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Raccoon Acclimation Towards Traps And Its Effect On Surveillance And Monitoring Of Zoonotic Diseases, Lindsay Rollend

Master's Theses

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) serve as a source of infection with various pathogens for people, most notably, rabies. Raccoons are specifically targeted for the control of rabies in the United States, primarily due to the 100% fatality rate in humans and animals. There is no cure or treatment for rabies and vaccines may be administered to people if it is administered promptly. In order to evaluate how successful trapping of raccoons is by using conventional methods, motion sensing cameras were placed on traps in order to captured raccoon behaviors. Pictures were coded based on these behaviors (around the trap but not …

Addressing Congenital Syphilis In Rural Haiti: Beyond Maternal Screening And Treatment, Cheryl Bayart

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Invisible Enemy: The Effects Of Polio On The American War Effort During World War Ii, 1941-1945, Jacob Owen Bryant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis looks at the social, political, and military effects of epidemic polio on America's war effort during World War II. The primary sources consulted include newspapers, military medical reports, photographs, memoirs, speeches, and archival collections. It looks at the effects of polio on the home front, more specifically how epidemics and the rising rates of polio were a detriment to the civilian war effort. It also focuses on the American military's preparation for and response to polio outbreaks among troops both at home and abroad. Finally, it discusses the experiences of the servicemen who contracted polio during the war. …

Testing Health Care Workers For Aids: Public Necessity Or Private Intrusion?, Mary Carter, Pankaj Malik

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

No abstract provided.

An Early Assessment Of The Potential Impact Of Texas' "Affiliation" Regulation On Access To Care For Low-Income Women, Peter Shin, Jessica Sharac, Sara J. Rosenbaum

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

This analysis provides an initial assessment of the implications for low-income women of Texas' "affiliation regulation," which would bar Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) clinics from participating in the Texas Women's Health Program (WHP). In 2010, more than 183,000 women were enrolled in the WHP, which provides health screening, family planning and birth control to low-income women, and nearly 106,000 received care through the program. In our analysis of WHP provider data, we find:

• Planned Parenthood (PPFA) clinics are by far the dominant source of care under the WHP. In FY 2010, PPFA clinics accounted for approximately 49 percent …

Revised: An Early Assessment Of The Potential Impact Of Texas’ “Affiliation” Regulation On Access To Care For Low-Income Women, Peter Shin, Jessica Sharac, Sara J. Rosenbaum

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

No abstract provided.

Permanent Impermanence, Craig A. Weflen

Architecture Masters of Science Program: Theses

"This is the real news of our century. It is highly feasible to take care of all of humanity at a higher standard of living than anybody has ever experienced or dreamt of. To do so without having anybody profit at the expense of another, so that everybody can enjoy the whole earth. And it can all be done by 1985." -Buckminster Fuller, 1971

41 years later, we still have people living in abject poverty, forced into situations where the politics of displacement actively prevent them from improving their living situation. For an organization that puts out a "Handbook for …

The Rights Of Employees With Aids: The Conflict Between The Need For Adequate Insurance Coverage And Individual Privacy In The Workplace, Robert E. Stein

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

No abstract provided.

"An Ounce Of Prevention . . .": Restriction Versus Proaction In American Gun Violence Policies, Lynn Murtha, Suzanne L. Smith

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Life History Theory On Host Compentence Through The Selection Of Divergent Immunological Strategies, Alessandra Araujo

Honors Thesis and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Finding A Legal Remedy For The Hiv-Positive Infant: Wrongful Life And Lack Of Informed Consent Explored, Tara C. Fappiano

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

No abstract provided.

Culture And Context: Upstream Determinants Of Cervical Cancer Among Haitian Immigrants Living In Miami, Florida, Jonathan K. Kish

Open Access Dissertations

In 2011 over 500,000 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide and approximately 250,000 will die of the disease. The majority of incident cases will occur among women who lack routine access to Papalanicolou (Pap) test screening. While access-related factors, such as income and health insurance status, are primary drivers of screening utilization research suggests that a number of individual and contextual social and cultural factors, such as low cervical cancer knowledge, lower educational attainment and non-Western health beliefs can exert an independent or multiplicative effect. Among the immigrant Haitian population of Miami, Florida the incidence of cervical cancer …

Expression Of Foreign Genes In The Pseudomonas Bacteriophage Pf3, Krystin Weathers

Theses and Dissertations

Filamentous bacteriophages were engineered to express foreign genes with the ultimate purpose of displaying transmission control anti-malarial peptides as in phage display. It was hypothesized that expression of foreign genes would be possible using the phage’s promoters. This hypothesis was tested by assuming that promoters for the phage major coat protein (MCP) gene would also promote the expression of any foreign gene inserted downstream of the MCP gene. As proof of principle, the bacteriophages Pf3, Pf1, and M13 were engineered in this way to successfully synthesize Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein (EGFP). Type 88 phage display on the EGFP recombinant Pf3 …

Corneal Replication Is An Interferon Response-Independent Bottleneck For Virulence Of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 In The Absence Of Virion Host Shutoff, Tracy J. Pasieka, Vineet D. Menachery, Pamela C. Rosato, David A. Leib

Dartmouth Scholarship

Herpes simplex viruses lacking the virion host shutoff function (Δvhs) are avirulent and hypersensitive to type I and type II interferon (IFN). In this study, we demonstrate that even in the absence of IFN responses in AG129 (IFN-αβγR^−/−) mice, Δvhs remains highly attenuated via corneal infection but is fully virulent via intracranial infection. The data demonstrate that the interferon-independent inherent replication defect of Δvhs has a significant impact upon peripheral replication and neuroinvasion.

Resource Availability, Mortality, And Fertility: A Path Analytic Approach To Global Life-History Variation, Mark A. Caudell, Robert J. Quinlan

Human Biology

Humans exhibit considerable diversity in timing and rate of reproduction. Life history theory (LHT) suggests that ecological cues of resource richness and survival probabilities shape human phenotypes across populations. Populations experiencing high extrinsic mortality due to uncertainty in resources should exhibit faster life histories. Here we use a path analytic (PA) approach informed by LHT to model the multiple pathways between resources, mortality rates, and reproductive behavior in 191 countries. Resources that account for the most variance in population mortality rates are predicted to explain the most variance in total fertility rates. Results indicate that resources (e.g., calories, sanitation, education, …

Hiv-Specific Knowing Transmission Statutes: A Proposal To Help Fight An Epidemic, David Kromm

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

No abstract provided.

A 45-Year-Old Male With Hiv, Kaposi’S Sarcoma, And Squamous Cell Carcinoma Of The Skin, Jascha Rubin, Md, Hasan Bayat, Md

The Medicine Forum

Case

A 45-year-old male with a history of human immunodeficiency virus, (HIV), on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), Kaposi’s sarcoma, and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the right lower extremity complicated by chronic wound formation presented with worsening right leg pain and increasing wound drainage.

The patient described the pain as excruciating, with 10/10 intensity and exacerbated by movement. His wounds began draining purulent material and blood about two weeks prior to presentation. He has had several similar, though milder episodes in the past requiring hospitalization. When the wounds began to have a foul odor, he presented to the hospital. …

A Case Of Pyoderma Gangrenosum, Christopher T. Miller, Md

The Medicine Forum

Case Report

A 60-year-old man with past medical history of hypertension, post-traumatic stress disorder, major depression, hepatic steatosis, chronic kidney disease, and untreated hepatitis C virus (genotype 1b) initially presented to the outpatient primary care clinic with a chief complaint of an extremely painful right lower extremity ulcer that had developed and grown progressively larger after mild trauma against a metal corner 4 months prior to the appointment. He admitted to picking at the granulation tissue that would develop over the ulcer. He was treating the ulcer with antibiotic ointment. On initial exam, the ulcer was about 2x2 cm, located …

Two Cases Of Co-Infection With Babesiosis And Lyme Disease, Anthony Decicco, Md, B. Niluk Peiris, Md, Cecilia Kelly, Md, Michael Latreille, Md, Donald Jungkind, Phd

The Medicine Forum

Case 1

The patient is a 71-year-old female with past medical history significant for hypothyroidism and hyperlipidemia who presented to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (TJUH) with complaints of myalgias for 6 weeks duration. The patient stated that she had begun an exercise program to lose weight and had subsequently noticed body aches and increased fatigue. She had presented to an outside hospital with these complaints, was told that the etiology was musculoskeletal, and was prescribed naproxen for pain relief. The pain did improve slightly with the naproxen but she noticed a rash and hives after starting the medication and stopped …

Mycobacterium Fortuitum Device Infection With Subsequent Endocarditis, Paurush Shah, Md, Alec Vishnevsky, Md

The Medicine Forum

Case

A 78-year-old female with a past medical history of mild dementia, hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease status post automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator (AICD) for congestive heart failure presented with suspected bacterial endocarditis and AICD lead infection from an outside hospital (OSH). The patient initially presented to the OSH with chest wall tenderness, fevers up to 101° F, chills, decreased appetite, weakness and weight loss. She was diagnosed with a non-ST segment myocardial infarction based on elevated troponin levels without electrocardiogram changes. At the OSH, blood acid fast bacillus (AFB) cultures were checked after routine blood cultures and fungal cultures …

An Indonesian Male With Abdominal Pain And Weight Loss: Abdominal Tuberculosis Presenting With Cervical Lymph Node Enlargement, Leah Duke Kaye, Md, Jayne Littlejohn, Md

The Medicine Forum

Case

A 21-year-old Indonesian male presented with a 6-month history of abdominal pain. The pain was described as a diffuse cramping that was worse with movement and after meals. He reported early satiety, and the pain was improved at rest. Associated with the pain, he reported a seventy pound weight loss, chills, decreased energy, and fatigue over the same time period. He denied nausea, vomiting, fevers, cough, dyspnea, or chest pain.

The patient emigrated from Indonesia to the United States in 2007 and has since had no travel or foreign visitors. He denied incarceration or military duty for both himself …

A 47-Year-Old Female With Shortness Of Breath, Dana Marrero, Md, Kelly Wright, Md

The Medicine Forum

This patient is a 47-year-old female with a history of end-stage liver disease secondary to hepatitis C virus (HCV) complicated by hepatic encephalopathy, obstructive sleep apnea, asthma, and severe peripheral neuropathy who presents to the hospital with complaints of shortness of breath and cough. The patient was recently discharged from an outside hospital 2 days prior to this admission where she was treated for pneumonia and an asthma exacerbation but her symptoms have not improved. She complains of shortness of breath at rest and severely decreased exercise tolerance with dyspnea while walking across the room. Her cough is persistent and …

A Case Series Of Lyme Carditis With Complete Heart Block, Rina Shah, Md, Mitul Kanzaria, Md

The Medicine Forum

Case 1

A 25-year-old Caucasian male with a history of a benign functional heart murmur presented to the emergency department for evaluation of 10 days of dyspnea with minimal exertion, such as walking a few blocks or climbing a flight of steps. Dyspnea was accompanied by moderate, dull, left-sided chest pain, which had been progressively worsening over the previous 3-5 days. The symptoms initially occurred only with exertion, but progressed to last 30-45 minutes after discontinuation of activity. He also noticed palpitations during these episodes, but did not try any remedies for his symptoms. Of note, two weeks prior to …

Agricultural Research Magazine May-June 2012

Agricultural Research Magazine

Agricultural Research

150 Years of Making History

USDA's 150th Anniversary- May 15, 2012

Forum: Alternative Strategies For Keeping Animals Healthy, Cyril G. Gay

Agricultural Research Magazine

The general public needs to know more about the importance of preventing and controlling livestock diseases and the financial impact they would have on our lives and food supply if left unchecked. Part of our mission at the USDA Agricultural Research Service is to conduct research to protect the safety of our nation’s agriculture and food supply through improved disease detection, prevention, and control.

Antibiotics are recognized as one of the most important biomedical discoveries for treating infectious diseases of animals and humans. The use of antibiotics has had a major impact on increases in food-animal production and has resulted …

Time-Series Model To Predict Impact Of H1n1 Influenza On A Children's Hospital., Michael C. Spaeder, Jonathan R. Stroud, Xiaoyan Song

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

The spring of 2009 witnessed the emergence of a novel influenza A(H1N1) virus resulting in the first influenza pandemic since 1968. In autumn of 2010, the 2009 novel H1N1 influenza strain re-emerged. We performed a retrospective time-series analysis of all patients with laboratory-confirmed H1N1 influenza who presented to our institution during 2009. Cases of influenza were assembled into 3-day aggregates and forecasting models of H1N1 influenza incidence were created. Forecasting estimates of H1N1 incidence for the 2010–2011 season were compared to actual values for our institution to assess model performance. Ninety-five percent confidence intervals calculated around our model's forecasts were …

The Analysis Of Protein-Bound Thiocyanate In Plasma Of Smokers And Non-Smokers As A Marker Of Cyanide Exposure, Stephanie L. Youso, Gary A. Rockwood, Brian A. Logue

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

When cyanide is introduced into the body, it quickly transforms through a variety of chemical reactions, normally involving sulfur donors, to form more stable chemical species. Depending on the nature of the sulfur donor, cyanide may be transformed into free thiocyanate, the major metabolite of cyanide transformation, 2-amino-2-thiazoline-4-carboxylic acid or protein-bound thiocyanate (PB-SCN) adducts. Because protein adducts are generally stable in biological systems, it has been suggested that PB-SCN may have distinct advantages as a marker of cyanide exposure. In this study, plasma was analyzed from 25 smokers (chronic low-level cyanide exposure group) and 25 non-smokers for PB-SCN. The amount …

The End Of Nowhere: The History Of Tuberculosis In Ri, Emma G. Sconyers

Senior Honors Projects

The World Health Organization estimates that approximately one third of the word's current population had been infected with tuberculosis. Prior to the 1940's TB was considered an incurable, chronic affliction. Historically, many people were forcibly detained in tuberculosis sanatoria to lessen the spread of the disease; my great granfather being one of them. In 1939, without warning, he was taken from his pregnant, jobless wife and one-year-old daughter, who were left to fend for themselves for two years without government planning or assistance. He spent those two years at Wallum Lake Sanitorium in northern Rhode Island, a place my great-grandmother's …

A Mathematical Model For Dengue Fever In A Virgin Environment, Jason K. Bowman

Senior Honors Projects

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection found in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. The disease was named in 1779 and the first recorded epidemic of it occurred simultaneously on three continents within the following decade. Dengue is characterized by flu-like symptoms and, while its symptoms are generally reported as quite unpleasant, is rarely fatal. However, in some cases patients can contract a more serious form of the disease, known as Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever, which is far more dangerous. The World Health Organization estimates that today over 2.5 billion people are at risk for Dengue (over 40% of the …

"Roadblocks, Stop Signs": Health Literacy, Education And Communication At A Free Medical Clinic, Sally Jane Huntington

Teaching and Leadership - Dissertations

This qualitative study, which takes place in a free medical clinic for low-income and uninsured patients, addresses the patients' health literacy and access to health information inside and outside of the clinic setting, as well as the strategies clinic providers use to effectively communicate health information. This study is based on participant observation in an urban clinic in the Northeast, interviews of 22 patients and 20 health-care providers, and direct observation of the patient/provider communication in nine instances. In the clinic, the providers serve as educators for vulnerable, stressed patients, who are adult learners. The patients were interviewed in order …