Digital Commons Network^™

Impact Of Voluntary Exercise On Systemic Inflammation In A 2? Hit Model Of Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction, Heather Quiriarte, Eunhan Cho, Youyoung Kim, Jake E. Doiron, Gregory Davis, James Stampley, Robert C. Noland, Zhen Li, Sanjiv J. Shah, Brian A. Irving, Guillaume Spielmann, David J. Lefer, Timothy D. Allerton

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Predicting Diabetes Self-Management Education Engagement: Machine Learning Algorithms And Models, Xiangxiang Jiang, Gang Lv, Minghui Li, Jing Yuan, Z Kevin Lu

Faculty Publications

Introduction Diabetes self-management education (DSME) is endorsed by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) as an essential component of diabetes management. However, the utilization of DSME remains limited in the USA. This study aimed to investigate current DSME participation among the older population and to identify comprehensive factors of DSME engagement through employing various machine learning (ML) models based on a US nationally representative survey linked to claims data.

Research design and methods Data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey were employed, and this study included data on US Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes from 2017 to 2019. Comprehensive variables following the …

Integrating Postnatal Care Into The Redesign Of Group Care Beyond Birth, Ashley Gresh, Astrid Van Damme, Deborah Lynn Billings Phd, Sharon Schindler Rising, Shaimaa Ibrahim, Abiola Ajibola, Ellen Chirwa, Jennyfer Don-Aki, Nastassia Donoho, Manodj Hindori, Nafisa Jiddawi, Emeka Kanebi, Esnath Kapito, Catherine Kay, Tara Kinra, Vlorian Milliqaj, Bolanle Oyeledun, Marlies E.B. Rijnders, Octavia Wiseman, Ghutai Sadeq Yaqubi, Crystal L. Patil

Faculty Publications

Background

Globally, alarmingly high rates of maternal and infant mortality and morbidity persist. A constellation of health system and social factors contribute to this, including poor quality and barriers to accessing health care, including preventive services. As such, there have been calls for a redesign of maternal and child health (MCH) services. Although group care has primarily been tested in antenatal settings, it offers a promising redesign that optimizes maternal and child health care, survival, and well-being. The purpose of this study was to produce a blueprint of an adapted group care model that integrates postnatal maternal care, well-child care, …

Streamlined Production, Protection, And Purification Of Enzyme Biocatalysts Using Virus-Like Particles And A Cell-Free Protein Synthesis System, Seung O. Yang, Joseph P. Talley, Gregory H. Nielsen, Kristen M. Wilding, Bradley Charles Bundy

Faculty Publications

Enzymes play an essential role in many different industries; however, their operating conditions are limited due to the loss of enzyme activity in the presence of proteases and at temperatures significantly above physiological conditions. One way to improve the stability of these enzymes against high temperatures and proteases is to encapsulate them in protective shells or virus-like particles. This work presents a streamlined, three-step, cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) procedure that enables rapid in vitro enzyme production, targeted encapsulation in protective virus-like particles (VLPs), and facile purification using a 6× His-tag fused to the VLP coat protein. This process is performed …

Cross-State Travel For Cancer Care And Implications For Telehealth Reciprocity, Erika L. Moen, Qianfei Wang, Lingbo Liu, Fahui Wang, Anna N.A. Tosteson, Rebecca E. Smith, Lauren Cowan, Tracy Onega

Faculty Publications

Importance: Patients often travel for cancer care, yet the extent to which patients cross state lines for cancer care is not well understood. This knowledge can have implications for policies that regulate telehealth access to out-of-state clinicians. Objective: To quantify the extent of cross-state delivery of cancer services to patients with cancer. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study analyzed fee-for-service Medicare claims data for beneficiaries (aged ≥66 years) with a diagnosis of breast, colon, lung, or pancreatic cancer between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2020. Analyses were performed between January 1 and July 30, 2024. Exposure: Patient rurality. …

What's The Matter With Batna? It's Misleading And Doesn't Help Advance Parties' Important Interests, John Lande

Faculty Publications

Many dispute resolution experts misunderstand the concept of BATNA (the best alternative to a negotiated agreement), believing that it is the most favorable possible outcome if the parties don’t settle. In fact, BATNA isn’t an expected result. It’s a course of action, not the value resulting from the course of action.

Attorneys often make unrealistic predictions of court outcomes because of inherent uncertainty and cognitive biases. Moreover, parties have many intangible interests that aren’t included in estimates of BATNA values.

This article offers suggestions for attorneys and mediators to advance clients’ interests by better understanding and valuing non-settlement outcomes.

Threat Perceptions, Defensive Behaviors, And The Perceived Suicide Prevention Value Of Specific Firearm Storage Practices, Michael D. Anestis, Craig J. Bryan, Anna Belle O. Bryan, Daniel W. Capron

Faculty Publications

Introduction: Secure firearm storage has been proposed as a suicide prevention method within the military; however, secure storage practices are uncommon. Service members may perceive limited value in secure storage as a suicide prevention tool and threat-related factors may influence such perceptions. Method: A nationally representative sample of firearm-owning military service members (n = 719) was recruited between December 3, 2021 and January 4, 2022 to complete a self-report survey by Ipsos using their KnowledgePanel calibration approach to optimize representativeness. Results: Threat sensitivity was associated with less perceived suicide prevention value across all within-home storage practices as well as out-of-home …

Cultural Consensus Modeling To Identify Culturally Relevant Reasons For And Against Suicide Among Black Adolescents, Ryan M. Hill, Danielle Busby, Jennifer L. Brown, Eric Sumlin, Estefania Fernandez, Carla Sharp

Faculty Publications

Introduction: The development of evidence-based treatments relies on accurate theoretical frameworks sensitive to the lived realities of the populations from which they are derived. Yet, the perspectives of Black youth are vastly underrepresented in extant theories of suicidal behavior. Cultural Consensus Modeling provides an evidence-based approach for developing a culturally informed understanding of suicide risk among Black youth. Method: Participants were 50 Black adolescents (Mage = 16.20 years; 76.0% male) who completed Phase 1 of a Cultural Consensus Modeling study. Participants freely listed reasons for suicide and reasons for living among similar peer Black youth. Responses were synthesized and coded …

A Data-Driven Approach To Enhance The Prediction Of Bacteria–Metabolite Interactions In The Human Gut Microbiome Using Enzyme Encodings And Metabolite Structural Embeddings, Gopal Srivastava, Michal Brylinski

Faculty Publications

Background: The human gut microbiome is critical for host health by facilitating essential metabolic processes. Our study presents a data-driven analysis across 312 bacterial species and 154 unique metabolites to enhance the understanding of underlying metabolic processes in gut bacteria. The focus of the study was to create a strategy to generate a theoretical (negative) set for binary classification models to predict the consumption and production of metabolites in the human gut microbiome. Results: Our models achieved median balanced accuracies of 0.74 for consumption predictions and 0.95 for production predictions, highlighting the effectiveness of this approach in generating reliable negative …

Increased Expression Of The Small Lysosomal Gene Svip In The Drosophila Gut Suppresses Pathophysiological Features Associated With A High-Fat Diet, Brennan M. Mercola, Tatiana V. Villalobos, Jocelyn E. Wood, Ankita Basu, Alyssa E. Johnson

Faculty Publications

Lysosomes are digestive organelles that are crucial for nutrient sensing and metabolism. Lysosome impairment is linked to a broad spectrum of metabolic disorders, underscoring their importance to human health. Thus, lysosomes are an attractive target for metabolic disease therapies. In previous work, we discovered a novel class of tubular lysosomes that are morphologically and functionally distinct from traditionally described vesicular lysosomes. Tubular lysosomes are present in multiple tissues, are broadly conserved from invertebrates to mammals, are more proficient at degrading autophagic cargo than vesicular lysosomes, and delay signs of tissue aging when induced ectopically. Thus, triggering tubular lysosome formation presents …

Post-Term Births As A Risk Factor For Small For Gestational Age Births And Infant Mortality In Brazil, Mexico, And Palestinian Refugees: An Analysis Of Electronic Birth Records, Zeina Jamaluddine, Lorena Suarez Idueta, Enny S. Paixao, Julia M. Pescarini, Hala Ghattas Ph.D., Miho Sato, Akihiro Seita, Luis A. Martinez-Juarez, Mauricio L. Barreto, Eric O. Ohuma, Louise T. Day, Oona M.R. Campbell, Hannah Blencowe

Faculty Publications

Background:

Post-term pregnancy, defined as reaching or exceeding 42 + 0 weeks of gestation, is known to be associated with unfavourable birth outcomes. High-income countries have responded to this risk by widely adopting labour induction protocols in late-term, but many low- and middle-income countries have not. However, understanding underlying mechanisms linking post-term births to adverse newborn and infant outcomes remains limited.

Objective:

To investigate the (a) prevalence of post-term, (b) the risk factors associated with post-term (c) the association between post-term births and the risk of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) neonates and of infant mortality in middle-income settings.

Methods:

We used existing …

Counseling Students’ Perceptions Of Support During The Covid-19 Crisis: A Qualitative Study., Breahannah Hilarie, Galaxina G. Wright, Lea H., Laurie O. Campbell

Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the counseling programs in clinical instruction, mentorship, and student’s perception of the university. The qualitative data presented in this paper identifies eight counseling students’ beliefs of support during their time in counseling program during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data was obtained through semi-structured interviews. An interpretive phenomenological analysis resulted in four themes: including higher education response, personal resources, emotions in crisis, and transitions in crisis.

The Built Environment And Place Attachment: Insights From Japanese Cities, Juiling Li, Mohammed Javad Koohsari, Andrew T. Kaczynski, Ryo Tanimoto, Reo Watanabe, Tomoki Nakaya, Yufeng Luo, Jing Zhao, Akitomo Yasunaga, Koichiro Oka, Tomoya Hanibuchi

Faculty Publications

Objective

Methods

Results

Association Of Racial Residential Segregation And Other Social Determinants Of Health With Hiv Late Presentation, Fanghui Shi, Jiajia Zhang Ph.D., Shujie Chen, Xueying Yang Ph.D., Zhenlong Li, Sharon Weissman, Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Xiaoming Li Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Understanding social determinants of HIV late presentation with advanced disease (LPWA) beyond individual-level factors could help decrease LPWA and improve population-level HIV outcomes. This study aimed to examine county-level social determinants of health (SDOH) with HIV late presentation. We aggregated datasets for analysis by linking statewide HIV diagnosis data from the South Carolina (SC) Enhanced HIV/AIDS Reporting System and multiple social contextual datasets (e.g., the American Community Survey). All adult (18 years and older) people with HIV diagnosed from 2014 to 2019 in SC were included. Linear mixed models with forward selection were employed to explore the association of county-level …

Childhood Sexual Trauma, Substance Use, And Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence Among Older Adults Living With Hiv: A Mediational Analysis, Monique J. Brown, Josie Zhang, Prince Nii Ossah Addo, Amandeep Kaur, Daniel Amoatika, Elizabeth L. Crouch Ph.D., Steven A. Cohen

Faculty Publications

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is linked to substance use and lower antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. However, studies examining the mediational role of substance use between CSA and ART adherence are lacking. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the potential mediational role of substance use between CSA and ART adherence among older adults living with HIV (OALH) (n = 91). Mediation analyses assessed the direct and indirect relationships between CSA, substance use, and ART adherence. Statistically significant differences existed in substance use by gender (male vs. female: 12.3 vs. 9.97) and ART adherence by race (Black vs. …

A Plea For Private International Law (Conflict Of Laws), Michael S. Green

Faculty Publications

In this essay, author Michael S. Green discusses private international law and its importance in a law school's curriculum. After a brief summary of the history of private international law, the essay traces the disappearance of private international law courses in American law schools and proposes reasons as to why this trend may be occurring. The essay closes with reasons why it is a mistake to remove private international law from course offerings and requests that law schools reintroduce the topic.

Pilot Study: Initial Investigation Suggests Differences In Emt-Associated Gene Expression In Breast Tumor Regions, Kylie L. King, Hamed Abdollahi, Zoe Dinkel, Alannah Akins, Homayoun Valafar, Heather Dunn

Faculty Publications

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype and disproportionately affects African American women. The development of breast cancer is highly associated with interactions between tumor cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM), and recent research suggests that cellular components of the ECM vary between racial groups. This pilot study aimed to evaluate gene expression in TNBC samples from patients who identified as African American and Caucasian using traditional statistical methods and emerging Machine Learning (ML) approaches. ML enables the analysis of complex datasets and the extraction of useful information from small datasets. We selected four regions of interest …

Predicting Individual Long-Term Prognosis Of Spatial Neglect Based On Acute Stroke Patient Data, Lisa Röhrig, Daniel Wiesen, Dongyun Li, Chris Rorden, Hans-Otto Karnath

Faculty Publications

One of the most pressing questions after a stroke is whether an individual patient will recover in the long term. Previous studies demonstrated that spatial neglect—a common cognitive deficit after right hemispheric stroke—is a strong predictor for poor performance on a wide range of everyday tasks and for resistance to rehabilitation. The possibility of predicting long-term prognosis of spatial neglect is therefore of great relevance. The aim of the present study was to test the prognostic value of different imaging and non-imaging features from right hemispheric stroke patients: individual demographics (age, sex), initial neglect severity and acute lesion information (size, …

Perceived Healthiness Of Sugary Drinks And Related Social Norms Among Adults In Five Countries: Evidence From The International Food Policy Study, Virginie Drolet-Labelle

Faculty Publications

Background

A better understanding of correlates of sugary drink consumption is essential to inform public health interventions. This study examined differences in perceived healthiness of sugary drinks and related social norms between countries, over time, and sociodemographic groups and associations with sugary drink intake.

Methods

This study used annual cross-sectional data from the International Food Policy Study from 2018 to 2021 in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Mexico. Analyses examined perceived healthiness of eight beverage types and two types of perceived social norms (descriptive, injunctive) that discourage sugary drink consumption. The 24-item Beverage Frequency Questionnaire was …

Amplifying Women’S Voices In Menopause Research: The Importance Of Inclusive Perspectives, Camille Cronin, Sarah B. Donevant Phd, Rn, Ccrn, Kerri-Ann Hughes, Marja Kaunonen, Jette Marcussen, Rhonda Wilson

Faculty Publications

Menopause, a significant life transition for half the global population, intersects biological, cultural and social dimensions. Despite its universal occurrence, menopause research has historically been dominated by biomedical perspectives, often neglecting women's voices and diverse experiences. This article highlights the importance of including women's perspectives in menopause research to ensure relevance, accuracy and equity. It explores cultural variations in menopause experiences, the impact of socioeconomic status and the often-overlooked emotional and psychological dimensions. This article advocates for participatory approaches, emphasising that women's involvement enhances research design, implementation and policy development. Evidence-based interventions that are tailored to the individual can better …

The Design And Cell-Free Protein Synthesis Of A Pembrolizumab Single-Chain Variable Fragment, Landon E. Ebbert, Tyler J. Free, Mehran Soltani, Bradley Charles Bundy

Faculty Publications

Background/Objectives: Cancer is a leading cause of death. However, recently developed immunotherapies have shown significant promise to improve cancer treatment outcomes and survival rates. Pembrolizumab, a cancer immunotherapy drug, enables a strong T-cell response specifically targeting cancer cells to improve patient outcomes in more than 16 types of cancer. The increasing demand for pembrolizumab, the highest selling drug in 2023, increases global dependence on drug production, which can be vulnerable to supply chain disruptions. Methods: Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) is a rapid in vitro protein production method that could provide the production of an immunotherapy drug in an emergency and …

Associations Between Social Determinants Of Health And Mental Health Disorders Among U.S. Population: A Cross-Sectional Study, S. Tanarsuwongkul

Faculty Publications

Aims

The impact of social determinants of health (SDOH) on mental health is increasingly realized. A comprehensive study examining the associations of SDOH with mental health disorders has yet to be accomplished. This study evaluated the associations between five domains of SDOH and the SDOH summary score and mental health disorders in the United States.

Methods

We analyzed data from a diverse group of participants enrolled in the All of Us research programme, a research programme to gather data from one million people living in the United States, in a cross-sectional design. The primary exposure was SDOH based on Healthy …

Co-Development Of A Gamified Physical Education Movement Competence Intervention With School Stakeholders, Jenna Rice, Lawrence Foweather, Jonathan Foulkes, Ceriann Magill, An V. De Meester, David F. Stodden Ph.D., Matthieu Lenoir, Katie Fitton Davies

Faculty Publications

Movement competence (MC) and emotional intelligence (EI) are positively associated and important for child development. Intervention research is needed to determine causal relationships between these outcomes. Gamification is a pedagogical model that may enhance MC and EI, but implementing interventions in schools is complex and requires multi-stakeholder involvement to ensure feasibility, acceptability and sustainability. However, methodological evidence to inform co-development work within physical education (PE) is lacking and further research is required. This study describes the process of co-developing a gamified PE intervention with school stakeholders to increase MC and EI among primary-aged children. A total of 91 children and …

Organizational Readiness For Implementation: A Qualitative Assessment To Explain Survey Responses, Maria Mcclam, Lauren Workman, Timothy J. Walker, Emanuelle M. Dias, Derek W. Craig, Joe R. Padila, Andrea E. Lamont, Abraham Wandersman, Maria E. Fernandez

Faculty Publications

Background

One factor considered essential to successful implementation is organizational readiness. The purpose of this study was to explore ways to improve the measurement of organizational readiness, and in particular to refine a preliminary measure based on the Readiness = Motivation x innovation Specific Capacity x General Capacity (R = MC2) heuristic. We assessed the experiences of staff in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) implementing evidence-based interventions (EBIs) designed to increase colorectal cancer screening (CRCS) who previously completed the survey and aimed to understand their perspectives on why our data were positively skewed.

Methods

We conducted a series of qualitative …

"It Would Ruin My Life”:Pacific Islander Male Adolescents’ Perceptions Of Mental Health Help-Seeking Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Focus Group Study, Melia Fonoimoana Garrett, Elizabeth Cutrer, G. E. Kawika Allen, Ellie Young, Kristopher J. Urbina, Isabel Medina Hull

Faculty Publications

Given rising mental health concerns among Pacific Islander (PI) adolescents, this population remains underserved by available mental health resources. This interpretative phenomenological analysis with focus groups (IPA-FG) examined the lived experiences and perceptions of 19 male PI adolescents (ages 14–16) from Native Hawaiian, Maori, Samoan, and Tongan backgrounds regarding mental health help-seeking behaviors. Four overarching themes emerged: stigma and judgment, cultural misalignment in professional services, impact of disclosure and perceived punitive consequences, and a complex ecosystem of trusted relationships as mental health support. Notably, participants expressed belief that disclosing mental health challenges would “ruin their lives” and held misconceptions about …

Injunctive Restraint, Cassandra Burke Robertson

Faculty Publications

Preliminary injunctions against government action have evolved from extraordinary remedies into routine instruments of political contestation, with both Republican and Democratic administrations finding their initiatives halted by nationwide judicial orders. These injunctions serve vital functions in our constitutional system—preventing irreparable harm to fundamental rights and providing necessary checks on executive power in an era of congressional gridlock. Yet their increasing use has generated legitimate institutional concerns, particularly when a single district judge, often selected through strategic forum shopping, can unilaterally suspend national policies of significant importance. This Article examines this tension between the necessary role of nationwide injunctions in protecting …

Analysis Of Phytochemicals In Watercress Leaves Using Chromatographic, Spectroscopic And In-Vitro Approaches, Bidisha Roy Sengupta

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Biofilm-Based Biomonitoring Of Treated Wastewater Using Bacillus Thuringiensis: Toward Sustainable Water Reuse, Bidisha Roy Sengupta, Kefa K. Onchoke, Olabisi O. Ogunlewe, Robert Friedfeld

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

An Accident On Mount Washington: Now I Understand What It's Like To Have Panic Attacks, Chuck Radis

Faculty Publications

This is the story of how Dr. Radis developed PTSD after a mountaineering accident and how it affected him in his personal life and as a physician as he continued to practice and see patients.

Patient Autonomy, Public Safety, And Drivers With Cognitive Decline, Sharona Hoffman, Cassandra Burke Robertson

Faculty Publications

With a growing elderly population, cognitive decline in drivers has become a significant public safety concern. Currently, over thirty-two million individuals who are seventy or older have driver’s licenses, and that number is growing quickly. In addition, almost ten percent of U.S. seniors (those sixty-five and older) have dementia, and an additional twenty-two percent have mild cognitive impairment. Between a quarter and a half of individuals with mild to moderate dementia still drive. As cognitive abilities such as memory, attention, and decision-making skills deteriorate, a driver's ability to operate a vehicle safely can be compromised. This not only puts the …