Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Tree That Would Not Fall: An Educator’S Autoethnographic Journey Of Healing Through Words, Raeanna Marie Carlson

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

To say the world has changed since the 2020 COVID-19 shut down is to minimize the micro and macro social changes that infiltrated the school system. In the wake of it all, we find a landscape marred by a both rising teacher attrition and struggling student motivation. This autoethnographic dissertation explores the deeply personal experience tethered to a deeply problematic system that contributes to not only teacher burnout but what I came to know as teacher demoralization. Personal traumas of teachers profoundly impact their experience in the classroom, and as I examined my own near departure from the classroom, I …

Honoring Childhood Agency In Developmental Research: Best Practices, Applications, And Insights, Amanda N. Howery, Olivia J. Lashley, Hanna R. Wright, Julia L. Williams, Olivia K. Nomura, Eline Lenne, Elizabeth K. Wood, Hanna C. Gustafsson, Elinor L. Sullivan

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Pediatric research requires caregivers to provide informed consent on behalf of their children. While not a formal requirement for children under the age of seven, it is important to involve child participants in the assent and decision-making processes in developmentally appropriate ways. This is especially important in longitudinal research, where the extent to which a developing child understands study tasks evolves over time. Although there is consensus that assent procedures are important and necessary, limited resources synthesizing strategies for pediatric researchers to encourage positive and respectful research experiences for young children exist. We describe methods used in an ongoing longitudinal …

Readiness Of Universitas Indonesia To Be An Inclusive Campus For People With Disabilities, Dumilah Ayuningtyas, Tri Auri Putri Ayuningtyas, Anita Pebrina Lubis, Anindya Naila Sabahat, Ratih Oktarina, Afaf Jauhar

Masyarakat: Jurnal Sosiologi

Ensuring equal education rights remains a challenge in Indonesia, despite constitutional mandates and the global commitment to “no one left behind.” The Disability Participation Rate remains low; in 2023, only 21.03% of individuals aged 19–23 were included. This reflects, among other factors, the limited preparedness of educational institutions. This study evaluates Universitas Indonesia’s readiness to develop inclusive education for persons with physical, sensory, mental, and intellectual disabilities. Using the capability approach, it assesses whether institutional resources can be translated into capability-enhancing conditions for students with disabilities. The study draws on literature review, targeted document searches, SWOT analysis, IFE-EFE matrices, and …

What Is Clinical Excellence, And How Do Healthcare Companies Achieve It?, Lorena R. Muller

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Clinical excellence is the benchmark for quality in modern healthcare organizations, encompassing safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable care. For organizations to develop excellent care facilities, they must clearly define the roles and responsibilities of their healthcare teams. These necessities include strong leadership, a structured staff, a functioning clinical support system, and finally, a focus and strategy to help their community's population health needs. By examining existing programs and developing them in response to the needs of healthcare organizations and communities, this article explores various ways to achieve excellence.

Medical Surveillance In Custodial Jsas: Preventing Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure, Kiara Gadea

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Custodians play an important role in maintaining our surroundings safe and sanitary. However, in doing so, they are their exposure to health hazards that put them at risk, yet these exposures are often overlooked. One major risk they face is contact with bloodborne pathogens, which put custodial staff at risk for infections such as hepatitis B. While Job Safety Analyses (JSA’s) outline various protective measures, many fail to incorporate medical surveillance as part of their risk management program. Overlooking this important detail leaves custodians vulnerable to health risks that can be prevented.

Adding a medical surveillance section to custodial JSA’s, …

Bilingual Budget-Friendly Hispanic Cookbook And Resource Guide For Food Pantries In San Bernardino County, Anasofia Garay Guzman

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

San Bernardino County is faced with a significant issue of food insecurity with its residents relying on food pantries to meet their food and nutritional needs. However, the food items offered at food pantries are often limited in quantities and the variety is inconsistent, which makes it a challenge for families wanting to prepare healthier budget friendly meals while maintaining its cultural relevance. This project consists of two main key components: a bilingual, culturally relevant budget-friendly Hispanic cookbook and a comprehensive resource guide about ways and ingredient substitutions adaptable to the recipe based on what is available.

The cookbook included …

Exploring Factors Influencing Care And Outcome Among Stroke Patients In Tennessee, Omodele Agbejimi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in Tennessee. Socioeconomic variables influence the delivery of stroke treatment and its outcomes. Despite advances in acute stroke care, the burden of stroke keeps increasing. This study aimed to explore literature on factors contributing to stroke care and outcomes in the U.S., assess the determinants of stroke patients’ outcomes, and examine the geographical disparities in stroke hospitalization and stroke death rate and their association with stroke care accessibility in Tennessee.

Methods: A scoping review was conducted using socio-ecological models to explore literature on factors contributing to stroke care and outcomes. A …

Did California's Mental Health Services Act Improve Mental Health? Evidence From Self-Reported Data, Bennett Rider

All Theses

This analysis evaluates the impact of California’s Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), which was implemented in 2006 to increase access and improve quality of mental health care for Californians. Difference-in-differences analyses were applied to evaluate the impact of the MHSA on the number of poor mental health days in the past month (PMHDs) that survey respondents had self-reported, relative to a control group with similar pre-policy trends. Using survey data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), this study found that the MHSA’s full implementation is associated with California respondents reporting 0.118 fewer poor mental health days in the …

Evaluation Of The Psychometric Properties Of The Social Communication Questionnaire In Rural Kenya, Patricia Kipkemoi, Jeanne Savage, Joseph Gona, Kenneth Rimba, Martha Kombe, Paul Mwangi, Collins Kipkoech, Danielle Posthuma, Charles Newton, Amina Abubakar

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Children can be reliably diagnosed with autism as early as 3 years of age, and early interventions are initiated. There is often a significant gap between the age of onset of symptoms (2–3 years) and diagnosis (8–10 years) in Africa. We conducted a study to validate the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) as a screening instrument in a rural setting in Kenya. The study was conducted along the Kenyan Coast. Study participants included 172 children with a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) diagnosis (84 of which were autism) and 112 controls. Internal consistency was evaluated through the use of Cronbach’s alpha, confirmatory factor …

Genetic Study Of Von Willebrand Factor Antigen Levels ≤ 50 Iu/Dl Identifies Variants Associated With Increased Risk Of Von Willebrand Disease And Bleeding, Rachel K Friedman, Adam S Heath, Jennifer E Huffman, James T Baker, Natalie R Hasbani, Sarah A Gagliano Taliun, Ming-Huei Chen, Tom E Howard, Joshua P Lewis, Nathan Pankratz, Snehal Patil, Alex P Reiner, Florian Thibord, Lisa R Yanek, Jie Yao, Hung-Hsin Chen, Joanne E Curran, Nauder Faraday, Xiuqing Guo, Marsha M Wheeler, Kathleen A Ryan, Xiang Zhou, Kelly Cho, Laura Almasy, Paul L Auer, Lewis C Becker, Peter W F Wilson, Eric Boerwinkle, Jeffrey R O'Connell, Stephen S Rich, David C Samuels, National Heart, Lung And Blood Institute (Nhlbi) Trans-Omics For Precision Medicine (Topmed) Consortium, Topmed Hematology & Hemostasis Working Group, Va Million Veteran Program, John Blangero, Myriam Fornage, Charles Kooperberg, Rasika A Mathias, Braxton D Mitchell, Jerome I Rotter, Andrew D Johnson, Nicholas L Smith, Zeynep H Coban-Akdemir, Jennifer E Below, Alanna C Morrison, Jill M Johnsen, Paul S De Vries

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: von Willebrand disease (VWD) is a common inherited bleeding disorder caused by low levels or activity of circulating von Willebrand factor (VWF). Genetic susceptibility to VWF antigen (VWF:Ag) below normal (≤ 50 IU/dL) in the general population is underexplored.

Objectives: To identify genetic variants influencing VWF:Ag levels ≤ 50 IU/dL.

Methods: We performed a genome-wide association study in 926 cases with VWF:Ag levels ≤ 50 IU/dL and 12 846 controls from 7 studies from the Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine program. We then examined whether significant genome-wide findings were also associated with clinical diagnosis of VWD in 5 biobanks with …

Do Finances Determine Our Fate?: Understanding The Relationships Between Socioeconomic Status, Inflammation, And Cancer Recurrence Risk, Faith Wilbourne

Master's Theses

Individuals of a low socioeconomic status (SES) are more likely to experience a cancer recurrence relative to individuals with a higher SES. This may be partially explained by the stressors of living with a low SES. These stressors can increase inflammatory markers known to elevate the risk of cancer development. Health-promoting behaviors such as exercise, adequate sleep, and a healthy diet can reduce systemic inflammation. Health behaviors may therefore moderate any potential relationship between SES and cancer recurrence risk. This study explored associations between SES (income, educational attainment) and inflammatory markers related to cancer recurrence while seeking to determine if …

Caring For Home Care Workers: Health And Safety Hazards, Harms And Risk Factors, Denise M. Jepsen, Sanetta Henrietta Johanna Du Toit, Toni Robyn Barker, Saul Wodak, Erin Lawn, Tash Freeburn, Josh Rhee, Carmel Laragy, Elizabeth Convery

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Home care workers support the growing number of older adults or people with disabilities who are living at home in their own private residences. The complex and varied work health and safety (WHS) hazards these workers face on the job include both physical and psychosocial harms. While physical WHS hazards in this sector have been articulated, there is an urgent need to update, understand and address psychosocial risks such as verbal abuse and sexually inappropriate behaviour and bullying, particularly when perpetrated by clients. This study sought to identify the range of WHS hazards and harms that home care workers face …

Restricting Outdoor Advertising Of Unhealthy Food: Can Australia's Food Category-Based Classification System Be Applied Consistently?, Clare Whitton, Frith Klug, Alexia Bivoltsis, Georgina S.A. Trapp, Claire E. Pulker

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Most outdoor food advertising (e.g. billboards and bus stops) features foods that are considered unhealthy. The most important technical challenge when designing policies to restrict unhealthy outdoor food advertising is defining 'unhealthy food'. To date, most restriction policies have used nutrient profiling models (i.e. foods are classified according to their nutritional composition) to determine which foods and beverages may be advertised. In Australia, state governments have endorsed a food category-based classification system, with no prescribed nutrient limits, which may create ambiguity when multiple users are identifying food advertisements to be restricted. This study aimed to assess the consistency of decisions …

Welding Fume In The Western Australian Mining Industry: Impact Of A Change To The Workplace Exposure Standard, Matthew Oosthuizen, Kerry Staples, Adelle Liebenberg, Kiam Padamsey, Marcus Cattani, Andy Mccarthy, Jacques Oosthuizen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The aim of this study was to analyse the Western Australian (WA) Safety Regulatory System (SRS) database to assess compliance of the WA mining sector regarding workers exposure to welding fumes and to identify trends over time. De-identified data analysed to assess the impact of reducing workplace exposure standards (WES) for general welding fumes on industry compliance. Historical trend analysis shows a shift from 100% compliance to 100% non-compliance, based on mean values and 95% confidence intervals, with exposure levels remaining consistent over time. These findings highlight the need for current, innovative engineering solutions, and raise questions about the validity …

A Global Movement Takes Shape – Physical Activity, Health, And The New Era Of Responsibility: “Global Alliance For Promotion Of Physical Activity”, J. M. Steinacker, W. Van Mechelen, C. Joisten, S. Zanuso, C. A. Jaworski, Y. P. Pitsiladis

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

No abstract provided.

Identifying And Breaking Barriers: Addressing Disparities In The Care Of Patients With Gynecologic Cancers, Bhavana Pothuri, Michele Muir, Jean Hurteau, John Farley, Michelle D. Lightfoot, Summer Dewdney, Tara Castellano, John K. Chan, Sharad Ghamande, Al Asante-Facey, Marina Stasenko, B J. Rimel, Electra D. Paskett

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Significant disparities exist in the care of patients with gynecologic malignancies. Higher incidences of gynecologic malignancies among underrepresented subpopulations (eg, racial, ethnic, and/or LGBTQAI+) and lack of representative enrollment within clinical trials have highlighted the need to improve healthcare equity. We aimed to identify barriers to equitable health care and clinical trial participation for specific diverse populations of patients with gynecologic malignancies and to identify potential solutions for overcoming these barriers. METHODS: A series of 4 live and 3 asynchronous advisory boards facilitated by GSK was conducted between January 2023 and July 2024; live advisory boards were population specific. …

Impaired Rest-Activity Rhythm Characteristics Predict Higher Risk Of Incident Type 2 Diabetes In Uk Biobank Participants, Chris Ho Ching Yeung, Alison K Wright, Daniel P Windred, Angus C Burns, Andrew J K Phillips, Sean W Cain, Martin K Rutter, Qian Xiao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Circadian rhythms play a key role in metabolic health. Rest-activity rhythms, which are in part driven by circadian rhythms, may be associated with diabetes risk. There is a need for large prospective studies to comprehensively examine different rest-activity metrics to determine their relative strength in predicting risk of incident type 2 diabetes.

Research design and methods: In actigraphy data from 83,887 UK Biobank participants, we applied both parametric and nonparametric algorithms to derive 13 different metrics characterizing different aspects of rest-activity rhythm. Diabetes cases were identified using both self-reported data and health records. We used Cox proportional hazards models …

Linking Chronic Kidney Disease To Incident Heart Failure And Adverse Cardiac Remodeling Through The Plasma Proteome: The Aric Study, Leo F Buckley, Pranav Dorbala, Victoria Lamberson, Brian L Claggett, Yue Ren, Morgan E Grams, Josef Coresh, Kunihiro Matsushita, Ryan T Demmer, Ruth F Dubin, Rajat Deo, Peter Ganz, Christie M Ballantyne, Ron C Hoogeveen, Bing Yu, Amil M Shah

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Investigation of circulating plasma proteins may reveal insights into molecular pathways that contribute to the development of heart failure (HF) among people with chronic kidney disease.

Objectives: The authors aimed to identify circulating kidney function-related plasma proteins that are associated with the risk of incident HF.

Methods: The authors studied participants of the ongoing longitudinal ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities) study. Relative plasma concentrations of 4,697 unique proteins were measured with the use of an aptamer assay (Somalogic). Each protein was tested for associations with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), log-transformed urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), and incident HF by …

Trends In Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonist Prescribing Patterns, Maria Ukhanova, Joseph S Wozny, Chau N Truong, Lopita Ghosh, Trudy M Krause

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Obesity affects more than 40% of US adults, increasing risks for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), initially indicated for diabetes, show promise in weight loss but face coverage issues, high costs, and premature prescribing from physicians. Research is needed to assess prescribing patterns, especially in patients without diabetes.

Study design: We conducted a retrospective, population-based, observational study using the Merative MarketScan Commercial Database and the Merative MarketScan Medicare Supplemental Database, which capture person-specific clinical utilization and expenditures. We analyzed GLP-1 RA prescribing rates from 2018 to 2023, comparing semaglutide with other …

Autoantibody Profiling To Predict Response To The Anti-Pd-1 Therapy, Pembrolizumab, In Rare Tumors, M H Derbala, J Hajjar, B Stephen, S A Gurses, E Kwiatkowski, P Budde, H-D Zucht, M Bräutigam, A-S Lindemann, B A Abhari, M A Gouda, L Castillo, A Zarifa, J A How, E Rodriguez, J T Moyers, D S Hong, S Fu, F Meric-Bernstam, A Naing

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have limited response rates in selected patients and can cause potentially life-threatening immune-related adverse events (irAEs). This underscores the urgent need for the development of biomarkers predictive of ICI response. Pre-existing autoantibodies (AAbs) have been linked with responses to ICIs and the development of irAEs. We conducted AAb profiling to assess associations between baseline AAbs and clinical benefit (CB) in patients with rare tumors treated with anti-programmed cell death protein 1-based therapy.

Patients and methods: We conducted AAb profiling using Oncimmune's SeroTag multiplex antibody discovery technology and immune oncology array containing 1168 antigens. The study …

Racial Disparities In The Receipt Of Therapies For Cancer, Hypertension, And Diabetes, And In Mortality In A Large Population-Based Cohort Of Older Men With Prostate Cancer, Zhuoyun Li, Xianglin L Du

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Racial disparities in treatment and mortality were widely studied among prostate cancer patients; however, few studies considered the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes and their treatment status.

Objectives: To determine whether there are racial discrepancies in the use of anti-cancer, antihypertensive, and antidiabetic drugs in a cohort of long-term survivors of prostate cancer diagnosed in 2007-2015; and to examine racial disparities in mortality after adjustments for their differences in those treatments.

Methods: We used the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results)-Medicare linked database and included records for patients with prostate cancer at age 65 years or older diagnosed from …

Evaluating The Impact Of Medicaid Expansion On Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Care And Health Disparities, Marvin Idoteyin Okon

All Dissertations

Persistent disparities in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) outcomes reflect broader structural inequities shaped by race, place, and socioeconomic conditions. This dissertation examined trends in NSCLC outcomes over the past two decades and evaluated the impact of Medicaid Expansion (ME) under the Affordable Care Act on improving outcomes and reducing disparities, especially in marginalized communities.

Using nationally representative datasets, three interrelated studies were conducted. The first assessed trends in NSCLC incidence, early-stage diagnosis, and 3-year survival from 2002-2021, stratified by metropolitan status, deprivation (Social Deprivation Index), and segregation (Index of Concentration at the Extremes). While incidence declined and early-stage diagnosis …

Evaluating Covid-19, Influenza, And Rsv Vaccine Effectiveness, Iromi N. Jayawardena

All Dissertations

Respiratory infectious diseases, including COVID-19, influenza, and RSV, pose significant public health challenges, especially during the respiratory virus season. Vaccination remains the primary intervention to mitigate morbidity and mortality associated with these diseases. Vaccine effectiveness (VE) can vary between seasons and populations, necessitating continuous evaluation. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the 2024-2025 COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, 2024-2025 seasonal influenza vaccine, and single-dose RSV vaccine over two seasons.

Utilizing electronic health records (EHRs) from the Prisma Health healthcare system, this dissertation emulated target trials to assess the vaccine effectiveness of each vaccine. Risk set propensity matching was used to …

Europe–Africa Collaboration: Working Together To Strengthen Health Research, Implementation, And Equitable Systems, Lara Pandya, Irene Norstedt, Martin Seychell, Emer Cooke, Isabel Barranco, Niklas Blomberg, Marleen Temmerman, Michael Makanga

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

No abstract provided.

Associations Between Social Support, Social Control, And Stage Of Change With Self-Reported And Objectively Assessed Physical Activity In Adult Latino Dyads, Jemima C John, Minjae Lee, Soo K Park, Lorna H Mcneill, Deanna M Hoelscher, Susan M Schembre, Belinda M Reininger, Larkin L Strong

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Health behaviors such as physical activity (PA) are socially influenced, such that individuals from shared social networks or living environments may exhibit similar habits. This cross-sectional study examined associations of social support, social control, and family member stage of change with moderate-to-vigorous self-reported and objective PA in dyads of adult Hispanic family members. We used the Godin Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire to assess self-reported PA and accelerometry for objective PA. Validated scales assessed social support, social control, and stage of change. We performed multivariable multilevel analysis using generalized estimating equations (GEE) to account for within-dyad correlations. We conducted multivariable negative …

A Large-Scale Genome-Wide Study Of Gene-Sleep Duration Interactions For Blood Pressure In 811,405 Individuals From Diverse Populations, Pavithra Nagarajan, Thomas W Winkler, Amy R Bentley, Clint L Miller, Aldi T Kraja, Karen Schwander, Songmi Lee, Wenyi Wang, Michael R Brown, John L Morrison, Ayush Giri, Jeffrey R O'Connell, Traci M Bartz, Lisa De Las Fuentes, Valborg Gudmundsdottir, Xiuqing Guo, Sarah E Harris, Zhijie Huang, Mart Kals, Minjung Kho, Christophe Lefevre, Jian'an Luan, Leo-Pekka Lyytikäinen, Massimo Mangino, Yuri Milaneschi, Nicholette D Palmer, Varun Rao, Rainer Rauramaa, Botong Shen, Stefan Stadler, Quan Sun, Jingxian Tang, Sébastien Thériault, Adriaan Van Der Graaf, Peter J Van Der Most, Yujie Wang, Stefan Weiss, Kenneth E Westerman, Qian Yang, Tabara Yasuharu, Wei Zhao, Wanying Zhu, Drew Altschul, Md Abu Yusuf Ansari, Pramod Anugu, Anna D Argoty-Pantoja, Michael Arzt, Hugues Aschard, John R Attia, Lydia Bazzanno, Max A Breyer, Jennifer A Brody, Brian E Cade, Hung-Hsin Chen, Yii-Der Ida Chen, Zekai Chen, Paul S De Vries, Latchezar M Dimitrov, Anh Do, Jiawen Du, Charles T Dupont, Todd L Edwards, Michele K Evans, Tariq Faquih, Stephan B Felix, Susan P Fisher-Hoch, James S Floyd, Mariaelisa Graff, Charles Gu, Dongfeng Gu, Kristen G Hairston, Anthony J Hanley, Iris M Heid, Sami Heikkinen, Heather M Highland, Michelle M Hood, Mika Kähönen, Carrie A Karvonen-Gutierrez, Takahisa Kawaguchi, Setoh Kazuya, Tanika N Kelly, Pirjo Komulainen, Daniel Levy, Henry J Lin, Peter Y Liu, Pedro Marques-Vidal, Joseph B Mccormick, Hao Mei, James B Meigs, Cristina Menni, Kisung Nam, Ilja M Nolte, Natasha L Pacheco, Lauren E Petty, Hannah G Polikowsky, Michael A Province, Bruce M Psaty, Laura M Raffield, Olli T Raitakari, Stephen S Rich, Renata L Riha, Lorenz Risch, Martin Risch, Edward A Ruiz-Narvaez, Rodney J Scott, Colleen M Sitlani, Jennifer A Smith, Tamar Sofer, Maris Teder-Laving, Uwe Völker, Peter Vollenweider, Guanchao Wang, Ko Willems Van Dijk, Otis D Wilson, Rui Xia, Jie Yao, Kristin L Young, Ruiyuan Zhang, Xiaofeng Zhu, Jennifer E Below, Carsten A Böger, David Conen, Simon R Cox, Marcus Dörr, Mary F Feitosa, Ervin R Fox, Nora Franceschini, Sina A Gharib, Vilmundur Gudnason, Sioban D Harlow, Jiang He, Elizabeth G Holliday, Zoltan Kutalik, Timo A Lakka, Deborah A Lawlor, Seunggeun Lee, Terho Lehtimäki, Changwei Li, Ching-Ti Liu, Reedik Mägi, Fumihiko Matsuda, Alanna C Morrison, Brenda Wjh Penninx, Patricia A Peyser, Jerome I Rotter, Harold Snieder, Tim D Spector, Lynne E Wagenknecht, Nicholas J Wareham, Alan B Zonderman, Kari E North, Myriam Fornage, Million Veteran Program, Adriana M Hung, Alisa K Manning, James Gauderman, Han Chen, Patricia B Munroe, Dabeeru C Rao, Diana Van Heemst, Susan Redline, Raymond Noordam, Heming Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Although both short and long sleep duration are associated with elevated hypertension risk, our understanding of their interplay with biological pathways governing blood pressure remains limited. To address this, we carried out genome-wide cross-population gene-by-short-sleep and long-sleep duration interaction analyses for three blood pressure traits (systolic, diastolic, and pulse pressure) in 811,405 individuals from diverse population groups. We discovered 22 novel gene-sleep duration interaction loci for blood pressure, mapped to 23 genes. Investigating these genes' functional implications shed light on neurological, thyroidal, bone metabolism, and hematopoietic pathways that necessitate future investigation for blood pressure management that caters to sleep health …

Corporate Ownership, Health System Affiliation, And Market Concentration Of Home Health Agencies, Kun Li, Shekinah Fashaw-Walters, M Kate Bundorf, Yucheng Hou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This cross-sectional study examines how growing health system affiliation and corporate ownership models may potentially contribute to home health agency (HHA) market concentration.

Chance Or Strategy? Assessing The Unanticipated Policy Window For Active Transportation During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review, Katja Siefken, Michael Pratt, Juliana Mejía-Grueso, Adrian Bauman, Deborah Salvo, Catherine B Woods, Wanda Wendel-Vos, Justin Richards, J Jaime Miranda, Pedro C Hallal, Andrea Ramírez Varela

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Physical activity (PA) policy is essential for promoting population-level PA by coordinating efforts across various sectors. Global crises like the COVID-19 pandemic can open policy windows, enabling rapid implementation of innovative policies. This study examined how policy windows shaped active transportation (AT) policies during the pandemic, resulting in infrastructural changes.

Methods: A systematic review using PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest-Coronavirus Research Database, Web of Science, WHO COVID-19 Research Database, PsycInfo, and SPORTDiscus conducted to characterize AT policy during the pandemic (2020-2023). Descriptive analyses were conducted in Stata. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42025644930.

Results: The search retrieved 3879 articles; 1162 were duplicates, leaving 2716 …

Accelerometer-Measured Chronoactivity And Type 2 Diabetes Risk: A Prospective Study In Uk Biobank Participants, Qiuyu Feng, Gali Albalak, Ko Willems Van Dijk, Jeroen H P M Van Der Velde, Qian Xiao, Raymond Noordam, Diana Van Heemst

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: We assessed whether timing of physical activity, independent from the total activity amount, - which we refer to as chronoactivity - is associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk.

Methods: We included UK Biobank participants with valid accelerometry data (UK, exposure measurement: 2013-2015, follow-up till November 2023) and without diabetes mellitus at baseline (N = 89,439; mean age: 61.7 [SD:7.9] years). Relative hourly physical activity was calculated by dividing the average hourly clock time physical activity by the average hourly physical activity in a week. Participants were categorized into different chronoactivity clusters using k-means cluster analysis on relative hourly …

Genome-Wide Approaches To Bacterial Strain Typing: A History And Review Of Recent Methodological Advances, William C Shropshire, Blake M Hanson, Samuel A Shelburne

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose of review: Whole genome sequencing (WGS) has transformed bacterial strain typing, an essential tool for outbreak detection, antimicrobial resistance surveillance, and tracking clonal emergence across clinical, research, and public health settings. Herein, we will review recent advances in WGS-based bacterial strain typing methods for purposes of comparison and classification with a focus on improvements in variant identification, strain classification, and transmission assessment.

Recent findings: Advances in sequencing technologies as well as variant calling methodologies and parameter optimization have enhanced the precision and accuracy of single nucleotide variant identification. Hierarchical clustering of gene-by-gene strain typing, combined with novel data management …