Public Health Commons^™

Pressing Issues For Oral Care Quality Improvement: Findings From The Eu Deliver Project, Paulo Melo, Leonor Frey-Furtado, Daniela Correia, Stefan Listl, Michael Lorenz, Nagihan Bostanci, Álvaro Azevedo, Maria Lurdes Pereira

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: While oral health often takes a backseat to other health domains, it silently affects nearly half of the Worldwide population. The DELIVER project, funded by the EU's Horizon Europe program, seeks to develop a blueprint model for improving the quality of oral health care for everyone.

METHODS: Applying the Nominal Group Technique (NGT), 17 stakeholders from various backgrounds participated in identifying pressing issues for oral care quality improvement across practice, community, and policy levels.

RESULTS: The results revealed significant differences at the different levels, with accessibility emerging as a prominent issue, encompassing affordability, availability, and acceptability of oral healthcare …

Population-Level Trends In Self-Reported Healthcare Utilization Among Older Adults In Mexico With And Without Cognitive Impairment, José Eduardo Cabrero Castro, Rebeca Wong, Rafael Samper Ternent, Brian Downer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Older adults with cognitive impairment exhibit different patterns of healthcare utilization compared to their cognitively healthy counterparts. Despite extensive research in high-income countries, similar studies in low- and middle-income countries are lacking. This study aims to investigate the population-level patterns in healthcare utilization among older adults with and without cognitive impairment in Mexico.

METHODS: Data came from five waves (2001-2018) of the Mexican Health and Aging Study. We used self-reported measures for one or more over-night hospital stays, doctor visits, visits to homeopathic doctors, and dental visits in the past year; seeing a pharmacist in the past year; and …

Increasing Incidence Of Streptococcus Anginosus Group Intracranial Infections Associated With Sinusitis, Otitis Media, And Mastoiditis In Children, Elisabeth A Hoyer, Marritta Joseph, James Dunn, Howard L Weiner, Amy Dimachkieh, Anthony R Flores, Misu A Sanson, Hossaena Ayele, Blake M Hanson, Sheldon L Kaplan, Jesus G Vallejo, J Chase Mcneil

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The Streptococcus anginosus group (SAG) pathogens have the potential to cause head and neck space infections, including intracranial abscesses. Several centers noted an increase in intracranial abscesses in children during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, prompting a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention health alert in May 2022. We examined the epidemiology of pediatric intracranial abscesses at a tertiary care center with a focus on SAG pre- and post-pandemic.

METHODS: Cases of intracranial abscesses of any microbiologic etiology admitted from January 2011 to December 2022 were identified using International Classification of Diseases 10 codes. Subjects were cross-referenced with culture results from …

Using Gps-Defined Venue-Based Affiliation Networks Among Black Sexually Minoritized Men And Transgender Women To Identify Locations For Hiv Prevention Interventions, Yen-Tyng Chen, Cho-Hee Shrader, Dustin T Duncan, Abby E Rudolph, Seann D Regan, Byoungjun Kim, Jade Pagkas-Bather, Justin Knox, Kayo Fujimoto, John A Schneider

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: HIV biomedical intervention uptake is suboptimal among Black sexually minoritized men (SMM) and transgender women (TW). Venues where people meet and interact shape HIV-related risk and prevention behaviors. We aimed to construct GPS-defined venue-based affiliation networks and identify the unique set of venues that could maximize reach of HIV biomedical interventions among Black SMM and TW.

Methods: We used baseline survey and GPS data from 272 Black SMM and TW in the Neighborhoods and Networks (N2) Cohort Study in Chicago, Illinois (2018-2019). We mapped participants' GPS data to the nearest pre-identified SMM- and TW-friendly venue (n = 222) to …

Trends In Central Nervous System-Active Polypharmacy Among People With Multiple Sclerosis, Hayden Naizer, Joseph Wozny, Trudy Millard Krause, Ethan Huson, Leorah Freeman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: People with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) are at risk of concurrently using multiple central nervous system (CNS)-active drugs, yet the prevalence of CNS-active polypharmacy remains unmeasured in pwMS.

OBJECTIVE: The objective is to measure the prevalence of CNS-active polypharmacy in pwMS.

METHODS: This serial, cross-sectional study measured CNS-active polypharmacy in people with MS in the United States from 2008 to 2021 using insurance claims data. CNS-active polypharmacy was defined as the concurrent prescription of ⩾3 CNS-active drugs for >30 continuous days. CNS-active drugs included antidepressants, antiepileptics, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, nonbenzodiazepine benzodiazepine receptor agonist hypnotics, opioids, and skeletal muscle relaxants.

RESULTS: The …

"The Hotel Of 10,000 Stars": The Impact Of Social-Structural Determinants Of Health Among Im/Migrant Shrimpers In The Gulf Of Mexico, Shannon Guillot-Wright, Lacy Davis, Linh Truong, Heide Castañeda, Anabel Rodriguez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives. To identify appropriate interventions to prevent injury, we conducted a qualitative study among commercial shrimp fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico.

Methods. Using qualitative and participatory research methods, including interviews, photovoice, and workplace observations in southeast Texas and the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, we examined the social‒structural dimensions that contribute to physical and psychological injury.

Results. We found that multiple layers of vulnerability and danger exist among shrimpers with interacting themes: (1) recognizing risk, (2) precarious employment, and (3) psychological distress.

Conclusions. Our results add to the growing body of knowledge that emphasizes the negative health impacts of …

Does Every Move Really Count Towards Better Health?, Andrea Ramirez Varela, Pedro C Hallal

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Sexual Debut In Early Adolescence And Individual, School, And Neighborhood Social Capital, Camila Cribb Fabersunne, Carly Milliren, Mark A Schuster, Marc N Elliott, Susan Tortolero Emery, Paula M Cuccaro, Susan L Davies, Tracy Richmond

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Sexual debut in early adolescence is associated with poor health outcomes in adulthood. We examined the associations of social capital within families, schools, and neighborhoods with early sexual debut.

Methods: Using data from the Healthy Passages cohort, a longitudinal multilevel study of adolescents, we performed a series of cross-classified multilevel logistic regression models to examine (1) the relative contribution of schools and neighborhoods to the variance and (2) the association of markers of social cohesion/social capital in families, schools, and neighborhoods with sexual debut by 10th grade.

Results: There were 4,001 youth participants nested in 115 schools and 751 …

Recommendations And Implementation Considerations For The Routine Collection Of Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity Data In Research And Practice, Irene Tamí-Maury, Thomas J Millett

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Plasma Proteins Associated With Plant-Based Diets: Results From The Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities (Aric) Study And Framingham Heart Study (Fhs), Hyunju Kim, Jingsha Chen, Brenton Prescott, Maura E Walker, Morgan E Grams, Bing Yu, Ramachandran S Vasan, James S Floyd, Nona Sotoodehnia, Nicholas L Smith, Dan E Arking, Josef Coresh, Casey M Rebholz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background & aims: Plant-based diets are associated with a lower risk of chronic diseases. Large-scale proteomics can identify objective biomarkers of plant-based diets, and improve our understanding of the pathways that link plant-based diets to health outcomes. This study investigated the plasma proteome of four different plant-based diets [overall plant-based diet (PDI), provegetarian diet, healthful plant-based diet (hPDI), and unhealthful plant-based diet (uPDI)] in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study and replicated the findings in the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) Offspring cohort.

Methods: ARIC Study participants at visit 3 (1993-1995) with completed food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) data and proteomics …

Past-Year Hiv Testing, Current Antiretroviral Therapy Use, And Participation In Services For People Who Inject Drugs, Itunu Sokale, Johnny Wilkerson, Paige Wermuth, Folefac Atem, Janet Burnett, Cyprian Wejnert, Salma Khuwaja, Catherine Troisi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Evaluating routine HIV testing and treatment and use of services for people who inject drugs (PWID) is critical to curb the ongoing HIV epidemic. We analyzed data from the 2018 National HIV Behavioral Surveillance of PWID aged 18 years or older, recruited using respondent-driven sampling and offered anonymous HIV testing after survey. We performed bivariate and multivariable analyses with log-linked Poisson regression of the generalized linear models to examine the associations between demographics and PWID service use, past-year HIV testing, and current antiretroviral therapy (ART) use. Among 10,311 HIV-negative PWID, 56% reported past-year HIV testing, and of the 553 HIV-positive …

Analyzing Heterogeneity In Biomarker Discriminative Performance Through Partial Time-Dependent Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve Modeling, Xinyang Jiang, Wen Li, Kang Wang, Ruosha Li, Jing Ning

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study investigates the heterogeneity of a biomarker's discriminative performance for predicting subsequent time-to-event outcomes across different patient subgroups. While the area under the curve (AUC) for the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve is commonly used to assess biomarker performance, the partial time-dependent AUC (PAUC) provides insights that are often more pertinent for population screening and diagnostic testing. To achieve this objective, we propose a regression model tailored for PAUC and develop two distinct estimation procedures for discrete and continuous covariates, employing a pseudo-partial likelihood method. Simulation studies are conducted to assess the performance of these procedures across various scenarios. …

E-Cigarette Use Reasons And Associated E-Cigarette Use Dependence Among College Students: A Longitudinal Examination, Tzung-Shiang Ou, Anne Buu, James J Yang, Hsien-Chang Lin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Previous studies have established an understanding of reasons for e-cigarette use and associated e-cigarette use patterns such as use frequency, yet the critical extension to associated e-cigarette dependence outcome remains under-researched. This study used longitudinal data to examine whether the reasons for e-cigarette use predict a higher/lower level of e-cigarette dependence.

Methods: This study recruited college students who were current e-cigarette users from Fall 2019 to Fall 2020 (four semesters) at three public universities in the Midwest and South of the U.S. Those who participated for at least two semesters were included (N = 366). Data were collected using …

Sleep Disturbance As A Precursor To Anxiety, Depression, And Ptsd Among Rural Kenyans: A Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis From A Rural Kenyan Interventional Cohort, Michael L Goodman, Miryoung Lee, Andrew Springer, Vanessa Schick, Elizabeth Vaughan, Christine Markham, Stanley Gitari, Fridah Mukiri

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Sleep quality is essential to biopsychosocial functioning, yet there remains limited longitudinal research on sleep and mental or social well-being within low- or middle-income countries. This study utilised longitudinal cohort data from a community-based empowerment programme in Meru County, Kenya to assess cross-lagged correlations between sleep disturbance, social support, symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress. Participants (n = 373; 92% women; age range 18-86 years) who reported more sleep disturbance at T1 reported significantly more symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD, and significantly less social support at T2 (average 11 weeks later), controlling for all within-time correlations across measures, …

Clinicians’ Perceptions Of Care Partner Involvement In Health Priorities Identification For People Living With Dementia, Joan K Monin, Emily Mroz, Kalisha Bonds Johnson, Rafael Samper-Ternent, Thi Vu, Mary Tinetti

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

In Utero Exposure To Antihistamines And Risk Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma In A Multigenerational Cohort, Caitlin C Murphy, Karim Seif El Dahan, Amit G Singal, Piera M Cirillo, Nickilou Y Krigbaum, Barbara A Cohn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Growing evidence suggests that liver disease originates in early life. Antihistamines cross the placenta and are frequently prescribed to pregnant women to treat nausea and vomiting, as well as allergy and asthma symptoms. Exposure to antihistamines in utero may impact the developing liver by reprogramming or inducing epigenetic changes in fetal hepatocytes.

METHODS: We examined in utero exposure to antihistamines and the risk of HCC in the Child Health and Development Studies, a multigenerational cohort that enrolled pregnant women in the East Bay, CA, between 1959 and 1966 (n=14,507 mothers and 18,751 liveborn offspring). We reviewed mothers' medical records …

Sequential Inhibition Of Parp And Bet As A Rational Therapeutic Strategy For Glioblastoma, Xin Peng, Xin Huang, Shaolu Zhang, Naixin Zhang, Shengfan Huang, Yingying Wang, Zhenxing Zhong, Shan Zhu, Haiwang Gao, Zixiang Yu, Xiaotong Yan, Zhennan Tao, Yuxiang Dai, Zhe Zhang, Xi Chen, Feng Wang, Francois X Claret, Moshe Elkabets, Ning Ji, Yuxu Zhong, Dexin Kong

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PARP inhibitors (PARPi) hold substantial promise in treating glioblastoma (GBM). However, the adverse effects have restricted their broad application. Through unbiased transcriptomic and proteomic sequencing, it is discovered that the BET inhibitor (BETi) Birabresib profoundly alters the processes of DNA replication and cell cycle progression in GBM cells, beyond the previously reported impact of BET inhibition on homologous recombination repair. Through in vitro experiments using established GBM cell lines and patient-derived primary GBM cells, as well as in vivo orthotopic transplantation tumor experiments in zebrafish and nude mice, it is demonstrated that the concurrent administration of PARPi and BETi can …

A Qualitative Exploration To Inform An Oral Health Training For Disability Care Workers In Burkina Faso, Ave Põld, Dan Filwendé Kientega, Jocelyne Valérie Garé, Michael Lorenz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

AIM: To explore enablers and barriers to the creation of an oral health training for care workers at specialized centres for children with disabilities in Ouagadougou.

DESIGN: This was a formative study informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework using qualitative methods.

METHODS: Qualitative observations and 14 semi-structured interviews were conducted with care workers from six specialized centres for disability.

RESULTS: Carer workers emphasized that a successful oral health training must account for available resources and competencies in each specific centre. Part of the training must be dedicated to oral hygiene targeted for people with disabilities and provide knowledge about risk …

Accelerated Tumor Progression After Covid-19 Infection In Patients With Glioblastoma: A Retrospective Case-Control Study, Timothy A Gregory, Stephanie R Knight, Ashley E Aaroe, Kaitlin N Highsmith, Zachary C Janatpour, Barbara J O'Brien, Nazanin K Majd, Monica E Loghin, Chirag B Patel, Shiao-Pei Weathers, Vinay K Puduvalli, Carlos Kamiya-Matsuoka

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: We observed rapid tumor progression following COVID-19 infection among patients with glioblastoma and sought to systematically characterize their disease course in a retrospective case-control study.

Methods: Using an institutional database, we retrospectively identified a series of COVID-19-positive glioblastoma cases and matched them by age and sex 1:2 to glioblastoma controls who had a negative COVID-19 test during their disease course. Demographic and clinical data were analyzed. Hyperprogression was defined using modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumors criteria. Time to progression and overall survival were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

Results: Thirty-two glioblastoma cases with positive COVID-19 testing were …

A Mixed Methods Exploration Of Young Women's Agency And Mental Health During Covid-19 In Low-Income Communities In Mumbai, India, Marie A Brault, Melissa F Peskin, Anastasia N Jones, Amrita Saikia, Rinchen O Bhutia, Sai Sammitha Cheruvu, Vaishali M Jagtap, Rajendra Singh, Poornima Nair, Rajesh Vedanthan, Sten H Vermund, Shubhada Maitra

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in India face additional health inequities compared to their male peers, as gender norms constrain agency for prevention and self-care. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns deepened health inequities and often worsened mental health, but the impacts on agency are unclear. This exploratory sequential mixed methods paper examined mental health and COVID-19 elements that exacerbated or mitigated adverse consequences for AGYW in low-income communities in Mumbai.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with AGYW (aged 15-25 years; N = 60) and adults (parents, healthcare providers, community-based organization representative; N = 30). …

Statistical Methods For Predicting E-Cigarette Use Events Based On Beat-To-Beat Interval (Bbi) Data Collected From Wearable Devices, James J Yang, Megan E Piper, Premananda Indic, Anne Buu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The prevalence of e-cigarette use among young adults in the USA is high (14%). Although the majority of users plan to quit vaping, the motivation to make a quit attempt is low and available support during a quit attempt is limited. Using wearable sensors to collect physiological data (eg, heart rate) holds promise for capturing the right timing to deliver intervention messages. This study aims to fill the current knowledge gap by proposing statistical methods to (1) de-noise beat-to-beat interval (BBI) data from smartwatches worn by 12 young adult regular e-cigarette users for 7 days; and (2) summarize the de-noised …

In Silico Analysis Of The Rop29 Protein As A Vaccine Candidate Against Toxoplasma Gondii, Amir Karimipour-Saryazdi, Fatemeh Ghaffarifar, Abdolhossein Dalimi, Masoud Foroutan, John Horton, Javid Sadraei

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The progression of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) invasion is aided by rhoptry proteins (ROPs), which are also crucial for the parasite's survival in host cells. In this study, in silico analysis was performed to examine the various aspects of the ROP29 protein, such as physicochemical properties, potential T- and B-cell epitopes, and other significant features. The research revealed that there were 55 possible sites for posttranslational modification in the ROP29 protein. The secondary structure of the ROP29 protein consists of a random coil, an alpha-helix, and an extended strand, which account for 49.69%, 36.81%, and 13.50%, respectively. Moreover, …

Selection For Robust Metabolism In Domesticated Yeasts Is Driven By Adaptation To Hsp90 Stress, Natalia Condic, Hatim Amiji, Dipak Patel, William Charles Shropshire, Nejla Ozirmak Lermi, Youssef Sabha, Beryl John, Blake Hanson, Georgios Ioannis Karras

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Protein folding both promotes and constrains adaptive evolution. We uncover this surprising duality in the role of the protein-folding chaperone heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) in maintaining the integrity of yeast metabolism amid proteotoxic stressors within industrial domestication niches. Ethanol disrupts critical Hsp90-dependent metabolic pathways and exerts strong selective pressure for redundant duplications of key genes within these pathways, yielding the classical genomic signatures of beer and bread domestication. This work demonstrates a mechanism of adaptive canalization in an ecology of major economic importance and highlights Hsp90-dependent variation as an important source of phantom heritability in complex traits.

Effect Of Esketamine On Hypotension In Women With Preoperative Anxiety Undergoing Elective Cesarean Section: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Trial, Yu Qi, Meiyan Zhou, Yaqi Dong, Wenting Zheng, Qinyu Jiang, Yanyu Li, Xinghe Wang, Jia Sun, Hai Zhou, Zhengquan Hu, Liwei Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

To investigate the effect of low-doses esketamine on spinal anesthesia-induced hypotension in women with preoperative anxiety undergoing elective cesarean section, the randomized controlled trial enrolled 120 women aged 18-35 years who preoperative State-Trait Anxiety Inventory State scores > 40, conducted from September 2022 to August 2023 in Xuzhou Central Hospital, China. Women in the esketamine group received a single intravenous injection of 0.2 mg/kg esketamine after sensory block level achieved. The incidence of hypotension in the esketamine group was significantly lower than the control group at T2 (10% [6 of 60]; P < 0.001), T3 (5.0% [3 of 60]; P = 0.007) and T4(5.0% [3 of 60]; P = 0.004). Despite being higher in the esketamine group, the overall rates of hypertension (11.7% [7 of 60]; P = 0.186), tachycardia (23.3% [14 of 60]; P = 0.246), and bradycardia (0.0% [0 of 60]; P = 0.079) were no significantly difference between the two groups. STAI-S scores was significantly lower in the esketamine group (mean [SD] 37.52[7.14]) than in the control group (mean [SD] 41.03[9.66], P = 0.39) in postoperative day 1. Spinal anesthesia combined with intravenous low-doses esketamine infusion can significantly reduce the incidence of hypotension in women with preoperative anxiety undergoing elective cesarean section.

Multi-Antigen Intranasal Vaccine Protects Against Challenge With Sarbecoviruses And Prevents Transmission In Hamsters, Ankita Leekha, Arash Saeedi, K M Samiur Rahman Sefat, Monish Kumar, Melisa Martinez-Paniagua, Adrian Damian, Rohan Kulkarni, Kate Reichel, Ali Rezvan, Shalaleh Masoumi, Xinli Liu, Laurence J N Cooper, Manu Sebastian, Courtney M Sands, Vallabh E Das, Nimesh B Patel, Brett Hurst, Navin Varadarajan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Immunization programs against SARS-CoV-2 with commercial intramuscular vaccines prevent disease but are less efficient in preventing infections. Mucosal vaccines can provide improved protection against transmission, ideally for different variants of concern (VOCs) and related sarbecoviruses. Here, we report a multi-antigen, intranasal vaccine, NanoSTING-SN (NanoSTING-Spike-Nucleocapsid), eliminates virus replication in both the lungs and the nostrils upon challenge with the pathogenic SARS-CoV-2 Delta VOC. We further demonstrate that NanoSTING-SN prevents transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron VOC (BA.5) to vaccine-naïve hamsters. To evaluate protection against other sarbecoviruses, we immunized mice with NanoSTING-SN. We showed that immunization affords protection against SARS-CoV, leading to protection …

Efficient Matrix Profile Computation With Euclidean Distance Using Eigen Transformation: Performance Evaluation Based On Beat-To-Beat Interval (Bbi) Data, James J Yang, Anne Buu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The matrix profile serves as a fundamental tool to provide insights into similar patterns within time series. Existing matrix profile algorithms have been primarily developed for the normalized Euclidean distance, which may not be a proper distance measure in many settings. The methodology work of this paper was motivated by statistical analysis of beat-to-beat interval (BBI) data collected from smartwatches to monitor e-cigarette users’ heart rate change patterns for which the original Euclidean distance (L2-norm) would be a more suitable choice. Yet, incorporating the Euclidean distance into existing matrix profile algorithms turned out to be computationally challenging, especially …

Hiv/Aids-Associated Knowledge And Attitudes Towards Treating Disadvantaged Communities Among Pre-Community-Based Dental Education Dental Students In The Us, Aditi Tomar, Hannah Balcezak, Shirley Lewis Miranda, Marie C Latortue, Richa Chinchkhandi, Lisa Wigfall

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study examines HIV/AIDS-associated knowledge and attitudes towards treating disadvantaged communities among predoctoral dental students in U.S. dental schools who have not yet commenced their Community-Based Dental Education (CBDE) training. It also compares the difference in the knowledge and attitudes between students with reported community engagement with PLWHA and those without. Our study comprised 89 predoctoral dental students within their D1-D3 years of dental school who had not yet initiated their Community-Based Dental Education (referred to as pre-CBDE dental students). Their responses were collected via an online survey. The participants were 68% females, 94% heterosexual, and with a mean age …

Dietary Acculturation Is Associated With Altered Gut Microbiome, Circulating Metabolites, And Cardiovascular Disease Risk In Us Hispanics And Latinos: Results From Hchs/Sol, Yi Wang, Guo-Chong Chen, Zheng Wang, Kai Luo, Yanbo Zhang, Yang Li, Amanda C Mcclain, Marta M Jankowska, Krista M Perreira, Josiemer Mattei, Carmen R Isasi, Maria M Llabre, Bharat Thyagarajan, Martha L Daviglus, Linda Van Horn, David Goldsztajn Farelo, Luis E Maldonado, Steven R Levine, Bing Yu, Eric Boerwinkle, Rob Knight, Robert D Burk, Robert C Kaplan, Qibin Qi, Brandilyn A Peters

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Dietary acculturation, or adoption of dominant culture diet by migrant groups, influences human health. We aimed to examine dietary acculturation and its relationships with cardiovascular disease (CVD), gut microbiota, and blood metabolites among US Hispanic and Latino adults.

Methods: In the HCHS/SOL (Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos), US exposure was defined by years in the United States (50 states and Washington, DC) and US nativity. A dietary acculturation pattern was derived from 14 172 participants with two 24-hour dietary recalls at baseline (2008-2011) using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, with food groups as predictors of US …

Clonal Hematopoiesis Driven By Mutated Dnmt3a Promotes Inflammatory Bone Loss, Hui Wang, Kimon Divaris, Bohu Pan, Xiaofei Li, Jong-Hyung Lim, Gundappa Saha, Marko Barovic, Danai Giannakou, Jonathan M Korostoff, Yu Bing, Souvik Sen, Kevin Moss, Di Wu, James D Beck, Christie M Ballantyne, Pradeep Natarajan, Kari E North, Mihai G Netea, Triantafyllos Chavakis, George Hajishengallis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) arises from aging-associated acquired mutations in hematopoietic progenitors, which display clonal expansion and produce phenotypically altered leukocytes. We associated CHIP-DNMT3A mutations with a higher prevalence of periodontitis and gingival inflammation among 4,946 community-dwelling adults. To model DNMT3A-driven CHIP, we used mice with the heterozygous loss-of-function mutation R878H, equivalent to the human hotspot mutation R882H. Partial transplantation with Dnmt3a

Barriers To And Facilitators Of Implementing Colorectal Cancer Screening Evidence-Based Interventions In Federally Qualified Health Centers: A Qualitative Study, Emanuelle M Dias, Joe R Padilla, Paula M Cuccaro, Timothy J Walker, Bijal A Balasubramanian, Lara S Savas, Melissa A Valerio-Shewmaker, Roshanda S Chenier, Maria E Fernandez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: There is an urgent need to increase colorectal cancer screening (CRCS) uptake in Texas federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), which serve a predominantly vulnerable population with high demands. Empirical support exists for evidence-based interventions (EBIs) that are proven to increase CRCS; however, as with screening, their use remains low in FQHCs. This study aimed to identify barriers to and facilitators of implementing colorectal cancer screening (CRCS) evidence-based interventions (EBIs) in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR).

Methods: We recruited employees involved in implementing CRCS EBIs (e.g., physicians) using data from a …