Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Houge-Janssens Syndrome-1 Associated With Protein Phosphatase 2 Regulatory Subunit B’ Delta And Epilepsy: A Case Report, Dua Saleem, Fizza Akbar, Noor Zeeshan, Rabab Jafry, Salman Kirmani, Sidra Kaleem Jafri

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Houge-Janssens syndrome 1 is a rare autosomal dominant disorder with approximately 100 case reports worldwide. Here, we present a case of a Pakistani toddler who presented with epilepsy and developmental delay. Family history was significant with reported and documented developmental delays in both father and elder sister, with subsequent improvement. Trio-whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and Sanger sequencing were performed, revealing a heterozygous LP variant NM_006245.4: c.626A>C, p.(His209Pro) in the girl. The same variant was also identified in her father and sister. This case sheds light on the variability of phenotypic expression amongst affected individuals and recommends the need for further …

High Dose Methylprednisolone In Children With Severe Headache In Viral Encephalitis: A Case Series, Abia Abdullah, Jay Kumari, Prem Chand

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Severe headache is a common symptom in children with viral encephalitis (VE), yet effective symptom-specific therapies are limited. In this case series, we present three children of ages 15, 14, and seven diagnosed with VE who presented with severe headaches unresponsive to standard analgesics but showed significant clinical improvement following high-dose methylprednisolone therapy. Although this is not first line treatment, these cases suggest a possible role for methylprednisolone in alleviating severe VE-associated headaches. Further controlled studies are needed to establish its effectiveness and safety in such settings.

Acute Flaccid Myelitis Caused By Enterovirus Infection- A Case Report, Ahmad Bilal, Tipu Sultan, Zia Ur Rehman, Arshad Mehmood, Amber Shabir, Javeria Raza

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Enterovirus is a member of the Picornaviridae family, an enterovirus. It is suspected of causing a polio-like disorder called acute flaccid myelitis (AFM). This case report aims to present a 10-year-old boy who presented with neurological manifestations of weakness of lower limbs and urinary retention. He had reduced tone, absent reflexes, and palpable bladder. MRI spine revealed inflammation in grey matter of spinal cord. He was treated with high dose steroids and IVIG but no improvement was observed. Enterovirus was isolated from his stool sample. The patient received supportive care and physiotherapy with gradual improvement after months, having no evidence …

Severe Falciparum Malaria In Young Children Is Associated With An Increased Risk Of Post-Discharge Hospitalization: A Prospective Cohort Study, Robert Opoka, Ruth Namazzi, Dibyadyuti Datta, Paul Bangirana, Andrea L. Conroy, Michael J. Goings, Kagan A. Mellencamp, Chandy C. John

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Background Few studies have described post-discharge morbidity of children with specifc manifestations of severe malaria (SM) beyond severe malarial anaemia or cerebral malaria.

Methods Children 6 months to 4 years of age admitted at Jinja and Mulago hospitals in Uganda, with one or more of the fve most common forms of SM, cerebral malaria (n=53), respiratory distress syndrome (n=108), malaria with complicated seizures (n=160), severe malarial anaemia (n=155) or prostration (n=75), were followed for 12 months after discharge, alongside asymptomatic community children (CC) (n=120) of similar ages recruited from the households or neighbourhoods of the children with SM. Incidence and …

A011: Effects Of Aerobic Exercise On Microbiota: Gut-Brain Axis And Hippocampal Neurotransmitters In Aging Mice, Yuqian Liu, Wenqian Yang, Haitao Wang

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Background/Objective: Gut flora plays an important role in host stress response, anxiety, depression and cognitive function through the gut-brain axis. Microbial diversity decreases with age, which in turn affects the function of the nervous system. The role of exercise in the prevention and treatment of age-related diseases and neurodegenerative diseases has received increasing attention. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the regulatory role of intestinal flora, gut-brain axis and nervous system function in the prevention of nervous system function decline in the elderly.

Methods: The sample consisted of 16, 52-week-old SPF C57BL/6 male mice that were randomly divided …

A067: Latent Profile Analysis Of The Development Characteristics Of Fundamental Motor Skills In Children, Qinping Xu, Xiaozan Wang

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Focusing on the sensitive period of motor development, the current study used TGMD-3 to assess the development level of fundamental motor skills in 4833 children aged 3-6 years in Shanghai. The potential categories of children's fundamental motor skill development characteristics and their interrelationship with demographic variables were analyzed using potential profile analysis and Chi-squared test, aiming to provide references for the construction of motor development interventions for children with different motor development levels. The results revealed that: 1) The developmental level of fundamental motor skills in 3-6-year-old children in Shanghai can be categorized into five latent categories, from low to …

Nursing News & Views - December 2024, Joanne Miller Rn

Nursing Newsletters

Nursing News & Views - December 2024

Examining The Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease Among African American College Students At The University Of Texas At Arlington, Esha Kashyap

2024 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Many studies examine the risk of cardiovascular disease in the general population of African Americans adults compared with other racial and ethnic groups; however, there is limited research that explores the risk factors, discrimination, and food behavior that impact this group. Cardiovascular disease develops over time and certain practices or experiences can increase the risk of this disease; thus, studying the behavior and perceptions of college students is important. Therefore, this research examined whether food behavior and perceived discrimination was higher in African American college students than in other racial or ethnic student groups. Utilizing a survey containing both qualitative …

Effect Of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (Hbot) On The Proportion Of Splenic Leukocytes During Skeletal Muscle Regeneration, Hetvi Patel

2024 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) can accelerate the regeneration of skeletal muscle after injury and improve overall recovery. Certain cells of the spleen are increased during muscle regeneration; however, the effect of HBOT on splenic cells during muscle regeneration is not well understood. In other experimental models, HBOT proliferates the proportion of splenic cells. In this study, eight male and nine female mice sustaining crush muscle injuries underwent HBOT at 1.5 atmospheres absolute for 60 min or normobaric hyperoxia (100% O₂) for 60 min within 2-6 hours of injury for 4 days. The mice were then euthanized at 4- …

Building Community Resilience Through Community Participatory Asset Mapping For Emergency Preparedness, Cassandra Y. Davila

2024 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

A community's capacity to prepare, manage, and recover from a disaster determines its level of resilience. The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends engaging community members in resilience planning to ensure sustainable strategies are implemented. This project uses community-based asset mapping to identify how community participatory methods influence community resilience to combat emergency events. An asset map documents a community’s existing resources, highlighting its strengths. Focus group discussions in the urban area will be conducted to obtain feedback about existing assets and suggestions for additional resources to include. The expected result of this project is to build a comprehensive map of …

Propulsion Patterns And Joint Kinematics In Experienced And Inexperienced Wheelchair Users, Alexander J. Ginter

2024 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

There are many ways to propel a wheelchair, including four main propulsion patterns. However, there are no definitive criteria for a “correct” form. This study investigated differences in wheelchair propulsion between experienced and inexperienced wheelchair users to determine any differences in propulsion patterns, joint kinematics, or speed between the two groups, indicating what contributes to a more mature form. Subjects were recorded pushing a wheelchair for twenty feet, then each video was analyzed using Kinovea, a software for tracking body movements. There will be differences in the propulsion patterns between the two groups, and inexperienced users will push more frequently …

Determining Evolutionary Conservation Of Mhc-E And Vista Interaction, Julia Glenn

2024 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Research in the Weidanz laboratory is focused on cellular molecules which inhibit immune activation, known as immune checkpoints. One example is HLA-E, which can modulate immune responses at homeostasis or in the context of cancer. HLA-E typically acts by presenting short canonical peptides (VL9s) and binding to CD94/NKG2A receptors on NK cells and T cells. The Weidanz laboratory’s research has found that in the absence of these VL9 peptides, HLA-E binds to another immune checkpoint, VISTA, instead of CD94/NKG2A. Therefore, the HLA-E/VISTA interaction is peptide-dependent. The current study aims to determine if this peptide-dependent interaction is evolutionarily conserved using the …

Investigating The Role Of Hopelessness In The Stress-Performance Relationship Among College Students, Vidushi Sabnani

2024 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

As college students pursue higher education as a pathway to success, they face pressures that threaten their well-being and academic success. Balancing academic, financial, and social demands has led to a mental health crisis on campuses, with emotional stress cited as the leading cause of students discontinuing their education (Gallup, 2023). This study investigates the relationship between academic stress, perceived stress, and academic performance in college students. It also examines the Yerkes-Dodson law of a curvilinear relationship between stress and performance and the role of hopelessness as a mediator. A sample of 321 participants completed surveys assessing academic stress, perceived …

Scholarships, The Mcnair Team

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

The Periconceptional, Physical Activity, Environment, Nutrition And Diet (Prepared) Study, Aaliyah Devore

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Accessibility: Policy Innovations For Lower Limb Prosthetic Users, Hannah Huggans

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

About The Mcnair Scholars Program, The Mcnair Team

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Using Machine Learning To Improve Confidence In Lung Cancer Diagnosis, Sandra Channeary Khoun

McNair Scholars Research Journal

Health professionals must diagnose correctly to avoid unnecessary costs in care and medicine. Different conditions, come with different treatments. Therefore, it is key to produce the right diagnoses promptly to help treat people appropriately and quickly. As lung cancer is the leading cancer type in the world, it is often diagnosed too late once symptoms appear which becomes difficult to treat at certain stages. In the race against time, recruiting the use of machine learning next to traditional methods of diagnosing will improve the confidence of professionals to predict specific conditions accurately and with speed. For our research, we will …

Assessing The Potential For Soil-Mediated Transmission Of Symbiotic Bacteria In The Leaffooted Bug (Leptoglossus Phyllopus), Armeen Nasir

McNair Scholars Research Journal

Recent evidence suggests insects might indirectly provide symbionts to their offspring by releasing them into the soil via feces. We investigated whether this is occurring in the Eastern leaf-footed bug, Leptoglosuss phyllopus. We hypothesized that if adults release viable symbiont cells into their environment, then nymphs will have a higher survival rate, develop faster, and be larger at adulthood when exposed to soil that has been in contact with adult insects for longer. To measure the rate and whether the bugs acquired Caballeronia from the soil, insect nymphs were exposed to soil that had been exposed to a lab colony …

Identification Of Novel Genes Regulating Caenorhabditis Elegans Morphologically Complex Cellelimination, Brenda Amata

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

A Survey Of 12 Exoplanet-Star Systems And Their Exomoon Candidates, Connor Jackson

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Investing The Therapeutic Possibilities Of Glassblowing, Isabella Posca

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Insights Into Cerebrovascular Health: Comparative Study Of The Common Carotid And Middle Cerebral Artery, Emma Lou

2024 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

The carotid artery, responsible for blood flow to the brain, and the middle cerebral artery (MCA), which supplies the cerebrum, are both susceptible to atherosclerosis, a condition that impairs blood flow and can lead to cognitive decline and ischemic strokes. This study investigates whether blood flow and vasodilation responses in the MCA during a hypercapnic challenge are comparable to those in the common carotid artery, which supplies the entire brain. This project aims to address limitations in current assessment methods, such as transcranial and duplex Doppler ultrasonography, to ascertain whether these two arteries exhibit consistent vasodilation patterns under hypercapnic conditions. …

Investigating The Impact Of Mindfulness Practice On Quality Of Life And Anxiety Levels In College Students, Ope L. Oyeyemi

2024 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Anxiety disorders are becoming more common among college students, seriously affecting their academic performance and overall well-being. This study sought to investigate how current mindfulness practices and willingness to engage in mindfulness relate to psychological outcomes in college students. Participants (N=432) were students ≥ 17 years old recruited from the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). Analyses compared differences in levels of anxiety, quality of life, depression symptom severity, cognitive dysfunction, and stress based on participant self-reported willingness to engage and current time spent engaging in mindfulness practices. It is expected that students who currently engage in more mindfulness will …

Investigating Abortion Care For Women Of Color And Low-Income Women In A Post-Roe Texas: Studying Abortion Accessibility Via Planned Parenthood, Bijahn M. Prox

2024 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Women of color and low-income women are among the most vulnerable parties affected by restrictive abortion policies. This study investigates the accessibility-related impacts of overturning Roe v. Wade by researching Planned Parenthood’s Texas system and services, with a primary interest in abortion care. The state’s longstanding conservative political stance provides a rich landscape to study the long-term effects of conservative reproductive policies. The study’s approach is founded on feminist theory methodology, which recognizes issues on feminism and analyzes the systems that perpetrate the injustice of interest. The reproductive injustice catalyzed by Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, thereby releasing abortion …

A Machine Learning Approach To Multifactorial Modeling Of Episodic Memory Performance, Evan Fletcher, Marianne Chanti-Ketterl, Emily Hokett, Yi Lor, Umesh Venkatesan, Paola Gilsanz, Rachel Whitmer, Ruijia Chen, Kristen George, Zvinka Zlatar

Moss-Magee Rehabilitation Papers

BACKGROUND: Neurocognitive health is influenced by multiple modifiable and non-modifiable lifestyle factors. Machine learning tools offer a promising approach to better understand complex models of cognitive function. We used extreme gradient boosting (XG Boost), an algorithm of decision-tree modeling, to analyze the association between 15 late-life lifestyle and demographic factors with episodic memory performance. METHOD: Our dataset consisted of 2247 participants from the KHANDLE and STAR cohorts. Participants included 841 men and 1406 women, an ethnoracial diversity of 413 Asian, 987 Black, 349 Latinx, and 496 White adults with age range 54-90 (mean = 74). XG Boost models of continuous …

Incorporating The Pcl-5 Self Assessment Tool In The Treatment Of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Using Virtual Reality Therapy, Janette Sanchez

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Background. Post-traumatic stress disorder occurs when individuals experience a traumatic event causing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and cognitive difficulties (Sadock et al., 2017). Failure to assess changes in post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms can result in ineffective treatments (Department of Veterans Affairs & Department of Defense, 2023). Purpose. Implement the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 screening tool as part of an outpatient clinic’s virtual reality exposure therapy protocol evaluating patients’ perceived effectiveness of virtual reality exposure therapy in post-traumatic stress disorder management. Methods. All staff and providers were educated on the use of the PCL-5 screening tool. Patients were …

Students Participating As Ambassadors For Research In Kentucky (Spark): A Health Equity Undergraduate Research Training Program, Ariel A. Arthur, Rebecca L. Delacerda Allen, Fidelis Y. Sesenu, Maxwell A. Groznik, Carrie B. Oser, Madeline Dunfee, Philip A. Kern, Nancy Schoenberg

UK CARES Faculty Publications

The Students Participating as Ambassadors for Research in Kentucky (SPARK) program provides novel health equity research training and targeted mentorship for undergraduates, particularly those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral research and workforce. SPARK aims to address inadequate diversity in the medical and scientific research fields by providing comprehensive research mentorship and skill-building. Unlike most existing research training programs that are brief, focus on laboratory research, or are limited to graduate students and junior faculty, SPARK delivers a 16-month intensive behavioral and population health science training, equipping students with needed tools to conceptualize, plan, execute, and analyze their …

Methanogenesis Kinetics Of Organic Matter Of The Leachate In An Up-Flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor, Mohamad Ali Fulazzaky, Ali Yuzir, Tiffany L. Messer, Agus Sofyan

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Understanding the treatment of leachate mediated by the development of anaerobic sludge makes it possible to create an effective design process of biodegradation technology. This study used an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor equipped with a gas–liquid-solid separator to capture CH4 for treating landfill leachate to improve understanding of methanogenesis kinetics of organic matter. The performance of UASB was able to remove 154.75 g/L of chemical oxygen demand (COD) content of the leachate originally anticipated to emit 2.99 L of CH4 production into the atmosphere. The trend in the variation of internal mass transfer (IMT) factor was close to …

Microbial Community Assembly Across Agricultural Soil Mineral Mesocosms Revealed By 16s Rrna Gene Amplicon Sequencing Data, Daniel Lee, Fernanda C C Oliveira, Richard T. Conant, Minjae Kim

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentrations are impacting the global climate, resulting in significant interest in soil carbon sequestration as a mitigation strategy. While recognized that mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) in soils is mainly formed through microbial activity, our understanding of microbial-derived MAOM formation processes remains limited due to the complexity of the soil environment. To gain insights into this issue, we incubated fresh soil samples for 45 days with one of three mineral additions: Sand, Kaolinite+Sand, or Illite+Sand. 16S rRNA V3/V4 gene amplicon sequencing was then conducted on samples using an Illumina NextSeq 20 0 0 flow …