Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Could Cultures Determine The Course Of Epidemics And Explain Waves Of Covid-19?, Md Salman Rahman

Theses and Dissertations

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, is an infectious disease that quickly became a pandemic spreading with different patterns in each country. Travel bans, lockdowns, social distancing, and non-essential business closures caused significant economic disruptions and stalled growth worldwide in the pandemic’s first year. In almost every country, public health officials forced and/or encouraged Nonpharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) such as contact tracing, social distancing, masks, and quarantine. Human behavioral decision-making regarding social isolation significantly impedes global success in containing the pandemic. This thesis focuses on human behaviors and cultures related to the decision-making of social isolation during the pandemic. …

An Application Of Matrices To The Spread Of The Covid 19, Selena Suarez

Theses and Dissertations

We represented a restaurant seating arrangement using matrices by using 0 entry for someone without covid and 1 entry for someone with covid. Using the matrices we found the best seating arrangements to lessen the spread of covid. We also investigated if there was a factor needed to create a formula that could calculate the matrix that shows who would be affected with covid with each seating arrangement. However, there did not seem to be a clear pattern within the factors. Aside from covid applications, we also investigated the symmetries in seating arrangements and the possible combinations with these arrangements …

Factors Influencing Intent To Take A Covid-19 Test In The United States, Sheila Rutto

Theses and Dissertations

In 2020, COVID-19 became the first pandemic in the world’s history that brought the entire world to an abrupt and unexpected halt. Since the first reported case of the disease to date, the novel coronavirus has been able to wreak havoc in literary every corner of the globe and left an ever-growing number of unprecedented fatalities. The normal way of life has been disrupted, and the level of uncertainty about the end of this pandemic continues to manifest to many. Due to the urgency to bring this pandemic under control, medical officers have been able to recommend actions that people …

A Statistical Comparison Of Covid-19 In The United States Across Political Affiliations And Census Regions, Margarito Torres

Theses and Dissertations

In mid-January 2020, the United States reported their first cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from a passenger returning from Wuhan, China. Initially, the situation wasn’t very alarming as in China and European countries, but the situation began to worsen in March 2020 when the number of cases began to multiply. Then, in a matter of a few months, the United States became the number one country in terms of total cases and total deaths from COVID-19. We have been closely observing the United States and the world since July 2020. Our study aims to compare the political affiliations and …

Inoculation Of Juvenile Monodelphis Domestica With Zika Virus Using Various Routes Of Infection, Juan Garcia Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Monodelphis domestica is a small marsupial from South America that has been previously been used in human metabolism research. However, their suitability as models for Zika virus (ZIKV) research, is currently unknown. Preliminary studies have shown M. domestica susceptible to ZIKV through the intracerebral route. We utilized immunohistochemistry, and analyzation of serological responses to show that juvenile Monodelphis domestica can be infected with ZIKV by using various routes of infection that include subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, and intramuscular. ELISAs performed on sera confirmed that juveniles injected with ZIKV by all three routes generated anti-ZIKV antibodies. Additionally, ZIKV nonstructural protein 1 was detected …

The Long-Term Persistence And Tissue Tropism Of Brazilian Zika Virus In Monodelphis Domestica, Marisol Morales

Theses and Dissertations

Zika virus (ZIKV) rose as a major public health concern due to the congenital abnormalities of infants born to infected mothers during the 2015 Latin American outbreak. While animal models such as transgenic mice and nonhuman primates are used to study ZIKV pathogenesis, they display various limitations. Additionally, the persistence and tissue distribution of long-term ZIKV infection remains unknown. We describe the laboratory opossum, Monodelphis domestica, as a potential new model for ZIKV pathogenesis research to address these issues. We utilized immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR, and ELISA to show that: infant animals inoculated intracerebrally were susceptible to infection, ZIKV infection persisted …

Using Genetic Diversity To Differentiate Mosquito Populations, Rachel Christine Malampy

Theses and Dissertations

Experiment 1: Little is known about Aedes aegypti females sharing oviposition sites. We examined four different oviposition sites in McAllen, TX. A mitochondrial gene was used to analyze the variation within the oviposition site to understand how many egg-laying females are sharing oviposition sites. These results will aid in the understanding of Aedes. aegypti oviposition behavior and contribute to more effective mosquito control techniques.

Experiment 2: Mosquito flight patterns and movement from habitat to habitat can drastically influence the spread of diseases. The anthropophilic Aedes aegypti mosquito has historically been identified as having a very limited flight range. Studies also …

Vertical Transmission And Venereal Transmission Of Zika Virus In A Population Of South Texas Aedes Aegypti, Jeremy Marshall

Theses and Dissertations

Zika virus has become a greater global public health concern from the occurrence of outbreaks in 2007 and its expansion to the Americas in 2015. The presence of Aedes aegypti in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and evidence of local transmission of Zika in Brownsville, Texas provides a need to research transmission dynamics of local populations. In these experiments, a locally acquired, laboratory colony of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were infected with a blood meal featuring a Mexican isolate of Zika virus to display vector competency, vertical transmission, venereal transmission. Here, we infected 39 females, with 34 of them displaying evidence …

Characterization Of Plasmids Harbored By Vibrio Cholerae Isolates Endemic To The Rio Grande Delta, Viviana Trevino

Theses and Dissertations

Cholera is a diarrheal disease responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality globally. Epidemics along the Rio Grande Delta were reported during the 1850s, and the etiological agent Vibrio cholerae, remains endemic, thus presenting a unique opportunity for a study of historical and biological relevance. V. cholerae strains were isolated from two locations: the Rio Grande River under a bridge linking Brownsville to Matamoros (site 21) and where the river empties into the Gulf of Mexico (site 42). Two strains from site 21, and one from site 42 were selected to isolate, subclone, sequence, assemble and annotate extra-chromosomal elements. Results …

Temperature Influence On Insecticide Resistance In Aedes Aegypti And Aedes Albopictus Mosquitoes From South Texas, Wendy Soledad Salinas

Theses and Dissertations

Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are vectors for several emerging arboviruses including Zika, chikungunya and dengue. Both mosquitoes are found along the Rio Grande River in South Texas, along the border between Mexico and the United States of America. These mosquito species typically reside near human settlements. A preventative measure public health official use to help halt the spread of diseases is by controlling vector population with the use of insecticides, but as temperature vary, and with the constant exposure to commonly used insecticides, mosquitoes from South Texas may be developing a resistance to the insecticides. Resistance to insecticides may …

Survey Assessment Of Community Knowledge And Prevention Of Chagas Disease And Its Vector In Hidalgo And Cameron Counties, Adam Dennis Wiejaczka

Theses and Dissertations

Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, kills thousands of people annually and is the dominant cause of infectious myocarditis worldwide. Kissing bugs are vectors that carry T. cruzi . and are found in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV). There is no vaccination nor cure for Chagas. The best mechanism of prevention is to control vector infestations. Little research is available regarding the level of understanding local communities have about Chagas.

Our goal was to test the knowledge of several communities in the LRGV on Chagas disease. Our hypothesis states that local communities do not have sufficient …

Computational Analysis Of The Sir Mathematical Model For The Dengue Fever, Joseph Phillip Diaz

Theses and Dissertations

Dengue fever is a disease affecting people in more than 100 countries. Here we consider a host and vector model for the transmission of dengue fever. This SIR model consists of three compartments of susceptible, infective and removed for host (human) and two compartments of susceptible and infective for vector (dengue mosquitos). These five compartments yield five coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs). After non-dimensionalization, we have a system of three nonlinear ODEs. Reproductive number and two equilibrium points are calculated for various cases. Simulation is carried out for susceptible, infective and removed and the results are presented in graphical …

Border Hispanics’ Physical Activity Improvement In A Chronic Disease Prevention Program, Lu Xu

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

In seeking of effective prevention programs to improve physical activities, we want to examine the factors related to physical activities improvement in Alliance for a Healthy Border, a chronic disease prevention program with pre-post-post evaluations through 12 federally qualified community health centers serving primarily Hispanics in communities along the U.S.- Mexico border. Logistic regression was performed to examine the association between physical activity and twenty predictors at baseline. Multinomial regression was used to examine the determinants of physical activities improvement at two time points: program end and post six-months. Socio-demographic, baseline health condition factors, and determination of doing physical activity …

Antes: A Web-Based Acanthosis Nigricans And Other Obesity Related Information System, Chunyue Wang

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Acanthosis nigricans is a cutaneous marker associated with systemic disorders and may serve as an indicator for risk of Type 2 diabetes. Acanthosis nigricans screening can help identify children who have high insulin levels and who may be at-risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. The ANTES system is a computerization attempt for acanthosis nigricans control of the student population from elementary schools and secondary schools in Texas. A general description of the system and the medical and history background of the ANTES program is given. The technology applied to the system is demonstrated. An overview of the system operation status …

Data Analysis In The Antes System, Yavuz Tor

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Acanthosis nigricans is a skin condition that can be used as an indicator for the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future. Border Health Office, in University of Texas - Pan American, organizes screenings in schools for acanthosis nigricans. Screening results are, then, collected and evaluated in the Border Health Office. The ANTES System is a computer system that stores and manages the data collected in those screenings.

This study is on the analysis of those collected data to track the progress of data entry, to evaluate the progress on obesity and related problems, and to discover the …

Breast Cancer - Preventive Care And Screening Patterns Among Hispanic Women In The Rio Grande Valley, Sreelatha Gobburu

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Although breast cancer rates are lower among Hispanic women than among white women, Hispanics are more likely to die from this disease. This may be related to the fact that Hispanic women are less likely to practice preventive care methods such as Breast Self Exam (BSE) and Mammography. Cultural beliefs and attitudes about diseases play a significant role in Hispanic health behavior. Access to and availability of medical services, affective reactions towards cancer screening and treatment methods, and socioeconomic and demographic factors are stronger determinants of health care practices of Hispanic women. This study examines screening patterns of Hispanic women …

Healthcare Trends And Attitudes Of Migratory Winter Visitors In The Rio Grande Valley, Caprica Ann Neal

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This original research explores the general trends and attitudes of migratory winter visitors to the Rio Grande Valley regarding the local healthcare environment/options, general health status, and attitudes toward alternative medicine. The sample consisted of 115 winter visitors to the Valley, and exploratory data was gathered through a self-administered questionnaire. The average respondent was female, over 70 years old, had a high school level education, and reported earning a minimum average of $20,000/year for the past five years. Most respondents had Medicare coverage; over half had private insurance coverage. Commonly reported health conditions were visual problems, joint/bone problems, and high …

Perceived Health Competency And Health Value, Acculturation And Obesity In A Mexican American Population, Roberto Eliud Maldonado

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Mexican Americans have a higher incidence of obesity than non-Hispanic whites, yet this population seems to be less concerned with maintaining an ideal body weight than non-Hispanic whites. This puts the Mexican Americans population at higher risk for illnesses associated with increased body fat and obesity. One important factor found to influence health maintenance behavior is perceived self-efficacy, or the degree to which the individual feels capable of effectively managing his or her behavioral outcome. This study examines the moderating effect of health competency and health value on body weight in individuals undergoing acculturation.

Although no significant correlations were found …

Risk Factors In Adolescents For Engaging In Sexual Behaviors, Dolores Calderon Castellano

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Teenage sexuality has become a social concern, because of its impact on teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, abortion, government aid and school drop-out. In an effort to better predict risk of early sexual activity, a secondary analysis was conducted on data collected from 413, 11-14 year old students attending the 6th, 7th and 8th grade levels in Hidalgo County, in south Texas. Parent-child Communication, Children's Religiosity, Educational Goals, Educational Grades, Self-Esteem, and Congruency of Sexual Values between children and parents were used as predictor variables. Multiple regression analysis revealed Congruency of Values, Educational Goals, Educational Grades and Religion as the …