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The Effect Of Environmental Selection Pressure On The Rate Of Recombination To An Advantageous Receptor Mutation In Bovine Coronavirus, Gavin Schroter, Sally Hall, Mona Hwang, Monica Borucki

STAR Program Research Presentations

Bovine Coronavirus (BCoV) is an important analogue in understanding the effectiveness of zoonotic, single-stranded, positive sense RNA viruses. Many of the most recent viral outbreaks have been attributed to RNA viruses that have one, or more, animal reservoirs [1]. BCoV is such a great candidate for studying these types of viruses because they are from the family Coronaviridae, which also contains the viruses that cause severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The goal of this study was to observe changes in genetic makeup of the virus’ outer membrane Spike protein via recombination between two …

Prescriber Education Of Current Clinical Practice Guidelines For Urinary Tract Infections, Carol Medura

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program

Urinary tract infections are one of the most common illnesses and inappropriate treatment of a urinary tract infection can have severe implications for the patient, including development of antibiotic resistance, increases in illness and health care costs. Discrepancies exist between provider practice behaviors and use of current clinical practice guidelines. This capstone project was to present clinical practice guidelines to emergency department providers to educate and improve the use of first-line antibiotics for the treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections. The review of the literature supported the use of education to increase adherence to guidelines. The providers at the emergency …

Development Of An Indirect Elisa, Blocking Elisa, Fluorescent Microsphere Immunoassay And Fluorescent Focus Neutralization Assay For Serologic Evaluation Of Exposure To North American Strains Of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus, Faten Okda, Xiaodong Liu, Aaron Singrey, Travis Clement, Julie Nelson, Jane Christopher-Hennings, Eric A. Nelson, Steven Lawson

Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Recent, severe outbreaks of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) in Asia and North America highlight the need for well-validated diagnostic tests for the identification of PEDV infected animals and evaluation of their immune status to this virus. PEDV was first detected in the U.S. in May 2013 and spread rapidly across the country. Some serological assays for PEDV have been previously described, but few were readily available in the U.S. Several U.S. laboratories quickly developed indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) assays for the detection of antibodies to PEDV in swine serum, indicating prior exposure. However, the IFA has several disadvantages, including …

What Every Primary Care Clinician Should Know About The Diagnosis Of Lyme Disease, Elizabeth Maloney

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

A great deal of misunderstanding, even in the medical profession, exists concerning Lyme disease. Dr. Maloney’s article provides an in-depth discussion of the illness. It was written with physicians in mind but is not so heavily laden with medical terminology that the layperson will fail to understand its contents.

Lyme Testimonials, Taproot Editors

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

Most people (estimates suggest about 80%) who become infected with Lyme disease recover after a month or two of antibiotic treatment. However, there are many individuals who suffer long bouts of chronic Lyme disease. One only has to google “Lyme testimonials”…to find hundreds of stories, written and video format, regarding the devastating effects of Lyme disease. Some share how victims continue to suffer and others describe how certain treatments either improved or restored their health. It is important to note that a person is never totally cured, as victims of Lyme disease are always subject to relapse.

Discovery Of Neoteric Antibacterial Agents Targeting The Cell Division Protein Ftsz, Divya Awasthi

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

FtsZ protein, which bears limited sequence homology to tubulin in eukaryotic cells, is involved in bacterial cell division. Interference with the assembly/disassembly dynamics of this protein affects the cell division processes, leading to inhibition of septation. Our laboratory has synthesized libraries of novel 2,5,6- and 2,5,7-trisubstituted benzimidazoles to target this vital cell division protein for antibacterial drug discovery. Specifically, we have identified >200 compounds possessing activity against the infectious bacterial pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). These compounds exhibit excellent activity against drug-sensitive and drug-resistant Mtb strains along with displaying potency against Mtb grown under hypoxic conditions. In addition, these compounds inhibit …

Activity And Mechanism Studies On Novel Antibacterial Molecules Targeting Menaquinone Biosynthesis And Fatty Acid Biosynthesis In Drug Resistant S. Aureus, Yang Lu

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Drug resistance in bacteria has become a global threat to public health care. The emergence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) exemplifies the eroding clinical efficacy of first-line antibiotics and emphasizes the need for new antibacterial drugs with novel mechanisms of action. The bacterial menaquinone (MK) biosynthesis pathway and fatty acid biosynthesis pathway (FAS-II) represent potential yet relatively underexploited targets for antibiotic development. My research is mainly focused on: 1) activity evaluation and mechanistic exploration of novel inhibitors targeting 1,4-dihydroxynaphthoyl-CoA synthase (MenB) from MRSA; 2) identification of a menaquinone salvage pathway in a defect S. aureus strain; 3) evaluation of …

Widowhood In Two Igbo Communities Of Nigeria: A Contextual Manipulation Of Patriarchy, Jerome Madumelu

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

bold,318 pages

Conformational Dynamics Of Dnaa Protein Of Bacillus Anthracis In The Initiation Of Dna Replication: A Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Study, Meera J. Patel

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

A precursor of the origin recognition complex proteins in eukaryotes, the DnaA protein, a single-subunit protein found in all prokaryotes, p1ays a significant role in the initiation of DNA replication. The DnaA protein in Gram-negative Escherichia coli (DnaA_EC) identifies, binds and activates specific DNA sequences at the origin of replication, oriC, initiating the duplication of the prokaryotic genome. Using DnaA_EC as a guide, we selected the full-length form of DnaA from Gram-positive Bacillus anthracis (DnaA_BA) as our model for studying. We have cloned, mutated, expressed and purified large quantities of DnaA_BA protein due to …

Redefining Disease Emergence To Improve Prioritization And Macro-Ecological Analyses, Samantha R. Rosenthal, Richard S. Ostfeld, Stephen T. Mcgarvey, Mark N. Lurie, Katherine F. Smith

Health & Wellness Department Faculty Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Lack Of Artemisinin Resistance In Plasmodium Falciparum In Uganda Based On Parasitological And Molecular Assays, Roland A. Cooper, Melissa D. Conrad, Quentin D. Watson, Stephanie J. Huezo, Harriet Ninsiima, Patrick Tumwebaze, Samuel L. Nsobya, Philip J. Rosenthal

Collected Faculty Scholarship

We evaluated markers of artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum isolated in Kampala in 2014. By standard in vitro assays, all isolates were highly sensitive to dihydroartemisinin (DHA). By the ring-stage survival assay, after a 6-h DHA pulse, parasitemia was undetectable in 40 of 43 cultures at 72 h. Two of 53 isolates had nonsynonymous K13-propeller gene polymorphisms but did not have the mutations associated with resistance in Asia. Thus, we did not see evidence for artemisinin resistance in Uganda.

Sexual Networks And Hiv Risk Among Black Men Who Have Sex With Men In 6 U.S. Cities, Hong-Van Tieu, Ting-Yuan Liu, Sophia Hussen, Matthew Connor, Lei Wang, Gregory Phillips Ii, + 11 More

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

Background

Sexual networks may place U.S. Black men who have sex with men (MSM) at increased HIV risk.

Methods

Self-reported egocentric sexual network data from the prior six months were collected from 1,349 community-recruited Black MSM in HPTN 061, a multi-component HIV prevention intervention feasibility study. Sexual network composition, size, and density (extent to which members are having sex with one another) were compared by self-reported HIV serostatus and age of the men. GEE models assessed network and other factors associated with having a Black sex partner, having a partner with at least two age category difference (age difference between …

Optimisations And Challenges Involved In The Creation Of Various Bioluminescent And Fluorescent Influenza A Virus Strains For In Vitro And In Vivo Applications, Monique I. Spronken, Kristy Short, Sander Herfst, Theo M. Bestebroer, Vincent P. Vaes, Erin Sorrell, + 9 More

Health Policy and Management Faculty Publications

Bioluminescent and fluorescent influenza A viruses offer new opportunities to study influenza virus replication, tropism and pathogenesis. To date, several influenza A reporter viruses have been described. These strategies typically focused on a single reporter gene (either bioluminescent or fluorescent) in a single virus backbone. However, whilst bioluminescence is suited to in vivo imaging, fluorescent viruses are more appropriate for microscopy. Therefore, the idea l reporter virus varies depending on the experiment in question, and it is important that any reporter virus strategy can be adapted accordingly. Herein, a strategy was developed to create five different reporter viruses in a …

Utah State Magazine, Fall 2015, Utah State University

Utah State Magazine

The quarterly magazine for friends and alumni of Utah State University.

Benchmarks 2015, August 21, The Rockefeller University

BenchMarks 2015

BenchMarks. Friday, August 21, 2015

The community newsletter of The Rockefeller University

BenchMarks is published monthly and is distributed on the campus of The Rockefeller University. It produced by the Office of Communications and Public Affairs

August 2015 News Releases, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Undergraduate And Graduate Course Descriptions, 2015 Fall, Wright State University

Course Descriptions

Wright State University undergraduate and graduate course descriptions from Fall 2015.

Prevalence Of A Chytrid Pathogen (Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis) In Eastern Hellbender Salamanders In New York And Pennsylvania, Linxuan Wu

Biology Theses

Amphibian populations are currently declining globally. There are many possible causes for these declines, among which an emerging infectious disease, chytridiomycosis, has been implicated. Chytridiomycosis in the U.S.A. is mainly caused by the Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. In this study, I used qPCR assays to detect the existence of this pathogen in the Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) populations in the Allegheny and Susquehanna River drainages of New York and Pennsylvania. Chytrid is most often tested by using skin swabs, but in this study, tail clips, dorsal skin, blood and eggs were tested as well. Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis was detected …

Infectious Disease And Red Wolf Conservation: Assessment Of Disease Occurrence And Associated Risks, Kristin E. Brzeski, Rebecca B. Harrison, William T. Waddell, Karen N. Wolf, David R. Rabon, Sabrina S. Taylor

Faculty Publications

Infectious diseases pose a significant threat to global biodiversity and may contribute to extinction. As such, establishing baseline disease prevalence in vulnerable species where disease could affect persistence is important to conservation. We assessed potential disease threats to endangered red wolves (Canis rufus) by evaluating regional (southeastern United States) disease occurrences in mammals and parasite prevalence in red wolves and sympatric coyotes (Canis latrans) in North Carolina. Common viral pathogens in the southeast region, such as canine distemper and canine parvovirus, and numerous widespread endoparasites could pose a threat to the red Wolf population. The most prevalent parasites in red …

Diseases Pattern Among Patients Attending Holy Mosque (Haram) Medical Centers During Hajj 1434 (2013), Abdulrahman R. Bakhsh, Abdulfattah I. Sindy, Mostafa J. Baljoon, Khalid O. Dhafar, Zohair J. Gazzaz, Mukhtiar Baig, Basma A. Deiab

Saudi Medical Journal

Objective: To evaluate the diseases pattern among pilgrims attending the 2 Holy Mosque (Haram) Health Care Centers during the Hajj season 2013 (Hijra 1434). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, data was collected from 2 medical centers located in the Holy Mosque in Makkah city, Saudi Arabia, from the first of Dhul-Hijjah to sixteenth Dhul-Hijjah 1434. The present study was completed in 16 days (6th October to 21st October 2013). Results: Over 16 days, 1008 patients attended the medical centers during Hajj 1434, (2013), out of which 554 (55%) were males and 454 (45%) were females. Most of the patients were …

Effects Of Allosteric Mutations On Dihydrofolate Reductase, Marian Okondo

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is an essential enzyme necessary in the synthesis of DNA precursors. DHFR acquires resistance to numerous known anti-folates and this has led to the continuous need to discover novel and selective DHFR inhibitors. Allosteric mutations on Bacillus stearothermophilus (Bs.) DHFR were previously found to alter inhibitor binding and specificity. In this work, we investigate how these mutations affect the conformational motions of DHFR associated with inhibitor binding. Two distal allosteric mutations, isoleucine at position 86 to alanine (I86A) and tyrosine at position 127 to alanine (Y127A) were separately introduced to C73A/S131C, a previously modified wild type DHFR …

Analyzing The Relationship Between Women's Decisions To Use Contraception And Their Partners' Perceptions Of Preventative Behavior, Kayla Gayle-Campbell

HIM 1990-2015

A majority of adolescents and young adults report inconsistent use of safe sexual behaviors and contraception methods due to a variety of influencing factors. These practices can lead to limited future reproductive choices and can spread communicable disease in the population. The purpose of this study was to determine if a woman's decision to use a specific type of contraceptive method is influenced by her partner's attitude toward preventive sexual health practices. A secondary purpose was to analyze women's attitudes towards safe sex and contraceptive practices as independent entities of disease and pregnancy in the reproductive cycle. A literature review …

Responding To The Childhood Vaccination Crisis: Legal Frameworks And Tools In The Context Of Parental Vaccine Refusal, Dorit Rubinstein Reiss, Lois A. Weithorn

Buffalo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Novel Mta Nucleosidase Inhibitors As Anti-Parasitic Agents, Teslin Marie Botoy

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The parasitic protozoa Giardia intestinalis and Entamoeba histolytica are major health concerns and responsible for hundreds of millions of cases of intestinal disease per year. Strains of both parasites have been discovered that show resistance to metronidazole, the most prevalent treatment for these pathogens. Thus, there is a need to identify new drugs and drug targets to combat the growing threat of drug resistant parasites. The parasite enzyme methylthioadenosine nucleosidase (MTN) is one such potential target. Traditional drug development processes take almost a decade and hundreds of millions of dollars to complete. In an effort to shorten that timeline and …

Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (Ca-Mrsa) Usa300 Perturbs Acquisition Of Lysosomal Hydrolases And Requires Phagosomal Acidification For Survival In A Human Macrophage Cell Line, Zachary Ronald Tranchemontagne

All Theses And Dissertations

Community-acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) strain USA300 is a major cause of invasive drug-resistant skin and soft tissue infections in humans. Although S. aureus is a well-recognized extracellular pathogen, recent reports that USA300 survives inside host macrophages suggest that the intramacrophage environment may be a niche for persistent infection. Intramacrophage survival requires bacteria to avoid destruction in the phagosome; however, mechanisms by which USA300 evades phagosomal defenses are unclear. We examined the fate of the USA300-containing phagosome in human THP-1 macrophages by evaluating phagosomal acidification and maturation, and by testing the impact of phagosomal conditions on bacterial viability. Utilizing confocal …

The Effects Of Honeybee (Apis Mellifera) Antimicrobial Peptides On Paenibacillus Larvae, Jasmin Camille Khilnani

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

American Foulbrood Disease (AFB) is the most detrimental bacterial disease that affects honeybee larvae (Apis mellifera) worldwide. The etiological agent of AFB is the Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterial pathogen, Paenibacillus larvae. Treatment with antibiotics, specifically oxytetracycline, has led to the development of antibiotic resistance in P. larvae. Therefore, there is a pressing need for an alternative treatment method. The overall goal of this project was to test naturally occurring, active antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are produced in the adult honeybee, against vegetative P. larvae. These active AMPs could potentially be used as a prophylactic treatment to prevent P. larvae infection of …

Acceleration Of Agent-Based Pandemicmodeling On Multiple Gpus, Barzan Shekh

Masters Theses

Epidemiology computation models are crucial for the assessment and control of public health crises. Agent-based simulations of pandemic inuenza are useful for forecasting the infectious disease spreading in order to help public health policy makers during emergencies. In such emergencies decisions are required for public health preparedness in cycles of less than a day, and the agent-based model should be adaptable and tractable for quick and simple calibration with low computational overhead.

GPU accelerated computing involves the use of a graphics processing unit (GPU) in combination with the CPU to perform heterogeneous computing by o_oading a compute-expensive portion of the …

Caffeine Use Within The Safety Sensitive Industry, Cory Austin Mullins

Theses and Dissertations

This study is an in-depth look at caffeine use and its effect on individuals who work within a safety and security sensitive job industry. The focus of this paper is on the current use of caffeine in our society as well as the overuse/abuse of the drug and the causes behind it. This paper will highlight the negative impacts caffeine has on the human body and its cognitive thinking skills but does not neglect the positive impacts as well. Caffeine in energy drinks and similar products is used in an attempt to retain one’s alertness and focus, with little regard …

A Mixed-Methods Exploration Of Employee Attitudes, Awareness, And Satisfaction With Regard To The University Employee Wellness Program, Linda Ann Walters

Dissertations

While there was an abundant amount of research supporting the need for and benefits of a workplace health program (WHP), little empirical research existed regarding WHPs in a university setting (Watts, 1992). Compared to other WHP settings, the university setting is unique in that the employee population consists of both faculty and staff, with various work schedules, job responsibilities, and demographics. Universities also provide a unique setting for WHPs due to their access to various internal resources, such as employees with expert knowledge, campus food services, on-site facilities, and students studying health and wellness disciplines (RAND Corporation, 2013). As reported …

Identifying The Geographic Origins For The Introduction Of Taeniatherum Caput-Medusae Subsp. Asperum (Medusahead) In The Western United States, Shane Kurtis Skaar

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The use of molecular markers can provide insights into the demographic and evolutionary processes that have shaped the genetic diversity of native populations and can be used to identify an invasive species’ geographic origins. Taeniatherum caput-medusae subsp. asperum (medusahead) is a cleistogamous, diploid, annual grass native toEurasia that is now invasive in the western United States (U.S.). Enzyme electrophoresis methods (allozymes) have previously been used to analyze both native and invasive populations of medusahead. Results from these studies suggest that the invasion of medusahead in the westernU.S. stems from multiple introduction events. In addition, 10 of 34 populations from across …