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The Black Testament: A Portrait of Female Genealogy in the African Diaspora
Get PDFThe Black Testament: A Portrait of Genealogy in the African Diaspora is a hybrid work of creative nonfiction and poetry. These pieces are based on my genealogical research into my family history. The collection traces from my discoveries in the present time back through my lived experiences, the lives of my relatives, and the lives of my ancestors. The subject of the work focuses on the women in my family and the various influences they have had in my life. The collection grapples with themes such as black womanhood, diasporic existence, and complex heritage. The traveling back of genealogical research is mirrored in the collection’s reverse chronological structure
Risk Assessment Framework for Evaluation of Cybersecurity Threats and Vulnerabilities in Medical Devices
Get PDFMedical devices are vulnerable to cybersecurity exploitation and, while they can provide improvements to clinical care, they can put healthcare organizations and their patients at risk of adverse impacts. Evidence has shown that the proliferation of devices on medical networks present cybersecurity challenges for healthcare organizations due to their lack of built-in cybersecurity controls and the inability for organizations to implement security controls on them. The negative impacts of cybersecurity exploitation in healthcare can include the loss of patient confidentiality, risk to patient safety, negative financial consequences for the organization, and loss of business reputation. Assessing the risk of vulnerabilities and threats to medical devices can inform healthcare organizations toward prioritization of resources to reduce risk most effectively. In this research, we build upon a database-driven approach to risk assessment that is based on the elements of threat, vulnerability, asset, and control (TVA-C). We contribute a novel framework for the cybersecurity risk assessment of medical devices. Using a series of papers, we answer questions related to the risk assessment of networked medical devices. We first conducted a case study empirical analysis that determined the scope of security vulnerabilities in a typical computerized medical environment. We then created a cybersecurity risk framework to identify threats and vulnerabilities to medical devices and produce a quantified risk assessment. These results supported actionable decision making at managerial and operational levels of a typical healthcare organization. Finally, we applied the framework using a data set of medical devices received from a partnering healthcare organization. We compare the assessment results of our framework to a commercial risk assessment vulnerability management system used to analyze the same assets. The study also compares our framework results to the NIST Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) scores related to identified vulnerabilities reported through the Common Vulnerability and Exposure (CVE) program. As a result of these studies, we recognize several contributions to the area of healthcare cybersecurity. To begin with, we provide the first comprehensive vulnerability assessment of a robotic surgical environment, using a da Vinci surgical robot along with its supporting computing assets. This assessment supports the assertion that networked computer environments are at risk of being compromised in healthcare facilities. Next, our framework, known as MedDevRisk, provides a novel method for risk quantification. In addition, our assessment approach uniquely considers the assets that are of value to a medical organization, going beyond the medical device itself. Finally, our incorporation of risk scenarios into the framework represents a novel approach to medical device risk assessment, which was synthesized from other well-known standards. To our knowledge, our research is the first to apply a quantified assessment framework to the problem area of healthcare cybersecurity and medical networked devices. We would conclude that a reduction in the uncertainty about the riskiness of the cybersecurity status of medical devices can be achieved using this framework
Effect of Temperature on the Microbiome of a Laboratory-Reared Colony of Haemaphysalis longicornis Ticks
Get PDFHaemaphysalis longicornis ticks are invasive to the United States with potential to transmit several tick-borne pathogens that are native to the United States. Based on existing locations of H. longicornis in its native regions in Asia, as well as its invasive populations that are established in the United States, several geographic range prediction models have been produced to help understand future range expansion and distribution of this invasive tick in North America. Unfortunately, these models do not all agree and there is uncertainty associated with the potential geographic range expansion of H. longicornis ticks in North America. Climate can affect tick populations by impacting where they spread geographically, and whether they will survive and reproduce. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that the microbial communities within ticks (a.k.a the tick microbiome) can impact tick fitness and pathogen acquisition/transmission. Therefore, it is important to understand the impact of various temperatures on the microbial communities within H. longicornis ticks. The objective of my work is to characterize how temperature affects the microbial diversity and composition within H. longicornis
Medical School Watercooler Newsletter - August 11, 2023
Get PDFThis is the August 11, 2023 edition of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine\u27s newsletter - Watercooler.
Contents include: Register now: Tools for teaching in medical education Meet a Med Student: Ben Loftis Basic medical sciences student presents research at international conference Pre-orientation course prepares medical students for academic succes
Medical School Watercooler Newsletter - July 21, 2023
Get PDFThis is the July 21, 2023 edition of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine\u27s newsletter - Watercooler.
Contents include: USA scientists develop new methodology to enhance study of cancer innervation Ridgeway named assistant dean of student affairs at Whiddon College of Medicine Register now for Takeover Tuesday Bassam wins national award for distinguished service USA mourns passing of Preud\u27Homme, Professor of pediatric
Medical School Watercooler Newsletter - July 6, 2023
Get PDFThis is the July 6, 2023 edition of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine\u27s newsletter - Watercooler.
Contents include: Pathology residents present research at annual forum Basic medical sciences student wins travel award to national conference Fellowship-trained gastroenterologist joins internal medicine faculty Neurology resident elected to roles at national and state leve
Medical School Watercooler Newsletter - January 19, 2023
Get PDFThis is the January 19, 2023 edition of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine\u27s newsletter - Watercooler.
Contents include: Researches publish novel findings that could improve management of prostate cancer Meet a Med Student: Grace Dunbar New members selected for gold humanism in medicine honor societ
U1.31.213_TA3 06.14.21 Prox. Humerus.ta3
No full textObjectives We estimate adult age distributions from Unar 1 and Unar 2, two late Umm an-Nar (2400-2100 BCE) tombs in the modern-day Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. These collective tombseach contained hundreds of skeletons in commingled, fragmented, and variably cremated states. Previous studies placed the vast majority of this mortuary community in a generalized “adult” category, as have most analyses of similar tombs from this period. We sought to test how adult age estimation methods compare in identifying young, middle, and old age individuals in commingled assemblages.
Materials and Methods We employed Transition Analysis 3 (TA3) and traditional age estimation methods to generate adult age distributions for each tomb. We compared these distributions between tomb contexts as well as by method.
Results Unar 1 and Unar 2 had similar adult age distributions within each method, but TA3 age distributions included significantly more middle and older adult individuals than those generated by traditional methods.
Discussion These results support findings of earlier iterations of Transition Analysis in regard to sensitivity in old adult age estimation, compared to traditional methods. Our findings indicate a potential use of TA3 in reconstructing age distributions and mortality profiles in commingled skeletal assemblages. Increasing our understanding of everyday life in the distant past necessitates better understandings of adult age, and here, we illustrate how age estimation method choice significantly changes bioarchaeological interpretations of aging in Bronze Age Arabia
U1.31.74_TA3 06.22.21 Dist. Humerus.ta3
No full textObjectives We estimate adult age distributions from Unar 1 and Unar 2, two late Umm an-Nar (2400-2100 BCE) tombs in the modern-day Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. These collective tombseach contained hundreds of skeletons in commingled, fragmented, and variably cremated states. Previous studies placed the vast majority of this mortuary community in a generalized “adult” category, as have most analyses of similar tombs from this period. We sought to test how adult age estimation methods compare in identifying young, middle, and old age individuals in commingled assemblages.
Materials and Methods We employed Transition Analysis 3 (TA3) and traditional age estimation methods to generate adult age distributions for each tomb. We compared these distributions between tomb contexts as well as by method.
Results Unar 1 and Unar 2 had similar adult age distributions within each method, but TA3 age distributions included significantly more middle and older adult individuals than those generated by traditional methods.
Discussion These results support findings of earlier iterations of Transition Analysis in regard to sensitivity in old adult age estimation, compared to traditional methods. Our findings indicate a potential use of TA3 in reconstructing age distributions and mortality profiles in commingled skeletal assemblages. Increasing our understanding of everyday life in the distant past necessitates better understandings of adult age, and here, we illustrate how age estimation method choice significantly changes bioarchaeological interpretations of aging in Bronze Age Arabia
U2.31.292_TA3 06.22.21 Dist. Humerus.ta3
No full textObjectives We estimate adult age distributions from Unar 1 and Unar 2, two late Umm an-Nar (2400-2100 BCE) tombs in the modern-day Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. These collective tombseach contained hundreds of skeletons in commingled, fragmented, and variably cremated states. Previous studies placed the vast majority of this mortuary community in a generalized “adult” category, as have most analyses of similar tombs from this period. We sought to test how adult age estimation methods compare in identifying young, middle, and old age individuals in commingled assemblages.
Materials and Methods We employed Transition Analysis 3 (TA3) and traditional age estimation methods to generate adult age distributions for each tomb. We compared these distributions between tomb contexts as well as by method.
Results Unar 1 and Unar 2 had similar adult age distributions within each method, but TA3 age distributions included significantly more middle and older adult individuals than those generated by traditional methods.
Discussion These results support findings of earlier iterations of Transition Analysis in regard to sensitivity in old adult age estimation, compared to traditional methods. Our findings indicate a potential use of TA3 in reconstructing age distributions and mortality profiles in commingled skeletal assemblages. Increasing our understanding of everyday life in the distant past necessitates better understandings of adult age, and here, we illustrate how age estimation method choice significantly changes bioarchaeological interpretations of aging in Bronze Age Arabia