Digital Commons Network^™

Supplemental Security Income (Ssi) Receipt And Access To Homeownership For People With Disabilities, Megan Henly

Institute on Disability

People with disabilities disproportionately face barriers to homeownership, many of which are associated with costs. One related, but unexplored barrier to homeownership in the United States (U.S.) is the role of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) policy. SSI is a means-tested federal program in the U.S. that provides monthly income to those who are blind or disabled. Recipients may not own assets totaling more than USD 2000 (or 3000 per married couple). While homes are excluded from this assessment, the strict cap on savings generally means that SSI recipients who do not already own a home when they begin to receive …

Tools For Clinical Pharmacists To Identify Medications That Can Cause Drug-Induced Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review, Jacob Stanton, Michael R. Gionfriddo, Gail B. Rattinger, Yuan Fang, Mia E. Lussier

Pharmacy Faculty Scholarship

Cognitive impairment affects around 19% of community-dwelling older adults in the United States. Pharmacists can play a significant role in identifying and deprescribing cognitive-impairing medications through cognitive-focused medication reviews or as part of comprehensive medication management. Multiple tools exist to help pharmacists and other practitioners identify these medications, yet a comprehensive description of these tools has not been undertaken. We searched EBSCO MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycInfo from inception to August 4, 2023, using search terms relative to medications and cognition. Studies were included if they detailed a tool to assess the cognitive burden of a medication regimen. Abstracts …

Immunization-Related Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: A Systematic Review Of Case Reports, William K Copenhaver, Brandon J Goodwin, Alexa Simonetti, Kunal P. Shah, Nicholas J Averell, David F Lo, Richard T Jermyn

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

AIM: Vaccines have been shown to have the highest efficacy in preventing infectious diseases through their ability to induce immunological memory against pathogens. An adverse reaction to a vaccine is an unexpected medical occurrence following immunization. Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a disease that has undergone much controversy regarding its onset post-vaccination. This systematic review aims to evaluate cases of CRPS post-vaccination to better understand the manifestation of the disease and its potential association with vaccines.

METHODS: A systematic review of case reports was conducted employing the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Outcomes of interest include type of vaccination, patient age, …

The Role And Therapeutic Possibilities Of Pelp1 In Hepatocellular Carcinoma (Hcc) Cells, Marian Hernandez Fernandez

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most rapidly increasing cause of cancer mortality in the USA and ranks as the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Moreover, advanced HCC has a bleak prognosis, with a median survival rate of approximately 10 months. Latinos in South Texas exhibit the greatest incidence of liver cancer nationwide. Proline-, glutamic acid-, and leucine-rich protein 1 (PELP1) is an oncogene associated with the advancement of several cancers; however, its function in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. Analysis of publicly accessible cancer databases revealed elevated expression of PELP1 oncogene in HCC relative to the control group. …

Rhizobacterial Isolates From The Native Plant Ceanothus Velutinus Promote Growth In Two Genotypes Of Tall Fescue, Ananta Raj Devkota, Sukhmanjot Kaur, Amita Kaundal

Plants, Soils and Climate Student Research

Global warming-induced climate change haunts the world, posing a critical threat to plant health and crop production. Overusing chemical fertilizers and pesticides poses a significant threat to soil health. Ceanothus velutinus (snowbrush) is a drought-tolerant, actinorhizal native plant found in the Intermountain West region of the US that harbors many plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). In this study, we evaluated the effects of PGPR CK-06, CK-22, CK-44, and CK-50 from C. velutinus on the growth and development of two tall fescue genotypes: (i) a lawn-type tall fescue blend and (ii) an endophyte-free forage-type tall fescue known as Armory. Tall fescue plants …

Gardner-Webb Assistant Professor Dr. Lorell Gordon Celebrates Achievements Of Her Students, Office Of University Communications, Avery Copeland

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Dr. Lorell Gordon, an assistant professor in the Gardner-Webb University School of Psychological Science and Counselor Education, recognized a need within the school’s program offerings and worked with her colleagues on a solution. She played a key role in developing and implementing the Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling (MCFC) concentration within the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program.

Increasing Charitable Giving To Nonprofit Organizations, Raynia T. Lewis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nonprofit leaders often experience a reduction in funding for various reasons, which can jeopardize the organization's financial sustainability and even its continued existence. As a result, securing reliable funding is a primary concern for nonprofit leaders, as a lack of funding could lead to the organization’s closure. Grounded in the hierarchy of effects theory, this qualitative multiple case study aimed to explore strategies nonprofit leaders use to raise funding from charitable giving sources. The participants were five nonprofit leaders with experience in increasing charitable giving for their nonprofit organizations. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, review of available organizational documents, …

The Effect Of School Closings On Juvenile Delinquency In Detroit, Denise Gray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Education and delinquency are two social issues that can impact youth's social and educational success. From 2007 to 2018, 17,597 public schools closed in the United States, affecting three million students. This study focused on the influence of juvenile crime and students' educational experiences in urban communities where a disproportionate number of public schools closed. The problem was limited research on how school closing impacted juvenile delinquency. This qualitative study explored the influence of public school closure on juvenile delinquency through the lens of defense attorneys. Travis Hirschi's social control theory and Robert Agnew's strain theory were used as the …

Recidivism, Reentry, And Integration In The Texas Criminal Justice System, Cierria Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Reentry programs in Texas can fail to address the social and practical needs of offenders conclusively post-release. As a result, offenders may struggle with unemployment, education, stigma, mental health issues, improper shelter, and inability to meet their basic needs. The purpose of this phenomenological research qualitative study was to establish the perceived effectiveness of reentry programs in Texas and suggest possible solutions for addressing offenders’ social and practical needs post-release from prison. The research was built around cognitive transformation theory, which highlights that desistance is achieved when an ex-offender meets specific prosocial elements. Using purposeful sampling, data were collected through …

Teacher’S Perspectives Regarding Kindergarten Students’ Behaviors And Social Skills Post-Pandemic, Latalia Middlebrook Robbins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Kindergarten teachers and support professionals in the social-emotional community within a local school district experienced changes in student behaviors and social skills since returning to in-person schooling following the pandemic. After COVID-19, teachers found themselves engaging students who presented a lack of social skill development, contributing to the behaviors within the classroom microsystem. This study used Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to support research efforts to examine how learning environments and interactions contributed to students’ preparation for Kindergarten. The research explored 12 Kindergarten teachers' and support professionals' perspectives concerning Kindergarten student behaviors and social skills. The research design was an …

Examining The Relationship Between Personality, Values, And Treatment Retention In Substance Abuse Programs: A Quantitative Correlation Analysis, Jonathan Ciampi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) continues to be a global issue with devasting effects on the community, loved ones, and individuals suffering from SUD. Healthcare professionals continue to develop improved treatments for addressing patient needs, yet treatment abandonment remains high. While studies have examined treatment retention factors, few have examined the relationship between personality traits, values, and treatment retention. This study examined the relationship between the five-factor model of personality traits, the theory of formal axiology of values, and the days in treatment for adults in a telehealth substance abuse outpatient clinic in the United States. The study assessed the combined …

Oil, Gold And S&P500 Volatility During The Covid-19 Crisis, Sayali Vichare

Critical Letters in Economics & Finance

The 2020 Global Health Crisis disrupted global financial markets in ways not experienced before, underlining the importance of examining stock market volatility patterns. This paper examines volatility dynamics in gold and oil prices and the S&P 500 Index. The GARCH (1,1) model, well-known in the financial literature, supports the study. The core research findings are summarised as follows: during the pre-COVID-19 period, the S&P 500 exhibited a stable relationship with gold and oil prices. However, there was evidence of shifting dynamics between the S&P 500, gold, and oil volatilities across the studied subsamples: pre-COVID-19, pandemic period, and post-COVID-19. Investors, policymakers, …

An Evaluation Of Features Extracted From Facial Images In The Context Of Accurate Age Estimation⋆, Malik Awais Khan, Aurelia Power, Peter Corcoran, Christina Thorpe

Conference papers

Age estimation by face image recognition can be used in numerous ways with regression models to manage access control, improve security, and guarantee the protection of children online. The approaches used for predicting age—including data selection, cleaning techniques, feature extraction, algorithm choice, and hyperparameter tuning—often struggles with generalization. Furthermore, a lot of methods neglect to specifically address how extracted face features might be used for prediction. To address the lack of racial diversity we acquired a dataset consisting of different races from literature. We also examined the ability of local, global and hybrid facial features to predict ages. Two variants …

University Department Chair Perceptions Of Open Access Journals And Open Textbooks, Rebecca Nicole Nissen

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the perceptions of university department chairs regarding open access journals and open textbooks. It was conducted as a qualitative single case study analysis using semistructured, in-person, one-on-one interviews. The six participants interviewed are department chairs from a large, private university in the western United States. Five levels of coding were used with thematic codes drawing from the TAM2 model. Findings revealed participant perceptions on (a) personal values, (b) university mission alignment, (c) predatory journals, and (d) promotion and tenure. The results obtained from this study can inform and influence institutional change and can also help inform future …

Defining Renal Recovery In Patients With Hepatorenal Syndrome-Acute Kidney Injury: Experience From North American Studies, Muhammad A. Mujtaba, Hussien Elsiesy, Sara Faiz, Syed A. Hussain, Ann Kathleen N. Gamilla-Crudo, Aftab Karim, Mohammad I. Khan, Muhammad W. Khattak, Zunaira Zafar, Michael Kueht, Khurram Jamil

Jefferson Health - Northeast Papers (formerly Aria Health Papers)

INTRODUCTION: The degree of improvement in serum creatinine (SCr) has previously been suggested as a sensitive indicator of treatment response in patients with hepatorenal syndrome-acute kidney injury (HRS-AKI), while HRS reversal remains the primary endpoint in clinical trials.

METHODS: A total of ≥ 30% SCr improvement was analyzed as an exploratory prespecified endpoint in the CONFIRM trial. In this post hoc analysis, intent-to-treat population data from three Phase 3 studies (OT-0401, REVERSE, and CONFIRM) conducted in North America in patients with HRS-AKI were pooled to assess the incidence of > 30% improvement in SCr and its association with clinical outcomes.

RESULTS: …

The Scientific Landscape Of The Aging-In-Place Literature: A Bibliometric Analysis, Saman Jamshidi, Nastaran Hashemi

Architecture Faculty Research

The world’s population is aging and, as populations age, they exhibit an increased prevalence of chronic diseases, which can reduce the independence of elderly individuals. The set of initiatives known as aging in place, a common policy response to the aging population, is preferred by both the elderly population and policymakers. Aging in place is a broad and multifaceted topic that involves multiple stakeholders and academic disciplines. A science map of the literature on aging in place can help researchers pinpoint their efforts and help policymakers make informed decisions. Thus, this study maps the scientific landscape of the aging-in-place literature. …

Coke Decomposition Kinetic Model Of Spent Hydrodesulfurization Catalysts, Aymen Zween, Zaidoon Shakor, Bashir Sherhan

Journal of Applied Sciences and Nanotechnology

Recycling residue hydrodesulfurization (HDS) catalysts is essential due to frequent deactivation. Petroleum coke's high ignition temperature and complex combustion behavior stem from its graphite-like structure and low volatile matter. This study investigates petroleum coke combustion and oxidation kinetics with metal catalysts. Data from HDS catalysts (5% Co-10% Mo/active kaolin and 5% Co-10% Mo/active bentonite) are crucial for industrial regenerator simulations. Iraqi mineral clays, treated and loaded with cobalt and molybdenum, were used in HDS reactions of Iraqi gas oil with 10200 ppm sulfur at 360°C, 12 bar, and WHSV of 2 h⁻¹. Spent catalysts, coated with coke, were analyzed, and …

Genivaldo Pimenta V. Attorney General United States Of America

2024 Decisions

Agency

Gardner-Webb Incoming First-Year Students Form Strong Bonds In Living-Learning Communities (Llc), Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

After successfully introducing Gardner-Webb University’s first living-learning community (LLC) last year, the Division of Student Success in collaboration with the Office of Housing and Residence Education added two more LLCs for the 2024 Fall Semester. Incoming first-year students could choose to participate in one of three LLCs: Faith, STEM or Honors.

Teacher’S Perspectives Regarding Kindergarten Students’ Behaviors And Social Skills Post-Pandemic, Latalia Middlebrook Robbins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Kindergarten teachers and support professionals in the social-emotional community within a local school district experienced changes in student behaviors and social skills since returning to in-person schooling following the pandemic. After COVID-19, teachers found themselves engaging students who presented a lack of social skill development, contributing to the behaviors within the classroom microsystem. This study used Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to support research efforts to examine how learning environments and interactions contributed to students’ preparation for Kindergarten. The research explored 12 Kindergarten teachers' and support professionals' perspectives concerning Kindergarten student behaviors and social skills. The research design was an …

Regulatory Dynamics Of Arginine Metabolism In Staphylococcus Aureus, Itidal Reslane, Gabrielle F. Watson, Luke D. Handke, Paul D. Fey

Open Access Articles Funded by the University of Nebraska Open Access Publishing Agreements or the former UNO Open Access Fund

Staphylococcus aureus is a highly significant pathogen with several well studied and defined virulence factors. However, the metabolic pathways that are required to facilitate infection are not well described. Previous data have documented that S. aureus requires glucose catabolism during initial stages of infection. Therefore, certain nutrients whose biosynthetic pathway is under carbon catabolite repression and CcpA, including arginine, must be acquired from the host. However, even though S. aureus encodes pathways to synthesize arginine, biosynthesis of arginine is repressed even in the absence of glucose. Why is S. aureus a functional arginine auxotroph? This review discusses recently described regulatory …

Response Of Mucinous Breast Carcinoma To Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy, Berkay Kiliç, Burak İlhan

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Mucinous breast carcinoma (MC) is thought to be a favorable-differentiated form of invasive breast cancer and is rarely preferred for neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). The study aimed to define the response of MCs to NAC.Materials and methods: The study reviewed the demographic, clinicopathologic characteristics, management, and follow-up data of 70 patients diagnosed with MC between May 2010 to December 2020 by examining patients’ historical files and oncology records.Results: The median age, tumor size, and follow-up period of patients were respectively 52.9 (range 32 to 87) years, 25.8 (range 8 to 88) mm, and 61.5 (range 18 to 143) months. Out …

A New Scoring In Differential Diagnosis: Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome Or Adenovirus Infection?, Mustafa Gençeli̇, Talha Üstüntaş, Özge Akcan, Si̇nan Saylik, Fati̇h Ercan, Sevgi̇ Pekcan, Si̇pi̇l Gençeli̇, Sevgi̇ Durmuş, Mustafa Argun

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Differentiating multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) from adenovirus infection (AI) can be challenging due to similar clinical and laboratory findings. This study aimed to identify distinguishing characteristics and develop a scoring system to facilitate accurate diagnosis.Materials and methods: A comprehensive review of medical records was undertaken for 108 MIS-C cases and 259 patients with confirmed AI. A comparison of laboratory data and clinical findings was conducted across patient groups through appropriate statistical tests.Results: MIS-C patients were significantly older than AI patients (p<0.001). Diarrhea, rash, abdominal pain, vomiting, non-exudative conjunctivitis, lymphadenopathy tachycardia, bradycardia, hypotension, hypoxia seizures, agitation, headache, and altered consciousness symptoms were more frequently associated with MIS-C (p<0.001), while cough and runny nose were significantly more common in AI (p<0.001). Lymphopenia and thrombocytopenia were more prevalent in MIS-C patients (p<0.001). AI and MIS-C were scored by giving 1 point each to the parameters that created the difference. For AI, ≤60 months, presence of cough, runny nose and absence of diarrhea, rash, abdominal pain, vomiting, non-exudative conjunctivitis, lymphadenopathy, tachycardia, bradycardia, hypotension, hypoxia seizures, agitation, headache, and altered consciousness, lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia and CRP <124.5 mg/L were determined as each parameter plus one point. A total score above 14 could predict AI with a high degree of accuracy sensitivity values stood at around 97.5% and specificity at 92.6%.Conclusion: The proposed inpatient scoring system, when used in conjunction with polymerase chain reaction testing, may improve the early differentiation of AI and MIS-C. This approach could help reduce unnecessary testing and optimize resource allocation. Further research with larger samples should investigate this novel scoring system to establish its reliability and generalizability.

Implementation Of Written Asthma Action Plan Among Asthma Patients In Türkiye: A Multicenter, Cross-Sectional, Descriptive Study, Kurtuluş Aksu, Gürgün Tuğçe Vural Solak, Pinar Mutlu, Levent Cem Mutlu, Görkem Vayişoğlu Şahi̇n, Burcu Yormaz, Ayli̇n Çapraz, Ezgi̇ Erdem Türe, Yavuzalp Solak, Funda Aksu

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: In our country, there is no data on whether the clinicians give an asthma action plan to implement to patients followed up with a diagnosis of asthma, and whether patients can manage their treatment according to this plan. The present study aimed to determine the use of asthma action plans in our country and the awareness levels of patients about the plan.Materials and methods: Multicenter, cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in outpatient immunology and allergy and pulmonology clinics of secondary and tertiary health-care centers. Adults asthmatics filled out a case registration form regarding age, gender, educational status, duration of …

High Sacral Slope, Lumbar Lordosis, And Sacral Slope-To-Pelvic Incidence Ratio Are Associated With New Bone Formation In Ankylosing Spondylitis, Aysun Aksoy, Cemal Gündoğmuş, Mehmet Kesi̇mer, Kemal Nas, İkram Duman, Gazanfer Eki̇nci̇, Murat Bezer, Pami̇r Atagündüz

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Syndesmophyte formation appears to be site specific in Ankylosing spondylitis(AS),and new bone formation seems to occur in regions of micro-trauma that are prone to tensile forces.Pelvic and spinal parameters are unique for individuals. Pelvic tilt and sacral slope are important anatomical features that compensate in harmony in keeping the sagittal balance. After puberty, the sacral slope shapes the lumbar lordosis, whereas the pelvic incidence is set to an individual constant. This study aims to analyze the properties of pelvic parameters in AS patients with and without syndesmophyte formation in the spine after 15years of disease duration.Materials and methods:Whole spine …

Comparison Of Rigid And Elastic Registration Methods In Software-Based Targeted Prostate Biopsy: A Multi-Center Cohort Study, Serhat Çeti̇n, Serdar Çeli̇k, Murat Koparal, Güven Aslan, Sertaç Yazici, Bahadir Şahi̇n, Si̇nan Sözen, Levent Türkeri̇

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/Aim: This study aims to compare the success rates of rigid registration (RR) and elastic registration (ER)systems in diagnosing all cancers and clinically significant prostate cancer (csPC) in software-based targeted prostate biopsies (TPBs) by performing matching analysis.Materials and Methods: The data of 2,061 patients from six centers where software-based TPB was performed were used. All cancer and csPC detection rates of the RR and ER systems were compared following Mahalanobis distance matching within the propensity score caliper method. Logistic regression analysis was applied to identify factors predicting clinically insignificant prostate cancer (ciPC) and csPC diagnoses. Additionally, the International Society of …

Transition Of Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus From Pediatric To Adult-Oriented Rheumatology Care, Seher Şener, Gözde Yardimci, Ezgi̇ Batu, Levent Kiliç, Ümmüşen Kaya Akça, Müşerref Kasap Cüceoğlu, Zeynep Balik, Özge Başaran, Yelda Bi̇lgi̇ner, Şule Apraş Bi̇lgen, Seza Özen

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: The transition from pediatric to adult-oriented care for individuals with juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) poses significant challenges. This study aims to assess the outcomes of transitioning patients with juvenile-onset SLE from pediatric to adult-oriented care.Materials and Methods: Patients with juvenile-onset SLE were included. They were transferred in face-to-face meetings where at least one pediatric rheumatologist and one adult rheumatologist were present (the transition time: October-December 2020).Results: The median (25th-75th percentiles) age at diagnosis and the time of the first examination at an adult-oriented rheumatology department of 65 SLE patients were 14.3 (10.9-15.1) years and 19.2 (18.5-20.4) years, respectively …

Cover And Contents

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

No abstract provided.

Lipid Discovery Enabled By Sequence Statistics And Machine Learning, Priya M. Christensen, Jonathan Martin, Aparna Uppuluri, Luke R. Joyce, Yahan Wei, Ziqiang Guan, Faruck Morcos, Kelli L. Palmer

School of Podiatric Medicine Publications

Bacterial membranes are complex and dynamic, arising from an array of evolutionary pressures. One enzyme that alters membrane compositions through covalent lipid modification is MprF. We recently identified that Streptococcus agalactiae MprF synthesizes lysyl-phosphatidylglycerol (Lys-PG) from anionic PG, and a novel cationic lipid, lysyl-glucosyldiacylglycerol (Lys-Glc-DAG), from neutral glycolipid Glc-DAG. This unexpected result prompted us to investigate whether Lys-Glc-DAG occurs in other MprF-containing bacteria, and whether other novel MprF products exist. Here, we studied protein sequence features determining MprF substrate specificity. First, pairwise analyses identified several streptococcal MprFs synthesizing LysGlc-DAG. Second, a restricted Boltzmann machine-guided approach led us to discover an …

Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy After Hospitalization For Acute Heart Failure: Insights From The Connect-Hf, Satoshi Shoji, Lisa Kaltenbach, Bradi B. Granger, Gregg C. Fonarow, Hussein R. Al-Khalidi, Nancy M. Albert, Javed Butler, Larry A. Allen, David E. Lanfear, Jennifer T. Thibodeau, Brittany M. Chapman, Sandra M. Oliver-Mcneil, G. Michael Felker, Ileana L. Piña, Christopher B. Granger, Adrian F. Hernandez, Adam D. Devore

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Significant gap remains in the implementation of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) in patients with heart failure after a hospitalization. We aimed to evaluate the use and titration of GDMT at discharge and over a 12-month period after hospital discharge and to identify factors associated with GDMT use and titration.

METHODS AND RESULTS: The CONNECT-HF (Care Optimization Through Patient and Hospital Engagement Clinical Trial for Heart Failure) trial evaluated the effect of a hospital and postdischarge quality improvement intervention in participants with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. In this secondary analysis, we examined use and titration to at least …