Digital Commons Network^™

Direct, Physically-Motivated Derivation Of The Contagion Condition For Spreading Processes On Generalized Random Networks, Peter Sheridan Dodds, Kameron Decker Harris, Joshua L. Payne

Dartmouth Scholarship

For a broad range of single-seed contagion processes acting on generalized random networks, we derive a unifying analytic expression for the possibility of global spreading events in a straightforward, physically intuitive fashion. Our reasoning lays bare a direct mechanical understanding of an archetypal spreading phenomena that is not evident in circuitous extant mathematical approaches.

An Analysis Of The Mortality Risks Associated With Heat And Heat Waves In Ireland, To Assist In Planning For Climate Change, Mathilde Pascal

Doctoral

Although extreme temperatures have not been identified as a major cause of mortality in Ireland, climate change calls for an evaluation of the past, present and future health risks associated with heat and heat waves. The health impacts of heat were investigated using mortality and temperature data for the period 1981-2003. Data were aggregated in urban areas (Dublin, Cork, Drogheda, Arklow, Dundalk, Galway, Limerick, Waterford and Wexford) and rural areas. Seven heat waves were identified between 1981 and 2003, corresponding to 254 excess deaths (197 in rural areas, and 57 in urban areas). A major episode was observed in rural …

Emergency Physicians' Perspectives On The Usability Of Health Information Exchange, Shirley A. Thorn

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Emergency physicians are key users of health information exchanges (HIE). Understanding their perspectives on the usability of HIE is important if the full potential of the HIE is to be achieved. The literature identified that emergency physician experiences with HIEs are unexplored areas requiring further studies. The purpose of this study using grounded theory methods was to understand the perspectives of emergency physicians concerning the usability of HIEs. The fundamental question was how do emergency physicians use the HIE in making clinical decisions?

Rich and thick data were collected from 15 emergency physicians in four urban hospitals in the mid-south …

Pharmacokinetic And Pharmacodynamic Studies Of A Novel Spectinamide Series Of Antituberculosis Agents, V. N. R. Pavan Kumar Vaddady

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Spectinamides are novel amide derivatives of the antibiotic spectinomycin that have emerged as a new class of agents to treat tuberculosis. These agents showed potent in vitro activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) compared to spectinomycin and in a preliminary in vivo study in interferon gamma (IFN‑γ) knockout mice, spectinamide Lee1329 reduced the lung bacillary load of TB comparable to streptomycin. We hypothesized that the application of an iterative pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) guided approach would facilitate the optimization of these lead compounds suitable for further development.

A series of in vitro experiments including parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA), microsomal …

A Proteomic Approach To Profiling The Pipping Muscle Of The Broiler Embryo, Adebayo Oluwaseun Sokale

Theses and Dissertations

The Musculus complexus (pipping muscle) plays a primary role in the hatching of the chick from the eggshell at the end of its embryonic life. Various metabolic and cellular changes have been associated with the pipping muscle during development. These studies profiled the pipping muscle at the molecular level by identifying proteins which are associated with the developmental changes. In the first phase of the study, protein expression profile of the Day 13 chicken embryo pipping muscle was obtained using DDF with nano HPLC mass spectrometric analyzer. Identified proteins were categorized based on Gene Ontology. In the second phase, pipping …

Genetic Variation And Leprosy Distribution In Nine-Banded Armadillos, Leah Chinchilla

Theses and Dissertations

Genetic, ecological, and environmental variation within and among populations of hosts and pathogens can influence local susceptibility of hosts and transmission rates of pathogens. These complex interactions can lead to geographic variation in the prevalence of pathogens. The interaction between leprosy and nine-banded armadillos in the southeastern U.S. provides an opportunity to examine the genetic, ecological, and environmental factors contributing to the variation in pathogen prevalence on a large geographic scale. Using genotypic data for loci associated with the immune response to leprosy and for anonymous loci, we have assessed the population structure of armadillo populations across the southern U.S. …

Tumor Recognition And Self-Recognition Induce Distinct Transcriptional Profiles In Antigen-Specific Cd4 T Cells, Adam J. Adler

UCHC Articles - Research

Tumors express a wide variety of both mutated and nonmutated Ags. Whether these tumor Ags are broadly recognized as self or foreign by the immune system is currently unclear. Using an autochthonous prostate cancer model in which hemagglutinin (HA) is specifically expressed in the tumor (ProHA × TRAMP mice), as well as an analogous model wherein HA is expressed in normal tissues as a model self-Ag (C3HA^high), we examined the transcriptional profile of CD4 T cells undergoing Ag-specific division. Consistent with our previous data, transfer of Ag-specific CD4 T cells into C3HA^high resulted in a functionally inactivated …

2011 - The Sixteenth Annual Symposium Of Student Scholars

Symposium of Student Scholars Program Books

The full program book from the Sixteenth Annual Symposium of Student Scholars, held on April 26, 2011. Includes abstracts from the presentations and posters.

C-C Chemokine Receptor 5 And Hiv: Therapeutic Potentials Of The Δ32 Base Pair Deletion, Amanda R. Antczak

Honors Projects

The human immunodeficiency virus, a retrovirus discovered in 1981, has reached pandemic status worldwide. Without an existing cure or vaccine, a majority of the world’s population remains at risk for infection and more than 35 million people to date have died from AIDS. Resistance to the virus, however, has been discovered in about 10% of the world’s population in the form of an allelic base pair deletion, located on C-C chemokine receptor 5. Those homozygous for the base pair deletion are resistant to HIV, while heterozygotes have displayed delayed onset of HIV infection. The CCR5 mutation and observed resistance to …

Periodic Fever, Aphthous Stomatitis, Pharyngitis, And Adenitis (Pfapa) Is A Disorder Of Innate Immunity And Th1 Activation Responsive To Il-1 Blockade., Silvia Stojanov, Sivia Lapidus, Puja Chitkara, Henry Feder, Juan C Salazar, Thomas A Fleisher, Margaret R Brown, Kathryn M Edwards, Michael M Ward, Robert A Colbert, Hong-Wei Sun, Geryl M Wood, Beverly K Barham, Anne Jones, Ivona Aksentijevich, Raphaela Goldbach-Mansky, Balu Athreya, Karyl S Barron, Daniel L Kastner

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

The syndrome of periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and cervical adenitis (PFAPA) is the most common periodic fever disease in children. However, the pathogenesis is unknown. Using a systems biology approach we analyzed blood samples from PFAPA patients whose genetic testing excluded hereditary periodic fevers (HPFs), and from healthy children and pediatric HPF patients. Gene expression profiling could clearly distinguish PFAPA flares from asymptomatic intervals, HPF flares, and healthy controls. During PFAPA attacks, complement (C1QB, C2, SERPING1), IL-1-related (IL-1B, IL-1RN, CASP1, IL18RAP), and IFN-induced (AIM2, IP-10/CXCL10) genes were significantly overexpressed, but T cell-associated transcripts (CD3, CD8B) were down-regulated. On the …

Tuberkulosis Paru Di Palembang, Sumatera Selatan, Hery Unita Versitaria, Haryoto Kusnoputranto

Kesmas

Indonesia tercatat memiliki 304.787 penderita tuberkulosis yang menempatkannya pada peringkat ketiga terbanyak di dunia. Penyakit tuberkulosis merupakan penyebab kematian nomor 3 setelah penyakit kardiovaskuler dan penyakit saluran pernafasan pada semua kelompok usia serta nomor 1 dari golongan penyakit infeksi. Angka kepadatan hunian rumah di Kota Palembang 5,84 lebih tinggi daripada angka ideal kepadatan hunian rumah. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui hubungan antara sumber penular serumah, faktor lingkungan dalam rumah, dan karakteristik individu terhadap kejadian tuberkulosis paru basil tahan asam (BTA) (+) di Kota Palembang. Penelitian yang menggunakan desain kasus kontrol ini membandingkan kelompok kasus (BTA(+)) dan kelompok kontrol (BTA (-)) yang …

Health Policy Newsletter Spring 2011 Download Full Text Pdf

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

04-22-2011 Infectious Disease Emergency Simulation To Take Place At Swosu, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

THE BARK ARCHIVE 2011

Southwestern Oklahoma State University will participate in an infectious disease emergency simulation on Friday, April 22, on the Weatherford campus.

An Exploration Of Pharmacognosy And Its Potential In The Multi-Faceted Solution Required To Address Hiv/Aids In Sub-Saharan Africa, Alexandra Sassi

Pell Scholars and Senior Theses

This work has both both biological and anthropoligcal foci. It addresses research done on the medicinal properties of plants and how this research could make positive contributions to the current social and biological issues surrounding the HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa.

Adherence Inhibition Of Cronobacter Sakazakii And Other Pathogens By Prebiotic Oligosaccharides, Plant Extracts, And Other Naturally Derived Molecules, Maria I. Quintero

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

For most bacterial pathogens, adherence of the bacterium to the surface of the host cell tissue is a necessary first step for colonization and infection.  Agents that inhibit adherence, therefore, could be useful for preventing infections.  The goal of this research was to assess the anti-adherent activity of several food-grade prebiotic carbohydrates, plant extracts, and other naturally-derived molecules against enteric pathogens. First, the antiadherent effect of galactooligosaccharides (GOS), polydextrose (PDX), and a GOS-PDX blend was tested against two strains of Cronobacter “Enterobacter” sakazakii. When measured microscopically or by cultural methods, significant reductions in adherence (56% and 71%, respectively) of C. …

The Importance Of Education Systems In Post-Conflict Settings: The Case Of Bosnia-Herzegovina (Bih), Emily Coles

Honors Projects

This paper considers how education systems in post-conflict settings impact reconstruction processes using the case of Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) as an example. Three separate literatures are reviewed: post-conflict settings/reconstruction, reconciliation, and education systems. The paper analyzes the transitions, security, political, social and economic, which characterize post-conflict settings and reconstruction and argues that they must occur consequentially. Additionally, post-conflict reconstruction must always include both short and long-term goals in the peace agreement and provide for development of local capacity. In BiH these transitions were incomplete. The placement of a constitution in the peace agreement, without provisions for its revision, has also led …

Epistatic Roles For Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Muts And Dinb (Dna Pol Iv) In Coping With Reactive Oxygen Species-Induced Dna Damage, Laurie H. Sanders, Babho Devadoss, Geraldine V. Raja, Jaime O'Connor, Shengchang Su, Daniel J. Wozniak, Daniel J. Hassett, Anthony J. Berdis, Mark D. Sutton

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is especially adept at colonizing the airways of individuals afflicted with the autosomal recessive disease cystic fibrosis (CF). CF patients suffer from chronic airway inflammation, which contributes to lung deterioration. Once established in the airways, P. aeruginosa continuously adapts to the changing environment, in part through acquisition of beneficial mutations via a process termed pathoadaptation. MutS and DinB are proposed to play opposing roles in P. aeruginosa pathoadaptation: MutS acts in replication-coupled mismatch repair, which acts to limit spontaneous mutations; in contrast, DinB (DNA polymerase IV) catalyzes error-prone bypass of DNA lesions, contributing to mutations. As part of …

Evaluation Of Information Acquisition And Information Retention Using A Low-Literacy Booklet For Illiterate Caregivers Of Children With Leukemia, Terezie Mosby

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

At the 2006 meeting of the Asociación de Hemato-Oncología Pediátrica de Centroamerica y Caribbe, local nurses recognized food safety as one of the main problems they dealt with daily. Based on that information, food safety education program was developed. The program consisted of development, evaluation, distribution of the booklet “Alimentación del niño con cáncer [Feeding the child with cancer]”, training of nurse educators to provide food safety education using the booklet, and testing of its efficacy. Development of the booklet included a survey in Guatemala and El Salvador hospitals and its review by a board of experts.Pre- and post-education tests …

Contaminant Exposure And Associated Biological Responses In Southern Beaufort Sea Polar Bears, Katrina K. Knott

Biological Sciences

Concentrations of mercury (Hg) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were examined in polar bear (Ursus marititnus) to assess variations among sex and age cohorts, and evaluate possible adverse impacts of combined toxicant exposures. Biomarkers of selenium (Se) status (whole blood and serum Se concentrations, glutathione peroxidase activity), and thyroid status (total and free concentrations of thyroxine and tri-iodothyronine) were examined in Southern Beaufort Sea (SBS) polar bears. Both Hg and PCBs tended to be greater in female than in male polar bears and likely related to the type and proportion of marine-based prey in their overall diet. Significant positive relationships between …

Endocrine And Immune Profiles Of Immature Pinnipeds, Mandy Jean Keogh

Marine Biology

There is increasing interest in assessing the health of individuals and populations of pinnipeds found in the North Pacific, primarily due to population declines leading to conservation concerns. This study assessed the "health" of animals by quantifying hormones associated with fat mass (leptin), lipid and water metabolism (cortisol and aldosterone), and growth and metabolism (thyroxine and triiodothyronine) as well as circulating total and differential leukocyte counts and in vitro proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Body mass and condition are influenced by an individual's disease and nutritional state. Glucocorticoids are known to affect the immune system and may be …

The Release Of Calcium In Bacillus Anthracis Pathogenicity Methods, Natiera Magnuson, Manomita Patra Bhowmik, Maria Elena Reynaga, Ernesto Abel-Santos

Festival of Communities: UG Symposium (Posters)

Anthrax infection starts with germination of Bacillus anthracis spores in macrophages. Some bacteria, including B. anthracis, can sporulate in response to environmental stress, such as starvation. During germination, large concentrations of calcium ions are released from the B. anthracis spore. Calcium ions are hydrophilic secondary messengers, and may therefore interfere with detection of the spore by confusing the cell signaling pathways. We investigated calcium release on infected macrophage viability by replacing the calcium stored in B. anthracis spores for other cations via demineralization/remineralization. It was discovered that calcium ions typically out-performed other cations in germination of B. anthracis.

B Cell-Deficient Mice Display Markedly Enhanced Resistance To The Intracellular Bacterium Brucella Abortus, Radhika Goenka, Michelle A. Parent, Philip H. Elzer, Cynthia L. Baldwin

Faculty Publications

Background. Brucella species are facultative intracellular bacteria that cause lifelong infections in humans and livestock. Methods. Here we evaluated the contribution of B cells in control of murine brucellosis in the more susceptible BALB/c and the more resistant C57BL/6 mice by infecting B cell-deficient mice. Results. Strikingly, in the absence of B cells in both C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice, 99% and 99.5% of the infection found in wild type mice was cleared, respectively. This augmented clearance was not reversed in either strain by passive transfer of immune serum. In C57BL/6 mice, the clearance of infection coincided with an increase in …

Molecular Structures Of Prrsv That Contribute To Prrsv Protective Immunity, Asit K. Pattnaik

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

One of the objectives of the proposal is to delineate the regions of the two glycoproteins (GP2 and GP4) of PRRSV that interact with CD163. Other objectives of the proposal are to generate antibodies to these small regions of the glycoproteins as well as to the full-length proteins for future studies to determine if any of these antibodies possess PRRSV neutralizing activity.

To carry out the studies in the proposed objectives, we generated a series of mutants of GP2 as well as GP4 proteins in which various regions were specifically removed by manipulating the plasmids encoding these proteins. We then …

Inhibition Of Bacterial Growth And Biofilm Production By Metabolites From Hypericum Spp, S.A. Sarkisian, G.E. Henry, K.L. Laplant, D.C. Rowley

Discovery@URI

Biofilm embedded bacterial pathogens such as Staphylococcus spp., Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii are difficult to eradicate and are major sources of bacterial infections. New drugs are needed to combat these pathogens. Hypericum is a plant genus that contains species known to have antimicrobial properties. However, the specific metabolites responsible for the antimicrobial properties are not entirely known, nor have most compounds been tested as inhibitors of biofilm development. The investigation presented here tested seven secondary metabolites isolated from the species Hypericum densiflorum, Hypericum ellipticum, Hypericum prolificum and Hypericum punctatum as inhibitors of bacterial growth and biofilm production. …

6th Annual Focus On Creative Inquiry Poster Forum Program, Clemson University

Focus on Creative Inquiry

The poster forum today displays a few of the more than 400 projects initiated by Clemson University Creative Inquiry teams.

What is Creative Inquiry? It is small-group learning for all students. It is the imaginative combination of engaged learning and undergraduate research. Ultimately, it is the creation of an Ah-ha! Moment - and it is unique to Clemson University.

Creative Inquiry establishes small teams of undergraduate students that work with faculty mentors to take on problems that spring from their own curiosity, from a professor's challenge, or from the pressing needs of the world around them. Students take ownership of …

Effectiveness Of Interventions To Screen And Manage Infections During Pregnancy On Reducing Stillbirths: A Review, Sidra Ishaque, Mohammad Yawar Yakoob, Aamer Imdad, Robert L. Goldenberg, Thomas P. Eisele, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Woman and Child Health

Background:Infection is a well acknowledged cause of stillbirths and may account for about half of all perinatal deaths today, especially in developing countries. This review presents the impact of interventions targeting various important infections during pregnancy on stillbirth or perinatal mortality.
Methods: We undertook a systematic review including all relevant literature on interventions dealing with infections during pregnancy for assessment of effects on stillbirths or perinatal mortality. The quality of the evidence was assessed using the adapted Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach by Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group (CHERG). For the outcome of interest, namely …

Impact Of Vitamin A Supplementation On Infant And Childhood Mortality, Aamer Imdad, Mohammad Yawar Yakoob, Christopher Sudfeld, Batool A. Haider, Robert E. Black, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Woman and Child Health

Introduction:Vitamin A is important for the integrity and regeneration of respiratory and gastrointestinal epithelia and is involved in regulating human immune function. It has been shown previously that vitamin A has a preventive effect on all-cause and disease specific mortality in children under five. The Purpose of this paper was to get a point estimate of efficacy of vitamin A supplementation in reducing cause specific mortality by using Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group (CHERG) guidelines.

Methods:

A literature search was done on PubMed, Cochrane Library and WHO regional data bases using various free and Mesh terms for vitamin A …

Neonatal Resuscitation And Immediate Newborn Assessment And Stimulation For The Prevention Of Neonatal Deaths: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis And Delphi Estimation Of Mortality Effect, Anne C. C. Lee, Simon Cousens, Stephen N. Wall, Susan Niermeyer, Gary L. Darmstadt, Waldemar A. Carlo, William J. Keenan, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Christopher Gill, Joy E. Lawn

Woman and Child Health

Background: Of 136 million babies born annually, around 10 million require assistance to breathe. Each year 814,000 neonatal deaths result from intrapartum-related events in term babies (previously "birth asphyxia") and 1.03 million from complications of prematurity. No systematic assessment of mortality reduction from tactile stimulation or resuscitation has been published. Objective:To estimate the mortality effect of immediate newborn assessment and stimulation, and basic resuscitation on neonatal deaths due to term intrapartum-related events or preterm birth, for facility and home births.

Methods:

We conducted systematic reviews for studies reporting relevant mortality or morbidity outcomes. Evidence was assessed using GRADE criteria …

Preventive Zinc Supplementation In Developing Countries: Impact On Mortality And Morbidity Due To Diarrhea, Pneumonia And Malaria, Mohammad Yawar Yakoob, Evropi Theodoratou, Afshan Jabeen, Aamer Imdad, Thomas P. Eisele, Joy Ferguson, Arnoupe Jhass, Igor Rudan, Harry Campbell, Robert E. Black, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Woman and Child Health

Background:Zinc deficiency is commonly prevalent in children in developing countries and plays a role in decreased immunity and increased risk of infection. Preventive zinc supplementation in healthy children can reduce mortality due to common causes like diarrhea, pneumonia and malaria. The main objective was to determine all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality and morbidity in children under five in developing countries for preventive zinc supplementation. Data sources/review methods: A literature search was carried out on PubMed, the Cochrane Library and the WHO regional databases to identify RCTs on zinc supplementation for greater than 3 months in children less than 5 …

Estrogenic Regulation Of The Immune System In A Murine Model For Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Matthew James Zuber

Biology Honors Papers

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus is a damaging autoimmune disease afflicting millions of people worldwide. Lupus is characterized by an overabundance of autoantibodies, proteins directing the immune system to destroy a person's own body, what it would normally be protecting. The molecular mechanisms, environmental influences, and genetic predispositions of Lupus are not yet fully understood. However, nine out of ten Lupus patients are women between the age of puberty and menopause, when estrogen levels are highest. The fact that women are significantly more prone to suffer from Lupus than men leads experts to believe that the sex hormone estrogen which is present …