Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

In Vitro Evaluation Of Different Protocols For Preventing Microleakage Of Fissure Sealants Placed Following Saliva Contamination, Hayrunnisa Şimşek, A. Rüya Yazici, H. Cem Güngör

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of different enamel conditioning protocols and their re-application on the microleakage of fissure sealants placed following saliva contamination.

Study design: The study included 156 human third molars in 16 subgroups (2×4×2) under two main groups (sealant type): Group A- hydrophobic resin sealant, 3M Clinpro^™ Sealant; Group B- hydrophilic resin sealant, Ultraseal XT Hydro. Each group was then divided according to the type of surface conditioning; 1- Er,Cr:YSSG laser etching, 2- acid-etching, 3- acid-etching+etch-and-rinse adhesive (Prime&Bond^® One Select) and 4- self-etching adhesive (Clearfil^™SE Bond). After contaminating the conditioned occlusal enamel surfaces with …

Explainable Ai Using Knowledge Graphs, Manas Gaur, Ankit Desai, Keyur Faldu, Amit Sheth

Publications

During the last decade, traditional data-driven deep learning (DL) has shown remarkable success in essential natural language processing tasks, such as relation extraction. Yet, challenges remain in developing artificial intelligence (AI) methods in real-world cases that require explainability through human interpretable and traceable outcomes. The scarcity of labeled data for downstream supervised tasks and entangled embeddings produced as an outcome of self-supervised pre-training objectives also hinders interpretability and explainability. Additionally, data labeling in multiple unstructured domains, particularly healthcare and education, is computationally expensive as it requires a pool of human expertise. Consider Education Technology, where AI systems fall along a …

Toward Best Practice Methods For Delirium Biomarker Studies: An International Modified Delphi Study, Ingrid Amgarth-Duff, Annmarie Hosie, Gideon Caplan, Meera Agar

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Delirium is a serious and distressing neurocognitive condition common in people with advanced illness. The understanding of delirium pathophysiology is limited and largely hypothetical. To accelerate empirical understanding of delirium pathophysiology, robust scientific methods for conducting and reporting delirium biomarker studies are urgently needed. The aim of this study was to develop international consensus on the core elements of high‐quality delirium biomarker studies.

Methods: A three‐round modified Delphi survey was conducted from February to August 2019. Participants were international researchers experienced in conducting delirium studies from a range of settings (hospital, university, research centres). Round one commenced with open‐ended …

Exploring Enablers And Barriers To Accessing Health Services After A Fall Among People With Intellectual Disability, Portia Ho, Caroline Bulsara, Shane Patman, Jenny Downs, Anne-Marie Hill

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Adults with intellectual disability experience high rates of falls making falls prevention an important health need. The purpose of the study was to seek perspectives of older adults with intellectual disability and their caregivers to (a) explore the experiences of older adults with intellectual disability when seeking healthcare services after a fall and (b) identify enablers and barriers when taking up evidence-based falls recommendations.

Method: A qualitative exploratory study was undertaken as part of a prospective observational cohort study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample. Data were analysed thematically using Colaizzi's method.

Results: Seventeen interviews were conducted …

Delirium Point Prevalence Studies In Inpatient Settings: A Systematic Review, Binu Koirala, Bryan R. Hansen, Annmarie Hosie, Chakra Budhathoki, Stella Seal, Adam Beaman, Patricia M. Davidson

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Aims: To examine the delirium point prevalence studies conducted in different inpatient settings and to discuss the implication of the findings for delirium screening, assessment, prevention and management.

Background: Delirium—a common and distressing condition manifesting as an acute decline of attention and cognition—is frequently overlooked, misdiagnosed or treated inappropriately. This neuropsychiatric syndrome manifests as changes in attention, cognition and awareness, with resultant impact on behaviour, function and emotions. Delirium is recognised as a patient management challenge in the inpatient setting, and there is a need to understand the current point prevalence and assessment practices of delirium.

Design: A systematic review …

Development And Content Validation Of A Questionnaire Measuring Patient Empowerment In Cancer Follow-Up, Nanna Bjerg Eskildsen, Lone Ross, Caroline Bulsara, Susanne Malchau Dietz, Thora Grothe Thomsen, Mogens Groenvold, Susanne S. Pedersen, Clara Rubner Jorgensen, Anna Thit Johnsen

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop and ensure the content validity of a new patient-reported outcome measure, the Cancer Patient Empowerment Questionnaire (CPEQ), to measure the level of, desire for, and enablement of empowerment among cancer patients in follow-up.

Methods: An iterative process based on: (i) empowerment theories by Zimmerman and Tengland, (ii) a systematic review of questionnaires measuring empowerment or related concepts among cancer patients, (iii) qualitative data from 18 semi-structured interviews with Danish cancer patients in follow-up, (iv) input from a group of eight cancer patients involved as co-researchers and from an expert steering group, …

Enhancing Access To Parenting Services Using Digital Technology Supported Practices, Elaine Bennett, Wendy Simpson, Cathrine Fowler, Ailsa Munns, Jane Kohlhoff

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Early parenting services (EPS) in Australia provide a range of expanding and rapidly changing services, including innovative digital technologies to improve service access for metropolitan and rural families.

Aim: This research aims to provide comprehensive information required for the planning, implementation and evaluation of the use of digital technologies for service delivery with parenting/child and family services in Australia and New Zealand in metropolitan and rural settings.

Methods: An interpretive descriptive approach was applied using semi-structured interviews from 23 EPS practitioners and managers in five sites.

Findings: These are presented as five main themes – preparing the way, practitioner …

Older Persons’ And Their Caregivers’ Perspectives And Experiences Of Research Participation With Impaired Decision-Making Capacity: A Scoping Review, Annmarie Hosie, Slavica Kochovska, Nola Ries, Imelda Gilmore, Deborah Parker, Craig Sinclair, Caitlin Sheehan, Aileen Collier, Gideon A. Caplan, Mandy Visser, Xiaoyue Xu, Elizabeth Lobb, Linda Sheahan, Linda Brown, Wai Lee, Christine R. Sanderson, Ingrid Amgarth-Duff, Anna Green, Layla Edwards, Meera R. Agar

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Background and Objectives: Human research ethics statements support equitable inclusion of diverse groups. Yet older people are under-represented in clinical research, especially those with impaired decision-making capacity. The aim of this study was to identify perspectives and experiences of older persons and their caregivers of research participation with impaired decision-making capacity.

Research Design and Methods: Scoping review of literature and online sources in January-February 2019 (updated June 2020) according to Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews. English-language peer-reviewed research articles and Australian online narratives were included. Data were tabulated and narratively synthesized.

Results: From 4171 database …

Comparing The Perceptions Of Interprofessional Socialization Among Health Profession Students, Karen Aul, Jody Long

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Introduction: Based on a review of literature, there is a gap of knowledge on how students perceive the professional roles and responsibilities of other disciplines. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of interprofessional socialization among health profession students. Subjects: Participants included 300 undergraduate and 114 graduate students from eight health disciplines: nursing, communication disorders, physical therapy, social work, radiological science, occupational therapy, clinical lab science, and nutritional science. Methods: Data were collected using the Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale (ISVS-21). The participants rated 21 items about their beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes of interprofessional socialization on a …

Lessons Learned In The Early Stages Of A Community-Academic Partnership To Address Health Disparities In A Rural Community, Tiffany R. Washington, Brian M. Rivers, L. Sherrié Raleigh, Natalie D. Hernandez, Mindy Le, A. Keith Green, Jeffery Lawrence, Henry N. Young

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

In rural Georgia, African American men are burdened by chronic health diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Community-academic partnerships that leverage community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles can facilitate the adaptation and translation of multilevel programs to address chronic disease prevention and management in rural areas. The objective of this study was to explore key components of the CBPR process that bolstered the early stages of a partnership established between rural-residing community leaders and academic partners in Georgia. Qualitative methodology was used to collect and assess data regarding the initial engagement between the community and academic partners. Findings indicate …

Fitnessgram Assessment Results In Five Rural Counties Of Georgia, Tara L. Underwood, Jimmie H. Smith Jr, Dawood H. Sultan

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Childhood obesity continues to be more prevalent in the United States (US) than ever before. Youth who reside in rural areas tend to experience higher risks of obesity and overweight status, mainly due to barriers to physical activity. Even though the US federal government has mandated a daily requirement of physical activity for all school-age children, the majority of youth from rural communities tend to not achieve the recommended Health Fitness Zone (HFZ) goals.

Methods: The FITNESSGRAM is the instrument that has been used to measure and report students’ physical activity and body mass index (BMI) based …

Impact Of School Tobacco-Free Policy And Tobacco Risk Education On Youth Cigarette And E-Cigarette Use, Vahe Heboyan, Bruce Riggs

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Smoking rates have declined over the last half-century, however, e-cigarette use has more than tripled in the recent years. Tobacco-risk education and tobacco-free policies are critical policy instruments to help prevent youth tobacco use. This study evaluates the impact of these policies on youth cigarette and e-cigarette use.

Methods: Data from the 2013/2015 Georgia Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) is used to test for statistical differences in tobacco use status across school-based tobacco control policies and estimate their impact on cigarette and e-cigarette use. Data includes 5,285 participants representing 2013 middle school (n=2,099), 2013 high school (n=1,775), and 2015 high …

Making The Case For Community Health Workers In Georgia, Gail G. Mccray, Berneta L. Haynes, Adrianne S. Proeller, Christopher E. Ervin, Arletha D. Williams-Livingston

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Community Health Workers (CHW) can be an important and evidence-based response to reduce unnecessary morbidity and mortality in chronic diseases like asthma, heart disease, diabetes, cancers, HIV, and maternal/child health, and mental health. Georgia’s urban and rural diverse populations are at high risk from many of these conditions. Largely the outcomes in controlling these health issues are nonmedical and include social determinants of health, i.e., access to care, transportation, inadequate housing, and health literacy. CHWs can increase the capacity of individuals, families, and communities to improve their health. Historically, concerns of CHWs on healthcare teams to address these issues …

The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence, Life Satisfaction, And Stress Management, Necmettin Gül

Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This study examines whether students' stress management levels from Azerbaijan and Turkey are predicted by life satisfaction and emotional intelligence and differ by gender. The research was conducted with the participation of 435 university students. The research data were obtained through the Emotional Intelligence Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Coping with Stress Scale. The study results found that university students' emotional intelligence, life satisfaction, and stress management significantly differed by gender. In the path analysis, where stress management was the dependent variable, it was found that the combination of emotional intelligence and life satisfaction of the students …

The Leading Role Of The Language Phenomenon In Brain Activity, Minaxanum Hajiyeva

Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

One of the most prime examples of a multidisciplinary field, Cogntive Lingusitics explores language as a cognitive mechanism in the coding and transformation of information. On the other hand, Neurolinguistics, combining two major sciences and studying the functional course of consciousness, deals with cognitive processes and the relationship between the brain and them. In the scientific development of its History/ Archaeology, a number of different research areas related to the study of the functionality of the brain hemispheres are noteworthy. The different functions in the brain mechanism benefit from cognition, concepts, conceptsphers, and other necessary elements. Cognitive linguistics dealing with …

Tumor Immunology: Understanding The Immune System And Cancer To Enhance The Efficacy Of Cancer Immunotherapies, Natasha Malibu Lenart

Master's Theses

Tumor cells are notorious for their ability to escape immune surveillance, but developments in the understanding of the tumor microenvironment and how the immune system can be re-activated in tumors have had significant clinical impact. Commercially available and experimental methods such as adoptive cellular therapy, cytokine stimulation, and immune checkpoint blockade are promising immunotherapies for a variety of cancers, including solid tumors and hematological malignancies. However, induction of persistent, long-term anti-tumor immunity after initial treatment is infamously difficult. as a result, scientists are searching for new approaches to improve established immunotherapies. by employing combination treatments or enhancing the functionality of …

Prediction Of Molecular Mutations In Diffuse Low-Grade Gliomas Using Mr Imaging Features, Zeina A. Shboul, James Chen, Khan M. Iftekharrudin

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Diffuse low-grade gliomas (LGG) have been reclassified based on molecular mutations, which require invasive tumor tissue sampling. Tissue sampling by biopsy may be limited by sampling error, whereas non-invasive imaging can evaluate the entirety of a tumor. This study presents a non-invasive analysis of low-grade gliomas using imaging features based on the updated classification. We introduce molecular (MGMT methylation, IDH mutation, 1p/19q co-deletion, ATRX mutation, and TERT mutations) prediction methods of low-grade gliomas with imaging. Imaging features are extracted from magnetic resonance imaging data and include texture features, fractal and multi-resolution fractal texture features, and volumetric features. Training models include …

Bioenergetic Functions In Subpopulations Of Heart Mitochondria Are Preserved In A Non-Obese Type 2 Diabetes Rat Model (Goto-Kakizaki), Nicola Lai, C. M. Kummitha, F. Loy, R. Isola, C. L. Hoppel

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

A distinct bioenergetic impairment of heart mitochondrial subpopulations in diabetic cardiomyopathy is associated with obesity; however, many type 2 diabetic (T2DM) patients with high-risk for cardiovascular disease are not obese. In the absence of obesity, it is unclear whether bioenergetic function in the subpopulations of mitochondria is affected in heart with T2DM. To address this issue, a rat model of non-obese T2DM was used to study heart mitochondrial energy metabolism, measuring bioenergetics and enzyme activities of the electron transport chain (ETC). Oxidative phosphorylation in the presence of substrates for ETC and ETC activities in both populations of heart mitochondria in …

Context Aware Deep Learning For Brain Tumor Segmentation, Subtype Classification, And Survival Prediction Using Radiology Images, Linmin Pei, Lasitha Vidyaratne, Md Monibor Rahman, Khan M. Iftekharuddin

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

A brain tumor is an uncontrolled growth of cancerous cells in the brain. Accurate segmentation and classification of tumors are critical for subsequent prognosis and treatment planning. This work proposes context aware deep learning for brain tumor segmentation, subtype classification, and overall survival prediction using structural multimodal magnetic resonance images (mMRI). We first propose a 3D context aware deep learning, that considers uncertainty of tumor location in the radiology mMRI image sub-regions, to obtain tumor segmentation. We then apply a regular 3D convolutional neural network (CNN) on the tumor segments to achieve tumor subtype classification. Finally, we perform survival prediction …

Efficacy Of Radiomics And Genomics In Predicting Tp53 Mutations In Diffuse Lower Grade Glioma, Zeina A. Shboul, Khan Iftekharuddin

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

An updated classification of diffuse lower-grade gliomas is established in the 2016 World Health Organization Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System based on their molecular mutations such as TP53 mutation. This study investigates machine learning methods for TP53 mutation status prediction and classification using radiomics and genomics features, respectively. Radiomics features represent patients' age and imaging features that are extracted from conventional MRI. Genomics feature is represented by patients’ gene expression using RNA sequencing. This study uses a total of 105 LGG patients, where the patient dataset is divided into a training set (80 patients) and testing set …

Deep Learning With Context Encoding For Semantic Brain Tumor Segmentation And Patient Survival Prediction, Linmin Pei, Lasitha Vidyaratne, Md Monibor Rahman, Khan M. Iftekharuddin

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

One of the most challenging problems encountered in deep learning-based brain tumor segmentation models is the misclassification of tumor tissue classes due to the inherent imbalance in the class representation. Consequently, strong regularization methods are typically considered when training large-scale deep learning models for brain tumor segmentation to overcome undue bias towards representative tissue types. However, these regularization methods tend to be computationally exhaustive, and may not guarantee the learning of features representing all tumor tissue types that exist in the input MRI examples. Recent work in context encoding with deep CNN models have shown promise for semantic segmentation of …

Innovative Collaborative Service-Learning Experience Among Dental Hygiene And Nurse Practitioner Students: A Pediatric Oral Health Pilot Study, Denise M. Claiborne, Rebecca Poston, Ahlam Joufi

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose: Preventive oral health behaviors are essential for children during early stages of development. The purpose of this study was to pilot an innovative, collaborative service-learning (ICSL) experience for dental hygiene (DH) and primary care nurse practitioner (NP) students to address pediatric oral health.

Methods: A convenience sample of DH and NP students (n=12) participated in the development, planning and delivery of an ICSL activity focusing on pediatric oral health to 44 pre-school aged children. A learning management system was used for the communicating, planning and evaluating the ICSL activity. The interprofessional socialization of the participants was measured using the …

Perioperative Acute Kidney Injury, Sam D Gumbert, Felix Kork, Maisie L Jackson, Naveen Vanga, Semhar J Ghebremichael, Christy Y Wang, Holger K Eltzschig

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Perioperative organ injury is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality of surgical patients. Among different types of perioperative organ injury, acute kidney injury occurs particularly frequently and has an exceptionally detrimental effect on surgical outcomes. Currently, acute kidney injury is most commonly diagnosed by assessing increases in serum creatinine concentration or decreased urine output. Recently, novel biomarkers have become a focus of translational research for improving timely detection and prognosis for acute kidney injury. However, specificity and timing of biomarker release continue to present challenges to their integration into existing diagnostic regimens. Despite many clinical trials using various …

The Longitudinal Parallel Process Analysis Of Biomarkers Of Oxidative Stress, Symptom Clusters, And Cognitive Function In Children With Leukemia, Mary C Hooke, Daniel Hatch, Marilyn J Hockenberry, Susan Whitman, Ida Moore, David Montgomery, Kari Marano, Pauline Mitby, Michael E Scheurer, Olga Taylor, Wei Pan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: During treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), children report co-occurring symptoms of fatigue, sleep disturbance, pain, nausea, and depression as a symptom cluster. Central nervous system–directed ALL therapies also put children at risk for cognitive impairments. Cancer therapies can cause an increase in oxidative stress, which may contribute to treatment-related symptoms. This study examined the longitudinal relationships between biomarkers of oxidative stress in the cerebrospinal fluid, the Childhood Cancer Symptom Cluster–Leukemia (CCSC-L), and cognition, in children over the first year of ALL treatment. Methods: Glutathione (GSH) biomarkers of oxidative stress were measured in cerebrospinal fluid collected during treatment lumbar …

The Vimentin Rod Domain Blocks P-Selectin-P-Selectin Glycoprotein Ligand 1 Interactions To Attenuate Leukocyte Adhesion To Inflamed Endothelium, Fong Wilson Lam, Cameron August Brown, Christian Valladolid, Dabel Cynthia Emebo, Timothy Gerald Palzkill, Miguel Angel Cruz

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Acute inflammation begins with leukocyte P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) binding to P-selectin on inflamed endothelium and platelets. In pathologic conditions, this process may contribute to secondary organ damage, like sepsis-induced liver injury. Therefore, developing novel therapies to attenuate inflammation may be beneficial. We previously reported that recombinant human vimentin (rhVim) binds P-selectin to block leukocyte adhesion to endothelium and platelets. In this study, we used SPOT-peptide arrays to identify the rod domain as the active region within rhVim that interacts with P-selectin. Indeed, recombinant human rod domain of vimentin (rhRod) binds to P-selectin with high affinity, with in silico modeling …

Covid-19 Sampling From The Middle Ear And Mastoid: A Case Report, George B Wanna, Zachary G Schwam, Vivian F Kaul, Maura K Cosetti, Enrique Perez, Peter Filip, Waleed Javaid, Avi Kandel, Alberto Paniz-Mondolfi, Satish Govindaraj, Eric M Genden

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Microbiotyping The Sinonasal Microbiome, Ahmed Bassiouni, Sathish Paramasivan, Arron Shiffer, Matthew R Dillon, Emily K Cope, Clare Cooksley, Mahnaz Ramezanpour, Sophia Moraitis, Mohammad Javed Ali, Benjamin S Bleier, Claudio Callejas, Marjolein E Cornet, Richard G Douglas, Daniel Dutra, Christos Georgalas, Richard J Harvey, Peter H Hwang, Amber U Luong, Rodney J Schlosser, Pongsakorn Tantilipikorn, Marc A Tewfik, Sarah Vreugde, Peter-John Wormald, J Gregory Caporaso, Alkis J Psaltis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study offers a novel description of the sinonasal microbiome, through an unsupervised machine learning approach combining dimensionality reduction and clustering. We apply our method to the International Sinonasal Microbiome Study (ISMS) dataset of 410 sinus swab samples. We propose three main sinonasal “microbiotypes” or “states”: the first is Corynebacterium-dominated, the second is Staphylococcus-dominated, and the third dominated by the other core genera of the sinonasal microbiome (Streptococcus, Haemophilus, Moraxella, and Pseudomonas). The prevalence of the three microbiotypes studied did not differ between healthy and diseased sinuses, but differences in their distribution were evident based …

Educational Case: Systemic Mastocytosis With An Associated Hematological Neoplasm, Brenda Mai, Md A Wahed, Lei Chen, Nghia D Nguyen, Xiaohong Iris Wang, Zhihong Hu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The following fictional case is intended as a learning tool within the Pathology Competencies for Medical Education (PCME), a set of national standards for teaching pathology. These are divided into three basic competencies: Disease Mechanisms and Processes, Organ System Pathology, and Diagnostic Medicine and Therapeutic Pathology. For additional information, and a full list of learning objectives for all three competencies, see http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2374289517715040.1

An Incidental Finding Of Gastric Mucosa-Associated Lymphoma (Maltoma) In A Sleeve Gastrectomy With Literature Review, Brenda Mai, Michaelangelo Friscia, Pamela Younes, Jaiyeola Thomas-Ogunniyi, Lei Chen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma can typically be identified as a mass lesion or nodularity endoscopically and macroscopically. We report an incidental finding of a Helicobacter pylori gastric mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma in a sleeve gastrectomy specimen with no gross examination findings.

Metaproteomic Analysis Of Human Gut Microbiome In Digestive And Metabolic Diseases, Sheng Pan, Ru Chen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Metaproteomics, as a subfield of proteomics, has quickly emerged as a pivotal tool for global characterization of a microbiome system at a functional level. It has been increasingly applied in studying human digestive and metabolic diseases, and provides information-rich data to identify the dysbiosis of human gut microbiome related to healthy or disease states to elucidate the molecular events underlying host-microbiota interplays. While significant technical challenges still exist, this emerging technology has been demonstrated to provide essential information in interrogating functional changes in the human gut microbiome, complementary to metagenomics and metatranscriptomics. This chapter overviews the overall metaproteomic work flow …