Digital Commons Network^™

Crack-Length Estimation For Structural Health Monitoring Using The High-Frequency Resonances Excited By The Energy Release During Fatigue-Crack Growth, Joseph Roshan, Hanfei Mei, Asaad Migot, Victor Giurgiutiu

Faculty Publications

Acoustic waves are widely used in structural health monitoring (SHM) for detecting fatigue cracking. The strain energy released when a fatigue crack advances has the effect of exciting acoustic waves, which travel through the structures and are picked up by the sensors. Piezoelectric wafer active sensors (PWAS) can effectively sense acoustic waves due to fatigue-crack growth. Conventional acoustic-wave passive SHM, which relies on counting the number of acoustic events, cannot precisely estimate the crack length. In the present research, a novel method for estimating the crack length was proposed based on the high-frequency resonances excited in the crack by the …

Spatial, Temporal, And Demographic Patterns In Prevalence Of Smoking Tobacco Use And Attributable Disease Burden In 204 Countries And Territories, 1990-2019: A Systematic Analysis From The Global Burden Of Disease Study 2019, Ismaeel Yunusa Ph. D., Marissa B. Reitsma, Parkes J. Kendrick, Emad Ababneh, Cristiana Abbafati, Mohsen Abbasi-Kangevari, Et. Al.

Faculty Publications

Background

Ending the global tobacco epidemic is a defining challenge in global health. Timely and comprehensive estimates of the prevalence of smoking tobacco use and attributable disease burden are needed to guide tobacco control efforts nationally and globally.

Methods

We estimated the prevalence of smoking tobacco use and attributable disease burden for 204 countries and territories, by age and sex, from 1990 to 2019 as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study. We modelled multiple smoking-related indicators from 3625 nationally representative surveys. We completed systematic reviews and did Bayesian meta-regressions for 36 causally linked health …

Navia: A Program For The Visual Analysis Of Complex Mass Spectra, Daniel Quetschlich, Tim K. Esser, Thomas D. Newport, Francesco Fiorentino, Denis Shutin, Siyun Chen, Rachel Davis, Silvia Lovera, Idlir Liko, Phillip J. Stansfeld, Carol V. Robinson

Faculty Publications

MOTIVATION: Native mass spectrometry is now a well-established method for the investigation of protein complexes, specifically their subunit stoichiometry and ligand binding properties. Recent advances allowing the analysis of complex mixtures lead to an increasing diversity and complexity in the spectra obtained. These spectra can be time consuming to tackle through manual assignment and challenging for automated approaches. RESULTS: Native Mass Spectrometry Visual Analyser (NaViA) is a web-based tool to augment the manual process of peak assignment. In addition to matching masses to the stoichiometry of its component subunits it allows raw data processing, assignment and annotation and permits mass …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Non-Equilibrium Plasma-Treated Pvdf Nanofiber Membrane-Based Sensors, Quazi Nahida Sultana, Mujibur Khan, Rajib Mahamud, Mohammadsadegh Saadatzi, Papia Sultana, Tanvir Farouk, Rafael Quirino, Sourav Banerjee

Faculty Publications

The effect of a self-pulsing non-equilibrium plasma discharge on piezoelectric PVDF nanofiber membrane was investigated. The plasma discharge was generated in air with a DC power source, with a discharge current of 0.012 mA, a nominal interelectrode separation of 1 mm, and discharge voltage of ~970 V. In a continuous fabrication process, the electrospinning method was used to generate thin nanofiber membrane with a flow rate of 0.7–1 mL h−1 and 25–27 kV voltage to obtain the nanofiber with high sensitivity and a higher degree of alignment and uniformity over a larger area. Plasma treatment was applied on both single …

A Nationwide Population-Based Study On The Association Between Land Transport Accident And Peripheral Vestibular Disorders, Herng-Ching Lin, Sudha Xirasagar Mbbs,Ph.D., Chia-Hui Wang, Yen-Fu Cheng, Tsai-Ching Liu, Tzong-Hann Yang

Faculty Publications

This case-control study aimed to investigate the association of peripheral vestibular disorders (PVD) with subsequent land transport accidents. Data for this study were obtained from Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) dataset. We retrieved 8704 subjects who were newly found to have land transport accidents as cases. Their diagnosis date was used as their index date. Controls were identified by propensity score matching (one per case, n = 8704 controls) from the NHI dataset with their index date being the date of their first health service claim in 2017. Multiple logistic regressions were performed to calculate the prior PVD odds ratio …

Elite Cues And The Rapid Decline Of Trust In Science Agencies On Covid-19, Lawrence C. Hamilton, Thomas G. Safford

Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has been marked by political divisions in US public trust of scientists. Such divisions are well known on other science topics, but regarding COVID-19 they arose suddenly, with disastrous results. Public distrust of scientists has been variously explained in terms of conflicts with belief systems, psychology, peer influences, or communication from elites. Three surveys conducted from March to July 2020 in the US state of New Hampshire observed changing perceptions on COVID-19, providing a test of alternative explanations. Over this period trust in science agencies such as the CDC for information on the coronavirus fell dramatically among …

St-V-Net: Incorporating Shape Prior Into Convolutional Neural Netwoks For Proximal Femur Segmentation, Chen Zhao, Joyce H. Keyak, Jinshan Tang, Tadashi S. Kaneko, Sundeep Khosla, Shreyasee Amin, Elizabeth J. Atkinson, Lan-Juan Zhao, Michael J. Serou, Chaoyang Zhang, Hui Shen, Hong-Wen Deng, Weihua Zhou

Faculty Publications

We aim to develop a deep-learning-based method for automatic proximal femur segmentation in quantitative computed tomography (QCT) images. We proposed a spatial transformation V-Net (ST-V-Net), which contains a V-Net and a spatial transform network (STN) to extract the proximal femur from QCT images. The STN incorporates a shape prior into the segmentation network as a constraint and guidance for model training, which improves model performance and accelerates model convergence. Meanwhile, a multi-stage training strategy is adopted to fine-tune the weights of the ST-V-Net. We performed experiments using a QCT dataset which included 397 QCT subjects. During the experiments for the …

Attitudes Towards A Mindfulness-Based Intervention From African American Women Living With Hiv: A Qualitative Study, Slone Taylor, Shan Qiao Ph.D., Sharon Weissman, Xiaoming Li Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Introduction: Mindfulness-based interventions train participants to pay attention to their own emotions in the current moment without judging themselves. This study aims to assess the attitudes toward a mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention among African American women living with HIV. Methods: We collected qualitative data from three focus group discussions with 18 African American women living with HIV who were purposely recruited from the Palmetto Health-USC Immunology Center in South Carolina, United States. The participants discussed how they coped with stress, and then were given a presentation on mindfulness-based stress reduction and a sample mindfulness-based stress reduction mini workshop with follow-up …

Microglial Implications In Sars-Cov-2 Infection And Covid-19: Lessons From Viral Rna Neurotropism And Possible Relevance To Parkinson's Disease, Ifeoluwa O. Awogbindin, Benneth Ben-Azu, Babatunde A. Olusola, Elizabeth T. Akinluyi, Philip A. Adeniyi, T. Di Paolo, Marie-Eve Tremblay

Faculty Publications

Since December 2019, humankind has been experiencing a ravaging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak, the second coronavirus pandemic in a decade after the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) disease in 2012. Infection with SARS-CoV-2 results in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is responsible for over 3.1 million deaths worldwide. With the emergence of a second and a third wave of infection across the globe, and the rising record of multiple reinfections and relapses, SARS-CoV-2 infection shows no sign of abating. In addition, it is now evident that SARS-CoV-2 infection presents with neurological symptoms that include early …

Food Insecurity And Frailty Among Women With And Without Hiv In The United States: A Cross-Sectional Analysis, Judy Y. Tan, Lila A. Sheira, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Deborah Gustafson, Anjali Sharma, Daniel Merenstein, Mardge H. Cohen, Elizabeth Golub, Andrew Edmonds, Igho Ofotokun, Margaret Fischl, Deborah Konkle-Parker, Torsten Neilands, Phyllis Tien, Sheri D. Weiser

Faculty Publications

Introduction: Frailty is frequently observed among people with HIV, and food insecurity is associated with frailty in the general population. Evidence is scarce on the associations between food insecurity and frailty among women with HIV who maybe particularly vulnerable to the impacts of food insecurity. The goal of this study was to assess associations between food insecurity and frailty among women with and without HIV.

Methods: There were 1265 participants from the Women’s Interagency HIV Study who participated in frailty assessments in2017. Frailty was measured using the Fried Frailty Phenotype, and women were subsequently categorized as robust, pre-frailor frail. …

Using Brain-Breaks(R) As A Technology Tool To Increase Attitude Towards Physical Activity Among Students In Singapore, Govidasamy Balasekaran, Ahmad Arif Bin Ibrahim, Ng Yew Cheo, Phua Kia Wang, Garry Kuan, Biljana Popeska, Ming-Kai Chin, Magdalena Mo Ching Mok, Christopher R. Edginton, Ian Culpan, J. Larry Durstine Phd, Facsm, Faacvpr, Fnak

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of classroom-based Brain Breaks® Physical Activity Solution in Southeast Asia Singaporean primary school students and their attitude towards physical activity (PA) over a ten-week intervention. A total of 113 participants (8–11 years old) were randomly assigned to either an experimental (EG) or a control group (CG), with six classes to each group; the Brain Breaks® group (EG: six classes) and the Control group (CG: six classes). All EG members participated in a Brain Breaks® video intervention (three–five min) during academic classes and the CG continued their lessons as per normal. …

Household Food Insecurity And Children’S Physical Activity And Sedentary Behaviour In The United States: The Healthy Communities Study, Sophia M. Navarro, Marisa M. Tsai, Lorrene D. Ritchie, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Barbara A. Laraia, Russell R. Pate, Lauren E. Au

Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: To examine associations between household food insecurity and children's physical activity and sedentary behaviours. DESIGN: Secondary analysis was conducted on the Healthy Communities Study, an observational study from 2013 to 2015. Household food insecurity was assessed by two items from the US Department of Agriculture's 18-item US Household Food Security Survey Module. Physical activity was measured using the 7-d Physical Activity Behavior Recall instrument. Data were analyzed using multilevel statistical modelling. SETTING: A total of 130 communities in the USA. PARTICIPANTS: In sum, 5138 US children aged 4-15 years. RESULTS: No associations were found for the relationship between household …

Educational Theory-Integrated Construction Industry Training: State-Of-The-Art Review, Hazem Jadallah, Carol J. Friedland, Isabelina Nahmens, Charles Pecquet, Charles Berryman, Yimin Zhu

Faculty Publications

Workforce training is needed throughout the construction industry to create and maintain competent workers; unfortunately, most construction training and education research focuses on university student education. Integrating education science theory into construction training has the potential to improve industry training, but the status of this integration has not been well articulated. To address this gap, this article undertakes a state-of-the-art review of education theory–integrated construction training for current industry professionals. To measure the extent of educational theory integration, this article identifies and summarizes studies that meet inclusion criteria, identifies the frequency of occurrence of Bloom’s Taxonomy verbs as a measure …

A Systematic Literature Review Of Sexual Harassment Studies With Text Mining, Amir Karami, Melek Yildiz Spinel, Nicole White, Kayla Ford, Suzanne Swan

Faculty Publications

Sexual harassment has been the topic of thousands of research articles in the 20th and 21st centuries. Several review papers have been developed to synthesize the literature about sexual harassment. While traditional literature review studies provide valuable insights, these studies have some limitations including analyzing a limited number of papers, being time-consuming and labor-intensive, focusing on a few topics, and lacking temporal trend analysis. To address these limitations, this paper employs both computational and qualitative approaches to identify major research topics, explore temporal trends of sexual harassment topics over the past few decades, and point to future possible directions in …

Quality Assessment Of Published Systematic Reviews In High Impact Cardiology Journals: Revisiting The Evidence Pyramid, Abdelrahman Abushouk, Ismaeel Yunusa Ph.D., Abdelmagid M. Elmatboly, Shady Fayek, Omar M. Abdelfattah, Anas Saad, Isogai Toshiaki, Shashank Shekhar, Ankur Kalra, Grant W. Reed, Rishi Puri, Samir Kapadia

Faculty Publications

Objective: Systematic reviews are increasingly used as sources of evidence in clinical cardiology guidelines. In the present study, we aimed to assess the quality of published systematic reviews in high impact cardiology journals.

Methods: We searched PubMed for systematic reviews published between 2010 and 2019 in five general cardiology journals with the highest impact factor (according to Clarivate Analytics 2019). We extracted data on eligibility criteria, methodological characteristics, bias assessments, and sources of funding. Further, we assessed the quality of retrieved reviews using the AMSTAR tool.

Results: A total of 352 systematic reviews were assessed. The AMSTAR quality score was …

Age-Related Changes In Diffuse Optical Tomography Sensitivity Profiles In Infancy, Xiaoxue Fu, John E. Richards

Faculty Publications

Diffuse optical tomography uses near-infrared light spectroscopy to measure changes in cerebral hemoglobin concentration. Anatomical interpretations of the location that generates the hemodynamic signal requires accurate descriptions of diffuse optical tomography sensitivity to the underlying cortical structures. Such information is limited for pediatric populations because they undergo rapid head and brain development. The present study used photon propagation simulation methods to examine diffuse optical tomography sensitivity profiles in realistic head models among infants ranging from 2 weeks to 24 months with narrow age bins, children (4 and 12 years) and adults (20 to 24 years). The sensitivity profiles changed systematically …

Increased Risk Of Death Triggered By Domestic Violence, Hunger, Suicide, Exhausted Health System During Covid-19 Pandemic: Why, How And Solutions, Kenneth Bitrus David, Abdullahi Tunde Aborode, Damilola Quazeem Olaoye, Ndikpongkeabasi Victor Enang, Aboaba Kazeem Oriyomi, Ismaeel Yunusa

Faculty Publications

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections, just like many other public health emergencies, is a well-established global health burden that has resulted in several changes in routines and lifestyles of people globally. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has directly or indirectly involved in the loss of lives of more than 3.24 million as of 6th May, 2021. The increasing threats posed by this pandemic were subsided by the swift and drastic measures put in place by different countries. As other causes of death before the emergence of COVID-19 still exist, the pandemic has further worsened …

Moderating Effects Of Parental Feeding Practices And Emotional Eating On Dietary Intake Among Overweight African American Adolescents, Mary Quattlebaum, Dawn K. Wilson-King, Allison M. Sweeney, Nicole Zarrett

Faculty Publications

This study examined the effects of parental feeding practices and adolescent emotional eating (EE) on dietary outcomes among overweight African American adolescents. Based on Family Systems Theory, it was hypothesized that parental feeding practices, such as parental monitoring and responsibility, would buffer the effects of EE on poor dietary quality, whereas practices such as concern about a child’s weight, restriction, and pressure-to-eat would exacerbate this relationship. Adolescents (N = 127; Mage = 12.83 ± 1.74; MBMI% = 96.61 ± 4.14) provided baseline data from the Families Improving Together (FIT) for Weight Loss trial and an ancillary study. Dietary outcomes (fruit …

Analysis Of Administrative Agency Adjudicatory Hearing Use Of Remote Appearances And Virtual Hearings, Fredric I. Lederer, Center For Legal & Court Technology

Faculty Publications

With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, federal and state courts and federal adjudicatory agencies suspended most trials and hearings. Faced with the requirement to fulfill their basic mission, many resumed partial operations using computer-based video conferencing,especially for preliminary legal and procedural matters. As time passed, the use of that videoconferencing extended to bench trials in courts and to adjudicatory hearings and proceedings such as settlement meetings, mediations, arbitrations, and status conferences in federal agencies. As of this writing, there have also been a small number of remote or virtual jury trials in state and federal courts.

The Administrative Conference …

Community Engagement Practices At Research Centers In U.S. Minority Institutions: Priority Populations And Innovative Approaches To Advancing Health Disparities Research, Tabia Henry Akintobi, Payam Sheikhattari, Emma Shaffer, Christina L. Evans, Kathryn L. Braun, Angela U. Sy, Bibiana Mancera, Adriana Campa, Stephania T. Miller, Daniel Sarpong, Rhonda Holliday, Julio Jimenez-Chavez, Shafiq Khan, Cimona Hinton, Kimberly Sellars-Bates, Veronica Ajewole, Nicolette I. Teufel-Shone, Juliet Mcmullin, Sandra Suther, K. Sean Kimbro, Lorraine Taylor

Faculty Publications

This paper details U.S. Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Community Engagement Cores (CECs): (1) unique and cross-cutting components, focus areas, specific aims, and target populations; and (2) approaches utilized to build or sustain trust towards community participation in research. A mixed-method data collection approach was employed for this cross-sectional study of current or previously funded RCMIs. A total of 18 of the 25 institutions spanning 13 U.S. states and territories participated. CEC specific aims were to support community engaged research (94%); to translate and disseminate research findings (88%); to develop partnerships (82%); and to build capacity around community research …

Development Of Parameters Towards Voice Bifurcations, Takeshi Ikuma, Andrew J. Mcwhorter, Lacey Adkins, Melda Kunduk

Faculty Publications

Pathological vocal folds are known to exhibit multiple oscillation patterns, depending on tissue imbalance, subglottal pressure level, and other factors. This includes mid-phonation changes due to bifurcations in the underlying voice source system. Knowledge of when changes in oscillation patterns occur is helpful in the assessments of voice disorders, and the knowledge could be transformed into useful objective measures. Mid-phonation bifurcations can occur in rapid succession; hence, a fast classification of oscillation pattern is critical to minimize the averaging of data across bifurcations. This paper proposes frequency-ratio based short-term measures, named harmonic disturbance factor (HDF) and biphonic index (BI), towards …

Plague Vaccines: New Developments In An Ongoing Search, Jason A. Rosenzweig, Emily K. Hendrix, Ashok K. Chopra

Faculty Publications

Abstract: As the reality of pandemic threats challenges humanity, exemplified during the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 infections, the development of vaccines targeting these etiological agents of disease has become increasingly critical. Of paramount concern are novel and reemerging pathogens that could trigger such events, including the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis. Y. pestis is responsible for more human deaths than any other known pathogen and exists globally in endemic regions of the world, including the four corners region and Northern California in the USA. Recent cases have been scattered throughout the world, including China and the USA, with serious outbreaks in Madagascar during …

Impacts Of Thermal Environments On Health Risk: A Case Study Of Harris County, Texas, Bumseok Chun, Misun Hur, Jaewoong Won

Faculty Publications

The loss of green spaces in urbanized areas has triggered a potential thermal risk in the urban environment. While the existing literature has investigated the direct relationship between urban temperatures and health risks, little is known about causal relationships among key components of urban sustainability and health risks, through a pathway involving urban temperature. This study examined the multiple connections between urbanized land use, urban greenery, urban temperatures and health risks in Harris County, Texas. The census tract-level health data from the 500 Cities Project (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is used for analysis. Structural equation model analyses showed …

Importance Of Low-Relief Nursery Habitat For Reef Fishes, Michael A. Dance, Jay R. Rooker, Richard J. Kline, Antonietta Quigg, Gregory R. Stunz, R. J.David Wells, Kirsten Lara, Jessica Lee, Bobbie Suarez

Faculty Publications

Coastal restoration projects to mitigate environmental impacts have increased global demand for sand resources. Unfortunately, these resources are often extracted from sand/shell banks on the inner continental shelf, resulting in significant alteration or loss of low-relief reefs in coastal oceans. Experimental reefs (oyster shell, limestone rubble, composite) were deployed in the western Gulf of Mexico to assess their potential value as nurseries for newly settled reef fishes. Occurrence, abundance, and species richness of juvenile fishes were significantly higher on all three types of low-relief reefs compared with unconsolidated sediment. Moreover, reefs served as nursery habitat for a range of reef …

Ann-Based Automated Scaffold Builder Activity Recognition Through Wearable Emg And Imu Sensors, Srikanth Sagar Bangaru, Chao Wang, Sri Aditya Busam, Fereydoun Aghazadeh

Faculty Publications

Construction worker activity recognition is essential for worker performance and safety assessment. With the development of wearable sensing technologies, many researchers developed kinematic sensor-based worker activity recognition methods with considerable accuracy. However, the limitations of the previous studies remain at the challenge of using smartphones for practical implementation, fewer classified activities, and limited recognized motions and body parts. This study proposes an ANN-based automated construction worker activity recognition method that can recognize complex construction activities. The proposed methodology discusses data acquisition, data fusion, and artificial neural network (ANN) model development. A case study of scaffold builder activities was investigated to …

The Federal Sentencing Guidelines: Some Valedictory Reflections Twenty Years After Apprendi, Frank O. Bowman Iii

Faculty Publications

This Article reflects on the author's professional experience and intellectual evolution in relation to federal sentencing policy and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines before and after the Supreme Court's decision in Apprendi v. New Jersey.

The account begins with the author's first encounters with the Guidelines when he was a zealous Assistant U.S. Attorney, continues through his transition to teacher, scholar, policy advocate, and occasional sentencing consultant, and concludes with the author pessimistic about the prospects of meaningful federal sentencing reform.

The utility, if any, of these musings will lie partly in the fact that the author has been deeply involved …

Propensity Score Matching Evaluation Of Psychological Stress And Hair Cortisol Among People Living With Hiv In China, Xu Chen, Shuaifeng Liu, Chengbo Zeng, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Shan Qiao Ph.D., Riying Lv, Zhiyong Shen

Faculty Publications

To compare the psychological stress level and hair cortisol level of people living with HIV (PLWH) with those without HIV in China, a total of 220 participants were initially enrolled in the study, including 200 PLWH and 20 people living without HIV. Psychological stress level, including quality of life, anxiety, perceived stress and psychological resilience, was self-reported in both groups with related scales. The cortisol in hair was extracted and assessed by LC-APCI-MS/MS method. Propensity score matching analysis was performed to balance the baseline covariates of the two groups, whereas the difference in psychological stress level and hair cortisol level …

Metabolic Effects Of Duodenojejunal Bypass Surgery In A Rat Model Of Type 1 Diabetes, R Vangoitsenhoven, R Wilson, G Sharma, S Punchai, R Vangoitsenhoven, D Froylich, A Mulya, P R. Schauer, S A. Brethauer, J P. Kirwan, N Sangwan, J M. Brown, A Aminian

Faculty Publications

Background Metabolic surgery has beneficial metabolic effects, including remission of type 2 diabetes. We hypothesized that duodenojejunal bypass (DJB) surgery can protect against development of type 1 diabetes (T1D) by enhancing regulation of cellular and molecular pathways that control glucose homeostasis. Methods BBDP/Wor rats, which are prone to develop spontaneous autoimmune T1D, underwent loop DJB (n = 15) or sham (n = 15) surgery at a median age of 41 days, before development of diabetes. At T1D diagnosis, a subcutaneous insulin pellet was implanted, oral glucose tolerance test was performed 21 days later, and tissues were collected 25 days after …

Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19): The Value Of Chest Radiography For Patients Greater Than Age 50 Years At An Earlier Timepoint Of Symptoms Compared With Younger Patients, Mae Igi, Molly Lieux, Joe Park, Catherine Batte, Bradley Spieler

Faculty Publications

Background: A relative paucity of data exists regarding chest radiography (CXR) in diagnosis of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) compared to computed tomography. We address the use of a strict pattern of CXR findings for COVID-19 diagnosis, specifically during early onset of symptoms with respect to patient age.

Methods: We performed a retrospective study of patients under investigation for COVID-19 who presented to the emergency department during the COVID-19 outbreak of 2020 and had CXR within 1 week of symptoms. Only reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-positive patients were included. Two board-certified radiologists, blinded to RT-PCR results, assessed 60 CXRs in consensus …

Gene-Educational Attainment Interactions In A Multi-Ancestry Genome-Wide Meta-Analysis Identify Novel Blood Pressure Loci, Lisa De Las Fuentes, Yun Ju Sung, Raymond Noordam, Thomas Winkler, Mary F. Feitosa, Karen Schwander, Amy R. Bentley, Michael R. Brown, Xiuqing Guo, Alisa Manning, Daniel I. Chasman, Hugues Aschard, Traci M. Bartz, Lawrence F. Bielak, Archie Campbell, Ching Yu Cheng, Rajkumar Dorajoo, Fernando P. Hartwig, A. R.V.R. Horimoto, Changwei Li, Ruifang Li-Gao, Yongmei Liu, Jonathan Marten, Solomon K. Musani, Ioanna Ntalla, Tuomo Rankinen, Melissa Richard, Xueling Sim, Albert V. Smith, Salman M. Tajuddin, Bamidele O. Tayo, Dina Vojinovic, Helen R. Warren

Faculty Publications

Educational attainment is widely used as a surrogate for socioeconomic status (SES). Low SES is a risk factor for hypertension and high blood pressure (BP). To identify novel BP loci, we performed multi-ancestry meta-analyses accounting for gene-educational attainment interactions using two variables, “Some College” (yes/no) and “Graduated College” (yes/no). Interactions were evaluated using both a 1 degree of freedom (DF) interaction term and a 2DF joint test of genetic and interaction effects. Analyses were performed for systolic BP, diastolic BP, mean arterial pressure, and pulse pressure. We pursued genome-wide interrogation in Stage 1 studies (N = 117 438) and follow-up …