The Relationship Between Takosubo Cardiomyopathy and COVID-19

Cardiomyopathy is a cardiac disease in which the heart experiences severe swelling of its cardiac muscle. While experiencing a wide range of symptoms, the heart itself has a very difficult time pumping blood into the rest the of the body. There are variants of cardiomyopathy, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, etc. However, the variant of cardiomyopathy being discussed in this paper will be Takosubo Cardiomyopathy (TCM), otherwise known as Stress Induced Cardiomyopathy and or Broken Heart Syndrome. What makes Takosubo cardiomyopathy different is how when a patient is experiencing an episode, it is due to a severe amount of emotional stress. This stress then triggers the left ventricle of the heart to swell and have difficulty ejecting blood to the rest of the body. To add, the second topic of this paper, the Corona-19 virus, a SARs virus was the biggest upset during 2020, triggering a worldwide pandemic. This virus’ target was primarily the elderly, those with compromised immune systems or those with diseases such as cancer or respiratory disorders. In this paper, gender\u27\u27s role is included, the question of increased mortality rate in TCM patients who had COVID and how to diagnose a patient with TCM. Takosubo Cardiomyopathy (TCM) and COVID-19 have a relationship with one another such that if one were to develop Covid, while also having TCM it would be not only more difficult to recover but they are more susceptible to getting COVID

The Impact of Peptide Nucleic Acid Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (PNA FISH®) Rapid Diagnostic Testing on the Initiation of Appropriate Antifungal Therapy in Patients with Candida Species Bloodstream Infections

Background: Traditional methods for detecting positive blood cultures include the use of broth bottles with sensitive indicators for growth. These techniques can take 24-48 hours to signal a positive test. Another 24 hours are often required to determine the species of the organism. The use of rapid diagnostic testing for Candida species bloodstream infections provides accurate species identification in less than two hours. Objective: Evaluate the time to appropriate antifungal therapy in patients in which rapid diagnostic testing was utilized. Methods: This study was a retrospective, observational cohort of patients who had positive blood cultures for Candida species and had PNA FISH® technology used as a rapid diagnostic test. Patients admitted to either Sidney & Lois Eskenazi or Wishard Memorial Hospital during the time frame of January 1,2012 to November 30,2014 were eligible for inclusion. Patients had to have at least one positive blood culture for Candida species. The following data was collected: demographics, microbiologic data, antimicrobial regimen, time to appropriate antimicrobial therapy, hospital length of stay and mortality. Results: Of the 27 blood cultures in which PNA FISH® technology was used, the average time to appropriate antifungal therapy was 15.24 ± 17.7 hours. Therapy was appropriately initiated or adjusted after the PNA FISH® results in 33%) of patients (9/27). The mean hospital length of stay was 24.4 ± 18.8 days and the mean intensive care unit (lCU) length of stay was 15 ± 20.7 days. All-cause mortality was 22.2%) (6/27). Conclusion: This study showed that the average time to appropriate antifungal therapy of 15.24 hours was comparable to current published studies. Due to the small number of patients in which therapy was appropriately adjusted after the PNA FISH®, it may be beneficial to educate healthcare providers about the usefulness of the PNA FISH® and how this technology may be utilized to enhance clinical practice and potentially improve patient outcomes

Public perceptions of affordable housing : how race and class stereotyping influence views

textThe development of affordable housing often involves a contentious siting process. Proposed housing developments frequently trigger concern among neighbors and community groups about potential negative impacts on neighborhood quality of life and property values. Advocates, developers, and researchers have long suspected that some of these concerns stem from racial or class prejudice, yet, to date, these assumptions lack empirical evidence. My research seeks to examine the roles that perceptions of race and class play in shaping opinions that underlie public opposition to affordable housing. Such opposition often earns the label "Not in my Backyard" (NIMBY). The application of a mixed-methods approach helps determine why the public opposes the development of affordable housing in their neighborhoods and towns. The focus group and survey results provide a rich understanding of the underlying attitudes that trigger opposition to affordable housing when proposed nearby. This study demonstrates that stereotypes and perceptions of the poor and minorities are particularly strong determinants of affordable housing opposition. This research improves our understanding of public attitudes toward affordable housing attitudes, leading to a more focused and effective policies and plans for the siting of affordable housing. The results provide advocates, planners, developers, and researchers with a more accurate portrayal of affordable housing opposition, thereby allowing the response to be shaped in a more appropriate manner.Community and Regional Plannin

Impact of Climate Change Variables on Nutrient Cycling by Marine Microorganisms in the Southern California Bight and Ross Sea, Antarctica

Ocean environments are being impacted by climate warming, elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, and shifting nutrient sources and sinks. It is essential to quantify the sensitivity of microorganisms to these effects of global change because they form the base of the marine food web and are an integral component of nutrient cycling on the planet. their role in photosynthesis, nutrient uptake, and transfer of organic matter into higher trophic levels or to the deep ocean via the biological pump render microorganisms key in ecosystem structure and function and in regulating the global climate. The goal of this dissertation research was to determine how changing environmental conditions impact microbial communities and the rates at which they take up nutrients. Research for this dissertation took place in the Southern California Bight and in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, where fully factorial designs were used to investigate the response of microorganisms to multiple global change parameters. Nutrient uptake rates were measured using 13C and 15N stable isotopes for carbon and nitrogen substrates and 33P radioisotopes for phosphorus substrates. In the Southern California Bight, a microbial assemblage was collected and incubated in an ‘ecostat’ continuous culture system, where elevated temperature, CO2, and the dominant nitrogen substrate (nitrate or urea) in the diluent were manipulated. During this experiment uptake rates of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), nitrate (NO3-), and urea were determined for two microbial size classes (0.7-5.0 μm and \u3e5.0 μm). Urea uptake rates were greater than NO3-, and uptake rates of urea and DIC for both size fractions increased at elevated temperature, while uptake rates of NO3- by smaller microorganisms increased when CO2 levels were high. In the Ross Sea, the impact of elevated temperature, CO2, and iron addition on DIC and NO3- uptake rates by two size classes (0.7-5.0 μm and \u3e5.0 μm) of a late-season microbial community were investigated using a semi-continuous and continuous ‘ecostat’ culturing approach. Temperature impacted the microbial community the most, significantly increasing NO3- and DIC uptake rates by larger microorganisms. The effects of iron addition were more apparent when temperature was also elevated, and CO2 did not impact rates. Bioassay experiments were also conducted in the Ross Sea to determine how increasing and decreasing the N:P supply ratio in combination with other parameters (temperature and iron) impact uptake rates of DIC, NO3-, and amino acids. Results from these experiments show that changes to the dissolved N:P supply ratio have the potential to alter nutrient uptake rates over short time scales, but that temperature elevation and iron addition have a larger impact. Additional experiments were completed on diatoms (Fragilariopsis cylindrus and Pseudo-nitzschia subcurvata) and Phaeocystis antarctica, three important phytoplankton species collected from the Ross Sea, to assess how temperature elevation and iron addition impact uptake rates of a number of inorganic and organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus substrates. These culture studies generally show that when temperature is increased, diatoms are able to take up nutrients more rapidly than Phaeocystis antarctica. Results from this dissertation show that nutrient cycles and phytoplankton communities in the Southern California Bight and the Ross Sea, Antarctica will likely be different in the future. Although all variables tested were found to exert some influence on microbial nutrient cycling, temperature elevation generally had the largest effect, increasing biomass and uptake rates, structuring the composition of the microbial community, and altering stoichiometry. This research did not include top down effects and it is limited spatially and temporally, however, it demonstrates the importance of studying different nutrient substrates and looking at multiple interactive stressors to gain a more comprehensive view of potential change

Pollinator-Mediated Interactions of Foundation Plants in the Mojave Desert

Pollination facilitation is an indirect interaction whereby one plant species positively influences the reproductive success of another plant species through pollinators. First, we conducted a systematic review of the experimental pollination facilitation literature. We found that the field of pollination facilitation advanced seven mechanistic hypotheses which we synthesized into a conceptual framework to summarize the extent of mechanisms tested to date. We then tested the capacity for the dominant, foundation shrub Larrea tridentata to facilitate its annual understory. We separated blooming and non-floral interactions while incorporating the temporal dimension by tracking pollinator visitation to the understory as L. tridentata went through spring flowering phenology. L. tridentata interfered with the pollination of Malacothrix glabrata before it bloomed, and visitation was significantly reduced with blooming. L. tridentata supported plant and arthropod communities while creating locally stable microclimates demonstrating that positive and negative effects by foundation plants occur simultaneously. This project contributes to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms driving interactions in a critically understudied arid environment

Relationship Between Oral Language and Reading Comprehension for English Learners: A Systematic Review

This systematic review documents one teacher’s search for reasons why transitional readers at her elementary school seem to be stagnant in their reading progress, particularly in the area of reading comprehension. The relationship between English oral language proficiency and English reading comprehension for English learners at the transitional stage of reading is explored in depth. Additional factors that make it difficult for transitional readers to move through this stage are identified and discussed. A thorough review and synthesis of the current research is provided, offering many answers to the questions posed. Instructional implications and recommendations for mainstream teachers are shared

Social Dominance Alters Stress-Induced Neural Activity and Generates Individual Differences in Stress Vulnerability

Identifying the physiological and behavioral mechanisms that underlie stress vulnerability is a crucial step toward identifying novel targets for the prevention and treatment of stress-related disorders. Social status is a key environmental factor that contributes to individual variations in stress vulnerability. In particular, achieving a subordinate social status has been shown to produce susceptibility to anxiety-like and depressive-like behavior. In this project, our aim was to identify neural ensembles regulating how dominance status modulated stress-induced changes in avoidant behavior in male and female Syrian hamsters. Using a viral vector that codes for robust activity marker (RAM), we investigated whether stress-induced RAM expression in the infralimbic (IL) region of the prefrontal cortex and posteroventral medial amygdala (MePV) accounts for status-dependent variation in stress vulnerability. We found that dominant male and female hamsters showed differences in stress-induced neural activity in the IL and MePV compared to their subordinate counterparts. We found that latency to approach the light zone of a light/dark transition test predicted the acquisition of social dominance for females and this activity was positively associated with greater IL activation. We also showed that time spent in the dark zone of a light/dark transition test predicted the acquisition of a subordinate social status for males and was negatively associated with IL activity. Overall, we found several various experience-dependent changes in anxiety-like behaviors displayed in social avoidance, light/dark transition, and conditioned defeat tests. These findings suggest that social dominance alters stress-induced neural activity in the IL which underlies status-dependent differences in stress vulnerability

Autobiographical Memory Retrieval and Hippocampal Activation as a Function of Repetition and the Passage of Time

Multiple trace theory (MTT) predicts that hippocampal memory traces expand and strengthen as a function of repeated memory retrievals. We tested this hypothesis utilizing fMRI, comparing the effect of memory retrieval versus the mere passage of time on hippocampal activation. While undergoing fMRI scanning, participants retrieved remote autobiographical memories that had been previously retrieved either one month earlier, two days earlier, or multiple times during the preceding month. Behavioral analyses revealed that the number and consistency of memory details retrieved increased with multiple retrievals but not with the passage of time. While all three retrieval conditions activated a similar set of brain regions normally associated with autobiographical memory retrieval including medial temporal lobe structures, hippocampal activation did not change as a function of either multiple retrievals or the passage of time. However, activation in other brain regions, including the precuneus, lateral prefrontal cortex, parietal cortex, lateral temporal lobe, and perirhinal cortex increased after multiple retrievals, but was not influenced by the passage of time. These results have important implications for existing theories of long-term memory consolidation

Forecasting with Sparse but Informative Variables: A Case Study in Predicting Blood Glucose

In time-series forecasting, future target values may be affected by both intrinsic and extrinsic effects. When forecasting blood glucose, for example, intrinsic effects can be inferred from the history of the target signal alone (\textit{i.e.} blood glucose), but accurately modeling the impact of extrinsic effects requires auxiliary signals, like the amount of carbohydrates ingested. Standard forecasting techniques often assume that extrinsic and intrinsic effects vary at similar rates. However, when auxiliary signals are generated at a much lower frequency than the target variable (e.g., blood glucose measurements are made every 5 minutes, while meals occur once every few hours), even well-known extrinsic effects (e.g., carbohydrates increase blood glucose) may prove difficult to learn. To better utilize these \textit{sparse but informative variables} (SIVs), we introduce a novel encoder/decoder forecasting approach that accurately learns the per-timepoint effect of the SIV, by (i) isolating it from intrinsic effects and (ii) restricting its learned effect based on domain knowledge. On a simulated dataset pertaining to the task of blood glucose forecasting, when the SIV is accurately recorded our approach outperforms baseline approaches in terms of rMSE (13.07 [95% CI: 11.77,14.16] vs. 14.14 [12.69,15.27]). In the presence of a corrupted SIV, the proposed approach can still result in lower error compared to the baseline but the advantage is reduced as noise increases. By isolating their effects and incorporating domain knowledge, our approach makes it possible to better utilize SIVs in forecasting.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, 5 tables, accepted to AAAI2

An Innovative Approach for Community Engagement: Using an Audience Response System

Community-based participatory research methods allow for community engagement in the effort to reduce cancer health disparities. Community engagement involves health professionals becoming a part of the community in order to build trust, learn from the community and empower them to reduce disparities through their own initiatives and ideas. Audience Response Systems (ARS) are an innovative and engaging way to involve the community and obtain data for research purposes using keypads to report results via power point. The use of ARS within communities is very limited and serves to widen the disparity gap by not delivering new advances in medical knowledge and technology among all population groups. ARS was implemented at a community town hall event sponsored by a National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities Exploratory Center of Excellence, the Center for Equal Health. Participants appreciated being able to see how everyone else answered and felt included in the research process. ARS is beneficial because the community can answer truthfully and provides instant research results. Additionally, researchers can collect large amounts of data quickly, in a non-threatening way while tracking individual responses anonymously. Audience Response Systems proved to be an effective tool for successfully accomplishing community-based participatory research