Digital Commons Network^™

Pregnancy Outcomes After Exposure To Tuberculosis Treatment In Phase 3 Clinical Trial, 2016-2020, Ekaterina V. Kurbatova, William C. Whitworth, Kia E. Bryant, Meredith G. Dixon, Kelly E. Dooley, Nigel A. Scott, Rosanna Boyd, Nicole E. Brown, Kimberley N. Chapman Hedges, Wendy Carr, Lakshmi P. Peddareddy, Grace Muzanyi, Rodney Dawson, Ziyad Waja, Neil Martinson, Jyoti S. V. Mathad, Payam Nahid, Susan Swindells, Richard E. Chaisson, Susan E. Dorman, Patrick P. J. Phillips, Aids Clinical Trials Group A5349, Tuberculosis Trials Consortium Study 31

Journal Articles: Infectious Diseases

A previous study demonstrated noninferior efficacy of 4-month rifapentine/moxifloxacin regimen for tuberculosis (TB) treatment compared with the standard regimen. We analyzed pregnancy outcomes of women who became pregnant during the study. Among 740 women, 97 (13.1%) became pregnant. Of 102 pregnancies (in 97 participants), 30 (29.4%) participants were exposed to study drugs. Fetal loss was reported for 3/13 (23.1%) in the control regimen, 1/9 (11.1%) in the rifapentine/moxifloxacin regimen, and 1/8 (12.5%) in the rifapentine regimen. Among 21 live births in exposed pregnancies (7 in each arm), 1 infant with a congenital anomaly was reported in a participant on the …

Meme Wars As Socially Situated Learning: Learning In Online Communities Of Hate, Conspiracy, And Insurgency, Kevin M. Clark

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Learning is important in a pluralistic democracy, to enable citizens to make informed decisions. However, with the rise of the internet and social media, we need more than ever to understand how learning is shaped by social context and intertwined with issues of identity and belonging. One theoretical framework that addresses these social aspects of learning comes from the work of Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger on socially situated learning in communities of practice. This article focuses on what many would consider to be the darker side of learning—the rise of hate, disinformation/conspiracy, and insurgency in online communities. Specifically, it …

Synthesis And Design Of Clpp Activators As Novel Antibiotics, Schyler Odum

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Purpose. Design and synthesize novel compounds to treat Staphylococcus aureus infections by targeting the dysregulation of the Casein Protease P, ClpP. Methods. Utilize established chemical methods to synthesize ureadepsipeptides, small-molecule ClpP activators, and ureadepsipeptide hybrids. Assess their effectiveness by using minimum inhibitory concentration assays and in vitro biochemical assays for ClpP activation. Explore their potential as antibiotics through mitochondrial toxicity tests, glucose/galactose assays, and biophysical measurements related to metabolism and clearance, including thermal shift and surface plasmon resonance assays. Results. Synthesized and tested 33 novel compounds, comprising a total of 80 synthetic steps. Conclusion. The three-part conclusion from the dissertation …

Characterization Of Novel Hantaviruses In Paraguay, Ifebuche Nnamani

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The genus Orthohantavirus, is a group of tripartite, negative-sense RNA viruses of which some members are the etiologic agents for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) or orthohantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) in the Old and New Worlds, respectively. Sampling of wild rodents for these viruses has increased our knowledge of their host range and continues to lead to the discovery of new orthohantaviruses species and strains. HFRS and HPS have case fatality rates of up to 15% and 40%, respectively. And in some years, morbidity rates of up to 100,000 cases can be reached, globally. The epidemiological evidence of human-to-human …

Utilization Of Model-Based Approaches To Maximize Efficacy Of Antibiotics For The Treatment Of Mycobacterium Abscessus Pulmonary Infection, Hyunseo Park

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Prevalence and incidence of Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab) pulmonary infections have increased and been recognized as a major cause of mortality, particularly in certain patient populations, such as cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Due to the intrinsic multidrug resistance mechanisms and biofilm (BF) formation properties of Mab, effective treatment remains challenging, as these factors significantly diminish the antibacterial activity of drugs. Current treatment guidelines recommend prolonged therapy, generally more than 12 months with a multidrug combination of at least four agents. However, no optimal combination, regimen, or treatment duration has been universally established for Mab pulmonary infections (Mab-PI). Therefore, the selective and …

Comparison Of Compositional Characteristics Of Protein Extracted From Spent Hemp Seed Cakes By One-Step Defatting With Organic Solvents Followed By Isoelectric Solubilization Precipitation Using Strong And Weak Acids, Miah Nicole Gathman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Hemp seed cakes (HSC) are the byproduct of pressing hemp seeds for oil and are a significant agricultural waste product, with hundreds of tons produced annually. These nutrient-rich cakes have potential for sustainable applications in animal feed and food products. However, they could offer even greater value to the food industry through further extraction of the lipids and separation of the proteins they contain. Protein is a key nutritional component and companies are seeking cost-effective, time-efficient processes to concentrate protein from underutilized resources like HSC. Hexane (HEX) is a common solvent used in one-step defatting processes but may cause issue …

“I Feel Like It Gets Worse As I Get Older”: Perspectives Of Peri-Postmenopausal Women With Pcos, Pamela J. Wright Phd, Ms, Med, Rn, Cen, Cynthia F. Corbett Phd, Rn, Faan, Robin M. Dawson Phd, Rn, Cpnp-Pc, Charlotte Burts

Publications

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a chronic endocrinopathy that transcends the reproductive years. Peri-postmenopausal women with PCOS remain at cardiometabolic risk or subsist with established comorbidity while continuing to contend with persistent PCOS signs and symptoms such as hirsutism. Evidence based information for peri-postmenopausal women with PCOS is scant. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the physical, psychosocial, and healthcare perspectives of peri-postmenopausal women with PCOS.

Methods: Peri-postmenopausal women with PCOS aged ≥43 years (n = 29) were recruited using ResearchMatch to participate in a virtual interview. Interviews were conducted using a semi-structured guide. The interviews …

Complex Role Of Digital Health Literacy In Awareness And Use Of Digital Sexually Transmitted And Blood-Borne Infections Testing: A Structural Equation Modelling Analysis Of The 2022 Getcheckedonline Survey, Ihoghosa Iyamu, Pierce Gorun, Sofia Bartlett, Geoffrey Mckee, Lorie Donelle Phd, Rn, Fcan, Hsiu Ju Chang, Rodrigo Sierra-Rosales, Devon Haag, Heather Nicole Pedersen, Nathan John Lachowsky, Catherine Worthington, Troy Grennan, Daniel Grace, Mark Gilbert

Publications

Background Although digital health literacy (DHL) is recognised as a determinant of access to digital sexually transmitted and blood-borne infection (STBBI) testing, empirical evidence about its contribution to access disparities remains limited. We applied multidimensional DHL measures to examine inequities in awareness and use of GetCheckedOnline, British Columbia’s (BC) publicly funded digital STBBI testing service. Methods We analysed data from GetCheckedOnline’s 2022 community survey of English-speaking BC residents aged ≥16 years who were sexually active in the past year. Outcomes were awareness and use of GetCheckedOnline (yes/no). DHL was measured using latent factors from the eHealth Literacy Scale: Information Navigation, …

Development And Validation Of A Revised Multidimensional Digital Health Literacy Scale: Secondary Analysis Using Cross-Sectional Data From The 2022 Getcheckedonline Community Survey In British Columbia, Canada, Ihoghosa Iyamu, Pierce Gorun, Hsiu Ju Chang, Rodrigo Sierra-Rosales, Devon Haag, Heather Pedersen, Sofia Bartlett, Nathan Lachowsky, Geoffrey Mckee, Catherine Worthington, Troy Grennan, Lorie Donelle Phd, Rn, Fcan, Daniel Grace, Mark Gilbert

Publications

Background: Digital technologies are reshaping health care, making digital health literacy (DHL) a critical competency for navigating online health information. Although widely conceived and measured as a unidimensional measure of DHL, the literature increasingly supports a multidimensional framing of the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS). Studies propose alternative factor structures that can better inform population-level interventions, but these studies have not accounted for the ordinal nature of eHEALS response data. Objective: This study aimed to identify and validate an alternate multidimensional structure of eHEALS accounting for its ordinal response scale. Methods: Data were drawn from the 2022 GetCheckedOnline community survey of …

Spectrum Of The Lakes: Using Satellite Remote Sensing To Unveil Water Color In Minnesota's Sentinel Lakes For Water Quality Monitoring, Andrew J. Dooley, Wondwosen M. Seyoum, Catherine M. O'Reilly

Faculty Publications - Geography, Geology, and the Environment

Traditional water quality monitoring methods often face limitations of equipment costs and labor demands, requiring innovative approaches to effectively assess the ecological health of inland lakes across vast areas. This research explores the application of free, publicly available water color chromaticity analysis for midcontinent lakes in Minnesota, USA. We examined water color variations in Minnesota’s Sentinel Lakes using Landsat 8 OLI data to analyze surface reflectance samples collected from the deepest area within each lake during the late summer, corresponding to peak annual insolation and trophic activity. The median dominant visible wavelength was used to characterize water color. Results indicate …

Turkey-Syria Earthquake: Realities Of Unequal Aid (Episode 21), Quinn Tully, Christopher Hamilton, Cydney Gaither, Adam Mora

OtterPod

No abstract provided.

Who Announces First Prequalification Of A Tuberculosis Diagnostic Test

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Mathematical Modeling Of Cyber-Physical Attacks In Iot Systems: An Epidemiological Approach, Tunde Alesinloye

Theses and Dissertations

The Internet of Things (IoT) has made electronic devices more interconnected, which has increased cybersecurity threats while also bringing previously unimaginable convenience. In this study, we explore the dynamics of malware transmission in IoT systems using a mathematical modeling methodology that draws inspiration from epidemiological approaches. To better characterize contemporary cyber-defense tactics like honeypots and proactive device hardening, we specifically suggest the SEIR-DX model, which expands the traditional SEIR framework by adding two extra compartments: Deceptive (D) and Secured (X).

The transitions between the six compartments Susceptible, Exposed, Infected, Recovered, Deceptive, and Secured are described by a system of nonlinear …

Development And Evaluation Of Machine Learning Models For Early Pediatric Sepsis Prediction, Ancita M. Andrade

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Sepsis is a leading cause of pediatric mortality, claiming more lives in the United States annually than all childhood cancers combined. Early identification in Emergency Departments (EDs) remains challenging, as the current Phoenix criteria establishes an updated international consensus definition for sepsis, however is not designed for use as a screening tool. This study aimed to develop predictive models identifying pediatric patients at risk of sepsis within 24 hours of admission. Multiple tree-based and deep learning models were trained utilizing clinical and laboratory data from the initial four hours of presentation. Both the LightGBM and LSTM architectures demonstrated superior performance, …

If The Purpose Of The Tennessee Health Care Liability Act Is To Block Access To The Courts, Then It Is Succeeding—But “Surely, That Is Not The Intent Of Our Elected Representatives”, Kelsey L. Mcclain

University of Memphis Law Review

No abstract provided.

Mitigating And Preparing For Disasters At The Organizational Level: A Global Systematic Literature Review, Abdul-Akeem Sadiq, Ratna B. Dougherty, Rebecca Entress, Bikash Adhikari, Katherine Wilson Mccoy, Emilie Rott, Grace L. Chikoto-Schultz, Shannon Maharajh

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Organizations play significant roles in society by providing goods and services and contributing to the economies of communities, globally. Amid the predicted increase in the frequency and impact of disasters, which will invariably lead to higher disaster costs, there is an urgent need to ameliorate disaster impact on society and organizations. Disaster mitigation and preparedness are strategies for stemming disaster impact and losses within organizations. Cognizant of the importance of disaster mitigation and preparedness, researchers have conducted a myriad of studies on both concepts at the organizational level. To advance knowledge on this topic, this study conducted a comprehensive systematic …

Breaking Ground On Self-Efficacy: A Qualitative Exploration Of Intimate Partner Violence Survivors’ Experiences With Therapeutic Horticulture, Rachel Marie Reeves

Theses and Dissertations--Sociology

This dissertation explores how participation in a Therapeutic Horticulture program may support the self-efficacy of survivors of Intimate Partner Violence. Through a thematic analysis of interviews with 45 women living at a domestic violence shelter in Lexington, Kentucky, this study investigates whether and how gardening activities contributed to participants’ belief in their abilities to shape outcomes in their lives.

Findings are organized around Bandura’s four sources of self-efficacy: enactive mastery experiences, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, and physiological/affective states. These insights contribute to feminist criminology and trauma-informed care literature by illuminating the transformative potential of nature-assisted healing programs.

The Influence Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Student Engagement At A Historically Black University, John C. Travis

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined student engagement across three NSSE administrations at an HBCU—pre-COVID (2018), during COVID (2019), and post-COVID (2022). Engagement was analyzed across four themes: Academic Challenge, Learning with Peers, Experiences with Faculty, and Campus Environment. Results showed that Learning with Peers declined significantly over time, with the largest drop between 2018 and 2022, reflecting pandemic-related disruptions to peer interaction. No significant year effects emerged for the other themes. Two-way MANOVAs indicated that gender, first-generation status, and major did not significantly predict engagement, nor did they interact with year. In contrast, classification emerged as the most consistent predictor, with upper-division …

The Impact Of Ahr And Hs1.2 Enhancer Genetic Variations On Igh Expression And Antibody Production In Human B Cells, Mili Santosh Bhakta-Yadav

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Antibody production is an essential component of the immune response against pathogens. The immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) gene codes for the heavy chain of antibodies. The IgH constant regions Cμ, Cδ, Cγ1-4, Cα1-2, and Cε encode the five major classes of antibodies, i.e., IgM, IgD, IgG1-4, IgA1-2, and IgE, respectively. The transcription of the IgH gene and class switch from IgM to other isotypes is regulated by two 3’ IgH regulatory regions (3’IgHRRs), each of which is a cluster of three enhancer regions (hs3, hs1.2 and hs4). The genetic variations in the hs1.2 enhancer have been identified; a ~53 bp …

Causal Discovery On The Effect Of Antipsychotic Drugs On Delirium Patients In The Icu Using Large Observational Ehr Dataset, Riddhiman Adib, Md. Osman Gani, Sheikh Iqbal Ahamed, Mohammad Adibuzzaman

Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

Delirium occurs in about 80% of cases in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and is associated with an extended hospital stay, increased mortality, and other complications. Delirium lacks biomarker-based diagnosis and is frequently treated with antipsychotic drugs (APD), despite numerous studies debating its efficacy. Since randomized controlled trials (RCT) are expensive and time-consuming, we approach the research question of estimating the efficacy and safety outcomes of APD in treating delirium through retrospective cohort analysis. We employed the Causal inference framework to explore the underlying causal model for Delirium patient cohort. We focus on building a structural causal model for delirium …

The Supreme Court During Covid-19: Keeping Its Head When Those About It Were Losing Theirs, Timothy C. Macdonnell

South Dakota Law Review

Alexander Hamilton's Federalist No. 78 suggests that one of the reasons for a life-tenured judiciary whose pay cannot be altered is because "judges may be an essential safeguard against the effects of occasional ill humours in the society." Our Nation's history is replete with instances of ill humor leading to violations of constitutional rights. Wars, epidemics, natural disasters, civil unrest, and economic crises all demand governments to act and act swiftly. But courts, and particularly the United States Supreme Court, are necessary to check governments when they go too far in contending with an emergency. Historically the country's courts have …

“We Just Go With The Flow”: Healthcare Providers As Secondary Impacted Subjects In Informal Refugee Healthcare Provision In Indonesia, Realisa D. Masardi, Elan Lazuardi

Masyarakat: Jurnal Sosiologi

With prolonged transit times, refugees’ right to health in Indonesia has become an urgent issue. This article asks how healthcare providers are positioned within Indonesia’s ambiguous refugee health provision regime. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork, this study moves beyond a legalistic analysis of refugee health rights by foregrounding the precarious positions of healthcare providers themselves. We examine Presidential Regulation 125/2016 as well as state and non-state actors’ views on what are often described as structural barriers in improving refugees’ rights. We argue that conditions of informality, which both arise from and perpetuate institutional ambiguity, systematically undermine refugees’ right to health while …

A Review Of The Utilization Of Comics In Research And The Potential For Graphic Medicine Integration In Health Science Communication, Nagatarang Nimmathota

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Communication is a vital part of research, both during its conduction and the dissemination of its findings. This can be difficult to achieve due to factors like knowledge disparity, technical jargon, and differing backgrounds. This narrative literature review draws from databases like PubMed, ScienceDirect, and others to examine the current utilization of graphic medicine in research and its effects on health research communication. This review found that the integration of graphic medicine can help alleviate those issues by simplifying complex topics into engaging visual narratives or comics for consumption by research participants and the public. Additionally, the use of graphic …

2025-2026 Nursing Undergraduate Student Handbook, Morehead State University. Nursing Department.

Nursing Department Publications Archive

2025-2026 Undergraduate Student Handbook of the Department of Nursing at Morehead State University.

The Effects Of Probiotics As A Complementary Treatment In Recurrent Bacterial Vaginosis And Vulvovaginal Candidiasis In Women: A Systematic Review, Luisana Rodriguez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Vaginal infections such as Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) and Vulvovaginal Candidiasis (VVC) affect women globally, causing not only significant uncomfortable physical symptoms, psychological distress, and economic burden but also health complications that can have important repercussions later. Despite the standard treatment of using antifungals or antibiotics, recurrency is a prominent issue, which brings using probiotics as a complementary therapy to restore the vaginal microbiome and prevent another episode. This systematic review evaluates the efficacy of probiotics as a complementary treatment to reduce the recurrence rates of BV and VVC, as primary adjuncts to conventional therapies, or as a standalone option.

A …

Elucidation Of The Post-Transcriptional Regulation And Role In Iron Homeostasis Of The Outer Membrane Vesicle Protein Ynce In Salmonella, Mira J. Schmidt

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Iron is an essential element for most bacteria as it is a crucial cofactor for enzymes involved in fundamental reactions such as DNA synthesis. Despite being the fourth most abundant element on Earth, bacteria face challenges acquiring iron under aerobic conditions due to the poor solubility of its oxidized form (Fe³⁺). To overcome this, bacteria have developed various strategies of iron acquisition, such as the production of siderophores. Siderophores are small molecules that scavenge free Fe³⁺ in iron-deprived environments. Iron acquisition is tightly regulated due to its capability of promoting hydrogen peroxide formation via the Fenton reaction. In Salmonella Typhimurium, …

Genomic Epidemiology Of Staphylococcus Aureus Sequence-Type 72, Sachitaa Senthilkumar

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus, SA) is a gram-positive bacterial colonizer and pathogen commonly carried on the skin and in the anterior nares of humans. SA colonization may lead to a variety of non-invasive (e.g., skin and soft tissue infections, SSTIs) and invasive (e.g., bacteremia and osteomyelitis) infections. The SA population is comprised of multiple lineages that can be delineated through multi-locus sequence typing (MLST), which compares nucleotide sequences within seven housekeeping genes. Strains belonging to an MLST share a common evolutionary history and phenotypic characteristics like antibiotic resistance or virulence. As a result, the epidemiology of lineages can be …

Development Of A Proposed Selective Medium For The Isolation And Differentiation Of P. Sordellii, Dimyana Bottros

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Clostridium, a genus of anaerobic, spore-forming bacteria, includes clinically and ecologically significant species like Clostridium difficile and Paeniclostridium sordellii. C. difficile causes antibiotic-associated colitis, while P. sordellii is linked to fatal infections and spontaneous abortions. Recent studies found both species in marine sediments, suggesting their role in environmental and wildlife health disturbances, including the 2013 mass mortality of over 300 manatees in the Indian River Lagoon. However, isolating and differentiating P. sordellii is challenging due to the lack of selective media optimized for its growth. This thesis proposes a novel selective medium tailored to P. sordellii’s physiological …

Fluke Egg Sedimentation Test Procedure, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

The department’s approved procedure for detecting trematode eggs and the Eimeria leuckarti sedimentation method (FEST) on faecal samples.

Examining Associations Between Sociodemographic Characteristics And Ever Breastfed Children, Nhanes 1999–2020, Jessica Amezcua, Lindsey M. West, Camelia Malkami, Marlo M. Vernon, Elinita Pollard, Justin X. Moore

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Although breastfeeding provides health benefits to both mother and child, this study aimed to explore whether disparities in breastfeeding continue to exist, particularly among non-Hispanic Black (NHB) mothers and children. We performed a cross-sectional analysis among 19,830 children in the United States (US) using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 1999 to 2020. Breastfeeding initiation and duration rates increased overall from 1999 to 2020. Children who were ever breastfed were more likely to have higher body weight, older mothers, mothers who did not smoke during pregnancy, a higher family poverty–income ratio (PIR), food security, mothers in …