Digital Commons Network^™

Independent Study Project: The Impact Of Digitization And Payment On Community Health Promoter (Chp) Motivation And Effectiveness In A Peri-Urban Community In Kisumu, Kenya., Fiona Yohannes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Community Health Promoters (CHPs) in Kenya are the liaison between the community and higher levels of healthcare. As CHPs’ responsibility in the country has grown, stipends started being distributed, and digitization efforts have begun to support them. This ISP paper aims to investigate how recent digitization and payment of CHPs impact their motivation and effectiveness in a peri-urban community in Kisumu, Kenya. The project includes data analysis on CHP performance data from 2016 to 2021 and analyses of interviews with CHPs and CHAs in April of 2024. It was found that time was positively related to CHP performance. It was …

La Crisis Contemporánea Y Los Cuidados: Respuesta Gubernamental Al Trabajo De Cuidado Feminizado Y La Pandemia / The Contemporary Crisis And Care: Government Response To Feminized Care Work And The Pandemic, Iris Diez

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este proyecto investiga cómo las respuestas gubernamentales al trabajo no remunerado de cuidado realizado por mujeres, durante la época de la crisis socioeconómica de la pandemia, impactan el uso del tiempo en trabajo no remunerado doméstico de cuidado por parte de mujeres en Argentina. Basándose en la teoría feminista y en las ideas de Verónica Gago, Lucí Cavallero y Tithi Bhattacharya, este proyecto busca crear una perspectiva critica de las interaciones entre genero, economia, deuda y el trabajo reproductivo. El método de análisis sigue descripciones de las respuestas gubernamentales con respecto del trabajo de cuidado y también presentaciones de datos …

Complementariedad En La Comuna De Putre: Reflexiones Sobre El Sistema De Salud Y Los Conocimientos Comunitarios Aymaras, Grace Benish

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the comuna of Putre, which lies in the XV region of Chile, exists a community and culture unique from the rest of the country. Half of the population identifies as part of the Aymara indigenous group, which according to Chilean law, means that a system of intercultural health must exist in the commune. Our objective included establishing the format in which the intercultural system of health functions nowadays and assessing how well the system serves the community, keeping in mind the history of the commune, barriers to access, community needs, and Aymaran culture. Furthermore, the domination of the Aymaran …

Salud Intercultural En La Región De La Araucanía, Chile: Percepción Del Estado Actual De Implementación., Andrew Sunwoo Han

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Salud intercultural está firmemente basada en la teoría y en la legislación de Chile, pero la teoría y la práctica muchas veces se manifiestan de manera diferente. Esta investigación busca responder cómo se comparan las percepciones de salud intercultural de sus funcionarios en la región de la Araucanía con la teoría, y en qué forma se encuentra el estado actual de su implementación. Observación participante, observación no participante, y entrevistas semiestructuradas (n=15) en seis hospitales y en la ruka de una machi Mapuche en la región de la Araucanía, Chile fueron utilizadas para análisis descriptivo mixto. De los 15 entrevistados, …

Tradición En Transición: Como La Medicina Tradicional Oaxaqueña Ha Evolucionado En La Última Década, Celeste Álvarez

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este proyecto de investigación analizará la evolución de la medicina tradicional en el contexto oaxaqueño como resultado de ocurrencias de la última década, incluyendo la pandemia y el crecimiento de las redes sociales. Basándome en mis conversaciones con curanderas y el análisis de investigaciones previas, usaré un marco teórico de globalización y adaptación cultural para estudiar los cambios en prácticas de las curanderas y el cambio de la popularidad de la medicina tradicional. Adicionalmente, analizaré la relación entre la migración y el uso de la medicina natural como una práctica de salud transnacional. Finalmente, concluiré con analizando la importancia de …

Acceso A La Salud De Mujeres Migrantes Venezolanas En La Ciudad Autónoma De Buenos Aires (2024) / Female Venezuelan Migrants’ Access To Healthcare In Autonomous City Of Buenos Aires (2024), Karen Gonzalez

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación se enfoca en indagar y describir el acceso al sector de salud en la población de mujeres migrantes venezolanas con trabajos como monotributistas que residen en la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (CABA). En la última década, Venezuela se ha enfrentado a una crisis económica y humanitaria. Esta crisis ha provocado una ola de migración sin precedentes por todo el mundo. Dentro del Cono Sur, Argentina se cataloga como el sexto país receptor de migrantes venezolanos. Considerando las leyes de migración y el sistema de salud universal en Argentina, me propuse describir las barreras de acceso a la …

Prevalence Of Frailty And Pain In Hospitalised Cancer Patients: Implications For Older Adult Care, Heather Lane, Rosemary Saunders, Kate Crookes, Seng G. M. Ang, Caroline Bulsara, Max K. Bulsara, Beverley Ewens, Olivia Gallagher, Karen Gullick, Sue Haydon, Jeff Hughes, Kim-Huong Nguyen, Karla Seaman, Christopher Etherton-Beer

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

A hospital-wide point prevalence study investigated frailty and pain in patients with a cancer-related admission. Modifiable factors associated with frailty in people with cancer were determined through logistic regression. Forty-eight patients (19%) with cancer-related admissions were 2.65 times more likely to be frail and 2.12 more likely to have moderate pain. Frailty and pain were highly prevalent among cancer-related admissions, reinforcing the need for frailty screening and importance of pain assessment for patients with cancer.

Covid-19 And Management Scholarship: Lessons For Conducting Impactful Research, Gerard George, Gokhan Ertug, Jonathan P. Doh, Johanna Mair, Ajnesh Prasad

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The COVID-19 pandemic provided an opportunity for management scholars to address large-scale and complex societal problems and strive for greater practical and policy impact. A brief overview of the most-cited work on COVID-19 reveals that, compared with their counterparts in other disciplines, leading management journals and professional associations lagged in providing a platform for high-impact research on COVID-19. To help management research play a more active role in responding to similar global challenges in the future, we propose an integrative framework that emphasizes a phenomenon’s impact, the conditions that the phenomenon creates at multiple levels, and the responses of actors …

Re-Evaluation Of The Methodology For Estimating The Us Specialty Physician Workforce, W Stephen Black-Schaffer, David J Gross, Zakia Nouri, Aidan Delisle, Michael Dill, Jason Y Park, James M Crawford, Michael B Cohen, Rebecca L Johnson, Donald S Karcher, Thomas M Wheeler, Stanley J Robboy

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Increasing pursuit of subspecialized training has quietly revolutionized physician training, but the potential impact on physician workforce estimates has not previously been recognized. The Physicians Specialty Data Reports of the Association of American Medical Colleges, derived from specialty designations in the American Medical Association (AMA) Physician Professional Data (PPD), are the reference source for US physician workforce estimates; by 2020, the report for pathologists was an undercount of 39% when compared with the PPD. Most of the difference was due to the omission of pathology subspecialty designations. The rest resulted from reliance on only the first of the AMA PPD's …

Load703, An Oncolytic Virus-Based Immunostimulatory Gene Therapy, Combined With Chemotherapy For Unresectable Or Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer (Lokon001): Results From Arm 1 Of A Non-Randomised, Single-Centre, Phase 1/2 Study, Benjamin L Musher, Eric K Rowinsky, Brandon G Smaglo, Wasif Abidi, Mohamed Othman, Kalpesh Patel, Salmaan Jawaid, James Jing, Amanda Brisco, Ann M Leen, Mengfen Wu, Linda C Sandin, Jessica Wenthe, Emma Eriksson, Gustav J Ullenhag, Bambi Grilley, Justyna Leja-Jarblad, Susan G Hilsenbeck, Malcolm K Brenner, Angelica S I Loskog

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is characterised by low immunogenicity and an immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment. LOAd703, an oncolytic adenovirus with transgenes encoding TMZ-CD40L and 4-1BBL, lyses cancer cells selectively, activates cytotoxic T cells, and induces tumour regression in preclinical models. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of combining LOAd703 with chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Methods: LOKON001 was a non-randomised, phase 1/2 study conducted at the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA, and consisted of two arms conducted sequentially; the results of arm 1 are presented here. …

The Use Of Telemedicine By Us Nephrologists For In-Center Hemodialysis Care During The Pandemic: An Analysis Of National Medicare Claims, Jingbo Niu, Omar Rosales, Abiodun Oluyomi, Susie Q Lew, Wolfgang C Winkelmayer, Glenn M Chertow, Kevin F Erickson

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: Because of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the US government issued emergency waivers in March 2020 that removed regulatory barriers around the use of telemedicine. For the first time, nephrologists were reimbursed for telemedicine care delivered during in-center hemodialysis. We examined the use of telemedicine for in-center hemodialysis during the first 16 months of the pandemic.

STUDY DESIGN: We ascertained telemedicine modifiers on nephrologist claims. We used multivariable regression to examine time trends and patient, dialysis facility, and geographic correlates of telemedicine use. We also examined whether the estimated effects of predictors of telemedicine use changed over time. …

Alveolar Epithelial Cell Dysfunction In Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Linked To Lipid Alterations: Therapeutic Implications, Francesca Polverino, Ana Mora

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

A Polygenic Risk Score Of Atrial Fibrillation Improves Prediction Of Lifetime Risk For Heart Failure, Taryn Alkis, Xi Luo, Katherine Wall, Jennifer Brody, Traci Bartz, Patricia P Chang, Faye L Norby, Ron C Hoogeveen, Alanna C Morrison, Christie M Ballantyne, Josef Coresh, Eric Boerwinkle, Bruce M Psaty, Amil M Shah, Bing Yu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

AIMS: Heart failure (HF) has shared genetic architecture with its risk factors: atrial fibrillation (AF), body mass index (BMI), coronary heart disease (CHD), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and type 2 diabetes (T2D). We aim to assess the association and risk prediction performance of risk-factor polygenic risk scores (PRSs) for incident HF and its subtypes in bi-racial populations.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Five PRSs were constructed for AF, BMI, CHD, SBP, and T2D in White participants of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. The associations between PRSs and incident HF and its subtypes were assessed using Cox models, and the risk …

Covid-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Among People Living With And Without Hiv In South Carolina, Usa: Protocol Of A Population-Based Cohort Study, Xueying Yang, Jiajia Zhang Ph.D., Bankole Olatosi, Sharon Weissman, Xiaoming Li Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Introduction Despite the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in preventing severe COVID-19 outcomes, a small percentage of fully vaccinated persons will develop symptomatic or asymptomatic infections with SARSCoV-2, which is referred to as ‘breakthrough COVID-19’. People living with HIV (PLWH) appear to have an elevated risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes, yet the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine in this population remains unclear due to the limited research efforts in this population in the real world. This study aims to characterise and compare the breakthrough COVID-19 (eg, prevalence and disease severity) between PLWH and non-PLWH and then examine whether HIV markers play …

Addressing Subject Heterogeneity In Time-Dependent Discrimination For Biomarker Evaluation, Xinyang Jiang, Wen Li, Ruosha Li, Jing Ning

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Accurate discrimination has been the central goal in identifying biomarkers for monitoring disease progression and early detection. Acknowledging the fact that discrimination accuracy of biomarkers for a time-to-event outcome often changes over time, local measures such as the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve and its area under the curve (AUC) are used to assess time-dependent predictive discrimination. However, such measures do not address subject heterogeneity, although the impact of covariates including demographics, disease-related characteristics, and other clinical information on the discriminatory performance of biomarkers needs to be investigated before their clinical use. We propose the covariate-specific time-dependent AUC, a measure …

Attitudes And Self-Efficacy Of Swimming Coaches Towards The Inclusion Of Swimmers With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Eleftheria Kasagianni, Dimitrios Kokaridas, Panagiotis Varsamis, Vasilis Tsimaras

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes and self-efficacy of swimming coaches regarding the inclusion of swimmers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The sample consisted of 150 Greek swimming coaches with an average age of 29.58 years. Each participant completed the Swimming Coaches Attitudes towards Inclusion Questionnaire for perceptions assessment and the Biddle and Goudas (1997) self-efficacy questionnaire. The statistical analysis used SPSS 27 to calculate Cronbach’s alpha, Pearson product-moment correlations, independent t-tests, and ANOVA. The findings of the study showed that the swimming coaches expressed positive attitudes and a high percentage of perceived self-efficacy towards the …

In This Issue 14:3, Stephen J. Langendorfer Ph.D.

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

In This Issue 14:3

A Research Framework To Improve Evidence-Based Practice Surrounding The Resuscitation Response To Drowning In Surf Lifesaving, Elissa Hooper, Aaron T. Scanlan, Shayne D. Baker, Samantha Fien

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Surf lifesaving members are essential first responders who patrol public waterways, performing rescues and resuscitation to individuals in the community when needed. In this way, surf lifesaving members experience arduous physical requirements alongside extensive psychological stress during resuscitation. Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) represents the predominant, frontline lifesaving service in Queensland, Australia; however, little research has explored key aspects of drowning resuscitations involving this organisation, as well as in the broader lifesaving industry, limiting our current understanding on this vital topic. We sought to explore key aspects of drowning resuscitations within SLSQ and create a framework to generate evidence-based practice. …

Factors That Contributed To Ontario Adults’ Mental Health During The First 16 Months Of The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Decision Tree Analysisno Title, Katie Shillington, Leigh Vanderloo, Shauna Burke, Victor Ng, Patricia Tucker, Jennifer Irwin

Health Studies Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the mental health of individuals globally. However, less is known about the characteristics that contributed to some people having mental health problems during the pandemic, while others did not. Mental health problems can be understood on a continuum, ranging from acute (e.g., depression following a stressful event) to severe (e.g., chronic conditions that disrupt everyday functioning). Therefore, the purpose of this article was to generate profiles of adults who were more or less at risk for the development of mental health problems, in general, during the first 16-months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, …

‘You Have To Respect The Water’: Participant Experiences Of Appreciating And Managing The Risks Associated With Open Water Swimming – A Rapid Ethnographic Study, Mark A. Christie, David Elliott

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Open water swimming (OWS) has rapidly grown in popularity, driven by the purported health benefits of cold-water immersion. A paucity of research remains specifically considering the notable risks inherent in OWS participation, and a lack of qualitative research on freshwater swimming experiences, and safety-related issues therein. This rapid ethnographic study, based at a dedicated OWS lake in the UK, conducted semi-structured interviews with OWS participants (n=17; female=11, male=6). Two core themes emerged: environmental issues impacting OWS experiences and behaviours; and knowledge and education of OWS which highlighted safe/unsafe practices, levels of education for managing risks, personal preparedness, swimming solo/with others, …

A Comparative Analysis Of Births For Women Aged 20-25 Vs. 35-39: An Examination Of Longitudinal Trends Of Volume And Outcomes, Kristy Hampton

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Maternal health impacts the well-being of society as it is commonly viewed as an indicator of public health welfare. Childbirth at an advanced maternal age (AMA) increases the likelihood of less favorable birth outcomes. As births to AMA women have increased over time, it is important to understand the impact age has on birth methods and birth outcomes. This research examined the proportion of births to women aged 20-25 years in comparison to AMA women aged 35-39 years in North Carolina from 2002-2017. The proportions of births to AMA women have increased over time despite increased risk and birth outcomes. …

Comparison Of Raw Accelerometry Data From Actigraph, Apple Watch, Garmin, And Fitbit Using A Mechanical Shaker Table, James W. White Iii, Olivia L. Finnegan, Nick Tindall, Srihari Nelakuditi, David E. Brown Iii, Russell R. Pate Ph.D., Gregory J. Welk, Massimiliano De Zambotti, Rahul Ghosal, Yuan Wang, Sarah Burkart, Elizabeth L. Adams, Mvs Chandrashekhar, Bridget Armstrong, Michael W. Beets, Robert Weaver Med, Phd

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the raw accelerometry output from research-grade and consumer wearable devices compared to accelerations produced by a mechanical shaker table. Raw accelerometry data from a total of 40 devices (i.e., n = 10 ActiGraph wGT3X-BT, n = 10 Apple Watch Series 7, n = 10 Garmin Vivoactive 4S, and n = 10 Fitbit Sense) were compared to reference accelerations produced by an orbital shaker table at speeds ranging from 0.6 Hz (4.4 milligravity-mg) to 3.2 Hz (124.7mg). Two-way random effects absolute intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) tested inter-device reliability. …

Lay Rescuer Equipment Preferences And Efficacy During A Simulated Drowning Event, Alison M. Miller, William D. Ramos, Kristina R. Anderson, Jill Cuvala

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

During a drowning incident where a lifeguard is not present, a bystander – referred to as a lay rescuer - may put themselves in danger by attempting a rescue. When lay rescuers can avoid entering the water by using rescue equipment to help a drowning victim, it serves to not only help the person actively drowning, but also provides a layer of protection to a lay rescuer. This study sought to examine the following questions: (a) which pieces of rescue equipment were preferred by lay rescuers at pre-determined short and long distances, (b) do lay rescuers select appropriate rescue equipment …

Development Of An Integrated Well-Being Scale For Japan, Kyoko Shimada, Masayuki Kiriu

Japanese Society and Culture

Background: Although multiple scales related to well-being have been developed mainly in Western countries, it is important to consider Japanese cultural and historical elements when considering the concept of well-being in Japan. This study attempted to develop an integrated scale that considers Japanese cultural elements and characteristics.

Methods: As a preliminary survey, several Western made well-being scales were evaluated and 2 scales had factor structures that were generally as expected. Therefore, including these 2 scales, a total of 54 items (40 new items that represent characteristics that are important to Japanese) were added as integrated scales in the main analysis. …

Barriers: Location, Functionality, And Method Of Access In Childhood Pool/Spa Submersion Incidents, United States, 2000-2017, Alison Miller, Kristina R. Anderson, William D. Ramos

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Drowning is a leading cause of fatality among children in the United States, and residential pools/spas currently account for as much as 80% of these submersion incidents. This study reviewed narrative case reports obtained from the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to understand barrier location, type, and functionality as methods of pool/spa access for childhood submersion incidents. Retroactive analysis of 1,523 fatal and non-fatal submersion incidents among children aged 13 years old and younger was conducted using the CPSC in depth investigation dataset from 2000-2017. Narrative descriptions were coded according to the attributes of barrier location, functionality, and …

Perceived And Real Water Competency And Drowning Risk Among Adults, Teresa Stanley, Kevin Moran, Dawn Garbett, Alan Ovens

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Traditionally, public understanding of drowning survival has focused on swimming capacity, often measured by how far a person can swim. With respect to the high incidence of adult drowning in high-income countries, using the more inclusive concept of water competency may yield a more comprehensive explanatory framework for understanding the reasons behind these drownings. Any competency base required to survive a drowning situation is dynamic, complex, and multi-faceted. Furthermore, perceptions of risk and capacity to cope with that risk are likely to be pivotal to the avoidance of drowning. Adults’ perceived water competence was measured against their actual water competence …

Wedge Shaped Decompression To Remove Ear Cartilage For A Patient With An Ear Intradermal Nevi, Qi-Chao Jian, Xi-Dan Xu, Meng-Yao Hu, Chen Zheng

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Pre-Covid-19 Hospital Quality And Hospital Response To Covid-19: Examining Associations Between Risk-Adjusted Mortality For Patients Hospitalised With Covid-19 And Pre-Covid-19 Hospital Quality, Doris Peter, Shu-Xia Li, Yongfei Wang, Jing Zhang, Jacqueline Grady, Kerry Mcdowell, Erica Norton, Zhenqiu Lin, Susannah Bernheim, Arjun K Venkatesh, Lee A Fleisher, Michelle Schreiber, Lisa G Suter, Elizabeth W Triche

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: The extent to which care quality influenced outcomes for patients hospitalised with COVID-19 is unknown. Our objective was to determine if prepandemic hospital quality is associated with mortality among Medicare patients hospitalised with COVID-19.

DESIGN: This is a retrospective observational study. We calculated hospital-level risk-standardised in-hospital and 30-day mortality rates (risk-standardised mortality rates, RSMRs) for patients hospitalised with COVID-19, and correlation coefficients between RSMRs and pre-COVID-19 hospital quality, overall and stratified by hospital characteristics.

SETTING: Short-term acute care hospitals and critical access hospitals in the USA.

PARTICIPANTS: Hospitalised Medicare beneficiaries (Fee-For-Service and Medicare Advantage) age 65 and older hospitalised …

Ndrgs In Breast Cancer: A Review And In Silico Analysis, Emilly S Villodre, Anh P N Nguyen, Bisrat G Debeb

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Simple Summary

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and one of the deadliest. While survival rates for patients with breast cancer have seen notable improvements in recent decades, current treatment strategies still face significant limitations, especially for patients with aggressive, therapy-resistant, and metastatic breast cancers. For this reason, it is important to identify new targets in order to develop more effective therapeutic strategies. The N-myc downstream regulated gene family (NDRGs), comprising NDRG1, NDRG2, NDRG3, and NDRG4, has been previously described as tumor suppressors. However, recent findings challenge this perception, particularly for NDRG1, …

Gut Microbiota And Blood Metabolites Related To Fiber Intake And Type 2 Diabetes, Zheng Wang, Brandilyn A Peters, Bing Yu, Megan L Grove, Tao Wang, Xiaonan Xue, Bharat Thyagarajan, Martha L Daviglus, Eric Boerwinkle, Gang Hu, Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani, Carmen R Isasi, Rob Knight, Robert D Burk, Robert C Kaplan, Qibin Qi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Consistent evidence suggests diabetes-protective effects of dietary fiber intake. However, the underlying mechanisms, particularly the role of gut microbiota and host circulating metabolites, are not fully understood. We aimed to investigate gut microbiota and circulating metabolites associated with dietary fiber intake and their relationships with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

METHODS: This study included up to 11 394 participants from the HCHS/SOL (Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos). Diet was assessed with two 24-hour dietary recalls at baseline. We examined associations of dietary fiber intake with gut microbiome measured by shotgun metagenomics (350 species/85 genera and 1958 enzymes; n=2992 at …