Publications by authors named "Fullerton K"

Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) are a promising tool to study arrhythmia-related factors, but the variability of action potential (AP) recordings from these cells limits their use as an in vitro model. In this study, we use recently published brief (10 s), dynamic voltage-clamp (VC) data to provide mechanistic insights into the ionic currents contributing to AP heterogeneity; we call this approach rapid ionic current phenotyping (RICP). Features of this VC data were correlated to AP recordings from the same cells, and we used computational models to generate mechanistic insights into cellular heterogeneity.

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Cardiac ion currents may compensate for each other when one is compromised by a congenital or drug-induced defect. Such redundancy contributes to a robust repolarization reserve that can prevent the development of lethal arrhythmias. Most efforts made to describe this phenomenon have quantified contributions by individual ion currents.

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As a renewable, easily accessible, human-derived model, human induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) are a promising tool for studying arrhythmia-related factors, including cardiotoxicity and congenital proarrhythmia risks. An oft-mentioned limitation of iPSC-CMs is the abundant cell-to-cell variability in recordings of their electrical activity. Here, we develop a new method, rapid ionic current phenotyping (RICP), that utilizes a short (10 s) voltage clamp protocol to quantify cell-to-cell heterogeneity in key ionic currents.

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Microbial communities in terrestrial geothermal systems often contain chemolithoautotrophs with well-characterized distributions and metabolic capabilities. However, the extent to which organic matter produced by these chemolithoautotrophs supports heterotrophs remains largely unknown. Here we compared the abundance and activity of peptidases and carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes) that are predicted to be extracellular identified in metagenomic assemblies from 63 springs in the Central American and the Andean convergent margin (Argentinian backarc of the Central Volcanic Zone), as well as the plume-influenced spreading center in Iceland.

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Background: Insecticide resistance among malaria-vector species is a pervasive problem that might jeopardise global disease-control efforts. Novel vector-control tools with different modes of action, including long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) incorporating new active ingredients, are urgently needed to delay the evolution and spread of insecticide resistance. We aimed to measure phenotypic and genotypic insecticide-resistance profiles among wild Anopheles collected over 3 years to assess the longitudinal effects of dual-active-ingredient LLINs on insecticide resistance.

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Unlabelled: μCT images are commonly analysed to assess changes in bone density and microstructure in preclinical murine models. Several platforms provide automated analysis of bone microstructural parameters from volumetric regions of interest (ROI). However, segmentation of the regions of subchondral bone to create the volumetric ROIs remains a manual and time-consuming task.

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Background: In 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Vermont Department of Health investigated an outbreak of multidrug-resistant Shigella sonnei infections in a retirement community that offered a continuum of care from independent living through skilled nursing care. The investigation identified 24 culture-confirmed cases. Isolates were resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, ampicillin, and ceftriaxone, and had decreased susceptibility to azithromycin and ciprofloxacin.

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Objectives: To obtain timely and detailed data on COVID-19 cases in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) uses 2 data sources: (1) aggregate counts for daily situational awareness and (2) person-level data for each case (case surveillance). The objective of this study was to describe the sensitivity of case ascertainment and the completeness of person-level data received by CDC through national COVID-19 case surveillance.

Methods: We compared case and death counts from case surveillance data with aggregate counts received by CDC during April 5-September 30, 2020.

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Article Synopsis
  • Food and waterborne illnesses remain a significant health issue in the U.S., even with improved safety measures.
  • A study involving 48 experts estimated the disease burden from various transmission routes, including foodborne and waterborne pathways.
  • The findings, which included 33 pathogens, emphasize the need to address multiple transmission routes for effective public health strategies.
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Provision of safe drinking water in the United States is a great public health achievement. However, new waterborne disease challenges have emerged (e.g.

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Objective: To describe our process of using group model building (GMB) with the Shape Up Under 5 Committee; measure the effects on Committee members; and describe the community-wide health messaging campaign that resulted from the process.

Design: Pilot study.

Setting: Somerville, Massachusetts.

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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in 5,817,385 reported cases and 362,705 deaths worldwide through May, 30, 2020, including 1,761,503 aggregated reported cases and 103,700 deaths in the United States. Previous analyses during February-early April 2020 indicated that age ≥65 years and underlying health conditions were associated with a higher risk for severe outcomes, which were less common among children aged <18 years (1-3). This report describes demographic characteristics, underlying health conditions, symptoms, and outcomes among 1,320,488 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases individually reported to CDC during January 22-May 30, 2020.

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To investigate a shigellosis outbreak in Genesee County, Michigan (including the City of Flint), and Saginaw County, Michigan, in 2016 and address community concerns about the role of the Flint water system. We met frequently with community members to understand concerns and develop the investigation. We surveyed households affected by the outbreak, analyzed isolate data, examined the geospatial distribution of cases, and reviewed available water quality data.

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Cryptosporidium is an enteric pathogen that is transmitted through animal-to-person or person-to-person contact or through ingestion of contaminated water or food. In the United States, Cryptosporidium affects an estimated 750,000 persons each year; however, only approximately 11,000 cases are reported nationally (1,2). Persons infected with Cryptosporidium typically develop symptoms within 2 to 10 days after exposure.

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Study Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the impact of the ACEP (American College of Emergency Physicians) clinical policy regarding diagnosis of suspected appendicitis on changing practice in the pediatric emergency department (ED) in the absence of a formal departmental protocol.

Methods: This was a retrospective chart review in a pediatric ED in which patients aged 2 to 18 years were evaluated for appendicitis via ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), or both, over a 7-year study period. We compared rates of CT utilization in the period before the release of the ACEP clinical policy regarding diagnosis and treatment of appendicitis (2008-2009) and the period after (2010-2014).

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Background: Giardiasis is the most common intestinal parasitic disease of humans identified in the United States (US) and an important waterborne disease. In the United States, giardiasis has been variably reportable since 1992 and was made a nationally notifiable disease in 2002. Our objective was to describe the epidemiology of US giardiasis cases from 1995 through 2016 using National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System data.

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In 2017, fluid and gas samples were collected across the Costa Rican Arc. He and Ne isotopes, C isotopes as well as total organic and inorganic carbon concentrations were measured. The samples (n = 24) from 2017 are accompanied by (n = 17) samples collected in 2008, 2010 and 2012.

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An Amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

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Shape Up Under 5 (SUU5) was a two-year early childhood obesity prevention pilot study in Somerville, Massachusetts (2015-2017) designed to test a novel conceptual framework called Stakeholder-driven Community Diffusion. For whole-of-community interventions, this framework posits that diffusion of stakeholders' knowledge about and engagement with childhood obesity prevention efforts through their social networks will improve the implementation of health-promoting policy and practice changes intended to reduce obesity risk. SUU5 used systems science methods (agent-based modeling, group model building, social network analysis) to design, facilitate, and evaluate the work of 16 multisector stakeholders ('the Committee').

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Change history: In this Article, the original affiliation 2 was not applicable and has been removed. In addition, in the Acknowledgements there was a statement missing and an error in a name. These errors have been corrected online.

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Understanding endemic infectious disease risk factors through traditional epidemiological tools is challenging. Population-based case-control studies are costly and time-consuming. A case-case analyses using surveillance data addresses these limitations by using resources more efficiently.

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Carbon and other volatiles in the form of gases, fluids or mineral phases are transported from Earth's surface into the mantle at convergent margins, where the oceanic crust subducts beneath the continental crust. The efficiency of this transfer has profound implications for the nature and scale of geochemical heterogeneities in Earth's deep mantle and shallow crustal reservoirs, as well as Earth's oxidation state. However, the proportions of volatiles released from the forearc and backarc are not well constrained compared to fluxes from the volcanic arc front.

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Health-promoting behaviors for childhood obesity prevention are needed across multiple environments where children spend time, including out-of-school time (OST). Therefore Healthy Kids Out of School (HKOS) developed intervention strategies to promote three evidence-based principles (Drink Right, Move More, Snack Smart) for obesity prevention in OST. The strategies were developed with stakeholder input, disseminated, and evaluated (2012-2015) in two volunteer-led OST organizations, Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and 4-H, across three US states using the RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance) framework.

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