Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Impact Of Reduction In Methamphetamine Use On Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Men Who Have Sex With Men And Women: Findings From The Adapt- 2 Trial, Chukwuemeka N Okafor, Jin H Yoon, Ducel Jean-Berluche, Taryn L Mayes, Steve Shoptaw, Madhukar H Trivedi, Jennifer S Potter, Joy Schmitz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Methamphetamine (MA) use has been linked to engaging in sexual risk behaviors (SRBs) that are associated with HIV/STIs, particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM) and men who have sex with men and women (MSMW; hereafter MSM/W). The objectives of this analysis were to determine whether reduced MA is associated with decreases in SRBs in a sample of MSM/W.

Method: Data came from the ADAPT- 2 trial, a randomized, double-blind, two-stage sequential parallel design trial evaluating extended-release injectable naltrexone (NTX) and oral bupropion (BUP) vs. placebo for MA use disorder. In the first 6 weeks of the …

Emergency Operations Plan To Sufficiently Support Prison Disaster Preparedness, Nyhrie Love Chapman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emergency management in correctional facilities is a critical aspect of institutional safety and security. Natural disasters and public health crises have exposed significant gaps in preparedness, leaving incarcerated individuals and staff vulnerable during emergencies. This qualitative study was conducted to examine prison staff members’ perspectives on the effectiveness of emergency operations plans (EOPs) in responding to natural and human-made disasters. Guided by social vulnerability theory and policy implementation and effectiveness theory, this study employed a phenomenological approach to explore staff experiences. Through 12 in-depth interviews, participants described challenges related to resource limitations, training deficiencies, and breakdowns in communication between agencies. …

Preventing Errors With Two-Component Pediatric Vaccines, Angela C. Clarke

MSN Student Capstones

No abstract provided.

Nursing Advocacy Reduces Surgical Site Infections Related To Anastomotic Leak And Incidental Colon Lacerations, Claudia Chanes, Zebina Rodger

All Publications

No abstract provided.

2025 Student Research Symposium Abstract Book, University Of Health Sciences And Pharmacy

Student Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Keynote Presentation: Navigating A Career In Academic Medical Research, Dr. Jennie Kwon

Student Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Nurses' Feelings, Stress, Coping, And Motivation In Palestinian Treatment Centers Of Corona, † Wafaa Menawi, Shatha Mari, Ahmad Adel Hanani

An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities)

Background: Frontline nurses of COVID-19 found themselves in an unfamiliar new disease work environment, fighting to adapt and control the stress while working at covid-19 centers in Palestine. Aim: To investigate the impact of COVID-19 on nurses' feelings, stress, coping, and motivation in COVID-19 Palestinian treatment Centers. Method: A descriptive cross-sectional design was conducted between Mid of July to the end of October 2021 by recruiting a purposive sample of 390 nurses who worked at the Ministry of Health during COVID-19 pandemic treatment centers. The nurses filled out the COVID-19 Health Personnel Questionnaire with Cronbach's Alpha > 0.9. Results: Palestinian frontline …

Addressing Hiv And Substance Use Health Disparities Among Racial/Ethnic Minority Individuals, Jamie V. Saunt, David L. Hussey

Faculty Scholarship

Purpose of Review: Advances in HIV testing, prevention, and treatment, alongside increased awareness and harm reduction efforts for substance use disorder (SUD) have improved care and treatment access over the past decade. However, racial and ethnic minorities with SUD and HIV or at risk for HIV still face disproportionately high health disparities. Understanding and addressing the reasons behind these disparities is crucial. Recent Findings: Structural and systemic barriers continue to negatively impact minoritized communities, due to lack of access to care, mistrust, and feelings of ostracization. Disconnected systems for HIV and SUD treatment complicate combined care. Delays in HIV diagnosis …

Roger Williams University Law Review Symposium: Trauma-Informed Lawyering: Approaches To Advocating For Diverse Populations 11-15-2024, Roger Williams University School Of Law

School of Law Conferences, Lectures & Events

No abstract provided.

Does A Waiting Room Increase Same-Day Treatment For Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Pregnant Women? A Quality Improvement Study At South African Primary Healthcare Facilities, Ranjana M. Gigi, Mandisa M. Mdingi, Lukas Bütikofer, Chibuzor M. Babalola, Jeffrey D. Klausner, Andrew Medina-Marino, Christina A. Muzny, Christopher M. Taylor, Janneke H. Van De Wijgert, Remco P. Peters, Nicola Low

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Same-day testing and treatment of curable sexually transmitted infections (STI) is a strategy to reduce infection duration and onward transmission. South African primary healthcare facilities often lack sufficient waiting spaces. This study aimed to assess the proportion of, and factors influencing, pregnant women waiting for on-site STI test results before and after the installation of clinic-based waiting rooms. METHODS: We conducted an observational quality improvement study at 5 public primary healthcare facilities in South Africa from March 2021 to May 2023. The intervention was the installation of a waiting room in two clinics. Three clinics were used as comparators: …

Mitigating The Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Human Development: The Case Of Tortugas, Balanga City, Bataan, Patrick C. De Leon

Journal of Public Affairs and Development

This study aimed to analyze how Barangay Tortugas implemented its programs and projects to mitigate the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of the three elements of human development (health, education, and access to resources). Data were gathered through key informant interviews using a structured questionnaire. Purposive sampling was used in selecting respondents comprised of eight barangay officials, the school principal, 13 teachers, and 60 beneficiaries of the Barangay Kitchen Station and the vaccination program. Results of the study showed that among the various programs and projects being implemented in the barangay, only three (3) were successful. …

Alpha-Synuclein Seed Amplification Assays: Data Sharing, Standardization Needed For Clinical Use, Hilal A Lashuel, D James Surmeier, Tanya Simuni, Kalpana Merchant, Byron Caughey, Claudio Soto, Mohamed-Bilal Fares, Roland G Heym, Ronald Melki

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Alpha-synuclein seed amplification assays can improve neurodegenerative disease diagnosis and care, but widespread use depends on a framework that standardizes protocols and encourages data sharing.

Understanding Strain-Level Dynamics In Gut Commensal-Pathogen-Host Interactions, Anna Louise Deveaux

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The human gut microbiome is a consortium of trillions of bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses that colonizes the gastrointestinal tract and promotes health under homeostatic conditions. This microbial community trains the immune system, modulates inflammation and anticancer immunity, promotes cardiometabolic health, enables nutrient extraction, and prevents pathogen overgrowth. The latter function manifests through colonization resistance, in which microbes occupy spatial and nutritional niches thereby excluding pathogens from the community entirely, and through limiting pathogen population growth if colonization occurs. These roles are facilitated by complex host-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions that underlie differences in susceptibility to microbiome-mediated infectious diseases. The strain-level …

Investigation Of Sprinkler Requirements In One-Or-Two-Family Newly Constructed Homes, Courtney Catrillo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Multiple case studies and available data supported the effectiveness of residential fire sprinklers. Despite this, 48 states have not implemented a requirement for residential sprinklers in newly constructed homes and 46 have eliminated the requirement. The purpose of this study was to examine which states have adopted the recommendation and to what extent. This generic qualitative study is an exploration of the reasons behind the lack of adoption. Data from reports, charts, and tables from publicly available sources, including government and stakeholder websites, were analyzed using expected utility theory to compile a findings table. The results indicated that only Maryland …

Culturally Appropriate Mental Health Awareness To Reduce Mental Health Stigmatization And Improve Quality Of Life Among People Of African Descent., Nicoline Frinwie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Social Support And Treatment Outcomes Among Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis And Persons Living With Hiv In Nigeria, Abiodun Olusegun Hassan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An estimated 40% of people with tuberculosis (TB) are missed due to underdiagnosis, and among those previously treated TB cases, about a quarter develop drug-resistant TB in Nigeria. The emergence of multi-drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) is stalling the effort towards TB’s control and eradication. Few studies have examined the impact of the psychosocial effect and support systems for TB, particularly for MDR-TB. In this quantitative, cross-sectional study, the predictive relationship between social support given to MDR-TB patients and their treatment outcomes was examined using secondary data of 594 MDR-TB cases enrolled between January 2018 and December 2021. The theoretical framework for …

A Woman's Place In Politics: The Effects Of Gendered Politics On A Global Level, Aruhi Kodeboyina

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Women have been denied equality, especially with respect to their male counterparts. Feminism is the theory that seeks to explain this by the norms, beliefs, and societal pressure by which women have been excluded. One predominant realm in which women have been excluded is politics. Although there has been a rise in female politicians across the world, they continue to face the same stereotypes as before. Thus, this study delves into the implications of having more female leaders, looking more specifically at liberal feminist international relations theory. By reviewing literature, this study finds that female leaders impact a variety of …

Clinical Characteristics And Outcomes Of Pediatric Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome (Ssss) At An Inner-City Tertiary Care Center, Nina Kb Gust Md, Ashley Frei Bs, Rebecca M. Adams Bs, Elika Ridelman Phd, Christina Shanti Md, Ronald Thomas Phd, Jocelyn Y. Ang Md

Medical Student Research Symposium

Introduction

Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome (SSSS) is a blistering skin condition caused by a toxin-producing staphylococcus species. Epidemiologic studies on pediatric SSSS in the United States are limited, with a reported incidence of 7.67 cases per million children and 45.1 per million infants. Immature renal function, lack of protective antibodies, and increased exotoxin target desmoglein-1 are hypothesized to increase incidence in younger children. We aimed to determine clinical and microbiological characteristics of pediatric SSSS and factors that could help predict disease severity.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was performed for admitted patients under 18 years old diagnosed with SSSS from …

New Custom Primers For The Detection Of Sars-Cov-2 Using The Singleplex Rrt‒Pcr Sybr Green-Based Method With The Nsp10 And N Genes As Targets, Shabarni Gaffar, Hanif Shabrinna, Rafika Putri, Hesti Lina Wiraswati, Yeni Wahyuni Hartati, Safri Ishmayana, Lia Faridah, Savira Ekawardhani

Chimica et Natura Acta

Although COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency, rapid, sensitive, and specific detection tests are still needed. In this study, we developed a cost-effective test, the SYBR Green-based rRT‒PCR kit, using new custom primers targeting the N and NSP10 genes of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The specificity of the designed primers was determined through agarose gel electrophoresis. A standard curve generated from a ten-fold dilution of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was used to determine the efficiency and sensitivity of the kit. Validation of this protocol was carried out on ten clinical specimens. As expected, the results showed that the N and NSP10 …

Exit Strategy: How Methods Of Gaining Independence From European Colonial Powers Impact Development In Post-Colonial African Nations, Sophia Wehle

Undergraduate Student Symposium

How does the way a colony gains independence from its power impact that colony’s future development? It is well documented that being a former colony has an impact on how a nation develops once they are independent, however, what is not clear is if a nation’s development is impacted by the way they separate from their colonial power. This paper argues that there is a correlation between the way a colony gains their independence and how developed they are. For the sake of this research three main ways of gaining independence will be considered: though violent resistance, peaceful negotiations, or …

Comparative Genomics Across Streptomyces Murinus Strains To Identify Biosynthetic Gene Cluster For Antifungal Metabolite 'Pentamycin', Nitish Dundigalla, Ashley Bran Sampson, Smrithi Mukund, Melianni Terrero Terrero

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Streptomyces are filamentous, Gram-positive bacteria in the phylum Actinobacteria that are known to produce a diverse array of antimicrobial metabolites. A Streptomyces murinus strain SPC1, contains a 15- gene biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) that produces an antifungal metabolite ‘pentamycin’ (fungichromin), and is shown to exhibit antimicrobial activity against fungal pathogens of palms¹. Using SPC1 strain as a reference, we analyzed the conservation of BGCs across 17 other S. murinus strains. A specialized bioinformatics analysis tool, antiSMASH² , was used to identify and annotate BGCs that produce pentamycin. Pairwise comparison of the 15 genes comprising the pentamycin cluster …

Empowering Gender Diverse Students: Developing A Resource Guide At Nova Southeastern University, Meghana Jagarlamudi, Kayla Sewell

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Between 2018 and 2022, faculty mentor and previous research partners conducted interviews and needbased assessments with transgender students at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) highlighting the need for greater awareness of university policies, procedures, and resources supporting the well-being of gender-diverse students. To address this, the research team collaborated to explore NSU's current policies on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB), Title IX, protocols for names and pronouns, housing and bathroom accommodations, advocacy processes, and student organizations across these campus offices. These findings led to the creation of the NSU Resource Guide for Gender Diverse Students (work in progress), which offers …

The Fascinations And Downfalls Of Undergraduate Pre-Health Students, Alexis Salcedo

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This project aims to research and discover the stress of Pre-health students and the effects that stress has on their passions for the field. The pre-health field is notorious for being difficult and requiring incredibly hard work, however, all pre-health students all have a common goal in mind and that is to become health professionals in their respective field. As a pre-health student myself, I came into college with a great passion for my field, however, I have certainly faced struggles along the way, but they have not deterred me from my goal. In order to get information, there will …

The Stability Of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids In Salmon Following Gamma Irradiation, Saya Seraj

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), particularly omega-3 and omega-6, are essential nutrients for human health, with salmon being a significant dietary source. However, fish spoilage during refrigeration remains a concern. Gamma irradiation has been approved as a method to reduce bacteria in various foods such as chicken, beef, and shellfish, but it has yet to be approved for fish. To gain FDA approval, it is crucial to demonstrate that this process preserves the nutritional components, particularly PUFAs, in irradiated fish.

In this study, we investigate the effects of gamma irradiation on the PUFA content of salmon at doses of 0.5 kGy …

Buzz And Bloom: Attractiveness Of Odor And Petal Color In South Florida Native Flowers, Maria Castellon, Claudette Artiles, Fabie Gelin, Nia Lewis

Undergraduate Student Symposium

South Florida is home to many species of flowers, such as Tradescantia ohiensis (also known as Spiderwort) and Bidens alba (also known as Spanish needle). Spanish Needle is a common weed that has a small flower with white petals and a yellow center while Spiderwort is a wildflower with bluish-purple petals and yellow anthers. Flowers have adapted their physical traits to attract pollinators through their colorful petals and the aromas they emit. Bees are known to use visual cues to identify flowers over long distances and use odor cues for short distances. The objective of this study was to evaluate …

How Do Gamified Interventions Influence Long-Term Health Outcomes In Managing And Reducing The Progression Of Chronic Illnesses Among Children Under 18?, Taruni Singanamala, Mohit Belur, Jeremy Ignatius

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Despite the advancements in medical care, children below the age of 18 years and their parents or guardians face significant challenges in managing chronic diseases, such as strict treatment regimens with lifestyle modifications for effective management. Nutrition, exercise, and adherence to medication all prevent children from acquiring or assist them in managing a chronic illness. Recent studies have shown that gamifying these aspects makes these goals more attainable and could be the answer to encouraging children and their families. Gamified interventions show promise in improving behavioral adherence and longer-term health outcomes by including features such as rewards, challenges, and progress …

Socioeconomic Drivers Of Crime In France: Analyzing The Relationship Between Immigration, Poverty, And Criminality, Imadeddine Zmarou

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This study examines the relationship between immigration and crime in France, using departmental data from 2021. Amid rising political tensions and far-right claims linking immigration to insecurity, the research investigates whether these assertions hold statistical merit. Regression analyses assess the impact of immigrant population percentages on homicide and sexual assault rates, controlling for factors such as poverty and population density. The analysis finds no significant link between immigration and homicide rates. Instead, poverty emerges as a major determinant, with departments experiencing higher poverty levels reporting significantly more homicides. Conversely, areas with higher immigrant populations report fewer sexual assaults, a trend …

Exploring Vibrational Energy Transfer Between Dna And Water Molecules, Jarlynn Ramirez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Studies have shown that when DNA absorbs ultraviolet light it can become structurally damaged leading to a mutation. Absorption of ultraviolet light causes molecular vibrations in DNA and these vibrations are what likely leads to structural changes in the DNA. However, exposing DNA to ultraviolet light rarely leads to structural damage. This indicates that the energy from the absorbed ultraviolet light is often dissipated in a way that does not damage the DNA. One way the structural changes could be avoided is by vibrational energy transfer from DNA to nearby water molecules. To investigate this potential biological mechanism, molecular dynamics …

Impacts Of Early Childhood Intervention On The Cognitive Development Of Individuals With Down Syndrome, Ella Riddle

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Trisomy 21, commonly known as Down Syndrome, is a chromosomal condition that causes intellectual and developmental delays. It is one of the several intellectual disabilities that is protected in the education system under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that provides free and appropriate public education (FAPE) to children with disabilities. Though there is no “cure” for the syndrome, there are several therapies and interventions that significantly improve the cognitive capabilities of individuals diagnosed with Down Syndrome. In recent years, early intervention strategies taking place as early as birth until the age of three have been implemented through services …

Investigation And Reclassification Of Gordonia Bacteriophage Protein Folding And Function With Google Deepmind's Alphafold Artificial Intellifence Software, Taylor Butler

Undergraduate Student Symposium

As the rapid evolution of multi-drug-resistant bacteria inflict public health and environmental crises, the need for alternatives to convention antibiotics is necessary. Bacteriophage (phage) interventions has resurfaced as a prospective avenue of study. However, these viruses that are capable of infecting and killing bacteria are widely undiscovered and lack genetic characterization. Current methods utilize bioinformatics and comparative tools to identify genes and protein functions. Unfortunately, functional classification of phage proteins is difficult with limited experimental data. As a result, functional assignments are often made on synteny using genetically similar bacteriophages. However, many proteins are assigned “hypothetical” functions as no comparative …