Digital Commons Network^™

Prognostic Values Of Serum Lactate-To-Bicarbonate Ratio And Lactate For Predicting 28-Day In-Hospital Mortality In Children With Dengue Shock Syndrome, Thanh Nguyen Tat, Nhu Vo Hoang-Thien, Dat Nguyen Tat, Phuc Hoang Nguyen, Lien Thi Ho, Duong Hung Doan, Dung Tuan Phan, Yen Nguyen-Hoang Duong, Truc Huynh Nguyen, Tuyet Kim Nguyen, Ha Thi-Thu Dinh, Thuy Thi-Diem Dinh, Anh Thi-Mai Pham, Viet Do Chau, Tung Huu Trinh, Luan Vo Thanh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study aimed to assess the clinical utility of blood lactate-to-bicarbonate (L/B) ratio, as a prognostic factor for 28-day in-hospital mortality in children with dengue shock syndrome (DSS), admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). This single-center retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary children hospital in southern Vietnam from 2013 to mid-2022. Prognostic models for DSS mortality were developed, using a predefined set of covariates in the first 24 hours of PICU admission. Area under the curves (AUCs), multivariable logistic and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regressions, bootstrapping and calibration slope were performed. A total of …

Simulation And Self-Efficacy In The Student Registered Nurse Anesthetist: A Quantitative, Causal-Comparative Study, Joseph Craig Kiesznowski

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to determine if simulation training causes a significant increase in clinical self-efficacy in Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists. Simulation training in healthcare has been found to improve patient safety and has become a major tenet of nurse anesthetist education. Self-efficacy has been shown to correlate with improved clinical performance. This study builds on the research involving simulation training and clinical self-efficacy in the SRNA population. A convenience sample of SRNAs was taken from 49 different graduate nurse anesthesia programs across 13 different states. The Schwarzer and Jerusalem General Self-efficacy scale was used to …

Herpes Simplex Keratitis After Prk, Joshua Graf Od

Optometric Clinical Practice

Background: Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a double stranded DNA virus that infects much of the world’s population. The World Health Organization estimates 67% of people under the age of 50 have HSV-1 and 11% of people under the age of 50 have HSV-2. While most systemic infections remain inactive and do not cause symptoms, the activation and appearance of ocular HSV can be a destructive and vision-threatening issue. HSV keratitis can be epithelial, stromal or a combination. Patients who have recently undergone photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) have a higher risk of HSV keratitis. Because of this, HSV keratitis should be …

Geographic Distribution Of Melanoma Cases In Maine: Identifying Vulnerable Counties For Targeted Intervention, Joshua R. Parbs, Madeline Prentiss, Calla Hladky, Henry Stoddard, Kathryn Stevens, Elizabeth V. Seiverling, Peggy Cyr

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction: Maine has the twelfth highest incidence of melanoma in the United States. The purpose of this study was to determine which Maine counties were the most impacted by melanoma through the use of geographical methods. Identification of counties with the highest prevalence of melanoma will help in targeting future training and public health interventions.

Methods: All melanoma cases (n=5,340) reported to the Maine CDC Cancer Registry from 2013 to 2018 were sorted by pathologic T stage. Data were sorted by county and population-adjusted. Population data and provider data came from Area Health Resource Files. County and zip-code maps were …

N-Glycoproteomic Analyses Of Human Intestinal Enteroids, Varying In Histo-Blood Group Geno- And Phenotypes, Reveal A Wide Repertoire Of Fucosylated Glycoproteins, Jonas Nilsson, Inga Rimkute, Carina Sihlbom, Victoria R Tenge, Shih-Ching Lin, Robert L Atmar, Mary K Estes, Göran Larson

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Human noroviruses, globally the main cause of viral gastroenteritis, show strain specific affinity for histo-blood group antigens (HBGA) and can successfully be propagated ex vivo in human intestinal enteroids (HIEs). HIEs established from jejunal stem cells of individuals with different ABO, Lewis and secretor geno- and phenotypes, show varying susceptibility to such infections. Using bottom-up glycoproteomic approaches we have defined and compared the N-linked glycans of glycoproteins of seven jejunal HIEs. Membrane proteins were extracted, trypsin digested, and glycopeptides enriched by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography and analyzed by nanoLC-MS/MS. The Byonic software was used for glycopeptide identification followed by hands-on …

Immunophenotypic Predictors Of Influenza Vaccine Immunogenicity In Pediatric Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipients., Justin Z. Amarin, Daniel E. Dulek, Joshua Simmons, Haya Hayek, James D. Chappell, Cindy Hager Nochowicz, Carrie L. Kitko, Jennifer E. Schuster, Flor M. Muñoz, Claire E. Bocchini, Elizabeth A. Moulton, Susan E. Coffin, Jason L. Freedman, Monica I. Ardura, Rachel L. Wattier, Gabriela Maron, Michael Grimley, Grant Paulsen, Lara Danziger-Isakov, Paul A. Carpenter, Janet A. Englund, Natasha B. Halasa, Andrew J. Spieker, Spyros A. Kalams

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Pediatric hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients exhibit poor serologic responses to influenza vaccination early after transplant. To facilitate the optimization of influenza vaccination timing, we sought to identify B- and T-cell subpopulations associated with influenza vaccine immunogenicity in this population. We used mass cytometry to phenotype peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected from pediatric HCT recipients enrolled in a multicenter influenza vaccine trial comparing high- and standard-dose formulations over 3 influenza seasons (2016-2019). We fit linear regression models to estimate relationships between immune cell subpopulation numbers before vaccination and prevaccination to postvaccination geometric mean fold rises in antigen-specific (A/H3N2, A/H1N1, and …

Incidence And Seasonality Of Kawasaki Disease In Children In The Philippines, And Its Association With Ambient Air Temperature, Aden Kay Celis-Seposo, Lina Madaniyazi, Xerxes Seposo, Masahiro Hashizume, Lay Myint Yoshida, Michiko Toizumi

Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health Publications

Background

Despite an unknown cause, Kawasaki disease (KD) is currently the primary leading cause of acquired heart disease in developed countries in children and has been increasing in recent years. Research efforts have explored environmental factors related to KD, but they are still unclear especially in the tropics. We aimed to describe the incidence of KD in children, assess its seasonality, and determine its association with ambient air temperature in the National Capital Region (NCR), Philippines from January 2009 to December 2019.

Methods

Monthly number of KD cases from the Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS) disease registry was collected to determine …

Endocarditis: A Review Of Recent Literature, Scott Dale, Zaid Tayyem, Steven Maceyko

Jefferson Hospital Staff Papers and Presentations

Purpose of Review

Endocarditis remains a challenging diagnosis, with significant implications for early identification and initiation of therapy. In this review, we examine the evolution in the epidemiology and presentation of infectious endocarditis (IE), the role of new diagnostic tools, and the approach to therapy.

Recent Findings

Staphylococcus and Streptococcus species remain the most common causative organisms, but the prevalence of IE caused by enterococcus and non-HACEK organisms is increasing. While newer antibiotics such as dalbavancin have shown promise, treatment must still be tailored on an individual basis. Evidence suggests that antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent IE be limited to high-risk …

Willingness And Preferences For Long-Acting Injectable Prep Among Us Men Who Have Sex With Men: A Discrete Choice Experiment, Sam Wilson Cole, Jennifer L. Glick, Nicola B. Campoamor, Travis H. Sanchez, Supriya Sarkar, Vani Vannappagari, Alex Rinehart, Keith Rawlings, Patrick S. Sullivan, John F.P. Bridges

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Introduction Cabotegravir long-acting injectable HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (LA-PrEP) was shown to be safe and effective in multiple clinical trials. Increasing uptake and persistence among populations with elevated risk for HIV acquisition, especially among men who have sex with men (MSM), is critical to HIV prevention. Objective This analysis aims to understand potential users' preferences for LA-PrEP, with audience segmentation. Design Willingness to use and preferences for LA-PrEP were measured in HIV-negative, sexually active MSM in the 2020 American Men's Internet Survey. Respondents answered a discrete choice experiment with paired profiles of hypothetical LA-PrEP characteristics with an opt-out option (no LA-PrEP). …

Cellular Host Response Sepsis Test For Risk Stratification Of Patients In The Emergency Department: A Pooled Analysis, Hollis R. O'Neal, Roya Sheybani, Chadd K. Kraus, Wesley H. Self, Ajay M. Shah, Christopher B. Thomas, Henry T.K. Tse, Robert Scoggins

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Objectives: Sepsis is one of the most common, costly, and misdiagnosed conditions in U.S. emergency departments (EDs). ED providers often treat on nonspecific signs, subjective suspicion, or presumption of infection, resulting in over- and undertreatment. An increased understanding of host response has opened a new direction for sepsis diagnostics. The IntelliSep test is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration–cleared cellular host response diagnostic that could help distinguish sepsis in ED settings. Our objective was to evaluate the potential of the cellular host response test to expedite appropriate care for patients who present with signs of infection. Methods: We performed a …

Reducing Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (Clabsi) With Chlorhexidine-Impregnated Dressings, Sara Garcia

MSN Capstone Projects

Mitigating and eradicating central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) is a vital patient safety priority. These healthcare-associated infections lead to patient fatalities and incur costly, preventable expenses. Therefore, it is imperative to assess central venous catheter (CVC) maintenance protocols to mitigate the likelihood of infection. Federal guidelines advocate using chlorhexidine (CHG) dressings to lower this risk (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). A comprehensive central line maintenance bundle includes incorporating a CHG dressing as a critical measure in reducing the risk of CLABSI (Buetti et al., 2022). Consequently, the escalating infection rates underscore the necessity for implementing CHG dressings (Buetti …

Centralized Interactive Phenomics Resource: An Integrated Online Phenomics Knowledgebase For Health Data Users, Jacqueline Honerlaw, Yuk-Lam Ho, Francesca Fontin, Michael Murray, Ashley Galloway, David Heise, Keith Connatser, Laura Davies, Jeffrey Gosian, Monika Maripuri, John Russo, Rahul Sangar, Vidisha Tanukonda, Edward Zielinski, Maureen Dubreuil, Andrew J Zimolzak, Vidul A Panickan, Su-Chun Cheng, Stacey B Whitbourne, David R Gagnon, Tianxi Cai, Katherine P Liao, Rachel B Ramoni, J Michael Gaziano, Sumitra Muralidhar, Kelly Cho

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: Development of clinical phenotypes from electronic health records (EHRs) can be resource intensive. Several phenotype libraries have been created to facilitate reuse of definitions. However, these platforms vary in target audience and utility. We describe the development of the Centralized Interactive Phenomics Resource (CIPHER) knowledgebase, a comprehensive public-facing phenotype library, which aims to facilitate clinical and health services research.

Materials and methods: The platform was designed to collect and catalog EHR-based computable phenotype algorithms from any healthcare system, scale metadata management, facilitate phenotype discovery, and allow for integration of tools and user workflows. Phenomics experts were engaged in the …

Durability Of Original Monovalent Mrna Vaccine Effectiveness Against Covid-19 Omicron-Associated Hospitalization In Children And Adolescents - United States, 2021-2023., Laura D. Zambrano, Margaret M. Newhams, Regina M. Simeone, Amanda B. Payne, Michael Wu, Amber O. Orzel-Lockwood, Natasha B. Halasa, Jemima M. Calixte, Pia S. Pannaraj, Kanokporn Mongkolrattanothai, Julie A Boom, Leila C Sahni, Satoshi Kamidani, Kathleen Chiotos, Melissa A Cameron, Aline B Maddux, Katherine Irby, Jennifer E. Schuster, Elizabeth H. Mack, Austin Biggs, Bria M. Coates, Kelly N. Michelson, Katherine E. Bline, Ryan A. Nofziger, Hillary Crandall, Charlotte V. Hobbs, Shira J. Gertz, Sabrina M. Heidemann, Tamara T. Bradford, Tracie C. Walker, Stephanie P. Schwartz, Mary Allen Staat, Samina S. Bhumbra, Janet R. Hume, Michele Kong, Melissa S. Stockwell, Thomas J. Connors, Melissa L. Cullimore, Heidi R. Flori, Emily R. Levy, Natalie Z. Cvijanovich, Matt S. Zinter, Mia Maamari, Cindy Bowens, Danielle M. Zerr, Judith A. Guzman-Cottrill, Ivan Gonzalez, Angela P. Campbell, Adrienne G. Randolph, Overcoming Covid-19 Investigators

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Pediatric COVID-19 vaccination is effective in preventing COVID-19-related hospitalization, but duration of protection of the original monovalent vaccine during SARS-CoV-2 Omicron predominance merits evaluation, particularly given low coverage with updated COVID-19 vaccines. During December 19, 2021-October 29, 2023, the Overcoming COVID-19 Network evaluated vaccine effectiveness (VE) of ≥2 original monovalent COVID-19 mRNA vaccine doses against COVID-19-related hospitalization and critical illness among U.S. children and adolescents aged 5-18 years, using a case-control design. Too few children and adolescents received bivalent or updated monovalent vaccines to separately evaluate their effectiveness. Most case-patients (persons with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result) were unvaccinated, despite …

Latent Tb Treatment Regimens In 2023: Wetmore Tb Clinic In New Orleans, Amy Wolfe, Priyanka Jadhav, Amber May, Shandrica Seymour, Angela Blanchard, Juzar Ali

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The USPSTF has updated Latent TB Infection (LTBI) screening and treatment recommendations in 2023; describing treatment courses, side effects and benefits associated with each regimen. Overall, rifampin-containing shortened regimens are the preferred modality for LTBI treatment. A recent study in 2023 evaluated adherence and tolerance of the isoniazid(INH) + rifapentine(RPT), or “3HP” regimen and identified patient groups that may be at higher risk for non-completion of this regimen. It emphasized the need for targeted education at the beginning of treatment, to avoid early discontinuation. Our experience in New Orleans demonstrated that the 3HP is well-tolerated, with higher completion rates than …

Family Medicine’S Role In Addressing The Intersections Of Redlining And Climate Change, Daryl O. Traylor, Eboni E. Anderson, Brianna Clark, Alex M. Smith, Cooper K. Allenbrand

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Redlining, the practice of discriminating against specific neighborhoods based on race and socioeconomic status, leads to persistent environmental hazards and socioeconomic inequalities that have lasting adverse health effects on their populations. Health disparities are further exacerbated through the concentration of environmental hazards, as well as the escalating impact of climate change, which poses an increased risk of respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, mental health issues, heat-related illness, infectious diseases, food insecurity, and socioeconomic difficulties in redline neighborhoods.

This paper examines the interplay of redlining, climate change, and health disparities, with an emphasis on the enduring consequences for these marginalized communities. Through …

Antiviral Cellular Therapy For Enhancing T-Cell Reconstitution Before Or After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (Aces): A Two-Arm, Open Label Phase Ii Interventional Trial Of Pediatric Patients With Risk Factor Assessment., Michael D. Keller, Patrick J. Hanley, Yueh-Yun Chi, Paibel Aguayo-Hiraldo, Christopher C. Dvorak, Michael R. Verneris, Donald B. Kohn, Sung-Yun Pai, Blachy J. Dávila Saldaña, Benjamin Hanisch, Troy C. Quigg, Roberta H. Adams, Ann Dahlberg, Shanmuganathan Chandrakasan, Hasibul Hasan, Jemily Malvar, Mariah A. Jensen-Wachspress, Christopher A. Lazarski, Gelina Sani, John M. Idso, Haili Lang, Pamela Chansky, Chase D. Mccann, Jay Tanna, Allistair A. Abraham, Jennifer L. Webb, Abeer Shibli, Amy K. Keating, Prakash Satwani, Pawel Muranski, Erin Hall, Michael J. Eckrich, Evan Shereck, Holly Miller, Ewelina Mamcarz, Rajni Agarwal, Satiro N. De Oliveira, Mark T. Vander Lugt, Christen L. Ebens, Victor M. Aquino, Jeffrey J. Bednarski, Julia Chu, Suhag Parikh, Jennifer Whangbo, Michail Lionakis, Elias T. Zambidis, Elizabeth Gourdine, Catherine M. Bollard, Michael A. Pulsipher

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Viral infections remain a major risk in immunocompromised pediatric patients, and virus-specific T cell (VST) therapy has been successful for treatment of refractory viral infections in prior studies. We performed a phase II multicenter study (NCT03475212) for the treatment of pediatric patients with inborn errors of immunity and/or post allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant with refractory viral infections using partially-HLA matched VSTs targeting cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, or adenovirus. Primary endpoints were feasibility, safety, and clinical responses (>1 log reduction in viremia at 28 days). Secondary endpoints were reconstitution of antiviral immunity and persistence of the infused VSTs. Suitable VST …

Inter-Institutional Analysis Of Skin Of Color Representation In Dermatological Lecture Content At Md And Do Medical Schools, Oluwafunke Oluwatosin Ogunremi, Blake Fredericksen, John Komas, Sana Ismail, Siri Knutsen-Larson Md, Valeriy Kozmenko Md, Afia Albin Do

Aesculapius Journal (Health Sciences & Medicine)

The purpose of this study was to analyze the lecture materials provided in medical schools through a diversity lens. Skin pathologies manifest distinctively on various shades of skin and physicians must be equipped with the proper knowledge to identify and diagnose these conditions accurately and promptly. For most medical students, images in prominent textbooks and lecture slides are their first encounter with disease presentations. Therefore, it is important to analyze the diversity of skin tones in the content that is being delivered. Specifically, the use of images featuring darker skin tones compared to those depicting lighter skin tones. This study …

Development Of Novel Analytical Methods For The Investigation Of Mammalian Tissues And Cells, Grace A. Binder

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation endeavors to advance the frontiers of analytical chemistry by addressing critical challenges across three distinct chapters. In the first chapter, the focus is on the evaluation of digestion methods for the analysis of trace metals in mammalian tissues and the Standard Reference Material NIST 1577c. The primary goal is to optimize methodologies, laying the groundwork for reliable trace metal analysis and furthering our understanding of their roles in biological systems.

Transitioning into the realm of immunomodulation, the second chapter elucidates immune response, disease and treatment through the optimization and discovery of STING modulators, utilizing the luciferase assay for …

Self-Assembled Sting-Activating Coordination Nanoparticles For Cancer Immunotherapy And Vaccine Applications, Xiaoqi Sun, Xuehui Huang, Kyung Soo Park, Xingwu Zhou, Andrew A Kennedy, Carla D Pretto, Qi Wu, Ziye Wan, Yao Xu, Wang Gong, Jonathan Z Sexton, Andrew W Tai, Yu Leo Lei, James J Moon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The cGAS-STING pathway plays a crucial role in innate immune activation against cancer and infections, and STING agonists based on cyclic dinucleotides (CDN) have garnered attention for their potential use in cancer immunotherapy and vaccines. However, the limited drug-like properties of CDN necessitate an efficient delivery system to the immune system. To address these challenges, we developed an immunostimulatory delivery system for STING agonists. Here, we have examined aqueous coordination interactions between CDN and metal ions and report that CDN mixed with Zn2+ and Mn2+ formed distinctive crystal structures. Further pharmaceutical engineering led to the development of a functional coordination …

Vitamin A Status Modulates Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition In The Lung: The Role Of Furin, M Teresa Cabezuelo, Luis Torres, Elena Ortiz-Zapater, Gerardo López-Rodas, M Pilar Marín, Joaquín Timoneda, Juan R Viña, Rosa Zaragozá, Teresa Barber

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) induced TGF-β hyperactivation and reduced expression of cell adhesion proteins in the lung, suggesting that the disruption of retinoic acid (RA) signaling leads to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). To elucidate the role of lung vitamin A status in EMT, several EMT markers and the expression of the proprotein convertase furin, which activates TGF-β, were analyzed in two experimental models. Our in vivo model included control rats, VAD rats, and both control rats and VAD rats, treated with RA. For the in vitro studies, human bronchoalveolar epithelial cells treated with RA were used. Our data show that EMT …

Structural Basis Of Dna Crossover Capture By Escherichia Coli Dna Gyrase, Marlène Vayssières, Nils Marechal, Long Yun, Brian Lopez Duran, Naveen Kumar Murugasamy, Jonathan M Fogg, Lynn Zechiedrich, Marc Nadal, Valérie Lamour

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

DNA supercoiling must be precisely regulated by topoisomerases to prevent DNA entanglement. The interaction of type IIA DNA topoisomerases with two DNA molecules, enabling the transport of one duplex through the transient double-stranded break of the other, remains elusive owing to structures derived solely from single linear duplex DNAs lacking topological constraints. Using cryo–electron microscopy, we solved the structure of Escherichia coli DNA gyrase bound to a negatively supercoiled minicircle DNA. We show how DNA gyrase captures a DNA crossover, revealing both conserved molecular grooves that accommodate the DNA helices. Together with molecular tweezer experiments, the structure shows that the …

Cmv Retinitis: An Expert’S Perspective, Caitlyn Kwun, Ba

inSIGHT

Uveitis is a rare inflammatory disease with a prevalence of around 38 per 100,000 people and is the overall 5th leading cause of blindness in the developed world.^1,2 Uveitis is most commonly found in patients younger than 40 years of age, but it can occur in any age group with an etiology that varies within each age demographic.^1,3 While the etiology of certain forms of uveitis are not fully understood, there are some that are autoimmune in nature and others that are associated with systemic diseases such as sarcoidosis.⁴ Uveitis may be inflammatory or infectious. It may …

Insight, Volume 4, Issue 1, 2024

inSIGHT

Contents

8 - The Myopia Epidemic: Exploring the Pathology and Management of the World’s Most Common Eye Disorder
By Gabriella Baldassare

15 - Evolution of Lamellar Keratoplasty
By Ishan Kasat

19 - Bridging the Global Gap of Blindness Through Artificial Intelligence
By Nathan Delacth

24 - CMV Retinitis: An Expert’s Perspective
By Caitlyn Kwun

29 - Macular Holes: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Complications
By Ayra Khan

36 - Chronic Progressive External Ophthalmoplegia
By Bahram Pashaee

39 - Medical Missions, Ethical Considerations, and the Future for Healthcare Delivery in Ophthalmology
By Robert Medina

43 - Shaping the Future of Vision: The Rise …

Typhlitis In A Neutropenic Patient, Alice He Bs, Wern Lynn Ng Md, Lay She Ng Md, Si Yuan Khor Md, Chandi Garg Md

Tower Health Research Day

No abstract provided.

Chronic Pneumonia In A 1-Year-Old Male, Saritha Beauchamp, Irene Chern, Emily Souder

Tower Health Research Day

No abstract provided.

Hiding In Plain Sight; Dermatologic Manifestation Of A Systemic Disease, Christopher Ignatz, David Young Do, Brian Chwiecko Md

Tower Health Research Day

No abstract provided.

Vaccine Effectiveness Against Influenza A-Associated Hospitalization, Organ Failure, And Death: United States, 2022-2023, Nathaniel M Lewis, Yuwei Zhu, Ithan D Peltan, Manjusha Gaglani, Tresa Mcneal, Shekhar Ghamande, Jay S Steingrub, Nathan I Shapiro, Abhijit Duggal, William S Bender, Leyla Taghizadeh, Samuel M Brown, David N Hager, Michelle N Gong, Amira Mohamed, Matthew C Exline, Akram Khan, Jennifer G Wilson, Nida Qadir, Steven Y Chang, Adit A Ginde, Nicholas M Mohr, Christopher Mallow, Adam S Lauring, Nicholas J Johnson, Kevin W Gibbs, Jennie H Kwon, Cristie Columbus, Robert L Gottlieb, Catherine Raver, Ivana A Vaughn, Mayur Ramesh, Cassandra Johnson, Lois Lamerato, Basmah Safdar, Jonathan D Casey, Todd W Rice, Natasha Halasa, James D Chappell, Carlos G Grijalva, H Keipp Talbot, Adrienne Baughman, Kelsey N Womack, Sydney A Swan, Elizabeth Harker, Ashley Price, Jennifer Decuir, Diya Surie, Sascha Ellington, Wesley H Self, Investigating Respiratory Viruses In The Acutely Ill (Ivy) Network

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Influenza circulation during the 2022-2023 season in the United States largely returned to pre-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-pandemic patterns and levels. Influenza A(H3N2) viruses were detected most frequently this season, predominately clade 3C.2a1b.2a, a close antigenic match to the vaccine strain.

METHODS: To understand effectiveness of the 2022-2023 influenza vaccine against influenza-associated hospitalization, organ failure, and death, a multicenter sentinel surveillance network in the United States prospectively enrolled adults hospitalized with acute respiratory illness between 1 October 2022, and 28 February 2023. Using the test-negative design, vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimates against influenza-associated hospitalization, organ failures, and death were measured by …

A Novel Lentiviral Vector-Based Approach To Generate Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells Targeting, Pappanaicken R Kumaresan, Sebastian Wurster, Karishma Bavisi, Thiago Aparecido Da Silva, Paul Hauser, Jordan Kinnitt, Nathaniel D Albert, Uddalak Bharadwaj, Sattva Neelapu, Dimitrios P Kontoyiannis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a common and deadly mold infection in immunocompromised patients. As morbidity and mortality of IA are primarily driven by poor immune defense, adjunct immunotherapies, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, are direly needed. Here, we propose a novel approach to generate Aspergillus fumigatus (AF)-CAR T cells using the single-chain variable fragment domain of monoclonal antibody AF-269-5 and a lentiviral vector system. These cells successfully targeted mature hyphal filaments of representative clinical and reference AF isolates and elicited a potent release of cytotoxic effectors and type 1 T cell cytokines. Furthermore, AF-CAR T cells generated …

Modeling An Infection Outbreak With Quarantine: The Sibkr Model, Mikenna Dew, Amanda Langosch, Theadora Baker-Wallerstein

Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Mathematics Journal

Influenza is a respiratory infection that places a substantial burden in the world population each year. In this project, we study and interpret a data set from a flu outbreak in a British boarding school in 1978 with mathematical modeling. First, we propose a generalization of the SIR model based on the quarantine measure in place and establish the long-time behavior of the model. By analyzing the model mathematically, we determine the analytic formulas of the basic reproduction number, the long-time limit of solutions, and the maximum number of infection population. Moreover, we estimate the parameters of the model based …

Sub-Saharan Africa’S Handling Of Covid-19 Pandemic: Rwanda Versus Tanzania, Luke D. Baumel

Honors Undergraduate Conference

How has the Covid-19 outbreak in early 2020 and the pandemic that followed been handled in Sub-Saharan Africa? What was done well and what was done poorly and why? What are the implications of the way it was handled? These questions and more are answered throughout this paper, using Rwanda as an example of a Sub-Saharan African country who handled it relatively well and neighboring Tanzania as an example of a Sub-Saharan African country that mishandled the outbreak and pandemic. In early 2021, most Sub-Saharan African countries had been afflicted by Covid-19 at a relatively lower rate than many Western …