Graduate
November 25, 2020
Power, privilege and HIV prevalence: examination of sexual HIV-risk factors in MSM and transgender women who engage in transactional sex
Objective: To understand power-related predictors for risky sexual behavior among men who have sex with men (MSM) and Transgender Women (TW) at high risk for HIV infection in Lima, Peru. Methods: Survey data from a cross-sectional sample were analyzed. Risk of unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) associated with different transactional sex roles (i.e. giving money or…
Mortality and perinatal infectious complications following home birth in Washington State: 2003-2014
Planned home birth is defined as a pregnancy in which the mother intends to deliver at home. Washington State has one of the highest proportions of home births in the United States (2.3%), more than double the national average. Despite the rapid rise in popularity of the home birth movement over the last decade, controversy…
Constructing and evaluating alternative prediction models for identifying clinically relevant cases in an STD clinic
Background: Many STD clinics have incorporated “express visits” – testing-only visits without a clinician evaluation. To identify which patients can safely receive express care at the Public Health–Seattle & King County (PHSKC) STD Clinic, we constructed and evaluated alternative triage algorithms based on computer assisted self-interview (CASI) responses. Methods: We evaluated the performance of the…
Sexual behavior patterns and condom use in newly sexually active female university students
Objectives: Describe sexual behavior patterns and condom use in newly sexually active female university students. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study (years 2000 – 2007) of university women enrolled either before or within three months of sexual debut who completed Web-based sexual behavior diaries biweekly and attended clinic visits every four months for up…
Host and environmental correlates of multi-drug resistance in Kenyan children with acute bacterial diarrhea
Bacterial diarrhea results in significant morbidity and mortality in children in sub-Saharan Africa. Antibiotic treatment can be a life-saving intervention, but the emergence of antibiotic resistance limits its clinical efficacy. Data on the burden and risk factors for antibiotic resistance in enteric pathogens are needed to inform diarrhea management recommendations and resistance control interventions. Stool/rectal…
November 24, 2020
Performance of commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for diagnosis of HSV-1 and HSV-2 infection in a clinical setting
Background FDA-approved ELISA assays for determining type-specific herpes simplex virus (HSV) serostatus are widely used in clinics. We compared the performance of such assays with the University of Washington western blot (UW WB) in patients who sought confirmation of their HSV serostatus. Methods We reviewed charts of all persons evaluated at the Westover Heights Clinic…
Polyomavirus-negative Merkel cell carcinoma: a more aggressive subtype based on analysis of 282 cases using multi-modal tumor virus detection
Previous studies have reached conflicting conclusions regarding the proportion of Merkel cell carcinomas (MCCs) that contain the Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) and the clinical significance of tumor viral status. To address these controversies, we detected MCPyV large T antigen using immunohistochemistry with two distinct antibodies and viral DNA using quantitative PCR. Tumors were called virus-positive…
The 2014 chikungunya virus outbreak in the U.S. Virgin Islands: epidemiology, long-term health outcomes, and economic burden
Background: Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an emerging and acutely debilitating alphavirus transmitted by the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquito, was introduced into the Americas in December of 2013. As of April 2016, almost 2 million suspected or confirmed cases have been reported in 45 different countries in the Americas. Acute symptoms of the virus include…
Safety of oral tenofovir disoproxil fumarate-based pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention: prospective studies in HIV-uninfected men and women
Antiretroviral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) alone or when co-formulated with emtricitabine (FTC), the same medication used for treatment of HIV infection, is a recommended and highly effective strategy to reduce the risk of sexual acquisition of HIV. The central objective of the studies described in this dissertation was to quantify the…
Hypertension and diabetes treatment and risk of adverse outcomes among breast cancer patients
Background: Management of comorbidities is a critical issue among 2.9 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. Hypertension and diabetes are two common chronic conditions affecting this patient population. Despite the generally good safety profile of widely used antihypertensive medications and diabetes treatments, few studies have examined their relationships with adverse breast cancer outcomes. In…
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