Digital Commons Network^™

Stated Preference Research In Otolaryngology: A Scoping Review, Lucy Xu, Molly N Huston, Victoria S Lee, John D Cramer, Deborah Goss, Matthew R Naunheim

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: Stated preference research methods, including discrete choice experiments (DCEs), conjoint analysis (CA), best-worst scaling (BWS), and willingness-to-pay/contingent valuation (WTP/CV) studies, are excellent tools for understanding patient preferences in healthcare. Their application in otolaryngology has yet to be described. This work encompasses a scoping review assessing the field of stated preference research in otolaryngology, to identify gaps in the current literature and identify areas of future applications of such methodologies.

DATA SOURCES: Embase, Medline, and Web of Science.

REVIEW METHODS: A search of three databases for all relevant publications through 2023 was performed using relevant search terms. Eligibility criteria for …

Cervical Cancer In Women With Hiv: A Call To Action For Equitable Prevention In Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Jonathan Klutse, Yeena Abla Tay, Dzidzor Aku Attoh, Emmanuel Frimpong Gyekye, Charlotte Borteley Bortey, Esenam Dzifa Buatsi, Charlayne Cherylyn Oppong, Helena Lamptey, Collins Stephen Ahorlu, George Boateng Kyei, Evelyn Yayra Bonney

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Cervical cancer is preventable; however, it remains the leading cause of death in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Women with HIV (WWHs) have a sixfold higher risk of developing and dying from cervical cancer than women without HIV. Cervical cancer can be prevented by vaccination against high-risk human papillomaviruses (hrHPVs) and by screening for and treating precancer cervical lesions. While these preventive measures are routinely available to WWHs in developed countries, they are lacking in most LMICs, where the burden of HIV and cervical cancer is the highest. To prevent cervical cancer deaths among WWHs in LMICs, it is imperative …

Increasing Special Pathogen Preparedness At A Frontline Hospital: A Quality Improvement Project, Mckenna Freed, Christa Arguinchona, Barbara Bennett-Wolcott

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Caregiver Worry About Covid-19 As A Predictor Of Social Mitigation Behaviours And Sars-Cov-2 Infection In A 12-City U.S. Surveillance Study Of Households With Children, Steven M Brunwasser, Katherine Rivera-Spoljaric, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: Understanding compliance with COVID-19 mitigation recommendations is critical for informing efforts to contain future infectious disease outbreaks. This study tested the hypothesis that higher levels of worry about COVID-19 illness among household caregivers would predict lower (a) levels of overall and discretionary social exposure activities and (b) rates of household SARS-CoV-2 infections.

METHODS: Data were drawn from a surveillance study of households with children (

RESULTS: Caregivers with high enrollment levels of worry about COVID-19 illness were more likely to reduce direct social contact outside the household, particularly during the U.S.'s most deadly pandemic wave. Households of caregivers with …

Multidisciplinary Approach To Treating Complex Immune Dysregulation Disorders: An Adaptive Model For Institutional Implementation, Lauren A Henderson, Megan A Cooper, Anthony French, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Patients with immune dysregulation may present with varying combinations of autoimmunity, autoinflammation, immunodeficiency, atopy, lymphoproliferation, and/or malignancy, often with multisystem involvement. Recognizing specific patterns of immune dysregulation, coordinating and interpreting complex diagnostic testing, and choosing initial (often empiric) treatment can be challenging. Centers are increasingly assembling multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) to standardize evaluation and optimize treatment of patients with complex immune dysregulation (immune dysregulation MDTs [immMDTs]). However, published information on the composition and function of immMDTs is sparse, and there is little guidance for those seeking to establish or optimize an immMDT. To inform this review, we assembled a panel of …

Th9 Cells Provide Protective Tb Immunity, Mei Xia, Azra Blazevic, Huan Ning, Christopher S Eickhoff, Chad E Storer, Richard D Head, Jianguo Liu, Jessica Jarvela, David Stoeckel, Erin Rakey, Jan Tennant, Daniel L Miller, Kathleen R Holloway, Richard F Silver, Daniel F Hoft

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: CD4+ Th9 cells have been associated with inflammatory and allergic diseases. IL-9/Th9 can function as both positive and negative immune regulators, but their protective effects against

METHODS: To study TB-specific Th9 protective effects, we generated Th9 cells from ESAT6-specific TCR transgenic mice and healthy human donors.

RESULTS: Both murine and human Th9 cells significantly inhibited intracellular mycobacterial growth. In both

DISCUSSION: Th9 cells can provide important protection against Mtb infection, and should be targeted with future TB vaccine strategies. Furthermore, Th9 cells appear to utilize a novel protective mechanism independent from Th1-mediated protective responses.

Molecular Chaperones At The Host-Virus Interface: Heat Shock Protein Roles In Hiv-1 And Emerging Insights For Hiv-2 And Dual Infection, Sabastine Eugene Arthur, Kirk Klogo, Emmanuel Kobina Mensah, Maame Ama Pentsiwa Cudjoe, Adomia Baaba Mensah, Nyamekye Amoabeng Ankrah, Catherine Laaripuoh Omosule, Evelyn Yayra Bonney, George Boateng Kyei

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are essential molecular chaperones involved in protein folding, cellular stress responses, and homeostasis. Recent studies reveal their critical and dual roles in the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) life cycle, both promoting and restricting viral replication, latency, and immune modulation. This review synthesizes current evidence on how key HSP families, HSP70, HSP90, and HSP40, interact with HIV proteins such as Tat, Rev, Nef, and Vpx, affecting viral transcription, protein trafficking, and latency. We also highlight Heat Shock Factor 1 (HSF1) as a direct regulator of the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR), facilitating latency reversal via recruitment of …

Barriers And Facilitators To Implementing A Task-Sharing Mental Health Intervention For Sickle Cell Disease Populations In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: A Qualitative Analysis Using The Consolidated Framework For Implementation Research (Cfir), John Patena, Leah Elster, Tania Hameed, Sumedha Kulkarni, Alden Yuanhong Lai, Annika C Sweetland, Joyce Gyamfi, Temitope Ojo, Angela Odoms-Young, Charmaine Royal, Emmanuel Peprah

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: People living with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) experience higher rates of common mental disorders (CMD). There is an alarming treatment gap in the provision of adequate mental health services for CMDs in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). One solution is the implementation of task-sharing interventions such as the Friendship Bench which utilizes concepts of problem-solving therapy (PST). This investigation uses a qualitative study design to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of implementing a PST-based task-sharing mental health intervention for SCD populations in LMICs using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR).

METHODS: Purposive, convenience, and snowball sampling strategies were …

Sauna Use As A Novel Management Approach For Cardiovascular Health And Peripheral Arterial Disease, Sergio Sastriques-Dunlop, Santiago Elizondo-Benedetto, Mohamed A Zayed

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Heat therapy (HT), particularly in the form of whole-body sauna bathing, has emerged as a promising intervention for the management of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Passive HT can induce both local and systemic physiological responses, primarily through repeated thermal stress consisting of short-term passive exposure to high temperatures. Such responses closely parallel the physiological adaptations observed during aerobic exercise. Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) poses significant health challenges, impacting millions of individuals worldwide. Supervised exercise is considered a cornerstone therapy for PAD, yet many patients face significant health-related barriers that complicate its broad implementation.

METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive review of …

Slc35a2 Gene Product Modulates Paramyxovirus Fusion Events During Infection, Yanling Yang, Yuchen Wang, Danielle E. Campbell, Heng-Wei Lee, Wandy Beatty, Leran Wang, Megan Baldridge, Carolina B. López

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Paramyxoviruses are significant human and animal pathogens that include mumps virus (MuV), Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and the murine parainfluenza virus Sendai (SeV). Despite their importance, few host factors implicated in paramyxovirus infection are known. Using a recombinant SeV expressing destabilized eGFP (rSeVCdseGFP) in a loss-of-function CRISPR screen, we identified the CMP-sialic acid transporter (CST) gene SLC35A1 and the UDP-galactose transporter (UGT) gene SLC35A2 as essential for paramyxovirus infection. As expected, SLC35A1 knockout (KO) cells showed drastic reduction in infections with SeV, NDV and MuV due to the lack of cell surface sialic acids receptors. However, SLC35A2 KO cells revealed …

Enhancing Engagement In Hiv Care Among Adolescents And Young Adults: A Focus On Phone-Based Navigation And Relationship Building To Address Barriers In Hiv Care, Harriet Fridah Adhiambo, Dorothy Imbuka Mangale, Elvin Geng, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Structural, psychological, and clinical barriers to HIV care engagement among adolescents and young adults living with HIV (AYAH) persist globally despite gains in HIV epidemic control. Phone-based peer navigation may provide critical peer support, increase delivery flexibility, and require fewer resources. Prior studies show that phone-based navigation and automated text messaging interventions improve HIV care engagement, adherence, and retention among AYAH. However, little is known about AYAH experiences utilizing electronic phone-based peer navigation and automated text messaging (E-NAV). We assessed the experiences of AYAH receiving phone-based peer navigation to address barriers to HIV care engagement and viral suppression. We purposefully …

Nanobody Screening And Machine Learning Guided Identification Of Cross-Variant Anti-Sars-Cov-2 Neutralizing Heavy-Chain Only Antibodies, Peter R. Mcilroy, Zhuoming Liu, Sean Whelan, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to persist, demonstrating the risks posed by emerging infectious diseases to national security, public health, and the economy. Development of new vaccines and antibodies for emerging viral threats requires substantial resources and time, and traditional development platforms for vaccines and antibodies are often too slow to combat continuously evolving immunological escape variants, reducing their efficacy over time. Previously, we designed a next-generation synthetic humanized nanobody (Nb) phage display library and demonstrated that this library could be used to rapidly identify highly specific and potent neutralizing heavy chain-only antibodies (HCAbs) with prophylactic and …

Proteomic Characterization And Comparison Of The Infective And Adult Life Stage Secretomes From Necator Americanus And Ancylostoma Ceylanicum, Yide Wong, Bruce A. Rosa, Makedonka Mitreva, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

More than 470 million people globally are infected with the hookworms Ancylostoma ceylanicum and Necator americanus, resulting in an annual loss of 2.1 to 4 million disability-adjusted-life-years. Current infection management approaches are limited by modest drug efficacy, the costs associated with frequent mass drug administration campaigns, and the risk of reinfection and burgeoning drug resistance. Subunit vaccines based on proteins excreted and secreted (ES) by hookworms that reduce worm numbers and associated disease burden are a promising management strategy to overcome these limitations. However, studies on the ES proteomes of hookworms have mainly described proteins from the adult life stage …

Adaptive Crisis Management At The Operational Level: Responses To Covid-19 In The Australian Resources Sector, Michael M. Ajith, Andrei A. Lux, Tim Bentley, Michelle Striepe

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 significantly impacted Australia’s resources sector, particularly mining, oil, and gas industries, posing challenges for operational leaders. This study applied Adaptive Crisis Management Theory (ACMT) to understand how these leaders adapted during the crisis. Through interviews with 32 operational leaders, it was found that their roles evolved as crisis demands changed. Initially, they addressed immediate needs, then shifted focus to remote work facilitation and digital transformation, and finally emphasised recovery, trust, and resilience. These adaptations influenced leaders’ behaviours, highlighting the importance of flexibility in supporting employee wellbeing and organisational continuity during crises.

Evaluation Of A Patient With A Severe Systemic Inflammatory Response To Nitrofurantoin, Brigitte Vanle, Timothy Beatty

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

Nitrofurantoin is a prevalent antibiotic used to treat urinary tract infections. Despite nitrofurantoin’s general safety, it can cause serious side effects, including acute pulmonary toxicity, fulminant hepatitis, and severe systemic inflammatory responses, which may mimic conditions such as ischemia and infection. However, reports of acute systemic inflammatory response syndrome after nitrofurantoin ingestion are uncommon in medical literature.

Case Presentation

This case describes a severe systemic inflammatory response syndrome in an 85-year-old woman presenting with hypoxia, altered mental status, and profound leukocytosis after exposure to a single dose of nitrofurantoin.

Conclusion

Herein we report on a patient with suspected bacteremia …

Veillonella Discitis: A Rare Presentation And Review Of Literature, Akankcha Alok, Vidya Sagar Kollu, Gautam Kalyatanda

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

Veillonella is an anaerobic gram-negative coccus found as a commensal organism in the oral, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary tract of humans. Rarely, it can cause serious infections by the production of lipopolysaccharide, an endotoxin. Although most Veillonella infections occur in immunocompromised individuals, we herein describe cases of Veillonella discitis, a rare presentation of Veillonella, in immunocompetent patients.

Case Presentation

The first presented case was encountered in a patient admitted at our facility. All patient data were obtained from the hospital's electronic medical record system. Thereafter, a literature search and subsequent review was done on PubMed with the MEDLINE …

A Case Of Xylazine-Induced Necrotic Skin Ulcerations In An Iv-Drug User In Florida, Mark Zaki, Cynthia Dillon, Anjali Patel, Barbara Gracious

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Introduction

As illicit drug manufacturers find new ways to market their products and increase their profit margins, multiple contaminants have found their way into the illicit drug supply. The newest addition, xylazine, also known as “tranq,” has spread through the city of Philadelphia and has recently been gaining ground across the United States, including in the state of Florida.

Case Presentation

This case describes a 37-year-old male with a significant past psychiatric history of severe polysubstance intravenous (IV) use, including fentanyl and methamphetamine. He was comorbid with other mental and physical conditions and presented to the emergency department with acute …

Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis Due To Ehrlichiosis: A Case Series, Ajay Iyer, Mattias D'Anna, Shruti Verma, Thomas Pritchard, Vladimir Begilman, Himal Bajracharya, Kaveh Naemi

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is an immunologic syndrome characterized by excessive inflammation and tissue injury due to uncontrolled activation of the phagocytic system. The underlying mechanism is a lack of downregulation of activated macrophages and lymphocytes by natural killer and T cells. Unfortunately, the diagnosis is often delayed or missed due to the rarity of the disease, decreased awareness, and clinical picture variability. Ehrlichiosis is becoming a more prevalent tick-borne illness in endemic regions and a relatively uncommon but increasingly considered cause of HLH.

Case Presentation

We describe the cases of 2 patients diagnosed with secondary HLH as per the …

Investigating The Effects Of Nosocomial Clostridioides Difficile Infection Among Acute Leukemia Patients: Insights From The 2020 National Inpatient Sample, Zubair Hassan Bodla, Mariam Hashmi, Fatima Niaz, Umer Farooq, Muhammad Jahanzeb Khalil, Farhan Khalid, Kipson Charles, Christopher L. Bray

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

Rising nosocomial Clostridioides difficile infections pose high risks, especially for immunocompromised leukemia patients, necessitating targeted research to enhance patient care and outcomes.

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of nosocomial Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI) on patients hospitalized with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Methods

Our study was a retrospective analysis of adult patients hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of ALL or AML, using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database for 2020. Primary outcomes included the incidence of nosocomial CDI and all-cause inpatient mortality. Secondary outcomes included hospital length of stay, resource …

Learning Paradigms For Rhythm Detection And Generation Using Mathematical Models, Biophysical And Artificial Neural Networks, Prianka Bose

Dissertations

Humans possess an inherent ability to recognize evenly-spaced rhythms, known as isochronous rhythms, owing to the brain's predisposition to entrain to external auditory stimuli with regular temporal intervals. The central focus of this research is to understand how the brain learns and retains rhythmic time intervals in the context of music. This dissertation studies rhythm detection and generation through mathematical models, biophysical networks, and artificial neural networks, addressing both isochronous and non-isochronous patterns.

A primary focus of the thesis is on isochronous rhythms. In particular, given a perturbation to an isochronous rhythm such as a tempo change or phase shift …

A Case Report Of Long-Latency Evoked Diaphragm Potentials After Exposure To Acute Intermittent Hypoxia In Post-West Nile Virus Meningoencephalitis, Joseph F. Welch, Erica A. Dale, Jayakrishnan Nair, Paul W. Davenport, Emily J. Fox, Gordon S. Mitchell

Department of Physical Therapy Faculty Papers

We present a case report of a 42-year-old female with post-West Nile virus meningoencephalitis who exhibited unique, long-latency diaphragm potentials evoked by transcranial and cervical magnetic stimulation after exposure to acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH). The subject was recruited for a study investigating AIH effects on respiratory motor function in healthy individuals. She had contracted West Nile virus infection 5 years before assessment that resulted in hospitalization and persistent allodynia but was not reported to the research team. During the study, transcranial (TMS) and cervical (CMS) magnetic stimulation were performed before and 30-60 min after a single presentation of AIH [15, …

Machine Learning Methods For Pattern Recognition Analysis Of Genomic And Molecular Data, Kuang Du

Dissertations

While immune therapies achieve remarkable success in treating various cancers, only a subset of patients achieves a durable clinical response, and many exhibit innate or acquired resistance. Precision medicine aims to tailor treatments to individual patients based on specific biological markers, ensuring that each patient receives the therapy most likely to be effective. Predictive biomarkers and gene signatures offer potential for more personalized treatment strategies by identifying patients likely to benefit. Recent studies suggest that gene signatures, comprising sets of genes, hold predictive value for certain clinical variables. Typically derived from biological expert knowledge, these signatures demonstrate substantial predictive potential, …

Smallpox Outbreaks And Immunization Policies In Tanzania From The Late Nineteenth Century To The First World War, Lorne Larson

Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies

An estimated 300 million people died globally from smallpox in the 20th century alone. There was very much a North/South divide in the existence of the disease in that period, with countries across South America, Africa and Asia recording the majority of cases. In 1966 the World Health Organization launched an intensive effort to finally eliminate the disease. The last known endemic case of smallpox was reported in Somalia in 1977, and that outbreak was promptly contained. In 1980 smallpox was declared eradicated – the only infectious disease affecting humans to achieve this distinction. This remains among the most notable …

Biological Abnormalities In Long Covid Disease: A Mini Review, Abbas F. Almulla, Hanaa Addai Ali

NJF Biomedicine Journal

Long COVID (LC) is characterized by prolonged, diverse symptoms affecting multiple organ systems, including but not limiting to the immune, neurological, and cardiovascular systems. This mini review explores the biological abnormalities underpinning LC, focusing on immune dysregulation, chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction as key contributors to its persistence. Recent studies indicate that LC may involve sustained elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, autoimmunity, and T-cell exhaustion, all of which perpetuate a state of low-grade chronic inflammation. Additionally, oxidative and nitrosative stress linked to mitochondrial damage exacerbates fatigue, mood and cognitive symptoms, while hormonal imbalances and metabolic disturbances further complicate the …

Detection Of Some Virulence Factor Genes Among Staphylococcus Aureus Isolated From Ocular Infections In Hilla City, Zaid Kadhim Jassim Alsultany, Ali Turki, Hayat Ghaith Sachit, Hiyam Faez Ahmed

NJF Biomedicine Journal

This investigation examined 100 individuals who had symptoms of acute inflammation affecting the cornea, conjunctiva, and eyelids. Hilla City's private eye clinic welcomed the patients. For 18--24 hours at 37°C, the materials were cultured in both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Colony morphology, microscopy, and biochemical testing were used to diagnose Staphylococcus aureus infections. The specific positive cards of the Vitek 2 system were used to isolate these isolates. Out of 100 specimens, 65 65%) were found to be associated with different types of microbes, but only 35(35% of the total) tested positive for S. aureus in culture. Out of the …

Review On Intestinal Protozoan Parasites (Types, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Control And Prevention), Hawraa Salih Dhahir Aljaefari, Bent Alhuda Hussein Neamah, Zahraa Husam Jaber Assarraf, Zainab Hameed Selman Al-Ziyadee

NJF Biomedicine Journal

Intestinal protozoan parasites spread all the world and associated between man and animals. They are transmitted to man through consuming drinks and food contaminated with parasite cysts. They infect all age groups, each of these protozoa is characterized by special and distinctive symptoms such as fever,chills and abdominal pain, may have only mild abdominal discomfort or no symptoms at all but the main distinctive symptom of the infection is severe diarrhea. Sometimes the infection is not limited to the intestines only, but is transmitted to other organs. diagnosis of intestinal protozoan infections based on symptoms and physical findings is difficult; …

Using Technology To Manage A Distributed Workforce & Work Together Seamlessly, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum (Iclef)

Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum 2024

Meeting proceedings of a seminar by the same name, held October 11, 2024.

Prevalence Of Abortifacient Disorders In Small Ruminants: A Comprehensive Review, Abdul Saboor, Qudratullah Kalwar, Muhammad Mohsen Rahimoon, Hubdar Ali Kolachi, Sajad Ali Laghari, Asmatullah Kaka, Rafique Ahmed, Fayaz Hussain, Taj Muhammad, Atthar Uddin

Journal of Bioresource Management

Abortifacient disorders in small ruminants present a serious problem for livestock farmers, leading to financial losses and lower production rates. This review examines both infectious and non-infectious factors that cause abortions in goats (Capra hircus) and sheep (Ovis aries), which are crucial animals in rural farming practices. Infectious causes, such as bacteria (Brucella melitensis, Chlamydia abortus, Coxiella burnetii), viruses (bluetongue, border disease), and parasites (Toxoplasma gondii), are major factors in reproductive health problems, resulting in considerable livestock losses. Additionally, non-infectious factors like poor nutrition, toxins, and genetic issues also contribute to these …

Descriptions Of Adolescent Holistic Knowledge About Hiv/Aids At State Islamic Junior High School 2 Jember, Chilmiyatur Rosidah

Preventia: The Indonesian Journal of Public Health

HIV/AIDS is a global health issue, with the number of sufferers tending to increase each year. In 2015, there were 30,935 new HIV cases, and by 2020, this number had risen to 41,987 cases, indicating a 35.77 percent increase in new cases between 2015 and 2020. Adolescents constitute one of the groups vulnerable to HIV/AIDS due to a lack of holistic knowledge on the subject. Knowledge related to HIV/AIDS is crucial for adolescents, as the adolescent phase is characterized by an increase in hormone production, which may trigger risky sexual behavior. This study used a qualitative descriptive method with Focus …

Epigenetic Modification Of Fungi And Uses Thereof, Bill J. Baker, Dennis E. Kyle, Mario Alberto Rodriguez-Pã©Rez, Anne-Claire D. Limon, Ala Azhari

USF Patents

Described herein are methods of epigenetic modification of fungi and uses thereof. Also described herein are compounds that can have antileishmanial activity and formulations thereof. Also described herein are methods of treating leishmanial infection in a subject that include the step of administering a compound or formulation thereof described herein to the subject.