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Shondra Renee Lester

African American Funeral Programs

No abstract provided.

Incident Benzodiazepine Initiation Following Buprenorphine Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Parasto Mousavi, Lindsey Loera, Abolfazl Sadeghi, Smita Prasad, John Embers, Anton Avanceña, Tyler Varisco

Podiums

Background Anxiety and opioid use disorder (OUD) are frequently comorbid. Individuals initiating treatment for OUD often use prescribed or non-prescribed benzodiazepines to manage anxiety symptoms, yet their use alongside opioid agonist therapy remains poorly understood. This study characterizes benzodiazepine use before and after buprenorphine treatment for OUD and identifies covariates associated with new benzodiazepine initiation after treatment start. Objective: To describe patterns of anxiety diagnosis and benzodiazepine use surrounding buprenorphine initiation and identify predictors of incident benzodiazepine use among anxiety- and benzodiazepine-naive patients. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study using IBM MarketScan Commercial Claims data. Adults initiating buprenorphine for …

Strategies To Enhance Hepatitis B Vaccination Uptake In Federally Qualified Health Centers And Rural Community Pharmacies: A Study Protocol, Macie R. Goodman, P Brandon Bookstaver, Bryan L. Love, Chao Cai, Sayward E. Harrison, Celeste R. Caulder, Tessa J. Hastings

Posters

Background: Hepatitis B vaccination rates in the United States (US) remain suboptimal, with only 34.2% of adults aged 19 years or older having received at least one dose. Pharmacists are accessible, with 96.5% of the population living within 10 miles of a pharmacy, positioning them to improve uptake. Community pharmacies provide broad access to preventive services, while Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) serve medically underserved and high-risk populations, including individuals at increased risk for hepatitis B infection. Despite their potential reach, hepatitis B vaccination services are inconsistently implemented in rural community pharmacies and FQHCs, with fewer than half of pharmacies …

Safety In Administration Errors Of Rsv Vaccines: Findings From The United States Vaers Data, Lotanna Ezeja, Ezeala Oluchukwu, Salisa Westrick, Jingjing Qian

Posters

Background: Three single dose respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines are marketed in the U.S.: Arexvy (GSK), Abrysvo (Pfizer), and mRESVIA (Moderna), with only Abrysvo approved for the use during pregnancy. Arexvy is indicated for adults 50+ while Abrysvo and mRESVIA are approved for adults aged 18 years. This study examined post-marketing adverse event (AE) reports with RSV vaccines and detected reporting risk signals of administration-related errors. Methods: Using the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System data in 1/1/2023-12/25/2025, we identified AE reports related to RSV vaccines. Frequencies and percentages of patient age, sex, vaccination facility, and outcomes (i.e., seriousness, hospitalizations, …

Regulation In Real Time: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Pharmd Student Learning At A Live Board Of Pharmacy Meeting, Keerthana R. Iyer, Taylor Gannon, Lindsey M. Rayborn, Joseph A. Dikun

Posters

Background: Pharmacists practice within complex legal, regulatory, and ethical frameworks; however, PharmD curricula often offer limited direct exposure to regulatory decision-making in authentic practice settings. Observation of a live Board of Pharmacy meeting may enhance students understanding of professional accountability, systems-level oversight, and the regulatory context of pharmacy practice. Objective: To examine changes in first-year PharmD students perceived regulatory understanding, ethical reasoning, perceptions of professional roles, and advocacy-related beliefs following attendance at a live Mississippi Board of Pharmacy meeting. Methods: This exploratory mixed-methods study included first-year PharmD students enrolled in a required course at the University of Mississippi. Students attended …

Motivational Interviewing Impact On Outcomes Is Affected By Level Of Interventionist Training: A Review Of Systematic Reviews, Sneha Gaonkar, Jan Kavookjian, Heqin Yang

Podiums

ackground: Motivational Interviewing (MI) involves interviewing a person in an autonomy-supporting, person-centered, encouraging way, eliciting the individuals internal change motivations. Thirteen modified Cochrane method (MCM) systematic reviews of MI impact on outcomes included varied populations, interventionist types, and target outcomes with a lens for whether MI training of interventionists was reported and/or met evidence-based MI training guidelines. The objective of this study was to review MI training reported in 126 retained articles across MCM MI reviews and describe level of evidence-based MI training reported. Methods: Each MCM review, published between 2012 to present, aimed to explore and report evidence and …

Comparing Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors (Sglt2i) Versus Inhibitors Of The Renin-Angiotensin System (Rasi) In Heart Failure Patients With Alzheimers Disease And Related Dementia (Adrd), Junnan Qi, Kaustuv Bhattacharya

Podiums

Objectives: To assess the 1-year risk of all-cause hospitalization or mortality associated with initiation of sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) compared with renin angiotensin system inhibitors (RASi) among Medicare beneficiaries with heart failure (HF) and Alzheimers disease and related dementias (ADRD).   Methods: This cohort study used 5% 2012-2020 Medicare fee-for-service claims data to identify beneficiaries with HF and ADRD who newly initiated SGLT2i or RASi between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2019. Baseline demographics, comorbidities, and medication use were included as covariates. Propensity score matching and standardized differences were used to assess covariate balance between the two treatment groups. …

Real-World Impact Of Fda Opioid Regulatory Actions On Prescribing And Patient Outcomes: A Systematic Review, Millicent Boakye, Gabriel Ezenri

Posters

Background: Since 2013, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a sustained series of opioid regulatory actions to curb high-risk prescribing and opioid-related harm. The impact of these actions on real-world prescribing and patient safety outcomes remains uncharacterized. This study aims to synthesize observational data on the real-world impact of FDA opioid regulatory actions and Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) on prescribing behavior and patient outcomes. Methods: We conducted a systematic review following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. We search in Pubmed, Embase and Web of science for studies published between September 2013 and September 2025.The eligible …

Examining Social Determinants And Lifestyle Factors In Persons With Interstitial Lung Diseases And Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, Arindam Saha, Surachat Ngorsuraches

Posters

Background: Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) is a group of heterogeneous chronic pulmonary disorders associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common comorbidity among ILD patients and has been associated with disease burden and progression. While prior studies have focused on demographic and clinical characteristics, social determinants of health (SDOH) and lifestyle factors remain underexplored.   Objective: To examine SDOH and lifestyle-related factors among individuals with ILD and GERD.   Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 4,372 ILD patients from the All of Us Research Program cohort. A multivariate logistic regression was used to assess age, sex, …

Healthcare Expenditures Associated With Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic (Ckm) Syndrome Stages Among United States Adults, Ziqi Guo, Kaustuv Bhattacharya

Posters

OBJECTIVES: To estimate healthcare expenditures associated with each CKM syndrome stage and to quantify incremental expenditures for each stage compared to stage 0. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using pooled data from adults (18 years) in the 2018, 2020 and 2022 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). CKM syndrome stages were defined based on the American Heart Association (AHA) staging construct using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). Adjusted mean healthcare expenditures for each CKM syndrome stage and incremental expenditures relative to stage 0 were estimated using survey-weighted two part generalized linear models. 95% confidence interval (CI) was …

Reducing Opioid Exposure Through State Policy: Evidence From U.S. Prescribing Limits, Rasaq Oladapo, Olufunmilola Abraham, Patricia R. Freeman, Douglas Oyler, Rachel Vickers-Smith

Podiums

Background: Initial opioid prescribing for acute pain contributes substantially to opioid exposure and can drive persistent use, increasing the risk of overdose and opioid use disorder. Most U.S. states have implemented opioid prescribing limits (OPLs) to restrict initial opioid prescription duration, quantity, or dosage. However their intended and unintended impacts remain poorly understood. This narrative review summarizes evidence from U.S. studies evaluating the impact of OPLs on prescribing, patient, and public health outcomes, while identifying gaps and priorities for future research. Methods: We reviewed U.S. studies published between April 2016 and January 2026 evaluating statutory OPLs. Literature was identified through …

Patients Willingness To Seek Help From Pharmacists In The Management Of Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Qualitative Study, Omkar Ghodke, Erin Holmes, Meagen Rosenthal, Yinan Huang, Marie Barnard

Podiums

Background: This study explored the willingness of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients to seek help from pharmacists for their disease management. While pharmacist interventions are known to enhance medication adherence and health outcomes, patient engagement with pharmacists remains low. Understanding the factors that influence RA patients' willingness to use pharmacy services is essential for improving patient outcomes and optimizing the role of pharmacists in RA management. Using the Integrative Model of Behavioral Prediction (IMBP), this study identified the factors influencing willingness to use pharmacists and pharmacy services among patients with RA. Methods: This study utilized semi-structured interviews targeting individuals 26 years …

Cost-Effectiveness Of Donanemab And Lecanemab Over A Lifetime Horizon For Patients With Early Alzheimers Disease, Xiangxiang Jiang, Gang Lv, Amber Burroughs, Jun Wu, Jing Yuan, Kevin Lu

Podiums

Background: Donanemab was recently approved following the 2023 approval of lecanemab for early Alzheimers disease (AD). While both therapies represent important advances in disease-modifying treatments, substantial concerns remain regarding their clinical value and affordability. Existing cost-effectiveness analyses have only compared each drug to placebo. A direct economic comparison between the two therapies is needed to better inform healthcare decision-making. Methods: We developed a five-state Markov model to evaluate the lifetime cost-effectiveness of donanemab versus lecanemab from the US healthcare system perspective. Clinical inputs were derived from an indirect treatment comparison using published trial data. Costs, utilities, and transition probabilities were …

Application Of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis In Pharmacy And Therapeutics Committee Formulary Decision-Making: A Systematic Review And Proof-Of-Concept Framework, Georges Adunlin, Riley Atkinson

Posters

Background: Pharmacy and therapeutics (P&T) committees must evaluate competing medications within the constraints of finite healthcare resources. Traditional formulary decision-making processes may inadequately capture the multidimensional value of medications. Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) has emerged as a structured approach to incorporate clinical, economic, and operational considerations; however, evidence of its real-world application in P&T committee decision-making remains limited.   Objectives: (1) To systematically review and synthesize published literature describing the use of MCDA in formulary decision-making by P&T committees. (2) To develop a conceptual MCDA framework and demonstrate its feasibility through a proof-of-concept application within a P&T committee context.   Methods: A …

Meal Provision Strategies For People Experiencing Homelessness: A Qualitative Study, Alexcia Carr, Rachel A. Vincent, Leticia R. Moczygemba

Posters

INTRODUCTION: People experiencing homelessness (PEH) often rely on community based meal service organizations (MSOs) for consistent food access. Given the high burden of diet related chronic illness among PEH and the role of therapeutic lifestyle changes in disease management, MSOs represent a key setting for improving nutritional quality. However, little is known about how MSOs resource and sustain meal services or how nutrition is considered within their meal provision processes. This study examined (1) meal provision strategies, (2) meal planning and food acquisition practices, and (3) the role of nutrition-related knowledge in service delivery.   METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with …

Multilevel Drivers Of Missed Opportunities For Hiv Prevention: A Qualitative Synthesis Within A Systematic Review, Ismaeel Yunusa, Tarilate Temedie-Asogwa, Osaro Mgbere, Julie Atta, Moosa Tatar, Susan Abughosh, Ekere Essien

Posters

Background: Despite the availability of effective HIV prevention strategies, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), gaps in prevention delivery persist across healthcare settings. Missed opportunities for HIV prevention remain common, yet multilevel factors driving these gaps are not fully understood. Understanding these drivers is essential to inform effective interventions at the individual, interpersonal, provider, and system levels. Objectives: To identify and synthesize multilevel determinants of missed opportunities for HIV prevention and PrEP delivery. Methods: We conducted a qualitative synthesis within a systematic review of U.S.-based studies (2012-2025) on missed opportunities for HIV prevention. Articles were identified through database searches (PubMed, Embase, and …

Quality Improvement Project: Implementation Of The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Modified For Teens, Hedy Gerber, Leah Buchko, Jennifer Van Winkle

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Background: Adolescent depression is a prevalent and significant public health concern, strongly linked to increased suicidality, poor health outcomes, impaired psychosocial functioning, and substantial societal costs. Although measurement‑based care using validated screening instruments is recommended by clinical practice guidelines, routine use of standardized depression screening tools remains limited in mental health settings.

Objective: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to assess the impact of implementing the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 modified for teens (PHQ-9M) in depression screening rates among adolescents aged 11-17 years at an outpatient mental health clinic in Southern Colorado.

Methods: A quantitative, quasi‑experimental pre- and post-intervention …

Prmt5 As A Key Driver Of Stemness And Metastatic Potential In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Jae Jin Jeong, Mauli Maniar, Shahrzad Ghane, Sakshi Deshpande, Claire Ellis, Ashakumary Lakshmikuttyamma

College of Pharmacy Faculty Papers

Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) mediates arginine methylation of a wide range of proteins and plays context-dependent oncogenic or tumor-suppressive roles. In cancer, PRMT5 represses several tumor suppressor genes, including E-cadherin, TP53BP1, ST7, PTEN, and RB (retinoblastoma). Elevated PRMT5 expression has been reported across multiple cancer types, notably triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). In TNBC, high PRMT5 levels are associated with enhanced cancer stem cell self-renewal, increased tumor growth and metastasis, and reduced patient survival. Mechanistically, PRMT5 promotes breast cancer stem cell maintenance and proliferation through stabilization of the transcription factors KLF4 and KLF5. Disruption of the PRMT5-KLF4 axis results in …

Open Data From Ligo, Virgo, And Kagra Through The First Part Of The Fourth Observing Run, Ligo Scientific Collaboration, Virgo Collaboration, Kagra Collaboration, Marc Favata, Shoan Ghosh, Rodica Martin

Department of Physics and Astronomy Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA form a network of gravitational-wave observatories. Data and analysis results from this network are made publicly available through the Gravitational Wave Open Science Center. This paper describes open data from this network, including the addition of data from the first part of the fourth observing run and selected periods from the preceding engineering run, collected from 2023 May to 2024 January. The public dataset includes calibrated strain time series for each instrument, data from additional channels used for noise subtraction and detector characterization, and analysis data products from version 4.0 of the Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog.

Gwtc-4.0: Methods For Identifying And Characterizing Gravitational-Wave Transients, Ligo Scientific Collaboration, Virgo Collaboration, Kagra Collaboration, Marc Favata, Shoan Ghosh, Rodica Martin

Department of Physics and Astronomy Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog (GWTC) is a collection of candidate gravitational-wave transient signals identified and characterized by the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration. Producing the contents of the GWTC from detector data requires complex analysis methods. These comprise techniques to model the signal; identify the transients in the data; evaluate the quality of the data and mitigate possible instrumental issues; infer the parameters of each transient; compare the data with the waveform models for compact binary coalescences; and handle the large amount of results associated with all of these different analyses. In this paper, we describe the methods employed to produce the catalog's …

Gw230814: Investigation Of A Loud Gravitational-Wave Signal Observed With A Single Detector, Ligo Scientific Collaboration, Virgo Collaboration, Kagra Collaboration, Marc Favata, Shoan Ghosh, Rodica Martin

Department of Physics and Astronomy Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

GW230814, detected by the LIGO Livingston observatory with a signal-to-noise ratio of 42.4, represents the loudest gravitational-wave signal in the GWTC-4.0 catalog. Its source is consistent with a binary black hole coalescence with component masses m(1) = 33.7(-2.2)(+2.9) M-circle dot and m(2) = 28.2(-3.1)(+2.2) M-circle dot and a small effective inspiral spin chi(eff) = -0.01(-0.07)(+0.06). The high signal-to-noise ratio enabled us to detect an l = vertical bar m vertical bar = 4 mode in the inspiral-merger-ringdown signal for the first time (with Bayes factor approximate to 10), as well as enabling a range of tests of consistency between theoretical …

Gwtc-4.0: Updating The Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog With Observations From The First Part Of The Fourth Ligo-Virgo-Kagra Observing Run, Ligo Scientific Collaboration, Virgo Collaboration, Kagra Collaboration, Marc Favata, Shoan Ghosh, Rodica Martin

Department of Physics and Astronomy Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Version 4.0 of the Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog (GWTC-4.0) adds new candidates detected by the LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA observatories through the first part of the fourth observing run (O4a: 2023 May 24 15:00:00 to 2024 January 16 16:00:00 UTC) and a preceding engineering run. In these new data, we find 128 compact binary coalescence candidates that are identified by at least one of our search algorithms with a probability of astrophysical origin p(astro) >= 0.5 and that are not vetoed during event validation. We also provide detailed source property measurements for 86 of these that have a false-alarm rate <1 yr(-1). Based on the inferred component masses, these candidates are consistent with signals from binary black holes (BBHs) and neutron star-black hole binaries (GW230518_125908 and GW230529_181500). Median-inferred component masses of BBHs in the catalog now range from 5.79M(circle dot) (GW230627_015337) to 137M(circle dot) (GW231123_135430), while GW231123_135430 was probably produced by the most massive binary observed in the catalog. For the first time, we have discovered BBH signals with network signal-to-noise ratio exceeding 30, GW230814_230901 and GW231226_101520, enabling high-fidelity studies of the waveforms and astrophysical properties of these systems. Combined with the 90 candidates included in GWTC-3.0, the catalog now contains 218 candidates with p(astro) >= …

Searches For Continuous Gravitational Waves From Supernova Remnants In The First Part Of The Ligo-Virgo-Kagra Fourth Observing Run, Ligo Scientific Collaboration, Virgo Collaboration, Kagra Collaboration, Marc Favata, Shoan Ghosh, Rodica Martin

Department of Physics and Astronomy Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

We present results from directed searches for continuous gravitational waves from a sample of 15 nearby supernova remnants, likely hosting young neutron star candidates, using data from the first eight months of the fourth observing run (O4) of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration. The analysis employs five pipelines: four semicoherent methods-the Band-Sampled-Data directed pipeline, Weave, and two Viterbi pipelines (single- and dual-harmonic)-and PyStoch, a cross-correlation-based pipeline. These searches cover wide frequency bands and do not assume prior knowledge of the targets' ephemerides. No evidence of a signal is found from any of the 15 sources. We set 95% confidence-level upper limits on …

The Effect Of Flaxseed Oil On Fertility, Mohammad F. Albadran, Ahmed B. Abdulwahid, Assad H. Eissa, Nehaya M. Al-Aubody, Shaymaa F. Abbas, Zainab M. Mohammed

Hilla University College Journal For Medical Science

Background: Infertility can be defined as the inability to conceive pregnancy when sexually active and not having used any contraception in 12 months. Flaxseed oil has wide-spectrum applications in health. It has been receiving special interest in infertility treatment.

Objectives: This research aimed to determine the impact of flaxseed oil on the fertility of mice.

Methods: It involved seventy-five mice. These mice were sex-separated and randomly classified into three groups; one group served as a control group, and the other two groups were exposed to flaxseed oil extract at a dose of 60 mg/Kg body weight/day or 120 mg/Kg body …

Serum Transforming Growth Factor-Beta (Tgf-Β ) As Diagnostic Biomarker For Ulcerative Colitis: An Association Study With Abo Blood Group And Extra Intestinal Symptoms, Safaa Muhsin Khudheir, Thekra Abdullah Mahmoud

Hilla University College Journal For Medical Science

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a recurrent and remitting inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Anti-inflammatory cytokines such as transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β ) are part of the pathophysiology of UC; these cytokines set off a specific immune response. Extra-intestinal manifestations (EIMs) reported occurrence differs from 14% to 47%, and accounts for the majority of related conditions in UC. This study aims to find the correlation of ulcerative colitis with TGF-β , ABO blood group and EIMs.

Objectives: To determine the serum level of TGF-β in both groups by sandwich ELISA, determine blood group by agglutination slide method, identify extra intestinal manifestation …

Factors Associated With Discharge Against Medical Advice Among Patients Attending The Emergency Departments In Babylon Governorate, Hasan Alwan Baiee, Ali Mohsen Al-Jobury, Ola Mosheb

Hilla University College Journal For Medical Science

Background: With the increasing number of patients leaving the emergency department against medical advice, morbidity, mortality, and readmission rates have risen, placing a strain on the healthcare system.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify the demographic characteristics and the reasons why patients left against medical advice among those attending the emergency departments of teaching hospitals in Babylon Governorate.

Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Babylon Governorate, encompassing three hospitals. using a convenience sample of patients who left the hospital against their physician's advice. Data were collected between August 2024 and February 2025 using a semi-structured questionnaire …

Evaluation Of The Oxidative Effect Of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Mri) On Patients With Type 1 Diabetes, With And Without The Use Of Gadolinium Contrast Agent, Dunya Ali Mustafa

Hilla University College Journal For Medical Science

Background: Type-1 diabetes (T1D) is one of the most prevalent chronic autoimmune diseases, which is characterized by the progressive destruction of insulin-secreting β cells. Evidence indicates that repeated or high-dose exposure to Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents (GBCAs) during MRI can result in long-term tissue deposition and increased oxidative stress.

Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the oxidative effects of MRI exposure in patients with type-1 diabetes, before and after gadolinium contrast, for different time intervals, using cyclic voltammetry (CV) as an electrochemical analysis tool.

Materials and Methods: The study was performed at Ghazi Al-hariri Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq, from January to …

Plasma Vegf-A, Vegfr-2, And Asprosin Levels In Poorly Controlled Type 2 Diabetes, Safaa Shehab Ahmed, Ishtar Imad Majeed, Muhammad Talib Hussein, Amany Lotfy Omar, Dhuha Khaled Hadid, Maha Radam Lateef

Hilla University College Journal For Medical Science

Background: Poorly controlled type 2 diabetes is marked by endothelial dysfunction and disrupted glucose metabolism. VEGF-A and VEGFR-2 drive vascular repair, while asprosin contributes to insulin resistance.

Objectives: This study explored the association of these biomarkers in individuals with poorly controlled T2DM.

Methods: The study included 100 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and 60 age-matched healthy controls (45–65 years). Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) were measured using a Roche Cobas Integra 400 Plus analyzer. Serum levels of VEGF-A, VEGFR-2, and asprosin were quantified using ELISA.

Results: T2DM patients exhibited significantly elevated serum levels of VEGF-A, …

Infection By Entamoeba Histolytica Among Children Attending Maysan Pediatric And Maternity Hospital In Amarah City, Ali Idan Al-Musaedi, Ahmed Hussain Rahim

Hilla University College Journal For Medical Science

Background: Most parasites impose some level of damage to their hosts. Factors such as the number of parasites, the site of infection, the size and mobility of the parasite, along with the host's physiological condition and whether it serves as an intermediate or final host, affect the severity of infections in both humans and animals.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of Entamoeba histolytica infection in children under the influence of some risk factors.

Materials and Methods: A total of 1213 stool samples were collected from children attending Maysan Pediatric and Maternity Hospital in Amarah City, Maysan Governorate, southern Iraq. Microscopy …

Molecular Characterization And Genotyping Of Candida Species Isolated From The Nasal Cavity Of Patients With Nasal Infections In Iraq, Amran M. Al-Erjan, Hind Tahseen Ibrahim

Hilla University College Journal For Medical Science

Background: Nasal infections are commonly associated with opportunistic microorganisms, particularly Staphylococcus aureus and Candida species.

Objectives: This study aimed to molecularly characterize Candida species isolated from the nasal cavity of patients with nasal infections and to determine their phylogenetic relationships using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region.

Methods: A total of 88 nasal swab samples were collected from patients aged 1–80 years in Thi-Qar Province, Iraq, between December 2023 and March 2024. Samples were cultured on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar and Mannitol Salt Agar. Yeast isolates were identified phenotypically using CHROMagar Candida and germ tube tests. Molecular identification and genotyping were …