Digital Commons Network^™

Impacts Of Protected Areas On Respiratory Health In The Brazilian Amazon, Katrina Mullan

University Grant Program Reports

There is growing interest in the connection between the conservation of ecosystems and human health. Protection of ecosystems is often presented by opponents to be in direct conflict with human values, on the grounds that it restricts economic opportunities. At the same time, human health is a universal value that cuts across political, economic, and social divisions. To date, the empirical evidence for the extent to which conservation or land-use policy can generate health improvements is minimal. This project contributed by focusing on one large-scale policy, Brazil’s Amazon biome Protected Area (PA) network. It provided funds for processing and analysis …

From The Organismal To Biosphere Levels: Environmental Impacts On The Amphibian Microbiota, Obed Hernandez-Gomez, Jessica Hua

Natural Sciences and Mathematics | Faculty Scholarship

This review summarizes the role of environmental factors on amphibian microbiotas at the organismal, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere levels. At the organismal-level, tissue source, disease status, and experimental manipulations were the strongest predictors of variation in amphibian microbiotas. At the population-level, habitat quality, disease status, and ancestry were commonly documented as drivers of microbiota turnover. At the community-level, studies focused on how species’ niche influence microbiota structure and function. At the ecosystem-level, abiotic and biotic reservoirs were important contributors to microbiota structure. At the biosphere-level, databases, sample banks, and semi-natural experiments were commonly used to describe microbiota assembly mechanisms …

Evaluation Of Topical Microbicides For Their Acute Toxicities And Ability To Induce Proinflammatory Cytokines Tnf-A, Il-1b, Il-6 And Il-8 In Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells And Macrophages, Aladin A. Siddig, Olivier M. Tchimou, Mohammad N. Uddin, Kwame Yeboah

Faculty Research ​and Publications

Purpose: Topical Microbicides have been used as vaginal microbicides in clinical trials as anti-HIV-1 products. The objectives of this project were to evaluate selected popular topical microbicide drug products for their acute toxicities to colorectal epithelial cells and primary immune cells such as Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC) and Macrophages and to further determine if these microbicide products could induce genital tract inflammation via extra production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8.

Methodology: Toxicities of Nonoxynol-9, KY jelly, CAP, PRO2000 (4%), PRO2000 (0.5%), UC781(1%), UC781(0.1%) and VenaGelTM microbicides were determined by cellular viability of colorectal adenocarcinoma …

Development Of A Novel Mathematical Model That Explains Sars-Cov-2 Infection Dynamics In Caco-2 Cells, Vladimir Staroverov, Stepan Nersisyan, Alexei Galatenko, Dmitriy Alekseev, Sofya Lukashevich, Fedor Ployakov, Nikita Anisimov, Alexander Tonevitsky

COVID-19 Papers, Posters, and Presentations

Mathematical modeling is widely used to study within-host viral dynamics. However, to the best of our knowledge, for the case of SARS-CoV-2 such analyses were mainly conducted with the use of viral load data and for the wild type (WT) variant of the virus. In addition, only few studies analyzed models for in vitro data, which are less noisy and more reproducible. In this work we collected multiple data types for SARS-CoV-2-infected Caco-2 cell lines, including infectious virus titers, measurements of intracellular viral RNA, cell viability data and percentage of infected cells for the WT and Delta variants. We showed …

One And A Half-Stage Revision With Prosthetic Articulating Spacer For Definitive Management Of Knee Periprosthetic Joint Infection., Ahmed Siddiqi, Yusuf Mahmoud, Salvador A. Forte, Thomas A Novack, James Nace

Orthopedic Surgery Resident Research

This paper is a comprehensive review that describes indications, contraindications, clinical outcomes, and pearls and pitfalls of 1.5-stage revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA) utilizing a primary TKA femoral component, all-polyethylene tibial component, and hand-crafted antibiotic cement for the management of chronic periprosthetic joint infection. The 1.5-stage exchange TKA details placement of an articulating spacer for an indefinite period, prolonging revision until reinfection, deterioration of functional status, or construct failure. A 1.5-stage revision TKA technique is a viable option for treatment of chronic periprosthetic knee infections. The inherent advantages of decreased health-care costs, decreased morbidity and mortality, and improved emotional ease …

Streptococcus Constellatus Brain Abscess In A Middle-Aged Man With An Undiagnosed Patent Foramen Ovale, Susan G. Wager, Nina K. Bourdeau, Joshua D. Collins

Internal Medicine Articles

Brain abscess is a rare diagnosis. Common sources of infection include direct spread from otic sources, sinuses, or oral cavities, and hematogenous spread from distant sources, including the heart and lungs. Brain abscess with cultures growing oral flora species, in rare cases, may develop from bacteria in the oral cavity entering the bloodstream and then traveling to the brain via a patent foramen ovale. This report highlights a case of brain abscess caused by Streptococcus constellatus in a middle-aged man with an undiagnosed patent foramen ovale.

Herpes Simplex Virus-Associated Aplastic Anemia, Oscar A. Hinojosa, Omar Ammari

Internal Medicine Articles

Aplastic anemia is an uncommon condition defined by peripheral pancytopenia in the context of hypocellular bone marrow. In the majority of cases, it is idiopathic in origin. However, exposure to certain drugs and toxins, autoimmune processes, and viral infections have been linked to this entity. This is the case of a 56-year-old female with an acute presentation of fever, odynophagia, and dysphagia. Physical examination revealed multiple hemorrhagic ulcers affecting her oropharyngeal mucosa with regions of necrosis. Mucosal biopsy was compatible with the presence of local necrosis and keratinization. Hematological analysis showed severe peripheral pancytopenia, and the bone marrow biopsy revealed …

Gender-Based Differences Of Inflammatory, Coagulation, And Cardiac Markers In Covid-19 Patients In Erbil City, Zhikal Omar Khudhur, Sonia Elia Ishaq, Rebaz Hamza Salih, Karzan Abdullah, Dahat Hawezy, Karwan Yasin Mohammed, Goran Qadir Othman, Shukur Wasman Smail

Polytechnic Journal

In December 2019, a new coronavirus disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) appeared in Wuhan city and quickly became a global health issue. COVID-19 causes various symptoms ranging from no symptoms to potentially deadly pneumonia. The study aimed to understand the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on immune response and the differences in inflammatory, coagulation, and cardiac biomarkers between male and female patients. Between June 1st and November 1st, 2020, 95 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals were studied at Zanko Hospital. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed using the real-time RT-PCR technique. All cases were analyzed for clinical, epidemiological, …

Avascular Necrosis As A Sequela Of Covid-19: A Case Series., Sarthak Parikh, Osmanny Gomez, Ty Davis, Zachary Lyon, Arturo Corces

HPD Articles

Avascular necrosis (AVN) is a degenerative bone condition characterized by cellular death and bone collapse from compromised subchondral blood circulation. AVN begins with vascular interruption, hypertension, intravascular occlusion, or extravascular compression which reduces bone circulation. Although corticosteroids are frequently used to treat acute COVID-19 infections, patients are prone to its side effects, particularly AVN. Furthermore, COVID-19 produces coagulopathies, specifically hypercoagulability, that may contribute to venous thrombosis, which may serve as the impetus of AVN. While the literature discussing COVID-19, AVN, and corticosteroid use is not conclusive, patients being treated with corticosteroids for COVID-19 are at an increased risk for AVN …

Getting Our Tutors Back On Track: An Examination Of The Perceptions Of Small Group Instruction And Engagement Strategies And The Professional Development Required, Kimberly Nicole Moore

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Research has shown that teachers and tutors are facing what they are calling the COVID-19 slide, a decline in achievement gains made during the previous school year and school closures due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. There is not only a loss of learning, but also a substantial impact on children’s development. Teachers and tutors are now facing such prolific deficits that they are trying to find solutions to provide more assistance for those struggling students. One solution is tutoring.

This literature review offers information on the increased need for tutoring programs over the past few years and discusses the need …

Comparing Potential And Repeat Chinese Guests' Cruise Travel Intentions In Post-Covid-19, Lan Lu, Jinlin Zhao, Miranda Kitterlin

Journal of Global Hospitality and Tourism

This study extended the theory of reasoned action (TRA) by including cruise involvement, safety protocols, and trust (stimulus-organism-response paradigm), and risk perception (the prospect theory), developing a theoretical framework to explore and compare Chinese repeat and potential guests' travel intentions, thus making great efforts to rebuilding consumer confidence and recover operation at this stage of the post-COVID-19. The results show that guests' intentions were positively influenced by their perceptions of safety protocols, trust, attitude, subjective norms, and cruise involvement, respectively. In contrast with previous studies, present results showed that perceived risk has a significant positive effect on the intention of …

Long-Term Exposure To An Invasive Fungal Pathogen Decreases Eptesicus Fuscus Body Mass With Increasing Latitude, Molly C. Simonis, Lynn K. Hartzler, Gregory G. Turner, Michael R. Scafini, Joseph S. Johnson, Megan A. Rúa

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Abstract Invasive pathogens threaten wildlife health and biodiversity. Physiological responses of species highly susceptible to pathogen infections following invasion are well described. However, the responses of less susceptible species (relative to highly susceptible species) are not well known. Latitudinal gradients, which can influence body condition via Bergmann's rule and/or reflect the time it takes for an introduced pathogen to spread geographically, add an additional layer for how mammalian species respond to pathogen exposure. Our goal was to understand how hosts less susceptible to pathogen infections respond to long‐term pathogen exposure across a broad latitudinal gradient. We examined changes in body …

Quantifying Wheat Blast Disease Induced Yield And Production Losses Of Wheat: A Quasi-Natural Experiment, Khondoker Abdul Mottaleb, David P. Hodson, Timothy J. Krupnik, Kai Sonder

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Faculty Publications and Presentations

Applying the difference-in-difference (DID) estimation procedure, this study quantifies the wheat blast (Magnaporthe oryzae pathotype Triticum) induced losses in wheat yield, quantity of wheat sold, consumed, or stored, as well as wheat grain value in Bangladesh in 2016 following a disease outbreak that affected over 15,000 ha. Estimates show that the blast-induced yield loss was 540 kg ha⁻¹ on average for households in blast-affected districts. Estimated total wheat production loss was approximately 8,205 tons worth USD 2.1 million in during the 2016 outbreak. Based on these insights, we discuss the need for long-term assured investment and concerted research …

Social Support And The Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic Among A Cohort Of People Living With Hiv (Plwh) In Western Kenya, Adel Mburia-Mwalili, Karla D. Wagner, Edith Kamaru Kwobah, Lukoye Atwoli, Maurice Aluda, Brianna Simmons, Jayne Lewis-Kulzer, Suzanne Goodrich, Kara Wools-Kaloustian, Jennifer L. Syvertsen

Internal Medicine, East Africa

As coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic in 2020, countries around the world implemented various prevention strategies, such as banning of public and social gatherings, restriction in movement, etc. These efforts may have had a deleterious effect on already vulnerable populations, including people living with HIV (PLWH). PLWH were concerned about contracting COVID-19, the impact of COVID-19 on their social networks that provide social support, and the continued availability of antiretroviral medications during the pandemic. In addition, their mental health may have been exacerbated by the pandemic. The purpose of this study was to explore pandemic-related concerns among a …

Atypical Presentation Of Progressive Disseminated Histoplasmosis In A Patient Recently Diagnosed With Aids, Andrew Stefan, Erica Herc, Smitha Gudipati, Indira Brar, Alyssa Vitale, Zain Tariq

Infectious Diseases Articles

Opportunistic infections, including progressive disseminated histoplasmosis (PDH), may have variable and surprising presentations in patients with AIDS. This can be either a primary infection or reactivation of a latent infection. Latent infections may occur due to being unmasked by the immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome after the initiation of combined antiretroviral therapy. PDH can be difficult to diagnose in patients with AIDS due to its variable presentation and many overlapping symptoms with other opportunistic infections. Serum and urine antigen testing are highly sensitive and typically used as the initial diagnostic test to workup suspected PDH. However, negative antigen and antibody tests …

Safety And Tolerability Of Ser-109 As An Investigational Microbiome Therapeutic In Adults With Recurrent Clostridioides Difficile Infection: A Phase 3, Open-Label, Single-Arm Trial, Matthew D. Sims, Sahil Khanna, Paul Feuerstadt, Thomas J. Louie, Colleen R. Kelly, Edward S. Huang, Elizabeth L. Hohmann, Elaine E. L Wang, Caterina Oneto, Stuart H. Cohen, Charles S. Berenson, Louis Korman, Christine Lee, Bret Lashner, Colleen S. Kraft, Mayur Ramesh, Michael Silverman, Darrell S. Pardi, Ananya De, Asli Memisoglu, David A. Lombardi, Brooke R. Hasson, Barbara H. Mcgovern, Lisa Von Moltke

Infectious Diseases Articles

IMPORTANCE: A safe and effective treatment for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is urgently needed. Antibiotics kill toxin-producing bacteria but do not repair the disrupted microbiome, which promotes spore germination and infection recurrence.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the safety and rate of CDI recurrence after administration of investigational microbiome therapeutic SER-109 through 24 weeks.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This phase 3, single-arm, open-label trial (ECOSPOR IV) was conducted at 72 US and Canadian outpatient sites from October 2017 to April 2022. Adults aged 18 years or older with recurrent CDI were enrolled in 2 cohorts: (1) rollover patients from the ECOSPOR …

How Crisis Affects Crypto: Coronavirus As A Test Case, Hadar Y. Jabotinsky, Roee Sarel

UC Law Journal

Everybody is talking about cryptocurrencies. These digital tokens, which started in a one-asset market, have swiftly ballooned into a massive and diverse “cryptomarket.” The cryptomarket is still mostly unregulated, but this is about to change. With President Biden’s adoption of the Executive Order on Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets, regulatory initiatives are being adopted abroad, and global regulation looms ahead. In light of the expected regulatory changes, two important questions emerge: is there a clear rationale for legal intervention in the cryptomarket? And if so, what type of regulation is optimal?

This Article is the first to consider how …

Immigration Law’S Boundary Problem: Determining The Scope Of Executive Discretion, Peter Margulies

UC Law Journal

In immigration law, executive discretion has become contested terrain. Courts, officials, and scholars have rarely distinguished between regulatory discretion, which facilitates exclusion and removal of noncitizens, and protective discretion, which safeguards noncitizens’ reliance interests. Moreover, courts have long discerned an internal-external divide in discretion, deferring to executive measures that exclude noncitizens abroad, while reducing deference for measures concerning noncitizens who have already entered the United States. Immigration law needs a cohesive framework for executive discretion. This Article suggests a stewardship model to fill that gap.

Recent developments have emphasized the need for a coherent model of discretion. The Trump Administration …

When Further Incarceration Is No Longer In The Interest Of Justice: Instituting A Federal Prosecutor-Initiated Resentencing Framework, Lydia Tonozzi

UC Law Journal

The dire state of the prison population in the United States has become common knowledge both at home and abroad. Mass incarceration in the United States has been caused by nearly four decades of retributive criminal justice policies that do little to reduce crime. This mass incarceration imposes a multitude of costs on American society, both financially and socially. Furthermore, congressional goals to reduce crime rates are necessarily undermined by punitive policies at the federal level. The history of California’s penal system during the same time frame parallels the federal history. Yet in 2017, California began to remedy this history …

Connecting Contemporary Trauma Care To Florence Nightingale's Visionary Work, Lynn Stover Nichols, Michael T. Hyde, Michael Mosley, Melanie Gibbons Hallman

Nursing Faculty Publications and Presentations

The impact of Florence Nightingale's visionary work continues to influence the delivery of nursing care in the contemporary emergency department (ED). Her foundational work in the Crimean War resulted in data-based recommendations for using the environment to promote healing and wellness among sick and wounded British soldiers. She advocated for attention to environmental details, including ventilation, air, warmth, drainage, cleanliness, natural light, and low noise levels. These important environmental concepts play a significant role in the nursing management of trauma patients in today's ED. This article features an application of Nightingale's environmental concepts to a trauma patient case exemplar and …

Successful Va Ecmo For A Pre-B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Patient With Necrotizing Faciitis From Clostridium Septicum, Johanna I. Orrick, Brittany Rouchou, Cara Holton, Jenna Miller

Posters

REPORT: It can be challenging to calculate the risks versus benefits of a potential Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) pediatric candidate. A patient with an oncologic comorbidity and an increased potential of needing near-future surgical interventions carries higher ECMO risks. We report a successful VA ECMO run of a newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) adolescent with Clostridium septicum necrotizing fasciitis. A previously healthy 16-year-old male was diagnosed with pre-B cell ALL after having an ileocolic intussusception and a Clostridium septicum blood infection. He underwent successful surgical intussusception reduction, started induction chemotherapy, and completed a ten-day course of antibiotics. On hospital …

Clinical Risk Factors Of Adverse Outcomes Among Women With Covid-19 In The Pregnancy And Postpartum Period: A Sequential, Prospective Meta-Analysis, Emily R. Smith, Erin Oakley, Gargi Wable Grandner, Gordon Rukundo, Fouzia Farooq, Kacey Ferguson, Sasha Baumann, Kristina Adams Waldorf, Yalda Afshar, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Objective: This sequential, prospective meta-analysis (sPMA) sought to identify risk factors among pregnant and postpartum women with COVID-19 for adverse outcomes related to: disease severity, maternal morbidities, neonatal mortality and morbidity, adverse birth outcomes.

Data sources: We prospectively invited study investigators to join the sPMA via professional research networks beginning in March 2020.

Study eligibility criteria: Eligible studies included those recruiting at least 25 consecutive cases of COVID-19 in pregnancy within a defined catchment area.

Study appraisal and synthesis methods: We included individual patient data from 21 participating studies. Data quality was assessed, and harmonized variables for risk factors and …

Spatial Molecular And Cellular Determinants Of Stat3 Activation In Liver Fibrosis Progression In Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Jingjing Jiao, Jessica I Sanchez, Omar A Saldarriaga, Luisa M Solis, David J Tweardy, Dipen M Maru, Heather L Stevenson, Laura Beretta

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its severe form, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), is increasing. Individuals with NASH often develop liver fibrosis and advanced liver fibrosis is the main determinant of mortality in individuals with NASH. We and others have reported that STAT3 contributes to liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in mice.

METHODS: Here, we explored whether STAT3 activation in hepatocyte and non-hepatocyte areas, measured by phospho-STAT3 (pSTAT3), is associated with liver fibrosis progression in 133 patients with NAFLD. We further characterized the molecular and cellular determinants of STAT3 activation by integrating spatial distribution and …

Alphaviruses Detected In Mosquitoes In The North-Eastern Regions Of South Africa, 2014 To 2018, Milehna M Guarido, Isabel Fourie, Kgothatso Meno, Adriano Mendes, Megan A Riddin, Caitlin Macintyre, Sontaga Manyana, Todd Johnson, Maarten Schrama, Erin E Gorsich, Basil D Brooke, Antonio Paulo G Almeida, Marietjie Venter

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The prevalence and distribution of African alphaviruses such as chikungunya have increased in recent years. Therefore, a better understanding of the local distribution of alphaviruses in vectors across the African continent is important. Here, entomological surveillance was performed from 2014 to 2018 at selected sites in north-eastern parts of South Africa where alphaviruses have been identified during outbreaks in humans and animals in the past. Mosquitoes were collected using a net, CDC-light, and BG-traps. An alphavirus genus-specific nested RT-PCR was used for screening, and positive pools were confirmed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. We collected 64,603 mosquitoes from 11 genera, …

Inhibition Of Myeloperoxidase Enhances Immune Checkpoint Therapy For Melanoma, Tracy W Liu, Seth T Gammon, Ping Yang, Wencai Ma, Jing Wang, David Piwnica-Worms

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The presence of a highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment has limited the success of immune checkpoint therapy (ICT). Immune suppressing myeloid cells with increased production of reactive oxygen species are critical drivers of this immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Strategies to limit these immune suppressing myeloid cells are needed to enhance response to ICT.

METHODS: To evaluate the contribution of myeloperoxidase (MPO), a myeloid lineage-restricted enzyme and a major source of reactive oxygen species, to mediating ICT response, we compared treatment outcome and immune composition in wild-type, MPO-deficient (

RESULTS: Tumor growth and survival studies demonstrated that either host deficiency (

CONCLUSION: …

Gasdermin D Deficiency In Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Ameliorates Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Through Reducing Putrescine Synthesis, Jianing Gao, Yanghui Chen, Huiqing Wang, Xin Li, Ke Li, Yangkai Xu, Xianwei Xie, Yansong Guo, Nana Yang, Xinhua Zhang, Dong Ma, Hong S. Lu, Ying H. Shen, Yong Liu, Jifeng Zhang, Y. Eugene Chen, Alan Daugherty, Dao Wen Wang, Lemin Zheng

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a common vascular disease associated with significant phenotypic alterations in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Gasdermin D (GSDMD) is a pore-forming effector of pyroptosis. In this study, the role of VSMC-specific GSDMD in the phenotypic alteration of VSMCs and AAA formation is determined. Single-cell transcriptome analyses reveal Gsdmd upregulation in aortic VSMCs in angiotensin (Ang) II-induced AAA. VSMC-specific Gsdmd deletion ameliorates Ang II-induced AAA in apolipoprotein E (ApoE)−/− mice. Using untargeted metabolomic analysis, it is found that putrescine is significantly reduced in the plasma and aortic tissues of VSMC-specific GSDMD deficient mice. High putrescine levels …

The Mechanism And Therapy Of Aortic Aneurysms, Jianing Gao, Huanhuan Cao, Gaofei Hu, Yufei Wu, Yangkai Xu, Hongtu Cui, Hong S. Lu, Lemin Zheng

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

Aortic aneurysm is a chronic aortic disease affected by many factors. Although it is generally asymptomatic, it poses a significant threat to human life due to a high risk of rupture. Because of its strong concealment, it is difficult to diagnose the disease in the early stage. At present, there are no effective drugs for the treatment of aneurysms. Surgical intervention and endovascular treatment are the only therapies. Although current studies have discovered that inflammatory responses as well as the production and activation of various proteases promote aortic aneurysm, the specific mechanisms remain unclear. Researchers are further exploring the pathogenesis …

Circulation Of Rhinoviruses And/Or Enteroviruses In Pediatric Patients With Acute Respiratory Illness Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic In The Us., Danielle A. Rankin, Andrew J. Spieker, Ariana Perez, Anna L. Stahl, Herdi K. Rahman, Laura S. Stewart, Jennifer E. Schuster, Joana Y. Lively, Zaid Haddadin, Varvara Probst, Marian G. Michaels, John V. Williams, Julie A. Boom, Leila C. Sahni, Mary A. Staat, Elizabeth P. Schlaudecker, Monica M. Mcneal, Christopher J. Harrison, Geoffrey A. Weinberg, Peter G. Szilagyi, Janet A. Englund, Eileen J. Klein, Susan I. Gerber, Meredith Mcmorrow, Brian Rha, James D. Chappell, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Claire M. Midgley, Natasha B. Halasa, Nvsn Network Investigators

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

IMPORTANCE: Rhinoviruses and/or enteroviruses, which continued to circulate during the COVID-19 pandemic, are commonly detected in pediatric patients with acute respiratory illness (ARI). Yet detailed characterization of rhinovirus and/or enterovirus detection over time is limited, especially by age group and health care setting.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify and characterize rhinovirus and/or enterovirus detection before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among children and adolescents seeking medical care for ARI at emergency departments (EDs) or hospitals.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study used data from the New Vaccine Surveillance Network (NVSN), a multicenter, active, prospective surveillance platform, for pediatric patients who sought …

An Evaluation Of Avian Influenza Virus Whole-Genome Sequencing Approaches Using Nanopore Technology, Hon S. Ip, Sarah Uhm, Mary Lea Killian, Mia K. Torchetti

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

As exemplified by the global response to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, whole-genome sequencing played an important role in monitoring the evolution of novel viral variants and provided guidance on potential antiviral treatments. The recent rapid and extensive introduction and spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in Europe, North America, and elsewhere raises the need for similarly rapid sequencing to aid in appropriate response and mitigation activities. To facilitate this objective, we investigate a next-generation sequencing platform that uses a portable nanopore sequencing device to generate and present data in real time. This platform offers the potential to extend in-house sequencing …

Fibrinogen-Like Protein 2: Its Biological Function Across Cell Types And The Potential To Serve As An Immunotherapy Target For Brain Tumors, Sheng Zhang, Ganesh Rao, Amy Heimberger, Shulin Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Brain tumors are among the 10 leading causes of cancer-related death and present unique treatment challenges due to their critical location, genetic heterogeneity, and the blood-brain barrier. Recent advances in targeted immunotherapy and immune checkpoint blocking therapy provide alternative therapeutic strategies for brain tumors. Fibrinogen-like protein 2 (FGL2), which induces transformation from low-grade glioma to high-grade glioblastoma, is a type II membrane protein that is highly expressed in both host immune cells and tumor cells. Studies have uncovered multiple forms of FGL2 proteins with a broad range of roles in inducing immune tolerance and avoiding immune surveillance in tumor cells. …