Digital Commons Network^™

Factors Affecting The Ability Of Patients With Complex Vascular Anomalies To Navigate The Healthcare System, Bryan Sisk, Sunny Lin, Anna M Kerr

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Vascular anomalies (VAs) are rare congenital disorders that can cause pain, disfigurement, coagulopathy, asymmetric growth, and disability. Patients with complex VAs experience multiple barriers to accessing expert care. It is imperative to understand which factors support these patients' ability to navigate the healthcare system.

RESULTS: We surveyed adult patients with VAs using previously validated measures, recruiting participants from five patient advocacy groups and multidisciplinary VA clinics. The primary outcome was self-reported ability to access needed medical care, using the "Navigating the Healthcare System" subscale of the Health Literacy Questionnaire. We evaluated factors associated with the ability to navigate the …

Self-Efficacy, Grit, And Rural Career Aspirations Among Early Career Nurses: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study, Daniel Terry, Blake Peck, Ed Baker, David Schmitz

Public Health and Population Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background Global nursing workforce shortage represents an impediment to the delivery of safe, evidence-based healthcare. Despite collective efforts, a consistent stream of nurses leaving the profession remains, particularly within the first five years of practice, which is exacerbated in rural communities. The aim of the study was to compare self-efficacy, grit, and rural career aspirations among nursing graduates between their second and fourth year of their nursing profession.

Methods As part of a longitudinal investigation, a repeated cross-sectional design was utilised. Participants included, 117 (response rate 52.2%) who completed an online questionnaire 18–24 months after graduating, and 32 participants (response …

Development Of Ph-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging In The Spinal Cord: Application In Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy, Alicia E. Cronin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is a degenerative disease of the spinal cord that can lead to neurological dysfunction. It has been hypothesized that ischemia and hypoxia in the spinal cord at the site of compression could impact functional recovery after decompression surgery. Unfortunately, direct in-vivo quantification of hypoxia and ischemia in the spine has been limited in humans. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be utilized to measure hypoxia indirectly in soft tissue. Specifically, chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) is an MRI contrast that can be derived from the transfer of magnetization from selectively excited endogenous protons to bulk water protons. …

Avaren-Fc, A Novel Immunotherapeutic, Recruits Nk Cells In B16f10 Melanoma Tumor Tissue, Sreevatsa Vemuri, Katarina Mayer, Nobuyuki Matoba

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the US, with limited effective immunotherapeutic options available for patients. Avaren-Fc (AvFc) is a novel experimental immunotherapeutic agent with a unique “lectibody” property. It is capable of targeting cancer cells through the selective recognition of high mannose glycans, which are aberrantly overrepresented on the surface of malignant cells. AvFc can interact with circulating effector immune cells equipped with Fc receptors, such as natural killer (NK) cells to induce antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and kill cancer cells. Previous work has shown that AvFc effectively induces ADCC activity against B16F10 cancer cells in vitro …

Enhancing The Safety Of Medication Administration: The Synergistic Role Of Closed Loop Electronic Medication Management And Iv Medication Administration, Kelly Goetz, Angela Schoenung, Lauren Daugherty, Kaitlyn Hornsby

Posters-at-the-Capitol

The high acuity of patients in the ICU results in numerous medications being administered, increasing the risk of medication errors. The purpose of this project is to investigate the impact of integrating consistent closed loop electronic medication management (CLEMM) to decrease medication errors in the ICU for bedside nurses who use electronic health records (EHRs). The project type is a comprehensive literature review, with studies that included a single prospective cohort study, case report, single non-randomized trial, quasi experimental study, single cross-sectional studies, and systematic reviews. The importance of this project is to address the break in the loop of …

Using Network Analysis To Personalize Care For Binge Eating Disorder, Legacy S. Carter, Dr. Anna Marie Ortiz

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Legacy Carter, KCTCS; Dr. Anna Marie Ortiz, University of Louisville, Psychology and Brain Sciences Department

Title:Using network analysis to personalize care for Binge Eating Disorder

Binge Eating Disorder is the compulsive behavior to overeat food, usually within a brief time frame. Symptoms such as anxiety, fear of being fat and perfectionism could trigger a person to binge eat. Network analysis is a statistical approach in health psychology that uses graphical representations of relationships among variables, and could be useful in identifying the symptoms that cause Binge Eating Disorder. The information collected could come from surveys, interviews or clinical studies. Network …

The Effects Of Liftng Belts On Power Output, Julio Aguilar, Benjamin Coldwell, Patrick Jackson, Cade Pippen, Zane Thornton

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

JULIO AGUILAR, BENJAMIN COLDWELL, PATRICK JACKSON, CADE PIPPEN, ZANE THORTON.

Kinesiology & Health Science; Stephen F. Austin State University; Nacogdoches, TX

Category: Undergraduate

Advisor: Chelette, Amber, amber.chelette@sfasu.edu

Lifting belts, when lifting heavy weights, are purportedly used to support, stabilize, and attenuate the load on the spine. With the additional support, potential questions arise about whether weightlifting belts affect the power performed when squatting. This study aimed to examine the power produced during a squat with a weightlifting belt compared to a squat performed without one. Ten subjects, five male and five female, performed squats of two sets of 3 repetitions, …

Managing Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage In A Critical Care Setting, Yong-Chan Kim, Jessica Marcela Daza, Juan C. Naranjo, Timothy Heath

Research Symposium

Background: Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) is defined as disruption of the alveolar-capillary basement membrane, causing bleeding into the alveolar spaces. It is one of the rarest complications in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and life-threatening conditions. Symptoms include shortness of breath, cough, fluctuating fever, and rarely hemoptysis. Complications include acute respiratory distress syndrome. The test of choice for diagnosis is bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). The hallmark is that BAL aliquots are progressively more hemorrhagic. CT-chest shows ground glass or consolidative opacities that are usually diffuse and bilateral nonspecific. There is no cornerstone therapy for DAH due to SLE. Considering this a fatal …

Molecular Insights To The P53-Independent Anticancer Activity Of Mortaparibmild, Yang Shi, Huayue Zhang, Hyonchol Kim, Sunil Kaul, Renu Wadhwa

Research Symposium

Background: Mortalin, a member of the Hsp70 family of proteins, enriched in many types of cancers, has been shown to promote carcinogenesis and metastasis by multiple ways of which inactivation of p53 has been firmly established. Downregulation of mortalin by small RNAs and disruption of mortalin-p53 interactions by small molecules have earlier been shown to activate tumor suppressor activities of p53 yielding growth arrest/apoptosis in cancer cells. In this premise, screening of a chemical library to identify potential abrogators of mortalin-p53 interaction was performed using two-way imaging assay involving (i) shift of mortalin staining pattern from perinuclear (characteristics of cancer …

Endophthalmitis In An Elderly Patient - A Case Of Delayed Transfer And Successful Management, Vamsikalayan Borra, Roy Kondapavuluru, Sreejith Pillali, Sabhi Gull, Andres Suarez Parraga

Research Symposium

Introduction: Endophthalmitis is a severe and potentially sight-threatening condition that demands immediate attention and intervention. It is characterized by inflammation and infection within the eye, typically caused by bacterial or fungal organisms entering the eye, often following surgery or trauma. Usually present with sudden, severe eye pain, redness, decreased vision, and photophobia. As endophthalmitis can rapidly progress and cause irreversible damage to the eye, it is considered a true ocular emergency.

Case presentation: An 80-year-old woman, known to have Insulin-dependent Type 2 Diabetes mellitus and a history of breast cancer, arrived at the Emergency Department (ED) with persistent and worsening …

Effect Of Alcohol Consumption On Cognitive Decline Among Mexicans 50 Years And Older, Silvia Mejia-Arango, Ihsan Salloum, Gladys Maestre

Research Symposium

Background: Studies on the association between alcohol use and cognitive impairment have yielded controversial results suggesting a reduced risk of dementia in drinkers vs. nondrinkers. We aimed to examine the effect of alcohol use on cognitive trajectories among Mexican adults aged 50 and over.

Methods: Data are from 5,898 cognitively normal individuals (2,512 men and 3,386 women) from the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS) with a mean age of 59 years (50-90 years) at baseline (2001) and followed-up after 11 years (2012). The Cross-Cultural Cognitive Examination was the cognitive battery measuring verbal memory, visual memory, attention, and constructional praxis. …

Targeted Treatment For Kras12d For Pdac Treatment, Ana Bulnes, Orlando Garcia, Poornima Devi Shaji, Melissa Elizondo, Swathi Holla, Nirnoy Dan, Anupam Dhasmana, Shabnam Malik, Murali Yallapu, Stephen Behrman

Research Symposium

Introduction: Cellular stress is known to function in synergistic cooperation with oncogenic mutations during tumorigenesis to drive cancer progression. Oncogenic RAS is a strong inducer of a variety of pro-tumorigenic cellular stresses, and also enhances the ability of cells to tolerate these stresses through multiple mechanisms that leads to resistance to chemotherapy and to therapies that target the RAS pathway. Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients exhibit extremely poor prognosis. KRAS mutation on codon-12 is present in 70–95% of PDAC cases and it drives stress-adaptive mechanisms, PDAC growth and progression. Galectin-1 (Gal-1) is present in both PDAC and stromal cells, being …

Studying The Molecular Mechanism Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Shabnam Malik, Mohammed Sikander, S. Mishra, Daniel Zubieta, S. K. Jain, Deepshikha Pande Katare, Meena Jaggi, Subhash Chauhan

Research Symposium

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a poor prognosis due to ineffective therapeutic modality and lack of early diagnostic marker. Accumulating studies have shown that elevated expression of mucin 13 as potential oncogene and predictive biomarker for various cancer. However, very little is known about its expression and function for development and progression of HCC.

Objective: To investigate mucin 13 expression in chemically induced hepatocellular carcinoma model.

Methodology: Diethyl nitrosamine (DEN) and 2-Acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) induced method was employed for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in Male Wistar rats. Serum and tissues were collected at regular intervals of time and routinely validated …

Neurocellular Er Stress Response In Alzheimer's Disease And Related Dementias (Adrd) Risk, Satish Kumar, Miriam Aceves, Jose C. Granados, Ana C. Leandro, Juan M. Peralta, Sarah Williams-Blangero, Joanne E. Curran, John Blangero

Research Symposium

Background: Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) pathology, characterized by neurodegeneration, amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques, and intracellular tangles of hyperphosphorylated Tau, starts in the entorhinal cortex and then spreads to the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. The presence of AD pathology in the hippocampus is strongly correlated with cognitive decline. The hippocampus is also one of the major sites of adult neurogenesis in the brain and accumulating evidence now suggests that adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) that occurs throughout life (albeit declining with age) is essential for cellular homeostasis and hippocampus-dependent cognitive functions, and is severely impaired in ADRD patients. However, the causation of impaired AHN …

Triterpenoid Cddo-Ea Protects From Obesity And Insulin Resistance In An Animal Model Of Type 2 Diabetes, A. Cantu, Denae Cantu, Cordelia Rasa, Shizue Mito, Juan C. Lopez-Alvarenga, Sara M. Reyna

Research Symposium

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is characterized by insulin resistance, an impaired response to insulin by cells. Although several medications target insulin sensitivity, they fail to prevent progression to T2D in most high-risk individuals. Oleanolic acid (OA) is a pentacyclic triterpenoid found in plants with unique cardioprotective and anti-diabetic properties. OA can serve as a scaffold to produce synthetic molecules, known as synthetic oleanane triterpenoids (SOs), with enhanced biological activity. Our published findings show that the SO CDDO-EA (2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oic acid-ethyl amide) facilitates translocation of the glucose transporter protein, GLUT4, as a new mechanism of CDDO-EA in regulating glucose metabolism. Thus, …

Perceived Outcomes Of Periacetabular Osteotomy (Pao): A Social Media Analysis, Ryan Bialaszewski, John M. Gaddis, Bretton Laboret, Joel Wells, Adina Stewart

Research Symposium

Background: Social media is a popular resource for patients seeking medical information and sharing experiences. PAO is the gold standard treatment for symptomatic acetabular dysplasia with good long-term outcomes. However, little is known regarding the perceived outcomes of PAO on social media. Therefore, we aim to describe the perceived outcomes following PAO using three social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Methods: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter posts were retrospectively collected from 02/01/2023. Facebook posts were collected from the two most populated interest groups; “periacetabular osteotomy” and “PAO Australia.” Instagram posts and Tweets were queried using the most popular hashtags; #PAOwarrior, …

Results From An Association-Scan Of The Extended Mhc-Class-Ii Region Using Novel Association-Based Statistical Methods Establish That Dq Allotypes Influence The Risk Of Fviii Inhibitor Development In Hemophilia-A Patients, Ruayda Bouls, Paola Ibarra, Marcio Almeida, Vincent P. Diego, Joanne E. Curran, Juan M. Peralta, Satish Kumar, John Blangero, Sarah Williams-Blangero, Tom E. Howard

Research Symposium

Background: Hemophilia-A (HA) is caused by factor VIII (FVIII)-gene (F8) mutations, variably deficient plasma FVIII activity (FVIII:C), and reduced to absent intrinsic-pathway amplification of coagulation. Infused therapeutic-FVIII-proteins (tFVIIIs) prevent bleeding in all HA patients (HAPs) but about 25-30% with severe-HA and 5-10% with non-severe-HA become refractory with the development of neutralizing-tFVIII-antibodies (“FVIII-inhibitors (FEIs)”). We use Immunochip genotyping in the PATH Study to screen the MHC-class-II (MHCII)-region for classical- and non-classical-HLA-class-II (HLAII)-genes and -pseudogenes for association with FEI-risk while accounting for the non-independence of data due to genetic relatedness and F8 mutational heterogeneity using novel statistical methods. Our results establish that …

Effect Of Alcohol On Alzheimer's Disease, Rabin Debnath, Pooja A. Chawla

Research Symposium

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder that is characterised by cognitive decline and cholinergic dysfunction. According to studies, drinking alcohol can result in serious problems such as degenerative neuro-inflammation. Although a decreased incidence of AD has been associated with moderate alcohol intake. Alcohol use may be a risk factor for AD. Alcoholism is associated with cognitive problems, especially alcoholic dementia. Alcohol's impact on mental functions, such as brain disorders and neurochemistry, is believed to increase the risk of developing AD. According to some research, moderate alcohol use may have a protective effect on AD, depending on the type …

Signs Of Rheumatoid Arthritis With Negative Serum Markers: A Diagnostic Challenge, Prakhar Jain, Chelsea Chang, Jessica Marcela Daza

Research Symposium

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis affects 1.3 million adults in US and can be challenging to diagnose. Clinicians need to develop a good sense of pretest probability, or likelihood of this disease, before initiating testing. This case explores the association between palmar erythema, rheumatoid arthritis, the differential diagnoses and testing available.

Case presentation: This case involves a 55 year old woman with no past medical history who is presenting to the clinic with a 1 year duration of 7 out of 10 throbbing pain of the bilateral palms. There is no arthralgia. The pain worsens with activities that involve the hands and …

Effective Management And Implementation Of A Coordinated Health Program - The Steps Snap-Ed Experience, Moises Cisneros, Brenda Rodriguez-Guerra, Joseph Reyes, Emilio Puente Barrios

Research Symposium

Purpose: Coordinated health programs have been proposed for more than four decades to improve the health of children in school settings. Although a challenging task, it has the potential to touch many lives, especially those from impoverished communities (Darlington, Violon, & Jourdan, 2018). The South Texas Early Prevention Studies (STEPS) aim to positively impact the community of the Rio Grande Valley, a population known to have a high rate of obesity, by implementing a comprehensive and proactive approach with various components within a preschool students’ life. The project's goal has been to plant a seed at an early age for …

Targeting Β-Catenin Signaling Pathway For Cervical Cancer Therapy, Mohammed Sikander, Shabnam Malik, John Apraku, Sonam Kumari, Parvez Khan, Daniel Zubieta, Hassan Mandil, Aditya Ganju, Bhavin Chauhan, Maria C. Bell, Man Mohan Singh, Sheema Khan, Murali M. Yallapu, Fathi T. Halaweish, Meena Jaggi, Subhash Chauhan

Research Symposium

Aberrant activation of β-catenin signaling is strongly associated with cancer proliferation, invasion, migration, and metastasis, thus small molecules that can inhibit this pathway might have great clinical significance. Our molecular modeling studies suggest that Ormeloxifene (ORM), a triphenylethylene molecule docks with β-catenin, and its brominated analogue (Br-ORM) bind more effectively with relatively less energy (-7.6 kcal/mol) to the active site of β-catenin as compared to parent ORM. Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of a Br-ORM by NMR and FTIR, as well as its anti-cancer potential in cervical cancer models in vitro and in vivo. Br-ORM treatment effectively …

Submental Intubation In Oral Maxillofacial Surgery: A Case Report And Review Of Indications And Complications, Jennifer Inofomoh, Mark Lavering, Ed Wong Alvarado, Diego Aleman

Research Symposium

Introduction/ Background: Submental intubation is a valuable alternative airway management technique employed in oral maxillofacial surgery when intraoral or nasal intubation is contraindicated or poses a potential risk (Schütz, 2008). This case report presents a clinical scenario in which a patient underwent oral maxillofacial surgery necessitating submental intubation. Additionally, we review the indications, technique, and potential complications associated with this specialized intubation approach.

Oral maxillofacial surgeries frequently involve complex fractures, extensive soft tissue injuries, or anatomical variations that preclude traditional intraoral or nasal intubation. Submental intubation provides a safe and effective option in such cases, avoiding the need for tracheostomy …

Impact Of Fiber-Rich Foods On Glucose Levels In Relation To Liver Fat Infiltration: Preliminary Results., Mariana S. Mendez-Ramirez, Claudia X. Munguia-Cisneros, Alma Alejandra Cantu-Martinez, Mara Itzel Hernandez-Ahumada, Enyli Balandrano-Cantu, Laura Sheila De Leon-Sanchez, Samuel Elian Chavez-Acosta, Alejandra Yazmin Santos-Vega, Amairani Sanchez-Diaz, Evelyn Poleth Vega-Saldierna, Adela Perez-Mar, Carlos Ramirez-Pfeiffer, Juan Lopez-Alvarenga

Research Symposium

Introduction: Previous studies have indicated the consumption of fiber-rich food rich can decrease glucose levels. Additionally, fat infiltration is a common finding in people with type 2 diabetes Mellitus (T2D) and may contribute to metabolic imbalances. However, there needs to be more research investigating the combined effects of fiber intake and liver fat infiltration on glucose levels. In this study, we aimed to analyze the impact of fiber-rich foods on glucose levels, considering the scores of liver fat infiltration.

Methods: After obtaining written consent was approved by the UAT IRB, the participants (relatives of students) were invited at 7 am …

Alcohol Worsens Bipolar Disorder: Fact Or Myth?, Kushal Seni, Pooja A. Chawla

Research Symposium

Bipolar disorder is a chronic and complex psychiatric condition characterized by alternating episodes of mania and depression. The suffering person’s quality of life, behaviour, and mood are all deeply impacted. Although drinking alcohol is a typical practise among those who have bipolar disorder, little is known about how it affects the illness. The objective of this paper is to give an overview of how alcohol affects bipolar disorder. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that can cause mood fluctuations and make bipolar disorder symptoms stronger. Alcohol may at first give off an instantaneous sensation of excitement, but over time, …

Periacetabular Osteotomy: An Analysis Of Social Media To Determine The Most Common Questions Asked By The Periacetabular Osteotomy Population, John M. Gaddis, Ryan Bialaszewski, Bretton Laboret, Joel Wells, Adina Stewart

Research Symposium

Background: Social media has become an increasingly popular resource for patients and a platform to share one’s experiences. Patients undergoing periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) may gravitate towards social media for support, guidance and understanding. The aim of this study was to investigate Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to further understand what the most common preoperative and postoperative questions patients undergoing PAO are asking.

Methods: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter were queried consecutively from February 1, 2023 to November 23, 2011. Facebook was searched for the two most populated interest groups; “Periacetabular Osteotomy (PAO)” and “Periacetabular Osteotomy Australia”. Instagram and Twitter were queried for …

Analyzing And Addressing Telemedicine Barriers Among Lubbock Medicaid Patients, Ariel Santos, Tim Fox, Meredith Hopson, Joey Almaguer, Zoe Davis, Joey Almaguer

Research Symposium

Background: There has been a widespread demand for virtual medicine ever since the COVID-19 pandemic. Benefits to telemedicine include less expenses for the patient and industry, reduced risk of acquiring communicable diseases, improved chronic disease management, and the elimination of traditional barriers to care (e.g. transportation, time off work, childcare, location/distance etc.). However, there are pertinent limitations, such as access to reliable internet, access to Zoom-capable technology, and technological literacy. These limitations may serve as barriers to utilizing virtual medicine as a source of health care.

Methods: Using retrospective chart review, we sent a Qualtrics questionnaire to Medicaid …

Association Of Variability And Hypertensive Peaks In 24-H Blood Pressure With Cardiovascular Risk And Mortality, Jesus D. Melgarejo, Luis J. Mena, Kristina P. Vatcheva, Jose A. Garcia, Dhrumil Patil, Claudia Satizabal, Carlos A. Chavez, Rosa V. Pirela, Gustavo Calmon, Joseph H. Lee, Joseph D. Terwilliger, Sudha Seshadri, Gladys E. Maestre

Research Symposium

Background: Blood pressure (BP) variability relates to cardiovascular (CV) diseases and one unexplored mechanism may involve hypertensive peaks caused by high BP variability. OBJECTIVES: To test this hypothesis, we studied the association of cumulative hypertensive peaks (CHP) in 24-h systolic BP with CV risk.

Methods: A total of 1212 participants from the Maracaibo Aging Study (mean age, 66; women, 67.2%) underwent 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring and were followed between 1998 and 2010. BP variability was the 24-h average real variability (ARV). CHP in systolic BP (expressed as %) was the number of systolic BP measures ≥125 mmHg (based on …

Molecular Insights Into The Anti-Stress Function Of Fucoxanthin, A Major Component Of An Edible Seaweed (Wakame), Shi Yang, Huayue Zhang, Hyonchol Kim, Sunil Kaul, Renu Wadhwa

Research Symposium

Background: Mortalin, a member of the Hsp70 family of proteins, enriched in many types of cancers, has been shown to promote carcinogenesis and metastasis by multiple ways of which inactivation of p53 has been firmly established. Downregulation of mortalin by small RNAs and disruption of mortalin-p53 interactions by small molecules have earlier been shown to activate tumor suppressor activities of p53 yielding growth arrest/apoptosis in cancer cells. In this premise, screening of a chemical library to identify potential abrogators of mortalin-p53 interaction was performed using two-way imaging assay involving (i) shift of mortalin staining pattern from perinuclear (characteristics of cancer …

Nurturing The Environment: Enhancing Pet-Plastic Degradation By A Slow-Growing Miracle Microbe, Felipe-Andrés Piedra, Anthony Maresso

Research Symposium

Background: Plastic pollution is a global problem of enormous (5.5 billion tons) and growing proportion (1). A promising solution involves fermentation of plastic waste to produce microbial biomass that can be used in a range of applications including compost production. However, few microbial species able to consume plastic waste have been identified, and those that have been, including the recently discovered gram-negative bacterial species Ideonella sakaiensis (I. sakaiensis) which consumes polyethylene terephthalate (PET) (2) – a common throwaway plastic – do so exceedingly slowly (2). Here we report results from a screen of 190 carbon sources to identify small molecule …

Rational Design Of An Antimicrobial Peptide, Elvira Alanis, Miguel Alanis, Frank B. Dean, Yonghong Zhang

Research Symposium

Background: Clostridioides difficile is a gram-positive, spore-forming anaerobic bacterium that is the leading cause of nosocomial infections. Due to its detergent-resistant spores and antibiotic resistance, C. difficile infection is an urgent threat since it is difficult to eliminate, allowing it to persist in healthcare institutions. Inadequate treatments available for this infection lead to the problem that C. difficile infection rates may rise in coming years due to an increase in hospital-acquired infections following the COVID-19 pandemic, and therefore the discovery of new antimicrobial compounds is of utmost importance. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have become a promising alternative due to their …