On the Atkin Polynomials

We identify the Atkin polynomials in terms of associated Jacobi polynomials. Our identificationthen takes advantage of the theory of orthogonal polynomials and their asymptotics to establish many new properties of the Atkin polynomials. This shows that co-recursive polynomials may lead to interesting sets of orthogonal polynomials.Comment: 18 pages. Accepted for publication at the Pacific Journal of Mathematic

Multidimensional Recovery Among an Opioid Use Disorder Outpatient Treatment Population

Background: Given the current opioid crisis, recovery from opioid use disorder (OUD) warrants attention. SAMHSA’s working definition of recovery highlights dimensions that support recovery including health, home, community, and purpose. Recovery capital captures factors that support recovery within these dimensions and has been associated with recovery outcomes. Prior research highlights possible gender differences in recovery outcomes. Objective: 1) Describe and compare recovery capital among an OUD outpatient treatment population by gender; 2) Identify the relationship between recovery capital and length of time in treatment within this population. Methods: Patients (n=126) taking medication for OUD at a single outpatient substance use treatment clinic completed an electronic, cross-sectional survey (July-September 2019). The Brief Assessment of Recovery Capital (BARC-10) assessed recovery components. Length of current treatment episode was abstracted from Virginia’s Prescription Monitoring Program. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Chi square and Mann Whitney-U were used to test differences by gender. Multivariate linear regression was conducted. Results: Participants (n=126) were 45.3% men and 54.7% women. Most identified as Black (67.7%) and were single (69.0%). Compared to men, women were younger (38.8711.31 vs. 47.0712.12; p\u3c.001) and more likely to be unemployed (60.9% vs. 42.1%; p=.037). Mean BARC-10 score was 45.08 (9.73) and did not vary by gender. Several BARC-10 individual items within the purpose recovery dimension differed by gender (p\u3c.05). More social support was associated with higher BARC-10 score (p\u3c.001); length of treatment was not (p=.599). Conclusions: Recovery capital was high and gender differences minimal. Individuals receiving medication for OUD can initiate and sustain recovery.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/gradposters/1061/thumbnail.jp

A new gender-specific model for skin autofluorescence risk stratification

Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) are believed to play a significant role in the pathophysiology of a variety of diseases including diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Non-invasive skin autofluorescence (SAF) measurement serves as a proxy for tissue accumulation of AGEs. We assessed reference SAF and skin reflectance (SR) values in a Saudi population (n = 1,999) and evaluated the existing risk stratification scale. The mean SAF of the study cohort was 2.06 (SD = 0.57) arbitrary units (AU), which is considerably higher than the values reported for other populations. We show a previously unreported and significant difference in SAF values between men and women, with median (range) values of 1.77 AU (0.79–4.84 AU) and 2.20 AU (0.75–4.59 AU) respectively (p-value « 0.01). Age, presence of diabetes and BMI were the most influential variables in determining SAF values in men, whilst in female participants, SR was also highly correlated with SAF. Diabetes, hypertension and obesity all showed strong association with SAF, particularly when gender differences were taken into account. We propose an adjusted, gender-specific disease risk stratification scheme for Middle Eastern populations. SAF is a potentially valuable clinical screening tool for cardiovascular risk assessment but risk scores should take gender and ethnicity into consideration for accurate diagnosis