Digital Commons Network^™

Case Report: Covid-19 Associated Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Matthew Aharonov, Neelesh Parikh, James Espinosa, Alan Lucerna

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

We report a case of a 72-year-old female who presented to the emergency department with a complaint of generalized weakness. The patient was found to have ascending muscle weakness and subsequently diagnosed with Covid-19 related Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Our patient was negative for Campylobacter jejuni. It is noteworthy that the patient did not have fever, respiratory symptoms or loss of the sensation of taste.

Cushing’S Reflex And Bradycardic Arrest In Cryptococcal Meningitis, Scott Briggs, Trent Malcolm

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Cushing’s reflex is a physiologic response to maintain cerebral perfusion pressure with elevated systolic blood pressure, widened pulse pressure, and bradycardia occurring in the setting of elevated intracranial pressure (ICP). The proposed mechanisms for reflexive bradycardia include ischemia to medullary brain tissue and compression of the intracranial segment of the vagus nerve leading to parasympathetic activation. (1) In acutely elevated ICP, bradycardia is a late finding of worsening intracranial pathology suggestive of impending herniation and cardiovascular collapse.

Cryptococcal meningitis has been identified by Infectious Disease Society of America for its association with elevated ICP. (2) Variety of pathogenic mechanisms occurring …

Case Of New Onset Alice In Wonderland Syndrome In Adolescent After Prolonged Hospitalization, Michaela Margolis, Timothy Wong, Richard Hadi

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Alice in wonderland syndrome (AIWS) has been described as body image illusions involving distortions of the size, mass, or shape of the patient’s own body or its position in space, often occurring with depersonalization and derealization. Most cases typically affect young children.

Common distortions are micropsia, macropsia, metamorphopsia, and pelopsia.

The term was adopted from the book by Lewis Carroll, wherein the main character perceived her size and shape to change in different scenarios.

These distortions are often expressed as sensory perceptions rather than illusions or hallucinations, and are often distressing to the patient.

AIWS onset has been found to …

Flexor Tenosynovitis After Bite By Sugar Glider, Dominick Siconolfi, James Espinosa, Alan Lucerna, Russell Mordecai

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Flexor tenosynovitis is one of the few orthopedic emergencies, often first identified in the emergency department. Pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis is an infection of the flexor tendon sheath of a finger causing local inflammation and tissue destruction. The pathognomonic symptoms of flexor tenosynovitis are known as Kanavel’s signs, a constellation of symptoms that include: pain with passive extension of the finger, tenderness over the flexor tendon sheath, fusiform swelling of the affected finger, and the finger held in passive flexion. The most common cause of flexor tenosynovitis is penetrating trauma into the flexion tendon sheath. Our case involves a 59-year-old male …

The Roaring Twenties After Covid-19: Revisiting The Evidence For Europe, Alessio Terzi

Journal of New Finance

Inspired by conspicuous historical parallels, some scholars and journalists have recently postulated that GDP growth and productivity might boom in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. This paper reviews the evidence for and against the ‘Roaring 20s’ hypothesis, concluding that some countries might experience a forceful economic expansion, possibly fuelled by pent-up demand, compounding a successful digital and green transition, or leveraging an export-led model. However, a strong prolonged economic bonanza is unlikely to materialise evenly across the EU. An uneven recovery would acquiesce imbalances within the Union, and especially the euro area. As such, policymakers should avoid complacency, and …

Il-22 Produced By Type 3 Innate Lymphoid Cells (Ilc3s) Reduces The Mortality Of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2dm) Mice Infected With Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Deepak Tripathi, Rajesh Kumar Radhakrishnan, Ramya Sivangala Thandi, Padmaja Paidipally, Kamakshi Prudhula Devalraju, Venkata Sanjeev Kumar Neela, Madeline Kay Mcallister, Buka Samten, Vijaya Lakshmi Valluri, Ramakrishna Vankayalapati

School of Medicine Faculty Publications and Presentations

Previously, we found that pathological immune responses enhance the mortality rate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-infected mice with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In the current study, we evaluated the role of the cytokine IL-22 (known to play a protective role in bacterial infections) and type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) in regulating inflammation and mortality in Mtb-infected T2DM mice. IL-22 levels were significantly lower in Mtb-infected T2DM mice than in nondiabetic Mtb-infected mice. Similarly, serum IL-22 levels were significantly lower in tuberculosis (TB) patients with T2DM than in TB patients without T2DM. ILC3s were an important source of IL-22 in …

Does Public Health Policy Matter?: Explaining Variation In Covid-19 Outcomes Across The 50 States, Charlotte Cheng, Richard L. Fox

Honors Thesis

The Covid-19 pandemic has prompted debate about what factors cause wide variations in mortality and infection rates across the United States and raised questions about what can be done to limit the spread of future outbreaks. In the comparative international politics literature, there are four explanations that determine how well a country can contain outbreaks: leadership, state capacity, demographics, and state culture. Currently, there are no studies that show a comprehensive evaluation of what has caused variations in mortality rate among the fifty states. This study aims to examine state variation among the 50 states in the U.S. and its …

Immunodeficiency And Bone Marrow Failure With Mosaic And Germline Tlr8 Gain Of Function, Jahnavi Aluri, Alicia Bach, Saara Kaviany, Luana Chiquetto Paracatu, Maleewan Kitcharoensakkul, Magdalena A. Walkiewicz, Christopher D. Putnam, Marwan Shinawi, Nermina Saucier, Elise M. Rizzi, Michael T. Harmon, Molly P. Keppel, Michelle Ritter, Morgan Similuk, Elaine Kulm, Michael Joyce, Adriana A. De Jesus, Raphaela Goldbach-Mansky, Yi-Shan Lee, Marina Cella, Peggy L. Kendall, Mary C. Dinauer, Jeffrey J. Bednarski, Christina Bemrich-Stolz, Scott W. Canna, Shirley M. Abraham, Matthew M. Demczko, Jonathan Powell, Stacie M. Jones, Amy M. Scurlock, Suk See De Ravin, Jack J. Bleesing, James A. Connelly, V Koneti Rao, Laura G. Schuettpelz, Megan A. Cooper

Pediatrics Research and Scholarship

Inborn errors of immunity (IEI) are a genetically heterogeneous group of disorders with a broad clinical spectrum. Identification of molecular and functional bases of these disorders is important for diagnosis, treatment, and an understanding of the human immune response. We identified 6 unrelated males with neutropenia, infections, lymphoproliferation, humoral immune defects, and in some cases bone marrow failure associated with 3 different variants in the X-linked gene TLR8, encoding the endosomal Toll-like receptor 8 (TLR8). Interestingly, 5 patients had somatic variants in TLR8 with

The Effects Of Video Prompting In Completion Of Activities Of Daily Living For Individuals With Traumatic Brain Injury, Jessica Hiter

Masters Theses, 2020-current

According to the Brain Injury Association of America (2020), more than 3.5 million experience acquired brain injuries (ABI) every year in the United States. With improving medical treatment, more individuals are surviving ABI; however, many rehabilitation facilities focus on the physical abilities of the individual rather than regaining independence in daily living skills. Video models have been used with success to teach daily living skills to individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities, however, little research exists on the use of different types of video models to teach those skills to individuals with traumatic brain injury. The purpose of the present …

Bibliometric Analysis Of Literature Published On Information Seeking Behaviour Using Scopus Database, Rajiv M. Patel Mr, Lavji N. Zala Dr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Information Seeking Behaviour refers to understand the way people search for and use information in various contexts. It also includes why people seek information and how they use it. The objective of this article is to analyze and compile the existing literature on Information Seeking Behaviour through its bibliometric study. A total of 576 documents were extracted through Elsevier's Scopus database over the last 20 years i.e. 2001 to 2020. Vosviewer software is used for data analysis. The study reveals that there is an upward and downward slopping has found in the research area in the last few years. The …

The Unethical Practices Behind Dog Breeding, Sarah Maybruck

Academic Festival

Dogs should not be bred in the way they are bred now. The ethical problems with the breeding industry are vast. While there are several issues within the breeding industry, this paper focuses on the dog breeding industry and its effects that the industry has on the dogs. Ethical arguments are formed through the lenses of Kant, Descartes, and Darwin. Outlined are reasons why the way dog breeding is done is unethical. The way in which the animals are treated, the negative effects on those animals, and the exploration into the violations to those animals' rights are examined. The goal …

Mandating Vaccines For The Greater Good, Morgan Bryant

Academic Festival

Vaccines are among the most effective tools available for preventing infectious diseases, and the complications that accompany them. Vaccines contain the same antigens that cause disease however, these antigens are weakened or killed to the point that they no longer cause disease. The purpose of a vaccine is to make the immune system produce antibodies that lead to immunity. According to the CDC, if an unvaccinated child is exposed to a disease germ, the child’s body may not be strong enough to fight the disease. Before vaccines, many children died from diseases that vaccines can now prevent, such as whooping …

The American Misconceptions About The Hpv Vaccine, Brooke N. Cahill

Academic Festival

For centuries, society has struggled to combat numerous diseases due to many misconceptions about vaccination. Currently, there are many speculations regarding the efficacy and safety of vaccines, as well as the motives of the healthcare system that have caused many Americans to refuse vaccination. In modern day America, the human papillomavirus has become a major issue as it has been reported to infect seventy-five of individuals between the ages of fifteen and fifty (Torre et al. 2007). However, the HPV vaccine is stigmatized as harmful by the public as there are many reported effects. Despite the social stigma and medical …

Tick-Borne Encephalitis Survey And Phylogenetic Study Of Powassan Virus In Fairfield County, Connecticut, Amber Santorelli, Alana Fumo, Isabella Michelucci, Anna Carney

Academic Festival

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a zoonotic arbovirus infection of the central nervous system affecting humans. Powassan virus (POWV) is a member of the TBE and encephalitis cases associated with this virus have been increasing since 1999 and is considered an emerging public health concern. At least 49 cases in the U.S. from 2005-2012 have been reported. Expansion in the population of blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, as the main vector of POWV in recent decades may have consequently increased the population size and distribution of emerging tick-borne viruses. Full genome sequences and phylogenetic analysis of POWV will help us better understand …

Assessment Of Diet Quality And Its Potential Cariogenicity Among School Children During School Days In Cairo Governorate: A Cross-Sectional Study, Yasmine H. Mohamed Dr., Osama El-Shahawy Dr., Manal El-Sheikh Dr.

Future Dental Journal

Introduction:

Dental Caries is the most chronic infectious disease of childhood, caused by frequent acid production from the metabolism of dietary carbohydrates. Dental caries has been increasing among children due to the unlimited consumption of sugary substances. Although, dental caries is more prevalent in school children. Dental decay caries was lower in schools with sugar restriction, compared with other schools without sugar restrictions

.Aim of the study: The current study aims to assess the diet consumed by primary school children aged 9 to 12 years old during school days attending public and private schools, and reveal its potential cariogenicity. …

May 5, 2020: Covid-19 Update, Kettering University

Communication Updates

Topics in this Update:

Outdoor Face Mask Restrictions Relaxed

COVID-19 Vaccination

Summer Term Planning

Elephant Genomes Reveal Accelerated Evolution In Mechanisms Underlying Disease Defenses, Marc Tollis, Elliott Ferris, Michael S. Campbell, Valerie K. Harris, Shawn M. Rupp, Tara M. Harrison, Wendy K. Kiso, Dennis L. Schmitt, Michael M. Garner, For Complete List Of Authors, See Publisher's Website.

College of Agriculture

Disease susceptibility and resistance are important factors for the conservation of endangered species, including elephants. We analyzed pathology data from 26 zoos and report that Asian elephants have increased neoplasia and malignancy prevalence compared with African bush elephants. This is consistent with observed higher susceptibility to tuberculosis and elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) in Asian elephants. To investigate genetic mechanisms underlying disease resistance, including differential responses between species, among other elephant traits, we sequenced multiple elephant genomes. We report a draft assembly for an Asian elephant, and defined 862 and 1,017 conserved potential regulatory elements in Asian and African bush elephants, …

2021-05-05_Michiganoverview_Covidsymptoms, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Michigan COVID-19 Syndromic Surveillance System Data

The Syndromic Surveillance System Data report was obtained from Michigan's COVID-19 dashboard, from under the link "​Coronavirus Symptoms": https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus. Data was compiled by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). The information was updated daily.

Syndromic Surveillance System data is obtained from approximately 183 facilities participating in syndromic surveillance (132 Emergency Departments (ED), 51 Urgent Cares) across the State of Michigan. The reporting is based on individuals who present at EDs and may not be representative of the overall population. The coronavirus-like symptoms query searches visit free-text (chief complaint, triage notes, and clinical impression) for fever or …

2021-05-05_Michiganoverview_Covidtestingtimes, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Michigan COVID-19 Testing Turnaround Data

The COVID Testing Turnaround Time page was obtained from Michigan's COVID-19 data page: https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/0,9753,7-406-98163_98173-545615--,00.html.

This report was created by the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, providing data for the past 14 days on the average time it takes for a diagnostic COVID-19 laboratory test to be reported to the state health department. Testing turnaround time data will be updated weekly on Friday mornings.

MDHHS receives results from commercial labs, hospitals, and public health labs. However, public health laboratories perform limited diagnostic testing and disease surveillance for infectious diseases. Total turnaround time is calculated from the difference of …

Molecular Characterization Of, And Antimicrobial Resistance In, Clostridioides Difficile From Thailand, 2017–2018, Korakrit Imwattana, Papanin Putsathit, Daniel R. Knight, Pattarachai Kiratisin, Thomas V. Riley

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) plays an important role in the pathogenesis and spread of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). Many antimicrobials, such as fluoroquinolones, have been associated with outbreaks of CDI globally. This study characterized AMR among clinical C. difficile strains in Thailand, where antimicrobial use remains inadequately regulated. Stool samples were screened for tcdB and positives were cultured. C. difficile isolates were characterized by toxin profiling and PCR ribotyping. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by agar incorporation, and whole-genome sequencing and AMR genotyping were performed on a subset of strains. There were 321 C. difficile strains isolated from 326 stool samples. …

Yellow, Sisi Chen

Theses and Dissertations

The following paper is a constellational unpacking of yellow through notes on critical race and feminist theories, myth, science, science fiction, disparate histories, cyborgs, biography, virtuality, materiality, fungi, porcelain, language, internalization, melancholia, smells, sounds, tastes, feels, and more feels.

Water Exchange Rate Across The Blood-Brain Barrier Is Associated With Csf Amyloid-Β 42 In Healthy Older Adults, Brian T. Gold, Xingfeng Shao, Tiffany L. Sudduth, Gregory A. Jicha, Donna M. Wilcock, Elayna R. Seago, Danny J. J. Wang

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: We tested if water exchange across the blood-brain barrier (BBB), estimated with a noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique, is associated with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and neuropsychological function.

METHODS: Forty cognitively normal older adults (67–86 years old) were scanned with diffusion‐prepared, arterial spin labeling (DP‐ASL), which estimates water exchange rate across the BBB (k_w). Participants also underwent CSF draw and neuropsychological testing. Multiple linear regression models were run with kw as a predictor of CSF concentrations and neuropsychological scores.

RESULTS: In multiple brain regions, BBB kw was positively associated with CSF amyloid …

Use Of Electronic Pharmacy Transaction Data And Website Development To Assess Antibiotic Use In Nursing Homes, Sunah Song, Brigid M. Wilson, Robin L.P. Jump

Faculty Scholarship

Background: In 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services required all long-term care facilities, including nursing homes, to have an antibiotic stewardship program. Many nursing homes lack the resources, expertise, or infrastructure to track and analyze antibiotic use measures. Here, we demonstrate that pharmacy invoices are a viable source of data to track and report antibiotic use in nursing homes. Methods: The dispensing pharmacy working with several nursing homes in the same healthcare corporation provided pharmacy invoices from 2014 to 2016 as files formatted as comma separated values. We aggregated these files by aligning elements into a consistent set …

Zoning For Public Health: Why A National Land Use Scheme Is Essential To Sustainable Food Production, Victor J. Absil

Villanova Environmental Law Journal (1991 - )

No abstract provided.

The Population Affected By The Syndemic Of Covid-19 And Poverty Is More Likely To Be Hospitalized With Sars-Cov-2 Pneumonia, Julio A. Ramirez, Stephen P. Furmanek, Meredith Cahill, Stephen S. Hanson, Ruth Carrico, Forest W. Arnold

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Background

Lockdown measures to control COVID-19 have exacerbated the poverty epidemic. We hypothesized that the synergistic interaction of COVID-19 and poverty epidemics favors the development of more severe forms of COVID-19 in the population living in poverty. To test this hypothesis, we assessed whether an ecological association exists between the geographic distribution of hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia and markers of poverty in the city of Louisville, KY.

Methods

Using the geomasked home addresses of hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in the city of Louisville, a kernel density heatmap was created. Kuldorff’s spatial scan statistic was used to calculate areas …

County-Level Factors That Influenced The Trajectory Of Covid-19 Incidence In The New York City Area, Ashley Wendell Kranjac, Dinko Kranjac

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

More than a century of research has shown that sociodemographic conditions affect infectious disease transmission. In the late spring and early summer of 2020, reports of the effects of sociodemographic variables on the spread of COVID- 19 were used in the media with minimal scientific proof attached. With new cases of COVID-19 surging in the United States at that time, it became essential to better understand how the spread of COVID-19 was varying across all segments of the population. We used hierarchical exponential growth curve modeling techniques to examine whether community socioeconomic characteristics uniquely influence the incidence of reported COVID-19 …

Covariates Of Acute Respiratory Infection In Children Under-Five: The 2013 Philippine National Demographic And Health Survey, Maria Victoria C. Rodriguez

Journal Article

The study was conducted to determine the effects of selected socioeconomic, demographic and environmental contamination variable on the prevalence of acute respiratory infection (ARI) among Filipino children below five years old. It utilized data from the 2013 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) where a total of 16,155 woman aged 15-49 were interviewed. Children who were born to these woman from 2008 to 2013 and are still alive during the survey period were the study cases (7,012 children). Multivariate logistic regression using Statistical Packages for the Social Science version 17.0 (SPSS v. 17.0) was used to determine significant risk factors …

A Chance To Save Lives: A Guide For How And Why The Us Should Mandate Vaccines For Children And Limit State Exemption Laws, Lauren Zidones

Akron Law Review

Vaccines have helped increase the life expectancy for humans in the 20th century and have reduced the number of deaths associated with infectious diseases. Despite efforts by the CDC, state and local governments, and other public health agencies, infectious diseases are still a major cause of illness, disability, and death. Steps must be taken to address the continued rise of vaccine-preventable diseases in America. Eliminating or limiting state exemptions for mandatory vaccinations for school-aged children is the simplest way to address this growing issue. However, a population of parents argue for absolute parental rights and stand against any vaccine exemption …

2021-05-04_Michiganoverview_Covidsymptoms, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Michigan COVID-19 Syndromic Surveillance System Data

The Syndromic Surveillance System Data report was obtained from Michigan's COVID-19 dashboard, from under the link "​Coronavirus Symptoms": https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus. Data was compiled by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). The information was updated daily.

Syndromic Surveillance System data is obtained from approximately 183 facilities participating in syndromic surveillance (132 Emergency Departments (ED), 51 Urgent Cares) across the State of Michigan. The reporting is based on individuals who present at EDs and may not be representative of the overall population. The coronavirus-like symptoms query searches visit free-text (chief complaint, triage notes, and clinical impression) for fever or …

Sickness Behaviors Across Vertebrate Taxa: Proximate And Ultimate Mechanisms, Patricia C. Lopes, Susannah S. French, Douglas C. Woodhams, Sandra A. Binning

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

There is nothing like a pandemic to get the world thinking about how infectious diseases affect individual behavior. In this respect, sick animals can behave in ways that are dramatically different from healthy animals: altered social interactions and changes to patterns of eating and drinking are all hallmarks of sickness. As a result, behavioral changes associated with inflammatory responses (i.e. sickness behaviors) have important implications for disease spread by affecting contacts with others and with common resources, including water and/or sleeping sites. In this Review, we summarize the behavioral modifications, including changes to thermoregulatory behaviors, known to occur in vertebrates …