Digital Commons Network^™

Consistent Intraocular Pressure Reduction By Solid Drug Nanoparticles In Fixed Combinations For Glaucoma Therapy, Da Huang, Pedro Norat, Lin Qi, Anna Chernatynskaya, James D. Cole, Vimalin Jeyalatha Mani, Lei Xu, Xiaorong Liu, Hu Yang

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Efficient topical drug delivery remains a significant challenge in glaucoma management. Although nanoparticle formulations offer considerable promise, their complex preparation processes, co-delivery issues, and batch consistency have hindered their potential. A scalable fabrication strategy is developed here for preparing solid drug nanoparticles (SDNs) with enhanced drug delivery efficiency. Utilizing hydrophobic antiglaucoma drugs brimonidine (BM) and betaxolol (BX), uniform fixed combination BM/BX SDNs are fabricated through a continuous process, improving batch-to-batch consistency for combined glaucoma treatment. With trehalose being used as a lyoprotectant, BM/BX SDNs can be stored as dry powder and easily reconstituted in phosphate buffered saline. Importantly, reconstituted BM/BX …

Unique Genetic And Risk-Factor Profiles In Clusters Of Major Depressive Disorder-Related Multimorbidity Trajectories, Andras Gezsi, Sandra Van Der Auwera, Hannu Mäkinen, Nora Eszlari, Gabor Hullam, Tamas Nagy, Sarah Bonk, Rubèn González-Colom, Xenia Gonda, Mikko Kuokkanen

School of Medicine Publications

The heterogeneity and complexity of symptom presentation, comorbidities and genetic factors pose challenges to the identification of biological mechanisms underlying complex diseases. Current approaches used to identify biological subtypes of major depressive disorder (MDD) mainly focus on clinical characteristics that cannot be linked to specific biological models. Here, we examined multimorbidities to identify MDD subtypes with distinct genetic and non-genetic factors. We leveraged dynamic Bayesian network approaches to determine a minimal set of multimorbidities relevant to MDD and identified seven clusters of disease-burden trajectories throughout the lifespan among 1.2 million participants from cohorts in the UK, Finland, and Spain. The …

Mitral Annular Disjunction And "Pseudo" Mitral Annular Disjunction In Mitral Valve Prolapse, Tam T Doan, Shaine A Morris

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Right Ventricle-Pulmonary Artery Conduit Replacement Resolves Anomalous Single Coronary Stenosis In Repaired Tetralogy Of Fallot, Karl Kristian Lundin, Edward Hickey, Prakash Masand, Vivian Dimas, Katherine Bohard Salciccioli

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

A 41-year-old man with repaired tetralogy of Fallot and a single coronary artery (CA) arising anteriorly presented with dyspnea in the setting of moderate right ventricle-pulmonary artery conduit (RV-PAC) stenosis and moderate-to-severe extrinsic left main CA compression between the aorta and RV-PAC. His CA stenosis resolved after successful RV-PAC replacement.

Safety Of Treating Acute Pulmonary Embolism At Home: An Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis, Dieuwke Luijten, Delphine Douillet, Kim Luijken, Cecile Tromeur, Andrea Penaloza, Olivier Hugli, Drahomir Aujesky, Stefano Barco, Joseph R Bledsoe, Kyle E Chang, Francis Couturaud, Paul L Den Exter, Carme Font, Menno V Huisman, David Jimenez, Christopher Kabrhel, Jeffrey A Kline, Stavros Konstantinides, Thijs Van Mens, Remedios Otero, W Frank Peacock, Olivier Sanchez, William B Stubblefield, Luca Valerio, David R Vinson, Philip Wells, Maarten Van Smeden, Pierre-Marie Roy, Frederikus A Klok

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Home treatment is considered safe in acute pulmonary embolism (PE) patients selected by a validated triage tool (e.g. simplified PE severity index score or Hestia rule), but there is uncertainty regarding the applicability in underrepresented subgroups. The aim was to evaluate the safety of home treatment by performing an individual patient-level data meta-analysis.

METHODS: Ten prospective cohort studies or randomized controlled trials were identified in a systematic search, totalling 2694 PE patients treated at home (discharged within 24 h) and identified by a predefined triage tool. The 14- and 30-day incidences of all-cause mortality and adverse events …

Economic Behavior And Hiv Risk Behavior Among Vulnerable Women: A Prospective Randomized Control Study In Southern Uganda, Joshua Kiyingi

Brown School Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the estimated population of women engaged in sex work (WESW) is 2.5 million, aged 15 to 49 years (Laga et al., 2023). WESW face numerous challenges, including high-risk behaviors that expose them to HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), drug and alcohol abuse, criminalization, discrimination, mental health problems, and limited healthcare access. Globally, WESW are significantly affected by HIV, with new infections continuing to rise. Recent estimates show that although 8% of all new HIV infections are among WESW, 32.8% of them are unaware of their HIV status (UNAIDS, 2021a). The risk of acquiring HIV is 30 …

Beaton And Anson Type A Classification Of The Sciatic Nerve And Piriformis Complex: Clinical Considerations For Sex And Laterality, Charles R. Marchese, Aaron Graves, Benjamin J. Pautler, David Dye, Bradley A. Creamer, Jennifer F. Dennis

Student Publications

Variations of the sciatic nerve and piriformis muscle (SN-PM) relationship must be considered when discussing orthopedic procedures within the region as they may cause increased risk of SN injuries. Thirty-one formalin-embalmed, prosected donors were evaluated using the Beaton and Anson (B&A) classification system (1939). Major landmarks of the SN-PM relationship were identified, including the posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS), ischial tuberosity (IT), greater trochanter (GT), and the middle of the SN as it exits under the PM (S1). Distances measured included: PSIS-IT, PSIS-GT, IT-GT, PSIS-S1, IT-S1, GT-S1, S1-Q (distance of perpendicular line connecting S1 to PSIS-IT), and S1-R (distance of …

Resilience And Small Business Performance: An Empirical Investigation, Krittaya Sangboon, Leon Schjoedt

International Business and Entrepreneurship Faculty Publications

When small business owners encounter vicissitudes, does their resilience help them bounce back quickly to survive and be successful? Is their resilience more pronounced when they perceive the environment to be hostile? Answering this question is the purpose of this study. Using data from 105 small business owners in multiple industries, the results show that small business owners’ resilience and small business performance are positively associated, and that when they perceive the environment to be hostile, the effect of resilience is stronger. While validating findings in the extant literature, this study enhances the veracity of past findings by examining small …

The Role Of Gdf5 In Regulating Enthesopathy Development In The Hyp Mouse Model Of Xlh, Melissa Sorsby, Shaza Almardini, Ahmad Alayyat, Ashleigh Hughes, Shreya Venkat, Mansoor Rahman, Jiana Baker, Rakshya Rana, Vicki Rosen, Eva S Liu

Staff and Researcher Publications

X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is caused by mutations in PHEX, leading to rickets and osteomalacia. Adults affected with XLH develop a mineralization of the bone-tendon attachment site (enthesis), called enthesopathy, which causes significant pain and impaired movement. Entheses in mice with XLH (Hyp) have enhanced bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and Indian hedgehog (IHH) signaling. Treatment of Hyp mice with the BMP signaling blocker palovarotene attenuated BMP/IHH signaling in Hyp entheses, thus indicating that BMP signaling plays a pathogenic role in enthesopathy development and that IHH signaling is activated by BMP signaling in entheses. It was previously shown that mRNA expression of …

Needs Of Family Caregivers Of Hospitalised Adults With Dementia During Care Transitions: A Qualitative Study In A Us Department Of Veterans Affairs Hospital, Molly J Horstman, Tracy L Evans, Crystal Guo, Mandi Sonnenfeld, Aanand D Naik, Alan Stevens, Mark E Kunik

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: To identify the needs of caregivers of hospitalised adults with dementia in the hospital and during care transitions.

DESIGN: Pragmatic qualitative inquiry with semi-structured interviews.

SETTING: Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston, Texas, USA.

PARTICIPANTS: 12 family caregivers (family member (n=11); friend (n=1)) and 15 health professionals (hospital medicine physicians (n=4), inpatient nurse case managers (n=2), social workers (n=4), outpatient geriatrics providers (n=2), a primary care provider (n=1), geriatric psychiatrists (n=2)) were interviewed. Caregivers were recruited while their care recipient was hospitalised and were interviewed at least 2 weeks after the care recipient was discharged from …

Preventing And Managing Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome, Kylie Bell, Karl Hoopes

All Current Publications

Current industry trends regarding equine management practices largely contribute to the development of equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS). Research on effective medical management exists; however, we lack studies on the efficacy of equine-welfare-minded solutions. This fact sheet reviews current literature, including diagnosing, treating, and preventing EGUS. It also provides a general overview of the natural equine, promoting a greater understanding of the connection between strategies to prevent and manage EGUS.

Comparing Visualization Performance Of Liquid Embolic Agents Using A Novel Injectable Phantom, J Ryan Mason, Cristina Dodge, Adam Beardsley, Susan Hilsenbeck, Goetz Benndorf

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Background: Radiographic visualization of liquid embolic agents (LEAs) during embolization procedures in neurovascular territory represents a crucial feature to ensure efficacy and safety for the patients during endovascular treatment of arteriovenous shunting lesions. Radiopacity of available LEAs varies significantly and limited methods are currently available for comparison. The purpose of this study was to compare the contrast resolution (CR) during injection under blank roadmap of various LEAs, as well as standard contrast material.

Methods: An injectable angiographic phantom was designed consisting of parallel tubings between 313 and 1000 micron. Under roadmap, eight radiopaque liquid agents were injected and analyzed: Onyx18®, …

A Critical Hit: Dungeons And Dragons As A Buff For Autistic People, Gray Atherton, Rhys Hathaway, Ingela Visuri, Liam Cross

School of Psychology

Tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) are increasingly used in therapeutic and educational settings to improve the well-being of autistic people. This study investigated the potential of TTRPGs to provide a safe space where autistic adults could develop relationships with others while also engaging in character and world-building. Eight autistic adults were split into two groups and taken through a 6-week online Dungeons and Dragons campaign run by one of the researchers. Semi-structured interviews were then conducted to discuss how participants felt interacting in and out of the TTRPG. Several key themes were identified as important aspects of why autistic people could …

A Brief Alcohol Intervention (Bai) To Reduce Alcohol Use And Improve Prep Outcomes Among Men Who Have Sex With Men In Vietnam: Study Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial, Hao T M Bui, Byron J Powell, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: In Vietnam and other global settings, men who have sex with men (MSM) have become the population at greatest risk of HIV infection. Although HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been implemented as a prevention strategy, PrEP outcomes may be affected by low persistence and adherence among MSM with unhealthy alcohol use. MSM have a high prevalence of unhealthy alcohol use in Vietnam, which may affect PrEP outcomes.

METHODS: Design: We will conduct a two-arm hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation randomized controlled trial of a brief alcohol intervention (BAI) compared to the standard of care (SOC) at the Sexual Health Promotion …

Molecular Docking, Pharmacological Profiling, And Molecular Dynamics Simulation Of Potential Antihyperuricemic Agent From Secondary Metabolites Of Dillenia Philippinensis Rolfe (Dilleniaceae), Louie Rince C. Suyo, John P. Paulin, Nicole Clarence Louise L. Gapaz, Markus Brent S. Arevalo, Vince Tyrell P. Yongco, Librado A. Santiago

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Crystal accumulation in the joints due to increased serum uric acid (sUA) may lead to an inflammatory condition called gout. Increased sUA is caused by the excessive reabsorption of the urate anion transporter-1 (URAT-1). Therefore, URAT-1 inhibition will promote uric acid excretion and reduce the risk of having gout. Dillenia philippinensis Rolfe, often known as katmon, is an endemic plant in the Philippines with bioactive compounds associated with several therapeutic benefits. The present study represents the first scientific inquiry into the antihyperuricemic potential of compounds isolated from D. philippinensis. This study aimed to assess the interaction of URAT-1 with …

Issue Thirty One Full Text

SIGNED: The Magazine of The Hong Kong Design Institute

No abstract provided.

Coal Mines In Light Of The Provisions Of The Proposed Regulation Of The European Parliament And Of The Council On The Reduction Of Methane Emissions In The Energy Sector, Amending Regulation (Eu) 2019/942, Magdalena Zięba, Jacek Skiba, Piotr Kalisz, Regina Kościarz, Adam Smoliński

Journal of Sustainable Mining

In December 2021, the European Commission presented a draft Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the reduction of methane emissions in the energy sector and amending Regulation (EU) 2019/942. The article summarizes the proposed EU rules on methane emissions from coal mines. In addition, it summarizes the figures of anthropogenic methane emissions for the European Union countries from the three main emission sources: agriculture, waste and the energy sector. The volumes of methane emissions from EU and Polish coal mines are also presented and divided into underground and surface mines, as well as active mines, abandoned …

Understanding The Big Picture Before Assigning Full Blame: The Lost Opportunity With The Oakland A’S, Mark S. Nagel

The COSMA Journal

Despite operating in Oakland, California since the 1960s, the A’s have received Major League Baseball (MLB) approval to permanently move operations to Las Vegas in 2028. Though most fans and media members have placed the blame for the move on A’s primary owner John Fisher, a detailed analysis indicates that at least some of the blame for the A’s leaving their long-time home should be attributed to MLB and the MLB Players’ Association as they failed to recognize opportunities for the A’s to remain in the Bay Area and for the entire baseball industry to increase their short and long-term …

Streamlining Data Engineering With Llm-Backed Self-Service Tools, Sathya Anurag Siruguppa

Defensive Publications Series

Existing automation solutions for data processing pipeline, including those that use machine learning techniques, lack customization and flexibility and fail to address specific needs or account for unique data requirements such as privacy requirements or stringent validation requirements for certain types of data. This disclosure describes techniques that support multiple use cases in data processing pipelines through self-service tools and provide a framework for various sections of data pipeline creation. This benefits stakeholders such as data scientists, machine learning (ML) engineers, and data engineers. A large language model (LLM)-backed engine powers the chatbot and automatically generates certain files that provide …

Childhood Adhd: Treated Vs. Untreated -- Treatments, Implications, & Outcomes, Melissa Glenn

Master of Arts in Human Services

Childhood ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a common childhood condition. While older researchers claimed that stimulant medication used to treat ADHD could lead to substance abuse, more recent research has proven otherwise. Some researchers claim that instead of causation, ADHD medication can even be preventative regarding future criminality and substance abuse. This paper reviews historical and current applicable research regarding treatments and statistics for treated and untreated childhood ADHD and aims to provide valuable insight and discussion. The analysis will discuss the effectiveness of both non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions. Continued research into this condition is beneficial for children, caregivers, …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Effects On Delinquency, Katherine Lank

Master of Arts in Human Services

Youth involved in delinquent acts are seen interacting with the juvenile justice system at an alarming rate. Adverse childhood experiences influence the development of behavior and chances of taking risks. Children who grow up in a household with an unfit parent, substance abuse, or mental health disorders are seen turning to delinquent acts for gratification. This can have a higher chance of poor educational performance, unemployment, increased law enforcement interactions, and long-term mental and physical disabilities. Searching literature consisted of finding external factors and their control on brain development and future adult behaviors. Research was conducted on the school-to-prison pipeline, …

Risk And Protective Factors For Psychopathology During The Developmental Period 0-25 Years, Pamela Cotton

Master of Arts in Human Services

Research has shown that mental health disorders can have their onset in the period of

childhood and adolescence. This is a relatively recent discovery, as most of history

has studied mental health conditions only in adults. Today it is known that the global

onset of first mental health disorder occurs before age 14 in one third of the cases and

before the age of 18 in almost half of cases across the world (Solmi et al., 2022;

Dragioti et al., 2022). Research has uncovered risk and protective factors for

psychopathology in certain mental health conditions, such as Autism Spectrum

Disorder …

Parent & Child Aces: How They Impact Parenting Practices & Child Development, Gracie Lenz

Master of Arts in Human Services

Adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, are adverse events that occur in childhood and can have a profound impact on an individual’s health and development. Recent trends in literature surrounding ACEs have sought to explore the relationship between parental adversity and the intergenerational transmission of risk for adversity to the child. The aims of this review are as follows: 1) to examine current literature on how adversity impacts parenting, whether that be stemming from childhood or current in the family. 2) how parenting practices and adversity impact children’s health and development. To accomplish these objectives, research was conducted primarily by using …

Habits And Externalities, Arthur J. Caplan

Applied Economics Faculty Publications

We develop a conceptual model characterizing two types of individuals: one myopic and the other hyperopic. A myopic individual ignores his private contributions to both a social and private negative externality, as well as the effect that his accumulation of stuff (i.e., the stock of consumption goods) has on his habit parameter. A hyperopic individual internalizes both externalities as well as his habit-formation effect. We find that the hyperopic individual consumes a greater amount of a clean good and a lesser amount of a dirty good, with the magnitude of the latter difference being greater than the magnitude of the …

Work-Related Musculoskeletal Problems: A Look At How Employers View Causes, Roger C. Jensen

Safety Health & Industrial Hygiene

Causation concepts for work-related musculoskeletal disorders vary among authors and academic disciplines. The major causation concepts are single-event and repetitive motion. The aim of this short communication is to share findings from a recent survey of United States employers conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics about work-related musculoskeletal cases, and, more specifically, about whether the employers regard the causes of their employees’ musculoskeletal problems as being from a single exposure or from multiple exposures. Recommendations are offered for using terminology consistent with employer understandings.

2024 August 20 - Medical Student Education Committee Minutes, Medical Student Education Committee, East Tennessee State University

Medical Student Education Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Barriers And Supports To Academic Success Among Autistic College Students: A Qualitative Study, Isabella M. Ortiz, Steven M. Gerardi, Mary Zadnik

Summer 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder that affects many college students, impacting their everyday life activities and making transitions challenging. Occupational therapists serve a role in treating students with autism, but there is little evidence in the literature about their perceived barriers and strengths during the high school to college transition. This study utilized a semi-structured interview & thematic analysis to uncover the unique challenges & successes these students with autism face in an academic setting & identify effective support mechanisms/barriers.

Research Questions:

1. What are the perceived barriers to participation and performance in academic activities among …

   ---

   Go to article

Child Abuse And The Negative Role It Plays Throughout A Childs Lifetime, Mckenna Ellingson

Master of Arts in Human Services

Child abuse is very common termonology across the entire globe, states, communities, and even rural and urban areas. This writing will cover many topics within child abuse that discusses the impact that child abuse has on children through physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, exposure to domestic violence and how it causes substantial adverse health, educational, and behavioral consequences throughout the child lifespan. The goals will to be to explore different types of abuse and how it impacts the child's brain, development, and stages throughout their lifetime. This writing was aimed to review the most comprehensive studies of the …

An Investigation Of Mortality Associated With Comorbid Pneumonia And Thrombocytopenia In A Rural Southwest Missouri Hospital System, Tabitha Ranson, Hannah Rourick, Rajbir Sooch, Nicole R. Ford, Nova Beyersdorfer, Kerry Johnson, John Paulson

Faculty and Staff Publications

Background: Pneumonia places a significant burden on individuals and society, contributing to a substantial number of hospital admissions, emergency department visits, deaths, and healthcare costs each year. Comorbidities can greatly increase the risk of poor outcomes when associated with pneumonia. One comorbidity that has yet to be thoroughly researched is thrombocytopenia, which is known to play an important role in activating the immune response to infections. A decrease in platelet count may limit the immune response and consequently increase mortality in patients with pneumonia. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether comorbid thrombocytopenia and pneumonia are associated with …

2024 August 20 - Faculty Senate Agenda And Minutes, Faculty Senate, East Tennessee State University

Faculty Senate Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.