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Eustachian Valve Endocarditis: A Case Report And Literature Review, Danna Reyes, Gamal Musleh, Sherif Elkattawy, Muhammad Noori, Jesus Romero, Ana L. Romero, Omar Elkattawy, Omran Ahmed, Gabriel Zaverucha, Razan Shamoon

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a well-known condition, but certain manifestations, such as Eustachian valve endocarditis (EVE), remain rare. This report presents a case of EVE in a 66-year-old male with no apparent risk factors. EVE is a form of right-sided endocarditis, often associated with intravenous drug use, yet it can occur in patients without traditional risk factors. The patient presented with a constellation of symptoms, including lightheadedness, dyspnea, generalized weakness, and fever. Diagnostic workup revealed multiple complications, including liver abscesses, pulmonary nodules, and spinal osteomyelitis. EVE was confirmed through transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), highlighting multiple Eustachian valve vegetations. Blood cultures identified …

Characterization Of Markers In Blood Tests Of Patients With Pleural Effusion And Their Correlation To Different Etiologies, Raymond Farah, Keren Sidar-Orlin, Adi Sharabi-Nov

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Background: To investigate the etiology of pleural effusion, a variety of examinations are performed, including invasive ones: Thoracentesis is an invasive procedure to remove fluid or air from the pleural cavity for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. Until now, there are no blood markers that can help us diagnose the type of pleural effusion without the need for pleural puncture or drainage.

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship and the utility of the new inflammatory markers taken from complete blood count (CBC) to differentiate between the various types of pleural effusion before the invasive procedure decision. …

Game Changer Or More Of The Same? A Comparative Meta-Analysis Of Rezafungin And Caspofungin In Treating Candidemia And Invasive Candidiasis, Zouina Sarfraz, Zeeshan Nasir, Faheem Javad, Aden Khan, Bushra Shah, Musfira Khalid, Azza Sarfraz, Muzna Sarfraz, Amna Minhas, Suchal Atta Gondal

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

This meta-analysis assesses the recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved antifungal, rezafungin, for treating candidemia and invasive candidiasis— both are significant health concerns with limited treatment options. Two randomized controlled trials comparing rezafungin to caspofungin were meta-analyzed, revealing no significant differences in global cure rates and 30-day all-cause mortality. While rezafungin's unique attributes, like a novel mechanism and once-weekly dosing, may enhance patient adherence, concerns arise about its clinical relevance given the substantial investment. The study emphasizes the need for ongoing research, post-marketing surveillance, and real-world data to determine rezafungin's true value in managing these life-threatening fungal infections. Despite FDA …

Developments In School Counselling Practice In Vietnam, Michael Hass, Hoang-Minh Dang

Education Faculty Books and Book Chapters

This chapter will examine the development and status of school counselling in Vietnam. As part of that, we will discuss research on Vietnamese school children’s mental health and academic needs, the history of the development of school counselling and related professions in Vietnam, and the process of creating formal educational programs in school counselling. Lastly, we will discuss school counsellors’ distinct roles in Vietnam and how they relate to various stakeholders, including children, teachers, administrators, and parents. In addition, we will discuss a survey of practicing school counsellors (Hoang-Minh & Hass, 2023b) and interviews of program directors of university training …

Biology Department Publications: 2020, Sam Lindgren

Biology Department Bibliographies

This document is a noncomprehensive list of publications made by graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and faculty members in the Biology Department in 2020. It indexes those publications available through major databases, and serves as an archival record of the Department’s robust scholarly contributions.

Biology Department Publications: 2010, Sam Lindgren

Biology Department Bibliographies

This document is a noncomprehensive list of publications made by graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and faculty members in the Biology Department in 2010. It indexes those publications available through major databases, and serves as an archival record of the Department’s robust scholarly contributions.

Biology Department Publications: 2008, Sam Lindgren

Biology Department Bibliographies

This document is a noncomprehensive list of publications made by graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and faculty members in the Biology Department in 2008. It indexes those publications available through major databases, and serves as an archival record of the Department’s robust scholarly contributions.

Lessons Learned From Developing Dashboards To Support Decision-Making For Community Opioid Response By Community Stakeholders: Mixed Methods And Multisite Study., Naleef Fareed, Ramona G. Olvera, Yiting Wang, Michael Hayes, Elizabeth Liz Larimore, Peter Balvanz, Ronald Langley, Corinna A. Noel, Peter J. Rock, Daniel Redmond, Jessica Neufeld, Sarah Kosakowski, Daniel R. Harris, Marc Larochelle, Timothy R. Huerta, Lashawn Glasgow, Emmanuel Oga, Jennifer Villani, Elwin Wu

Center on Drug and Alcohol Research Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Data dashboards are published tools that present visualizations; they are increasingly used to display data about behavioral health, social determinants of health, and chronic and infectious disease risks to inform or support public health endeavors. Dashboards can be an evidence-based approach used by communities to influence decision-making in health care for specific populations. Despite widespread use, evidence on how to best design and use dashboards in the public health realm is limited. There is also a notable dearth of studies that examine and document the complexity and heterogeneity of dashboards in community settings.

OBJECTIVE: Community stakeholders engaged in the …

Characterizing The Monomer-Dimer Equilibrium Of Ubch8/Ube2l6: A Combined Saxs And Nmr Study, Kerem Kahraman, Scott A. Robson, Oktay Göcenler, Cansu M. Yenici, Cansu D. Tozkoparan Ceylan, Jennifer M. Klein, Volker Dötsch, Emine Sonay Elgin, Arthur L. Haas, Joshua J. Ziarek, Çağdaş Dağ

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Interferon-stimulated gene-15 (ISG15) is an interferon-induced protein with two ubiquitin-like (Ubl) domains linked by a short peptide chain and is a conjugated protein of the ISGylation system. Similar to ubiquitin and other Ubls, ISG15 is ligated to its target proteins through a series of E1, E2, and E3 enzymes known as Uba7, Ube2L6/UbcH8, and HERC5, respectively. Ube2L6/UbcH8 plays a central role in ISGylation, underscoring it as an important drug target for boosting innate antiviral immunity. Depending on the type of conjugated protein and the ultimate target protein, E2 enzymes have been shown to function as monomers, dimers, or both. UbcH8 …

Biomedical Informatic Analysis Of Critical Care Outcomes & Chronic Sequelae Of Sars-Cov-2 Infection, Michael John Patton

All ETDs from UAB

Infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative pathogen of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), resulted in an unprecedented loss of life over the past 4 years and has left an indelible mark on nearly every facet of medical care. Unlike pandemics of the 20th century or earlier, global adoption of electronic medical records (EMR) in the decade prior to the COVID-19 pandemic provided the bedrock for real-time healthcare innovation guided by biomedical informatics research. Mirroring the needs of healthcare providers, early informatics studies focused on identifying biomarkers and risk factors for severe presentations of COVID-19 and their …

Cross-Sectional Retrospective Study To Determine The Prevalence Of Periodontal Bone Loss As A Function Of Age In The Predoctoral Clinic Patient Population, Lincoln Nguyen

All ETDs from UAB

Age has a significant effect on the body’s ability fight off disease, recover, and maintain collagen structures, and it has been observed that older adults have a higher prevalence of periodontal diseases. Studies have shown that age is a risk factor for alveolar bone loss. However, there is a lack of research done looking at if this is a linear progression or if there is a specific age that susceptibility increases. The aim of this study is to investigate (1) changes in radiographic bone loss in varying age groups in the University of Alabama patient population and (2) to evaluate …

Uncovering The Contribution Of Desmoplakin Isoforms To Desmosome Structure And Function, Krishna Patel

All ETDs from UAB

UNCOVERING THE CONTRIBUTION OF DESMOPLAKIN ISOFORMS TO DESMOSOME STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION KRISHNA PATEL MULTIDISCIPLINARY BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE ABSTRACT Desmosomes are cell-cell junctions that maintain the integrity of tissues that experience significant mechanical stress, such as the skin and heart. Desmosomal plaque proteins are connected to the intermediate filaments by desmoplakin (DP), and genetic variants in DP are associated with several skin and heart pathologies, including erythrokeratodermia and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. DP contains three domains: an N-terminal plakin head, a central rod, and an intermediate filament-binding C-terminal tail. Furthermore, DP has three splice isoforms (DPI, DPIa, and DPII) that differ only in the …

Drug Resistance Mechanisms Of Trichomonas Vaginalis, Keonte Graves

All ETDs from UAB

Trichomonas vaginalis is a facultative anaerobic parasitic protozoan and the main causative agent of the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection, trichomoniasis. Trichomoniasis affects both men and women but is more commonly observed in women. The majority of infections are asymptomatic, but those with symptomatic infections often experience malodorous and discolored vaginal discharge, pruritis, dysuria, and/or dyspareunia. T. vaginalis infections have been associated with multiple adverse health outcomes including an increased risk of acquiring HIV and other STIs, infertility, adverse birth outcomes, and cervical cancer. The only current FDA-approved treatments come from the 5-nitroimidazole class of drugs (metronidazole, tinidazole, and …

Changes In Drug And Alcohol Behaviors Before And After An Educational Intervention Among At-Risk Adults And Youth, Isabel Cuellar Acker

All ETDs from UAB

Introduction: Substance abuse is defined as the excessive use of a drug in a way that is detrimental to oneself, society, or both. Gender is important to examine because it is becoming more common for females to develop substance use disorders and for their substance use to be more severe. This study will address the role of an education-based intervention on substance abuse in an area that is at the intersection of rural and urban geography with a unique pool of participants. Methods: This is a longitudinal cohort study that has a pre-post intervention design. A linear model was used …

The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status And Polygenic Risk Scores On Body Mass Index Among Non-Hispanic White Americans, Tomiwa Joshua Ayetigbo

All ETDs from UAB

The prevalence of obesity in the United States remains high, especially among individuals of low socioeconomic status (SES). Studies examining the joint influence of genetics and social factors, such as early life SES and education, in association with obesity remain underreported. These social factors might be related to a heightened risk of obesity. Genetic factors may further exacerbate the high-weight predisposition of those at risk. Genetic and social factors may act together to shape individuals’ weight. Therefore, this research ex-amined (a) whether the association between polygenic risk for BMI (PGS-BMI) and Body Mass Index (BMI) is independently modified by early …

Surface-Engineered Nano/Micro-Hybrid Polymer Systems For Environmental Health And Safety, Renjith Rajan Pillai

All ETDs from UAB

Environmental pollution involves the introduction of harmful substances into the natural environment, leading to detrimental effects on ecosystems, wildlife, and human health. This dissertation aims to advance comprehension of environmental pollution and explore efficient, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective methods of remediation. Recently, there has been increasing concern about the environmental impact of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), a subgroup of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and Heavy Metals (HMs) pollution, both known for their carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. These pollutants can significantly harm human health through inhalation, ingestion, or contact with contaminated soil, potentially resulting in conditions such as encephalopathy, kidney dysfunction, …

Reimagining Critical Care: Trends And Shifts In 21st Century Medicine, Sai Doppalapudi, Bilal Khan, Muhammad Adrish

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Critical care medicine has undergone significant evaluation in the 21st century, primarily driven by advancements in technology, changes in healthcare delivery, and a deeper understanding of disease processes. Advancements in technology have revolutionized patient monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment in the critical care setting. From minimally invasive procedures to advances imaging techniques, clinicians now have access to a wide array of tools to assess and manage critically ill patients more effectively. In this editorial we comment on the review article published by Padte S et al wherein they concisely describe the latest developments in critical care medicine.

Opportunities For Extension Educators To Support Caregivers Feeding Infants And Toddlers Through Nutrition Education, Elizabeth I. Kielb, Kameron J. Moding, Susan L. Johnson, Barbara A. Beaulieu, Blake A. Connolly, Stephanie J. Faroh, Laura L. Bellows

Journal of Extension

The 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans now include recommendations for infants and toddlers. Extension educators can use these expanded guidelines to provide feeding recommendations for caregivers of infants/toddlers. The purpose of this study was to explore 1) the infant and toddler feeding topics that Extension educators discuss with caregivers through formal curricula and informal conversations, 2) educators’ perceived barriers to teaching and discussing topics with caregivers, and 3) the optimal format of resources for educators and the communities they serve. Findings from this study confirmed a need among educators for infant/toddler feeding programs and resources offered through Extension.

Dynamics Of Conjunctivitis And Mycoplasma Gallisepticum Infections In House Finches, Barry K. Hartup, Jean M. Dhondt, David H. Ley, George V. Kollias

The Auk

No abstract provided.

Disease Emergence In Birds: Challenges For The Twenty-First Century, Milton Friend, Robert G. Mclean, F. Joshua Dein

The Auk

No abstract provided.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases: A Possible Cost Of Promiscuity In Birds?, Aldo Poiani, Colin Wilks

The Auk

No abstract provided.

Microbial Colonization Of The Cloacae Of Nestling Tree Swallows, Tamara K. Mills, Michael P. Lombardo, Patrick A. Thorpe

The Auk

No abstract provided.

Think Small, Edward H. Burtt Jr.

The Auk

No abstract provided.

Natural And Experimental Infections Of Eustrongylides Ignotus: Effect On Growth And Survival Of Nestling Wading Birds, Marilyn G. Spalding, Jeff P. Smith, Donald J. Forrester

The Auk

No abstract provided.

Living With Parasites: Prevalence Of A Blood Parasite And Its Effect On Survivorship In The Purple Martin, Priya Davidar, Eugene S. Morton

The Auk

No abstract provided.

Reviews, The Auk

The Auk

No abstract provided.

Notes On The Plumages And Generic Status Of The Little Blue Heron, Robert W. Dickerman, Kenneth C. Parkes

The Auk

No abstract provided.

Polynesian Rat Predation On Nesting Laysan Albatrosses And Other Pacific Seabirds, Cameron B. Kepler

The Auk

No abstract provided.

Recent Literature, The Auk

The Auk

No abstract provided.

Recent Literature, The Auk

The Auk

No abstract provided.