Erik Parker

Importance There is a need for early and equitable detection of cognitive impairment among older adults. Objective To examine the prevalence of unrecognized cognitive impairment among older adults receiving primary care from federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study was conducted at 5...

Introduction Recent evidence has demonstrated that the microbiome is a driver of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of respiratory disease. Studies have indicated that bacterial metabolites produced in the gut and lung can impact lung inflammation and immune cell activity, affecting disease pathology. Despite asthma being a disease with m...

The emerging concern about chemicals in electronic cigarettes, even those without nicotine, demands the development of advanced criteria for their exposure and risk assessment. This study aims to highlight the sensitivity of lung nuclear receptors (NRs) to electronic cigarette e-liquids, independent of nicotine presence, and the influence of the se...

Evidence abounds that gut microbiome components are associated with sex disparities in the immune system. However, it remains unclear whether the observed sex disparity in asthma incidence is associated with sex-dependent differences in immune-modulating gut microbiota, and/or its influence on allergic airway inflammatory processes. Using a mouse m...

Objective The objective of this study was to investigate body composition changes with weight cycling (WC) among adult C57BL/6J mice with diet‐induced obesity. Methods A total of 555 single‐housed mice were fed a high‐fat diet ad libitum (AL) from 8 to 43 weeks of age. The 200 heaviest mice of each sex were randomized to the following four groups:...

Improving understanding of behaviors that increase or reduce cancer risk for different Hispanic groups is a public health priority; such knowledge is sparse in new gateway immigration locations such as Indiana. The aims of this study were to: 1) describe cancer beliefs and cancer preventive/risk reduction behaviors (physical activity, tobacco, and...

Thirdhand smoke (THS) is the accumulation of secondhand smoke on surfaces that ages with time. THS exposure is a potential health threat to children, partners of smokers, and workers in environments with current or past smoking, and needs further investigation. In this study, we hypothesized that thirdhand Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS...

Background: Expensive lactation cookies (LC) are marketed as milk-boosters; however, their effectiveness remains unknown. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of 1-month daily intake of LC on changes in objective and subjective milk production and breastfeeding self-efficacy. Methods: A 1-month, randomized controlled trial among 18-45-year...

Interventions for animal lifespan extension like caloric restriction (CR) have identified physiologic and biochemical pathways related to hunger and energy-sensing status as possible contributors, but mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Prior studies using ghrelin agonists show greater food intake but no effect on lifespan in rodent models....

Background: Cancer is the leading cause of death for Hispanics in the USA. Screening and prevention reduce cancer morbidity and mortality. Methods: This study administered a cross-sectional web-based survey to self-identified Hispanic residents in the state of Indiana to assess their cancer-related knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors, as well as t...

Purpose: Improving understanding of behaviors that increase or reduce cancer risk for different Hispanic groups is a public health priority; such knowledge is sparse in new gateway immigration locations such as Indiana. The aims of this study were to: 1) describe cancer beliefs and cancer preventive/risk reduction behaviors (physical activity, toba...

This cross-sectional study examines self-reported smoking patterns of adult participants in the US National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).

Background: About 47% of children < 5 years of age are stunted in Guatemala. In this study, the investigators aimed to compare growth and cognitive outcomes between children in second grade that attended five Guatemala City Municipal Nurseries (GCMN) vs. same sex, grade, and age-matched children. Methods: A cross-sectional design nested in a ret...

Alcohol and drug misuse continue to result in negative outcomes in the United States. Training nurses in screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) has been proposed as one approach to mitigating those harms. Such training can lead to improved attitudes and intention to use SBIRT in clinical practice, but whether those outcome...

Senescent cells, which arise due to damage-associated signals, are apoptosis-resistant and can express a pro-inflammatory, tissue-destructive senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). We recently reported that a component of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) surface protein, S1, can amplify the SASP of senesce...

Senescent cells, which arise due to damage-associated signals, are apoptosis-resistant and can express a pro-inflammatory, tissue-destructive senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). We recently reported that a component of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) surface protein, S1, can amplify the SASP of senesce...

e22513 Background: Latinos are the fastest growing ethnic group in the US: cancer is the leading cause of death. Cancer screening is designed to decrease cancer-specific mortality among age- and gender-appropriate populations, but is implemented less frequently among Latino populations. Barriers to screening among Latinos are less well understood....

1. Microbial symbionts play a crucial role in the development, health, and homeostasis of their hosts. However, the eco‐evolutionary conditions shaping these relationships and the evolutionary scale at which host–microbiome interactions may diverge warrant further investigation, especially in non‐model systems. This study examines the impact of rec...

Microbial symbionts can influence their hosts in stunningly diverse ways. Emerging research suggests that an underappreciated facet of these relationships is the influence microbes can have on their host's responses to novel, or stressful, environmental conditions. We sought to address these and related questions in populations resulting from the r...

Host-associated microbes facilitate diverse biotic and abiotic interactions between hosts and their environments. Experimental alterations of host-associated microbial communities frequently decrease host fitness, yet much less is known about if and how host-microbiome interactions are altered by natural perturbations, such as introduction events....

Developmental processes transduce diverse influences during phenotype formation, thereby biasing and structuring amount and type of phenotypic variation available for evolutionary processes to act on. The causes, extent, and consequences of this bias are subject to significant debate. Here we explore the role of developmental bias in contributing t...