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Saphenous Vein Graft Aneurysm Successfully Managed With Percutaneous Coiling
No full textCoronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is performed to regain blood flow to an ischemic myocardium. Commonly used graft vessels include saphenous veins from the lower extremities and the left internal mammary artery. Complications can include sternal infections, graft occlusion, or tamponade. An uncommon complication of using a saphenous vein graft (SVG) during CABG is aneurysm formation, seen in 0.07% to 14% of cases. SVG aneurysms can be asymptomatic or result in rupture or death. Symptoms include dyspnea, chest pain, hemoptysis, or rupture. Aneurysms cannot be safely monitored. 20 mm aneurysms can be associated with a complication rate of close to 33%, and 100 mm aneurysms can have up to a 70% complication rate. Imaging for evaluating SVG aneurysms includes cardiac catheterization, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging, chest radiographs, or echocardiograms. Treatment can include surgical or percutaneous interventions. A 63-year-old male presented to the emergency department with ongoing chest pain for two days after falling off a ladder. Physical examination revealed slight tenderness to palpation of the anterior and left chest walls. Electrocardiogram revealed atrial flutter with controlled ventricular response. Chest radiograph demonstrated suprahilar mass concerning for aneurysm. CT coronary angiogram revealed large aneurysm and distally occluded SVG. Cardiac catheterization revealed large filling aneurysm. There was 95% stenosis in the SVG to the right posterior descending artery (PDA) and 99% stenosis in the proximal native circumflex artery. Given his history of CABG procedures and debridement for sternal wound infection, percutaneous intervention was pursued. He underwent successful percutaneous intervention of the SVG to the right PDA and the proximal native circumflex artery. He also underwent percutaneous coiling of the SVG aneurysm. Three weeks afterwards, direct current cardioversion successfully converted his atrial flutter to sinus rhythm. CT angiography seventeen months later revealed a completely thrombosed SVG aneurysm and complete SVG proximal occlusion
Exploring the Relationship Between Religious Surrender, Commitment, and Readiness/Willingness to Address Substance Use
No full textThere is limited knowledge about what influences people to engage and help those struggling with substance use, but literature has shown the church to be a vital resource for recovery. As social support seems to help assist those on the road to recovery, the question was asked: what predicts which individuals may be ready and willing to help others struggling with addiction? A study was designed to examine the variables of sex, having a loved one who struggles with addiction, and religious commitment in relation to someone’s readiness and willingness to help those struggling with addiction. We hypothesized that 1) religious commitment will significantly predict someone’s Readiness/Willingness to address addiction; 2) personal ties to addiction will also significantly predict someone’s Readiness/Willingness; 3) and religious commitment will be the strongest predictor in the model, followed by personal ties to addiction, and then sex. To examine how these variables predict a person’s Readiness/Willingness, 93 community members were surveyed, and results were evaluated through a hierarchical regression with three blocks. In Block 1, the demographic variable of sex was controlled for; in Block 2, sex and personal ties was examined; and in Block 3, all three variables were examined. Results indicated that Blocks 1 and 2 were non-significant — F(1,91) = 1.666, p = .200 and F(2, 90) = 1.100, p = .256, respectively, while Block 3 was significant — F(3, 89) = 23.863, p = .001. All three predictors accounted for 23.5% of variance in Readiness/Willingness to address addiction. Based on the results, when compared with sex and personal ties to addiction, religious commitment is the strongest predictor for readiness and willingness to help those struggling with addiction. Understanding these intrinsic motivations for people to help address addiction can help programs further equip individuals, specifically in the realm of religiosity
Cardiac Myocyte-Specific Deletion of Ataxia Telangiectasia-Mutated Kinase (ATM) Induces Left Ventricular Dilation and Systolic Dysfunction
No full textBackground: Mutations in ATM gene cause an autosomal disease known as Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T). Whole-body ATM knockout (KO) mice die ~2 to 4 months of age. At ~2 months of age, these mice exhibit reduced left ventricular (LV) dilation with no change in percent fractional shortening (%FS) and ejection fraction (%EF) versus wild type. This study investigated if cardiac myocyte-specific deletion of ATM induces LV dilation and cardiac dysfunction. Methods: Cardiac myocyte-specific ATM KO mice (fl/fl/cre) and their controls (flox/flox; fl/fl) were generated by cross breeding of ATM flox/flox and αMyHC-cre mice. Cardiac structural and functional parameters were measured using echocardiography. M-mode images were used to measure %FS, %EF, LV end-systolic (ESD) and end-diastolic (EDD) diameters, end-diastolic (EDV) and end-systolic (ESV) volumes in mice aged 4 and 8 months. Results: Cardiac myocyte-specific deletion of ATM significantly increased EDD in fl/fl/cre versus fl/fl mice aged 4 months. However, a significant decrease in %FS and %EF was observed in fl/fl/cre versus fl/fl group in mice aged 8 months. Conversely, fl/fl/cre exhibited a significant increase in ESD, EDD, ESV, and EDV versus fl/fl mice. Conclusion: Thus, cardiac myocyte-specific deletion of ATM induces LV dilation in mice aged 4 & 8 months and systolic dysfunction in mice aged 8 months. This research was supported by the Department of Biomedical Health Sciences and the Department of Biomedical Sciences
Advancements in Transdermal and Topical Cannabinoid Delivery: A Literature Review
No full textThe transdermal and topical delivery of cannabinoids has garnered increasing attention due to its potential to overcome the limitations associated with conventional oral formulations, such as low bioavailability, extensive first-pass metabolism, and psychotropic side effects. This review explores the feasibility of transdermal cannabinoid delivery and discusses various strategies, including passive diffusion, penetration enhancers, and nanoformulations, to enhance drug absorption through the skin. Significant recent advancements have been made in the development of novel delivery systems aimed at improving cannabinoid bioavailability, therapeutic efficacy, and patient compliance. Recent studies have demonstrated the potential of microneedles for transdermal cannabinoid (CBD) delivery, with a 2024 study fabricating 3D-printed microneedle patches for CBD administration, enhancing bioavailability in preclinical models. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations have been employed to optimize microneedle design for enhanced drug transport across skin barriers. Additionally, iontophoresis has shown promise for increasing permeability through the skin using mild electrical currents, while a combination of microneedles and iontophoresis has demonstrated a synergistic effect for deeper cannabinoid penetration. Nanocarriers, such as ethosomes, liposomes, and nanoemulsions, have further improved the solubility, stability, and sustained release of cannabinoids. Recent clinical evaluations support the efficacy of transdermal cannabinoid formulations in managing neuropathic pain, inflammation, and dermatological disorders. New strategies, including encapsulating CBD in organosilica particles within polyvinyl alcohol films, have extended stability up to 14 weeks and shown promising results for transdermal delivery. Furthermore, the development of cannabinoid-loaded transdermal patches using micellar vesicular nanocarriers has increased relative bioavailability by several folds. This poster will present a comprehensive literature review summarizing the findings from our published review paper alongside recent advancements in CBD-based transdermal drug delivery systems. The latest research trends, key challenges, and future directions in transdermal cannabinoid delivery will be highlighted to provide insights into next-generation therapeutic strategies
Effects of Musical Training on Auditory Processing Skills
No full textPrevious research has shown that musicians have enhanced auditory processing when compared to non-musicians. The purpose of this study was to evaluate an impact of musical training on auditory processing abilities in college-aged students. It is hypothesized that musicians will have enhanced auditory processing when compared to non-musicians. Participants tested were musicians and non-musicians ages 18 – 30 years old. Participants categorized as musicians had more than 5 years of musician experience and are currently in ensembles. Non-musicians reported having no longer than 2 years of formal musical training. The participants completed case history and a music experience questionnaire. The testing procedure included, otoscopy, tympanometry, acoustic reflexes, distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (an objective test of the cochlear function), comprehensive audiologic evaluation with extended high frequencies, Adaptive Tests of Temporal Resolution, Words-in-Noise, and Listening in Spatialized Noise: Sentence Test. This is an ongoing research project with data collection still being conducted. Of the results examined thus far from musicians and non-musicians, there are no statistically significant differences between the two groups when the auditory processing measures were analyzed. Final results of the evaluations will be presented during the symposium
The Role of Avatar Creation: Depersonalization as a Moderator of Social Anxiety and Symptoms of Internet Gaming Disorder
No full textVideo games provide immersive virtual experiences that help individuals cope with anxiety through safe social engagement. Players of video games can also spend many hours engaged with their avatars, a figure representing a game player. However, when problematic, gaming behaviors can lead to Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). This study examined whether depersonalization moderates the relation between social anxiety and IGD symptoms across categories of avatar involvement: no avatar creation, any avatar creation, and fully integrated avatars. The participants were (n=510) college students, Mage=19.5, 63.9% female. Participants completed measures of IGD symptoms, social anxiety, and depersonalization. Moderation analyses used PROCESS in SPSS, with IGD as the dependent variable and social anxiety as the primary predictor. Among participants who did not create avatars, the model accounted for 21% of the variance in IGD, and depersonalization significantly moderated the social anxiety–IGD link (p \u3c .001). The direction of the effect differed between high and low depersonalization groups. In contrast, those reporting any level of avatar creation showed a stronger overall model fit (r2 = .50) with depersonalization moderating the social anxiety–IGD relation (p = .005) such that high depersonalization intensified this effect. Finally, the subset of participants who reported fully integrated avatars demonstrated the strongest effect (73% of variance in IGD). High depersonalization significantly amplified the impact of social anxiety on IGD (p= .003). It seems that as avatar development progresses, depersonalization evolves from being a protective factor, attenuating the relation between social anxiety and IGD, to being a risk factor (i.e., strengthening the relation). The type of depersonalization instigated by avatar development may increase the risk of a gamer’s social anxiety leading to gaming disorder. Future research in a longitudinal sample is needed to further clarify how virtual identities and depersonalization intersect with social anxiety to influence problematic gaming behaviors
2025 March - Tennessee Monthly Climate Report
Get PDFHi All, March and April were very eventful weather months across the state. We\u27re starting to work through April data but below are the highlights for March. March continued the pattern of extremes in weather that Tennessee has seen in 2025, with high winds and fires, record-setting rainfall, and severe storms impacting the state. Several small to moderate sized grass, brush, and forest fires popped up around the state driven by days with high winds and low relative humidity in early March. One of the largest fires was in Sevier County, where the Pittman Center/Webb Mountain fire burned over 1,000 acres before being fully contained. In Monroe County, several fires burned an area of 267 acres and an emergency shelter was opened in Tellico Plains where 15 people spent the night on March 4th-5th before the fires were contained and evacuation orders lifted. The high winds that helped to spread the fires also led to some structure damage and downed trees, especially in the mountains of East Tennessee. A week later, other fires just south of Chattanooga in Georgia led to an air quality alert issued for the city and surrounding areas, as smoke from the fires drifted north into Tennessee. The Tennessee National Guard assisted with the response to this fire, using helicopters to dump water on the fires from the nearby Tennessee River. Severe storms and heavy rains swept across Tennessee and the Southeast on March 15th. The NOAA Storm Prediction Center issued a rare High-Risk Outlook (risk level 5 of 5 for severe storms) on March 15th for parts of Alabama and Mississippi, with parts of Tennessee included in the Moderate Risk outlook area (risk level 4 of 5). Tennessee saw 2 tornadoes, 29 reports of severe-thunderstorm wind damage, and 6 reports of hail 1-inch or larger. This system also brought heavy rainfall across most areas of Tennessee with several daily and even monthly rainfall records set in central parts of the state. March wrapped up with more severe storms including 4 reported tornados, 14 reports of severe thunderstorm wind damage, and 15 reports of hail 1-inch or larger in diameter on March 30th. Maury County was hit by two tornadoes, one an EF2 in the Hampshire area and one an EF 1 in the Mt. Pleasant area. There was also an EF1 tornado in Humphreys County and an EF0 tornado at the Hickman/Williamson County line near Fairview. Check out more in the attached summary. Andrew & Wil Tennessee Climate Office East Tennessee State University Department of Geosciences 310 Ross Hall Johnson City, TN 3761
Commitment to the Profession: Elementary Teacher Perceptions of Self-Determination and Professional Retention in Tennessee
Get PDFTeacher burnout and loss of teachers in the profession have affected school and district capacity to effectively staff all positions. The pandemic brought about unique changes and challenges to classrooms worldwide, disrupting the educational process for over 94% of the world’s student population. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine factors influencing teacher self-determination and retention at the elementary school level in Tennessee school districts to better understand how administrators can support teachers. The central research question investigated elementary teacher perceptions of self-determination and professional retention. A series of in-depth interviews with twelve participants produced data and subsequent analysis to establish an understanding of this phenomenon. The key findings illustrate teacher self-determination results from love for students, autonomy in instructional practices, relatedness through relationships with colleagues and administration, and competency through administrators’ and society’s trust in their professional capabilities. Participants noted compassion fatigue and emotional exhaustion, as teachers reported feeling undervalued in the work. However, mentorships, relationships with their colleagues and administrators, and shared leadership provided a support system to enhance opportunities for teacher motivation and retention. Personalized professional learning experiences for teachers built their capacity and empowered them in their work. Findings highlighted leadership practices that support collaborative experiences and professional learning as integral components of the school culture to foster teacher commitment to the profession
Holistic Healing from Hurricane Helene: A Nashville Experience
No full textOur Alternative Spring Break took place in Nashville, Tennessee, where we engaged in discussions on natural disaster policy with representatives from TEMA and TNVOAD.Additionally, we had the opportunity to work with community members on an immigrant-run farm and volunteered with the Tennessee Environmental Council to plant over a dozen new trees in a flood-affected community. These experiences were further enriched by discussions on sustainability and how eco-friendly practices can be implemented both on the ETSU campus and in rural appalachia.The impact of these service experiences could not be better epitomized than the sight of Shondra–the immigrant whose farm we helped prepare for the summer’s harvest–smiling among his family. Through our work, we supported the sustainability of the farm and eased the physical burden on Shondra. Additionally, our other projects contributed to local environmental projects, which directly benefited community members by improving public spaces and fostering a stronger sense of environmental stewardship.The gravity of this trip was not comprehended until we had come to the last room of the Tennessee State Museum, which summarized the history of the early 21st century. It was then a daunting revelation fell upon all of us: we were all the authors of the next room in history. Our voice and actions would mold the stories that are told for years to come, and it was our generation’s responsibility to decide our legacy. We realized that now–amidst wreckage and fragile recovery–it was time to do the thing that goes without glory