Digital Commons Network^™

Clinical And Neuropathological Associations Of Plasma Aβ42/Aβ40, P-Tau217 And Neurofilament Light In Sporadic Frontotemporal Dementia Spectrum Disorders, Binita Rajbanshi, Randall J Bateman, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Plasma amyloid beta

METHODS: We compared the clinical, neuroimaging, and neuropathological associations of plasma Aβ

RESULTS: Aβ

DISCUSSION: Plasma p-tau217 has clinical, neuroimaging, and neuropathological correlates in sporadic FTD and may identify FTD cases with AD co-pathology.

HIGHLIGHTS: Alzheimer's disease (AD) features could be identified with plasma phosphorylated tau217 (p-tau217) in frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD).Plasma p-tau217 is a better discriminator of AD co-pathology and AD-associated features in FTLD than plasma amyloid beta

Impact Of Genetic Counseling And Testing In Individuals At High Risk Of Familial Alzheimer's Disease From Latin America: A Non-Randomized Controlled Trial, Pablo M Bagnati, Ellen Ziegemeier, Eric Mcdade, Randall J Bateman, Jorge J Llibre-Guerra, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: This study involved evaluating a tailored genetic counseling and testing (GCT) protocol for families at risk of autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease (ADAD) in Latin America (LatAm), focusing on essential cultural and regional adaptations.

METHODS: We conducted a non-randomized controlled trial among ADAD families in Colombia and Argentina. Participants were categorized based on their decision to learn their genetic status (GS), with further comparisons between mutation-positive versus mutation-negative participants who learned their status. Psychological impacts were measured using validated scales for anxiety and depression.

RESULTS: Of the 122 eligible participants, 97 completed the GCT protocol, and 87 opted to learn …

Protocol For The Asian Cohort For Alzheimer's Disease (Acad) Study, Pei-Chuan Ho, Walter A Kukull, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: To address knowledge gaps in Alzheimer's disease (AD) research, the Asian Cohort for Alzheimer's Disease (ACAD) Study will recruit over 5000 participants of Asian descent aged 60 or older in the United States and Canada. The current focus is on participants with Chinese, Korean, or Vietnamese ancestry, with the goal of characterizing both genetic and non-genetic risk factors. ACAD has assembled a culturally and linguistically appropriate data collection protocol, as well as a biosample collection protocol. Recruitment strategies follow community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches to encourage research participation and engage Asian communities in brain health education.

METHODS: The ACAD …

The Marginal Value Of Public Pension Wealth: Evidence From Border House Prices, Darren Aiello, Asaf Bernstein, Mahyar Kargar, Ryan Lewis, Michael Schwert

Faculty Publications

We study how state pension windfalls affect property prices near state borders, where theory suggests real estate reflects the value of additional public resources. Windfalls, representing a source of state revenue about half the size of total taxes, provide economically significant and plausibly exogenous variation in fiscal conditions. We find that each dollar of pension asset returns increases border house prices by approximately two dollars, suggesting that governments allocate additional funds towards high-value projects or tax abatement rather than wasting incremental resources. Evidence of larger effects in financially constrained municipalities highlights how fiscal resources amplify welfare effects of economic shocks.

Existing Personal Leadership Prototypes Versus Organizational Leadership Prototypes: How Individuals Manage Tensions Between Leading With Authenticity And Conformity During Their Socialization As Leaders In Organizations, Benjamin M. Galvin, Jeffrey S. Bednar, Archie Bates

Faculty Publications

Based on qualitative data collected at the United States Military Academy (West Point), this research enhances our understanding of how individuals manage tensions between leading with authenticity and organizational pressures for conformity, resulting from a lack of alignment between their existing personal leadership prototypes and organizational prototypes of leadership. Our theoretical model moves beyond existing research on leader identity construction− which largely treats individuals as blank slates as they construct who they will be as leaders in organizations− by highlighting how individuals learn to enact a leadership approach during socialization that fits within their personal zone of acceptable authenticity and …

Educational Case: Bullous Pemphigoid, Ryan C. Saal, Alice A. Roberts, Richard M. Conran

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

The following fictional case is intended as a learning tool within the Pathology Competencies for Medical Education (PCME), a set of national standards for teaching pathology. These are divided into three basic competencies: Disease Mechanisms and Processes, Organ System Pathology, and Diagnostic Medicine and Therapeutic Pathology. For additional information, and a full list of learning objectives for all three competencies, see https://www.academicpathologyjournal.org/pcme.1

Emergent Transcatheter Tricuspid Edge-To-Edge Repair For Right Ventricular Shock From Tricuspid Regurgitation In Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Nicholas J. Valle, Amin Yehya, Animesh Rathore, Erich L. Kiehl, Matthew R. Summers

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background

Transcatheter tricuspid edge-to-edge repair (T-TEER) is an emerging technology used to treat severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR). The pivotal trials demonstrating the safety and efficacy of T-TEER exclude patients with severely reduced left ventricular function (≤20%).

Case Summary

We demonstrate the use of T-TEER in a patient with end-stage hypertrophic cardiomyopathy who suffered acute, torrential TR and subsequently developed cardiogenic shock as a complication of high-risk transvenous lead extraction. Why Beyond the Guidelines Currently, there are no guidelines addressing the nonsurgical emergent management of acute TR.

Discussion

The TriClip system (Abbott) may have certain advantages when used in managing acute …

A Linear Presentation Of Cutaneous Rosai Dorfman Disease, Emily Sheetz, Ryan C. Saal, Molly K. Smith, Rachel Chikowski Byrd

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

[Case description] A 53-year-old female with type II diabetes and hypertension presented to the dermatology clinic with a 3-month history of an asymptomatic linear eruption along the right knee that extended distally along the shin. Initial biopsy showed an atypical lymphohistiocytic infiltrate (Fig 1), which was found to be polyclonal. At her 3-month follow up visit, the eruption demonstrated significant clinical progression with numerous indurated papules and papulonodules, some of which were tender, along the right knee and pretibial surface (Fig 2). No improvement was noted with topical triamcinolone prescribed at her initial visit.

Delayed Hypertension Diagnosis And Its Association With Cardiovascular Treatment And Outcomes, Yuan Lu, John E. Brush Jr, Chungsoo Kim, Yuntian Liu, Xin Xin, Chenxi Huang, Mitsuaki Sawano, Patrick Young, Jacob Mcpadden, Mark Anderson, John S. Burrows, Jordan R. Asher, Harlan M. Krumholz

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

Importance Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, yet delays in diagnosis may limit timely treatment initiation and increase cardiovascular risk.

Objectives To examine the timing of clinical hypertension diagnosis, its association with antihypertensive medication prescribing, and its association with long-term cardiovascular outcomes.

Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cohort study analyzed electronic health record (EHR) data from an integrated health care system. Adults aged 18 to 85 years with at least 2 outpatient blood pressure (BP) readings of 140/90 mm Hg or more recorded at least 30 days apart from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2021, …

Left Ventricular Assist Device Destination Therapy: A Journey To Home And Beyond, Mian Z. Munir, Marissa C. Galicia-Castillo, Mia Achitoov, Amin Yehya

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

[Case] Mr H is a 74-year-old man with history of end-stage heart failure (ESHF) secondary to hereditary transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis. Our patient underwent placement of a HeartMate II (Abbott) left ventricular assist device (LVAD) as destination therapy (DT) at an outside hospital and later came to us (Sentara Heart Hospital) for continued management because he resided in the area. Over a 2-year period, the patient experienced multiple hospital admissions for acute heart failure (HF) exacerbations, delirium, and recurrent low-flow alarms. During his last hospitalization, the palliative medicine team was consulted to facilitate goals-of-care discussions with the patient and his family, …

Late Diagnosis Of Klinefelter Syndrome: Overcoming Phenotypic Variability And Diagnostic Oversights, Amna Kamran, Chinelo Okigbo

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

We report a case of Klinefelter syndrome (KS) diagnosed in adulthood, emphasizing the impact of phenotypic variability and the declining reliance on physical examination in delayed recognition. A 27-year-old male with obesity, low libido, and biochemical and clinical primary hypogonadism was found to have 47, XXY karyotype, consistent with KS. His hypogonadism was initially attributed to obesity and overlooked, despite classic signs of a micropenis and small testes. The case highlights the importance of physical examination, comprehensive history, and clinician awareness in diagnosing KS, particularly in atypical presentations. KS is associated with increased risks of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and psychosocial …

Her2 Alterations Across Solid Tumors: Implications For Comprehensive Testing, Ahmed Ismail, Chimay Jani, Nusrat Jahan, Malla Midhun, Arnab Basu, Garima Gupta, Bassel El-Rayes, Sejong Bae, Tyler Mattox, Cyntanna Hawkins, Rebecca C. Arend, Mehmet Akce, Yanis Boumber, Aakash Desai

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

Purpose

ERBB2 (HER2) alterations (e.g., overexpression, amplification, and mutations) are known to drive tumor progression. These changes, particularly in non-breast and gastric/gastroesophageal cancers, remain poorly characterized. With pan-tumor approval of HER2-targeted therapies like Trastuzumab deruxetecan (T-DXd), understanding ERBB2 alterations across diverse cancers is crucial.

Methods

HER2 analysis was conducted on 653 solid tumor specimens at the University of Alabama, using immunohistochemistry (IHC), copy number (CN) variation (CNV) assessment, and mutational profiling. The correlation between CN amplification and IHC expression was evaluated using Somers' D ordinal association.

Results

Of the 653 cases, HER2 IHC scores were distributed as 3 + (3.1%), …

Percutaneous Closure Of A Left Ventricular Pseudoaneurysm Using A Post-Infarct Vsd Device Guided By Intracardiac Echocardiography, Omar Jafar, Nicholas Valle, Rupinder Bahniwal, Matthew Summers

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

Left ventricular pseudoaneurysm (LVPA) is a rare, life-threatening complication that may arise after cardiac surgery, myocardial infarctions, or infective endocarditis. We present a case of a 55-year-old woman with complex surgical history and prior infective endocarditis who developed an incidental LVPA. Due to lack of surgical repair options, a percutaneous approach was pursued using a post-infarct ventricular septal defect device (PIVSD) under guidance of fluoroscopy and intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) guidance with successful exclusion of LVPA. This case highlights the utility of multimodal imaging in the percutaneous management of complex left ventricular lesions.

The Signaling Value Of Input Information: Performance Effects Of Task Difficulty And Effort Sensitivity, Steven D. Smith, William B. Tayler, Tyler F. Thomas, Todd A. Thornock

Faculty Publications

We investigate how the reporting of input information to managers affects employee performance, and how the signaling value of inputs for impression management moderates this effect. We develop theory to predict that the information content of input information (incremental to output measures), and thus its potential for impression management, will depend separately on both the difficulty of the task and the sensitivity of performance to effort. Across three experiments, we predict and find the reporting of input information significantly increases employee effort and performance in difficult relative to easy tasks and in low relative to high effort sensitivity tasks. Our …

Psychological Reactance Theory And Tax Evasion Intentions, Diana Falsetta, Brian C. Spilker

Faculty Publications

This study experimentally examines how tax administration service inefficiencies in the form of tax return processing delays from paper-filed tax returns indirectly affect taxpayer tax evasion intentions through taxpayers’ psychological reactance to the delay. We further consider whether this indirect effect is different when the taxpayer willingly chooses to paper file their tax return versus when the taxpayer is forced to do so. Consistent with Psychological Reactance Theory (PRT), we find that when taxpayers receive delayed refunds, they experience psychological reactance (e.g., anger and frustration with the tax administration) that increases their tax evasion intentions. Further, we find that the …

The Ever-Present Nature Of Christ In The Title Of Jehovah, Dan Belnap

Faculty Publications

In January 2000 the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints bore testimony to the world of the reality, humanity, and divinity of Jesus Christ in a document titled “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles.” Among its many truths was the following: “He [Christ] was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament.”1 Though this was not the first time Church leadership had declared Christ to be Jehovah, the pronouncement does reemphasize this teaching. It also emphasizes the centrality of Christ in the Old Testament. In fact, the …

An House For The Lord: Solomon's Temple And Temple Worship In Ancient Israel, Dan Belnap

Faculty Publications

It would not be exaggeration to say that at the center of Old Testament history and theology is covenantal worship and the temple. From the Garden of Eden to the altars constructed by Abraham and the patriarchs, and the portable tabernacle of Moses, the concept of sacred space plays a fundamental role throughout biblical history and in the life of ancient Israel. But during the period of the monarchy, it became possible to construct a permanent house for the Lord. Thus, the construction and dedication of the temple are the primary subject within Solomon’s narrative arc. This chapter explores the …

Foreign Tax Holiday Participation And U.S. Job And Investment Loss, Zackery D. Fox, Linda Krull, Scott G. Rane

Faculty Publications

We investigate whether foreign tax holiday participation among U.S. multinational companies is associated with offshoring U.S. jobs and other domestic investment activities. We find that foreign tax holiday participation is associated with (1) an increase in offshoring U.S. jobs and (2) a decrease in domestic investment, as proxied by changes in the number of employees, capital expenditures, and R&D activity. Furthermore, we find evidence suggesting that the association between targeted, temporary tax incentives provided by foreign tax holidays and firms’ domestic activities is stronger among firms with a smaller foreign presence and is distinct from the impact of foreign statutory …

Existential Responsibility In Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, And Chiang, Justin F. White

Faculty Publications

In “Story of Your Life” and “Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom,” Ted Chiang explores questions that would be at home in contemporary scholarship on free will, agency, and moral responsibility. In “Story of Your Life,” Chiang asks whether knowledge of the future is compatible with free will. And the prism technology in “Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom” prompts questions of whether we are responsible for out-of-character actions. If such actions were genuine anomalies, would we be less responsible for them? In these stories, however, these questions are entangled with questions more at home in the existentialist tradition. Put …

A Generalized Coherence Framework For Quantifying Input Contributions In Multi-Input Systems With Correlated Or Uncorrelated Inputs, Nolan H. Howes, Matthew S. Allen, Dario Farina, Steven Knight Charles

Faculty Publications

In multi-input systems, it is often necessary to quantify the contribution of each input to an output. Such contribution analysis is frequently performed using coherence. However, when correlation is present between inputs, existing coherence measures do not accurately quantify the contribution of individual inputs, except in special cases. Here we propose an expanded coherence framework that enables contribution analysis in any multi-input system, regardless of input correlation. We bridged the gap by defining three new coherence measures: component, excluded, and isolated coherence. Component coherence is an intermediate measure that decomposes measured output power into components attributable to inputs directly vs …

Sources Of Influence In Marriage And Parenting For Interfaith Couples, William D. Stanford, Justin J. Hendricks, Ted G. Futris, Loren D. Marks, David C. Dollahite

Faculty Publications

Interfaith marriages are increasingly common, yet research on their family dynamics and sources of influence in family functioning remains limited. Relatedly, although research highlights religion’s influence on family processes, most studies only include same-faith couples. Subsequently, we qualitatively explored the experiences of 32 happily married interfaith couples, examining their sources of guidance in marriage and parenting, reasons for rejecting influences, and the role of religion in their family functioning. We identified one theme of rejecting outside influence and five key themes/sources of influence: one another/themselves, family, friends, media/professionals, and spiritual sources. Findings emphasize similarities between interfaith couples and American families …

Complementary Pre-Lateral Mergers Across Ethnicities And Generations In Georgia, Margaret E. L. Renwick, Jon Forrest, Joseph A. Stanley, Lelia Glass

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Timing Is Everything: Congruence, Controllability, And Performance Measure Weighting, Hayden T. Gunnell, Gary Hecht, William B. Tayler, Kristy L. Towry

Faculty Publications

We investigate whether the weights managers place on performance measures for performancebased compensation depend on whether weights are determined at the beginning or end of the performance period. We propose that managers frame the weighting decision differently depending on timing. Specifically, prior to employee effort, managers frame the decision as intended to align employee effort to firm objectives, whereas after employees have exerted effort, managers frame the weighting decision as intended to evaluate employee effort. Thus, we expect, and find, that managers weight measures that are more congruent with firm objectives more heavily when weightings are determined ex ante (before …

Considering Behaviour In Genetic Sampling – A Case Study With Grey Seals, Kathryn Wiltshire

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Genetic variations are increasingly linked to intra-specific behavioural variations. Advancing our knowledge of behavioural genetics could make screening populations for genetic polymorphisms associated with behavioural variations possible. Genetic-behaviour links have been increasingly discovered in terrestrial mammals, but there are few comparable studies in marine mammals. Developing efficient and cost-effective genetic sampling techniques is essential to allow more studies on behavioural genetics in lesser researched marine mammals. This study explores the potential of a sampling technique, still in its infancy in marine mammal studies, that has potential to cause minimal stress to the animals. Buccal swabs were tested in a group …

An Assessment Of The Dietary Bioavailability Of Tio2 And Inorganically Carbon-Based Nanomaterials In Rainbow Trout, Using The Ex Vivo Gut Sac Technique And A In Chemico Digestibility Assay, Craig Mchardy

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Abstract. Craig McHardyAn assessment of the dietary bioavailability of TiO2 and inorganically carbon-based nanomaterials in rainbow trout, using the ex vivo gut sac technique and a in chemico digestibility assay.Carbon based engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are an emerging contaminant within modern society, as such their environmental risk assessment is of high importance. Testing for their persistence, toxicity and bioaccumulation potential is important for regulatory bodies to fully understand the hazard posed. To date, data on the bioaccumulation potential of these ENMs is lacking, especially within fish. A tiered approach to bioaccumulation testing has been posed in which precursory tests such as …

Impact Of Dietary Functional Yeast Additives On Growth Performance And Health Of Selected Key Aquaculture Species, Sheu Odu-Onikosi

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The aquaculture industry has witnessed remarkable growth in recent decades underscoring its crucial role in global food security. However, this rapid expansion brings challenges, including the need to meet growing fish demand while minimising environmental impacts and managing disease prevalence. Functional feed additives (FFAs) have emerged as sustainable solutions to enhance fish health and performance. Among these, yeast-derived additives have garnered significant attention for their nutritional benefits and proven ability to promote growth and strengthen immune responses in fish.This study evaluates the effects of dietary brewer's yeast-derived additives on fish using a range of in-depth analyses, such as growth performance, …

Understanding The Evolution Of The Apical Organ In The Early Branching Metazoan, Nematostella Vectensis, Eleanor Gilbert

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The apical organ is a key sensory structure in marine invertebrate larvae that is involved in sensory processing and neural coordination, thereby influencing larval locomotion, settlement, and metamorphosis. This thesis explores the evolution, development, and function of the apical organ and wider apical domain in cnidarian larvae, with a particular focus on Nematostella vectensis. As an early-branching metazoan, N. vectensis is a unique model for studying evolution of the apical organ, and subsequently the origins of the nervous system. Through generating tissue-specific transcriptomes and integrating this data with an existing single-cell RNA sequencing dataset, this research identified a distinct neuronal …

Unravelling The Ecological Trade-Offs In Behavioural And Physiological Sexual Traits, Alicia Eveson

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Animals experience temporally and spatially heterogeneous environments throughout their lives. Therefore, individuals that are able to plastically adjust their behaviour to the current environment, are able to maximise their fitness. These behavioural adjustments are particularly important where there are trade-offs between investment in different life-history traits. Trade-offs between reproduction and survival have been widely documented, in addition to a body of evidence for trade-offs between mating related traits. How an individual adjusts their mating behaviour in response to their social and biotic environments are important aspects of selection. Changes in the social environment, including sex ratio or population density changes, …

Development Of Welfare Assessment Strategies For Indonesian Zoos, Yonathan Yonathan

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Animal welfare assessment is a core element of zoo management, helping zoos achieve positive welfare state for their animals. Welfare should be assessed regularly to evaluate, monitor, and improve the standards of care. The research on welfare assessment and its development process increased after the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) launched the 2023 Animal Welfare Goals, which include mandatory welfare assessment process for national and regional zoo associations. In Indonesia, many zoos don’t have their own welfare assessment and find it difficult to adapt generic tools due to variation in husbandry, resources, and facilities. This project aims to …

How Do Human-Induced Environmental Stressors Shape The Distribution, Physiology, And Behaviour Of The Lemur Leaf Frog?, Benjamin Hough

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The Lemur leaf frog (Agalychnis lemur) is a critically endangered species of anuran whose survival is increasingly threatened by human-induced environmental stressors, such as habitat loss, fragmentation, and climate change. This study investigates how those stressors shape the physiology, distribution, and behaviour of the species through combinations of physiological and distributional modelling and a behavioural trial. The study uses a novel approach into understanding how future risk posed by climate change could impact Lemur leaf frogs. By using field spatial data combined with physiological mechanistic modelling, the study is able to predict how Lemur leaf frogs body temperature and geographical …