Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of A Smartphone Application Able To Capture Patient-Centered Outcome (Pco) Measures For Dystonia, Paul Reyes, Arlann Erskine, Brian Berman, Sarah L. Schneider, Janet Hieshetter, Kimberly Kuman, Cynthia Cormella, David Peterson, Gamze Kilic-Berkmen, Laura Wright, Fares Qeadan, Samantha Pentecost, Joel S. Perlmutter, Sarah Pirio Richardson, H A. Jinnah

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Introduction: Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) is a first line therapy for many types of dystonia and results in significant improvement, yet approximately one-third of patients discontinue use of BoNT suggesting that BoNT therapy may not fully address patient expectations. Symptom Snap was developed to capture Patient-Centered Outcome (PCO) measures across motor, disability, and psychosocial domains, enabling clinicians and researchers to characterize the therapeutic response to BoNT therapy over time on a frequent basis.

Methods: In collaboration with TekSynap, we developed a smartphone application able to capture PCO measures tailored for three major dystonia subtypes: cervical dystonia (CD), blepharospasm (BP), and laryngeal …

A Peptide Mimetic Of Tyrosine Phosphatase Step: A Potential Therapeutic Agent For Treatment Of Stroke Under Hypertensive Condition, Seong Won Choi, Sathyanarayanan Rajagopal, Prabu Paramasivam, Ranjana Poddar, Surojit Paul

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Background: Hypertension is a complex multifactorial disease that is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Although hypertension can develop at any age, the prevalence of hypertension is particularly evident in the aging population. It is also the most common comorbid condition in ischemic stroke patients and accounts for ~54% of all strokes. Despite advances in understanding the pathophysiology of stroke, current pharmacologic therapies are still limited to rapid reperfusion using thrombolytic agents, and neuroprotective approaches that can reduce the consequences of ischemic and reperfusion injury are still not available. To bridge this gap, we have evaluated the long-term efficacy …

Impact Of Two Different Rodent Diets On Maternal Ethanol Consumption, Serum Ethanol Concentration And Pregnancy Outcome Measures, Suzy Davies, Danika E. Nelson, Daniel D. Savage

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Recent studies have reported that varying levels of ethanol consumption by rodents maintained on different commercially available laboratory diets, may impact offspring outcome measures. Here, we compared ethanol consumption by rats maintained on the Envigo 2920 diet used in our lab, with an isocalorically equivalent PicoLab 5L0D diet, used in some alcohol consumption studies.

Compared to the 5L0D diet, female rats maintained on the 2920 diet consumed 14% less ethanol during the daily four-hour drinking sessions prior to pregnancy and 28% less ethanol during gestation. While this difference did not affect litter size, maternal weight gain during pregnancy by 5L0D …

Slc7a5 (Lat1) Inhibition Alleviates Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathic Pain, Sachin Goyal, Ian M. Adams, Sascha Ra Alles

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Background: Chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain (CINP) is a debilitating and difficult-to-treat side effect of chemotherapeutic drugs. Effective, non-addictive, non-opioid therapeutics are urgently needed for the treatment of chemotherapy associated chronic pain. Slc7a5 (Lat1), also known as system L-neutral amino acid transporter, is involved in a number of physiological processes related to inflammation. Transcriptomics studies have shown that Slc7a5 and its binding partner Slc3a2 are expressed in neurons of the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and spinal dorsal horn, which are critical to the initiation and maintenance of nociception and pathophysiology of chronic pain. Here, we investigate the role of Slc7a5 in the …

Validation Of The Substance Use Protective Strategies Scale (Supss) Among U.S. College Students, Jakub Greń, Matthew R. Pearson, Dylan K. Richards, Addictions Research Team

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Protective Behavioral Strategies (PBS) are behaviors that effectively reduce the likelihood of experiencing substance-related harms. Despite the fact that most individuals use more than one substance, previous research on PBS has been limited to substance-specific measurement, i.e. alcohol-specific (e.g., PBSS) and cannabis-specific (e.g., PBSM). We developed the Substance Use Protective Strategies Scale (SUPSS) to measure more general substance use PBS, which was preliminary validated among Polish young adults (aged 18-30) using various substances (Greń et al., 2023), sand sought to its further examination. Participants (N=1856) took part in a multisite research of substance use among college students recruited from 10 …

Rodent Models Of Subconcussive Brain Injury, Colin M. Wilson, Russell Morton, Afshin A. Divani, Kimberly Byrnes, Reed Selwyn

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Subconcussion has been defined as a cranial impact or rapid acceleration-deceleration that does not result in clinically observable neurological signs or symptoms that would typically indicate a diagnosis of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or concussion.¹ Low-level subconcussive impacts due to soccer ball heading have been reported to cause an acute, transient dysfunction in vestibular processing, which returns to baseline levels within 24 hours.² Although one or even several subconcussive impacts may have no lasting effects, there is increasing evidence that repeated subconcussive exposure over an extended period has the potential to cause significant neurological deficits. Among former …

Neurodevelopmental Transcription Factors Promote Proliferation, Regulate Cell Type, And Play Opposing Roles In Cellular Migration In Glioblastoma, Bianca L. Myers, Kathryn J. Brayer, Luis E. Paez-Beltran, Tou Yia Vue

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Glioblastomas (GBM) make up ~50% of primary brain tumors and prognosis has not improved over the last 30 years. Despite the inherently high inter- and intratumoral heterogeneity of GBMs, basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors, ASCL1 and OLIG2, are present in the majority of tumors. Previously, we showed in patient-derived GBM xenograft (PDX-GBM) that ASCL1 binds to promoter and enhancer regions of cell cycle genes, as well as neurodevelopmental transcription factors including OLIG2. Similarly, we showed that OLIG2 binding overlaps with the majority (~90%) of ASCL1 binding sites, including at promoter and/or enhancer regions of ASCL1 and OLIG1/2 loci, illustrating their …

Alcohol Consumption During Early Adulthood In A Preclinical Mouse Model Of Alzheimer’S Disease Leads To Gait Impairments, Dysregulated Circadian Rhythm, Alterations In Tauopathy And Brain-Region-Specific Transcriptional Alterations, N M. Maphis, D Furlano, S A. David, D N. Linsebardt

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a leading cause of cognitive dysfunction and death in the US attributable in part to the accumulation and spread of pathologically modified tau (pTau). Recently, excessive alcohol use, particularly binge drinking, has emerged as a risk factor for the development of AD. However, the neurobiological consequences underlying how excessive alcohol exposure might lead to the accumulation and/or progression of pTau and associated neurobehavioral deficits has not been fully explored. We used the binge-alcohol drinking paradigm, ‘drinking-in-the-dark’ (DID), in the P301S mouse model of tauopathy to test the hypothesis that excessive voluntary alcohol consumption during young adulthood …

Compensatory Functional Activation During Motion Discrimination In Parkinson’S Disease, Stetphanie Nitschke, Kayla Julio, Nicholas Shaff, Chris Wertz, David Stone, Andrei Vakhtin, Andrew Mayer, Elena K. Festa, William C. Heindel, David P. Salmon, Gerson Suarez Cedeno, Amandaa Deligtisch, Sarah Pirio Richardson, Sephira Ryman

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Objective

PD patients commonly exhibit cognitive dysfunction early in the disease course which may or may not predict further cognitive decline. In contrast, early emergence of visuospatial and memory impairments are more consistent predictors of an evolving dementia syndrome. Prior studies using fMRI have demonstrated that PD patients exhibit hyperactivation dependent on the degree of cognitive impairment, suggestive of compensatory strategies. No study has evaluated whether PD patients with normal cognition (PD-NC) and PD patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (PD-MCI) exhibit compensatory activation patterns during visuospatial task performance.

Participants and Methods

10 PD-NC, 12 PD-MCI, and 14 age and sex-matched …

Ksrp Reduces The Migration And Invasion Of Glioblastoma Cells And Restricts Angiogenesis Of Human Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells, Pearl Huynh, Robert Oliver, Gabriela Perales, Amy S. Gardiner

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a highly aggressive and invasive brain tumor that has been continuously challenging to treat. Combined treatment strategies, including surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, have improved patient outcomes, however, median survival time is less than 15 months. Thus, there is a critical need for new therapeutic targets and approaches. KSRP is a multi-functional RNA-binding protein that acts post-transcriptionally to regulate mRNA stability, splicing, and transport, as well as the biogenesis and function of microRNAs and other non-coding RNAs. Several studies have shown that KSRP expression is significantly associated with prolonged survival of glioblastoma patients. We recently identified …

Alzheimer’S Disease-Associated Circhomer1 Can Inhibit The Expression Of Long App And Mapt Mrna Isoforms In The Frontal Cortex Via Competing For Binding To Hud, Madison Otero, Grigorios Papageorgiou, Sophie E. Eckel, Marissa R. Westenskow, Ibrahim El-Sharkawy, Niko Nykänen, Bruno A. Benitez, Carlos Cruchaga, Nikolaos Mellios

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel category of non-coding RNAs derived from the back-splicing and covalent joining of exons or introns. Recent studies have suggested that circRNAs are preferentially generated from synaptic plasticity-related genes and are particularly enriched in the brain. Although some circRNAs have been found to sequester microRNAs and others to associate with RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), the mechanism of action of most circRNAs remains poorly understood. Moreover, little is known about the potential involvement of circRNAs in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Using circRNA-specific quantification, we had previously found that circHomer1, a neuronal-enriched circRNA derived from Homer protein homolog …

Modification Of Existing Head Circumference Charts For New Mexico Native American Children, Myranda Robinson, Holly Jones, Sahana Ummadi, Julianne Olguin, Jewel Meyer-Hagen, Hengameh Pajer, James Botros, Ariana Barkley, Orrin Myers, Heather Spader

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Background

Current Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) growth charts are based on normative data that do not adequately represent the distinct pattern of head growth observed by providers for New Mexican Native American children.¹ Therefore, Native American children with normal but larger head circumferences (HC), can be inaccurately diagnosed with macrocephaly and undergo unnecessary diagnostic workups.² The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether HCs for Native American children in New Mexico distribute differently than established growth charts.

Methods

This is an IRB-approved retrospective chart review of all Native American well-child visits …

The Bronze Age Armenian Artifact Decoded Via Cbb (Discovered In Lake Sevan, Armenia, During The 1950s By Archeologist), April Vihilidal

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Background: Within the research paradigm in the cognition, brain, and behavior (CBB) group includes studies of sensation and perception, learning and memory, attention, mental imagery, and conceptual representation. The Bronze Age Armenian Artifact is an example of humans from the past using (CBB) to communicate with humans of the present. The artifact dates to the 11th-12th centuries BCE.

There are five ancient archeological sites related to the Bronze Age Armenian artifact via the planet's ley lines:

1) Mount Nemrut, Turkey, dates from the 1st century BCE.

2) Lake Sevan, Armenia, where the artifact was discovered.

3) Carahunge dates back 7,500 …

20230330_Join Us For All Things Art On Monday, April 3rd, From 12- 3pm, Laura J. Hall

HSLIC Blog Post

No abstract provided.

Development Of Opioid Vaccines Using Bacteriophage Virus-Like Particles, Isabella G. Romano, Bryce Chackerian, Matthew Campen, Kathryn M. Frietze

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Oxycodone is the most abused prescription opioid and a common cause of opioid use disorder and overdose. Despite the availability of different treatment options, opioid overdose rates have skyrocketed to a staggering 80,000 deaths in 2021. Vaccines against opioids have been proposed as a novel strategy for preventing overdose and several studies have established the feasibility of this approach. Here, we report our efforts to engineer a vaccine against oxycodone that elicits high-titer antibodies with protective functionality against oxycodone. We accomplish this using a bacteriophage Qβ virus-like particle (VLP) platform to display oxycodone in a highly immunogenic and multivalent format. …

20230330_Hslic's Biomedical Informatics Seminar Series Presents- Lewis Worley, Be, And Robyn Gleasner, Mlis, Brandon Carroll

HSLIC Blog Post

No abstract provided.

Essays On The Economics Of Grid Modernization, Jesse Kaczmarski

Economics ETDs

I present three chapters on the economics of grid modernization. The first chapter examines the consumer acceptance of community microgrid services. In this chapter I present the results of a split-sample contingent valuation experiment in which electric bill payers across Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah are asked about the willingness-to-pay for the installation of a community microgrid contingent on costs and benefits. In the second chapter, I examine the role of contractual hydropower receipts in the fuel mix for a medium size power authority in Colorado. I show that hydropower offsets fossil fuel generation sources and contribute to reductions …

20230328_March Is Brain Injury Awareness Month, Kelleen Maluski

HSLIC Blog Post

No abstract provided.

20230324_Two Hslic Faculty Members Receive Mla Awards, Brandon Carroll

HSLIC Blog Post

No abstract provided.

04-07-23 Hsc Committee Notice, Hsc Committee

HSC Committee (A subcommittee of the UNM Board of Regents)

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Ligase I Deficiency On Replication Fork And Chromatin, Seema Khattri Bhandari

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Half of all the eukaryotic nuclear genome is synthesized as Okazaki fragments on the lagging strand at the replication fork. Okazaki fragment synthesis begins with repeated production of short RNA-DNA primers synthesized by the DNA Polymerase α (Pol α)-primase complex. The primer terminus is recognized by Replication Factor C (RFC) which then loads the sliding clamp protein, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), resulting in the recruitment of DNA Polymerase δ (Pol δ) which carries out the gap filling DNA synthesis displacing the 5’ end of the preceding Okazaki fragment which is cleaved by Flap Endonuclease 1 (FEN-1), and ultimately the …

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 Lambda Variant Collected From A Child From Arkansas And Sequenced, Lori Wong, Christopher Randolph, Emily Kanwischer, Ashton Ingold, Bobby L. Boyanton, Jay Taylor, Rachel A. Frenner, Susan E. Harley, Jordan T. Bird, Timothy J. Thurman, Sangam Kandel, David W. Ussery, Stephanie D Byrum, Darrell Dinwiddie, Daryl Domman, Uday K. Chalwadi, Joshua Kennedy

Pediatrics Research and Scholarship

An eleven-year-old tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 Lambda variant. Sequencing was performed on the Oxford Nanopore and the Illumina NextSeq 500. Both platforms identified all 7 of the synonymous mutations in the sample, while all 28 nonsynonymous mutations were identified from Oxford Nanopore and 20 nonsynonymous mutations were identified from Illumina.

20230316_Hslic Welcomes Our New Outreach And Community Engagement Librarian, Ingrid C. Hendrix

HSLIC Blog Post

No abstract provided.

20230314_Elevator Renovation Coming Soon, Sally Bowler-Hill

HSLIC Blog Post

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Mediators On The Relationship Between Antenatal Opioid Agonist Exposure And The Severity Of Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome, Lori A Devlin, Zhuopei Hu, Songthip Ounpraseuth, Alan E. Simon, Robert D. Annett, Abhik Das, Janell F. Fuller, Rosemary D. Higgins, Stephanie L. Merhar, P Brian Smith, Margaret M. Crawford, Lesley E. Cottrell, Adam J. Czynski, Sarah Newman, David A. Paul, Pablo J. Sánchez, Erin O. Semmens, M Cody Smith, Bonny L. Whalen, Jessica N. Snowden, Leslie W. Young, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute Of Child Health And Human Development Neonatal Research Network And The Nih Environmental Influences On Child Health Outcomes (Echo) Program Institutional Development Awards States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network

Pediatrics Research and Scholarship

OBJECTIVES: (1) To evaluate the direct (un-mediated) and indirect (mediated) relationship between antenatal exposure to opioid agonist medication as treatment for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and the severity of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS), and (2) to understand the degree to which mediating factors influence the direct relationship between MOUD exposure and NOWS severity.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study includes data abstracted from the medical records of 1294 opioid-exposed infants (859 MOUD exposed and 435 non-MOUD exposed) born at or admitted to one of 30 US hospitals from July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2017. Regression models and mediation analyses were …

20230310_Spring Break Hours, Brandon Carroll

HSLIC Blog Post

No abstract provided.

20230309_Unm Is Now An Institutional Member Of Orcid, Jonathan M. Pringle

HSLIC Blog Post

No abstract provided.

Social Determinants Of Health In The Phase One Curriculum: Intentionality, Articulation, And Integration, Jonathan Eldredge

Posters and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Disrupted Dynamic Functional Network Connectivity In Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, Felicha T. Candelaria-Cook, Megan E. Schendel, Lucinda Flynn, Cassandra Cerros, Dina E. Hill, Julia M. Stephen

Pediatrics Research and Scholarship

BACKGROUND: Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can result in harmful and long-lasting neurodevelopmental changes. Children with PAE or a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) have decreased white matter volume and resting-state spectral power compared to typically developing controls (TDC) and impaired resting-state static functional connectivity. The impact of PAE on resting-state dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) is unknown.

METHODS: Using eyes-closed and eyes-open magnetoencephalography (MEG) resting-state data, global dFNC statistics and meta-states were examined in 89 children aged 6-16 years (51 TDC, 38 with FASD). Source analyzed MEG data were used as input to group spatial independent component analysis to derive …

Menstrual Equity At Unm Health Sciences Center, Amanda L. Collar, Varina A. Kosovich, Sally Bowler-Hill

Posters and Presentations

No abstract provided.