Brain Perivascular Macrophages Regulate Endothelial Cell Function Via A Cmaf-Dependent Transcriptional Program In Mouse And Human, Simone Brioschi, Julia A Belk, Steffen E Storck, Yue Wu, Zhuoying Wang, Ziang Feng, Lynn Van Olst, Josie L Emery, Raki Sudan, Junjie Wu, Siling Du, Marco Genua, Federica La Terza, Alex J Edwards, Khai M Nguyen, Jessie Sanford, Daniel D Lee, Mattia Bugatti, Arnold J Federico, Yun Chen, Zuoxu Wang, Silvia Penati, Patrick Fernandes Rodrigues, Alina Ulezko Antonova, Hui Qi Loo, Igor Smirnov, Susan Gilfillan, Carmen M Halabi, Jennifer Ponce, Jun Yan, Howard Y Chang, Gwendalyn J Randolph, William Vermi, Marina Cella, Michael Meers, Renato Ostuni, David Gate, Aivi T Nguyen, Carlos Cruchaga, Song Hu, Jonathan Kipnis, Marco Colonna

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Brain perivascular macrophages maintain brain physiology, yet their transcriptional regulators and functions in health and disease remain unclear. Using single-cell multi-omics and functional experiments, we identify cellular musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene (cMAF) as a key transcription factor for brain perivascular macrophages, and conditional deletion of cMAF disrupts their phenotype in vivo. Functionally, cMAF drives insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) expression in perivascular macrophages, enabling communication with endothelial cells. Consistently, cMAF deletion in perivascular macrophages causes transcriptional alterations in cerebral arteries, affecting vascular functions. Notably, cMAF emerges as the main transcription factor for human perivascular macrophages, suggesting conservation of this transcriptional module. During …

Lineage Tracing Reveals A Shared Cellular Origin For Supraclavicular Brown And Inguinal Beige Adipocytes, Yali Ran, Kai Zhang, Yi-Ting Shen, Qianxing Mo, Ziyi Wang, Hari Krishna Yalamanchili, Sharon John, Mari Kogiso, Xia Gao, Chunmei Wang, Tanvi Sinha, Brian L Black, Miao-Hsueh Chen

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

The metabolic importance of brown adipose tissue (BAT) has been recognized, but its origins, particularly supraclavicular BAT (scBAT), remain unclear. Here, we traced scBAT to Mef2c-anterior heart field (AHF)-marked cells. Mef2c-AHF-marked cells isolated from scBAT can spontaneously differentiate into brown adipocytes, express mesenchymal stem cell markers, and can be isolated from the stromal-vascular fraction (SVF) of wild-type scBAT as [CD31

Antigen Discovery In Multiple Myeloma Using Integrated Long-Read Transcriptomics And Immunopeptidomics, Aya Albittar

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Multiple myeloma (MM) remains an incurable plasma cell malignancy, with relapse driven by persistent chemotherapy-resistant cells and residual disease following treatment. Although immunotherapies have transformed MM care, their success depends on identifying tumor-specific antigens that can be safely targeted. While aberrant genomic structural variation and transcriptional dysregulation are increasingly recognized as sources of novel antigens in MM, the HLA-presented antigenic landscape of MM remains incompletely characterized, particularly for non-canonical, structurally-derived peptides, and long-read transcriptome-informed immunopeptidomic data specific to MM remain scarce.

We established an integrated antigen discovery platform combining long-read RNA sequencing (Iso-Seq) with mass spectrometry-based HLA immunoprecipitation and immunopeptidomics …

Formative Work To Guide Implementation Of An Evidence-Based Breast And Cervical Cancer Prevention And Early Detection Behavioral Health Program In Clinics: Qualitative Study Guided By The Consolidated Framework For Implementation Research, Marlyn A Allicock, Crystal Costa, Ashley Hedrick Mckenzie, Preena Loomba, Roshanda S Chenier, Ross Shegog, Angelita Alaniz, Maria E Fernandez, Lara S Savas

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Salud en Mis Manos (SEMM) is a community health worker-delivered evidence-based intervention shown to increase breast and cervical cancer screening in medically underserved Latinas. Despite SEMM's success in community-based settings, clinic-based implementation is limited.

Objective: This study aimed to identify factors influencing the implementation of SEMM in clinic settings using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to inform and refine implementation strategy development.

Methods: We developed theory-informed (eg, CFIR, Social Cognitive Theory, and Readiness) interview guides to elicit barriers and facilitators of SEMM clinic implementation. We conducted 12 semistructured interviews with clinic leaders, outreach coordinators, and community health …

Digital Markers For Passive Remote Monitoring Of Bipolar Disorder: Systematic Review, Thomas P Kutcher, Isha Chakraborty, Kristin Kostick-Quenet, Akane Sano, Nidal Moukaddam, Jeffrey A Herron, Wayne K Goodman, Sameer A Sheth, Ashutosh Sabharwal, Nicole R Provenza

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Background: Bipolar disorder (BD) features episodic shifts among mania, hypomania, depression, mixed states, and euthymia. Timely detection of mood transitions is difficult due to infrequent clinical touchpoints. Digital health technologies, including wearables and smartphones, offer a unique opportunity to passively and continuously monitor behavior and physiology that could reflect underlying mood dynamics in real-world settings.

Objective: This study aimed to systematically review passively collected digital markers for BD mood states, characterize devices/modalities and analytic approaches, appraise risk of bias, and identify design gaps and priorities for clinical translation.

Methods: Following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) …

Reducing Live Discharges Using A Tiered Protocol In A Rural Hospice: A Quality Improvement Project, Jemma Lowak

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose: To reduce 30-day caregiver-driven hospice revocations by implementing a tiered post-admission nursing visit protocol based on caregiver preparedness. Background: Caregiver distress and inadequate support contribute to hospice revocations and interruptions in care. Increased nursing contact during the first week of enrollment may improve caregiver preparedness and reduce crisis-driven hospitalizations. Methodology: An eight-week quality improvement project using the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework was implemented at a rural hospice agency. Caregivers completed a Caregiver Preparedness Survey to assign preparedness tiers and guide additional nursing visits during the first week. Process measures included survey completion and protocol adherence. Outcome measures included caregiver preparedness and …

Telomere-To-Telomere Genome Assembly And A Pangenome For The Rat, Kai Li, Julia L Ciosek, Sergey Koren, Adam M Phillippy, Yaming Zhu, William A Lauer, Shelise Y Brooks, Gerard G Bouffard, Brandon D Pickett, Beth L Dumont, Melissa L Smith, Theodore S Kalbfleisch, Peter A Doris

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

We report a complete rodent telomere-to-telomere genome assembly from the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus. Annotation was enriched with multi-tissue long-read RNA sequencing and uncovered numerous novel genes. Assembly of both sex chromosomes reveals the absence of gene coding in the presumed pseudo-autosomal regions and the presence of centromeric satellite repeats on distal chromosome Y (chrY). We provide evidence of meiotic conjunction between Xp and Yq. The genome assembly reveals several expanded autosomal regions enriched for testis-expressed genes. Finally, we have generated a pangenome from recent high-quality assemblies of 8 distinct inbred rat strain genomes. This allows the strain-specific distribution of …

Improving Patient Preparedness Through Implementation Of A Structured Wound Care Discharge Protocol, Kiran N. Gupta

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement a structured wound care discharge protocol to improve patient preparedness and confidence in wound self-management after hospital discharge.

Background: Patients discharged with active wounds may experience complications, delayed healing, and unplanned health care use when discharge education and follow-up support are inconsistent. Standardized education may strengthen readiness for self-care and improve transitions from hospital to home.

Methodology: A three-month project used the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework in an inpatient medical-surgical setting. Thirty adults discharged with active wounds received standardized wound care education, written instructions, teach-back verification, and a follow-up telephone call …

Runx1+23 Enhancer Marks Erythro-Megakaryocyte Lineages In Early Waves Of Hematopoiesis In Human Esc Differentiation, Chika Nishida, Michihiro Kobayashi, Alina Syed, Philipp Kramer, Haizi Cheng, Pamela L Wenzel, Motomi Osato, Jason David Chobirko, Andrew Grimson, Igor I Slukvin, Brian R Davis, Momoko Yoshimoto

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

No abstract provided.

Improving Cpr Quality In The Emergency Department By Implementing Data Driven Debriefs, Alyssa M. Hughes

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the quality improvement project was to evaluate the effectiveness of implementing a data driven debrief tool to improve the average compressions in target in adult cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) events.

Results

In FY23 prior to implementation the average compressions in target was only 1.65%. During the implementation phase of the project the average compressions in target reached 41% (n=3). In addition, the staff provided positive feedback regarding the tool and the integration in the workflow.

Background

The project was completed in a tertiary academic medical center emergency room. All adult CPR events within the emergency department utilizing …

Improving Response To Patient Alarms And Reducing Alarm Fatigue By Implementing An Alarm Fatigue Bundle Protocol In An Intermediate Care Unit At A Small Public Hospital, Christina Galvan

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose: This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to reduce alarm fatigue by implementing an alarm fatigue bundle protocol in an Intermediate Medical Unit (IMU) at a mall public hospital in Houston, Texas. The project aimed to achieve 80% compliance with daily electrode changes, improve alarm response times by 10%, reduce telemetry technician calls by 15%, and reduce alarm fatigue levels by 20%.

Background: Frequent non-actionable alarms can lead to desensitization, delayed responses, and missed alarms.

Methodology: The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Model guided implementation of the CEASE bundle, focusing on staff education and daily electrode changes. Daily audits assessed skin preparation and …

A Distinct Form Of Fat Fibrosis Is Linked To Insulin Resistance In People With Hiv, Diana L Alba, Alaa Abdellatif, Moon Kyung Choi, Stephen M Brown Mayfield, Thuy An T Pham, David I Berrios, Antonio E Rodriguez, Marin Ewing, Tony R Figueroa, Judy Gonzalez-Vargas, Ningyan Zhang, Zhiqiang An, Dawei Bu, Steven G Deeks, Philipp E Scherer, Peter W Hunt, Suneil K Koliwad

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

BACKGROUND

Despite antiretroviral therapy (ART), people with HIV (PWH) are at heightened risk for insulin resistance (IR) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) fibrosis contributes to metabolic disease, but its role in IR among PWH is unknown. We investigated the relationship between SAT fibrosis and IR in PWH, along with transcriptional signatures to distinguish it from SAT fibrosis due to obesity.

METHODS

We analyzed body composition and SAT fibrosis (hydroxyproline) in 46 PWH and 74 people without HIV (PWoH), excluding individuals with T2D. We examined fibrosis-related gene transcription in the SAT using a targeted panel and measured …

Translational Reading Frame Predicts The Pathogenicity Of C-Terminal Frameshift Deletions In Mecp2, Jacky Guy, Elena Hein, Beatrice Alexander-Howden, Timur Von Bock Und Polach, Tricia Mathieson, Benjamin P Kleinstiver, Huda Y Zoghbi, Adrian Bird

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Mutations in the MECP2 gene cause the severe neurological disorder Rett syndrome. A cluster of frameshift-causing C-terminal deletions (CTDs) removes ~100 amino acids and accounts for approximately 10% of RTT-causing mutations. Their pathogenicity is unexpected because this C-terminal domain is dispensable in mice. Analysis of pathogenic and benign human MECP2 variants reveals that some individuals with apparently typical CTDs do not develop Rett syndrome, confirming that C-terminal truncations are not intrinsically pathogenic. Using human sequence data and mouse models we show that pathogenicity results from a marked reduction in MeCP2 levels and depends on the presence of a proline proline …

Cigarette Smoke Induces Fasn-Dependent Fatty Acid Metabolic Rewiring To Drive Bladder Cancer Progression, Chandra Sekhar Amara, Danthasinghe Waduge Badrajee Piyarathna, Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, Yuen San Chan, Karthik Reddy Kami Reddy, Chandra Shekar R Ambati, Mohammed Khurshidul Hassan, Pratik Shriwas, Tanmay Gandhi, Antrix Jain, Tanja Gangnus, Pooja Popli, Roshan Borkar, Sung Wook Kang, Silvia L Summers, Vasanta Putluri, Sandra L Grimm, Sharan Venkatesh, Ningxin Song, Erin H Seeley, Jenna Hedlich-Dwyer, Shu-Hsia Chen, Nupam P Mahajan, Abhinav K Jain, Lacey Elizabeth Dobrolecki, Gabrielle A Wells, Hugo Villanueva, Jenny Li, Xuefeng Liu, Roni J Bollag, Anna Malovannaya, Sung Yun Jung, Hyun-Sung Lee, Irfan A Asangani, Martha K Terris, Chad J Creighton, Leomar Y Ballester, Balasubramanyam Karanam, Suyu Liu, Minjae Lee, Rajeeva R Raju, M Minhaj Siddiqui, Livia S Eberlin, Ramakrishna Kommagani, Arun Sreekumar, Jianjun Gao, Nicolas L Young, H Courtney Hodges, Cristian Coarfa, Natalie R Gassman, Seth P Lerner, Yair Lotan, Nagireddy Putluri

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Cigarette smoke promotes bladder tumor growth by enhancing cancer cell survival and proliferation through smoke mediated carcinogens. FASN, a key enzyme in fatty acid synthesis, is dysregulated in many cancers and correlates with aggressive phenotypes. In this study, we demonstrate elevated fatty acid levels and FASN specifically in smokers with bladder cancer. Elevated FASN under smoke exposure imparted epigenetic alterations, particularly histone acetylation, impacts DNA repair and DNA-binding transcription factors which regulate metabolic pathways. Under cigarette smoke, bladder cancer cells undergo a metabolic shift, utilizing glutamine as a major carbon source through reductive carboxylation to fuel fatty acid biosynthesis via …

Long-Term Poverty, Rurality, And Geographic Disparities In Colorectal Cancer: A Spatial Analysis In Texas, Ryan Ramphul, Tracey Farrigan, Yixiao Chen, Yanchen Liu, Jooyeon Lee, Ruth Rechis, Karen Basen-Engquist, Lorna Mcneill

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a leading cause of cancer morbidity and mortality in the United States and shows substantial geographic variation. Socioeconomically disadvantaged communities experience elevated CRC incidence, yet few studies have analyzed multi-decade poverty measures for long-term structural disadvantage.

Methods: We analyzed CRC incidence from 2017 to 2021 across Texas using Texas Cancer Registry data. Age-sex-race/ethnicity standardized cases were incorporated as offsets in Bayesian spatial models to generate tract-level posterior mean relative risks. We evaluated four tract-level poverty measures (high poverty in 2021; persistent poverty since 1990; enduring poverty since 1980 and 1970), Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) classifications, …

The Measles Serology Initiative: A Quality Improvement Intervention To Increase Provider Compliance With Rubeola Serology Screening, Erika S. Martinez

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to increase provider adherence to Rubeola IgG serology screening during prenatal visits at an outpatient women’s health clinic by 10% from a baseline adherence rate of 63.3%.

Background

Rubeola remains a highly contagious viral infection that poses health risks for nonimmune pregnant patients and their newborns. With increasing Rubeola cases and the importance of identifying immunity status during pregnancy, consistent prenatal screening practices are essential. Baseline data demonstrated inconsistent adherence to Rubeola IgG screening recommendations, highlighting the need for workflow interventions to improve provider compliance.

Methodology

A pre-post QI design …

Reducing Potentially Preventable Emergency Department Visits (Ppvs) Through A Telehealth Intervention In Children With Asthma Within A Managed Care Organization (Mco), Renee A. Roker

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Abstract

Purpose:  The purpose of this quality improvement project was to reduce unnecessary ED utilizations among children with asthma enrolled in a Medicaid managed care health plan. The project aimed to improve access to care and enhance asthma self-management.

Background:  Asthma is one of the leading causes of Emergency Department (ED) utilization, among vulnerable populations. Members experience barriers to timely primary and specialist care, contributing to Potentially Preventable ED Visits (PPV) rates. This places managed care organizations (MCOs) at risk for financial penalties if not meeting the Texas PPV benchmark.

Methodology:  Guided by the Chronic Care Model, Lean Six Sigma …

Prevention Of Hypotensive Adverse Events Utilizing Structured Home Blood Pressure Monitoring In Patients On Glp-1 Agonists, Alexandrya M. Tran

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement intervention was to assess whether a structured home blood pressure (BP) monitoring program with weekly check-ins would help decrease hypotensive episodes and associated adverse events in patients who have lost weight after GLP-1 agonist initiation.

Background: This project was implemented in an outpatient multidisciplinary clinic in Houston Texas. 

Methodology: A total of 13 patients were ask to monitor their BP daily and keep a log. Weekly telephone calls were conducted to monitor the patients and collect the data for a period of eight weeks. Weekly BP logs, hypotensive symptoms, and any antihypertensive medication …

A Measeles Susceptibility Screening Strategy For Perinatal Women, Sandra N. Davidson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose: This quality improvement project aimed to implement a standardized measles susceptibility screening strategy for perinatal patients at a large academic teaching hospital in Texas. The project aimed to improve provider compliance with routine measles immunity screening and laboratory ordering by integrating screening into existing prenatal workflows. Background: Measles remains a highly contagious disease, and ongoing outbreaks in Texas showed gaps in prenatal measles immunity screening. The absence of standardized screening increases the risk of missed opportunities to identify non-immune patients and provide appropriate follow-up. Methodology: Using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) quality improvement model, provider education, electronic medical record (EMR) workflow …

Improving Outpatient Staff Job Satisfaction With Implementation Of Structured Educational Focus Groups Program: A Quality Improvement Project, Breanna Aromire

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose

This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to improve self-reported job satisfaction among outpatient pulmonary clinic staff through structured educational focus group sessions using iterative Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles.

Background

Job satisfaction among clinical staff is a key factor in retention, engagement, and quality of care. Outpatient specialty clinics often face workflow constraints that limit opportunities for structured professional development, which may negatively affect staff satisfaction. Educational and team-based interventions have been shown to improve workplace engagement.

Methodology

Six structured educational focus group sessions were conducted over three months, addressing key clinical and workflow topics. Two PDSA cycles guided real-time modification, …

Dose-Expansion Study Of Obi-999, A Globo H-Targeting Antibody-Drug Conjugate, In Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors, Apostolia Maria Tsimberidou, Darren Sigal, Anna Varghese, Daniel Vaena, Li-Yuan Bai, Ming-Huang Chen, Chun-Nan Yeh, Chia-Jui Yen, Mehmet A Baysal, Abhijit Chakraborty, Ingly Lee, Chi-Sheng Shia, Konul Ristoski, Dong Xu

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: OBI-999 is an antibody-drug conjugate consisting of the Globo H-targeting antibody OBI-888 linked to the cytotoxic payload monomethyl auristatin E. In a dose-escalation study, the OBI-999 recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) was 1.2 mg/kg every 3 weeks. This dose-expansion study evaluated the efficacy and safety of OBI-999 in patients with pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer (CRC), or other tumor types ("basket cohort") and tumoral Globo H H-scores ≥100 (NCT04084366).

Patients and methods: Patients were treated at RP2D of OBI-999. We assessed response, progression-free survival (PFS), treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), and pharmacokinetics of OBI-999.

Results: Of 29 patients treated, …

Shared Neural Geometries For Bilingual Semantic Representations In Human Hippocampal Neurons, Xinyuan Yan, Ana G Chavez, Melissa Franch, Kalman A Katlowitz, Ivy Gautam, Brian Kim, Aaditya Krishna, Aadit Shrivastava, Katie Van Arsdel, James Belanger, Assia Chericoni, Taha Ismail, Elizabeth A Mickiewicz, Danika Paulo, Hanlin Zhu, Alica M Goldman, Vaishnav Krishnan, Atul Maheshwari, Eleonora Bartoli, Nicole R Provenza, Seng Bum Michael Yoo, Benjamin Y Hayden, Sameer A Sheth

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

The human brain has the remarkable ability to comprehend and express similar concepts in multiple languages. To understand how it does so, we examined responses of hippocampal neurons during passive listening, directed speaking, and spontaneous conversation in both English and Spanish in a small group of balanced bilinguals. We found a small number of putative "cross-language neurons," whose responses to equivalent words (e.g., "tierra" and "earth") are correlated. However, neurons' semantic tunings differed substantially by language, suggesting language-specific neural implementations. Instead, the crucial driver of translation was a preserved geometric organization of neural responses between the two languages, one that …

Staphylococcus Aureus Urease Is Controlled By A Complex Regulatory Network To Promote Dissemination During Cauti, Jana Gomez, Jesus Duran-Ramirez, Maristhela Alvarez, Shane Cristy, Jennifer N Walker

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are one of the most common hospital-associated infections in the United States, accounting for >1 million cases annually. One CAUTI pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus, is commonly found persisting asymptomatically in the bladder of catheterized individuals, increasing these individuals' risk of developing infection. Importantly, S. aureus is not only associated with severe symptoms during CAUTI, including bacteremia and septic shock, but it also produces a common uropathogen-associated virulence factor, urease. Despite its importance, urease has only been well-studied in another uropathogen, Proteus mirabilis. While previous studies identified three S. aureus urease regulators, including CodY, …

An Online Epilepsy Self-Management Tool For Patients With Epilepsy: A Formative Usability Study, Katarzyna Czerniak, Ross Shegog, Refugio Sepulveda, Robert Addy, Youngran Kim, Sahiti Myneni, Alejandra Garcia-Quintana, Kimberly Martin, David M Labiner

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Epilepsy is a serious chronic neurological condition with no permanent cure. Continual self-management is important to mitigate seizure frequency and optimize quality of life in people with epilepsy who have greater disparities in accessing epilepsy care. The Management Information & Decision Support Epilepsy Tool (MINDSET [UTHealth, University of Arizona, and Radiant Digital]) was developed to enhance accessibility to epilepsy self-management (ESM) assessment and treatment. The purpose of this formative usability pilot study was to assess the user experience and functionality of MINDSET 2.0, an enhanced cross-platform online version of MINDSET, among a sample of patients with epilepsy prior to …

Prescription Opioid Misuse Among High School Athletes During The Opioid Prescribing Limit Law Era: Yrbss 2017-2023, Francine R Vega, Andrea J Yatsco, Audrey Sarah Cohen, James R Langabeer, Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer, Rakshitha Vijendra, Christine Bakos-Block

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background/Objectives: School-age athletes occupy a paradoxical position in the adolescent opioid crisis, combining health-oriented activity with elevated risk of sports-related injury and prescription opioid exposure. In response to the opioid epidemic, states enacted opioid prescribing limit laws (OPLLs) beginning in 2016-2017, yet whether these supply-side policies reached high-risk youth subgroups remains unclear. This study evaluated national temporal trends in prescription opioid misuse among U.S. high school students during the period of OPLL implementation and examined differences across athletic participation, concussion history, sex, grade, race/ethnicity, and substance-use profiles.

Methods: Using four biennial waves of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System with …

Conceptual Framework And Key Considerations For Field-Based Infrastructure In Food Is Medicine Research, Shreela V Sharma, Colleen Tewksbury, Christopher R Long, Colleen Spees, Ronit A Ridberg, Reshma Gupta, Erin P Ferranti, Naomi Tice, Eric Peterson, Brian Levine

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In 2023, the American Heart Association launched the Healthcare by Food (HCXF) initiative to establish a rigorous evidence base for Food Is Medicine (FIM) programs, so that patients with acute or chronic disease could access FIM programs as a covered benefit under their health insurance. The HCXF initiative is engaging in research, advocacy, and education to support the development and testing of interventions that improve health outcomes. The HCXF initiative launched 9 task forces aligned with research progress, including the Field-Based Infrastructure task force designed to examine broader questions to help support either earlier or later stages of the HCXF …

Reducing The Readmission Rate In Adult Psychiatric Patients With Bipolar Disorder, Jessica Nwokocha

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose: 

The goal of this project was to reduce the readmission rate among patients by improving attendance to the post-hospitalization program through phone call reminders.

Background: 

Review of baseline data at the project site showed a 60% increase in the readmission rate among adult patients with bipolar disorder in May 2025. This analysis demonstrates that the readmission rate in psychiatric hospitals continues to be an issue.

Methodology: 

The project utilized the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework to guide implementation over a six-week period, with readmission rates monitored for a 30-day period. Data collected and tracked included patient attendance, completed phone calls, and …

Non-Enzymatic Hepatic Abhd6 Interacts With Akt-Foxo1 Axis To Regulate Metabolic Health, Guannan Li, Laurence T Maeyens, Jiyuan Yin, Jan-Bernd Funcke, Chanmin Joung, Ruizhen Li, Ziying Xu, Ting Wu, Xin Li, Nisi Jiang, Mbolle Ekane, Maria Paula Lopez, Pengju Cao, Sijia He, Adam B Salmon, S R Murthy Madiraju, Marc Prentki, Juli Bai, James F Nelson, Xianlin Han, Yi Zhu, Shangang Zhao

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

The enzymatic role of ABHD6 in insulin secretion and resistance is well documented. However, its non-enzymatic function, especially its effects on metabolic health, including selective hepatic insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), is poorly understood. To define the role of ABHD6 in liver physiology, we generated liver-specific ABHD6 knockout mice, as well as liver-specific native and enzymatically inactive mutant ABHD6 overexpression mouse models. We demonstrate that non-enzymatic ABHD6 contributes to the regulation of selective hepatic insulin resistance and MASLD progression. Mechanistically, we show that ABHD6 localizes to the nucleus and interacts with Akt/FoxO1 axis to regulate insulin …

Improving Patient Satisfaction Through Post-Urgent Care Visit Follow-Up Calls: A Quality Improvement Project, Lindsay Boyer

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose This quality improvement project aimed to determine whether implementing standardized post-visit follow-up calls within 24–48 hours of urgent care visits would improve patient satisfaction by increasing the clinic’s Net Promoter Score (NPS) from a baseline of 62. Background Declining NPS scores during peak clinic seasons suggested a gap in post-visit communication and follow-up, highlighting the need for a standardized nursing intervention to better support patients after discharge.

Methodology Guided by the AIDET communication framework and the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle, scripted follow-up calls were implemented across five cycles from February to April 2026 to assess recovery, reinforce discharge instructions, answer questions, …

Online Group Neurobehavioral Therapy (Nbt) For Veterans With Epilepsy And Major Depressive Disorder (Mdd), Melissa F. Fadipe

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: Veterans with epilepsy experience high rates of psychiatric comorbidity, most commonly major depressive disorder (MDD). Barriers to accessing mental health care—including geographic distance, transportation limitations related to seizure-related driving restrictions, and fragmented care between neurology and psychiatry, contribute to the underdiagnosis and undertreatment of MDD in this population. Neurobehavioral Therapy (NBT), a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)-informed psychotherapy developed for individuals with seizures, has demonstrated benefits for psychological distress and quality of life. Internet-based interventions and short message service (SMS) text messaging offer promising strategies to address access barriers; however, limited research has examined the feasibility and acceptability of delivering …