Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Digital Gait Biomarkers In Parkinson's Disease: Susceptibility/Risk, Progression, Response To Exercise, And Prognosis, Martina Mancini, Gammon M Earhart, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

This narrative review examines the utility of gait digital biomarkers in Parkinson's disease (PD) research and clinical trials across four contexts: disease susceptibility/risk, disease progression, response to exercise, and fall prediction. The review of the literature to date suggests that upper body characteristics of gait (e.g., arm swing, trunk motion) may indicate susceptibility/risk of PD, while pace aspects (e.g., gait speed, stride length) are informative for tracking disease progression, exercise response, and fall likelihood. Dynamic stability aspects (e.g., trunk regularity, double-support time) worsen with disease progression but can improve with exercise. Gait variability emerges as a sensitive biomarker across all …

Rare Damaging Ccr2 Variants Are Associated With Lower Lifetime Cardiovascular Risk, Marios K. Georgakis, Rainer Malik, Omar El Bounkari, Natalie R. Hasbani, Jiang Li, Jennifer E. Huffman, Gabrielle Shakt, Michael C. Mahaney, Joanne E. Curran, John Blangero

School of Medicine Publications

Background

Previous work has shown a role of CCL2, a key chemokine governing monocyte trafficking, in atherosclerosis. However, it remains unknown whether targeting CCR2, the cognate receptor of CCL2, provides protection against human atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Methods

Computationally predicted damaging or loss-of-function (REVEL > 0.5) variants within CCR2 were detected in whole-exome-sequencing data from 454,775 UK Biobank participants and tested for association with cardiovascular endpoints in gene-burden tests. Given the key role of CCR2 in monocyte mobilization, variants associated with lower monocyte count were prioritized for experimental validation. The response to CCL2 of human cells transfected with these variants was tested …

Antimicrobial Performance Of A Novel Drug-Eluting Bioenvelope, Zerelda Esquer Garrigos, Sunil Kapur, Michelle Leroux Williams, M Rizwan Sohail

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Distinct Attentional Characteristics Of Neurons With Visual Feature Coding In The Primate Brain, Jie Zhang, Runnan Cao, Xiaocang Zhu, Huihui Zhou, Shuo Wang

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Visual attention and object recognition are two critical cognitive functions that shape our perception of the world. While these neural processes converge in the temporal cortex, the nature of their interactions remains largely unclear. Here, we systematically investigated the interplay between visual attention and stimulus feature coding by training macaques to perform a free-gaze visual search task with natural stimuli. Recording from a large number of units across multiple brain areas, we found that units exhibiting visual feature coding showed stronger attentional modulation of responses and spike-local field potential coherence than units without feature coding. Across brain areas, attention directed …

Compositional Variation In Eye-Infiltrating Immune Cells Distinguishes Human Uveitis Subtypes, Christian Concepcion, Yu Xia, Yulia Korshunova, Gregory W Bligard, Amal Taylor, Michael A Paley, Philip A Ruzycki, Lynn M Hassman

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Uveitis is a heterogeneous group of ocular inflammatory diseases that respond inadequately to empiric therapy, underscoring the need to define pathophysiologic subtypes. Toward this goal, we applied single-cell transcriptional and immune receptor profiling to ocular fluid biopsies from 23 patients with diverse clinical features. We found that a subset of ocular T cells undergoes local clonal expansion, indicating that antigens trigger uveitis in some patients. Infiltrates from HLA-B27 associated acute anterior uveitis (HLA-B27 AAU) were enriched in myeloid cells and innate immune signaling pathways, while chronic uveitis featured prominent adaptive immune cells and transcriptional programs, indicating that immunologic features distinguish …

Lived Experiences Of Ukrainian Nursing Students In The Us: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Katherine E. Ferrell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological was to explore the lived experiences of Ukrainian prelicensure nursing students at a midwestern nursing program. The theory guiding this study was Albert Bandura’s social learning theory as it explains how people learn through observing, imitating, and modeling. The second theory guiding this study was Madeleine Leininger’s transcultural nursing theory as it identifies that nursing faculty must understand and have knowledge of different cultures to provide meaningful care and education to their students. This study obtained IRB approval before beginning recruitment of 10 Ukrainian nursing students from a private, faith-based university in the midwestern …

Islet Single-Cell Transcriptomic Profiling During Obesity-Induced Beta Cell Expansion In Female Mice, Peter M Masschelin, Scott A Ochsner, Sean M Hartig, Neil J Mckenna, Aaron R Cox

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Targeting beta cell proliferation is an appealing approach to restore glucose control in type 1 diabetes. However, the underlying mechanisms of beta cell proliferation remain incompletely understood, limiting identification of new therapeutic targets. Obesity is a naturally occurring process that potently induces human and rodent beta cell replication, representing an ideal model to study mechanisms of beta cell proliferation. We showed previously acute whole-body

Protocol For Unlocking Alternative Polyadenylation Insights From Bulk Rna-Seq Data With Polyaminer-Bulk, Venkata Jonnakuti, Sriya Jonnakuti, Hari Krishna Yalamanchili

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

PolyAMiner-Bulk, a deep-learning-based algorithm to decode alternative polyadenylation (APA) dynamics from bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data, enables scientists to identify and quantify APA events from processed bulk RNA-seq data. The protocol allows researchers to explore differential APA usage between two conditions and gain a better understanding of post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms. The major steps involve input data preparation, executing PolyAMiner-Bulk, and interpreting the results. A basic familiarity with pre-processing bulk RNA-seq data and command-line tools is suggested.

For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Jonnakuti et al.¹

M3netflow: A Multi-Scale Multi-Hop Graph Ai Model For Integrative Multi-Omic Data Analysis, Heming Zhang, S Peter Goedegebuure, Li Ding, David Denardo, Ryan C Fields, Michael Province, Yixin Chen, Philip Payne, Fuhai Li

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Multi-omic data-driven studies are at the forefront of precision medicine by characterizing complex disease signaling systems across multiple views and levels. The integration and interpretation of multi-omic data are critical for identifying disease targets and deciphering disease signaling pathways. However, it remains an open problem due to the complex signaling interactions among many proteins. Herein, we propose a multi-scale multi-hop multi-omic network flow model, M3NetFlow, to facilitate both hypothesis-guided and generic multi-omic data analysis tasks. We evaluated M3NetFlow using two independent case studies: (1) uncovering mechanisms of synergy of drug combinations (hypothesis/anchor-target guided multi-omic analysis) and (2) identifying biomarkers of …

Delivering Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy For Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction As An Over-Encapsulated Polypill: Rationale And Protocol For The Combo-Hf-X Pilot Crossover Randomised Clinical Trial, Colette Dejong, Mark D Huffman, Anubha Agarwal, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: A four-drug regimen of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is underused, in part due to prescriber inertia and low patient adherence. Although fixed-dose combination pills ('polypills') have improved adherence and clinical outcomes for other conditions, there are no polypills available that combine multiple classes of GDMT for HFrEF. Pharmacy-level over-encapsulation, in which several tablets are combined into one capsule, offers an opportunity to create customised HFrEF polypills with the goal of improving delivery of HFrEF therapies.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS: In the COMBO-HF-X pilot crossover randomised clinical trial, we will enrol 30-40 patients …

Ppdpf: Preventing Kidney Disease Through Nad+, Shin-Ichiro Imai

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Researchers have discovered PPDPF, a critical cellular factor that controls NAD

Resiliency In Child-Caregiver Dyads And The Impact On Health Outcomes In Sickle Cell Disease, Jessica A Zavadil, Melissa Azul, Brian D Carpenter, Cecelia Calhoun

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Shuffle, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Shuffle (2025), directed by Benjamin Flaherty.

Arrest The Midwife, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Arrest the Midwife (2025), directed by Elaine Epstein.

A Saudi Heart Association Position Statement On The Use Of Doacs In Patients With Arterial And Venous Thrombosis, Waleed Alhabeeb, Adel Tash, Ahmed Aljedai, Ayman Morsy, Feras Khaliel, Iman Alhazmi, Mohammed Alsheef, Mohammed Arafah, Owayed Alshammeri, Saeed Alahmari

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Background: Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have emerged as non-inferior and effective alternatives to traditional anticoagulants in managing thromboembolic risks associated with various cardiovascular conditions. This position statement by the Saudi Heart Association (SHA) aims to provide guidance on the use of DOACs in the context of cardiovascular disease, particularly patients with arterial and venous thrombosis.

Methods: A multidisciplinary panel of experts reviewed current evidence and international guidelines on DOACs, considering the local healthcare context in Saudi Arabia. The statement addresses the initiation, maintenance, interruption, and re-initiation of DOAC therapy across different patient populations.

Results: DOACs are effective alternatives to traditional …

Longitudinal Changes In Aerodigestive Responses To Varying Nipple Properties In Infant Pigs, François D H Gould, Christopher Mayerl, Khaled Adjerid, Jessica Reibel, Nichole Charles, Chloe Edmonds, Rebecca Z German

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Coordination of respiration and swallowing is critical for survival in infant mammals and changes throughout infant maturation. Infants show sensorimotor feeding responses to changes in physical properties of nipples. Commercial nipples are promoted as improving aerodigestive coordination. However, it is unknown how nipple properties influence coordination of respiration and swallowing. Furthermore, how infant-nipple interactions change throughout maturation is not well understood. We designed and manufactured four silicone nipples of the same shape that varied in two parameters: nipple opening diameter and nipple stiffness. We used our validated infant pig model to test the impact of nipple parameters on aerodigestive coordination …

Grounded In Touch: The Science Behind Anxiety Relief And Human Connection, Misty Rhoads Ph.D. Czb, Mary Murphy M.A., Lmt, Czb, Mary L. Behrens Pt, Czb, Rhonda Salvo Pt, Czb, Sarah-Elizabeth Anderson Lmt, Czb, Clare Gowen Pt, Czb, Dawn Humbles Lsh, Czb, Veronica Quarry Pt, Czb, Deborah Rosene Ph.D., Czb, Wendy Tribelhorn Lmt, Czb, Jared Urcheck L.Ac, Czb, Deanna Waggy Otr, Czb

Journal of Transformative Touch

Background: Anxiety disorders are among the most pervasive mental health challenges worldwide, affecting individuals across all demographics and socioeconomic backgrounds. As a leading contributor to disability and diminished quality of life, anxiety continues to rise in prevalence, exacerbated by global crises and societal stressors. This study explored how Zero Balancing (ZB) supports individuals with anxiety. Researchers hypothesized that ZB would lower the perceived severity of general anxiety and reduce perceived anxiety symptoms.

Methods: A concurrent mixed-methods phenomenological research design was utilized to honor the holistic nature of bodywork and explore participants' lived experiences. This national study involved 320 ZB sessions …

Bridging The Gaps In Nutritional Development: A Literature Review On Toddler Nutrition Interventions, Stephanie L. Branstine

Master of Nutrition and Dietetics

Optimal nutrition in early childhood is essential for achievement of developmental milestones all of which encompass established benchmarks of physical, emotional, and cognitive growth. The field of early childhood nutrition is dedicated to devising strategies that ensure young children receive the necessary nutrients for their ideal development. Despite advancements in areas such as the availability of diverse food options on the market, educational programs for young parents, and nutrition-focused school initiatives, nutritional deficiencies remain a significant challenge. These deficiencies hinder the ability of toddlers to thrive both physically and mentally, impacting their overall growth and developmental potential.

Recent research has …

A Descriptive Case Study: Exploring The Impact Of Practicing The Role Of The Registered Nurse Throughout A Simulation Curriculum From Graduates Of A Midwest Associate Degree Nursing Program, Mindy J. Ritter

Sabbatical Projects

The researcher sought to learn the impact of participating in a repetitive, immersive, high-fidelity simulation curriculum on graduates' nursing practice.

The literature has highlighted the gaps in graduates’ practice readiness and transition to practice. This gap is coupled with the decreased opportunities for students in the clinical setting, increased patient acuity, and rapid acceleration in the use of technology in healthcare organizations. The implementation of simulation pedagogy can help bridge these gaps; however, its implementation, frequency, and curricular integration vary across nursing academia.

This qualitative descriptive case study explored the perceptions of graduates from a midwest associate degree nursing program …

The Impact Of Cannabinoids On Reproductive Function, Daniel Hardy

Physiology and Pharmacology Publications

In brief: This review article summarizes the effects of pre- or peri-conceptual exposure to cannabinoids on female and male reproductive function, along with pregnancy outcomes from 2014 to 2024. In particular, it addresses the gaps in knowledge regarding the specific contributions of the major constituents of cannabis, THC and CBD, on reproduction. Abstract: With increased use of cannabis worldwide, especially in our young adult population, there is a great impetus to understand the impact of cannabis and its constituents (i.e. THC and CBD) on pregnancy, fetal outcomes and male and female reproductive function. This review assessed the current evidence (2014–2024) …

The Pulse - March 20, 2025, Unm Hsc Marketing & Communications

The Pulse

Weekly newsletter of the UNM Health Sciences Center.

Using The 5ms Framework To Advance Aging-Responsive Care For Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction, Abigail Latimer, Debra K. Moser, Jia-Rong Wu, Kim K. Birtcher, Malachy J. Clancy, Jennifer D. Portz, Joanna Paladino, Daniel D. Matlock, Christopher E. Knoepke

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

Complexity of care is the inevitable consequence of an aging population and is particularly true in instances where patients are managing chronic conditions such as heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). HFrEF itself is complex, with an undulating course of illness, increased risk of sudden cardiac death, and myriad accompanying treatment considerations. Generalist management of HFrEF among older patients is further complicated by competing comorbidities, potential for financial toxicity, potential for mental health symptoms, and risk of care with does not align with goals and preferences. The 5Ms (multicomplexity, mind, mobility, medications, and matters most) is a holistic conceptualization …

Art Therapists’ Perspectives On Exploring Sexuality In Treatment Sessions, Daniel Blausey

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study examined the relationships between U.S. based graduate-level art therapists’ (N = 174) personal and professional characteristics and their decisions to explore sexuality in sessions. A mixed-methods concurrent design generated quantitative and qualitative data through a one-time anonymous internet study centering on two clinical case vignettes. One vignette highlighted gender nonconformity, the other the sexualization of the therapist. Comparison of years of art therapy experience for two groups, those who interacted with one vignette before exiting and those who interacted with both found the group that rated both vignettes had more years of AT experience (M = …

Resistance Signatures To Oncolytic Vesiculoviruses In Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Chelsae R. Watters, Oumar Barro, Musa Gabere, Mia Y. Masuda, Natalie M. Elliott, Elizabeth A. Raupach, Khandoker Usran Ferdous, Mulu Z. Tesfay, Omeed Moaven, Yumei Zhou, Michael T. Barrett, Kenneth H. Buetow, Bolni Marius Nagalo, Mitesh J. Borad

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) shows limited response to conventional therapies and immunotherapy due to dense stromal barriers and poor immunogenicity. Oncolytic vesiculoviruses hold therapeutic potential for PDAC by lysis of PDAC cells to release tumor-associated antigens, increasing tumor immunogenicity. We previously reported the efficacy of a chimeric vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) expressing Morreton virus (MorV) glycoprotein in sarcoma. Here, we evaluated the oncolytic potency of MorV and chimeric virus, VMG, in PDAC models. VMG exhibited heterogeneous oncolysis across human PDAC cell lines and PDX cells, similar to parental viruses VSV and MorV. To evaluate potential signatures correlated with resistance to …

Student Expectations And Outcomes In Virtual Vs In-Person Interprofessional Simulations: A Qualitative Analysis, Padmavathy Ramaswamy, Abbey M Bachmann, Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer, Chasisty L Gilder, Samuel E Neher, Jennifer L Swails

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Health-related programs frequently integrate interprofessional education (IPE) into their training. The COVID-19 pandemic transitioned many IPE programs online, making it essential to assess student expectations and perceived learning outcomes across virtual simulations and in-person settings.

Methods: This qualitative study compared student expectations and self-reported outcomes across in-person and virtual case scenarios at a Texas health science center. Responses to open-ended questions from two data collection periods were analyzed using inductive coding and thematic analysis.

Results: Students from nursing, medicine, dentistry, public health, and informatics participated in each group. Three major themes emerged from this study: communication, teamwork, and …

A Rare Synchronous Existence Of Warthin’S Tumour And Oral Cancer: A Systematic Review, Gargi Sarode, Swapnagandha Mahindre, Vini Anand, Rahul, Namrata Sengupta, Shruti Singh, Sachin Sarode

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a common malignancy, while Warthin's tumour (WT) is a benign salivary gland neoplasm, typically found in the parotid gland but rarely involving extra-parotid tissues. The synchronous occurrence of OSCC and extra-parotid WT is particularly unusual. Accurate identification of these pathologies is crucial, as their rare presentation can resemble metastasis in lymph nodes. This review systematically searched for case reports and series of synchronous WT and OSCC, including 13 papers having 17 cases. The quality of these cases was assessed using CARE guidelines. The findings described WT's histological features and location in patients with OSCC, …

Vision-Related Quality Of Life Among Glaucoma Patients In Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study, Amani Abu-Shaheen, Mohsen Ayyash, Essam A. Alfayyad, Isamme, Doaa Dahan, Abdusalam Torjoman, Sadique Zameer, Humariya Heena

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the impact of glaucoma severity and socioeconomic factors on perceived vision-related quality of life (VRQoL) among glaucoma patients in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This cross-sectional study included adult glaucoma patients attending the ophthalmology outpatient clinics at King Fahad Medical City and King Saud University Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from May 2022 to May 2023. The validated Arabic translation of the 39-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-39) was used to measure VRQoL. Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to examine the factors associated with VRQoL. Results: A total of …

Endobronchial Metastasis With Extension To The Left Atrium From Adenocarcinoma Of Gastric 3 Years After Total Gastrectomy, Behnam Shakerian, Mohammad H. Mandegar

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Endobronchial metastases extending to the heart from gastric cancer are rare. This case report describes a 69-year-old man who presented to a tertiary care hospital in Shahrekord, Iran, in 2022 with a history of cough and haemoptysis. He had previously undergone total gastrectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy for gastric adenocarcinoma three years earlier. Imaging and pathological evaluation confirmed endobronchial metastasis with extension to the left atrium. The patient responded well to chemoradiotherapy, maintaining a good quality of life.

Unusual Presentation Of Osteoid Osteoma With Exacerbating Pain During Menses, Wassan Nori, Shaymaa K. Abdulqader, Nabeeha N. Al-Ani, Raid M., Qays A. Hassan, Alexandru C. Pantazi

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Osteoid osteomas (OO) are benign neoplasms commonly present during the second and third decade of life, showing a male predominance with classical nocturnal bone pain dramatically responding to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. We report a 22-year-old female patient who presented at a teaching hospital, Baghdad, Iraq, in 2023. She presented with right leg bone pain that was exacerbated during menstruation, a presentation that had never been reported in the literature before. The pain intensity increased and interfered with her daily activity. A computed tomography scan showed OO signs and surgical excision and histopathology confirmed OO. The patient's pain reduced to 0 …

Prevalence And Determinants Of Preterm Birth Among Women Of Reproductive Age In Kenya: A Multilevel Analysis Of The 2022 Demographic Health Survey, Kobi V. Ajayi, Obasanjo Bolarinwa, Toluwani E. Adekunle, Oluwatobi Abel Alawode, Nanyangwe Siuluta, Sinegugu Shongwe, Edyta Mccallum

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Preterm birth (PTB) is when a baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. It’s a major public health issue, with over 15 million cases globally each year. Sub-Saharan Africa, including Kenya, has a high share of PTB, but there’s limited research about it in Kenya. This study looked at how common PTB is in Kenya and what factors increase the risk. Using data from the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, the authors analysed 7,291 women aged 15–49. They used statistical methods to find patterns and identify factors linked to PTB. The study found that 7.14% of women in …