Bacterial Infections and Mycoses Commons^™

A Novel Application Of Galleria Mellonella Larvae To Study Pathogenesis Of Rickettsia Rickettsii Infection, Jacob M. Jones

Honors College Theses

Rickettsia are obligate intracellular tick-borne bacteria that cause acute undifferentiated febrile illness accompanied by headache, malaise, myalgias, and disseminated endothelial infection. Immune responses to Rickettsia and pathogenesis of rickettsioses are not fully understood. Current work with Rickettsia is limited to vertebrate models that are strictly regulated and have low throughput. Since the innate immune system of vertebrates retains striking similarities with the immune response in insects, invertebrates are being used to study host responses to various pathogens. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if larvae of the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella (GML) can be used as an …

Challenges And Opportunities In Food Safety-A Review, Iram Asim, Humaira Yasmeen

Journal of Bioresource Management

Food-borne diseases are the group of disorders that are caused by consuming food having microbial existence in it. So safe food handling is to make sure the lessening of detrimental effects in growth to the packaging of food to minimize health issues on consumers which otherwise can lead to large scale disease outburst. This review concludes the findings of the studies on how food is being handled from farm to fork, how airlines are contributing towards the spreading of diseases, how any negligence in any one of the steps can cause havoc to mankind in the light of the recent …

Pneumonia Radiograph Diagnosis Utilizing Deep Learning Network, Wesley O'Quinn

Honors College Theses

Pneumonia is a life-threatening respiratory disease caused by bacterial infection. The goal of this study is to develop an algorithm using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to detect visual signals for pneumonia in medical images and make a diagnosis. Although Pneumonia is prevalent, detection and diagnosis are challenging. The deep learning network AlexNet was utilized through transfer learning. A dataset consisting of 11,318 images was used for training, and a preliminary diagnosis accuracy of 72% was achieved.

A Covid-19 Risk Score Combining Chest Ct Radiomics And Clinical Characteristics To Differentiate Covid-19 Pneumonia From Other Viral Pneumonias, Zuhua Chen, Xiadong Li, Jiawei Li, Shirong Zhang, Pengfei Zhou, Xin Yu, Yao Ren, Jiahao Wang, Lidan Zhang, Yunjiang Li, Baoliang Wu, Yanchun Hou, Ke Zhang, Rongjun Tang, Yongguang Liu, Zhongxian Ding, Bin Yang, Qinghua Deng, Qin Lin, Ke Nie, Zhaobin Cai, Shenglin Ma, Yu Kuang

Health Physics and Diagnostic Sciences Faculty Research

With the continued transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) throughout the world, identification of highly suspected COVID-19 patients remains an urgent priority. In this study, we developed and validated COVID-19 risk scores to identify patients with COVID-19. In this study, for patient-wise analysis, three signatures, including the risk score using radiomic features only, the risk score using clinical factors only, and the risk score combining radiomic features and clinical variables, show an excellent performance in differentiating COVID-19 from other viral-induced pneumonias in the validation set. For lesion-wise analysis, the risk score using three radiomic features only also …

Enteric Fever, Buddha Basnyat, Farah Naz Qamar, Priscilla Rupali, Tahmeed Ahmed, Christopher M. Parry

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

No abstract provided.

Stability Evaluation Of Extemporaneously Compounded Vancomycin Ophthalmic Drops: Effect Of Solvents And Storage Conditions, Christopher Ross, Basir Syed, Joanna Pak, Vishal Jhanji, Jason Yamaki, Ajay Sharma

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Vancomycin is the drug of choice for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus keratitis and other ocular infections. Vancomycin ophthalmic drops are not commercially available and require compounding. The present study was designed to investigate the stability of vancomycin ophthalmic drops in normal saline, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), and balanced salt solution (BSS) while stored at room temperature or under refrigeration. Vancomycin ophthalmic drops (50 mg/mL) were aseptically prepared from commercially available intravenous powder using PBS, BSS, and saline. Solutions were stored at room temperature and in a refrigerator for 28 days. The vancomycin stability was tested by a microbiology assay and high-performance liquid …

When The Pandemic Opts For The Lockdown: Secretion System Evolution In The Cholera Bacterium, Francis J. Santoriello, Stefan Pukatzki

Publications and Research

Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of the diarrheal disease cholera, is a microbe capable of inhabiting two different ecosystems: chitinous surfaces in brackish, estuarine waters and the epithelial lining of the human gastrointestinal tract. V. cholerae defends against competitive microorganisms with a contact-dependent, contractile killing machine called the type VI secretion system (T6SS) in each of these niches. The T6SS resembles an inverted T4 bacteriophage tail and is used to deliver toxic effector proteins into neighboring cells. Pandemic strains of V. cholerae encode a unique set of T6SS effector proteins, which may play a role in pathogenesis or pandemic …

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 …

Sociodemographic, Clinical Characteristics, And Outcomes Of Influenza Pneumonia Patients Admitted In A Tertiary Care Hospital In Karachi, Pakistan: Findings From A Cross-Sectional Study, Fazal Ur Rehman, Muhammad Arslan Ahmed, Kashif Aziz, Mahmooda Jabeen Ashraf, Tazein Amber, Sumera Aziz Ali

Section of Internal Medicine

Objective: To determine the sociodemographic, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of influenza pneumonia patients in tertiary care hospital, Karachi Pakistan.
Study design: A cross-sectional study.
Place and duration of study: The Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi Pakistan from January 2013 to December 2018. Methodology: All adult patients who were older than 18 years and suspected to have viral pneumonia were included in the study. Data were abstracted on 105 patients and were entered on preformed proforma after reviewing the files of patients.
Results: Ninety-four (89.5%) patients were influenza positive and 15.2% (n=16) had been vaccinated. Around 92.4% (n=97), 81.9% (n=86) and …

Distribution And Antibiotic Resistance Profiles Of Salmonella Enterica In Rural Areas Of North Carolina After Hurricane Florence In 2018, Yuqing Mao, Mohamed Zeineldin, Moiz Usmani, Sital Uprety, Joanna Shisler, Antarpreet Jutla, Avinash Unnikrishnan, Thanh H. Nguyen

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The frequency and magnitude of extreme events are increasing globally (Arnell & Gosling, 2016). Inundation, as a result of massive flooding, has the potential to change environmental conditions abruptly, and as a result, add pressure to the metabolism and proliferation of microorganisms (Furtak et al., 2020). The resulting overland flows and additional burden from domestic sewer and septic tank systems during an extreme flood event can introduce pathogens into ecologically unstable water bodies. For example, Yu et al. (2018) reported elevated levels of Escherichia coli and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in river water samples 6 months after flooding in Houston, …

Streptococcus Cristatus – An Oral Bacterium Causing A Case Of Mild Bacteremia And “Possible Endocarditis”, Camilo Guzman, Adi Zaclli, John Molinari

Medical Student Research Symposium

Streptococcus cristatus is a member of the Mitis streptococcus group. Like other members of this group, it resides in mucosal surfaces of the oral cavity but rarely causes disease. We present a case of S. cristatus bacteremia and “possible endocarditis” (per the modified Duke criteria) in a 59-year-old male suffering from end- stage cryptogenic cirrhosis. To date, it is the fifth reported case of disease caused by the microbe, and the first adult case in which S. cristatus was the sole microbe identified. Our patient had a history of dental caries and poor dentition, which were likely the source of …

Association Of Presenting Symptoms With Abnormal Laboratory Values For Vector-Borne Illness — Experience In An Urban Gastroenterology Practice, Michael D. Erdman, Niloofar Kossari, Jessica Ye, Kristen H. Reynolds, Emily Blodget, B. Robert Mozayeni, Farshid Sam Rahbar

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: In the clinical setting, it is not common practice to consider a vector bite, such as from a tick or flea, to be a contributing factor to chronic digestive symptoms. This article investigates associations we have observed among symptomatic patients and positive blood tests for vector-borne illness (VBI).

Methods: Patients who visited an urban gastroenterology clinic over a 3-year period were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 270 patients presenting with a constellation of digestive symptoms — and who had no apparent digestive pathology and reported no prior diagnosis or treatments for VBI — were analyzed. Before the initial visit, …

Role Of Rela In Dormancy And Toxr Proteolysis In Vibrio Cholerae, Zachary J. Malaussena

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Vibrio cholerae, the etiological agent of the severe diarrheal disease cholera, is an enteric pathogen that can be found in aquatic ecosystems when not colonizing the human gastrointestinal tract. Under adverse environmental conditions, V. cholerae is capable of entering dormant states that increase its survival during these ecological fluctuations. In these states, V. cholerae slows its metabolic activity and exhibits drastically altered gene expression and morphology. Stressors that lead to entry into these states vary from nutrient limitation, suboptimal pH, or antimicrobials. Cells in these dormant states are highly resistant to antimicrobials and cannot be detected using standard microbiological techniques …

Environmental Contaminants And Bacterial Infection During Pregnancy: Pilot Study Of Pregnant Murine Co-Exposure To Trichloroethylene (Tce) And Group B Streptococcus (Gbs), Eleanor Scheeres, Emily Schellenboom, Sean Harris, Erica Boldenow

Summer Research

• TCE is a volatile organic solvent used in industrial processes and a known human carcinogen.
• GBS is a common bacteria in the vaginal flora but can lead to complications such as preterm birth during pregnancy.
• Co-treatment (GBS+DCVC) in placental membranes lead to inhibition of pathogen stimulated cytokine secretion
• We hypothesized that along with cytokine secretion, GBS+DCVC co-exposure would have impacts on MMP-9 (a protein involved in gestational membrane degradation) 4 and prostaglandin E2 (a hormone involved in cervical ripening and labor induction) 5, two important proteins in pregnancy and labor

Amphiphilic Cell-Penetrating Peptides Containing Natural And Unnatural Amino Acids As Drug Delivery Tools And Antimicrobial Agents, David Salehi

Pharmaceutical Sciences (MS) Theses

Cell-penetrating peptides containing arginine as positively charged residues and tryptophan or diphenylalanine as hydrophobic residues were synthesized. The synthesis was accomplished through the Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis in the presence of HBTU and DIPEA. The side-chain protected linear peptides were cleaved from the resin and cyclized in the presence of DIC and HOAt in the solution phase overnight. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry was used to characterize the peptides.

The cytotoxicity of the synthesized peptides was determined in CCRF-CEM (human, lymphoblast peripheral blood), and HEK-293 (human, embryonic epithelial kidney healthy) cells using the MTS assay. A concentration of 10 µM was found …

Chitosan-Gallium Nanocomposite: Synthesis, Characterization And Antibacterial Activity, Samjhana Bhandari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains of bacteria and the lack of a novel class of antibiotics has become a global health concern. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one common MDR bacteria responsible for nosocomial infections and related mortality worldwide. It has developed resistance against commonly available antibiotics and is in the WHO's priority list of bacteria for which new antibiotics are desperately needed. Currently there is a growing interest in developing metal and non-metal-based nanoparticles to target multidrug-resistant bacteria. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a novel nanocomposite of two non-traditional antimicrobials: a metal (Ga-III) and …

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Of Beta-Lactam Antibiotics In Critically Ill Patients With Sepsis, Melissa Thompson Bastin

Theses and Dissertations--Clinical and Translational Science

Sepsis is a devastating diagnosis affecting over 750,000 patients a year, accounting for approximately 10% of all hospital admissions, costs more than $50,000 per patient, and exceeds $17 billion annual spending. The mortality rate for sepsis remains unacceptably high: one out of every three patients diagnosed with sepsis dies. Sepsis physiology induces physiologic changes to drug pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters that alter the ability to achieve the goal pharmacodynamic (PD) target for beta-lactams of >4-fold unbound concentration above the minimum inhibitory concentration for 100% of the dosing interval (100% fT >4x MIC). Sepsis treatment such as volume resuscitation and vasopressor …

An Assessment Of The Carrier State And A Novel Marker Of Leptospira And Abortion In Central Kentucky Horses, Gloria Louise Gellin

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Leptospirosis is a reemerging zoonotic infection of worldwide importance and affects all mammals. The bacterium is transmitted to animals and humans by urine, fetal membranes and body fluids. Leptospira shedding in the urine contaminates both soil and water, exposing both humans and animals to the bacterium. Leptospirosis in horses can cause abortion and is one of the etiologies of equine recurrent uveitis which can lead to blindness. Equine leptospiral abortion in Central Kentucky is primarily caused by serovar Pomona, with occasional cases attributed to serovar Grippotyphosa. There are a few reports in the literature attributing abortion to serovar Bratislava in …

Developing Method For Plasmid Transformation Of Urinary Lactobacilli, Alexandra Lamear

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Comparisons Of Oral, Intestinal, And Pancreatic Bacterial Microbiomes In Patients With Pancreatic Cancer And Other Gastrointestinal Diseases, Mei Chung, Naisi Zhao, Richard Meier, Devin C. Koestler, Guojun Wu, Erika De Castillo, Bruce J. Paster, Kevin Charpentier, Jacques Izard, Karl T. Kelsey, Dominique S. Michaud

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Background: Oral microbiota is believed to play important roles in systemic diseases, including cancer. Methods: We collected oral samples (tongue, buccal, supragingival, and saliva) and pancreatic tissue or intestinal samples from 52 subjects, and characterized 16S rRNA genes using high-throughput DNA sequencing.

Results: Bray–Curtis plot showed clear separations between bacterial communities in the oral cavity and those in intestinal and pancreatic tissue samples. PERMANOVA tests indicated that bacterial communities from buccal samples were similar to supragingival and saliva samples, and pancreatic duct samples were similar to pancreatic tumor samples, but all other samples were significantly different from each …