Digital Commons Network^™

Construction Of Improved Temperature-Sensitive And Mobilizable Vectors And Their Use For Constructing Mutations In The Adhesin-Encoding Acm Gene Of Poorly Transformable Clinical Enterococcus Faecium Strains, Sreedhar R Nallapareddy, Kavindra V Singh, Barbara E Murray

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Inactivation by allelic exchange in clinical isolates of the emerging nosocomial pathogen Enterococcus faecium has been hindered by lack of efficient tools, and, in this study, transformation of clinical isolates was found to be particularly problematic. For this reason, a vector for allelic replacement (pTEX5500ts) was constructed that includes (i) the pWV01-based gram-positive repAts replication region, which is known to confer a high degree of temperature intolerance, (ii) Escherichia coli oriR from pUC18, (iii) two extended multiple-cloning sites located upstream and downstream of one of the marker genes for efficient cloning of flanking regions for double-crossover mutagenesis, (iv) transcriptional terminator …

Symptom Exacerbation And Adherence To Antiretroviral Therapy During The Menstrual Cycle: A Pilot Study, Pinaki N. Patel, Richard M. Grimes

Student Publications

Our objective is to investigate the relationship between drug and menstrual cycle symptoms in HIV+ women receiving antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Interviews were done for 12 weeks with 54 HIV+ women receiving HAART. Patients were asked if they experienced any of 28 symptoms associated with HAART and the menstrual cycle and about HAART adherence. Weeks were divided into menstrual weeks (MWs), premenstrual weeks (PWs), and other weeks. Women reported more bloating (P = .02) and cramps (P = .001) during MWs. Skin problems (P = .08) and breast tenderness (P = .03) were experienced during PWs. Feeling tired/loss of energy (P …

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 …

Antimicrobial Resistance In Irish Isolates Of Verocytotoxigenic Escherichia Coli (E. Coli)-Vtec., Ciara Walsh, Geraldine Duffy, R. O'Mahoney, I. S. Blair, D. A. Mcdowell

Articles

This study compared the antimicrobial resistance profiles of Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolates (n = 257) recovered from bovine hides, minced beef and human clinical samples in Ireland, to those profiles of a range of Irish non-O157 E. coli (O111 and O26) isolates (n=31) from a variety of clinical and veterinary sources. Four multi-drug resistant (MDR) E. coli O157:H7 food isolates were identified, with resistance to 10 (1 isolate), 6 (1 isolate) and 4 (2 isolates) antimicrobial agents respectively. Two of these isolates (resistant to 7 and 4 antimicrobial classes) were characterised further by molecular methods and found to contain class …

Survival Of Antibiotic Resistant And Antibiotic Sensitive Strains Of E. Coli O157 And E. Coli O26 In Food Matrices., Ciara Walsh, Geraldine Duffy, I. S. Blair, D. A. Mcdowell

Articles

Escherichia coli O157:H7 or E. coli O26, which were AS (antibiotic sensitive), AR (laboratory created antibiotic resistant mutants), or naturally MAR (multi-antibiotic resistant), were inoculated into laboratory media, yoghurt or orange juice and their growth/survival monitored during enrichment at 37 °C or storage at 4 °C. The strains were also inoculated into minced beef and their thermal inactivation (D-values) examined at 55 °C, with and without a prior heat shock at 48 °C. The growth kinetics (lag phases, growth rates) of the VTEC (verocytotoxigenic E. coli), incubated over 24 h at 37 °C in laboratory media, were …

Self-Esteem, Locus Of Control, Conformity, And The Psychology Behind Body Modification, Brianne Renae Arends

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The current study examined the psychological characteristics of individuals with and without tattoos and body piercings, along with their perceptions of cosmetic surgery as either positive or negative. Psychological characteristics measured included: self-esteem, locus of control, conformity, and fear of negative evaluation. Participants were ninety-seven individuals who completed paper-and-pencil measures encompassing the various psychological characteristics as well as a demographic and risk assessment questionnaire. Participants were recruited through the PSPM system established by the University of Northern Iowa and did not significantly vary on demographic information provided. The current study's hypotheses based upon similar research were: (1) individuals who approve …

Correlation Between Acculturation And Health Promotion Behavior Among Hispanics/Latinos In Black Hawk County, Iowa, Ki-Hyung Park

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The elimination of the health disparities between different segments of population such as ethnic or racial minority groups in the United States is one of the principal goals of Healthy People 2010. Since 2002, the Hispanic/Latino population has been the largest minority group in the United States, and currently Hispanic/Latinos are the largest minority group in Iowa. The study assesses the relationships among health status, health promoting behavior, and acculturation of Hispanic/Latino immigrants in Black Hawk County, Iowa. A community sample of 54 adults completed a face-to-face structured interview. The instrumentation included the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans-II (ARSMA-II), …

The Relationship Between Nutritional Knowledge And Consumption Attitudes Toward Soy-Foods Among A Midwest Rural America Older Population, Li Chuan Chen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Preservation of good health in old age has become significantly important to most older people. Increasing health care costs challenge the majority of the rapidly growing older population. The use of functional foods (i.e., soy foods, oats, and broccoli) to help reduce the risk of chronic disease and relieve physical discomfort is one of the major health care developments in many economically advanced countries. For older people consumption of functional foods is not only cost-effective, but also necessary. Soy-based foods were first identified as a healthy as well as functional food during the last decade of the twentieth century by …

China And The Human Right To Health: Selective Adaptation And Treaty Compliance, Pitman B. Potter

All Faculty Publications

The international community has devoted considerable energy to dialogue and exchanges with China on issues of treaty compliance in areas of trade and human rights, and while many improvements are evident in China’s legal regimes for trade and human rights, problems remain. Further, academic and policy discourses on China’s trade and human rights policy and practice are all too often conflicted by normative differences and illusions about them. The paradigm of “selective adaptation” offers a potential solution by examining compliance with international trade and human rights treaties by reference to the interplay between normative systems associated with international rule regimes …

Controlling And Constraining The Participation Of The Hepatitis C-Affected Community In Australia: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of The First National Hepatitis C Strategy And Selected News Media Texts, Judith D. Pugh

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The construction of texts that place hepatitis C-positive persons at social risk (Candlin, 1989, p. ix), informs this study of the ways in which public health policy makers and journalists in Australia communicate about hepatitis C. The institutions of public health and the news media form part of the cultural context within which persons construct their illness narratives. The privileged perspectives and framing of public health policy and news media discourses; the discursive practices associated with the institutions of public health and the media around hepatitis C and hepatitis C-positive persons, the “objects” of knowledge (Foucault, 1969/2002, p. 81); and …

The Impact Of Personality And Affect On College Student's Motives For Marijuana Use., Lindsey W. Hawkins

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has examined the relationship between motives for drinking and alcohol use. However, less research has been conducted on the relationship between motives for marijuana use and marijuana use/problems. This study attempted to examine what predictors of marijuana use and problems are mediated by motives for marijuana use, Prior research has identified several predictors of marijuana use including psychological distress, expectancies, sensation seeking, and various personality factors. In addition, previous studies have suggested that use-related problems are not merely a function of how much of a substance one consumes, but also one's motivation for using that substance. The current …

Foreword: Globe-Hopping Pharmaceuticals, Frances H. Miller

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Principles Of Fairness For International Economic Treaties: Constructivism And Contractualism, John Linarelli

Scholarly Works

No legal system deserving of continued support can exist without an adequate theory of justice. A world trade constitution cannot credibly exist without a clear notion of justice upon which to base a consensus. This paper examines two accounts of fairness found in moral philosophy, those of John Rawls and Tim Scanlon. The Rawlsian theory of justice is well-known to legal scholars. Scanlon's contractualist account may be less well-known. The aim of the paper is to start the discussion as to how fairness theories can be used to develop the tools for examining international economic policies and institutions. After elaborating …

Recovery From Crisis: Jordan Tourism Facing Political Instability, Rasha Hani Saoudi

Theses

This study outlines tourism crises facing international tourism to Jordan. The study also examines major efforts taken by the public and private sectors to recover from the loss of international tourism arrivals to the country caused mainly by the ongoing political crisis in the Middle East. A number of internal and external tourism challenges are identified based on the opinions of key stakeholders in the Jordanian tourism industry. Different approaches to crisis management, drawn from an overview of recovery marketing literature and studies, are also presented. The study concludes that the continuous cooperation and coordination of tourism stakeholders before, during, …

Bioterror And “Bioart”: A Plague O' Both Your Houses, George J. Annas

Faculty Scholarship

Since September 11, 2001, the threat of bioterrorism has caused Congress and the President to dramatically increase research funding for countermeasures, including funding for new biosecurity laboratories. The new kind of war against non-state actors who use terror to intimidate populations has also made the creation of new ethical and legal rules for researchers seem critical. New laws have been passed, and there have been proposals for new codes of ethics for bioterrorism-related research. Almost five years after September 11, however, the outcome of the development of new research rules remains uncertain.

Patent Buy-Outs For Global Disease Innovations For Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Kevin Outterson

Faculty Scholarship

Drug prices are uniquely susceptible to radical price reductions through generic competition. Patented pharmaceuticals may be priced at more than 30 times the marginal cost of production; the excess is the patent rent collected by the drug company while the patent and exclusive marketing periods remain. Patent rents are significant. AIDS drugs which sell for US$10,000 per person per year in the US are sold generically for less than US$200. If patented drugs could be sold at the marginal cost of production, cost effective treatments would become even more attractive, and other interventions would become affordable.

This Article proposes marginal …

The Body Politic: Splitting Gender Medically In Eighteenth-Century Philadelphia, Sarah Sally Carraher

LSU Master's Theses

Before the rise of clinical medicine, Western medicine was undergoing several prerequisite shifts in epistemology and methodology - moving from an eighteenth-century practice of spaces and classes, wherein the symptom is synonymous with the disease, toward a nineteenth-century science of signs and cases, in which symptoms are symbols, or products, of a deeper disease (Foucault 1973). During the former age of classes, about mid-century, a particular shift in the medical perception of sex differences appears in the literature, without any great advances or revisions in human anatomical knowledge or treatment methods. This thesis looks at hospitalization of in-patients at Pennsylvania …

Assessment Of Interactions Amoung Viruses Infecting Sweetpotato, Charalambos D. Kokkinos

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Viral diseases, especially those caused by mixed infections, are among the economically most important diseases of sweetpotato. Real-time PCR assays were developed for the detection and quantification of the potyviruses Sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV), Sweet potato virus G (SPVG), Ipomoea vein mosaic virus (IVMV); the crinivirus Sweet potato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV), and the begomovirus Sweet potato leaf curl virus (SPLCV) directly from infected sweetpotato plants. Titers of SPFMV, IVMV, and SPVG were lower in singly-infected sweetpotato plants compared to singly-infected plants of the standard indicator host Brazilian morning-glory (Ipomoea setosa) and the standard propagation host I. nil …

What Makes A Man : From Biology To Society, Jennifer Beneke

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

The Epidemiology Of West Nile Virus In Louisiana, Karen Ruth Gruszynski

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

West Nile virus (WNV), a member of the genus Flavivirus transmitted by mosquitoes, first appeared in the New York in 1999. Within five years WNV was detected throughout the contiguous 48 states causing disease in reservoirs and accidental hosts alike. In Louisiana, WNV was first detected in 2001 with one human case, ten equine cases, and six dead birds reported. The introduction of WNV into Louisiana presented an unique opportunity to observe an emerging disease unfold, so a study was launched to gain insight into the epidemiology of WNV in Louisiana. The first component, an environmental predictive model for West …

Power Analysis For A Mixed Effects Logistic Regression Model, Yinmei Li

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In herd health studies, the mixed effects logistic regression model with random herd effects are commonly used for modeling clustered binary data. These models are well developed and widely used in the literature, among which is the logistic-normal regression model. In contrast to the rich literature in modeling methods, the sample size/power analysis methods for such mixed effects models are sparse. The sample size/power analysis method for the logistic-normal regression model is not readily available. This study is to develop a power analysis/sample size estimation method for the logistic-normal regression model. Extended from the sample size method for the likelihood …

Green Theatre: Proto-Environmental Drama And The Performance Of Ecological Values In Contemporary Western Theatre, Kurt Gerard Heinlein

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The aim of this study is to illustrate the purpose and potential of theatre that promotes a proto-environmental agenda, or Green Theatre, in re-orienting Western behavior and mores in a direction that creates positive socio-environmental change. In correlation, this dissertation will examine the objectives and performance modes of several educational and professional theatre entities that house a distinctly unique Green agenda. The primary performances featured will include Peter Schumann’s Bread and Puppet Theatre, Blue Man Group’s Tubes, performances by Koko the signing lowland gorilla, and Playmakers of Baton Rouge’s production of Habitat Cats.

Detection And Survival Of Escherichia Coli O157:H7 In Cattle Water Troughs And The Effects Of Cetylpyridinium Chloride Against Escherichia Coli O157:H7 Biofilms On The Surface Of Stainless Steel, Sajida Begum Plauche

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is an emerging food pathogen that was first identified as a cause of illness in 1982. According to CDC (The Center for Disease Control and Prevention) estimates, E. coli O157:H7 is responsible for about 73,000 illnesses, 2,000 hospitalizations and 60 deaths in the United States each year. Cattle are the principal reservoir of E. coli O157:H7. Contamination of feed and drinking water with cattle feces is an importance factor in the prevalence of infection in cattle which, in turn, results in contamination of food and the environment. Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a very persistent pathogen and has …

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. …

The Social Construction Of School Refusal: An Exploratory Study Of School Personnel’S Perceptions, Anna Marie Torrens Salemi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite a multi-disciplinary, international literature, little research has drawn attention to the phenomenon of school refusal within the school. Most research on school refusal follows a positivist paradigm, focusing on the student, instead of examining the role of schools. Using a qualitative design and a social constructionist framework, this study explored how school personnel perceive school refusal, focusing on the social interactions, processes, and perceptions that construct their understanding. The study was conducted in a large school district in the Southeastern United States.Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with school personnel at the middle school (N=42), high school (N=40), and district …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Religiosity And Subjective Well-Being In Older Adults: The Mediating Role Of Optimism, Teri A. Trede

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The proportion of adults aged 65 and older in the United States has been increasing steadily for years. Although most would agree that this increased longevity is a remarkable achievement, there is growing concern regarding the resources that will be necessary to provide care and services for this rapidly expanding segment of the population. From a public health perspective, simply increasing longevity is no longer the ultimate outcome sought. A more pertinent goal is increasing the quality of life years, or promoting resilience and successful aging. Strategies that assist adults in delaying the onset of disability or reducing the severity …