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Eating The Fat Of The Land: The Work Of Coxiella Burnetii To Traverse Intracellular Lipid Landscapes, Charlie Porto

Theses & Dissertations

Coxiella burnetii is an obligate intracellular pathogen and the causative agent of Q fever in humans. With primary hosts in livestock ruminants, C. burnetii is endemic globally, presenting significant health risks to agricultural workers and herd health at large. Numerous wild animal reservoirs exist, increasingly threatened by expanding livestock ranges. Furthermore, with a low infectious dose through aerosol transmission, the CDC considers C. burnetii a potential bioweapon, though in humans a large amount of infections persist subclinically, occasionally progressing to pneumonia and hepatitis with chronic infections leading to endocarditis.

The parasitic life cycle of C. burnetii is biphasic, a small …

Persistent Barriers To Implementation Of Long-Acting Injectable Antiretroviral Therapy, Jessica Hack, Adati Tarfa, Harlan Sayles, Nada Fadul

EMET Projects

No abstract provided.

Pgc-1Α Activation To Enhance Macrophage Immune Function In Mycobacterial Infections, Joel R. Frandsen, Zhihong Yuan, Brahmchetna Bedi, Zohra Prasla, Seoung-Ryoung Choi, Prabagaran Narayanasamy, Ruxana Sadikot

Journal Articles: Pathology and Microbiology

Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) are a heterogeneous group of environmental microorganisms with distinct human pathogenesis. Their incidence and prevalence are rising worldwide, due in part to elevated antimicrobial resistance which complicates treatment and potential successful outcomes. Although information exists on the clinical significance of NTMs, little is known about host immune response to infection. NTM infections alter macrophage mitochondrial capacity and decrease ATP production, efficient immune response, and bacterial clearance. Transcription factor peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) is a master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis, influencing metabolism, mitochondrial pathways, and antioxidant response. Mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) is a …

Effect Of Praziquantel Treatment On The Nutritional Status Of Children Infected With Schistosoma Haematobium, Louis Fok, Hongying Dai, David Brett-Major, Abebe Animut, Berhanu Erko, John Linville, Yohannes Negash, Abraham Degarege

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

This quasi-experimental trial examined the relationship between Schistosoma haematobium infection and nutritional status, and the impact of single dose praziquantel (PZQ) therapy on undernutrition. A total of 353 children were examined, 112 of which were infected with S. haematobium and treated with PZQ. Children's heights, weights, and mid-upper arm circumferences (MUAC) were measured at baseline and one month post-treatment. Infected children had significantly smaller mean BMI-for-age z-scores (BAZ) (-1.16 vs. 0.11, p < 0.01) and weight-for-age z-scores (WAZ) (-0.61 vs. -0.31, p = 0.03) than the uninfected ones at baseline. S. haematobium infection was associated with underweight (adjusted OR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.63-1.90). One month after treatment, BAZ, WAZ, …

Species-Specific Discrimination Of Bacterial Biofilms Using A Ratiometric Fluorescence Sensor Array And Machine Learning, Ritika Gupta, Aayushi Laliwala, Elena Muldiiarova, Kenneth W. Bayles, Denis Svechkarev, Marat Sadykov, Aaron M. Mohs

Journal Articles: Pathology and Microbiology

Biofilms are intricate bacterial communities encased in a self-produced extracellular matrix (ECM) of DNA, lipids, proteins, and polysaccharides. The diverse ECM composition across bacterial species significantly influences the progression of biofilm-associated infections, making precise identification crucial for effective treatment. Traditional methods such as biochemical assays, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, DNA sequencing and culturing provide valuable insights but have notable drawbacks, including time-consuming procedures, high costs, and the need for specialized equipment and trained personnel. These limitations hinder the rapid and widespread adoption of biofilm identification in clinical settings, underscoring the need for more streamlined, accurate, and accessible methods. In this study, …

Quantifying The Public Health Impact Of Lyme Disease In Minnesota: A Simulation Analysis Of Reported And Unreported Cases, Kathleen Angell, M. Jana Broadhurst, Jianghu James Dong, Tzeyu L. Michaud, Abraham Degarege, Roberto Cortinas, David Brett-Major

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Background: Lyme disease, the most common vector-borne disease in Minnesota, is estimated to be underreported by a factor of 10. Delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis may lead to health complications and increased personal and societal costs. Environmental factors can help to predict high disease years, allowing for early intervention to decrease disease burden. Objective: To estimate the health and cost burdens of Lyme disease and the extent to which they could be diminished by public health intervention when high-incidence Lyme disease years are forecasted. Methods: We used 5 two-dimensional Monte Carlo simulations to estimate (1) average annual expected burden of Lyme …

Lower Electronic Health Record Adoption And Interoperability In Rural Versus Urban Physician Participants: A Cross-Sectional Analysis From The Cms Quality Payment Program, Alfred J. Anzalone, Carol R. Geary, Ran Dai, Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway, James C. Mcclay, James Campbell

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 introduced the Meaningful Use program to incentivize the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) in the U.S. This study investigates the disparities in EHR adoption and interoperability between rural and urban physicians in the context of federal programs like the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 and the 21st Century Cures Act.

METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using the 2021 Quality Payment Program Experience Report Public Use File to compare EHR adoption and Promoting Interoperability scores (PISs) between urban and rural physician participants. Data …

Expertise Or Experience: Comparing Discussion Of Drought Between Audiences And Agencies In Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, And Missouri, Cory L. Armstrong, Sharon E. Baldinelli, Kelly Helm Smith, Sharon J. Medcalf

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Significant portions of the states in FEMA region 7 (Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and Iowa) were in drought in 2022–23. Culling data gathered from a prominent social media platform and from focus group discussions, this research examines how drought information was communicated between the public officials and the general public. Through the lens of the two-step flow of communication theory, the central research question explored the differences between public conversations about drought among individuals experiencing it and the viewpoints of experts who work on drought-related issues. Results from social media conversations were examined, along with insights from focus group discussions involving …

Spleen And Peripheral Blood Immunopathology In An Outbred Model Of Adult-Stage Murine Schistosomiasis, Thomas Schulze, Andrew J. Neville, Evie G. Ehrhorn, Sarah A. Alsuleiman, Jonathan L. Vennerstrom, Paul H. Davis

Journal Articles: Pharmaceutical Sciences

Schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease caused by flatworms of genus Schistosoma, is a neglected tropical disease that causes significant morbidity in the developing world. Despite numerous efforts to eradicate the disease, the parasite remains a significant global burden, particularly within Sub-Saharan Africa. Schistosoma species possess an arsenal of potent mechanisms to defend against direct attack from host immune cells and a remarkable ability to modulate the host immune system through proximal and systemic modes that facilitate its stage-specific development, survival, and reproduction. Standardized animal models have been developed that serve as an important resource for dissecting parasite and host immunobiology …

Understanding The Pathogenesis Of Uveitis In Ebola Virus Disease Survivors: An Observational Cohort And Cross-Sectional Study Protocol For Clinical, Molecular Virologic And Immunologic Characterisation, Caleb D. Hartley, Susanne Linderman, Tolulope Fashina, Laura Ward, Carolyn Drews-Botsch, Catherine Pratt, Sanjana Kuthyar, Alcides Filho Fernandes, Ye Huang, Charlene Choo, Nam Nguyen, Jessica Carag, Jill Morgan, Colleen S. Kraft, Angela L. Hewlett, David Brett-Major, John S. Schieffelin, Robert F. Garry, Donald Grant, Grant A. Justin, Christopher D. Conrady, Justine R. Smith, Brent R. Hayek, Shiama Balendra, Nisha Acharya, Thuy Doan, Anais Legand, Pierre Formenty, Xiankun Zeng, Ibrahim Conteh, Matthew Jusu Vandy, Lloyd Harrison-Williams, Jalikatu Mustapha, Zikan Koroma, Michael R. Wiley, Ian Crozier, Jean-Claude Mwanza, Jessica G. Shantha, Rafi Ahmed, Steven Yeh, Smile And Evict-Vr Investigator Study Groups

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

INTRODUCTION: The 2013-2016 Western African outbreak of the Ebola virus disease (EVD), the largest recorded outbreak since the discovery of Ebola virus (EBOV) in 1976, destabilised local health systems and left thousands of survivors at risk for postacute sequelae, including vision-threatening uveitis. In an EVD survivor with severe panuveitis, the detection of persistent EBOV in the aqueous humour, long after clearance of acute viremia, focused clinical and research attention on the host-EBOV interaction in the unique terrain of ocular immune privilege. Despite the recognition that uveitis is common and consequential in EVD survivors, our understanding of pathogenesis is extremely limited, …

Integrating Human And Animal Health In The Stop Spillover Outbreak Scenarios, Kathleen E. Angell, He Julia Bai, Katherine C. Prager, Janetrix H. Amuguni, Felicia B. Nutter, Jonathan D. Gass Jr, David Brett-Major

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

OBJECTIVES: To generate and employ scenarios of sentinel human and animal outbreak cases in local contexts that integrate human and animal health interests and practices and facilitate outbreak risk management readiness.

METHODS: We conducted a scoping review of past outbreaks and the strengths and weaknesses of response efforts in USAID STOP Spillover program countries. This information and iterative query-and-response with country teams and local stakeholders led to curated outbreak scenarios emphasizing One Health human:animal interfaces at sub-national levels.

RESULTS: Two core scenarios were generated adapted to each of 4 countries’ pathogen priorities and workflows in Africa and Asia, anchoring on …

Week 96 Results Of Bictegravir/Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Alafenamide For Hiv Treatment In People With Substance Use Disorders, Joshua P. Havens, Sara Bares, Elizabeth Lyden, Nada A. Fadul, Susan Swindells

Journal Articles: Infectious Diseases

BACKGROUND: The BASE study (NCT03998176), a phase 4, 48-week (W), single-arm, prospective trial, revealed that the use of bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (B/F/TAF) in people with HIV and substance use disorders (PWH/SUD) was safe and effective without emergent antiretroviral resistance despite incomplete adherence. Here, we present the W96 results.

METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all participants enrolled in the BASE study was completed from W48 to W96. End points of interest at W96 included the proportion of participants with viral suppression (VS; HIV RNA < 50 copies/mL [c/mL]), incidence of protocol-defined virologic failure (PDVF; 2 consecutive ≥400 c/mL), safety, adherence (percentage of days covered [PDC]), retention in care, and prevalence of ongoing substance use.

RESULTS: All enrolled BASE participants (n = 43) were included in the W96 analysis. At W48, 21 participants …

Preferences And Feasibility Of Long-Acting Technologies For The Treatment Of Hepatitis C Virus: A Survey Of Patients In Diverse Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Renae Furl, Kimberly Scarsi, Harlan Sayles, Matt Anderson, Joelle Dountio Ofimboudem, Ethel D. Weld, Imam Waked, Asmaa Gomaa, Alzhraa Al-Khatib, Fatma Mohammed Elshobary, Hailemichael Desalegn, Henok Fisseha, Sunil Solomon, Shruti Mehta, Andrew Owen, Steve Rannard, David L. Thomas, Susan Swindells

Journal Articles: Infectious Diseases

Despite available curative treatments, global rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection persist with significant burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Long-acting (LA) antiviral products are in development. This study explored the challenges and opportunities in LA-HCV treatment across three LMICs: Egypt, Ethiopia and India. The survey focused on understanding barriers and facilitators to treatment, with emphasis on LA treatment preferences. Four-hundred respondents completed a survey including demographics, HCV treatment history and preferences for injections, implants and microarray patches (MAPs) compared to pills. Overall, 78% of respondents were willing to receive injections, 43% were willing to receive implants and …

Efficacy And Safety Of 4-Month Rifapentine-Based Tuberculosis Treatments In Persons With Diabetes., Ekaterina V. Kurbatova, William C. Whitworth, Lakshmi Praveena Peddareddy, Patrick P. J. Phillips, Nigel A. Scott, Kia E. Bryant, Rodney Dawson, Sandra Wagner Cardoso, Wadzanai Samaneka, Melissa Engle, Ziyaad Waja, Erin Sizemore, Wendy Carr, Kelly E. Dooley, Radojka Savic, Susan Swindells, Richard E. Chaisson, Susan E. Dorman, Payam Nahid, Nhung V. Nguyen, Aids Clinical Trials Group A5349, Tuberculosis Trials Consortium Study 31

Journal Articles: Infectious Diseases

A previous study demonstrated noninferior efficacy of 4-month rifapentine/moxifloxacin regimen for tuberculosis (TB) treatment compared with the standard regimen. We explored results among study participants with diabetes. Among 2,516 randomized participants, 181 (7.2%) had diabetes. Of 166 participants with diabetes in the microbiologically eligible analysis group, 26.3% (15/57) had unfavorable outcomes in the control regimen, 13.8% (8/58) in the rifapentine/moxifloxacin regimen, and 29.4% (15/51) in the rifapentine regimen. The difference in proportion of unfavorable outcomes between the control and rifapentine/moxifloxacin arms in the microbiologically eligible analysis group was -12.5% (95% CI -27.0% to 1.9%); the difference between the control and …

Pregnancy Outcomes After Exposure To Tuberculosis Treatment In Phase 3 Clinical Trial, 2016-2020, Ekaterina V. Kurbatova, William C. Whitworth, Kia E. Bryant, Meredith G. Dixon, Kelly E. Dooley, Nigel A. Scott, Rosanna Boyd, Nicole E. Brown, Kimberley N. Chapman Hedges, Wendy Carr, Lakshmi P. Peddareddy, Grace Muzanyi, Rodney Dawson, Ziyad Waja, Neil Martinson, Jyoti S. V. Mathad, Payam Nahid, Susan Swindells, Richard E. Chaisson, Susan E. Dorman, Patrick P. J. Phillips, Aids Clinical Trials Group A5349, Tuberculosis Trials Consortium Study 31

Journal Articles: Infectious Diseases

A previous study demonstrated noninferior efficacy of 4-month rifapentine/moxifloxacin regimen for tuberculosis (TB) treatment compared with the standard regimen. We analyzed pregnancy outcomes of women who became pregnant during the study. Among 740 women, 97 (13.1%) became pregnant. Of 102 pregnancies (in 97 participants), 30 (29.4%) participants were exposed to study drugs. Fetal loss was reported for 3/13 (23.1%) in the control regimen, 1/9 (11.1%) in the rifapentine/moxifloxacin regimen, and 1/8 (12.5%) in the rifapentine regimen. Among 21 live births in exposed pregnancies (7 in each arm), 1 infant with a congenital anomaly was reported in a participant on the …

Ode To An Earthworm, Sarah Chandler

The Art of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis With Cardiobacterium Hominis: A Case Report, Kaci Griffin, Timothy Jang, Rees Adomako, Jasmine R. Marcelin, Jonathan H. Ryder

Graduate Medical Education Research Journal

Background: Cardiobacterium hominis (C. hominis) is an uncommon cause of infective endocarditis and often presents sub-acutely with fevers, cardiac murmurs, or embolic phenomena. We present a rare case of C. hominis infective prosthetic valve endocarditis that presented with new-onset atrial flutter and systemic emboli.

Case: A 38-year-old male presented to the emergency department with palpitations, shortness of breath, and chest tightness and was found to be in atrial flutter. He underwent a transesophageal echocardiogram-guided cardioversion and was incidentally found to have a one-centimeter echodensity on the ventricular side of his prosthetic aortic valve. (Figure 1.) He …

Minimizing Infant Injury Risk By Utilizing Parental Education In A Primary Care Setting, Courtney Munroe, Erin Kuehl, Rachel Mahlberg

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects: College of Nursing

Introduction

Accidental injury and death to infants has been correlated to lack of proper education to parents of infants in the primary pediatric care setting. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and unintentional injuries were the second and third leading causes of post neonatal death during this period of time (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016). Studies have found that motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of child injury and death for infants under 12 months of age. The CDC found that drowning, suffocation, and poisoning were other leading causes that contributed to child injury and death rates …

Characterizing The Francisella Tularensis Universal Stress Protein, Benjamin Girardo

Theses & Dissertations

Francisella tularensis is an extremely virulent pathogen responsible for the zoonotic disease tularemia. F. tularensis employs various defense mechanisms to survive and persist under diverse environmental and host-induced stress conditions. Despite its significance, the full spectrum of stress factors that enable F. tularensis persistence remain inadequately understood. In many bacterial species, universal stress proteins (Usp) play a crucial role in managing adverse conditions. The aim of this study was to elucidate the role of Usp in F. tularensis as a means of clarifying the stress response mechanisms of this pathogen. The F. tularensis Usp is encoded by a single, highly …

Ccr5-Ligand Decorated Rilpivirine Lipid-Based Nanoparticles For Sustained Antiretroviral Responses, Milankumar Patel

Theses & Dissertations

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the standard remedy to improve the health-related quality of life of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, limited access to the viral reservoir has significantly hindered its effectiveness in fully eradicating HIV. Therefore, to improve HIV therapy, here we propose a C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5)-targeted theranostic lipid Based Nanoparticles (LBNPs) to noninvasively track and specifically deliver the antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to the viral reservoir. A multi-modular radioactive nanoprobe was synthesized and co-encapsulated with rilpivirine (RPV, an ARV) into the LBNP to achieve a theranostic LBNP that can be tracked by positron emission …

Bio-Preparedness In A Global Context: Multi-Site International Study Investigating Global Health Security Challenges In Egypt, Oman, And The United States, Rima M. Al Balushi

Theses & Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed myriad vulnerabilities globally within public health systems, from inadequate bio-risk management in laboratories to overwhelming utilization of hospital resources and disparities in vaccine access and uptake. The Global Health Security Index (GHSI), which critically evaluates health security domains including health systems and risk environments, reports serious weaknesses in global health security. This dissertation aims to investigate critical aspects of global health security domains by examining factors impacting biosafety and biosecurity capacities in laboratories in Egypt, healthcare resource utilization in hospitals in Oman relating to acute respiratory infections (ARI), and COVID-19 vaccine uptake in the United States. …

Prospective, Crossover, Comparative Study Of Two Methods Of Chlorhexidine Bathing, Richard J. Hankins

Theses & Dissertations

Bathing intensive care unit (ICU) patients with chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) decreases hospital acquired infections (HAIs). The optimal method of CHG bathing remains undefined. Prospective cluster crossover study comparing CHG daily bathing with 2% CHG impregnated cloths versus 4% CHG solution. In phase 1, from January 2020 through March 2020, one ICU utilized 2% cloths, while the other ICU utilized 4% solution. After an interruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, in phase 2, from July 2020 through September 2020, the unit CHG bathing assignments were reversed. Swabs were performed three times per week from patients’ arms and legs to measure skin …

Knowledge, Attitudes, And Behaviors Regarding Water Quality, Nitrate Contamination, And Related Health Issues Among Nebraska Healthcare Professionals, Jessenia Hincapie

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Background: Nitrate contamination in drinking water is a public health concern, particularly in agricultural regions. Healthcare professionals often address water quality issues but may lack sufficient knowledge regarding the health effects of nitrate contamination. This study evaluates whether Nebraska healthcare professionals' knowledge and attitudes about nitrate contamination predict their behaviors in addressing this issue.

Methods: A survey was administered to healthcare professionals across Nebraska to assess their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding nitrate contamination in drinking water. A total of 462 respondents participated. Generalized linear regression analysis was employed to assess the impact of knowledge and attitudes regarding nitrate contamination …

Promoting Adolescent Mental And Physical Health: Initiatives Focused On Connecting Public Health And Social Services To The Health Sector In Nebraska, Theresa Nguyen

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

This capstone focuses on the second recommendation of improving access to comprehensive, coordinated health services from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report The Promise of Adolescence: Realizing Opportunity for All Youth (2019). This proposal uses secondary data from the research project, Moving Evidence-Based Recommendations to Practice to Strengthen the Health Care System in Nebraska. Key stakeholders (n=28) were interviewed from the health care, public health, social services, and policy sectors. Each subject was asked to participate in a semi-structured interview by a trained interviewer. The interview was 1 hour long and conducted via phone call or Zoom. …

Syphilis-Related Glomerulopathy: A Rare Presentation Of A Common Disease, Shalmali Mirajkar, Jainaha K. Srikumar, Nichole Regan, Ryan P. Mullane, Sara Bares

Posters and Presentations: College of Medicine Students

Background: Syphilis is a preventable and curable sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium Treponema Pallidum. Syphilis has often been described as the “great mimicker” as it can affect multiple organ systems and leads to a wide variety of clinical manifestations. Kidney manifestations are rare, and the most commonly reported glomerular lesion is membranous nephropathy. Herein, we present an unusual case of a rash, membranous nephropathy and cholestatic hepatitis due to secondary syphilis. Case: A 68-year-old male with well-controlled HIV, hypertension, anemia, and depression was admitted to the hospital for evaluation of acute kidney injury and nephrotic-range proteinuria. Three …

Central Nervous System Antiviral Pharmacology, Sean N. Avedissian

Theses & Dissertations

Soon after viral infection, viruses like Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and SARS-CoV-2 can disseminate throughout the body and establish reservoirs in the central nervous system (CNS). The persistence of viruses in cells of these reservoirs is a major obstacle to virus eradication. This is due to the abundance of cells/receptors that these viruses utilize to gain entry into cells found at these various reservoir sites. Consequently, these same anatomical sites also may be pharmacologic sanctuaries, as evidenced by concentrations of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) and antivirals (AVs) that are lower in reservoirs than those in peripheral blood; in some cases, these …

Dying Right: Supporting Anti-Cancer Therapy Through Immunogenic Cell Death, Elizabeth Schmitz

Theses & Dissertations

The primary goal of most anti-cancer therapy is to eradicate neoplastic cells. Simultaneously, neoplastic cell death is the first step of the cancer-immunity cycle, which starts with the release of antigens from cancer cells and ends with T-cell directed killing of cancer cells, in addition to long-standing memory to tumor antigens encountered. Immunogenic damage-associated-molecular patterns (DAMPs) are endogenous cell molecules repurposed in times of insurmountable cell stress (e.g., CALR, ATP, HMGB1) to facilitate communication between dying cells and adaptive immune cells, acting as adjuvants for the cancer-immunity cycle, in a cellular fate termed immunogenic cell death (ICD). It …

Telehealth For Healthy Aging: A Multi-Level, Multi-Methods Approach, Vaibhavi Mone

Theses & Dissertations

Telehealth, rapidly adopted during the pandemic, has shown its usefulness and limitations, yet was not designed with older adults in mind. This dissertation encompasses three interconnected studies exploring telehealth utilization for Medicare Annual Wellness Visits (AWVs) among older adults, provider perspectives on telehealth AWVs, and the impact of teleconferencing on primary care providers' knowledge and confidence in geriatric care. The objectives are to determine patient characteristics using telehealth AWV (study 1), understand provider perspectives on telehealth AWV (study 2), and evaluate the effectiveness of geriatrics education through telehealth (study 3). Study 1 investigates the changes in AWV utilization among 18,405 …

Understanding The Role Of Malondialdehyde-Acetaldehyde Adducts (Maa) In Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Megan L. Otte

Theses & Dissertations

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) comprises autoimmune diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that greatly reduce the quality of life of patients and currently afflict up to 200 individuals per 100,000 Americans. Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s Disease (CD), the two principal diseases comprising IBD, share symptoms and risk factors, however, precise etiology remains unclear. The diagnostics and clinical management of IBD have progressed greatly in recent years especially due to immune modulating therapies and biologics, however, IBD and its specific forms are still difficult to diagnose and cannot be cured with current treatments. The overarching mechanisms of IBD pathogenesis are known …

The Dissemination And Implementation Of N95 Fit Testing Capacities For Nebraska Long-Term Care Facilities: A Mixed-Methods Analysis Using The Re-Aim Framework, Anthony Blake

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Ensuring the proper fit of N95 respirators used by healthcare workers in long-term care facilities (LTCF) is essential for their safety. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services launched a LTCF strike team project (STP) in the summer of 2022, focused on increasing the number of staff trained in infection control and building internal capacity for LTCFs to fit test their employees. This study describes the N95 fit-testing initiative for Nebraska LTCFs.

Methods: Staff from all 19 local health departments (LHD) received “train-the-trainer” training to prepare LTCF staff to perform qualitative fit testing. LTCF administrators were requested to …