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Cargo Hitchhiking Autophagy - A Hybrid Autophagy Pathway Utilized in Yeast
Full text linkMacroautophagy is a catabolic process that maintains cellular homeostasis by recycling intracellular material through the use of double-membrane vesicles called autophagosomes. In turn, autophagosomes fuse with vacuoles (in yeast and plants) or lysosomes (in metazoans), where resident hydrolases degrade the cargo. Given the conservation of autophagy
A QUALITATIVE STUDY TO DETERMINE TEACHER SELF-EFFICACY IN ACTIVE SHOOTER INCIDENTS IN ONE CATHOLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL
Full text linkActive shooter incidents in K-12 schools pose a significant threat to schools throughout the country. Presently, there is a gap in the existing literature regarding the readiness of Catholic secondary school teachers for active shooter scenarios, particularly in terms of assessing their self-efficacy levels for such incidents. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive embedded case study was to determine Catholic secondary school teachers’ sources of self-efficacy in responding to active shooter incidents and to explore how those sources of self-efficacy contributed to teachers’ active shooter preparedness. The aim of this study was to explore the sources of teachers\u27 self-efficacy in responding to active shooter incidents and how they would apply that self-efficacy to implement their school\u27s active shooter plan
Efficacy of Neuromuscular Ultrasound in Diagnosing and Treating a Mammogram-Induced Brachial Plexus Injury-A Case Report
Full text linkA 40-year-old woman presented with chronic left anterior shoulder, upper arm, and axillary pain following a routine mammogram 3 years prior. Despite multiple interventions, her pain persisted significantly affecting her quality of life. Ultrasound examination revealed fascicular edema in the medial brachial cutaneous nerve (MBCN), intercostobrachial cutaneous nerve (ICBN), and a positive sono-Tinel. Ultrasound-guided hydrodissection of these nerves provided complete axillary pain relief and significant improvement in anterior arm pain, sustained for 6 months. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges of cutaneous nerve entrapment syndromes, often overlooked and misdiagnosed, especially without a clear inciting injury. Ultrasound proves superior to electrodiagnostic studies in visualizing nerve pathology, particularly in small cutaneous nerves. Incorporating ultrasound into the diagnostic process for nerve entrapments can reduce the need for more expensive tests like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with the added benefit of therapeutic intervention. Moreover, routine mammography should be considered a cause for ICBN and MBCN neuropathy, a rare but significant condition. Neuromuscular ultrasound offers distinct advantages in diagnosing and treating such neuropathies, exemplified by the successful management of our patient\u27s condition
Scaling New Heights: A Prospective Survey of Rock Climbing\u27s Impact on Mental Health
Full text linkBACKGROUND: Sport climbing, officially added to the 2020 Summer Olympics, has grown rapidly, with U.S. climbing gyms increasing from 310 in 2013 to 591 in 2021. Over the past decade, European research has identified bouldering as a potential psychotherapeutic treatment for anxiety and depression. Randomized controlled trials have compared bouldering psychotherapy (BPT) to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), showing that BPT produces comparable results and positively impacts mental health.
PURPOSE: There have been very few studies dedicated to the use of rock climbing as a therapy in the United States; further, there are few surveys that investigate whether American climbers would even consider climbing as beneficial towards mental health or not. With the ever-growing prevalence of mental health disorders and as climbing gains more traction, it is important to explore the potential of climbing as a therapeutic modality. It is hypothesized that rock climbing will be viewed as beneficial towards mental health amongst the population surveyed.
METHODS: A prospective survey was conducted to assess rock climbing\u27s impact on mental health, focusing on participants\u27 climbing habits and perceptions of its therapeutic benefits. The protocol was approved by the Rowan-Virtua IRB (Reference #: PRO-2022-353) in accordance with the latest guidelines of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Participants were recruited using flyers and posters at climbing gyms, an online climbing forum, and social media. The survey included individuals aged 18 years and older who engage in rock climbing at least once per week. No specific exclusion criteria was set in place, though participants were given the option to omit the mental health portion. The survey included questions on climbing frequency, mental health impact, and demographics. The survey was distributed online via Qualtrics Forms between February 2023 to June 2023, with informed consent obtained from participants, explaining both risks and data safeguards in place. Univariate graphs and bivariate analyses via chi square analysis were done using R Studio.
RESULTS: A total of 748 survey responses were received, with 50.4% of participants aged 26-40 years. Most were White Non-Hispanic (59.7%) and resided in the Mid-Atlantic/Tri-State Area. Climbing preferences showed indoor bouldering (24.9%) as the most popular, followed by indoor top rope (16.4%) and indoor lead climbing (12.4%). Outdoor climbing activities were less common, with traditional climbing at 10.1% and speed climbing at 0.2%. Significant associations were found between climbing frequency and age (p = 0.0045), session length and age (p = 8.2e-10), and climbing frequency by gender (p = 0.0024). Regarding social behavior, 46.8% identified as introverts and 37.1% as ambiverts. Mental health data revealed that 73.1% of climbers felt rock climbing positively impacted their mental health. Depression and anxiety were the most reported conditions. When compared to therapy and medications, 73.3% of participants found rock climbing more beneficial than medications, and 64.8% found it more beneficial than therapy. Gender and race were significantly associated with perceptions of climbing\u27s mental health benefits (p = 0.0448 and p = 0.0422, respectively).
CONCLUSION: Survey results offered future focal points of interest and affirmed that BPT would be received well as a therapeutic modality in the United States. Further, survey participation of 748 completed responses illustrates the community\u27s support and open communication regarding mental health, creating a promising field to continue exploring. Overall, rock climbing holds potential as a treatment modality for mental health disorders, further bridging the gap between physical and mental health
INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS OF SEX AND ESTROUS CYCLE ON THE INCUBATION OF CUE-INDUCED OXYCODONE CRAVING
Full text linkThe overprescription and misuse of opioids like oxycodone has played a significant role in the ongoing opioid crisis. While effective painkillers, drugs like oxycodone are also reinforcing and often misused. While sex and ovarian hormones can impact the analgesic effects of these drugs, the impact of these factors on oxycodone reinforcement are not fully understood. This relationship between ovarian hormones and opioid reward is further complicated by the fact that opioid use can disrupt ovarian hormone levels and produce reproductive cycle irregularities. Using a rat model of drug craving and relapse vulnerability, we found that chronic oxycodone exposure produced reproductive (estrous) cycle dysregulation in the majority of animals (~60%) during both oxycodone self-administration and/or the first month of abstinence. During periods of normal cyclicity, we observed estrous cycle-dependent changes in both oxycodone intake and craving that differs from that found with other drugs like psychostimulants. We also observed estrous cycle-dependent changes in opioid receptor expression in the nucleus accumbens, a region that plays a critical role in drug seeking behavior. Together the studies in this thesis highlight the importance of ovarian hormones on oxycodone reinforcement and identify estrous cycle-dependent changes in the accumbens opioid receptor system that may contribute to these effects
A New Paliperidone Palmitate Formulation: How Is It Different and Where Does It Fit in Our Array of Choices for Long-Acting Formulations of Risperidone and Paliperidone?
Full text linkLong-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics have been shown to enhance treatment adherence and outcomes in individuals with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder. In recent years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several LAIs with differing amenities of care, such as mode of administration, duration of oral medication supplementation, dosing frequency, needle gauge and size, and injection volume, amongst others. Additionally, several LAIs are distinct formulations of risperidone and paliperidone, making it difficult to distinguish between formulations, and many providers are unfamiliar with these newer agents. In 2024, a once-monthly LAI formulation of paliperidone palmitate, manufactured by Luye (PP1M Luye), was approved for the treatment of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. There are similarities and differences between PP1M (Luye) and once-monthly paliperidone palmitate manufactured by Janssen (PP1M Janssen), which was FDA approved in 2009. The focus of this commentary will be to identify common characteristics and differences between these competing formulations, as well as how they relate to the overall compendium of risperidone and paliperidone LAI antipsychotic formulations
Physical Activity Measurement Reactivity Among Midlife Adults With Elevated Risk for Cardiovascular Disease: Protocol for Coordinated Analyses Across Six Studies.
Full text linkBACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in the United States, and adults aged 40-60 years with specific health conditions are at particularly elevated risk for developing CVD. Physical activity (PA) is a key cardioprotective behavior and many interventions exist to promote PA in this group. Effective promotion requires accurate assessment of PA behavior; as PA is often estimated by averaging across multiple days, a threat to accurate assessment is measurement reactivity, or an atypical increase in PA behavior at the start of measurement periods that may bias conclusions. Evidence for PA measurement reactivity is equivocal, though concern has resulted in recommendations to add or drop PA measurement days from inclusion, which may introduce undue burden on participants. At present, the extent of PA measurement reactivity and the behaviors most likely to be affected (eg, steps vs minutes of exercise) among those at risk for CVD are unclear, as are participant characteristics such as gender and study expectations (eg, intervention vs observation only) that may contribute to differences in these patterns.
OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study is to improve on the current understanding of the extent of PA measurement reactivity and potential moderators among US adults aged 40-60 years with CVD risk factors.
METHODS: To achieve this goal, we will conduct coordinated multilevel analyses across 6 studies. Data are from nationally representative, publicly available datasets (observation only: 2 studies) and baseline weeks of observation from behavioral weight loss clinical trials (4 studies), all collected in the United States. The publicly available datasets National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES; 2013-2014) and the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) Study (2004-2009; total n=1385) were used, which are available from the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research website. Behavioral weight loss trials were conducted by the Drexel University Weight Eating and Lifestyle (WELL) Center (2011-2023; total n=444), in person or remotely via Zoom. Relevant data from each study were extracted for adults aged 40-60 years who have ≥1 risk factor for CVD (total n=1832; 11,707 total days of PA measurement with 6-7 days per person). Changes in PA behavior across the measurement period will be examined at the day level, using 2-level multilevel models (days nested within persons) and cross-level interactions (for moderation effects).
RESULTS: This project was funded in August 2022 and received supplementary funding in September 2023. Dataset acquisition and data cleaning were completed in October 2024. Analyses are expected to be completed in April 2025, and findings are anticipated to be shared in July 2025.
CONCLUSIONS: Results from this coordinated analysis project will provide the first large-scale estimation of the extent of PA measurement reactivity in an at-risk group. Findings will inform best practices for mitigating potential measurement reactivity in multiday assessments of PA behavior.
INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/67438
EXPLORING NEW JERSEY COUNTY COLLEGE TEXTBOOK AFFORDABILITY PLANNING
No full textThis dissertation reports on a qualitative case study of community colleges’ planning processes to meet the requirement of a state law to develop textbook affordability plans. Since no single solution works for all institutions, the research addresses a variety of affordable adoptions reported by 12 open access, Associate’s degree granting institutions in New Jersey. Study findings describe how these colleges characterize textbook affordability and share the planning process and considerations involved in formulating their plans. These textbook affordability plans are found to be a student-centered decision that focuses on highest-enrolled general education courses. Using a hybrid approach of free, low cost, and commercial course materials, collaborative planning teams crafted affordability approaches that met the demands of their faculty and students by considering content characteristics including access, affordability, quality, and ancillaries. Institutional funding for faculty and technology are also considered. This dissertation includes an academic article and practitioner article that will be used to disseminate the research and offer administrators planning considerations with their implications
Clinical Outcomes for Patients Who Have Hyperlipidemia Who Underwent Mechanical Directed Thrombolysis for Pulmonary Embolism: An Analysis of the National Inpatient Sample
Full text linkMechanical-directed thrombolysis for PE is a recently established therapy option for patients with sub-massive PE with hemodynamic instability. With limited availability on the impact of superimposed anemia on patients that undergo MDT treatment we sought to look more closely at the inpatient population
Investigating Sleep Quality in Post-Stroke Delirium: A Scoping Review
Full text linkBackground: Delirium affects approximately 59% of hospitalized patients with intracerebral hemorrhage and is associated with poor outcomes. Sleep-wake cycle disturbances are hypothesized to contribute to delirium development, particularly in neurointensive care settings where frequent sleep interruptions occur.
Methods: We conducted a scoping review of literature published between 2014-2024 using PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and Cochrane databases. Studies were included if they observed sleep in adult stroke populations.
Results: Four observational studies (2018-2023) met inclusion criteria, with sample sizes ranging from 20-112 participants. All studies included patients with ICH. All studies reported associations between poor sleep in patients with ICH and delirium prevalence, but with inconsistent findings. Sleep measurement methods varied among all studies and lacked direct quantification of sleep.
Conclusion: Few studies have evaluated sleep-delirium relationships after acute stroke. Measurement inconsistencies and small sample sizes limit conclusions. Future research should standardize methodologies of delirium assessment, quantify sleep architecture in post-stroke delirium to understand this relationship, and evaluate interventions aimed at improving sleep quality to potentially reduce delirium incidence