Digital Commons Network^™

Innate Lymphoid Cells In Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Xin Yao, Kaiming Ma, Yangzhuangzhuang Zhu, Siyan Cao

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract with rising incidence and an unclear etiology. Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) have recently emerged as key regulators of mucosal immunity and tissue homeostasis and are increasingly implicated in IBD. Unlike adaptive lymphocytes, ILCs do not require antigen recognition and clonal expansion to respond rapidly to environmental cues and shape immune responses. In a healthy gut, ILCs maintain intestinal homeostasis by guarding the epithelial barrier, protecting against pathogens, and mounting proper responses to external insults. However, their altered differentiation, proliferation, recruitment, activation, …

Workplace Perk Or Pitfall? A Qualitative Study Of Genetic Counselors' Perspectives And Experiences With Workplace Genetic Testing., Elizabeth Charnysh, Katherine Hendy, Kerry Ryan, Anya E R Prince, W Gregory Feero, Alyx Vogle, Sarah Mccain, Alexandra Truhlar, J Scott Roberts, Charles Lee, Kunal Sanghavi, Wendy R Uhlmann, The Insight @ Work Consortium

Faculty Research 2025

Some employers offer genetic testing for increased cancer and cardiovascular disease risk, as well as pharmacogenetic variants, as a wellness benefit, which presents unique considerations for genetic counseling. Our ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of genomics study, positioned in a post-positivist paradigm, aimed to qualitatively assess the perspectives and experiences of genetic counselors (GCs) who had counseled on workplace genetic testing (wGT). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 US GCs who either worked in the wGT industry (i.e., role-directed wGT experience) or provided post-test counseling in a clinical setting (i.e., patient-directed wGT experience). Interviews were analyzed following the principles …

Understanding And Addressing Mental Health Challenges Of Families Admitted To The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit., Ashley D. Osborne, Daphna Yasova Barbeau, Tiffany Gladdis, Kara Hansen, Tonia Branche, Emily R. Miller, Christine C. Pazandak, Margaret K. Hoge, Michelle Spencer, Diana Montoya-Williams, Ryan Barbeau, Heather Padratzik, Stephen Lassen

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

This article reviews the psychological distress experienced by NICU families, including anxiety, postpartum depression (PPD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in addition to providing recommendations for clinicians at the individual, institutional, and national level. Currently, mental health screenings, specialized evaluations, and treatment options are not routinely offered to NICU families and are frequently under-utilized when offered. Here we provide expert opinion recommendations to address challenges in supporting universal screening, offering bedside interventions, including trained mental health professionals in care plans, updating neonatology training competencies, and advocating for policies that support the mental health of NICU families. We advocate that mental …

Validity And Reliability Of The Tampa Scale For Kinesiophobia For Adolescents With Heart Disease., David A. White, William R. Black, Emily Cramer, Lindsey Malloy-Walton, Mollie Walton, Laura Martis, Brandy Enneking, Kelli M. Teson, Jessica S. Watson, Jami Gross-Toalson

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

PURPOSE: To assess the validity and reliability of a newly adapted Tampa Scale for KP for adolescents with HD (TSK-Heart-A).

METHODS: The TSK-Heart-A survey consists of 17 Likert scale items, producing a summary score (SS) ranging from 17 (low KP) to 68 (high KP). Following content and face validity, adolescents (age 12-18 yr) with arrhythmia disorders or Fontan palliation were recruited. The PROMIS pediatric anxiety and depression short forms, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) generic core and cardiac module, and a PA questionnaire for adolescents (PAQ-A) were used for criterion validity. The TSK-Heart-A was completed twice (20.4 ± 6.3 …

Glp-1 Agonists For Pediatric Psychopharmacology: Opportunities And Cautions., Michael Bartkoski, Ethan Poweleit, Stephani L. Stancil

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists (GLP-1A) are increasingly prescribed to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents. Emerging evidence suggesting neuropsychiatric effects presents an opportunity for pediatric psychopharmacology but requires careful consideration of potential adverse effects and risk of misuse. This perspective examines potential applications and cautions surrounding GLP-1As for pediatric mental health, particularly substance use, depression, and eating disorders, and advocates for research and clinical monitoring to ensure their safety and efficacy.

Diabetes-Related Distress Over Time And Its Associations With Glucose Levels In School-Aged Children., Susana R. Patton, Nicole Kahhan, Amy Milkes, Ryan J. Mcdonough, Matthew Benson, Mark A. Clements, Jessica S. Pierce

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

INTRODUCTION: In a cohort of families of school-age children (8-12.99 years old) with type 1 diabetes, we examined the stability of parent and child diabetes-related distress (DRD) over 6 months and the associations between parent and child DRD and child glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) over time.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We recruited families from two large pediatric hospital systems in the USA and used validated measures of parent (Parent Problem Areas in Diabetes-Child, PPAID-C) and child (Problem Areas in Diabetes-Child, PAID-C) DRD and children's HbA1c. We collected data at baseline and 6 months. We calculated minimal clinically important differences in PPAID-C …

The Association Of Vision And Hearing Impairment On Cognitive Function And Loneliness: Evidence From The Mexican Health And Aging Study, Kimberly Hreha, Rafael Samper-Ternent, Heather E Whitson, L P Downer, Jessica S West, Brian Downer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: We investigated whether self-reported vision and hearing were associated with cognitive function and loneliness among Mexican adults aged 50 and older.

Methods: Mexican Health and Aging Study data. Vision/hearing status was self-reported (excellent-very good, good, fair-poor). Cognition was measured using nine tasks. Loneliness was measured using the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Analyses controlled for demographic and health characteristics.

Results: Among 12,353 participants (mean age = 67, 58% female), poor vision, but not hearing, was associated with lower global cognition (β = -0.03, p < .05). Poor vision (OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.30-1.91) and hearing (OR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.14-1.61) were associated with higher odds of being lonely after adjusting for demographics and comorbidities, but not when adjusting for limitations in daily activities and depressive symptoms.

Discussion: Poor vision is a potentially modifiable risk factor for lower cognition and loneliness among Mexican adults. …

Functional Vs Structural Cortical Deficit Pattern Biomarkers For Major Depressive Disorder, Peter Kochunov, Bhim M Adhikari, David Keator, Daniel Amen, Si Gao, Nicole R Karcher, Demetrio Labate, Robert Azencott, Yewen Huang, Hussain Syed, Hongjie Ke, Paul M Thompson, Danny J J Wang, Braxton D Mitchell, Jessica A Turner, Theo G M Van Erp, Neda Jahanshad, Yizhou Ma, Xiaoming Du, William Burroughs, Shuo Chen, Tianzhou Ma, Jair C Soares, L Elliot Hong

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a severe mental illness characterized more by functional rather than structural brain abnormalities. The pattern of regional homogeneity (ReHo) deficits in MDD may relate to underlying regional hypoperfusion. Capturing this functional deficit pattern provides a brain pattern-based biomarker for MDD that is linked to the underlying pathophysiology.

Objective: To examine whether cortical ReHo patterns provide a replicable biomarker for MDD that is more sensitive than reduced cortical thickness and evaluate whether the ReHo MDD deficit pattern reflects regional cerebral blood flow (RCBF) deficit patterns in MDD and whether a regional vulnerability index (RVI) thus …

Home-Based Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation For Major Depressive Disorder: 6-Month Follow-Up From Randomised Sham-Controlled Trial And Open-Label Treatment Phases, Rachel D Woodham, Sudhakar Selvaraj, Nahed Lajmi, Harriet Hobday, Gabrielle Sheehan, Ali-Reza Ghazi-Noori, Peter J Lagerberg, Rodrigo Machado-Vieira, Jair C Soares, Allan H Young, Cynthia H Y Fu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a potential home-based treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). In our double-blind randomised controlled trial (RCT) (n = 174; UK and USA), a 10-week course of home-based tDCS demonstrated clinical efficacy (clinical response: 58.3 % active treatment arm and 37.8 % sham (p = 0.017). tDCS was delivered in a bifrontal montage, with anode over left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and cathode over right DLPFC. Each session was 30 min, with active stimulation at 2 mA and sham at 0 mA, incorporating brief ramp-up and ramp-down phased. Following the 10-week RCT, all participants were …

The Burden Of Burnout: Understanding Its Prevalence And Organizational Drivers In Medical Physics, Deborah Schofield, C Lynn Chevalier, Laurence Court, William Harmsen, Akiva Turner

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Burnout is a work-related syndrome characterized by increased levels of emotional exhaustion (EE) and depersonalization (DP) along with decreased levels of personal achievement. In the healthcare setting, higher burnout levels have been associated with negative impacts on personnel, an increased risk of errors, and a decrease in the quality of delivered care.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of burnout among medical physicists working in the United States. Additionally, the impact of personal and organizational features on burnout risk was examined.

Methods: The anonymous survey was distributed to 1962 full members of the American …

Assessment Of Contextualized Reinforcement Pathology In A Community Sample Of Young Adult Substance Users, Ángel García-Pérez, Alba González-Roz, Roberto Secades-Villa, Gema Aonso-Diego, Sara Weidberg, Jin H Yoon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis are the most commonly used substances among young populations, often leading to polysubstance use, which correlates with problematic consumption and adverse health outcomes. The contextualized reinforcer pathology (CRP) model explains addictive behaviors through several constructs, including the following: drug demand, delay discounting (DD), and substance-free and substance-related reinforcement. Most previous studies have focused on a single CRP construct and the couse of only two substances. This study aimed to characterize three subgroups of young adults reporting past month use of alcohol only, alcohol + tobacco or cannabis, and alcohol + tobacco + cannabis, in terms …

Perceptions Of The Intensity Of Heart Failure Medications Among Hospitalized Older Adults: A Pilot Qualitative Study, Nuzha A Amjad, Saeed Shoar, Catherine Bryant, Meghan Hunt, Min Ji Kwak

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Guidelines for heart failure (HF) management recommend high target doses for medications. These targets are based on standardized dosing regimens that rarely consider the complex challenges faced by older patients. However, little is known about such challenges perceived by older adults. We assessed older adults' perceived challenges with HF medication utilization, which may guide a more patient-centered definition of the target intensity for HF medications.

Methods: We conducted a pilot qualitative study using one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with older adults. We included patients over the age of 65 years admitted to the acute cardiac care units (cardiac intensive care unit …

Facilitators And Barriers To Neurologist Referral Of Patients For Epilepsy Surgery Evaluation., Chloé E Hill, Daniel Hochster, Jessica E Baker, Alison L Herman, Nishad Shaheid, Susanna S O'Kula, Jack M Parent, Darin B Zahuranec, Lesli E Skolarus

Neuroscience Articles

OBJECTIVE: Epilepsy surgery offers a potential cure for drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE), yet surgery is underutilized. An estimated 5% of patients with DRE undergo long-term EEG monitoring (LTM) annually, the requisite first step of evaluation for surgical candidacy. Much of the variation in LTM referral may be attributable to individual neurologist practice rather than patient characteristics. We explored neurologist behaviors and practices in epilepsy surgery referral to guide future interventions to expand patient access to surgery.

METHODS: This qualitative interview study recruited neurologists who treated adults with epilepsy. Interviews were grounded in the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) of behavior change to …

Alterations In Gut Microbiome Composition And Increased Inflammatory Markers In Post-Covid-19 Individuals, Tatiana Barichello, Bruno Kluwe-Schiavon, Laura A Borba, Lucas C Pedro, Flávia S Niero, Laísa N Dos Santos, Letícia M Leonardo, Zuleide M Ignácio, Rodrigo Morales, Luciane B Ceretta, Gislaine Z Reus

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Dysfunctions in the immune system and alterations in the microbiome composition following SARS-CoV-2 infection contribute to persistent neurological issues observed in long COVID-19 survivors. We hypothesize that alterations in the gut microbiome composition and peripheral inflammatory profile following COVID-19 may play pivotal roles in behavior changes among individuals experiencing long-term illness. This cross-sectional study included a sample of post-COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 subjects. We assessed the presence of psychiatric conditions utilizing standardized diagnostic criteria, Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), Biological Rhythms in Neuropsychiatry Assessment Interview (BRIAN), and Functional Assessment Short Test (FAST). Plasma samples …

Exploring Potential Ethnic Bias Among Mmpi-3 Scales In Assessing Personality Psychopathology, Nicole Shumaker, Tessa Long, Andy Torres, Alfonso Mercado, Ryan J Marek, Jaime L Anderson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study examined statistical bias in the measurement of personality psychopathology in the Latinx population using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3). Data were extracted from two studies that yielded a composite data set of 103 White individuals and 250 Latinx individuals. All participants were administered the MMPI-2-Restructured Form-Extended Battery (MMPI-2-RF-EX) or MMPI-3 and the Personality Inventory for the DSM-5 Short Form (PID-5-SF). First, we conducted correlation analyses between theoretically overlapping scales of the PID-5-SF and the MMPI-3 among White and Latinx individuals. The majority of theoretically associated scales were found to be at least moderately associated in the …

Perceptions Of Smoking Stigma Among African Americans: A Qualitative Study, Denine R. Crittendon, Alison C. Brecher, Samantha Okere, Richard Hass, Rosemary Frasso, Rickie Brawer, Mph, Phd, Charnita Zeigler-Johnson

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: African Americans/Blacks (AAB) are at increased risk for morbidity and mortality from smoking-related diseases including lung cancer (LC). Smoking stigma is believed to be a primary barrier to health care-seeking for people who smoke. Previous studies illustrate that perceptions of smoking vary across populations. However, little is known about the prevalence of smoking stigmas among AAB. The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of the perception of cigarette smoking by AAB.

AIMS AND METHODS: We conducted free-listing interviews in which individuals listed all-thoughts and feelings regarding smoking and health-related questions with a convenience sample of eligible AAB …

Assessment Of Frailty In Patients With Heart Failure: A New Heart Failure Frailty Score Developed By Delphi Consensus, Cristiana Vitale, Emmanuelle Berthelot, Andrew J S Coats, Hill Loreena, Nancy M Albert, Michal Tkaczyszyn, Stamatis Adamopoulos, Lisa Anderson, Markus S Anker, Stefan D Anker, Derek Bell, Tuvia Ben-Gal, Vasiliki Bistola, Biykem Bozkurt, Poppy Brooks, Miguel Camafort, Juan Jesus Carrero, Ovidiu Chioncel, Dong-Ju Choi, Wook-Jin Chung, Wolfram Doehner, Daniel Fernández-Bergés, Roberto Ferrari, Mona Fiuzat, Juan Esteban Gomez-Mesa, Finn Gustafsson, Ewa Jankowska, Seok-Min Kang, Koichiro Kinugawa, Kamlesh Khunti, F D Richard Hobbs, Christopher Lee, Yuri Lopatin, Matthew Maddocks, Giuseppe Maltese, Elena Marques-Sule, Yuya Matsue, Òscar Miró, Brenda Moura, Massimo Piepoli, Piotr Ponikowski, Giovanni Pulignano, Amina Rakisheva, Robin Ray, Angela Sciacqua, Petar Seferovic, Trinidad Sentandreu-Mañó, Shirley Sze, Alan Sinclair, Anna Strömberg, Olga Theou, Hiroyuki Tsutsui, Izabella Uchmanowicz, Maria Teresa Vidan, Maurizio Volterrani, Stephan Von Haehling, Byungsu Yoo, Jian Zhang, Yuhui Zhang, Marco Metra, Giuseppe Massimo Claudio Rosano

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Aims: The Heart Failure Frailty Score (HFFS) is a novel, multidimensional tool to assess frailty in patients with heart failure (HF). It has been developed to overcome limitations of existing frailty assessment tools while being practical for clinical use. The HFFS reflects the concept of frailty as a multidimensional, dynamic and potentially reversible state, which increases vulnerability to stressors and risk of poor outcomes in patients with HF.

Methods and results: The HFFS was developed through a Delphi consensus process involving 54 international experts. This approach involved iterative rounds of questionnaires and interviews, where a panel of experts provided their …

Dietary Interventions To Support And Improve Sleep Disturbances And Insomnia Disorder In Menopause: From Bench To Bedside, Rosie H Musgrave, Sara Nowakowski, Tamlyn J Watermeyer, Emily J Arentson-Lantz, Greg J Elder

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Sleep is essential for maintaining physical and psychological health, and also cognitive health (referred to as 'brain health'). However, the transition to menopause has a direct impact upon sleep. Sleep disturbances are reported by approximately 40%-60% of menopausal women, and insomnia disorder is also prevalent. Diet-based interventions could potentially be used to improve subjective sleep quality in this population, and although there are several promising interventions which have been used in other groups that could be trialled, the evidence base is currently lacking. One particularly promising area for future research is that these interventions might be used alongside, or instead …

Baseline Characteristics Of The Us Study To Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention To Reduce Risk (Us Pointer): Successful Enrollment Of A Diverse Clinical Trial Cohort At Risk For Cognitive Decline, Rachel A Whitmer, Laura D Baker, Maria C Carrillo, Heather M Snyder, Maryjo L Cleveland, Darren R Gitelman, Miia Kivipelto, Xiaoyan I Leng, Laura Lovato, Kathryn V Papp, Valory N Pavlik, Stephen P Salloway, Christy C Tangney, Sarah Tomaszewski Farias, Jeff D Williamson, Sharon Wilmoth, Nancy Woolard, Melissa Yu, Mark Andrew Espeland, U.S. Pointer Study Group

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: The U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (U.S. POINTER) is a 2-year randomized controlled trial of two lifestyle interventions in 2111 older adults at increased risk for cognitive decline.

Methods: Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and rates of ancillary study participation were described with means and frequencies.

Results: U.S. POINTER successfully enrolled a cohort, ages 60-79 years, which was ethno-racially inclusive (>30% individuals from groups often under-represented in clinical trials with cognitive outcomes) and 18% residing in neighborhoods with moderate or high levels of socioeconomic deprivation. Enrollees were cognitively intact but at increased …

Linking Symptom Inventories Using Semantic Textual Similarity, Eamonn Kennedy, Shashank Vadlamani, Hannah M Lindsey, Kelly S Peterson, Kristen Dams O'Connor, Ronak Agarwal, Houshang H Amiri, Raeda K Andersen, Talin Babikian, David A Baron, Erin D Bigler, Karen Caeyenberghs, Lisa Delano-Wood, Seth G Disner, Ekaterina Dobryakova, Blessen C Eapen, Rachel M Edelstein, Carrie Esopenko, Helen M Genova, Elbert Geuze, Naomi J Goodrich-Hunsaker, Jordan Grafman, Asta K Håberg, Cooper B Hodges, Kristen R Hoskinson, Elizabeth S Hovenden, Andrei Irimia, Neda Jahanshad, Ruchira M Jha, Finian Keleher, Kimbra Kenney, Inga K Koerte, Spencer W Liebel, Abigail Livny, Marianne Løvstad, Sarah L Martindale, Jeffrey E Max, Andrew R Mayer, Timothy B Meier, Deleene S Menefee, Abdalla Z Mohamed, Stefania Mondello, Martin M Monti, Rajendra A Morey, Virginia Newcombe, Mary R Newsome, Alexander Olsen, Nicholas J Pastorek, Mary Jo Pugh, Adeel Razi, Jacob E Resch, Jared A Rowland, Kelly Russell, Nicholas P Ryan, Randall S Scheibel, Adam T Schmidt, Gershon Spitz, Jaclyn A Stephens, Assaf Tal, Leah D Talbert, Maria Carmela Tartaglia, Brian A Taylor, Sophia I Thomopoulos, Maya Troyanskaya, Eve M Valera, Harm Jan Van Der Horn, John D Van Horn, Ragini Verma, Benjamin S C Wade, Willian C Walker, Ashley L Ware, J Kent Werner, Keith Owen Yeates, Ross D Zafonte, Michael M Zeineh, Brandon Zielinski, Paul M Thompson, Frank G Hillary, David F Tate, Elisabeth A Wilde, Emily L Dennis

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

An extensive library of symptom inventories has been developed over time to measure clinical symptoms of traumatic brain injury (TBI), but this variety has led to several long-standing issues. Most notably, results drawn from different settings and studies are not comparable. This creates a fundamental problem in TBI diagnostics and outcome prediction, namely that it is not possible to equate results drawn from distinct tools and symptom inventories. Here, we present an approach using semantic textual similarity (STS) to link symptoms and scores across previously incongruous symptom inventories by ranking item text similarities according to their conceptual likeness. We tested …

Psychometric Properties Of The Spanish Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale - Second Edition, Eric A Storch, Jessica Sc Cheng, Miranda Higham, Josselyn S Muñoz, Vanessa Zavala Cruz, Dayan Berrones, Diana P Obando, Jacey L Anderberg, Renee M Frederick, Vissente Tapia-Cuevas, Macarena Churruca Muñoz, Constanza Uribe Villar, Pablo R Moya, Marcos E Ochoa-Panaifo, Mayra C Martinez Mallen, Andrew D Wiese, Caitlin M Pinciotti, Melisa N Sagarnaga, Joseph F Mcguire, Ogechi C Onyeka, María B Moyano, Latin American Trans-Ancestry Initiative For Ocd Genomics (Latino), Brazilian Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorder Working Group (Gttoc), Wayne K Goodman, James J Crowley

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, Second Edition (Y-BOCS-II) is an evidence-based clinician-rated measure for assessing the presence and severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The Spanish version of the Y-BOCS-II has not yet been validated. The present study examines the psychometric properties of the Spanish Y-BOCS-II (Spanish-Y-BOCS-II) in adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) who are of Hispanic/Latino ancestry. The Spanish-Y-BOCS-II was administered to 1805 adults with OCD. Participants also completed a battery of measures assessing OCD, depression, and anxiety symptoms. The internal consistency for the Symptom Checklist (Kuder-Richardson-20=0.92), Obsession Severity (α=0.87), Compulsion Severity (α=0.86), and Total Severity (α=0.92) were high. The inter-rater reliability …

Stress, Employment Changes, And Psychological Distress Among Caregivers Of Patients With Head And Neck Cancer, Lama Abdurrahman, Vlad C Sandulache, Cielito Reyes-Gibby, Erich M Sturgis, Pavan Jhaveri, Hoda Badr

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Importance: Patients undergoing external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for head and neck cancer (HNC) often experience adverse effects that require substantial caregiving. The burdens of caregiving can impact caregiver employment and mental health over time, yet this topic remains underexplored.

Objective: To examine the associations between caregiving for patients with HNC who undergo EBRT and caregiver stress, employment status, and psychological distress.

Design, setting, and participants: This was a secondary analysis of data from a longitudinal survey study that surveyed caregivers at baseline (ie, at initiation of EBRT) and at 4-month and 12-month follow-ups. The study was conducted at 2 …

Is Less More? Maximizing Outcomes By Tailoring Treatments To Patients: Oncofertility And Oncomenopause, Janice S Kwon, Marie Plante, Martha Hickey, Annabelle Huguenin, Sarah Hmaidan, Terri Lynn Woodard

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Notable advances have been made in improving survival outcomes in various cancers, but some have incurred undesirable costs and effects to patients with respect to fertility and menopause. Patients are living longer with cancer, and patient reported outcomes are influencing decision-making by individuals and their health care providers. It is essential to evaluate existing standards of care on an ongoing basis and prioritize quality of life and long-term survivorship, particularly for interventions in early-stage cancers and risk-reducing strategies that often yield long-term life expectancy.

Claustrum Volume Is Reduced In Multiple Sclerosis And Predicts Disability, Nicole Shelley, Bradley Judge, Dmitriy A Yablonskiy, Robert T Naismith, Matthew R Brier, Anne H Cross

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: The claustrum is a small, thin structure of predominantly gray matter with broad connectivity and enigmatic function. Little is known regarding the impact of claustrum pathology in multiple sclerosis (MS).

METHODS: This study assessed whether claustrum volume was reduced in MS and whether reductions were associated with specific disability domains. We compared the impact of claustrum volume reductions on neurological disability versus the well-studied thalamus. Data from the 15,793 participants in the MS PATHS study were used for primary analyses. A second cohort of 71 people with MS and healthy controls from our center was used for validation.

RESULTS: …

Colorectal Cancer And The Risk Of Mortality Among Individuals With Suicidal Ideation, Srikanta Banerjee, Jagdish Khubchandani, Stanley Nkemjika

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

Suicide is a major public health problem that has grown at alarming rates in the last two decades. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common causes of cancer deaths in the United States in both males and females. However, the influence of suicidal ideation (SI) on the association between CRC and risk of mortality has not been well examined.

METHODS: For this study, the 2005-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a nationally representative survey of United States adults aged 20 years or older, was utilized. CRC survivorship was determined from self-reported data on CRC, and mortality …

Development Of An Age-Appropriate Household Dysfunction Measure And Its Concurrent Validity With Multiple Outcomes Among Middle School Adolescents In Southeast Texas, Sumaita Choudhury, Timothy J Walker, Emily T Hébert, Christine M Markham, Ross Shegog, Robert C Addy, Melissa F Peskin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Existing adverse childhood experience (ACE) measures include a limited number of household dysfunction (HD) items and the use of adult-oriented language that is not always appropriate for middle schoolers. We developed an age-appropriate 10-item HD measure informed by previously validated ACE measures and tested its concurrent validity with dating violence (DV) perpetration, lifetime substance use, and mental health outcomes among middle schoolers in Southeast Texas. This cross-sectional study used the baseline data from a DV prevention intervention program for sixth graders (N = 126), Me & You Tech. Baseline data were collected from March 2023 to April 2023. To …

Broadening Inclusion Of Primary Care: Trainee Insights And Commentary On Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion., K Taylor Bosworth, Meghan Gilfoyle, Kimberley Norman, Kimberley Norman, Ashley Chisholm, Ione Locher, Naod F Belay, Bryce Ringwald, Chloe Warpinski, Geetika Gupta, Minika Ohioma, Macee Boyle

Medical Education Articles

We, as the current and immediate-past NAPCRG Trainee Committee, share our perspectives as an international and diverse group of primary care research trainees. In this essay, we discuss the challenges and opportunities for achieving a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive primary care workforce by reflecting on 2 main challenges: (1) insufficient support for underrepresented identities in medicine, and (2) inadequate integration within existing primary care teams. Within each of these challenges, we pose potential opportunities for improvement using a trainee lens.

A Smart Pill Bottle And Text Messaging Intervention For Promoting Medication Adherence In Patients With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: A Pilot Study Of Txt4 Tki, Kuang-Yi Wen, Neil Palmisiano, Rita Smith, Rachel Slamon, Gina Keiffer, Christian Fidler, Margaret Kasner, Lindsay Wilde, Md

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) often face challenges with adherence, despite the efficacy of the treatment. Theory-guided and evidence-informed interventions addressing psychosocial and adherence barriers are critical for promoting adherence. Using a mixed-method approach, the pilot study developed and evaluated the feasibility and potential impact of an intervention "txt4TKI," to support medication and symptom management among CML patients undergoing TKI therapy.

METHODS: Guided by the Necessity and Concerns framework, the study comprised two phases: Phase 1 involved qualitative patient needs assessment interviews informing intervention design. Phase 2 was a single-arm pilot study …

Prevalence, Experience, And Awareness Of Substandard And Falsified Medicines Among The Public And Healthcare Professionals In Jordan., Maysa Falah, Eman Daar, Daniel Zahra, Michael Dillon

Peninsula Medical School

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to assess the awareness, experiences and perspectives on substandard and falsified (SF) medicines among the general public and healthcare professionals in Jordan. SF medicines pose a global public health concern, yet data on their prevalence and associated risks in Jordan remain limited.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted between January and June 2023 using a convergent mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data were collected through structured surveys administered to 209 members of the public and 136 healthcare professionals (pharmacists and clinicians) recruited via convenience sampling across Jordan's 12 governorates. Surveys were conducted in English and Arabic. Qualitative data …

Development And Pilot Testing Of An Addiction Clinic-Based Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Uptake And Adherence Intervention For Women With Substance Use Disorders: Protocol For A Pilot Randomized Trial, Angela M Heads, Diane Santa Maria, Mandy J Hill, Robert Suchting, Kimberly N Evans, Zaneta Gaul, Luba Yammine, Constanza De Dios, Joy M Schmitz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Black and Hispanic women in the United States continue to bear disproportionate incidence of HIV related to sexual transmission and injection drug use. Specifically, women with substance use disorders (SUDs) are more likely to engage in vaginal or anal condomless sex associated with HIV transmission. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a highly effective HIV prevention tool but is not widely used by racial or ethnic minority women. Effective interventions for engaging women with SUDs in HIV prevention interventions that are culturally appropriate and, therefore, more appealing to racial or ethnic minority women with SUDs are critically needed.

Objective: This 3-phased …