Digital Commons Network^™

Consensus Of Recommendations Guiding Comparative Effectiveness Research Methods, Jacob B. Morton, Mcconeghy, Kirstin Heinrich, Nicolle M. Gatto, Aisling R. Caffrey

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Purpose

Because of an increasing demand for quality comparative effectiveness research (CER), methods guidance documents have been published, such as those from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Our objective was to identify CER methods guidance documents and compare them to produce a summary of important recommendations which could serve as a consensus of CER method recommendations.

Methods

We conducted a systematic literature review to identify CER methods guidance documents published through 2014. Identified documents were analyzed for methods guidance recommendations. Individual recommendations were categorized to determine the degree of overlap. …

Expression Levels Of Virulence Genes In Group A Streptococci: A Response To Aerosolized Propylene Glycol, Michael S. Costello

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Electronic cigarette usage is becoming increasingly prevalent among school age children and young adults. A known bactericidal agent, propylene glycol, is often used as a carrier for nicotine, flavoring, and additional constituents of electronic cigarette juice. This study examined the relationship between propylene glycol and virulence gene expression in Streptococcus pyogenes, a respiratory tract pathogen commonly found in school-age individuals. A variety of virulence genes controlled by the three stand alone regulators mga, RofA, and Rgg/RopB were sampled in an effort to understand the pathway by which virulence is affected. The genes chosen encode C5a peptidase, fibronectin binding protein, hyaluronate …

Reforming Healthcare Reform, Jacqueline Fox

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Nutrient Supplementation On Host-Pathogen Dynamics Of The Amphibian Chytrid Fungus: A Community Approach, Julia C. Buck, Jason R. Rohr, Andrew R. Blaustein

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

1. Anthropogenic stressors may influence hosts and their pathogens directly or may alter host–pathogen dynamics indirectly through interactions with other species. For example, in aquatic ecosystems, eutrophication may be associated with increased or decreased disease risk. Conversely, pathogens can influence community structure and function and are increasingly recognised as important members of the ecological communities in which they exist.
2. In outdoor mesocosms, we experimentally manipulated nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and the presence of a fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), and examined the effects on Bd abundance on larval amphibian hosts (Pseudacris regilla: Hylidae), amphibian traits and community dynamics. We …

Spatial Spread Of The West Africa Ebola Epidemic, Andrew M. Kramer, J. Tomlin Pulliam, Laura W. Alexander, Andrew W. Park, Pejman Rohani, John M. Drake

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Controlling Ebola outbreaks and planning an effective response to future emerging diseases are enhanced by understanding the role of geography in transmission. Here we show how epidemic expansion may be predicted by evaluating the relative probability of alternative epidemic paths. We compared multiple candidate models to characterize the spatial network over which the 2013–2015 West Africa epidemic of Ebola virus spread and estimate the effects of geographical covariates on transmission during peak spread. The best model was a generalized gravity model where the probability of transmission between locations depended on distance, population density and international border closures between Guinea, Liberia …

The Fli-1 Transcription Factor Regulates The Expression Of Ifn-Gamma Inducible Protein 10 (Ip-10), Tomika Shanta' Caldwell

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

The innate immune system is the primary line of defense to protect the host from pathogen infection. Mammalian cells produce inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in response to innate immune signals and their expression is tightly regulated. IFN-gamma Inducible Protein (IP-10), also known as C-X-C motif chemokine 10 (CXCL10), is an inflammatory chemokine belonging to the CXC chemokine family. CXCL10 is chemotactic for many inflammatory cells, including macrophages, and altered expression of CXCL10 is associated with inflammatory diseases, including lupus nephritis and other autoimmune diseases. The Fli-1 transcription factor is a member of the Ets gene family and regulates the immune …

Association Of Electronic Health Records With Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Infection In A National Sample, Eric Weaver

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between advanced electronic health record (EHR) use in hospitals and rates of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in an inpatient setting. National Inpatient Sample (NIS) and Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Annual Survey are combined in the retrospective, cross-sectional analysis. A twenty percent simple random sample of the combined 2009 NIS and HIMSS datasets included a total of 1,032,905 patient cases of MRSA in 550 hospitals. Results of the propensity-adjusted logistic regression model revealed a statistically significant association between advanced EHR and MRSA, with patient cases from an advanced EHR being less likely to …

Reciprocal Moderation By Toxoplasma Gondii Seropositivity And Blood Phenylalanine – Tyrosine Ratio Of Their Associations With Trait Aggression, Ashwin Jacob Mathai, Xiaoqing Peng, Christopher A. Lowry, Thomas B. Cook, Lisa A. Brenner, Lena Brundin, Maureen W. Groer, Ina Giegling, Annette M. Hartmann, Bettina Konte, Marion Friedl, Dan Rujescu, Dietmar Fuchs

Nursing Faculty Publications

We previously reported that trait aggression, proposed as an endophenotype for suicidal behavior, is positively associated with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) seropositivity in females, but not in males. Additionally, older males seropositive for T. gondii had lower scores on measures of trait aggression, including self-aggression. Trait aggression may be influenced by dopaminergic signaling, which is known to be moderated by gender and age, and potentially enhanced in T. gondii positives through the intrinsic production of dopamine by the microorganism. Therefore, we investigated associations between trait aggression and interactions between T. gondii enzyme-linked immunoabsorbant assay (ELISA) IgG titer-determined seropositivity …

Forced Migration & Health: A Course Proposal, Lauren Ashle Gaston-Hawkins

Public Health Theses

Forced migration is poised to be one of the leading public health issues of our time. The Syrian refugee crisis in particular has placed issues of forced migration firmly in the consciousness of everyday people in developed nations in a way that has not occurred arguably since the genocide in Rwanda. Thus it is important to capitalize on this moment of awareness to prepare future leaders and public health advocates to effectively address the host of issues that accompany the forced migration of populations. As the number of forced migrants increase and represents a larger proportion of the world’s population, …

Wildlife Crime And Degradation In Africa: An Analysis Of The Current Crisis And Prospects For A Secure Future, Kofi Ernest Abotsi, Paolo Galizzi, Alena Herklotz

Fordham Environmental Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Multilingual Times: Breaking The Language Barrier Between Journalism And Science, Harry Browne, Gessica De Angelis

Teaching and Learning in a Digital Context

This paper recounts and reflects upon the first two years of a project of transdisciplinary online collaboration involving a group of students studying journalism at Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), who are paired one-to-one with a group studying linguistics at Trinity College Dublin. Taking as its starting point the idea that most journalism urgently needs to improve the accuracy and depth of its science coverage, and the equally urgent idea that scientists need to improve their capacity to communicate clearly to a wide public, the project has seen the students working together to produce an accessibly written blog, The Multilingual …

A Benefit-Cost Analysis Decision Framework For Mitigation Of Disease Transmission At The Wildlife–Livestock Interface, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Steven J. Sweeney, Julie L. Elser, Ryan S. Miller, Matthew Farnsworth, Pauline Nol, Steven S. Shwiff, Aaron M. Anderson

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The economics of managing disease transmission at the wildlife–livestock interface have received heightened attention as agricultural and natural resource agencies struggle to tackle growing risks to animal health. In the fiscal landscape of increased scrutiny and shrinking budgets, resource managers seek to maximize the benefits and minimize the costs of disease mitigation efforts. To address this issue, a benefit-cost analysis decision framework was developed to help users make informed choices about whether and how to target disease management efforts in wildlife and livestock populations. Within the context of this framework, we examined the conclusions of a benefit-cost analysis conducted for …

Chapter 3: One Health, One Medicine, Laura H. Kahn, Thomas P. Monath, Bob H. Bokma, E. Paul Gibbs, A. Alonso Aguirre

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In recognition that the health of humans, animals, and the environment is linked, One Health seeks to increase communication and collaboration across the disciplines in order to promote, improve, and defend the health of all species on the planet. This strategy may seem simple, but unfortunately it will not be easy to implement. The explosion of medical knowledge in the 20th century led to academic, governmental, and industrial silos of specialization; these silos fostered a compartmentalized approach to health and disease. Building bridges across these silos will require leadership, joint educational programs, financial support, and other strategies that promote transdisciplinary …

Evaluating Wildlife-Cattle Contact Rates To Improve The Understanding Of Dynamics Of Bovine Tuberculosis Transmission In Michigan, Usa, Michael J. Lavelle, Shannon L. Kay, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Direct and indirect contacts among individuals drive transmission of infectious disease. When multiple interacting species are susceptible to the same pathogen, risk assessment must include all potential host species. Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is an example of a disease that can be transmitted among several wildlife species and to cattle, although the potential role of several wildlife species in spillback to cattle remains unclear. To better understand the complex network of contacts and factors driving disease transmission, we fitted proximity logger collars to beef and dairy cattle (n = 37), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; n=29), raccoon (Procyon lotor; n=53), and Virginia …

Evaluating A Strategy To Deliver Vaccine To White-Tailed Deer At A Landscape Level, Justin W. Fischer, Chad R. Blass, W. David Walter, Charles W. Anderson, Michael J. Lavelle, Wayne H. Hall, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Effective delivery of vaccines and other pharmaceuticals to wildlife populations is needed when zoonotic diseases pose a risk to public health and natural resources or have considerable economic consequences. The objective of our study was to develop a bait-distribution strategy for potential delivery of oral bovine tuberculosis (bTB) vaccine to white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) where deer are reservoirs for the disease. During 17 February and 2 March 2011, we created a grid of experimental bait stations (n=64) on Sandhill Wildlife Management Area, Wisconsin, USA, to assess station densities needed to attract and deliver placebo baits to free-ranging white-tailed …

Barriers To Prevention In Dengue Fever In Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Swat District, Abdul Zahir, Assad Ullah, Mussawar Shah, Arsalan Mussawar

Journal for the Advancement of Developing Economies

The main aim of this study was to find out the barriers in dengue prevention in the Swat District of Khyber Pkhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. A sample size of 354 respondents were proportionally allocated to each Mahallah or street (Tahir Abad, Angaro Dheri, Usman Abad and Banr) and then randomly selected. The association of the independent variable (barriers to prevention) and dependent variables (practices for control) were tested by using a Chi Square test. The perception about barriers in dengue prevention shows that a highly significant association was found between practices for control and access to medical facilities (p=0.034), government agencies …

Identification Of Taenia Metacestodes From Mongolian Mammals Using Multivariate Morphometrics Of The Rostellar Hooks, Danielle M. Tufts, Nyamsuren Batsaikhan, Michael Pitner, Gábor R. Rácz, Altangerel Tsogtsaikhan Dursahinhan, Scott Lyell Gardner

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Parasite diversity in and among various species of mammals within Mongolia is still poorly understood. The current paper focusses on a small part of the results of the Mongolian Vertebrate Parasite Project (MVPP), which entailed a broad-scale biodiversity survey of the vertebrates and their parasites of the Gobi and Altai regions of Mongolia. We report on the prevalence and morphological variation of larval cestodes of the family Taeniidae that occurred in small mammals that were collected from 2009-2012 from various locations in southern Mongolia. From these metacestodes, we studied both large and small rostellar hooks and analyzed both size and …

Der Mönchsgeier Aegypius Monachus (L., 1766) Und Seine Mallophagen (Insecta, Phthiraptera) In Der Mongolei = Cinereous Vulture Aegypius Monachus (L., 1766) And Its Chewing Lice (Insecta, Phthiraptera) In Mongolia, Eberhard Mey, Michael Stubbe, Davaa Lchagvasuren, Annegret Stubbe

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

During a series of studies on the population, ecology, and biology of the Cinereous Vulture in Mongolia, fully feathered nestlings of the species from 9 nests were examined, without the use of chemical methods, for Mallophaga infestation from 2010 to 2015. The collection resulted in several first records for Mongolia of three species: Laemobothrion vulturis (J. C. FABRICIUS, 1775) sensu lato (Amblycera, Laemobothriidae), Neocolpocephalum aegypii (TENDEIRO, 1989) (Amblycera, Menoponidae s. l.) sp. inq., and Falcolipeurus quadripustulatus (BURMEISTER, 1838) (Ischnocera, Philopteridae s. l.). Despite being expected, there has still been no record of Agypoecus brevicollis (BURMEISTER, 1838) in Mongolia.

Chewing louse …

Key To The Bat Fleas Of Mongolia, Ingo Scheffler

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Fleas of the family Ischnopsyllidae belong to the common bat ectoparasites. The current taxonomic status of these insects in Mongolia includes seven species for which we provide a determination key.

Bat Ectoparasites Of Mongolia, Part 3, Ingo Scheffler, Ariunbold Jargalsaikhan, Idertsogt Bolorchimeg, Annegret Stubbe, Michael Stubbe, Andreas Abraham, K. Thiele

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The fauna of Mongolian bats and their ectoparasites is not yet fully documented. This study analyzes ectoparasite samples of 15 bat species from diverse taiga, steppe, and desert locations. We recorded 27 parasite species in total and report their abundance, host preference, and occurrence herein. In describing a new bat fly species (Basilia dolchii n. spec.), reporting six parasite species never before recorded in Mongolia, and examining rare host species such as Myotis frater and Murina hilgendorfi, this work expands present knowledge in this research area. To assess respective individual and species-specific parasite loads comprised of different insects …

The Cuba-Florida Plant-Pest Pathway, Cory Penca, Damian C. Adams, Jiri Hulcr

Insecta Mundi

Recent shifts in US policies towards Cuba suggest a relaxation or lifting of the embargo may occur in the

near future. With the prospects of open travel and trade with Cuba come concerns over the introduction of agricultural

pests. In an effort to assess these concerns the distribution-based introduction risk of pests listed in the 2015 Cooperative

Agricultural Pest Survey’s (CAPS) list of priority pests of economic and environmental importance is reviewed. Of

the 59 pests on the CAPS priority pest list, 20 have been recorded in the literature as being present in the Caribbean

Basin, South America and Central …

Coaggregation Of Gut Bacteroides & Parabacteroides With Probiotic Lactobacillus Rhamnosus Gg, Samuel Schotten

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Coaggregation has been indicated as a key mechanism in the formation of biofilms. This research sought to characterize the interactions occurring between native gastrointestinal Bacteroides & Parabacteroides and the probiotic strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) cultured in Todd Hewitt (TH), deMan, Rogosa, and Sharpe (MRS), and Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) using in vitro coaggregation assays. In the coaggregation survey of interactions, a trend of growth medium-dependent coaggregation variability was displayed with LGG grown in TH displaying the widest spectrum of coaggregation with Bacteroides/Parabacteroides strains and narrower spectrum from the other cultures of LGG. By protease inhibition, it was confirmed that …

Childhood Obesity And Nursing Interventions, Rebecca Oswald

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

This paper will examine obesity and the multitude of methods for a healthcare professional to help influence their patients using health promotion techniques for those who are at risk for obesity. This paper will discuss the pathophysiology of obesity as well as childhood obesity risk factors that pertain to this disease. This paper will investigate the nursing interventions being used today to combat childhood obesity within the following settings; school, in-patient, and clinic.

Inhibition Of B Lymphopoiesis By Adipocytes And Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells, Domenick Kennedy

Dissertations

B lymphopoiesis declines with age in humans, mice, and rabbits. Impaired B lymphopoiesis correlates with increased fat in the bone marrow (BM), suggesting that adipocytes negatively regulate this process. In fact, adipocyte factors were found to inhibit B cell development in BM cultures.

Our goal was to understand the mechanism by which adipocytes inhibit B cell development. Through culturing mouse BM cells on OP9 stromal cells in the presence of adipocyte-conditioned medium (ACM), we found that adipocytes promote the accumulation of CD11b+Gr1+ myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). These cells were not simply bystanders, as we report for the first time that …

Monocyte-Induced Regulatory T Cell Differentiation, Jessica Genevieve Lee

Dissertations

Immediately after birth, thousands of foreign antigens challenge the newborn immune system. Many of the invaders are harmless, such as food, pollen, and beneficial bacteria. Newborns have a tolerant immune system that keeps them from developing inflammation or allergies to these new antigens. In utero, this immunoregulatory tendency is important for establishing tolerance to self and maternal antigens. Multiple processes contribute to fetal tolerance, including clonal deletion, anergy, changes in antigen presenting cells (APCs), and the generation of regulatory T cells (Tregs). However, the mechanism(s) of fetal Treg differentiation and the specific APCs required are unknown.

Our lab has previously …

Hiv/Aids Care And Prevention Infrastructure In The U.S. Deep South, Susan S. Reif, Kristen Sullivan, Elena Wilson, Miriam Berger, Carolyn Mcallaster

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The “Uberization” Of Healthcare: The Forthcoming Legal Storm Over Mobile Health Technology’S Impact On The Medical Profession, Fazal Khan

Health Matrix: The Journal of Law-Medicine

The article examines the potential of mobile health to transform the delivery of healthcare through allowing non-physicians providing care independent of physicians and outside of traditional clinics and hospitals in the United States. It discusses licensing and scope of practice laws from large information technology (IT) corporations.

Usfh Etextbook Py2-4 Cop 2016, Usf Libraries

All Assessment Data

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Time On Food Intake Patterns: Age, Period, Cohort Differences, Karina L. Christopher

Theses and Dissertations--Gerontology

The impact of diet and exercise on overall health and chronic disease risk has been well examined. Multiple studies show that Americans eat more now than they did fifty years ago. What isn’t known is how much of an impact time has on food intake patterns of individuals in terms of different age groups, historic periods of structural influences, and birth cohorts.

In order to identify the impact of time on food intake this study examined time from multiple perspectives. The first aim of this study was to determine food intake patterns among age groups across five time periods using …

Legislative Power And Judicial Power, John Harrison

Constitutional Commentary, Vols 1–36 (1984–2022)

There are two possible accounts of the difference between the legislative and judicial powers granted by the Constitution and each has surprising implications. According to one, the difference is purely between two different government functions, making legal rules and applying them. If that is correct, then the legislative power can accomplish any legal result the judicial power can, but not vice versa (putting aside constitutional limits on the legislative power that do not result from its separation from judicial power). According to the other, the two powers differ because only the judicial power may operate on certain legal interests. If …