Digital Commons Network^™

Seroprevalence And Risk Factors For Cysticercosis In Mexican Americans In Starr County, Texas, Megan M Duffey, Elise M O'Connell, Morgan Jibowu, Fanny E Moron, Lauren M Leining, Nina L Tang, Craig L Hanis, Eric L Brown, Sarah M Gunter

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Cysticercosis is a parasitic infection and neglected tropical disease caused by Taenia solium, or the pork tapeworm. Cysticercosis with central nervous system involvement, or neurocysticercosis, is a leading cause of chronic headaches and epilepsy in endemic regions, including Latin America and Asia. In the United States, the epidemiology of cysticercosis has not been well described. We conducted a cross-section serosurvey of Mexican-American adults residing along the Texas–Mexico border (Starr County, Texas) and identified an overall seroprevalence of 7.4% (45/605) for cysticercosis. Brain imaging studies conducted on seropositive study participants identified lesions consistent with calcified neurocysticercosis in 2 of the …

Complete Genome Sequence Of Borrelia Miyamotoi Strain Mn18-0001, An Am-East-2 Strain Type Isolate Derived From An Ixodes Scapularis Tick (Minnesota), Alexander R Kneubehl, Lynn M Osikowicz, Christina M Parise, Taylor J Van Gundy, Adam J Replogle, Job E Lopez, Rebecca J Eisen, Andrias Hojgaard

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

We report the genomic sequence of the hard tick relapsing fever spirochete Borrelia miyamotoi strain MN18-0001. B. miyamotoi causes human illness and is geographically widespread in Ixodes spp. (Acari: Ixodidae) ticks. This is a chromosome- and plasmid-resolved genome assembly of an Am-East-2 strain type isolate from the midwestern United States.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Genome From Patient With Fever, Nepal, Eans Tara Tuladhar, Bimal Sharma Chalise, Binod Khadka, Mamta Tamang, Jenish Neupane, Shankar Poudel, Lindsay Droit, Kathie A Mihindukulasuriya, Annie Elong Ngono, Yuba Nidhi Basaula, Sujan Shresta, David Wang, Krishna Das Manandhar

2020-Current year OA Pubs

A patient with fever presented to the referral infectious disease hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal. Metagenomic sequencing of the patient's serum recovered a near-complete genome of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1), distinct from previous HIV-1 genomes from Nepal in GenBank. It shared 92.48% nucleotide identity with an HIV-1 subtype C isolate from India.

Associations Between Dietary Patterns And Quality Of Life In A Longitudinal Cohort Of Colorectal Cancer Survivors, Kristen S Smith, Adetunji T Toriola, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: To characterize dietary patterns and examine associations with cross-sectional and longitudinal changes in quality of life (QOL) over approximately one year after colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis.

METHODS: The ColoCare Study is an international, multi-center, prospective cohort study of newly diagnosed CRC survivors of any stage. A subset of participants with CRC in the United States completed patient-reported outcome measures at 6- and 12-months post-enrollment, including the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30). Dietary patterns at 6 months (around the time of treatment completion) were identified …

Analisa Kestabilan Bebas Kecanduan Pada Penyebaran Penggunaan Media Sosial Berdasarkan Model Searqs, Ratna Widayati, Intrada Reviladi

PYTHAGORAS : Jurnal Matematika dan Pendidikan Matematika

In this paper we discussed about the model of social media addiction and stability analysis of the equilibrium point as well as its numerical simulation by assuming the individual population is divided into 5 classes, namely Susceptible individual, Expose individuals, Addicted individuals, Recover individuals. The SEARQS model is used. The assumptios used are no deaths due to social media addiction. In addition, individuals who have quit social media addiction may return to being Susceptible individuals. The problem that arises from the spread of excessive use of social media is how to know when individuals who are addicted to social media …

Kreig: Quantifying The Relationship Between Sars-Cov-2 Viral Load And Infectiousness, Aurelien Marc

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Study Of Different Treatment Strategies In Epidemic Models Using Nonlinear Model Predictive Control, Hector Puebla, Luis A. Ricardez-Sandoval, Priti Kumar Roy

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Kreig: Examining Affinity Maturation And Antigenic Drift With An Agent-Based Model, Jasmine Af Kreig, Jannatul Ferdous, Ruian Ke, Ruy M. Ribeiro

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Seshaiyer: Data-Driven Machine Learning Framework To Predict Dynamics Of Infectious Diseases Incorporating Human Behavior, Alonso Gabriel Ogueda Oliva, Dr. Padmanabhan Seshaiyer

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Building A Dynamic Employee Value Proposition, Susan Bailey

River Cities Industrial and Organizational Psychology Conference

Talent survey data indicates 75% of active job seekers are likely to apply for a job if the employer activity manages its employer brand and their company’s Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Additional data confirms, organizations with a strong EVP have lower turnover and increased new hire commitments – addressing two of the most frustrating challenges facing employers today. A dynamic Employee Value Proposition is intentional and comprehensive in nature…capitalizing on the strengths of the organization and its purpose while providing benefits and resources that resonate with employees, enabling them to be productive and thrive. The stakes are high and so …

The 2024 Report Of The Lancet Countdown On Health And Climate Change: Facing Record-Breaking Threats From Delayed Action, Marina Romanello, Maria Walawender, Shih-Che Hsu, Annalyse Moskeland, Yasna Palmeiro-Silva, Daniel Scamman, Zakari Ali, Nadia Ameli, Denitsa Angelova, Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson, Sara Basart, Jessica Beagley, Paul J Beggs, Luciana Blanco-Villafuerte, Wenjia Cai, Max Callaghan, Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, Jonathan D Chambers, Victoria Chicmana-Zapata, Lingzhi Chu, Troy J Cross, Kim R Van Daalen, Carole Dalin, Niheer Dasandi, Shouro Dasgupta, Michael Davies, Robert Dubrow, Matthew J Eckelman, James D Ford, Chris Freyberg, Olga Gasparyan, Georgiana Gordon-Strachan, Michael Grubb, Samuel H Gunther, Ian Hamilton, Yun Hang, Risto Hänninen, Stella Hartinger, Kehan He, Julian Heidecke, Jeremy J Hess, Louis Jamart, Slava Jankin, Harshavardhan Jatkar, Ollie Jay, Ilan Kelman, Harry Kennard, Gregor Kiesewetter, Patrick Kinney, Dominic Kniveton, Rostislav Kouznetsov, Pete Lampard, Jason K W Lee, Bruno Lemke, Bo Li, Yang Liu, Zhao Liu, Alba Llabrés-Brustenga, Melissa Lott, Rachel Lowe, Jaime Martinez-Urtaza, Mark Maslin, Lucy Mcallister, Celia Mcmichael, Zhifu Mi, James Milner, Kelton Minor, Jan Minx, Nahid Mohajeri, Natalie C Momen, Maziar Moradi-Lakeh, Karyn Morrisey, Simon Munzert, Kris A Murray, Nick Obradovich, Megan B O'Hare, Camile Oliveira, Tadj Oreszczyn, Matthias Otto, Fereidoon Owfi, Olivia L Pearman, Frank Pega, Andrew J Perishing, Ana-Catarina Pinho-Gomes, Jamie Ponmattam, Mahnaz Rabbaniha, Jamie Rickman, Elizabeth Robinson, Joacim Rocklöv, David Rojas-Rueda, Renee N Salas, Jan C Semenza, Jodi D Sherman, Joy Shumake-Guillemot, Pratik Singh, Henrik Sjödin, Jessica Slater, Mikhail Sofiev, Cecilia Sorensen, Marco Springmann, Zélie Stalhandske, Jennifer D Stowell, Meisam Tabatabaei, Jonathon Taylor, Daniel Tong, Cathryn Tonne, Marina Treskova, Joaquin A Trinanes, Andreas Uppstu, Fabian Wagner, Laura Warnecke, Hannah Whitcombe, Peng Xian, Carol Zavaleta-Cortijo, Chi Zhang, Ran Zhang, Shihui Zhang, Ying Zhang, Qiao Zhu, Peng Gong, Hugh Montgomery, Anthony Costello

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Despite the initial hope inspired by the 2015 Paris Agreement, the world is now dangerously close to breaching its target of limiting global multiyear mean heating to 1·5°C. Annual mean surface temperature reached a record high of 1·45°C above the pre-industrial baseline in 2023, and new temperature highs were recorded throughout 2024. The resulting climatic extremes are increasingly claiming lives and livelihoods worldwide.

Improving Infectious Disease Predictions Through The Use Of Metapopulation Sir Modeling And Graph Convolutional Neural Networks, Petr Kisselev, Padmanabhan Seshaiyer

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Climate Change On The Gulf Fritillary Butterfly And Its Lethal Virus, Allison Dela Cruz, Damian Osuna, Arietta Fleming-Davies

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Cns Autoimmunity In Genetically Diverse Mice Reveals Unique Phenotypes And Mechanisms., Emily A Nelson, Anna L. Tyler, Taylor Lakusta-Wong, Karolyn G Lahue, Katherine C Hankes, Cory Teuscher, Rachel M Lynch, Martin T Ferris, J Matthew Mahoney, Dimitry N Krementsov

Faculty Research 2024

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex disease with significant heterogeneity in disease course and progression. Genetic studies have identified numerous loci associated with MS risk, but the genetic basis of disease progression remains elusive. To address this, we leveraged the Collaborative Cross (CC), a genetically diverse mouse strain panel, and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). The 32 CC strains studied captured a wide spectrum of EAE severity, trajectory, and presentation, including severe-progressive, monophasic, relapsing remitting, and axial rotary-EAE (AR-EAE), accompanied by distinct immunopathology. Sex differences in EAE severity were observed in 6 strains. Quantitative trait locus analysis revealed distinct genetic linkage …

Medical School Watercooler Newsletter - November 8, 2024, Lindsay Hughes

Watercooler Newsletter

This is the Friday, November 8, 2024 edition of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine's newsletter -- Watercooler.

Contents include:

• Students win awards at Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association regional conference
• Student-Run Free Clinic leaders present research on volunteer engagement
• Schwaitzberg to present Frazer Memorial Lecture
• Stevens recognized for lung biology research at annual showcase
• Mazloom joins interdisciplinary clinical oncology faculty at Whiddon COM and Mitchell Cancer Institute
• Residents share research at annual chest medicine conference in Boston
• Medical students, residents and faculty support refugees through wellness event

Tumor-Associated Edema In Children With Kaposi Sarcoma: 14 Years' Experience At Kamuzu Central Hospital, Lilongwe, Malawi, Fatsani Rose Manase, Allison Silverstein, William Kamiyango, Jimmy Villiera, Clement Dziwe, Claudia Wallrauch, Tom Heller, Mark Zobeck, Tamiwe Tomoka, Michael E Scheurer, Carl E Allen, Nmazuo Ozuah, Rizine Mzikamanda, Nader Kim El-Mallawany, Casey L Mcatee

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Background/objectives: Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is a common lymphatic endothelial cancer among children with and without HIV in central and eastern Africa. Despite its clinical heterogeneity, its various clinical phenotypes are often grouped together in staging and treatment algorithms. Patients with KS tumor-associated edema, referring to hard, non-pitting lesions which often lead to chronic disability, represent a unique, understudied subgroup of children with KS. To continue our work defining the distinct phenotypes of pediatric KS, this study aimed to assess the clinical progression and outcomes of KS edema in children.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at Kamuzu Central Hospital …

Exploring The Barriers And Supports Of Faith Community Nurses Serving In Alaska: A Qualitative Study, Nathan T. West, Phd, Lauren M. Kiker, Ba, Beverly R. Bateman, Msn, Rn, Fcn, Krista Jones, Dnp, Msn, Rn, Phna-Bc, Faan

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

Decades of research exist on the public health impact of faith community nurses (FCNs), particularly congregational health promotion and disease prevention. However, the literature exploring the barriers and supports FCNs experience when serving their communities is limited. Thus, guided by Ziebarth’s (2016) conceptual framework of faith community nursing, this study explored the lived experiences of FCNs (N = 8) delivering care to faith communities in Alaska. Thematic analyses of qualitative data revealed three major themes including 1) the descriptions, characteristics, and roles performed by FCNs (e.g., active listening, policy-level recommendations); 2) barriers and other factors impacting FCNs’ delivery of care …

Cure Rate Analysis Of National Health Insurance Scheme Claims Payment Survival Times In Ghana: The Case Of Pru District, Ahmed Tamimu, Suleman Nasiru, Dioggban Jakperik

Al-Bahir

In this study, cure models have been applied to model National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) claims payment data with cured proportion using Pru District in the Bono East Region of Ghana as a case study. The covariates effects were also modelled to investigate the effects of the covariates on the cured proportion. The estimates of the parameters of the models were obtained by directly maximizing the observed likelihood functions. Most estimates of the parameters of the cure models are significant at 5% significance level. The study revealed that the cured claims payments rate increases over time with an estimated cured …

Estimating The Number Of Polygenic Diseases Among Six Mutually Exclusive Entities Of Non-Tumors And Cancer, C I Edvard Smith, Jan A Burger, Rula Zain

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In the era of precision medicine with increasing amounts of sequenced cancer and non-cancer genomes of different ancestries, we here enumerate the resulting polygenic disease entities. Based on the cell number status, we first identified six fundamental types of polygenic illnesses, five of which are non-cancerous. Like complex, non-tumor disorders, neoplasms normally carry alterations in multiple genes, including in 'Drivers' and 'Passengers'. However, tumors also lack certain genetic alterations/epigenetic changes, recently named 'Goners', which are toxic for the neoplasm and potentially constitute therapeutic targets. Drivers are considered essential for malignant transformation, whereas environmental influences vary considerably among both types of …

Sex Disparities In Outcomes Among Hospitalizations For Heart Failure, Yanjia Zhang, Muni Rubens, Anshul Saxena, Venkataraghavan Ramamoorthy, Peter Mcgranaghan, Sandra Chaparro, Javier Jimenez

All Publications

This study investigated sex differences in clinical characteristics and in-hospital outcomes of heart failure (HF) hospitalizations using the National Inpatient Sample data, 2016-2019. HF hospitalizations ≥ 41 years of age were included and stratified by sex. Study outcomes were in-hospital mortality, prolonged length of stay, mechanical ventilation, mechanical circulatory support, vasopressor use, and disposition other than home. Propensity score matched regression analysis was done to compare outcomes between sex. A total of 4,704,684 primary HF hospitalizations were included in the analysis. Of these, 2,447,784 (52.0%) were males and 2,256,899 (48.0%) were females. Regression analysis showed that females had significantly lower …

Lactobacillus Rhamnosus Modulates Murine Neonatal Gut Microbiota And Inflammation Caused By Pathogenic Escherichia Coli., Hao Xuan, Shahid Umar, Cuncong Zhong, Wei Yu, Ishfaq Ahmed, Joshua Wheatley, Venkatesh Sampath, Susana Chavez-Bueno

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Pathogenic Escherichia coli strains produce neonatal septicemia after colonizing the neonatal gut. While the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) effectively reduces neonatal sepsis, LGG's effects on the neonatal intestinal microbiota alterations and inflammation triggered by E. coli are incompletely understood. We hypothesized that LGG significantly modulates the specific neonatal gut microbial populations changes and the inflammatory response elicited by the enteral introduction of septicemia-producing E. coli. To test this hypothesis, newborn rats were pretreated orally with LGG or placebo prior to infection with the neonatal E. coli septicemia clinical isolate SCB34. Amplicon 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed on …

Ingrid Cardona, Mark Naison

Oral Histories

Disciplines

African American Studies

Abstract

Summary by Jocelyn Defex.

In this oral history interview for the Bronx COVID-19 Oral History Project, Grace Schmidt and Allison Lecce interview Ingrid Cardona, the Food and Nutrition Department Operations Manager at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx. Ingrid discusses her background, her role in food service management at the hospital, and the adaptations her department made during the pandemic. Ingrid, raised in the Bronx, has worked at St. Barnabas for over two decades, initially joining due to a connection through her mother.

In her role, Ingrid manages food safety standards and oversees a unionized …

High Incidence And Geographic Distribution Of Cleft Palate In Finland Are Associated With The Irf6 Gene, Fedik Rahimov, Pekka Nieminen, Priyanka Kumari, Emma Juuri, Tiit Nikopensius, Kitt Paraiso, Jakob German, Antti Karvanen, Mart Kals, Abdelrahman G Elnahas, Juha Karjalainen, Mitja Kurki, Aarno Palotie, Estonian Biobank Research Team, Finngen, Arja Heliövaara, Tõnu Esko, Sakari Jukarainen, Priit Palta, Andrea Ganna, Anjali P Patni, Daniel Mar, Karol Bomsztyk, Julie Mathieu, Hannele Ruohola-Baker, Axel Visel, Walid D Fakhouri, Brian C Schutte, Robert A Cornell, David P Rice

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In Finland, the frequency of isolated cleft palate (CP) is higher than that of isolated cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P). This trend contrasts to that in other European countries but its genetic underpinnings are unknown. We conducted a genome-wide association study in the Finnish population and identified rs570516915, a single nucleotide polymorphism highly enriched in Finns, as strongly associated with CP (P = 5.25 × 10-34, OR = 8.65, 95% CI 6.11-12.25), but not with CL/P (P = 7.2 × 10-5), with genome-wide significance. The risk allele frequency of rs570516915 parallels the regional variation of CP prevalence …

Skn-1 Activation During Infection Of Caenorhabditis Elegans Requires Cdc-48 And Endoplasmic Reticulum Proteostasis, Carolaing Gabaldón, Ozgur Karakuzu, Danielle A Garsin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

During challenge of Caenorhabditis elegans with human bacterial pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis, the elicited host response can be damaging if not properly controlled. The activation of Nrf (nuclear factor erythroid-related factor)/CNC (Cap-n-collar) transcriptional regulators modulates the response by upregulating genes that neutralize damaging molecules and promote repair processes. Activation of the C. elegans Nrf ortholog, SKN-1, is tightly controlled by a myriad of regulatory mechanisms, but a central feature is an activating phosphorylation accomplished by the p38 mitogen-activated kinase (MAPK) cascade. In this work, loss of CDC-48, an AAA+ ATPase, was observed to severely compromise SKN-1 …

Targeting Tumor Microenvironmental Factors In Bladder Cancer To Enhance Responses With Immunotherapy, Sarah Bazargan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bladder cancer is the tenth most common cancer in the world and has one of the highest recurrence rates. Despite the local delivery options and mutational status of bladder tumors, responses with immunotherapies have been limited with low durability. The bladder tumor microenvironment is enriched with highly immunosuppressive populations and harsh conditions that restrict anti-tumor immunity and subsequently attenuate immunotherapy response. We predict that targeting two of these immunosuppressive components, namely acidity and myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), will bolster T cell responses and enhance outcomes with immunotherapy. In Chapter 2, we characterized the effects of acidity on T cell …

Late Romantic Cello Works By Women For Intermediate Cello Study, Rong Cao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Many cello works by female composers from the late nineteenth century have been discovered and performed. However, not many of these works have been introduced to the intermediate-level students. This document aims to fill that gap by introducing four cello works by four different female composers from the late nineteenth century that are suitable for intermediate cello study. These pieces are Agnes Zimmermann’s Cello Sonata in G minor, Mary Carr Moore’s Love Song, for cello and piano, Rebecca Clarke’s Two Pieces for violin or viola and cello, and Alice Verne-Bredt’s Wiegenlied (Lullaby), for violin or cello and piano. The document …

Gene Discovery From Microbial Gene Libraries I: Protection Against Reactive Oxygen Species-Driven Dna Damage, John C Taylor, Carmen Gu Liu, James D Chang, Brianna E Thompson, Anthony W Maresso

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) pose a lethal risk for all life forms by causing damage to cell processes, genome-wide DNA damage-driving mutation, replicative instability, and death. Thus, the development of mechanisms to resist or repair ROS-induced DNA damage is critical for the reliable replication of nucleic acids. DNA repair and protection mechanisms have been discovered in all forms of life. However, the vast array of microbes that may harbor novel repair or protection mechanisms, especially bacterial viruses, have not been adequately assessed. Here, we screened a microbial gene library composed primarily of phage open reading frames (ORFs) to uncover elements …

The Pressing Need For State Sovereignty Recognition For Post-Territorial States, Benjamin Price

Georgia Journal of International & Comparative Law

This note offers an analysis of the retention of national sovereignty by

states that have lost all of their territory, primarily by analyzing the

international recognition of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta as a post-

territorial state. This analysis will be of increasing pertinence as more nations

face territorial loss due to climate change. This paper traces the development

of the Order's role in world politics and its ongoing international recognition

by various nations.

From Infection To Encapsulation; A Case Report On Encapsulating Peritoneal Sclerosis, Clinical Challenges And Management, Sidra Memon Md, Jacob Seth Psomiadis Md, Syed Uzair Mahmood, Jennifer Hoffman Md

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

Encapsulating Peritoneal Sclerosis (EPS) is a rare but deadly sequlae of peritoneal dialysis resulting in intraperitoneal inflammation and fibrosis. The disease itself can present in a variety of ways and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Here we present the case of a man in his 50's with a history of chronic peritoneal aspergillus as well as end-stage renal disease on peritoneal dialysis that had multiple admissions for abdominal fluid collections as well as bowel obstruction. After a multidisciplinary approach, the patient was diagnosed with encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis and then started the recommended therapy of tamoxifen and prednisone.

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Kindergarten Through Grade 12 Education Leaders’ With Digital Transformation Strategies During And Post Covid-19, Vilma Tannisha Ramirez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rapid spread of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in March 2020 had a profound impact on global kindergarten through Grade 12 (K–12) education, causing significant disruption to the learning environment and compelling many education leaders to immediately embrace emergency remote learning measures. There was a gap in knowledge of education leaders’ lived experiences of this transformation. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of U.S. K–12 education leaders in creating digital transformation strategies during the wake and aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The conceptual framework consisted of Trist and Bamforth’s sociotechnical subsystem theory and Wade’s …