Comparison Of Cytokine Expression And Bacterial Growth During Periparturient And Mid Lactation Mastitis In A Mouse Model, Rhonda Nicole Chronis

Theses and Dissertations

Clinical cases of bovine mastitis are most severe in the early stages of lactation. The causes of this increased propensity for severe mastitis during early lactation, compared to mid and late lactation are unclear. In order to better understand the early lactation immune response to mastitis, a murine model of mastitis was employed. Intramammary inoculation of a mastitis causing Escherichia coli strain was performed in lactating mice at various stages of lactation to model the immune response seen in cows during lactation. In our experiments, mice in the early stages of lactation exhibited altered mRNA expression of cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, …

Characterization Of Aggresome Formation In Choroid Plexus Carcinoma., Marwa Mohamed Ali Nassar

Theses and Dissertations

Protein misfolding is inevitable, 30% of newly synthesized polypeptides can end up misfolded, and such proteins are either refolded or eliminated by cellular quality control pathways. These pathways include the ubiquitin proteosome system and autophagy. In recent years, protein misfolding has been implicated in the pathophysiology of many diseases such as diabetes, neurological disorders and cancer. Studies from our laboratory have shown that choroid plexus carcinoma tumors are characterized by the formation of aggresomes at the microtubules organizing centers (MTOC) in formalin fixed and paraffin embedded (FFPE) tumor tissues. This was further confirmed by the development of choroid plexus carcinoma …

What Does Silence = Now? An Analysis Of Past And Present Discourse Surrounding Hiv/Aids, Emily A. Moner

Theses and Dissertations

This essay examines how the HIV/AIDS epidemic was first addressed in the context of politics, media and the general public and subsequently how that compares to the ways in which it’s currently being discussed using popular forms of communication such as Facebook, Twitter and other forms of social media.

African Wild Dog, Lycaon Pictus, Coloration Patterns And Social Aggregation, Ayong J. Kim

Theses and Dissertations

Packs of African wild dogs, Lycaon pictus, were analyzed for coloration patterns and social aggregation tendencies. Mapped locations determined if the coat patterns followed a geographic distribution that corresponded to Southern or Eastern phenotypic forms. Social aggregation tendencies were observed to determine grouping behavior presumably related to individuals’ roles.

The Role Of Universal Stress Proteins In Edwardsiella Ictaluri Virulence, Ali Akgul

Theses and Dissertations

Edwardsiella ictaluri is an intracellular Gram-negative pathogen, causing enteric septicemia of catfish (ESC). Universal stress proteins (USP) are important in bacterial virulence, but the role of USPs in E. ictaluri virulence is not explored yet. Our aim was to analyze gene expression of 13 usp (usp01-usp13) and 7 USP-interacting genes (groEL, groES, dnaK, dnaJ, clpB, grpE, and ppGpp) under low pH, H2O2, catfish serum, and in vivo stress conditions, construct USP mutants, and determine mutants’ role in E. ictaluri virulence. We found that usp05, usp07 and usp13 genes were highly expressed under all stress conditions, while groEL, groES, dnaK, grpE, …

Off-Host Biology And Ecology Of Immature Gulf Coast Ticks (Amblyomma Maculatum Koch) In Mississippi, Jose Santos Portugal

Theses and Dissertations

Little is understood about off-host behavior and ecology of immature Amblyomma maculatum Koch (Gulf Coast tick). A more complete understanding of this tick is essential to protect human and animal health. My research focused on seasonality and distribution of immatures in Mississippi, potential suitability of some insect and human hosts to larvae, and aspects of nymphal questing behavior. A single larva was collected (third off-host collection reported) when sampling A. maculatum habitat using a novel device. Collection of this larva in November expands the stage’s known seasonality and confirmed a prediction concerning seasonality of larval A. maculatum. Low frequency of …

Development And Application Of Polyclonal Antibody Based Proximity Ligation Assays In Detecting Antigenic Variants Of Influenza A Viruses, Brigitte Elizabeth Martin

Theses and Dissertations

Influenza A virus (IAV) is a zoonotic pathogen which consists of a large genetically and antigenically diverse viral population. Swine IAVs not only cause disease outbreaks among swine, but can also be transmitted to humans, causing sporadic infections and even pandemic outbreaks apart from human seasonal IAV. Antigenic variant identification is fundamental for an effective vaccination program. Red blood cell based immunological tests have been used to identify antigenic variants among circulating IAV strains. Because these assays require viral isolation, they are time consuming and labor intensive. Thus only limited numbers of virus isolates are subjected to antigenic characterization in …

Characterization Of Myxozoan Parasites Associated With Catfish Aquaculture In Mississippi With Notes On The Development Of H. Ictaluri In Susceptible And Non-Susceptible Catfish Hosts, Thomas Graham Rosser

Theses and Dissertations

Myxozoans are cnidarian parasites of primarily freshwater and marine fish, with some being important pathogens of aquacultured fish species worldwide. Their life cycles have waterborne actinospores released from aquatic annelid definitive hosts and myxospore stages in fish intermediate hosts. In the southeastern United States, catfish aquaculture is burdened by annual losses to a myriad of infectious diseases. Henneguya ictaluri, the causative agent of proliferative gill disease in channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus and female channel catfish x male blue catfish Ictalurus furcatus hybrids, is the most commonly diagnosed parasitic disease of catfish in Mississippi. Other myxozoans infect these ictalurid fish, but …

Effect Of Sub-Lethal Chlorine Stress On The Homologous Stress Adaptation, Antibiotic Resistance, And Biofilm Forming Ability Of Salmonella Enterica, Tomilola O. Obe

Theses and Dissertations

The effect of exposure to sub-lethal chlorine stress on Salmonella enterica serotypes Typhimurium and Heidelberg was examined in this study. Both serotypes demonstrated an acquired tolerance to chlorine with the adapted cells growing in concentrations above the MIC. Chlorine induced a morphological change to the rugose variant in Salmonella. The biofilm formation of the adapted and control cells was tested on food-contact surfaces at room temperature and 37°C. The chlorineapted rugose formed stronger biofilms (P < 0.05) when compared to smooth (adapted and control) on both surfaces tested and at both temperatures. The possibility of crossaptation to antibiotics and low pH was evaluated. Adapted rugose showed reduced susceptibility against some of the antibiotics tested. Chlorine does not aid in the survival of Salmonella enterica at low pH. Chlorine stress can select for tolerant Salmonella cells that attach strongly to food-contact surfaces and after some time may become less susceptible to antimicrobials.

Effects Of Non-Digestible Fiber Of Common Beans And Dietary Selenium On Gut Microbiota, Hsin-Yi Lu

Theses and Dissertations

Dietary composition can impact colonization and composition of gut microbiota. The first aim of this dissertation was to evaluate the effect of dietary Se deprivation, sex and, aging on taxonomic composition of gut microbiota in mice. We have previously shown that long-term dietary Se deprivation promotes health span deteriorate including type-2 diabetes like symptoms in later state Terc-/- mice carrying humanized telomeres. In the present study, the data suggested that the dietary Se deprivation and aging significantly and comparably altered the gut microflora composition. The ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes was decreased by dietary Se deprivation or aging in both sexes. Abundance …

Utilization Of Buffered Vinegar To Inhibit The Growth Of Listeria Monocytogenes On Marinated-Cooked Chicken Breast, James Leland Butler

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of buffered vinegar in a marinade solution on inhibiting Listeria monocytogenes growth on cooked broiler breast meat. Broiler breasts were vacuum-tumbled for 30 min in a marinade consisting of dry (0%, 0.4% DV, 0.6%DV, and 0.8%) or liquid vinegar (1.5%), sodium chloride, sodium tripolyphospate, and water. The chicken breasts were then cooked to an internal temperature of 75°C. The breast meat was inoculated with L. monocytogenes, placed into modified atmosphere packaging, and stored at 2°C plus/minus 2 for 0-60 days. L. monocytogenes growth was stable on treatments for up to …

A Study Of A Turn Of The 20th Century Skeletal Collection From Memphis, Tn, Stephen Michael Davis

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a comparative and descriptive study of a turn of the 20th century human commingled skeletal collection from Memphis, TN. The Memphis Regional Forensic Center (MRFC) collection is over four hundred elements recovered in various states of fragmentation. This study focused primarily on the occurrence and prevalence of anatomical cutting and osteoarthritis of the MRFC collection in comparison to contemporary osteological samples to provide insight into a subset of people living in late 19th/early 20th century Memphis, TN. In the framework of biocultural theory, it was discovered that the MRFC collection likely represented individuals subjected to “structural violence” …

Topics In Group Testing With Multiple Infections, Peijie Hou

Theses and Dissertations

Group testing, dating back to the early 1940s, was first proposed to screen for syphilis among US inductees during World War II (Dorfman, 1943). Since then, the benefits of reducing testing costs by employing group testing have been demonstrated in many areas, such as drug discovery, genetics, and infectious disease testing. Traditionally, statistical research in group testing has largely been motivated by applications involving a single infection. With the recent development of multiplex assays that can diagnose multiple infections simultaneously, generalizing the existing group testing literature to incorporate multiple infections is a natural and necessary next step. This dissertation consists …

Multi-Type Branching Processes Model Of Nosocomial Epidemic, Zeinab Nageh Mohamed

Theses and Dissertations

The potency of an infectious disease to spread between different types of susceptible individuals in a hospital determines the fate of controlling nosocomial epidemics. I use a multi-type branching process with a joint negative binomial offspring distribution to study nosocomial epidemics. In particular, I estimate the basic reproduction number R0 and study its relationship with the offspring distribution’s parameters at different and fixed number of generations. Also, I study the effect of contact tracing on estimates of R0.

Mathematical Modeling Of Mers-Cov Nosocomial Epidemic, Adriana Quiroz

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis concerns about the analysis and modeling of spread of an infectious disease inside a hospital. We begin from the basic knowledge of the simple models: SIR and SEIR, to show an appropriate understanding of the epidemic dynamic process. We consider the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus (MERS-CoV), in Saudi Arabia, to introduce MERS-CoV SEIR ward model by developing different systems of equations in each ward (unit). We use the Next Generation Matrix method to calculate the basic reproduction number R0. Simulations of different scenarios are done using different combination of parameters.

To model MERS-CoV we established …

Disease Modeling Using Fractional Differential Equations And Estimation, Daniel P. Medina

Theses and Dissertations

Ordinary differential equations has been the most conventional approach when modeling spread of infectious diseases. Effective research has shown that using fractional-order differentiation can be a very useful and efficient extension for some mathematical models. In this thesis, fractional calculus is used to depict an SEIR model with a system of fractional-order differential equations. I also simulate the fractional-order SEIR using integer-order numerical methods. I also establish the estimation framework and show that it is accurately working.

Part (I): Synthesis, Characterization And Antibacterial Activity Of Vanadium(V) Complexes With Ons Schiff Bases Part (Ii): Synthesis Of 9-Cd₃-11-Cis-Retinal For The Investigation Of The Activation Mechanism Of Gpcr Rhodopsin By Solid-State ²H Nmr Spectroscopy, Samira M. Faylough

Theses and Dissertations

Vanadium compounds are known to play many roles in both biology and industry, and the biochemical activity of these compounds has led to their increased importance in both biological and medical research. In the present work, some new substituents for hydrazinecarbodithioate Schiff base ligands and their dioxo vanadium(V) complexes were synthesized and characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, DART mass, FT-IR, UV-vis, fluorescence spectrometer, and single X-ray diffraction analysis for complex K[VO₂{(S-benzyl-3-(2-hydroxy-5-nitrophenyl) methylene dithiocarbazate)}] (212). Dioxovanadium(V) complexes K[VO₂{(S-methyl-3-(2-hydroxy-5-nitrophenyl)methylenedithiocarbazate)}] (211) and 212 have been tested for antibacterial activity against Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei strains. Ceftazidime was used as a reference …

Antimicrobial Biomaterials And Sustainable Polymers From Renewable Biomass, Mitra Shiran Ganewatta

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, development of antimicrobial biomaterials and sustainable polymers from renewable biomass is described. In Chapter 1, an overview and recent development about sustainable polymers from renewable biomass, antimicrobial biomaterials and polymerization methods are given. Afterwards, the major research objectives of this doctoral research work are described.

Innovative cationic polymers containing pine resin sourced abietic acid is discussed in Chapter 2. The preparation of cationic compounds is conversed via a combination of Diels-Alder, catalytic esterification, quaternization and subsequent decoration of polycaprolactone that was prepared via ring-opening polymerization (ROP). Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity against a range of bacteria, biocompatibility with …

Economic Burden Of Tuberculosis Among Bangladeshi Population And Economic Evaluation Of The Current Approaches Of Tuberculosis Control In Bangladesh, Mohammad Rifat Haider

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is major scourge for human history and causes profound economic burden. Bangladesh is a high burden TB country with 12% of its annual death is caused and 362 thousand people are infected by TB. DS-TB is the most prominent type of TB found in Bangladesh and a 6 month drug regimen (2 month intensive and 4 month continuation phase) is followed. But the directly observed treatment short-course (DOTS) differ in delivery through community health workers (CHW) and community members (CM). Bangladesh has also experienced surge in the number of MDR-TB cases with a 29% of MDR-TB cases …

Ahead In Our Bulletin … Examining Kenyans’ Perceptions Of Cancer Messages In Television News And Use Of These Messages, James Ndone

Theses and Dissertations

Using the data collected from 212 participants, this study examined the perceptions that

Kenyans have toward television news with cancer messages and how the audiences use the messages. Using both close-ended and open-ended survey questions, this study investigated the motives that Kenyans have prior to watching news, how these motives affect their frequency of watching such news, how engaged they are with the news, their views of such news, how television news contribute to their knowledge about cancer, and their personal experiences with cancer.

Some of the results suggest that the motives that Kenyans have are to gain knowledge on …

Cytotoxic And Antimicrobial Effects Of Silver-Containing Surfaces, Sarah Goderecci

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines applications of sputtered silver coatings as alternatives to traditional antibiotic treatments. Given the increase in reports of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, new treatments and coatings for in-dwelling medical devices such as catheters and orthopedic implants are necessary. Silver oxide films were deposited onto Ti surfaces to examine the efficacy of such coatings against a variety of bacterial species both in vitro and in vivo. Bacterial growth studies showed that coatings exhibited antimicrobial activity against a range of bacterial species acting either in a bacteriostatic or bactericidal mechanism, depending on the target. Limited toxicity to in vitro mammalian cells was …

Assessing And Improving Student Understanding Of Tree-Thinking, Tyler A. Kummer

Theses and Dissertations

Evolution is the unifying theory of biology. The importance of understanding evolution by those who study the origins, diversification and diversity life cannot be overstated. Because of its importance, in addition to a scientific study of evolution, many researchers have spent time studying the acceptance and the teaching of evolution. Phylogenetic Systematics is the field of study developed to understand the evolutionary history of organisms, traits, and genes. Tree-thinking is the term by which we identify concepts related to the evolutionary history of organisms. It is vital that those who undertake a study of biology be able to understand and …

Examining Fifth-Grade In-School Physical Activity Patterns And How Many Days Of Monitoring Are Needed, Tyler R. Langosch

Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to examine in-school physical activity patterns among fifth-grade students residing in a Midwestern community. Variables observed were minutes of vigorous + activity, vigorous activity, moderate activity, easy activity and very easy activity along with steps and calories expended. A secondary purpose of this study was to determine the minimum number of days necessary to estimate mean physical activity levels, as both moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and steps per day, in fifth-grade students using objective physical activity monitors across two semesters. METHODS: Activity patterns were assessed during two school semesters, spring (N = 82 …

Encapsulation Of Essential Oils In Chitosan Nanoparticle Formulations And Investigation On Their Antioxidant And Antibacterial Properties., Amro Abdel Azeem Shetta

Theses and Dissertations

Peppermint oil (PO) and Green Tea oil (GTO) are two essential oils (EOs) were encapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles (CS NPs) via two-steps method (emulsification followed by ionic gelation). Encapsulation of GTO and PO in CS NPs were investigated through different characterization techniques such as; Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). Both NPs (CS/PO NPs and CS/GTO NPs) showed a spherical shape with 20-90 nm size range as detected by Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to study the thermal stability of both bulk and encapsulated EOs that showed an enhancement in the thermal stability …

Efforts For Improving Buildings Conditions In Public Schools In Egypt : Swot Analysis Of Two Governmental Renovation Programs, Nagwa Ibrahim

Theses and Dissertations

The buildings conditions of public schools are a key component of Egypt's education reform plan. Recently, the Ministry of Education introduced a number of reforms to improve the public schools conditions. These reforms include renovation programs focusing on solving all the damages inside public schools and make them safe for the students. This study relies on qualitative research methods through structured and semi-structured in-depth interviews with several ranks in the education sector for schools improvement .Interviews covered those people involved in two governmental renovation programs, which are the One Hundred Schools Development Program and the National Renovation Program including supervising …

The Potentials For Corporatization Of Public Hospitals: The Case Of Egypt, Mohamed Fayek Abdelaleem

Theses and Dissertations

With changing health landscape across the globe, increasing burden of chronic diseases, increasing citizens expectations that accompanied by cost limitations, health reform becomes inevitable for Egyptian health system to maximize benefits and overcome challenges. Reform might include healthcare service provision, health policies, workforce planning or public health programs strategies. New Public Management concepts and principles represent the basis for many of reform plans since its emerging in the early 1990s. Many countries have used New Public Management guiding principles to shape its health reform program. Egypt is undergoing a reform plan across the whole sectors through Egypt 2030 plan announced …

Development Of Immuno- Nanoparticles For Targeting Schistosoma Parasites, Eman Rabie Abdul-Ghany

Theses and Dissertations

Praziquantel (PZQ) is the drug of choice for treatment of schistosomiasis since its discovery in 1972. According to World Health Organization (WHO), schistosomiasis is the second most prevalent parasitic disease worldwide that has no effective vaccine yet. Schistosoma parasites infect more than 200 million people in about 76 countries and about 700 million people are at risk.PZQ is not only used for treatment of schistosomiasis, but it is also used for control of other parasitic diseases and it is included on the Model List of Essential Medicines of WHO. Parasitic diseases, despite their significant global burden, have been rather under …

The Assessment Of Burnout And Resilience In Correctional Officers, Vera A. Klinoff

Theses and Dissertations

Correctional Officers are responsible for responding to emergency/crisis situations in correctional settings. Research shows that their work is characterized by numerous psychological stressors that vary by degree and intensity, which can lead to compromised job performance and, ultimately, job burnout. Despite the increased attention directed to the problem of occupational stress in first responders among other professions over the past several years, virtually no investigations have focused on correctional officer resilience. The purpose of this study was to: (a) identify whether select positive personal variables (i.e., hope, optimism, social support) are associated with increased resilience, (b) determine the extent to …

Discovery Of Mor Selective, Reversible Opioid Antagonist For Potential Use In Treatment Of Drug Dependence, Abdulmajeed Jali

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

DISCOVERY OF MOR SELECTIVE, REVERSIBLE OPIOID ANTAGONIST FOR POTENTIAL USE IN TREATMENT OF DRUG DEPENDENCE

Abdulmajeed M. Jali, M.S.

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2017

Director: Dana E. Selley, Ph. D., Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Opioid dependence/addiction is a major public health problem that is associated with multiple health and social costs. Pharmacotherapeutic treatment has been relatively effective, but the risk of relapse after treatment remains high. Naltrexone, an opioid antagonist, is FDA-approved for long-term maintenance therapy to reduce relapse risk. However, naltrexone …

Modulating The Innate Immune Response To Electrospun Scaffolds And Polymer Degradative Byproducts, Daniel Abebayehu

Theses and Dissertations

Implanted biomaterials often induce inflammation that frequently leads to the foreign body response, fibrosis, and the failure of the implant. Thus, it is important to evaluate how cells interact with materials to promote a more regenerative response. It is critical to determine how to modulate the response of tissue resident innate immune cells, as they are among the first cells to interact with implanted materials. Among tissue resident innate immune cells are mast cells, which are inflammatory sentinels that degranulate and orchestrate the fate of other cell populations, such as monocytes/macrophages and lymphocytes. Mast cells have also been reported to …