Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Urgent Radiotherapy For Superior Vena Cava Syndrome In Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Case Report, Arpeet Patel, Nilanjan Haldar, Ida Micaily, Michael Greenberg, Evan Nardone, John A. Lippert, Christopher Fundakowski, Adam C. Mueller

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

Superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome is a life-threatening complication of thoracic malignancies, requiring rapid management in the setting of airway compromise or hemodynamic instability. We present a 59-year-old male with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who developed superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) due to compression from a large mediastinal mass identified as metastatic lung adenocarcinoma. His declining respiratory status progressed rapidly, necessitating intensive care. After extensive multidisciplinary collaboration, the patient was determined fit for inpatient radiation therapy and 10 fractions of 300 cGy external beam radiotherapy to the obstructing lesion was planned. However, the patient was unable to lay …

Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Patterns And Outcomes In Early-Stage Her2-Positive Breast Cancer, Inimfon Jackson, Xiudong Lei, Hui Zhao, Rashmi Murthy, Sharon H Giordano, Mariana Chavez-Macgregor

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We examined neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) use, pathological complete response (pCR) and the association with overall survival (OS) among patients with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer (BC). Patients ≥18 years with stage I-III HER2-positive BC from 2010-2022 who had surgery and chemotherapy were identified. Of 195,023 patients treated with chemotherapy, 37.7% received NACT. NACT use increased from 18.6% in 2010 to 63.4% in 2022 (p <  0.001) and pCR rates rose from 21% to 47.6% (p <  0.001). Black patients were less likely to receive NACT (aOR = 0.96;95%CI 0.93-0.99) or achieve pCR (aOR = 0.86;95%CI 0.82-0.90) than White patients. pCR was associated with a reduction in the risk of death (aHR = 0.45;95%CI 0.42-0.48). 3-year OS increased from 91% in 2010 to 95% in 2019 for patients without a pCR (p <  0.001), and from 97% to 99% for patients with pCR (p = 0.002). Further research is needed to understand and address racial and ethnic disparities in treatment access and outcomes.

Fgf13 Regulates Vgsc-Independent Cardiomyocyte Impulse Propagation Via Cx43 Trafficking, Lala Tanmoy Das, Mattia Malvezzi, Aravind R Gade, Maiko Matsui, Margaret Mckay, Eric Q Wei, Matea J Zelich, Keon Mazdisnian, Jared Kushner, Bi-Xing Chen, Isabella Distefano, Daniel Roybal, Lin Yang, Lisa Stoll, James C Lo, Marian Kalocsay, Fadi G Akar, Steven O Marx, Geoffrey S Pitt

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: FHF (fibroblast growth factor homologous factor) variants associate with arrhythmias. Although FHFs are best characterized as regulators of voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) gating, recent studies suggest broader, non-VGSC-related functions, including regulation of Cx43 (connexin 43) gap junctions and hemichannels, mechanisms that have generally been understudied or disregarded.

Methods: We assessed cardiac conduction and cardiomyocyte action potentials in mice with constitutive cardiac-specific Fgf13 ablation (cFgf13KO) while targeting Cx43 gap junctions and hemichannels pharmacologically. We characterized FGF13 regulation of Cx43 abundance and subcellular distribution. With proximity labeling proteomics, we investigated novel candidate mechanisms underlying FGF13 regulation of Cx43. …

Functional Vs Anatomical Cortico-Striatal Connectivity In The Macaque Brain, Wei Tang, Megan E Monko, Zoe Liu, Ana M G Manea, Fernando A Ortega, Damyan Hart, Jason Zhou, Jan Zimmermann, Sarah R Heilbronner

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The cerebral cortex provides the main input to the striatum, constituting the first step in cortico-basal ganglia loops. Decades of careful anatomical tract-tracing research have established the exquisite topography of each cortical region's projection to the striatum in nonhuman primates. In parallel, neuroimaging research has demonstrated the relationship between cortico-striatal resting-state functional connectivity and specific cognitive, behavioral, psychiatric, and neurological states in humans. However, still unclear is the extent to which functional connectivity recapitulates the specific topographies of cortico-striatal anatomical connectivity. Here, we combined datasets of cortico-striatal anatomical and functional connectivity in macaques to determine the degree of overlap between …

Pitx2 Dosage-Dependent Changes In Pacemaker Cell State Underlie Sinus Node Dysfunction And Atrial Arrhythmias, Lieve E Van Der Maarel, M Ridwane Mungroo, Otto J Mulleners, Mathilde R Rivaud, Arie O Verkerk, Karel Van Duijvenboden, Freek H T Tiel Groenestege, Jeffrey D Steimle, Lianne Fokkert, Corrie De Gier-De Vries, Mischa Klerk, Arie R Boender, James F Martin, Bjarke Jensen, Gerard J J Boink, Harsha D Devalla, Vincent M Christoffels

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Physiologically relevant increases in transcription factor dosage and their role in development and disease remain largely unexplored. Genomic deletions upstream of the Paired-like homeodomain transcription factor gene (PITX2), identified in patients with sinus node dysfunction and atrial fibrillation and modeled in mice (delB), rewire the local epigenetic landscape, increasing PITX2 expression. Here, we demonstrate that pacemaker cardiomyocytes in the embryonic delB sinus node ectopically express PITX2 at physiological dosages in a heterogeneous pattern. The prenatal delB sinus node forms discrete subdomains showing PITX2 dosage-dependent mild or severe loss of pacemaker cardiomyocyte identity. Respective subdomain sizes and severity of sinus node …

A Comprehensive Study Of C-Kit-Expressing Amacrine Cells In The Mammalian Retina, Zheng Jiang, Wen Shen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Amacrine cells assemble complex circuits in the inner retina, where they integrate, modulate, and relay spatial and temporal information to retinal ganglion cells. Nevertheless, their organization and functional diversity are still not fully understood. In this study, we identify a distinct group of amacrine cells that express the stem cell factor receptor-c-Kit. Using combined techniques of anti-CD117 (c-Kit) immunolabeling, confocal imaging, and computational algorithms, we characterize the morphological features and spatial distribution of the c-Kit-expressing amacrine cells. Our results show that c-Kit-expressing amacrine cells are GABA-positive neurons with medium to wide dendritic fields that stratify within the specific strata in …

A Mouse Model Of Lipoatrophy Reveals Relationships Between Beige Fat Appearance And Female Fertility, Elizabeth S Anaya, William Dion, Pradip K Saha, Aaron R Cox, Evelyn De Groot, Avery A Ahmed, Jessica B Felix, Bokai Zhu, Stephanie A Pangas, Sean M Hartig

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

White adipose tissue (WAT) performs vital metabolic and endocrine functions, but roles in female reproduction remain understudied and poorly understood. Here, we report that female mice experiencing progressive lipoatrophy after knockout of Ubc9 in adipocytes (Ubc9fKO) displayed disrupted estrous cycles, reduced ovarian reserve, and subfertility. During aging, female Ubc9fKO mice lose subcutaneous WAT more quickly than their male counterparts and weigh less than littermate controls. Subcutaneous WAT excised from female Ubc9fKO mice strongly enriched for thermogenesis genes generally associated with metabolic benefits. Female Ubc9fKO mice exhibited hypermetabolism and accumulated thermogenic, Uncoupling Protein 1-expressing beige fat cells in residual subcutaneous WAT …

Yap-Induced Glycolysis Drives Fibroinflammation And Disrupts Fibroblast Fidelity, Chang-Ru Tsai, Lin Liu, Yi Zhao, Jong H Kim, Paulo Czarnewski, Rich Gang Li, Fansen Meng, Mingjie Zheng, Jeffrey Steimle, Xiaolei Zhao, Francisco Grisanti, Zheng Sun, Jun Wang, Md Abul Hassan Samee, Xiao Li, James F Martin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Separation of the pulmonic and systemic circulation is essential for terrestrial life, and mammals have evolved distinct cardiac chambers with specialized structures and functions. Transcriptomics profiling revealed cellular heterogeneity between heart chambers. However, the mechanisms underlying chamber-specific transcriptomic and metabolic differences-and their functional significance-remain poorly understood. The Hippo/YAP (yes-associated protein) pathway is a conserved signaling network that regulates diverse cellular processes. The Hippo kinases inhibit YAP in cardiac fibroblasts (CF) to restrict fibrosis and inflammation. Nonetheless, how YAP regulates the metabolic microenvironment during homeostasis and fibroinflammation remains unclear.

Methods: We investigated YAP and glycolysis activity in the 4 cardiac …

Model For Calculating Impact Force For Individualized Hip Fracture Prediction During A Fall, Alisha Agarwal, Daniel Kargilis, Nishtha Gupta, Michael Chang, Rui Feng, Gregory Chang, Chamith S. Rajapakse

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

Osteoporotic-related weakening of bone is a common cause of hip fractures. The standard of care for the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis is the dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry bone mineral density T-scores. Many individuals considered nonosteoporotic, however, still sustain fractures since these tools do not incorporate vital bone parameters and subject-specific characteristics. The purpose of this work was to (1) develop a simple analytical model for estimating the force exerted on the femur during a fall (i.e., impact force) based on measurable patient metrics and (2) define a quantifiable fracture risk index by comparing finite-element-derived bone strength and impact force, which …

Patient-Centered Televisit For Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Discharge Transitions: User-Centered Design Study, Joanna Abraham, Alicia Meng, Nicolas Caravelli, Leah Traeger, May Nguyen, Vineet Arora, Valerie G Press

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects approximately 16 million Americans and often results in avoidable readmissions due, in part, to medication errors and lack of education. Telehealth interventions can support medication reconciliation and inhaler education following hospital discharge for patients with COPD.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to design and prototype TELE-TOC (Telehealth Education: Leveraging Electronic Transitions of Care), a post-discharge, in-home, televisit intervention, and to map its workflow to ensure integration into the routine discharge care transition process for patients with COPD.

METHODS: A user-centered design approach across 3 phases was followed to develop and prototype TELE-TOC. Participants included …

Dinaciclib Improves Treatment Response In Chemoresistant Hepatoblastoma, Brian T Hickner, Andres F Espinoza, Rohit K Srivastava, Roma H Patel, Priyanka Rao, Nicholas A O'Brien, Kalyani R Patel, Andrew A Badachhape, Abhishek Kona, Dolores H López-Terrada, Sarah E Woodfield, Sanjeev A Vasudevan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Chemoresistant hepatoblastoma (HB) is associated with poor outcomes. Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are potential therapeutic targets because of their critical role in cell growth and chemoresistance. To evaluate the efficacy of CDK inhibition, HB cell lines were treated with dinaciclib and evaluated with cytotoxic, cell-death reversal, and immunoblotting assays. A HB patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model was treated with placebo, vincristine + irinotecan (VI), dinaciclib, or VI + dinaciclib to evaluate tumor growth and response to therapy. We found that dinaciclib had a marked effect on HB cell viability, induced PARP cleavage, and decreased CDK9 protein expression in vitro. Overexpression of CDK9 …

Synergistic Potential Of Sipuleucel-T In Enhancing Immunotherapy For Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer, Kavita Rawat, Varnika Punia, Parker Mathews, Sara Mccoy, Wilbur Song, Muhammad A Saeed, Russell K Pachynski

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Clinical trials of immunotherapy in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) have largely been unsuccessful despite promising preclinical studies and proven efficacy in other solid tumors. These disappointing clinical outcomes have been attributed to an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, a relative lack of infiltrating immune effector cells, and tumor-related and host-related factors, which collectively render prostate cancer a relatively immunologically "cold" tumor. Sipuleucel-T (Provenge), an autologous cellular immunotherapy, induces an immune response targeted against prostatic acid phosphatase. It received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration in 2010, marking the first immunotherapy to show an overall survival benefit in patients with …

Protein-Protein Interaction–Interfering Peptide Rescues Dysregulated Nmda Receptor Signaling, Robert E. Featherstone, Hongbin Li, Ameet S. Sengar, Karin E. Borgmann-Winter, Olya Melnychenko, Lindsey M. Crown, Ray L. Gifford, Felix Amirfathi, Anamika Banerjee, Aivi Tran, Krishna Parekh, Margaret Heller, Wenyu Zhang, Robert J. Gallop, Adam D. Marc, Pragya Komal, Michael W. Salter, Steven J. Siegel, Chang-Gyu Hahn

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Faculty Papers

The complex and heterogeneous genetic architecture of neuropsychiatric illnesses compels us to look beyond individual risk genes for therapeutic strategies and target the interactive dynamics and convergence of their protein products. A mechanistic substrate for convergence of synaptic neuropsychiatric risk genes are protein-protein interactions (PPIs) in the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) complex. NMDAR hypofunction in schizophrenia is associated with hypoactivity of Src kinase, resulting from convergent alterations in PPIs of Src with its partners. Of these, the association of Src with PSD-95, which inhibits the activity of this kinase in the NMDAR complex, is known to be increased in schizophrenia. Here, …

Laboratory Monitoring In Patients With Moderate To Severe Plaque Psoriasis, Jonathan M. Fenkel, John A. Osborne, April W. Armstrong, Bruce Strober, Linda Stein Gold, Michael Cameron, Mark Lebwohl

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES: Plaque psoriasis is a common immune-mediated disease associated with various comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, psoriatic arthritis, liver disease, and mood disorders. Biologic and small-molecule therapies are efficacious and well tolerated in adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. However, dermatologists may be uncertain about appropriate laboratory monitoring in patients treated with these therapies, especially those with comorbidities.

METHODS: This review summarizes prescribing information and provides expert recommendations based on real-world experience in the monitoring of concerning laboratory values in patients with psoriasis.

RESULTS: Individualized monitoring is essential for maximizing the benefits and minimizing the risks associated with biologic …

Prevalence And Factors Associated With Alcohol And Illicit Drug Use Among Brazilian Youth: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study, Emerson Brito, Marina Bessel, Natalia Luiza Kops, Lucas Albrechet-Souza, Flavia Moreno, Alexis Koskan, Thayane Martins Dornelles, Ben Hur Graboski Pinheiro, Suelen Basgalupp, Eliana Wendland

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

This study examined alcohol and illicit drug use among Brazilian youth aged 16 to 25 during the transition to adulthood. A multicenter, cross-sectional survey was conducted between Sep-2016 and Dec-2017 across all 26 Brazilian state capitals and the Federal District. A total of 8,581 participants completed structured interviews on substance use and sociodemographic characteristics. Lifetime prevalence was 71.6% for alcohol and 30% for illicit drugs. Frequent alcohol use was more common among males, while the most used illicit substances were cannabis (27.4%) and cocaine (9.9%). Participants without a partner had higher rates of alcohol and hallucinogen use, while those with …

Grapes Cure Cancer: My First Molecular Docking Analysis Of Resveratrol Binding To Anti-Apoptotic Protein Bcl-2: In Silico, Sydni Ann Kolokoltsev, Vishwas Joshi

Publications and Research

B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) is an anti-apoptotic protein frequently overexpressed in cancer, enabling tumor cells to evade programmed death. Resveratrol, a grape-derived polyphenol, has reported anticancer properties. Here we performed in silico docking of resveratrol to human BCL-2 using AutoDock Vina. The best-ranked pose exhibited a predicted binding free energy of 8.0 kcal/mol and formed at least one short hydrogen bond (~1.8 Å) with pocket residues. These results support further evaluation of resveratrol as a potential modulator of BCL-2-mediated apoptosis.

Asian College Students' Well-Being During A Period Of Rising Anti-Asian Sentiment, Kyuhan Choi, Ying Shi, Maria Zhu

Center for Policy Research

We use a large survey of students in U.S. colleges to study the distinct ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying anti-Asian rhetoric shaped the experiences of Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs). Using a difference-in-differences approach, we find that the pandemic led to Asian students experiencing more discrimination, feeling less safe during the day, and using fewer mental health services compared to White peers. The increase in discrimination and the perceived lower safety are concentrated among East and Southeast Asians, while South Asians were not affected. Despite these effects, we detect no relative deterioration in severe psychological distress or …

Comprehensive Analysis Platform To Understand, Remedy, And Eliminate Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Capture Als): Study Protocol For A Canadian Multicenter, Multimodal, Longitudinal Observational Study, Natalie Saunders, Claire Magnussen, Hyungmo Kang, Mathieu Blais, Harpreet Bhinder, Gerald Pfeffer, Shelagh K. Genuis, Liziane Bouvier, Tanushka Anand, Tania M. Bubela

Office of the Provost

Background: The marked heterogeneity of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) combined with a lack of biomarkers are key contributing factors to the lack of disease-modifying treatments. The Comprehensive Analysis Platform to Understand Remedy and Eliminate ALS (CAPTURE ALS) is a Canadian platform designed to create the most comprehensive picture of people living with ALS with the objective of facilitating ALS research initiatives worldwide.
Objectives: The main aims of CAPTURE ALS include: (1) to characterize ALS and healthy controls with biosamples and data in order to provide the most comprehensive picture of individuals living with ALS to date; (2) to create a …

Universal School Meal Policies And Perceived Stigma: Quantitative Evidence From Eight Us States, Dania Orta-Aleman, Monica D. Zuercher, Leah Chapman, Marlene B. Schwartz, Caitlin D. French, Anisha I. Patel, Lorrene D. Ritchie, Juliana Cohen, Wendi Gosliner

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Universal school meals (USMs) policies, which provide free meals to all students regardless of income, have the potential to improve child nutrition and reduce stigma. Quantitative evidence on the association between USM and stigma is limited.

Methods

Leveraging a natural policy variation in state‐level USM implementation, we surveyed 1066 middle and high school students from eight US states (four with USM, four without) during the 2022–2023 school year. Stigma was measured as self‐reported embarrassment about eating school lunch. We used generalized estimating equations to examine the associations between USM, embarrassment, and lunch participation.

Results

Overall about one in nine …

Associations Between County-Level E-Cigarette-Inclusive Tobacco 21 Law Population Coverage And E-Cigarette Use Behaviors Among United States Adolescents In Monitoring The Future, James H. Buszkiewicz, Catherine A. Vander Woude, Yanmei Xie, Steven Cook, Bukola Usidame, Megan E. Patrick, Michael R. Elliott, James F. Thrasher, Nancy L. Fleischer

Department of Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Background and aims

In the United States (US), Tobacco 21 (T21) laws set the minimum legal sale age for all tobacco products to 21 years. This study aimed to examine whether e-cigarette-inclusive T21 laws were associated with e-cigarette use behaviors and related disparities among US adolescents.

Design

We used nationally representative, repeated cross-sectional Monitoring the Future data to compare self-reported current e-cigarette use (2014–2022) and first e-cigarette initiation (2015–2022) among adolescents in counties with 100% ('full') versus < 100% ('partial or no') e-cigarette-inclusive T21 law population coverage using modified Poisson regression, examining differences by sex, race and ethnicity, parental educational attainment and college educational expectations through interactions.

Setting

United States.

Participants

8th, 10th and 12th graders.

Measurements

County-level e-cigarette-inclusive T21 law population coverage was determined using Tobacco 21 Population Coverage …

Discovery Of A Small Molecule Tlr3 Agonist Adjuvant, Branden Lee, Danica Dong, Etsuro Nanishi, John Mark Awad, Kimia Abedi, Yoshine Saito, Francesco Borriello, Soumik Barman, Byron Brook, Aisling Kelly, Manisha Menon, Constance Marques-Mourlet, Maansi Gupta, Ida Lister, Chiwoo Oh, Kevin Lyskawa, Morgan Goetz, Kristina Walker, Wing Ki Cheng, Spencer Brightman, Pankaj Sharma, Timothy O'Meara, Katherine Chew, Daniel Vieira, Kevin Ryff, Cali Sweitzer, Sanya Thomas, Simon Van Haren, Matthew Pettengill, Hyuk-Soo Seo, Sirano Dhe-Paganon, Wei Zhang, Ofer Levy, David Dowling

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Pattern-recognition receptor (PRR) agonists are valuable agents across multiple medical applications, from vaccinology to immune-oncology. However, well-defined and potent small molecule agonists for many PRRs still await discovery and development. Screening of chemical libraries of ~200,000 small molecules for maturation of human monocytic cells by quantifying NF-κB activation and cell adherence was completed. From this screen, we selected a thiazole benzamide derivative, PVP-057, for its robust immunomodulatory properties, low toxicity profile, and concentration-dependent activity. In vitro investigation of pathway and receptor activation reveals that PVP-057 is a Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) agonist. As a single-component adjuvant, administered intramuscularly or intradermally …

The Differential Effects Of Fast Walking Speed On Muscle Coactivation In The Paretic And Non-Paretic Extremities Post-Stroke, Natalia Sánchez, Andrian Kuch, Samantha N. Jeffcoat, Andrew Hooyman, Aria Haver-Hill, Christina K. Holl, Kristan A. Leech

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Background:

Clinical practice guidelines for walking recovery post-stroke recommend high aerobic intensity training, which usually involves walking at fast speeds. However, the acute effect of fast speeds on the neuromuscular control of walking is unclear.

Objectives:

(1) Assess the criterion validity of the Dynamic Motor Control Index (WalkDMC) as a measure of coactivation post-stroke. (2) Assess acute speed-dependent coactivation post-stroke. (3) Assess how clinical characteristics shape the speed-dependent coactivation response. (4) Assess the relationship between heart rate and coactivation post-stroke. We hypothesized that WalkDMC is correlated with function and impairment measures. We also hypothesize that coactivation measured via the WalkDMC …

Methylene Blue Associated Retinal Toxicity, Sidra Zafar, Martin Calotti, Timothy T. Xu, Justin Muste, Theodore Bowe, Luis Acaba-Berrocal, Brian Cheng, Samir Patel, Yoshihiro Yonekawa, Jose S. Pulido, Jordan D. Deaner

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

BACKGROUND: To describe a case of inadvertent methylene blue use during pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for an epiretinal membrane (ERM).

CASE: A 69-year-old man presented with 1 day of severe vision loss in his left eye. Two days prior to presentation, he had undergone PPV that was complicated by accidental methylene blue use. Visual acuity (VA) at presentation to our institution was CF from his baseline VA of 20/60. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) demonstrated diffuse hyperreflectivity and thickening of the inner retinal layers. The patient was started on oral prednisone with no improvement. On postoperative month 1, VA was HM. …

Historical Review: More Than Two Decades Understanding The Genetic Architecture Of Hemostasis And Thrombosis, Maria Sabater-Lleal, Florian Thibord, Paul S De Vries, Jennifer Huffman, Alisa S Wolberg, Charles J Lowenstein, Alanna C Morrison, Andrew D Johnson, Nicholas L Smith

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

From the beginning of the millennium and the development of genome-wide analyses, the technical advances and remarkable increase in research sample sizes have led to an escalating number of discoveries revealing genetic determinants of levels of the main factors regulating hemostasis and thrombosis and demonstrating a clear polygenic complex regulation of most coagulation factors. These discoveries have been useful to understand the biology underlying hemostasis regulation and to understand risk of associated thrombotic disease, such as venous thromboembolism, coronary artery disease, and ischemic stroke. In this historical review, we outline the main discoveries in genetic studies of coagulation factors (fibrinogen …

First Mammography Screening Participation And Breast Cancer Incidence And Mortality, Forruk Ahmed, Anna Aleksyeyeva, Oman Balan, Ashley Hassang

Publications and Research

This population-based cohort study evaluated the long-term relationship between initial participation in mammography screening and subsequent breast cancer outcomes among approximately 432,000 women in Stockholm, Sweden. Women were invited to their first screening between 1991 and 2020 at ages 40 or 50 and followed for up to 25 years through national health registries. Overall, 32% did not attend their initial screening. Non-attenders were significantly less likely to participate in later screening rounds and were more likely to be diagnosed with advanced disease, showing 1.5-fold higher odds of stage III and more than 3.5-fold higher odds of stage IV breast cancer …

Through The Eyes Of Time, Shaneece Prince, Steven Indelicato

Publications and Research

Frames have been a staple throughout history, however in recent times, a trend of having multiple pairs of glasses opposed to one, life lasting pair, has emerged. As a result, frames have piled up in landfills contributing to the polluting of our environment. Through the analysis of previously recorded studies and statistics, conclusions of the eyewear industry's growing impact on society and the planet were formed.

Millions of frames are in constant circulation, studies show that up to 31% of spectacle wearers out of a group of 375, disposed of their eyewear in the trash. The lifespan of popular eyewear …

The Effect Of Community-Based Exercise For Individuals With Pre-Existing Health Conditions, Amy M. Stahl

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Physical inactivity is a growing problem for the health and wellbeing of the world’s population. Increases in physical activity may help to improve health outcomes for the general population of the United States. This study is two-fold and seeks to determine if community-based exercise groups are successful in improving the health of people with preexisting conditions and encouraging community members to adhere to an exercise program. A quasi-experimental 12-week comparison study consists of a control group of standard care and an intervention group that participates in a three-day a week community walking group. The purpose of the group is to …

Impact Of A Pandemic On Clinical Research Organization Ethics: A Case Study, Supakan Apiratanapimonchai

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this research is to examine the post-COVID ethical issues among clinical trials at clinical research organizations (CROs) in the Eastern region. This research is theoretically underpinned by the premise of evaluating the impact of post-COVID on data transparency, ethical guidelines, and protocol compliance. The institutional theory posits that insights gained from this comparative analysis will also contribute to the broader discourse on safeguarding research integrity. According to Yin, case studies are the most beneficial study design to be used, consisting of quantitative approaches (Yin, 2018). The data collected from clinical research associates (CRAs) with experience working with …

Examining Social Determinants Of Health And The Impact On Hiv Outcomes In Black People In The United States, Triscia G. Martin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Black people are disproportionately affected by HIV as evidenced by poor clinical outcomes and mortality. Clinical outcomes may be potentiated by patient factors, compounded by social determinants of health. This cross-sectional study sought to examine the impact of social determinants of health on AIDS mortality in the United States. Deidentified HIV data from the CDC NCHHSTP Atlas Plus repository and CDC WONDER population data were utilized to examine the association of race, sex, transmission category and geography on AIDS mortality in 43 states during 2018 to 2022. AIDS mortality was further examined through the lens of HIV stigma and housing …

Healthcare Disparities Related To Income In South Carolina, Rebekka Byrd

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Low-income individuals and families in South Carolina face significant barriers to accessing healthcare, despite the presence of public health programs like Medicaid. Many fall into the healthcare coverage gap, earning too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little to afford private insurance. This study explored the consequences of the healthcare coverage gap by examining the relationships between income, healthcare access, and the ability to afford healthcare services among 500 adults aged 19–64 who participated in the National Health Interview Survey between 2018 and 2023. Utilizing a retrospective quantitative analysis of secondary data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) …