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Predictive Modeling For Optimal Gel Treatment Design In Brownfields Using Ensemble Machine Learning And Data Upsampling Via Generative Ai, Munqith Aldhaheri, Baojun Bai, Mingzhen Wei

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Efficiently designed gel treatments play a vital role in extending the lifespan of brownfields through rejuvenating oil production. Recently, a three-mode mathematical methodology named the VCR approach has been proposed for designing effective treatments. To optimize this approach, it is crucial to determine the appropriate design mode systematically rather than relying solely on the intuitive judgments of field operators. This study introduces an advanced methodology for predicting the optimal design type of gel treatments using 12 reservoir and production variables. The methodology integrates ensemble machine-learning (EML) models with historical data from 65 field projects across 11 countries (1985-2020). The Random …

Identifying Potential Risk Areas Close To The Oil And Gas Pipelines Due To Subsidence In Qazvin Plain, Mahmoud Rajabi, Sanaz Vajedian, Ryan Smith, Neil Grigg, Hossein Nahavandchi, Mehdi Goli

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Surface displacement caused by natural and anthropogenic activities poses a significant risk to subsurface pipelines, particularly in areas experiencing subsidence. Stress and strain induced by deformation can lead to pipeline buckling and potential vulnerability. This study applies a multidisciplinary approach integrating interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) deformation analysis, well data, and geological context to assess the risk to oil and gas pipelines in Iran's Qazvin plain. The focus is on evaluating the impact of an unconfined aquifer, which has a lower risk of subsidence compared to a confined aquifer, on pipeline infrastructure. We analyzed multitemporal Sentinel-1 data collected between 2014 …

The Effects Of Explicit And Systematic Phonics Instruction On Student Achievement, Teagan Dougherty

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine how explicit and systematic phonics instruction impacts student achievement, and to explore how instructional strategies are effectively implemented in the classroom. To guide the study, two research questions were developed: (1) How does explicit and systematic phonics instruction impact student achievement in vowel teams and r-controlled vowels? (2) What are teacher perceptions of explicit phonics instruction and how are they implemented in the classroom? This was a mixed-methods study. Data was collected from 18 second-grade students and one classroom teacher. Quantitative data was gathered using weekly pre and posttests addressing various phonics …

Investigating The Pathways Between Social Factors, Physical Activity, And Mental Health On Cognitive Efficiency In Young Adults, Emma Hurston-Gates

Masters Theses

Cognitive health is important across the life span and cognitive functions, particularly executive functions, are positively correlated with subjective well-being and success in adulthood (Loprinzi, 2013). The present study aimed to investigate how social factors, mental health, and physical activity impacts cognition in young adults. Young adults aged 18-30 (N = 134) answered questionnaires regarding levels of physical activity, social support, social participation, anxiety, depression, and overall well-being. Participants completed Trail Making Tasks A and B to measure their cognitive efficiency (i.e., combined processing speed, psychological flexibility, visual search, and attention). Across all samples, one of the most consistent …

Sustaining Substance Use Recovery Housing For People Taking Medications For Opioid Use Disorder: Diverse Funding, Strategic Partnerships, And Charging Rent, I Niles Zoschke, Kathryn R Gallardo, Danielle Gillespie, Hannah L N Stewart, Serena A Rodriguez, Sheryl A Mccurdy, J Michael Wilkerson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Opioid use disorder is a U.S. epidemic, and recovery housing plays a critical role by providing stable, supportive environments that promote long-term recovery. However, little is known about the sustainability of recovery homes, particularly those serving people taking medications for opioid use disorder.

Methods: We applied thematic analysis to interviews with 29 staff and operators from 10 recovery homes serving people taking medications for opioid use disorder across five Texas cities.

Results: Operators relied on diverse funding sources, leveraged strategic partnerships and professional certifications, and planned to charge rent when public funding ended. Staff and operators balanced financial sustainability …

Dental Care Trajectories Among Formerly Incarcerated Older Adults In The United States, Alexander Testa, Luis Mijares, Mateus Renno Santos, Vahed Maroufy, Dylan B Jackson, Rafael Samper-Ternent, Rahma Mungia, Ana C Neumann

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

A growing body of research has documented an association between prior incarceration and lower dental care use, yet the longitudinal impact of prior incarceration on dental care patterns over time among older adults remains unexplored. This study aims to investigate whether prior incarceration is associated with differing trajectories of dental care use among older adults in the United States. Data were drawn from the 2012-2020 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative longitudinal survey of older adults in the United States (n =  5,893). Group-based trajectory modeling was used to estimate dental care use patterns over …

Assessing Sun Protection Policies In Texas School Districts Located In Counties With The Lowest And Highest Melanoma Risk: Content Analysis And Cross-Sectional Study, Nabeel Ahmad, Brooke Bartley, Stephanie Zhang, Madison M Taylor, Karl Schrader, Kehe Zhang, Hung Quoc Doan, Cici Bauer, Kelly C Nelson, Jennifer Cofer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction

School policy can encourage sun safe habits, such as wearing hats and applying sunscreen. However, sun safety policies (SSP) have not been formally assessed for Texas independent school districts (ISDs), particularly in counties with the highest melanoma incidence relative risk (RR). This study aims to assess the presence, strength, and intent of SSPs across Texas ISDs located in counties with the highest and lowest melanoma incidence. We also identify factors correlated with stronger SSP.

Methods

Eleven components of SSPs from 102 ISDs were evaluated in this cross-sectional study by examining school district websites, official documents, social media, media appearances, …

Impact Of Pre-Transplant Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Use On Post-Transplant Outcomes In Hcc: A Systematic Review And Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis, Mohammad Saeid Rezaee-Zavareh, Yee Hui Yeo, Tielong Wang, Zhiyong Guo, Parissa Tabrizian, Stephen C Ward, Fatma Barakat, Tarek I Hassanein, Shravan Dave, Veeral Ajmera, Sherrie Bhoori, Vincenzo Mazzaferro, David M H Chascsa, Margaret C Liu, Elizabeth S Aby, John R Lake, Miguel Sogbe, Bruno Sangro, Maen Abdelrahim, Abdullah Esmail, Andreas Schmiderer, Yasmina Chouik, Mark Rudolph, Davendra Sohal, Heloise Giudicelli, Manon Allaire, Mehmet Akce, Jessica Guadagno, Clara Y Tow, Hatef Massoumi, Paolo De Simone, Elise Kang, Robyn D Gartrell, Mercedes Martinez, Ricardo Paz-Fumagalli, Beau B Toskich, Nguyen H Tran, Gabriela Azevedo Solino, Dra Mariana Poltronieri Pacheco, Richard S Kalman, Vatche G Agopian, Neil Mehta, Neehar D Parikh, Amit G Singal, Ju Dong Yang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background & aims: Treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prior to liver transplantation (LT) has been reported; however, ICIs may elevate the risk of allograft rejection and impact other clinical outcomes. This study aims to summarize the impact of ICI use on post-LT outcomes.

Methods: In this individual patient data meta-analysis, we searched databases to identify HCC cases treated with ICIs before LT, detailing allograft rejection, HCC recurrence, and overall survival. We performed Cox regression analysis to identify risk factors for allograft rejection.

Results: Among 91 eligible patients, with a median (IQR) follow-up of 690.0 (654.5) …

Risk Of Post-Acute Symptoms Among Adults: A Comparison Study Of Severe Covid-19, Pneumonia, And Influenza, Caroline M Schaefer, Trudy Millard Krause, George L Delclos, Raymond S Greenberg

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: A retrospective cohort study was undertaken to assess the relationship between initial disease severity of COVID-19 and the risk of post-acute symptoms. The COVID-19 cohort was compared against influenza and pneumonia cohorts to assess whether risk of post-acute symptoms differed.

Methods: Administrative health claims data were obtained for commercially insured and Medicare Advantage covered adults (≥ 18 years) with symptomatic laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 diagnosed in 2020 (n=121,205), and similar cohorts of influenza (n=20,844) and pneumonia (n=29,052) patients diagnosed prior to the pandemic. Post-acute symptoms were assessed at four weeks, three and six months following initial diagnosis.

Results: Among the patients …

Protocol For The Houston Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program, Alexander Testa, Eresha Bluth, Latanya Monroe, Karlton Harris, Sarah Beth Abbott, Mary E Aitken, Erin E Fox, Brian Heckler, Lillian S Kao, Ruosha Li, Susannah Meg Michael, Heidi M Mcpherson, Marisol Nieves, Christian P Owen, Kevin Rix, Hema Sarvani Jalaparthi, Vanessa Schick, Shreela V Sharma, Carlie Stratemann, Anne Marie V Thompson, Jack Tsai, Zixi Yang, Sandra Mckay

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Firearm violence is a leading cause of injury and mortality in the United States. Hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs) are a promising public health strategy designed to reduce recurrent violence by engaging patients during hospitalization and connecting them to support services after discharge. This protocol describes the design and implementation of the Houston Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program (Houston-HVIP), which will be evaluated by a randomized controlled trial conducted at a Level 1 trauma center in Houston, Texas. The study plans to enroll individuals aged 16-35 who present with gunshot wounds (GSW) at the Level 1 trauma center. Participants are randomized …

Hazardous Work Exposures And Working Conditions And The Risk Of Serious Injury Among Latino Day Laborers In Houston, Texas (2014–2021), Maria Eugenia Fernandez-Esquer, Cesar Leonardo Pinzon-Gomez, Celeste Monforton, Yuan Li, Vahed Maroufy, Martha Ojeda, Anabel Rodriguez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Latino day laborers (LDLs) are frequently exposed to workplace hazards that increase their risk of an injury. The purpose of this study was to assess the relative influence of worker and workplace characteristics on serious injuries reported by LDLs at four different time points. We examined the influence of demographic characteristics, hazardous chemical exposures and working conditions using data from four cross-sectional surveys conducted between 2014 and 2021.

Methods: A total of 740 LDL were randomly recruited from public job hiring locations (known as "corners") in Houston Texas to participate in surveys conducted as part of injury risk reduction …

Improved Depression Symptoms Among Low-Income Mexican Americans Participating In A Community-Clinical Diabetes Intervention, Minjae Lee, Joseph H Conroy, Zihan Yang, Sein Lee, Paul G Yeh, Juliana Z Lopez, Natalia I Heredia, Lisa A Mitchell-Bennett, Maribel Sifuentes, Belinda M Reininger

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus and comorbid depression face complex disease management. Salud y Vida, a diabetes management intervention for Mexican Americans in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, may mitigate depression through social support and community-clinic referrals.

Methods: In a cohort study, 292 Salud y Vida participants completed the patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) at baseline, month 6, and month 12. A PHQ-9 score of ≥5 indicated mild depression and activated a mental health referral. Using SAS 9.4 with significance set at < .05, we conducted multivariable longitudinal negative binomial regression to assess changes in depression level.

Results: The proportion of participants with a PHQ-9 ≥5 decreased from 36% at baseline to 18% …

A Comparison Of The Effect Of Remimazolam And Midazolam On Recovery And Preserved Memory Function For Patients With Dental Extraction Anxiety, Quan Jing, Weijia Wang, Limeng Wu, Lejunzi Wang, Boru Yuan, Yan Wang, Chengbin Wang, Lin Liu, Lei Guan, Riyue Yu, Yuelun Zhang, Daniel I Sessler, Yuguang Huang, Kuo Wan, Lijian Pei

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Remimazolam is an ultrashort-acting benzodiazepine, which has been indicated to be effective in endoscopic surgery and general anaesthesia. Research on its use in outpatient dental procedures remains limited. This triple-blinded randomized clinical trial was designed to determine whether the quality of postoperative recovery is better with continuous intravenous remimazolam administration compared with midazolam administration for impacted wisdom tooth extraction in patients with dental anxiety.

Patients and methods: This study was a randomized, parallel triple-blinded, superiority trial conducted between 30 April 2022 and 24 June 2024. Participants aged ≥18 years who exhibited dental anxiety and who were eligible for impacted …

Navigating The Nexus Of Food Insecurity, Anxiety, And Depression In The Face Of Climate Change: A Longitudinal Study In Rural Kenya, Michael Goodman, Lauren Raimer-Goodman, Heidi M Hagen Mcpherson, Dawit Woldu, Shreela Sharma, Ryan Ramphul, Fridah Mukiri, Agnes Maigallo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: This study aims to address critical gaps in understanding the bidirectional relationships between food insecurity, anxiety, and depression in Meru County, Kenya. By employing a cross-lagged panel analysis, we seek to clarify these temporal dynamics, contributing to the design of targeted interventions that integrate food security and mental health in the context of climate change.

Methods: A cross-lagged panel analysis was conducted using data from 362 adult participants in a community-based empowerment program (2023) in Meru County, Kenya. Participants completed self-report measures of food insecurity, anxiety, and depression at two time points, 11 weeks apart.

Results: Food insecurity (T1) …

Prediction Of Preterm Birth Among Infants With Orofacial Cleft Defects, Katherine L Ludorf, Renata H Benjamin, Mark A Canfield, Michael D Swartz, A J Agopian

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To develop risk prediction models for preterm birth among infants with orofacial clefts.

Design: Data from the Texas Birth Defects Registry for infants with orofacial clefts born between 1999-2014 were used to develop preterm birth predictive models. Logistic regression was used to consider maternal and infant characteristics, and internal validation of the final model was performed using bootstrapping methods. The area under the curve (AUC) statistic was generated to assess model performance, and separate predictive models were built and validated for infants with cleft lip and cleft palate alone. Several secondary analyses were conducted among subgroups of interest.

Setting: …

Corrigendum: Phenotypic Variation In Disease Severity Among Hospitalized Pediatric Patients With Covid-19: Assessing The Impact Of Covid-19 In The Epico Study, María Camila Sossa-Alarcón, Mónica Paola Gutiérrez, Natalia Becerra, Luz Yessenia Ortegon, María Camila David, Melisa Naranjo Vanegas, Gabriela Friedrich, Pablo Vásquez-Hoyos, María Lucía Mesa-Rubio, Luis Miguel Navarro-Ramirez, Sergio Moreno-Lopez, Olga Lucía Baquero, Luz Marina Mejía, Juan Gabriel Piñeros, Sonia Restrepo-Gualteros, Carlos Álvarez-Moreno, Alejandro Díaz-Díaz, Iván Gutierrez-Tobar, Andrés Camilo Mesa, William Ricardo Bachiller Tuta, Clara Esperanza Galvis Diaz, Martha Africano, José Manuel Nieto, Paola Marsela Pérez Camacho, Claudia Beltrán-Arroyave, Rosalba Vivas Trochez, Irati Gastesi, Cinta Moraleda, Alfredo Tagarro García, Blanca Herrero, Lourdes Calleja, Carlos Grasa, Paula Rodriguez, Susana Melendo, Antoni Soriano-Arandes, Irene Gómez Pastrana, Sonsoles García García, Victoria Fumado, Andrea Ramírez Varela

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This corrects the article "Phenotypic Variation in Disease Severity Among Hospitalized Pediatric Patients With COVID-19: Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 in the EPICO Study", 1607246.

Perspectives On Smoking Cessation In The Oncology Environment: Insights From Brazilian Patients And Healthcare Providers, Raquel Descie Veraldi Leite, Ricardo Ribeiro Gama, Fabiana De Lima Vazquez, Gabriela Beltrami Massarão, Raiany Carvalho, Renan De Jesus Teixeira, Vinicius De Lima Vazquez, Irene Tami-Maury

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators to smoking cessation among Brazilian cancer patients, considering the perspectives of both patients and healthcare professionals at a leading oncology center in the country.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, collecting smoking-related data from two groups: cancer patients and healthcare professionals at the Barretos Cancer Hospital (BCH) between 2019 and 2021. The questionnaire for healthcare professionals was adapted from the 2012 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer and the Global Adult Tobacco Survey. For the cancer patient group, sociodemographic and clinical data were collected, along with …

Pragmatic Recruitment Strategies For A Text-Based Smoking Cessation Intervention For Sexual And Gender Minority Groups, Samuel Tundealao, Marie Compaore Oubda, Rebecca Klaff, Belinda Reininger, Lorna Mcneill, Irene Tamí-Maury

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: SmokefreeSGM is a text-based smoking cessation intervention developed to support sexual and gender minorities (SGM) with their quitting efforts. We implemented a pragmatic recruitment strategy to enroll a study sample representative for SmokefreeSGM's feasibility trial. This study outlines the strategies employed to recruit SGM smokers in SmokefreeSGM's feasibility trial and provides a framework for researchers interested in working with this population.

Methods: This study recruited SGM smokers using ResearchMatch, social media/internet advertising, and field recruitment in the United States from January to June 2023, using convenience sampling. We evaluated enrollment rates across recruitment methods and various demographic characteristics such …

A Systematic Review Of Trauma-Informed Sexual Health Education Interventions For Adolescents And Young Adults Within The United States And Canada, Gabrielle S Evans-Mitchell, Lea Sacca, Christine Markham, Katie Schultz, Sheryl Mccurdy, Lauren Tingey, Melissa F Peskin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

nterventions developed for adolescents and young adults and describe how they integrate key principles of a trauma-informed approach.

Methods: Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) principles, and Khan et al.'s review methodology, we reviewed sexual health intervention studies described as trauma-informed published between 2014 and 2023 within the United States and Canada.

Results: The review found three interventions integrated five to six aspects of a trauma-informed approach relative to Kahn's definition and SAMHSA's principles.

Conclusions: Based on the limited number of trauma-informed interventions being identified, …

Optimizing Community-Based Hepatitis B And C Care For Engaging Housing-Insecure Individuals, Vanessa Schick, Abigail Grace, F Tiffany Quan, Cathy Troisi, Jack Tsai

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction

Hepatitis B and C (HBV/HCV) are bloodborne infections, with individuals who have histories of substance use and homelessness bearing a disproportionate risk. Long-standing difficulties in engaging these populations have made testing and treatment challenging. This retrospective observational study describes a community-based approach to HBV/HCV prevention and treatment, comparing the effectiveness of different engagement site types in reaching and engaging this high-need population.

Methods

GRASSROOTS HEALTH was launched in 2018 to improve HBV/HCV care by providing on-site testing, HBV vaccination, treatment navigation, and adherence support across various housing and drop-in centers. Outcomes were tracked through REDCap and analyzed by engagement …

Slaying The Embodiment Of Lust: A Painting Of A Martyr-Monk Vanquishing A Female Demon, Agnieszka E. Szymańska

Art and Art History Faculty Publications

The seventh-century painting of Sisinnios and Alabasdria from the Monastery of Apa Apollo at Bawit, Egypt, depicts an equestrian saint spearing a female demon. Previous scholarship has established connections between the mural’s iconography and the imagery of holy rider amulets. This article expands on those discussions and probes the painting’s function as a talisman that bolstered its monastic beholders’ defenses against demonic assaults. In a departure from earlier scholarly treatments of the mural, I explore how, to male monastic practitioners, the image of Alabasdria did not merely represent a demonic murderer of babies but also embodied lust. According to textual …

Hit Me, Baby, One More Time: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of The Celebrity Gossip Magazine Shaming Of Britney Spears, Anna Drabik

Comm-entary

Britney Spears is an American pop star who rose to fame in the late 1990s at the age of 17 with her music, performances, and fashion. Spears was a prominent figure.

in celebrity gossip magazines, a genre which grew to prominence alongside and, in many ways, because of Spears. The distinct aesthetic and style of celebrity gossip magazines involved stories, blurbs, and images which wielded praise and shame—directly and indirectly—as tools to enforce norms and expectations for both female celebrities and female readers. Through a critical discourse analysis of 378 People and Us articles throughout the first ten years of …

Protective Effects Of Psychiatric Medications Against Covid-19 Mortality Before Vaccines, Rodrigo Machado-Vieira, Trudy M Krause, Gregory Jones, Antonio L Teixeira, Lokesh R Shahani, Scott D Lane, Jair C Soares, Chau N Truong

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The coronavirus disease pandemic caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which emerged in the United States in late 2019 to early 2020 and quickly escalated into a national public health crisis. Research has identified psychiatric conditions as possible risk factors associated with COVID-19 infection and symptom severity. This study aims to determine whether specific classes of psychiatric medications could reduce the likelihood of infection and alleviate the severity of the disease. The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between neuropsychiatric medication usage and COVID-19 outcomes before the widespread utilization of COVID-19 vaccines. This cross-sectional study used Optum's de-identified …

Cardiovascular Risk Factors And Genetic Risk In Transthyretin V142i Carriers, Naman S Shetty, Mokshad Gaonkar, Akhil Pampana, Nirav Patel, Alanna C Morrison, Alexander P Reiner, April P Carson, Bing Yu, Bruce M Psaty, Charles Kooperberg, Diane Fatkin, Eric Boerwinkle, Jerome I Rotter, Kent D Taylor, Lifang Hou, Marguerite R Irvin, Michael E Hall, Mathew Maurer, Myriam Fornage, Nicole D Armstrong, Nicole Bart, Parag Goyal, Stephen S Rich, Ramachandran S Vasan, Peng Li, Garima Arora, Pankaj Arora

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Nearly 3% to 4% of Black individuals in the United States carry the transthyretin V142I variant, which increases their risk of heart failure. However, the role of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors (RFs) in influencing the risk of clinical outcomes among V142I variant carriers is unknown.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the impact of CV RFs on the risk of heart failure in V142I carriers.

Methods: This study included self-identified Black individuals without prevalent heart failure from 6 TOPMed (Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine) cohorts, the REGARDS (Reasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke) study, and the All of …

Recovery Housing And On-The-Ground Research Priorities: A Scoping Study Through The Lens Of Community Based Participatory Research, Patrick F Hibbard, Cameron W Tice, Jodie M Dewey, Kathryn R Gallardo, James Tompkins, Justin S Bell, Jasleen Sandhu, Michelle A Cruz, Kathryn Babbitt, Amy A Mericle, Ashli J Sheidow

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Though communities have featured recovery housing (RH) for several decades, the base of evidence for best practices continues to grow - especially evidence needed by, and known to, those who operate and receive these services. The Initiative for Justice and Emerging Adult Populations (JEAP) engaged with three community boards (CBs) - consisting of young adults with experience in recovery from substance use issues, people who have a history of criminal legal system involvement and recovery, and payers and provider of substance use services and harm reduction - to understand on-the-ground priorities for research into recovery support services.

Methods: JEAP …

Hydroxychloroquine-Induced Cardiomyopathy: A Case Report, Ahmed Hussein, Aya Salih, Tebyan Mohammedali, Yousif Mohamed, L Maximilian Buja

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is an immunomodulatory medication used for decades. HCQ is a weak base accumulating in acidic cytoplasmic vesicles, such as lysosomes. This accumulation raises the pH and interferes with the functions of the lysosomal enzymes, including α-galactosidase A, resulting in a unique clinical and pathologic feature. We present a case with severe HCQ-induced cardiomyopathy to show the pattern of cardiac involvement and available imaging and pathologic modalities. The case involves a 76-year-old woman with a history of Sjögren's disease who had been treated with HCQ for 13 years and presented with symptoms of heart failure. An echocardiogram showed thick …

Impact Of Tobacco Control Policies On Socioeconomic Inequalities In Smoking Prevalence And Quit Ratios: An Ecological Study In The European Union (2009–2020), Ariadna Feliu, Esteve Fernandez, Irene Tamí-Maury, Cristina Martinez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Tobacco control efforts have succeeded in reducing smoking prevalence and increasing smoking cessation rates in the European Union Member States (EU27). However, the impact of these policies has been unequal across different income groups.

Methods: Ecological study with the country as unit of analysis. We used the Tobacco Control Scale (TCS) in EU27 in 2010 and the prevalence of smoking and quit ratios from the Eurobarometer surveys (2009, n=27 788; and 2020, n=28 288). We analysed the relationship between the TCS scores (2010) and smoking indicators and their relative changes (between 2009 and 2020) using scatter plots and multiple …

Community-Involved Economic Evaluation And Development Of A Cost-Effectiveness Calculator For Two Peer-Driven Substance Use Interventions, Sierra Castedo De Martell, Margaret B Moore, Hannah Wang, Lori Holleran Steiker, J Michael Wilkerson, Sheryl A Mccurdy, Nalini Ranjit, H Shelton Brown

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: While peer-driven substance use interventions have proliferated across the U.S., economic evaluations of these interventions have lagged behind. A key characteristic of these interventions is the centrality of the "nothing about us without us" ethos, which should extend into economic evaluation research. To that end, this study sought to take a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to conducting a cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) of peer recovery support services (PRSS) and turning that CEA and a CEA of bystander naloxone distribution (BND) into components of a free, web-based calculator for use by recovery community centers (RCCs).

Methods: We engaged staff and …

Development, Delivery, And Evaluation Of The Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute Infection Control Module Program 200 Series, Kayla E Ruch, Anabel Rodríguez, Janelle Rios

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute (TEPHI) aims to safeguard public health and the Texas economy by preparing for infectious disease outbreaks. The Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Webinar series was created to offer free educational resources and continuing education for public health and healthcare personnel responsible for IPC programs in rural regions of Texas. The IPC 200 Series succeeds the founding IPC 100 Series established by the TEPHI Small Rural Healthcare Preparedness.

Methods: IPC registration and attendance data were collected through WebEx® and Microsoft Teams®, which also served as the platforms for module delivery. Learning assessments and post-module …

What We Know About The Peer Workforce And Economic Evaluation For Peer Recovery Support Services: A Systematic Review, Sierra Castedo De Martell, J Michael Wilkerson, Nalini Ranjit, Lori Holleran Steiker, Sheryl A Mccurdy, H Shelton Brown

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Peer recovery support services (PRSS) for substance use disorder (SUD) have expanded in the past 2 decades to be formally certified and reimbursed under Medicaid in almost every US state. This rapid expansion has been followed by a growth in research, but 2 persistent gaps remain: a lack of research on the peer workforce, and a lack of economic evaluation research. This systematic review examines the current literature on PRSS to summarize what is currently known about the SUD peer workforce and collect potential PRSS economic evaluation parameters, and clearly identify the current gaps in each category.

Methods: PRISMA …