Digital Commons Network^™

Characterization Of The Probiotic Mechanism Of Phaeobacter Gallaeciensis S4 Against Bacterial Pathogens, Wenjing Zhao

Open Access Dissertations

Infections by pathogenic marine bacteria are a major problem for both the shellfish and finfish aquaculture industries, causing severe disease and high mortality, which seriously affect aquaculture production and cause significant economic loss. Marine pathogens like Vibrio tubiashii and Roseovarius crassostreae frequently cause disease in a variety of shellfish. With the understanding that the use of antibiotics in large-scale aquaculture leads to the development and transfer of antibiotic resistance, investigation of probiotic approaches for the prevention of infectious disease has become important. In manuscript I, screening of bacterial isolates from Rhode Island marine organisms and environment using agar-based assay methods …

Maternal Health Commodity Landscaping Exercise: A Snapshot Of The Bangladesh Program, Sharif M.I. Hossain, Saumya Ramarao, Ismat Ara Hena, Ubaidur Rob

Reproductive Health

Despite consistent efforts of the government and national stakeholders, every year in Bangladesh over 5,000 mothers and thousands of children die. Most of these deaths would be preventable with increased access to quality services including existing medicines and other health commodities. The United Nation’s Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children suggests that an important cause of these deaths is lack of access and appropriate use of 13 life-saving commodities. This document describes an effort by the Population Council to assess the country’s policies, guidelines, and availability for these 13 life-saving commodities as well as engaging with key stakeholders …

Second Consultation On Developing Standards For Identifying Evidence-Based Practices In Reproductive Health, Step Up Research Programme Consortium

Reproductive Health

The STEP UP consortium and the High Impact Practices initiative, together with other partners, supported three consultation meetings to inform the use of appropriate standards of evidence for recommending best practices in reproductive health (RH). The second consultation, reported here, brought together researchers and funders to review the research designs and methodologies that can be used to generate evidence on the impact of FP/RH interventions and on their implementation; the mechanisms and structures through which such evidence is reviewed and translated into recommendations; and the implications for organizing and funding evidence generation to maximize its quality and utility. Drawing from …

Unintended Pregnancies In Kenya: A Country Profile, Joyce Mumah, Caroline W. Kabiru, Carol Mukiira, Jessica Brinton, Michael Mutua, Chimaraoke O. Izugbara, Harriet Birungi, Ian Askew

Reproductive Health

This research report presents a country profile of Kenya, and looks at differential access to and quality of family planning (FP) and abortion/post-abortion services to assess their current situation, as well the various financing and delivery mechanisms for these crucial services. Since 2000, Kenya has passed several new sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and population-related policies, including a new population and development policy that addresses rapid population growth. Results of this country profile highlight the need for further research on: 1) innovative ways through which SRH information can be brought to schools; 2) FP/SRH indicators in people living with disabilities; …

Typhoid Fever In Fiji: A Reversible Plague?, Corinne N. Thompson, Mike Kama, Shrish Acharya, Una Bera, John Clemens, John A. Crump, Aggie Dawainavesi, Gordon Dougan, W. John Edmunds, Kimberley Fox, Kylie Jenkins, M. Imran Khan, Josefa Koroivueta, Myron M. Levine, Laura B. Martin, Eric Nilles, Virginia E. Pitzer, Shalini Singh, Ratu Vereniki Raiwalu, Stephen Baker, Kim Mulholland

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

Le pays des îles Fidji, avec une population d'environ 870 000 personnes, fait face à une charge croissante de plusieurs maladies transmissibles, y compris l'infection bactérienne de la fièvre typhoïde. Les données de surveillance indiquent que la fièvre typhoïde est devenue de plus en plus fréquente dans les zones rurales de Fidji et est plus fréquente chez les jeunes adultes. La transmission des organismes qui causent la fièvre typhoïde est facilitée par la contamination fécale des aliments ou de l'eau et peut être influencée par les pratiques comportementales locales dans les îles Fidji. Le Ministère fidjien de la Santé, avec …

Understanding Ligand Binding, Selectivity And Functions On The G Protein-Coupled Receptors: A Molecular Modeling Approach, Saheem Zaidi

Theses and Dissertations

The assessment of target protein molecular structure provides a distinct advantage in the rational drug design process. The increasing number of available G protein-coupled receptor crystal structures has enabled utilization of a varied number of computational approaches for understanding the ligand-receptor interactions, ligand selectivity and even receptor response upon ligand binding. The following dissertation examines the results from three different projects with varied objectives – i) structural modeling of human C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) and assessment of the ligand binding pocket of the receptor, ii) assessment of the selectivity profile of naltrexone derivatives on the three opioid receptors …

Clinical Features, Proximate Causes, And Consequences Of Active Convulsive Epilepsy In Africa, Symon M. Kariuki, William Matuja, Albert Akpalu, Angelina Kakooza-Mwesige, Martin Chabi, Ryan G. Wagner, Myles Connor, Eddie Chengo, Anthony K. Ngugi, Rachael Odhiambo, Christian Bottomley, Steven White, Josemir W. Sander, Brian G. R. Neville, Charles R. J. C. Newton

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Purpose: Epilepsy is common in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), but the clinical features and consequences are poorly characterized. Most studies are hospital-based, and few studies have compared different ecological sites in SSA. We described active convulsive epilepsy (ACE) identified in cross-sectional community-based surveys in SSA, to understand the proximate causes, features, and consequences.

Methods: We performed a detailed clinical and neurophysiologic description of ACE cases identified from a community survey of 584,586 people using medical history, neurologic examination, and electroencephalography (EEG) data from five sites in Africa: South Africa; Tanzania; Uganda; Kenya; and Ghana. The cases were examined by clinicians to …

Strong Relationship Between Oral Dose And Tenofovir Hair Levels In A Randomized Trial: Hair As A Potential Adherence Measure For Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (Prep)., Albert Y. Liu, Qiyun Yang, Yong Huang, Peter Bacchetti, Peter L. Anderson, Chengshi Jin, Kathy Goggin, Kristefer Stojanovski, Robert Grant, Susan P. Buchbinder, Ruth M. Greenblatt, Monica Gandhi

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) trials using tenofovir-based regimens have demonstrated that high levels of adherence are required to evaluate efficacy; the incorporation of objective biomarkers of adherence in trial design has been essential to interpretation, given the inaccuracy of self-report. Antiretroviral measurements in scalp hair have been useful as a marker of long-term exposure in the HIV treatment setting, and hair samples are relatively easy and inexpensive to collect, transport, and store for analysis. To evaluate the relationship between dose and tenofovir concentrations in hair, we examined the dose proportionality of tenofovir in hair in healthy, HIV-uninfected adults.

METHODS: A …

Design, Synthesis, And Evaluation Of Small Molecule-Based, Profluorogenic Activatable Substrate Probes For Detection And Visualization Of Human Cancer Enzyme Nad(P)H:Quinone Oxidoreductase-1, Suraj Uditha Hettiarachchi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Cancer comprises many specific diseases, and it is currently responsible for millions of deaths worldwide. This broad disease profile is a great challenge for personalized oncology. Critical for the success of cancer therapy is the exploration of improved methodologies for the early detection of localized and disseminated tumor cells in patients, where bio-molecular imaging has become an indispensable tool. Being one of many different imaging techniques, optical fluorescence imaging has been translated over the years from the bench to clinical research, and it is now on the verge of being able to address some of the pressing challenges in molecular …

Improving Anesthesia Professional Adherence To Hand Hygiene, Martha E. Seneca

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Performance of hand hygiene is among the most effective means of preventing healthcare associated infections (HAI) among patients. Deaths resulting from HAIs are one of the top ten leading causes of death in the United States. Any improvement in the frequency of hand hygiene among healthcare professionals may have a direct impact on patient mortality and associated costs. While anesthesia professionals have been found to have low rates of hand hygiene adherence, few targeted studies seeking to improve hand hygiene adherence among this group exist. Studies conducted to improve hand hygiene among health care professionals have reported limited improvement, with …

Protecting Public Health From Inside A Jail Cell, Sarah Geduldig

Public Interest Law Reporter

No abstract provided.

Portable Microfluidic Fluid Handling System For The Detection Of Protein Biomarkers In Whole Human Blood, Michael Franzblau

Open Access Master's Theses

The thesis focused on the design and construction of a proof-of-concept polymer based microfluidic Point of Care (POC) device that is portable, requires little user interaction, and is sensitive enough to reliably test for protein biomarkers from a small sample of whole human blood. Specific contributions to the presented system include novel microfluidic channel geometries that support improved fluidic handling, and an improved technique for the fabrication of the poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microfluidic chip. Additionally, a commercially available plasma separation membrane was integrated into the microfluidic chip using presented structures and techniques to achieve cellular filtration of whole blood on-chip, yielding …

Cytotoxic Clinical Isolates Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Identified During The Steroids For Corneal Ulcers Trial Show Elevated Resistance To Fluoroquinolones, Durga S. Borkar, Nisha R. Acharya, Chelsia Leong, Prajna Lalitha, Muthiah Srinivasan, Catherine E. Oldenburg, David J. Evans

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC College of Pharmacy

Background: To determine the relationship between type three secretion genotype and fluoroquinolone resistance for P. aeruginosa strains isolated from microbial keratitis during the Steroids for Corneal Ulcers Trial (SCUT) and for two laboratory strains, PA103 and PAO1.

Methods: Confirmed P. aeruginosa isolates from the SCUT were divided into exoU(+) or exoU(−). The exoU(+) strains contained the gene encoding ExoU, a powerful phospholipase toxin delivered into host cells by the type three secretion system. Isolates were then assessed for susceptibility to fluoroquinolone, cephalosporin, and aminoglycoside antibiotics using disk diffusion assays. Etest was used to determine the MIC of moxifloxacin …

Relactation: A Phenomenological Study, Amy Nicole Lommen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of women in Montana who chose to attempt relactation. A phenomenological approach was utilized to understand the lived experiences of the 10 participants. In depth interviews were conducted and a 21 item, categorical and open-ended survey was administered seeking demographic and experiential data. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to organize and analyze the data. Most participants reported having good support from family, friends, lactation specialists, and/or physicians. Despite this support, the participants experienced breastfeeding difficulty. An overarching theme was having a difficult baby; whether it was colic, latching difficulties, …

Habitat Quality Influences Migratory Strategy Of Female White-Tailed Deer, Charles R. Henderson Jr.

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Partial migration is a life history strategy that is common for ungulate species living in seasonal environments. One factor that influences the decision to migrate by ungulates is access to high quality habitat. We evaluated the influence of access to winter habitat of high quality on the probability of an individual migrating, the differences in seasonal habitat use between and within migratory and resident classes of deer, and the effects of this decision on the survival of female white-tailed deer. We hypothesized that deer with home ranges of relatively low quality in winter would have a relatively high probability of …

The Effect Of Green Tea (Camellia Sinensis) On Lactic Acid Fermentation Of Milk : Effects On Physical, Nutritional And Functional Properties Of Yogurt / Shabboo Amirdivani, Shabboo Amirdivani

Student Works (2010-2019)

Yogurt is a healthy food and it has become good candidate for fortification with many healthful ingredients including fruits, herbs, prebiotics, probiotics and omega-3 fatty acids. Whatever the fortification strategies, it is essential that the finished product retain a desirable taste, becomes more nutritious and has long shelf life. The present study investigated the benefits green tea would bring to increase yogurt properties by virtue of the high levels of flavonoids which can protect cells and tissues from oxidative damage by scavenging oxygen-free radicals. The presence of green tea would however affect yogurt bacteria fermentation of milk and subsequently the …

Inter-Phyla Comparative Genomics Of Plant Pathogenic Fungus Reveals Genomics Similarity And Copy Number Variations / Kenneth Tan Lee Shean, Lee Shean Kenneth Tan

Student Works (2010-2019)

The impact of plant pathogenic fungus towards the industry of agriculture causes massive destruction of crops worldwide and thus stirring interest around the world for research in these plant pathogenic funguses. The vast development of sequencing technologies enabled many public efforts to decipher the genomics information about these funguses and example of such effort is the Fungal Genome Initiative (FGI) by Broad Institute. By using public genomics and annotation data from FGI for four different fungus species from two different phyla, inter-phyla comparative genomics between the fungus species revealed important common features of plant pathogenic funguses. Inter-Phyla comparative genomics results …

The Development Of Peptide-Based Vaccine For Leptospirosis: In Silico Approach / Salwana Binti Othman, Salwana Othman

Student Works (2010-2019)

Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis infection caused by Gram-negative bacteria from the genus of Leptospira. Eight pathogenic species of Leptospira have been identified and there are more than 250 serovars that can cause leptospirosis to human and animals. Due to the indistinguishable symptoms of the disease, leptospirosis is often misdiagnosed, resulting to death if antibiotic treatment is not given immediately. Prophylactic vaccine can reduce the mortality rate resulting from the late treatment. However, the existing vaccines for leptospirosis are serovar-specific and can only provide limited protection to human. Therefore, a new and more effective vaccine is urgently needed. The vaccine …

The Effect Of Carum Carvi Water Extract Intake As An Alternative Therapy For Weight Loss In Overweight And Obese Women / Mahnaz Kazemipoor, Mahnaz Kazemipoor

Student Works (2010-2019)

Obesity and overweight are considered as challenging health problems worldwide. Despite several modern methods for treatment of obesity such as medical nutrition therapy, low-energy diets, and physical activity. The prevalence of this disease is still high, suggesting the need for alternative therapies. One of the trending approaches is the consumption of traditional medicinal plants. Caraway (Carum carvi L.), has been traditionally used as a spice in Iran. It is also claimed as a potent medicinal plant that is used to treat a variety of ailments including obesity. The objectives of this study are to analyse the phytochemicals present in caraway …

The Use Of Carica Papaya Leaf Juice As A Supplement For Dengue Patients And Its Potential Effect On Immune Modulation / Maisarah Binti Ab Fatah, Maisarah Ab Fatah

Student Works (2010-2019)

Dengue is a major vector-borne disease in Malaysia. Among the symptoms presented in patients with dengue infection are headache, fever, rash, pain behind the eyes as well as muscle and joint pains. Currently, there are no suitable vaccines, specific treatment nor anti-virals for the treatment of dengue. As a result, patients are treated according to symptoms. In Malaysia, the juice of Carica papaya leaves (CPL) has been used as a house-hold remedy for dengue infection. However, there is less scientific evidence to prove this. Thus, this study sought to evaluate the use of CPL juice as a supplement for dengue …

Isolation And Characterization Of Yersinia Enterocoliticafrom Food And Swine / Tan Lai Kuan, Lai Kuan Tan

Student Works (2010-2019)

Yersinia enterocolitica is an important foodborne enteric pathogen that causes gastroenteritis. There are limited studies on Y. enterocolitica in Malaysia, hence the potential complication due to yersiniosis in the country remains unknown. The objectives of this study were: (i) to determine the prevalence of Y. enterocolitica from raw food and pigs in Malaysia; (ii) to characterize the Malaysian Y. enterocolitica by using phenotypic and genotypic methods and; (iii) to study the genetic relatedness of Malaysian Y. enterocolitica strains from different food sources and pigs in Malaysia; and (iv) to improve the isolation of rate of Y. enterocolitica by modifying the …

A Comparative Study Of Mineral Contents In Selected Malaysian Brown Rice And White Rice / Bagirathy A/P Govarethinam, Bagirathy Govarethinam

Student Works (2010-2019)

In the present study, concentration of minerals Na, Mg, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu and Zn in selected commercially available brown rice and white rice from Malaysia were determined using microwave assisted digestion with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The data obtained were evaluated using chemometric tools. Hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis visually reveal the natural clustering of rice sample into two distinct clusters where brown rice are associated with higher mineral concentration. The statistics show that all the mineral concentrations found in brown rice are significantly higher than those found in white rice (P<0.001). As a whole, the mean concentration of minerals follow a trend of K>Mg>Zn>Mn …

Establishment Of A Real Time Rt-Pcr Assay To Detect Expression Of Selected Genes From Multiple-Drug Resistant Acinetobacter Baumannii / Sanaz Koosha, Sanaz Koosha

Student Works (2010-2019)

Acinetobacter baumannii has an important role in nosocomial infections. However, in addition to the respiratory infections caused by this bacterium it also causes other infections, such as, bacteremia, urinary tract infections, meningitis, eye and skin infections. Recently the antibiotic resistance of A. baumannii has increased in respect of almost all of the current antibiotics. The present study focuses on the expression of genes ABAYE0161 (hypothetical protein) and ABAYE3501 (general secretion pathway protein C) in the presence and absence of the antibiotic imipenem. These two genes were chosen from the previous studies concerning the effect of microgravity on the expression of …

Utility Of Bats (Chiroptera) As Ecological Indicators In Peninsular Malaysia / Khairunnisa Binti Syaripuddin, Khairunnisa Syaripuddin

Student Works (2010-2019)

As ecologists we are tasked with studying the effects of environmental changes on ecosystems, but it is impossible to study every species and every interaction. Therefore, a relatively small group of species must be chosen as a proxy for monitoring general patterns of ecological change. Bats might be suitable for the role as ecological indicators because they have high species richness and abundance, represent several distinct feeding guilds, occupy high trophic positions, and perform key ecosystem services such as pollination, seed dispersal, nutrient recycling and arthropod control. A critical prerequisite for an ecological indicator group is stable and accurate species …

Genetic Diversity Of Gracilaria Changii And Gracilaria Edulis (Gracilariaceae,Rhodophyta) In Malaysian Waters / Yow Yoon Yen, Yoon Yen Yow

Student Works (2010-2019)

Gracilaria is the second largest genus of red algae that is widely distributed from the sub-boreal to tropical waters, and some are endemic to the Southeast Asian countries. G. changii (Xia et Abbott) Abbott, Zhang et Xia and G. edulis (Gmelin) Silva are potential species for commercialization in Malaysia as they have high yields of good quality agar with high gel strength for production of agarose and food grade agar. There is no cultivation of Gracilaria changii and Gracilaria edulis in Malaysia and regular sampling at various coastal areas in Peninsular Malaysia has indicated that the wild populations of these …

Development Of A Climate Change Vulnerability Index For Peninsular Malaysia / Wong Foong Mei, Foong Mei Wong

Student Works (2010-2019)

There are two factors that can affect changes in climate; internal variation and external forcing. The warming and cooling trend is determined by increases of the concentration of greenhouse gases, which consists of water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Even if greenhouse gas emissions were stabilised instantly at today’s level, the climate would still continue to change as it adapts to the increased emission of recent decades. This is because climate change in the future is greatly influence by the past emissions. Therefore, further changes in climate are unavoidable. Since 21st century, the issue of climate change has …

Antibacterial Activities Of Selected Marine Fungi From Peninsular Malaysia / Audra Shaleena A/P Paliany, Audra Shaleena Paliany

Student Works (2010-2019)

Over the past few decades, scientists have come to acknowledge the growing importance of marine and marine-related resources for new drugs, pesticides and anti-fouling substances, with over 10,000 metabolites isolated from marine organisms to date. In an effort to tap into the pharmaceutical potential of marine fungi in Malaysia, selected marine derived endophytic and manglicolous fungi from the coastlines of Peninsular Malaysia were investigated for their antibacterial potential. The endophytic fungi in this study were isolated from two marine associated plants; Vitex rotundifolia L.f. and Ipomoea pes-caprae (L.) R.Br., from the east and west coast of Peninsular Malaysia respectively. A …

Development Of A Decision Support System (Dss) For Malaysian Adult Weight Management / Aadilah Binti Baharuddin, Aadilah Baharuddin

Student Works (2010-2019)

The main objective of this study is to develop an electronic knowledge-based decision support system (DSS) for the use of experts, specifically nutritionists and dieticians, as well as Malaysian adults for effective weight management. The system will allow the user to keep track of their daily food consumption and energy expenditure to prevent them from getting overweight since obesity is a prominent public health problem in Malaysia. It is also in line with goals of the National Plan of Action for Nutrition of Malaysia (NPANM) for the period of 2006 to 2015 to reduce overweight individuals and prevent obesity among …

Differential Expression Of Putative Clotting Protein Gene In Vibrio Parahaemolyticus Challenged Giant Fresh-Water Prawn, Macrobrachium Rosenbergii / Nazanin Ashgari Ziba, Nazanin Ashgari Ziba

Student Works (2010-2019)

The growth of the freshwater prawn industry has not reached its great heights compared to the marine shrimps because of agriculturists’ innate fear of disease that will hamper the growth of the industry. High concentrations of infectious microorganisms (yeast, viruses and bacteria) in crustaceans during hot and cool seasons have resulted in a huge decline in prawn farming. Vibriosis, early mortality syndrome (EMS) and gastroenteritis due to zoonotic outbreaks have been a major threat to the rapid expanding production of freshwater prawns. The innate immune defense which leads to a lot of possible solutions needs to be thoroughly investigated for …

Antibacterial And Antioxidant Properties Of Bioactive Extracts And Peptides From Morinda Citrifolia, Annona Squamosa, Alstonia Angustiloba And Lactic Acid Bacteria / Abdulmuhsin Moslim Shami, Abdulmuhsin Moslim Shami

Student Works (2010-2019)

Medicinal plants and lactic acid bacteria are used to treat a wide range of disease conditions. The aim of the study was to determine antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of bioactive compounds and peptides from different morphological parts of common medicinal plants namely Morinda citrifolia, Annona squamosa, Alstonia angustiloba, an Australian plant mixture and lactic acid bacteria. In the first part of the study, different methods were used to standardize the extraction of antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds. It was found that methanol extraction of plants tissue showed higher antimicrobial activity than aqueous extracts against the test bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (RF 122), …