Epidemiology Commons^™

Pterygium Recurrence And Corneal Stabilization Point After Pterygium Excision Using The Controlled Partial Avulsion Fibrin Glue Technique, Mohd Radzi Hilmi, Khairidzan Mohd Kamal, Mohd Zulfaezal Che Azemin

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the pterygium recurrence rate and corneal stabilization point after pterygium excision via the controlled partial avulsion fibrin glue technique using multiple corneal parameters.

Methods: One hundred eyes of 100 patients who had undergone primary pterygium excision surgery via the controlled partial avulsion fibrin glue technique were retrospectively reviewed. Corneal stabilization points were determined over four follow-up sessions (i.e., the 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 12th months after surgery) based on changes in Simulated-K, corneal irregularity measurement, shape factor, and toric mean keratometry. Post-operative courses were followed for 12 months after surgery. Recurrence was …

Effects Of L-Fucose Supplementation On The Viability Of Cancer Cell Lines, Muhammad Alif Mazlan, Afzan Mat Yusof, Muhammad Lokman Md Isa

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Fucose is a deoxyhexose sugar. While the biological roles of L-fucose remain unclear, the sugar is known to accelerate the malignant potential of cancer cells. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the viability pattern of human cancer and normal cell lines treated with fucose.

Methods: The human gingival fibroblast (HGF-1), colorectal adenocarcinoma (HT-29) and skin malignant melanoma (A375) cell lines were cultured and treated with fucose at three concentrations of 1, 5, and 10 mg/ml. Cell viability was then measured using (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social …

Health-Related Quality Of Life And Work Ability Of Smallholder Rice Farm Workers In San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, Philippines, Artemio Morado Gonzales Jr, Ryan Mark Aloro Ambong, Leoniel Salibio Bais, Lendon Perez Macaspac

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Health is an integral form of human capital that can positively influence agricultural worker productivity in the physical, mental, and social domains. Poor health usually represents a burden to farm workers because a failure to meet scheduled tasks on the farm can later affect the dependents who rely on it for food nourishment and sustained livelihood. This study aims to determine the association between health and the work capabilities of smallholder rice farm workers in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, Philippines.

Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 100 farm workers. The SF-36 (HRQoL) and Work Ability …

Perceived Need And Utilization Of Dental Health Care Services In Indonesia: A Secondary Analysis Using The National Socioeconomic Data, Normaliza Ab Malik, Robbykha Rosalien, Nadine Khalissya, Iwany Amalliah Badruddin, Diah Ayu Maharani

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Perceived needs and utilization of oral health services are important to ensure improvements in oral health outcomes and to allocate resources for the continuous provision of the services. This study aimed to determine the factors influencing the perceived needs and utilization of oral health services in Indonesia.

Methods: Secondary data from the 2013 Indonesian National Socioeconomic Survey (n = 260,925) was used. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression were employed to describe the relationship between perceived needs and utilization of oral health services.

Results: The proportions of Indonesians who had a perceived need for oral health services and …

Organizational Empowerment Among Nursing Faculty In The Northwestern Region Of Saudi Arabia, Salman Hamdan Alsaqri, Eddieson Pasay-An, Liza Villacorte, Fredezwinda Madjid, Carmencita Pacis, Ahmad Khalil Ahmad Al-Sadi

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: This study aimed to determine the differences in the workplace empowerment of nursing faculty as it relates to their demographic information.

Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among 65 nurse educators at the College of Nursing, University of Hail, Saudi Arabia. The data were collected through a survey questionnaire between January and March 2019.

Results: Significant differences were found regarding gender and opportunity (p < 0.017), support (p < 0.020), resources (p < 0.022), job activities scale (JAS; p < 0.005), organizational relationship scale (ORS; p < 0.011), and marital status on resources (p < 0.031). In comparison, gender to information and all of the other demographic variables such as marital status (except resources), years of experience, age, nationality, educational qualifications, and specialization were found insignificant to opportunity, support, resources, information, JAS, and ORS, where all of their p-values were more than 0.05.

Conclusion: Male nursing faculty were found to be more empowered in terms of opportunity, support, resources, JAS, and …

Effect Of The Sims Program On Oral Hygiene Levels Of 5–6-Year-Old Children In The Kampar District, Malaysia: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial, Nurul Hayati Anwar, Nor Azlida Mohd Nor, Zamros Yuzadi Mohd Yusof

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: This study evaluated the effect of the “Senyuman Indah Milik Semua” program (SIMSP) versus the existing preschool oral healthcare program (POHP) on children’s oral health and parents’ oral health literacy (OHL) in Kampar district, Malaysia.

Methods: This was a cluster-randomized, matched pair, examiner-blind, controlled trial. Using computer-generated random tables, 14 preschools were allocated to the SIMSP intervention over 6 months and another 14 were allocated to the POHP, which was concealed at the cluster level. Healthy 5–6-year-old children and parents who understood the Malay language were recruited. The SIMSP was comprised of preschool visits by dental …

Association Between Sociodemographic Factors And Estrogen Receptor-Positive, Progesterone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer Subtypes: A Cross-Sectional Study, Vinodkumar Mugada, Raj Kiran Kolakota, Varsha Mahato

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: The presence of risk factors have a high risk of developing breast cancer. Our study aimed to find an association between sociodemographic factors and the risk of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, progesterone receptor (PR)-positive breast cancer among women.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 women with breast cancer. Association between sociodemographic factors and hormone receptor subtypes of breast cancer was found using the Chi-square test. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to know the strong predictors of hormone receptor subtypes.

Results: The mean age was 50.08 (10.67) years. Comorbidities had a statistically significant association with …

Limbic-Predominant Age-Related Tdp-43 Encephalopathy Differs From Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration, John L. Robinson, Sílvia Porta, Filip G. Garrett, Panpan Zhang, Sharon X. Xie, Eunran Suh, Vivianna M. Van Deerlin, Erin L. Abner, Gregory A. Jicha, Justin M. Barber, Virginia M-Y Lee, Edward B. Lee, John Q. Trojanowski, Peter T. Nelson

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

TAR-DNA binding protein-43 (TDP-43) proteinopathy is seen in multiple brain diseases. A standardized terminology was recommended recently for common age-related TDP-43 proteinopathy: limbic-predominant, age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE) and the underlying neuropathological changes, LATE-NC. LATE-NC may be co-morbid with Alzheimer’s disease neuropathological changes (ADNC). However, there currently are ill-defined diagnostic classification issues among LATE-NC, ADNC, and frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TDP-43 (FTLD-TDP). A practical challenge is that different autopsy cohorts are composed of disparate groups of research volunteers: hospital- and clinic-based cohorts are enriched for FTLD-TDP cases, whereas community-based cohorts have more LATE-NC cases. Neuropathological methods also differ across laboratories. Here, …

Impact Of 2012 Spanish Health Care Reform On Hiv-Positive Immigrants: A Mixed Methods Approach, Megi Gogishvili

Dissertations and Theses

Background: The financial crisis of 2008 hit Spain hard. As a consequence, the government took multiple austerity measures, including reforms in the healthcare system in 2012. Specifically, the government reduced the budget for health and social services by 13.7% in 2012.The reduction was further followed with structural changes via the 2012 Royal Decree Law (RDL) and Royal Decree (RD).The 2012 RDL and RD entailed broad areas of action,but most importantly the Spanish National Health System (SNS) no longer covered undocumented immigrants. The 2012 RDL and RD excluded approximately 500,000 undocumented immigrants from SNS.

The number of immigrants in Spain has …

Urban Warfare: Emerging Geopolitical Conundrum, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

Urban warfare is as old as human history. It is becoming increasingly important in international political and military planning due to increasing global urbanization and the presence of megacities (urban areas with populations exceeding 10 million) in many global regions and being in areas of recent and potential military conflict. 2018 World Bank data notes that approximately 56% of the world's population lives in urban areas which is up from 34% in 1960. Many of these megacities, including New York City, Los Angeles, Sao Paulo, Mumbai, Shanghai, and Manila are adjacent to oceanic waters and vulnerable to trade and supply …

Egfr Testing And Erlotinib Use In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients In Kentucky, Kara L. Larson, Bin Huang, Quan Chen, Thomas C. Tucker, Marissa Schuh, Susanne M. Arnold, Jill M. Kolesar

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

This study determined the frequency and factors associated with EGFR testing rates and erlotinib treatment as well as associated survival outcomes in patients with non small cell lung cancer in Kentucky. Data from the Kentucky Cancer Registry (KCR) linked with health claims from Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance groups were evaluated. EGFR testing and erlotinib prescribing were identified using ICD-9 procedure codes and national drug codes in claims, respectively. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors associated with EGFR testing and erlotinib prescribing. Cox-regression analysis was performed to determine factors associated with survival. EGFR mutation testing rates rose from …

Ua3/10/3 Convocation, Timothy Caboni

WKU Administration Documents

Convocation speech given by WKU president Timothy Caboni regarding COVID-19, diversity, student recruitment, enrollment, retention and graduation; budget, and economic growth.

Reducing Adverse Outcomes In Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Undergoing Hepatectomies, Yongyue Qi

Theses & Dissertations

The incidence and mortality of liver cancers are increasing in the United States. In addition to the classic risk factors of hepatic viral infection and high alcohol consumption, non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), has emerged as a risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The most effective curative treatment for HCC is liver resection (hepatectomy), however, hepatectomy is a major operation with potential risks of mortality, hospital readmission and other adverse outcomes such as postoperative complications and longer hospital stay. The reported 90-day mortality and 30-day readmission rates following a hepatectomy vary widely across studies, most of which have limitations due …

Understanding Covid-19: From Origin To Potential Therapeutics, Muhammad Moazzam, Muhammad Imran Sajid, Hamza Shahid, Jahanzaib Butt, Irfan Bashir, Muhammad Jamshaid, Amir Nasrolahi Shirazi, Rakesh Kumar Tiwari

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Currently, a global pandemic era of public health concerns is going on with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first case of COVID-19 was reported from Wuhan’s Huanan seafood market in China late December 2019. Bats, pangolins, and snakes have been nominated as salient carriers of the virus. Thanks to its high pathogenicity, it can cause severe respiratory infections. Fever, dry cough, sore throat, pneumonia, septic shock, and ground-glass opacities are the foremost clinical manifestations of COVID-19. Immunocompromised patients are at high risk for COVID-19 infection and may lead to …

Particulate Matter Pollution And Its Effect On Covid-19, Aída Fica Conejeros

International Programs

Growing research supports the significant effects of particulate matter on COVID-19. This air pollutant has been identified before as responsible for serious respiratory diseases. Studies on the differences in high and low polluted cities confirmed that COVID-19 not only correlates to the number of infections but also, increases of 1 ��g/m3 can cause a mortality rate to rise by 8% and the hospital admissions by 4.4%. However, laboratory studies are still needed to support these findings.

Risk Of New Bloodstream Infections And Mortality Among People Who Inject Drugs With Infective Endocarditis., Charlie Tan, Esfandiar Shojaei, Joshua C. Wiener, Meera Shah, Sharon Koivu, Michael Silverman

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Publications

IMPORTANCE: People who inject drugs (PWID) who are being treated for infective endocarditis remain at risk of new bloodstream infections (BSIs) due to ongoing intravenous drug use (IVDU).

OBJECTIVES: To characterize new BSIs in PWID receiving treatment for infective endocarditis, to determine the clinical factors associated with their development, and to determine whether new BSIs and treatment setting are associated with mortality.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective cohort study was performed at 3 tertiary care hospitals in London, Ontario, Canada, from April 1, 2007, to March 31, 2018. Participants included a consecutive sample of all PWID 18 years or …

The Impact Of Improved Access To After-Hours Primary Care On Emergency Department And Primary Care Utilization: A Systematic Review., Michael Hong, Amardeep Thind, Gregory S Zaric, Sisira Sarma

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Publications

Access to after-hours primary care is problematic in many developed countries, leading patients to instead visit the emergency department for non-urgent conditions. However, emergency department utilization for conditions treatable in primary care settings may contribute to emergency department overcrowding and increased health system costs. This systematic review examines the impact of various initiatives by developed countries to improve access to after-hours primary care on emergency department and primary care utilization. We performed a systematic review on the impact of improved access to after-hours primary and searched CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Scopus. We identified 20 studies that examined the impact of …

Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging As A Diagnostic Biomarker Of Hiv-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders (Hand), Mikki Schantell

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Objective: The goal of this study was to do an exploratory analysis to determine if gray matter brain volumes and cortical thickness measures obtained from structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) can discriminate people with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), neurocognitively unimpaired people with HIV (NU PWH), and HIV-negative controls (HIV- controls) using linear discriminant analyses.

Methods: A total of 231 participants, including 110 PWH and 121 HIV- controls, completed a neuropsychological (NP) battery and an sMRI protocol. The bilateral gray matter volumes and cortical thickness brain regions were analyzed using 18 linear discriminant models to assess the discriminability of gray matter …

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Transmission Potential, Iran, 2020, Kamalich Muniz-Rodriguez, Isaac Fung, Shayesteh R. Ferdosi, Sylvia Ofori, Yiseul Lee, Amna Tariq, Gerardo Chowell

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

To determine the transmission potential of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in Iran in 2020, we estimated the reproduction number as 4.4 (95% CI 3.9–4.9) by using a generalized growth model and 3.5 (95% CI 1.3–8.1) by using epidemic doubling time. The reproduction number decreased to 1.55 after social distancing interventions were implemented.

Investigation Of Factors Affecting The Hiv Continuum Of Care In Tennessee, Elaine Loudermilk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Factors contributing to the HIV continuum of care (HCC) for adults in Tennessee (TN) have not been studied in depth with known predictors for HIV risk, specifically adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), among low annual income or sexual minority groups [lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT)].

Methods: A mixed methods study design was used to assess factors related to the HCC. Quantitative analysis used the TN Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data to examine at risk and ever tested for HIV, to (1) investigate ACEs among adults with low-income (<$25,000 annually) in 2016-2017 and (2) among LGBT in 2018. Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression (MLR) analysis stratified by TN grand division were performed. Qualitative analysis included 11 interviews with persons living with HIV (PLWH) receiving care at a local clinic to evaluate surveillance questions related to ACEs and the HCC to develop a culturally appropriate survey.

Results: Quantitative results found that among LGBT (N=262) and low-income …

Housing Stability And Diabetes Among People Living In New York City Public Housing, Sungwoo Lim, Sze Yan Liu, Melanie H. Jacobson, Eugenie Poirot, Aldo Crossa, Sean Locke, Jennifer Brite, Elizabeth Hamby, Zinzi Bailey, Stephanie Farquhar

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Public housing provides affordable housing and, potentially, housing stability for low-income families. Housing stability may be associated with lower incidence or prevalence and better management of a range of health conditions through many mechanisms. We aimed to test the hypotheses that public housing residency is associated with both housing stability and reduced risk of diabetes incidence, and the relationship between public housing and diabetes risk varies by levels of housing stability. Using 2004-16 World Trade Center Health Registry data, we compared outcomes (housing stability measured by sequence analysis of addresses, self-reported diabetes diagnoses) between 730 New York City public housing …

Anesthesia Services In The Time Of Covid, James Chen, Daisy Sangroula, Katelyn Williams, Sydney Pham, Ozan Akca, Jiapeng Huang, Sean Clifford

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Our hospital is a 400-bed, Level-1 trauma center with 78 intensive care unit (ICU) beds serving the greater Louisville metropolitan area. The COVID-19 pandemic forced our hospital to re-evaluate our core business operations and to develop a coherent response to a fluid situation. Between March 15 and May 15, 2020, the University of Louisville Hospital admitted more than 100 COVID-19 inpatients; approximately 30 were admitted to the ICU, and most required endotracheal intubation. The following review describes our Department of Anesthesiology \& Perioperative Medicine foci, actions, and rationale during the COVID-19 pandemic. While we hope not to experience another pandemic …

Pre-Testing Of The Who’S Educational Video: “How To Protect Yourself Against Covid-19”, Hilyatul Fadliyah, Manendra Muhtar, Munih Munih, Sylviasari Risgiantini, Weny Wulandary, Hadi Pratomo

Kesmas

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was declared a public health emergency in many countries, including Indonesia. The World Health Organization (WHO) released an educational video, entitled "How to Protect Yourself Against COVID-19", which explained how to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This study is a qualitative study that aims to pre-test this video, based on the Information, Education, Communication (IEC) theory, by analyzing teenagers’ perceptions of the video. The design used was a Rapid Assessment Procedure (RAP), and the data were collected by conducting in-depth interviews with participants, through …

Impact Of Lockdown In India: A Case Study Comparing Kanataka With International Model, Stelvin Sebastian, Aby Paul, Jeeva Joseph, Joel Joby, Sanjo Saijan, Jobin Kunjumon Vilapurathu

Kesmas

The COVID-19 was declared a pandemic and a global health emergency by WHO, prompting various countries to implement early and stringent social distancing protocols through lockdown, to flatten the epidemic curve. The objective of the present study was to assess the impacts and effectiveness of the lockdown protocol in Karnataka and Punjab, compared with the implementation of this method in Australia and the UK. This study involved the collection of data from different authorized databases, in two phases. The first phase included the time starting with the first-reported index case through the 14th day after the declaration of lockdown, for …

Review Of Trial Therapies And Treatment For Covid-19: Lessons For Indonesia, Halma Zahro Mukhlida, Hilma Hasro Maulida, Gunanti Khairunnisa, Margaretha Josephine Mantrono, Risky Kusuma Hartono, Rindu Rindu, Eka R W Purnamasari, Rizky Fajar Meirawan

Kesmas

The infectious disease from Coronavirus Disease 2019, or COVID-19, has quickly spread world-wide since 2019. Therapies for managing COVID-19 have yet to be confirmed as medication for the severe sickness that the disease may cause. This study aimed to review the previous research of the efficacy of trial therapy and treatment to the patients in the hospital with COVID-19. Using PRISMA guidelines as a method for conducting a systematic literature review, a total of 67 articles were collected from several online journal databases. Various therapies were found that are effective in the treatment and management of COVID-19. In accordance with …

Prospects For Rnai Therapy Of Covid-19, Hasan Uludağ, Kylie Parent, Hamidreza Montazeri Aliabadi, Azita Haddadi

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus is a fast emerging disease with deadly consequences. The pulmonary system and lungs in particular are most prone to damage caused by the SARS-CoV-2 infection, which leaves a destructive footprint in the lung tissue, making it incapable of conducting its respiratory functions and resulting in severe acute respiratory disease and loss of life. There were no drug treatments or vaccines approved for SARS-CoV-2 at the onset of pandemic, necessitating an urgent need to develop effective therapeutics. To this end, the innate RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism can be employed to develop front line therapies against …

Severe Covid-19, Arpan H. Chawala, Shivam Gulati, Bettina Sinanova, Jose Bordon

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Introduction: There is substantial variation in the clinical characteristics and outcomes of severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19), making it difficult to do an optimal assessment of this condition. We reviewed the current English literature to identify the findings concerning the baseline characteristics and health outcomes of patients with severe COVID-19, primarily those with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Methods: We examined only studies that assessed patients with confirmed COVID-19 by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) with at least one of the following severity criteria: treated in the intensive care unit (ICU), ARDS, and/or invasive …

Is Sars-Cov-2 A Neurotropic Virus And A Potential Facilitator Of Cns Infection For Other Pathogens?, Jose Bordon

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Face Mask Effects Of Co2, Heart Rate, Respiration Rate, And Oxygen Saturation On Instructor Pilots, Andrew R. Dattel, Nicola M. O'Toole, Guillermina Lopez, Kenneth P. Byrnes

Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has required people to take new measures to mitigate the spread of the communicable virus. Guidelines from health organizations, government offices, and universities have been disseminated. Adherence to these guidelines cannot be more critical for flight training. This study explored the effects face masks had on CO2, heart rate, respiration rate, and oxygen saturation while wearing a face mask at an oxygen level simulated to 5,000 feet. Thirty-two instructor pilots (IP) volunteered to participate in the study. IPs spent 90 minutes in a normobaric chamber while wearing a cloth face mask or a paper face mask. Participants …

Sars-Cov-2 Viral And Serological Testing When College Campuses Reopen: Some Practical Considerations, Isaac Chun-Hai Fung, Chi-Ngai Cheung, Andreas Handel

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic prompted universities across the United States to close campuses in Spring 2020. Universities are deliberating whether, when, and how they should resume in-person instruction in Fall 2020. In this essay, we discuss some practical considerations for the use of 2 potentially useful control strategies based on testing: (1) severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing followed by case-patient isolation and quarantine of close contacts, and (2) serological testing followed by an “immune shield” approach, that is, low social distancing requirements for seropositive persons. The isolation of case-patients and …