Force Base From 2005 To 2019, Zachary I. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

This retrospective cohort epidemiological study investigated the relative risks of hearing loss associated with ototoxicants in combination with noise exposure. Utilizing Department of Defense (DoD) industrial hygiene and hearing conservation data, this research expanded on a 2020 thesis conducted on Tinker Air Force Base (AFB), applying a similar methodology to Hill AFB, adding 893 evaluated individuals. Grouped into twelve exposure combinations with a minimum of three years of exposure duration, the study assessed various hearing loss indicators, including DoD Standard Threshold Shift (STS) and NIOSH STS. Ototoxic substances consistently elevated relative risk (RR) compared to noise-only exposure groups, but none …

Why I Chose To Practice In Rural Michigan, Lisenia M. Collazo Dmd, Mph

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article explores the motivations behind dentists choosing rural practice, focusing on personal experiences and factors influencing career decisions. The narrative outlines the author’s journey from Pennsylvania to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, emphasizing a commitment to addressing oral health disparities in underserved communities. The discussion covers training experiences, financial considerations, community engagement, and the challenges of rural health care. The author also highlights the role of mentorship and advocates for building relationships with mentors in the profession, especially in rural settings. The essay underscores rural practice’s unique advantages, including professional growth, lower living costs, and a supportive community.

Policy Brief: Decreasing Unintended Pregnancy Rates In Mississippi, Jaycee S. Pilcher

Honors Theses

On June 24th, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to reverse Roe v. Wade marked a pivotal moment, eliminating the federal right to pregnancy termination. This thesis examines the challenges of restricted abortion access and emphasizes preventative strategies for unintended pregnancies. Analyzing both pre- and post-pregnancy interventions, such as enhanced sex education, hormonal contraceptives, insurance coverage, prescribers, and post-pregnancy policies, this thesis urges Mississippi residents and legislators to consider policy adjustments for reducing the occurrence of unintended pregnancies.

This research includes an analysis of literature, legislative records, and statistical data. It takes a comparative approach to evaluate the effectiveness of …

Altered Mitochondrial Respiration In Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Of Post-Acute Sequelae Of Sars-Cov-2 Infection, Sahera Dirajlal-Fargo, Jared C. Durieux, Grace A. Mccomsey

Faculty Scholarship

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) mitochondrial respiration was measured ex vivo from participants without a history of COVID (n = 19), with a history of COVID and full recovery (n = 20), and with PASC (n = 20). Mean mitochondrial basal respiration, ATP-linked respiration, maximal respiration, spare respiration capacity, ATP-linked respiration, and non-mitochondrial respiration were highest in COVID + PASC+ (p ≤ 0.04). Every unit increase in non-mitochondrial respiration, ATP-linked respiration, basal respiration, spare respiration capacity, and maximal respiration increased the predicted odds of PASC between 1 % and 6 %. Mitochondrial dysfunction in PBMCs may be contributing to the …

The Lymphoma Epidemiology Of Outcomes Cohort Study: Design, Baseline Characteristics, And Early Outcomes, James R Cerhan, Matthew J Maurer, Brian K Link, Andrew L Feldman, Thomas M Habermann, David L Jaye, W Richard Burack, Timothy J Mcdonnell, Francisco Vega, Jennifer R Chapman, Sergei Syrbu, Kiran R Vij, Giorgio Inghirami, John P Leonard, Leon Bernal-Mizrachi, Umar Farooq, Thomas E Witzig, George J Weiner, Yucai Wang, Juan P Alderuccio, Susan L Slager, Melissa C Larson, Shaun M Riska, Brianna J Gysbers, Julianne J Lunde, Tanner W Reicks, Amy A Ayers, Colin B O'Leary, Kathleen J Yost, Hongfang Liu, Grzegorz S Nowakowski, Jia Ruan, Dai Chihara, Jean L Koff, Carla Casulo, Carrie A Thompson, Jonathon B Cohen, Brad S Kahl, Loretta J Nastoupil, Izidore S Lossos, Jonathan W Friedberg, Peter Martin, Christopher R Flowers

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

To address the current and long-term unmet health needs of the growing population of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients, we established the Lymphoma Epidemiology of Outcomes (LEO) cohort study (NCT02736357; https://leocohort.org/). A total of 7735 newly diagnosed patients aged 18 years and older with NHL were prospectively enrolled from 7/1/2015 to 5/31/2020 at 8 academic centers in the United States. The median age at diagnosis was 62 years (range, 18-99). Participants came from 49 US states and included 538 Black/African-Americans (AA), 822 Hispanics (regardless of race), 3386 women, 716 age <40 >years, and 1513 rural residents. At study baseline, we abstracted clinical, …

Familial Hypercholesterolemia Variant And Cardiovascular Risk In Individuals With Elevated Cholesterol, Yiyi Zhang, Jacqueline S Dron, Brandon K Bellows, Amit V Khera, Junxiu Liu, Pallavi P Balte, Elizabeth C Oelsner, Sami Samir Amr, Matthew S Lebo, Anna Nagy, Gina M Peloso, Pradeep Natarajan, Jerome I Rotter, Cristen Willer, Eric Boerwinkle, Christie M Ballantyne, Pamela L Lutsey, Myriam Fornage, Donald M Lloyd-Jones, Lifang Hou, Bruce M Psaty, Joshua C Bis, James S Floyd, Ramachandran S Vasan, Nancy L Heard-Costa, April P Carson, Michael E Hall, Stephen S Rich, Xiuqing Guo, Dhruv S Kazi, Sarah D De Ferranti, Andrew E Moran

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic disorder that often results in severely high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high risk of premature coronary heart disease (CHD). However, the impact of FH variants on CHD risk among individuals with moderately elevated LDL-C is not well quantified.

OBJECTIVE: To assess CHD risk associated with FH variants among individuals with moderately (130-189 mg/dL) and severely (≥190 mg/dL) elevated LDL-C and to quantify excess CHD deaths attributable to FH variants in US adults.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 21 426 individuals without preexisting CHD from 6 US cohort studies (Atherosclerosis Risk …

Identifying Environmental And Genetic Risk Factors Of Diseases In Case-Control Studies, Siting Li

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

In response to the increasing efforts in disease prevention and treatment, this thesis applies statistical methods to investigate environmental and genetic risk factors associated with two diseases: bladder cancer and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). For bladder cancer, we investigated the association between toenail metal mixture and bladder cancer risk, along with gene expression levels associated with bladder cancer risk. For ALS, our investigation involves identifying genetic variants and gene expression levels associated with ALS risk and exploring gene-smoking interactions linked to ALS risk.

In chapter two, we developed an adaptive-mixture-categorization (AMC)-based g-computation method combining g-computation with optimized exposure categorization. We …

Radiological Decontamination Methodologies On Litter-Bound Patients In Arctic Environments, And The Associated Airborne Risks Posed To First Responders, Juan S. Alb

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine if air-based decontamination (decon) methods would be effective at both treating patients exposed to dry, radiological contamination as well as reducing its re-aerosolization during the disrobing process, such that these methods could be applied on litter-bound patients in extreme cold environments. A litter-bound, full-size mannequin dressed in a set of standard military issue extreme cold weather jacket and pants coated in 27 g (1 Tbs) of Copper Oxide (density 6.315 g/cm³ ) was given one of three treatments for dry aerosol decon. The three cleaning treatments included high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) vacuum, a …

Metabolomic Association And Risk Prediction With Heart Failure In Older Adults, Guning Liu, Ngoc Quynh H Nguyen, Kari E Wong, Sunil K Agarwal, Eric Boerwinkle, Patricia P Chang, Brian L Claggett, Laura R Loehr, Jianzhong Ma, Kunihiro Matsushita, Carlos J Rodriguez, Joseph S Rossi, Stuart D Russell, R Brandon Stacey, Amil M Shah, Bing Yu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Older adults have markedly increased risks of heart failure (HF), specifically HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Identifying novel biomarkers can help in understanding HF pathogenesis and improve at-risk population identification. This study aimed to identify metabolites associated with incident HF, HFpEF, and HF with reduced ejection fraction and examine risk prediction in older adults.

Methods: Untargeted metabolomic profiling was performed in Black and White adults from the ARIC study (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) visit 5 (n=3719; mean age, 75 years). We applied Cox regressions to identify metabolites associated with incident HF and its subtypes. The metabolite risk score …