Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Veterans Health Administration Enrollees’ Choice Of Care Setting Relates To The Expansion Of Care Options: Evidence From Screening Colonoscopies Before And After The Mission Act, Chase S Eck, Cheng Jiang, Laura A Petersen

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Objective: To estimate whether those enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) were less likely to use VHA-delivered colorectal cancer screening colonoscopies after the MISSION Act.

Data sources and study setting: Secondary data were collected on VHA-enrolled Veterans from FY2017-FY2021.

Study design: This retrospective cross-sectional study measured the volume and share of screening colonoscopies that were VHA-delivered over time and by drive time eligibility-defined as living more than 60 min away from the nearest VHA specialty-care clinic. We used a multivariable logistic regression to adjust for patient and facility factors.

Data extraction: Data were extracted for VHA enrollees (n = …

Personalized Roadmaps For Returning Results From Digital Phenotyping, Kristin Marie Kostick-Quenet, John Herrington, Eric A Storch

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

The Ddhd2-Stxbp1 Interaction Mediates Long-Term Memory Via Generation Of Saturated Free Fatty Acids, Isaac O Akefe, Saber H Saber, Benjamin Matthews, Bharat G Venkatesh, Rachel S Gormal, Daniel G Blackmore, Suzy Alexander, Emma Sieriecki, Yann Gambin, Jesus Bertran-Gonzalez, Nicolas Vitale, Yann Humeau, Arnaud Gaudin, Sevannah A Ellis, Alysee A Michaels, Mingshan Xue, Benjamin Cravatt, Merja Joensuu, Tristan P Wallis, Frédéric A Meunier

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The phospholipid and free fatty acid (FFA) composition of neuronal membranes plays a crucial role in learning and memory, but the mechanisms through which neuronal activity affects the brain's lipid landscape remain largely unexplored. The levels of saturated FFAs, particularly of myristic acid (C14:0), strongly increase during neuronal stimulation and memory acquisition, suggesting the involvement of phospholipase A1 (PLA1) activity in synaptic plasticity. Here, we show that genetic ablation of the PLA1 isoform DDHD2 in mice dramatically reduces saturated FFA responses to memory acquisition across the brain. Furthermore, DDHD2 loss also decreases memory performance in reward-based learning and spatial memory …

Study Design And Methods: Us Study To Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention To Reduce Risk (Us Pointer), Laura D Baker, Heather M Snyder, Mark A Espeland, Rachel A Whitmer, Miia Kivipelto, Nancy Woolard, Jeffrey Katula, Kathryn V Papp, Jennifer Ventrelle, Sarah Graef, Marcus A Hill, Scott Rushing, Julia Spell, Laura Lovato, Deborah Felton, Benjamin J Williams, Mina Ghadimi Nouran, Rema Raman, Tiia Ngandu, Alina Solomon, Sharon Wilmoth, Maryjo L Cleveland, Jeff D Williamson, Katherine L Lambert, Sarah Tomaszewski Farias, Claire E Day, Christy C Tangney, Darren R Gitelman, Olivia Matongo, Terrianne Reynolds, Valory N Pavlik, Melissa M Yu, Ashley S Alexander, Richard Elbein, Ann Marie Mcdonald, Stephen Salloway, Rena R Wing, Susan Antkowiak, Martha Clare Morris, Maria C Carrillo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: The U.S. study to protect brain health through lifestyle intervention to reduce risk (U.S. POINTER) is conducted to confirm and expand the results of the Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER) in Americans.

METHODS: U.S. POINTER was planned as a 2-year randomized controlled trial of two lifestyle interventions in 2000 older adults at risk for dementia due to well-established factors. The primary outcome is a global cognition composite that permits harmonization with FINGER.

RESULTS: U.S. POINTER is centrally coordinated and conducted at five clinical sites (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03688126). Outcomes assessments are completed at baseline and …

Investigating The Effects Of Alcohol Consumption On Manual And Automated Driving: A Systematic Review, Miaomiao Dong, Yuni Lee, Jackie Cha, Gaojian Huang

Mineta Transportation Institute

There are direct correlations between drunk driving and car-related injuries, disabilities, and death. Autonomous vehicles (AVs) may provide useful driver support systems to prevent or reduce road accidents. However, AVs are not yet fully automated and require human drivers to take over the vehicle at times. Therefore, understanding how alcohol affects driving performance in both manual and automated driving is important because manual drives may offer insights into the takeover process in AVs. A systematic review of 53 articles from eight databases was conducted. Findings were categorized based on the human information processing model, which can be extended to the …

Beneath I-280: Excavating A Neighborhood Lost To San José Freeways, Leila Ullmann, Gordon Douglas

Mineta Transportation Institute

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, thousands of people in San José, California were displaced from their homes as the state used eminent domain to purchase land and uproot neighborhoods for the construction of Interstate freeways. This report presents a multifaceted research and public knowledge effort that uncovers some of the communities buried beneath these freeways, in the area where I-280 and CA-87 meet today near downtown San José. The project builds primarily from previously unprocessed California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) archival documents, which this project studies for the first time. The records are rich in detail about valuation and sale …

Sex-Specific Disparities In Covid-19 Outcomes, Zubaid Rafique, Valerie Durkalski-Mauldin, William F Peacock, Kabir Yadav, Joshua C Reynolds, Clifton W Callaway

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVES: Sex-specific disparities in morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 illness are not well understood. Neutralizing antibodies (Ab) may protect against severe COVID-19 illness. We investigated the association of sex with disease progression and SARS-CoV-2 Ab response.

METHODS: In this exploratory analysis of the phase 3, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled Convalescent Plasma in Outpatients (C3PO) trial, we examined whether sex was associated with progression to severe illness, defined as a composite of all-cause hospitalization, emergency/urgent care visit, or death within 15 days from study enrollment. Patients had a positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) test, symptom onset within 7 days, …

Social Determinants Of Health Framework To Identify And Reduce Barriers To Imaging In Marginalized Communities, Mohab M Elmohr, Zulqarnain Javed, Prachi Dubey, John E Jordan, Lubdha Shah, Khurram Nasir, Eric M Rohren, Christie M Lincoln

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Social determinants of health (SDOH) are conditions influencing individuals' health based on their environment of birth, living, working, and aging. Addressing SDOH is crucial for promoting health equity and reducing health outcome disparities. For conditions such as stroke and cancer screening where imaging is central to diagnosis and management, access to high-quality medical imaging is necessary. This article applies a previously described structural framework characterizing the impact of SDOH on patients who require imaging for their clinical indications. SDOH factors can be broadly categorized into five sectors: economic stability, education access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, social and community …

Forests Are Chill: The Interplay Between Thermal Comfort And Mental Wellbeing, Loïc Gillerot, Kevin Rozario, Pieter De Frenne, Rachel Oh, Quentin Ponette, Aletta Bonn, Winston T. L. Chow, Douglas Godbold, Matthias Steinparzaer, Daniela Haluza, Dries Landuyt, Bart Muys, Kris Verheyen

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

As global warming and urbanisation intensify unabated, a growing share of the human population is exposed to dangerous heat levels. Trees and forests can effectively mitigate such heat alongside numerous health co-benefits like improved mental wellbeing. Yet, which forest types are objectively and subjectively coolest to humans, and how thermal and mental wellbeing interact, remain understudied. We surveyed 223 participants in peri-urban forests with varying biodiversity levels in Austria, Belgium and Germany. Using microclimate sensors, questionnaires and saliva cortisol measures, we monitored intra-individual changes in thermal and mental states from non-forest baseline to forest conditions. Forests reduced daytime modified Physiologically …

Examining The Influence Of Adult Mentors On Fostering Prosocial Behaviors Among Teens, John H. Weaver Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation addressed a critical public health concern stemming from the prevalence of antisocial behavior among U.S. teenagers. The study specifically tackled the lack of information regarding the components of an effective risk-reduction mentoring program for teens. The primary aim was to explore how young adult alums of a central Florida mentoring program articulated the influence of mentoring relationships that have shaped their attitudes and perceptions concerning prosocial behavior during adolescence. As a bounded qualitative case study, this research employed semistructured interviews with 11 young adult mentees from a mentoring program. Additionally, a focus group of five adult mentors who …

Effectiveness Of Antibiotic Stewardship For Healthcare Providers At Urgent Care Clinics, Helen T. Adewole

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Antibiotics have revolutionized modern medicine; however, the overuse in urgent care and primary care significantly contributes to the global burden of infections resistant to available antimicrobial medicines. Approximately 30% of the antimicrobials prescribed in acute care settings are unnecessary. Patient demand for antibiotics has seemingly skyrocketed following the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Practitioners must be knowledgeable about antibiotic stewardship initiatives, such as the wait-and-see approach, to reduce antibiotic overuse and improve the trajectory of antibiotic resistance and patient health outcomes. The gap in practice was the limited awareness of scientific evidence-based tools to partner with patients and improve antibiotic prescription patterns. …

Public Acceptance Of Using Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Weight Management Apps In High-Income Southeast Asian Adults With Overweight And Obesity: A Cross-Sectional Study, Han Shi Jocelyn Chew, Palakorn Achananuparp, Palakorn Achananuparp, Nicholas W. S. Chew, Yip Han Chin, Yujia Gao, Bok Yan Jimmy So, Asim Shabbir, Ee-Peng Lim, Kee Yuan Ngiam

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Introduction: With in increase in interest to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into weight management programs, we aimed to examine user perceptions of AI-based mobile apps for weight management in adults with overweight and obesity. Methods: 280 participants were recruited between May and November 2022. Participants completed a questionnaire on sociodemographic profiles, Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2), and Self-Regulation of Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was performed using R. Model fit was tested using maximum-likelihood generalized unweighted least squares. Associations between influencing factors were analyzed using correlation and linear regression. Results: 271 participant responses were …

Men Are From Mars And Women Are From Venus: Dyadic Collaboration In The Metaverse, Shu Schiller, Fiona Fui-Hoon Nah, Andy Luse, Keng Siau

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Purpose: The gender composition of teams remains an important yet complex element in unlocking the success of collaboration and performance in the metaverse. In this study, the authors examined the collaborations of same- and mixed-gender dyads to investigate how gender composition influences perceptions of the dyadic collaboration process and outcomes at both the individual and team levels in the metaverse. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on expectation states theory and social role theory, the authors hypothesized differences between dyads of different gender compositions. A blocked design was utilized where 432 subjects were randomly assigned to teams of different gender compositions: 101 male dyads, …

Frameworks For Measuring Population Health: A Scoping Review, Sze Ling Chan, Clement Zhong Hao Ho, Nang Ei Ei Khaing, Ezra Ho, Candelyn Pong, Jia Sheng Guan, Calida Chua, Zongbin Li, Trudi Lim Wenqi, Sean Shao Wei Lam, Lian Leng Low, Choon How How

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Introduction Many regions in the world are using the population health approach and require a means to measure the health of their population of interest. Population health frameworks provide a theoretical grounding for conceptualization of population health and therefore a logical basis for selection of indicators. The aim of this scoping review was to provide an overview and summary of the characteristics of existing population health frameworks that have been used to conceptualize the measurement of population health. Methods We used the Population, Concept and Context (PCC) framework to define eligibility criteria of frameworks. We were interested in frameworks applicable …

The Potential Of Ethiopian Medicinal Plants To Treat Emergent Viral Diseases, Mekbib Fekadu, Ermias Lulekal, Solomon Tesfaye, Morgan Ruelle, Nigist Asfaw, Tesfaye Awas, Kebu Balemie, Kaleab Asres, Sebastian Guenther, Zemede Asfaw, Sebsebe Demissew

Sustainability and Social Justice

Ethiopians have deep-rooted traditions of using plants to treat ailments affecting humans and domesticated animals. Approximately 80% of the population continues to rely on traditional medicine, including for the prevention and treatment of viral diseases. Many antiviral plants are available to and widely used by communities in areas where access to conventional healthcare systems is limited. In some cases, pharmacological studies also confirm the potent antiviral properties of Ethiopian plants. Building on traditional knowledge of medicinal plants and testing their antiviral properties may help to expand options to address the global pandemic of COVID-19 including its recently isolated virulent variants …

The Limits Of Data Science, David E. Drew

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Data science can contribute valuable predictions in diverse fields. But I write to express some concerns and red flags. I suggest that data science is being oversold. This article contains three questions that I believe data science must address as this new discipline matures. Is data science significantly different from statistics? This is a question that has haunted the field since the term first was introduced. By creating algorithms based on current societal decision rules that may be biased, even bigoted, does data science lock in and exacerbate inequality? Scholars have identified a continuum from data to information to knowledge …

Finding Your Mathematical Roots: Inclusion And Identity Development In Mathematics, Linda Mcguire

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

This paper details a semester-long course project that has been successfully adapted for use in mathematics courses ranging from introductory level, general-education classes to advanced courses in the mathematics major. Through creating aspirational mathematical family trees and writing mathematical autobiographies, this assignment is designed to help battle belonging uncertainty, to challenge students to self-situate in relation to the history of mathematical and scientific knowledge, and to make visible a student’s developing identity in mathematics and, more broadly, in STEM.

The construction and scaffolding of the project, assignments, examples of student work, foundational readings, assessment and outcomes, and adaptation strategies for …

Human Zoo Healthcare At The 1904 World’S Fair, Angel Blake

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Human Zoo Healthcare at the 1904 World’s Fair

Were precautions taken or put into place for the Human Zoo performers at the 1904 World’s Fair? This topic has been overlooked and understudied by historians, there are few articles written and we do not know the true death toll which shows the racism towards these indigenous peoples. The research for this project was conducted at the State Historical Society of Missouri, the St. Louis Mercantile Library, Newspapers.com, Archives.com, St. Louis Public Library, and the Missouri Historical Society, including research on primary sources such as official World’s Fair committee meeting minutes, hospital …

Stability And Crisis Response: Comparing The U.S. And Canadian Banking Systems, Sarah E. Boslaugh

Undergraduate Research Symposium

In 2007-08, the United States experienced a banking crisis, as 5 of the 6 other G-7 countries. The exception? Canada, which experienced only a mild recession, with no bank failures or government bank bailouts. Further research reveals that while banking crises have been commonplace in the United States (8 occurred in the 19th century alone), they are essentially nonexistent in Canadian history. I find that the primary reasons for these differences in national experience lie not in the strictness of government regulation or the qualifications demanded of borrowers in the two countries, but in the differing structures of the banking …

Hvaldimir: Russian Beluga Spy Whale, John Granicke

Undergraduate Research Symposium

In April of 2019, a beluga whale was found off the coast of Norway. The whale’s presence there is perplexing, as beluga whales are not often seen in the area. What is even more strange is the fact that the whale was wearing a mysterious harness and seemed to be tame. Nobody has officially claimed ownership of the whale, and nobody really knows why the whale is in Norway. Most importantly however, nobody knows what the whale's real mission is. Conspiracy theorists have proposed that the whale, dubbed Hvaldimir, is a trained Russian spy who escaped and abandoned his mission. …

Tritons United: Against Gender-Based Violence, Kayla Bowling, Jessica Emert, Kimberly Werner, Maggie Gross

Undergraduate Research Symposium

This project presents the campus interventions UMSL’s Tritons United: Against Gender-Based Violence has been able to accomplish under the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women’s campus programming grant.We explain the goals of Tritons United and the structure of our Coordinated Community Response Team (CCRT). Tritons United was established in 2019, and since then has implemented 6 campus education and 3 professional training curriculums on UMSL’s campus, one of which was developed by our team, and others are facilitated by in conjunction with our community partnering agencies and help from the Tritons United CCRT. The current campus interventions …

The Roaring Lion Of Berlin: The Life, Thought, And Influence Of Eugen Dühring, Arden Roy

Undergraduate Research Symposium

The life and influence of 19th-century German polymath Eugen Dühring remain but a mere footnote in the history of ideas, being primarily relegated to the status of little more than a theoretical rival to Marxism in the German socialist movement and the occasional object of Freidrich Nietzsche's rhetorical flogging. Despite the current consensus on the subject, Eugen Dühring was a scholar of vast, remarkable learnedness, contributing greatly to philosophy, economics, and the natural sciences. The aim of this talk will be to clear the fog surrounding the life and work of the controversial blind scholar and give an account of …

Precautionary Buying During The Covid Pandemic: Evidence From Grocery Scanner Data, Blake Williams, Trilce Encarnacion

Undergraduate Research Symposium

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals across the world engaged in Disaster Related Buying Behaviors to prepare for extended lockdown periods. These behaviors, commonly referred to as “panic buying”, had retailers scrambling to meet the new demand patterns for critical supplies, which are goods that are indispensable for sustaining life and the normal functioning of households and businesses. The inability of supply chains to rapidly increase the production and distribution of critical supplies resulted in widespread shortages. The main goal of this research is to explore the role that media coverage of the pandemic has on “panic buying” …

Socio-Demographic Risks Affect Executive Functioning, Brittny Rodgers, Nicole Shelley, Hannah B. White, Ph.D

Undergraduate Research Symposium

The goal of study 1 was to see if there was an association between average fixation durations in infants and socio-demographic risk. There were 102 infants (3.5 month old) that participated in the study. While infants were looking at stimuli, the researchers tracked their average fixation durations; their mothers took the socio-demographic risk scale (Rutter, 1979; Sameroff, 2000). This scale shows the mothers cumulative risk score by giving points to mothers based on their socio-demographic circumstances. Mothers received a point if they were, below median maternal education, below median estimated family income, or a racial minority. Results showed that the …

Evaluating Farm Size Change As An Expression Of Preferential Alignment In The Corporate Food Regime, Rachael Carpenter

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Food system awareness is increasingly prevalent in international development and relations. In particular, the impact of food systems on climate change, and the impact of climate change on the capacity of production form a feedback loop that has the potential to have a severe impact on the future. Whether this contribution will be positive or negative hangs in the balance, but the window of opportunity for forming and implementing such policies may be closing. In many ways, this understanding of food as a fundamental force in shaping the lives of people, particularly those who will be severely impacted and face …

The Association Between Coping-Motivated Drinking And Alcohol-Related Consequences., Jacob D. Salser, Ian A. Mcnamara, Ryan W. Carpenter

Undergraduate Research Symposium

ABSTRACT. Background: College students’ alcohol use is an important topic of research. Past research indicates that people who drink to cope are at a higher risk for alcohol-related consequences compared to other drinking motives (i.e., enhancement, social, or conformity motives). This project aims to analyze drinking motives, specifically the subscales of coping-anxiety motives and coping-depressive motives, and their association with alcohol-related consequences in a unique population. In addition, the moderating effects of stress will be tested.

Methods: The data for this project was collected through a survey that was given to students (N=176) at the University of Missouri …

Hope For The Unhoused: Medical Treatment Access And Retention Among Unhoused Individuals With Opioid Use Disorder In The St. Louis Region, Allison Token

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Medical treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) can be highly effective, but may be particularly difficult to access among individuals who are unhoused. This study investigated how experiencing insecure housing affects the receipt of and retention rates of MOUD among participants in the St. Louis region’s Engaging Patients in Care Coordination (EPICC)—a peer-based program designed to connect people with evidence-based OUD treatment. We hypothesized EPICC clients who were unhoused received MOUD less often than clients who were housed, and that EPICC clients who were unhoused were retained in treatment for shorter periods of time than EPICC clients who were housed. …

Telehealth Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder In Missouri’S Urban And Rural Areas Prior To And Since Covid-19, Aurora Rojo, Rashmi Ghonasgi, Zachary Budesa, Rachel Winograd

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a chronic health condition that can be adequately treated when individuals have access to needed services. Telehealth services can be delivered remotely through audio-visual technological communications rather than in-person visits, which can greatly improve care accessibility. Following the onset of COVID-19, there were swift clinical and policy adaptations to promote telehealth services across medical and behavioral health fields. This study aims to identify changes in the frequency of telehealth for OUD treatment in Missouri’s rural and urban counties prior to and since the onset of COVID-19. Chi-square tests and analysis of changes between years and …

Content Analysis Of Backyard Conservation Websites, Katie George, Sam Holzer

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Backyard conservation program websites are common, but it is unknown how effective they are. The purpose was to create a content analysis of the persuasive techniques/appeals that communication theory suggests are effective.

Effects Of Foster Children’S Epigenetics In Abusive Environments, Shamika Ellis, Theresa Moore

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Abstract: Effects of Foster Children’s Epigenetics in Abusive Environments

Shamika Ellis, Theresa A. Moore, Hannah B. White, PhD

This presentation will review the literature on the epigenetics of abused foster children, and the subsequent acute, delayed, and long-term physiological, cognitive, and behavioral effects. One study experimentally investigated the effects of sexual and physical abuse on 150 foster children from 8 to 19 years of age and found post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was diagnosed in 64% of children who experienced sexual abuse and 42% of children who experienced physical abuse Further, of the foster children who had not experienced either form …