Digital Commons Network^™

A Systematic Review And Network Meta-Analyses To Assess The Effectiveness Of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (Hiv) Self-Testing Distribution Strategies, Ingrid Eshun-Wilson, Muhammad S Jamil, T Charles Witzel, David V Glidded, Cheryl Johnson, Noelle Le Trouneau, Nathan Ford, Kathleen Mcgee, Chris Kemp, Stefan Baral, Sheree Schwartz, Elvin H Geng

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: We conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis to identify which human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) self-testing (HIVST) distribution strategies are most effective.

METHODS: We abstracted data from randomized controlled trials and observational studies published between 4 June 2006 and 4 June 2019.

RESULTS: We included 33 studies, yielding 6 HIVST distribution strategies. All distribution strategies increased testing uptake compared to standard testing: in sub-Saharan Africa, partner HIVST distribution ranked highest (78% probability); in North America, Asia, and the Pacific regions, web-based distribution ranked highest (93% probability), and facility based distribution ranked second in all settings. Across HIVST distribution strategies …

2021-08-15_Michiganoverview_Covidsymptoms, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Michigan COVID-19 Syndromic Surveillance System Data

The Syndromic Surveillance System Data report was obtained from Michigan's COVID-19 dashboard, from under the link "​Coronavirus Symptoms": https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus. Data was compiled by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). The information was updated three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Syndromic Surveillance System data is obtained from approximately 183 facilities participating in syndromic surveillance (132 Emergency Departments (ED), 51 Urgent Cares) across the State of Michigan. The reporting is based on individuals who present at EDs and may not be representative of the overall population. The coronavirus-like symptoms query searches visit free-text (chief complaint, …

Small Hall Effect Thruster With 3d Printed Discharge Channel: Design And Thrust Measurements, Ethan P. Hopping, Wensheng Huang, Kunning G. Xu

PRC-Affiliated Research

Citation: Hopping, E.P.; Huang, W.; Xu, K.G. Small Hall Effect Thruster with 3D Printed Discharge Channel: Design and Thrust Measurements. Aerospace 2021, 8, 227. https:// Abstract: This paper presents the design and performance of the UAH-78AM, a low-power small Hall effect thruster. The goal of this work is to assess the feasibility of using low-cost 3D printing to create functioning Hall thrusters, and study how 3D printing can expand the design space. The thruster features a 3D printed discharge channel with embedded propellant distributor. Multiple materials were tested including ABS, ULTEM, and glazed ceramic. Thrust measurements were obtained at the …

Small Hall Effect Thruster With 3d Printed Discharge Channel: Design And Thrust Measurements, Ethan P. Hopping, Wensheng Huang, Kunning G. Xu

PRC-Affiliated Research

Citation: Hopping, E.P.; Huang, W.; Xu, K.G. Small Hall Effect Thruster with 3D Printed Discharge Channel: Design and Thrust Measurements. Aerospace 2021, 8, 227. https:// Abstract: This paper presents the design and performance of the UAH-78AM, a low-power small Hall effect thruster. The goal of this work is to assess the feasibility of using low-cost 3D printing to create functioning Hall thrusters, and study how 3D printing can expand the design space. The thruster features a 3D printed discharge channel with embedded propellant distributor. Multiple materials were tested including ABS, ULTEM, and glazed ceramic. Thrust measurements were obtained at the …

Concentrations Of Lead, Mercury, Arsenic, Cadmium, Manganese, And Aluminum In The Blood Of Pakistani Children With And Without Autism Spectrum Disorder And Their Associated Factors, Mohammad H Rahbar, Shahnaz H Ibrahim, Syed Iqbal Azam, Manouchehr Hessabi, Fatima Karim, Sori Kim, Jing Zhang, Nasreen Gulzar Ali, Katherine A Loveland

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with early onset in utero or childhood. Environmental exposure to six metals (Pb, Hg, As, Cd, Mn, Al) is believed to be associated with ASD directly or interactively with genes.

METHODS: We enrolled 30 ASD cases, age 2-12 years old, and 30 age- and sex-matched typically developing (TD) controls in Karachi, Pakistan. We assessed associations of ASD status with various factors using Conditional Logistic Regression models. We also used General Linear Models to assess possible interaction of blood Mn and Pb concentrations with the three GST genes in relation to ASD …

Concentrations Of Lead, Mercury, Arsenic, Cadmium, Manganese, And Aluminum In The Blood Of Pakistani Children With And Without Autism Spectrum Disorder And Their Associated Factors, Mohammad H. Rahbar, Shahnaz H. Ibrahim, Syed Iqbal Azam, Manouchehr Hessabi, Fatima Karim, Sori Kim, Jing Zhang, Nasreen Gulzar Ali, Katherine A. Loveland

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with early onset in utero or childhood. Environmental exposure to six metals (Pb, Hg, As, Cd, Mn, Al) is believed to be associated with ASD directly or interactively with genes. Objective: To assess the association of ASD among Pakistani children with the six metals and genotype frequencies of three GST genes (GSTP1, GSTM1, GSTT1).
Methods: We enrolled 30 ASD cases, age 2-12 years old, and 30 age- and sex-matched typically developing (TD) controls in Karachi, Pakistan. We assessed associations of ASD status with various factors using …

The Regulation Of Plasmodium Falciparum Metabolism By Haloacid Dehalogenase Proteins, Philip Frasse

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Malaria is an enormous financial and public health burden for much of the world, infecting over 200 million and killing over 400,000 people every year. While much progress has been made combating malaria in the past few decades, those advances have slowed in recent years, partially due to the emergence of resistance to all known antimalarials used to date. To achieve the goal of eliminating malaria as a major global health problem, new therapeutics need to be developed, targeting novel categories of parasite biology. One poorly understood area of parasite biology is the regulation of various metabolic pathways. We have …

Investigation Of Ifnγ-Induced Control Of Intracellular Pathogens, Michael Mcallaster

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Genes required for the lysosomal degradation pathway of autophagy play key roles in topologically distinct cellular processes with significant physiologic importance. One of the first-described of these ATG gene-dependent processes is the requirement for a subset of ATG genes in interferon-γ (IFNγ)-induced inhibition of norovirus and Toxoplasma gondii replication. In this dissertation we identified novel components that are required for or that negatively regulate this immune mechanism. Enzymes involved in the conjugation of UFM1 to target proteins including UFC1 and UBA5, negatively regulated IFNγ-induced inhibition of norovirus replication via effects of Ern1. We identified and confirmed that IFNγ-induced inhibition of …

The Immunoregulation Of Autoimmune Diabetes, Hao Hu

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

How autoimmune diseases are regulated is a long-term research topic in the autoimmunity field. We use autoimmune diabetes as a model to study this. Autoimmune diabetes is a T cell-dependent autoimmune syndrome. The functions of T cells are regulated during their development and activation. Developmentally, T cells will undergo a stringent thymic selection: a process that self-reactive T cells are tolerized to become thymic derived Tregs or can be deleted by apoptosis based on binding affinity and avidity between the TCRs and self-peptide:MHC complexes. After T cells mature, they can also be tolerized in the periphery in many other ways, …

Inhibition Of Aminoglycoside 6’-N-Acetyltransferase Type Ib [Aac(6′)-Ib]: Structure-Activity Relationship Of Substituted Pyrrolidine Pentamine Derivatives As Inhibitors, Kenneth Rocha, Jesus Magallon, Craig Reeves, Kimberly Phan, Peter Vu, Crista L. Oakley-Havens, Stella Kwan, Maria S. Ramirez, Travis Lavoi, Haley Donow, Prem Chapagain, Radleigh Santos, Clemencia Pinilla, Marc A. Giulianotti, Marcelo E. Tolmasky

Mathematics Faculty Articles

The aminoglycoside 6′-N-acetyltransferase type Ib [AAC(6′)-Ib] is a common cause of resistance to amikacin and other aminoglycosides in Gram-negatives. Utilization of mixture-based combinatorial libraries and application of the positional scanning strategy identified an inhibitor of AAC(6′)-Ib. This inhibitor’s chemical structure consists of a pyrrolidine pentamine scaffold substituted at four locations (R1, R3, R4, and R5). The substituents are two S-phenyl (R1 and R4), an S-hydroxymethyl (R3), and a 3-phenylbutyl (R5) groups. Another location, R2, does not have a substitution, but it is named because its stereochemistry was modified in some compounds utilized in this study. Structure-activity …

2021-08-13_Michiganoverview_Covidsymptoms, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Michigan COVID-19 Syndromic Surveillance System Data

The Syndromic Surveillance System Data report was obtained from Michigan's COVID-19 dashboard, from under the link "​Coronavirus Symptoms": https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus. Data was compiled by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). The information was updated three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Syndromic Surveillance System data is obtained from approximately 183 facilities participating in syndromic surveillance (132 Emergency Departments (ED), 51 Urgent Cares) across the State of Michigan. The reporting is based on individuals who present at EDs and may not be representative of the overall population. The coronavirus-like symptoms query searches visit free-text (chief complaint, …

Maximizing Mobility In The Icu, Stephen Kupiec

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: In a large tertiary medical center in Northern California, the patients in the 20-bed ICU achieved averaged maximum mobility (AMM) scores well below the regional target. These patients had longer lengths of stay in the ICU and spent more days on ventilators, as compared to patients in other ICUs in the region. Barriers to mobilization included patient diagnosis, sedation practices, staff burnout, insufficient staffing, a knowledge deficit around the safety and benefits of mobility, lack of standard workflows, and lack of interdisciplinary collaboration.

Context: A microsystem assessment focused on metrics-that-matter to determine the focus of this quality improvement project. …

Communication Strategies To Promote Infection Control Compliance: My Health Is In Your Hands, Ezra Macabio

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Problem: The facility has less than 70% adherence to handwashing hygiene every week. Moreover, staff does not comply with the required PPE, affecting their infection-control performance and compliance to circumvent COVID-19. Furthermore, the microsystem lacks information flow and communication systems focusing on hand hygiene, and PPE usage significantly affects the healthcare staff's ability to perform such vital practices.

Context: Herman Health Care Center provides multiple services to its residents depending on medical needs after patient hospitalizations, such as short-term rehabilitation and long-term skilled nursing services. The COVID-19 pandemic had a remarkably negative impact on the skilled nursing facility. The …

The Impact Of Nurse-Led Initiative Interventions On Cauti, Dalveer Kaur

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) has reported U.S. hospitals having 0.2 to 4.8 per 1000 catheter-days for adult inpatient units. The insertion of a catheter and delay in removal have a significant impact on morbidity, mortality, length of stay, and reimbursement.

Context: Post-Acute Care Unit (PACU) is a microsystem that provides rehabilitation services for a patient with various post-surgical procedures. The staff of this unit was well aware of policies of catheterizations that led to prolonged use of urinary catheters and an increased rate of CAUTIs in the last quarter of this year. This project aims to increase staff …

Strategies For Addressing Vaccination Disparities And Rates In The U.S Among Racial/Ethnic Minority Adults, Harpreet Kaur

Master's Projects and Capstones

As new and emerging infectious diseases surface, public health officials are working harder to close the immunization gap. Every year, thousands of adults in the U.S suffer adverse health outcomes and die from vaccine-preventable diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us of the power of vaccines as they have been able to eradicate diseases, save lives, and create healthier communities. A literature review was conducted to identify the gaps in research as it relates to vaccine disparities among racial/ethnic adult populations.

The literature indicates that ethnic/racial minorities are at disproportionate risk for vaccine-preventable diseases and data has shown increasingly high …

Lung Transplantation In A Patient With Covid-19-Associated Acute Respiratory Failure, Fatima Sajid, Taha Ahmed, Maher A. Baz, Michael I. Anstead

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is currently a significant cause of acute respiratory failure worldwide, leading to irreversible fibrotic lung disease. In patients with persistent respiratory failure after acute COVID-19 infection, lung transplant is an emerging option. Here, we have presented a case where the patient required venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) support for 33 days until a bilateral lung transplant was performed on day 71 after the initial COVID-19 infection. The early outcomes have been favorable. Currently, no guidelines exist for an acceptable time period after initial COVID-19 infection, duration of negative COVID polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, or negative …

Development Of Macromolecular Prodrug Of Sinomenine For The Treatment Of Rheumatoid Arthritis, Roshni Mukundan

Theses & Dissertations

Inflammation is a natural response of the body to infections or any potential threat to the body. But, sometimes the immune system attacks its own body causing persistent inflammation leading to inflammatory diseases. One of the common chronic inflammatory diseases is rheumatoid arthritis (RA) which causes inflammation of the synovial membrane. The current treatments for RA are effective in controlling the symptoms but they come with severe side effects and economic burden. Further, the management of pain is still a problem with these drugs. Sinomenine is a natural alkaloid obtained from the Chinese medicinal plant Sinomenium acutum that has been …

Gene Expression Profiling Of Mapk Pathway Inhibitor Resistance In Cutaneous Melanoma: Can Bioinformatics Be Used To Select Better Melanoma Cell Lines?, Stephen Luebker

Theses & Dissertations

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, and incidence has continued to increase. Half of all melanomas have a BRAF V600E mutation and respond to MAPK pathway inhibitors, including BRAF inhibitor therapy or BRAF/MEK inhibitor combination therapy, but nearly all patients develop treatment resistance. Melanoma cell lines produce variable results as models of MAPK pathway inhibitor resistance. To better understand how the genomic similarity of a melanoma cell line to patient-derived tumors affects resistance mechanisms, differences in DNA mutations and copy-number alterations were compared between melanoma cell lines profiled by the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia and cutaneous melanoma tumors …

Stress Response Of Stone Martens And Red Foxes In Two Different Live Traps, Friederike Gethöffer, Wolfgang Baumgärtner, Marion Schmicke, Nicole Kemper, Charlotte Lempp, Nicole Jungwirth, Joseph G. Schnitzler, Ursula Siebert

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Trapping of terrestrial animals is an important tool for harvest, pest control and research worldwide. To catch animals alive, animal welfare has to be ensured, which is reflected in different agreements on trading and trapping of animals between sovereign nations (Council Regulation [EEC] No 3254/91). The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and stone marten (Martes foina) represent important predatory animals. Their influence on protected species as well as their increasing appearance in urban areas demand responsible handling. In our study, we evaluated 2 trap systems used for trapping red foxes and stone martens in accordance with criteria stipulated in the Agreement …

The Staphylococcus Aureus Lrgab Operon Encodes A Holin-Like Protein Involved In Pyruvate Transport, Jennifer L. Endres

Theses & Dissertations

The Staphylococcus aureus cidABC and lrgAB operons encode a well-conserved family of proteins involved in programmed cell death (PCD) during biofilm development. Based on the structural similarities that CidA and LrgA share with bacteriophage holins, we have hypothesized that these proteins function by forming pores within the cytoplasmic membrane. To test this, we utilized a “lysis cassette” system that demonstrated the abilities of the cidA and lrgA genes to support bacteriophage endolysin-induced cell lysis. In addition, the CidA and LrgA proteins were shown to localize to the surface of membrane vesicles and cause leakage of small molecules, providing direct evidence …

Online Daters’ Sexually Explicit Media Consumption And Imagined Interactions, Megan A. Vendemia, Kathryn D. Coduto

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Individuals oftentimes turn to interpersonal and mass media content to cope and satisfy their sexual needs in absence of offline interpersonal connection. Online dating platforms enable virtual and physical connections between users. The literature on imagined interactions suggests that people may play out these interpersonal scenarios in their minds; however, it is less clear the role sexually explicit media exposure and sexual mediated interactions may serve in facilitating imagined interactions. We conducted a survey to examine U.S. online daters’ relationship preferences, sexually explicit media consumption practices (pornography and sexting), and imagined interactions with potential mates focusing on three primary functions: …

Antibacterial Activity Of Red Yeast Rice Extract Against Propionibacterium Acnes Atcc 11827 And Methicilin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Atcc Baa-1683, Tiana Milanda, Ade Zuhrotun, Ulya Nabila, Vesara A. Gathera, Arif S.W Kusuma

Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy Research

Propionibacterium acnes ATCC 11827 and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ATCC BAA-1683 are bacteria that cause skin infections, namely acne vulgaris and skin and soft tissue infection/SSTI. The increase in the number of resistant bacterial strains, such as MRSA, requires the search for alternative antibiotics, including using natural ingredients. Red yeast rice is a product of rice fermentation by Monascus purpureus, which is known to have antibacterial, antifungal, antitumor, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cholesterol and immunomodulator. This study aims to determine the antibacterial activity of several red yeast rice extracts against these bacteria that cause skin infections. The research was carried out through the …

August 13, 2021 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Metabolic Gene Expression In The Raw 264.7 Monocyte Cell Line, Lauren Macaisa

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Immune cells undergo changes in gene expression and metabolism when activated by a foreign molecule. Although the changes are short-lived in response to an acute infection, they persist in disorders with underlying chronic inflammation. To understand how changes in gene expression relate to changes in metabolism, the expression of metabolic transporter proteins, was analyzed in response to chronic inflammation in a mouse monocyte cell line. Specifically, Glucose Transporter-1 (GLUT1), Monocarboxylate Transporter-1 (MCT1), Monocarboxylate Transporter-4 (MCT4), and Glutamate Aspartate Transporter (GLAST) were analyzed, and it was hypothesized that all the transporters would increase in expression in response to a prolonged inflammatory …

Dissolvable Microneedles And Nanofiber Dressings To Eradicate Biofilms And Improve Wound Care, Jenna Cusick, Jingwei Xie, Yajuan Su

Posters: 2021 Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Biofilms are communities of microorganisms consisting of one or more bacterial species that attach to a biotic or abiotic surface. Biofilms are highly common in chronic wounds. To improve wound care treatment, a Janus-type antimicrobial dressing was created to eradicate biofilms in chronic wounds. The dressing consists of two layers: a top layer of electrospun nanofibers and a bottom layer of dissolvable microneedles. The dressings were tested on an ex vivo and in vivo model.

3. Ou College Of Pharmacy Update, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

SWOSU/OU 2021 Joint Preceptor Conference Handouts

This is a document from the SWOSU/OU 2021 Joint Preceptor Conference

Addressing Critical Care Nurse Burnout, Julie Suarez

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: Critical care nurses are at higher risk for developing burnout than nurses from other areas of clinical practice. If not addressed promptly, the problem of burnout can worsen, negatively affecting the healthcare provider, organization, and patient outcomes.

Context: Increased stress and burnout observed in the microsystem with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted consideration of ways to address the well-being of critical care nursing staff with targeted interventions that could be implemented quickly with readily available resources.

Interventions: The project aim was to reduce critical care nurse burnout scores through implementation of evidence-based strategies addressing participative management, camaraderie …

Longitudinal Assessment Of Cytokine Expression And Plasminogen Activation In Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome Reveals Immune Regulatory Dysfunction In End-Stage Disease, Peter Simons, Yan Guo, Virginie Bondu, Susan L. Tigert, Michelle Harkins, Samuel Goodfellow, Cana Tompkins, Devon Chabot-Richards, Xuexian O. Yang, Laura Gonzalez Bosc, Steven Bradfute, Daniel A. Lawrence, Tione Buranda

Pathology Research and Scholarship

Pathogenic New World orthohantaviruses cause hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), a severe immunopathogenic disease in humans manifested by pulmonary edema and respiratory distress, with case fatality rates approaching 40%. High levels of inflammatory mediators are present in the lungs and systemic circulation of HCPS patients. Previous studies have provided insights into the pathophysiology of HCPS. However, the longitudinal correlations of innate and adaptive immune responses and disease outcomes remain unresolved. This study analyzed serial immune responses in 13 HCPS cases due to Sin Nombre orthohantavirus (SNV), with 11 severe cases requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment and two mild cases. We …

Controlling Vector-Borne Diseases Through Paratransgenesis, Juliane Buzzon Meneghesso Verga

International Programs

The high incidence of Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) and the inefficiency of current methods in preventing and treating them have been driving research for alternative solutions. Here, we present an approach called paratransgenesis that could help in such challenge. In paratransgenesis, genetic modification in vectors' symbionts can be used to block the transmission of various pathogens and help preventing or even eradicate insect-transmitted diseases.

Comparison Of Nucleic Acid Extraction Kits For Detecting Pathogens In Spiked Human Serum, Kate Berzonsky, Catherine Pratt, Bailey White, Dylan George, Mike Wiley Phd

Posters: 2021 Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Nucleic acid extraction is a laboratory process by which DNA and RNA can be isolated for downstream applications. Currently, there are many commercial DNA and RNA extraction kits available to simplify this process. These kits vary in cost, processing time, and required materials. While most studies comparing commercial extraction kits analyze using real-time qPCR, DNA sequencing has become a popular technique for determining specific pathogens present in microbial communities. This study compares the ability of 11 different nucleic extraction kits to detect pathogens from samples spiked with known proportions of bacteria and yeast. Additionally, variations of the kits were performed, …