Digital Commons Network^™

Navigating Clinical Uncertainty: A Convergence Of Hiv, Positive Ana, And Genetic Cardiomyopathy, Ioannis Karageorgiou, Nicolaas Schimmel, Phillip Marchese, Tawhida Khatoon

Conference Presentation Abstracts

We present a case involving a 36-year-old male with a complex medical history, including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, cerebrovascular accident (CVA), and Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy (HOCM). The patient presented with a week-long history of chest, lower extremity, and back pain, tingling, and a history of recurrent falls. The initial presentation, combined with his history of ICD placement in 2019, led to investigations for Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) and ICD malfunction. The patient's initial laboratory workup, which included a comprehensive drug screen, was unremarkable except for mild normocytic anemia and elevated protein levels. CT scans of the head and spine and X-rays of …

Aids Associated Cryptosporidial And Cmv Cholangiopathy, Nada Alsharif, Luxhman Gunaseelan, Mamoun Souleiman, Cecilia Big

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Introduction AIDS-associated cholangiopathy is a biliary tract condition seen in AIDS patients who are severely immunosuppressed, contributing to significant mortality in this population even in developed countries with access to HAART therapy. Case Description We discuss a thirty-six-year-old HIV positive male, non-compliant with HAART therapy, who presented with a one year history of weight loss, persistent fatigue and chronic diarrhea, which had worsened significantly in the past few weeks. Routine laboratory studies on presentation indicated elevated liver enzymes and alkaline phosphatase, a CD4 count of two, and a high HIV RNA count of 8.8 million. Imaging via CT abdomen and …

Streptococcus Pneumoniae Neck Abscess In A Patient With Waldenstrom's Macroglobulnemia, Tanya Amal, Paul Johnson, Ayesha Sharif

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Patients with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia/lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma are at increased risk of sinopulmonary infections, pyelonephritis, and septicemia. The underlying etiology is assumed to be immune dysregulation. Patient's with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia have been shown to have somatic mutations in the "V". "D" and "J/H' segments of immunoglobulin gene. These mutations can affect affinity maturation and formation of memory B cells. Subsequently patient's with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia also have a suboptimal response to vaccination against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Varicella, similar to those with multiple myeloma. Severe infections with gram positive organisms causing multifocal osteomyelitis, pleural effusion and sepsis have also been reported with …

Photodynamic Treatment Of Staphylococcus Aureus With Non-Iron Hemin Analogs In The Presence Of Hydrogen Peroxide, Badhu Prashanthika Sivasubramaniam, Benjamin M. Washer, Yuichiro Watanabe, Kathryn E. Ragheb, J. Paul Robinson, Alexander Wei

Department of Chemistry Faculty Publications

Bacteria subjected to antiseptic or antibiotic stress often develop tolerance, a trait that can lead to permanent resistance. To determine whether photodynamic agents could be used to counter tolerance, we evaluated three non-iron hemin analogs (M-PpIX; M = Al, Ga, In) as targeted photosensitizers for antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation (aPDI) following exposure to sublethal H2O2. Al-PpIX is an active producer of ROS whereas Ga- and In-PpIX are more efficient at generating singlet oxygen. Al- and Ga-PpIX are highly potent aPDI agents against S. aureus and methicillin-resistant strains (MRSA) with antimicrobial activity (3 log reduction in colony-forming units) at nanomolar concentrations. The …

Hepatitis C Management For Individuals In Custody, Oluronke D. Akinola

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a pathogen that spreads through blood and causes hepatitis C disease, a liver infection. Early infection symptoms are rare, making it a silent killer. HCV, the chronic liver disease accounts for half of all hepatocellular carcinoma cases and is the leading cause of liver transplantation in the US. This quality improvement project aimed to create an educational toolkit for the Department of Correction staff working with individuals in custody refusing HCV treatment. The education tools comprised an infographic flyer (English and Spanish) to teach individuals in custody about HCV treatment and a PowerPoint presentation …

Risk Factors For Hepatitis A Hospitalizations And Mortality In Kentucky's 2018 Hepatitis A Outbreak, Tanya Campbell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2018, the state of Kentucky faced an outbreak of Hepatitis A virus (HAV), which led to a significant increase in HAV cases, hospitalizations, and fatalities. The social-ecological model (SEM) was used in a cross-sectional design to identify the factors associated with this outbreak. This approach employed secondary data extracted from the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS). Logistic regression was used to test hypotheses determining homelessness, drug use, and HAV vaccine status were related to HAV hospitalizations. There was a statistically significant association between the covariate age and HAV hospitalization (p = 0.004), and between homelessness and hospitalization (p < .001); however, associations between drug use and HAV vaccine status were not statistically. Intervention programs should target homeless populations; such targeting can lead to a reduction in HAV infections and HAV outbreaks. Implications for positive social change include motivation for policymakers and public health officials to assist in curtailing hospitalization and mortality rates caused by HAV in high-risk groups. Targeted prevention and intervention measures can mitigate the incidence of HAV in high-risk populations and enhance their health prospects.

Evaluating Critical Thinking In New Graduate Nurses Through Reflective Journaling, Robbin Guynn

Sigma Foundation for Nursing Research Grant Reports

The purpose of this project is to look at the development of critical thinking in newly graduated nurses to see if reflective journaling can help accelerate the process.

Expanding Complex Morpholines Using Systematic Chemical Diversity, Sunny Ann Tang, Afton Fults, Shelton R Boyd, Nikhil Gattu, Kevin A Tran, Jiayi Fan, Kevin R Mackenzie, Timothy Palzkill, Damian W Young, Srinivas Chamakuri

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The morpholine heterocycle is a structural unit found in many bioactive compounds and FDA-approved drugs, but the generation of more complex C-functionalized morpholine derivatives remains considerably underexplored. Using systematic chemical diversity (SCD), a concept that guides the expansion of saturated drug-like scaffolds through regiochemical and stereochemical variation, we describe the synthesis of a collection of methyl-substituted morpholine acetic acid esters starting from enantiomerically pure amino acids and amino alcohols. In total, 24 diverse substituted morpholines were produced that vary systematically in regiochemistry and stereochemistry (relative and absolute). These diverse C-substituted morpholines can be directly applied in fragment screening or incorporated …

Global Prevalence Of Aspirin Use For Primary Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study Of Nationally Representative, Individual-Level Data, Sang Gune K Yoo, Mark D Huffman, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Medical School Watercooler Newsletter - May 2, 2024, Lindsey Lyle

Watercooler Newsletter

This is the May 2, 2024 edition of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine’s newsletter - Watercooler.

Contents Include

• GME coordinators establish wellness committee to address stress and burnout
• Ramani selected as CMO for Children’s & Women’s Hospital
• Six students earn travel scholarships for state pediatrics meeting
• Molecular lab launches genomic testing for personalized cancer care
• Resident and Fellow Academic Expo set for May 1

Unplanned Pregnancy As An Independent Risk Factor For Antepartum Si In A Post Roe Vs. Wade World, Rianna Mcnamee

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Abstract: The objective of this literature review is to determine whether unplanned pregnancy is an independent risk factor for developing antepartum SI. Background: The Supreme Court of the United States of America recently ruled that the constitution of the United States does not confer a right to abortion to its citizens. As of October 2023, twenty-one states had developed full or partial bans on abortion, resulting in millions of Americans residing in areas where terminating unplanned pregnancy is not a viable option. There is evidence that indicates antepartum suicidal ideation (SI) is higher than that of the general population, however …

Lower Extremity Weakness In The Setting Of Covid Myositis, Christopher Dellmyer, Frank Wheeler

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Bilateral lower extremity weakness has numerable causes including stroke, peripheral neuropathy, deconditioning, Guillain-Barre, Multiple Sclerosis, anterior cord syndrome, trauma, spinal epidural abscess and many more. It is imperative however, that we investigate and understand more rare causes of lower extremity weakness. Here we present the case of a 74-year-old female presented to the ED with a complaint of lower extremity weakness due to Covid myositis causing significant bilateral lower extremity weakness.

Case Report: Dysphagia In Inclusion Body Myositis Leading To Respiratory And Gastrointestinal Complications, Veroneka Mikhail, James A. Espinosa, Alan Lucerna

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM) stands as a rare and complex neuromuscular disorder (NMD) characterized by progressive muscle weakness and atrophy. Among its cardinal symptoms are dysphagia and respiratory distress, which are the most common cause of death in this disease. While the differential diagnosis of respiratory distress is vast and includes aspiration, pneumonia, acute coronary syndrome, emphysema, and congestive heart failure, a clinician should recognize that respiratory distress can also be secondary to dysphagia in NMDs like IBM and can quickly become life threating. Here we present the case of a 68-year-old female with a history of IBM who presented …

Case Report: Monkeypox Diagnosed In The Ed, Richard M. Baluyot, Joseph Pagano, James A. Espinosa, Alan Lucerna

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Rashes are one of the most common chief complaints we see as emergency medicine physicians on a day-to-day basis. Most of them tend to be self-limited and require very little workup and can be discharged home; however, it is our job to try to identify rashes that may require isolation in order to prevent an outbreak in our communities. Here we present a case of one such rash that has gained major media attention as of late, Monkeypox.

Rocky Mountain High Titer: An Unusual Delay In Surgical Clearance, Lisa Ting Huang, Victoria Wong Murray, Judith Anne Lightfoot

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, carried by a variety of ticks, is classically caused by Ricksettsia rickettsii, but may be clinically indistinguishable from other bacteria in the same family. A 47 year old female presented in December for presurgical clearance due to fever, petechial rash on the thighs and trunk, and ecchymoses on the forearms, gluteal region, and toes; additional symptoms included arthralgia in bilateral lower limbs. Bacterial infection was suspected and empirical doxycycline was initiated pending specific PCR testing. Patient adherence was unclear at the followup visit, so IV ceftriaxone was initiated and repeated immunoglobulin testing was ordered to …

A Case Of Hhv-6 Viral Meningitis, Mohammad A. Rattu, Wayne Tamaska

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Meningitis is the inflammation of the meninges and associated with abnormal cell count in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The lack of bacterial growth in cultures, most commonly referred to as aseptic meningitis, is frequently caused by viruses [2]. Viruses have become more common as the prevalence of bacterial meningitis has decreased secondary to vaccination use, with viral meningitis being the most common form among countries. Viral meningitis will present with fever, headache, photophobia, neck stiffness and nausea and vomiting. Younger children however may not show any signs of meningeal irritation. Viral meningitis is usually self-limiting and with good prognosis; however, …

Clostridium Perfringens Sepsis From A Hepatic Abscess With Hemolysis And Renal Failure, Requiring Hemodialysis, Joel Collins Ii, Katelyn Courtney, James A. Espinosa, Alan Lucerna

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The prognosis of sepsis caused by Clostridium perfringens is extremely poor, with a mortality rate of 70%-100%. Management includes antibiotic regimens specific to toxin production as well as source control via surgical or interventional mechanisms. We report a case of a 64-year-old male who presented with right upper quadrant (RUQ) abdominal pain and was diagnosed with Clostridium perfringens bacteremia with associated acalculous cholecystitis, hepatic abscess, and acute renal failure requiring hemodialysis. It is felt that early hemodialysis was an associated factor in the patient's survival.

Investigating Risk Factors Contributing To The High Incidence Of Covid-19 Among The Diné People Of The Navajo Nation, Elizabeth Lila Reynolds

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: COVID-19 became international news in December 2019 and subsequently impacted global health. The research shows that the Diné people of the Navajo Nation were one of the most severely impacted populations¹. The Navajo Nation is a region spanning Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah that is composed of North American indigenous people known as the Diné. Purpose: To explore the risk factors contributing to the increased rates of COVID-19 infection and severity of infection among the Diné people. Methods: This literature review research process utilized PubMed and JAMA to find scholarly articles on this topic. Search terms …

What Is The Efficacy Of The Newly Developed Hpv Vaccine, Cecolin, In Providing Protection Against Hpv-Induced Cervical Cancers In Females Aged 9-14 Years Old, Yolanda Williams

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

In low to middle income countries, there's a rise in invasive cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Affordability emerges as a crucial factor influencing this trend. This research is based on the development of a new HPV vaccine made in China called Ceolin priced at $47 and its efficacy to be incorporated into the WHO vaccination program. A peer review was conducted based on an ongoing randomized phase 3 clinical trial of a 2 dose regimen bivalent Cecolin vaccine (types 16,18) . The study includes 1025 females aged 9-14 years old split amongst 5 groups. The control group received Gardasil at the …

Out Of Time: Altered Mental Status And Temporal Seizure On Background Of Dementia & Uti, Jennifer Nguyen, Victoria Wong Murray, Judith Anne Lightfoot, Mukarram Razvi, Kasturi Etukuru

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Herpes simplex virus is common in the US, with an estimated seroprevalence of HSV-1 of 40% and HSV-2 of 11%. Although herpes encephalitis is rare, with an incidence of roughly 1/100,000 individuals per year in the US, the mortality rate of 70% and rapid progression make identification and treatment imperative.

An 85 year old woman was brought to the emergency department from nursing home with altered mental status of unknown duration in refractory status epilepticus on a background of dementia, history of multiple falls, and indwelling foley catheter in addition to hypertension and bilateral knee replacement. EEG demonstrated abnormal discharges …

Determinants Of Vaccine Hesitancy Among Parents And Caregivers, Priya Srivastava

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

•Vaccination efforts in the United States and globally are one of the largest contributors to pediatric preventative health

•Routine immunizations in the U.S for children ≤ 10 years old cover 14 vaccine-preventable diseases. As a result, an estimated 732,000 deaths, 21 million hospitalizations, and 322 diagnosed cases of diseases have been prevented between 1993 and 2013.

•Vaccines remain a point of contention with pediatricians and their patients' caregivers

•Many parents maintain hesitancy to give vaccines; to a number of reasons. Perceived risk and fear of side effects from vaccines more than the disease itself, can cause out-of-proportion concern

•Misinformation spread …

A Novel Approach To Hiv Testing: Group Harm Reduction And Testing For High Risk Women In Nj, Gabrianna A. Andrews

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Outreach programs have been implemented aimed at providing healthcare to minority populations and those considered high-risk for acquiring HIV. Variables such as these cause hesitance in community members, preventing HIV screenings and adherence to follow-ups. This study provides and evaluates a new approach: group HIV testing. Data was collected from 6/2/2023 to 4/19/2024 by surveying participants at the end of the interaction. 87.5% of participants rated their care at the mobile clinic as ‘Excellent’, 8% as ‘Very Good’, and 4.5% as ‘Good’. 95.6% of participants ranked Group Harm Reduction Counseling as ‘Definitely’ helpful. 84.4% of participants did not find that …

Case Report: Babesiosis Presenting To The Emergency Department, Daniel M. Zaayenga, Daniel A. Weeks

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Babesiosis is a tick-borne illness caused by the parasitic protozoa Babesia transmitted by the Ixodes tick. Babesia infect the red blood cell of its host and requires the cell for its replication. It is a disease process that can range from asymptomatic infection to organ failure and death. This case presentation reviews a 68-year-old male who presented to the emergency department with flu like symptoms and was found to have babesiosis.

Correlation Of Maxillary Sinus Mucosal Thickness With Alveolar Bone Loss Using Computed Tomography, Ravikant Sune, Rahul Bhowate, Pratapsingh Parihar, Vidya Lohe, Suwarna Dangore, Mrunal G. Meshram

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

Introduction: Because of close association of roots of maxillary premolars and molars with maxillary sinuses, effect of periodontal bone loss on sinuses needs to be evaluated.

Objective: The current study aimed to analyze relationship between of maxillary sinus mucosal thickening and alveolar bone loss using computed tomography.

Methods: All erupted second premolars, first and second molars in the maxillary arch bilaterally, were assessed for periodontal bone loss (PBL), so 12 points in each patient (mesial and distal sides of each tooth) and at same locations, mucosal thickening (MT) was assessed on maxillary sinus floor. Furthermore, probable effect …

Teacher Perceptions Of Calming Corners In Language Arts Middle School Classrooms, Freya Sneed

Dissertations

Student stress and anxiety are at an all-time high. Following the pandemic, more research is needed to better understand what types of interventions can be supportive in helping students manage their emotional wellbeing. To better support them, the researcher worked with various English Language Arts middle school teachers to implement Calming Corners, a social emotional based intervention. In this qualitative action research study, students in sixth-eighth grades were offered the use of Calming Corners in their English Language Arts classes. This research examined whether the Calming Corners was effective in reducing stress and anxiety for the students in their educational …

Patterned Magnetic And Plasmonic Nanostructures In Microfluidics For Extracellular Vesicle Screening And Drug Loading, John H. Molinski

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), once dismissed as shuttles for cellular waste, have emerged as vital nanoscale biomolecules, facilitating intercellular communication through transfer of host-cell specific molecular cargo. Tumor-derived EVs, released by cancer cells, hold potential as diagnostic biomolecules due to their links to cancer cells, abundance within biofluids, and potential for direct extraction and detection. More broadly, EVs from a wide array of cellular origins have been explored as therapeutic carriers, stemming from their innate function as cargo carriers, high biocompatibility, and their ability to evade immune detection. However, harnessing EVs for diagnostic or therapeutic applications necessitates efficient isolation, purification, and …

Case Report: Pneumoperitoneum In The Setting Of Altered Mental Status, Aloysius C. Ibe, Neelesh Parikh, Robin Lahr

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

We report a case of an 80-year-old female who presented to the emergency department as altered mental status and diagnosed with pneumoperitoneum requiring immediate surgical intervention. The differential for altered mental status is vast but for a patient who was initially hypoglycemic on ED arrival, suspected drug overdose was at the forefront until the patient was intubated for airway protection and chest radiograph for confirmatory endotracheal tube placement showed pneumoperitoneum.

Evaluation Of The Efficacy Of Novel Drugs And Combinations Against Extensively- And Pan-Drug Resistant Acinetobacter Baumannii Isolates, Keertana Jonnalagadda, Rachel Carr, Valerie Carabetta

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Acinetobacter baumannii, a Gram-negative, nosocomial, opportunistic pathogen is commonly infectious in immunocompromised patients. More specifically patients develop healthcare-associated infections (HAI) spanning beyond sepsis, pneumonia, meningitis, and urinary tract infections. Due to its rapid ability to acquire antibiotic resistance, it has raised the necessity to discern a novel therapeutic treatment that can be effectively used against the multidrug resistant (MDR) A. baumannii. Cooper University Hospital (CUH) faced an increased case load of patients that were infected with MDR A. baumannii. The patient isolates obtained from CUH were highly resistant to the 22 standard-of-care antibiotics. With the recent introduction …

Kras G12c Inhibitor Combination Therapies: Current Evidence And Challenge, Hirotaka Miyashita, Shumei Kato, David S Hong

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Although KRAS G12C inhibitors have proven that KRAS is a "druggable" target of cancer, KRAS G12C inhibitor monotherapies have demonstrated limited clinical efficacy due to primary and acquired resistance mechanisms. Multiple combinations of KRAS G12C inhibitors with other targeted therapies, such as RTK, SHP2, and MEK inhibitors, have been investigated in clinical trials to overcome the resistance. They have demonstrated promising efficacy especially by combining KRAS G12C and EGFR inhibitors for KRAS G12C-mutated colorectal cancer. Many clinical trials of combinations of KRAS G12C inhibitors with other targeted therapies, such as SOS1, ERK, CDK4/6, and wild-type RAS, are ongoing. Furthermore, preclinical …

Tsyn-Seq: A T-Cell Synapse-Based Antigen Identification Platform, Yimei Jin, Takahiko Miyama, Alexandria Brown, Tomo Hayase, Xingzhi Song, Anand K Singh, Licai Huang, Ivonne I Flores, Lauren K Mcdaniel, Israel Glover, Taylor M Halsey, Rishika Prasad, Valerie Chapa, Saira Ahmed, Jianhua Zhang, Kunal Rai, Christine B Peterson, Gregory Lizee, Jennifer Karmouch, Eiko Hayase, Jeffrey J Molldrem, Chia-Chi Chang, Wen-Bin Tsai, Robert R Jenq

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Tools for genome-wide rapid identification of peptide-major histocompatibility complex targets of T-cell receptors (TCR) are not yet universally available. We present a new antigen screening method, the T-synapse (Tsyn) reporter system, which includes antigen-presenting cells (APC) with a Fas-inducible NF-κB reporter and T cells with a nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) reporter. To functionally screen for target antigens from a cDNA library, productively interacting T cell-APC aggregates were detected by dual-reporter activity and enriched by flow sorting followed by antigen identification quantified by deep sequencing (Tsyn-seq). When applied to a previously characterized TCR specific for the E7 antigen …