Publications by authors named "J G Watkins"

Objectives: Explore the presence, or absence, of virulence genes and the phylogeny of a multi-decade UK collection of clinical and reference Fusobacterium necrophorum isolates.

Methods: Three hundred and eighty-five F. necrophorum strains (1982-2019) were recovered from storage (-80°C).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Physical inactivity in the U.S. poses a significant risk of developing chronic health factors associated with cardiovascular disease.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Sport-based youth development programs, delivered through campus-community partnerships, can create impactful experiences for college students, meet university objectives, and improve the health of children in under-resourced rural communities. This study aimed to pilot test intervention mapping (IM), a systematic approach to intervention development and implementation, to refine the Hoosier Sport intervention, which is a local public health initiative that utilizes the Obesity-Related Behavioral Intervention Trials (ORBITs) model to improve physical activity in middle school children. The IM process, which included a diverse IM planning and advisory group of university representatives and local schools, was guided by self-determination theory (SDT) and social cognitive theory (SCT) and followed four steps: Logic Model of the Problem, Logic Model of Change, Program Design, and Program Production.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Loss of Bcl2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) is associated with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). BAG3 regulates sarcomere protein turnover in cardiomyocytes; however, the function of BAG3 in other cardiac cell types is understudied. In this study, we used an isogenic pair of BAG3-knockout and wild-type human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) to interrogate the role of BAG3 in hiPSC-derived cardiac fibroblasts (CFs).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Vaccination represents a core preventive strategy for public health, with interrelated and multifaceted effects across health and socioeconomic domains. Beyond immediate disease prevention, immunization positively influences downstream health outcomes by mitigating complications of preexisting comorbidities and promoting healthy aging. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), influenza virus, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are common respiratory viruses responsible for broad societal cost and substantial morbidity and mortality, particularly among at-risk individuals, including older adults and people with frailty or certain comorbid conditions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF