Digital Commons Network^™

Determining The Antibacterial Activity And Mode Of Action Of Tirandamycin, Hailey Bouchard

CMC Senior Theses

Tirandamycin is a small molecule natural product that has been isolated from various species of marine and terrestrial Streptomyces. The natural product has shown antibacterial activity against an array of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, showing promise as a pharmaceutical drug. Tirandamycin has 14 known derivatives, many of which have been created synthetically. Some of its derivatives are particularly potent against the high-risk bacteria vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. However, the antibacterial potency of these derivatives has not been tested systematically leading to the possibility of discovering more potent …

Contaminants Of Emerging Concern: Reconsidering Our Paradigm Of Water Pollution, Jonathan Gunasti

Pomona Senior Theses

In this senior thesis, I explore contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and discuss the ways in which these novel contaminants defy traditional notions of pollution. I discuss the history and “emergence” of CECs and EDCs in scientific and public spheres and outline ongoing challenges to recognizing, prioritizing, and understanding the action of these contaminants. I position EDCs within the framework of environmental injustice and health disparities and suggest that these compounds could reinforce multigenerational health inequities. Finally, I perform a pilot analysis of the EDC bisphenol A (BPA) in Mt. Baldy Creek, the Los Angeles …

Health Behaviors And Pandemics, Jay E. Maddock, Anna E. Greer

Public Health Faculty Publications

Human health behaviors are essential to reducing the spread and impact of pandemics. However, most behavioral scientists do not work in the area of pandemics given the infrequency of their occurrences. This editorial examines relevant health behavior theories, in particular the precaution adoption process model, and how these apply to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Antibacterial, Antifungal, Antioxidant Activity And Polyphenol Content Of Aerial Parts And Bulbs Of Allium Schugnanicum., Saidbeg Satorov, F. Mirzoeva, Sh. Kurbonbekova, Sh. Satorov, M. Vakhidova, Vyacheslav Dushenkov

Publications and Research

Objective: То study of antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant activity, and content of polyphenols in the bulb and aerial parts of an endemic species of onion A. schugnanicum. Methods: An ethanol-based extract was prepared from fresh plants. Total polyphenolic content (Folin) and ABTS antioxidant capacity assays were used to characterized extracts. Extracts obtained from bulbs, peduncle, and seeds demonstrated antibacterial activity against the reference Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 4929), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 4930) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 4927) strains, as well as against the hospital strains of the same types of bacteria, i.e. strains isolated from inpatient surgical patients. Results: The study …

Hsp90 Inhibition And Modulation Of The Proteome: Therapeutical Implications For Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (Ipf), Ruben Manuel Luciano Colunga Biancatelli, Pavel Solopov, Betsy Gregory, John D. Catravas

Bioelectrics Publications

Idiopathic Pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a catastrophic disease with poor outcomes and limited pharmacological approaches. Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) has been recently involved in the wound-healing pathological response that leads to collagen deposition in patients with IPF and its inhibition represents an exciting drug target against the development of pulmonary fibrosis. Under physiological conditions, HSP90 guarantees proteostasis through the refolding of damaged proteins and the degradation of irreversibly damaged ones. Additionally, its inhibition, by specific HSP90 inhibitors (e.g., 17 AAG, 17 DAG, and AUY-922) has proven beneficial in different preclinical models of human disease. HSP90 inhibition modulates a complex …

Exploring The Potential Of Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning To Combat Covid-19 And Existing Opportunities For Lmic: A Scoping Review, Maleeha Naseem, Ramsha Akhund, Hajra Arshad, Muhammad Talal Ibrahim

Community Health Sciences

Background: In the face of the current time-sensitive COVID-19 pandemic, the limited capacity of healthcare systems resulted in an emerging need to develop newer methods to control the spread of the pandemic. Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) have a vast potential to exponentially optimize health care research. The use of AI-driven tools in LMIC can help in eradicating health inequalities and decrease the burden on health systems.
Methods: The literature search for this Scoping review was conducted through the PubMed database using keywords: COVID-19, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Low Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). Forty-three articles were …

Hiv Care Continuum Characteristics Among People With Opioid Use Disorder And Hiv In Vietnam: Baseline Results From The Bravo Study, Caroline King, Le Minh Giang, Gavin Bart, Lynn Elizabeth Kunkel, P. Todd Korthuis

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background

Little is known about patient characteristics that contribute to initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) and achieving viral suppression among HIV people with opioid use disorder in Vietnam. The primary objective of this analysis was to evaluate associations between participant characteristics and the critical steps in the HIV care continuum of ART initiation and HIV viral suppression among people with opioid use disorder and HIV in Vietnam.

Methods

We assessed baseline participant characteristics, ART status, and HIV viral suppression (HIV RNA PCR < 200 copies/mL) enrolled in a clinical trial of HIV clinic-based buprenorphine versus referral for methadone among people with opioid use disorder in Vietnam. We developed logistic regression models to identify characteristics associated with ART status and HIV viral suppression.

Results

Among 283 study participants, 191 (67.5%) were prescribed ART at baseline, and 168 of those on ART (90%) …

Analysis Of Covid-19 Transmission: Low Risk Of Presymptomatic Spread?, Mark K. Slifka, William B. Messer, Ian J. Amanna

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

More than 6 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) have been identified worldwide and a number of case reports1-5 have indicated that COVID-19 has the potential to be transmitted prior to disease onset. Studies have also shown that infectious virus can be isolated from presymptomatic COVID-19 cases6 and although it is unknown what level of infectious virus is needed to confer efficient transmission potential, detection of infectious virus in the upper respiratory tract indicates that presymptomatic transmission of COVID-19 is plausible. Fear of asymptomatic and presymptomatic transmission of COVID-19 has led to considerable concern among public health policy …

Rapid Deployment Of A Statewide Covid-19 Echo Program For Frontline Clinicians: Early Results And Lessons Learned, Anna Louise Steeves-Reece, Nancy Elder, Tuesday A. Graham, Miriam L. Wolf, Isabel Stock, Melinda M. Davis, Robert D. Stock

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

In a pattern repeated around the country, Oregon reported its first coronavirus patient on February 28, 2020.1 A week later, the governor declared a state of emergency.2 While the media initially focused on efforts to address COVID-19 in large cities, many rural communities were working in parallel to prepare. In these rural areas, there was an increasing concern that the burden of COVID-19 may be particularly dire due to factors such as older populations, higher prevalence of chronic diseases and poverty, and less health care access.3-6 Rural clinicians, especially those working in outpatient settings, are caring for patients during the …

Recovering From Covid-19 Building Closures: Guidance Document, David Krause, Cheri Marcham, John Springston, Alex Lebeau, Robert Rottersman, Timothy Froehlig, Bart Ashley

Publications

While the country comes to terms with the inevitable impact that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, will have on our lives and communities, public health authorities remain focused on breaking the chain of transmission. Managing the risk has resulted in widespread closures of businesses, schools, universities, resorts, and other facilities deemed “non-essential.” Practically speaking, this means closing buildings and ceasing operations. For building owners and operators, this poses a significant challenge to protect their assets and to ensure they are ready to reoccupy once the pandemic subsides.

Three Cases Of Covid-19 Pneumonia That Responded To Icosapent Ethyl Supportive Treatment, Winston Suh, Ivan Urits, Omar Viswanath, Alan D. Kaye, Haresh Patel, Wade Hall, Jonathan P. Eskander

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND Icosapent ethyl, a form of eicosapentaenoic acid with anti-inflammatory activity, has been approved as an adjunctive treatment with statins in patients with hypertriglyceridemia. Icosapent ethyl is currently undergoing clinical trials to determine its anti-inflammatory effects in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This report describes 3 intensive care unit (ICU) patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 pneumonia treated with icosapent ethyl as part of their supportive care who had favorable outcomes.

CASE REPORT Case 1 was a 75-year-old man with a past medical history of hyperlipidemia, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Case 2 was …

Evaluating The Impact Of Malaria Education On Student Missionaries, Julie Mckinney

DNP Research Projects

Malaria has been studied for years, and yet remains one of the most significant vector-borne diseases that travelers encounter in malaria-endemic regions (CDC, 2019). Education is noted to be critical in disease prevention, management, and eradication. Student missionaries are at high risk for infection and can have a global influence that is improved through education. A pilot study was conducted on eleven students with a pre-test and post-test design after a malaria education webinar. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the baseline level of education in student missionaries, as well as to assess the effect of malaria …

Law, Structural Racism, And The Covid-19 Pandemic, Ruqaiijah Yearby, Seema Mohapatra

All Faculty Scholarship

Racial and ethnic minorities have always been the most impacted by pandemics because of: disparities in exposure to the virus; disparities in susceptibility to contracting the virus; and disparities in treatment. This article explains how structural racism, the ways in which laws are used to advantage the majority and disadvantage racial and ethnic minorities, has caused these disparities. Specifically, this article focuses on how employment, housing, health care, and COVID-19 relief laws have been manipulated to disadvantage racial and ethnic minorities, making minorities more susceptible to COVID-19 infection and death. This article uses Blumenshine’s 2008 framework to outline how structural …

Association Between Stigma, Psychological Distress, And Quality Of Life Among People Living With Hiv In Federal Territory Of Kuala Lumpur, Ibrahim Khairiah

Student Works (2020-2029)

Quality of life is an important component in the evaluation of the well-being of PLHIV. However, HIV stigma and psychological distress (depression, anxiety and stress) continue to be a barrier to obtain a good quality of life among PLHIV globally. This study assesses the level of QOL, stigma and psychological distress among PLHIV in Kuala Lumpur by determining the association between QOL, stigma and psychological distress. A cross-sectional study was conducted, involving 305 PLHIV attendees of the infectious disease clinic in a teaching hospital, primary health clinic and three Community-Based Organisations (CBOs). The sampled respondents completed face to face interviews …

The Effectiveness Of Cannabidiol In Rheumatic Disease Pain: A Systematic Review, Mary C. Wiczek

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Cannabinoids have long been a part of human culture and medicine, and more recently have been rediscovered for their potential use in the management of rheumatic disease pain. The objective of this review was to evaluate the known clinical effectiveness of cannabidiol treatment for rheumatic disease related pain. The legality and current regulation of these products was also reviewed to establish the current status of federal and state rules regarding their clinical use. Basic definitions of the terms used to differentiate cannabidiol from other cannabinoid products was also outlined. A systematic literature search was then conducted to explore the current …

Probiotics And The Prevention Of Clostridioides Difficile: A Review Of Existing Systematic Reviews, Andrea L. Onstad

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Clostridioides difficile is the leading cause of infectious diarrhea (Vernaya et al., 2017). Probiotics have been proposed to provide a protective benefit against Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). The objective of this literature review was to examine the research evidence pertaining to the use of probiotics for the prevention of CDI in individuals receiving antibiotic therapy. A systematic literature review of studies published between 2015 and 2019 was performed. Five databases were searched, which yielded 10 systematic reviews that met strict inclusion criteria. Overall, the majority of evidence indicated that probiotics versus no treatment, placebo, or usual care have the potential …

Eftilagimod Alpha, A Soluble Lymphocyte Activation Gene-3 (Lag-3) Protein Plus Pembrolizumab In Patients With Metastatic Melanoma, Victoria Atkinson, Adnan Khattak, Andrew Haydon, Melissa Eastgate, Amitesh Roy, Prashanth Prithviraj, Christian Mueller, Chrystelle Brignone, Frederic Triebel

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. BACKGROUND: To evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of eftilagimod alpha (efti), a soluble lymphocyte activation gene-3 protein, in combination with the programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) antagonist pembrolizumab. METHODS: The study was divided into two parts; parts A and B, where part A was the dose escalation part and part B was an extension part of the study. Patients with metastatic melanoma were treated with efti plus the standard dose of pembrolizumab. Blood samples were assayed to determine …

Variation Of Tuberculosis Prevalence Across Diagnostic Approaches And Geographical Areas Of Indonesia, Alvera Noviyani

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) has contributed a significant disease burden and economic loss worldwide. Given no gold standard for diagnosis, early identification of TB infection has been challenging. This study aimed to comparatively investigate the prevalence of TB across diagnostic approaches (sputum AFB, sputum culture, sputum genetic test, and chest x-ray) and geographical areas in Indonesia. Methods: Participant demographic variables and TB screening test results were obtained from the Tuberculosis Unit, Health Research and Development Agency, Ministry of Health (HRDA-MoH). Variations across geographical areas and diagnostic approaches are expressed as prevalence rate and 95%CI. Results: A total of 67,944 records were …

The Impact Of Aging And Mechanical Injury On Alveolar Epithelial And Macrophage Responses In Acute Lung Injury And Inflammation, Michael S. Valentine

Theses and Dissertations

Patients with severe lung pathologies, such as Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), often require mechanical ventilation as a clinical intervention; however, this procedure frequently exacerbates the original pulmonary issue and produces an exaggerated inflammatory response that potentially leads to sepsis, multisystem organ failure, and mortality. This acute lung injury (ALI) condition has been termed Ventilator-Induced Lung Injury (VILI). Alveolar overdistension, cyclic atelectasis, and biotrauma are the primary injury mechanisms in VILI that lead to the loss of alveolar barrier integrity and pulmonary inflammation. Stress and strains during mechanical ventilation are believed to initiate alveolar epithelial mechanotransduction signaling mechanisms that contribute …

Vaccine Hesitancy: Experimentalism As Regulatory Opportunity, Ana Santos Rutschman, Timothy L. Wiemken

All Faculty Scholarship

This symposium on patient innovation has prompted us to explore problems related to departures from official vaccination schedules. At a time in which vaccine confidence has been plummeting across the world, we argue that a more granular understanding—and ultimately a more finely tuned regulatory framework—is needed to reflect the current behavioral heterogeneity among indicated patients who choose to forego or delay administration of recommended vaccines. In particular, we focus on a phenomenon we term “vaccine staggering:” a departure from vaccination schedules in the form of delays in receiving one or more vaccines, which is motivated by the desire to boost …

Covid-19 Sampling From The Middle Ear And Mastoid: A Case Report, George B Wanna, Zachary G Schwam, Vivian F Kaul, Maura K Cosetti, Enrique Perez, Peter Filip, Waleed Javaid, Avi Kandel, Alberto Paniz-Mondolfi, Satish Govindaraj, Eric M Genden

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Improving Access To Hepatitis C Treatment For Uninsured Patients In Southeast Georgia, Bonzo K. Reddick, Marianna O'Ree

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: In this brief report, we discuss enhancing access to hepatitis C treatment for uninsured patients in Southeast Georgia.

Methods: Through our screening program for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in a local safety net emergency department, the Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Initiative studied the rates of linkage to care for newly diagnosed patients with HCV and sought ways to improve linkage to care for those who did not have health insurance.

Results: Our multidisciplinary team partnered with a local federally qualified health center (FQHC) and a wholesale laboratory service to offer affordable care options, thus increasing the percent …

Vaccines And Ip Preparedness In The Coronavirus Outbreak, Ana Santos Rutschman

All Faculty Scholarship

The COVID-19 pandemic has shed renewed light on the importance of research and development (R&D) on biopharmaceutical products needed to prevent or lessen the burden posed by outbreaks of infectious diseases. Among these, the need for new vaccines has become of paramount importance. While a race to develop different types of vaccines unfolds at unusual speed, there are still significant shortcomings in the ecosystem that leads to the production and dissemination of vaccines targeting infectious diseases like COVID-19.

The Mosaic Of Coronavirus Vaccine Development: Systemic Failures In Vaccine Innovation, Ana Santos Rutschman

All Faculty Scholarship

Scientists are racing to develop vaccines against the novel coronavirus. While some vaccine candidates may enter the market in record time, the current vaccine innovation ecosystem exposes governance lacunas at both the international and domestic levels.

The Problem With Relying On Profit-Driven Models To Produce Pandemic Drugs, Ana Santos Rutschman

All Faculty Scholarship

The longstanding problems of relying on a market response to a pandemic are becoming readily apparent in the United States, which has quickly become the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak. The problems are particularly pronounced in pharmaceutical markets, where we are pinning our hopes for both cures and vaccines. In previous work we have shown how characteristics of healthcare markets in the United States create a divergence between the private incentives of for-profit companies and public health needs, leading to sub-optimal health outcomes in what is a uniquely market-driven healthcare system. In this Essay, written as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds, …

The Reemergence Of Vaccine Nationalism, Ana Santos Rutschman

All Faculty Scholarship

This short essay explores the reemergence of vaccine nationalism during the COVID-19 pandemic. The essay traces the pre-COVID origins of vaccine nationalism and explains how it can have detrimental effects on equitable access to newly developed vaccines.

Substance Use Disorder, Discrimination, And The Cares Act: Using Disability Law To Strengthen New Protections, Kelly K. Dineen, Elizabeth Pendo

All Faculty Scholarship

The COVID-19 pandemic is having devastating consequences for people with substance use disorders (SUD). SUD is a chronic health condition—like people with other chronic health conditions, people with SUD experience periods of remission and periods of exacerbation and relapse. Unlike people with most other chronic conditions, people with SUD who experience a relapse may face criminal charges and incarceration. They are chronically disadvantaged by pervasive social stigma, discrimination, and structural inequities. People with SUD are also at higher risk for both contracting the SARS-CoV-19 virus and experiencing poorer outcomes. Meanwhile, there are early indications that pandemic conditions have led to …

Employee Testing, Tracing, And Disclosure As A Response To The Coronavirus Pandemic, Matthew T. Bodie, Michael Mcmahon

All Faculty Scholarship

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to devastate the United States, the federal government has largely failed to implement a national program to prevent and contain the virus. As a result, many employers have undertaken their own workplace coronavirus mitigation efforts. This essay examines, in three parts, the legal framework surrounding employer systems of workplace testing, tracing, and disclosure. It first examines the legal issues surrounding employer-mandated COVID-19 testing and temperature checks, especially issues arising under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Regarding employer contact tracing efforts, the essay next reviews the multitude …

Comments On The Preliminary Framework For Equitable Allocation Of Covid-19 Vaccine, Ana Santos Rutschman, Julia Barnes-Weise, Robert Gatter, Timothy L. Wiemken

All Faculty Scholarship

On September 1, 2020 the National Academies released a draft framework for Equitable Allocation of a COVID-19 Vaccine. In this response, we analyze the proposed framework and highlight several areas.

Among the proposed changes, we highlight the need for the following interventions. The final framework for distribution of COVID-19 vaccines should give a higher priority to populations made most vulnerable by the social determinants of health. It should incorporate more geography-based approaches in at least some of the four proposed phases of vaccine distribution. It should address the possibility of a vaccine being made available through an emergency use authorization …

Organic Compound Farnesol Reduces Disease Severity And Onset In Mouse Model Of Multiple Sclerosis, Lacey B. Sell

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.