Digital Commons Network^™

Clinicians' Perceptions Of The Health Status Of Formerly Detained Immigrants, Kathryn Hampton, Ranit Mishori, Marsha Griffin, Claire Hillier, Elizabeth Pirrotta, Nancy E. Wang

School of Medicine Publications

Background: In the past decade, the U.S. immigration detention system regularly detained more than 30,000 people per day; in 2019 prior to the pandemic, the daily detention population exceeded 52,000 people. Inhumane detention conditions have been documented by internal government watchdogs, and news media and human rights groups who have observed over-crowding, poor hygiene and sanitation and poor and delayed medical care, as well as verbal, physical and sexual abuse.

Methods: This study surveyed health professionals across the United States who had provided care for immigrants who were recently released from immigration detention to assess clinician perceptions about the adverse …

Fat As An Adjunct In Nerve Surgery, Allison Podsednik, Raysa Cabrejo, Joseph Rosen

School of Medicine Publications

No abstract provided.

Lessons Learned From Topic Modeling Analysis Of Covid-19 News To Enrich Statistics Education In Korea, Seokmin Kang, Sungyeun Kim

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

This study aimed to investigate how mass media in Korea dealt with various issues arising from COVID-19 and the implications of this on statistics education in South Korea during the recent pandemic. We extracted news articles with the keywords “Corona” and “Statistics” from 18 February to 20 May 2020. We employed word frequency analysis, topic modeling, semantic network analysis, hierarchical clustering, and simple linear regression analysis. The main results of this study are as follows. First, the topic modeling analysis revealed four topics, namely “macroeconomy”, “domestic outbreak”, “international outbreak”, and “real estate and stocks”. Second, a simple linear regression analysis …

The Rider (2022-03-07), Verilu Infante

The Rider Archives

Vol.7 No.22

Community-Clinic Linkages For Promoting Hiv Prevention: Organizational Networks For Prep Client Referrals And Collaborations, Rebecca L. Mauldin, Tamara Al Rawwad, Muhammad Amith, Lisa M. Kuhns, John A. Schneider, Kayo Fujimoto

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Community-clinic linkages may help communities increase HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake. Referrals from community-based organizations may be particularly important for linking Black men who have sex with men (MSM) to PrEP. This study describes PrEP referral and HIV/STI prevention networks among organizations that serve MSM in Houston, TX (N = 40), and Chicago, IL (N = 28), and compares network positions of organizations based on percentage of Black/African American clients. A majority of organizations conducted PrEP awareness/promotion activities, but fewer made PrEP referrals, with little overlap between the collaboration and referral networks. The networks tended to have a …

Epidemiological Algorithm For Early Detection Of Covid-19 Cases In A Mexican Oncologic Center, Moisés González-Escamilla, Diana Cristina Pérez-Ibave, Carlos Horacio Burciaga-Flores, Vanessa Natali Ortiz-Murillo, Genaro A. Ramírez-Correa, Patricia Rodríguez-Niño, Rafael Piñeiro-Retif, Hazyadee Frecia Rodríguez-Gutiérrez, Fernando Alcorta-Nuñez

School of Medicine Publications

An early detection tool for latent COVID-19 infections in oncology staff and patients is essential to prevent outbreaks in a cancer center. (1) Background: In this study, we developed and implemented two early detection tools for the radiotherapy area to identify COVID-19 cases opportunely. (2) Methods: Staff and patients answered a questionnaire (electronic and paper surveys, respectively) with clinical and epidemiological information. The data were collected through two online survey tools: Real-Time Tracking (R-Track) and Summary of Factors (S-Facts). Cut-off values were established according to the algorithm models. SARS-CoV-2 qRT-PCR tests confirmed the positive algorithms individuals. (3) Results: Oncology staff …

Schizophrenia Risk Loci From Xmhc Region Were Associated With Antipsychotic Response In Chronic Schizophrenic Patients With Persistent Positive Symptom, Jiang Li, Akane Yoshikawa, Ney Alliey-Rodriguez, Herbert Y. Meltzer

School of Medicine Publications

We examined whether common variants from the extended major histocompatibility complex (xMHC) region contribute to the response to antipsychotic drugs (APDs) in patients with schizophrenia with persistent psychosis. Subjects participated in a prospective longitudinal study of the effect of APDs on psychopathology were temporally split into discovery (n = 88) and replication (n = 42) cohorts. The primary endpoint was a change in Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale at 6-week or 6-month after treatment. rs204991 (β = 3.917, p = 3.72 × 10−6), the strongest signal associated with response at 6-week was located near C4A/C4B after a linear …

The Rider (2022-02-28), Verilu Infante

The Rider Archives

Vol.7 No.21

The Rider (2022-02-21), Verilu Infante

The Rider Archives

Vol.7 No.20

The Rider (2022-02-14), Verilu Infante

The Rider Archives

Vol.7 No.19

Breakthrough Medicines During The Covid-19 Pandemic Era, Eswara Naga Hanuma Kumar Ghali, Vijian Dhevan, Shravan K. Narmala, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan, Murali M. Yallapu

School of Medicine Publications

No abstract provided.

The Rider (2022-02-07), Verilu Infante

The Rider Archives

Vol.7 No.18

The Ctsa University Of Texas Health Science Center (Uthsc) Northeast—Tyler And Rio Grande Valley Success Story: How Rural, Underserved Academic Communities Rapidly Built A Robust Engine For Collaborative Covid-19 Clinical Research, Steven Idell, David D. Mcpherson, Jessica Martin, Andrew N. Dentino, Luis Ostrosky- Zeichner, Julia V. Philley, Paul Mcgaha, Megan Devine, Jacqueline Bronicki, Daniel D. Karp

School of Medicine Publications

In 2018, The University of Texas Health Science Center– Tyler and University of Texas Rio Grande Valley were invited to develop clinical research units for an existing Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) consortium with the objective to equip medically underserved, economically disadvantaged communities and subsequently to deploy COVID-19 clinical trials in response to a public health emergency.

The Rider (2022-01-31), Verilu Infante

The Rider Archives

Vol.7 No.17

The Rider (2022-01-24), Verilu Infante

The Rider Archives

Vol.7 No.16

The Impact Of Aging On The Lung Alveolar Environment, Predetermining Susceptibility To Respiratory Infections, Jordi B. Torrelles, Blanca I. Restrepo, Yidong Bai, Corinna Ross, Larry S. Schlesinger, Joanne Turner

School of Medicine Publications

Respiratory infections are one of the top causes of death in the elderly population, displaying susceptibility factors with increasing age that are potentially amenable to interventions. We posit that with increasing age there are predictable tissue-specific changes that prevent the immune system from working effectively in the lung. This mini-review highlights recent evidence for altered local tissue environment factors as we age focusing on increased tissue oxidative stress with associated immune cell changes, likely driven by the byproducts of age-associated inflammatory disease. Potential intervention points are presented.

The Rider (2022-01-18), Verilu Infante

The Rider Archives

Vol.7 No.15

Using A Stochastic Continuous-Time Markov Chain Model To Examine Alternative Timing And Duration Of The Covid-19 Lockdown In Kuwait: What Can Be Done Now?, Mustafa Al-Zoughool, Tamer Oraby, Harri Vainio, Janvier Gasana, Joseph C. Longenecker, Walid Al Ali, Mohammad Alseaidan, Susie Elsaadany, Michael G. Tyshenko

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Kuwait had its first COVID-19 in late February, and until October 6, 2020 it recorded 108,268 cases and 632 deaths. Despite implementing one of the strictest control measures-including a three-week complete lockdown, there was no sign of a declining epidemic curve. The objective of the current analyses is to determine, hypothetically, the optimal timing and duration of a full lockdown in Kuwait that would result in controlling new infections and lead to a substantial reduction in case hospitalizations.

Methods

The analysis was conducted using a stochastic Continuous-Time Markov Chain (CTMC), eight state model that depicts the disease transmission and …

Genetic Influences On Dentognathic Morphology In The Jirel Population Of Nepal, Anna M. Hardin, Ryan P. Knigge, Dana L. Duren, Sarah Williams-Blangero, Janardan Subedi, Michael Mahaney, Richard J. Sherwood

School of Medicine Publications

Patterns of genetic variation and covariation impact the evolution of the craniofacial complex and contribute to clinically significant malocclusions in modern human populations. Previous quantitative genetic studies have estimated the heritabilities and genetic correlations of skeletal and dental traits in humans and nonhuman primates, but none have estimated these quantitative genetic parameters across the dentognathic complex. A large and powerful pedigree from the Jirel population of Nepal was leveraged to estimate heritabilities and genetic correlations in 62 maxillary and mandibular arch dimensions, incisor and canine lengths, and post-canine tooth crown areas (N ≥ 739). Quantitative genetic parameter estimation was performed …

Studying Spread Patterns Of Covid-19 Based On Spatiotemporal Data, Beiyu Lin, Xiaowei Jia, Zhiqian Chen

Computer Science Faculty Publications

The current COVID-19 epidemic have transformed every aspect of our lives, especially our behavior and routines. These changes have been drastically impacting the economy in each region, such as local restaurants and transportation systems. With massive amounts of ambient data being collected everywhere, we now can develop innovative algorithms to have a much greater understanding of epidemic spread patterns of COVID-19 based on spatiotemporal data. The findings will open up the possibility to design adaptive planning or scheduling systems that will help preventing the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

In this tutorial, we will review the trending state-of-theart …

Research Symposium 2022: International Conference On Health Disparities: Treatment And Recovery From Opioid And Alcohol Use Disorders And Related Comorbidities (Ichd-Recover), The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley. School Of Medicine

School of Medicine Publications

No abstract provided.

Genetic And Genomic Architecture In Eight Strains Of The Laboratory Opossum Monodelphis Domestica, Xiao Xiong, Paul B. Samollow, Wenqi Cao, Richard Metz, Chao Zhang, Ana C. Leandro, John L. Vandeberg, Xu Wang

School of Medicine Publications

The gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica) is an established laboratory-bred marsupial model for biomedical research. It is a critical species for comparative genomics research, providing the pivotal phylogenetic outgroup for studies of derived vs ancestral states of genomic/epigenomic characteristics for eutherian mammal lineages. To characterize the current genetic profile of this laboratory marsupial, we examined 79 individuals from eight established laboratory strains. Double digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing and whole-genome resequencing experiments were performed to investigate the genetic architecture in these strains. A total of 66,640 highquality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified. We analyzed SNP density, average heterozygosity, nucleotide …

Liver Cystic Disease, Alfarooq Alshaikhli, Alsadiq Al-Hillan

School of Medicine Publications

Hepatic cysts (HCs) have been a common reason for consultation by gastroenterologists and hepatologists. HCs are defined as small abnormal fluid-filled lesions that develop within the liver tissue and usually arise from within hepatocytes, biliary cell epithelium, mesenchymal tissue, or metastases from extrahepatic organs. Hepatic cysts can be from an infectious or non-infectious source. They are common and usually asymptomatic. This activity reviews the evaluation and treatment of liver cystic lesions and highlights the role of the interprofessional team in evaluating and treating patients with this condition.

Objectives:

• Describe the etiology of different hepatic cyst lesions.
• Identify the most common …

Efficacy And Safety Of Covid-19 Convalescent Plasma In Hospitalized Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Mila B. Ortigoza, Hyunah Yoon, Keith S. Goldfeld, Andrea B. Troxel, Johanna P. Daily, Yinxiang Wu, Yi Li, Danni Wu, Gia F. Cobb, Andrew N. Dentino

School of Medicine Publications

Importance: There is clinical equipoise for COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) use in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

Objective: To determine the safety and efficacy of CCP compared with placebo in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 receiving noninvasive supplemental oxygen.

Design, setting, and participants: CONTAIN COVID-19, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of CCP in hospitalized adults with COVID-19, was conducted at 21 US hospitals from April 17, 2020, to March 15, 2021. The trial enrolled 941 participants who were hospitalized for 3 or less days or presented 7 or less days after symptom onset and required noninvasive oxygen supplementation.

Interventions: A unit of …

A Multilayer Network Model Of The Coevolution Of The Spread Of A Disease And Competing Opinions, Kaiyan Peng, Zheng Lu, Vanessa Lin, Michael R. Lindstrom, Christian Parkinson, Chuntian Wang, Andrea L. Bertozzi, Mason A. Porter

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

During the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicting opinions on physical distancing swept across social media, affecting both human behavior and the spread of COVID-19. Inspired by such phenomena, we construct a two-layer multiplex network for the coupled spread of a disease and conflicting opinions. We model each process as a contagion. On one layer, we consider the concurrent evolution of two opinions — pro-physical-distancing and anti-physical-distancing — that compete with each other and have mutual immunity to each other. The disease evolves on the other layer, and individuals are less likely (respectively, more likely) to become infected when they adopt the pro-physical-distancing …

Case Report: Neurologic Presentation Of West Nile Virus: Difficult Diagnosis, Eron G. Manusov, Amalia Mora Campuzano, Omar Ahmed, Samantha Macias, Carolina Gomez De Ziegler, Gerardo Munoz Monaco

School of Medicine Publications

West Nile virus infections have surged across the globe. South Texas, located on the path of bird migration, with Culex quinquefasciatus and other Culex species, and biotic primers that predispose the area to epidemics (floods, amplifying hosts, and lack of mosquito control and prevention) remains a highly endemic area for arbovirus spread. West Nile virus infection ranges from mild febrile illness to severe central nervous system involvement. The purpose of this report is to highlight complex presentations of WNV and how confounding presenting symptoms delay diagnosis. The secondary goal is to describe how pandemics, such as SARS-CoV-2, can overwhelm the …

A Statistical Comparison Of Covid-19 In The United States Across Political Affiliations And Census Regions, Margarito Torres

Theses and Dissertations

In mid-January 2020, the United States reported their first cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from a passenger returning from Wuhan, China. Initially, the situation wasn’t very alarming as in China and European countries, but the situation began to worsen in March 2020 when the number of cases began to multiply. Then, in a matter of a few months, the United States became the number one country in terms of total cases and total deaths from COVID-19. We have been closely observing the United States and the world since July 2020. Our study aims to compare the political affiliations and …

Data Analytics For Google Trend Search Result Of Illness Symptoms, Md Jakir Hossain

Theses and Dissertations

The outbreak of COVID-19 has escalated from March 2020. Since then, people from all over the world are curiously searching different types of illness symptoms including corona virus. Before the outbreak, people were also searching different types of symptoms at different times. Both diseases share same symptoms, but in the flu season. If certain types of symptoms are visible at summer season, then these symptoms are for corona virus. The main purpose of our study is to find out this discriminative information from these search result. We will discuss some mathematical concepts and then develop an algorithm based on those …

Factors Influencing Intent To Take A Covid-19 Test In The United States, Sheila Rutto

Theses and Dissertations

In 2020, COVID-19 became the first pandemic in the world’s history that brought the entire world to an abrupt and unexpected halt. Since the first reported case of the disease to date, the novel coronavirus has been able to wreak havoc in literary every corner of the globe and left an ever-growing number of unprecedented fatalities. The normal way of life has been disrupted, and the level of uncertainty about the end of this pandemic continues to manifest to many. Due to the urgency to bring this pandemic under control, medical officers have been able to recommend actions that people …

Habitat And Environmental Risks Of Chagas Disease In Low-Income Colonias And Peri-Urban Subdivisions In South Texas, Bára Šafářová, Cecilia H. Giusti, Maria P. Perez, Italo B. Zecca, Ester S. Carbajal, Gabriel L. Hamer, Sarah A. Hamer

School of Medicine Publications

Both the planning and public health literature have discussed proximity to greenspaces as predominantly beneficial to health, based on studies mostly conducted in high-income regions. Understanding the health risks of proximity to greenspace and nature—where pathogens and wildlife coexist—is important, as nature-based solutions are increasingly called for to address complex urban challenges. This exploratory pilot study bridges planning and epidemiology approaches to develop a new method to analyze habitat and environmental factors associated with the risk of vector-borne Chagas disease in a low-income region, South Texas. Chagas disease is endemic in Latin America, where it affects between seven to eight …