Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Diagnostic Accuracy Of Chest Computed Tomography Scans For Suspected Patients With Covid-19: Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve Analysis, Lianpin Wu, Qike Jin, Jie Chen, Jiawei He, David Brett-Major, Jianghu James Dong

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Computed tomography (CT) scans are increasingly available in clinical care globally. They enable a rapid and detailed assessment of tissue and organ involvement in disease processes that are relevant to diagnosis and management, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper is to identify differences in the CT scan findings of patients who were COVID-19 positive (confirmed via nucleic acid testing) to patients who were confirmed COVID-19 negative.

METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was proposed to compare patient clinical characteristics and CT scan findings in suspected COVID-19 cases. A multivariable logistic model with …

Colorectal Cancer Screening Uptake: Differences Between Rural And Urban Privately-Insured Population, Mesnad Alyabsi, Jane L. Meza, K. M. Monirul Islam, Amr Soliman, Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Earlier studies investigated rural-urban colorectal cancer (CRC) screening disparities among older adults or used surveys. The objective was to compare screening uptake between rural and urban individuals 50-64 years of age using private health insurance. Data were analyzed from 58,774 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska beneficiaries. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between rural-urban and CRC screening use. Results indicate that rural individuals were 56% more likely to use the Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) compared with urban residents, but rural females were 68% less likely to use FOBT. Individuals with few Primary Care Physician (PCP) visits …

Micrornas Orchestrate Pathophysiology Of Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis: Advances In Therapy, Ranjana K. Kanchan, Jawed A. Siddiqui, Sidharth Mahapatra, Surinder K. Batra, Mohd W. Nasser

Journal Articles: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Brain metastasis (BM) predominantly occurs in triple-negative (TN) and epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer (BC) patients, and currently, there is an unmet need for the treatment of these patients. BM is a complex process that is regulated by the formation of a metastatic niche. A better understanding of the brain metastatic processes and the crosstalk between cancer cells and brain microenvironment is essential for designing a novel therapeutic approach. In this context, the aberrant expression of miRNA has been shown to be associated with BM. These non-coding RNAs/miRNAs regulate metastasis through modulating the formation of a metastatic niche …

Identification And Evaluation Of Epidemic Prediction And Forecasting Reporting Guidelines: A Systematic Review And A Call For Action, Simon Pollett, Michael Johansson, Matthew Biggerstaff, Lindsay C. Morton, Sara L. Bazaco, David Brett-Major, Anna M. Stewart-Ibarra, Julie A. Pavlin, Suzanne Mate, Rachel Sippy, Laurie J. Hartman, Nicholas G. Reich, Irina Maljkovic Berry, Jean-Paul Chretien, Benjamin M. Althouse, Diane Myer, Cecile Viboud, Caitlin Rivers

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

INTRODUCTION: High quality epidemic forecasting and prediction are critical to support response to local, regional and global infectious disease threats. Other fields of biomedical research use consensus reporting guidelines to ensure standardization and quality of research practice among researchers, and to provide a framework for end-users to interpret the validity of study results. The purpose of this study was to determine whether guidelines exist specifically for epidemic forecast and prediction publications.

METHODS: We undertook a formal systematic review to identify and evaluate any published infectious disease epidemic forecasting and prediction reporting guidelines. This review leveraged a team of 18 investigators …

Reduction Of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids With Tumor Progression In A Lean Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma Mouse Model, Elizabeth M. Vlock, Shilpa Karanjit, G. Talmon, Evi A. Farazi

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Background and Aim: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease in Western countries. While obesity and diabetes are the hallmarks of NAFLD, it also develops in lean individuals in the absence of metabolic syndrome, with a prevalence of 7 percent in the U.S. and 25-30 percent in some Asian countries. NAFLD represents the spectrum of liver disease, starting with excess liver fat accumulation (NAFL) that can progress to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis and ultimately hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To date, the pathogenesis of lean NASH-HCC is poorly understood and a mouse model is lacking. We aimed …

Mitigating A Covid-19 Outbreak Among Major League Baseball Players - United States, 2020, Meghan T. Murray, Margaret A. Riggs, David M. Engelthaler, Caroline Johnson, Sharon Watkins, Allison Longenberger, David Brett-Major, John Lowe, M. Jana Broadhurst, Chandresh N. Ladva, Julie M. Villanueva, Adam Macneil, Shoukat Qari, Hannah L. Kirking, Michael Cherry, Ali S. Khan

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Mass gatherings have been implicated in higher rates of transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and many sporting events have been restricted or canceled to limit disease spread (1). Based on current CDC COVID-19 mitigation recommendations related to events and gatherings (2), Major League Baseball (MLB) developed new health and safety protocols before the July 24 start of the 2020 season. In addition, MLB made the decision that games would be played without spectators. Before a three-game series between teams A and B, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health was notified of a team A …

The Covid-19 Response In Nebraska: How Students Answered The Call, Sabrine Chengane, Anlan Cheney, Sierra Garth, Sharon J. Medcalf

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

The Student Response Team at the University of Nebraska Medical Center answered the statewide call to assist local health departments during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. As a voluntary student-led effort, the SRT assisted health departments to conduct contact tracing, monitor social media, and educate the public. Their experience demonstrates how students can increase the public health surge capacity of local health departments while gaining applied experience during public health emergencies. This call-to-action commentary proposes that SRTs should be formed, trained, and deployed through academic institutions across the nation and the globe, during and beyond the current pandemic.

Using The Rapid Assessment For Adolescent Preventative Services Risk Screening Tool To Identify Depression In Two Omaha High Schools, Annie Ballén, Melanie Menning, Jenenne A. Geske

EMET Projects

No abstract provided.

Mechanistic And Functional Shades Of Mucins And Associated Glycans In Colon Cancer, Ramesh Pothuraju, Shiv Ram Krishn, Shailendra K. Gautam, Priya Pai, Koelina Ganguly, Sanjib Chaudhary, Satyanarayana Rachagani, Sukhwinder Kaur, Surinder K. Batra

Journal Articles: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Mucus serves as the chief protective barrier against pathogenic and mechanical insults in respiratory, gastrointestinal, and urogenital tracts. Altered mucin expression, the major component of mucus, in conjunction with differential glycosylation has been strongly associated with both benign and malignant pathologies of colon. Mucins and their associated glycans arbitrate their impact sterically as well as mechanically by altering molecular and microbial spectrum during pathogenesis. Mucin expression in normal and pathological conditions is regulated by nonspecific (dietary factors and gut microbiota) and specific (epigenetic and transcriptional) modulators. Further, recent studies highlight the impact of altering mucin glycome (cancer-associated carbohydrate antigens including …

Physician Awareness Of Resources Available For Patients To Increase Physical Activity, Matthew Dorwart, Jenenne A. Geske, Susan Evans

EMET Projects

No abstract provided.

Additional Laparotomy Sponges Requested During Cesarean Delivery: 'Early Warning' Associated With Postpartum Hemorrhage, Jaycee E. Housh, Lauren M. Engel, Jenenne A. Geske, Jeffrey Sperling, Suneet P. Chauhan, Joshua Dahlke

EMET Projects

No abstract provided.

Be A Hero Too, Samantha S. Rohe, Sophie Cemaj

Books: Pediatrics

This children's book explains COVID-19 and how to decrease the incidence of transmissions.

Correlation Between Number Of Mendeley Readers And Citations In Dental Sciences, Jafar Kolahi, David G. Dunning, Edward F. Rossomando

Journal Articles: College of Dentistry

No abstract provided.

Heightened Levels Of Antimicrobial Response Factors In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Prathapan Ayyappan, Robert Z. Harms, Jennifer A. Seifert, Elizabeth A. Bemis, Marie L. Feser, Kevin D. Deane, M Kristen Demoruelle, Ted R. Mikuls, V Michael Holers, Nora Sarvetnick

Journal Articles: Surgery

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic progressive autoimmune disease leading to considerable disability over time. The disease can be characterized by the presence of multiple autoantibodies in the serum and synovial fluid. Microbial dysbiosis is proposed to play a role in the pathogenesis of RA. Increased systemic bacterial exposure leads to elevated levels of antimicrobial response factors (ARFs) in the circulation. In the present study, we tested whether RA patients have increased levels of ARFs by analyzing the levels of multiple ARFs in serum from RA patients and healthy age and sex-matched controls. The levels of soluble CD14 (sCD14), lysozyme, …

Complexation-Induced Resolution Enhancement Of 3d-Printed Hydrogel Constructs, Jiaxing Gong, Carl C. L. Schuurmans, Anne Metje Van Genderen, Xia Cao, Wanlu Li, Feng Cheng, Jacqueline Jialu He, Arturo López, Valentin Huerta, Jennifer Manríquez, Ruiquan Li, Hongbin Li, Clément Delavaux, Shikha Sebastian, Pamela E. Capendale, Huiming Wang, Jingwei Xie, Mengfei Yu, Rosalinde Masereeuw, Tina Vermonden, Yu Shrike Zhang

Journal Articles: Surgery

Three-dimensional (3D) hydrogel printing enables production of volumetric architectures containing desired structures using programmed automation processes. Our study reports a unique method of resolution enhancement purely relying on post-printing treatment of hydrogel constructs. By immersing a 3D-printed patterned hydrogel consisting of a hydrophilic polyionic polymer network in a solution of polyions of the opposite net charge, shrinking can rapidly occur resulting in various degrees of reduced dimensions comparing to the original pattern. This phenomenon, caused by complex coacervation and water expulsion, enables us to reduce linear dimensions of printed constructs while maintaining cytocompatible conditions in a cell type-dependent manner. We …

Advanced Preparation Makes Research In Emergencies And Isolation Care Possible: The Case Of Novel Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19), David Brett-Major, Elizabeth R. Schnaubelt, Hannah M. Creager, Abigail Lowe, Theodore J. Cieslak, Jacob M. Dahlke, Daniel W. Johnson, Paul D. Fey, Keith F. Hansen, Angela L. Hewlett, Bruce G. Gordon, Andre C. Kalil, Ali S. Khan, Mark G. Kortepeter, Christopher J. Kratochvil, Luann Larson, Deborah A. Levy, James Linder, Sharon J. Medcalf, Mark E. Rupp, Michelle M. Schwedhelm, James N. Sullivan Md, Angela M. Vasa, Michael C. Wadman, Rachel E. Lookadoo, John-Martin J. Lowe, James V. Lawler, M. Jana Broadhurst

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

The optimal time to initiate research on emergencies is before they occur. However, timely initiation of high-quality research may launch during an emergency under the right conditions. These include an appropriate context, clarity in scientific aims, preexisting resources, strong operational and research structures that are facile, and good governance. Here, Nebraskan rapid research efforts early during the 2020 coronavirus disease pandemic, while participating in the first use of U.S. federal quarantine in 50 years, are described from these aspects, as the global experience with this severe emerging infection grew apace. The experience has lessons in purpose, structure, function, and performance …

The Impact Of Body Mass Index And Sociodemographic Factors On Moderate-To-Vigorous Physical Activity And Sedentary Behaviors Of Women With Young Children: A Cross-Sectional Examination, Danae M. Dinkel, Nicholas Hein, Kailey Snyder, Mohammad Siahpush, Shannon I. Maloney, Lynette M. Smith, Evi A. Farazi, Corrine K. Hanson

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

OBJECTIVES: Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity provides multiple benefits to women after childbirth. To achieve these benefits, the recommendation that adults obtain, 150 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week and reduce sedentary behaviors, also applies to women in the post-partum phase of the life span. However, research examining the moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and sedentary behaviors of women with young children (0-2 years) is limited. A greater understanding of these behaviors from a nationally representative sample is needed. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to determine the levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and sedentary behaviors of a nationally representative sample …

Precision Medicine And Actionable Alterations In Lung Cancer: A Single Institution Experience, Isa Mambetsariev, Yingyu Wang, Chen Chen, Sorena Nadaf, Rebecca Pharaon, Jeremy Fricke, Idoroenyi Amanam, Arya Amini, Andrea Bild, Peiguo Chu, Loretta Erhunmwunsee, Jae Kim, Janet Munu, Raju Pillai, Dan Raz, Sagus Sampath, Lalit Vora, Fang Qiu, Lynette M. Smith, Surinder K. Batra, Erminia Massarelli, Marianna Koczywas, Karen Reckamp, Ravi Salgia

Journal Articles: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

OBJECTIVES: Oncology has become more reliant on new testing methods and a greater use of electronic medical records, which provide a plethora of information available to physicians and researchers. However, to take advantage of vital clinical and research data for precision medicine, we must initially make an effort to create an infrastructure for the collection, storage, and utilization of this information with uniquely designed disease-specific registries that could support the collection of a large number of patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we perform an in-depth analysis of a series of lung adenocarcinoma patients (n = 415) with genomic …

Molecular Implications Of Muc5ac-Cd44 Axis In Colorectal Cancer Progression And Chemoresistance, Ramesh Pothuraju, Satyanarayana Rachagani, Shiv Ram Krishn, Sanjib Chaudhary, Rama Krishna Nimmakayala, Jawed A. Siddiqui, Koelina Ganguly, Imayavaramban Lakshmanan, Jesse L. Cox, Kavita Mallya, Sukhwinder Kaur, Surinder K. Batra

Journal Articles: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

BACKGROUND: Differential expression of mucins has been associated with several cancers including colorectal cancer (CRC). In normal physiological conditions, secretory mucin MUC5AC is not expressed in the colonic mucosa, whereas its aberrant expression is observed during development of colon cancer and its precursor lesions. To date, the molecular mechanism of MUC5AC in CRC progression and drug resistance remains obscure.

METHODS: MUC5AC expression was determined in colon tissue microarray by immunohistochemistry. A RNA interference and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated system was used to knockdown/knockout the MUC5AC in CRC cell lines to delineate its role in CRC tumorigenesis using in vitro functional assays and in …

Glp-1 Mediated Diuresis And Natriuresis Are Blunted In Heart Failure And Restored By Selective Afferent Renal Denervation, Kenichi Katsurada, Shyam Sundar Nandi, Hong Zheng, Xuefei Liu, Neeru M. Sharma, Kaushik K. Patel

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

BACKGROUND: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) induces diuresis and natriuresis. Previously we have shown that GLP-1 activates afferent renal nerve to increase efferent renal sympathetic nerve activity that negates the diuresis and natriuresis as a negative feedback mechanism in normal rats. However, renal effects of GLP-1 in heart failure (HF) has not been elucidated. The present study was designed to assess GLP-1-induced diuresis and natriuresis in rats with HF and its interactions with renal nerve activity.

METHODS: HF was induced in rats by coronary artery ligation. The direct recording of afferent renal nerve activity (ARNA) with intrapelvic injection of GLP-1 and total …

Nr2e3 Is A Genetic Modifier That Rescues Retinal Degeneration And Promotes Homeostasis In Multiple Models Of Retinitis Pigmentosa, Sujun Li, Shyamtanu Datta, Emily Brabbit, Zoe Love, Victoria Woytowicz, Kyle Flattery, Jessica Capri, Katie Yao, Siqi Wu, Michael Imboden, Arun Upadhyay, Rasappa Arumugham, Wallace B. Thoreson, Margaret M Deangelis, Neena B. Haider

Journal Articles: Ophthalmology

Recent advances in viral vector engineering, as well as an increased understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanism of retinal diseases, have led to the development of novel gene therapy approaches. Furthermore, ease of accessibility and ocular immune privilege makes the retina an ideal target for gene therapies. In this study, the nuclear hormone receptor gene Nr2e3 was evaluated for efficacy as broad-spectrum therapy to attenuate early to intermediate stages of retinal degeneration in five unique mouse models of retinitis pigmentosa (RP). RP is a group of heterogenic inherited retinal diseases associated with over 150 gene mutations, affecting over 1.5 …

A High Docosahexaenoic Acid Diet Alters The Lung Inflammatory Response To Acute Dust Exposure, Edward C. Dominguez, Art J. Heires, Jacqueline A. Pavlik, Tricia D. Larsen, Stephanie Guardado, Joseph H. Sisson, Michelle L. Baack, Debra J. Romberger, Tara M. Nordgren

Journal Articles: Internal Medicine

Agricultural workers are at risk for the development of acute and chronic lung diseases due to their exposure to organic agricultural dusts. A diet intervention using the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has been shown to be an effective therapeutic approach for alleviating a dust-induced inflammatory response. We thus hypothesized a high-DHA diet would alter the dust-induced inflammatory response through the increased production of specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs). Mice were pre-treated with a DHA-rich diet 4 weeks before being intranasally challenged with a single dose of an extract made from dust collected from a concentrated swine feeding operation (HDE). …

Age-Related Visual Dynamics In Hiv-Infected Adults With Cognitive Impairment., Boman R. Groff, Alex I. Wiesman, Michael T. Rezich, Jennifer O'Neill, Kevin R. Robertson, Howard S. Fox, Susan Swindells, Tony W. Wilson

Journal Articles: Internal Medicine

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether aging differentially affects neural activity serving visuospatial processing in a large functional neuroimaging study of HIV-infected participants and to determine whether such aging effects are attributable to differences in the duration of HIV infection.

METHODS: A total of 170 participants, including 93 uninfected controls and 77 HIV-infected participants, underwent neuropsychological assessment followed by neuroimaging with magnetoencephalography (MEG). Time-frequency analysis of the MEG data followed by advanced image reconstruction of neural oscillatory activity and whole-brain statistical analyses were used to examine interactions between age, HIV infection, and cognitive status. Post hoc testing for a mediation effect of …

Myd88 Regulates A Prolonged Adaptation Response To Environmental Dust Exposure-Induced Lung Disease, Amber N. Johnson, Jack R. Harkema, Amy J. Nelson, John D. Dickinson, Julianna Kalil, Michael J. Duryee, Geoffrey M. Thiele, Balawant Kumar, Amar B. Singh, Rohit Gaurav, Sarah C. Glover, Ying Tang, Debra J. Romberger, Tammy Kielian, Jill A. Poole

Journal Articles: Internal Medicine

BACKGROUND: Environmental organic dust exposures enriched in Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists can reduce allergic asthma development but are associated with occupational asthma and chronic bronchitis. The TLR adaptor protein myeloid differentiation factor88 (MyD88) is fundamental in regulating acute inflammatory responses to organic dust extract (ODE), yet its role in repetitive exposures is unknown and could inform future strategies.

METHODS: Wild-type (WT) and MyD88 knockout (KO) mice were exposed intranasally to ODE or saline daily for 3 weeks (repetitive exposure). Repetitively exposed animals were also subsequently rested with no treatments for 4 weeks followed by single rechallenge with saline/ODE.

RESULTS: Repetitive …

Feasibility Of Fluoroscopy-Free Endovascular Navigation In Subjects Of Different Ages, Blake Marmie, Christian Sanderfer, Paul Aylward, Alexey Kamenskiy, Jason N. Mactaggart

EMET Projects

No abstract provided.

Customized Blister Packaging For Patients Living With Hiv: Assessment Of Patient Attitudes And Satisfaction, Holly Groteluschen, Harlan Sayles, Joshua P. Havens, Sara Bares, Jasmine Marcelin

EMET Projects

No abstract provided.

Do The Current Health Behaviors Of Third-Year Medical Students Have Correlations With Their Frequency And Confidence In Counseling Of Patients On Preventive Health Behaviors?, Shelby L. Liesemeyer, Susan Evans, Jenenne A. Geske

EMET Projects

No abstract provided.

Perceived Benefits And Barriers Of Static Stretching In Exercisers, Meg Rolfzen (Thacker), Susan Evans, Jenenne A. Geske

EMET Projects

No abstract provided.

A State-Level Retrospective Analysis Of Newborn Screening For Sickle Cell Hemoglobinopathies, Amissabah Kanley, Sarah Aurit, Maryam Gbadamosi-Akindele

EMET Projects

No abstract provided.

Quality Care In Underserved Communities: Assessing Patient Satisfaction With Obstetrical Care At Oneworld Community Health Center, Gerson Manriquez, Melanie Menning, Jennifer Liu

EMET Projects

No abstract provided.