Digital Commons Network^™

Life-Space Mobility, Transportation, And The Companionship Network Of Members Of A Hispanic Senior Center, Rebecca L Mauldin, Rupal Parekh, John P Connolly, Stephen P Mattingly, Aiman Mushtaq, Kayo Fujimoto

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Companions (i.e., friends who spend time together) are important for the well-being of older adults. Senior centers in the United States are places for older adults to participate in group activities and form and maintain companionships. However, differences in mobility and transportation may affect the ability of older adults to leverage senior center activities into actual companionships.

Methods: This social network analysis was conducted to characterize the companionship network among members of a senior center in relation to their life-space mobility and transportation resources. An exponential random graph model was estimated to identify mobility- and transportation-related correlates of the …

Statistical And Practical Considerations In Planning And Conduct Of Dose-Optimization Trials, Ying Yuan, Heng Zhou, Suyu Liu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration launched Project Optimus with the aim of shifting the paradigm of dose-finding and selection toward identifying the optimal biological dose that offers the best balance between benefit and risk, rather than the maximum tolerated dose. However, achieving dose optimization is a challenging task that involves a variety of factors and is considerably more complicated than identifying the maximum tolerated dose, both in terms of design and implementation. This article provides a comprehensive review of various design strategies for dose-optimization trials, including phase 1/2 and 2/3 designs, and highlights their respective advantages and disadvantages. In …

Escalated-Dose Radiotherapy For Unresected Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: Patterns Of Care And Survival In The United States, Christopher Shi, Brian De, Hop S Tran Cao, Suyu Liu, Marcus A Florez, Ramez Kouzy, Adam J Grippin, Matthew H G Katz, Ching-Wei D Tzeng, Naruhiko Ikoma, Michael P Kim, Sunyoung Lee, Jason Willis, Sonal S Noticewala, Bruce D Minsky, Grace L Smith, Emma B Holliday, Cullen M Taniguchi, Albert C Koong, Prajnan Das, Ethan B Ludmir, Eugene J Koay

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: With locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC), uncontrolled local tumor growth frequently leads to mortality. Advancements in radiotherapy (RT) techniques have enabled conformal delivery of escalated-dose RT (EDR), which may have potential local control and overall survival (OS) benefits based on retrospective and early prospective studies. With evidence for EDR emerging, we characterized the adoption of EDR across the United States and its associated outcomes.

METHODS: We searched the National Cancer Database for nonsurgically managed LAPC patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2019. Pancreas-directed RT with biologically effective doses (BED10) ≥39 and ≤70 Gy was labeled conventional-dose RT (CDR), and BED10 …

Excess Risk Of Chronic Health Conditions In Hispanic Survivors Of Adolescent And Young Adult Cancers, Amy M Berkman, Eunju Choi, John M Salsman, Susan K Peterson, Christabel K Cheung, Clark R Andersen, Qian Lu, J A Livingston, Michelle A T Hildebrandt, Susan K Parsons, Michael E Roth

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: There is a growing population of survivors of adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancers (age 15-39 years at diagnosis). Studies in AYA cancer survivors have identified racial and ethnic disparities in long-term outcomes. To understand the extent to which a cancer diagnosis exacerbates pre-existent health disparities within a minoritized population, comparisons should be made to those of the same race or ethnicity without a cancer history.

Methods: Self-reported data from the National Health Interview Survey (2009-2018) were used to identify Hispanic AYA cancer survivors and Hispanic age- and sex-matched controls. SES factors (marital status, income, education, insurance) and prevalence …

Closure Of Dialysis Clinics In The United States In 2021-2023, Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh, Dawn P Edwards, David Henner, Daniel L Landry, Donald A Molony, Preethi Yerram, On Behalf Of The Medical Advisory Council Of The National Forum Of Esrd Networks

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Insurance Coverage During Transitions: Evidence From Medicaid Automatic Enrollment For Children Receiving Supplemental Security Income, Stephanie Rennane, Danielle Sobol, Bradley D Stein, Andrew Dick

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: To analyze relationships between Medicaid automatic enrollment for child Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients and health insurance coverage during transitions.

DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SETTING: Medical Expenditure Panel Study, 2000-2020 and National Survey for Children with Special Health Care Needs, 2001-2010.

STUDY DESIGN: Leveraging variation in SSI-Medicaid automatic enrollment status across regions and over time, we estimate a regression model to quantify associations between automatic enrollment and insurance coverage. We validate our findings in the NS-CSHCN.

DATA COLLECTION: Our sample includes children receiving SSI for a disability. We also analyze a subsample of children newly enrolled in SSI.

PRINCIPAL …

A Delphi Panel To Build Consensus On Assessing Disease Severity And Disease Progression In Adult Patients With Hypophosphatasia In The United States., K M Dahir, Eric T. Rush, S Diaz-Mendoza, P S Kishnani

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is an inborn error of metabolism with a variable presentation. We conducted a modified Delphi panel to obtain expert consensus on knowledge gaps regarding disease severity and progression in adult patients with HPP.

METHODS: Healthcare professionals (HCPs) with experience managing adult patients with HPP were recruited to participate in a 3-round Delphi panel (round 1: paper survey and 1:1 interview; rounds 2-3: email survey). Panelists rated the extent of their agreement with statements about disease severity and progression in adult patients with HPP. Consensus was defined as ≥ 80% agreement.

RESULTS: Ten HCPs completed round 1; nine …

Utilization Of Biologic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Therapy In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis And Recently Diagnosed Breast Cancer, Juan I Ruiz, Xiudong Lei, Chi-Fang Wu, Hui Zhao, Sharon H Giordano, Suja S Rajan, Maria E Suarez-Almazor

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) are immunosuppressants, and there have been concerns that they might impact tumor immunity in patients with cancer with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The purpose of this study was to describe the utilization trends of bDMARD in patients with RA after breast cancer (BC) diagnosis.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of adults with RA and BC (2008 onward) from Optum's de-identified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database (CDM); the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) Medicare; and the Texas Cancer Registry (TCR) Medicare databases. We evaluated bDMARD utilization trends during the first three years after …

Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Cardiovascular Disease – Analysis Across Major Us National Databases, Abdul Mannan Khan Minhas, Khawaja M Talha, Dmitry Abramov, Heather M Johnson, Steve Antoine, Fatima Rodriguez, Marat Fudim, Erin D Michos, Arunima Misra, Layla Abushamat, Vijay Nambi, Gregg C Fonarow, Christie M Ballantyne, Salim S Virani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: There are several studies that have analyzed disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) health using a variety of different administrative databases; however, a unified analysis of major databases does not exist. In this analysis of multiple publicly available datasets, we sought to examine racial and ethnic disparities in different aspects of CVD, CVD-related risk factors, CVD-related morbidity and mortality, and CVD trainee representation in the US.

Methods: We used National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, National Inpatient Sample, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging OnLine Data for Epidemiologic Research, United Network for Organ Sharing, …

Patient- And System-Level Factors Associated With Racial/Ethnic Disparities In The Delivery Of Guideline-Concordant Therapy Among Us Patients With Gastric Cancer, Wilson L Da Costa, Mimi C Tan, E Ramsay Camp, Aaron P Thrift

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Disparities in gastric cancer (GC) outcomes show a higher disease burden among minorities. We aimed to evaluate the associations between sociodemographic and system-level factors and guideline-concordant treatment among GC patients.

Methods: Cohort study with GC patients in the National Cancer Data Base (2006-2018) treated with upfront resection or neoadjuvant therapy (NAT). We used logistic regression to identify associations between deviations from guideline-concordant therapy and patient- and system-level factors, and Cox regression models to assess risk of death.

Results: The cohort included 43 597 GC patients treated with endoscopic resection (8.9%), surgery only (47.1%), surgery and adjuvant therapy (20.6%), or …

Rural Veterans With Hiv And Alcohol Use Disorder Receive Less Video Telehealth Than Urban Veterans, Alan Z Sheinfil, Giselle Day, Annette Walder, Julianna Hogan, Thomas P Giordano, Jan Lindsay, Anthony Ecker

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is highly prevalent among Veterans with HIV. Rural Veterans with HIV are at especially high risk for not receiving appropriate treatment. This retrospective cohort cross-sectional study aimed to investigate patterns of mental health treatment utilization across delivery modality among Veterans diagnosed with HIV and AUD. It was hypothesized that rural Veterans with HIV and AUD would receive a lower rate of mental health treatment delivered via video telehealth than urban Veterans with HIV and AUD.

Methods: A national Veterans Health Association administrative database was used to identify a cohort of Veterans diagnosed with HIV and …

Contextual Factors Influencing The Association Between The Affordable Care Act’S Medicaid Expansion And Veteran Va-Medicaid Dual Enrollment, Patrick N O'Mahen, Chase S Eck, Cheng Rebecca Jiang, Laura A Petersen

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Objective: To evaluate changes in dual enrollment after Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion by VA priority group, (e.g., service connection), sex, and type of state expansion.

Study setting: Our cohort was all Veterans ages 18-64 enrolled in VA and eligible for benefits due to military service-connection or low income from 2011 to 2016; the unit of analysis was person-year.

Study design: Difference-in-difference and event-study analysis. The outcome was dual VA-Medicaid enrollment for at least 1 month annually. Medicaid expansion, VA priority status, whether a state expanded by a Section 1115 waiver, and sex were independent variables. We controlled for race, …

Late-Season Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Against Medically Attended Outpatient Illness, United States, December 2022-April 2023, Jessie R Chung, Stacey L House, Tara Curley, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: The 2022-23 US influenza season peaked early in fall 2022.

METHODS: Late-season influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) against outpatient, laboratory-confirmed influenza was calculated among participants of the US Influenza VE Network using a test-negative design.

RESULTS: Of 2561 participants enrolled from December 12, 2022 to April 30, 2023, 91 laboratory-confirmed influenza cases primarily had A(H1N1)pdm09 (6B.1A.5a.2a.1) or A(H3N2) (3C.2a1b.2a.2b). Overall, VE was 30% (95% confidence interval -9%, 54%); low late-season activity precluded estimation for most subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS: 2022-23 late-season outpatient influenza VE was not statistically significant. Genomic characterization may improve the identification of influenza viruses that circulate postinfluenza peak.

The Ambivalence Of The United States In Returning The Houthis As Global Terrorists, Ahmad Bahrul Anshori, Basyir Arif

Journal of Terrorism Studies

The re-designation of the Houthi militant group as a terrorist organisation by the United States (US) could reignite conflict tensions in the Middle East region. This US decision shows the inconsistency of Joe Biden's administration, which had revoked the Houthis' terrorist status at the beginning of his administration. This research aims to analyse the motives for the US decision to re-designate the Houthis as a terrorist group. The method used in this research is an exploratory descriptive qualitative method using data collection techniques, namely observation and literature study. The results of this study conclude that the US's changing attitude towards …

Eisenhower, Kennedy, And America's Covert Military Operations In Laos, Russell Stevenson

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

Summer 1963: Roger Hilsman's plane pierced the clouds to reveal the Plaines des Jarres, a flat area strewn with the remains of age-old rock jars. The plains below showed signs of the batterings of war: slit trenches, bunkers, and a network of roads. The weather was dry and arid, and the terrain resembled a ghost town in the American West more than the "land of a million elephants"-an allusion to the tremendous war machine of a medieval Lao king.

Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection Outcomes Among Pregnant Vs. Non-Pregnant Women, Chayakrit Krittanawong, Neelkumar Patel, Dhrubajyoti Bandyopadhyay, Neil Sagar Maitra, Muzamil Khawaja, Zhen Wang, Mahboob Alam, Jacob Shani, Robert Frankel, Samin Sharma, Hani Jneid

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Aims: Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) has become increasingly recognized. It accounts for < 1-4% of acute coronary syndrome presentations. Overall, however, it makes up over 40% of pregnancy-associated myocardial infarction. Furthermore, pregnancy-associated spontaneous coronary artery dissection (P-SCAD) is described to have a greater degree of clinical manifestations, including left ventricular dysfunction, shock, and left main or multivessel involvement. The findings are disconcerting, though many studies evaluating P-SCAD are based on case series data or are single centre studies.

Methods and results: The aim of this study was to evaluate a larger national dataset to evaluate the outcomes of SCAD and specifically P-SCAD in an attempt to better characterize the severity and clinical nature of this condition. To conduct this study, we analysed the National Readmission Database from January 2016 to December 2020. Propensity matching was done using the Greedy 1:1 method. Multivariate logistics and time-to-event Cox regression analysis models were built by including all confounders significantly associated with the outcome on univariable analysis with a …

The Impact Of The Optn Policy Change On Patients With A Durable Left Ventricular Assist Device And Chronic Kidney Disease: Analysis Of The Unos Database, Eric D. Warner, Christopher Pritting, Sawan Dutta, Matt Bierowski, Waqas Ullah, Yevgeniy Brailovsky, Michelle Kittleson, René J. Alvarez, J. Eduardo Rame, Alexander Hajduczok, Vineeta Kumar, Danial Ahmad, Vakhtang Tchantchaleishvili, Indranee N. Rajapreyar

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) implemented modifications in 2018 to the adult heart transplant allocation system to better stratify the most medically urgent transplant candidates. We evaluated the impact of these changes on patients supported by a durable left ventricular assist device (LVAD) with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of the OPTN policy change on patients supported by durable left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

METHODS: We performed an analysis of patients from the United Network of Organ Sharing Database supported by durable LVAD listed for a heart transplant …

Evaluation Of Trauma Informed Care For Indigenous Victims Of Human Trafficking: A Qualitative Discussion Of Best Practice, Nina Munson

University Honors Theses

Human trafficking is a major issue that every community and nation faces. Within the United States, Indigenous communities are especially at risk of victimization in relation to a history of systemic violence and consequent neglect. Therefore, the need for culturally competent care is crucial. This study seeks to address how culturally sensitive approaches to trauma-informed care can be developed and implemented by various providers to effectively support Native American victims of human trafficking in accessing assistance services. In order to evaluate the problem, a literature review was conducted, paired with qualitative interviews from relevant stakeholders. The findings demonstrated a significant …

The Inform (International Framework For Rehabilitation Medics) Project To Strengthen The Medical Specialty, Man Hung, Himani Patel, Samantha Lee, Justin Nguyen, Amir Mohajeri

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

(1) Background: This study examines vitamin D’s impact on dental caries to inform prevention strategies, given its critical role in bone and calcium regulation, vital for dental health. (2) Methods: Data from 18,683 participants of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2016 were analyzed. NHANES collects U.S. population data through interviews, physical exams, and tests, including vitamin D levels and dental health assessed using both the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index and the presence of untreated dental caries. Vitamin D levels were measured according to serum 25(OH)D concentrations, and the analyses adjusted for confounders such as …

Cultural Hybridization In The United States: The Case Of Chicanos/Mexican-American Music, Jeffrey R. Craig

Senior Theses

How do immigrant communities in the United States maintain aspects of their culture when they have to navigate between an American culture and their own? This study will center Chicanos, who fit this description by being Mexicans who have to navigate between having roots in Mexico and a new cultural environment in America. More specifically, an analysis of corrido music (and their corresponding music videos) produced by a Chicano band in the 21st century will be important to understanding how a hybrid identity is communicated through that medium. Lyrics, Slang, Styles of Dress, Instruments and Rhythms will be used as …

Prevalence, Incidence, And Predictors Of Kaposi Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Infection Among Young Men Who Have Sex With Men In The Southern United States, Maverick Salyards, Ank E Nijhawan, Jacky Kuo, Sheena M Knights, Susana Lazarte, Nazzarena Labo, Wendell Miley, Denise Whitby, Lu-Yu Hwang, Anna-William Kornberg, Kayo Fujimoto, Elizabeth Y Chiao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Kaposi sarcoma (KS) continues to cause substantial morbidity and mortality in populations at risk in the southern United States. Utilizing biospecimens from the Houston site of the Young Men's Affiliate Project, 351 men who have sex with men had blood tested for KS-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) IgG. Seroprevalence, seroconversion between time points, and demographic and clinical correlates were measured. KSHV prevalence was 36.7% and incidence was 8.9 per 100 person-years. Furthermore, prevalence and incidence were higher among Black individuals, people living with HIV, and those with a history of syphilis. Further research on KSHV risk may improve health disparities in KS …

Multiple Job Holding, Job Changes, And Associations With Gestational Diabetes And Pregnancy-Related Hypertension In The National Birth Defects Prevention Study, Amel Omari, Miriam R Siegel, Carissa M Rocheleau, Kaori Fujishiro, Kristen Van Buren, Dallas Shi, A J Agopian, Suzanne M Gilboa, Paul A Romitti

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We used National Birth Defects Prevention Study data to investigate associations between working patterns shortly before and during pregnancy and gestational diabetes and pregnancy-related hypertension. We analyzed working patterns (multiple-job holders, job changers, single-job holders) during the three months before and during pregnancy for 8140 participants who delivered a live-born child without a birth defect. "Multiple-job holders" worked more than one job simultaneously, "job changers" worked more than one job with no overlap, and "single-job holders" (referent) worked one job. We used multivariable logistic regression to estimate associations between working pattern and each outcome, adjusting for maternal age and educational …

The Impact Of Purchasing Power Parity (Ppp), Infrastructure, And Decentralization On Pandemic Restrictions, Liam Hansen, Veronica Taraskina, Jennifer Weng

Working Papers Series

This research compares a country's mandate to shift to remote work between the federal and regional levels in comparison to PPP. We focus on how economic factors determine a country's ability to move to remote work and at what level of government the decision is made. The findings suggest that while there was variation in which level of government issued work-from-home requirements, there were strong trends for most mandates to come from the federal level. Moreover, an overwhelming majority of countries issued such federal mandates regardless of PPP. We then compare PPP per capita and the stringency of public transportation …

Prevalence Of Cardiovascular Conditions After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Comparison Between The Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems And The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey, Shanti Pinto, Bhaskar Thakur, Raj Kumar, Amanda Rabinowitz, Ross Zafonte, William C Walker, Kan Ding, Simon Driver, Umesh Venkatesan, Gilbert Moralez, Kathleen Bell

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to compare the prevalence of self-reported cardiovascular conditions among individuals with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) to a propensity-matched control cohort.

METHODS AND RESULTS: A cross-sectional study described self-reported cardiovascular conditions (hypertension, congestive heart failure [CHF], myocardial infarction [MI], and stroke) from participants who completed interviews between January 2015 and March 2020 in 2 harmonized large cohort studies, the TBI Model Systems and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Mixed-effect logistic regression models were used to compare the prevalence of cardiovascular conditions after 1:1 propensity-score matching based on age, sex, …

Temporal Trends, Outcomes, And Predictors Of Next-Day Discharge And Readmission Following Uncomplicated Evolut Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis., Wayne B Batchelor, Carlos E Sanchez, Paul Sorajja, James E Harvey, Benjamin Z Galper, Anapoorna Kini, Patricia Keegan, Kendra J Grubb, Ruth Eisenberg, Toby Rogers

Heart and Vascular Articles

BACKGROUND: Next-day discharge (NDD) outcomes following uncomplicated self-expanding transcatheter aortic valve replacement have not been studied. Here, we compare readmission rates and clinical outcomes in NDD versus non-NDD transcatheter aortic valve replacement with Evolut.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology TVT (Transcatheter Valve Therapy) Registry patients (n=29 597) undergoing elective transcatheter aortic valve replacement with self-expanding supra-annular valves (Evolut R, PRO, and PRO+) from July 2019 to June 2021 were stratified by postprocedure length of stay: ≤1 day (NDD) versus >1 day (non-NDD). Propensity score matching was used to compare risk adjusted 30-day readmission rates and …

Prevalence Of The Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Syndrome In The United States, Abdul Mannan Khan Minhas, Roy O Mathew, Laurence S Sperling, Vijay Nambi, Salim S Virani, Sankar D Navaneethan, Michael D Shapiro, Dmitry Abramov

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Persistent Inequities In Intravenous Thrombolysis For Acute Ischemic Stroke In The United States: Results From The Nationwide Inpatient Sample, Philip Sun, Ling Zheng, Michelle Lin, Steven Cen, Gmerice Hammond, Karen E Joynt Maddox, May Kim-Tenser, Nerses Sanossian, William Mack, Amytis Towfighi

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Despite its approval for acute ischemic stroke >25 years ago, intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) remains underused, with inequities by age, sex, race, ethnicity, and geography. Little is known about IVT rates by insurance status.

METHODS AND RESULTS: We assessed temporal trends from 2002 to 2015 in IVT for acute ischemic stroke in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample using adjusted, survey

CONCLUSIONS: IVT for acute ischemic stroke increased among adults. Despite some encouraging trends, the remaining disparities highlight the need for intensified efforts at addressing inequities.

Examining The Implications Of A Significant Cyberattack On U.S. Infrastructure, Jenna F. Riel

Honors Theses

In the modern era, the internet is becoming just as essential to the functioning of our everyday lives as food and water. Virtually everything we do relies on modern technology in some capacity, allowing our world to function efficiently. The technology that we have available has made our world smaller in a sense, because digital interconnectedness has allowed us to communicate with anyone no matter where they are on the globe in a matter of seconds, with the tap of a finger. This idea, once a phenomenon only possible in storybooks, has come to life but is not without its …

Boundaries Of Autonomy: Exploring Parallels Between Mental Hospitals And Prisons In The United States, Benjamin J. Boldt

The Agora

Within the United States, a prevailing perception emerges that mental health facilities and prisons are unfavorably similar. This societal sentiment is quite concerning if true, as the prison system is known for its many societal failures within the U.S. Furthermore, mental hospitals aim to help individuals; thus, a comparison to a faulty system highlights a possible issue worthy of exploration. Unfortunately, little analysis exists, within academic research, comparing both institutions. The following comparative analysis looks at available research between mental hospitals and prisons to validate this issue and explore implications. Findings indicate a shared pattern between mental hospitals and prisons …

Mexican Money Laundering In The United States: Analysis And Proposals For Reform, Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, Charles Lewis, William R. Yaworsky

Anthropology Faculty Publications

This article explains some of the mechanisms through which corruption by high-level Mexican politicians and other organized crime members is facilitated in the United States through money laundering operations. The analysis is based on information contained in court records related to key money laundering cases, as well as in news articles and reports from law enforcement agencies. These materials highlight the interrelationships among U.S. drug use, cartel activities in Mexico, human rights abuses, Mexican political corruption, and money laundering in the United States. This work demonstrates the pervasive use of legitimate businesses and fronts in the United States as a …