Digital Commons Network^™

Frailty Status But Not Age Predicts Surgical Outcomes In Spinal Tumors: An Nsqip 2015-19 Analysis Of 4662 Patients, Syed Faraz Kazim, Christian A. Bowers, Chad D. Cole, Rohini N. Mckee, Meic H. Schmidt

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Introduction

The preoperative risk stratification of patients undergoing spinal tumor resection remains challenging. In recent years, the efforts to look beyond age alone as an outcomes predictor has resulted in the development of measures of physiological reserve (or ‘frailty indices’). The most frequently cited index in spine surgery is the modified frailty index [11-point (mFI-11) or 5-point (mFI-5)]. The present study was performed to evaluate effect of frailty (as measured by mFI-5) versus age on surgical outcomes of spinal tumors in a large national registry.

Methods

The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database was used to collect data for …

Cognitive Impairment After Intracerebral Hemorrhage: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Syed Faraz Kazim, Jonathan V. Ogulnick, Myranda B. Robinson, Javed Khader Eliyas, Benjamin Q. Spangler, Tyler J. Hough, Erick Martinez, Zafar Karimov, Devan W. Vidrine, Meic H. Schmidt, Christian A. Bowers

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Introduction

Spontaneous, non-traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) refers to bleeding within the brain parenchyma that occurs in the absence of trauma and carries significant morbidity and mortality. While a close association has been identified between stroke and dementia, available literature primarily focuses on post-stroke dementia in ischemic stroke patients, and there are few clinical studies evaluating cognitive dysfunction post-ICH. The present systematic review and meta- analysis analyzes the available clinical literature on post-ICH cognitive impairment.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis following PRISMA guidelines. A search of bibliographic databases up to July 31, 2020 yielded a total of 2155 …

Characteristics Of Hispanics Referred To Coordinated Specialty Care For First-Episode Psychosis And Factors Associated With Enrollment, Bess Rose Friedman, Danielle K. Durán, Anastasiya Nestsiarovich, Mauricio Tohen, Rhoshel K. Lenroot, Juan R. Bustillo, Annette S. Crisanti

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Objective: The primary objectives of this study were to examine referral sources and demographic, clinical, and socioenvironmental characteristics of Hispanics referred to and enrolled in a program of coordinated specialty care (Early CSC program) for first-episode psychosis, to compare them with characteristics of other referred and enrolled racial-ethnic groups, and to identify factors associated with enrollment in the program .

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted for all individuals referred to and enrolled in the Early CSC program over a 2-year period. Extracted data included referral sources and demographic and clinical characteristics. Zip code–level data from publicly available sources were …

Loss Of Neurodevelopmental Transcription Factors In Glioblastoma Leads To Decreased Progression And Proliferation And Increased Survival, Bianca L. Myers, Matthew Keith, Rebekkah Anderson, Tou Yia Vue

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Glioblastoma (GBM) makes up about 50% of primary brain tumors and survival has not increased over the last 30 years, with less than 5% of patients surviving past 5 years of diagnosis. The lethality of GBM is likely due to high degree of inter- and intratumoral heterogeneity and the presence of key neurodevelopmental transcription factors such as ASCL1 and OLIG2, which have been shown to be present in the majority of GBMs. Functionally, these basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors form heterodimers with E-proteins (E47/TCF4) and bind to DNA to regulate gene transcription. Previously, we showed that ASCL1 binds to promoter and …

Parkinson’S Disease Patients With Hallucinations Exhibit Dopaminergic Degeneration And Cortical Thinning, Ann Horner, Christopher J. Wertz, Nicholas Shaff, Alexandra P. Hartman, Andrew R. Mayer, Andrei A. Vakhtin, Amanda Deligtisch, Sarah Pirio Richardson, Sephira G. Ryman

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Objective

Examine whether Parkinson’s disease patients (PD) who experience hallucinations (PD+hall) exhibit a greater decline in striatal dopamine and corresponding posterior cortical decline relative to PD patients without hallucinations (PD-ctrl).

Background

The development of visual hallucinations in PD is a significant predictor of dementia and earlier nursing home placement[1]. A reduction in striatal dopamine transporter has independently been linked to posterior cortical atrophy[2] and psychosis[3], [4].

Methods

This study used data from a cohort of de novo PD patients and healthy controls (HC) enrolled in the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative. We extracted longitudinal cortical thickness values from T1-weighted structural MRI …

The Reward Positivity Is Enhanced In Individuals With Alcohol Use Disorder, Garima Singh, Ethan Campbell, Jeremy Hogeveen, Katie Witkiewitz, Eric Claus, James Cavanagh

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

The EEG feature known as the Reward Positivity (RewP) is known to reflect a combination of the surprise and affective value of reward feedback. Here we investigated if individuals with Alcohol Use Disorder had an enhanced RewP to alcohol stimuli used as rewarding feedback, suggesting a mechanism for linking biased attention with reward integration for addiction-specific stimuli. Community participants aged 18-55 years are being recruited and demographically matched across the two groups: AUD (AUDIT>5) and Control (AUDIT<3). Participants completed a reinforcement learning task with affective stimuli as feedback while EEG was recorded. A 2*2 ANOVA was conducted to examine how affective image (puppies vs. alcohol) and group (AUD, CTL) influenced RewP amplitude. Preliminary results suggest that a main effect of group (p=.104) although there was no effect of affective imagery (p=.157) nor an interaction (p=.637). Overall, the findings suggest that AUD have larger reward positivity, but it does not appear to be modulated by alcohol conditions.

Live Imaging Of Brain Network Dynamics In An Acute Threat Response By Memri: Effects Of Early Life Adversity On Noradrenergic System Anatomy, Taylor W. Uselman, Russell E. Jacobs, Elaine L. Bearer

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Monoaminergic signaling in cortical-limbic circuits regulate both normal physiology and responses to stress. Indeed, monoaminergic reuptake transporters, located on the pre-synaptic terminals of distal projections, are common pharmacological targets for mental disorders, like anxiety and depression. Early life adversity (ELA), which has an interaction with monoaminergic systems, increases vulnerability to mental disorders later in life. Despite this, we are yet to understand how ELA alters brain-wide patterns of neural activity. Here, we combine Manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) with behavioral tracking and immunohistochemistry to investigate the effects of ELA on the modular neuroarchitecture and behavioral response to acute threat. ELA was administered …

Proteopathic Tau Primes And Activates Interleukin-1ss (Il-1ss) Via Myd88- And Nlrp3-Asc-Inflammasome Dependent Pathways Cell-Autonomous To Microglia, Shanya Jiang, Nicole M. Maphis, Jessica Binder, Devon Chisholm, Lea Weston, Walter Duran, Crina Floruta, Amber Zimmerman, Michael Mandell, Stephen Jett, Eileen Bigio, Changiz Geula, Nikolaos Mellios, Jason Weick, Eicke Latz, Michael Heneka, Kiran Bhaskar

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Pathological hyperphosphorylation and aggregation of tau (pTau) and neuroinflammation, driven by interleukin-1β (IL-1β), are the major hallmarks of tauopathies. Here, we show that pTau primes and activates IL-1ß. First, pTau burden co-exist with elevated IL-1β and inflammasome proteins (NLRP3 and ASC) in autopsy brains of human tauopathies. Suppression of human tau blocks both priming and activation of ASC and NLRP3 in the rTg4510 mouse model of tauopathy. Treating microglia with pTau-containing neuronal media, exosomes or purified human tau tangles causes IL-1β activation, which is NLRP3, ASC, and caspase-1-dependent.

While the microglia-restricted deletion of a common innate immune adaptor protein, MyD88 …

Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation (Nvns) Reduced Neuron-Derived Il-1Β And Neuroinflammation In Acute Ischemic Rat Brain, Lisa Y. Yang, Bruce Simon, Yi Yang

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

We previously demonstrated that treatment with nVNS during middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) reduces infarct volume and BBB disruption. Although nVNS was suggested to play its neuroprotective role by initiating a splenic-sympathetic-nerve anti- inflammatory pathway, human study showed that nVNS could directly regulate the activity of brain regions within MCA territories through VN central project. While studying the mechanism of the neuroprotective role of nVNS, we observed that ischemic neurons, rather than active microglia, are the main resource of interleukin-1 (IL-1), pro- inflammatory cytokine, 24-hour after stroke. This study tested the novel hypothesis that nVNS reduced neuron-derived IL-1 and neuroinflammation …

Circhomer1 Has Biomarker Potential For Cortical Dysfunction In Psychiatric Disease, Amber Zimmerman, Alexander Hafez, Jason P. Weick, Nora Perrone-Bizzozero, Nikolaos Mellios, Jonathan Brigman

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are an emerging class of long non-coding RNAs with complex regulatory potential that can impact gene expression and function. However, the vast majority of circRNAs have not been characterized and little is known about their function in the brain despite their abundance in cortical tissue. Recent work has focused on circRNAs as biomarkers for disease and therapeutics due to their increased stability since their biogenesis through backsplicing renders them resistant to RNA degradation. CircRNAs are developmentally regulated and differentially regulated in brain disorders including Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and schizophrenia (SCZ). While plasticity-related protein-coding genes have been associated …

The Impact Of Drought On Agriculture In New Mexico, Savannah P. Rodriguez

Climate Change and Public Health Preparedness

No abstract provided.

Ensuring Optimal Community Hiv Testing Services In Nigeria Using An Enhanced Community Case-Finding Package (Eccp), October 2019-March 2020: Acceleration To Hiv Epidemic Control., Ibrahim Jahun, Emilio Dirlikov, Solomon Odafe, Aminu Yakubu, Andrew T Boyd, Pamela Bachanas, Charles Nzelu, Gambo Aliyu, Tedd Ellerbrock, Mahesh Swaminathan

Project ECHO Bibliography

Purpose: The 2018 Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) showed Nigeria's progress toward the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets: 47% of HIV-positive individuals knew their status; of these, 96% were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART); and of these, 81% were virally suppressed. To improve identification of HIV-positive individuals, Nigeria developed an Enhanced Community Case-Finding Package (ECCP). We describe ECCP implementation in nine states and assess its effect.

Methods: ECCP included four core strategies (small area estimation [SAE] of people living with HIV [PLHIV], map of HIV-positive patients by residence, HIV risk-screening tool [HRST], and index testing [IT]) and four supportive strategies (alternative …

A Quality Improvement Learning Collaborative For Human Papillomavirus Vaccination., Kristin Oliver, Kera Beskin, Laura Noonan, Amy Shah, Rebecca Perkins, Sharon Humiston

Project ECHO Bibliography

Many published accounts have shown that quality improvement (QI) initiatives within medical practice settings can increase vaccination rates. Project ECHO is a telementoring platform that uses video conferencing technology to educate and support healthcare professionals through case-based learning and brief lectures. This manuscript explores the results of a learning collaborative focused on combining QI and Project ECHO to increase human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates within pediatric practices.

Methods: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recruited 3 AAP chapters that then recruited individual pediatricians and their practices for participation. Participants responded to surveys regarding chapter and pediatrician experience and satisfaction. Impact …

Enhancing Validity Of Readiness To Change Measures: Experimental Manipulation Of Cognitive Effort, Jude G. Chavez, Frank J. Schwebel, Matthew R. Pearson

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Based on the Transtheoretical Model, we expect readiness to change (RTC) to be predictive of actual substance-related behavior change, though this relationship is surprisingly modest. We assert that standard assessments of RTC do not require sufficient cognitive effort to obtain an accurate assessment. We expected that RTC scores are inflated (i.e., overestimated) under standard self-report conditions. To test this hypothesis, we compared RTC scores across three conditions: 1) standard low effort condition, 2) medium effort condition (had to select likes/dislikes of substance use, and negative consequences of changing one’s use), and 3) high effort condition (also provided text responses to …

Interactions Between Autophagy, Herpesvirus And Neurodegeneration In Alzheimer’S Disease, Amir Nafchi, Mohammad Anani, Tudor Oprea, Ben Readhead, Elaine Bearer

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Introduction: Various microbes and viruses have been associated with the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Diseases (AD), with many studies dating back to the 1950s. There are challenges in establishing direct links between the microbes and AD pathology. Since microbes and viruses have been observed to be dormant and reactivate in aging brains, it is not clear if the microbes are a byproduct of AD pathology or a direct cause of it. Recently, various publications considered the link between several herpes simplex viruses and neurodegeneration in AD. For example, Readhead et al. utilized multiomics data from post-mortem brain samples meeting the neuropathological …

Empowered!® Tool, Andrea Merriam

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

The emPowered!® Tool is a communication resource to help people with Parkinson’s, family members, and clinicians discuss symptoms and disease progression more effectively and efficiently.

In a PMD Alliance survey, 63% of people with Parkinson’s (PwP) reported that they forgot to share something important with their doctor, 57% reported that they minimize the impact of their symptoms when talking with their doctor, and 30% were concerned that they would be perceived as a complainer. This data, combined with ethnographic research of hundreds of PwP, care partners, and clinicians, motivated PMD Alliance to develop the emPowered!® Tool.

Not simply a symptom …

National Ms Society Covid-19 Response, Vicki Kowal

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

The COVID-19 “shut down” occurred in March 2020 during MS Awareness month, immediately altering National Multiple Sclerosis Society services and events. Within one week, approximately 1,000 staff nationwide were working from home, including MS Navigators who provide direct assistance to people affected by multiple sclerosis.

In addition to MS Navigator, in-person fundraising events, patient education programs, self-help group meetings, healthcare provider meetings, healthcare provider education, and MS activism successfully switched to virtual formats. Unfortunately, fundraising and staffing were adversely affected. The Society faced many challenges, but also experienced successes, including the rapid launch of UNM’s Project ECHO which educated and …

Alcohol Use, Psychological Stress, And Mental Health In U.S. Spanish - And English-Speaking Pregnant Women, L Enriquez-Marquez, D Rodriguez, X Ma, M H. Roberts, S Ruyak, S W. Jacobson, L N. Bakhireva

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Purpose: The “Latina paradox” and mitigating cultural/social-support factors have been extensively studied. However, further investigation is warranted comparing the complex interplay among substance use, psychosocial stress, mental health, and socioeconomic factors between Spanish-speaking and English-speaking pregnant women.

Methods: Data were collected from 311 pregnant women (275 English-speaking, 36 Spanish- speaking), screened for eligibility into the ENRICH-2 prospective cohort study, and 98 enrolled. Screening questionnaires included questions about demographics, AUDIT-C, and binge (≥4 drinks/occasion) and heavy drinking (≥14 drinks) around last menstrual period (LMP).

Following enrollment, perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale, PSS), symptoms of anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, GAD-7) and depression …

Aging-Specific Survival And Molecular Signatures Of Glioblastoma Multiforme: Analysis Of Clinical And Large-Scale Transcriptomic Data From The Cancer Genome Atlas (Tcga), Syed Faraz Kazim, Devan W. Vidrine, Meic H. Schmidt, Chad D. Cole, Sara G M Picirillo, Christian A. Bowers

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Introduction

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common malignant brain tumor and carries a poor prognosis. Despite aggressive multimodality treatment, the median survival is approximately 18- 20 months, depending on molecular subgroups. While it’s known that older adults with GBM have a worse prognosis compared to younger patients, the precise molecular mechanism(s) and key mediator(s) of this aging-related phenomenon remain largely unknown.

Methods

We extracted data of 593 primary GBM patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) (www.cancergenome.nih.gov). The data included age at diagnosis, treatment (surgical versus non- surgical), outcome (deceased versus living), survival time, Karnofsky performance score (KPS), and …

Soe And Its Contribution To The Allied War Effort During The Second World War, Etienne G. Allred

2022 Award Winners

No abstract provided.

Mental Illness And Human Dignity In Jane Eyre, Haley G. Hughes

2022 Award Winners

No abstract provided.

Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women (And Children) – A Global Problem, Hevyn L. Heckes

2022 Award Winners

No abstract provided.

An Impact Evaluation Of Covid-19 Training Program: Knowledge And Awareness Of Public Health Professionals Of Province Five, Nepal, Alok K. Bohara, Swati Thapa, Siobhan K. Yilmaz, Spencer H. Mcbee

Himalayan Research Papers Archive

With the declaration of a worldwide pandemic in March 2020 (World Health Organization 2020), COVID-19 has become a primary focus of governments and public health systems across the world with increases in infection and death rates. By mid-April 2020, more than 80% of countries had imposed containment and mitigation measures. But for developing nations, the threats of this global pandemic are more acute given the lack of resources and the capacity to deal with a shock of this magnitude (Loayza 2020). Despite calling for a lockdown on March 24th, 2020 (Pradhan 2020), Nepal faces several public health challenges including limited …

Introduction, New Mexico Law Review

New Mexico Law Review

No abstract provided.

Harmful Reporting, Justine A. Dunlap

New Mexico Law Review

Title IX is used in many ways; perhaps most prominent and controversial is its use to address issues of sexual harassment and sexual assault on college campuses. The regulations governing that use have just been changed, with the Department of Education issuing new final regulations on May 6, 2020. The recent spotlight aside, an aspect of Title IX that has gotten too little attention has been the move towards having all or nearly all university employees categorized as “mandatory reporters.” A mandatory reporter is one who must report an allegation of sexual assault to the university’s Title IX coordinator. This …

Let’S Get Serious – The Clear Case For Compensating The Student Athlete – By The Numbers, Neal Newman

New Mexico Law Review

Should college athletes be compensated for their play and if so, how? The first question has been a debate for some time now. But the second question—the “how”—not so much. This writing addresses both questions in depth. With the Ed O’Bannon case that was decided back in August of 2014 and the palaver the Northwestern football team raised in their efforts to unionize, it is acknowledged that the discussions on this issue may have reached its crescendo years ago. That is until now. On September 27, 2019, Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California, signed into law Senate Bill 206. Senate …

The First Amendment And The Female Listener, Loren Jacobson

New Mexico Law Review

When the Supreme Court has considered whether laws that affect women’s decisions about their health and bodies violate the Free Speech Clause, it has ignored the informational needs of the very women that such laws regulate. I argue that, instead, the Supreme Court should value women’s informational and decision-making needs and properly place them at the center of a First Amendment analysis of laws that affect women in particular. Towards that goal, the Supreme Court should take a listener-centered approach to laws that affect women’s decision-making. There is a strong basis for a listener-centered approach in the Court’s Free Speech …

Online Taxation Post Wayfair, Rifat Azam

New Mexico Law Review

The United States Supreme Court saved the states’ sales tax base in the landmark case of South Dakota v. Wayfair in 2018. This revolutionary decision ended the long ban on states imposing sales tax collection duties on out-of-state retailers without a physical presence in the state, as established in Bellas Hess v. Department of Revenue of Illinois in 1967 and Quill Corp. v. North Dakota in 1992. Wayfair now allows states to impose sales taxation on outof-state retailers in the era of digitalization. In this article, I provide valuable guidelines and suggestions to aid states on this critical journey toward …

Preserving Due Process: Require The Frye And Daubert Expert Standards In State Gang Cases, Fareed Nassor Hayat

New Mexico Law Review

Police officers are almost universally offered and admitted as experts in gang prosecutions. Without being subjected to the stringent requirements of Frye and Daubert expert standards, criminal Defendants’ due process rights are violated. Once admitted, police officers are permitted to testify to the psychology, customs, motivations, social structures and subjective mental states of individual gang members and gang organizations. Police gang expert testimony should only be admitted after the underlying criminal matter has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt, and even then, only if the police gang expert testimony abides by clearly defined rules of evidence. This article advocates for …

Honoring The New Mexico Constitution And Its History: New Mexico’S Unique Blaine Amendment And Its Application In Moses V. Ruszkowski, Kori Nau

New Mexico Law Review

Over the past two decades, many scholars have taken a fresh look at state constitutional provisions that derive from the federal Blaine amendment that was proposed in 1875. The New Mexico Supreme Court was tasked with analyzing New Mexico’s version of the Blaine amendment as it applied to the state’s Instructional Material Law in Moses v. Ruszkowksi. The case took a long journey through the New Mexico judiciary and was appealed to the United States Supreme Court. On remand from the U.S. Supreme Court, the New Mexico Supreme Court concluded that New Mexico’s derivative of the Blaine amendment, Article XII, …