Digital Commons Network^™

Occupational Therapy And Expressive Strategies For Youth Trauma Recovery, Darin Lewis, Rebecca King

Summer 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of this capstone project was to develop a program to address youth mental health concerns through expressive strategies and interventions.

Enablement Of Fishing Among Those With Physical Impairments, Tony Lozada, Cassandra Nelson

Summer 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

The poster explains the capstone process for the development and implementation of a fishing-based program for people with upper extremity impairments.

Disability In Cluster Headache Is More Than Attack Frequency – Results From And Validation Of The English Version Of The Cluster Headache Impact Questionnaire (Chiq), Katharina Kamm, Andreas Straube, Mark Burish, Ruth Ruscheweyh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Cluster headache (CH) is associated with high disability. The Cluster Headache Impact Questionnaire (CHIQ) is a short, disease-specific disability questionnaire first developed and validated in German. Here, we validated the English version of this questionnaire.

METHODS: The CHIQ was assessed together with nonspecific headache-related disability questionnaires in CH patients from a tertiary headache center and an American self-help group.

RESULTS: 155 active episodic and chronic CH patients were included. The CHIQ showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.91) and test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.93, n = 44). Factor analysis identified a single factor. Convergent validity was shown by …

Intouch Week Of August 5, 2024, New York Medical College

InTouch

• School of Medicine Class of 2028 Marks Start of Medical School Journey
• CDM Secures Grants to Expand Critical Emergency Training Programs
• NYMC SOM Student Senate Launches New Academic Year with Fresh Initiatives
• NYMC’s Center for Human Rights Helps Migrants Navigate the Asylum Process
• CDM Provided Summer Trainings

Summary Report Of Discussions At The Ana Forum 2024, Berkeley, Ca “How Can The North American Nepali Diaspora Contribute To Nepal’S Economic Development?”,, Ambika P. Adhikari

Himalayan Research Papers Archive

The ANA 2024 annual convention, organized on ANA’s 42nd founding anniversary, was held in the San Francisco Bay Area (Berkeley and Oakland) in California, where hundreds of ANA members and friends had gathered. The convention consisted of several forums, sessions, and cultural programs. As always, the convention included a Nepal-related forum “How Can the North American Nepali Diaspora Contribute to Nepal’s Economic Development?” The Forum took place from 1:30-2:30 pm on Saturday July 20, 2024. Four panelists, including the moderator, spoke at the forum. About 45-50 individuals attended the session. Guest panelist, Dr. Minendra Rijal sent a message as he …

The Role Of Depression On The Ability To Achieve Smoking Abstinence​, Arian Mohammadyar, Maher Karam-Hage, George Kypriotakis, Jason D. Robinson, Jennifer A. Minnix, Diane Beneventi, Janice A. Blalock, Paul M. Cinciripini

Supporting Tobacco-Related Ongoing Education and Research (STRONGER)

We investigated how depression affects smoking abstinence among cancer patients who participated in MD Anderson Cancer Center's Tobacco Research and Treatment Program (TRTP), assessing outcomes three months post-enrollment. We also compared the likelihood of abstaining from smoking while accounting for nicotine dependence measured by the Fagerström Test for Cigarette Dependence (FTCD). The findings aimed to guide clinical practices in optimizing treatment of tobacco use disorder (TUD) to improve abstinence rates. Integrating comprehensive treatments for depression alongside standard TUD treatment holds promise for improving overall abstinence outcomes.

A Quantitative Investigation Into The Daily Variation Of Bladder And Rectum Volumes Among Prostate Cancer Patients Receiving Radiation And When It Violates Dose Constraints At Any Given Fraction., Joseph Pape

Masters Projects

When planning radiation therapy treatments for prostate cancer, the bladder and rectum are important organs at risk (OAR). The purpose of this retrospective study was to establish guidelines for bladder and rectal volumes for men receiving hypofractionated radiation therapy to their prostate and seminal vesicles. Ten patients were included in the study and radiation doses to the bladder and rectum were recorded based on the daily change in the OAR volumes. The bladder and rectal volumes were contoured on each patient’s daily treatment CBCT and those volumes were compared to that on the treatment planning CT. The results showed that …

Facilitating Play For Preschoolers With Severe Multiple Impairments, Hannah B. Wade

Masters Projects

Play is a fundamental right of childhood that should be accessible to every child because it has enormous benefits for all areas of their development and brings joy to their lives. Unfortunately, children with disabilities, especially those with severe multiple impairments, face many barriers to accessing play. Early childhood educators have the responsibility and privilege of supporting their students with severe multiple impairments in engaging in play by facilitating accessible play experiences within the early childhood curriculum. The goal of this project is to provide a guide for early childhood educators that supports them in facilitating playful learning for these …

Beat The Heat: Community Perspectives Around Extreme Heat In Spokane, Wa, Post-2021 Northwest Heat Dome, Jason J. Lau, Brian G. Henning, Kate Tokareva, Kaitlan Ducken, Faisal S. Malik, Tania Busch Isaksen

Climate, Water, and the Environment Research

Extreme heat events are the leading weather-related causes of death in the United States. Despite heat familiarity in eastern Washington, at least 19 heat-related deaths occurred in Spokane County during the 2021 “heat dome” in the Northwest. To assess heat concerns among vulnerable groups and identify cooling access barriers, surveys were conducted with Spokane County residents from July to November 2022. Descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression characterized perceptions of heat, access to home cooling, and interest in public cooling for vulnerable populations. A total of 1477 adults completed the survey. Demographics were comparable to the Spokane County US Census: …

Affect Regulation And Allostatic Load Over Time, Amanda E. Ng, Tara Gruenewald, Robert-Paul Juster, Claudia Trudel-Fitzgerald

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective

Emerging work suggests that affect regulation strategies (e.g., active coping, anger expression) predict disease and mortality risk, with sometimes divergent estimates by sex or education levels. However, few studies have examined potential underlying biological mechanisms. This study assessed the longitudinal association of affect regulation with future allostatic load.

Method

In 2004–2006, 574 participants from the Midlife in the United States study completed validated scales assessing use of nine general and emotion-specific regulatory strategies (e.g., denial, anger expression). As a proxy for how flexibly participants regulate their affect, variability in the use of regulatory strategies was operationalized using a standard …

Prostate Specific Antigen-Based Cancer Screening In The United States, Treves M. Dennis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2012, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force revised its prostate cancer screening recommendations to advocate against the routine use of prostate-specific antigen-based testing. This cross-sectional study of a large dataset from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program compared PSA-based diagnoses made from 2006 to 2011 to those from 2013 to 2018. The study aimed to address the impact of the change in recommendation on survival and stage at diagnosis in prostate cancer patients. The socioecological model was used as the theoretical foundation for the study. A total of 205,129 men diagnosed with prostate cancer comprised the study population. …

Pregnancy Intention, Perinatal Depression, Birth Weight, And Premature Delivery Among Black Women, Chantay Philease Mcneil

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Perinatal depression among Black women results in significant public health burdens, interacting with systemic disparities to create disproportionate risks of adverse birth outcomes. The present study explored the moderating effect of pregnancy intention on the relationship between perinatal depression and adverse birth outcomes such as low birth weight and preterm delivery among Black women living in the southern United States. Using secondary data from the 2016-2020 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), data were analysed from 9825 black women across eight southern states including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Virginia. The statistical approach included chi-square tests and …

Nursing Care Leaders' Strategies For Reducing Voluntary Employee Turnover, Ryanne Kimanee Pearson-Parker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The reduction of high turnover rates presents a significant obstacle to nursing care leaders who are responsible for performance and proper function of nursing care facilities. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation and hygiene, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies used by five nursing care leaders to reduce voluntary employee turnover. Data were collected from participant interviews and relevant organizational documents, and governmental public resources. Thematic analysis included data coding and theme identification. Four themes emerged: (a) employee recognition and benefits, (b) management and administrative goals, (c) relationship building, and (d) staffing alternatives and …

Podocyte Cell-Specific Npr1 Is Required For Blood Pressure And Renal Homeostasis In Male And Female Mice: Role Of Sex-Specific Differences, Chandramohan Ramasamy, Kandasamy Neelamegam, Samivel Ramachandran, Huijing Xia, Daniel R. Kapusta, Farhad R. Danesh, Kailash N. Pandey

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Atrial and brain natriuretic peptides (ANP and BNP) bind to guanylyl cyclase A/natriuretic peptide receptor A (GC-A/NPRA), stimulating natriuresis and diuresis and reducing blood pressure (BP), but the role of ANP/NPRA signaling in podocytes (highly specialized epithelial cells covering the outer surfaces of renal glomerular capillaries) remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the effect of conditional deletion of podocyte-specific Npr1 (encoding NPRA) gene knockout (KO) in male and female mice. Tamoxifen-treated wild-type control (PD Npr1 f/f; WT), heterozygous (PD-Cre-Npr1 f/+; HT), and KO (PD-Cre-Npr1 f/-) mice were fed a normal-, low-, or high-salt diet for 4 wk. Podocytes isolated …

Studi In Silico Potensi Antikanker Senyawa Quercetin, Kaempferol, Dan Pelargonidin Terhadap Reseptor Histamin 1, Nur Aini, Fendy Hardian Permana, Siti Zaenab, Diani Fatmawati

Chimica et Natura Acta

Kanker menjadi permasalahan kesehatan dunia karena menyebabkan kematian dan diperkirakan akan terus mengalami peningkatan. Menurut The Global Cancer Observatory (2020) kasus kanker di Indonesia mencapai 6,89%. Pengobatan kanker dengan memblokir H1R (Histamine 1 Receptor) dengan antagonisnya berpotensi menurunkan proliferasi sel kanker. Senyawa flavonoid seperti quercetin, kaempferol dan pelargonidin dapat mereduksi dan berinteraksi dengan protein sehingga dapat dijadikan sebagai antagonis H1R antikanker. Studi in silico ini bertujuan mengetahui potensi senyawa quercetin, kaempferol dan pelargonidin terhadap H1R sebagai antikanker. Data senyawa quercetin, kaempferol dan pelargonidin dikumpulkan melalui database Pubchem dan struktur H1R dari database PDB dengan kode 3RZE. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian …

Staff Input, A Critical Ethnography Of Institutional Racism And Intersectionality Demonstrated In At-Risk Youth Group Homes From A Staff’S Perspective, Tiara L. Clark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The lack of quality care is continuously questioned for the at-risk youth within the group home system fostered by the Department of Children and Family Services. However, due to a lack of proper training for trauma-informed care and a lack of knowledge of the pedagogical treatments such as Short Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP), direct-line staff are having a hard time navigating and assisting the at-risk youth with their rehabilitation. It is pertinent for direct line staff to understand the at-risk youth population, how to implement and execute the appropriate pedagogical treatment, and the hierarchy within the agency. Critical ethnography …

Effective Data Breach Prevention Strategies In Hospitals, Melissa Nichol Ramos

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The healthcare industry has been a rapidly growing target for data breach incidents. Data security is essential to health information managers (HIMs) because of their responsibility to safeguard health data and prevent cyberattacks affecting clinical operations. Grounded in the conceptual framework of the unified information security policy compliance model, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore effective strategies by six HIMs who successfully implemented effective cybersecurity strategies in their organizations. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and public sources of information. Thematic analysis revealed three major themes: (a) differences in HIMs’ approaches to data security; (b) human …

Racial Disproportionality In Exclusionary Discipline Rates In The United States, Cara Crisostomo

Masters Projects

Racial disparity in exclusionary discipline rates in K-12 schools in the United States is a problem that was first written about in the 1970s. Unfortunately, it remains a problem nearly fifty years later and one that has not been addressed by school districts and schools. Schools have implemented programs such as restorative justice to address this disparity, but research shows that these programs center Whiteness. Disparity either does not improve with these programs or even increases. School staff’s cross-cultural differences from their students and staff’s implicit bias and subjectivity in the discipline process contribute to the disparity. Therefore, it is …

Becoming Trauma- Informed Parents And Educators, Stephanie M. Petersen

Masters Projects

Trauma exposure may have a negative impact on students within the K-12 setting. Whether through first and secondhand accounts, trauma may affect students in areas that can lead to academic, psychological, and social emotional developmental concerns. Lasting impacts of trauma can affect cognitive, affective, behavioral, psychological, relational and self-attribution domains, and can lead to psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, borderline personality disorder, depression, etc. (O’Neill et al., 2010, pg. 190). When the brain is affected by neuroanatomical and neurophysiological changes a child’s language is impaired, which affects their ability to comprehend ultimately leading to effects on a child’s ability to …

Using A Flipped Course Design To Increase Positive Outcomes In First Year Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Courses, Jennifer Bourbina

Masters Projects

In the United States racially minoritized students are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields (Fry et al., 2021). Minoritized students have a reduced chance of attaining a STEM degree in part because of the stratification in the K-12 educational system and practices in post-secondary education that disproportionately benefits the dominate class (Griffith, 2010; Johnson, 2007; Martusewicz et al., 2015; Theobald et al., 2020; Thompson, 2021). In the U.S. the K-12 system does not equally prepare students for higher education, yet most STEM courses are taught in a way that assumes all students have the same baseline skills …

Adjuvant External Beam Radiotherapy Combined With Brachytherapy For Intermediate-Risk Cervical Cancer, Nuria Agusti, David Viveros-Carreño, Alexander Melamed, Rene Pareja, Alexa Kanbergs, Chi-Fang Wu, Roni Nitecki, Lauren Colbert, Jose Alejandro Rauh-Hain

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Patients with intermediate-risk cervical cancer receive external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) as adjuvant treatment. It is commonly administered with brachytherapy without proven benefits. Therefore, we evaluated the frequency of brachytherapy use, the doses for EBRT administered alone or with brachytherapy, and the overall survival impact of brachytherapy in patients with intermediate-risk, early-stage cervical cancer.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study was performed using data collected from the National Cancer Database. Patients diagnosed with cervical cancer from 2004 to 2019 who underwent a radical hysterectomy and lymph node staging and had disease limited to the cervix but with tumors larger than 4 …

A Visual Arts-Based Intervention For Improving Psychosocial Outcomes Among Community-Dwelling Stroke Survivors: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial, Mimi Wai Man Chan

Sigma Foundation for Nursing Research Grant Reports

This pilot RCT aimed to explore the feasibility of the theory-driven visual arts-based intervention for improving psychosocial functioning of community-dwelling stroke survivors before implementing a full-scale RCT. Feasibility of this intervention was assessed in line with five of eight areas of focus of exploring the feasibility of intervention suggested by Bowen et al. (2009), including demand, implementation, practicality, acceptability, and preliminary effects of the intervention.

Women In Stem Becoming Independent: Our Shared Motivation And Enthusiasm Are Our Driving Force, Liudmila Andreeva, Lidia Bosurgi, Shu Zhen Chong, Coco Chu, Yejing Ge, Esther Hoste, Kellie A Jurado, Jette Lengefeld, Archita Mishra, Stefanie Wculek, Arabella Young

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This year at JEM, we are highlighting women in science by sharing their stories and amplifying their voices. In this Viewpoint, we hear from a cross section of women, across multiple research fields, discussing their science and the process of setting up a lab as an independent researcher.

Maturation Of Germinal Center B Cells After Influenza Virus Vaccination In Humans, Katherine M Mcintire, Wooseob Kim, Sameer Kumar Malladi, Bassem M Mohammed, Julian Q Zhou, Aaron J Schmitz, Teresa Suessen, William D Middleton, Sharlene A Teefey, Rachel M Presti, Jackson S Turner, Ali H. Ellebedy, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Germinal centers (GC) are microanatomical lymphoid structures where affinity-matured memory B cells and long-lived bone marrow plasma cells are primarily generated. It is unclear how the maturation of B cells within the GC impacts the breadth and durability of B cell responses to influenza vaccination in humans. We used fine needle aspiration of draining lymph nodes to longitudinally track antigen-specific GC B cell responses to seasonal influenza vaccination. Antigen-specific GC B cells persisted for at least 13 wk after vaccination in two out of seven individuals. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) derived from persisting GC B cell clones exhibit enhanced binding affinity …

The Oncolytic Adenovirus Delta-24-Rgd In Combination With Onc201 Induces A Potent Antitumor Response In Pediatric High-Grade And Diffuse Midline Glioma Models, Daniel De La Nava, Iker Ausejo-Mauleon, Virginia Laspidea, Marisol Gonzalez-Huarriz, Andrea Lacalle, Noelia Casares, Marta Zalacain, Lucía Marrodan, Marc García-Moure, Maria C Ochoa, Antonio Carlos Tallon-Cobos, Reyes Hernandez-Osuna, Javier Marco-Sanz, Laasya Dhandapani, Irati Hervás-Corpión, Oren J Becher, Javad Nazarian, Sabine Mueller, Timothy N Phoenix, Jasper Van Der Lugt, Mikel Hernaez, Elizabeth Guruceaga, Carl Koschmann, Sriram Venneti, Joshua E Allen, Matthew D Dun, Juan Fueyo, Candelaria Gomez-Manzano, Jaime Gallego Perez-Larraya, Ana Patiño-García, Sara Labiano, Marta M Alonso

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Pediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGGs), including diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs), are aggressive pediatric tumors with one of the poorest prognoses. Delta-24-RGD and ONC201 have shown promising efficacy as single agents for these tumors. However, the combination of both agents has not been evaluated.

METHODS: The production of functional viruses was assessed by immunoblotting and replication assays. The antitumor effect was evaluated in a panel of human and murine pHGG and DMG cell lines. RNAseq, the seahorse stress test, mitochondrial DNA content, and γH2A.X immunofluorescence were used to perform mechanistic studies. Mouse models of both diseases were used to assess the …

A Rare Case Of Primary Squamous Cell Carcinoma Of The Stomach: A Case Report, Abby Kunitsky, Gautam Maddineni, Julia Janecki, Edward Jurkovic, Vladimir Ferrer

Student Publications

Pure primary gastric squamous cell carcinoma (PGSCC) is a notably rare gastric malignancy. We present the case of a 51-year-old woman with advanced gastric squamous cell carcinoma characterized by a 7.6 cm necrotic mass invading the proximal stomach, liver metastasis, and lymphadenopathy at diagnosis. Despite the lack of standardized treatment protocols, we review tumor markers and potential management strategies, including surgical and chemotherapeutic interventions. The rarity and aggressive nature of PGSCC necessitates further research to develop effective detection and treatment methods to improve patient prognosis and survival outcomes.

It's There, Seojung Kang

Theses

This thesis explores the true value of normalcy through repetitive production in order to redefine the importance of ordinary that is taken for granted.

A Native American Perspective On Navigating The Academic World With Resilience And Honoring The Wisdom Of Native Elders, Shani Renee Johnson

Dissertations and Theses

The graduation percentage among Native American students has consistently remained at a discouraging 50 %, both in the past and at present. This study employed a narrative inquiry approach to investigate the low graduation rates among Native American students, from the perspective of a Native American educator and mother. This study examined the historical trauma and colonization experienced by Native Americans and how it has affected Native American families and communities, resulting in low rates of graduation among Native students. In addition, this study examined factors contributing to resilience by acknowledging Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and Indigenous Ways of Knowing …

Phase Ii Study Of Vemurafenib In Children And Young Adults With Tumors Harboring Braf V600 Mutations: Nci-Cog Pediatric Match Trial (Apec1621) Arm G, Marie V Nelson, Aerang Kim, P Mickey Williams, Sinchita Roy-Chowdhuri, David R Patton, Brent D Coffey, Joel M Reid, Jin Piao, Lauren Saguilig, Todd A Alonzo, Stacey L Berg, Nilsa C Ramirez, Alok Jaju, Elizabeth Fox, Brenda J Weigel, Douglas S Hawkins, Margaret M Mooney, Naoko Takebe, James V Tricoli, Katherine A Janeway, Nita L Seibel, D Williams Parsons

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Background: This is a phase II subprotocol of the NCI-COG Pediatric MATCH study evaluating vemurafenib, a selective oral inhibitor of BRAF V600 mutated kinase, in patients with relapsed or refractory solid tumors harboring BRAF V600 mutations.

Methods: Patients received vemurafenib at 550 mg/m2 (maximum 960 mg/dose) orally twice daily for 28-day cycles until progression or intolerable toxicity. The primary aim was to determine the objective response rate and secondary objectives included estimating progression-free survival and assessing the tolerability of vemurafenib.

Results: Twenty-two patients matched to the subprotocol and 4 patients (18%) enrolled. Primary reasons for non-enrollment were ineligibility due to …

A Human Stat3 Gain-Of-Function Variant Drives Local Th17 Dysregulation And Skin Inflammation In Mice, Kelsey A Toth, Erica G Schmitt, Ana Kolicheski, Zev J Greenberg, Elizabeth Levendosky, Nermina Saucier, Kelsey Trammel, Vasileios Oikonomou, Michail S Lionakis, Eynav Klechevsky, Brian S Kim, Laura G Schuettpelz, Naresha Saligrama, Megan A Cooper

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Germline gain-of-function (GOF) variants in STAT3 cause an inborn error of immunity associated with early-onset poly-autoimmunity and immune dysregulation. To study tissue-specific immune dysregulation, we used a mouse model carrying a missense variant (p.G421R) that causes human disease. We observed spontaneous and imiquimod (IMQ)-induced skin inflammation associated with cell-intrinsic local Th17 responses in STAT3 GOF mice. CD4+ T cells were sufficient to drive skin inflammation and showed increased Il22 expression in expanded clones. Certain aspects of disease, including increased epidermal thickness, also required the presence of STAT3 GOF in epithelial cells. Treatment with a JAK inhibitor improved skin disease without …