Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Optimized Scoring Of End-To-End Dosimetry Audits For Passive Motion Management – A Simulation Study Using The Iroc Thorax Phantom, Alex Burton, Mathieu Gaudreault, Nicholas Hardcastle, Jessica Lye, Sabeena Beveridge, Stephen F Kry, Rick Franich

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Dosimetry audits for passive motion management require dynamically-acquired measurements in a moving phantom to be compared to statically calculated planned doses. This study aimed to characterise the relationship between planning and delivery errors, and the measured dose in the Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core (IROC) thorax phantom, to assess different audit scoring approaches. Treatment plans were created using a 4DCT scan of the IROC phantom, equipped with film and thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs). Plans were created on the average intensity projection from all bins. Three levels of aperture complexity were explored: dynamic conformal arcs (DCAT), low-, and high-complexity volumetric modulated arcs …

Updates On Who Classification For Small Round Cell Tumors: Ewing Sarcoma Vs Everything Else, Carina A Dehner, Alexander J Lazar, John S A Chrisinger

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The WHO Classification of Soft Tissue and Bone Tumours currently recognizes four categories of undifferentiated small round cell sarcoma: Ewing sarcoma, round cell sarcoma with EWSR1-non-ETS fusions including NFATc2 and PATZ1, CIC-rearranged sarcoma, and sarcoma with BCOR genetic alterations. These neoplasms frequently pose significant diagnostic challenges due to rarity and overlapping morphologic and immunohistochemical findings. Further, molecular testing, with accompanying pitfalls, may be needed to establish a definitive diagnosis. This review summarizes the clinical, histologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular features of these neoplasms. In addition, differential diagnosis and areas of uncertainty and ongoing investigation are discussed.

Head-To-Head Comparison Of Relevant Cell Sources Of Small Extracellular Vesicles For Cardiac Repair: Superiority Of Embryonic Stem Cells, Hernán González-King, Patricia G Rodrigues, Tamsin Albery, Benyapa Tangruksa, Ramya Gurrapu, Andreia M Silva, Gentian Musa, Dominika Kardasz, Kai Liu, Bengt Kull, Karin Åvall, Katarina Rydén-Markinhuhta, Tania Incitti, Nitin Sharma, Cecilia Graneli, Hadi Valadi, Kasparas Petkevicius, Miguel Carracedo, Sandra Tejedor, Alena Ivanova, Sepideh Heydarkhan-Hagvall, Phillipe Menasché, Jane Synnergren, Niek Dekker, Qing-Dong Wang, Karin Jennbacken

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Small extracellular vesicles (sEV) derived from various cell sources have been demonstrated to enhance cardiac function in preclinical models of myocardial infarction (MI). The aim of this study was to compare different sources of sEV for cardiac repair and determine the most effective one, which nowadays remains limited. We comprehensively assessed the efficacy of sEV obtained from human primary bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSC), human immortalized MSC (hTERT-MSC), human embryonic stem cells (ESC), ESC-derived cardiac progenitor cells (CPC), human ESC-derived cardiomyocytes (CM), and human primary ventricular cardiac fibroblasts (VCF), in in vitro models of cardiac repair. ESC-derived sEV (ESC-sEV) …

Automated, High-Throughput Platform To Generate A High-Reliability, Comprehensive Rectal Cancer Database, Neal Bhutiani, Mahmoud M G Yousef, Abdelrahman Yousef, Mohammad Zeineddine, Mark Knafl, Olivia Ratliff, Uditha P Fernando, Anastasia Turin, Fadl A Zeineddine, Jeff Jin, Kristin Alfaro-Munoz, Drew Goldstein, George J Chang, Scott Kopetz, John Paul Shen, Abhineet Uppal

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Dynamic operations platforms allow for cross-platform data extraction, integration, and analysis, although application of these platforms to large-scale oncology enterprises has not been described. This study presents a pipeline for automated, high-fidelity extraction, integration, and validation of cross-platform oncology data in patients undergoing treatment for rectal cancer at a single, high-volume institution.

Methods: A dynamic operations platform was used to identify patients with rectal cancer treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center between 2016 and 2022 who had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) imaging and preoperative treatment details available in the electronic health record (EHR). Demographic, clinicopathologic, tumor mutation, radiographic, and …

Genomic Landscape Of Lynch Syndrome Colorectal Neoplasia Identifies Shared Mutated Neoantigens For Immunoprevention, Ana M Bolivar, Fahriye Duzagac, Nan Deng, Laura Reyes-Uribe, Kyle Chang, Wenhui Wu, Charles M Bowen, Melissa W Taggart, Selvi Thirumurthi, Patrick M Lynch, Y Nancy You, Jesus Rodriguez-Pascual, Steven M Lipkin, Scott Kopetz, Paul Scheet, Gregory A Lizee, Alexandre Reuben, Krishna M Sinha, Eduardo Vilar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background & aims: Lynch syndrome (LS) carriers develop mismatch repair-deficient neoplasia with high neoantigen (neoAg) rates. No detailed information on targetable neoAgs from LS precancers exists, which is crucial for vaccine development and immune-interception strategies. We report a focused somatic mutation and frameshift-neoAg landscape of microsatellite loci from colorectal polyps without malignant potential (PWOMP), precancers, and early-stage cancers in LS carriers.

Methods: We generated paired whole-exome and transcriptomic sequencing data from 8 colorectal PWOMP, 41 precancers, 8 advanced precancers, and 12 early-stage cancers of 43 LS carriers. A computational pipeline was developed to predict, rank, and prioritize the top 100 …

Sars-Cov-2 Viral Load In The Nasopharynx At Time Of First Infection Among Unvaccinated Individuals, Leigh H Fisher, Jia Jin Kee, Albert Liu, Claudia M Espinosa, April K Randhawa, James Ludwig, Craig A Magaret, Samuel T Robinson, Peter B Gilbert, Ollivier Hyrien, James G Kublin, Nadine Rouphael, Ann R Falsey, Magdalena E Sobieszczyk, Hana M El Sahly, Beatriz Grinsztejn, Glenda E Gray, Karen L Kotloff, Cynthia L Gay, Brett Leav, Ian Hirsch, Frank Struyf, Lisa M Dunkle, Kathleen M Neuzil, Lawrence Corey, Yunda Huang, Paul A Goepfert, Stephen R Walsh, Lindsey R Baden, Holly Janes, Covid-19 Prevention Network (Covpn)

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: SARS-CoV-2 viral load (VL) in the nasopharynx is difficult to quantify and standardize across settings, but it may inform transmission potential and disease severity.

Objective: To characterize VL at COVID-19 diagnosis among previously uninfected and unvaccinated individuals by evaluating the association of demographic and clinical characteristics, viral variant, and trial with VL, as well as the ability of VL to predict severe disease.

Design, setting, and participants: This secondary cross-protocol analysis used individual-level data from placebo recipients from 4 harmonized, phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine efficacy trials sponsored by Moderna, AstraZeneca, Janssen, and Novavax. Participants were SARS-CoV-2 negative at baseline …

Synthetic Cationic Helical Polypeptides For The Stimulation Of Antitumour Innate Immune Pathways In Antigen-Presenting Cells, Daeyong Lee, Kristin Huntoon, Yifan Wang, Minjeong Kang, Yifei Lu, Seong Dong Jeong, Todd M Link, Thomas D Gallup, Yaqing Qie, Xuefeng Li, Shiyan Dong, Benjamin R Schrank, Adam J Grippin, Abin Antony, Jonghoon Ha, Mengyu Chang, Yi An, Liang Wang, Dadi Jiang, Jing Li, Albert C Koong, John A Tainer, Wen Jiang, Betty Y S Kim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Intracellular DNA sensors regulate innate immunity and can provide a bridge to adaptive immunogenicity. However, the activation of the sensors in antigen-presenting cells (APCs) by natural agonists such as double-stranded DNAs or cyclic nucleotides is impeded by poor intracellular delivery, serum stability, enzymatic degradation and rapid systemic clearance. Here we show that the hydrophobicity, electrostatic charge and secondary conformation of helical polypeptides can be optimized to stimulate innate immune pathways via endoplasmic reticulum stress in APCs. One of the three polypeptides that we engineered activated two major intracellular DNA-sensing pathways (cGAS-STING (for cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate synthase-stimulator of interferon genes) …

Revisiting Feeding Tube Utilization In Oropharynx Cancer: 6-Year Prospective Registry Analysis, Brady J Anderson, Amy C Moreno, Yun Qing, J Jack Lee, Faye M Johnson, Miriam N Lango, Carly E A Barbon, Lavanya Tripuraneni, Ariana Sahli, Vicki Piper, Neil Gross, Clifton D Fuller, Stephen Y Lai, Jeffrey N Myers, Katherine A Hutcheson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: Patients treated for oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) have historically demonstrated high feeding tube rates for decreased oral intake and malnutrition. We re-examined feeding tube practices in these patients.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of prospective cohort from 2015 to 2021.

SETTING: Single-institution NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.

METHODS: With IRB approval, patients with new oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer or (unknown primary with neck metastasis) were enrolled. Baseline swallowing was assessed via videofluoroscopy and Performance Status Scale for Head and Neck Cancer (PSSHN). G-tubes or nasogastric tubes (NGT) were placed for weight loss before, during, or after treatment. Prophylactic NGT were placed during …

Clinical And Prognostic Differences In Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma In Usa And Denmark, Two Hpv High-Prevalence Areas, Amanda-Louise Fenger Carlander, Simone Kloch Bendtsen, Jacob H Rasmussen, Kathrine Kronberg Jakobsen, Martin Garset-Zamani, Christian Grønhøj, Jeppe Friborg, Katherine Hutcheson, Faye M Johnson, Clifton D Fuller, Amy C Moreno, Toyin Babarinde, Neil D Gross, Jeffrey N Myers, Christian Von Buchwald

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Uncertainty persists regarding clinical and treatment variations crucial to consider when comparing high human papillomavirus (HPV)-prevalence oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) cohorts for accurate patient stratification and replicability of clinical trials across different geographical areas.

METHODS: OPSCC patients were included from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (UTMDACC), USA and from The University Hospital of Copenhagen, Denmark from 2015-2020, (n = 2484). Outcomes were 3-year overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free interval (RFI). Subgroup analyses were made for low-risk OPSCC patients (T1-2N0M0) and high-risk patients (UICC8 III-IV).

RESULTS: There were significantly more HPV-positive (88.2 % vs. 63.1 %), …

High-Grade Pleomorphic Sarcomas Treated With Immune Checkpoint Blockade: The Md Anderson Cancer Center Experience, Lewis F Nasr, Marianne Zoghbi, Rossana Lazcano, Michael Nakazawa, Andrew J Bishop, Ahsan Farooqi, Devarati Mitra, Beverly Ashleigh Guadagnolo, Robert Benjamin, Shreyaskumar Patel, Vinod Ravi, Dejka M Araujo, Andrew Livingston, Maria A Zarzour, Anthony P Conley, Ravin Ratan, Neeta Somaiah, Alexander J Lazar, Christina Roland, Emily Z Keung, Elise F Nassif Haddad

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas (UPSs) are amongst the most common subtypes of soft-tissue sarcomas. Few real-world data on the use of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in UPS patients and other high-grade pleomorphic STS patients are available.

PURPOSE: The purpose of our study is to describe the efficacy and toxicity of ICB in patients with advanced UPSs and other high-grade pleomorphic sarcomas treated at our institution.

METHODS: This is a retrospective, observational study of all patients with metastatic high-grade pleomorphic sarcomas treated with FDA-approved ICB at MD Anderson Cancer Center between 1 January 2015 and 1 January 2023. Patients included in …

Coronary Stenosis And Cardiogenic Shock Secondary To Aortitis Following Aortic Root Support Procedure, Alexander Carpenter, Stephanie Connaire, Nitin Chandra Mohan, Stephanie L Curtis, Serban C Stoica, Massimo Caputo, Julian W Strange

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

A woman with recent personalized external aortic root support implant presented in cardiogenic shock with bilateral coronary ostial occlusion and aortic inflammation requiring emergency coronary angioplasty. Subsequent computed tomography with positron emission tomography scanning demonstrated aortitis with extensive inflammation adjacent to the personalized external aortic root support mesh, the first report of this important complication.

De Novo Detection Of Somatic Mutations In High-Throughput Single-Cell Profiling Data Sets, Francesc Muyas, Carolin M Sauer, Jose Espejo Valle-Inclán, Ruoyan Li, Raheleh Rahbari, Thomas J Mitchell, Sahand Hormoz, Isidro Cortés-Ciriano

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Characterization of somatic mutations at single-cell resolution is essential to study cancer evolution, clonal mosaicism and cell plasticity. Here, we describe SComatic, an algorithm designed for the detection of somatic mutations in single-cell transcriptomic and ATAC-seq (assay for transposase-accessible chromatin sequence) data sets directly without requiring matched bulk or single-cell DNA sequencing data. SComatic distinguishes somatic mutations from polymorphisms, RNA-editing events and artefacts using filters and statistical tests parameterized on non-neoplastic samples. Using >2.6 million single cells from 688 single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) and single-cell ATAC-seq (scATAC-seq) data sets spanning cancer and non-neoplastic samples, we show that SComatic detects mutations in …

Cross-Vendor Multiparametric Mapping Of The Human Brain Using 3d-Qalas: A Multicenter And Multivendor Study, Shohei Fujita, Borjan Gagoski, Ken-Pin Hwang, Akifumi Hagiwara, Marcel Warntjes, Issei Fukunaga, Wataru Uchida, Yuya Saito, Towa Sekine, Rina Tachibana, Tomoya Muroi, Toshiya Akatsu, Akihiro Kasahara, Ryo Sato, Tsuyoshi Ueyama, Christina Andica, Koji Kamagata, Shiori Amemiya, Hidemasa Takao, Yasunobu Hoshino, Yuji Tomizawa, Kazumasa Yokoyama, Berkin Bilgic, Nobutaka Hattori, Osamu Abe, Shigeki Aoki

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: To evaluate a vendor-agnostic multiparametric mapping scheme based on 3D quantification using an interleaved Look-Locker acquisition sequence with a T2 preparation pulse (3D-QALAS) for whole-brain T1, T2, and proton density (PD) mapping.

Methods: This prospective, multi-institutional study was conducted between September 2021 and February 2022 using five different 3T systems from four prominent MRI vendors. The accuracy of this technique was evaluated using a standardized MRI system phantom. Intra-scanner repeatability and inter-vendor reproducibility of T1, T2, and PD values were evaluated in 10 healthy volunteers (6 men; mean age ± SD, 28.0 ± 5.6 y) who underwent scan-rescan sessions …

Mapping Genotypes To Chromatin Accessibility Profiles In Single Cells, Franco Izzo, Robert M Myers, Saravanan Ganesan, Levan Mekerishvili, Sanjay Kottapalli, Tamara Prieto, Elliot O Eton, Theo Botella, Andrew J Dunbar, Robert L Bowman, Jesus Sotelo, Catherine Potenski, Eleni P Mimitou, Maximilian Stahl, Sebastian El Ghaity-Beckley, Joann Arandela, Ramya Raviram, Daniel C Choi, Ronald Hoffman, Ronan Chaligné, Omar Abdel-Wahab, Peter Smibert, Irene M Ghobrial, Joseph M Scandura, Bridget Marcellino, Ross L Levine, Dan A Landau

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In somatic tissue differentiation, chromatin accessibility changes govern priming and precursor commitment towards cellular fates1-3. Therefore, somatic mutations are likely to alter chromatin accessibility patterns, as they disrupt differentiation topologies leading to abnormal clonal outgrowth. However, defining the impact of somatic mutations on the epigenome in human samples is challenging due to admixed mutated and wild-type cells. Here, to chart how somatic mutations disrupt epigenetic landscapes in human clonal outgrowths, we developed genotyping of targeted loci with single-cell chromatin accessibility (GoT-ChA). This high-throughput platform links genotypes to chromatin accessibility at single-cell resolution across thousands of cells within a single assay. …

Implementation And Effectiveness Of Stress Management Strategies Among Stem Students At The University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Dylan Hiser

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

High-stakes exams often induce significant stress among STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) students, impacting their academic performance and overall well-being. As the opportunity for careers in STEM grows rapidly, understanding the stressors that students face remains critical in mitigating the effects of this stress and ensuring the success of these students. The objective of this study is to determine how well STEM students respond to recommended interventions that mitigate exam stress and to identify trends in these students’ exam scores. To accomplish this, a set of surveys was sent to undergraduate STEM students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The …

Assessing The Diagnostic Accuracy Of Ti-Rads In Pediatric Thyroid Nodules: A Multi-Instutional Review, Shachi Srivatsa, Ameer Al-Hadidi, Joseph R. Stanek, Kyle Horvath, Lauren N. Parsons, Claudia Martinez-Rios, Amanda Hopp, Samuel Engle, Matthew Plunk, Gail Shapira-Zaltsberg, Sapna Nagar, Sean E. Masters, Sayf Al-Katib, Rennard B. Tucker, Lamya Atwah, Summit Shah, Adam Bobbey, Robert Hoffman, Jennifer H. Aldrink

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Abstract: Purpose: Thyroid nodules are uncommon in children and adolescents but carry an increased risk of malignancy when present. The Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) is an adult-validated ultrasound-based risk assessment providing a prediction of malignant potential for thyroid nodules, thereby guiding recommendations for fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). Minimal data exist regarding the applicability of TI-RADS to predict malignancy in pediatric thyroid nodules. This study aims to analyze the performance of TI-RADS for children and adolescents with thyroid nodules, hypothesizing that applying TI-RADS criteria would improve accuracy and reduce the number of recommended FNAB compared to American …

Stabilization Of Interdomain Interactions In G Protein Α Subunits As A Determinant Of Gαi Subtype Signaling Specificity, Tyler J Lefevre, Wenyuan Wei, Elizaveta Mukhaleva, Sai Pranathi Meda Venkata, Naincy R Chandan, Saji Abraham, Yong Li, Carmen W Dessauer, Nagarajan Vaidehi, Alan V Smrcka

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Highly homologous members of the Gαi family, Gαi1-3, have distinct tissue distributions and physiological functions, yet their biochemical and functional properties are very similar. We recently identified PDZ-RhoGEF (PRG) as a novel Gαi1 effector that is poorly activated by Gαi2. In a proteomic proximity labeling screen we observed a strong preference for Gαi1 relative to Gαi2 with respect to engagement of a broad range of potential targets. We investigated the mechanistic basis for this selectivity using PRG as a representative target. Substitution of either the helical domain (HD) from Gαi1 into Gαi2 or substitution of a single amino acid, A230 …

Genome-Wide Association Analyses Of Breast Cancer In Women Of African Ancestry Identify New Susceptibility Loci And Improve Risk Prediction, Guochong Jia, Jie Ping, Xingyi Guo, Yaohua Yang, Ran Tao, Bingshan Li, Stefan Ambs, Mollie E Barnard, Yu Chen, Montserrat Garcia-Closas, Jian Gu, Jennifer J Hu, Dezheng Huo, Esther M John, Christopher I Li, James L Li, Katherine L Nathanson, Barbara Nemesure, Olufunmilayo I Olopade, Tuya Pal, Michael F Press, Maureen Sanderson, Dale P Sandler, Xiao-Ou Shu, Melissa A Troester, Song Yao, Prisca O Adejumo, Thomas Ahearn, Abenaa M Brewster, Anselm J M Hennis, Timothy Makumbi, Paul Ndom, Katie M O'Brien, Andrew F Olshan, Mojisola M Oluwasanu, Sonya Reid, Ebonee N Butler, Maosheng Huang, Atara Ntekim, Huijun Qian, Haoyu Zhang, Christine B Ambrosone, Qiuyin Cai, Jirong Long, Julie R Palmer, Christopher A Haiman, Wei Zheng

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We performed genome-wide association studies of breast cancer including 18,034 cases and 22,104 controls of African ancestry. Genetic variants at 12 loci were associated with breast cancer risk (P < 5 × 10-8), including associations of a low-frequency missense variant rs61751053 in ARHGEF38 with overall breast cancer (odds ratio (OR) = 1.48) and a common variant rs76664032 at chromosome 2q14.2 with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) (OR = 1.30). Approximately 15.4% of cases with TNBC carried six risk alleles in three genome-wide association study-identified TNBC risk variants, with an OR of 4.21 (95% confidence interval = 2.66-7.03) compared with those carrying fewer than two risk alleles. A polygenic risk score (PRS) showed an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.60 for the prediction of breast cancer risk, which outperformed PRS derived using data from females of European ancestry. Our study markedly increases the population diversity in genetic studies for breast cancer and demonstrates the utility of PRS for risk prediction in females of African ancestry.

Stat3 Protects Hematopoietic Stem Cells By Preventing Activation Of A Deleterious Autocrine Type-I Interferon Response, Bhakti Patel, Yifan Zhou, Rachel L Babcock, Feiyang Ma, M Anna Zal, Dhiraj Kumar, Yusra B Medik, Laura M Kahn, Josué E Pineda, Elizabeth M Park, Sarah M Schneider, Ximing Tang, Maria Gabriela Raso, Collene R Jeter, Tomasz Zal, Karen Clise-Dwyer, Khandan Keyomarsi, Filippo G Giancotti, Simona Colla, Stephanie S Watowich

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) maintain blood-forming and immune activity, yet intrinsic regulators of HSPCs remain elusive. STAT3 function in HSPCs has been difficult to dissect as Stat3-deficiency in the hematopoietic compartment induces systemic inflammation, which can impact HSPC activity. Here, we developed mixed bone marrow (BM) chimeric mice with inducible Stat3 deletion in 20% of the hematopoietic compartment to avoid systemic inflammation. Stat3-deficient HSPCs were significantly impaired in reconstitution ability following primary or secondary bone marrow transplantation, indicating hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) defects. Single-cell RNA sequencing of Lin-ckit+Sca1+ BM cells (LSKs) revealed aberrant activation of cell cycle, p53, …

The Stigma Of Deaf: Managing A Stigmatized Identity And Well-Being, Renca Dunn

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The Deaf identity encompasses cultural, linguistic, and social dimensions that significantly influence the lives of Deaf individuals. The World Health Organization predicts that by 2050, nearly 2.5 billion people worldwide will be living with some degree of hearing loss (2021). While there may be a growing number of people who have some type of hearing loss, there is a distinct group who identify their hearing loss as part of a culture and community. The Deaf community has a rich history, culture, language, and linguistic heritage. The development of the Deaf identity is influenced by factors such as family, education, and …

Numerical Variations In The Thoracic And Lumbar Vertebrae Within The John A. Williams Skeletal Collection, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, Nc (Usa), Leanna Annette Sanford

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

This research is on how human variation can lead to the identification of remains based on skeletal variation. The data were collected by performing a morphoscopic trait study of the John A. Williams (J.A.W.) Documented Human Skeletal Collection at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC (USA). Morphoscopic traits are nonmetric traits, visually identified using the knowledge of osteology. The study was performed to study variation of the vertebral column, specifically focusing on morphoscopic traits of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae. The focus of this research is centralized on the presence of numerical variations in the vertebral column such as eleven …

The Osteobiography Of Human Remains From The Seaview And Indian Town Trail Archaeological Sites, Maggie M. Klemm

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

Extensive site surveys and excavations on the Island of Barbuda led by Sophia Perdikaris have identified over 62 sites spanning from the Archaic time period to Historic times. Over the last 18 years, these multidisciplinary teams have focused on mapping all sites and performing rescue excavations on sites threatened by sea level rise, erosion or development. Two such sites are the Saladoid site of Seaview (BA016) and the Troumassoid site of Indian Town Trail (BA01). The dunes surrounding the site of Seaview receive the brunt of storms and hurricanes. In 1998 hurricane Georges exposed skeletal material now part of the …

The Importance Of Framing The Context Of Black/African Americans' Livelihood To Enhance Health Outcomes And Mitigate Health Inequalities, Elvis Gyan

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study investigates the portrayal of Black/African Americans in Health Marriage and Relationship Education (HMRE) programs, which predominantly follow Eurocentric models while examining how social and structural determinants (e.g., community context) influence stress levels, general health, and relationship satisfaction through two main objectives. Firstly, it aims to scrutinize the acknowledgment of biases towards non-Eurocentric communities in published Administration of Children and Families HMRE programs, analyzing 39 research studies. Secondly, it examines the interplay between perceived community context, stress as a mediator, general health, and relationship satisfaction among Black/African Americans across three distinct articles by testing hypothesized process models. Results for …

Examining Theoretically Derived Mechanisms Underlying The Relationships Between Sexual Arousal, Alcohol Use History, And Sexual Aggression, Kailey Ann Richner

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Various interventions have attempted to reduce the rates of sexual violence perpetrated by college men; however, meta-analyses suggest interventions need to further evaluate theoretically derived mechanisms to improve outcomes (Malamuth et al., 2018; DeGue et al., 2014; Vladutiu, et al., 2011). To address this concern, the present study utilized the Integrated Theory of Sexual Offending (ITSO; Ward et al., 2016; Ward & Beech, 2008; 2006) to explore mechanisms underlying the relationships between sexual arousal, alcohol use history (AUH), and sexual aggression. Working memory, impulsivity, and affective forecasting paradigms were selected to map onto the ITSO’s neuropsychological mechanisms. The interaction between …

Occupational Therapy’S Role In Developmental Programming At Early Childhood Education And Childcare Centers: A Qualitative Study, Alexis N. Foehrkolb, Jenna Lenhart, Hayley Woods, Madison Wetzel, Breanna Adkins, Sueann R. Woods

Graduate Student Scholarship

This research study aimed to discover what strategies of developmental programming are integrated into early childhood curriculum, whether occupational therapy had a role in the formation of the guidelines, and the importance of early intervention on child development. A case study with ethnographic methods was used, including observations and interviews, to gain an understanding of how sociocultural phenomena affect rural childcare centers in Morgantown, West Virginia. Data was collected and coded into 14 themes, and then analyzed by student researchers. Results from interview data found that daycare teachers are given the choice to follow provided lesson plans or individualize their …

Well-Being Behaviors And Outcomes In Arkansas Teachers: A Qualitative Analysis Of Teachers In Arkansas During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Ashton Elizabeth Human

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic introduced new challenges to teachers and emphasized those already existing in the education system. The increased reliance upon technology and lack of administrative support perceived during distance learning led to lower levels of commitment to teaching and increased levels of teacher burnout. Burnout risk is associated with an increased workload, exhaustion from job demands, cynicism toward the professional community and has been shown to have a negative relationship with well-being. Teachers experiencing burnout are unable to establish positive relationships with students, understand students’ needs, stay in contact with trends in the education field, or provide pedagogically …

Tungiasis Among Children In Kenya Is Associated With Poor Nutrition Status, Absenteeism, Poor School Performance And High Impact On Quality Of Life, Lynne Elson, Christopher Kamau, Sammy Koech, Christopher Muthama, George Gachomba, Erastus Sinoti, Elwyn Chondo, Eliud Mburu, Miriam Wakio, Jimmy Lore, Marta Maia, Ifedayo Adetifa, Benedict Orindi, Phillip Bejon, Ulrike Fillinger

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Tungiasis is a highly neglected tropical skin disease caused by the sand flea, Tunga pene-trans. The flea burrows into the skin inducing a strong inflammatory response, leading to pain and mobility restrictions with potential impacts on quality of life. Few countries imple-ment control efforts and there are few data on the impact of the disease to support policy decisions. We conducted a survey to determine the impact of tungiasis among primary school children across nine counties of Kenya. A total of 10,600 pupils aged 8 to 14 years were randomly selected from 97 primary schools and examined for tungiasis. For …

Chelation Enables Selectivity Control In Enantioconvergent Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Couplings On Acyclic Allylic Systems, Violeta Stojalnikova, Stephen J Webster, Ke Liu, Stephen P Fletcher

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Asymmetric Suzuki-Miyaura cross-couplings with aryl boronic acids and allylic electrophiles are a powerful method to convert racemic mixtures into enantioenriched products. Currently, enantioconvergent allylic arylations are limited to substrates that are symmetrical about the allylic unit, and the absence of strategies to control regio-, E/Z- and enantioselectivity in acyclic allylic systems is a major restriction. Here, using a system capable of either conjugate addition or allylic arylation, we have discovered the structural features and experimental conditions that allow an acyclic system to undergo chemo- and regioselective, enantioconvergent allylic Suzuki-Miyaura-type arylation. A wide variety of boronic acid coupling partners can be …

Prevalence And Associations Of Dural Arteriovenous Fistulae In Cerebral Venous Thrombosis: Analysis Of Action-Cvt, Aaron Shoskes, Liqi Shu, Thanh N Nguyen, Mohamad Abdalkader, James Giles, Jordan Amar, James E Siegler, Nils Henninger, Marwa Elnazeir, Sami Al Kasab, Piers Klein, Mirjam R Heldner, Kateryna Antonenko, Marios Psychogios, David S Liebeskind, Thalia Field, Ava Liberman, Charles Esenwa, Alexis Simpkins, Grace Li, Jennifer Frontera, Lindsey Kuohn, Aaron Rothstein, Ossama Khazaal, Yasmin Aziz, Eva Mistry, Pooja Khatri, Setareh Salehi Omran, Adeel S Zubair, Richa Sharma, Robert M Starke, Jacques J Morcos, Jose G Romano, Shadi Yaghi, Negar Asdaghi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

A Mixed Methods Exploration Of Interoceptive Awareness In Adults Who Stutter, Hazel Malcolm

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Stuttering is commonly described as a disorder of speech fluency characterized by primary speech behaviors that are judged by external observers to be typical of stuttering, including part-word repetitions, prolongations, and blocks (i.e., silent prolongations or postural fixations). Despite wide use in the field of speech-pathology, definitions focusing on these ‘primary’ behaviors have also been criticized as ‘surface’ or ‘perceptual’ definitions that favor the experience of a listener over that of the speaker. Recent qualitative evidence suggests that, when asked, adults who stutter (AWS) instead define stuttering as an internal feeling or awareness of being ‘stuck’ that is surrounded by …