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Biostatistics News, Georgia Southern University

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: News & Publications (2011-2018)

• JPHCOPH Examines Consistency-ensured Parametric Tests for Critical Events of Composite Endpoints
• JPHCOPH Examines Test Strategies of Treatment Efficacy in Noninferiority Clinical Trials

Medical School Watercooler Newsletter - December 17, 2017, Lindsey Lyle

Watercooler Newsletter

This is the December 17, 2017 edition of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine's Newsletter - Watercooler.

Contents Include:

USA Stanton Road Clinic Coat Drive A Success

Dr. John Bass Leaves Legacy of Mentoring, Medical Education

Terry O’Neil Appointed Director of Operations for Neurosciences at USA Physicians Group

USA Medical Students Attend APPA Conference

Dr. Malozzi Weighs in on New Blood Pressure Guidelines

USA Welcomes Dr. Bassam Rimawi

One Health Toxicology: Expanding Perspectives And Methods To Assess Environmental Contaminants, John Robinson Harley

Chemistry and Biochemistry

The discipline of One Health is founded on the principal that environmental health, animal health, and human health are interconnected. Although the field has been largely focused on zoonotic diseases, examining concepts such as toxicology under a One Health lens can offer a more holistic and preventative approach to research and implementation and, in particular, how fish-based diets may be involved with One Health outcomes. Here we present three general case studies that demonstrate new approaches to investigating One Health toxicology. In Chapter One we show how Arctic canids can be used as environmental sentinels for human health. We discuss …

Lipophosphoglycan Polymorphisms Do Not Affect Leishmania Amazonensis Development In The Permissive Vectors Lutzomyia Migonei And Lutzomyia Longipalpis, Paula M. Nogueira, Agna C. Guimarães, Rafael R. Assis, Jovana Sadlova, Jitka Myskova, Katerina Pruzinova, Jana Hlavackova, Salvatore J. Turco, Ana C. Torrecilhas, Petr Volf, Rodrigo P. Soares

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Background: Lipophosphoglycan (LPG) is a dominant surface molecule of Leishmaniapromastigotes. Its species-specific polymorphisms are found mainly in the sugars that branch off the conserved Gal(β1,4)Man(α1)-PO₄ backbone of repeat units. Leishmania amazonensis is one of the most important species causing human cutaneous leishmaniasis in the New World. Here, we describe LPG intraspecific polymorphisms in two Le. amazonensis reference strains and their role during the development in three sand fly species.

Results: Strains isolated from Lutzomyia flaviscutellata (PH8) and from a human patient (Josefa) displayed structural polymorphism in the LPG repeat units, possessing side chains with 1 and 2 β-glucose …

Small-Animal Models Of Zika Virus, Justin G. Julander, Venkatraman Siddharthan

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection can result in serious consequences, including severe congenital manifestations, persistent infection in the testes and neurologic sequelae. After a pandemic emergence, the virus has spread to much of the new world and has been introduced to many countries outside of endemic areas as infected travelers return to their home countries. Rodent models have been important in gaining a better understanding of the wide range of disease etiologies associated with ZIKV infection and for the initial phase of developing countermeasures to prevent or treat viral infections. We discuss herein the advantages and disadvantages of small animal models …

Characterization Of Pathogenic Vibrio Parahaemolyticus From The Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, Arlene J. Chen, Nur A. Hasan, Bradd J. Haley, Elisa Taviani, Mitch Tarnowski, Kathy Brohawn, Crystal N. Johnson, Rita R. Colwell, Anwar Huq

Faculty Publications

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is the leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis associated with seafood consumption in the United States. Here we investigated the presence of virulence factors and genetic diversity of V. parahaemolyticus isolated from water, oyster, and sediment samples from the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland. Of more than 2,350 presumptive Vibrio collected, more than half were confirmed through PCR as V. parahaemolyticus, with 10 encoding both tdh and trh and 6 encoding only trh. Potentially pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus were then serotyped with O1:KUT and O3:KUT predominant. Furthermore, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was performed and the constructed dendrogram displayed high diversity, as did results …

Fluoroethoxy-1,4-Diphenethylpiperidine And Piperazine Derivatives: Potent And Selective Inhibitors Of [3H]Dopamine Uptake At The Vesicular Monoamine Transporter-2, Emily R. Hankosky, Shyam R. Joolakanti, Justin R. Nickell, Venumadhav Janganati, Linda P. Dwoskin, Peter A. Crooks

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

A small library of fluoroethoxy-1,4-diphenethyl piperidine and fluoroethoxy-1,4-diphenethyl piperazine derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their ability to inhibit [³H]dopamine (DA) uptake at the vesicular monoamine transporter-2 (VMAT2) and dopamine transporter (DAT), [³H]serotonin (5-HT) uptake at the serotonin transporter (SERT), and [³H]dofetilide binding at the human-ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) channel. The majority of the compounds exhibited potent inhibition of [³H]DA uptake at VMAT2, with Ki values in the nanomolar range (K_i = 0.014–0.073 μM). Compound 15d exhibited the highest affinity (K_i = 0.014 μM) at VMAT2, and had 160-, 5-, …

The Chemistry And Biology Of Iron-Scavenging Natural Products From Pathogenic Acinetobacter Baumannii, Justin Shapiro

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Multidrug resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria represent a global health crisis. Traditional antibiotics create selective pressure and breed resistance, making our current drugs less and less effective. Targeting of bacterial virulence factors has gained interest as an alternative strategy to potentially circumvent this problem. Virulent Acinetobacter baumannii synthesize and secrete pre-acinetobactin, a small molecule metal chelator that scavenges life-sustaining iron and is critical for establishing infection. The work described herein sheds light on the unusual properties of a non-enzymatic isomerization from pre-acinetobactin to acinetobactin and proposes a siderophore-swapping mechanism by which A. baumannii expands its pH window for virulence. Knowledge from …

Influenza A Virus Genomic Reassortment And Packaging, Graham Devin Williams

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Influenza A viruses (IAV) are a major human and environmental pathogen. IAV successfully infects a diverse host range and adaptation of new viral strains to humans may cause pandemic events with high morbidity and mortality. As a member of the Orthomyxoviridae family, IAV inherently possesses a segmented genome, which enables a process of segment transmission between viruses following cellular co-infection, a process termed reassortment. The high rate of IAV mutation and continued co-circulation of diverse viral strains in divergent host species leads to the persistent prospect for emergence of new IAV with pandemic potential. Therefore, it is of great importance …

Evaluation Of Immune-Modulating Therapies For Parkinson's Disease, Katherine E. Olson

Theses & Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative

disorder, second only to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It is characterized by a

progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons along the nigrostriatal axis and the

formation of proteinaceous inclusions of alpha-synuclein (α-syn). Secondary to

the loss of dopaminergic neurons is a progression in motor and non-motor

symptoms. Motor symptoms are characterized by slowness in movement,

stiffness and tremor. Non-motor symptoms include depression, constipation,

sleep abnormalities and loss of sense of smell. The cause of disease remains

incompletely understood. However, age, genetics, environment, viral infection,

and interplay between the innate and adaptive immune system …

Defining The Role Of Neuropilin-2 In Macrophages: Implications In Tumor Associated Macrophages In Pancreatic Cancer, Sohini Roy

Theses & Dissertations

Macrophages are extremely heterogeneous and highly plastic hematopoietic cells that reside in all tissues and act as a bridge between the innate and adaptive arms of the immune responses. Besides, they undertake a wide array of housekeeping functions like, clearance of cellular debris that arise due to regular turnover in tissues, iron homeostasis, immune surveillance as well as tissue repair processes post inflammation. They are also causally associated with several clinical conditions, including cancer where the infiltration of macrophages contribute to disease progression, metastasis and therapy resistance, and thereby poor clinical outcome.

Neuropilins (NRPs) are non-tyrosine kinase cell surface glycoproteins …

Effects Of Gm-Csf On Dendritic Cells And Regulatory T Cells In Parkinson’S Disease Patients And Models Of Parkinson’S Disease, Charles Schutt

Theses & Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder. Pathologically, loss of nigrostriatal neurons and dopamine released by these neurons are responsible for PD motor symptoms. During PD, activation of resident microglia and infiltrating lymphocytes leads to progressive neuroinflammation and reduction in the number and function of regulatory immune cells. Neuroinflammation contributes to progressive neurodegeneration and declining motor function. Reducing neuroinflammation is the target for novel PD therapeutics. Our goal is to increase the number and function of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in PD patients to decrease neuroinflammation and reduce PD symptoms. One potential therapy is granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating …

Institutional Negligence: The Aids Crisis In 1980s America, Alison Patterson

History & Classics Undergraduate Theses

Previous scholarship published on the AIDS crisis has also sought to assign blame to the various institutions that control American society. Whether it was the lack of media attention, the Reagan administration, or other social factors, historians and critics have blamed numerous characters in AIDS history for their lack of action. This study avoids placing blame on a single actor or institution and, instead, explains how the bureaucratic process allowed for avoidance of the epidemic. Partisanship also played a large role in the responses of the government, as those placed in government and health agency jobs worked for a conservative …

Next Generation Sequencing Technologies For Real-Time Genotyping And Targeted Sequencing For Precision Medicine, Priyanka Rawat

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

Astounding success of Human genome project and accelerating success of sequencing technologies have enabled $ 1000 genome goals possible. But, this is still far-fetched from the reach of many resource refrained populations with high genetic variations causing lethal genetic diseases. Based on present technology principles, I have developed prototypes for affordable, scalable and customizable point-of-care genotyping and targeted sequencing. Ion-sensitive field effect transistors with novel read-out and signal amplification techniques are used for laying foundation of possible ISFET based allele-arrays. Sequencing-by-synthesis based full-fledge sequencer is made with novel immobilization, flow-cell and data acquisition methods for massive sequenciing.

A Novel Model Of “Remedy And Elimination Of Tuberculosis”, Akanksha Mishra

Master's Theses

Tuberculosis (TB), is one of the top ten causes of death worldwide. TB is commonly linked to poverty and creates poverty as it is the single largest cause of death in the 15-49-year-old age group in South-East Asia (WHO, 2017). It is also linked to the HIV population, and its leading cause of death. TB is effected by socio-economic factors, cultural factors, and health policy. My goal of this dissertation is to identify systematic approaches that shall support the mission set by World Health Organization (WHO): to eliminate TB globally by the year 2050. Measures might include addressing social barriers …

Improving Oral Care Practices And Aspiration Risk Assessment To Mitigate Risk Of Hospital Acquired Pneumnia, Jeniffer Baker

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

The aim of Improving Oral Care Practices and Aspiration Risk Assessment to Mitigate Risk of Hospital Acquired Pneumonia is to decrease rates of hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP) on a 16 bed Transitional Care Unit (TCU) with a mixed skill staff. The theme of the project is risk reduction with improved patient outcomes and cost reduction as reasons for implementation. Fourteen cases of HAP were reported in the last 5 quarters which accounts for 48% of all in-patient acquired infections. Through policy development, standardization of oral care technique, and improved risk factor assessment, the project goal is to decrease rates …

Prevention Of Childhood Obesity And Diabetes, Karen Carig

Master's Projects and Capstones

One of the public health concerns that have been on the rise is childhood obesity and diabetes. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey indicate that approximately one-third of children in the United States are overweight or obese with 17% meeting criteria for obesity (Pulgaron and Delamater, 2014). This crisis exists nationally and internationally which can effect children in the following ways: physically, socially, psychologically and mentally. Although, genetics also play a role in these diseases, environmental factors, lifestyle preferences and cultural environmental play have a major influence. My internship with the Food Education Project covers a better understanding to …

Relationships Between Complex Pediatric Health Conditions And The Built, Physical And Social Environments, Brittany Corley

Theses & Dissertations

The relationship between human health and the environment is complex and overall poorly understood. The environment has a lasting impact on health, and the processes appear to start at conception. Thus, this dissertation examines the potential relationship between pediatric health and the environment.

The first relationship examined was between the built environment and comorbid Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Many publications have reported the relationship between socioeconomic disadvantage, Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. However, the link between the built environment and Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder symptom severity is poorly understood. …

The Appearance And Effects Of Music Therapy In The Solid Organ Transplant Unit, Tracey J. Elliott

The Downtown Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Written and Peer-Reviewed by Mandel Honors College Students at Cleveland State University

Patients admitted to the solid-organ transplant unit face a plethora of physical, emotional, and psychological challenges. Risk of infection, perception of pain, depression, surgery complications, and exhaustion are just a few hardships that a patient may face while hospitalized. Patient need areas thus serve as goal areas for the hospital support staff. While intervention is provided to patients in a variety of forms, music therapy is an effective means of treatment due to its multi-faceted nature; a music therapist can address a variety of goal areas with any given patient. The first section of this paper will briefly outline the …

Toward Effective Dengue Fever Surveillance And Case Management In The Dominican Republic: Perceptions From Patients, Practitioners And Policy-Makers, Deborah D. Roque

Open Access Theses

Leading among arboviral disease morbidity and mortality is dengue fever with an estimated 390 million infections a year of which 96 million present clinical manifestations. In the Dominican Republic (DR), dengue fever is endemic where high incidence and outbreaks continue, with the most recent epidemic occurring in 2015. Failed prevention and control efforts have placed an onus on early diagnosis and treatment to aid in surveillance and help reduce dengue disease burden. This study explored dengue care, management and prevention perceptions among three main actors of the dengue diagnostic-management-surveillance scheme: patients, practitioners, and policy-makers. Participant observation, structured interviews, semi-structured interviews, …

We Are...Marshall, December 13, 2017, Office Of Marshall University Communications

We Are ... Marshall: the Newsletter for Marshall University 1999-2023

No abstract provided.

The Epipen Problem: Analyzing Unethical Drug Price Increases And The Need For Greater Government Regulation, Talal Rashid

University of Miami Business Law Review

In recent years, some pharmaceutical companies have started increasing the price of their existing drugs to exorbitant levels. Often, these drugs are medically necessary for patients, who are left to take on the high costs of the medicine. One recent example is Mylan, who raised the price of the EpiPen by four hundred percent, solely for the profit of its own company and to the detriment of consumers who rely on the EpiPen. Similar patterns of drug price increases have occurred in the past and will likely happen again in the future. This Comment will seek to identify the common …

Mutational Analysis Of The Molluscum Contagiosum Virus Mc160 Protein, Henri Estanbouli

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The Molluscum Contagiosum Virus (MCV), belongs to a family of large DNA viruses called Poxviridae. MCV causes a common skin infection resulting in benign neoplasms. 122 million cases of MC were reported in 2010. The virus is not primarily lethal, though fatalities have occurred due to secondary bacterial infections. Even with the high volume of reported cases, MCV is very much understudied, and its pathogenicity is not well understood. Thus, with that in mind, a more in-depth understanding of the MCV-host interactions is a priority. Presumably during infection, MCV utilizes immune evasion molecules to inhibit activation of the host pro-inflammatory …

Pathological Diagnosis Of Skin Biopsies For Different Outbreaks Of Camel Pox Virus Infection In Egypt And Uae, Abdullah Morsi, Ahmed Elnagaar, Mohamed Moustafa

Mansoura Veterinary Medical Journal

In this study, skin biopsies of two outbreaks of camel pox infection in camels were collected from Belbeis, Sharkeya governorate, Egypt and Al Ain city, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) for histopathological diagnosis and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) CHARacterization and identification. Camel pox virus (CPV) reported as a specific viral disease of camel. CPV is highly contagious mainly in calf camels and usually mild in intensity.The mild form, CHARacterized by papular, pustules on the lips, nostrils, cheeks and different parts of skin. CPV usually associated by lymphadenopathy and nasal discharge . This study declared numerous outbreaks of mild pathogenicity …

Some Pharmacological Studies On Marbofloxacin And Flunixin Muglumine Combination During Treatment Of Coliform Mastitis In Cattle, M. El-Sayed, Mohamed El-Diasty, M Shams

Mansoura Veterinary Medical Journal

The aim of the present work was to study the effect of Marbofloxacin with Flunixin Muglumine combination during treatment of coliform mastitis in cattle. Twenty coliform mastitic cows were selected from 50 mastitic cows and treated by Marbofloxacin and Flunixin muglumine. The results showed that the red blood cell (RBC) count and hemoglobin concentration were significantly decreased. Similar changes were observed with the mean corpuscular volume and total platelets. Meanwhile, White blood cell (WBC) count was significantly elevated. There are no significant changes recorded in serum albumin and globulin with tested drugs throughout the study. However, there is a significant …

Prevalence Of Camel Brucellosis At Al-Shalateen Area, A. El-Sayed, M. El-Diasty, M. Elbeskawy, M. Zakaria, E. Younis

Mansoura Veterinary Medical Journal

Sera of 801 apparently healthy dromedary camels were collected from Al-Shalateen quarantine and tested by BAPAT, RBPT and there results were confirmed by CFT. The results revealed that the prevalence of camel brucellosis was 12.9%, 11.6% and 11.5% for BAPAT, RBPT and CFT respectively. Also results revealed that seroprevalence was higher in camels younger than 2 years (immature) (13.3%) than mature camels (2-4 years old) (10.6%) and camels at breeding age (older than 4 years) (10.8%). In addition, prevalence on females (19.1%) were higher than males (7.1%). Moreover, Brucella melitensis biovar 3 was isolated from stomach content of aborted camel …

Community Development Projects In Moldova, Berkend Pura

Capstone Collection

This Independent Practitioner Inquiry Capstone (IPIC) aims to provide relevant information, from a Peace Corps (PC) Volunteer (PCV) standpoint, on a renovation project that was implemented in the village of Vorniceni, Republic of Moldova. At its core, this was a community development project that involved the active participation of the community of Vorniceni, providing local resources and knowledge towards the goal of building a healthier sanitation facility on the second floor of the local kindergarten.

The results of this effort indicate that the involvement of the client (people) is crucial to sucess in implementing projects, and it also shows that …

Playing With Biofeedback: A Practical, Playful Approach To Using Biofeedback In Pediatric Health, Jason L. Steadman, Michael E. Feeney

ETSU Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Antioxidant Trace Elements And Oxidative Stress Status In Dairy Cattle Suffering From Mastitis, Medhat Nassif, Hussam Ibrahim, Heba Moharam

Mansoura Veterinary Medical Journal

Mastitis is an inflammation of the mammary glands caused by several pathogens. Reactive oxygen species are natural end products of the intensive cellular metabolism. Oxidative stress occurs when there is a disturbance of homeostasis causing inflammation of the mammary gland. This study was performed to evaluate blood antioxidant profile and trace elements in dairy cows with clinical mastitis. For this aim, venous blood samples were collected from 116 cows (100 mastitic, 16 control). In cows with clinical mastitis, there was a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the clinical index score compared with control group. Biochemically, there was a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in super oxide dismutase, catalase and total antioxidant capacity as well as in the level of zinc. However, there was a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the levels of malondialdehyde and glutathione reductase as well as in that of copper. The results of the current study indicate that the body antioxidant defense system was compromised in dairy cows with clinical mastitis creating a state of oxidative stress.

Hepato-Renal Alterations In Dairy Cattle With Subclinical Ketosis During Transition Period, Mohamed Youssef, Maged El-Ashker, Marwa Younis

Mansoura Veterinary Medical Journal

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate hepatic and renal functions in dairy cows suffered from sub clinical ketosis during the transition period. For this purpose, 730 Holstein Friesian dairy cattle, from a commercial dairy farm were included in this investigation. On the farm, only twenty four cows were located at a late gestation period. Blood samples were collected from each of the transition cows to estimate serum levels of β-hydroxy butyric acid (BHBA).Cows with no remarkable clinical signs but having serum BHBA> 1.20 mmol/L to 2.9 mmol/L were considered to have SCK (n = 20), while cows …