Digital Commons Network^™

Polymer-Based And Functionalized 3d Microelectrode Array (Mea) Biosensors, Nilab Azim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Microphysiological systems are three-dimensional (3D) in vitro systems that recapitulate crucial biological aspects of cell heterogeneity and native tissue architecture by mimicking complex structures that are impossible in two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures. Microelectrode arrays (MEAs) are biosensors used to spatially and temporally monitor the activity of microphysiological systems by transducing cellular signals into electronic signals to provide quantitative data on the in vitro system. Conventional MEAs are typically planar in nature, however, 3D MEAs offer several advantages such as better simulation of an in vivo cellular environment and improved signal-to-noise ratio and cell-electrode coupling. MEA fabrication utilizing traditional cleanroom methods …

Preparation And Response To Covid-19: An Exploratory Analysis Of Policy Response Spending And Health Expenditures In 20 Oecd Countries, Anis Ben Brik, Neil Gilbert

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article examines the comparative impact of COVID-19 in terms of the number of cases per capita and the per capita mortality rate and analyzes the relationships between these impact estimates and three policy measures in 20 OECD countries, controlling for the population over age 65. The policy measures involve public and private health expenditures prior to the pandemic onset and per capita fiscal expenditures devoted to policies designed to address the pandemic, which are identified in the International Monetary Fund’s policy tracker. The findings show no relationship between the policy measures and COVID-19 when controlling for the population over …

Evaluating Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Access To Primary Care Among Gay And Bisexual Men In The Us, A Population At High-Risk Of Hiv Infection, Jessica S. Kiernan, April D. Kimmel

Graduate Research Posters

BACKGROUND: 69% of new HIV diagnoses in the US are among gay and bisexual men, with disparities by race and ethnicity. Primary care providers increasingly provide HIV prevention. Racial and ethnic disparities in primary care access are well-documented, but their persistence among gay and bisexual men is unknown. We examined racial and ethnic disparities in access to primary care among this population.

METHODS: We used nationally representative person-level sociodemographic, health status and utilization data, and data on organizational- and socially determinant barriers to care, from the National Health Interview Survey, 2013-2018. Outcomes were: 1) general physician visit

RESULTS: The sample …

January 2021 News Releases, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Pandemic Preparation & Response: A Case Study Applying Kotter’S 8 Step Change Management Theory To Improve Pandemic Response In An Acute Care Setting, Michael A. Mayo

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

For healthcare CEOs and leaders, much time is spent planning and strategically assessing our organizations' overall health and status. Planning cycles vary from 1 year to 5 years and, in some cases, 10-year plans. However, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare leaders have been forced to pivot and embrace a sense of resilience. Today, we are leading and making decisions on a day-to-day basis and even hour-to-hour based on the uncertainty and needs of our organizations and communities we serve. The crisis of a pandemic requires leadership to act swiftly and with a cadence of assurance to all. …

Patient-Level Perspectives On The Use Of Novel Psychotherapeutics For The Treatment Of Substance Use Disorders By, Jory Donald Crull

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Substance use disorders (SUDs) present a rapidly evolving public health crisis and many individuals with SUDs fail to maintain abstinence despite adherence to current standard of care treatment options. Prior research has demonstrated compounds with unique psychoactive properties may improve ability to maintain abstinence across a variety of SUDs; examples of such compounds include psilocybin, ketamine, and 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). However, target population support for mental health treatment using these medications is unknown. In this study, a cross-sectional survey (n=919) was administered to analyze patient-level perspectives on the use of these novel psychotherapeutics for the treatment of SUDs. We hypothesized that …

Outcomes And Factors Influencing Relapse And Recidivism In A Rural Substance Abuse Treatment Program Collaborative, Nikki King

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Intensive Outpatient programs for mental health and substance abuse have been shown to be an effective option for individuals with substance use disorders. Despite this, there are few options for individuals seeking this form of treatment in rural communities. It is often believed that high quality programs that address the core systemic social issues that underlie substance use disorders are too expensive for small rural healthcare organizations to utilize. This model shows one treatment program that is able to address multiple social safety net issues and produce positive outcomes in a rural setting by leveraging community partnerships, as well as …

Identifying Barriers And Facilitators To Implementation Of Community-Based Tuberculosis Active Case Finding With Mobile X-Ray Units In Lima, Peru: A Re-Aim Evaluation, Courtney M. Yuen, Daniela Puma, Ana Karina Millones, Jerome T. Galea, Christine Tzelios, Roger I. Calderon, Meredith B. Brooks, Judith Jimenez, Carmen Contreras, Tim C. Nichols, Tom Nicholson, Leonid Lecca, Mercedes C. Becerra, Salmaan Keshavjee

Social Work Faculty Publications

Objectives: Identify barriers and facilitators to integrating community tuberculosis screening with mobile X-ray units into a health system.

Methods: Reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation and maintenance evaluation.

Setting: 3-district region of Lima, Peru.

Participants: 63 899 people attended the mobile units from 7 February 2019 to 6 February 2020.

Interventions: Participants were screened by chest radiography, which was scored for abnormality by computer-aided detection. People with abnormal X-rays were evaluated clinically and by GeneXpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) sputum testing. People diagnosed with tuberculosis at the mobile unit were accompanied to health facilities for treatment initiation.

Primary and secondary outcome measures: Reach was …

Was New York City A Source Of Global Sars-Cov-2 Spread?, Cole Jensen

Public Health Theses

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first diagnosed in the United States on January 15, 2020, in the state of Washington. Shortly after that, on February 29, 2020, the first case of COVID-19 was reported in New York City. From January 2020 through July 2020, there were 223,107 cases of COVID-19 that led to 18,787 COVID-19 related deaths in New York City alone. During this time, many left New York City to avoid contracting the virus or to return home. This travel seeded much of the transmission within the United States. We aimed to identify any international transmission of severe acute …

“Trapped” In A Public Health Emergency: How Abortion Restrictions During The Covid-19 Pandemic Mirror Earlier Attacks On The Abortion Right And How Judicial Review Failed To Protect It, Nancy L. Dordal

Maryland Law Review

No abstract provided.

Effectiveness Of Standard Precautions In The Prevention Of Covid-19, Tazeen Saeed Ali, Shah Zeb, Asghar Ali, Zahir Munir, Sumia Andleeb Abbasi

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Background: COVID-19 is the novel pandemic that has caused exponential deaths worldwide and damaged health care systems of developed as well as developing regions. Many of the HCWs across the countries are getting affected by this infection and losing their lives.
Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the level of compliance with SPs for the prevention of COVID-19 transmission among HCWs and identify its associated factors.
Methods: An analytical cross sectional study was conducted on 877 HCWs in nine different tertiary care hospitals of Sindh. HCWs were retrieved using universal sampling. Data was collected using self-reporting questionnaire. …

In The Shadow Of Freedom Of Religion And Press, Hee-Young Shin

Economics Faculty Publications

The Korean government’s public health responses to the COVID-19 epidemic have achieveda remarkable outcome in terms of the measured number of infected patients and theoverall mortality rate. Nonetheless, the public health authority’s various mitigationstrategies and vaccination efforts have faced several challenges primarily posed bypolitically motivated Christian fundamentalists and ultraconservative media’s distortednews framing in Korea. This paper examines how these conservative forces – both religiousand political – have undermined the Korean public health authority’s various mitigationefforts and discusses how to address the problems from a public policy point of view. Thepaper argues that a comprehensive legal reform including the introduction of …

Continental-Scale Dynamics Of Avian Influenza In U.S. Waterfowl Are Driven By Demography, Migration, And Temperature, Erin E. Gorsich, Colleen T. Webb, Andrew A. Merton, Jennifer A. Hoeting, Ryan S. Miller, Matthew Farnsworth, Seth R. Swafford, Thomas J. Deliberto, Kerri Pedersen, Alan B. Franklin, Robert G. Mclean, Kenneth R. Wilson, Paul Doherty

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Emerging diseases of wildlife origin are increasingly spilling over into humans and domestic animals. Surveillance and risk assessments for transmission between these populations are informed by a mechanistic understanding of the pathogens in wildlife reservoirs. For avian influenza viruses (AIV), much observational and experimental work in wildlife has been conducted at local scales, yet fully understanding their spread and distribution requires assessing the mechanisms acting at both local, (e.g., intrinsic epidemic dynamics), and continental scales, (e.g., long-distance migration). Here, we combined a large, continental-scale data set on low pathogenic, Type A AIV in the United States with a novel network-based …

Avian Use Of Exotic Street Treescapes In Metropolitan Areas Of Phoenix, Arizona, Brian E. Washburn, Karen Hoss, David L. Bergman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Urban areas are highly modified environments that are strongly influenced by a variety of anthropogenic factors. Consequently, these areas contain unique wildlife communities typically dominated by species that are generalist in nature or highly adaptable. We examined the use of five species of exotic treescapes by exotic and native birds in metropolitan areas of Phoenix, Arizona. House Sparrows [Passer domesticus (37%)], European Starlings [Sturnus vulagris (27%)], Mourning Doves [Zenaida macroura (11%)], and Great-tailed Grackles [Quiscalus mexicanus (7%)] were the most frequently observed species during the study. Approximately two-thirds (67%) of the birds observed during the study were exotic species. Avian …

Rumormonger? Whistleblower? Martyr?: How The U.S. And Chinese Media Framed The Narrative Of Covid-19 Doctor Li Wenliang, Zhenzhu Zhang, Steven J. Venette

Iowa Journal of Communication

This study explores news stories regarding Dr. Li Wenliang, one of the first people who tried to raise the alarm about the outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, and eventually died from the disease. The way Dr. Li Wenliang was depicted in the media changed over time. Understanding how that depiction changed is important because it helps demonstrate how narratives function to frame crises. The current study uses framing and narrative theories to support thematic analysis. Observing how a narrative changes allows for a more nuanced perspective of how crises are communicated and understood by the community. Three major themes …

The Confederate Surrender At Tiptonville And The Conclusion Of The Island No. 10 Campaign, Dieter C. Ullrich

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

A concise history of the events that led to the Confederate surrender at Tiptonville which concluded the Island No. 10 Campaign in March and April of 1862.

Effects Of A Low Crude Protein Diet With And Without Spirulina Platensis Inclusion On White Blood Cell Profiles In Broilers, Heather Glenn, Garrett J. Mullenix, Gisela F. Erf

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Spirulina microalgae is an alternative protein source under consideration for feed formulation in commercial broiler production. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a low crude protein (LCP) diet and a LCP diet formulated with 100 g/kg Spirulina (LCP-SP) on blood cell measurements in broilers. One-day-old Ross 708 male broilers were assigned to three dietary treatments: a standard crude protein (SCP), the LCP, or the LCP-SP diet, with five pens/treatment. When the chickens were 37-days old, blood samples were obtained from 2 birds/pen. Each blood sample was used to determine 1) the concentrations of white blood …

2020 Foreign And International Legislative Review, Brittany Rowe

Animal Law Review

This Legislative Review highlights the animal law related legislative victories 2020 brought about on foreign and international fronts.

Disseminated Coccidioidomycosis In An Immunocompetent Patient: Report Of A Case And Review Of The Literature, Jordan P. Redemann, Karla A. Thornton, Jay S. Raval, Mohammed Vasef

Pathology Research and Scholarship

Coccidioidomycosis is endemic to the Southwestern United States as well as parts of Mexico, Central, and South America. Coccidioides infection is typically subclinical or mild and self-limited. Disseminated coccidioidomycosis is uncommon except in immunosuppressed, post-transplant, or pregnant patients. Disseminated coccidioides in immunocompetent individuals is rare. We report a case of a young, apparently immunocompetent, individual who developed disseminated coccidiomycosis diagnosed at the time of a bedside splenectomy for abdominal decompression. Clinical and histological findings are discussed with review of literature.

Changing Lanes: Tax Relief For Commuters, Hayes R. Holderness

Law Faculty Publications

Tax law reaches all parts of life, and societal expectations about life's activities often affect how the law is applied. As those expectations change, application of the law should be expected to change in turn. This essay highlights changing societal views about commuting, particularly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, to demonstrate how even long-standing positions under the tax law can be quickly uprooted. Specifically, as working from home becomes standard, taxpayers should be afforded tax relief when required to commute into the workplace, despite the fact that the tax law traditionally has rejected such relief.

Biological Activity Of Saussurea Amara (L.) Dc., Shagjjav Oyungerel

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

The medicinal application of specific plants over the long period in traditional medicine, suggests the presence of biologically active substances in those plant species. Saussurea amara (L.) DC. is a wild plant with a high feeding value because of its high protein content, vitamins, and minerals. S. amara is used in the traditional Mongolian medicine for the treatment of hepato-biliary disorders. The goal of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of S. amara. The antioxidant capacity of a methanol extract of plants was evaluated by analyzing its DPPH free-radical scavenging activity and reducing power …

In Memoriam Prof. H.C. Dr. Mathias Kiefer † (1943 – 2019), Michael Stubbe, Annegret Stubbe

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

Am 15.06.2019 vollendete sich nach langer schwerer Krankheit der Lebenszyklus von Mathias Kiefer. Seiner Frau und seinem Sohn Daniel sind wir für wertvolle Daten aus der Vita des Verstorbenen zu großem Dank verbunden. Mathias Kiefer wurde am 25. März 1943 im slowakischen Kežmarok geboren, wo er auch seine Schulausbildung erhielt. Von 1961 bis 1966 erfolgte an der Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Comenius-Universität von Bratislava sein Biologiestudium, das er mit dem Diplom (Fachrichtung Parasitologie) abschloss.

The Future Of The Agricultural Industry – Is Blockchain A New Beginning?, Ryan Bisel

Seattle University Law Review

As we advance into a digital era, we begin to depend on technological innovations to rapidly help develop and update processes and methods within different industries. Blockchain technology—popularized by cryptocurrency—is slowly making its debut in the agricultural supply chain. Implementing a blockchain requirement for suppliers would be beneficial because it would allow agricultural suppliers and distributors to track their products in a more efficient manner. However, there are four potential legal issues that are foreseeable: (1) preemption, (2) overlapping regulatory authority, (3) applying current legal rules to new technology, and (4) contracting. This Note will specifically focus on issues of …

Exploring School Community During The Covid-19 Emergency School Closure: A Case Study Of A Los Angeles County Middle School, Sydney D. Minckler

LMU Theses and Dissertations

In the spring of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic mandated closures of thousands of schools across the United States. Students dependent upon the support, guidance, and community of their schools became disconnected from these resources while encountering the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. This case study represents a time capsule of the school community of one Los Angeles County public middle school from March 16 to May 28, 2020. Semi-structured interviews of school staff and parents grounded the study’s analysis. Public documents and participant researcher protocol responses collaborated the participants’ narratives. Results provide a snapshot of the school community before …

Investigating The Effects Of Tgf-Β On T Cell Activation-Induced Cell Death, Christina Rose Cunha

Dissertations

Achieving immune homeostasis requires the functions and numbers of suppressive regulatory T cells (Tregs) and effector conventional T cells (conv T) to be balanced and precisely controlled. A decrease in Treg numbers is associated with autoimmune diseases such as type I diabetes and multiple sclerosis, while Treg numbers are increased in the tumor microenvironment. Conversely, an increase in conv inflammatory T cells in the tumor microenvironment is associated with better outcomes for cancer patients. Thus, maintaining the appropriate balance between Treg and conventional T cell populations is essential for controlling immune responses against non-self and self-antigens, as well as tumor …

Sample Kean News, Kean University

Evidence Inventory

No abstract provided.

Are Covid-19 Vaccine Boosters Needed? The Science Behind Boosters, Rachel M. Burckhardt, John J. Dennehy, Leo L. M. Poon, Linda J. Saif, Lynn W. Enquist

Publications and Research

Waning vaccine-induced immunity coupled with the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants has led to increases in breakthrough infections, prompting consideration for vaccine booster doses. Boosters have been reported to be safe and increase SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibody levels, but how these doses impact the trajectory of the global pandemic and herd immunity is unknown. Information on immunology, epidemiology and equitable vaccine distribution should be considered when deciding the timing and eligibility for COVID-19 vaccine boosters.

Association Between Race/Ethnicity And Covid-19 Disease Outcomes In The United States: A Qualitative Systematic Review Of The Literature, Jacob Smith

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Background/Objective: As studies have shown disparities in coronavirus disease-19 prevalence and severity, we sought to evaluate differences in outcomes of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection by race/ethnicity.

Design: Systematic review

Data Source: Studies from PubMed were included.

Review methods: Articles published in English language from January 1, 2019 through March 22, 2020. Studies included were observational studies that examined racial or ethnic disparities in SARS-CoV-2 infection outcomes in the United States. One reviewer performed data extraction.

Results: Out of a possible 1,944 articles, 99 observational studies (82 individual-level and 17 population-level) were included. Differential rates of hospitalization or otherwise severe illness …

Health Care Sanctuaries, Medha D. Makhlouf

Faculty Scholarly Works

It is increasingly common for noncitizens living in the United States to avoid seeing a doctor or enrolling in publicly funded health programs because they fear surveillance by immigration authorities. This is the consequence of a decades-long shift in the locus of immigration enforcement activities from the border to the interior, as well as a recent period of heightened immigration enforcement. These fears persist because the law incompletely constrains immigration surveillance in health care.

This Article argues that immigration surveillance in health care is a poor choice of resource allocation for immigration enforcement because it has severe consequences for health …

A Baseline Review Of The Ability Of Hospitals In Kenya To Provide Emergency And Critical Care Services For Covid-19 Patients, Benjamin Wachira, Margarita Mwai

Emergency Medicine, East Africa

Introduction: As the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Kenya begin to rise, the number of severe and critical COVID-19 patients has the potential to quickly overload the local healthcare system beyond its capacity to treat people.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to gather information about the ability of hospitals in Kenya to provide emergency and critical care services and to identify priority actions for use by policymakers and other stakeholders as a roadmap toward strengthening the COVID-19 response in the country.

Methods: This was a comprehensive review of the published and grey literature on emergency and critical …