Digital Commons Network^™

Addressing The Ecological Fallacy With Lagrangian Inference, Michael Schwob

Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards

Most epidemiologists elect to use statistical models that use population-level data to make inference on the spread of some virus or disease. This has become commonplace in the fields of epidemiology and biostatistics since most data used to construct and verify epidemic models are recorded at the population-level. Obtaining inference from a population-level model may be beneficial in studying the spread of disease in a homogeneous population, but the use of such models to describe a heterogeneous population results in inadequate inference. The inaccuracy of these models is further amplified when one tries to make individual-level inference from these population-level …

Repairing Warranted Public Trust In Science Through Political Reconciliation, Anna Cat Jay Reely

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The ability of science-based policy to promote public welfare is contingent upon the presence of warranted public trust. However, as exposed by the case of COVID-19 vaccination efforts, public trust in the scientific community is not so readily attained. Many communities, particularly those who are systematically marginalized, have suffered severe harm in the name of scientific advancement. As a manifestation of tarnished rapport, individuals within these communities arguably engage in warranted distrust. While many scholars have attempted to articulate the conditions for warranted public trust in science, proposals have failed to account for the non-neutral state of the relationship between …

Leakage Versus Material Filtration In Barrier Facemask Efficiency, Ali Bahloul, Clothilde Brochot, Barbara Layne

Études primaires

The World Health Association and many governmental agencies recommend the wearing of facemasks by the general public to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It is believed that masks can significantly protect others and may offer some protection to the wearer. Although there are standards for FFRs, surgical masks, and recently for barrier face coverings, they all indicate the level of protection for the wearer. However, testing facial masks not at the point of inhalation, but at the source, the exhale, offers a new perspective on how to impede particle emissions. In this paper, the experimental results show that, although the …

Functional Consequences Of Apoptosis Gene Diversification In Eastern Oyster Immunity, Erin Michele Witkop

Open Access Dissertations

The eastern oyster is an ecologically and economically important filter feeding bivalve mollusc endemic to the east coast of the United States. Outbreaks of disease, such as Dermo disease caused by the parasite Perkinsus marinus, threaten natural oyster populations, and oysters have evolved a complex innate immune system containing large, expanded gene families to combat the diverse array of pathogens in their environment. Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a critical immune response to Dermo disease involving a series of expanded gene families, including the Inhibitor of Apoptosis (IAP) family of apoptosis regulatory molecules. The goal of this research is …

Occult Hepatitis B Virus Infection In A Kenyan Cohort Of Hiv Infected Anti-Retroviral Therapy Naïve Adults, Adil Salyani, Jasmit Shah, Rodney Adam, George Otieno, Evelyn Mbugua, Reena Shah

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: Occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (OBI) is a phase of HBV infection characterised by the presence of HBV DNA in the absence of detectable hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). OBI is of concern in the HIV-infected due to high prevalence and risk of HBV reactivation. The prevalence and clinico-demographic characteristics of OBI in anti-retroviral therapy (ART) naïve HIV infected adults in Kenya is unknown.

Methods: A cross sectional study carried was out at three sites in Kenya. HIV infected ART naïve adults were enrolled and demographic data collected. Blood samples were assayed for HBsAg, HBV DNA, alanine aminotransferase, …

Seroprevalence Of Hepatitis B Virus Infection, Anti-Hcv Antibodies And Hiv And Knowledge Among People Who Use Drugs Attending Methadone Therapy Clinic In Tanzania: A Cross-Sectional Study, Semvua B. Kilonzo, Daniel I. W Gunda, David C. Majinge, Hyasinta Jaka, Paulina M. Manyiri, Fredrick Kalokola, Grahame Mtui, Elichilia R. Shao, Fatma Bakshi, Alex Stephano

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: Methadone therapy clinics have been recently introduced in Tanzania, aiming at reducing risk behaviors and infection rates of viral hepatitis and HIV among people who use drugs. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence, associated factors and knowledge level of these conditions among people who use drugs attending a methadone clinic in Tanzania.

Methods: We enrolled 253 People who using drugs receiving Methadone therapy. Clinical data was retrospectively collected from the medical records and face-to face interviews were conducted to determine the behavioral risk factors and respondents’ knowledge on viral hepatitis and HIV.

Results: An overall …

Collaboration Between Public Health And Marketing Experts As A Response To Covid-19, M. Courtney Hughes, Yihui Tang, Shupei Yuan

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Since the beginning of 2020, as the world’s population has dealt with COVID-19 and abrupt changes to the normal status quo, academic scholars are no exception, experiencing radical changes to their teaching modalities (remote versus in-person) and often major interruptions in their research. One month after the initial shift to working remotely in March, we obtained approval from Northern Illinois University’s Institutional Review Board to conduct a brief survey with recently published academic scholars in the fields of public health and marketing to understand their views of how this unprecedented time may affect their work. In examining patterns in the …

A Computational Simulation-Based Framework For Estimating Potential Product Impact During Product Design, Christopher S. Mabey, Andrew G. Armstrong, Christopher A. Mattson, John L. Salmon, Nile W. Hatch, Eric C. Dahlin

Faculty Publications

The impact of engineered products is a topic of concern in society. Product impact may fall under the categories of economic, environmental or social impact, with the last category defined as the effect of a product on the day-to-day life of people. Design teams lack sufficient tools to estimate the social impact of products, and the combined impacts of economic, environmental and social impacts for the products they are designing. This paper aims to provide a framework for the estimation of product impact during product design. To estimate product impact, models of both the product and society are required. This …

Role Of Partnership In Hiv-Related Outcomes In Heterosexual Individuals Newly Diagnosed With Hiv, Maira Sohail

All ETDs from UAB

A supportive intimate partner has shown to be helpful in HIV care of men who have sex with men, and in some African heterosexual couples; however, knowledge on this phenomenon among heterosexual people with HIV (PWH) is limited in the United States context. This project included two quantitative studies and one qualitative study to examine the role of intimate partnership in HIV care among heterosexual, newly diagnosed PWH. Both quantitative studies were conducted among heterosexual, newly diagnosed (2013-2017) individuals at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) 1917 Clinic. The first study examined the role of partnership (un-partnered, unmarried-partnered, and …

From Classrooms To Polluted Communities: Scientific Inquiry In Birmingham, Alabama And Beyond, Sarah Jeanne Adkins-Jablonsky

All ETDs from UAB

Nearly half of all U.S. students who declare science majors in college do not graduate with science degrees within six years. Improvements in science outcomes are linked with active-learning pedagogies such as Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs). However, despite the need for education reform particularly in Alabama, active-learning interventions are severely understudied in Alabama universities. Chapter 1 describes novel CUREs at four colleges in Birmingham, AL: The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB); Jefferson State Community College (JSCC), Samford University (SU), and Birmingham Southern College (BSC). Chapter 2 shows how an agar art CURE, The Art of Microbiology, impacts student …

Social Inclusion Among People With Mobility Limitations In The Global South, Shane Burns

All ETDs from UAB

An estimated 15% of the world’s population have a disability—roughly 80% of whom live in the Global South. People with disabilities experience profound social disparities that affect their quality of life and social inclusion. Due to the array of cultural perspectives and institutional capacities around the globe, provision of disability rights can come with its challenges. In many cultural contexts, people have moral beliefs about disability that result in shame. More medicalized beliefs toward disability are often the result of medical infrastructure that offers goods and services. Using a framework that arrays these moral and medical dimensions, I theorized that …

Service Profiles In Substance Use Disorder Treatment: The Role Of Institutional And Organizational Factors, Reena Joseph Kelly

All ETDs from UAB

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a growing crisis globally and in the US, and place an enormous health, social, and financial burden on the nation. To address the complex nature of SUDs, treatment typically involves a combination of different types of services to address the medical, behavioral and social needs of the patient and care is often delivered by specialized SUD treatment facilities. Despite recommendations for a broad suite of services, individual facilities vary in the specific services that they offer. This study examined whether and why systematic differences exist between treatment facilities based on their service mix and whether …

Characterization Of The Metabolic And Cognitive Features Of A Novel Alzheimer’S Disease Rat Model Along With Investigation Of Its Gut Microbiota Change Over Time, Akash Nagarajan

All ETDs from UAB

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is currently the fifth highest cause of death in the United States and affects primarily individuals of very old age (>80 yrs.). Aging is known to be the biggest risk factor of AD. Recent studies have shown that AD patients have an altered gut microbiota composition. To investigate whether the Alzheimer’s disease pathology in the brain could drive gut microbiota changes during the adult and late life stage of the rat, we performed 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing on the fecal samples of the animals at 14 months and 20 months of age. We found a distinctive …

Advances In Lipid-Based Nanoparticles For Cancer Chemoimmunotherapy, Tianqi Wang, Yusuke Suita, Saradha Miriyala, Jordan Dean, Nikos Tapinos, Jie Shen

Chemical, Biomolecular, and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Nanomedicines have shown great potential in cancer therapy; in particular, the combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy (namely chemoimmunotherapy) that is revolutionizing cancer treatment. Currently, most nanomedicines for chemoimmunotherapy are still in preclinical and clinical trials. Lipid-based nanoparticles, the most widely used nanomedicine platform in cancer therapy, is a promising delivery platform for chemoimmunotherapy. In this review, we introduce the commonly used immunotherapy agents and discuss the opportunities for chemoimmunotherapy mediated by lipid-based nanoparticles. We summarize the clinical trials involving lipid-based nanoparticles for chemoimmunotherapy. We also highlight different chemoimmunotherapy strategies based on lipid-based nanoparticles such as liposomes, nanodiscs, and lipid-based hybrid …

White Paper On Engineering Controls For Bioaerosols In Non-Industrial/ Non-Healthcare Settings, Cheri L. Marcham, American Conference Of Governmental Industrial Hygienists

Publications

The list of disease pathogens that can be transmitted in the air is extensive. This list includes the common cold, SARS, measles, Hansen's disease (leprosy), polio, influenza, Legionella (Legionnaires’ disease and Pontiac fever), and tuberculosis (TB). TB, SARSCoV-1, avian influenza, varicella, and now SARS-CoV-2 all have received public notice due not only to their known or assumed ability to be transmitted in the air rapidly from one individual to another, but also for their virulence. Other bioaerosols that can be transmitted through the air include bacteria, fungal spores and fragments, dust mites, and pollen. This document was developed to address …

Crushed By Covid-19 Medical Bills, Coronavirus Victims Need Debt Relief Under The Bankruptcy Code And Workers' Compensation Laws, Creola Johnson

Penn State Law Review (2003 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute: 2021 Statistical Report, Lehigh Valley Health Network

Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute

No abstract provided.

Prioritizing Preparation: Ensuring Access To Health Care Through Hospitals’ Stockpiling Of Personal Protective Equipment, Briana D. Long

Wyoming Law Review

No abstract provided.

Prevalence And Severity Of Malnutrition In People Living With Hiv On Chronic Haemodialysis In Dar Es Salaam., Hanifa Mbithe

Master of Medicine in Internal Medicine

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus is still a global burden more so in sub-Saharan Africa. Chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease are important comorbid conditions that are prevalent in HIV-infected individuals. Patients who are HIV positive and on hemodialysis have triple risk factors for development of malnutrition (i.e. Human immunodeficiency virus, chronic kidney disease, and haemodialysis). Malnutrition greatly impacts these patient’s morbidity and mortality and thus the great need to address this gap which will improve their prognosis. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence and severity of malnutrition in people living with HIV on chronic …

Levels Of Interpersonal Trust Across Different Types Of Environment: The Micro-Macro Interplay Between Relational Distance And Human Ecology, Yiming Jing, Huajian Cai, Michael Harris Bond, Yang Li, Adam W. Stivers, Qianbao Tan

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Social and behavioral scientists have long investigated the relationship between interpersonal trust and features of the environment. However, it remains unclear how the microenvironment of relational distance (i.e., social proximity between 2 persons) interacts with the macroenvironment of human ecology (i.e., social and natural environments) to predict people’s levels of trusting other persons. In this research, we tackled this puzzle using diverse methodologies (e.g., meta-analysis, experiment, and multilevel analysis) and large, cultural-group samples. Four studies found that, across many countries (e.g., 77 countries in Study 3) and regions within a country (e.g., 28 Chinese provinces in Study 4), members of …

Modified Pre-Pcr Protocol For Detection Of Bacteria In Blood Samples Of Patients With Sepsis, Phanni Wanthong

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Sepsis and septic shock are leading causes of deaths in hospitals. The most common cause of blood stream infection is bacteria. To reduce mortality, a rapid and accurate bacterial detection in sepsis patients is essential. It is necessary to identify pathogens based on their species for appropriate choice of antibiotics. In this study, we aimed to improve the pre-PCR procedure for detection of bacteria in blood samples and to compare the performance between real-time PCR, conventional PCR and blood culture. Blood samples from 16 sepsis patients were separated into whole blood, plasma, buffy coat and white blood cell. Bacterial nucleic …

Global Sex Disparity Of Covid-19: A Descriptive Review Of Sex Hormones And Consideration For The Potential Therapeutic Use Of Hormone Replacement Therapy In Older Adults, S C. Okpechi, J T. Fong, S S. Gill, J C. Harman, S C. Okpechi, Q C. Chukwurah, I O. Onor, S K. Alahari

Faculty Publications

The 2019-2020 SARS-related coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to healthcare sectors around the world. As of November 2020, there have been over 64 million confirmed cases and approaching 2 million deaths globally. Despite the large number of positive cases, there are very limited established standards of care and therapeutic options available. To date, there is still no Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved vaccine for COVID-19, although there are several options in various clinical trial stages. Herein, we have performed a global review evaluating the roles of age and sex on COVID-19 hospitalizations, ICU admissions, deaths in hospitals, …

Bats And Humans During Thesars-Cov-2outbreak: The Case Of Bat-Coronaviruses From Mexico, P Colunga-Salas, G Hernandez-Canchola

Faculty Publications

The novelSARS-CoV-2coronavirus has attracted attention due to the high number of human cases around the world. It has been proposed that this virus originated in bats, possibly transmitted to humans by an intermediate host, making bats a group of great interest during this outbreak. Almost 10% of the world's bat species inhabit Mexico, and 14 previous novel CoVs have been recorded in Mexican bats. However, the phylogenetic relationships between these viruses and the novel coronavirus are unknown. The aim of this communication was therefore to describe the phylogenetic relationships between Mexican bat-CoVs andSARS-CoV-2. We showed that Mexican bat-CoVs sequences are …

The Interplay Between Environmental Exposures And Covid-19 Risks In The Health Of Children, P D. Sly, B A. Trottier, C M. Bulka, S A. Cormier, P D. Sly, R C. Fry, K W. Kim, S Kleeberger, P Kumar, P J. Landrigan, K L. Carlsen, A Pascale, F Polack, M Ruchirawat, H J. Zar, W A. Suk

Faculty Publications

Background: An unusual feature of SARS-Cov-2 infection and the COVID-19 pandemic is that children are less severely affected than adults. This is especially paradoxical given the epidemiological links between poor air quality and increased COVID-19 severity in adults and that children are generally more vulnerable than adults to the adverse consequences of air pollution. Objectives: To identify gaps in knowledge about the factors that protect children from severe SARS-Cov-2 infection even in the face of air pollution, and to develop a transdisciplinary research strategy to address these gaps. Methods: An international group of researchers interested in children's environmental health was …

Experimental Re-Infected Cats Do Not Transmit Sars-Cov-2, N N. Gaudreault, M Carossino, I Morozov, J D. Trujillo, N N. Gaudreault, D W. Madden, K Cool, B L. Artiaga, C Mcdowell, D Bold, V Balaraman, T Kwon, W J. Ma, J Henningson, D W. Wilson, W C. Wilson, U C. Balasuriya, A Garcia-Sastre, J A. Richt

Faculty Publications

SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19 and responsible for the current global pandemic. We and others have previously demonstrated that cats are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and can efficiently transmit the virus to naive cats. Here, we address whether cats previously exposed to SARS-CoV-2 can be re-infected with SARS-CoV-2. In two independent studies, SARS-CoV-2-infected cats were re-challenged with SARS-CoV-2 at 21 days post primary challenge (DPC) and necropsies performed at 4, 7 and 14 days post-secondary challenge (DP2C). Sentinels were co-mingled with the re-challenged cats at 1 DP2C. Clinical signs were recorded, and nasal, oropharyngeal, and rectal swabs, blood, …

Host Genotype And Tissue Type Determine Dwv Infection Intensity, Hannah J. Penn, Michael Simone-Finstrom, Sarah Lang, Judy Chen, Kristen Healy

Faculty Publications

Varroa mite-vectored viruses such as Deformed wing virus (DWV) are of great concern for honey bee health as they can cause disease in individuals and increase colony mortality. Two genotypes of DWV (A and B) are prevalent in the United States and may have differential virulence and pathogenicity. Honey bee genetic stocks bred to resist Varroa mites also exhibit differential infection responses to the Varroa mite-vectored viruses. The goal of this project was to determine if interactions between host genotype could influence the overall infection levels and dissemination of DWV within honey bees. To do this, we injected DWV isolated …

Viral And Immune Studies On Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (Bvdv) In Bovine Species, Karim Abdelsalam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

BVDV is a major pathogen of ruminants that causes immune dysfunction and lead to secondary bacterial infection. The underlying mechanism of this dysfunction is not well understood. Based on previous results, we believe that macrophages play a central role in BVDV-associated immune dysfunction. Previously, we have shown that the infected monocyte-derived macrophage (MDM) supernatant of the high virulent strains of BVDV significantly induced lymphocyte apoptosis. In the current study, we performed experiments to identify the apoptotic factors in the infected MDM supernatants in vitro. Also, we have extended our investigation to include testing the impact of infected macrophages on neutrophil …

Racial And Workplace Disparities In Seroprevalence Of Sars-Cov-2, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Usa, Amy K. Feehan, Cruz Velasco, Daniel Fort, Jeffrey H. Burton, Eboni G. Price-Haywood, Peter T. Katzmarzyk, Julia Garcia-Diaz, Leonardo Seoane

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

By using paired molecular and antibody testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, we determined point prevalence and seroprevalence in Louisiana, USA, during the second phase of reopening. Infections were highly variable by race and ethnicity, work environment, and ZIP code. Census-weighted seroprevalence was 3.6%, and point prevalence was 3.0%.

Eat Clean And Safe Food: A Food-Based Dietary Guideline For The Elderly In South Africa, Makenzie Miller, Wilna Oldewage-Theron, Carin Napier

Faculty Publications

As the population of elderly individuals in South Africa (SA) grows, there is a need to promote the continued health of these persons as they progress through the life cycle. Food Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs) for the SA elderly were developed to address this need. These thirteen guidelines for the elderly collectively offer a basis of health practices that the elderly can follow to ensure that they are taking the right steps toward maintaining their health. While the guideline ‘Eat clean and safe food’ is not included in the current SA FBDGs, this recommendation is of particular importance to the …

Solopreneur Digital Ecosystems: Genesis, Lineage And Preliminary Categorization, Gabriele Piccoli, Biagio Palese, Joaquin Rodriguez

Faculty Publications

This paper traces the genesis and lineage of solopreneur digital ecosystems. These ecosystems, fostered by a digital environment that is infrastructural, combinatorial and servitized, are enabling the rise to prominence of the solopreneur. We theorize solopreneur digital ecosystems as the latest incarnation of systems beyond firm control, with digital platforms and digital marketplaces as their principal enablers. In an effort to compare them from the perspective of the solopreneur, we categorize solopreneur digital ecosystems on three dimensions: algorithmic control, commoditization, and lock-in. Our work contributes a framework that solopreneurs can use to identify ecosystems in which they can optimally invest …