MD-SOAR Maryland Shared Open Access Repository
Not a member yet
34521 research outputs found
Sort by
Spirituality and Cardiovascular Health in the HANDLS Study: Evidence for Within-Race Differences
No full textObjective:
This cross-sectional study explored the associations between spiritual transcendence (ST)—prayer/meditation fulfillment, connectedness, and universality— and the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 (LS7), and if variations across and within racial and socioeconomic groups emerged.
Methods:
Data were taken from the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span study and included 1110 midlife and older African American and white adults [mean (SD) age=56.13 (8.91) y; 65.0% above poverty; 78.1% ≥high school education]. ST was self-reported. LS7 comprised physical activity, smoking, diet, body mass index, cholesterol, glucose, and blood pressure. Higher LS7 reflects better cardiovascular health (CVH). Multiple linear regression estimated associations between ST and LS7. A 3-way interaction term (ST, race, and either education or poverty status) was included in models adjusted for sex and age.
Results:
A 3-way interaction was observed for ST, race, and poverty status (b=1.29, SE=0.35, p<.001). Simple slopes showed a positive association for white adults living above poverty only (b=0.54, SE=0.15, p<.001). Exploratory analyses found a nonlinear 3-way interactive effect including ST, race, and age (ie, U-shaped; b=0.04, SE=0.02, p=.048). Both lesser and greater ST were associated with higher LS7 for older African American adults exclusively (b=0.03, SE=0.01, p=.024).
Conclusions:
Although spirituality was associated with overall CVH, it was not beneficial for everyone equally. If tailored appropriately, the integration of spirituality into care practices may promote better CVH.The study was supported by the following funding sources: the National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program (Baltimore, MD, US) ZIAG000513 (Evans) and the University of Maryland Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (Baltimore, MD, US) P30 AG028747 (subcontract to Waldstein).https://journals.lww.com/bsam/fulltext/2025/04000/spirituality_and_cardiovascular_health_in_the.4.asp
Public Value of e-Government: Lived Experiences and Perceptions of Baltimore City Residents Seeking Public Benefit Entitlements
No full textABSTRACT
e-Government, as defined by the United Nations Division for Public Economics and Public Administration, involves “utilizing the internet and the world wide web for delivering government information and services to citizens” (Al-Adawi, et al., 2005, p. 1). In Baltimore City, nearly four hundred thousand (400,000) receive services from one or more DHS programs (U.S. Census, 2021). The State of Maryland’s self-serve e-Government platform, MyMDThink, plays a crucial role. The primary purpose of this research was to explore how Baltimore City Department of Social Services (BCDSS) customers perceived and experienced the MyMDThink e-Government self-service user portal. The secondary purpose of my research was to explore how the MyMDThink self-service user portal can add greater or improved value for BCDSS customers as they attempt to access public benefit entitlements. Public value theory (Moore, 1995, 2003), new public service theory (Denhardt & Denhardt, 2000), and critical theory (Deetz, 1996, 2004) provided the theoretical framework for this study. The study used a mixed methods convergent parallel design. Quantitative data were collected using a survey developed from an adapted version of Li and Shang’s (2020) e-Government scale. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews. This study highlights system fallacies and systemic barriers—both internal and external to BCDSS—that hinder MyMDThink (and the public benefit entitlement award process) service quality, transparency, efficiency, accountability, and social and service equity (Li & Shang, 2020). It proposes actionable recommendations aimed at addressing shortcomings that include enhanced MyMDThink service function and technical function qualities to improve overall user satisfaction. This research also underscores the significance of integrating user feedback and enabling co-creation, as a means for building trust and ensuring more equitable access to public benefit entitlements. If operationalized, the system will be a more supportive and legitimate tool for accessing public benefits. This study has implications for examining power imbalances within the human service system and emphasizing inclusivity, equity, and the need for more responsive e-Government systems that more proportionately benefit and address the needs of marginalized communities
Supporting Campus Activism through Creating DIY-AT in a Social Justice Aligned Makerspace
No full textUtilizing digital fabrication methods (e.g., 3D printing) has exciting implications for the design and production of customized assistive technology (AT). However, utilizing these tools currently requires a high level of technical expertise as well as time and money investments. Furthermore, facilitating collaboration between end users and makers needs effective and inclusive approaches with shared language and support for asynchronous, dispersed communication of design requirements. While these Do-It-Yourself (DIY) approaches are shown to support end-user agency and furthering technology democratization, research has to yet explore how they can further align with social justice values and practices. We explored these possibilities by facilitating DIY-AT design with students with disabilities, activist staff members, and community members within a university makerspace. By explicitly encouraging participants to consider social justice issues important to them as they engaged in DIY-AT design, we studied the considerations and supports needed for facilitating flexible co-design activities and broader conversations about accessibility barriers at the university. Adopting a transdisciplinary approach, we offer lessons learned about the potential of co-designing DIY-ATs as a way to investigate questions of social justice, inclusion, and access in academic contexts. We show how these created DIY-ATs can be leveraged by students and staff as tangible artifacts to encourage more funding and support from university administration for accessibility initiatives.This work is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants DRL-2005502 and DRL-2005484. We would like to thank everyone who participated in our studyhttps://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/371596
Delivery of Tempol from Polyurethane Nanocapsules to Address Oxidative Stress Post-Injury
No full textTraumatic brain injuries (TBIs) result in significant morbidity and mortality due to the cascade of secondary injuries involving oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. The development of effective therapeutic strategies to mitigate these effects is critical. This study explores the fabrication and characterization of polyurethane nanocapsules for the sustained delivery of Tempol, a potent antioxidant. The nanocapsules were designed to extend the release of Tempol over a 30-day period, addressing the prolonged oxidative stress observed post-TBI. Tempol-loaded polyurethane nanocapsules were synthesized using interfacial polymerization and nanoemulsion techniques. Two generations of nanocapsules were produced, differing in Tempol loading and PEGylation levels. The first generation, with lower Tempol loading, exhibited an average size of 159.8 ± 12.61 nm and a Z-average diameter of 771.9 ± 87.95 nm. The second generation, with higher Tempol loading, showed an average size of 141.4 ± 6.13 nm and a Z-average diameter of 560.7 ± 171.1 nm. The zeta potentials were ?18.9 ± 5.02 mV and ?11.9 ± 3.54 mV for the first and second generations, respectively. Both generations demonstrated the presence of urethane linkages, confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Loading studies revealed Tempol concentrations of 61.94 ± 3.04 ?g/mg for the first generation and 77.61 ± 3.04 ?g/mg for the second generation nanocapsules. Release profiles indicated an initial burst followed by a sustained, nearly linear release over 30 days. The higher PEGylation in the second generation nanocapsules is advantageous for intravenous administration, potentially enhancing their therapeutic efficacy in TBI treatment. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using polyurethane nanocapsules for the prolonged delivery of Tempol, offering a promising approach to manage oxidative stress and improve outcomes in TBI patients. Future work will include testing these nanocapsules in vivo to determine their potential at modulating recovery from TBI.This work was supported in part by FY21 Defense Health Agency Restoral funding, DHA Restoral funding, project DS21RES13.https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.4c0036
On Momentum Acceleration for Randomized Coordinate Descent in Matrix Completion
No full text ICASSP 2025 - 2025 IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP)Matrix completion plays an important role in machine learning and signal processing, with applications ranging from recommender systems to image inpainting. Many approaches have been considered to solve the problem and some offer computationally efficient solutions. In particular, a highly-efficient random coordinate descent approach reduces the per-epoch computation dramatically. This paper is concerned with further improvement of computational efficiency to expand the range of problem sizes and conditions that can be solved. Momentum acceleration is a well-known method to improve the efficiency of iterative algorithms, but applying it to random coordinate descent methods without increasing the computational complexity is non-trivial. To address this challenge, we introduce a momentum-accelerated randomized coordinate descent for matrix completion approach that does not increase computational complexity by accelerating at the level of epochs. Additionally, we propose an analysis-driven, tuning-free method for step size selection. To that end, we offer a convergence rate analysis for the algorithm. Using numerical evaluations, we demonstrate the competitiveness of the method and verify the theoretical analysis.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/10888539
Key Governance Practices That Facilitate the Use of Remote Sensing Information for Wildfire Management: A Case Study in Spain
No full textWe present results from a comprehensive analysis on the use of Earth Observations (EO) in Spain for wildfire risk management. Our findings are based on interviews with scientists, firefighters, forest engineers, and other professionals from government and private sector organizations in nine autonomous regions in Spain. Our aim is to identify the key governance practices facilitating or hindering the use of remote sensing (RS) information and to provide recommendations for improving their integration into landscape management and fire suppression activities to reduce wildfire risk. We share several case studies detailing activities and institutional arrangements facilitating the translation of satellite science and research into decision-making environments, with a focus on how this knowledge flows among the various stakeholder categories. Among the barriers faced by fire management teams in Spain, we identified institutional silos, lack of technical skills in satellite data processing and analysis, and the evolving acceptance of satellite data by decision makers.This research was funded through NASA grant number 80NSSC22K1555.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/4/64
Morpholino oligomer delivery via bath immersion for use in reverse genetic studies on the early development of eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica)
No full textThe eastern oyster genome and expanding omics data have provided valuable insights into this species. However, the limited availability of molecular toolboxes constrains the further exploration of gene functional investigation. In this study, we applied an emerging immersion-based gene silencing technology and developed a detailed protocol for delivering Morpholino oligomer (MO) to eastern oysters. First, two target genes, cv-gcl and cv-vasa, were cloned, and their expressions in ovaries and during embryogenesis were characterized. Both genes were maternally deposited to oocytes, and the expression of cv-vasa decreased steadily after fertilization, while cv-gcl peaked around 20 hours post-fertilization. The post-fertilization immersion treatment was more effective (three- to four-fold) than the pre-fertilization treatment, indicating a stronger MO uptake after fertilization. MOs designed against these two genes were administered via Vivo using bath immersion treatment following fertilization. There was no difference in survival rates (D-larvae yield) at 1 day post-fertilization (dpf) when treating embryos with cvgcl-MO-Vivo up to 20 μM, while deleterious effects started to emerge when increasing the concentration to 30 and 40 μM. The cvvasa-MO-Vivo treated group exhibited a lower Vasa level compared to the control-MO-Vivo group, suggesting the potential knockdown of the target gene. Most importantly, we achieved real-time visualization of MO uptake by conjugating fluorescence-labeled MO with a cell-penetrating peptide. Monitoring fluorescent intensity inside oyster larvae revealed that MO delivery occurred during early embryogenesis, and the signal retained up to 6 dpf. The immersion and fluorescence-traceable approach described here is a highly efficient reverse genetic method of delivering and monitoring MO in a large number of developing eastern oyster embryos to study the function of genes of interest involved in early development.This research was funded by NOAA National Sea Grant National Aquaculture Initiative/ Maryland Sea Grant (R/AQ-9), Maryland Sea Grant Graduate Research Support Grant (R/E-24n). LX and MZ were supported by Robert E. Menzer Foundation Fellowships from MarineEstuarine Environmental Sciences (MEES) graduate program and scholarships from the China Scholarship Council.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004484862500147
New Kids on the Block: Estimating Use of Next Generation Gram-negative Antibiotics Across Greater than 700 Hospitals in the United States
No full textBackground
In recent years, new broad-spectrum antibiotics targeting Gram-negative organisms have been introduced, including cefiderocol, ceftazidime-avibactam, ceftolozane-tazobactam, eravacycline, imipenem-relebactam, omadacycline, and meropenem-vaborbactam. This study aimed to describe new antibiotic use across a large national cohort.
Methods
We performed a retrospective cohort study of hospital discharges from June 2022 to May 2023 using the Premier Healthcare Database. Antibiotic utilization was ascertained from daily charges. Clinical indication(s) were inferred from International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, diagnosis codes. Antibiotic therapy was considered definitive if continued >3 days. Piperacillin-tazobactam was used as a comparator.
Results
Across 832 hospitals, 3 890 557 admissions (61.9% of all admissions) included an antibiotic prescription. New antibiotics were prescribed in 9768 admissions (0.25% of antibiotic-prescribing admissions) across 537 hospitals. Ceftolozane-tazobactam was prescribed in 4157 admissions (42.6% of 9768), ceftazidime-avibactam in 3660 (37.5%), eravacycline in 1213 (12.4%), cefiderocol in 1060 (10.9%), meropenem-vaborbactam in 456 (4.7%), omadacycline in 104 (1.1%), and imipenem-relebactam in 99 (1.0%). In contrast, piperacillin-tazobactam was prescribed in 731 719 (18.8%) and colistin in 570 (0.01%) admissions. Forty-six percent (n = 4647/9768) of new antibiotics were started in the first 3 days of hospital admission, and 70% (n = 6799/9768) were used as definitive therapy. Sepsis (76%), pneumonia (46%), and urinary tract infection (39%) were the most common clinical indications. On average, patients treated with new antibiotics had 8 more comorbid conditions than patients receiving piperacillin-tazobactam.
Conclusions
Ceftazidime-avibactam and ceftolozane-tazobactam remain the most frequently prescribed new antibiotics, with uptake of subsequently approved agents trailing. New antibiotics are most commonly used as treatment for sepsis among patients with multiple comorbidities.J.D.B. received funding support from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (K08HS028854).https://academic.oup.com/ofid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ofid/ofaf079/801055
A Systems Approach to Risk Mitigation
No full texthttps://www.nafsa.org/professional-resources/research-and-trends/trends-insights/systems-approach-risk-mitigatio
Observable-based reformulation of time-delay interferometry
No full textSpaceborne gravitational-wave observatories utilize a post-processing technique known as time-delay interferometry (TDI) to reduce the otherwise overwhelming laser frequency noise by around eight orders of magnitude. While, in its traditional form, TDI considers the spacecraft as point masses, recent studies have enhanced this simplified scenario by incorporating more realistic metrology chain models, which include onboard optical, electronic, and digital delays. These studies have updated the TDI algorithm to include onboard delays obtained from pre-launch and in-flight calibrations. Conversely, the processing scheme presented in this article naturally treats onboard delays as part of the TDI combinations: instead of having separate calibration stages, it directly expresses all delays appearing in the algorithm in terms of onboard measurements, especially pseudo-random-noise ranging (PRNR) measurements. The only onboard delays that need to be corrected in our processing scheme are PRNR delays in the digital domain, which are determined by commandable digital-signal-processing parameters; hence, they can be easily managed in post-processing. Furthermore, our processing scheme does not require a prior interspacecraft clock synchronization, and it automatically corrects for potential relative drifts between the clocks driving local phase measurement systems. The proposed observable-based processing scheme significantly strengthens the bond between TDI and the real metrology system.The material is based upon work supported by NASA under award number 80GSFC21M0002. The authors acknowledge support by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) with funds from the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) according to a decision of the German Federal Parliament (Grant No. 50OQ2301, based on Grants No. 50OQ0601, No. 50OQ1301, No. 50OQ1801). Furthermore, this work was supported by the LEGACY cooperation on low-frequency gravitational wave astronomy (M.IF.A.QOP18098) and by the Bundesministerium fur Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz based on a resolution ¨ of the German Bundestag (Project Ref. Number 50 OQ 1801). Kohei Yamamoto acknowledges support from the Cluster of Excellence “QuantumFrontiers: Light and Matter at the Quantum Frontier: Foundations and Applications in Metrology” (EXC-2123, Project No. 390837967). Jan Niklas Reinhardt acknowledges the funding by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany’s Excellence Strategy within the Cluster of Excellence PhoenixD (EXC 2122, Project ID 390833453). He also acknowledges the support of the IMPRS on Gravitational Wave Astronomy at the Max-Planck-Institut fur Gravitationsphysik ¨ in Hannover, Germany.http://arxiv.org/abs/2502.1123