Digital Commons Network^™

Genetic Sequencing For Surveillance Of Drug Resistance In Tuberculosis In Highly Endemic Countries: A Multi-Country Population-Based Surveillance Study, Matteo Zignol Md, Andrea Maurizio Cabibbe, Anna S. Dean, Philippe Glaziou, Natavan Alikhanova, Cecilia Ama, Sönke Andres, Anna Barbova, Rumina Hasan, Zahra Hasan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background: In many countries, regular monitoring of the emergence of resistance to anti-tuberculosis drugs is hampered by the limitations of phenotypic testing for drug susceptibility. We therefore evaluated the use of genetic sequencing for surveillance of drugresistance in tuberculosis.
Methods: Population-level surveys were done in hospitals and clinics in seven countries (Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa, and Ukraine) to evaluate the use of genetic sequencing to estimate the resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosisisolates to rifampicin, isoniazid, ofloxacin, moxifloxacin, pyrazinamide, kanamycin, amikacin, and capreomycin. For each drug, we assessed the accuracy of genetic sequencing by a comparison of the adjusted …

Bioinformatics Core Competencies For Undergraduate Life Sciences Education, Sarah C.R. Elgin, Melissa Wilson - Sayers, Charles Hauser, Michael Sierk, Srebrenka Robic, Anne Rosenwald, Todd Smith, Eric W. Triplett, Jason Williams, Elizabeth Dinsdale, William Morgan, James Burnette, Samuel Donovan, Jennifer Drew, Edison Fowlks, Sebastian Galindo-Gonzales, Anya Goodman, Nealy Grandgenett, Carlos Goller, John Jungck, Jeffrey Newman, William Pearson, Elizabeth Ryder, Rafael Tosado-Acevedo, William Tapprich, Tammy Tobin, Arlin Toro-Martínez, Lonnie Welch, Robin Wright, Lindsay Barone, David Ebenbach, Mindy Mcwilliams, Kimberly Olney, Mark A. Pauley

Biology Faculty Research

Although bioinformatics is becoming increasingly central to research in the life sciences, bioinformatics skills and knowledge are not well integrated into undergraduate biology education. This curricular gap prevents biology students from harnessing the full potential of their education, limiting their career opportunities and slowing research innovation. To advance the integration of bioinformatics into life sciences education, a framework of core bioinformatics competencies is needed. To that end, we here report the results of a survey of biology faculty in the United States about teaching bioinformatics to undergraduate life scientists. Responses were received from 1,260 faculty representing institutions in all fifty …

Modulation Of Primary Amine Oxidase By Phytochemicals, Padraig Shanahan

Masters

Primary Amine Oxidase (PrAO) is an enzyme with a variety of physiological roles. It catalyses the oxidative deamination of primary amines to the corresponding aldehydes. PrAO converts amines such as methylamine and aminoacetone to reactive compounds that can damage small blood vessel proteins. It also acts as a vascular adhesion protein (VAP-1) where it is essential for the migration of leukocytes through the vascular endothelium. Inhibitors of PrAO have been reported to have anti-cancer, anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory action. In this study we explore the interaction between dietary phytochemicals and Bovine PrAO. Methylxanthines (MXs) are food alkaloids having a positive association …

The Association Between Personality, Coping And Depressive Symptoms In Adult Patients With Chronic Pain, Reem Mohamed Ahmed Deif

Theses and Dissertations

As a rising concern in the medical and mental health fields, this study aims to examine predictors of depressive symptoms in a sample of Egyptian chronic pain patients in terms of coping styles and personality traits. Patients with chronic pain are believed to experience different stressors which include, but are not limited to, pain, disability, reduced productivity and financial difficulties. Such factors, in addition to various psychosocial factors, constitute the disease burden of chronic pain. This study examines the degree to which coping styles and personality traits can influence the disease outcome in terms of comorbid depressive symptoms. A total …

Intracranial Hypertension Secondary To Eosinophilic Meningitis Caused By Angiostrongylus Cantonensis, Roberto A. Cruz, Christopher Smith, Alexander B. Ramos, Brian Copeland, Paula Seal

School of Medicine Publications

Angiostrongylus Cantonensis, a nematode, is a well-known cause of eosinophilic meningitis in endemic areas such as Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and Hawaii. Nevertheless, an increasing number of cases in the southeast of the U.S. have been documented recently, specifically in Louisiana, Texas, and Florida. Infection is acquired after ingesting undercooked fresh water snails, mollusks, or undercooked vegetables contaminated by the slime from infected snails or slugs. Typical signs and symptoms include fever, general malaise, meningeal signs, headaches, photophobia, nausea and vomiting. Here we present a 23 year-old woman who presented to our emergency department with signs and symptoms consistent …

Missing: Where Are The Migrants In Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Plans?, Kolitha Wickramage, Lawrence O. Gostin, Eric A. Friedman, Phusit Prakongsai, Rapeepong Suphanchaimat, Charles Hui, Patrick Duigan, Eliana Barragan, David R. Harper

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Influenza pandemics are perennial global health security threats, with novel and seasonal influenza affecting a large proportion of the world’s population, causing enormous economic and social destruction. Novel viruses such as influenza A(H7N9) continue to emerge, posing zoonotic and potential pandemic threats. Many countries have developed pandemic influenza preparedness plans (PIPPs) aimed at guiding actions and investments to respond to such outbreak events.

Migrant and mobile population groups—such as migrant workers, cross-border frontier workers, refugees, asylum seekers, and other non-citizen categories residing within national boundaries—may be disproportionately affected in the event of health emergencies, with irregular/undocumented migrants experiencing even greater …

Characterization Of Nanodiamondbased Anti-Hiv Drug Delivery To The Brain, Upal Roy, Vadym Drozd, Andriy Durygin, Jesse Rodriguez, Paul Barber, Venkata Atluri, Xiaohua Liu, Thomas G. Voss, Surendra Saxena, Madhavan Nair

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Human Immunodefciency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Present combination antiretroviral therapy has substantially improved HIV-1 related pathology. However, delivery of therapeutic agents to the HIV reservoir organ like Central nervous system (CNS) remains a major challenge primarily due to the inefective transmigration of drugs through Blood Brain Barrier (BBB). The recent advent of nanomedicine-based drug delivery has stimulated the development of innovative systems for drug delivery. In this regard, particular focus has been given to nanodiamond due to its natural biocompatibility and non-toxic nature–making it a more efcient drug carrier than other …

Bounded Rank Optimization For Effective And Efficient Emergency Response, Pallavi Madhusudan Manohar, Pradeep Varakantham, Hoong Chuin Lau

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Effective placement of emergency response vehicles (such as ambulances, fire trucks, police cars) to deal with medical, fire or criminal activities can reduce the incident response time by few seconds, which in turn can potentially save a human life. Owing to its adoption in Emergency Medical Services (EMSs) worldwide, existing research on improving emergency response has focused on optimizing the objective of bounded time (i.e. number of incidents served in a fixed time). Due to the dependence of this objective on temporal uncertainty, optimizing the bounded time objective is challenging. In this paper, we propose a new objective referred to …

Carbon Sequestering Bio Concrete As A Solution To Growing Atmospheric Concentrations Of Co2, Connor Cech, Jackson Walker

Construction Management

High levels of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions into the atmosphere are propelling climate change, which has been proven to be highly detrimental to the planet. Cement production for the construction industry is a leading cause of these harmful carbon emissions. This project introduces a potential solution to this issue in the form of a new biological concrete that is treated with carbon sequestering bacteria of the Bacillus family to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. The consolidated research presented in this project will explain the biology behind this process, and how it can be implemented in construction …

Incidence Of Postpartum Infection, Outcomes And Associated Risk Factors At Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital In Uganda, Joseph Ngonzi, Lisa M. Bebell, Yarine Fajardo, Adeline A. Boatin, Mark J. Siedner, Ingrid V. Bassett, Yves Jacquemyn, Jean-Pierre Van Geertruyden, Jerome Kabakyenga, Blair J. Wylie, David R. Bangsberg, Laura E. Riley

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: There is a paucity of recent prospective data on the incidence of postpartum infections and associated risk factors in sub-Saharan Africa. Retrospective studies estimate that puerperal sepsis causes approximately 10% of maternal deaths in Africa.

Methods: We enrolled 4231 women presenting to a Ugandan regional referral hospital for delivery or postpartum care into a prospective cohort and measured vital signs postpartum. Women developing fever (> 38.0 °C) or hypothermia (< 36.0 °C) underwent symptom questionnaire, structured physical exam, malaria testing, blood, and urine cultures. Demographic, treatment, and post-discharge outcomes data were collected from febrile/hypothermic women and a random sample of 1708 normothermic women. The primary outcome was in-hospital postpartum infection. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine factors independently associated with postpartum fever/ hypothermia and with confirmed infection.

Results: Overall, 4176/4231 (99%) had ≥1 temperature measured and 205/4231 (5%) were febrile or hypothermic. An additional 1708 normothermic women were randomly selected for additional data collection, for a …

Milkguard: Low-Cost, Polymer-Based Sensor For The Detection Of Escherichia Coli In Donated Human Breast Milk, Maggie May, Nicholas Kikuchi, Matthew Zweber

Bioengineering Senior Theses

Breast milk, the gold standard for infant nutrition, could prevent up to 13% of child deaths worldwide. However, many mothers are unable to breastfeed due to health conditions and other factors. Because of this, a network of more than 500+ human milk banks, which collect and distribute donated breast milk to infants, have emerged worldwide. However, operational costs to ensure the safety of this milk remain time-intensive and costly.

There are no existing diagnostics for rapid and on-site detection of bacterial contaminants in donated milk. Currently, many milk banks send samples to outside laboratories for bacterial culturing tests, which take …

Genetic Association With Subgingival Bacterial Colonization In Chronic Periodontitis, Franco Cavalla, Cláudia Cristina Biguetti, Jessica Lima Melchiades, Andre Pantenuci Tabanez, Michelle De Campos Soriani Azevedo, Ana Paula Favaro Trombone, Marcelo Faveri, Magda Feres, Gustavo P. Garlet

School of Podiatric Medicine Publications

Chronic periodontitis is the most prevalent form of inflammatory destructive bone disease and has been affecting humans since antiquity. Evidence suggest that genetic factors can highly influence periodontitis risk, modulating disease elements such as the susceptibility to microbial colonization and the nature of subsequent host-microbe interaction. Several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been associated with the occurrence of periodontitis, but the full range of genetic influence in periodontitis outcomes remains to be determined. In this context, this study comprises an analysis of possible correlation between periodontitis-related genetic variants with changes in the subgingival microbiological pattern performed in a Brazilian population ( …

Environmental Enteropathy In Undernourished Pakistani Children: Clinical And Histomorphometric Analyses, Sana Syed, Sunil Yeruva, Jeremy Herrmann, Anne Sailer, Kamran Sadiq, Najeeha Talat Iqbal, Furqan Kabir, Kumail Ahmed, Shahida Qureshi, Syed Asad Ali

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Despite nutrition interventions, stunting thought to be secondary to underlying environmental enteropathy (EE) remains pervasive among infants residing in resource-poor countries and remains poorly characterized. From a birth cohort of 380 children, 65 malnourished infants received 12 weeks of nutritional supplementation with ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF). Eleven children with insufficient response to RUTF underwent upper endoscopy with duodenal biopsies, which were compared with U.S., age-matched specimens for healthy, celiac disease, non-celiac villous atrophy, non-celiac intraepithelial lymphocytosis, and graft-versus-host disease patients. Of the 11 children biopsied, EE was found in 10 (91%) with one subject with celiac disease. Morphometry demonstrated decreased …

Role Of Lymph Node Biopsy In The Diagnosis Of Children With Lymphadenopathy (Single Surgeon Experience), Kawthar Fakhri Khalaf

Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Assessment of lymphadenopathy in children represents a diagnostic challenge because of the extensive differential diagnoses, including reactive and malignant conditions. OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of lymph node biopsy in the diagnosis of lymphadenopathy in paediatrics age group PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross sectional study was carried out on 92 patients (males 56 and 36 females) with lymphadenopathy admitted to paediatric surgery unit at Children Welfare Teaching Hospital – Medical City Complex – Baghdad in the period between January 1st. 2010 to December 31st. 2016; for biopsy to reach final diagnosis. Patients were referred from general wards, paediatrics …

Immune System Overdrive: A Case Study Of An Obstetric Patient With Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis., Jaime Kupillas Msn, Rn, Laurie Griesel Rn, Rnc-Ob

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Impact Of Seasonal Variations On The Dynamics Of Chikungunya, Md Rafiul Islam

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Correlates Of Adherence To Antiretroviral Therapy Among Hiv-Positive Young Men Who Have Sex With Men, Janelle Flores, Douglas Bruce

DePaul Discoveries

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is important in HIV management. The objective of this study was to analyze the risk factors for non-adherence to ART in HIV-positive young men who have sex with men (YMSM). Data pertaining to possible risk factors for non-adherence was collected from ATN086-106, a study protocol within the Adolescent Trials Network of HIV/AIDS Interventions (ATN). Variables that were significantly associated with non-adherence to ART in bivariate analyses were entered into multivariate logistic regression models to identify correlates of non-adherence to ART. The results indicate that YMSM who used marijuana and methamphetamine and missed medical appointments were …

Parameter Sensitivity Analysis Of A Infectious Disease Model And Identifying Dominant Transmission Pathways, Md Rafiul Islam

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Quantifying Effects Of Neutrophil Memory On Migration Patterns Using Microfluidic Platforms And Ode Modeling Of The Mechanistic Molecular Pathways, Brittany P. Boribong, Mark J. Lenzi, Mirjam Sarah Kadelka, Stanca Ciupe, Liwu Li, Caroline N. Jonea

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Disease Modeling: How To Control And Prevent Epidemic Outbreaks, Elena Aruffo, Alexandra Teslya, Jane Marie Heffernan

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion Complicated By Fungal Osteomyelitis: Case Report And Quick Review Of The Literature., Ronen Blecher, Emre Yilmaz, Marc Moisi, Rod J Oskouian, Jens Chapman

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The authors describe a 67-year-old man with a prior history of alcohol abuse who presented with a complaint of worsening low back pain. Four months prior to his presentation, the patient had undergone extreme lateral interbody fusion (XLIF) of his lumbar 3-4 segment for the treatment of his chronic low back and legs pain. Imaging revealed a loosening of his interbody fusion implant on top of his prior lumbar spine instrumentation. In surgery, the removal of his loose implant was followed by decompression, the stabilization of the collapsed segment, and the implant of antibiotic-impregnated polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) spacer and beads. At …

Determinants Of Tourism And Hiv/Aids Incidence In West Java, Cecep Heriana, Rossi Suparman, Sohel Rana, Dera Sukmanawati

Kesmas

Indonesia defined as tourist destination where the international and domestic tourists enjoy the tourist attractions. Prostitution existing in tourism place may increase the prevalence of HIV/AIDS. The incidence and spread of AIDS in many areas in West Java is a problem for tourism industry. These issues become acute in locations where sexual attraction is used as a determinant of tourist portability. The aim of this study was to determine relation between tourism and the incidence of HIV/AIDS in West Java. Non-reactive research design was used to collect secondary data from the Central Bureau of Statistics in 2016 from 26 districts/cities …

Implementation Of Prevention Of Mother To Child Transmission Of Hiv Program In South Jakarta, Fase Badriah, Minsarnawati Tahangnacca, Raihana Alkaff, Takeru Abe, Laily Hanifah

Kesmas

Even though Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) program has been running in Indonesia since 2006, the proportion of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected pregnant women remains high in some districts in Indonesia. The PMTCT program aims to reduce transmission of HIV from mother to child. Thus it requires an examination of the PMTCT program implementation. The study was a qualitative study on PMTCT program implementation in South Jakarta, Indonesia, whereas the proportion of children with HIV positive in the area was quite high. The analysis used domain analysis by looking the implementation of PMTCT as a system consisting of …

Perceived Stigma In People Affected By Leprosy In Leprosy Village Of Sinatala, Tangerang District, Banten Province, Indonesia, Erni Astutik, Dwi Gayatri

Kesmas

Leprosy is a disease of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) which becomes a global problem and causes the perceived stigma in people affected by leprosy. This study aimed to determine most dominant factors affecting perceived stigma in people affected by leprosy in leprosy village of Sitanala, Tangerang District, Banten Province, Indonesia. The data used was secondary data taken from cross-sectional survey of a thesis which determined factors related to perceived stigma of leprosy in leprosy village of Sitanala, Tangerang, Indonesia. Samples were selected by purposive sampling. The results of the study showed that factors related to perceived stigma were level of …

The Role Of Outcome Preferences In Optimizing Heterogenous Disease Control Strategies., Evan Milliken

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Mathematical Modeling Of A Mers-Cov Nosocomial Outbreak, Tamer Oraby, Yasar Tasnif, Mustafa Al-Zoughool, Michael Tyshenko, Adriana Quiroz, Zeinab Mohamed, Ayesha Araya, Hanan Balkhy

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Restore The Power Of The Food System: The "Right" Foods Should Be C.A.T., Peter Klosse

Dublin Gastronomy Symposium

No abstract provided.

Understanding Zika Virus In Rural Costa Rica: Integrating Medical Anthropology And Public Health, Hailey Bomar

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Framed by critical medical anthropology, this applied study utilizes political economic theory and ethnographic methods to contextualize and evaluate the implementation of a global health initiative at the local level, as well as critically evaluates the response of state and international health agencies to the Zika epidemic in Costa Rica. The prevalence of arboviruses including Zika and the potential for epidemics and future population-level health consequences are examined by a multiaxial approach that incorporates themes of culture, socioeconomic context, issues of power and control, and human impact on the natural environment. By combining an interdisciplinary approach that considers the economic, …

Long-Term Outcomes And Factors Associated With Mortality Among Patients With Moderate To Severe Pulmonary Hypertension In Kenya, Abdulaziz Mansur Abeid

Master of Medicine in Internal Medicine

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a condition that carries significant morbidity and mortality. Studies done in sub-Saharan Africa have reported poor short-term outcomes. However, data on long-term outcomes and prognostic factors are lacking. Objectives: This study sought to determine the one and two-year survival rates and prognostic factors associated with mortality in patients with moderate to severe PH. Methods: A retrospective review of moderate to severe PH patients [pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP), ≥45 mmHg] diagnosed at Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi from 2014 to 2017 was carried out. Demographic, clinical and in hospital outcome data were extracted from medical …

A Randomized Control Trial Of English-Speaking Advanced Cancer Patients At Akus Medical And Surgical Clinics And The Impact On Qol Of One Session Of Dignity Therapy, Miriam Gatehi-Muriithi

Master of Medicine in Internal Medicine

Background: Palliative care is a modality of treatment that addresses physical, psychological and spiritual symptoms. Dignity therapy, a form of psychotherapy, was developed by Professor Harvey Chochinov, MD in 2005. Methods: This was a randomized control trial of 144 patients (72 in each arm) randomized into group 1 (intervention arm) and group 2 (control arm). Baseline ESAS scores were determined in both arms following which group 1 received Dignity therapy while Group 2 received usual care only. Data collected was presented as Legacy documents to group 1 participants. Post intervention ESAS scores were obtained in both groups after 6 weeks. …