Digital Commons Network^™

Eco-Epidemiology Of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus, Patrick Vander Kelen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus (EEEV) is an alphavirus with high pathogenicity in both humans and horses. Florida continues to have the highest occurrence of human cases in the USA, with four fatalities recorded in 2010. Unlike other states, Florida supports year-round EEEV transmission. This research uses Geographic Information Science (GIS) to examine spatial patterns of documented sentinel seroconversions and horse cases in order to understand the relationships between habitat and transmission intensity of EEEV in Florida. Sentinel sites were categorized as enzootic, periodically enzootic, and negative based on the amount of chicken seroconversions to EEEV. Sentinel sites were analyzed …

More Than Feeding: Lived Experiences Of Low-Income Women Receiving Lactation Support, Emily Anne Dunn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Increasing breastfeeding duration, especially among low-income women, has become a national public health priority. These mothers and their babies have less equitable access to support, resources, and the health benefits of breastfeeding. This thesis examines breastfeeding from a biocultural perspective with a focus on political economy, embodiment, and human rights. This research explores the lived experiences of new mothers who receive services from a community non-profit lactation support program which is aimed at providing in-home postpartum breastfeeding support to low-income/at-risk mothers. Evaluation of program services and analysis of women's narratives will provide insight into improvement of lactation services for all …

Examination Of The Relationship Of Community College Opticianry Student Outcomes With Instructional Delivery Method And Student Age, William Brent Underwood

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether student outcomes are a function of participation in different modes of delivery in an Opticianry program at the community college level. First, the intent was to determine whether differences in instructional delivery methods and background characteristics impact student performance in an Opticianry program. The three instructional delivery methods were traditional face-to-face instruction, online delivery, and a hybrid format where students take theory courses online and attend face-to-face laboratories on campus. A second objective was to determine the role of background variables such as student age, which was the age when entering …

Jiann-Ping Hsu College Of Public Health Magazine, Georgia Southern University

College of Public Health: News & Publications

• Changing Rural Public Health and Supporting Health Equity

A Critical Ethnography Of Globalization In Lesotho, Africa: Syndemic Water Insecurity And The Micro-Politics Of Participation, Cassandra Lin Workman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In spite of decades-long development programs, Lesotho faces an ongoing problem of water insecurity with far- reaching individual and social impacts. The purpose of this research was to understand how women in Lesotho are impacted by the synergistic epidemics, or syndemics, of water insecurity and HIV/AIDS and how they respond to these forces. Little has been done to address how water insecurity, defined in terms of both sufficient amount and quality of water, catalyzes the syndemic impact on the people of Lesotho. Access to safe and reliable sources of water is crucial for all individuals, particularly those who have been …

Cost Of Treatment Of Asthma Attacks In A Tertiary Level Healthcare Hospital In Panama, Nydia Flores Chiari

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease characterized by inflammation of the airway and the presence of recurrent attacks (exacerbations) of breathlessness, wheezing, cough, chest tightness, or some combination of these symptoms. In the US, about 53% of people with asthma had an asthma attack in 2008, and 57% of these, were children. One in ten children (10%) had asthma in 2009, and boys were more likely than girls to have asthma. Internationally, the prevalence of asthma varies widely in different countries, but the disparity is narrowing due to rising prevalence in low and middle income countries. Unfortunately, we do not …

Knowledge, Attitudes And Traditions Regarding Water Consumption And Sanitary Practices Of The Ngäbe-Buglé Indigenous Women In The Chiriquí Province In Panama, Natalia Vega

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: In 2007, approximately 66.2% of the population of the Comarcas (indigenous reservations) in Panama had access to potable water. However, over 50% of this population lacked access to sanitation. As a result, the leading causes of death in the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé are due to severe diarrhea and gastroenteritis of infectious origin. The present project assessed the need for an in-depth understanding of the Ngäbe-Buglé women and their communities regarding their knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors about water and sanitation. Methodology: In this cross-sectional exploratory study, a convenience sample of 52 women were interviewed, utilizing a questionnaire guided by the …

The Determinants Of Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence And The Relationship Of Healthcare Expenditures To Adherence Among Florida Medicaid-Insured Patients Diagnosed With Hiv Or Aids, Zachary Pruitt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research supports the clinical and societal benefits of antiretroviral treatment (ART) for people living with HIV or AIDS (PLWHA). However, factors associated with ART adherence and the relationship of ART adherence to total healthcare expenditures are not well understood.

The research data included Florida Medicaid claims for five years (July 2006 through June 2011). All subjects (n=514) were HIV-positive, adult, non-pregnant, and ART naïve for at least 12 months prior to their 24 month measurement period. Each subject was categorized as adherent (>90%#37;) or non-adherent (<90%#37;) based upon medication possession ratios (MPR). Total expenditures were payments Medicaid made to providers and pharmacies.

Objective 1 modeled the logit probability of a subject being non-adherent to ART …

The Dynamics Of Alcohol Consumption In The Russian Federation: Implications Of Using Price Related Policies To Control Alcohol Use, Arseniy Pavlovich Yashkin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation models the dynamics of alcohol use in the Russian Federation with an emphasis on identifying policy implications most likely to be effective at controlling alcohol use. Utilizing data from The Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey, models of alcohol consumption are estimated using both myopic and rational specifications via ordinary least squares, fixed effects two stage least squares and, the focus of this study, two-step system generalized method of moments. Alcohol consumption is studied both as a composite good and as a distinct beverage category (wine, beer, and hard liquor). Furthermore, equations stratified by gender and rural status are included …

Survey Of The Cancer Patient Experience With Oral Care Information, Debbie Mahre

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"Cancer incidence continues to rise. Standard cancer management therapies are known to cause oral complications, such as mucositis (OM), that can range from mild to very severe. Severe OM can require interruption of treatment, and possibly hospitalization for IV rehydration, pain control, and nourishment. Utilizing good oral care practices during treatment has been shown effective to help limit severity and/or reduce duration of OM. Patient education on this concept, and on ideal products and self-care techniques are integral to patient implementation of supportive oral health practices. Unfortunately, patients may not receive comprehensive oral health education that promotes good oral health. …

A Model Of Management Learning For Occupational Therapists In Small Business In Australia, Jeannine Millsteed

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research sought to identify factors that contribute to occupational therapists developing management competencies when they become small business owners providing professional clinical services. This is an important for several reasons and precipitated by the Australian government’s introduction of incentives that encourage health professions to move from employment in public hospitals into the private sector, coupled with a recognition that occupational therapists receive no formal business training in their professional education, and the reported high levels of business failure in the small business sector. A review of the literature established the value of small business to the Australian economy, growth …

Improved Accessibility Of Emergency Obstetrics And Newborn Care (Emonc) Services For Maternal And Newborn Health: A Community Based Project, Ali Turab, Shabina Ariff, Atif Habib, Imran Ahmed, Masawar Hussain, Akhtar Rashid, Zahid Memon, M. Imran Khan, Sajid Soofi, Zulfiqar A Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Every year an estimated three million neonates die globally and two hundred thousand of these deaths occur in Pakistan. Majority of these neonates die in rural areas of underdeveloped countries from preventable causes (infections, complications related to low birth weight and prematurity). Similarly about three hundred thousand mother died in 2010 and Pakistan is among ten countries where sixty percent burden of these deaths is concentrated. Maternal and neonatal mortality remain to be unacceptably high in Pakistan especially in rural areas where more than half of births occur.
Method/Design: This community based cluster randomized controlled trial will …

A Descriptive Analysis Of The Effects Post Discharge Phone Calls Have On Readmission Rates For Medicare Beneficiaries, Heaven Owens

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

One in five Medicare patients is readmitted within 30 days of a previous hospitalization, which impacts patients and the healthcare system with exponential expenditures (Allaudeen, Vidyarthi, Maselli, Auerbach, 2011). The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have mobilized recovery audits to begin recapturing funds related to readmission, and medical institutions must take an active role to ensure their financial integrity and protect their clinical reputation. For the purpose of this project, the population of interest was Medicare beneficiaries age 50 through 88 with a primary diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or Congestive Heart Failure (CHF). The intervention included …

A Gap Analysis Of Nursing Systems And Practices In Malaysia: Culturally Appropriate Interventions To Advance Nursing, Chenit Ong-Flaherty

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

This project comprises a gap analysis of differences between American and Malaysian nursing programs, and additionally, proposes culturally appropriate interventions for Malaysian nursing to adopt American nursing models. The gap analysis was conducted on nursing systems and practices in Malaysia undertaken to identify the differences between Malaysian and American nursing, and the influences that affect Malaysian nursing. The aim is to facilitate the use of the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Pathway to Excellence Practice Standard #4: Orientation Prepares New Nurses for the Work Environment, and #6: Professional Development is Provided and Used. The proposal of culturally appropriate interventions as …

Situation Analysis Of Somalia’S 2011 Famine, Ahmed Mohamed Askar

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

This CE examined the contributing factors of famine in Somalia and developed a situation analysis of Somalia’s 2011 famine. The situational analysis was developed using health and famine indicators. Data from geographic information system (GIS) was also used to supplement analysis to look for trends and patterns of the famine. I predicted that conflict was the leading factor in Somalia’s 2011 famine. I concluded that conflict exacerbated the famine situation in the south of Somalia but in the north (Somaliland) famine was due to climate and lack of permanent rivers and water sources.

The Role Of Misoprostol In The Reduction Of Maternal Deaths In Low Resource Settings: A Systematic Review With Recommendations For Action, Melissa Anne Mcmillian

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Objective: The purpose of this systematic review is to determine the role misoprostol currently plays in the reduction of maternal deaths and implications for the future reduction of maternal deaths in low resource settings.

Methods: A comprehensive review of the literature was performed using the following databases: The Cochrane Database, Ebsco, MEDLINE, PubMed, and Electronic Journal Center (EJC). Articles were excluded based upon date published, overt data changes since publication, and setting of misoprostol interventions in tertiary or referral centers that have access to oxytocin. A total of 61 articles were included from 2002-2012 and demonstrated several methodologies and study …

A Comprehensive Study Of Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, And Comparison, Per Maximilian Gasseholm

Social Sciences

Today complimentary medicine is being increasingly sought out. Ayurveda and TCM, are among the oldest systems of medicine and have been developed for over thousands of years in India and China respectively. This paper details the philosophies, medical theories, anatomy, diagnosis, and treatments of both of these systems, including a comparison. Both of these modalities of healing operate with a microcosm – macrocosm paradigm. This makes them fundamentally similar, and compatible with each other. Ayurveda uses Tridoshic theory to apply treatments ranging from diet, massage, meditation, yoga among other therapies to bring Vata, Pitta, and Kapha into balance. TCM is …

A Critical Analysis Of The Kyoto Protocol Using Monte Carlo Simulation And Magicc, Penny Lambert

The Plymouth Student Scientist

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted the Kyoto Protocol in December 1997. Emissions data from national registries were used to quantify the total anthropogenic emissions of signatory parties between 1990 and 2009, found to have been reduced by approximately 18 percent of base year levels. Using IPCC Special Report Emissions Scenarios (SRES) as a practicable baseline for non-mitigation, three distinct intervention scenarios were constructed from target and observed emissions reductions under the Protocol to investigate their climatic implications against unabated anthropogenic carbon by the end of the 21st century. MAGICC Version 5.3 was used to model forecast …

An Evaluation Of Whether Artificial Refuge Traps Or Baited Traps Are The Most Effective Method For Trapping White-Clawed Crayfish (Austropotamobius Pallipes), Kathryn Walter

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Britain’s only native crayfish species, the white-clawed crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes are threaten through rapid population declines caused by non-indigenous species, habitat degradation and pollution. This study focuses one of the last remaining small A. pallipes population in the Creedy Yeo River, Devon. This study aims to decipher whether the use of artificial refuge traps (ARTs) or baited traps are the most effective method of catching this species, to aid translocation efforts to conserve the remaining population under threat from the American signal crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus. The capture rate of each type of trap was studied at four sites along the …

Location, Demographic, Lifestyle And Behavioural Influences On Household Participation In Bournemouth Borough Council's Kerbside Recycling Scheme, Stephanie Rooke

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Bournemouth Borough Council (BBC) is performing well in recycling and currently has a recycling rate of 63.9%, but there is still room for BBC to improve the efficiency of the existing ‘Big Bin’ dry kerbside recycling collection scheme and increase the recycling rate further. The aim of the study was to identify the socio-economic groups which participate the least, or contaminate the most, in BBC’s kerbside recycling scheme. A participation survey was carried out over three consecutive collection cycles for three recycling rounds ‘RW1, RW2 and RW5’ to measure how many times each individual household set out their recycling bin …

Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Erosion Along The Holderness Coastline, North East Yorkshire, Uk, Verity Macfarlane

The Plymouth Student Scientist

There is an increasing problem of erosion in coastal environments, particularly in soft material cliffs which need to be protected; migration to these environments is increasing, up to 75% more of the total population is predicted to live in close proximity to the coast by 2020. The Holderness coast (located in North East Yorkshire, UK) is the fastest eroding coastline in Europe. It comprises of soft clay, glacial till deposits from the Devensian period (18-13Ka). Previous studies have calculated that many parameters such as till properties, cliff geomorphology, cliff topography, strength and reaction to varied water contents are varied throughout …

Subsidized Housing, Public Housing, And Adolescent Violence And Substance Use, Tamara Leech

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

This study examines the separate relationships of public housing residents and subsidized housing residence to adolescent health risk behavior. Data included 2,530 adolescents aged 14 to 19 who were children of the National the Longitudinal Study of Youth. The author uses stratified propensity methods to compare the behaviors of each group—subsidized housing residents and public housing residents—to a matched control group of teens receiving no housing assistance. The results reveal no significant relationship between public housing residence and violence, heavy alcohol/marijuana use, or other drug use. However, subsidized housing residents have significantly lower rates of violence and hard drug use, …

The Principal Genetic Determinants For Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma In China Involve The Hla Class I Antigen Recognition Groove, Minzhong Tang, J. A. Lautenberger, Xiaojiang Gao, Efe Sezgin, Sher L. Hendrickson, Jennifer L. Troyer, Victor A. David, Li Guan, Carl Mcintosh, Xiuchan Guo, Yuming Zheng, Jian Liao, Hong Deng, Michael Malasky, Bailey Kessing, Cheryl Winkler, Mary Carrington, Guy De The, Yi Zeng, Stephen J. O'Brien

Biology Faculty Articles

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an epithelial malignancy facilitated by Epstein-Barr Virus infection. Here we resolve the major genetic influences for NPC incidence using a genome-wide association study (GWAS), independent cohort replication, and high-resolution molecular HLA class I gene typing including 4,055 study participants from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Guangdong province of southern China. We detect and replicate strong association signals involving SNPs, HLA alleles, and amino acid (aa) variants across the major histocompatibility complex-HLA-A, HLA –B, and HLA -C class I genes (P_{HLA-A-aa-site-62}= 7.4×10⁻²⁹; P _{HLA-B-aa-site-116}= 6.5×10⁻¹⁹; P _{HLA-C-aa-site-156} = 6.8×10 …

The Influence Of Climatic Conditions On The Transmission Dynamics Of The 2009 A/H1n1 Influenza Pandemic In Chile, Gerardo Chowell, Sherry Towers, Cecile Viboud, Rodrigo Fuentes, Viviana Sotomayor, Lone Simonsen, Mark A. Miller, Mauricio Lima, Claudia Villarroel, Monica Chiu, Jose E. Villarroel, Andrea Olea

Global Health Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

North American Bioactive Plants For Human Health And Performance, Maria Pontes Ferreira, Fidji Gendron, Katrina C. Mcclure, Kelly Kindscher

Nutrition and Food Science Faculty Research Publications

Native and naturalized bioactive plants of the Canadian and American temperate biome are examined for their health and performance enhancement properties. Some of these plants are now being used as natural health products, and many have a long history as traditional foods and/or medicines with indigenous groups. This paper reviews the medicinal/cultural uses and bioactive properties of selected plant families: the Holly family (Aquifoliaceae) as stimulants, the Celery family (Apiaceae) as normoglycemic aids and analgesics, the Ginseng family (Araliaceae) as energy- boosting aids, the Sunflower family (Compositae) as anti-inflammatory aids, and the Legume family (Fabaceae) and Nightshade family (Solanaceae) as …

Multifactorial Patterns Of Gene Expression In Colonic Epithelial Cells Predict Disease Phenotypes In Experimental Colitis, Aubrey Leigh Frantz, Maria E. C. Bruno, Eric William Rogier, Halide Tuna, Donald A. Cohen, Subbarao Bondada, Ralph Lakshman Chelvarajan, J. Anthony Brandon, C. Darrell Jennings, Charlotte S. Kaetzel

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Background— The pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is complex and the need to identify molecular biomarkers is critical. Epithelial cells play a central role in maintaining intestinal homeostasis. We previously identified five “signature” biomarkers in colonic epithelial cells (CEC) that are predictive of disease phenotype in Crohn's disease. Here we investigate the ability of CEC biomarkers to define the mechanism and severity of intestinal inflammation.

Methods— We analyzed the expression of RelA, A20, pIgR, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2 in CEC of mice with dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) acute colitis or T-cell-mediated chronic colitis. …

Reconsidering And Re-Conceptualizing Kinesiology, T. G. Johnson

Kinesiology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this article is to delineate a more humanistic view of kinesiology by drawing on the rich, but often overlooked, phenomenology of movement literature (Arnold, 1979; Brown & Payne, 2009; Merleau-Ponty, 1962). Brown and Payne (2009) maintain that "phenomenology is a reaction against...the scientization of [kinesiology] that sees its conceptualization, contextualization, representation, and legitimation primarily as a science" (p. 423). By drawing on the work of Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1962) and Peter Arnold (1979), I argue that kinesiology is not only a scientific discipline charged with creating and disseminating scientifically-based knowledge, but also a field of study that encompasses …

Differential Virus Host-Ranges Of The Fuselloviridae Of Hyperthermophilic Archaea: Implications For Evolution In Extreme Environments, Ruben Michael Ceballos, Caleb D. Marceau, Joshua O. Marceau, Steven Morris, Adam J. Clore, Kenneth M. Stedman

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

An emerging model for investigating virus-host interactions in hyperthermophilic Archaea is the Fusellovirus-Sulfolobus system. The host, Sulfolobus, is a hyperthermophilic acidophile endemic to sulfuric hot springs worldwide. The Fuselloviruses, also known as Sulfolobus Spindle-shaped Viruses (SSVs), are “lemon” or “spindle”-shaped double-stranded DNA viruses, which are also found worldwide. Although a few studies have addressed the host-range for the type virus, Sulfolobus Spindle-shaped Virus 1 (SSV1), using common Sulfolobus strains, a comprehensive host-range study for SSV-Sulfolobus systems has not been performed. Herein, we examine six bona fide SSV strains (SSV1, SSV2, SSV3, SSVL1, SSVK1, SSVRH) and their respective infection characteristics on …

Serial Analysis Of The Gut And Respiratory Microbiome In Cystic Fibrosis In Infancy: Interaction Between Intestinal And Respiratory Tracts And Impact Of Nutritional Exposures, J. C. Madan, D. C. Koestler, B. A. Stanton, L. Davidson, L. A. Moulton, M. L. Housman, J. H. Moore, M. F. Guill, H. G. Morrison, M. L. Sogin, T. H. Hampton, M. R. Karagas, P. E. Palumbo, J. A. Foster, P. L. Hibberd, G. A. O’Toole

Dartmouth Scholarship

Pulmonary damage caused by chronic colonization of the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung by microbial communities is the proximal cause of respiratory failure. While there has been an effort to document the microbiome of the CF lung in pediatric and adult patients, little is known regarding the developing microflora in infants. We examined the respiratory and intestinal microbiota development in infants with CF from birth to 21 months. Distinct genera dominated in the gut compared to those in the respiratory tract, yet some bacteria overlapped, demonstrating a core microbiota dominated by Veillonella and Streptococcus. Bacterial diversity increased significantly over time, …

Were Equatorial Regions Less Affected By The 2009 Influenza Pandemic? The Brazilian Experience, Cynthia Schuck-Paim, Cecile Viboud, Lone Simonsen, Mark A. Miller, Fernanda E.A. Moura, Roberto M. Fernandes, Marcia L. Carvalho, Wladimir J. Alonso

Global Health Faculty Publications

Although it is in the Tropics where nearly half of the world population lives and infectious disease burden is highest, little is known about the impact of influenza pandemics in this area. We investigated the mortality impact of the 2009 influenza pandemic relative to mortality rates from various outcomes in pre-pandemic years throughout a wide range of latitudes encompassing the entire tropical, and part of the subtropical, zone of the Southern Hemisphere (+5°N to −35°S) by focusing on a country with relatively uniform health care, disease surveillance, immunization and mitigation policies: Brazil. To this end, we analyzed laboratory-confirmed deaths and …