Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Prevalence Of Liver Cirrhosis And Its Association With Obesity Among Hispanics And Mexican Americans: An Evidence Synthesis, Alexa Perlick, Abaigeal Thompson, Colton Wayne, Angel Rendon, Jose Campo Maldonado

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

INTRODUCTION

The obesity epidemic is a growing public health concern. In addition to the already known complications and comorbidities associated with obesity, data suggest that obesity is an independent risk factor for the development of liver disease.^1,2 However, there is a paucity of data regarding the clinical correlation of obesity and cirrhosis in a predominantly Hispanic population of South Texas. The aim of this systematic literature review is to investigate the prevalence of cirrhosis stratified by obesity in Hispanic populations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

PubMed was used to perform a thorough literature search. The terms liver cirrhosis and obesity were …

Changing Needs Of Individuals With Disabilities In The Time Of Covid-19 As Observed By A Family Navigation Program In Miami, Fl, Gabriella Llano, Allison Kumnick, Jean-Paul Bryant Ms, Nancy Torres Ms, Jeffrey Brosco Md, Phd, Maite Schenker Phd

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

The Family Navigator Program (FNP) is designed to help families navigate the complex system of services available to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), chronic health conditions, mental health issues, and other special health care needs. Based at the Mailman Center for Child Development at the University of Miami, the FNP is free and available to all families in South Florida. Most families enrolled in the FNP are receiving medical services from a university clinic; however, the program also accepts referrals from outside agencies and self-referrals. The aim of this study was to investigate the needs of families enrolled …

Using Quality Improvement (Qi)-Focused Evaluation To Redesign Direct Home- And Community-Based Services During The Covid-19 Public Health Emergency:, Marcia Moriarta, Anthony Cahill, Heidi Fredine

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Like many UCEDDs in the Developmental Disabilities (DD) network, the Center for Development and Disability at the University of New Mexico offers direct service programs in home and community settings. Before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, services were delivered in-person to about 1,000 families across the state including clients with intellectual or developmental disabilities and/or from at-risk communities. In March 2020, due to the spread of COVID-19, a public health emergency was declared in New Mexico and home and community services were stopped throughout the state. This meant direct service programs at the Center had to turn to telehealth …

Facial Mask Use And Covid-19 Protection Measures In Jefferson County, Kentucky: Results From An Observational Survey, November 5−11, 2020, Seyed M. Karimi, Sonali S. Salunkhe, Kelsey B. White, Sahal A. Alzahrani, Bert Little, William P. Mckinney, Natalie Dupre, Riten Mitra, Yuting Chen, Martha M Popescu, Emily R. Adkins, Julia A. Barclay, Emmanuel Ezekekwu, Caleb.He X. He, Dylan M Hurst, Aravindreddy Kothagadi, Shaminul H. Shakib, Devin N. Swinney, David A. Johnson, Rebecca Hollenbach, Sarah Moyer

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Introduction: The transmission of respiratory infectious diseases such as COVID-19 can significantly decrease by mask-wearing. However, accurate information about the extent and proper use of the facial mask is scarce. This study’s main objective was to observe and analyze mask-wearing behavior and the level of COVID-19 protection measures in indoor public areas (PAs) of Jefferson County, Kentucky.

Methods: For conducting the observational survey study, targets were indoor PAs, and zip codes were defined as surveying clusters. The number of selected PAs in each zip code was proportional to the population and the total number of PAs in that zip code. …

The Transcriptional Trajectories Of Pluripotency And Differentiation Comprise Genes With Antithetical Architecture And Repetitive-Element Content., Aristeidis G. Telonis, Isidore Rigoutsos

Computational Medicine Center Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Extensive molecular differences exist between proliferative and differentiated cells. Here, we conduct a meta-analysis of publicly available transcriptomic datasets from preimplantation and differentiation stages examining the architectural properties and content of genes whose abundance changes significantly across developmental time points.

RESULTS: Analysis of preimplantation embryos from human and mouse showed that short genes whose introns are enriched in Alu (human) and B (mouse) elements, respectively, have higher abundance in the blastocyst compared to the zygote. These highly expressed genes encode ribosomal proteins or metabolic enzymes. On the other hand, long genes whose introns are depleted in repetitive elements have …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Disability Services And Systems: Perspectives From The Field, Ronda Jenson, John Tschida

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

No abstract provided.

Mental Health Supportive Services During Covid-19: Proposing An Online, Self-Guided Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Program For Parents In The Disability Community, Ty B. Aller, Elizabeth B. Fauth, Sarah Hodgskiss, Jeff Sheen, Michael E. Levin

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Parents of Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) often experience stress, and the COVID-19 pandemic has likely increased their stress. In the current paper, we describe four things. First, we describe how mental telehealth treatments can effectively decrease parent stress, including programs that target behavior training and those that provide therapy. Teleheath programs are delivered by phone, computer, or fully online. Second, we describe challenges of these programs and explain how online, self-guided programs may help address these challenges. Third, we explain our online, self-guided program based in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT is a specific type of …

Increasing Access To Augmentative And Alternative Communication Services For People With Complex Communication Needs During Covid-19 And Beyond, Cristina L. Pujol, Anamaria Nevares, Michelle Schladant

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

The COVID-19 global pandemic has affected the disability network across the world. In the United States, there are millions of people who cannot use their natural speech to communicate. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), a form of assistive technology (AT), helps people with complex communication needs (CCNs) to communicate with others. Examples of AAC include printed pictures and speech-generating devices. A team of professionals work together with the person with CCNs and their caregivers to choose the right type of AAC. Often, people with CCNs need face-to-face and ongoing AAC support. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, this population already faced …

Making Change In The Nickel City: Food Banking And Food Insecurity In Buffalo, Ny During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sarah E. Bradley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In March 2020, the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began to spread across the United States. The pandemic disrupted the food system in an unprecedented fashion, exacerbating existing inequalities and contributing to increased rates of food insecurity and charitable food use. This research project considers the food system of Buffalo, New York and seeks to capture the way in which both food insecure households and the food pantries that serve them adapted to the pandemic. Using data from 75 client surveys, 52 qualitative semi-structured interviews with food pantry staff and clients, and 15 participatory GIS mapping interviews, this mixed-methods project describes …

Different Effects Of Static And Vibrating Foam Rollers On Plantar Flexor’S Flexibility And Torque Production Capacity, Tanner Cormier

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this research was to determine if there were different effects on the range of motion and muscle contraction force in the plantar flexors of the ankle when implementing vibrating foam roller treatment in comparison to static. The study included 15 female swimmers within the age range of 18 to 28 years old without neuromusculoskelatal pathology within the last six months. Each testing session consisted of four conditions, conditions A and B were static rollers and conditions C and D were vibrating rollers. To ensure reliability the order of the conditions was randomly selected and resting flexibility and …

Effects Of Static Stretching On Proprioception And Muscle Power Production, Eva Alyss Blais

Honors College Theses

With widespread use of pre-exercise stretching methods in many sports, recent studies have questioned how effective these implications are (Kay, Blazevich 2012, Cramer, J. T., et al.2005, Curry, B. S., Chengkalath, D., Crouch, G. J., Romance, M., & Manns, P. J. 2009). It has been found that certain types of stretching before performance negatively impact muscle power production. However, the reasoning behind why stretching is doing harm to athletes’ performances is still unanswered. The purpose of this study is to explore how stretching affects proprioception, and how this in turn affects muscle power production. Using the Biodex 2 dynamometer, passive …

Sars-Cov-2 Transmission In Alberta, British Columbia, And Ontario, Canada, December 25, 2019, To December 1, 2020, Isaac Chun-Hai Fung, Yuen Wai Hung, Sylvia Ofori, Kamalich Muniz-Rodriguez, Po-Ying Lai, Gerardo Chowell

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Objective:

This study aimed to investigate coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemiology in Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario, Canada.

Methods:

Using data through December 1, 2020, we estimated time-varying reproduction number, R t , using EpiEstim package in R, and calculated incidence rate ratios (IRR) across the 3 provinces.

Results:

In Ontario, 76% (92 745/121 745) of cases were in Toronto, Peel, York, Ottawa, and Durham; in Alberta, 82% (49 878/61 169) in Calgary and Edmonton; in British Columbia, 90% (31 142/34 699) in Fraser and Vancouver Coastal. Across 3 provinces, R t dropped to ≤ 1 after April. …

Functional Connectivity Within Glioblastoma Impacts Overall Survival, Andy G S Daniel, Ki Yun Park, Jarod L Roland, Donna Dierker, James Gross, Joseph B Humphries, Carl D Hacker, Abraham Z Snyder, Joshua S Shimony, Eric C Leuthardt

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma (GBM; World Health Organization grade IV) assumes a variable appearance on MRI owing to heterogeneous proliferation and infiltration of its cells. As a result, the neurovascular units responsible for functional connectivity (FC) may exist within gross tumor boundaries, albeit with altered magnitude. Therefore, we hypothesize that the strength of FC within GBMs is predictive of overall survival.

METHODS: We used predefined FC regions of interest (ROIs) in de novo GBM patients to characterize the presence of within-tumor FC observable via resting-state functional MRI and its relationship to survival outcomes.

RESULTS: Fifty-seven GBM patients (mean age, 57.8 ± 13.9 …

Forward Together Vaccine Survey, March 25, 2021, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Response to COVID-19

Announces the availability of a survey to gauge interest in having vaccine clinics on campus.

“Feeling Clean”: Stigma And Intravaginal Practices Among Female Entertainment Workers In Cambodia, Carinne Brody, Rachel L. Berkowitz, Pheak Chhoun, Kathryn C. Kaplan, Sovannary Tuot, Siyan Yi

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Background

Intravaginal practices (IVPs), methods used by women most often to manage vaginal hygiene and address perceived disruptions to vaginal health, may increase the risk of contracting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This qualitative study explores the social, professional, and peer context surrounding IVPs, the experiences of self-cleaning or getting cleaned from a health professional, and the perceived impacts of IVPs among female entertainment workers (FEWs) in Cambodia.

Methods

In 2017, we conducted 27 focus group discussions from four provinces, and 16 follow-up semi-structured in-depth interviews with purposively selected participants in two provinces. Data collection …

Sleep Diagnoses And Low Back Pain In U.S. Military Veterans, Kenneth A. Taylor

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Low back pain (LBP) is a common problem that is the primary contributor to years lived with disability worldwide. In the U.S. LBP is disproportionately experienced by military veterans. In recent years interest has grown in the impact of sleep and sleep-related diagnoses on musculoskeletal pain complaints (including LBP) and despite growth in the scientific literature investigating this, gaps in our understanding of how sleep diagnoses impact LBP remain. To that end, this dissertation uses administrative electronic health record data from veterans seeking care through the Veterans Health Administration in three manuscripts to address the following specific aims: (1) investigate …

Warm Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia Associated With Asymptomatic Sars-Cov-2 Infection., Joseph R Liput, Kim Jordan, Rini Patadia, Elizabeth Kander

Ambulatory and Primary Care Articles

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the resultant coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are associated with several hematologic abnormalities, including immune thrombocytopenia, antiphospholipid syndrome, and autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA). Initial case reports suggested immune dysregulation to be the underlying etiology of SARS-CoV-2-associated AIHA, as all reported cases involved patients with moderate to severe COVID-19, many of whom had underlying lymphoproliferative disorders. More recently, AIHA has been reported in patients with mildly symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we detail a patient with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection who presented with severe, symptomatic anemia. Workup was consistent with warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia (WAIHA) secondary …

Inactivated Rabies Virus Vectored Sars-Cov-2 Vaccine Prevents Disease In A Syrian Hamster Model., Drishya Kurup, Delphine C Malherbe, Christoph Wirblich, Rachael Lambert, Adam J Ronk, Leila Zabihi Diba, Alexander Bukreyev, Matthias J. Schnell

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an emergent coronavirus that has caused a worldwide pandemic. Although human disease is often asymptomatic, some develop severe illnesses such as pneumonia, respiratory failure, and death. There is an urgent need for a vaccine to prevent its rapid spread as asymptomatic infections accounting for up to 40% of transmission events. Here we further evaluated an inactivated rabies vectored SARS-CoV-2 S1 vaccine CORAVAX in a Syrian hamster model. CORAVAX adjuvanted with MPLA-AddaVax, a TRL4 agonist, induced high levels of neutralizing antibodies and generated a strong Th1-biased immune response. Vaccinated hamsters were protected from …

Viral Infection Modulates Qa-1b In Infected And Bystander Cells To Properly Direct Nk Cell Killing., Maria Ferez, Cory J. Knudson, Avital Lev, Eric B. Wong, Pedro Alves-Peixoto, Lingjuan Tang, Colby Stotesbury, Luis J. Sigal

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

Natural killer (NK) cell activation depends on the signaling balance of activating and inhibitory receptors. CD94 forms inhibitory receptors with NKG2A and activating receptors with NKG2E or NKG2C. We previously demonstrated that CD94-NKG2 on NK cells and its ligand Qa-1b are important for the resistance of C57BL/6 mice to lethal ectromelia virus (ECTV) infection. We now show that NKG2C or NKG2E deficiency does not increase susceptibility to lethal ECTV infection, but overexpression of Qa-1b in infected cells does. We also demonstrate that Qa-1b is down-regulated in infected and up-regulated in bystander inflammatory monocytes and B cells. Moreover, NK cells activated …

Myd88 L265p Elicits Mutation-Specific Ubiquitination To Drive Nf-Κb Activation And Lymphomagenesis, Xinfang Yu, Wei Li, Qipan Deng, Haidan Liu, Xu Wang, Hui Hu, Ya Cao, Zijun Y Xu-Monette, Ling Li, Mingzhi Zhang, Zhongxin Lu, Ken H Young, Yong Li

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Myeloid differentiation primary response protein 88 (MYD88) is a critical universal adapter that transduces signaling from Toll-like and interleukin receptors to downstream nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). MYD88L265P (leucine changed to proline at position 265) is a gain-of-function mutation that occurs frequently in B-cell malignancies such as Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia. In this study, E3 ligase RING finger protein family 138 (RNF138) catalyzed K63-linked nonproteolytic polyubiquitination of MYD88L265P, resulting in enhanced recruitment of interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinases and elevated NF-κB activation. However, RNF138 had little effect on wild-type MYD88 (MYD88WT). With either RNF138 knockdown or mutation on MYD88 ubiquitination sites, MYD88L265P did not constitutively activate …

Interview With A Specialist: Dr. Christopher S. Thomas, Md Invasive Cardiology Virginia Cardiovascular Specialists, Joseph Mceachon

Osmosis Magazine

Interview With Dr. Christopher S. Thomas, MD.

Retail Clinics: Risky Or Reviving Primary Care, Dana Oriana Morcillo

Osmosis Magazine

It’s that time of the season again, as the sniffs and coughs begin to rapidly spread throughout campus.Despite how hard you try to avoid all who are infected, no doubt you will wake up soon enough with a tickle in your throat and a waterfall running from your nose. As a college student, you can’t go all the way back home to your family physician, and the university’s clinic is booked for days. So, you drive to the nearest Walgreens and walk into the MinuteClinic. Here, within an hour you’re able to check in, get evaluated and diagnosed by a …

Dna On Trial, Nathan Dinh

Osmosis Magazine

In March 4, 1974, a nine-year-old boy was raped in his home in Lake Wales, Florida. When the police arrived, the boy described his assailant as possibly 17 or 18 years old with a mustache and thick sideburns and named “Jim” or “Jimmy.” After being identified in a photograph lineup by the victim, Jimmy Bain, who said that he was at home watching television with his sister, was arrested and charged with child sex abuse, kidnapping, and burglary/unlawful entry. During the trial, the prosecutors relied on both the photograph lineup and semen that had been found at the scene. The …

Lack Of Diversity In Genomics Research, Savannah Del Cid

Osmosis Magazine

Precision medicine is a movement that seeks to serve a patient’s individual medical needs with a tailored level of treatment. Such a practice requires an essential framework of genetic information to allow doctors to make accurate treatment decisions. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) provide massive amounts of information for databases, such as the GWAS Catalog; however, there is an apparent lack of diversity in the genomics data available to researchers and drug-developers. The majority of participants in GWAS are of European descent. As of January 2019, 78 percent of genetics contributed by GWAS have been of European descent; while, only 22 …

Necessity Of Receiving The Flu Vaccine And Recent Research Trials, Lizzie Godschall

Osmosis Magazine

To this day, smallpox is the only disease confirmed to be eradicated worldwide. This would not have been possible without the first widely utilized vaccine developed nearly 200 years prior by Edward Jenner. Inspired by Jenner’s methodology of using the cowpox virus to protect against smallpox in humans, vaccine innovations and their significance to public health took off after Louis Pasteur’s discovery of the rabies vaccine in 1885. Vaccines are perhaps the greatest immunological feat to this day. So why are people still so averse to getting vaccinated, especially for the flu? Encouraging people to get their annual flu shot …

Snake Venom Is A Cancer Therapy, George Qiao

Osmosis Magazine

Cancer is a deadly disease affecting and killing many people every year. For 2019, the estimated number of new cancer cases exceeds 1.5 million, and the estimated number of deaths caused by cancer exceeds six-hundred thousand. Treatments for cancer certainly exist; although current treatments are often costly and are not always effective in the long-run. The treatments also come with side effects often associated with the destruction of healthy, noncancerous cells. The expansion of alternatives for treating cancer is a constant objective for the medical community, and researchers are experimenting with many new solutions in order to provide new opportunities …

The Science Of Fetishes, Adriana Grimes

Osmosis Magazine

A fetish is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “a form of sexual desire in which gratification is linked to an abnormal degree to a particular object, item of clothing, part of the body, etc.” The diagnostic statistical manual (DSM), which defines psychological disorders, has also defined fetishes. Fetishes, however, are not defined as a disorder unless they confer a serious or significant detriment or distress for the person. Most individuals who self-describe as having fetishes or being fetishists do not fall into the category of having clinical impairments due to the fetish. So how do sexual fantasies differ from …

Bingeing On Carbs Might Make Your Drunk?, Anthony Isenhour

Osmosis Magazine

Everyone loves eating too many carbs and realistically the occasional food-binge doesn’t harm the body very much. For some people, however, it can. For people in the United States who have been diagnosed with Auto-brewery Syndrome, or Gut Fermentation Syndrome, carbo-loading (eating copious amounts of carb-heavy food at once) can have some legal and behavioral consequences.

Can A Piece Of Gum Keep You Running?, Najnin Rimi

Osmosis Magazine

More than 50 percent of adults over the age of 18 drink coffee every day. Students on our own campus are not unfamiliar with the idea of a cup of coffee, or more, a day. But, could there be an alternative to this morning routine? Do we have to run on Dunkin? Kent Chen and Ryan Yoshimura worked with surgeons from UCLA to develop an exciting new energizer that would provide better results than the energizers used in the past. In 2015, they introduced Neurogum to the market. Its purpose is to boost energy, cognition, and focus whether it is …

Letter From The Editor, Mickey Murvin

Osmosis Magazine

Letter from the editor-in-chief.