Examining the Different Soil Horizons of White Oak Mountain, TN and their Effect on the Soil Microbial Community

Soil microorganisms participate in the diverse interaction within virtually all ecosystems, consequently affecting the associated human and animal population. Identifying how edaphic variables alter the functional and taxonomic diversity of the soil microbial community requires an examination of total microbial soil diversity and abundance. This research study examined the effect of soil depth and horizon on the soil microbial community composition of White Oak Mountain. The soil microbial community was characterized by 16S/18S/ITS rDNA amplicon sequencing of the DNA extract of six samples from the three major soil types identified: HcE, MoE, and uMvC. OTU clustering analysis and both alpha and beta diversity were analyzed to determine whether soil depth and horizon correlate with soil microbial community composition. This research project aims to establish a baseline of the representative soil microbial diversity of White Oak Mountain and provide data to be used as a reference for future studie

Examining the Different Soil Horizons of White Oak Mountain, TN and their Effect on the Soil Microbial Community

Soil microorganisms participate in the diverse interaction within virtually all ecosystems, consequently affecting the associated human and animal population. Identifying how edaphic variables alter the functional and taxonomic diversity of the soil microbial community requires an examination of total microbial soil diversity and abundance. This research study examined the effect of soil depth and horizon on the soil microbial community composition of White Oak Mountain. The soil microbial community was characterized by 16S/18S/ITS rDNA amplicon sequencing of the DNA extract of six samples from the three major soil types identified: HcE, MoE, and uMvC. OTU clustering analysis and both alpha and beta diversity were analyzed to determine whether soil depth and horizon correlate with soil microbial community composition. This research project aims to establish a baseline of the representative soil microbial diversity of White Oak Mountain and provide data to be used as a reference for future studie

Chlamydia Risk Factors in Female Prisoners

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to better understand the demographic and behavioral risk factors related to Chlamydia infection in female correctional settings. Methods: A pilot cross-sectional study was conducted on screening data collected from 194 females newly incarcerated between November 2009 and March 2010 at George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the associations among risk factors. Results: Previous drug use was significantly associated with history of Chlamydia after adjusting for age and previous STD infections (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 6.996, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.221 – 22.040). In addition, previous drug use was significantly associated with history of STDs after adjusting for age (OR = 13.531, CI = 3.725 – 49.509). Conclusions: Previous substance use is a strong behavioral indicator for Chlamydia and other STD infections in female prisoners. The information obtained on drug use can be used as a tool to efficiently target the population in need across correctional settings. Further investigation with increased sample size, improved data quality, and additional positivity results is critical to better understanding the risk factors associated with incarcerated females at this facility.M.P.H., Public Health -- Drexel University, 201

A Case of Oropharyngeal Teratoma Associated with Subluxation of Temporomandibular Joint: A Case Report

Teratomas are the most common congenital tumors and contain cells from the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. They are mainly located in the central axis of the body. The tumors are most commonly found in the sacrococcygeal region, followed by the gonadal site and mediastinum, and rarely in the head and neck. Teratomas can cause various clinical symptoms depending on the location of the mass and may result in feeding difficulties or respiratory distress. We present a case of oropharyngeal teratoma accompanied by respiratory distress and persistent feeding difficulties, leading to compression of the temporomandibular joint, which in turn caused subluxation

Neural correlates of affective theory of mind in medication-free nonsuicidal self-injury: An fMRI study

Emerging evidence indicates that emotion processing deficits are associated with nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). However, limited attention has been paid to the socio-affective functions of NSSI. In this study, we aimed to investigate the affective theory of mind (ToM) in medication-free individuals engaging in NSSI at both behavioral and neural levels. Twenty-eight individuals (mean age = 22.96 years) who engaged in NSSI and 38 age-, sex-, and IQ-matched controls (mean age = 22.79 years) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing the “Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test” (RMET). All participants also completed the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSI). Although we did not find significant group differences in the RMET performance, the NSSI group, relative to the controls, exhibited significantly greater left medial superior frontal lobe activation and decreased right angular gyrus activation than did the control group. Reduced right angular gyrus activity was related to higher DERS and TAS scores across all participants. Our findings provide new evidence for aberrant neural processing of affective ToM in self-injurers. Future studies in developing intervention protocols for NSSI should focus on the multifaceted phases of socio-affective processing

Efficacy evaluation of combination vaccine of recombinant C-terminal fragments of ApxIA, ApxIIA and ApxIIIA in piglets

The efficacy of the combination vaccine of the individual C-terminal fragments of ApxIA, ApxIIA and ApxIIIA of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP) was evaluated in piglets. Twenty piglets were divided equally into 2 groups (n=10). All piglets were intramuscularly primed at 4 week-of-age (0 week post prime inoculation (WPPI)) and were intramuscularly boosted at 6 week-of-age (2 WPPI). Group A piglets were inoculated with sterile PBS and group B piglets were inoculated with the combination vaccine. Concentrations of each of the C-terminal fragment-specific IgG as determined by ELISA were significantly higher in group B than in group A from 2 WPPI until the end of this study. Clinical signs were observed from only 10% of group B piglets after the challenge with the mixture of APP serotypes 1, 2 and 5 at 4 WPPI, while 50% of group A piglets were protected against APP infections. Overall, intramuscular inoculation with the vaccine candidate can efficiently protect piglets against APP infection

Stabilization of Lead (Pb) and Zinc (Zn) in Contaminated Rice Paddy Soil Using Starfish: A Preliminary Study

Lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) contaminated rice paddy soil was stabilized using natural (NSF) and calcined starfish (CSF). Contaminated soil was treated with NSF in the range of 0-10 wt.% and CSF in the range of 0-5 wt.% and cured for 28 days. Toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) test was used to evaluate effectiveness of starfish treatment. Scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) analyses were conducted to investigate the mechanism responsible for effective immobilization of Pb and Zn. Experimental results suggest that NSF and CSF treatments effectively immobilize Pb and Zn in treated rice paddy soil. TCLP levels for Pb and Zn were reduced with increasing NSF and CSF dosage. Comparison of the two treatment methods reveals that CSF treatment is more effective than NSF treatment. Leachability of the two metals is reduced approximately 58% for Pb and 51% for Zn, upon 10 wt.% NSF treatment. More pronounced leachability reductions, 93% for Pb and 76% for Zn, are achieved upon treatment with 5 wt.% CSF. Sequential extraction results reveal that NSF and CSF treatments of contaminated soil generated decrease in exchangeable/weak acid Pb and Zn soluble fractions, and increase of residual Pb and Zn fractions. Results for the SEM-EDX sample treated with 5 wt.% CSF indicate that effective Pb and Zn immobilization is most probably associated with calcium silicate hydrates (CSHs) and calcium aluminum hydrates (CAHs)

Quality Improvement of Acidic Soils by Biochar Derived from Renewable Materials

Biochar derived from waste plant materials and agricultural residues was used to improve the quality of an acidic soil. The acidic soil was treated for 1 month with both soy bean stover-derived biochar and oak-derived biochar in the range of 1 to 5 wt% for pH improvement and exchangeable cation enhancement. Following 1 month of treatment, the soil pH was monitored and exchangeable cations were measured. Moreover, a maize growth experiment was performed for 14 days with selected treated soil samples to confirm the effectiveness of the treatment. The results showed that the pH of the treated acidic soil increased by more than 2 units, and the exchangeable cation values were greatly enhanced upon treatment with 5 wt% of both biochars, after 1 month of curing. Maize growth was superior in the 3 wt% biochar-treated samples compared to the control sample. The presented results demonstrate the effective use of biochar derived from renewable materials such as waste plant materials and agricultural residues for quality improvement of acidic soils

Ten-Year Trends of Utilizing Palliative Care and Palliative Procedures in Patients With Gastric Cancer in the United States From 2009 to 2018 - A Nationwide Database Study

Objectives: Little is known about the current status and the changing trends of hospitalization and palliative care consultation of patients with gastric cancer in the United States. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changing trend in the number of hospitalization, palliative care consultation, and palliative procedures in the US during a recent 10-year period using a nationwide database. Methods: This was a retrospective study that analyzed the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database of 2009–2018. Patients aged more than 18 years who were diagnosed with a gastric cancer using International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9 and 10 codes were included. Palliative care consultation included palliative care (ICD-9, V66.7; ICD-10, Z51.5) and advanced care planning (ICD-9, V69.89; ICD-10, Z71.89). Palliative procedures included percutaneous or endoscopic bypass, gastrostomy or enterostomy, dilation, drainage, nutrition, and irrigation for palliative purpose. Results and discussion: A total of 86,430 patients were selected and analyzed in this study. Using a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) approach, the annual number of hospitalizations of gastric cancer patients was found to be decreased during 2009–2018 (CAGR: -0.8%, P = 0.0084), while utilization rates of palliative care and palliative procedures increased (CAGR: 9.3 and 1.6%, respectively; P \u3c 0.0001). Multivariable regression analysis revealed that palliative care consultation was associated with reduced total hospital charges (−$34,188, P \u3c 0.0001). Conclusion: Utilization of palliative care consultation to patients with gastric cancer may reduce use of medical resources and hospital costs