Digital Commons Network^™

Perceptions Of Physical Activity Guidelines Among Wheelchair Users With Multiple Sclerosis, Stephanie L Silveira, Brenda Jeng, Gary Cutter, Robert W Motl

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Physical activity guidelines provide prescriptive resources for population-level promotion of behavior change to improve health outcomes. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) recently created and disseminated physical activity guidelines for persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) across the disease spectrum.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess perceptions of the updated NMSS Physical Activity Guidelines among wheelchair users with MS.

METHODS: One hundred thirty-four wheelchair users with MS participated in a cross-sectional study examining health behaviors. Outcomes were measured using an online questionnaire that included items related to demographic and clinical characteristics and a battery of questions regarding perceptions of the …

Application Of Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning For Hiv Prevention Interventions, Yang Xiang, Jingcheng Du, Kayo Fujimoto, Fang Li, John Schneider, Cui Tao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In 2019, the US Government announced its goal to end the HIV epidemic within 10 years, mirroring the initiatives set forth by UNAIDS. Public health prevention interventions are a crucial part of this ambitious goal. However, numerous challenges to this goal exist, including improving HIV awareness, increasing early HIV infection detection, ensuring rapid treatment, optimising resource distribution, and providing efficient prevention services for vulnerable populations. Artificial intelligence has had a pivotal role in revolutionising health care and has shown great potential in developing effective HIV prevention intervention strategies. Although artificial intelligence has been used in a few HIV prevention intervention …

The Neighborhood Environment And Hispanic/Latino Health, Natalia I Heredia, Tianlin Xu, Minjae Lee, Lorna H Mcneill, Belinda M Reininger

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: Hispanic/Latino adults on the Texas-Mexico border have high rates of chronic disease. Neighborhoods can influence health, though there is a limited research on neighborhood environment and health in Hispanics/Latinos. The purpose of this study was to assess the relation of neighborhood environment with health variables in Hispanic/Latino adults, including physical activity [PA], depression, anxiety, and lab-assessed conditions (type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and chronic inflammation).

METHODS: Participants were randomly-selected from a Hispanic/Latino cohort on the Texas-Mexico border. Neighborhood environment, self-reported PA, anxiety, and depression were assessed through questionnaires. Laboratory values determined Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and C-reactive protein …

Covid-19 Outcomes In Myasthenia Gravis Patients: Analysis From Electronic Health Records In The United States, Youngran Kim, Xiaojin Li, Yan Huang, Minseon Kim, Aziz Shaibani, Kazim Sheikh, Guo-Qiang Zhang, Thy Phuong Nguyen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune, neuromuscular condition and patients with MG are vulnerable due to immunosuppressant use and disease manifestations of dyspnea and dysphagia during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Optum® de-identified COVID-19 Electronic Health Record (EHR) dataset. Primary outcomes, such as hospitalization, ventilator use, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and death in COVID-19 patients with MG, were compared with those of COVID-19 patients without MG: the subgroups of non-MG included those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus (SLE), and multiple sclerosis (MS). We further analyzed factors affecting …

Guideline For Feedback Of Individual Genetic Research Findings For Genomics Research In Africa, Alice Matimba, Stuart Ali, Katherine Littler, Ebony Madden, Patricia Marshall, Sheryl Mccurdy, Victoria Nembaware, Laura Rodriguez, Janet Seeley, Paulina Tindana, Aminu Yakubu, Jantina De Vries, H3africa Ethics And Community Engagement Working Group

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

As human genomics research in Africa continues to generate large amounts of data, ethical issues arise regarding how actionable genetic information is shared with research participants. The Human Heredity and Health in Africa Consortium (H3Africa) Ethics and Community Engagement Working group acknowledged the need for such guidance, identified key issues and principles relevant to genomics research in Africa and developed a practical guideline for consideration of feeding back individual genetic results of health importance in African research projects. This included a decision flowchart, providing a logical framework to assist in decision-making and planning for human genomics research projects. Although presented …

Multi-Omics Insights Into The Biological Mechanisms Underlying Statistical Gene-By-Lifestyle Interactions With Smoking And Alcohol Consumption, Timothy D Majarian, Amy R Bentley, Vincent Laville, Michael R Brown, Daniel I Chasman, Paul S De Vries, Mary F Feitosa, Nora Franceschini, W James Gauderman, Casey Marchek, Daniel Levy, Alanna C Morrison, Michael Province, Dabeeru C Rao, Karen Schwander, Yun Ju Sung, Charles N Rotimi, Hugues Aschard, C Charles Gu, Alisa K Manning, Charge Gene-Lifestyle Interactions Working Group

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Though both genetic and lifestyle factors are known to influence cardiometabolic outcomes, less attention has been given to whether lifestyle exposures can alter the association between a genetic variant and these outcomes. The Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE) Consortium's Gene-Lifestyle Interactions Working Group has recently published investigations of genome-wide gene-environment interactions in large multi-ancestry meta-analyses with a focus on cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption as lifestyle factors and blood pressure and serum lipids as outcomes. Further description of the biological mechanisms underlying these statistical interactions would represent a significant advance in our understanding of gene-environment …

Imsa 2022 Profile, Office Of College And Academic Counseling

IMSA Profile

Ranked the #1 College Prep Public High School in Illinois, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® (IMSA) develops creative, ethical leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. As a teaching and learning laboratory created by the State of Illinois, IMSA enrolls academically talented Illinois students in its tuition-free residential Academy for grades 10-12. Students are challenged with a rigorous curriculum designed to develop them into problem solvers and critical thinkers.

Integrated Molecular And Affiliation Network Analysis: Core-Periphery Social Clustering Is Associated With Hiv Transmission Patterns, Kayo Fujimoto, Dimitrios Paraskevis, Jacky C Kuo, Camden J Hallmark, Jing Zhao, Andre Hochi, Lisa M Kuhns, Lu-Yu Hwang, Angelos Hatzakis, John A Schneider

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study investigates the two-mode core-periphery structures of venue affiliation networks of younger Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM). We examined the association between these structures and HIV phylogenetic clusters, defined as members who share highly similar HIV strains that are regarded as a proxy for sexual affiliation networks. Using data from 114 YBMSM who are living with HIV in two large U.S. cities, we found that HIV phylogenetic clustering patterns were associated with social clustering patterns whose members share affiliation with core venues that overlap with those of YBMSM. Distinct HIV transmission patterns were found in each …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Fear Of Evaluation, Social Anxiety, And Depression, Michelle Ingraffia

Masters Theses

This study explores fear of negative evaluation (FNE) and fear of positive evaluation (FPE) across social anxiety and depression. The following assessment tools were used to measure fear of positive evaluation, fear of negative evaluation, social anxiety, and depression: Fear of Positive Evaluation Scale, Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation - Straightforward, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale – Self Report, The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale – Revised. A sample of two hundred and thirty-one participants completed forms online via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Social anxiety was correlated positively with both FNE and FPE; likewise, depression was correlated positively with both FNE …

Pathway Lasso: Pathway Estimation And Selection With High-Dimensional Mediators, Yi Zhao, Xi Luo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In many scientific studies, it becomes increasingly important to delineate the pathways through a large number of mediators, such as genetic and brain mediators. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is a popular technique to estimate the pathway effects, commonly expressed as the product of coefficients. However, it becomes unstable and computationally challenging to fit such models with high-dimensional mediators. This paper proposes a sparse mediation model using a regularized SEM approach, where sparsity means that a small number of mediators have a nonzero mediation effect between a treatment and an outcome. To address the model selection challenge, we innovate by introducing …

In Utero Exposure To 17Α-Hydroxyprogesterone Caproate And Risk Of Cancer In Offspring, Caitlin C Murphy, Piera M Cirillo, Nickilou Y Krigbaum, Barbara A Cohn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate is a synthetic progestogen initially approved in the 1950s to treat gynecologic and obstetrical conditions. Despite continued concerns about safety and short-term efficacy regarding the use of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate for the prevention of preterm birth in pregnant women, little is known about the long-term effects of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate on the health of the offsprings.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between in utero exposure to 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate and the risk of cancer in the offspring.

STUDY DESIGN: The Child Health and Development Studies was a population-based cohort of >18,000 mother-child dyads receiving prenatal care in the Kaiser Foundation …

Proton Image-Guided Radiation Assignment For Therapeutic Escalation Via Selection Of Locally Advanced Head And Neck Cancer Patients [Pirates]: A Phase I Safety And Feasibility Trial Of Mri-Guided Adaptive Particle Radiotherapy, Lisanne V Van Dijk, Steven J Frank, Ying Yuan, Brandon Gunn, Amy C Moreno, Abdallah S R Mohamed, Kathryn E Preston, Yun Qing, Michael T Spiotto, William H Morrison, Anna Lee, Jack Phan, Adam S Garden, David I Rosenthal, Johannes A Langendijk, Clifton D Fuller

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Radiation dose-escalation for head and neck cancer (HNC) patients aiming to improve cure rates is challenging due to the increased risk of unacceptable treatment-induced toxicities. With "Proton Image-guided Radiation Assignment for Therapeutic Escalation via Selection of locally advanced head and neck cancer patients" (PIRATES), we present a novel treatment approach that is designed to facilitate dose-escalation while minimizing the risk of dose-limiting toxicities for locally advanced HPV-negative HNC patients. The aim of this Phase I trial is to assess the safety & feasibility of PIRATES approach.

Methods: The PIRATES protocol employs a multi-faceted dose-escalation approach to minimize the risk …

Palmitic Acid Impedes Extravillous Trophoblast Activity By Increasing Mrp1 Expression And Function, Yunali V. Ashar

Theses and Dissertations

Normal function of placental extravillous trophoblasts (EVT), which are responsible for uteroplacental vascular remodeling, is critical for adequate delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the developing fetus and normal fetal programming. Proliferation and invasion of spiral arteries by EVT depends upon adequate levels of folate. Multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1), which is an efflux transporter, is known to remove folate from these cells. We hypothesized that palmitic acid (PA) increases MRP1-mediated folate removal from EVT, thereby interfering with EVTʼs role in early placental vascular remodeling. HTR8/SVneo and Swan-71 cells, first trimester human EVTs, were grown in the absence or presence …

Psychosocial Factors In Fibromyalgia: A Phenomenological Understanding Of The Experiences Of Latinas, Elisenda Rodes

Theses and Dissertations

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a syndrome characterized by chronic, widespread musculoskeletal pain. Its prevalence is estimated to be about 2% to 5% of the adults in the United States (Arnold et al., 2019). However, significant variations exist in this respect, due to a lack of consensus about the guidelines for FM diagnosis by physicians. FM symptoms are not restricted to pain, and often include fatigue, anxiety, depression, somatic and cognitive symptoms, and poor quality of life. Although its etiological causes are still not clear, important psychological, social, and cultural factors have been linked to the onset, maintenance, and to the ways …

Treating Gut Feelings: A Systematic Review Of Psychological Treatments For Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Venus Mirbod

Theses and Dissertations

Psychological comorbidities and psychosocial challenges are prevalent among children and adolescents with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). However, a comprehensive review of the availability and effectiveness of psychological treatments for pediatric IBD patients is lacking. This systematic review aimed to determine the availability and efficacy of psychological interventions for children and adolescents with IBD. The systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines and performed using two electronic databases, PsycINFO and PubMed, from inception until March 2022. Databases were searched for English-language, controlled trials of psychological interventions for children and adolescents with IBD. Outcomes of interest included: depression, anxiety, health-related …

Purpose Built Communities: A Concentrated Urban Poverty Intervention, Shannon R. Bergman

Theses and Dissertations

This collective case study research evaluated how the concentrated urban poverty revitalization model administered by Purpose Built Communities (PBC) works to mitigate or eliminate intergenerational poverty and create thriving neighborhoods. There are 5 elements to the PBC revitalization model: (a) mixed-income housing, (b) a cradle-to-college educational accountability system, (c) focus on community health, (d) a tightly defined geographic neighborhood, and (e) the assignment of a Community Quarterback (CQ). This research demonstrated iterative improvements in the socioeconomic well-being of adults and children from the inception of the revitalized community. This was evaluated by adult employment rates, childhood educational achievement, and health …

The Chemistry Laboratory Experience Of El Camino Students While In Emergency Remote Teaching Due To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Shaun A. Cook

Theses and Dissertations

Future college environments, including those in chemistry, will entail flexible formats. The pandemic spurred appreciation of the need, and though it has largely passed, adaptability to multiple formats in the future has been a critical part of planning for a rapidly changing future. Experiences during the pandemic will guide pedagogical changes and practices in the future. At El Camino College in Southern California, the chemistry department provided varied laboratory instruction to students during Emergency Remote Teaching. Understanding the experience students had during this extraordinary time is essential. Students who took courses that had an online laboratory course completed a mixed-methods …

Development Of A Transition Program For Young Adults With Type 1 Diabetes Progressing From Pediatric To Adult Care – A Feasibility Study, Elizabeth Ann Minchau

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

ABSTRACT

Development of a Transition Program for Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes Progressing from Pediatric to Adult Care – A Feasibility Study

Elizabeth A. Minchau

Background: Emerging adulthood requires a delicate balance of the competing social, educational, occupational, and financial demands typical of this developmental stage. This time period presents special challenges for adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D), who must also prioritize consistent medical follow-up and ongoing intensive self-care. Emerging adults with T1D struggle with glycemic control that is further exacerbated by an often-times disorganized transfer of care between pediatric and adult endocrinology practices. Substantial gaps in care …

Incidence Of Cancer, Depression, And Economic Burden Of Prescription Nsaids Among Older Adults With Osteoarthritis: Statistical And Machine Learning Approaches, Nazneen Fatima Mohammed Umer Shaikh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Understanding the role of chronic inflammation among older adults is critical because of its implications on chronic inflammatory conditions as well as its interaction with anti-inflammatory medications. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a heterogeneous multi-faceted joint disease with multi-tissue involvement of varying severity, and increasing evidence demonstrates a key role of chronic inflammation in its pathogenesis. Approximately 30 million adults in the United States have OA, and it is reported that a large proportion (43%) of them are older than 65 years. OA is typically treated using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for minimizing pain and reducing inflammation. NSAIDs have consistently shown clinically …

An Electrochemical-Mechanical Investigation Of Next Generation Lithium Metal Electrode And Solid Electrolyte, Andrew Meyer

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are a staple in today’s society. From our cellphones, laptops, power tools, the ever-growing electric vehicle, and many more application, LIBs are more important to us than most realize. They provide the best combination of both high-energy and high-power density compared to other battery types such as Ni-Cd, Ni-MH, or the lead acid batteries used in our cars. Plus, LIBs are much safer. However, as new technologies grow and are developed, the demand for higher energy and power density, better safety, lower costs, and longer life increases. One way to achieve the ever-increasing demands is to replace …

Improving Manufacturing Processes For Making Lithium Ion Battery Electrodes, Ming Wang

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are widely used to provide energy and power in portable electronics, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems. The LIB market has grown dramatically as they have a combination of high energy density, high power density, proven reliability, and long cycle life. The manufacturing process is one of the key factors as it strongly affects the cost and performance of LIBs.

This dissertation is focused firstly on the development of a conventional slurry-based electrode manufacturing process. Slurry making is a critical step that affects the subsequent steps in battery manufacturing. In this work, we have investigated the …

Microscale Contact And Friction Of Low Modulus, Lightly Crosslinked Polydimethylsiloxane, Justin Glover

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Friction and adhesion of soft materials are important for pressure sensitive adhesives, biomaterials, and soft robotics; however, the behavior on the microscale is not fully understood. When two objects come into contact, their interactions are usually mediated by small contact points due to surface roughness. At the microscale size, surface forces can deform soft materials to minimize energy by increasing the contact area, which is balanced by the elastic deformation of the polymer network. However, for soft, crosslinked materials with a modulus below ~100 kPa, it is challenging to predict the behavior with prior contact and friction models. Additionally, lightly …

Versatile Functionalization Strategy For The Capture Of Antibodies Using Silica Nanoparticles, Sayma Afrin

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

In this work, the synthesis of protein-functionalized nonporous silica nanoparticles and their application to capture antibodies was demonstrated. Silica nanoparticles were chosen as they offered particle and pore size tunability, low toxicity, thermal stability, ease of synthesis and ease of surface functionalization. A biotin-streptavidin-biotin bridge was constructed on the surface of the particles and used to attach biotinylated Protein A/G (PAG), which has high affinity for antibodies. The biotin-streptavidin-biotin bridge is hypothesized to orient the PAG in a favorable manner for efficient antibody capture. Nonporous silica nanoparticles (approximately 270 nm in diameter) were synthesized via the Stöber method. Following amine …

Contributors - Quaker Religious Thought, No. 138, Jon R. Kershner

Quaker Religious Thought

No abstract provided.

Further Validation Of The Perceptions Of Uncertainties In Genome Sequencing Scale Among Patients With Cancer Undergoing Tumor Sequencing, Kendall L. Umstead, Rachel Campbell, Christine E. Napier, Nicole Bartley, Megan C. Best, Phyllis N. Butow, Barbara B. Biesecker

IES Papers and Journal Articles

It is important to understand how individuals perceive uncertainties and the consequent impact on their psychological well-being and health behavior. The Perceptions of Uncertainties in Genome Sequencing (PUGS) scale measures clinical, affective, and evaluative uncertainties about information from sequencing. The PUGS scale has been shown to be valid and reliable among individuals receiving results about their genomes. This study assessed whether its validity generalized to patients with cancer undergoing tumor sequencing. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on data from the Molecular Screening and Therapeutics Program (n = 310) to identify a measurement model. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was …

Psychological Outcomes In Advanced Cancer Patients After Receiving Genomic Tumor Profiling Results, Sabina Vatter, Timothy E. Schlub, Christine E. Napier, Megan C. Best, Nicci Bartley, Ilona Juraskova, Bettina Meiser, Mandy L. Ballinger, Barbara B. Biesecker, David Goldstein, David M. Thomas, Phyllis Butow, Members Of The Pigeon Project

IES Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Comprehensive tumor genomic profiling (CGP) offers hope for personalized treatment for cancer patients when other treatment options have been exhausted. However, receipt of nonactionable or ambiguous results could be an ongoing source of distress. We investigated patterns of hope, anxiety, depression, and CGP-specific anxiety in advanced cancer patients after receiving CGP results and 2–3months later.

Method: Participants were enrolled in a longitudinal psychosocial substudy, embedded in the Molecular Screening and Therapeutics Program, and had advanced solid cancers of any histological type with sufficient and accessible tissue for CGP. At T0 (before receiving CGP results), 1,431 participants completed sociodemographic, disease …

Honoring The Public Trust: Curbing The Bane Of Physician Sexual Misconduct, Rebecca H. Allensworth, K. S. Sindhu, Et Al.

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

The Federation of State Medical Boards defines physician sexual misconduct as any "behavior that exploits the physician-patient relationship in a sexual way." Although several attempts have been made in recent years to clarify its incidence in the United States, physician sexual misconduct is almost certainly underreported. Physician sexual misconduct represents a severe and irreversible violation of the compact underlying the patient–physician relationship and can have far-reaching consequences on the lives of patients and their families. In addition, the credibility of and trust in physicians, both essential to the provision of medical care, could well erode in the eyes of the …

What Property Does, Christopher Serkin

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

For centuries, scholars have wrestled with seemingly intractable problems about the nature of property. This Article offers a different approach. Instead of asking what property is, it asks what property does. And it argues that property protects people’s reliance on resources by moderating the pace of change. Modern scholarly accounts emphasize voluntary transactions as the source and purpose of reliance in property. Such “transactional reliance” implies strong, stable, and enduring rights. This Article argues that property law also reflects a very different source of reliance on resources, one that rises and falls simply with the passage of time. This new …

Agile Course Design: Modeling Flexibility, Empowering Engagement, And Prioritizing Community, Julie A. Rowan, Todd A. Stanislav, Allison C. Bernknopf, Tracy E. Russo

Pedagogicon Conference Proceedings

The Agile Course Design Institute, created for faculty at a regional public university, utilized an agile thinking lens to model flexible, interactive learning. The Institute framework consisted of three core factors: sense of belonging, students’ bandwidth, and interaction and engagement. Faculty participated in online synchronous and asynchronous settings to develop agile courses. In doing so, they gained insights into the experiences their students might have in remote learning. Examples from the Institute and participant work are explored through a “Why” (purpose/outcome), “What” (connections to the ACDI framework), and “How” (tools and strategies) structure.

Pornography A Public Health Crisis In Utah, Candace A. Green

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Goal Statement: The goal is to reduce Utah’s teenage pornography consumption by 25% through the implementation of an in-home program where parents and guardians can learn communication skills, teach their children about the risk factors and dangers of pornography addiction, and apply prevention strategies and protective measures in their own home.

Significant Findings: Pornography use is more prevalent now than at any other time in history. Much of this can be attributed to our cell phones and the 24-hour internet access we have at our fingertips which makes viewing sexually explicit material a few seconds away at all times. Utah …