Gugliotti Comments on Physical Therapists' Role in Treating Gamers

Oct 01, 2020

Mark Gugliotti, D.P.T., associate professor of physical therapy, was featured in a story by the American Physical Therapy Association on the need for physical therapy intervention for competitive esports players. Gugliotti, who is also a healthcare professional in the Center for Esports Medicine, notes that the best defense against many of the debilitating conditions experienced by gamers would be a strong offense in preventive care and education.

Noting the common ailments the Center treats, he says, "We typically see presentations such as headaches, neck strain, and low back strain. We also encounter upper extremity peripheral nerve compressions [carpal tunnel syndrome], which can result in pain, tingling, numbness, and burning into the forearm, wrist, and hand."

The story also references a 2019 Center for Esports Medicine study published in the British Medical Journal.

 

Runner's World, MSN Quote Expert on Workout Headaches

Sep 28, 2020

As seen in Runner’s World and MSN.com, Joanne Donoghue, Ph.D., director of clinical research and associate professor at NYITCOM, explains the common phenomena of post-workout headaches. While many people have taken up running during the pandemic, some are finishing runs with a throbbing headache rather than a runner's high. Donoghue, who is an exercise physiologist, explains the reasons for these pesky workout-induced headaches and how runners may avoid them.

“Research shows that these headaches present with more of a pulsating feeling rather than a painful sharp pain,” says Donoghue. “However, they can become so uncomfortable that activity may have to be discontinued while occurring.” Aside from that throbbing sensation, they may also come with side effects like nausea, vomiting, double vision, and stiffness in the neck, she adds.

 

A Vaccine Doesn’t Mean the End of the Pandemic: Op-Ed in Business Insider

Sep 20, 2020

Distributing many millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses will pose challenges for the U.S. medical supply chain. From shortages of medical devices to logistical obstacles, the U.S. is unprepared — especially since the upcoming flu season will complicate the rollout of any such vaccine, writes Purushottam Meena, Ph.D., associate professor of operations management, in a Business Insider op-ed.

“Dismantling these roadblocks in the supply chain is the only way to end this pandemic,” he says. Stopping it will require an adequate number of flu vaccines, more supplies, closely monitored delivery, and more funding.

The U.S. government has contracted with private companies, helping expand manufacturing capacities; fostering more partnerships would alleviate vaccine supply chain roadblocks.  The government could also rethink how it allocates vaccines and heed historical uptake rates to prevent surpluses in some regions and shortages in others. 

“Developing an effective COVID-19 vaccine is merely the beginning of the end of this pandemic. To wipe out the virus, lawmakers need to address shortfalls in the vaccine supply chain,” Meena concludes.

 

Beheshti Quoted on AR, Lifelike Virtual Conferencing

Sep 15, 2020

Comments on the future of virtual conferencing technology from Babak D. Beheshti, Ph.D., dean, NYIT College of Engineering and Computing Sciences, have appeared in multiple prominent outlets. As seen in Vox, Daily Mail, and others, Beheshti discusses the potential for remote conferencing technology to include holographic augmented reality (AR) features to help users feel more connected to their peers and achieve more lifelike remote settings. A startup called Spatial may soon offer lightweight AR glasses that superimpose an individual's fellow employees or students into a virtual conference, blurring the line between the real world and a computer interface.

“I think this pandemic has accelerated not only the pace of development but also has opened up brand new or expanded business opportunities for new applications or need for the existing applications to be recognized,” said Beheshti. He also noted within five years, lightweight AR headsets, or “smart glasses,” could replace the smartphone for many people.

 

Cohn Shares Marketing Expertise with WalletHub

Sep 14, 2020

As seen in WalletHub, Deborah Y. Cohn, Ph.D., professor of marketing, shared insight on the marketing strategies behind credit card rewards programs. In the article, which focuses on the Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card, Cohn explains why rewards for dining and entertainment have become increasingly popular, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The reason these rewards are becoming increasingly popular is that the dining and entertainment establishments, in this time of COVID-19, also need to encourage consumers to come back to the market. They are working with credit card companies to try and motivate consumers to spend on dining and entertainment by reducing the price of these activities.”

 

Vaccine Expert Publishes STAT Op-ed

Sep 09, 2020

Commentary by Jonathan Berman Ph.D., assistant professor of basic sciences at NYITCOM-Arkansas, appeared in medical news outlet STAT. In the op-ed, Berman explains how the anti-vaccination movement has spent more than two decades mistrusting science. He points to examples where movement followers have selectively read the scientific literature only to cast doubt on vaccines and center arguments on minutiae, including a 2016 documentary that spawned new conspiracy theories about the measles vaccine. Berman, who is also the author of the book Anti-Vaxxers: How to Challenge a Misinformed Movement, informs readers that the same mistrust should be expected when a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available. 

“A prominent 2016 anti-vaccine documentary implied a ‘cover-up’ over a minor disagreement about the interpretation of a statistical study of measles vaccination, premised on a now-retracted reinterpretation of the statistics, which had made a number of errors,” says Berman. “We should expect to see no less than a fully dishonest misinterpretation and mischaracterization of whatever clinical trials are conducted in the lead-up to the approval of a vaccine to prevent COVID-19.”

 

Nutrition Expert Featured in LIVESTRONG

Sep 09, 2020

LIVESTRONG.com featured comments from nutrition expert Mindy Haar, Ph.D., clinical associate professor and chair of interdisciplinary health sciences, in a story on appetite control and hidden ingredients. Haar notes that processed foods may increase chances of consuming extra calories, stating:

“Many food manufacturers play to our natural craving by overprocessing foods with copious amounts of fat and sugar. Instead of products that are satisfying and filling, they are instead almost irresistible, making it difficult to stop after a moderate amount is consumed, playing havoc on appetite control.”

 

Haar Quoted on Benefits of Cauliflower

Sep 02, 2020

Nutrition expert Mindy Haar, Ph.D., clinical associate professor and chair of interdisciplinary health sciences, was quoted in the Beachbody blog on the health benefits of cauliflower. As noted in the story, determining whether a food is healthy is as simple as considering its nutrient density — the ratio of beneficial nutrients to the calorie content. Haar states, “Cauliflower ranks super high by this parameter,” clocking in at just 27 calories per cup, while providing dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and iron.

She also adds that cauliflower can make it easier to cook healthy meals at home. “Aside from providing essential nutrients, cauliflower can be used in cooking in a myriad of ways to substitute for less nutrition-packed ingredients,” she says. “This can lead to an overall reduction of calories and fat in daily intake — especially since cauliflower is filling and can increase satiety.”

 

Inside Higher Ed Spotlights Newly Tenured Faculty

Sep 01, 2020

Inside Higher Ed has included New York Institute of Technology's six newly tenured faculty in today’s newsletter. Named in the “Newly Tenured” column, faculty span a wide range of colleges and schools including the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering and Computing Sciences, School of Architecture and Design, and School of Management.

 

InnovateLI Reports on Computer Science NSF Grants

Aug 27, 2020

As seen in InnovateLI, two researchers from NYIT College of Engineering and Computing Sciences have received National Science Foundation (NSF) grants that will help fuel the next wave of artificial intelligence (AI) innovation. Supported by a grant for nearly $100,000, one research project led by Houwei Cao, Ph.D., assistant professor of computer science, aims to help machines detect human emotions, as they occur in real life, by gathering data from multiple forms of human emotion, such as facial expression, body movement, gestures, and speech. The other project, led by Assistant Professor of Computer Science Jerry Cheng, Ph.D., has secured $60,000 in NSF funding. Cheng’s project, which includes collaborators from leading universities, aims to design more efficient and secure deep learning processing machines, known as AI accelerators, that can reliably process and interpret extremely large-scale sets of data with little delay. Both projects will also allow New York Tech students to work alongside the faculty members and contribute to solving complex tasks associated with collecting valuable data and developing cutting-edge technologies.