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Application of physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling to study the impact of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery on the bioavailability of oral antibiotics
Get PDFUnderstanding the mechanisms that govern drug absorption and elimination is a critical component in pharmaceutical research and development, as the oral route remains the most common method of drug administration. The utilization of in silico physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling and simulation (PBPK M&S) has enabled the extrapolation of modeling and simulation in special populations where concerns regarding alteration in overall drug exposure may arise, such as following gastrointestinal surgery. Roux-en-Y Gastric bypass (RYGB), or partial resection of the gastrointestinal tract, leads to multiple physiological alterations that affect drug absorption. The inability to generalize and predict changes in oral drug bioavailability (Foral) following gastric bypass surgery presents a considerable therapeutical challenge to clinicians. PBPK M&S is a widely used approach for predicting the bioavailability changes in different clinical scenarios. Infection post-surgery is the most common risk factor and should be monitored and treated with utmost care. There is limited literature assessing the bioavailability changes of oral antibiotics post-gastric bypass surgery. This thesis aimed to determine the impact of gastric bypass surgery on oral drug absorption and metabolism for antibiotics such as azithromycin, cefuroxime axetil, and metronidazole. This was accomplished by applying the PBPK M&S approach to identify and define essential intrinsic elements and parameters, model implementation, and validation within a general model development framework. The developed post gastric bypass surgery PBPK model provides a framework for investigating physiological mechanisms associated with changes in systemic drug exposure after oral administration, which may result from the interplay of disintegration, dissolution, absorption, and presystemic metabolism by the intestine and liver. The developed PBPK models of azithromycin, cefuroxime axetil, and metronidazole were used to evaluate the changes in antibiotic exposure in gastric bypass surgery patients after a solid and liquid formulation. The results from solid formulation bioavailability post gastric bypass surgery model simulations suggest that the current dosing regimen for azithromycin and cefuroxime axetil may not be sufficient for treating infections, and dose modifications might be necessary. At the same time, no significant changes were observed for metronidazole bioavailability post-surgery. The results from liquid formulations of these antibiotics suggest that the azithromycin suspension presents enhanced absorption and bioavailability than the tablet formulation. In contrast, the suspension of cefuroxime axetil followed the same trend as solid formulation. Overall, this thesis demonstrates the application of PBPK M&S in the extrapolation of oral drug exposure to special populations (e.g., RYGB). The PBPK approach shows oral bioavailability to provide clinicians with an evidence-based dose selection to prevent the risk of treatment failure due decreased drug exposure of oral antibiotics post gastric bypass surgery
Augmented Reality: The Challenges and Opportunities of This New Medium
Get PDFAugmented reality is a technology that pushes the boundaries of media art and cyber security, expanding the potential and challenges of each. By combining computer graphics and realistic visuals, a new medium category was created that increased the classic realistic experiences. Traditional realistic sensations are the ordinary senses humans use to respond to incoming information, such as seeing, hearing, touching, and smelling—this viewpoint is based on a combination of visual anthropology and media theory.
It is vital for a media artist and software developer to understand how immersive technologies can improve the production and presentation of relevant content in interactive media and media art. The skills and experience gained in augmented reality benefit software developers, media artists, and designers by adding a new dimension to their creations and guiding their future roles in light of the new ethical challenges introduced by AR. This paper will look at historical and modern AR examples and ethical considerations concerning user interaction, security, and innovation, focusing on the prospect of updating and fine-tuning our current traditional and prototype augmented reality apps. Finally, this study will give recommendations for the future of AR development in the sectors of cyber security and media art
The impact of perfectionism on well-being: Shame in perfectionism’s influence on emotion regulation
Get PDFThe aim of the present study was to understand the role of shame as it relates to distinguishing adaptive from maladaptive perfectionism in the ability to modulate emotions effectively. A sample of 200 participants ages 18 and older completed online self-report measures related to perfectionism, emotion regulation, and self-conscious affects, along with a stressful task, the PASAT-C. Results showed that shame can explain the relationship between perfectionistic concerns (often labeled as maladaptive perfectionism) and both effective and ineffective emotion regulation strategies. They also showed that shame can explain the relationship between perfectionistic strivings (often labeled as adaptive perfectionism) and ineffective emotion regulation strategies. These findings contradict the idea that perfectionism can be neatly divided into a maladaptive and adaptive binary. The results suggest that while shame is a negative affective experience and can have negative consequences, it may have positive consequences in certain forms and intensity levels once it crosses a certain threshold of intensity. Acknowledging one’s feelings of shame may also contribute to shame’s utility in promoting effective emotion regulation strategies in perfectionists. Limitations of the study, along with future directions are discussed in order to deepen understanding related to the concepts of perfectionism, shame and emotion regulation
The Importance of social media when developing a business
Get PDFSocial media is an important component when it comes to starting a business. It is essential because it provides new businesses with multiple cost effect ways to grow their brand without neglecting other aspects of usual company marketing such as SEO tactics, website development, and advertising through traditional channels. Social media platforms provides exposure for new businesses that don’t have access to a great deal of revenue. Presence on social media platforms allows brands to deliver valuable information to their potential customers. They will be able to reach potential clients easily, and also grow relationships with existing customers. Social media has been proven to be an incredibly effective promotional medium, it is also a channel for connecting with others and updating your status for the world. Success is measured on social media through different engagement metrics such as likes, shares, comments, and retweets. You can also measure your brand’s success by analyzing the impressions and reach the post has. Engagement with your content is important because it lets you know who is interested in your brand. While having a social media presence is important for businesses, there can also be some disadvantages as well. You can run the risk of over exposing your brand and receiving negative feedback from customers. Competitors are also easily able to copy your marketing strategy since your social media handle will be public. Then there is the possibility of having your brand account hacked by cyber scammers. Although there are some disadvantages to having a social media presence, it is still way more important to be sure the brand is available on social media platforms for potential clients to learn more about
To the bone and back
Get PDFTo the Bone and Back, a memoir by Noelle Thomas explores Thomas’s college journey while struggling with mental health conditions. To the Bone and Back primarily focuses on how anxiety, depression, and eating disorders can impact friendships. Thomas documents her journey through college and grad school in four parts. In a way, Thomas’s memoir is a story of self-assembly.
Part one, made up of poems, narratives, letter excerpts, YouTube transcripts, and text messages, mirrors the clutter and chaos of Thomas’s brain at that time. Part one establishes the friendship between the main characters: Thomas and Jenna.
Part two begins to explore issues related to mental health including ambulance rides and a forced medical leave of absence from school. This section of the memoir re-introduces side character Jonathan and introduces Helen, a friend made at Bible study and through living in the same dormitory. There are fewer mediums in this section as the memoir becomes more streamlined.
Part three of To the Bone and Back features Thomas coming to terms with her eating disorders and finally asking for the help she needs. The section is made up of journal entries and poems starting in the middle of 2020 and ending with journal entries from her residential treatment stay.
Part four continues in the journal entry style post-residential treatment stay and follows Thomas as she grapples with how to maintain recovery outside of treatment. Eventually, Thomas ends up back in residential treatment. This section concludes with an epilogue letter to self.
Following the memoir manuscript is the critical essay entitled “Destigmatizing Mental Health through Literature.” This essay reviews how various authors portray mental illness in the books The Perks of Being a Wallflower, It’s Kind of a Funny Story, Letting Ana Go, and Turtles All the Way Down. In my essay, I make the argument that the authors of these books are helping to destigmatize mental illness through writing about different mental health conditions. A bibliography of readings I completed for my thesis research and my critical work at LIU follows at the end of my thesis folio
Antibacterial activity of Commiphora molmol (Myrrha) against the periodontal pathogen, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans
Get PDFThe exogenous pathogen Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (A. actinomycetemcomitans) is most frequently involved in periodontitis and other systemic diseases. The treatment of these infections involves antibiotic therapy with Amoxicillin being the most popular antibiotic against A. actinomycetemcomitans but now, the drug is not 100% effective due to the development of 0-84% antibiotic resistance. The present study aimed to determine antibacterial activity of Commiphora molmol (Myrrha) against the periodontal pathogen, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. In detail, the strain LIU1239 of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans was used where the plasmid pVJT128 is used for transposon mutagenesis and the Escherichia coli strain MV10Nal (stock # LIU4). The slow growing mutant, LIU 1380 strain was obtained by transposon mutagenesis and was confirmed to be slow growing by sequential streaking on AAGM plates for three passages. The experiment was mainly designed to show the antimicrobial activity of 20% Myrrha oil in AAGM and phosphate buffer. In nutrient rich AAGM, the oil took twenty hours to kill most cells of both strains, and at 5 hours, both strains were killed to the same extent. However, in nutrient-free phosphate buffer Myrrha killed the small colony mutant much faster than the wild type cells. For the very first time, the current study reported a marvelous antibacterial activity of Myrrha oil against A. actinomycetemcomitans in the nutrient-free medium. The findings showed that Myrrha oil extract can kill both growing and non-growing bacteria effectively. This antibacterial activity increases with the increasing concentration of oil up to 0.3 % against LIU1142, LIU 1239, and 1380 mutant. The use of Myrrha against A. actinomycetemcomitans could be a promising treatment to combat periodontitis and other bacterial infections
Disposal
No full textMy piece examines the impact of New York’s uniquely bad disposal system on the city as a whole. My square is made mostly of recycled materials, including clothes and scraps from other sewing projects. The focal point of the piece is a pair of back pockets from old jeans, arranged to appear as trash bags, sitting on a sidewalk. Rats, a clogged storm drain, and a flooding city complete the image of the dangers that this system of disposal creates. There are three buildings in the background, each one representing a different community, all of which are in danger. The synagogue represents the upper-class Chasidic communities throughout the city, known for the power they have over various spheres. The florist shop represents small businesses throughout the city, and the middle-class people who own, patronize, and work in those small businesses. The final building is a NYCHA apartment, representing lower income people who live in government housing. While the flooding affects all three structures, the water is at different levels for each building, showing how those who are already vulnerable are most severely affected.https://digitalcommons.liu.edu/cusp_usquilt_2022/1009/thumbnail.jp
The Horned Dilemma: Toward a Moral Typology of Psychopathology
Get PDFThis dissertation conceptualizes the psychopathological implications of morality and moral reasoning. In the process several theoretical and practical concerns salient to the field of clinical psychology will be addressed. It is my contention that certain symptom presentations - depression, obsessive-compulsive, dissociative, and psychotic - may be conceptualized as disturbances in the self through the mechanism of dissociation, based upon fundamental incongruities between traditional moral values and human nature. I present this thesis, beginning with an introduction to its underlying premises and followed by an examination of the place and standing of morality within the field of psychology. The development of the self as well as morality will be discussed from the perspective of Freud’s topographical model of the mind, with additional insights from his theoretical posterity. The literature on psychological defense mechanisms, particularly from the perspective of their relative adaptiveness, will be introduced, with an emphasis on dissociation and its effect on the integration and experience of self-states. These elements are then combined and presented in a section describing their theorized interplay as a psychopathological vector due to varying degrees of recognition of the incongruence between oneself and one’s moral ideals. I propose a spectrum of four typical positions along a continuum, each associated with a particular symptom presentation, which will then be discussed individually along with its theoretical justification and a clinical example. Finally, I conclude with a discussion of the clinical and theoretical implications of my proposed typology
Behind the masks of Covid-19: A photographic look into the lives of healthcare workers
Get PDFPhotographing the healthcare workers and focusing on their struggles gives their perspective to the pandemic. In Regarding the Pain of Others, the writer and philosopher Susan Sontag suggests that photographs can provide insight into the lives of people who have lived through conflicts such as war and terrorists’ attacks, (not unlike the pandemic), as well as hinder the narrative and devalue their efforts. In this paper, I intend to show how photography has been used to narrate the truth of historical and current events.
Beginning with Roger Fenton’s photographs of the Crimean war in 1855, there is an extensive catalog of photographs documenting multiple wars and the catastrophic events. These photographs are consistent with death, destruction and suffering in the most intense form. In his book Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography, the theorist and philosopher Roland Barthes associated photography with death, as he felt that it bears witness to something that is no more. “In Plato’s Cave,” an essay in her book On Photography, Susan Sontag wrote:
Living with the photographed images of the suffering…does not necessarily strengthen conscience and the ability to be compassionate… Once one has seen such images, one has started down the road of seeing more—and more. Images transfix. Images anesthetize” (Sontag, 20).
This project challenges Barthes and Sontag perspective that photography is associated with death. I intend to decouple the linkage of photography to death by documenting this pandemic in perhaps, less dramatic, and more intimate ways, while I hope still provoking the same response. The focal point is the individual healthcare workers on the frontline, who are directly affected by the coronavirus pandemic. This paper will also for argue for a humanizing documentation. This project includes photographs of previous wars and from the current pandemic taken from a humanizing perspective. The unmasking is revealing the healthcare workers and their personal experiences with Covid-19
Antibacterial Activity of Commiphora molmol (myrrha) against the yeast
Get PDFCommiphora molmol (myrrha) is widely used as a traditional medicine around the globe against inflammatory diseases. It is also considered to be effective as anti-fungal, anti-cancer and anti-oxidant agent. The minimum inhibitory concentration, bactericidal activity and heat stability of antibiotic component in myrrha oil extract has been investigated. The MIC was determined in nutrient free buffer and in nutrient rich peptone glucose buffer. The results showed that MIC was 0.6% in nutrient free buffer as no growth was shown by cells, whereas, in peptone glucose media a slight increase in cell count was seen. It can be concluded that it has strong antimicrobial activity on yeast in nutrient free medium as the oil is unable to show antibacterial activity on growing cells. Bactericidal activity of the oil was tested with yeast on both nutrient free phosphate buffer and nutrient rich media. After 15 minutes, 0.6% myrrha has reduced the cell viability by 99% in nutrient free phosphate buffer showing that it specifically kills the non-growing yeast cells compared to growing ones. Heat stability was tested and reported that oil is stable on heating up to 70°C for 90 minutes. Furthermore, the pre-incubation of yeast with myrrha oil extract was studied and results revealed that if pre-incubation take place in nutrient rich medium then there is no effect on viability of cells. Therefore, it can be determined that presence or absence of nutrients is effecting the cell viability. In conclusion, the results of the following study suggest that extract of myrrha can be used as an anti-fungal drug