Publications by authors named "Kiser M"

US and Canadian caregivers (n = 6,529) of two domestic cats () were recruited to participate in an online cross-sectional questionnaire to assess: (1) knowledge of inter-cat behaviour; (2) the frequency of positive and negative cat-cat interactions in the home; and (3) factors associated with positive and negative cat-cat interactions in the home. The questionnaire included ten videos (five negatively valenced, five positively valenced), in which participants scored: the overall cat-cat interaction; cat 1's experience; and cat 2's experience, using a Likert scale. Participants were also asked to report how often they see each interaction in their own two cats.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In this work, we test a recently developed method to enhance classical auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo (AFQMC) calculations with quantum computers against examples from chemistry and material science, representative of classes of industry-relevant systems. As molecular test cases, we calculate the energy curve of H4 and the relative energies of ozone and singlet molecular oxygen with respect to triplet molecular oxygen, which is industrially relevant in organic oxidation reactions. We find that trial wave functions beyond single Slater determinants improve the performance of AFQMC and allow it to generate energies close to chemical accuracy compared to full configuration interaction or experimental results.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Most research examining cat behavior in multi-cat households lacks focus on one group size. This gap in knowledge reduces generalizability of research findings to specific compositions of cats in multi-cat households. Given that many cat-owning households in Canada and the US are comprised of two cats, the following study used a cross-sectional survey to explore cat owners' perceptions of the cat-cat relationship in two-cat households in Canada and the US.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Successful strategies for the attachment of oligopeptides to mesoporous silica with pores large enough to load biomolecules should utilize the high surface area of pores to provide an accessible, protective environment. A two-step oligopeptide functionalization strategy is examined here using diazirine-based heterobifunctional linkers. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) with average pore diameter of ~8 nm and surface area of ~730 m/g were synthesized and amine-functionalized.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Amine-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPAs) are ideal carriers for oligonucleotides for gene delivery and RNA interference. This investigation examines the thermodynamic driving force of interactions of double-stranded (ds) RNA with MSNPAs as a function of RNA length (84 and 282 base pair) and particle pore diameter (nonporous, 2.7, 4.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We studied a national collaboration to prevent the spread of 2009 H1N1 and seasonal influenza, and highlighted how a partnership among the Interfaith Health Program (IHP) at Emory University, the Department of Health and Human Services Partnership Center, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) leveraged the distinctive capabilities of local public health, health care, and faith-based organizations in 10 communities around the country. From 2009 to 2016, IHP, ASTHO, and the Partnership Center worked as intermediaries with these partnerships, aligning and amplifying their capacity to extend influenza prevention services for hard-to-reach vulnerable populations. We suggested that intermediary organizations enabled information sharing, co-learning, and dissemination of best practices through horizontal and vertical channels.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This paper introduces the application of a fully dynamic air distribution model integrated with a biokinetic process model and a detailed process control model. By using a fully dynamic air distribution model, it is possible to understand the relationships between aeration equipment, control algorithms, process performance, and energy consumption, thus leading to a significantly more realistic prediction of water resource recovery facility (WRRF) performance. Consequently, this leads to an improved design of aeration control strategies and equipment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The social determinants of health framework has brought a recognition of the primary importance of social forces in determining population health. Research using this framework to understand the health and mortality impact of social, economic, and political conditions, however, has rarely included religious institutions and ties. We investigate a well-measured set of social and economic determinants along with several measures of religious participation as predictors of adult mortality.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Limited therapeutic options exist for rectal and vaginal venous malformations (VM). We describe our center's experience using Nd:YAG laser for targeted ablation of abnormal veins to treat mucosally involved pelvic VM.

Methods: Records of patients undergoing non-contact Nd:YAG laser therapy of pelvic VM at a tertiary children's hospital were reviewed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: While psychological care, including supportive group therapy, is a mainstay of burn treatment in the developed world, few reports of support groups for burn survivors and their caregivers in the developing world exist. This study records the findings of a support group in Malawi and provides a qualitative analysis of thematic content discussed by burn survivors and caregivers.

Materials And Methods: We established a support group for burn survivors and caregivers from February-May 2012 in the burn unit at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with accelerated atherosclerosis and an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes. The relationships of intima-media thickness (IMT), a measure of subclinical atherosclerosis, with traditional and nontraditional risk factors and with adverse outcomes in CKD patients are not wellestablished.

Methods: IMT, clinical characteristics, cardiovascular risk factors, and clinical outcomes were measured in 198 subjects from the Renal Research Institute (RRI) CKD study, a four-center prospective cohort of patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)≤50 mL/min/1.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are prone to both hypo- and hypernatremia. Little has been published on the epidemiology of hypo- and hypernatremia in ambulatory patients with non-dialysis CKD.

Methods: Data collected in two contemporaneous CKD cohort studies, the Renal Research Institute (RRI)-CKD study (n = 834) and the Study of Treatment of Renal Insufficiency: Data and Evaluation (STRIDE) (n = 1,348) were combined and analyzed to study the association between serum sodium (Na(+)) and clinical outcomes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Using low-cost sensors, data can be collected on the occurrence and duration of overflows in each combined sewer overflow (CSO) structure in a combined sewer system (CSS). The collection and analysis of real data can be used to assess, improve, and maintain CSSs in order to reduce the number and impact of overflows. The objective of this study was to develop a methodology to evaluate the performance of CSSs using low-cost monitoring.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: One of the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals is to improve child health. We describe the burden of pediatric surgical disease at a tertiary hospital in Malawi.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of a pediatric surgery database at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Malawi for the calendar year 2012.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Specialized pediatric surgeons are unavailable in much of sub-Saharan Africa. Delegating some surgical tasks to non-physician clinical officers can mitigate the dependence of a health system on highly skilled clinicians for specific services.

Methods: We performed a case-control study examining pediatric surgical cases over a 12 month period.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Arterial stiffness and low heart rate variability (HRV) have each been associated with increased cardiovascular risk in a variety of patient populations. We explored the relationship between HRV and pulse wave velocity (PWV measure of arterial stiffness) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD prior to ESRD) along with examining their association with the outcomes of cardiovascular disease (CVD), death, and progression to end stage renal disease (ESRD).

Methods: The RRI-CKD Study is a 4-center prospective cohort study of CKD stages 3 - 5 (n = 834).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Latent tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis disease are prevalent worldwide. However, antimycobacterial rifamycins have drug interactions with many antiretroviral drugs. We evaluated the effect of rifapentine on the pharmacokinetic properties of raltegravir.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Although interpersonal violence ("assault") exists in every society, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 90 % of the exposure burden occurs in low- and middle-income countries. The objectives of this study were to define the incidence of assault-related injuries among subjects presenting for emergency room care secondary to sustained trauma in Lilongwe, Malawi; to measure the impact of sex on incidence, injury type, and care received; and to measure the effect of both sex and geographic location of the injury on time to presentation for medical care.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort analysis of data prospectively collected in the Kamuzu Central Hospital Trauma Surveillance Registry from July 2008 to December 2010 (n = 23,625).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Burns are among the most devastating of all injuries and a major global public health crisis, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. In developed countries, aggressive management of burns continues to lower overall mortality and increase lethal total body surface area (TBSA) at which 50% of patients die (LA50). However, lack of resources and inadequate infrastructure significantly impede such improvements in developing countries.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Pediatric injuries pose a significant health burden in sub-Saharan Africa, though historic data are too scarce to appreciate the extent of the problem. The purpose of this study is to utilize a comprehensive database to describe the epidemiology of pediatric injuries at a tertiary hospital in Malawi.

Methods: Data were prospectively collected on patients presenting to the emergency department for treatment of injuries from 2008 to 2010 (n = 23,625).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The potential for nicotinic ligands with affinity for the α4β2 or α7 subtypes to treat such diverse diseases as nicotine addiction, neuropathic pain, and neurodegenerative and cognitive disorders has been exhibited clinically for several compounds while preclinical activity in relevant in vivo models has been demonstrated for many more. For several therapeutic programs, we sought nicotinic ligands with various combinations of affinity and function across both subtypes, with an emphasis on dual α4β2-α7 ligands, to explore the possibility of synergistic effects. We report here the structure-activity relationships (SAR) for a novel series of 7-heteroaryl-3-azabicyclo[3.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To validate the use of photographic burn wound assessment in evaluation of burn size and wound characteristics.

Methods: Feasibility study of agreement between methods of measurement of burn size and characteristics, in patients admitted to the burn unit at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH), Malawi, over two months in 2011. Burn wounds were photographed and assessed clinically, concurrently, by an experienced clinician.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Although previous studies have investigated the impact of weather and temporal factors on incidence of trauma admissions, there is a paucity of data describing the effect of seasonal change on burn injury. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the changing seasons on admissions to and resource utilization at an accredited burn center, with the goal of optimizing patient throughput and matching supply with demand.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of all burn admissions to an accredited, regional burn center, from Summer 2009 through Spring 2010.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are an emerging class of contaminants entering wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and standardized testing protocols are needed by industry and regulators to assess the potential removal of ENMs during wastewater treatment. A United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) standard method (OPPTS 835.1110) for estimating soluble pollutant removal during wastewater treatment using freeze-dried, heat-treated (FDH) activated sludge (AS) has been recently proposed for predicting ENM fate in WWTPs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF