Epidemiology Commons^™

Representation And Outcomes Of Catheter Ablation For Treatment Of Atrial Fibrillation Among Patients With Obesity: A Systematic Review Of Randomized Control Trials, Danielle Dircks, Eh M. Khaing, James Aguto, Jmaylia Mimms, William Schleifer, Jason Payne, Arthur Easley, Faris Khan Md, John Windle, Shane Tsai, Daniel Anderson Md, Gleb Haynatzki, Niyada Naksuk

EMET Projects

Background: The prevalence and impact of obesity on outcomes of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have not been well studied.

Objective: To examine the proportion of participants with obesity enrolled in RCTs of AF ablation and outcomes of ablation when subgroup analysis of participants with obesity were available.

Methods: We systematically searched PubMed and EMBASE for AF ablation RCTs published between January 1, 2015 to May 31, 2022. When body mass index (BMI) data were available, normal distribution was assumed and a z score was used to estimate the proportion of obesity. Results categorized by BMI or …

Knowledge Of Human Papillomavirus Vaccine As A Determinant Of Uptake Among Guardians Of Adolescent Girls: A Single Hospital Experience In Nairobi, Kenya, Irene Nzisa, Rose Kamenwa, James Orwa, Pauline Samia

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Abstract : Cervical cancer is one of the most common preventable cancers, causing significant morbidity and mortality in women, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the availability of free HPV vaccination, the proportion of adolescent girls vaccinated against HPV remains low.

Methods: Our aim was to identify knowledge and factors influencing HPV vaccine uptake among parents of adolescent girls and to determine the proportion of adolescent girls vaccinated within three months after the provision of additional information on cervical cancer and HPV vaccine. We undertook a mixed methods study design, with an initial cross-sectional part followed by a prospective cohort study …

Antiseizure Medications And Their Differing Effects On Cardiovascular Risk, Aleena Abbasi, Bassil Abbasi, Scott Mintzer, Carla Lopinto-Khoury

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

This review discusses the differing effects of enzyme-inducing and non-inducing antiseizure medications on cardiovascular risk and their implications for the management strategies of epilepsy patients. Traditional risk markers, including low density lipoprotein, high density lipoprotein and triglycerides, can be altered by both enzyme induction and inhibition. Other markers of vascular risk, including c-reactive protein, non-high-density lipoprotein and homocysteine, are affected by antiseizure medications, although adults and children may have different responses. The overall atherosclerotic risk picture is more complex due to indirect effects such as neuroendocrine function and the metabolic syndrome. Large scale data shows an evolving understanding of cardiovascular …

Sedentary Leisure Behaviour, Physical Activity, And Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Evidence From A Mendelian Randomization Analysis, Shan Lu, Yahong Zhu, Mingyu Cui, Zheng Guo, Xingang Li, Ying Song

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background and Aims: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is common worldwide. Although associations between sedentary behaviour (LSBs), physical activity (PAs), and GERD have been reported, their causal relationships remain unclear. This study uses Mendelian randomization (MR) to examine these associations with GERD. Methods: Genetic instruments from the UK Biobank and other consortia were utilized to assess the causal relationship between LSBs, PAs, and GERD. Causal analyses employed inverse variance weighted (IVW), weighted-median (WM), and MR-Egger regression. Sensitivity analyses included Cochran's Q test, MR-Egger intercept test, leave-one-out analysis, and funnel plot assessment. Outliers were detected using MR-PRESSO and Radial MR. A risk …

Automated Abdominal Aortic Calcification And Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events In People Undergoing Osteoporosis Screening: The Manitoba Bone Mineral Density Registry, Cassandra Smith, Marc Sim, Zaid Ilyas, Syed Zulqarnain Gilani, David Suter, Siobhan Reid, Barret A. Monchka, Mohammed Jafari Jozani, Gemma Figtree, John T. Schousboe, Joshua R. Lewis, William D. Leslie

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) images from bone density machines enable the automated machine learning assessment of abdominal aortic calcification (ML-AAC), a marker of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. The objective of this study was to describe the risk of a major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE, from linked health records) in patients attending routine bone mineral density (BMD) testing and meeting specific criteria based on age, BMD, height loss, or glucocorticoid use have a VFA in the Manitoba BMD Registry. The cohort included 10 250 individuals (mean age 75.5 yr, 94% women without CVD) with VFA (February 2010 to March 2017). ML-AAC24 …

Interdisciplinary Research Among Tourism, Public Health, And Global Health: A Promising Stream Focusing On Populations With Suboptimal Health Status, Jun Wen, Fangli Hu, Danni Zheng, Haifeng Hou, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Research suggests that approximately 75% of the world's population suffers from suboptimal health status, meaning these individuals often feel unwell but have no clearly diagnosable conditions. Suboptimal health status, originating from traditional Chinese medicine, signifies an intermediate state between health and disease. Tourism has been deemed beneficial for personal health and general well-being. More recently, it has been proposed as a non-pharmacological intervention for individuals with dementia, given its potential contributions to health promotion and disease prevention/treatment. Yet, the tourism literature has paid scarce attention to populations with suboptimal health status, even as an aging society becomes inevitable. This paper …

Phase 3 Validation Of Paam For Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk Stratification In Cirrhosis, Naoto Fujiwara, Camden Lopez, Tracey L Marsh, Indu Raman, Cesia A Marquez, Subhojit Paul, Sumit K Mishra, Naoto Kubota, Courtney Katz, Hiroaki Kanzaki, Michael Gonzalez, Lisa Quirk, Sneha Deodhar, Pratibha Selvakumar, Prithvi Raj, Neehar D Parikh, Lewis R Roberts, Myron E Schwartz, Mindie H Nguyen, Alex S Befeler, Stephanie Page-Lester, Sudhir Srivastava, Ziding Feng, K Rajender Reddy, Saira Khaderi, Sumeet K Asrani, Fasiha Kanwal, Hashem B El-Serag, Jorge A Marrero, Amit G Singal, Yujin Hoshida

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background & aims: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk stratification is an urgent unmet need for cost-effective HCC screening and early detection in patients with cirrhosis to improve poor HCC prognosis.

Methods: Molecular (prognostic liver secretome signature with α-fetoprotein) and clinical (aMAP [age, male sex, albumin-bilirubin, and platelets] score) variable-based scores were integrated into PAaM (prognostic liver secretome signature with α-fetoprotein plus age, male sex, albumin-bilirubin, and platelets), which was subsequently validated in 2 phase 3 biomarker validation studies: the statewide Texas HCC Consortium and nationwide HCC Early Detection Strategy prospective cohorts, following the prospective specimen collection, retrospective blinded evaluation design. The …

Self-Collection For Primary Hpv Testing: Acceptability In A Large Urban Emergency Department, Itunu O Sokale, Dick C Kuo, Claire M Hoppenot, Lorraine R Reitzel, Luis H Juarez, Katherine J Hernandez, Susan L Parker, Chris Amos, Maria Daheri, Kelly R Keene, Jane R Montealegre, Aaron P Thrift

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Study objective: Overdue cervical cancer screening increases the risk of invasive cervical cancer. It is important to identify settings where self-collection for primary human papillomavirus (HPV) testing can be implemented to have high effect on cervical cancer screening among hard-to-reach women with overdue screening. Herein, we examined the acceptability of HPV self-collection, including completion rates, attitudes, and experiences among women seeking noncritical care at a high-volume urban safety-net hospital emergency department (ED) in Houston, Texas, United States.

Methods: In this single-arm intervention pilot study, we recruited women overdue for cervical cancer screening in the waiting areas of a safety-net hospital …

Modifiable And Non-Modifiable Risk Factors For Dementia Among Non-Hispanic White And Black Populations Aged 50-64 In The United States, 2006-2016, Jingkai Wei, Matthew C. Lohman Ph.D., Monique J. Brown, James W. Hardin, Chih-Hsiang Yang, Anwar T. Nerchant, Daniela B. Friedman

Faculty Publications

Background and Objectives

Research Design and Methods

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Resilience, And Syringe Services Program Attendance Among Persons Who Inject Drugs In Northeast Georgia, Usa: A Mediation Analysis, Mohammad Rifat Haider, Samantha Clinton, Monique J. Brown, Nathan B. Hansen

Faculty Publications

Background: Syringe services programs (SSP) are evidence-based venues offering harm reduction services to persons who inject drugs (PWID), such as sterile syringes, STI/HIV testing, and linkage to care to decrease drug use-related morbidities and mortalities. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been linked with reduced resilience, while increased resilience can help PWID attend SSPs. This study examined the potential mediating role of resilience between ACEs and SSP attendance among PWID.

Methods: Data were collected from adult HIV-negative PWID in northeast Georgia, between February-December 2023 (N = 173). Data were collected on SSP attendance (Yes vs. No), resilience, and ACEs. Covariates included …

Geographic Disparities In Unpaid Caregiving, Emma Kathryn Boswell, Monique J. Brown Ph.D., Mph, Lorie Donelle Phd, Rn, Fcan, Nicholas Yell, Taryn Farrell, Peiyin Hung Ph.D., Elizabeth Crouch Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Purpose: An updated, nationally representative examination of rural–urban differences in the experiences, health, and well-being of caregivers is needed; previous research on this topic uses older data or has limited generalizability. This study examines rural–urban differences in the characteristics, experiences, and health of caregivers. Methods: The 2021–2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (n = 44,274 unpaid caregivers) was used, with rurality defined according to the 2013 National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Urban-Rural Classification Scheme. Chi-square tests compared rural–urban differences in these caregivers’ characteristics, including demographic factors, caregiving intensity (e.g., weekly hours spent caregiving, reason for caregiving, past-month ADL/IADL assistance), …

Dementia In A Resource-Constrained Sub-Saharan African Setting: A Comprehensive Retrospective Analysis Of Prevalence, Risk Factors, And Management At The Only Neuropsychiatric Facility In Northeastern Nigeria, Ibrahim Abdu Wakawa, Umar Baba Musami, Suleiman Hamidu Kwairanga, Placidus Nwankuba Ogualili, Mohammed Yusuf Mahmood, Muhammad Abba Fugu, Mohammed Mala Gimba, Muktar Mohammed Allamin, Zaharadeen Umar Abbas, Chinedu Momoh

Brain and Mind Institute

INTRODUCTION: Dementia prevalence is increasing in sub-Saharan Africa, poten-tially due to population growth and aging. Resource-constrained settings such asNortheastern Nigeria face challenges in dementia management.

METHODS: We assessed dementia burden and management at the Federal Neuropsy-chiatric Hospital Maiduguri, the only neuropsychiatric facility in Northeastern Nigeria.This retrospective analysis included patient records from 1999 to 2023 for individuals60 year of age and older with a dementia diagnosis.

RESULTS: Of the 1216 cases reported, Alzheimer’s disease (60.5%) was the mostcommon subtype, followed by vascular dementia (24.5%). Hypertension (41.6%) wasthe most frequent comorbidity. Memory loss was present in all cases, whereasbehavioral …

Supraclavicular Nodal Metastasis At Primary Staging Of Prostate Cancer Using 18f-Psma-1007 Pet/Ct, Samuel Gitau, Jasmit Shah, William Olwit, Saeed Samnakay, Manel Haj Mansour, Khalid Makhdomi

Brain and Mind Institute

Background: The most common sites of metastasis in prostate cancer are bone, pelvic and retroperitoneal lymph nodes, liver and lungs. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of supraclavicular nodal metastasis in newly diagnosed prostate cancer using 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT which has hitherto been understudied.

Methods: 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT examinations performed at our institution between June 2020 and June 2022 for primary staging of prostate cancer were reviewed to identify supraclavicular nodal metastasis from prostate cancer. Data variables included age, stage of disease, PSA level, Gleason score and ISUP/WHO grade group and how these compare with the presence of supraclavicular …

Social Media In Advancing Equity And Collaboration In Rheumatology: The Cordiality Review, Ihsane Hmamouchi, Nelly Ziade, Adewale Adebajo, Latika Gupta, Puja Mehta, Angela Migowa, Elena Nikiphorou, Noelle A. Rolle, Didem Saygin, Namrata Singh

Pathology, East Africa

Social media has transformed communication in academia and medicine, offering stakeholders innovative avenues for knowledge exchange and collaboration. The CORDIALITY review (soCial media fOR aDvancing equIty And coLlaboration In rheumaTologY) examines the impact of social media on education and information dissemination, patient education and empowerment, networking and mentorship, and research collaboration within rheumatology, when effectively used. In this narrative review, we consider the opportunities as well as the challenges related to each of these facets of social media use. With a focus on inequities faced globally, we give particular consideration to disparities by gender as they relate to the rheumatology …

Global Burden Of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatosis Liver Disease, 2010 To2021, Gong Feng, Giovanni Targher, Christopher D. Byrne, Yusuf Yilmaz, Vincent Wai-Sun Wong, Cosmas Rinaldi Adithya Lesmana, Leon A. Adams, Jerome Boursier, George Papatheodoridis, Christopher Opio

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background & Aims :This study used the Global Burden of Disease data (2010–2021) to analyze the rates and trends of point prevalence, annual incidence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in 204 countries.

Methods :Total numbers and age-standardized rates per 100,000 population for MASLD prevalence, annual incidence, and YLDs were compared across regions and countries by age, sex, and sociodemographic index (SDI). Smoothing spline models were used to evaluate the relationship between the burden of MASLD and SDI. Estimates were reported with uncertainty intervals (UI).

Results: Globally, in 2021, the age-standardized rates per …

Global Burden Of Major Chronic Liver Diseases In 2021, Gong Feng, Yusuf Yilmaz, Luca Valenti, Wai Kay Seto, Calvin Q. Pan, Nahum Méndez Sánchez, Feng Ye, Silvia Sookoian, Giovanni Targher, Christopher Opio

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: This study utilised the Global Burden of Disease data (2010–2021) to analyse the rates and trends in point preva-lence, annual incidence and years lived with disability (YLDs) for major chronic liver diseases, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C,metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease, cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases.

Methods: Age-standardised rates per 100,000 population for prevalence, annual incidence and YLDs were compared acrossregions and countries, as well as the socio-demographic index (SDI). Trends were expressed as percentage changes (PC) andestimates were reported with uncertainty intervals (UI).

Results: Globally, in 2021, the age-standardised rates per 100,000 population for the …

Molecular Profile Of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer In A Predominantly Black African Population In Kenya: A Single Institution Review, Sitna Mwanzi, Shahin Sayed, Swati Das, Jonathan Wawire, Jasmit Shah, Asim Jamal Shaikh

Haematology and Oncology, East Africa

Targeted therapies for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have significantly improved the outcomes for patients with oncogenic driver mutations. Testing for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangement, c-ros oncogene 1 (ROS1) rearrangement and programmed death ligand 1 (PDL 1) testing are now highly recommended for all patients with NSCLC. There are clear geographical differences in the rate of driver mutations with higher EGFR mutation rates in the Asian population in comparison to the Caucasian population. Little is known about the rate of oncogenic driver mutations in predominantly Black African populations like those living …

Socio-Epidemiological Perspectives Of Sexual Trauma Experiences And Influential Factors On Sexual Orientation In Men Who Have Sex With Men, Rico Januar Sitorus, Misnaniarti Misnaniarti, Legiran Legiran, Rizma Adlia Syakurah, Diana Dewi Sartika, Asri Maharani, Retta Patresia

Kesmas

The complexity of sexuality and sexual trauma experiences, including harassment, unwanted touching, sexual urges, and forced sexual intercourse, should not be underestimated because of the tendency to initiate adverse psychosocial impacts. Sexual harassment can increase mental health risks, which may influence sexual orientation decisions. This quantitative study, using a cross-sectional design, aimed to determine a relationship between sexual trauma experiences and sexual orientation in men who have sex with men (MSM). This study population was MSM living in Palembang and Prabumulih City, with a sample size of 216 respondents. The proportion of respondents with homosexual orientation was 57.1%, and the …

The Spread Of Tuberculosis Cases In The Highlands And Coastal Areas Of Padang, Rapitos Sidiq, Indang Dewata, Heldi Heldi, Nurhasan Syah, Linda Handayuni, Al Asyary

Kesmas

The current tuberculosis (TB) worldwide situation is very concerning in terms of the number of cases and the death toll, as well as the environmental factors that contribute to its transmission. This has driven policy decisions that aim to enhance contemporary TB control efforts. This study aimed to map the pattern of TB spread based on geographic location, particularly in the highland and coastal areas of Padang City, West Sumatra Province, Indonesia. This study employed a quantitative descriptive analysis using secondary data from 6 primary health care (PHC) from April 2022 to March 2023, comprising 896 cases. Data analysis was …

Determinants Of Adolescent Resilience Levels In Surabaya City, East Java Province, Indonesia, Riris Diana Rachmayanti, Fatwa Sari Tetra Dewi, Diana Setiyawati, M Dody Izhar, Andrei Ramani

Kesmas

Assessing adolescent resilience may provide valuable insights into adult resilience. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between determinants and adolescent resilience in Surabaya City. The participants of this cross-sectional study were 277 adolescents aged 12–19 years who were in senior high school. The outcome was the resilience levels. This study's findings indicated relationships between resilience levels and stress experience (p-value = 0.01), access to mental health information (p-value = 0.00), life satisfaction (p-value = 0.00), family harmony (p-value = 0.03), presence of adults to share (p-value = 0.04), feeling safe at home, school, and community (p-value = 0.00), perception …

Characteristic And Survival Analysis Of Infants With Critical Congenital Heart Disease, Suprohaita Rusdi Talib, Johanes Edy Siswanto, Mulyadi M. Djer, Nurzalia Safanta, Syifa Nurhakiki, Khobir Abdul Karim Taufiqurahman, Asri Adisasmita

Kesmas

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a major health concern worldwide. This study focused on survival analysis and the factors influencing survival in infants with critical congenital heart disease (CCHD). A total of 79 infants diagnosed with CCHD were identified, with 48.1% (n=38) exhibiting duct-dependent pulmonary circulation, 35.6% (n=28) exhibiting duct-dependent systemic circulation, 6.3% (n=5) exhibiting critical non-duct-dependent, and 10.2% (n=8) exhibiting parallel circulation issues. Of the infants studied, 55.7% (n=44) were male, 78.5% (n=62) had a gestational age of ≥37 weeks, 62% (n=49) had a birth weight of ≥2,500 grams, 59.5% (n=47) exhibited normal fetal growth, 93.7% (n=74) experienced no …

Jc Polyomavirus Pooled Seropositivity Prevalence In Healthy Subjects, Lenka J. Kimla

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

JC polyomavirus (JCV) causes progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in immunocompromised individuals and has been linked to cancer development. To-date, no information is available about the JCV seroprevalence in the healthy (nondiseased) population or whether this virus is ecologically connected to humans. The aim of this systematic literature review and meta-analysis was to the estimate the overall seroprevalence of JCV in the healthy human population by age, region, and testing method. A meta-analysis conducted on 24 studies revealed a pooled JCV seroprevalence of 60% (95% CI, 55% - 65%) with statistically significant effect size (z = 32.93, p < 0.001). Meta-regression and subgroup analyses with STATA18 showed that age and region had a strong positive predictive value on prevalence (R = .578, R2 = 0.334, F(2,52) = 12.543, p < 0.001) whereas the testing method had no significant effect on prevalence. The theories that grounded this study were the ecological model and the systems theory, which support the study result that JCV appears to be ubiquitous in the human population with JCV being acquired very early in life. The results of the systematic literature review indicated that JCV is transmitted via fecal-oral and respiratory routes within and outside of families. Most infants are infected with JCV by the age of 6 months and JCV seronegativity may not be indicative of a lack of an underlying JCV infection. JCV seropositivity increases with age, which is most probably by viral reactivation due to immune senescence. These findings have positive social change implications with JCV treatment, screening, and vaccine development.

Survey Of Mosquito Larval Habitats At The Ksu Field Station, Rose Sofia, Eli Lovvorn, Aspen Hartman, Andrew Haddow

Symposium of Student Scholars

The greater Atlanta metropolitan area hosts numerous mosquito species that are nuisance biters and can transmit arthropod-borne diseases to humans. We surveyed the Kennesaw State University (KSU) Field Station – an incredibly biodiverse location – where student, staff, and faculty-led groups engage in outdoor research and teaching activities. The KSU Field Station located in Cobb County, GA is a heavily trafficked 25-acre property that may attract various mosquito species capable of transmitting pathogens to humans and animals alike. On August 27th, 2024, our team investigated the KSU Field Station to quantify and record potential water-holding containers that serve as mosquito …

Hurricane Irma's Impact On Mortality Among The Chronically Ill Populations In Florida, Cody Ray Thornton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Natural disasters pose significant risks to individuals with chronic diseases, exacerbating health disparities through disruptions in healthcare access and systemic vulnerabilities. This study investigated the association between chronic disease-related mortality occurring within 2 months of Hurricane Irma, and whether demographic variables, including age, sex, race, Hispanic ethnicity, poverty, urbanicity, and educational attainment, modified this relationship. This cross-sectional study used the social-ecological model to analyze secondary mortality data from the National Vital Statistics System. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression revealed that deaths from chronic illnesses, occurring between September 2017 and October 2017, were 2.694 times higher, compared to the same period …

A Disparities Analysis Of Cancer Patients’ Access To Depression Treatment By Health Insurance Status And Type, Stephanie Minbiole-Snider

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has demonstrated that comorbid conditions like depression in cancer patients reduce quality of life, prolong recovery, and reduce survival time of the cancer patient. Although other studies have investigated the issue of depression among cancer patients, there is a dearth of studies looking at differences in taking depression medication with health insurance as a source of disparity. Using survey data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), and the health belief model as the theoretical framework, this study had two purposes. The first was to determine if there were differences in the likelihood of taking medication for depression based …

Associations Between Atmospheric Ozone, Pm2.5 And Prevalence Of Diabetes In Georgia, United States, Kingsley A. Kalu, Jingjing Yin, Atin Adhikari

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Objective:

This study examines the association between two air pollutants (PM_2.5 and ozone), and the prevalence of adult diabetes mellitus in relation to various confounding factors.

Methods:

We collected diabetes prevalence data from the 2015 County Health Ranking and Georgia Health Data Hub. A negative binomial regression analysis was conducted to examine the associations between the county-level dependent variable “adult diabetes” (for adults aged> 18 years diagnosed with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes) and two independent county-level variables: percentage of days ³ NAAQS for ozone and PM_2.5 concentration levels while controlling for confounders.

Results:

At the county …

Perspectives Of African American And Hispanic/Latino Individuals On Hiv Molecular Cluster Detection, Maxwell Richardson, Brendan H. Pulsifer, Jane Yoon Scott, David Holland, Eleanor W. Garlow, Pascale Wortley, Daniel Mauck, Jenna Gettings, Valeria Cantos, Masonia Traylor, Eric Rangel, David Folkes, Carlos Saldana

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Responding to HIV clusters detected using molecular data has been shown to reduce transmission and improve testing, treatment, and prevention. However, there are varied opinions about the use of cluster detection activities, and some advocates have raised concerns about patient consent, data security, and the potential for HIV criminalization. Incorporating the perspectives of marginalized populations that are disproportionately affected by HIV is essential to understanding the diversity of those perspectives, yet it is often overlooked in the literature. Thus, our study seeks to highlight the perspectives of Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino individuals in the Southern United States on HIV …

Mutational Scanning And Binding Free Energy Computations Of The Sars-Cov-2 Spike Complexes With Distinct Groups Of Neutralizing Antibodies: Energetic Drivers Of Convergent Evolution Of Binding Affinity And Immune Escape Hotspots, Mohammed Alshahrani, Vedant Parikh, Brandon Foley, Nishank Raisinghani, Gennady M. Verkhivker

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

The rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2 has led to the emergence of variants with increased immune evasion capabilities, posing significant challenges to antibody-based therapeutics and vaccines. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive structural and energetic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) complexes with neutralizing antibodies from four distinct groups (A–D), including group A LY-CoV016, group B AZD8895 and REGN10933, group C LY-CoV555, and group D antibodies AZD1061, REGN10987, and LY-CoV1404. Using coarse-grained simplified simulation models, rapid energy-based mutational scanning, and rigorous MM-GBSA binding free energy calculations, we elucidated the molecular mechanisms of antibody binding and escape mechanisms, identified key …

Increasing Covid-19 Testing And Vaccination Uptake In The Take Care Texas Community-Based Randomized Trial: Adaptive Geospatial Analysis, Kehe Zhang, Jocelyn V Hunyadi, Marcia C De Oliveira Otto, Miryoung Lee, Zitong Zhang, Ryan Ramphul, Jose-Miguel Yamal, Ashraf Yaseen, Alanna C Morrison, Shreela Sharma, Mohammad Hossein Rahbar, Xu Zhang, Stephen Linder, Dritana Marko, Rachel White Roy, Deborah Banerjee, Esmeralda Guajardo, Michelle Crum, Belinda Reininger, Maria E Fernandez, Cici Bauer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Geospatial data science can be a powerful tool to aid the design, reach, efficiency, and impact of community-based intervention trials. The project titled Take Care Texas aims to develop and test an adaptive, multilevel, community-based intervention to increase COVID-19 testing and vaccination uptake among vulnerable populations in 3 Texas regions: Harris County, Cameron County, and Northeast Texas.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to develop a novel procedure for adaptive selections of census block groups (CBGs) to include in the community-based randomized trial for the Take Care Texas project.

METHODS: CBG selection was conducted across 3 Texas regions over a 17-month period …

Characteristics And Outcomes Of Adults Hospitalized With Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Brian S. Shaw, Cara Slaton, Ian P. Murphy, Michael Mcalister, Daniel Egan, Kwabena Ayesu

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a negative sense single-stranded RNA virus (ssRNA) that primarily causes respiratory infections in both children and older adults. We examined clinical characteristics and outcomes of hospitalized adult patients who tested positive for RSV.

Methods: This was a multicenter, retrospective, descriptive study that examined adult patients admitted with a positive RSV test over two years across eight hospitals in Orlando, Florida.

Results: A total of 120 patients were included, of which 88 (73%) were 60 years old and older. Overall, patients with RSV infection were caucasian (62%) with a median age of 70 years and …