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Role Of Post-Translational Modifications In The Hiv Cofactor Activity Of Ledgf/P75, Denisse Adriana Gutierrez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

see document.

Determinants Of Infant Feeding Practices Of Hiv-Positive And Hiv-Negative Mothers In Pretoria, South Africa, Keith Ellis

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

Background: Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) has been shown to result in lowered risk of postnatal vertical HIV transmission compared to mixed breastfeeding (Mixed BF). Early breastfeeding cessation, or not breastfeeding at all, is associated with an increase in morbidity and mortality amongst both HIV-exposed and HIV-unexposed infants. The South African tradition of giving nutritive and non-nutritive foods to breastfeeding infants in the first few months of life is unique among African nations and warrants closer examination to identify maternal determinants that lead to early mixed feeding practices, commonly used supplemental foods/liquids, the timing of supplemental food introduction, and maternal perceptions of …

Do Prediction Markets Aid Defenders In A Weak‐Link Contest?, Cary Deck, Li Hao, David Porter

ESI Working Papers

Laboratory experiments have demonstrated that prediction market prices weakly aggregate the disparate information of the traders about states (moves) of nature. However, in many practical applications one might want to predict the move of a strategic participant. This is particularly important in aggressor‐defender contests. This paper reports a set of such experiments where the defender may have the advantage of observing a prediction market on the aggressor’s action. The results of the experiments indicate that: the use of prediction markets does not increase the defender’s win rate; prediction markets contain reliable information regarding aggressors’ decisions, namely excess bid information, that …

Printable Biodegradable Hydrogel For Skin Wound Dressing Using Inkjet Printing Technology, Maria G. Yanez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Chronic wounds are becoming more frequent. Foot ulcers affect approximately 10% - 15% of patients with diabetes throughout their lifetimes, and by 2025, it is estimated the prevalence of diabetes will be 250 million people in the worldwide. There is increased potential for patients with peripheral neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease to suffer more foot injuries. These conditions reduce the normal pain sensations and healing of minor traumas, allowing the development of chronic non-healing ulcers, often preceding lower-extremity amputation. These types of wounds are very difficult to treat and sometimes take months or even years to heal because of many …

Knowledge, Perceptions, Discrimination, Health Self-Efficacy, And Risky Behaviors For Hiv/Aids And Its Association With Migration Time Among Mixtec And Zapotec Men Who Migrate, 2012, Sandra Iveth Bejarano

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE: Historically, there has been a transnational migration flow from Mexico to the United States. There are many reasons for which people make the decision to migrate; the most common ones are unemployment and economic hardship. Currently, Oaxaca is considered one of the states with the highest poverty levels in Mexico. As a result of extreme poverty groups of indigenous people, such as Zapotec and Mixtec, are forced to migrate out of their communities in order to find jobs. Migration has been associated with various health outcomes, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease as well as …

Factors Associated With Consistent Condom Use Among Mixtec And Zapotec Men Who Migrate, Aldo Carrasco

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Migration has been associated with higher incidence and prevalence of illness among those who migrate when compared to the general population. One of the main concerns when referring to illness among migrant populations is HIV and other STDs. Due to several factors that present to migrant populations they have been found at higher risk for contracting these diseases. Lack of condom use has been found to be a risk factor amongst migrant populations. This study is a secondary data analysis of a previous study performed in California, Chihuahua, and Oaxaca, with Mixtec and Zapotec migrant populations. The purpose of this …

Validation Of N-Myristoyltransferase As Potential Chemotherapeutic Target In Chagas Disease, Linda Herrera

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiological agent of Chagas disease, a problem endemic to Central and South America. In recent years, this neglected infectious disease has become a global health concern. The only clinically available drugs for the chemotherapy of Chagas disease have important disadvantages such as, high toxicity, strain resistance and variable efficacy. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of new antichagasic agents. The enzyme N-myristoyltransferase (NMT) has been characterized in a range of eukaryotes, from Saccharomyces cerevisae to Homo sapiens. Moreover, NMT has been shown to be essential in protozoan parasites, including Leishmania …

Ruthenium-Azole Complexes As Chemotherapeutic Agents Against Leishmaniasis, Eva Iniguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Leishmaniasis is a neglected disease that affects millions of people worldwide. Poor efficacy and high toxicity of the limited treatment options demonstrate the need for the development of new chemotherapeutic agents to treat this disease. In order to respond this concern, the development of novel Ru-azole complexes as chemotherapeutic agents by inhibiting the cytochrome P-450 dependent C14-α-demethylation of lanosterol to ergosterol which is essential for the parasite survival. In addition, Ruthenium would enhance the activity of the parental drug, by helping ketoconazole/clotrimazole to cross the parasite membrane, together presenting low toxicity. The viability and citotoxicity of the Ru-azole compunds was …

The Threat Of Domestic Bioterrorism: Fact Or Fiction, Stacy M. Langston

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The threat of a domestic bioterrorist attack can be a daunting issue to cover. Using the analytic technique What If? Analysis a scenario was created for a domestic bioterrorism attack in Houston, TX. Indicators were developed to determine how to mitigate and respond to the attack. Recommendations were provided following the attack that can be used to prevent future attacks that were conducted in the scenario. Having a hindsight view of an attack is the best way to prevent and respond to the attack.

Giardia Lamblia: Regulation Of Cyst Production By Glycosphingolipids, Tavis Lyle Mendez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The diplomonad protist, Giardia lamblia, colonizes and replicates in the small intestine of mammals. In humans, Giardia infection (known as giardiasis) can be symptomatic or asymptomatic with the former being associated with fatty stool, abdominal pain, malnutrition, and weight loss. Both cell-mediated and humoral immune responses against Giardia infection are possible, and adaptive responses have been reported to be important for controlling the infection. Non-immune components such as secretory immunoglobulin, intestinal lipids, and bile acids also play significant roles in determining the severity of the infection by Giardia.

Giardia exists in two morphologic forms--trophozoites and cysts--and maintains a simple life …

Mucin Associated Surface Protein Synthetic Peptide As A Novel Vaccine Candidate Against Chagas Disease, Carylinda Serna

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Trypanosoma cruzi is an intracellular protozoan parasite and the etiological agent for Chagas disease. Chagas is endemic in Latin America affecting 18-20 million people. However, currently worldwide increasing numbers of the disease are being seen due to migration and globalization. This neglected disease causes significant morbidity, mortality, and an economic burden. There are no known vaccines and the only currently available drug is Benznidazole, but its effects are controversial. Nonetheless, a therapeutic or prophylactic vaccine is of urgent need to alleviate this disease. In this study we present an experimental approach using a synthetic peptide-based vaccine against T. cruzi. The …

Identification Of Chemotherapeutic Agents Against Leishmaniasis And Chagas' Disease, Miguel Abran Vasquez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Patients with clinical manifestations of leishmaniasis and Chagas' disease rely on few drugs that have limited efficacy and considerable side effects. Expanding the diversity of available chemotherapeutic drugs for these diseases is of extreme medical importance. Enones or á,í¢-unsaturated ketones, initially developed as anti-cancer agents, are a worthy of class of compounds to test for activity against Leishmania major and Trypanosoma cruzi as these eukaryotic parasites share many of the characteristics exhibited by cancer cells. The anti-parasitic activity of a library of á,í¢-unsaturated ketones (136 derivatives) was screened against L. major as well as in mammalian cells. Three compounds (NC901, …

Oral Education For Nursing Home Staff: Minimum Data Set 3.0, Katie Pudwill

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"This research study is based on an educational module presented to nursing home staff addressing assessment criteria of the Minimum Data Set 3.0 (MDS) dental section, a tool used by staff to evaluate residents' overall health. Relationships were tested between educating nursing home staff on the dental section and accurate completion of the MDS; between educating staff on correct oral assessment and resulting subsequent referrals for dental treatment; and between dental education and staff perceptions regarding the provision of oral assessment and home care. MDS assessments for nursing home residents (N=176) were collected pre- and post-implementation of the educational module, …

Shepherd Dogs As A Common Source For Salmonella Enterica Serovar Reading In Garmsar, Iran, Taghi Zahraei Salehi, Mahdi Askari Badouei, Omid Madadgar, Seyed Reza Ghiasi, Iradj Ashrafi Tamai

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Salmonella infection is one of the most important diseases that affect all animal species and is the leading cause of foodborne infections worldwide. One of the challenges in the control and prevention of salmonellosis is the recognition of potential carriers. To assess the potential role of shepherd dogs in the epidemiology of salmonellosis, fecal samples were taken from 38 shepherd dogs in Garmsar Province. Salmonella strains were isolated from 4 dogs (10.5%) related to 3 sheep flocks. All of the strains were confirmed at the genus level using invA virulence gene PCR. Serotyping confirmed all of the strains as Salmonella …

Isolation Of Streptococcus Species From The Tonsils Of Slaughtered Pigs, Arzu Funda Bağcigi̇l, Serkan İki̇z, Kemal Meti̇ner, Naci̇ye Yakut Özgür, Seyyal Ak, Ahmet Ati̇la Ilgaz

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The palatine tonsils of 220 pigs were examined for the occurrence of Streptococcus suis and other Streptococcus species. Samples were cultured onto Colombia agar plates with 5% defibrinated horse blood and selective antibiotic supplement and were incubated at 37 °C for 24-48 h aerobically. Presumptive colonies were identified using API20 Strep (bioMérieux). S. suis was not detected in any of the 220 palatine tonsils examined. S. porcinus was the most common streptococcus recovered and was isolated from 68 (31%) pigs. From the samples, S. agalactiae was isolated from 19 (8.6%), S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus from 10 (4.5%), S. uberis from …

Occurrence Of Anti-Toxoplasma Gondii And Neospora Caninum Antibodies In Camels (Camelus Dromedarius) In The Center Of Iran, Hossein Hamidinejat, Masoud Ghorbanpour, Aria Rasooli, Mohammad Nouri, Seyedhossein Hekmatimoghaddam, Mohammad Mehdi Namavari, Mehdi Pourmehdi-Borojeni, Alireza Sazmand

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

During the period from December 2008 to September 2009, we examined 254 serum samples (164 in hot-dry weather and 90 in cold-dry weather) from dromedary camels distributed all over Yazd Province, in the center of Iran. IgG antibodies were assayed by the modified agglutination test (MAT) and Neospora agglutination test (NAT) using whole tachyzoites of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum, incorporating 2-mercaptoethanol, for T. gondii and N. caninum, respectively. Anti-T. gondii antibodies were found in 37 (14.56%) of 254 camels with titers of 1:20 in 7, 1:40 in 6, 1:80 in 8, 1:160 in 1, 1:200 in 4, 1:400 in …

Detection Of Fecal Coronavirus Antigen In Diarrheic Calves Of High- And Average-Producing Holstein Dairy Cows, Khalil Badiei, Mehrdad Pourjafar, Mohsen Ghane

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

From January to December 2009, 661 fecal samples from natural cases of diarrheic calves were taken by veterinary staff from the Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine of Shiraz Veterinary School and veterinary practitioners in Fars Province, Iran. The samples were taken from 267 diarrheic calves of high-producing dairy cows (HPDCs) and 394 diarrheic calves of average-producing Holstein dairy cows (APDCs). Fecal samples were collected and submitted for the laboratory diagnosis of coronavirus antigens. Herd selection was based on geographical location and density of cattle in the region. All herds had HPDC and APDC coronavirus-infected diarrheic calves in their population. …

Comparative Diagnostic Methods For Canine Ehrlichiosis, Chetan Parmar, Riddhi Pednekar, Anant Jayraw, Mukulesh Gatne

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The efficacy of blood and buffy coat smear examination, commercially available dot-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit, and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was evaluated in the diagnosis of canine ehrlichiosis in 40 dogs exhibiting symptoms suggestive of the disease. The intracytoplasmic rickettsial organisms were seen in the smears of only 1 dog (2.5%) with an extremely low level of parasitemia. Nested PCR with 16S rRNA revealed characteristic 378 bp bands indicating positive reaction in 8 (20.0%) dogs and sera samples of 21 (52.5%) dogs revealed anti-Ehrlichia antibodies. The dog that revealed organisms in the blood also showed positive results with …

Presence Of Mycoplasmas In The Respiratory System Of Small Ruminants Managed Under An Extensive Production System, Zinka Maksimovic, Christian De La Fe, Maid Rifatbegovic

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The objective of this study was to investigate the presence of mycoplasmas in the respiratory system of sheep and goat populations managed under extensive production systems. Specific culture and polymerase chain reaction techniques were performed on a total of 88 lung tissue samples and 142 nasal swabs obtained from multiple herds in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A total of 29 samples (12.6%) were found to be positive for mycoplasmas. Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae was detected in the nasal swabs and lungs of affected sheep (n = 19) and in the lungs of asymptomatic goat kids (n = 2), while M. arginini (n = …

The South Carolina Sanatorium: The Landscape Of Public Healthcare In The Segregated South, Amanda Noll

Theses and Dissertations

This site-specific study examines the development of the South Carolina Sanatorium, which operated as a state-funded tuberculosis treatment center between 1915 and 1953. Using the South Carolina Sanatorium as a case study, this thesis draws upon the history of the Progressive Era, medicine, and architecture to analyze the influence of segregation on public healthcare in the South. By looking at the development of individual buildings and the site as whole, the built environment of the South Carolina Sanatorium is used as a framework to assess the effects of segregation on tuberculosis treatment in South Carolina.

Environmental Pre-Conditioning Of Bacterial Populations And Communities To Extreme Acidity, Gabriel Joseph Swenson

Theses and Dissertations

The ability of opportunistic enteric pathogens to cause disease is effected by their ability to survive the variable and lethal acidity of the mammalian host gastrointestinal milieu. In many of these pathogens, survival is conferred by an acid stress response (ASR). ASR is elicited when bacterial cells are pre-conditioned in sub-lethal acidity (pH 4-6) which induces rapid biochemical and physiological modifications and facilitates survival when extreme acidity (pH 1-3) is encountered. In Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of the diarrheal disease Cholera, ASR was initially investigated in an effort to determine how this ubiquitous aquatic bacterium is capable of causing …

Psychosocial Distress Mediates Immune Dysregulation Through Alterations In Global Epigenetic Patterns And Chromatin Remodeling Proteins, Karen Krukowski

Dissertations

Psychosocial distress, characterized by increased perceived stress, anxiety and mood disturbance, is a common response of women to a diagnosis of breast cancer (Northouse, 1992; Pettingale et al., 1988; Stark and House, 2000; Witek-Janusek et al., 2007). This psychosocial distress leads to activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis and increased circulating glucocorticoids (GCs) (Chrousos, 2000; Chrousos and Gold, 1992; Schoneveld and Cidlowski, 2007). Increased psychosocial distress and increased HPA activation can lead to immune dysregulation consisting of reduced natural killer (NK) cell activity (NKCA) (Biondi, 2001; Kiecolt-Glaser et al., 1987; Kiecolt-Glaser et al., 2002; Witek-Janusek et al., 2008; Witek-Janusek et …

Reverse Innovation From The Least Of Our Neighbors: Community Health Workers And U.S. Health Care, M Therese Lysaught

Institute of Pastoral Studies: Faculty Publications and Other Works

In a recent New York Times article, Pauline Chen, MD, asks: “What We Can Learn from Third-World Health Care?” Chen rattles our assumption that the vector of aid and insight travels in one direction — from the U.S., with all our resources, knowledge and technology, to less fortunate places that need our help. Could the arrow point in the opposite direction? Could we who have everything learn from the widow and her mite?

Where Does Neisseria Acquire Foreign Dna From: An Examination Of The Source Of Genomic And Pathogenic Islands And The Evolution Of The Neisseria Genus, Catherine Putonti, Bogdan Nowicki, Michael Shaffer, Yuriy Fofanov, Stella Nowicki

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

This journal is now called BMC Ecology and Evolution

Background

Pathogenicity islands (PAIs) or genomic islands (GEIs) are considered to be the result of a recent horizontal transfer. Detecting PAIs/GEIs as well as their putative source can provide insight into the organism’s pathogenicity within its host. Previously we introduced a tool called S-plot which provides a visual representation of the variation in compositional properties across and between genomic sequences. Utilizing S-plot and new functionality developed here, we examined 18 publicly availableNeisseria genomes, including strains of both pathogenic and non-pathogenic species, in order to identify regions of unusual compositional properties …

From Where Does Neisseria Acquire Foreign Dna: An Examination Of The Source Of Genomic And Pathogenic Islands And The Evolution Of The Neisseria Genus, Catherine Putonti, Bogdan Nowicki, Michael Shaffer, Yuriy Fofanov, Stella Nowicki

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Background

Pathogenicity islands (PAIs) or genomic islands (GEIs) are considered to be the result of a recent horizontal transfer. Detecting PAIs/GEIs as well as their putative source can provide insight into the organism’s pathogenicity within its host. Previously we introduced a tool called S-plot which provides a visual representation of the variation in compositional properties across and between genomic sequences. Utilizing S-plot and new functionality developed here, we examined 18 publicly available Neisseria genomes, including strains of both pathogenic and non-pathogenic species, in order to identify regions of unusual compositional properties (RUCPs) using both a sliding window as well as …

Characterization Of Chronic Glucocorticoid Exposure On Natural Killer Cell Function: A Model For Stress Induced Alterations On The Epigenetic Landscape, Justin Lee Eddy

Dissertations

Psychological stress can impact immune function through altered glucocorticoid production. Natural killer (NK) cells and their effector functions are particularly susceptible to both psychological stress as well as exogenous glucocorticoids. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of chronic glucocorticoid (GC) exposure on NK cells to investigate the immune dysregulation associated with periods of psychological stress.

Chronic in vitro treatment of the NK92 cell line produced a dichotomous NK phenotype with enhanced proinflammatory cytokine production yet reduced NK cell lytic activity (NKCA). This dichotomy was at the individual cell level where mRNA and protein levels for proinflammatory …

Ex Vivo Induction Of Human Regulatory T Cells, Kathleen Elizabeth Jaeger

Dissertations

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are indispensable in the human immune system in the maintenance of self-tolerance and immune homeostasis. The dysregulation of Treg number and/or function plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of cancer, allergy and human autoimmune pathologies such as multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes. The primary aim of this research was to determine the molecular mechanisms and cellular interactions which promote human Treg induction. From umbilical cord blood (UCB) samples, we found that antigen receptor stimulation of UCB T cells via a CD14+ monocyte population leads to a predominant induction of Tregs.

Further studies identified …

Defining A Role For Inducible Heat Shock Protein 70 (Hsp70i) In Mediating Autoimmune Vitiligo, Jeffrey Alan Mosenson

Dissertations

Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease characterized by destruction of melanocytes, leaving 0.5% of the population with progressive depigmentation. Current treatments offer limited efficacy. Observations that heat shock proteins (HSPs) can serve as adjuvants in antitumor vaccines first suggested to us a link between HSPs and stress-induced vitiligo. Such proteins are marvelously well conserved throughout evolution, which has placed them in the spotlight for helping to understand the intriguing relationship between infection and immunity. Intracellularly, inducible heat shock protein 70 (HSP70i) is upregulated by stress and helps protect cells from undergoing apoptosis. In times of stress, melanocytes will secrete antigen bound …

Distinct Lineage Of Vesiculovirus From Big Brown Bats, United States, Terry Fei Fan Ng, Cindy Driscoll, Maria Paz Carlos, Algernon Prioleau, Robert Schmieder, Bhakti Dwivedi, Jakk Wong, Yunhee Cha, Steven Head, Mya Breitbart, Eric Delwart

Marine Science Faculty Publications

We identified a novel rhabdovirus, American bat vesiculovirus, from postmortem tissue samples from 120 rabies-negative big brown bats with a history of human contact. Five percent of the tested bats were infected with this virus. The extent of zoonotic exposure and possible health effects in humans from this virus are unknown.

The Assessment Of Selected Novel Feed Ingredients To Replace Fishmeal On The Nutrition And Health Status Of Ornamental Fish, Rawling Mark

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Four investigations were conducted to assess the effects of feeding selected novel feed ingredients on the nutrition and health status of ornamental fish. Each dietary ingredient was assessed by determining the effects on growth performance, feed utilisation, haematological status, serological status and immuno-competence of mirror carp, a model ornamental fish species. The first experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding a tropical earthworm meal (Perionyx escavatus) and soybean meal on the haemato-immunological response and growth performance of mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio). Fish were fed diets for a total of 88 days, fishmeal served as the main protein source …