Digital Commons Network^™

Outcomes Of Cardiothoracic Surgery In Women With Turner Syndrome, Lucas Ribé, Ferial D Shihadeh, Rana O Afifi, Anthony L Estrera, Siddharth K Prakash

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: To describe short- and mid-term surgical outcomes of patients with Turner syndrome (TS) after cardiovascular interventions.

METHODS: All individuals >12 years of age at the time of surgical repair for cardiovascular disease (valve or coarctation repairs, aortic disease, aortic dissection) from 2002 to 2022 were eligible. The primary endpoint was complications or death within 30 days of intervention. Secondary outcomes included late complications and reinterventions within six months. Combined data from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and the Turner Syndrome Society of the United States were included in the analysis.

RESULTS: We identified 22 patients …

Origin Of Differences In Child Maltreatment Between Italy And America, Morgan Huff

Honors College Theses

There is a distinct difference between the rates of child abuse and neglect in the United States and Italy. Specifically, the United States has a higher rate of child maltreatment than Italy (Bernacchi et al., 2016; Finkelhor et al., 2009). There is also variation in the types of maltreatment that the children suffer within each country (Bernacchi et al., 2016; Mehta et al., 2023). This literature review analyzes potential explanations for these differences in rates of child maltreatment by examining the ways in which this maltreatment may be impacted by access to health insurance, religion, family structure, education, poverty, and …

Precision Recruitment And Engagement Of Individuals At Risk For Diabetes And Hypertension In Clinical Trials (Predhict): A Randomized Trial For An E-Persuasive Mobile Application To Inform Decision Making About Clinical Trials, Azizi Seixas, Shannique Richards, Jesse Q Moore, Chigozirim Izeogu, Laronda A Hollimon, Peng Jin, Girardin Jean-Louis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The primary objective of this randomized trial was to test the effectiveness of the PREDHiCT digital application, which provides educational and supportive navigation to increase willingness to participate in a future clinical trial. The second objective was to test whether PREDHiCT increased clinical trial literacy or enhanced psychological facilitators of clinical trial participation, such as altruism. To test these two objectives, we conducted a 1-month remote decentralized trial with 100 participants who either have a personal or family history of cardiometabolic health conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. Results indicated significant changes in altruism (mean: -2.94 vs. 0.83;

Identifying Motivations For Relationship Alternatives : Analyzing College Students' Backburner Relationships, Narissra Maria Punyanunt-Carter, V. Santiago Arias, Jayson L. Dibble, Michelle Drouin, Joris Van Ouytsel, Ryan J. Martinez, Thomas R. Wagner

Health Services and Informatics Research

Backburner refers to a desired prospective romantic/sexual partner with whom one interacts with the purpose of possibly creating a future romantic or sexual relationship. Modern technology has made it easier to develop and maintain relationships with backburners. This study analyzed the different motivations that individuals (N = 762) use towards their backburner relationships. Results from this study revealed that there were six main motivations for backburner relationships: 1) sex or possibility of sexual intimacy; 2) previous romantic feelings with this person (e.g., first love, previous romance, ex-boyfriend/girlfriend); 3) to maintain a friendship in hopes of a potential romantic relationship; 4) …

Covid-19 Vaccination, Acceptance, Safety, And Side-Effects In European Patients With Severe Asthma, Apostolos Bossios, Alison M. Bacon, Katrien Eger

School of Psychology

Background Vaccination is vital for achieving population immunity to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, but vaccination hesitancy presents a threat to achieving widespread immunity. Vaccine acceptance in chronic potentially immunosuppressed patients is largely unclear, especially in patients with asthma. The aim of this study was to investigate the vaccination experience in people with severe asthma. Methods Questionnaires about vaccination beliefs (including the Vaccination Attitudes Examination (VAX) scale, a measure of vaccination hesitancy-related beliefs), vaccination side-effects, asthma control and overall safety perceptions following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination were sent to patients with severe asthma in 12 European countries between …

The Overcoming Disadvantage In Early Childhood Study: Evaluation Of The Australian Literacy And Numeracy Foundation’S Early Language And Literacy Program. Summary Report, Dan Cloney, Kellie Picker, David Jeffries, Prue Anderson

Early Childhood Education

This report provides a summary of the completed Overcoming Disadvantage in Early Childhood (ODEC) longitudinal research study. The study was designed to evaluate the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation’s (ALNF) Early Language and Literacy (EL&L) program by answering the research question: What is the effect of the EL&L program on the development of language and literacy skills in preschool aged children? An integral component of this study was the development of the Early Language and Literacy Developmental Index (ELLDI), a new tool to measure oral language and literacy learning. The development of the ELLDI was based on the recognised need …

Identifying Nursing Strategies To Decrease Re-Hospitalizations Among Mental Health Patients, Garcien Momplaisir

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Quality Of Life Is Lower In Food Allergic Adolescents Compared To Young Children At A Community Educational Symposium, Diem-Tran I Nguyen, Kathleen Pitts, Kristen A Staggers, Carla M Davis

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: Food allergies (FA) can detrimentally impact physical, emotional, and psychological quality of life (QoL) among pediatric patients. Given the changes from childhood into adolescence, the impact of FA on QoL likely evolves with age. The purpose of this study was to determine whether QoL differed between adolescents and children with FA who participated in a Food Allergy Symposium (FAS).

METHODS: Patients with confirmed FA were recruited at an educational community symposium in September 2018 and September 2019. Patients and/or their parents were invited to complete the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaires (FAQLQ). The Food Allergy Independent Measure (FAIM) …

Disclosure Statement First Amended Plan

Catholic Dioceses in Bankruptcy

No abstract provided.

20231127_Hslic 2023-2024 Seed Funding Grant Recipients Expand Access And Conduct Research, Sally Bowler-Hill

HSLIC Blog Post

No abstract provided.

20231127_Course Reserves Have Moved, Kaylee Nauer

HSLIC Blog Post

No abstract provided.

Study Protocol: Maintaining Preventive Care During Public Health Emergencies Through Effective Coordination, Sylvia J Hysong, Traber Davis Giardina, Jennifer Freytag, Richard Sorelle, Daniel R Murphy, Jeffrey A Cully, Yvonne H Sada, Amber B Amspoker

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Screening lies at the heart of preventive care. However, COVID-19 dramatically disrupted routine screening efforts, resulting in excess mortality not directly attributable to COVID-19. Screening rates during COVID varied markedly by facility and clinical condition, suggesting susceptibilities in screening and referral process workflow. To better understand these susceptibilities and identify new practices to mitigate interrupted care, we propose a qualitative study comparing facilities that exhibited high, low, and highly variable performance (respectively) in screening rates before and during the pandemic. We will be guided by Weaver et al.'s multi-team systems (MTS) model of coordination, using cancer and mental health …

Frailty Index In The Colonias Of The Rio Grande Valley: Health Related Quality Of Life And Resilience, Eron G. Manusov, Vincent P. Diego, Sarah Williams-Blangero

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Frailty is characterized by an accumulation of deficits that lead to vulnerability to adverse health outcomes. The Frailty Index (FI) quantifies frailty by measuring deficits that increase susceptibility to stressors. This study focused on a population of Mexican Americans living in vulnerable communities in the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas. We used a Frailty Index developed based on common health-related data--the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and a Health-related Quality of Life survey (Duke Health Profile). Quality of life, resilience, and frailty are interrelated and influenced by chronic illness, mental illness, poverty, cognitive impairment, and community support.

Methods: We …

Case Of New-Onset Scleromyxoedema-Scleroedema Spectrum Disorder In A Patient With Cll, Yuanteng Jeff Li, Victor G Prieto, Jean Tayar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

A Systematic Collection Of Medical Image Datasets For Deep Learning, Johann Li, Guangming Zhu, Cong Hua, Mingtao Feng, Basheer Bennamoun, Ping Li, Xiaoyuan Lu, Juan Song, Peiyi Shen, Xu Xu, Lin Mei, Liang Zhang, Syed A. A. Shah, Mohammed Bennamoun

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The astounding success made by artificial intelligence in healthcare and other fields proves that it can achieve human-like performance. However, success always comes with challenges. Deep learning algorithms are data dependent and require large datasets for training. Many junior researchers face a lack of data for a variety of reasons. Medical image acquisition, annotation, and analysis are costly, and their usage is constrained by ethical restrictions. They also require several other resources, such as professional equipment and expertise. That makes it difficult for novice and non-medical researchers to have access to medical data. Thus, as comprehensively as possible, this article …

Cardiovascular Surgery Trials In The United States: Representation Of Women And Minorities, Jessica G Y Luc, Marc R Moon, Ourania Preventza

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Hema: A Proposed Robot For Improving Healthcare Access In Underserved Communities, Ahmed Elshafey, Mohamed Hassan

Journal of Engineering Research

Abstract- Healthcare access is a major challenge in underserved communities, where people often face barriers such as distance, cost, and lack of transportation. HEMA (Horus Expert Medical Assistant Robot) is a new technology with the potential to revolutionize healthcare access in underserved communities by providing basic healthcare services on-site. HEMA is a mobile, affordable, and easy-to-use robot that can collect patient data, diagnose common diseases, and provide basic treatment.HEMA can address the challenges of healthcare access in underserved communities in a number of ways. First, HEMA can provide healthcare services to people who live in remote areas and who may …

Zero Energy Building Strategy In New Cities Using Revit Software Powered By An Ai Feature (Case Study: Coastal Villa In New Damietta), Huda M Albaz

Journal of Engineering Research

In the past ten years, the field of green architecture has been developed to create zero-energy buildings, which can produce the necessary energy for them in the year, in addition to not causing any damage to the surrounding environment . In other words, these buildings are able to achieve energy self-sufficiency, and also do not negatively affect the surrounding environment, as they have become a productive element and not only a consumer element [1]. The problem of research came in increasing the consumption of non-renewable energy in new cities, especially coastal cities in Egypt, with the increasing global climate change …

Sustainable Waste Management Through The Lens Of Artificial Intelligence: An In-Depth Review, Noha Emad El-Sayad, Shereen Zakaria

Journal of Engineering Research

One of the major issues facing the world, particularly developing countries, is waste management. “Waste” is any material that is not needed or has no intended use. Neglecting this waste endangers the safety of the public and causes harm, as it emits dangerous gases that have negative effects on human health. Egypt has made distinguished efforts to achieve the goals of Egypt Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. These efforts, which have been implemented through massive government projects throughout the past few years and are set to be followed by more in the future, still require a lot of …

Contactless Heart Rate Detection Using Mm-Wave Radar Systems Advancements, Amr Hussein, Mustafa M. Abd Elnaby, Ahmed M. Elkhawaga, Nessim M. Mahmoud

Journal of Engineering Research

In recent years, there has been a significant surge in the development of non-contact methods for detecting heart and breathing rates. Various Millimeter-wave (MM-wave) radar systems, operating at different frequency bands like 10 GHz, 24 GHz, 77 GHz, and 122 GHz, have been effectively deployed for this purpose. This paper explores the vital application of contactless systems in the medical field, particularly during disasters and epidemics. These systems are crucial for detecting the heart and breathing rates of individuals trapped under debris, in military operations, long-term vital sign monitoring in hospitals, and aiding the elderly in public spaces. Consequently, our …

Environmentally Friendly Wastewater Treatment In Egypt: Opportunities And Challenges, Mohamed Gabr

Journal of Engineering Research

The uncontrolled and untreated discharge of significant amounts of wastewater into water bodies, including lakes, rivers, and streams, as a result of population growth, has resulted in a number of environmental and health problems. At the local and municipal levels, many processes are traditionally used for wastewater treatment. It is essential to comprehend all accessible methods and assess their effectiveness because of the growing demand for and development of newer technology. Reusing various agricultural, municipal, and industrial wastes is a workable solution to Egypt's water needs due to the country's limited water supply and gradually rising water demand. The Egyptian …

Green Buildings On The Egyptian Coast: Prospects And Obstacles, Moataz M. Abdel-Aziz, Riham Salah

Journal of Engineering Research

Egypt's 2030 Sustainable Development Strategy seeks to add 140 million people to the nation's population by 2050. This expands the built environment, which raises the demand for energy and natural resources. Due to the current extreme weather conditions and advancements in construction technology, which have contributed to the squandering of natural resources. The need for comfort inside structures has grown pressing among residents. nonetheless, without raising prices or diminishing resources.Recent years have seen a rise in the use of the term "green building" (GB) due to the fact that it provides workable solutions to pressing global concerns like the depletion …

Roan, Alex, Paige Ravenscraft

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Alex Roan is a 42 year old trans masc individual who uses he/him pronouns. He was originally from Stoughton, Massachusetts where he grew up with his family before moving to Central Maine for college and living in the Portland area through adulthood. Alex shares his experience with growing up in a Catholic family and finding himself as a trans person in college. He details what it was like to come out to his family, who was in denial at first but later in life became his biggest supporters.

Alex Roan is the founder of MaineTransNet. This interview captures the story …

Nurse Leader Burnout: The Impact From The Covid-19 Pandemic, Chelsey P. Hinrichs, Brittany Huneke, Ali Marty Rodningen

Nursing Masters Papers

Problem: Levels of burnout in nurse leaders have elevated at alarming rates throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Research Purpose: The purpose of this secondary analysis is to examine a.) prevalence of burnout felt by nurse leaders b.) drivers contributing to burnout for nurse leaders c.) outcomes related to nurse leader burnout and d.) workplace strategies that can be implemented to assist in decreasing burnout felt by nurse leaders.

Theoretical Model: The Conservation of Resources (COR) theory was applied to drive this study. This theory was chosen due to its connection to burnout and its direct relationship to COR theory resources. …

Episode 5: Fair's Fair, Sara Gras

Season 01

One of the most commonly expressed objections to the inclusion of trans athletes is that it is fundamentally unfair, particularly to cis women and girls, to compete against trans women and girls. While this cultural belief may be ubiquitous, the science behind it is far from black and white. Without any substantive, multi-sport studies that include trans youth, much of the "evidence" of unfair advantage is merely inferred from other studies of biological difference. But with so much on the line for an already-marginalized community, we should be wary when anyone tries to justify exclusion solely on loose correlations between …

Improving Blood Pressure In Adults 65 Years And Older Via Weekly Telehealth Coaching, Janet Bathini

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Hypertension is a significant modifiable risk factor for CVD and is on the rise with advancing age. The management at the VA hospital's GEC clinic acknowledged the importance of managing HTN in veterans to lower their CVD risk and were open to implementing EBP to enhance HTN management.

PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this project was: In the primary care setting, in older adults > 65 years with BP > 140/90 (P), does weekly telehealth coaching (I) compared to no telehealth coaching (C), decrease their BP (O) over a 6-week period (T)?

Evidence: The evidence that guided this project …

Pharmacogenomic Precision Medicine: Best Practice Toolkit For Improving Patient Screening For Adult Metastatic Cancer Patients, Rena L. Stewart

Student Scholarly Projects

Precision medicine utilizes pharmacogenomic testing as a therapeutic approach. Genomic testing can assess the impact of an individual's genome on their reaction to specific medications. The main objective is to find variants that may affect an individual's response to a given medication. The implementation of pharmacogenomics in oncology facilitates informed decision-making by clinicians in drug selection and dosage determination.

Achieving Sustainability Through Multifaceted Green Functions In Manufacturing, Aamir Rashid, Rizwana Rasheed, Abdul Hafaz Nagah

Publications and Research

Purpose – Green practices are essential for sustainability. However, it is challenging due to the socioeconomic and environmental concerns. Similarly, after the induced SDG-12 and SDG-13 by United Nations, the pressure groups forced manufacturers to consider sustainability. Therefore, this research aims to examine the sustainability through multifaceted green functions in manufacturing is examined. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 293 supply chain professionals of manufacturers from a developing economy. Hypotheses were tested through a quantitative method using partial least squares-structural equationmodelingwith the help of SmartPLS version 4 to validate themeasurementmodel. Findings – The findings revealed that all six direct hypotheses …

Early Discharge Planning To Improve Throughput, Alan Chhith

Student Scholarly Projects

Early discharge planning can improve the safety and outcomes of hospitalized patients. The aim of the multidisciplinary team early discharge rounds was to manage patient flow by removing discharge barriers to reduce the length of stay in the medical/surgical unit. The overall goal of the process improvement project was to make inpatient beds available to admit patients from the emergency department, reducing long ED boarding, and decrease the hours of diversion. The PICOT question for this project was: in the Veteran population (P) in the VA medical/surgical unit, early discharge planning with an interdisciplinary team (I) compared to regular discharge …

Point Of Care Testing: Best Practice Toolkit For Improving Access To Point Of Care Testing In Mobile Medicine, Michaela Gist

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Healthcare for persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) is a complex issue. Chronic and communicable diseases are disproportionately represented within this population. Healthcare spending is 2.5 times more costly in comparison to those who have not experienced homelessness. Although mobile health clinics aim to reduce the concerns with access to care, they do not eliminate barriers if the appropriate tests are not immediately available.

PICO: In the homeless population treated in mobile medicine (P), what is the effect of point of care testing (I) on turnaround time (O) compared with outside laboratory testing (C)?

Evidence: Critical analysis of the literature …