Digital Commons Network^™

Twelve Tips For Using The Understanding By Design® Curriculum Planning Framework, Alana D Newell, Cara A Foldes, Alison J Haddock, Nadia Ismail, Nancy P Moreno

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Health professions faculty engaged in curriculum planning or redesign can struggle with developing courses or programs that align desired learner outcomes, such as competencies to be applied in a clinical setting, with assessment and instruction.

AIMS: Our medical school implemented the Understanding by Design (UbD) framework to achieve alignment of outcomes, assessments and teaching during the renewal of our four-year curriculum. This article shares our strategies and practices for implementing UbD with teams of faculty curriculum developers.

DESCRIPTION: The UbD framework is a 'backward' approach to curriculum development that begins by identifying learner outcomes, followed by the development of …

Perspectives From Cystinosis: Access To Healthcare May Be A Confounding Factor For Variant Classification, Chen-Han Wilfred Wu, Alicja Tomaszewski, Louisa Stark, Fernando Scaglia, Ewa Elenberg, Fredrick R Schumaker

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Genetic variability persists across diverse populations, and it may impact the characterization of heritable diseases in different ancestral groups. Cystinosis is a metabolic disease caused by pathogenic variants in the CTNS gene causing the cellular accumulation of cystine. We attempted to assess the currently poorly characterized prevalence of cystinosis by employing a population genetics methodology. However, we encountered a significant challenge due to genetic variations across different populations, and the consideration of potential disparities in access to healthcare made our results inconclusive. Pathogenic CTNS variants were identified in a representative global population cohort using The Human Gene Mutation Database (HGMD) …

Β2-Glycoprotein I Promotes The Clearance Of Circulating Mitochondria, Swapan Kumar Dasgupta, Jahnavi Gollamudi, Stefanie Rivera, Ross A Poche, Rolando E Rumbaut, Perumal Thiagarajan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

β2-glycoprotein I (β2-Gp1) is a cardiolipin-binding plasma glycoprotein. It is evolutionarily conserved from invertebrates, and cardiolipin-bound β2-Gp1 is a major target of antiphospholipid antibodies seen in autoimmune disorders. Cardiolipin is almost exclusively present in mitochondria, and mitochondria are present in circulating blood. We show that β2-Gp1 binds to cell-free mitochondria (CFM) in the circulation and promotes its phagocytosis by macrophages at physiological plasma concentrations. Exogenous CFM had a short circulation time of less than 10 minutes in mice. Following infusion of CFM, β2-Gp1-deficient mice had significantly higher levels of transfused mitochondria at 5 minutes (9.9 ± 6.4 pg/ml versus 4.0 …

Siglec15, Negatively Correlated With Pd-L1 In Hcc, Could Induce Cd8+ T Cell Apoptosis To Promote Immune Evasion, Zheng Chen, Mincheng Yu, Bo Zhang, Lei Jin, Qiang Yu, Shuang Liu, Binghai Zhou, Jiuliang Yan, Wentao Zhang, Xiaoqiang Li, Yongfeng Xu, Yongsheng Xiao, Jian Zhou, Jia Fan, Mien-Chie Hung, Qinghai Ye, Hui Li, Lei Guo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Functional roles of SIGLEC15 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were not clear, which was recently found to be an immune inhibitor with similar structure of inhibitory B7 family members. SIGLEC15 expression in HCC was explored in public databases and further examined by PCR analysis. SIGLEC15 and PD-L1 expression patterns were examined in HCC samples through immunohistochemistry. SIGLEC15 expression was knocked-down or over-expressed in HCC cell lines, and CCK8 tests were used to examine cell proliferative ability in vitro. Influences of SIGLEC15 expression on tumor growth were examined in immune deficient and immunocompetent mice respectively. Co-culture system of HCC cell lines and …

Mecp2-Related Disorders While Gene-Based Therapies Are On The Horizon, Katherine Allison, Mirjana Maletic-Savatic, Davut Pehlivan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The emergence of new genetic tools has led to the discovery of the genetic bases of many intellectual and developmental disabilities. This creates exciting opportunities for research and treatment development, and a few genetic disorders (e.g., spinal muscular atrophy) have recently been treated with gene-based therapies. MECP2 is found on the X chromosome and regulates the transcription of thousands of genes. Loss of MECP2 gene product leads to Rett Syndrome, a disease found primarily in females, and is characterized by developmental regression, motor dysfunction, midline hand stereotypies, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, epilepsy, scoliosis, and autistic-like behavior. Duplication of MECP2 causes …

An Interactive, Case-Based Workshop On The Patient Experience For Internal Medicine Residents, Julian Swanson, Doris Lin, Kristen A Staggers, Priti Dangayach

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: The technological revolution has narrowed the information gap between physician and patient. This has led to an evolution in medicine from paternalistic to patient-centric, with health care systems now prioritizing patient experience to achieve higher satisfaction scores. Therefore, it is imperative to start early in educating trainees on how to best address the holistic needs of the patient while also delivering high-quality care.

METHODS: We implemented a 1-hour workshop that was repeated weekly over 8 weeks to capture all internal medicine residents in our program. During the workshop, we reviewed the historical evolution of patient care from paternalistic to …

Evaluating One-Week Post-Casting Alignment Checks And Surgical Intervention Rates In Pediatric Type Iia Supracondylar Humeral Fractures, Jason Z Amaral, Rebecca J Schultz, Benjamin M Martin, Jacob P Scioscia, Basel Touban, Barkha N Chhabra, Kelly Cline, Scott D Mckay

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: This study aims to determine the rate of surgical intervention in children with type IIA supracondylar humerus fractures (SCHF) following routine post-casting radiographic assessment. We hypothesized that no cases would convert to operative management following one-week post-casting alignment assessments.

METHODS: This single-center retrospective study focused on pediatric patients diagnosed with type IIA SCHF from 2019 to 2022. Patients were treated with initial long arm cast immobilization, followed by a one-week post-casting radiographic alignment check in cast. Fractures were graded in consensus using the Wilkins-Modified Gartland classification system by three fellowship-trained pediatric orthopaedic surgeons. Demographics, casting details, follow-up dates, and …

Klebsiella Pneumoniae Carbapenemase Variant 44 Acquires Ceftazidime-Avibactam Resistance By Altering The Conformation Of Active-Site Loops, Zhizeng Sun, Hanfeng Lin, Liya Hu, Neetu Neetu, Banumathi Sankaran, Jin Wang, B V Venkataram Prasad, Timothy Palzkill

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase 2 (KPC-2) is an important source of drug resistance as it can hydrolyze and inactivate virtually all β-lactam antibiotics. KPC-2 is potently inhibited by avibactam via formation of a reversible carbamyl linkage of the inhibitor with the catalytic serine of the enzyme. However, the use of avibactam in combination with ceftazidime (CAZ-AVI) has led to the emergence of CAZ-AVI-resistant variants of KPC-2 in clinical settings. One such variant, KPC-44, bears a 15 amino acid duplication in one of the active-site loops (270-loop). Here, we show that the KPC-44 variant exhibits higher catalytic efficiency in hydrolyzing ceftazidime, lower …

Inhibition Of Src-3 As A Potential Therapeutic Strategy For Aggressive Mantle Cell Lymphoma, Imani Bijou, Yang Liu, Dong Lu, Jianwei Chen, Shelby Sloan, Lapo Alinari, David M Lonard, Bert W O'Malley, Michael Wang, Jin Wang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) has a poor prognosis and high relapse rates despite current therapies, necessitating novel treatment regimens. Inhibition of SRC-3 show effectiveness in vivo and in vitro in other B cell lymphomas. Additionally, previous studies have shown that SRC-3 is highly expressed in the lymph nodes of B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients, suggesting SRC-3 may play a role in the progression of B cell lymphoma. This study aimed to investigate novel SRC-3 inhibitors, SI-10 and SI-12, in mantle cell lymphoma. The cytotoxic effects of SI-10 and SI-12 were evaluated in vitro and demonstrated dose-dependent cytotoxicity in a panel …

Colonic Malakoplakia In A Pediatric Renal Transplant Recipient Case Report, Kristen G Valencia Deray, Richard Kellermayer, Alexis C Gomez, Kalyani R Patel, Peace Imani, Seiji Kitagawa, Claire E Bocchini, Alvaro Orjuela

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Malakoplakia is a rare, chronic granulomatous disease that mainly affects the genitourinary system of immunocompromised adults. It is caused by a bactericidal deficit in macrophages and, therefore, the treatment includes antimicrobials that reach high concentrations in macrophages. To our knowledge, we present the first case of malakoplakia in a pediatric solid organ transplant recipient. Our patient is a 15-year-old male renal transplant recipient who presented with recurrent diarrhea. Blood, urine, and gastrointestinal pathogen panel testing were positive for enteroaggregative Escherichia coli. A colonoscopy revealed diffuse malakoplakia. He had a complete resolution of symptoms with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole therapy. Unfortunately, his malakoplakia recurred …

Expert Review Of Child And Caregiver Critiques Of A Therapeutic Guided Imagery Therapy Mobile Application Targeting Disorders Of Gut-Brain Interaction In Children, John M Hollier, Tiantá A Strickland, C Michael Fordis, Robert J Shulman, Debbe Thompson

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: A guided imagery therapy mobile application (GIT App) is a novel platform for treating children with disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI). Previous feedback from child/caregiver dyads suggested modifications for our App prototype. However, their feedback had the potential to affect the intervention's efficacy. Thus, we aimed to have their critiques vetted by relevant experts prior to further App refinement.

OBJECTIVE: Compare expert reviews of the GIT App with end-users' (i.e., child/caregiver dyads') feedback.

METHODS: This mixed-methods study with experts included a hands-on App evaluation, a survey assessing usability, and focus groups comparing their perspectives with those previously provided by …

Smooth Muscle Contractile Responses To Bile Acids In Mouse Ileum Require Tgr5 But Not Asbt, Diana S Chang, Krishnakant G Soni, Geoffrey A Preidis

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Many disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBIs) are more prevalent in women than men and feature alterations in gastrointestinal motility and bile acid homeostasis. Mechanisms by which bile acids regulate gastrointestinal motility are poorly characterized. We recently validated an adapted tissue bath technique using everted mouse ileum, which revealed differential contractile responses to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and deoxycholic acid (DCA). Here, we aimed to determine whether these responses are dependent on host sex, the plasma membrane bile acid receptor TGR5, or the apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter ASBT.

METHODS: Ileal segments from male and female mice were everted and suspended …

The Great Masquerade: Not All Coronary Artery Stenosis Are Created Equal, Prasanti A Kotta, Ajit K Koduri, Jeffrey Berman, Veronica V Rosen, Waleed T Kayani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

We present the case of a 60-year-old male, with active smoking and cocaine use disorder, who reported progressive chest pain. Various anatomical and functional cardiac imaging, performed to further evaluate chest pain etiology, revealed changing severity and distribution of left main artery (LMA) stenosis, raising suspicion for vasospasm. Intracoronary nitroglycerin relieved the vasospasm, with resolution of the LMA pseudostenosis. A diagnosis of vasospastic angina (VA) led to starting appropriate medical therapy with lifestyle modification counselling. This case highlights VA, a frequently underdiagnosed etiology of angina pectoris. We discuss when to suspect VA, its appropriate work-up, and management.

Risk Factors, Incidence, And Outcomes Associated With Clinically Significant Airway Ischemia, Gloria Li, Zejian Liu, Marcelo Salan-Gomez, Emma Keeney, Ethan D'Silva, Babith Mankidy, Andres Leon, Aladdein Mattar, Abdusallam Elsennousi, Jennalee Coster, Anupam Kumar, Bruno Rodrigues, Meng Li, Alexis Shafii, Puneet Garcha, Gabriel Loor

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Airway complications following lung transplantation remain an important cause of morbidity and mortality. We aimed to identify the incidence, risk factors and outcomes associated with clinically significant airway ischemia (CSAI) in our center. We reviewed 217 lung transplants (386 airway anastomoses) performed at our institution between February 2016 and December 2020. Airway images were graded using the 2018 ISHLT grading guidelines modified slightly for retrospective analysis. Airways were considered to have CSAI if they developed ischemia severity >B2, stenosis >50%, and/or any degree of dehiscence within 6-months of transplant. Regression analyses were used to evaluate outcomes and risk factors for …

Cardiac Tamponade Secondary To Esophagopericardial Fistula, Caitlin T Perez-Stable, Lauren T Callaghan, Christopher K Wong, Jorge M Escobar, Mahboob Alam

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Esophagopericardial fistulas are an extremely rare structural defect that may arise from malignant or iatrogenic etiologies. This article reports the case of a patient with cardiac tamponade secondary to hydropneumopericardium from esophagopericardial fistula. Given the high morbidity and mortality of this condition, this article describes challenges in diagnosis and clinical decision-making to improve early identification and interdisciplinary management.

Functional Genomics And Small Molecules In Mitochondrial Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Daniel G Calame, Lisa T Emrick

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Mitochondria are critical for brain development and homeostasis. Therefore, pathogenic variation in the mitochondrial or nuclear genome which disrupts mitochondrial function frequently results in developmental disorders and neurodegeneration at the organismal level. Large-scale application of genome-wide technologies to individuals with mitochondrial diseases has dramatically accelerated identification of mitochondrial disease-gene associations in humans. Multi-omic and high-throughput studies involving transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and saturation genome editing are providing deeper insights into the functional consequence of mitochondrial genomic variation. Integration of deep phenotypic and genomic data through allelic series continues to uncover novel mitochondrial functions and permit mitochondrial gene function dissection on an …

Researching Covid To Enhance Recovery (Recover) Pediatric Study Protocol: Rationale, Objectives And Design, Rachel S Gross, Tanayott Thaweethai, Erika B Rosenzweig, James Chan, Lori B Chibnik, Mine S Cicek, Amy J Elliott, Valerie J Flaherman, Andrea S Foulkes, Margot Gage Witvliet, Richard Gallagher, Maria Laura Gennaro, Terry L Jernigan, Elizabeth W Karlson, Stuart D Katz, Patricia A Kinser, Lawrence C Kleinman, Michelle F Lamendola-Essel, Joshua D Milner, Sindhu Mohandas, Praveen C Mudumbi, Jane W Newburger, Kyung E Rhee, Amy L Salisbury, Jessica N Snowden, Cheryl R Stein, Melissa S Stockwell, Kelan G Tantisira, Moriah E Thomason, Dongngan T Truong, David Warburton, John C Wood, Shifa Ahmed, Almary Akerlundh, Akram N Alshawabkeh, Brett R Anderson, Judy L Aschner, Andrew M Atz, Robin L Aupperle, Fiona C Baker, Venkataraman Balaraman, Dithi Banerjee, Deanna M Barch, Arielle Baskin-Sommers, Sultana Bhuiyan, Marie-Abele C Bind, Amanda L Bogie, Tamara Bradford, Natalie C Buchbinder, Elliott Bueler, Hülya Bükülmez, B J Casey, Linda Chang, Maryanne Chrisant, Duncan B Clark, Rebecca G Clifton, Katharine N Clouser, Lesley Cottrell, Kelly Cowan, Viren D'Sa, Mirella Dapretto, Soham Dasgupta, Walter Dehority, Audrey Dionne, Kirsten B Dummer, Matthew D Elias, Shari Esquenazi-Karonika, Danielle N Evans, E Vincent S Faustino, Alexander G Fiks, Daniel Forsha, John J Foxe, Naomi P Friedman, Greta Fry, Sunanda Gaur, Dylan G Gee, Kevin M Gray, Stephanie Handler, Ashraf S Harahsheh, Keren Hasbani, Andrew C Heath, Camden Hebson, Mary M Heitzeg, Christina M Hester, Sophia Hill, Laura Hobart-Porter, Travis K F Hong, Carol R Horowitz, Daniel S Hsia, Matthew Huentelman, Kathy D Hummel, Katherine Irby, Joanna Jacobus, Vanessa L Jacoby, Pei-Ni Jone, David C Kaelber, Tyler J Kasmarcak, Matthew J Kluko, Jessica S Kosut, Angela R Laird, Jeremy Landeo-Gutierrez, Sean M Lang, Christine L Larson, Peter Paul C Lim, Krista M Lisdahl, Brian W Mccrindle, Russell J Mcculloh, Kimberly Mchugh, Alan L Mendelsohn, Torri D Metz, Julie Miller, Elizabeth C Mitchell, Lerraughn M Morgan, Eva M Müller-Oehring, Erica R Nahin, Michael C Neale, Manette Ness-Cochinwala, Sheila M Nolan, Carlos R Oliveira, Onyekachukwu Osakwe, Matthew E Oster, R Mark Payne, Michael A Portman, Hengameh Raissy, Isabelle G Randall, Suchitra Rao, Harrison T Reeder, Johana M Rosas, Mark W Russell, Arash A Sabati, Yamuna Sanil, Alice I Sato, Michael S Schechter, Rangaraj Selvarangan, S Kristen Sexson Tejtel, Divya Shakti, Kavita Sharma, Lindsay M Squeglia, Shubika Srivastava, Michelle D Stevenson, Jacqueline Szmuszkovicz, Maria M Talavera-Barber, Ronald J Teufel, Deepika Thacker, Felicia Trachtenberg, Mmekom M Udosen, Megan R Warner, Sara E Watson, Alan Werzberger, Jordan C Weyer, Marion J Wood, H Shonna Yin, William T Zempsky, Emily Zimmerman, Benard P Dreyer, Recover-Pediatric Consortium

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

IMPORTANCE: The prevalence, pathophysiology, and long-term outcomes of COVID-19 (post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 [PASC] or "Long COVID") in children and young adults remain unknown. Studies must address the urgent need to define PASC, its mechanisms, and potential treatment targets in children and young adults.

OBSERVATIONS: We describe the protocol for the Pediatric Observational Cohort Study of the NIH's REsearching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative. RECOVER-Pediatrics is an observational meta-cohort study of caregiver-child pairs (birth through 17 years) and young adults (18 through 25 years), recruited from more than 100 sites across the US. This report focuses on two of …

Understanding The Role Of Ampa Receptors In Autism: Insights From Circuit And Synapse Dysfunction, Andres Jimenez-Gomez, Megan X Nguyen, Jason S Gill

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Autism spectrum disorders represent a diverse etiological spectrum that converge on a syndrome characterized by discrepant deficits in developmental domains often highlighted by concerns in socialization, sensory integration, and autonomic functioning. Importantly, the incidence and prevalence of autism spectrum disorders have seen sharp increases since the syndrome was first described in the 1940s. The wide etiological spectrum and rising number of individuals being diagnosed with the condition lend urgency to capturing a more nuanced understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms underlying the autism spectrum disorders. The current review seeks to understand how the disruption of AMPA receptor (AMPAr)-mediated neurotransmission in the …

Branched-Chain Amino Acid Accumulation Fuels The Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype, Yaosi Liang, Christopher Pan, Tao Yin, Lu Wang, Xia Gao, Ergang Wang, Holly Quang, De Huang, Lianmei Tan, Kun Xiang, Yu Wang, Peter B Alexander, Qi-Jing Li, Tso-Pang Yao, Zhao Zhang, Xiao-Fan Wang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The essential branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) leucine, isoleucine, and valine play critical roles in protein synthesis and energy metabolism. Despite their widespread use as nutritional supplements, BCAAs' full effects on mammalian physiology remain uncertain due to the complexities of BCAA metabolic regulation. Here a novel mechanism linking intrinsic alterations in BCAA metabolism is identified to cellular senescence and the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), both of which contribute to organismal aging and inflammation-related diseases. Altered BCAA metabolism driving the SASP is mediated by robust activation of the BCAA transporters Solute Carrier Family 6 Members 14 and 15 as well as downregulation …

Polygenic Scores And Mendelian Randomization Identify Plasma Proteins Causally Implicated In Alzheimer’S Disease, Davis B Cammann, Yimei Lu, Jerome I Rotter, Alexis C Wood, Jingchun Chen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: An increasing body of evidence suggests that neuroinflammation is one of the key drivers of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) pathology. Due to the increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in older adults, peripheral plasma proteins can infiltrate the central nervous system (CNS) and drive neuroinflammation through interactions with neurons and glial cells. Because these inflammatory factors are heritable, a greater understanding of their genetic relationship with LOAD could identify new biomarkers that contribute to LOAD pathology or offer protection against it.

METHODS: We used a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 90 different plasma proteins (

RESULTS: We identified …

International Society For Pediatric And Adolescent Diabetes Clinical Practice Consensus Guidelines 2024: Diabetes Technologies - Insulin Delivery, Torben Biester, Cari Berget, Charlotte Boughton, Laura Cudizio, Laya Ekhlaspour, Marisa E Hilliard, Leenatha Reddy, Suzanne Sap Ngo Um, Melissa Schoelwer, Jennifer L Sherr, Klemen Dovc

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) guidelines represent a rich repository that serves as the only comprehensive set of clinical recommendations for children, adolescents, and young adults living with diabetes worldwide. This chapter builds on the 2022 ISPAD guidelines, and summarizes recent advances in the technology behind insulin administration, with special emphasis on insulin pump therapy, especially on glucose-responsive integrated technology that is feasible with the use of automated insulin delivery (AID) systems in children and adolescents. The International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) guidelines represent a rich repository that serves as the only comprehensive …

Predictors Of Making A Referral To Child Protective Services Prior To Expert Consultation, Danielle Zamalin, Irene Hamlin, Justine Shults, M Katherine Henry, Kristine A Campbell, James D Anderst, Angela N Bachim, Rachel P Berger, Lori D Frasier, Nancy S Harper, Megan M Letson, John D Melville, Daniel M Lindberg, Joanne N Wood

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: Suspicion for child abuse is influenced by implicit biases. Evaluation by a Child Abuse Pediatrician (CAP) may reduce avoidable child protective services (CPS) referrals. Our objective was to investigate the association of patient demographic, social and clinical characteristics with CPS referral before consultation by a CAP (preconsultation referral).

METHODS: Children <5 years-old undergoing in-person CAP consultation for suspected physical abuse from February 2021 through April 2022 were identified in CAPNET, a multicenter child abuse research network. Marginal standardization implemented with logistic regression analysis examined hospital-level variation and identified demographic, social, and clinical factors associated with pre-consultation referral adjusting for CAP’s final assessment of abuse likelihood.

RESULTS: Among the 61% (1005/1657) of cases with preconsultation referral, the CAP consultant had low concern for abuse in 38% (384/1005). Preconsultation referrals ranged from 25% to 78% of cases across 10 hospitals (P < .001). In multivariable analyses, preconsultation referral was associated with public insurance, caregiver history of CPS involvement, history of intimate partner violence, higher CAP level of concern for abuse, hospital transfer, and near-fatality (all P < .05). The difference in preconsultation referral prevalence for children with public versus private insurance was significant for children with low CAP concern for abuse (52% vs 38%) but not those with higher concern for abuse (73% vs 73%), (P = .023 for interaction of insurance and abuse likelihood category). There were no differences in preconsultation referral based on race or ethnicity.

CONCLUSIONS: Biases based on socioeconomic status and social factors may impact decisions to refer to …

Salvation And Sweet Rolls: An Examination Of Mormon Diet Books, Rachel Noorda

English Faculty Publications and Presentations

Religious diet books highlight the overlap between religious and diet cultures. This article examines the intersection of Mormonism, diet culture, and fatphobia through an analysis of Mormon diet books published between 1990 and 2015. The study explores how Mormon diet books leverage the Word of Wisdom (the LDS health code) to promote weight loss and reinforce religious obedience. By framing dietary compliance as a spiritual mandate, these texts link physical health and body size to moral and spiritual worthiness. This conflation of body and spirit, rooted in Mormon theology, amplifies fatphobia by promoting thinness as a sign of obedience and …

International Bestsellers And The Online Reconfiguring Of National Identity, Rachel Noorda, Millicent Weber, Melanie Ramdarshan Bold

English Faculty Publications and Presentations

International bestsellers are the ideal sites for examining the complicated relationship between literary culture and national identity. Despite the transnational turns in both literary studies and book history, place is still an important configurer of twenty-first-century book reception. Books are crucial to national identity and catalysts of nationalist movements. On an individual level, books enable readers to shape and maintain their own national identities. This Element explores how contemporary readers' understandings of nation, race/ethnicity, gender, and class continue to shape their reading, using as case studies the online reception of three bestseller titles-Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies (Australia), Zadie Smith's …

Changes In Patterns Of Referral For Inpatient Rehabilitation Cancer Patients Due To Covid-19: A Retrospective Study, Ekta Gupta, Amy H Ng, Aline Rozman De Moraes, Jack B Fu, Jegy M Tennison, Maaheen Ahmed, Bryan M Fellman, Eduardo Bruera

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

There is a paucity of literature on the effect of COVID-19 on hospital processes. We hypothesized that COVID-19 was associated with decreased cancer physiatry referrals in 2020. This is a retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients from April to July 2019 and 2020 admitted at an academic quaternary cancer center. The main outcomes were number of hospital admissions, rate, and characteristics of inpatient rehabilitation admissions and change in percentage of physiatry referrals as the primary endpoint. Results showed that in 2019, there were 387 referrals from 10,274 inpatient admissions (3.8%; 95% confidence interval, 2.4-4.2), compared with 337 referrals from 7051 …

Crystal Structure Of Trichinella Spiralis Calreticulin And The Structural Basis Of Its Complement Evasion Mechanism Involving C1q, Zhihui Jia, Wen Yu, Jingmo Li, Mingming Zhang, Bin Zhan, Liming Yan, Zhenhua Ming, Yuli Cheng, Xiaolin Tian, Shuai Shao, Jingjing Huang, Xinping Zhu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Helminths produce calreticulin (CRT) to immunomodulate the host immune system as a survival strategy. However, the structure of helminth-derived CRT and the structural basis of the immune evasion process remains unclarified. Previous study found that the tissue-dwelling helminth Trichinella spiralis produces calreticulin (TsCRT), which binds C1q to inhibit activation of the complement classical pathway. Here, we used x-ray crystallography to resolve the structure of truncated TsCRT (TsCRTΔ), the first structure of helminth-derived CRT. TsCRTΔ was observed to share the same binding region on C1q with IgG based on the structure and molecular docking, which explains the inhibitory effect of TsCRT …

Associations Of Chronic Pain With Psychosocial Outcomes After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Nidilrr And Va Tbi Model Systems Collaborative Project, Robin Hanks, Jessica M Ketchum, Mackenzie Peckham, Mitch Sevigny, Angelle M Sander, Aaron M Martin, Stephanie Agtarap, Cynthia L Beaulieu, Librada Callender, Flora M Hammond, Jean Lengenfelder, Amanda R Rabinowitz, William C Walker, Jeanne M Hoffman, Cynthia Harrison-Felix, Risa Nakase-Richardson

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: To examine the differences in participation, life satisfaction, and psychosocial outcomes among individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) endorsing current, past, or no chronic pain.

SETTING: Community.

PARTICIPANTS: Three thousand eight hundred four TBI Model Systems participants 1 to 30 years of age postinjury classified into 1 of 3 groups based on their pain experience: current pain, past pain, no pain completed a Pain Survey at their usual follow-up appointment which on average was approximately 8 years postinjury.

DESIGN: Multisite, cross-sectional observational cohort study.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Sociodemographic and injury characteristics and psychosocial outcomes (ie, satisfaction with life, depression, …

Pre-Clinical Protective Potentials Of Carica Papaya Constituents In Experimentally Induced Anemia, Hassan Abdulsalam Adewuyi, Adamu Yusuf Kabiru, Hadiza Lami Muhammad, Halimat Yusuf Lukman, Mayowa Solomon Owolabi, Ibrahim Jonathan, Ahmed M El-Gazzar, Mohamed H Mahmoud, Gaber El-Saber Batiha, Bashir Lawal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: Anemia is a pathological condition characterized by reduced oxygen bioavailability and/or changes in hematological parameters. This study investigated the anti-anemic activities of

METHOD: Twenty-seven rats were randomized into nine groups of three rats as follows; group 1 was the normal (non-induced) group, 2-9 were anemic rats administered 1 mL distilled water, standard drug (3 mg/kg body weight (bw) ferrous sulphate), 100, 300 and 500 mg/kg bw of crude methanolic extract of CP (CMECP) of the leaf and 100, 300 and 500 mg/kg bw of CMECP of the seed respectively in the first stage of the study. In the second …

Diagnostic Value Of Soluble Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator Receptor In Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Michal Pruc, Iwona Jannasz, Damian Swieczkowski, Grzegorz Procyk, Aleksandra Gasecka, Zubaid Rafique, Francesco Chirico, Nicola Luigi Bragazzi, Milosz J Jaguszewski, Jaroslaw Wysocki, Lukasz Szarpak

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: In contemporary clinical practice, there is an increasing need for new clinically relevant biomarkers potentially optimizing management strategies in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This study aimed to determine the diagnostic utility of soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) levels in individuals with suspected ACS.

METHODS: A literature search was performed in Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases, for studies comparing suPAR levels among patients with and without ACS groups. The methodological quality of the included papers was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). A fixed-effects model was used …

Recent Trends In The Incidence Of Gastric Cancer In The United States, Kyle S Liu, Syed Ahsan Raza, Hashem B El-Serag, Aaron P Thrift

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer (GC) incidence rates overall in the United States have declined over recent decades and are predicted to continue declining. However, there have been mixed recent findings regarding the potential stabilization of rates and potential divergent trends by age group. We used the most recent cancer data for the United States and examined trends in GC between 1992 and 2019, overall and in important subgroups of the population.

METHODS: Age-adjusted GC incidence rates and trends in adults 20 years or older were calculated using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) 12 program. Secular trends were …