Digital Commons Network^™

Trypanosome Infection Disturbs The Gut Microbiota Of Bumble Bee Hosts, Bryan Sierra-Rivera

Theses and Dissertations

Host-microbe interactions are ubiquitous with both positive and negative outcomes for host health and fitness. While pathogens abound, there has been an increased focus beneficial host-microbial community associations, such as native gut microbiota that can aid in disease resistance, nutrient sequestration, and detoxification. However, while beneficial microbes can protect against infection, there is a limited appreciation for how pathogen infection may disrupt healthy gut microbiota structure and function. Crithidia bombi is a common trypanosomatid gut parasite of bumble bees with fitness-relevant effects on individuals and colonies. The native bumble bee gut microbiota has been shown to increase protection against Crithidia, …

Sers-Based Rapid Vertical Flow Immunoassay For Enhanced Point Of Care Diagnostics, Eunice Ama Ebbah

Theses and Dissertations

Many diagnostic tools for the accurate detection of diseases are time consuming and require multiple complex steps. Thus, there is a critical need to develop an alternative point of care test that provides rapid, reliable, and affordable results. Recently, surface-enhance Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has been developed as an analytical technique that enables low levels of detection and quantitative chemical analysis. Here, we exploit SERS in the development of a rapid diagnostic test, using human IgG as a model diagnostic biomarker. The vertical flow immunoassay system designed, utilizes filter paper embedded with gold nanoparticles (AuNP) to form a plasmonic paper. Capture …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Employment Characteristics, Eliana Shatkin

Theses and Dissertations

The following study examines ways in which COVID-19 has disrupted the United States labor market. My findings present disproportionately negative effects of COVID-19 on employment, labor force participation, worker absence, and weekly working hours for the female population in my sample, as well as veterans, disabled persons, and racial minorities.

Spatial And Age Disparities In Covid-19 Outcomes, Qian Huang

Theses and Dissertations

COVID-19 has caused significant social, economic, environmental, and political impacts globally and affected communities unequally in the U.S. The pandemic has also sparked interest in age-specific manifestations of infection, for example, studies confirmed the risk of increasing age with COVID-19 severity. However, the nonstationarity effects of health determinants among age groups have not been well examined. This study aims to explore the nonstationarity effects of social, behavioral, environmental, health care access, and political contexts on COVID-19 outcomes. This study poses three broad questions: 1) how did COVID-19 vaccinations align with COVID-19 daily cases and deaths in the United States; 2) …

Coastal Stormwater Pond Pollutants And The Potential For Development Of Antimicrobial Resistance In Vibrio And Enterococcus Bacteria, Cassandra L. Horton

Theses and Dissertations

The Southeastern coastal plain is the most rapidly urbanizing region in the United States. Associated landscape changes which increase imperviousness lead to hydrological cycle alterations, increasing runoff of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution. Urban and agricultural NPS runoff is generally discharged into stormwater ponds, which sequester chemical contaminants, nutrients, and microbes to reduce loading into coastal ecosystems. Studies of these ponds have indicated elevated levels of trace metals, antimicrobial compounds, and bacterial contamination (SCSGC 2018).

Interactions of aquatic pathogens Vibrio vulnificus and Enterococcus faecium with trace metals (arsenic, copper, zinc) and clinically relevant antimicrobials (triclosan, ciprofloxacin, oxytetracycline) commonly found in coastal …

Experiences Of Stigma, Social Support, And Anxiety In People Living With Hiv In South Carolina, Sarah J. Miller

Theses and Dissertations

People living with HIV (PLHIV) experience numerous psychosocial stressors, including HIV-related stigma and heightened prevalence of mental health disorders such as depression, substance use disorders, and anxiety. However, limited research has investigated predictors of anxiety within this population. This study aimed to explore the relationship between HIV-related stigma and anxiety symptoms among PLHIV in South Carolina (SC) and to examine the role of social support as a mediator for this relationship. A total of 402 PLHIV receiving HIV care at large immunology center in SC completed a paper and pencil survey, reporting sociodemographic variables, as well as experiences of HIV-related …

Characterization Of The Interaction Between Grx4-Bol2 And The Iron-Responsive Transcription Factor Aft1 In Candida Glabrata, Evan A. Talib

Theses and Dissertations

Iron is an indispensable protein cofactor that plays a critical role in biological functions such as cellular respiration. However, excess iron causes cellular damage via the generation of reactive oxygen species. To obtain optimal intracellular iron levels, eukaryotic cells have developed mechanisms to tightly regulate iron levels. The molecular mechanism for iron regulation in the pathogenic yeast Candida glabrata has not yet been explored, although this yeast bears iron regulation pathways that are very similar to the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Understanding how C. glabrata regulates iron levels is critical for the treatment of infections caused by this opportunistic …

Peromyscus Maniculatus Bairdii And Peromyscus Maniculatus Sonoriensis Polymorphisms, Matthew Dixon Lucius

Theses and Dissertations

Sequencing technology has advanced greatly over the past couple of decades. This has led to many studies developing hypotheses based on genomic data. This requires many genomic studies to have up-to-date information on the species’ or subject’s genome being investigated. If a study does not have accurate or up-to-date background information, then they cannot fully develop their theories that are being established. In this study, I utilize outbred Peromyscus maniculatus, deer mice that are genetically diverse, to record the polymorphisms that are found throughout the Peromyscus maniculatus genome. I first explore the differences between the polymorphisms found in Peromyscus …

Greenspace Across The United States: Exploring Equity And Associations With Physical Activity, Obesity, And Health-Related Quality Of Life, Ellen W. Stowe

Theses and Dissertations

Neighborhood greenspace is important for health and well-being but may not be equitably present in neighborhoods across the United States. Also, many adults are physically inactive, have obesity, and report poor health-related quality of life. Greenspace has been tied to these health conditions, but with mixed findings. The purpose of this study was to 1) use an environmental justice perspective to examine variations in 11 measures of greenspace by neighborhood race/ethnicity, income, and rurality in block groups across the contiguous United States and 2) examine 11 greenspace measures in connection to physical activity, obesity, and health-related quality of life in …

Investigating Lack Of Black Students Enrolled In Advanced High School Classes: Choices And Vision, Diane Marie Vrobel

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study utilized a phenomenological qualitative design to examine reasons that eligible Black students use to not register with advance classes. This project investigated how a community of inquiry with adult participants identified and mitigated or removed barriers in a secondary education setting. This eleven-week study during the spring semester incorporated change theory while employing a community of inquiry. Qualitative data from student participants obtained from audio recordings of focus group interviews was transcribed and then shared with the community of inquiry. Adult participants then analyzed student participant data to pinpoint reasons students chose not to register. Next, …

The Divine Consumptive: The Depiction Of Tuberculosis In Jane Eyre, Haley Highfield

Theses and Dissertations

Disease was a constant and unavoidable facet of life in British society during the Victorian Era. Despite the overwhelming prevalence of disease, the true cause of these illnesses remained mysterious until the turn of the century. With the origins of many of these diseases being either unknown or ascribed to mistaken sources, effective treatment was an impossibility. Tuberculosis is a prime example of this conundrum. Even with an estimated twenty-five percent of the British population dying from this particular disease during the nineteenth century, the actual provenance for infection was not discovered until 1882 with Robert Koch’s identification of the …

Exploring New Jersey Public And Public Charter School Nurses' Knowledge Levels And Perceptions Of Food Allergies In Schools: A Mixed Methods Study, Lorelei Lorissa Cheli-Voorhees

Theses and Dissertations

The number of children affected by food allergies in the United States is large and increasing. The potential for life-threatening food-induced allergic reactions presents significant risks for students and schools. In the state of New Jersey, nurses are responsible for managing the risks associated with food allergies in elementary and secondary schools. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore and understand the knowledge, perceptions, policies, and practices of New Jersey public school nurses towards food allergies in schools. The participants were certified school nurses who currently work in public and public charter elementary and secondary schools in …

An Exploration Of Factors That Impact Uptake Of Human Papillomavirus Vaccines, David Samuel Redd

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction The discovery and continued development of vaccines is arguably one of the most important innovations in human history. Vaccination greatly reduces the worldwide incidence and transmission of diseases, preventing permanent injury and premature death. Mass vaccination campaigns have led to the eradication or partial eradication of severe infectious such as smallpox and polio, have reduced childhood mortality, and has led to an overall increase in average health in the human population globally. Despite the documented benefits of vaccination, vaccine hesitancy is increasing, and the uptake of some vaccines is low. Vaccines have been so successful at preventing disease that …

Regulation Of T Cell Activation By The Cd5 Co-Receptor And Altered Peptides, Characterization Of Thymidine Kinase-Specific Antibodies, And Integrating Genomics Education In Society, Kiara Vaden Whitley

Theses and Dissertations

Helper T cells (Th) are a vital component of the immune system responsible for directing other immune cells to eliminate pathogens and cancer. Specifically, Th cells facilitate B cell and cytotoxic T cell (Tc) activation and recruitment and enhance their function against cancer and infectious diseases. Th cells are a valuable resource for improving Tc responses in cancer treatment and have become a focus of immunotherapeutic research. While it is increasingly clear that helper T cells serve an important role, the details about which entities produce an effective Th cell response remain unclear. CD5 is a T cell co-receptor that …

Assessing The Functional Impacts Of Acquired Syphilis In Industrial England, Cassandra Marie Seda Degaglia

Theses and Dissertations

This work identifies and describes pathological skeletal changes associated with and attributable to acquired syphilis and which potentially caused functional impairment within eleven skeletal individuals recovered from five industrial-era London cemeteries. In eight (72.73%), functional impairment was likely or very likely, based on type and distribution of lesions across their skeleton. These impairments likely impacted the individuals’ ability to engage in various forms of physical activity, potentially limiting their economic potential. These results expand our still highly limited understanding of syphilis’s functional impacts within past populations, especially within industrial-era societies, querying longstanding characterizations of tertiary gummatous involvement as benign, while …

Backyard Grower-Consumer Perceptions Of Rabbit Meat Consumption In Rural Mississippi, Mildred Elizabeth Murphree

Theses and Dissertations

Every country in the world is affected by one or more forms of malnutrition. Malnutrition includes three conditions: undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies or excesses, or overnutrition. Obesity is a greater contributor to death than undernutrition. Age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and education level affect obesity. The rates of obesity vary considerably between states and regions of the country. The state of Mississippi is ranked as the poorest state in the nation and Mississippi has the highest adult obesity rate at 40.8% (Farberman & Kelley, 2020).

Rabbit meat production and consumption is a possible solution to malnutrition worldwide (Petrescu & Petrescu-Mag, 2018). …

Understanding The Complexities Of Anemia In Chronic Inflammatory Diseases From Diagnosis To Treatment, Naomi Rae Flindt

Theses and Dissertations

Iron is an essential nutrient for energy and DNA replication. Its homeostasis is commonly perturbed by chronic inflammatory mechanisms. Chronic inflammation upregulates a cytokine, hepcidin, that degrades the iron export protein ferroportin. Without a way to export iron into the bloodstream iron availability in blood becomes depleted. Iron depletion in the blood stream hinders erythropoiesis and is termed anemia. Herein I investigate and inhibit the mechanism of hepcidin activation. Inhibition of hepcidin activation has released iron from tissues and alleviated anemic conditions in a cancer model. I have laid the foundation to investigate this pathway in a 3D spheroid model. …

Elucidating The Relationship Between Self-Reported Disability And Functional Movement In Individuals With Chronic Low Back Pain, Kelsey Ampudia Clark

Theses and Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: Low back pain (LBP) is often exacerbated by movement and, during functional movements, people with LBP tend to inherently modify their posture and movement patterns to avoid aggravating their pain further. Therefore, analysis of spinal movement in people with LBP is necessary and may lead to the identification of movement-based clusters for optimal treatment. PURPOSE: The overall purpose of this study was to investigate how movement patterns in people with chronic LBP relate to their subjective level of pain-related disability. First, we determined which spinal movements best discriminate between people with chronic LBP and asymptomatic controls; second, we ascertained …

The Discovery Of Novel 14-3-3 Binding Proteins Atg9a And Ptov1 And Their Role In Regulating Cancer Mechanisms, Colten Mitchell Mcewan

Theses and Dissertations

14-3-3 proteins are among a family of phospho-binding proteins that are known to regulate many essential cellular mechanisms. By binding to sites of phosphorylation, 14-3-3s are integrated into multiple signaling pathways that govern critical processes, such as apoptosis, cell cycle progression, autophagy, glucose metabolism, and cell motility. These processes are crucial for tumorigenesis and 14-3-3 proteins are known to play a central role in facilitating cancer progression. In this study, my colleagues and I discover two novel 14-3-3 interacting proteins, ATG9A and PTOV1, that are both vital to essential cellular functions and describe various mechanisms that these two proteins regulate. …

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

Theses and Dissertations

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

Examination Of Amphibian Community And Environmental Relationships In South Texas Using Environmental Dna (Edna), Sean Michael Collins

Theses and Dissertations

Developing more efficient tools to assess amphibian biodiversity and understanding what environmental variables drive amphibian biodiversity are top priorities, as amphibians are facing extinction events across the globe. Environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys are a promising new tool to asses amphibian biodiversity. Throughout the study eDNA metabarcoding along with a targeted eDNA assay and traditional survey methods were used to provide foundational information on amphibian community assemblages throughout South Texas. Water quality, habitat characteristics and soil composition data were collected and used to examine environmental relationships. eDNA metabarcoding detected significantly more amphibian taxonomic units compared to traditional survey …

Evaluating The Influence Of The Inclusion Of Liquid Brewers Yeast During Gestation On Ewe And Lamb Performance, Colostrum And Milk Quality, And Transfer Of Passive Immunity In Lambs, Julissa Navarrete

Theses and Dissertations

The microbrewery industry has experienced exponential growth since 2005. As a result, the by-products associated with this industry are becoming increasingly available. One of these by-products is liquid brewers yeast, which is produced in excess during the production of beer. For livestock producers that have access to microbreweries, a potentially economical way to feed their flock would to be repurpose the by-product that would otherwise be disposed. Similarly, microbreweries would benefit from repurposing the liquid brewers yeast as livestock feed, resulting in less waste and a more sustainable beer production system.Researchers have evaluated the effect of liquid brewers yeast supplementation …

Associative Learning In The Monodelphis Domestica Utilizing The Cpa Paradigm, Joseph Caleb Cantu

Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to investigate associative learning in the Monodelphis domestica by utilizing the conditioned place aversion paradigm (CPA). The Monodelphis domestica has been used as an animal model for research in multiple fields; however, there is still little information regarding associative learning or utilizing a CPA paradigm. Expanding the literature of the Monodelphis domestica would be adding to the limited research concerning associative learning utilizing the CPA paradigm.

Quantifying Human Mobility Patterns During Disruptive Events With Geospatial Big Data, Yuqin Jiang

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding human mobility patterns is an essence for geography and geographical information science. Although existing studies have found that human mobility patterns are highly predictable, such patterns can be disrupted by events, ranging from sports games to natural hazard caused evacuations. However, traditional data collection methods that heavily rely on self-reported travel behaviors are often delayed and at a small scale, and thus are often not sufficient to reveal the disrupted human mobility patterns. Fortunately, with the development of geolocating-related technologies, multiple platforms are able to capture human mobility data in unprecedented spatiotemporal scales and granularities. These data, such as …

A Descriptive Analysis Of An Instructional Coaching Process And Its Impact On Student Reading Learning Outcomes, Frederico Leon Rowe

Theses and Dissertations

Instructional coaching has become a widely used method that focuses on improving teacher effectiveness and enhancing professional growth that might help teachers focus on individual needs, growth in teaching and learning, and sharing best practices with others. Instructional coaches have the potential to bridge that gap. The mixed methods study was conducted to describe the instructional coaching process among grades 2 through 5 teachers. The qualitative differences were similarities between the literacy coach’s and the mathematics coach’s procedures and processes in goal setting, observations, meetings, conferences, and feedback. For grades 2 and 3, the non-coaching group had lower pre-reading scores …

Dying Of Pestilence: Gender, Stature, And Mortality From The Black Death In 14th Century Kyrgyzstan, David Wayne Hansen Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Bioarchaeological studies have provided important information about mortality patterns during the Second Pandemic of Plague, including the Black Death, but to date have focused exclusively on European contexts. This study represents a temporal and spatial expansion of plague bioarchaeology, focusing on Central Asia, the origin of the Second Pandemic. I examine the relationship between stature, gender, and plague mortality during an outbreak of plague at two fortified settlements in northern Kyrgyzstan in 1338-39, the earliest archaeological sites known to contain victims of the Black Death in Eurasia.

Stature is frequently used in bioarchaeology as a proxy for exposures to developmental …

Role Of Epigenome In Regulation Of Inflammation By Ahr Ligands 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-P-Dioxin And 6-Formylindolo[3,2-B] Carbazole, Alkeiver Cannon

Theses and Dissertations

Autoimmune Hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the liver mediated by immune cells and characterized by a variety of parameters including circulating autoantigens, elevated immunoglobulin G (IgG) and aminotransferases, and interface hepatitis. Unfortunately, despite treatment with broadly immunosuppressive drugs, the disease progresses to cirrhosis and end-stage liver disease in several cases. In order to develop a more specific treatment, the mechanisms governing the liver injury resulting from inflammation and autoimmunity need to be elucidated.

For decades, activation of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) was excluded from consideration as a therapeutic approach due to the potential toxic effects of AhR …

Unearthing An Emerging Neglected Bacterial Disease: Evidence Of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsioses In El Salvador, Kyndall Christian Braumuller

Theses and Dissertations

The main objectives of this dissertation were to investigate the seroprevalence of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsioses (SFGR) antibodies in a specific vulnerable population at high risk for vector-borne disease in El Salvador, understand the relevant risk factors for SFGR past and acute infection in this same population through logistic regression modeling, and clarify the presence of SFGR bacteria in locally collected ticks.

SFGR are a group of bacterial diseases caused by species in the Rickettsia genus of the phylogenetic spotted fever group. These are tick-borne diseases (TBD) that have been described in almost every region of the world. SFGR are …

Consequences Of Microsporidian Prior Exposure For Virus Infection Outcomes And Bumble Bee Host Health, Elyse Christine Mccormick

Theses and Dissertations

Host-parasite interactions do not occur in a vacuum, but in connected multi-parasite networks. Resulting co-exposures and coinfections during an individual host’s lifetime can affect host health and infectious disease ecology, including disease outbreaks. However, many host-parasite studies examine pairwise interactions, meaning we still lack a general understanding of the influence of co-exposures and coinfections. Using the bumble bee Bombus impatiens, we study the effects of larval exposure to a microsporidian Nosema bombi, implicated in bumble bee declines, and adult exposure to Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV), an emerging infectious disease from honey bee parasite spillover. We hypothesize that infection outcomes …

Investigating The Role Of Amyloid Beta Peptides In Inflammation And Alzheimer’S Disease Pathogenesis, Nguyen Le

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by severe memory decline and cognitive impairments. In AD patients’ brains, aggregates of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides, called amyloid plaques, are hypothesized to trigger innate immune responses that contribute to AD pathogenesis. Interestingly, recent studies demonstrated that an increased level of Aβ protected the host against pathogen infections. Using Drosophila as a model organism, our preliminary data showed that the loss of the Drosophila APP homolog, APPL, led to immune deficits against parasite infection, and that overexpression of Drosophila Aβ produced an inflammatory phenotype. These findings suggested that Aβ might be required …