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Examining Parental Perceptions And Decisions To Uptake Child Influenza Immunizations: Assessing Pandemic And Policy Impacts On Vaccination Rates Following The H1n1 Pandemic, And The Acip Laiv Preferential Recommendation Revocation, Amir H. Mehrabi

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction

2009 H1N1 Pandemic: The historical 2009 H1N1 Influenza pandemic, which had a CDC estimated accrued disease burden of 100.5 million illnesses, 936,000 hospitalizations, and 75,000 deaths from 2009 to 2018, resulted in a declared state of emergency nationally, with ensuing diminished vaccine confidence and amplified fears of infection, prompting some to pursue flu vaccination, and others to forego. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommend an annual flu vaccine for individuals 6 months of age and older as the “first and best” defense against influenza, a low percentage …

Abcesi I Trurit Dhe Kujdesi Infermieror, Mevlude Sejdiu

Theses and Dissertations

Abscesi i trurit (ABCESI I TRURIT) përcaktohet si një infeksion fokal brenda parenkimës së trurit, i cili fillon si një zonë e lokalizuar e cerebritit, e cila më pas shndërrohet në një koleksion qelbi brenda një kapsule të vaskularizuar mirë. Abscesi i trurit duhet të diferencohet nga infeksionet parameningeale, përfshirë abscesin epidural dhe empiemën subdurale. Abscesi I trurit është një sfidë për neurokirurgun sepse nevojiten aftësi të mira klinike, farmakologjike dhe kirurgjikale për të siguruar rezultate të mira klinike dhe prognozë për pacientët abscesi I trurit. Konsideruar një infeksion i rrallë i trurit, abscesi i trurit mund të jetë një …

Fostering Resilience In Correctional Officers, Jon Thomas Arthur Gist

Theses and Dissertations

A significant portion of the literature regarding corrections emphasizes the negative factors and outcomes related to the job. The career of a correctional officer includes a stressful, demanding, and unpredictable work environment. Correctional institutions are struggling to keep a correctional staff that can adapt to internal and external forces. Several studies have shown that correctional officers frequently encounter severe inmate misconduct, resulting in high levels of stress, low job satisfaction, and intentions of leaving the job. However, research begs the question of what makes a correctional officer resilient and functional at work?

No prior study has applied a mixed-methods study …

Maternal Preventive Dental Services Utilization: The Role Of Preconception Oral Health Counseling In And The Association With Birth Outcomes: Evidence From South Carolina Prams, Monique Johnette Williams

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study is to examine maternal preventive dental services utilization by analyzing the role of preconception oral health counseling in utilization of dental cleaning services before or during pregnancy and the association of utilization with preterm birth (<37 weeks) and small for gestational age (SGA) (same sex newborns having birth weight for gestational age below the 10th percentile of the reference population as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO)). Studies suggest that unfavorable maternal oral conditions have significance in birth outcomes, specifically periodontal disease (periodontitis), an oral inflammatory condition which is shown to be a risk factor for preterm birth and low birth weight (Dortbudak et al., 2005; Guimarães et al., 2012; Tejada et al., 2012). Dental cleaning before and during pregnancy is effective in the prevention of oral disease including gingivitis and periodontitis (Johnson et al., 2006; Kurien et al., 2013; Steinberg et al., 2013).

Cross-sectional 2012-2015 data from the South Carolina Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (SC PRAMS) survey, a population-based surveillance system on prenatal, perinatal and postpartum experiences of resident mothers who recently delivered a live-born infant, were analyzed using weighted analyses in SAS. Analyses included demographic univariate analyses, Rao-Scott Chi-squared tests of significance to study differences between groups, and multivariate logistic …

Identifying Seasonal And Daily Variations In Arg-Containing Bioaerosols Generated During The Wastewater Treatment Process, Mirza Isanovic

Theses and Dissertations

Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem with the current global death count topping 700,000. In the United States alone there are 2.8 million antibiotic resistant bacterial (ARB) infections each year and approximately 35,000 deaths. If current trends continue the global ARB death count will reach 10 million surpassing current chronic disease deaths. Wastewater treatment plants play a vital role in protecting both the environment as well as local communities. The WWTP process allows for the removal of chemicals and contaminants from water that eventually makes its way back into the environment as well as into drinking water plants. Despite the …

Effect Of Lifestyle, Medical School Culture And Income On Medical Students' Decision To Pursue A Primary Care Career In Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Abdullah Alhussain

Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to examine the relationship of medical school students who select primary care as their career specialty. Based on extensive literature review, we focused on the three main factors that influence students to consider career specialty: lifestyle, income, and medical school culture. With a paper questionnaire of a cross-sectional study survey at ten medical schools, we were able to collect 1,006 participants from fourth and fifth year students. The clear majority of students considered lifestyle characteristics to be a significant influence in their career decision (PP<.05). Also, we found there was a significant relationship between students’ specialty choices and income variables. The result showed us that medical school culture played a notable role in terms of forming the students’ decisions in different ways. First, specialty characteristics were strongly correlated with career consideration. Second, having advising and mentoring within the medical school enhanced the probability of choosing primary care specialty. Finally, the effect of the primary care course was significant and closely related to the choice of the primary care specialty. In conclusion, the study demonstrated the impact of lifestyle, income, and medical school culture on student career selection. These results are in parallel with previous studies conducted in many countries around the world.

Application Of The “Idisco” Full-Brain Tissue Clearing Method: A View Of Dopamine And Inflammation In The Hiv-1 Transgenic Rat, Kristin Nickole Kirchner

Theses and Dissertations

The iDISCO (immunolabeling-enabled three-dimensional imaging of solvent-cleared organs) method is a quick, inexpensive, and easily adaptable tissue staining and clearing procedure that allows neuroscientists to study a protein of interest in a whole, unaltered tissue sample. While the iDISCO method was initially tested and validated for mice embryos and brains, the current experiment sought to adapt the method for use in the rat using HIV-1 transgenic (Tg) rat brain tissue. Antibodies for tyrosine hydroxylase and Iba-1 were validated in the HIV-1 Tg rat and in F344/N control rats using iDISCO. Confocal images were taken of tyrosine hydroxylase positive neurons in …

Investigation Of The Sequence-Structure-Activity Relationship In Ponericin L1 From Neoponera Goeldii & Synergistic Interactions Of Ionic Liquids And Antimicrobials To Improve Efficacy, Alexandria S. Senetra

Theses and Dissertations

Non-traditional antimicrobials have been an area of great interest due to the increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) & ionic liquids (ILs) are two examples that have been investigated as a potential solution. Most AMPs are naturally derived & exhibit high selectivity against bacterial targets over host cells. The venom-derived peptide, ponericin L1 from Neoponera goeldii, was used to investigate the role of cationic residues & net charge on peptide activity. Using both in vitro & microbiological methods, L1 peptide & derivatives exhibited an alpha-helical conformation with enhanced binding to lipid vesicles containing anionic lipids …

The Effect Of Supplementation With Selected Micronutrients On Dementia And Osteoporosis, Rafik Soliman

Theses and Dissertations

People had done everything they are capable of to stay young; however, aging is a definite process that could not be tricked. Aging results in cognitive memory impairments and osteoporosis which affects mobility. Memory impairment is the inability to encode information. It has been common to hear people complaining from this disease not only in the process of aging but also at young ages. That is why this topic has been grabbing the attention of not only concerned candidates but also scientists and media. In this study, we will tackle both dementia and osteoporosis, where in the first arm Alzheimer’s …

Development Of A Semi-Quantitative Methodology For Evaluation Of Whole-Body Chemical, Biological, Radiological, And Nuclear Decontamination Using An Ultraviolet Fluorescent Aerosol, Emily M. Titus

Theses and Dissertations

This work describes a literature review which was conducted on publicly available literature on chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) decontamination to understand the body of knowledge and gaps in this body of knowledge, including the assumption that disrobing after a CBRN incident will remove 90% of contamination. Also included is a description of the design and characterization of an aerosol test chamber which was constructed for use in this research. Finally, the bulk of this work describes the development of a semi-quantitative methodology for visualizing contamination. This method uses an ultraviolet fluorescent aerosol (to simulate contamination by a chemical …

Synthesis Of Bacterial Surface Glycans For Conjugate Vaccines, Teron D. Haynie

Theses and Dissertations

Bacteria are coated with repeating units of oligosaccharides that exhibit remarkable diversity. Often, glycan units of three or even two sugars are sufficient to identify a species of bacteria. Such specificity makes bacterial surface glycans attractive vaccine targets. However, efforts to create effective vaccines against carbohydrates have been hampered by poor vaccine design as well as the human immune tendency to respond to glycan antigens with non-specific, T-cell independent mechanisms. As a result, carbohydrate vaccines have historically produced only adequate memory responses in healthy individuals and poor responses in the elderly or immunocompromised. To circumvent these issues, a novel conjugate …

The Mother-Infant Dyad: Reconstructing Maternal Nutritional Status At Put Dragulina Cemetery, Julianne Marie Paige

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates maternal nutritional status through the analysis of young infants (N=27) that are likely pre-weaned from two Roman occupational periods at Put Dragulina. Because young infants are solely dependent on the nutritional status of their mother while in utero and postpartum through the consumption of breast milk, the presence of skeletal pathologies positively associated to nutritional deficiencies on the remains of young infants can be analyzed to reconstruct the nutritional status of the infant’s mother. This study finds that 89% (N=24) of young infants, regardless of occupational period, presented with skeletal pathologies consistent with nutritional deficiencies. These results …

The Prevalence And Mode Of Persistence Of Salmonella On Commercial Poultry Processing Equipment After Sanitization Procedures, Tomilola Olofunke Obe

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence and mode of persistence of Salmonella on commercial poultry processing equipment was examined in this study. The equipment surfaces of six commercial processing plants were sampled over three-time periods designated as A (after processing), B (after cleaning), and C (after sanitization) and each plant was visited three times. Salmonella prevalence was greater (p<0.0001) at time A than times B and C, while there were no differences (p=0.386) between times B and C. A total of twentyive Salmonella isolates from five distinct serovars were recovered from the processing plants. Further examination of the recovered isolates showed that tolerance to sanitizing agents (chlorine and quaternary ammonium compounds, QAC) and/or biofilm formation was the possible mode of persistence. In addition, all the isolates were resistant to multiple antibiotics in different classes of drugs and more than two genes that are responsible for ⅰ). biofilm formation, ⅱ). resistance to QAC, ⅲ). oxidative stress response, and ⅳ). resistance to antibiotics were detected. Three selected isolates were further characterized based on virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance using whole genome sequencing (WGS) to possibly predict phenotypic characteristics. The WGS data correlates with phenotypic characteristics that were previously observed in the isolates including the ability to produce biofilms and resistance to antibiotics including β-lactams, aminoglycosides, and cephalosporins. WGS predicted the isolates carried resistance genes for antibiotic drug classes that were not observed phenotypically. These include macrolides and fluoroquinolone, which is a concern due to its use in treating foodborne infection. Furthermore, the genome of the three selected isolates were predicted to have over sixty virulence genes that allow Salmonella to invade, attach, and colonize the host cells. The results from this study suggest that the antimicrobials used for sanitization may be insufficient to inactivate Salmonella because of the ability to produce biofilms on processing surfaces. Most importantly, the results suggest the ability of the isolates to cause infection in humans meaning if contamination were to occur, the right antibiotic treatment could be a challenge. Further research is imperative to determine the effective antimicrobial for Salmonella biofilms.

Assisted Reproductive Technologies In Male Ambystoma Tigrinum With Application To Threatened Newt Species, Amanda Gillis

Theses and Dissertations

The world is currently facing an amphibian extinction crisis and wild salamanders and newts (Order: Caudata) are the most disadvantaged with 52% of species threatened. Captive breeding programs are been established to act as assurance colonies, but they are overwhelmingly failing due to the lack of environmental cues to stimulate reproduction and other factors. Therefore, assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are being developed to overcome these barriers. This project expands upon the limited existing information on caudate ART through studies in the model species, Ambystoma tigrinum, for application to threatened species. Specific objectives included the characterization of motility longevity in artificially …

Biomolecular Analysis Of An Insect Of Economic Importance, The Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle, Selene Perales Sanchez

Theses and Dissertations

Insect-human interactions are very complex; one example is the relationship between humans and the multicolored Asian lady beetle (ALB; Harmonia axyridis). ALB, a native to Asia, was introduced into North American agricultural fields and orchards as a biological control agent for aphids and other soft-bodied insects. However, it is considered a pest by some humans as it invades houses in the fall and winter months. Additionally, ALBs feed on fruits when aphids are scarce, and the hemolymph secreted by ALBs contaminates fruit and affects the taste of fruit products. ALBs invasive behavior has led to concern that this non-native species …

Intraspecific Variability Of Edwardsiella Piscicida And Cross-Protective Efficacy Of A Live-Attenuated Edwardsiella Ictaluri Vaccine In Channel And Channel × Blue Hybrid Catfi, Adrian Lopez Porras

Theses and Dissertations

Incidence and prevalence of Edwardsiella piscicida has increased in Mississippi farm-raised catfish in recent years. Edwardsiella piscicida affects mostly market-sized catfish during the final stages of the production cycle resulting in significant economic losses. The objectives of this study were to determine the genetic variability of E. piscicida, assess virulence in channel and hybrid catfish, and evaluate the capacity of a live-attenuated E. ictaluri vaccine to protect channel and hybrid catfish against heterologous E. piscicida isolates. This work identified five discrete E. piscicida lineages, along with group specific associations of several virulence related genes. In general, E. piscicida was shown …

Exploring The Vaginal Microbiome In Relation To Pregnancy Status And Reproductive Performance In Brangus Heifers, Riley Messman

Theses and Dissertations

Most research evaluating the effects of the reproductive tract microbiota on reproductive performance has been done in humans, thus far. In bovids, reproductive microbiota research is not as advanced, with preliminary conclusions, not supported by contamination checks or repeatability. Our studies concluded that endogenous reproductive hormones, days of gestation, and pregnancy status does not change the overall vaginal microbiota composition. Although, the overall composition did not change there were species level differences. These differences could have implications in reproductive performance and fertility in heifers. Heifers that undergo nutrient restriction have similar vaginal microbiota to adequately fed heifers with no species …

The Long-Term Persistence And Tissue Tropism Of Brazilian Zika Virus In Monodelphis Domestica, Marisol Morales

Theses and Dissertations

Zika virus (ZIKV) rose as a major public health concern due to the congenital abnormalities of infants born to infected mothers during the 2015 Latin American outbreak. While animal models such as transgenic mice and nonhuman primates are used to study ZIKV pathogenesis, they display various limitations. Additionally, the persistence and tissue distribution of long-term ZIKV infection remains unknown. We describe the laboratory opossum, Monodelphis domestica, as a potential new model for ZIKV pathogenesis research to address these issues. We utilized immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR, and ELISA to show that: infant animals inoculated intracerebrally were susceptible to infection, ZIKV infection persisted …

A Study Of Covid-19 Mortality Under Varying Patient Frailty, Alison N. Sifuentes

Theses and Dissertations

Modeled the spread and mortality of COVID-19 throughout the city of Chicago. By incorporating group frailty into a classic SEIR infectious disease model, we were able to differentiate the population of Chicago by their response to COVID-19. Three age groups with different COVID-19-induced death rates were examined, and the model sought to showcase the multiplicative deviation of each age group death rate from the average disease-induced death rate. This adjustment for different death rates among age groups accounted for heterogeneity within the population, and sought to introduce a more accurate manner for modeling the spread of infectious diseases.

A Study Of The Efficacy Of Machine Learning For Diagnosing Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease In Non-Diabetic Patients, Demond Larae Handley

Theses and Dissertations

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 18.2 million adults age 20 and older have Coronary Artery Disease in the United States. Early diagnosis is therefore of crucial importance to help prevent debilitating consequences, and principally death for many patients. In this study we use data containing gene expression values from peripheral blood samples in 198 non-diabetic patients, with the goal of developing an age and sex gene expression model for diagnosis of Coronary Artery Disease. We employ machine learning methods to obtain a classification based on genetic information, age and sex. Our implementation uses feed forward …

Kujdesi Infermieror Tek Pacientet Me Pneumoni, Gentiana Dauti

Theses and Dissertations

Hyrja Pneumoni në mjeksi është inflamacion i parenkimës mushkërore e shprehur në gjuhën popullore, ndezje e mushkërive.Pneumonia është një infeksion në njëren apo të dy mushkëritë. Mund të shkaktohet nga bakteret, viruset ose kërpudhat. (https://sq.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumonia)

Qëllimi Qëllimi kryesorë i këtij studimi është që ta kuptojmë se cilët janë faktorët që ndikojnë në shfaqjen e sëmundjes së pneumonisë, cilat mosha janë më të prekura nga kjo sëmundje, cila gjini atakohet më shumë si dhe këshillimi infermierorë rreth parandalimit të pneumonisë. Metodat Metodologjia është pothuajse pjesa më e rëndësishme e këtij punimit, ky studim përdor një përzierje të metodave të mbledhjes së …

Making Elearning Engaging: The Effect Of Technology Strategies On Student Engagement And Content Knowledge Development In A Secondary Mathematics Digital Classroom, Allison Knapp

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study employed a mixed-methods design to examine the effect of technology strategies on secondary students’ engagement and development of geometry content knowledge in an eLearning setting. Seeking to understand student preferences of the technology tools, this two-week study was conducted during a geometry unit on quadrilaterals and employed the following technology tools: student response systems (SRS), computer-assisted instruction (CAI), gamification, and teacher-made screencasts. Quantitative data was collected on student engagement, the usefulness of the technology, and student self-efficacy through a Likert-scale survey after each day of using technology. Qualitative data were collected through purposeful interviews with students …

Vertical Transmission And Venereal Transmission Of Zika Virus In A Population Of South Texas Aedes Aegypti, Jeremy Marshall

Theses and Dissertations

Zika virus has become a greater global public health concern from the occurrence of outbreaks in 2007 and its expansion to the Americas in 2015. The presence of Aedes aegypti in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and evidence of local transmission of Zika in Brownsville, Texas provides a need to research transmission dynamics of local populations. In these experiments, a locally acquired, laboratory colony of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were infected with a blood meal featuring a Mexican isolate of Zika virus to display vector competency, vertical transmission, venereal transmission. Here, we infected 39 females, with 34 of them displaying evidence …

Determinants Of Nutrition Agenda Setting In The Context Of The Double Burden Of Malnutrition In Tamil Nadu, India, Shilpa Vimalananda Constantinides

Theses and Dissertations

The double burden of malnutrition is increasing in low- and middleincome countries, with economic, social, and health consequences. Policies and programs to address malnutrition at the national and subnational levels reflect the priorities and framing of the problem by the stakeholder community. Previous studies have examined if and how nutrition-related NCDs have been included into national nutrition policy agendas that have historically focused on reduction of undernutrition, but little is known about if or how this process occurs at the subnational level where policies are translated and implemented according to local contexts, priorities, and frames of nutrition-related NCDs.

We aimed …

Aging With Hiv In The United States: Trends And Impact Of Hospital Stays On Inpatient Resource Utilization, And Costs Of Care, 2003-2015, Khairul Alam Siddiqi

Theses and Dissertations

Background:

Due to advances in Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), people living with HIV (PLWH) live longer in the United States. Aging prolongs exposure to HIV and antiretroviral drugs, which could lead to an elevated risk of developing multiple age-related comorbidities [HIV Associated Non-AIDS (HANA) conditions], earlier for PLWH. Higher comorbidity burdens among older PLWH may require greater use of inpatient care, i.e., higher hospitalization, inpatient resource utilization, and costs. This study examined the trends and characteristics of comorbidities, resource utilization, and costs of hospital stays with HIV (HSWH) compared to hospital stays without HIV (HSWOH). We also assessed trends for resource …

Temporal Differences In The Emission And Atmospheric Dispersion Of Particulate Matter From Waste And Drinking Water Treatment Facilities, Abdulmalik Alsaif

Theses and Dissertations

Many countries encounter a growing shortage of water, and the reuse of treated or untreated wastewater is their main source. Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) are mainly designed to remove organic nutrients, large solids, and chemical substances. There are some possible issues regarding WWTPs that are close to residential areas around the world. One of the environmental effects from WWTP that might cause air pollution would be the emission of toxic chemical gases and microorganisms via aerosols that transport bacteria as well as viruses and fungal spores which can be harmful to human health. Therefore, particulate matters (PM) and metrological parameters …

Understanding The Influence Of Changing Climate On Mycotoxin Contamination Of Food And Indoor Fungi-Mediated Respiratory Illness, Mayomi Helen Omebeyinje

Theses and Dissertations

Over the years, climate change has been a major core issue in public and environmental health. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that about 250,000 additional death per year would be attributed to climate change between 2030 and 2050 if this situation persists. Since our population depends on (but not limited to) the availability of clean water, good air quality, and exposure to environmental hazards/pathogens, the overall health impact caused by climate change is likely to be overwhelming in the nearest future. This dissertation explored the influence of climate change on fungi diseases and pathogenesis after severe weather conditions (hurricanes …

The Role Of Chromatin Remodeling Protein And Transcriptional Repressor, Ing4, In Hematopoiesis Regulation, Melanie Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

The hematopoietic compartment is tasked with the establishment and maintenance of the entire blood program. Key to this process are hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which possess the unique ability to self-renew and differentiate to replenish blood cells throughout an organism’s lifetime. In a screen for epigenetic regulators of hematopoiesis in zebrafish, we identified chromatin remodeling protein and transcription repressor, Ing4, as a requirement for hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) specification. Ing4, a member of the inhibitor of growth (ING) family, is a subunit of the HB01-JADE-hEAF6 histone acetyltransferase complex responsible for most nucleosomal histone H4 acetylation in eukaryotes. Ing4 …

Rapid Vertical Flow Assay On Aunp Plasmonic Paper For Sers-Based Point Of Need Diagnostics, Richard Frimpong

Theses and Dissertations

SERS based immunoassays for point-of-care diagnostics is a promising tool to facilitate biomarker detection for early disease diagnosis and control. The technique is based on a sandwiched system in which antigen is first captured by a selective substrate and then labeled by an extrinsic Raman label (ERL). Here, we report on the use of gold nanoparticle modified filter paper as a novel capture membrane in a vertical flow format. This vertical flow configuration affords reproducible flow of sample and label through the capture substrate to overcome diffusion limited kinetics and significantly reduced assay time. The filter paper was selected due …

Adsorption Behavior Of Chemically / Charged Modified Antibodies On Gold Nanoparticles, Samuel Okyem

Theses and Dissertations

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been exploited in the various domains of science such as drug delivery, bio-sensing, immunoassays and environmental sensors, due to their optical properties and intriguing surface chemistry. Different scientific procedures have been used to effectively immobilize antibodies onto AuNPs. Although acceptable outcomes have been achieved in the immobilization of antibodies onto AuNPs, the sensitivity of these immobilized antibodies to target antigen or binding sites is limited due to improper orientation of the antibodies. Also, the possibility of nanoparticle aggregation when exposed to proteins limits its biomedical applicability.

There is some evidence that the surface charge of antibodies …