Digital Commons Network^™

Understanding The Role Of Social Media In Breastfeeding: A Mixed Methods Study, Kara Skelton

All ETDs from UAB

Background: Breastfeeding is well known as the optimal source of nutrition for the first year of life. However, suboptimal exclusively breastfeeding rates in the US are still prevalent despite numerous calls to action at the national level. A mixed-methods study was conducted to explore social media group’ impact on breastfeeding related knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. Participants were recruited from one online social media pro-breastfeeding group. Online Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted with 21 women; Key Informant Interviews were conducted with 12 mothers. Qualitative data were aggregated for thematic analysis. A survey was developed based on findings from the qualitative …

Cigarette Smoking Among Hiv-Positive Patients In Routine Clinical Care, Cosmas Mudenda Zyambo

All ETDs from UAB

People living with HIV (PLWH) are two to three times more likely to be current smokers, less likely to quit smoking and more likely to relapse than those in the general population. Although smoking status, prescription of smoking cessation medications (SCMs), smoking cessation and relapse has been explored in this population, few have investigated using a large sample of PLWH receiving routine HIV care. Using data from a large observational cohort of PLWH receiving routine care in Birmingham, we determined: 1) Factors associated with smoking status; 2) Factors associated with prescription of SCMs; 3) Predictors of smoking cessation and; 4) …

Immunosuppression And Risk Prediction Of Sepsis Following Solid Organ Transplantation, John Patrick Donnelly

All ETDs from UAB

Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients typically need immunosuppressive therapy (IST) to protect graft function and regimens may include an induction agent (e.g., anti-thymocyte globulin [ATG] or alemtuzumab) with maintenance medications (e.g., tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil [MMF], mycophenolic acid [MPA], or azathioprine [AZA]). Sepsis, or organ dysfunction resulting from a dysregulated host response to infection, is a common complication among SOT recipients. Using national data from the United States Renal Data System (USRDS), we sought to determine the associations of IST regimens and maintenance medication exposure with sepsis risks and outcomes among kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). Using USRDS and single center data, …

Trichomonas Vaginalis Virus (Tvv) And Its Role In Trichomoniasis Infection, Keonte Graves

All ETDs from UAB

Background: Trichomonas vaginalis virus (TVV) is a non-segmented, 4.5-5.5 kbp, double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) virus infecting T. vaginalis (TV). The objectives of this study were to examine TVV prevalence in U.S. TV isolates and associations with patient demographics, clinical outcomes, and metronidazole (MTZ) resistance. Methods: Archived TV isolates from the enrollment visit of 355 women participating in a TV treatment trial in Birmingham, AL were thawed and grown in culture. Total RNA was extracted using Trizol reagent. Contaminating single-stranded RNA was precipitated using 4.0M LiCl and centrifugation. Samples were analyzed by gel electrophoresis to visualize a 4.5kbp band representative of TVV. …

A Narrative Analysis Examining Influential Factors Of A Minority Research And Training Program, Gretchen S. Burton, Maria Da Graça H. Vicente

Faculty Publications

© The Author(s) 2018. The implementation of minority research and training programs at the postsecondary level has risen to close the educational achievement gap and generate a highly skilled and diverse science workforce. Numerous studies identify interventions influencing positive outcomes among minority research and training participants achieving graduate degrees. However, many of these studies utilize quantitative methods. To capture student voices and rich descriptive experiences, this study utilized a multiple case study featuring a narrative approach. Cross-case analysis identified four factors influencing matriculation into advanced degree programs: belonging and inclusion, peer mentoring, confidence as a scientist, and family influence. Findings …

Nkg2d Regulation Of Lung Pathology And Dendritic Cell Function Following Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection, Huan Liu, Andrew R. Osterburg, Jennifer Flury, Shuo Huang, Francis X. Mccormack, Stephania A. Cormier, Michael T. Borchers

Faculty Publications

© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. Background. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common cause of respiratory tract infection in vulnerable populations. Natural killer (NK) cells and dendritic cells (DC) are important for the effector functions of both cell types following infection. Methods. Wild-type and NKG2D-deficient mice were infected with RSV. Lung pathology was assessed by histology. Dendritic cell function and phenotype were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry. The expression of NKG2D ligands on lung and lymph node DCs was measured by immunostaining and …

Quantification Of Hiv-1 Rna Among Men Who Have Sex With Men Using An At-Home Self-Collected Dried Blood Spot Specimen: Feasibility Study, Sabina Hirshfield, Richard A. Teran, Martin J. Downing Jr., Mary Ann Chiasson, Hong-Van Tieu, Laura Dize, Charlotte A. Gaydos

Publications and Research

Background: Suboptimal antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence and disengagement in care present significant public health challenges because of the increased probability of HIV transmission. In the United States, men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV, highlighting a critical need to engage high-risk MSM living with HIV who are not engaged or retained in care.

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the feasibility of at-home blood self-collection and laboratory quantification of HIV-1 RNA viral load (VL) to report laboratory-based VL outcomes and compare self-reported and laboratory-reported VL

Methods: Between 2016 and 2017, …

Role Of Bovine Ileal Sub-Epithelial Myofibroblasts And Epithelial Cells In Innate Immunity, Tirth Uprety

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gastro-intestinal (GI) tract harbors largest number of microbiota as well as the largest number of immune cells for a given tissue. The host needs to mount an effective immune response against invading pathogens and tolerance against commensals. Thus, regulatory mechanism and barrier function of the GI tract are of utmost importance for appropriate host microbe interaction and gut homeostasis. Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) act as the first line of defense against invading pathogens. IECs recognize pathogens and commensals and mount an effective innate immune response. Such recognition of pathogens is mediated through germ line encoded pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). Intestinal …

Urban Gardens And Nutrition In Sioux Falls, Sd, Austin Brynjulson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the global population recently surpassing seven and a half billion, questions about feeding the population have emerged. In the past, increased demand for food was addressed through increasing intensification of land use and increasing the area of land under cultivation. Despite these efforts, food insecurity has increased for much of the population over this period, where, according to the USDA, in the U.S. 49.1 million people were food insecure in 2013. Food insecurity in this regard is the lack of access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food at all times. While the complex global food system may be difficult …

Fast Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (Firms): A Tandem Mass Spectrometry Technique For The Rapid And Semi-Comprehensive Evaluation Of Isotope Ratios, Fredrick Ochieng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Isotope ratios (IRs) are a measure of the variation in abundance of light isotopes versus heavy isotopes of an element, e.g. ¹H/²H,¹²C/¹³C, and ¹⁴N/¹⁵N. Because IRs change as a molecule undergoes certain chemical and physical processes, they represent unique fingerprints that can be used to trace the source of a chemical compound. Current techniques for determination of IRs each have major limitations, such as loss of structural information, vulnerability to contamination, high cost, large sample size requirements, low precision, limited applicability, and lengthy analysis. Fast Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (FIRMS) …

Positive Effect Of Restrictions On Antibiotic Consumption, Oğuz Karabay, Gülsüm Kaya, Ertuğrul Güçlü, Azi̇z Öğütlü

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: This study aimed to examine the change in the etiology of hospital infections with restricting and releasing of group 2 carbapenems (G2C) (meropenem/imipenem/doripenem). Materials and methods: This study was planned in three periods. Study period 1 (SP-1): Carbapenems were prescribed without restriction by infectious disease specialists. SP-2: G2C prescription was restricted. SP-3: Carbapenem prescription was released. Results: In total, 4443 cases [1053 in SP-1 (23.7%), 1332 in SP-2 (29.9%), and 2085 in SP-3 (46.9%)] were included in the study. Infection rates were 11%, 6.5%, and 7.9% in SP-1, SP-2, and SP-3, respectively (P = 0.001). Acinetobacter spp.-related hospital infection …

Disproportionate Realities: The Climate Justice Implications Of Mitigation Policies Across Scales, Tinuviel Carlson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Global climate change will have disproportionate effects on low-income and minority communities around the world producing important justice challenges. As national governments increasingly rely on local governments, civil society, and private transnational actors to establish and implement climate actions policies, it is important to assess whether and how these newly emergent actors can address these justice challenges. First this thesis examines concepts of justice in relation to climate change across different scales in order to develop a comprehensive conceptual framework of climate justice. This conceptual framework expands the scale of the international climate justice movement address local concerns. Further, the …

Addressing The Threat Of Multidrug Resistant Infectious Diseases By Synthesis Of Novel Aminoglycoside Antibiotics, Girish Chandra Sati

Wayne State University Dissertations

The ever-growing increase in multidrug resistant infectious diseases is one of the major cause of human mortality, and there is an inherent need for the development of new antibiotics. Since the discovery of streptomycin, AGAs have been playing a very important role in human therapy as highly potent broad-spectrum antibiotics and are listed as one of the critically important antimicrobials by WHO. AGAs act by inhibiting the bacterial protein synthesis and by targeting the A-site present in the small subunit of bacterial ribosome. The clinical use of AGAs is somewhat restricted due to their toxic effects (ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity) and …

Implementing Supervised Injection Services, Registered Nurses' Association Of Ontario

General Submissions: Community and Population-based Materials

The purpose of this best practice guideline (BPG) is to provide an overview of principles, resources, and structures for delivering evidence-based supervised injection services (SIS).

This guideline is for:

• nurses
• health workers
• decision-makers on the most effective approaches for SIS delivery to people who inject drugs

SIS should

• promote person engagement
• support positive health outcomes and health equity
• reduce harms associated with injection drug use

The main outcome of this guideline is to promote health equity for people who inject drugs through harm reduction, culturally safe, and trauma-informed practices and policies in SIS.

For more information including supplementary information visit …

The Global Impact Of The Dracma Guidelines Cow’S Milk Allergy Clinical Practice, Alessandro Fiocchi, Holger Schunemann, Ignacio Ansotegui, Amal Assa’Ad, Sami Bahna, Roberto Berni Canani, Martin Bozzola, Lamia Dahdah, Christophe Dupont, Motohiro Ebisawa, Elena Galli, Haiqi Li, Rose Kamenwa, Gideon Lack, Alberto Martelli, Ruby Pawankar, Maria Said, Mario Sánchez-Borges, Hugh Sampson, Raanan Shamir, Jonathan Spergel, Luigi Terracciano, Yvan Vandenplas, Carina Venter, Susan Waserman, Gary Wong, Jan Brozek

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Background: The 2010 Diagnosis and Rationale for Action against Cow’s Milk Allergy (DRACMA) guidelines are the only Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) guidelines for cow’s milk allergy (CMA). They indicate oral food challenge (OFC) as the reference test for diagnosis, and suggest the choice of specific alternative formula in different clinical conditions. Their recommendations are flexible, both in diagnosis and in treatment.

Objectives & methods: Using the Scopus citation records, we evaluated the influence of the DRACMA guidelines on milk allergy literature. We also reviewed their impact on successive food allergy and CMA guidelines at national and …

Impact Of Restriction Criteria On Optimal Ertapenem Use In A Community Health System, Curtis Stump Pharmd

Pharmacy Residency

Presentation given at Great Lakes Pharmacy Residency Conference 2018

Impact Of Clinical Pathways On Antibiotic Prescribing In The Outpatient Setting, Ashley Logan Pharmd

Pharmacy Residency

Presentation given at Great Lakes Pharmacy Residency Conference 2018

The Role Of Bpifa1 In Upper Airway Microbial Infections And Correlated Diseases, Yung-An Tsou, Min-Che Tung, Katherine A. Alexander, Wen-Dien Chang, Ming-Hsui Tsai, Hsiao-Ling Chen, Chuan-Mu Chen

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Characterizing The Roles Of Staphylococcus Aureus Secreted Factors In Virulence And Modulation Of Innate Immune Cell Activity, Cameron Harvey

Master's Theses

Staphylococcus aureus is a prominent human pathogen that is responsible for a massive burden on healthcare. This thesis takes two approaches to characterize how S. aureus secreted factors subvert the innate immune response. First, characterization of the integral membrane protease 1984 showed that it regulates secretion of a putative lytic transglycosylase, IsaA, which is implicated in virulence. My results suggest IsaA and 1984 are capable of modulating immune responses that result in enhanced heart colonization in vivo. In addition, recent studies have uncovered TLR-independent pathways that induce inflammatory responses after S. aureus insult. Therefore, I hypothesized the bacterium secretes factors …

A Comparative Study Of The Law Of Dismissal In The U.S. And China, Zhenxing Ke

Maurer Theses and Dissertations

The Labor Law in China, enacted in 1994, was the first statute in China to stipulate dismissal protections. The Employment Contract Law, a more recent law that went into effect in January 2008, strengthened Chinese dismissal protections. For example, in the summary termination about the misconduct, this law only allows six instances for termination, and if a misconduct committed by an employee is not covered in these six instances, it is hard for an employer to discharge this employee legally.

In contrast, America has a more flexible employment law. In America, the doctrine of dismissal is dominated by the …

Dairy Cattle Hoof Disease Costs And Considerations For Prevention, Karmella A. Dolecheck

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Lameness is considered one of the most important health and welfare issues in the dairy industry. Understanding the total cost per case of disease-specific lameness can help producers select better treatment, prevention, and control strategies for their herds. The first objective of our research was to calculate the costs associated with 3 lameness causing hoof diseases: digital dermatitis, sole ulcer, and white line disease. To accomplish this, a survey of hoof health professionals (hoof trimmers and veterinarians) was conducted to identify treatment related expenditures per case. Data from the hoof trimmer responses to the survey and previously published research were …

Assessment Of The Serum Amyloid A Assay For Diagnosing Disease In Neonatal Foals, Samantha W. Strouss

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Diagnosing disease in equine neonates poses a challenge for the equine industry because of the nonspecific manifestations of many diseases and the rapid deterioration that occurs. The differential diagnostic procedure requires many laboratory tests, whose results take days to receive. Serum amyloid A (SAA) is the only major acute phase protein identified in the horse; it exists in low levels in the healthy horse and increases over 100 fold in response to inflammatory stimulus 6-8 hours post stimulus. A point of care test allows veterinarians to obtain a SAA concentration within minutes that indicates the existence of infection. Being able …

Immunogenicity And Protective Activity Of A Chimeric Protein Based On The Domain Iii Of The Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus E Protein And The Ompf Porin Of Yersinia Pseudotuberculosis Incorporated Into The Ti-Complex, Nina M. Sanina, Natalia Chopenko, Andrey Mazeika, Ludmila Davydova, Galina Leonova, Anna Stenkova, Vladimir N. Uversky, Eduard Kostetsky

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a widespread, dangerous infection. Unfortunately, all attempts to create safe anti-TBE subunit vaccines are still unsuccessful due to their low immunogenicity. The goal of the present work was to investigate the immunogenicity of a recombinant chimeric protein created by the fusion of the EIII protein, comprising domain III and a stem region of the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) E protein, and the OmpF porin of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (OmpF-EIII). Adjuvanted antigen delivery systems, the tubular immunostimulating complexes (TI-complexes) based on the monogalactosyldiacylglycerol from different marine macrophytes, were used to enhance the immunogenicity of OmpF-EIII. Also, the chimeric …

Deciphering The Dark Proteome Of Chikungunya Virus, Ankur Singh, Ankur Kumar, Rakhi Yadav, Vladimir N. Uversky, Rajanish Giri

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus. The outbreak of CHIKV infection has been seen in many tropical and subtropical regions of the biosphere. Current reports evidenced that after outbreaks in 2005–06, the fitness of this virus propagating in Aedes albopictus enhanced due to the epistatic mutational changes in its envelope protein. In our study, we evaluated the prevalence of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and IDP regions (IDPRs) in CHIKV proteome. IDPs/IDPRs are known as members of a ‘Dark Proteome’ that defined as a set of polypeptide segments or whole protein without unique three-dimensional structure within the cellular milieu but …

Exploring The Short-Term Effects Of Probiotic And Prebiotic Supplementation On The Microbiota And Physiology Of Male C57bl/6 Mice, Miguel Angel Rivas

Wayne State University Theses

The gut microbiome may play a role in the development of chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Diets including prebiotics or probiotics can alter the abundance of gut bacterial groups and have subsequent health effects. In this study we wanted to establish a method for comparing the benefits of commercial supplements that alter the microbiota by monitoring fecal microbial profiles in male C57BL/6 mice (n = 24) exposed to 15 days of dietary supplementation. A probiotic diet (VSL#3) and a prebiotic diet (potato starch) were compared to a standard diet (n = 8 for each group). Microbial profiles …

Yousaf, Zohaib ([email protected], 4843384565) Mbbs, Msc (Clinical Research), Cabim (Internal Medicine), Mace, Mrcp (Acute Medicine), Facp Visa Status: Green Card - Via Eb1a – Alien Of Extraordinary Ability (Professor/Researcher Category - For Contributions To The Field Of Medicine) Citations: 1429, H-Index 20, I-10 Index 31, Zohaib Yousaf Mbbs, Msc (Clinical Research), Cabim (Internal Medicine), Mace, Mrcp (Acute Medicine), Facp

Reading Hospital Internal Medicine Residency

No abstract provided.

Treatment Of Hiv-Infected Individuals With The Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor Panobinostat Results In Increased Numbers Of Regulatory T Cells And Limits Ex Vivo Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammatory Responses, Christel Rothe Brinkmann, Jesper Falkesgaard Højen, Thomas Aagaard Rasmussen, Anne Sofie Kjær, Rikke Olesen, Paul W. Denton, Lars Østergaard, Zhengyu Ouyang, Mathias Lichterfeld, Xu Yu, Ole Schmeltz Søgaard, Charles Dinarello, Martin Tolstrup

Biology Faculty Publications

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) modulate the transcriptional activity of all cells, including innate and adaptive immune cells. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate immunological effects of treatment with the HDACi panobinostat in HIV-infected patients during a clinical phase IIa latency reversal trial. Using flow cytometry, we investigated changes in T cell activation (CD69, CD38, HLA-DR) and the expression of CD39 and CTLA4 on regulatory T cells (Tregs). Whole-blood stimulations were performed and cytokine responses measured using Luminex. Gene expression in purified peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was evaluated using an Affymetrix HTA 2.0 gene chip. We found that proportions of CD4+ …

The Rise Of Noncommunicable Diseases In Kenya: An Examination Of The Time Trends And Contribution Of The Changes In Diet And Physical Inactivity, Edward Michieka Onyango, Benjamin Moranga Onyango

ETSU Faculty Works

This study examined correlations of historical changes in diet and physical inactivity with the rise of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in Kenya. Historical data on diet, wage jobs by industry, urbanization, gross domestic product (GDP), and morbidity due to NCDs were extracted from Kenya Statistical Abstracts, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAOSTAT), and the World Bank online database. These data were plotted and correlations between these factors and the incidence of different NCDs over time were evaluated. There was a rapid rise in the incidence of circulatory disease starting in 2001, and of hypertension and diabetes starting in 2008. The rise of …

Presence Of Cofactor Nadph Slows Down The Dissociation Of Methotrexate From Dihydrofolate Reductase From Bacillus Stearothermophilus, Ryan Seamus Foley

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The goal of this project was to study the effect of the presence or absence of the cofactor NADPH on the binding and release of ligand methotrexate (MTX) to/from Bacillus stearothermophilus (Bs) dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). A previously developed, fluorescently-labeled Bs DHFR (C73A/S131CMDCC DHFR) was used to investigate the kinetics and protein conformational motions associated with the binding of NADPH and the binding of methotrexate to the holoenzyme. This Bs DHFR contains a distal cysteine where the fluorophore, N-[2-(1-maleimidyl)ethyl]-7-(diethylamino)coumarin-3-carboxamide (MDCC) can be covalently attached. This probe is sensitive to the local molecular environment, reporting on changes in the protein conformation associated …

Correlates Of Hepatitis C Positivity Among People Who Inject Drugs In Ukraine, Serhii Myroshnychenko

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Abstract