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Damage Detection Methodologies For Structural Health Monitoring Of Thin-Walled Pressure Vessels, Arturo Modesto Jan 2015

Damage Detection Methodologies For Structural Health Monitoring Of Thin-Walled Pressure Vessels, Arturo Modesto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a need in exploring structural health monitoring technologies for the composite structures particularly aged Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPVs) for the current and future implementation of COPVs for space missions. In this study, the research was conducted in collaboration with NASA Kennedy Space Center and also NASA Marshall Space and Flight Center engineers. COPVs have been used to store inert gases like helium (for propulsion) and nitrogen (for life support) under varying degrees of pressure onboard the orbiter since the beginning of the Space Shuttle Program. After the Columbia accident, the COPVs were re-examined and different studies (e.g. …

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Helping Mothers Defend Their Decision To Breastfeed, Kandis Natoli Jan 2015

Helping Mothers Defend Their Decision To Breastfeed, Kandis Natoli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The United States has established breastfeeding as an important health indicator within the Healthy People agenda. Healthy People target goals for breastfeeding initiation, duration, and exclusivity remain unmet. The US Surgeon General's Office reports that lack of knowledge and widespread misinformation about breastfeeding are barriers to meeting Healthy People goals. Breastfeeding mothers are vulnerable to messages that cast doubt on their ability to breastfeed. Very little research has examined specific approaches to help people resist negative messages about health beliefs and behaviors. The objective of this quasi-experimental study was to test an intervention designed to help mothers defend their breastfeeding …

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Alcohol Consumption, Frailty, And The Mediating Role Of C-Reactive Protein In Older Adults, Mona Shah Jan 2015

Alcohol Consumption, Frailty, And The Mediating Role Of C-Reactive Protein In Older Adults, Mona Shah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Frailty is a well-established indicator of late-life decline and is accompanied by higher rates of comorbidity and disability. Meanwhile, an estimated 41% of adults over the age of 65 report consuming alcohol – an identified health risk and protective factor depending on dosage. Given that the demographic group of older Americans is projected to double by the year 2050, identification of frailty risk and protective factors is imperative. The goals of this thesis are to: (1) identify how varying levels of alcohol consumption relate to frailty, and (2) elucidate a possible mechanism that accounts for the relationship between alcohol consumption …

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The Impact Of Relational Coordination And The Nurse On Patient Outcomes, Fanya Dejesus Jan 2015

The Impact Of Relational Coordination And The Nurse On Patient Outcomes, Fanya Dejesus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Healthcare quality remains a significant issue due to fragmentation of care in our complex U.S. healthcare systems. While coordination of care is foundational to healthcare quality as well as identified as a National Priority, fragmentation and uncoordinated care continues to afflict our systems. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between relational coordination and adverse nurse sensitive patient outcomes, namely hospital acquired pressure ulcers, patient falls with injury, catheter- associated urinary tract infection, and central line-associated blood stream infection. A retrospective correlational survey design using cross sectional data was used to conduct this quantitative study. An electronic …

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Development Of A Nano-Sensing Approach And A Portable Prototype For Real-Time Detection And Quantification Of Free Mercury In Stream-Flow: Combining Science And Engineering In Pro Of The Environment, Warinya Chemnasiri Jan 2015

Development Of A Nano-Sensing Approach And A Portable Prototype For Real-Time Detection And Quantification Of Free Mercury In Stream-Flow: Combining Science And Engineering In Pro Of The Environment, Warinya Chemnasiri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mercury (Hg) is a well-known hazardous environmental contaminant existing in several forms, but all are toxic to human in one way or the others. Since Hg usually settles into water polluting the environment and accumulating in living organisms, it is crucial to monitor Hg levels in the aquatic ecosystem. Although there are many well established techniques currently used to detect Hg, most of them require elaborate and time-consuming sample preparation and pre-concentration procedures, as well as costly and bulky equipment that limit their practical application in the field. In order to overcome the existent limitations in Hg determination methods, Hernandez …

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Unicondylar Knee Arthroplasty In The Inpatient Vs Outpatient Setting: Impact On Process Time, Quality Outcomes, And Patient Satisfaction, Ibrahim Zeini Jan 2015

Unicondylar Knee Arthroplasty In The Inpatient Vs Outpatient Setting: Impact On Process Time, Quality Outcomes, And Patient Satisfaction, Ibrahim Zeini

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The implications of rising healthcare expenditures are of great concern nationally and internationally. Performing procedures in the outpatient setting can be one solution to this crisis. However, there is a lack of research on systematic approaches for transitioning procedures to the outpatient setting. Unicondylar knee arthroplasty (UKA) presents an opportunity, as it is already in the early stages of transitioning to the outpatient setting. The key step in facilitating an effective transition to the outpatient setting is comparing outpatient UKAs with inpatient UKAs with a focus on process time, quality outcomes, and patient satisfaction. This study retrospectively compares 400 UKA …

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Exploring Social Identity Through Stable Isotope Analysis In The Kellis 2 Cemetery, Kaitlin East Jan 2015

Exploring Social Identity Through Stable Isotope Analysis In The Kellis 2 Cemetery, Kaitlin East

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The material remains of ancient Egypt provide extensive and wide ranging data about the empire throughout its history. However, little evidence is available from ancient Egypt, or any past culture, with which to rebuild an image of social identity or individual experiences. This is especially problematic when the dominant narrative ignores experiences of minorities and minimizes the variation existing throughout the empire. Stable isotope analysis has the potential to reveal variability in lived experience of past peoples by acting as a proxy for behavior that can be analyzed from bone. Such an approach has been applied on individuals from the …

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Nano And Nanostructured Materials For Optical Applications, Panit Chantharasupawong Jan 2015

Nano And Nanostructured Materials For Optical Applications, Panit Chantharasupawong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nano and nanostructured materials offer unique physical and chemical properties that differ considerably from their bulk counterparts. For decades, due to their fascinating properties, they have been extensively explored and found to be beneficial in numerous applications. These materials are key components in many cutting-edge optic and photonic technologies, including photovoltaics, waveguides and sensors. In this dissertation, the uses of nano and nanostructured materials for optical applications are investigated in the context of optical limiting, three dimensional displays, and optical sensing. Nanomaterials with nonlinear optical responses are promising candidates for self-activating optical limiters. In the first part of this study, …

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Undergraduate Prescription Stimulant Misuse: The Impact Of Academic Strain, Social Norms, And Gender, Lauren Norman Jan 2015

Undergraduate Prescription Stimulant Misuse: The Impact Of Academic Strain, Social Norms, And Gender, Lauren Norman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the misuse of prescription stimulants among undergraduates for a variety of different purposes, including: academic, other instrumental, and recreational. This research is important as existing literature as well as national level surveillance data indicates a substantial increase in this type of prescription drug misuse, especially among young adults aged 18-25. Drawing from several theoretical frameworks, this research focuses on how academic strain, social norms, and gender influence prescription stimulant misuse among undergraduates. Roughly 900 quantitative surveys were collected that specifically address undergraduate prescription stimulant misuse. The results indicate that college students are at an increased likelihood of …

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The Subject Librarian Newsletter, Education And Human Performance, Spring 2015, Terrie Sypolt Jan 2015

The Subject Librarian Newsletter, Education And Human Performance, Spring 2015, Terrie Sypolt

Libraries' Newsletters

No abstract provided.

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Anticipated Telehealth Device Usage In Younger Adults, Tyler Bull Jan 2015

Anticipated Telehealth Device Usage In Younger Adults, Tyler Bull

HIM 1990-2015

Telehealth and telemedicine have revolutionized the healthcare system in terms of access to information and remote medical treatment. While there is a great deal of literature on current perceptions of telehealth care systems, relatively little is known about perceived user needs and acceptance of future telehealth systems. One way to assess future attitudes is to evaluate anticipated usage of telehealth devices through perceived advantages and disadvantages. Additionally, this study seeks to assess the reliability of a new measure of technology acceptance that capitalizes on human motivation using self-determination theory. An online survey consisted of an original 40-item measure of motivation …

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What Is The Effect Of Standardized Testing On Teacher Practice?, Courtney Granato Jan 2015

What Is The Effect Of Standardized Testing On Teacher Practice?, Courtney Granato

HIM 1990-2015

This study examines the potential correlation between standardized testing and teacher practice. Building upon the conceptual framework, are constructs of school climate and assessment to develop themes such as leadership role, teacher role, district role, and coach’s role as well as teacher practice, classroom assessment, standardized assessment, and the alignment of curriculum to standardized testing. In discovering the parallel between standardized testing and teacher practice, both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through research and observations, but more importantly through a survey and focus group. Over a two-semester period, it became evident that there was an eminent parallel between each …

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Identification Of The Domain(S) In Protein Disulfide Isomerase Required For Binding And Disassembly Of The Cholera Holotoxin, Laura Herndon Jan 2015

Identification Of The Domain(S) In Protein Disulfide Isomerase Required For Binding And Disassembly Of The Cholera Holotoxin, Laura Herndon

HIM 1990-2015

Cholera, caused by the secretion of cholera toxin (CT) by Vibrio cholerae within the intestinal lumen, triggers massive secretory diarrhea which may lead to life-threatening dehydration. CT is an AB5-type protein toxin that is comprised of an enzymatically active A1 chain, an A2 linker, and a cell-binding B pentamer. Once secreted, the CT holotoxin moves from the cell surface to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of a host target cell. To cause intoxication, CTA1 must be displaced from CTA2/CTB5 in the ER and is then transferred to the cytosol where it induces a diarrheal response by stimulating the efflux of chloride …

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An Investigation Into The Use Of Evidence-Based Interventions In Classrooms For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Allison Twyman Jan 2015

An Investigation Into The Use Of Evidence-Based Interventions In Classrooms For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Allison Twyman

HIM 1990-2015

A survey was sent to classroom teachers in Central Florida educating students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to investigate: 1) intervention practices currently used in the classroom for students with ASD; 2) if the interventions being used are evidence-based, and; 3) if there a difference in use of evidence-based interventions between teachers with the Florida Autism Endorsement and teachers without the Endorsement. A nonprobability purposive study was conducted via an email-based survey. The survey was designed using the tailored design method and was created in Qualtrics.com, an online survey software program. The survey was divided into three major sections: an …

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Comparison Of Acoustic Measures In Discriminating Between Those With Friedreich's Ataxia And Neurologically Normal Peers, Sophia Luna-Webb Jan 2015

Comparison Of Acoustic Measures In Discriminating Between Those With Friedreich's Ataxia And Neurologically Normal Peers, Sophia Luna-Webb

HIM 1990-2015

Background: Technological advancements in speech acoustic analysis have led to the development of spectral/cepstral analyses due to questions regarding the validity of traditional time-based measures (i.e., Jitter, Shimmer, and Harmonics-to-Noise-Ratio) in objectifying perturbations in dysphonic voices. Aim: This study investigated the validity of time-based measures in discriminating those with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) from normal voiced (NV) peers when compared to cepstral-spectral measures. Method: A total of 120 sustained vowel phonations from an existing database of 40 participants (20 FA; 20 NV) of the vowels /ɑ/, /i/, and /o/ were analyzed to determine which set of variables (i.e., time-based vs. cepstral-spectral) …

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Detection And Characterization Of Pathogenic Mycobacteria Using Binary Deoxyribozymes, Bradley Rosenkrantz Jan 2015

Detection And Characterization Of Pathogenic Mycobacteria Using Binary Deoxyribozymes, Bradley Rosenkrantz

HIM 1990-2015

The genus Mycobacterium contains many pathogenic bacteria that are known to cause serious diseases in humans. One of the most well-known of these bacteria is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, or Mtb, which is the causative agent of tuberculosis. It infects nearly one-third of the world’s population and kills 1.4 million people annually. Another important mycobacterial pathogen is Mycobacterium abscessus, or Mabs, which causes respiratory infections in cystic fibrosis patients. One of the biggest difficulties in combating these pathogens is the lack of effective diagnostics, as current strategies hold many pitfalls and can be unreliable. One common method used is sputum smear microscopy …

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The Effect Of Bacterial Vaginosis Associated Bacteria On Epithelial Factors Mediating Hiv Transmission, April Nguyen Jan 2015

The Effect Of Bacterial Vaginosis Associated Bacteria On Epithelial Factors Mediating Hiv Transmission, April Nguyen

HIM 1990-2015

Bacterial vaginosis (BV), a common female reproductive tract (FRT) condition characterized by an overgrowth of anaerobic species concurrent with the disappearance of commensal Lactobacilli species, is associated with a 60% increased risk of HIV-1 transmission. However, the role of the FRT epithelia in bacterial vaginosis-associated bacteria (BVAB)-augmented HIV- 1 transmission is unclear. To evaluate the increased risk of HIV-1 acquisition, we treated FRT epithelia with Atopobium vaginae, a prevalent BVAB, to determine the nature of the host response to BVAB exposure. Treatment of endocervical cells with A. vaginae resulted in a 1500-fold increase in the expression of the antimicrobial peptide …

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The Forgotten Third Branch: The Supreme Court, Public Opinion, And The Media, Adrien Pitchman Jan 2015

The Forgotten Third Branch: The Supreme Court, Public Opinion, And The Media, Adrien Pitchman

HIM 1990-2015

The three branches of government rely on public engagement for the prosperity of the nation. Moreover, informed public opinion is a fundamental tenant of democracy. With that in mind, this paper aims to explore the relationship between the Judicial Branch and the public. Specifically, this paper examines and questions the Supreme Court’s efficacy communicating with the public. American constituents are inundated on a daily basis by the clamor of D.C. politics. The twenty four hour news cycle has given way to politicized headlines and exaggerated pundit commentary on contentious national issues. In a technological age where information is instant and …

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The Effects Of Western Medicine On The Livelihood Of Zulu Traditional Herbal Healers In South Africa, Holly K. Bahamonde Jan 2015

The Effects Of Western Medicine On The Livelihood Of Zulu Traditional Herbal Healers In South Africa, Holly K. Bahamonde

HIM 1990-2015

The majority of South African citizens experience inadequate healthcare due to underfunding, mismanagement, staff shortages, and infrastructure problems. Before a healthcare system was created, the sick turned to traditional herbal healers for care. South Africa’s Zulu healers possess specialized knowledge of local plants and medicine thought to have physical and spiritual healing properties. The country’s increasing reliance on Western biomedicine has created a current concern from indigenous medicine conservationists regarding the future of this kind of knowledge. In order to assess the effects of Western medicine on traditional healing practices, I collected data on the various uses of traditional medicine, …

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Empowerment Unit Plan For Haitian Restavek Children, Ashley Craig Jan 2015

Empowerment Unit Plan For Haitian Restavek Children, Ashley Craig

HIM 1990-2015

Restavek, French for "one who stays with", is a word used to describe child slaves in Haiti. These children are given away by their parents at a young age because of financial hardships or for hopes of life in the urban areas to be better than life in the rural areas. The Restaveks, far from their family and anyone they know, end up as slaves without access to education, healthcare, and sometimes food. As a result, many of these children suffer from malnutrition, abuse, and illnesses. The majority of Restaveks are young girls. In the communities, they are shunned and …

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Perceived Locus Of Control In The Children Of Military And Civilian Families Affected By Deployment And Divorce, Rebekah Z. Kanefsky Jan 2015

Perceived Locus Of Control In The Children Of Military And Civilian Families Affected By Deployment And Divorce, Rebekah Z. Kanefsky

HIM 1990-2015

This study was designed to explore the differences between locus of control (LOC) in children from civilian and military families and to investigate whether military deployment is associated with an external locus of control more than other family dynamics. The literature has focused on the negative implications of external LOC for children’s mental health and achievement as well as in childhood chronic illness, parental absence, and parental alcoholism. However, prior research regarding this construct related to children of military families is significantly lacking. In the present study, LOC was measured by the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale for Children, a …

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Exploring The Legal Liability Of Genetically Modified Organisms And Their Impact On Society, Jarrett Davis Jan 2015

Exploring The Legal Liability Of Genetically Modified Organisms And Their Impact On Society, Jarrett Davis

HIM 1990-2015

Controversy surrounds the use of Genetically Modified organisms (GMOs): whether the process of developing GMOs should be allowed, and if so, how they should be labeled. Efforts by activist groups have caused food associated with GMOs to carry a stigma, but farmers across the nation are fighting to continue to grow GMO crops and maximize their yield. In the 1970’s, GMOs were credited for assisting in the attempt to defeat world hunger and had a positive image. However, there has been a recent trend toward political and consumer resistance of food items that contains GMOs. A prediction of an abrupt …

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The Effects On Shareholder Wealth For Companies That Invest In Their Employees, Alison M. Threlfall Jan 2015

The Effects On Shareholder Wealth For Companies That Invest In Their Employees, Alison M. Threlfall

HIM 1990-2015

Companies have been known to reduce their costs by reducing their spending on employee benefits, but in the last decade there has been an increasing interest on how these decisions affect not just employee productivity and turnover, but also overall shareholder wealth and company profitability. This thesis seeks to answer whether companies that have a greater focus on their employee welfare and satisfaction are more financially stable and profitable than their competitors. The research and analysis consists of 40 companies, 20 highly rated by their employees paired with 20 of the worst companies according to employee opinion and benefits. Each …

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Deciphering Holland's Code, Dennis D. Turner Jan 2015

Deciphering Holland's Code, Dennis D. Turner

HIM 1990-2015

The Party Exercise found on countless career guidance websites and popularized by the best-selling, job-hunting book What Color Is Your Parachute (Bolles, 2015) purports to provide an estimate of an individual's Holland's code. This study examines whether this commonly used Party Exercise accurately predicts an individual's Holland's code (Holland, 1997). Undergraduate students (N=473) completed The Party Exercise and then the Self- Directed Search (Holland & Messer, 2013). The results of this study do not support the use of this popular “Party Exercise” as a valid estimate of an individual's Holland code.

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Polyamine Transport Inhibitor Effects On Pancreatic Cancer Proliferation Cells In Vivo, Frederick Hogan Jan 2015

Polyamine Transport Inhibitor Effects On Pancreatic Cancer Proliferation Cells In Vivo, Frederick Hogan

HIM 1990-2015

Pancreatic cancer is a serious disease, one in which the survival rate over five years is less than 6%. (1) Often, malignant tumors will exhibit uncontrolled proliferation and it is postulated that they have high metabolic needs. One of the areas of interest in cancer metabolism is the unique need for large amounts of polyamines in order to sustain this uncontrolled proliferation. Polyamines are organic compounds that all cells need for proliferation and differentiation. (2) Cells obtain polyamines by manufacture of them directly or obtain them from the environment through their transport across the cell membrane. When cancer cells have …

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An Investigation Of The Evolution Of The Minimalist Shoe Through A Review Of Research Literature, Samantha L. Sommarvong Jan 2015

An Investigation Of The Evolution Of The Minimalist Shoe Through A Review Of Research Literature, Samantha L. Sommarvong

HIM 1990-2015

As an investigation of the evolution of the minimalist shoes, the purpose of this thesis was to examine popularity trends of the rise and fall of the minimalist movement. By evaluating the history and research behind the designs of the minimalist shoes, this thesis viewed the peak in popularity when minimalist shoes first made their debut. Initially, footwear sales skyrocketed upon its introduction. Its popularity grew due the prospective effects of improving athletic performance and the possibility of decreasing the prevalence of running-related injuries. To understand the sales trends of the footwear industry, various shoe examples from the different categories …

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Effect Of Laser Iridoplasty On Pulsatile Ocular Blood Flow In Primary Angle-Closure Glaucoma And Primary Angle-Closure Suspects, Mathieu M. Hill Jan 2015

Effect Of Laser Iridoplasty On Pulsatile Ocular Blood Flow In Primary Angle-Closure Glaucoma And Primary Angle-Closure Suspects, Mathieu M. Hill

HIM 1990-2015

Angle-closure glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the United States and around the world. New research has indicated that intraocular pressure is not the only risk factor associated with glaucomatous optic neuropathy. In recent years, a vascular deregulation in ocular blood flow has been considered a possible risk factor in glaucoma. A laser peripheral iridoplasty is a standard treatment option in non-pupillary block angle-closure glaucoma. The present study employed a secondary retrospective design and utilized patient’s data from an ophthalmologist’s practice. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of laser peripheral iridoplasty on pulsatile ocular …

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Sports Massage Research Protocols And Industry Standards, Amber Kest Jan 2015

Sports Massage Research Protocols And Industry Standards, Amber Kest

HIM 1990-2015

The purpose of this study was to determine which MT techniques current licensed massage therapists practicing sports massage are using to treat delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) by conducting an anonymous online survey of practicing sports massage therapists. The secondary purpose was to determine if previous sports massage research protocols match current practices in sports massage to treat DOMS. There were 85 anonymous respondents ranging in age from 24 to 74 years with a mean age of 44.5 years. Participants included 55 female (65.5%) and 29 male (34.5%) therapists. Professional experience ranged from 4 years or less to more than …

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Development Of Novel Fluorescent Tools For Investigating Virulence Factors And Drug Susceptibility In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Kaley Wilburn Jan 2015

Development Of Novel Fluorescent Tools For Investigating Virulence Factors And Drug Susceptibility In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Kaley Wilburn

HIM 1990-2015

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the causative agent of Tuberculosis (TB), a life-threatening disease primarily affecting the lungs that infects about one third of the world's population and causes 1.3 million deaths annually. It is estimated that TB has been infecting humans for around 70,000 years and has killed more people than any other infectious disease. The highly effective, persistent, and multifaceted virulence strategies that have allowed Mtb to continue to spread and thrive for so long are still poorly understood at the molecular level. This lack of knowledge contributes to ongoing challenges to curing TB. Although drugs capable of killing …

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Detection Of Drug-Resistance Conferring Snps In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Using Binary Dnazymes, Marina Addario Jan 2015

Detection Of Drug-Resistance Conferring Snps In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Using Binary Dnazymes, Marina Addario

HIM 1990-2015

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the pathogen that causes Tuberculosis (TB) and is responsible for an average of 1.5 million deaths annually. Although a treatment regimen does exist, Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR-TB) and eXtremely Drug Resistant (XDR-TB) TB strains are becoming a more prevalent concern partly due to failure of patient compliance with the current six to nine month drug treatment regimen. The current diagnostic methods are not able to identify these MDR and XDR-TB strains efficiently therefore more effective point-of-care (POC) diagnostics and drug susceptibility testing (DST) are urgently needed to detect drug resistance and facilitate prompt, appropriate treatment plans. In …

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