Digital Commons Network^™

Public Perspectives On Investigative Genetic Genealogy: Findings From A National Focus Group Study, Jacklyn Dahlquist, Jill O Robinson, Amira Daoud, Whitney Bash-Brooks, Amy L Mcguire, Christi J Guerrini, Stephanie M Fullerton

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Background: Investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) is a technique that involves uploading genotypes developed from perpetrator DNA left at a crime scene, or DNA from unidentified remains, to public genetic genealogy databases to identify genetic relatives and, through the creation of a family tree, the individual who was the source of the DNA. As policymakers demonstrate interest in regulating IGG, it is important to understand public perspectives on IGG to determine whether proposed policies are aligned with public attitudes.

Methods: We conducted eight focus groups with members of the public (N = 72), sampled from four geographically diverse US regions, …

Factors Associated With Hepatitis C-Related Hospitalizations And Inpatient Mortality In The United States, Pre- And Post-Onset Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Christina R. Samuel

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Background: Hepatitis C is a significant public health problem in the United States and imposes a substantial burden on the healthcare system. Previous research shows that the COVID-19 pandemic response efforts have overshadowed hepatitis C testing and treatment measures in health care settings across the country. The purpose of this study was to describe and examine the factors associated with hepatitis C-related hospitalizations and inpatient mortality in the United States, pre- and post-onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Data were obtained from the 2019-2020 National Inpatient Sample database. The study population included persons aged ≥18 years with hepatitis C-related inpatient …

Exploring The Relationship Between Vaccine Hesitancy And Mothers’ Perspectives On Covid-19 Vaccines For Children Ages 5–11 Years During The Omicron Predominant Period 2021–2022: A Qualitative Study, Tiffany A Suragh, David Adzrago, Marlyn A Allicock, Paul G Yeh, Paula Cuccaro

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The United States Food and Drug Administration authorized COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5-11 years in October 2021 during the Omicron predominant period. Parental vaccine hesitancy was prevalent during this time, resulting in low childhood COVID-19 vaccine uptake. Most studies exploring factors influencing parental vaccine hesitancy have focused on racial and ethnic minorities and lower socioeconomic populations; however, there is little knowledge of the drive drivers of vaccine hesitancy among White parents with higher education and socioeconomic statuses.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with a sample of 15 White mothers of children ages 5-11 years in Atlanta, GA, between …

Prevalence And Disparities In Receiving Medical Advice To Quit Tobacco Use In The Us Adult Population, Monalisa Chandra, Rajesh Talluri, Joel Fokom Domgue, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Evidence suggests that advice from health care professionals (HCP) increases the likelihood of quit attempts and successful quitting of tobacco use. However, previous studies primarily focussed on cigarette smoking and did not include all forms of tobacco products. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and disparities in receiving HCP's advice to quit tobacco use (combustible or noncombustible) in the US adult population.

Methods: Using the 2022 National Health Information Survey (NHIS) data, we examined 4,424 adults who reported (i) any tobacco product use within the past 12 months and (ii) having seen an HCP within the past 12 …

Lessons Learned From The Moment Study On How To Recruit And Retain A Target Population Online, Across Borders, And With Automated Remote Data Collection, Andrew Belfiglio, Shayleigh Dickson Page, Sara Pettersson, Michelle Van Rijn, Ercole Vellone, Heleen Westland, Kenneth E. Freedland, Christopher Lee, Anna Strömberg, Douglas Wiebe, Subhash Aryal, Barbara Riegel, Tiny Jaarsma

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Increasingly, studies use social media to recruit, enroll, and collect data from participants. This introduces a threat to data integrity: efforts to produce fraudulent data to receive participant compensation, e.g., gift cards. MOMENT is an online symptom-monitoring and self-care study that implemented safeguards to protect data integrity. Facebook, Twitter, and patient organizations were used to recruit participants with chronic health conditions in four countries (USA, Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden). Links to the REDCap baseline survey were posted to social media accounts. The initial study launch, where participants completed the baseline survey and were automatically re-directed to the LifeData ecological momentary …

Preteen Suicide Risk Screening In The Pediatric Outpatient Setting: A Clinical Pathway, Laura Hennefield, Ellen-Ge Denton, Peggy G Chen, Arielle H Sheftall, Lynsay Ayer

2020-Current year OA Pubs

We are in a youth mental health crisis with unprecedented and staggeringly high rates of suicidal ideations and suicide behaviors in preteens. In the United States, 14.5% of children aged 9-10 have experienced suicidal thoughts and behaviors, including 1.3% with a suicide attempt. American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines call for universal suicide risk screening of youth aged 12 years and older during preventative health care visits and screening in preteens aged 8-11 years when clinically indicated. However, what constitutes a clinical indication at 8-11 years can be difficult to systematically detect, and pediatric practitioners may not be equipped with necessary …

A Comparative Study Of Venezuelan Immigrants’ Pre- And Post-Migration Concerns For Their Children In The United States And Colombia, Aigerim Alpysbekova, Pablo Montero-Zamora, Mary H Soares, Carolina Scaramutti, Sumeyra Sahbaz, Maria Duque, Tara Bautista, Maria Fernanda Garcia, Christopher P Salas-Wright, Mildred M Maldonado-Molina, Melissa M Bates, Augusto Pérez-Gómez, Juliana Mejía Trujillo, Eric C Brown, Seth J Schwartz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Research suggests that forced migration may lead to cultural stress and psychological distress. However, little is known about immigrant parents' pre- and post-migration concerns for their children's welfare. The present study examined the concerns of Venezuelan parents who migrated to the United States versus those who migrated to Colombia, and whether post-migration concerns were related to cultural stressors, mental health, and cultural identity. A sample of 609 Venezuelan immigrants completed surveys and responded to an open-ended prompt asking about pre- and post-migration concerns for children's welfare. Lack of safety was the most common pre-migration concern for Venezuelans in the U.S., …

The Quest For Racial Equality After The Revolution: How Black Intellectuals Envision The Struggle For Equality After Jim Crow And Apartheid, Shelby Morgan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This paper examines the ideas presented by Black public intellectuals from South Africa and the United States regarding their solutions on how to achieve real racial equality after the achievement of equality under the law. It will provide a historical comparative analysis of the two countries by examining the works of George Fredrickson, as well as some contextual background on the existence of racial disparities in the modern day. It will then present various publications by American intellectuals Ibram X. Kendi, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Cornel West, and South African authors Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh, Songezo Zibi, and Tembeka Ngcukaitobi that discuss their …

Unleashing The Beast: Confronting Animal Trafficking As Organized Crime In The Americas, Erick J. Wilson

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

Wildlife trafficking is a serious yet often overlooked issue across the Americas. This Note examines wildlife trafficking across the Americas, analyzing the legal frameworks and challenges facing countries like the United States, Guatemala, Argentina, Peru, Mexico, and Brazil. Three key obstacles emerge: the lack of recognition of trafficking as organized crime, limited resources for enforcement, and deficient penalties. Though the United States has laws like the Lacey Act to address importation of illegally traded wildlife, weak foreign laws constrain efficacy. Many Latin American nations do not categorize wildlife trafficking as organized crime, despite its intricate parallels with activities like drug …

The Intersection Of Foreign Influence And Democratization: A Case Study Of Eurasian Powers Influence On Belarus’ Democratic Movement Since 2020, Dalton Xavier Maggs

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In 2020, the world took notice of Belarus’ dictator, Alexander Lukashenko’s brutal repression of the Belarusian people, demonstrating their wish to topple his hybrid authoritarian regime to make way for a liberated and democratic Belarus. While that wish has yet to be achieved, the question of “How do the regional powers of Eurasia influence the internal democratization struggle of Belarus?” has been vital to understanding geopolitics over the past three years. Through analysis of government reports, statements, and interviews with experts in the Eurasian region, I showcase the foreign policies of the U.S., EU, Russia, and China relating to Belarus. …

Systemic Resolution Advisory Committee Meeting Transcript, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (Fdic): Systemic Resolution Advisory Committee

Documents

No abstract provided.

Role Of Sex In The Association Of Socioeconomic Status With Cardiovascular Health In Black Americans: The Jackson Heart Study, Joshua J Joseph, Amaris Williams, Rosevine A Azap, Songzhu Zhao, Guy Brock, David Kline, James B Odei, Randi Foraker, Mario Sims, Laprincess C Brewer, Darrell M Gray Ii, Timiya S Nolan

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with cardiovascular health (CVH). Potential differences by sex in this association remain incompletely understood in Black Americans, where SES disparities are posited to be partially responsible for cardiovascular inequities. The association of SES measures (income, education, occupation, and insurance) with CVH scores was examined in the Jackson Heart Study.

METHODS AND RESULTS: American Heart Association CVH components (non-high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, diet, tobacco use, physical activity, sleep, glycemia, and body mass index) were scored cross-sectionally at baseline (scale: 0-100). Differences in CVH and 95% CIs (Estimate, 95% CI) were calculated using linear regression, adjusting …

The United States And The Need For An Improved Global Citizenship In The Twenty-First Century: How History Shaped Our Identity As A Nation, Karin Mika

Cleveland State Law Review

This Article describes how accidents of geography and history enabled the United States to become the global power that it has become. It examines how the extended warring in Europe during the Eighteenth and Nineteenth century allowed the United States to develop as a country without the repeated necessity of continually rebuilding, as was happening in Europe. The Article explores how the isolation of the United States enabled it to develop continuity in its initially experimental political system—a continuity that was never available to Europe. These factors enabled the United States to be in the position of being able to …

Understanding Discursive Framings Of Reparations For Slavery And Jim Crow, Carol Klier

San Diego Law Review

A meaningful reframing can be an effective tool for social change. The work of cognitive scientist and linguist, George Lakoff, explores the relationship between language use and the way we understand the world around us. Pertinent to the discussion of slave redress and reparations is the significance of discursive framing as a means of both promoting and dispelling worldviews. The manner in which we communicate particular ideas reveals much about how we conceptualize that subject. How we frame impacts the effectiveness of our messaging to others. As Lakoff indicates, “[F]acts matter enormously, but to be meaningful they must be framed …

Pediatric Hiv+ Kaposi Sarcoma Exhibits Clinical, Virological, And Molecular Features Different From The Adult Disease, Carolina Caro-Vegas, Alice Peng, Angelica Juarez, Allison Silverstein, William Kamiyango, Jimmy Villiera, Casey L Mcatee, Rizine Mzikamanda, Tamiwe Tomoka, Erin C Peckham-Gregory, Razia Moorad, Carrie L Kovarik, Liane R Campbell, Parth S Mehta, Peter N Kazembe, Carl E Allen, Michael E Scheurer, Nmazuo W Ozuah, Dirk P Dittmer, Nader Kim El-Mallawany

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

BACKGROUND

Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is among the most common childhood cancers in Eastern and Central Africa. Pediatric KS has a distinctive clinical presentation compared with adult KS, which includes a tendency for primary lymph node involvement, a considerable proportion of patients lacking cutaneous lesions, and a potential for fulminant disease. The molecular mechanisms or correlates for these disease features are unknown.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study. All cases were confirmed by IHC for KS-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) LANA protein. Baseline blood samples were profiled for HIV and KSHV genome copy numbers by qPCR and secreted cytokines by ELISA. Biopsies were …

The Modern And Historical Roots Of Inequality, Lukas Althoff

Dissertation Awards

This dissertation studies inequality in the access to opportunity in America over the past 150 years, including the impact of pivotal policies and institutions.

In Chapter 1, Hugo Reichardt and I study the long-run effects of anti-Black institutions —from slavery to Jim Crow—on Black Americans’ economic outcomes. I trace each family’s records from 1850 to 2000 to measure their exposure to those institutions. I show that Black families whose ancestors were enslaved until the Civil War have considerably lower education, income, and wealth today than families whose ancestors were free earlier. The disparities between the two groups have persisted because …

Criminalization Of Environmental Harms In Bangladesh And The United States, Md Lokman Hussain

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores and compares the nature, features, and measures of criminalization of environmental harms in Bangladesh and United States. The exploration is based on the descriptive and analytical comparison of the legal frameworks addressing the environmental harms in these two countries. To explore how are environmental harms criminalized in Bangladesh and United States, following aspects were described and compared: the criminalizing power of the state, criminalization of environmental harms regarding air pollution, water pollution, protection of biodiversity, waste management, and use of pesticide, theoretical frameworks in explaining criminalization, role of constitution and international law.

Attaining The Right To Environment Through Environmental Impact Assessment, Umair Saleem

Dissertations & Theses

The thesis discusses the interconnection between the right to environment and environmental impact assessment (EIA), elaborating their depth and collective potential to effectively address most – if not all – of the complex and interconnected environmental challenges.

Firstly, the thesis explores the evolution of the environmental laws from the year 1900 and provides a unifying synthesis of the diverse environmental components, obligations, rights, and principles within international, regional, and national environmental laws. Secondly, it identifies the right to environment as a unifying and holistic right that integrates these environmental concepts and encapsulates comprehensive environmental protection. Thirdly, it provides a comparison …

Introduction To A Compendium Of Strategies To Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections In Acute-Care Hospitals: 2022 Updates, Deborah S Yokoe, Hilary M Babcock, Erik R Dubberke, Jonas Marschall, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Since the initial publication of

Soaps And Shampoos: Proposals To Reform Regulation In The United States Personal Care Market To Decrease Deforestation From Palm Oil Imports, Kelsey Weston

Environmental and Earth Law Journal (EELJ)

Palm oil is the world's most highly sought-after vegetable oil due to its multifaceted uses and cheap cost of production. However, producing this versatile oil comes at a high cost to one of the largest biodiversity on the planet. Over the last two centuries, Indonesia and Malaysia have become the main producers and exporters of palm oil but they are also home to the largest number of mammal species in the world that have seen a staggering decline in populations. Furthermore, palm oil production has caused excessive release of greenhouse gases, increased disruption of forestland, and economic poverty for smallholders …

Fdic's Supervision Of First Republic Bank, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (Fdic)

Documents

No abstract provided.

Gnsi Decision Brief: What Keeps The Us In The Middle East?, Arman Mahmoudian, Tad Schnaufer Ii

GNSI Decision Briefs

In early August the United States sent “More than 3,000 Marines and Sailors [to the Middle East] in a deployment meant to deter Iran from seizing and harassing merchant ships near the Strait of Hormuz.” The decision likely caught many off guard, considering that just two years prior, the US had finalized its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Yet, this isn't the first instance of the United States oscillating in its engagement with the Middle East. Historically, a range of factors have consistently drawn America into the region. The US had minimal involvement in the Middle East until the compounding interests …

Mass Shootings In The United States, Sydney Livingston

Ballard Brief

High rates of mass shootings are becoming a uniquely American problem; the US makes up 73% of the world’s mass shootings, yet makes up only 4.25% of the world’s population. School shootings, in particular, have increased dramatically in the US since the Columbine High School shooting in 1999, an event many perpetrators have since drawn upon as inspiration. There is a strong divide of opinions in the nation regarding how firearm deaths should be reduced, which has complicated and slowed progress in identifying effective solutions. Each mass shooting causes additional shootings to occur, and each one takes a toll on …

Implantable Penile Prosthesis For Erectile Dysfunction: Insurance Coverage In The United States, Mohit Khera, Joshua P Langston, Matthew E Pollard, Denise Asafu-Adjei, Natalie C Edwards, Krista D Nitschelm, Mital Patel, Samir K Bhattacharyya

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: A manufacturer's benefit verification database was evaluated to ascertain United States health plan insurance coverage for implantable penile prostheses for erectile dysfunction.

Methods: All-payer and employer-sponsored health plan benefit verification databases were queried to determine implantable penile prosthesis approval status. For the all-payer analysis, data by payer were available and presented for 2019-2021 to assess approval status varied by payer and over time. For the employer-sponsored health plan analysis, data by payer were available from 2018-2021.

Results: Benefit verification records for the all-payer database were available for 3,167 patients in 2019, 3,016 in 2020, and 2,837 in 2021. Insurance …

Code Switching Use, Attitudes, And Identity: Differences Among Spanish-English Bilinguals In Canada, Mexico, And The United States, Ana Sofia Rubalcava Karmanov

Theses and Dissertations

Code-switching (CS) has been extensively studied for a variety of purposes and under many contexts. In recent years there has been a shift in CS literature to better understand the sociological forces that affect speakers’ use of CS. While in earlier literature, CS was perceived negatively by both speakers and the general public (Milroy & Muysken, 1995; MacGregor-Mendoza, 2021; Anderson & Toribio, 2007; Fishman, 1967), it has since been shown that many bilinguals view CS positively. More recent research suggests that bilinguals perceive CS as an important part of their identity and use it to show they belong to particular …

Reducing Oral Health Disparities: Effectiveness Of Preventive Dental Care On Treatment Use, Expenditures And Determinants Of Service Utilization, Rashmi Lamsal

Theses & Dissertations

Given the importance of oral health in maintaining the general health and well-being of an individual, this dissertation includes three independent studies examining dental care utilization and expenditures among adults in the U.S. The first study examines the effectiveness of preventive dental visits on treatment utilization and expenditures among adults aged 18 and above. The second study focuses on the impact of paid sick leave on different types of dental services utilization among working adults aged 18-64. Finally, the last paper compares the differences in dental care utilization and related expenditure between foreign-born and US-born adults with diabetes. The paper …

Prevalence Of Symptoms ≤12 Months After Acute Illness, By Covid-19 Testing Status Among Adults — United States, December 2020–March 2023, Juan Carlos C Montoy, James Ford, Huihui Yu, Michael Gottlieb, Dana Morse, Michelle Santangelo, Kelli N O'Laughlin, Kevin Schaeffer, Pamela Logan, Kristin Rising, Mandy J Hill, Lauren E Wisk, Wafah Salah, Ahamed H Idris, Ryan M Huebinger, Erica S Spatz, Robert M Rodriguez, Robin E Klabbers, Kristyn Gatling, Ralph C Wang, Joann G Elmore, Samuel A Mcdonald, Kari A Stephens, Robert A Weinstein, Arjun K Venkatesh, Sharon Saydah, Innovative Support For Patients With Sars-Cov-2 Infections Registry (Inspire) Group

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

To further the understanding of post-COVID conditions, and provide a more nuanced description of symptom progression, resolution, emergence, and reemergence after SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-like illness, analysts examined data from the Innovative Support for Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infections Registry (INSPIRE), a prospective multicenter cohort study. This report includes analysis of data on self-reported symptoms collected from 1,296 adults with COVID-like illness who were tested for SARS-CoV-2 using a Food and Drug Administration-approved polymerase chain reaction or antigen test at the time of enrollment and reported symptoms at 3-month intervals for 12 months. Prevalence of any symptom decreased substantially between baseline …

Svb And Beyond: The Banking Stress Of 2023, Viral V. Acharya, Matthew P. Richardson, Kermit L. Schoenholtz, Bruce Tuckman

Documents

No abstract provided.

Commentary: Further Prosecutions Over The 2020 Election Are Not Justified, Bruce Ledewitz

Newspaper Columns

Collected biweekly contributions to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star, a nonpartisan, nonprofit news site.

Reforming The Federal Home Loan Bank System, Steven Cecchetti, Kermit Schoenholtz, Lawrence J. White

Documents

No abstract provided.