Digital Commons Network^™

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

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

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

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

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Background

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

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

Of 275 who initiated DAAs, …

Comprehensive Sex Education To Improve Sexually Transmitted Infection And Disease Knowledge Base And Decision Making In Adolescents, Mckenzie Terfehr

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Practice Innovation Projects

Introduction: Developing intimate relationships are a normal part of transitioning through development. The United States continues to see increasing numbers of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), mostly in adolescents and young adults. Initiation of comprehensive sexual health education in schools can help protect young adolescents by arming them with information to make informed choices and reduce exposure risk to STIs/STDs.
Methods: The review of literature focused on impacts that positively affected adolescents and their ability to competently protect themselves and others following sex education. Databases searched included PubMed, Medline, PLOS ONE, National Institutes of Health (NIH) …

Of American Fragility: Public Rituals, Human Rights, And The End Of Invisible Man, Etienne C. Toussaint

Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fragility of American democracy in at least two important ways. First, the coronavirus has ravaged Black communities across the United States, unmasking decades of inequitable laws and public policies that have rendered Black lives socially and economically isolated from adequate health care services, educational resources, housing stability, environmental security, stable and living wage jobs, generational wealth, and other institutional structures necessary for resilience. Second, government-mandated social distancing in response to the coronavirus has failed to dampen America’s racially biased, violent, and supervisory policing culture, reigniting demands from the Movement for Black Lives for police …

Draft Genome Sequence Of Verrucosispora Sp. Strain Cwr15, Isolated From A Gulf Of Mexico Sponge, Sarah J. Kennedy, Eleonora Cella, Mohammad Jubair, Taj Azarian, Bill J. Baker, Lindsey N. Shaw

Molecular Biosciences Faculty Publications

Here, we present the draft genome sequence of Verrucosispora sp. strain CWR15, a bacterial symbiont of a Gulf of Mexico sponge. The genome consists of 35 contigs encoding 5,840 genes. The genome is the basis for future study and presents an underexplored taxonomy and biosynthetic potential.

Tuberculosis Clinical Presentation And Treatment Outcomes In Pregnancy: A Prospective Cohort Study, Brittney J. Van De Water, Meredith B. Brooks, Chuan-Chin Huang, Letizia Trevisi, Leonid Lecca, Carmen Contreras, Jerome Galea, Roger Calderon, Rosa Yataco, Megan Murray, Mercedes C. Becerra

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: There is limited research to guide TB treatment specifically in pregnant women and few studies have described the presentation of TB in pregnant women. We aimed to understand TB presentation and treatment outcomes in pregnant women in a low HIV burden setting. We describe a cohort of women of childbearing age treated for TB disease in Lima, Peru, and compare clinical presentation and treatment outcomes among pregnant and non-pregnant women between 2009 and 2012, including 36 pregnant women.

Methods: This is a prospective cohort study. Subjects were recruited from across 106 public health centers in Lima, Peru. Baseline demographic, …

Impact Of Mental Disorders On Active Tb Treatment Outcomes: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, G. Lee, J. Scuffell, J. T. Galea, S. S. Shin, E. Magill, E. Jaramillo, A. C. Sweetland

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: Comorbid mental disorders in patients with TB may exacerbate TB treatment outcomes. We systematically reviewed current evidence on the association between mental disorders and TB outcomes.

Methods: We searched eight databases for studies published from 1990 to 2018 that compared TB treatment outcomes among patients with and without mental disorders. We excluded studies that did not systematically assess mental disorders and studies limited to substance use. We extracted study and patient characteristics and effect measures and performed a meta-analysis using random-effects models to calculate summary odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results: Of 7687 studies identified, 10 …

Eastern Equine Encephalitis Amplification And Spillover In New England, Aaron Hentoff

Public Health Theses

Introduction: Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) is an alphavirus spread by the Culiseta melanura mosquitoe. While extremely rare, infection can lead to severe mental sequala and death, making it a public health concern for affected communities. Over the past two decades EEE outbreaks have become more frequent in occurrence and larger in size in the Northeast Region of the United States.

Objectives: The main objectives of this study are to 1) measure the association between mosquito abundance, infection rate, and disease incidence 2) characterize the relationship between seasonal climate variability in New England with Cs. melanura abundance, infection rates, and incidence …

Phylogeographic Insights Into Zika Virus In Puerto Rico, Chaney Christine Kalinich

Public Health Theses

During the larger epidemic in the Americas, Puerto Rico experienced an epidemic of Zika virus (ZIKV) between November 2015 and December 2016. During this period, 39,717 residents tested positive, or 1.1% of the population. Our team sequenced 84 ZIKV genomes directly from archived ZIKV-positive clinical samples from throughout the epidemic period, and from distinct regions of the island, in order to reconstruct the introduction(s) to and geographic spread of ZIKV in Puerto Rico. We found that ZIKV was circulating in the Greater Antilles by April (95% CI: February-June) of 2015, and was introduced to Puerto Rico by August (95% CI: …

‘Presumptively Initiating Vaccines And Optimizing Talk With Motivational Interviewing’ (Pivot With Mi) Trial: A Protocol For A Luster Randomised Controlled Trial Of A Clinician Vaccine Communication Intervention, Douglas J. Opel, Jeffrey D. Robinson, Heather Spielvogle, Christine Spina, Kathleen Garrett, Amanda F. Dempsey, Cathryn Perreira, Miriam Dickinson, Chuan Zhou, Barbara Pahud, Multiple Additional Authors

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction A key contributor to under immunisation is parental refusal or delay of vaccines due to vaccine concerns. Many clinicians lack confidence in communicating with vaccine-hesitant parents (VHP) and perceive that their discussions will do little to change parents’ minds. Improving clinician communication with VHPs is critical to increasing childhood vaccine uptake.

Methods and analysis We describe the protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial to test the impact of a novel, multifaceted clinician vaccine communication strategy on child immunisation status. The trial will be conducted in 24 primary care practices in two US states (Washington and Colorado). The strategy …

Modified Two-Stage Exchange For Periprosthetic Joint Infection In Uka., Andrew G Yun, Marilena Qutami, Kory B Dylan Pasko

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a rare complication following unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA), and current management guidelines are still evolving. This report presents a novel surgical technique of resection arthroplasty with an articulated hemispacer as part of a 2-stage exchange protocol. A 66-year-old man developed a culture-negative PJI four months after a medial UKA. Rather than conventional full resection arthroplasty, the patient underwent partial resection with preservation of the lateral and patellofemoral compartments to maintain vascularized bone stock. An articulating hemispacer fashioned from the old implants after sterilization was reimplanted medially to preserve function during the course of antibiotic treatment. …

Developing An Indicator System For A Healthy City: Taking An Urban Area As A Pilot, Tingting Li, Yong Fang, Dewei Zeng, Zumin Shi, Manoj Sharma, Huan Zeng, Yong Zhao

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Purpose: The Healthy Cities Project is an important strategy for global health. This study aimed to develop a scientific and appropriate indicator system for the evaluation of a Healthy City in Chongqing, China. Methods: Data were collected via a review of government documents, focus group discussions, and in-depth interviews. A total of 34 government documents were reviewed to build the indicator database based on our previous studies. The first round of focus group discussions, which involved eight health-related experts, was conducted to form the indicator system framework. In-depth interviews with 15 experts from government departments were conducted to design …

The Milk Metabolome Of Non-Secretor And Lewis Negative Mothers, Aidong Wang, Petya Koleva, Elloise Du Toit, Donna T. Geddes, Daniel Munblit, Susan L. Prescott, Merete Eggesbø, Christine C. Johnson, Ganesa Wegienka, Naoki Shimojo, Dianne Campbell, Anita L. Kozyrskyj, Carolyn M. Slupsky

Public Health Sciences Articles

Introduction: The functional role of milk for the developing neonate is an area of great interest, and a significant amount of research has been done. However, a lot of work remains to fully understand the complexities of milk, and the variations imposed through genetics. It has previously been shown that both secretor (Se) and Lewis blood type (Le) status impacts the human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) content of human milk. While some studies have compared the non-HMO milk metabolome of Se+ and Se- women, none have reported on the non-HMO milk metabolome of Se- and Le- mothers.

Method and Results: To …

Diagnostic Performance Of Two Molecular Assays For The Detection Of Vaginitis In Symptomatic Women, Alexandra Thompson, Karen Timm, Noelle Borders, Liz Montoya, Karissa Culbreath

Pathology Research and Scholarship

The three main causes of vaginitis are bacterial vaginosis (BV), vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), and trichomoniasis (TV). Two multiplex assays are commercially available for detection of DNA from organisms associated with vaginitis: BD Affirm™ VPIII Microbial Identification Test (Affirm) and BD MAX™ Vaginal Panel (MAX VP). Here, the performance of MAX VP was compared to that of Affirm, which was considered the standard of care. Four vaginal swabs were collected from each subject with the following: BD Affirm™ VPIII Ambient Temperature Transport System (ATTS), BD MAX™ UVE Specimen Collection Kit, Hologic Aptima® Vaginal Swab Specimen Collection Kit, and BD ESwab™ collection …

A Multicenter Evaluation Of A Sample To Answer Real-Time Pcr Assay For Toxigenic C. Difficile In Symptomatic Subjects, Preeti Pancholi, Steve Young, R Widen, Suzane Silbert, B Schmitt, R Dunn, A Drain, S A. Weissfeld

Pathology Research and Scholarship

We evaluated the performance of the Luminex ARIES® C. difficile Assay on 984 stool specimens prospectively collected from patients being tested for CDI at 4 clinical laboratories in the United States. Results were compared to direct and enriched toxigenic culture. Positive percent agreement (PPA) of the ARIES® C. difficile Assay was 98.1% versus direct toxigenic culture, and sensitivity versus direct plus enriched toxigenic culture was 90.5%. Negative percent agreement (NPA) of the ARIES® C. difficile Assay against direct culture was 92.6%, and specificity versus direct plus enriched toxigenic culture was 95.8%. The ARIES® C. difficile Assay was also compared to …

Constitutional Law—Supervising Consumption: The Argument For Supervised Injection Facilities As A Valid Exercise Of States’ Police Power, Jennifer H. Diggles

Western New England Law Review

From medically assisted treatment to syringe exchange programs, the harm reduction movement has emerged as an evidence-based practice in response to the growing opioid epidemic. The supervised injection facility is a harm reduction measure that has proven effective in reducing overdose deaths and the spread of infectious diseases. Various countries around the world have initiated these programs and realized the benefits, and several states in the U.S. have proposed legislation to allow for such facilities as part of a broader approach to the opioid problem. Potential implementation of these facilities, however, is challenged on the basis that they would violate …

Climate Change & Greenhouse Gases: Keeping Our Vehicle Emissions Standards Safe, Andrew Harvey

University of Baltimore Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Case Of Tetanus With Classical Presentations, Maaz Khan, Dr. Bhanukumar M

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

No abstract provided.

Using Unfolding Case Studies In A Traditional Classroom Setting To Enhance Critical Thinking Skills In Pre-Licensure Bachelor Of Science Nursing Students, Elaine M. Lloyd

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Nursing education reform is needed for today’s generational mix of pre-licensure nursing students to prepare them to effectively care for clients’ ever-evolving healthcare needs. This mixed-methods, quasi-experimental study was designed to measure if the use of unfolding case studies (UCS) in a traditional classroom setting (TCS) would (a) enhance critical thinking skills of the experimental group more than the control group as measured by the Health Science Reasoning Test (HSRT), (b) explore if course content examinations were higher in the experimental group versus the control group, (c) explore the perceptions of a subset of Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) pre-licensure …

Lift 2020 Fall / Winter

Lift: The Alumni Magazine of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU)

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of A Novel Compound That Stimulates Sting-Mediated Innate Immune Activity In An Allele-Specific Manner., Jinu Abraham, Sara Botto, Nobuyo Mizuno, Kara Pryke, Bryan Gall, Dylan Boehm, Tina M Sali, Haihong Jin, Aaron Nilsen, Michael J. Gough, Jason R Baird, Marita Chakhtoura, Caroline Subra, Lydie Trautmann, Elias K Haddad, Victor R Defilippis

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The innate immune response to cytosolic DNA involves transcriptional activation of type I interferons (IFN-I) and proinflammatory cytokines. This represents the culmination of intracellular signaling pathways that are initiated by pattern recognition receptors that engage DNA and require the adaptor protein Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING). These responses lead to the generation of cellular and tissue states that impair microbial replication and facilitate the establishment of long-lived, antigen-specific adaptive immunity. Ultimately this can lead to immune-mediated protection from infection but also to the cytotoxic T cell-mediated clearance of tumor cells. Intriguingly, pharmacologic activation of STING-dependent phenotypes is known to enhance …

Unmet Need In Rheumatology: Reports From The Targeted Therapies Meeting 2019., Kevin L Winthrop, Michael E Weinblatt, Joan Bathon, Gerd R Burmester, Philip Mease, Leslie Crofford, Vivian Bykerk, Maxime Dougados, James Todd Rosenbaum, Xavier Mariette, Joachim Sieper, Fritz Melchers, Bruce N Cronstein, Ferry C Breedveld, Joachim Kalden, Josef S Smolen, Daniel Furst

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

OBJECTIVES: To detail the greatest areas of unmet scientific and clinical needs in rheumatology.

METHODS: The 21st annual international Advances in Targeted Therapies meeting brought together more than 100 leading basic scientists and clinical researchers in rheumatology, immunology, epidemiology, molecular biology and other specialties. During the meeting, breakout sessions were convened, consisting of 5 disease-specific groups with 20-30 experts assigned to each group based on expertise. Specific groups included: rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and other systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases. In each group, experts were asked to identify unmet clinical and translational research needs in general …

Egg Donation: What Egg-Xactly Is It? Property Or A Service?, Sally Fritz

Texas A&M Journal of Property Law

The tax characterization of income from human body transfers is a perplexing conundrum. There is no definitive case law or statute that informs taxpayers how to treat these transfers. Legal scholars have discussed the issue of how to treat human body transfers such as eggs, sperm, blood, etc. for decades, and the Internal Revenue Service has still not acted to provide any sort of clarity. This Comment discusses the historical tax implications on various types of human body transfers, outlines some of the distinguishing factors between characterizing a transfer as property or a service, provides an argument for why income …

Of Mosquitoes And "Moral Convictions" In The Age Of Zika: How The Trump Administration's Gutting Of The Affordable Care Act's Contraceptive Mandate Jeopardizes Women's And Children's Health, Linda C. Fentiman

Health Matrix: The Journal of Law-Medicine

The Trump Administration’s efforts to undo the contraceptive mandate, a key component of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), threaten a major public health emergency, as well as the rule of law and separation of powers. The Trump Administration’s Rules greatly expand the grounds for exemption from the contraceptive mandate: they allow even publicly traded corporations to assert religious beliefs as a ground for exemption and exempt all employers except publicly traded corporations from compliance with the contraceptive mandate if they hold “moral convictions” in opposition to contraception. By denying women access to effective, affordable contraception, these Rules increase the odds …

Human Papillomavirus (Hpv) Infection And Vaccine Knowledge And Attitudes Among University Students, Mckenzie Schmitz

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

HPV is the “most common sexually transmitted infection,” with approximately four out of five sexually active individuals getting infected at some point in their lives (Planned Parenthood, n.d.b, para.1). Cancers of the throat, mouth, cervix, anus, penis, and vagina have all been linked to HPV infections. In addition to being tested for HPV, the utilization of barrier methods and reduction of risky sexual risk behaviors, are the best ways to prevent and treat sexually transmitted infections. This study contributes to existing literature on university students’ knowledge and attitudes about HPV infections and the vaccination. This study was conducted using descriptive, …

A Consensus Statement On Spinal Muscular Atrophy Management In Saudi Arabia In The Context Of Covid-19, Fouad Alghamdi, Nahla Alshaikh, Ahmed K. Bamaga, Fahad A. Bashiri, Khalid Hundullah, Ali Alshehri, Mohammad A. Al-Muhaizea, Abdulaziz Al-Saman

Neurosciences

No abstract provided.

Pestilence And Poverty: The Great Influenza Pandemic And Underdevelopment In The New South, 1918-1919, Andrew Kishuni

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study examines the "Spanish" influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 in the U.S. South, using case-studies of Jacksonville, Savannah, New Orleans, and Nashville to sculpt a "Southern flu" more identical to the Global South and the developing world than the rest of the U.S. I examine poverty and political and economic paralysis in the years between the end of Reconstruction and 1918, and the poor results of political indifference on public health and disease control. I also analyze the social and institutional racism against persons of color that defined high infectious disease mortality in Southern cities.

I argue that Southerners faced …

Human Immunodeficiency Virus: A Literary Review On Gene Editing, Cytotherapy, And Medicinal Marijuana As Therapies For Hiv., Paula Moreno

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) affects about 40 million people world-wide; there is currently no cure for HIV or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). This paper will begin by explaining viruses/retroviruses and HIV infection/progression at the molecular, cellular, and organismal level. Common drug therapy will be mentioned, followed by in-depth discussions on the processes of three different therapies that combat HIV-1 at either the molecular, cellular, or organismal level. Once the virus has been integrated in the genome, antiretroviral therapies (ART) begin. At the molecular level, gene silencing has the power to essentially “shut down” or “cut out” genes from the integrated …

Holistic Resilience Quantification Framework Of Rural Communities, Amanda Melendez

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Communities need to prepare for anticipated hazards, adapt to varying conditions, and resist and recover rapidly from disturbances. Protecting the built environment from natural and man-made hazards and understanding the impact of these hazards helps allocate resources efficiently. Recently, an indicator-based and time-dependent approach was developed for defining and measuring the functionality and disaster resilience continuously at the community level. This computational method uses seven dimensions that find qualitative characteristics and transforms them into quantitative measures. The proposed framework is used to study the resilience of rural communities’ subject to severe flooding events. Harlan County in the Appalachian region is …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Hiv Treatment And Research: A Call To Action, Tiffany Chenneville, Kemesha Gabbidon, Patricia Hanson, Cashea Holyfield

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is far reaching, with devastating effects on individuals, communities, and societies across the world. People with chronic health conditions may be at greater risk of contracting or experiencing complications from COVID-19. In addition to illness or death for those who contract the virus, the physical distancing required to flatten the curve of new cases is having a negative impact on the economy, the effects of which intersect with mental health and other existing health concerns, thus affecting marginalized communities. Given that HIV also has a disproportionate impact on marginalized communities, COVID-19 is affecting people …