Digital Commons Network^™

Na-Gst-1 Adsorbed On Alhydrogel Co-Administered With Different Toll-Like Receptor Agonists In Hookworm-Naive Adults Using A Controlled Human Infection Model In The Usa: A Phase 2, Double-Blind, Randomised Controlled Trial, Caroline K Dirosato, Elissa M Malkin, Sean M Lee, Guacyara Erwin, Lara Hoeweler, Larissa Scholte, Maria Elena Bottazzi, David I Pritchard, Peter J Hotez, Jeffrey M Bethony, David J Diemert

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Necator americanus glutathione S-transferase-1 (Na-GST-1) performs a crucial enzymatic step in hookworm blood feeding and is a leading target for vaccine development. Phase 1 trials in Brazil, Gabon, and the USA of recombinant Na-GST-1 adsorbed on Alhydrogel (Na-GST-1/Al), co-administered with or without AP 10-701 (Toll-like receptor [TLR] 4 agonist) or CpG 10104 (TLR9 agonist), showed the vaccine was well tolerated, safe, and immunogenic. A controlled human hookworm infection (CHHI) model was previously developed to evaluate the effect of candidate hookworm vaccines on infection. We aimed to assess the effect of vaccination with three different Na-GST-1 vaccine formulations on subsequent …

Comprehensive Assessment Of Direct And Passive Smoking Across The Pancreatitis Spectrum, Samuel Han, Dhiraj Yadav, Jun Xu, Melena D Bellin, William E Fisher, Evan L Fogel, Chris Forsmark, Phil A Hart, Liang Li, Stephen J Pandol, Walter G Park, Guru Trikudanathan, Stephen K Van Den Eeden, Santhi Swaroop Vege, Darwin L Conwell, Christie Y Jeon, Consortium For The Study Of Chronic Pancreatitis, Diabetes, And Pancreatic Cancer (Cpdpc)

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objectives: Smoking is a key risk factor for pancreatitis, contributing to pathogenesis and disease progression. Data regarding second-hand smoking, or passive smoking (PS) exposure, are lacking. We therefore aimed to assess the impact of PS exposure across the pancreatitis spectrum.

Methods: We analyzed baseline data from the PROCEED study, a multicenter study in the United States including patients with acute (AP), recurrent acute (RAP), and chronic (CP) pancreatitis. Participants detailed their individual smoking history and PS exposure, which was compared between AP, RAP, and CP subgroups. Participant factors and clinical characteristics were compared by level of individual and PS exposure. …

Online Rights Defense Among Chinese Americans Against Racial Aggression In The U.S. During The Covid-19, Fangzhu Lu, Wenshan Jia

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose

This study investigates how Chinese American communities responded to heightened racial discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic by utilizing social media platforms to safeguard their civil rights, articulate collective concerns, and mobilize resistance against racial aggression.

Methodology

Through qualitative case study analysis, the research examines the social media activities of six advocacy organizations, including three X accounts (WashTheHate, Chinese for Affirmative Action, Asian Americans Advancing Justice) and three Instagram accounts (Stop AAPI Hate, Stop Asian Hate, Advancing Justice: AAJC). The analysis focuses on the content strategies and communication mechanisms employed to counteract racial hostility.

Findings

The selected organizations used social …

Using United States Medicare Program Claims To Identify Reliable Measures Of Low Value Services Influenced By Primary Care Physician Decisions, Chris Fleming, Dmitriy Poznyak, Rhea E. Powell, Claire Erba, Eunhae Shin, Rui Wang, Claire Burkhart, Arkadipta Ghosh, Eugene C. Rich

Division of Internal Medicine Faculty Papers & Presentations

BACKGROUND: Low-value services (LVS) are those that “… provide little to no benefit to patients….”¹ Among an existing set of 31 LVS are invasive procedures not typically performed by primary care physicians (PCPs), and other LVS that may be commonly provided by specialists. To facilitate research on the role of primary care physicians in low-value care, we sought to identify the reliability of two subsets of LVS measures that are more directly subject to PCPs’ decisions. We refer to these as primary care adjacent (“PCA”) LVS measures.

METHODS: Retrospective observational cohort study to identify which of a 31-item LVS …

Identifying Social Determinants Of Health Subgroups And Their Associations With Health Outcomes In A Prospective Us Adult Covid-19 Cohort: An Analysis Of The Inspire Registry, Yohali Burrola-Mendez, Eugene Lin, Canada Parrish, Chialing Hsu, Mandy J. Hill, Michael Gottlieb, Kristin L. Rising, Lauren E. Wisk, Nicole L. Gentile, Rachel E. Geyer, Robert A. Weinstein, Michelle Santangelo, Kristyn Gatling, Jonathan W. Dyal, Joann G. Elmore, Robert M. Rodriguez, Phillip Watts, Ji Chen, Zihan Diao, Erica S. Spatz, Kwun Cg Chan, K A. Stephens, Kelli N. O'Laughlin, Inspire Group

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: To identify subgroups with similar social determinants of health (SDOH) characteristics using latent class analysis (LCA) and examine their associations with physical and mental health, cognitive function and missed workdays at 3 and 6 months post-SARS-CoV-2 infection. We hypothesised that intersecting SDOH factors would differentially influence COVID-19-related health outcomes across subgroups.

DESIGN: Prospective cohort study from the Innovative Support for Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infections Registry (INSPIRE), with longitudinal data collection and cross-sectional analyses at baseline, 3-month and 6-month follow-ups.

SETTING: Multicentre registry across eight US academic medical centres (Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New Haven, Philadelphia, San Francisco and …

Cure Sickle Cell Initiative Recommendations On Common Data Elements For Sickle Cell Disease Gene Therapy Trials, Sophie Lanzkron, Victoria H. Coleman-Cowger, Alexis A. Thompson, C. Patrick Carroll, Traci Clemons, Michael Debaun, Julie Kanter, Punam Malik, Deepa Manwani, Francis John Pierciey, Mark C. Walters, Sherita Alai

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

The Cure Sickle Cell Initiative (CureSCi), created by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, has developed data standards to increase interoperability and meta-analysis of studies specifically investigating gene therapy for sickle cell disease (SCD). The aims of the CureSCi Common Data Elements (CDE) initiative are to facilitate the development of safe, effective, and accessible gene therapies. Five working groups (WGs) comprising people living with SCD, stakeholders, clinicians, and researchers reviewed current definitions used for SCD clinical studies, including those from the American Society of Hematology, US Food and Drug Administration, PhenX catalog of consensus measures for phenotypes and exposures, …

How International Copyright Approaches To Generative Ai May Influence The Development Of U.S. Copyright Laws For Ai, Tessa Chew

San Diego International Law Journal

Since late 2022, Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has emerged as a vital technological tool in many industries by producing human-like content based on its trained datasets. This advancement has sparked an international debate over the ethical and legal implications of using copyrighted works for Artificial Intelligence (AI) training. Countries have taken differing legislative approaches to this issue. Japan aims to promote innovation with minimal restrictions; the United Kingdom aims to protect copyright holders by implementing strict AI copyright protections; and the European Union focuses on the transparency of the AI’s copyright use. The United States is currently at a regulatory …

Sex-Based Disparities In Health Care Access And Utilization Among Patients With Atrial Fibrillation, Ji Mei May Wong, Peter R. Kowey

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

IMPORTANCE: Females with atrial fibrillation (AF) experience a higher risk of stroke, myocardial infarction, and mortality than males with AF. Theories suggest that sex-based differences in hormonal, structural, and electrophysiologic factors are associated with this imbalance; we hypothesized that sex-based differences in health care access and utilization (HCAU) are also underlying factors.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether sex-based disparities in HCAU barriers exist among individuals with AF.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study used data on patients with AF in the All of Us Research Program Registered Tier dataset (version 8), which contains integrated data from the electronic health record …

Updated 2026 Comprehensive Evidence-Based Guidelines For Facet Joint Interventions In The Management Of Chronic Spinal Pain: American Society Of Interventional Pain Physicians (Asipp) Guidelines, Laxmaiah Manchikanti, Mahendra R. Sanapati, Sheri L. Albers, Alan D. Kaye, Vinita Singh, Nebojsa Nick Knezevic, Rajesh Naidu Janapala, Amol Soin, Annu Navani, Adam M. Kaye, Ahad Mussarat, Alexander Bautista, Dajie Wang, Paul J. Christo, Maged Mina, Daneshvari R. Solanki, Devi Nampiaparampil, Gerard Limerick, John Manor, Kris Ferguson, Lynn Cintron, Michael Bottros, Shirley Chen, Shivam S. Shah, Vahid Grami, Douglas P. Beall, Shalini Shah, Sairam Atluri, Mittal S. Prajapati, Alaa Abd-Elsayed, Salahadin Abdi, Steve Aydin, Sanjay Bakshi, Joseph Cabaret, Aaron K. Calodney, Kenneth D. Candido, Christopher G. Gharibo, Mayank Gupta, Michael Harned, Standiford Helm Ii, Sachin Sunny Jha, Radomir Kosanovic, Vidyasagar Pampati, Ramarao Pasupuleti, Bradley W. Wargo, Hermant Kalia, Gary Schwartz, Joshua A. Hirsch

Department of Anesthesiology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Chronic axial spinal pain is a major contributor to disability and healthcare expenditures, with facet joints recognized as one of the established sources of pain.

OBJECTIVE: To provide evidence-based guidance in performing diagnostic and therapeutic facet joint interventions.

METHODS: A multidisciplinary panel of experts from various medical and pharmaceutical disciplines, convened by the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP), reviewed the available evidence, considered patient perspectives, and formulated recommendations for facet joint interventions in the management of chronic pain.The methodology included the development of key questions with evidence-based statements and recommendations. Grading of the evidence and recommendations followed …

The U.S. Shopping Mall: Opportunities For Preservation And Transformation Through Adaptive Reuse, Sophia Janzen

University Honors Theses

The U.S. shopping mall, once an integral part of suburban living and community, has slowly disappeared from cities nationwide. What used to be thousands of malls sprinkled throughout America in the 20th century is estimated to be 900 by 2028. A mall's programming of the past is lacking a place in the future, but their architecture leaves a desolate structure in the midst of our cities. Through adaptive reuse, the intentional redevelopment of a preexisting structure, how can malls be thoughtfully revitalized and given a greater purpose within their surroundings?

This research analyzes successful adaptive reuse strategies implemented in few …

Exploring Racial And Ethnic Diversity Trajectories And Diabetes Prevalence In The United States, Jiue-An Yang, Calvin P Tribby, Anna Dmowska, Qian Xiao, Marta M Jankowska

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study investigates whether long-term changes in neighborhood racial and ethnic diversity are associated with adult diabetes prevalence across the contiguous United States. We calculated diversity indexes for US census tracts (n = 72,033) using decennial census data from 1990 to 2020. Five diversity trajectory clusters were identified using K-means clustering. Diabetes prevalence in 2019 was obtained from the CDC's PLACES dataset. Linear mixed models (LMMs) assessed global associations between diversity trajectories and diabetes prevalence, adjusting for age, sex, poverty, marital status, and public insurance. Geographically weighted regression (GWR) examined local variations in these associations. Compared to the reference group …

Dental Care Utilization Among Sexual And Gender Minority Individuals, Ishita Singh, Oladipo Afolayan, Sarah S Jackson, Irene Tamí-Maury

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals can experience notable health disparities, including higher HIV prevalence, social isolation, substance abuse, lack of culturally competent providers, and poorer health outcomes compared to heterosexuals due to stigma and discrimination. This study aims to identify predictors of dental care utilization across sexual minorities using the 2023 TEXAS PRIDE Survey.

Methods: We analyzed data from 517 SGM individuals, assessing sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviors, and recent medical and dental visits. Multivariable logistic regression identified predictors of dental care utilization (i.e., a dental visit in the past year).

Results: Among sexual orientation groups, reported dental care …

Trust In Cancer Information Sources And Awareness Of Human Papillomavirus As A Cause Of Cervical Cancer Among Us Adults, Olajumoke Ope Oladoyin, Paula Cuccaro, Lara S Savas, Robert Yu, Joel Fokom Domgue, Sheryl Mccurdy, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: Religiosity, trust in physicians, and trust in government health agencies influence individual decision-making and behavior toward public health programs. However, trust in information about cancer from these sources and their association with public awareness of human papillomavirus (HPV) as a cause of cervical cancer remain understudied.

Objective: To assess the association of trust in cancer information sources with awareness that HPV causes cervical cancer among US adults.

Design, setting, and participants: This cross-sectional study used the nationally representative 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) data on noninstitutionalized US adults aged 18 years or older collected between March 7 …

Parent Perspectives On Neonatal Research Without Prior Consent: A Mixed-Methods Interview Study., Stephanie A. Kraft, Abigail Brickler, Abril Beretta, Rishabh Jain, Andrea Kelsh, Kaashif A. Ahmad, Justin T. Clapp, Neal W. Dickert, Rebecca A. Dorner, Katherine F. Guttmann, Anup C. Katheria, Stephanie Kukora, Benjamin A. Mooso, Elliott Mark Weiss, Fam-Connect Collaborative

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Recruitment for clinical research in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is difficult, which may lead to low enrollment rates, systematically skewed samples, and nongeneralizable results. Research without prior consent (RWPC), defined as obtaining consent only after infants have been randomized to a treatment arm, may improve enrollment but raises ethical challenges. There is a need to better understand how parents with lived experience of having an infant in the NICU consider RWPC’s impact on critical ethical values related to informed consent, including decision-making, respect, and trust. This mixed-methods study aimed to describe parental perceptions of the acceptability and …

Practice Patterns In Pediatric Cardiothoracic Presurgical Conferences: A Multicenter Survey Study, Britney Reed, Poonam Puranik, Andrew Rodenbarger, Mira Trivedi, Dilachew A Adebo, Gary Beasley, Louis Bezold, M Jay Campbell, Michael R Carr, Joshua Daily, Mark Debrunner, Erica Del Grippo, Carlen G Fifer, Timothy M Hoffman, Susan R Hupp, Joshua D Kurtz, Gira Morchi, Carl Owada, Renuka Peterson, Michael D Puchalski, Ryan A Romans, Arwa Saidi, Rajesh U Shenoy, Anoop K Singh, Robert D Tunks, Thomas M Yohannan, Carolyn M Wilhelm, Jyoti K Patel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Pediatric cardiothoracic surgeries are high-stakes, complex procedures, typically undergoing prior review at multidisciplinary conferences. This study evaluates practice patterns of conferences throughout the United States (US). Surveys were distributed to fellowship program directors or division directors in 124 US pediatric cardiology centers seeking information on conference logistics, fellow roles, quality improvement (QI), and satisfaction. All 47 responding centers (response rate 38%) conduct presurgical conferences, mostly on a weekly basis (92%) lasting 60-120 min (79%). The conferences are solely virtual (19%) or hybrid (81%). High-volume centers (> 300 surgical cases/year) are more likely to hold multiple conferences (13/20 vs 7/27, p <  0.01) and less likely to designate a moderator (11/20 vs 22/26, p = 0.027). Categorical pediatric cardiology fellows at 33 centers present clinical data (97%), echocardiograms (85%), catheterizations (82%), and cross-sectional imaging (39%), typically beginning in their first year. Most centers report that minor (98%) or major changes (51%) are made to patient management at least "sometimes." Responders rate conferences as very important (median 10/10 on a 10-point Likert scale, IQR 9-10), but satisfaction is more modest (median 7/10, IQR 7-9). Only 17% of centers have a formal QI process. Comments from 42 centers reveal positive themes of collaboration (68%) but also concerns about lengthy (30%) or inefficient (36%) discussion. Conclusions: This survey highlights common practices for pediatric cardiothoracic presurgical conferences. Conferences are collaborative and seen as highly impactful. However, satisfaction varies, and QI efforts are infrequent. These findings highlight opportunities for process improvement and standardization.

Barrett’S Esophagus-Associated Genetic Loci In African Americans: A Case-Control Study Using The All Of Us Research Program, Ashwin Rao, Jinyoung Byun, Aaron P Thrift, Hashem B El-Serag

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background and aims: Barrett's esophagus is the only known precursor lesion to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Barrett's esophagus and EAC are less common in African Americans than in non-Hispanic Whites. Studies in European populations have identified Barrett's esophagus-associated risk loci; however, none have examined loci in African Americans cohorts. We conducted a case-control targeted replication study to investigate previously identified Barrett's esophagus risk loci in an African Americans cohort in the All of Us (AoU) Research Program.

Methods: We abstracted phenomic and genomic data from 108 African Americans with Barrett's esophagus and 778 African Americans controls in the AoU database. We …

Malaria In Children At 9 Us Hospitals: 2016-2023, Sesh Alexander Sundararaman, Brianne Roper, Amy K F Davis, Karen L Hanze Villavicencio, Jonathan A Mayhew, Michelle L Wang, Nina L Tang, Vijaya L Soma, Ziyi Wang, Margaret E Feeney, Indi Trehan, Jill E Weatherhead, Chandy C John, Jeffrey S Gerber, Audrey R Odom John

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objectives: This study set out to describe imported pediatric malaria in the United States over an 8-year period, including patient demographics, clinical outcomes, and risk factors for severe disease.

Methods: A retrospective descriptive study of pediatric patients treated for malaria at 9 hospitals in the United States from 2016 to 2023 was conducted to analyze patient demographics, clinical outcomes, and risk factors for severe malaria.

Results: A total of 171 children were treated across the 9 US hospitals included in this study from 2016 to 2023. Most patients had traveled to West Africa to visit friends and relatives. Fever was …

Gastrointestinal Symptoms After Sport-Related Concussion: Prevalence And Patterns In A Multi-Cohort Analysis, Emma Finnegan, Ed Daly, Katherine J. Hunzinger, Lisa Ryan

Department of Exercise Science Faculty Papers

Background/Objectives: Concussions occur across all sports globally; however, inconsistent symptom recognition continues to challenge diagnosis, management, and recovery. Although concussion effects extend beyond neurological dysfunction, gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms remain insufficiently captured within current assessment frameworks and may influence athletes’ fuelling choices and food tolerance during recovery. This study aimed to describe the prevalence and patterns of GI symptoms reported among athletes with a history of concussion and to explore whether symptom prevalence and burden differed by sex and country. Methods: A total of 401 adult athletes (225 males; mean age 32.4 ± 11.3 years) with a history of concussion were …

The Educational Gender Gap Explored Through The Lens Of Hegemonic Masculinity, Marcell V. Csikos

University Honors Theses

Women's college attendance skyrocketed with the passing of Title IX, and by the eighties, college campuses featured men and women at an even fifty-fifty split. Today, women make up over fifty-seven percent of college students. It is not a new phenomenon, studies and surveys have shown that women are doing better at school for decades, but they rarely tie men's underperformance to the concept of masculinity. The study of hegemonic masculinity is an overarching theory that looks at the values, rules, and dynamics that men have to follow in order to keep their social status. This literature review uses said …

Behind The Lines In The Balkans: U.S. Military, Intelligence, And Diplomatic Operations In Romania During World War Ii And The Early Cold War, Timothy W. Brophy

Masters Theses

U.S. involvement in Romania during World War II was significant. This involvement began with a U.S. Army Air Forces bombing campaign against the country’s oil refineries, which provided approximately 25% of Nazi Germany’s oil supply during the war. Initial bombing raids occurred in 1942 and 1943, but it was not until April 4, 1944, that the Fifteenth Air Force (15th AF) launched a sustained bombing campaign against Romania. By August 1944, the American bombing of Romania had successfully crippled Romanian oil production and export to Nazi Germany, paved the way for the Soviets to drive German forces out of Romania, …

Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Discourse And Sentiment On Reddit Before And After Covid-19: Mixed Methods Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study, Marcin Marciniak, Sean A Setzen, Deeya Bhattacharya, Jamie Masliah, Robin Powszok, Erich M Sturgis, Vanessa C Stubbs, Mihir K Bhayani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted virus that causes various oropharyngeal and anogenital cancers. The HPV vaccine provides protection against several strains of HPV and is a key preventative tool against HPV-related cancers; however, vaccination rates remain suboptimal in the United States due to variable state mandates and misperceptions of vaccine efficacy and risks. As social media becomes an increasingly popular avenue for health discussions, platforms such as Reddit offer opportunities to understand public vaccine discourse, particularly among underrepresented groups. Furthermore, vaccine hesitancy and mistrust generally increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, potentially impacting HPV vaccination rates.

Objective: This …

Association Of Polygenic Risk Scores With Aortic Valve Calcium: The Multi-Ethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis, Seamus P Whelton, Jie Yao, Clary Clish, Alexis C Wood, Kent D Taylor, Michael J Blaha, Matthew Budoff, Natalie Marrero, George Thanassoulis, Wendy S Post, Xiuqing Guo, Jerome I Rotter

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Aortic valve calcification (AVC) is the primary process leading to aortic stenosis. We examined whether polygenic risk scores (PRS) are associated with AVC beyond traditional atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Methods: We included 6812 participants in MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) with computed tomography-measured AVC at Visit 1. Using previously published PRS we calculated weighted PRS, standardized within each ancestry group. The cross-sectional association per 1 SD higher PRS with AVC >0 was examined using multivariable logistic regression modeling with Bonferroni correction. The mean age was 62 years old, 53% were female, and 913 (13.4%) had AVC >0 at …

Investigating Racial Differences In The Receipt Of Antenatal Interventions Prior To Periviable Delivery, Niurka Monteserin, Whitney Bender

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine (SMFM) provides guidance on the use of antenatal corticosteroids, antibiotics, and cesarean delivery in the periviable period. Although racial differences exist in postnatal active management of periviable neonates have been described, less is known about racial differences in antenatal interventions preceding delivery.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate differences in the receipt of antenatal interventions before periviable delivery by birthing parent race.

METHODS:  We conducted a population-based cohort study using the National Center for Health Statistics database including periviable deliveries (20w0d-25w6d) from 2016-2021. Individuals delivering a non-anomalous live singleton gestation in a hospital were included. Births …

A De-Dollarizing World: How Sanctions Catalyze De-Dollarizing Efforts In Russia And China, Karina S. Amaach

Senior Theses

For nearly a century, the United States has occupied the title as the world’s leading superpower nation. Such power has granted the US great economic responsibility, particularly highlighting the dollar’s dominant role as the international reserve and trade currency. However, the rise of competing powers– most notably China and Russia– have posed great threats to this continued economic dominance of the United States. This thesis examines how U.S. economic sanctions– often described as America’s greatest financial tool– have inadvertently motivated de-dollarization efforts led by these two nations. Drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship in foreign affairs, international political economy, and intergovernmental financial …

Sanctuary And Disappointment: Jewish German Refugees In The United States Army In World War Ii, Zachary P. Watts

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This paper examines the experiences of German-Jewish refugees who became intelligence soldiers in the United States Army. They are frequently called the Ritchie Boys, for their training in Camp Ritchie, Maryland. The paper focuses mostly on a single Ritchie Boy named Frank Adler, who came to the United States as a teenager from Austria in 1938 and ended up returning to his hometown as a soldier. The Ritchie History museum holds a large collection of Adler’s letters which form the most important source for this project. I have found a duality of experience from German and Austrian Jews in the …

The Coffee Crisis: What Starbucks Coffee Company Teaches Us About Exploitation, Chloe Baker

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The average American consumer associates the coffee shop with an earth-toned color pallet, a comfortable seating arrangement, and a delicious beverage. American popular culture mimics that imagery, in television shows like NBC’s Friends and Frasier, and movies like You’ve Got Mail. Coffee shops are one kind of third place, a term coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg to describe tertiary spaces to work and home where people commune and form community. But a darker side of coffee shops exists relatively unnoticed. This thesis demonstrates how popular cultural portrayals of coffee and coffee shops—small businesses and Starbucks Coffee Company—have both …

Risk Of Late Recurrence Of Colorectal And Breast Cancer Among Older Long-Term Cancer Survivors., Faiza Yasin, Sarah J. Westvold, Jessica B. Long, Terry Hyslop, Michael Cecchini, Ira Leeds, Andrea Silber, Shi-Yi Wang, Lisa Spees, Rebecca Forman, Tendai Kwaramba, Melissa Taylor, Cary P. Gross, Michaela A. Dinan

Kimmel Cancer Center Papers, Presentations, and Grand Rounds

BACKGROUND: A growing population of older adult cancer survivors faces competing cancer and noncancer health risks. There are limited real-world data on recurrence patterns beyond 5 years post-treatment.

METHODS: This was a SEER-Medicare retrospective cohort study of patients aged ≥66 with stage I-III breast, colon, or rectal cancer who received definitive surgery and survived ≥5 years from diagnosis without recurrence or second primary malignancy. Late recurrence (5-10 years postdiagnosis) was identified using a validated algorithm to detect treated recurrence in Medicare claims. Demographic and clinical characteristics collected at cancer diagnosis were assessed as predictors of late treated recurrence using restricted …

Inherited Strategies: Why The U.S. And France Pursued Different Counterterrorism Approaches In The Horn Of Africa And The Sahel, Matthew B. Blackwood

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the counterterrorism strategies employed by the United States and France in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Somalia, the United States utilized a remote warfare centric strategy, precision drone strikes and limited special operations raids, in an attempt to degrade the Somali groups al-Shabaab and ISIS-Somalia. In the broader Sahel, France utilized large ground operations in Operation Serval and Operation Barkhane fighting various groups such as AQIM and JNIM. The thesis aims to explore why the United States and France, both Western countries, who fought similar non-state actors decided to employ drastically different strategies. Through process tracing and comparative analysis, …

Taxidermy And Technology: A History Of Climate Change Exhibitions At American Museums Of Natural History, Laura Haushalter, Amy Woodson-Boulton

Honors Thesis

My research is on the history of temporary and permanent climate change exhibitions at natural history museums in the United States. My primary research question is: How have natural history museums responded to human-caused environmental destruction through their exhibitions, and what, if anything, are natural history museums doing now to address our current environmental crisis? My research begins with a historiography of natural museums and examines how early 20th-century museums responded to a sense of environmental crisis and widespread threats of species extinction. In the early 20th century, museums shifted from Victorian-era glass cases to modern and artistic dioramas that …

Inflammatory Markers In The Emergency Department And Ptsd Symptoms In The Aurora Study: A Longitudinal Cohort Study, Kristen Nishimi, Sarah Linnstaedt, Thomas Neylan, Lauren Mckibben, Liz Marie Albertorio-Sáez, Ying Zhao, Stacey House, Francesca Beaudoin, Xinming An, Jennifer Stevens, Gari Clifford, Tanja Jovanovic, Laura Germine, Scott Rauch, John Haran, Alan Storrow, Paul Musey, Phyllis Hendry, Sophia Sheikh, Brittany Punches, Robert Swor, Jose Pascual, Mark Seamon, Elizabeth M Datner, Claire Pearson, David Peak, Roland Merchant, Robert Domeier, Niels Rathlev, Brian O'Neil, Paulina Sergot, Leon Sanchez, Steven Bruce, Steven Harte, Ronald Kessler, Karestan Koenen, Kerry Ressler, Samuel Mclean, Aoife O'Donovan

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammation is hypothesized to contribute to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) vulnerability. Few studies have examined inflammation shortly after trauma as a predictor of later PTSD symptoms. We examined whether inflammation from the emergency department (ED) post-trauma is associated with PTSD symptom severity over the following 6 months.

METHODS: Our sample included 742 AURORA participants, a longitudinal cohort of patients in 29 EDs across the United States after a traumatic stressor, followed up to 6 months. Plasma cytokines were assessed from a study blood draw in the ED: an inflammatory index (standardized sum of generally pro-inflammatory markers interleukin [IL]-6, …