U.S. Public and Private Higher Education
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from public, private and community colleges in the U.S.
Featured Stories
University of Arkansas' Walton College of Business: COVID Vaccine Efficacy Results Influenced by Vaccine Trial Locations
FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas, May 26 (TNSjou) -- The University of Arkansas' Walton College of Business issued the following news:
A new study by a U of A information systems researcher and his colleague at the University of Waikato in New Zealand shows that COVID vaccine trials conducted in geographic locations with low infection rates had higher efficacy results, compared to trials in locations with high infection rates.
Puzzled by efficacy rates of approved COVID-19 vaccines ranging from 95 to 45 percent, Abhijith Anand, assistant professor in the Sam M. Walton College of Business, and Rajeev Sharma,
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FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas, May 26 (TNSjou) -- The University of Arkansas' Walton College of Business issued the following news:
A new study by a U of A information systems researcher and his colleague at the University of Waikato in New Zealand shows that COVID vaccine trials conducted in geographic locations with low infection rates had higher efficacy results, compared to trials in locations with high infection rates.
Puzzled by efficacy rates of approved COVID-19 vaccines ranging from 95 to 45 percent, Abhijith Anand, assistant professor in the Sam M. Walton College of Business, and Rajeev Sharma,professor at the University of Waikato in New Zealand, wondered if the prevalence of COVID-19 infection rates at the locations where pharmaceutical companies conducted trials might have had something to do with the differences in observed efficacies.
The researchers based their hunch on the fact that higher infection rates generally imply more mutant strains, which are likely to lead to more breakthrough infections and, consequently, reduce the efficacy of the vaccines observed in the trial.
"A lot of important decisions were being made by legislators, politicians and even the general public based on the reported vaccine efficacy numbers," Anand said. "The reported vaccine efficacy numbers varied a lot across different vaccines. We were interested in why there was a disparity."
Using data from the World Health Organization, McGill University, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Vaccine Centre, scientific publications, clinicaltrails.gov and others, Anand and Sharma tracked the pharmaceutical companies that had reported efficacy results from Phase 3 trials of their COVID-19 vaccines. The researchers then pulled all publicly available data on the pharmaceutical companies, focusing on location, conduct and efficacy results of Phase 3 trials.
The database that Sharma and Anand compiled represents the "entire current publicly available global evidence" on the efficacy of approved SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.
Relying on the data, the researchers examined whether there was a connection between the prevalence of COVID-19 infection rates at trial sites and the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. Geographic location was found to have a significant association with the observed efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccine trials conducted in locations with a low infection rates reported higher efficacy, while trials conducted in locations with high infection rates reported lower efficacy.
The findings have important implications for shaping public policy, patient care and individual choices. Public health organizations advise individuals, organizations, medical professionals and governmental agencies about the efficacy of vaccines based on the results of clinical trials conducted by pharmaceutical companies. That advice is often the launching point for legislation and/or policies for the public, corporations, schools, medical clinics and governmental oversight.
Most of the advice comes from well-established and respected governmental agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control, Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization, which also work in conjunction with pharmaceutical companies that develop and test vaccines.
The researchers argued that vaccine efficacy can be validly interpreted only in conjunction with the level of pandemic prevalence, and that Phase 3 trials should include analysis of participant samples of mutant strains, which could lead to breakthrough infection and a high level of the virus.
"When efficacy results of Phase 3 trials are reported, they should include the level of pandemic prevalence at the trial locations," Anand said. "That would provide more meaningful information for policy makers, as compared to the current practice of reporting efficacy results only."
The researchers' study was published in PLOS ONE, a Public Library of Science publication.
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JOURNAL: PLOS ONE https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0266271
USC Annenberg School for Communication Inclusion Initiative and MTV Entertainment Establish Mental Health Storytelling Initiative
LOS ANGELES, California, May 26 (TNSpar) -- University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism issued the following news:
USC's Annenberg Inclusion Initiative has received support from MTV Entertainment Studios to become the long-term home of the Mental Health Storytelling Initiative. The unprecedented effort by a coalition of more than 60 entertainment industry partners and mental health expert organizations is designed to revolutionize the narrative on mental health -- and extend its programming and research on media representation of this urgent issue.
MTVE's
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LOS ANGELES, California, May 26 (TNSpar) -- University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism issued the following news:
USC's Annenberg Inclusion Initiative has received support from MTV Entertainment Studios to become the long-term home of the Mental Health Storytelling Initiative. The unprecedented effort by a coalition of more than 60 entertainment industry partners and mental health expert organizations is designed to revolutionize the narrative on mental health -- and extend its programming and research on media representation of this urgent issue.
MTVE'ssupport will establish the Mental Health Storytelling Initiative as an independent project of the USC's Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, which will manage its day-to-day programming and advance its groundbreaking resources.
The Inclusion Initiative will also conduct an MTVE-funded study to measure the efficacy of the Mental Health Media Guide. The Media Guide is a comprehensive online tool introduced by the Mental Health Storytelling Initiative in 2021, designed to help content creators develop authentic and nuanced mental health portrayals in entertainment.
As the founding partner, MTVE will continue to advise on the initiative's strategic direction and support efforts to further expand mental health storytelling across the industry as well as understand its impact on audience perceptions and behaviors.
"The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative is thrilled to be the home of the Mental Health Storytelling Initiative," said Stacy L. Smith, founder of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. "When paired with our ongoing research work into representations of mental health, the Storytelling Initiative brings a strong advocacy focus with the ability to create real change. We are grateful to MTV Entertainment for their support of our work and this program, and look forward to working with the existing Coalition members to grow and advance our joint efforts."
"One year after we spearheaded the Mental Health Storytelling Initiative and introduced the Mental Health Media Guide, both of which were inspired by our research with Dr. Stacy L. Smith and USC's Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, I'm excited to build on our partnership as we transition the Initiative to its permanent home within the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism," said Chris McCarthy, President and CEO, Paramount Media Networks and MTV Entertainment Studios. "Given the immense power of storytelling to shape the norms around mental health, it is critical that our creative process is informed by the scientific understanding of what should be avoided and what works best."
The Mental Health Storytelling Initiative is powered by an unprecedented coalition of mental health expert organizations and industry leaders including Paramount, the Walt Disney Company, NBC Universal, Amazon Studios, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Endeavor Content, among other leading media companies, who are adopting best practices surfaced in the Guide to help inform ongoing programming.
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View links showing in text here: https://annenberg.usc.edu/news/spotlight/annenberg-inclusion-initiative-and-mtv-entertainment-establish-mental-health
Purdue, Rolls-Royce Sign 10-Year, $75 Million Strategic Alliance Agreement
WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana, May 26 (TNSres) -- Purdue University issued the following news release:
Purdue University and Rolls-Royce officials have signed a research and testing agreement that will bring $75 million over 10 years to the West Lafayette campus. It is the largest deal with an industry partner in Purdue history.
The Purdue and Rolls-Royce relationship has thrived for more than 70 years, highlighted by millions of dollars invested in aerospace testing technology, sponsorship of graduate student research fellowships and more than 600 Purdue graduates among the company's current workforce
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana, May 26 (TNSres) -- Purdue University issued the following news release:
Purdue University and Rolls-Royce officials have signed a research and testing agreement that will bring $75 million over 10 years to the West Lafayette campus. It is the largest deal with an industry partner in Purdue history.
The Purdue and Rolls-Royce relationship has thrived for more than 70 years, highlighted by millions of dollars invested in aerospace testing technology, sponsorship of graduate student research fellowships and more than 600 Purdue graduates among the company's current workforcein Indianapolis. Purdue is designated among the top class of partners as a Rolls-Royce University Technology Center, recognizing their collaborations on research, including advanced engine technology, materials and testing capability. Additionally, the relationship between Rolls-Royce and Purdue recently has expanded to include significant work on initiatives in hypersonics, cybersecurity and digital technology.
The newly signed agreement will fund testing and research with a focus in the areas of gas turbine technology and electrical and digital technology. Rolls-Royce already boasts some of the most efficient and capable power systems in the world across a suite of civil and defense applications. This investment will be focused primarily at Purdue's Zucrow Laboratories -- the largest academic propulsion laboratory in the world -- for research in sustainable power systems through advanced technology in electrification, turbines, compressors and combustion with sustainable fuels.
This research partnership announcement is concurrent with news in April that Purdue will construct a $73 million, 55,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art, high-speed propulsion laboratory for hypersonic technologies (https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2022/Q2/purdue-strengthens-national-security-focus-with-new-propulsion-lab.html) in the Discovery Park District at Purdue.
What they're saying
Purdue University President Mitch Daniels: "Purdue's research partnership with Rolls-Royce will address some of the greatest technology challenges facing the U.S. Our faculty and students will work on advanced technology capabilities to ensure long-term national security. This will enhance the university's role as a world leader in engineering research."
Mung Chiang, the John A. Edwardson Dean of the College of Engineering and executive vice president of Purdue University for strategic initiatives: "Purdue has become the epicenter of hypersonic research and testing in the U.S. We are excited across three tracks: first, our own investment for federal and industry projects, such as the wind tunnel and manufacturing facility announced in 2021, and the high-speed propulsion facility in 2022 that Rolls Royce will be able to use; second, private sector's investment to grow their presence in the Discovery Park District at Purdue; and third, a nonprofit consortium of industry members for ground testing hosted at Purdue."
Theresa Mayer, Purdue University executive vice president for research and partnerships: "This record-setting agreement is another example of Purdue working with leaders in industry, government and academia to advance national security. We are excited by the prospects of technological innovation that will be discovered and developed through this agreement with Rolls-Royce."
Warren White, Rolls-Royce head of assembly and testing: "We're excited to further strengthen our long-standing partnership with Purdue University through this new test and research agreement. We firmly believe in the innovative power that comes from strong collaboration between industry and academia. Over the next decade, we'll explore transformative technologies like hybrid-electric and hypersonic propulsion that will help define the future of aerospace."
Nanyang Technological University: Study Pinpoints How Fatty Liver Disease Leads to Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
SINGAPORE, May 26 (TNSres) -- Nanyang Technological University issued the following news release:
A team of researchers led by NTU scientists have discovered why patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease, thus shedding light on why the leading cause of mortality in NAFLD patients is cardiovascular complications instead of liver damage.
The researchers found that NAFLD prompts the over-production of a class of proteins that cause inflammation and damage to their blood vessels.
NAFLD is a general term for liver diseases affecting patients
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SINGAPORE, May 26 (TNSres) -- Nanyang Technological University issued the following news release:
A team of researchers led by NTU scientists have discovered why patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease, thus shedding light on why the leading cause of mortality in NAFLD patients is cardiovascular complications instead of liver damage.
The researchers found that NAFLD prompts the over-production of a class of proteins that cause inflammation and damage to their blood vessels.
NAFLD is a general term for liver diseases affecting patientswho drink little to no alcohol. It is mainly characterised by having too much fat stored in liver cells and can lead to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.
The team found that the blood vessel cells of fatty liver disease patients contained higher levels of a class of proteins called chemokines - up to three times higher than in healthy individuals.
Chemokines are strong attractants of immune cells, and are tasked with drawing immune cells to sites of infections to combat foreign particles. However, when abnormally high levels of immune cells are recruited into a blood vessel, it becomes harmful.
The researchers discovered that the higher level of chemokines in fatty liver disease patients was attracting T cells into blood vessel walls. These T cells then cause inflammation of blood vessels, damaging them.
Higher levels of damage and inflammation can lead to leakiness in the blood vessels, impairing blood vessels' integrity over time and increasing the risk of blood clot formation.
Understanding how NAFLD affects heart health can help to inform clinical care for patients, the researchers say.
Johns Hopkins: Gun Violence Prevention Experts React to Texas School Shooting
BALTIMORE, Maryland, May 26 (TNSreact) -- Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health issued the following news release:
Experts with the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions offer evidence-based policies and practices that are known to reduce mass shootings.
Gun violence prevention experts at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions reacted to news of a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that left 19 children and two teachers dead.
Silvia Villarreal, director of research translation at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, said:
"We are
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BALTIMORE, Maryland, May 26 (TNSreact) -- Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health issued the following news release:
Experts with the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions offer evidence-based policies and practices that are known to reduce mass shootings.
Gun violence prevention experts at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions reacted to news of a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that left 19 children and two teachers dead.
Silvia Villarreal, director of research translation at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, said:
"We areheartbroken and enraged at the news of another mass shooting, this time involving children at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Our thoughts are with those impacted by the horrific event, which is a tragic reminder of why we need lawmakers to implement gun violence prevention policies that can prevent this senseless loss of life.
"Nearly ten years after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, lawmakers have failed to pass meaningful laws that confront the enormity of the gun violence epidemic, so history continues to repeat itself. In 2020, the most recent data available, guns became the leading cause of death for children and teens in the U.S. Yesterday's tragedy underscores the fact that Hispanic children and teens are particularly vulnerable to gun violence. According to the most recent gun fatality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they were twice as likely to become victims of firearm homicide than non-Hispanic children."
Daniel Webster, ScD, MPH, co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, said:
"While we are still learning new information, there are a number of evidence-based policies we know reduce mass shootings including firearm purchaser licensing, gun removal laws such as extreme risk protection orders, and bans on large capacity magazines.
"We also know safe and secure gun storage can protect individuals from gun-related injury and death by limiting access to guns by under-aged youth, potential thieves, and individuals within the household who are at increased risk for suicide or violence against others. Safe and secure gun storage means that guns are unloaded and locked in a secure place such as a gun safe or with a safety device like a cable lock every time they are not in use."
Joshua Horwitz, JD, co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, said:
"Research shows the 18-20-year-old age group is among the highest risk to commit violence with firearms, yet in most states the ability to purchase these deadly weapons is less restricted than the ability to purchase beer. This is a clear example of how weaknesses in gun laws continue to pose threats to communities across the country. More states and the federal government need to pass laws restricting firearms to persons 21 years of age or older.
"State and federal lawmakers must recognize that these types of tragic events will continue until meaningful, comprehensive, and evidence-based policies are enacted to stop them. If you want to get involved, consider learning more about your state gun laws, joining gun violence prevention efforts, and encouraging elected officials to support laws that will reduce mass shootings such as expanded ERPOs, firearm purchaser licensing, and restrictions on large capacity magazines. If you are a gun owner, we encourage you to store your firearms safe and secure every time they are not in use. This simple act can save lives"
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View links showing in text here: https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2022/gun-violence-prevention-experts-react-to-texas-school-shooting
Ashleigh Graveline Promoted to Clinical Associate Professor at Clarkson University
POTSDAM, New York, May 26 (TNSper) -- Clarkson University issued the following news:
Clarkson University President Tony Collins has announced that Ashleigh Graveline has been promoted from clinical assistant professor to clinical associate professor of occupational therapy in the Earl R. and Barbara D. Lewis School of Health Sciences.
Graveline came to Clarkson in 2018. She received her bachelor of science in health studies and her master of science in occupational therapy from Utica College, she received her doctorate degree from Chatham University.
Graveline focuses her research in the mental
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POTSDAM, New York, May 26 (TNSper) -- Clarkson University issued the following news:
Clarkson University President Tony Collins has announced that Ashleigh Graveline has been promoted from clinical assistant professor to clinical associate professor of occupational therapy in the Earl R. and Barbara D. Lewis School of Health Sciences.
Graveline came to Clarkson in 2018. She received her bachelor of science in health studies and her master of science in occupational therapy from Utica College, she received her doctorate degree from Chatham University.
Graveline focuses her research in the mentalhealth setting related specifically to the use of comfort rooms to reduce restraint and seclusion. She is Dialectical Behavior therapy trained and has implemented this treatment approach in the inpatient setting with teenage females.
Before coming to Clarkson, Graveline worked as an occupational therapist at Claxton Hepburn Medical Center. In this role, she provided acute care that ranged from general surgical recovery to orthopedics to outpatient therapy. She is currently trained in the use of the BTE (Baltimore Therapy Equipment) to complete functional capacity evaluations, pre-offer employment testing and return to work assessments. Prior to that, she worked as an occupational therapist at St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center. She has over 10 years of experience working with children 4 to 18 years old as well as adults.
She is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association.
Anterix Partnership Brings 4G/5G Research Network to Texas State
SAN MARCOS, Texas, May 26 (TNSres) -- Texas State University issued the following news release:
Texas State University has partnered with Anterix, a private broadband network company, to establish a university-wide, cutting-edge, 4G/5G broadband network.
Utilizing Anterix's 900MHz broadband spectrum, Texas State will be in a league of its own once the system is fully implemented. The only other major research institution with such a license is the National Renewable Energy Lab.
"We get to do research and development in 4G and 5G using 900-megahertz spectrum," said Andres Carvallo, professor
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SAN MARCOS, Texas, May 26 (TNSres) -- Texas State University issued the following news release:
Texas State University has partnered with Anterix, a private broadband network company, to establish a university-wide, cutting-edge, 4G/5G broadband network.
Utilizing Anterix's 900MHz broadband spectrum, Texas State will be in a league of its own once the system is fully implemented. The only other major research institution with such a license is the National Renewable Energy Lab.
"We get to do research and development in 4G and 5G using 900-megahertz spectrum," said Andres Carvallo, professorof innovation and a fellow of the Materials Applications Research Center at Texas State. "No other university is doing that."
This partnership is facilitated by Anterix's membership in the Connected Infrastructure for Education, Demonstration and Applied Research (CIEDAR) consortium, which Carvallo co-directs with Stan McClellan, professor in the Ingram School of Engineering at Texas State. Currently, the consortium boasts 20 members with plans for nine laboratories. The Smart Networks Lab--of which the 4G/5G network is a key component--will span 700 acres of university property over time.
"This is a network that we deploy, that we own. This is not AT&T or Verizon. It's our own network," Carvallo said. "Performance improves dramatically when you don't have 20 million people using the network.
"By not sharing that connectivity with anybody else, we can truly share in-depth reports on the performance of the frequency, the behavior of the network, all kinds of things," he said. "We've already started deploying it indoors and we're conducting a big research study now that will be shared with LCRA (Lower Colorado River Authority) about the performance of the network."
That state-of-the-art combination of bandwidth and speed is integral to CIEDAR's research focus of digitalization, decentralization and decarbonization. The nine smart living labs in development will concentrate on utilities, buildings, energy, water/wastewater, cities, mobility, networks, sensor and data/software.
"While there are some industries that are highly digitized--computers, ecommerce, airlines, banking--there are many other industries, like energy, water, construction and transportation that are not digitized entirely," Caravallo said. "We are positioned really well to take advantage of our own technology-enhanced infrastructure(TM) vision and bring digitalization to a bunch of traditional industrial sectors that have never been digitized before. We can be a premiere partner for any company trying to digitize their business.
"Digitalization is all about putting a sensor on something and having connectivity to that sensor to start tracking the data, to see how it's being used, how it behaves, how it's being managed, how it's being consumed or interacted with by users," he said. "All of the sudden that changes the paradigm of building a bridge, deploying a 2x4, letting it break over 30 years and not having any information about it. You can now monitor its structural integrity in real time. This allows us to track all kinds of information about anything while helping improve processes and best practices and reduce costs."
For more information about CIEDAR, visit http://www.marc.txstate.edu/CIEDAR.html.
