Digital Commons Network^™

School Knowledge Of Infectious Diseases In Schools: Conducting Surveillance And On-Demand, Symptomatic Respiratory Viral Testing In A Large Pre-Kindergarten-12th Grade School District., Jennifer E. Schuster, Tamoor T Chohdry, Chris T. Young, Brian R. Lee, Dithi Banerjee, Anjana Sasidharan, Olivia M Almendares, Hannah L Kirking, Janelle Porter, Anila Deliu, Shannon Tilsworth, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Jennifer Goldman

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Limited data about acute respiratory illness (ARI) and respiratory virus circulation are available in congregate community settings, specifically schools. To better characterize the epidemiology of ARI and respiratory viruses in schools, we developed School Knowledge of Infectious Diseases in Schools (School KIDS).

METHODS: School KIDS is a prospective, respiratory viral testing program in a large metropolitan school district (pre-kindergarten-12th grade) in Kansas City, Missouri. During the 2022-2023 school year, all students and staff were eligible to participate in surveillance respiratory viral testing at school by submitting observed self-administered nasal swabs monthly. Participants could also submit a nasal swab for …

Bile Acid-Sensitive Human Norovirus Strains Are Susceptible To Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Receptor 2 Inhibition, Victoria Tenge, B Vijayalakshmi Ayyar, Khalil Ettayebi, Sue E Crawford, Nicole M Hayes, Yi-Ting Shen, Frederick H Neill, Robert L Atmar, Mary K Estes

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Human noroviruses (HuNoVs) are a diverse group of RNA viruses that cause endemic and pandemic acute viral gastroenteritis. Previously, we reported that many HuNoV strains require bile or bile acid (BA) to infect human jejunal intestinal enteroid cultures. BA was not essential for the replication of a pandemic-causing GII.4 HuNoV strain. We found the hydrophobic BA glycochenodeoxycholic acid (GCDCA) promotes the replication of the BA-dependent strain GII.3 in jejunal enteroids. Furthermore, we found that inhibition of the G-protein-coupled BA receptor, sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 2 (S1PR2), by JTE-013, reduced GII.3 infection dose-dependently and inhibited GII.3 cellular uptake in enteroids. Herein, we sought …

Non Destructive Detection Of Kiwifruit Sugar Content Based On Improved Woa-Lssvm And Hyperspectral Analysis, Zhang Kai, Zhu Lifang, Li Rulin, Wang Ziyi

Food and Machinery

Objective: Addressing the issues of poor accuracy and low efficiency in non-destructive testing methods for kiwifruit sugar content. Methods: Proposing a non-destructive testing method for kiwifruit sugar content that combined hyperspectral detection technology, least squares support vector machine, and improved whale algorithm. By collecting hyperspectral information of kiwifruit through a hyperspectral detection system, after preprocessing and feature wavelength screening, and then input into an improved whale algorithm optimized least squares support vector machine model to achieve rapid and non-destructive detection of kiwifruit sugar content, and verify its performance. Results: The proposed method could achieve rapid and non-destructive detection of kiwifruit …

Antimicrobial Peptide-Coupled Silver Nanomaterials And Their Applications In Medical And Food Fields, Xie Runsheng, Li Peijun, Jiang Yuqiu, Cao Xingye, Li Haiyun, Su Donglin

Food and Machinery

Due to antimicrobial activity, nanoparticles (NPs) in combination with antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) can be used to kill drug-resistant (MDR) pathogens. Nanosilver (AgNPs) has broad-spectrum and efficient antimicrobial properties, multiple bacterial inactivation mechanisms, and the ability to fine-tune the conjugation on the surface of antimicrobial peptide-conjugated silver nanoparticles (AMP-AgNPs), which results in higher biosafety of AMP-AgNPs. The review summarized the latest research progress of AMP-AgNPs conjugates and discussed the synthesis method, antibacterial activity, mechanism of action, hemolytic toxicity of AMP-AgNPs conjugates, as well as their applications in medical and food fields. The future development direction of AMP-AgNPs conjugates was also prospected.

Psychological Impact Of Ebola Disease On Survivors: A West Africa Study, Babatunde Moses Irinoye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Survivors of Ebola virus disease often experience social isolation. Understanding the psychological impact of Ebola virus disease on these survivors was the focus of this study. The study encompasses assessment of experiences in re-integration back into communities, and psychological implications (post-recovery), among Ebola infection survivors (EIS) in Republic of Liberia. The purpose of the study was to explore the psychological impact of Ebola as the EIS continue their re-integration journey in their communities in Liberia. The conceptual framework for this study was based on principles of system theory, based on interrelatedness of the biopsychological experience of the EIS, and the …

Cefepime-Induced Encephalopathy In Patients Treated For Urinary Tract Infection, Novera Inam, Nuzhat Nisa, Christopher Stewart, Mitchell Fisher, Suporn Sukpraprut-Braaten

Student Publications

Cefepime is a fourth-generation cephalosporin antibiotic administered intravenously used to treat various bacterial infections, including urinary tract infections. Administering cefepime to patients should be done with caution, understanding both potential risks and side effects. A 74-year-old female presented to the family medicine clinic with abdominal pain and a history of urinary tract infections. The workup included a CT scan that showed bowel obstruction and bladder wall thickening. Due to a history of urinary tract infections, three days following the presentation, the patient underwent an explorative laparotomy. Following the laparotomy, the patient was started on cefepime, a fourth-generation cephalosporin antibiotic. Five …

Reducing Rates Of Blood Culture Contamination In The Emergency Room, Erika Goldberg

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: In one emergency room (ER) blood cultures (BC) drawn by nurses had a high contamination rate due to lack of collection standards, which lead to poor patient outcomes.

PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this project was; In adult emergency room patients where blood cultures are drawn (P), how does implementation of an evidence-based practice method (I), compared to the standard method of obtaining blood cultures (C), affect blood culture contamination rates (O), within ten weeks. (T)?

Evidence: Based on multiple sources within the literature; best evidence for lowering blood culture contamination rates (BCC) is done using EBP …

Identifying Driving Factors Of Inundation Susceptibility In Thailand With The Frequency Ratio Method, Zachary Zoet, Jim Wilson

The Geographical Bulletin

Inundation models tend to cover geographically small areas at large-scales. Inconsistencies in research design arising from data classification methods and consensus about unit of analysis, and agreement on the choice of a consistent modeling method can lead to confusion in the selection of appropriate models for different inundation scenarios. To address these concerns, this study aims to expand on the Frequency Ratio Method, using 13 quantitative and qualitative variables, as a generalizable method that can be applied consistently across larger administrative areas such as the province. The ultimate product of this is a Flood Susceptibility Index (FSI), which can be …

Overcoming Challenges For Non-Us International Medical Graduates In Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Zheyi Teoh, Guliz Erdem, Cristina Tomatis-Souverbielle, Diego A Cruz-Vidal, Maria S Rueda, Roberto P Santos, Liset Olarte

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

The Pga Tour: Crisis Management And Social Justice In Professional Sports, Allison Keller

Florida Entertainment and Sports Law Review

This is the Virgil D. Hawkins Clinic Speaker Series Transscript. The Speaker is Allison Keller who works for PGA Tour as a Chief Administrative Officer.

Medicaid Coverage As A Critical Component In Care Coordination And Continuity In Health Care Access During Reentry For Justice-Involved Individuals In Maryland, Bernard Bendenkaga Alenda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Incarcerated individuals in the United States have a high disease burden. Moreover, most of them are released from incarceration without health coverage. The problem is that most incarcerated people in Maryland return to the community from incarceration without health coverage and cannot access health care. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how Medicaid enrollment staff and managers of the Medicaid program perceive the experiences and challenges of justice-involved individuals in navigating the Medicaid system in Maryland. The study was grounded in the behavioral model for vulnerable populations. The main research question aimed at understanding how the enrollment …

Adverse Events Of Bedaquiline Drug Use In The Treatment Of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (Mdr-Tb) Patients: A Review Artcile, Nabilah Nihlah, Bilqis Nailah, Imam Wicaksono

Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy Research

Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) is any unfavorable and unexpected drug response in patients dosed for prevention, diagnosis, or therapy. Tuberculosis is a contagious infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Multi-drug resistance Tuberculosis (MDR TB) is caused by bacteria that are resistant to the two most powerful first-line anti-TB drugs - isoniazid and rifampicin; cases of resistance to both drugs result in worse treatment outcomes, longer treatment duration, high costs, and various other complications. All medications used to treat MDR TB patients have the potential to cause mild, moderate, and severe side effects, especially Bedaquiline. This article will explain …

Prescribing Pattern Of Corticosteroid In Dermatologic Disorder At Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital In Western Indian, Zankrut Patel, Dhiren Patel, Jatin Patel, Sumit Patel

Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy Research

Based on their potent immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory properties, corticosteroids are essential for treating several skin disorders. Due to their lesser systemic toxicity, topical treatments are recommended. The use of corticosteroids in Indian dermatology practice, however, is not well documented. This study aims to analyze the prescribing patterns of corticosteroids for dermatologic disorders. In the outpatient dermatology department of GCS Hospital, Ahmedabad, a cross-sectional, observational study was conducted for six months, from March 2021 to August 2021. We looked at prevalent skin problems and prescribing patterns in 500 prescriptions. A descriptive statistical analysis was done following the compilation of all the …

Evaluation Of Antibiotic Use In Pediatric Inpatients At One Of Bandung Regional Hospitals In August 2023, Purti Maharani, Imam Wicaksono, Falerina Puspita, Hijrah Zainudin

Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy Research

Infectious diseases are a major concern in the field of health, especially in developing countries like Indonesia. Children are vulnerable to infections because their immune systems are not fully developed. Proper management is necessary for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases in pediatric patients. Antibiotics are the primary choice for addressing bacterial infections. However, the increased use of antibiotic can contribute to high levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), rendering infection treatment ineffective. The evaluation of antibiotic use can be conducted through the ATC/DDD method, which focuses on the quantity and types of antibiotics used. Although this method provides a …

Exploration Of A Potential Door Endpoint For Hospital-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia And Ventilator-Associated Bacterial Pneumonia Using Six Registrational Trials For Antibacterial Drugs, Tori Kinamon, Ursula Waack, Mark Needles, Daniel Rubin, Deborah Collyar, Sarah B Doernberg, Scott R Evans, Toshimitsu Hamasaki, Thomas L Holland, Jessica Howard-Anderson, Henry Chambers, Vance G Fowler, Sumati Nambiar, Peter Kim, Helen W Boucher, Ramya Gopinath

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Desirability of outcome ranking (DOOR) is an innovative approach to clinical trial design and analysis that uses an ordinal ranking system to incorporate the overall risks and benefits of a therapeutic intervention into a single measurement. Here we derived and evaluated a disease-specific DOOR endpoint for registrational trials for hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia (HABP/VABP).

METHODS: Through comprehensive examination of data from nearly 4000 participants enrolled in six registrational trials for HABP/VABP submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between 2005 and 2022, we derived and applied a HABP/VABP specific endpoint. We estimated the probability that …

A Review Of The Role Of Single-Cell Rna-Sequencing (Scrna-Seq) In The Transcriptome Analysis Of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (Dcis), Ali Maeve Fitzgerald, Francesca Tiso, Eldar T. Abdullaev, Kirsten Kübler

International Undergraduate Journal of Health Sciences

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) remains one of the most reported lesions detected by mammography screening programmes, yet our understanding of its progression to malignancy and markers of invasiveness is limited. Although a non-obligate precursor of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), all currently diagnosed DCIS patients are indiscriminately subjected to mastectomy or breast-conserving therapy (BCT) and radiotherapy. With less than 50% of untreated DCIS progressing to IDC, questions have been raised surrounding the over-treatment of indolent DCIS.

Thus, one of the central clinical challenges is to assess the risk of disease progression, which has prompted research efforts aimed at refining prognostic …

Optimization Of A Sers-Based Vertical Flow Immunoassay Utilizing A Plasmonic Syringe Filter For Rapid Biomarker Detection And Quantification, Anthony Abeiku Amissah

Theses and Dissertations

Many current diagnostic tools for accurate disease detection and quantification are often tedious and involve multiple complex steps. Consequently, there is a critical need for alternative point-of-care devices that are affordable and deliver rapid and reliable results. Recently, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has emerged as a highly effective analytical method, enhancing Raman scattering of molecules adsorbed onto nanoparticles and allowing for low-level detection and quantitative chemical analysis. In this study, we employ SERS to develop a rapid diagnostic test using human immunoglobulin G (hIgG) as a model biomarker because it is abundant in human serum, cheap, readily available, and well-understood. …

Risk Of Invasive Waterfowl Interaction With Poultry Production: Understanding Potential For Avian Pathogen Transmission Via Species Distribution Models, Reilly T. Jackson, Percival Matzinger Marshall, Chris R. Burkhart, Julia Schneck, Grant Kelly, Caleb P. Roberts

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza have devastated poultry production across the United States, with more than 77 million birds culled in 2022–2024 alone. Wild waterfowl, including various invasive species, host numerous pathogens, including highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV), and have been implicated as catalysts of disease outbreaks among native fauna and domestic birds. In major poultry-producing states like Arkansas, USA, where the poultry sector is responsible for significant economic activity (>$4 billion USD in 2022), understanding the risk of invasive waterfowl interactions with domestic poultry is critical. Here, we assessed the risk of invasive waterfowl-poultry interaction …

The Involvement Of Terengganu Malay Women In The Copra Industry, 1900-1941, Norazilawati Abd Wahab, Zuliskandar Ramli, Mohd Firdaus Abdullah, Nur Alia Shamsul Bahri, Mohamad Muhaymein Ahmed Zawawi, Abdullah Ibrahim, Ruhaizan Sulaiman, Nurshuhada Mohamed

Journal of International Women's Studies

The purpose of this study is to investigate the position of women in Terengganu’s copra industry between 1900 and 1941. Coconut is one of the major crops traditionally farmed in Terengganu, and during this time period, excess coconuts were dried, smoked, and grated to become copra. In Terengganu, the copra sector was intimately linked to women, who were innovators creating a variety of coconut-based food and non-food products, including soap, cooking oil, traditional desserts, and more. Nevertheless, prior studies have mostly disregarded the creative role that women played in Terengganu’s copra sector during this time. Studies on women from Terengganu …

Exploitation Of Child Domestic Workers In Ngenger Culture Of Javanese Society In Indonesia, Tri Joko Sri Haryono, Sri Endah Kinasih, Siti Mas’Udah

Journal of International Women's Studies

This study explains a Javanese cultural practice called ngenger—when girls volunteer to be domestic servants in exchange for educational benefits—as a form of exploitation of labor. The purpose of this study is to understand this Javanese tradition from the perspective of Gender Anthropology. This research is a descriptive study using a qualitative method. The location of the study was in Surabaya and the city of Malang, East Java, and was conducted by collecting data in the form of observations and in-depth interviews. The informants for this study were girls who are domestic workers, parents of the child domestic workers, and …

Use Of Population-Weighted Density Index For Coronavirus Spread In The United States, Huseyin Yuce, Hannah Stauss, Adrienne Persad

Publications and Research

Background: Understanding how population density affected the transmission of COVID-19 is vitally important, since crowded cities were the epicenters for the disease. Since human contact was the main cause of the spread, population-weighted densities have been shown to be a better measure than conventional densities, since the variation in density across subareas matters more than the density in the total area. Objectives: This study investigates the impact of population-weighted density and other demographics on the rate of COVID-19 spread in the United States. Methods: The study considers population-weighted density and many other demographics. The population-weighted density index is the weighted …

Host-Microbiome Interactions In The Teleost Brain, Amir Mani Varnoosfaderani

Biology ETDs

This dissertation investigates host-microbial interactions within the teleost brain, previously considered sterile. Reviewing current literature highlights significant gaps in understanding teleost brain immunity, despite prevalent neurotropic diseases. We mapped the immune profiles of rainbow trout brains and meninges, revealing the olfactory bulbs as the immune effector part of the brain and the optic tectum as a nod2 expression hub. High il6 and il10 levels were noted in the telencephalon. A persistent bacterial community within healthy salmonid brains shares diversity with gut and blood microbiota. Brain bacterial isolates exhibit genomic signatures for brain colonization and polyamine biosynthesis. The microbiota shifts across …

Understanding The Roles Of Economy And Society In The Relative Risks Of Zoonosis Emergence From Livestock, Stephen Hinchcliffe, Alex Blanchette, Kin Wang (Ray) Chan, Chris Degeling, Jody Emel, Melissa Leach, Ian Scoones, Michael Winter

Geography

The emergence of zoonotic infections that can develop into pathogens of pandemic potential is a major concern for public health. The risks of emergence and transmission relate to multiple factors that range from land use to human-non-human animal contacts. Livestock agriculture plays a potentially significant role in those risks, shaping landscapes and providing hosts that can act as the source or amplifiers of emergent pathogens. The relative risks will be contingent upon the nature of those systems, with comparisons often made between intensive, indoor, biosecure systems and more extensive, outdoor, insecure systems. Microbiological, ecological and veterinary sciences provide useful entry …

Crispr-Cas9 And Cas12a Target Site Richness Reflects Genomic Diversity In Natural Populations Of Anopheles Gambiae And Aedes Aegypti Mosquitoes, Travis C Collier, Yoosook Lee, Derrick K Mathias, Víctor López Del Amo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Due to limitations in conventional disease vector control strategies including the rise of insecticide resistance in natural populations of mosquitoes, genetic control strategies using CRISPR gene drive systems have been under serious consideration. The identification of CRISPR target sites in mosquito populations is a key aspect for developing efficient genetic vector control strategies. While genome-wide Cas9 target sites have been explored in mosquitoes, a precise evaluation of target sites focused on coding sequence (CDS) is lacking. Additionally, target site polymorphisms have not been characterized for other nucleases such as Cas12a, which require a different DNA recognition site (PAM) and would …

Limit Theorems For Increments Of Branching Particle Systems With Linear Rates And Poisson Initial Condition, Alexander Kreinin, Vladimir V. Vinogradov

Journal of Stochastic Analysis

No abstract provided.

Role Of Acute Alcohol Exposure In Klebsiella Pneumoniae-Induced Pneumonia, Prantho Malakar Dipta

LSU Master's Theses

Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP), a Gram-negative bacterium, induces severe pneumonia associated with devastating pathological consequences in the lung, such as substantial parenchymal damage. K. pneumoniae is responsible for causing life-threatening lung infections in patients with alcoholics and diabetics. The need to look for new therapeutic approaches is due to the emergence of Klebsiella pneumoniae strains that are resistant to many drugs. The effects of acute alcohol consumption on the host’s innate immune response to KP during infection remain unclear. Age-matched C57BL/6 female mice were administered 6g/kg of 32% alcohol or same amount of PBS via oral gavage 30 minutes prior to …

Novel Immunomodulatory Properties Of Adenosine Analogs Promote Their Antiviral Activity Against Sars-Cov-2, Giulia Monticone, Zhi Huang, Peter Hewins, Thomasina Cook, Oygul Mirzalieva, Brionna King, Kristina Larter, Taylor Miller-Ensminger, Maria D. Sanchez-Pino, Timothy P. Foster, Olga V. Nichols, Alistair J. Ramsay, Samarpan Majumder, Dorota Wyczechowska, Darlene Tauzier, Elizabeth Gravois, Judy S. Crabtree, Jone Garai, Li Li, Jovanny Zabaleta, Mallory T. Barbier, Luis Del Valle, Kellie A. Jurado, Lucio Miele

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic reminded us of the urgent need for new antivirals to control emerging infectious diseases and potential future pandemics. Immunotherapy has revolutionized oncology and could complement the use of antivirals, but its application to infectious diseases remains largely unexplored. Nucleoside analogs are a class of agents widely used as antiviral and anti-neoplastic drugs. Their antiviral activity is generally based on interference with viral nucleic acid replication or transcription. Based on our previous work and computer modeling, we hypothesize that antiviral adenosine analogs, like remdesivir, have previously unrecognized immunomodulatory properties which contribute to their therapeutic activity. In the case …

The Role Of Sexual Network Core Groups In Disease Epidemics, Jason Janeaux

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remain an economic and social burden, non-discriminately affecting sexually active individuals worldwide. The unique transmission of STIs is dependent upon host and pathogen life histories, as well as the underlying network structure of the host population. Within a population there is a group of individuals, the core group, that maintains STI presence and helps sustain ongoing transmission both within the core group and in the surrounding population. While the presence of these core groups is well documented, the criteria for inclusion into a sexual core group is not. In this dissertation, I explore common factors that …

The Borders Of Embodiment: Transgression, Transformation, And Corporeality In Chicanx Speculative Fiction, Chrysta Carson Wilson

English Language and Literature ETDs

This dissertation develops a clearer vision of Chicanx Speculative Fiction (SF) as its own genre anchored to the experiences and histories of the Chicanx community, with a particular interest in the avenues through which race and gender shape the experience of embodiment. SF resists hegemonic narratives that justify racial hierarchies and reveals both the cultural and concrete pressures exerted on Chicanx bodies in the United States as a minoritized and often exploited community. Furthermore, my analysis illustrates that Chicanx writers utilize elements of SF to defamiliarize traditional notions of race, class, and nationality. Through the use of defamiliarization, Chicanx SF …

A History Of The Development Of Alternatives To Animals In Research And Testing, John Parascandola

New Directions in the Human-Animal Bond

Growing public interest in animal welfare issues in recent decades has prompted increased attention to the efforts to develop alternative, nonanimal methods for use in biomedical research and product testing. In A History of the Development of Alternatives to Animals in Research and Testing, the first book-length study of the subject, John Parascandola traces the history of the concept of alternatives to the use of animals in research and testing in Britain and the United States from its beginnings until it had become firmly established in the scientific and animal protection communities by the end of the 1980s. This …