Grants

NIAID - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT The goals of this R03 Award are to 1) identify food allergy beliefs and perceived treatment benefits/burdens among caregivers of children who pursue Xolair food allergy treatment and 2) determine the relationship of the uptake of Xolair food allergy treatment and caregivers’ psychosocial functioning. Food allergy affects up to 8% of children in the United States, with 45% of these children diagnosed with multiple food allergies.1,2 Over a third of children with food allergy experience >1 food allergic reaction a year.3 Caregivers consistently report experiencing intense fear about the chance of life-threatening food-induced anaphylaxis and food allergy anxiety,4–8 and have long advocated for a food allergy treatment that prevents anaphylaxis.9 A promising new form of food allergy treatment that may increase allergic reaction threshold for multiple food allergies, omalizumab, was FDA approved in February 2024.9 In a recent clinical trial, 67% of children with diagnosed food allergies who received Xolair via subcutaneous injection for 16 weeks demonstrated an increased reaction threshold to peanut and multiple other food allergens, meaning they may be protected against allergic reactions in response to accidental food allergen exposure.10 The clinical trial assessed caregiver food allergy-related quality of life, an important measure of overall food allergy well-being, but not the impact of Xolair food allergy treatment on fear of allergic reactions or food allergy anxiety,11 two critical factors to understand because they are factors that caregivers report motivate them to participate in food allergy treatment9,12,13—and therefore could greatly affect their decisions to pursue or abandon treatment. This new treatment also presents new decision points which require thoughtful shared decision-making with allergy care providers and may lead to unique food allergy-related stress and anxiety.14 We will augment the clinical trial’s quality of life findings and address crucial information gaps about caregiver fear of allergic reactions, food allergy anxiety, and decision-making using a behavioral health research framework guided by the Health Belief Model and the Shared Decision Making model. We will characterize food allergy beliefs, perceived treatment benefits/burdens, the decision-making process, and the relationship of Xolair treatment with food allergy-related fear, anxiety, and quality of life among 30 caregivers of children ages 5-11 years. We anticipate using data from this pilot study to inform a larger scale, multi-site trial in order to determine if patterns that emerge at our food allergy clinics are comparable with other food allergy clinics. Additionally, these data will provide crucial early-stage information about caregivers who pursue new food allergy treatment options, how they make treatment decisions, and the relationship of treatment with their food allergy-related fear and anxiety. We will use our data to inform the development of clinical and educational resources that will support families during the decision-making process. Our data will also clarify if behavioral interventions should be developed to support families while they undergo new food allergy treatments.

NIDCR - National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research

PROJECT SUMMARY: The overarching goal of the project is to develop a caregiver-implemented early intervention model available in English and Spanish to improve speech and language outcomes for young children with NSCL/P. We will test if caregiver-implemented Enhanced Milieu Teaching with Phonological Emphasis (EMT+PE) can reduce the severity of speech sound disorders and language delays in toddlers with NSCL/P. Caregivers will receive systematic coaching on utilizing EMT+PE strategies with their toddlers in a telehealth format. EMT+PE implemented by speech language pathologists (SLPs) has been shown to improve child language and speech outcomes in young children with NSCL/P in two randomized trials. 6,8Caregiver-implemented EMT+PE has been shown to be effective in three single-case design studies.39-41 The study will enroll 102 participants, children 24- 26 months old with NSCL/P and their caregivers. The intervention group will be compared to a control condition. Four specific aims guide the study: 1. To prepare for implementation of the multisite clinical trial during the 2-year planning period. 2. To examine the effects of caregiver coaching delivered via telehealth on caregivers’ use of EMT+PE strategies to support children’s speech and language development in a randomized clinical trial. 3. To examine the effects of caregiver-implemented EMT+PE on children’s speech and language outcomes immediately after intervention and at age 3. 4. To assess the feasibility, acceptability, and perceived effectiveness in improving child outcomes of the EMT+PE model with caregivers participating in the study.

NIH

Background and Significance: In primary partnership with the Office of Geriatrics and Extended Care (GEC), Geriatrics and Extended care-focused Network to Enhance Research Across The Enterprise (GENERATE) has three priority areas in which it will support advancement: (1) Home care workforce and family caregivers, (2) Quality and access to facility-based long-term care, and (3) Aging in place. GENERATE is grounded in a learning health system conceptual framework and has the following three goals. Goal 1: Data Infrastructure. Support integration of caregiving, long-term care, and aging data by characterizing relevant data, measures, and sources; determining needs; and identifying priority areas to improve future research and policy. Goal 2: Evidence Curation. Characterize and curate current evidence from existing work related to caregiving, long-term care, and aging to identify research opportunities/gaps, engage marginalized groups, and support information exchange to move research findings into practice. Goal 3: Veteran Impact. Rapidly move caregiving, long-term care, and aging research into policy and practice through mentorship, response to ORD and legislative needs, and pilot grants. GENERATE is responsive to the VA national priority of greater choice for Veterans and addresses an ORD- wide priority to increase the real-world significance of VA research by developing products partners can immediately disseminate to the field. The impact of GENERATE’s activities will be to enable Veterans and families to have greater access to high quality home and long-term services to meet their needs as they age. Strategic Plan: Goal 1 activities will help understand current availability and use of data to drive better care for older Veterans and their caregivers, identify data and measurement gaps and opportunities for collaboration and further research, support operational partners’ data needs, and increase communication across shareholders to support enterprise-wide use. Goal 2 will help understand the landscape of current research on caregiving, long-term care, and aging to identify and support opportunities for research to move the needle forward. We will create structures and processes for information exchange to help move findings into practice. We will also engage traditionally marginalized groups, so nothing about them is done without them. Goal 3 activities will develop a mentorship program to connect senior and early career researchers. We will also create a rapid response team to help our partners respond to legislative and other requests. And we will actively solicit funds to support a potential pilot program to enable research to rapidly address known needs. Innovation: GENERATE forges unprecedented collaboration in caregiving/long-term care/aging, spanning across traditional research and operations silos to jointly move the needle forward on improving Veteran impacts. It uses a community-engaged approach to support novel and meaningful participation of marginalized populations whose perspectives are central to the caregiving, long-term care, and aging fields. Coordination, Collaboration, and Partnerships: The primary partner is GEC. GENERATE works with the HSR broad portfolio and will also partner with the Caregiver Support Program and, among others, the Offices of Care Management and Social Work, Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, and Primary Care, and Rural Health. GENERATE also collaborates with multiple existing groups, including but not limited to the Geriatrics Learning Health System QUERI, the Elizabeth Dole Center of Excellence for Veteran and Caregiver Research, and the Age-Friendly SOTA meeting committee, all of which also have investigators on GENERATE. Management Plan: GENERATE’s MPI team, led by Dr. Hartmann (Bedford) as Contact PI, also comprises Drs. Hastings (Durham), Hung (Bronx), and Mills (Providence). Investigators outside the MPIs’ facilities are as follows: Dr. Jacobs (Palo Alto), Dr. Leykum (San Antonio), Dr. Madrigal (Boston), and Dr. True (New Orleans).

NYC Department of Cultural Affairs

Caribbean American Repertory Theatre, Inc.

Tropicalfete, Inc.

Local

Center for Linguistic and Cultural Democracy

Caribbean Sea Fest 2020 will be hosted virtually on Saturday, July 26, 2020 at the Royal Esquire Club, 5016 Rainier Avenue South, from 11:00 am-7:00 pm. The all-day watch party will be a combination of pre-recorded performances and live-streaming. Social distancing and appropriate sanitation measures will be observed.

NYC Department of Cultural Affairs

caribBEING

City of Gainesville

Caring & Sharing Learning School

City of Gainesville

Caring and Sharing Learning School

NIA - National Institute on Aging

PROJECT SUMMARY Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD) caregivers in ethnic immigrant communities, particularly those with limited English proficiency (LEP), have often been excluded from the benefits of evidence-based interventions (EBIs). Focusing on Korean Americans as a target LEP group and the Savvy Caregiver Program (SCP) as a target EBI, our team of cultural and content experts conducted a cultural adaptation of SCP for Korean American caregivers, resulting in K-Savvy. In a pilot test, K-Savvy, a 6-week online psychoeducation program delivered in Korean, demonstrated feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy in reducing depressive symptoms among dementia caregivers. We documented the cultural adaptation process using the Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications–Enhanced (FRAME) and developed the K-Savvy Trainer-the- Trainer (TTT) program. Building upon this preliminary work, we now propose an efficacy study. Grounded in stress process and social cognitive theories, our goal is to examine the efficacy of K-Savvy and the underlying mechanisms of action. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, our Aim 1 is to quantitatively assess the effects of K-Savvy on caregiver outcomes (burden, depressive symptoms, and psychological gain) and the mediating role of caregiver appraisals (perceived stressfulness and self-efficacy). We hypothesize that K-Savvy will yield positive caregiver outcomes, mediated through cognitive appraisals. Aim 2 focuses on qualitatively evaluating the experiences of both caregiver participants and interventionists with K-Savvy. This sequence is to maximize the mixed methods data use (i.e., validation, contextualization, capture of delicate nuances, explanation of success/failure of the approach). We will employ a three-arm design, randomly assigning participants to (1) active treatment with K-Savvy (n = 60), (2) attention control with Healthy Living (n = 60), and (3) usual care (n = 30). Our goal is to enroll 150 participants across 25 classes, each consisting of 6 participants, proportionately representing three areas with varying Korean population densities: CA (n = 72), TX (n = 48), and FL (n = 30). All participants will be assessed at five points: baseline, and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Following the baseline assessment, those assigned to the active treatment group will participate in K- Savvy immediately, while participants in the attention control and usual care conditions will begin K-Savvy after a delay of 6 months, following the 6-month data collection. Guided by the Reach, Efficacy, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) model, we will analyze mixed methods data to pursue our aims. Using FRAME, we will also document our implementation process and respond to the culture, context, and characteristics of the target group. This proposed study aims to build evidence for K-Savvy's efficacy and mechanisms of action, refine the K-Savvy protocol, and generate the K-Savvy Online TTT Program, preparing our team for a real-world effectiveness trial. We expect our efforts to bring societal benefits by narrowing the gap in EBI delivery.

NIA - National Institute on Aging

Project Summary Alzheimer's Disease (AD) significantly impacts not only patients but also the 11 million caregivers in the U.S., who are often family members. The prolonged caregiving journey, which can span several years, places a considerable emotional, physical, and financial burden on these caregivers, leading to increased risks of stress (59%), depression (30%) and decline in overall health. While many support systems are available to assist caregivers, they often remain dispersed and inaccessible due to barriers such as awareness of solutions, time constraints, and difficulty finding the right support for specific problems. A primary challenge is accessing resources that help to deal with caregiving, understand complex patient behaviors, develop skills for managing tough situations, and reduce caregiving-related stress. We propose CaringGPT (CGPT), an innovative solution that applies Generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) to address these challenges by providing caregivers with personalized assistance and resources tailored to their specific needs. CaringGPT will deliver curated information based on reliable sources, effective intervention content, practical skills, and stress-reducing techniques, streamlining access to the right support at any time. CGPT will help to close key gaps of existing approaches. Instead of knowing where to find specific solutions, spending time looking at different web pages (or trying different mobile apps), evaluating if content is relevant, and selecting parts of different programs to get an appropriate plan of action, CGPT will provide direct answers to caregivers in a single app, saving time and effort, which are critical for caregivers. Similar to how ChatGPT answers user questions directly, CaringGPT will deliver curated, evidence-based materials specifically for caregivers in a short conversation, in addition to a personalized plan for each user. The ability of CaringGPT to offer human-like conversations and personalized responses is likely to enhance acceptance of the program, user engagement, and benefits for caregivers. This project will help to advance the field by developing and evaluating a new Generative AI intervention for dementia caregivers with an AI Core (Knowledge Base) based on curated materials and content from proven interventions. CaringGPT will have high commercial potential because of its convenience, ease of use, vast relevant content (yet simple with direct answers), and time-saving features. Phase I will create the initial AI Core (Knowledge Base), develop the initial CaringGPT Gen AI cloud cluster, implement the CaringGPT app prototype, and assess feasibility. Phase II will fully develop the CaringGPT program and evaluate its effectiveness through a randomized clinical trial. CaringGPT will reduce caregiver stress and depressive symptoms related to Alzheimer's caregiving using a non-pharmacological approach. It will provide an effective, low-cost, and accessible mobile app that can be distributed to countless families facing Alzheimer's Disease through the Apple and Google Play app stores.

City of Richmond

AUTO QUALITY INSURANCE SERVICES

NYC Department of Cultural Affairs

Carlos Lezama Archives and Caribbean Cultural Center

Deepti Navaratna

Carnatic Singing Circles workshop and concert

The Carnegie Hall Corporation

(1) Elevator upgrades; roof top track system, davits and window washing rig; new marquees for Zankel Hall and Isaac Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage; exterior architectural Lighting; a rooftop tent; new fire alarm systems for two of the three performance s

City of Richmond

La Fusion Restaurant

105 Rainier LLC

Carpet One Property Cleanup

Ballet Hispanico of New York, Inc.

Architectural, structural, electrical, plumbing, and general construction work. Work will meet current life safety and ADA regulations. (Componenet of capital plan set forth in 2008).

Teachers and Writers Collaborative

Carried Away: Writing to Folk & Classical Music

City of Richmond

Carright llc

Carrington Charitable Foundation

Carrington Charitable Foundation is an active grantmaking foundation based in Aliso Viejo, CA. Focus: philanthropy. Contact the foundation directly for current funding opportunities.

NIAAA - National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

PROJECT SUMMARY Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic disease that affects approximately 30 million people, resulting in $250 billion in lost productivity, and associated healthcare costs. Although three FDA-approved medications are available to treat AUD, achieving long-term abstinence remains challenging, indicating new therapeutic approaches would be beneficial. The cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript is a neuropeptide involved in several physiological processes, including AUD. However, studies of CART II during AUD have been prevented by the lack of a known receptor. We recently identified the Lysophosphatidic Acid Receptor 2 (LPAR2) as a high affinity receptor for CART II in the brain. We used cell-based assays and in vivo pharmacology tools to show that LPAR2 is mediating CART II behavioral effects. Our preliminary data show that brain administration of CART II during intermittent alcohol 2-bottle choice (IA2BC) reduces ethanol intake in wild-type male (WT) without altering water or sucrose consumption. However, the effects of CART II on escalated drinking, a hallmark of AUD, have not been investigated. Previous work showed that during alcohol withdrawal extracellular glutamate (GLU) levels in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) are elevated and this contributes to neuroadaptations occurring in the medium spiny neurons (MSNs). Our preliminary data demonstrates that LPAR2 is expressed in the NAcc and confirms LPAR2 couples with Gi/o protein suggesting CART II signaling may decrease GLU vesicular release in the NAcc and/or decrease the excitability of D1-MSNs. However, the presynaptic and postsynaptic effects of CART II-LPAR2 signaling in the NAcc have not been established. The overarching hypothesis of this proposal is that CART II – via LPAR2 – reduces escalated ethanol drinking and reverses the ethanol-induced neuroadaptations. Thus, we propose to use the well-established chronic-intermittent ethanol vapor exposure interspersed with two-bottle choice (CIE-2BC) model in WT and LPAR2 KO mice of both sexes to fully examine the effects of CART II-LPAR2 signaling on escalated alcohol intake (Aim 1), the pre-synaptic and post-synaptic effects on D1-MSNs excitability in the NAcc (Aim 2) and CART II region-specific effects on GLU release in the NAcc (Aim 3). To validate that the effects of CART II on AUD are mediated by LPAR2, we will employ both sexes and LPAR2 KO mice. Collectively, the expected results will elucidate the CART II-LPAR2- mediated mechanism on AUD, facilitating the development of novel therapeutics. An experienced team of mentors and career advisors will provide training critical for the candidate’s short- and long-term success. The PI will be trained at Virginia Tech (VT) on the design, execution, and interpretation of behavioral models of alcohol use, and ex vivo electrophysiology of distinct subpopulations of neurons (both at VT and Scripps Research Institute). Finally, the professional development plan will prepare the candidate to transition to an independent position and create her future research program in studying the interaction between neuropeptides and NTs in multiple neuronal subpopulations during AUD and other substance use disorders.

LOCAL ASST - Base Retention 15-16

Carthage Hospital medical equipment

NIDCR - National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research

PROJECT SUMMARY The lower jaw evolved as a structure composed of many bones the largest of which, the dentary, persists as a single lower jawbone in modern mammals, and is referred to as the mandible in humans. Mandibular disorders, often resulting in small jaws, are among the most common human birth defects. These disorders can dramatically affect quality of life, and are often associated, or compound problems with airway obstruction, speech, and feeding. During embryogenesis, development of the mandible is preceded by and associated with a tubular cartilage rod called Meckel's cartilage (MC) and anomalies of MC have been associated with mandibular disorders. Development of MC in modern mammals is complex: the anterior part contributes to the formation of the mandibular symphysis, its posterior part forms cartilages that mineralize endochondrally to form two middle ear bones, and the posterior half of the middle region forms ligaments. Less is known about the anterior half of the middle region of MC, which is transient, present during a small window of embryonic development before it disappears. Established assessments describe MC as a template for the formation of the mandible, but evidence of this is lacking and little is known of the relationship between the midportion of MC and mandibular mineralization, size, and shape or the processes of MC growth in length, perichondrial ossification, and disappearance of MC. We present data demonstrating that MC does not serve as a template in the way cartilaginous models function in endochondral ossification and hypothesize a new role for the mid portion of MC in determining mandibular length, mineralization of the perichondrium, mineralization of the mandible, and its disappearance. Because our findings challenge the traditional role of MC, we have designed this project to validate the developmental events that take place as the midportion of MC disappears and the mandible forms through a detailed analysis of four processes: 1) initiation and growth in length of MC; 2) mineralization of MC perichondrium; 3) mineralization of the mandible; and 4) disappearance of MC. Our approach is based on knowledge we have gained through preliminary investigations of these processes occurring at different times along the length of MC, and spanning the buccal to lingual aspects of the interior of MC. We couple 3D imaging with tissue and cellular analyses of embryonic mutant Sox9flox/flox;Col2a1-CreERT, and Sox9flox/flox mice to precisely define the changing cellular dynamics of the lower jaw in developmental time and anatomical space. These data are used in turn to inform our RNA-seq analyses of the developing MC and mandible directed at recovering the underlying transcriptome by differential gene expression, pathway, and network analyses. We plan cell lineage tracing experiments to determine the fate of cells from the intermediate region of MC, those that initiate MC perichondrial mineralization, and mandible mineralization. Our integrative approach is designed to bring new understanding to lower jaw development and open novel research areas to advance strategies for bone repair, regeneration, and prevention in mandibular disease.