Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating Racial Disparities In Cancer Patient-Provider Communication About Cannabis In A State Without A Legal Cannabis Marketplace, Amelia V. Wedel, Kyle J. Walters, Rachel L. Tomko, Alana M. Rojewski, Erin A. Mcclure

Psychology

Purpose

Cancer survivors in a state with no legal access to cannabis may be hesitant to discuss their cannabis use with providers, particularly in light of legal consequences which disproportionately affect certain racial groups. This study examined potential racial disparities in the relationship of cannabis use status with patient-provider discussions of and attitudes toward cannabis in a state where there is no legal cannabis marketplace.

Methods

Survivors of cancer (N = 1003, Mage = 62.36; 13% Black/African-American; 41% male) completed a cross-sectional survey. Weight-adjusted regressions examined racial differences in the relationship between cannabis use status with (a) comfort …

Thirty Productive Years And A Very Promising Future: The Annual Letter Of The Center For Social Development, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

In the 2025 annual letter of the Center for Social Development (CSD), Founding Director Michael Sherrraden discusses the integration of the Washington University Social Policy Institute with CSD, summarizes developments at the center, introduces the new team of experts, shines a light on some of the accomplishments during the past year, and offers a vision for the future.

Using Satellite Image Segmentation To Detect Trails, Jeremy Reynolds

Theses and Dissertations

This masters thesis proposes an innovative approach to satellite image segmentation by focusing on the detection and mapping of walking, hiking, and biking trails. The motivation behind this project comes from the underexplored area in segmentation techniques for trail identification and offers potential benefits for urban planning, environmental monitoring, and public health. The problem statement addresses the need for a model that can differentiate between various trail types and other natural or man-made elements. The project aims for efficiency and scalability in processing satellite imagery across different compute hardware. The work details several stages: researching existing segmentation techniques, specifically road …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Persons Living With Hiv Who Are Homebound Due To One Or More Comorbidities Within A Southern State Using Photovoice, Anthony Alyn "Deek" Cunningham

All ETDs from UAB

At the end of 2022, there were 1,109,418 adults and adolescents with HIV in the United States and the six dependent areas of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the Republic of Palau, and the US Virgin Islands (CDC, 2024). Due to ongoing advances in medications and treatments, people who have been diagnosed with HIV are living longer and healthier lives, making this a chronic health condition. Yet, there are gaps in the literature that focuses on this population growing older and aging in place. This dissertation investigated the lived experiences of individuals fifty years and older …

2025 Spring Convocation Program, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Communications and Marketing Publications Archive

The 2025 Morehead State University Convocation Program from January 8, 2025.

Office Of Research, Economic Engagement And Outreach Update, January 8, 2025, Office Of Research, Economic Engagement And Outreach

Office of Research, Economic Engagement and Outreach

No abstract provided.

Documents From The January 8th, 2025 Meeting Of The University Of Montana Staff Senate, University Of Montana--Missoula. Staff Senate

University of Montana Staff Senate Meeting Minutes

Agenda and meeting minutes from the January 8th, 2025 meeting of the University of Montana Staff Seante.

Guest: Provost Andrea Lawrence, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs John DeBoer.

Discussion included the idea of having Employee Reviews moved to January.

Historian Note: The December Meeting for Staff Senate was a gathering of the President's Cabinet and Staff Senate with a cookie exchange and interfacing with each other. Please refer to November 2024 meeting as the preceding meeting of record.

Application Of Core Functions And Forms In Complex Health Intervention Research: A Scoping Review Protocol, Erin Kenzie, Maria E Fernandez, Monica Perez Jolles

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: The ability of healthcare, community and public health systems to effectively implement and disseminate research innovations depends on contextual factors at multiple interconnected levels of influence (eg, the innovation, individual, provider/implementor, organisation and health system). Recently, there has been an increase in the development of complex interventions designed to target multiple levels, designed for or adapted to the context in which they are delivered. Two concepts from complex systems thinking have been increasingly used to operationalise such interventions-core functions (theory and evidence-driven purposes of interventions) and forms (adaptable activities that perform each core function). However, there is a gap …

Human Resource Managers’ Perceptions Of Vocational Readiness Among Post-Secondary School Students In Antigua, Renee J. Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Vocational readiness for the global workforce requires the development of both academic and nonacademic skills. Antiguan education has focused primarily on the teaching of academic skills. Grounded in Holland’s theory of career choice and Wigfield and Eccles’s interpretation of expectancy-value theory, the purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore perceptions of Human Resource Managers (HRMs) in Antigua on the vocational readiness of post-secondary school graduates. Research questions asked about the perceptions of HRMs in Antigua regarding the vocational readiness of post-secondary school graduates, offerings of tertiary institutions to address the vocational readiness of their students, and the type/quality …

Influence Of Psychological Evaluators’ Demographics, Perceptions Of Bias, And Juvenile Defendants’ Race On Competency Decisions, Elizabeth Zaito

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recent large-scale studies and reviews have revealed inconsistent findings regarding the role of evaluator characteristics, bias, and characteristics of juveniles in judging competency to stand trial as adults in juvenile cases using Dusky standards. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of psychological evaluators’ education and experience, cognitive bias, and race of juveniles on decisions involving competency to stand trial. The attribution theory was used as the theoretical framework to explain how internal years of education and experience as well as beliefs about bias can influence decision-making. Data were collected from 84 forensic and clinical professionals and …

2025-01-08 Convocation Speech, Morehead State University. Office Of The Provost.

Staff Congress Records

Remarks given by Raj Parikh, Provost of Morehead State University, during the Spring Convocation to the campus community on January 8, 2025.

The Effect Of Company Size And Inventory Intensity On Tax Aggressiveness With Political Connections As A Moderating Variable In Agricultural Sector Companies Listed On The Bei For The Period 2019-2023, Dewi Amalia Cipta Pratama, Nurul Rusdiansyah, Dania Meida Rosyidah, Heliani Heliani

Journal of Accounting Auditing and Business

This study aims to analyze the effect of company size and inventory intensity on tax aggressiveness with political connections as a moderating variable in agricultural sector companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) during the 2019-2023 period. The research method used is quantitative analysis with multiple linear regression analysis methods involving 40 companies selected through purposive sampling techniques. The analysis shows that company size and inventory intensity significantly influence tax aggressiveness. In addition, political connections have been proven to moderate the relationship between company size, inventory intensity, and tax aggressiveness. This finding suggests that companies with political connections tend …

Treatment Of E-Cigarette Use Among Hospitalised Adolescents And Young Adults: A Protocol For Intervention Development And Evaluation Of Preliminary Efficacy And Implementation Outcomes In A Randomised Controlled Trial., Shelbie Wooten, Delwyn Catley, Melissa K. Miller, Karen Wilson, Kimber P. Richter, Abbey Masonbrink

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

INTRODUCTION: Hospitalisation represents an opportunity to identify and treat e-cigarette use among adolescents and young adults (AYAs). Knowledge on how to provide this care is lacking. We aim to fill this gap by developing an e-cigarette use intervention and evaluating preliminary efficacy and implementation outcomes among hospitalised AYAs.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will enrol 144 hospitalised AYAs (14-21 years) who report past 30-day e-cigarette use and randomise 2:1 to intervention or control arms. We will develop an evidence-based intervention that includes education, motivational interviewing, quit planning and nicotine replacement therapy prescription offered confidentially in person during the hospital stay and …

Remodeling Pedagogical Evaluation Tools To Incorporate Student Self-Efficacy And Sense Of Belonging In Scientific Research, Richelle L. Tanner, Nicholas P. Burnett, Emily E. King, Anne E. Todgham

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Curated undergraduate research experiences have been widely used at colleges and universities for decades to build student interest, technical preparation, and confidence in the pursuit of scientific careers. Educators often employ standardized survey instruments to evaluate learning outcomes for research experiences, but many of these assessments consider only technical skill development and career interests and are not rooted in discrete pedagogical theories. As higher education aims to create inclusive and equitable learning experiences for students, we argue that pedagogical assessment tools for undergraduate research experiences need to expand to consider outcomes such as increased science literacy, confidence in relational “soft” …

Using Phylogenetics And Floral Evolution Of Sicklebill Hummingbird-Pollinated Centropogon Subgenus Centropogon To Support Undergraduate Research, Janet Mansaray

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The genus Centropogon subgenus Centropogon, offers an ideal system for studying macroevolutionary patterns due to its diverse floral morphologies and specialized pollinator interactions. This subgenus comprises 55 species, mostly found in mid-elevation Andean forests, where many species exhibit abruptly curved flowers, often associated with pollination by sicklebill hummingbirds. Using phylogenomic approaches, we conducted the first densely sampled analysis of this group, confirming the monophyly of two sections. Our study highlighted extensive gene tree discordance, likely driven by incomplete lineage sorting. Floral curvature and inflorescence structure evolved in a correlated fashion, leading to multiple independent losses of traits linked to …

Gene Signatures Derived From Transcriptomic-Causal Networks Stratify Colorectal Cancer Patients For Effective Targeted Therapy, Akram Yazdani, Heinz-Josef Lenz, Gianluigi Pillonetto, Raul Mendez-Giraldez, Azam Yazdani, Reza Hadi, Alan P Venook, Mark J Ratain, Naim Rashid, Benjamin G Vincent, Xueping Qu, Yujia Wen, Michael Kosorok, William F Symmans, John Paul Y C Shen, Michael S Lee, Scott Kopetz, Andrew B Nixon, Monica M Bertagnolli, Charles M Perou, Federico Innocenti

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Gene signatures derived from transcriptomic-causal networks offer potential for tailoring clinical care in cancer treatment by identifying predictive and prognostic biomarkers. This study aimed to uncover such signatures in metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) patients to aid treatment decisions.

Methods: We constructed transcriptomic-causal networks and integrated gene interconnectivity into overall survival (OS) analysis to control for confounding genes. This integrative approach involved germline genotype and tumor RNA-seq data from 1165 metastatic CRC patients. The patients were enrolled in a randomized clinical trial receiving either cetuximab or bevacizumab in combination with chemotherapy. An external cohort of paired CRC normal and tumor …

Society For Immunotherapy Of Cancer: Updates And Best Practices For Multiplex Immunohistochemistry (Ihc) And Immunofluorescence (If) Image Analysis And Data Sharing, Janis M Taube, Joel C Sunshine, Michael Angelo, Guray Akturk, Margaret Eminizer, Cláudia S Ferreira, Benjamin Green, Shirley Greenbaum, Noah F Greenwald, Cyrus V Hedvat, Travis J Hollmann, Daniel Jiménez-Sánchez, Konstanty Korski, Ana Lako, Edwin R Parra, Marlon C Rebelatto, David L Rimm, Scott J Rodig, Jamie Rodriguez-Canales, Jeffrey S Roskes, Kurt A Schalper, Emanuel Schenck, Keith E Steele, Michael J Surace, Alexander S Szalay, Michael T Tetzlaff, Ignacio I Wistuba, Jennifer H Yearley, Carlo B Bifulco

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Multiplex immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence (mIHC/IF) are emerging technologies that can be used to help define complex immunophenotypes in tissue, quantify immune cell subsets, and assess the spatial arrangement of marker expression. mIHC/IF assays require concerted efforts to optimize and validate the multiplex staining protocols prior to their application on slides. The best practice guidelines for staining and validation of mIHC/IF assays across platforms were previously published by this task force. The current effort represents a complementary manuscript for mIHC/IF analysis focused on the associated image analysis and data management.

Methods: The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer convened a task …

Small Variant Benchmark From A Complete Assembly Of X And Y Chromosomes, Lindsay Harris, Brendan J Pinto, David Jáspez, Adrián Muñoz-Barrera, Luis A Rubio-Rodríguez, José M Lorenzo-Salazar, Carlos Flores, Sayed Mohammad Ebrahim Sahraeian, Giuseppe Narzisi, Marta Byrska-Bishop, Uday S Evani, Chunlin Xiao, Juniper A Lake, Peter Fontana, Craig Greenberg, Donald Freed, Mohammed Faizal Eeman Mootor, Paul C Boutros, Lisa Murray, Kishwar Shafin, Andrew Carroll, Fritz J Sedlazeck, Melissa Wilson, Justin M Zook

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The sex chromosomes contain complex, important genes impacting medical phenotypes, but differ from the autosomes in their ploidy and large repetitive regions. To enable technology developers along with research and clinical laboratories to evaluate variant detection on male sex chromosomes X and Y, we create a small variant benchmark set with 111,725 variants for the Genome in a Bottle HG002 reference material. We develop an active evaluation approach to demonstrate the benchmark set reliably identifies errors in challenging genomic regions and across short and long read callsets. We show how complete assemblies can expand benchmarks to difficult regions, but highlight …

Full Issue: Volume 20, Number 2 - Winter 2024

Jefferson Surgical Solutions

A publication for friends and colleagues of Jefferson’s Department of Surgery

In This Issue

Cover Story Dang Laboratory Hosts Computational Biologist Studying Pancreatic Tumor Microenvironment - Page 1

Overview Two Terrific Nonfiction Scholarly Works - Page 2

On the Job Paige Fisher, PTA - Page 2

Education Expanding Post-Graduate Training with Two New Surgical Fellowships - Page 2

Changing Lives Through Research Jefferson Vascular Center Prepares for Comprehensive PERT Center Certification - Page 3

Please Welcome New Faculty - Page 3

Those Who Give Building Hope: TCGives Raises Funds to Support Pancreatic Cancer Research - Page 4

News in Brief …

News In Brief

Jefferson Surgical Solutions

Tyler R. Grenda, MD, MS, (Sidney Kimmel Medical College ‘10) has been promoted to Associate Professor of Surgery. Dr. Grenda specializes in thoracic surgery and treats patients at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Jefferson Torresdale Hospital and Regulus Specialty Care in Turnersville, NJ.

Renee M. Tholey, MD, FACS, FASMBS, (Sidney Kimmel Medical College ’09, Jefferson Residency ‘15) has been promoted to Associate Professor of Surgery. Dr. Tholey specializes in bariatric and minimally invasive surgery and is Director of Surgical Undergraduate Education. She treats patients at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Jefferson Methodist Hospital and Jefferson Health–Navy Yard.

Talar Tatarian, MD, …

Building Hope: Tcgives Raises Funds To Support Pancreatic Cancer Research

Jefferson Surgical Solutions

In 2015, Kathleen K. Schoemaker (left) was an active and seemingly healthy 63-year-old. Still working as a finance executive, she had recently relocated from New Jersey to be closer to her daughter, Annemarie Tester, son-in-law, Michael, and their two young children in Fort Washington, Pa.

“She was two years into a five-year plan for retirement,” recalls Michael, founder and CEO of Tester Construction Group in Bala Cynwyd, Pa.

After feeling unwell during a retreat, Kathleen pursued medical testing that revealed a shocking diagnosis: Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. At the time, Michael’s father, William J. Tester, MD, was practicing oncology at …

New Faculty

Jefferson Surgical Solutions

Sriharsha Gummadi, MD, has joined the Division of Acute Care Surgery. Dr. Gummadi is a graduate of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. He then went on to complete residency at Lakenau Hospital and fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. He is double board certified in Surgery and Surgical Critical Care and cares for patients at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Jefferson Torresdale Hospital.

David Kim, MD, has joined the Division of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Kim is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He then went on to complete general …

Jefferson Vascular Center Prepares For Comprehensive Pert Center Certification

Jefferson Surgical Solutions

Five years ago, the Jefferson Vascular Center (JVC)–staffed by a multi-disciplinary team of Interventional Radiology, Pulmonary Critical Care, Vascular Surgery and Vascular Medicine physicians–became a founding member of the Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT) Consortium.

The PERT Consortium is a national organization that advocates a team approach to caring for patients who come into hospitals with blood clots in their lungs. Now the JVC is preparing to apply for a new national certification from the PERT Consortium as a Comprehensive PERT Center.

The Jefferson PERT team is co-led by Carin Gonsalves, MD (Interventional Radiology), Frances Mae West, MD (Pulmonary Critical …

Expanding Post-Graduate Training With Two New Surgical Fellowships

Jefferson Surgical Solutions

In 2024, the Jefferson Department of Surgery established new fellowship programs in Advanced Gastrointestinal, Minimally Invasive & Bariatric Surgery and Thoracic Surgery. The Department now offers post-graduate education across eight surgical subspecialties.

Advanced GI/MIS/Bariatric Surgery

Talar Tatarian, MD, FACS, FASMBS, is program director and Francesco Palazzo, MD, FACS, FASMBS, is associate program director for the Advanced Gastrointestinal, Minimally Invasive & Bariatric Surgery Fellowship.

Fellows will be prepared to perform complex gastrointestinal, foregut, bariatric and hernia surgery, as well as all related care. With a primary focus on bariatric/foregut surgery and a secondary focus on hernia and abdominal wall reconstruction, they …

Reduce Costs And Boost Profits, Robert Mcdermott

Virginia Dental Journal

Dental practices face significant challenges with time-consuming tasks like insurance verification, which can be streamlined through automation. Automated dental insurance verification can save nearly 30 hours a week, effectively adding a full-time employee without the overhead. This not only reduces costs but also improves patient care by identifying revenue and treatment opportunities. Additionally, revenue analytics tools help practices stay on top of patient eligibility and uncollected accounts, boosting overall profits. Solutions like iCoreConnect's cloud-based products offer comprehensive tools to enhance productivity and financial growth for both solo practices and DSOs.

Paige Fisher, Pta

Jefferson Surgical Solutions

Paige Fisher has spent her career caring for patients in diverse ways.

After completing an Associate of Applied Science in Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) degree, the Lehigh Valley native worked for a decade as a licensed PTA in acute care and rehabilitation settings in Florida and Pennsylvania. She says the work was rewarding–especially seeing patients make progress.

“I developed a passion for patient care and eventually became interested in the administrative side of healthcare,” Fisher says. “I wanted to be able to help from a broader perspective.”

To this end, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration from …

Two Terrific Nonfiction Scholarly Works, Charles Yeo, Md, Facs

Jefferson Surgical Solutions

As the leaves turn bright with color this autumn, and as we mark the 200th birthday of Thomas Jefferson University, I was reflecting on two books I enjoyed over the last few months, both in the realm of history.

First, Eric H. Cline’s “1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed” tells the story, based upon archeologic treasures (some recently discovered) of the Late Bronze Age and the magnificent civilizations from the 15th century B.C. onward (from Mesopotamia, to Greece, to the Hittites, the Levant and Egypt). Cline describes the decline of these grand civilizations due to natural disasters, drought, internal strife …

Dang Laboratory Hosts Computational Biologist Studying Pancreatic Tumor Microenvironment

Jefferson Surgical Solutions

Hien T. Dang, PhD, and Yotsawat Pomyen, PhD, first began collaborating in 2016 while they were both working at the National Cancer Institute’s Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis (LHC). In 2024, Dr. Pomyen again joined forces with Dr. Dang–this time in her laboratory at Jefferson, where he has been working as a Fulbright Thai Visiting Scholar (see sidebar).

Dr. Pomyen, a computational biologist, specializes in primary liver cancer research and is a member of Thailand’s Initiative on Gene Expression Research–Liver Cancer (TIGER-LC). His academic background includes a Master of Science in Bioinformatics from King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, as well …

Social Media Trends And Tips For 2023, Michaela Mishoe

Virginia Dental Journal

In 2023, social media trends emphasize the importance of short-form videos, such as TikTok and Instagram Reels, to engage audiences. Educational content that adds value and is easy to understand can help break through the clutter. Collaborating with micro-influencers and other healthcare providers can expand reach and credibility. Regularly analyzing social media performance can guide content strategy adjustments. Lastly, maintaining authenticity in content is crucial for building trust and effectively communicating your practice's values.

Let’S Start The Year Off Right, Cynthia Southern Dds

Virginia Dental Journal

Dr. Cynthia Southern, in her New Year message, highlights a significant victory in Massachusetts where voters approved a dental loss ratio of 83% for insurance companies, similar to medical insurance under the Affordable Care Act. She urges other states, including Virginia, to adopt similar legislation to improve dental care coverage and reimbursement rates. Dr. Southern also addresses the 30% increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates and the ongoing workforce shortage in dental offices. She encourages contributions to the VDA Tooth PAC, recruitment of new members, and participation in Dental Days at the Capitol to advocate for these changes.