Digital Commons Network^™

Tn-Seq Reveals Hidden Complexity In The Utilization Of Host-Derived Glutathione In Francisella Tularensis, Kathryn M. Ramsey, Hannah E. Ledvina, Tenayaann M. Tresko, Jamie M. Wandzilak, Catherine A. Tower, Thomas A. Tallo, Caroline E. Schramm, S. Brook Peterson, Shawn J. Skerrett, Joseph D. Mougous, Simon L. Dove

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Host-derived glutathione (GSH) is an essential source of cysteine for the intracellular pathogen Francisella tularensis. In a comprehensive transposon insertion sequencing screen, we identified several F. tularensis genes that play central and previously unappreciated roles in the utilization of GSH during the growth of the bacterium in macrophages. We show that one of these, a gene we named dptA, encodes a proton-dependent oligopeptide transporter that enables growth of the organism on the dipeptide Cys-Gly, a key breakdown product of GSH generated by the enzyme γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT). Although GGT was thought to be the principal enzyme involved in …

Heterogeneity Of Dengue Illness In Community-Based Prospective Study, Iquitos, Peru, William H. Elson, Robert C. Reiner, Crystyan Siles, Isabel Bazan, Stalin Vilcarromero, Amy R. Riley-Powell, Ania B. Kawiecki, Helvio Astete, Robert D. Hontz, Chris M. Barker, Gonzalo M. Vazquez-Prokopec, Amy C. Morrison, Thomas W. Scott, John P. Elder, Alan L. Rothman, Valerie A. Paz-Soldan

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Measuring heterogeneity of dengue illness is necessary to define suitable endpoints in dengue vaccine and therapeutic trials and will help clarify behavioral responses to illness. To quantify heterogeneity in dengue illness, including milder cases, we developed the Dengue Illness Perceptions Response (IPR) survey, which captured detailed symptom data, including intensity, duration, and character, and change in routine activities caused by illness. During 2016–2019, we collected IPR data daily during the acute phase of illness for 79 persons with a positive reverse transcription PCR result for dengue virus RNA. Most participants had mild ambulatory disease. However, we measured substantial heterogeneity in …

Contrasting Immunomodulatory Effects Of Probiotic And Pathogenic Bacteria On Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica, Larvae, Tejashree H. Modak, Marta Gomez-Chiarri

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

Several Vibrio spp. cause acute and severe mortality events in hatcheries where larvae of bivalve mollusks are reared, potentially leading to subsequent shortage of bivalve seed for the grow-out industry. In particular, strains of Vibrio coralliilyticus have been identified as a major cause of disease in Pacific, Crassostrea gigas, and eastern, C. virginica, oyster hatcheries in the United States of America. Probiotic bacteria are an inexpensive, practical, and natural method of disease control. Previous research shows that pretreatment of larval oysters with probiotic bacteria Bacillus pumilus RI06–95 (RI) and Phaeobacter inhibens S4 (S4) significantly decreases mortality caused …

Crisis Management Art From The Risks To The Control: A Review Of Methods And Directions, Mohammed Abdalla, Louai Alarabi, Abdeltawab Hendawi

Computer Science and Statistics Faculty Publications

A crisis is an exceptional event that causes damage and negative impacts on organizations. For this reason, crisis management is considered as a significant action needed to follow crisis causes and consequences for preventing or avoiding these exceptional events from occurring again. Studies have devoted their efforts to proposing methods, techniques, and approaches in the crisis management direction. As a result, it is critical to provide a consolidated study that has an integrated view of proposed crisis management methods, crisis impacts, and effective response strategies. For this purpose, this paper first highlights the proposed techniques used in crisis management and …

Antibiograms Cannot Be Used Interchangeably Between Acute Care Medical Centers And Affiliated Nursing Homes, Maria Stephanie A. Hughes, M. Dosa, Aisling R. Caffrey, Haley J. Appaneal, Robin L.P. Jump, Vrishali Lopes, Kerry L. Laplante

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Objective: To determine whether antibiograms for Veterans Affairs (VA) nursing homes (NHs), termed Community Living Centers, are similar to those from their affiliated acute care medical centers. Design: Descriptive study. Setting and participants: We compared the 2017 antibiograms for VA NHs to their affiliated VA medical centers (VAMCs). Antibiograms included antibiotic susceptibility rates for commonly observed bacteria in this setting (Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus spp, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp, Proteus mirabilis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Methods: Antibiograms were considered to be in complete agreement when the overall susceptibility rate between the NH and affiliated VAMC was either at or above 80% or …

Weak Biofilm Formation Among Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella Pneumoniae, Jaclyn A. Cusumano, R. Caffrey, Kathryn E. Daffinee, Megan K. Luther, Vrishali Lopes, Kerry L. Laplante

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Biofilm formation of multidrug and extensively drug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniaeisolates is poorly understood. We investigated 139 diverse clinical K. pneumoniaeisolates that possess various resistance patterns to evaluate the relationship between biofilm formation and resistance. Antimicrobial resistance was compared among a diverse collection of weak versus strong biofilm-forming K. pneumoniae, and predictors of strong biofilm formation were identified. Multi-drug resistant isolates were more common among weak (97.9%) versus strong biofilm formers (76%; P = 0.002). Carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae were 91% less likely to form strong biofilm (odds ratio 0.09; 95% confidence interval 0.02–0.33). The statistically significant inverse relationship …

Clozapine And Hematologic Adverse Reactions: Impact Of The Risk Evaluation And Mitigation Strategy Program, Eric P. Borrelli, Y. Lee, Aisling R. Caffrey

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Introduction: In October 2015, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) instituted an update to the mandatory Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program for clozapine to improve safety monitoring of hematologic events. However, the impact of the clozapine REMS program on reporting of hematologic adverse events has not been quantified.

Methods: We assessed adverse event reports for agranulocytosis, granulocytopenia, leukopenia, and neutropenia from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for a 1-year time period before (October 2014 to September 2015, pre-REMS) and after (October 2015 to September 2016, post-REMS) the implementation of the clozapine REMS program. The AERSMine platform …

Colectomy Averted: A Successful Case Report Of Fidaxomicin Administration Through A Loop Ileostomy For Fulminant, Clostridioides Difficile Infection, Todd Brothers, M. Charpentier, Shivani Shah, Richa Tandon

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Clostridioides difficile infection is considered an urgent public health threat by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recent practice guidelines recommend either vancomycin or fidaxomicin for an initial episode of C. difficile infection and further recommend a subtotal colectomy in severe cases. There are limited data discussing novel approaches for fidaxomicin administration in severe C. difficile infection to avert colectomy. We describe an off-label route of fidaxomicin administration through a loop ileostomy twice daily with successful outcome.

Frequency And Predictors Of Suboptimal Prescribing Among A Cohort Of Older Male Residents With Urinary Tract Infection, Haley J. Appaneal, [email protected] Caffrey, Vrishali V. Lopes, David M. Dosa, Theresa I. Shireman, Kerry L. Laplante

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND

Unnecessary antibiotic treatment of suspected urinary tract infection (UTI) is common in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). However, less is known about the extent of suboptimal treatment, in terms of antibiotic choice, dose, and duration, after the decision to use antibiotics has been made. METHODS

We described the frequency of potentially suboptimal treatment among residents with an incident UTI (first during the study with none in the year prior) in Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Community Living Centers (CLCs, 2013-2018). Time trends were analyzed using Joinpoint regression. Residents with UTIs receiving potentially suboptimal treatment were compared to those receiving optimal treatment to …

Towards Precision Medicine: Therapeutic Drug Monitoring–Guided Dosing Of Vancomycin And Β-Lactam Antibiotics To Maximize Effectiveness And Minimize Toxicity, Jaclyn A. Cusuman, P. Klinker, Angela Huttner, Megan K. Luther, Jason A. Roberts, Kerry L. Laplante

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Purpose

The goal of this review is to explore the role of antimicrobial therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM), especially in critically ill, obese, and older adults, with a specific focus on β-lactams and vancomycin. Summary

The continued rise of antimicrobial resistance prompts the need to optimize antimicrobial dosing. The aim of TDM is to individualize antimicrobial dosing to achieve antibiotic exposures associated with improved patient outcomes. Initially, TDM was developed to minimize adverse effects during use of narrow therapeutic index agents. Today, patient and organism complexity are expanding the need for precision dosing through TDM services. Alterations of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics …

Community Pharmacists’ Contributions To Disease Management During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Mark A. Strand, Bratberg, Heidi Eukel, Mark Hardy, Christopher Williams

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Community pharmacists assist patients to manage disease and prevent complications. Despite the enormous challenge the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has dealt to the health care system, community pharmacists have maintained the delivery of critical health services to communities, including those most at risk for COVID-19. Community pharmacists are in a key position to deliver priority pandemic responses including point-of-care testing for chronic disease management, vaccinations, and COVID-19 testing.

Optimizing Hepatitis C Virus (Hcv) Treatment In A Us Colocated Hcv/Opioid Agonist Therapy Program, Jackie Habchi, M. Thomas, Sophie Sprecht-Walsh, Elenita Arias, Jeffrey P. Bratberg, Linda Hurley, Susan Hart, Lynn E. Taylor

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Background

A minority of patients with opioid use disorder are treated for hepatitis C virus infection (HCV). While colocated HCV and opioid agonist therapy (OAT) along with harm reduction can facilitate prevention and cascade to cure, there are few real-world examples of such embedded care models in the United States in the direct-acting antiviral (DAA) era. Methods

We conducted a retrospective chart review to determine sustained virologic response (SVR) and reinfection rates during the first 5-year period of DAA availability among individuals tested and treated on-site at Rhode Island’s only nonprofit methadone maintenance program. Results

Of 275 who initiated DAAs, …

Making Sense Of Public Scientific Controversy: A Case Study Examining Science Communication And Public Engagement Surrounding Genetically Modified Mosquitoes In The Florida Keys, Cynthia Taylor

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation presents a discursive case study of a recent public scientific controversy surrounding proposed field trials of Oxitec’s genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes in the Florida Keys. Despite endorsements by the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, starting in 2011, and the US Food and Drug Administration’s approval in 2016, field trial releases in the region have been stalled by intense public opposition. The research presented here attempts to better understand the nature of this controversy through a close examination of science communication and public engagement efforts. Avoiding the assumption that resistance to scientific and technological interventions is reducible to a …

Evaluation Of A Photograph-Based Citizen Science Program As A Tick Surveillance And Prevention Education Tool, Heather Lynn Kopsco

Open Access Dissertations

The multitude of factors fueling the escalation in tick-borne disease in the United States is further complicated by gaps in public knowledge and inconsistent adherence to tick-bite prevention behaviors. Passive tick surveillance is a growing strategy to monitor tick species trends and associated pathogen prevalence across the country. Most practice involves citizens shipping encountered ticks to a laboratory for identification and pathogen testing, but given potential delays in mailing and processing time, tick bite victims may be placed outside the window of potential prophylactic options, or under unnecessary antibiotic administration. Recently, photographed-based tick surveillance has been shown to be a …

Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Centrality And Individual-Level Characteristics Among Pwid, Benjamin Skov

Open Access Master's Theses

Background: People who inject drugs (PWID) are a well-identified risk population for HIV infection. The risk networks of PWID have been implicated as possible modulators of both HIV risk and educational interventions among this population. In order to further understand the nature of risk networks, we examined how individual characteristics were associated with influential network position based on high closeness, betweenness, or eigenvector network centrality. These centrality measures assess an individual’s importance or potential to influence others based on their connections, closeness is based on proximity to others, betweenness on acting as an intermediary between others, and eigenvector on connection …

Delay In Antibiotic Administration Is Associated With Mortality Among Septic Shock Patients With Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteremia, Keith A. Corl, Zeba, Aisling R. Caffrey, Matthew Hermenau, Vrishali Lopes, Gary Phillips, Roland C. Merchant, Mitchell Levy, Kerry L. Laplante

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Objectives: The relationship between the timing of antibiotics and mortality among septic shock patients has not been examined among patients specifically with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.

Design: Retrospective analysis of a Veterans Affairs S. aureus bacteremia database.

Settings: One-hundred twenty-two hospitals in the Veterans Affairs Health System.

Patients: Patients with septic shock and S. aureus bacteremia admitted directly from the emergency department to the ICU from January 1, 2003, to October 1, 2015, were evaluated.

Interventions: Time to appropriate antibiotic administration and 30-day mortality.

Measurements and Main Results: A total of 506 patients with S. aureus bacteremia and septic shock were …

Disseminated Effects In Agent Based Models: A Potential Outcomes Framework And Application To Inform Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Coverage Levels For Hiv Prevention, Ashley L. Buchanan, Bessey, William C. Goedel, Maximilian King, Eleanor J. Murray, Samuel Friedman, M. Elizabeth Halloran, Brandon D.L. Marshall

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention may not only benefit the individual who uses it, but also their uninfected sexual risk contacts. We developed an agent-based model using a novel trial emulation approach to quantify disseminated effects of PrEP use among men who have sex with men in Atlanta, USA from 2015 to 2017. Components (subsets of agents connected through partnerships in a sexual network, but not sharing partnerships with any other agents) were first randomized to an intervention coverage level or control, then within intervention components, eligible agents were randomized to PrEP. We estimated direct and disseminated (indirect) effects …

Chemical Investigations Of Pectic Oligosaccharides From Vaccinium Macrocarpon, Zhiyuan Peng

Open Access Master's Theses

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) are a serious problem worldwide, especially for females. Previous research in our laboratory suggests that cranberry pectic oligosaccharides (cPOS) can reverse dormant phenotypes in UPEC and therefore could prove useful in the prevention of recurrent UTIs. This thesis focused on the purification and structure determination of purified pectic oligosaccharides from cranberry hull extract. The research helped established the structures of cPOS, provided high purity materials for biological testing, and enabled further studies on the effect of different degrees of polymerization (DP) in preventing dormant phenotypes in UPEC. More specifically, cPOS …

Chemical Investigation Of Bacterial Interactions Involving Pathogens, Hilary Joan Grant Ranson

Open Access Dissertations

Chemical communication mediates the vast majority of collective bacterial behaviors, orchestrating gene expression and community functions. A fundamental understanding of how pathogens are able to do this underlies the philosophy of natural product chemistry, providing insights into novel mechanisms for controlling pathogenic bacterial infections. To increase the effectiveness of antibiotics, alternative therapeutic approaches can be used that target bacterial phenotypes associated with infections, including swarming motility and quiescence. This dissertation explores molecules that interfere with such phenotypes in two different pathogens: uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Increased understanding of how bacterial behaviors can be modulated in pathogens …

Evaluating The Effects Of Medications For Opioid Use Disorder On Hiv Risk Behaviors Among A Network Of People Who Inject Drugs, Joseph Puleo

Open Access Master's Theses

People who inject drugs (PWID) are a population with increased HIV risk due in part to sharing drug injection equipment. In networks of people connected through risk behavior, individuals can exert influence on each other. Evidence suggests that receiving medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) can reduce HIV risk behaviors. However, limited studies have been conducted to determine if there are direct effects (among the participants treated) or disseminated effects (among participants who were not treated themselves, but shared connections with those treated) of MOUD among networks of PWID.

The main goal of this thesis is to evaluate if receiving …

Usage Statistics: Project Counter R4 Journal Report 1 (Jr1) 2018-2019, Andree Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Project COUNTER R4 Journal Report 1 (JR1) for the University of Rhode Island for the period from July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019. Journal Report 1 is defined as "Number of Successful Full-Text Article Requests by Month and Journal." This report presents an annual total only.

File for download is Excel spreadsheet generated by Alma Analytics.

Results: 1,055,792 successful full-text article requests for 30,329 reported titles.

Supplementation With Small-Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements Does Not Increase Child Morbidity In A Semiurban Setting In Ghana: A Secondary Outcome Noninferiority Analysis Of The International Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements (Ilins)–Dyad Randomized Controlled Trial, Seth Adu-Afarwuah, Rebecca R. Young, Anna Lartey, Harriet Okronipa, Per Ashorn, Ulla Ashorn, Brietta M. Oaks, Kathryn G. Dewey

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Background

Adequate knowledge about the safety of consumption of small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNSs) is needed. Objective

We aimed to test the hypothesis that SQ-LNS consumption is noninferior to control with respect to child morbidity. Methods

Women (n = 1320) ≤20 wk pregnant were assigned to iron and folic acid until delivery with no supplementation for offspring; or multiple micronutrient supplements until 6 mo postpartum with no supplementation for offspring; or SQ-LNSs until 6 mo postpartum, and SQ-LNSs for offspring (6 mg Fe/d) from 6 to 18 mo of age [the lipid-based nutrient supplement (LNS) group]. We assessed noninferiority …

Dengue Illness Impacts Daily Human Mobility Patterns In Iquitos, Peru, Kathryn L. Schaber, Valerie A. Paz-Soldan, Amy C. Morrison, William H.D. Elson, Alan L. Rothman, Christopher N. Mores, Helvio Astete-Vega, Thomas W. Scott, Lance A. Waller, Uriel Kitron, John P. Elder, Christopher M. Barker, T. Alex Perkins, Gonzalo M. Vazquez-Prokopec

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Background

Human mobility plays a central role in shaping pathogen transmission by generating spatial and/or individual variability in potential pathogen-transmitting contacts. Recent research has shown that symptomatic infection can influence human mobility and pathogen transmission dynamics. Better understanding the complex relationship between symptom severity, infectiousness, and human mobility requires quantification of movement patterns throughout infectiousness. For dengue virus (DENV), human infectiousness peaks 0–2 days after symptom onset, making it paramount to understand human movement patterns from the beginning of illness.

Methodology and principal findings

Through community-based febrile surveillance and RT-PCR assays, we identified a cohort of DENV+ residents of the …

Nephromyces Represents A Diverse And Novel Lineage Of The Apicomplexa That Has Retained Apicoplasts, Sergio A. Munoz-Gomez, Keira Durnin, Laura Eme, Christopher Paight, Christopher E. Lane, Mary B. Saffo, Claudio H. Slamovits

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

A most interesting exception within the parasitic Apicomplexa is Nephromyces, an extracellular, probably mutualistic, endosymbiont found living inside molgulid ascidian tunicates (i.e., sea squirts). Even though Nephromyces is now known to be an apicomplexan, many other questions about its nature remain unanswered. To gain further insights into the biology and evolutionary history of this unusual apicomplexan, we aimed to 1) find the precise phylogenetic position of Nephromyces within the Apicomplexa, 2) search for the apicoplast genome of Nephromyces, and 3) infer the major metabolic pathways in the apicoplast of Nephromyces. To do this, we sequenced a metagenome …

Alma Link Resolver Title & Issn Report (Top 500) 2018-2019, Andreé J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Statistics for 2018-2019 on the total number of OpenURL requests by journal title and ISSN made to the Ex Libris Alma link resolver for items held by the University of Rhode Island Libraries. Includes only the top 500 journals.

Information provided includes journal Title, ISSN, EISSN, Number of Requests, Number of Clicked Requests, % Clicks from Requests.

Barriers To Inclusive Deliberation And Democratic Governance Of Genetic Technologies At The Science-Policy Interface, Cynthia Taylor, Bryan Dewsbury

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Advances in 21st century genetic technologies offer new directions for addressing public health and environmental challenges, yet raise important social and ethical questions. Though the need for inclusive deliberation is widely recognized, institutionalized risk definitions, regulation standards, and imaginations of publics pose obstacles to democratic participation and engagement. This paper traces how the problematic precedents set by the 1975 Asilomar Conference emerge in contemporary discussions on CRISPR, and draws from a recent controversy surrounding field trial releases of genetically modified mosquitoes to explicate the ways in which these precedents undermine efforts to engage publics in decisions at the science-policy interface.

Interpretation Of The Individual Effect Under Treatment Spillover, Forrest W. Crawford, Morozova, Ashley L. Buchanan, Donna Spiegelman

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Some interventions are intended to benefit both individuals and the groups to which they belong. When a treatment given to one person exerts a causal effect on others, the treatment is said to exhibit spillover, dissemination, or interference. However, defining meaningful causal effects under spillover can be challenging. In this commentary, we discuss the meaning of the “individual effect,” a quantity proposed to summarize the effect of treatment on the person who receives it, when spillover may be present.

Vocal Performance From Renaissance To Modern Day, Katherine Souza

Senior Honors Projects

What’s your favorite song? Everyone, whether engineer, photographer, healthcare professional, retail sales associate, office worker, or taxi driver can name at least one song that they like. That is because music is ubiquitous in our lives. Whether or not you are a musician by trade, music is a language to which everyone relates. In this project, I sought out to investigate this universal language. I selected compositions by eleven different composers, from Renaissance to twentieth century. Further, I researched topics such as how the piece came to be written, translations for non-English pieces, details about the composer’s life and how …

Clinical Data On Daptomycin Plus Ceftaroline Versus Standard Of Care Monotherapy In The Treatment Of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteremia, Matthew Geriak, Haddad, Khulood Rizvi, Warren Rose, Ravina Kullar, Kerry L. Laplante, Marie Yu, Logan Vasina, Krista Ouellette, Marcus Zervos, Victor Nizet, George Sakoulas

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Vancomycin (VAN) and daptomycin (DAP) are approved as a monotherapy for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia. A regimen of daptomycin plus ceftaroline (DAP+CPT) has shown promise in published case series of MRSA salvage therapy, but no comparative data exist to compare up-front DAP+CPT head-to-head therapy versus standard monotherapy as an initial treatment. In a pilot study, we evaluated 40 adult patients who were randomized to receive 6 to 8 mg/kg of body weight per day of DAP and 600 mg intravenous (i.v.) CPT every 8 h (q8h) (n = 17) or standard monotherapy (n = 23) with vancomycin …

Honors Seminar In Global Responsibility And Social Sciences Hpr 375, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.