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Immunostimulatory Short Non-Coding Rnas In The Circulation Of Patients With Tuberculosis Infection, Justin Gumas, Takuya Kawamura, Megumi Shigematsu, Yohei Kirino

Computational Medicine Center Faculty Papers

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection is among the world's deadliest infectious diseases. Developing effective treatments and biomarkers for tuberculosis requires a deeper understanding of its pathobiology and host responses. Here, we report a comprehensive characterization of circulating short non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) in plasma samples from Mtb-infected patients. We achieved this by pre-treating plasma RNAs with T4 polynucleotide kinase to convert all RNA ends to those compatible with sncRNA sequencing. We discovered a global and drastic upregulation of plasma sncRNAs in Mtb-infected patients, with tRNA-derived sncRNAs representing the most dramatically elevated class. Most of these tRNA-derived sncRNAs originated from a limited subset …

Application Of Dna Barcodes In The Genetic Diversity Of Hard Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) In Kazakhstan, Ziwei Zheng, Weixin Zeng, Suwen Wang, Wenbo Tan, Xiaobo Lu, Kenesbay Kairullayev, Ligu Mi, Wurelihazi Hazihan, Gang Liu, Meihua Yang, Yuanzhi Wang

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Forty-five tick species have been recorded in Kazakhstan. However, their genetic diversity and evolutionary relationships, particularly when compared to ticks in neighbouring countries, remain unclear. In the present study, 148 mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequence data from our laboratory and NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/) data were used to address this knowledge gap. Phylogenetic analyses showed that i) Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum (Koch, 1844) ticks from Jambyl Oblast (southeastern Kazakhstan) and Gansu Province (northwestern China) constituted a newly deviated clade; and ii) Dermacentor reticulatus (Fabricius, 1974) ticks from South Kazakhstan Oblast were closer …

Factors Associated With Reduced Depression And Suicide Risk Among Mäori High School Students In New Zealand, Terryann C. Clark

Dissertations

Mäori adolescents, indigenous to New Zealand (NZ), have among the highest rates of depression and suicide in the industrialized world. Fortunately, resilience research demonstrates that promotive factors, such as family and school connections, can markedly reduce mental health problems for vulnerable youth populations. However, to date, this research has never focused on risk and promotive mechanisms related to mental health outcomes for Mäori youth. Such knowledge is a prerequisite for addressing the persistent mental health inequities faced by Mäori young people.

Exploring The Antibacterial Potential And Underlying Mechanisms Of Prunella Vulgaris L On Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, Ziyin Li, Qiqi He, Feifei Xu, Xinxin Yin, Zhuofan Guan, Jia Song, Zhini He, Xingfen Yang, Chen Situ

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Prunella vulgaris L. (PV) is a widely distributed plant species, known for its versatile applications in both traditional and contemporary medicine, as well as in functional food development. Despite its broad-spectrum antimicrobial utility, the specific mechanism of antibacterial action remains elusive. To fill this knowledge gap, the present study investigated the antibacterial properties of PV extracts against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and assessed their mechanistic impact on bacterial cells and cellular functions. The aqueous extract of PV demonstrated greater anti-MRSA activity compared to the ethanolic and methanolic extracts. UPLC-ESI-MS/MS tentatively identified 28 phytochemical components in the aqueous extract of PV. …

Structural Insights Into Peptidoglycan Glycosidase Etga Binding To The Inner Rod Protein Esci Of The Type Iii Secretion System Via A Designed Esci-Etga Fusion Protein, Jacob Boorman, Focco Van Den Akker

Faculty Scholarship

Bacteria express lytic enzymes such as glycosidases, which have potentially self-destructive peptidoglycan (PG)-degrading activity and, therefore, require careful regulation in bacteria. The PG glycosidase EtgA is regulated by localization to the assembling type III secretion system (T3SS), generating a hole in the PG layer for the T3SS to reach the outer membrane. The EtgA localization was found to be mediated via EtgA interacting with the T3SS inner rod protein EscI. To gain structural insights into the EtgA recognition of EscI, we determined the 2.01 Å resolution structure of an EscI (51–87)-linker-EtgA fusion protein designed based on AlphaFold2 predictions. The structure …

'Science By Consensus' Impedes Scientific Creativity And Progress: A Simple Alternative To Funding Biomedical Research, Nejat Düzgüneş

Pacific Faculty Work

The very low success rates of grant applications to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) are highly detrimental to the progress of science and the careers of scientists. The peer review process that evaluates proposals has been claimed arbitrarily to be the best there is. This consensus system, however, has never been evaluated scientifically against an alternative. Here we delineate the 15 major problems with the peer review process. We challenge the Science Advisor to the President, and the leadership of NIH, NSF, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and other funding agencies throughout …

Antibody Profiling And Predictive Modeling Discriminate Between Kaposi Sarcoma And Asymptomatic Kshv Infection, Sydney J. Bennett, Dicle Yalcin, Sara R. Privatt, Owen Ngalamika, Salum J. Lidenge, John T. West, Charles Wood

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Protein-level immunodominance patterns against Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), the aetiologic agent of Kaposi sarcoma (KS), have been revealed from serological probing of whole protein arrays, however, the epitopes that underlie these patterns have not been defined. We recently demonstrated the utility of phage display in high-resolution linear epitope mapping of the KSHV latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA/ORF73). Here, a VirScan phage immunoprecipitation and sequencing approach, employing a library of 1,988 KSHV proteome-derived peptides, was used to quantify the breadth and magnitude of responses of 59 sub-Saharan African KS patients and 22 KSHV-infected asymptomatic individuals (ASY), and ultimately to support an application …

Bioethics As A Dynamic Issue: Holistic Approaches To Understanding And Applying Ethics To Study Design, Taiye Winful

Human Biology Open Access Pre-Prints

Anthropologists have challenged bioethicists to incorporate more holistic approaches to applying ethics in ‘real world’ situations. Where bioethicists tend to use systematic philosophical approaches to moral dilemmas, anthropologists apply malleable approaches designed to be responsive to variable cultural contexts. For example, anthropologists emphasize the importance of community and the effects of social issues, political economy, and cultural tradition in decision-making. This difference in approach contributes to the contentious relationship between anthropologists and bioethicists. Despite nuanced perspectives, anthropologists have not enjoyed a durable role in shaping contemporary bioethics.

The lack of nuance becomes problematic when researchers attempt to reconcile ethical issues …

A Stool Based Qpcr For The Diagnosis Of Tb In Children And People Living With Hiv In Uganda, Eswatini And Mozambique (Stool4tb): A Protocol For A Multicenter Diagnostic Evaluation, Lucia Carratala-Castro, Willy Ssengooba, Alex Kay, Sozinho Acácio, Joanna Ehrlich, Andrew R Dinardo, Nosisa Shiba, Joachim K Nsubuga, Shilzia Munguambe, Belén Saavedra-Cervera, Patricia Manjate, Durbbin Mulengwa, Busizwe Sibandze, Mangaliso Ziyane, George Kasule, Edson Mambuque, Moorine Penninah Sekadde, Eric Wobudeya, Moses L Joloba, Jan Heyckendorf, Christoph Lange, Sabine Hermans, Anna Mandalakas, Alberto L García-Basteiro, Elisa Lopez-Varela, Stool4tb Global Partnership

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is a major cause of mortality worldwide. Children and people living with HIV (PLHIV) have an increased risk of mortality, particularly in the absence of rapid diagnosis. The main challenges of diagnosing TB in these populations are due to the unspecific and paucibacillary disease presentation and the difficulty of obtaining respiratory samples. Thus, novel diagnostic strategies, based on non-respiratory specimens could improve clinical decision making and TB outcomes in high burden TB settings. We propose a multi-country, prospective diagnostic evaluation study with a nested longitudinal cohort evaluation to assess the performance of a new stool-based qPCR, developed …

Understanding Health Needs In Rural Communities To Lead To Optimal Intervention, Minte J. Dye, Claire C. Baetge, Katelyn Murphy, Mikayla Cole, Miquela Smith, Megan Mcclendon, Mark D. Faries

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Increased autonomy can lead to better health behaviors and outcomes in rural communities, through improved motivation, supporting personal choice in health decisions, and maintaining trust in community-focused responses. However, public health initiatives often require rigorous, time-consuming methodologies, thus limiting timely assessment of health-related needs and concern and hindering autonomy support and educational program/resource response—particularly when urgency is required. PURPOSE: To evaluate a novel, brief qualitative assessment of immediate needs in rural communities across Texas. This project was a part of a program and resource development phase of a statewide project, Community Conversations on Health, in partnership with the …

Examining Crises Resilience In Tourism : A Systematic Review Of Literature, Kanyamwa Lunanga Félix, George Ariya, Priscillah Omagwa

Journal of Sustainability and Resilience

This study is the systematic review of literature on the resilience of tourism businesses. Following the various crises and disasters that shook the World between 2000 and 2020, the interest of researchers in tourism resilience has increased significantly. Despite the interest felt by these scientists, the notion of resilience has remained fragmented in terms of its definition and dimensions. This review presents an overview of the literature on the resilience of tourism businesses from 2013 to June 2023. The study revealed that there is a lack of cohesion in the literature on resilience from the definition to its influencing factors. …

Ocular Syphilis: A Case Report And Public Health Discussion, Andrew L. Fine, Hope V. Daskalakis, Rutwik Pradeep Sharma M.D., Mirna Ogeilat M.D.

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

Ocular Syphilis describes a localized manifestation of a systemic treponema pallidum infection. It most commonly presents with decreased visual acuity due to uveitis and can occur at any time throughout the disease course. This report describes a case of undiagnosed syphilis that was serendipitously diagnosed with blood product screening. This case highlights the need for better public education and outreach pertaining to sexually transmitted infections. This report will detail this patient's clinical course and discuss how healthcare providers can aid in early disease detection to improve both patient outcomes and overall public health.

New Onset Positive Autoantibodies Following Covid-19 Infection, David Hernandez, Adnaan Sheikh, Shakira Laing, Mariana Adieb, Omar Siddiqui, Rohail Baig, Annabel Antonini, James Vienneau, Camden Burns

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. Since the original outbreak in December 2019, over 100 million people have been confirmed to have been infected by COVID-19 and over two million people have died. The presentation seen in patients may vary widely based on multiple factors. Fever has been reported in up to 99% of patients, while other common symptoms seen are dyspnea, fatigue, anosmia, and myalgia. Around 80% of COVID-19 patients present with a mild respiratory illness that can be managed at home, while around 15% need basic …

Uncommon Presentation Of Kaposi Sarcoma In An Hiv-Negative Patient: A Case Report And Review Of The Literature, Hope Daskalakis, Nina M. Ventura, Joy Anne Lowry, Mara Weinstein Velez

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

Kaposi Sarcoma (KS) is a multifocal systemic disease first identified in 1872. It most commonly involves the skin, mucous membranes, lymph nodes, and gastrointestinal tract. There are four clinically distinct subtypes of KS that have been identified: Chronic or classic KS, African endemic KS, KS due to iatrogenic immunosuppression, and AIDS-related epidemic KS. The human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) has been implicated in all subtypes of KS. We present a unique case of KS in a 79-year-old male with a widespread distribution of skin lesions on his palms, soles, chest, and back. This case report highlights a novel presentation of classical …

A Case Of Streptococcus Constellatus Bacteremia Secondary To Respiratory Syncytial Virus Bronchiolitis In A Neonate, Ronald G. Lott Iii, Samantha M. Lavertue, Xavier Zonna, Samuel Wlasowicz, Roland Zhang, Ravi Kavuda

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

Common causes of bacteremia in the neonatal period include group B streptococcus, listeria, and E. coli. We report a rare case of neonatal bacteremia with culture-positive Streptococcus constellatus. Streptococcus constellatus is part of the normal flora of the orogenital regions of the body; when found elsewhere, it causes pyogenic abscesses in the brain and digestive tract. In this case, the Streptococcus constellatus bacteremia was secondary to prolonged hospitalization in a patient with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis. This report serves to make physicians aware of and to define treatment options for Streptococcus constellatus as a rarely isolated organism that …

Covid-19-Associated Myocarditis: Screening For Early Diagnosis, Yousuf Khan, Salmman Ahmed, Samuel John Wlasowicz, Ronald G. Lott Iii, Xavier C. Zonna

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

The SARS-CoV-2 virus (causing COVID-19), has infected about 770 million people, and caused the death of about 6.9 million people worldwide in the span of three years (John Hopkins Resource Center). Common symptoms of a patient infected with the virus include shortness of breath, fever, chills, fatigue, loss of taste or smell, and muscle aches. However, recent studies have also shown a prevalence of patients presenting with cardiac inflammation (endocarditis, myocarditis or pericarditis) as a potential comorbidity, both during the infectious stage as well as after the infection has subsided. A pattern of specific clinical markers may be indicative of …

Advances In 2023: Update And Honoring Our Peer Reviewers, Richard Alweis, Elizabeth Mamo, Christina Goodermote

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

The Editors review the performance of the journal and thank the peer reviewers for 2023.

Economic Effects Of Pandemic On Us And Indian Economies With Policy Actions In 2019-2023: A Comparative Analysis, Kishore Kukarni Dr., Amitabh S. Dutta

International Review of Business and Economics

COVID 19 pandemic that started in February/March 2019, with happenings in Yuwan, China spread like a wildfire all over the world. All countries faced one of the worst economic challenges in recent centuries if not ever in the history of the mankind. Early predications were so severe and devastating that some forecasters predicted a death-toll of 100 million all over the world, as the virus was not only spreading fast but also had no solution for its serious fatal effects. It was evident that the patients were dying before getting any effective treatments and many of them were elderly individuals. …

Reducing Unsecured Medications In Anesthetizing Area, Christine Bergesch, Kate Manuel

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Student Projects

Background and Review of Literature: Anesthetic medications should be secured consistently to prevent adverse outcomes such as medication errors, drug diversion, and financial loss. Standardized practice for medication stewardship is not established by Washington University Department of Anesthesiology (WUDA). Anesthesia providers’ imprudent medication stewardship practices are a continuous challenge due to the controlled and time-sensitive drugs they provide. Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to decrease the number of medications left behind unsecured in anesthetizing areas, describe the most frequently encountered barriers and category of medications left behind unsecured, and improve knowledge and utilization of the …

The Pathogenicity Of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus Faecalis To Colon Cancer Cells, Li Zhang, Mingxia Deng, Jing Liu, Jiajie Zhang, Fangyu Wang, Wei Yu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the pathogenicity of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VREs) to human colon cells in vitro.

METHODS: Three E. faecalis isolates (2 VREs and E. faecalis ATCC 29212) were cocultured with NCM460, HT-29 and HCT116 cells. Changes in cell morphology and bacterial adhesion were assessed at different time points. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) expression were measured via RT-qPCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. Cell migration and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) tube formation assays were used for angiogenesis studies. The activity of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway was measured …

Race-Related Stress, Medical Mistrust, Covid-19 Worry, And Covid-19 Vaccination Behavior Among African Americans, Lisa A. Cash

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, nearly 104 million cases and over 1.1 million deaths from novel coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) have been reported overall, but African Americans have been disproportionately affected. Nevertheless, this population has demonstrated the lowest intention to be vaccinated and lowest vaccination rates of all racial/ethnic groups in the United States. The research problem addressed by this study is African American COVID-19 health disparities. The purpose of this investigation was to examine factors that influence COVID-19 vaccination behavior among African Americans, which is important to better understand how to achieve health equity. Using the health belief model …

Volunteerism During Covid-19: Sport Management Students’ Career Interests Against Public Health Risks, Kyu-Soo Chung, Jennifer Willet, Chris Green, Nari Shin

Faculty Articles

Employing the theory of planned behavior, this study aimed to identify how sport management students’ intentions to volunteer for a sporting event were affected by their COVID-19 preventive health factors and social consciousness. From eight U.S. universities, 415 sport management students responded to a self-administered online survey. Collected data were analyzed via hierarchical regression modeling. While the students’ health literacy and susceptibility affected their intentions positively, their social consciousness played a crucial role in producing low intentions to volunteer for a sporting event. Sport management educators should include more hands-on activities in the curriculum and collaborate with local sport agencies …

Using Ethnographic Methods To Explore Stigma In South African Hiv And Tuberculosis Clinics To Develop A Measure Of Intersectional Stigma, Alanna J. Bergman

Sigma Foundation for Nursing Research Grant Reports

The purpose of this study is to explore the intersection of multiple stigmatized identities in the South African TB/HIV treatment environment and to develop a culturally relevant and linguistically sensitive instrument quantifying intersectional stigma.

Improving Anesthesia Clinicians’ Knowledge And Confidence When Selecting Prophylactic Antimicrobials For Patients On Concomitant Antimicrobial Therapy, Garry Gregson, Emily Shands

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Student Projects

Anesthesia clinicians at Barnes-Jewish Hospital (BJH) in Saint Louis, Missouri experienced uncertainty and discomfort when they selected preoperative antibiotics for patients who were already receiving concomitant therapeutic antimicrobials (CTA) unrelated to surgical prophylaxis. Various evidence-based interventions were proposed to address this issue. The first intervention was the addition of pathogens of concern to the surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis (SAP) protocol at BJH. The second intervention was the creation of a reference table that supplemented the revised protocol and allowed clinicians to efficiently determine the pathogens of concern for each surgery. This also included the CTAs efficacy for preventing surgical site infections …

Novel Ancestry-Specific Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma Loci And Shared Biology With Vascular Mechanisms And Cell Proliferation, Valeria Lo Faro, Arjun Bhattacharya, Wei Zhou, Dan Zhou, Ying Wang, Kristi Läll, Masahiro Kanai, Esteban Lopera-Maya, Peter Straub, Priyanka Pawar, Ran Tao, Xue Zhong, Shinichi Namba, Global Biobank Meta-Analysis Initiative, Serena Sanna, Ilja M Nolte, Yukinori Okada, Nathan Ingold, Stuart Macgregor, Harold Snieder, Ida Surakka, Jonathan Shortt, Chris Gignoux, Nicholas Rafaels, Kristy Crooks, Anurag Verma, Shefali S Verma, Lindsay Guare, Daniel J Rader, Cristen Willer, Alicia R Martin, Milam A Brantley, Eric R Gamazon, Nomdo M Jansonius, Karen Joos, Nancy J Cox, Jibril Hirbo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), a leading cause of irreversible blindness globally, shows disparity in prevalence and manifestations across ancestries. We perform meta-analysis across 15 biobanks (of the Global Biobank Meta-analysis Initiative) (n = 1,487,441: cases = 26,848) and merge with previous multi-ancestry studies, with the combined dataset representing the largest and most diverse POAG study to date (n = 1,478,037: cases = 46,325) and identify 17 novel significant loci, 5 of which were ancestry specific. Gene-enrichment and transcriptome-wide association analyses implicate vascular and cancer genes, a fifth of which are primary ciliary related. We perform an extensive statistical analysis of …

Town & Gown…& Jerseys? Ncaa Division Iii Athletics As Social Anchors, Matthew Katz, Aaron W. Clopton

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

No abstract provided.

Cancergpt For Few Shot Drug Pair Synergy Prediction Using Large Pretrained Language Models, Tianhao Li, Sandesh Shetty, Advaith Kamath, Ajay Jaiswal, Xiaoqian Jiang, Ying Ding, Yejin Kim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Large language models (LLMs) have been shown to have significant potential in few-shot learning across various fields, even with minimal training data. However, their ability to generalize to unseen tasks in more complex fields, such as biology and medicine has yet to be fully evaluated. LLMs can offer a promising alternative approach for biological inference, particularly in cases where structured data and sample size are limited, by extracting prior knowledge from text corpora. Here we report our proposed few-shot learning approach, which uses LLMs to predict the synergy of drug pairs in rare tissues that lack structured data and features. …

Intouch Week Of February 19, 2024, New York Medical College

InTouch

• NYMC Goes Red for National Heart Month
• Demolition of Section of Building 800 Scheduled for March
• LCME Element of the Week
• Faculty Spotlight: NYMC Research | Stephan Mayer, M.D.

Kenyan Free-Tailed Bats Demonstrate Seasonal Birth Pulse Asynchrony With Implications For Virus Maintenance, Tamika J. Lunn, Reilly T. Jackson, Paul W. Webala, Joseph Ogola, Kristian M. Forbes

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Ecological information on wildlife reservoirs is fundamental for research targeting prevention of zoonotic infectious disease, yet basic information is lacking for many species in global hotspots of disease emergence. We provide the first estimates of synchronicity, magnitude, and timing of seasonal birthing in Mops condylurus, a putative ebolavirus host, and a co-roosting species, Mops pumilus (formerly Chaerephon pumilus). We show that population-level synchronicity of M. condylurus birthing is wide (~ 8.5 weeks) and even wider in M. pumilus (> 11 weeks). This is predicted to promote the likelihood of filovirus persistence under conditions of bi-annual birthing (two births …

Salmonella Paratyphi Causing Endocarditis: A Rare Case Report, Harshvir Singh Bal, Aadya Chawla, Aakanksha Shetty, Mohammad Sinan

Open Access archive

With the trends of emerging paratyphi infections, especially in South Asia, the increase in the incidence of its rarer manifestations is around the corner. Here, we describe the case of Paratyphoid Endocarditis in a 55-year-old man, presenting to the ER with fever, vomiting, and aortic murmur, the subsequent diagnostic workup, and the treatment plan. The rarity of the disease has led to a scarcity of knowledge about the appropriate course of treatment, particularly whether surgery is required. Furthermore, a broader community-level strategy, such as the development of vaccines including the paratyphi strains, and measures to disrupt the modalities of disease …