Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Bridging Biomedical Research With Aerospace Engineering In The Lab Of Tomorrow, Christine Walck

Publications

“My goal with this lab is to take biomedical research and tie it into a school that is grounded in aerospace and aeronautical engineering,” says Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach Campus, Christine Walck. “How do I make that connection? That’s the question I’ve been working on for the past couple of years with Vicon.”

Flying Under The Radar: A Survey Of Collegiate Pilots’ Mental Health To Identify Aeromedical Nondisclosure And Healthcare-Seeking Behaviors, Emily Faulconer, Lauren Pitts

Publications

The disclosure of a new or existing mental health condition in a pilot complicates their medical certification status. It has been proposed that the threat of losing medical certification often discourages pilots from seeking treatment for mental health issues or disclosing such information to aeromedical professionals, contributing to a barrier to seeking healthcare that affects pilots of all certification levels. The current study focused on the nondisclosure and healthcare-seeking behaviors of the collegiate pilot population(N = 2,452)at a large, accredited, private institution that offers flight training in accordance with Pilot Schools (2022). Data collected from our anonymous online survey over …

Flying Under The Radar: A Survey Of Collegiate Pilots’ Mental Health To Identify Aeromedical Nondisclosure And Healthcare-Seeking Behaviors, Lauren Pitts, Emily Faulconer

Publications

The disclosure of a new or existing mental health condition in a pilot complicates their medical certification status. It has been proposed that the threat of losing medical certification often discourages pilots from seeking treatment for mental health issues or disclosing such information to aeromedical professionals, contributing to a barrier to seeking healthcare that affects pilots of all certification levels. The current study focused on the nondisclosure and healthcare-seeking behaviors of the collegiate pilot population(N = 2,452)at a large, accredited, private institution that offers flight training in accordance with Pilot Schools (2022). Data collected from our anonymous online survey over …

A Qualitative Descriptive Study On Re-Assessing The Mental Certification By Faa For Future Pilots, Kaung Z. Min

Student Works

Mental illness becomes one of the main problems that most pilots do not usually address. It is not because pilots do not have the courage or are open enough to talk with someone, but because the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) forces them to hide from mental depression. Most of the time, the pilots are not willing to declare such illnesses as they fear losing their job; simultaneously, the Federal Aviation Agencies across the world require pilots to be in peat health, including their mental condition, to operate the aircraft. While it can be said that the passengers’ and crews’ safety …

Immunological And Hematological Outcomes Following Protracted Low Dose/Low Dose Rate Ionizing Radiation And Simulated Microgravity, Amber M. Paul, Eliah G. Overbey, Willian A. Da Silveira, Nathaniel Szewczyk, Nina C. Nishiyama, Michael J. Pecaut, Sulekha Anand, Jonathan M. Galazka, Xiao Wen Mao

Publications

Using a ground-based model to simulate spaceflight [21-days of single-housed, hindlimb unloading (HLU) combined with continuous low-dose gamma irradiation (LDR, total dose of 0.04 Gy)], an in-depth survey of the immune and hematological systems of mice at 7-days post-exposure was performed. Collected blood was profiled with a hematology analyzer and spleens were analyzed by whole transcriptome shotgun sequencing (RNA-sequencing). The results revealed negligible differences in immune differentials. However, hematological system analyses of whole blood indicated large disparities in red blood cell differentials and morphology, suggestive of anemia. Murine Reactome networks indicated majority of spleen cells displayed differentially expressed genes (DEG) …

White Paper On Engineering Controls For Bioaerosols In Non-Industrial/ Non-Healthcare Settings, Cheri L. Marcham, American Conference Of Governmental Industrial Hygienists

Publications

The list of disease pathogens that can be transmitted in the air is extensive. This list includes the common cold, SARS, measles, Hansen's disease (leprosy), polio, influenza, Legionella (Legionnaires’ disease and Pontiac fever), and tuberculosis (TB). TB, SARSCoV-1, avian influenza, varicella, and now SARS-CoV-2 all have received public notice due not only to their known or assumed ability to be transmitted in the air rapidly from one individual to another, but also for their virulence. Other bioaerosols that can be transmitted through the air include bacteria, fungal spores and fragments, dust mites, and pollen. This document was developed to address …

Beyond Low-Earth Orbit: Characterizing Immune And Microrna Differentials Following Simulated Deep Spaceflight Conditions In Mice, Amber M. Paul, Margareth Cheng-Campbell, Elizabeth A. Blaber, Sulekha Anand, Sharmila Bhattacharya

Publications

Spaceflight missions can cause immune system dysfunction in astronauts with little understanding of immune outcomes in deep space. This study assessed immune responses in mice following ground-based, simulated deep spaceflight conditions, compared with data from astronauts on International Space Station missions. For ground studies, we simulated microgravity using the hindlimb unloaded mouse model alone or in combination with acute simulated galactic cosmic rays or solar particle events irradiation. Immune profiling results revealed unique immune diversity following each experimental condition, suggesting each stressor results in distinct circulating immune responses, with clear consequences for deep spaceflight. Circulating plasma microRNA sequence analysis revealed …

Let-Dependent Low Dose And Synergistic Inhibition Of Human Angiogenesis By Charged Particles: Validation Of Mirnas That Drive Inhibition, Amber M. Paul, Yen-Ruh Wuu, Burong Hu, Hazeem Okunola, Elizabeth A. Blaber, Margareth Cheng-Campbell, Afshin Beheshti, Peter Grabham

Publications

Space radiation inhibits angiogenesis by two mechanisms depending on the linear energy transfer (LET). Using human 3D micro-vessel models, blockage of the early motile stage of angiogenesis was determined to occur after exposure to low LET ions (/AMU), whereas inhibition of the later stages occurs after exposure to high LET ions (>8 KeV/AMU). Strikingly, the combined effect is synergistic, detectible as low as 0.06 Gy making mixed ion space radiation more potent. Candidates for bystander transmission are microRNAs (miRNAs), and analysis on miRNA-seq data from irradiated mice shows that angiogenesis would in theory be downregulated. Further analysis of three …

Neutrophil-To-Lymphocyte Ratio: A Biomarker To Monitor The Immune Status Of Astronauts, Amber M. Paul, Siddhita D. Mhatre, Egle Cekanaviciute, Ann-Sofie Schreurs, Candice G.T. Tahimic, Ruth K. Globus, Sulekha Anand, Brian E. Crucian, Sharmila Bhattacharya

Publications

A comprehensive understanding of spaceflight factors involved in immune dysfunction and the evaluation of biomarkers to assess in-flight astronaut health are essential goals for NASA. An elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a potential biomarker candidate, as leukocyte differentials are altered during spaceflight. In the reduced gravity environment of space, rodents and astronauts displayed elevated NLR and granulocyte-to-lymphocyte ratios (GLR), respectively. To simulate microgravity using two well-established ground-based models, we cultured human whole blood-leukocytes in high-aspect rotating wall vessels (HARV-RWV) and used hindlimb unloaded (HU) mice. Both HARV-RWV simulation of leukocytes and HU-exposed mice showed elevated NLR profiles comparable to spaceflight …

Facts About Mold: A Consumer Focus, Cheri Marcham

Publications

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Institute of Medicine of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, Health Canada, and the World Health Organization all agree that living or working in a building with mold-damaged building materials results in an increased risk of respiratory diseases such as asthma.

The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) has worked to translate the advice from these public health and medical authorities into state-of-the-art inspection and sampling protocols. These protocols are captured in AIHA’s second edition of the Recognition, Evaluation and Control of Indoor Mold …

Facts About Mold: An Aiha Perspective For Ieq Investigators, Physicians, And Engineers, Cheri Marcham

Publications

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Institute of Medicine of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), Health Canada, and the World Health Organization all agree that living or working in a building with mold-damaged building materials results in increased risk of respiratory diseases such as asthma.

The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) has worked to translate the advice from these public health and medical authorities into state-of-the-art inspection and sampling protocols. These protocols are captured in AIHA’s Recognition, Evaluation and Control of Indoor Mold publication, also known …

Recovering From Covid-19 Building Closures: Guidance Document, David Krause, Cheri Marcham, John Springston, Alex Lebeau, Robert Rottersman, Timothy Froehlig, Bart Ashley

Publications

While the country comes to terms with the inevitable impact that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, will have on our lives and communities, public health authorities remain focused on breaking the chain of transmission. Managing the risk has resulted in widespread closures of businesses, schools, universities, resorts, and other facilities deemed “non-essential.” Practically speaking, this means closing buildings and ceasing operations. For building owners and operators, this poses a significant challenge to protect their assets and to ensure they are ready to reoccupy once the pandemic subsides.

Mice Exposed To Combined Chronic Low-Dose Irradiation And Modeled Microgravity Develop Long-Term Neurological Sequelae, Amber M. Paul, Eliah G. Overbey, William A. Da Silveira, Candice G.T. Tahimic, Sigrid S. Reinsch, Nathaniel Szewczyk, Seta Stanbouly, Charles Wang, Jonathan M. Galazka, Xiao Wen Mao

Publications

Spaceflight poses many challenges for humans. Ground-based analogs typically focus on single parameters of spaceflight and their associated acute effects. This study assesses the long-term transcriptional effects following single and combination spaceflight analog conditions using the mouse model: simulated microgravity via hindlimb unloading (HLU) and/or low-dose γ-ray irradiation (LDR) for 21 days, followed by 4 months of readaptation. Changes in gene expression and epigenetic modifications in brain samples during readaptation were analyzed by whole transcriptome shotgun sequencing (RNA-seq) and reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS). The results showed minimal gene expression and cytosine methylation alterations at 4 months readaptation within single …

Reduced Gravity Contributes To Neutrophil To Lymphocyte Ratio Shifting And Promotion Of The Oxidative Stress Response, Amber M. Paul, Siddhita D. Mhatre, Egle Cekanaviciute, Ann-Sofie Schreurs, Candice G.T. Tahimic, Ruth K. Globus, Brian Crucian, Sharmila Bhattacharya

Publications

Spaceflight can cause immune system dysfunction, such as elevated white blood cells (WBC) and polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN), along with unchanged or reduced lymphocyte counts. A high PMN to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) can acts as a poor prognosis in cancer and a biomarker for subclinical inflammation however, the NLR has not been identified as a predictor of astronaut health during spaceflight. CBC data collected on board the International Space Station (ISS) was repurposed to determine the granulocyte to lymphocyte ratio (GLR) in humans and the NLR in rodents. The results displayed a progressive increase in GLR and NLR during spaceflight and …

Search And Rescue: The Importance Of Using Tracking Systems In Rural 135 Operations, April Larsen, Brent D. Bowen

Student Works

In January 2020, under the NextGen initiative put in place by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), all aircraft flying in controlled airspace, both general aviation and commercial operations, will be required to have an Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS–B) system installed and operational. However, this is not required for Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 135 operations taking place outside of controlled airspace. Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) refers to aircraft operating as on-demand or air taxi services. A substantial amount of these operator’s bases, as well as flights, are conducted outside of controlled …

Effects Of Altered Gravity On The Central Nervous System Of Drosophila Melanogaster, Amber M. Paul, Siddhita Mhatre, Janani Iyer, Jhony A. Zavaleta, Ravikumar Hosamani

Publications

A comprehensive understanding of the effects of spaceflight and altered gravity on human physiology is necessary for continued human space exploration and long-term space habitation. Spaceflight includes multiple factors such as microgravity, hyper gravity, ionizing radiation, physiological stress, and disrupted circadian rhythms and these have been shown to contribute to pathophysiological responses that target immunity, bone and muscle integrity, cardiovascular and nervous systems. In terrestrial conditions, some of these factors can lead to cancer and neuroimmunological disorders. In this study, we used a well-established spaceflight model organism, Drosophila melanogaster, to assess spaceflight-associated changes in the nervous system. We hypothesize that …

Differential Expression Of Genes Related To Innate Immune Responses In Ex Vivo Spinal Cord And Cerebellar Slice Cultures Infected With West Nile Virus, Amber M. Paul, Parminder J.S. Vig, Deyin Lu, Ram Kuwar, Maria Lopez, Dobrivoje S. Stokic, A. Arturo Leis, Michael R. Garrett, Fengwei Bai

Publications

West Nile virus (WNV) infection results in a spectrum of neurological symptoms, ranging from a benign fever to severe WNV neuroinvasive disease with high mortality. Many who recover from WNV neuroinvasive infection present with long-term deficits, including weakness, fatigue, and cognitive problems. While neurons are a main target of WNV, other cell types, especially astrocytes, play an important role in promoting WNV-mediated central nervous system (CNS) damage. Conversely, it has been shown that cultured primary astrocytes secrete high levels of interferons (IFNs) immediately after WNV exposure to protect neighboring astrocytes, as well as neurons. However, how intrinsic responses to WNV …

Neutrophil To Lymphocyte Ratio: A Prognostic Indicator For Astronaut Health, Amber M. Paul, Siddhita D. Mhatre, Egle Cekanaviciute, Ann-Sofie Schreurs, Candice G.T. Tahimic, Ruth K. Globus, Brian Crucian, Sharmila Bhattacharya

Publications

Short-term and long-term spaceflight missions can cause immune system dysfunction in astronauts. Recent studies indicate elevated white blood cells (WBC) and polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) in astronaut blood, along with unchanged or reduced lymphocyte counts, and reduced T cell function, during short-(days) and long-(months) term spaceflight. A high PMN to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) can acts as a strong predictor of poor prognosis in cancer, and as a biomarker for subclinical inflammation in humans and chronic stress in mouse models, however, the NLR has not yet been identified as a predictor of astronaut health during spaceflight. For this, complete blood cell count …

Stress-Induced Heat Shock Protein 40 And Immune Function In Altered Gravity, Amber M. Paul, Brooke D. Shepard, Sharmila Bhattacharya

Publications

In space, astronauts are more susceptible to pathogens, viral reactivation and immunosuppression, which poses limits to their health and the mission. Interestingly, during space flight, stress-inducible heat shock proteins (HSP) are robustly induced, and the overexpression of HSPs have been implicated in immune dysregulation, therefore HSPs may be critically involved in regulating immune homeostasis. HSP40/DNAJ1 plays a major role in proper protein translation and folding. Its loss of function has been implicated in susceptibility to microbial infection, while its overexpression has been implicated in autoimmunity, collectively suggesting its complicated, but necessary, role in maintaining immunological function. To determine the role …

Congenital Zika Virus Infection In Immunocompetent Mice Causes Postnatal Growth Impediment And Neurobehavioral Deficits, Amber M. Paul, Dhiraj Acharya, Biswas Neupane, E. Ashley Thompson, Gabriel Gonzalez-Fernandez, Katherine M. Copeland

Publications

A small percentage of babies born to Zika virus (ZIKV)-infected mothers' manifest severe defects at birth, including microcephaly. Among those who appeared healthy at birth, there are increasing reports of postnatal growth or developmental defects. However, the impact of congenital ZIKV infection in postnatal development is poorly understood. Here, we report that a mild congenital ZIKV-infection in pups born to immunocompetent pregnant mice did not display apparent defects at birth, but manifested postnatal growth impediments and neurobehavioral deficits, which include reduced locomotor and cognitive deficits that persisted into adulthood. We found that the brains of these pups were smaller, had …

Calnexin Is Necessary For T Cell Transmigration Into The Central Nervous System, Amber M. Paul, Joanna Jung, Paul Eggleton, Alison Robinson, Jessica Wang, Nick Gutowski

Publications

In multiple sclerosis (MS), a demyelinating inflammatory disease of the CNS, and its animal model (experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis; EAE), circulating immune cells gain access to the CNS across the blood-brain barrier to cause inflammation, myelin destruction, and neuronal damage. Here, we discovered that calnexin, an ER chaperone, is highly abundant in human brain endothelial cells of MS patients. Conversely, mice lacking calnexin exhibited resistance to EAE induction, no evidence of immune cell infiltration into the CNS, and no induction of inflammation markers within the CNS. Furthermore, calnexin deficiency in mice did not alter the development or function of the immune …

Critical Event Review Team (Cert), Jeffrey Kuhlman, Thomas Looke, Louis Barr, Jeanette Bartos, Gengie Nail, Brittany Almon, Joseph Keebler, Elizabeth Lazzara, Elizabeth Blickensderfer

Publications

The culture of medicine is shifting from placing blame on providers to a systems-minded culture of trying to understand human error as a symptom of deeper rooted systemic issues. The goal is to reduce harm by redesigning the systems in which humans work.

Usability Of A Smartphone Application To Support The Prevention And Early Intervention Of Anxiety In Youth, Ryan D. Stoll, Armando A. Pina, Kevin Gary, Ashish Amresh

Publications

Anxiety disorders are among the most common psychiatric problems in youth, fail to spontaneously remit, and place some youth at risk for additional behavioral and emotional difficulties. Efforts to target anxiety have resulted in evidence-based interventions but the resulting prevention effects are relatively small, often weakening over time. Mobile health (mHealth) tools could be of use to strengthen the effects of anxiety prevention efforts. Although a large number of mHealth apps have been developed, few have been evaluated in terms of usability prior to clinical effectiveness testing. Because usability is one of the main barriers to mHealth usage and adoption, …

Directly Comparing Handoff Protocols For Pediatric Hospitalists, Elizabeth H. Lazzara, Robert Riss, Brady Patzer, Dustin C. Smith, Y. Raymond Chan, Joseph R. Keebler, Sarah D. Fouquet, Evan M. Palmer

Publications

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Handoff protocols are often developed by brainstorming and consensus, and few are directly compared. We hypothesized that a handoff protocol (Flex 11) developed using a rigorous methodology would be more favorable in terms of clinicians’ attitudes, behaviors, cognitions, or time-on-task when performing handoffs compared with a prevalent protocol (Situation Background Assessment Recommendation [SBAR]).

METHODS: Using a between-groups, randomized control trial design (Flex 11 versus SBAR) during a pilot study in a simulated environment, 20 clinicians (13 attending physicians and 7 residents) received 3 patient handoffs from a standardized physician, managed the patients, and handed off the patients …

Interleukin-17a Promotes Cd8 T Cell Cytotoxicity To Facilitate West Nile Virus Clearance, Amber M. Paul, Dhiraj Acharya, Penghua Wang, Jianfeng Dai, David Gate

Publications

CD8 T cells are crucial components of immunity and play a vital role in recovery from West Nile virus (WNV) infection. Here, we identify a previously unrecognized function of interleukin-17A (IL-17A) in inducing cytotoxic-mediator gene expression and promoting CD8 T cell cytotoxicity against WNV infection in mice. We find that IL-17A-deficient (Il17a/) mice are more susceptible to WNV infection and develop a higher viral burden than wild-type (WT) mice. Interestingly, the CD8 T cells isolated from Il17a/ mice are less cytotoxic and express lower levels of cytotoxic-mediator genes, which can be restored by supplying recombinant IL-17A in vitro and in …

Application Of Bioinstrumentation In Developing A Pressure Suit For Suborbital Flight, Pedro Llanos, Erik Seedhouse

Publications

This presentation features Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's U-2 pressure suit. Built to be light and cost-effective, this suit is comfortable, comes in multiple sizes, operates in pressures up to 5 PSID, has an active airflow-based cooling system, and features bio-instrumentation to measure heart rate, breathing rate, skin temperature and other vitals.

An Ultrasensitive Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence-Based Immunoassay For Specific Detection Of Zika Virus, Amber M. Paul, Dhiraj Acharya, Pradip Bastola, Linda Le, Estenfani Fernandez, Michael S. Diamond, Wujian Miao, Fengwei Bai

Publications

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a globally emerging mosquito-transmitted flavivirus that can cause severe fetal abnormalities, including microcephaly. As such, highly sensitive, specific, and cost-effective diagnostic methods are urgently needed. Here, we report a novel electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL)-based immunoassay for ultrasensitive and specific detection of ZIKV in human biological fluids. We loaded polystyrene beads (PSB) with a large number of ECL labels and conjugated them with anti-ZIKV monoclonal antibodies to generate anti-ZIKV-PSBs. These anti-ZIKV-PSBs efficiently captured ZIKV in solution forming ZIKV-anti-ZIKV-PSB complexes, which were subjected to measurement of ECL intensity after further magnetic beads separation. Our results show that the anti-ZIKV-PSBs …

Exploits Of A Helicopter Tv Journalist, Jerry Foster

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

Jerry Foster was the first TV helicopter pilot/reporter in the country; the first to go live over the scene of a breaking story. High speed police chases; devastating floods and daring rescues now splashed all over cable TV, started in the early 1970s in Phoenix. Hear this fascinating story from a remarkable aviator who won the Harmon Trophy for his flying exploits. What he pioneered would later be copied by medical and law enforcement agencies throughout the country leading to the saving of countless lives.

Development And Use Of A Tablet-Based Resuscitation Sheet For Improving Outcomes During Intensive Patient Care, Wasif Bokahri, Vimla L. Patel, Ashish Amresh, Ayan Sen

Publications

Data documentation from resuscitation events in hospitals, termed "code blue" events, utilizes a paper form, which is institution-specific. Problems with data capture and transcription exists, due to the challenges of dynamic documentation of patient, event and outcome variables as the code blue event unfolds. We hypothesize that an electronic version of code blue real-time data capture would lead to improved resuscitation data transcription, and enable clinicians to address deficiencies in quality of care. To this effect, we present the design of a tablet-based application and its use by 20 nurses at the Mayo Clinic hospital. The results showed that the …

Highlighting Trust In The Provision Of Cancer Care, Elizabeth Lazzara, Joseph Keebler, Soosi Day, Deborah Diazgranados, Minngui Pan, Mike King, Shin-Ping Tu

Publications

Slides:

• Patient Case
• Definition & Explanation of Trust
• Application of Trust to Cancer Case
• Implications for Clinical Care
• Implications for Research