Digital Commons Network^™

Cysteine Depletion Triggers Adipose Tissue Thermogenesis And Weight Loss, Aileen H Lee, Irina Shchukina, Prabhakar Sairam Andhey, Maxim N Artyomov, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Caloric restriction and methionine restriction-driven enhanced lifespan and healthspan induces 'browning' of white adipose tissue, a metabolic response that increases heat production to defend core body temperature. However, how specific dietary amino acids control adipose thermogenesis is unknown. Here, we identified that weight loss induced by caloric restriction in humans reduces thiol-containing sulfur amino acid cysteine in white adipose tissue. Systemic cysteine depletion in mice causes lethal weight loss with increased fat utilization and browning of adipocytes that is rescued upon restoration of cysteine in diet. Mechanistically, cysteine-restriction-induced adipose browning and weight loss requires sympathetic nervous system-derived noradrenaline signalling via …

Telemedicine In Nerve Surgery: An Effective Method To Determine Indications For Surgery, Noah S. Llaneras, Ruby L. Taylor, Jonah P. M. Orr, Rachel Alessio, Carolyn Carper, Brendan M. Patterson, Susan E. Mackinnon

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of telemedicine for surgical consultations. Although patient satisfaction has been well documented, limited research exists regarding telemedicine's effectiveness in determining the ability to indicate for surgical care compared with in-office visits. We conducted a retrospective review comparing surgical decision-making via telemedicine versus in-person consultations, hypothesizing that in-office visits would be more effective in establishing a surgical plan than telemedicine.

METHODS: A retrospective review of the medical records of all new patients presenting to the senior author's nerve surgery clinic at a high-volume quaternary referral center between June 2020 and January 2023 was performed. …

Correlation Of Ultrasound And Electrodiagnostic Evaluation In Ballistic Peripheral Nerve Injuries, Mitchell S. Mologne, Zachary D. Randall, Nathan P. Olafsen, David M. Brogan, Christopher J. Dy

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Evaluation and management of ballistic peripheral nerve injuries remain controversial, and recent series have suggested higher rates of nerve discontinuity than previously appreciated. Ultrasound (US) may aid clinicians in the management of ballistic injuries. The goal of this study was to compare US findings to electrodiagnostic and intraoperative findings to assess its accuracy in ballistic injuries.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of patients with the following criteria: (1) ballistic injury to the upper or lower extremity with suspected mixed or motor peripheral nerve injury; (2) underwent electrodiagnostic studies (EDX) and peripheral nerve ultrasound. US findings were categorized as …

Aortic Rupture During Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Requiring Emergent Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair And Endograft Infection Requiring Endograft Explant, Ryan Wahidi, Dan Kindell, Puja Kachroo, J Westley Ohman

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Infection of endografts after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is a catastrophic complication with dramatically high morbidity and mortality. We present the case of a 58-year-old gentleman who underwent TEVAR for aortic rupture during transcatheter aortic valve replacement, later presenting with TEVAR infection, endocarditis, and aortobronchial fistula who underwent TEVAR explantation, aortic valve replacement, and aortic reconstruction. The patient consented to publication of his operative course.

Genetically Encoded Biosensors Of Metabolic Function For The Study Of Neurodegeneration, A Review And Perspective, Minglei Zhao, Saman Behboudi Tanourlouee, Sean Mccracken, Philip R Williams

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Nervous system tissue is the most metabolically active in the body and neurons are the primary consumers of oxygen and metabolites in nervous tissue. Many processes support neuronal metabolism, and dysregulation of these processes or intrinsic neuronal metabolism is often tied to neurodegenerative diseases. While many techniques are available to query metabolic function and disease (e.g. Seahorse XF, histology, immunostaining), almost all of these approaches are destructive and few offer cellular resolution. However, genetically encoded biosensors can optically measure metabolic features in any tissue with optical access. Biosensors represent an approach to non-destructively monitor metabolic components and regulatory signaling repeatedly …

On-Site Water Management Field Sampling Plan (Fsp), 2025 Update, Mark Thompson, Rampart Solutions

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Revised Draft Final Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Unreclaimed Sites: Ur-03 Site Remedial Action Work Plan (Rawp), Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Final Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Unreclaimed Sites: Ur-03 Site Remedial Action Work Plan (Rawp), Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Medial Plantar Artery Dominance Of The Plantar Arterial Arch: A Unique Anastomosis With Clinical Implications, Jessica L. Morehouse, Bryan G. Beutel

Student Publications

Introduction: Forefoot structures are vascularized through the deep plantar arch, an anastomotic network classically described between the deep branch of the lateral plantar artery (dLPA) and the deep plantar artery (DPA). While it supplies the medial aspect of the plantar foot, the medial plantar artery (MPA) is not described as providing a vascular contribution to the deep plantar arterial arch.

Case Report: During routine cadaveric dissection of bilateral lower extremities in a 96-year-old Caucasian male, a unique anomaly was noted within the deep plantar arterial arch. The superficial branch of the medial plantar artery (sMPA) was found to course laterally …

Identifying Perceived Barriers In Special Education, Alexus K. Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the lived experiences of teachers and administrators supporting students with disabilities transitioning from special education to general education settings. Grounded in a phenomenological approach within a qualitative research paradigm, the research aimed to uncover how educators perceive and navigate the challenges, barriers, and successes associated with this complex transition process. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with a purposive sample of special education teachers, general education teachers, and school administrators from a small urban district in Texas. The study followed a qualitative methodology that focused on transition theory, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis.The research procedures …

A Standardized Bathing Protocol To Prevent Central Line–Associated Bloodstream And Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Infections, Lindsy L. Phillips

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Central line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, in medical–surgical inpatients increase mortality, length of stay, and readmissions. In this project, the investigator sought to decrease CLABSIs and MRSA infections through quality improvement by implementing a standard chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing process. An urban hospital in the Midwestern United States experienced more CLABSIs and MRSA infections than expected in 2024. This unit had a standardized infection ratio of 1.4, with three CLABSIs rather than the 2.1 predicted. Also, they had 10 hospital-acquired MRSA isolates, which was higher than the 3.3 average of the other medical–surgical units. The …

Exploring Effective Institutional Strategies To Retain Adult Learners In Undergraduate Online Programs At A Faith-Based Institution, Fernando Rodriguez-Ramos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this qualitative research study was to identify dynamic advising and high-impact educational practices employed by advisors and faculty that prevent dropout and improve online adult learners’ performance and retention in undergraduate courses at a 4-year private, faith-based institution in the southwestern United States. This study explored the impact of these practices from the students’, faculty’s, and advisors’ perspectives to provide suggestions for improvement that would help retain these students in the classroom and the institution. The problem this study explored was that adult learner dropout from online higher education institutions is a persistent and increasing issue faced …

Leadership And Peer Support Of Surgeons Post-Adverse Event: A Phenomenological Study, Maxine E. Trent

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Surgeons are leaving the active practice of surgery and fewer physicians are pursuing surgical training, as a result the United States is predicted to have a shortage of surgeons until 2050. Surgery hosts a multitude of occupational stressors, one of which is interoperative adverse events and the subsequent experience of second victims. The literature indicates surgeons prefer psychological/emotional support from peers after interoperative adverse events. However, best practices for how to deliver peer and leadership support responses when surgeons experience second victims have not been established. This was a phenomenological qualitative study targeting practicing surgeons across the United States. …

The Financial Effects Of Enrolling Students With Disabilities In Catholic High Schools In States That Offer Vouchers Or Scholarships For Students With Disabilities, Susan M. Noonan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the financial effect of enrolling students with disabilities in Catholic high schools located in states that offer vouchers or scholarships for these students. Furthermore, the research aimed to understand the school’s experience in collaborating with the U.S. Department of Education to meet the criteria for voucher acceptance. It is important to note that enrollment and tuition revenue is the key to a school’s financial stability. Using an exploratory case study approach, information was gathered from a variety of stakeholders including the superintendent, administration, business manager, admissions coordinator, teachers, and counselors. The findings indicated that parents of children …

Exploring New Mexico 4-H Volunteers’ Acceptance And Use Of Technology: A Qualitative Approach, Kayla Dawn Hinrichs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Integrating technology into youth development programs like 4-H is increasingly vital for enhancing communication, education, and engagement. However, technology adoption among 4-H volunteers remains inconsistent. This qualitative study explored the barriers to technology adoption among New Mexico 4-H volunteers. The researcher aimed to understand the factors influencing their willingness and ability to integrate digital tools into their volunteer roles. Guided by Rogers’s (2003) diffusion of innovation theory and framed by Creswell and Poth’s (2024) qualitative research design, this study employed semistructured interviews with a purposive sample of 4-H volunteers across the state. Following Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six- phase approach, …

Protocol For A Multisite, Parallel-Group, Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing A Brief Tele-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Intervention (Bright) With Attention Control For The Reduction Of Body Image-Related Distress Among Head And Neck Cancer Survivors, Evan M Graboyes, Jessica R Vanderlan, Patrik Pipkorn, Sidharth V Puram

2020-Current year OA Pubs

One in four head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors experience clinically significant body image distress (BID), a devastating psychosocial morbidity that adversely affects quality of life. To date, effective interventions for these patients are lacking. BRIGHT (Building a Renewed ImaGe after Head and neck cancer Treatment), a brief cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT), has shown potential efficacy as a novel treatment paradigm for HNC survivors with BID. The primary objective of this randomized clinical trial (RCT) is to test the hypothesis that BRIGHT improves BID among HNC survivors relative to an Attention Control (AC) intervention. In this multisite RCT, N = …

Nf2 Loss-Of-Function And Hypoxia Drive Radiation Resistance In Grade 2 Meningiomas, Bhuvic Patel, Sangami Pugazenthi, Shree S Pari, Tatenda Mahlokozera, William A Leidig, Hsiang-Chih Lu, Alicia Yang, Kaleigh Roberts, Patrick Desouza, Kyle P Mcgeehan, Diane D Mao, Namita Sinha, Joseph E Ippolito, Sonika Dahiya, Hiroko Yano, Albert H Kim, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: World Health Organization Grade 2 meningiomas (G2Ms) often recur and resist therapies. Grade 2 meningiomas with histopathological necrosis have been associated with worse local control (LC) after radiation therapy, but the drivers and biomarkers of radiation resistance in G2Ms remain unknown.

METHODS: We performed genetic sequencing and histopathological analysis of 113 G2Ms and investigated the role of genetic and microenvironmental factors on clonogenic survival after ionizing radiation. We performed transcriptional profiling of our in vitro model and 18 human G2M tumors by bulk RNA sequencing as well as 8 G2Ms by single nuclei RNA sequencing.

RESULTS: NF2 loss-of-function (LOF) …

Age-Related Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Senescence Is Associated With Progression From Mgus To Multiple Myeloma, Natalya Plakhova, Sheila A Stewart, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The risk of progression of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) to multiple myeloma (MM) increases with advancing age, suggesting that progression may be influenced by age-related changes within the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment. We hypothesise that senescent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), which accumulate in the BM with age, may contribute to MGUS progression to MM. Here, we show that, like BM MSCs from aged non-cancer controls, BM MSCs from both MM and MGUS patients exhibit a senescent phenotype characterised by enlarged, flattened morphology, increased β-galactosidase activity and CDKN2A expression, and decreased proliferation rate compared with BM MSCs from healthy …

Assessing Neurocognitive Maturation In Early Adolescence Based On Baby And Adult Functional Brain Landscapes, Omid Kardan, Muriah D Wheelock, Jiaxin Cindy Tu, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Adolescence is a period of growth in cognitive performance and functioning. Recently, data-driven measures of brain-age gap, which can index cognitive decline in older populations, have been utilized in adolescent data with mixed findings. Instead of using a data-driven approach, here we assess the maturation status of the brain functional landscape in early adolescence by directly comparing an individual's resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) to the canonical early-life and adulthood communities. Specifically, we hypothesized that the degree to which a youth's connectome is better captured by adult networks compared to infant/toddler networks is predictive of their cognitive development. To test this …

Measuring And Interpreting Individual Differences In Fetal, Infant, And Toddler Neurodevelopment, Halie A Olson, M Catalina Camacho, Natasha Marrus, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

As scientists interested in fetal, infant, and toddler (FIT) neurodevelopment, our research questions often focus on how individual children differ in their neurodevelopment and the predictive value of those individual differences for long-term neural and behavioral outcomes. Measuring and interpreting individual differences in neurodevelopment can present challenges: Is there a "standard" way for the human brain to develop? How do the semantic, practical, or theoretical constraints that we place on studying "development" influence how we measure and interpret individual differences? While it is important to consider these questions across the lifespan, they are particularly relevant for conducting and interpreting research …

White Matter Microstructure In School-Age Children With Down Syndrome, Dea Garic, Robert C Mckinstry, Natasha Marrus, Kelly N Botteron, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Down syndrome (DS) is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability, but our understanding of white matter microstructure in children with DS remains limited. Previous studies have reported reductions in white matter integrity, but nearly all studies to date have been conducted in adults or relied solely on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), which lacks the ability to disentangle underlying properties of white matter organization. This study examined white matter microstructural differences in 7- to 12-year-old children with DS (n = 23), autism (n = 27), and typical development (n = 50) using DTI as well as High Angular Resolution …

Nsf Eec: Establishing Utrgv’S Center For Broadening Participation In Engineering: Engage, Educate, Enrich, Ala Qubbaj, Laura Benitez, Noe Vargas Hernandez, Constantine Tarawneh, Arturo A. Fuentes, Nazmul Islam, Edna Orozco-Leonhardt, Thuy Vu, Angela M. Chapman

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Hispanics are one of the fastest growing populations in the US, yet they are underrepresented in engineering. University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), a major Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) with a student population over 95% Hispanic, is well-positioned to address this disparity. UTRGV established a Center for Broadening Participation in Engineering: Engage, Educate, Enrich (CBPE-E3) to enhance Hispanic participation in engineering from early awareness through professional employment. The CBPE -E3 aims to increase enrollment, retention, and advancement rates of Hispanic students in higher education engineering, especially Latinas facing intersectional barriers of race and gender. The CBPE -E3 envisions becoming …

Clinical Trial Readiness In Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy R1 (Lgmdr1): A Grasp Consortium Study, Stephanie M Hunn, Amanda Clause, Conrad C Weihl, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: Identifying functional measures that are both valid and reliable in the limb girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) population is critical for quantifying the level of functional impairment related to disease progression in order to establish clinical trial readiness in the context of anticipated therapeutic trials.

METHODS: Through the Genetic Resolution and Assessments Solving Phenotypes in LGMD (GRASP-LGMD) Consortium, 42 subjects with LGMDR1 were enrolled in a 12-month natural history study across 11 international sites. Each subject completed a battery of clinical outcome assessments (COA), including the North Star Assessment for Limb Girdle-Type Dystrophies (NSAD), 10-m walk/run, and Performance of the …

Phase 2 Multi-Arm Study Of Magrolimab Combinations In Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, Gabriel N Mannis, Camille N Abboud, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: This phase 2 study evaluated magrolimab+venetoclax (VEN)+azacitidine (AZA) in untreated, unfit acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and magrolimab+mitoxantrone+etoposide+cytarabine in relapsed/refractory (R/R) AML.

METHODS: Endpoints included complete remission rate (CRR), overall response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS) and safety.

RESULTS: Eighteen and 36 patients were enrolled into the unfit and R/R AML arms, respectively. CRR was 38.9% and 25.0%, ORR was 66.7% and 38.9%, and median OS was 15.3 and 10.5 months in the unfit AML and R/R AML arms, respectively. No dose-limiting toxicities or magrolimab-related deaths occurred.

CONCLUSION: Magrolimab was safely combined with existing AML therapies with no new safety …

Claustrum Volume Is Reduced In Multiple Sclerosis And Predicts Disability, Nicole Shelley, Bradley Judge, Dmitriy A Yablonskiy, Robert T Naismith, Matthew R Brier, Anne H Cross

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: The claustrum is a small, thin structure of predominantly gray matter with broad connectivity and enigmatic function. Little is known regarding the impact of claustrum pathology in multiple sclerosis (MS).

METHODS: This study assessed whether claustrum volume was reduced in MS and whether reductions were associated with specific disability domains. We compared the impact of claustrum volume reductions on neurological disability versus the well-studied thalamus. Data from the 15,793 participants in the MS PATHS study were used for primary analyses. A second cohort of 71 people with MS and healthy controls from our center was used for validation.

RESULTS: …

Masseter Muscle Size In Chronic Parotid Sialadenitis, Erika M Stephens, William E Nesmith, M Allison Ogden, Jolie L Chang

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between masseter muscle thickness and parotid duct obstruction resulting in recurrent sialadenitis is not well defined. This study aims to evaluate masseter muscle size in patients with chronic sialadenitis of the parotid and compared to patients without parotid sialadenitis.

METHODS: Data was collected retrospectively from patients with symptomatic chronic sialadenitis of the parotid or submandibular glands. Measurements of the masseter and lateral pterygoid muscles were performed on CT or MRI imaging by two investigators who were blinded to the symptomatic gland location. Masseter thickness in the region of the parotid duct trajectory was measured.

RESULTS: Out of …

Corneal Characteristics In Children With Marfan Syndrome With Or Without Ectopia Lentis, Marisa O'Brien, Lawrence Tychsen

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Myopia of Marfan syndrome (MFS) may be ascribed to crystalline lens subluxation, abnormal corneal curvature, and increased globe axial length. Few studies have reported these measures in MFS children who did or did not have ectopia lentis (EL).

OBJECTIVE: To measure eye findings longitudinally in MFS children with and without EL.

METHODS: A prospective, comparative case study was conducted on 24 MFS children (48 eyes). EL necessitated lensectomy and intraocular lens implantation surgery in 16/24 children (mean age 5.6 ± 2.8 years). The remaining 8/24 MFS children (mean age 11.2 ± 4.2 years) had no EL and were phakic. …

Synthesis Of Publications On The Anomalous June 2021 Heat Wave In The Pacific Northwest Of The United States And Canada, Erica Fleishman, David E. Rupp, Paul C. Loikith, Karin A. Bumbaco, Larry W. O'Neill

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

We synthesized more than 70 articles, most peer reviewed, that addressed the heat wave that occurred across the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Canada in late June 2021, breaking hundreds of daily and all-time daily maximum temperature records across the region. A persistent, extraordinarily strong ridge of high pressure was a primary driver of the heat wave. Contributing mechanisms were moisture originating in the tropical western Pacific Ocean, high solar radiation, low pressure offshore, large-scale subsidence over land, and unusually dry soils. Climate change contributed to the heat wave’s magnitude by increasing mean temperature, although it is unclear …

Chronic, Battery-Free, Fully Implantable Multimodal Spinal Cord Stimulator For Pain Modulation In Small Animal Models, Allie J Widman, Taron Bashar, Alex Burton, David Marshall Clausen, Prashant Gupta, Drew K Wolf, Jakayla Folarin-Hines, Maria Payne, John A Rogers, Kathleen W Meacham, Robert W Gereau, Philipp Gutruf

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for chronic pain management is an invasive therapy involving surgical implantation of electrodes into spinal epidural space. While the clinical value and mechanistic action of the therapy is debated considerably in recent years, preclinical chronic studies employing rodent models can provide invaluable insights regarding the balance between efficacy and complications as well as mechanistic understanding of SCS therapy. However, current rodent compatible devices require tethered power delivery or bulky batteries, severely limiting the ability to probe long-term efficacy of SCS therapy. This work introduces a tether-free, small-footprint, fully implantable, battery-free SCS device compatible with rodent models, …

Role Of The Ctcf Binding Site In Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus-1 Pathogenesis, Ancy Joseph, Xiaogang Cheng, John Harding, Jacob Al-Saleem, Patrick Green, Malachi Griffith, Deborah Veis, Daniel A. Rauch, Lee Ratner

2020-Current year OA Pubs

During HTLV-1 infection, the virus integrates into the host cell genome as a provirus with a single CCCTC binding protein (CTCF) binding site (vCTCF-BS), which acts as an insulator between transcriptionally active and inactive regions. Previous studies have shown that the vCTCF-BS is important for maintenance of chromatin structure, regulation of viral expression, and DNA and histone methylation. Here, we show that the vCTCF-BS also regulates viral infection and pathogenesis in vivo in a humanized (Hu) mouse model of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma. Three cell lines were used to initiate infection of the Hu-mice, i) HTLV-1-WT which carries an intact HTLV-1 …