Health Scholar Showcase
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10877/16500
The Health Scholar Showcase is an annual event hosted by Texas State University’s Translational Health Research Center, which seeks to improve health by connecting faculty and community partners to engage in innovative research. Health Scholar Showcase highlights some of the best health research happening on campus.
Learn more about Health Scholar Showcase: https://healthresearch.txst.edu/events/health-scholar-showcase.html
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Item A Model-based Test for Treatment Comparison based on Left-truncated and Interval-censored Survival Data(2023-04) Zhao, Qiang; Wang, YiIn this research, we develop a new model-based test to compare treatments based on left-truncated and interval-censored (LTIC) data.Item A Pilot Study Introducing How Rural Texas Librarians Can Convene Community Resiliency Collaborations(2024-03) Eger, Elizabeth; Long, Rex; McNally, Allister; Tonciu, Anca; Vasallo, Johnny; Lamper, RowanOur pilot project incorporated Communication Studies theories of community collaboration to adapt the COPEWELL (Composite of Post-Event Well-Being) framework to address resiliency planning in rural Texas communities. This project positioned Library Directors from two rural Texas libraries as community conveners for resiliency planning. Through our partnership with Maria Freed of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC), 34 libraries expressed interest in participating in our pilot project. The Pottsboro Library in Pottsboro, TX, and the Lee-Bardwell Public Library in Gladewater, TX, were selected as finalists after our interviews with semi-finalists. Working with the Library Directors, we utilized requisite diversity(Heath & Isbell, 2017) to assemble stakeholders in each community to best represent a variety of interests, identities, and perspectives. This approach led to valuable conversations and insights, and the development of actionable next steps to address core community needs. Our data collection process with both libraries and their stakeholders included: •Two 90-minute focus groups •A COPEWELL self-assessment adapted into survey format (20-30 minutes) •Individual exit interviews with stakeholders and librarians (60-80 minutes) Our project also developed best practices and lessons learned that librarians and researchers can use in adapting the COPEWELL framework and addressing community resiliency in their areas. Across both project sites, we found a need for increased and improved communication between the communities and local governments, and that local stakeholders should collaborate on grants and create initiatives to implement community resiliency goals. This poster will highlight site-specific insights and our overall takeaways and recommendations for utilizing our community resiliency collaboration process. Use the link or QR code associated with each section to access our applied reports for further reading. This project has been made possible through our partnership with TXST's Translational Health Research Center.Item A Snapshot in Time: TXST undergraduate Student Veterans Capture Well-Being via Photo Taking(2023-04) Clary, Kelly; Selber, Katherine; Ortiz, Rachel; West, BryanStudent Veterans face unique challenges transitioning to civilian life and higher education; Challenges related to well-being and mental health have changed and increased due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Background: Photovoice methodology is an innovative and creative approach to understanding new phenomena. Aims: Understand how TXST student veterans conceptualize and experience well-being; Examine the benefits of using photovoice methodology.Item A Study of Weight Stigma, Body Appreciation, and Disordered Eating Behaviors among Promotores and Community Health Workers in Texas(2024-03) Johnson, Cassandra M.; Biediger-Friedman, Lesli; Menge, Lindsey; Butler, Lauren; Lang, JulianneWeight stigma, a form of discrimination, affects around 40% of the US population. Previous research suggests that weight stigma is: - negatively associated with body appreciation, an indicator of positive body image. - positively associated with disordered eating behaviors. Due to systemic inequities, racial and ethnic minority groups, including persons of Mexican heritage, may be more vulnerable to weight stigma. Promotores and community health workers (CHWs) serve a dual role as healthcare provider and community member, particularly in Hispanic communities in Texas (TX). A formative study of weight stigma among promotores and CHWs is important to developing systems level, destigmatizing community-engaged interventions in TX.Item Academic Burnout in Health Professions Students(2024-03) Sawyer Theaker, Katherine; Trad, Megan; Herrin, Shannon; Gibbs, KarenPhotovoice and Interprofessional Education To reduce stress and create a meaningful educational experience, researchers developed an interprofessional education (IPE) experience utilizing photovoice. Faculty from the Radiation Therapy (RTT) program and the Physical Therapy (DPT) program asked students to submit one image that represented the most significant thing from their academic experience and explain its significance through a reflective response. Photovoice has been documented as a low stress teaching methodology that has been utilized in a variety of fields, including radiation therapy, to stimulate reflection and growth. Purpose The purpose of this study was to create cohesion and community among two student cohorts of differing programs and allow them to visualize how their educational journey was similar to or different from each other. Researchers hoped to gain insight into their students’ academic journey to better meet the needs of future students. The finding of academic burnout was an incidental finding and sparked the researchers’ interest in this topic.Item Item Item AI-Powered Auxiliary Medical Diagnostic Systems(2024-03) Farias, Mylène C. Q.Deep Learning models are being used to analyze medical data and, most specifically, medical images, and to identify patterns and abnormalities that may not be (YET) visible to radiologists and physicians in general. These auxiliary diagnostic systems allow for an early detection of chronic diseases, such as heart conditions and cancer. AI models can process large amounts of data quickly and accurately. They can also be used to track health data over time and identify suspicious changes. Finally, AI models can be used to identify rare diseases and conditions that are difficult for humans to diagnose. But the area still faces several challenges: Availability of balanced datasets; Assurance of accuracy and reliability; Explainability; Privacy and security; Robustness to diversity in formats, degradations, etc.Item Alliance of Researchers in Aging(2024-03) Hee Chee, Kyong; Deason, Rebecca; Adi, Nadim; Westerberg, CarmenThe Alliance of Researchers in Aging (ARIA) supports interdisciplinary research on cognition, cognitive decline and dementia, mental health, caregiving, and physical, social, and spiritual wellbeing in later stages of the life course. ARIA is committed to enhancing wellbeing among older adults in Central Texas and beyond through research, education, and service through partnerships with community stakeholders. ARIA began in May 2019 with 12 TXST faculty members. Today, ARIA consists of 16 members, 6 affiliates, and 5 community partners: Members represent 13 departments/schools and 5 laboratories in San Marcos and Round Rock. ARIA is currently led by Executive Committee comprising Chair, Associate Chair, Communications Coordinator, and Outreach Coordinator.Item An Agent-Based Simulation Model to Plan for Continuity of Care for Chronic Diseases after Natural Disasters(2024-03) Pérez, EduardoNo abstract prepared.Item An Empirical Study on AI-Powered Edge Computing Architectures for Real-Time IoT Applications(2024-03) Ngu, Anne H. H.; Yasmin, AwatifEdge computing is indispensable for IoT applications, handling data from billions of devices and expected to surpass 41.6 billion installations by 2023. It facilitates swift decision-making at the device level. It conserves network bandwidth by processing data locally, making it suitable for resource-constrained or costly networks. Bolsters privacy and security by storing data locally, particularly crucial for applications that involves processing personal data.Item An Examination of Life Event Type, Valence, and Perceived Stress in Relation to Suicidal Desire Using Ecological Momentary Assessment(2024-03) Rogers, Megan L.; Wilson-Lemoine, Emma; Mitaj, Dea; Udupa, Nikhila S.; Rector, Mark; Barrett, Karrie M.; Staton, TylerStressful life events are related to suicide-related outcomes (ideation, attempts, deaths) over long follow-up periods. A greater number, variety, and specific types of life events (interpersonal, financial, legal) have particularly strong links to suicide-related outcomes. Less understood are relations between characteristics of life events (valence, type, perceived stressfulness) and suicide-related outcomes in the short term (i.e., hours to days). The present study examined associations between characteristics of life events and concurrent (same time point) and prospective (2 hours later) suicidal desire using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) We made several a priori hypotheses: Negative events would be more strongly associated with suicidal desire than positive/neutral events. Higher perceptions of stress would be positively associated with severity of suicidal desire. The relationship between perceived stress and suicidal desire would be stronger for (1) negative events and (2) specific types of life events (e.g., interpersonal, health-related, financial).Item Assessing the Effectiveness of a Virtual Intergenerational Service-Learning Project on Students' Ageism Attitude Towards Seniors and on Seniors' Social Competence(2023-04) Ramamonjiarivelo, Zo; Osborne, Randall E.; Renick, Oren; Sen, Keya; Pacheco, Gerardo J.; Lee, KimberlyNo abstract prepared.Item Autonomous Innovation: Revolutionizing Urban Firefighting with Data and Artificial Intelligence(2024-03) Valles, DamianEmerging technologies in emergency response highlight the significant risks to firefighters and responders during missions. Traditional firefighting relies on human insight and experience and is susceptible to mistakes in high-stress situations. Innovations like autonomous systems, IoT, and machine learning offer improvements in emergency management. However, their practical application must catch up in performing its capabilities and community acceptance of its implementation. This project aims to bridge this gap by deploying autonomous units that collect data and apply machine learning to improve urban firefighting.Item Biomedical Research Training at Texas State: Preparing Bobcats for Doctoral Programs in the Biomedical Sciences(2023-04) Spooner, Melinda H.; Lewis, Karen A.; Whitten, Steven T.No abstract prepared.Item Center for Analytics and Data Science(2024-03) Eken, Tahir; Hutchins, MaggieWe are a university-level center with faculty from every college. Our core affiliate faculty include methods experts in areas such as statistics, optimization, artificial intelligence and computing in addition to domain experts from agriculture, criminal justice, engineering, geography, and health, among others.Item Chagas Disease as a Disease of Operational Military Significance: Lack of Essential Policies Present a Clear and Present Danger to Service Members(2023-04) Pacheco, Gerardo J.; Betancourt, Jose; Eoff, Abby; Stigler Granados, PaulaNo abstract prepared.Item Characterization of Supra-Concentrate of Human Bone Marrow Stem Cells for the Treatment of Spine and Musculoskeletal Disorders(2023-04) Pedrozo, Hugo; Dumitrescu, MihneaThe use of autogenous stem cells is one of the pillars of regenerative medicine. The past one and a half decades have witnessed the discovery and characterization of a new type of adult stem cells named Very Small Embryonic-like stem (VSEL) cells. These cells exhibit pluripotency, they are localized in many tissues, including bone marrow and mobilized peripheral blood, which makes them easily accessible to the clinician. However, there are two major impediments to implementing their use in a clinical setting. First, current protocols that use blood or marrow as the source of therapeutic concentrates, such as platelet rich plasma (PRP) or bone marrow concentrate (BMAC), respectively, have not been characterized in terms of human VSEL (hVSEL) cell content. And second, there are no protocols to produce a concentrate of autologous hVSEL cells that can be implemented and in a clinical setting. STUDY OBJECTIVES 1. To characterize the current centrifugation method used in most clinics for nucleated cell concentration in terms of hVSEL cells yield, and 2. To develop a method for the enrichment of hVSEL cells derived from human bone marrow that is amenable to full implementation in a clinical setting.Item Compassion Fatigue and Higher Education Faculty Mental Health: A Call to the Profession(2023-04) Cordaro, Millie; Howard, Krista; Perrotte, Jessica; Schmiedehaus, Evan; Dailey, StephanieBackground: Compassion fatigue (CF) describes the physical, emotional, and psychological impact of helping others. Little is known about the prevalence and impact of CF (i.e., secondary traumatic stress & burnout), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), and Major Depression Disorder (MDD) in Higher Education faculty. Purpose: To examine key aspects of CF, secondary traumatic stress and burnout, and associations with psychosocial and occupational factors among faculty in higher education.Item Connecting Outdoor Air Pollution to Healthy Financial Cognitive Skills(2023-04) Zhai, Muxin; Charles, Joni S. J.; Su, SunnyWe investigate the impact of air pollution on human financial cognition using highly granular data on consumer financial reports from 2012 to 2019. Our results offer important policy implications in the design of just-in-time behavioral interventions such as mortgage payment reminders to reduce suboptimal decisions arising from a lower financial cognitive ability on a heavily polluted day.