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Oral Changes In Hospitalized Covid-19 Patients: A Cross-Sectional Multicentric Study, Asmaa Ras, Radwa R. Hussein, Dalia M. Ghalwash, Ayman A. El-Gawish

Dentistry

Background. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly spread over the globe, and several oral symptoms have been documented. However, it is unclear whether these lesions are the result of coronavirus infection or are secondary symptoms of the patient’s systemic illness. The aim of this study was to collect data from various hospitals on COVID-19 patients with oral involvement in order to highlight different oral changes that may be manifested in those patients. Methods. This observational cross-sectional multicenter study used an online questionnaire covering oral signs and symptoms that were believed to be related to COVID-19 patients who were …

The Influence Of The Gut Microbiota On Asthma In School-Aged Children And Adults, Naomi Grace Wilson

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Asthma is a common respiratory disease with a highly heterogeneous pathophysiology. The human gut microbiota, comprising of all the microorganisms that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract, is linked to the development of asthma and can alter airway inflammation in animal models. The idea that the gut microbiota can have bidirectional cross-talk with the lung, such as gut dysbiosis affecting lung disease, is termed the gut-lung axis. While the gut microbiota of early life has been an area of particular interest for asthma pathogenesis research, the effect of its taxonomic and functional composition after asthma diagnosis is less clear. This dissertation employs …

A Call For The Legalization Of Two Sustainable Means Of Final Disposition In Ohio, Aimee Sheetz

Cleveland State Law Review

Several states currently have laws that allow for alkaline hydrolysis as an alternative to burial or cremation. A few states also allow for the composting of human remains. People are choosing these means of disposition for themselves and their loved ones due to environmental, financial, and societal reasons. Ohio currently does not allow either of these methods to be performed within the state. There have been attempts to legalize alkaline hydrolysis in Ohio. This Note calls for the legalization of both methods of disposition by including them in the Ohio Revised Code. This would provide clarity to the Ohio Board …

Health Disparities: Ranking Horry County's Most Disadvantaged Communities, Stephen Borders, Jacob Bradley, Mackenzie Cannon, William Hall

Public Health

Horry County is a rapidly growing region in South Carolina, with a diverse population of over 300,000 residents. Despite this growth, the county faces significant health challenges, including high rates of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and obesity, and a shortage of healthcare providers in certain areas. These challenges are exacerbated by the county's socio-economic disparities, with many low-income residents lacking access to basic health services. Our approach is to address these challenges by identifying the areas within the county with the greatest unmet needs, also known as disadvantaged communities. By identifying the needs of Horry County’s most disadvantaged communities, …

Developing Tools For The Implementation And Evaluation Of Participatory Worker Health Promotion Interventions, Ryan J. Walsh

WUSM Theses and Dissertations – All Programs

The chronic disease burden among American workers leads to substantial expenditures on healthcare, lost productivity at work, and reduced quality of life. Workers from communities of lower socioeconomic status (SES) shoulder a disproportionate burden of chronic diseases and costs. A promising strategy for addressing this population health burden is to develop and implement participatory worker health promotion interventions in workplaces. Part of this effort to develop and implement these programs entails improving the quality of evaluation tools and approaches. Thus, we completed a series of secondary analyses of a large participatory worker health promotion program trial called Working For You. …

Protocol For Developing A Personalised Prediction Model For Viral Suppression Among Under-Represented Populations In The Context Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jiajia Zhang Ph.D., Xueying Yang Ph.D., Sharon Weissman, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Bankole Olatosi Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Introduction Sustained viral suppression, an indicator of long-term treatment success and mortality reduction, is one of four strategic areas of the 'Ending the HIV Epidemic' federal campaign launched in 2019. Under-represented populations, like racial or ethnic minority populations, sexual and gender minority groups, and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, are disproportionately affected by HIV and experience a more striking virological failure. The COVID-19 pandemic might magnify the risk of incomplete viral suppression among under-represented people living with HIV (PLWH) due to interruptions in healthcare access and other worsened socioeconomic and environmental conditions. However, biomedical research rarely includes under-represented populations, resulting in biased …

Evaluating The Impact Of Temperature And Artificial Light At Night On The Growth, Swimming Performance, And Corticosterone Levels Of Southern Leopard Frog (Lithobates Sphenocephalus) Tadpoles, Skylar Alexander

Honors Theses

Anthropogenic activities caused by urbanization have considerably altered our world’s ecosystems which has led to a global amphibian population decline. Encroaching and unyielding urbanization by humans has contributed to a rise in artificial light at night due to light pollution as well as increased temperature due to climate change. Both rising temperatures and artificial light at night (ALAN) have been shown to individually have negative effects on amphibian physiology such as increased stress and decreased behavior. However, due to the drastic nature of human imposition, amphibians typically encounter these anthropogenic stressors in combination. Therefore, it is important to understand how …

Oral Health Literacy: A Tool To Reduce Oral Health Disparities Among Californians, Rubina Bukhari

Master's Projects and Capstones

Oral health is the health of the mouth, cheeks, teeth, and their supporting structure within the oral cavity. It helps in performing day-to-day routine functions such as swallowing, tasting, chewing, talking, and making a wide array of complex facial expressions. Apart from performing everyday functions, oral health is a crucial contributor to the overall state of well-being and good quality of life. It is measured by oral conditions such as tooth decay, gum disease (Periodontal), and oral cancers. Tooth decay and cavity formations are the most prevalent oral health conditions which affect people of all age groups. However, children are …

Correction Of T-Cell Repertoire And Autoimmune Diabetes In Nod Mice By Non-Myeloablative T-Cell Depleted Allogeneic Hsct, Rakefet Sidlik Muskatel, Bar Nathansohn-Levi, Shlomit Reich-Zeliger, Michal Mark, Liat Stoler-Barak, Chava Rosen, Irit Milman-Krentsis, Esther Bachar Lustig, Robert Pete Gale, Nir Friedman, Yair Reisner

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The induction of partial tolerance toward pancreatic autoantigens in the treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) can be attained by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). However, most patients treated by autologous HSCT eventually relapse. Furthermore, allogeneic HSCT which could potentially provide a durable non-autoimmune T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire is associated with a substantial risk for transplant-related mortality. We have previously demonstrated an effective approach for attaining engraftment without graft versus host disease (GVHD) of allogeneic T-cell depleted HSCT, following non-myeloablative conditioning, using donor-derived anti-3rd party central memory CD8 veto T cells (Tcm). In the present study, we investigated …

Clinically Stable Covid-19 Patients Presenting To Acute Unscheduled Episodic Care Venues Have Increased Risk Of Hospitalization: Secondary Analysis Of A Randomized Control Trial, Joseph Bledsoe, Scott C Woller, Maria Brooks, Frank C Sciurba, Jerry A Krishnan, Deborah Martin, Peter Hou, Janet Y Lin, Andrei Kindzelski, Eileen Handberg, Bridget-Anne Kirwan, Elaine Zaharris, Lauren Castro, Nancy L Shapiro, Carl J Pepine, Sarah Majercik, Zhuxuan Fu, Yongqi Zhong, Vidya Venugopal, Yu-Hsuan Lai, Paul M Ridker, Jean M Connors

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Assessment for risks associated with acute stable COVID-19 is important to optimize clinical trial enrollment and target patients for scarce therapeutics. To assess whether healthcare system engagement location is an independent predictor of outcomes we performed a secondary analysis of the ACTIV-4B Outpatient Thrombosis Prevention trial.

METHODS: A secondary analysis of the ACTIV-4B trial that was conducted at 52 US sites between September 2020 and August 2021. Participants were enrolled through acute unscheduled episodic care (AUEC) enrollment location (emergency department, or urgent care clinic visit) compared to minimal contact (MC) enrollment (electronic contact from test center lists of positive …

Individual And Social Influences On Cigarette Smoking During Pregnancy, Alexandra Noel Houston-Ludlam

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Population-level trends on sociodemographic risk factors for cigarette smoking during pregnancy (SDP) and outcomes for offspring exposed to maternal SDP are well established. However, the more complex task of understanding individual risk-prediction, including differences by maternal race/ethnicity, and its clinical application, remains incomplete. Characterizing the relative influence of environmental and individual characteristics as risk or protective factors for continued SDP is a necessary next step for informing individual- and public health-level interventions to produce successful smoking cessation prior to pregnancy, substantially reducing smoking-related mortality in child-bearing people. In this dissertation, I wanted to explore how multiple levels of influence, from …

The Microbes Within: Pathogen In-Host Adaptation And The Gut Microbiome During Persistent Colonization And Recurrent Infection, Joohee Choi

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Microbes not just surround us; they are inside of us. The gut microbiome has emerged in recent years as an important modulator of health and is thought to have co-evolved with us throughout evolutionary history. On the other hand, our immune systems are constantly surveilling and battling infection by external pathogens— some of which still manage to evade our immune response and colonize our bodies long-term. In this Thesis, I investigated microbes inhabiting our bodies in various contexts to understand their impact on human health.In Chapter 2, I discuss the effects of fecal microbiome transplant (FMT) study drug RBX2660 on …

Influence Of Environmental Gradients On Genomic Variation In Pediatric Commensals And Pathogens, Sanjam Sawhney

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Microbes interact with humans in a myriad of ways. They come together in the human gut to form complex communities that collectively transform and individually evolve in response to changing environmental conditions. Individual microbes can also cause human infection and escape antibiotic clearance through acquisition and development of novel resistance mechanisms. In this thesis, I chronicle the relationships between microbes and humans across two axes: from complex communities to single isolates, and from targeted studies of pediatric populations vulnerable to microbiome perturbations and pathogen challenge, to broader human and animal cohorts spanning colonizing and diagnostic environments.In Chapter 2, I extensively …

Identifying Molecular Targets Of Adar1 Dependency In Breast Cancer, Sua Ryu

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Innate immunity is a fundamental defense mechanism against non-self. Similar to its role in pathogenic infections, innate immunity is capable of eliminating cancerous cells by activating cytotoxic inflammatory signaling. Adenosine deaminase acting on RNA 1 (ADAR1) is a key regulator of cell-intrinsic innate immunity. ADAR1 converts adenosines to inosines on double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs), altering dsRNA structure and its interactive properties. This suppresses cytoplasmic sensing of immunogenic dsRNA and activation of the type I interferon (IFN) signaling pathway. Frequently, suppressing endogenous dsRNA from triggering cytotoxic inflammatory signaling is essential for cancer cell survival. This is known as ADAR1 dependency, which has …

Implementation Of A Decision Aid To Increase The Rate Of Routine Breast Cancer Screening Among Women Between 50 To 74 Years Old At A Federally Qualified Health Center, Dana Mars

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Background: Breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer in the U.S. Cancer screenings can result in prompt treatments and positive health outcomes. Disparities in screening rates are prevalent among vulnerable populations. At a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), where the project occurred, the rate of breast cancer screening in 2021 (64%) was lower than the target set by the Healthy People 2030 (77%). This quality improvement project aimed to increase the rate of routine breast cancer screening among women aged 50-74 years old in the FQHC.

Methods: Previous studies have reported that decision aids on breast cancer screening …

A New Strategy For Persister Control, Sweta Roy

Dissertations - ALL

Eradicating persistent bacterial infections is an ever-growing problem in the medical field. Conventional antibiotics are becoming less effective against persistent infections in tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis, Lyme disease, device-associated, urinary tract, gastric and pneumonia still remains a problem. Left untreated, the persistent infections have the potential to increase mortality, morbidity, and the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria. One major mechanism that contributes to the failure of current antibiotic treatment is the formation of persister cells. Persisters are formed when bacterial cells undergo phenotypic changes and enter dormancy which enables their survival under lethal doses of antibiotics. As phenotypic variants, persister formation …

The Effects Of Aloe Vera On The Human Gut Microbiome, Samantha Leon

Honors Theses

The human gut microbiome is a diverse community of bacteria influenced by multiple factors including host age, geographical location, and diet. This study observed the effects of aloe vera juice on the human gut microbiome. Fecal samples were taken every two weeks over a period of one year; the subject consumed aloe vera juice in alternating cycles of consumption “on” and abstaining “off” with each cycle lasting for eight weeks. The bacterial community in each sample was characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Sequences were identified and their relative abundances were used to look for patterns distinguishing “on” and “off” …

Botulinum Toxin For Abductor Type Spasmodic Dysphonia: A Systematic Review, Keyona Sutton

Honors Theses

A systematic review was conducted to show that BTX (Botulinum Toxin) is the most effective treatment for Abductor Spasmodic Dysphonia (ABSD). There were a total of 117 records screened for inclusion in this review. After the initial screening, there were seven successive rounds of screening for eligibility. This process produced a total of three eligible records that met the following conditions: patients presented with spastic abduction, electromyography BTX type A injection into the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle, and measurement of results with acoustic dimensions. After surveying all eligible studies, it was concluded that BTX is an effective treatment for ABSD. Every …

A Systematic Literature Review Of Telehealth For Health Equity In Pediatric And Women's Health Care: Promise Vs Reality, Sharanya Chandu

Honors Scholar Theses

Background: Telehealth interventions can transform the healthcare system to improve accessibility, quality of care, and outcomes for women’s obstetric health.

Objective: This literature review seeks to summarize current research to understand the effect of telehealth on women’s obstetrics and gynecology outcomes.

Methods: A literature review was conducted following the PRISMA methodology to identify a set of papers containing information related to obstetrics and maternal health. The search terms used identified telehealth or telemedicine interventions used for obstetric, maternal, or prenatal care from the period 2013-2023. 19 articles were identified and reviewed.

Results: The literature review considered three primary aspects from …

Traumatization Resulting From Interpersonal Disclosure: Developing A Measure Of Disclosure-Induced Neo-Trauma, Sarah D. Wolf-Gramzow

Dissertations - ALL

The purpose of this study was to introduce a new construct into the field of traumatology: disclosure-induced neo-trauma (DINT). DINT is conceptually defined as a negative disclosure experience that entails traumatic stress, disrupts the relationship between the discloser and the person(s) to whom they disclosed, and is appraised by the discloser as a new traumatic event. Participants (N = 167) identified a stressful event in their lives and reported whether they had ever disclosed that event. The majority (59%) of participants who had disclosed the event had experienced a difficult disclosure, and 15% strongly agreed that the disclosure in and …

Continuous Bioprocessing: Technology For Next-Generation Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Development Of A Python-Coded Bench-Scale Raman-Based Continuous Bioprocess Platform, Christine Urrea

KGI Theses and Dissertations

Current industrial practices for producing biopharmaceuticals include fed-batch production with batch isolation and purification. Nonproductive hold-up steps and manual offline measurements are common in batch processing which increases processing time and contributes to a high cost of production. Current market trends and cost pressures in the biopharmaceutical industry are creating a push to innovate bioprocessing platforms. Continuous bioprocessing has been considered a solution to the current limitations of batch production of biopharmaceuticals. Continuous bioprocessing involves intensifying individual processing steps by eliminating hold-up steps through a continuous operation to increase productivity, which results in advantages such as lower capital and production …

The Development Of A Primer Payload With Microparticles For Uti Pathogen Identification Using Polythymidine- Modified Lamp Primers In Droplet Lamp, Jonas Otoo

KGI Theses and Dissertations

Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) are among the diagnostic tests with the highest sensitivity and specificity. However, they are more complex to develop than other diagnostic tests such as biochemical tests and lateral flow immunoassay tests. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the gold standard for NAATs. PCR requires thermal cycling to achieve clonal amplification of the target pathogen DNA for diagnosis. Thermal cycling poses a challenge in the development of PCR diagnostics for point-of-care (POC) settings. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) offers an isothermal method for NAATs diagnostics. The advancement of the microfluidics field significantly enhances the development of LAMP diagnostics …

Neuroinflammatory And Metabolomic Temporal Dynamics From Inhaled Wildfire Smoke With Attenuation Via Pharmacological Intervention, David Scieszka

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Wildfire smoke is a global issue affecting nearly all humans on the surface of this Earth. Smoke dispersion from wildfires can span continents and cross oceans with amazing ease. Furthermore, total acres of land burned per year in the United States has roughly doubled since 1980, meaning this issue will persist for an indeterminate amount of time. Exposure to wildfire smoke is hazardous and promotes aging-associated events in the cardiopulmonary systems. Yet long- and short-term effects on the brain remain relatively unknown. From these, it is critically important to understand the neurological impacts from wildfire smoke exposure; to compare these …

A Comprehensive Analysis Of Financial Accounting Through Case Studies, Will Bounds

Honors Theses

This thesis is a collection of accounting case studies. There are eleven cases that comprise this thesis including: 102 Minutes that Changed America, Design Your Life – Nashville, Excel Crash Course, Pfizer Profitability, Business Interview – Hank Bounds, Case Competition – Overview, Case Competition – Audit, Case Competition – Tax, Case Competition – Advisory, Case Competition – Risk, and Case Competition – Presentation. There are a large variety of topics involved in all these cases. All of them have proven to be great learning experiences for myself. Case VI through Case XI deal with the Case Competition that went on …

Our Mothers Are Dying: How Economics Affect Maternal Mortality, Kendall Wheelock

Honors Theses

One of the primary goals from the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals is to reduce maternal mortality on a global scale. It is well documented that economic success has a strong correlation with maternal mortality (Kirigia et al 2014, 1-3). There is ample research on how one’s health affects their ability to participate in society, furthermore protecting women within the sphere of medicine is a key part of advancing society. This thesis aims to give qualitative and quantitive backing to a deeper investigation of the correlation between economic success and maternal health.

To focus this research, the thesis focuses on …

Student Perception Of Covid-19 Mitigation Strategies And Correlation To Demographics At The University Of Mississippi, Anna Couhig

Honors Theses

COVID-19 caused an unprecedented dilemma for universities, the best method of continuing education during a pandemic. Different mitigation strategies were developed as higher education institutions transitioned back to in-person learning, and the effectiveness of these strategies depended largely on adherence by college students. COVID-19 remains a vastly unexplored research topic, and college students’ approval of mitigation strategies is largely untouched. This research answers the question: “Are University of Mississippi student perceptions of COVID-19 mitigation strategies correlated to demographics?” Through a mixed-methods survey that was sent to a random sample of full-time undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Mississippi, …

Stewardship Opportunities For Cervical Lymphadenitis And Deep Neck Space Abscesses, Aaron Shaw, Brian R. Lee, Lauren Kazmaier, Emily Baker, Tina Dao, Sandra Arnold, Angela Myers

Research Days

Background: Cervical lymphadenitis (LAD) and deep neck space abscesses (DNSA) are common pediatric infections caused by similar bacteria. We sought to determine differences in presentation, diagnosis, and treatment between LAD and DNSA to identify antimicrobial and diagnostic stewardship opportunities.

Methods: Charts were obtained using ICD9/10 codes for retropharyngeal and parapharyngeal abscessed (DNSA), and LAD between 1/1/10-12/31/20 from two pediatric centers. 1981 charts were identified. Charts were excluded if the diagnosis was not a bacterial infection (e.g. Kawasaki disease), if the LAD was not in the neck, or if caused by less common bacteria (e.g. tuberculosis). Data on presenting signs, symptoms, …

Vaccine Uptake In The Era Of Covid-19: Associations Between Willingness To Receive The Influenza And Covid-19 Vaccines, Mutaz Alkalbani, Ritsa Frousios, Matilda Francis, Yousef Beidas, Jennifer Ryal, Brynn Sheehan

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Background/purpose. Despite efforts to increase flu vaccine uptake, the rate of vaccination remains below target. Additionally, many Virginians remain unvaccinated or have not maintained a booster schedule in line with recommendations. The current study investigated willingness to receive the flu and COVID-19 vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic, associations between the likelihood of receiving the two vaccines, and differences in uptake by racial group and insurance status. Methods. Participants were adult patients seen for appointments at an ambulatory clinic in Southeast, VA. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing vaccination history and future vaccination intentions. Results. Results revealed significant associations between having received …

A Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Preserving The Great Barrier Reef, Taylor Cox

Honors Theses

This paper investigates both the economic benefits and costs of protecting Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The benefits associated with the Reef come from a 2016 Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited report and quantifies direct economic contributions, nonuse values, and a social, economic, and icon value. The costs of protecting the Reef come from a collection of sources, including the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan, “The Cost and Feasibility of Marine Coastal Restoration”, and a number of annual reports from governmental and non-governmental organizations. By analyzing these documents, the net benefits were calculated. The Great Barrier Reef contributes $6.4 billion to …

The Neuroprotective Role Of Vitamin D In Humans With A Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review, Hailey Jarr

Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are a leading cause of death worldwide. Previous research supports a relationship between vitamin D and TBI outcomes; however, they rely on animal studies. This review aimed to examine the neuroprotective role of vitamin D in humans with TBIs. A search was completed (PubMed and Scopus) following PRISMA guidelines to review publications investigating the relationship between vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and TBI or the effect of vitamin D supplementation on TBI outcomes; 8 studies were identified. Patients had the
/="/">following ranges: 26-88% deficiency and 62-88% insufficiency compared to 24% and 49% of the general population. …