Epidemiology Commons^™

Incidence And Pathophysiology Of Diabetes In South Asian Adults Living In India And Pakistan Compared With Us Blacks And Whites, K M Venkat Naraya, Dimple Kondal, Natalie Daya, Unjali P. Gujral, Deepa Mohan, Shivani A. Patel, Roopa Shivashankar, Ranjit Mohan Anjana, Lisa R. Staimez, Muhammad Masood Kadir

Community Health Sciences

Introduction: We compared diabetes incidence in South Asians aged ≥45 years in urban India (Chennai and Delhi) and Pakistan (Karachi), two low-income and middle-income countries undergoing rapid transition, with blacks and whites in the US, a high-income country.
Research design and methods: We computed age-specific, sex-specific and body mass index (BMI)-specific diabetes incidence from the prospective Center for Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction in South Asia Study (n=3136) and the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (blacks, n=3059; whites, n=9924). We assessed factors associated with incident diabetes using Cox proportional hazards regression.
Results: South Asians have lower BMI and waist circumference than blacks …

Lack Of Association Of The Abo Blood Group With Covid-19 Risk And Severity In Hospitalized Patients In Louisville, Ky, Rafael Fernandez-Botran, Meredith Cahill, Raghava S. Ambadapoodi, Evelyn Exposito Gonzalez, Stephen P. Furmanek, Ruth Carrico, Jose Bordon, Julio A. Ramirez

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Background: The potential association of the ABO blood group with the risk of COVID-19 and its severity has attracted a lot of interest since the start of the pandemic. While a number of studies have reported an increased risk associated with blood type A and a reduced risk with type O, other studies have did not found a significant effect. This study aimed to define the prevalence of different ABO blood groups in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the Louisville, KY area and to investigate whether an association exists between the blood group and disease severity.

Methods: This was a retrospective …

Sars-Cov-2 Early Infection Signature Identified Potential Key Infection Mechanisms And Drug Targets, Yue Li, Ashley Duche, Michael R. Sayer, Don Roosan, Farid G. Khalafalla, Rennolds S. Ostrom, Jennifer Totonchy, Moom Roosan

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak has caused devastating mortality and posed a significant threat to public health worldwide. Despite the severity of this illness and 2.3 million worldwide deaths, the disease mechanism is mostly unknown. Previous studies that characterized differential gene expression due to SARS-CoV-2 infection lacked robust validation. Although vaccines are now available, effective treatment options are still out of reach.

Results

To characterize the transcriptional activity of SARS-CoV-2 infection, a gene signature consisting of 25 genes was generated using a publicly available RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) dataset of cultured cells infected with SARS-CoV-2. The signature estimated infection level accurately in …

A Comparative Analysis Of The Knowledge And Stigmatizing Attitude Of Ghanaians And Nigerians Towards Covid-19 Survivors, Emmanuel Lamptey, Dorcas Serwaa, Maxwell Hubert Antwi, Theckla Ikome Ms, Nkechi Odogwu

Journal of Refugee & Global Health

Introduction: In Africa, COVID-19 associated stigmatization still remains the contextual factor that poses a challenge for the mitigation and suppression of COVID-19 spread, especially among the illiterate populations. This comparative study was therefore conducted to assess the knowledge and willingness of Ghanaians and Nigerians to associate with COVID-19 survivors.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to collect information from 290 Ghanaian and 220 Nigerian nationals aged 18 years and above between 11th July-30th October 2020. An electronic-based questionnaire was developed to collect information on the public. The data were analyzed with SPSS v 22 and factors influencing knowledge and willingness …

Associations Of Cereal Grains Intake With Cardiovascular Disease And Mortality Across 21 Countries In Prospective Urban And Rural Epidemiology Study: Prospective Cohort Study, Sumathi Swaminathan, Mahshid Dehghan, John Michael Raj, Tinku Thomas, Sumathy Rangarajan, David Jenkins, Prem Mony, Viswanathan Mohan, Scott A. Lear, Romaina Iqbal

Community Health Sciences

Objective: To evaluate the association between intakes of refined grains, whole grains, and white rice with cardiovascular disease, total mortality, blood lipids, and blood pressure in the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study.
Design: Prospective cohort study.
Setting: PURE study in 21 countries.
Participants: 148 858 participants with median follow-up of 9.5 years.
Exposures: Country specific validated food frequency questionnaires were used to assess intakes of refined grains, whole grains, and white rice.
Main outcome measure: Composite of mortality or major cardiovascular events (defined as death from cardiovascular causes, non-fatal myocardial infarction, stroke, or heart failure). Hazard ratios were …

Epidemiology And Outcomes Of Hospitalized Adults With Sars-Cov-2 Community-Acquired Pneumonia In Louisville, Kentucky, Julio A. Ramirez, T'Shura Ali, Thomas Chandler, Stephen P. Furmanek, Daniya Sheikh, Vidyulata Salunkhe, Steven Gootee, Mohammad Tahboub, William A. Mattingly, Demetra Antimisiaris, Jiapeng Huang, Jose Bordon, Rodrigo Cavallazzi, Paul Schulz, William P. Mckinney, Dawn Balcom, Mark Burns, Ruth Carrico, Forest W. Arnold, Cerid Covid-19 Study Group

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Background: During the ongoing pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), SARS-CoV-2 community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) has been the primary cause of hospitalization. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of 1,013 patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 CAP from September 2020 through March 2021 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of 1,013 patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 CAP at eight of the adult hospitals in the city of Louisville from September 2020 through March 2021. Patients with 1) a positive reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for SARS-CoV-2, 2) fever, cough, or …

Food Insecurity Measurement And Prevalence Estimates During The Covid-19 Pandemic In A Repeated Cross-Sectional Survey In Mexico, Pablo Gaitán-Rossi, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Graciela Teruel, Rafael Pérez-Escamilla

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Objective: To validate the telephone modality of the Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale (ELCSA) included in three waves of a phone survey to estimate the monthly household food insecurity prevalence during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. Design: We examined the reliability and internal validity of the ELCSA scale in three repeated waves of cross-sectional surveys with Rasch models. We estimated the monthly prevalence of food insecurity in the general population and in households with and without children and compared them with a national 2018 survey. We tested concurrent validity by testing associations of food insecurity with socio-economic status …

Antibiotics And Antimicrobial Resistance In The Covid-19 Era: Perspective From Resource-Limited Settings, Mentor Ali Ber Lucien, Michael F. Canarie, Paul E. Kilgore, Gladzin Jean-Denis, Natael Fénélon, Manise Pierre, Mauricio Cerpa, Gerard A. Joseph, Gina Maki, Marcus J. Zervos, Patrick Dely, Jacques Boncy, Hatim Sati, Ana Del Rio, Pilar Ramon-Pardo

Department of Pharmacy Practice

The dissemination of COVID-19 around the globe has been followed by an increased consumption of antibiotics. This is related to the concern for bacterial superinfection in COVID-19 patients. The identification of bacterial pathogens is challenging in low and middle income countries (LMIC), as there are no readily-available and cost-effective clinical or biological markers that can effectively discriminate between bacterial and viral infections. Fortunately, faced with the threat of COVID-19 spread, there has been a growing awareness of the importance of antimicrobial stewardship programs, as well as infection prevention and control measures that could help reduce the microbial load and hence …

Ua19/16/2 Track & Field Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases, photos and meet statistics for WKU track & field team in 2021.

Ua19/16/2 Soccer Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases, photos and game statistics for WKU soccer team in 2021.

Ua19/16/2 Tennis Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases, photos and game statistics for WKU tennis team in 2021.

Ua19/16/2 Golf Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases, photos and game statistics for WKU golf teams in 2021.

Ua19/16/2 Athletic Media Relations Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

General WKU athletic press releases for 2021.

Ua19/16/2 Football Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases, photos and statistics for WKU football team for 2021.

Ua19/16/2 Baseball Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases, photos and game statistics for WKU baseball team in 2021.

Ua19/16/2 Softball Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases, photos and game statistics for WKU softball team in 2021.

Ua19/16/2 Volleyball Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases, photos and game statistics for WKU volleyball team in 2021.

Implementación De Políticas De Prevención Y Control De La Obesidad Infantil En Estados Unidos Y Latinoamérica: Lecciones Para La Investigación Y La Práctica Transfronterizas, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Rafael Perez-Escamilla, Elizabeth Rhodes, Olga L. Sarmiento, Camila Corvalan, Rachel Sturke, Susan Vorkoper

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Aunque se han hecho avances en el desarrollo y aplicación a gran escala de inter-venciones eficaces contra la obesidad infantil, los retos siguen siendo importantes. Nuestro objetivo era comprender las causas del éxito de Estados Unidos y los países latinoamericanos en la implementación de políticas y programas (PYP) contra la obe-sidad e identificar oportunidades de mejora aplicando los principios de la ciencia de la implementación. Seleccionamos tres estudios de comparación de casos: (1) el etique-tado frontal en los envases de alimentos (México y Chile), (2) los programas de calles abiertas y calles para el juego (Colombia y Estados Unidos) y …

Development And Validation Of A Psychometric Scale To Assess Attitude Towards Safe Abortions In Pakistan, Xaher Gul, Junaid-Ur-Rehman Siddiqui, Miraal Mavalvala, Waqas Hameed, Muhammad Ishaque

Community Health Sciences

Despite severe health and economic consequences that women face because of the negative attitude of healthcare providers towards safe abortion and post-abortion care (SA/PAC), no psychometric tool has yet been validated for assessing the attitude towards SA/PAC. Only a handful of studies have attempted to assess healthcare providers' attitude towards safe abortions in Pakistan. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and validate a psychometric scale to assess attitude towards safe abortions in Pakistan. The study collected data from 106 workers of an NGO that provides SA/PAC through an online and anonymous survey using the organisation's network. The study used factor …

Prevalence And Correlates Of Secondary Syringe Exchange (Sse) Among People Who Inject Drugs (Pwid) In Rural Kentucky, Jordan R. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Aim: To describe the prevalence of secondary syringe exchange (SSE) in a sample of syringe service program (SSP) clients in rural Appalachian Kentucky and to identify the correlates of SSE.

Methods: Participants (n=338) completed interviewer-administered questionnaires. Only those who reported having ever exchanged syringes at a SSP (n=140) were included in analysis. SSE was measured through self-report of obtaining syringes for someone else at a SSP in the past 6 months. Prevalence and correlates of SSE were examined using bivariate analysis and multiple logistic regression.

Results: Overall, 30% of participants reported SSE. Participants in the second [aOR= 3.83; 95% CI: …

The Impact Of The Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program On Healthy Days, Health Inequity, And Hospital Community Benefit Spending, Samhita Kadiyala

Scripps Senior Theses

The Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program (HVBP) is a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) program implemented in 2012 to reward acute-care hospitals with incentive payments for the quality of care provided to Medicare patients in inpatient settings. Under this policy, payment adjustments are made based on a variety of factors including clinical quality, patient experience, and cost reductions. This paper uses state-level variation in the implementation of HVBP to ascertain whether the policy led to improvements in Healthy Days (a CDC-designed composite measure of individuals’ self-reported number of physically and mentally “healthy” days per month), health disparities, and community …

Indoor Cooking Practices And Associated Health Factors Among Participants In The Dominican Republic And Nicaragua: A Collaborative Study Between Respiratory Therapy Students And Comunidad Connect, Rachel Culbreth, Rachel Trawick, Jon Thompson, Douglas S. Gardenhire

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

The purpose of this study is to determine factors associated with indoor cooking practices and specific vital signs across two middle-income countries, Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. This study used data from Nicaragua (n=76) and Dominican Republic (n=62) (collected in 2018-2019). Multivariable linear regression was utilized to determine factors associated with carbon monoxide levels and systolic blood pressure. Among all participants (n=138), approximately half lived in Nicaragua (n=76, 55.1%) and half lived in Dominican Republic (n=62, 44.9%). The overall smoking prevalence in each country was low (9.2% in Nicaragua and 4.8% in Dominican Republic). Age was associated with higher carbon monoxide …

From The Legal Literature: Covid And The Criminal Law, Francesca Laguardia

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Epigenetic Mechanisms Underlying Hiv-Infection Induced Susceptibility Of Cd4+ T Cells To Enhanced Activation-Induced Fasl Expression And Cell Death., Smita Ghare, Paula M. Chilton, Aakarsha V. Rao, Swati Joshi-Barve, Paula Peyrani, Andrea Reyes-Vega, Craig J. Mcclain, Kendall Bryant, Robert L. Cook, Mathew Freiberg, Shirish Barve

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Background:

Chronic immune activation and CD4⁺ T cell depletion are significant pathogenic features of HIV infection. Expression of Fas ligand (FasL), a key mediator of activation-induced cell death in T cells, is elevated in people living with HIV-1 infection (PLWH). However, the epigenetic mechanisms underlying the enhanced induction of FasL expression in CD4⁺ T lymphocytes in PLWH are not completely elucidated. Hence, the current work examined the effect of HIV infection on FasL promoter-associated histone modifications and transcriptional regulation in CD4⁺ T lymphocytes in PLWH.

Method:

Flow cytometric analysis was performed to examine the Fas-FasL expression on …

The Relationship Of Obesity With Falls Among Older Adults, Kioh Sheng Hui

Student Works (2020-2029)

Both falls and obesity are major public health issues in older adults and have been identified as the fifth leading cause of death among older adults. The relationship between obesity and falls have been conflicting in the limited publications available. This doctoral research comprised: 1) a cross-sectional study on obesity and falls, 2) a prospective study on obesity and falls and 3) an intercontinental comparison of relationship between obesity and falls. The study populations consisted of adults aged ≥55years from the Malaysian Elders Longitudinal Study (MELoR), the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer - Norfolk study (EPIC- NORFOLK) and Bavarian Research …

Healthcare Workers Hospitalized With Covid-19: Outcomes From The Burden Of Covid-19 Study At The University Of Louisville Center Of Excellence For Research In Infectious Diseases [Cerid], Ruth Carrico, T'Shura S. Ali, Maria Hill, Lucia B. Puga Sanchez, Catherine M. Bryan, Dawn Balcom, Stephen P. Furmanek, Amr Aboelnasr, Julio A. Ramirez

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Introduction: On March 6, 2020, the current ongoing pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), also known as COVID-19, reached the commonwealth of Kentucky. Within days, the first cases of infection and hospitalization were identified among healthcare workers (HCW) in Kentucky, other states in the U.S., and around the world. There is little information available regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the HCW population within this area. The objective of this study was to describe the baseline characteristics of hospitalized HCWs infected with COVID-19.

Methods: Data collection was performed as part of a retrospective study of patients hospitalized …

Covid-19 & Pregnancy Complication During Early Pandemic: A Narrative Review, Ahmed A. Eladely, Maria Hill, Ahmed Abdelhaleem, Zahid Imran, Ahsan M. Khan, Daisy Sangroula

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Background: Coronaviruses have caused three outbreaks in the past two decades. The novel one is SARS-COV-2, which causes COVID-19. Pregnant women have a somewhat altered immune state, which may make them more vulnerable to COVID-19 and its complications. Extensive research is needed to better understand the clinical course of COVID-19 in this population. This review article discusses the comparison of SARS-CoV-2 with previous coronavirus outbreaks, clinical presentations, and complications in pregnant women and newborns.

Methods: We conducted a literature search for case series and case reports about pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women with COVID-19 during the early phase of pandemic. …

The Case Of A Pregnant Woman With Ards Due To Covid-19 Treated With Hydroxychloroquine, Azithromycin, And Remdesivir And Delivery Of A Healthy Baby During Mechanical Ventilation Through Cesarean Section, Adria Madera-Acosta, Martin Gnoni, Bassman Tappuni, Monika Sadlak, Ravleen Grewal, Angel Mena, Yousef Ali-Ahwel

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

We are in the midst of a pandemic due to SARS-CoV-2. Pregnancy was identified among the risk factors for worse clinical outcomes in multiple studies. The optimal therapy in this group of patients remains to be defined. Here, we present the case of a 39-year-old Caucasian pregnant female at 31 weeks of gestation, who was treated successfully with hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, remdesivir, prone therapy, and cesarean delivery of a healthy baby while on mechanical ventilation. She remained SARS-CoV-2-positive until the 39th day of hospitalization. We discuss the pathophysiology of the increased risk of infections during pregnancy and particularly the high risk …

Characteristics And Outcomes Of Adults Hospitalized With Sars-Cov-2 Community-Acquired Pneumonia In Louisville, Kentucky, Julio A. Ramirez, Jose Bordon, Rodrigo Cavallazzi, Stephen P. Furmanek, Amr Aboelnasr, Mahder A. Tella, William A. Mattingly, Ashley M. Wilde, Daisy Sangroula, Demetra Antimisiaris, Donghoon Chung, Guillermo Cabral, Gabino R Fernandez-Botran, Jiapeng Huang, Martin Gnoni, Ozan Akca, Paul Schulz, Phillip F. Bressoud, Priya Krishnan, Sally Suliman, Sathya Krishnasamy, Stephen S. Hanson, William P. Mckinney, Harpal Sandhu, Leslie A Wolf, Mark Burns, Ruth Carrico, Forest W. Arnold

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Background: Patients infected with the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 are frequently hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). The objective of this study was to define the clinical characteristics and outcomes of hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 CAP in the city of Louisville, KY.

Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of 700 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection hospitalized at eight of the adult hospitals in the city of Louisville. Patients with 1) a positive RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2, 2) fever, cough, or shortness of breath, and 3) an infiltrate on chest imaging were defined as having SARS-CoV-2 CAP. Demographic characteristics of the study population were …

Implementation Of The University Of Louisville Covid-19 Biorepository: Experiences From The Center Of Excellence In Infectious Diseases (Cerid), Dawn Balcom, Leslie A Wolf, Subathra Marimuthu, William Johnson, Danial Malik, Chet Dhakal, Pavani Nathala, Mohammed Abbas, Sahaj Hardeep Singh, Basel Haddad, Rafik Elbeblawy, Fnu Deepti, Ahmed Ali, Evelyn Exposito Gonzalez, Ruth Carrico

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

The limited availability of biological samples from patients testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 for future research was quickly identified at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to this need, a COVID-19 biobank was initiated by the University of Louisville Division of Infectious Diseases, Center of Excellence for Research in Infectious Diseases (CERID). The COVID-19 biobank contains waste samples obtained from patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in any of the nine Louisville, Kentucky, area hospitals during the timeframe of April 13 to September 20, 2020. The COVID-19 biobank stores approximately 1,623 waste samples with 2,127 aliquots for distribution. All samples are …