Digital Commons Network^™

Rhabdomyolysis And Covid-19, Brett T. Swanson

Student Publications

This paper seeks to summarize recent research findings concerning the link between rhabdomyolysis and COVID-19. While most commonly known as a respiratory disease, COVID-19 has strong direct effects on the kidneys which presents a serious challenge to treatment and care of patients. New research also suggests that COVID-19 directly damages skeletal muscle tissue as well, and rhabdomyolysis induced as a result of viral attack or secondary factors can also place major strain on the kidneys. Both COVID-19 and rhabdomyolysis can lead to acute kidney injury on their own, and their combined effects can present severe clinical complications. This body of …

Urgent Need For Integrated Pandemic Policies On Pathogen Spillover, Pallavi A. Kache, Sonila Cook, Nigel Sizer, Lee Hannah, Neil M. Vora

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Utilization Of Remote Sensing To Analyze Aedes Mosquito Egg Abundance With Combined Weather Variables In Two Southeastern Coastal Cities, Danielle M. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Several vector-borne diseases have recently resurfaced, and many have suddenly spread to new areas in the United States (U.S.) due to climate change and tropicalization. Two vectors of public health importance are Aedes aegyptiand Aedes albopictus. The Southeastern region of the U.S. appears to be a preferential ecological niche for both Aedes species. Aedes aegyptiand Aedes albopictus are highly susceptible to environmental conditions, such as humidity, precipitation, temperature. Remote sensing technology has proven to be useful for estimating vector populations. Miami-Dade County is an established hotspot for disease transmission. Charleston County is newly vulnerable due to similar …

Reinvigorating A Technical Countering Weapons Of Mass Destruction Distance Learning Graduate Certificate Program, James C. Petrosky, Gaiven Varshney, Jeremy Slagley, Sara Shaghaghi

Faculty Publications

Current Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) demands can be divided broadly into policy and science. The science of chemical, biological, and radiological/nuclear weapons informs the limits of development, production, employment, operation, detection, risk characterization, human and material protection, and medical intervention. In short, the science of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) should precede and inform the development of policy. It is to this end that the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) CWMD program was re-established, providing a technical educational option for practitioners to understand the science behind a very technically challenging subject.

Prevention And Screening Of Hpv Malignancies, Kristina R Dahlstrom, Andrew T Day, Erich M Sturgis

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

It is estimated that 5% of the global cancer burden, or approximately 690,000 cancer cases annually, is attributable to human papillomavirus (HPV). Primary prevention through prophylactic vaccination is the best option for reducing the burden of HPV-related cancers. Most high-income countries (HICs) have introduced the HPV vaccine and are routinely vaccinating adolescent boys and girls. Unfortunately, although they suffer the greatest morbidity and mortality due to HPV-related cancers, many lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have been unable to initiate and sustain vaccination programs. Secondary prevention in the form of screening has led to substantial declines in cervical cancer incidence in …

Association Of Body Composition With Odds Of Breast Cancer By Molecular Subtype: Analysis Of The Mechanisms For Established And Novel Risk Factors For Breast Cancer In Nigerian Women (Mend) Study, Tomi Akinyemiju, Kelley Jones, Anjali Gupta, Taofik Oyekunle, Veeral Saraiya, April Deveaux, Omolola Salako, Allison Hall, Olusegun Alatise, Gabriel Ogun, Adewale Adeniyi, Omobolaji Ayandipo, Thomas Olajide, Olalekan Olasehinde, Olukayode Arowolo, Adewale Adisa, Oludolapo Afuwape, Aralola Olusanya, Aderemi Adegoke, Trygve O. Tollefsbol, Donna K. Arnett, H3 Africa Kidney Research Network, Adetola Daramola

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The association between obesity and breast cancer (BC) has been extensively studied among US, European and Asian study populations, with often conflicting evidence. However, despite the increasing prevalence of obesity and associated conditions in Africa, the continent with the highest age-standardized BC mortality rate globally, few studies have evaluated this association, and none has examined in relation to molecular subtypes among African women. The current analysis examines the association between body composition, defined by body mass index (BMI), height, and weight, and BC by molecular subtype among African women.

METHODS: We estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals …

Recognition And Screening For Chagas Disease In The Usa, Rachel Marcus, Andres F. Henao-Martinez, Melissa Nolan Ph.D., Mph, Elizabeth Livingston, Stephen A. Klotz, Robert H. Gilman, Monica Miranda-Schaeubinger, Sheba Meymandi

Faculty Publications

Chagas disease (CD), caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is a public health concern, mainly among countries in South and Central America. However, despite the large number of immigrants from endemic countries living in the USA, awareness of CD is poor in the medical community, and therefore it is significantly underdiagnosed. To avoid the catastrophic cardiac complications of CD and to prevent maternal–fetal transmission, widespread educational programs highlighting the need for diagnosis are urgently needed.

Pulmonary Inflammation And Injury Triggered By Spine Surgery In Recovered Covid-19 Patients Demand Consideration, Luciano Rodrigo Lopes, Silvana Kertzer Kasinski

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Dna-Encoded Chemistry Technology Yields Expedient Access To Sars-Cov-2m Pro Inhibitors, Srinivas Chamakuri, Shuo Lu, Melek Nihan Ucisik, Kurt M Bohren, Ying-Chu Chen, Huang-Chi Du, John C Faver, Ravikumar Jimmidi, Feng Li, Jian-Yuan Li, Pranavanand Nyshadham, Stephen S Palmer, Jeroen Pollet, Xuan Qin, Shannon E Ronca, Banumathi Sankaran, Kiran L Sharma, Zhi Tan, Leroy Versteeg, Zhifeng Yu, Martin M Matzuk, Timothy Palzkill, Damian W Young

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has killed more than 4 million humans globally, but there is no bona fide Food and Drug Administration–approved drug-like molecule to impede the COVID-19 pandemic. The sluggish pace of traditional therapeutic discovery is poorly suited to producing targeted treatments against rapidly evolving viruses. Here, we used an affinity-based screen of 4 billion DNA-encoded molecules en masse to identify a potent class of virus-specific inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) without extensive and time-consuming medicinal chemistry. CDD-1714, the initial three-building-block screening hit (molecular weight [MW] = 542.5 g/mol), was a potent inhibitor (inhibition …

School-Based Sex Education In The United States And Its Association With Sexual And Reproductive Health Outcomes, 2000-2020, Priscilla M. Lopez

Dissertations and Theses

Background: There are significant sexual and reproductive health disparities in the United States (US). A significant proportion of sexual health disparities among adolescents is likely due in-part to inadequate school-based sex education. Sex education encourages sustainable and informed sexual behavior and has the potential reach adolescents prior to sexual debut and throughout the years at highest risk for adverse sexual health outcomes. However, the way in which sex education is defined and operationalized, as described in the literature, varies substantially, which may lead to wide variation in implementation in schools and this might explain the disparities seen. State-level sex …

Prevalence, Awareness, And Control Of Hypertension Among Bangladeshi Adults: An Analysis Of Demographic And Health Survey 2017-18, Gulam Muhammed Al Kibria, Rajat Das Gupta Ph.D., Jannatun Nayeem

Faculty Publications

Background

The prevalence of hypertension is increasing in Bangladesh, however, few recent studies investigated the proportion of people and factors associated with prevalence, awareness, and control of this condition in this country. This study investigated these among Bangladeshi adults.

Methods

Using Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2017–18 data, a cross-sectional study was conducted. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was employed after descriptive analysis and prevalence estimation.

Results

Among 12,926 persons (mean age: 40 years, 57% women), the prevalence of hypertension was 27.4% (n = 3551), it was 28.4 and 26.2% among females and males, respectively. Among hypertensive people, about 42.4% …

Association Of Maternal Prenatal Selenium Concentration And Preterm Birth: A Multicountry Meta-Analysis, Nagendra Monangi, Huan Xu, Waqasuddin Khan, Furqan Kabir, Muhammad Imran Nisar, Aneeta Hotwani, Usma Mehmood, Ambreen Nizar, Javairia Khalid, Fyezah Jehan

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Selenium (Se), an essential trace mineral, has been implicated in preterm birth (PTB). We aimed to determine the association of maternal Se concentrations during pregnancy with PTB risk and gestational duration in a large number of samples collected from diverse populations.
Methods: Gestational duration data and maternal plasma or serum samples of 9946 singleton live births were obtained from 17 geographically diverse study cohorts. Maternal Se concentrations were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis. The associations between maternal Se with PTB and gestational duration were analysed using logistic and linear regressions. The results were then combined using …

Correlation Between Dental Environment And Perceived Stress Scale Among Dental Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Indonesia, Tri Erri Astoeti, Howis Josephine, Armelia Sari Widyarman, Widijanto Sudhana

Kesmas

Academic stressors in a medical educational environment are related to two factors. This study was carried out in order to analyze the correlation between the dental environment and perceived stress among dental students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The respondents were 422 undergraduate dental students and the validated Modified Dental Environmental Stress (DES) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) questionnaires were used. Furthermore, the Spearman correlation analysis was used to measure the correlation between DES and PSS score. The result showed that five dental stressors were noted to have the strongest correlations with PSS (p-value >0.40). They include expectation towards dental school …

Why Should People Use Face Masks In The Time Of Covid? The Jri Position, Jose Bordon, Alex Glynn, Forest W. Arnold

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

No Difference In Clinical Outcomes For African American And White Patients Hospitalized With Sars-Cov-2 Pneumonia In Louisville, Kentucky, Julio A. Ramirez, Stephen P. Furmanek, Thomas Chandler, Stephen S. Hanson, Dawn Balcom, Subathra Marimuthu, Sathya Krishnasamy, Jose Bordon, Rodrigo Cavallazzi, Amr Aboelnasr, Mahder A. Tella, William A. Mattingly, Ashley M. Wilde, Daisy Sangroula, Demetra Antimisiaris, Donghoon Chung, Guillermo Cabral, Gabino R Fernandez-Botran, Jiapeng Huang, Martin Gnoni, Ozan Akca, Paul Schulz, Phillip F. Bressoud, Priya Krishnan, Sally Suliman, William P. Mckinney, Bryan Moffett, Leslie A Wolf, Mark Burns, Alex Glynn, Ruth Carrico, Forest W. Arnold

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Introduction: Current literature indicates that African American individuals are at increased risk of becoming infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus and suffer higher SARS-CoV-2-related mortality rates. However, there is a lack of consensus as to how the clinical outcomes of African American patients differ from those of other groups. The objective of this study was to define the clinical outcomes of African American and White hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in Louisville, Kentucky.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 CAP at eight hospitals in Louisville, Kentucky. Severity of CAP at time of hospitalization …

The Histories Of Hivs : The Emergence Of The Multiple Viruses That Caused The Aids Epidemics, William H. Schneider

Ohio University Press Open Access Books

This new collection of essays on HIV viruses spans disciplines to topple popular narratives about the origins of the AIDS pandemic and the impact of the disease on public health policy.

With a death toll in the tens of millions, the AIDS pandemic was one of the worst medical disasters of the past century. The disease was identified in 1981, at the height of miraculous postwar medical achievements, including effective antibiotics, breakthrough advances in heart surgery and transplantations, and cheap, safe vaccines—smallpox had been eradicated just a few years earlier. Arriving as they did during this era of confidence in …

Chagas Disease In Hiv-Infected Patients: It’S Time To Consider The Diagnosis, Melissa Nolan Ph.D., Mph, Natasha S. Hochberg

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Increasing Role Of Pragmatic Clinical Trials And Real-World Data In Healthcare Research, Julio A. Ramirez, Ruth Carrico

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Roles Of A Bradykinin Storm And A Cytokine Storm In Covid-19 Cases, Nouha H. Odeh

Honors College Theses

In the light of recent events, it is imperative to understand the key inflammatory response elements that appear to be the source of more severe ailments resulting from a SARS-CoV-2 viral infection known as Covid-19 The more severe cases of Covid-19 are characterized by a severe inflammatory response resulting in tissue damage. My research proposal aims to investigate the two possible culprits of this response: a bradykinin (BK) storm and an interleukin-6 (IL-6) mediated cytokine storm. In both systems respectively, the excess release of these signals subsequently signals the production of even more of the same response element, resulting in …

Improvement Cycles In Medical Education: From Quality Improvement To Patient Care And Clinical Research, Julio A. Ramirez

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Orofacial Manifestations Of Lyme Disease: A Systematic Review, Brenda Bradshaw, Kelsey M. Jones, Joleen M. Westerdale-Mcinnis, Holly Gaff

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose: Orofacial manifestations of Lyme disease can affect head and neck anatomical structures that are frequently examined by dental professionals. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the literature for types and frequencies of orofacial manifestations documented in populations in the United States (US) with Lyme disease.

Methods: Four electronic databases (Dentistry and Oral Sciences, PubMed, Cinahl Plus, and Medline) were systematically searched during the summer of 2019 using keywords and MeSH terms to identify relevant studies. Search term alterations and synonyms were cross-checked using the US National Library of Medicine Unified Medical Language System Metathesaurus. Full-text, English …

Exposure To Parasitic Infections Determines Features And Phenotypes Of Active Convulsive Epilepsy In Africa, Nelson K. Langat, Symon M. Kariuki, Gathoni Kamuyu, Angelina Kakooza-Mwesige, Seth Owusu-Agyei, Kenneth Ae-Ngibise, Anne Wang'ombe, Anthony Ngugi, Honorati Masaja, Ryan G. Wagner

Population Health, East Africa

Background: Epilepsy affects 70 million people worldwide, 80% of whom are in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs). Infections of the central nervous system (CNS) contribute considerably to the burden of epilepsy in LMICs, but the nature and presentation of epilepsy following these infections is not fully understood. We examined if epilepsy foutcomes are associated with the exposure to parasitic infections.
Methods: This was a case-comparison study nested in a cross-sectional survey of people with active convulsive epilepsy, with cases as those exposed to parasitic infections, and comparison as those unexposed. Associations of exposure to parasites with clinical and electroencephalographic …

A Retrospective Observational Study: Is Absolute Lymphocyte Count A Prognostic Marker In Covid-19?, Mansoor Zafar, Muhammad Shahbaz, Mangala Karkhanis, Mohamed Abdelbagi, Opeyemi A. Makanjuola, Bipin Pun, Ratan S. Randhawa, Frederic Cuison, Dana Safarova, Najam-Us-Saher Rizvi

Section of Internal Medicine

Aim: Our study aimed to find a correlation between low absolute lymphocyte count and COVID-19-related mortality.
Methods: This study followed a retrospective observational cohort design to analyze the data of patients who presented with symptoms and signs of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), at the Conquest Hospital and Eastbourne District General Hospital in East Sussex, United Kingdom, between February 10, 2020 and May 1, 2020, retrospectively. Survival and mortality for the first 30 days and comorbidities were analyzed for all patients who were tested for COVID-19 irrespective of swab results and had blood lymphocyte levels taken at the …

Longitudinal Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (Prep) Acceptability, Initiation And Adherence Among Criminal Justice-Involved Adults In The Usa: The Southern Prep Cohort Study (Specs) Protocol, Katherine Lemasters, Carrie B. Oser, Mariah Cowell, Katie Mollan, Kathryn Nowotny, Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein

Sociology Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: HIV prevalence among criminal justice (CJ)-involved adults is five times higher than the general population. Following incarceration, CJ-involved individuals experience multilevel barriers to HIV prevention. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a widely available, daily medication efficacious in preventing HIV. Little is known about PrEP knowledge, acceptability, initiation and sustained use among CJ-involved persons or about how these outcomes vary by multilevel factors. The Southern Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Study (SPECS) will investigate barriers and facilitators for PrEP initiation and sustained use among CJ-involved adults, building a foundation for PrEP interventions for this underserved population.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS: SPECS uses a mixed-methods sequential …

The Role Of Interspecies Recombination In The Evolution Of Antibiotic-Resistant Pneumococci, Joshua C. D'Aeth, Mark Pg Van Der Linden, Lesley Mcgee, Herminia De Lencastre, Paul Turner, Jae-Hoon Song, Stephanie W. Lo, Rebecca A. Gladstone, Gps Consortium, Sadia Shakoor

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Multidrug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae emerge through the modification of core genome loci by interspecies homologous recombinations, and acquisition of gene cassettes. Both occurred in the otherwise contrasting histories of the antibiotic-resistant S. pneumoniae lineages PMEN3 and PMEN9. A single PMEN3 clade spread globally, evading vaccine-induced immunity through frequent serotype switching, whereas locally circulating PMEN9 clades independently gained resistance. Both lineages repeatedly integrated Tn916-type and Tn1207.1-type elements, conferring tetracycline and macrolide resistance, respectively, through homologous recombination importing sequences originating in other species. A species-wide dataset found over 100 instances of such interspecific acquisitions of resistance cassettes and flanking …

Post-Acute Sequelae Of Covid-19 And Polypharmacy: If You Think There’S Too Much Polypharmacy Now, Just Wait, Demetra Antimisiaris

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

The intersection of increased chronic disease burden worldwide with the COVID-19 pandemic was called the “perfect storm”. This article discusses yet another perfect storm: Post COVID-19 (acute and non-acute) syndrome, high chronic disease burdens, advanced age, and polypharmacy. The expected hyper polypharmacy that should result from the added disease and symptom burden due to post COVID-19 syndrome is discussed, as well as the importance of studying the incidence and characteristics to be able to address avoidable medication-related problems.

Baricitinib In The Treatment Of A Critical Patient With Covid-19 Pneumonia: A Case Report, Nishant Patel, Dylan Goldsmith, Forest W. Arnold

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

A 72-year-old male presented to the emergency department with a chief complaint of diarrhea after having tested positive for COVID-19 two days prior. He initially had minimal respiratory complaints, but was eventually transferred to the intensive care unit for acute hypoxic respiratory failure. In addition to dexamethasone, remdesivir, and antibiotics, the patient was treated with baricitinib, a Janus kinase inhibitor that was recently granted emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. He had an extensive and complicated hospital course and had to be placed on mechanical ventilation, ultimately undergoing tracheostomy. After …

Mathematical Modeling, Analysis, And Simulation Of The Covid-19 Pandemic With Behavioral Patterns And Group Mixing, Comfort Ohajunwa, Padmanabhan Seshaiyer

Spora: A Journal of Biomathematics

Due to the rise of COVID-19 cases, many mathematical models have been developed to study the disease dynamics of the virus. However, despite its role in the spread of COVID-19, many SEIR models neglect to account for human behavior. In this project, we develop a novel mathematical modeling framework for studying the impact of mixing patterns and social behavior on the spread of COVID-19. Specifically, we consider two groups, one exhibiting normal behavior who do not reduce their contacts and another exhibiting altered behavior who reduce their contacts by practicing non-pharmaceutical interventions such as social distancing and self-isolation. The dynamics …

Association Of Nonacute Opioid Use And Cardiovascular Diseases: A Scoping Review Of The Literature, Jade H. Singleton, Erin L. Abner, Peter D. Akpunonu, Anna M. Kucharska-Newton

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND

In this scoping review, we identified and reviewed 23 original articles from the PubMed database that investigated the relationship between nonacute opioid use (NOU) and cardiovascular outcomes.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We defined NOU to include both long-term opioid therapy and opioid use disorder. We summarized the association between NOU and 5 classes of cardiovascular disease, including infective endocarditis, coronary heart disease (including myocardial infarction), congestive heart failure, cardiac arrythmia (including cardiac arrest), and stroke. The most commonly studied outcomes were coronary heart disease and infective endocarditis. There was generally consistent evidence of a positive association between community prevalence of …

A Review Of The Cardiac And Cardiovascular Effects Of Covid-19 In Adults And Children, Bibhuti B Das, S Kristen Sexon Tejtel, Shriprasad Deshpande, Lara S Shekerdemian

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Symptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) typically affects the respiratory system but can involve the cardiovascular system. Cardiac complications of COVID-19 can result directly from myocarditis or indirectly from numerous other mechanisms. Differentiating between primary and secondary cardiovascular involvement-our focus in this review-may help to identify the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the heart in adults and children.