Digital Commons Network^™

Hospital-Based Educational Services And The Well-Being Of Children With Chronic Illness: A Self-Study, Samantha Gold Oberstein

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Report On 120 Days Of Listening Campaign, Robert G. Frank

President Frank's Administration

No abstract provided.

Benefits And Barriers In Mining The Healthcare Industry Data, John Wang, Bin Zhou, Ruiliang Yan

Faculty Publications

The authors’ paper addresses the applications of data mining within the healthcare industry. Healthcare data are seen as one of the more rewarding and most difficult of all data to analyze. Proper data mining techniques provide the methodology and technology to transform the voluminous amounts of data into useful information for decision making. Data mining can be utilized to help find cures for existing diseases, uncovering patterns for genetic diseases and the causes of new diseases across the globe. By implementing data mining techniques the industry is finally gaining control over the inadequacy of readily available records. Data mining has …

Quantitative Analysis Of Methangenic Community In Anaerobic Digesters And Its Response To Freeze Drying And Exposure To Oxygen, Keerthi Cherukuri

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Methanogens are integral to carbon cycling, catalyzing the production of methane and carbon dioxide, both potent greenhouse gases. Methane is produced in a wide variety of highly reduced anaerobic environments, as well as by degradation of organic compounds in industrial and municipal wastewater. This process is carried out by the concerted activity of an interdependent microbial community, composed of Bacteria and Archaea, the later including methanogens which complete the final step and produce methane and carbon dioxide. Methanogenesis is often the rate limiting step and is sensitive to processing imbalances. Therefore, an understanding of the microbial community structure and dynamics …

Survey Of Gastrointestinal Parasite Infection In African Lion (Panthera Leo), African Wild Dog (Lycaon Pictus) And Spotted Hyaena (Crocuta Crocuta) In The Luangwa Valley, Zambia, Are R. Berentsen, Matthew S. Becker, Heather Stockdale-Walden, Wigganson Matandiko, Rachel Mcrobb, Mike R. Dunbar

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Little is known about gastrointestinal parasite infections in large carnivores in Africa and what is available is largely from East Africa. We collected faecal samples from nine spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta), 15 lions (Panthera leo) and 13 African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) from Luangwa Valley, Zambia. The most common gastrointestinal parasites found were Isospora spp., Spirometra sp., Taeniidae and Sarcosystis spp. Twenty-eight percent of all samples were co-infected with Spirometra sp. and Taeniidae, with co-infection rates highest among lions (67%). Thirty-three per cent (3/9) of spotted hyaenas were infected with Isospora sp. Ninety-two per …

Impact Of Increasing Bed-Space Area On Invasive Device-Related Infections Seen In The Intensive Care Unit, Selcuk Kaya, Hava Aydin, Gurdal Yilmaz, Saniye Dindar, Ahmet Eroglu, Iftihar Koksal

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Computational Modeling Of Protein Dynamics With Gromacs And Java, Miaoer Yu

Master's Projects

GROMACS is a widely used package in molecular dynamics simulations of biological molecules such as proteins, and nucleic acids, etc. However, it requires many steps to run such simulations from the terminal window. This could be a challenge for those with minimum amount of computer skills. Although GROMACS provides some tools to perform the standard analysis such as density calculation, atomic fluctuation calculation, it does not have tools to give us information on the specific areas such as rigidity that could predict the property of the molecules. In this project, I have developed a user friendly program to carry out …

Neurosteroid-Mediated Regulation Of Brain Innate Immunity In Hiv/Aids: Dhea-S Suppresses Neurovirulence, Amber Paul, Ferdinand G. Maingat, Maria J. Polyak, Pornpun Vivithanaporn, Farshid Noorbakhsh, Samir Ahboucha, Glen B. Baker, Keir Pearson, Christopher Power

Publications

Neurosteroids are cholesterol-derived molecules synthesized within the brain, which exert trophic and protective actions. Infection by human and feline immunodeficiency viruses (HIV and FIV, respectively) causes neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, leading to neurological deficits. Secretion of neuroinflammatory host and viral factors by glia and infiltrating leukocytes mediates the principal neuropathogenic mechanisms during, although the effect of neurosteroids on these processes is unknown. We investigated the interactions between neurosteroid mediated effects and lentivirus infection outcomes. Analyses of HIV-infected uninfected human brains disclosed a reduction in neurosteroid synthesis enzyme expression. Human neurons exposed to supernatants from HIV macrophages exhibited suppressed enzyme expression without …

A Science-Based Endeavor: Interpreting Contamination Prevention In The Food Safety Modernization Act, Shauna Manion

Penn State Law Review (2003 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Nutrition And Diabetic Management In Urban Kenya, Madeline Jackson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This Independent Study project sought to identify the changes in nutrition from the traditional Luo culture to the new urban setting and explore the management, perceptions and prevalence of Type II diabetes in an increasingly urban area. The focus was on Type II diabetes since the majority of disease burden stems from this acquired form of the diabetes. Through speaking with elderly community members and shadowing the first line diabetic treatment centers in Kisumu, an assessment of the relationship between changing nutrition and diabetic management showed numerous gaps in the system that will continue to increase unless something is done. …

Jefferson Alumni Bulletin – Volume 61, Number 4, Fall 2012

The Bulletin (formerly the Jefferson Medical College Alumni Bulletin)

Features:

• Melanoma: Personalized Medicine's Latest Poster Child
• Getting a Head Start on Treating Migraines

Departments:

• Dean's Column
• Findings: Breast Cancer Tumors Lacking RB Protein Function Respond Better to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy
• Faculty Profile: Aaron Dumont: Unraveling the Mysteries of Neuroscience
• On Campus
• Alumni Weekend 2012
• Alumnus Profile: Joseph M. Giordano, MD '67: Revolutionizing Trauma Care - and Saving an American President
• Class Notes and In Memoriam (login to view)
• Alumni Giving

Assessment Of Migrant Health And Health Disparities Between Immigrants And Swiss Nationals Living In Switzerland, Gabriela Mujica-Martorell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Switzerland is one of the most diverse nations within the OECD and boasts one of the highest net migration rates; it also has one of the highest rated health care systems in the world. Nevertheless, it has been shown that health disparities exist between the Swiss migrant and Swiss national populations: migrants are especially more prone to overweight/obesity, dental health problems, various forms of physical pain, and psychological distress. The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate to what extent certain health conditions are a problem to the immigrant and Swiss national populations. The study also will explore some of …

West Nile Virus Seroreversion And The Influence Of Herd Immunity On Disease Risk In A Long-Term Study Of Free-Ranging Birds, Eileen M. Mckee

All Student Theses and Dissertations

The transmission and amplification of West Nile virus (WNV) is driven by the number of susceptible avian hosts. The quantity of susceptible hosts is determined by 1) recruitment of juvenile birds during the breeding season, 2) adult birds previously unexposed to WNV, and 3) adult birds with waning antibody titers. Although rarely tested, avian herd immunity and seroreversion could have a direct impact on Culex infection rate, a proxy for the reproductive number of WNV. In this study, we utilized data from a seven year study investigating WNV transmission ecology in suburban Chicago, Illinois. We tested the hypothesis that herd …

Derivation Of Screening Benchmarks For Dietary Methylmercury Exposure For The Common Loon (Gavia Immer): Rationale For Use In Ecological Risk Assessment, David C. Depew, Niladri Basu, Neil M. Burgess, Linda M. Campbell

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

The current understanding of methylmercury (MeHg) toxicity to avian species has improved considerably in recent years and indicates that exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of MeHg through the diet can adversely affect various aspects of avian health, reproduction, and survival. Because fish-eating birds are at particular risk for elevated MeHg exposure, the authors surveyed the available primary and secondary literature to summarize the effects of dietary MeHg on the common loon (Gavia immer) and to derive ecologically relevant toxic thresholds for dietary exposure to MeHg in fish prey. After considering the available data, the authors propose three screening benchmarks of …

Gene Expression In Human Accessory Lacrimal Glands Of Wolfring, John L. Ubels, Ilene K. Gipson, Sandra J. Spurr-Michaud, Ann S. Tisdale

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

The accessory lacrimal glands are assumed to contribute to the production of tear fluid, but little is known about their function. The goal of this study was to conduct an analysis of gene expression by glands of Wolfring that would provide a more complete picture of the function of these glands. METHODS: Glands of Wolfring were isolated from frozen sections of human eyelids by laser microdissection. RNA was extracted from the cells and hybridized to gene expression arrays. The expression of several of the major genes was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Of the 24 most highly expressed genes, 9 were …

Gene Expression In Human Accessory Lacrimal Glands Of Wolfring, John L. Ubels, Ilene K. Gipson, Sandra J. Spurr-Michaud, Ann S. Tisdale

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

PURPOSE: The accessory lacrimal glands are assumed to contribute to the production of tear fluid, but little is known about their function. The goal of this study was to conduct an analysis of gene expression by glands of Wolfring that would provide a more complete picture of the function of these glands. METHODS: Glands of Wolfring were isolated from frozen sections of human eyelids by laser microdissection. RNA was extracted from the cells and hybridized to gene expression arrays. The expression of several of the major genes was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Of the 24 most highly expressed genes, 9 …

Derivation Of Screening Benchmarks For Dietary Methylmercury Exposure For The Common Loon (Gavia Immer): Rationale For Use In Ecological Risk Assessment, David C. Depew, Niladri Basu, Neil M. Burgess, Linda M. Campbell

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

The current understanding of methylmercury (MeHg) toxicity to avian species has improved considerably in recent years and indicates that exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of MeHg through the diet can adversely affect various aspects of avian health, reproduction, and survival. Because fish-eating birds are at particular risk for elevated MeHg exposure, the authors surveyed the available primary and secondary literature to summarize the effects of dietary MeHg on the common loon (Gavia immer) and to derive ecologically relevant toxic thresholds for dietary exposure to MeHg in fish prey. After considering the available data, the authors propose three screening benchmarks of …

From Subaltern To Free Worker: Exit, Voice, And Loyalty Among Indochina’S Subaltern Imperial Labor Camp Diaspora In Metropolitan France, 1939-1944, Tobias Frederik Rettig

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The twentieth century has seen its share of Vietnamese diasporas and migratory flows. In France alone, one counts six different Vietnamese diasporas, each unique in its composition, motivation, politics, and length of stay in France. As in the First World War, the Vietnamese Second World War diaspora was unique in that its migration was meant to be temporary (for the duration of the war only), organized by the French imperial nation-state that largely requisitioned rather than attracted labor, and in that the migrants were exclusively male. The French journalist Pierre Daum has called them forced laborers, whereas the French-Vietnamese scholar …

Spatial And Temporal Immune Response In House Flies In Response To Ingestion Of Bacillus Cereus And Eschericha Coli 0157-H7, Adam Fleming

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

House flies (Musca domestica L.) feed and breed on septic substrates, putting them in direct contact with a multitude of disease causing agents and can act as a bridge for those agents to humans. The house fly has previously been shown to carry many different species of bacteria that are pathogenic. Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a pathogenic enterohemorrhagic serotype of E. coli that can be vectored by the house fly. Bacillus cereus is a foodborne pathogen that has also been isolated from the house fly in previous studies. To examine vector potential for these pathogens, house flies were fed green …

The Determinants Of Helminth Infection In Baboons, Rita Monfort

Publications and Research

THE DETERMINANTS OF HELMINTH INFECTION IN BABOONS

Summary Paragraph:

Intestinal parasitic helminths are common in wild primate populations [1, 2] and can impose a significant burden on their host’s fitness. Numerous factors can affect the prevalence and diversity of intestinal parasites in natural populations including environmental factors [3, 4], the host’s behavior and genetics [5, 6]. How these different factors interact in natural populations remains unclear. This is in all probability due to the fact that previous studies have seldom looked at the prevalence and diversity of parasitic helminths in the same species but in different habitats over periods longer …

“Cytomegalovirus Seroprevelance In Iraqi Pregnant Women”, Sajed Nader, Mohammed Ayad

Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Cytomegalovirus is the commonest cause of congenital viral infection in the developed and developing countries. It is a symptomatic in 90% of infected females. Forty percent of pregnant females transmit the virus to their fetus. Ten percent of born infants whom gain the virus will get the clinical signs plus its neurological sequelae. OBJECTIVE: To outline the relationship between Cytomegalovirus infection among pregnant women and its influence upon their pregnancy outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A case-control study was carried out was carried out in the teaching laboratories – medical city, Baghdad through a period from June 2010 till …

Catheter Associated Fungal Urinary Tract Infection, Ehab Jasim Mohammad

Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Fungal urinary tract infections are an increasing problem in hospitalized patients. There are specific criteria for evaluating urinary tract infections caused by bacteria.There are also specific guidelines for prevention of catheter associated bacteruria. No such criteria or recommendations are available for fungal urinary tract infections. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the incidence of catheter associated fungal infection among all patients with catheter associated urinary tract infection and its risk factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2009 to March 2011 (72) patients with indwelling urinary catheter for different indications with significant pyuria presented to urologic department at Al-Ramadi teaching hospital were …

Inhibitory Effect Of Parsley (Petroselinum Crispum) Juice Against Some Urinary Pathogens In Vitro, Khalida Kareem Al-Kareemi

Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Information's on the potency of many medical plants against microorganisms are scanty, and in the current wave of antimicrobial resistance against chemotherapeutic drugs, there is a need to search for plants that could be resistance-free and affordable. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the antibacterial effects of Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) against uro-pathogens and to compare with the effect of some drugs used for the treatment of urinary tract infection caused by different Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. MATERIALS & METHODS: A total of thirty eight Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria(Escherichia coli ,Proteus sp.,Enterobacter …

The Vallue Off Pollymerase Chaiin Reacttiion Iin Tthe Diiagnosiis Off Tubercullous Meniingiittiis Iin A Samplle Off Iraqii Pattiient, Akram M. Al-Mahdawi, Kareem M.Al-Tameemi, Eman Sh. Al-Obeidy, Laith Ahmed

Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is a medical emergency. Early diagnosis is of utmost importance to minimize morbidity and mortality. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) seems to be a promising test for rapid and early diagnosis of TBM. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether PCR detects tubercle bacilli in CSF specimens that are missed by direct microscopy and culture, and if so whether PCR has significant diagnostic value compared to conventional methods. METHODS: PCR, culture and acid- fast bacilli (AFB) were performed on CSF samples taken from 43 patients with TBM (based on clinical features and cytochemical parameters of the CSF) and 15 …

Mycoplasma Haemocanis – The Canine Hemoplasma And Its Feline Counterpart In The Genomic Era, Naila C. Do Nascimento, Andrea P. Santos, Ana Ms Guimaraes, Phillip J. Sanmiguesl, Joanne Messick

Department of Comparative Pathobiology Faculty Publications

Mycoplasma haemocanis is a hemotrophic mycoplasma (hemoplasma), blood pathogen that may cause acute disease in immunosuppressed or splenectomized dogs. The genome of the strain Illinois, isolated from blood of a naturally infected dog, has been entirely sequenced and annotated to gain a better understanding of the biology of M. haemocanis. Its single circular chromosome has 919 992 bp and a low G + C content (35%), representing a typical mycoplasmal genome. A gene-by-gene comparison against its feline counterpart, M. haemofelis, reveals a very similar composition and architecture with most of the genes having conserved synteny extending over their entire chromosomes …

Small Molecule Inhibitors Of Bacillus Anthracis Protective Antigen Proteolytic Activation And Oligomerization, Alexander N. Wein, Brian N. Williams, Shihui Liu, Boris Ermolinsky, Daniele Provenzano, Ruben Abagyan, Andrew Orry, Stephen H. Leppla, Michael Peredelchuk

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Protective antigen (PA), lethal factor, and edema factor, the protein toxins of Bacillus anthracis, are among its most important virulence factors and play a key role in infection. We performed a virtual ligand screen of a library of 10000 members to identify compounds predicted to bind to PA and prevent its oligomerization. Four of these compounds slowed PA association in a FRET-based oligomerization assay, and two of those protected cells from intoxication at concentrations of 1-10 μM. Exploration of the protective mechanism by Western blot showed decreased SDS-resistant PA oligomer on cells and, surprisingly, decreased amounts of activated PA. In …

Viral Metagenomics Demonstrates That Domestic Pigs Are A Potential Reservoir For Ndumu Virus, Charles Masembe, George Michuki, Maria Onyango, Cecilia Rumberia, Martin Norling, Richard P. Bishop, Appolinaire Djikeng, Stephen J. Kemp, Alan Orth, Robert A. Skilton, Karl Ståhl, Anne Fischer

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: The rising demand for pork has resulted in a massive expansion of pig production in Uganda. This has resulted in increased contact between humans and pigs. Pigs can act as reservoirs for emerging infectious diseases. Therefore identification of potential zoonotic pathogens is important for public health surveillance. In this study, during a routine general surveillance for African swine fever, domestic pigs from Uganda were screened for the presence of RNA and DNA viruses using a high-throughput pyrosequencing method. Findings. Serum samples from 16 domestic pigs were collected from five regions in Uganda and pooled accordingly. Genomic DNA and RNA …

Determinan Kepatuhan Bidan Di Desa Terhadap Standar Antenatal Care, Guspianto Guspianto

Kesmas

Upaya menurunkan kematian ibu menjadi prioritas utama program pembangunan kesehatan nasional. Pelayanan antenatal care (ANC) menjadi bagian dari “Empat Pilar Safe Motherhood” sebagai kebijakan Kementerian Kesehatan untuk mempercepat penurunan angka kematian ibu (AKI). Kualitas layanan ANC dari aspek kinerja bidan di desa diukur antara lain dengan parameter tingkat kepatuhan terhadap standar ANC dalam memberikan kepuasan kepada ibu hamil. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui berbagai faktor yang berhubungan dengan kepatuhan bidan di desa terhadap standar ANC. Desain penelitian cross sectional ini menggunakan data sekunder Dinas Kesehatan Kabupaten Muaro Jambi dengan sampel 165 bidan di desa. Penelitian ini menemukan tingkat kepatuhan bidan …

Toxicity Reporting System, Andrea Trotti, Iii

USF Patents

The present invention is a method for communicating and forecasting the extent of toxicity of a given treatment program by deploying a uniform multi-modality grading system, and capturing significant high-grade events within defined risk periods to create a treatment-specific summary rating or classification of the toxicity experience.

Medical School Watercooler Newsletter - September 23, 2012, Lindsey Lyle

Watercooler Newsletter

This is the September 23, 2012 edition of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine's newsletter - Watercooler.

Contents Include:

• Final Flu Shot Clinics to be Held Friday
• Dr. Mary Burtnick Receives Research Award
• USMLE Step 1 Results Show USA Medical Students Score Above National Average
• Tailgating for Autism This Weekend
• Next Week's DSS - Dr. Roger Simon
• Drs. Franks, Perkins Featured on Local News