Digital Commons Network^™

Integration Of Spatial Protein Imaging And Transcriptomics In The Human Kidney Tracks The Regenerative Potential Of Proximal Tubules, Mahla Asghari, Sanjay Jain, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The organizational principles of nephronal segments are based on anatomical and physiological attributes that are linked to the homeostatic functions of the kidney. Recent molecular approaches have uncovered layers of deeper signatures and states in tubular cells that arise at various time points on the disease trajectory. Here, we introduce an analytical pipeline of multiplexed spatial protein imaging integrated with RNA expression to characterize proximal tubular subpopulations and neighborhoods in human kidney tissue. We demonstrate that, in reference tissue, a large proportion of S1 proximal tubular epithelial cells expresses thymus antigen 1 (THY1), a mesenchymal stromal and stem cell marker …

Skin-To-Skin Contact At Birth For Very Preterm Infants And Symptoms Of Depression And Anxiety In Parents During The First Year – A Secondary Outcome Of A Randomized Clinical Trial, Siri Lilliesköld, Karoline Lode-Kolz, Björn Westrup, Nils Bergman, Kimmo Sorjonen, Ulrika Ådén, Evalotte Mörelius, Siren Rettedal, Wibke Jonas

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Mental health issues are common in parents to preterm infants. In the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), skin-to-skin contact (SSC) as an avenue for parent-infant closeness may improve parental mental health. Few studies exist regarding its benefits when initiated immediately postbirth. The aim was to determine the effect of SSC for very preterm infants at birth on parents' mental health, by assessing symptoms of depression and anxiety within the first year. Methods: The Immediate Parent-Infant Skin-to-Skin Study was a randomized clinical trial conducted 2018–2021 at three NICUs in Sweden and Norway. Very preterm infants (28–33 weeks of gestation) were …

A Chronic Acinetobacter Baumannii Pneumonia Model To Study Long-Term Virulence Factors, Antibiotic Treatments, And Polymicrobial Infections, Clay D Jackson-Litteken, Gisela Di Venanzio, Manon Janet-Maitre, Ítalo A Castro, Joseph J Mackel, Leslie D Wilson, David A Rosen, Carolina B López, Mario F Feldman

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Acinetobacter baumannii causes prolonged infections that disproportionately affect immunocompromised populations. Our understanding of A. baumannii respiratory pathogenesis relies on an acute murine infection model with limited clinical relevance that employs an unnaturally high number of bacteria and requires assessment of bacterial load at 24-36 h post-infection. Here, we demonstrate that low intranasal inoculums in tlr4 mutant mice allows for infections lasting at least 3 weeks. Using this "chronic infection model" we determine the adhesin InvL is a virulence factor required during later stages of infection, despite being dispensable in the early phase. We also demonstrate that the chronic model enables …

The Effectiveness Of Kolmogorov–Arnold Networks In The Healthcare Domain, Vishnu S. Pendyala, Nivedita Venkatachalam

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Kolmogorov–Arnold Networks (KANs) have recently emerged as a powerful alternative to traditional Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), offering superior accuracy and interpretability, which are two critical requirements in healthcare applications. This study investigates the effectiveness of KANs across a range of clinical tasks by applying them to diverse medical datasets, including structured clinical data and time-series physiological signals. Compared with conventional ANNs, KANs demonstrate significantly improved performance, achieving higher predictive accuracy even with smaller network architectures. Beyond performance gains, KANs offer a unique advantage: the ability to extract symbolic expressions from learned functions, enabling transparent, human-interpretable models—a key factor in clinical …

Understanding Healthcare Experiences Of Individuals With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities (Idd): A Mixed-Methods Research Proposal, Cristine Jan Catina

Master's Projects and Capstones

Background: Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often face persistent barriers to healthcare, which include complex health conditions, persistent health disparities driven by social determinants, insufficient provider training, widespread stigma, and significant communication barriers. While previous studies highlight systemic issues, they often overlook the lived experiences of both patients and providers. Purpose: This paper outlines a mixed-methods study, guided by the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to examine how attitudes, social norms, perceived behavioral control, and past healthcare experiences relate to behavioral intentions—specifically, the intention to attend future healthcare visits among adults with IDD and the intention to provide …

Re: 2nd Quarter 2025 – Interim Site-Wide Surface Water Monitoring Data Report Silver Bow Creek Butte Area Npl Site, Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit Consent Decree-Civil Action No. Cv 89-039-Bu-She, Josh Bryson

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Experiencing Race, Racism And Racialization In Transnational Contexts: Racial Literacies Of First-Year International Asian Students., Nasiba Norova

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This research focused on exploring the racial literacies of first-year international East Asian (EA) students, specifically examining their perceptions of and experiences with race, racism, and racialized groups in various social and educational contexts in both their home countries and the United States. The study used critical ethnography to examine the perspectives of EA international students and composition faculty. It involved multiple semi-structured interviews, journal entries, racial literacy autobiographies, site document analysis, and class observations to understand how students perceived exposure to race, racism, and racialized groups and how faculty viewed the importance of racial education for international students in …

Oncoplastic Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy And Immediate Reconstruction In Non-Ideal Candidates, Aaron Dadzie, Yossef Alsabawi, Sonia Y. Khan, Paul Berry

School of Medicine Publications

Mastectomies have long been used as a surgical treatment for malignant and benign disorders of the breast, both as a therapy and prophylaxis in high-risk patients. A nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) allows for the removal of most of the glandular and ductal tissues while preserving the surface architecture of the nipple-areola complex (NAC). This report summarizes the current mastectomy practices and suggests an expansion of the established surgical selection criteria for NSM in the context of immediate implant-based breast reconstruction. We present two cases in which a novel hybrid oncoplastic approach was used and discuss its safety and efficacy when performing …

From Sim To 6dof: Deep Learning For Real-Time Satellite Pose Estimation From Resolved Ground-Based Imagery, Thomas W.N. Dickinson

Theses

This dissertation presents the first practical system for automated six degrees of freedom (6DOF) satellite pose estimation from resolved ground-based adaptive optics (AO) imagery. Addressing a key challenge in Space Domain Awareness (SDA), the proposed approach eliminates the need for human labeling by directly regressing satellite orientation and position from blurry, noisy, and deeply-shadowed imagery. The architecture consists of a multi-stage deep neural network pipeline that localizes the satellite, predicts pose, and optionally smooths predictions over time. Networks are trained exclusively on fully synthetic imagery generated from a 3D CAD model. Despite this, the model generalizes effectively, bridging the Sim2Real …

Sox2 Regulates Foregut Squamous Epithelial Homeostasis And Is Lost During Barrett's Esophagus Development, Ramon U. Jin, Yuanwei Xu, T. Mamie Lih, Yang-Zhe Huang, Toni M. Nittolo, Blake E. Sells, Olivia M. Dres, Jean S. Wang, Qing K. Li, Hui Zhang, Jason C. Mills

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Esophageal adenocarcinoma is increasingly prevalent and is thought to arise from Barrett's esophagus (BE), a metaplastic condition in which chronic acid and bile reflux transforms the esophageal squamous epithelium into a gastric-intestinal glandular mucosa. The molecular determinants driving this metaplasia are poorly understood. We developed a human BE organoid biobank that recapitulates BE's molecular heterogeneity. Bulk and single-cell transcriptomics, supported by patient tissue analysis, revealed that BE differentiation reflects a balance between SOX2 (foregut/esophageal) and CDX2 (hindgut/intestinal) transcription factors. Using squamous-specific inducible Sox2-KO (Krt5CreER/+ Sox2Δ/Δ ROSA26tdTomato/+) mice, we observed increased basal proliferation, reduced squamous differentiation, and expanded metaplastic glands at …

Highly Potent And Subtype-Selective Sperm-Specific Potassium Channel Slo3 Inhibitors Display High Tissue Exposure In The Murine Female Reproductive Tract, Kayla J Temple, Ping Li, Maximilian D Lyon, Shweta Bhagwat, Leila Asadi, Sophia Li, Ronald Mccarthy, Celia M Santi, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

To date, the study of drug exposure and distribution throughout the female reproductive tract has often been overlooked and neglected. Herein, we report the first highly potent and subtype-selective sperm-specific potassium channel 3 (SLO3) inhibitors as a new modality of contraceptives. After extensive

Informatics At The Frontier Of Cancer Research, Kathleen Noller, Malachi Griffith, Daniel Marcus, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Digitized healthcare data, high-throughput profiling technologies, and data repositories have facilitated the emergence of a new era of cancer research. Each data stream requires specialized analysis methods for interpretation. The data-driven era of cancer research requires the development, enhancement, and sustainment of informatics technology software infrastructure, including fundamental methodology development in artificial intelligence and data science. We review current and emerging informatics technology developments for cancer research and discovery, spanning molecular and cellular characterizations, image analysis, informatics, and therapeutics. Summarizing the diverse methods and applications of informatics throughout cancer research identifies themes and emerging areas for the next generation of …

Implementation Of Clinical Practice Guidelines To Prevent Cervical Cancer: Mixed Methods Study, Oliver C Ezechi, Folahanmi T Akinsolu, Olunike R Abodunrin, Oluwabukola M Ola, Chisom Obi-Jeff, Ishak K Lawal, George U Eleje, Joseph D Tucker, Juliet I Iwelunmor

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is a common cause of death among women globally, particularly in Africa. Each year, an average of 7093 women in Nigeria die from cervical cancer. Clinical practice guidelines developed by the Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Nigeria (SOGON) aim to prevent cervical cancer. However, the extent of their adoption among gynecologists remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess Nigerian gynecologists' awareness, understanding, and incorporation of the SOGON clinical practice guidelines for cervical cancer prevention in their clinical practices.

METHODS: A convergent parallel mixed methods design was used. Quantitative data were collected via a web-based and …

Zooming In: Past, Present, And Future Impact Of Virtual Interviews On Ophthalmology Match For Applicants With Home Versus No Home Programs, Lauren F. Ong, Ashley V. Niu, Priya K. Manhas, Tara L. Gallant, Bhagvat J. Maheta, Jaycob Avaylon, Joseph K. Yi, Jose Puglisi, Joseph Martel, Ruchi D. Shah, Michael S. Wong

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

Purpose: To compare the trends in matched ophthalmology residency applicants from schools with and without home ophthalmology residency programs during in-person and virtual interview application years.

Methods: In this retrospective study, U.S. allopathic medical school seniors were assessed retrospectively for their match list published on each institution’s official website and the SF Match (2019-2023). Data collected included medical school of matched students, home residency program status, residency program matched into, and residency program type. Data was stratified by the 2019-2020 (in-person) and the 2021-2023 (virtual) match years. An odds ratio (OR) analysis was conducted to determine the likelihood …

Program Leaders’ Plans, Perceptions, And Anticipated Effects Of Preference Signaling Before Implementation In Ophthalmology, Melissa Goldin, Alvina Liang, Quentin Eichbaum, Edwin Williamson, Janice Law, Reid Longmuir, Jennifer L. Lindsey

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

Purpose: To assess the plans, perceptions, and anticipated effects of preference signaling on the 2024e2025 match cycle among ophthalmology program directors and associate program directors. Methods: A 16-item questionnaire was distributed to 177 ophthalmology program directors and associate program directors prior to the start of the 2024e2025 application cycle. Results: The questionnaire was completed by 71 ophthalmology program directors and associate directors (40 % response rate). Sixty-two program leaders (89 %) planned to incorporate signaling into the application review process. The most common plan was to give additional consideration throughout the application review process (n ¼ 45 [63 %]) followed …

Impact Of Area Of Deprivation Index On Ophthalmology Consultation In The Emergency Department, Anna Mcevoy, Andrew Chen, Leona Ding, Shu Feng, Karine D. Bojikian

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

Purpose: To evaluate if individual sociodemographic and Area of Deprivation Index (ADI) are associated with receiving an Ophthalmology consultation when self-presenting to the Emergency Departments (EDs) with an eye-related chief complaint. Methods: Retrospective review of patients presenting to Harborview Medical Center and University of Washington Medical Center EDs between 2/2022 and 1/2023. Individual sociodemographic were obtained from medical records; ADI was calculated based on the patient's home address. Encounters were categorized as emergent, nonemergent, or could not be determined based on final diagnosis. Chi-Square and ttest were used for categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Odds ratios (OR) and confidence intervals …

A Web-Based Review Of Global Training In United States Ophthalmology Residency Programs, Shalini Shah, Chris Raif Alabiad, Zubair Ansari

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

Purpose: To review the currently publicly available information on global ophthalmology experiences during residency training.

Methods: All 122 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)–approved ophthalmology residency programs’ websites were evaluated.

Results: Of the 122 ophthalmology residency programs, 30 (25%) list global ophthalmology experiences on their websites. Of these 30, 21 (80%) offer electives and 12 (40%) list the experiences as a mix of clinical and surgical exposure. One-third of these programs 2 weeks or less in length; one-third of programs do not list the duration of the experience. In total, 21 programs (80%) work with partner …

A Novel 3d-Printed Silicone Simulation Model For Effective Instruction Of Marginal Eyelid Laceration Repair, Nicole Lifson, David Booy, Spandana N. Jarmale, Joseph Crozier, John Nguyen, Bradley Thuro, Albert S. Woo, Jamie Lea Schaefer, Michael E. Migliori

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

Purpose We performed a prospective study to determine the efficacy of a novel silicone eyelid model in helping train residents to repair marginal eyelid lacerations. Methods 3D design software was used to create a scaffold for a silicone eyelid mold. A total of 18 ophthalmology residents participated in a training session on marginal eyelid laceration repair, practicing on these models. Prior to and following the session, residents anonymously responded to a survey assessing their degree of confidence in repairing marginal and non-marginal eyelid lacerations, as well as their overall opinion of the workshop. Questions related to their confidence and ability …

Ophthalmology Educators’ Perspectives On Supporting Medical Students To Become Competitive Residency Applicants, Meagan Shinbashi, Zane Zook, Zachary Elkin, Daniel Tu, Jeffrey M. Healey, Fasika Woreta, Ariane Kaplan, Anju Goyal, Neeti Parikh, Lorri Wilson, Ambar Faridi

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

Purpose: Changes in medical education metrics challenge ophthalmology educators in preparing strong residency applicants. We surveyed ophthalmology educators on traits perceived to be the most important for matching into ophthalmology residency and how factors like program size, student rotation structure, and mentorship experience influence valued applicant traits and first-time match rates.

Methods: An anonymous, 12-question online questionnaire was approved and distributed by the Association of University Professors in Ophthalmology (AUPO) to program directors (PDs), associate program directors (APDs), and directors of medical student education (MSEs). Questionnaire responses were collected August-November 2023. Kruskal-Wallis and post hoc Dunn’s tests were …

Ophthalmology Virtual Shadowing And Mentorship Program For Undergraduates Underrepresented In Medicine: Framework And 2-Year Survey, Edward S. Lu, Kira L. Wang, Grace Baldwin, Augustine Bannerman, Douglass A. Bryant, Jocelyn Rodriguez, Alice C. Lorch, Ankoor S. Shah, John B. Miller

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

Background: Increasing underrepresented in medicine (URiM) trainees in ophthalmology is crucial to better serve a diverse patient population. Purpose: To assess the impact of a virtual shadowing and mentorship program for undergraduate students who self-identified as URiM on student interest in medicine, research, and ophthalmology. Methods: A structured, semester-long mentorship program was publicized to premedical undergraduate students at two local universities. Depending on interest, students chose to participate in any of the three following program components: 1) virtual shadowing sessions where faculty presented patient cases and shared career paths, 2) mentorship on a range of topics (e.g. research, career planning), …

Mastering The Retrobulbar Block: Using A Novel 3d-Printed Simulator For Practical Training, Remigio J. Flor, Nicole L. Mcminn, Timothy S. Lee, Peter C. Liacouras, Harsha Reddy, Eva Chou, Jason R. Lewis, Richard B. Rosen, Brittany E. Powell

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

Topic The use of simulation offers a safe environment for practicing challenging and potentially dangerous techniques. We developed a 3D-printed model which realistically simulates critical orbital anatomic features and enables safe practice of the retrobulbar block (RBB). Clinical Relevance The RBB provides optimal regional anesthesia for procedures of the eye and orbit, but requires a level of hands-on training and practice which is often not readily available. Methods The simulation device was created using 3D computer modeling tools to mimic the anatomical structures, and printed with select plastic and silicone materials cast using 3D-printer generated molds. Subjects included 75 ophthalmologists …

Global Health Content On U.S. Ophthalmology Residency Program Websites, Nitya Devireddy, Nguyen Truong, Michael Wilkinson, Seth M. Pantanelli

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

Purpose: There is high interest among ophthalmology applicants and current trainees to participate in global health experiences. The purpose of this study was to investigate the availability of information on global healthcare opportunities for prospective ophthalmology residency applicants on program websites, and to determine whether there is a correlation between residency program characteristics and availability of global opportunities for prospective trainees. Methods: All ACGME accredited U.S. postgraduate training programs in ophthalmology were included, except those without a website. A cross-sectional review of program websites was conducted from January to March 2023 to evaluate for the presence of 11 predetermined criteria. …

Patterns Of Ophthalmology-Related Interfacility Transfers To The Emergency Department By Temporal Trends, Laura E. Ramirez, Michael Waxman, Denis R. Pauze, Edward J. Wladis

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

Background: Interfacility transfer patients are associated with inferior outcomes, higher costs, and emergency department (ED) overcrowding. Previous studies have analyzed the general trends influencing interfacility transfers, but the patterns affecting ophthalmology-related transfer rates remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to identify and quantify the patterns of interfacility ophthalmology-specific transfers to the ED by temporal trends and to determine the type of ophthalmic services required by the transferred population.

Methods: All patients transferred to the ED of a single level 1 trauma center because of ophthalmology-related complaints from 2016 to 2023 were analyzed retrospectively. Transfer and nontransfer …

Analyzing The Role Of Ai In Resident Education: An Evaluation Of Chatgpt On Ophthalmology Trainee Examination Questions By Subtopic, Kimberly Cartagena, Simran Ohri, Carolina Ramos, Yaxel Levin-Carrion, Alexandra Sanchez, Marko Oydanich, Albert S. Khouri

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

Background: ChatGPT is a large-scale language model trained on various datasets to learn, analyze, and generate human-like answers to user’s questions. To assess its applicability to medical education, more information is required to understand whether its analyses can provide accurate and coherent responses to questions. The aim of this study was to characterize ChatGPT responses to ophthalmology questions according to subtopic to determine where the system might be used reliably in resident education and where its performance remains weak.

Methods: Ophthalmology questions were obtained from a widely utilized study resource, OphthoQuestions. Thirteen sections, each with a differing ophthalmic …

A Bibliometric Analysis Of The Top 100 Cited Papers In Trabeculectomy, Sinan Akosman, Michael Frenkel, Sonia C. Mcnamara, Thomas I. Hong, Reena A. Garg

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

Purpose: To identify the most frequently cited articles on trabeculectomy through a bibliometric analysis. Methods: The Web of Science was queried using the term “trabeculectomy” to identify the 100 most cited (T100) publications. Articles were listed by title, authors’ affiliated institutions, journal title, year of publication, country of origin, funding sources, and citation count. Results: The T100 articles were published between the years 1975 and 2022. The number of total citations received by each article ranged from 83 to 550. The number one most cited T100 article was titled “Treatment Outcomes in The Tube Versus Trabeculectomy (TVT) Study After Five …

20-Year Trends In Clinical And Research Roles Of Women Physicians In Thyroid Eye Disease, Kerri M. Mcinnis-Smith, Jessica A. Kraker, Blake T. Langlais, Yanhan Ren, Victoria J. Palacios, Lilly H. Wagner

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

Purpose: To evaluate the role of women physicians in thyroid eye disease (TED) research and clinical care and describe relevance for academic medicine and patient access.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of TED-related publications indexed on PubMed in 2000, 2010, and 2020, and of completed or currently active clinical trials was conducted. Author, journal, and principal investigator (PI) characteristics were noted. Author/PI gender was determined from institutional profile or subsequently via a previously described Google-based algorithm. American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS), American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO), and American Thyroid Association (ATA) information was obtained via …

Integrating Artificial Intelligence And Evidence-Based Guidelines Into Nursing Education, Allyson Kornahrens, Kerriann Latten

International Journal of Transformative Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies are transforming the healthcare system and patient care delivery. Due to this, there is an essential need for faculty to incorporate AI into the nursing curriculum to educate students about its use and improve preparation for clinical practice. This practice-based article addresses the integration of AI into nursing education for students using AI-driven academic learning activities. These activities, created in alignment with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials, explore clinical decision-making by comparing AI recommendations to evidence-based guidelines. Students are tasked with reflecting on AI’s accuracy and the ethical implications of …

Pedagogy Of Dialogic Communication: Becoming Aware Of Our Unconscious Belief, Leonard J. Shedletsky

International Journal of Transformative Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Norms of the classroom limit our learning about ourselves. Hidden scripts guide our behavior. Beliefs we are unaware of are often behind our responses to ideas. Unconscious beliefs are connected to our immediate, spontaneous responses, referred to as intuitions in social intuitionist theory. Intuition is what we believe and can access at high speed without being aware of what we believe, without being aware of our reasons for believing it, and without knowing how we came to this belief or how we access it in memory. We experience intuitions as knowing something all at once. We know what we like, …

Navigating Tumultuous Waters: The Role Of Faculty In A Politically Charged Higher Education Landscape, Will Miller

International Journal of Transformative Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

This article critically examines the increasingly complex role of faculty in today’s politically charged higher education landscape. It begins by emphasizing the significance of academic freedom as a fundamental pillar in preserving the integrity and purpose of higher education. Amidst heightened external pressures and societal polarizations, it delves into the challenges faculty face, including navigating biases and stakeholder pressures while maintaining impartial scholarship. The article presents strategies for faculty to safeguard their institutions against undue political influence and ensure their academic pursuits remain true to critical inquiry and intellectual freedom. Moreover, it highlights the crucial role that accreditation professionals play …

Exploring The Connection Between Teaching Frameworks And Policies For Assessing Teaching, Barbara J. Bird, Beate Brunow, Eric Kyle, Shawn R. Simonson

International Journal of Transformative Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Most faculty policies aimed at faculty review or assessment of teaching do not include specific teaching criteria and standards but instead lean heavily on student evaluations and peer review of teaching. This approach provides no concrete path for using assessment in a feedback loop that enables teachers to improve teaching. Implementing teaching frameworks can improve feedback loops and assessment policies by providing specific criteria and standards. Developing teaching effectiveness frameworks and connecting them to teaching assessment policies can be a critical step in advancing institutional change initiatives focused on teaching effectiveness. This critical alignment enables sustainable and meaningful change. This …