TCU Digital Repository (Texas Christian Univ.)
Not a member yet
54550 research outputs found
Sort by
Difference in Knee Joint Loading Metrics Following ACL Repair versus ACL Reconstruction
No full textResearch Question: Do individuals who undergo a primary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repair (ACL-r) versus standard ACL reconstruction (ACL-R) have differences in knee joint loading metrics?Background and Significance: injuries are one of the most common knee injuries in athletes and the general population. At this time, ACL injuries are most often treated with ACL reconstruction and even with the great advances made in technology and physician expertise, the outcomes of ACL reconstruction on joint health is bleak. Those that undergo ACL-R may result in or expedite the arthritic process and lead to articular cartilage lesions. This is hypothesized to take place due to a variety of factors, including prolonged underloading of the knee joint following surgery. Recent studies have shown that ACL-r may provide some type to the cartilage and possibly slow the effects of joint degeneration. This is said to be due to decreased surgical trauma associated with preservation of the native ACL ligament. ACL-r has been shown to benefit lower extremity and knee biomechanics and proprioception. This data is based off of older ACL-r methods and there is limited data on newer ACL-r techniques and the effect on knee joint loading. Therefore, this study is being conducted to assess the difference in knee joint loading metrics between individuals who have undergone primary ACL-r and those following standard ACL-R with a patella bone-tendon-bone autograft.Materials and Methods: A total of 30 participants were enrolled in this study. The ACL-r group [n: 15, age(yrs): 38.8±13.9, Ht(cm): 173.4±10.0, Wt(kg): 77.9±17.5] sustained a proximal ACL disruption (Sherman Classification Type 1 or 2) that was amendable to repair, while the ACL-R group [n: 15, age(yrs): 25.60±1.7, Ht(cm): 173.5±10.3, Wt(kg): 75.4±15.6] underwent primary reconstruction with a patella bone-tendon-bone autograft. At 12 weeks post-operation, participants in both groups completed the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) questionnaire and underwent biomechanical testing. Total knee joint power measured as eccentric loading (contraction) during the descent phase of the squat and bilateral peak knee extension were calculated using the average of the middle three of five repetitions of testing on both the surgical and non-surgical limb. Three months after surgery, participants also completed a quadriceps strength test on both limbs on an isokinetic dynamometer 60 °/sec. The average peak torque of five repetitions was used to calculate the limb symmetry index (LSI). To examine differences between groups, separate ANOVAS were performed for each biomechanical variable.Results: The ACL-r had a significantly greater peak knee extension moment (ACL-r: 78.46±5.79%; ACL-R: 56.86±5.79%; p=0.019, ¿p2=.186) , as well as total knee joint power (ACL-r: 72.47±7.39%; ACL-R: 39.70±7.39%, p=0.006, ¿p2=.245) than the ACL-R group. The ACL-r group also had a significantly greater quadriceps LSI than the ACL-R group (ACL-r: 66.318±4.61%, ACL-R: 48.03±4.61%, p=0.013, ¿p2=.206).Conclusion: Individuals who underwent ACL-r demonstrated increased knee joint loading symmetry during a single leg squat test, as well as greater quadriceps strength symmetry at 12 weeks post-operation as compared to those who underwent ACL-R
An investigation of corporate social responsibility conformity: The roles of network prominence and supply chain partners
No full textNumerous studies on corporate social responsibility (CSR) indicate that firms adopt CSR practices for various reasons related to their supply chain. However, the necessity to conform to a firm's own industry CSR norm is overlooked. Conforming to one's industry CSR norm-a herding behavior known as CSR conformity-ensures firm in-group legitimacy and preserves internal resources for core business activities. On the other hand, deviating from industry norms sets a firm apart from its peers, making the firm more appealing to supply chain partners. Motivated by this dilemma, this study draws on middle-status conformity theory and explores how a firm's network prominence determines its CSR conformity. Panel data analyses of 1650 firm-year observations reveal an inverse U-shaped relationship between firm network prominence and its CSR conformity, indicating that firms with a mid-level network prominence engage in higher CSR conformity. However, the inverse U is flattened when a firm's supply chain partners (and their respective industries) share similar CSR standards, suggesting that a firm can only prioritize its own industry CSR norms if its supply chain partners share a compatible CSR standard. These findings highlight the importance of understanding CSR from an organizational conformity perspective, especially in the context of supply chain network. Firms use industry CSR norms as a benchmark for CSR engagement-a firm herding behavior known as CSR conformity. Firms conform to industry CSR norms to ensure legitimacy and preserve resources; however, they also need to deviate to differentiate themselves and attract supply chain partners. This research uncovers an inverse U-shaped relationship between firm network prominence and CSR conformity. Additionally, a focal firm can prioritize its industry CSR norms only when its supply chain partners share a compatible CSR standard
Lifestyle Medicine Health Education and E-health Intervention Program
No full textResearch Question: Will the implementation of an interactive e-health text system sending education briefs on the six tenets of lifestyle medicine to participants of the pediatric mobile clinic result in improved motivation and confidence to achieve lifestyle behavior modifications that may lower weight?Background and Significance: There has been little progress in halting the growing obesity epidemic in over two decades since its declaration. In Tarrant County, approximately 2/3 of adults are either overweight or obese with pediatric numbers raising as well. Parental obesity, race, and socioeconomic status are among the many risk factors for development of childhood obesity. One way to lessen the incidence and prevalence of obesity which has not been thoroughly investigated is how to target unhealthy caregiver behaviors to treat obesity in caregivers while indirectly lowering the risk of their children developing obesity through the use of lifestyle medicine principles.Materials and Methods: Nineteen adult caregivers who have overweight or obese children that receive healthcare at the University of North Texas Health Science Center Pediatric Mobile Clinic were enrolled. The participants were randomized to either the intervention group receiving two or more education briefs weekly or the control group of receiving reminders of available health resources on the patient portal. All participants were asked to set a weekly goal regarding a healthy lifestyle behavior change and rate their confidence and motivation to achieve their set goal on a scale of 0-10. After 24 weeks, the mean difference in the control and intervention groups confidence and motivation scores were calculated.Results: Results of the study were severely limited by low sample size. No statistically significant results using longitudinal analysis and difference of means were calculated between the intervention and control groups using Mann Whitley testing. Qualitative analysis yielded positive responses on a per individual basis in goal setting behaviors.Conclusion: No significance results were appreciated in the study. The innovative Mosio interactive platform may serve as an ideal tool for future interventions using lifestyle medicine behaviors to keep patients engaged while working towards reaching healthier behaviors
Traumatic subclavian artery injury with a pulmonary artery bullet embolism
No full textA patient in his 20s presented to our trauma bay after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds to the left thorax. Upon arrival, the patient was hypotensive with a blood pressure of 95/58¿mm Hg, heart rate of 129 beats/minute, respiratory rate of 29 breaths/minute, and oxygen saturation of 94% on 10¿L non-rebreather. The patient was intubated for airway protection due to mentation and concern for his respiratory status. Focal assessment with sonography in trauma revealed a small anterior pericardial effusion. Initial chest X-ray showed a widened mediastinum and left hemopneumothorax with a bullet overlying the left hilum. Secondary survey and adjuncts created a puzzling picture. On the left side, the patient had three gunshot wounds in the mid-supraclavicular, superior mid-scapular, and posterior midaxillary regions. Additional injuries included a left scapula fracture, left second and third rib fractures, and fractures of the anterior T1 and T2 vertebral bodies. On the right side, the patient had a palpable thrill at the right neck and supraclavicular region and was found to have a mid-shaft clavicle fracture and a large subclavian artery pseudoaneurysm with concern for active extravasation. No injuries were identified in the abdomen or pelvis. After resuscitation and two units of whole blood in the trauma bay, blood pressure improved to 162/85¿mm Hg
Occupied joy: a practice of resistance, survival, and healing through the lens of Black and Palestinian liberation
No full textOccupied Joy: A Practice of Resistance, Survival, and Healing Through the Lens of Black and Palestinian Liberation argues that Black and Palestinian radical joy is a vital tool and site of resistance alongside more visible and direct acts of rebellion, elevating affective forms of resistance as also disruptive. This project employs interdisciplinary methodologies by examining a multi-genre inventory of written texts and cultural sites as literature in order to centralize the liberatory potentials of joy as both individual and communal within Black and Palestinian skateboarding subcultures (chapter 1), the poetry of Black and Palestinian women, such as June Jordan, Aja Monet, and Suheir Hammad (chapter 2), and Black and Palestinian graffiti and murals (chapter 3). By theorizing from a framework of “aliveness,” this project theorizes occupied joy as a practice of anticolonial worldmaking and Being, resisting the ontological abjection that dominates public perceptions of Black and Palestinian life, relationality, and solidarity
Exploring Alternatives for Marine Toxicity Testing: Initial Evaluation of Fish Embryo and Mysid Tests
No full textCurrent regulations require that toxicity assessments be performed using standardized toxicity testing methods, often using fish. Recent legislation in both the European Union and United States has mandated that toxicity testing alternatives implement the 3Rs of animal research (replacement, reduction, and refinement) whenever possible. There have been advances in the development of alternatives for freshwater assessments, but there is a lack of analogous developments for marine assessments. One potential alternative testing method is the fish embryo toxicity (FET) test, which uses fish embryos rather than older fish. In the present study, FET methods were applied to two marine model organisms, the sheepshead minnow and the inland silverside. Another potential alternative is the mysid shrimp survival and growth test, which uses an invertebrate model. The primary objective of the present study was to compare the sensitivity of these three potential alternative testing methods to two standardized fish-based tests using 3,4-dichloroaniline (DCA), a common reference toxicant. A secondary objective was to characterize the ontogeny of sheepshead minnows and inland silversides. This provided a temporal and visual guide that can be used to identify appropriately staged embryos for inclusion in FET tests and delineate key developmental events (e.g., somite development, eyespot formation, etc.). Comparison of the testing strategies for assessing DCA indicated that: (1) the standardized fish tests possessed comparable sensitivity to each other; (2) the mysid shrimp tests possessed comparable sensitivity to the standardized fish tests; (3) the sheepshead minnow and inland silverside FET tests were the least sensitive testing strategies employed; and (4) inclusion of sublethal endpoints (i.e., hatchability and pericardial edema) in the marine FETs increased their sensitivity. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;00:1-15. (c) 2024 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC
Vastus Lateralis Muscle Flap for High-Risk Patients Undergoing Orthopaedic Hip Surgery
No full textIntroduction: Chronic infections and soft-tissue defects are serious complications after total hip arthroplasties (THAs) that may require hip disarticulation (HD). HD is a relatively high-risk procedure with poor long-term outcomes and survival. This is the first study to analyze the effect of an ipsilateral, pedicled vastus lateralis (VL) muscle flap in preventing HD in patients with recurrent complications after THA. Methods: This retrospective case review analyzed the 6-month postoperative outcomes of 14 patients who underwent soft-tissue hip reconstruction with a VL muscle flap by a single surgeon. Results: Most (86%) patients fully recovered after 6 months with preserved hip range of motion, no pain, and no weakness on ambulation. Two (14%) patients ultimately required HD despite introducing a VL flap. Discussion: A VL muscle flap is an effective treatment of nonhealing THA and prophylactic intervention for patients at high risk for HD. The VL muscle is optimal because of its large size allowing reduction of soft-tissue dead space, its local anatomical location to the hip, and its exceptional vascularity. Additional prospective studies are necessary to determine the most appropriate population for this technique
The Effect of Material Capital (name brand shoes) Plus Interpersonal Capital (mentorship) Versus Material Capital Alone on Academic, Athletic, and Social Self-Efficacy in Children in Low Socioeconomic Communities: A Randomized Controlled Study
No full textResearch Question: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of providing material capital (MC) in the form of name brand shoes plus interpersonal capital (IC) in the form of mentorship versus just MC on academic, athletic, and social self-efficacy in youth living in low socioeconomic communities. The mentorship was provided by first year medical students. The secondary objective was to examine if participating in the mentoring program improves medical students’ beliefs, attitudes, and future behaviors towards addressing health disparities in underserved communities.Background and Significance: Research demonstrates that the behaviors of individuals, whether positive or negative, in children are significantly influenced by social constructs and social context. Hence, comprehending how social influence shapes behavior is crucial for enhancing public health in low socioeconomic communities. Cultural competency can pose challenges for most medical students, particularly those from higher socioeconomic backgrounds with limited exposure to diversity. Despite an upswing in reinforcing cultural competence in medical school curricula, a Harvard study uncovered that first-year students felt ill-prepared to offer care to individuals from cultures different from their own. Early exposure to low socioeconomic communities in non-medical settings may hold the key to developing this critical understanding.Materials and Methods: The study utilized a parallel group randomized control design in which youth participants were randomly assigned to receive either MC or MC + IC. The youth in the MC group received material capital (name brand shoes). The youth in the MC + IC group received name brand shoes plus interpersonal capital in the form of one hour/week of mentoring for 3 weeks. Each youth in the MC + IC group was mentored by one medical students from the Burnett School of Medicine.Results: Among the MC + IC group and the MC only group, results showed a significant improvement in academic, athletic, and social self-efficacy. Academic self-efficacy improved from a composite score of 3.03 (max 5.0) at baseline to a 3.87 in the MC + IC group and 3.68 in the MC only group. Athletic self-efficacy improved in both MC + IC group and MC only group from 3.06 (max of 4) at baseline to 3.9 and 3.85, respectively. Finally, social self-efficacy improved from a composite score of 3.3 (max of 5) at baseline to 4.93 in the MC + IC group and 4.8 in the MC only group. Results from the medical student cultural competency showed improvement in their attitudes from a baseline score of 3.92 (max of 5) to 4.68. Preparedness increased from 2.56 (max of 5) to 3.41. Finally, skillfulness increased from 2.68 (max of 5) to 3.67.Conclusion: This study showed the significant impact of childhood self-efficacy on academic achievement, sports engagement, and social interactions. The findings highlight the effectiveness of interventions in enhancing self-efficacy perceptions across various dimensions, including academic perseverance, learning difficulty, and future life aspirations. Furthermore, the study reveals the importance of early exposure to diverse cultural contexts in medical education, with interventions showing promising results in improving attitudes towards cultural competency and preparedness to care for patients from diverse backgrounds. These insights emphasize the need for ongoing efforts to foster self-efficacy and cultural competence among youth and medical students alike, ultimately contributing to more equitable and patient-centered outcomes in education and healthcare
The LMC satellites, where are they? A model of the LMC's first infall
No full textUntil recently, we have not been able to observe satellites orbiting the LMC but that all changed with GAIA DR2. Research into dwarf galaxy’s found satellites orbiting the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). However, the number of satellites around the LMC is still low. We want to find these missing satellites. We set out to build a model of the LMC moving toward first infall with the Milky Way using a semi-analytic model with H2 cooling to look where the satellites orbiting the LMC end up. Our work aims to reproduce an accurate LMC-MW model and find where these missing LMC satellites have ended up. Our results show that LMC mass does not affect the distribution of satellites in our model, but affects the number of satellites observable with current surveys. Additionally, we find the locations where these missing satellites are
RSR and the Demise of THE CSSR: A Historical Note
No full textAs a former chair of Religious Studies Review's editorial board and executive director of its former parent organization, the Council of Societies for the Study of Religion (CSSR), I was kindly asked by Mark MacWilliams if I would like to contribute to this RSR special issue, perhaps talking about my "understanding of the value and importance of RSR as a journal for our field.