Dr. Veronica C. Nwosu Blog

The Glass of Water That Protects the Mind

2026-10-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

Meet Margaret, 79. She lives alone, manages her own home, and has always been sharp — the kind of woman who does the crossword in ink. So when her daughter called one Tuesday and Margaret couldn't remember what day it was, the family panicked. Was this the beginning of dementia?

At the urgent care clinic, the doctor asked an unexpected question: "How much water has she been drinking?" The answer: not much. Margaret had quietly cut back on fluids because she was afraid of needing the bathroom at night. A urine test told the rest of the story — a urinary tract infection. Antibiotics, fluids, and rest. Within days, Margaret was herself again.

Why older adults drink less — and why it matters

Margaret's story is remarkably common. Researchers have found that fear of overnight incontinence is one of the top reasons older adults deliberately under-hydrate. It feels like a sensible trade: fewer bathroom trips, fewer accidents.

But the trade has a hidden cost. When you drink less, your urine becomes concentrated — and concentrated urine is a friendlier home for bacteria. Urinary tract infections, already more common with age, get an open invitation.

From bladder to brain

Here is the part most families never hear: in older adults, a urinary tract infection often doesn't look like a urinary tract infection. There may be no burning, no urgency, no fever. In one review of studies, nearly 3 in 10 older adults with a UTI showed sudden confusion — delirium — while only about 1 in 10 had a fever at all. For many, confusion is the only symptom.

How does an infection in the bladder cloud the mind? When bacteria multiply in the urinary tract, the body's immune response releases inflammatory signals into the bloodstream. Those signals travel everywhere — including the brain. In an aging brain, that inflammatory noise can scramble thinking, attention, and awareness. As Cedars-Sinai neurologist Dr. Shouri Lahiri explains, the infection essentially creates static that the brain can't tune out.

Water as prevention

The encouraging news is that the first link in this chain is also the easiest to strengthen. In a 2018 clinical trial published in JAMA Internal Medicine, women who drank about six extra cups of water a day cut their recurrent UTIs roughly in half. And in a 2019 nursing-home study, simply putting residents on a regular drinking schedule was tied to far fewer UTIs needing antibiotics.

An honest caveat: the strongest trial was done in younger women, not in older adults, so we should be careful about promising the same result for everyone. But the direction of the evidence is consistent — and staying hydrated costs nothing.

What to watch for

If someone you love suddenly becomes confused — especially if the change came on over hours or days — don't assume it's dementia. Ask two questions:

Could this be sudden? Delirium arrives fast and fluctuates through the day. Dementia creeps in slowly over months and years.
Could there be an infection? A simple urine test can rule a UTI in or out.

Delirium is the brain's fire alarm. It means something in the body needs attention now. And sometimes, the beginning of the answer is as simple as a glass of water.

The Hidden Link Between Your Gums and Your Bones

2026-10-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

Meet Carol, 68. At her last bone density scan, her doctor noted her bones were thinning faster than expected — even though she was doing everything right: calcium, vitamin D, daily walks. What she hadn't mentioned, because it never seemed related, was that her gums had been bleeding when she brushed for years. Her dentist called it gum disease. Neither of them connected the two. New research suggests they should have.

Your mouth is the gateway to your gut

We tend to think of the mouth as separate from the rest of the body — teeth are the dentist's territory, bones belong to the doctor. But your mouth is where your digestive tract begins, and the two are in constant conversation.

When gums are inflamed — the condition dentists call periodontitis — the mouth fills with harmful bacteria. Every day, you swallow trillions of them. Scientists are now learning that these bacteria don't just pass through. They can settle in the gut, disturb the community of microbes living there, and weaken the gut's protective barrier. And when the gut barrier weakens, trouble travels.

From leaky gut to fragile bones

Your gut microbes do far more than digest food. They help your body absorb calcium, calm inflammation, and regulate the hormones involved in building and breaking down bone. When gum disease disrupts this community, the gut lining becomes more permeable — what researchers sometimes call a "leaky gut." Inflammatory signals escape into the bloodstream and circulate through the whole body. Bone, it turns out, is listening.

Chronic inflammation tips the balance between the cells that build bone and the cells that break it down. Over time, breakdown wins — and bones thin faster than they otherwise would.

What the new study found

In 2026, researchers at Griffith University in Australia and Nanjing University in China traced this entire chain in a single study, published in the journal npj Biofilms and Microbiomes. They found that gum disease didn't just disturb the microbes in the mouth — it reshaped the gut microbiome, damaged the gut barrier, and raised inflammation throughout the body. The result was faster bone loss everywhere, not just in the jaw.

Perhaps most striking: the connection runs both ways. Bone-thinning conditions made gum disease worse, and gum disease made bone loss worse — each condition intensifying the other. Older adults living with both, the researchers noted, face a substantially higher risk of fractures than those with either condition alone. Lead researcher Professor Yin Xiao put it plainly: gum disease is an underrecognized risk factor for people living with osteoporosis.

A second 2026 study reached the same conclusion by a different route: researchers transferred saliva bacteria from people with advanced gum disease into mice, and watched the gut changes drive bone loss from there. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41368-025-00415-2

An honest caveat

This particular study was done in mice bred to model postmenopausal bone loss — not in people. The biological chain it revealed is compelling, but human studies are still needed to confirm how strongly this plays out in our bodies. And to be clear: treating gum disease is not a substitute for osteoporosis treatment. If you've been prescribed bone medication, keep taking it. Think of healthy gums as one more layer of protection, not a replacement.

What you can do

The encouraging part? The steps are simple, and you probably know them already: Brush twice a day and floss daily. It isn't just about fresh breath — it's about keeping harmful bacteria from getting a foothold. See your dentist regularly. Bleeding gums are not normal, at any age. They are a signal worth acting on. Mention it to your doctor. If you have osteoporosis or thinning bones and gum problems, make sure both your doctor and your dentist know about the other condition.

Carol's story is fictional, but her situation is not. Millions of older adults are fighting bone loss while unknowingly carrying a second, silent risk factor in their mouths. This World Osteoporosis Day, consider giving your gums the same attention you give your bones — they may be looking out for each other more than we ever knew.

The Overlooked Vitamin: How B12 Protects Your Bones and Your Brain After 50

2026-10-09T09:00:00.000-04:00

When we talk about healthy aging, calcium and vitamin D get all the attention. But there's a quieter nutrient that may be just as important — especially for women over 50.

A Vitamin Worth Knowing

Vitamin B12 plays essential roles throughout the body. It supports red blood cell production, keeps the nervous system working properly, and helps regulate homocysteine, an amino acid that — at high levels — is linked to bone and blood vessel damage. Our bodies don't make B12; we get it from animal foods like meat, fish, eggs, and dairy, or from supplements and fortified foods.

Here's the catch: as we age, our ability to absorb B12 from food declines. The stomach produces less acid and intrinsic factor, both needed to unlock B12 from food. That means deficiency becomes surprisingly common after 50 — and its effects reach further than most people realize.

The Bone Connection: A Striking New Study

A large study published September 30 in the journal Scientific Reports examined vitamin B12 status and fracture risk in more than 230,000 adults aged 50 and older, using electronic health records from the TriNetX Global Collaborative Network.

After carefully matching 115,735 people with B12 deficiency (levels at or below 199 pg/mL) to an equal number with normal levels, the researchers found:

Fractures occurred in 7.2% of the B12-deficient group versus 6% of those with normal levels
The adjusted fracture hazard was 33% higher in the deficient group — and 37% higher when looking at the first five years after testing
Deficiency was also linked to higher hazards of osteoporosis (22% higher), falls, and repeated falls (50% higher)

How might low B12 weaken bones? The researchers point to two pathways acting together: poorer bone quality itself (through disrupted homocysteine metabolism and effects on bone-forming cells), and a greater tendency to fall (through nerve effects, muscle weakness, and unsteady gait).

But here is where a scientist's honesty matters: this was an observational study, and it cannot prove that B12 deficiency causes fractures. Intriguingly, people with borderline and even unusually high B12 levels also showed elevated fracture risk, though the associations were weaker. That pattern argues against a simple "low B12 breaks bones" story — very high readings may instead reflect underlying illness, supplementation, or frequent medical testing. The researchers are careful to say their findings do not establish B12 as a cause or a predictor of fractures.

The Brain Connection: You Were Right

You may have heard that B12 deficiency is linked to memory problems — and the evidence backs you up.

A study published this year in Frontiers in Nutrition followed more than 258,000 adults over 50 for up to ten years. Those with consistently low B12 faced a 33% higher risk of developing dementia — including both Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia — plus a 33% higher risk of mild cognitive impairment and a 31% higher risk of stroke. Among those with outright deficiency (below 200 pg/mL), dementia risk was 64% higher.

Other research adds nuance:

A UC San Francisco study of 231 healthy adults (average age 71) found that even B12 levels within the "normal" range were linked to slower mental processing speed and more white-matter lesions in the brain when levels ran low
A long-running Tufts University analysis of Framingham Heart Study participants showed that even mild B12 deficiency was tied to accelerated cognitive decline over eight years

Perhaps most hopeful of all: B12 deficiency can mimic dementia — causing confusion, poor memory, and mood changes that look like Alzheimer's — and when caught early, these symptoms are sometimes reversible with treatment. That alone makes testing worthwhile.

What This Means for You

The honest takeaway isn't "everyone should take B12." The science doesn't support a simplistic supplement message — remember, even very high levels were flagged in the fracture study. What it does support is paying attention:

Get your B12 checked, especially after 50 — a simple blood test, often done alongside routine labs. Ask your doctor what your number actually is, not just whether it's "normal"
Know that "normal" has a wide range — some research suggests cognitive effects can appear even at the lower end of the normal range, so it's worth a conversation, not just a glance at the reference range
Eat B12-rich foods — fish, meat, eggs, and dairy are the main dietary sources; if you eat little or no animal products, talk to your doctor about fortified foods or supplements
Don't ignore the warning signs — persistent fatigue, numbness or tingling in the hands and feet, unsteady balance, or a foggy memory deserve medical attention, not dismissal as "just aging"

Our bones carry us and our minds define us. After 50, a little vitamin deserves a place in protecting both — starting with a conversation with your doctor.

Sources:

Vitamin B12 status and long-term fracture risk in a multicenter propensity score–matched cohort, Scientific Reports (2026): https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-74010-8
News-Medical summary of the fracture study (Oct 2, 2026): https://www.news-medical.net/news/20261002/Vitamin-B12-deficiency-was-linked-to-higher-fracture-hazard-after-50.aspx
Low vitamin B12 and dementia risk, Frontiers in Nutrition (2026), via Health.News: https://www.health.news/2026-07-20-study-low-vitamin-b12-higher-dementia-risk.html

Protect Your Eyes: The Remarkable Science of Tears

2026-10-08T09:00:00.000-04:00

The eyes are the windows to the soul. Protect your eyes.

You may have seen my recent video about the lacrimal gland — those small, remarkable structures sitting just above the outer corner of each eye. They don't get much attention, but they work for you every waking moment. Let me tell you what they do, and why it matters.

Your personal irrigation system

Your lacrimal glands continuously release a watery fluid across the surface of your eye. Every time you blink, your eyelid spreads that fluid into a thin, protective layer called the tear film. Without it, the delicate surface of your eye would dry out, and your vision would blur.

What tears are made of

Tears are far more than salt water. They contain salts, proteins, and natural antimicrobial substances. Together, they keep the eye moist, wash away dust and particles, and defend against infection. It's an elegant little defense system, running quietly in the background.

Where do tears go?

After sweeping across the eye, tears collect at tiny openings near the inner corners of your eyelids. From there, they travel down a drainage pathway into the lacrimal sac and on into your nasal cavity. That's the reason your nose runs when you cry — your tears literally drain into your nose.

When the system ramps up

Most of the time, tear production hums along quietly. But when your eyes are irritated — by wind, smoke, or an onion — or when emotion takes over, the lacrimal glands dramatically increase their output. Crying, it turns out, is your body in overdrive protection mode.

Protecting your eyes as you age

This matters especially for mature women. Tear production naturally decreases with age, and dry eye becomes more common — bringing irritation, redness, and blurred vision. A few simple habits help: stay hydrated, blink often (especially at screens), wear sunglasses to block wind and UV, and don't ignore persistent dryness — your eye doctor can help.

Our eyes do extraordinary work for us. The least we can do is understand them — and protect them.

Watch the video version of this post on my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdmJydHuMkI/

The Vagus Nerve: Your Body's Built-in Calm Switch

2026-10-07T09:00:00.000-04:00

A follow-up to “Your Second Brain: How Gut Microbes Shape Your Mood”

In my last post, I mentioned the vagus nerve — the hotline between your gut and your brain. It deserves a post of its own, because this single nerve may be one of the most powerful levers you have for calming your body and mind.

The longest cranial nerve

The vagus nerve is the longest of the cranial nerves. It begins in the brainstem and travels down through the neck, past the heart and lungs, all the way to the digestive tract. Along the way it touches nearly every major organ — which is why its influence is so wide-ranging.

Your “rest and digest” command center

Your nervous system has two main branches. The sympathetic branch drives “fight or flight” — faster heartbeat, shallow breathing, stress hormones. The parasympathetic branch drives “rest and digest” — slower heart rate, deeper breathing, digestion, recovery. The vagus nerve is the main highway of the parasympathetic system. When vagus nerve activity is high, your body shifts toward calm.

Why it matters — especially as we age

Chronic stress keeps the sympathetic system switched on: elevated heart rate, high blood pressure, poor digestion, inflammation. Researchers study “vagal tone” — a measure of vagus nerve activity — as a marker of how well the body recovers from stress. Supporting vagal tone is a gentle, drug-free way to nudge the body back toward balance.

Humming: the easiest activation trick

Here’s my favorite part, and the simplest: humming. The vagus nerve passes through the voice box area, and the vibration of humming, singing, or chanting stimulates it. A few minutes of humming — in the shower, in the car, wherever — is one of the easiest ways to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. It sounds almost too simple, but the anatomy backs it up.

Other ways to support vagal tone:

Slow diaphragmatic breathing: long exhales signal safety to the nervous system.
Cold exposure: splashing cold water on the face triggers the dive reflex, activating the vagus nerve.
Gargling: vigorously gargling water stimulates the muscles the vagus nerve serves.
Meditation and gentle yoga: both consistently linked to improved vagal tone in studies.

A small daily practice

You don’t need equipment or a prescription. Try this: each morning, take five slow breaths with long exhales, then hum your favorite tune for a minute or two. Small, consistent signals of safety — that’s what the vagus nerve listens for.

Your body came with a built-in calm switch. Learning to use it is one of the kindest things you can do for yourself.

Your Second Brain: How Gut Microbes Shape Your Mood

2026-10-05T13:20:03.293-04:00

For World Mental Health Day — October 10

When we talk about mental health, we usually talk about the brain. But what if I told you that some of the most important conversations about your mood are happening much lower — in your gut?

Scientists call the digestive system the “second brain,” and it’s not just a nickname. The gut contains its own vast nervous system — the enteric nervous system — with hundreds of millions of neurons lining the digestive tract. And living within it are trillions of microorganisms: bacteria, fungi, and other microbes that together form the gut microbiome.

Your gut makes brain chemicals

Here’s what fascinates me as a biomedical scientist: the vast majority of the body’s serotonin — the neurotransmitter most associated with mood and well-being — is produced in the gut, not the brain. Gut microbes play a direct role in producing and regulating serotonin, dopamine, and other neuroactive compounds.

The hotline between gut and brain

The gut and brain stay in constant contact through the vagus nerve, a long cranial nerve that carries signals in both directions. Your microbes produce compounds that influence this signaling. In plain terms: the state of your gut can change the messages your brain receives — affecting stress, anxiety, and mood.

What the research says

This is an active, fast-moving field, and scientists are careful not to overclaim. But studies have repeatedly found differences in gut microbiome composition between people with depression and those without. Probiotic and dietary interventions are being studied for their effects on anxiety and depressive symptoms, with promising early results.

Feeding your second brain

You don’t need expensive supplements to support a healthy gut microbiome. The everyday steps are the powerful ones:

Eat fiber-rich foods: vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains — fiber feeds beneficial bacteria.
Include fermented foods: yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut.
Limit ultra-processed foods and excess sugar, which can disrupt microbial balance.
Manage stress and sleep well — the gut-brain conversation goes both ways.

A note for World Mental Health Day

Mental health is health. If you’re struggling with persistent low mood or anxiety, please reach out — to a trusted person, a counselor, or your doctor. Understanding the biology doesn’t replace care; it adds another reason to take yourself seriously.

“Trust your gut” turns out to be more literal than we thought. Take care of your microbes, and they’ll help take care of you.

I'm Back: The Science of Health and Wellness Continues

2026-10-03T14:45:05.591-04:00

Hello, friends — it's been a while.

If you've been here before, welcome back. If you're new, I'm Dr. Veronica C. Nwosu, a biomedical scientist with a lifelong passion for the science of health and wellness: eat well, move your body, and have passion in your life.

Life took me in different directions for a few years, and this space went quiet. But the questions never stopped — about nutrition, about disease, about how our bodies work — and neither did my desire to answer them in plain, honest language.

So I'm bringing this blog back with fresh energy and a few new tricks. Expect the same science-grounded writing on the topics that matter: everyday health choices, the microbes among us, and wellness for women — especially mature women, who deserve far more attention than they get.

And something new: I'm learning to make AI videos, so some posts will now come with a talking-character video to bring the science to life.

Thank you for being here. Let's take care of ourselves — together.

2023-05-02T12:58:00.003-04:00

Written by Katie Passley

When Black boys are born

We mothers kiss their faces

Twirl our fingers in their curls

Put them in carriers on our chest

Show them to the world

Our tiny Black princes

And when they start school

As early as 3

We mothers

Place huge back packs on their backs

And we slowly fill them with bricks

Etched with tools

Tattooed with truths

Hoping to save them

Don't talk back

Don't get angry

Say yes ma'am

Say no sir

Don't fight

Even if they hit you first

Especially if they are white

Do your best

Better than best

Be still

Worker hardest

BRICK

they get a little older

And we add more

Keep your hands out of your pockets

Don't look them in the eye

Don't challenge

Don't put your manhood before your life

Just get home safe

Don't walk alone

Don't walk with too many boys

Don't walk towards police

Don't walk away from police

Don't buy candy or ice tea

Don't put your hood up

Don’t Ring a Doorbell

I'll drive you

I'll pick you up

You can't be free

Don't go wandering

Come home to me

BRICK

They get a little older

And we add more

Understand you are a threat

Standing still

Breathing

Your degrees are not a shield

Your job is not a shield

Your salary makes you a target

Your car makes you a target

Your nice house in a nice neighborhood

Makes you a target

Don't put your ego before your safety

Don't talk back

Don't look them in the eye

Get home to your wife

Your son

BRICK

They weigh them down.

This knowing

Of having to carry the load

Of their blackness

the world hasn't changed

The straps just dig deeper into their skin Their backs ache But their souls don't break Our beautiful Black men

When you say to me

All lives matter

I simply ask

Will your son be shot

For ringing the wrong door bell

Ours have

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/katie-passley-71aa9a96_ralphyarl-justiceforralphyarl-leslaezhonoraezpoetry-activity-7055291188634898432-bbaP?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios

2023-03-29T16:09:00.002-04:00

Learning to Re-discover and Love Yourself

Self care is necessary for self love. Learning to love others begins with learning to love one's self. This beautiful poem by the late Caribbean poet and playwright, Derek Walcott gets to the heart of learning to love ourselves.

LOVE AFTER LOVE
by Derek Walcott

The time will come
when, with elation,
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror,
and each will smile at the other’s welcome,
and say, sit here. Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you
all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

2023-03-27T14:14:00.000-04:00

The need for allies in the struggles against racism

Glenn Block, MBA is CEO, CPO, and founder of #Living With ADHD. I follow him on LinkedIn. His posts are very illuminating on the struggles of the marginalized in general. His most recent post higlighting Elizabeth Leiba's book: "i'm not yelling", illustrates how allies in the struggles against bigotry need to act: primarily to listen, to empathize, and not to judge. To emphathize calls on us to step into someone else' shoes and to see them as humans deserving of respect and dignity. In other words, to relate to someone else's situation to understand where they are coming from and the daily challenges that they confront.

Read Glenn Block's post below and you will marvel at his ability to see the daily struggles that confront Black women with a double jeopardy stacked against them: being Black and being women. In spite of all odds, they live their lives, with many succeeding and thriving inspite of all the odds stacked against them. They do not see themselves as victims, but as survivors in a system of patriarchy and misogyny. Kudos to Glenn for calling for the dismantling of white supremacy. Also read Elizabeh Leiba's book referenced in Glenn's post.

"I’m a white guy and i’m not yelling.

If I was a Black Woman, I WOULD BE!

I have been taking my time reading Elizabeth Leiba’s fantastic book “i’m not yelling.”

The constant oppression that Black women continually experience, the gaslighting, the barriers, dealing with law enforcement, loss of Black lives, it is exhausting!

It is exhausting for me just thinking about it!

And only having to think is a privilege! Black women have to deal 24 hrs a day.

Read Elizabeth’s book.

Do the work of dismantling white supremacy!"

Buy it here: https://lnkd.in/gPqe7juG

#socialjustice #antiracism

2023-03-23T15:17:00.003-04:00

Words of wisdom from Kahlil Gibran., the Lebanese poet, painter, and philosopher:

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Remembering James Monroe Jay, Ph.D. 1927-2008

2018-09-10T11:38:00.001-04:00

Remembering James Monroe Jay, Ph.D. 1927-2008: A Giant of Microbiology

Dr. James Monroe Jay is recognized as one of the Giants of Microbiology. He was born in Fitzgerald, Georgia on September 12, 1927. He served in the US Army during World War II and after the war, he earned his bachelor’s degree cum laude in chemistry at Paine College in 1952. He continued graduate studies at Ohio State University (OSU) and earned his master’s and Ph.D. in bacteriology and biochemistry in 1953 and 1956, respectively. After postdoctoral work at OSU he began his academic career at Southern University in Louisiana in 1957 where he developed a curriculum in bacteriology and taught for four years leaving in 1961 for Wayne State University in Detroit Michigan where he spent most of his academic career until retiring in 1994.

He had an esteemed career that included serving as Director of the Minority Biomedical Research Support and Minority Access to Research Careers programs, was an esteemed food microbiologist, educator, colleague and mentor who throughout his long and productive life championed the advancement of minorities and women in microbiology. During his career, he published over 150 research articles and book chapters. In addition, he was the sole author of the internationally acclaimed textbook Modern Food Microbiology which was translated into Hindi, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish.

Dr. Jay’s interest and expertise in food safety, consumer education, and meat microbiology led to advisory appointments to government agencies, fellowships, travels to international conferences, and recognitions by fellow scientists including the Percy Julian Award from the National Organization for the Advancement of Chemists and Chemical Engineers and the Outstanding Teacher Award from the Society for Industrial Microbiology.

Dr. Jay retired from Wayne State University in 1994 and was honored as a Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences. Following his retirement from Wayne State University, he served as an adjunct professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Dr. Jay died in Atlanta, Georgia on October 14, 2008.

This is the tenth anniversary of his passing. In remembrance, I add my thoughts, part of which was included in his memorial published in the American Society of Microbiology (ASM) News after his death.

I was studying in the US and returned in 1979 to Nigeria after completing the MS degree in microbiology under Dr. Gerald Seaman at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois. I was offered appointment as a lecturer in microbiology at Anambra State University of Technology in Nigeria (renamed Namdi Azikiwe University in Awka, Anambra State). My teaching load included undergraduate courses in environmental and food microbiology. The textbook I was using for the food microbiology course was Dr. Jay’s world renowned Modern Food Microbiology. I loved the book so much that I wrote to Dr. Jay and shared my thoughts about the book with him. This correspondence led to his invitation that brought me to Wayne State University in Detroit, MI to do my doctoral studies under his supervision. I arrived in Detroit in August 1986 with my daughter, Ijeoma Yvonne who was three years of age at the time. We were joined later that year by my husband, Basil Derrick Nwosu. I went on to have three more children while completing my doctoral studies (Arinze, Nkem, and Chiedu). Dr. Jay was a pillar of support for me and my family during those challenging times.

A number of graduate students were in his lab when I arrived. Broderick Eribo was just finishing his doctoral defense and moving on to a faculty position at Howard University. Sunil Lall, Bobby Bowles, and Helen Douglas, were also in Dr. Jay’s lab as were numerous undergraduates for whom Dr. Jay served as research mentor. He was a beloved father-figure to all of us. He was a man of very few words who challenged us to be diligent in our studies and to be passionate about our research interests. He had an extensive collection of microbial specimens and he loved his microbes, always finding time to be at the bench working with his microbes. He cared about his students and supported all of us in all aspects of our lives. He moved us through the doctoral program emphasizing the timely achievement of key milestones from course work completion to choosing doctoral committee, passing the qualifying examinations, completing our bench work, writing and successfully defending the dissertation.

He made sure that we joined the appropriate scientific societies and that we made professional connections beyond the bench. I remember going to my first ASM meeting with his sponsorship to Atlanta in 1987. Following completion of my doctoral studies, he was very instrumental in my obtaining a postdoctoral position with a subsidiary biotech company of Stroh Brewery, called Strotech that was conducting research on production of recombinant hemoglobin for medical use. I relocated with the company to North Carolina in 1993 and the company was renamed Apex Biosciences Inc. I subsequently moved from this company to a faculty position at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) in August of 1994. Dr. Jay had ties to NCCU via his wife who is an NCCU alumna.

I maintained contact with him and looked forward to seeing him at the ASM annual meetings which he always attended. It is still a shock that he is gone. I still miss him very much. He impacted and made a big difference for the better in the lives of so many of his former students. I would not be where I am today but for his support. It is a singular honor for me to have been mentored by one of the very few Giants of Microbiology. May his soul continue to rest in peace!

Veronica C. Nwosu, Ph.D.

Professor of Biological and Biomedical Sciences

Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences

North Carolina Central University

Durham, NC 27707

Founding Fathers, Pioneers, and Giants of Microbiology

2018-09-07T17:19:00.000-04:00

Founding Fathers, Pioneers, and Giants of Microbiology

Founding Fathers of Microbiology

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek. 1632-1723

Father of microscopy. A Dutch lens maker, he was the first to study microorganisms and was able to observe and describe microbes using a very rudimentary single lens microscope.

Edward Jenner. 1749-1823

Father of immunization. An English Physician, he was a medical doctor and pioneered small pox vaccination using material from cow pox to protect against small pox.

Louis Pasteur. 1822-1895

Father of modern microbiology. A French scientist, trained as a chemist and showed that life comes from life – disproving abiogenesis. He pioneered fermentation techniques and methods of preservation of wine and milk.

Robert Koch. 1843-1910

Father of medical microbiology and microbiological techniques. A German physician, he is credited with establishing the germ theory of infectious diseases. His findings constitute the Koch’s postulates for understanding disease and identifying causative agents of infectious diseases. He also pioneered several laboratory techniques in microbiology.

Pioneers of Microbiology

Ferdinand Cohn. 1828-1898

Pioneer of microbial classification. A German scientist who pioneered how to classify bacteria based on their shape (cocci, bacilli, spiral, spirochete).

Pierre Paul Émile Roux. 1853-1933

Pioneer in immunology. French physician and research assistant to Louis Pasteur and cofounder of the Pasteur Institute in Parish. He pioneered understanding of immunology and synthesized anti-diphtheria serum for immunizing against the deadly infection diphtheria.

Paul Ehrlich. 1854-1915

Pioneer in immunology. German physician, he laid down the basis for antimicrobial therapy.

Hans Christian Gram. 1853-1938

Pioneer in bacterial staining technique is still in use. Danish scientist who developed the technique of Gram Stain for classifying bacteria into Gram-positives and Gram-negatives.

Battista Grassi 1854-1925 and Ronald Ross 1857-1932

Pioneers in parasitology. Grassi was an Italian physician who studied helminths while Ross was a British physician. Their studies on malaria led them to understand and outline the life cycle of the malarial parasite

Alexander Fleming. 1881-1955

Pioneer in antibiotics. A Scottish physician who discovered the antibiotic penicillin – a discovery that was quite accidental and fortuitous and led to the control of infectious diseases with antibiotics.

Giants of Microbiology

David Bergey. 1860-1937
Edited and published Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, a crucial tool in bacterial classification that is still in use today.

Salvador Luria. 1912-1991
Awarded 1969 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for work on the replication mechanism and the genetic structure of viruses. He also showed that bacterial resistance to viruses (phages) is genetically inherited.

Alice Evans. 1881-1975
One of the first woman bacteriologists and the first woman elected as President of ASM, she made crucial contributions to the safety of milk and dairy products.

Gladys Hobby. 1910-1993
Played a primary role in creating a form of penicillin with antibiotic activity in humans and, at Pfizer, helped develop broad-spectrum antibiotics such as Terramycin.

James Jay. 1927-2008
He wrote the classic textbook, Modern Food Microbiology, and was active in promoting education and the participation of minorities in science.

Frederick Novy. 1864-1957
Credited with many key discoveries in the late 19th century, Novy was the inspiration for the character Max Gottlieb in Sinclair Lewis’s novel Arrowsmith.

Rita Colwell. 1934-
A giant in the field of environmental microbiology. Her work on cholera revealed much about its life cycles and pathogenicity, and her efforts aimed at abating its spread saved countless lives. She directed the National Science Foundation (NSF) from 1998-2004

The History of the Integrated Biosciences Doctoral Degree at NCCU

2017-06-02T13:40:00.000-04:00

Text of Talk by Dr. Veronica C. Nwosu, Interim CAS Dean

On the Occasion of Celebration of the Inaugural Doctoral Students: March 10, 2017

The Integrated Biosciences (INBS) Ph.D. was anchored on the foundation of several building blocks that coalesced to bring it to fruition. The corner stone of the program was laid by the late Attorney Julius L. Chambers, the visionary Chancellor who served (North Carolina Central University (NCCU) from 1993 to 2001. He singularly moved NCCU forward with strategic and bold actions that shaped the research agenda at NCCU.

He emphasized research in biomedical sciences at NCCU.
He encouraged hiring of research intensive faculty in the STEM fields.
He established the Julius L. Cahmbers Biomedical and Biotechnological Research Institute (JLC-BBRI) in 1998 with research areas in Cancer, Cardiovascular Diseases, and Neurosciences all conducted with a focus on Health Disparities.
He supported the NC Bond referendum that provided millions of dollars to the UNC-System for capital projects especially in construction on university campuses including NCCU.
He realized that the STEM departments needed to be in a state-of-the art building to conduct cutting edge research.
He started the conversation on the construction of a Science Building to house all the STEM fields in one building to facilitate collaborative research.

Chancellor Julius Chambers was followed by Chancellors who built on his vision for research agenda at NCCU: Chancellors James Ammons, Charlie Nelms, Debra Saunders-White and Johnson Akinleye.

Chancellor James Ammons served from 2001 to 2007 and during his tenure:

The Mary Townes Science Complex was completed in 2005 allowing the STEM departments to be in one building and this facilitated collaborative research among the STEM faculty.
Collaborative research was further enhanced by the creation of the College of Science and Technology (CST) in 2006 with Dr. Caesar Jackson as the CST Founding Dean.
Curriculum in Bio-manufacturing was started in 2006 as concentrations in the Biology and Chemistry degrees.
The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences was established as the academic arm of the Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE) in 2007.
The BRITE Building funded by Golden Leaf was started and was completed in June 2008 with research focused in Bio-manufacturing and Drug Discovery.

Chancellor Charlie Nelms served from 2007 to 2012 and concrete planning for the Ph.D. started under his tenure:

Kwesi Aggrey was the Provost and V. C. Academic Affairs.
Hazell Reed was the Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development.
Debbie Thomas was the Associate Provost and Associate V.C. for Academic Affairs
Li-Ann Yeh was the Director of BRITE.
Faye Calhoun was the Interim Director of the JLC-BBRI and was succeeded by Sean Kimbro
Yolanda Banks Anderson was the interim CST Dean in as Caesar Jackson was on leave as Program Officer at NSF in 2009-2010
Veronica Nwosu served as the CST Associate Dean from 2009-2012
Abdul Mohammed took over from Yolanda Banks Anderson as CST Dean in 2011
The Ph.D. Planning Committee was established in 2010 led by Saundra DeLauder who was serving as the Interim Dean of the School of Graduate Studies in 2009-2010

During the planning for the Ph.D., discussion centered on how broad the curriculum and the degree would be. Four areas where faculty research was strong were considered:

Biomedical Sciences
Pharmaceutical Sciences
Computational and Informational Sciences
Materials and Environmental Sciences

The Planning Committee reviewed numerous Ph.D. programs around the country to determine how to structure our own program. We wanted a program that was interdisciplinary, yet distinct and unique in the UNC-System. Among the Ph.D. programs we reviewed for guidance were:

Ph.D. in Integrative Biology at the University of South Florida
Ph.D. in Integrative Biology at University of California Berkeley
Ph.D. in Integrative Biology at the University of Texas Austin
Ph.D. in Integrative biosciences at Tuskegee University
Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences at ECU in Greenville
Ph.D. in Integrated Bioscience at the University of Akron – This program came closest to what the planning committee was aiming to do – broad-based with options for specialization in numerous tracks across several disciplines.

In the end, the committee and the administration agreed that the focus should be in the two fields at NCCU with the faculty and research funding strength to support the doctoral program. The committee then planned a Ph.D. in Integrated Biosciences with two tracks in:

Biomedical Sciences
Pharmaceutical Sciences

· The focus on Health Disparities made the program distinct and unique among doctoral programs in the UNC-System and maximized the chances for approval by UNC-GA. Once approval to plan was approved, the Committee moved to secure approval for implementation of the program.

Chanta Haywood became the Associate Provost and Dean of School of Graduate Studies in 2011 and took over the leadership of the committee to obtain approval for Permission to Implement from UNC-GA in 2011
Thirty-two research focused STEM faculty were identified to support teaching and research for the proposed doctoral program.
The approval to Implement the Ph.D. Program was granted to NCCU on Friday, October 7, 2011. It was a joyous day. The contingent from NCCU at UNC-GA for the approval was large and consisted of all those mentioned above plus the following:

o Gregory Cole: Chair of Biology

o David Kroll: Chair of Pharmaceutical Sciences

o Abdul Mohammed: Dean of the College of Science and Technology

o Elwood Robinson: Dean of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences

o Irene Owens: Dean of the School of Library and Information Sciences Dean

o Mildred Pointer: Biology faculty with joint appointment in the BBRI

o Ricardo Richardson: Professor of Biology with joint appointment in the BBRI

o Derrick Norford: University Veterinarian in the BBRI

o Veronica Nwosu CST Associate Dean

Implementation of the doctoral program started in Fall 2012. Charlie Nelms administration’s commitment to fund the students with a generous stipend of $30,000, plus tuition remission, and health insurance benefit went a long way to ensure that the program started with competitive students.

Funding to support the program came primarily from Title III directed by Brenda Shaw.
Caesar Jackson returned from NSF in 2011 and was appointed the Director of the Ph.D. program.
Bernice Johnson was the Interim Provost at this time and facilitated the implementation of the INBS program.
Pauletta Bracy insured that the INBS program met all accreditation requirements from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
Caesar Jackson became the Interim Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and hired Daphne Rainey to take over as the Director of the Ph.D. Program.
Chancellor Debra Saunders-White continued the support for the Ph.D. degree and Interim Chancellor Johnson Akinleye follows the trail blazed by his predecessors.

· An INBS Committee was formed to oversee the program:

o Luke Chen: Biology faculty with joint appointment in the BBRI

o Somnath Mukhopadhyay: Chemistry faculty with joint appointment in the BBRI

o Daniel Williams: Biology faculty

o Kevin Williams: Pharmaceutical Sciences faculty with joint appointment in BRITE

o Nathan Wymer: Chemistry faculty

o Liju Yang: Pharmaceutical Sciences faculty with joint appointment in BRITE

o Daphne Rainey: INBS Director

Carlton Wilson became the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences with the merger of the College of Science and Technology and the College of Liberal Arts.
Six students were admitted in the inaugural class in Fall 2012; one student left the program; another student received the M.S. degree in Biological and Biomedical Sciences; one will graduate in December 2017
Jaleh Rezaie became the Associate Provost and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies in 2014
Today we celebrate the three who will graduate on Friday May 12, 2017: Elena Arthur, Rasheena Edmonson, and Helen Oladapo!

Segregation gave NCCU the first doctoral program (EdD) in the field of Education in the 1950’s and integration caused us to lose it in the 1960's. The following are the recipients of the Ph.D. in Education at NCCU:

Dr. Walter M. Brown in 1955
Dr. Solomon N. Shannon in 1957
Dr. Beulah B. Carr in 1959
Dr. Minnie T. forte in 1960
Dr. Lloyd R. Howell in 1964

NCCU’s profile has been raised to very high levels with the establishment of the INBS Ph.D. program. We stand proudly with our peers in the UNC-System and across the country in offering this important degree in the Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences that is focused on finding solutions to the health issues that disproportionately affects minority populations.

I salute our three graduating students for their intelligence, hard work, persistence and perseverance. Congratulations to our three doctoral recipients.

The Four Seasons Reflect the Rotational Relationship between the Earth and the Sun

2016-09-22T13:46:00.001-04:00

Allan Metcalf in the Chronicle of Higher Education: http://www.chronicle.com/blogs/linguafranca/2016/09/15/good-night-september-22/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en&elqTrackId=272b88df07234e87ac72fe57bdb7dc23&elq=85b63a3b4e4d4967b8f12048a13215d5&elqaid=10741&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=4066

The above image is from Allan Metcalf’s essay on the equinox. He makes an interesting case that the term equinox (equal night), a Latin word, was coined back in the olden days when nights were unbroken and deeply mysterious.

He notes that most of our reckoning of time in the modern era is done by days, such as 365 days in a year. This is true as reflected by the poem: 30 days has September, April, June, and November, all the rest have 31, except February which has 28 days clear and 29 in each Leap year. Metcalf further notes that if coined today, the more appropriate term would be equidies (equal days).

The 2016 autumnal equinox arrives on September 22, the official day of autumn/fall in the Northern Hemisphere and official day of spring in the Southern Hemisphere. On that day the sun is at the equator and the outcome of this is 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night.

The sun then crosses the equator on its southward movement to reach the Tropic of Capricorn by December 21/22, the official day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the official day of summer in the Southern Hemisphere. We observe the winter solstice on that date, with the sun standing still at the Tropic of Capricorn and then heads back towards the equator reaching it by March 21/22 when we observe the vernal equinox. The vernal equinox (12 hours of daylight and 12 hours night) is the official day of spring in the Northern hemisphere and the official day of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.

The sun continues its northward movement to the Tropic of Cancer reaching it by June 21/22, stands still there (summer solstice) and again begins to move towards the equator. The summer solstice is the official start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the official start of winter in the Southern Hemisphere.

The traversing back and back between the equator and the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn mark the four seasons that are seen in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The four seasons, of course are reversed between the two hemispheres. Those at the equator have relatively constant days and nights and generally have two seasons that are marked by rain (rainy season) or the lack of it (dry season) with periods of relatively high and cool temperatures during the year.

Those at the earth’s poles observe extremes of days and nights when the sun is at the Tropic of Cancer or at the Tropic of Capricorn. For example, those living close to the North Pole, say in Alaska, have very long days and practically no nights when the sun is at the Tropic of Cancer which is reversed when the sun is at the Tropic of Capricorn when they have very little daylight and very long nights. This case is reversed for those living close to the South Pole: long periods of darkness when the sun is at the Tropic of Cancer and long periods of daylight when it is at the Tropic of Capricorn.

As I write this essay, I marvel that tomorrow is autumnal equinox and the mid-day temperature in Raleigh is expected to be close to 80 ^oF. Although it is raining today, we are still dressed in summer attires with no sign of autumn yet visible! Perhaps we need to be concerned about climate change.

Taking a Huge Global Bite Out of the Scourge of Malaria: The End May Be in Sight

2016-09-09T13:48:00.000-04:00

A write up by Zack Beauchamp on April 25, 2016 is entitled: "We are winning the war on malaria - and saving millions of lives in the process. The article collates the good news about malaria in honor of the 2016 World Malaria Day. Malaria death has decreased nearly 50 % from 839,000 in 2000 to 438,000 in 2015 with further decreases expected in coming years. The ultimate goal as expressed by this year's theme for the World Malaria Day is to "End Malaria for Good".

Malaria is such a devastating disease estimated to have killed half of all people who have ever lived on earth. Africa bears the heaviest burden of illness and death from malaria as can be seen from the table below. However, it is also in Africa that the most reduction in deaths from malaria has been realized. The primary reason for that has been due to the widespread campaign to get bednets into as many impacted communities as possible. This campaign has been collaborative between governments of several countries at all levels, charities, and non-governmental agencies around the world.

Bednets come in different forms - from the basic netting to the more effective insecticide-treated ones, they target malaria at its basic transmission site: avoiding mosquito bites. Over one billion (and counting) bednets have been distributed to susceptible populations between 2000 and 2015 with the pay-off in the reduction of both cases of malaria infection and death from malaria.

This work is ongoing with the great promise that a world free of malaria and its scourge is achievable.

https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2016/04/402446/malaria-free-world-possible-within-generation-study-says

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-tedros-adhanom/ending-malaria-for-good_b_9772016.html

http://www.vox.com/2016/4/25/11488196/world-malaria-day

http://ourworldindata.org/grapher/global-malaria-deaths-by-world-region.csv

	2000	2005	2010	2015
Africa	764000	670000	499000	395000
Europe	0	0	0	0
Americas	1600	1200	1100	500
South-East Asia	51000	48000	44000	32000
Eastern Mediterranean	15000	15000	7000	7300
Western Pacific	8100	4200	3500	3200

Full screen view

African Traditional Medicine: Bringing Science to Healing with Herbs and Medicinal Plants

2016-03-02T15:17:00.000-05:00

Invitation to meet with Andrew Young and Dr. Eric Gbodossou

The Bio-manufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE) at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) hosted a phenomenal meeting on February 29, 2016 that addressed the progress being made in bringing science and validation to African traditional medicine. This was a partnership meeting between BRITE and PROMETRA International mediated by the Andrew J. Young Foundation.

PROMETRA International is The Association for the Promotion of Traditional African Medicine. It is headquartered in Dakar, Senegal, headed by Dr. Eric Gbodossou, and with chapter offices across several countries of Africa, Europe, the Caribbean and the United States.

This meeting was primarily focused on Dr. Gbodossou’s work in the treatment of infections and diseases using native herbs and plants, documenting the efficacy of such treatments and cure, and working closely with traditional healers to bring some science to their healing arts with a view to validating the efficacies of the traditional treatments and healing.

Dr. Gbodossou has a proprietary extract blend from five native plants that has shown promise in the treatment of HIV and other viral infections. He has documented success in the treatment of diabetes, hypertension, mycoses, and other chronic diseases using traditional herbs and medicinal plants. He is seeking collaborations and partnerships with research institutes and centers to support his work of scientific and clinical studies to validate traditional African medicine.

The partnership with BRITE is appropriate given that it is a research institute focused on drug discovery with some research investigators who actually have interest and expertise in natural products research and development.

Dr. Gordon Ibeanu, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences gave a historical perspective on natural products and their role on drug discovery. Dr. John Scott, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences provided information on drug discovery work done by BRITE that have led to numerous grant funding, publications and patents applications. Dr. Zakir Hossain, research assistant professor in BRITE talked about his work with the Indian pennyworth, a medicinal plant that is commonly used as tea that has positive effects on brain and its neurons, on the mitochondrion, and has been shown to reduce oxidative stress and to induce sleep and relaxation. Dr. TinChung Leung, associate professor of biological and biomedical sciences, discussed his work with ginger and how gingerol, an active ingredient of ginger has been shown to positively affect hematopoiesis, a process of making new blood cells, which will help in the treatment of anemia and immune deficiency.

Ambassador Andrew Young’s presence at the meeting was wonderful. His Foundation is very active in tackling a number of societal issues especially those that deal with poverty alleviation and education. His Foundation’s embrace of the work of PROMETRA and Dr. Gbodossou is commendable as it will help in the effort to understand the science and art of African traditional healing. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed by all three parties at the end of the meeting to enhance collaborative work of the partnership.

Additional information about PROMETRA can be found on their website at www.prometra.org. The Andrew J. Young Foundation is based in Atlanta Georgia and its website is www.andrewjyoungfoundation.org.

What an opportunity to meet and take photos with Ambassador Young! Historical!

From the left: Dr. Zakir Hossain, Ambassador Andrew Young, Dr. Veronica Nwosu and Dr. Emmanuel Oritsejafor

The 2016 North Carolina Regional Science Competition

2016-02-25T16:24:00.001-05:00

1st Place Winner: NC School of Science & Mathematics

2nd Place: William G. Enloe High School

3rd Place: Raleigh Charter High School

The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) hosted the 2016 North Carolina Regional Science Bowl on Saturday, January 30, 2016 in the Mary Townes Science Building. This was the 20^th consecutive year that North Carolina Central University (NCCU) has hosted this competition. The competition included fourteen teams of high school students from several North Carolina high schools including: Atkins Academic & Technology High School, Charlotte Country Day, Green Hope High School, J. F. Webb High School, NC School of Science & Mathematics, Raleigh Charter High School, South Caldwell High School, Victory Christian Center, Walter M. Williams High School, and William G. Enloe High School.

The National Science Bowl was launched in 1991 by the Department of Energy (DOE) to encourage high school students to excel in science and mathematics and to pursue careers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. The National Science Bowl's high school competition now involves more than 13,000 high school students. The DOE introduced the National Science Bowl's competition for middle school students in 2002. It now involves more than 5,000 middle school students. The National Science Bowl is the only science competition in the United States sponsored by a federal agency.

High school field teams are composed of five students and a teacher who serves as an adviser/coach. They compete for the opportunity to represent the North Carolina region at the National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C. in April. Competing teams are quizzed on scientific topics in biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, earth science, computer science, and mathematics. The very spirited competition consists of a round robin followed by a double elimination final.

The event started at 7 am with registration and breakfast followed by Words of Welcome by Dr. Carlton Wilson, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Frederick Johnson, coordinator of the event explained the rules of the competition assisted by Mr. Nick Mai, visiting from the National Science Bowl. The competition started at 8:30 am, with a break for lunch at 12:15. The competition resumed at 1 pm and continued with the closing ceremony at 4 pm. NCCU faculty, staff, and students served as moderators, scientific judges, rules judges, timekeepers and scorekeepers for the event.

The three winning teams were: Raleigh Charter High School in third place, William G. Enloe High School in second place and the NC School of Science & Mathematics in first place. The first place team from the NC School of Science & Mathematics will travel to Washington DC in April to represent the State of North Carolina at the national competition.

Congratulations to all the competing students on their intelligence and mastery of STEM topics.

Eradicating Parasitic Infections: Top Four Common Sense Factors

2015-12-15T17:07:00.000-05:00

The Immune System: Helping Us Fight Infections

My Parasitology course never fails to excite. I teach this upper-division course for biology majors once a year during the Fall Semester. The class size is ideal and optimal for having excellent rapport and feedback between instructor and students, factors that facilitate enhanced teaching and learning. I had the distinct honor of teaching 14 very bright biology seniors this 2015 Fall Semester.

The course focused on the biology of a variety of parasites ranging in size from simple unicellular protozoans to complex and multicellular worms and flukes. We studied host-parasite interactions of parasitic diseases with great public health impact. The emphasis was on their biochemical and physiological characteristics, geographic distribution, life cycles, incidence, pathogenesis, immunology, and many other parameters.

The students appreciated that they did not have to spend a lot of money for the course because we used a free open source online textbook: the Parasitology section of the online textbook “Microbiology and Immunology On-Line” of the University of South Carolina’s School of Medicine accessible via www.microbiologybook.org.

We also used open source parasitic images available at no cost from the image database of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) accessible via www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx.

I recommended an optional textbook: “Protozoa and Human Diseases” by Mark F. Wiser, published by Garland Science. This is an excellent reference text for students who would go on to graduate and professional schools in the various biomedical and public health fields. They did not have to purchase this book and the non-purchase of the book did not negatively impact their course performance given the way the course was structured. Majority did not purchase this optional textbook.

We had only one required textbook for the course: “Cases in Human Parasitology” by Judith S. Heelan: published by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Press. This is a relatively inexpensive soft-cover book. Our bookstore listed it at under $60.00 but most students purchased it on line at much below that amount: as low as $20.00 for used copies. This textbook is a collection of case studies in human parasitic infections. The students were required to read all the cases and select two as a basis for two required course assignments: a class oral presentation and an end of semester essay both of which constituted 20 % of course grade.

The other assessments in the course were a mid-term and a final exam composed of detailed essay questions. Both exams constituted 80 % of course grade. The course content included:

Interaction between organisms; groups of parasitic organisms; host-parasite relationship
Immunology of parasitic infections: Hematopoiesis; lymphoid organs and tissues host defense mechanism; innate and adaptive immunity; hypersensitivities; methods by which pathogens evade host defense mechanisms
Intestinal and luminal protozoa
Blood and tissue protozoa
Nematodes (Roundworms)
Cestodes (Tapeworms)
Trematodes (Flukes)
Arthropods as pathogens and as disease vectors: Lice, fleas, mites, chiggers, bot fly and timbu fly
Ticks: Hard and soft ticks
Arthropod-borne diseases: Bacterial, Protozoan, and Viral
Student presentations

· At the end of the semester, I asked the students to state the critical factors they believed to be most important in the control and prevention of parasitic infections and diseases around the world. Their answer: While it is great to have access to medical care, including the use of preventative vaccines, medicine to treat infections, hospitals to care for sick people, it is critical that people be educated in ways that they can help themselves and their communities to avoid getting sick in the first place. As they say: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound or more of cure. In their view, the top four factors that go a long way in preventing parasitic infections are:

Potable Water. Water is a precious resource that many in poor countries lack. Having clean water for drinking and cooking is a top priority. Many parasites are not only transmitted via surface water, many have their life-cycles centered on water. Villages may have access to surface water, but lack the means to purify such water for drinking and cooking. The support around the world for providing ground water access to rural and poor villages must be encouraged.
Sanitation and Good Hygiene: Hand-washing is one single practice that can reduce the chances of infections. Many parasitic infections are oral-fecal in nature. Another practice is the sanitary handling and disposal of fecal matters. Sewage and sewage treatment is very critical in disease control and prevention. Unfortunately, sewerage and sewage treatments are non-existent in many parts of the developing world. The use of human waste for manure needs to be discouraged.
Vector Control. Insects and ticks are vectors of several infections and diseases. Finding ways to control them will help curb the transmission of such infections and diseases. For example, malaria is one disease that is transmitted by mosquitoes. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant standing water. Getting rid of standing water will eliminate their breeding grounds. Preventing mosquito bites will also prevent malaria. Placing screens on windows and doors is helpful as is the use of insecticide-treated bed-nets. The wide-spread distribution of bed-nets to rural and poor populations in malaria-endemic regions of the world is helping reduce the incidence of malaria in those areas.
Nutrition. Good, fresh, healthy foods. A well-nourished body is one with a robust immune system that is optimal for health. Malnutrition is common in many poor countries with many struggling to get sufficient food for their daily needs. Meanwhile, obesity is increasingly challenging the health status of many in the developed countries.

· These four factors do impact our susceptibility to infections. At the end of the semester, one student was unable to complete the course for health reasons. The thirteen other students all passed the course. None failed: a very positive outcome.

Pledge to Give in Stewardship

2015-11-24T12:46:00.000-05:00

Good Morning my brothers and sisters in Christ:

In preparation for the kick-off our pledging season, our Pastor, Father Phil Hurley asked me to talk about what it means to me to be a Parishioner at St. Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church and what the stewardship of giving means to me. I am honored and delighted to share a few words with you today.

What does St. Raphael mean to me?

My name is Veronica Nwosu. My husband is Basil Derrick Nwosu and we have been married for 32 years. We have four children: my daughter, Ijeoma Yvonne, and my three sons: Arinze Clement, Nkem Derrick, and Chiedu Victor. This parish has been the spiritual home for me and my family since 1994 when we moved from Detroit, Michigan. My children grow up in this Parish. My daughter was confirmed in this Parish. My three sons all received first communion and were confirmed in this Parish. I am a Sacristan and a Eucharistic Minister at St. Raphael. So this Parish is our home.

My husband and I come from very large and strong Catholic families. We encouraged our children from when they were little to be active in the Church. My sons were altar servers until they finished high school and went off to college. My son Nkem is a talented violinist and he played in the Choir for several years. My daughter sang in the choir for several years. My children are now independent young adults leading their own lives. We continue to encourage them to be faithful stewards of their lives.

What does Stewardship mean to me?

As people of faith we are asked to pray, to fast, and to give. As I said earlier, my husband and I have been married for 32 years. Giving comes more easily to him than to me. You see, he is the third oldest in a family of twelve siblings. So he learned early how to give and to share his belongings with his younger brothers and sisters. While for me, I am the youngest of twelve siblings, the baby of the family and the focus of much kindness and love from my older brothers and sisters. I won’t say that I was spoiled. But I had to learn to share. I think I became a more giving person when I became a parent. I also think my profession in education has made me more sensitive to the need to serve others.

Giving:

Giving is an act of worship. In giving, we thank God for the gift of Jesus, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift of our lives. We recognize that all that we have belongs to Him and that we are only trustees of His gifts. This is what drives and motivates me in my role as a Sacristan and as a Eucharistic Minister in this Parish. It gives me much joy to contribute in this very small way to share and worship with a community of friends at St. Raphael.

How can we give? We can give of our time, our talent, and our treasure.

Giving our Time: We can give our time in service others. According to the Holy Father, Pope Francis, “the call to serve involves something special, to which we must be attentive. Serving means caring for the vulnerable of our families, our society, and our people.”
Giving our Talent: We can use our talents to glorify the Lord: Singing in the choir, playing a musical instrument, leading a church group, using our various skills (computer, business, finance, decorating, welcoming, hosting, etc.) to help the Parish as we serve the Lord. Our parish ministries are in need of volunteers: as ushers, lectors, altar servers, greeters, Eucharistic Ministers, etc. The Parish needs all of us to flourish.
Giving our Treasure: Luke Chapter 21: verses 1-4 tell the story of the widow who gave two small coins and in doing so she gave more than all the rich people combined. She gave her widow’s mites, all that she had to give. She gave generously, sacrificially, from the heart, and according to her means. Corinthians II, Chapter 9 Verse 7 says: “Let each one give according as he has determined in his heart, not grudgingly or from compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver”.

In closing, I go back to the power of prayer and the need for us to pray. Immediately after his selection as the Pope by the conclave on March 13, 2013, Pope Francis stepped out on a balcony in St. Peter’s Square to address the crowd gathered below to hear from him. He said: “Good Evening. As you know, the duty of the conclave was to appoint a Bishop of Rome. It seems to me that my brother cardinals have chosen one who is from faraway. Here I am. I would like to thank you for your embrace. Please pray for me”. This request to “please pray for me”, is a recurrent request of the Holy Father to all he meets. Praying for someone is a precious gift that we can give.

Let us pray for each other, for our Parish, and for our society. Let us pray for a giving heart that glorifies the Lord, for a cheerful heart that desires to give back a small measure of the abundance that the Lord has given us, for a thankful and grateful heart that appreciates all our God-given gifts, and for a tender and compassionate heart to serve the most vulnerable among us.

Thank you and God Bless.

Veronica Nwosu. November 8, 2015 at St. Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church in Raleigh, North Carolina

Events Marking the American Education Week at NCCU

2015-11-20T12:21:00.001-05:00

November 16 -20, 2015 was the American Education Week. North Carolina Central University's (NCCU) School of Education (SOE) marked the week by pairing NCCU's various offices, schools and colleges with selected Durham Public Schools. My college, the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) was paired with the R.N. Harris Magnet Elementary School. We engaged with our assigned school and followed through with suggested activities for each day of the week.

On Monday, November 16, I delivered breakfast pastries and juice to the teachers and staff in appreciation for their services as educators of students in our community.

On Tuesday, November 17, our dean, Dr. Carlton Wilson visited the school to chat with the students and presented the principal, Ms. Carolyn Pugh with a gift bag of educational items. They discussed ways that CAS can help to enhance teaching and learning for the school particularly in the STEM fields.

On Wednesday November 18, Dr. Rachelle Gold, the Teacher Education Coordinator for English Education visited the school to make a presentation to the selected Student of the Day, Ms. Malia Jackson, a 5th grader with outstanding academic record. The student was presented with a Certificate of Recognition from CAS, a gift card, and a gift bag of selected NCCU gift items.

On Thursday evening, I represented CAS at the Induction Ceremony for teacher education students at the SOE.

On Friday November 20, Dr. Brennetta Simpson, the Teacher Education Coordinator for Music Education will visit our assigned school to make a presentation to the selected Educator of the Day, Ms. Dabney Hopkins who will be presented with a Certificate of Recognition from CAS, a gift card, and a gift bag of selected NCCU gift items.

The Induction Ceremony was held on Thursday November 19 in the Auditorium of the H. M. Michaux, Jr. Building of the SOE. I represented CAS at the event and was one of those who brought greetings and welcome to the inductees. Below is the text of my talk at the event:

Good evening. On behalf of the faculty and staff of the College of Arts and Sciences, I congratulate you on choosing a teaching career. Teaching is the noblest of professions. In the words of Richard W. Riley, former U.S. Secretary of Education under President Bill Clinton: "Teaching is the profession that makes other professions possible". Where would we be today if not for teachers that taught, nurtured, and mentored us along the way?

I belong to a family of teachers. I have been a biology teacher for over 30 years. My husband was a history teacher until his retirement. My daughter teaches comprehensive science for the Wake County School System. My oldest son taught mathematics and special education for both the Wake and Durham County Public School Systems and is currently doing graduate studies at the Harvard School of Education with the goal to continue in educational administration.

We teach because we love to help others; we want to make a positive impact in peoples’ lives; we want to make a difference. We teach not for the money but for the joy of making connections with our students, their families and our colleagues. We do not get rich from teaching but teaching enriches us in so many ways that are tangible and otherwise.

Teaching is not easy. It is very challenging. It is a calling that requires dedication, patience, and a caring for our students. Good teachers are always thinking about how to teach better and how to enhance student learning. Teaching is a 24/7 career as teachers do not just teach from 8 am to 4 pm. Their days are long and they take work home: to grade papers and to prepare lessons for the next day.

Teaching does have its perks: You get time off on weekends, on Holidays, and teachers can use the summer months for professional development, for other employment opportunities, and to travel. When you teach long enough, nothing is more gratifying than having your former students come back to see you and tell you what an impact you made in their lives. This is priceless!

I close with this quote from the late Ivan Welton Fitzwater, Professor of Educational Administration at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas: “The future of the world is in my classroom today, a future with the potential for good or bad. Several future Presidents are learning from me today; so are the great writers of the next decades, and so are all the so-called ordinary people who will make the decisions in a democracy. I must never forget these same young people could be the thieves and murderers of the future. Only a teacher? Thank God I have a calling to the greatest profession of all! I must be vigilant every day, lest I lose one fragile opportunity to improve tomorrow!”

Congratulations on your excellent decision to become teachers.

Status Update on The 2014 West African Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak One Year Later

2015-07-09T12:10:00.001-04:00

The map below is courtesy of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Ebola Response Roadmap covering the West African regions severely impacted by the 2014 outbreak.

The 2014 Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) was deadly. It affected many countries but particularly ravaged three West African countries: Guinea, Sierra Leon and Liberia. The body county in the three countries was unbelievably high – a true pandemic.

The debate in the US on the EVD was heated and fanned by the political flames that caused anxiety and irrational fear in many people. Arguably, the political storm generated may have influenced the outcome of the 2014 midterm elections. Today, the EVD outbreak is a distant memory in the minds of most people in the US. But no so for the West African countries that continue to deal with the aftermath of this deadly outbreak.

A year later, the affected countries are still suffering from the onslaught. The need for ongoing work on Ebola is great as is the need to build the public health capacity of the affected West African countries. The CDC, the WHO, and other NGOs continue their life-saving and collaborative work in the affected countries. The search for effective vaccine(s) is progressing through clinical trials. An effective vaccine will be a key in preventing this disease.

The ongoing focus is on zero outbreaks and what must be done to stop the outbreak and prevent future outbreaks under the initiative “Getting to Zero”.

Link to the video: Getting to Zero

http://www.cdc.gov/media/dpk/2015/dpk-getting-to-zero.html

Link to video: The fight against Ebola continues

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCYhg-BOjWQ

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grouped the affected countries into five: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-west-africa/case-counts.html

Countries with widespread transmission: Guinea, and Sierra Leone

Countries with former widespread transmission and current established control measures: Liberia

Countries with an initial case or cases and/or localized transmission: Mali, United Kingdom,

Nigeria, Senegal, Spain, and the United States

Countries previously affected: Italy

The link below is to the current information on the EVD from the World Health Organization (WHO) on the Ebola Situation Report as of June 10, 2015.

http://apps.who.int/ebola/en/current-situation/ebola-situation-report-10-june-2015

The 2014 EVD outbreak was severe and deadly especially in the three countries most affected: Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. Below is a table summarizing the body count. Data from the CDC.

http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-west-africa/case-counts.html

The Case Counts for the affected countries as of June 10, 2015 are as follows:

Country	Total Cases	Laboratory-Confirmed Cases	Total Deaths
Guinea	3,678	3,249	2,444
Liberia	10,666	3,151	4,806
Sierra Leone	12,965	8,649	3,919
Mali	8	7	6
United Kingdom	1	1	0
Nigeria	20	19	8
Senegal	1	1	0
Spain	1	1	0
United States	4	4	1
Italy	1	1	0
Totals	27,345	15,083	11,184

Other links to useful information about the EVD are below:

Link to questions and answers about Ebola

http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-west-africa/qa.html

Link to Ebola virus Treatment:

http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/treatment/index.html

Link to EVD Information for Clinicians in U.S. Healthcare settings:

http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/healthcare-us/preparing/clinicians.html

Link to the video: Ebola Virus Outbreak 2015 Warning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaZqfwFVjgQ

Dihydrogen Mono-oxide and the Most Holy Trinity

2015-06-15T17:15:00.000-04:00

The Molecular Structure of Water: Courtesy of Wikipedia's Open and Free Resource on the Web.

The water molecule aka di-hydrogen mono-oxide aka hydrogen oxide aka H2O: the stuff of life. No life without it.

Water is the essence of life. No water = no life. At the molecular level, water consists of two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen all linked together through sharing of the electrons surrounding their nuclei. This linkage by electron sharing is called covalent bonding. At the molecular level, water is a polar molecule because the oxygen atom tends to be slightly negatively charged while the hydrogen atoms are slightly positively charged.

This polarity allows a water molecule to form hydrogen bonds with other water molecules giving rise to water. The polarity is also responsible for many of the properties of water such as its ability to dissolve a wide variety of substances making it an almost universal solvent.

Another property of water is its ability to exist in three phases based on temperature: as a liquid at medium range of temperatures from above the freezing point to just below the boiling point of water; as a solid in frozen forms of ice, snow, and hail at temperatures at or below the freezing point; and as a gas in the form of water vapor at temperatures above the boiling point.

As Easter ended and we returned to the Ordinary Times on the Liturgical Calendar, four Sundays in a row were used to mark the Solemnity of four of the most fundamental, mysterious, and important tenets of our Christian faith: the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ into heaven (May 17); Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended on earth (May 24); the Most Holy Trinity reflecting the Three Persons in One God (May 31); and Corpus Christi reflecting the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (June 7).

Similar to the Immaculate Conception, these four mysteries require our unquestioning faith and belief in the sacrificial love of our Creator. How is it that Jesus was taken body and soul into heaven? The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus and Our Mother was also taken body and soul into heaven as marked by the Assumption (to be celebrated on August 15). How can the Holy Spirit come down from heaven? How can there be three Persons in One God? And how can bread and wine be transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ? These are mysteries for us to ponder. Faith and belief.

One of the best homilies I have heard on the Holy Trinity was explained with the analogy of the three phases of water. Just like water exists in three phases as a function of temperate: liquid, solid, and gas, our Creator has three natures: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit - three Persons, One God. All different but still the same substance. All loving us. All infusing us with their essence. All necessary for life. Faith and belief.

This past Sunday, June 14, we truly returned to the Ordinary Times and to the green-colored vestments until November 22 when we mark the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ , the King followed immediately by the glorious Advent Season that begins on November 29. Faith and belief.

What Does A Teacher Make?

2015-04-21T12:27:00.000-04:00

Although I have industry career experience, I have been a teacher for most of my professional life. I taught high school briefly but mostly I have taught at the university level. I am currently a tenured full professor of biology. My husband also taught at both the high school and university levels until he retired as a history professor.

My daughter Ijeoma has the BS (from NC State) and MS (from NCCU) degrees in biological sciences. She got hooked to teaching while completing the MS degree when she served as a graduate teaching assistant and tutor to undergraduates. After completing the MS degree, she took education courses (from NCCU's School of Education) and completed requirements for licensure and became certified to teach comprehensive science in North Carolina. She now teaches for the Wake County Public School System and is enjoying her professional career as a teacher. Her longer term goal is to return to school for the doctorate degree in public health or science education.

My son Arinze graduated in 2010 with an accounting degree from NCSU's College of Management. This was at the height of the recession and no one was hiring in the business field. Following in his sister's footsteps, he returned to school to take education courses (from NCCU's SOE) and became certified to teach Mathematics and Special Education. He has taught in both Wake and Durham County Schools. This August he heads to Harvard University to begin a course of studies for the Master of Education degree. His career aspiration has changed from business to school administration.

One can say that teaching is a family affair for us. It is not a profession for those who aim to be rich as one does not get into this field for the money. One must have the passion to teach, to love students, and to take pride in the success of one's students. The rewards are priceless and immeasurable especially when you have been in the field for a while and your former students have become professionals in their own rights.

This is why this particular post struck a cord with me. A teacher was asked how much he makes and his answer is priceless. Here is the link to the story and video:

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/03/19/what-do-you-make-a-teacher-gives-the-perfect-response-to-this-rude-question-video/

"Taylor Mali is a 10th-generation native of New York City. He graduated from the Collegiate School, a private school for boys, in 1983. He went on to gain a B.A. in English from Bowdoin College in 1987 and an M.A. in English/Creative Writing from Kansas State University in 1993. His mother was children’s book author Jane L. Mali, a recipient of the American Book Award, and his father was H. Allen Mali, vice president of Henry W.T. Mali & Co., manufacturers of pool table coverings. He is the great-great-grandson of John Taylor Johnston, founding president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art."

"This is a guy who has creativity and innovation coursing through his veins. He took his privilege and he turned it into a ladder, up which future generations can climb."

"Taylor Mali was enjoying a friend’s dinner party until a fellow guest who is a lawyer began to harass him about being a teacher. After the usual round of ‘Those who can do, those who can’t teach’ jibes, the lawyer asked Mali disparagingly":

“Be honest Taylor, what do you make?”

"The jibe was meant to undermine Mali, to highlight his low wages. The average starting salary for a teacher in Mali’s home town of New York city is $44,370, and that’s $11,000 higher than the national average. The average starting salary for a lawyer in the city is $160,000."

"While teacher pay has risen just 1% in real terms since 1990, lawyer’s pay has risen 3% last year alone, and 220% since 1990. In the battle for pay, teachers lose."

"But Mali thought for a moment and came at things from a difference perspective – what does a teacher make?"

“I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.”
“I can make a C+ feel like a congressional medal of honor. I can make an A- feel like a slap in the face. How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best.”
I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall in absolute silence.
I make parents see their children for who they are and who they can be.
You wanna know what I make? I make kids wonder, I make them question, I make them criticize, I make them apologize (and mean it).
Teachers make a difference. Now, what about you?”

"Teachers don’t just make a difference. Great teachers make the difference."

Here is the link to the YouTube video

What Do teachers make?

You can visit https//www.TeachingChannel.org for more resources about teaching and teachers.

Richard W. Riley, former U.S. Secretary of Education under President Bill Clinton said it best: "Teaching is the profession that makes other professions possible".

Seeking Stillness and Quiet Moments for Reflections to Enhance our Health and Wellbeing

2015-03-14T16:08:00.000-04:00

Silence is golden. Silence is necessary for our good health. Cultures around the world value time spent in silence: to meditate, to commune with nature, to pray, to listen to our inner voice, to reflect on our lives, to think, to make decisions, and to achieve balance in our lives. In today's fast-paced and noisy world, silence can be elusive. But we must make time for silence as it is critical for our well being.

In my previous blog post, I wrote about how the practices of the Lenten season: prayer, alms-giving, fasting and abstinence from meat can have positive impact on our health and wellness. I referenced Bishop Michael Burbidge's three suggestions for a faith-filled Lent:

1. Pray: Slow down. Allow time for silence in your busy life so that The Lord can speak to your heart.
2. Be Free from Distress: When Jesus sent his disciples, He sent them out in pairs without possessions. Material items can be a distraction. Walk lightly and be unburdened by these things.
3. Celebrate His Divine Mercy: Know that God loves you. God's mercy is greater than any sin or failure.

Father Phil Hurley, my pastor, has charged our parishioners to use the practice of prayers at the start and end of each day to deepen our faith especially during this Lenten journey. The prayer at the start of the day is our Daily Offering while the Examen allows us to reflect on our day, to count our blessings, to note our shortcomings, and to resolve to do better the next day. The Daily Offering gives us a head start for the day while the Examen allows us to wind down for the night. This daily practice allows time for solitude and reflection: all essential for healthy living.

There are various Daily Offering prayers from which one can chose from the Apostleship of Prayer's website: http://www.apostleshipofprayer.org/morningofferingprayers.html:

My favorite morning offering is one of the simplest and most practical for me in terms of my work and people I come in contact with during my day. The prayer asks for us to find meaning in what we do and for those unemployed to find work.

"Father, I dedicate this new day to you, as I go about my work.
I ask you to bless those with whom I come in contact.
Lord, I pray for all men and women who work to earn their living;
give them satisfaction in what they do.

Spirit of God, comfort the unemployed and their families; they are your children and my brothers and sisters. I ask you to help them find work soon."

Father Hurley's suggestions for Examen at the end of the day are listed below and can be accessed via St. Raphael Catholic Church's website: http://www.saintraphael.org/a-way-to-help-you-return-to-god-this-lent/

1. At the end your day, remind yourself that you are in God’s presence. Close your eyes, and see how Jesus is looking at you with great love.
2. Call to mind the people, places, events, and circumstances you encountered from the time you awoke until now.
3. Even if you did not notice it at the time, reflect on some of the ways God was present to you in those people, places, events, and circumstances.
4. God was inviting you to a response in all the ways he was present today. Call to mind some of the moments when you responded well: with generosity, patience, and kindness.
5. Jesus still looks at you with great love, so with confidence in that love call to mind any ways you did not respond well to God’s invitations today. Ask for the forgiveness Jesus is so ready to give.
6. Now think of some of the things you are most grateful for in all that happened today. For what do you most want to give thanks to God?
7. Resolve to begin again tomorrow offering the day to God and putting the day in his hands.
8. End with an Our Father, a Glory Be, or any other prayer.

The theme of this post is to seek silence to facilitate reflection and balance in our lives. To that end, the post does not speak just to practicing Catholics but to all people of faith or no faith. Each person should be able to do so either through the practices of their particular faith or for atheists and agnostics through appropriate cultural practices such as meditation, contemplation, yoga, etc.

Here is to your health and wellness.