Digital Commons Network^™

Definitive Treatment And Risk Of Death Among Men Diagnosed With Metastatic Prostate Cancer At The Veterans Health Administration, Bettina F Drake, Saira Khan, Mei Wang, Veronica Hicks, Kate Nichols, Meghan Taylor, Eric H Kim, Su-Hsin Chang

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: To assess the potential survival benefit associated with receipt of definitive treatment (radical prostatectomy or radiation), compared to non-definitive treatment (hormonal therapy or chemotherapy) among men with metastatic prostate cancer.

METHODS: A cohort of men diagnosed with metastatic (T4/M1/N1 or T4/M1) prostate cancer from 1999 to 2013 in the Veterans Health Administration were identified and followed to December 28, 2014. All-cause and prostate cancer-specific mortality were evaluated at 10 years for the T4/M1/N1 cohort and 8 years for the T4/M1/ cohort. The association of definitive treatment (radical prostatectomy or radiation), compared to non-definitive (hormonal therapy or chemotherapy) with both …

Current State Of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Imaging, Challenges And Future Directions, Ali Nabavizadeh, Matthew J Barkovich, Ali Mian, Van Ngo, Anahita Fathi Kazerooni, Javier E Villanueva-Meyer

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Imaging plays a central role in neuro-oncology including primary diagnosis, treatment planning, and surveillance of tumors. The emergence of quantitative imaging and radiomics provided an uprecedented opportunity to compile mineable databases that can be utilized in a variety of applications. In this review, we aim to summarize the current state of conventional and advanced imaging techniques, standardization efforts, fast protocols, contrast and sedation in pediatric neuro-oncologic imaging, radiomics-radiogenomics, multi-omics and molecular imaging approaches. We will also address the existing challenges and discuss future directions.

Perceived Business Skills Needs Of Mfts: Implications For A Doctoral Program, Abel Arvizú Whittemore

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was twofold: a) to determine the training that MFTs should have to effectively work in organizational / business settings and with organizational / business issues in the role of clinician, administrator / manager, consultant, coach, and researcher and b) to determine what components should be included in a model curriculum in the area of organizational / management studies in an MFT doctoral program. Using the e-Delphi method, consensus from a panel of experts (in the profession of marriage and family therapy as well as in business / management / organizational issues) was obtained. Panelists identified …

Measuring Dna Modifications With The Comet Assay: A Compendium Of Protocols, Awadhesh N. Jha

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The comet assay is a versatile method to detect nuclear DNA damage in individual eukaryotic cells, from yeast to human. The types of damage detected encompass DNA strand breaks and alkali-labile sites (e.g., apurinic/apyrimidinic sites), alkylated and oxidized nucleobases, DNA–DNA crosslinks, UV-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and some chemically induced DNA adducts. Depending on the specimen type, there are important modifications to the comet assay protocol to avoid the formation of additional DNA damage during the processing of samples and to ensure sufficient sensitivity to detect differences in damage levels between sample groups. Various applications of the comet assay have been …

Prevalence Of Long-Term Physical Sequelae Among Patients Treated With Multi-Drug And Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Ty Akalu, Aca Clements, Hf Wolde, Ka Alene

Peninsula Medical School

Background Physical sequelae related to multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) are emerging and under-recognised global challenges. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to quantify the prevalence and the types of long-term physical sequelae associated with patients treated for MDR- and XDR-TB. Methods We systematically searched CINAHL (EBSCO), MEDLINE (via Ovid), Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception through to July 1, 2022, and the last search was updated to January 23, 2023. We included studies reporting physical sequelae associated with all forms of drug-resistant TB, including rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB), MDR-TB, Pre-XDR-TB, and XDR-TB. The primary …

Toward A Moral Reckoning On Structural Racism: Examining Structural Factors, Encouraging Structural Thinking, And Supporting Structural Intervention, Shane Mccarty, Megan Liskey, Deepu George, Natalie E. Cook, Jonathan M. Metzl

School of Medicine Publications

The racial reckoning of 2020 involved the largest social movement protest in U.S. history, but support for the Black Lives Matter movement declined shortly after. To advance a moral reckoning on structural racism that dismantles racialized structures and redresses racial inequities, we call on scholar activists within the field of community psychology to realign their own practices by (a) examining structural factors; (b) encouraging structural thinking; and (c) supporting structural intervention for racial justice. Two structural factors–political determinants and commercial determinants–maintain the status quo of structural racism, undermining efforts for racial equity. As a result, we encourage the development of …

Tennessee Farm Bureau News - March 2023, Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation

Tennessee Farm Bureau News

No abstract provided.

Single-Neuron Whole Genome Sequencing Identifies Increased Somatic Mutation Burden In Alzheimer's Disease Related Genes, Zongchang Li, Shishi Min, Ney Alliey-Rodriguez, Gina Giase, Lijun Cheng, David Wesley Craig, Geoffrey J. Faulkner, Huma Asif, Chunyu Liu

School of Medicine Publications

Accumulation of somatic mutations in human neurons is associated with aging and neurodegeneration. To shed light on the somatic mutational burden in Alzheimer's disease (AD) neurons and get more insight into the role of somatic mutations in AD pathogenesis, we performed single-neuron whole genome sequencing to detect genome-wide somatic mutations (single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and Indels) in 96 single prefrontal cortex neurons from 8 AD patients and 8 elderly controls. We found that the mutational burden is ∼3000 somatic mutations per neuron genome in elderly subjects. AD patients have increased somatic mutation burden in AD-related annotation categories, including AD risk …

Curative Effects Of Triphala Extract Against Swim Stress-Induced Gastric Ulcers Via Reduced Ulcer Index, Strengthened Gastric Mucosa And Improved Redox State In Rats, M Khushtar, H H. Siddiqui, R K. Dixit, Sahir Sultan Alvi

School of Medicine Publications

Recently, the percentage of Peptic ulcer disease not linked to either Helicobacter pylori or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs has increased and signifies the prominent role of psychophysiological stress in the establishment and advancements of gastric ulcers and other peptic ulcer diseases. The current study was intended not only to develop post-treatment swim stress-induced peptic ulcer disease rat model but also to analyze the curative effects of hydro-alcoholic extract of Triphala in swim stress-induced peptic ulcer disease model. A post-treatment swim stress-induced peptic ulcer disease rat model was developed followed by therapeutic intervention of hydro-alcoholic extract of Triphala. The gross evaluation of …

Neuroarquitectura: Percepción De Cambios De La Atmósfera, Gladys E. Maestre, Yohany Albornoz

School of Medicine Publications

[Neuroarchitecture: perception of changes in the atmosphere]

Does Publicness Matter? A Mixed Method Analysis Identifying And Measuring Institutional Contributions To State Goals For Public Higher Education, Sophia Laderman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

States founded, control, and fund public postsecondary institutions because higher education helps meet state goals. Public institutions of higher education provide considerable public benefits to states, but these benefits have not been systematically measured. As a result, public conversations about the broad value proposition of higher education do not center the public benefits produced by institutions. Using a framework of empirical and realized publicness, this exploratory sequential mixed-methods study used content analysis of state agency mission and vision statements to identify state goals for public higher education. Quantitative measurements of institutional contributions to common state goals for higher education were …

The Superstition That Enslaves Virgin Girls In Ghana: An Exploration Of The Origins, Evolution, And Practice Of Trokosi, Emmanuel Sarpong Owusu

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Trokosi is a religious practice in some parts of West Africa where young virgin girls are sent to fetish shrines to become sex slaves as part of rituals meant to prevent a communal calamity supposedly provoked by the transgressions of members of the girls’ family. This study offers additional insight into the concept, origins, evolution, and practice of trokosi, highlighting the cultural, socio-economic, and legal contexts of this practice in Ghana. This goal is achieved by reviewing pertinent literature and interviewing 10 participants: academics; activists; traditional leaders; and ordinary community members. The study establishes that trokosi, which is …

State Separation Of Powers And The Federal Courts, Ann Woolhandler

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

The cases discussed herein mostly surfaced in the regulatory era of the latter half of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. This Article first discusses arguments as to state delegations of legislative power, and the Court’s rejection of legislative-style deference that state agencies often argued for. This Article next discusses the Court’s decisions as to state adjudicative bodies, and its refusal to treat state agency adjudicators as full-fledged courts. This Article then addresses the Court’s response to arguments for unreviewable executive discretion and to laws allowing delegations to private parties. It then addresses whether the discussion sheds light …

The False Promise Of Expanded Religious Liberty Rights After The Covid-19 Cases And Fulton V. City Of Philadelphia, Shlomo C. Pill

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

This Article explains and critiques the Supreme Court’s recent reframing of religious free exercise rights. This change was initiated by a series of “shadow docket” rulings issued in late 2020 and early 2021 in which the Court sustained religious challenges to COVID-19 capacity restrictions and mask mandates. That doctrinal shift was confirmed and reinforced by the Court’s subsequence decision in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia. In these cases, the Court significantly narrowed the Smith test, which, since 1990, had subjected neutral and generally applicable laws that burden religious practice to only rational basis review. Under the Court’s new free …

Consumers’ Preferences For Ethical Entertainment Consumption: Conceptualization, Development, And Validation Of A Scale, Avirupa Basu, Tamas Makany, Pratap Chandra Mandal, Ashutosh Bishnu Murti

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Our study describes the conceptualization, development, and validation of a reliable scale to measure the Consumers’ Preferences for Ethical Entertainment Consumption (CPEEC) in the context of OTT platforms. Past literature has addressed Ethical Consumption in various contexts that hold significant importance among consumers. However, there is limited literature on the Ethical Consumption in the domain of OTT entertainment, which is a new and burgeoning field of literature. Conceptualizing and developing a measurement scale for CPEEC will help measure the ethicality of entertainment like films, web shows and reality shows. The CPEEC scale is developed and validated by performing 33 in-depth …

Full Issue, Volume 4, Issue 1

Loyola Papers

No abstract provided.

Sfd Indications And Technique: When And How To Use Sdf To Manage Caries Lesions, Margherita Fontana Dds, Phd

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The aim of this article is to review indications for 38% SDF and the appropriate technique for use. Evidence-based recommendations by the American Dental Association and umbrella reviews of systematic reviews are summarized to provide indications for SDF use in primary and permanent teeth, including sound surfaces and those with non-cavitated and cavitated caries lesions. High-quality evidence supports that SDF is an effective treatment alternative for managing active cavitated coronal and root caries lesions and preventing root caries lesions. Dentists can help by incorporating SDF as an option into their caries prevention and management armamentarium and by helping to train …

Cafuncapa: A Knowledgebase For Systematic Functional Annotations Of Apa Events In Human Cancers, Xi Liu, Xiaobo Zhou, Liyu Huang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is a widespread posttranscriptional regulation process. APA generates diverse mRNA isoforms with different 3' UTR lengths, affecting mRNA expression, miRNA binding regulation and alternative splicing events. Previous studies have demonstrated the important roles of APA in tumorigenesis and cancer progression through diverse aspects. Thus, a comprehensive functional landscape of diverse APA events would aid in a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms related to APA in human cancers. Here, we built CAFuncAPA (https://relab.xidian.edu.cn/CAFuncAPA/) to systematically annotate the functions of 15478 APA events in human pan-cancers. Specifically, we first identified APA events associated with cancer survival and tumor …

Imaging Features Of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Related Nephritis With Clinical Correlation: A Retrospective Series Of Biopsy-Proven Cases, Migena Gjoni

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: Imaging appearances of immune checkpoint inhibitor-related nephritis have not yet been described. The primary objective of this study is to describe the appearances of immunotherapy-related nephritis on computerized tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET). The secondary objectives are to investigate the association of radiologic features with clinical outcomes.

METHODS: CT and PET-CT scans before the initiation of immunotherapy (baseline), at nephritis, and after resolution of pathology-proven nephritis cases were reviewed. Total kidney volume, renal parenchymal SUVmax, renal pelvis SUVmax, and blood pool SUVmean were obtained.

RESULTS: Thirty-four patients were included. The total kidney volume was significantly higher at …

Blood Neutrophil Count And Neutrophil-To-Lymphocyte Ratio For Prediction Of Disease Progression And Mortality In Two Independent Systemic Sclerosis Cohorts, Marka A Lyons, Brian Skaug, Maureen D Mayes, Donald P Tashkin, Shervin Assassi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: To assess the predictive significance of blood neutrophil count and the ratio between neutrophil and lymphocyte count (neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio [NLR]) for disease severity and mortality in systemic sclerosis (SSc).

METHODS: Neutrophil and lymphocyte counts were prospectively measured in the Genetics versus Environment in Scleroderma Outcome Study (GENISOS) and the Scleroderma Lung Study II (SLS II). Forced vital capacity percent predicted (FVC%) and modified Rodnan skin thickness score (MRSS) were used as surrogate measures for disease severity. Longitudinal analyses were performed using generalized linear mixed models. Cox proportional hazards models evaluated the predictive significance of these cell counts for mortality. …

An Echogenic Clot Method For Thrombolysis Monitoring In Thrombotic Stroke Models, David D Mcpherson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

To demonstrate thrombolytic efficacy of a tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)-loaded echogenic liposome (TELIP) formulation in a rabbit thrombotic stroke model (the most relevant animal model for evaluation of directed thrombolytic therapy for ischemic stroke), we sought to develop a means of monitoring thrombus dissolution quantitatively by ultrasound imaging methods. We hypothesized that a gas-free ultrasound contrast agent can be incorporated into blood clots at a concentration that does not affect the tPA-mediated clot dissolution rate, while enabling quantitative assessment of the clot dissolution rate. Clots were formed from a mixture of whole rabbit blood, 1 M calcium chloride, human thrombin …

New Developments In Allergic Fungal Rhinosinusitis Pathophysiology And Treatment

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) is an endotype of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with nasal polyps characterized by eosinophilic mucin laden with fungal hyphae entrapped in expanded sinus cavities with an exaggerated hypersensitivity to fungal elements. The last decade has elucidated fungi-driven inflammatory pathways contributing to the pathophysiology of chronic inflammatory respiratory diseases. In addition, novel therapeutic biologic options have become available for CRS over the last several years.

Objective: To review the current literature examining AFRS, focusing on recent developments in our understanding of its pathophysiology and implications for treatment options.

Methods: Review article.

Results: Fungi-driven respiratory inflammation has been …

An Artificial Neural Network For Nasogastric Tube Position Decision Support, Darren Green, Ryan Grech, Srikanth Puttagunta, Mark Hall, David J Lowe

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: To develop and validate a deep learning model for detection of nasogastric tube (NGT) malposition on chest radiographs and assess model impact as a clinical decision support tool for junior physicians to help determine whether feeding can be safely performed in patients (feed/do not feed).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A neural network ensemble was pretrained on 1 132 142 retrospectively collected (June 2007-August 2019) frontal chest radiographs and further fine-tuned on 7081 chest radiographs labeled by three radiologists. Clinical relevance was assessed on an independent set of 335 images. Five junior emergency medicine physicians assessed chest radiographs and made feed/do …

Direct Costs Of Second Aqueous Shunt Implant Versus Transscleral Cyclophotocoagulation (The Assists Trial), Angelo P Tanna, Ronald L Gross, Louis R Pasquale, David S Greenfield, Jeffrey M Liebmann, Robert N Weinreb

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PRCIS: The cost of cyclophotocoagulation is less than the cost of a second glaucoma drainage device.

PURPOSE: To compare the total direct costs of implantation of a second glaucoma drainage device (SGDD) with transscleral cyclophotocoagulation (CPC) for patients with inadequately controlled intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction, despite the presence of a preexisting glaucoma drainage device in the ASSISTS clinical trial.

METHODS: We compared the total direct cost per patient, including the initial study procedure, medications, additional procedures, and clinic visits during the study period. The relative costs for each procedure during the 90-day global period and the entire study period were …

Linoleic Acid Improves Piezo2 Dysfunction In A Mouse Model Of Angelman Syndrome, Francisco J Sierra-Valdez, Ugo Mayor, Lawrence T Reiter, Valeria Vásquez, Julio F Cordero-Morales

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurogenetic disorder characterized by intellectual disability and atypical behaviors. AS results from loss of expression of the E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase UBE3A from the maternal allele in neurons. Individuals with AS display impaired coordination, poor balance, and gait ataxia. PIEZO2 is a mechanosensitive ion channel essential for coordination and balance. Here, we report that PIEZO2 activity is reduced in Ube3a deficient male and female mouse sensory neurons, a human Merkel cell carcinoma cell line and female human iPSC-derived sensory neurons with UBE3A knock-down, and de-identified stem cell-derived neurons from individuals with AS. We find that loss …

The Effect Direction Should Be Taken Into Account When Assessing Small-Study Effects, Zhuo Meng, Chong Wu, Lifeng Lin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: Studies with statistically significant results are frequently more likely to be published than those with non-significant results. This phenomenon leads to publication bias or small-study effects and can seriously affect the validity of the conclusion from systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Small-study effects typically appear in a specific direction, depending on whether the outcome of interest is beneficial or harmful, but this direction is rarely taken into account in conventional methods.

METHODS: We propose to use directional tests to assess potential small-study effects. The tests are built on a one-sided testing framework based on the existing Egger's regression test. We …

Evaluating Bone Marrow Dosimetry With The Addition Of Bone Marrow Structures To The Medical Internal Radiation Dose Phantom, Kristine L Ferrone, Charles E Willis, Fada Guan, Jingfei Ma, Leif E Peterson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Reliable estimates of radiation dose to bone marrow are critical to understanding the risk of radiation-induced cancers. Although the medical internal radiation dose phantom is routinely used for dose estimation, bone marrow is not defined in the phantom. Consequently, methods of indirectly estimating bone marrow dose have been implemented based on dose to surrogate volumes or average dose to soft tissue.

Methods: In this study, new bone marrow structures were implemented and evaluated to the medical internal radiation dose phantom in geant4, offering improved fidelity. The dose equivalent to the bone marrow was calculated across medical, occupational, and space …

The Microbiome And Its Impact On Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Florent Malard, Robert R Jenq

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) is a standard curative therapy for a variety of benign and malignant hematological diseases. Previously, patients who underwent alloHCT were at high risk for complications with potentially life-threatening toxicities, including a variety of opportunistic infections as well as acute and chronic manifestations of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), where the transplanted immune system can produce inflammatory damage to the patient. With recent advances, including newer conditioning regimens, advances in viral and fungal infection prophylaxis, and novel GVHD prophylactic and treatment strategies, improvements in clinical outcomes have steadily improved. One modality with great potential that has yet to …

Adding The X-Ray Bragg Reflection Physical Process In Crystal To The Geant4 Monte Carlo Simulation Toolkit, Part I: Reflection From A Crystal Slab, Fada Guan, Makoto Asai, Dirk A Bartkoski, Michael Kleckner, Ze'ev Harel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

X-ray diffraction from a solid crystal shows the wave nature of photons. It is an important electromagnetic (EM) physics process when X-ray photons interact with a crystal. Bragg diffraction, often called Bragg reflection, is a special case of the general form of X-ray diffraction, known as Laue diffraction. When the Bragg's law is met, the incident photon beam is reflected from the crystal plane behaving as a specular reflection at the Bragg angle. However, the Bragg reflection physical process has not been integrated into the general-purpose Monte Carlo simulation toolkit Geant4 for particle physics. In the current study, we developed …

Temporal Multi-Step Predictive Modeling Of Remission In Major Depressive Disorder Using Early Stage Treatment Data; Star*D Based Machine Learning Approach, Haitham Salem, Tung Huynh, Natasha Topolski, Benson Mwangi, Madhukar H Trivedi, A John Rush

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence is currently being used to facilitate early disease detection, better understand disease progression, optimize medication/treatment dosages, and uncover promising novel treatments and potential outcomes.

METHODS: Utilizing the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) dataset, we built a machine learning model to predict depression remission rates using same clinical data as features for each of the first three antidepressant treatment steps in STAR*D. We only used early treatment data (baseline and first follow up) in each STAR*D step to temporally analyze predictive features of remission at the end of the step.

RESULTS: Our model showed significant prediction …