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Covid-19 Newsletter (Vol. 149), Center For Disaster Medicine, New York Medical College

COVID-19 Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Recombinant Live-Attenuated Respiratory Syncytial Virus (Rsv) Vaccines Rsv/Δns2/Δ1313/I1314l And Rsv/276 In Rsv-Seronegative Children, Coleen K Cunningham, Ruth A Karron, Petronella Muresan, Matthew S Kelly, Elizabeth J Mcfarland, Charlotte Perlowski, Jennifer Libous, Jennifer Oliva, Patrick Jean-Philippe, Jack Moye, Elizabeth Schappell, Emily Barr, Vivian Rexroad, Benjamin Johnston, Ellen G Chadwick, Mikhaela Cielo, Mary Paul, Jaime G Deville, Mariam Aziz, Lijuan Yang, Cindy Luongo, Peter L Collins, Ursula J Buchholz, International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent Aids Clinical Trials (Impaact) 2018 Study Team

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: This United States-based study compared 2 candidate vaccines: RSV/ΔNS2/Δ1313/I1314L, attenuated by NS2 gene-deletion and temperature-sensitivity mutation in the polymerase gene; and RSV/276, attenuated by M2-2 deletion.

Methods: RSV-seronegative children aged 6-24 months received RSV/ΔNS2/Δ1313/I1314L (106 plaque-forming units [PFU]), RSV/276 (105 PFU), or placebo intranasally. Participants were monitored for vaccine shedding, reactogenicity, and RSV serum antibodies, and followed over the subsequent RSV season.

Results: Enrollment occurred September 2017 to October 2019. During 28 days postinoculation, upper respiratory illness and/or fever occurred in 64% of RSV/ΔNS2/Δ1313/I1314L, 84% of RSV/276, and 58% of placebo recipients. Symptoms were generally mild. Cough was more …

Defining Cellular Population Dynamics At Single-Cell Resolution During Prostate Cancer Progression, Alexandre A Germanos, Sonali Arora, Ye Zheng, Erica T Goddard, Ilsa M Coleman, Anson T Ku, Scott Wilkinson, Hanbing Song, Nicholas J Brady, Robert A Amezquita, Michael Zager, Annalysa Long, Yu Chi Yang, Jason H Bielas, Raphael Gottardo, David S Rickman, Franklin W Huang, Cyrus M Ghajar, Peter S Nelson, Adam G Sowalsky, Manu Setty, Andrew C Hsieh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Advanced prostate malignancies are a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men, in large part due to our incomplete understanding of cellular drivers of disease progression. We investigate prostate cancer cell dynamics at single-cell resolution from disease onset to the development of androgen independence in an in vivo murine model. We observe an expansion of a castration-resistant intermediate luminal cell type that correlates with treatment resistance and poor prognosis in human patients. Moreover, transformed epithelial cells and associated fibroblasts create a microenvironment conducive to pro-tumorigenic immune infiltration, which is partially androgen responsive. Androgen-independent prostate cancer leads to significant diversification of …

Do Message Framing And Source Credibility Matter? : Examining Framed Covid- 19 Prevention Messaging In Saudi Arabia, Mona Alsheddi

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

This paper aims to examine the influence of different message framings (utilitarian, deontological, religious, virtue-based message, and God's punishment-based messages) on Saudi Arabians’ beliefs and behavioral intentions related to COVID-19 and the influence of message source (religious advocate, Saudi COVID-19 monitoring committee member, close person, physician, journalist, and social media influencer) on communicating messages in the COVID-19 pandemic context. The between-subject design experiment (n =222) was conducted online due to the Covid-19 restrictions in force at the time of this study and in an attempt to derive a representative sample from the general Saudi population. The results showed that the …

Tissue Registration And Exploration User Interfaces In Support Of A Human Reference Atlas, Katy Börner, Andreas Bueckle, Bruce W Herr 2nd, Leonard E Cross, Ellen M Quardokus, Elizabeth G Record, Yingnan Ju, Jonathan C Silverstein, Kristen M Browne, Sanjay Jain, Clive H Wasserfall, Marda L Jorgensen, Jeffrey M Spraggins, N Heath Patterson, Griffin M Weber

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Seventeen international consortia are collaborating on a human reference atlas (HRA), a comprehensive, high-resolution, three-dimensional atlas of all the cells in the healthy human body. Laboratories around the world are collecting tissue specimens from donors varying in sex, age, ethnicity, and body mass index. However, harmonizing tissue data across 25 organs and more than 15 bulk and spatial single-cell assay types poses challenges. Here, we present software tools and user interfaces developed to spatially and semantically annotate ("register") and explore the tissue data and the evolving HRA. A key part of these tools is a common coordinate framework, providing standard …

Fall 2022 Commencement Program, University Of Alabama In Huntsville

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Clinical Characteristics And Electrophysiologic Properties Of Scn5a Variants In Fever-Induced Brugada Syndrome, Gan-Xiao Chen, Hector Barajas-Martinez, Giuseppe Ciconte, Cheng-I Wu, Michelle M Monasky, Hao Xia, Bian Li, John A Capra, Kai Guo, Zhong-He Zhang, Xiu Chen, Bo Yang, Hong Jiang, Gary Tse, Chloe Miu Mak, Yoshiyasu Aizawa, Michael H Gollob, Charles Antzelevitch, Arthur A M Wilde, Carlo Pappone, Dan Hu

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Background: Brugada syndrome (BrS) is a severe inherited arrhythmia syndrome that can be unmasked by fever.

Methods: A multicentre clinical analysis was performed in 261 patients diagnosed with fever-induced BrS, including 198 (75.9%) and 27 (10.3%) patients who received next-generation genetic sequencing and epicardial arrhythmogenic substrate (AS) mapping, respectively.

Findings: In fever-induced BrS patients, pathogenic or likely pathogenic (P/LP) SCN5A variant carriers developed fever-induced BrS at a younger age, and more often in females and those of Caucasian descent. They exhibited significant electrophysical abnormalities, including a larger epicardial AS area, and more prolonged abnormal epicardial electrograms. During a median follow-up …

Efficacy And Safety Of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation In Treatment Of Clostridioides Difficile Infection Among Pediatric Patients: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Kyaw Min Tun, Mark Hsu, Kavita Batra, Chun-Han Lo, Tooba Laeeq, Tahne Vongsavath, Salman Mohammed, Annie S. Hong Md

Department of Internal Medicine Faculty Research

Background and Aims: Cases of Clostridioides difficile infection have been rising among the pediatric and adolescent population. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has emerged as an alternative therapy for recurrent C. difficile infection. We aim to perform the first systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the safety and efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation for C. difficile infection in children and adolescents. Methods: A literature search was performed using variations of the keywords “pediatrics”, “C. difficile infection”, and “fecal microbiota transplantation” in PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane, and Google Scholar from inception to 30 June 2022. The resulting 575 articles were independently screened by …

Co-Management Strategies For Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients In The Community Setting, Christopher Benton, Michael R Grunwald, Hana Safah, Margaret Kasner

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

The treatment landscape for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has changed substantially in recent years. The introduction of newer therapies, including oral agents, less myelosuppressive agents, and parenteral regimens suitable for outpatient administration, has made it feasible for select patients to receive therapy in the outpatient setting and in community practices. Thorough patient evaluation (including molecular testing), planned supportive care (eg, transfusion support, antimicrobial prophylaxis), and vigilant patient monitoring (for tumor lysis syndrome and adverse events) by a multidisciplinary team are required for successful management of patients both in the community and at specialized leukemia centers. Some patients are unable or …

Case-Control Investigation Of Invasive Salmonella Disease In Malawi Reveals No Evidence Of Environmental Or Animal Transmission Of Invasive Strains, And Supports Human To Human Transmission, Leonard Koolman, Reenesh Prakash, Yohane Diness, Chisomo Msefula, Tonney S. Nyirenda, Franziska Olgemoeller, Paul Wigley, Blanca Perez-Sepulveda, Jay C. D. Hinton, Siân V. Owen, Nicholas A. Feasey, Philip Ashton, Melita A. Gordon

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

BackgroundInvasive Salmonella infections cause significant morbidity and mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, the routes of transmission are uncertain. We conducted a case-control study of index-case and geographically-matched control households in Blantyre, Malawi, sampling Salmonella isolates from index cases, healthy people, animals, and the household environment.MethodologySixty index cases of human invasive Salmonella infection were recruited (March 2015-Oct 2016). Twenty-eight invasive Non-Typhoidal Salmonella (iNTS) disease and 32 typhoid patients consented to household sampling. Each index-case household was geographically matched to a control household. Extensive microbiological sampling included stool sampling from healthy household members, stool or rectal swabs from household-associated animals and boot-sock …

A Robust Random Forest Prediction Model For Mother-To-Child Hiv Transmission Based On Individual Medical History, Rebecca Chaula

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) continues to be a leading cause of mortality and reduces manpower throughout the world. HIV transmission from mother to child is still a global challenge in health research. According to UNAIDS, in every 7 girls, 6 are found to be newly infected among adolescents whereby 15-24 years are likely to be living with HIV which is the maternal age and likely to transfer to the child. Machine learning methods have been used to predict HIV/AIDS transmission from mother to child but left behind some important considerations including the use of patient-level information and techniques in balancing …

Nucleic Acid Extraction Of Human Immunodeficiency Virus From Municipal Wastewater, Fritz Vanderford, Hayley Baker, Ching-Lan Chang

Undergraduate Research Symposium Lightning Talks

In 2021, globally there were ~ 38.4 million people living with Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), ~650,000 people died from acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) related illnesses, ~1.5 million people acquired HIV. In the US, ~1.9 million people had HIV at the end of 2019, ~30,635 people were diagnosed with HIV in 2020.

Poliovirus Detection In Las Vegas Wastewater, Sage Boss, Hayley Baker, Ching-Lan Chang

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Wastewater surveillance for poliovirus is a useful tool for spatial surveillance and evaluation of immunization efficacy. Polio testing in wastewater has been conducted since the 1980s in Finland and Israel, and the virus was recently discovered in New York. With increasing concern regarding the vaccination of children against the virus, there has been worry that polio cases could once again present themselves in the Las Vegas Valley. By testing for the virus in wastewater, we can monitor any new cases or outbreaks that occur and inform authorities as to the location and viral count. The wastewater samples were collected at …

The Global Effects Of Climate Change: Detrimental Impacts On The Environment, Ecosystem, Coral Reefs, Human Health/Well-Being, And Global Economy, Lucky Heng

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Despite criticism, scientists have been continuing to find more evidence to prove that the threats on the coral reefs around the world are real. The impact of rising climate temperature, pollution, ocean acidification, etc. has been leading to increasing amounts of mass bleaching and a massive decline in coral reefs in past decades. This research study utilizes a systematic literature review and secondary research to collect, analyze and provide evidence that climate change impacts the ecosystem, and marine life (coral reefs) species on the planet. By addressing the impact of climate change and its significance on the ecosystem and global …

Predicting The Next Pandemic: Utilizing Wastewater-Based Epidemiology As A Novel Technique For Detecting Mpox Dna, Austin Tang, Michael Moshi, Hayley Baker, Ching-Lan Chang

Undergraduate Research Symposium Lightning Talks

Mpox cases are trending downward in Las Vegas, aligning with national trends. The study demonstrates that it is possible to extract mpox DNA directly from wastewater and quantify the genetic material using qPCR. This research indicates that WBE can be utilized to give a relative abundance of virual nucleic acids in wastewater, giving opportunities for early-warning systems and other public health interventions. Mpox remains a global threat to public health, continued surveillance of MPXV using wastewater is necessary to ensure that we can detect unusual spike in viral DNA level. Mpox detected in the wastewater samples will be sequences to …

Economics Of Artificial Intelligence In Healthcare: Diagnosis Vs. Treatment., Narendra N Khanna, Mahesh A Maindarkar, Vijay Viswanathan, Jose Fernandes E Fernandes, Sudip Paul, Mrinalini Bhagawati, Puneet Ahluwalia, Zoltan Ruzsa, Aditya Sharma, Raghu Kolluri, Inder M Singh, John R Laird, Mostafa Fatemi, Azra Alizad, Luca Saba, Vikas Agarwal, Aman Sharma, Jagjit S Teji, Mustafa Al-Maini, Vijay Rathore, Subbaram Naidu, Kiera Liblik, Amer M Johri, Monika Turk, Lopamudra Mohanty, David W Sobel, Martin Miner, Klaudija Viskovic, George Tsoulfas, Athanasios D Protogerou, George D Kitas, Mostafa M Fouda, Seemant Chaturvedi, Mannudeep K Kalra, Jasjit S Suri

Medical Education Articles

Motivation: The price of medical treatment continues to rise due to (i) an increasing population; (ii) an aging human growth; (iii) disease prevalence; (iv) a rise in the frequency of patients that utilize health care services; and (v) increase in the price. Objective: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already well-known for its superiority in various healthcare applications, including the segmentation of lesions in images, speech recognition, smartphone personal assistants, navigation, ride-sharing apps, and many more. Our study is based on two hypotheses: (i) AI offers more economic solutions compared to conventional methods; (ii) AI treatment offers stronger economics compared to …

Human Rabies - Texas, 2021, Dawn Blackburn, Faisal S Minhaj, Roukaya Al Hammoud, Lillian Orciari, Jael Miller, Trevor Maness, Jon Stewart, Brittany Singletary, Elvia Ledezma, Misti Ellsworth, Andrea Carlo-Angleró, Michael Niezgoda, Crystal M Gigante, Agam K Rao, Panayampalli S Satheshkumar, Gloria P Heresi, Amanda Kieffer, Ryan M Wallace

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In late August 2021, a boy aged 7 years was bitten by a bat while he was playing outside his apartment home in Medina County, Texas. He informed his parents; however, no rabies postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) was sought because there were no visible bite marks, and the family was unaware that contact with a bat, including in the absence of visible bite marks, might cause rabies. Approximately 2 months later, the child was hospitalized for altered mental status, seizures, and hypersalivation and ultimately received a diagnosis of rabies. Experimental therapies were attempted; however, the child died 22 days after symptom …

Effects Of Microcystin-Lr On Channel Catfish (Ictalurus Punctatus) Susceptibility To Microbial Pathogens (Aeromonas Hydrophila And Edwardsiella Piscicida), Alison Marchant

Theses and Dissertations

Microcystin-LR is a hepatotoxin produced by cyanobacteria. Aeromonas hydrophila and Edwardsiella piscicida infections are leading causes of losses in market-sized channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). These older fish should have natural immunity in place and a predisposing factor is likely a prerequisite for these disease outbreaks. While microcystin-LR rarely causes mortality in warm-water aquaculture, we believe it may be a predisposing factor that leads to bacterial disease outbreaks during the summer months due to its ability to damage the liver. Our study investigated microcystin-LR’s effects on channel catfish susceptibility to these pathogens. We found that a sublethal dose of microcystin-LR induced …

Molecular And Phenotypic Characterization Of Escherichia Coli Isolated From Broiler Chicken Flocks In Mississippi, Priyanka Devkota

Theses and Dissertations

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is the causative agent of colibacillosis. APEC causes significant economic losses to the poultry industry. In this study, 66 E. coli isolates were collected from broiler flocks across Mississippi and categorized as clinical and non-clinical isolates. Genotypic and phenotypic characterization of virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance profiles of these E. coli were examined. The data disclosed a higher prevalence of virulence genes in clinical isolates than in non-clinical isolates. High differences on the genotypic and phenotypic antimicrobial resistance among clinical and non-clinical isolates were observed. Whole genome sequences of avian E. coli elaborated a diverse …

A Multi-Method Exploration Of Health Disparities And Covid-19 Incidence And Mortality In The United States, S M Asger Ali

Theses and Dissertations

The 21^st century experienced several health crises, especially in the form of infectious disease outbreaks such as the SARS outbreak in 2003, the H1N1 in 2009, and Ebola outbreaks in 2013. However, none has produced a worldwide socio-economic and health impact compared to the recent pandemic, known as COVID-19. As of October 4, 2022, more than 614 million cases with 6 million deaths have been reported worldwide. The United States is currently in the leading position with more than 98 million cases and 1 million deaths. The pandemic, however, did not impact the entire region similarly, and the infections …

Development Of A Novel Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (Lamp) Assay For The Rapid Detection Of Clostridium Perfringens, Deepa Chaudhary

Theses and Dissertations

Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) causes diseases such as necrotic enteritis in poultry. Current methods for early detection of C. perfringens, including culture, and molecular techniques (PCR and qPCR), have logistical limitations in detecting pathogens on-site because they require specialized equipment and long sample preparation time. This study describes developing a highly sensitive on-site LAMP assay combined with a simple DNA extraction method to detect C. perfringens. Results showed that the LAMP assay was highly specific and sensitive with the optimal reaction conditions: 63°C for 30 mins with primer concentration of 1.2 mM FIP/BIP and 0.2 mM F3/B3. The HotSHOT method …

Survival, Regrowth And Morphotype Formation Of Salmonella Strains After Exposure To High Or Low Concentrations Of First Generation Qac In Water, Grace Umutesi

Theses and Dissertations

This study determines the differences in survival of eight Salmonella strains concentration of BAC in water, followed by regrowth in high and low nutrition conditions containing sublethal concentration of BAC. Our results show strain difference in survival, persistence of Salmonella in BAC at different concentrations. All eight strains of Salmonella were non-recoverable when exposed to 40 to 48 µg/ml BAC for 1h in water. When exposed to 24 µg/ml of BAC for 1 h in water, S. Typhimurium ATCC 14028 and S. Heidelberg ATCC 8326 cells were non-detectable from the initial 7 log CFU/ml. S. Blockley 7175, S. Virchow 7207, …

Combined Effects Of Cyclosporine And Prednisone On T-Cell Cytokine Production In Healthy Dogs, Brittany Moore-Henderson

Theses and Dissertations

Cyclosporine and prednisone are immunosuppressive drugs that are commonly used in combination for the treatment of immune-mediated diseases, and have been shown to individually cause significant suppression of IL-2. Currently, no studies have been performed to determine how a combination of the two drugs would impact suppression of IL-2, and if an additive or synergistic effect on cytokine production could be demonstrated, as in studies of other species. An additive effect of immunosuppression associated with this drug combination could allow clinicians to decrease dosages of drugs, thereby reducing drug costs and minimizing adverse drug side effects. In a cross-over study …

Unraveling The Anti-Inflammatory Mechanisms And Efficacy Of Cannabidiol On The Progression Of A Murine Model Of Multiple Sclerosis From The Innate To The Adaptive Immune System To Clinical Symptoms, Christa Marie Frodella

Theses and Dissertations

Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychotropic phytocannabinoid with structural similarity to Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is currently being investigated as a therapeutic for its immunosuppressive effects. One disease for which CBD is extensively researched is multiple sclerosis (MS), a demyelinating, autoimmune disorder, and its murine model counterpart, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). The focus of this dissertation aimed to analyze the transcriptomic brain pathways in EAE and its comparison to MS in addition to CBD’s immunosuppressive mechanisms in the innate and adaptive immune systems. Evidence presented here showed that transcriptomic signaling pathways in the EAE brain of mice with clinical symptoms were similar …

Evaluation Of Soybean [Glycine Max (L.) Merr.] Cultivar Response To Prophylactic Fungicide Application, Steven B. Stoker

Theses and Dissertations

Soybean growers in the southern United States commonly deal with disease issues that can limit yield potential. As a result, growers have adopted prophylactic fungicide application targeted at specific growth stages as a standard management practice. However, yield responses to prophylactic applications have become sporadic over time. One major change that has occurred is adoption of cultivars with improved disease tolerances. Therefore, the objective of this research was to evaluate yield response of cultivars representing multiple genetic backgrounds to fungicides applied prophylactically at the R4 soybean growth stage. Experiments were conducted in 2020 and 2021 to determine the yield impact …

Endotoxin As A Marker For Water Quality, Anas A. Sattar, Christian R. Good, Margaux Saletes, João Brandão, Simon K. Jackson

School of Biomedical Sciences

Background: Water quality testing is vital to protect human health. Current testing relies mainly on culture-based detection of faecal indicator organisms such as Escherichia coli (E.coli). However, bacterial cultures are a slow process, taking 24–48 h and requiring specialised laboratories and trained personnel. Access to such laboratories is often sparse in developing countries and there are many fatalities deriving from poor water quality. Endotoxin is a molecular component of Gram-negative bacterial cell walls and can be used to detect their presence in drinking water. Method: The current study used a novel assay (BacterisK) to rapidly detect endotoxin in various water …

Medical School Watercooler Newsletter - December 8, 2022, Lindsey Lyle

Watercooler Newsletter

This is the December 8, 2022 edition of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine's newsletter - Watercooler.

Contents include:

• Disaster healthcare preparedness director retires from USA
• Meet a Med Student: Meagan Jones
• Graduate student to train in clinical and translational research program
• MAA calls for 50 People of Influence Award nominations
• In Memoriam: Tony G. Waldrop, Ph.D. (1951-2022)

Investigating The Involvement Of The Tick Vector In The Induction Of Alpha-Galactose Hypersensitivity (Alpha-Gal Syndrome, Red Meat Allergy) In The United States., Gary Crispell

Dissertations

Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS or sometimes called red meat allergy) is a result of the development of specific IgE antibodies to the oligosaccharide galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-gal) after a person has had exposure to tick bites. This dissertation investigates four common tick species found in North America: the lone-star tick (Amblyomma americanum), the Gulf-Coast tick (Amblyomma maculatum), the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis), and the black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis) for the presence of α-gal by utilizing a combination of immunoproteomic approaches and carbohydrate analysis techniques.

Anti-α-gal IgM antibodies (M86) were used in immunoblotting to detect …

Characterization Of Innate Immune Responses In Mouse Trophoblast Stem Cells And Their Differentiated Cells, Mona Fendereski

Dissertations

The blastocyst is the preimplantation stage embryo consisting of two major components: the inner cell mass (ICM) and the trophectoderm (TE). The ICM forms the fetus, whereas the TE contributes to the placenta development. Previous studies have demonstrated that human and mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) derived from the ICM are deficient in expressing type I IFNs in response to viral infection. This study investigated the innate immune responses in mouse trophoblast stem cells (TSCs) and their in vitro differentiated trophoblasts (TSC-TBs). I report that, unlike ESCs, TSCs have a functional IFN system. They can express and respond to type …

Does The Use Of Mental Health Screenings And Targeted Stress Interventions Improve Mental Health Outcomes In Outpatient Clinic Staff?, Mary Benson

Doctoral Projects

The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) has been used as a classic stress assessment instrument to evaluate perceived stress across many settings. As stress is the primary phenomenon in this review due to varying stressors, including infectious diseases among healthcare workers, the PSS is the most appropriate scale for evaluating the degree to which a health worker feels stressed. In addition, the PSS is valuable as it encompasses ten items that researchers use to explore how respondents react to stress due to unpredictable events. Thus, this DNP project is based on the postulation that screening with the PSS and applying stress …