Digital Commons Network^™

Whole Genome Sequence Association Analysis Of Fasting Glucose And Fasting Insulin Levels In Diverse Cohorts From The Nhlbi Topmed Program, Daniel Dicorpo, Sheila M Gaynor, Emily M Russell, Kenneth E Westerman, Laura M Raffield, Timothy D Majarian, Peitao Wu, Chloé Sarnowski, Heather M Highland, Anne Jackson, Natalie R Hasbani, Paul S De Vries, Jennifer A Brody, Bertha Hidalgo, Xiuqing Guo, James A Perry, Jeffrey R O'Connell, Samantha Lent, May E Montasser, Brian E Cade, Deepti Jain, Heming Wang, Ricardo D'Oliveira Albanus, Arushi Varshney, Lisa R Yanek, Leslie Lange, Nicholette D Palmer, Marcio Almeida, Juan M Peralta, Stella Aslibekyan, Abigail S Baldridge, Alain G Bertoni, Lawrence F Bielak, Chung-Shiuan Chen, Yii-Der Ida Chen, Won Jung Choi, Mark O Goodarzi, James S Floyd, Marguerite R Irvin, Rita R Kalyani, Tanika N Kelly, Seonwook Lee, Ching-Ti Liu, Douglas Loesch, Joann E Manson, Ryan L Minster, Take Naseri, James S Pankow, Laura J Rasmussen-Torvik, Alexander P Reiner, Muagututi'a Sefuiva Reupena, Elizabeth Selvin, Jennifer A Smith, Daniel E Weeks, Huichun Xu, Jie Yao, Wei Zhao, Stephen Parker, Alvaro Alonso, Donna K Arnett, John Blangero, Eric Boerwinkle, Adolfo Correa, L Adrienne Cupples, Joanne E Curran, Ravindranath Duggirala, Jiang He, Susan R Heckbert, Sharon L R Kardia, Ryan W Kim, Charles Kooperberg, Simin Liu, Rasika A Mathias, Stephen T Mcgarvey, Braxton D Mitchell, Alanna C Morrison, Patricia A Peyser, Bruce M Psaty, Susan Redline, Alan R Shuldiner, Kent D Taylor, Ramachandran S Vasan, Karine A Viaud-Martinez, Jose C Florez, James G Wilson, Robert Sladek, Stephen S Rich, Jerome I Rotter, Xihong Lin, Josée Dupuis, James B Meigs, Jennifer Wessel, Alisa K Manning

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The genetic determinants of fasting glucose (FG) and fasting insulin (FI) have been studied mostly through genome arrays, resulting in over 100 associated variants. We extended this work with high-coverage whole genome sequencing analyses from fifteen cohorts in NHLBI's Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program. Over 23,000 non-diabetic individuals from five race-ethnicities/populations (African, Asian, European, Hispanic and Samoan) were included. Eight variants were significantly associated with FG or FI across previously identified regions MTNR1B, G6PC2, GCK, GCKR and FOXA2. We additionally characterize suggestive associations with FG or FI near previously identified SLC30A8, TCF7L2, and ADCY5 regions as well as APOB, …

Covid-19 Newsletter (Vol. 129), Center For Disaster Medicine, New York Medical College

COVID-19 Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Hair Zidovudine Concentrations Predict Virologic Outcomes Among People Living With Hiv/Aids In China, Yan Wu, Shuaifeng Liu, Liuxi Chu, Quan Zhang, Jin Yang, Shan Qiao, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Yuejiao Zhou, Huihua Deng, Zhiyong Shen

Faculty Publications

Background: Hair antiretroviral concentrations are an objective and non-invasive measure of adherence to long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART) and can further predict virologic outcomes among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH). Zidovudine, one of the mainstream antiretrovirals in China, has been verified to have high reliability in adherence assessment, especially for its hair concentrations. However, data are limited in its predicting virologic outcomes. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize whether hair zidovudine concentrations can predict virologic suppression among Chinese PLWH compared with hair lamivudine concentrations and two self-reported measures, the overall frequency of adherence behaviors and percentage adherence. Methods: This cross-sectional study …

Heart Failure In General And Cardiac Transplant Patients With Covid-19, Munish Sharma, Gowthami Sai Kogilathota Jagirdhar, Kalpalatha K Guntupalli, Rahul Kashyap, Salim Surani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is primarily an infection of the respiratory tract, but it can have multisystem manifestations. Cardiac complications of COVID-19 can range from acute myocardial injury, cardiac arrhythmias, or heart failure, amongst others. Heart failure (HF) in COVID-19 can be a de novo process or due to worsening of pre-existing cardiovascular ailment. HF in a patient with COVID-19 not only poses challenges in clinical presentation and management of COVID-19 but also affect prognosis of the patient. This article aims to succinctly revisit the implications of this pandemic regarding pre-existing HF or new-onset HF based on prevailing data. It …

A Retrospective Analysis Of Endocrine Disease In Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Lyase Insufficiency: Case Series And Literature Review, Avinaash Maharaj, Ruth Kwong, Jack Williams, Christopher Smith, Helen Storr, Ruth Krone, Debora Braslavsky, Maria Clemente, Nanik Ram, Indraneel Banerjee

Section of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism

Sphingosine-1-phosphate lyase (SGPL1) insufficiency syndrome (SPLIS) is an autosomal recessive multi-system disorder, which mainly incorporates steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome and primary adrenal insufficiency. Other variable endocrine manifestations are described. In this study, we aimed to comprehensively annotate the endocrinopathies associated with pathogenic SGPL1 variants and assess for genotype-phenotype correlations by retrospectively reviewing the reports of endocrine disease within our patient cohort and all published cases in the wider literature up to February 2022. Glucocorticoid insufficiency in early childhood is the most common endocrine manifestation affecting 64% of the 50 patients reported with SPLIS, and a third of these individuals have additional …

Impact Of Biosecurity Measures, Social Pressure And Bullying On Attitudes, Perceptions, And Job Satisfaction Levels Among Healthcare Workers During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey, Azza Sarfraz, Zouina Sarfraz, Genesis Camacho-Leon, Geovanny Efraín Alvarado-Villa, Derly Madeleiny Andrade-Molina, Juan Carlos Fernandez-Cadena, Arjola Agolli, Zeynep Yukselen, Miguel Felix, Juan Carlos Gallardo Bastidas

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Introduction: The extent and nature of social pressure and bullying towards healthcare workers (HCWs) during the COVID-19 remains unclear. The following study identifies the effect of social pressure and bullying directed towards HCWs when using biosecurity measures during the COVID-19 pandemic; further, the impact on perceptions, attitudes and job satisfaction level is also explored.
Methodology: We conducted a cross-sectional survey-based study among 684 Ecuadorian HCWs. The survey consisted of 38 questions related to the frequency, attitudes, and perceptions of biosecurity measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to assess the validity of the questionnaire. Associations between variables …

Resilience And Protection Of Health Care And Research Laboratory Workers During The Sars-Cov-2 Pandemic: Analysis And Case Study From An Austrian High Security Laboratory, Martina Loibner, Paul Barach, Stella Wolfgruber, Christine Langner, Verena Stangl, Julia Rieger, Esther Föderl-Höbenreich, Melina Hardt, Eva Kicker, Silvia Groiss, Martin Zacharias, Philipp Wurm, Gregor Gorkiewicz, Peter Regitnig, Kurt Zatloukal

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted the interdependency of healthcare systems and research organizations on manufacturers and suppliers of personnel protective equipment (PPE) and the need for well-trained personnel who can react quickly to changing working conditions. Reports on challenges faced by research laboratory workers (RLWs) are rare in contrast to the lived experience of hospital health care workers. We report on experiences gained by RLWs (e.g., molecular scientists, pathologists, autopsy assistants) who significantly contributed to combating the pandemic under particularly challenging conditions due to increased workload, sickness and interrupted PPE supply chains. RLWs perform a broad spectrum of work with …

Influenza Activity And Composition Of The 2022-23 Influenza Vaccine - United States, 2021-22 Season, Angiezel Merced-Morales, Peter Daly, Anwar Isa Abd Elal, Noreen Ajayi, Ekow Annan, Alicia Budd, John Barnes, Arielle Colon, Charisse N Cummings, A Danielle Iuliano, Juliana Dasilva, Nick Dempster, Shikha Garg, Larisa Gubareva, Daneisha Hawkins, Amanda Howa, Stacy Huang, Marie Kirby, Krista Kniss, Rebecca Kondor, Jimma Liddell, Shunte Moon, Ha T Nguyen, Alissa O'Halloran, Catherine Smith, Thomas Stark, Katie Tastad, Dawud Ujamaa, Dave E Wentworth, Alicia M Fry, Vivien G Dugan, Lynnette Brammer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Before the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, influenza activity in the United States typically began to increase in the fall and peaked in February. During the 2021-22 season, influenza activity began to increase in November and remained elevated until mid-June, featuring two distinct waves, with A(H3N2) viruses predominating for the entire season. This report summarizes influenza activity during October 3, 2021-June 11, 2022, in the United States and describes the composition of the Northern Hemisphere 2022-23 influenza vaccine. Although influenza activity is decreasing and circulation during summer is typically low, remaining vigilant for influenza infections, performing testing …

Respiratory, Neurological And Other Health Outcomes Among Plastic Factory Workers In Gazipur, Bangladesh, Shobhan Das, Md. Masudur Rahman, Asmaul Husna, Margia Akter, Md. Matiur Rahaman, Md. Taohidul Islam, Md. Jamal Uddin, Atin Adhikari

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Approximately three thousand plastic goods manufacturing factories (PGMF) are currently operating in Bangladesh involving numerous workers. Associated health problems of these workers are largely unknown. The key objectives of the current study were identifying plastic chemical exposures related health outcomes in these workers and comparing these outcomes before and after their joining in PGMFs. In addition, we aimed to investigate the relationships between work duration and the prevalence of health ailments among workers.

Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out among factory workers (n=405) at six PGMFs in Gazipur district in Bangladesh. A simple random sampling method had been …

Performance Of Machine Learning Classifiers In Classifying Stunting Among Under-Five Children In Zambia, Obvious Nchimunya Chilyabanyama, Roma Chilengi, Roma Chilengi, Michelo Simuyandi, Caroline C. Chisenga, Masuzyo Chirwa, Kalongo Hamusonde, Rakesh Kumar Saroj, Najeeha Talat Iqbal, Innocent Ngaruye

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Stunting is a global public health issue. We sought to train and evaluate machine learning (ML) classification algorithms on the Zambia Demographic Health Survey (ZDHS) dataset to predict stunting among children under the age of five in Zambia. We applied Logistic regression (LR), Random Forest (RF), SV classification (SVC), XG Boost (XgB) and Naïve Bayes (NB) algorithms to predict the probability of stunting among children under five years of age, on the 2018 ZDHS dataset. We calibrated predicted probabilities and plotted the calibration curves to compare model performance. We computed accuracy, recall, precision and F1 for each machine learning algorithm. …

Can Variables From The Electronic Health Record Identify Delirium At Bedside?, Ariba Khan, Kayla Heslin, Michelle Simpson, Michael L. Malone

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Delirium, a common and serious disorder in older hospitalized patients, remains underrecognized. While several delirium predictive models have been developed, only a handful have focused on electronic health record (EHR) data. This prospective cohort study of older inpatients (≥ 65 years old) aimed to determine if variables within our health system’s EHR could be used to identify delirium among hospitalized patients at the bedside. Trained researchers screened daily for delirium using the 3-minute diagnostic Confusion Assessment Method (3D-CAM). Patient demographic and clinical variables were extracted from the EHR. Among 408 participants, mean age was 75 years, 60.8% were female, and …

A Narrative Review On Yoga: A Potential Intervention For Augmenting Immunomodulation And Mental Health In Covid-19, Indranill Basu-Ray, Kashinath Metri, Dibbendhu Khanra, Rishab Revankar, Kavitha M Chinnaiyan, Nagaratna Raghuram, Mahesh Chandra Mishra, Bhushan Patwardhan, Manjunath Sharma, Ishwar V Basavaraddi, Akshay Anand, Shrinath Reddy, K K Deepak, Marian Levy, Sue Theus, Glenn N Levine, Holger Cramer, Gregory L Fricchione, Nagendra R Hongasandra

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The ongoing novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has a significant mortality rate of 3-5%. The principal causes of multiorgan failure and death are cytokine release syndrome and immune dysfunction. Stress, anxiety, and depression has been aggravated by the pandemic and its resultant restrictions in day-to-day life which may contribute to immune dysregulation. Thus, immunity strengthening and the prevention of cytokine release syndrome are important for preventing and minimizing mortality in COVID-19 patients. However, despite a few specific remedies that now exist for the SARS-CoV-2virus, the principal modes of prevention include vaccination, masking, and holistic healing methods, such as …

Gis Automated Delineation And Analysis Of Cancer Service Areas In The United States, Changzhen Wang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Delineating a meaningful and reliable geographic unit pertaining to cancer care is essential in examining geographic variations in cancer care for better analysis, management, and planning. Public health researchers have devoted great efforts to defining various service areas, which; however, lack scientific rigor or are unrepresentative of the highly specialized cancer care markets, and their methods have become obsolete in the era of big data and high geo-computation. This study develops the “Spatially Constrained Leiden (ScLeiden)” method, a network community detection algorithm in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and applies it to delineate a series of coherent cancer service …

Antiphospholipid Antibodies And Vitamin D Deficiency In Covid-19 Infection With And Without Venous Or Arterial Thrombosis: A Pilot Case-Control Study, Ruchi Shah, Yaqub Nadeem Mohammed, Tracy J Koehler, Jasmeet Kaur, Margarita Toufeili, Priyanjali Pulipati, Ahmed Alqaysi, Ali Khan, Mahrukh Khalid, Yi Lee, Parveen Dhillon, Anna Thao Dan, Nicholas Kumar, Monica Bowen, Anupam A Sule, Geetha Krishnamoorthy

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is associated with thromboembolism. Antiphospholipid antibody (APLa) formation is one of the mechanisms. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with thrombosis in antiphospholipid antibody syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Measure APLa and vitamin D in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with and without thrombosis to evaluate if thromboembolism is associated with concomitant APLa and vitamin D deficiency.

METHODS: Case-control study. Hospitalized COVID-19 patients with a thromboembolic event (ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, deep venous thrombosis/pulmonary embolism, Cases n = 20). Controls (n = 20): Age, sex-matched without thromboembolic events. Patients with autoimmune disorders, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, thrombophilia, anticoagulation therapy, prior thromboembolism, chronic …

The Lived Experience Of Postpartum Anxiety During Covid-19: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Walker Ladd Phd, Jenny De Decker

The Qualitative Report

The experience of pregnancy and postpartum anxiety disorders results in adverse birth outcomes and the disrupted development of infants and children. Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has designated pregnant and postpartum women as more vulnerable to COVID-19 (CDC, 2021), and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders rates have increased. However, research regarding the lived experience of women with postpartum anxiety (PPA) during a global pandemic remains lacking. Using van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenological research method, we interviewed eight women self-identifying as having had PPA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis revealed five themes describing the lived …

Genetic Risk, Midlife Life's Simple 7, And Incident Dementia In The Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities Study, Adrienne Tin, Jan Bressler, Jeannette Simino, Kevin J Sullivan, Hao Mei, B Gwen Windham, Michael Griswold, Rebecca F Gottesman, Eric Boerwinkle, Myriam Fornage, Thomas H Mosley

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Higher scores in Life's Simple 7 (LS7), a metric for cardiovascular and brain health, have been associated with lower risk of dementia. It is uncertain whether this association holds among those with high genetic risk of dementia. Our objective is to evaluate the extent that LS7 may offset dementia risk across the range of genetic risk.

METHODS: Participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study were followed from 1987-1989 to 2019. We derived midlife LS7 scores and generated genetic risk scores (GRS) using genome-wide summary statistics of Alzheimer disease, which have been used to study the …

Urinary Metabolites Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Firefighters: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Jooyeon Hwang, Chao Xu, Paul Grunsted, Robert J Agnew, Tara R Malone, Shari Clifton, Krista Thompson, Xin Xu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Firefighters are intermittently exposed to complex, mixed pollutants in random settings. Of those pollutants, PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) are the most commonly studied and best understood. PAH exposure can occur via multiple routes; therefore, the levels of hydroxylated metabolites of PAHs in urine have been used as a biomonitoring tool for risk assessment. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature to estimate the levels of urinary hydroxylated PAH (OHPAH) among firefighters, determine risk attributions, and, finally, evaluate the scope of preventive efforts and their utility as diagnostic tools. The meta-regression confirmed increases in OHPAH concentrations after fire …

Preliminary Findings From The Gulf War Women’S Cohort: Reproductive And Children’S Health Outcomes Among Women Veterans, Alexa Friedman, Patricia A Janulewicz Lloyd, Jeffrey Carlson, Emily Quinn, Dylan Keating, Rosemary Toomey, Timothy Heeren, Steven S Coughlin, Glenn Markenson, Maxine Krengel, Kimberly Sullivan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Reproductive outcomes, such as preterm birth, miscarriage/stillbirth, and pre-eclampsia, are understudied in veterans, particularly among Gulf War veterans (GWVs). During deployment, women GWVs were exposed to toxicant and nontoxicant exposures that may be associated with adverse reproductive and developmental outcomes. The data come from a survey of 239 participants from northeastern and southern U.S. cohorts of women veterans. The questionnaire collected information about the service history, current and past general health, reproductive and family health, demographic information, and deployment exposures. Odds ratios were computed with 95% confidence intervals between exposures in theater and reproductive/children's health outcomes. GWVs experienced adverse reproductive …

Integrating Conformational Dynamics And Perturbation-Based Network Modeling For Mutational Profiling Of Binding And Allostery In The Sars-Cov-2 Spike Variant Complexes With Antibodies: Balancing Local And Global Determinants Of Mutational Escape Mechanisms, Gennady M. Verkhivker, Steve Agajanian, Ryan Kassab, Keerthi Krishnan

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

n this study, we combined all-atom MD simulations, the ensemble-based mutational scanning of protein stability and binding, and perturbation-based network profiling of allosteric interactions in the SARS-CoV-2 spike complexes with a panel of cross-reactive and ultra-potent single antibodies (B1-182.1 and A23-58.1) as well as antibody combinations (A19-61.1/B1-182.1 and A19-46.1/B1-182.1). Using this approach, we quantify the local and global effects of mutations in the complexes, identify protein stability centers, characterize binding energy hotspots, and predict the allosteric control points of long-range interactions and communications. Conformational dynamics and distance fluctuation analysis revealed the antibody-specific signatures of protein stability and flexibility of the …

Community Engagement Education In Academic Health Centers, Colleges, And Universities, Chyke A. Doubeni, David Nelson, Elizabeth Gross Cohn, Electra Paskett, Seleshi Ayalew Asfaw, Mehek Sumar, Syed M. Ahmed, Rhonda Mcclinton-Brown, Mark L. Wieland, Anita Kinney, Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, Lisa G. Rosas, Cecilia M. Patino

Publications and Research

Community engagement (CE) is critical for advancing health equity and a key approach for promoting inclusive clinical and translational science. However, it requires a workforce trained to effectively design, implement, and evaluate health promotion and improvement strategies through meaningful collaboration with community members. This paper presents an approach for designing CE curricula for research, education, clinical care, and public health learners. A general pedagogical framework is presented to support curriculum development with the inclusion of community members as facilitators or faculty. The overall goal of the curriculum is envisioned as enabling learners to effectively demonstrate the principles of CE in …

Tracking The Source Of Helicobacter Pylori In Watersheds Of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Mary Elizabeth Sailors

Biology Theses

Helicobacter pylori is a pathogenic bacterium that infects more than half of the world’s population. The large number of H. pylori infections in Puerto Rico could be related to the waterborne transmission of the pathogen. While the San Juan Bay Estuary (SJBE) system is home to over three million people, water quality studies in this area of Puerto Rico are lacking. The goal of this study is to determine seasonal and yearly (2020-2021) shifts and relationships between the presence of H. pylori and host-specific (human and dog) Bacteroides in streams that flow through the northern coastal zone of Puerto Rico …

Drug-Target Network Study Reveals The Core Target-Protein Interactions Of Various Covid-19 Treatments, Yulin Dai, Hui Yu, Qiheng Yan, Bingrui Li, Andi Liu, Wendao Liu, Xiaoqian Jiang, Yejin Kim, Yan Guo, Zhongming Zhao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a dramatic loss of human life and devastated the worldwide economy. Numerous efforts have been made to mitigate COVID-19 symptoms and reduce the death rate. We conducted literature mining of more than 250 thousand published works and curated the 174 most widely used COVID-19 medications. Overlaid with the human protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, we used Steiner tree analysis to extract a core subnetwork that grew from the pharmacological targets of ten credible drugs ascertained by the CTD database. The resultant core subnetwork consisted of 34 interconnected genes, which were associated with 36 …

Covid-19 Newsletter (Vol. 126), Center For Disaster Medicine, New York Medical College

COVID-19 Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Predicting Suicide In Counties: Creating A Quantitative Measure Of Suicide Risk, Kate Mobley, Gita Taasoobshirazi

Faculty Articles

Rising rates of suicide over the past two decades have increased the need for wide-ranging suicide prevention efforts. One approach is to target high-risk groups, which requires the identification of the characteristics of these population sub-groups. This suicidology study was conducted using large-scale, secondary data to answer the question: using the research on suicide, are there variables studied at the community level that are linked to suicide and are measurable using quantitative, demographic data that are already collected and updated? Data on deaths from suicide in U.S. counties for the years 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015 were analyzed using multiple …

Total Prevention: A History Of Schistosomiasis In Japan, Alexander Bay

History Faculty Articles and Research

In Japan, schistosomiasis was endemic in Yamanashi Prefecture and a few other hotspot areas where the Miya’iri snail lived. The parasite’s lifecycle relied on the intermediary Miya’iri snail as well as the human host. Parasite eggs passed into the agrarian environment through untreated night soil used as fertiliser or through the culture of open defecation in rural Japan. Manmade rice fields and irrigation ditches, night soil covered paddies and highly refined growing seasons put people in flooded rice paddies to intensively work the land in the spring and summer. The disease was equally dependent on human intervention in the natural …

Effects Of Education On Correcting Misconceptions And Acceptance Of The Influenza Vaccination Among A College Campus, Travis E. Fairbanks

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Educating patients on the influenza vaccination is an important goal for health care providers. It fosters a working relationship between provider and patient and allows patients to make an informed decision on their health care needs. The percentage of individuals who receive the influenza vaccine in the United States has been consistently below goals set by the committee for Healthy People 2020. This DNP scholarly project aimed to determine whether the introduction of education was effective at increasing individuals’ choice to vaccinate against the influenza virus among college campus students. The study was a non-experimental, non-randomized control trial that utilized …

Global Think Tank On The Clinical Considerations And Management Of Lipoprotein(A): The Top Questions And Answers Regarding What Clinicians Need To Know, Salim S. Virani, Marlys L. Koschinsky, Lisa Maher, Anurag Mehta, Carl E. Orringer, Raul D. Santos, Michael D. Shapiro, Joseph J. Saseen

Office of the Provost

Evidence from Mendelian randomization studies suggest that lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) has a causal role in the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk. However, guidelines and consensus statement recommendations vary regarding how clinicians should incorporate Lp(a) into patient care. To provide practical answers to key questions pertaining to Lp(a) that clinicians will find useful when assessing and treating patients, a global think tank was convened. Representatives from seven national and international stakeholder organizations answered questions that were focused on: Lp(a) measurement; ethnic, gender, and age considerations; factoring Lp(a) into risk assessment; and current and emerging treatment options for elevated Lp(a). This manuscript …

A Comparison Of American Women's Experiences With Both Gestational Surrogate Pregnancies And Spontaneous Pregnancies, Jennifer Lahl, Kallie Fell, Kate Bassett, Frances H. Broghammer, William M. Briggs

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

This article evaluates the pregnancy experiences of American women by comparing their spontaneous or non-surrogate pregnancies with their gestational surrogate pregnancies. Data were collected through structured interviews using an online video platform. In total, 96 interviews were conducted. Data revealed that a woman was more likely to have a pregnancy that was high-risk during a surrogate pregnancy than during a non-surrogate pregnancy, independent of maternal age or gravidity (OR 11.4, 3.5-36.6; p<.0001). A surrogate pregnancy had three times higher odds of resulting in a cesarean section (p<.0001) and was five times more likely to deliver at an earlier gestational age (p<.0001). Women in this study were significantly more likely to experience postpartum depression following the delivery of surrogate children than after delivering their non-surrogate children (p=.01), and overall, they were more likely to have adverse outcomes during a surrogate pregnancy. The rate of new post-surrogacy chronic health issues for women of color was significantly higher than for women identified as white (p<.0001). We found that women’s economic disadvantage was a major contributor to the decision to proceed with surrogacy. This study confirms that health disparities exist for women with surrogate pregnancies compared to non-surrogate pregnancies, which can lead to long-term complications after a surrogate pregnancy. In terms of biomedical ethics, it raises important social, economic, and political issues related to surrogacy, all requiring further exploration. Future research will build on the present work in further helping us to understand the circumstances and consequences involved for women in surrogacy.

Differences In Hiv, Sti And Other Risk Factors Among Younger And Older Male Sex Workers Who Have Sex With Men In Nairobi, Kenya, Nicholas Muraguri, Jerry Okoth Okal, Marleen Temmerman, Helgar Musyoki, Peter Gichangi

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Introduction: Previous surveys of male sex workers (MSW) in sub-Saharan Africa have not fully documented the HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) rates and vulnerabilities by age category.

Methods: The bio-behavioral survey of MSW in Nairobi, Kenya, utilized respondent-driven sampling to recruit MSW. Structured interviews captured MSW's behavioral aspects, and biological tests for HIV and other STIs.

Results: Analysis of the two age categories, 18–24 years (younger MSW) and 25 years and above (older MSW), shows that of all participants, a significantly higher proportion of younger MSW (59.6% crude, 69.6% RDS-adjusted) were recruited compared to older MSW …

Project Ankle-Brachial Index: Implementation Of An Evidence-Based Peripheral Artery Disease Protocol, Melaney Banks

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a narrowing or blocking of the arteries due to plaque buildup, which prevents oxygen, blood, and other nutrients from getting to the legs. When this buildup reaches a certain point, it becomes atherosclerosis, which is more prevalent in a smoker. Smoking intensifies the problem of plaque buildup if an individual already suffers from PAD. When an individual smokes, the nicotine causes the arteries to constrict and narrow, reducing blood flow further. The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a simple, cost-effective diagnostic test to identify the presence of PAD which will improve patient outcomes.

Purpose: This …