Digital Commons Network^™

Ten‐Year Cardiovascular Disease Risk Score And Cognitive Function Among Older Adults: The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey 2011 To 2014, Jingkai Wei, Hanzhang Xu, Angela D. Liese, Anwar T. Nerchant Sc.D, Mph, Dmd, Liang Wang, Chih-Hsiang Yang, Matthew C. Lohman, Monique J. Brown Ph.D., Mph, Tiansheng Wang, Daniela B. Friedman Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The Framingham 10-year cardiovascular disease risk score, which is based on age, sex, smoking, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, blood pressure, and diabetes, has been found to be associated with cognitive health, but these findings have not been validated in a representative sample in the United States. We aimed to examine the associations of Framingham risk score with cognitive function among older adults in a nationally representative sample, as well as by race or ethnicity, education, and family income.

METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 2254 older adults ≥60years (57% female, 79% non-Hispanic White) in the National Health and Nutrition …

Patterns Of Hiv Disclosure And Its Impact On The Hiv Care Continuum Among Black Men Who Have Sex With Men In South Carolina, Xueying Yang Ph.D., Titilayo A. James, Monique J. Brown Ph.D., Mph, Tony Brown, Sydney Zarsadias, Ran Zhang, Fanghui Shi, Xiaoming Li Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Addressing the psychosocial concerns of Black men who have sex with men (MSM), such as HIV disclosure, is critical for effective HIV treatment efforts. Black MSM living with HIV experience multiple psychosocial challenges, such as “triple stigma” due to their sexual orientation, racial minority status, and HIV status, which hinder their HIV disclosure and subsequent HIV care-seeking behavior. Our study sought to examine the HIV disclosure patterns and their impact on the HIV care continuum among Black MSM using a qualitative approach. Semi-structured interviews were carried out among 28 Black MSM aged ≥18 years old living in South Carolina. A …

Association Of Selected State Policies And Requirements For Buprenorphine Treatment With Per Capita Months Of Treatment, Bradley D. Stein, Brendan K. Saloner, Olivia K. Golan, Barbara Andraka-Christou, Christina M. Andrews Ph.D., Andrew W. Dick, Corey S. Davis, Flora Sheng, Adam J. Gordon

Faculty Publications

IMPORTANCE Expanding the use of buprenorphine for treating opioid use disorder is a critical component of the US response to the opioid crisis, but few studies have examined how state policies are associated with buprenorphine dispensing. OBJECTIVE To examine the association of 6 selected state policies with the rate of individuals receiving buprenorphine per 1000 county residents. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cross-sectional study used 2006 to 2018 US retail pharmacy claims data for individuals dispensed buprenorphine formulations indicated for treating opioid use disorder. EXPOSURES State implementation of policies requiring additional education for buprenorphine prescribers beyond waiver training, continuing medical …

A Most Surprising Fern: Serendipity And Browsing In Botanical Search, Douglas Tuers

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

This article is a case study of botanical field work in the eastern United States in the early twentieth century. These cases will be analyzed as instances of browsing and serendipity. Browsing and serendipity have a rich literature in information science and this article will draw on this literature in order to better understand serendipity in botany. This article will show how botanical localities support browsing and serendipity for the botanists who search them. This article will also show how botanical institutions and botanists interface with localities in order to further support browsing and serendipity. As a whole this article …

Protocol For Developing A Personalised Prediction Model For Viral Suppression Among Under-Represented Populations In The Context Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jiajia Zhang Ph.D., Xueying Yang Ph.D., Sharon Weissman, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Bankole Olatosi Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Introduction Sustained viral suppression, an indicator of long-term treatment success and mortality reduction, is one of four strategic areas of the 'Ending the HIV Epidemic' federal campaign launched in 2019. Under-represented populations, like racial or ethnic minority populations, sexual and gender minority groups, and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, are disproportionately affected by HIV and experience a more striking virological failure. The COVID-19 pandemic might magnify the risk of incomplete viral suppression among under-represented people living with HIV (PLWH) due to interruptions in healthcare access and other worsened socioeconomic and environmental conditions. However, biomedical research rarely includes under-represented populations, resulting in biased …

Development And Validation Protocol For An Instrument To Measure Household Water Insecurity Across Cultures And Ecologies: The Household Water Insecurity Experiences (Hwise) Scale, Sera L. Young, Shalean M. Collins, Godfred O. Boateng, Torsten B. Neilands, Zeina Jamaluddine, Joshua D. Miller, Alexander A. Brewis, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Wendy E. Jepson, Hugo Melgar-Quiñonez, Roseanna C. Schuster, Justin B. Stoler, Amber Wuitch, Hwise Research Coordination Network

Faculty Publications

Introduction A wide range of water-related problems contribute to the global burden of disease. Despite the many plausible consequences for health and well-being, there is no validated tool to measure individual- or household-level water insecurity equivalently across varying cultural and ecological settings. Accordingly, we are developing the Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE) Scale to measure household-level water insecurity in multiple contexts.

Methods and analysis After domain specification and item development, items were assessed for both content and face validity. Retained items are being asked in surveys in 28 sites globally in which water-related problems have been reported (eg, shortages, excess …

Table Of Contents

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Socio-Emotional Resilience Among Older Adults During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Cindy J. Lahar, Angela L. Nadeau, Jayne Violette, Summer Roberts, Diana Reindl

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

The detrimental impact of social isolation on health and well-being has been reported in older adults (Prohaska, et al., 2020). Yet findings also demonstrate that older adults have a motivational shift to prioritize emotionally meaningful goals and experiences (Carstensen, 1993; Sakaki, et al., 2019), prioritize emotional meaning in situations, focus on positive emotions and stimuli over negative feelings and live in the present rather than focus on future preparedness. Socioemotional selectivity theory (SST) (Carstensen, 1993; Carstensen, Fung & Charles, 2003) suggests that older adults have a limited sense of time left in life and shift their focus to meaningful and …

Consolidated Chamber Design And Protocol For Olfactory Conditioning Assay With Drosophila Melanogaster, Sasha Bronovitskiy, Andres Castillo, Michael Yan, Fang Ju Lin

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

The olfactory conditioning assay is widely used in Alzheimer’s disease research to quantify learning and memory in Drosophila melanogaster. The assay tests ability to recall an aversive conditioned stimulus of scent paired with electrical shock when presented a choice between shock-associated and unrelated scents. The T-maze, a commonly used apparatus for olfactory conditioning assays, employs an elevator mechanism to transfer live flies from the shock-delivering training chamber to the scent selection point. This elevator mechanism is known to cause fly casualty. T-mazes are not commercially available and often difficult to reproduce. Other existing variations of olfactory conditioning apparatuses use …

Trends In Resources For Neonatal Intensive Care At Delivery Hospitals For Infants Born Younger Than 30 Weeks' Gestation, 2009-2020, Nansi S. Boghossian, Marco Geraci, Ciaran S. Phibbs, Scott A. Lorch, Erika M. Edwards, Jeffrey D. Horbar

Faculty Publications

Importance: In an ideal regionalized system, all infants born very preterm would be delivered at a large tertiary hospital capable of providing all necessary care. Objective: To examine whether the distribution of extremely preterm births changed between 2009 and 2020 based on neonatal intensive care resources at the delivery hospital. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at 822 Vermont Oxford Network (VON) centers in the US between 2009 and 2020. Participants included infants born at 22 to 29 weeks' gestation, delivered at or transferred to centers participating in the VON. Data were analyzed from February to …

Detecting Medication-Taking Gestures Using Machine Learning And Accelerometer Data Collected Via Smartwatch Technology: Instrument Validation Study, Chrisogonas Odero Odhiambo, Lukacs Ablonczy, Pamela J. Wright, Cynthia F. Corbett

Publications

BACKGROUND: Medication adherence is a global public health challenge, as only approximately 50% of people adhere to their medication regimens. Medication reminders have shown promising results in terms of promoting medication adherence. However, practical mechanisms to determine whether a medication has been taken or not, once people are reminded, remain elusive. Emerging smartwatch technology may more objectively, unobtrusively, and automatically detect medication taking than currently available methods. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the feasibility of detecting natural medication-taking gestures using smartwatches. METHODS: A convenience sample (N=28) was recruited using the snowball sampling method. During data collection, each participant recorded …

Why Understanding Food Choice Is Crucial To Transform Food Systems For Human And Planetary Health, Krystal K. Rampalli, Christine E. Blake Ph.D., Rd, Edward A. Frongillo Ph.D., Joseph Montoya

Faculty Publications

What, how and why people eat has long been understood to be important for human health, but until recently, has not been recognised as an essential facet of climate change and its effects on planetary health. The global climate change and diet-related health crises occurring are connected to food systems, food environments and consumer food choices. Calls to transform food systems for human and planetary health highlight the importance of understanding individual food choice. Understanding what, how and why people eat the way they do is crucial to successful food systems transformations that achieve both human and planetary health goals. …

Predictors And Barriers To Vaccination Among Older Syrian Refugees In Lebanon: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of A Multi-Wave Longitudinal Study, Berthe Abi Zeid, Tanya El Khoury, Hala Ghattas Ph.D., Marwan F. Alawieh, Zeinab Ramadan, Sirine Anouti, Sawsan Abdulrahim, Stephen J. Mccall

Faculty Publications

Background:

Vaccination is important to prevent morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19 among older Syrian refugees. We aimed to elucidate the predictors of COVID-19 vaccine uptake among Syrian refugees aged 50 years or older in Lebanon and to understand their main reasons for not receiving the vaccine.

Methods:

This was a cross-sectional analysis of a five-wave longitudinal study, conducted through telephone interviews between Sept 22, 2020, and March 14, 2022, in Lebanon. For this analysis, data were extracted from wave 3 (Jan 21–April 23, 2021), which included a question on vaccine safety and on whether participants intended to receive the …

Religion, Discrimination, And The Future Of Public Education, Derek W. Black

Faculty Publications

The Supreme Court’s recent decisions regarding the free exercise of religion threaten fundamental changes to public education. On their face, these decisions are relatively narrow. They prohibit states from explicitly excluding religious schools from participating in states’ tuition subsidy programs, otherwise known as private school vouchers. But school choice advocates and some scholars argue that the rationale in these cases also extends to religious organizations that want to operate public charter schools.

While these changes would drain enormous resources from an already underfunded public education system, even more important interests are at stake: antidiscrimination and basic core curriculum. More specifically, …

The Racialized Violence Of Police Canine Force, Madalyn K. Wasilczuk

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Trends In The Incidence Of Head And Neck Cancer: A Nationwide Population-Based Study, Tzong-Hann Yang, Sudha Xirasagar Mbbs., Ph.D., Yen-Fu Cheng, Chin-Shyan Chen, Wei-Pin Chang, Herng-Ching Lin

Publications

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to demonstrate the temporal trend in incidence of head and neck cancer (HNC) in Taiwan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with a HNC were retrieved from the Taiwan's Health Insurance Database. We identified 16,894 patients aged ≥20 years who had received a first-time diagnosis of cancer of the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, hypopharynx, nasopharynx, sinonasal, salivary gland or thyroid gland between 2010 and 2018. We calculated the annual incidence rate per 100,000 population, overall, and classified by gender and cancer type. We also used the annual percent change (APC) to characterize trends in head and neck cancer …

Predicting Adolescent Intervention Non-Responsiveness For Precision Hiv Prevention Using Machine Learning, Bo Wang, Feifan Liu, Lynette Deveaux, Arlene Ash, Ben Gerber, Jeroan Allison, Carly Herbert, Maxwell Poitier, Karen Macdonell, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Bonita Stanton

Faculty Publications

Interventions to teach protective behaviors may be differentially effective within an adolescent population. Identifying the characteristics of youth who are less likely to respond to an intervention can guide program modifications to improve its effectiveness. Using comprehensive longitudinal data on adolescent risk behaviors, perceptions, sensation-seeking, peer and family influence, and neighborhood risk factors from 2564 grade 10–12 students in The Bahamas, this study employs machine learning approaches (support vector machines, logistic regression, decision tree, and random forest) to identify important predictors of non-responsiveness for precision prevention. We used 80% of the data to train the models and the rest for …

Micro-Targeting Consumers To Reduce Consumptive Externalities, Tamara L. Sheldon, J. R. Deshazo, Bronwyn Lewis Friscia

Faculty Publications

When correcting for consumption externalities policymakers may employ economic incentives, a uniform moral suasion intervention, or various micro-targeted moral suasion interventions. To assess the relative effectiveness of these policy interventions, we randomly assign consumers to different moral suasion treatments designed to increase their willingness to pay for energy efficient light bulbs. Both economic incentives and single moral suasion interventions have similar modest effects on household willingness to pay for this durable good. However, we find that optimally targeting moral suasion messages increases consumers' choice of the most efficient light bulbs even more than large subsidies.

Covid-19 Challenges, Responses, And Resilience Among Rural Black Women: A Study Protocol, Fanghui Shi, Jiajia Zhang Ph.D., Chengbo Zeng, Xiaowen Sun, Zhenlong Li, Xueying Yang, Sharon Weissman, Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Xiaoming Li Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Background

Timely linkage to care (LTC) is key in the HIV care continuum, as it enables people newly diagnosed with HIV (PNWH) to benefit from HIV treatment at the earliest stage. Previous studies have found LTC disparities by individual factors, but data are limited beyond the individual level, especially at the county level. This study examined the temporal and geographic variations of county-level LTC status across 46 counties in South Carolina (SC) from 2010 to 2018 and the association of county-level characteristics with LTC status.

Methods

All adults newly diagnosed with HIV from 2010 to 2018 in SC were included …

April 25, 2023 General Faculty Minutes, University Of South Carolina

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Alcohol-Attributed Deaths In The United States, 1999–2020, Ibraheem M. Karaye, Nasim Maleki, Ismaeel Yunusa Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

The disparities in alcohol-attributed death rates among different racial and ethnic groups in the United States (US) have received limited research attention. Our study aimed to examine the burden and trends in alcohol-attributed mortality rates in the US by race and ethnicity from 1999 to 2020. We used national mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) database and employed the ICD-10 coding system to identify alcohol-related deaths. Disparity rate ratios were calculated using the Taylor series, and Joinpoint regression was used to analyze temporal trends and calculate annual and …

April 19, 2023 Faculty Senate Minutes, University Of South Carolina

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

The Global Fatty Liver Disease-Sustainable Development Goal Country Score For 195 Countries And Territories, Jeffrey V. Lazarus, Hannah Han, Henry E. Mark, Saleh A. Schattenberg, Jörn M. J., Ismaeel Yunusa Ph. D., Et Al.

Faculty Publications

Background & Aims:

Fatty liver disease is highly prevalent, resulting in overarching wellbeing and economic costs. Addressing it requires comprehensive and coordinated multisectoral action. We developed a fatty liver disease-Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) country score to provide insights into country-level preparedness to address fatty liver disease through a whole-of-society lens.

Approach & Results:

We developed two fatty liver disease-SDG score sets. The first included six indicators (child wasting, child overweight, non-communicable disease [NCD] mortality, universal health coverage service coverage index, health worker density, and education attainment), covering 195 countries between 1990-2017. The second included the aforementioned indicators plus an urban …

The Daily Gamecock: Play It Back, April 2023, University Of South Carolina, Office Of Student Media

April

No abstract provided.

Exploring Digital Interventions To Facilitate Coping And Discomfort For Nurses Experiencing The Menopause In The Workplace: An International Qualitative Study, Camille Cronin, Gemma Bidwell, Janene Carey, Sara Donevant Phd, Rn, Ccrn, Kerri-Ann Hughes, Marja Kaunonen, Jette Marcussen, Rhonda Wilson

Publications

INTRODUCTION: The global nursing workforce is predominantly female, with a large proportion working in the 45-55 age group. Menopause is a transition for all women, and; therefore needs recognition as it can impact work performance and consequently staff turnover. BACKGROUND: Women will go through the menopause, but not all women are affected. The menopause transition presents a range of signs and symptoms both physical and psychological which can impact the quality of life and individuals' work/life balance. The nursing workforce is predominantly women that will work through the menopause transition. OBJECTIVES: The study explored perspectives on digital health interventions as …

Intensive Care Unit Mortality And Length Of Stay Among Critically Ill Patients With Sepsis Treated With Corticosteroids: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Eric E. Chinaeke, Ismaeel Yunusa Ph.D., Bryan L. Love Pharm. D., Joseph Magagnoli, Claiborne E. Reeder

Faculty Publications

Objectives: Sepsis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients worldwide, and corticosteroids are commonly used to treat it. However, the evidence supporting the use of corticosteroids in sepsis patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) is of low certainty, with conflicting results reported in previous studies. Thus, we aimed to investigate the potential association between corticosteroid treatment and various outcomes, including 30-day ICU mortality, ICU length of stay (LOS), mechanical ventilation use, new onset of infection, and hyperglycemia in patients diagnosed with sepsis and admitted to the ICU.

Materials and Methods: We conducted …

Microcanonical Thermodynamics Of Small Ideal Gas Systems, David S. Corti, Donya Ohadi, Ricardo Fariello, Mark J. Uline

Faculty Publications

We consider the thermal, mechanical, and chemical contact of two subsystems composed of ideal gases, both of which are not in the thermodynamic limit. After contact, the combined system is isolated, and the entropy is determined through the use of its standard connection to the phase space density (PSD), where only those microstates at a given energy value are counted. The various intensive properties of these small systems that follow from a derivative of the PSD, such as the temperature, pressure, and chemical potential (evaluated via a backward difference), while equal when the two subsystems are in equilibrium are nevertheless …

April 5, 2023 Faculty Senate Minutes, University Of South Carolina

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

Hard Seltzers In Europe: A Sparkling Opportunity? An Analysis Of The Market Potential For Hard Seltzers In Europe, Amanda R. Harper

Senior Theses

This thesis seeks to uncover the potential for the hard seltzer category in the European alcohol market. First, through secondary research, it establishes the conditions of entering the European alcohol market by looking at the challenges of entering markets abroad, the challenges of entering the European market, and the history and current state of alcohol in Europe. Second, this thesis will analyze the history and characteristics of the hard seltzer category. This will include profiles of seven key brands: White Claw, Truly, Bud Light Seltzer, Vizzy, Topo Chico, Mike’s Hard Seltzer, and Pure Piraña. Next, this thesis will analyze primary …

Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy And Vaccination Rate Among The Latino Population In South Carolina, Brynn E. Lynagh

Senior Theses

It is common knowledge that COVID-19 disproportionately impacts racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. Furthermore, these sects of the population exhibit increased vaccine hesitancy and lower vaccination rates as compared to the aggregated population of the United States, furthering the risk posed by COVID-19 to these communities. In particular, this study focuses on the Latino population in South Carolina, the vaccination rate among this community, and the perspectives which contributed to their vaccination decision. Two hundred Spanish and Portuguese speaking residents of South Carolina were interviewed using a paper survey conducted by pre-trained interviewers. The survey gathered data …