Digital Commons Network^™

Low-Temperature Gas Plasma Combined With Antibiotics For The Reduction Of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Biofilm Both In Vitro And In Vivo, Li Guo, Lu Yang, Yu Qi, Gulimire Niyazi, Jianbao Zheng, Ruobing Xu, Xusong Chen, Jingye Zhang, Wang Xi, Dingxin Liu, Xiaohua Wang, Hailan Chen, Michael G. Kong

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Biofilm infections in wounds seriously delay the healing process, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of wound infections. In addition to inactivating micro-organisms, low-temperature gas plasma can restore the sensitivity of pathogenic microbes to antibiotics. However, the combined treatment has not been applied to infectious diseases. In this study, low-temperature gas plasma treatment promoted the effects of different antibiotics on the reduction of S. aureus biofilms in vitro. Low-temperature gas plasma combined with rifampicin also effectively reduced the S. aureus cells in biofilms in the murine wound infection model. The blood and histochemical analysis demonstrated the biosafety of …

Matters Of Biocybersecurity With Consideration To Propaganda Outlets And Biological Agents, Xavier-Lewis Palmer, Ernestine Powell, Lucas Potter, Thaddeus Eze (Ed.), Lee Speakman (Ed.), Cyril Onwubiko (Ed.)

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The modern era holds vast modalities in human data utilization. Within Biocybersecurity (BCS), categories of biological information, especially medical information transmitted online, can be viewed as pathways to destabilize organizations. Therefore, analysis of how the public, along with medical providers, process such data, and the methods by which false information, particularly propaganda, can be used to upset the flow of verified information to populations of medical professionals, is important for maintenance of public health. Herein, we discuss some interplay of BCS within the scope of propaganda and considerations for navigating the field.

Analysis Of Intervention Effectiveness Using Early Outbreak Transmission Dynamics To Guide Future Pandemic Management And Decision-Making In Kuwait, Michael G. Tyshenko, Tamer Oraby, Joseph C. Longenecker, Harri Vainio, Janvier Gasana, Walid Q. Alali, Mohammad Alseaidan, Susie Elsaadany, Mustafa Al-Zoughool

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a World Health Organization designated pandemic that can result in severe symptoms and death that disproportionately affects older patients or those with comorbidities. Kuwait reported its first imported cases of COVID-19 on February 24, 2020. Analysis of data from the first three months of community transmission of the COVID-19 outbreak in Kuwait can provide important guidance for decision-making when dealing with future SARS-CoV-2 epidemic wave management. The analysis of intervention scenarios can help to evaluate the possible impacts of various outbreak control measures going forward which aim to reduce the effective reproduction …

Grappling With Covid-19 By Imposing And Lifting Nonpharmaceutical Interventions In Sri Lanka: A Modeling Perspective, Mahesh Jayaweera, Chamath Dannongoda, Dilum Dilshan, Janith Dissanayake, Hasini Perera, Jagath Manatunge, Buddhika Gunawardana

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

The imposition and lifting of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to avert the COVID19 pandemic have gained popularity worldwide and will continue to be enforced until herd immunity is achieved. We developed a linear regression model to ascertain the nexus between the time-varying reproduction number averaged over a time window of six days (Rts) and seven NPIs: contact tracing, quarantine efforts, social distancing and health checks, hand hygiene, wearing of facemasks, lockdown and isolation, and health-related supports. Our analysis suggests that the second wave that emerged in Sri Lanka in early October 2020 continued despite numerous NPIs. The model indicates that the …

Identification Of Anti-Adhesion Small Molecules, Which Inhibit Sequestration Of Plasmodium-Falciparum Infected Erythrocytes, Using A Two-Step Approach, Pimnitah S. Visitdesotrakul

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

A hallmark trait of P. falciparum malaria is sequestration, in which parasite infected erythrocytes (IEs) adhere to the vasculature, causing organ failure and death. Current antimalarials only kill the parasites, necessitating development of anti-adhesion drugs. Using our two-step approach, we can efficiently screen for anti-adhesion small molecules. Screenings of 75libraries using Bio-Plex 200 identified the most active TPI libraries, which were deconvoluted to single compounds. Screenings library TPI 1319 yielded 3 inhibiting non-optimized compounds, each of which inhibits binding between two receptors, CSA and ICAM1, and their binding PfEMP1 domains. Two compounds deconvoluted from TPI 2103 prevent binding between PfEMP1 …

Mechanistic Studies Of The Plp-Dependent Enzyme, Methionine Gamma-Lyase And The Heme-Dependent Enzyme, Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase, Timothy Foo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Methionine-γ-lyase (MGL) is a pyridoxal-5′-phosphate (PLP) dependent enzyme found in bacteria and protozoa that catalyzes a variety of reactions, including the γ-elimination of L-methionine (L-Met). Besides its physiological roles in organisms, MGL is also a therapeutic target for pathogenic diseases and cancer. Since MGL’s catalytic mechanism remains uncertain, a new spectrophotometric assay was validated for measuring the kinetics of MGL catalyzed reactions. Kinetic data and density functional theory (DFT) data for the γ-elimination reaction of L-Met and several other substrate analogues by MGL from P. gingivalis is reported. A direct correlation between experimental kcat values and DFT-calculated activation energies of …

On The Topic Of Aerosol Generation And Propagation, Jesse H. Schreck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

In this research, three methods of aerosol generation, and their subsequent propagation, are investigated experimentally. These experiments provided insight into the potential risk aerosol can have pertaining to the spread of infectious disease such as COVID – 19. The first of which investigated an alternative generation route that may exist given the discovery of small numbers of viable viruses in urine and stool samples. Flushing biomatter can lead to the aerosolization of micro-organisms; thus, there is a likelihood that bioaerosols generated in public restrooms may pose a concern for the transmission of COVID-19, especially since these areas are relatively confined, …

The Development Of Wide-Field Bio-Imaging For Point Of Care Diagnostic Assays In Resource Constrained Settings, Robert Fennell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The World Health Organization has identified the need for affordable, specific, rapid and deliverable point of care assays for infectious diseases in areas that are resource poor and lacking readily available complex testing methods. The objective of this research is to discover improved methods of capturing and counting CD4+T, in a portable assay to aid in the detection of HIV or other diseases that are informed by cell identification and count. The research divides into 4 major objectives: Design an improved portable, microchip. to isolate cells in a timely manner. Explore, design and prove the optical technology that provides large …

The Lived Experiences Of Saudi-Born Parents Who Have Delayed Vaccines For Their Children Prior To School Age, Hayam M. Albalawi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Parents are historically the decision makers related to vaccinations with infants and children. Over the past few years, healthcare providers have been facing a growing number of parents who are questioning the safety and the need for routine vaccinations. Studies conducted in Saudi Arabia revealed that not all Saudi-born parents support childhood vaccination and eventually delay their children vaccination. Understanding the cultural influences on parents in Saudi Arabia about the adherence to childhood vaccination program is crucial for health and safety of the whole society. The purpose of this study was to explore experiences of Saudi-born parents who have delayed …

Dirofilaria Immitis Prevalence In Canis Latrans In Kentucky, Melanie Ann Brandon

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Dirofilaria immitis (canine heartworm) was found in forty-two (42) of the two hundred seventy-five (275) Canis latrans (coyote) necropsied in the state of Kentucky from November 27, 2019 through March 3, 2021. Thirty-five (35) of the positive cases were from western Kentucky region with the other seven spread across the state. With this group of coyotes, one hundred fifty-eight (158) were male and the other one hundred six-teen (116) were female. The estimated age ranged from a pup to senior dogs. A little over forty percent of the dogs were obtained through coyote/predator tournaments; the remaining were acquired from pest …

Increasing The Uptake Of The Hpv Vaccine Through Motivational Interviewing And Standardized Provider Education, Kristen Giammalvo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Human papillomavirus (HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection(STI) in the United States, with an estimated 80% of sexually active people contracting it at some point. HPV can cause cervical, vaginal, and vulvar cancers in females, as well as anal cancer and genital warts in males. However national data demonstrates less than 50% of females are fully vaccinated. This quality improvement project aimed to bridge the gap in young women who did not receive the vaccine during childhood as well as increase knowledge about HPV, transmission, vaccination, and testing. The interventions used to facilitate the education included an HPV …

Medication Adherence In Patients Post Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant: The Ppm Implementation Project, Shakuntala Shrestha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The goal of this quality improvement project was to increase medication adherence in patients post allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) following hospital discharge. The aim was to evaluate the impact of implementing an individualized post-transplant education intervention, grounded in Roach’s human caring attributes, on medication regimen adherence post-transplant (allo-HSCT) following hospital discharge. The intervention included use of a pill box and medication calendar (PPM). Patient-Nurse interactions were guided by conscience and occurred within an environment of trust, respect, and compassion in which the nurse connected in full presence to the patient’s situation and demonstrated skills and knowledge (competence). A …

Human Monocyte-Derived Macrophage Responses To M. Tuberculosis Differ By The Host’S Tuberculosis, Diabetes Or Obesity Status, And Are Enhanced By Rapamycin, Blanca I. Restrepo, Arshad Khan, Vipul K. Singh, Erica De Leon, Genesis P. Aguillón-Durán, Eder Ledezma-Campos, David H. Canaday, Chinnaswamy Jagannath

School of Medicine Publications

Human macrophages play a major role in controlling tuberculosis (TB), but their anti-mycobacterial mechanisms remain unclear among individuals with metabolic alterations like obesity (TB protective) or diabetes (TB risk). To help discern this, we aimed to: i) Evaluate the impact of the host’s TB status or their comorbidities on the anti-mycobacterial responses of their monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs), and ii) determine if the autophagy inducer rapamycin, can enhance these responses. We used MDMs from newly diagnosed TB patients, their close contacts and unexposed controls. The MDMs from TB patients had a reduced capacity to activate T cells (surrogate for antigen presentation) …

Crispr Systems For Covid-19 Diagnosis, Hossein Rahimi, Marziyeh Salehiabar, Murat Barsbay, Mohammadreza Ghaffarlou, Taras Kavetskyy, Ali Sharafi, Soodabeh Davaran, Subhash C. Chauhan, Hossein Danafar, Murali M. Yallapu

School of Medicine Publications

The emergence of the new coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) was first seen in December 2019, which has spread rapidly and become a global pandemic. The number of cases of COVID-19 and its associated mortality have raised serious concerns worldwide. Early diagnosis of viral infection undoubtedly allows rapid intervention, disease management, and substantial control of the rapid spread of the disease. Currently, the standard approach for COVID-19 diagnosis globally is the RTqPCR test; however, the limited access to kits and associated reagents, the need for specialized lab equipment, and the need for highly skilled personnel has led to a detection slowdown. Recently, …

Current State-Of-The-Art Diagnostics For Norovirus Detection: Model Approaches For Point-Of-Care Analysis, Maja A. Zaczek-Moczydlowska, Azadeh Beizaei, Michael Dillon, Katrina Campbell

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

Neuropsychological Implications Of Nocturnal Hypoxemia In Sickle Cell Disease, Sheena Ram

Theses and Dissertations

Neuropsychological impairments have been observed in both individuals with sleep-disordered breathing and in individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD), but there has been little research on the potential effect of sleep-disordered breathing on neuropsychological function in individuals with SCD. This study aims to examine the effect nocturnal oxygen desaturations have on neuropsychological functioning in individuals with sickle cell disease when compared to those with non-sickle anemia and healthy controls. Thirty-four participants with SCD, 18 non-sickle anemia controls (ACTL), and 29 healthy controls (CTL), ages 9 to 63 years, participating in an IRB-approved Children’s Hospital Los Angeles study of cerebral blood …

An Assessment Of Health Hazards Associated With The Use Of Water Mist Systems As A Cooling Intervention In Australia, Edmore Masaka

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Water mist systems (WMS) installed and used for cooling ambient temperatures in public places fall within the category of premise plumbing. Premise plumbing refers to the water distribution networks that lie downstream of the water meter, and within buildings. The colonization of premise plumbing by opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens (OPPPs) such as Legionella pneumophila, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium avium, Acanthamoeba and Naegleria fowleri is emerging as a challenge for public health and water quality management. Contrary to other premise plumbing features like showers and domestic taps that have been implicated in various waterborne infections, the health risks associated with WMS are …

Effect Of An Electronic Order Set On Newborn Hepatitis B Immunization Rates, Daniel Pedersen, Angelina Rodriguez, Olu Oyesanmi, Heather Schramm, Michael King

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Objective

Hepatitis B is an infectious deoxyribonucleic acid virus which can cause significant morbidity and mortality. There is no current definitive treatment, however in the United States immunization is widely available. A paper published by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices/Centers for Disease Control (ACIP/CDC) in 2018 made updated recommendations regarding vaccination practices in the United States. The most notable change made was that all healthy newborns weighing ≥2000 g with a negative hepatitis B-status mother should receive hepatitis B immunization within 24 hours of birth. This quality improvement project studied the effect of the electronic medical record newborn admission …

Case Of Enterococcus Cecorum Human Bacteremia, United States, Alexander D. Lake, Ryan Fields, Francia Guerrero, Yousef Almuzaini, Koravangala Sundaresh, Joseph Staffetti

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Enterococcus cecorum rarely serves as a human pathogen, and only 6 cases of this microbe inoculating humans have been documented. We present an elderly female with a marked vascular history presenting with epigastric pain and diarrhea, followed by shaking chills. Laboratory findings revealed leukocytosis, with imaging showing diffuse colonic thickening. She had a bout of bloody diarrhea, raising the likelihood of ischemic colitis with her vascular history. To our surprise, both sets of blood cultures drawn on admission grew Enterococcus cecorum. This case is unique as it is the first documented case of E. cecorum human infection in the …

High-Speed Rail Safety Analysis Based On Dual-Weighted Complex Network, Liu Lv

Dissertations

This study uses a complex network model to analyze the causes of accidents in high-speed railway operations. By identifying the key factors that led to high-speed railway accidents, hidden safety hazards were discovered. This will help improve the operational safety of the U.S. high-speed rail line under construction.

The analysis uses the regional high-speed railway network in Guangzhou, China as a case study, including the railway (including high-speed railway) accidents that occurred in the company's jurisdiction from 2013 to 2017. With comparative analysis between general railways and high-speed railways, the changes of high-speed railway safety factors are explored. Data analysis …

Countering Internet Packet Classifiers To Improve User Online Privacy, Sina Fathi-Kazerooni

Dissertations

Internet traffic classification or packet classification is the act of classifying packets using the extracted statistical data from the transmitted packets on a computer network. Internet traffic classification is an essential tool for Internet service providers to manage network traffic, provide users with the intended quality of service (QoS), and perform surveillance. QoS measures prioritize a network's traffic type over other traffic based on preset criteria; for instance, it gives higher priority or bandwidth to video traffic over website browsing traffic. Internet packet classification methods are also used for automated intrusion detection. They analyze incoming traffic patterns and identify malicious …

Transcriptional Host–Pathogen Responses Of Pseudogymnoascus Destructans And Three Species Of Bats With White-Nose Syndrome, Christina M. Davy, Michael E. Donaldson, Hana Bandouchova, Ana M. Breit, Nicole A.S. Dorville, Yvonne A. Dzal, Veronika Kovacova, Emma L. Kunkel, Natália Martínková, Kaleigh J.O. Norquay, James E. Paterson, Jan Zukal, Jiri Pikula, Craig K.R. Willis, Christopher J. Kyle

KIP Articles

No abstract provided.

Cutaneous Candidiasis Mimicking Inverse Psoriasis Lesion In A Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patient, Steven Philip Surya, Kardiana Purnama Dewi, Regina Regina

Journal of General - Procedural Dermatology and Venereology Indonesia

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) condition could affect the skin. The disease is among the greatest risk factors of skin infection such as cutaneous candidiasis and is also associated with autoimmune skin diseases such as psoriasis, which lesion morphologies and predilection areas are quite similar. These similarities are a source of confusion to clinicians.

Case illustration: We present a 60-year-old female patient with uncontrolled T2DM and multiple erythematous plaques in the form of shiny lesions at the intertriginous area that developed 1 week prior to her hyperglycemic state. The lesions had recurred at the same site for …

Purpuric Lesion In A Patient With Leprosy: Was It A Lucio’S Phenomenon Or An Epiphenomenon?, Sri Linuwih Menaldi, Melani Marissa, Inadia Putri Chairista, Henry W. Lim, Rahadi Rihatmadja

Journal of General - Procedural Dermatology and Venereology Indonesia

Background: Lucio’s phenomenon (LP) is a severe necrotizing cutaneous reaction that occurs in patients with Lucio’s leprosy. The exact pathomechanism is not fully understood, but typically abundant acid-fast bacilli in the walls of blood vessels point to direct perturbation of blood supply to the epidermis. We report a case of LP where epidermal necrosis occurred in the absence of vascular invasion by mycobacteria, raising the question whether this was an epiphenomenon or a true LP.

Case Illustration: A 34-year-old male was referred for an episodic swelling of his hands and feet that persisted for two years. There were …

Reversal Reaction With Nodules Clinical Manifestations That Initially Diagnosed As Erythema Nodosum Leprosum In Borderline Lepromatous Leprosy, Laila Tsaqilah, Pati Aji Achdiat, Hendra Gunawan

Journal of General - Procedural Dermatology and Venereology Indonesia

Background: The reversal leprosy reaction generally manifest as larger, swollen, red and shiny the pre-existing skin lesions which are accompanied with pain. This reaction can be manifest as infiltration and nodules which resembles the features of erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) leprosy reaction.

Case Illustration: We present a case of 26-year-old woman with erythematous nodules on almost all the body since two weeks ago. She had pre-existing erythema plaque on the right elbow became more erythematous and arouse with partially felt pain, fever, and malaise. Nodule lesions in BL leprosy with reaction need to be distinguished between ENL and …

Cotrimoxazole Prophylaxis Increases Resistance Gene Prevalence And Α-Diversity But Decreases Β-Diversity In The Gut Microbiome Of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Exposed, Uninfected Infants, Alaric W D'Souza, Eshia Moodley-Govender, Bertram Berla, Tejas Kelkar, Bin Wang, Xiaoqing Sun, Brodie Daniels, Anna Coutsoudis, Indi Trehan, Gautam Dantas

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Prophylactic cotrimoxazole treatment is recommended in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-exposed, uninfected (HEU) infants, but the effects of this treatment on developing HEU infant gut microbiotas and resistomes are largely undefined.

METHODS: We analyzed whole-metagenome sequencing data from 163 longitudinally collected stool samples from 63 HEU infants randomized to receive (n = 34; CTX-T) or to not receive (n = 29; CTX-N) prophylactic cotrimoxazole treatment. We generated taxonomic, functional pathway, and resistance gene profiles for each sample and compared microbiome signatures between the CTX-T and CTX-N infants.

RESULTS: Metagenomic analysis did not reveal significant differences in taxonomic or functional pathway …

Spasial Analysis Of Pulmonary Tuberculosis Transmission Based On Social, Economic, Cultural Interactions In The Slum Areas The City Of Makassar, Andi Rizki Amelia, Haeruddin, Andi Surahman Batara, Idhar Darlis

Media Kesehatan Masyarakat Indonesia

The highest number of Tuberculosis (TB) cases was in Southeast Asia with a percentage of 45%, followed by Africa 25%, West Pacific 17%, Middle East 7%, Europe 3% and American Countries 3%, while for the 5th rank, the highest Tuberculosis sufferers (56% world TB cases) are India, Indonesia, China, the Philippines and Pakistan. The purpose of this study was to observe the spread of
pulmonary tuberculosis through spatial analysis by observing the aspects of social, economic and cultural interactions in the slum areas of Makassar City. Currently, the analysis of the distribution of tuberculosis cases in Makassar City is
still …

Epidemiology Study Of Dengue Virus In Surabaya, Bogor, And Bangkalan, Indonesia 2008-2018, Soegeng Soegijanto, Teguh Hari Sucipto, Kris Cahyo Mulyatno, Siti Churrotin

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Dengue virus (DENV) is mosquito-borne viral diseases, transmitted by the vector mosquitoes such as Aedes sp. Infection with four serotypes of DENV-1 to 4. Indonesia, dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) was first recognized in 1968 in the cities of Jakarta and Surabaya. In 2007, we started DENV surveillance in Surabaya supported by the joined program of the Japan Initiative for Global Research Network on Infectious Disease (J-GRID) established the Indonesia-Kobe University Collaborative Research Center for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases (CRC-ERID). The results of serotype and genotype, in Surabaya and Bangkalan are similar with previous result in Indonesia, but especially in …

Using Pcr For Detection Of Borrelia Sp. In Ticks And Ruminants In Egyptian Desert, Sayed Abdel-Baky, Nesreen Allam, Yasser Kamel, Amani Hafez

Mansoura Veterinary Medical Journal

Objective: To investigate the prevalence ofBorrelia burgdorferi infection in ticks and ruminant hosts. Design: Cross sectional study. Animals: 739 Ixodes ticks, 110 camels, 120 sheep and 40 cattle. Procedures: All collected samples were tested by using nested PCR technique (nPCR) using OspA and flaB gene as the targets. Results: Out of 739 adult Ixodes ticks, 111 (15%) were infected, the highest rate was in A. variegatum (43.24%) followed by A. lepidum (30.63%) and B. annulatus (26.13%). Shalatten was the most infected locality (18.52%) followed by Dakhla Oasis and Bir El-Abid in ratio 18.52% and 16.05%, respectively. Camel was the most …

The Influence Of Anti-Hiv-1 Specific Igy In Inhibiting Hiv-1 Infection In Binding Phase With Syncytium Examination Of Cd4 Receptor Density Using The Flowcytometry Method, Wiwiek Indriyani Maskoep, Nasronudin Nasronudin, Siti Khairunisa, Sri Agus Sudjarwo

Folia Medica Indonesiana

HIV/ AIDS infections have increased and spread very quickly in the world, including in Indonesia. The absence of an effective vaccine and the fact that antiretroviral drugs can only suppress the progression of infection but cannot eradicate it lead to the efforts to find materials containing immunoglobulins that can replace the immune system which greatly declines in HIV/ AIDS patients. The successful use of specific IgY in other studies opens up opportunities for the use of anti-HIV-1 specific IgY as passive immunotherapy. This type of research is true experimental research design with post-test only control group design. IgY was obtained …