Digital Commons Network^™

Coordinated School Health 2022-23 Annual Report, Tennessee. Department Of Education.

Coordinated School Health

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of Network2work At Piedmont Virginia Community College, Cynthia M. Finley

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Barriers to education and training can have a generational impact on socioeconomic status and economic development. Post-traditional students have been shown to experience a variety of barriers to education and family sustaining employment. Social capital has been shown to help alleviate some of the barriers for students resulting in stronger economic outcomes, such job retention, and higher wages. This case study examined a workforce development approach to providing support to post-traditional students in non-credit industry training. The researcher examined student outcomes, credential attainment and employment, between two student groups (Network2Work versus a nonNetwork2Work group) using chi-square and logical regression analysis. …

Organic Carbon Decay Mediated By Mesopelagic Microbial Communities, Noah Jonathan Craft

OES Theses and Dissertations

Substantial remineralization of organic carbon occurs in the mesopelagic zone (i.e., the biological pump), the efficiency of which is responsible for the oceans’ capacity to store carbon originally derived from the atmosphere. To better understand how a substrate’s composition influences its degradation by mesopelagic microbial communities, we added treatments made of live algal cells, dead particulate organic carbon and dissolved organic carbon from ¹⁴C-labeled algal cultures to mesopelagic water collected in-situ. Each incubation took place in the laboratory over a period of months, during which PO¹⁴C, DO¹⁴C, ATP, prokaryote abundances and biochemical fractions were measured. …

Cheiloscopy Examination And Classification Of Lip Prints With And Without Parafunctional Oral Habits: A Cross-Sectional Observation Study, Emily Smith Regan

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

Problem: Lip prints are unique and have potential for use as a human identifier. The purpose of this study was to observe possible cheiloscopy differences of individuals with and without parafunctional oral habits. Additionally, inter-rater reliability (IRR) of lip print examiners was observed. Methods: This IRB approved blinded cross-sectional observational study collected lip prints from sixty-six individuals using lipstick and adhesive tape to transfer lip prints to white bond paper for viewing purposes. Each set of included lip prints was divided into quadrants and dichotomized as those with or without an oral parafunctional habit. Each quadrant sample was manually analyzed …

An Investigation Of An Intervention Embedded In Summer Bridge Programming For Promoting The Self-Regulated Learning And Achievement Of Student-Athletes, Erin W. Cousins

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Many students, including collegiate student-athletes, face academic challenges throughout their higher education experience, struggling to learn and perform effectively. One reason for this difficulty may be that students are not engaging in adequate self-regulated learning (SRL). Although research has demonstrated the effectiveness of SRL interventions in improving college students’ SRL abilities and academic performance, this research has not adequately explored the unique population of college athletes (Jansen et al., 2019; Theobald, 2021). The present study addressed this gap and aimed to enhance the SRL abilities and achievement of collegiate student-athletes through an intervention implemented within a summer bridge program at …

Effect Of Acute Caffeine Ingestion On On-Field Performance In Division 1 Female Field Hockey Players, Nicole Danielle Fredricks

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

This study aimed to determine the effects of acute caffeine ingestion on on-field performance in collegiate female field hockey players. A placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized, crossover experimental design was utilized. The participants (N=10) were female division 1 field hockey players (age: 20.0 ± 1.6 years). They competed in two 60-minute, off-season scrimmages separated by two weeks. They were randomly assigned to ingest the caffeine, 3 mg/kg of body weight, or placebo treatment 60 minutes before each scrimmage. They wore a PLAYERTEK (Catapult, Australia) global positioning system (GPS) device to track their total distance, sprint distances, power plays, and zone three and …

Modified Vaccine Vectors To Understand Adjuvant Functions Of Listeria During Chronic Schistosomiasis, Stephanie K. Norwood

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Vaccination is one of the most effective strategies employed to prevent infectious diseases. Successful vaccination is dependent upon the induction of a specific, robust, and prolonged immune response. One of the major challenges faced by vaccine development is vaccine failure due to host-related factors that can modulate the immune system, which leads to non-responsiveness to vaccinations. The generation of new vaccine strategies is imperative to combat these effects. Live bacterial vectors are one approach used as they can elicit humoral immunity, cellular immunity, or both. Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram positive, intracellular pathogen that is an effective bacterial vaccine vector …

Human Intestinal Organoids As Models To Study Enteric Bacteria And Viruses, Grace Adeniyi-Ipadeola, Hephzibah Nwanosike, Sasirekha Ramani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Laboratory studies of host-microbe interactions have historically been carried out using transformed cell lines and animal models. Although much has been learned from these models, recent advances in the development of multicellular, physiologically active, human intestinal organoid (HIO) cultures are allowing unprecedented discoveries of host-microbe interactions. Here, we review recent literature using HIOs as models to investigate the pathogenesis of clinically important enteric bacteria and viruses and study commensal intestinal microbes. We also discuss limitations of current HIO culture systems and how technical advances and innovative engineering approaches are providing new directions to improve the model. The studies discussed here …

The Influence Of Baseline Sleep On Exercise-Induced Cognitive Change In Cognitively Unimpaired Older Adults: A Randomised Clinical Trial, Kelsey R. Sewell, Stephanie R. Rainey-Smith, Jeremiah Peiffer, Hamid R. Sohrabi, James Doecke, Natalie J. Frost, Shaun J. Markovic, Kirk Erickson, Belinda M. Brown

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objectives: Observational studies consistently demonstrate that physical activity is associated with elevated cognitive function, however, there remains significant heterogeneity in cognitive outcomes from randomized exercise interventions. Individual variation in sleep behaviours may be a source of variability in the effectiveness of exercise-induced cognitive change, however this has not yet been investigated. The current study aimed to (1) investigate the influence of a 6-month exercise intervention on sleep, assessed pre- and post-intervention and, (2) investigate whether baseline sleep measures moderate exercise-induced cognitive changes. Methods: We utilised data from the Intense Physical Activity and Cognition (IPAC) study (n = 89), a 6-month …

Regulation Of Tumor Apoptosis Of Poriae Cutis-Derived Lanostane Triterpenes By Akt/Pi3k And Mapk Signaling Pathways In Vitro, Shuai Yue, Xi Feng, Yousheng Cai, Salam A. Ibrahim, Ying Liu, Wen Huang

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Poria cocos is traditionally used as both food and medicine. Triterpenoids in Poria cocos have a wide range of pharmacological activities, such as diuretic, sedative and tonic properties. In this study, the anti-tumor activities of poricoic acid A (PAA) and poricoic acid B (PAB), purified by high-speed counter-current chromatography, as well as their mechanisms and signaling pathways, were investigated using a HepG2 cell model. After treatment with PAA and PAB on HepG2 cells, the apoptosis was obviously increased (p < 0.05), and the cell cycle arrested in the G2/M phase. Studies showed that PAA and PAB can also inhibit the occurrence and development of tumor cells by stimulating the generation of ROS in tumor cells and inhibiting tumor migration and invasion. Combined Polymerase Chain Reaction and computer simulation of molecular docking were employed to explore the mechanism of tumor proliferation inhibition by PAA and PAB. By interfering with phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B, Mitogen-activated protein kinases and p53 signaling pathways; and further affecting the expression of downstream caspases; matrix metalloproteinase family, cyclin-dependent kinase -cyclin, Intercellular adhesion molecules-1, Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 and Cyclooxygenase -2, may be responsible for their anti-tumor activity. Overall, the results suggested that PAA and PAB induced apoptosis, halted the cell cycle, and inhibited tumor migration and invasion through multi-pathway interactions, which may serve as a potential therapeutic agent against cancer.

The Role Of Alcohol Extract Of Cranberry In Improving Serum Indices Of Experimental Metaproterenol-Induced Heart Damage In Rats, Kimia Salmasi, Ali Hassanpour, Bahram Amouoghli Tabrizi, Sina Moghaddam

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Cranberry offers numerous cardiovascular benefits. According to several studies, this fruit promotes the oxidation of low‐density lipoprotein, enhances high‐density lipoprotein, reduces platelet coagulation, and improves vascular activity. Albino male rats were divided into five groups (n = 5 per group). The control group received intraperitoneal administration of normal saline. The second group was injected with metaproterenol (MET) 3 days a week for 4 weeks. The third, fourth, and fifth groups were given cranberry extract in doses of 75, 100, and 150, respectively, along with heart‐damaging drugs. Blood samples were collected and sent to the laboratory on the fourth weekend …

Obesity Paradox Or Hypoxia Preconditioning: How Obstructive Sleep Apnea Modifies The Obesity-Mi Relationship, Amir Sharafkhaneh, Ritwick Agrawal, Vijay Nambi, Ahmed Bahammam, Javad Razjouyan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the interaction between obesity and obstructive sleep apnea on acute MI in hospital mortality.

METHODS: This retrospective cohort study utilized Veterans Health Administration data from years 1999-2020. Participants were categorized according to their body mass index (BMI) to non-obese (BMI

RESULTS: Among 72,036 veterans with acute-MI hospitalization, individuals with obesity and obstructive sleep apnea (OB-SA) had the lowest in-hospital mortality rate (1.0%) compared to those without obesity and obstructive sleep apnea (nOB-nSA, 2.8%), with obesity but without obstructive sleep apnea (OB-nSA, 2.4%), and with obesity and obstructive sleep apnea (nOB-SA, 1.4%). …

A Retrospective Review Of Social Deprivation Index And Maternal Outcomes With Placenta Accreta Spectrum From A Single Referral Center, Alison N Goulding, Karin A Fox, Christina C Reed, Bahram Salmanian, Alireza A Shamshirsaz, Kjersti M Aagaard

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective

Little is known about how community characteristics influence placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) outcomes. Our objective was to evaluate whether adverse maternal outcomes among pregnant people (gravidae) with PAS delivering at a single referral center differ by community-level measures of social deprivation.

Study Design

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of singleton gravidae with histopathology confirmed PAS delivering from January 2011 to June 2021 at a referral center. Data abstraction collected relevant patient information, including resident zip code, which was linked to Social Deprivation Index (SDI) score (a measure of area-level social deprivation). SDI scores were divided into quartiles for …

Nutritional Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Among Family Physician Practitioners In Gulf Countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, And Uae), Abeer S. Alzaben, Abeer A. Aljahdali, Lulua F. Alasousi, Ghadeer Alzaben, Lynne Kennedy, Anwar Alhashem

All Works

Family physicians serve as pivotal points of contact within global healthcare systems. Nutrition plays a significant role in lifestyle and preventive medicine. With the rise of chronic and non-communicable diseases in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, these physicians advise patients and the public on diet-related conditions. This descriptive cross-sectional study assessed the nutritional knowledge and practices across the GCC. Combining survey data from multiple GCC sites, a sample of family physicians was generated. Registered GCC family physicians received email invitations containing participant information, informed consent forms, and a self-administered online questionnaire. Analysis of data from four GCC countries involving 8751 …

Supporting Care Partners Of People Living With Dementia, Sherril Gelmon, Walter Dawson, Jenn Hollandsworth Reed

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report addresses the need to better support care partners of people living with dementia, including a proposal for a new Dementia Care Partner Hub (the “Hub”) that will facilitate care partner access to information, supports, services and activities. This work is the culmination of the “Supporting Care Partners of People Living with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD)” project funded by the Portland State University Institute on Aging’s “Gerontology Education & Research Initiative” (GERI) faculty grant, conducted from June 2022 to October 2023. The project focused on addressing concerns and needs of care partners and people living with dementia …

Understanding The Prevalence, Progression, And Management Of Metabolic Syndrome In Saudi Arabia, Faez Falah Alshehri

Saudi Medical Journal

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is characterized by the coexistence of several disorders comprising hypertension, abdominal obesity, insulin sensitivity, and dyslipidemia. In recent times, MetS has gained increased attention due to the global prevalence of obesity. Adipose tissue plays a crucial role in this syndrome by releasing various molecules significantly affecting lipid/insulin regulation, oxidative stress, and cardiovascular function. Tumor necrosis factor-α (p-α), an inflammatory cytokine, and adiponectin, an adipose tissue-specific protein, are considered vital adipokines that play a significant role in the pathogenesis of MetS. The impact of dietary ingredients on MetS management has been extensively studied over the past few decades. …

Food And Mood: Investigating The Correlation Between Vitamin B12 Intake And Depression, Jana Soucar, Hawley Almstedt

Health and Human Sciences Faculty Works

Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that metabolizes homocysteine, which is a potentially neurotoxic molecule when in excess. Studies show that a deficiency in vitamin B12, as well as folate, may be associated with mental health conditions. Additionally, the prevalence of depression is higher in college students than other demographic populations. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate a correlation between vitamin B12 and folate intake with signs and symptoms of depression in college students. METHODS: This study was conducted by first providing participants with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) to measure signs and symptoms of …

A Blunted Th17 Cytokine Signature In Women With Mild Cognitive Impairment: Insights From Inflammatory Profiling Of A Community-Based Cohort Of Older Adults, Adam D. Bachstetter, Jenny Lutshumba, Edric D. Winford, Erin L. Abner, Barbra J. Martin, Jordan P. Harp, Linda J. Van Eldik, Frederick A. Schmitt, Donna M. Wilcock, Ann M. Stowe, Gregory A. Jicha, Barbara S. Nikolajczyk

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

People with dementia have an increase in brain inflammation, caused in part by innate and adaptive immune cells. However, it remains unknown whether dementia-associated diseases alter neuro-immune reflex arcs to impact the systemic immune system. We examined peripheral immune cells from a community-based cohort of older adults to test if systemic inflammatory cytokine signatures associated with early stages of cognitive impairment. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells were cultured with monocyte or T-cell-targeted stimuli, and multiplex assays quantitated cytokines in the conditioned media. Following T-cell-targeted stimulation, cells from women with cognitive impairment produced lower amounts of TH17 cytokines compared with cells …

Control Of Cd4+ T Cells To Restrain Inflammatory Diseases Via Eukaryotic Elongation Factor 2 Kinase, Hao-Yun Peng, Liqing Wang, Jugal Kishore Das, Anil Kumar, Darby J. Ballard, Yijie Ren, Xiaofeng Xiong, Paul De Figueiredo, Jin-Ming Yang, Jianxun Song

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

CD4+ T cells, particularly IL-17-secreting helper CD4+ T cells, play a central role in the inflammatory processes underlying autoimmune disorders. Eukaryotic Elongation Factor 2 Kinase (eEF2K) is pivotal in CD8+ T cells and has important implications in vascular dysfunction and inflammation-related diseases such as hypertension. However, its specific immunological role in CD4+ T cell activities and related inflammatory diseases remains elusive. Our investigation has uncovered that the deficiency of eEF2K disrupts the survival and proliferation of CD4+ T cells, impairs their ability to secrete cytokines. Notably, this dysregulation leads to heightened production of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-17, fosters a pro-inflammatory microenvironment …

Elongation Of Very Long Chain Fatty Acids-3 (Elovl3) Is Activated By Zhx2 And Is A Regulator Of Cell Cycle Progression, Kate Townsend Creasy, Hui Ren, Jieyun Jiang, Martha L. Peterson, Brett T. Spear

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Zinc fingers and homeoboxes 2 (Zhx2) are transcriptional regulators of liver gene expression with key functions in embryonic development as well as tissue regeneration in response to damage and disease, presumably through its control of target genes. Previous microarray data suggested that elongation of very long chain fatty acids-3 (Elovl3), a member of the ELOVL family of enzymes that synthesize very long chain fatty acids (VLCFAs), is a putative Zhx2 target gene. VLCFAs are core component of ceramides and other bioactive sphingolipids that are often dysregulated in diseases and regulate key cellular processes including proliferation. Since several previously identified Zhx2 …

Stat3 Modulates Cd4+ T Mitochondrial Dynamics And Function In Aging, Emelia Zukowski, Marco Sannella, Jack Donato Rockhold, Gabriella Kalantar, Jingting Yu, Sara Santacruz-Calvo, Madison K. Kuhn, Nasun Hah, Ling Ouyang, Tzu-Wen Wang, Lyanne Murphy, Heather Marszalkowski, Kaleigh Gibney, Micah J. Drummond, Elizabeth A. Proctor, Hatice Hasturk, Barbara S. Nikolajczyk, Leena P. Bharath

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Aging promotes numerous intracellular changes in T cells that impact their effector function. Our data show that aging promotes an increase in the localization of STAT3 to the mitochondria (mitoSTAT3), which promotes changes in mitochondrial dynamics and function and T-cell cytokine production. Mechanistically, mitoSTAT3 increased the activity of aging T-cell mitochondria by increasing complex II. Limiting mitoSTAT3 using a mitochondria-targeted STAT3 inhibitor, Mtcur-1 lowered complex II activity, prevented age-induced changes in mitochondrial dynamics and function, and reduced Th17 inflammation. Exogenous expression of a constitutively phosphorylated form of STAT3 in T cells from young adults mimicked changes in mitochondrial dynamics and …

Revolting Motherhood: [De]Generative Breast Stories Transmuting Medical/Moral Paradigms In Britain During The Long Nineteenth Century, Leslie Rene Pearson

Theses and Dissertations

Eric Plemons writes in *The Look of A Woman* that “biological stories do more than describe biologies” (54). This dissertation explores what breast cancer stories do and how society creates meaning around the experience of breast cancer. I argue that, in the long nineteenth century in Britain, breast cancer was part of a two-sided medical/moral paradigm where medical diagnosis became enmeshed with morality. Health, then, became a result of proper domestic behavior, disease a result of straying from societal norms. Following the introductory chapter, chapter two traces the development of this paradigm as an outgrowth of the emergence of middle-class …

Latency Time From Prior Authorization Submission To Initiation Of Biologic Therapy In Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Shannon Capraro, Janelle R. Noel-Macdonnell Phd, Lauren Disselhoff, Layne Sieve, Rachel Chevalier

Posters

Background For pediatric patients with a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), initiation of biologic therapy can be essential to attain disease control. Unfortunately, patients often experience delays in receiving the first dose of these medications due to the need for insurance companies to approve medication prior authorizations (PA). Physicians and support staff spend many working hours collating and transferring information regarding urgency to payors. To our knowledge, no studies exist to evaluate the factors that contribute to how quickly a medication is approved in pediatric patients. We set out here to evaluate which demographic and disease factors contribute to …

Optimal Agricultural Land Use: An Efficient Neutrosophic Linear Programming Method, Maissam Jdid, Florentin Smarandache

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

The increase in the size of the problems facing humans, their overlap, the division of labor, the multiplicity of departments, as well as the diversity of products and commodities, led to the complexity of business and the emergence of many administrative and production problems. It was necessary to search for appropriate methods to confront these problems. The science of operations research, with its diverse methods, provided the optimal solutions. It addresses many problems and helps in making scientific and thoughtful decisions to carry out the work in the best way within the available capabilities. Operations research is one of the …

Overview Of Hypertension In Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Sulaiman A. Alshammari, Abdullah S. Alshammari, Hotoon S. Alshammari, Shaik S. Ahamed

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To assess the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in Saudi Arabia. Methods: We searched electronic databases and the references lists of found publications between 1990 and 2022. Original cross-sectional studies in English were included using PubMed, Google Scholar, and the Saudi Digital Library. A meta-analysis was performed to assess the combined prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control rates of hypertension. Results: Twenty-nine studies with 278873 individuals aged 14-100 were considered. The pooled prevalence of hypertension was 22.66% (95% CI:18.95-26.60), Cochran’s Q=6221.98, dff=22, p <0.0001; I 2 =99.65%, Egger’s test ( p =0.0033) across 23 studies with 272378 people. The pooled hypertension awareness rate was 42.8% from 6 studies with 36046 participants (95% CI:35.66-50.01), Cochran’s Q=781.86, dff=5, p <0.0001; I 2 =99.4% and Egger’s test p =0.3772. The pooled proportion of hypertension patients treated in 6 studies involving 46075 samples was 59.4% (95% CI=38.14-79.02), Cochran’s Q=9793.79 dff=5, p <0.0001; I 2 =99.95%, Egger’s test p =0.8284. The pooled proportion of hypertension-controlled participants across 15 studies comprising 264817 subjects was 34.97% (95% CI: 27.62-42.68), Cochran’s Q=11048.28, dff=14, p <0.0001; I 2 =99.87% and Egger’s test p =0.9760. Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension was high, with low awareness, treatment, and control rates among Saudis. Therefore, policymakers and healthcare providers must work harmoniously to promote health and to prevent, detect, and control hypertension early. PROSPERO Reg. No.: CRD42023407978

Tlif Is Associated With Lower Rates Of Adjacent Segment Disease And Complications Compared To Alif: A Matched-Cohort Analysis, Xu Tao, Abhijith V. Matur, Syed Khalid, Louisa Onyewadume, Rebecca Garner, Kyle Mcgrath, Bryce Owen, Justin Gibson, Daryn Cass, Juan C. Mejia Munne, Phillip Vorster, Geet Shukla, Andrew Wu, Kelly Childress, Paolo Palmisciano, Henry Ofori Duah, Benjamin Motley, Joseph Cheng, Owoicho Adogwa

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Study Design. 

Retrospective cohort.

Objective. 

To compare the rate of adjacent segment disease (ASD) in patients undergoing anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) versus transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) for the treatment of degenerative stenosis and spondylolisthesis.

Summary of Background Data. 

ALIF and TLIF are frequently used to treat Lumbar stenosis and spondylolisthesis. While both approaches have distinct advantages, it is unclear whether there are any differences in rates of ASD and postoperative complications.

Methods. 

A retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent index 1-3 levels ALIF or TLIF between 2010 and 2022, using the PearlDiver Mariner Database, an all-claims insurance …

Associations Between Metabolomic Biomarkers Of Avocado Intake And Glycemia In The Multi-Ethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis, Alexis C Wood, Mark O Goodarzi, Mackenzie K Senn, Meghana D Gadgil, Goncalo Graca, Matthew A Allison, Ioanna Tzoulaki, Michael Y Mi, Philip Greenland, Timothy Ebbels, Paul Elliott, Russell P Tracy, David M Herrington, Jerome I Rotter

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Avocado consumption is linked to better glucose homeostasis, but small associations suggest potential population heterogeneity. Metabolomic data capture the effects of food intake after digestion and metabolism, thus accounting for individual differences in these processes.

OBJECTIVES: To identify metabolomic biomarkers of avocado intake and to examine their associations with glycemia.

METHODS: Baseline data from 6224 multi-ethnic older adults (62% female) included self-reported avocado intake, fasting glucose and insulin, and untargeted plasma proton nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomic features (metabolomic data were available for a randomly selected subset; N = 3438). Subsequently, incident type 2 diabetes (T2D) was assessed over an …

Telemedicine Critical Care-Mediated Mortality Reductions In Lower-Performing Patient Diagnosis Groups: A Prospective, Before And After Study, Walter A. Boyle, Christopher M. Palmer, Lisa Konzen, Bradley A. Fritz, Jason White, Michelle Simkins, Brian Dieffenderfer, Ayesha Iqbal, Jill Bertrand, Igor Zwir

School of Medicine Publications

OBJECTIVES:

Studies evaluating telemedicine critical care (TCC) have shown mixed results. We prospectively evaluated the impact of TCC implementation on risk-adjusted mortality among patients stratified by pre-TCC performance.

DESIGN:

Prospective, observational, before and after study.

SETTING:

Three adult ICUs at an academic medical center.

PATIENTS:

A total of 2,429 patients in the pre-TCC (January to June 2016) and 12,479 patients in the post-TCC (January 2017 to June 2019) periods.

INTERVENTIONS:

TCC implementation which included an acuity-driven workflow targeting an identified “lower-performing” patient group, defined by ICU admission in an Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation diagnoses category with a pre-TCC …

Geographic Differences In The Magnitude Of Black-White Disparities In Having Obesity, Steven A. Cohen, Monique J. Brown, Furong Xu, Caitlin C. Nash, Mary L. Greaney

Faculty Publications

Background

Obesity disparities in the United States are well documented, but the limited body of research suggests that geographic factors may alter the magnitude of these disparities. A growing body of evidence has identified a “rural mortality penalty” where morbidity and mortality rates are higher in rural than urban areas, even after controlling for other factors. Black-White differences in health and mortality are more pronounced in rural areas than in urban areas.

Objective

Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore how rural-urban status and region moderate Black-White health disparities in obesity.

Methods

Data were abstracted from the 2012 …

Understanding Commitment Of Local Food Banks, Faith-Based Organizations, And Schools To Provide Nongovernment Food Programs, Eliza M. Fishbein, Edward A. Frongillo Ph.D., Sharraf Samin, Audrey L. Richards, Christine E. Blake Ph.D., Rd, Ruth P. Saunders, Cheri J. Shapiro

Faculty Publications

Background: Nongovernment food assistance is typically provided to families by faith-based organizations, schools, and food banks. Community organizations appear to be strongly committed to these programs, but little is known about the basis for this commitment. Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the values and identities of community organizations to understand the reasons for their commitment to providing nongovernment food assistance. Methods: Thirty-three in-depth interviews were conducted with 36 leaders at faith-based organizations (19 participants), schools (14 participants), and a local food bank (3 participants) in South Carolina. Observations were made, and informational documents (e.g., flyers and …