Digital Commons Network^™

Harm Reduction: A Missing Piece To The Holistic Care Of Patients Who Inject Drugs, Nathanial S Nolan, Sarah M Fracasso Francis, Laura R Marks, Susan E Beekmann, Philip M Polgreen, Stephen Y Liang, Michael J Durkin

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: The rise in injection drug use (IDU) has led to an increase in drug-related infections. Harm reduction is an important strategy for preventing infections among people who inject drugs (PWID). We attempted to evaluate the harm reduction counseling that infectious diseases physicians provide to PWID presenting with infections.

METHODS: An electronic survey was distributed to physician members of the Emerging Infections Network to inquire about practices used when caring for patients with IDU-related infections.

RESULTS: In total, 534 ID physicians responded to the survey. Of those, 375 (70%) reported routinely caring for PWID. Most respondents report screening for human …

Pharmacokinetics Of Moxidectin Combined With Albendazole Or Albendazole Plus Diethylcarbamazine For Bancroftian Filariasis, Yashpal S. Chhonker, Catherine Bjerum, Veenu Bala, Allassane F. Ouattara, Benjamin G. Koudou, Toki P. Gabo, Abdullah Alshehri, Abdoulaye Meïté, Peter U. Fischer, Gary J. Weil, Christopher L. King, Philip J. Budge, Daryl J. Murry

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Moxidectin (MOX) is a milbemycin endectocide recently approved by the U.S. FDA for the treatment of onchocerciasis in persons at least 12 years of age. MOX has been shown to have a good safety profile in recent clinical trials. The efficacy of MOX for the treatment of lymphatic filariasis (LF) and its potential use in mass drug administration protocols for the elimination of LF is currently under evaluation. In the context of a clinical trial, we investigated the pharmacokinetics and drug interactions of a combination of MOX plus albendazole (ALB) with or without diethylcarbamazine (DEC) compared to ivermectin (IVM) plus …

Extracellular Trna-Derived Rnas As Emerging Activators Of Endosomal Toll-Like Receptors: A Narrative Review, Justin Gumas, Yohei Kirino

Computational Medicine Center Faculty Papers

Background and Objective: The innate immune system deploys various pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs), including Toll-like receptors (TLRs), to detect the invasion of pathogens and initiate protective responses. TLR7 and TLR8 are located within the endosome of immune cells and are activated by single-stranded RNAs (ssRNAs). In addition to foreign ssRNAs from bacteria and viruses, endogenous self-ssRNAs, such as microRNAs (miRNAs), have been shown to activate TLR7 and TLR8, but such endogenous ssRNA ligands have not yet been fully elucidated. This scientific knowledge gap is partly derived from the technical limitations of standard RNA-seq, particularly its inability to capture non-miRNA-short non-coding RNAs …

The Climate Effect On Covid-19: Lessons Learned From The Pandemic In Jakarta, Vernonia Yora Saki, Ema Novita Deniati, Yoerdy Agusmal Saputra, Dewi Susanna, Efendi Efendi

Kesmas

The global COVID-19 pandemic has presented humanity with difficult and unforeseeable hurdles. Among these challenges is understanding how climate-related aspects impact the survival of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between environmental factors, such as temperature, humidity, and rainfall, and the spread of COVID-19 cases in different regions. A time-and-place-based ecological study design was adopted, integrating geographic information systems and statistical techniques. Statistical testing revealed a significant association between humidity (p-value = 0.000; r = -0.777) and rainfall (p-value = 0.001; r = -0.561) with COVID-19 instances. However, no statistically significant relationship was found between temperature …

Inhibition Of Microsomal Prostaglandin E2 Synthase Reduces Collagen Deposition In Melanoma Tumors And May Improve Immunotherapy Efficacy By Reducing T-Cell Exhaustion, Yasunari Fukuda, Sun-Hee Kim, Matias A Bustos, Sung-Nam Cho, Jason Roszik, Jared K Burks, Hong Kim, Dave S B Hoon, Elizabeth A Grimm, Suhendan Ekmekcioglu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The arachidonic acid pathway participates in immunosuppression in various types of cancer. Our previous observation detailed that microsomal prostaglandin E2 synthase 1 (mPGES-1), an enzyme downstream of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), limited antitumor immunity in melanoma; in addition, genetic depletion of mPGES-1 specifically enhanced immune checkpoint blockade therapy. The current study set out to distinguish the roles of mPGES-1 from those of COX-2 in tumor immunity and determine the potential of mPGES-1 inhibitors for reinforcing immunotherapy in melanoma. Genetic deletion of mPGES-1 showed different profiles of prostaglandin metabolites from that of COX-2 deletion. In our syngeneic mouse model, mPGES-1-deficient cells exhibited …

American Identities In Virginia Education, Michael Mallery

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The students who attended The University of Virginia (UVA), Virginia Military Institute (VMI), Harrisonburg State Normal and Industrial School (HSNIS), and Fredericksburg State Normal and Industrial School (FSNIS) during the early twentieth century (1900-1918) showed changes in Southern gender identities. At UVA and VMI young men challenged the southern ideals of how they felt about their education by disagreeing with faculty and showing stressors within their education. Young men also fell into conflict with each other on certain social behaviors such as the usage of alcohol which went against Southern Christian morals and gentlemen behaviors if one embraced the idea …

Anxiety, Depression, Loneliness, Spirituality, And Social Support In Older People During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Esti Widiani, Nurul Hidayah, Abdul Hanan

Jurnal Keperawatan Indonesia

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the threat of death. Some older people feel they are not ready to face the end of their lives, so psychosocial problems arise, such as loneliness, anxiety, and depression. This research study aims to explore some psychosocial aspects, namely spirituality, social support, depression, anxiety, and loneliness in the elderly during the pandemic. The research design was cross-sectional. The total sample was 142 people selected using the purposive sampling method. Data collection used various scales to look at spirituality, depression, anxiety, and loneliness. The results showed that median spirituality and social support scores were high. …

The Impact Of Stress On The Work Performance Of Covid-19 Isolation Room Nurses At Hospitals In Timor, Antonius Rino Vanchapo, Anggorowati Anggorowati, Ni Made Merlin

Jurnal Keperawatan Indonesia

The incidence of Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) in East Nusa Tenggara has increased tremendously since April 2020. This has caused nurses to experience anxiety and stress due to fears of a shortage of special COVID-19 inpatient rooms. This study aimed to analyze the correlation between stress and the work performance of the COVID-19 isolation room nurses in mainland Timor. This cross-sectional study involved 278 nurses who worked in the COVID-19 isolation rooms of three hospitals on Timor Island. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-42) and the Nurse Work Performance Sheet were applied to obtain the data. The results demonstrated that …

Foreword From Handling Editor - 10th Edition, Ahyahudin Sodri

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

We are delighted to present the 10th edition of JESSD, published in July 2023. We have selected twelve of the best articles for this edition that related with topic of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development.

Awareness Campaigns And Hand Hygiene Practice Among Secondary School Students, Rotimi Williams Olatunji, Noeem Thanny Taiwo

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

Nigeria's low level of sanitation hygiene provoked the increasing prevalence and containment of infectious diseases such as bird flu, acute respiratory infections, Ebola, Lassa fever, polio, diarrheal, pneumonia, and dysentery. These diseases can attack vulnerable groups like children. Therefore, awareness of hand hygiene practices is still needed to prevent the spread of diseases. This study analyzed the exposure to campaign messages on hand washing and hand hygiene sanitation among secondary school students in Lagos State, Nigeria. A total of 620 students participated in the study and were selected through multi-stage sampling methods. Research instruments adopted included questionnaires and observation of …

Reshaping Healthcare: A Bibliometric Analysis Of Lessons Learned In Post-Covid-19 Health Policy, Azliyana Azizan, Khairul Hafezad Abdullah, Sri Ratna Rahayu, Nadia Safirah Rusli, Nornajehah Tarmidzi

Kesmas

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted health policy globally, leading to heightened concern and urgency. However, previous studies have been hampered by limited resources and insufficient discussions on the long-term implications for health policies following multiple COVID-19 waves. Thus, this study examined the evolution of international studies on post-COVID-19 health policy. A comprehensive analysis used well-known literature databases Scopus and Web of Science to explore parameters including publication growth, participating countries, areas of interest, and keyword analysis of topics such as"COVID-19" and "Health Policy." The United States emerged as an active participant, focusing on "Computer science." Key themes included "COVID-19 …

Oral Manifestations In Covid-19 Patients Associated With Oral Hygiene In Aceh, Indonesia: A Literature Review, Misra Hanum, Munifah Abdat, Nurjannah Nurjannah, Irwan Saputra, Said Usman

Kesmas

COVID-19 became a pandemic because of its high-speed transmission via salivary and airborne droplet routes. Viruses can enter host cells through ACE-2 receptors in various human organs, including the oral cavity. The oral manifestations that arise include white plaque, ulceration, burning sensation, oral mucositis, depapillation of the tongue, dry mouth, halitosis, and loss of the sense of taste. Poor oral hygiene, comorbidities, decreased immunity, and stress can exacerbate these manifestations. This review study aimed to report various oral manifestations of COVID-19 related to oral hygiene. Relevant articles were identified from PubMed, ScienceDirect, Elsevier, and Google Scholar. Out of the 60 …

The Influence And Feasibility Of Therapeutic Exercise Videos At Home On The Functional Status Of Post-Covid-19 Hospitalization, Luh Karunia Wahyuni, Melinda Harini, Peggy Sunarjo, Mellisya Ramadhany, Ika Fitriana, Octaviany Hidemi, Indri Wijayanti, Boya Nugraha, Deddy Tedjasukmana, Tirza Z Tamin

Kesmas

The COVID-19 pandemic pushed physicians to modify conventional practices to reduce the exposure and risk of infection among patients and health workers. Telemedicine is one of the safest methods, and telerehabilitation could prevent the sequelae of COVID-19. A quasi-experimental study with randomized sampling without masking/blinding was conducted. The study was conducted from August 2021 to March 2022 at Hospital A in Pekanbaru, Hospital B in Jayapura, and Hospital C in Jakarta, Indonesia. A total of 27 patients were recruited and divided into control and intervention groups. The control group was given conventional education on therapeutic exercise at home, while the …

The Perceived Impact Of A Global Pandemic On The Academic Achievement And Social-Emotional Health Of Students In The Title I Elementary Classroom: A Phenomenology, Tiffany Nicole Paige

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study explored the perceived impact of the global pandemic on students' academic achievement and social-emotional health in Title I elementary schools in Northcentral Georgia. The central research question driving this research sought to explore teachers' experiences with perceived student achievement and overall social-emotional health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The theories of behaviorism and social learning guided this study as the researcher’s goal was to identify how COVID-19 has impacted students academically, as well as taking a more rigorous look at the social-emotional wellbeing of students who have experienced numerous educational changes due to the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic …

Sars-Cov-2 Uses Cd4 To Infect T Helper Lymphocytes, Natalia S Brunetti, Louis-Marie Bloyet, Spencer Stumpf, Marjorie C Pontelli, Sean Whelan, Alessandro S Farias, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the agent of a major global outbreak of respiratory tract disease known as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). SARS-CoV-2 infects mainly lungs and may cause several immune-related complications, such as lymphocytopenia and cytokine storm, which are associated with the severity of the disease and predict mortality. The mechanism by which SARS-CoV-2 infection may result in immune system dysfunction is still not fully understood. Here, we show that SARS-CoV-2 infects human CD4

Self-Care For Counselors During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Penney Siddiqui

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

COVID-19 took the world by surprise early in 2020, and rapidly became a global threat. While not the first global pandemic declared by the World Health Organization, COVID-19 was different from past pandemics both in the speed of transmission and in the psychosocial impact. Not only did COVID-19 impact the physical health of those who contracted the virus, it also impacted the mental health of the general population. Mental health counselors held a dual role in this pandemic, facing the psychosocial impact themselves while simultaneously providing care for others. Recent studies explored the psychosocial impact on health care professionals and …

Mönckeberg's Medial Calcific Sclerosis Makes Traditional Arterial Doppler's Unreliable In High-Risk Patients With Diabetes, Mehmet A. Suludere, Sahab K. Danesh, Amanda L. Killeen, Peter A. Crisologo, Matthew Malone, Michael C. Siah, Lawrence A. Lavery

School of Podiatric Medicine Publications

Objective

To assess Mönckeberg's medial calcific sclerosis (MMCS) severity in patients with a diabetic foot infection.

Methods

This was an analysis of 2 randomized clinical trials in which we evaluated the treatment of 233 patients admitted to the hospital for moderate and severe foot infections. Arterial calcification was defined as visible radiopaque arteries on foot and ankle radiographs, recorded as the most distal visible artery involved (toes, metatarsals, and ankle/hindfoot).

Results

Most subjects (57.1%, n = 133) had MMCS, with extension to toes in 79 (59.4%), to metatarsals in 32 (24.1%), and to ankle/hindfoot in 22 patients (16.5%). In 7 …

Self-Supervised Learning Application On Covid-19 Chest X- Ray Image Classification Using Masked Autoencoder, Xin Xing, Gongbo Liang, Chris Wang, Nathan Jacobs, Ai-Ling Lin

All Faculty Scholarship (Archived)

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the urgent need for rapid and accurate diagnosis facilitated by artificial intelligence (AI), particularly in computer-aided diagnosis using medical imaging. However, this context presents two notable challenges: high diagnostic accuracy demand and limited availability of medical data for training AI models. To address these issues, we proposed the implementation of a Masked AutoEncoder (MAE), an innovative self-supervised learning approach, for classifying 2D Chest X-ray images. Our approach involved performing imaging reconstruction using a Vision Transformer (ViT) model as the feature encoder, paired with a custom-defined decoder. Additionally, we fine-tuned the pretrained ViT encoder using a …

The Role Of Fas Receptor Methylation In Osteosarcoma Metastasis, Jiayi M Sun, Wing-Yuk Chow, Gufeng Xu, M John Hicks, Manjula Nakka, Jianhe Shen, Patrick Kwok Shing Ng, Aaron M Taylor, Alexander Yu, Jason E Farrar, Donald A Barkauskas, Richard Gorlick, Jaime M Guidry Auvil, Daniela Gerhard, Paul Meltzer, Rudy Guerra, Tsz-Kwong Man, Ching C Lau, On Behalf Of The Target Osteosarcoma Consortium

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Osteosarcoma is the most frequent primary malignant bone tumor with an annual incidence of about 400 cases in the United States. Osteosarcoma primarily metastasizes to the lungs, where FAS ligand (FASL) is constitutively expressed. The interaction of FASL and its cell surface receptor, FAS, triggers apoptosis in normal cells; however, this function is altered in cancer cells. DNA methylation has previously been explored as a mechanism for altering FAS expression, but no variability was identified in the CpG island (CGI) overlapping the promoter. Analysis of an expanded region, including CGI shores and shelves, revealed high variability in the methylation of …

Association Of Delirium And Depression With Respiratory And Outcome Measures In Covid-19 Inpatients, Alessio Simonetti, Cristina Pais, Vezio Savoia, Maria Camilla Cipriani, Matteo Tosato, Delfina Janiri, Evelina Bernardi, Ottavia Marianna Ferrara, Stella Margoni, Georgios D Kotzalidis, Daniela Chieffo, Massimo Fantoni, Rosa Liperoti, Francesco Landi, Roberto Bernabei, Gabriele Sani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Delirium (DEL) and depression (DEP) may impair the course and severity of acute respiratory illness. The impact of such syndromes on respiratory and outcome parameters in inpatients with COVID-19 needs clarification. To clarify the relationship between DEL and DEP and respiratory outcome measures, we enrolled 100 inpatients from COVID-19 units of the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS of Rome. Participants were divided into those with DEL, DEP, or absence of either delirium or depression (CONT). Delirium severity was assessed with the Neelson and Champagne Confusion Scale (NEECHAM). Psychopathology was assessed with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), the …

New Corona Virus Provokes Peripheral Gangrene In Lower Limb Of Type-1 Diabetic Patient: A Case Report, Hussein A. Ghanimi, Diaa K. Abd Ali

Al-Ameed Journal for Medical Research and Health Sciences

Introduction: Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents with un-expected complications. Diabetic patients are more susceptible for lower limb complications. Importance: Peripheral gangrene may be associated with COVID-19 in diabetic patients. Case presentation: We described one diabetic patient with COVID-19 associated peripheral gangrene (PG) in lower limb. A 56 years old female patient with type-1 diabetes tested positive for COVID-19. She suffered from PG in her left foot. Hematological, biochemical, Doppler sonography, echocardiography (Echo) and electrocardiogram (ECG) tests were done for diagnosis and evaluation of the case. General checkup indicated presence of an abscess in her foot. Later, abscess drainage surgery …

A Rare Case Of Folate Deficiency-Induced Subacute Combined Degeneration Of The Spinal Cord: A Case Report., Lohitha Guntupalli, Andrew Lurie, Veenah Stoll, Luis Daniel Lugo

HPD Articles

Folate deficiency is a rare cause of subacute combined degeneration (SCD). SCD is characterized by demyelination of the dorsal and lateral columns of the cervical and thoracic spine most commonly caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. Folate deficiency, which can be clinically indistinguishable from B12 deficiency, leads to a variety of presentations, including absent vibratory sensation and proprioception, sensory ataxia, and progressive motor weakness. Recognizing the clinical sequelae of SCD is essential for timely diagnosis and treatment. We present a case of a 38-year-old male with progressive ascending bilateral lower extremity numbness and motor weakness in the presence of normal vitamin …

Use Of A Decision Aid In Medication Initiation Among Patients With Opioid Use Disorder And Hiv, Katrina Gateley

Yale School of Medicine Physician Associate Program Theses

Opioid use disorder refers to the maladaptive use of prescribed or illicit opioids. This condition can be treated using pharmacotherapy referred to as medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), but they are underutilized. Opioid use disorder is more prevalent among people living with HIV (PLH), highlighting a target population for interventions to increase treatment. Patient decision aids have been successful in affecting decision-making in other populations. However, no decision aid for medication for opioid use disorder has been utilized among patients with comorbid HIV and OUD. In this randomized cluster trial, we will determine whether a patient decision aid affects …

Perceptions Of Covid-19 And The Use Of Health Information Technology Among People Who Are Uninsured: Multimethod Survey Study, Khushi S. Patel, Cynthia F. Corbett Phd, Rn, Faan, Elizabeth M. Combs, Sara B. Donevant, Margaret J. Selph, Lynette M. Gibson, Robin Dawson Phd, Rn, Cpnp-Pc, Amit P. Sheth, Ronda G. Hughes

Publications

BACKGROUND: As of May 2023, the novel SARS-CoV-2 has claimed nearly 7 million lives globally and >1.1 million lives in the United States. Low-income populations are often disproportionately affected by risk factors such as lifestyle, employment, and limited health literacy. These populations may lack the knowledge of appropriate infection precautions or have reduced access to care during illness, particularly in countries without universal health care.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore the perceptions and experiences of COVID-19, including symptoms and risk factors among uninsured individuals seeking care at a free medical clinic, and to obtain respondents' perceptions of and suggestions for …

Local Tumor Destruction And Liver Resection Increase Overall Survival In Intermediate/Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients: Evidence From A Population-Based Study, Yang Zhang, Yi Zhang, Taiyu He, Guangliang Liu, Minjie Duan, Jian Huang, Christy Huang, Scott Lowe, Dazhi Ke, Xiaozhu Liu, Junyi Cao

Student Publications

Background: Liver resection (LR) and local tumor destruction (LTD) are effective treatments, but not commonly recommended for patients with intermediate/advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to explore whether LR/LTD could improve overall survival (OS) of these patients, and to identify the patients who will most likely benefit from LR/LTD.

Methods: Data of patients with intermediate/advanced HCC between 2001 and 2018 were extracted from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. OS was compared between HCC patients who received LR/LTD and those who did not. A nomogram was constructed for predicting OS, and it was then validated.

Results: A total of …

Nanoparticle-Mediated Therapy With Mir-198 Sensitizes Pancreatic Cancer To Gemcitabine Treatment Through Downregulation Of Vcp-Mediated Autophagy, Christian Marin-Muller, Dali Li, Jian-Ming Lü, Zhengdong Liang, Osvaldo Vega-Martínez, Sue E Crawford, Mary K Estes, William E Fisher, Changyi Chen, Qizhi Yao

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains an extremely aggressive disease characterized by rapidly acquired multi-drug resistance, including to first-line chemotherapeutic agent gemcitabine. Autophagy is a process that is often exploited by cancer and is one of several intrinsic factors associated with resistance to gemcitabine. We have previously found that miR-198 acts as a tumor suppressor in PDAC through the targeting of factors including Valosin-containing protein (VCP). VCP has been reported to play an important role in autophagic flux. In this study, we investigated whether the repression of VCP through miR-198 administration disrupts the autophagy process and sensitizes PDAC cells to gemcitabine …

The Pulse, 1983 Spring, Advocate Aurora Health

Historical Documents - Combined

Mount Sinai Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI: Internal publication for employees of the Mount Sinai Medical Center. This issue features articles on treating back pain, hospice services, medical research, an employee interview with a nurse, celebration of National Volunteer Week, and updates to personnel.

The Pulse, 1984 Winter, Advocate Aurora Health

Historical Documents - Combined

Mount Sinai Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI: Internal publication for employees of the Mount Sinai Medical Center. This issue features articles on the new employee assistance program, Mount Sinai's involvement and history with medical students and research, the gift of a tapestry entitled "Compassion", laser technology, radiation therapy, and interviews with eight employees celebrating their 10-year anniversaries.

‘You Learn To Smile With Your Eyes’, Exploring The Impact Of Enhanced Personal Protective Equipment On Primary Care Dental Practitioners In The Uk: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study, Alexander R. Legge, Mona Nasser, Jos M. Latour

More Faculty of Health Research

Objective The aim of the study was to explore how dental practitioners in primary care settings perceive the impact of enhanced personal protective equipment (PPE) upon patient communication and wider clinical practice. Methods This study utilized a qualitative approach, rooted in critical realism. An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) methodology was adopted as the study method. In accordance with IPA, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted. Eight dental practitioners were recruited, with data analysis conducted according to the principles of IPA. Results Three themes were synthesized (related to communication and clinical practice): (1) Impaired communication and relationship building; (2) Physical impacts and …

Distribution Of The Soft Tick Carios Vespertilionis In Lowlands And Low Mountain Regions Of Germany, Anja Fritzsche, Stefan Zaenker, Jannis Gottwald, Renate Keil, Christian Zaenker, Michael Bröker, Lidia Chitimia-Dobler

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

In Germany, the knowledge about ticks infesting bats is limited, and is restricted only to a few studies, most of them dating back decades. To further improve our knowledge on ticks parasitising bats, healthy and sick bats in central Germany were examined for ticks. In total 519 larvae and one nymph of Carios vespertilionis were collected from nine bat species: Eptesicus nilssonii, Eptesicus serotinus, Myotis daubentonii, Myotis myotis, Nyctalus leisleri, Pipistrellus nathusii, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Pipistrellus pipistrellus, and Vespertilio murinus. Either the presence of C. vespertilionis was new for some areas or it was confirmed in some federal states in …