Digital Commons Network^™

Terrapin Station: Individual, Sex, And Site Factors Related To Turtle Growth Variability, Leigh Anne Harden, Stephen R. Midway, J. Whitfield Gibbons

Faculty Publications

For many turtle species, life history traits such as body size, age at maturity, and somatic growth rate can vary among individuals and habitats and between the sexes. Therefore, it is important to consider factors that may influence growth when modeling (somatic) growth for turtles. Long-term capture-mark-recapture studies lend themselves to studying somatic growth in turtles due to the repeated measurements of individuals over time. We used a long-term dataset to examine growth patterns of philopatric Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) on Kiawah Island, South Carolina, USA. We used a hierarchical three-parameter von Bertalanffy model to estimate individual growth of 44 …

Domoic Acid And Pseudo-Nitzschia Spp. Connected To Coastal Upwelling Along Coastal Inhambane Province, Mozambique: A New Area Of Concern, Holly Kelchner, Katie E. Reeve-Arnold, Kathryn M. Schreiner, Sibel Bargu, Kim G. Roques, Reagan M. Errera

Faculty Publications

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are increasing globally in frequency, persistence, and geo-graphic extent, posing a threat to ecosystem and human health. To date, no occurrences of marine phycotoxins have been recorded in Mozambique, which may be due to absence of a monitoring program and general awareness of potential threats. This study is the first documentation of neurotoxin, domoic acid (DA), produced by the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia along the east coast of Africa. Coastal Inhambane Province is a biodiversity hotspot where year-round Rhincodon typus (whale shark) sightings are among the highest globally and support an emerging ecotourism industry. Links between primary productivity …

The Effect Of Door Opening On Air-Mixing In A Positively Pressurized Room: Implications For Operating Room Air Management During The Covid Outbreak, Arup Bhattacharya, Ali Ghahramani, Ehsan Mousavi

Faculty Publications

The effect of the built environment on the predominant indoor airflow patterns is significant. To protect the healthcare workers at the front line from the outbreak of COVID − 19, it is necessary to understand the transmission dynamics of the virus, which has been shown to depend on indoor airflow patterns. In hospital operating rooms (ORs), design requirements pose a unique challenge as the positive pressure in the OR can facilitate virus spread into adjacent spaces, shall a COVID-positive patient require a surgical procedure. Moreover, the turbulent vortexes from door motions could independently increase the probability of virus escape from …

Isolating The White Matter Circuitry Of The Dorsal Language Stream: Connectome-Symptom Mapping In Stroke Induced Aphasia, Vatche Baboyan, Alexandra Basilaskos, Grigori Yourganov, Chris Rorden, Leonardo Bonilha, Julius Fridiksson, Gregory Hickok

Faculty Publications

The application of �� 1 -regularized machine learning models to high-dimensional connectomes offers a promising methodology to assess clinical-anatomical correlations in humans. Here, we integrate the connectome-based lesion-symptom mapping framework with sparse partial least squares regression (sPLS-R) to isolate elements of the connectome associated with speech repetition deficits. By mapping over 2,500 connections of the structural connectome in a cohort of 71 stroke-induced cases of aphasia presenting with varying left-hemisphere lesions and repetition impairment, sPLS-R was trained on 50 subjects to algorithmically identify connectomic features on the basis of their predictive value. The highest ranking features were subsequently used to …

Devfold: A Toolbox For Designing Age-Specific Fnirs Channel Placement, Xiaoxue (Jessie) Fu Ph.D., John E. Richards

Faculty Publications

Significance: Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a noninvasive technique that uses scalp-placed sensors to measure cerebral hemoglobin concentration. Commercial NIRS instruments do not allow for whole-head coverage and do not intrinsically indicate which brain areas generate the NIRS signal. Hence, the challenge is to design source–detector channel arrangement that maximizes sensitivity to a given brain region of interest (ROI). Existing methods for optimizing channel placement design have been developed using adult head models. Thus, they have limited utility for developmental research.

Aim: We aim to build an application from an existing toolbox (fOLD) that guides NIRS channel configuration based on age …

Evidentiary Inequality, Sandra F. Sperino

Faculty Publications

Federal employment discrimination law is rife with evidentiary inequality. Courts allow employers to draw from a broad palette of evidence to defend against discrimination claims, while highly restricting the facts from which plaintiffs can prove their claims. This Article draws from hundreds of cases to show how judges favor the employer's evidence and disfavor the plaintiff's evidence across multiple dimensions, such as time, witnesses, documents, relevance, and reliability. Judges have created a host of named doctrines that severely restrict the evidence plaintiffs are allowed to use to prove their discrimination claims. At the same time, a host of unnamed, and …

International Society Of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Caffeine And Exercise Performance, Nanci S. Guest, Trisha A. Vandusseldorp, Michael T. Nelson, Jozo Grgic, Brad J. Schoenfeld, Nathaniel D.M. Jenkins, Shawn M. Arent Ph.D., Cscs*D, Fissn, Facsm, Fnak, Jose Antonio, Jeffrey R. Stout, Eric T. Trexler, Abbie E. Smith-Ryan, Erica R. Goldstein, Douglas S. Kalman, Bill I. Campbell

Faculty Publications

Following critical evaluation of the available literature to date, The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) position regarding caffeine intake is as follows:1.Supplementation with caffeine has been shown to acutely enhance various aspects of exercise performance in many but not all studies. Small to moderate benefits of caffeine use include, but are not limited to: muscular endurance, movement velocity and muscular strength, sprinting, jumping, and throwing performance, as well as a wide range of aerobic and anaerobic sport-specific actions.2.Aerobic endurance appears to be the form of exercise with the most consistent moderate-to-large benefits from caffeine use, although the magnitude of …

Current State Of The Imaging Physics Workforce And Financial Model, David W. Jordan, Wayne D. Newhauser, Michael D. Mills

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Degradative Tubular Lysosomes Link Pexophagy To Starvation And Early Aging In C. Elegans, D A. Dolese, M P. Junot, B Ghosh, T J. Butsch, D A. Dolese, K A. Bohnert

Faculty Publications

Organelle-specific autophagy directs degradation of eukaryotic organelles under certain conditions. Like other organelles, peroxisomes are subject to autophagic turnover at lysosomes. However, peroxisome autophagy (pexophagy) has yet to be analyzed in a live-animal system, limiting knowledge on its regulation during an animal's life. Here, we generated a tandem-fluorophore reporter that enabled real-time tracking of pexophagy in live Caenorhabditis elegans. We observed that pexophagy occurred at a population of non-canonical, tubular lysosomes specifically during starvation and aging. Remarkably, in these contexts, tubular lysosomes were the predominant type of lysosome in the intestine, transforming from vesicles. Though we found that peroxisomes were …

Cardiovascular Disease And Risk Of Incident Diabetes Mellitus: Findings From The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study Of Latinos (Hchs/Sol), Celestin Missikpode, Ramon A. Durazo-Arvizu, Richard S. Cooper, Matthew James OʼBrien, Sheila F. Castaneda, Gregory A. Talavera, Linda C. Gallo, Maria M. Llabre, Marisa J. Perera, Krista M. Perreira, Ana C. Ricardo, Amber Pirzada, James P. Lash, Martha Daviglus

Faculty Publications

Background: Studies have reported an association between prevalent cardiovascular disease (CVD) and risk of diabetes mellitus (DM). However, factors that may explain the association remain unclear. We examined the association of prevalent CVD with incident DM and assessed whether weight gain and medication use may explain the association. Methods: Data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) Visit 1 (2008-2011) and Visit 2 (2014-2017) were used to compare incidence of DM among individuals with and without self-reported CVD at Visit 1. A total of 1899 individuals with self-reported CVD were matched to controls free of self-reported CVD at …

Association Of Body Composition With Odds Of Breast Cancer By Molecular Subtype: Analysis Of The Mechanisms For Established And Novel Risk Factors For Breast Cancer In Nigerian Women (Mend) Study, Tomi Akinyemiju, Kelley Jones, Anjali Gupta, Taofik Oyekunle, Veeral Saraiya, April Deveaux, Omolola Salako, Allison Hall, Olusegun Alatise, Gabriel Ogun, Adewale Adeniyi, Omobolaji Ayandipo, Thomas Olajide, Olalekan Olasehinde, Olukayode Arowolo, Adewale Adisa, Oludolapo Afuwape, Aralola Olusanya, Aderemi Adegoke, Trygve O. Tollefsbol, Donna Arnett, Samuel Ajayi, Yemi Raji, Timothy Olanrewaju, Charlotte Osafo, Ifeoma Ulasi, Adanze Asinobi, Cheryl A. Winkler, David Burke, Fatiu Arogundade, Ivy Ekem, Jacob Plange-Rhule, Manmak Mamven

Faculty Publications

Background: The association between obesity and breast cancer (BC) has been extensively studied among US, European and Asian study populations, with often conflicting evidence. However, despite the increasing prevalence of obesity and associated conditions in Africa, the continent with the highest age-standardized BC mortality rate globally, few studies have evaluated this association, and none has examined in relation to molecular subtypes among African women. The current analysis examines the association between body composition, defined by body mass index (BMI), height, and weight, and BC by molecular subtype among African women. Methods: We estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals …

Whole Genome Comparisons Reveal Panmixia Among Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera Frugiperda) From Diverse Locations, Katrina A. Schlum, Kurt Lamour, Caroline Placidi De Bortoli, Rahul Banerjee, Robert Meagher, Eliseu Pereira, Maria Gabriela Murua, Gregory A. Sword, Ashley E. Tessnow, Diego Viteri Dillon, Angela M. Linares Ramirez, Komivi S. Akutse, Rebecca Schmidt-Jeffris, Fangneng Huang, Dominic Reisig, Scott J. Emrich, Juan Luis Jurat-Fuentes

Faculty Publications

Background: The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith)) is a highly polyphagous agricultural pest with long-distance migratory behavior threatening food security worldwide. This pest has a host range of > 80 plant species, but two host strains are recognized based on their association with corn (C-strain) or rice and smaller grasses (R-strain). The population genomics of the United States (USA) fall armyworm remains poorly characterized to date despite its agricultural threat. Results: In this study, the population structure and genetic diversity in 55 S. frugiperda samples from Argentina, Brazil, Kenya, Puerto Rico and USA were surveyed to further our understanding of …

The Validity Of Using One Force Platform To Quantify Whole-Body Forces, Velocities, And Power During A Plyometric Push-Up, Zhanxin Sha, Boyi Dai

Faculty Publications

Background: Previous studies have typically measured velocity and power parameters during the push-up, either using one or two force platforms. The purpose of the study was to compare the force, velocity, and power parameters between the one-force-platform method and the two-force-platform method during plyometric push-ups.

Methods: Thirty-four physically active young adults participated in the study to perform the plyometric push-up. For the two-force-platform calculation method, the forces applied to the feet and hands were both measured. For the one-force-platform calculation method, the forces applied to the feet were assumed to be constant, while the forces applied to hands …

A Multi-Study Examination Of The Role Of Repeated Spaced Retrieval In The Word Learning Of Children With Developmental Language Disorder, Laurence B. Leonard, Sharon L. Christ, Patricia Deevy, Jeffrey D. Karpicke, Christine Weber, Eileen Haebig, Justin B. Kueser, Sofía Souto, Windi Krok

Faculty Publications

Background: Many children with developmental language disorders (DLD) have well-documented weaknesses in vocabulary. In recent years, investigators have explored the nature of these weaknesses through the use of novel word learning paradigms. These studies have begun to uncover specific areas of difficulty and have provided hints about possible intervention strategies that might help these children learn words more accurately and efficiently. Among the studies of this type are those that incorporate repeated spaced retrieval activities in the learning procedures. Methods: In this study, we examined the data from four of these studies that employed the same types of participants (4- …

A Landscape Planning Agenda For Global Health Security: Learning From The History Of Hiv/Aids And Pandemic Influenza, James Nguyen H. Spencer

Faculty Publications

This paper considers the role of landscape planning and design in the context of a growing need for research and policy recommendations associated with Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs), of which COVID-19 is the most recent. Beginning with a definition of EIDs and their origins within the context of landscape planning, the paper then argues that planning and design scholars and practitioners should begin by seeing the importance of a “global urban ecosystem” (GUE) comprised of rapidly transforming metropolitan and regional “patches” connected through “corridors” of relatively unregulated global transportation and mobility networks. It then revisits the history of the two …

Ale Beer Containing Free And Immobilized Lactobacillus Brevis, A Potential Delivery System For Probiotics, Kriza Faye Calumba, Vondel Reyes, Franklin Bonilla, Elio Villasmil, Subramaniam Sathivel

Faculty Publications

Abstract: Probiotics in ale beer may be attractive to health-conscious consumers. However, beer conditions may decrease probiotic viability. Powder produced from durian (Durio zibethinus) rind, a by-product that is currently unutilized, can be used for the immobilization of probiotics. MRS medium was incubated with Lactobacillus brevis and periodically sampled to obtain the growth curve. Ale beer with free L. brevis and cells immobilized in durian rind powder was produced and separately assessed during storage at 21 °C for 24 days. The physico-chemical parameters of both beers did not differ significantly. Durian rind powder conferred protection up to 12 days of …

A Novel Big Data Approach To Measure And Visualize Urban Accessibility, Yuqin Jiang, Diansheng Guo, Zhenlong Li, Michael E. Hodgson

Faculty Publications

Accessibility is a topic of interest to multiple disciplines for a long time. In the last decade, the increasing availability of data may have exceeded the development of accessibility modeling approaches, resulting in a modeling gap. In part, this modeling gap may have resulted from the differences needed for single versus multimodal opportunities for access to services. With a focus on large volumes of transportation data, a new measurement approach, called Urban Accessibility Relative Index (UARI), was developed for the integration of multi-mode transportation big data, including taxi, bus, and subway, to quantify, visualize and understand the spatiotemporal patterns of …

Covid-19 Vaccine Acceptance In Older Syrian Refugees: Preliminary Findings From An Ongoing Study, Noura Salibi, Sawsan Abdulrahim, Maria El Haddad, Stephanie Bassil, Zeina El Khoury, Hala Ghattas Ph.D., Stephen J. Mccall

Faculty Publications

This study assesses COVID-19 vaccine intentions among a sample of older Syrian refugee beneficiaries of a humanitarian organization in Lebanon, and explores factors associated with vaccine refusal. The findings are part of an ongoing rotating 4-wave panel study. The sample was limited to participants from the first panel who completed a phone interview between January-February 2021. Out of 1,037 beneficiaries, almost a third (29%) reported no intention to vaccinate. Reasons for refusal were: newness of the vaccine (35%); preference to maintain precaution measures (21%); belief that the COVID-19 vaccine is not essential (21%); and other (23%). COVID-19 vaccine refusal was …

Occasions, Purposes, And Contexts For Offering Snacks To Preschool-Aged Children: Schemas Of Caregivers With Low-Income Backgrounds, Christine E. Blake, Kirsten K. Davison, Rachel E. Blaine, Jennifer O. Fisher

Faculty Publications

Objective Snacking among preschool aged children is nearly universal and has been associated with overconsumed nutrients, particularly solid fats and added sugars (SoFAS). This research examined caregivers’ schemas, or cognitive frameworks, for offering snacks to preschool-aged children.

Methods A qualitative design utilizing card sort methods was employed. Participants were 59 Black, Hispanic, and White caregivers of children aged 3–5 years with low-income backgrounds. Caregivers sorted 63 cards with images of commonly consumed foods/beverages by preschool-aged children in three separate card sorts to characterize snacking occasions, purposes, and contexts. The mean SoFAS content (kcal/100 g) of foods/beverages was evaluated by snacking …

Actions In Global Nutrition Initiatives To Promote Sustainable Healthy Diets, Ligia I. Reyes, Shilpa V. Constantinides, Shiva Bhandari, Edward A. Frongillo Jr. Ph.D., Pepijn Schreinemachers, Sigrid Wertheim-Heck, Helen Walls, Michelle Holdsworth, Amos Laar, Tuan Nguyen, Christopher Turner, Kate Wallard, Christine E. Blake Ph.D., Rd

Faculty Publications

Multiple recent global nutrition initiatives have recommended actions to transform food systems to improve food environments and food choice. This study aimed to identify actions recommended by these initiatives and understand their similarities and differences. Twelve global nutrition initiatives were reviewed, collectively spanning 13 action themes and accompanying strategies. Action themes were analyzed according to primary focus on either food environments and their food system drivers or food choice. Representation of the 13 actions varied across initiatives. Some actions overlapped; others were infrequently represented. Strategies targeting food environments and their food system drivers were more frequently recommended than strategies targeting …

Fostering Distance Education: Lessons From A United States-England Partnered Collaborative Online International Learning Approach, Lucy A. Ingram, Courtney M. Monroe, Haley Wright, Amy Burrell, Rebecca Jenks, Simon Cheung, Daniela B. Friedman Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is a teaching and learning approach whereby entire courses or modules are co-developed and team taught by instructors from different institutions for students of both institutions. Since 2006, the approach has been gaining in mass appeal; however, considering our present-day global coronavirus pandemic, COILs have a renewed relevance in academia. Faculty from the University of South Carolina (United States) and Coventry University (England) embarked on a COIL partnership yielding a valuable experience that can serve as a model for other institutions that are interested in developing innovative and cross-cultural distance learning opportunities. The purpose of …

An Acute Naproxen Dose Does Not Affect Core Temperature Or Interleukin-6 During Cycling In A Hot Environment, Dawn M. Emerson, Stephen Cl Chen, Toni M. Torres-Mcgehee, Craig E. Pfeifer, Charles C. Emerson, J Mark Davis

Faculty Publications

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs' anti-pyretic and anti-inflammatory effects has led some individuals to theorize these medications may blunt core body temperature (Tc) increases during exercise. We utilized a double-blind, randomized, and counterbalanced cross-over design to examine the effects of a 24-h naproxen dose (3-220 mg naproxen pills) and placebo (0 mg naproxen) on Tc and plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentrations during cycling in a hot or ambient environment. Participants ( = 11; 6 male, 5 female; age = 27.8 ± 6.5 years, weight = 79.1 ± 17.9 kg, height = 177 ± 9.5 cm) completed 4 conditions: 1) placebo and ambient (Control); …

Integrity, Freedom, And Trust – A Comprehensive Understanding Of Corruption And Its Effect On Human Rights, Nelu Burcea, Lucile Sabas, Carlos Biaggi

Faculty Publications

Book of Abstracts, UNEQUAL WORLD Conference Third Edition

Verification Of A Mobile Psychoacoustic Test System, Jordana C. Soares, Sangamanatha Veeranna, Vijay Parsa, Chris Allan, Winnie Ly, Minh Duong, Paula Folkeard, Sheila Moodie, Prudence Allen

Faculty Publications

Many hearing difficulties can be explained as a loss of audibility, a problem easily detected and treated using standard audiological procedures. Yet, hearing can be much poorer (or more impaired) than audibility predicts because of deficits in the suprathreshold mechanisms that encode the rapidly changing, spectral, temporal, and binaural aspects of the sound. The ability to evaluate these mechanisms requires well-defined stimuli and strict adherence to rigorous psychometric principles. This project reports on the comparison between a laboratory-based and a mobile system’s results for psychoacoustic assessment in adult listeners with normal hearing. A description of both systems employed is provided. …

A Molecular Design Approach Towards Elastic And Multifunctional Polymer Electronics, Yu Zheng, Zhiao Yu, Song Zhang, Xian Kong, Wesley Michaels, Weichen Wang, Gan Chen, Deyu Liu, Jian Cheng Lai, Nathaniel Prine, Weimin Zhang, Shayla Nikzad, Christopher B. Cooper, Donglai Zhong, Jaewan Mun, Zhitao Zhang, Jiheong Kang, Jeffrey B.H. Tok, Iain Mcculloch, Jian Qin, Xiaodan Gu, Zhenan Bao

Faculty Publications

Next-generation wearable electronics require enhanced mechanical robustness and device complexity. Besides previously reported softness and stretchability, desired merits for practical use include elasticity, solvent resistance, facile patternability and high charge carrier mobility. Here, we show a molecular design concept that simultaneously achieves all these targeted properties in both polymeric semiconductors and dielectrics, without compromising electrical performance. This is enabled by covalently-embedded in-situ rubber matrix (iRUM) formation through good mixing of iRUM precursors with polymer electronic materials, and finely-controlled composite film morphology built on azide crosslinking chemistry which leverages different reactivities with C–H and C=C bonds. The high covalent crosslinking density …

Ultra-Conformal Skin Electrodes With Synergistically Enhanced Conductivity For Long-Time And Low-Motion Artifact Epidermal Electrophysiology, Yan Zhao, Song Zhang, Tianhao Yu, Yan Zhang, Guo Ye, Han Cui, Chengzhi He, Wenchao Jiang, Yu Zhai, Chunming Lu, Xiaodan Gu, Nan Liu

Faculty Publications

Accurate and imperceptible monitoring of electrophysiological signals is of primary importance for wearable healthcare. Stiff and bulky pregelled electrodes are now commonly used in clinical diagnosis, causing severe discomfort to users for long-time using as well as artifact signals in motion. Here, we report a ~100 nm ultra-thin dry epidermal electrode that is able to conformably adhere to skin and accurately measure electrophysiological signals. It showed low sheet resistance (~24 Ω/sq, 4142 S/cm), high transparency, and mechano-electrical stability. The enhanced optoelectronic performance was due to the synergistic effect between graphene and poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), which induced a high …

Metacognition, Social Cognition, And Mentalizing In Psychosis: Are These Distinct Constructs When It Comes To Subjective Experience Or Are We Just Splitting Hairs?, P. H. Lysaker, S. Cheli, G. Dimaggio, B. Buck, K. A. Bonfils, K. Huling, C. Wiesepape, J. T. Lysaker

Faculty Publications

Research using the integrated model of metacognition has suggested that the construct of metacognition could quantify the spectrum of activities that, if impaired, might cause many of the subjective disturbances found in psychosis. Research on social cognition and mentalizing in psychosis, however, has also pointed to underlying deficits in how persons make sense of their experience of themselves and others. To explore the question of whether metacognitive research in psychosis offers unique insight in the midst of these other two emerging fields, we have offered a review of the constructs and research from each field. Following that summary, we discuss …

Nutrient Content And Stoichiometry Of Pelagic Sargassum Reflects Increasing Nitrogen Availability In The Atlantic Basin, B. E. Lapointe, R. A. Brewton, L. W. Herren, M. Wang, C. Hu, D. J. Mcgillicuddy, S. Lindell, F. J. Hernandez, P. L. Morton

Faculty Publications

The pelagic brown macroalgae Sargassum spp. have grown for centuries in oligotrophic waters of the North Atlantic Ocean supported by natural nutrient sources, such as excretions from associated fishes and invertebrates, upwelling, and N₂ fixation. Using a unique historical baseline, we show that since the 1980s the tissue %N of Sargassum spp. has increased by 35%, while %P has decreased by 44%, resulting in a 111% increase in the N:P ratio (13:1 to 28:1) and increased P limitation. The highest %N and δ¹⁵N values occurred in coastal waters influenced by N-rich terrestrial runoff, while lower C:N and …

Accurate Diagnosis Of Colorectal Cancer Based On Histopathology Images Using Artificial Intelligence, K. S. Wang, G. Yu, C. Xu, X. H. Meng, J. Zhou, C. Zheng, Z. Deng, L. Shang, R. Liu, S. Su, X. Zhou, Q. Li, J. Li, J. Wang, K. Ma, J. Qi, Z. Hu, P. Tang, J. Deng, X. Qiu, B. Y. Li, W. D. Shen, R. P. Quan, J. T. Yang, L. Y. Huang, Y. Xiao, Z. C. Yang, Z. Li, S. C. Wang, H. Ren, C. Liang, W. Guo, Y. Li, H. Xiao, Y. Gu, J.P. Yun, D. Huang, Z. Song, X. Fan, L. Chen, X. Yan, Z. Li, Z.C. Huang, J. Huang, J. Luttrell, Chaoyang Zhang, W. Zhou, K. Zhang, C. Yi, C. Wu, H. Shen, Y.P. Wang, H.M. Xiao, H.W. Deng

Faculty Publications

Background: Accurate and robust pathological image analysis for colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis is time-consuming and knowledge-intensive, but is essential for CRC patients’ treatment. The current heavy workload of pathologists in clinics/hospitals may easily lead to unconscious misdiagnosis of CRC based on daily image analyses.

Methods: Based on a state-of-the-art transfer-learned deep convolutional neural network in artificial intelligence (AI), we proposed a novel patch aggregation strategy for clinic CRC diagnosis using weakly labeled pathological whole-slide image (WSI) patches. This approach was trained and validated using an unprecedented and enormously large number of 170,099 patches, > 14,680 WSIs, from > 9631 subjects …

The Church Bridge Project Focus Group Results: African American Perspectives Of Weight Management Programs To Improve Nutrition And Physical Activity Behaviors, Jennifer L. Lemacks, Laurie S. Abbott, Tammy Greer, Renee Gunn, Ashley Bryant, La Shaundrea Bradford, Penny A. Ralston

Faculty Publications

Background: The prevalence of obesity is disproportionately high among African Americans in the Southern US. More information is needed about factors that influence participation in nutrition and physical activity programs to promote healthy weight.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to explore the weight management perceptions of young to middle aged adult African Americans.

Methods: The Church Bridge Project intervention participants were recruited for two focus groups. Qualitative data were recorded, transcribed and a thematic content analysis was conducted to identify major themes.

Results: Barriers included technology learning curve/burden and competing priorities. Facilitators included support, …