Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Autoimmune Hepatitis In Patients With Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection, Mohamad Mubder, Mohamed Azab, Mahendran Jayaraj, Chad Cross, Daisy Lankarani, Banreet Dhindsa, Jen-Jung Pan, Gordon Ohning

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Background: Liver disease in patients with HIV is common and typically has complex and multifactorial presentations that represent a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is rarely reported in patient with HIV and the disease course and clinical outcomes for treatment have not been well characterized. We are aiming to determine the patient characteristics, disease prevalence, and treatment outcomes from published articles of patients with HIV and AIH. Method: A systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar through February 20th, 2019 identified 15 studies that reported the outcomes of AIH in patients with HIV. …

The “Rights” Of Precision Drug Development For Alzheimer’S Disease, Jeffrey Cummings, Howard H. Feldman, Philip Scheltens

School of Medicine Faculty Research

There is a high rate of failure in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) drug development with 99% of trials showing no drug-placebo difference. This low rate of success delays new treatments for patients and discourages investment in AD drug development. Studies across drug development programs in multiple disorders have identified important strategies for decreasing the risk and increasing the likelihood of success in drug development programs. These experiences provide guidance for the optimization of AD drug development. The “rights” of AD drug development include the right target, right drug, right biomarker, right participant, and right trial. The right target identifies the appropriate …

Socio-Ecological Wellness Wheel: Applied To Community Gardens To Measure Green Gentrification, Micajah Daniels, Courtney Coughenour

McNair Poster Presentations

This project is intended to use Black Feminist Health Studies as an interdisciplinary approach to analyze the holisitc impacts of community gardens on nutrition behaviors. The implementation of green spaces such as community gardens have been correlated to both benefits and unintended consequences which this study demonstrates through the Socio-Ecological Wellness Wheel. An empirical and systematic way of measuring garden quality through an audit tool using Black Feminist Health Studies could help measure the nutrition environment of the community gardens and how they may influence fruit and vegetable consumption of food insecure populations. The need for this study is highlighted …

Decline In Telomere Length By Age And Effect Modification By Gender, Allostatic Load And Comorbidities In National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2002), Saruna Ghimire, Carl V. Hill, Francisco S. Sy, Rachelle Rodriguez

School of Public Health Faculty Research

Background: This study aims to assess the decline in telomere length (TL) with age and evaluate effect modification by gender, chronic stress, and comorbidity in a representative sample of the US population. Methods: Cross-sectional data on 7826 adults with a TL measurement, were included from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, years 1999–2002. The population rate of decline in TL across 10-year age categories was estimated using crude and adjusted regression. Results: In an adjusted model, the population rate of decline in TL with age was consistent and linear for only three age categories: 20–29 (β = -0.0172, 95% …

The Impact Of Pedestrian Crossing Flags On Driver Yielding Behavior In Las Vegas, Nv, Sheila Clark, Courtney Coughenour, Kelly Baumgarner, Hanns De La Fuente-Mella, Chantel Reynolds, James Abelar

Environmental & Occupational Health Faculty Presentations

Walking is the most affordable, accessible, and environmentally friendly method of transportation. However, the risk of pedestrian injury or death from motor vehicle crashes is significant, particularly in sprawling metropolitan areas. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of pedestrian crossing flags (PCFs) on driver yielding behaviors. Participants crossed a marked, midblock crosswalk on a multilane road in Las Vegas, Nevada, with and without PCFs, to determine if there were differences in driver yielding behaviors (n = 160 crossings). Trained observers recorded (1) the number of vehicles that passed in the nearest lane without yielding while the …

The Impact Of Pedestrian Crossing Flags On Driver Yielding Behavior In Las Vegas, Nv, Sheila Clark, Courtney Coughenour, Kelly Bumgarner, Hanns De La Fuente-Mella, Chantel Reynolds, James Abelar

School of Public Health Faculty Research

Walking is the most affordable, accessible, and environmentally friendly method of transportation. However, the risk of pedestrian injury or death from motor vehicle crashes is significant, particularly in sprawling metropolitan areas. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of pedestrian crossing flags (PCFs) on driver yielding behaviors. Participants crossed a marked, midblock crosswalk on a multilane road in Las Vegas, Nevada, with and without PCFs, to determine if there were differences in driver yielding behaviors (n = 160 crossings). Trained observers recorded (1) the number of vehicles that passed in the nearest lane without yielding while the …

Health-Information Seeking And Intention To Quit Smoking: Do Health Beliefs Have A Mediating Role?, Soumya Upadhyay, Justin Loard, Maxim Gakh

School of Public Health Faculty Research

Background: Smoking is a leading cause of preventable deaths. Smoking cessation can reduce the risk of smoking-associated disease and death. But smoking cessation involves behaviour change. Existing research indicates that health-information seeking and health-promoting behaviours can be positively associated. However, in the context of smoking, the relationship between seeking health information and intending to quit smoking remains only partially understood. Aim: This study aimed to examine the relationship between seeking health information and intending to quit smoking and to determine whether this relationship is mediated by health beliefs. Methods: We used data from the fourth cycle of the US National …

Health-Information Seeking And Intention To Quit Smoking: Do Health Beliefs Have A Mediating Role?, Soumya Upadhyay, Justin Lord, Maxim Gakh

Healthcare Administration and Policy Faculty Research

Background: Smoking is a leading cause of preventable deaths. Smoking cessation can reduce the risk of smoking-associated disease and death. But smoking cessation involves behaviour change. Existing research indicates that health-information seeking and health-promoting behaviours can be positively associated. However, in the context of smoking, the relationship between seeking health information and intending to quit smoking remains only partially understood. Aim: This study aimed to examine the relationship between seeking health information and intending to quit smoking and to determine whether this relationship is mediated by health beliefs. Methods: We used data from the fourth cycle of the US National …

Implementation Of National Policies For A Total Asbestos Ban: A Global Comparison, Ro-Ting Lin Phd, Lung-Chang Chien Drph, Masamine Jimba Phd, Sugio Furuya Bec, Ken Takahashi Phd

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Background Two international Conventions from the International Labor Organization (ILO; C162 Asbestos Convention) and the UN (Basel Convention) offer governments guidelines for achieving a total asbestos ban policy, but the long-term effect of these Conventions on policy implementation, and the role of government effectiveness, remains unknown. We aimed to investigate associations between government ratification of the ILO and UN international Conventions, government effectiveness, and implementation of a national total asbestos ban. Methods We obtained data for year of a national asbestos ban, year of ratification of one or both international Conventions, and World Bank government effectiveness scores for 108 countries …

Response Of Human Small Intestinal Epithelium To Fractionated Irradiation: Dynamical Modeling Approach, Francis A. Cucinotta, Olga A. Smirnova

Health Physics and Diagnostic Sciences Faculty Research

A biologically motivated mathematical model of the dynamics of the small intestinal epithelium in humans treated with fractionated radiotherapy has been developed and is further investigated here. This model, originating from our previous work, is implemented as a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations, in which the variables and parameters have a clear biological meaning. The model also includes, as input, the key parameters of fractionated irradiation. The modeling results on the dynamical response of the human normal small intestinal epithelium to fractionated radiation therapy regimens were in agreement with the corresponding empirical data, which, in turn, demonstrates the capability …

Meta-Analysis Of Cognitive Performance By Novel Object Recognition After Proton And Heavy Ion Exposures, Eliedonna Cacao, Francis A. Cucinotta

Health Physics and Diagnostic Sciences Faculty Research

Experimental studies of cognitive detriments in mice and rats after proton and heavy ion exposures have been performed by several laboratories to investigate possible risks to astronauts exposed to cosmic rays in space travel and patients treated for brain cancers with proton and carbon beams in Hadron therapy. However, distinct radiation types and doses, cognitive tests and rodent models have been used by different laboratories, while few studies have considered detailed dose-response characterizations, including estimates of relative biological effectiveness (RBE). Here we report on the first quantitative meta-analysis of the dose response for proton and heavy ion rodent studies of …

Patterns Of Treatment For Psychiatric Disorders Among Children And Adolesecents In Mississippi Medicaid, John Young, Sujith Ramachandran, Andrew J. Freeman, John P. Bentley, Benjamin F. Banahan

Psychology Faculty Research

The nature of services for psychiatric disorders in public health systems has been understudied, particularly with regard to frequency, duration, and costs. The current study examines patterns of service reception and costs among Medicaid-covered youth newly diagnosed with anxiety, depression, or behavioral disturbance in a large data set of provider billing claims submitted between 2015–2016. Eligibility criteria included: 1) identification of an initial diagnosis of a single anxiety, unipolar mood, or specific behavioral disorder; 2) continuous Medicaid eligibility over the duration of the time period studied; and 3) under 18 years of age on the date of initial psychiatric diagnosis. …

Factors Related To Intra-Tendinous Morphology Of Achilles Tendon In Runners, Kai-Yu Ho, Ari Baquet, Yu-Jen Chang, Lung-Chan Chien, Michelle Harty, Gregory Bashford, Kornelia Kulig

Physical Therapy Faculty Research

The purpose of this study was to determine and explore factors (age, sex, anthropometry, running and injury/pain history, tendon gross morphology, neovascularization, ankle range of motion, and ankle plantarflexor muscle endurance) related to intra-tendinous morphological alterations of the Achilles tendon in runners. An intra-tendinous morphological change was defined as collagen fiber disorganization detected by a low peak spatial frequency radius (PSFR) obtained from spatial frequency analysis (SFA) techniques in sonography. Ninety-one runners (53 males and 38 females; 37.9 ± 11.6 years) with 8.8 ± 7.3 years of running experience participated. Height, weight, and waist and hip circumferences were recorded. Participants …

"The Traps Started During My Childhood": The Role Of Substance Abuse In Women's Responses To Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces), Breanna Boppre, Cassandra Boyer

Criminal Justice Faculty Research

The gendered pathways perspective seeks to identify the biological, psychological, and social realities that lead to women’s law-breaking behavior. Prior research in this area demonstrates the link between women’s adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and involvement in the criminal justice system later in life. The current study fills an important gap in the literature by providing a phenomenological description of the impacts ACEs had upon 19 community supervised women’s lives. Their stories illuminate the need to consider multiple forms of ACEs, from physical and sexual abuse to the death of a loved one. Interviewees’ most prevalent response to ACEs was substance …

Functional Analysis Of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Associated With Type 2 Diabetes, Serdjan Rolovic, Zhongming Zhao, Phd, Junfei Zhao, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Type 2 diabetes (T2D), a metabolic disorder characterized by insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency, is a life-long, common, complex disease of major public health importance. To date, there have been 86 published studies that have reported 639 associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and T2D in the GWAS Catalog database, and others studies in literature. However, the majority (~93%) of the SNPs emerging from these studies are located within noncoding sequence, complicating their functional evaluation. Recently, several lines of evidence have suggested the involvement of a proportion of such variants in transcriptional regulatory mechanisms, including modulation of promoter and …

Effects Of Epac1 On Diabetic Retinal Inflammation, Claire Hawthorne, Jena Steinle, Phd, Youde Jiang, Ms, Li Liu, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

An ever-growing body of research suggests that inflammation is one of the primary causes of diabetic retinopathy, as the inflammation can lead to insulin resistance. Beta-adrenergic receptor agonists can reduce the inflammation in human retinal endothelial cells (HRECs), but are not a viable treatment due to systemic effects. Epac1 lies downstream of beta-adrenergic receptor signaling, and it may have the capability to reduce inflammation by acting as an alternative pathway for beta-adrenergic receptor agonists to block inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1B). We hypothesized that the Epac1 agonist will decrease cytokine levels, leading to …

Assessment Of Childhood Obesity Prevalence And Prevention Efforts In A Wisconsin Tribal Community, Simone Tucker, Lauren Lamers, Mph, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

American Indian children experience disproportionately high rates of obesity, yet tribal communities often lack capacity to utilize local obesity data to guide prevention efforts. It is estimated the prevalence of childhood obesity in a Wisconsin tribal community and identified local school-based obesity prevention initiatives. Height and weight data were collected for children ages 2-19 years through routine screenings at local Head Start centers and schools. Weight status was determined based on BMI percentile according to year 2000 CDC growth charts.

Summary statistics and chi-square tests were generated to examine differences in obesity prevalence by age and gender. An environmental scan …

Drug Discovery Of Novel Targeted Therapeutics For Metastatic Breast Cancer, Dayralee Torres, Linette Castillo-Pichardo, Ph.D.

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Metastatic disease is the primary cause of breast cancer mortality, due to the lack of effective therapy. The Rho GTPase Rac is integral for the promotion of cancer cell migration/invasion, proliferation, and survival. Since metastatic breast cancers often overexpress or exhibit high Rac activity, inhibition of Rac is a viable strategy against metastatic cancer. Recently, we characterized EHop-016, a small molecule that inhibits Rac activity of metastatic breast cancer cells more efficiently than previously available Rac inhibitors (IC₅₀ of 1µM). EHop-016 inhibits the activity of the Rac downstream effector p21 activated kinase and cell migration of metastatic breast cancer …

Determining Fish Mercury Levels: An Alaska Native/Napaskiak Subsistence Food Source, Jackelyn Steven, Noehealani Antolin, Carolee Dodge Francis

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Alaska Natives living in rural areas rely on subsistence fishing throughout the year as their primary source of food. The purpose of this project is to determine the levels of mercury (Hg) in fish commonly consumed by Alaska Natives. Mercury naturally cycles throughout the environment between air, water, and land. Because it is a heavy metal, when it enters an ocean, lake, or river it sinks to the bottom where plankton, bottom feeder fish, and organisms consume it. Mercury becomes dangerously concentrated as it passes through the food chain through a process called biomagnification. Biomagnification occurs when a small fish …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Reinforced Chitosan Hydrogels For Bone Tissue Regeneration, Alanis E. Rodríguez-Rosario, Eduardo Nicolau, Phd, Jaime Santillán

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Chitosan is the second most abundant natural polymer; it is biodegradable, biocompatible and bioactive. Even though chitosan has been used in various biomedical studies due these characteristics, its mechanical properties are the subject of investigations, as they still need to be improved. Therefore, a hydrogel prepared from composites of chitosan, polycaprolactone and nanodiamonds may offer enhanced mechanical properties compared to pure chitosan. We hypothesize that the mechanical properties of the hydrogel composites will be superior to the unaltered chitosan, while preserving the advantages of the material. The solutions were prepared using chitosan 1.5 wt%, PCL 5 wt% and nanodiamonds 0.016% …

Bioanalytical Assay Of Antimicrobial Polymers Binding To Bacterial Cells, Natalia Roberts, Charles V. Rice, Phd, Melissa Foxley, Ms, Stoffel Strange, Min Xiao, Summer Wright

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Branched polyethylenimine (BPEI) has an antimicrobial effect on bacteria. The killing mechanism of BPEI centers on its cationic properties. The mechanism of action against Gram-positive bacteria is less understood but recent reports erroneously suggest that membrane depolarization occurs. To the contrary, data from our laboratory suggests that BPEI binds to the anionic sites provided by the biopolymer wall teichoic acid (WTA). To test the validity of this hypothesis, we measure the amount BPEI binding to whole, intact, bacterial cells of Bacillus subtilis. Comparative measurements are made with Bacillus subtilis bacteria that contain WTA and Bacillus subtilis genetic mutants that …

Using Dreadd To Examine The Role Of Infralimbic Gq-Coupled Receptors In Fear Acquisition, Héctor A. Haddock Martínez, James Porter, Ph.D., Anixa Hernández-López

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can develop after a person experiences a very traumatic event that produces a strong and long-lasting aversive memory. During any given year, approximately 8 million adults will suffer from PTSD. Existing treatments often fail to achieve a full extinction of the traumatic fear the patients re-experience. Consequently, how the brain processes and modulates fear memories continues to be an active area of research. The excitability of the infralimbic cortex (IL), a sub-region of the medial prefrontal cortex, is important for fear extinction. Previous studies done in our lab found that Gq-coupled receptors located in this region …

Translocator Protein In Brain Tissue And Neurodegeneration, Kayla Bland, Rochelle Hines, Phd, Dustin Hines, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's Disease, effect over 50 million Americans a year, and despite the high prevalence, the pathogenesis of these diseases remains unclear. However, researchers have noticed a dramatic up-regulation of a protein called translocator protein (TSPO) under neurodegenerative and neuro-inflammatory conditions. While TSPO expression is prevalent in the brain, it is still unclear as to what exact types of cells TSPO is expressed in, and what mechanisms result in increased expression. Regulating the expression or function of TSPO is believed to have an impact on neurodegenerative processes, but definitive evidence of this is also limited. To advance …

Patterned Electro-Spun Fibers Capture Exosomes Produced From Single Cells, Sage Bingaman, Jeffery Chalmers, Ph.D

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Cancer and its curiosities have been researched throughout the scientific community with little results. Several studies have been unable to use a single treatment to cure the cells as each cancerous cell is unique in its molecular coding, and are often immune to different kinds of treatments.

The purpose of the experiment is to determine whether exosomes in cancer cells can communicate with other cells and create an immunity to treatment. There were multiple steps in the process of attaching cells to an electro-spun fiber sheet and analyzing the exosomes captured. The first step was to take increments of 0.4 …

A Novel Ultrasound-Based Measure Of The Liver Among Diabetes Mellitus Type Ii Patients, Carlos I. Ayala Santos, Juan Carlos Jorge, Phd, Bárbara L. Riestra-Candelaria, Phdc

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Diabetes mellitus type II (DM II) or adult onset diabetes is due to the inefficient use of insulin, which affects various organs and tissues. Patients with DM II are at risk of suffering non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) that can later develop into more life threating forms such as hepatomegaly, cirrhosis or liver cancer. Following the logic of the non-inferiority trial test, we aim to establish a more accurate anatomical measure of the right liver lobe (RLL) to facilitate close monitoring of liver size with ultrasound (US). We hypothesize that US is not unacceptably worse than computed tomography (CT) or …

Seasonal And Diurnal Patterns Of Pollens And Their Relations With Asthma And Allergies, Jeremy Rivera Sánchez, Benjamin Bolaños Rosero, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

According to the CDC, 22.4% of the population in Puerto Rico suffers from asthma, increasing in children to a 25.3%. Allergic asthma is a respiratory condition caused by allergens such as mite- dust, fungal spores, and pollen. Asthma symptoms can include lack of air and chronic cough. Biological airborne particles may produce proteins with allergenic potential that at high levels may trigger asthma in susceptible individuals.

To determine the role of tree pollen in asthma, we analyzed the daily data collected from 2015 to 2017 with a Burkard volumetric air sampler located 73 meters above sea level at the San …

Depression In Those With Diabetes, Jaidyn Probst, Darin Prescott, Dnp, Mba, Rn, Stacy Hammer, Rdn, Ld

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

In the United States, depression and diabetes collide with greater frequencies in American Indian/Alaskan Native communities, with 15% of those with diabetes suffering from depression. Often, providers cannot describe the emotional effects of being diagnosed with a chronic illness, such as diabetes, to the patient. Diabetes bingo is a place of information and support for those with diabetes in the Lower Sioux Indian Community (LSIC). The group was given surveys during their once-monthly bingo session held by the Lower Sioux Health Care Center Dietitian. We hypothesize that the social and emotional support from peers is what drives members of the …

Computational Oxalate-Curcumin Based Probe Molecules For Functionality In Alzheimer's Disease, Elizabeth Phillips, Yin Shao, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Alzheimer's Disease (AD), is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is fatal. Amyloid β (Aβ) aggregates are produced in the relation between AD and its later stages. While AD is not necessarily present because of the Aβ aggregates, they are however a cohesive sublimate of each other within the later stages of the disease. Currently there are no drug preventative measures that have been successful in bringing treatment to the Aβ aggregates. It has been shown that AD had been most closely associated with the production of Aβ aggregates in relation to the progression of the disease. However, in regards to …

Parents’ Perception Of Overweight In Relation To Child Mood And Disordered Eating, Jillian Perry, Marian Tanofsky-Kraff, Ph.D., Mary K. Higgins Neyland, Ph.D., Natasha L. Burke, Ph.D., Abigail Pine, Mary Quattlebaum

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Parental perception of their child’s weight may impact child’s psychological functioning; however, there is a dearth of literature examining this relationship. Data suggest that parental concern with child’s overweight may be related to child distress and/or disordered eating. Yet, it is unknown if parents’ perception of teens’ overweight relates to child functioning. We examined 113 adolescent (12-17y; 14.4 ± 1.6) boys and girls (53% girls) with overweight or obesity (BMIz 2.0 ± .45) and their parents. Youth self-identified as 53% Caucasian or White, 27% Black or African American, 3.5% Asian, and 16.5% multiple races, unknown, or other. Parents reported …

Understanding The Impact Of Fluid Viscosity On The Growth And Conjugation Of Antimicrobial Resistant Donors And Recipients Pairs, Judah Pemble, Alex Chabrelie, Jade Mitchell, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

To combat the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), it is vital to link the behavior of donor and recipient bacteria in dynamic environments to horizontal gene transfer (HGT) potential- specifically, conjugation the primary means of spread of AMR genes. However, HGT is poorly understood under dynamic conditions, such as those in the gut of humans and animals. Most experiments are done under static conditions at viscosities similar to water, but these methods do not accurately represent the higher gut viscosities or movement. Hence, a next step to increase understanding of conjugation is with experiments using generic donor and recipient pairs …