Digital Commons Network^™

Single-Port Laparoscopic Sacrospinous Ligament Suspension Via The Natural Vaginal Cavity (Svnotes) For Pelvic Prolapse: The First Feasibility Study, Yuanyuan Lyu, Huafeng Ding, Jin Ding, Yonghong Luo, Xiaoming Guan, Guantai Ni

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective

This study aims to investigate the feasibility and short-term efficacy of single-port laparoscopic-assisted transvaginal natural cavity endoscopic sacrospinous ligament suspensions (SvNOTES).

Methods

A total of 30 patients diagnosed with anterior or/and middle pelvic organ prolapse Stages III and IV underwent natural vaginal cavity (SvNOTES), and 30 patients who underwent conventional sacrospinous ligament (SSLF) were used as a control group. The operation time, blood loss, postoperative POP-Q score, length of hospital stay, and complications were compared between the two groups.

Results

The operation time for SvNOTE was (60 ± 13) min, which was longer than (30 ± 15) min for …

Problems In Csf And Ophthalmic Disease Research, Ryan Machiele, Benjamin Jay Frankfort, Hanspeter Esriel Killer, David Fleischman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

There has been significant interest and progress in the understanding of cerebrospinal fluid pressure and its relationship to glaucoma and other ophthalmic diseases. However, just as every physiologic fluid pressure fluctuates, cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSFP) is similarly dynamic. Coupling this with the difficulty in measuring the pressure, there are many obstacles in furthering this field of study. This review highlights some of the difficulties in CSFP research, including fluid compartmentalization, estimation equations, and pressure fluctuation. Keeping these limitations in mind will hopefully improve the quality and context of this burgeoning field.

Selective Vulnerability Of The Intermediate Retinal Capillary Plexus Precedes Retinal Ganglion Cell Loss In Ocular Hypertension, Priyamvada M Pitale, Guofu Shen, Rohini R Sigireddi, Maria Polo-Prieto, Yong H Park, Solomon E Gibson, Peter D Westenskow, Roomasa Channa, Benjamin J Frankfort

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Glaucoma, a disease of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) injury and potentially devastating vision loss, is associated with both ocular hypertension (OHT) and reduced ocular blood flow. However, the relationship between OHT and retinal capillary architecture is not well understood. In this project, we studied microvasculature damage in mice exposed to mild levels of induced OHT.

Methods: Mild OHT was induced with the microbead model for 2 weeks. At this time point, some retinas were immunostained with CD31 (endothelium), Collagen IV (basement membrane), and RBPMS (RGCs) for z-stack confocal microscopy. We processed these confocal images to distinguish the three retinal …

Cathepsin S Is A Novel Target For Age-Related Dry Eye, Zhiyuan Yu, Jinmiao Li, Gowthaman Govindarajan, Sarah F Hamm-Alvarez, Jehan Alam, De-Quan Li, Cintia S De Paiva

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Cathepsin S (CTSS) is a protease that is proinflammatory on epithelial cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of CTSS in age-related dry eye disease. Ctss−/− mice [in a C57BL/6 (B6) background] of different ages were compared to B6 mice. CTSS activity in tears and lacrimal gland (LG) lysates was measured. The corneal barrier function was investigated in naïve mice or after topical administration of CTSS eye drops 5X/day for two days. Eyes were collected, and conjunctival goblet cell density was measured in PAS-stained sections. Immunoreactivity of the tight junction proteins, ZO-1 and occludin, was …

New, Potent, Small Molecule Agonists Of Tyrosine Kinase Receptors Attenuate Dry Eye Disease, Zhiyuan Yu, Shaon Joy, Tianxiong Mi, Ghasem Yazdanpanah, Kevin Burgess, Cintia S De Paiva

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and neurotrophin3 (NT-3) bind to tyrosine kinase (Trk) receptors, TrkA, TrkB, and TrkC, respectively. This study investigated the efficacy of novel molecule agonists of Trk receptors in an in vivo model of dry eye disease (DED). Small molecule TrkC agonist (C1) and a pan-Trk agonist (pan) were synthesized for this. C57BL/6J mice were subjected to desiccating stress (DS) and received bilateral eye drops of C1, pan, or vehicle (2x/day). Dry eye signs, inflammation and expression of corneal barrier function, and conjunctival goblet cell (GC) densities were measured as part of the DED …

Characterization And Outcomes Of Hospitalized Children With Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Report From A Multicenter, Viral Infection And Respiratory Illness Universal Study (Coronavirus Disease 2019) Registry, Utpal S Bhalala, Katja M Gist, Sandeep Tripathi, Karen Boman, Vishakha K Kumar, Lynn Retford, Kathleen Chiotos, Allison M Blatz, Heda Dapul, Sourabh Verma, Imran A Sayed, Varsha P Gharpure, Erica Bjornstad, Nancy Tofil, Katherine Irby, Ronald C Sanders, Julia A Heneghan, Melissa Thomas, Manoj K Gupta, Franscene E Oulds, Grace M Arteaga, Emily R Levy, Neha Gupta, Margit Kaufman, Amr Abdelaty, Mark Shlomovich, Shivanand S Medar, A M Iqbal O'Meara, Joshua Kuehne, Shina Menon, Paras B Khandhar, Aaron S Miller, Suzanne M Barry, Valerie C Danesh, Ashish K Khanna, Kimberly Zammit, Casey Stulce, Patrick W Mcgonagill, Asher Bercow, Ioana G Amzuta, Sandeep Gupta, Mohammed A Almazyad, Louisdon Pierre, Prithvi Sendi, Sidra Ishaque, Harry L Anderson, Pooja Nawathe, Murtaza Akhter, Patrick G Lyons, Catherine Chen, Allan J Walkey, Azra Bihorac, Imam Wada Bello, Judith Ben Ari, Tanja Kovacevic, Vikas Bansal, John T Brinton, Jerry J Zimmerman, Rahul Kashyap

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVES: Multicenter data on the characteristics and outcomes of children hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 are limited. Our objective was to describe the characteristics, ICU admissions, and outcomes among children hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 using Society of Critical Care Medicine Discovery Viral Infection and Respiratory Illness Universal Study: Coronavirus Disease 2019 registry.

DESIGN: Retrospective study.

SETTING: Society of Critical Care Medicine Viral Infection and Respiratory Illness Universal Study (Coronavirus Disease 2019) registry.

PATIENTS: Children (< 18 yr) hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 at participating hospitals from February 2020 to January 2021.

INTERVENTIONS: None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary outcome was ICU admission. Secondary outcomes included hospital and ICU duration of stay and ICU, hospital, …

Rotavirus-Induced Lipid Droplet Biogenesis Is Critical For Virus Replication, Jeanette M Criglar, Mary K Estes, Sue E Crawford

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

A variety of pathogens, including viruses, bacteria and parasites, target cellular lipid droplets for their replication. Rotaviruses (RVs) infect the villous epithelium of the small intestine and are a major cause of acute gastroenteritis in infants and young children worldwide. RVs induce and require lipid droplets for the formation of viroplasms, sites of virus genome replication, and nascent particle assembly. Here we review the role of lipid droplets in RV replication. Inhibitors of fatty acid synthesis or chemicals that interfere with lipid droplet homeostasis decrease the number and size of viroplasms and the yield of infectious virus. We used a …

Gut Microbiota From Sjögren Syndrome Patients Causes Decreased T Regulatory Cells In The Lymphoid Organs And Desiccation-Induced Corneal Barrier Disruption In Mice, Laura Schaefer, Claudia M Trujillo-Vargas, Firas S Midani, Stephen C Pflugfelder, Robert A Britton, Cintia S De Paiva

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Sjögren syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune inflammatory disorder characterized by secretory dysfunction in the eye and mouth; in the eye, this results in tear film instability, reduced tear production, and corneal barrier disruption. A growing number of studies show that homeostasis of the ocular surface is impacted by the intestinal microbiome, and several 16S sequencing studies have demonstrated dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiota in SS patients. In this study, we utilized metagenomic sequencing to perform a deeper analysis of the intestinal microbiome using stools collected from sex- and age-matched healthy (n = 20), dry eye (n = 4) …

Identification Of Serum Mirna Signature And Establishment Of A Nomogram For Risk Stratification In Patients With Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Raju Kandimalla, Tadanobu Shimura, Saurav Mallik, Fuminori Sonohara, Susan Tsai, Douglas B Evans, Song Cheol Kim, Hideo Baba, Yasuhiro Kodera, Daniel Von Hoff, Xi Chen, Ajay Goel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to perform mRNA-miRNA regulatory network analyses to identify a miRNA panel for molecular subtype identification and stratification of high-risk patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

BACKGROUND: Recent transcriptional profiling effort in PDAC has led to the identification of molecular subtypes that associate with poor survival; however, their clinical significance for risk stratification in patients with PDAC has been challenging.

METHODS: By performing a systematic analysis in The Cancer Genome Atlas and International Cancer Genome Consortium cohorts, we discovered a panel of miRNAs that associated with squamous and other poor molecular subtypes in PDAC. …

Paraventricular Vitamin D Receptors Are Required For Glucose Tolerance In Males But Not Females, Jessie Beck, Silvania Da Silva Teixeira, Keisha Harrison, Gabrielle Phillips, Yanlin He, Stephanie Sisley

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

When delivered directly into the brain, vitamin D, can improve glucose levels in male mice. Additionally, the loss of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) in male mice's paraventricular hypothalamus (PVH) results in impaired glucose tolerance. Data in humans shows that low vitamin D levels are detrimental to glucose homeostasis, an effect that may be more prominent in men. However, it is unknown if vitamin D action in the brain is required for normal glucose regulation in female mice. This study shows that in both viral and genetic models, male mice with obesity and PVH VDR loss have impaired glucose tolerance …

Decidualization Of Human Endometrial Stromal Cells Requires Steroid Receptor Coactivator-3, Vineet K Maurya, Maria M Szwarc, David M Lonard, William E Gibbons, San-Pin Wu, Bert W O'Malley, Francesco J Demayo, John P Lydon

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Steroid receptor coactivator-3 (SRC-3; also known as NCOA3 or AIB1) is a member of the multifunctional p160/SRC family of coactivators, which also includes SRC-1 and SRC-2. Clinical and cell-based studies as well as investigations on mice have demonstrated pivotal roles for each SRC in numerous physiological and pathophysiological contexts, underscoring their functional pleiotropy. We previously demonstrated the critical involvement of SRC-2 in murine embryo implantation as well as in human endometrial stromal cell (HESC) decidualization, a cellular transformation process required for trophoblast invasion and ultimately placentation. We show here that, like SRC-2, SRC-3 is expressed in the epithelial and stromal …

Nuclear Progesterone Receptor Expressed By The Cortical Thymic Epithelial Cells Dictates Thymus Involution In Murine Pregnancy, Soo Hyun Ahn, Sean L Nguyen, Tae Hoon Kim, Jae-Wook Jeong, Ripla Arora, John P Lydon, Margaret G Petroff

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Progesterone is a gonadal pro-gestational hormone that is absolutely necessary for the success of pregnancy. Most notable actions of progesterone are observed in the female reproductive organs, the uterus and the ovary. Acting through the nuclear progesterone receptor (PGR), progesterone prepares the endometrium for implantation of the embryo. Interestingly, the maternal thymus also is a known expressor of Pgr; its absence is associated with murine pregnancy complications. However, the localization of its expression and its functional importance were not known. Here, we used a transgenic dual fluorescent reporter mouse model and genetic deletion of Pgr in Foxn1+ thymic epithelial …

Metabolic Targeting, Immunotherapy And Radiation In Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Where Do We Go From Here?, Annika Dhawan, Phillip M Pifer, Vlad C Sandulache, Heath D Skinner

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

In the US, there are ~250,000 new lung cancer diagnoses and ~130,000 deaths per year, and worldwide there are an estimated 1.6 million deaths per year from this deadly disease. Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death worldwide, and it accounts for roughly a quarter of all cancer deaths in the US. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents 80-85% of these cases. Due to an enormous tobacco cessation effort, NSCLC rates in the US are decreasing, and the implementation of lung cancer screening guidelines and other programs have resulted in a higher percentage of patients presenting with …

An Unusual Case Of Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma, Sarah Premji, Andreia Barbieri, Christine Roth, Eric M Rohren, Gustavo Rivero, Sravanti P Teegavarapu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) is a rare disease entity associated with textured breast implants. Though the clinical course is typically indolent, BIA-ALCL can occasionally invade through the capsule into the breast parenchyma with spread to the regional lymph nodes and beyond including chest wall invasive disease.

CASE: We present the case of a 51-year-old female with a history of bilateral silicone breast implants placed approximately twenty years ago who presented with two months of progressively enlarging right breast mass. Ultrasound-guided biopsy of right breast mass and right axillary lymph node showed CD 30-positive

CONCLUSION: Treatment guidelines …

The Effects Of Glucocorticoids And Immunosuppressants On Cancer Outcomes In Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy, Sebastian Bruera, Maria E Suarez-Almazor

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The emergence of checkpoint inhibitors has created a paradigm shift for the treatment of various malignancies. However, although these therapies are associated with improved survival rates, they also carry the risk of immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Moderate to severe irAEs are typically treated with glucocorticoids, sometimes with the addition of immunosuppressants as steroid-sparing therapy. However, it is unclear how glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants may impact cancer survival and the efficacy of immune checkpoint therapy on cancer. In this narrative review, we discuss the effects of glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants including methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine, azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil, tumor-necrosis factor (TNF)-inhibitors, interleukin-6 inhibitors, interleukin-1 inhibitors, …

Physical Activity And Diet Quality In Relation To Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study In A Representative Sample Of Us Adults Using Nhanes 2017–2018, Natalia I Heredia, Xiaotao Zhang, Maya Balakrishnan, Carrie R Daniel, Jessica P Hwang, Lorna H Mcneill, Aaron P Thrift

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The association of physical activity (PA) and diet quality with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and NAFLD-related fibrosis have never been examined in a representative sample of U.S. adults using a more precise form of measuring NAFLD. The purpose of this study was to assess the associations of PA and diet quality (Healthy Eating Index [HEI]-2015) with NAFLD and a subset with advanced fibrosis (F3-4) as assessed by vibration-controlled transient elastography with controlled attenuation parameter in a representative sample of U.S. adults. This cross-sectional analysis uses data from 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. NAFLD was defined as controlled …

Emerging Roles Of Alternative Cleavage And Polyadenylation (Apa) In Human Disease, Prakash Dharmalingam, Rajasekaran Mahalingam, Hari Krishna Yalamanchili, Tingting Weng, Harry Karmouty-Quintana, Ashrith Guha, Rajarajan A Thandavarayan

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

In the messenger RNA (mRNA) maturation process, the 3'-end of pre-mRNA is cleaved and a poly(A) sequence is added, this is an important determinant of mRNA stability and its cellular functions. More than 60%-70% of human genes have three or more polyadenylation (APA) sites and can be cleaved at different sites, generating mRNA transcripts of varying lengths. This phenomenon is termed as alternative cleavage and polyadenylation (APA) and it plays role in key biological processes like gene regulation, cell proliferation, senescence, and also in various human diseases. Loss of regulatory microRNA binding sites and interactions with RNA-binding proteins leading to …

Creating A Collaborative Trauma-Informed Interdisciplinary Citywide Victim Services Model Focused On Health Care For Survivors Of Human Trafficking, Juhi Jain, Mackenzie Bennett, Mark D Bailey, Daniel Liaou, Sheri-Ann O Kaltiso, Jordan Greenbaum, Kimberly Williams, Mollie R Gordon, Melissa I M Torres, Phuong T Nguyen, John H Coverdale, Victor Williams, Cayla Hari, Samantha Rodriguez, Temilola Salami, Jonell E Potter

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Although human trafficking is recognized as a public health issue, research on the health effects of human trafficking and best intervention practices is limited. We describe 2 citywide collaborative victim services models, the THRIVE (Trafficking, Healthcare, Resources, and Interdisciplinary Victim Services and Education) Clinic at the University of Miami and Jackson Health System in Miami, Florida, and the Greater Houston Area Pathways for Advocacy-based, Trauma-Informed Healthcare (PATH) Collaborative at Baylor College of Medicine, CommonSpirit Health, and San Jose Clinic in Houston, Texas, funded in part by the Office for Victims of Crime, which focus on trauma-informed health care delivery for …

Fourteen-Day Vonoprazan And Low- Or High-Dose Amoxicillin Dual Therapy For Eradicating Helicobacter Pylori Infection: A Prospective, Open-Labeled, Randomized Non-Inferiority Clinical Study, Yi Hu, Xin Xu, Xiao-Shun Liu, Cong He, Yao-Bin Ouyang, Nian-Shuang Li, Chuan Xie, Chao Peng, Zhen-Hua Zhu, Yong Xie, Xu Shu, Yin Zhu, David Y Graham, Nong-Hua Lu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND AND AIM: We previously reported that vonoprazan-amoxicillin (VA) dual therapy for 7 or 10 days is not satisfactorily efficacious for

METHODS: This was a single center, prospective, open-labeled, randomized non-inferiority clinical study conducted in China. Treatment naïve

RESULTS: A total of 154 patients were assessed and 110 subjects were randomized. The eradication rate of VPZ with b.i.d. amoxicillin or t.i.d. amoxicillin for 14 days was 89.1% and 87.3% by intention-to-treat analysis, respectively, and 94.1% and 95.9% by per-protocol analysis, respectively. The eradication rate and incidence of adverse events were not different between the two groups.

CONCLUSION: VPZ with b.i.d. …

Investigation Of Urinary Metabolomics In A Phase I Hookworm Vaccine Trial In Gabon, Madeleine Eunice Betouke Ongwe, Yoanne D Mouwenda, Koen A Stam, Peter G Kremsner, Bertrand Lell, David Diemert, Jeff Bethony, Maria E Bottazzi, Peter J Hotez, Remko V Leeuwen, Martin P Grobusch, Ayola A Adegnika, Oleg A Mayboroda, Maria Yazdanbakhsh

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Metabolomics provides a powerful tool to study physiological changes in response to various perturbations such as vaccination. We explored whether metabolomic changes could be seen after vaccination in a phase I trial where Gabonese adults living either in rural or semi-urban areas received the subunit hookworm vaccine candidates (Na-GST-1 and Na-APR-1 (M74) adjuvanted with Alhydrogel plus GLA-AF (n = 24) or the hepatitis B vaccine (n = 8) as control. Urine samples were collected and assayed using targeted 1H NMR spectroscopy. At baseline, a set of metabolites significantly distinguished rural from semi-urban individuals. The pre- and post-vaccination comparisons indicated significant …

Associations Of Duration, Intensity, And Quantity Of Smoking With Risk Of Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia, Aaron P Thrift, Andre G Jove, Yan Liu, Mimi C Tan, Hashem B El-Serag

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

GOAL: Determine whether various dimensions of smoking increase risk for gastric intestinal metaplasia.

BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking has been implicated in the etiology of gastric cancer, but it is not clear if smoking is a risk factor for gastric intestinal metaplasia, a precursor lesion of gastric cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We compared data from 385 gastric intestinal metaplasia cases and 1577 controls without gastric intestinal metaplasia recruited into a cross-sectional study at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, Texas. All participants completed standardized questionnaires and underwent a study endoscopy with gastric mapping biopsies. Gastric intestinal metaplasia cases included …

An Evidence-Based, Structured, Expert Approach To Selecting Essential Indicators Of Primary Care Quality, Sylvia J Hysong, Kelley Arredondo, Ashley M Hughes, Houston F Lester, Frederick L Oswald, Laura A Petersen, Lechauncy Woodard, Edward Post, Shelly Deperalta, Daniel R Murphy, Jason Mcknight, Karin Nelson, Paul Haidet

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this article is to illustrate the application of an evidence-based, structured performance measurement methodology to identify, prioritize, and (when appropriate) generate new measures of health care quality, using primary care as a case example. Primary health care is central to the health care system and health of the American public; thus, ensuring high quality is essential. Due to its complexity, ensuring high-quality primary care requires measurement frameworks that can assess the quality of the infrastructure, workforce configurations, and processes available. This paper describes the use of the Productivity Measurement and Enhancement System (ProMES) to compile a …

Patch-Burning Improves Forage Nutritive Value And Livestock Performance Over Rotational And Continuous Grazing Strategies, Megan Wanchuk

Range Science

Rangelands simultaneously support livestock production while maintaining ecosystem functionality. Patch-burning is a grazing management strategy with benefits for wildlife habitat and conservation. However, previous work pertaining to livestock has not examined potential benefits to livestock production. We assessed forage nutritive value, and cattle performance on patch-burning compared to continuous and rotational grazing. We also examined how prescribed fire alters forage mineral content through time since patch-burning. The recently burned patch had better forage nutritive value than patches with longer time since fire and no fire grazing methods, meeting the highest proportion of cow requirements. In 2017, a mild-drought year, cows …

The 'Impractical And Anomalous' Consequences Of Territorial Inequity, Jayanth K. Krishnan

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Located in the South Pacific Ocean, American Samoa is one of five populated “unincorporated territories” of the United States. It is unique, though, as those born there are not recognized as American citizens at birth and instead are deemed “noncitizen U.S. nationals.” They enjoy some, but not all, constitutional protections. Two federal appellate courts—the D.C. Circuit (in 2015) and the Tenth Circuit (in 2021)—have ruled that this classification does not violate the Fourteenth Amendment’s Citizenship Clause. Both courts have stated that it would be “impractical” and “anomalous” to extend birthright citizenship to the American Samoan community.

Drawing upon a powerful …

The Immigrant Struggle For Effective Counsel: An Empirical Assessment, Jayanth K. Krishnan

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Recently, in Department of Homeland Security v. Thuraissigiam, the Supreme Court upheld 8 U.S.C. § 1252(e)(2), a statutory provision placing restrictions on certain noncitizens from seeking habeas review in the federal judiciary. The Court focused on the Constitution’s Suspension Clause, but it also discussed the Due Process Clause, declaring that there was no violation there either.

One question which flows from this decision is whether the federal courts will soon be precluded from hearing other types of claims brought by noncitizens. Consider ineffective assistance of counsel petitions, which in the immigration law context are rooted in the Due Process Clause. …

Weathering State And Local Budget Storms: Fiscal Federalism With An Uncooperative Congress, David Gamage, Darien Shanske, Gladriel Shobe, Adam Thimmesch

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Throughout most of 2020, state and local governments faced severe budget crises as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Increased demand for state welfare services and rising state expenses related to controlling the spread of COVID-19 stretched state and local budgets to their breaking points. At the same time, layoffs, business closures, and social distancing measures reduced states’ primary sources of tax revenues. The traditional practice of American fiscal federalism is for the federal government to step in to provide aid during a national emergency of this magnitude, because state and local governments lack the federal government’s monetary and fiscal …

Does U.S. Federal Employment Law Now Cover Caste Discrimination Based On Untouchability?: If All Else Fails There Is The Possible Application Of Bostock V. Clayton County, Kevin D. Brown, Lalit Khandare, Annapurna Waughray, Kenneth G. Dau-Schmidt, Theodore M. Shaw

Articles by Maurer Faculty

This article discusses the issue of whether a victim of caste discrimination based on untouchability can assert a claim of intentional employment discrimination under Title VII or Section 1981. This article contends that there are legitimate arguments that this form of discrimination is a form of religious discrimination under Title VII. The question of whether caste discrimination is a form of race or national origin discrimination under Title VII or Section 1981 depends upon how the courts apply these definitions to caste discrimination based on untouchability. There are legitimate arguments that this form of discrimination is recognized within the concept …

Facts Versus Discretion: The Debate Over Immigration Adjudication, Jayanth K. Krishnan

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Justice Amy Coney Barrett recently issued her first majority-led immigration opinion in Patel v. Garland (2022). As background, some immigrants looking to avoid deportation may apply for what is called “discretionary relief’ (e.g., asylum or adjustment of status) initially in an immigration court and then, if they lose, at the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). These immigration forums fall under the Department of Justice. Prior to Patel, immigrants who lost at the BIA could then ask a federal circuit court to review the factual findings of their case. Now, after Justice Barrett’s decision, Article III review is no longer available …

Four Perspectives On A Sustainable Future In Nosara, Costa Rica, Greg Munno, Álvaro Salas Castro, Tina Nabatchi, Christian M. Freitag

Articles by Maurer Faculty

The town of Nosara on Costa Rica’s Nicoya peninsula is home to a vibrant community of diverse residents and is adjacent to an important turtle nesting site. However, tensions between lifelong residents, more recent transplants, visitors, and developers have increased as more of the world discovers this once-isolated haven. Climate change, income inequality, and alienation from a distant government apparatus have further complicated effective land-use planning and fractured social cohesion. Using a mixed-method approach of in-depth interviews (n = 67), Q methodology (n = 79), and public deliberation (n = 88), we explored residents’ priorities for the future of their …

Targeting Type I Interferons In Systemic Lupus Erythematous, Sebastian Bruera, Thandiwe Chavula, Riya Madan, Sandeep K Agarwal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease with systemic clinical manifestations including, but not limited to, rash, inflammatory arthritis, serositis, glomerulonephritis, and cerebritis. Treatment options for SLE are expanding and the increase in our understanding of the immune pathogenesis is leading to the development of new therapeutics. Autoantibody formation and immune complex formation are important mediators in lupus pathogenesis, but an important role of the type I interferon (IFN) pathway has been identified in SLE patients and mouse models of lupus. These studies have led to the development of therapeutics targeting type I IFN and related pathways for …