Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

2-Aminobutyrate Mediates The Impact Of Air Pollution On Blood Biomarkers Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Anum Saeed, Chris Mckennan, Jane E Clougherty, Peidi Zhou, Sheila Tripathy, Ellen J Kinnee, Jiaxuan Duan, Kevin Kip, Xuemei Zeng, Victor Villemagne, Tharick Pascoal, Mark Mapstone, Eric A Whitsel, Oscar I Lopez, Christie Ballantyne, Thomas K Karikari, Bing Yu, Steven Reis, Annie Cohen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: We examined the impact of mid-life metabolites on late-life Alzheimer's disease (AD) plasma biomarkers and whether these metabolites mediate air pollution effects.

Methods: In the Heart Strategies Concentrating on Risk Evaluation (Heart SCORE) cohort, we applied high-dimensional regression and meditation models, adjusting for observed and latent confounders, with replication in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Exposures included mid-life fine particulate matter (PM2.5), black carbon, metals, and metabolites. Outcomes were: late-life plasma p-tau(181, 217, and 231) and amyloid beta 42/40 (Simoa assays).

Results: In the Heart SCORE study, seven lipid- and amnio acid-pathway metabolites measured in mid-life were …

A Smoking-Related Plasma Protein Score And Smoking-Related Cancer Risk And Mortality In The Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities Study, Meng Ru, Christopher Douville, Aghiles Guenoun, Hana Zahed, Christie M Ballantyne, Kenneth R Butler, Josef Coresh, David J Couper, Panagis Galiatsatos, Marc J Gunter, Ron C Hoogeveen, Mattias Johansson, Corinne E Joshu, P Martijn Kolijn, Christina M Lill, Jiayun Lu, Michael T Marrone, Giovanna Masala, David C Muller, Anna E Prizment, Raul Zamora-Ros, Nilanjan Chatterjee, Adrienne Tin, Elizabeth A Platz

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Self-reported smoking may not fully capture individualized risk of smoking-related cancer, but circulating proteins may reflect biological consequences of smoking. Thus, we developed a score based on smoking-related proteins and evaluated its association with smoking-related cancer.

Methods: This prospective cohort study included 10 563 participants aged 47-70 years in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study. Plasma proteins were measured using the SomaScan Platform (SomaLogic Operating Co, Inc). The score was constructed from proteins associated with current smoking, pack-years, or recent quitting identified by linear regression and elastic net regression. Cox regression was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios and …

Risk Factors When Considering Heart Transplants With Donors Aged 45 Or Above: Development Of A Novel Mortality Risk Score Using Unos Data, Anh Nguyen, Abbas Rana, Alexis Shafii, Gabriel Loor, Andrew Civitello, Todd Rosengart, Kenneth Liao

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Current International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation guidelines support the use of donor hearts aged ≥45 if significant coronary artery disease is excluded and ischemic time remains < 4 hours. This study aimed to identify additional risk factors affecting patient survival and develop a risk score for recipients of older donor hearts.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of adult heart transplants using donors aged ≥45 from January 2000 to June 2024, using United Network for Organ Sharing data. Multivariable Cox regression identified risk factors for mortality, and the most significant variables were used to construct a risk score.

Results: Of 58,859 adult heart transplants, 9,843 (16.7%) involved donors aged ≥45. Recipient median age was 58 years (interquartile range, 51-64). One-, 5-, …

Reducing Transfusions In Neuromuscular Spinal Fusion: A National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatrics Quality Improvement Project, Holden Archer, Venessa L Pinto, Farrah Russell, Valentina Briceño, Melissa Ard, Lisa Hensch, Jun Teruya, Tanisha G Daugherty, Wallis Molchen, Ryan D Coleman, Darrell Hanson, Frank T Gerow, Nicole I Montgomery

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Pediatric spinal fusion can result in substantial blood loss, particularly in patients with scoliosis related to underlying neuromuscular (NM) disease. Transfusion is frequently required but carries risks including transfusion reactions, alloimmunization, volume overload, and infection.

Local problem: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatrics (ACS NSQIP-P) is a nationally validated, risk-adjusted national outcomes registry. At our institution, ACS NSQIP-P data identified our institution as a high outlier in transfusion for neuromuscular scoliosis patients.

Methods: A multidisciplinary group convened from January 2024 to June 2024 to design and implement a perioperative pathway with the primary goal of …

Adhesion G Protein-Coupled Receptors, Tobias Langenhan, Garret R Anderson, Demet Araç, Gabriela Aust, Monserrat Avila-Zozaya, Sofie Morsing Bagger, Patrick Barth, Sandra Berndt, Stephen C Blacklow, Beatriz Blanco-Redondo, Antony A Boucard, James P Bridges, Lara-Sophie Brodmerkel, Kathleen M Caron, Yin Kwan Chung, Andrew N Dates, Virginea De Araujo Farias, Daniel Del Toro, Joseph G Duman, Felix B Engel, David M Favara, Caroline J Formstone, Chaoyu Fu, Alain Garcia De Las Bayonas, Anastasia Georgiadi, David E Gloriam, Randy A Hall, Jörg Hamann, Peter W Hildebrand, Cheng-Chih Hsiao, Bill X Huang, Jonathan A Javitch, Hee-Yong Kim, Robert J Kittel, Gunnar Kleinau, Richard Leduc, Ines Liebscher, Hsi-Hsien Lin, Joshua Linnert, Marie-Gabrielle Ludwig, David C Martinelli, Signe Mathiasen, Daniel Matúš, Mariam Melkumyan, Ana L Moreno-Salinas, Jan Mulder, Michael A Nash, Kasturi Pal, Daniel T Pederick, Nicole A Perry-Hauser, Xianhua Piao, Yu-Qi Ping, Dimitris G Placantonakis, Fabian Pohl, Simone Prömel, Mette M Rosenkilde, Laurent Sabbagh, Richard C Sando, Patrick Scheerer, Torsten Schöneberg, Elena Seiradake, Mareike Selcho, Florian Seufert, Abhishek K Singh, Georgios Skiniotis, Katja Spiess, Norbert Sträter, David Strutt, Thomas C Südhof, Jinpeng Sun, Gregory G Tall, Doreen Thor, Douglas G Tilley, Kimberley F Tolias, Mario Vallon, Erwin G Van Meir, Benoit Vanhollebeke, Giselle R Wiggin, Uwe Wolfrum, Jie Yan, Nathan A Zaidman, Yimin Zou, Nicole Scholz

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Adhesion G protein-coupled receptors (aGPCRs) constitute a structurally and functionally distinct group within the superfamily of GPCRs. In 2015, the International Union of Pharmacology invited the Adhesion GPCR Consortium to publish a comprehensive review about aGPCRs and establish a unified nomenclature. Since then, substantial progress has been made in delineating the biological roles, molecular architecture, biochemical properties, expression profiles, ligand repertoire, and activation and signaling strategies of aGPCRs. Commensurate with these advances, their relevance to human pathophysiology has become increasingly apparent. In a coordinated effort, the Adhesion GPCR Consortium has reviewed recent progress in this field and provides a comprehensive …

Robot-Assisted Resection Of Diaphragmatic And Hepatorenal Recess Peritoneal Endometriosis: Two Cases And A Narrative Review, Xiaoming Guan, Qiannan Yang, Daniel Y Lovell, Chunhua Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

In this report, we describe two cases of diaphragmatic endometriosis with concurrent hepatorenal recess peritoneal involvement managed using robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery with the da Vinci Xi platform. In both patients, diaphragmatic implants and hepatorenal recess peritoneal lesions were excised en bloc, followed by resection of additional pelvic and abdominal lesions. Case 1 involved a 45-year-old woman whose pathology confirmed endometriosis in 28 of 46 sites, including the diaphragm, umbilicus, bowel, hepatorenal recess peritoneum, and pelvic peritoneum. Case 2 involved a 32-year-old woman with histopathologic evidence of endometriosis in 26 of 34 resected sites, including the appendix, diaphragm, hepatorenal recess peritoneum, …

Assessment Of Correctness, Content Omission, And Risk Of Harm In Large Language Model Responses To Ophthalmology Continuing Medical Education Questions, Jacqueline L Chen, Amanda J Lu, Rohan Verma, Li Wang, Douglas D Koch, Allison J Chen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy and prose responses of 2 large language models (LLMs) to ophthalmology continuing medical education questions.

Design: Question prompts and multiple choice (MC) answer options were input into the 2 LLMs, and responses were analyzed for accuracy and assessed for evidence of correctness, completeness, bias, and potential harm using a previously reported standardized rubric.

Subjects: Basic and Clinical Science Course questions and MC answer options from the American Academy of Ophthalmology question bank were used as inputs into the 2 LLMs (ChatGPT-4 and Google Vertex's Gemini Pro 1.5).

Methods: The MC responses were assessed for accuracy …

A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis On The Levels Of Supportive Care Needs In Adults With Cancer, Caroline B. Silveira, Rech, Maria Petropoulou, Pietro S. Rössler, Francine F. De Souza, Helena B. Böhmer, Amanda L. Giacomet, Richard Alejandro B. De Barros, Lucélia De C. De Barros, Vagner R.Z.B. Pereira, Nanci Da S.T. Junqueira, Pedro Lopez

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: To estimate the levels of supportive care needs among adults with cancer using the Supportive Care Needs Survey–Short Form 34 (SCNS-SF34) and to examine demographic, clinical, and treatment-related determinants. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted (CRD42024604977). Studies reporting SCNS-SF34 scores in adults with cancer were included. Searches were performed across six different databases (November 2024; updated August 2025). Random-effects meta-analyses were undertaken to estimate the pooled mean scores across the five SCNS-SF34 domains and total score. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses explored potential determinants. Results: Ninety-five studies (n = 32,493) were analysed. The unmet needs observed tended to …

Between-Session Reliability And Sensitivity Of Force Production Characteristics Across Various Force-Time Points During The Isometric Single-Leg Long-Lever Bridge, Adam E. Sundh, Nicholas J. Ripley, A. J. Lamb, Conor J. Cantwell, Paul Comfort

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The purpose of this study was to assess the between-session reliability of peak force and early force-time variables in a unilateral isometric hamstring assessment (isometric long-lever bridge). The sample consisted of 30 collegiate male athletes (age: 19.4±1.3 years; height: 1.79±0.1 m; body mass: 80.4±10.3 kg) with no history of recent hamstring injury (<6 months) who volunteered to participate in the study. All participants performed 3 unilateral maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC) with their heels on force plates and shoulders elevated 15.24 cm, while their hips were secured with a loaded barbell. Data was analyzed to assess the reliability of force values at 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 ms, and peak force (N) across three repeated sessions. Moderate-good relative and absolute reliabilities were observed across all early force-time variables with lower bound ICC values≥0.51 (0.51–0.71) and point estimate CV%≤12.65% (7.63–12.65), with moderate relative (ICC≥0.74; range 0.74–0.92) and absolute (CV%≤6.50%; range 6.48–6.50) reliability for peak force. Trivial to small effect sizes (g≤0.4) were observed between sessions. These findings suggest that the isometric single-leg long-lever bridge (SL-LLB) can be used to reliably monitor peak and rapid force generating capacities to track performance changes over time due to training adaptations as well as acute or chronic fatigue.

Investigating Speech-Language Pathologists’ Perceptions On Bilingual/Multilingual Aac Intervention And Quality Of Care, Lillian D. Griffith

Communication Disorders and Occupational Therapy Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study examined U.S.-based speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) perceptions of bilingual/multilingual AAC service provision and the barriers SLPs encounter to determine if SLP beliefs align with practices. An anonymous survey was distributed to 307 ASHA-certified SLPs, resulting in 21 completed responses. The survey consisted of questions that gathered information on participant demographics, caseload, perceptions/beliefs, and practices, with optional open-ended questions for additional context. SLPs in the participant sample strongly believed that AAC intervention should occur in all the languages spoken by the client. Despite this belief, they struggled to implement it due to barriers. Key barriers identified included SLP language limitations, …

Aspirin And Preterm Birth Among Pregnant People With Increased Heat Exposure: Secondary Analysis Of A Randomized Clinical Trial, Gabriella Meltzer, Luke Duttweiler, Sarah Saleem, Kartik Shankar, Manolo Mazariegos, Antoinette Tshefu, Jackie Patterson, Elwyn Chomba, Waldemar Carlo, Shivaprasad Goudar, Richard Derman, Archana Patel, Patricia Hibberd, Edward Liechty, Fabian Essamai, Edwin Asturias, Denise Babineau, Janet Moore, Cascade Tuholske, Andrew Zimmer, Brent Coull, Elizabeth Mcclure, Robert Goldenberg, Nancy Krebs, Matthew Hoffman, Blair Wylie

Global Health Articles

IMPORTANCE: Scalable interventions are urgently needed to mitigate the adverse effects of heat on pregnancy and newborn health.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether low-dose aspirin modifies the association between heat exposure and preterm birth.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This secondary analysis of the Global Network for Women's and Children's Health Research Aspirin Supplementation for Pregnancy Indicated Risk Reduction in Nulliparas (ASPIRIN) randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted from March 2016 to June 2018. Statistical analyses were performed from June 2024 to June 2025. The study settings included the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Kenya, Guatemala, Pakistan, and Belagavi and Nagpur, …

Extinguishing The Fire, Igniting The Lungs: An Unusual Cause Of Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage, Rahul Nimmagadda Do, Joshua Kepfinger Do, Luke Ciminera Do, Brian Civic Md

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Community-Based Nonprofit Durable Medical Equipment Programs, Coral Mcfern

Capstone Projects

This 14 week doctoral capstone project focused on improving education within a nonprofit durable medical equipment program, Renew Mobility, to enhance safety and independence for individuals using mobility devices. This work is relevant to occupational therapy as it applies OT principles of client-centered care, health literacy, and adaptive equipment training in a community-based setting. A key gap in the literature was identified as the lack of structured educational resources, leading to inconsistent training and reliance on verbal instructions.

The objective of this project was to develop accessible educational materials to support proper equipment use and safety. This resulted in a …

Navigating The Shift: Supporting Health Sciences Faculty Transitioning From Industry To Asynchronous Online Education, Joshua D. Snyder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative exploratory study examined how new online instructors in the health sciences division of a North Texas community college experienced institutional onboarding and professional development as they transitioned from industry roles into asynchronous online teaching. As community colleges expand online instruction to meet the needs of nontraditional learners, many health sciences faculty enter academic roles with strong clinical expertise but limited preparation in online pedagogy. Guided by the community of inquiry framework and self-efficacy theory, this study explored instructors’ perceptions of their preparedness for asynchronous teaching; the instructional challenges they encountered, particularly related to student engagement; and the types …

May 2026 News You Need, David Foe

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This source provides comprehensive updates on organized dentistry, including the appointment of Dr. Nader A. Nadershahi as the new ADA executive director. It reports on the MDA's current membership market share, which remains high at approximately 70% despite national trends. Significant health topics covered include Mental Health Awareness Month resources like the Well-Being Index and a patient fact sheet linking oral health to systemic conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

Drug Therapy Of Anxiety Disorders And Depression: Considerations For Dental Treatment, David Tindle Dds, Ms

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This clinical article examines the dental implications for patients taking psychiatric medications. It reviews major drug classes, including SSRIs, SNRIs, and benzodiazepines, focusing on oral side effects like xerostomia and bruxism. The author details critical drug interactions with local anesthetic vasoconstrictors and macrolide antibiotics. Crucially, the source explores research suggesting that SSRIs may significantly increase the risk of dental implant failure by interfering with bone metabolism and osseointegration.

Digital Ischemia, Children's Mercy Kansas City

Clinical Pathways

No abstract provided.

Personality Characteristics Of Emergency Nurses And Their Subjective Fit In The Emergency Department, Jose Michael Maria

Theses & Dissertations

Nursing workforce challenges in the United States persist despite widespread recruitment and retention efforts, and the COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated shortages, turnover, and workforce instability. Despite interventions such as residency programs, financial incentives, and organizational initiatives, long-term retention remains inconsistent, particularly in high-demand settings like emergency departments. Ongoing issues such as overcrowding, rising patient acuity, and workforce attrition contribute to burnout, compassion fatigue, and compromised patient outcomes, perpetuating a cycle of staffing strain. Grounded in Person–Environment Fit theory, this research proposes that aligning emergency nurses’ personality traits with the specialty practice environment, the emergency department, may offer a more …

Caring For Transgender People In Healthcare: A Qualitative Descriptive Study With Nurses Working In An Acute Healthcare Setting, Gabriela Roxana Matson

Theses & Dissertations

Transgender individuals frequently encounter numerous obstacles when accessing healthcare services, including stigma, discrimination, and inadequate understanding from healthcare providers. Structural, interpersonal, and anticipation barriers significantly hinder transgender patients' access to care. Structural barriers include a lack of healthcare providers knowledgeable in transgender health and financial constraints. Interpersonal barriers involve discrimination, such as refusal to use correct pronouns or provide gender-affirming care. Anticipation barriers stem from fear of mistreatment, causing many to avoid seeking medical care altogether. Nurses play a vital role in upholding inclusive and affirming healthcare This qualitative descriptive study explored the subjective experiences of registered nurses who provided …

Optimisation Of Photosensitive Recording Materials For Broadband Holographic Optical Elements, Michael Murray

Doctoral

The introduction of broadband (white) LED outdoor lighting has led to significant energy savings. However, this has come at the cost of increased light pollution which has negative impacts both on ecological systems and human health. This light pollution is largely the result of the lack of control measures for the directionality of the light emitted by outdoor LED lighting. The lack of directionality also results in higher energy consumption in order to compensate for the light scattered to the atmosphere and sufficiently illuminate the target area. In this thesis holographic optical elements (HOEs) are proposed as a complementary technology …

Updated Trends In The Global Prevalence And Burden Of Mental Disorders, 1990–2023: A Systematic Analysis For The Global Burden Of Disease Study 2023, Gbd 2023 Mental Disorder Collaborators, Kathryn H. Jacobsen

Health Studies Faculty Publications

Summary

Background

Methods

Miserly Thinking: Understanding The Factors Shaping Public Support Towards Project Wolbachia In Singapore, Shirley S. Ho, Agnes S. F. Chuah, Fiona J. W. Goh, Nova Mengxia Huang, Mengxue Qu, Hye Kyung Kim, Sonny Rosenthal

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Project Wolbachia is a vector control method that releases male Wolbachia-infected Aedes mosquitoes to curb dengue transmission in Singapore. While research has primarily focused on its efficacy, few studies have examined public opinion. This study draws upon the cognitive miser model and scientific literacy model to examine the factors shaping public support for Project Wolbachia. A nationally representative door-to-door survey was conducted in Singapore (N = 1,000) using multi-stage stratified random sampling. Our findings revealed that while knowledge about Project Wolbachia explains public support, laypeople may often rely on cognitive shortcuts, such as value predispositions, media attention, and pre-existing perceptions, …

Alcohol Awareness, Prevention, And Education In Greek Life, Vivian J. Mcmechen, Kara Ann Lasater, Page Dobbs

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: Alcohol consumption is normalized in Greek Life culture, and this social standard can lead to risky health behaviors and overconsumption. At the University of Arkansas, approximately one-third of students are members of Greek Life; there is a need for prevention methods that understand students’ lived experiences. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine students’ experiences with alcohol prevention, awareness, and education as current members of Greek Life at the University of Arkansas. Through student interviews and surveys, this project aims to inform and provide recommendations for relatable and student-centered alcohol prevention and education efforts. Methodology: This study …

The Camus Initiative: A Multiphase, Multicentre International Collaboration To Redefine Risk Stratification, Reporting, And Grading Of Surgical Complications In Urology., Christopher Soliman, Niranjan J. Sathianathen, Niall M. Corcoran, Nathan Lawrentschuk, Patrick Y. Wuethrich, Marc A. Furrer, Paul Chung, Camus Study Group Collaborators

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Surgical complications remain a major source of preventable morbidity, mortality, and health care expenditure, but existing frameworks such as the Clavien-Dindo classification and Comprehensive Complication Index are clinician-centred and intervention-focused and fail to capture cumulative patient-centred outcomes. This protocol outlines the Complications After Major and Minor Urological Surgery (CAMUS) initiative, a global, multiphase effort to redefine complication reporting, risk stratification, and outcome measurement in urological surgery. CAMUS aims to address these limitations via an integrated, seven-arm programme combining retrospective and prospective data analysis, consensus development, and digital infrastructure design. Arm 1 has assembled a retrospective data set of 130 034 …

Neuromuscular Performance Changes In Response To The Australian Special Forces Selection Course, Angela Uphill, Kristina L. Kendall, Stuart Guppy, Michael Vacher, Simon Parker, Hannah Brown, Brendan Ashmore, Travis Zomer, G. Gregory Haff

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Strenuous military activities, such as Special Forces (SF) selection courses, are known to involve high physical loads in the presence of food and sleep deprivation, which can have detrimental impacts on physical performance. Understanding the magnitude of performance deficit and the time required for recovery associated with these events, is important for injury prevention and maintaining operational readiness. The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in physical performance in response to the Australian SF Selection Course (SF-SC) and to monitor recovery throughout 8 weeks following the course. Materials and Methods: Ninety-three healthy male participants (age: 28 …

A Scoping Review Of The Associations Between Ascariasis, Helicobacter Pylori Infection And Gastric Pathologies, Nina L Tang, Jacob J Williams, Jennifer Stockton, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Jill E Weatherhead

Library Staff Publications

Ascaris infection-ascariasis-is the most common human parasitic worm infection worldwide and induces damage and cellular changes within the stomach. Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium of the stomach that also causes gastric pathologies globally. Importantly, Ascaris, H. pylori, and gastric diseases all disproportionately affect individuals in resource-limited settings. However, the associations between ascariasis, H. pylori infection, and gastric diseases remain relatively unexplored. We synthesized the existing research associating Ascaris infection with H. pylori infection and/or gastric pathologies. Records were identified in OVID Medline, Embase and Web of Science using search terms for ascariasis, H. pylori infection, and gastric abnormalities and additional …

A Scoping Review Of The Associations Between Ascariasis, Helicobacter Pylori Infection And Gastric Pathologies, Nina L Tang, Jacob J Williams, Jennifer Stockton, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Jill E Weatherhead

Library Staff Publications

Ascaris infection-ascariasis-is the most common human parasitic worm infection worldwide and induces damage and cellular changes within the stomach. Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium of the stomach that also causes gastric pathologies globally. Importantly, Ascaris, H. pylori, and gastric diseases all disproportionately affect individuals in resource-limited settings. However, the associations between ascariasis, H. pylori infection, and gastric diseases remain relatively unexplored. We synthesized the existing research associating Ascaris infection with H. pylori infection and/or gastric pathologies. Records were identified in OVID Medline, Embase and Web of Science using search terms for ascariasis, H. pylori infection, and gastric abnormalities and additional …

Croup: Associated Symptoms With Admission, Children's Mercy Kansas City

Clinical Critically Appraised Topics

No abstract provided.

The Flourishing Child: Study Protocol For An Acceptability And Feasibility Trial Of A Digital Early Childhood Flourishing Intervention, Zenobia Talati, Jack Kennare, Natasha L. Bear, Lisa Y. Gibson, Robyn Power, Van Zyl Kruger, Desiree Silva, Susan L. Prescott, Jacqueline A. Davis

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Globally, rates of children with physical and mental health problems are increasing. Health issues in early childhood often persist into adulthood, highlighting the need to ensure children are supported to flourish from the start of life. Objectives: This protocol describes methods used to test the acceptability and feasibility of a novel digital Flourishing Intervention (designed to empower parents and promote child wellbeing), comprising a Flourishing Check (a newly developed online questionnaire) and a Pathway Tool (an online directory of high-quality, evidence-based programmes and resources). Methods: Using a randomised feasibility trial, participants (N = 600 parents of children aged 0–5 …

Maximal Motor Unit Firing Rates Decline With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Progression, Gabriel L. Fernandes, Lucas B.R. Orssatto, Matheus D. Pinto, Joao S. Henkin, Ehsan Shandiz, Pamela A. Mccombe, Robert D. Henderson, Gabriel S. Trajano

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterised by progressive degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons and their motor units (MUs). MU loss is compensated by collateral sprouting and reinnervation of muscle fibres. There is limited information about the properties of these surviving MUs as these processes take place. High-density surface electromyography (HD-sEMG) decomposition enables non-invasive analysis of individual MU firing behaviour during maximal voluntary contractions and assess their changes with ALS progression. Methods: Thirty-nine individuals with ALS (24 men; mean age 63 ± 16 years) completed up to five visits (interval 20.0 ± 7.9 weeks). Tibialis anterior HD-sEMG recordings …