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H.R. 133: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, United States: Congress: House Of Representatives

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Yale Medicine Magazine Autumn 2024, Issue 173, Yale University. School Of Medicine

Yale Medicine Magazine - alumni bulletin and magazine

This is the Autumn 2024 issue of Yale Medicine Magazine, issue 173. Prepared in cooperation with the alumni and development offices at the School of Medicine. Earlier volumes include Yale School of Medicine alumni bulletins, dating from v.1 (1953) through v.13 (1965), and Yale Medicine: alumni bulletin of the School of Medicine, v.1 (1965) through v. 52, no.1 (Autumn 2017).

The Struggle For Eudaemonia: The Eugenics Movement In Psychology And Community Resistance In Connecticut, Eve Galanis

Academic Articles

Throughout the twentieth century, the eugenics movement dominated medical discourses in the state of Connecticut. From deportations, coerced institutionalizations and sterilizations, to proposed executions of people with mental illness, eugenic policies were deployed in an attempt to control and direct populations. The state collaborated with academic institutions like Yale University, and agencies like The Eugenics Record Office at Cold Spring Harbor, to endorse pseudo-scientific techniques of surveilling and administering bodies across intersecting lines of race, ability, gender, sexuality, class, and citizenship status. This research examines the biopolitics of eugenics and the contest for economic, geographic, social, and ideological space. Using …

U.S. National Security And Climate Change, Alexandra E. Koch, Nicole K. Carle, Gregory P. Noone

Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law

As sea temperatures rise and natural disasters intensify, it is critical that the U.S. national security strategy actively include plans to account for global climate change and address the complex environmental and humanitarian challenges that parallel and are driven by rising temperatures, such as resource scarcity, forced displacement, and regional instability. Climate change acts as a “threat multiplier for instability” in some of the most volatile regions of the world and can contribute to rising tensions even in historically stable regions. Climate change can also lead to increased vulnerability of military infrastructure and logistics, undermine military readiness, and demand a …

The Right To A Healthy Environment: Underlying Policy Formation Challenges In The United States During The Trump Era, Michael J. Kelly

Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law

The right to live in a healthy environment is the right to live in an environment where Donald Trump is not president. As this Article demonstrates, Trump’s negative impact across a wide spectrum of policy areas implicated by the right’s goal of creating and maintaining a healthy environment in the United States ran directly opposite to achieving that goal. (Abstract excerpted from article's introduction.)

A Portable, Digital Nucleic Acid Amplification Test For Use At The Point Of Care, Bethany J. Fike

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nucleic acid tests are key tools for the detection and diagnosis of many diseases. In many cases, the amplification of nucleic acids is required to reach a detectable level. Although nucleic acid tests have great success, there is a need to make nucleic acid amplification tests more accessible to a point-of-care (POC) setting for diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of infectious diseases. Traditionally, these tests are performed through bulk Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and are monitored in real time with a change in fluorescence intensity. With these bulk testing methods, only a qualitative or semi-quantitative result is possible. For more exact …

The Sex Chromosome Complement And Gut Microbiome Act Independently And Collaboratively To Impart Sex Dimorphisms In Humoral Immunity, Carly J. Amato-Menker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Sex dimorphisms in immunity are well-documented and have significant clinical implications. While the immunomodulatory effects of sex hormones have been extensively documented, recent recognition of the nuanced contributions of the sex chromosome complement (XX vs. XY) and the gut microbiome to immune sex dimorphisms underscores the need for a more comprehensive understanding. Within this context, the work herein focuses on unraveling the individual and collaborative impacts of the sex chromosome complement and gut microbiota on humoral immune activation. We assessed humoral immune responses to immunization with heat-killed Streptococcus pneumoniae (HKSP) in Four Core Genotype (FCG) mice and found elevated IgM-secreting …

Bayesian And Frequentist Approaches To Rescuing Disrupted Trials, Cornelia Ursula Kunz, Sergey Tarima, Gary L. Rosner, Richard Emsley, Madeline Bauer, Christopher Jennison, James L. Rosenberger, Nigel Stallard, Sarah Zohar, Nancy Flournoy

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted clinical trials in ways never expected. However, similar challenges should now be expected going forward. These challenges made us aware of statistical problems arising from other types of disruptions that had not previously captured the attention of the statistical community. This article describes some frequentist and Bayesian statistical tools that can be used with future disruptions and illuminates issues that could benefit from more statistical research. Disruptions may threaten a clinical trial’s validity. Here, we address two resultant challenges: (a) performing an unplanned analysis with options to stop and/or change the sample size; and (b) changes …

Using Randomization Tests To Address Disruptions In Clinical Trials, Diane Uschner, Oleksandr Sverdlov, Kerstine Carter, Jonathan Chipman, Olga Kuznetsova, Jone Renteria, Adam Lane, Chris Barker, Nancy Geller, Michael Proschan, Martin Posch, Sergey Tarima, Frank Bretz, William F. Rosenberger

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Recent examples for unplanned external events are the global COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, or most recently Hurricane Ian in Puerto Rico. Disruptions due to unplanned external events can lead to violation of assumptions in clinical trials. In certain situations, randomization tests can provide nonparametric inference that is robust to violation of the assumptions usually made in clinical trials. The ICH E9 (R1) Addendum on estimands and sensitivity analyses provides a guideline for aligning the trial objectives with strategies to address disruptions in clinical trials. In this article, we embed randomization tests within the estimand framework to allow for …

A Systematic Review Of Creating An Ideal Adult Day Center For People With Dementia In Ghana (Sub-Saharan Africa), Christopher Lartei Aryee

Graduate Research Papers

Historically, the concept of adult day centres for people with dementia and other neurocognitive impairments has emanated from the West. Currently, in most western countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, these facilities have become an important part of the continuum of care for the elderly and disabled (Doherty et al., 2020). These adult daycare centers provide a planned environment for medical supervision, social activities, and recreational therapy on an individual basis. Most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, however, like Ghana, have been slow in developing such facilities. Stigma associated with dementia and mental disorders, coupled with a …

Exploring Group Behavior Through Evolutionary Game Theory: Disease Dynamics, Cooperation, And Reputation, Alina Glaubitz

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Cooperation is fundamental in the natural world and crucial to modern society, particularly in managing public health crises such as infectious diseases. This thesis investigates the evolutionary dynamics of cooperation, focusing on its role in com- bating infectious diseases, exemplified by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. We first examine the social dilemma posed by non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as social distancing and face covering. We integrate these interventions into models of disease dynamics, revealing an oscillatory tragedy of the commons: as infection rates fall, public adherence to social distancing wanes, leading to subsequent infection surges. Expanding the model to include less effective …

A Case Study On Variations In Network Structure And Cross- Sector Alignment In Two Local Systems Serving Pregnant And Parenting Women In Recovery, Liza M. Creel, Yana Feygin, Madeline Shipley, Deborah Winders Davis, Tiffany Cole Hall, Chaly Downs, Stephanie Hoskins, Natalie Pasquenza, Scott D. Duncan

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Objective: To describe network structure and alignment across organizations in healthcare, public health, and social services sectors that serve pregnant and parenting women with substance use disorder (SUD) in an urban and a rural community.

Data Sources and Study Settings: Two community networks, one urban and one rural with each including a residential substance use treatment program, in Kentucky during 2021.

Study Design: Social network analysis measured system collaboration and cross-sector alignment between healthcare, public health, and social services organizations, applying the Framework for Aligning Sectors. To understand the alignment and structure of each network, we measured network density overall …

Higher First 30-Day Dose Of Buprenorphine For Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Is Associated With Decreased Mortality, Feitong Lei, Michelle R. Lofwall, Jana Mcanich, Reuben Adatorwovor, Emily Slade, Patricia R. Freeman, Daniela Moga, Nabarun Dasgupta, Sharon L. Walsh, Rachel Vickers-Smith, Svetla Slavova

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Objective: Buprenorphine is a medication for opioid use disorder that reduces mortality. This study aims to investigate the less well-understood relationship between the dose in the early stages of treatment and the subsequent risk of death.

Methods: We used Kentucky prescription monitoring data to identify adult Kentucky residents initiating transmucosal buprenorphine medication for opioid use disorder (January 2017 to November 2019). Average daily buprenorphine dose for days covered in the first 30 days of treatment was categorized as ≤8 mg, >8 to ≤16 mg, and >16 mg. Patients were followed for 365 days after the first 30 days of buprenorphine …

Jane Aronson, Aliyah Machado

Celebrating Writers and Writing in our Communities

No abstract provided.

Autochthonous Plasmodium Vivax Infections, Florida, Usa, 2023, Swamy Rakesh Adapa, Kami Kim, Liwang Cui

College of Medicine & TGH Faculty Publications

During May–July 2023, a cluster of 7 patients at local hospitals in Florida, USA, received a diagnosis of Plasmodium vivax malaria. Whole-genome sequencing of the organism from 4 patients and phylogenetic analysis with worldwide representative P. vivax genomes indicated probable single parasite introduction from Central/South America.

Investigating Tuberculosis Dynamics Using Surveillance Data And Statistical Modeling: Studies In Three High Burden Settings, Melanie Hunter Chitwood

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of death from infectious disease globally, despite the availability of effective antibiotic treatment. Control efforts focus on the rapid diagnosis and treatment of individuals with TB, which reduces both disease-related morbidity and mortality and onward transmission. In addition to passive case finding, the World Health Organization recommends active case finding for high-risk individuals and their contacts. Expanding these activities to populations in which there is evidence of recent transmission may be a suitable strategy to reduce TB burden, but identifying these populations is a persistent challenge. Statistical analyses, informed by high quality surveillance data, …

The Leader We Wish We All Had Is You: Insights From The Covid-19 Pandemic, Amy Acton Md, Mph

Health Matrix: The Journal of Law-Medicine

This is an essay based on Dr. Amy Acton's Schroeder Lecture at Case Western Reserve University School of Law in October 2023. Dr. Acton was the Director of the Ohio Department of Health during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. She discusses lessons learned from serving in this capacity and leading Ohio’s pandemic response.

Covid-19 Tort Reform, Clayton J. Masterman

Health Matrix: The Journal of Law-Medicine

In 2020 and 2021, 44 states and Washington, D.C. passed laws that limited tort liability related to COVID-19. The most common reforms immunized health care providers from malpractice or similar liability. A second category is limited liability to individuals or businesses for exposing others to the novel coronavirus. And a third category protected manufacturers of supplies used to detect and prevent COVID- 19 from products liability suits. The goals of these reforms included protecting health care providers from uncertainty in providing care for a novel disease, limiting the macroeconomic consequences of the pandemic, and encouraging the distribution of critical supplies …

Before The Memory Fades: Evaluating The Need For A National Quarantine Strategy As Part Of A Modernized Public Health Response To The Next Pandemic, Michelle Richards

Health Matrix: The Journal of Law-Medicine

No abstract provided.

Biology News 2024, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Biology.

Biology News

Contents:

Letter from the Department Head --- 2
Bolton Award Winner --- 3
Goldwater Scholarship Winner --- 3
Purple and Old Gold Award Winner --- 3
Faculty News Roundup --- 4
New Hires --- 6
UNI Botanical Center --- 7
Alumni Information Request --- 7
Support Our Programs --- 8
Floyd Fellowship Award Winner --- 8

Driving Cars Down Memory Lane: Uncovering Car Memory T Cell And Antigenspecific Endogenous T Cells Importance In Durable Responses Against Melanoma, Asmaa Mohamed

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Responsiveness to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy correlates with CAR T cell expansion and persistence in vivo. Multiple working strategies improve CAR T cell persistence by increasing stem-like properties or by sustaining CAR T cell activity with combination therapies. Herein, we describe the intrinsic ability of CAR T cells to differentiate into memory T cells, the effect of cytokine armoring, and neoadjuvant CD4 depletion therapy on CAR and tumor-specific endogenous memory T cells. TRP1-specific CAR T cells alone or in combination with Super2 + IL-33 (S233) armoring and/or CD4 depletion therapy were evaluated in the immunocompetent B16F10 melanoma …

Stop Feeding The Homeless: A Theological And Theoretical Examination Of Reconsidering Homeless Aid Through Informed Collaboration With Faith-Based Organizations, Marci Lynn Jackson

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation examines the issue of homelessness in Dallas, Texas. It argues that simply providing meals to homeless individuals is not enough to address the complex factors that contribute to homelessness. Instead, long-term and sustained solutions are needed, which require the collaborative efforts and substantial involvement of the Church.

This research uses qualitative methods, such as field observations, interviews, surveys, attending webinars, and conferences to examine the homeless ecosystem in Dallas, Texas. It highlights the importance of collaboration and faith-based organizations to address homelessness, emphasizing systemic issues and potential improvements.

This research explores the Church's involvement in addressing homelessness, examining …

Inflammation And Tumor Progression: The Differential Impact Of Saa In Breast Cancer Models, Daniel Wilhelm Olivier, Carla Eksteen, Manisha Du Plessis, Louis De Jager, Lize Engelbrecht, Nathaniel Wade Mcgregor, Preetha Shridas, Frederick C. De Beer, Willem J. S. De Villiers, Etheresia Pretorius, Anna-Mart Engelbrecht

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

Background: Previous research has shown that the Serum Amyloid A (SAA) protein family is intricately involved in inflammatory signaling and various disease pathologies. We have previously demonstrated that SAA is associated with increased colitis disease severity and the promotion of tumorigenesis. However, the specific role of SAA proteins in breast cancer pathology remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the role of systemic SAA1 and SAA2 (SAA1/2) in a triple-negative breast cancer mouse model.

Methods: Syngeneic breast tumors were established in wild-type mice, and mice lacking the SAA1/2 (SAADKO). Subsequently, tumor volume was monitored, species survival determined, the inflammatory profiles of mice …

Novel Engineering Approaches For Orthopedic Injury Treatment And Infection Diagnosis, Cynthia Co

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

Bioengineering has made significant contributions to the treatment of orthopedic injury through interdisciplinary approaches. Central to these advancements are many orthopedic implants, including anchors and joint replacements, which have been designed to restore mobility. Despite their functional efficacy, these products have limited lifespan and are associated with many complications, such as implant-associated infection. The success of implant design and function, both in the short and long term, is paramount for enhancing patient outcomes and overall well-being. Therefore, my thesis work is dedicated to addressing these critical challenges, aiming to maximize their treatment effect while minimizing the implant-associated complications.

Long-term patient …

Epidemiology Of Tuberculosis In Saudi Arabia Following The Implementation Of End Tuberculosis Strategy: Analysis Of The Surveillance Data 2015-2019, Maha M. Alawi, Haleema A. Alserehi, Ahmed O. Ali, Abeer M. Albalawi, Mashael K. Alanizi, Fatima M. Nabet, Modhi A. Alkamaly, Abdullah M. Assiri, Hani Jokhdar, Mohammed O. Qutub, Moahmmed A. Khoja, Esam I. Azhar, Wael A. Taskandi, Annes A. Sindi, Muhammad Yasir

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To analyze the evolution of tuberculosis (TB) epidemiology in Saudi Arabia in the 5 years following the implementation of the end-TB Strategy. Methods: A retrospective analysis of surveillance data, reported by the national tuberculosis control program from 2015-2019, was carried out. The annual incidence and the percentage of yearly changes were calculated and compared to the World Health Organization (WHO) milestones, which anticipate a 4-5% annual decline. Additionally, various other epidemiological indicators of TB were examined. Results: The national TB incidence declined from 10.55% per 100,000 in 2015 to 8.76% per 100,000 in 2019, aligning with the WHO’s 2019 …

Efficacy Of Praziquantel In Treating Schistosoma Haematobium Infection Among Ethiopian Children, Louis Fok, David Brett-Major, Berhanu Erko, John Linville, Hongying Dai, Yohannes Negash, Abebe Animut, Abraham Degarege

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Background/Objectives: Praziquantel is a cornerstone of schistosomiasis control and elimination efforts. Continued surveillance of praziquantel efficacy is needed to monitor for the development of resistance, as well as to help public health officials gauge the effect of mass praziquantel administration on schistosomiasis control in communities, since it is the only drug used in schistosomiasis control programs. The objective of this study was to assess the praziquantel cure rate and egg reduction rate against urogenital schistosomiasis.

Methods: This study enrolled 977 children from 12 villages in Afar and Gambella, Ethiopia, who provided urine samples that were checked for Schistosoma haematobium …

Exploring Airport Navigation Challenges Faced By Airline Travelers With Hidden Disabilities, Aliyu Mohammed Tata, Dr Matthew Ebbatson, Christopher Fluke Professor

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

In this paper, the Servicescape theory was employed as the conceptual framework to (a) investigate the live airport experiences of passengers with an HD and (b) understand the negative experiences of passengers within the airport's physical environment. The authors collected the electronic word-of-mouth statements of 203 travelers from the TripAdvisor website. The data generated were analyzed using thematic analysis. Common themes found from the analysis included (1) human interaction, (2) services, and (3) terminal design. This paper offers insight into airport navigational challenges faced by travellers with an HD at various stages within the airport. These findings have practical implications …

2024 American Society For Microbiology Awards And Prize Program: Clinical Microbiology Honorees, Erik Munson

Clinical Lab Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Asymptomatic Rectal Bacterial Pathogens Show Large Prospective Relationships With Hiv Incidence In A Cohort Of Young Sexual And Gender Minorities: Implications For Sti Screening And Hiv Prevention, Ross A. Baiers, Daniel T. Ryan, Antonia Clifford, Erik Munson, Richard D'Aquila, Michael E. Newcomb, Brian Mustanski

Clinical Lab Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Background

We estimated the predictive value of rectal (bacterial sexually transmitted infection [bSTI]) pathogen detection for future HIV seroconversion among young adult sexual and gender minorities (YSGMs) assigned male at birth (AMAB).

Methods

Data were collected between March 2018 and August 2022 from RADAR, a longitudinal cohort study of YSGMs AMAB living in the Chicago metropolitan area (n = 1022). Rates of rectal bSTIs and the proportion of self-reported rectal bSTI symptoms are reported. We examined whether the presence of rectal bSTIs predicted HIV seroconversion using generalized estimating equations (GEEs).

Results

Participants tested reactive for rectal Mycoplasma genitalium (MGen), Neisseria …

Serologic Correlation Of A Research-Use-Only Treponema Pallidum Transcription-Mediated Amplification Assay Performed On Rectal Swabs From A Longitudinal Cohort Of Young Men Who Have Sex With Men, Amanda Zapp, Hannah Hudson, Erik Munson, Elizabeth Thelen, Daniel Ryan, Richard D'Aquila, Brian Mustanski

Clinical Lab Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.