Digital Commons Network^™

A Retrospective Assessment Of Guideline Adherence And Treatment Outcomes From Clostridioides Difficile Infection Following The Idsa 2021 Clinical Guideline Update: Clostridioides Difficile Infection, Erik R Dubberke, Qinghua Li, Engels N Obi, Vladimir Turzhitsky, Fakhar Siddiqui, Brian H Nathanson

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: The 2021 update to the Infectious Diseases Society of America

METHODS: This retrospective, observational study used the PINC AI Healthcare Database on adult patients who received CDI treatment between 1/2020 and 6/2021 (pre period) and between 10/2021 and 9/2022 (post period). We examined treatment patterns of fidaxomicin, vancomycin, and metronidazole, as well as clinical and health care resource use outcomes of patients treated exclusively with fidaxomicin vs vancomycin, using nearest-neighbor propensity matching and hierarchical regression methods. As a sensitivity analysis, we repeated the fidaxomicin vs vancomycin comparisons among patients with recurrent and nonrecurrent index infections.

RESULTS: A total of …

Sequential Early-Life Viral Infections Modulate The Microbiota And Adaptive Immune Responses To Systemic And Mucosal Vaccination, Yuhao Li, Jerome M. Molleston, Crystal Lovato, Jasmine Wright, Isabel Erickson, Duyen Bui, Andrew H. Kim, Harshad Ingle, Somya Aggarwal, Lila S Nolan, Ahmed O. Hassan, Lynne Foster, Michael S. Diamond, Megan T. Baldridge

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Increasing evidence points to the microbial exposome as a critical factor in maturing and shaping the host immune system, thereby influencing responses to immune challenges such as infections or vaccines. To investigate the effect of early-life viral exposures on immune development and vaccine responses, we inoculated mice with six distinct viral pathogens in sequence beginning in the neonatal period, and then evaluated their immune signatures before and after intramuscular or intranasal vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. Sequential viral infection drove profound changes in all aspects of the immune system, including increasing circulating leukocytes, altering innate and adaptive immune cell lineages in tissues, …

Postprostatectomy Radiotherapy Timing And Long-Term Health-Related Quality Of Life, Sagar A Patel, Jeff M Michalski, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: The association between radiotherapy (RT) timing after radical prostatectomy and long-term patient-reported health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in men with prostate cancer is unknown.

OBJECTIVE: To measure long-term HRQOL in men with prostate cancer up to 15 years after prostatectomy with or without RT and examine whether early vs late postprostatectomy RT is associated with differences in sexual, urinary, and bowel HRQOL.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A prospective, multicenter, longitudinal cohort analysis using HRQOL data from the PROST-QA (2003-2006) and RP2 consortium (2010-2013) studies was conducted. Men with localized prostate cancer undergoing radical prostatectomy were included. Data were analyzed …

Cardiovascular Outcomes, Health-Promoting Behaviors, And Social Determinants: Structural Racism And The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Jaclyn K. Schwartz, Emily A. Kringle, Suzanne Perea Burns, Catherine R. Hoyt, Kelly M. Harris, Sami Tayeb

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Body Mass Index And Postacute Sequelae Of Sars-Cov-2 Infection In Children And Young Adults, Ting Zhou, Chongliang Luo, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Obesity is associated with increased severity of COVID-19. Whether obesity is associated with an increased risk of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) among pediatric populations, independent of its association with acute infection severity, is unclear.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the association of body mass index (BMI) status before SARS-CoV-2 infection with pediatric PASC risk, controlling for acute infection severity.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective cohort study occurred at 26 US children's hospitals from March 2020 to May 2023 with a minimum follow-up of 179 days. Eligible participants included children and young adults aged 5 to 20 years with …

Discovery Of Genomic And Transcriptomic Pleiotropy Between Kidney Function And Soluble Receptor For Advanced Glycation End Products Using Correlated Meta-Analyses: The Long Life Family Study, Mary F Feitosa, Shiow J Lin, Sandeep Acharya, Bharat Thyagarajan, Mary K Wojczynski, Allison L Kuipers, Alexander Kulminski, Kaare Christensen, Joseph M Zmuda, Michael R Brent, Michael A Province

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have increased oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, which may escalate the production of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). High soluble receptor for AGE (sRAGE) and low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) levels are associated with CKD and aging. We evaluated whether eGFR calculated from creatinine and cystatin C share pleiotropic genetic factors with sRAGE. We employed whole-genome sequencing and correlated meta-analyses on combined genome-wide association study (GWAS) p-values in 4182 individuals (age range: 24-110) from the Long Life Family Study (LLFS). We also conducted transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) on whole blood in a subset of …

Lps-Induced Whole-Blood Cytokine Production And Depressive Symptoms In Dementia Spousal Caregivers: The Moderating Effect Of Childhood Trauma, Daniel L Argueta, Kelly N Brice, E Lydia Wu-Chung, Michelle A Chen, Vincent D Lai, Jensine Paoletti-Hatcher, Bryan T Denny, Charles Green, Luis D Medina, Paul Schulz, Jennifer Stinson, Cobi Heijnen, Christopher P Fagundes

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Dementia spousal caregivers are at risk for adverse mental and physical health outcomes. Caregiver burden, anticipatory grief, and proinflammatory cytokine production may contribute to depressive symptoms among caregivers. People who report childhood trauma are more likely to have exaggerated stress responses that may also contribute to depressive symptoms in adulthood. This study aimed to test whether the relationship between whole-blood cytokine production and depressive symptoms is strongest in caregivers who report high levels of childhood trauma.

Methods: A sample of 103 dementia spousal caregivers provided self-report data on demographics, health information, caregiver burden, anticipatory grief, and depressive symptoms. We also …

Neoadjuvant And Adjuvant Treatments For Early Stage Resectable Nsclc: Consensus Recommendations From The International Association For The Study Of Lung Cancer, Jonathan D Spicer, Tina Cascone, Murry W Wynes, Myung-Ju Ahn, Sanja Dacic, Enriqueta Felip, Patrick M Forde, Kristin A Higgins, Mark G Kris, Tetsuya Mitsudomi, Mariano Provencio, Suresh Senan, Benjamin J Solomon, Ming Sound Tsao, Masahiro Tsuboi, Heather A Wakelee, Yi-Long Wu, James Chih-Hsin Yang, Caicun Zhou, David H Harpole, Karen L Kelly

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Advances in the multidisciplinary care of early stage resectable NSCLC (rNSCLC) are emerging at an unprecedented pace. Numerous phase 3 trials produced results that have transformed patient outcomes for the better, yet these findings also require important modifications to the patient treatment journey trajectory and reorganization of care pathways. Perhaps, most notably, the need for multispecialty collaboration for this patient population has never been greater. These rapid advances have inevitably left us with important gaps in knowledge for which definitive answers will only become available in several years. To this end, the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer …

Multi-Generation Queer Families: Foregrounding The Lgbtqia+ Children Of Lgbtqia+ People, Bella Mancini Pori, Edward Stein

Articles

In the last several years, state legislatures have passed a disturbing array of anti-queer laws that target queer (especially trans) children. The basic fear animating these laws is that exposure to LGBTQ people or LGBTQ supportive ideas will somehow turn straight children queer. LGBTQ activists have responded to the concern that exposure to queer people or ideas will make children queer by arguing that sexual orientations are innate or immutable. This immutability argument is problematic, first, because it avoids confronting the normative judgment at the heart of the fear of a queer child by failing to say that there is …

The Forever Family’S Legal Loophole: A 50-State Survey On Adoption Dissolution, Kira Kilstein

Cardozo Law Review

Adoption is said to be “forever”—longing parents fulfill their dream of parenthood and children get a “forever family.” While the legal system intends for adoptive parent-child relationships to be permanent, a happily-ever-after ending is elusive when adoptions are enabled to fail. In the United States, each state can set its own standard for when courts may grant a request to dissolve an adoption, as well as time limits within which a parent may ask the court to vacate the adoption decree. This legal loophole, known as adoption dissolution, has been met with controversy about the permissibility of parents giving up …

Anyone You Are Related To Can Be Used Against You: Criminal Discovery Statutes And Investigative Genetic Genealogy, Caroline Levine

Cardozo Law Review

The use of investigative genetic genealogy (“IGG”) as a basis for arresting suspects in complex and dormant investigations is raising serious concerns about whether the due process rights of criminal defendants in these cases are being violated. This Note provides a comprehensive look at the role of this groundbreaking, yet little-understood technology in criminal prosecutions. Technological advances have historically necessitated that courts expand and reinterpret legal principles. As a novel derivative of traditional DNA testing, this Note argues IGG should similarly require that discovery statutes be amended or rewritten to adapt to this cutting-edge technique, which is so new that …

Redbird Impact, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Fall 2024), Center For Civic Engagement

Redbird Impact

No abstract provided.

Redbird Scholar, Vol. 10, No. 1 (Fall 2024), Illinois State University, Office Of The Vice President For Research And Graduate Studies

Redbird Scholar

No abstract provided.

Intimate Partner Violence And Parenting, Jeff R Temple, Elizabeth Baumler, Leila Wood

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This cohort study evaluates parental stress and protective factors mitigating risks for child maltreatment in the context of intimate partner violence.

Abstinence Beliefs In Early Adolescence And Sexual Risk Behavior Two Years Later, Shristi Bhochhibhoya, Briana Edison, Elizabeth R Baumler, Christine M Markham, Susan T Emery, Melissa F Peskin, Ross Shegog, Robert C Addy, Jeff R Temple, Dennis E Reidy

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: The United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate and sexually transmitted infection rates among developed countries. One common approach that has been implemented to reduce these rates is abstinence-only-until-marriage programs that advocate for delaying sexual intercourse until marriage. These programs focus on changing adolescents' beliefs toward abstinence until marriage; however, it is unclear whether adolescents' beliefs about abstinence predict their sexual behavior, including sexual risk behavior (SRB). An alternative approach may be encouraging youth to delay their sexual debut until they reach the age of maturity, but not necessarily until marriage.

Methods: To address this question, we compare …

Disciplinary Differences And Scholarly Literature: Faculty Experiences With Discovery, Browsing, And Format, Chad E. Buckley, Rachel E. Scott, Anne Shelley, Cassie Thayer-Styes, Julie A. Murphy

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

This study reports faculty experiences regarding the discovery of scholarly content, highlighting similarities and differences across a range of academic disciplines. The authors interviewed twenty-five faculty members at a public, high-research university in the Midwest to explore the intersections of discovery, browsing, and format from diverse disciplinary perspectives. Although most participants rely on similar discovery tools such as library catalogs and databases and Google Scholar, their discovery techniques varied according to the discipline and type of research being done. Browsing is not a standard method for discovery, but it is still done selectively and strategically by some scholars. Journal articles …

Topological Cluster Statistic (Tcs): Toward Structural Connectivity–Guided Fmri Cluster Enhancement, Sina Mansour L., Caio Seguin, Anderson M. Winkler, Stephanie Noble, Andrew Zalesky

School of Medicine Publications

Abstract

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies most commonly use cluster-based inference to detect local changes in brain activity. Insufficient statistical power and disproportionate false-positive rates reportedly hinder optimal inference. We propose a structural connectivity–guided clustering framework, called topological cluster statistic (TCS), that enhances sensitivity by leveraging white matter anatomical connectivity information. TCS harnesses multimodal information from diffusion tractography and functional imaging to improve task fMRI activation inference. Compared to conventional approaches, TCS consistently improves power over a wide range of effects. This improvement results in a 10%–50% increase in local sensitivity with the greatest gains for medium-sized effects. TCS …

Creating Sustainable School And Home Gardens: Beneficial Biological Control Insects, Kaitlin Campbell, Rita Hagevik, Kathy Cabe Trundle

All Current Publications

On small scales, like school and home gardens, encouraging biological control agents can be highly effective, reducing the need for insecticides that harm the environment, humans, and beneficial insects. This fact sheet provides information on using beneficial insects in your garden and offers a field guide to identify them.

Leptospirosis In The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus Anatinus) In Australia: Who Is Infecting Whom?, Richard J. Whittington, Thomas R. Grant, Jarrad Mckercher, Monica Suann, Keith Hart, Kathrine A. Handasyde, James Macgregor, Mark E. Westman, Joanne H. Connolly

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is an amphibious, egg-laying mammal of high conservation value that is found only in Australia. The zoonotic bacterium Leptospira interrogans serovar Hardjo was discovered in platypuses in prior studies, but little is known about its epidemiology. Samples in the Platypus Serum Bank were tested in 2023 and the results were combined with historical records. Antibodies against L. interrogans serovar Hardjo were found in 50% of 464 serum samples from 411 platypuses collected from 14 river basins in southeastern Australia between 1981 and 2012; prevalence remained high over three decades in the Shoalhaven River population. Seroprevalence increased …

The Use Of Insect Cell Line Sf21 For Ecotoxicity Testing, Trevor Grigg, Richard D. Handy, Richard A. Billington

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Insect cell lines are finding utility in many areas of biology, but their application as an in vitro tool for ecotoxicity testing has been given less attention. Our study aimed to demonstrate the utility and sensitivity of Sf21 cells to commonly used fungicides: Propiconazole and CuSO₄, as well as dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) an industrial solvent. Sf21 cells were readily cultured from frozen stocks in 3-4 days and showed utility as an invertebrate in vitro acute toxicity test. The data showed the threshold levels of cell survivability against propiconazole and CuSO₄. The EC₅₀ values were 135.1 …

Intertidal Seagrass Extent From Sentinel-2 Time-Series Show Distinct Trajectories In Western Europe, Bede Ffinian Rowe Davies, Simon Oiry, Philippe Rosa, Maria Laura Zoffoli, Ana I. Sousa, Oliver R. Thomas, Dan A. Smale, Melanie C. Austen, Lauren Biermann, Martin J. Attrill, Alejandro Roman, Gabriel Navarro, Anne Laure Barillé, Nicolas Harin, Daniel Clewley, Victor Martinez-Vicente, Pierre Gernez, Laurent Barillé

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Intertidal areas, which emerge during low tide, form a vital link between terrestrial and marine environments. Seagrasses, a well-studied intertidal habitat, provide a multitude of different ecosystem goods and services. However, owing to their relatively high exposure to anthropogenic impacts, seagrasss meadows and other intertidal habitats have seen extensive declines. Remote sensing methods that can capture the spatial and temporal variation of marine habitats are essential to best assess the trajectories of seagrass ecosystems. An advanced machine learning method has been developed to map intertidal vegetation from satellite-derived surface reflectance at a 12-band multispectral resolution and distinguish between similarly pigmented …

Adherence To A Healthful Plant-Based Diet And Risk Of Mortality Among Individuals With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Prospective Cohort Study, Alysha S. Thompson, Martina Gaggl, Nicola P. Bondonno, Amy Jennings, Joshua K. O'Neill, Claire Hill, Nena Karavasiloglou, Sabine Rohrmann, Aedín Cassidy, Tilman Kühn

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Plant-rich dietary patterns may protect against negative health outcomes among individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD), although aspects of plant-based diet quality have not been studied. This study aimed to examine associations between healthful and unhealthful plant-based dietary patterns with risk of all-cause mortality among CKD patients for the first time.

Methods: This prospective analysis included 4807 UK Biobank participants with CKD at baseline. We examined associations of adherence to both the healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI) and unhealthful plant-based diet index (uPDI), calculated from repeated 24-h dietary assessments, with risk of all-cause mortality using multivariable Cox proportional hazard …

Development Of Malate Biosensor-Containing Hydrogels And Living Cell-Based Sensors, Nathan J. Ricks, Monica Brachi, Kevin Mcfadden, Rohit G. Jadhav, Shelley D. Minteer, Ming C. Hammond

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Malate is a key intermediate in the citric acid cycle, an enzymatic cascade that is central to cellular energy metabolism and that has been applied to make biofuel cells. To enable real-time sensing of malate levels, we have engineered a genetically encoded, protein-based fluorescent biosensor called Malon specifically responsive to malate by performing structure-based mutagenesis of the Cache-binding domain of the Citron GFP-based biosensor. Malon demonstrates high specificity and fluorescence activation in response to malate and has been applied to monitor enzymatic reactions in vitro. Furthermore, we successfully incorporated Malon into redox polymer hydrogels and bacterial cells, enabling analysis of …

Neutrosophic Approach To Water Quality Assessment: A Case Study Of Gomati River, The Largest River In Tripura, India, Ajoy Kanti Das, Nandini Gupta, Carlos Granados, Rakhal Das, Suman Das

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

This study addresses the complexity of assessing river water quality, a multifaceted process influenced by numerous water quality parameters (WQPs) characterized by inherent uncertainties and diverse judgment information from decision-makers. These uncertainties and diverse judgment information can be effectively represented and simulated using Neutrosophic sets. In this study, we propose an effective water pollution rating system, the Neutrosophic water quality index (NWQI), to derive a water pollution score (NWQI-score) for rating water pollution levels. We demonstrate the application of our methodology through an assessment of water quality indices for rating pollution in the Gomati River, the largest river in Tripura, …

Unveiling Similarities In The Code Of Life: A Detailed Exploration Of Dna Sequence Matching Algorithm, Mahmoud Y. Shams, Romany M. Farag, Dalia A. Aldawody, Huda E. Khalid, Ahmed K. Essa, Hazem M. El-Bakry, A. A. Salama

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

Identifying similar DNA sequences is crucial in various biological research endeavors. This paper delves into the intricate workings of a specific algorithm designed for this purpose. We provide a systematic explanation, exploring how the algorithm handles user input, reads stored DNA sequences, utilizes the Word2Vec model for vector representation, and calculates sequence similarity using diverse metrics like Cosine Similarity and Neutrosophic Distance. Additionally, the paper explores the incorporation of neutrosophic values to account for uncertainty in the comparisons. Finally, we discuss the extraction of results, including matched sequences, similarity scores, and accuracy measures. This in-depth exploration provides a clear understanding …

Fabrication And Evaluation Of Multicomponent Biomimetic Scaffolds For Bone Tissue Engineering, Mozan Osman Hassan

Dissertations

Bones have an inherent ability to remodel, but critical-size defects can hinder regeneration, leading to delayed healing or non-union fractures. Traditional bone grafts have limitations, such as donor site morbidity and immune rejection, driving the need for synthetic bone substitutes. Bone tissue engineering (BTE) addresses this by developing biomimetic scaffolds that replicate bone properties. This research aimed to fabricate composite scaffolds from strontium (Sr) and zinc (Zn) doped nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAp), collagen, and poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA). Different doping percentages of Sr/Zn (1%, 2.5%, 4%) were used to fabricate the scaffolds using supercritical CO2 (ScCO2) and electrospinning techniques. Scaffolds were then analyzed for …

Reflections On Linear B (Part 4): Linear B Sign 51 From The Egyptian Beetle-God Khepri, Gerald Leonard Cohen

Arts, Languages and Philosophy Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Late Life Cognitive Function Trajectory Among The Chinese Oldest-Old Population-A Machine Learning Approach, Jierong Hu, Minzhi Ye, Juan Xi

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Informed by the biopsychosocial framework, our study uses the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) dataset to examine cognitive function trajectories among the oldest-old (80+). Employing K-means clustering, we identified two latent groups: High Stability (HS) and Low Stability (LS). The HS group maintained satisfactory cognitive function, while the LS group exhibited consistently low function. Lasso regression revealed predictive factors, including socioeconomic status, biological conditions, mental health, lifestyle, psychological, and behavioral factors. This data-driven approach sheds light on cognitive aging patterns and informs policies for healthy aging. Our study pioneers non-parametric machine learning methods in this context.

Challenges Facing The Utilization Of Mobile Telephony In Learning In Some Selected Higher Institutions Of Learning In Nigeria, Ogonwa Jacinta, Okoh Helen Ewere, Okoledo Seromo, Ufuoma Eruvwe

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study investigated challenges facing the utilization of mobile telephony in learning in some selected higher institutions of learning in Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey using questionnaire to collect data. The population of the study consist of 355 students which were randomly picked from some selected higher institutions of learning in Nigeria. A total of the 355questionnaires were distributed only 309 were retrieved. Descriptive statistics, (mean and percentage) were used for analysis. A mean score of 2.5 and above and a percentage score of 50% were considered for decision making. The study revealed the following as the prospects …

Extraordinary Variance In Meta-Analysis Of Venom Toxicity Of 160 Most Lethal Ophidians And Guidelines For Estimating Human Lethal Dose Range, Brian P. Hanley, Gustavo Gross

School of Medicine Publications

Background: This is the first meta-analysis to characterize intra-ophidian-species variation in whole venom. Being the largest possible meta-analysis at this time, it encompasses all known records of animal lethality studies over the past 100 years. These results were not artifacts of resistant test-animal species and showed orders of magnitude beyond the 1.6 logs (40-fold change) range of lethal dose documented in the literature between amphibians, lizards, and mice.

Methods: A total of 1003 lethal dose study results for 160 of the most lethal venomous ophidian species in the world were analyzed.

Results: LDLo was not different from LD50 across studies, …