University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Plotgardener App: a graphical interface for publication-ready genomic visualization

Abstract Summary Plotgardener is an R package used for generating high-quality genomic visualizations. Despite its broad range of functions and versatility, its reliance on code presents a barrier for many potential users. To address this, we developed a macOS desktop application...

Physical and mental health conditions in men who have sex with men: a global umbrella review of meta-analyses

Men who have sex with men (MSM) face a disproportionate burden of health problems. Prior syntheses among MSM have not comprehensively addressed key areas such as non-communicable diseases, mental health, and comorbidities. This umbrella review aimed to synthesize and evaluate met...

Computationally Mediated Synthetic Affect as a Mechanism for Literacy Engagement: Analyzing Adolescents' Livestreamed Videogame Play

ABSTRACT The most affectively powerful narrative texts adolescents encounter are often videogames, yet literacy research has only begun to examine the feelings games produce and what they do for engagement. Extending Robinson and Leander's concept of synthetic affect—feelings co‐...

Impact of Response to Hypomethylating Agent‐Based Therapy on Survival Outcomes in the Context of Baseline Clinical‐Molecular Risk and Transplant Status in Patients With Higher‐Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes/Neoplasms: An analysis From the International Consortium for MDS (icMDS)

Baseline IPSS-M risk, response to hypomethylating agent (HMA) therapy, and receipt of allogeneic stem cell transplant (allo-HCT) have all been individually shown to impact overall survival (OS) in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). However, the prognostic impact of re...

Nicotine Analogs in E-Cigarettes: Unrecognized Health Risks and Insufficient Regulatory Oversight

Alexis A Graham, Elizabeth M Corteselli; Nicotine Analogs in E-Cigarettes: Unrecognized Health Risks and Insufficient Regulatory Oversight, Toxicological S

Atypical Cerebellar Responses are Associated with Altered Neural Habituation during Sensory Stimulation in Autism

Sensory processing atypicalities are highly prevalent in autistic youth; yet, the neural mechanisms underlying these differences are not well understood. While the cerebellum plays a key role in sensorimotor coordination and is structurally and functionally atypical in the autist...

Marketing Practices and Nutrition Content of Toddler Milk Across the Americas

BACKGROUND: Toddler milk is a breastmilk substitute for young children, yet its marketing and nutritional profile across the Americas has not been systematically synthesized. METHODS: We conducted a content analysis documenting the prevalence of front-of-package claims and imager...

A Health Sciences Library Collaboration: Using Digital Media for Creation, Outreach, and Communication

This presentation describes a collaborative model in which a digital media designer/consultant and a library liaison work with faculty, researchers, clinicians, and other users to support outreach and engagement through a variety of media, including print and still images, audio,...

Oral Health Care Access and Utilization Among Formerly Incarcerated Individuals: A Social Determinants of Health Scoping Review

Many individuals enter correctional facilities with untreated oral health needs, and their conditions often worsen after release due to a lack of ongoing preventive and comprehensive dental services at some facilities. Given the heightened vulnerability of this population and the...

Self-rankings as a predictor of scientific impact beyond peer review

Abstract Peer review in academic research aims to ensure factual correctness and identify work of high scientific potential, but rapid submission growth has made this increasingly difficult. Here we investigate an additional measure for identifying high-impact research: authors’...

Can brain connections help us understand Alzheimer’s disease? Leakage-Controlled Multimodal Connectome Stacking for Alzheimer's Disease-Related Clinical Status and Cognitive Outcomes

This study investigates whether brain connectivity patterns can distinguish healthy aging from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia and predict cognitive performance. Using data from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), we compared three representations...

The Development of a Multimodal Sensing, 3D Closed-Loop Circuit for Accelerated Wound Healing

Chronic and acute wounds, including diabetic foot ulcers, pressure ulcers, and traumatic injuries, impose substantial healthcare costs and diminish quality of life for millions of patients worldwide. Conventional wound dressings remain largely passive, offering protection and moi...

Local Linear Estimation for Covariate‐Dependent Coefficients Model in Disease Mapping

ABSTRACT Spatial regression effects may depend on covariates in disease‐mapping models. For example, the association between infectious disease incidence and risk factors may vary according to climatic factors, such as time, season, and temperature. In this study, we aim to devel...

Engineering Dual Peptide-Decorated Extracellular Vesicles to Enhance Retention and Functional Recovery After Myocardial Infarction

Myocardial infarction causes irreversible loss of cardiomyocytes, while inflammation and fibrosis further compromise cardiac function. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) can deliver reparative signals, but their therapeutic potential is limited by rapid clearance from injured cardiac t...

Assessing the Presence of Bat Species in Restored and Degraded Southern Appalachian Wetlands

Wetlands are critical ecosystems that support a wide variety of plant and animal species. However, these habitats are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic factors including pollution, human development, and the introduction of invasive species. Restoration projects have garne...

Risk of protein intake deficiency during treatment with GLP-1 and GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonists: considerations for secondary sarcopenia

Sarcopenia, characterized by the age-related decline in muscle mass and strength, increases the risk of falls, fractures, disability, and mortality. Type 2 diabetes and obesity frequently coexist with sarcopenia, contributing to the growing clinical challenge of sarcopenic obesit...

Diagnosing and Improving the Peak-to-Halo Model: A Predictive Theory of Dark Matter Halo Formation

Regions with higher matter density than their surroundings collapse into gravitationally bound structures called halos. Prof. Erickcek and other members of her research group developed the Peak-to-Halo (P2H) model, which predicts the density profiles of simulated halos using the...

How a Reinforcement Learning Agent learns and decides in Financial Markets

This project asked what a learning agent in financial markets should be looking at. Working with an agent that allocates across twelve funds and makes one decision each day, early experiments showed that information about how assets move together contributed more to performance t...

Quantitative Assessment of Segmentation Accuracy in Single-Source and Multisource Cone-Beam CT

Objective: Conventional single-source cone-beam CT (CBCT) is affected by x-ray scatter and cone-beam artifacts that limit quantitative structural measurements. This study compared single-source CBCT with a multisource CBCT (ms-CBCT) architecture based on a carbon nanotube x-ray s...

Obstructive sleep apnea mediates genetic risk of Diabetes Mellitus in Hispanic and Latino communities

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and other sleep disorders, are associated with increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus (DM). We examined whether sleep disorders influence the genetic risk of developing diabetes in Hispanic/Latino individuals. Methods: We develop...