Digital Commons Network^™

An In-Depth Exploration Into College Students’ Information Acquisition And Evaluation Behaviors During The Covid-19 Infodemic, Nien-Tsu Nancy Chen, Kimmy Kee, Bianca T. Villalobos, Miriam Ortiz, Hyesun Lee

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Introduction: This study examines how vaccination-inclined and vaccination-hesitant U.S. college students acquired and evaluated COVID-19 vaccination information.

Methods: In 2021, we conducted 26 focus group discussions and used thematic analysis to identify patterns in information acquisition behaviors and trust in information sources.

Results: Findings revealed mismatches between frequently used and most trusted sources. Public health agencies were highly trusted but not commonly consulted first. In contrast, social media were frequently used for information scanning despite being the least trusted. Interpersonal sources (e.g., family) were identified as both a most and least trusted source. They were trusted for their good intention …

Acute Exposure Of American Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) To Selected Antidepressant Drug: Histological, Biochemical, And Immunohistochemical Assessments, Md. Faisal Amin

Theses and Dissertations

The rapid increase in pharmaceutical use has brought significant health benefits to humans. Studies have shown that many pharmaceuticals, such as antidepressants, are often detected in surface waters, groundwater, and even drinking water. These pharmaceuticals in aquatic environments threaten marine life seriously. Marine bivalves are vital source of seafood for people worldwide. In this study, we examined the effects of short-term exposure to fluoxetine, an antidepressant used to treat depression, at low (0.5 μg/L) and high (5 μg/L) doses over a one-week period on American oysters (Crassostrea virginica) under controlled laboratory conditions. Histological analysis revealed atrophy in the gills and …

Biological, Histological, And Immunohistochemical Responses To Heat Stress In Common Goldfish, Carassius Auratus, Ngozichukwu Francis Ngozichukwu

Theses and Dissertations

Global climate change has led to rising temperatures, posing significant challenges to aquatic ecosystems and the health of ectothermic species such as goldfish (Carassius auratus) This thesis investigated the effects of heat stress on growth performance, histological alterations, and molecular stress responses in the gill and kidney tissues of goldfish Fish were exposed to control (24°C), medium (28°C), and high (32°C) temperatures for two weeks Growth parameters, including instantaneous growth rate (IGR), absolute growth rate (AGR), body value gain (BVG), and condition factor, were evaluated alongside histological and immunohistochemical markers of stress Results revealed that high temperature significantly reduced AGR …

Transforming Cancer Care: A Narrative Review On Leveraging Artificial Intelligence To Advance Immunotherapy In Underserved Communities, Victor M. Vasquez Jr., Molly Mccabe, Jack C. Mckee, Sharon Siby, Usman Hussain, Farah Faizuddin, Aadil Sheikh, Subramanian Dhandayuthapani, Shrikanth Gadad, Jessica Chacon

School of Medicine Publications

Purpose: Cancer immunotherapy has transformed oncology, but underserved populations face persistent disparities in access and outcomes. This review explores how artificial intelligence (AI) can help mitigate these barriers. Methods: We conducted a narrative review based on peer-reviewed literature selected for relevance to artificial intelligence, cancer immunotherapy, and healthcare challenges, without restrictions on publication date. We searched three major electronic databases: PubMed, IEEE Xplore, and arXiv, covering both biomedical and computational literature. The search included publications from January 2015 through April 2024 to capture contemporary developments in AI and cancer immunotherapy. Results: AI tools such as machine learning, …

Tlr4 Asp299gly Snp (Rs4986790) Protects From Periodontal Inflammatory Destruction By Altering Tlr4 Susceptibility To Lps Stimulation, Franco Cavalla, Cláudia Cristina Biguetti, Ariadne Letra, Renato Silva, Alexandre R. Vieira, Franz J. Strauss, Gustavo P. Garlet

School of Podiatric Medicine Publications

Simple Summary

Periodontitis is a common disease that affects the gums and the bone supporting the teeth, often leading to tooth loss. It results from a complex interaction between bacteria and the body’s immune response. Some people are more susceptible than others, and genetics may play a role. In this study, we focused on a genetic variation (called a polymorphism) in a gene known as TLR4, which helps the immune system recognize harmful bacteria. We examined over 1400 individuals from different populations and found that people carrying this specific variation, known as Asp299Gly, were less likely to develop severe periodontal …

Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis Of Mouse Macrophages Infected With Live Attenuated Vaccine Strains Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Raja Veerapandian, Barbara Yang, Areanna Carmona, Melina J. Sedano, Victoria Reid, Rodrigo Jimenez, Jessica Chacon, Chinnaswamy Jagannath, Enrique I. Ramos, Shrikanth Gadad, Subramanian Dhandayuthapani

School of Medicine Publications

The BCG vaccine has been used against tuberculosis (TB) for over a hundred years; however, it does not protect adults from pulmonary TB. To develop alternative vaccines against TB, we generated Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv (Mtb)-derived vaccine strains by rationally deleting key virulent genes, resulting in single (SKO; ΔfbpA), double (DKO; ΔfbpA-ΔsapM), triple (TKO-D; ΔfbpA-ΔsapM-ΔdosR and TKO-Z; ΔfbpA-ΔsapM-Δzmp1), and quadruple (QKO; ΔfbpA-ΔsapM-Δzmp1-dosR) strains. To understand how macrophages, the host cells that defend against infection and process antigens for presentation to immune cells, respond to these vaccine strains, we performed transcriptomic analyses of mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages …

Sequential Data Modeling Of Influenza A Via Traditional, Dwt-Gpr Hybrid, And Deep Learning Architectures, Edmund Fosu Agyemang

Theses and Dissertations

Influenza A is responsible for 290,000 to 650,000 respiratory deaths a year, though this estimate is an improvement from years past due to improved sanitation, healthcare practices, and vaccination programs. In this study, we perform a comparative analysis of traditional, deep-learning and discrete wavelet (DWT)-Gaussian Process (GP) hybrid models to predict Influenza A outbreaks. Using historical data from January 2009 to December 2023, we compared the performance of traditional ARIMA and ETS models, four variants of DWT-GPR models and six distinct deep learning architectures: Simple RNN, LSTM, GRU, BiLSTM, BiGRU and Transformer. The results reveal a clear superiority of all …

Human Alveolar Macrophage Response To Mycobacterium Tuberculosis: Immune Characteristics Underlying Large Inter-Individual Variability, Wolfgang Sadee, Ian H. Cheeseman, Audrey Papp, Maciej Pietrzak, Michal Seweryn, Xiaofei Zhou, Shili Lin, Hao Zhang, Blanca I. Restrepo, Yufeng Wang

School of Medicine Publications

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection infects human alveolar macrophages (HAMs). In freshly isolated HAMs from 28 healthy adults, we observe large inter-individual differences in bacterial uptake and growth, with tenfold variation in M.tb load by 72 h. While M.tb infection triggers expression changes of numerous host mRNAs, we examined which genes are most variably expressed (VE genes) between donors, as potential biomarkers of individual tuberculosis (TB) risk. The HAM RNA transcriptome following infection revealed thousands of differentially expressed (DE) genes and differential secretion of 25/27 proteins. Yet only 324 DE genes represent VE genes detected exclusively among DE genes in …

A Flea-Borne Mystery: Unraveling Murine Typhus In A Patient With Unexplained Encephalopathy, Jose J. Loayza Pintado, Jorge A. Aboytes, Cesar Uribe

School of Medicine Publications

Murine typhus is a flea-borne rickettsial infection caused by Rickettsia typhi, commonly seen in endemic regions like Southern California and Texas. While it typically presents with fever, rash, and headache, neurological symptoms such as altered mental status are rare. We present a case of a 66-year-old male in southern Texas with alcohol use disorder who developed progressive confusion, decreased appetite, and subjective fevers. He was found to have severe hyponatremia, acute kidney injury, and atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response. Despite supportive care and empiric antibiotics for a urinary tract infection, his encephalopathy persisted. Further history revealed exposure to …

Mpox 2022 To 2025 Update: A Comprehensive Review On Its Complications, Transmission, Diagnosis, And Treatment, Rajesh Yadav, Anis Ahmad Chaudhary, Ujjwal Srivastava, Saurabh Gupta, Sarvesh Rustagi, Hassan Ahmed Rudayni, Vivek Kashyap, Sanjay Kumar

School of Medicine Publications

Monkeypox virus (Mpox virus) is a zoonotic orthopoxvirus that has gained increased global attention due to recent outbreaks. The current review reports the latest update of Mpox cases from 25 February 2022 to 29 April 2025. It also evaluates the possible major complications in human life caused by Mpox. In early 2022, more than 40 countries reported Mpox outbreaks. As of 12 June 2024, the global case count for the 2022–2023 Mpox outbreak was 97,281 confirmed cases, in 118 countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Mpox virus, a zoonotic disease, a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) …

Unveiling Mycobacterium Fortuitum Lung Disease: A Case Linked To Pedicure Practices, Ivana Y. Mangione Leon, Losan Alashi, Gerardo Munoz Monaco, Carolina Gomez De Ziegler

School of Medicine Publications

Mycobacterium fortuitum (M. fortuitum) is a rapidly-growing mycobacterium (RGM) that can lead to a variety of infections affecting the lungs, skin, and soft tissue. Pulmonary infections with M. fortuitum primarily affect individuals with pre-existing lung conditions, although exposure through contaminated water sources, such as pedicures and nail salon whirlpool footbaths, has also been documented. We present a case of a previously healthy young male presenting with respiratory symptoms and systemic signs suggestive of infection. Following extensive diagnostic workup, M. fortuitum was identified in sputum samples, leading to a favorable response to targeted antibiotic therapy. This case underscores the importance of …

Architecture Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Glutamyl-Trna Synthetase Defines A Subfamily Of Dimeric Class Ib Aminoacyl-Trna Synthetases, Michael K. Fenwick, Stephen J. Mayclin, Steve Seibold, Amy E. Derocher, Sandhya Subramanian, Isabelle Q. Phan, David M. Dranow, Donald D. Lorimer, Ariel B. Abramov, James M. Bullard

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

The aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AaRSs) are an ancient family of structurally diverse enzymes that are divided into two major classes. The functionalities of most AaRSs are inextricably linked to their oligomeric states. While GluRSs were previously classified as monomers, the current investigation reveals that the form expressed in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a rotationally pseudosymmetrical homodimer featuring intersubunit tRNA binding sites. Both subunits display a highly bent, “pipe strap” conformation, with the anticodon binding domain directed toward the active site. The tRNA binding sites are similar in shape to those of the monomeric GluRSs, but are formed through an approximately 180-degree rotation …

Implementing And Evaluating An Ai-Powered Visual Decision Support System To Improve Antibiotic Usage Among Physicians With A Built-In Early Warning System, Akua Sekyiwaa Osei-Nkwantabisa

Theses and Dissertations

The widespread misuse and excessive prescription of antibiotics have played a pivotal role in the emergence and proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, posing a critical global public health crisis. Addressing this challenge necessitates innovative solutions that enhance antimicrobial stewardship. This study presents the development and implementation of a visual decision support system designed to monitor and optimize antibiotic usage among healthcare providers. The proposed system integrates advanced machine learning algorithms with real-time data analytics to provide a dynamic, evidence-based decision support tool. Specifically, a neural network model was developed after evaluating multiple machine learning approaches, including Random Forest, Logistic Regression and …

Disseminated Cryptococcosis In Solid Organ Transplant Recipient, Sonal V. Jha, Thomas V. Gonzalez, Chelsea Chang

Research Colloquium

Introduction: Invasive fungal diseases (IFD) have been reported at fairly low incidences in solid organ transplant (SOT) patients. 1 However, they are known to result in high mortality, ranging from 35%-100%, likely due to a delay in treatment caused by culture-based diagnosis.2-5 Cryptococcus are the third most common cause of fungal infection in SOT patients. 6-7

Objective: Here we present a case of disseminated cryptococcus in a patient with kidney transplantation unique in its rapid onset and presence of perinephric and perihepatic abscesses. The findings presented may inform clinicians of the potentially unusual manifestations of common fungal infections in …

The Dialogue Dilemma: The Role Of Patient-Clinician Communication For Low-Income People Who Smoke And Manage Multiple Conditions, Monique T. Cano, Michael R. Lindstrom, Ricardo F. Muñoz

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduction: Adults from low-income backgrounds who smoke face significant health disparities related to tobacco use, often at disproportionately high rates. These individuals are more likely to endure multiple mental and physical (MP) health conditions, which can negatively influence their self-rated health (SRH). The quality and effectiveness of patient-clinician communication (PCC) can influence how patients perceive their own health. Understanding how PCC influences SRH among low-income adults who smoke and suffer from multiple MP conditions is essential for clinical care as multimorbidity is on the rise. This study examines how PCC may influence the health perceptions of low-income adults who smoke …

Confounding Factors Of Cervical Carcinogenesis And Cervical Cancer Health Disparity, Vivek Kumar Kashyap, Namita Sinha, Nadeem Zafar, Murali M. Yallapu, Santosh Kumar, Everardo Cobos, Subhash C. Chauhan

Research Symposium

Clinical studies show that cervical cancer is the most frequently detected cancer in women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which has been defined as an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Women living with HIV are 6 times more likely to develop cervical cancer compared to the general population, and an estimated 5% of all cervical cancer cases are attributable to HIV. Studies suggest that several genes are involved in different molecular pathways, which can influence the vulnerability, severity, or advancement of cervical cancer in the presence of HIV and human papillomavirus (HPV) co-infection. Clinical studies have also shown levels of …

Hiv And Bacterial Lps Synergistically Activate Aim2 Inflammasome In Primary Human Oral Keratinocytes, Md Shafayat Jamil, Deepa Roy, Upal Roy, Hansapani Rodrigo, Nirakar Sahoo, Chun Xu

Research Symposium

Background: HIV infection profoundly disrupts the oral microbiome, increasing the presence of Gram-negative bacteria such as Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), which is detected in over 80% of cases. P. gingivalis secretes lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a potent immune stimulant that can damage primary human oral keratinocytes (HOK) even in antiretroviral therapy (cART) treated people with HIV (PWH). HOK cells respond to bacterial and viral stimuli by activating inflammasome complexes, including AIM2, a DNA-sensing inflammasome protein. While LPS alone is known to trigger canonical and non-canonical pathways, leading to inflammasome activation, our study investigates how HIV exposure synergizes with LPS to induce the …

Novel Signaling Pathways Involved In Ybx1 Role In Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Yamile Abuchard Anaya, Ana Ayala Pazzi, Dennis Kwabiah, Veerababu Nagati, Ricardo Pequeno Bracho, Kyle Doxtater, Subhash C. Chauhan, Manish K. Tripathi

Research Symposium

Background: The most prevalent type of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and socioeconomic and health disparities have a major impact on both its incidence and fatality rates. HCC rates are typically greater in areas with poor access to healthcare, high obesity rates, and a high frequency of infectious diseases. Because of risk factors include diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and Hepatitis B and C, HCC is particularly common in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV). The burden of HCC in this underprivileged area is made worse by McAllen, Texas, which regrettably holds the distinction of being the most obese …

Investigating The Ability Of Foxo1 To Maintain Stem Cells, Stella A. Rios, Megan E. Keniry

Research Symposium

Background: Our group discovered that FOXO transcription factors drive stem gene expression in cancer to promote aggressiveness. Work by our group and others demonstrated that FOXO factors universally maintain stem cells including in cancer, embryonic, hematogenic and neuronal contents. Our current efforts are delineating the molecular underpinnings by which FOXO factors halt differentiation to maintain stem cells.

In this project, we are employing myoblasts as a valuable model to examine how Foxo1 maintains stem cells. Foxo1-regulated genes in myoblasts closely parallel its targets in glioblastoma and basal breast cancer stem cells, including targets such as Leukemia Inhibitory Factor, …

Provider Perspectives On The Challenges And Opportunities In Managing Chronic Pain Among Patients With Hiv And A History Of Substance Use Disorder: A Qualitative Study, Sonya A. Bhatia, Isabella Iregui, Amy Knowlton, Tuo-Yen Tseng

Research Symposium

Background: Chronic pain is common in people living with HIV or opioid use disorder and is complex to clinically manage. Opioid dependence treatment, such as Suboxone (combined buprenorphine and naloxone), is associated with improved adherence to antiretroviral therapy, reduced opioid use, and lower overdose risk. While evidence suggests Suboxone can treat opioid use disorder and chronic pain concomitantly, its use as an analgesic remains off-label. Patients with these co-morbidities, especially prevalent among People of Color, are often underdiagnosed and undertreated . This study explored clinicians’ experiences and opinions on managing chronic pain in (mostly Black) persons living with HIV who …

Atypical Dengue Fever With Severe Hematological Manifestations: A Case From The Rio Grande Valley, Elias Arellano Villanueva, Alhasan Asaad, Jose Campo Maldonado

Research Symposium

Background: Dengue fever, a mosquito-borne viral illness, is endemic in tropical regions, including border regions like the Rio Grande Valley while often self-limited, severe presentations such as dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome highlight its challenges and complexities. This report describes an atypical dengue case with severe hematological manifestations, underscoring the diagnostic challenges and the importance of early recognition, multidisciplinary evaluation, and evidence-based management.

Case Presentation: A 22-year-old Hispanic female with no significant past medical history presented to the ED with hematemesis and fever following her travel to Monterrey, Mexico. Initial symptoms included high fever (107.6°F), chills, diarrhea, vomiting, …

The Influence Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Spinal Cord Injury Prevalence And Cause Of Injury In Texas: A Four-Year Retrospective Analysis, Blake C. Martin, Daniel Salinas, Kelsey Baker

Research Symposium

Background: COVID-19 was the most significant medical issue since the Spanish Flu and was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Current literature states that during the COVID-19 pandemic, in which about 10% of the global population was affected, there was a decrease in the frequency of trauma injuries observed in the clinic. Of note, spinal cord injury (SCI) has been suggested to show changing epidemiology from the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, a study in Scotland has suggested that the cause of SCI was significantly influenced during the pandemic, with an increase in self-harm. Such epidemiological changes may influence economic …

The Hepatocellular Model Of Fatty Liver Disease: From Current Imaging Diagnostics To Innovative Proteomics Technologies, Renee Hernandez, Natasha Garcia-Rodriguez, Marco A. Arriaga, Ricardo Perez, Auwal A. Bala, Ana C. Leandro, Vincent P. Diego, Marcio A. Almeida, Jason Parsons, Eron G. Manusov, Jacob Galan

School of Medicine Publications

Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) is a prevalent chronic liver condition characterized by lipid accumulation and inflammation, often progressing to severe liver damage. We aim to review the pathophysiology, diagnostics, and clinical care of MASLD, and review highlights of advances in proteomic technologies. Recent advances in proteomics technologies have improved the identification of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets, offering insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying MASLD progression. We focus on the application of mass spectrometry-based proteomics including single cell proteomics, proteogenomics, extracellular vesicle (EV-omics), and exposomics for biomarker discovery, emphasizing the potential of blood-based panels for noninvasive diagnosis and …

Utilidad De La Combinación De Los Biomarcadores: Procalcitonina, Proteína C Reactiva Y Volumen Plaquetario Medio En El Diagnóstico Temprano De Sepsis Neonatal [Usefulness Of The Combination Of Biomarkers: Procalcitonin, C-Reactive Protein And Mean Platelet Volume In The Early Diagnosis Of Neonatal Sepsis], Oscar Manuel Berlanga Bolado Jr, Patricia Rivera Vazquez, Arely Socorro Hernández García, Angelica Lizbeth Martinez Ortiz

Research Symposium

Introducción: La sepsis neonatal es una causa frecuente de morbilidad y mortalidad infantil. Se le ha definido como un síndrome clínico caracterizado por signos sistémicos de infección, acompañado de bacteriemia en el primer mes de vida. Por lo tanto, el diagnóstico temprano es fundamental.

Objetivo: Conocer la sensibilidad y especificidad de la combinación de biomarcadores séricos como procalcitonina, proteína C reactiva y volumen plaquetario medio en el diagnóstico temprano de sepsis neonatal.

Material y métodos: Estudio clínico, de tipo prospectivo, predictivo, observacional, analítico, longitudinal y conveniencia. Se analizaron los biomarcadores como PCT, PCR, VPM para diagnosticar sepsis neonatal. Se incluyeron …

Detection, Characterization, And Antibiotic Resistance Profiling Of Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria Isolated From Circulating Currency In The Northeastern Region Of Bangladesh, Moshiul Alam Mishu, Ashik Imran, Akash Saha, Shahida Ferdousee, Md. Rubiath Islam, Mohammad Abdullah-Al-Shoeb, Shahidul Islam, Muhammad Abul Kalam Azad

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Objectives

The study aims to investigate the prevalence of multidrug resistant bacteria on paper and coin currency obtained from various occupational groups in Bangladesh and to identify the bacterial species present. The research further seeks to evaluate the antibiotic resistance patterns of the identified bacterial isolates.

Methods

84 paper currency notes and 56 coins were collected from seven different sources. Bacterial contamination was assessed using standard bacteriological and biochemical tests to identify and characterize the bacteria. Antibiotic susceptibility of the isolated strains was evaluated using an antibiogram study.

Results

A total of 368 bacterial isolates were detected across the sampled …

Zno Nanowires For Biosensing Applications, G.M. Mehedi Hossain, Daniel Garza, Emilio Chavez, Ahmed Hasnain Jalal, Fahmida Alam

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Zinc oxide Nanowires (ZnO-NWs) are promising biosensor materials and hold the key to overcoming challenges in the field. This chapter provides an introductory overview of biosensing technology, focusing on the fundamental principles and comparing ZnO-NWs with other nanostructures regarding the surface area, reactivity, electrical properties, charge transport behavior, optical, magnetic, and piezoelectric properties, and mechanical flexibility. Providing the synthesis and characterization methods, ZnO-NWs’ biosensing processes are also elaborated on surface modification for selectivity, integration with microfluidic systems, enhancing signal transduction, and connecting with biological elements like enzymes, antibodies, and DNA. The chapter also discusses the applications of ZnO-NWs-based biosensors in …

Stochastic Games Of Parental Vaccination Decision Making And Bounded Rationality, Andras Balogh, Tamer Oraby

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Vaccination is an effective strategy to prevent the spread of diseases. However, hesitancy and rejection of vaccines, particularly in childhood immunizations, pose challenges to vaccination efforts. In that case, according to rational decision-making and classical utility theory, parents weigh the costs of vaccination against the costs of not vaccinating their children. Social norms influence these parental decision-making outcomes, deviating their decisions from rationality. Additionally, variability in values of utilities stemming from stochasticity in parents' perceptions over time can lead to further deviations from rationality. In this paper, we employ independent white noises to represent stochastic fluctuations in parental perceptions of …

Kras Mutations In Cancer: Understanding Signaling Pathways To Immune Regulation And The Potential Of Immunotherapy, Priyanka Uniyal, Vivek Kumar Kashyap, Tapan Behl, Deepak Parashar, Ravi Rawat

School of Medicine Publications

The Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homologue (KRAS) mutation is one of the most prevailing mutations in various tumors and is difficult to cure. Long-term proliferation in carcinogenesis is primarily initiated by oncogenic KRAS-downstream signaling. Recent research suggests that it also activates the autocrine effect and interplays the tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, we discuss the emerging research, including KRAS mutations to immune evasion in TME, which induce immunological modulation that promotes tumor development. This review gives an overview of the existing knowledge of the underlying connection between KRAS mutations and tumor immune modulation. It also addresses the mechanisms to reduce …

Minerals And Human Health: From Deficiency To Toxicity, Mohammed S. Razzaque, Sunil J. Wimalawansa

School of Medicine Publications

Minerals are essential nutrients that play critical roles in human health by regulating various physiological functions. Examples include bone development, enzyme function, nerve signaling, and the immune response. Both the deficiencies and toxicities of minerals can have significant health implications. Deficiencies in macrominerals such as calcium, magnesium, and phosphate can lead to osteoporosis (associated with falls and fractures), cardiovascular events, and neuromuscular dysfunction. Trace mineral deficiencies, such as iron and zinc. Selenium deficiency impairs oxygen transport, immune function, and antioxidant defenses, contributing to anemia, delaying wound healing, and increasing susceptibility to infectious diseases. Conversely, excessive intake of minerals can have …

Age-Associated Alterations In Immune And Inflammatory Responses In Captive Olive Baboons (Papio Anubis), Michele M. Mulholland, Bharti P. Nehete, Ashley Delise, Angela M. Achorn, Lisa M. Pytka, Pramod N. Nehete

Anthropology Faculty Publications

Introduction: Advanced age is a primary risk factor for many chronic diseases and conditions; however, age-related immune dysregulation is not well understood. Animal models, particularly those that resemble human age-related physiological changes, are needed to better understand immunosenescence and to improve health outcomes. Here, we explore the utility of the olive baboon (Papio anubis) in studying age-related changes to the immune system and understanding mechanisms of immunosenescence.

Methods: We examined immune cell, inflammatory responses, cytokines, and cortisol levels using hematology and flow cytometry, mitogen stimulation, multiplex cytokine assay, and cortisol immunoassay.

Results and Discussion: Our results reveal significant age effects …