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Advantage Of Precision Metagenomics For Urinary Tract Infection Diagnostics, Sadia Almas, Rob E. Carpenter, Chase Rowan, Vaibhav Tamrakar, Rahul Sharma

Human Resource Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) remain a diagnostic challenge and often promote antibiotic overuse. Despite urine culture being the gold standard for UTI diagnosis, some uropathogens may lead to false-negative or inconclusive results. Although PCR testing is fast and highly sensitive, its diagnostic yield is limited to targeted microorganisms. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) is a hypothesis-free approach with potential of deciphering the urobiome. However, clinically relevant information is often buried in the enormous amount of sequencing data.

Methods: Precision metagenomics (PM) is a hybridization capture-based method with potential of enhanced discovery power and better diagnostic yield without diluting clinically relevant …

Current Oral Hygiene And Recreational Behavioral Trends In Hiv Disease, Donald E. Mercante, Emily Guarisco, Elizabeth A. Lilly, Arni Rao, Kelly Treas, Clifford J. Beall, Zach Thompson, Ann L. Griffen, Eugene J. Leys, Jose A. Vazquez, Michael E. Hagensee, Paul L. Fidel

School of Dentistry Faculty Publications

Objective: HIV disease is evolving with more HIV+ persons experiencing a high quality of life with well-controlled viremia. We recently enrolled a large cohort of HIV+ and clinically relevant HIV− persons for oral microbiome analyses that included a questionnaire related to oral hygiene and recreational behaviors. Here, the questionnaire responses were analyzed for behavioral trends within the cohort, together with trends over time by comparison to a previous geographically centered HIV+ cohort. Methods: Data were collected by questionnaire at baseline visits as cross-sectional assessments. Multivariable analyses were conducted for associations of HIV status as well as age, race, and sex, …

Naturally Occurring Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus H5n1 Clade 2.3.4.4b Infection In Three Domestic Cats In North America During 2023, Sarah J. Sillman, Mary Drozd, Duan S. Loy, Seth P. Harris

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The Eurasian strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 is a devastating pathogen for birds that also has the capacity to infect mammals. This report describes the presentation, clinical case findings (including haemogram and serum biochemistry), gross and microscopic lesions and virus detection in three HPAI H5N1-infected domestic cats from the USA in 2023. All three cats presented with neurological abnormalities and were euthanized due to a poor prognosis within 2 days (two cats) or 10 days (one cat) of known clinical disease onset. Necropsy consistently revealed pulmonary congestion and oedema, and cerebrocortical malacia with haemorrhage was also seen …

The “New Normal” Of Post-Covid Worship In A Renewed Atmosphere Of Spiritual Cooperation, Donna Marie Cain

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020 was a clarion call to the church in America. The crisis illuminated existing challenges and introduced new ones while offering unprecedented opportunities. Almost overnight, church doors were closed, and services had to be either canceled or creatively reinvented to be shared across digital platforms. In a Christ-like display of unity, a wide array of church leaders who were more adept at technology offered their wisdom to help others struggling to keep their worshiping communities connected online. Information on the widespread effects of this Pandemic on the church and its worship is still unfolding. To this …

Inspire : Vol 6, Issue 7, Department Of Medicine

INSPIRE – Department of Medicine Archives

• Message from the Chair
• Medicine at National and International Forums
• Centre for Impact | Way forward
• 3rd European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID)
• 60th annual European Renal Association (ERA) Congress
• CPSP Provincial Faculty Member
• Smoking cessation skills building workshop
• World No-Tobacco Day
• Employee of the Month - Shahzad Vasaya
• Featured Faculty – Dr Sana Sheikh– Faculty member – Data Science Team
• Poem Section
• What Academics are Reading?
• Publications

Enough Is Enough: Salvage Procedures In Severe Periprosthetic Joint Infection, Yves Gramlich, Javad Parvizi

Rothman Institute Papers

Background

In severe cases of periprosthetic joint infection involving negative host-dependent factors, individual-based decisions between a curative therapy vs. salvage procedure are necessary. We aimed to review salvage procedures in severe periprosthetic joint infection cases, where a gold standard of a curative two-stage exchange can no longer be achieved. The options of knee arthrodesis, amputation, persistent fistula (stable drainage), or a debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention procedure in late-onset cases are discussed, including lifelong antibiotic suppression alone.

Methods

We focused on known salvage procedures for severe periprosthetic joint infection of the hip and knee, such as amputation, arthrodesis, antibiotic …

Baseline Features And Reasons For Nonparticipation In The Colonoscopy Versus Fecal Immunochemical Test In Reducing Mortality From Colorectal Cancer (Confirm) Study, A Colorectal Cancer Screening Trial, Douglas J Robertson, Jason A Dominitz, Alexander Beed, Kathy D Boardman, Barbara J Del Curto, Peter D Guarino, Thomas F Imperiale, Andrew Lacasse, Meaghan F Larson, Samir Gupta, David Lieberman, Beata Planeta, Aasma Shaukat, Shanaz Sultan, Stacy B Menees, Sameer D Saini, Philip Schoenfeld, Stephan Goebel, Erik C Von Rosenvinge, Gyorgy Baffy, Ildiko Halasz, Marcos C Pedrosa, Lyn Sue Kahng, Riaz Cassim, Katarina B Greer, Margaret F Kinnard, Divya B Bhatt, Kerry B Dunbar, William V Harford, John A Mengshol, Jed E Olson, Swati G Patel, Fadi Antaki, Deborah A Fisher, Brian A Sullivan, Christopher Lenza, Devang N Prajapati, Helen Wong, Rebecca Beyth, John G Lieb, Joseph Manlolo, Fernando V Ona, Rhonda A Cole, Natalia Khalaf, Charles J Kahi, Divyanshoo Rai Kohli, Tarun Rai, Prateek Sharma, Jiannis Anastasiou, Curt Hagedorn, Ronald S Fernando, Christian S Jackson, M Mazen Jamal, Robert H Lee, Farrukh Merchant, Folasade P May, Joseph R Pisegna, Endashaw Omer, Dipendra Parajuli, Adnan Said, Toan D Nguyen, Claudio Ruben Tombazzi, Paul A Feldman, Leslie Jacob, Rachel N Koppelman, Kyle P Lehenbauer, Deepak S Desai, Mohammad F Madhoun, William M Tierney, Minh Q Ho, Heather J Hockman, Christopher Lopez, Emily Carter Paulson, Martin Tobi, Hugo L Pinillos, Michele Young, Nancy C Ho, Ranjan Mascarenhas, Kirrichai Promrat, Pritesh R Mutha, William M Pandak, Tilak Shah, Mitchell Schubert, Frank S Pancotto, Andrew J Gawron, Amelia E Underwood, Samuel B Ho, Priscilla Magno-Pagatzaurtundua, Doris H Toro, Charles H Beymer, Andrew M Kaz, Jill Elwing, Jeffrey A Gill, Susan F Goldsmith, Michael D Yao, Petr Protiva, Heiko Pohl, Tassos Kyriakides

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: The Colonoscopy Versus Fecal Immunochemical Test in Reducing Mortality From Colorectal Cancer (CONFIRM) randomized clinical trial sought to recruit 50 000 adults into a study comparing colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality outcomes after randomization to either an annual fecal immunochemical test (FIT) or colonoscopy.

OBJECTIVE: To (1) describe study participant characteristics and (2) examine who declined participation because of a preference for colonoscopy or stool testing (ie, fecal occult blood test [FOBT]/FIT) and assess that preference's association with geographic and temporal factors.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study within CONFIRM, which completed enrollment through 46 Department of Veterans Affairs …

Case Report: Tuberculosis Recall On Bone Graft Patient, Tiffany Ruan, Mustafa Naveed, Hon Vien

Student Publications

Background: Bone grafting is commonly used in spine surgery to supplement or replace the need for autografts. This is harvested, prepared, and utilized predominantly for osteoconductive properties. Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, a procedure to decompress and fuse the spine which treats herniated discs and compressed nerves, commonly uses Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) interbody filled with allograft bone matrices to reconstruct the disc space after a discectomy is performed.

Case description: The presented case is one of a 57-year-old male patient who underwent an uneventful cervical 5-6 and cervical 6-7 discectomy and fusion using a PEEK interbody and bone allograft. The allograft …

Investigating The Antibiotic Potentiating Effects Of A Novel Reactive Oxidant Species-Generating Antimicrobial., Gracious Yoofi Boafo Donkor

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the rise in antimicrobic resistance and the decline in antibiotic discovery, drug development has expanded into alternative antimicrobial compounds, such as silver. Silver-containing compounds have emerged as a promising alternative due to their multi-specific effects on inhibiting bacterial growth. Our work focuses on the antimicrobial effects of AGXX, a novel antimicrobial which has been shown to exert its broad-spectrum effects through the production of highly cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS). Although preliminary studies have demonstrated the potency of AGXX in gram-positive pathogens, its effects on gram-negative pathogens remain largely unknown. The goal of my thesis was to examine …

Baseline Features And Reasons For Nonparticipation In The Colonoscopy Versus Fecal Immunochemical Test In Reducing Mortality From Colorectal Cancer (Confirm) Study, A Colorectal Cancer Screening Trial, Douglas J Robertson, Jill Elwing, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: The Colonoscopy Versus Fecal Immunochemical Test in Reducing Mortality From Colorectal Cancer (CONFIRM) randomized clinical trial sought to recruit 50 000 adults into a study comparing colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality outcomes after randomization to either an annual fecal immunochemical test (FIT) or colonoscopy.

OBJECTIVE: To (1) describe study participant characteristics and (2) examine who declined participation because of a preference for colonoscopy or stool testing (ie, fecal occult blood test [FOBT]/FIT) and assess that preference's association with geographic and temporal factors.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study within CONFIRM, which completed enrollment through 46 Department of Veterans Affairs …

Assessment Of Gastroesophageal Reflux Symptoms And Sleep Quality Among Women In The Nurses' Health Study Ii, Jane Ha, Raaj S Mehta, Yin Cao, Tianyi Huang, Kyle Staller, Andrew T Chan

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Limited data exist on the association of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) symptoms with sleep quality.

OBJECTIVE: To prospectively investigate the association between GER symptoms and sleep quality.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This prospective cohort study included data from the Nurses' Health Study II of female nurses in the US. Participants self-reported the frequency and duration of GER symptoms beginning June 2005, with updates every 4 years through June 2015. Follow-up was completed June 2019, and data were analyzed from November 15, 2022, to June 4, 2023.

EXPOSURES: Frequency and duration of GER symptoms.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Poor sleep quality …

Clinical And Demographic Factors Associated With Covid-19, Severe Covid-19, And Sars-Cov-2 Infection In Adults: A Secondary Cross-Protocol Analysis Of 4 Randomized Clinical Trials, Deborah A Theodore, Angela R Branche, Lily Zhang, Daniel S Graciaa, Madhu Choudhary, Timothy J Hatlen, Raadhiya Osman, Tara M Babu, Samuel T Robinson, Peter B Gilbert, Dean Follmann, Holly Janes, James G Kublin, Lindsey R Baden, Paul Goepfert, Glenda E Gray, Beatriz Grinsztejn, Karen L Kotloff, Cynthia L Gay, Brett Leav, Jacqueline Miller, Ian Hirsch, Jerald Sadoff, Lisa M Dunkle, Kathleen M Neuzil, Lawrence Corey, Ann R Falsey, Hana M El Sahly, Magdalena E Sobieszczyk, Yunda Huang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: Current data identifying COVID-19 risk factors lack standardized outcomes and insufficiently control for confounders.

OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors associated with COVID-19, severe COVID-19, and SARS-CoV-2 infection.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This secondary cross-protocol analysis included 4 multicenter, international, randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled, COVID-19 vaccine efficacy trials with harmonized protocols established by the COVID-19 Prevention Network. Individual-level data from participants randomized to receive placebo within each trial were combined and analyzed. Enrollment began July 2020 and the last data cutoff was in July 2021. Participants included adults in stable health, at risk for SARS-CoV-2, and assigned to the placebo group …

Pathogen Emergence As Complex Biological Invasion: Lessons From Dynamical Systems Modeling, Sudam Surasinghe, Marisabel Rodriguez, Victor Meszaros, Jane Molofsky, Salvador Almagro-Moreno, Brandon Ogbunugafor

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

Infectious disease emergence has become the target of cross-disciplinary efforts
that aim to understand and predict the shape of outbreaks. The many challenges
involved with the prediction of disease emergence events is a characteristic that in-
fectious diseases share with biological invasions in many subfields of ecology (e.g.,
how certain plants are able to successfully invade a new niche). Like infectious
diseases, biological invasions by plants and animals involve interactions between
agents (pathogens and plants in their respective cases) and a recipient niche. In
this study, we examine the problem of pathogen emergence through the lens of a
framework first …

Crotalus Scutulatus Scutulatus Crude Venom And Its Purified Cysteine-Rich Secretory Protein (Css-Crisp), Armando Reyes, Joseph D. Hatcher, Emelyn Salazar, Jacob Galan, Anton Iliuk, Elda E. Sanchez, Montamas Suntravat

School of Medicine Publications

Increased vascular permeability is a frequent outcome of viperid snakebite envenomation, leading to local and systemic complications. We reported that snake venom cysteine-rich secretory proteins (svCRiSPs) from North American pit vipers increase vascular permeability both in vitro and in vivo. They also induce acute activation of several adhesion and signaling molecules that may play a critical role in the pathophysiology of snakebites. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have gained interest for their diverse functions in intercellular communication, regulating cellular processes, blood-endothelium interactions, vascular permeability, and immune modulation. They also hold potential as valuable biomarkers for diagnosing, predicting, and monitoring therapeutic responses in …

Proteomic Profiling Of Extracellular Vesicles Isolated From Plasma And Peritoneal Exudate In Mice Induced By Crotalus Scutulatus Scutulatus Crude Venom And Its Purified Cysteine-Rich Secretory Protein (Css-Crisp), Armando Reyes, Joseph D. Hatcher, Emelyn Salazar, Jacob Galan, Anton Iliuk, Elda E. Sanchez, Montamas Suntravat

School of Medicine Publications

Increased vascular permeability is a frequent outcome of viperid snakebite envenomation, leading to local and systemic complications. We reported that snake venom cysteine-rich secretory proteins (svCRiSPs) from North American pit vipers increase vascular permeability both in vitro and in vivo. They also induce acute activation of several adhesion and signaling molecules that may play a critical role in the pathophysiology of snakebites. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have gained interest for their diverse functions in intercellular communication, regulating cellular processes, blood-endothelium interactions, vascular permeability, and immune modulation. They also hold potential as valuable biomarkers for diagnosing, predicting, and monitoring therapeutic responses in …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Standardized Mobile Vaccination Clinic Training Program For Team Leaders In Reducing Vaccination Administration Errors., Valenchia Brown

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

In response to the urgent need for mobile COVID-19 vaccination clinics, the Kentucky Nurses Association (KNA) developed a standardized training program aimed at equipping nurse leaders with the necessary tools and resources for safe and efficient vaccine administration, free of vaccination errors, during mobile vaccination clinics. The purpose of this study was to assess the process effectiveness of the training program as perceived by team leaders and evaluate the number and types of vaccination errors during these clinics. The CDC’s Logic Model served as the framework for this project. The interventions included team leaders undergoing standardized training outlined in the …

Why The West Should Help China Reduce Unrecognized And Preventable Covid-19 Deaths, George A. Gellert

Journal of Health Ethics

In an era marked by a ruinous war between a democratic state and a totalitarian regime, political volatility, rightward looking isolationism and nationalism, and heightened competition and disputes between China and the West, it is perhaps difficult to discern why the West should supply China with COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics, as well as epidemiological assistance in order to mitigate a potentially unrecognized COVID-19 crisis in that nation. This commentary considers three arguments against Western and international indifference to the plight of China as it transitions to COVID-19 endemicity.

Optimal Control Strategy On Mathematical Model For The Dynamics Of Mastitis, Basem Abu Izneid, Eshetu Dadi Gurmu, Legesse Lemecha Obsu, Abdisa Shiferaw Melese, Mohammad Kanan, Ahmad Al-Qerem

Applied Mathematics & Information Sciences

Inthisstudy,anonlinearmathematicalmodelforthetransmissiondynamicsofmastitisdiseasesisformulatedandanalyzed. The local and global stability analysis of mastitis-free equilibrium and endemic equilibrium is obtained using the stability theory of differential equation. It was established that the mastitis-free equilibrium is locally stable if the basic reproduction number is less than unity. The endemic equilibrium, which exists only when the basic reproduction number is greater than unity, is globally asymptotically stable. Sensitivity analysis of the reproduction number suggested that the concentration of bacteria in the environment has a high impact on the dynamics of mastitis. Furthermore, an optimal control problem is formulated by applying Pontryagin’s minimum principle with three control strategies, …

Ethical Considerations Surrounding Vaccine Development During A Public Health Crisis, Syed Arsalan Akhter Zaidi, Kainat Saleem, Rahul Bollam, Bushra Zaidi

Journal of Health Ethics

Epidemics and Pandemics have been plaguing mankind since many centuries, and are a cause of major healthcare expense in modern times. The novel coronavirus pandemic of 2019-2020 spread worldwide faster than many previous pandemics, including EBOLA in 2017. Although personal protective equipment, and social distancing slowed the outbreak, a vaccine is needed to ensure global immunization and to stop this deadly outbreak. Developing a vaccine in times of a public health crisis comes with a lot of ethical considerations, including overlooking proper informed consent, the issue of using placebo in control arm of trials, extended timelines of development of vaccines, …

A Framework For Personal Respiratory Ethics, Ian W. Goddard

Journal of Health Ethics

The Covid-19 pandemic raises the need for an ethical framework that addresses the unique ethical challenges and questions arising from airborne infectious diseases. For example, are we ever ethically obliged to wear a face mask? If so, why and when? The Respiratory Ethics Framework (REF) herein proposes pathways to answers grounded in ethical norms and the moral principles of non-harm, beneficence and respect for personal autonomy. REF is a personal ethics wherein your ethical duty to increase your respiratory hygiene efforts—such as by donning a mask—is proportional to your estimation of an increase in the likelihood that your respiratory effluent …

Improving Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections In The Intensive Care Unit: Implementation Of A Rounding Tool To Enhance Communication And Collaboration., Bethany Carol Risen

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

Background/Significance: Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are avoidable and costly healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and are associated with high morbidity and mortality. A rise in CAUTIs at the project site, and the need for a standardized CAUTI prevention communication process, prompted this quality improvement project.

Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to decrease CAUTIs through improved communication and collaboration amongst the critical care team.

Methods: Twelve nurses completed the Collaboration and Satisfaction about Care Decisions (CSACD) questionnaire pre- and post- intervention which, evaluated communication and collaboration. Nurses also assessed IUC indication and removal during interdisciplinary rounds.

Intervention: This …

Effectiveness Of An Electronic Health Record Embedded Evidence-Based Testing Algorithm For Clostridioides Difficile Infection., Sarah Marie Bishop

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

Background: Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) commonly impacts hospitalized patients with almost half a million cases reported in the United States annually. C. difficile colonization is more common than infection. Identifying true infection versus colonization is critical to avoiding inappropriate treatment, unnecessary exposure to antibiotics, and increased cost of care. Implementation of evidenced-based CDI testing criteria can help reduce inappropriate CDI testing and avoid the misidentification of colonized patients as true CDI.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of an evidence-based electronic health record (EHR) integrated CDI testing algorithm in reducing inappropriate CDI testing among adult …

Bridging The Transition To Housing: A Social Justice Framework To Guide The Practice Of Occupational Therapists And Other Professionals Who Support Individuals With Experiences Of Homelessness (2nd Ed), Carrie Marshall, Rebecca Gewurtz, Skye Barbic, Laurence Roy, Abrial Cooke, Rosemary Lysaght

Occupational Therapy Publications

Occupational therapists have been supporting individuals who experience homelessness for several decades in their roles as community mental health therapists, on in-patient units, in traumatic brain injury programs, and in multiple other roles. Only recently, however, has this area of practice been acknowledged as distinct. Homelessness is growing in several high and middle-income countries worldwide. Occupational therapists have increasingly expressed an interest in gaining the knowledge and skills to effectively support individuals who experience homelessness, and in recent years, research in occupational therapy that focuses specifically on persons who experience homelessness has grown. The majority of individuals who have been …

Quillen Magazine - Summer 2023, Quillen College Of Medicine, East Tennessee State University

Quillen Magazine

No abstract provided.

Search, The Jackson Laboratory

Search Magazine

No abstract provided.

Dying In Isolation: Public Health Implications Of Transportation And Burial Of Human Remains During A Pandemic A Fifty State Survey, Christopher Ogolla

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Sheep Worms – Sustainable Summer-Autumn Worm Control, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

A summer drenching program for sheep worm control is now recognised as a key cause of drench resistance in Western Australia. However, some small changes can increase the sustainability of pre-emptive control programs. Drenches in summer should always be given to younger, growing sheep (current and previous year’s age groups), whereas adult sheep should be drenched in autumn, or if drenched in summer, some should be left untreated (if drenching at all). Research shows that this reduces the chance of developing drench resistance but still provides effective worm control.

July 2023 News Releases, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Itihas Vol. 23 Issue No. 3, Sastra Univ

ITIHAS

NEWSLETTER FROM SASTRA DEEMED UNIVERSITY

What’S In The Water?: Detecting Chlamydia And Gonorrhea In Treasure Valley Wastewater, Ayana Pattison, Max Mortimer, Ernie Ogden, Greg Hampikian

Idaho Conference on Undergraduate Research

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) gained prominence as a reliable method for predicting SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks and trends during the COVID-19 pandemic. We modified the technique to detect Chlamydia (C. trachomatis) and Gonorrhea (N. gonorrhoeae) in wastewater sourced from four wastewater facilities in the Treasure Valley (West, Lander, Meridian, and Nampa) using variations of two extraction methods, the AllPrep PowerViral DNA/RNA Mini Kit and paper filtration (0.22µm and 0.45µm). Both pathogens were detected in samples from both Boise, Idaho facilities (West and Lander) on three of the six days tested (N. gonorrhoeae 6/14/23, and C. trachomatis and N. …