Digital Commons Network^™

Alteration Of Host Cell Ubiquitination By The Intracellular Bacterial Pathogen Coxiella Burnetii, Lindsey Elizabeth Pritchett

Poultry Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

The intracellular bacterial agent of Q fever, Coxiella burnetii, replicates within a phagolysosome-like parasitophorous vacuole (PV) in human macrophages and delivers effector proteins to the host cytosol via a Dot/Icm type IV secretion system (T4SS). T4SS effectors are critical for PV formation and prevention of host cell death that allows sufficient time for bacterial replication. Recruitment of ubiquitin-related components to the C. burnetii PV is also predicted to be involved in PV formation and bacterial replication and is likely controlled by effector proteins. In this study, we assessed the role of the Dot/Icm T4SS in regulating ubiquitination by comparing subcellular …

Visual Analysis And Design Proposal For The Bridges Organization Day Facility In Rockledge, Florida, Lesa N. Lorusso

Architecture Masters of Science Program: Theses

The population by age of the client and staff at the Bridges Facility in Rockledge, Florida represent a microcosm of the population of Brevard County, Florida. The shared history of two non-profit organizations that began in in Brevard County, FL in the mid twentieth century is remarkable. NASA began in 1958, and the Bridges organization began in 1956. The historically significant American community of Brevard County, FL now faces the challenges of a new focus without the NASA space shuttle program and accommodating an increasingly aging population, while the similarly aged Bridges organization faces similar organizational and population challenges as …

Supporting Global Environmental Change Research: A Review Of Trends And Knowledge Gaps In Urban Remote Sensing, Michail Fragkias

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper reviews how remotely sensed data have been used to understand the impact of urbanization on global environmental change. We describe how these studies can support the policy and science communities’ increasing need for detailed and up-to-date information on the multiple dimensions of cities, including their social, biological, physical, and infrastructural characteristics. Because the interactions between urban and surrounding areas are complex, a synoptic and spatial view offered from remote sensing is integral to measuring, modeling, and understanding these relationships. Here we focus on three themes in urban remote sensing science: mapping, indices, and modeling. For mapping we describe …

Pharmacokinetics And Pharmacodynamics Of Antifungals In Children And Their Clinical Implications, Chris Stockmann, Jonathan E. Constance, Jessica K. Roberts, Jared Olson, Elizabeth H. Doby, Krow Ampofo, Justin Stiers, Michael G. Spigarelli, Catherine Mt Sherwin

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Invasive fungal infections are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Successful management of these systemic infections requires identification of the causative pathogen, appropriate antifungal selection, and optimisation of its pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties to maximise its antifungal activity and minimise toxicity and the emergence of resistance. This review highlights salient scientific advancements in paediatric antifungal pharmacotherapies and focuses on pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies that underpin current clinical decision making. Four classes of drugs are widely used in the treatment of invasive fungal infections in children, including the polyenes, triazoles, pyrimidine analogues and echinocandins. Several lipidic formulations of …

Prevalence And Risk Factors For Active Convulsive Epilepsy In Rural Northeast South Africa, Ryan G. Wagner, Anthony Ngugi, Rhian Twine, Christian Bottomley, Gathoni Kamuyu, F Xavier Gómez-Olivé, Myles D. Connor, Mark A. Collinson, Kathleen Kahn, Stephen Tollman, Charles R. Newton

Family Medicine, East Africa

Rationale: Epilepsy is among the most common neurological disorders worldwide. However,there are few large, population-based studies of the prevalence and risk factors for epilepsy in southern Africa.

Methods: From August 2008 to February 2009, as part of a multi-site study, we undertook a three-stage, population-based study, embedded within the Agincourt health and socio-demographic surveillance system, to estimate the prevalence and identify risk factors of active convulsiveepilepsy (ACE) in a rural South African population.

Results: The crude prevalence of ACE, after adjusting for non-response and the sensitivity of the screening method, was 7.0/1,000 individuals (95%CI 6.4—7.6) with significant geographic hetero-geneity across …

Reconstructing New World Monkey Phylogeny: Alu Elements In The Common Marmoset Genome, Catherine Fontenot

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

“I Need Your Organ And All Of The Details About Your Life”-Living Organ Donation: The Privacy Of The Organ Donor Vs. The Right To Information Of An Organ Recipient, Brian M. Frankoski

Student Works

No abstract provided.

Contraceptive Counseling And The Relationship To Chlamydia Prevention And Screening, Bernice Kane

Theses and Dissertations

Contraceptive counseling is a common issue for today's health care clinicians. An important aspect of a thorough contraceptive counseling visit includes sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk history and screening. Chlamydia is the most common STI and it is especially problematic among women under the age of 25. Untreated infections, which are often asymptomatic, can result in serious complications such a pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility and ectopic pregnancy. Clinicians have a unique opportunity and responsibility to assist in the prevention of STI. Stressing responsible behavior and providing the necessary education, support, and resources are important aspects of primary prevention. Identifying risk …

The Role Of Stress-Activated Protein Kinases In Parasites, Tamara Kreiss

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Lymphatic filariasis and leishmaniasis are neglected tropical diseases that are caused by nematode and protozoal parasites. These diseases cause disfiguration, leaving their host socially marked, and in some cases cause more severe disease that can lead to death. These infections, which tend to persist for long periods of time, also lead to bacterial and fungal co-infections, which further exacerbate the disease. Currently there are insufficient treatment options. Current therapies are often too expensive, have toxicity associated with them and are subjected to growing resistance amongst parasite populations. In this thesis I investigated two potential drug targets. The first, is the …

Anthropogenic Disturbance Of The Herpetofauna In The Northeast Us : Wildlife Disease And Habitat Modification, Paola Dolcemascolo

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Herpetofauna represent some of the most striking examples of the consequences of human impact on biotic communities. They experience the full range of anthropogenically-derived stressors: habitat loss, habitat modification and degradation, pollution, collection for food and the pet trade, nuisance killings, road mortality, and disease. In this study, I examined some of the main threats faced by herpetofauna of the Northeastern United States and their implications for management of reptile and amphibians in New Jersey. I first used molecular techniques to document and assess the prevalence of two amphibian diseases, chytridiomycosis (caused by the chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) and Ranavirus, …

Health, Nutrition, And Disease In Rural Northern Jordan: A Study Of Enamel Defects Related To Childhood Stress In Skeletal Samples From The Bronze Age To The Byzantine Period, Teresa Veronica Wilson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Northern Jordan has seen periods of climate change, political transformation, and economic prosperity between the Late Bronze Age to the end of the Byzantine period. This research tests the assumption that the rural agricultural communities of this region were undernourished by examining the dentition for periodic childhood stress. Canine teeth from five sites (Ya'amun, Sa'ad, Yasileh, Natfieh, and Waqqas) that covered the time periods in question were collected to study overall quality of life.

The teeth were thin-sectioned and examined under a light microscope. Digital micrographs were made of the thin-sectioned teeth in order to record the number and location …

Deconstructing The In-Patient Behavioral Health Facility: Finding The Balance Between Safety And Therapeutics, Robert J. Schultz

All Theses

Casualty statistics resulting from 10+ years of combat action/deployments in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) have yielded multiple casualties. These casualty types include the visibly and invisibly wounded, where the visible (physical) wounds include but are not limited to gunshot/shrapnel, blunt trauma and blasts from Improvised Explosive Devices (IED). The invisibly wounded include but are not limited to Combat Stress, Anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brian Injury (TBI). Unfortunately and although operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have decreased, invisible wounds continue to persist yielding an increase in soldier behavioral health complications which at an …

The Development And Application Of Nebraska’S Northeast Habitat Management Decision Support System, Christopher Jorgensen, Roger Grosse, Marian Langan, Alicia Hardin, Eric Zach, Karie Decker, Andrew Bishop

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Staff Research Publications

In the face of the compounded effects of a changing climate, exponential human population growth, and accelerated land-use change, implementation of effective conservation measures grows ever more challenging, as conservation organizations are often faced with limited funding and resources. Given the complexity of managing for multiple species, each inhabiting various local habitat types, it is astonishing that we can pinpoint specific areas and tracts of land within the focus area where conservation measures would benefit all species (Figure 3). Here we demonstrate the usefulness of decision support systems in aiding policymakers and habitat managers in making decisions about where to …

Identification And Expression Analysis Of Sugar Transporters In Microbotryum Violaceum., Jared Morris Andrews

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

No abstract provided.

Gut Helminths Of Two Species Of Light Geese In Illinois, Evan C. Boone

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Parasite burdens in lesser snow geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) and Ross’s geese (Chen rossii) migrating through central Illinois were determined and compared to documented parasite burdens on the breeding grounds in northern Canada and the wintering grounds in southern Texas. The digestive tracts of 48 snow geese (38 lesser snow geese and 10 Ross’s geese) were collected from 4 February to 3 March, 2012, in Raymond, Illinois. Eight helminth taxa (two species of Trematoda, four species of Nematoda, and two species of Cestoda) were recovered. Five of the eight helminth taxa were common in both species …

Cell Kinase Inhibitor Panel Reveals Multiple Targets To Prevent Replication Of Varicella-Zoster Virus, Bryan Egan Bunnell

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The alphaherpesvirus that causes chicken pox and shingles, varicella-zoster virus (VZV), infects skin fibroblasts and keratinocytes. These cells are typically quiescent and it is known that VZV manipulates their intracellular environment to activate MAPK signaling cascades, cell cycle regulators, and many transcription factors for its replication. We hypothesized that inhibition of cell kinases would prevent VZV replication and also elucidate which pathways are most important. We evaluated 80 kinase inhibitors for cytotoxicity and anti-proliferative effects on human foreskin fibroblasts, and then determined their antiviral efficacy against VZV-ORF9-Luc strain. Ten well-tolerated, potent kinase inhibitors whose targets are critical mediators of VZV …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Co(Ii) And Cu(Ii) Pyrophosphate Coordination Complexes For Treatment Of Pathogenic Agents., Leann Jade Miles

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Candidiasis, the yeast infection of the mouth, genitals, and blood can be fatal in individuals who are immunocompromised. In humans, Candidiasis is most commonly caused by the yeast, Candida albicans (C. albicans), but can also be caused by other Candida species .^[1]

C. albicans demonstrates marked resistance towards Cu(II) but more sensitivity towards Co(II) compounds, especially in mutants that lack the CaCRP1 and CaCUP1 gene that encodes for the copper-transporting P-type ATPase and Metallothionein proteins, respectively.^[2] Here, I will describe the effects of Co(II) and Cu(II) metal based complexes that incorporate a bridging pyrophosphate …

The Proliferation Of Diabetes: A Cultural Epidemiological Review Of Type 2 Diabetes In The Global Community, Kelly Heuer

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Global diabetes is a serious and growing problem, which has quickly turned into a public health crisis. The rapid spread of type 2 diabetes can be contributed to several different factors, including genetics, environmental influences, poor nutrition habits, and sedentary lifestyle. A large part of the proliferation of this diease is the spread of western culture, specifically diet.

A problem faced when addressing this disease from a global standpoint of prevention, control, and treatment is that type 2 diabetes affects different cultures in different manners around the globe due to differences in risk factors (including genetics, age, race, sex, education, …

Adapting To A Changing Climate: Local Drivers For Policy Response, Andrew J. Bilich

Honors Scholar Theses

Responding to the present and looming effects of global climate change presents a challenging task for policymakers at all levels of governance. The outcomes of climate change do present serious adaptation problems for global policy makers, but the implications of climate change are more immediately experienced by local communities and policy makers. Historical policymaking models suggest that economic well-being is an influential driver in local policy adoption. This particular analysis explores the relationship between economic variables and the development of climate adaptation policies by Connecticut municipalities. To test the degree of interaction present, adaptation policy data in the form of …

The Development Of Novel Anti-Folates: An Ongoing Battle Against Resistance, Nhi Tran

Honors Scholar Theses

The development of drug compounds begins with the identification of well-validated targets. Conserved in bacterial, fungal, and mammalian species, the folate biosynthetic pathway performs critical processes to promote nucleic acid synthesis and maintain cellular function. Medicinal chemists have targeted dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), an essential enzyme in this metabolic process, for several years. In fact, anti-folates acting on this pathway have potential roles against infectious diseases. This project examines a para-substituted drug compound called UCP111E, which is directed against dangerous fungal species, like Candida albicans and Candida glabrata. Since crystal structures of C. albicans DHFR (CaDHFR) and C. glabrata DHFR …

Differences In Consumption Rates Between Juvenile And Adult Laccophilus Fasciatus Rufus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) On Larval Culex Quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae), Carmen E. Bofill

Honors Theses

With the increase of global temperature and human populations, prevalence of vector-borne diseases is becoming an issue for public health. Over the years these vectors have been notorious for developing resistance to human regulated insecticides. Thus, other forms of control, including the use of natural predators, have become an important topic in research. Research on member of the family of predaceous diving beetles (Dytiscidae) and their predatory ability to decrease aquatic mosquito larvae populations has been of recent interest. The purpose of this study is to 1) quantify consumption rates of the dytiscid Laccophilus fasciatus rufus juvenile and adults on …

Role Of Il-17 In Cd8+ T Cell Mediated Clearance Of West Nile Virus, Jordan E. Lowery

Honors Theses

West Nile virus (WNV), a positive sense single stranded RNA flavivirus, is prevalent in many countries worldwide and is a growing threat in the United States. Some patients infected with WNV develop severe neuroinvasive disease including meningitis or encephalitis which may lead to death. The recently characterized cytokine interleukin-17 (IL-17) has been implicated in several autoimmune diseases, neuroinflammatory conditions, and immune responses to various microbial infections. Previous research has indicated that a known contributor to IL-17 production, interleukin-23, is produced in response to WNV infection, but the role of IL-17 during WNV infection has not been studied before. This study …

Study Of The Function Of The Mold Specific Gene Ms95 In Dna Repair In The Pathogenic, Dimorphic Fungus Histoplasma Capsulatum, Erin M. Smith

Honors Theses

Histoplasma capsulatum (Hc) is a dimorphic fungus that is the etiologic agent of the respiratory infection Histoplasmosis that is mediated by a shift from the mold phase to the pathogenic yeast phase. Genes have been identified that are specific to the mold or yeast phase in order to study the molecular biology of this shift. MS95 was identified in a subtractive cDNA library that was enriched for mold-specific genes, and has been found to be homologous to the DNA damage-responsive gene DDR48, which functions in DNA repair in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In order to elucidate the function of MS95, a …

Does Knowledge Make A Difference? Assessing Nursing Students’ Knowledge Of Proper Hand Hygiene Techniques In Correlation With Their Progression Through Nursing School, Charika R. Carradine

Honors Theses

Proper hand hygiene techniques have been widely accepted as the most effective way for health care workers to prevent the spread of diseases. The main focus of this research was to determine differences between nursing students’ semester level and their knowledge of proper hand hygiene techniques. A convenience sample was obtained from the nursing student population. The sample population included nursing students enrolled in the second, third, and fourth semester in nursing school. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS version Twenty. A Parametric and descriptive statistics were used to measure the magnitude of relationships between variables, and describe students’ knowledge …

Poultry Performance And Food Safety Impacts Of Selected Organic Acids And Probiotics, Anita Menconi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Improving production parameters and controlling foodborne pathogens have been challenges to the poultry industry. Salmonella has been the most common bacterial pathogen in laboratory confirmed foodborne illness cases, and contaminated poultry and poultry products have been identified as the most important source of transmission of Salmonella to humans. Therefore, research on effective interventions to reduce Salmonella transmission at the poultry production level has gained attention. Initially, a series of studies was conducted to evaluate the use of selected organic acids in controlling foodborne pathogens and improving poultry performance. Then, the characterization and application of lactic acid bacteria and Bacillus spp. …

Evaluation Of A Theory-Based Farm To School Program, Rebecca Kent Bishop

Master's Theses

Fruit and vegetable (FV) intakes in MS children remain lower than recommended. Theory-based, multi-component nutrition education interventions like Farm to School (F2S) target FV consumption and utilize such interventions to improve children’s dietary behaviors by incorporating nutrition and agriculture education. The current study was designed with Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as its framework. An intervention was implemented to enhance beliefs, norms, and self-efficacy regarding FV, thus potentially increasing the intention to consume more FV. The research objectives of this study are to describe changes over the course of the intervention in (1) nutrition knowledge; (2) norms, beliefs, and self-efficacy …

Antimicrobial Resistance Of Channel Catfish Intestinal Microflora In The Arkansas And Ninnescah Rivers In Kansas, Jordan R. Hofmeier

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Antimicrobial compounds have been used by humans to counteract bacterial infections since 1910. Overuse of these compounds in clinical and agricultural applications has led to rapid evolution and global spread of antimicrobial resistance and rivers are the main receiving body for antimicrobials and resistant bacteria from urban effluents and agricultural runoff. When antimicrobial-resistant bacteria enter the aquatic environment, water acts as a physical pathway for their distribution. Subsequently, resistance genes become established in natural systems and pose threats to human health and ecological processes. Due to these potential threats, antimicrobial resistance in the aquatic environment should be closely monitored. To …

Dispersal Of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Near Central Great Plains Feedlots, Jennifer R. Pfannenstiel-Klaus

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Antibiotic resistance is a growing concern in medical and veterinary settings. Resistance can be worsened by misuse and overuse of antibiotics. Such situations can give rise to highly resistant organisms. Ciprofloxacin, a synthetic, broad-spectrum antibiotic used to treat gram-positive and gram-negative infections in humans, has similar chemical structure to enrofloxacin, which is used to treat animals. Cross-resistance might arise because of that similarity. This research describes the dispersal and prevalence of bacteria that exhibit ciprofloxacin resistance in relation to feedlots in the central Great Plains region. Six times in 2013, six feedlots were sampled for airborne bacterial communities at, upwind …

Diversity And Ecology Of Host-Seeking Mosquitoes In Irrigated Agro-Ecosystems Of Clay County, Nebraska, Alister K. Bryson

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In the United States, Nebraska has the third highest incidence of human West Nile virus (WNV). Since WNV was first detected in the state in 2002, 3,422 confirmed cases and 57 deaths have been reported. Irrigated agro-ecosystems, which have been associated with elevated WNV incidences in other states, are prevalent in Nebraska. The objectives of this investigation were to 1) characterize mosquito abundance and diversity in irrigated agro-ecosystems, and 2) evaluate associations of two primary vectors of WNV, Culex tarsalis and Culex pipiens, with irrigation methods (sprinkler vs. surface) and crop type (corn vs. soybean). Investigations were conducted …

Development Of A Novel Vaccine Adjuvant System Utilizing An In Situ Implant System To Modified Release, Qiuye Zhang

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Pulsatile release formulations for single dose vaccines have been studied for many years because of the advantages that they may provide to vaccine administration with a single dose instead of prime and booster shots.

The aim of this work is to develop novel formulations based on an In Situ Implant (ISI) systems to provide a modified vaccine release and altered immune response, which could act as a booster administration. This type of system was selected because ISI systems are used for long acting administration of various drugs and ease of administration. A typical ISI system is comprised of hydrophilic organic …