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Hematological And Histopathological Changes Associated With Chronic Diazinon Exposure In Alligator Gar, Atractosteus Spatula, Ahmad Salem Omar Ali

Theses and Dissertations

Extensive use of the organophosphate diazinon has led to its accumulation in aquatic environments and negative effects on fish health. Most studies focus on the effects of short term exposure to high levels of organophosphate pesticides. This research was conducted to assess the effect of chronic sub-lethal exposure to 0, 0.01, and 0.1 mg/L diazinon for 15 and 30 days on blood parameters and histopathological damage in alligator gar, Atractosteus spatula. Fish exposed to either concentration were motionless, produced excess mucous, had lighter skin color, and had skin lesions. Blood indices of red blood cells, leukocytes and hematocrit values significantly …

Identifying Molecular Mechanisms Of Immunomodulation By Staphylococcal Superantigens In Humans, Juyeun Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Superantigens are exotoxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus and induce extensive T cell proliferation and proinflammatory cytokines, leading to toxic shock syndrome at high concentrations. However, the role of superantigens produced at relatively low concentrations during asymptomatic colonization or chronic infection has not been well established. In this dissertation, we demonstrated that stimulation of human PBMCs with staphylococcal enterotoxin C1 (SEC1) at the dose inducing a half maximal T cell proliferation (suboptimal stimulation) induced immunosuppressive CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ and CD8+CD25+FOXP3+ T cells. The suppression of these cells was mainly mediated by the galectin-1. We found that suboptimal stimulation with SEC1 induced differential activation …

A Feel For The Whole: Considering State-Specific Quality Measures For Medicare's Value-Based Programs In The Context Of Social Risk Factors And Population Health, Kimberly K. Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are used as a measure for federal value-based payment programs. Using data for 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed newer risk adjustment models to calculate the standardized infection ratio (SIR) for various infections occurring in hospitals. New national baselines were set to compare performance among medical facilities and states. Despite adjustments for various facility-level factors that contribute to HAI risk, there are ongoing concerns that SIR calculations do not adequately account for non-hospital risk factors that have been linked to clinical outcomes. This explanatory study evaluates state-level data using simple linear regression to …

Mexican American Counselor And Client: Perceptions Toward Substance Use Disorders, Eluterio Blanco Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Over 28.6 million Americans have admitted to the ongoing use of illicit drugs and more than half of Americans are current alcohol drinkers yet a significant number of these people do not seek treatment. Trends regarding substance-related treatment have shown Hispanic drug users tend to underutilize drug and alcohol services and treatment avoidance is especially prevalent among Mexican Americans who reside along the US-Mexico border, due in part to the stigma associated with substance use. In addition, counselor attitudes as well as student counselors-in-training attitudes are showing a manifestation of the same kind of stigma toward substance use as the …

Out Of The Shell: Exploring The Phagocytic Capabilities Of The B Cell And Isolated Lymphoid Follicle-Lie Structures In The Red-Eared Slider, Trachemys Scripta, Marc A. Ashford Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Management of immunity is crucial for survival in all living organisms. While there is a large amount of research for established model organisms, such as the mouse model, much less is known about reptiles. When compared to immunity in mammals, we discover many differences such as susceptibility to certain pathogens, alteration of immune processes due to environmental temperature, the total absence of certain lymphoid organs contained in mammals, among many others. Despite this, the reptile has shown in many studies that they are worthy systems to study immunity in an evolutionary perspective and recent studies may show that they may …

Working Women: Agricultural Intensification, Osteoarthritis In Females, And Subadult Health In Illinois Woodland And Mississippian Mortuary Contexts, Paige M. Dobbins

Theses and Dissertations

Temporal variation was examined in female labor associated with subsistence modifications in pre-Columbian human osteological samples from the Mississippi River valley of west-central Illinois related to weaning patterns, diet, and overall health status of subadults. This study was performed on a sample of 173 burials constituting 98 subadults and 75 adult females from temporally sequential Illinois mortuary contexts (Albany [11WT1], Kuhlman [11A163], Schroeder [11HE177], and Dickson [11F10] Mounds) that represent the transition from Middle Woodland hunter gatherers to Mississippian maize agriculturalists. This was accomplished by (1) scoring pattern and degree of dental attrition and dental caries in subadults, (2) identification …

Multiplexed Optofluidics For Single-Molecule Analysis, Matthew Alan Stott

Theses and Dissertations

The rapid development of optofluidics, the combination of microfluidics and integrated optics, since its formal conception in the early 2000's has aided in the advance of single-molecule analysis. The optofluidic platform discussed in this dissertation is called the liquid core anti-resonant reflecting optical waveguide (LC-ARROW). This platform uses ARROW waveguides to orthogonally intersect a liquid core waveguide with solid core rib waveguides for the excitation of specifically labeled molecules and collection of fluorescence signal. Since conception, the LC-ARROW platform has demonstrated its effectiveness as a lab-on-a-chip fluorescence biosensor. However, until the addition of optical multiplexing excitation waveguides, the platform lacked …

A Comparison Study Of Disease Spreading Models, Douglas Nogueira Oliveira

Theses and Dissertations

Epidemic diseases have become one of the major sources of concern in modern society. Diseases such as HIV and H1N1 have infected millions of people around the world. Many studies have attempted to describe the dynamics of disease spreading. Despite the numerous models, most only analyze one aspect of a given model, such as the impact of the topology of a contagious network, or, the spreading rate of disease. Although useful, these types of analyses do not provide insights into how different models could be combined to better understand the phenomenon, or how the modeling decisions affect the dynamics of …

A System Dynamics Innovation Diffusion Model Applied To Carbon Nanotube Manufacturing, Frances G. Mackinnon

Theses and Dissertations

The transition of advanced technologies from their nascent state to viable commercial entities is a critical step in assuring the United States' national technological superiority and support is often required to incubate such technological developments. We propose a spiral development to investigate the possible scenarios, underlying economics, and risk associated with scaling up carbon nanotube (CNT) production to a commercially viable scale. As the first stage of this proposed effort, this study characterizes the potential scenarios by which a CNT manufacturing company can generate positive annual net revenue and potentially be considered a competitive manufacturer of CNT products on an …

The Determination Of The Biological And Biochemical Properties Of Four Purified Commercial Lectins From The Leguminosae, Karla M. Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on the determination of the biological and biochemical properties of four purified commercial lectins from the Leguminosae. The anti-HIV reverse transcriptase activity of the lectins from Arachis hypogaea, Dolichos biflorus, Erythrina crista-galli, and Glycine max have not yet been reported. In addition, their antifungal, and antibacterial activities against Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans, Chaetomium globosum, Rhizopus stolonifer (+), Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterococcus faecalis are not yet known. All of these microorganisms have developed resistance to treatments in the last few years. Consequently, this study characterizes and compares the lectin activities of A. hypogaea, D. …

Latent ;Toxoplasma Gondii; Infection Moderates The Association Between The C677t Mthfr Polymorphism And Cognitive Function In U.S. Adults, Andrew Nathan Berrett

Theses and Dissertations

Sufficient blood concentrations of folate and the products from its metabolism arenecessary for several cellular functions. The C677T MTHFR polymorphism, present in over halfof the U.S. population, reduces the efficiency of folate metabolism and has been linked to theonset of multiple psychiatric disorders and cognitive decline. The intracellular parasiteToxoplasma gondii can infect the human brain and is associated with increased prevalence ofpsychiatric disorders and cognitive decline. In vitro studies have found that Toxoplasma gondiimay salvage unmetabolized folate from host cells. Since the C677T MTHFR polymorphism andinfection by Toxoplasma gondii both affect folate metabolism or availability, I used data fromthe third …

Lipid Nanocapsules For Brain Targeting Of Nimodipine, Karim Mohsen

Theses and Dissertations

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is the leading cause of death in stroke patients who suffer from vasospasms with incidence of 70%. SAH prevents sufficient oxygen supply to the brain causing ischemia and death. FDA approved only nimodipine (NM) for treatment of vasospasm associated with SAH. Nevertheless, NM has poor pharmacokinetic properties, which limit its clinical efficacy. NM is susceptible to first-pass metabolism and has low solubility and thereby poor bioavailability. The objective of this study is to assess the nose-brain pathway in brain targeting of NM-loaded lipid nanocapsules (LNCs) after intranasal administration. Solvent-free phase inversion temperature technique was used to prepare …

Latent Toxoplasma Gondii Infection Moderates The Association Between The C677t Mthfr Polymorphism And Cognitive Function In U.S. Adults, Andrew Nathan Berrett

Theses and Dissertations

Sufficient blood concentrations of folate and the products from its metabolism are necessary for several cellular functions. The C677T MTHFR polymorphism, present in over half of the U.S. population, reduces the efficiency of folate metabolism and has been linked to the onset of multiple psychiatric disorders and cognitive decline. The intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii can infect the human brain and is associated with increased prevalence of psychiatric disorders and cognitive decline. In vitro studies have found that Toxoplasma gondii may salvage unmetabolized folate from host cells. Since the C677T MTHFR polymorphism and infection by Toxoplasma gondii both affect folate metabolism …

Structural Stress And Otherness: How Do They Influence Psychological Stress?, Christine Dewilde

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The Theory of Cultural Distress offers a framework for understanding the potential outcomes in patients who do not receive care that incorporates their cultural beliefs (DeWilde & Burton, 2017).This study represents initial steps in researching the theory byexploring the layering of stressors that place the patient at risk for Cultural Distress. Methods: Utilized aCross-sectional descriptive correlational analysis of intersecting identities (Structural Stressors), ethnicity-related stressors (Otherness) and ethnic-identity (Otherness) to develop understanding of the potential effects of these variables on psychological stress. Independent variables included intersecting identities, perceived ethnic discrimination, concern for stereotype confirmation, own group conformity pressure, and …

The Effects Of Cultural Participation On Health Outcomes Among American Indian/Alaska Native Elders, Collette Adamsen

Theses and Dissertations

American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) history represents a number of traumatic events inflicted upon each tribal generation that has yet to recover. These events have led to major consequences on the health of this population. AI/AN people experience the worst health disparities in the nation (Espey et al., 2014; Warne & Lajimodiere, 2015). Previous studies have shown that loss of land, cultural devastation, and inadequate health care access are associated with the high rates of health disparities endured by AI/AN people throughout North America (Walters, et al., 2011). AI/AN beliefs tell us that culture serves a fundamental role in managing good …

Evaluation Of Movements And Habitat Use Of Suburban Striped Skunks (Mephitis Mephitis) In The Northern Great Plains To Inform Rabies Management, Anna Schneider

Theses and Dissertations

Few studies have investigated the ecology of urban striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) despite their role as a primary rabies vector species paired with an ability to thrive in these landscapes. Our aim was to obtain baseline ecological information with an emphasis on spatial ecology of urban striped skunks in the Northern Great Plains region that is missing in the literature. This information, such as home range, nightly movements, habitat selection, and denning behavior is important for informing rabies management decisions such as the placement of oral rabies vaccine (ORV) baits. We used radio telemetry equipment to track 22 (4M, 18 …

Ontology-Guided Pre-Release Inference Disruption, Mark Stephen Daniels

Theses and Dissertations

We investigate privacy violations occurring when non-confidential patient data is combined with medical domain ontologies to disclose a patient’s protected health information (PHI). We propose a framework that detects privacy violations and eliminates undesired inferences. Our inference channel removal process is based on controlling the release of the data items that lead to undesired inferences. These data items are either blocked from release or generalized to eliminate the disclosure of the PHI. We show that our method is sound and complete. Soundness means the only inference paths generated logically follow from released data and corresponding domain knowledge. Completeness means we …

Assessing Exposure To Occupants In An Indoor Space Due To Expirated Aerosols: Application Of Computational Fluid Dynamics, Firoza Binte Omar

Theses and Dissertations

Indoor environment is an important issue for the well-being of the society. In the United States more than 90% people spend their time indoor, indoor air pollution is more culpable than the pollution outside air. Two third of US businesses lose more than $100,000 per year due to workplace related illness. The trend of sharing the work space has an impact on total sick leaves in a company. Infectious particles released by a flu sufferer’s sneezing, coughing or even laughing can be a vital source. A thorough analysis on infectious particles’ transmission and air flow of the space can provide …

Adjusting For Mis-Reporting In Count Data, Gelareh Rahimighazikalayeh

Theses and Dissertations

Any counting system is prone to recording errors including underreporting and overreporting. Ignoring the misreporting pattern in count data can give rise to bias in the estimation of model parameters. Accordingly, Poisson, negative binomial and generalized Poisson regression have been expanded in some instances to capture reporting biases. However, to our knowledge, no program has been developed to allow users to apply all of these models when needed. In the first part of the dissertation, we review the available models for underreported counts and develop a Stata command to estimate Poisson, negative binomial and generalized Poisson regression models for underreported …

Emotional Precipitants Of Withdrawing Behavior In Couple Interactions, Jason Cencirulo

Theses and Dissertations

The demand-withdraw pattern of communication -- a cyclical pattern of interaction in which criticism and emotional or physical exit predominate -- is common amongst couples in distress and is linked to a number of deleterious health and relational outcomes. Inherent in the pattern are individual and dyadic difficulties regulating emotion that contribute to the process of polarization between demanding and withdrawing parties. While numerous therapeutic modalities target the pattern and attempt to facilitate its reduction through a focus on emotions underlying the pattern, few -- if any -- studies have examined the exact nature and quality of emotions that precipitate …

A Comparison Of The Antimicrobial Efficacy Of Silver Diamine Fluoride And Silver Nitrate: An Ex Vivo Study, Reham M. Alnajjar

Theses and Dissertations

A comparison of the antimicrobial efficacy of silver diamine fluoride and silver nitrate on various cariogenic bacteria: an ex vivo study By: Reham AlNajjar, D.D.S.

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2019

Thesis Advisor: William Dahlke, D.M.D., Associate Professor and Chair of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry

Purpose: The use of silver-based antimicrobials is an emerging method for the treatment of dental caries. In this study, the authors compare the efficacy of the two most prominent silver- based therapeutics, silver diamine …

Examination Of Energy Needs And Hormone Levels In Male Endurance Athletes, Erin Moore

Theses and Dissertations

A plethora of literature examining the physiological consequences associated with deficits in energy availability (EA) for female athletes exists, however literature examining male athletes is sparse. Purpose: To determine the effects of high exercise energy expenditure (EEE) on Male Triad symptoms (EA with or without an eating disorder [ED], reproductive hormones Testosterone [T] and Luteinizing hormone [LH], and bone mineral density [BMD]) and other metabolic markers (Insulin, Leptin, Cortisol and Interleukin-6 [IL-6]) in endurance-trained male athletes. Methods: We utilized a cross-sectional design on 14 endurance trained male athletes (age: 26.4 + 4.2 yrs.; weight: 70.6 + 6.4 kg; and height: …

A Quasi-Experimental Study On The Effectiveness Of Ccr&R Ta/Coaching On Child Care Center Licensing Compliance, Wenjia Wang

Theses and Dissertations

High quality in early care and education is critical for children in their early ears and has a lasting benefit through their lives. Research in various fields such as education, medicine, psychology, economics. has provided evidence of positive outcomes for children who have been exposed to safe, rich, and engaging environments in their early years through high quality early care and education. The baseline of child care quality is providing protection for children by establishing regulations on health and safety areas such as response to disease, fire and other building safety, injury, abuse and neglect, adequate supervision, and developmentally appropriate …

Constructing Scientific Knowledge: The Understanding Of The Slow Virus, 1898-1976, Burke Hood Dial

Theses and Dissertations

Scrapie is the ovine form of the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. The understanding of scrapie as a slow viral disease was developed through an international scientific dialogue during the first half of the twentieth century. British investigators used epidemiological and experimental observations to define its very long incubation period before the appearance of symptoms. This enabled French researchers to prove scrapie could be transmitted from sick to healthy animals and allowed them to define the etiological agent as an ultramicroscopic, filterable virus. Following this, an Icelandic scientist, Björn Sigurdsson, investigated two other ovine diseases characterized by unusually long periods between contracting …

Housing Status, Patient Characteristics, And Ed Utilization Associated With Medication Prescribing At Ed Discharge Among Homeless And Nonhomeless Adults In Urban Hospitals In The United States, Lauren Cox

Theses and Dissertations

This cross-sectional study used a weighted sample of ED visits contained in the 2010-2015 years of the National Hospital Ambulatory Care Survey-Emergency Department (NHAMCS-ED) dataset. The purpose of this study was to: 1) identify differences in predisposing, enabling, and need characteristics, and ED use and medication prescribing characteristics between homeless and nonhomeless ED users; 2) assess the association between housing status and medication prescribing at ED discharge, and identify variables contributing to the disparity in medication prescribing between homeless and nonhomeless ED users; and 3) assess the predisposing, enabling, need, and ED use characteristics that predict medication prescribing at ED …

Bed And Breakfast: The Role Of Sleep And Affect In Breakfast Intake, Ashley R. Macpherson

Theses and Dissertations

Breakfast intake is associated with numerous positive physical and mental health outcomes, yet breakfast skipping remains common in adults. Chronotype and sleep show potential as predictors of breakfast intake; however the existing literature has methodological limitations and fails to examine how psychological mechanisms might explain the relation between sleep and breakfast. The current investigation explored the association of means and variability of sleep behaviors (bedtime, midsleep, sleep duration) as predictors of breakfast intake frequency and high-protein breakfast intake frequency. Additionally, the role of positive and negative affect as mediators in the sleep—breakfast association was examined. Hierarchical regressions and PROCESS parallel …

Using The Frog Epidermis To Uncover Desmosome Function And Regulation In The Developing Embryo, Navaneetha Krishnan Bharathan

Theses and Dissertations

The desmosome is one of the major cell adhesion junctions found in the epithelia, heart, and hair follicle. Described as a “rivet” that hold cells together, it provides these tissues with the integrity to withstand the tremendous forces they face in everyday life. Defects in this junction can lead to devastating diseases where patients are susceptible to skin infections and cardiovascular defects. Limited treatments exist for diseases of the desmosome, and strategies do not target all symptoms. Therefore, delineating the function and regulation of desmosomes is of paramount importance for the development of prevention and treatment strategies. The Xenopus laevis …

The Influence Of Clinically Meaningful Factors On The Performance Of The Recommended Annual Diabetic Foot Screening, Trisha A. Sando

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Diabetic foot ulcers are the result of multiple complications from hyperglycemia and lead to poor quality of life and high healthcare costs. The annual diabetes foot screening exam (ADFSE) and prevention interventions can reduce DFUs up to 75%. In 2015, 71% of the US population received the ADFSE.

Objectives: The main objectives of this dissertation were: 1) to determine the association between adherence to diabetes self-management behaviors and the ADFSE, 2) to determine the association between concordant and discordant comorbidities and the ADFSE and 3) to determine the association between the performance of diabetes preventive care processes, number of …

Glycolytic Atp Production Is Required For Innate Mast Cell Activation And Is Limited By Lactic Acid, Which Effectively Reduces Lps-Induced Cytokine Production In Mast Cells And In Vivo, Heather Caslin

Theses and Dissertations

The metabolic pathways required for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production within the cell are well understood, however recent publications suggest that metabolic pathways are closely linked to immune cell activation and inflammatory diseases. There has been little examination of the metabolic pathways that modulate mast cell activation and the feedback regulator lactic acid. Here we examine metabolic pathways and regulation within mast cells in the context of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interleukin (IL-33) activation, for which there has been little to no reported studies. First, we examine the effects of lactic acid, previously considered only a by-product of glycolysis and now understood …

Lps-Induced Inos Mrna And The Pro-Apoptotic Signaling Pathway In Leukocytes Of Fit And Unfit Males, Tiffany M. Zuniga

Theses and Dissertations

Overexpression of the enzyme iNOS induces apoptotic cellular death by increasing indices of pro-inflammation and oxidative stress. Aerobic physical activity has been known to have anti- inflammatory benefits and reduce oxidative stress. Purpose: Therefore, this study aimed to examine the impact of aerobic fitness on LPS-induced iNOS mRNA expression and the relationship of this expression with indices of oxidative stress, pro-inflammation and apoptosis in isolated leukocytes. Methods: Whole blood samples from aerobically fit and unfit males were stimulated with and without LPS. Thereafter, iNOS mRNA expression and MDA, TNF-α and p53 concentrations were analyzed. Results: iNOS mRNA expression levels following …