Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating The Clinical And Physiological Effects Of Long Term Ultraviolet B Radiation On Guinea Pigs (Cavia Porcellus), Megan K. Watson, Adam W. Stern, Amber L. Labelle, Stephen Joslyn, Timonthy M. Fan, Katie Leister, Micah Kohles, Kemba Marshall, Mark A. Mitchell

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Vitamin D is an important hormone in vertebrates. Most animals acquire this hormone through their diet, secondary to exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, or a combination thereof. The objectives for this research were to evaluate the clinical and physiologic effects of artificial UVB light supplementation on guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) and to evaluate the long-term safety of artificial UVB light supplementation over the course of six months. Twelve juvenile acromelanic Hartley guinea pigs were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: Group A was exposed to 12 hours of artificial UVB radiation daily and Group B …

Pandemic Disease, Biological Weapons, And War, Laura K. Donohue

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Over the past two decades, concern about the threat posed by biological weapons has grown. Biowarfare is not new. But prior to the recent trend, the threat largely centered on state use of such weapons. What changed with the end of the Cold War was the growing apprehension that materials and knowledge would proliferate beyond industrialized states’ control, and that “rogue states” or nonstate actors would acquire and use biological weapons. Accordingly, in 1993 senators Samuel Nunn, Richard Lugar, and Pete Dominici expanded the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program to assist the former Soviet republics in securing biological agents and weapons …

Evaluating The Inclusion Of Phytase Super-Dose In Various Broiler Diet Formulations And Novel Pellet Binders, John W. Boney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Grains commonly used in poultry diets contain phytic acid, a known anti-nutrient that binds dietary phosphorus rendering it unavailable for absorption also decreasing the digestibility of other nutrients. Phytic acid also increases mucin production and endogenous amino acid secretions causing a gut irritant effect which may decrease performance. An abundance of phytase literatures suggests that phytase enzymes can liberate bound phosphorus enhancing phytate phosphorus utilization and bone mineralization. Recently, the use of super-doses of phytase has been suggested to, not only liberate bound phosphorus, but to alleviate the gut irritant effect associated with phytate phosphorus. Therefore, an experiment was conducted …

The Impact Of Media On The Morality Of Young Adventist Church People In The Nairobi Central Church, Alex Ambuchi

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Young people in urban areas are especially affected by the liberal trends of the media industry.The media advertises and broadcasts programs that promote immoral behaviors among young people. The Nairobi Central Seventh-day Adventist Church is located in the capital city of Kenya and the negative effects of the media have impacted the youth of this church.

Method

The strategy involved sensitizing Adventist youth concerning the negative impact of the media on morality. A theology of morality and purity was developed and a description of the context for the project conducted. I then used the logical framework and the Gantt …

Survey Of Canada Goose Feces For Presence Of Giardia, Christopher R. Ayers, Christopher S. Deperno, Christopher E. Moorman, Henry H. Stibbs, Angela M. Faust

Human–Wildlife Interactions

As resident Canada goose (Branta canadensis) populations increase throughout North America, so do the health and environmental risks associated with goose feces. Previous studies suggest that goose feces may be a conduit for transmitting Giardia, a protozoan that is parasitic to humans. We surveyed fecal droppings from free-ranging resident Canada geese for Giardia spp. at 9 sites in the Triangle area (Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill) of North Carolina in 2007 and 2008. Samples (n = 234) were tested using the ProSpect® Giardia EZ Microplate Assay, and there were no positives. Our results indicate that risk …

Morbidity And Mortality In Reptiles Presented To A Wildlife Care Facility In Central Illinois, Anne E. Rivas, Matthew C. Allender, Mark Mitchell, Julia K. Whittington

Human–Wildlife Interactions

We examined morbidity and mortality of 200 reptiles, representing 13 different species that were presented to the University of Illinois Wildlife Medical Clinic (WMC) from 2003 to 2010. Snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentine; n = 46), box turtles (Terrapene sp.; n = 43), painted turtles (Chrysemys picta; n = 37), and red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans; n = 33) were the most frequently seen species. Turtles were significantly more likely to be presented to the WMC following collision with a motor vehicle (n = 73) than any other reason, including idiopathic trauma (i.e., …

Forced Evictions, Mass Displacement, And The Uncertain Promise Of Land And Property Restitution In Haiti, Greger B. Calhan

UC Law Journal of Race and Economic Justice

Haiti's devastating 2010 earthquake produced human suffering on an unimaginable scale. The disaster's aftermath-marked by widespread displacement, secondary occupation of land, and consequent forced evictions-raises critical questions of land ownership and housing rights. It also provided a testing ground for the body of restitutionary legal norms developed in the decades following the Cold War. Using the earthquake in Haiti as a lens, this article critically examines the development of the restitution model, from its inception in the Balkans conflicts of the 1990s to its current expression in the United Nation's Pinheiro Principles. While the Pinheiro Principles are positive in many …

Keeping Our Drinking Water Free From Pharmaceuticals: A Joint Action Plan, Melissa E. Rifai

Student Works

No abstract provided.

Virus Purification, Detection And Removal, Khrupa Saagar Vijayaragavan

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The biopharmaceutical industry has a growing demand and an increasing need to improve the current virus purification technologies, especially as more and more vaccines are produced from cell-culture derived virus particles. Downstream purification strategies can be expensive and account for 70% of the overall manufacturing costs. The economic pressure and purification processes can be particularly challenging when the virus to be purified is small, as in our model virus, porcine parvovirus (PPV). Our efforts are focused on designing an easy, economical, scalable and efficient system for virus purification, and we focused on aqueous two-phase systems. Industry acceptable standards for virus …

Design And Synthesis Of Multifunctional Polymeric Micelles For Gene-Directed Enzyme Prodrug Therapy, Alicia J. Sawdon

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy is a form of cancer therapy in which delivery of a gene that encodes an enzyme is able to convert a prodrug, a pharmacologically inactive molecule, into a potent cytotoxin. Currently delivery of gene and prodrug is a two-step process. Here, we propose a one-step method using polymer nanocarriers to deliver prodrug, gene and cytotoxic drug simultaneously to malignant cells. Prodrugs acyclovir, ganciclovir and 5-doxifluridine were used to directly to initiate ring-opening polymerization of epsilon-caprolactone, forming a hydrophobic prodrug-tagged poly(epsilon-caprolactone) which was further grafted with hydrophilic polymers (methoxy poly(ethylene glycol), chitosan or polyethylenemine) to form amphiphilic …

Pharmacists' Preparedness For Acute Medical Emergencies, James W. Parrett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose/Objectives: This project studied how prepared community pharmacists are to respond to acute medical emergencies, as well as their perceived efficacy in addressing these situations. Specifically, it considered what training pharmacists have for responding to medical emergencies, what emergency medical equipment pharmacies have on-hand, the frequency that medical emergencies occur within pharmacies, and the types of emergencies encountered. It also measured self and collective efficacy of pharmacists in responding to medical emergencies within their pharmacy to determine if differences in self-efficacy or collective efficacy exist. Methods: This study utilized a cross-sectional, non-experimental, descriptive design via a self-administered, Internet-based survey distributed …

Semantics In Support Of Biodiversity Knowledge Discovery: An Introduction To The Biological Collections Ontology And Related Ontologies, Ramona L. Walls, John Deck, Robert Guralnick, Steve Baskauf, Reed Beaman, Stanley Blum, Shaun Bowers

Computer Science Faculty Scholarship

The study of biodiversity spans many disciplines and includes data pertaining to species distributions and abundances, genetic sequences, trait measurements, and ecological niches, complemented by information on collection and measurement protocols. A review of the current landscape of metadata standards and ontologies in biodiversity science suggests that existing standards such as the Darwin Core terminology are inadequate for describing biodiversity data in a semantically meaningful and computationally useful way. Existing ontologies, such as the Gene Ontology and others in the Open Biological and Biomedical Ontologies (OBO) Foundry library, provide a semantic structure but lack many of the necessary terms to …

Investigation Of Potential Virulence Genes And Antibiotic Resistance Characteristics Of Enterococcus Faecalis Isolates From Human Milk And Colostrum Samples, Si̇ne Özmen Toğay, Ayhan Temi̇z, Ayten Çelebi̇, Leyla Açik, Siddi̇ka Songül Yalçin

Turkish Journal of Biology

Enterococci may improve the typical taste and flavor of fermented foods through their proteolytic and lipolytic activities. However, some enterococcal strains are recognized as nosocomial pathogens, which have virulence genes and resistance to certain antibiotics. Enteroccocci are also found in human milk microflora. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential virulence genes and antibiotic resistance characteristics of Enterococcus faecalis isolates from human milk and colostrum samples. In total, 23 Enterococcus faecalis strains were identified from human milk and colostrum samples. Antibiotic-resistant E. faecalis isolates were determined using the disk diffusion method. Vancomycin resistance genes (vanA, vanB) and …

Biomedical Informatics Seminar Series (Biomiss) 2014 - 2015, Philip Kroth

Biomedical Informatics Seminar Series (BioMISS)

No abstract provided.

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (Pedv) Co-Infection Induced Chlamydial Persistence/Stress Does Not Require Viral Replication, Robert V. Schoborg, Nicole Borel

ETSU Faculty Works

Chlamydiae may exist at the site of infection in an alternative replicative form, called the aberrant body (AB). ABs are produced during a viable but non-infectious developmental state termed "persistence" or "chlamydial stress." As persistent/stressed chlamydiae: (i) may contribute to chronic inflammation observed in diseases like trachoma; and (ii) are more resistant to current anti-chlamydial drugs of choice, it is critical to better understand this developmental stage. We previously demonstrated that porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) co-infection induced Chlamydia pecorum persistence/stress in culture. One critical characteristic of persistence/stress is that the chlamydiae remain viable and can reenter the normal developmental …

The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act’S Effects On Patterns Of Coverage In A Ryan White Funded Hiv Clinic: What Are The Implications For The Bluegrass Care Clinic?, Jacqueline Wagner Mccuddy

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The Ryan White CARE Act of 1991 implemented a federal grant program to help individuals in the US with HIV/AIDS get access to healthcare and diminish barriers to care. Since its enactment, there have been many changes in the environment of HIV/AIDS, including a demographic shift in those most affected by the disease and a growing number of new infections, the introduction of Antiretroviral therapy, and most recently, the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

The PPACA is expected to have a positive effect on patients with HIV in the US by increasing access to care, …

Utilization Of The Kentucky Aids Drug Assistance Program Versus Kentucky Medicaid Using Medication Possession Ratio: Policy Implications For Public Program, Jenna Parrett

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Uninsured and underinsured people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) are able to utilize federally funded AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) to cover the price of their HIV-related medications. In Kentucky, this program also provides support services through social workers, a dedicated pharmacist, and medications by mail order. With the Affordable Care Act, many patients previously covered by the Kentucky AIDS Drug Assistance Program (KADAP) will be newly eligible for Medicaid and will no longer receive services through KADAP. There is concern that people in this situation will be at a disadvantage without these services and, in …

Indemics: An Interactive High-Performance Computing Framework For Data Intensive Epidemic Modeling, Keith R. Bisset, Jiangzhuo Chen, Suruchi Deodhar, Xizhou Feng, Yifei Ma, Madhav V. Marathe

Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

We describe the design and prototype implementation of Indemics (_Interactive; Epi_demic; _Simulation;)—a modeling environment utilizing high-performance computing technologies for supporting complex epidemic simulations. Indemics can support policy analysts and epidemiologists interested in planning and control of pandemics. Indemics goes beyond traditional epidemic simulations by providing a simple and powerful way to represent and analyze policy-based as well as individual-based adaptive interventions. Users can also stop the simulation at any point, assess the state of the simulated system, and add additional interventions. Indemics is available to end-users via a web-based interface.

Detailed performance analysis shows that Indemics greatly enhances the …

Prison Health Care After The Affordable Care Act: Envisioning An End To The Policy Of Neglect, Evelyn Malavé

Faculty Publications

Inadequate prison health care has created a health crisis for reentering prisoners and their communities—a crisis that is exacerbated by barriers to employment and other collateral consequences of release. This Note will first examine how current Eighth Amendment doctrine has failed to sufficiently regulate prison health care so as to have any significant effect on the crisis. Next, it will argue that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) alters the Eighth Amendment analysis by triggering a change in the “evolving standards of decency” that guide the doctrine. Specifically, this Note will argue that, after the passage of the ACA, releasing sick, …

The Global Health Security Agenda In An Age Of Biosecurity, Lawrence O. Gostin, Alexandra Phelan

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Historically, the Oval Office has been a leader in global health assistance. From the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) under the Bush Administration, to the Global Health Initiative launched by President Obama in 2009. However, unlike PEPFAR and PMI, the Global Health Initiative met an untimely end with the launch of a bold new global health measure by the Obama Administration: the Global Health Security Agenda (GHS Agenda). The GHS Agenda aims to “accelerate progress toward a world safe and secure from infectious disease threats” through a US-led diplomatic collaboration with 30 …

An Assessment Of The Health Needs Of The Transgender Community In Montana, Anna Grace Von Gohren

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The transgender community has been identified as a group at high risk for HIV transmission and increased possibility for poor quality of life. This paper represents the results of a qualitative research study using interviews and Photovoice as methodologies to explore the contextual factors that define and shape the lives of people in Montana who identify as transgender, and specifically to explore factors that influence their risk of infection with HIV/AIDS. Ten major themes emerged from the interviews as well as the discussions surrounding the photographs. Sense of self was identified as a core category related to the overall health …

Pacific Nortwest Perspective: The Impact Of The America Invents Act On Nonprofit Global Health Organizations, John Morgan, Veronica Sandoval

Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts

The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act of 2011 (AIA) makes fundamental changes to the legislative landscape governing patent law in the United States and will bring about corresponding changes in the manner in which inventors and attorneys address patent issues. While the law is newly implemented, inventors in all sectors of the economy are eager to formulate reactions to it. In this Article, we explore the effects of the AIA on nonprofit research organizations dedicated to global health and life sciences. We report the perspectives of counsel representing such organizations throughout the Pacific Northwest. We also consider the patent system, and …

Integrated Assessment Of Biological Invasions., Inés Ibáñez, Jeffrey M. Diez, Luke P. Miller, Julian D. Olden, Cascade J.B. Sorte, Dana M. Blumenthal, Bethany A. Bradley, Carla M. D'Antonio, Jeffrey S. Dukes, Regan I. Early, Edwin D. Grosholz, Joshua J. Lawler

Department of Forestry & Natural Resources Faculty Publications

As the main witnesses of the ecological and economic impacts of invasions on ecosystems around the world, ecologists seek to provide the relevant science that informs managers about the potential for invasion of specific organisms in their region(s) of interest. Yet, the assorted literature that could inform such forecasts is rarely integrated to do so, and further, the diverse nature of the data available complicates synthesis and quantitative prediction. Here we present a set of analytical tools for synthesizing different levels of distributional and/or demographic data to produce meaningful assessments of invasion potential that can guide management at multiple phases …

The Modulation Of Mucosal Immune Markers, Urs, And Psychological Parameters Following Acute And Chronic Exercise, Carole Ann Sloan

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to evaluate changes in two antimicrobial markers, upper respiratory symptom (URS) variables, and mood state following participation in an acute (N = 93) and chronic (N = 88) observational study of college aerobic exercise, yoga exercise, and non-exercise classes.

METHODS: Unstimulated whole saliva was collected pre/post-acute (50 minutes) and pre/midpoint/post-chronic (12 weeks) during the study period. Saliva was analyzed for salivary immunoglobulin A (SIgA) and salivary alpha amylase (SAA) using protocols and assay kits by Salimetrics, upper respiratory symptoms (URS) were evaluated using the Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Survey (WURSS), and mood states were …

Dual Delivery Systems Based On Polyamine Analog Benspm As Prodrug And Gene Delivery Vectors, Yu Zhu

Wayne State University Dissertations

Combination drug and gene therapy shows promise in cancer treatment. However, the success of such strategy requires careful selection of the therapeutic agents, as well as development of efficient delivery vectors. BENSpm (N1, N11-bisethylnorspermine), a polyamine analogue targeting the intracellular polyamine pathway, draws our special attention because of the following reasons: (1) polyamine pathway is frequently dysregulated in cancer; (2) BENSpm exhibits multiple functions to interfere with the polyamine pathway, such as to up-regulate polyamine metabolism enzymes and down-regulate polyamine biosynthesis enzymes. Therefore BENSpm depletes all natural polyamines and leads to apoptosis and cell growth inhibition in a wide range …

Role Of The Pkna And Pknb Kinases In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Tripti Anandan

Wayne State University Dissertations

To respond to environmental changes, M. tuberculosis possesses eleven "eukaryotic-type" Ser/Thr protein kinases. The aim of the study described in this dissertation was to identify role of two of these kinases; PknA and PknB that are essential in M. tuberculosis. Two approaches are described to screen for potential in vivo substrates of PknA/PknB. First approach is based on proteomic search by over-expressing PknA/PknB in M. tuberculosis. Proteomic search led to identification of proteasome to be a substrate of PknA and PknB in M. tuberculosis. Furthermore, I demonstrate that the phosphorylation of PrcA and PrcB by PknA regulates processing of Pre-PrcB. …

Slowing Antibiotic Resistance By Decreasing Antibiotic Use In Animals, Jennifer Nomura

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Ethanol Vortex Elisa For Detection Of Bovine Tuberculosis In Cattle And Deer, Ashutosh Wadhwa, Rachel E. Johonson, Keiko Eda, W Ray Waters, Mitchell V. Palmer, John Bannantine, Shigetoshi Eda

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Background: The use of serological assays for diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis (TB) has been intensively studied and use of specific antigens have aided in improving the diagnostic accuracy of the assays. In the present study, we report an in-house enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), developed by using ethanol extract of Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis). The assay, named (ethanol vortex ELISA [EVELISA]), was evaluated for detection of anti- M. bovis antibodies in the sera of cattle and white-tailed deer.

Methods: By using the EVELISA, we tested sera obtained from two species of animals; cattle (n = 62 [uninfected, n = 40; …

Exposure Of Feral Swine (Sus Scrofa) In The United States To Selected Pathogens, John A. Baroch, Carl A. Gagnon, Sonia Lacouture, Marcelo Gottschalk

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral swine (Sus scrofa) are widely distributed in the United States. In 2011 and 2012, serum samples and tonsils were recovered from 162 and 37 feral swine, respectively, in the US to evaluate exposure to important swine endemic pathogens. Antibodies against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) were found in 2.5% and 25.3% of tested sera, respectively. Positive serological reactions against Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae have been detected in 19.7% and 69.7% of animals. More than 15% of animals presented antibodies against these 2 pathogens simultaneously. Most animals were also seropositive for …

Risk Factors Associated With Enteric Septicemia Of Catfish On Mississippi Commercial Catfish Farms, Fred L. Cunningham, S. W. Jack, David Hardin, Robert W. Wills

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

A gram-negative bacterium, Edwardsiella ictaluri, is the cause of enteric septicemia of catfish (ESC), which is one of the most prevalent bacterial diseases in farm-raised catfish. The objective of this study was to identify risk factors associated with ESC mortalities and are reported by farm personnel. To identify risk factors a catfish management database was developed. The odds ratios (OR) of the final multivariable logistic regression model were: (1) volume of the pond (OR, 0.56), (2) interval from harvest until a mortality event (OR, 1.49), (3) interval from stocking until a mortality event (OR, 0.52), (4) nitrite measured within 14 …