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Nanoparticles May Improve How Antiviral Compounds Are Delivered For Herpes Virus 1, Emilia Huff

Research on Capitol Hill

HSV-1, a strain of herpes, infects the majority of adults in the US and has been linked to neurological damage.

A Comparative Effectiveness Trial For Universal Psychosocial Screening With The Psychosocial Assessment Tool (Pat) Across 18 Childhood Cancer Programs In The United States: Adoption, Penetration, And Health Equity, Lamia P. Barakat, Michele A. Scialla, Nithyasri Ramaswamy, Janet A. Deatrick, Kamyar Arasteh, Eric Sandler, Shannon N. Hammer, Anne E. Kazak

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Universal, systematic psychosocial screening in childhood cancer assures care matched to need and achieves a Standard of Psychosocial Care. It is accomplished inconsistently due to barriers at the family, provider, and institution level, potentially contributing to disparities in care and outcomes. We conducted a comparative effectiveness trial of two implementation strategies of an established measure (Psychosocial Assessment Tool; PAT3.0) across 18 children's cancer programs to identify strategies that resulted in higher levels of screening in English and Spanish (penetration, health equity). We also examined uptake at the institution level (adoption).

METHODS: Sites were randomized to Strategy I (web-based training …

Supporting Evidence-Based Responses To Emotional Needs In Emphysema (Serene): Protocol For A Randomized, Open-Label Mechanistic Trial Comparing Coping Skills Training And Disease-Specific Education For Depressive Symptoms Conducted In United States Health Systems, Joanna L. Hart, Daniel Carter, Chloe Hinton, James Grilli, Lily A. Brown, Nora Brier, Yingying Lu, Casey Whitman, Michael O. Harhay, Michael Sims, Carmen Alvarez, Lisa R. Miller-Matero, C. Virginia O'Hayer

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Depressive symptoms and anxiety are highly prevalent among people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), strongly associated with poor outcomes, and rarely recognized or treated. Integrating families into interventions may amplify supportive care treatment effects and overcome common challenges, yet this strategy is understudied. The Supporting Evidence-based Responses to Emotional Needs in Emphysema (SERENE) trial's main objective is to identify the mechanisms through which a family-partnered Coping Skills Training (CST) reduces depressive symptoms among patients with COPD, testing five putative mechanisms: family relationship quality, patient and caregiver self-efficacy, patient loneliness, and caregiver psychological distress.

METHODS: SERENE will enroll 375 …

Increasing Ketamine Administration In Children's Hospitals For Youth With Sickle Cell Disease., Ashley M. Jenkins, Erin Hendry, Alexandra Power-Hays, Marin Valentino, Matthew Hall, Kathyrn Kyler, James W. Antoon, Sonya Tang Girdwood, Jennifer Goldman, Armand N. Morel, Timothy J. Savage, Lucas E. Orth, Natasha M. Archer

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Ketamine is recommended as an opioid-sparing adjunct for sickle cell disease (SCD)-related pain management. Little is known regarding its use in hospitalized youth with SCD. We aimed to describe trends in ketamine administration and examine associations between ketamine administration and outcomes in hospitalized youth with SCD. We conducted a cross-sectional, multicenter study examining hospital admissions for youth with SCD from 44 children's hospitals in the United States from 2016 to 2023. Youth aged ≥6 months with SCD were identified using International Classification of Diseases tenth revision codes. Exposures included age, sex, race, payor, childhood opportunity index, hydroxyurea administration, and concomitant …

Only Americans Left Behind: Iran’S Illegal Use Of Hostages As Political Pawns To Advance Their Foreign Policy, Ava Namazi

San Diego International Law Journal

The Islamic Republic of Iran has emerged as one of the most prominent contemporary practitioners of hostage diplomacy—a strategy rooted in the 1979 Hostage Crisis and sustained through recurring detentions of foreign nationals on fabricated security charges. The government uses innocent foreign nationals as political pawns to coerce Western states, including the United States, to release frozen Iranian assets held abroad. This Comment situates Iran’s use of hostage diplomacy within its post-revolutionary foreign policy, examining how the collapse of the Pahlavi dynasty contributed to this tactic. Additionally, this Comment will analyze the current international legal frameworks governing hostage diplomacy and …

Seamless Security: Reforming Export Controls For A Stronger Allied Defense Industrial Base, Justin Belcher

San Diego International Law Journal

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s accelerating military modernization underscore the need for the United States and its allies to reinforce their defense industrial bases to deter and prevail in future conflicts. This paper examines the historical and strategic foundations driving the need for export control reform, identifies key U.S. export control laws governing defense coproduction and co-development, and analyzes how current regulations constrain allied industrial integration. It concludes by proposing solutions to streamline export control regulations to improve the strength and resilience of the modern defense industrial base.

Economic Evaluation Of Perioperative Pembrolizumab Plus Standard Of Care As Treatment For Resectable Locally Advanced Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma In The United States, Feng Qian, Arielle G Bensimon, Anjela Tzontcheva, Kimberly Benjamin, Ravindra Uppaluri, Douglas Adkins, Geoffrey Johnson, Catherine Fernan, Dandan Zheng, Yuexin Tang, Biruk Chafamo, Dominic Muston

2020-Current year OA Pubs

AIMS: In the phase 3 KEYNOTE-689 trial (NCT03765918) among patients with resectable locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA HNSCC), perioperative pembrolizumab (pembrolizumab before surgery, then continued with standard-of-care [SOC] radiotherapy +/- cisplatin after surgery followed by pembrolizumab alone) significantly prolonged event-free survival vs. SOC alone, both in the intention-to-treat population and PD-L1 combined positive score (CPS) ≥1 subgroup. Perioperative pembrolizumab + SOC received Food and Drug Administration approval in June 2025 for resectable LA HNSCC expressing PD-L1 (CPS ≥ 1). The present study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of perioperative pembrolizumab + SOC versus SOC in this indication, from …

Confinement And Consent: A Comparative Analysis Of Sexual Abuse In Finnish And U.S. Prisons, Madison A. Greico

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

The Bangkok Rules and The Basic Principles for The Treatment of Prisoners are a specific outline of protections and rights for individuals( Bangkok specifically about women) within prisons adopted by the United Nations compromising states. While The United States is a leader in the United Nations and adopted this set of rules, their failures of commitment are extremely apparent. Every year, thousands of prison rapes occur behind bars in New York alone by the very guards meant to protect them. In Finland, another United Nations member, however, has virtually no record of sexual abuse within their prisons. In investigation of …

Associations Between The Microbiome And Immune Responses To An Adenovirus-Based Hiv-1 Candidate Vaccine Are Distinct Between African And Us Cohorts, Yuhao Li, Daniel J Stieh, Lindsay Droit, Andrew Hyoungjin Kim, Rachel Rodgers, Kathie A Mihindukulasuriya, Leran Wang, Maria G Pau, Olive Yuan, Herbert W Virgin, Dan H Barouch, Megan T Baldridge, Scott A Handley

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Optimization of prophylactic vaccine regimens to elicit strong, long-lasting immunity is an urgent need highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Stronger vaccine immunogenicity is frequently reported in individuals living in high-income countries compared to individuals living in low- and middle-income countries. While numerous host genetic and immune factors may influence vaccine responses, geographic restrictions to vaccine effectiveness may also be influenced by the intestinal microbiota, which modulates host immune systems. However, the potential role of the gut microbiota on responses to HIV-1 vaccines has not yet been explored. We analyzed the bacteriome by targeted 16S sequencing and the virome by virus-like …

Evaluating The American Society Of Hematology Quality Measure On Timeliness Of Analgesics For Sickle Cell Disease Pain Crisis, Ibrahim Gwarzo, Harish Chandra Dega, Paula Tanabe, Robin Miller, David C. Brousseau

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

The American Society of Hematology (ASH) proposed the median time to first emergency department (ED) administration of pain medication for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) vaso-occlusive pain episodes (VOE) as a site-level quality measure. Generalizable studies assessing current guideline adherence recommending pain medications within 60 minutes are lacking. We leveraged multisite electronic health record data from Epic's Cosmos research platform to analyze ED encounters for SCD VOE from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2024, with administration of at least 1 pain medication. We calculated the quality measure (median time to first pain medication) and ranked sites based on …

Coordinated Management Of Meaning In U.S.-Russia Relations: How Meanings Shaped Communication Surrounding The Potential Invasion Of Ukraine, Russell James Hampsey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative discourse analysis applies the coordinated management of meaning theory to examine the diplomatic interactions between the United States and Russia from November 2021 to February 2022, the critical negotiation period preceding the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Systematically applying the theory’s hierarchy of meanings model to the official discourse resulted in the segmentation of 1,428 official texts for analysis. Comparative coding of the data exposes how worldviews and recursive feedback patterns shape adversarial postures, perpetuate negotiation impasses, and prevent the emergence of co-constructed meaning. This research illuminates how national meanings are actively constructed and maintained through discursive interaction, reinforcing …

Artificial Intelligence In Medical Ethics Education: A Descriptive Study Of Eight Models In Multiple Choice Question Generation, John Obeid, Christopher Bobier, Alex Gillham, Adam Omelianchuk, Daniel Hurst

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Introduction: Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into medical education poses barriers and opportunities for medical educators. One of those opportunities is content creation for medical ethics assessment. Assessing the performance of AI in generating multiple choice questions (MCQs) in ethics that aligns with United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) is important. The present study evaluates the performance of eight AI models-GPT-4 Turbo, GPT-3.5 Turbo 0125, o1 Mini, o1 Preview, GPT-4, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Claude 3 Opus, and Gemini-in regard to the relevance, clarity, and accuracy of generated ethics-based MCQs.

Methods: Each of the eight models was tasked with generating two sets …

Health Care Systems: Responsibilities And Resilience., Carol Iddins, Ziad Kazzi, Arthur Chang, Nicholas Maikai Studer, James Jeng, Ann Jakubowski, Ibrahim Ahmed, Cullen Case, Mark Ervin, Shannon G. Loelius, Joel Ross, Jonathan Gill, Nelson Chao

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

This paper addresses the challenges and preparedness strategies for health care systems in responding to nuclear and radiological emergencies. It emphasizes the critical role of medical centers in pre-incident preparedness, immediate response, and long-term care, focusing on the need for coordinated efforts between local, state, and federal agencies. Key components include specialized training, resource allocation, triage protocols, and the integration of networks like the Radiation Injury Treatment Network and the American Burn Association. This paper highlights the importance of resilience through collaboration, infrastructure planning, and community support to manage mass casualties and mitigate long-term health consequences. It underscores the lessons …

Nci-Designated Cancer Centers' Policies And Practices With Regard To Alcohol And Cancer: A Call To Lead, Ernest T Hawk, Stephanie L Martch, Meghan Si, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Alcohol, a known carcinogen since 1988, increases risk of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, liver, breast, and colorectum. More than one half of US adults consume alcohol whereas about two thirds are unsure whether or unaware that alcohol intake is linked to cancer risk.

Methods: Our objective was to survey awareness, beliefs, intentions, policies, practices, and goals/perceived responsibilities related to establishing/promoting actions to reduce alcohol-related cancer risks from leaders of 72 NCI-Designated Cancer Centers.

Results: Sixty-one percent responded. Forty-three percent either believed in or were uncertain about alcohol's purported health benefits. Nevertheless, 86% considered it part of …

Generational Trends In Reproductive Factors Among Women In The Us: Implications For Breast Cancer Incidence, Lin Yang, Adetunji T Toriola

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Reproductive factors are key breast cancer risk factors, yet contemporary generational patterns remain unclear. We aimed to evaluate trends in reproductive factors among US women born between 1910 and 2000.

METHODS: We conducted a serial, cross-sectional analysis of reproductive factors using data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) collected between 1999 and 2020. Female participants were grouped by birth cohorts (1910-1930, then by 10-year to 2000). Self-reported data were used to derive age at menarche, prevalence of age at menarche <  12 years, age at natural menopausal, prevalence of first live birth after age 30, and lifetime number of live births.

RESULTS: Data on 28,481 US women were analyzed. From birth cohort 1910-1930 to 1990-2000, the …

Anxiety Or Depression Trends By Disability Status And Demographic Intersections In Us Adults, 2019-2023, David Adzrago, Kayo Fujimoto, J Michael Wilkerson, Typhanye V Dyer, Faustine Williams

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: Mental health problems, particularly anxiety and depression, remain among the leading causes of disease burden in the US. However, trends in anxiety and depression across disability status and demographics remain understudied.

Objective: To examine trends in anxiety and depression prevalence among US adults from 2019 to 2023 by disability status and demographic characteristics.

Design, setting, and participants: This cross-sectional study used national population-based data from the National Health Interview Surveys from 2019 to 2023. Data were collected from household probability samples of noninstitutionalized US civilian adults aged at least 18 years. Data analyses were performed from December 6, 2024, …

Women's Preferences For Home-Based Self-Sampling Or Clinic-Based Testing For Cervical Cancer Screening, Joël Fokom Domgue, Monalisa Chandra, Olajumoke Oladoyin, Manali Desai, Robert Yu, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: While home-based self-sampling for cervical cancer screening is an evidence-based strategy proven to increase screening access and uptake, it is not currently recommended in the US despite recent Food and Drug Administration approval of the first at-home self-sampling device. Little nationally representative research has examined preference for and drivers of home-based self-sampling over clinic-based testing (the standard of care).

Objective: To assess women's perspectives about, reasons for considering, and factors associated with preferring at-home self-sampling for cervical cancer screening.

Design, setting, and participants: This population-based cross-sectional study used data from the 2024 Health Interview National Trends Survey (HINTS 7), …

Estimated Effectiveness Of 2024-2025 Covid-19 Vaccination Against Severe Covid-19, Kevin C Ma, Jennie H Kwon, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: As SARS-CoV-2 JN.1 lineage descendants continue to evolve, evaluating COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE) against severe COVID-19 remains important to guide vaccination strategies.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the VE of the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines against COVID-19-associated hospitalization and severe in-hospital outcomes overall and by time since dose (7-89, 90-179, and ≥180 days), JN.1 descendant lineage (KP.3.1.1, XEC, LP.8.1), and spike protein mutations associated with immune evasion.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This multicenter, test-negative, case-control study conducted by the Investigating Respiratory Viruses in the Acutely Ill Network included adult patients (aged ≥18 years) hospitalized between September 1, 2024, and April 30, 2025, …

Costs Of Single Maintenance And Reliever Therapy Vs Traditional Therapy For Asthma, Tri Pham, Abigail R Barker, Sarah A Eisenstein, Eliot Jost, Anna Volerman, Krutika Chauhan, Ross C Brownson, Timothy Mcbride, Mark D Huffman, Kaharu Sumino, Lynn B Gerald, Mario Castro, Anne E Dixon, James G Krings

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Despite strong guideline support, single maintenance and reliever therapy (SMART) for asthma is underused in the US. Limited insurance coverage of SMART-compatible inhalers remains a major barrier to its adoption.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the annual asthma management costs of SMART vs traditional therapy from a US health care payer perspective.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This economic evaluation used a probabilistic decision-tree model with Monte Carlo simulations to compare the total asthma management costs for patients prescribed SMART vs traditional therapy, conducting analyses from September 1, 2024, to March 13, 2025. Input data were extracted through a systematic review of …

Visit-Level Quality Measurement Reveals Missed Opportunities And Overuse In Preventive Oral Health Care, Bunmi Tokede, Suhasini Bangar, Swaroop Gantela, Ryan Brandon, Alfa Yansane, Donald B Rindal, Don Worley, Joel White, Joanna Mullins, Ana Neumann, Todd Johnson, Nicholas Skourtes, Gregory Olson, Janelle Urata, Heather Weidner, Katie Lamberger, Aaron Truong, Heiko Spallek, Elsbeth Kalenderian, Muhammad F Walji

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Traditional annual dental quality measures fail to capture real-time care delivery and can mask critical gaps in patient-specific treatment. The authors developed and implemented visit-level adaptations of established caries quality measures to enable actionable, point-of-care assessment.

Methods: The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of 1.09 million dental visits across 400,000 patients (2021-2023) at 4 US institutions using axiUm (Henry Schein Corp) or Epic (Epic Systems) electronic health records. The authors transformed 2 annual measures involving caries risk assessment and risk-based preventive treatment into visit-level metrics using a 2 × 2 matrix framework: action due and performed, due and not …

The American College Of Radiology Diagnostic Fluoroscopy Dose Index Registry Pilot: Dosimetric Performance And Benchmarking Challenges, Steve D Mann, Donald L Miller, Grant Fong, Allen R Goode, Emily L Marshall, Thomas Nishino, Pavlina Boxx, Liqiang Ren, Celalettin Topbas, Alan H Schoenfeld, Vivek Singh, Jie Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The ACR Diagnostic Fluoroscopy Dose Index Registry (DIR-Fluoro) is expanding to include diagnostic fluoroscopy. Variations in dose reference points and overhead radiography events may introduce unique challenges for benchmarking.

Purpose: To survey the technological status and dosimetric performance of fluoroscopes participating in the DIR-Fluoro pilot project, focusing on longitudinal stability and variability of fluoroscopic dose reporting accuracy across multiple institutions and vendors.

Methods: Sixty-six fluoroscopic systems from nine institutions (24 facilities) were surveyed for facility type, fluoroscope type, image receptor type, age, dose reporting capabilities, and other key features. Of these, 56 were evaluable. Semi-annual measurements assessed reference air …

"Another One Bite The Dust-It Happens So Much In Black Neighborhoods": Structural Barriers And Grassroots Resources Among Black Men Who Use Drugs Facing Fentanyl-Era Overdose And Treatment Disparities, Devin E Banks, Kaytryn D Campbell, Maria E Paschke, Rashmi Ghonasgi, Bridget Coffey, Jameala Jones, Brittany Blanchard, Ryan W Carpenter, Daje Bradshaw, Rachel P Winograd

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Black men in the United States have been disproportionately impacted by fatal drug overdose since the proliferation of synthetic opioids like fentanyl. This community based participatory research study examined determinants of overdose risk and substance use treatment disparities among Black men based on their lived experience.

METHODS: Between February and December 2023, we enrolled 35 Black men reporting past-30-day opioid use to complete semi-structured qualitative interviews. Interviews were analyzed by a team of academic and community-based coders with lived experience using an inductive-deductive approach to thematic analysis.

RESULTS: Six key themes were identified. Four themes described racism-related inequities posing …

Effects Of Dual-Eligible Integrated Care Plans On Medicaid Enrollment And Retention: Evidence From The Implementation Of Medicare-Medicaid Plans, Eric T Roberts, Eliza Macneal, Kenton J Johnston, José F Figueroa

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Medicare and Medicaid are separate programs that together cover 13 million low-income older adults and people with disabilities, known as dual-eligible individuals. Concern about a lack of coordination across Medicare and Medicaid has prompted the development of Integrated Care Programs (ICPs). Although the primary goal of ICPs is to coordinate financing and care across Medicare and Medicaid, ICPs may also influence whether low-income individuals obtain or keep Medicaid. We evaluated whether the rollout of Medicare-Medicaid Plans (MMPs)-one of the largest ICPs-was associated with changes in Medicaid take-up and retention among Medicare beneficiaries residing in high-poverty zip codes. Using a stacked …

Flare Guns And Trauma: Patterns, Severity, And Clinical Implications From Case And National Surveillance Data, Ramsay Hafer, Andrew Huff, Lara Phillips

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Flare guns are pyrotechnic devices capable of causing serious injury due to high-temperature combustion and projectile discharge. Though intended for signaling in maritime or wilderness settings, improper use can result in trauma patterns distinct from those seen with typical burns or fireworks. Despite their severity, flare gun injuries remain underreported and poorly characterized. We conducted a scoping review of PubMed, Scopus, and Ovid to identify 12 case reports involving 13 patients, and reviewed US National Electronic Injury Surveillance System records from 2015 to 2024, identifying 18 flare gun-specific injuries for a combined total of 31 injuries. Demographic, injury mechanism, body …

Factors Associated With Rare Pediatric Cancer Trial Enrollment: A Report From The Children's Oncology Group Rare Tumors Committee, Brian R Englum, Jin Piao, Lindsay Younis, Reto M Baertschiger, Kenneth S Chen, Emily Christison-Lagay, Hetal Dholaria, Robyn Gartrell, M John Hicks, Junne Kamihara, Sarah G Mitchell, Manuela Orjuela-Grimm, Farzana Pashankar, Samara L Potter, Jennifer H Aldrink, Jeremy Rosenblum, Michael R Sargen, Kris Ann P Schultz, Brittani K N Seynnaeve, Mary Wedekind, Theodore W Laetsch

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Over 90% of US children with cancer are treated at Children's Oncology Group (COG) centers, which seek to maximize enrollment in therapeutic and biobanking studies. Rare cancers have demonstrated lower than expected COG enrollment. We evaluated trends in COG rare cancer enrollment compared to US incidence from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries, examining the impact of COG therapeutic trials and Project:EveryChild, a cancer biobank/registry.

Procedure: COG and SEER data from 2002 to 2020 were queried for US patients younger than 18 years old with adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), retinoblastoma (RB), thyroid carcinoma, and melanoma. We …

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 …

Training In Medications For Opioid Use Disorder And Buprenorphine Prescribing In The Post X-Waiver Era: Insights From A Nationwide, Multispecialty Survey, Sung In H Kim-Vences, Justin Nguyen, Jacqueline M Hirth, Kyle P Suen, Colleen A Keough, Roger Zoorob, Alicia A Kowalchuk

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: The January 2023 repeal of the X-waiver aimed to reduce regulatory barriers to buprenorphine prescribing and enhance patient access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Its impact on prescribing by non-addiction-trained physicians, the integration of MOUD training into residency programs, and the role of mandated training on clinical practice remain unclear.

Methods: A 2024 online survey assessed physicians' awareness of the X-waiver repeal, exposure to MOUD training, and changes in buprenorphine prescribing. Multivariable logistic regression evaluated the independent effect of MOUD training and whether mandatory versus voluntary formats influenced prescribing behavior.

Results: Among 959 physicians (42.7 % residents), …

An Examination Of Racial Bias In Scoring The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (Ados) Module 3: An Item Response Theory Analysis, Yuen Yvonne Yu, Austin Wyman, Calliana J Faulk, Lizzy J Fulop, Rebecca L Greenberg, Rachel M Benecke, Lauren K Steinbeck, Jessica Foy, Caitlyn Kim, George O Emory, Eric A Storch, Casey J Zampella, Benjamin E Yerys, Robert T Schultz, Julia Parish-Morris, John D Herrington, Caitlin C Clements

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Given the rising prevalence of autism among racial minority children in the United States, but persistent service use disparities, this study examines potential bias in specific items from the autism diagnostic observation schedule (ADOS), a highly regarded autism evaluation. We leveraged unidimensional item response theory graded response models and a sample of 735 children to analyze the differential item functioning (DIF) of items within ADOS Module 3. Three items showed significant signs of racial bias: A1 (overall language level), A5 (offers information), and D5 (compulsions and rituals). On these items, Black/African American and Asian children were usually more likely to …

Maternal Myo-Inositol Intake And Congenital Heart Defects In Offspring: A Population-Based Case-Control Study, Ruiqi Cen, L Joseph Su, Jun Ying, Mohammed S Orloff, Elijah H Bolin, Xiangyang Lou, Lynn M Almli, Lorenzo D Botto, Marilyn L Browne, Richard H Finnell, Mary M Jenkins, Eirini Nestoridi, Andrew F Olshan, Paul A Romitti, Gary M Shaw, Wendy N Nembhard

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: To investigate associations between maternal periconceptional (three months prior through the third pregnancy month) myo-inositol intake and the odds of selected congenital heart defects in offspring.

Design: A population-based case-control study using the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS) database.

Setting: United States.

Population or sample: Women with singleton live births without major birth defects (controls) and women with singleton live births, stillbirths, or terminations with selected nonsyndromic congenital heart defects (CHD; cases).

Methods: Descriptive analyses, logistic regression models, ascertainment of myo-inositol intake from supplements and food using a shortened food frequency questionnaire and survey.

Main outcome measures: Odds …

Egypt’S Strategic Hedging In Economics With The United States And China From 2014-2024, Abigail Flynn

Theses and Dissertations

This research aims to explain how Egypt is able to engage economically with two internationally competitive powers, the United States and China, using the theoretical framework of strategic hedging in the period of 2014-2024. While existing literature on strategic hedging is primarily focused on Southeast Asia and broadly deals with political hedging, this study applies the framework specifically to Egypt and is limited to economic relations. This research is significant because it identifies how Egypt is able to increase its economic engagement with the U.S. and China despite their competitive status and offers a novel argument which can be tested …