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Genomic And Transcriptomic Analyses Of Microbotryum Lychnidis-Dioicae Provide Insights Into The Biology Of A Fascinating Fungal Phytopathogen., Su San Toh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study made use of the Silene latifolia/Microbotryum lychnidis-dioicae phytopathogen system as the focal system to establish the first reference genome for Microbotryum violaceum sensu lato. In silico analysis was performed on the genome assembly to identify various characteristics of the genome. Using RNA-Sequencing technologies on the Illumina platform, we collected transcriptomic data for both in vitro and in planta life stages of the fungus, providing the most comprehensive look at the gene expression and regulation of this fungus. Due to a lack of identifiable domains on the predicted genes, gene set enrichment analysis was done in …

Functional Characterization Of Aggregatibacter Actinomycetemcomitans Qsebc : A Bacterial Adrengeric Receptor And Global Regulator Of Virulence., Whitney Weigel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In order for a pathogen to successfully colonize the host, it must be able to acquire essential nutrients and regulate gene expression to respond to environmental fluctuations. One mechanism bacteria have evolved in order to detect these fluctuations and respond is the two component signal transduction systems (TCS). Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, a dental commensal associated with localized aggressive periodontitis, contains a TCS designated QseBC that was previously shown to regulate expression of several iron acquisition genes, biofilm formation and virulence, but the activating signal was unknown []. QseBC is a conserved TCS in the Enterobacteriaceae and Pasteurellaceae, but the activating signal …

Identification Of Genes Required To Synthesize An Antibiotic-Like Compound From The Soil Bacterium Rhodococcus Sp. Mtm3w5.2, Amber L. Ward

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rhodococcus is a soil bacterium, member of the Actinobacteria, and a close relative of the prolific small molecule producer Streptomyces. Recent interest in Rhodococcus as an under investigated source of possible bioactive secondary metabolites is sparked by the discovery of many polyketide synthase and non-ribosomal peptide synthetase genes of unknown function from sequenced Rhodococcus genomes. Rhodococcus species strain MTM3W5.2 was recently shown to produce a strong inhibitory compound with activity against most strains of Rhodococcus and closely related genera. A goal of this investigation is to discover the gene(s) required to synthesize this inhibitory molecule. The engineered Rhodococcus …

Minority College Students’ Attitudes And Beliefs Regarding The Profession Of Dental Hygiene In Comparison To Their Oral Health And Dental Knowledge, Trina J. Morgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to find out the attitudes and beliefs of minority college students enrolled at Missouri College in Brentwood, Missouri in reference to the dental hygiene profession. In particular, does their oral health and dental knowledge relate to their knowledge of profession of dental hygiene? One hundred and six students gave their consent to participate in the study via Survey Monkey. The study was conducted in May 2015 for a period of four weeks. Four statements were designed to gauge minority students’ knowledge of dental hygiene as a career. No differences were found based on gender, …

Examining The Relationship Between Childhood Victimization, Health Risk Behaviors, And Adult Physical Health Outcomes Among Women On Probation And Parole., Tanya R. Renn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to begin to identify and describe the pathways through which childhood victimization negatively affects adult physical health. In particular, the proposed research will examine the relationship among childhood victimization, health risk behaviors and adult physical health in a population of criminal justice involved women. Previous research has depicted a relationship between childhood victimization, and physical health outcomes, but there is scant research that examines why this relationship exist. Among the most frequent health risk behaviors are alcoholism, smoking, illicit drug use and sexual risk behaviors. Health risk behaviors are highly intertwined with the bio-psycho-social factors that result …

Implementation Of Break Time For Employee Nursing Mothers At The University Of Louisville : A Case Study., Robin Elise Weiss, 1971-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a mixed methods look at the barriers to successful implementation of the Break Time for Nursing Mothers provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) at an upper southern-midwestern university. As public health and medical officials push the desire for an increase in breastfeeding initiation and duration, many mothers must overcome barriers within the employment arena. Previous work has failed to look at how the university setting presents unique challenges with a diverse workforce, varied jobs, and differing space availability. In other settings, barriers have been identified; the goal of this dissertation was to identify what the specific …

Simulation-Based Optimization Of Mitigation Strategies For Pandemic Influenza., Arsalan Paleshi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Millions of people have been infected and died as results of influenza pandemics in human history. In order to prepare for these disasters, it is important to know how the disease spreads. Further, intervention strategies should be implemented during the pandemics to mitigate their ill effects. Knowledge of how these interventions will affect the pandemic course is paramount for decision makers. This study develops a simulation-based optimization model which aims at finding a combination of strategies that result in the best value for an objective function of defined metrics under a set of constraints. Also, a procedure is presented to …

Characterization Of The Innate Response To The Ragb Protein Of Porphyromonas Gingivalis., Justin Hutcherson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

More than 64 million people in the US suffer from some form of periodontal disease. Periodontal diseases are bacterial infections of the hard and soft tissues surrounding the teeth which can lead to tooth loss. Periodontal tissue destruction is caused by inflammatory host-pathogen interactions. Porphyromonas gingivalis is a major causative agent of periodontal diseases and is a keystone periodontal pathogen. The 55kDa immunodominant RagB outer membrane protein of P. gingivalis has been proposed to facilitate iron transport. However, potential interactions between RagB and the innate response have not been examined. RagB homologues in gut Bacteroidetes have been associated with inflammatory …

Critical Insights Into The Pathogenesis Of Clinical Isolates Of Pandemic Influenza A(H1n1) 2009 Virus In Mouse And Ferret Models., Jeremy V. Camp 1980-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Influenza A virus (IAV) is a minus-sense, segmented, single-stranded RNA virus that infects the respiratory tract of humans and can cause severe illness. Novel IAV variants perpetually emerge on every continent, and the emergence of variants with increased transmissibility and/or pathogenesis in the human population is a serious concern for global public health. Infection with IAV typically causes an acute, self-limiting upper respiratory tract disease. However, severe IAV disease is characterized by infection of the lower respiratory tract which can lead to pneumonia and may result in the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Viral and host contributions to …

Early Host Response And Immune Signaling To 2009 Pandemic Influenza A (H1n1) Viruses In Primary Cell Culture Models., Rachael Lask Gerlach

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Influenza A virus (IAV) subtypes and even genotypes within subtypes can show differences in tropism (host, cell type), magnitude of infection, immune response and progression of illness. My dissertation focused on the development and use of two in vitro physiologically-relevant human cell culture models, well-differentiated normal human bronchial epithelial (wdNHBE) cells and human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) for the study of early IAV-host interactions. These models have given new insight into early host responses to seasonal H1N1 (BN59) and two pandemic A(H1N1)2009 viruses or H1N1pdm herein. The H1N1pdm are clinical isolates from a fatal (A/KY/180/10) and nonfatal (A/KY/136/09) case. In the …

Revised Model For Antibiotic Resistance In A Hospital, Ruhang Pei

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis we modify an existing model for the spread of resistant bacteria in a hospital. The existing model does not account for some of the trends seen in the data found in literature. The new model takes some of these trends into account. For the new model, we examine issues relating to identifiability, sensitivity analysis, parameter estimation, uncertainty analysis, and equilibrium stability.

Macrophage Cox-2 As A Target For Imaging And Therapy Of Inflammatory Diseases Using Theranostic Nanoemulsions, Sravan Kumar Patel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Personalized medicine can be an approach to address the unsatisfactory treatment outcomes in inflammatory conditions such as cancer, arthritis, and cardiovascular diseases. A common feature of chronic diseases is the infiltration of pro-inflammatory macrophages at the disease loci. Infiltrating macrophages have been previously utilized for disease diagnosis. These features suggest that macrophages can be broadly applicable targets for simultaneous therapy and diagnosis. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of a lipid inflammatory mediator, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), is over expressed in macrophages infiltrating the pathological site. Inhibition of PGE2 leads to reduced inflammation, pain and macrophage infiltration. To utilize …

Climate Driven Changes To Malaria Transmission Patterns In Ethiopian Highlands, Amir Said Siraj

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the highlands of East Africa, the most populated regions in Africa, temperature is assumed to be intimately connected to the patterns of malaria both in time and space. A large section of the Ethiopian population in this region has historically been shielded from the disease mainly due to the altitudes in the highland regions that have remained free of the disease. However, the region has also seen a large part of its population being affected by malaria in epidemic outbreaks that seem to follow climatic anomalies, especially those of inter-annual increases in temperature. This project examines the inter-annual variability …

Modeling Network Worm Outbreaks, Evan Foley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to their convenience, computers have become a standard in society and therefore, need the utmost care. It is convenient and useful to model the behavior of digital virus outbreaks that occur, globally or locally. Compartmental models will be used to analyze the mannerisms and behaviors of computer malware. This paper will focus on a computer worm, a type of malware, spread within a business network. A mathematical model is proposed consisting of four compartments labeled as Susceptible, Infectious, Treatment, and Antidotal. We shall show that allocating resources into treating infectious computers leads to a reduced peak of infections across …

Pre And Post Implementation Evaluation Of An Emergency Department Severe Sepsis Alert And Practice Protocol, Darleen Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Severe sepsis kills an estimated 1,400 people worldwide every day. This often fatal infectious process accounts for an estimated 215,000 deaths in the United States (US) annually. The main goal of this project was to evaluate the impact of the Emergency Department Severe Sepsis Alert and Practice Protocol (EDSSAPP) post implementation, on time to first antibiotic administration, length of stay, and mortality in patients admitted via the ORMC ED with severe sepsis. This study evaluated the time to first antibiotic administration, total ED and hospital length of stay (LOS) and mortality of severe sepsis patients either with a severe sepsis …

Discovery Of Alternative Artemisinin Binding Sites In Plasmodium Falciparum Atpase-6, Shuneize Elizabeth Slater

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Malaria is a fatal yet preventable and treatable disease. It is commonly spread through the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito. Malaria parasites belong to the Plasmodium genus and can be caused by the falciparum, malariae, ovale, vivax, and knowlesi species. Artemisinin is an endoperoxide lactone extracted from qinghaosu (Artemisia annua L. or sweet wormwood). It and its derivatives possess uncharacteristically rapid action against Plasmodium falciparum. Artemisinin is unique in its effectiveness in deadly cerebral malaria. The endoperoxide bridge is crucial for its antimalarial activity; however, how it aids in killing the parasite is unknown. While there are multiple suggested …

Secretion Of Malaria Transmission-Blocking Proteins From Paratransgenic Bacteria, Nicholas Bongio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Malaria is a debilitating and deadly disease that afflicts over 200 million people and kills over 600 thousand each year. Due to quickly evolving drug resistance and lack of an affordable vaccine, novel interventions are needed to fight the Plasmodium parasites that cause malaria. Targeting Plasmodium inside their mosquito hosts is one approach that could complement other preventative and medicinal interventions by reducing the ability of the mosquitoes to transmit the disease to humans. The research presented here uses paratransgenesis, the genetic modification of symbiotic bacteria within the mosquito midgut, to provide antimalarial protein to the mosquito and to interfere …

The Effects Of Stressors And Stress Hormones On Behavior, Physiology, And Disease Susceptibility In Terrestrial Salamanders, Christopher Fonner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Amphibians are exposed to numerous environmental stressors, which may contribute to population declines being experienced by amphibians worldwide. Upon exposure to stressors, animals will release the glucocorticoid hormone, corticosterone (CORT), which typically mediates physiological and behavioral responses for resisting or coping with the stressor. Additionally, amphibians are at risk from a chytrid fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). After Bd infection, amphibians may develop the potentially fatal disease chytridiomycosis. To better understand how CORT mediates responses to different stressors, and possible immunosuppressive effects of CORT on Bd susceptibility, I performed several experiments. First, I tested the predation stress hypothesis in terrestrial …

Macrophage Cox-2 As A Target For Imaging And Therapy Of Inflammatory Diseases Using Theranostic Nanoemulsions, Sravan Kumar Patel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Personalized medicine can be an approach to address the unsatisfactory treatment outcomes in inflammatory conditions such as cancer, arthritis, and cardiovascular diseases. A common feature of chronic diseases is the infiltration of pro-inflammatory macrophages at the disease loci. Infiltrating macrophages have been previously utilized for disease diagnosis. These features suggest that macrophages can be broadly applicable targets for simultaneous therapy and diagnosis. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of a lipid inflammatory mediator, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), is over expressed in macrophages infiltrating the pathological site. Inhibition of PGE2 leads to reduced inflammation, pain and macrophage infiltration. To utilize …

Characterizing The Innate Immunity In The Hawaiian Coral Montipora Capitata, Melinda S. Ansley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Coral reefs are among the most diverse ecosystems in the world; however, they are quickly diminishing due to natural and anthropogenic stressors, including disease. Corals possess innate immune responses that aid in protection against these stressors. In several coral species, immune responses are inducible in response to stress. Montipora capitata is a predominant coral in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii. This coral occurs in two color morphs, orange and red, and is susceptible to the tissue loss disease Montipora white syndrome (MWS). MWS disease prevalence within Kaneohe Bay varies, with lower prevalence in the North than South Bay and with orange …

Optimization Of Molecular Beacon-Based Multicomponent Probes For Analysis Of Nucleic Acids, Maria Stancescu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Detection of single nucleotide substitutions (SNS) in DNA and RNA has a growing importance in biology and medicine. One traditional approach for recognition of SNS takes advantage of hybridization probes that bind target nucleic acids followed by measuring ?Tm, the difference in melting temperatures of matched and mismatched hybrids. The approach enables SNS differentiation at elevated temperatures (usually 40-65oC) often only in a narrow range of < 10oC and requires high-resolution melting devices. Here we demonstrate that a specially designed DNA probe (X sensor) can broaden ?Tm from ~10oC to ~16oC and distinguish SNS in the interval of ~5-40oC. Therefore, there is no need for heating or measuring Tm for accurate SNS differentiation. Our data indicate that this wide differentiation range is in part due to the non-equilibrium hybridization conditions. Further we explored the idea that it is possible to improve the performance of an X sensor operable in close to equilibrium conditions by shifting its operability to non-equilibrium conditions. One way to achieve this is to introduce as many as possible structured ligands in analyte's dissociated state. Here we show that by introducing the maximum possible conformational constraints in X probe it is possible to shift its operation to non-equilibrium conditions and to improve its selectivity at temperatures < 15oC. Thus, this work points towards a new strategy for the design of highly selective hybridization sensors which operate in non-equilibrium conditions at close to room temperature. The X sensors could be utilized in qPCR, microarrays, as well as RNA analysis in living cells and for ambient temperature point-of-care diagnostics. In the last part of this work, X sensors were used in real time detection of PCR products. The sensors were optimized to operate in PCR buffer with optimal Mg2+ concentration. They were able to detect the target amplicon together with nonspecific products. The results presented here suggest that X sensors might be adopted for real time PCR format.

A Binary Approach For Selective Recognition Of Nucleic Acids And Proteins, Evan Cornett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The design of probes for the selective recognition of biopolymers (nucleic acids and proteins) is a fundamental task for studying, diagnosing, and treating diseases. Traditional methods utilize a single component (small molecule or oligonucleotide) that binds directly to the target biopolymer. However, many biopolymers are unable to be targeted with this approach. The overarching goal of this dissertation is to explore a new, binary approach for designing probes. The binary approach requires two components that cooperatively bind to the target, triggering a recognition event. The requisite binding of two-components allows the probes to have excellent selectivity and modularity. The binary …

The Effect Of Precipitation On The Spread Of Mosquito-Borne Diseases: A Case Study Of Florida Counties, Marvin Osbourne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The state of Florida is the third most populous state in the United States of America, with six (6) of its metropolitan areas dubbed as the fastest growing in the entire country. A mosquito bite may mean the transmission of a virus or disease which might be fatal. Hence, there is a need for the state to control mosquitoes through the various Departments of Mosquito Control in each of its sixty-seven (67) counties. Six locally acquired mosquito-borne viruses which affect humans and animals in the state of Florida were considered. This thesis used statistical methods to examine data for rainfall, …

Novel Delivery Systems For Iron Replenishment, Naresh Modepalli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Iron is an integral part of hemoglobin and essential for the production of red blood cells. Iron deficiency and the resulting anemia are major nutritional deficiency disorders. The majority of patient populations suffering from iron deficiency anemia (IDA) are women of child bearing age and children of all ages. Iron deficiency is a complication of various other chronic conditions. Oral iron salts or colloidal parenteral iron formulations are treatment options for iron replenishment since several decades, but they are associated with severe side effects along with other patient noncompliance issues. Transdermal delivery of iron could be a potential alternative to …

Techniques For Estimating The Variance Of Specific Estimators Within Complex Surveys, Laura Marie Galiardi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis is to present the various procedures for estimating the variance of specific statistics obtained from different types of survey designs, leading up to more advanced designs such complex surveys. The thesis starts with defining the various sampling designs that are to be used for illustrations (Ch 2). Chapter two gives further descriptions of how various sampling designs are performed (from simple designs to not so simple) and shows the sophistication in calculating the estimates and variances. Chapter three cites the actual equations necessary for estimating the variances of the statistics for each design and demonstrates …

Is Conflict A Factor In A Population's Quality Of Life? A Comparative Study Of University Students In The Palestinian Territories And Jordan, Yara Asi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As nearly one third of the world's population lives in an area that is in some way touched by war, researchers have long been interested in the varied impacts of conflict on civilians. Many indicators, measuring both physical and mental constructs, have been assessed in war-torn populations from around the world, one of which is health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The occupied Palestinian Territories (oPt) are one region in which copious research on health indicators has been undertaken in an effort to understand how long-term conflict manifests itself in noncombatant populations. However, existing studies focus primarily on indicators within the …

Fmf Assay For Assessing Vaccine Generated Antibodies In A Biomimetic Manner, Vipra Dhir

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Traditional functional assays such as hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) and micro-neutralization (MN) assays have been routinely used for assessing the vaccine response, since influenza vaccine has been administered in people (1940). Such assays are not always predictive regarding the protection conferred by the influenza vaccine and are not able to monitor neutralization related to stem region of influenza hemagglutinin responsible for virus membrane fusion in the endosomes. In order to study Influenza vaccine response in a more biomimetic manner and overcome the deficiencies of the traditional functional assays, we developed a fluorescent membrane fusion assay (fMF). The assay uses viruses labeled …

Analysis And Simulation For Homogeneous And Heterogeneous Sir Models, Joseph Wilda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In mathematical epidemiology, disease transmission is commonly assumed to behave in accordance with the law of mass action; however, other disease incidence terms also exist in the literature. A homogeneous Susceptible-Infectious-Removed (SIR) model with a generalized incidence term is presented along with analytic and numerical results concerning effects of the generalization on the global disease dynamics. The spatial heterogeneity of the metapopulation with nonrandom directed movement between populations is incorporated into a heterogeneous SIR model with nonlinear incidence. The analysis of the combined effects of the spatial heterogeneity and nonlinear incidence on the disease dynamics of our model is presented …

Regulation Of C-Reactive Protein Gene Expression And Function, Avinash N. Thirumalai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human C-reactive protein (CRP) is the prototypic acute phase protein whose serum concentration increases rapidly during inflammation. CRP is also associated with atherosclerosis; it is deposited at lesion sites where it may interact with modified lipoproteins. There are 2 major questions regarding CRP: 1. How is the serum concentration of CRP regulated? 2. What are the functions of CRP in atherosclerosis?

Our first aim was to determine the role of the constitutively expressed transcription factor Oct-1 in regulating CRP gene expression. We found that Oct-1 overexpression inhibited (IL-6+IL-1β)- induced CRP gene expression; maximal inhibition required the binding of Oct-1 to …

Mathematical Modeling Of Immune Responses To Hepatitis C Virus Infection, Ivan Ramirez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An existing mathematical model of ordinary differential equations was studied to better understand the interactions between hepatitis C virus (HCV) and the immune system cells in the human body. Three possible qualitative scenarios were explored: dominant CTL response, dominant antibody response, and coexistence. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis was carried out to rank model parameters for each of these scenarios. Therapy was addressed as an optimal control problem. Numerical solutions of optimal controls were computed using a forward-backward sweep scheme for each scenario. Model parameters were estimated using ordinary least squares fitting from longitudinal data (serum HCV RNA measurements) given in …