Digital Commons Network^™

An Iceberg I Can’T Handle: A Qualitative Inquiry On Perceptions Towards Paediatric Rheumatology Among Healthcare Workers In Kenya, Angela Migowa, Sasha Bernatsky, Anthony Ngugi, Helen E. Foster, Peter Muriuki, Adelaide Lusambili, Stanley Luchters

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Background: Delay in diagnosis and access to specialist care is a major problem for many children and young people with rheumatic disease in sub-Saharan Africa. Most children with symptoms of rheumatic disease present to nonspecialists for care. There is an urgent need to understand and scale-up paediatric rheumatology knowledge and skills amongst non-specialist healthcare workers to promote early diagnosis, prompt referral, and management.

Purpose: We evaluated the knowledge, attitudes and practices towards diagnosis and care of paediatric rheumatology patients among health care workers in Kenya.

Methods: We conducted 12 focus group discussions with clinical officers (third-tier community health …

Kennedy V. Google, Northern District Of California

Historical and Topical Legal Documents

No abstract provided.

Examining The Regulation Of The Bs21 Homologs In Francisella Tularensis, Sierra Schmidt

Open Access Master's Theses

Francisella tularensis is a facultative intracellular pathogen, which relies on a network of regulation for its virulence. It contains three homologs of the ribosomal protein bS21. These three ribosomal protein homologs can independently associate with ribosomes, leading to ribosomal heterogeneity. The second homolog, bS21-2, is implicated in the positive regulation of a number of virulence proteins. Additionally, transcriptomic data indicates that bS21-2 is autoregulated. The mechanism by which this autoregulation occurs is unknown, as is the regulation of the other two homologs, bS21-1 and bS21-3. In the following chapters, I will show that bS21-1 and bS21-3 do not autoregulate their …

The Determinants Of Covid-19 Vaccination Intention: A Meta-Review, Yam B. Limbu, Rajesh K. Gautam

Department of Marketing Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Background: A large number of systematic reviews have been published that synthesized various determinants of COVID-19 vaccination intention (CVI). However, they reported inconsistent evidence. Therefore, we conducted a meta-review (systematic review of systematic reviews) to provide a comprehensive synthesis of factors influencing CVI. Methods: This meta-review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL were searched for systematic reviews published from 2020 to 2022 that examined the determinants of CVI. AMSTAR-2 critical appraisal tool was used to ensure the quality of included reviews, and ROBIS tool was used to evaluate the risk of bias. …

Does Tssh Deletion In Paraburkholderia Bonniea Affect Its Symbiosis With Dictyostellum Discoideum?, Anna Chen

Honors Theses

Paraburkholderia are amoeba resistant, gram negative bacteria that form facultative symbiotic relationships with D. discoideum, a soil dwelling amoeba host. Three species of Paraburkholderia, P. agricolaris, P. hayleyella, and P. bonniea are able to persistently infect nonnative, or symbiont free, D. discoideum. These three species share a type III secretion system (T3SS) and type VI secretion system (T6SS) that is absent in other close relatives We hypothesized that the ability to persistently infect D. discoideum may be partially attributed to the T3SS and T6SS shared across the three species of Paraburkholderia.

The goal was to test the phenotypic effect of …

I Versus We: Social Regulations Exacerbated Tension Between Individualism And Collectivism During China’S Twenty-First Century Public Health Emergencies, Duan Wang

Honors Theses

Since 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a global public health problem, which stimulated restrictions like lockdowns, public service closures, and strict border controls that disrupted individuals' life patterns to mitigate the potential transmission within communities. Intriguingly, with its adherence to the “zero-COVID tolerance” policy, China represented a unique case in the overall global reopening trend after three years of the pandemic. Such an unwavering, uncompromising stance reflected conflicts between individuals and the Chinese government regarding COVID regulations, which exposed the tension between individualism and government-proposed collectivism.

This thesis investigates strict social regulations and the exacerbated tension between individualism and …

The Effects Of Protective Equipment On Therapist Safety And Severe Problem Behavior, Emily K. Sullivan

Doctoral Dissertations - College of Arts and Sciences

"Wearing protective equipment (PE) is a safety practice commonly used in professions involving heightened risk in the workplace. These include therapists employed in settings that assess and treat severe problem behavior. PE is clothing or adapted equipment a therapist wears to increase safety by preventing or mitigating injury. Considerations for when, how, and why to apply PE vary across clients, organizations, and the level of clinical expertise available. Study 1 surveyed 27 employees of a university outpatient clinic regarding their use and perceptions of therapist PE. While participants felt it increased safety, they provided more reasons why they chose not …

Major Questions In Crisis Governance, Catherine F. Le

Chapman Law Review

What do student loan forgiveness, a vaccine-or-test mandate, and a nationwide eviction moratorium all have in common? They are all federal administrative crisis governance measures, issued under statutory emergency authorization during the COVID-19 pandemic, that were invalidated by the Supreme Court under the major questions doctrine.

The major questions doctrine bars agencies from regulating “major” issues without express prior statutory authorization from Congress. But this is fatal to administrative crisis governance. For as the German legal theorist Carl Schmitt observed, a true emergency will always engender the unexpected, and ex ante legislation will inevitably fall short. Congress cannot see emergencies …

Potential Impact Of Rapid Antimicrobial Susceptibility Test (Rast) On Providence Oregon Hospitals Currently Without, Andrew Ly, Mark Vance

Providence Pharmacy PGY1 Program at Providence Portland and Providence St. Vincent Medical Centers 2023

No abstract provided.

Retrospective Review Of The Utility Of Mrsa Naat Screening To Predict Mrsa Infections, Nyles T Fowler, Brent Footer, Caitlin Morris

Providence Pharmacy PGY1 Program at Providence Portland and Providence St. Vincent Medical Centers 2023

No abstract provided.

การเปรียบเทียบอัลกอริทึมวิเคราะห์หาสาเหตุการตายโดยการสัมภาษณ์เมื่อมีข้อมูลไม่สมบูรณ์, ณัชชา สุวันทารัตน์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การศึกษาการเปรียบเทียบประสิทธิภาพของอัลกอริทึมในการวิเคราะห์หาสาเหตุการตายจากการสัมภาษณ์ (Verbal Autopsy) เมื่อมีระดับความไม่สมบูรณ์ของข้อมูลที่ต่างกัน ทำโดยเปรียบเทียบ 5 อัลกอริทึมในการแปลผลหาสาเหตุการตาย คือ InSilicoVA InterVA-5 Tariff Naïve Bayes Classifiers (NBC) และ Random Forest (RF) ในการจำแนกหาสาเหตุการตายเมื่อไม่มีการหายของข้อมูล มีการหายของข้อมูล 5% มีการหายของข้อมูล 10% และ มีการหายของข้อมูล 20% โดยเกณฑ์วัดในการประเมินประสิทธิภาพของอัลกอริทึมคือ ระยะเวลาในการทำงาน ค่าความถูกต้อง ค่า Chance-Concordance Corrected (CCC) ค่า Cause Specific Mortality Fraction (CMSF) accuracy ค่า Sensitivity และ ค่า Specificity ซึ่งข้อมูลที่นำการวิเคราะห์ในงานวิจัยนี้คือข้อมูล PHMRC Gold Standard ที่เป็นข้อมูลของผู้ใหญ่จำนวน 7,841 ตัวอย่าง จากการศึกษาพบว่าข้อมูลสมบูรณ์ทำให้มีประสิทธิภาพดีกว่าข้อมูลที่มีการทำให้หาย มีค่าตัวชี้วัดดีกว่าในทุกระดับการหายของข้อมูลและตัวชี้วัดข้างต้นที่กล่าวมาจะค่อยๆ ลดลงตามระดับการหายที่เพิ่มขึ้น VA อัลกอริทึมที่มีประสิทธิภาพในการแปลผลดีที่สุดคือ RF ในทุกระดับการหายของข้อมูลจากทุกดัชนีชี้วัดยกเว้นระยะเวลาในการทำงานและกลุ่มที่ใช้วิธีคิดแบบ data-driven อัลกอริทึมเช่น RF, Tariff และ NBC จะมีประสิทธิภาพในการแปลผลดีกว่า InSilicoVA และ InterVA 5 อาจเป็นเพราะเมื่อข้อมูลที่ใช้ในชุดเรียนรู้ในมีความครบถ้วนและสะท้อนกับข้อมูลชุดทดสอบแตกต่างกับวิธีที่ใช้หลักทางสถิติที่จะใช้ข้อมูลในการแปลผลข้อมูลมาจากแพทย์หรือผู้เชี่ยวชาญมากกว่าให้อัลกอริทึมการแปลผลเรียนรู้จากชุดเรียนรู้

The More Severe Adverse Effect Of Alcohol In Fc Gamma Receptor Iib Deficient (Fcgrllb-/-) Lupus Mice Than In Wild-Type Due To The More Profound Responses Against Alcohol-Induced Leaky Gut, Phatcharapon Yiengwattananon

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Consuming alcoholic beverages is well-known to have a part in causing inflammation and obstructing the function of the digestive system, and it may lead to leaky intestines. However, the relationship between alcohol consumption and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) remains a subject of controversy continued. In general, alcohol can promote intestinal bacterial dysbiosis and also result in endotoxin release by Gram-negative bacteria. This stimulates many immune cells to produce inflammatory cytokines in the gut. This study focuses on the inflammatory response effect of FcgRIIb-/- mice upon loss of FcgRIIb receptors in which alcohol-induced leaky gut can occur. In 8-week-old mice lacking …

An Epidemiological Synthesis Of Emerging And Re-Emerging Zoonotic Disease Threats In Cameroon, 2000-2022: A Systematic Review, Nancy B. Tahmo, Frankline Sevidzem Wirsiy, Dum-Buo Nnamdi, Marcel Tongo, James V. Lawler, M. Jana Broadhurst, Charles S. Wondji, David Brett-Major

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

INTRODUCTION: Population factors such as urbanization, socio-economic, and environmental factors are driving forces for emerging/re-emerging zoonotic diseases in Cameroon. To inform preparedness and prioritization efforts, this study mapped out epidemiological data (including prevalence) of zoonotic diseases occurring in Cameroon between 2000 and 2022 by demographic factors.

METHODS: Following the PRISMA guidelines, a protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42022333059). Independent reviewers searched the PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane, and Scopus databases on May 30, 2022 for relevant articles; duplicates were removed, and the titles, abstracts, and full texts were screened to identify eligible articles.

RESULTS: Out of 4142 articles identified, …

Harness Therapeutic Potential Of Immune Responses: Molecular Characterization And Targeted Delivery, Nan Ji

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The immune system plays a crucial role in protecting the body from harmful pathogens and cancer cells and maintaining tissue homeostasis. Immunotherapy has shown significant potential in treating various diseases by harnessing the therapeutic potential of immune responses through the targeting of different immune cells, receptors, and signaling pathways. This dissertation investigated two immune modulators for their immune-enhancing potential.In the first chapter, the components of innate immunity are introduced. In the second chapter, Immulina, a commercially available extract of Arthrospira platensis enriched with Braun-type proteins, was studied for its immunostimulatory effect in mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells and macrophages. The …

Public Health Product Hops, Michael S. Sinha

American University Law Review

Pharmaceutical product hops are anticompetitive maneuvers that often represent a last-ditch effort by brand manufacturers to preserve market share in the face of generic competition. An integral part of product life cycle management strategies, product hops may offer marginal benefits to patients but can substantially increase costs to payers and patients alike. Industry advocates, however, maintain that product hops represent essential follow-on research and development, resulting in the development of novel products that would otherwise never reach the market.

Is there a middle ground between these two diametrically opposed views? Might certain product hops be considered beneficial, perhaps if they …

Knowledge Attitudes And Priorities Regarding Antimicrobial Resistance And Antimicrobial Stewardship Among Clinic Administrators And Clinicians In Outpatient Medical Centres In Kenya: A Qualitative Study, Mary Wanjiru Kaniu

Master of Medicine in Paediatrics and Child Health

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance is an important global health threat and it is estimated that by 2050 it will account for 10 million deaths globally. Low and middle income countries are disproportionately affected by the burden of antimicrobial resistance. One of the major causes of antimicrobial resistance is irrational and overuse of antibiotics. Understanding the knowledge, attitudes and priorities of healthcare workers and healthcare administrators on antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial stewardship is pivotal in implementation of strategies to curb the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Methods: A qualitative study using in-depth semi-structured interviews was conducted among clinicians and clinic administrators in 12 …

Betacoronaviruses Sars-Cov-2 And Hcov-Oc43 Infections In Igrov-1 Cell Line Require Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor, Meisam Yousefi, Wai Suet Lee, Wharton O.Y. Chan, Wei He, Marcus G. Mah, Cythia Lingli Yong, Joshua M. Deerain, Lijin Wang, Camille Arcinas, Biaoguo Yan, Dewei Tan, Wan Rong Sia, Akshamal M. Gamage, Jinxuan Yang, Alan Chen Yu Hsu, Shang Li, Martin Linster, Xinglou Yang, Sujoy Ghosh, Danielle E. Anderson, Gavin J.D. Smith, Chee Wah Tan, Lin Fa Wang, Yaw Shin Ooi

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

The emergence of novel betacoronaviruses has posed significant financial and human health burdens, necessitating the development of appropriate tools to combat future outbreaks. In this study, we have characterized a human cell line, IGROV-1, as a robust tool to detect, propagate, and titrate betacoronaviruses SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV-OC43. IGROV-1 cells can be used for serological assays, antiviral drug testing, and isolating SARS-CoV-2 variants from patient samples. Using time-course transcriptomics, we confirmed that IGROV-1 cells exhibit a robust innate immune response upon SARS-CoV-2 infection, recapitulating the response previously observed in primary human nasal epithelial cells. We performed genome-wide CRISPR knockout genetic screens …

Obesity: A Disease Of Overnutrition, George A. Bray, Catherine M. Champagne

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

Obesity is a serious worldwide problem that is increasing in prevalence. Obesity results from increased energy intake from food exceeding what is needed for daily energy expenditure over a considerable period of time. Obesity predicts the risk for many diseases, including diabetes, liver and gall bladder disease, infectious diseases such as SARSCov-19, and heart disease, among others. Treatments for obesity include diet, exercise, behavioral therapy, medications, and surgery.

Core Issues, Case Studies, And The Need For Expanded Legacy African American Genomics, Fatimah Jackson, Carter Clinton, Jennifer Caldwell

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

Introduction: Genomic studies of Legacy African Americans have a tangled and convoluted history in western science. In this review paper, core issues affecting African American genomic studies are addressed and two case studies, the New York African Burial Ground and the Gullah Geechee peoples, are presented to highlight the current status of genomic research among Africa Americans. Methods: To investigate our target population’s core issues, a metadatabase derived from 22 publicly accessible databases were reviewed, evaluated, and synthesized to identify the core bioethical issues prevalent during the centuries of the African American presence in North America. The sequence of metadatabase …

Identification Of Oral Therapeutics Using An Ai Platform Against The Virus Responsible For Covid-19, Sars-Cov-2, Adam Bess, Frej Berglind, Supratik Mukhopadhyay, Michal Brylinski, Chris Alvin, Fanan Fattah, Kishor M. Wasan

Faculty Publications

Purpose: This study introduces a sophisticated computational pipeline, eVir, designed for the discovery of antiviral drugs based on their interactions within the human protein network. There is a pressing need for cost-effective therapeutics for infectious diseases (e.g., COVID-19), particularly in resource-limited countries. Therefore, our team devised an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system to explore repurposing opportunities for currently used oral therapies. The eVir system operates by identifying pharmaceutical compounds that mirror the effects of antiviral peptides (AVPs)—fragments of human proteins known to interfere with fundamental phases of the viral life cycle: entry, fusion, and replication. eVir extrapolates the probable antiviral efficacy …

Comparison Of Self-Reported Depression And Anxiety Scores Between U.S. Households With And Without Children At Early And Later Stages Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Hanan Mohammed Eissa Jamali

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parents in particular, are disproportionately affected by the 2019 coronavirus pandemic and the lockdowns that followed. Parents had to find a way to balance work, teaching, and taking care of their kids when schools were forced to close for safety reasons. While changes in parents' mental health have been the subject of a number of studies, there have been no studies comparing the level of depression and anxiety experienced by parents with and without children below the age of 18 years in the United States. Data for this study came from Households Pulse Survey (HPS) (week 2 N = 41,996; …

New Insights On Epidemiology Of Infectious Bronchitis Virus In Iran By Comparing Two Genotyping Methods, Arash Ghalyanchilangeroudi, Hossein Hosseini, Zahra Ziafati Kafi, Naser Sadri, Ali Hojabr Rajeoni, Hamideh Najafi

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Different genotypes of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) in poultry are circulating worldwide. The most efficient classification system for IBV genotypes is based on the complete sequencing of S1 gene, and the target organ can be trachea, kidney, oviduct, lung, esophagus, proventriculus, intestine, liver, spleen, bursa, cecal tonsils, cloaca, and testis. In Iran, IBV genotyping is usually performed by partial sequencing of S1 gene, and the trachea is often selected for sampling. This study applies a different genotyping method, and compares the results with the routine method of genotyping. Samples were collected from the trachea and kidneys of 50 broiler flocks …

What Cash Bail Left Behind: St. Louis’ Bail System, Three Years After Reform, Brianna Coppersmith

Saint Louis University Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Implementation Of A Probiotic Intervention Among Medical-Surgical Patients: An Evidence-Based Practice Quality Improvement Project, Moncia Bonvicini

DNP Projects

Introduction: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the most prevalent nosocomial infection pathogen responsible for antibiotic associated diarrhea. CDI is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality rates of medical patients and has increased due to frequent broad spectrum antibiotic usage. CDI is associated with a mortality rate of 25% amongst medical patients. At this catholic hospital in the Northeast of the United States, there is currently no official intervention implemented to prescribe a probiotic when patients are started on antibiotics. Evidence supports that probiotics agents have demonstrated modest success in the risk reduction of CDI to patients receiving antibiotic therapy. …

Healthcare: The Causative Factor Of The Punitive Prison System, Julianna Raimonda

Research Days Posters 2023

The laws and regulations put into place by the federal and state government regarding healthcare in New York State prisons do not compare to the ineffectiveness of them put into practice, and therefore have pushed a punitive system within correctional facilities. The lack of healthcare infringes on the rights of health guaranteed to every citizen, which includes the right to control their own bodies. By removing one of the only things inmates have control over in their lives causes their self-esteem, self-worth, and ambition to deteriorate. Without feeling healthy and strong physically, inmates feel incompetent and lack the motivation they …

Medical Disinformation: Niche-Market Targeting In The Black Press During The Aids Epidemic, Sydney Pottinger

Research Days Posters 2023

This paper analyzes the distribution of information about AIDS by the Black press from 1983 to 1990. The information in articles published by Amsterdam News, a historically black newspaper, evolves as experts release accurate AIDS information during the same period. The conspiracy theories and false claims attributing AIDS to other populations shown in earlier Amsterdam News publications are corrected over time by helpful, truthful information released by doctors, as shown in later articles. My analysis of this trend relies on theories of niche-market targeting and definitions of mis- and disinformation to create a historical case study of the relationship between …

Comparative Study Of Virulence Factor Genes, Β-Hemolysis And Biofilm Production In Invasive And Colonizing Enterococci, Milica Jovanović, Branko Velebit, Tanja Tošić, Gina Maki, Sladjana Pavić, Snežana Jovanović, Rajica Stošović, Marcus J. Zervos

Infectious Diseases Articles

Objectives: In humans, enterococci are among the most important opportunistic pathogens. This study aims to compare invasive isolates obtained from blood cultures of patients with sepsis and endocarditis with colonizing isolates obtained from healthy donors’ stool samples.

Methods: A case-by-case assessment was conducted on invasive infection cases to determine whether enterococci were involved in their pathogenesis. They were tested for the presence of virulence factor genes, β-hemolysis on agars supplemented with human and sheep blood, and biofilm forming capacity.

Results: Three species of enterococci were identified among invasive isolates: Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, and Enterococcus durans. All endocarditis isolates were …

Role Of Diagnostic Stewardship In Reducing Healthcare-Facility-Onset Clostridioides Difficile Infections, Anita B. Shallal, Medha R. Cherabuddi, Lance K. Podsiad, Christopher Gortat, Clare Shanahan, Tarlisha Holsey, Linoj Samuel, George Alangaden, Geehan Suleyman

Infectious Diseases Articles

We describe the implementation of an electronic medical record "hard stop" to decrease inappropriate Clostridioides difficile testing across a 5-hospital health system, effectively reducing the rates of healthcare-facility-onset C. difficile infection. This novel approach included expert consultation with medical director of infection prevention and control for test-order override.

Hmgb2 Regulates The Differentiation And Stemness Of Exhausted Cd8+ T Cells During Chronic Viral Infection And Cancer, Emily N. Neubert, Julia M. Derogatis, Sloan A. Lewis, Karla M. Viramontes, Pedro Ortega, Monique L. Henriquez, Rémi Buisson, Ilhem Messaoudi, Roberto Tinoco

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Chronic infections and cancers evade the host immune system through mechanisms that induce T cell exhaustion. The heterogeneity within the exhausted CD8⁺ T cell pool has revealed the importance of stem-like progenitor (Tpex) and terminal (Tex) exhausted T cells, although the mechanisms underlying their development are not fully known. Here we report High Mobility Group Box 2 (HMGB2) protein expression is upregulated and sustained in exhausted CD8⁺ T cells, and HMGB2 expression is critical for their differentiation. Through epigenetic and transcriptional programming, we identify HMGB2 as a cell-intrinsic regulator of the differentiation and maintenance of Tpex cells during …

Miniscule And Might Predators: A Cautionary Tale Of The Power Of Mosquitoes In California And The Greater United States, Benjamin Willett

Pitzer Senior Theses

This thesis investigates how the growth of mosquito populations within the United States, and California specifically, poses unique threats both to public health and socio- political conditions. Mosquito species that are native to the country, Anopheles punctipennis (An. Punctipennis) and Anopheles freeborni (An. freeborni) exist in a uniquely threatening position, bolstered by the introduction of invasive species (Ae. aegypti) and Aedes albopictus (Ae. albopictus). A focus on tracing introductions of invasive species and the resulting spread of zoonotic diseases such as yellow fever, dengue, and chikungunya are valuable indicators of how the insects are influenced by human actions. This relationship …