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Environmental Regulation Of Cardiovascular Disease Risk And Regenerative Capacity., Natasha Krystal Dejarnett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the U.S., and its prevalence is predicted to increase through 2030. Acute and chronic exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and traffic pollution is positively associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. It has been recently shown that exposure to elevated levels of combustion pollutants including tobacco smoke and PM2.5 is associated with decreased circulating levels of vascular progenitor cells (VPCs), angiogenic cells that participate in vascular repair and regeneration. Several investigators have reported that decreased VPC levels is associated with an increase in CVD risk and endothelial dysfunction …

Role Of Ethanol As A Cofactor In Haart Induced Hepatic Steatosis And Injury., Hridgandh Donde

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) has led to a significant increase in the life expectancy of HIV patients; however, there are significant side effects including lipodystrophy and hepatotoxicity. Alcohol abuse is highly prevalent in HIV infected individuals and hence may be a significant negative cofactor in HAART induced hepatotoxicity. The present study examines the mechanisms underlying HAART and alcohol induced hepatotoxicity. The effects of HAART drugs (azidothymidine, and Indinavir sulphate) in combination with alcohol were examined in in vivo animal model. Alcohol and HAART drug interactions and hepatotoxicity were also assessed in-vivo using an animal model of chronic alcohol feeding. …

Undergraduate And Graduate Course Descriptions, 2013 Summer, Wright State University

Course Descriptions

Wright State University undergraduate and graduate course descriptions from Summer 2013.

Bacterial Recovery, Transfer To Hands And Survival On Restaurant Menus, Ibtehal Alsallaiy

All Theses

Some non-food contact surfaces such as restaurant menus are not routinely cleaned or evaluated for microbial contamination and thus may be a potential contamination risk. The main objectives of this study were to detect bacteria on restaurant menus, test the rate of bacteria transfer from menus to consumers and determine the survival rate of bacteria on the menu surface. Evaluation of samples can 'find' that menus harbored detectable levels of aerobic organisms and Staphylococcus spp. The average mean of Total Plate count (TPC) was 28 CFU/15cm2 per sampling area during busy periods and 15 CFU/15cm2 per sampling area during less …

Practice Characteristics Of Graduates Of East Tennessee State University Quillen College Of Medicine: Factors Related To Career Choices In Primary Care, Ivy A. Click

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The nation is facing a physician shortage, specifically in relation to primary care and in rural underserved areas. The most basic function of a medical school is to educate physicians to care for the national population. The purpose of this study was to examine the physician practicing characteristics of the graduates of East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine including factors that influence graduates’ specialty choices and practice locations, especially those related to primary care. Secondary data for this study were collected from the college’s student database system and the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile. The study population included …

Evaluation And Management Of The Adult Patient With Dermatomyositis: A Review For The Advanced Practice Nurse, Tana L. Bock

Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: To examine a case of adult dermatomyositis (DM) and provide a clinical review that clarifies the pathogenesis, diagnosis, evaluation, and management of DM in the adult patient.

DATA SOURCES: Findings from the history, physical examination, and diagnostic testing of a 57-year-old woman with dermatomyositis. A search of literature from 1970 to 2013 was conducted including textbooks, Pub Med and CINAHL databases with the search terms "dermatomyositis," "idiopathic inflammatory myopathies," "polymyositis," "pathogenesis," "myopathies," "pathogenesis," "therapy," and "treatment."

CONCLUSION: Dermatomyositis is one of the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies affecting individuals of all ages. Its underlying pathology is related to …

State Compliance On The Cdc Recommendations For Hepatitis C Testing, Amanda Norcott

Public Health Undergraduate Program

Last August, the CDC updated its recommendations regarding what populations are at risk and should get tested for the hepatitis C virus, adding that those born from 1945 through 1965, or “baby boomers”, should receive a one-time Hepatitis C test due to the disproportionate number of cases in the age group. My goal was to identify which states are in compliance with these recommendations, and how many include the latest update. I collected data by searching specific terms about Hepatitis C within each state’s department of health website; I found that 34% of states were fully in line with the …

Oncolog, Volume 58, Number 05, May 2013, Jill Delsigne, Bryan Tutt

OncoLog MD Anderson's Report to Physicians (All issues) Archives

• Robotic Surgery Makes Tissue Harvest for Breast Reconstruction Less Invasive: A new minimally invasive robotic procedure enables surgeons to harvest latissimus dorsi muscle flaps for breast reconstruction with less scarring and discomfort than traditional techniques
• Diagnosis and Treatment of Invasive Fungal Infections in patients with Hematological Malingnancies: Invasive fungal infections are important causes of morbidity and death for patients with hematological malignancies. Although much progress has been made in the management of opportunistic fungal infections, their diagnosis and treatment remain a challenge
• INBRIEF: Beta-Blocker Use Associated With Higher Survival Rates in Lung Cancer Patients Receiving Radiation Therapy/ Selumetinib Shows Promise …

Biophysical Characterization Of Optimized Self-Assembling Protein Nanoparticles As A Malaria Vaccine, Sophia Walker

Honors Scholar Theses

Malaria is an infectious disease that affects several million individuals worldwide and is a significant international public health issue. While there is currently a malaria vaccine in phase III clinical trials, recent results demonstrate that it is only about 35% effective in reducing the incidence of the disease. The use of self-assembling protein nanoparticles (SAPNs) that display epitopes of the repeat sequence of the circumsporozoite protein of Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes malaria, has been shown to elicit a strong immune response. This prototype has potential for further improvement by altering the epitope regions of the nanoparticles to …

Social Mathworking: The Effects Of Online Reflection On Algebra I Students' Sense Of Community And Perceived Learning, Patricia Allanson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine if online reflections through social networking affect students' sense of community and levels of perceived conceptual learning in Algebra I courses. Social constructivism, connectivism, and computer-mediated communication in relation to reflective practices form the theoretical and practical framework for the use of Web 2.0 technologies in this investigation. A quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design was used to examine Algebra I students' sense of community as measured by the Sense of Classroom Community Index, and perceived learning as measured by Perceived Learning Instrument. The sample consisted of 27 Algebra I students at a …

Rrh Library Newsletter, May 2013, Libraries At Rochester Regional Health

Rochester Regional Health authored publications and proceedings

Newsletter sections include: Clostridium Difficile; Library Welcomes New Director Elizabeth Mamo; STAT!Ref Bookshelf

On The Origin Of Shame: Feelings Of Disgust Toward The Self, John A. Terrizzi Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Shame and disgust are believed to be evolved psychological solutions to different adaptive challenges and, thus, independent emotions. Shame is thought to promote the maintenance of social hierarchies (Gilbert, 1997; Fessler, 2004), whereas disgust is believed to encourage disease avoidance (Curtis et al., 2004; Oaten et al., 2009). Although shame and disgust are often treated as orthogonal emotions, they share some important commonalities. Both shame and disgust involve bodily concerns, have been described as moral emotions, and encourage avoidance of social interaction. The purpose of the current studies was to investigate the relation between shame and disgust. More specifically, the …

Analysis Of The Chondroitinase Operon Of Flavobacterium Columnare, Erin L. Sorlien

Senior Honors Projects

Analysis of the chondroitinase operon of Flavobacterium columnare

Erin Sorlien

Major

Cell and Molecular Biology, Chemistry

Advisor

Dr. David R. Nelson

Date

May 2, 2013

Keywords

Flavobacterium columnare, columnaris disease, chondroitin AC lyase, complementation, csl operon

Abstract
Flavobacterium columnare, an opportunistic bacterial pathogen of fish, is the causative agent of columnaris disease (CD). The bacterium is a Gram-negative rod that exhibits gliding motility and avidly forms biofilms. CD affects both wild and cultured freshwater fish, and continues to cause large economic losses to the fish farming industry. According to an investigation conducted by the National Animal Health Monitoring System, CD …

Investigating The Relationship Between Goal- Oriented Strivings And Motives For Engaging In Physical Activity, Minakshi Raj

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Chronic psychological stress has been shown to increase risk for conditions such as obesity and cardiovascular disease. Social Action Theory (SAT) says that an individual's patterns of goal-oriented strivings influence his or her ability to manage stress responses as well as his or her overall exposure to stress. According to SAT, self-regulatory skills, which involve the ability to plan and maintain behavior with the intent of achieving goals, and goal motives influence an individual’s exposure and vulnerability to certain stressors. Using SAT as a framework, the present study explores the negative consequences of implicit motives on health via the body’s …

Controlling Bacterial Persister Cells With Low Level Electric Currents, Henry Lars Peterson

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Bacterial persister cells present a growing concern as they inherit the ability to tolerate high concentrations of antibiotics and repopulate after an antibiotic treatment leading to chronic diseases. Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes many human infections including skin infections and those associated with burn injuries, and implanted medical devices, and are associated with Cystic Fibrosis. Recently, the Ren Lab developed a novel approach to eliminate persister cells of P. aeruginosa, including those in biofilms, using low level electric currents. To evaluate the safety of this method and to better understand how the underlying elements, this study focused on the cytotoxicity of …

Listeria Monocytogenes Cholecystitis: A Possible New Syndrome., Jackrapong Bruminhent, Timothy K Lynch, Jonathan Gefen, Jerome Santoro

Division of Internal Medicine Faculty Papers & Presentations

: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently added potentially fatal Listeria monocytogenes infection to the list of opportunistic infections that can occur in patients who receive tumor necrosis factor inhibitor therapy. In this study, the first reported case of L monocytogenes cholecystitis associated with etanercept use is described. It also appears that tumor necrosis factor inhibitor therapy likely increases the risk for Listeria cholecystitis. Clinicians need to be aware of this association when selecting antimicrobial therapy for these patients.

The God Of Death Takes Half Of Our Children: Health Of Women And Children In The Sundarbans Islands, Bipasha Biswas

Social Work Faculty Publications

Grassroots level health care workers provided insights into rural women's health concerns at a program development workshop held at Sundarban Islands in West Bengal, India. This report describes these narratives and identifies strategies for potential intervention plans. The narratives suggest layers of disenfranchisement compounded by gender inequality and geographic instability.

Deletion Of Putative Msa Operon Gene Fragment And Its Phenotypic Characterization In Community Acquired-Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Usa300 Strain Lac, Reem A. Dawoud

Honors Theses

Staphylococcus aureus is an important human pathogen that causes a wide variety of diseases. Many S. aureus strains have emerged which are resistant to the penicillin class of antibiotics. Of primary importance is methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), which has cause frequent hospitalizations due to infections. In the past, MRSA was typically confined to hospital settings, but recently, community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) have been reported. CA-MRSA poses a major public health threat because of increased virulence and success in infecting otherwise healthy individuals. Previously we discovered a gene, msa, which plays a critical role in biofilm formation and regulation of the …

Characterization Of The Function Of A Mold Specific Gene, Ms95, In The Pathogenic Dimorphic Fungus, Histoplasma Capsulatum, Danielle J. Williamson

Honors Theses

Histoplasma capsulatum is a dimorphic fungus that causes the respiratory disease histoplasmosis. At 25°C, the fungus grows as a multicellular mold in soils contaminated by bird and bat excreta. Once the soil is disturbed, spores are released and inhaled into the lungs. The fungus shifts to a unicellular, pathogenic yeast within the lungs at 37°C. Our laboratory’s main objective is to characterize the genes that are involved in the mold-to-yeast dimorphism. This study focuses on the mold-specific gene, MS95. According to The Broad Institute Histoplasma capsulatum GenBank Blastx search, MS95 has several homologs, including the well-studied Saccharomyces cerevisiae. …

Efficacy Of Probiotics For Reducing The Incidence Of Lameness In Broilers Grown On Wire Flooring, John Matthew Stark

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Growing broilers on wire flooring provides an excellent experimental model for reproducibly triggering significant levels of lameness. In Pilot Study #1 using broilers from Line C grown on wire flooring, adding the Biomin probiotic PoultryStar® to the feed reduced the percentage of lameness by half when compared with broilers that received the control diet alone. In Pilot Study # 2 using broilers from Line B grown on wire flooring, adding the PoultryStar® probiotic reduced the percentage of lameness to 8% when compared with 28% lameness in broilers that received the control diet alone. The objective of this study was to …

Landscape Epidemiology And Machine Learning: A Geospatial Approach To Modeling West Nile Virus Risk In The United States, Sean Gregory Young

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The complex interactions between human health and the physical landscape and environment have been recognized, if not fully understood, since the ancient Greeks. Landscape epidemiology, sometimes called spatial epidemiology, is a sub-discipline of medical geography that uses environmental conditions as explanatory variables in the study of disease or other health phenomena. This theory suggests that pathogenic organisms (whether germs or larger vector and host species) are subject to environmental conditions that can be observed on the landscape, and by identifying where such organisms are likely to exist, areas at greatest risk of the disease can be derived. Machine learning is …

Development Of A Predictive Modeling System For Validation Of The Cumulative Mirobial Inactivation Of The Salmonellae In Pepperoni Utilizing A Non-Pathogenic Surrogate Microorganism (Enterococcus Faecalis), Scott Donald Stillwell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Salmonellosis is the most frequently occurring bacterial foodborne illness in the United States and the human case rate has not improved for the past two decades. The federal agency responsible for oversight of meat and poultry processors has announced the intent to extend existing pathogen reduction performance standards for Salmonella spp. to cover all classes of products including fermented sausages that are currently produced under HACCP plans that are validated for control of Escherichia coli O157:H7. The proposed regulatory modifications will require processors to revalidate HACCP plan controls to achieve either a 6.5 or a 7.0 log10 inactivation of the …

Effects Of Long-Term Exposure To Kanamycin And/Or Ampicillin On Resistance Genes On An E. Coli Plasmid, Justin W.R. Kerby Ii

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Multi-drug-resistant bacteria are a major cause of hospital-acquired infections and antibiotic resistance in these organisms is often plasmid mediated, which has become a growing concern. Plasmids conferring resistance to multiple antibiotics are increasingly becoming a common source of antibiotic resistance. The behavior of these plasmids under and in the absence of selective pressure is not yet fully understood. Therefore, to determine the behavior of a multiple-resistance plasmid under selective pressure pCR 2.1-TOPO, a commercial plasmid, was inserted into an Escherichia coli host and grown in a continuous culture under four conditions: broth with 1) kanamycin alone, 2) ampicillin alone, 3) …

Antimicrobial Producing Bacteria Isolated From Petroleum-Laced Hypersaline Soil, Joanna L. Fay

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Given the alternative functions of “antibiotics” as communication molecules or participants in metabolism, it seems probable that production might be influenced by factors such as nutrient availability, interactions with neighboring microbes, and/or colony or community structure and maturity. With this in mind, the present study aimed to broaden the scope of the search for novel antibiotics by experimenting with the following parameters: source of bacterial isolation, growth and assay media, and culturing techniques. Bacteria for this study were isolated from two categories of soil (petroleum-contaminated or uncontaminated) to compare diversity and antimicrobial activity. Compared to the uncontaminated soil, isolates of …

Interaction Of Bacillus Anthracis Exosporium Protein Bcla With Complement Factor H And Spore Persistence In The Lung, Sarah A. Jenkins

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Anthrax outbreaks in the United States and Europe and its potential use as a bioweapon have made Bacillus anthracis an interest of study. Anthrax infections are caused by the entry of B. anthracis spores into the host via the respiratory system, the gastrointestinal tract, cuts or wounds in the skin, and injection. Among these four forms, inhalational anthrax has the highest lethality rate and persistence of spores in the lungs of animals following pulmonary exposure has been noted for decades. However, details or mechanisms of spore persistence were not known. In this study, we investigated spore persistence in a mouse …

Adapting To A Changing World: An Environmental History Of The Eastern Shoshone, 1000–1868, Adam R. Hodge

Department of History: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Using the Eastern Shoshone Tribe as a case study, this dissertation argues that the physical environment must be considered integral to processes of ethnogenesis. It traces the environmental history of the people who became known as the Eastern Shoshone over the course of several centuries, exploring how those Natives migrated throughout and adapted to a significant portion of the North American West – the Great Basin, Rocky Mountains, Columbia Plateau, and Great Plains – prior to the reservation era. In examining that history, this project treats Shoshones, other Natives, and Euro-Americans not as people who simply used the environment, but …

Childhood Cat Bites And Disorganized Symptoms Of Schizotypy In Adulthood, Jenya Kolpakova

HIM 1990-2015

During recent years of schizophrenia research, many etiologies have been emphasized, some of them implicating infectious and autoimmune diseases. Many different infectious agents have been examined, but the root seems to stem from the secondary autoimmune deregulation, which can be caused by different infectious agents. Among the effects that autoimmune deregulation has on the body, one prominent effect is on the brain, resulting in either severe or mild encephalitis. The mild encephalitis that has been implicated as one of the causes of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders has been associated with different pathogens, many of which can be transmitted by the household cat. …

Legacy - May 2013, South Carolina Institute Of Archaeology And Anthropology--University Of South Carolina

SCIAA Magazine - Legacy & PastWatch

Contents:

Health and Warfare in the Prehistoric Southeast.....p. 1
Director's Note.....p. 2
The Lord of Death on the Savannah River.....p. 4
On The Importance of Proper Curation of Collections.....p. 6
Two Special Announcements.....p. 9
Update on the 2012-2013 Activities of the Southeastern Paleoamerican Survey.....p. 10
A Visit with the Lost Battalion.....p. 13
Siege in the Argonne.....p. 15
Update on Mars Bluff Navy Yard/CSS Pee Dee Cannons Investigations.....p. 16
Recording the Beginnings of South Carolina River Diving.....p. 18
Archaeologist of the Year Awarded to Drew Ruddy.....p. 20
Artifact Identification Workshop.....p. 21
Research in the Graniteville Historic District.....p. 22
Going Polynesian in …

Positive Deviance And Hand Hygiene, In Eui Oh

Theses and Dissertations

Healthcare-associated infections (HAis) are significant problems to our nation since these are n1ajor causes of n1orbidity and mortality and these produce both financial and medical burden. Good hand hygiene is one of the most effective measures for preventing healthcareassociated infections (HAls); however, hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers is poor. An1ong 1nany strategies to in1prove hand hygiene behavior in healthcare workers, this paper reviews current I iterature on hand hygiene and introduces the Positive Deviance (PD) 1nethod to achieve high hand hygiene compliance and i1nprove hand hygiene behaviors

Existing literatures and guidelines on hand hygiene and PD are synthesized, and …

Educating Staff Nurses On The Early Recognition Of Clostridium Difficile In Cancer Patients, Jennie A. Meyer

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.