Digital Commons Network^™

Variant Of The Lactase Lct Gene Explains Association Between Milk Intake And Incident Type 2 Diabetes, Kai Luo, Guo-Chong Chen, Yanbo Zhang, Jee-Young Moon, Jiaqian Xing, Brandilyn A Peters, Mykhaylo Usyk, Zheng Wang, Gang Hu, Jun Li, Elizabeth Selvin, Casey M Rebholz, Tao Wang, Carmen R Isasi, Bing Yu, Rob Knight, Eric Boerwinkle, Robert D Burk, Robert C Kaplan, Qibin Qi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cow's milk is frequently included in the human diet, but the relationship between milk intake and type 2 diabetes (T2D) remains controversial. Here, using data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, we show that in both sexes, higher milk intake is associated with lower risk of T2D in lactase non-persistent (LNP) individuals (determined by a variant of the lactase LCT gene, single nucleotide polymorphism rs4988235 ) but not in lactase persistent individuals. We validate this finding in the UK Biobank. Further analyses reveal that among LNP individuals, higher milk intake is associated with alterations in gut microbiota (for …

The Relationship Of Neighborhood Disadvantage, Biological Aging, And Psychosocial Risk And Resilience Factors In Heart Failure Incidence Among Black Persons: A Moderated Mediation Analysis, Ganga S Bey, James R Pike, Anthony S Zannas, Qian Xiao, Bing Yu, Amil M Shah, Priya Palta

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Deprived living environments contribute to greater heart failure (HF) risk among non-Hispanic Black persons, who disproportionately occupy disadvantaged neighborhoods. The mechanisms for these effects are not fully explicated, partially attributable to an insufficient understanding of the individual factors that contribute additional risk or resilience to the impact of neighborhood disadvantage on health. The objective of this study was, therefore, to clarify the complex pathways over which such exposures act to facilitate more targeted, effective interventions. Given the evidence for a mediating role of biological age and a moderating role of individual psychosocial characteristics in the neighborhood disadvantage-HF link, we …

Dynamic Risk Score Modeling For Multiple Longitudinal Risk Factors And Survival, Cuihong Zhang, Jing Ning, Jianwen Cai, James E Squires, Steven H Belle, Ruosha Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Modeling disease risk and survival using longitudinal risk factor trajectories is of interest in various clinical scenarios. The capacity to build a prognostic model using the trajectories of multiple longitudinal risk factors, in the presence of potential dependent censoring, would enable more informed, personalized decision making. A dynamic risk score modeling framework is proposed for multiple longitudinal risk factors and survival in the presence of dependent censoring, where both events depend on participants' post-baseline clinical progression and form a competing risks structure. The model requires relatively few random effects regardless of the number of longitudinal risk factors and can therefore …

Cleaning Tasks And Products And Asthma Among Health Care Professionals, Jenil Patel, David Gimeno Ruiz De Porras, Laura E Mitchell, Arch Carson, Lawrence W Whitehead, Inkyu Han, Lisa Pompeii, Sadie Conway, Jan-Paul Zock, Paul K Henneberger, Riddhi Patel, Joy De Los Reyes, George L Delclos

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: Health care workers are at risk for work-related asthma, which may be affected by changes in cleaning practices. We examined associations of cleaning tasks and products with work-related asthma in health care workers in 2016, comparing them with prior results from 2003.

METHODS: We estimated asthma prevalence by professional group and explored associations of self-reported asthma with job-exposure matrix-based cleaning tasks/products in a representative Texas sample of 9914 physicians, nurses, respiratory/occupational therapists, and nurse aides.

RESULTS: Response rate was 34.8% (n = 2421). The weighted prevalence rates of physician-diagnosed (15.3%), work-exacerbated (4.1%), and new-onset asthma (6.7%) and bronchial hyperresponsiveness …

The Impact Of Body Mass Index And Physical Disability On Home-Based Anal Self-Sampling, Jenna Nitkowski, Maria E Fernandez, Tim Ridolfi, Elizabeth Chiao, Anna R Giuliano, Vanessa Schick, Michael D Swartz, Jennifer S Smith, Alan G Nyitray

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: Self-sampling is increasingly being used in screening programs, yet no studies to date have examined the impact of bodily characteristics on self-sampling experiences. Our objective was to assess whether body mass index (BMI) and physical disability were associated with anal self-sampling difficulty.

METHODS: We recruited sexual minority men (SMM) and trans persons in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to participate in an anal cancer screening study. Between January 2020 and August 2022, 240 participants were randomized to a home (n = 120) or clinic (n = 120) screening arm. Home participants received a mailed at-home anal self-sampling kit and were asked to …

The Perpetual Evidence-Practice Gap: Addressing Ongoing Barriers To Chronic Pain Management In Primary Care In Three Steps, Laura Ellen Ashcraft, Megan E Hamm, Serwaa S Omowale, Valerie Hruschak, Elizabeth Miller, Shaun M Eack, Jessica S Merlin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Most management of chronic pain, a serious illness affecting the physical and psychological wellbeing of millions, occurs in primary care settings. Primary care practitioners (PCPs) attempt to provide evidence-based practices to treat chronic pain. However, there continues to be a gap between the care people receive and the evidence. The objectives for this study were to (1) explore determinants of evidence-based chronic pain management and (2) develop a novel approach to using implementation science to address the evidence-practice gap.

Method: A convenience sample of twenty-one Pennsylvania PCPs participated in one-time semi-structured telephone interviews. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and both …

Self-Perception Of Mental Health, Covid-19 And Associated Sociodemographic-Contextual Factors In Latin America, Pablo Roa, Guillermo Rosas, Gloria Isabel Niño-Cruz, Sergio Mauricio Moreno-López, Juliana Mejía-Grueso, Haney Aguirre-Loaiza, Javiera Alarcón-Aguilar, Rodrigo Reis, Adriano Akira Ferreira Hino, Fernando López, Deborah Salvo, Andrea Ramírez-Varela

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of alterations in self-perceived mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and their associated factors in four Latin American countries. This is a cross-sectional study based on data collected from adults in 2021 through the Collaborative Response COVID-19 Survey by the MacDonnell Academy at Washington University in St. Louis (United States). The sample was composed of 8,125 individuals from Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Chile. A generalized linear model for a binary outcome variable with a logistic link and fixed country effects was used. There were 2,336 (28.75%) individuals who considered having suffered alterations in …

Prozone Masks Elevated Sars-Cov-2 Antibody Level Measurements, Micaela N Sandoval, Samuel P Mcclellan, Stephen J Pont, Jessica A Ross, Michael D Swartz, Mark A Silberman, Eric Boerwinkle

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We report a prozone effect in measurement of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein antibody levels from an antibody surveillance program. Briefly, the prozone effect occurs in immunoassays when excessively high antibody concentration disrupts the immune complex formation, resulting in a spuriously low reported result. Following participant inquiries, we observed anomalously low measurement of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein antibody levels using the Roche Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S immunoassay from participants in the Texas Coronavirus Antibody Research survey (Texas CARES), an ongoing prospective, longitudinal antibody surveillance program. In July, 2022, samples were collected from ten participants with anomalously low results for serial dilution studies, and a …

Colonial Drivers And Cultural Protectors Of Brain Health Among Indigenous Peoples Internationally, Rita Henderson, Joyla A Furlano, Shayla Scott Claringbold, Ashley Cornect-Benoit, Anh Ly, Jennifer Walker, Lisa Zaretsky, Pamela Roach

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Despite relatively higher rates of dementia among Indigenous populations internationally, research into drivers of disparities in brain health and cognitive function has tended to focus on modifiable risk factors over cultural understandings and contextual determinants. By seeking to characterize social and cultural factors that shape brain health and cognition in Indigenous populations, this mini scoping review expands prevailing schools of thought to include Indigenous knowledge systems. This reveals important gaps in culturally aligned care. It also reclaims horizons for research important to Indigenous Peoples that have garnered diminished attention in biomedical approaches. Twenty-three sources were included for data extraction. This …

Higher Baseline Serum Bilirubin Levels Are Associated With Increased Risk Of Early Neurological Deterioration In Women With Acute Ischemic Stroke, Meng Sun, Yingfeng Weng, Jiwei Cheng, Guoyi Li, Qian Xiao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Early neurological deterioration (END) occurs in up to one-third of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and associated with poor outcome. The role of serum bilirubin in END remains controversial. This study aims to investigate the association of total bilirubin (TBIL), direct bilirubin (DBIL) and indirect bilirubin (IBIL) with END.

METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional retrospective study with 344 AIS patients enrolled. We retrospectively reviewed consecutive AIS patients with END through a medical record retrieval system and enrolled patients as control randomly from the AIS patients without END at the same period. The bilirubin levels were …

Functionalized Microfiltration Membranes For Aerosol Capture To Chloro-Organic Degradation, Rollie George Mills

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

The environmental remediation of water and air sources is a challenging field, due to widespread contamination, pollutant variety, and efficiency of existing treatment options. Remediation of certain pollutants, such as per- and polyfluorinated chemicals (PFAS), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and viral aerosols, has shown promise via adsorptive, degradative, or filtration-based processes, each with their respective advantages and limitations. Membrane technology is one option that has exhibited considerable pollutant removal from environmental sources via reverse osmosis (RO) filtration, but is limited by low permeabilities and lack of pollutant detoxification. With the support of NIEHS and NSF, the functionalization …

Exploring The Effect Of Casting Solution Composition, Additives, And Casting Conditions On The Morphology And Separation Performance Of Pvdf Membranes, Rachel Kaplan

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Global water scarcity and quality concerns in the past decade have led to a looming global water crisis. Polymeric membranes have emerged as a potential solution due to their modularity, operational reliability, and wide range of contaminant removal. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is often selected as a membrane material for its enhanced chemical resistance, thermal stability, and mechanical strength. However, these membranes often require more complex fabrication methods or support materials to achieve optimum performance. Flat-sheet unsupported PVDF membranes were fabricated via nonsolvent induced phase separation. The influence of solvent, polymer composition, pore forming additives, and casting conditions were explored with …

Development Of Glutathione-Responsive Disulfide-Containing Poly(Beta-Amino Esters) With Varied Hydrophilicity And Acrylate Functionality, Anastasiia Aronova

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Smart biomaterials are becoming promising for therapeutic deliveries due to their ability to respond to changes in the environment. Redox-responsive hydrogels are a promising type of smart polymer that can swell and degrade according to cellular oxidative stress levels. Glutathione, abundant in cells, is crucial in redox-responsive biomaterials, serving as a key reactive molecule. This study explored the degradation kinetics of glutathione-responsive poly(β-amino ester) (PBAE) polymers created through a single-step Michael addition. We examined how disulfide content influences the degradation kinetics of these PBAE networks. Additionally, we investigated how the hydrophilicity and functionality of acrylate affect the degradation of disulfide-containing …

Sustained Release Systems For Endometrial Cancer, Claire E. Rowlands

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the sixth most common cancer in women worldwide and is the most common cancer of female reproductive organs. From 2007-2016 there has been a global rise in incidence of EC of 1.3 %. Typically, EC is treated with surgery, but at later stages surgery is less effective requiring chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. These treatment options are less effective than surgery and there are very few FDA approved chemotherapies for EC. The minuscule number of effective treatment options as well as an increase in incidence shows the need for creating improved treatments for EC. There has been …

Myokine Probdnf-P75ntr Signaling In Skeletal Muscle Injury And Sterile Inflammation, Katherine Aby

Dissertations and Theses

Originally discovered in the brain, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been shown to be expressed and released from skeletal muscle as a myokine. However, the function of myokine BDNF is not fully understood. Of interest to this study is the function of the BDNF precursor proBDNF in skeletal muscle. We first show that skeletal muscle expresses unique BDNF splice variants compared to the brain, and at the protein level, skeletal muscle expresses significantly more proBDNF than mature BDNF under basal conditions. Consistent with this, expression of major protein convertases in skeletal muscle were significantly lower. The role of myokine proBDNF …

The Effects Of The Video Modeling Product Gemiini© On Verbal Response Production Of Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder Who Are Nonspeaking Or Minimally Speaking, Miranda Ann Galvin

Dissertations and Theses

The current study evaluates the effectiveness of the commercial video modeling program GemIIni© (GemIIni© Educational Systems, 2012) in increasing expressive spoken language production in individuals who exhibit characteristics of autism spectrum disorder and are considered nonspeaking or minimally speaking. Based upon the principles of Applied Behavioral Analysis, video modeling has been identified as an evidence-based practice in teaching skills to students with disabilities. In this study, the criteria for using a single-case alternating treatment design embedded within an AB experimental design was implemented to evaluate the effect of the video modeling system on the number of responses produced.

A Bayesian Analysis Of E-Cigarette Risk Perceptions In The United Kingdom, W. Kip Viscusi

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

Public Health England has communicated that e-cigarettes provide at least a 95% risk reduction compared to conventional cigarettes. This article's survey evidence indicates that adults in the United Kingdom believe that e-cigarettes are only 30%–40% safer overall and that they reduce lung cancer risks and total mortality risks by a similar percentage. A Bayesian analysis of risk beliefs finds that e-cigarette risk perceptions are anchored on prior cigarette risk beliefs. The public, especially smokers, underestimates the magnitude of the risk reduction being communicated by public health officials. Those who are aware of e-cigarette messages from Public Health England assess lower …

The Impact Of Banning Confidential Settlements On Discrimination Dispute Resolution, Joni Hersch, Blair D. Bullock

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

The #MeToo movement exposed how workplace harassment plagues employment in the United States. Several states responded by passing legislation aimed at curbing harassment and employment discrimination in the workplace. One of the most common legislative efforts was to ban confidentiality provisions in certain settlement agreements. These bans, in part, attempted to stop “secret settlements” by shining light on workplace discrimination and exposing serial harassers as a means to motivate firms to actively deter workplace discrimination.

But do bans on confidentiality agreements deter the bad act? For these laws to have a deterrent effect, claims must be revealed in a public …

Classification Of White Blood Cells (Leucocytes) From Blood Smear Imagery Using Machine And Deep Learning Models: A Global Scoping Review, Rabia Asghar, Sanjay Kumar, Arslan Shaukat, Paul Hynds

Conference papers

Machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) models are being increasingly employed for medical imagery analyses, with both approaches used to enhance the accuracy of classification/prediction in the diagnoses of various cancers, tumors and bloodborne diseases. To date however, no review of these techniques and their application(s) within the domain of white blood cell (WBC) classification in blood smear images has been undertaken, representing a notable knowledge gap with respect to model selection and comparison. Accordingly, the current study sought to comprehensively identify, explore and contrast ML and DL methods for classifying WBCs. Following development and implementation of a formalized …

A Case Of Amyloidosis Presenting With Nephrotic Syndrome And Acute Renal Failure, Ahmed Ali, Ahmed Abdelhaleem, Farrah Ibrahim, Ali Hachem

UAB Huntsville Research Day - All Presentations

2024 clinical vignette poster

Psyched For Surgery — Preoperative Evaluation Of A Patient With Extensive Psychiatric History, Ashely Archer, Fizza Mahmood, Tarak Vasavada

UAB Huntsville Research Day - All Presentations

2024 clinical vignette poster

Id: Identifying Best Practices For Patients With Intellectual Disabilities, Jacqueline Beard, Nikki Ahuja, Yesenia Lopez, Meredith Lewis

UAB Huntsville Research Day - All Presentations

2024 clinical vignette poster

Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome Leading To Diagnosis Of Acute Post‐Infectious Glomerulonephritis In A Pediatric Patient: A Case Report, Samuel B. Hayworth, Desalyn L. Johnson, Erinn O. Schmit

UAB Huntsville Research Day - All Presentations

2024 clinical vignette poster

The Mental Health Crisis In Schools, Madison Jeziorski, Clinton Martin, Zachary Gilliam, Janaki Nimmgadda

UAB Huntsville Research Day - All Presentations

2024 clinical vignette poster

A Calamity With The Mammary, Shelby Kaup, Elijah Fox

UAB Huntsville Research Day - All Presentations

2024 clinical vignette poster

It’S A Heartache: A Case Of Chlamydial Myocarditis, Abigail Zane, Aesha Patel, Kelsey Ivey

UAB Huntsville Research Day - All Presentations

2024 clinical vignette poster

The Influence Of Various Marketing Ages On The Growth, Carcass Characteristics, And Economic Indices Of Broiler Chickens, Seham, F. Shehata, Mohamed M.M. Elsokary

Mansoura Veterinary Medical Journal

The global population continues to increase, which drives up demand for broiler meat. Furthermore, the production cycle's duration and the decisions made regarding broiler marketing are important factors, along with productivity and profitability. In this study, the effects of different marketing ages (MA) on carcass characteristics, economic indicators, and broiler chicken production were investigated. A total of 200 male, one-day-old chick Cobb-500 broilers were used. The chicks were divided at random into four equal groups of five replicates. At 35, 42, 49, and 56 days old, distinct marketing ages for broilers were reached. At various marketing ages, performance indicators were …

A Narrative Review On Pathophysiology And The Trends In Preventing Colon Anastomotic Leakage In Animals, Mohammed Albahrawy, Marwa Abass, Esam Mosbah, Gamal Karrouf, Adel Zaghloul

Mansoura Veterinary Medical Journal

Intestinal healing normally proceeds through three stages: the inflammatory, proliferative, and maturation stages. Dehiscence, a disastrous outcome of intestinal anastomosis surgery, usually happens during the inflammatory stage of recovery, when the anastomotic technique (suture or staple line) has the greatest influence on the biomechanical strength of the anastomosis. Because of the severe systemic abnormalities and financial load brought on by septic peritonitis and the need for a second surgery, the ensuing septic peritonitis is linked to an astounding morbidity rate of up to 85%.

Despite the relatively high frequency of anastomosis surgeries, anastomotic leaks pose a deadly risk to colon …

Protective Effects Of Probiotics Against Edwardsiella Tarda Infection In Oreochromis Niloticus, Aya Hatem, Walaa Fekri Awadin, Iman Ibrahim, Eman Mostafa

Mansoura Veterinary Medical Journal

Introduction: Edwardsiella tarda (E. tarda) is septicemic infection causes great economic losses in aquaculture.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the protective effect of two probiotics (Aquastar^® and Biogen^®) against experimental E. tarda infection in tilapia.

Methods: One hundred and twenty male and female Nile tilapias were divided from the beginning of the experiment into 4 groups: G1 was kept as control negative, G2a (Aqua) was the probiotic group fed on Aquastar^® grow out probiotic, G3a (Bio) was the probiotic group fed on Biogen^® probiotic and G4 infected with E. …

Early Post-Hatching Development Of The Grass Carp Pancreas, Eman Fiala, Mahmoud B. Shoeib, Safwat Ebada, Ahmed M. Abdellatif

Mansoura Veterinary Medical Journal

INTRODUCTION: The pancreas is a mixed gland that plays indispensable roles in digestion and glucose uptake. Grass carp [Ctenopharyngodon idella (C. idella)] is a cyprinid fish used in aquaculture, medicine, and research. Knowledge about the early posthatching development of grass carp pancreas is lacking.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to elucidate the morphogenic events involving the pancreas of C. idella during the early posthatching period.

METHODS: Developmental steps involving the pancreas of C. idella during the early post-hatching period were studied using histological, histochemical, and morphometric techniques. Larvae were collected at 1-day posthatching (1 dph), 4 dph, …