Digital Commons Network^™

Preparation Of Human Asprosin Nanobodies Based On A Natural Nanobody Phage Display Library, Yun Liang, Yi Huang, Qinghua He

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

[Objective ] Asprosin (ASP ),an adipokine produced from fibrillin- 1 (FBN 1) cleavage,is closely linked to type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity when its level is abnormal,demonstrating significant effect on human health.Therefore,monitoring the ASP level is crucial.The author aims to screen the nanobodies specifically binding to ASP via phage display technology,offering a new antibody component for the research on ASP.[Method ] The antigenic epitopes of ASP were predicted by the online tools ABCpred and NovoPro,and then coupled with bovine serum albumin (BSA ) to form the coating antigen (ASP-Epitope-BSA ).After five rounds of bio-panning,the nanobodies specifically binding to ASP were …

Modulatory Effects Of Flavonoids On Il- 4/Il-13 In Atopic Dermatitis And Their Structure-Activity Relationships, Yueyuan Wang, Jing Liu, Chen Li, Fengfeng Chen, Cheng Yang, Bingtian Zhao

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

[Objective ] This study aims to explore the ameliorating effects of flavonoids on atopic dermatitis (AD) and their structure-activity relationships.[Method ] Flavonoids were selected through network pharmacology with interleukin- 4 (IL-4) and interleukin- 13 (IL-13) as key targets.The immunoglobulin E (IgE)-induced RBL- 2H3 cell model was employed to evaluate the effects of flavonoids on inflammatory factors,degranulation activities,and calcium ion influx,and the structure-activity relationships were analyzed.Finally,molecular docking was utilized to assist in exploring the action mechanism.[Result ] All of the six flavonoids (luteolin,apigenin,chrysin,quercetin,kaempferol,and fisetin ) screened by network pharmacology had significant inhibitory effects on the expression of IL- 4,IL- 13,tumor necrosis …

Structural And Solution Property Characterization Of Oat Β-Glucans, Hongli Zhang, Yaning Shi, Ming Miao

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

[Objective ] This study aims to characterize the structure and investigate the solution properties of oat β-glucan (OBG ).[Method ] Two soluble OBGs with different weigh-average molecular weights (Mw),number-average molar weights (Mn),and peak molecular weights (Mp) were prepared by hot water extraction and ethanol classification.The structures and solution properties were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR ),nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR ),X-ray diffraction (XRD ),scanning electron microscopy (SEM ),high performance size exclusion chromatography coupled with multi-angle laser light scattering (HPSEC-MALLS ),and rheology.[Result ] OBG- 1 and OBG- 2 showed the Mw of 80.73×104 g/mol and 8.05×104 g/mol,the yields of (4.86±0.55)% and …

Research And Preliminary Application Of A Rapid Immunoassay Method For Eugenol Based On Quantum Dots, Junjie Sun, Xiaoxia Liu, Ziyi Chen, Yinlai Li, Lu Zhai, Qinzhou Chen, Renyao Jin

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

[Objective ] This study aims to establish a rapid immunoassay method for the quantitative detection of eugenol.[Method ] The eugenol monoclonal antibody was conjugated to the surface of quantum dots by the 1-ethyl- 3- (3-dimethylaminopropyl ) carbodiimide (EDC ) and N-hydroxy-succinamide (NHS ) (EDC-NHS ) coupling method,with quantum dots as fluorescent markers.Bovine serum albumin (BSA ) was used for blocking,and fluorescence microscopy,agarose gel electrophoresis,and a microplate reader were used for identification.Furthermore,the established method was compared with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC ).[Result ] The optimal synthesis conditions were as follows:quantum dot activation time of 30 min,conjugation pH with 8.0,antibody addition …

Effects Of Tea Polysaccharides On The Properties Of Chestnut Starch, Lei Lei, Wenjun Fu, Lingling Yang, Haibo Liu, Daxi Sang, Qing Wang

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

[Objective ] This study aims to improve the properties of chestnut starch.[Method ] Tea polysaccharides were added to chestnut starch in different proportions,and the effects of tea polysaccharides on the water-holding capacity,digestive properties,textural properties,and other properties of chestnut starch were investigated.[Result ] The water-holding and oil-holding properties of chestnut starch were the largest when tea polysaccharides were added at 1% and then gradually decreased with the increase in the proportion of tea polysaccharides added.The transparency of chestnut starch gradually increased when tea polysaccharides were added from 1% to 8% and decreased significantly when tea polysaccharides were added at 16%.Adding tea …

A Study Of Machine Learning Techniques In Solving Biochemical And Chemical Problems, Kenneth Micheal Plackowski

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

Data-driven approaches to solving problems in biology and chemistry require utilization of reliable techniques and machine learning algorithms are the modern reliable approach. This work presents three problems that involve use of supervised learning techniques when classification is the goal and unsupervised learning techniques when global data representation is the goal.

In the first problem, we demonstrate the use of unsupervised clustering techniques, self-organizing maps and K-means, to ascertain analyte detection capabilities of carbon nitride dots. In the second problem, we add scalability features to a functional group classification model applied to infrared data and evaluate its ability to inform …

Nanoporous Gold Nanoparticles And Model Membrane Systems Applied To The Study Of Lipopolysaccharide (Lps), Dhanbir Lingden

Dissertations

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a key structural component of Gram-negative bacteria, is a major trigger of sepsis and septic shock, the systemic inflammatory conditions responsible for millions of deaths annually. Even at concentrations as low as 1 ng/mL, LPS can activate the immune system and initiate inflammatory cascades. According to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017, sepsis accounted for 48.9 million cases globally, with 11 million deaths, emphasizing the urgent need for improved diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Accurate and rapid detection of LPS is vital for early intervention and improved clinical outcomes. While traditional detection methods are still widely used, modern …

Screen Foundations: How Pediatric Nurse Practitioners Can Implement ‘Family Media Use Plans’ In Primary Care To Reduce Pediatric Behavior Concerns, Katie Anderson

Dissertations

Abstract for:

Screen Foundations: How Pediatric Nurse Practitioners Can Implement ‘Family Media Use Plans’ in Primary Care to Reduce Pediatric Behavior Concerns

Problem: Parents of children 2-5 years-old increasingly reach out to PCPs for escalating behavior concerns, including when the child doesn’t listen well, is inattentive, having tantrums, meltdowns, hitting, yelling, etc. Referrals to psychiatry and/or play therapy result in long waits, or referrals not accepted. Coincidingly, toddler and preschool aged children continue to exceed daily screen time recommendations. This results in a gap of care for families with young children and externalizing behavior.

Methods: This quality improvement project addressed …

Research Progress In Thermo-Reversible Polysaccharide Gels, Dongxin Zhou, Ziao Zhang, Su Chen, Weimin Yang, Jiajun Sun, Shengzu Han, Anning Xie, Xiaoxiao Li, Yuxiang Bai

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

Thermo-reversible gels are widely applied in the processing of baking,meat,and snack products including cakes,candies,jelly,aspic,and steamed custard buns.Currently,the most effective thermo-reversible gel is gelatin,which can combine with water to form a transparent gel that melts when it is close to the temperature of the human oral cavity.However,gelatin is expensive.Therefore,researchers have turned their attention to polysaccharide gels,hoping to obtain more thermo-reversible food raw materials with different properties.The author reviews thermo-reversible polysaccharide gels from natural sources such as plants,algae,and microorganisms and those modified by physical,chemical,and enzymatic methods and summarizes the sources,structures,gelatinization mechanisms,and product applications of polysaccharide gels.It is expected to provide a reference …

Mechanisms Of Antioxidant Activity Of Lactic Acid Bacteria And Its Application In Oxidative Stress-Related Diseases, Yixiao Shao, Chuang Huang, Chenjian Liu, Xiaoran Li

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

The antioxidant properties of lactic acid bacteria are related to various probiotic activities,which can prevent and alleviate a variety of chronic diseases caused by oxidation in the host.The antioxidant mechanisms of lactic acid bacteria,including the action mechanisms of antioxidant enzymes and non-enzymatic antioxidants and regulation of host signaling pathways,were expounded.Furthermore,the application status of antioxidant properties of lactic acid bacteria in diseases of the nervous system,digestive system,and skin system were summarized.The aim is to explore how to enhance the antioxidant activity of lactic acid bacteria in oxidative stress-related diseases and give new insights into the development of related treatment strategies.

Reconstruction And Analysis Of Genome-Scale Metabolic Model Of Aspergillus Oryzae Fmme-S- 38, Cong Gao, Weijia Yuan, Chao Ye, Jia Liu, Liming Liu

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

[Objective ] A genome-scale metabolic model (GSMM ) of the high L-malic acid-producing strain Aspergillus oryzae (A.oryzae ) FMME-S- 38 was constructed and analyzed.[Method ] The new GSMM iJW1333 was established for A.oryzae FMME-S- 38 through a two-step process of draft reconstruction and model refinement.[Result ] The model integrated 1 723 biochemical reactions,1 723 metabolites,and 1 333 functional genes,achieving the prediction accuracy of 94.6% for substrate metabolism and 92.0% for cell growth.Comparative genomic analysis revealed that mutations in the genes involved in the hexose monophosphate pathway (HMP ) and oxidative phosphorylation underpinned the enhanced L-malic acid production of A.oryzae FMME-S- …

Effects Of Extraction Methods On The Composition And Immunological Activities Of Yeast Mannoproteins, Haibo Zhang, Yongjun Xia, Guangqiang Wang, Ning Peng, Zhixian Chen, Lianzhong Ai

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

[Objective ] The extraction efficiency of different methods and the effects of these methods on the composition of mannoproteins extracted from yeast cell walls were compared.Furthermore,the anti-inflammatory activities of the extracted mannoprotein were evaluated.[Method ] Three yeast mannoproteins (MP-W,MP-B,and MP-E ) were extracted via high-temperature water,alkali,and enzyme-assisted extraction methods and purified via ethanol precipitation.The identification of monosaccharide composition and amino acid composition,distribution of relative molecular mass,and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were employed to analyze the composition and chemical structures of yeast mannoproteins.A cell experiment was carried out to examine the anti-inflammatory activity.[Result ] The yields of yeast mannoproteins extracted by …

In Vitro Antioxidant And Anti-Inflammatory Activities Of Tea Flower Extract And Its Inhibitory Effect On Cell Aging, Shishuai Yu, Yining Hao, Bo Peng, Youyun Liu, Liping Qu

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

[Objective ] This study aims to investigate the in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of Yunnan tea flower extract (TFE ) and its Inhibitory effect on cell aging.[Method ] The main active components in TFE were determined by ultraviolet (UV)-visible spectrophotometry and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC ).The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of TFE were determined by the free radical scavenging assay and UV-induced photoaging model of human keratinocytes (HaCaT ),respectively.After the aging model of fibroblasts was established,the aging level of cells was assessed by the β-galactosidase (β-gal) staining assay,and the expression of matrix metalloproteinase- 1 (MMP- 1),matrix metalloproteinase- 3 …

Synthesis Of N-Acetyl- Trans -4-Hydroxyproline Catalyzed By Acyltransferase, Chuanxiang Wei, Keru Chen, Yun Hu, Chao Sun, Rukang Xue, Fubao Sun, Jingfang Cheng

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

[Objective ] This study aims to establish the biosynthesis process of N-acetyl- trans -4-hydroxyproline (N-ATHOP ).[Method ] Escherichia coli (E.coli ) BL21 (DE3) was selected as the host to heterologously express the acyltransferase (MsAcT ) derived from Mycobacterium smegmatis.A semi-rational design was employed to construct the mutant MsAcT (S11C) capable of catalyzing the synthesis of N-ATHOP.[Result ] The catalytic reaction conditions of the mutant MsAcT (S11C) were optimized as pH 6.9,reaction temperature 49 ℃,initial trans -4-hydroxyproline (THOP ) concentration of 315.5 mmol/L,and vinyl acetate volume fraction of 10%.Under the optimized conditions,the yield of N-ATHOP synthesized under the catalysis of MsAcT …

Identification And Spoilage Capacity Analysis Of Main Spoilage Bacteria In Pickles, Li Zhu, Huimin Li, Liejiang Yuan, Cancan Peng, Bo Zhou, Sheng Song, Haizhi Wu, Mingyang Zhu, Fangmei Wang, Yu Liu, Yuqian Hu, Ge Li, Yiqing Sun, Yi Zhou

Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology

[Objective ] This study aims to identify the main spoilage bacteria and evaluate their spoilage capacity in the spoilage process of pickles.[Method ] High-throughput sequencing was employed to analyze the microbial community dynamics in the samples of pickles at the early,middle,and late stages of spoilage.The key spoilage bacteria were isolated,purified,and then identified through a combination of colony morphology observation,biochemical analysis,and 16S rDNA/ITS sequencing.Re-inoculation experiments were carried out for further validation of the primary spoilage bacteria in pickles.[Result ] Acinetobacter and Bacillus were the dominant spoilage bacterial genera across the three spoilage stages.Notably,Bacillus exhibited rapid growth over time,with the relative abundance …

Current Trends In Clinical Trials For Merkel Cell Carcinoma (Mcc), Tilak Patel, Rachel Butz, Brian Boulmay, Vilija Vaitaitis

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive neuroendocrine cutaneous malignancy with high rates of recurrence and metastasis. The treatment of MCC has historically involved surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy; however, current clinical trials are investigating immunotherapies, intratumoral injections, and combination therapies to improve outcomes. This review explores the current trends in clinical trials for MCC, highlighting recent advances in management.

Design & Development Of Efficient Biometric Authentication And Key Agreement Schemes For Wireless Body Area Network, Aarthi S

Theses and Dissertations

Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) play a vital role in continuous health monitoring, where sensitive biometric and physiological data must be protected from privacy breaches and emerging quantum-based threats. Conventional security mechanisms are often inadequate due to resource constraints, scalability issues, and vulnerability to advanced attacks. To address these challenges, this research proposes a lightweight, scalable, and future-proof security framework tailored for WBAN applications, focusing on secure communication, privacy preservation, and quantum resilience.

An anonymous Certificate-Based Signcryption–Mutual Authentication and Key Agreement (CBS-MAKE) protocol is introduced to secure extra-body communications while ensuring patient anonymity. The protocol integrates Elliptic Curve Cryptography with …

How Multi-Scale Modeling Can Help Examine Social Determinants Of Health And Resulting Disparities, Kyoko Yoshida, Elsje Pienaar, Shalanda A. Bynum, Naomi Chesler, Mitchel J. Colebank, Jessie Heneghan, Nadra Tyus, Jasmine Miller-Kleinhenz, Bruce Y. Lee

Faculty Publications

Social determinants of health (SDOH) are the conditions in which people live, work, and play, and the wider set of factors (e.g., social and economic systems and policies) that shape a person’s daily life. SDOH can differ significantly across communities and populations, having positive impacts for some and negative impacts for others. Ultimately, this results in differences in health and disease distribution, that are known as health disparities. Despite the known impacts of SDOH and calls to characterize, address, reduce, and eliminate health disparities, they persist and, in some cases, have worsened. To address this challenge, a session at the …

Online Citizen Science In Higher Education Courses, Stacy Cotey, Amy K. Dunbar-Wallis, Yaela N. Golumbic, Pankaj Mehrotra, David A. Beamer, Heather D. Vance-Chalcraft

Michigan Tech Publications

Climate change and biodiversity loss require us to engage the next generation of scientists in addressing global ecological issues. Introducing undergraduate students to citizen science allows them to learn scientific processes and content while contributing to real-world applications. We conducted a systematic review of literature to (1) identify what types of undergraduate courses and institutions use citizen science, (2) list the projects and platforms that have been implemented in online courses in undergraduate education, (3) examine how students participated in the projects through online courses, and (4) summarize learning objectives and reported benefits of student participation. In all, 44 studies …

Distribution Of Alkylamines In Surface Waters Around The Antarctic Peninsula And Weddell Sea, Arianna Rocchi, Mark F. Fitzsimons, Preston Chebai Akenga, Ana Sotomayor, Elisabet L. Sà, Queralt Güell-Bujons, Magda Vila, Yaiza M. Castillo, Manuel Dall'osto, Dolors Vaqué, Charel Wohl, Rafel Simó, Elisa Berdalet

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Alkylamines, volatile organic nitrogen compounds with low molecular weight, are present in the surface ocean and participate in the marine biogeochemical nitrogen cycle, atmospheric chemistry and cloud formation. Alkylamines have been detected in polar regions, suggesting that these areas constitute emission hotspots of these compounds. However, knowledge of the sea surface distribution patterns and factors modulating alkylamines remain limited due to their high reactivity and low concentrations, which hamper accurate measurements. We investigated the presence and distribution of alkylamines in seawaters around the Antarctic Peninsula and the northern Weddell Sea during the late austral summer and explored their potential links …

Theoretical And Experimental Investigation Of Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation: Characterizing Elastin-Like-Polypeptides, Adam D. Quintana

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

This dissertation develops and validates a semi-empirical Flory–Huggins-based interaction model, combined with Cahn–Hilliard simulations, for predicting multi-component liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) in elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) systems. Equilibrium droplet compositions, measured using a PDMS-based microfluidic device, enabled direct parameterization of interaction coefficients. The model was applied to generate phase diagrams and assess composition dependence in ternary mixtures. Cahn–Hilliard simulations were conducted to explore potential phase morphologies under different interfacial conditions. Multi-component Lattice Boltzmann simulations were implemented to model droplet morphology evolution under varying interfacial and diffusive parameters, reproducing experimentally relevant morphologies. A three-phase wetting study revealed conditions for selective wetting and …

Predictors Of Final Visual Outcome In Patients With Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy Treated With Lenadogene Nolparvovec Gene Therapy, Robert C Sergott, Valerio Carelli, Nancy Newman, Valérie Biousse, Patrick Yu-Wai-Man, Catherine Vignal-Clermont, Constant Josse, Magali Taiel, José-Alain Sahel, Piero Barboni

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: This exploratory analysis aimed to identify predictive factors of final best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in patients with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) harboring the m.11778G>A mutation who received lenadogene nolparvovec gene therapy.

METHODS: The following covariates were individually evaluated as possible factors associated with improved final BCVA: age, gender, timing of treatment, baseline BCVA value, and baseline optical coherence tomography (OCT) parameters. Univariate analyses were performed from three phase 3 studies (RESCUE, REVERSE, and REFLECT), using BCVA at 1.5 years post-treatment as the dependent variable.

RESULTS: In 113 eyes treated at least 6 months after disease onset, the …

Epha4 Signaling Dysregulation Links Abnormal Locomotion And The Development Of Idiopathic Scoliosis, Lianlei Wang, Xinyu Yang, Sen Zhao, Pengfei Zheng, Wen Wen, Kexin Xu, Xi Cheng, Qing Li, Anas M Khanshour, Yoshinao Koike, Junjun Liu, Xin Fan, Nao Otomo, Zefu Chen, Yaqi Li, Lulu Li, Haibo Xie, Panpan Zhu, Xiaoxin Li, Yuchen Niu, Shengru Wang, Sen Liu, Suomao Yuan, Chikashi Terao, Ziquan Li, Shaoke Chen, Xiuli Zhao, Pengfei Liu, Jennifer E Posey, Zhihong Wu, Guixing Qiu, Disco Study Group (Deciphering Disorders Involving Scoliosis & Comorbidities), Shiro Ikegawa, James R Lupski, Jonathan J Rios, Carol A Wise, Jianguo T Zhang, Chengtian Zhao, Nan Wu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Idiopathic scoliosis (IS) is the most common form of spinal deformity with unclear pathogenesis. In this study, we first reanalyzed the loci associated with IS, drawing upon previous studies. Subsequently, we mapped these loci to candidate genes using either location-based or function-based strategies. To further substantiate our findings, we verified the enrichment of variants within these candidate genes across several large IS cohorts encompassing Chinese, East Asian, and European populations. Consequently, we identified variants in the EPHA4 gene as compelling candidates for IS. To confirm their pathogenicity, we generated zebrafish mutants of epha4a. Remarkably, the zebrafish epha4a mutants exhibited …

Serum Metabolomic Profiling Of Incident Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus In The Multi-Ethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis And Rotterdam Study, Xuanwei Jiang, Fang Zhu, Gonçalo Graça, Xihao Du, Jinjun Ran, Fariba Ahmadizar, Alexis C Wood, Yanqiu Zhou, Denise M Scholtens, Ali Farzaneh, M Arfan Ikram, Alan Kuang, Carel W Le Roux, Meghana D Gadgil, Marilyn C Cornelis, Kent D Taylor, Xiuqing Guo, Mohsen Ghanbari, Laura J Rasmussen-Torvik, Russell P Tracy, Alain G Bertoni, Jerome I Rotter, David M Herrington, Philip Greenland, Maryam Kavousi, Victor W Zhong

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Objective: This study aimed to investigate serum metabolomic biomarkers associated with incident type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and evaluate their performance in improving T2DM risk prediction.

Methods: Untargeted proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy-based metabolomics analyses were conducted in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA; n = 3460; discovery cohort) and The Rotterdam Study (RS; n = 1556; replication cohort). Multivariable cause-specific hazards models were used to analyze the associations between 23 571 serum metabolomic spectral variables and incident T2DM. Replicated metabolites required an false discovery rate-adjusted P < .01 in MESA, P < .05 in RS, and consistent direction of association. Pathway and network analyses were conducted to elucidate biological mechanisms underlying T2DM development. The utility of the replicated metabolites in improving T2DM risk prediction was assessed based on the Framingham Diabetes Risk Score. A 2-sample Mendelian randomization was conducted to assess causal associations.

Results: Nineteen metabolites were significantly associated with incident T2DM. Pathway analyses …

The International Soft Tissue Sarcoma Consortium, Gianni Bisogno, Monika Sparber-Sauer, David Rodeberg, Johannes H.M. Merks, Ewa Koscielniak, Suzanne L. Wolden, Gian Luca De Salvo, Paola Del Bianco, Wei Xue, Martin Ebinger, Christian Vokuhl, Rajkumar Venkatramani, Samuel L. Volchenboum, Brian Furner, Veronique Minard Colin, Douglas S. Hawkins

Surgery Faculty Publications

Background: The International Soft Tissue Sarcoma Consortium (INSTRuCT) was established in 2017 to enhance international collaboration. This study describes the characteristics of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) patients in the INSTRuCT database and examines differences across contributing groups. Methods: INSTRuCT includes data Children’s Oncology Group (COG), Cooperative Weichteilsarkom Studiengruppe (CWS), and European Paediatric Soft Tissue Sarcoma Study Group (EpSSG) along with prior studies from Malignant Mesenchymal Tumour Committee (MMT) and Italian Soft Tissue Sarcoma Committee (STSC). Data standardization was supported by the University of Chicago’s Pediatric Cancer Data Commons. Pseudonymized patient-level data from clinical trials were harmonized. Differences across groups were assessed using …

Cancer Vaccination And Immune-Based Approaches In Pancreatic Cancer, Matthew D. Bloom, Ali Raza Shaikh, Zhengyang Sun, Babar Bashir, Adam E. Snook

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive malignancy with high recurrence rates even after curative resection and adjuvant chemotherapy. Although immunotherapeutic approaches, such as immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), have revolutionized the treatment of some solid tumor malignancies, this has not been the case for PDAC. Several characteristics of PDAC, including its distinctive desmoplastic tumor microenvironment (TME), intratumor heterogeneity, and poor antigenicity and immune cell infiltration, contribute to its dismal immunotherapeutic landscape. Cancer vaccines offer one approach to overcoming these barriers, particularly in the resectable or borderline resectable settings, where tumor burden is low and immunosuppression is less pronounced. Various vaccination …

A Qualitative Case Study On Mental Health Stigma Within Rastafarian Culture, Alecia Douglas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cultural and social factors, such as ethnic and racial backgrounds, religion, and supernatural beliefs, influence mental health utilization among African Americans. Past studies show that Rastafarians underutilize mental health services due to the stigma associated with mental health. However, there remains a gap in the literature regarding the incorporation of culturally sensitive and inclusive approaches in mental illness treatment. Per the biopsychosocial (BPS) pathways framework, biological, psychological, and social factors interact to provide a holistic architype of mental illness. The framework can be applied to understand how mental health stigma is influenced by personal beliefs, experiences, values, cultural, and societal …

Age, Gender, And Length Of Stay For Copd Patients In Florida Community Hospitals For 2019, Dr. Carol-Ann Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hospital administrators have been challenged due to length of stay (LOS) among patients suffering with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether there was a relationship between age, gender, and length of stay for COPD patients in Florida during the year 2019. The dependent variable was COPD length of stay, and independent variables were age and gender in Florida community hospitals during 2019. The Donabedian model was selected as the theoretical framework for this study to address structure, process, and outcomes associated with COPD readmissions. Secondary data was obtained from the Healthcare …

Pattern Of Cancer Mortality In Basrah Governorate From 2018–2022, Huda Hassan Al-Abboodi, Jafar Fawzi Al Badran, Nada Hasan Abdulraheem

Iraqi National Journal of Medicine

Background: Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, with an estimated 9.6 million fatalities reported in 2018. Thus, understanding the impact of cancer rates and examining how cancer deaths are distributed by age and have changed over the years is crucial. Aim: This descriptive statistical study aimed to identify the most prevalent cancer types responsible for deaths in the Basra Governorate from 2018 to 2022, along with their distribution across various age groups and geographical areas. Methods: The study utilized a descriptive statistical approach based on death certificate data from Basra Governorate, encompassing all cancer-related deaths from 2018 …

Evaluation Of Anatomic And Dosimetric Changes During Simultaneously Integrated Boost Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy For Head And Neck Cancer, Farah Dirar Yousif, Raad Hefdhi Abedtwfeq

Iraqi National Journal of Medicine

Background: Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is the most commonly used radiotherapy (RT) technique for locally advanced head and neck cancers (HNC), concurrent with chemotherapy. Aim: This study aims to evaluate the anatomical changes that may arise in patients undergoing VMAT treatment. Methods: The study involved 20 patients with locally advanced HNC who received VMAT treatment concurrently with chemotherapy. Prior to the initiation of radiotherapy treatment, computed tomography (CT) simulation was conducted for all patients. The prescribed doses for the primary target (PTVP), high-risk lymph nodes (PTV60), and low-risk lymph nodes (PTV54) were 69.96 Gy, 60 Gy, and 54 Gy, …