Digital Commons Network^™

Covid-19’S Effects On Mortality Salience, Death Anxiety, And Worldview Defense, Sahvannah K. Shavers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since late-2019, the world has been trying to overcome an invisible killer: COVID-19. With near constant reminders of the virus the knowledge that a tiny viral particle has potential to harm or even kill has become overwhelming for many. Terror Management Theory (TMT) suggests that when individuals are reminded of their own death people take part in culturally appropriate activities and defend their own culture as ways to alleviate this increased death anxiety. The current study aims to identify whether 1) reminders of COVID-19 prime death thoughts, 2) reminders of COVID-19 increase death anxiety, and 3) increased death anxiety from …

Evaluation Of Anti-Factor Xa Level Usage For Low Molecular Weight Heparin In A Healthcare System, Natalie Quesep, Lourdes R. Menendez, Erika Dittmar, Radhan Gopalani, Payal Patel

All Publications

Purpose: Low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) is widely used for the prevention and treatment of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Routine monitoring of therapeutic effects through anti-Xa levels is not recommended but may be beneficial in patients with altered pharmacokinetics including pregnancy, weight extremes, or renal impairment. Levels should be drawn approximately four hours after the third dose to measure peak anti-Xa activity after achieving steady state. Untimely monitoring results in excessive testing, increased laboratory costs, and unwarranted dose adjustments compromising patient safety and efficacy. The purpose of this performance improvement project was to evaluate the appropriateness of …

The Microrna-183/96/182 Cluster Inhibits Lung Cancer Progression And Metastasis By Inducing An Interleukin-2-Mediated Antitumor Cd8+ Cytotoxic T-Cell Response, Samrat T Kundu, B Leticia Rodriguez, Laura A Gibson, Amanda N Warner, Mabel G Perez, Rakhee Bajaj, Jared J Fradette, Caleb A Class, Luisa M Solis, Frank R Rojas Alvarez, Ignacio I Wistuba, Lixia Diao, Fengju Chen, Mohit Sachdeva, Jing Wang, David G Kirsch, Chad J Creighton, Don L Gibbons

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Here, Kundu et al. investigated the role of the microRNA-183/96/182 cluster (m96cl) in lung cancer and used a novel conditional m96cl mouse to establish that loss of m96cl accelerated the growth of K-Ras mutant autochthonous lung adenocarcinomas. Overall, the authors identified a novel mechanistic role of the m96cl in the suppression of lung cancer growth and metastasis by inducing an IL2-mediated systemic CD8+ CTL immune response.

Ex Vivo Propagation In A Novel 3d High-Throughput Co-Culture System For Multiple Myeloma, Johannes M Waldschmidt, Stefan J Fruttiger, Dagmar Wider, Johannes Jung, Andreas R Thomsen, Tanja N Hartmann, Justus Duyster, Martin J Hug, Kareem A Azab, Manfred Jung, Ralph Wäsch, Monika Engelhardt

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: Multiple myeloma (MM) remains an incurable hematologic malignancy which ultimately develops drug resistance and evades treatment. Despite substantial therapeutic advances over the past years, the clinical failure rate of preclinically promising anti-MM drugs remains substantial. More realistic in vitro models are thus required to better predict clinical efficacy of a preclinically active compound.

METHODS: Here, we report on the establishment of a conical agarose 3D co-culture platform for the preclinical propagation of primary MM cells ex vivo. Cell growth was compared to yet established 2D and liquid overlay systems. MM cell lines (MMCL: RPMI-8226, U266, OPM-2) and primary patient …

The Heritage Family Study: A Review Of The Effects Of Exercise Training On Cardiometabolic Health, With Insights Into Molecular Transducers, Mark A Sarzynski, Treva K Rice, D C Rao, Et Al

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The aim of the HERITAGE Family Study was to investigate individual differences in response to a standardized endurance exercise program, the role of familial aggregation, and the genetics of response levels of cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk factors. Here we summarize the findings and their potential implications for cardiometabolic health and cardiorespiratory fitness. It begins with overviews of background and planning, recruitment, testing and exercise program protocol, quality control measures, and other relevant organizational issues. A summary of findings is then provided on cardiorespiratory fitness, exercise hemodynamics, insulin and glucose metabolism, lipid and lipoprotein profiles, adiposity and …

Anti-Nmda-Receptor Encephalitis In A Patient With Ovarian Teratoma, Harboring Brain Histology Of Varying Developmental Stages, Seyedalireza Fatemi, Joseph Fullmer

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Anti-NMDA-receptor encephalitis is a subacute, autoimmune disorder thought to be caused by autoantibodies directed against the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. Although NMDAR encephalitis is a familiar entity to psychiatrists and neurologists, it is less commonly reported in the pathology literature. Clinical symptoms of anti-NMDAR encephalitis may mimic schizophrenia and psychotic spectrum disorders or substance-induced psychosis. Although initially described in association with ovarian teratomas in women, anti-NMDAR encephalitis has been reported in individuals without paraneoplastic association, as well as in males. Previous literature has suggested NMDA receptor expressing teratoma neurons are densely aggregated and are smaller in size. Ki-67 index can be …

Bisphenol A Exposure Induces Sensory Processing Deficits In Larval Zebrafish During Neurodevelopment, Courtney Scaramella, Joseph B Alzagatiti, Christopher Creighton, Samandeep Mankatala, Fernando Licea, Gabriel M Winter, Jasmine Emtage, Joseph R Wisnieski, Luis Salazar, Anjum Hussain, Faith M Lee, Asma Mammootty, Niyaza Mammootty, Andrew Aldujaili, Kristine A Runnberg, Daniela Hernandez, Trevor Zimmerman-Thompson, Rikhil Makwana, Julien Rouvere, Zahra Tahmasebi, Gohar Zavradyan, Christopher S Campbell, Meghna Komaranchath, Javier Carmona, Jennifer Trevitt, David Glanzman, Adam C Roberts

2020-Current year OA Pubs

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Efficacy And Safety Of Bempedoic Acid In Patients Not Receiving Statins In Phase 3 Clinical Trials, Ulrich Laufs, Christie M Ballantyne, Maciej Banach, Harold Bays, Alberico L Catapano, P Barton Duell, Anne C Goldberg, Antonio M Gotto, Lawrence A Leiter, Kausik K Ray, Leanne T Bloedon, Diane Macdougall, Yang Zhang, G B John Mancini

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Despite the high incidence of patients with statin tolerance problems, randomized evaluations of nonstatin oral treatment options for lowering of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in this population are sparse.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the LDL-C lowering effect of bempedoic acid in patients not taking statins.

METHODS: This was a pooled analysis of data from patients enrolled in four phase 3 bempedoic acid studies (12 to 52 weeks in duration) who were not taking concomitant statins (Phase 3 No Statin Cohort) and a phase 3 bempedoic acid plus ezetimibe fixed-dose combination study (BA+EZE FDC No Statin Cohort). The primary endpoint for …

Illinois State University, One Hundred And Sixty-Third Annual Commencement, May 2022, Illinois State University

Commencement Programs

Illinois State University
One Hundred and Sixty-Third Annual Commencement
May 2022

From Head To Hilum: Angiosarcoma With Pulmonary Metastasis, Tanaz Salimnia, Lauren A. Abplanalp, Raashi Chawla, K Hughes, R Ghandchi, Matthew Weatherhead, Sanjay Dogra

Conference Presentation Abstracts

With an estimated five-year survival of less than 40 percent, angiosarcomas are rare and often misdiagnosed fataltumors originating from blood or lymphatic vessels with a predilection for the head and neck. They account for 1percent of all soft tissue sarcomas and are often mistaken for benign mimickers leading to the late-stage diagnosiswhen the body is already riddled with metastatic disease with the lung being the most common site of metastases.This case illustrates the myriad of pulmonary complications associated with this uncommon but fatal vasoformativemalignancy. The patient is a 73-year-old male diagnosed with angiosarcoma of the right scalp status post excision,reconstruction, …

Src Stimulates Abl-Dependent Phosphorylation Of The Guanine Exchange Factor Net1a To Promote Its Cytosolic Localization And Cell Motility, Andrea M Murad, Hannah L Hill, Yu Wang, Michael Ghannam, Min-Lee Yang, Norma L Pugh, Federico M Asch, Whitney Hornsby, Anisa Driscoll, Jennifer Mcnamara, Cristen J Willer, Ellen S Regalado, Dianna M Milewicz, Kim A Eagle, Santhi K Ganesh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a potential precipitant of myocardial infarction and sudden death for which the etiology is poorly understood. Mendelian vascular and connective tissue disorders underlying thoracic aortic disease (TAD), have been reported in ~5% of individuals with SCAD. We therefore hypothesized that patients with TAD are at elevated risk for SCAD. We queried registries enrolling patients with TAD to define the incidence of SCAD. Of 7568 individuals enrolled, 11 (0.15%) were found to have SCAD. Of the sequenced cases (9/11), pathogenic variants were identified (N = 9), including COL3A1 (N = 3), FBN1 (N = 2), …

Neurosurgical Management Of Patients With Neurocutaneous Melanosis: A Systematic Review, Raphia K. Rahman, Neil Majmundar, Hira Ghani, Ali San, Monika Koirala, Avi A. Gajjar, Amy Pappert, Catherine A. Mazzola

Student Publications

Objective: Neurocutaneous melanocytosis (NCM), also referred to as neurocutaneous melanosis, is a rare neurocutaneous disorder characterized by excess melanocytic proliferation in the skin, leptomeninges, and cranial parenchyma. NCM most often presents in pediatric patients within the first 2 years of life and is associated with high mortality due to proliferation of melanocytes in the brain. Prognosis is poor, as patients typically die within 3 years of symptom onset. Due to the rarity of NCM, there are no specific guidelines for management. The aims of this systematic review were to investigate approaches toward diagnosis and examine modern neurosurgical management of NCM. …

Endoscopic Management Of Polyps Arising From Diverticula, Mohammed Shakhatreh, Grigoriy L. Rapoport, Asif Zamir

School of Medicine Publications

Colon polyps arising from diverticula are rare with only a few cases reported to date.1 Most colon diverticula are considered “false diverticula” and are composed mainly of mucosa and submucosa that protrude through the muscularis externa layer and are covered by the serosa. Because of this, endoscopic resection of such polyps carries a high risk of perforation and management has traditionally been with surgical intervention, which increases the risk of complications. In this series, we present 2 cases of successful excision of an adenomatous polyp located within the lumen of a diverticulum using endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR).

Incidence And Risk Factors Of Transplantation-Associated Thrombotic Microangiopathy: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Victoria Van Benschoten, Cayla Roy, Rohit Gupta, Lara Ouellette, Sangeeta Hingorani, Ang Li

Library Staff Publications

Transplantation-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA) is an increasingly recognized post-transplantation complication, yet the overall incidence of the disease remains under debate. To determine the pooled incidence of TA-TMA in a systematic review of literature and to identify consistent risk factors. We performed a systematic review using the MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL databases to identify cohort studies that reported incidence of and risk factors for TA-TMA from 2004 to 2020. We conducted a meta-analysis of proportion to estimate the pooled incidence of TA-TMA using a random-effects model. We assessed moderators of heterogeneity through subgroup analysis, risk of bias through ROBINS-I, and publication …

Witnessing Parental Violence And Cyber Ipv Perpetration In Hispanic Emerging Adults: The Mediating Role Of Attitudes Toward Ipv, Ines Cano-Gonzalez, Ruby Charak, Ohad Gilbar, Rosa Viñas-Racionero, Megan K. Strait

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Recent studies indicate that the perpetration of intimate partner violence via cyberspaces (cyber IPV), namely, psychological aggression, sexual aggression, and cyberstalking is high among emerging adults. However, little is known of the risk factors that lead to cyber IPV and far lesser within Hispanic adults. Based on the intergenerational transmission of violence hypothesis, the present study examined the indirect effect of witnessing parental violence during childhood on the three types of cyber IPV through attitudes condoning IPV in Hispanic men and women, separately. Participants were 1,136 Hispanic emerging adults in the age range of 18-29 years (M = 20.53 …

The Effects Of Leadership Curricula With And Without Implicit Bias Training On Graduate Medical Education: A Multicenter Randomized Trial, Matt Hansen, Tabria Harrod, Nathan Bahr, Amanda Schoonover, Karen Adams, Josh Kornegay, Amy Stenson, Vivienne Ng, Jennifer Plitt, Tony Ogburn

School of Medicine Publications

Purpose: To determine whether a brief leadership curriculum including high-fidelity simulation can improve leadership skills among resident physicians.

Method: This was a double-blind, randomized controlled trial among obstetrics-gynecology and emergency medicine (EM) residents across 5 academic medical centers from different geographic areas of the United States, 2015-2017. Participants were assigned to 1 of 3 study arms: the Leadership Education Advanced During Simulation (LEADS) curriculum, a shortened Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) curriculum, or as active controls (no leadership curriculum). Active controls were recruited from a separate site and not randomized to limit any unintentional …

Why Do Gps Rarely Do Video Consultations? Qualitative Study In Uk General Practice, T Greenhalgh, E Ladds, G Hughes, L Moore, Et Al

Peninsula Medical School

Background Fewer than 1% of UK general practice consultations occur by video. Aim To explain why video consultations are not more widely used in general practice. Design and setting Analysis of a sub-sample of data from three mixed-method case studies of remote consultation services in various UK settings from 2019–2021. Method The dataset included interviews and focus groups with 121 participants from primary care (33 patients, 55 GPs, 11 other clinicians, nine managers, four support staff, four national policymakers, five technology industry). Data were transcribed, coded thematically, and then analysed using the Planning and Evaluating Remote Consultation Services (PERCS) framework. …

Combining Pharmacokinetics And Vibrational Spectroscopy: Mcr-Als Hard-And-Soft Modelling Of Drug Uptake In Vitro Using Tailored Kinetic Constraints, David Perez-Guaita, Guillermo Quintas, Zeineb Farhane, Roma Tauler, Hugh Byrne

Articles

Raman microspectroscopy is a label-free technique which is very suited for the investigation of pharmacokinetics of cellular uptake, mechanisms of interaction, and efficacies of drugs in vitro. However, the complexity of the spectra makes the identification of spectral patterns associated with the drug and subsequent cellular responses difficult. Indeed, multivariate methods that relate spectral features to the inoculation time do not normally take into account the kinetics involved, and important theoretical information which could assist in the elucidation of the relevant spectral signatures is excluded. Here, we propose the integration of kinetic equations in the modelling of drug uptake and …

Bullied Because Of Their Teeth: Evidence From A Longitudinal Study On The Impact Of Oral Health On Bullying Victimization Among Australian Indigenous Children, Md Irteja Islam, Verity Chadwick, Tuguy Esgin, Alexandra Martiniuk

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Making life better for Indigenous peoples is a global priority. Although bullying and oral health have always been a topic of concern, there is limited information regarding the impact of this problem on the general population, with no evidence in this regard among the Australian Indigenous population. Thus, we aimed to quantify the relationship between bullying victimization and oral health problems by remoteness among 766 Australian Indigenous children aged between 10–15-years using data from the LSIC study. Bivariate and multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression analyses were employed. Findings indicated children self-reported bullying more than parents reported their children were being bullied …

Exploring The Deformation Mechanics Of Coal Ribs Using The Distinct Element Modeling Approach, Maurice Sunkpal, Taghi Sherizadeh

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Understanding coal rib geomechanics is essential for improving rib stability and eliminating fatality and injury trends due to rib failures. There are presently no standardized rib control practices available in most countries. In light of this observed dearth, this investigation aims to improve understanding of rib failure mechanisms using the distinct element modeling (DEM) technique. DEM is chosen because of its superior advantage to explicitly represent discontinuities and their constitutive behaviors, besides that of the intact rock matrix. To analyze the rib stability, a numerical monitoring protocol is implemented to monitor the deformation characteristics of the coal rock mass as …

Designing Visuo-Haptic Illusions With Proxies In Virtual Reality: Exploration Of Grasp, Movement Trajectory And Object Mass, Martin Feick, Kora Persephone Regitz, Anthony Tang, Antonio Kruger

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Visuo-haptic illusions are a method to expand proxy-based interactions in VR by introducing unnoticeable discrepancies between the virtual and real world. Yet how different design variables affect the illusions with proxies is still unclear. To unpack a subset of variables, we conducted two user studies with 48 participants to explore the impact of (1) different grasping types and movement trajectories, and (2) different grasping types and object masses on the discrepancy which may be introduced. Our Bayes analysis suggests that grasping types and object masses (≤ 500 g) did not noticeably affect the discrepancy, but for movement trajectory, results were …

Effect Of Physical Activity During Covid-19 On The Sleep Health Of Community-Level Athletes In Australia, Andrew Walsh, Sarah Harris, Philipp Beranek, Shayne Vial, Travis Cruickshank, Mitchell Turner

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The COVID-19 outbreak presents a serious health challenges, with Australia enforcing tight restrictions, impacting sporting activities and sleep health of many Australians. Routine lifestyle patterns (physical activity and employment) are important to maintaining overall sleep health. Current literature indicates COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected the employment status and sport engagement. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of physical activity during COVID-19 on sleep health, and its association with employment and sport engagement of community-level athletes throughout Australia. Participants self-reported sleep health prior to COVID-19 (pre-sleep) and over the month prior to data collection (during-sleep) using the validated …

Puppy, Cesar Henrique Gelli Ramos

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Throughout this submission, I will discuss the overall process of creating my short thesis film, Puppy. An overall summary of my production approach and a detailed account of the specifics of how each production element occurred will also be provided along with visuals from the set. I will also discuss my education and experiences from my time at the University of New Orleans.

Levee Seepage Identification From Aerial Images Using Machine Learning, Sofiane Benkara

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Levees protect from natural disasters that can threaten human health, infrastructure, and biological systems by protecting low-lying lands near or below sea level from flooding. However, seepage in those levees undermines their structural integrity, leading to failures. Today the United States has approximately over a hundred thousand miles of levee, many of which are reaching or have surpassed their initial design life. Given the concern, there is a need to develop reliable, rapid, and non-intrusive levee monitoring systems to detect the presence of seepage. This study explores the use of Deep Convolutional Neural Network (DCNN) integrated with Discrete Cosine Transform …

Novel Deep Learning Approach To Model And Predict The Spread Of Covid-19, Devante Ayris, Maleeha Imtiaz, Kye Horbury, Blake Williams, Mitchell Blackney, Celine Shi Hui See, Syed Afaq Ali Shah

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

SARS-CoV2, which causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is continuing to spread globally, producing new variants and has become a pandemic. People have lost their lives not only due to the virus but also because of the lack of counter measures in place. Given the increasing caseload and uncertainty of spread, there is an urgent need to develop robust artificial intelligence techniques to predict the spread of COVID-19. In this paper, we propose a deep learning technique, called Deep Sequential Prediction Model (DSPM) and machine learning based Non-parametric Regression Model (NRM) to predict the spread of COVID-19. Our proposed models are trained …

Results Of The Compare Trial Of Constraint-Induced Or Multimodality Aphasia Therapy Compared With Usual Care In Chronic Post-Stroke Aphasia, Miranda L. Rose, Lyndsey Nickels, David Copland, Leanne Togher, Erin Godecke, Marcus Meinzer, Tapan Rai, Dominique A. Cadilhac, Joosup Kim, Melanie Hurley, Abby Foster, Marcella Carragher, Cassie Wilcox, John E. Pierce, Gillian Steel

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background:

While meta-analyses confirm treatment for chronic post-stroke aphasia is effective, a lack of comparative evidence for different interventions limits prescription accuracy. We investigated whether Constraint-Induced Aphasia Therapy Plus (CIAT-plus) and/or Multimodality Aphasia Therapy (M-MAT) provided greater therapeutic benefit compared with usual community care and were differentially effective according to baseline aphasia severity.

Methods:

We conducted a three-arm, multicentre, parallel group, open-label, blinded endpoint, phase III, randomised-controlled trial. We stratified eligible participants by baseline aphasia on the Western Aphasia Battery-Revised Aphasia Quotient (WAB-R-AQ). Groups of three participants were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to 30 hours of CIAT-Plus or M-MAT or to …

Power In Resilience And Resilience's Power In Climate Change Scholarship, Alicea Garcia, Noémi Gonda, Ed Atkins, Naomi Joy Godden, Karen Paiva Henrique, Meg Parsons, Petra Tschakert, Gina Ziervogel

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Resilience thinking has undergone profound theoretical developments in recent decades, moving to characterize resilience as a socio-natural process that requires constant negotiation between a range of actors and institutions. Fundamental to this understanding has been a growing acknowledgment of the role of power in shaping resilience capacities and politics across cultural and geographic contexts. This review article draws on a critical content analysis, applied to a systematic review of recent resilience literature to examine how scholarship has embraced nuanced conceptualizations of how power operates in resilience efforts, to move away from framings that risk reinforcing patterns of marginalization. Advancing a …

An Intelligent Passive Islanding Detection And Classification Scheme For A Radial Distribution System, Mohannad Khaleel Subhi Suleiman

Theses

Distributed generation (DG) provides users with a dependable and cost-effective source of electricity. These are directly connected to the distribution system at customer load locations. Integration of DG units into an existing system has significantly high importance due to its innumerable advantages. The high penetration level of distributed generation (DG) provides vast techno-economic and environmental benefits, such as high reliability, reduced total system losses, efficiency, low capital cost, abundant in nature, and low carbon emissions. However, one of the most challenges in microgrids (MG) is the island mode operations of DGs. the effective detection of islanding and rapid DG disconnection …

Mechanistic Insights On The Role Of Ambrisentan, An Endothelin Type-A Receptor Antagonist, In Breast Cancer, Ruba Saleem Lutfi Amer

Theses

The activation of the endothelin receptor type A (ETAR) by its ligand endothelin-1 (ET-1) is well known for its role in vasoconstriction. Interestingly, ET-1 and ETAR are over-expressed in various human tumours, including breast cancer. Several studies described the important role of ETAR in cancer progression and metastasis. The extensive network of interactions that exist between the ET-1 axis and other signalling pathways can trigger autocrine and paracrine signalling that modulates different tumorigenesis processes, such as cellular proliferation and survival, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and chemoresistance. The main objective of this study was to investigate the antitumor effects of Ambrisentan, a …

Desalination Waste Revitalization Using Carbon Capture: Process Optimization Using Machine Learning, Ahmed Mohamed Elsayed

Theses

Over the next five to ten years, desalination will play an ever-important role in our society. Developing nations will look at desalination from the point of water scarcity, while developed nations will consider the perspective of the Water-Energy-Food nexus. With current technology, for every liter of freshwater produced, one and a half liters is thrown away as waste. This body of research proposes to employ chemical precipitation in ammoniated brine solutions, that have reasonably high ionic concentrations. CO2 absorption in Bubble Column Reactors can reduce sodium ions by precipitating NaHCO3. Also, the absorbed CO2 can reduce chloride ions and induce …