Digital Commons Network^™

Forest Bathing Increases Adolescent Mental Well-Being And Connection To Nature: A Transformative Mixed Methods Study, Jennifer Keller

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Previous research has demonstrated that practicing forest bathing has significant positive effects on well-being. However, few studies have investigated whether forest bathing increases adolescent well-being despite the growing adolescent mental health crisis in the United States. Similarly, few studies have explored forest bathing’s impacts on connectedness to nature. Considering the ongoing environmental crisis, determining if forest bathing increases connectedness to nature is a critical expansion of forest bathing research, as connectedness to nature is linked to environmental care and concern. This study investigated the possibility that forest bathing, a nature-based mindfulness practice, could increase adolescent mental well-being and connectedness to …

Exploring Disparities In Prenatal Smoking And The Role Of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Patricia Da Rosa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cigarette smoking is the most common cause of premature death, killing half of its users. During pregnancy, smoking continues to be the leading cause of premature death for both mothers and newborns. Research has consistently demonstrated smoking is not randomly distributed across populations; it is, instead, socially patterned. Women from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, those experiencing mental health issues, and rural area residents are disproportionately affected. The life course framework emphasizes the impact of exposures in early life on shaping health inequities. Eliminating health inequities, including risky behaviors such as smoking, requires an understanding of the pathways that generate these inequities. …

Novel Therapeutic Approaches To Treat Brain Cancer Combining 3d Cell Culture Models, Cold Atmospheric Plasma And Airborne Acoustic, Janith Wanigasekara

Doctoral

Glioblastoma (GBM), an adult-type diffuse grade 4 glioma (IDH wild type), is the most prevalent, aggressive, fatal, highly vascularized, malignant primary brain tumour in adults with a poor prognosis. Despite existing therapies such as surgical resection, radiation therapy and chemotherapy such as temozolomide (TMZ), patient survival remains largely unchanged over the last three decades. There is an urgent need for novel and effective therapeutic strategies that can overcome drug resistance, cross the blood brain barrier, and minimise off-target side effects that can negatively impact a patient's quality of life. The high failure rate of clinical trials is due to inefficient …

Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness And Financial Toxicity Among Prostate Cancer Patients, Madhav Kc, Evrim Oral, Ariane L. Rung, Edward Trapido, Laura S. Rozek, Elizabeth T.H. Fontham, Jeannette T. Bensen, Laura Farnan, Susan E. Steck, Lixin Song, James L. Mohler, Saira Khan, Sanah Vohra, Edward S. Peters

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Introduction: Financial toxicity (FT) is a growing concern among cancer survivors that adversely affects the quality of life and survival. Individuals diagnosed with aggressive cancers are often at a greater risk of experiencing FT. The objectives of this study were to estimate FT among prostate cancer (PCa) survivors after 10−15 years of diagnosis, assess the relationship between PCa aggressiveness at diagnosis and FT, and examine whether current cancer treatment status mediates the relationship between PCa aggressiveness and FT. Methods: PCa patients enrolled in the North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project (PCaP) were recontacted for long-term follow-up. The prevalence of FT in …

Twitter Sentiment About The Us Federal Tobacco 21 Law: Mixed Methods Analysis, Page D. Dobbs, Allison Ames Boykin, Nnamdi Chika Ezike, Aaron Myers, Jason B. Colditz, Brian A. Primack

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: On December 20, 2019, the US “Tobacco 21” law raised the minimum legal sales age of tobacco products to 21 years. Initial research suggests that misinformation about Tobacco 21 circulated via news sources on Twitter and that sentiment about the law was associated with particular types of tobacco products and included discussions about other age-related behaviors. However, underlying themes about this sentiment as well as temporal trends leading up to enactment of the law have not been explored.

Objective: This study sought to examine (1) sentiment (pro-, anti-, and neutral policy) about Tobacco 21 on Twitter and (2) volume …

Still, We Thrive: Understanding How Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, And Other Men Who Have Sex With Men (Gbtmsm) Experience Structural Barriers & Facilitators To Wellness, Lucas Gergyek

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Historically and concurrently, structural violence has been a significant force influencing the sexual health and broader health of gay, bisexual, transgender and other men who have sex with men (GBTMSM). Yet to date, the majority of projects exploring the health inequities facing GBTMSM have focused on intrapsychic and behavioural factors as most related to poor health outcomes. As well, these studies are sometimes deficits focused, and fail to evaluate how GBTMSM continue to thrive, and maintain positive health. As a result, the ways in which systems and policies underlie and perpetuate health inequities facing GBTMSM have been somewhat obscured. Connectedly, …

Angiopoietin-Like4 Is A Novel Marker Of Covid-19 Severity, Pavan K. Bhatraju, Eric D. Morrell, Ian B. Stanaway, Neha A. Sathe, Avantika Srivastava, Radu Postelnicu, Richard Green, Adair Andrews, Martin Gonzalez, Christopher J. Kratochvil, Vishakha K. Kumar, Tien-Ying Hsiang, Michael Gale, George L. Anesi, David Wyles, M. Jana Broadhurst, David Brett-Major, Vikramjit Mukherjee, Jonathan E. Sevransky, Douglas Landsittel, Chi Hung, William A Altemeier, Sina A. Gharib, Timothy M. Uyeki, J. Perren Cobb, Janice M. Liebler, David R. Crosslin, Gail P. Jarvik, Leopoldo N. Segal, Laura Evans, Carmen Mikacenic, Mark M. Wurfel

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

IMPORTANCE: Vascular dysfunction and capillary leak are common in critically ill COVID-19 patients, but identification of endothelial pathways involved in COVID-19 pathogenesis has been limited. Angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4) is a protein secreted in response to hypoxic and nutrient-poor conditions that has a variety of biological effects including vascular injury and capillary leak.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the role of ANGPTL4 in COVID-19-related outcomes.

DESIGN SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred twenty-five COVID-19 ICU patients were enrolled from April 2020 to May 2021 in a prospective, multicenter cohort study from three different medical centers, University of Washington, University of Southern California and New …

Proposing An Rna Interference (Rnai)-Based Treatment For Human Immunodeficiency Virus (Hiv) By Analyzing The Post-Transcriptional Gene Targeting Of Sars-Cov-2, Hepatitis C Virus, And A549 Lung Cancer Cells, Arjun Jagdeesh

UROP Posters

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that infects CD4+ T cell lymphocytes in humans, leading to the development of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) if left untreated. While current treatment methods, including antiretroviral combination treatments, effectively limit HIV replication, HIV can evade these treatments due to its high mutation rate. Long-term antiretroviral treatment can also be toxic to patients, meaning patients would benefit from a new mechanism of HIV treatment. RNA interference (RNAi) is an antiviral pathway found in mammals, plants, and insects that involves a small-interfering RNA that is incorporated into a protein complex called the RNA-induced Silencing Complex …

Prevalence Of Nicotine Delivery Systems By Biological Sex In The Spit For Science Study, Ayrton Quiroz, Amy Adkins, S4s Working Group, Elizabeth Prom-Wormley, Elizabeth K. Do, Megan Cooke, James Clifford, Hermine H. Maes

UROP Posters

Nicotine intake usage trends have changed over recent decades given the wide variety of nicotine delivery systems including cigarettes, vaping, hookah, and snubs/chewables. These trends also vary by demographic factors, such as race/ethnicity, sex, and socioeconomic status (SES). For example, studies in rat populations, as well as humans, have found that females tend to be more dependent on nicotine products and have a more difficult time quitting than male rats and humans (Pogun et al., 2017). Also, race/ethnicity may impact the frequency of nicotine usage in different populations; in that non-white Hispanics were more susceptible to smoking through adolescence with …

Gene-Educational Attainment Interactions In A Multi-Population Genome-Wide Meta-Analysis Identify Novel Lipid Loci, Lisa De Las Fuentes, Karen L Schwander, Michael R Brown, Amy R Bentley, Thomas W Winkler, Yun Ju Sung, Patricia B Munroe, Clint L Miller, Hugo Aschard, Stella Aslibekyan, Traci M Bartz, Lawrence F Bielak, Jin Fang Chai, Ching-Yu Cheng, Rajkumar Dorajoo, Mary F Feitosa, Xiuqing Guo, Fernando P Hartwig, Andrea Horimoto, Ivana Kolčić, Elise Lim, Yongmei Liu, Alisa K Manning, Jonathan Marten, Solomon K Musani, Raymond Noordam, Sandosh Padmanabhan, Tuomo Rankinen, Melissa A Richard, Paul M Ridker, Albert V Smith, Dina Vojinovic, Alan B Zonderman, Maris Alver, Mathilde Boissel, Kaare Christensen, Barry I Freedman, Chuan Gao, Franco Giulianini, Sarah E Harris, Meian He, Fang-Chi Hsu, Brigitte Kühnel, Federica Laguzzi, Xiaoyin Li, Leo-Pekka Lyytikäinen, Ilja M Nolte, Alaitz Poveda, Rainer Rauramaa, Muhammad Riaz, Antonietta Robino, Tamar Sofer, Fumihiko Takeuchi, Bamidele O Tayo, Peter J Van Der Most, Niek Verweij, Erin B Ware, Stefan Weiss, Wanqing Wen, Lisa R Yanek, Yiqiang Zhan, Najaf Amin, Dan E Arking, Christie Ballantyne, Eric Boerwinkle, Jennifer A Brody, Ulrich Broeckel, Archie Campbell, Mickaël Canouil, Xiaoran Chai, Yii-Der Ida Chen, Xu Chen, Kumaraswamy Naidu Chitrala, Maria Pina Concas, Ulf De Faire, Renée De Mutsert, H Janaka De Silva, Paul S De Vries, Ahn Do, Jessica D Faul, Virginia Fisher, James S Floyd, Terrence Forrester, Yechiel Friedlander, Giorgia Girotto, C Charles Gu, Göran Hallmans, Sami Heikkinen, Chew-Kiat Heng, Georg Homuth, Steven Hunt, M Arfan Ikram, David R Jacobs, Maryam Kavousi, Chiea Chuen Khor, Tuomas O Kilpeläinen, Woon-Puay Koh, Pirjo Komulainen, Carl D Langefeld, Jingjing Liang, Kiang Liu, Jianjun Liu, Kurt Lohman, Reedik Mägi, Ani W Manichaikul, Colin A Mckenzie, Thomas Meitinger, Yuri Milaneschi, Matthias Nauck, Christopher P Nelson, Jeffrey R O'Connell, Nicholette D Palmer, Alexandre C Pereira, Thomas Perls, Annette Peters, Ozren Polašek, Olli T Raitakari, Kenneth Rice, Treva K Rice, Stephen S Rich, Charumathi Sabanayagam, Pamela J Schreiner, Xiao-Ou Shu, Stephen Sidney, Mario Sims, Jennifer A Smith, John M Starr, Konstantin Strauch, E Shyong Tai, Kent D Taylor, Michael Y Tsai, André G Uitterlinden, Diana Van Heemst, Melanie Waldenberger, Ya-Xing Wang, Wen-Bin Wei, Gregory Wilson, Deng Xuan, Jie Yao, Caizheng Yu, Jian-Min Yuan, Wei Zhao, Diane M Becker, Amélie Bonnefond, Donald W Bowden, Richard S Cooper, Ian J Deary, Jasmin Divers, Tõnu Esko, Paul W Franks, Philippe Froguel, Christian Gieger, Jost B Jonas, Norihiro Kato, Timo A Lakka, Karin Leander, Terho Lehtimäki, Patrik K E Magnusson, Kari E North, Ioanna Ntalla, Brenda Penninx, Nilesh J Samani, Harold Snieder, Beatrice Spedicati, Pim Van Der Harst, Henry Völzke, Lynne E Wagenknecht, David R Weir, Mary K Wojczynski, Tangchun Wu, Wei Zheng, Xiaofeng Zhu, Claude Bouchard, Daniel I Chasman, Michele K Evans, Ervin R Fox, Vilmundur Gudnason, Caroline Hayward, Bernardo L Horta, Sharon L R Kardia, Jose Eduardo Krieger, Dennis O Mook-Kanamori, Patricia A Peyser, Michael M Province, Bruce M Psaty, Igor Rudan, Xueling Sim, Blair H Smith, Rob M Van Dam, Cornelia M Van Duijn, Tien Yin Wong, Donna K Arnett, Dabeeru C Rao, James Gauderman, Ching-Ti Liu, Alanna C Morrison, Jerome I Rotter, Myriam Fornage

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Educational attainment, widely used in epidemiologic studies as a surrogate for socioeconomic status, is a predictor of cardiovascular health outcomes.

Methods: A two-stage genome-wide meta-analysis of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and triglyceride (TG) levels was performed while accounting for gene-educational attainment interactions in up to 226,315 individuals from five population groups. We considered two educational attainment variables: “Some College” (yes/no, for any education beyond high school) and “Graduated College” (yes/no, for completing a 4-year college degree). Genome-wide significant (p < 5 × 10−8) and suggestive (p < 1 × 10−6) variants were identified in Stage 1 (in up to 108,784 individuals) through genome-wide analysis, and those variants were followed up in Stage 2 studies (in up to 117,531 individuals).

Results: In combined analysis of Stages 1 and 2, we identified 18 novel lipid loci (nine …

Wastewater Pandemic Preparedness: Toward An End-To-End Pathogen Monitoring Program, Justin R Clark, Austen Terwilliger, Vasanthi Avadhanula, Michael Tisza, Juwan Cormier, Sara Javornik-Cregeen, Matthew Clayton Ross, Kristi Louise Hoffman, Catherine Troisi, Blake Hanson, Joseph Petrosino, John Balliew, Pedro A Piedra, Janelle Rios, Jennifer Deegan, Cici Bauer, Fuqing Wu, Kristina D Mena, Eric Boerwinkle, Anthony W Maresso

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Molecular analysis of public wastewater has great potential as a harbinger for community health and health threats. Long-used to monitor the presence of enteric viruses, in particular polio, recent successes of wastewater as a reliable lead indicator for trends in SARS-CoV-2 levels and hospital admissions has generated optimism and emerging evidence that similar science can be applied to other pathogens of pandemic potential (PPPs), especially respiratory viruses and their variants of concern (VOC). However, there are substantial challenges associated with implementation of this ideal, namely that multiple and distinct fields of inquiry must be bridged and coordinated. These include engineering, …

Connecting Antibiotic Resistance To The Environment (Care): Introducing A Novel Framework Integrating Chemical Cross-Resistance And Place-Based Engagement To The Blue Marsh Watershed In Reading, Pennsylvania, Jill Felker

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Antibiotic resistance is a serious health threat around the world. Millions of individuals are infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria yearly, and thousands die from previously curable illnesses. Although antibiotic resistance occurs naturally, misuse of antibiotics accelerates the loss of their effectiveness. Public health campaigns focusing on antibiotic awareness have not effectively communicated and educated the public on this health crisis. New efforts to combat antibiotic resistance are urgently needed. This dissertation focuses on the ecological and public health components of antibiotic resistance research that must be addressed to decelerate antibiotic resistance. A new interdisciplinary theoretical framework was developed to Connect Antibiotic …

How Cultural Believes Support And Perpetuate Relational Violence: A Delphi Study For Violence Prevention, Alisha D. Guthery

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study solicited experts in relational violence across the United States using the Delphi methodology and grounded theory. This research was conducted in two phases and designed to answer two primary questions: (1) What cultural beliefs are involved in relational violence in the United States? And (2) How are the beliefs about relational violence maintained? The findings showed agreement from the experts on the societal beliefs that hold relational violence, the specific beliefs held by the abuser, and the impacts of these beliefs on the survivor. The experts offered ideas for intervention and prevention, which are important contributions to professional …

A Population-Based Assessment Of Metastatic Hepatoblastoma In Texas Reveals Ethnic Disparities, Andres F Espinoza, Michael E Scheurer, Tiffany M Chambers, Sanjeev A Vasudevan, Philip J Lupo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Hepatoblastoma (HB) is the most common primary liver cancer in children with emerging evidence that incidence is increasing globally. While overall survival for low risk hepatoblastoma is >90%, children with metastatic disease have worse survival. As identifying factors associated with high-risk disease is critical for improving outcomes for these children, a need for a further understanding of the epidemiology of hepatoblastoma is warranted. Therefore, we conducted a population-based epidemiologic study of hepatoblastoma in Texas, a large state characterized by ethnic and geographic diversity.

METHODS: Information on children diagnosed with hepatoblastoma at 0-19 years of age for the period of …

From Concept To Delivery: A Yeast-Expressed Recombinant Protein-Based Covid-19 Vaccine Technology Suitable For Global Access, Peter J Hotez, Rakesh Adhikari, Wen-Hsiang Chen, Yi-Lin Chen, Portia Gillespie, Nelufa Y Islam, Brian Keegan, Rakhi Tyagi Kundu, Jungsoon Lee, Zhuyun Liu, Jason T Kimata, Numan Oezguen, Jeroen Pollet, Cristina Poveda, Kay Razavi, Shannon E Ronca, Ulrich Strych, Syamala R Thimmiraju, Leroy Versteeg, Maria Jose Villar-Mondragon, Junfei Wei, Bin Zhan, Maria Elena Bottazzi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: The development of a yeast-expressed recombinant protein-based vaccine technology co-developed with LMIC vaccine producers and suitable as a COVID-19 vaccine for global access is described. The proof-of-concept for developing a SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) antigen as a yeast-derived recombinant protein vaccine technology is described.

Areas covered: Genetic Engineering: The strategy is presented for the design and genetic modification used during cloning and expression in the yeast system. Process and Assay Development: A summary is presented of how a scalable, reproducible, and robust production process for the recombinant protein COVID-19 vaccine antigen was developed. Formulation and Pre-clinical Strategy: …

The Small Intestinal Microbiome: Vibing With Intestinal Stem Cells, Victoria Poplaski, Faith Sawyer, Sarah E Blutt

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The epithelial lining of the small intestine mediates its absorptive and secretory function and thus is a critical component of human health. Regeneration and renewal of the epithelium is the result of proliferation of intestinal stem cells (ISCs). Many cell types and molecular factors are known to regulate the ability of ISCs to proliferate, including adjacent neighboring epithelial cells and the underlying, supportive stromal cells. The microbiome resides in the lumen of the small intestine and is in close contact with the epithelium. Due to its proximity to ISCs, it has been hypothesized that species within the microbiome have the …

Versican Provides The Provisional Matrix For Uterine Spiral Artery Dilation And Fetal Growth, Yusuke Sagae, Akihito Horie, Akihiro Yanai, Tsutomu Ohara, Baku Nakakita, Yoshimi Kitawaki, Asuka Okunomiya, Hirohiko Tani, Ken Yamaguchi, Junzo Hamanishi, John P Lydon, Takiko Daikoku, Hideto Watanabe, Masaki Mandai

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The extracellular matrix (ECM) in the endometrium plays a crucial role in mammalian pregnancy. We have shown that versican secreted from the endometrial epithelium promotes embryo implantation. Versican is a proteoglycan, a major player in the provisional matrix, and versikine, its N-terminal fragment cleaved by ADAMTS proteinases, serves as a bioactive molecule. Here, since versican expression in the placenta was dynamically altered in humans and mice, we investigated the role of versican in pregnancy using uterine-specific Vcan deletion mice (uKO mice) and ADAMTS-resistant versican expressing mice (V1R mice). uKO mice exhibited insufficient spiral artery dilation, followed by fetal growth restriction …

Transcriptomic Profiles Of Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome Phenotypes In Pediatric Critical Influenza, Tanya Novak, Jeremy Chase Crawford, Georg Hahn, Mark W Hall, Simone A Thair, Margaret M Newhams, Janet Chou, Peter M Mourani, Keiko M Tarquinio, Barry Markovitz, Laura L Loftis, Scott L Weiss, Renee Higgerson, Adam J Schwarz, Neethi P Pinto, Neal J Thomas, Rainer G Gedeit, Ronald C Sanders, Sidharth Mahapatra, Bria M Coates, Natalie Z Cvijanovich, Kate G Ackerman, David W Tellez, Patrick Mcquillen, Stephen C Kurachek, Steven L Shein, Christoph Lange, Paul G Thomas, Adrienne G Randolph

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Influenza virus is responsible for a large global burden of disease, especially in children. Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome (MODS) is a life-threatening and fatal complication of severe influenza infection.

METHODS: We measured RNA expression of 469 biologically plausible candidate genes in children admitted to North American pediatric intensive care units with severe influenza virus infection with and without MODS. Whole blood samples from 191 influenza-infected children (median age 6.4 years, IQR: 2.2, 11) were collected a median of 27 hours following admission; for 45 children a second blood sample was collected approximately seven days later. Extracted RNA was hybridized …

Sex-Specific Associations Between Urinary Bisphenols Concentrations During Pregnancy And Problematic Child Behaviors At Age 2 Years, Sarah Dee Geiger, Salma Musaad, Jennifer Hill, Andréa Aguiar, Susan Schantz

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Effects of prenatal bisphenol A (BPA) exposure on child behavior are mixed with some reports suggesting increased problematic behaviors in girls (e.g., aggression and emotional reactivity) and in boys (i.e., externalizing behaviors), while other reports suggest decreased problematic behaviors in girls. Little is known about the potential impact of pregnancy bisphenol S (BPS) exposure on child behavior. In a prospective cohort study (n=68), five maternal spot urine samples collected across pregnancy were pooled and analyzed for BPA and BPS. Child behavior at 2 years was assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Linear regression models were used to assess associations …

Global Regulatory Reforms To Promote Equitable Vaccine Access In The Next Pandemic, Richard Mahoney, Peter J Hotez, Maria Elena Bottazzi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

There is broad consensus that the global response to the Covid-19 pandemic was inadequate, leading to unacceptable levels of avoidable morbidity and mortality. Three strategic missteps led to the lack of equitable vaccine access: The heavy reliance on commercial vaccine manufacturers in high-income countries (HICs) versus low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); the emergence of vaccine nationalism restricting and delaying the supply of vaccines to LMICs; and an inadequate support or recognition for LMIC national regulatory authorities. To avoid these inequities in a future pandemic, we focus on three successful vaccine development and technology transfer case studies-the Hepatitis B vaccine produced …

Corrigendum: Clinical And Immunological Effects Of P53-Targeting Vaccines, Shan Zhou, Chunmei Fan, Zhaoyang Zeng, Ken H Young, Yong Li

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.762796.].

Astrocytic-Based Controller Shifts Epileptic Activity To The Chaotic State, Mojde Nahtani, Mehdi Siahi, Javad Razjouyan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Investigating an effective controller to shift hippocampal epileptic periodicity to normal chaotic behavior will be new hope for epilepsy treatment. Astrocytes nourish and protect neurons and maintain synaptic transmission and network activity. Therefore, this study explored the ameliorating effect of the astrocyte computational model on epileptic periodicity.

Methods: Modified Morris-Lecar equations were used to model the hippocampal CA3 network. Network inhibitory parameters were employed to generate oscillation-induced epileptiform periodicity. The astrocyte controller was based on a functional dynamic mathematical model of brain astrocytic cells.

Results: Results demonstrated that the synchronization of two neural networks shifted the brain's chaotic state …

Gastrointestinal Organoids In The Study Of Viral Infections, J Thomas Gebert, Francesca Scribano, Kristen A Engevik, Jacob L Perry, Joseph M Hyser

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Viruses are among the most prevalent enteric pathogens. Although virologists historically relied on cell lines and animal models, human intestinal organoids (HIOs) continue to grow in popularity. HIOs are nontransformed, stem cell-derived, ex vivo cell cultures that maintain the cell type diversity of the intestinal epithelium. They offer higher throughput than standard animal models while more accurately mimicking the native tissue of infection than transformed cell lines. Here, we review recent literature that highlights virological advances facilitated by HIOs. We discuss the variations and limitations of HIOs, how HIOs have allowed for the cultivation of previously uncultivatable viruses, and how …

Gene-Environment Interactions Underlying The Etiology Of Neural Tube Defects, Carlo Donato Caiaffa, Cristiane Sá Roriz Fonteles, Lei Yunping, Richard H Finnell

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Neural tube defects (NTDs) consist of severe structural malformations of the brain and spinal cord and are the second most common structural birth defect in humans, accounting for approximately 2700 affected pregnancies every year in the United States. These numbers are highly significant, considering that birth defects remain a leading cause of infant mortality in the United States, affecting approximately 120,000 babies born annually. Survivors of these congenital malformations face long-term disability and lifelong challenges imposed by severe physical burdens compromising the afflicted individual's overall quality of life. Clearly, birth defects, and especially NTDs remain a global public health challenge, …

Toward More Rigorous And Informative Nutritional Epidemiology: The Rational Space Between Dismissal And Defense Of The Status Quo, Andrew W Brown, Stella Aslibekyan, Dennis Bier, Rafael Ferreira Da Silva, Adam Hoover, David M Klurfeld, Eric Loken, Evan Mayo-Wilson, Nir Menachemi, Greg Pavela, Patrick D Quinn, Dale Schoeller, Carmen Tekwe, Danny Valdez, Colby J Vorland, Leah D Whigham, David B Allison

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

To date, nutritional epidemiology has relied heavily on relatively weak methods including simple observational designs and substandard measurements. Despite low internal validity and other sources of bias, claims of causality are made commonly in this literature. Nutritional epidemiology investigations can be improved through greater scientific rigor and adherence to scientific reporting commensurate with research methods used. Some commentators advocate jettisoning nutritional epidemiology entirely, perhaps believing improvements are impossible. Still others support only normative refinements. But neither abolition nor minor tweaks are appropriate. Nutritional epidemiology, in its present state, offers utility, yet also needs marked, reformational renovation. Changing the status quo …

Editorial: Health Effects And Pathophysiological Mechanisms Of One-Carbon Metabolism Nutrients Intake Throughout The Life Cycle, Jufen Liu, Yunping Lei, Lei Wang, Chao Guo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of The Cytolytic Potential Of A Multivirus-Targeted T Cell Therapy Using A Vital Dye-Based, Flow Cytometric Assay, Kiriakos Koukoulias, Penelope G Papayanni, Julia Jones, Manik Kuvalekar, Ayumi Watanabe, Yovana Velazquez, Sarah Gilmore, Anastasia Papadopoulou, Ann M Leen, Spyridoula Vasileiou

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Reliable and sensitive characterization assays are important determinants of the successful clinical translation of immunotherapies. For the assessment of cytolytic potential, the chromium 51 (51Cr) release assay has long been considered the gold standard for testing effector cells. However, attaining the approvals to access and use radioactive isotopes is becoming increasingly complex, while technical aspects [i.e. sensitivity, short (4-6 hours) assay duration] may lead to suboptimal performance. This has been the case with our ex vivo expanded, polyclonal (CD4+ and CD8+) multivirus-specific T cell (multiVST) lines, which recognize 5 difficult-to-treat viruses [Adenovirus (AdV), BK virus (BKV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein Barr …

A Rapid, Low-Cost, And Highly Sensitive Sars-Cov-2 Diagnostic Based On Whole-Genome Sequencing, Per A Adastra, Neva C Durand, Namita Mitra, Saul Godinez Pulido, Ragini Mahajan, Alyssa Blackburn, Zane L Colaric, Joshua W M Theisen, David Weisz, Olga Dudchenko, Andreas Gnirke, Suhas S P Rao, Parwinder Kaur, Erez Lieberman Aiden, Aviva Presser Aiden

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Early detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection is key to managing the current global pandemic, as evidence shows the virus is most contagious on or before symptom onset. Here, we introduce a low-cost, high-throughput method for diagnosing and studying SARS-CoV-2 infection. Dubbed Pathogen-Oriented Low-Cost Assembly & Re-Sequencing (POLAR), this method amplifies the entirety of the SARS-CoV-2 genome. This contrasts with typical RT-PCR-based diagnostic tests, which amplify only a few loci. To achieve this goal, we combine a SARS-CoV-2 enrichment method developed by the ARTIC Network (https://artic.network/) with short-read DNA sequencing and de novo genome assembly. Using this method, we can reliably ( …

Initial Insights Into The Genetic Variation Associated With Metformin Treatment Failure In Youth With Type 2 Diabetes, Shylaja Srinivasan, Ling Chen, Miriam Udler, Jennifer Todd, Megan M Kelsey, Morey W Haymond, Silva Arslanian, Philip Zeitler, Rose Gubitosi-Klug, Kristen J Nadeau, Katherine Kutney, Neil H White, Josephine H Li, James A Perry, Varinderpal Kaur, Laura Brenner, Josep M Mercader, Adem Dawed, Ewan R Pearson, Sook-Wah Yee, Kathleen M Giacomini, Toni Pollin, Jose C Florez

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Metformin is the first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes (T2D) in youth but with limited sustained glycemic response. To identify common variants associated with metformin response, we used a genome-wide approach in 506 youth from the Treatment Options for Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth (TODAY) study and examined the relationship between T2D partitioned polygenic scores (pPS), glycemic traits, and metformin response in these youth. Several variants met a suggestive threshold (P < 1 × 10−6), though none including published adult variants reached genome-wide significance. We pursued replication of top nine variants in three cohorts, and rs76195229 in ATRNL1 was associated with worse metformin response in the Metformin Genetics Consortium (n = 7,812), though statistically not being significant after Bonferroni correction (P …

Optimizing Human Performance In Extreme Environments Through Precision Medicine: From Spaceflight To High-Performance Operations On Earth, Michael A Schmidt, Jeffrey A Jones, Christopher E Mason

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Humans operating in extreme environments often conduct their operations at the edges of the limits of human performance. Sometimes, they are required to push these limits to previously unattained levels. As a result, their margins for error in execution are much smaller than that found in the general public. These same small margins for error that impact execution may also impact risk, safety, health, and even survival. Thus, humans operating in extreme environments have a need for greater refinement in their preparation, training, fitness, and medical care. Precision medicine (PM) is uniquely suited to address the needs of those engaged …