2022-January-05-Researchers Investigate Sars-Cov-2 Immune Response, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

Making Strides in COVID-19 Research

JOHNSON CITY (Jan. 5, 2022) — Members of the Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease, and Immunity (CIIDI) at East Tennessee State University have been making strides in understanding SARS-CoV-2, recently publishing their second article describing a study examining the immune reaction to SARS-CoV-2 (the virus responsible for COVID-19). 

The article, “SARS-CoV-2 specific memory T cell epitopes identified in COVID-19-recovered subjects,” was published in Virus Research.  

Given that …

Bill Gatton College Of Pharmacy Viewbook - 2022, Bill Gatton College Of Pharmacy, East Tennessee State University

Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy Miscellaneous Publications

No abstract provided.

Gattonrx Magazine - 2022, Bill Gatton College Of Pharmacy, East Tennessee State University

GattonRX Magazine

No abstract provided.

Blockade Of Sars-Cov-2 Spike Protein-Mediated Cell–Cell Fusion Using Covid-19 Convalescent Plasma, Ling Wang, Juan Zhao, Lam N.T. Nguyen, Lam N.T. Nguyen, James L. Adkins, Madison Schank, Sushant Khanal, Xindi Dang, Dechao Cao, Bal K. C. Thakuri, Zeyuan Lu, Jinyu Zhang, Yi Zhang, Xiao Y. Wu, Mohamed El Gazzar, Shunbin Ning, Jonathan P. Moorman, Zhi Q. Yao

ETSU Faculty Works

The recent COVID-19 pandemic poses a serious threat to global public health, thus there is an urgent need to define the molecular mechanisms involved in SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein-mediated virus entry that is essential for preventing and/or treating this emerging infectious disease. In this study, we examined the blocking activity of human COVID-19 convalescent plasma by cell–cell fusion assays using SARS-CoV-2-S-transfected 293 T as effector cells and ACE2-expressing 293 T as target cells. We demonstrate that the SARS-CoV-2 S protein exhibits a very high capacity for membrane fusion and is efficient in mediating virus fusion and entry into target cells. …

Trained Immunity Enhances The Immune Response And Maintains Microbiome Diversity In Aging And Sepsis, P. Spencer Gill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The global population is rapidly aging. It is estimated that over the next thirty years, the number of individuals >60 years of age will increase by over a billion, and the number of individuals over age 80 may increase by 300 million. As humans age, our immune system becomes progressively weaker through a process called immune senescence. This age-related decrease in immune function increases susceptibility to infection and chronic diseases. Sepsis is a leading cause of death worldwide. Over the past two decades, there has been an increased incidence of sepsis which is due, in part, to our aging population …

Role Of Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Kinase In Western-Type Diet-Induced Cardiac Outcomes Under Basal And Ischemic Conditions, Mary Wingard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated kinase (ATM), a serine/threonine kinase, plays a role in DNA damage repair, redox sensing, and metabolism. In the heart, ATM contributes significantly in the myocardial infarction (MI)-induced cardiac remodeling with effects on fibrosis, hypertrophy, apoptosis and inflammation. This study investigates the role of ATM deficiency in 14 weeks Western-type diet (WD)-induced cardiac outcomes prior to and 1-day post-MI in a sex-specific manner using wild-type (WT) and ATM heterozygous knockout (hKO) mice. In male mice, ATM deficiency induced rapid body weight gain and preload-associated dysfunction, while WT mice displayed afterload-associated dysfunction 14 weeks post-WD. Myocyte apoptosis and hypertrophy were …

Genital Chlamydia Infection Is Influenced By The Female Sex Hormones Estrogen And Progesterone In Vivo, Amy Gail Gravitte

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chlamydia is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the United States and worldwide. It often goes unnoticed due to lack of symptoms and left untreated it can ascend the female genital tract to cause sequelae like pelvic inflammatory disease and irreversible tubal infertility. In reproductive-aged women, female sex hormones estrogen (E2) and progesterone (P4) concentrations fluctuate during the menstrual cycle and are influenced by hormonal contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy. E2 and P4 influence genital Chlamydia infection in women and mice, but these multifactorial interactions are not entirely mapped out. The complex interplay of E2 and P4 with …

A Phenomenological Study Examining How The Covid-19 Pandemic Changed The Way Teachers Use Technology To Deliver Instruction From March 2020 - May 2021, Dedra Lamb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine teacher perception of changes in the instructional delivery and learning opportunities via technology during and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 until May 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected educational organizations. School closures in March 2020 forced teachers to change their instructional delivery from an in-person platform to a virtual platform. This disruption to the delivery of instruction with the use of technology changed the way teachers plan for learning, delivery content, present learning activities, and assessment. The urgency required teachers to develop new strategies and experiment with adaptations …

2021 November 19 - Board Of Trustees Agenda And Minutes, Board Of Trustees, East Tennessee State University

Board of Trustees Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

2021 November 8 - Faculty Senate Agenda And Minutes, Faculty Senate, East Tennessee State University

Faculty Senate Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

New Look Of Ebv Lmp1 Signaling Landscape, Ling Wang, Shunbin Ning

ETSU Faculty Works

The Epstein–Barr Virus (EBV) principal oncoprotein Latent Membrane Protein 1 (LMP1) is a member of the Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor (TNFR) superfamily with constitutive activity. LMP1 shares many features with Pathogen Recognition Receptors (PRRs), including the use of TRAFs, adaptors, and kinase cascades, for signal transduction leading to the activation of NFκB, AP1, and Akt, as well as a subset of IRFs and likely the master antioxidative transcription factor NRF2, which we have gradually added to the list. In recent years, we have discovered the Linear UBiquitin Assembly Complex (LUBAC), the adaptor protein LIMD1, and the ubiquitin sensor and signaling …

2021 October 28 - Academic Council Agenda And Minutes, Academic Council, East Tennessee State University

Academic Council Agenda and Minutes

No abstract provided.

Etsu Today - Fall/Winter 2020-21, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU Today [magazine]

A year ago, 2019 was drawing to a close. As always, the final days of the year are a time of reflection – a reflection of the people, the events, and the memories that defined the past months. It is also a season of hope and anticipation for what the upcoming year promises to bring. For East Tennessee State University, the year 2020 would have been the time we celebrated the completion of not one but two long-awaited building projects: the renovation of the D.P. Culp Student Center and the construction of the Martin Center for the Arts. New initiatives …

Cosmc Deficiency Causes Spontaneous Autoimmunity By Breaking B Cell Tolerance, Junwei Zeng, Rajindra P. Aryal, Kathrin Stavenhagen, Chi Luo, Renyan Liu, Xiaohui Wang, Jiaxuan Chen, Hao Li, Yasuyuki Matsumoto, Yingchun Wang, Jianmei Wang, Tongzhong Ju, Richard D. Cummings

ETSU Faculty Works

Factors regulating the induction and development of B cell–mediated autoimmunity are not well understood. Here, we report that targeted deletion in murine B cells of X-linked Cosmc, encoding the chaperone required for expression of core 1 O-glycans, causes the spontaneous development of autoimmune pathologies due to a breakdown of B cell tolerance. BC-CosmcKO mice display multiple phenotypic abnormalities, including severe weight loss, ocular manifestations, lymphadenopathy, and increased female-associated mortality. Disruption of B cell tolerance in BC-CosmcKO mice is manifested as elevated self-reactive IgM and IgG autoantibodies. Cosmc-deficient B cells exhibit enhanced basal activation and responsiveness to stimuli. There is also …

2021 September 17 - Board Of Trustees Academic, Research, And Student Success Committee Agenda And Minutes, Board Of Trustees, East Tennessee State University

Board of Trustees Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

2021 September 13 - Faculty Senate Agenda And Minutes, Faculty Senate, East Tennessee State University

Faculty Senate Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

2021-September-01-Etsu And Vanderbilt Researchers Continue Partnership To Study Sepsis, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

ETSU, Vanderbilt research partnership

JOHNSON CITY, TN – East Tennessee State University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers are continuing a five-year partnership with a $2.1 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to study trained immunity in sepsis.

Drs. David Williams (ETSU Quillen College of Medicine) and Ed Sherwood (Vanderbilt) have been awarded a grant by the NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences. This competitive renewal grant titled “Training Innate Immunity: A …

Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic Handbook - August 2021, Department Of Audiology And Speech-Language Pathology, East Tennessee State University

Speech-Language Pathology Handbooks

No abstract provided.

2021-July-22-Etsu Recruiting Participants For Covid-19 Long Haulers Research, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY (July 22, 2021) – To learn more about the long-term effects of the COVID-19 virus, researchers at East Tennessee State University are seeking research participants who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and who have continued to experience ongoing effects 90 days after recovery.

Individuals who experience lingering symptoms from the virus often describe themselves as COVID-19 “long haulers.”

 “New evidence suggests that COVID-19 negatively impacts various body systems, both during time of infection, and in some, for weeks to months after recovery,” said James L. Adkins, clinical research coordinator for ETSU’s Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease …

Quillen Magazine - Summer 2021, Quillen College Of Medicine, East Tennessee State University

Quillen Magazine

No abstract provided.

2021-June-01-Etsu's Yaomoorman Group Publishes First Covid-19 Paper, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY (June 1, 2021)  – A group of East Tennessee State University scientists recently published their first COVID-19 related paper emerging from funding awarded to Dr. Zhi Q. Yao by the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

The paper, titled “Blockage of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-mediated cell–cell fusion using COVID-19 convalescent plasma,” was recently published in Scientific Reports. The funding Yao received from the ADA in 2020 was the university’s first major funding for COVID-19-specific research.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic remains a serious threat to global public health. In an effort to treat individuals suffering from severe COVID illness, …

Mitochondrial Functions Are Compromised In Cd4 T Cells From Art-Controlled Plhiv, Juan Zhao, Madison Schank, Ling Wang, Zhengke Li, Lam N. Nguyen, Xindi Dang, Dechao Cao, Sushant Khanal, Lam N. Nguyen, Bal K. Thakuri, Stella C. Ogbu, Zeyuan Lu, Xiao Y. Wu, Zheng D. Morrison, Mohamed El Gazzar, Ying Liu, Jinyu Zhang, Shunbin Ning

ETSU Faculty Works

The hallmark of HIV/AIDS is a gradual depletion of CD4 T cells. Despite effective control by antiretroviral therapy (ART), a significant subgroup of people living with HIV (PLHIV) fails to achieve complete immune reconstitution, deemed as immune non-responders (INRs). The mechanisms underlying incomplete CD4 T cell recovery in PLHIV remain unclear. In this study, CD4 T cells from PLHIV were phenotyped and functionally characterized, focusing on their mitochondrial functions. The results show that while total CD4 T cells are diminished, cycling cells are expanded in PLHIV, especially in INRs. HIV-INR CD4 T cells are more activated, displaying exhausted and senescent …

Preserving Safety While Upholding The Integrity Of Medical Education And Practical Skills: The Impact Of Covid-19 On Teaching Human Anatomy, Anna Cowan

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The global pandemic caused by COVID-19 placed constraints on several aspects of normal life, especially those of higher level education. While many programs moved to teaching in a strictly online format, there are some courses in which this structure was not appropriate. This study observed the outcome of the adapted course structure employed at Quillen College of Medicine during their Gross Human Anatomy course. Through a voluntary survey and multiple independent t-tests, it was demonstrated that the students who took the adapted course performed, on average, 2 points lower on each exam than previous classes. Also, this study showed that …

Psychological Distress And Susceptibility To Disease In The Infant And Early Childhood Mental Health (Iecmh) Workforce In The Time Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Ashley Sexton

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Chronic stress, anxiety, and depression can have many adverse effects on physical health, including immunosuppression and increased susceptibility to disease. For the last year, the world has endured sustained stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic which has had its own impact on mental health. Stress from COVID-19 will likely have an even greater impact on the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) workforce due to the stressful nature of their work. Self-care has been shown to improve overall wellbeing and act as a buffer for stress. Therefore, the current study aims to investigate if IECMH workers with clinically significant …

Synthetic Viral Pyrogen Induces Behavioral Fever In Plethodon Glutinosus Salamanders, Nicholas Britt

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Behavioral fever is an essential coping mechanism across ectothermic phyla to aid in combating pathogenic threats. Ectotherms lack internal temperature regulation associated with fever in endotherms; thus, ectotherms can exhibit a behavioral fever response when immunocompromised to thermoregulate by moving to warmer locations. The salamander order Caudata, tend to be keystone species in their resident ecosystems through their role as secondary consumers of invertebrates to maintain the food chain. With growing interest about ecology and conservation of salamanders as species diversity declines, this study was designed to determine if salamanders use their environment to take advantage of behavioral fever. The …

2021-April-13-Etsu Health Cancels Johnson And Johnson Janssen Vaccine Clinic Set For April 13, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY – Following federal guidance released from the FDA and the CDC this morning, ETSU Health is canceling its Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 vaccine clinic scheduled for Tuesday, April 13, 2021.

All patients who had appointments today will be notified via text messaging and are encouraged to schedule vaccines at alternative vaccine sites that are offering either the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines.

To learn where you can receive a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, go to www.vaccinefinder.org. To schedule an appointment to receive a Pfizer vaccine from Ballad, go to https://www.balladhealth.org/medical-services/infectious-disease#schedule. Ballad currently has sites in …

2021-April-13-Etsu Health Cancela La ClíNica De Vacunas Johnson Y Johnson Janssen Programada Para El 13 De Abril, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY (13 de abril de 2021) – ETSU Health decidió cancelar la clínica de vacunación que tenía programada para hoy, martes, 13 de Abril de 2021, debido a las pautas federales publicadas por FDA y los CDC esta mañana.

Todos los pacientes que tenían citas hoy serán notificados a través de mensajes de texto y se les anima a programar las vacunas en sitios de vacunas alternativos que ofrezcan las vacunas Moderna o Pfizer contra la COVID-19.

Para saber dónde puede recibir una vacuna Pfizer o Moderna, visite www.vaccinefinder.org. Para programar una cita para recibir una vacuna Pfizer …

Healthcare Disparities Among Incarcerated Pregnant Women, Molly Carpenter, Halim Oluwatunmise, Whitney Shipley, Ojiugo Udensi

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

No abstract provided.

2021-April-09-Etsu Health Covid-19 Vaccine Clinics April 10 And 13, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

Following federal guidance released from the FDA and the CDC this morning, ETSU Health is canceling its Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 vaccine clinic scheduled for Tuesday, April 13, 2021.  All patients who had appointments today will be notified via text messaging and are encouraged to schedule vaccines at alternative vaccine sites that are offering either the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines. To learn where you can receive a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, go to www.vaccinefinder.org. To schedule an appointment to receive a Pfizer vaccine from Ballad, go to https://www.balladhealth.org/medical-services/infectious-disease#schedule. Ballad currently has sites in Elizabethton, Kingsport, and …

Agent Orange-Induced Anaplastic Large-Cell Lymphoma (Alcl) With Cutaneous Involvement, Morgan Lorio, Brandon Lewis, John Hoy, Matthew Yeager

ETSU Faculty Works

Anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL) is a CD30 + lymphoproliferative disorder that may manifest with skin involvement.1 We present a rare case of Agent Orange-induced ALCL with cutaneous involvement of the hand, surgical excision, and follow-up treatment.