Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Sampling Methodologies On Mycoplasma Gallisepticum Tissue Populations In Commercial Layer Pullets, Sethulakshmi Kattupparayil Sasidharan

Theses and Dissertations

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) can cause chronic respiratory disease in chickens and infectious sinusitis in turkeys. Impacts of MG infections can include increased morbidity and mortality, decreased egg production, hatchability and feed efficiency. Biosecurity and bio-surveillance remain the primary means of deterrence as the current means of control are not wholly effective. Further applications towards the characterization of MG-related disease control requires proper understanding of the characteristics of MG infections with accurate and efficient quantification of in vivo MG populations. To this end, study was conducted to determine the in vivo MG populations in infected pullets and to determine impact of …

The Neuroprotective Role Of Vitamin D In Humans With A Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review, Hailey Jarr

Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are a leading cause of death worldwide. Previous research supports a relationship between vitamin D and TBI outcomes; however, they rely on animal studies. This review aimed to examine the neuroprotective role of vitamin D in humans with TBIs. A search was completed (PubMed and Scopus) following PRISMA guidelines to review publications investigating the relationship between vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and TBI or the effect of vitamin D supplementation on TBI outcomes; 8 studies were identified. Patients had the
/="/">following ranges: 26-88% deficiency and 62-88% insufficiency compared to 24% and 49% of the general population. …

Identifying Barriers To Data Use On U.S. Beef Cow-Calf Operations And Developing Solutions To Improve Cow-Calf Record-Keeping, William Isaac Jumper

Theses and Dissertations

Cattle health and production records (CHPR) are data collected by cattle producers and veterinarians in the form of measurements, observations, counts of events over time, and physiologic attributes that describe individual and group-level health and production. These data are useful to both veterinarians and cattle producers for making evidence-based decisions on cow-calf operations. Currently, there are no uniform, industry-wide methods of capturing and recording CHPR in the U.S. cow-calf industry. Although many cow-calf producers in the U.S. are thought to collect some form of CHPR, it is believed that relatively few are doing so in an electronic manner that facilitates …

Evolution And Epidemiology Of Channel Catfish Virus (Ccv), Arun Venugopalan

Theses and Dissertations

Channel catfish virus disease (CCVD) is the principal viral disease in the United States catfish industry. The CCVD is caused by channel catfish virus (CCV), with mortality reaching up to 100% in fingerlings. CCV is assigned taxonomically to the family Alloherpesviridae, genus Ictalurivirus, species Ictalurid herpesvirus 1 (IcHV-1). To date, virulence, immunogenicity, and genome plasticity of the CCV field isolates have not been investigated. Three genotypes of CCV (IcHV-1A, IcHV-1B, and BCAHV) were identified using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. Virulence assessment of three representative isolates of RFLP groups suggests that IcHV-1B (pooled survival [mean ± SE]: 58.3% ± …

Compromised Health: Examining Growth And Health In A Late Antique Roman Infant And Child Cemetery, Sierra Malis

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the relationship between growth, growth disruption, and skeletal indicators stress amongst juveniles (n=60) interred at the Late Antique infant and child cemetery at Poggio Gramignano (PG) (ca. 5th century CE), associated with a rural agricultural community. Growth disruption – evidenced by decreased long bone length compared to dental age – and stress experience – evidenced by skeletal stress indicators – were compared to those within juveniles from two urban Roman-era cemeteries (n=66), Villa Rustica (VR) (0-400 CE) and Tragurium City Necropolis (TCN) (400-700 CE). Results indicate that the PG juveniles had significantly smaller femoral lengths-for-age than VR …

Host-Acquired Virus Genes Support An Ancient Antiviral Role Of The Pirna Pathway In Dipterans, Rebecca Christian

Theses and Dissertations

Endogenous viral elements (EVEs) have been recently investigated as a source of transgenerational immune memory. These “viral fossils” are abundant in Aedes mosquitoes and partner with the host’s primary antiviral defense system, the RNA interference (RNAi) pathways. This partnership appears unique to mosquitoes, which encode an expansion of the Piwi endoribonucleases. To interrogate EVE-Piwi partnerships and their role in antiviral defense, I performed a comparative small RNA analysis of two naturally occurring EVE-virus pairs – one in the mosquito Aedes albopictus, and one in the midge Chaoborus americanus. Both express an EVE related to the nucleoprotein of their …

Developing Genotypic And Phenotypic Systems For Early Analysis Of Drug-Resistant Bacteria, Yesman Akuoko

Theses and Dissertations

Antimicrobial resistance in bacteria is a global health challenge with a projected fallout of 10 million deaths annually and cumulative costs of over 1 trillion dollars by 2050. The currently available tools exploited in the detection of bacteria or their DNA can be expensive, time inefficient, or lack multiplex capabilities among others. The research work highlighted in this dissertation advances techniques employed in the phenotypic or genotypic detection of bacteria and their DNA. In this dissertation, I present polymethyl methacrylate-pressure sensitive adhesive microfluidic platforms developed using a time-efficient, inexpensive fabrication technique. Microfluidic devices were then equipped with functionalized monoliths and …

Shortening Of Telomeres Caused By Bacterial Lipopolysaccharides In Hiv-1 Exposed Human Oral Keratinocytes, Daphne Alcala Zúñiga

Theses and Dissertations

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV-1) continues to affect many individuals around the globe. Although people with HIV (PWH) have longer life expectancies because of modern treatments, they continue to exhibit comorbidities that are signs of premature aging compared to healthy individuals. The significance of the oral microbiome during HIV-1 infection has become of interest as chronic inflammatory conditions, such as periodontitis, have shed light on the detrimental effects of chronic inflammation. HIV-1 infection can promote dysbiosis, an imbalance of the oral microbiota, which in turn promotes the growth of opportunistic microorganisms such as P. gingivalis. This overpopulation enhances pathogenicity through …

An Investigative Study Of Potential Factors That Contribute To High Under-Five Mortality Rate In Africa, David Banahene

Theses and Dissertations

Under-Five Mortality remains a significant challenge in developing countries, especially in Africa. The United Nations has implemented various measures, such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to combat this issue. However, the success of these initiatives is uncertain. Our study investigates the social, economic, and environmental factors contributing to high Under-Five Mortality rates in African countries, using data from 1985 to 2020.We analyzed 53 African countries, partitioning them into training (45 countries) and testing data (8 countries). We conducted Multiple Linear Regression analysis and assessed the model performance using R-squared values and Root-Mean-Squared-Error (RMSE) values. …

Themes And Participants’ Role In Online Health Discussion: Evidence From Reddit, Massara Alazazi

Theses and Dissertations

Health-related topics are discussed widely on different social networking sites. These discussions and their related aspects can reveal significant insights and patterns that are worth studying and understanding. In this dissertation, we explore the patterns of mandatory and voluntary vaccine online discussions including the topics discussed, the words correlated with each of them, and the sentiment expressed. Moreover, we explore the role opinion leaders play in the health discussion and their impact on participation in a particular discussion. Opinion leaders are determined, and their impact on discussion participation is differentiated based on their different characteristics such as their connections and …

A Qualitative Study On Mental Health Resource Utilization Of Enlisted Airmen During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Hassahn Khali Wade

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative action research study examines the impact of COVID-19 on Airmen serving in the aircraft armament systems career field, while also studying the utilization of mental health resources among those same Airmen. Nine Airmen chose to participate in interviews, received an intervention in the form of a resource guide outlining mental health resources offered on-base, and received a second interview to measure any changes in attitude. Respondents found COVID-19 impacted their workload negatively, and adversely affected their personal lives. Culturally, there is an unenthusiastic viewpoint on mental health assistance, which leads many Airmen to suffer in silence and not …

A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Infectious Causes Of Congenital Morbidity And Mortality In Central America: Torch, El Salvador, Mary Katherine Lynn

Theses and Dissertations

The primary goal of this dissertation was to understand the prevalence of the most regionally salient TORCH pathogens among a group of perinatal women from a highly vulnerable region of El Salvador at the time of parturition. TORCH pathogens, that cause TORCH congenital syndromes, are classically defined as Toxoplasma gondii, other infectious causes of concern (Zika virus, malaria, human immunodeficiency virus, etc), Rubella virus, Cytomegalovirus(CMV), and Herpes Simplex Viruses. These infections can be passed from mother to fetus through the placenta or other perinatal routes and cause severe maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. This dissertation sought to understand perinatal …

B-Cell-Specific Mhcii Promotes Host-Microbiome Symbiosis, Mary Melissa Roland

Theses and Dissertations

Classical major histocompatibility complex class II (MHCII) molecules are cell surface glycoproteins that bind and present peptide antigens on the surface of antigen presenting cells (APCs). MHCII:peptide complexes engage T cell receptors (TCRs) and CD4 co-receptors thereby facilitating cognate interactions between CD4+ T cells and APCs, which is responsible for the development of antigen-specific reactions and long-lived immunity; so called TD antibody responses. This is a critical step in the host’s response to pathogens, commensals, environmental stimuli and tumors. IgA is the dominant antibody isotype secreted into the gut and it is thought that most of the IgA in the …

Multilevel Description Of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia Among Humans, Animals, And The Environment In Miraflores, Colombia, And South Carolina, Usa, Lidia Gual Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

Tick-borne diseases are emerging worldwide due to environmental shifts caused by land fragmentation and climate change. Among the most important ones spotted fever group rickettsioses (SFGRs) are of particular interest due to their wide species variety and high pathogenicity. Given the global spotted fever group rickettsia (SFGR) distribution, evaluation and comparison of different populations is critical to better understand these pathogens' epidemiology and unravel the risk factors affecting disease occurrence. Consequently, this dissertation investigates SFGR highlighting the One Health framework, assessing animals, humans, and the environment. The first part includes an evaluation at the household level using human and canine …

Governance Of Drug Development Alliances, Devashish Chandrashekhar Thakar

Theses and Dissertations

Innovative biotechnology firms (hereafter, biotechs or biotech firms) consider drug development alliances with incumbent pharmaceutical firms (hereafter, pharmas or pharma firms) as a means to access complementary commercialization capabilities, enhance their managerial skillset through close interactions, and maintain financial stability. However, biotechs face challenges in designing and developing alliance contracts that (a) enable them to retain and refine valuable alliance assets and (b) ensure that the alliance makes tangible scientific progress. Designing contracts to achieve these dual purposes is therefore a salient concern for the biotechs.

Given these challenges, the first essay of this dissertation explores the factors driving the …

Sex Differentials In Frailty In Medieval Ireland, Allison Claire Ham

Theses and Dissertations

Population sex differentials in morbidity and mortality are influenced by genetic, hormonal, behavioral, and environmental mechanisms, and in the majority of living human populations, females experience longer lifespans and lower mortality risks, but paradoxically, greater morbidities compared to males. This dissertation project explored sex differentials in frailty (i.e., relative risk of death compared to others in the population) in medieval Ireland to address the existing temporal and contextual limitations for interpreting how far back the modern female health-mortality paradox extends. The project had three main objectives: examine sex differentials in mortality risks between the early (500-1100 CE) and late medieval …

A Comparative Analysis Of Viral Aerosol Biological Sampling Efficiency Of A Small Unmanned Aircraft System (Suas)-Mounted Aerosol Sampler And A Reference Static Biosampler®, Jonathan D. Moroz

Theses and Dissertations

Bioaerosol sampling using small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) is a rapidly developing field that may result in a paradigm shift in emergency response and industrial hygiene sampling conventions. These technologies offer decreased sample acquisition times, larger sampling area coverage, and reduced health and safety risks to traditional human sampling teams. This potential requires a comprehensive investigation of sUAS capabilities and limitations. This study is a continuation of the characterization of an AFIT-developed sUAS-mounted aerosol sampler, proven capable of collecting viable vegetative and spore-forming bacteria through previous AFIT research. Within this study, viral biological sampling efficiency (BSE) of the sUAS-mounted aerosol …

Effects Of Occupationally Military-Relevant Particle Mixtures (Sio2, Cdo, Cr2O3) On A549 Human Pulmonary Epithelial Cells, Isabella M. Muffoletto

Theses and Dissertations

In the course of maintaining a safe, mission-ready aircraft fleet and operational runways, United States Airmen experience a range of occupational risks. These risks include inhalable hazards generated from oft-used maintenance practices, such as blasting which emits silica from the media abrasives as well as contaminants from the exterior coatings. Additional inhalation hazards range from engine and fuel emissions, chemical agents, radiation, and explosives, to naturally occurring and human-manufactured biopathogens. Of notable concern are emissions in forward-deployment areas, including urban pollution, particulates released from runway construction and maintenance activities, and combustion from burn pits containing hazardous and unknown combinations of …

County-Level Social Determinants Of Health And Covid-19 Health Outcomes, Bret R. Lyman

Theses and Dissertations

Social determinants of health are associated with a variety of negative health outcomes, including COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. However, most research evaluating this relationship have been case studies, retrospective cohort studies, and case series studies and/or have used use analytic techniques, such as linear regression, that can struggle to adequately model the social determinants' complex nature. This study used United States county-level social determinants of health data and March 2020-December 2020 COVID-19 morbidity and mortality data. Structural equation modeling was used to develop a latent measurement model for the social determinants of health. Substantial cross-loadings among the social determinants of …

“Tweeting During Emergencies”: The Egyptian Ministry Of Health Twitter Communication Strategy Under The Umbrella Of The Crisis And Emergency Risk Communication Model (Cerc) Case Study: Covid-19 Pandemic, Pakinam Elgohary

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates using the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication Model (CERC) for COVID- 19 communication by analyzing the content of Twitter messages posted by the Government of Egypt through the Egyptian Ministry of Health (MOHP). It further examines how official communicators and institutions utilize social media to contact the public during emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting critical strategies of recommendations. Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC), a five-staged theory, recommends a set of messaging and pertained communication characteristics to implement at each stage of the identified following stages: (1) “Pre-crisis, (2) Initial event, (3) Maintenance, (4) Resolution, and …

Impact Of Social Media  On Public Perception Of Government Covid-19 Response Efforts, Taher Taher

Theses and Dissertations

This research aims to understand this phenomenon to provide insights into how governments can perform better in times of crisis regarding social media and its impact on public opinion. This research aims to understand how social media impacts public perception of government COVID-19 response efforts by studying Facebook comments, likes, and reactions (emoticons).

The study was based on data gathered from Facebook comments on the daily infographic COVID-19 statistics from the official site of the Ministry of Health and Population. The sampling frame is the 52 weeks of 2020, January to December, through random sampling resulting in 546 comments. The …

The Egyptian National Action Plan Of Antimicrobial Resistance: Governance Mechanism And Public Awareness, Aalaa Afdal Mogheith

Theses and Dissertations

This research aimed primarily to understand the governance mechanism adopted for improving the public awareness on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) as the first goal of the Egyptian National Action Plan (NAP) for curbing AMR. The secondary purpose was to assess the public awareness, and to identify areas for improvement on raising awareness on AMR. A mixed approach was adopted; firstly, eight in-depth interviews with different stakeholders` representatives involved in the NAP development were held to understand the governance of the NAP. Secondly, a public awareness survey was conducted on 565 respondents to assess their knowledge and awareness on AMR and antibiotic …

Adsorption Of Antibiotics In Wastewater By Stevia Rebaudiana Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles, Hania Guirguis

Theses and Dissertations

Green zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), synthesized using Stevia rebaudiana extract, are investigated as novel adsorbents for the removal of the antibiotics ciprofloxacin (CIP) and tetracycline (TET) from water. The green ZnO NPs were synthesized using a novel, rapid and ecofriendly technique that utilized a natural source with high sugar content as a reducing agent and a less energy intensive approach that did not require annealing or calcination at high temperatures. The particles are mesoporous, with a hexagonal wurtzite structure, a BET surface area of 15.28 m2/g and a size range of 37.36-71.33 nm. At pH 5, the green ZnO …

How Do Differences In Giving And Receiving Social Support Predict The Frequency Of Substance Use And Polysubstance Use Among Those Who Use Opioids, Afifa Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations

Little is known about the association between giving and receiving social support and substance use frequency. This study investigates how social support can predict substance use and polysubstance use in adults who use opioids and other substances. Survey data demonstrated significant associations between giving emotional support and heroin use frequency.

An Examination Of The Sufficiency Of Emergency Planning In New York City Hospitals For Vulnerable Populations Needing Communication Or Language Assistance, Rosemary Mcdonnell

Theses and Dissertations

Background: While all populations are susceptible to certain hazards that may expose their vulnerabilities in a disaster, populations with no or limited English proficiency, sight limitations, and hearing limitations are especially at risk due to communication and language barriers that they consistently experience. Purpose: This study explored the sufficiency of emergency planning that vulnerable populations with communication barriers may receive in a New York City hospital setting. It investigated the emergency plans, procedures, and practices that hospitals have for these specific, at-risk populations. The sufficiency of these were measured in accordance with their ability to meet the appropriate regulatory standards …

The Effects Of Long-Term Incarceration On Women: An Investigation Of The Re-Entry Journey Of Four Long-Term Incarcerates Living At A Re-Entry Program, Francine White

Theses and Dissertations

The social problem under investigation was that although there had been a general rise in the number of incarcerated women in the United States, these women faced several challenges trying to re-enter society upon their release from incarceration. The purpose of this qualitative single case study research was to explore how a re-entry program, from the perspective of previously incarcerated women, attempted to integrate incarcerated women back into society. The study considered how the re-entry program could be designed to reduce recidivism in women. The research design was a qualitative case study with six data sources: individual interviews of previously …

What Does This Word Say Mommy? Home Literacy Environments And Its Role On Parental Response To Miscues During Home Share Reading, Chiquta Inez Jenkins

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this qualitative study was to examine home literacy environment (HLE) and how this environment affects the way parental responded to their children’s oral miscues during shared reading. In addition, parental behavior-specifically corrective feedback as it relates to children’s perceptions of reading in terms of their reading attitudes were examined as a part of this study. The participants in this study were five second grade families from Queens, NY attending a private elementary school during the Spring of 2021. The data of this study were collected through semi structured child and parent interviews, demographic information forms, the Home …

A Prevention Strategy For Children Receiving Full Mouth Dental Rehabilitation Under General Anesthesia: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Jessica Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial aims to compare the effectiveness of a new prevention strategy versus traditional verbal education and post-operative instructions in increasing caregivers’ compliance to follow-up of their children who have had full mouth dental rehabilitation (FMDR) under general anesthesia (GA). Methods: Caregivers of children who presented for FMDR under GA were recruited and randomly assigned to either the control or treatment groups. Caregivers in the treatment arm received oral health anticipatory guidance through a combination of motivational interviewing, individualized goal setting, visual aids, and verbal education. Caregivers in the control arm received the same information …

Interactions Between Hiv And Opioids On Antiretroviral Accumulation, The Blood Brain Barrier, And The Inflammatory Response In The Brain., Kara Rademeyer

Theses and Dissertations

The complex mechanisms related to HIV infection, neurodegeneration, and chronic neuroinflammation collectively describe neuroHIV (Hauser et al. 2007; Chang et al. 2014; Smith et al. 2014). Specifically, opioid abuse, poor penetration of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, chronic inflammation and neuronal injury/degeneration are all implicated in neuroHIV (Fantuzzi et al. 2003; Letendre et al. 2004; Verani et al. 2005; Duncan and Sattentau 2011; Hong and Banks 2015; Simoes and Justino 2015; Olivier et al. 2018; Murphy et al. 2019; Osborne et al. 2020). For the first time, we demonstrate that morphine, fentanyl, and methadone in vivo alter the brain accumulation of ARVs, …

Environmental Toxicity Of Isoxazoline Drugs On Non-Target Species, Haley M. Cooper

Theses and Dissertations

Lyme disease affects tens of thousands of people every year in the United States, causing serious illness and even death. It is caused by the bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, through infected black-legged tick bites. The range of these ticks is expanding, causing Lyme disease cases to increase. Considerable effort has been put toward research and eradication of Lyme disease, with limited success. Isoxazoline drugs, commonly used to prevent flea and tick infestations in dogs, could be dispatched in the field to keep black-legged ticks off the reservoir host of Lyme disease, the White-footed mouse. Little research has been done on …