Digital Commons Network^™

Mentoring Deep Learning Models For Mass Screening With Limited Data, Suprim Nakarmi

Dissertations and Theses

Deep Learning (DL) has an extensively rich state-of-the-art literature in medical imaging analysis. However, it requires large amount of data to begin training. This limits its usage in tackling future epidemics, as one might need to wait for months and even years to collect fully annotated data, raising a fundamental question: is it possible to deploy AI-driven tool earlier in epidemics to mass screen the infected cases? For such a context, human/Expert in the loop Machine Learning (ML), or Active Learning (AL), becomes imperative enabling machines to commence learning from the first day with minimum available labeled dataset. In an …

Dynamic Patterns And Modelling Of Covid-19 Early Transmission By Dynamic Mode Decomposition, Dehong Fang, Lei Guo, M. Courtney Hughes, Jifu Tan

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Introduction

Understanding the transmission patterns and dynamics of COVID-19 is critical to effective monitoring, intervention, and control for future pandemics. The aim of this study was to investigate the spatial and temporal characteristics of COVID-19 transmission during the early stage of the outbreak in the US, with the goal of informing future responses to similar outbreaks.

Methods

We used dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) and national data on COVID-19 cases (April 6, 2020–October 9, 2020) to model the spread of COVID-19 in the US as a dynamic system. DMD can decompose the complex evolution of disease cases into linear combinations of …

Synthesis, Characterization, And Evaluation Of A Bionanomatrix And Antibiotic-Releasing Liposomes On Osseointegration, Vascularization, Inflammation, And Antibacterial Efficacy, Benjamin Kade Estep

All ETDs from UAB

Percutaneous osseointegrated prostheses (POP) implants combat the multitude of issues and limitations of contemporary prosthetic sockets/limbs, including range of motion, comfort/fit, irritation, gait, and osseoproprioception. However, POP implants lack long-term clinical success; specifically, several risks exist at the bone-implant interface, including superficial/deep infections, inflammation, poor vascularization, and inadequate osseointegration, resulting in implant loosening over time and ultimately removal of the implant. The goal of this thesis is to evaluate a multifunctional, nitric oxide-releasing bionanomatrix incorporated with antibiotic-releasing liposomes on osseointegration, inflammation, vascularization/angiogenesis, and bacterial infection. We successfully synthesized the bionanomatrix, and the antibiotic-releasing liposomes readily encapsulated the antibiotics. The antibiotic-releasing …

Equipping Health Professions Educators To Better Address Medical Misinformation, Brian G. Southwell, Andrea Anderson, Anne Berry, Kamilah Weems, Lisa Howley, Cristina Pelin, Maya Vasser, Michael Cassara, Marie C. Petrizzo, Samara Ginzburg, Renee Mcleod-Sordjan, Joseph Weiner, Lexie Morales, Mark Saunders, Emiri Uchiyama, Laura Fothergill, Deborah Sherman, Rebecca L. Toonkel, Alison M. Vargovich, Nicholas M. Fusco, Kelly Foltz-Ramos, Jessica Kruger, William Prescott Jr, Jennifer Hayman, Shelley Cohen Konrad, Linda H. Chaudron, Christine Mallar, Grace Price, Brendan Prast, Julia Safarik, Leah Mallory, Aashna Sunderrajan, Sara Serritella, Nicole L. Pierce, Olabisi Falana, Eve Bloomgarden, Shika Jain, Lisa Mordell, Vineet Arora

MaineHealth Maine Medical Center

As part of a cooperative agreement with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Federal Award Identification Number [FAIN]: NU50CK000586), the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) began a strategic initiative in 2022 both to increase confidence in COVID-19 vaccines and to address medical misinformation and mistrust through education in health professions contexts. Specifically, the AAMC solicited proposals for integrating competency-based, interprofessional strategies to mitigate health misinformation into new or existing curricula. Five Health Professions Education Curricular Innovations subgrantees received support from the AAMC in 2022 and reflected on the implementation of their ideas in a series of meetings …

Examining The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic And Subsequent Vaccine Availability On Children’S Social Play Opportunities With A Focus On The Autism Community, Jenni Koehler

All ETDs from UAB

Play, especially social play, is crucial to child development and impacts their cognitive, socioemotional, and motor growth. Children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have social and motor impairments that act as barriers to their access to these critical social play opportunities. Those who are able to overcome these barriers through therapy have been shown to have better physical and mental outcomes. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic restricted social play opportunities for all children and disproportionately impacted children with ASD, further widening developmental gaps between them and their non-autistic peers. The development of the COVID-19 vaccine and its availability to children …

Resilience And Vulnerability: The Impact Of Deprivation, Social Capital, And Distance Sensitivity On Mental Health In Covid-19 Vaccine Seekers, Cesar Ivan Landeros

All ETDs from UAB

The COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted profound challenges upon California, exacerbating disparities in care, access, and health outcomes within vulnerable and deprived communities. Especially, this crisis has led to a surge in mental health issues, with anxiety and depression emerging as predominant psychopathologies, and the rates of anxiety and depression are alarmingly high in disadvantaged communities. In California, the strikingly high prevalence of these symptoms at 31.7%, compared to the national average of 32.3%, sounds a critical alarm. Despite empirical investigations into anxiety and depression rates across a range of demographic groups worldwide—such as survivors, healthcare professionals, children, adolescents, and adults—the …

Characterizing The Role Of Mapk Phosphatases In Age-Dependent Macrophage Dysfucntion And Increased Suceptiblity To Pneumonia In A Tnf-Dependent Manner, Katherine Lauren Kruckow

All ETDs from UAB

Lower respiratory infections are the primary cause of infectious death among the elderly. One reason for this is ‘inflamm-aging,’ a chronic low-grade inflammatory state that develops with advanced age. Pertinently, our group has shown increases in TNF levels to be responsible for age-dependent macrophage dysfunction (ADMD) and, in turn, enhanced susceptibility to Streptococcus pneumoniae, the leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia. The underlying molecular mechanisms responsible, however, remain unclear. Following adoptive transfer of alveolar macrophages (AM) from aged (18+ months) or young (3-6 month) mice into young mice, followed by infection with S. pneumoniae, we found that aged AM were sufficient …

Navigating Missed Visits In Hiv Primary Care: Exploring Risk Factors Associated With Missed Visits, Jiaying Hao

All ETDs from UAB

The HIV care continuum is a public health model that outlines the steps or stages people with HIV go through from diagnosis to achieving and maintaining viral suppression. Retention in care, a key component of the HIV care continuum, is critical in achieving good health outcomes for people with HIV (PWH) and preventing HIV transmission. Consistent HIV care is essential for the health of PWH as a part of retention in care. De-spite no standard measure for retention in care to PWH, the missed (no-show) vis-its/appointments is one of the most commonly used methods for evaluating retention in HIV care. …

Understanding Attitudes, Subjective Norms, And Intent Of Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy And Refusal Among African Americans In The United States Using The Theory Of Reasoned Action, Deandrea Lashay Martinez

All ETDs from UAB

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and vaccine refusal contributed to many African Americans not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. The reasons for vaccine hesitancy and vaccine refusal were unclear by sociodemographic factors (income, gender, education, and age) among African Americans. This research explored attitudes, subjective norms, and intent of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and vaccine refusal among African Americans in the United States using the Theory of Reasoned Action. The two research questions were (1) Among African Americans, do age, income, gender, and education factors remain stable across three study cohorts in differentiating subjects who are COVID-19 vaccine hesitant versus refusal from 2020–2022? (2) …

Genetic And Epigenetic Risk Scores For Chronic Kidney Disease In African Americans, Alana C. Jones

All ETDs from UAB

Kidney disease is the tenth-leading cause of death in the United States (US). There are significant racial disparities within kidney disease: African Americans (AAs) have the highest rates of CKD and carry a four-fold higher risk of developing end-stage renal disease (ESRD). They are also less likely to undergo kidney transplants, and among those who do, are more likely to experience graft rejection. Additionally, until 2021, kidney function equations were shown to underestimate the severity of kidney disease in AA due to the use of race coefficients. Among all populations, genetic and epigenetic factors contribute to kidney disease. However, AAs …

Aging With Hiv And Comorbid Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Jun Yeong Byun

All ETDs from UAB

Older adults with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) experience a high prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Considering having either HIV or COPD is related to worse health outcomes in older adults, aging with both HIV and COPD may synergistically and negatively affect the health outcomes of older people with HIV (PWH) and comorbid COPD. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the aging of PWH with COPD. This purpose was accomplished through three articles: 1) an adaptation of a gerontological model investigating what is known about the aging of PWH and people with COPD and extrapolating that to …

The Effect Of Weather Events On Dengue Fever In Brazil 2014-2022, Maryclare Gabel

All ETDs from UAB

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that is spread through the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquito. Half the world's population lives in a dengue fever risk zone. There are an estimated 100 million symptomatic dengue fever cases each year, with 40,000 deaths reported. Brazil reports the highest annual dengue fever cases in Latin America. In 2022, Brazil recorded 2.36 million dengue fever cases, the highest number of cases ever recorded in the country. We designed a retrospective ecological study to evaluate the temporal trends and the association between weather events and dengue fever incidence …

Iga-Biome Profiles Correlate With Clinical Parkinson's Disease Subtypes, Eric L Brown, Heather T Essigmann, Kristi L Hoffman, Ashley S Alexander, Michael Newmark, Zhi-Dong Jiang, Jessika Suescun, Mya C Schiess, Craig L Hanis, Herbert L Dupont

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease is a heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorder with distinctive gut microbiome patterns suggesting that interventions targeting the gut microbiota may prevent, slow, or reverse disease progression and severity.

OBJECTIVE: Because secretory IgA (SIgA) plays a key role in shaping the gut microbiota, characterization of the IgA-Biome of individuals classified into either the akinetic rigid (AR) or tremor dominant (TD) Parkinson's disease clinical subtypes was used to further define taxa unique to these distinct clinical phenotypes.

METHODS: Flow cytometry was used to separate IgA-coated and -uncoated bacteria from stool samples obtained from AR and TD patients followed by amplification and …

Regional Outbreak Of Multidrug-Resistant Klebsiella Pneumoniae Carbapenemase-Producing Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Bekana K Tadese, Anna Nutt, Ifrah Chaudhary, Charlene Offiong, Charles Darkoh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing P. aeruginosa (KPC-CRPA) are rare in the United States. An outbreak of KPC-CRPA was investigated in Texas using molecular and epidemiologic methods and 17 cases of KPC-CRPA were identified. The isolates were genetically related and harbored the emerging P. aeruginosa multilocus sequence type 235, the first in the United States.

Understanding The Implications Of Under-Reporting, Vaccine Efficiency And Social Behavior On The Post-Pandemic Spread Using Physics Informed Neural Networks: A Case Study Of China, Samiran Ghosh, Alonso Ogueda-Oliva, Aditi Ghosh, Malay Banerjee, Padmanabhan Seshaiyer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In late 2019, the emergence of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, led to the implementation of stringent measures forming the zero-COVID policy aimed at eliminating transmission. Zero-COVID policy basically aimed at completely eliminating the transmission of COVID-19. However, the relaxation of this policy in late 2022 reportedly resulted in a rapid surge of COVID-19 cases. The aim of this work is to investigate the factors contributing to this outbreak using a new SEIR-type epidemic model with time-dependent level of immunity. Our model incorporates a time-dependent level of immunity considering vaccine doses administered and time-post-vaccination dependent vaccine efficacy. We find that vaccine …

Age-Induced Changes In Anti-Tumor Immunity Alter The Tumor Immune Infiltrate And Impact Response To Immuno-Oncology Treatments, Suzanne I Sitnikova, Jennifer A Walker, Laura B Prickett, Michelle Morrow, Viia E Valge-Archer, Matthew J Robinson, Robert W Wilkinson, Simon J Dovedi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Immuno-oncology (IO) research relies heavily on murine syngeneic tumor models. However, whilst the average age for a cancer diagnosis is 60 years or older, for practical purposes the majority of preclinical studies are conducted in young mice, despite the fact that ageing has been shown to have a significant impact on the immune response.

METHODS: Using aged (60-72 weeks old) mice bearing CT26 tumors, we investigated the impact of ageing on tumor growth as well as the immune composition of the tumor and peripheral lymphoid organs.

RESULTS: We found many differences in the immune cell composition of both the …

Compensating Differentials For Occupational Health And Safety Risks: Implications Of Recend Evidence, W. Kip Viscusi, Thomas J. Kniesner

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

The most enduring measure of how individuals make personal decisions affecting their health and safety is the compensating wage differential for job safety risk revealed in the labor market via hedonic equilibrium outcomes. The decisions in turn reveal the value of a statistical life (VSL), the value of a statistical injury (VSI), and the value of a statistical life year (VSLY), which have both mortality and morbidity aspects that we describe and apply here. All such tradeoff rates play important roles in policy decisions concerning improving individual welfare. Specifically, we explicate the recent empirical research on VSL and its related …

Clostridium Tertium Bacteremia In Immunocompetent Patient - Contamination Or True Pathogen?, Heath Donahue

UAB Huntsville Research Day - All Presentations

2023 clinical vignette poster

Histopathological Study On The Effect Of Artemisinin Multiple Doses On The Pathogenesis And Immune Reaction Of Trichinella Spiralis In Albino Rats., Zeinab Dwidar, Hebatallah Mahgoub, Iman Ibrahim, Ahmed El- Shaieb

Mansoura Veterinary Medical Journal

Objective: This study aimed to determine the therapeutic effect of multiple doses of artemisinin (AR) on the pathogenesis and immune reaction of (T. spiralis ) during the intestinal and muscular phases in albino rats. Design: Randomized controlled study. Animal Models: The experiment was performed on 80 adult male and female albino rats weighing (160 ± 20 g) and their ages ranged from (4-6 to) weeks. . Procedures: rats were divided into four experimental groups (20 rats per group). 1-(Control negative) group. 2- T. spiralis infested (TR) group: Each animal was orally infested with 300 T. spiralis larvae. 3- T. spiralis …

Development Of Foot And Mouth Disease Vaccine Formulation In Egypt By Using Silver Nanoparticles As Immunogenic And Adjuvant, Rania Dweek, M. Eisa, M. El-Beskawey, Sabry El- Khodery, Abdelaziz A. Yassin, Mohamed Farghli, Hiam Fakhry, Samar Attwa

Mansoura Veterinary Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) combined with Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)

inactivated oil adjuvant vaccine on the immunological response of cattle.

STUDY DESIGN: Randomized clinical trials.

PROCEDURES: AgNPs were prepared and added to the locally produced inactivated trivalent FMD vaccine used in

Egypt. Twenty-five cattle were classified into five groups (five/group). The first group was vaccinated with FMD

Trivalent inactivated oil adjuvant vaccine plus AgNPs (3 ml subcutaneously (S/C), the second group was vaccinated with

FMD trivalent inactivated vaccine (3 ml S/C). The third group was vaccinated with FMD trivalent inactivated vaccine plus AgNPs (2 …

Recent Detection And Genotypic Characterization Of Duck Hepatitis Virus A Type 1and H5 Avian Influenza Virus From Ducks., Alshaymaa A. Elhoseny, Samah M. Mosad, Ali A. Elkenawy, Sahar E. Abdelrahmn

Mansoura Veterinary Medical Journal

Objective: To identify viruses that affect ducks using serological and molecular studies. Design: Diagnostic study. Procedures: Twenty pooled liver samples were collected from ducklings with nervous signs and high mortality suspected to be infected by duck hepatitis virus (DHV) for less than 2 weeks. All samples were inoculated into allantoic cavities of SPF embryonated chicken eggs (ECGs) for three successive passages. Isolates were serologically identified by agar gel precipitation (AGPT) and the fluorescent antibody technique (FAT) using DHAV-1 antibodies. In addition, another 20 pooled lung and pancreas samples from ducks for more than one month were suspected to be infected …

Dynamic Connectedness In The Asean’S Equity Markets During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Yuthana Sethapramote, Suthawan Prukumpai, Lawrence B. Dacuycuy

DLSU Business & Economics Review

The COVID-19 pandemic unleashed shocks that triggered severe global economic contraction and spawned sizeable financial market fluctuations. This paper examines the dynamic connectedness between ASEAN stock markets and major global stock markets using the dynamic connectedness framework developed by Diebold and Yilmaz (2009, 2012). Empirical results reveal that ASEAN stock markets and other emerging markets have experienced higher spillovers from global equity markets during the pandemic than in normal times. In addition, the role of ASEAN region spillovers has increased significantly during the COVID-19 outbreak. This study contributes to the existing literature by investigating the extent of dynamic connectedness between …

Tuberkulosis Di Indonesia: Apakah Status Sosial-Ekonomi Dan Faktor Lingkungan Penting?, Amalia Kusumaningrum, Grace Wulandari, Achmad Kautsar

Jurnal Ekonomi dan Pembangunan Indonesia

This study aims to find the social-economic status and environmental factors for tuberculosis in Indonesia by using Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS) data in 2014. First, this study analyzes individual characteristics with regression logistic method. Second, this study estimating social-economic status by entering a correction from the first stage. Meanwhile at the third stage, adding factors home environmental conditions and entering a correction from the previous stage. This study find that household income is the affecting factors, especially for households with incomes of less than IDR 600.000. In additions, level education especially high school and college also has a significant …

Masking Vulnerability: Including Ppe As A Covered Service In Health Insurance, Mary Leto Pareja

Faculty Scholarship

The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the shared vulnerability inherent in the human condition, prompting a collective recognition of our physical susceptibility to infectious diseases. While great strides have been made in combating COVID-19 through vaccinations and treatments, a portion of the population remains profoundly vulnerable due to health conditions that make the disease more dangerous, that limit vaccine efficacy, or that prevent vaccination altogether. This article explores a path forward by proposing a solution within health benefit plans—encompassing both private health insurance and public health benefits. Specifically, the article advocates for a coverage mandate for over-the-counter personal protective equipment (PPE) …

A Review On Fungal Nanoparticales As Antimicrobial Agents To Control Oral Biofilms, Abdulridha Taha Sarhan, Ali Mihsen Alyassiri, Hajir Hassn Hussen

Hilla University College Journal For Medical Science

A variety of materials and drugs have been used in dental care to protect the oral cavity from microbial activities, particularly the formation of dental biofilms. These compounds have the potential to be harmful to the human body. Despite these challenges, nanotechnology applications in dentistry have been developed and used with some success in the improvement of restorative materials. It also focuses on several problematic parts of dental care, like oral biofilm communities, and also how nanotechnology may assist overcome these obstacles. Nanoparticles (NPs) are frequently used in the medical sector for a numerous application, and investigations have already shown …

Antimicrobial Prescriptions By Practicing Physicians In Southern District, Babylon Governorate And Its Correlates, Hasan Alwan Baiee

Hilla University College Journal For Medical Science

Background :There is a worldwide agreement that to address the problem of antimicrobial including antibiotic resistance proper management of antibiotics across all sectors is required.

Objective of the study: To identify the antimicrobial prescribing practice of Iraqi physicians.

Methodology: This study was a cross-sectional descriptive study, the data collected by trained researchers based on reviewing the available prescriptions sheet dispensed by pharmacists after obtaining their verbal consents and protecting the privacy autonomy of patients. The period of this study started from the first of January through the end of May 2021. Antimicrobials and the number of and types of drugs …

Prevention Of Covid-19 Transmission In Dental Healthcare Settings: A Review, Abdulridha Taha Sarhan, Ali Mihsen Alyassiri

Hilla University College Journal For Medical Science

Dentistry is one of the most exposed professions to respiratory diseases e.g. covid-19 and due to its airborne transmission, aerosols created by dental treatment of infected individuals have become a potential chance of transmission. The aim of this review was to assess the existing infection control measures taken in dental healthcare settings, minimizing treatment mistakes and improving the measures of infection transmission. Literature addressing about the prevention of COVID-19 infection transmission in dental healthcare settings, personal safety and hygiene measures, personal protection equipment, surface asepsis, instrument processing, patient treatment with proper disinfection of the working place and the dental instruments …

Molecular Phylogenetics Of Aedes Aegypti (L., 1762) (Diptera: Culicidae) In Eastern Black Sea Area Of Turkey And Possible Relations With The Caucasian Invasion, Murat Öztürk, Muhammet Mustafa Akiner

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Aedes aegypti (L., 1762) (Diptera: Culicidae) is an important pest for human health. It vectors many diseases, including yellow fever (YF), dengue (DENV), and chikungunya (CHIKV). This species has invaded numerous countries including Balkan and Caucasian countries few past decades. The established populations of species were found in Turkey in 2015. We investigated the genetic variation, molecular phylogenetics, and differences between samples from Turkey and Georgia using four mitochondrial and one genomic DNA markers. The possible origin of the species was determined separately for each gene region using maximum likelihood trees. The ML analysis showed a close relation with the …

Seasonal Vulnerability Of Snakes To Road Traffic At Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Jackson S. Schoettle

Theses

Snakes are important predators and prey in North American food webs that exhibit seasonal activity patterns in temperate regions. During periods of heightened activity, they will often utilize roads both for traveling from one habitat patch to another and/or for thermoregulation. In this thesis, I explore how human recreational activities impact the diversity and distribution of snake communities by examining the relationships between seasonality of human recreational activities and gravel road closures for waterfowl management on snake road mortality and activity at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in northern Alabama, USA. Many studies have investigated how snakes interact with paved roads, …

Access To Hiv Prevention, Care, And Treatment Services In The Us: The Role Of Primary Care, Jessica S. Kiernan

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the role of access to primary care in benefitting HIV outcomes through increased access to HIV prevention, care, and treatment services, among populations disproportionately affected by HIV in the US. Over 30,000 individuals are newly diagnosed with HIV annually in the US and diagnoses are concentrated in specific populations. At an individual-level, ~ 70% of new diagnoses are among gay and bisexual men and of those diagnoses, 70% are among Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic gay and bisexual men. At a community-level, over 50% of new HIV diagnoses occur in less than 2% of US counties (48), Washington, …