Digital Commons Network^™

Dendritic Cell-Derived Tslp Negatively Regulates Hif-1Α And Il-1Β During Dectin-1 Signaling, Matthew J. Elder, Steve J. Webster, Timothy J. Fitzmaurice, Aran S.D. Shaunak, Martin Steinmetz, Ronnie Chee, Ziad Mallat, E. Suzanne Cohen, David L. Williams, J. S. Hill Gaston, Jane C. Goodall

ETSU Faculty Works

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a functionally pleotropic cytokine important in immune regulation, and TSLP dysregulation is associated with numerous diseases. TSLP is produced by many cell types, but has predominantly been characterized …

Understanding The Role Of Atg7 And Atg14 In Autophagy, Ronith Chakraborty

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Autophagy is the process by which cytosolic components are trafficked to and degraded by the vacuole or lysosome. It plays a critical role in cellular health, aging, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. Atg7 and Atgl4 are enzymes required for the autophagic process in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this study, we hypothesized that Atg7 controls the size while Atg 14 controls the number of autophagosomes. Using western blotting, Pho8D.60 assay and transmission electron microscopy analysis, we found that Atg7 affects both the size and number of autophagosomes. In addition, we have created cells expressing various levels of Atgl4 using non-native promoters. In addition, …

Orda Weekly Update, 2019 08 26, Office Of Research Development And Administration

ORDA Weekly Update

No abstract provided.

Orda Weekly Update, 2019 08 19, Office Of Research Development And Administration

ORDA Weekly Update

No abstract provided.

Companion Animal Ectoparasites, Jennifer Furchak

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Fleas 3

Ticks 6 Brown Dog Tick 7 American Dog Tick 8 Black-legged Tick 9 Lone Star Tick 10 Gulf Coast Tick 11

Mosquitoes 13

Parasite Comparison 15

Control and Prevention 16

Active Ingredients 19

Integrated Pest Management 20

Resources for Pet Parents 21

References 22

Fixed Choice Design And Augmented Fixed Choice Design For Network Data With Missing Observations, Miles Q. Ott, Matthew T. Harrison, Krista J. Gile, Nancy P. Barnett, Joseph W. Hogan

Statistical and Data Sciences: Faculty Publications

The statistical analysis of social networks is increasingly used to understand social processes and patterns. The association between social relationships and individual behaviors is of particular interest to sociologists, psychologists, and public health researchers. Several recent network studies make use of the fixed choice design (FCD), which induces missing edges in the network data. Because of the complex dependence structure inherent in networks, missing data can pose very difficult problems for valid statistical inference. In this article, we introduce novel methods for accounting for the FCD censoring and introduce a new survey design, which we call the augmented fixed choice …

Evaluating Microbial Water Quality And Potential Sources Of Fecal Contamination In The Musconetcong River Watershed In New Jersey, U.S.A., Tsung Ta David Hsu, Lee H. Lee, Alessandra Rossi, Ayuni Yussof, Nancy Lawler, Meiyin Wu

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Microbial pathogens and indicators have contributed to major part of water quality degradation in the United States. Located in the northwestern New Jersey, the Musconetcong River has been included in the New Jersey Impaired Waters List or the 303(d) List due to high concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria. Hence, a Total Maximum Daily Load plan was established to address microbial water quality issues in the watershed. The objectives of this study were to assess the current status of microbial water quality and to determine potential sources of fecal contamination in the Musconetcong River Watershed using microbial source tracking techniques. Fifteen …

Six-Nine Months Long Term Culture Of Mouse Bone Marrow Cells Differentiated To Macrophages And Eosinophils, Olena B. Svitlova

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Mouse models of eosinophil-associated diseases have been used to study the mechanisms of disease pathogenesis. In this study, mouse-derived bone marrow cells were used in long-term (6 and 9 months) cell cultures of differentiated eosinophils and macrophages. IL-5 was used to differentiate the stem cells to eosinophils and GM-CSF was used to propagate macrophages from the bone marrow stem cells. The maximum time period for observing the eosinophil cultures was 252 days which is censurably longer than the 18 days culture period observed by others. The results were assessed by describing the microscopic cell morphology by Wright staining, modified Giemsa …

The Extension Newsletter, Issue 100, Winter 2019, Wright State University Retirees Association

The Extension Newsletter

An eight page newsletter from the Wright State University's Retirees Association.

Next-Generation Sequencing Of Hiv-1 Single Genome Amplicons, Gustavo H. Kijak, Eric Sanders-Buell, Phuc Pham, Elizabeth A. Harbolick, Celina Oropeza, Anne Marie O'Sullivan, Meera Bose, Charmagne G. Beckett, Mark Milazzo, Merlin L. Robb, Sheila A. Peel, Paul T. Scott, Nelson L. Michael, Adam W. Armstrong, Jerome H. Kim, David Brett-Major, Sodsai Tovanabutra

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

The analysis of HIV-1 sequences has helped understand the viral molecular epidemiology, monitor the development of antiretroviral drug resistance, and design candidate vaccines. The introduction of single genome amplification (SGA) has been a major advancement in the field, allowing for the characterization of multiple sequences per patient while preserving linkage among polymorphisms in the same viral genome copy. Sequencing of SGA amplicons is performed by capillary Sanger sequencing, which presents low throughput, requires a high amount of template, and is highly sensitive to template/primer mismatching. In order to meet the increasing demand for HIV-1 SGA amplicon sequencing, we have developed …

Using "Outbreak Science" To Strengthen The Use Of Models During Epidemics., Caitlin Rivers, Jean-Paul Chretien, Steven Riley, Julie A. Pavlin, Alexandra Woodward, David Brett-Major, Irina Maljkovic Berry, Lindsay Morton, Richard G. Jarman, Matthew Biggerstaff, Michael A. Johansson, Nicholas G. Reich, Diane Meyer, Michael R. Snyder, Simon Pollett

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Infectious disease modeling has played a prominent role in recent outbreaks, yet integrating these analyses into public health decision-making has been challenging. We recommend establishing ‘outbreak science’ as an inter-disciplinary field to improve applied epidemic modeling.

New Filovirus Disease Classification And Nomenclature, Jens H. Kuhn, Takuya Adachi, Neill K.J. Adhikari, Jose R. Arribas, Ibrahima Elhadj Bah, Daniel G. Bausch, Nahid Bhadelia, Matthias Borchert, Arne Broch Brantsæter, David Brett-Major, Timothy H. Burgess, Daniel S. Chertow, Christopher G. Chute, Theodore J. Cieslak, Robert Colebunders, Ian Crozier, Richard T. Davey, Hilde De Clerck, Rafael Delgado, Laura Evans, Mosoka Fallah, William A. Fischer, Tom E. Fletcher, Robert A. Fowler, Thomas Grünewald, Andy Hall, Angela L. Hewlett, Andy I.M. Hoepelman, Catherine F. Houlihan, Giuseppe Ippolito, Shevin T. Jacob, Michael Jacobs, Robert Jakob, Frederique A. Jacquerioz, Laurent Kaiser, Andre C. Kalil, Rashidatu F. Kamara, Jimmy Kapetshi, Hans-Dieter Klenk, Gary Kobinger, Mark G. Kortepeter, Colleen S. Kraft, Thomas Kratz, Henry S. Kyobe Bosa, Marta Lado, François Lamontagne, H. Cliff Lane, Leslie Lobel, Julius Lutwama, G. Marshall Lyon, Moses B.F. Massaquoi, Thomas A. Massaquoi, Aneesh K. Mehta, Vital Mondonge Makuma, Srinivas Murthy, Tonny Seikikongo Musoke, Jean-Jacques Muyembe-Tamfum, Phiona Nakyeyune, Carolina Nanclares, Miriam Nanyunja, Justus Nsio-Mbeta, Tim O'Dempsey, Janusz T. Pawęska, Clarence J. Peters, Peter Piot, Christophe Rapp, Bertrand Renaud, Bruce Ribner, Pardis C. Sabeti, John S. Schieffelin, Werner Slenczka, Moses J. Soka, Armand Sprecher, James Strong, Robert Swanepoel, Timothy M. Uyeki, Michel Van Herp, Pauline Vetter, David A. Wohl, Timo Wolf, Anja Wolz, Alie H. Wurie, Zabulon Yoti

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

The recent large outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Western Africa resulted in greatly increased accumulation of human genotypic, phenotypic and clinical data, and improved our understanding of the spectrum of clinical manifestations. As a result, the WHO disease classification of EVD underwent major revision.

De Novo Assembly Of The Brugia Malayi Genome Using Long Reads From A Single Minion Flowcell, Joseph R. Fauver, John Martin, Gary J. Weil, Makedonka Mitreva, Peter U. Fischer

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Filarial nematode infections cause a substantial global disease burden. Genomic studies of filarial worms can improve our understanding of their biology and epidemiology. However, genomic information from field isolates is limited and available reference genomes are often discontinuous. Single molecule sequencing technologies can reduce the cost of genome sequencing and long reads produced from these devices can improve the contiguity and completeness of genome assemblies. In addition, these new technologies can make generation and analysis of large numbers of field isolates feasible. In this study, we assessed the performance of the Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinION for sequencing and assembling the …

Constitutional Cohesion And The Right To Public Health, James G. Hodge Jr., Daniel Aaron, Haley R. Augur, Ashley Cheff, Joseph Daval, Drew Hensley

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Despite years of significant legal improvements stemming from a renaissance in public health law, Americans still face major challenges and barriers in assuring their communal health. Reversals of legal reforms coupled with maligned policies and chronic underfunding contribute to diminished public health outcomes. Underlying preventable morbidity and mortality nationally are realities of our existing constitutional infrastructure. In essence, there is no general obligation of government to protect or promote the public’s health. Under principles of “constitutional cohesion,” structural facets and rights-based principles interwoven within the Constitution protect individuals and groups from governmental vices (i.e., oppression, overreaching, tyranny, and malfeasance). Structural …

The "Evergreening" Metaphor In Intellectual Property Scholarship, Erika Lietzan

Faculty Publications

This article is a plea for changes in the scholarly dialogue about "evergreening" by drug companies. Allegations that drug companies engage in "evergreening" are pervasive in legal scholarship, economic scholarship, medical and health policy scholarship, and policy writing, and they have prompted significant policymaking proposals. This Article was motivated by concern that the metaphor has not been fully explained and that policymaking in response might therefore be premature. It canvasses and assesses the scholarly literature-more than 300 articles discussing or mentioning "evergreening." It catalogues the definitions, the examples, and the empirical studies. Scholars use the term when describing certain actions …

Urease Is An Essential Component Of The Acid Response Network Of Staphylococcus Aureus And Is Required For A Persistent Murine Kidney Infection, Chunyi Zhou, Fatema Bhinderwala, Mckenzie K. Lehman, Vinai C. Thomas, Sujata S. Chaudhari, Kelsey J. Yamada, Kirk W. Foster, Robert Powers, Tammy Kielian, Paul D. Fey

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

Staphylococcus aureus causes acute and chronic infections resulting in significant morbidity. Urease, an enzyme that generates NH₃ and CO₂ from urea, is key to pH homeostasis in bacterial pathogens under acidic stress and nitrogen limitation. However, the function of urease in S. aureus niche colonization and nitrogen metabolism has not been extensively studied. We discovered that urease is essential for pH homeostasis and viability in urea-rich environments under weak acid stress. The regulation of urease transcription by CcpA, Agr, and CodY was identified in this study, implying a complex network that controls urease expression in response to changes …

Winter Habitats Of Bats In Texas, Melissa B. Meierhofer, Joseph S. Johnson, Samantha J. Leivers

KIP Articles

Few studies have described winter microclimate selection by bats in the southern United States. This is of particular importance as the cold-adapted fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, which causes the fatal bat disease white-nose syndrome (WNS), continues to spread into southern United States. To better understand the suitability of winter bat habitats for the growth of P. destructans in this region, we collected roost temperature and vapor pressure deficit from 97 hibernacula in six ecoregions in Texas during winter 2016–17 and 2017–18. We also measured skin temperature of Rafinesque’s big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii), Townsend’s big-eared bats (C. townsendii), big-brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), …

Alpha Amylase As An Emerging Biomarker Of Microaspiration In Mechanically Ventilated Patients: An Integrative Review Of The Literature, Chloe Chase

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Aims: The purpose of this thesis was to synthesize the current literature on alpha amylase as an emerging biomarker of microaspiration in mechanically ventilated patient.

Methods: The methodology included a review and synthesis of pertinent research articles from 1981-2018, written in English language. Criteria for inclusion in the review were all articles that evaluated α- amylase in tracheal secretions or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) as a diagnostic tool for identifying microaspiration. The search yielded 11 studies that were reviewed.

Findings: The findings suggest that once aspiration occurs, the duration of α-amylase in the lungs requires further exploration to assist in …

Gram-Negative Rod Skin And Soft-Tissue Infections Following Breast Tissue Expander Surgery In Breast Cancer Patients, Ju Hee Katzman, Sadaf Aslam, Donna Mae M Pate, Nicole Guidish, Shelby Power, Clarissa Maravilla, Janelle Perkins, John Greene

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Breast cancer patients who undergo tissue expander surgery (TES) are at an increased risk of developing gram-negative rod (GNR) skin and soft-tissue infection (SSIs) and its complications including prolonged antibiotic therapy, antibiotics side effects, and implant removal. Current perioperative antimicrobials focus mostly on gram-positive organisms, but the presence of a foreign body increases the risk of GNR SSI. We describe here the most common GNR bacteria and their susceptibility patterns that cause SSI after TES among breast cancer patients. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study at Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL from January 2016, to January 2018, on …

Comparison Of Access And Linkage To Care Among People Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus When Enrolled In Florida Aids Drug Assistance Program (Adap), Greg Matthew E Teo, Nisha Sunku, Suraj Nagaraj, Sadaf Aslam, Rahul Mhaskar, Liwei Chen, Zhi Zhou, Robert L. Cook, Jamie P. Morano, Charurut Somboonwit

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: The Southeast region of the United States contains nine out of the 10 states with the most severe syndemic of poverty and HIV infection.1 The Florida AIDS Drug Assistance Program (FL-ADAP) and Ryan White network are crucial for linkage to care services. Data from FL-ADAP are available but seldom published; thus this study quantifies this program’s impact on Florida PLWH access and linkage to care.

Methods: Data were obtained from the Florida Cohort, an ongoing cross-sectional survey among health clinics across the State of Florida from 2015 to 2018. Chi-square and binomial multivariate logistic regression analyses correlated anti-retroviral therapy …

Comparison Of Demographics And Risk Factors Between Strongyloides Stercoralis Seropositive And Seronegative Solid-Organ Transplant Candidates: Experience From A Tertiary Acute Care Center In Florida, Carlos J. Perez-Lopez, Sally Alrabaa, Sadaf Aslam, Greg Matthew E Teo, Teayoung Kim, Tea Reljic

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Strongyloides stercoralis is a nematode endemic to the tropical and subtropical regions. In the United States, it is mostly found at southeastern states. Most infections are asymptomatic but disseminated and fatal infections have been reported in immunocompromised patients. At our institution, universal screening through Strongyloides antibody detection in serum among solid-organ transplant candidates began since 2010 and all seropositive candidates are treated before transplantation. We previously determined our incidence to be about 5%. The aim of this study was to determine demographic characteristics and risk factors that can be used for more cost-effective targeted screening.

Methods: We performed a …

A Case Series Of Staphylococcus Lugdunensis Infection In Cancer Patients At An Academic Cancer Institute In The United States, Dae Hyun Lee, Olga Klinkova, Jong-Wook Kim, Sowmya Nanjappa, John N. Greene

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Staphylococcus lugdunensis is a coagulase-negative staphylococcus (CoNS) that is a part of the normal human skin flora. Even though it belongs to CoNS family, it can cause severe and destructive infections in a similar fashion to Staphylococcus aureus. Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI), bacteremia and endocarditis are amongst the most common clinical presentations. Diagnosis and clinical presentation of infections caused by S. lugdunensis in cancer patients is limited. Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of 24 patients who had cultures positive for S. lugdunensis. Out of 24 patients, 14 patients were diagnosed with …

Nocardia Bejingensis: A Novel Isolate Affecting Immunocompromised Patients In The United States, Shylah M. Moore-Pardo, Johonna Asquith, Sadaf Aslam, Cynthia Mayer, John Greene, Sally Alrabaa

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Nocardia species can cause localized or disseminated disease in humans. Infection results from direct inoculation or inhalation. In recent years, several new species have been identified via molecular methods. Further speciation is crucial as each organism has its own spectrum of disease and unique antibiotic susceptibility patterns. Immunosuppression, alcoholism, and certain lung diseases are well-established risk factors for nocardiosis. In fact, cases have incremented in association with increasing population of immunocompromised hosts as well as improved methods for detection and identification. Thus, Nocardia species may be considered opportunistic pathogens.

Nocardia bejingensis was first isolated in 2001 by Wang et …

The Epidemiology, Demographics, And Geographical Distribution Of Human Non-Tuberculosis Mycobacteria (Ntm) Disease In The Endemic Central Florida Region, Cristina Vanessa, Greg Matthew E. Teo, Jamie P. Morano, Beata Casanas, Sadaf Aslam, Jose Montero, Kristen Zeitler, Ripal Jariwala, Anthony Cannella

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Of the >100,000 people in the United States infected yearly with non-tuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM), Florida has the highest yearly incidence and prevalence of NTM disease. However, little has been documented on the epidemiology and distribution of NTM disease within Central Florida. Methods: A retrospective case review study was conducted from January, 2011 to December, 2017 at a large tertiary acute care medical center in Tampa, Florida to identify all NTM infection cases. Demographics (age, sex at birth, ethnicity), comorbidities, HIV testing status, residential zip code, NTM species, and specimen sources were collected. Results: Of the 507 isolates, Mycobacterium abscessus …

A Case Of Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis (Abpa) In A Patient With A History Of Cocaine Use And Tuberculosis, Noura Ayoubi, Samuel Jalali, Nikesh Kapadia

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Aspergillosis refers to a spectrum of disorders that can occur due to colonization with the Aspergillus fungus. Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is an airway hypersensitivity reaction to the fungus that is almost exclusively seen in patients with cystic fibrosis or asthma. Here, we present a case of ABPA in a patient with a history of chronic cocaine use and tuberculosis and no history of asthma or cystic fibrosis. The patient had presented with progressively worsening dyspnea for three months as well as a 20-pound weight loss. Diagnosis was made with an elevated IgE against Aspergillus and chest CT findings, which …

The Utility Of Double Balloon Urinary Catheter In Reducing Rates Of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections In A Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital, Ju Hee Katzman, Cristina Vanessa Garcia, Seetha Lakshmi, Peggy Thompson, Lennox Archibald

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) have been shown to increase hospital length of stay, healthcare costs, morbidity, and mortality. Studies that evaluate the role of urinary catheter design in preventing CAUTI are lacking. One such design is the double-balloon (DB) urinary catheter that has a second distal balloon; this design is aimed at reducing mucosal injury and inhibiting coiling of the in situ catheter. We carried out a comparative study to (a) determine whether CAUTI rates differ for different types of urinary catheters, and (b) identify risk factors associated with the acquisition of CAUTI in patients with DB vs. …

Incorporating Electronic Medical Record Hard Stops To Reduce Inappropriate Clostridioides Difficile Testing At An Academic Medical Center: A Quality Improvement Study, Seetha Lakshmi, Kimberly Atrubin, Andrew Myers, Jonathan Teter, Ripal Jariwala, Kristen Zeitler, Laura Haubner, Terri Ashmeade, Maya Balakrishnan

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Background:

Clostridioides difficile is the most common pathogen causing healthcare-associated infections. This study highlights the multi-disciplinary efforts to reduce C. difficile infections (CDI) at a large, tertiary care teaching facility. Methods:

A quality improvement study was performed between March 2017 and April 2018, using six Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles that included transmission prevention, diagnostic stewardship, education, and antimicrobial stewardship. Process measures included hand hygiene, isolation precautions, low-level disinfection compliance, number of tests ordered, lab cancelation of tests, and compliance with the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) hard stop for patients with laxative use, and negative C.difficile test in the past 7 days. Results: …

T2mr: A New Tool For Anti-Fungal Stewardshi, Ripal Jariwala, Kristen Zeitler, Jose Montero

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Candidemia is associated with mortality rates between 30 and 50%. T2 magnetic resonance assay (T2MR) is a costly, rapid diagnostic technology that can detect the five most common Candida species in blood with a sensitivity of 91% and specificity of 99.4%. The clinical role of this tool remains unclear but this study shares our clinical experience with T2MR.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients with T2MR testing performed from April 25, 2017 through April 25, 2018. T2MR ordering was restricted to Infectious Diseases pharmacists and physicians without specific ordering criteria. Variables cataloged included the time between …

Children In Limbo: The Need For Maximum Limits For Juvenile Pretrial Detention, Rebecca Rosefelt

Minnesota Journal of International Law, Vols 1-28:1 (1992-2019)

No abstract provided.

National Security And Economic Globalization: Toward Collision Or Reconciliation?, J. Benton Heath

Fordham International Law Journal

No abstract provided.