Digital Commons Network^™

Monodelphis Domestica As A Fetal Intra-Cerebral Inoculation Model For Zika Virus Pathogenesis, John Thomas, Juan Garcia, Matthew Terry, Susan M. Mahaney, Oscar Quintanilla, Dionn Carlo Silva, Marisol Morales, John Vandeberg Phd

School of Medicine Publications

Monodelphis domestica (the laboratory opossum) is a marsupial native to South America. At birth, these animals are developmentally equivalent to human embryos at approximately 5 weeks of gestation, which, when coupled with other characteristics including the size of the animals, the development of a robust immune system during juvenile development, and the relative ease of experimental manipulation, have made M. domestica a valuable model in many areas of biomedical research. However, their suitability as models for infectious diseases, especially neurotropic viruses such as Zika virus (ZIKV), is currently unknown. Here, we describe the replicative effects of ZIKV using a fetal …

Shortening Of Telomeres Caused By Bacterial Lipopolysaccharides In Hiv-1 Exposed Human Oral Keratinocytes, Daphne Alcala Zúñiga

Theses and Dissertations

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV-1) continues to affect many individuals around the globe. Although people with HIV (PWH) have longer life expectancies because of modern treatments, they continue to exhibit comorbidities that are signs of premature aging compared to healthy individuals. The significance of the oral microbiome during HIV-1 infection has become of interest as chronic inflammatory conditions, such as periodontitis, have shed light on the detrimental effects of chronic inflammation. HIV-1 infection can promote dysbiosis, an imbalance of the oral microbiota, which in turn promotes the growth of opportunistic microorganisms such as P. gingivalis. This overpopulation enhances pathogenicity through …

An Investigative Study Of Potential Factors That Contribute To High Under-Five Mortality Rate In Africa, David Banahene

Theses and Dissertations

Under-Five Mortality remains a significant challenge in developing countries, especially in Africa. The United Nations has implemented various measures, such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to combat this issue. However, the success of these initiatives is uncertain. Our study investigates the social, economic, and environmental factors contributing to high Under-Five Mortality rates in African countries, using data from 1985 to 2020.We analyzed 53 African countries, partitioning them into training (45 countries) and testing data (8 countries). We conducted Multiple Linear Regression analysis and assessed the model performance using R-squared values and Root-Mean-Squared-Error (RMSE) values. …

Themes And Participants’ Role In Online Health Discussion: Evidence From Reddit, Massara Alazazi

Theses and Dissertations

Health-related topics are discussed widely on different social networking sites. These discussions and their related aspects can reveal significant insights and patterns that are worth studying and understanding. In this dissertation, we explore the patterns of mandatory and voluntary vaccine online discussions including the topics discussed, the words correlated with each of them, and the sentiment expressed. Moreover, we explore the role opinion leaders play in the health discussion and their impact on participation in a particular discussion. Opinion leaders are determined, and their impact on discussion participation is differentiated based on their different characteristics such as their connections and …

Differences In Intracellular Protein Levels In Monocytes And Cd4+ Lymphocytes Between Bipolar Depressed Patients And Healthy Controls: A Pilot Study With Tyramine-Based Signal-Amplified Flow Cytometry, Keming Gao, Marzieh Ayati, Nicholas M. Kaye, Mehmet Koyutürk, Joseph R. Calabrese, Stephen J. Ganocy, Hillard M. Lazarus, Eric Christian, David Kaplan

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Highlights

• To measure 18 intracellular proteins in blood cells of bipolar depressed patients and healthy controls;

• TFour proteins in monocytes and 2 proteins in CD4+ T Cells were significantly lower in patients than in healthy controls;

• The studied proteins are involved in prolactin, leptin, BDNF, and interleukin-3 signal pathways;

• Studying intracellular proteins with enhanced flow cytometry may find biomarkers differentiating bipolar disorder from healthy controls.

Abstract

Background

Molecular biomarkers for bipolar disorder (BD) that distinguish it from other manifestations of depressive symptoms remain unknown. The aim of this study was to determine if a very sensitive tyramine-based signal-amplification technology for …

Gender, Personality, And Cognitive Resilience Against Early-Life Disadvantage, Joseph L. Saenz, Sadaf Arefi Milani, Silvia Mejia-Arango

School of Medicine Publications

Objectives: Early-life disadvantage (ELD) relates to lower late-life cognition. However, personality factors, including having an internal locus of control (LOC) or a conscientious personality, relate to resilience and effective stress coping. We explore whether personality factors convey resilience against the negative effects of ELD on cognition, by gender, in Mexico.

Methods: Using the 2015 Mexican Health and Aging Study, we estimated expected cognition using multiple ELD markers to identify a subsample in the lowest quartile of expected cognition given ELD (n = 2,086). In this subsample, we estimated cross-sectional associations between personality and having above-median observed cognitive ability (n = …

The Comorbidity Of Depression And Neurocognitive Disorder In Persons With Hiv Infection: Call For Investigation And Treatment, Karl Goodkin, Teresa H. Evering, Albert M. Anderson, Ann Ragin, Cynthia L. Monaco, Christina Gavegnano, Ryan J. Avery, Sean B. Rourke, Lucette A. Cysique, Bruce J. Brew

School of Medicine Publications

Depression and neurocognitive disorder continue to be the major neuropsychiatric disorders affecting persons with HIV (PWH). The prevalence of major depressive disorder is two to fourfold higher among PWH than the general population (∼6.7%). Prevalence estimates of neurocognitive disorder among PWH range from 25 to over 47% – depending upon the definition used (which is currently evolving), the size of the test battery employed, and the demographic and HIV disease characteristics of the participants included, such as age range and sex distribution. Both major depressive disorder and neurocognitive disorder also result in substantial morbidity and premature mortality. However, though anticipated …

International Consensus Statement On Allergy And Rhinology: Allergic Rhinitis – 2023, Sarah K. Wise, Cecelia C. Damask, Lauren T. Roland, Charles Ebert, Joshua M. Levy, Sandra Lin, Amber Luong, Kenneth Rodriguez, Ahmad R. Sedaghat, Helene J. Krouse

School of Medicine Publications

Background

In the 5 years that have passed since the publication of the 2018 International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Allergic Rhinitis (ICAR-Allergic Rhinitis 2018), the literature has expanded substantially. The ICAR-Allergic Rhinitis 2023 update presents 144 individual topics on allergic rhinitis (AR), expanded by over 40 topics from the 2018 document. Originally presented topics from 2018 have also been reviewed and updated. The executive summary highlights key evidence-based findings and recommendation from the full document.

Methods

ICAR-Allergic Rhinitis 2023 employed established evidence-based review with recommendation (EBRR) methodology to individually evaluate each topic. Stepwise iterative peer review and consensus …

Therapeutic Implications Of Uvb Irradiation In Cancer By Enhancing Anti-Tumor Immunity, Bilal B. Hafeez, Ed W. Alvarado, Dae Joon Kim

School of Medicine Publications

UVB irradiation is well known for its impact in the development of skin cancer. However, low UVB irradiation plays protective role against various human diseases including cancer through its effect on tumor suppression. This article summarizes the key findings of the paper by Park et al., which describes a novel molecular mechanism of moderate UVB irradiation in suppressing the growth of melanoma and colorectal cancer. Key observations in this paper are that moderate UVB irradiation can enhance tumor immunity by 1) increased infiltration of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, 2) increased infiltration of CD103+ conventional type 1 dendritic cells (cDC1), …

Understanding The Burden Of Traumatic Injuries At The United States-Mexico Border: A Scoping Review Of The Literature, Benjamin A. Keller, Jeffrey Skubic, Monica Michelle Betancourt-Garcia, Romeo C. Ignacio, Jason S. Radowsky, Alan H. Tyroch, Carlos Palacio Lascano, Bellal Joseph, Collin Stewart, Aaron Silva

School of Medicine Publications

The United States-Mexico border is the busiest land crossing in the world and faces continuously increasing numbers of undocumented border crossers. Significant barriers to crossing are present in many regions of the border, including walls, bridges, rivers, canals, and the desert, each with unique features that can cause traumatic injury. The number of patients injured attempting to cross the border is also increasing, but significant knowledge gaps regarding these injuries and their impacts remain. The purpose of this scoping literature review is to describe the current state of trauma related to the US–Mexico border to draw attention to the problem, …

International Consensus Statement On Allergy And Rhinology: Allergic Rhinitis – 2023, Sarah K. Wise, Cecelia C. Damask, Lauren T. Roland, Charles Ebert, Joshua M. Levy, Sandra Lin, Amber Luong, Kenneth Rodriguez, Ahmad R. Sedaghat, Helene J. Krouse

School of Medicine Publications

Background

In the 5 years that have passed since the publication of the 2018 International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Allergic Rhinitis (ICAR-Allergic Rhinitis 2018), the literature has expanded substantially. The ICAR-Allergic Rhinitis 2023 update presents 144 individual topics on allergic rhinitis (AR), expanded by over 40 topics from the 2018 document. Originally presented topics from 2018 have also been reviewed and updated. The executive summary highlights key evidence-based findings and recommendation from the full document.

Methods

ICAR-Allergic Rhinitis 2023 employed established evidence-based review with recommendation (EBRR) methodology to individually evaluate each topic. Stepwise iterative peer review and consensus …

Predicting The Impact Of Climate Change On The Distribution Of Rhipicephalus Sanguineus In The Americas, Marcos Sánchez Pérez, Teresa Patricia Feria-Arroyo, Crystian Sadiel Venegas Barrera, Carolina Sosa-Gutiérrez, Javier Torres, Katherine A. Brown, Guadalupe Gordillo Pérez

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Climate change may influence the incidence of infectious diseases including those transmitted by ticks. Rhipicephalus sanguineus complex has a worldwide distribution and transmits Rickettsial infections that could cause high mortality rates if untreated. We assessed the potential effects of climate change on the distribution of R. sanguineus in the Americas in 2050 and 2070 using the general circulation model CanESM5 and two shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs), SSP2-4.5 (moderate emissions) and SSP2-8.5 (high emissions). A total of 355 occurrence points of R. sanguineus and eight uncorrelated bioclimatic variables were entered into a maximum entropy algorithm (MaxEnt) to produce 50 replicates per …

Diel Activity Patterns Of Vector Mosquito Species In The Urban Environment: Implications For Vector Control Strategies, André Barretto B. Wilke, Adequate Mhlanga, Allisandra G. Kummer, Chalmers Vasquez, Maday Moreno, William D. Petrie, Art Rodriguez, Christopher Vitek, Gabriel L. Hamer, John-Paul Mutebi, Marco Ajelli

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Mathematical models have been widely used to study the population dynamics of mosquitoes as well as to test and validate the effectiveness of arbovirus outbreak responses and mosquito control strategies. The objective of this study is to assess the diel activity of mosquitoes in Miami-Dade, Florida, and Brownsville, Texas, the most affected areas during the Zika outbreak in 2016–2017, and to evaluate the effectiveness of simulated adulticide treatments on local mosquito populations. To assess variations in the diel activity patterns, mosquitoes were collected hourly for 96 hours once a month from May through November 2019 in Miami-Dade County, Florida, and …

Abmr: An R Package For Agent-Based Model Analysis Of Large-Scale Movements Across Taxa, Benjamin Gochanour, Javier Fernández-López, Andrea Contina

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

1. Agent-based modelling (ABM) shows promise for animal movement studies. However, a robust, open-source and spatially explicit ABM coding platform is currently lacking.
2. We present abmR, an R package for conducting continental-scale ABM simulations across animal taxa. The package features two movement functions, each of which relies on the Ornstein–Uhlenbeck (OU) process.
3. The theoretical background for abmR is discussed and the main functionalities are illustrated using example populations.
4. Potential future additions to this open-source package may include the ability to specify multiple environmental variables or to model interactions between agents. Additionally, updates may offer opportunities for disease ecology and integration with …

Dementia And Cognitive Impairment In French-Speaking Sub-Saharan Africa: A Comprehensive Review On Moving Out Of The Shadows Of Neglect, Cyrille D. Nkouonlack, Wepnyu Y. Njamnshi, Samuel A. Angwafor, Joseph N. Siewe Fodjo, Michel K. Mengnjo, Leonard Ngarka, Maggy Mbede, Leonard N. Nfor, Carlson Abomate, Gladys E. Maestre

School of Medicine Publications

Dementia is a global public health problem with increasing prevalence and incidence worldwide. The African continent is expected to bear the biggest brunt of the burden of dementia by 2050 because of the rapid demographic changes, including rapid population growth, an increase in life expectancy, and ageing. However, French-speaking Sub-Saharan African (FS-SSA) countries are underrepresented in research on dementia in Africa. While the reasons are diverse and complex, linguistic and cultural barriers to research, disproportionately affect these countries and may be significant factors. Any efforts, therefore, to redress the burden of dementia in Africa must consider the specific demographic, cultural, …

Differential Role Of Type 2 Diabetes As A Risk Factor For Tuberculosis In The Elderly Versus Younger Adults, Blanca I. Restrepo, Julia M. Scordo, Genesis P. Aguillón-Durán, Doris Ayala, Ana P. Quirino-Cerrillo, Raúl Loera-Salazar, America Cruz-González, Jose A. Caso, Mateo Joya-Ayala, Esperanza M. García-Oropesa, Alejandra B. Salinas

School of Medicine Publications

The elderly are understudied despite their high risk of tuberculosis (TB). We sought to identify factors underlying the lack of an association between TB and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the elderly, but not adults. We conducted a case–control study in elderly (≥65 years old; ELD) vs. younger adults (young/middle-aged adults (18–44/45–64 years old; YA|MAA) stratified by TB and T2D, using a research study population (n = 1160) and TB surveillance data (n = 8783). In the research study population the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of TB in T2D was highest in young adults (AOR 6.48) but waned with age …

A Cross-Sectional Study Of The Prevalence Of Anal Dysplasia Among Women With High-Grade Cervical, Vaginal, And Vulvar Dysplasia Or Cancer: The Panda Study, Samantha Batman, Craig A. Messick, Andrea Milbourne, Ming Guo, Mark F. Munsell, Joel Fokom-Domgue, Mila Salcedo, Ashish Deshmukh, Kristina R. Dahlstrom, Mallory Ogburn

School of Medicine Publications

Background: High-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection is a risk factor for anal cancer, yet no anal cancer screening guidelines exist for women with lower genital tract HPV-related disease. We sought to describe the prevalence of anal HR-HPV or cytologic abnormalities in such women.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed between October 2018 and December 2021. Inclusion criteria were ≥21 years of age and a prior diagnosis of high-grade dysplasia/cancer of the cervix, vagina, or vulva. Participants underwent anal cytology and anal/cervicovaginal HR-HPV testing. Women with abnormal anal cytology were referred for high-resolution anoscopy (HRA).

Results: 324 evaluable women were enrolled. …

Snapshot Of Rsv, Urvashi Mathur, Barbara Stewart

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is known to cause bronchiolitis and other upper respiratory infections (URIs) in children. However, given the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdowns, circulation of other respiratory viruses was uncharacteristically low. Restrictions are quickly falling and with increased interaction there has been an uncharacteristic jump in cases.

Purpose: To summarize the pathogenesis of RSV and the mechanisms the virus uses to evade immune responses. Additional discussion of the increased rates of RSV hospitalizations as well as the role of vaccinations in controlling infection.

Special Education Teachers’ Self-Efficacy During The Times Of A Global Pandemic, Vanessa G. Leal

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative dissertation aims to describe and compare the perception of special education teachers' self-efficacy amid the COVID-19 pandemic using the practice of distance and their self-efficacy pre-pandemic using face-to-face instruction and describe the perceived valuable supports teachers received from educational leaders during the pandemic and considered valuable. The study population includes special education teachers teaching in inclusive settings before and during the pandemic in grades 6–12 in districts located in South Texas. The current study's data was analyzed using a two-way factorial analysis of variance, with both factors including repeated measures within subjects (2 x 3). A descriptive statistical …

Healthcare In A Time Of Crisis: An Investigation Of The Association Between Socioeconomic Status, Counties, And Covid-19, Jorge F. Contreras

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic has stressed social structural institutions such as hospitals, schools, the economy, and governmental bodies (local, state, and federal), exacerbating existing health inequality. Fundamental Cause Theory (FCT) provides a framework for understanding which factors drive such inequality, but its primary focus is on within-group variation. By highlighting the role of fundamental causes as systems of exposure, the Systems-of-Exposure (SOE) approach expands on FCT to account for variation more directly between populations. I performed a Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) of county-level data from Texas and California to test the utility of SOE in assessing the impact of a pandemic …

Berberis Aristata And Its Secondary Metabolites: Insights Into Nutraceutical And Therapeutical Applications, Firdaus Jahan, Sahir Sultan Alvi, Mohammad Hayatul Islam

School of Medicine Publications

Considering the rising global health challenges and public expectations in terms of safety and cost effectiveness, it is necessary to promote effective, safer and cheaper alternative treatment options, particularly to benefit low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Therapeutic regimens implying natural sources i.e., plants and their secondary metabolites have been trusted by a large proportion of sufferers and extensively searched for their pharmacological actions. Berberis aristata, commonly known as Zarishk, Daruharidra and Indian barberry, is being used in traditional medicine systems across the globe, particularly Asian countries i.e., India and China, and has also gained much attention …

Editorial: Biodiversity, Ecosystem Functions And Services: Interrelationship With Environmental And Human Health, Yixin Zhang, Zhenhong Wang, Yonglong Lu, Alex L. Zuo

School of Medicine Publications

No abstract provided.

The Rider (2022-11-28), Verilu Infante

The Rider Archives

Vol.8 No.13

Factors Associated With Meeting Physical Activity Guidelines During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Natalia I. Heredia, Michael Machiorlatti, Belinda M. Reininger, Candace Robledo

School of Medicine Publications

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted individual physical activity levels. Less is known regarding how factors such as sociodemographic and built environment were associated with physical activity engagement during the pandemic. Understanding these factors is critical to informing future infectious disease mitigation policies that promote, rather than hinder physical activity. The purpose of this study was to assess predictors of physical activity levels during the beginning of the pandemic (April-June 2020), including Stay-at-Home length and orders, neighborhood safety, and sociodemographic characteristics.

Methods: Data included 517 participants who responded to an anonymous online survey. Physical activity was assessed with a modified Godin …

Framing Of Covid-19 In Newspapers: A Perspective From The Us-Mexico Border, Rifat Afrin, Ahasan Harun, Gayle Prybutok, Victor Prybutok

Information Systems Faculty Publications

The degree to which the media report a health emergency affects the seriousness with which the people respond to combat the health crisis. Engagement from local newspapers in the US has received scant scrutiny, even though there is a sizable body of scholarship on the analysis of COVID-19 news. We fill this void by focusing on the Rio Grande Valley area of the US-Mexico border. To understand the differences, we compared such local news coverage with the coverage of a national news outlet. After collecting the relevant news articles, we used sentiment analysis, rapid automatic keyword extraction (RAKE), and co-occurrence …

Evaluación Del Diagnóstico Integral De Los Parásitos Intestinales: Infecciones Oportunistas En Pacientes Ambulatorios De La Sección De Geohelmintiasis [Evaluation Of The Integral Diagnosis Of Intestinal Parasites: Opportunists Infections In Outpatients Of The Soil Transmitted Helminth Section], Nathalie De Jesús Chacón Fonseca, María Josefina Rossomando, Edwin Fernando Díaz, Yonirei Karolay Bermúdez, Martha Cecilia Rojas, Carmen Emilia Durán, Pedro A. Navarro Rojas

Physician Assistant Studies Faculty Publications

Tradicionalmente los parásitos intestinales han sido considerados un problema de salud de la población pediátrica en los países subdesarrollados. La aparición del HIV-SIDA y los tratamientos con inmunosupresores han tenido como consecuencia la mayor ocurrencia de coccidias intestinales y/o Blastocystis sp., como agentes oportunistas que complican la salud de este tipo de enfermos, en su mayoría, adultos jóvenes. Mediante un estudio descriptivo y evaluativo de la identificación exhaustiva de parásitos intestinales en la Sección de Geohelmintiasis (SGH) del Instituto de Medicina Tropical, se evaluaron, durante dos años (2013-2014), 407 pacientes para el descarte de agentes infecciosos. Por solicitud del médico …

Acute Hypersensitivity Reaction After Casirivimab/Imdevimab Infusion In A Covid-19-Positive Young Male: Myopericarditis Or Kounis Syndrome?, Jose A. Rivera, Daniel Aragon, Jose Gomez, Hector Arredondo, Paul Dominici, Olabiyi O. Akala, Michael Menowsky

School of Medicine Publications

Myocarditis has been a rare, but well-documented side effect of the mRNA-based vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as well as a complication of viral infections including SARS-CoV-2. However, myopericarditis as a complication of monoclonal antibody infusion or as a complication of allergic reaction to antibody infusions might be underreported.

We report the case of a 30-year-old man with a previous diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection one week prior to presentation, unvaccinated for SARS-CoV-2, who was referred from a monoclonal infusion center where he received casirivimab/imdevimab and 15 minutes after the infusion began to complain …

Alternative Siar Models For Infectious Diseases And Applications In The Study Of Non-Compliance, Marcelo Bongarti, Luke Diego Galvan, Lawford Hatcher, Michael R. Lindstrom, Christian Parkinson, Chuntian Wang, Andrea L. Bertozzi

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

In this paper, we use modified versions of the SIAR model for epidemics to propose two ways of understanding and quantifying the effect of non-compliance to non-pharmaceutical intervention measures on the spread of an infectious disease. The SIAR model distinguishes between symptomatic infected (I) and asymptomatic infected (A) populations. One modification, which is simpler, assumes a known proportion of the population does not comply with government mandates such as quarantining and social-distancing. In a more sophisticated approach, the modified model treats non-compliant behavior as a social contagion. We theoretically explore different scenarios such as the occurrence …

Why Do The Police Reject Counseling? An Examination Of Necessary Changes To Police Subculture. Necessary Changes To Police Subculture., Noel Otu, Ntiense E. Otu

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This paper reviews the concept of police subculture and examines its role in the management and acceptance of treatment for stress-related injury. In particular, we examine the impact of stigma that attaches to treatment within this subculture. The persistence of the dominant police subculture remains a significant obstacle to officers seeking treatment for stress-related illnesses. The subculture has historically resisted acknowledging the need for treatment in response to the occupational and/or organizational stress-related injury that results from frequent exposure to work-related trauma. Many police administrators are still embedded within and resist changes to the subculture, which results in an atmosphere …

Bitten To The Bone: A Case Of Anxiety-Induced Osteomyelitis, Jose A. Rivera, Daniel Aragon, Percy M. Thomas, Michael Menowsky, Olabiyi O. Akala, Paul Dominici, Daniela Hernandez

School of Medicine Publications

Onychophagia is a habitual nail-biting disorder, usually associated with mental or emotional diseases. It affects 20-30% of the population in all age groups. Human bites have the potential to become serious injuries due to high virulence in the human oral flora and may often require hospital admission, antibiotics and even debridement in the operating room. Thus, repetitive nail biting has the potential to be limb-threatening if not treated early and appropriately.

We present a 49-year-old Spanish-speaking gentleman, with a past medical history of repetitive nail biting secondary to severe anxiety, major depression disorder, bilateral hand neuropathy secondary to diabetes mellitus …