Laura Flores

Laura Flores
University of Nebraska Medical Center | UNMC · College of Allied Health Professions

Doctor of Philosophy

About

59
Publications
4,841
Reads
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742
Citations
Additional affiliations
June 2021 - January 2022
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Position
  • PhD Student
Education
June 2016 - May 2024
August 2011 - May 2016
New Mexico State University
Field of study
  • Philosophy

Publications

Publications (59)
Article
295 Background: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are designed to provide the highest levels of evidence for clinical practice; consequently, RCTs are the mainstay for creating guidelines and approving new treatments. It is ethically essential for patients assigned to the control arm in RCTs to receive standard-of-care treatment. This serves to p...
Article
Postmenopausal women are at increased risk of fractures due to higher bone turnover that accompanies reduced estrogen production. Vibration may be an effective intervention for maintaining bone strength and bone density. The Osteoboost Belt is a wearable, home-use device that delivers targeted vibration to the lumbar spine and hips. This randomized...
Article
Objectives Cancer accounts for 22% of all mortality and is the leading cause of death among Hispanic and/or Latinx patients in the United States. The disparities in access to radiation therapy (RT), mortality rates, and treatment outcomes among Hispanic-American breast cancer patients compared with other populations highlight the urgent need for ta...
Article
The retention of physicians and other health care professionals in rehabilitation medicine is a critical issue that affects patients' access to care and the quality of the care they receive. In the United States and globally, there are known shortages of clinicians including, but not limited to, physicians, nurses, physical therapists, occupational...
Article
Bone strength estimates are important for fracture prevention. This study compared bone strength changes in postmenopausal women with low bone mass who were assigned to 12 months of exercise, a bone medication, or control. Exercise and bone medications benefited structure at the hip. Structure should be considered in fracture prevention research. E...
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Radiation therapy (RT) is a central component of cancer treatment with survival and long-term quality-of-life benefits across a spectrum of oncologic diagnoses. However, RT has been associated with varying levels of fatigue, pain, weight loss, and changes in mental health both during and post-treatment. Prehabilitation aims to optimize health prior...
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Disclosure: L.D. Bilek: Grant Recipient; Self; Bone Health Technologies. Stock Owner; Self; Bone Health Technologies. L.E. Flores: Employee; Self; Bone Health Technologies. N. Waltman: None. L.R. Mack: None. K. Smith: None. D. Hillstrom: Employee; Self; Bone Health Technologies. M. Griffin: Consulting Fee; Self; Bone Health Technologies. Stock Owne...
Article
The challenging circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic caused a regression in baseline health of disadvantaged populations, including individuals with frail syndrome, older age, disability, and racial-ethnic minority status. These patients often have more comorbidities and are associated with increased risk of poor postoperative complications, hosp...
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The coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic exposed and expanded upon preexisting health care disparities. Individuals with disabilities and those who identify with racial/ethnic minority groups have been disproportionately adversely impacted. These inequities are likely present in the proportions of individuals impacted by post-acute sequelae of severe...
Article
Background:: Older individuals who are scheduled for elective procedures often have co-morbidities at baseline and may be classified as frail. Both older age and frailty are associated with poor fitness and preoperative deconditioning, which can be predictors of postoperative complications. Prehabilitation aims to improve preoperative health in or...
Article
Significant inequities based on sex, race, ethnicity, and age exist among participants in clinical trials dedicated to investigating medical disease states. While general demographic data regarding blood donors and blood transfusion recipients have been studied extensively, the demographics of participants involved in blood donation and blood trans...
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Background Despite robust weight loss and cardiometabolic benefit, lean mass loss following sleeve gastrectomy (SG) confers health risk. Bisphosphonates are a potential therapeutic agent for lean mass maintenance. Thus, our objective was to explore the effect of 6 months of risedronate (vs. placebo) on change in dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DX...
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Social media platforms are widely used to connect people across multiple settings, including country of origin, profession, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, seniority, and training. Groups that have been marginalized or historically excluded from decision-making encounters may lack formal mentors/sponsors because of a lack of re...
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Background: The menopause transition is marked by hormonal shifts leading to body composition changes, such as fat mass gain and lean mass loss. Weight-bearing and resistance exercise can help maintain lean mass during the menopause transition; however, uptake is low. Pre-clinical research points to bisphosphonates as also being effective in preve...
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This cross-sectional study examines the sex, racial and ethnic background, and age of participants in clinical trials focused on eating disorders conducted in the United States.
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Background Women surgeons may experience more ergonomic challenges while performing surgery. We aimed to assess ergonomics between men and women surgeons. Methods Laparoscopic surgeons from a single institution were enrolled. Demographics and intraoperative data were collected. Muscle groups were evaluated objectively using surface electromyograph...
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Introduction Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is an increasingly used and effective treatment for obesity; however, the rapid weight loss associated with SG adversely affects bone metabolism predisposing patients to skeletal fragility. Bisphosphonate medications have been evaluated for safety and efficacy in combating bone loss in patients with osteoporosis...
Article
Background Obesity is associated with suboptimal levels in vitamin D, a nutrient important for bone health and immune function. Seasonal variation in vitamin D may exacerbate this deficiency in persons with obesity, as exposure to ultraviolet B rays in sunlight is necessary for the conversion of vitamin D to its active form in the body. The aim of...
Article
PurposeThis randomized controlled trial compared changes in bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover in postmenopausal women with low bone mass randomized to 12 months of either risedronate, exercise, or a control group.Methods Two hundred seventy-six women with low bone mass, within 6 years of menopause, were included in analysis. Treatment gr...
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After menopause, bones decline in structure and can break more easily. Physical activity can strengthen bones. This study investigated how activity and body composition can impact bone structure in post-menopausal women. Higher levels of physical activity were positively associated with bone structure at the lower leg.PurposeThe menopausal transiti...
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Background Approximately 10% of patients receiving anti-reflux procedures present with shortened esophagus. Collis gastroplasty (CG) is the current gold standard for esophageal lengthening, but mediastinal esophageal mobilization without gastroplasty may be an alternative approach. This study assesses preoperative and intraoperative hernia characte...
Article
Introduction Representativeness of research populations impacts the ability to extrapolate findings. The Burn Model System (BMS) National Database is one of the largest prospective, longitudinal, multi-center research repositories collecting patient-reported outcomes after burn injury. Objective To assess if the BMS Database is representative of t...
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Objective: Our objective was to investigate whether women, persons 65 years and older, or individuals who identify with racial and/or ethnic minority groups, were underrepresented among participants in rehabilitation clinical trials. Design: This is a cross-sectional study of completed rehabilitation clinical trials investigating the number and...
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Importance: Medical research has not equitably included members of racial/ethnic minority groups or female and older individuals. There are limited data on participant demographic characteristics in vaccine trials despite the importance of these data to current trials aimed at preventing coronavirus disease 2019. Objective: To investigate whethe...
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Introduction The U.S. Space Force was stood up on December 20, 2019 as an independent branch under the Air Force consisting of about 16,000 active duty and civilian personnel focused singularly on space. In addition to the Space Force, the plans by NASA and private industry for exploration-class long-duration missions to the moon, near-earth astero...
Article
Background: Our aim was to evaluate trends of childbearing during medical training, evaluate issues of infertility, and measure institutionalized barriers to childbearing among women physicians. Materials and Methods: Attendees of a national women physician's leadership conference (Brave Enough Women Physicians Continuing Medical Education Confere...
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Background: A majority of breast cancer tumors express estrogen receptor (ER) and/or progesterone receptor (PR); however, the percentage of cancer cells expressing these receptors can range from 0-100%. The prognostic and therapeutic impact of the percentage of cells expressing hormone receptors in breast cancer is not fully understood. Methods:...
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Background We aimed to examine the outcomes and utilization of different hiatal hernia repair (HHR) approaches in elective and emergent/urgent settings. Methods: Vizient 2015–2017 database was queried for adult patients who underwent HHR. Patients were grouped into open (OHHR), laparoscopic (LHHR), or robotic-assisted (RHHR), and further stratified...
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Women physicians are underrepresented in leadership positions across medical specialties. Understanding factors that improve women’s promotion metrics may lead to career and leadership advancement. This study examined if a woman-centered Continuing Medical Education (CME) conference is associated with differences in productivity metrics toward care...
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Background: From a public health perspective, nasal surgery accounts for many unused opioids. Patients undergoing septorhinoplasty require few opioids, and efforts to eliminate this need may benefit both patients and the public. Methods: A multimodal analgesic protocol consisting of 15 components encompassing all phases of care was implemented for...
Article
Racial health disparities continue to disproportionately affect Black persons in the United States (US). Black individuals also have increased risk of worse outcomesassociated with social determinants of health including socioeconomic factors such as income, education and employment. This narrative review included studies originally spanning a peri...
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Little is known about how robot technology is employed by surgeons in minimally invasive surgery (MIS). We evaluated the needs of established robotic surgeons and of those who are new to this technology. A survey was designed and sent electronically to MIS surgeons. Questions included fellowship training, area of expertise, experience with robotic...
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Obesity is a worldwide epidemic with rates nearly doubling over the last 30 years. Despite increasing prevalence, the multifactorial pathogenesis of obesity continues to be widely misunderstood. Investigating genetic drivers in the development of obesity is an important area of focus, as genetics move to the forefront of medicine and personalized t...
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In the United States, the number of people with Hispanic backgrounds is rapidly increasing. This growth, along with other factors, may put them at increased risk for healthcare disparities. Thus, physical medicine and rehabilitation should evaluate disparities in health services through the lens of the evidence base. To our knowledge, this is the f...
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Background: This study sought to evaluate surgical outcomes, cost, and opiate utilization of patients who underwent laparoscopic (LC) or robotic cholecystectomy (RC). Methods: The Vizient database was queried for patients admitted with mild to moderate severity of illness (SOI) scores who underwent LC or RC from January 2015 through December 201...
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Background: Anastomotic leak is the most common major complication after esophagectomy. We investigated the 2016 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program esophagectomy targeted database to identify risk factors for anastomotic leak. Methods: Patients who underwent esophagectomy for cancer were included. Patients e...
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Purpose Many publications have focused on single-surgeon or single-center data, comparing surgical approach in inguinal hernia repair. This study evaluated outcomes in patients who underwent open (OIHR), laparoscopic (LIHR) or robotic (RIHR) inguinal hernia repair using a national database. Methods The Vizient clinical database was queried using I...
Article
Background: Intragastric balloon (IGB) placement can provide a mean percent total weight loss (%TWL) of 10.2% at 6-month follow-up. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate 30-day outcomes and safety of patients undergoing IGB placement. Setting: Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program. Methods: The 2016 to 2017...
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Background: Bleeding is the most common adverse event in patients undergoing cranial vault reconstruction. The authors compare the transfusion rates against a national sample to determine whether the patients experience lower transfusion rates. Methods: The authors queried the Pediatric National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (Peds-NSQIP)...
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Background Pituitary tumors typically remain silent unless interaction with nearby structures occurs. Rare subsets of pituitary tumors display aggressive phenotypes: highly mitotic, locally invasive, metastatic, chemotherapy and radiation resistant, etc. Disease progression and response to therapy is ill-defined in these subtypes, and their true pr...

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