Digital Commons Network^™

Imprinted Antibody Responses Against Sars-Cov-2 Omicron Sublineages, Young-Jun Park, Zhuoming Liu, Javier Janer, Sean P J Whelan, Herbert W Virgin, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron sublineages carry distinct spike mutations resulting in escape from antibodies induced by previous infection or vaccination. We show that hybrid immunity or vaccine boosters elicit plasma-neutralizing antibodies against Omicron BA.1, BA.2, BA.2.12.1, and BA.4/5, and that breakthrough infections, but not vaccination alone, induce neutralizing antibodies in the nasal mucosa. Consistent with immunological imprinting, most antibodies derived from memory B cells or plasma cells of Omicron breakthrough cases cross-react with the Wuhan-Hu-1, BA.1, BA.2, and BA.4/5 receptor-binding domains, whereas Omicron primary infections elicit B cells of narrow specificity up to 6 months after …

Is Lactobacillus Phage Involved In The Pathogenesis Of Bacterial Vaginosis?, Jacob H. Elnaggar, Evelyn Toh, Amy Dong, John W. Lammons

Dr. Joseph M. Moerschbaecher, III Graduate Research Day

No abstract provided.

Longitudinal Shotgun Metagenomic Analysis Of The Vaginal Microbiome During The Onset Of Bacterial Vaginosis, John W. Lammons, Jacob H. Elnaggar, Evelyn Toh, Amy Dong

Dr. Joseph M. Moerschbaecher, III Graduate Research Day

No abstract provided.

Whistleblowing As An Anti-Corruption Strategy In Health And Pharmaceutical Organizations: A Scoping Review Protocol., Taryn Vian, Brianna Agnew Mph, Keith Mcinnes Jr

Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Whistleblowing can bring suspected wrongdoing to the attention of someone who is in the position to rectify the problem. Whistleblowing research can help improve effectiveness of anti-corruption efforts in the health sector.

Objective

The objective of this scoping review is to understand the extent and type of evidence on whistleblowing as an anti-corruption strategy in health and pharmaceutical organizations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Methods

This scoping review searched the PubMed, Scopus, and EMBASE databases from 2005 to 2020, limited to English language. We also searched websites of multilateral agencies or international non-governmental organizations for policy documents, guidance …

Rickettsia Parkeri Infection Modulates The Sialome And Ovariome Of The Gulf Coast Tick, Amblyomma Maculatum, Melina Garcia Guizzo, Khemraj Budachetri, Abdulsalam Adegoke, Jose M.C. Ribeiro, Shahid Karim

Faculty Publications

The Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum, is a vector of several tick-borne pathogens, including Rickettsia parkeri. The ability of R. parkeri to persist within the tick population through transovarial and transstadial transmission, without apparently harming the ticks, contributes to the pathogen’s perpetuation in the tick population. Previous studies have shown that the R. parkeri load in A. maculatum is regulated by the tick tissues’ oxidant/antioxidant balance and the non-pathogenic tick microbiome. To obtain further insights into the interaction between tick and pathogen, we performed a bulk RNA-Seq for differential transcriptomic analysis of ovaries and salivary …

Effective Medical Waste Management For Sustainable Green Healthcare, Sang M. Lee, Donhee Lee

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

This study examines the importance of medical waste management activities for developing a sustainable green healthcare environment. This study applied a multiple methodological approach as follows. A thorough review of the literature was performed to delineate the factors that have been explored for reducing medical waste; hospital staff who handle medical waste were surveyed to obtain their opinions on these factors; the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was applied to determine the priorities among the identified key factors; and experts’ opinions were consulted to assess the actual applicability of the results derived by the AHP. The study identified the following factors …

Frosted Branch Angiitis Presenting After A Sars-Cov-2 Infection., Akhila Alapati, Nathaniel Cameron, Sean Gratton, Erin Stahl, Mary Champion

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

PURPOSE: To report a case of frosted branch angiitis presenting in a pediatric patient with unremarkable laboratory work-up apart from SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies.

OBSERVATIONS: Less than four weeks after a SARS-CoV-2 infection, a 10 year-old female presented to the emergency department with severe headache and intermittent fevers. During her hospital admission, the ophthalmology service was consulted for blurry vision. Subsequent eye examination revealed frosted branch angiitis. The patient initially received intravenous corticosteroids but was escalated to plasmapheresis to achieve resolution of her symptoms. Outpatient maintenance therapy consisted of an oral Prednisone taper and Infliximab infusion.

CONCLUSION AND IMPORTANCE: This case …

Sars-Cov-2 Spike Conformation Determines Plasma Neutralizing Activity Elicited By A Wide Panel Of Human Vaccines, John E. Bowen, Young-Jun Park, Cameron Stewart, Jack T. Brown, William K. Sharkey, Alexandra C. Walls, Anshu Joshi, Kumail Ahmed, Asefa Shariq, Najeeha Talat Iqbal

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Numerous safe and effective coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines have been developed worldwide that use various delivery technologies and engineering strategies. We show here that vaccines containing prefusion-stabilizing S mutations elicit antibody responses in humans with enhanced recognition of S and the S1 subunit relative to postfusion S as compared with vaccines lacking these mutations or natural infection. Prefusion S and S1 antibody binding titers positively and equivalently correlated with neutralizing activity, and depletion of S1-directed antibodies completely abrogated plasma neutralizing activity. We show that neutralizing activity is almost entirely directed to the S1 subunit and that variant cross-neutralization is mediated …

Persistence Of Onchocerciasis In Villages In Enugu And Ogun States In Nigeria Following Many Rounds Of Mass Distribution Of Ivermectin, Uwem F Ekpo, Obiora A Eneanya, Edith N Nwankwo, Islamiat Y Soneye, Gary J Weil, Peter U Fischer, Obioma C Nwaorgu

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Onchocerciasis is endemic in most local government areas (LGAs) in Enugu and Ogun states. Most meso- and hyper-endemic LGAs have received many rounds of ivermectin mass drug administration (MDA). This study aimed to determine the current prevalence of onchocerciasis in villages in Enugu and Ogun states that were formerly highly endemic and to assess progress toward elimination of the infection in areas believed to be at high risk for persistence.

METHODS: Cross-sectional community surveys were conducted 8 to 12 months after the last round of MDA in 16 villages (6 in Enugu state and 10 in Ogun state) in …

Cervical Necrotizing Fasciitis And Shock In The Post-Operative Pediatric Patient, Paul Bryan Hankey, Jason R. Brown

Student Publications

Cervical necrotizing fasciitis (CNF) is a rare infection that can quickly lead to devastating patient outcomes. Considering the vital importance of surrounding neck structures, rapid control of the infection is essential. Infection is most frequently polymicrobial and occurs in the adult patient in the context of certain medical comorbidities. Complications are typically limited to tissue destruction in the form of necrosis. There are no current reports describing CNF complicated by acute shock in the post-operative pediatric patient. Here, we present a pediatric case of CNF complicated by acute shock following Sistrunk procedure for removal of a supposed thyroglossal duct cyst. …

Simultaneous Onset Of Haematological Malignancy And Covid: An Epicovideha Survey, Chiara Cattaneo, Jon Salmanton-García, Francesco Marchesi, Shaimaa El-Ashwah, Federico Itri, Barbora Weinbergerová, Maria Gomes Da Silva, Michelina Dargenio, Julio Dávila-Valls, Natasha Ali

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background: The outcome of patients with simultaneous diagnosis of haematological malignancies (HM) and COVID-19 is unknown and there are no specific treatment guidelines.
Methods: We describe the clinical features and outcome of a cohort of 450 patients with simultaneous diagnosis of HM and COVID-19 registered in the EPICOVIDEHA registry between March 2020 to February 2022.
Results: Acute leukaemia and lymphoma were the most frequent HM (35.8% and 35.1%, respectively). Overall, 343 (76.2%) patients received treatment for HM, which was delayed for longer than one month since diagnosis in 57 (16.6%). An overall response rate was observed in 140 (40.8%) patients …

Fungal Peritonitis Secondary To Aspergillosis In A Peritoneal Dialysis Patient, Carl Tanba, Nahar Saleh

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Fungal peritonitis remains a serious complication of peritoneal dialysis that carries a high morbidity and mortality. Most cases of fungal infections are due to Candida species; however few cases are seen in the setting of non-Candida such Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Mucor. Prompt peritoneal dialysis catheter removal and early anti-fungal treatment have been considered as best strategies to improve survival.

We present a rare case of a 27-year-old male with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis on peritoneal dialysis (PD) presented to the hospital recurrent episodes of abdominal pain, diarrhea, and cloudy output from his peritoneal catheter. He was found to have fungal …

A Young Adult With Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome In Adults With Concomitant Mycoplasma Infection: A Case Report, Punya Hari Dahal, Ojbindra Kc, Manisha Koirala, Afua Duker Ntem-Mensah

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Several cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Adults (MIS-A) have been reported in adults since June 2020 after COVID-19 was first reported in December 2019. It was initially reported in children as MIS-C with Kawasaki-like disease, but a similar condition has been well recognized in adults. Although Mycoplasma co-infection has been reported with COVID-19, to our knowledge, concomitant Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection has not been reported together with MIS-A. We present a case of MIS-A with concomitant Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. It is unclear if concomitant Mycoplasma infection resulted in increased severity of the patient’s illness or if it resulted in inciting …

Is Increased Bmi A Risk Factor For Developing Severe Clostridioides Difficile Infection? A Retrospective Study, Tulika Chatterjee, Saurabh Bansal, Asif Abuzar, Habiba Hussain, Latika Gupta

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Background: Obesity is associated with a relative increase in bacterial phyla like firmicutes, which helps in the colonization of Clostridioides Difficile.

Hypothesis: Individuals with increased BMI (greater than 25) are more susceptible to severe Clostridioides Difficile infection (CDI).

Methods: Data was collected by retrospective chart query. Severe CDI was defined as a white blood cell count of more than 15000 (x 109 cells/L) or serum creatinine levels greater than 1.5 mg/dl. To examine the association between the primary outcome (severe CDI) and BMI, the factors of age, gender, albumin level, ICU admission, antibiotic use within 3 months of admission, diabetes, …

Follow-Up Blood Cultures In Gram-Negative Bacteremia: How Do They Impact Outcomes?, Azza Elamin, Faisal Khan, Rajasekhar Jagarlamudi

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Introduction: Several studies have questioned the utility of obtaining follow-up blood cultures in Gram-negative bacteremia, but the impact of this practice on clinical outcomes is not fully understood. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of adult patients admitted with Gram-negative bacteremia over a two year period, to compare outcomes in those with and without follow-up blood cultures obtained. Data collected included demographics, comorbidities and presumed source of bacteremia. White blood cell count and presence of fever or hemodynamic compromise on the day of follow-up blood culture were recorded. The primary objective was to compare 30-day mortality between the two groups. Secondary …

We Are ... Marshall, November 9, 2022, Office Of Marshall University Communications

We Are ... Marshall: the Newsletter for Marshall University 1999-2023

No abstract provided.

November 9, 2022 Greenmail, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

GreenMail (student newsletter through 2024)

No abstract provided.

2022-11-09_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/stats/coronavirus-symptoms. Data was compiled by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). The information was updated twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays.

Syndromic Surveillance System data is obtained from approximately 216 facilities participating in syndromic surveillance (139 Emergency Departments (ED), 77 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, triage notes, …

With Flu Cases Surging, Uab Infectious Diseases Physician Urges Public To Get Vaccinated To Protect Themselves And Community, Adam Pope

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of Parental Coping Strategies During Catastophic Events, Vivian K. Mills

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

On March 11, 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Sars CoV-2 a global pandemic. The virus that originated in Wuhan, China, had spread to several other countries causing governments to shut down and issue safety mandates to slow and stop the spread. The pandemic caused global changes to normal routines and highlighted the importance of coping during these tough times. Although the global COVID-19 pandemic encompassed much of the news during the past few years, it is not an isolated catastrophic event to have impacted society. Natural disasters, such as hurricanes and wildfires, wars, and other disasters have …

Sepsis Smart Phrase To Improve Care: A Quality Improvement Project, Barbara Tlachac Webber, Cathleen Hoffman, Sara Bauer

Nursing

Background: Sepsis is a life-threatening infection with a mortality rate estimated between 25-50%. Majority of efforts to reduce mortality are focused on early identification and treatment. Many sepsis survivors experience cognitive impairment and functional disability that persist after discharge. Advocate Aurora Population Health Care Transitions Bundle Program telephonically coordinates care after discharge for 90 days with the intent to improve health outcomes measured by prevention of readmissions and ED utilization.

Local Problem:Care Transition readmission data was reviewed over a 3-month period in the spring of 2021, identifying sepsis as the initial diagnosis in 218 patients with a readmission rate …

Evaluating The Impact Of Operating Room Traffic On Airborne Microbial Counts During Hysteroctomy And Colon Surgery, Stephanie Gore, Margaret Kuehl

Nursing

Background: Hospital-acquired surgical site infections (SSI) are costly and may occur in the operating room (OR) despite use of best practices. Research aimed at reducing SSI events by controlling environmental factors has not been reported for colon and hysterectomy. Research evaluating environmental risks warrant study.

Study Aims: 1) To describe current use of SSI prevention strategies and OR traffic patterns (door opening and personnel counts) during elective single-organ colon and abdominal hysterectomy cases 2) to evaluate if traffic has an impact on airborne microbial counts.

Methodology: A mixed methods design was used to describe existing SSI prevention practices and …

Cauti Cnss Utilize A Tiger Team Approach To Decrease Hospital-Wide Cautis, Christine Wallis

Nursing

Background: Catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are the fifth most reported healthcare acquired infection (NHSN, 2022). Evidence has shown higher CAUTI rates are associated with increased patient length of stay, patient discomfort, and mortality. A meta-analysis yielded additional cost of a CAUTI to be estimated at $13,793 (AHRQ 2017). Hospital acquired infections have been shown to decrease with implementation of consistent evidenced based practices.

Local problem: Prevention of CAUTIs was identified as a high priority initiative on a journey to zero harm, in a 938-bed quaternary urban acute care hospital. The hospital wide CAUTI rate was 2.89 and the …

Sars-Cov-2 Incubation Period According To Vaccination Status During The Fifth Covid-19 Wave In A Tertiary-Care Center In Spain: A Cohort Study, Jordi Cortés Martínez, Daewoo Pak, Gabriela Abelenda-Alonso, Klaus Langohr, Jing Ning, Alexander Rombauts, Mireia Colom, Yu Shen, Guadalupe Gómez Melis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The incubation period of an infectious disease is defined as the elapsed time between the exposure to the pathogen and the onset of symptoms. Although both the mRNA-based and the adenoviral vector-based vaccines have shown to be effective, there have been raising concerns regarding possible decreases in vaccine effectiveness for new variants and variations in the incubation period.

Methods: We conducted a unicentric observational study at the Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Barcelona, using a structured telephone survey performed by trained interviewers to estimate the incubation period of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in a cohort of Spanish hospitalized patients. The …

Covid-19 Pandemic And Special Education Teacher Voices, Rama Cousik

The Qualitative Report

The pandemic caused by COVID-19 created havoc in schools across the world as it necessitated school closures and lockdowns, and/or a sudden switch to an online mode of learning. Although all children and teachers were adversely affected, children with disabilities faced additional problems. Special education teachers bore the burden of having to continue providing high quality special education in the face of these challenges. In this paper, I present findings from a survey of special education teachers through use of qualitative and arts-based research technics.

Evaluation Of Pharmaceutically Compounded Oral Caffeine On The Impact Of Medication Adherence And Risk Of Readmission Among Preterm Neonates: A Single-Center Quasi-Experimental Study, Gul Ambreen, Manoj Kumar, Amin Ali, Syed Akbar Ali Shah, Syed Muzaffar Saleem, Ayesha Tahir, Muhammad Sohail Salat, Muhammad Shahzad Aslam, Kashif Hussain

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Background: Caffeine is available in an ampoule, used via parenteral and enteral routes in preterm neonates to treat apnea of prematurity (AOP) in neonates of gestational age ≥ 35-40 weeks. A longer duration of therapy has a higher risk of medication non-adherence due to higher costs and inappropriate dosage forms. Pharmaceutically compounded oral caffeine (PCC) could be an appropriate alternate dosage form. The researchers aimed to determine the impact of PCC on medication-related factors influencing medication adherence (MA) and the frequency of hospital readmission with apnea (HRA) in preterm neonates.
Methods: We conducted a single-center quasi-experimental study for this quality …

A Hands On Approach To Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections, Natalie Bell, Jessica Yates

Nursing

Background: Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) are the most prevalent hospital acquired condition across the United States. Evidence has highlighted effective CAUTI prevention strategies include reducing inappropriate short term catheter use, nurse driven timely removal of catheters, and catheter care during placement (American Nurses Association, n.d.).

Local problem: On a medical surgical unit with high volumes of post operative urology patients, the average utilization rate of urinary catheters is 1.27. And during quarter 2 2021 the CAUTI rates were 2.10.

Method: A unit specific quality improvement project to reduce CAUTIs was conducted utilizing an audit and re-education approach. To start …

Rapid Cycle Process Improvement In Urinary Catheter Utilization, Sue Harvey, Jean Watson, Ann Jorgensen

Nursing

Project Background: About 75% of hospital urinary tract infections are related to prolonged indwelling catheter use. Assessment of the need for and prudent removal of catheters are key steps in prevention of Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI.) A best practice is utilizing a nurse driven catheter removal algorithm.

Local Problem: After a 2021 systemwide audit, the site team recognized that nurses’ use of criteria for indwelling urinary catheter insertion and removal was inconsistent. Root causes were lack of awareness of the AAH Urinary Catheter Management/Removal Algorithm by some nurses and delay in catheter removal per the algorithm.

Method: The …

Anthropogenic Fecal Pollution Affects Microbial Water Quality And Multidrug Resistance In Tropical Aquatic Environments, Adriana González-Fernández

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although an often-overlooked issue, fecal pollution at recreational beaches should concerneveryone. Worldwide more than 80% of wastewater is discharged into rivers or the ocean without any treatment. Untreated and inefficiently treated wastewater can introduce diseasecausing microorganisms into the aquatic environment. Fecal-borne pathogens can also originate in animal waste, and humans can be exposed to these pathogens from poorly managed animal feces that make their way into the aquatic environment. Exposure to waterborne pathogens in recreational waters is a public health hazard, as it facilitates the transmission of waterborne illness, and surface waters serve as natural reservoirs of antibiotic resistant bacteria …

An Anthropology With Human Waste Management: Non-Humans, The State, And Matters Of Care On The Placencia Peninsula, Belize, William Alex Webb

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The management of human waste is a seldom studied phenomenon in anthropology. Yet across the globe, in countries both rich and poor, it presents pervasive and difficult to tame problems. This dissertation draws on complimentary theories of management and entanglements to explore the practices and processes of organizing human waste on the Placencia Peninsula, Belize. The results illustrate how problems are conditioned and defined by messy relations between institutions, people, technologies, materials, and ecological life.

Fieldwork and analysis for this work was a culmination of years of interdisciplinary collaboration between other anthropologists and engineers at the University of South Florida. …