Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

An Innovative Method Of Singular Spectrum Analysis To Conduct Gap-Filling And Denoising On Time Series Data, James J Yang, Anne Buu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Heart rate data collected from wearable devices - one type of time series data - could provide insights into activities, stress levels, and health. Yet, consecutive missing segments (i.e., gaps) that commonly occur due to improper device placement or device malfunction could distort the temporal patterns inherent in the data and undermine the validity of downstream analyses. This study proposes an innovative iterative procedure to fill gaps in time series data that capitalizes on the denoising capability of Singular Spectrum Analysis (SSA) and eliminates SSA's requirement of pre-specifying the window length and number of groups. The results of simulations demonstrate …

Anatomical Variation Of The Aortic Arch Branches: A Case Report And Literature Review, Omer Abdelaziz, Ibrahim Abdalla, Mohammed Abdelmotalab

Iraqi National Journal of Medicine

Anatomical variations of the aortic arch branches have been documented; however, the occurrence of five branches arising directly from the aortic arch is rare. During the dissection of a 35-year-old male cadaver‘s thorax and neck region for undergraduate students in the academic year 2022–2023 at the Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Delta College of Science and Technology, Omdurman City, Sudan, the aortic arch exhibited five direct branches: the left subclavian, left common carotid, left vertebral, right common carotid, and right subclavian arteries. Understanding such variations and their anatomical courses prior to surgical procedures holds significant clinical value.

Legacy Of The Voices Project: Pausing For, Listening To, And Sharing Patient Narratives, Ryan N. Heine, Gheri Terry, Aditya H. Gaur

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

In today’s information-overloaded and fast-paced world, it is imperative that healthcare providers, including clinical care and research teams, “Pause” for, “Listen” to, and “Share” what their patients and research participants have to say. The VOICES Project at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital offers that opportunity and is creating an everlasting, powerful legacy – one that could meaningfully change the healthcare and clinical research landscape.

Increased Depressive And Anxiety Symptoms Predict Increased Severity Of Functional Impairment After Five Years: A Nationally Representative Retrospective Cohort Study, Elisabeth C. Demarco, Samantha Zocher, Blake Miyamoto, Leslie Hinyard, Divya S. Subramaniam

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Performing self-care and domestic life tasks are key aspects of functional independence for older adults. While both depression and anxiety symptoms are correlated with increased functional limitation, these disorders are often studied separately, despite frequent co-occurrence and plausible interaction, and without the consideration of social health. This study examined the impact of comorbid depressive and anxiety symptoms, controlling for social participation and loneliness, on severity of functional limitation in a nationally representative sample of older adults to improve patient-centered care.

Methods: The National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) Rounds 2 and 3 data were utilized. Primary outcomes …

A Message To Our 2024 Peer Reviewers: Thank You, Advocate Aurora Research Institute

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Like all peer-reviewed journals, we rely heavily on our diverse pool of academic and clinical reviewers who generously volunteer their time to help rigorously gatekeep original manuscript submissions to the Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews (JPCRR). Indeed, the high-quality science and patient-centered focus of our published articles are a testament to the hard work that these scholarly reviewers devote to the journal. Listed in this citable acknowledgment are the names of each of our peer reviewers from the past 12 months, and we sincerely thank them for their valuable contributions to JPCRR and our goal of advancing patient-centered practices, …

Beyond The Status Of Health: A Collection Of Stories Representing Diverse Maternal Mental Health Perspectives, Sara Santarossa, Ruth A. Blake, Heather Buchanan, Mercedes Price, Rachael Guzzardo, Craig Guzzardo, Lakenya M. Johnson, Jacobeth M. Morshall, Andrea Bate, Wayne Bate, Riziki Bakari, Leah Copeland, Dana Murphy, Ashley Redding, Amy Loree

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

As part of a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Eugene Washington Engagement Award aimed at improving capacity to address maternal mental health in research, this collection of eight stories describes the unique experiences from caregivers (N = 2), patient/caregiver dyads (N = 2), healthcare stakeholders (N = 2), and community stakeholders (N = 2). Shared here are narratives dedicated to uplifting and supporting maternal mental health through storytelling. Elevating the voices and lived experiences of these diverse perspectives helps one understand the deeper and sometimes “invisible” needs of birthing people, thus moving beyond the status quo.

Cross-Platform Analysis Of Mammography Narratives: A Comparative Study On Social Media Engagement, Thomas Stirrat, Jonathan Garner, Parth Tailor, Daniel Weitz, Muhammad Umair, Yusuf T. Akpolat

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: This study examines the representation of mammography on social media platforms, specifically, X (Twitter), Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram, from 2006 to 2023. X (Twitter) went public in 2006, Facebook in 2004, Instagram in 2012, and TikTok in 2018 (after merging with Musical.ly). The analysis starts from after the public launch years to analyze personal experiences shared online.

Methods: A retrospective content analysis was conducted on 1,771 posts using specific hashtags related to mammography. Posts were categorized into themes including emotional and psychological impacts, clinical and procedural details, and social and supportive interactions. The analysis involved summarizing the distribution of …

Interventions To Prevent And Manage Infections In Pregnancy, Rahima Yasin, Li Jiang, Jai K. Das, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Institute for Global Health and Development

Background: Care interventions aimed at preventing and treating maternal infections during the gestational period are of paramount importance. Timely immunizations, screening strategies, and management of maternal infections reduce the risk of complications for the developing fetus and play a pivotal role in improving neonatal outcomes.
Summary: We aim to summarize evidence for a total of thirteen interventions, pertaining to the prevention and treatment of maternal infections during the antenatal period, from Every Newborn Series published in The Lancet 2014. We identified the most recent systematic reviews, extracted data from each review, and conducted a sub-group meta-analysis for low-income countries and …

Overcoming Cd226-Related Immune Evasion In Acute Myeloid Leukemia With Cd38 Car-Engineered Nk Cells, Luciana Melo Garcia, Achintyan Gangadharan, Pinaki Banerjee, Ye Li, Andy G X Zeng, Hind Rafei, Paul Lin, Bijender Kumar, Sunil Acharya, May Daher, Luis Muniz-Feliciano, Gary M Deyter, Gabriel Dominguez, Jeong Min Park, Francia Reyes Silva, Ana Karen Nunez Cortes, Rafet Basar, Nadima Uprety, Mayra Shanley, Mecit Kaplan, Enli Liu, Elizabeth J Shpall, Katayoun Rezvani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

CD226 plays a vital role in natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity, interacting with its ligands CD112 and CD155 to initiate immune synapse formation, primarily through leukocyte function-associated-1 (LFA-1). Our study examined the role of CD226 in NK cell surveillance of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). NK cells in patients with AML had lower expression of CD226. CRISPR-Cas9 deletion of CD226 led to reduced LFA-1 recruitment, poor synapse formation, and decreased NK cell anti-leukemic activity. Engineering NK cells to express a chimeric antigen receptor targeting the AML antigen CD38 (CAR38) could overcome the need for CD226 to establish strong immune synapses. LFA-1 …

Trmt1l-Catalyzed M22g27 On Tyrosine Trna Is Required For Efficient Mrna Translation And Cell Survival Under Oxidative Stress, Sseu-Pei Hwang, Han Liao, Katherine Barondeau, Xinyi Han, Cassandra Herbert, Hunter Mcconie, Amirtha Shekar, Dimitri G Pestov, Patrick A Limbach, Jeffrey T Chang, Catherine Denicourt

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

tRNA modifications are critical for several aspects of their functions, including decoding, folding, and stability. Using a multifaceted approach encompassing eCLIP-seq and nanopore tRNA-seq, we show that the human tRNA methyltransferase TRMT1L interacts with the component of the Rix1 ribosome biogenesis complex and binds to the 28S rRNA as well as to a subset of tRNAs. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that TRMT1L is responsible for catalyzing N2,N2-dimethylguanosine (m22G) solely at position 27 of tRNA-Tyr-GUA. Surprisingly, TRMT1L depletion also impaired the deposition of 3-(3-amino-3-carboxypropyl) uridine (acp3U) and dihydrouridine on tRNA-Tyr-GUA, Cys-GCA, and Ala-CGC. TRMT1L knockout cells have a marked decrease in tRNA-Tyr-GUA …

Optimal Size And Peg Coating Of Gold Nanoparticles For Prolonged Blood Circulation: A Statistical Analysis Of Published Data, Dmitry Nevozhay, Ronald Rauch, Zhongya Wang, Konstantin V Sokolov

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study presents a statistical analysis of how gold nanoparticle (GNP) size and polyethylene glycol (PEG) coating molecular weight (MW) affect the circulation of nanoparticles in blood. We showed a non-linear relationship with interaction between GNP size and PEG MW. The findings revealed a threshold effect, and recommendations for GNP coating are discussed.

A Morphometric Signature To Identify Ductal Carcinoma In Situ With A Low Risk Of Progression, Marcelo Sobral-Leite, Simon P Castillo, Shiva Vonk, Hendrik A Messal, Xenia Melillo, Noomie Lam, Brandi De Bruijn, Yeman B Hagos, Myrna Van Den Bos, Joyce Sanders, Mathilde Almekinders, Lindy L Visser, Emma J Groen, Petra Kristel, Caner Ercan, Leyla Azarang, Jacco Van Rheenen, E Shelley Hwang, Yinyin Yuan, Renee Menezes, Esther H Lips, Jelle Wesseling

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) may progress to ipsilateral invasive breast cancer (iIBC), but often never will. Because DCIS is treated as early breast cancer, many women with harmless DCIS face overtreatment. To identify features associated with progression, we developed an artificial intelligence-based DCIS morphometric analysis pipeline (AIDmap) on hematoxylin-eosin-stained (H&E) tissue sections. We analyzed 689 digitized H&Es of pure primary DCIS of which 226 were diagnosed with subsequent iIBC and 463 were not. The distribution of 15 duct morphological measurements was summarized in 55 morphometric variables. A ridge regression classifier with cross validation predicted 5-years-free of iIBC with an …

Erk Activation Dynamics In Maturing Oocyte Controls Embryonic Nuclear Divisions In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Han Bit Baek, Debabrata Das, Shin-Yu Chen, Hongyuan Li, Swathi Arur

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

ERK activity oscillates between sustained activation during oocyte formation and transient inactivation during oocyte maturation, fertilization, and early embryogenesis. Consequences of ectopic ERK activity upon oocyte maturation and in early embryogenesis are unknown. We show, in Caenorhabditis elegans, that ectopic ERK activity upon oocyte maturation (metaphase I oocytes) results in embryos with abnormalities in nuclear divisions leading to embryonic death. We uncover that ERK directly phosphorylates Polo-like kinase I (PLK-1), on Serine 404, to inhibit nuclear envelope breakdown (NEBD) in early embryogenesis. The RAS/ERK/PLK-1 pathway poisons zygotic NEBD and inhibits the merging of parental genomes, underlining the importance of turning …

Charting Your Course: A Roadmap To Select A Review Type For Your Research Journey, Jannette Bradley, Barbara E. Ruggeri, Karen L. Hanus

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Summarizing evidence found in the literature is an important component of the research process. Researchers who undertake a project to summarize evidence will hopefully have their results published in a peer-reviewed journal. However, there are dozens of review types. Choosing the right review type is not always straightforward. The researcher’s process is much like a journey that requires careful charting to avoid wrong turns and wasted resources and potentially ensure that somebody else can replicate the process. Depending on the goal/destination, the researcher/traveler needs to choose the proper review type, or chart the right course, to select their route and …

Challenges And Opportunities In The Dissemination Of Scientific Content: Insights From Media Professionals In Jordan, Ruba Mustafa Mohammad Dr, Mahmoud Ahmad Al-Rajabi Dr, Hala Nabil Amr

Middle East Journal of Communication Studies

This study explored the challenges and opportunities in disseminating scientific content from the perspective of media experts in Jordan. Using a descriptive methodology and a questionnaire, the research aimed to understand the landscape better. The sample included 343 media experts holding master's degrees or higher in various media fields, along with several journalists actively working in the sector. The study revealed several key findings. Chief among them are the numerous obstacles hindering the dissemination of scientific content in Jordanian media. These include a lack of training for journalists on accessing new scientific information, a general absence of critical thinking skills …

The Degree Of Dependence Of The Jordanian Public On Social Media In Health Awareness Of Obesity Diseases (Survey Study), Jumana Irshiedat Dr, Kamel Khurshid Murad Prof

Middle East Journal of Communication Studies

The article aimed to reveal the dependency of social media platforms in educating the Jordanian public about obesity diseases and explore the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral effects on the Jordanian public. The survey method was adopted; an approach used in descriptive studies, and the questionnaire tool was used to a sample (357) of the Jordanian public in Amman. The study-produced results including the platform most used by the Jordanian public to receive knowledge about health awareness is WhatsApp in the first place, followed by Instagram and then Facebook. The results also showed that the health topics of most interest to …

The Energy Transition In The Jordanian Media, Hanan Al-Shiekh Dr

Middle East Journal of Communication Studies

The study aimed to clarify the role of scientific journalism towards stimulating investment in environmentally friendly renewable energy sources, which is one of the necessary challenges facing the Kingdom of Jordan for economic growth and social development, due to its heavy dependence on energy imports, which reflects negatively on the Jordanian economy. This study is one of the descriptive studies that focuses on describing a specific topic, as it is in the current reality, in terms of its general and detailed characteristics, including variables, elements, relationships, and influences, which are among the most prominent features of scientific journalism in terms …

The Role Of Television In Increasing Knowledge About Health Issues Among Jordanian Citizens, Izzat Mohammad Hijab Prof, Ahmad Oreqat Dr, Hani Al-Badri Dr

Middle East Journal of Communication Studies

This study explores the role of TV health programs in increasing the knowledge of Jordanian citizens about health issues. The study was based on the social survey methodology through a questionnaire distributed to a sample of 200 people from the city of Amman watching Jordan Television (JTV) health programs. The researcher concluded the following; a high watching for health programs, and that the Jordanians watch health programs with their family at home. The study also confirmed that the Jordanian benefits from health programs provided by JTV, and these programs are important and essential in educating citizens in health issues. Finally, …

Chemotherapy In Synergy With Innate Immune Agonists Enhances T Cell Priming For Checkpoint Inhibitor Treatment In Pancreatic Cancer, Nan Niu, Keyu Li, Junke Wang, Vanessa Funes, Birginia Espinoza, Pan Li, Jianxin Wang, Melissa Lyman, Mengni He, Brian Herbst, Michael Wichroski, Ruslan Novosiadly, Sami Shoucair, Yiping Mou, Lei Zheng

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The combination of conventional chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has been unsuccessful for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Administration of maximum tolerated dose of chemotherapy drugs may have immunosuppressive effects.

Methods: We thus tested, by using the preclinical model of PDACs including the genetically engineered mouse KPC spontaneous pancreatic tumor model and the pancreatic KPC tumor orthotopic implant model, the combinations of synthetic innate immune agonists including STING and NLRP3 agonist, respectively, and ICIs with or without chemotherapy.

Results: We found that innate agonists potentiate the role of chemotherapy in inducing effector T cells and subsequently to prime the …

01.27.2025 Ored Connect, Liz Williamson

ORED Newsletter

Data Science for Addiction Research

UM research and related activities as a new presidential administration transition occurs

Development And Validation Of Natural Language Processing Algorithms In The Enact National Electronic Health Record Research Network, Yanshan Wang, Jordan Hilsman, Chenyu Li, Michele Morris, Paul M Heider, Sunyang Fu, Min Ji Kwak, Andrew Wen, Joseph R Applegate, Liwei Wang, Elmer Bernstam, Hongfang Liu, Jack Chang, Daniel R Harris, Alexandria Corbeau, Darren Henderson, John D Osborne, Richard E Kennedy, Nelly-Estefanie Garduno-Rapp, Justin F Rousseau, Chao Yan, You Chen, Mayur B Patel, Tyler J Murphy, Bradley A Malin, Chan Mi Park, Jungwei W Fan, Sunghwan Sohn, Sandeep Pagali, Yifan Peng, Aman Pathak, Yonghui Wu, Zongqi Xia, Salvatore Loguercio, Steven E Reis, Shyam Visweswaran

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Electronic health record (EHR) data are a rich and invaluable source of real-world clinical information, enabling detailed insights into patient populations, treatment outcomes, and healthcare practices. The availability of large volumes of EHR data are critical for advancing translational research and developing innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence. The Evolve to Next-Gen Accrual to Clinical Trials (ENACT) network, established in 2015 with funding from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), aims to accelerate translational research by democratizing access to EHR data for all Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) hub investigators. The present ENACT network provides access to …

Understanding The Impacts Of Surgical Drains On Postoperative Pain And Quality Of Life, Goutam K. Gadiraju, Matthew R. Prospero, Finn Tobias, Andrew J. Malek, Erik Reiche, Justin M. Broyles

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Surgical drains are commonly used in breast surgery and breast reconstruction for seroma prevention. Although many surgeons are aware that surgical drains can cause considerable discomfort to patients, less is understood about the specific impacts of drains on postoperative pain and quality of life (QOL). Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among patients at our institution who had previously undergone mastectomy or breast reconstruction procedures to better understand patients' experiences with surgical drains. Patients were asked to report their attitudes toward a series of QOL statements and rate postoperative pain using numeric pain scales. Pair-wise analysis was used to …

Prevalence And Dynamics Of Antimicrobial Resistance In Pioneer And Developing Arctic Soils, Shamik Roy, Robin A. Dawson Phd, Rn, Cpnp-Pc, James A. Bradley, Marcela Hernández

Publications

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in soil is an ancient phenomenon with widespread spatial presence in terrestrial ecosystems. However, the natural processes shaping the temporal dissemination of AMR in soils are not well understood. We aimed to determine whether, how, and why AMR varies with soil age in recently deglaciated pioneer and developing Arctic soils using a space-for-time approach. Specifically, we assess how the magnitude and spread of AMR changes with soil development stages, including antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB). We showed that ARGs, MGEs, and ARB are present, and exhibit a non-uniform distribution in …

Early-Onset Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease, Idine Mousavi, John Suffredini, Salim S Virani, Christie M Ballantyne, Erin D Michos, Arunima Misra, Anum Saeed, Xiaoming Jia

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Recent trends indicate a concerning increase in early-onset atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) among younger individuals (men aged < 55 years women aged < 65 years). These findings highlight the pathobiology of ASCVD as a disease process that begins early in life and underscores the need for more tailored screening methods and preventive strategies. Increasing attention has been placed on the growing burden of traditional cardiometabolic risk factors in young individuals while also recognizing unique factors that mediate risk of pre-mature atherosclerosis in this demographic such as substance use, socioeconomic disparities, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and chronic inflammatory states that contribute to the increasing incidence of early ASCVD. Additionally, mounting evidence has pointed out significant disparities in the diagnosis and management of early ASCVD and cardiovascular outcomes based on sex and race. Moving towards a more personalized approach, emerging data and technological developments using diverse tools such as polygenic risk scores and coronary artery calcium scans have shown potential in earlier detection of ASCVD risk. Thus, we review current evidence on causal risk factors that drive the increase in early ASCVD and highlight emerging tools to improve ASCVD risk assessment in young individuals.

Hispanic Patients Undergoing Spinal Fusion For Neuromuscular Scoliosis Sustain Health Inequalities, Armando S Martinez, David Momtaz, Travis Kotzur, Alexandra Mclennan, Abdullah Ghali, Farhan Ahmad, Ebubechi Adindu, Alan C Santiago-Rodriquez, Ali Seifi, Brian Smith

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: Pre- and postoperative optimization remains a complex process impacted by various demographic factors. Our study aims to identify and describe those demographic factors associated with poor outcomes after spinal fusion with instrumentation in neuromuscular scoliosis to reduce health disparities and improve postoperative outcomes.

METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted using Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project data from 2016 to 2020, encompassing a random sample of 20% of procedures in the United States. Data included demographic and hospital variables, including days from admission to the procedure, length of stay, recovery time, total charge, discharge disposition, and mortality rates. In addition …

Tfap2e Is Implicated In Central Nervous System, Orofacial And Maxillofacial Anomalies, Jeshurun C Kalanithy, Enrico Mingardo, Jil D Stegmann, Ramgopal Dhakar, Tikam Chand Dakal, Jill A Rosenfeld, Wen-Hann Tan, Stephanie A Coury, Audrey C Woerner, Jessica Sebastian, Paul A Levy, Leah R Fleming, Lea Waffenschmidt, Tobias T Lindenberg, Öznur Yilmaz, Khadija Channab, Bimaljeet K Babra, Andrea Christ, Britta Eiberger, Selina Hölzel, Clara Vidic, Felix Häberlein, Nina Ishorst, Juan E Rodriguez-Gatica, Behnaz Pezeshkpoor, Patrick A Kupczyk, Olivier M Vanakker, Sara Loddo, Antonio Novelli, Maria L Dentici, Albert Becker, Holger Thiele, Jennifer E Posey, James R Lupski, Alina C Hilger, Heiko M Reutter, Waltraut M Merz, Gabriel C Dworschak, Benjamin Odermatt

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Previous studies in mouse, Xenopus and zebrafish embryos show strong tfap2e expression in progenitor cells of neuronal and neural crest tissues suggesting its involvement in neural crest specification. However, the role of human transcription factor activator protein 2 (TFAP2E) in human embryonic central nervous system (CNS), orofacial and maxillofacial development is unknown.

Methods: Through a collaborative work, exome survey was performed in families with congenital CNS, orofacial and maxillofacial anomalies. Exome variant prioritisation prompted TFAP2E gene for functional analysis in zebrafish embryos. Embryonic morphology and development were assessed after antisense morpholino (MO) knockdown (KD), CRISPR/Cas9 knockout and overexpression …

Tazemetostat, A Selective Ezh2 Inhibitor, In Combination With Pembrolizumab For Recurrent Or Metastatic Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Phase 1 Trial, Peter J Oppelt, Sidharth V Puram, Jingxia Liu, Jessica C Ley, Douglas Adkins

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Immuno-Bioinformatics Study Of Secondary Metabolites From Watercress Nasturtium Officinale As Immunostimulant In Whiteleg Shrimp Litopenaeus Vannamei By Targeting Peroxinectin And Scavenger Receptor Class B, Qurrota A’Yunin, Muhaimin Rifa’I, Maftuch Maftuch, Yoga Dwi Jatmiko, Muhammad Hermawan Widyananda, Triyanto Triyanto, Muhammad Tegar Handrianto

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

The viral disease affects the whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and causes losses. Immunostimulants are recognized as a more environmentally friendly approach to disease management and antimicrobial properties of aquatic organisms. Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) is an aquatic plant species that contains antioxidant properties that can protect the organism from disease and boost the immune system. Shrimp rely heavily on innate immunity to combat infectious agents due to their absence of adaptive immunity. Peroxinectin and scavenger receptor class B (SRB) play essential roles in the shrimp defense system. This research employs a bioinformatic to assess the immunostimulatory potential …

Minerals And Human Health: From Deficiency To Toxicity, Mohammed S. Razzaque, Sunil J. Wimalawansa

School of Medicine Publications

Minerals are essential nutrients that play critical roles in human health by regulating various physiological functions. Examples include bone development, enzyme function, nerve signaling, and the immune response. Both the deficiencies and toxicities of minerals can have significant health implications. Deficiencies in macrominerals such as calcium, magnesium, and phosphate can lead to osteoporosis (associated with falls and fractures), cardiovascular events, and neuromuscular dysfunction. Trace mineral deficiencies, such as iron and zinc. Selenium deficiency impairs oxygen transport, immune function, and antioxidant defenses, contributing to anemia, delaying wound healing, and increasing susceptibility to infectious diseases. Conversely, excessive intake of minerals can have …

An Investigation Of Travel Distance And Timeliness Of Breast Cancer Treatment Among A Diverse Cohort In The United States, Swann Arp Adams, Oluwole Adeyemi Babatunde, Whitney Zahnd, Peiyin Hung, Karen E. Wickersham, Nathaniel Bell Ph.D., Jan M. Eberth Ph.D.

Publications

Travel to and from distant cancer treatment facilities can place a significant burden on cancer patients, particularly rural and minority survivors. Thus, the purpose of our investigation was to examine the association between patient travel distance and delays in types of treatment for breast cancer (surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and hormonal therapy) and treatment delays. Using a novel linkage between the state cancer registry and administrative data from Medicaid and a private insurance plan, 2155 BC patients were successfully linked to create the cohort. ArcGIS was used to geocode all case residences and treatment facility addresses and calculate network distance between …