Open Access Journals at IU Indianapolis
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Golf Entertainment Venues as the Front Porch to Golf: Exploring the Experiences and Perceptions of Novice Golfers at Topgolf
No full textA recent trend in the golf industry is an increase in golf entertainment venues (e.g., Topgolf, Five Iron Golf, PuttShack), which blend sport participation and entertainment. The popularity of these venues provides a unique opportunity for the overarching sport to improve participation, public perception, sustainability, and profits. Historically, golf struggled with image-related issues, including barriers to access and participation. Golf entertainment venues are disrupting the way individuals, especially casual golfers, consume and perceive the sport. Topgolf was among the first successful entertainment venues and may impact the brand of golf. Therefore, this study focuses on novice golfers’ experiences at Topgolf and their perception of golf. Data were collected via in-person interviews and free elicitation response methods (i.e., word association). Following the data analysis, four themes were constructed: (1) Importance of Social Experience, (2) Positive Sportscape, (3) Internal Reactions, and (4) Growing the Game: Topgolf as the “Front Porch.” Theoretical implications for this work include providing a basis for future studies on sport participation and entertainment venues. Practical implications for this work should aid the sport industry, specifically the golf industry, in leveraging these products to improve the sport’s public perception and overall participation
Publication Pandemonium: An Asynchronous Online Quiz Competition for Open Access Week
No full textOpen Access Week is an international event focused on issues of equity within the scholarly publishing system. At the University of North Dakota library, we see a diverse range of attitudes towards OA. To build OA support and combat misinformation, we designed an OA week quiz competition, “Publication Pandemonium”, with an asynchronous format designed to include our clinical sites. This event was an overwhelming success despite a short turnaround, with impressive turnout never before seen in our library programming.
Exploring Lung Cancer Screening in the ED: Collecting Patient and Provider Insights
Full text linkBackground/Objective:Lung cancer remains the primary cause of cancer-related death in adults, with 1.6 million deaths worldwide caused by this disease annually. The high morbidity and mortality associated with lung cancer underlies the importance of screening opportunities for detecting cancer early and improving overall rates of treating individuals. Despite this, only 5.8% of individuals who are eligible for a lung cancer screening participate. Many barriers may limit a patient’s access to screening, among which may be lack of education regarding screenings and inability to receive a timely appointment. The ED may provide both education and referrals for screening. Research focuses on identifying effective methods to engage providers and ED patients, increasing education, and addressing concerns to enhance attendance at screenings and improve long-term patient outcomes.
Methods:Research involved conducting a preplanned topical analysis derived from semi-structured individual interviews of one hundred participants. Participants included providers and ED patients. Participants provided information regarding potential ED intervention tools to increase lung cancer screening education and uptake alongside their subjective experiences and challenges with lung cancer screenings. Themes will be identified inductively utilizing constant comparative analysis.
Results/Conclusion:It is expected that patients and providers will express interest in learning about implementation of lung cancer screenings during an ED visit but will differ in the most effective method of lung cancer screening education. Findings will optimize interventions to increase lung cancer screening uptake among ED patients in a future randomized control trial.
Impact and Implications:This study will establish the feasibility of utilizing the ED to provide services for patient needs that are not emergencies, specifically the lung cancer screening. Implementation of lung cancer screening services in the ED will allow for earlier diagnosis of lung cancer and increase opportunities to treat this disease, bettering patient outcomes and improving quality of life
MRI Prediction of Surgical Treatment for Juvenile Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD)
Full text linkJuvenile osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is an abnormality of joint cartilage and its underlying bone. It is a leading cause of joint pain in children (affecting approximately 1 in every 1,000 children) and predisposes patients to early osteoarthritis and osteonecrosis. Its precise cause remains unknown, though repetitive trauma and multiple other factors have been implicated. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) aids patient management by assessing the mechanical stability of the bone and cartilage defects. Unfortunately, imaging criteria established for adults do not translate well to juvenile patients. This study aimed to determine whether quantitative analysis of standard MRI sequences of knee, elbow, and ankle joints could predict the need for surgery. The proposed hypothesis was that signal intensity could distinguish between those receiving conservative management and those requiring surgery. Using pretreatment MRI sequences from the IU Health Radiology Information Systems, 41 skeletally immature patients with OCD were analyzed retrospectively to quantify the cartilage signal on standard anatomy (PD or T1) and fluid-sensitive sequences (STIR or T2 fat saturation). The entire cartilage portion of the lesion was quantified using manual segmentation (with signal intensity normalized to the opposite condyle as an internal control). Logistic regression assessed whether lesion signal intensity could discriminate surgical or non-surgical management with receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves obtained to identify the optimal signal intensity threshold. Unfortunately, neither type of sequence could discriminate between surgical and non-surgical patients. Likewise, signal intensity was not a good predictor of surgical stability in patients undergoing surgery. Future studies will assess signal intensity at individual joints. In addition, future studies will evaluate cartilage-specific clinical sequences to determine if quantitative cartilage analysis can improve diagnostic accuracy in these patients
Optimizing CT Surveillance for Thymic Epithelial Tumors Based on Recurrence Characteristics
Full text linkBackground: Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs), including thymoma and thymic carcinoma, are rare malignancies originating from the thymus gland epithelium. Surgery is the primary treatment for early-stage disease, and post-operative surveillance is crucial for early detection of recurrence, which enhances eligibility for curative-intent treatments.
Purpose: The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recommends chest CT scans every 6 months for 2 years, then annually for 10 years for thymoma, and annually for 5 years for thymic carcinoma. However, the optimal duration, frequency, and type of imaging for TET surveillance remain undetermined in published studies. This study hypothesizes that postoperative CT scan surveillance can be tailored based on WHO classification, Masaoka-Koga staging, resection margin status, and common sites of metastasis.
Method: The REDCap database includes 1,089 TET patients seen at IU. Applying inclusion criteria of histological classification as thymoma or thymic carcinoma, surgical resection, and documented recurrence yielded 190 patients. Disease characteristics collected included WHO classification, Masaoka-Koga staging, resection margin status, and common sites of metastasis. Time to recurrence was categorized as early (<2 years), late (2-10 years), or very late (>10 years). ANOVA assessed associations between time to recurrence and disease characteristics.
Result: WHO classification was the most significant predictor of recurrence timing (p = 0.0465), with higher classifications indicating earlier recurrences. Other disease characteristics were not significant predictors. Eight patients experienced recurrence beyond 10 years. Metastatic sites in 11% of thymomas and 19% of thymic carcinomas were detected via abdominal CT scans, highlighting gaps in current guidelines.
Conclusion: The study emphasizes the need to tailor postoperative surveillance based on WHO classification. Findings suggest extending surveillance beyond 10 years and incorporating abdominal imaging to detect metastases. These insights recommend that the NCCN update current guidelines, aiming to improve long-term outcomes for TET patients. Future research will include expanding the cohort to non-recurrent cases to better assess recurrence risk characteristics
Loss of Apolipoprotein E Results in Altered Aqueous Humor Lipidome and Reduced ERG Response in Mice
Full text linkPurpose:Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is a risk factor for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is a cholesterol transport protein implicated with POAG risk. Preliminary data from the lab has shown that loss of APOE in-vivo have resulted in IOP elevation in mice. In this study, we aimed to elucidate APOE’s role in IOP homeostasis and POAG pathology via lipid-mediated pathways and analyses.
Methods:Wild-type (WT) and ApoEtm1Unc knock-out homozygous (ApoE-/-) mice were used for this study. We performed: aqueous humor (AH) tap (13 mice) and shotgun lipidomics; pathway analyses using MetaboAnalyst 5.0; histology (6 mice) to validate knockout; electroretinogram (ERG) at three flicker intensities (-20, -10, 0 dB), comparing amplitudes of a and b-waves between WT and ApoE-/- mice using LKC Software EMWin 8.1 (n=4). Significance was conducted using Student’s t-test for significance (p<=0.05) using GraphPad Prism 9.0.
Results:AH lipidomics showed significant lipid changes in ApoE-/- mice: elevated cholesteryl esters, ceramides, phosphoglycerides, and triglycerides, and decreased sphingomyelins and free fatty acids. Metabolic pathway analysis showed notable changes in mitochondrial β-oxidation and arachidonic acid metabolism pathways. ERG analysis showed reduced amplitude in ApoE-/- mice for both a-wave and b-waves at all intensities.
Conclusions:Our study indicates APOE plays a significant role in the aqueous humor lipidome in mice. Reduced ERG response patterns in ApoE-/- mice suggest a phenotypical insult to retinal subcomponents, possibly worsened by prolonged ocular hypertension. Monitoring ERG response progression with IOP changes in mice will help elucidate APOE’s effects through future investigation. Additionally, the observed extracellular ceramide elevation in AH may contribute to age-related pathologies, warranting further investigation in TM outflow pathophysiology. Ongoing and future studies will aim to delineate the metabolic and physiological effects of APOE knockout in human TM tissue culture.
Funding Source:NIH/NEI -R01EY029320 and R01EY035412, Ralph W. and Grace M. Showalter Research Trust and the Indiana University School of Medicine, Research Support Funds Grant (RSFG), Challenge Grant from Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) to IU, and RPB Pilot Grant
Validation of Rubicon\u27s Autophagy Inhibition Function Through HUNK Phosphorylation
No full textBackground and Hypothesis: HER2+ breast cancer uses the human epidermal growth receptor 2 (HER2) protein to grow. As an aggressive form of breast cancer, it accounts for ~20% of all breast cancer diagnoses worldwide. Previous studies show Hormonally Up-regulated Neu-associated Kinase (HUNK) is up-regulated in HER2+ breast cancer. HUNK plays an important role in the cellular process of autophagy, which recycles cellular components into new usable components. Increased autophagy, through HUNK activity, allows for improved survival and proliferation of cancer cells. Autophagy is mediated through a complex of proteins, including Beclin-1, HUNK, Rubicon, UVRAG, and Vps34. In this complex, Rubicon is responsible for the inhibition of autophagy. However, phosphorylation of Rubicon by HUNK inhibits this function, thus promoting autophagy. This phosphorylation of Rubicon is hypothesized to cause its dissociation from the autophagy proteins. To further understand this, we looked at the interaction of Rubicon with UVRAG and SQSTMI in the presence and absence of HUNK, to validate this complex as a means for regulation of the Rubicon interactome.
Experimental Design: 293T cells were cultured and transfected with pcDNA, wt-Rubicon, wt-Rubicon+wt-HUNK, or wt-Rubicon+ kinase-deficient HUNK-K91M plasmids. These cells were lysed to perform whole cell extraction and immunoprecipitation. The proteins of interest were visualized via Western blots.
Results: Autophagy proteins, UVRAG and SQSTM1, were unable to be visualized after multiple attempts to optimize the protocol. However, it was shown that when HUNK kinase activity was eliminated in HUNK-K91M there was a decrease in HUNK interaction with Rubicon.
Conclusion and Potential Impact: Further studies should be done to assess whether HUNK kinase activity is required to stabilize binding to Rubicon. Additionally, alternative techniques, like microscopy or HER2+ cancer cells, should be used to visualize the interaction between Rubicon and autophagy proteins. Understanding the Rubicon interactome and the role of HUNK phosphorylation is imperative for better understanding of HER2+ cancer and effective treatments
Black Students’ Experiences of Anti-Black Racism on Campus
Full text linkCatalyzed by numerous high-profile incidents of anti-Black police brutality within the context of systemic anti-Black racism, a global movement advocating for racial justice for Black lives has ignited conversations in academia. While universities across North America issued statements pledging commitment to racial equity, many lacked systemic mechanisms to enact meaningful change. With research on anti-Black racism in academia primarily focused on the U.S., the experiences of Black students in Canada remain underexplored. In this context, activist scholars from a Canadian university in Alberta conducted a two-phase mixed-methods case study to examine Black students’ experiences. This article presents findings from phase one, an online survey informed by critical race theory, completed by 113 self-identified Black students. Respondents shared insights on the university’s climate, incidents of anti-Black racism, its impacts on well-being, and dissatisfaction with institutional responses. Findings underscore the urgent need for systemic changes in representation, support, training, and curriculum development to address anti-Black racism meaningfully
Importance of Trauma Informed Framework for Social Workers in Burn Care Centers and the Community - A Conceptual Paper
Full text linkBurn injuries disrupt the dynamics of families and social networks, requiring interventions that strengthen these support systems. In the United States, the integration of trauma-informed social work into burn care is not only essential for individual well-being, it is also crucial for the optimization of healthcare outcomes and the reduction of public health costs associated with untreated trauma-related emotional and psychological challenges. Trauma-informed social work recognizes that burn survivors have experienced trauma not only during the incident itself but also throughout their treatment and recovery. Social workers trained in trauma-informed care are equipped to recognize these challenges and offer culturally responsive, empathetic and therapeutic support. They help burn survivors regain a sense of control over their lives, make informed decisions about their care, and navigate the complex healthcare and community-based rehabilitation systems post-discharge. This conceptual paper highlights the imperative need for a comprehensive approach to psychosocial burn care that acknowledges the importance of trauma-informed social work in addressing the complex physical and emotional needs of patients and survivors in both inpatient and community-based therapeutic settings while impact of burn trauma on family/caregivers is beyond the scope of the paper. Such an approach aims to restore the physical, emotional and psychological well-being of this population, promoting their path to recovery and reintegration into society
The Lived Experience of Compassion Fatigue and Burnout in Social Workers: The Role of Moral Distress and Shame
Full text linkCompassion fatigue and burnout evoke a professional and often personal crisis. This interpretative phenomenological analysis explored the lived experience of these phenomena for twelve social work professionals who self-identified as having an episode of compassion fatigue and/or burnout. While the literature is replete with many of the tangible factors that can lead to compassion fatigue and burnout, such as a toxic workplace, emotionally challenging clients/client stories, and personal vulnerabilities, few studies have explored the qualitative lived experience. During data analysis, two salient themes emerged from the stories of the participants: moral distress and shame. These concepts are explored in order to deepen the understanding and complexity of compassion fatigue and burnout. The implications of this study suggest that social work education, self-care, and supervision may not adequately prepare or buffer social workers from these phenomena