Digital Commons Network^™

Racial Disparities In Air Pollution Burden And Covid-19 Deaths In Louisiana, Usa, In The Context Of Long-Term Changes In Fine Particulate Pollution, Kimberly A. Terrell, Wesley James

Faculty Publications

Black Americans in Louisiana are disproportionately dying from COVID-19, and environmental disparities may be contributing to this injustice. While Black communities in Louisiana's industrialized regions (e.g., Cancer Alley, Calcasieu Parish) have been overburdened with pollution for decades, this disparity has not been evaluated by using recent data. Here, we explore statewide relationships among air pollution burden, race, COVID-19 death rates, and other health/socioeconomic factors. Measures of pollution burden included satellite-derived particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations and health risks from toxic air pollution (i.e., respiratory hazard [RH] and immunological hazard [IH], estimated by the Environmental Protection Agency). In addition, we evaluate changes …

Rectal Swabs As An Alternative Sample Collection Method To Bulk Stool For The Real-Time Pcr Detection Of Giardia Duodenalis, Jacqueline R.M.A. Maasch, Ahmed M. Arzika, Catherine Cook, Elodie Lebas, Nils Pilotte, Jessica R. Grant, Steven A. Williams, Jeremy D. Keenan, Thomas M. Lietman, Kristen Aiemjoy

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Though bulk stool remains the gold standard specimen type for enteropathogen diagnosis, rectal swabs may offer comparable sensitivity with greater ease of collection for select pathogens. This study sought to evaluate the validity and reproducibility of rectal swabs as a sample collection method for the molecular diagnosis of Giardia duodenalis. Paired rectal swab and bulk stool samples were collected from 86 children ages 0–4 years living in southwest Niger, with duplicate samples collected among a subset of 50 children. Infection was detected using a previously validated real-time PCR diagnostic targeting the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene. Giardia duodenalis was …

Synergisms In Science: Climate Change And Integrated Pest Management Through The Lens Of Communication-2019 Student Debates, Jocelyn R. Holt, Lina Bernaola, Kadie E. Britt, Chirs Mccullough, Morgan Roth, Jennie Wagner, Max Ragozzino, Leslie Aviles, Zhilin Li, Forest Huval, Manoj Pandey, Benjamin W. Lee, Megan Asche, Abigail Hayes, Abigail Cohen, Adrian Marshall, Hannah E. Quellhorst, Rachel V. Wilkins, Valerie Nguyen, Jacqueline Maille, Rachel K. Skinner, John J. Ternest, Sarah Anderson, Scott W. Gula, Kayleigh Hauri, Julius Eason, Megan Mulcahy, Scott Lee, James Michael Villegas, Patricia Shorter

Faculty Publications

Every year, the Student Debates Subcommittee (SDS) of the Student Affairs Committee (SAC) for the annual Entomological Society of America (ESA) meeting organizes the Student Debates. This year, the SAC selected topics based on their synergistic effect or ability to ignite exponential positive change when addressed as a whole. For the 2019 Student Debates, the SAC SDS identified these topic areas for teams to debate and unbiased introduction speakers to address: 1) how to better communicate science to engage the public, particularly in the area of integrated pest management (IPM), 2) the influential impacts of climate change on agriculturally and …

Obesity, Noncommunicable Diseases, And Covid-19: A Perfect Storm, Peter T. Katzmarzyk, J. Michael Salbaum, Steven B. Heymsfield

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Obesity, The Most Common Comorbidity In Sars-Cov-2: Is Leptin The Link?, Candida J. Rebello, John P. Kirwan, Frank L. Greenway

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and lung disease. These diseases are the most commonly reported health conditions that predispose individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection to require hospitalization including intensive care unit admissions. The innate immune response is the host’s first line of defense against a human coronavirus infection. However, most coronaviruses are armed with one strategy or another to overcome host antiviral defense, and the pathogenicity of the virus is related to its capacity to suppress host immunity. The multifaceted nature of obesity including its effects on immunity can fundamentally alter the pathogenesis of acute …

Efficacy Comparison Of Oseltamivir Alone And Oseltamivir-Antibiotic Combination For Early Resolution Of Symptoms Of Severe Influenza-A And Influenza-B Hospitalized Patients, Azfar A. Ishaqui, Amer H. Khan, Syed A. Sulaiman, Muhammad Alsultan, Irfanullah Khan

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To assess the comparative efficacy of oseltamivir alone and oseltamivir-antibiotic therapy for early relief of symptoms associated with severe influenza-A (non-H1N1) and influenza-B infection hospitalized patients. Methods: In this retrospective multicenter study conducted from 2016-2019, enrolled patients were divided into 2 treatment groups. Group 1 patients were started on Antiviral drug (oseltamivir) alone therapy. Group 2 patients were initiated on Antiviral drug (oseltamivir) in combination with Antibiotic therapy. Using acute respiratory illness scoring, symptom severity score was assessed daily for 8 symptoms namely, fever, fatigue, headache, cough, sore throat, wheezing, muscle ache and nasal congestion. For each symptom the …

Imaging Features Of Neonatal Systemic Juvenile Xanthogranuloma: A Case Report And Review Of The Literature, Siping He, Ke Jin, Xicheng Deng, Zhengzhen Zhou, Robert C Mckinstry, Yong Wang

Open Access Publications

Juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG) is the most common non-Langerhans cell histiocytic disorder in children. This report describes the case of a 28-day-old boy that presented with multiple subcutaneous nodular lesions on the trunk and extremities, and multiple red nodular lesions on the scrotum. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed a well-demarcated extra-axial dura-based mass that appeared isointense or slightly hyperintense on T1-weighted images, hypointense on T2-weighted images and had intense enhancement on gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted images. Computed tomography (CT) or MRI scans of the chest and abdomen revealed multiple scattered nodular or patchy lesions of varying sizes in the lungs, …

2020-September-01-Professors Take Part In International Research Collaboration, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY (Sept. 1, 2020) – Researchers from East Tennessee State University are part of an international team of scientists from Europe, South America and the United States who have published a paper on new insights to how the human immune system recognizes the pathogenic fungus Candida auris.  

Candida auris, which first surfaced in 2009, is resistant to many standard anti-fungal therapies and is not easy to diagnose. It has been identified as an emerging pathogen and a new public health threat. The team’s research has been able to pinpoint a potential Achilles heel for this fungus, which …

Writ 201.51: Intermediate College Writing Ii - Writing The Body: The Rhetoric Of Health And Illness (Online), Erik Norbie

University of Montana Course Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Biom 227.01: Vectors And Parasites, Brent J. Ryckman

University of Montana Course Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Newsletter Volume I Issue-Ii January-September-2020, Department Of Oncology

Cancer Updates Research & Education (CURE) Archives

• Faculty Achievements
• Online Conferences and Symposium
• Achievements By Residents & Staff
• Nursing workshops
• Nurse Navigation Program
• Departmental News
• Upcoming Events

Impact Of Annual And Semi-Annual Mass Drug Administration For Lymphatic Filariasis And Onchocerciasis On Hookworm Infection In Côte D'Ivoire, Agodio Loukouri, Aboulaye Méité, Benjamin G. Koudou, Charles W. Goss, Daphne Lew, Gary J. Weil, Eliezer K. N'Goran, Peter U. Fischer

Open Access Publications

Mass Drug Administration (MDA) programs to eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) in western Africa use the anthelminthics ivermectin plus albendazole. These drugs have the potential to impact also Soil-Transmitted Helminth (STH) infections, since the drugs have a broad range of anthelminthic activity. Integration of preventive chemotherapy efforts for LF, onchocerciasis and STH is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in order to avoid duplication of MDA and to reduce costs. The objective of the current study was to determine whether five semi-annual rounds of community-wide MDA to eliminate LF and onchocerciasis have a greater impact on STH than three annual …

Covid-19 Pathways For Brain And Heart Injury In Comorbidity Patients: A Role Of Medical Imaging And Artificial Intelligence-Based Covid Severity Classification: A Review., Jasjit S Suri, Anudeep Puvvula, Mainak Biswas, Misha Majhail, Luca Saba, Gavino Faa, Inder M Singh, Ronald Oberleitner, Monika Turk, Paramjit S Chadha, Amer M Johri, J Miguel Sanches, Narendra N Khanna, Klaudija Viskovic, Sophie Mavrogeni, John R Laird, Gyan Pareek, Martin Miner, David W Sobel, Antonella Balestrieri, Petros P Sfikakis, George Tsoulfas, Athanasios Protogerou, Durga Prasanna Misra, Vikas Agarwal, George D Kitas, Puneet Ahluwalia, Raghu Kolluri, Jagjit Teji, Mustafa Al Maini, Ann Agbakoba, Surinder K Dhanjil, Meyypan Sockalingam, Ajit Saxena, Andrew Nicolaides, Aditya Sharma, Vijay Rathore, Janet N A Ajuluchukwu, Mostafa Fatemi, Azra Alizad, Vijay Viswanathan, Pudukode R Krishnan, Subbaram Naidu

Trauma and Acute Care Articles

Artificial intelligence (AI) has penetrated the field of medicine, particularly the field of radiology. Since its emergence, the highly virulent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected over 10 million people, leading to over 500,000 deaths as of July 1st, 2020. Since the outbreak began, almost 28,000 articles about COVID-19 have been published (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov); however, few have explored the role of imaging and artificial intelligence in COVID-19 patients-specifically, those with comorbidities. This paper begins by presenting the four pathways that can lead to heart and brain injuries following a COVID-19 infection. Our survey also offers insights into the role that imaging …

Great Lakes Snake: Estimating The Occupancy And Detection Probabilities Of The Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus Catenatus), Arin June Thacker

Masters Theses

Detailed knowledge of a species’ range and distribution is important for understanding species persistence and developing species management plans. This issue is particularly pronounced in threatened species with wide-spread range and a low detectability in their natural environment, as surveying and successfully encountering this type of species is oftentimes difficult. One such species is the eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus), a smallbodied pit viper with a distribution centered around the Great Lakes region. We used singleseason occupancy modeling in order to reassess the status of historic massasauga occurrences. We evaluated factors affecting eastern massasauga detection probability from a …

Demography Of A Recovery: Tracking The Rebound Of Little Brown Bat (Myotis Lucifugus) Populations, Katherine Ineson

Doctoral Dissertations

As the emergence of novel diseases in wildlife becomes more common, a better understanding of the impact of disease on populations and their demographic rates will be critical for their conservation. Populations naturally fluctuate over time as a function of the rates of birth, death, immigration, and emigration, while at the individual level the chances of mortality and reproduction may be influenced by age and physiological condition. Diseases, particularly emerging infectious diseases, can cause immediate and severe changes in demographic rates. While some populations and species may go extinct due to high mortality rates, others may persist in smaller, but …

Effects Of Nearshore Processes On Carbonate Chemistry Dynamics And Ocean Acidification, Melissa Melendez

Doctoral Dissertations

Time series from open ocean fixed stations have robustly documented secular changes in carbonate chemistry and long-term ocean acidification (OA) trends as a direct response to increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). However, few high-frequency coastal carbon time series are available in reef systems, where most affected tropical marine organisms reside. Seasonal variations in carbonate chemistry at Cheeca Rocks (CR), Florida, and La Parguera (LP), Puerto Rico, are presented based on 8 and 10 years of continuous, high-quality measurements, respectively. This dissertation synthesizes autonomous and bottle observations to model carbonate chemistry and to understand how physical and biological processes affect …

Parasitic Infection Surveillance In Mississippi Delta Children, Richard S. Bradbury, Irene Arguello, Meredith Lane, Gretchen Cooley, Sukwan Handali, Silvia D. Dimitrova, Fernanda S. Nascimento, Sam Jameson, Kathryn Hellmann, Michelle Tharp, Paul Byers, Susan P. Montgomery, Lisa Haynie, Brian Kirmse, Nils Pilotte, Steven A. Williams, Charlotte V. Hobbs

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Some recent studies suggest ongoing transmission of parasitic diseases in the American South; however, surveys in Mississippi children are lacking. We enrolled 166 children (median age 8 years, range 4–13 years) from the Mississippi Delta region and carried out multi-parallel real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Necator americanus, Ascaris lumbricoides, and Strongyloides stercoralis on their stool samples. Dried blood spots were obtained for multiplex serology antibody detection. Of 166 children, all reported having flushable toilets, 11% had soil exposure, and 34% had a pet dog or cat. None had prior diagnosis or treatment of parasitic disease. Multi-parallel real-time PCRs were …

Racial Justice And The Image Of Public Health, Marilyn Fischer

Philosophy Faculty Publications

The City Commission in my hometown of Dayton, Ohio recently adopted a resolution declaring racism a public health crisis. In doing so, Dayton joins municipalities around the country, as the global pandemic of coronavirus COVID-19 swirls around us. The Commission gave compelling reasons for their action, citing the disparate rates of poor health outcomes in African American communities, as well as disproportionately high rates of poverty, unemployment, economic distress, homelessness, incarceration, and inadequate education.

The Commission’s commitment to remedy these inequities is welcome. Others have laid out this evidence in much detail; I want to focus here on public health …

Language Of The Ill: Observations On Disability In A Time Of Pandemic, Deonte Osayande

The North Meridian Review

No abstract provided.

Volume 104, Number 3 (Fall/Winter 2020-21)

Judicature

No abstract provided.

Hs-4100 - Global Health Issues, Jose Nanin

Open Educational Resources

This syllabus includes OER materials and college policies for a fully online course that takes a comprehensive look at global health issues. In this course, the assessment of health issues are analyzed from various perspectives including geographic, ethnic, religious, human rights, socioeconomic, social, cultural, and political influences. Students learn about global environmental causes and consequences of infectious diseases, major diseases, mental illness, natural disasters, malnutrition, drug and alcohol addiction, violence and injuries.

Mindful Matters: Addressing Barriers To Classroom-Based Mindfulness, Kirsten Munk

Doctoral Projects

A growing body of research suggests that incorporating classroom-based mindfulness interventions in elementary schools is associated with improvements in student behavior, self-regulation, and measures of mental health. However, the adoption of teacher-led mindfulness programs in California’s public schools has not been widely embraced. This doctoral project explored the impact of an educational intervention on pre-service teachers’ perceptions, attitudes, and intentions to implement mindfulness interventions in their classrooms. A brief educational intervention and website resource were provided to multidisciplinary teaching credential students in a 2-year graduate credential program. Participants completed a pre- and post-intervention survey to evaluate their intentions to implement …

Mesenchymal Stem Cells And Their Extracellular Vesicles: A Potential Game Changer For The Covid-19 Crisis, Dina H. Kassem, Mohamed M. Kamal

Pharmacy

Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global public health crisis. The high infectivity of the disease even from non-symptomatic infected patients, together with the lack of a definitive cure or preventive measures are all responsible for disease outbreak. The severity of COVID-19 seems to be mostly dependent on the patients’ own immune response. The over-activation of the immune system in an attempt to kill the virus, can cause a “cytokine storm” which in turn can induce acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), as well as multi-organ damage, and ultimately may lead to death. Thus, harnessing the immunomodulatory properties of mesenchymal …

Thou Shalt Vaccinate Thy Children: New York's Attempt To Curb Abuse Of Religious Exemptions, Ryan Boylan

Hofstra Law Review

No abstract provided.

2020-September-01-Department Of Biomedical Sciences Awarded More Than Million Since January, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY – Faculty in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at East Tennessee State University’s Quillen College of Medicine have received more than $7 million in extramural funding so far this year to conduct research ranging from substance misuse to kidney disease.

The grant proposals were funded by agencies such as the National Institutes of Health; the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute; the National Institute on Drug Abuse; and the American Heart Association.

“We have welcomed several new faculty members to the Department of Biomedical Sciences over the past few years,” …

Interleukin-6 Versus C-Reactive Protein As Markers For Early Detection Of Bacteremia In Febrile Neutropenia In Pediatric Population, Manasi Gupta, Pushpa Kini, Y. Bhat, Shrikiran Aroor

Open Access archive

Introduction: Systemic infection leading to multiorgan failure during neutropenia is one of the leading causes of treatment-related mortality among children receiving chemotherapy. Reliable markers are needed to diagnose or rule out infection, to reduce the empirical use of broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy. Aims and Objectives: The aim is to compare the role of interleukin-6 versus C-reactive protein (CRP) as markers of sepsis in febrile neutropenia in pediatric patients while on chemotherapy for malignancy. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective observational study carried out in the Department of Paediatrics of a tertiary care Hospital in South India. All children with malignancy …

Coxsackievirus-B4 Infection Can Induce The Expression Of Human Endogenous Retrovirus W In Primary Cells, Arthur Dechaumes, Antoine Bertin, Famara Sane, Sandrine Levet

Open Access archive

Human Endogenous Retrovirus W Envelope (HERV-W ENV) mRNA or protein can be found in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and exocrine pancreas of patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Further, previous observations have shown an association between enteroviral infection and development of T1D; specifically, coxsackievirus-B (CV-B) has been detected in the blood and pancreas of patients with T1D. Notably, viruses can activate HERV-W expression. Hence, we evaluated the effect of CV-B4 infection on HERV-W ENV mRNA expression. Primary human pancreatic ductal cells were obtained from five brain-dead donors. In the pancreatic cells of three donors, the HERV-W ENV mRNA level …

Targeting The Id1-Kif11 Axis In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Using Combination Therapy, Archana P. Thankamony, Reshma Murali, Nitheesh Karthikeyan, Binitha Anu Varghese

Open Access archive

The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors inhibitor of differentiation 1 (Id1) and inhibitor of differentiation 3 (Id3) (referred to as Id) have an important role in maintaining the cancer stem cell (CSC) phenotype in the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtype. In this study, we aimed to understand the molecular mechanism underlying Id control of CSC phenotype and exploit it for therapeutic purposes. We used two different TNBC tumor models marked by either Id depletion or Id1 expression in order to identify Id targets using a combinatorial analysis of RNA sequencing and microarray data. Phenotypically, Id protein depletion leads to cell …

Resource Plasticity-Driven Carbon-Nitrogen Budgeting Enables Specialization And Division Of Labor In A Clonal Community, Sriram Varahan, Vaibhhav Sinha, Adhish Walvekar, Sandeep Krishna

Open Access archive

Previously, we found that in glucose-limited Saccharomyces cerevisiae colonies, metabolic constraints drive cells into groups exhibiting gluconeogenic or glycolytic states. In that study, threshold amounts of trehalose-a limiting, produced carbon-resource, controls the emergence and self-organization of cells exhibiting the glycolytic state, serving as a carbon source that fuels glycolysis (Varahan et al., 2019). We now discover that the plasticity of use of a non-limiting resource, aspartate, controls both resource production and the emergence of heterogeneous cell states, based on differential metabolic budgeting. In gluconeogenic cells, aspartate is a carbon source for trehalose production, while in glycolytic cells using trehalose for …

“When I Breastfeed, It Feels As If My Soul Leaves The Body”: Maternal Capabilities For Healthy Child Growth In Rural Southeastern Tanzania, Zaina Mchome, Sepideh Yousefzadeh, Ajay Bailey, Hinke Haisma

Open Access archive

The burden of childhood stunting in Tanzania is persistently high, even in high food-producing regions. This calls for a paradigm shift in Child Growth Monitoring (CGM) to a multi-dimensional approach that also includes the contextual information of an individual child and her/his caregivers. To contribute to the further development of CGM to reflect local contexts, we engaged the Capability Framework for Child Growth (CFCG) to identify maternal capabilities for ensuring healthy child growth. Ethnographic fieldwork was conducted in Southeastern Tanzania using in-depth interviews, key informant interviews, participant observation, and focus group discussions with caregivers for under-fives. Three maternal capabilities for …