Digital Commons Network^™

Antimicrobial Resistance And Covid-19: Intersections And Implications, Gwenan M. Knight, Rebecca E. Glover, C Finn Mcquaid, Ioana D. Olaru, Karin Gallandat, Quentin J. Leclerc, Naomi M. Fuller, Sam J. Willcocks, Rumina Hasan, Esther Van Kleef, Clare Ir Chandler

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Before the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was among the top priorities for global public health. Already a complex challenge, AMR now needs to be addressed in a changing healthcare landscape. Here, we analyse how changes due to COVID-19 in terms of antimicrobial usage, infection prevention, and health systems affect the emergence, transmission, and burden of AMR. Increased hand hygiene, decreased international travel, and decreased elective hospital procedures may reduce AMR pathogen selection and spread in the short term. However, the opposite effects may be seen if antibiotics are more widely used as standard healthcare pathways break …

Very Low Prevalence And Incidence Of Atrial Fibrillation Among Bolivian Forager-Farmers, Christopher J. Rowan, Michael A. Eskander, Edmond Seabright, Daniel Eid Rodriguez, Edhitt Cortez Linares, Raul Quispe Gutierrez, Juan Copajira Adrian, Daniel Cummings, Bret Beheim, Kirsten Tolstrup, Abinash Achrekar, Thomas Kraft, David E. Michalik, Michael I. Miyamoto, Adel H. Allam, L. Samuel Wann, Jagat Narula, Benjamin C. Trumble, Jonathan Stieglitz, Randall C. Thompson, Gregory S. Thomas, Hillard S. Kaplan, Michael D. Gurven

ESI Publications

Background: Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia in post-industrialized populations. Older age, hypertension, obesity, chronic inflammation, and diabetes are significant atrial fibrillation risk factors, suggesting that modern urban environments may promote atrial fibrillation.

Objective: Here we assess atrial fibrillation prevalence and incidence among tropical horticulturalists of the Bolivian Amazon with high levels of physical activity, a lean diet, and minimal coronary atherosclerosis, but also high infectious disease burden and associated inflammation.

Methods: Between 2005–2019, 1314 Tsimane aged 40–94 years (52% female) and 534 Moseten Amerindians aged 40–89 years (50% female) underwent resting 12-lead electrocardiograms to assess atrial fibrillation prevalence. …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 96, No. 17, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. This issue contains articles:

• Tolbert, Ellie. Student Teaching Transforms to Allow Virtual Instruction
• Murray, Debra. Provost Reflects on Time at WKU, As an Educator as She Prepares for Retirement – Cheryl Stevens
• Gaskin, Loren. Up for Debate: Potter College Name Change
• Meyer-Thornton, Zane & Jack Dobbs. The Sixth Annual Puppy Bowl
• Snyder, Sean. Local Doctor Finds Life-long Passion in Race-walking – Doug Johnson
• Toennies, Drew. Lady Toppers Travel to Face Top Conference Foe Rice – Basketball
• Snyder, Sean. Lady Toppers to Host Bellarmine for Home Opener – Soccer
• Moore, …

Environmentally Marginalized Populations: The "Perfect Storm" For Infectious Disease Pandemics, Including Covid-19, Gabriella Y. Meltzer, Oyemwenosa Avenbuan, Christina Awada, Oluwakemi B. Oyetade, Tricia Blackman, Simona Kwon Drph, Mph, Esther Erdei Phd, Judith T. Zelikoff Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

COVID-19 has exacted a severe toll on the United States population’s physical and mental health and its effects have been felt most severely among people of color and low socioeconomic status. Using illustrative case studies, this commentary argues that in addition to COVID-19 health disparities created by psychosocial stressors such as the inability to socially distance and access quality healthcare, environmental justice communities have the additional burden of disproportionate exposure to toxic contaminants that contribute to their higher risk of COVID-19. Environmental contaminants including heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants found contaminating their nearby environments can alter the immune response, …

Long-Term Dynamics Of The Kidney Disease Epidemic Among Hiv-Infected Individuals, Heather Gudaz, Henry A. Ogu, Elissa J. Schwartz

Spora: A Journal of Biomathematics

One of many risks facing HIV+ individuals is the development of kidney dysfunction and end stage kidney disease (ESKD). A differential equation-based mathematical model was developed to assess the impact of antiretroviral therapy on the progression to kidney disease and on reducing mortality due to kidney failure. Analytical and numerical predictions of long-term HIV+ ESKD prevalence show that therapy can lead to either extremely low levels of disease prevalence or increased prevalence, depending on drug efficacy levels and mechanisms of action. Maintenance of HIV+ ESKD prevalence below one individual is possible with sufficient efficacy (e.g., 99%) against the progression from …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 96, No. 16, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. This issue contains articles:

• Nutter, Abbey. Several Colleges Affected by Department Changes – Comprehensive Academic Program Evaluation
• Deppen, Laurel. WKU Professor on Kamala Harris Inauguration: There’s Still Work to Be Done – Saundra Ardrey
• Matthis, Jordan. Standing in My Truth – Rhondalyn Randolph
• Murray, Debra. State Bill to Help Students with Disciplinary Actions
• Kieser, Nick. How Fans Coped Without Live Sporting Events
• Toennies, Drew. Lady Toppers Win Triple Overtime Affair, Sweep Charlotte – Basketball
• Gaylord, Kaden. Hilltoppers Travel to Florida Atlantic University After One Week Delay – Basketball

Piglet Immunization With A Spike Subunit Vaccine Enhances Disease By Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus, Jieshi Yu, Chithra Sreenivasan, Tirth Uprety, Rongyuan Gao, Chen Huang, Ella J. Lee, Steven Lawson, Julie Nelson, Jane Christopher-Hennings, Radhey S. Kaushik, Eric Nelson, Diego G. Diel, Ben M. Hause, Feng Li, Dan Wang

Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center Faculty Publications

Immunization with an insect cell lysate/baculovirus mixture containing recombinant porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) spike protein induced high levels of neutralizing antibodies in both mice and piglets. However, immunization of piglets with this vaccine resulted in enhancement of disease symptoms and virus replication in vaccine recipients exposed to PEDV challenge. Thus, these observations demonstrate a previously unrecognized challenge of PEDV vaccine research, which has important implications for coronavirus vaccine development.

Indigenous Knowledge Of Rift Valley Fever Among Somali Nomadic Pastoralists And Its Implications On Public Health Delivery Approaches In Ijara Sub-County, North Eastern Kenya, Geoffrey Otieno Muga, Washington Onyango-Ouma, Rosemary Sang, Hippolyte Affognon

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is a zoonotic disease whose outbreak results in heavy economic and public health burdens. In East Africa, RVF is mainly experienced in arid and semi-arid areas predominantly inhabited by the pastoralists. These areas experience sudden, dra-matic epidemics of the disease at intervals of approximately 10 years, associated with widespread flooding and the resultant swarms of mosquitoes. Pastoralists’ indigenous knowledge and experience of RVF is critical for public health interventions targeting prevention and control of RVF. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional design combining both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. A total of 204 respondents …

Epidemiology And Outcomes Of Hospitalized Adults With Sars-Cov-2 Community-Acquired Pneumonia In Louisville, Kentucky, Julio A. Ramirez, T'Shura Ali, Thomas Chandler, Stephen P. Furmanek, Daniya Sheikh, Vidyulata Salunkhe, Steven Gootee, Mohammad Tahboub, William A. Mattingly, Demetra Antimisiaris, Jiapeng Huang, Jose Bordon, Rodrigo Cavallazzi, Paul Schulz, William P. Mckinney, Dawn Balcom, Mark Burns, Ruth Carrico, Forest W. Arnold, Cerid Covid-19 Study Group

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Background: During the ongoing pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), SARS-CoV-2 community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) has been the primary cause of hospitalization. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of 1,013 patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 CAP from September 2020 through March 2021 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of 1,013 patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 CAP at eight of the adult hospitals in the city of Louisville from September 2020 through March 2021. Patients with 1) a positive reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for SARS-CoV-2, 2) fever, cough, or …

Distribution And Antibiotic Resistance Profiles Of Salmonella Enterica In Rural Areas Of North Carolina After Hurricane Florence In 2018, Yuqing Mao, Mohamed Zeineldin, Moiz Usmani, Sital Uprety, Joanna Shisler, Antarpreet Jutla, Avinash Unnikrishnan, Thanh H. Nguyen

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The frequency and magnitude of extreme events are increasing globally (Arnell & Gosling, 2016). Inundation, as a result of massive flooding, has the potential to change environmental conditions abruptly, and as a result, add pressure to the metabolism and proliferation of microorganisms (Furtak et al., 2020). The resulting overland flows and additional burden from domestic sewer and septic tank systems during an extreme flood event can introduce pathogens into ecologically unstable water bodies. For example, Yu et al. (2018) reported elevated levels of Escherichia coli and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in river water samples 6 months after flooding in Houston, …

Covid-19 Infection Outcome In African American Renal Transplant Recipients: Detroit Medical Center, Claudia Jarrin Tejada Md, Mareena Zachariah Md, Angela Cruz Md, Shakir Hussein Md, Elizabeth Wilpula Pharmd, Nicole Meeks, Jeffrey A. Wolff Msn, Agacnp-Bc, Pranatharthi Chandrasekar Md

Medical Student Research Symposium

Background: Transplant recipients are more vulnerable to infections including COVID-19, given their comorbidities and chronic immunosuppression. Most preliminary care series report rapid clinical progression and higher mortality compared to the general population.

Methods: Retrospective study at Harper University Hospital - Detroit Medical Center. Twenty-five renal transplant recipients (RTR) presenting consecutively with COVID-19 symptoms and positive NP swab PCR for SARS-CoV2 between 03/01/2020 - 05/01/2020 were included. Data on demographics, clinical presentation, laboratory findings, management and outcomes were collected.

Results: Patients had a median age of 56, all African American and deceased donor transplant recipients. Most had hypertension …

A Younger Demographic Defines Hepatitis C Patient Profiles In The Recent Direct-Acting Antiviral Era, Ria Minawala, Paul H. Naylor Phd, Murray N. Ehrinpreis Md, Milton G. Mutchnik Md

Medical Student Research Symposium

A Younger Demographic Defines Hepatitis C Patient Profiles in the Recent Direct-Acting Antiviral Era

Authors: Minawala, Ria1; Naylor, Paul H.2; Ehrinpreis, Murray N.2; Mutchnick, Milton G.2

Institutions: 1. Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States. 2. Wayne State University School of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Detroit, MI, United States.

Background:

Highly effective and safe direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) against hepatitis C virus (HCV) combined with U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation to screen for HCV in individuals born between 1945 and 1965 (age cohort; 54-79 years of age in 2019) was expected to reduce the number of actively …

Streptococcus Cristatus – An Oral Bacterium Causing A Case Of Mild Bacteremia And “Possible Endocarditis”, Camilo Guzman, Adi Zaclli, John Molinari

Medical Student Research Symposium

Streptococcus cristatus is a member of the Mitis streptococcus group. Like other members of this group, it resides in mucosal surfaces of the oral cavity but rarely causes disease. We present a case of S. cristatus bacteremia and “possible endocarditis” (per the modified Duke criteria) in a 59-year-old male suffering from end- stage cryptogenic cirrhosis. To date, it is the fifth reported case of disease caused by the microbe, and the first adult case in which S. cristatus was the sole microbe identified. Our patient had a history of dental caries and poor dentition, which were likely the source of …

Knowledge And Practices: Risk Perceptions Of Covid-19 And Satisfaction With Preventive Measures At Workplace Among Maternity Care Providers In Pakistan, Rubina Izhar, Samia Husain, Muhammad Ahmad Tahir, Sonia Husain

Medical College Documents

Introduction: While all healthcare services across the globe deferred non-urgent surgeries, labor wards provided maternity care during the COVID-19 pandemic continuously. This study assesses the knowledge and practices of obstetricians and midwives about personal protective equipment (PPE); their risk perception of COVID-19 and satisfaction with the preventive measures adopted at their workplace.
Methods: A questionnaire designed according to the World Health Organization’s advice on rational use of personal protective equipment for COVID-19 was administered to 452 Pakistani maternity care providers between 1 July and 30 July 2020.
Results: Most (85%) had adequate knowledge and 78.8% had good practices regarding PPE …

The Cardiovascular Manifestations Of Covid-19: A Review Of The Literature And Institutional Experience, Gina Polsinelli, Steven J. Korzeniewski, Oksana M. Doubrovski, James Paxton

Medical Student Research Symposium

The cardiovascular health of those infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) plays a major role in rates of hospitalization, mortality risk, and rates of mechanical ventilation. In patients with COVID-19, acute myocardial injury and history of cardiovascular disease are both independently established risk factors for poor patient prognosis. In addition to myocardial injury, numerous acute cardiovascular manifestations of COVID-19 disease have been identified. Previous work on this topic typically focused either upon a general description of the acute cardiovascular manifestations and sequalae of COVID-19, or upon broad-based clinical outcomes associated with COVID-19 in patients with history of …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 96, No. 15, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. This issue contains articles:

• Bertucci, Leo. An Alumnus’ Journey to Shape Education – Gary Houchens
• Latimer, Jacob. Student Government Association Prepares for Another Unusual Semester
• Differing State & WKU Quarantine Guidelines Are Confusing, But It Has to Be Done
• Pepke, Brenna. The Man Behind the Tie – Tyreon Clark, Boys to Men Leadership Group of Kentucky
• Gaylord, Kaden. Hilltoppers Series Against Old Dominion Postponed – Basketball
• Snyder, Sean. Kicking It Again, Lady Topper Soccer is Back
• Kieser, Nick. Views: Charles Bassey Continues to Bulk Resume for NBA

Malaria In Southern Venezuela: The Hottest Hotspot In Latin America, Maria Eugenia Grillet, Jorge E. Moreno, Juan V. Hernández-Villena, Maria F. Vincenti-González, Oscar Noya, Adriana Tami, Alberto Paniz-Mondolfi, Martin Llewellyn, Rachel Lowe, Ananias A. Escalante, Jan E. Conn

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Malaria elimination in Latin America is becoming an elusive goal. Malaria cases reached a historical ~1 million in 2017 and 2018, with Venezuela contributing 53% and 51% of those cases, respectively. Historically, malaria incidence in southern Venezuela has accounted for most of the country’s total number of cases. The efficient deployment of disease prevention measures and prediction of disease spread to new regions requires an in-depth understanding of spatial heterogeneity on malaria transmission dynamics. Herein, we characterized the spatial epidemiology of malaria in southern Venezuela from 2007 through 2017 and described the extent to which malaria distribution has changed country-wide …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 96, No. 14, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. This issue contains articles:

• Deppen, Laurel. In Loving Memory of Our Friend, Elliott Wells
• Collins, Michael. Quarantine Housing Relocates, Updates Meals
• Deppen, Laurel. The Only Consistent Thing is Change
• Mallon, Sam. Delayed – Maggie Smith
• Bertucci, Leo. WKU Aids in Contact Tracing for Spring 2021
• Murray, Debra. COVID-19 Vaccine
• Kieser, Nick. TOPCARE Focuses on Athletes’ Mental Health
• Toennies, Drew. Lady Toppers to Host Middle Tennessee State University – Basketball
• Gaylord, Kaden. Hilltoppers Poised for Second Sweep – Basketball

Comprehensive Echocardiographic Findings In Critically Ill Covid-19 Patients With Or Without Prior Cardiac Disease, Renuka Jain, Pedro D. Salinas, Stacie Kroboth, Abigail Kaminski, Sarah Roemer, Ana Cristina Perez Moreno, Bijoy K Khandheria

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents with a spectrum of disease severity, the most serious cases requiring intensive care. Echocardiography is a front-line tool in evaluating cardiovascular complications of COVID-19 in the intensive care unit (ICU); we analyzed transthoracic echocardiograms obtained from this patient population with state-of-the-art ultrasound technology.

Methods: All patients with COVID-19 requiring ICU admission on whom a transthoracic echocardiogram was obtained were included in the study. Focused transthoracic protocols were performed by experienced sonographers. Echocardiographic variables, including speckle-tracking echocardiography, were collected and analyzed. Clinical information was obtained from the electronic medical record. Patients were followed until discharge. …

Association Of Presenting Symptoms With Abnormal Laboratory Values For Vector-Borne Illness — Experience In An Urban Gastroenterology Practice, Michael D. Erdman, Niloofar Kossari, Jessica Ye, Kristen H. Reynolds, Emily Blodget, B. Robert Mozayeni, Farshid Sam Rahbar

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: In the clinical setting, it is not common practice to consider a vector bite, such as from a tick or flea, to be a contributing factor to chronic digestive symptoms. This article investigates associations we have observed among symptomatic patients and positive blood tests for vector-borne illness (VBI).

Methods: Patients who visited an urban gastroenterology clinic over a 3-year period were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 270 patients presenting with a constellation of digestive symptoms — and who had no apparent digestive pathology and reported no prior diagnosis or treatments for VBI — were analyzed. Before the initial visit, …

Disparities In Cardiovascular Research Output And Disease Outcomes Among High-, Middle- And Low-Income Countries - An Analysis Of Global Cardiovascular Publications Over The Last Decade (2008-2017), Nada Qaisar Qureshi, Syed Hamza Mufarrih, Gerald S. Bloomfield, Wajeeha Tariq, Aysha Almas, Ali H. Mokdad, Muhammad Imran Nisar, Sameen Siddiqi, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Zainab Samad

Department of Medicine

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Health research is crucial to managing disease burden. Previous work has highlighted marked discrepancies in research output and disease burden between high-income countries (HICs) and low- and lower-middle-income countries (LI-LMICs) and there is little data to understand whether this gap has bridged in recent years. We conducted a global, country level bibliometric analysis of CVD publications with respect to trends in disease burden and county development indicators.
Methods: A search filter with a precision and recall of 0.92 and 0.91 respectively was developed to extract cardiovascular publications …

Coronavirus Update 1-15-21, The Coronavirus Planning Team

University Briefings & Virtual Events

The Importance of Masks and Social Distancing: SHU Professor Sofia Pendley is quoted in an article on diverseeducation.com about how to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on college campuses. The article discusses a study on COVID prevention that found that extensive distancing and mandatory mask wearing alone can prevent 87% of campus COVID-19 infections. In the article, Professor Pendley shares SHU’s success in preventing spread in the classroom using these protocols.

Healthcare Of Indigenous Amazonian Peoples In Response To Covid-19: Marginality, Discrimination And Revaluation Of Ancestral Knowledge In Ucayali, Peru, Doreen Montag, Marco Barboza, Lizardo Cauper, Ivan Brehaut, Isaac Alva, Aoife Bennett, José Sanchez-Choy, Juan Pablo Sarmiento Barletti, Pilar Valenzuela, José Manuyama, Italo García Murayari, Miguel Guimaraes Vásquez, Celso Aguirre Panduro, Angela Giattino, Edwin Julio Palomino Cadenas, Rodrigo Lazo, Carlos A. Delgado, Alfonso Nino, Elaine C. Flores, Maria Amalia Pesantes, Juan Pablo Murillo, Luisa Elvira Belaunde, Sergio Recuenco, Robert Chuquimbalqui, Carol Zavaleta-Cortijo

World Languages and Cultures Faculty Articles and Research

"Systematic and persistent discrimination against Indigenous Peoples translates into differential health outcomes when analysed through ethnicity and/or mother tongue.1 In Peru, morbidity and mortality rates among Indigenous Peoples for COVID-19 appear to confirm this.2 The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the historical structural violence against Indigenous Peoples that currently takes a disproportionate toll in the Peruvian Amazon. This equally applies to Indigenous Andean Peoples and Afro Peruvians. Indigenous Peoples in voluntary isolation and those in initial contact are at highest health risk in this pandemic as they have no previous immunity against common infectious diseases, and lack access to public healthcare …

Equipping Community Health Workers With Digital Tools For Pandemic Response In Lmics, Anam Shahil Feroz, Adeel Khoja, Sarah Saleem

Community Health Sciences

Background: Community health workers (CHWs) are well-positioned to play a pivotal role in fighting the pandemic at the community level. The Covid-19 outbreak has led to a lot of stress and anxiety among CHWs as they are expected to perform pandemic related tasks along with the delivery of essential healthcare services. In addition, movement restrictions, lockdowns, social distancing, and lack of protective gear have significantly affected CHWs' routine workflow and performance. To optimize CHWs' functioning, there is a renewed interest in supporting CHWs with digital technology to ensure an appropriate pandemic response.
Discussion: The current situation has necessitated the use …

Role Of Rela In Dormancy And Toxr Proteolysis In Vibrio Cholerae, Zachary J. Malaussena

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Vibrio cholerae, the etiological agent of the severe diarrheal disease cholera, is an enteric pathogen that can be found in aquatic ecosystems when not colonizing the human gastrointestinal tract. Under adverse environmental conditions, V. cholerae is capable of entering dormant states that increase its survival during these ecological fluctuations. In these states, V. cholerae slows its metabolic activity and exhibits drastically altered gene expression and morphology. Stressors that lead to entry into these states vary from nutrient limitation, suboptimal pH, or antimicrobials. Cells in these dormant states are highly resistant to antimicrobials and cannot be detected using standard microbiological techniques …

Effects Of The Needle Exchange Program Implemented In West Virginia, Amber Graves, Anthony B. Uriarte, Katherine Duty

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: West Virginia has had a recent spike in infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis due to increased rates of injectable drug use. The rising costs associated with such diseases have been a cause for concern in the sector of healthcare and public health. In the state, the exchanging of dirty needles has resulted in the spread of bloodborne pathogens, however, the implementation of needle exchange programs has sought to decrease the rates of infection, improve health outcomes, and lower healthcare costs. However, there is a question as to the effectiveness of such programs.

Purpose of Study: …

Current Standards Of Postgraduate Surgical Education And Training In Pakistan: Time To Bridge The Gaps In Lieu Of National Necessity, Sabah Uddin Saqib, Abdul Hakeem Memon, Omair Saleem, Amir Hafeez Shariff

Section of General Surgery

The provision of good-quality surgical care is a salient feature of every public health system. Pakistan is ranked among low and middle-income countries where the burden of surgical disease is rapidly increasing, but the capacity of the health system has not expanded at the same pace to cater current needs. One of the key components is the dearth of trained surgical specialists and lack of easy access to surgical care. College of Physicians and Surgeons, Pakistan is the main certifying institution for surgeons, while public and private teaching hospitals bear the burden of responsibility for surgical education and training. The …

Targeting The Cerebrovasculature In Sepsis: A Focus On The Brain Microvascular Endothelium, Divine C. Nwafor

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a critical interface between the systemic circulation and the brain. It is a specialized multicellular unit composed of brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs), pericytes, a basement membrane, and astrocytic end foot processes. BMECs are a principal component of the BBB that provide the structural framework needed for the stringent transport of molecules into the brain. BMEC dysfunction permits the trafficking of neurotoxins from systemic circulation into the brain, which ultimately exacerbates BBB dysfunction and neuroinflammation. Studies have shown that BBB dysfunction is a key determinant of cognitive decline in sepsis. However, there are critical knowledge …

Use Of Mechanical Pronation Beds In Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome In The Intensive Care Unit: An Integrative Review Of The Literature, Amanda St. John

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The increasing rate of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) reinforces the need for additional resources to assist clinical staff with an individual's care and recovery. Pronation therapy involves physically rotating an individual from the posterior position to the prone position. Pronation therapy has successfully been used for individuals diagnosed with ARDS in Intensive Care Units for decades. However, manual pronation maneuvers by staff members poses risks for those who are critically ill and risk of physical injury to caregivers. Mechanical pronation beds have revolutionized the art of pronation therapy, minimizing risks, and decreasing possibility of kinking or pulling out life …

Evaluating Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Access To Primary Care Among Gay And Bisexual Men In The Us, A Population At High-Risk Of Hiv Infection, Jessica S. Kiernan, April D. Kimmel

Graduate Research Posters

BACKGROUND: 69% of new HIV diagnoses in the US are among gay and bisexual men, with disparities by race and ethnicity. Primary care providers increasingly provide HIV prevention. Racial and ethnic disparities in primary care access are well-documented, but their persistence among gay and bisexual men is unknown. We examined racial and ethnic disparities in access to primary care among this population.

METHODS: We used nationally representative person-level sociodemographic, health status and utilization data, and data on organizational- and socially determinant barriers to care, from the National Health Interview Survey, 2013-2018. Outcomes were: 1) general physician visit

RESULTS: The sample …