Digital Commons Network^™

Perspectives Of Black Men On Their Representation In School Psychology, Erika Nicole Debra Thornton

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study examined Black male school psychologists' experiences, challenges, and contributions, focusing on the systemic barriers that limited their full participation in the field. A phenomenological approach was employed, with data collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Four key themes emerged: lack of early exposure to the profession, challenges during graduate training, the need for advocacy and representation, and the complexity of their individual identities. The findings highlighted the importance of proactive strategies to recruit and retain Black male school psychologists, stressing the need for diversity, cultural competence, and inclusivity in both professional and educational settings. Increased …

Novel Insights Into Beta Cell Er Stress Chop And It's Role In Hfpef Development, Balaji Srinivas, Paula Fortuno, Hongmei Peng, Jiang Xu, Hamid Suhail, Hani N. Sabbah, Nour-Eddine Rhaleb, Khalid Matrougui

Department of Physiological Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduction: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a multifactorial cardiovascular disorder characterized by diastolic dysfunction and often associated with hypertension and metabolic disturbances. We aimed to determine the inter-relationship between C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) in b-cells and HFpEF development.

Methods: Eight-week-old male mice b-cell^flox/flox and b-cell^CHOP-/- were randomly divided into four groups: control b-cell^flox/flox and b-cell^CHOP-/- mice subjected to standard diet and water. b -cell^flox/flox and b-cell^CHOP-/- mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and L-NAME (0.5 g/L) for five weeks. A comprehensive cardiovascular, metabolic, and histological evaluation was conducted.

Results: Following …

The Relationship Between Brain Perfusion And Structure In Youth With Obesity, With And Without Type 2 Diabetes: A Pilot Study., Ryan P. Brady, Amy S. Shah, Mekibib Altaye, Jacob M. Redel, Dean W. Beebe, Mark W. Difrancesco

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Neurocognitive decline, dementia, and stroke are associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in adults. Youth-onset T2D and obesity are occurring more frequently, increasing the risk of earlier onset brain-related morbidity. Emerging evidence has demonstrated global and regional changes in gray matter volume (GMV) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in youth with T2D and obesity as well. Understanding brain pathophysiology in youth-onset T2D and obesity requires more complex and multi-modal investigation of the brain, such as integration of brain structure and perfusion. Twenty youth with T2D and nineteen age, race, sex, and body mass index (BMI) similar youth with …

Cochlear Implantation With Sporadic Inner Ear Schwannomas: Outcomes In 106 Patients From An International Multi-Institutional Study, John P. Marinelli, Torsten Rahne, James R. Dornhoffer, Christine M. Lohse, Justin Cottrell, J. Thomas Roland, Nicholas J. Thompson, Kevin D. Brown, Jacob C. Lucas, Seilesh C. Babu, Nathan R. Lindquist, Elizabeth L. Perkins, Donald Tan, John I. Lane, Jacob B. Hunter, Erin Harvey, Nicholas L. Deep, Samantha Y. Cerasiello, Matthew L. Kircher, Mana Espahbodi, Evan L. Tooker, Niels Cramer West, Per Caye-Thomasen, Matthew L. Carlson, Stefan K. Plontke

Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate cochlear implant speech perception among patients with sporadic inner ear schwannoma who underwent ipsilateral implantation.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective multi-institutional cohort study.

SETTING: Eleven tertiary academic medical centers across Germany, Denmark, and the United States.

PATIENTS: One hundred six patients with sporadic inner ear schwannoma who received an ipsilateral cochlear implant from 2011 to 2022.

INTERVENTIONS: Ipsilateral cochlear implantation with observation, stereotactic radiosurgery, or microsurgery for tumor management.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Monosyllabic speech perception testing scores and rates of open-set speech perception.

RESULTS: Among 106 patients studied, 101 (95%) achieved open-set speech perception with a median of 24 …

Drone-Based Medication Delivery For Rural, Flood-Prone Coastal Cities, Yin-Hsuen Chen, Amro M. El-Adle, Kevin J. O'Brien, Taylor Wentworth, Heather G. Richter

Center for Geospatial Science, Education & Analytics Faculty Publications

Access to healthcare remains a critical challenge for rural populations, particularly in flood-prone coastal communities where transportation barriers limit access to essential medical services. This study evaluates the effectiveness of drone-based medication delivery in improving healthcare accessibility for vulnerable populations on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Compared to traditional personal vehicle travel, drone delivery reduced trip times from up to 50 minutes to under 10 minutes for more than 80% of the population, including elderly patients. Using publicly available datasets, we developed two transportation vulnerability indices that incorporate age, travel time, and flood risk to prioritize patients for drone-based pharmaceutical delivery. These …

Identification Of Potential Prophylactic Medical Countermeasures Against Acute Radiation Syndrome (Ars), Kia T. Liermann-Wooldrik, Arpita Chatterjee, Elizabeth A. Kosmacek, Molly Myers, Oluwaseun Adebisi, Louise Monga-Wells, Liu Mei, Michelle P. Takacs, Patrick H. Dussault, Daniel R. Draney, Robert Powers, James W. Checco, Chittibabu Guda, Tomáš Helikar, David B. Berkowitz, Kenneth W. Bayles, Alan H. Epstein, Lynnette Cary, Daryl J. Murry, Rebecca E. Oberley-Deegan

Journal Articles: Pathology and Microbiology

Acute radiation syndrome (ARS) occurs when hematopoietic or gastrointestinal cells are damaged by radiation exposure causing DNA damage to the bone marrow and gastrointestinal epithelial stem cell populations. In these highly proliferative cell types, DNA damage inhibits stem cell repopulation. In humans and animals, this inability to regenerate stem cells is lethal. Within this manuscript, several compounds, Amifostine, Captopril, Ciprofloxacin, PrC-210, 5-AED (5-androstene-3β,17β-diol), and 5-AET (5-androstene-3β,7β,17B-triol), are assessed for their ability to protect against ARS in an in vitro and/or in vivo setting. ARS was accomplished by irradiating mouse bone marrow cells or rat intestinal epithelial (IEC-6) cells in vitro …

Treatment Sequence With Tebentafusp And Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors In Patients With Metastatic Uveal Melanoma And Metastatic Gna11/Gnaq Mutant Melanocytic Tumors, Florentia Dimitriou, Marlana Orloff, Erica Koch Hein, Phil Cheng, Isaac Hughes, Ester Simeone, Kamaneh Montazeri, Piyush Grover, Inderjit Mehmi, Camille Gerard, Caroline Gaudy-Marqueste, Jean-Jacques Grob, Olivier Michielin, Omid Hamid, Georgina Long, Ryan Sullivan, Ellen Kapiteijn, Douglas Johnson, Paolo Ascierto, Anthony Joshua, Richard Carvajal, Marcus Butler, Jessica Hassel, Reinhard Dummer

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Metastatic uveal melanoma (mUM) is rare. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown modest efficacy in mUM. Tebentafusp prolonged overall survival (OS) in a phase 3 study. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of the sequence of tebentafusp and ICIs.

METHODS: Patients with HLA-A * 02:01 positive mUM, or metastatic GNA11/GNAQ mutant melanocytic tumors treated with tebentafusp followed by ICIs (group 1) or the inverse sequence (group 2) at any treatment line were retrospectively identified. The primary objective was OS rate at 2 years.

RESULTS: 131 patients were included; 51 in group 1 and 80 in group 2. …

Microglial Trem2 Promotes Phagocytic Clearance Of Damaged Neurons After Status Epilepticus, Dale B Bosco, Vaclav Kremen, Koichiro Haruwaka, Shunyi Zhao, Lingxiao Wang, Blake A Ebner, Jiaying Zheng, Manling Xie, Aastha Dheer, Jadyn F Perry, Abhijeet Barath, Aivi T Nguyen, Gregory A Worrell, Long-Jun Wu

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

In the central nervous system, triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) is exclusively expressed by microglia and is critical for microglial proliferation, migration, and phagocytosis. Microglial TREM2 plays an important role in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. However, little is known about how TREM2 affects microglial function within epileptogenesis. To investigate this, we utilized male TREM2 knockout (KO) mice within the intra-amygdala kainic acid seizure model. Electroencephalographic analysis, immunocytochemistry, and RNA sequencing revealed that TREM2 deficiency significantly promoted seizure-induced pathology. We found that TREM2 KO increased both the severity of acute status epilepticus …

“No One Told You Life Was Gonna Be This Way”: A Qualitative Exploration Of Friendship Expectations And Reality In University Life, Michael Priestley, Hannah Rachael Slack, Miss Madiha Islam, Delia Fuhrmann, Emily Long, Sarah Crook, Juliet Foster, Sophie Homer, Nicola Byrom

School of Psychology

Introduction: Young adulthood (ages 18–25) is a high-risk period for loneliness, particularly during educational transitions. Loneliness has negative consequences for mental health, physical health, and educational achievement. Psychologists conceptualize loneliness as emerging from a discrepancy between expected and experienced social connection, but this has been under-explored during young adulthood. Method: Drawing on thematic analysis of eight focus groups with 21 young adults in the UK, this paper explores the differences between retrospective expectations and experience of social connection during the transition into university and the implications for loneliness. Results: Whilst social expectations, experiences, and preferences vary considerably, young adults' perception …

Match Accuracy Of Burned Teeth: A Pilot Study Of Allied Dental Professionals, Brenda T. Bradshaw, Marsha A. Voelker, Samantha C. Vest, Sinjini Sikdar

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this pilot study was to assess allied dental professionals' match accuracy of burned teeth; a skill required by disaster victim identification (DVI) team members.

Methods: This cross-sectional study used a convenience sample of registered dental hygienists (RDH) (n=15) and dental assistants (DA) (n=15) to assess their match accuracy of burned teeth with simulated antemortem (AM) and postmortem (PM) images. Fifteen human teeth were heated at 400°C for 15 minutes. Prior to and following heat alteration, each tooth was photographed and radiographed. Images were presented to participants in randomized order, and they were instructed to correctly match …

Prevalence Of Sexuality Implicit Bias In Entry-Level Dental Hygiene Students, Monica Drew, Emily Ludwig, Jessica Suedbeck, Adaira Howell

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose Bias and discrimination may create barriers and affect the delivery of culturally competent care to sexual minorities. An awareness of biases early in education may promote more equitable oral health care delivery to diverse populations. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of sexuality-implicit attitudes in entry-level dental hygiene students at one university.

Methods This cross-sectional survey study included a convenience sample of dental hygiene students from one university (n=74). The Implicit Associations Test (IAT), a validated tool for measuring implicit bias, was modified for use in dentistry with permission from Project Implicit(®) The IAT requires …

Newly Credentialed Athletic Trainers' Onboarding Process During The Transition To Practice, Ashley B. Thrasher, Stacy E. Walker, Julie M. Cavallario

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context: As new athletic trainers (ATs) transition into their roles, some employers provide orientation and onboarding to assist with the transition to practice. Research in which authors outline the ideal onboarding process for new ATs transitioning to practice is lacking.

Objective: To examine the onboarding process for new ATs.

Design: Grounded theory.

Setting: College or university, secondary school, and hospital or clinic.

Patients or other participants: Seventeen newly credentialed, employed ATs who recently graduated from professional masters' programs (11 female, 6 male; 25.6 ± 2.2 years) and 12 employers (6 female, 6 male; years in role supervising new ATs: 8.5 …

'I Did Not Know We Could Exercise This Small Premature Baby': Challenges Experienced By Parents While Implementing Early Intervention For Their Preterm Infants-A Qualitative Perspective, Manasa Kolibylu Raghupathy, Selim Jahangir, Sonia Khurana, Leslie Edward S. Lewis, Bhamini Krishna Rao

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Preterm birth is a highly stressful experience for both parents and infants. Parental participation in care enhances developmental outcomes, fosters parent-infant interactions and builds parental confidence. However, low parental adherence has always been a challenge in the successful implementation of intervention programs both in the NICU and at home. It is imperative to understand parents' perspectives and view the challenges that they experience through their lens while providing early intervention to their infants born preterm. This study is aimed at identifying new parents' challenges when implementing early intervention programs for their infants during the transition from hospital to home. …

Clinician Perspectives On Virtual Reality Use In Physical Therapy Practice In The United States, Danielle T. Felsberg, Jared T. Mcguirt, Scott E. Ross, Louisa D. Raisbeck, Charlend K. Howard, Christopher K. Rhea

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

The primary goal of physical rehabilitation is to assess movement impairments and restore function to improve overall quality of life. Virtual reality (VR) may provide the optimal environment to promote these goals due to its motivating and modifiable nature which can be difficult to accomplish through traditional real-world therapeutic methods. Current research of VR for rehabilitation has demonstrated that VR interventions can produce clinically meaningful change in motor outcomes. Despite this, adoption and usage of VR by physical therapy professionals is unclear due to the limited research in this area. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify the …

Tobacco Exposure Linked To Warthin’S Tumor Being The Most Common Benign Parotid Neoplasm In Veterans: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Louis Abarca, Linda K Green, Ray Y Wang, Vlad C Sandulache, David J Hernandez

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: Parotid gland neoplasms account for a large proportion of benign salivary gland tumors, with pleomorphic adenomas (PA) being the most common in the civilian population, followed by Warthin's tumor (WT). However, the distinct risk profiles of Veterans significantly influence the incidence and prevalence of salivary gland neoplasms. We investigated the diagnostic and management algorithms for benign parotid gland neoplasms in Veterans.

< >Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Descriptive statistics were calculated using Microsoft Excel. Categorical variables were compared using chi square tests, and were reported with 95% confidence intervals, with statistical significance set at P <  .05.

Results: The study included 158 patients …

Eeg Spectral Analysis Of Nighttime Sleep And Daytime Mslts And Neurocognitive Evaluations In Subjects With Co-Morbid Insomnia And Osa, Yuan Shi, Yuru Nie, Fengyi Hao, Xujun Feng, Ye Zhang, Larry D. Sanford, Rong Ren, Xiangdong Tang

Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Chronic insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea commonly co-occur. Few studies have explored the neurophysiological and neurocognitive characteristics of COMISA, which could help guide improving treatment diagnostic tools and determining novel therapeutic targets. This study aims to explore the neurophysiological and neurocognitive characteristics of COMISA using electroencephalographic (EEG) spectral analysis and subjective and objective neurocognitive measurements.

Methods

Participants were from our community recruited OSA-insomnia-COMISA cohort with 206 included for our current analysis including 74 chronic insomniacs (CIs), 55 OSA patients and 77 COMISA patients. Standard polysomnography (PSG) and multiple sleep latency tests (MSLTs) were recorded and used to obtain relative …

Effects Of Cognitive Rehabilitation And Exercise On Brain Structure In Progressive Multiple Sclerosis: Results From The Cogex Trial, Cogex Research Team, Francesco Romanò, Maria A. Rocca, Elisabetta Pagani, Maria Pia Amato, Giampaolo Brichetto, Jeremy Chataway, Nancy D. Chiaravalloti, Gary Cutter, Ulrik Dalgas, John Deluca, Rachel Farrell, Peter Feys, Jennifer Freeman, Matilde Inglese, Emilio Cipriano, Cecilia Meza, Robert W. Motl, Amber Salter, Brian M. Sandroff, Anthony Feinstein, Massimo Filippi

School of Health Professions

Background: We previously showed increased cortical grey matter (GM) volume in CogEx trial participants who performed cognitive rehabilitation (CR). Here, we explore combined CR and aerobic exercise (EX) effects on regional changes in brain volumes and white matter (WM) integrity. Methods: Seventy-three patients were randomized into four groups receiving a combination of CR and EX or their sham versions: CR + EX, CR + EX-sham, EX + CR-sham, and CR-sham + EX-sham. A diagnosis of progressive multiple sclerosis (PMS) and impaired information processing speed were required for inclusion. Participants attended a 12-week intervention twice/week. Assessments were performed at baseline, week-12 …

Edible Algae Reduce Blood Pressure In Humans: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Randomised Controlled Trials, Patricia Casas-Agustench, Sandra Mínguez, Zoe Brookes, Raul Bescos

School of Health Professions

BACKGROUND: Edible algae contain bioactive compounds such as peptides, fucoidan, polyphenols, potassium, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants that may benefit cardiovascular health, particularly in lowering blood pressure (BP) regulation. Certain species, including Nori and Kelp, are also rich in inorganic nitrate, known for its BP-lowering effects. However, the relationship between algae consumption and hypertension remains controversial. This study evaluated the effects of edible algae on BP in humans, considering factors such as algae type, format, dosage, intervention duration, health status, and baseline BP.

METHODS: A systematic search of Medline-Pubmed, Scopus and Cochrane databases was conducted through December 2024. Randomised controlled …

Preferences And Feasibility Of Long-Acting Technologies For The Treatment Of Hepatitis C Virus: A Survey Of Patients In Diverse Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Renae Furl, Kimberly Scarsi, Harlan Sayles, Matt Anderson, Joelle Dountio Ofimboudem, Ethel D. Weld, Imam Waked, Asmaa Gomaa, Alzhraa Al-Khatib, Fatma Mohammed Elshobary, Hailemichael Desalegn, Henok Fisseha, Sunil Solomon, Shruti Mehta, Andrew Owen, Steve Rannard, David L. Thomas, Susan Swindells

Journal Articles: Infectious Diseases

Despite available curative treatments, global rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection persist with significant burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Long-acting (LA) antiviral products are in development. This study explored the challenges and opportunities in LA-HCV treatment across three LMICs: Egypt, Ethiopia and India. The survey focused on understanding barriers and facilitators to treatment, with emphasis on LA treatment preferences. Four-hundred respondents completed a survey including demographics, HCV treatment history and preferences for injections, implants and microarray patches (MAPs) compared to pills. Overall, 78% of respondents were willing to receive injections, 43% were willing to receive implants and …

Efficacy And Safety Of 4-Month Rifapentine-Based Tuberculosis Treatments In Persons With Diabetes., Ekaterina V. Kurbatova, William C. Whitworth, Lakshmi Praveena Peddareddy, Patrick P. J. Phillips, Nigel A. Scott, Kia E. Bryant, Rodney Dawson, Sandra Wagner Cardoso, Wadzanai Samaneka, Melissa Engle, Ziyaad Waja, Erin Sizemore, Wendy Carr, Kelly E. Dooley, Radojka Savic, Susan Swindells, Richard E. Chaisson, Susan E. Dorman, Payam Nahid, Nhung V. Nguyen, Aids Clinical Trials Group A5349, Tuberculosis Trials Consortium Study 31

Journal Articles: Infectious Diseases

A previous study demonstrated noninferior efficacy of 4-month rifapentine/moxifloxacin regimen for tuberculosis (TB) treatment compared with the standard regimen. We explored results among study participants with diabetes. Among 2,516 randomized participants, 181 (7.2%) had diabetes. Of 166 participants with diabetes in the microbiologically eligible analysis group, 26.3% (15/57) had unfavorable outcomes in the control regimen, 13.8% (8/58) in the rifapentine/moxifloxacin regimen, and 29.4% (15/51) in the rifapentine regimen. The difference in proportion of unfavorable outcomes between the control and rifapentine/moxifloxacin arms in the microbiologically eligible analysis group was -12.5% (95% CI -27.0% to 1.9%); the difference between the control and …

Schistosoma Mansoni Infection Causes Consistent Changes To The Fecal Bacterial Microbiota Of Mice Across And Within Sites, Mariam A. Mhanna, David T. Gauthier, Lisa M. Shollenberger

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Eggs of Schistosoma mansoni are produced by adult female worms in mesenteries of infected hosts. Eggs can cross the intestinal barrier and form granulomas in the tissue or breach and exit the host through fecal excretion. These interactions may affect the host microbiome assemblages. Given the potential for schistosomal alteration of host gut microbiome and subsequent effects on the fecal bacterial composition, it is important to conduct controlled microbiome studies on model animals. While pursuing these studies, it is important to take into account the different conditions in which microbiome studies are conducted and their consequent impacts on variability and …

Global, Regional, And National Burden Of Cardiovascular Diseases And Risk Factors In 204 Countries And Territories, 1990-2023, Global Burden Of Cardiovascular Diseases And Risks 2023 Collaborators, Benjamin A. Stark, Nicole K. Decleene, Emily C. Desai, Johnathan M. Hsu, Catherine O. Johnson, Laura Lara-Castor, Kate E. Legrand, Prof Bhoomadevi A., Mohammad Amin Aalipour, Nasir Abbas, Madineh Abbasi, Mohammadreza Abbasian, Hedayat Abbastabar, Abdallah H. A. Abd Al Magied, Samar Abd Elhafeez, Gregory A. Roth, Et Al.

Epidemiology, Biostatistics, & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality and are among the foremost causes of disability globally. CVD burden has continued to increase in most countries since 1990, with trends driven by changing exposures to harmful risk factors, population growth, and population aging.

Objectives

We report estimates of global, national, and subnational CVD burden, including 18 subdiseases and 12 associated modifiable risk factors. We analyzed change in CVD burden from 1990 to 2023 and identified drivers of change including population growth, population aging, and risk factor exposure.

Methods

The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 study, a multinational …

A Reflection-Spectroscopy Measured Skin Carotenoid Score Strongly Correlates With Plasma Concentrations Of All Major Dietary Carotenoid Species Except For Lycopene, Qiang Wu, Cheryl Webb Cherry, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Melissa N Laska, Neal Craft, Nancy E Moran

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Skin carotenoids can be measured non-invasively using spectroscopy methods to provide a biomarker of total dietary carotenoid and carotenoid-rich fruit and vegetable intake. However, the degree to which skin carotenoid biomarkers reflect intakes of specific carotenoids must be determined for specific devices. Previously, findings were mixed regarding the correlation between reflection spectroscopy (RS)-assessed skin carotenoids and individual plasma carotenoid concentrations. The current study expands on prior analyses to examine the cross-sectional associations between adult RS-assessed skin carotenoids and individual carotenoid species intakes and plasma concentrations, controlling for potential covariates. We hypothesized that RS-assessed skin carotenoid scores would strongly correlate with …

Fecal Glucocorticoid Metabolite And T3 Profiles Of Orphaned Elephants Differ From Non-Orphaned Elephants In Zambia, Daniella E Chusyd, Janine L Brown, Steve Paris, Nicole Boisseau, Webster Mwaanga, Moses Kasongo, Lisa Olivier, Stephanie L Dickinson, Bailey Ortyl, Tessa Steiniche, Steven N Austad, David B Allison, Michael D Wasserman

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Elephants provide valuable insight into how early-life adverse events (ELAEs) associate with animal health and welfare because they can live to advanced ages, display extensive cognitive and memory capabilities, and rely heavily on social bonds. Although it is known that African savanna elephants that experienced ELAEs, such as being orphaned due to human activities, have altered behavioral outcomes, little is known regarding the physiological consequences associated with those stressors.

Methods: We compared fecal glucocorticoid (fGCM) and thyroid (fT3) metabolites as well as body condition scores (BCS) in rescued and rehabilitated orphaned (early-dry season: n = 20; late-dry season: n …

Cardiac Timing Effects On Response Speed Are Modulated By Blood Pressure But Not Heart Rate Variability In Healthy Young Adults, Xiao Yang, Catalina Roldan, Michael Gazzanigo, Yasmine Nabulsi, Fang Fang

Research and Infrastructure Service Enterprise (RISE) Faculty Publications

Cardiac timing effects reflect the dynamic interplay between interoceptive and exteroceptive processes. Human information processing tends to be facilitated during cardiac diastole and inhibited during systole, reflecting autonomic regulation and the neuromodulation by baroreceptor afferents. Thus, blood pressure (BP) and vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) are potential modulators of those effects. Additionally, cognitive control appears to play a critical role in the processes. However, whether cardiac timing effects are influenced by those factors remains unclear. The present study aimed to clarify these relationships. Fifty-one healthy young adults completed three experimental sessions to assess BP, short-term HRV, and cardiac timing effects. …

Use Of Machine Learning Models To Predict Microaspiration Measured By Tracheal Pepsin A., Annette Bourgault, Ilana Logvinov, Chang Liu, Rui Xie, Jan Powers Phd, Rn, Ccrn, Mary Lou Sole

Nursing Publications, Posters, & Presentations

BACKGROUND: Enteral feeding intolerance, a common type of gastrointestinal dysfunction leading to underfeeding, is associated with increased mortality. Tracheal pepsin A, an indicator of microaspiration, was found in 39% of patients within 24 hours of enteral feeding. Tracheal pepsin A is a potential biomarker of enteral feeding intolerance.

OBJECTIVE: To identify predictors of microaspiration (tracheal or oral pepsin A). It was hypothesized that variables predicting the presence of tracheal pepsin A might be similar to predictors of enteral feeding intolerance.

METHODS: In this secondary analysis, machine learning models were fit for 283 adults receiving mechanical ventilation who had tracheal and …

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 …