Digital Commons Network^™

Participant Retention In A Prospective Multicenter Cohort Of Participants With Pancreatitis And Factors Associated With Attrition, Radmila Choate, Jun Xu, Jeffrey J Easler, Samuel Han, Anna E Phillips, Melena D Bellin, William E Fisher, Evan L Fogel, Chris Forsmark, Phil A Hart, Stephen J Pandol, Walter G Park, Jose Serrano, Stephen K Van Den Eeden, Santhi Swaroop Vege, Liang Li, Darwin L Conwell, Dhiraj Yadav

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objectives: Participant retention is essential in prospective studies to minimize bias and maintain validity. This study aimed to estimate retention rates and identify factors influencing attrition in a multicenter cohort (PROCEED) of US adults with acute/recurrent acute pancreatitis (AP/RAP) and chronic pancreatitis (CP).

Methods: Participants from the PROCEED study with AP/RAP or CP eligible for follow-up within the designated visit window were included. Retention was defined as completing at least one follow-up visit during the observation period. Retention was analyzed by follow-up mode (in-person and/or medical record review) and disease type (AP/RAP and CP). Retention factors were assessed using univariate …

Nutrition Assistance Programs And Pediatric Weight Outcomes: A Systematic Review, Dan Ferris, Genevieve Davison, Tyler Frank, Amanda Gilbert, Fanice Thomas, Sydney Rothman, Kim Lipsey, Sarah Moreland-Russell

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Food insecurity and pediatric obesity have increased concurrently in the U.S., raising questions about the role of Federal Nutrition Assistance Programs (FNAPs) in shaping weight outcomes. This systematic review examined evidence on relationships between FNAP participation and pediatric weight outcomes.

METHODS: Six databases were searched for U.S.-based, peer-reviewed studies published through July 2024 that assessed FNAP participation and pediatric weight outcomes.

RESULTS: Seventy-five studies met the inclusion criteria, and no consistent pattern indicated that any single FNAP or program type (educational setting-based or direct financial support) reliably reduced or increased childhood overweight or obesity risk. Twenty studies found statistically …

Multilevel Analysis Of The Food And Physical Activity Environment And Adult Obesity Across U.S. Counties And States, Ann Mary Abraham, Michael D Swartz, Alexandra E Van Den Berg, Stephen H Linder

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Adult obesity rates have risen steadily across the United States over the past decade, with more than 40% of adults affected. Persistent geographic and demographic disparities exist in obesity prevalence across the nation. While prior research has examined individual or environmental associated factors of obesity, limited studies have addressed both physical activity and food environments across the nation using multilevel approaches. This cross-sectional ecological study (2014-2024) used a two-level random intercept model to assess the association between county- and state-level factors and adult obesity prevalence across over 3000 U.S. counties nested within 51 states. County-level associated factors included food insecurity, …

Proton Versus Photon Radiotherapy For Patients With Oropharyngeal Cancer In The Usa: A Multicentre, Randomised, Open-Label, Non-Inferiority Phase 3 Trial, Steven J Frank, Paul M Busse, J Jack Lee, David I Rosenthal, Mike Hernandez, David M Swanson, Adam S Garden, G Brandon Gunn, Samir H Patel, James W Snider, Daniel J Ma, Jason K Molitoris, Nancy Y Lee, Upendra Parvathaneni, Mark W Mcdonald, Noah S Kalman, Alexander Lin, Nasiruddin Mohammed, Christina Henson, Christian Hyde, Gopal K Bajaj, Sanford R Katz, Roi Dagan, William H Morrison, Jay P Reddy, C David Fuller, Shalin J Shah, Jack Phan, Gregory M Chronowski, Lauren Mayo, Erich M Sturgis, Renata Ferrarotto, Xiaorong R Zhu, Xiaodong Zhang, Li Wang, Katherine A Hutcheson, Adel K El-Naggar, Amy C Moreno, Anna Lee, Michael T Spiotto, Neil D Gross, Stephen Y Lai, Jay J Liao, Jonathan Paly, Zhongxing Liao, Robert L Foote

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Radiotherapy is an integral component of treatment for oropharyngeal cancer. Toxicity from the current state-of-the-art photon radiotherapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), has prompted the search for alternative, less toxic therapies. One such alternative that might de-intensify treatment is proton therapy. In this trial, we aimed to directly compare IMRT with intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT), both concurrent with systemic therapy, hypothesising comparable disease control and survival and lower toxicity.

Methods: This randomised, multicentre, open-label, non-inferiority, phase 3 trial was conducted in 21 sites (cancer centres or universities) in the USA. Patients (aged ≥18 years) with stage III or stage IV …

Evolving Burden Of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease And Its Complications In A Us Nationwide Healthcare System, Basim Ali, Ronald Samuel, Jennifer R Kramer, Liang Li, Xian Yu, Yumei Cao, Roxanne Desiderio, George Cholankeril, Steven M Asch, Hashem B El-Serag, Fasiha Kanwal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a growing public health problem. Measuring the burden of cirrhosis and its complications in people with MASLD is important to inform health care delivery.

Methods: We aimed to quantify the changes in the burden of MASLD-related cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a nationwide U.S. healthcare system. We used data from the Veterans Health Administration to examine temporal trends between 2010 and 2021 in the annual incidence and prevalence of cirrhosis and HCC in a large cohort of patients with MASLD, and to compare them to those in patients with hepatitis C …

Findings And Recommendations From The State Of The Art (Sota) Conference On Nursing Research To Improve Veteran Outcomes, Amelia E Schlak, Sarah Krein, Laura A Petersen, David Atkins, Catherine Battaglia, Elizabeth Burkhart, Renee Colsch, Marguerite Daus, Heather Gilmartin, Nipa Kamdar, Melissa Knox, Ann Kutney-Lee, Christine M Olney, Kathryn Rugen, Tracy Weistreich, Sheila Cox Sullivan, On Behalf The Nursing Sota Planning Committee

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the largest employer of nurses in the United States, has more than 120,000 nursing personnel providing care to over 9 million Veterans across diverse settings. Despite nursing's central role in delivering and sustaining care, research on strengthening the nursing workforce and optimizing nursing practice has remained underdeveloped in VHA. To address this gap, VHA's Office of Research and Development, in partnership with the Office of Nursing Services, convened a State of the Art (SOTA) conference in November 2023 focused on nursing. The Nursing SOTA brought together nurses, researchers, operational leaders, and other stakeholders to review …

Strategies And Challenges For The Recruitment Of Young Healthy Participants In The Dietary Approaches To Longevity And Health (Dial Health) Pilot Trial, Hannah E Cabre, Courtney M Peterson, Gareth R Dutton, Kimberly L Drews, Stephanie T Broyles, Robert Dubin, Laura Q Rogers, Catherine Champagne, Dennis T Villareal, Daniel S Hsia, Leanne M Redman, Corby K Martin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Understanding the impact of nutrition on human aging requires long-term trials in young, healthy, unmedicated adults. As part of the Dietary Approaches for Longevity and Health (DiAL Health) pilot project, we evaluated strategies for recruiting this population for aging-related dietary intervention studies.

Methods: We analyzed recruitment costs to enroll 70 participants (ages 25-49, BMI 22.0-29.9 kg/m2) across two DiAL Health sites and used NHANES data (2017-March 2020) to estimate the proportion of U.S. adults meeting partial trial eligibility. Additionally, a formative study surveyed 492 U.S. adults (≥18 years) to assess interest in aging-focused dietary trials.

Results: Of 2049 applicants …

Northern Luzon In A Taiwan Flashpoint: The Philippines’ Place In U.S. Strategy, Carson Keller

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

While the defense of Taiwan from a potential invasion by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has long been a topic of debate and scrutiny in U.S. strategic thinking, the role of its southern neighbor, the Philippines, has received far less attention. This thesis argues that northern Luzon would constitute key terrain in a cross-strait conflict and may become an early target of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) operations. Its proximity to Taiwan and position along the Luzon Strait, particularly the Bashi Channel, places it at the center of efforts to control access to the hypothetical battlespace. Drawing on PLA and …

Oral Health Access Among Ethnic Minority Older Adults In The United States, Jasleen K. Sodhi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Oral healthcare is a critical yet often overlooked component of overall health among U.S. adults. Ethnic minorities for older adults face heightened risks of poor oral health and related health conditions, while experiencing disparities in access to care. This study aimed to systematically examine and synthesize existing literature to assess the extent to which oral health disparities exist among ethnic minority older adults in the U.S. and explore the roles of socioeconomic factors on these disparities. Guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, we conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed articles published in English …

Sustainable Community-Wide Model To Enhance Cancer Data Usage And Utility, Emily S Boja, Mousumi Ghosh, Ying Huang, Tung-Shing Mamie Lih, Rawan Shraim, Gregory Wheeler, Diana Thomas, Rakesh Khanna, Stephanie Sandor, Jinghui Zhang, Sapna Oberoi, Nicolas J Llosa, Aditya Suru, Fernanda Silva Michels, Eric Durbin, Anna Fernandez, Lucy Han, James Galbraith, Yin Lu, Brian Furner, James H Tanis, Michael Watkins, David Higgins, Gavriel Matt, Xin Zhou, Yang Li, Marcin Cieslik, Jamie Estill, Michael Sierk, Yanling Sun, Weiping Ma, Joseph Flores-Toro, Freddie Pruitt, Subhashini Jagu, Elmer A Fernández, Daniela Orschanski, Stephanie J Spielman, Jaclyn Taroni, Trinh Nguyen, Brian Capaldo, Erin Beck, Tanja Davidsen, Johanna Goderre Jones, Minghong Ward, Anne Sturcke, Jennifer M Torres Del Valle, Sean Hanlon, Danielle Daee, Brandon Wright, Nathaniel Boyd, Heather Basehore, Liang Liu, Ying Hu, Daoud Meerzaman, Huiqing Li, Ying Wu, Gregory H Reaman, Erin Rudzinski, Jack F Shern, Brigitte Widemann, Warren Kibbe, Jaime Guidry Auvil

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Despite vast investments in data collection, generation, and sharing from childhood cancer studies, for example, Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Program, Childhood Cancer Data Initiative, and other efforts, secondary use of data remains a challenge especially for rare diseases. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Office of Data Sharing (ODS) aimed to promote FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data sharing practices to enhance data utility, accelerate discovery, and foster interdisciplinary collaboration. NCI ODS launched its inaugural Data Jamboree focusing on childhood cancer alongside its third Annual Symposium in September 2025. Over 120 participants with diverse backgrounds coalesced into 23 multidisciplinary teams …

Food Delivery Services For Enhancing Participation In The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program For Women, Infants, And Children (Wic) In The United States: Bridging The Wic-Eligible Access Gap, Jingjing Gao, Muinat Abolore Idris, Lilian O Ademu, Bryan Colby Griffin, Yue Zhang, Yun Hang, Gabriela A Gallegos

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Diet-related health disparities among U.S. children persist despite the availability of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits to eligible women, infants, and children. Participation remains suboptimal: only 51.2% of eligible individuals were enrolled in 2021. Transportation and food-environment constraints pose salient barriers, especially for caregivers of infants in food deserts. Emerging online ordering and delivery options may reduce access frictions, but grocery delivery coverage is limited, and fees are often not covered by benefits.

Methods: We linked USDA Food and Nutrition Service state-level WIC participation data (November 2024 vs. September 2025) with demographic, …

Evaluating Differences In Nonsyndromic Orofacial Clefts By Infant Sex: National Birth Defects Prevention Study, 1997-2011, Victoria A Salinas, Natalie P Archer, Layla R Lustri, Katherine L Ludorf, Timothy Ihongbe, Wei Yang, Eva M Williford, Marilyn L Browne, Adrian M Michalski, Lindsay A Williams, Wendy Nembhard, Eirini Nestoridi, Gary M Shaw, Andrew F Olshan, A J Agopian, National Birth Defects Prevention Study

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To investigate nongenetic factors that may contribute to observed differences in nonsyndromic orofacial clefts by infant sex.

Study design: Using data for 1997-2011 deliveries from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, a case-control study, we separately examined associations between 23 maternal factors and cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) and cleft palate alone (CP) using multivariable logistic regression stratified by infant sex.

Results: We compared 2986 infants with CL/P and 1557 with CP to 11 271 control infants without birth defects. After adjusting for maternal age at conception and education, lower odds of nonsyndromic orofacial clefts were …

Physical Activity, Telomere Length, And Cardiometabolic Syndrome In Older Women: The Cardiovascular Health Study, Jeni Page, Melissa Richard, Elizabeth Lyons, Elizabeth Baumler, M Terese Verklan, Michelle C Odden, Elizabeth Lorenzo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Cardiometabolic syndrome (CMS) affects approximately 39% of US women and increases risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and stroke. Telomere length, a biomarker of cellular aging, is associated with CMS and may be influenced by physical activity (PA), potentially mitigating telomere shortening. Black women have higher CMS prevalence compared to white women and may exhibit distinct telomere length dynamics influenced by interactions between CMS and PA.

Methods: Data were drawn from the Cardiovascular Health Study and included black and white women who provided data on PA, CMS risk factors, and telomere length (N = 417). Linear regression models examined the …

Insulinemic And Inflammatory Dietary Patterns And Colorectal Cancer Risk: A Dietary Data Harmonization Study Of One Million Participants In The Consortium Of Metabolomics Studies (Comets), Ni Shi, Rachel Hoobler, Rhea Harewood, Amanda E Toland, Demetrius Albanes, Emmanouil Bouras, Marc J Gunter, Linda M Liao, Steven C Moore, Fulvio Ricceri, Jerome I Rotter, Rashmi Sinha, Rachael Stolzenberg-Solomon, Anne Tjønneland, Alexis C Wood, Danxia Yu, Mary C Playdon, Fred K Tabung

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Inflammatory and insulinemic dietary patterns have been associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) risk, but generalizability across diverse populations with heterogeneous food supplies and dietary behaviors has not been established.

Objectives: We harmonized disparate dietary and covariate data on a large scale to compute the reverse Empirical Dietary Index for Hyperinsulinemia (rEDIH), reverse Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Pattern (rEDIP), and Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015 scores, and tested their associations with CRC risk.

Methods: We leveraged data among 501,892 women and 407,390 men from 6 cohorts across the United States (NIH-AARP, Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian, SCCS) and …

Ticking Away: A Study On How Multiple Sclerosis Patients In The Us And Australia Navigate Their Day, Ella M. Stahl

Honors Theses

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that damages the nervous system. Individuals diagnosed with MS experience a wide variety of symptoms, the most common being fatigue and numbness in the hands and feet. This disease affects close to three million people worldwide. Current research shows that individuals with chronic conditions spend more time managing their medical issues, therefore impacting their quality of life. This study compares time use of Multiple Sclerosis patients in the US and Australia. The central investigative question is: what are the differences and similarities in time use of those diagnosed with MS in the United …

Knowing One's Place At The Table: Taste As A Means Of Othering In The American Colonies, 1700-1775, Nicholas Harp

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

This thesis began as an inquiry into a simple question. How did people in the American colonies talk about the food that they ate? This question led to a fascinating look into the social dynamics of the people living in eighteenth century America. Their own personal writings demonstrate how they understood their place in society through the food that they ate. Moreover, they often wrote about the way that other people ate in ways that alienated or discriminated against different ethnic groups. A look into the secondary historiography revealed that other historians had noticed this trend. However, very few addressed …

Adverse Experiences, Protective Factors, And Obesity In Latinx And Hispanic Youths, Victoria Goldman, Sevan Esaian, Miguel Ángel Rivas Fernández, Jonatan Ottino Gonzalez, Nicole Karcher, Jeffrey I Gold, Alaina P Vidmar, Shana Adise

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Pediatric obesity rates are rising, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may contribute by promoting stress-induced weight gain. Few studies have examined the association of ACEs with body mass index (BMI) and youth-reported protective factors, particularly among Latinx and Hispanic youths, who face higher rates of ACEs and obesity.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of ACEs with BMI in a population-based cohort and determine whether youth-reported protective factors (eg, self-coping skills, caregiver or friend support, or overall support) moderate this association, with a focus on Latinx and Hispanic youths.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This large, cross-sectional study of youths aged …

Real-World Disease Burden And Health Care Resource Utilization For Patients With Barth Syndrome, Lindsay Marjoram, Yonglin Huang, Mary Kay Koenig, Bruce H Cohen, Eric Anderson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Barth syndrome (BTHS) is an ultra-rare, X-linked genetic disorder for which there is limited economic data. Because compiling such data that target rare indications is difficult, we assessed real-world data to increase understanding of the cost of BTHS based on disease burden and health care resource utilization (HCRU).

Methods: A search of the published medical literature identified individual case studies and registry data used to assess the burden of disease and potential costs associated with BTHS, including the potential ability of developing treatments to positively impact those costs. In addition, a claims database analysis was conducted to assess HCRU …

Posterior Fossa Decompression In Syndromic Children With Chiari-Like Posterior Fossa Crowding: A Nationwide Us-Based Study, Victor Gabriel El-Hajj, Josué Aganze Mwambali, Ihab Ahmad Al-Rikabi, Erik Öhlen, Maria Gharios, Victor E. Staartjes, Joanna M. Roy, Basel Musmar, Pascal Jabbour, Erik Edström, Adrian Elmi-Terander

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Posterior fossa crowding, due to cerebellar tonsil herniation, often requires surgery with posterior fossa decompression (PFD). Although most cases are due to a Chiari-1 malformation (CM1), some are due to concomitant congenital conditions, mimicking a radiological CM1. The aim of this study was to compare PFD outcomes between CM1 and the syndromic Chiari-like crowding of the posterior fossa. A national pediatric surgical database was used to compare baseline characteristics and short-term postoperative outcomes.

METHODS: Pediatric patients undergoing PFD (2012-2021) were identified in the ACS NSQIP-P database. Baseline characteristics and 30-day outcomes were compared between syndromic and non-syndromic cases. Multivariate …

Development And Validation Of Clinical Screening Systems For Cushing Disease In The United States, Jorge E. Salcedo-Sifuentes, Sonal Mehta, Carter M. Suryadevara, Marvin Bergsneider, Kevin C. J. Yuen, Paul A. Gardner, Julie M. Silverstein, Albert H. Kim, James J. Evans, Garni Barkhoudarian, Juan C. Fernandez-Miranda, William T. Couldwell, Robert C. Rennert, Varun R. Kshettry, Kyle C. Wu, Carolina Benjamin, Gabriel Zada, Michael R. Chicoine, Jamie J. Van Gompel, Michael P. Catalino, Michael Karsy, Adam Mamelak, Ildiko Torok, Trevor Low, Won Kim, Donato R. Pacione, Nidhi Agrawal

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: Clinical screening systems (CSSs) for Cushing syndrome (CS) validated in Europe have not been evaluated for CS or Cushing disease (CD) in the United States (US). We aimed to evaluate existing CSSs in US patients and develop two new symptom-based CSSs to identify patients with high pre-test probability of disease warranting referral for definitive biochemical workup-one for broad CS screening and one specifically for CD.

METHODS: Data were obtained from the Registry of Adenomas of the Pituitary and Related Disorders (RAPID)-comprising 615 patients who underwent transnasal transsphenoidal resection for CD at one of 11 US pituitary centers, the Centers …

Prostaglandin E2 As A Mechanistic Biomarker Of Chronic Pancreatitis, Jami L Saloman, Bahiyyah Jefferson, Samuel Han, William E Fisher, Evan L Fogel, Phil A Hart, Liang Li, Walter G Park, Santhi Swaroop Vege, Dhiraj Yadav, Mark D Topazian, Darwin L Conwell

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a disease associated with chronic inflammation, fibrosis, and pain. There is a lack of tools available that facilitate early diagnosis, when intervention could prevent irreversible damage. Pilot data suggested prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) as a candidate biomarker for early CP. PGE2 activates signaling pathways that promote inflammation, pain, and fibrosis.

Methods: We assessed PGE2, metabolites, and downstream targets in pancreatic fluid collected endoscopically 0-10 (n = 110) and 10-20 (n = 111) minutes after intravenous secretin administration. PGE2 and metabolites were measured in plasma (n = 75) and urine (n = 71) from the same subjects. …

Association Of Chronic Conditions With Bladder Health In Women: Cross-Sectional Results From The Rise For Health Study, Camille P Vaughan, Gerald Mcgwin, Jean F Wyman, Siobhan Sutcliffe, Diane K Newman, Ariana L Smith, Colleen M Fitzgerald, Todd Rockwood, James Griffith, Sheila Gahagan, Alayne D Markland, Prevention Of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (Plus) Research Consortium

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Women with multiple chronic conditions are more likely than women without them to report lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS); understanding the association of common and coexisting chronic conditions with bladder health across adulthood may inform prevention efforts.

METHODS: Data were collected from May 2022 through December 2023 from a regionally representative cohort of community-dwelling adult women in the US. Chronic conditions were assessed by self-report and bladder health, and LUTS were measured using validated questionnaires. Analyses were limited to women aged 40 years or older and included multivariable linear and logistic regression models, adjusted for age, body mass index, …

Unplanned Hospitalization Among Advanced Prostate Cancer Patients By Diabetes Status: A Population-Based Study, Amy L. Shaver, Krupa Gandhi, Scott W. Keith, Nikita Nikita, Christopher C. Yang, Felix J. Kim, Hushan Yang, William K. Kelly, Stephen J. Freedland, Grace Lu-Yao

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Older adults with advanced prostate cancer and type 2 diabetes mellitus are underrepresented in trials of androgen receptor pathway inhibitors. This study examined changes in unplanned hospitalization rates in patients receiving androgen receptor pathway inhibitors by type 2 diabetes mellitus status and assessed if unplanned hospitalization varies according to androgen receptor pathway inhibitors.

METHODS: This population-based study of advanced prostate cancer patients aged older than 66 years used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare data. Prepost androgen receptor pathway inhibitor initiation changes and androgen receptor pathway inhibitor differences in unplanned hospitalization rates were estimated by adjusted incidence rate ratio with …

Integrating Environmental Risk Factors Into Pediatric Cancer Care: Laying The Groundwork For Improved Outcomes And Primary Prevention., Nicole Wood, Omar Shakeel, Juan A. Ortega-Garcia, Mark D. Miller

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Childhood cancer incidence has steadily risen both in the United States and worldwide, yet its environmental contributors remain underrecognized in clinical care. Children and cancer survivors are particularly susceptible to environmental exposures due to their unique physiology and the long-term health vulnerabilities that follow cancer treatment. Although exposures to substances such as pesticides, air pollution, and household chemicals are linked to increased cancer risk, limited clinical frameworks and clinician training leave oncologists underprepared to address growing environmental health concerns from families. A holistic pediatric oncology environmental health program in Murcia, Spain offers a scalable vision for embedding the environment into …

Leveraging Existing Cohort Studies Of Mexican Women To Better Understand Hispanic Health And Cancer Risk, Dalia Stern, Liliana Gomez-Flores-Ramos, Britton Trabert, V Wendy Setiawan, Loïc Le Marchand, Henry Gomez, Paul A Scheet, Humberto Parada, Amber Pirzada, Martin Lajous, Leslie V Farland

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Hispanics have been historically underrepresented in epidemiologic cancer research. Existing cohort studies focused on recruiting Hispanic participants have been relatively small, making studying cancer outcomes challenging. Therefore, we aimed to compare the distribution of cancer risk factors among Hispanic women of Mexican heritage (HWMH) participating in existing cohorts to explore the possibility of future data pooling efforts.

Methods: We used baseline data of HWMH from three US-based studies, the Mexican American Cohort (MAC; n = 19,797; 2001-2017), the Multiethnic Cohort (MEC; n = 18,007; 1993-1996), and the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL; n = 4,022; 2008-2011), and …

Hepcidin, Incident Heart Failure, And Cardiac Dysfunction In Older Adults: The Aric Study, Iman A F Aboelsaad, Brian L Claggett, Victoria Lamberson, Pranav Dorbala, Kunihiro Matsushita, Pamela Lutsey, Bing Yu, Brandon W Lennep, Youssef M K Farag, Amil M Shah, Leo F Buckley

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Aims: Hepcidin regulates plasma and tissue iron levels. We studied the association of hepcidin levels with the risk of incident heart failure (HF) and cardiac dysfunction in older adults.

Methods and results: We included adults from the ongoing, longitudinal Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, who were free from prevalent anaemia and HF at Visit 5 (2011-13) and had available hepcidin and covariate data. Associations of plasma hepcidin levels with overall adjudicated incident HF, HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), and HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) were assessed using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models. Cross-sectional associations of hepcidin …

Building An Interdisciplinary Workforce In Geroscience: Aligning Perspectives And Educational Goals, Iman M Al-Naggar, Miranda E Orr, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The National Institute on Aging-funded Geroscience Education and Training Network held the "Building an Interdisciplinary Workforce in Geroscience: Aligning Perspectives and Educational Goals" preconference workshop at the 2023 Gerontological Society of America's Annual Meeting. Parties involved in geroscience education and interested stakeholders addressed the development of didactic educational materials, training, and career development opportunities to equip learners with the skills to meet the demands of the emerging field of geroscience, from research to clinic and industry. Recent successes were presented, existing opportunities, gaps, and challenges identified and discussed, and solutions and future directions described.

Using The R = Mc2 Heuristic To Assess Whole-Of-School Physical Activity Implementation In Elementary Schools: A Cross-Sectional Study, Derek W Craig, Kevin Lanza, Christopher D Pfledderer, Andjelka Pavlovic, Kempson Onadeko, Natalia I Heredia, Jizyah Injil, Laura F Defina, Timothy J Walker

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Schools are recommended to use a whole-of-school (WOS) approach to promote physical activity opportunities before, during, and after school. Yet, the barriers and facilitators to implementing a WOS approach successfully are not well understood. The R = MC2 heuristic, which defines readiness for implementation as a combination of an organization's motivation and capacity to implement, can enhance our understanding of implementation in the school setting. This study examines associations between constructs from the R = MC2 heuristic and schools' implementation of a WOS approach.

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from U.S. elementary schools participating in …

An Ai-Driven Framework For Real-Time Fake News Detection: Developing A Machine Learning-Based Filter For News Platforms In The United States, Umma Twaha, Yeasin Arfin

Engineering and Technology

The proliferation of fake news across digital platforms poses a significant threat to democratic processes, public health, and social cohesion in the United States. Manual fact-checking and traditional moderation approaches are increasingly inadequate due to the scale, speed, and sophistication of misinformation campaigns. This presents an AI-driven framework for real-time fake news detection, designed to serve as an intelligent filter for news platforms operating within the US media ecosystem. Leveraging natural language processing (NLP) techniques and machine learning algorithms—including supervised classifiers and deep learning models such as BERT and LSTM—the framework identifies deceptive content with high precision and low latency. …

The Current And Future Burden Of Long Covid In The United States, Sarah M Bartsch, Kevin L Chin, Ulrich Strych, Danielle C John, Tej D Shah, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Kelly J O'Shea, Mckaylee Robertson, Colleen Weatherwax, Jessie Heneghan, Marie F Martinez, Allan Ciciriello, Sarah Kulkarni, Kavya Velmurugan, Alexis Dibbs, Sheryl A Scannell, Yanhan Shen, Denis Nash, Peter J Hotez, Bruce Y Lee

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Long coronavirus disease (COVID), which affects an estimated 44.69-48.04 million people in the United States, is an ongoing public health concern that will persist as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to spread.

Methods: We developed a computational simulation model representing the clinical course, health effects, and associated costs of a person with long COVID.

Results: Simulations show that the average total cost of a long COVID case can range from $5084-$11 646 (assuming symptoms only last 1 year) with 92.5%-95.2% of these costs being productivity losses. Therefore, the current number of long COVID cases could cost …