Digital Commons Network^™

Patterns In Antibiotic Susceptibility Before And After Covid-19, Jessica Freely

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a surge in antibiotic use, despite the viral nature of the disease. This widespread and often unnecessary use of antibiotics poses a serious threat on global health by accelerating the development of antibiotic resistance. Healthcare professionals utilize strategies, including Antibiotic Stewardship Programs (ASPs) and the use of antibiograms to mitigate the growing threat of antibiotic resistance. Antibiograms are tools used in healthcare settings to summarize and track bacterial susceptibility to various antibiotics. They provide clinicians critical information to guide selection of effective antibiotic treatment and monitor resistance trends overtime. The Centers for Disease Control and …

Acute Kidney Injury Triggers Hypoxemia By Lung Intravascular Neutrophil Retention That Reduces Capillary Blood Flow, Yohei Komaru, Liang Ning, Carine Lama, Anusha Suresh, Eirini Kefaloyianni, Mark J. Miller, Shinichi Kawana, Hailey M Shepherd, Wenjun Li, Daniel Kreisel, Andreas Herrlich

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Sterile acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in the clinic and frequently associated with unexplained hypoxemia that does not improve with dialysis. AKI induces remote lung inflammation with neutrophil recruitment in mice and humans, but which cellular cues establish neutrophilic inflammation and how it contributes to hypoxemia is not known. Here we report that AKI induced rapid intravascular neutrophil retention in lung alveolar capillaries without extravasation into tissue or alveoli, causing hypoxemia by reducing lung capillary blood flow in the absence of substantial lung interstitial or alveolar edema. In contrast to direct ischemic lung injury, lung neutrophil recruitment during remote …

Q Fever Pericardial And Pleural Effusions In A Pediatric Patient, Jonathan Ermer, Ben Kazdan, Cooper Bassham, Jacqueline Walker

Research Days

Background: Q fever is a bacterial infection caused by Coxiella burnetii. Q fever commonly presents with flu-like symptoms (fever, chills, fatigue, myalgias) in patients about 2-3 weeks after exposure to farm animals. Less commonly, Q fever can cause severe illness such as myocarditis, pericarditis, or meningitis. We present a rare case of a pediatric patient with pericardial and pleural effusions secondary to Q fever.

Case presentation: History of present illness: The patient is a 9-year-old female who presented as a referral from an outside hospital due to chest pain, shortness of breath, and 2 weeks of fever. The patient started …

Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Pediatric Complicated Sinusitis: A Single Institutional Experience, Rohit Nallani, Mackenzie O'Donnell, Nathan Farrokhian, Meghan Tracy, David Garcia, Jill M. Arganbright

Research Days

Background: Institutions around the world have noted increasing trends in complicated sinogenic infections in children following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Treatment of these infections often requires combined medical and surgical management. Further study is needed to understand changing epidemiology, microbiology, and contributing demographic factors for these infections. We noted increasing trend of surgically managed complicated sinusitis during the COVID-19 pandemic at our institution and hypothesized there were higher rates of intracranial complications.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study with chart review of all children under the age of 18 treated surgically for complicated sinusitis between January 1, …

Causes Of Death Among Us Medical Residents, Nicholas A. Yaghmour, William E. Bynum, Frederic W. Hafferty, Karen D. Könings, Thomas Richter, Timothy P. Brigham, Thomas J. Nasca

Division of Nephrology Faculty Papers

IMPORTANCE: From 2000 to 2014, the leading causes of medical resident death in the United States were neoplastic diseases and suicide.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether US medical resident rates of death have changed since 2014 and whether causes of resident death differ by specialty.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: In this cross-sectional study, residents and fellows who were enrolled in Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited training programs and who died from January 2015 to December 2021 were submitted to the National Death Index to obtain causes of death. These decedents were compared with residents and fellows who died between …

Immunotherapy With Nebulized Pattern Recognition Receptor Agonists Restores Severe Immune Paralysis And Improves Outcomes In Mice With Influenza-Associated Pulmonary Aspergillosis, Jezreel Pantaleón García, Sebastian Wurster, Nathaniel D Albert, Uddalak Bharadwaj, Keerthi Bhoda, Vikram K Kulkarni, Mbaya Ntita, Paris Rodríguez Carstens, Madeleine Burch-Eapen, Daniela Covarrubias López, Jania Foncerrada Lizaola, Katherine E Larsen, Lauren M Matula, Seyed J Moghaddam, Yongxing Wang, Dimitrios P Kontoyiannis, Scott E Evans

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Influenza-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (IAPA) is a potentially deadly superinfection in patients with influenza pneumonia, especially those with severe disease, underlying immunosuppression, corticosteroid therapy, or requiring intensive care support. Given the high mortality of IAPA, adjunct immunomodulatory strategies remain a critical unmet need. Previously, the desensitization of pattern recognition pathways has been described as a hallmark of IAPA pathogenesis and a predictor of mortality in IAPA patients. Therefore, we studied the impact of nebulized Toll-like receptor 2/6/9 agonists Pam2 CSK4 (Pam2) and CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) on infection outcomes and pulmonary immunopathology in a corticosteroid-immunosuppressed murine IAPA model. Mice with IAPA receiving …

Analytical Verification Of The Fda Cleared Xpert® Xpress Cov-2 Plus Test For Sars-Cov-2 Detection In Respiratory Specimens, Gabriela M. Henriquez, Neena Kanwar, Rangaraj Selvarangan

Research Days

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, highlighted severe gaps in broad testing and prompt diagnosis. Rapid real-time RT-PCR assay Xpert® Xpress CoV-2 Plus was developed to enhance SARSCoV-2 detection in respiratory specimens. Using ZeptoMetrix's inactivated organisms, this study seeks to assess its analytical performance and compare its accuracy with current standard of care diagnostic assay.

Methods

The accuracy of the Xpert® Xpress CoV-2 Plus test was evaluated using ZeptoMetrix NATtrol inactivated SARS-CoV-2 organisms diluted with pooled negative nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs. Ten positive and ten negative NP swabs were tested over five days at two sites, with >90% agreement required. …

A Comparative Evaluation Of Local And Imported Ciprofloxacin Tablets Marketed In Yemen, Tareq Maqlam, Abdullah H Maad

Al-Ameed Journal for Medical Research and Health Sciences

Ciprofloxacin is one of the most common antibacterial drugs used mainly for gastrointestinal and urinary tract infections. This study aimed to compare the quality specifications of two Yemeni ciprofloxacin hydrochloride tablet products with two non-Yemeni brands. Samples were randomly selected from different batch numbers and subjected to physicochemical testing in accordance with pharmacopeial monographs. Additionally, microbiological susceptibility testing was performed against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. All tested products complied with pharmacopoeial standards for weight uniformity (Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, with brand D demonstrating the highest activity. These findings suggest that Yemeni ciprofloxacin tablets meet quality standards …

Chronic Inflammation: The Link Between A High Added Sugar Diet And Disease, Anna Collins

Senior Honors Theses

The modern diet includes many processed foods that contain added sugars, resulting in a significant increase in daily glucose and fructose consumption. Considering this, there is an increased effort to uncover the effects of excess sugar intake on the body’s health and metabolism. Strong evidence supports the connection between a high added sugar diet and the presence of chronic, low-grade inflammation due to cellular distress and metabolic dysfunction. Prolonged inflammatory responses are linked to tissue damage and the development of various metabolic diseases that are prevalent in modern society, such as obesity, fatty liver disease, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 …

Comparison Of Broad-Spectrum Anti-Pseudomonal Beta-Lactam Antibiotics Versus Targeted Therapy For Neutropenic Patients With Methicillin-Susceptible, Lauren C Russell, Jeff Klaus, Miguel A Chavez, Erik R Dubberke, Tamara Krekel

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The safety of the utilization of methicillin-susceptible

Reducing Antibiotic Duration For Pneumonia And Sinusitis In The Emergency Department: A Quality Improvement Approach, Joshua Saucedo, Leslie Hueschen, Amanda Nedved, Marsha Dannenburg, Patricia Phillips, Jennifer Floyd, Alaina N. Burns, Rana El Feghaly

Research Days

Background: Our aim is to increase the percentage of children discharged home from the ED with a diagnosis of CAP or ABRS treated with an optimal antibiotic duration (3-5 days for CAP, 5-7 days for ABRS) from 13% to 70% by July 25.

Methods: Outcome metric is the percentage of patients receiving recommended antibiotic duration for CAP and ABRS. Process metrics include use of order set, "Quick Discharge” order set, and clinical pathway QR codes. Balancing metric is the number of return visits with the same diagnosis < 14 days. Plan-Do-Study-Act methodology was used. In Aug 23, our ASP disseminated a handbook that emphasized shorter durations. A new multidisciplinary team (infectious diseases, ED, and urgent care physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, and pharmacy) formed in Dec 23. We utilized cause-and-effect analysis, driver diagram, and prioritization matrix, which helped identify other impactful interventions, including implementation of new internal CAP clinical pathway order set (April 24) and “Quick Discharge” order sets (May 24). Next, we surveyed prescriber comfort (June 24) with shorter duration identifying barriers and providing education, leading to posted evidence for lower duration treatment in practitioner workrooms and developing a new ABRS clinical pathway (Sept 24). Top prescribers providing optimal duration received email acknowledgement (Oct 24) and resident rotators received antibiotic handbook and CAP clinical pathway QR codes (Nov 24). New best treatment practices for ABRS were elucidated and disseminated through clinical pathway and internal article publishing to our hospital and associated clinics (Dec 24).

Results: We saw shifts in the outcome metric’s center line in Sept 23 …

Cross Cultural Mentoring: Including Diversity Awareness Strategies Into Healthcare Leadership Mentor Curriculum To Support Career Advancement Of Underrepresented Racial And Ethnic Groups, Deidra R. Burris

Doctoral Projects

Background: Mentoring programs in healthcare organizations can establish clear pathways for advancement through various management and leadership levels to senior-level positions. While mentoring develops leaders, many healthcare organizations do not offer mentoring programs that address unique issues experienced by members of racially and ethnically underrepresented groups. A study was conducted using a single-group, repeated-measures design to assess the impact of an intervention aimed at improving mentor attitudes, behaviors, and confidence regarding cultural awareness in the mentoring relationships of healthcare leaders. Methods: The study was conducted in a large California healthcare organization. The Cultural Diversity Awareness related to Race/Ethnicity (CDA-R/E) subscales …

Re: Physician And Advanced Practice Clinician Burnout In Rural And Urban Settings., Cody J Klinker

Ambulatory and Primary Care Articles

No abstract provided.

Covid-19 And Related Adverse Neurological Complications, Hannah A. Wasson

Honors Thesis

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the world drastically, and its impact was monumental. COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, was the virus responsible for causing such mayhem. This contagious virus can enter the body via different routes, live on surfaces for hours, and be transmitted through the air, increasing infection risk. Once it enters the body, it can trick the body into replicating the virus. From this reaction within the body, signs and symptoms follow. While the name indicates a respiratory illness, the virus can inflict injury on other parts of the body. Due to the organ systems …

Navigating Lipid Nanoparticle Design: From Microfluidic Optimization For Rna Delivery In Pancreatic Cancer To Extended-Release Formulations For Hiv-1 Therapy., Farhana Islam

Theses & Dissertations

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have emerged as a powerful platform for the delivery of RNA and small-molecule therapeutics, enabling improved drug stability, biodistribution, and cellular uptake. This study explores the formulation and optimization of LNPs for two distinct therapeutic applications: (1) mRNA-based therapy for pancreatic cancer (PC) and (2) extended-action fostemsavir (FTR) delivery for HIV-1 treatment. For PC therapy, a library of 48 mRNA-LNP formulations was developed for intraperitoneal (IP) administration in an orthotopic pancreatic tumor mouse model. Using microfluidic assembly, LNPs were engineered with varying lipid compositions and characterized based on size, zeta potential, and cytotoxicity. Biodistribution and mRNA expression …

Identification And Preclinical Assessment Of Novel Therapeutic Modalities In Environmental Exposure-Induced Lung Disease, Aaron D. Schwab

Theses & Dissertations

Environmental lung diseases are preventable respiratory conditions either caused or made worse by inhaled environmental exposures. Contemporarily, environmental lung diseases are most associated with workplace exposures given specific occupational processes aerosolize inflammatory agents that can be inhaled at high concentrations. Although a considerable amount is known regarding immunoglobulin (Ig)E-mediated responses to environmental exposures, little is known about non-IgE mediated respiratory conditions resulting from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-enriched organic dust exposure(s). Chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pulmonary fibrosis have all been identified as environmental lung diseases caused or exacerbated by such environmental dusts. Therapeutic …

A Modified Sir Model Used To Investigate The Relationship Between Congenital And Adult Syphilis, Kaleesta R. Waysman

Honors Thesis

A complex SIR model integrating the relationship between adult and congenital syphilis was developed. The goal of the project was to determine the specific population(s) or control strategies that should be enforced, altered, or removed to decrease the number of children experiencing clinical sequelae due to congenital syphilis. Early clinical sequelae include hydrops fetalis, preterm birth, central nervous system infection, hepatosplenomegaly, hyperbilirubinemia, cholestasis, hemolytic anemia, snuffles, osteochondritis, and lesions or rashes in the palms and soles. Late clinical sequelae include interstitial keratitis, hearing loss, Hutchinson teeth, saber shins, Clutton joints, mulberry molars, and saddle nose. After implementing real-world data into …

Let-7 Restrains An Epigenetic Circuit In At2 Cells To Prevent Fibrogenic Intermediates In Pulmonary Fibrosis, Matthew J Seasock, Md Shafiquzzaman, Maria E Ruiz-Echartea, Rupa S Kanchi, Brandon T Tran, Lukas M Simon, Matthew D Meyer, Phillip A Erice, Shivani L Lotlikar, Stephanie C Wenlock, Scott A Ochsner, Anton Enright, Alex F Carisey, Freddy Romero, Ivan O Rosas, Katherine Y King, Neil J Mckenna, Cristian Coarfa, Antony Rodriguez

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

MicroRNA-mediated post-transcriptional regulation of lung alveolar type 2 (AT2) and AT1 cell differentiation remains understudied. Here, we demonstrate that the let-7 miRNA family plays a homeostatic role in AT2 quiescence by preventing the uncontrolled accumulation of AT2 transitional cells and promoting AT1 differentiation. Using mouse and organoid models, we show that genetic ablation of let-7a1/let-7f1/let-7d cluster (let-7afd) in AT2 cells prevents AT1 differentiation and leads to KRT8 transitional cell accumulation in progressive pulmonary fibrosis. Integration of AGO2-eCLIP with RNA-sequencing identified direct let-7 targets within an oncogene feed-forward regulatory network, including BACH1/EZH2/MYC, which drives an aberrant fibrotic cascade. Additional CUT&RUN-sequencing analyses …

Recombinant Interleukin-7 Treatment Of Refractory Refractory Mycobacterium Avium Complexlung Disease (Impulse-7): A Pilot Phase Ii, Single-Center, Randomized, Clinical Trial, Carlos Mejia-Chew, Andrej Spec, Andrew H Walton, Alina Ulezko Antonova, Alexandra Dram, Sanjeev Bhalla, Marco Colonna, Michel Morre, Richard Hotchkiss

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Nontuberculous mycobacteria disease is an emerging opportunistic infection that is often refractory to therapy. Interleukin 7 (IL-7) is a pleiotropic cytokine with broad-ranging effects that enhance immunity and augment monocyte/macrophage anti-

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated IL-7 in patients with refractory

DESIGN: Prospective, single-center, randomized, study of IL-7 in patients with refractory MAC-LD.

METHODS: Randomization (two sets of 4 weekly IL-7 injections) was stratified based on the presence of pulmonary cavities. The primary outcome was sputum culture conversion to negative within 6 months. Exploratory outcomes included investigation of potential molecular mechanisms of immunosuppression via single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq).

RESULTS: Of …

Human Monkeypox Virus; New Possible Viral Pandemic, Lamiaa Mohammed, Alyaa Jabbar Qasim, Ayat Majeed Zeadan

Al-Nisour Journal for Medical Sciences

The unexpected monkeypox outbreak and global increase have drawn attention due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With 3340 confirmed cases worldwide as of June 22, 2022, this is the biggest and most pervasive monkeypox outbreak outside of Africa. In addition to vertical transmission from mother to child, MPXV can spread from person to person through direct contact with infectious skin or mucosal skin lesions, respiratory droplets, or indirect contact with contaminated objects or materials. Additionally, it is most likely sexually transmitted through vaginal fluid or semen, and community transmission is a possibility. MPXV, an envelope, linear, double-stranded DNA virus that …

A Retrospective Study Of Childhood Meningitis And Its Risk Factors In Diyala Province, Zainab Mohamed Mahmmod

Al-Nisour Journal for Medical Sciences

Background: Viral agents are the primary cause of meningitis, a worldwide public health concern that primarily affects newborns and children. It is self-limiting and goes away in 7-10 days. With 85% of cases, enterovirus is the most prevalent etiologic agent. Summer is the peak season, and warm weather facilitates its spread. Most cases of meningitis occur in people under 30.

Aim: This study intends to assess the risk factor of meningitis in different age groups in Diyala Hospital (the Governorate of Diyala - Iraq) and identify the relation of demographical characteristics with the risk factor.

Methods: A …

Characterizing Spatial Epidemiology In A Heterogeneous Transmission Landscape Using The Spatial Transmission Count Statistic, Leke Lyu, Gabriella Veytsel, Guppy Stott, Spencer Fox, Cody Dailey, Lambodhar Damodaran, Kayo Fujimoto, Pamela Brown, Roger Sealy, Armand Brown, Magdy Alabady, Justin Bahl

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Viral genomes contain records of geographic movements and cross-scale transmission dynamics. However, the impact of regional heterogeneity, particularly among rural and urban centers, on viral spread and epidemic trajectory has been less explored due to limited data availability. Intensive and widespread efforts to collect and sequence SARS-CoV-2 viral samples have enabled the development of comparative genomic approaches to reconstruct spatial transmission history and understand viral transmission across different scales.

Methods: We proposed the spatial transmission count statistic that efficiently summarizes the geographic transmission patterns imprinted in viral phylogenies. Guided by a time-scaled tree with ancestral trait states, we identified …

Covid-19 Infection History As A Risk Factor For Early Pregnancy Loss: Results From The Electronic Health Record-Based Southeast Texas Covid And Pregnancy Cohort Study, Micaela N Sandoval, Michelle R Klawans, Mackinsey A Bach, Jennifer Mikhail, Edward A Graviss, Tru Cao, Jacqueline G Parchem, Junaid Husain, Eric Boerwinkle

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection before or during pregnancy on pregnancy outcomes are still largely unknown. We hypothesized that COVID-19 in early pregnancy is a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes, particularly miscarriage.

Methods: We examined the relationship between COVID-19 and adverse pregnancy outcomes, including spontaneous abortion, ectopic pregnancy, and preterm delivery in a large, retrospective, electronic health record (EHR)-based cohort, from 2019 to 2023. Generalized estimating equation modeling was performed to identify risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Study exposures included COVID-19 before pregnancy, COVID-19 during pregnancy, age, race/ethnicity, comorbidity burden, and neighborhood-level social vulnerability.

Results: In the …

Three Cases Of Adolescent Orf Virus Skin And Soft Tissue Infection In Southeast Texas, Margaret Taylor Danner, Caroline A Schrodt, Alexandra Tuttle, Victoria Shelus, Brendan Sullivan, Ankhi Dutta, Claire Bocchini, Denver Niles

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

We report 3 adolescents who presented to a tertiary care hospital in Houston, Texas, with cutaneous skin lesions after contact with sheep and/or goats. The cases presented a diagnostic challenge initially but were later suspected or confirmed as orf virus infection after consultation with infectious diseases specialists.

A Theory-Based Intervention To Mitigate Weight Bias Among Nurses: A Pilot Study, Gregory S. Marler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: As obesity rates continue to rise, a growing number of individuals living with obesity will seek medical care, increasing their exposure to weight-biased healthcare providers. This bias presents a significant risk, as it can lead to compromised care, diminished trust in medical professionals, and ultimately poorer health outcomes. Nurses, as frontline caregivers, must recognize the harmful impact of weight bias and take proactive steps to mitigate its effects. Addressing this bias is essential to ensuring equitable, high-quality care and improving patient outcomes.

Aim: The study explored the acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy of an intervention for acute care …

Investigating Social Network Peer Effects On Hiv Care Engagement Using A Fuzzy-Like Matching Approach: Cross-Sectional Secondary Analysis Of The N2 Cohort Study, Cho-Hee Shrader, Dustin T Duncan, Redd Driver, Juan G Arroyo-Flores, Makella S Coudray, Raymond Moody, Yen-Tyng Chen, Britt Skaathun, Lindsay Young, Natascha Del Vecchio, Kayo Fujimoto, Justin R Knox, Mariano Kanamori, John A Schneider

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Social network data are essential and informative for public health research and implementation as they provide details on individuals and their social context. For example, health information and behaviors, such as HIV-related prevention and care, may disseminate within a network or across society. By harmonizing egocentric and digital networks, researchers may construct a sociocentric-like "fuzzy" network based on a subgroup of the population.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to generate a more complete sociocentric-like "fuzzy" network by harmonizing alternative sources of egocentric and digital network data to examine relationships between participants in the Neighborhoods and Networks (N2) cohort study. Further, we …

Over-The-Counter Cold Medication Usage Self-Efficacy Among Undergraduate Students In The United States, Ray Goodwin

Honors Theses

Background

This study looks at the trends in over-the-counter medication usage and self-efficacy among undergraduate college students in the United States. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications serve as the most easily accessible and commonly purchased medications and can be used as a basis to determine this demographic’s attitudes and behaviors towards self-medication. In addition, undergraduates represent a diverse population for analyzing differences among demographic groups.

Methods

A Qualtrics survey was sent out to undergraduates across the US via a panel, and the team received 403 useable responses. As part of a larger study, the survey presented participants with four different scenarios at …

Metabolic Reprogramming Driven By Ant2 Deficiency Augments T Cell Function And Anti-Tumor Immunity In Mice, Omri Yosef, Leonor Cohen-Daniel, Oded Shamriz, Zahala Bar-On, Wajeeh Salaymeh, Amijai Saragovi, Ifat Abramovich, Bella Agranovich, Veronika Lutz, Joseph Tam, Anna Permyakova, Eyal Gottlieb, Magdalena Huber, Michael Berger

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

T cell activation requires a substantial increase in NAD+ production, often exceeding the capacity of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). To investigate how T cells adapt to this metabolic challenge, we generate T cell-specific ADP/ATP translocase-2 knockout (Ant2-/-) mice. Loss of Ant2, a crucial protein mediating ADP/ATP exchange between mitochondria and cytoplasm, induces OXPHOS restriction by limiting ATP synthase activity, thereby impeding NAD+ regeneration. Interestingly, Ant2-/- naïve T cells exhibit enhanced activation, proliferation and effector functions compared to wild-type controls. Metabolic profiling reveals that these T cells adopt an activated-like metabolic program with increased mitobiogenesis and anabolism. Lastly, pharmacological inhibition of ANT …

Development Of A Risk Score To Aid With The Diagnosis Of Infections After Spinal Cord Injury: Protocol For A Retrospective Cohort Study, Felicia Skelton, Larissa Grigoryan, Joann Pan, Ashley Collazo, Barbara Trautner

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) who develop urinary tract infection (UTI) present differently than the non-SCI population. UTIs can cause loss of quality of life and even lead to life-threatening complications including urosepsis. Challenges in SCI management include distinguishing symptomatic UTI from asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB), which occurs often in patients with SCI, and the lack of standardization in UTI diagnosis in SCI.

Objective: This study aims to set the foundation for the development of a risk score to improve diagnostic accuracy of UTI after SCI.

Methods: This study will use data from the Veterans Health Administration Corporate Data …

Exploring The Vitamin D Receptor Gene Polymorphisms: Implications For Disease Susceptibility, Thrupthi Rai, Sushma M, Jadeppa G, Suma M N, Swetha Nk

International Journal of Health and Allied Sciences

The Vitamin D endocrine system, comprising of Vitamin D, its receptor (VDR), and metabolic enzymes, coordinates essential physiological functions influencing skeletal metabolism, immune response, and various diseases including osteoarthritis, cancer, and obesity. Understanding the impact of genetic variations, particularly the VDR gene, on disease susceptibility is crucial. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of Vitamin D metabolism, deciphering how the VDR gene works and understanding how different versions of the gene impact complex diseases. It provides a brief overview of the association between VDR gene polymorphisms in inflammatory disease, hypertension, osteoporosis, hyperparathyroidism, coronary artery disease, asthma, cancer, and infectious diseases. …