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Tthe Rad9-Rad1-Hus1 Complex And Bif-1 Regulate Multiple Mechanisms That Affect Sensitivity To Dna Damage, Cheryl L. Meyerkord

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The resistance of cancer cells to traditional chemotherapeutic agents is a major obstacle in the successful treatment of cancer. Cancer cells manipulate a variety of signaling pathways to enhance resistance to anticancer agents; such mechanisms include disrupting the DNA damage response and hyperactivating survival signaling pathways. In an attempt to better understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie resistance to chemotherapeutic agents, we investigated multiple processes regulated by the Rad9-Rad1-Hus1 (9-1-1) complex and Bif-1. The 9-1-1 complex plays an integral role in the response to DNA damage and regulates many downstream signaling pathways. Overexpression of members of this complex has been …

Measuring Culture Change As An Evaluation Indicator: Applying Cultural Consensus Analysis To Cultural Models Of Lymphatic Filariasis In Haiti, Kelly M. Simpson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: This project explores the links between shared cultural beliefs in the illness domain, specific to lymphatic filariasis, and a support group program implemented in three Haitian towns. The purpose is to introduce an innovative approach to evaluation, the cultural model evaluation technique (CM Evaluation), as well as gain an understanding of the shifting cognitive belief structure around the cultural domain of lymphatic filariasis in the Haitian setting as associated with a support group intervention.

Method: The sample population was comprised of 241 women across three sites in Haiti: Archaie, Cabaret, and La Plaine. Data were collected from longitudinal surveys …

Access To Health Care Services: A Case Study In Hillsborough County, Florida, Jaime Nodarse

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The UpliftU® program is a long-term residential program for women and families who are homeless or at risk for homelessness. This program is one part of a larger, community-based non-profit organization serving low-income and homeless families in Hillsborough County, Florida for over 35 years. This program is not an emergency shelter program, but rather offers up to 18 months of participation in a self-sufficiency program to single women and families. The goal of the program is to prevent future homelessness for residents by helping them to reach their highest level of self-sufficiency. After volunteering at this organization for nine months, …

“This Isn’T Like Diphtheria, You Know?”: The Sociocultural Context Of Human Papillomavirus Immunization, Potential Mandates, And Narratives Of Risk Among, Hannah Louise Helmy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many in the biomedical community have praised the recently released Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, Gardasil, for having the potential to significantly reduce the disease burden of cervical cancer and genital warts. However, complex intersections of ideology, morality, and politics have made this new vaccine considerably contested, particularly as public debate has turned to the ethics of state-mandated HPV vaccination for 11-12 year old girls. Subsequently, the extent to which mandatory vaccinations are accepted by parents and implications regarding the infringement of these coercive measures on their rights to make health care decisions for their children has become powerfully positioned in …

Impact Of Seizure-Related Variables And Psychopathology On Health-Related Quality Of Life In Pediatric Epilepsy, Aja M. Meyer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Psychopathology typically is a lasting condition that is persistent from childhood to adulthood. Therefore, it is imperative that children with health conditions and comorbid psychiatric disorders are treated for both conditions as they are likely to have a significant negative impact on children's overall health-related quality of life (HRQL). More specifically, it is important to identify the variables that affect HRQL in children with epilepsy. Research has shown that biomedical variables such as seizure severity and frequency have only moderate relationships with HRQL; therefore, additional factors, such as depression and anxiety, must be identified so that they also may be …

Vectors Of Brevetoxins To Marine Mammals, Leanne J. Flewelling

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mass mortalities of Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) have been attributed to brevetoxins produced by the Florida red tide dinoflagellate Karenia brevis. The multiple routes through which marine mammals can be exposed to brevetoxins have complicated efforts to understand the mechanisms that lead to mass mortality events. In spring of 2002, 34 endangered Florida manatees died in southwest Florida, and in spring of 2004, 107 bottlenose dolphins died in the Florida Panhandle. These events provided unique opportunities to make clear connections between ingested brevetoxins and marine mammal mortalities without the …

Luminex Microsphere Immunoassay Offers An Improved Method In Testing For Antibodies To Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus In Sentinel Chicken Sera, Kelly Ann Fitzpatrick

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus has a human mortality rate of 30% of those cases diagnosed, while 30% of those surviving infection remain with neurological sequelae for life (CDC.gov, 2007).

The use of sentinel chickens for surveillance of arboviruses that are known to use birds as a reservoir host, such as St. Louis Encephalitis (SLE), West Nile (WN) virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and Highlands J (HJ) virus, in Florida began with the Sentinel Chicken Arboviral Surveillance Network in 1978 (Day and Stark, 1996). This network enables the activation of an early warning system for citizens, as well as, county epidemiologists …

Sustainable Control Of Ascaris Lumbricoides (Worms) In A Rural, Disease Endemic And Developing Community: A Systems Approach, Monica Annmarie Gray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Parasitic infections, inadequate sanitation, and poor nutrition represent major etiologies that operate in synergy to cause some of the world's most disabling diseases. Citizens of developing nations, especially children living in rural areas, are the most affected. Current research and subsequent interventions have attempted to solve these issues using vertical interventions aimed at minimizing specific health outcomes. This approach does not consider the interaction among causes and the interrelationship between human beings and their environment. Challenges solved in this manner often fail to produce sustainable results or worse, create new problems.

This project proposed the systems approach framework to address …

Etiological Characterization Of Emergency Department Acute Poisoning, Abdmalek S. Khlifi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Poisoning is frequently associated with psychological and physiological co-morbidities that can be assessed in order to improve patients' management and reduce cost. The primary objective of this study is to conduct a review of emergency department (ED) poisonings to characterize its demographics and assess associated co-morbidities. The second objective is to explore correlation between personal history of diseases and poisonings. Predictors for poisonings and its outcomes were investigated and risk factors for suicidal poisoning and how it relates to mental illnesses were explored. Six hundred and forty nine cases admitted to ED between 2004 and 2007 were studied. Results indicate …

Dental Hygienists' Beliefs, Norms, Attitudes, And Intentions Toward Treating Hiv/Aids Patients, Barbara Clark-Alexander

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a great demand and need for oral health care during the course of HIV disease (HIV Costs and Services Utilization Study; Marcus et. al., 2005). HIV+ patients identified three key barriers to obtaining oral health treatment: 1) beliefs and attitudes of dental health care providers (DHCPs) may have lead to their unwillingness to treat HIV/AIDS patients; 2) the existence of racial and ethnic disparities in health care in the United States, and 3) how DHCPs perceive their risk of contracting HIV. The fear and stigma associated with treating patients with HIV further compromises their access to care and …

Development Of An Ecological Model To Predict Risk For Acquisition Of Clostridium Difficile-Associated Diarrhea During Acute Care Hospitalization, Susan Elaine Steele

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: The traditional model of infection control has failed to stop the spread of emerging infectious diseases such as Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) in the acute care environment. Ecological models, which rely upon identification of susceptible hosts, offer an alternative to the prevention of deadly outbreaks. Previous epidemiological research has identified a number of risk factors associated with CDAD. Utilization of this body of research by nurses is limited due to methodological issues that introduce bias and confounding, and use of variables that have limited meaning to the practicing clinical nurse.

Aim: The aim of this study was to …

The Association Between The Measles, Mumps, And Rubella Vaccine And The Development Of Autism: A Meta-Analysis, Rashad Carlton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Autism is a childhood developmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction, difficulty with verbal and nonverbal communication and limited activities. The root cause of autism is unknown. However it has been postulated that administration of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine may be causally related to the development of autism. MMR vaccination is a requirement for entry into schools, so any increase in adverse events associated with the vaccine carries widespread public health importance.

The primary objective of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of the association between the MMR vaccination and the development of autism. The meta-analysis …

Multiple Modes Of Mdmx Regulation Affect P53 Activation, Daniele M. Gilkes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

MDMX has emerged as a negative regulator of p53 transcriptional activity following DNA damage, loss of ribosomal integrity, and aberrant mitogenic signaling. Disruption of rRNA biogenesis by ribosomal stress activates p53 by releasing ribosomal proteins from nucleoli which bind MDM2 and inhibit p53 degradation. We found that p53 activation by ribosomal stress requires degradation of MDMX by MDM2. This occurs by L11 binding to the acidic domain of MDM2 which promotes its E3 ligase function preferentially towards MDMX. Further, unlike DNA damage which regulates MDMX stability through ATM-dependent phosphorylation events, ribosomal stress does not require MDMX phosphorylation suggesting p53 may …

Florida Red Tides: Public Perceptions Of Risk, Sara E. Allen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research integrates the theoretical implications of risk perception, the social amplification of risk, and the role of place-specific contexts, in order to explore the various perceptions surrounding Florida red tides. Florida red tides are a naturally-occurring event, yet most scientists agree that they are increasing in frequency, duration, and severity. This has profound implication for public health, the local economy, and the biological community. While many of the negative impacts are not easily controllable at this time, some of the secondary impacts can be mitigated through individuals' responses. Unfortunately, public perceptions and consequent reactions to red tides have not …

End Of Life Issues Among Hispanics/Latinos: Studying The Utilization Of Hospice Services By The Hispanic/Latino Community, Iraida V. Carrión

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on how terminal diagnoses impact individuals and families within the Hispanic/Latino community. Hispanic/Latino hospice caregivers, Hispanic/Latino non-hospice caregivers and physicians participated in the study, which explores the utilization of hospice by Hispanic/Latino terminally ill individuals. The data collected from 30 semi-structured interviews, ethnographic participant observations, and archival data were analyzed using structured and statistical analysis. Verbatim transcripts were examined through a combination of ethnographic and content analysis. Barriers related to language and culture, as well as immigration, are critical themes that impact access to healthcare. The physicians' discourses relate patients' responses to terminal diagnoses, including the Hispanic/Latino …

Glyconanobiotics: Novel Carbohydrated Nanoparticle Polymers, Thotaha Wijayahewage Sampath Chrysantha Abeylath

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Carbohydrates on the cell surface conjugates to proteins and lipids and participates in biological processes as glycoconjugates. Carbohydrate functionalized nanoparticles (glyconanoparticles) constitute a good bio-mimetic model of carbohydrate presentation at the cell surface and are currently centered on many glycobiological and biomedical applications. The most of the applications have been reported using gold glyconanoparticles. A brief review of gold glyconanoparticles and some of their applications will be discussed in Chapter I. Although metallic, semiconductor and magnetic glyconanoparticles have been reported, no polyacrylate glyconanoparticles have yet to be described.

Chapter II describes the first preparation of carbohydrate functionalized polymer nanoparticles by …

Defining Service Quality In An Outpatient Clinic With Complex Constituency, Swati Verma

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The 2001 Institute of Medicine's (I.O.M.) landmark report, Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century observes that, "[though] medical science and technology have advanced at a rapid pace,...the health care delivery system has floundered in its ability to provide consistently high-quality care" (I.O.M. 2001). The report recommended six quality aims for a twenty-first century health care system; one of them being patient-centered care. It explains patient-centered care as "providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions" (I.O.M. 2001). This …

The Association Between Internet Use And Characteristics Of Social Networking For Middle Aged And Older Adults, David L. Hogeboom

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that strong social networks have a positive effect on physical and psychological well-being. Research suggests that Internet use may affect social networks. However it is not clear if Internet use has a positive or negative effect on social networks. One theory suggests that Internet use displaces face-to-face contacts and off line social participation. Another theory suggests Internet use replaces high quality face-to-face ties with weaker online ties. Other studies however suggest the Internet has a positive effect on social networks. Because older adults have shrinking social networks, but may have more discretionary time than other age …

Antibody Targeting Of Non Ionic Surfactant Vesicles To Vascular Inflammation, Elizabeth D. Hood

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and particularly atherosclerosis is a leading cause of morbidity in the developed world. Atherosclerosis and the rupture of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque cause 70% of deaths from CVD. The progression of atherosclerosis has been identified as a pathological inflammatory process. Targeting atherosclerotic drug therapies to inflammatory markers has emerged as an important and growing research area. The adhesion molecule CD44 has been implicated in the onset and build-up of atherosclerotic lesions throughout the course of development. The research in this dissertation is aimed at targeting anti-inflammatory therapy to activated vascular endothelium with directed with an anti-CD44 antibody, IM7, …

Between Knowledge & Practice: Factors That Influence The Operationalization Of Sexual Health Knowledge In African American Female College Students, Jamae F. Morris

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper explores some of the factors that influence whether African American female college students implement safe sex knowledge. High rates of HIV/AIDS and other sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) in the black community and the overrepresentation of individuals under the age of 25 in sexually-transmitted infection (STI) reports indicate the need for research that investigates the physical, social, and cultural aspects of high-risk sexual behaviors and the factors that influence them for this group. African American female college students present a unique challenge to sexual health educators; a challenge that has been relatively under acknowledged and under addressed in research and …

The Reaction To Economic Globalization In Latin America: A Case Study Of Argentina, Lisa A. Warner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since Washington Consensus policies became predominant in the 1980s, two sides of the economic globalization debate have developed: advocates claim that trade liberalization, deregulation, privatization and reduced state spending increase growth and therefore reduce poverty, while critics claim that levels of poverty and income disparity have worsened at the same time that social welfare and education programs have suffered budget cuts. Over the past decade, as many Latin Americans have failed to see promised results to alleviate poverty stemming from the "lost decade" of the 1980s (and beyond), they have elected "leftist" presidents that campaigned on anti-economic globalization (or anti-neoliberal) …

An Investigation Into The Antifungal Activities Of N-Thiolated Beta- Lactams Against Selected Candida Species, Marci Culbreath

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

β-lactam antibiotics have long been a reliable course of treatment for bacterial infections. However, with recent increases in resistance and rising populations of immunocompromised patients new β-lactams have been synthesized and tested. The Turos laboratory has recently discovered novel β-lactams that have a mode of action distinct from penicillin and other β-lactam antibiotics as cell lysis is not observed. In the current investigations, these compounds are shown to also have antifungal properties. The rising incidence and prevalence of invasive fungal infections has become an increasing concern. The most common fungal pathogens involved in these infections are species in the genus …

The Mucilage Of Opuntia Ficus Indica: A Natural, Sustainable, And Viable Water Treatment Technology For Use In Rural Mexico For Reducing Turbidity And Arsenic Contamination In Drinking Water, Kevin Andrew Young

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The use of natural environmentally benign agents in the treatment of drinking water is rapidly gaining interest due to their inherently renewable character and low toxicity. We show that the common Mexican cactus produces a gum-like substance, cactus mucilage, which shows excellent flocculating abilities and is an economically viable alternative for low-income communities. Cactus mucilage is a neutral mixture of approximately 55 high-molecular weight sugar residues composed basically of arabinose, galactose, rhamnose, xylose, and galacturonic acid. We show how this natural product was characterized for its use as a flocculating agent. Our results show the mucilage efficiency for reducing arsenic …

A Study Of Machine Learning Performance In The Prediction Of Juvenile Diabetes From Clinical Test Results, Shibendra Pobi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two approaches to building models for prediction of the onset of Type 1 diabetes mellitus in juvenile subjects were examined. A set of tests performed immediately before diagnosis was used to build classifiers to predict whether the subject would be diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. A modified training set consisting of differences between test results taken at different times was also used to build classifiers to predict whether a subject would be diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. Neural networks were compared with decision trees and ensembles of both types of classifiers. Support Vector Machines were also tested on this dataset. The highest …

Cannabinoids Suppress Dendritic Cell-Induced T Helper Cell Polarization, Tangying (Lily) Lu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cannabinoids suppress Th1 immunity in a variety of models including infection with the intracellular pathogen Legionella pneumophila (Lp). To examine the cellular mechanism of this effect, mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DCs) were studied following infection and drug treatment. DCs produced high levels of IL-12p40 following Lp infection. THC suppressed this cytokine response in a concentration-dependent manner and the endocannabinoids 2-arachidonoyolglycerol and virodhamine less potently suppressed cytokine production. DCs expressed mRNA for cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1), CB2, and transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1); furthermore, inhibition of Gi signaling by adding pertussis toxin completely attenuated the suppression induced by …

N-Thiolated Β-Lactam Antibiotics: Synthesis And Structure-Activity Studies Of C3- Oxygenated Derivatives And Attachment To New, Functionalized Caprolactone Monomers And Polymers, J Michelle Leslie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

N-Thiolated beta-lactams are a new class of anti-MRSA and anti-Bacillus agents that have recently been reported by our laboratories. From previous studies performed in our laboratories, it is believed that the N-thiolated beta-lactams exert their antimicrobial activity through a unique mode of action that is completely unlike that of classical beta-lactam antibiotics. In the first chapter of this dissertation, a review of previously prepared N-thiolated beta-lactam analogues and their mode of action is presented. In the second chapter, the synthesis of seven different C3-oxygenated derivatives is described. These analogues were tested for antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, nine different strains …

Cloning And Analysis Of Putative Collagenases Of The U32 Family In Streptococcus Mutans And Streptococcus Agalactiae (Group B Streptococci), Valerie Carson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Analysis of the genomic sequences of Streptococcus mutans UA159 and Group B Streptococcus (GBS) strains Streptococcus agalactiae NEM316 and S. agalactiae 2603V/R indicated the presence of two putative collagenase genes in each organism. smcol1 from S. mutans was previously cloned and analyzed and the results indicated that the enzyme belonged to the U32 family of collagenases/peptidases. This enzyme shares homology with the prtC of Porphyromonas gingivalis, one of the principal examples of the U32 family of peptidases. Considering the potential role of these enzymes in the pathogenicity of P. gingivalis (periodontitis or gum disease), GBS (premature rupture of the amniochorionic …

Traumatic Loss And Transformative Life Experiences: The Lived Experience Of Green Cross Traumatologists Deployed To The New York City World Trade Center Disaster, Carron C. Cherrie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory study examines the lived experience of Green Cross traumatologists deployed to the New York City World Trade Center disaster. The deployment took place five days after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The author was a member of a ten member advance team that provided crisis stabilization services to an international union in Lower Manhattan. Disaster Mental Health Services and community outreach were provided for a month. The purpose of the study was to describe in an anthropologically holistic perspective the lived experience of traumatologists, who as Americans were also affected by the terrorist disaster. Thirty-one traumatologists …

Drug Resistant Patterns Of Invasive Streptococcus Pneumoniae Infections In The State Of Florida In 2003, Michael T. Drennon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major bacterial pathogen which causes pneumoniae, meningitis, otitis media, and bacteremia. Currently there are two vaccines available, Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPV) for adults and the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) for children. The PCV vaccine was developed in 2000 specifically for children and infants due to the ineffectiveness of the PPV vaccine in children. This is a cross sectional study of invasive S. pneumoniae in Florida during 2003. This study is designed to determine the population characteristics, clinically relevant antibiotic resistance patterns and specific risk factors for development of antibiotic resistance of invasive S. pneumoniae. Participants for …

Breathing Easier: Ethnographic Study Of Acute Respiratory Infection In Children In Rural Ecuador, John S. Luque

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation research utilizes anthropological methods to determine the degree to which the signs and symptoms female caregivers identify as causes of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) in under-fives in rural Ecuador correspond with Western biomedical categories. By employing both a semi-structured medical history questionnaire and more open-ended ethnographic methods such as in-depth informant interviews and focus group research, the researcher identifies the factors which determine timely health care-seeking behaviors of female caregivers in this case study. Economic factors such as the cost of medications and lost work hours were determined to be the primary financial obstacles for timely health care-seeking. …