Digital Commons Network^™

Nanotechnology-Based Approaches For Imaging And Therapy, Charalambos Kaittanis

Amgen Seminar Series in Chemical Engineering

Improved therapeutics and diagnostic tools are needed in the clinic, contributing towards better treatment and survivorship. During this presentation, we will discuss how nanoparticle-based tools can support decision-making through imaging, and provide new insights on how nanoparticles interact with their environment. Overall, we will explore how nanoparticles can serve as sensitive probes, as well as translational platforms for personalized medicine.

Isocitrate Dehydrogenase Mutation In Vibrio Anguillarum Results In Virulence Attenuation And Immunoprotection In Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss), Xiangyu Mou, Edward J. Spinard, Shelby L. Hillman, David R. Nelson

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Background

Vibrio anguillarum is an extracellular bacterial pathogen that is a causative agent of vibriosis in finfish and crustaceans with mortality rates ranging from 30% to 100%. Mutations in central metabolism (glycolysis and the TCA cycle) of intracellular pathogens often result in attenuated virulence due to depletion of required metabolic intermediates; however, it was not known whether mutations in central metabolism would affect virulence in an extracellular pathogen such as V. anguillarum.

Results

Seven central metabolism mutants were created and characterized with regard to growth in minimal and complex media, expression of virulence genes, and virulence in juvenile rainbow …

Global, Regional, And National Under-5 Mortality, Adult Mortality, Age-Specific Mortality, And Life Expectancy, 1970-2016: A Systematic Analysis For The Global Burden Of Disease Study 2016, Haidong Wang, Amanuel Alemu Abajobir, Kalkidan Hassen Abate, Cristiana Abbafati, Kaja M. Abbas, Foad Abd-Allah, Semaw Ferede Abera, Haftom Niguse Abraha, Laith J. Abu-Raddad, Niveen M.E. Abu-Rmeileh, Isaac Akinkunmi Adedeji, Rufus Adesoji Adedoyin, Ifedayo Morayo O. Adetifa, Olatunji Adetokunboh, Ashkan Afshin, Rakesh Aggarwal, Anurag Agrawal, Sutapa Agrawal, Aliasghar Ahmad Kiadaliri, Muktar Beshir Ahmed, Amani Nidhal Aichour, Ibthiel Aichour, Miloud Taki Eddine Aichour, Sneha Aiyar, Ali Shafqat Akanda, Tomi F. Akinyemiju, Nadia Akseer, Ayman Al-Eyadhy, Faris Hasan Al Lami, Samer Alabed

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Background: Detailed assessments of mortality patterns, particularly age-specific mortality, represent a crucial input that enables health systems to target interventions to specific populations. Understanding how all-cause mortality has changed with respect to development status can identify exemplars for best practice. To accomplish this, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2016 (GBD 2016) estimated age-specific and sex-specific all-cause mortality between 1970 and 2016 for 195 countries and territories and at the subnational level for the five countries with a population greater than 200 million in 2016.

Methods: We have evaluated how well civil registration systems captured deaths …

Protocol For A Cluster Randomised Stepped Wedge Trial Assessing The Impact Of A Community-Level Hygiene Intervention And A Water Intervention Using Riverbank Filtration Technology On Diarrhoeal Prevalence In India, Sarah L. Mcguinness, Joanne E. O'Toole, Thomas B. Boving, Andrew B. Forbes, Martha Sinclair, Sumit K. Gautam, Karen Leder

Geosciences Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION:

Diarrhoea is a leading cause of death globally, mostly occurring as a result of insufficient or unsafe water supplies, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene. Our study aims to investigate the impact of a community-level hygiene education program and a water quality intervention using riverbank filtration (RBF) technology on diarrhoeal prevalence.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS:

We have designed a stepped wedge cluster randomised trial to estimate the health impacts of our intervention in 4 rural villages in Karnataka, India. At baseline, surveys will be conducted in all villages, and householders will receive hygiene education. New pipelines, water storage tanks and taps …

Health Studies Program Newsletter For 2017, Uri Health Studies Program

Public Health Department Publications

The 2017 issue of “Health-e-Newsletter,” a periodical focused on the Health Studies Program events, faculty research and highlights of student achievements.

Family Child Care Home Providers As Role Models For Children: Cause For Concern?, Alison Tovar, Amber E. Vaughn, Anna Grummon, Regan Burney, Temitope Erinisho, Truls Østbye, Dianne S. Ward

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Health behaviors associated with chronic disease, particularly healthy eating and regular physical activity, are important role modeling opportunities for individuals working in child care programs. Prior studies have not explored these risk factors in family child care home (FCCH) providers which care for vulnerable and at-risk populations. To address this gap, we describe the socio-demographic and health risk behavior profiles in a sample of providers (n = 166 FCCH) taken from baseline data of an ongoing cluster-randomized controlled intervention (2011–2016) in North Carolina. Data were collected during on-site visits where providers completed self-administered questionnaires (socio-demographics, physical activity, fruit and vegetable …

Environmental Factors Affecting Survival Of Immature Ixodes Scapularis And Implications For Geographical Distribution Of Lyme Disease: The Climate/Behavior Hypothesis, Howard S. Ginsberg, Marisa Albert, Lixis Acevedo, Mwgan C. Dyer, Isis M. Arsnoe, Jean I. Tsao, Thomas N. Mather, Roger A. Lebrun

Plant Sciences and Entomology Faculty Publications

Recent reports suggest that host-seeking nymphs in southern populations of Ixodes scapularis remain below the leaf litter surface, while northern nymphs seek hosts on leaves and twigs above the litter surface. This behavioral difference potentially results in decreased tick contact with humans in the south, and fewer cases of Lyme disease. We studied whether north-south differences in tick survival patterns might contribute to this phenomenon. Four month old larvae resulting from a cross between Wisconsin males and South Carolina females died faster under southern than under northern conditions in the lab, as has previously been reported for ticks from both …

Defining Genetic Fitness Determinants And Creating Genomic Resources For An Oral Pathogen, Ajay M. Narayanan, Matthew M. Ramsey, Apollo Stacy, Marvin Whiteley

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Periodontitis is a microbial infection that destroys the structures that support the teeth. Although it is typically a chronic condition, rapidly progressing, aggressive forms are associated with the oral pathogen Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. One of this bacterium's key virulence traits is its ability to attach to surfaces and form robust biofilms that resist killing by the host and antibiotics. Though much has been learned about A. actinomycetemcomitans since its initial discovery, we lack insight into a fundamental aspect of its basic biology, as we do not know the full set of genes that it requires for viability (the essential genome). Furthermore, …

College Of Pharmacy Annual Report For Fy2017, Uri College Of Pharmacy

College of Pharmacy Reports

Annual report for the College of Pharmacy of the University of Rhode Island for the year 2016-2017.

Includes information and statistics for the academic programs, research work and developments by faculty and students, community engagement and donations.

Delivering Safer Immunotherapies For Cancer, Lauren Milling, Yuan Zhang, Darrell J. Irvine

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Cancer immunotherapy is now a powerful clinical reality, with a steady progression of new drug approvals and a massive pipeline of additional treatments in clinical and preclinical development. However, modulation of the immune system can be a double-edged sword: Drugs that activate immune effectors are prone to serious non-specific systemic inflammation and autoimmune side effects. Drug delivery technologies have an important role to play in harnessing the power of immune therapeutics while avoiding on-target/off-tumor toxicities. Here we review mechanisms of toxicity for clinically-relevant immunotherapeutics, and discuss approaches based in drug delivery technology to enhance the safety and potency of these …

T‐Cell Epitope Content Comparison (Epicc) Of Swine H1 Influenza A Virus Hemagglutinin, Andres H. Gutiérrez, Vicki J. Rapp-Gabrielson, Frances E. Terry, Crystal L. Loving, Leonard Moise, William D. Martin, Anne S. De Groot

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Background: Predicting vaccine efficacy against emerging pathogen strains is a significant problem in human and animal vaccine design. T‐cell epitope cross‐conservation may play an important role in cross‐strain vaccine efficacy. While influenza A virus (IAV) hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody titers are widely used to predict protective efficacy of 1 IAV vaccine against new strains, no similar correlate of protection has been identified for T‐cell epitopes.

Objective: We developed a computational method (EpiCC) that facilitates pairwise comparison of protein sequences based on an immunological property—T‐cell epitope content—rather than sequence identity, and evaluated its ability to classify swine IAV strain relatedness to …

Vancomycin Plus Piperacillin/Tazobactam And Acute Kidney Injury In Adults: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Megan Luther, Timbrook, Aisling R. Caffrey, David Dosa, Thomas Lodise, Kerry L. Laplante

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Objectives: The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess acute kidney injury with combination therapy of vancomycin plus piperacillin-tazobactam, in general, adult patients and in critically ill adults. Rates of acute kidney injury, time to acute kidney injury, and odds of acute kidney injury were compared with vancomycin monotherapy, vancomycin plus cefepime or carbapenem, or piperacillin-tazobactam monotherapy.

Data Sources: Studies were identified by searching Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane from inception to April 2017. Abstracts from selected conference proceedings were manually searched.

Study Selection: Articles not in English, pediatric studies, and case reports were excluded. …

Inappropriate Prescribing In Outpatient Healthcare: An Evaluation Of Respiratory Infection Visits Among Veterans In Teaching Versus Non-Teaching Primary Care Clinics, Diane M. Parente, T. Timbrook, Aisling R. Caffrey, Kerry L. Laplante

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

A recent study led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed at least 30% of antibiotic prescriptions in the outpatient setting were inappropriate. In this study of all ages, among adult patients, results were similar to the overall population, with the majority of inappropriate prescribing relating to respiratory infections. We applied the same methodology to investigate rates of antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections in outpatient primary care clinics at the Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The results of our evaluation reflected comparable rates of inappropriate prescribing, but when stratified by teaching versus nonteaching primary care clinics, …

Assessing Hand Hygiene Compliance In Healthcare Workers To Reduce Infectious Disease, Ahmed Salem Alhasani

Open Access Dissertations

Hand hygiene is the first line of defense against the prevalence of infectious diseases in healthcare settings. Therefore, healthcare costs can be reduced. However, having rare incidents of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) does not always mean that hand hygiene compliance is high and at its desired level. This research study aims to develop multi-statistical measurements to assess hand hygiene compliance of the medical and nursing groups at the inpatient wards, 5B, 6B and ICU at the Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center (PVAMC). The PVAMC was trying to identify whether the few cases or rare incidents of HAI that have been reported …

Risk Stacking Of Pneumococcal Vaccination Indications Increases Mortality In Unvaccinated Adults With Streptococcus Pneumoniae Infections, Jacob B. Morton, J. Morrill, Kerry L. Laplante, Aisling R. Caffrey

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Background

Several chronic disease states have been identified as pneumococcal vaccination indications due to their ability to increase pneumococcal disease development and subsequent mortality. However, the risk of mortality according to the number of these disease states present is unknown. We sought to determine the impact of concomitant, multiple risk factors (stacked risks) for pneumococcal disease on 30-day mortality in adults.

Methods

This was a national case-control study of unvaccinated older Veterans (≥50 years of age) admitted to Veterans Affairs medical centers from 2002 to 2011 with serious pneumococcal infections (pneumonia, bacteremia, meningitis) based on positive S. pneumoniae blood, cerebrospinal …

Evidence To Support Continuation Of Statin Therapy In Patients With Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteremia, Aisling R. Caffrey, T. Timbrook, Eunsun Noh, George Sakoulas, Steven M. Opal, Victor Nizet, Kerry L. Laplante

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

In addition to cholesterol-lowering capabilities, statins possess anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. We sought to quantify the real-world impact of different statin exposure patterns on clinical outcomes in Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. We conducted a retrospective cohort study among hospitalized patients with positive S. aureus blood cultures receiving appropriate antibiotics within 48 h of culture collection (Veterans Affairs hospitals, 2002 to 2013). Three statin exposure groups were compared to nonusers: pretreated statin users initiating therapy in the 30 days prior to culture and either (i) continuing statin therapy after culture or (ii) not continuing after culture, and (iii) de novo users initiating …

Thrombocytopenia With Tedizolid And Linezolid, Erica Yookyung Lee, Aisling R. Caffrey

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Objective: Though thrombocytopenia is a known adverse effect with linezolid, the first-in class oxazolidinone antibiotic, some have suggested a lower risk of thrombocytopenia with tedizolid, the second-in-class oxazolidinone antibiotic. We sought to evaluate adverse event reports for thrombocytopenia with tedizolid and linezolid from the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).

Methods: To assess the period since tedizolid approval, we included initial FAERS reports from July 2014 through December 2016. To evaluate historical rates with linezolid prior to tedizolid approval, we assessed AERSMine data from January 2004 through June 2014. Reporting odds ratios (ROR) and proportional reporting ratios …

Assessments Of Opportunities To Improve Antibiotic Prescribing In An Emergency Department: A Period Prevalence Survey, Tristan T. Timbrook, R. Caffrey, Anais Ovalle, Maya Beganovic, William Curioso, Melissa Gaitanis, Kerry L. Laplante

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Introduction

Approximately 30% of all outpatient antimicrobials are inappropriately prescribed. Currently, antimicrobial prescribing patterns in emergency departments (ED) are not well described. Determining inappropriate antimicrobial prescribing patterns and opportunities for interventions by antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) are needed.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was performed among a random sample of non-admitted, adult patients who received an antimicrobial prescription in the ED from January 1 to December 31, 2015. Appropriateness was measured using the Medication Appropriateness Index, and was based on provider adherence to local guidelines. Additional information collected included patient characteristics, initial diagnoses, and other chronic medication use.

Results

Of …

A Pharmacist-Driven Academic Detailing Program To Increase Adult Pneumococcal Vaccination, Aisling R. Caffrey, M. Deangelis, Kristina E. Ward, Katherine Kelly Orr, Haley J. Morrill, Michael Gosciminski, Kerry L. Laplante

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Objectives

To describe our statewide, pharmacist-led education campaign to increase knowledge and awareness of pneumococcal immunization recommendations.

Setting

Immunization providers and residents in the state of Rhode Island.

Practice description

A clinical pathway (i.e., decision-support tool) was developed to educate health professionals about appropriate indications, administration schedules, and frequently asked questions for the 2 different adult pneumococcal vaccines. Academic detailing and distribution of the clinical pathway to health professionals was conducted across Rhode Island. Community outreach activities included radio ads as well as distribution of patient handouts and wallet cards at community events.

Practice innovation

To our knowledge, this was …

Antimicrobial Resistance Of Escherichia Coli Urinary Isolates In The Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Haley J. Morrill, B. Morton, Aisling R. Caffrey, Lan Jiang, David Dosa, Leonard A. Mermel, Kerry L. Laplante

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

We reviewed data for almost 300,000 clinical Escherichia coli urinary isolates (collected in 2009 through 2013) from 127 inpatient and outpatient facilities, to assess antibiotic resistance among Veterans Affairs health care system patients using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Healthcare Safety Network definitions or guidance. Rates of resistance to amoxicillin or ampicillin/β-lactamase inhibitors were approximately 40% and rates of resistance to fluoroquinolones and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole approached 30%. Rates of resistance to nitrofurantoin, antipseudomonal penicillin/β-lactamase inhibitors, and carbapenems remained less than 10%. The percentage of isolates that were considered multidrug resistant varied (4% to …

The Burden Of Mental Disorders In The Eastern Mediterranean Region, 1990-2013, Raghid Charara, Ali S. Akanda, Et Al

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) is witnessing an increase in chronic disorders, including mental illness. With ongoing unrest, this is expected to rise. This is the first study to quantify the burden of mental disorders in the EMR. We used data from the Global Burden of Disease study (GBD) 2013. DALYs (disability-adjusted life years) allow assessment of both premature mortality (years of life lost–YLLs) and nonfatal outcomes (years lived with disability–YLDs). DALYs are computed by adding YLLs and YLDs for each age-sex-country group. In 2013, mental disorders contributed to 5.6% of the total disease burden in the EMR (1894 DALYS/100,000 …

Using Natural Products To Treat Resistant And Persistent Bacterial Infections, Robert W. Deering

Open Access Dissertations

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing threat to human health both worldwide and in the United States. Most concerning is the emergence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens, especially the ‘ESKAPE’ pathogens for which treatment options are dwindling. To complicate the problem, approvals of antibiotic drugs are extremely low and many research and development efforts in the pharmaceutical industry have ceased, leaving little certainty that critical new antibiotics are nearing the clinic. New antibiotics are needed to continue treating these evolving infections. In addition to antibiotics, approaches that aim to inhibit or prevent antimicrobial resistance could be useful. Also, studies that …

Higher Daptomycin Dose Associated With Improved Survival In Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteremia, Timothy T. Timbrook, R. Caffrey, Megan K. Luther, Vrishali Lopes, Kerry L. Laplante

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Study Objective: Current guidelines recommend higher daptomycin doses than the daptomycin label dose of 6 mg/kg for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia; however, the evidence supporting this recommendation is from in vitro and case series studies. This study evaluated the comparative effectiveness of the daptomycin label dose versus higher daptomycin doses in patients with MRSA bacteremia.

Design: Retrospective national cohort study.

Setting: Veterans Affairs medical centers.

Patients: A total of 371 adults with MRSA bacteremia who were admitted between 2002 and 2015 and treated initially with vancomycin within 24 hours of initial culture collection and then …

The Effects Of Tca Cycle Mutations On The Virulence Of Vibrio Aguillarum Strains M93sm And Nb10sm, Edward Spinard

Open Access Dissertations

Vibrio anguillarum is an extracellular bacterial pathogen that is a causative agent of vibriosis in finfish and crustaceans. Mortality rates range from 30% to 100% and systemic infection usually causes fish to die within 1-4 days of initial infection. The primary routes of infections are through the skin, gills and intestines. Chemotactic motility and the metalloprotease EmpA have been shown to be important virulence factors during the invasion stage while the siderophore anguibactin, flagellin subunits and lipopolysaccharides were shown to be important for persistence in the host during the post-invasion stage. Three secreted proteins that are cytotoxic against epithelial cells …

Ces Involved Inhibition And Regulation, Yuanjun Shen

Open Access Dissertations

Sofosbuvir has been widely adopted for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection therapies through its effect as HCV non-structured protein 5B (NS5B) inhibitor, which is essential for HCV particle assembly. Sofosbuvir, as a prodrug, is activated through the hydrolysis by carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) and is reported to have limited interactions with cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP450) and p-glycoprotein, which results in less clinical drug-drug interactions. However, reports showed fatal or nephrotoxic cases that utilized a co-therapy of Sofosbuvir with an anti-Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) agent, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF). This study was designed to give one explanation for these case reports. Interestingly, …

An Immunoinformatics-Derived Dna Vaccine Encoding Human Class Ii T Cell Epitopes Of Ebola Virus, Sudan Virus, And Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus Is Immunogenic In Hla Transgenic Mice, Callie E. Bounds, Frances E. Terry, Leonard Moise, Drew Hannaman, William D. Martin, Anne S. De Groot, John J. Suschak, Lesley C. Dupuy, Connie S. Schmaljohn

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Immunoinformatics tools were used to predict human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II-restricted T cell epitopes within the envelope glycoproteins and nucleocapsid proteins of Ebola virus (EBOV) and Sudan virus (SUDV) and the structural proteins of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV). Selected epitopes were tested for binding to soluble HLA molecules representing 5 class II alleles (DRB1*0101, DRB1*0301, DRB1*0401, DRB1*0701, and DRB1*1501). All but one of the 25 tested peptides bound to at least one of the DRB1 alleles, and 4 of the peptides bound at least moderately or weakly to all 5 DRB1 alleles. Additional algorithms were used to design …

Quantification Of Rotavirus Diarrheal Risk Due To Hydroclimatic Extremes Over South Asia: Prospects Of Satellite‐Based Observations In Detecting Outbreaks, M. Alfi Hasan, Colleen B. Mouw, Antarpreet Jutla, Ali S. Akanda

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Rotavirus is the most common cause of diarrheal disease among children under 5. Especially in South Asia, rotavirus remains the leading cause of mortality in children due to diarrhea. As climatic extremes and safe water availability significantly influence diarrheal disease impacts in human populations, hydroclimatic information can be a potential tool for disease preparedness. In this study, we conducted a multivariate temporal and spatial assessment of 34 climate indices calculated from ground and satellite Earth observations to examine the role of temperature and rainfall extremes on the seasonality of rotavirus transmission in Bangladesh. We extracted rainfall data from the Global …

Cardiovascular Adverse Events In Patients Receiveing Qt Interval Prolonging Medications, Yizhou Ye

Open Access Dissertations

Background

Drug-induced QT interval prolongation is associated with rare but life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia and sudden death. To study ventricular arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death associated with QT prolongation in large databases, an accurate operational definition of this outcome is needed. Frequently prescribed macrolide and fluoroquinolone antibiotics are associated with torsades de pointes arrhythmia and sudden death. Due to the dose-dependent nature of the risk, concomitant use of multiple QT-prolonging drugs may pose a greater threat than singular use. Several observational epidemiologic studies suggest that azithromycin may have an increased risk of ventricular arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. Meanwhile, other observational …

Agency In Eating Disorders: American Literary And Visual Memoirs Of Anorexia And Bulimia, Jenny Platz

Open Access Dissertations

In my dissertation I examine the representation of self-creation through anorexia and bulimia in memoiristic narratives, blogs, and YouTube videos in contemporary American culture. I argue that the highly crafted characterizations and structures of the anorexic and bulimic memoirs and blogs implement the disorders into temporary tools of self-care that grant the subjects agency through their pursuits of maturation and identity creation and cannot be simplified into mere warnings and retellings of the dangers of the eating disorders. I am locating my research in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century to encompass the emergence of eating disorder memoirs, Ana …

Alma Link Resolver Title & Issn Report (Top 500) 2015-2016, Andrée J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Statistics for 2015-2016 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.