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Southern Illinois Ticks: An Ecological And Medical Overview, Madeleine A. Pfaff

Honors Theses

Ticks are of concern to southern Illinois residents because they are common in the forested landscapes of the region and have the capability to cause disease in humans and pets. There are several tick-borne illnesses of concern to southern Illinois residents. Prescribed burning is a potential method of tick control, but no significant results were found in the correlation of tick density with time since burn.

Antibacterial Evaluation Of Polygonum Multiflorum, Andy S. Demianicz

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Polygonum multiflorum, commonly known as Chinese Knotweed, is a tonic herb primarily used to enhance bodily functions. Recently, it has been shown to contain strong antioxidant, antibacterial and antiviral activity. The extract from the roots of Chinese Knotweed was used to assess its antibacterial properties against a broad spectrum of bacterial species, including 5 Gram-positive (B. cereus, B. megaterium, S. epidermidis, S. mutans and S. pyogenes) and 4 Gram-negative (E. aerogenes, E. coli, P. vulgaris and P. aeruginosa). Microtiter assays were carried out to evaluate the antibacterial activity of Chinese Knotweed at 0.5%, 1%, 1.5% and 2.5% concentrations in order …

Effect Of Chinese Knotweed Extract On Hsv-1 Infection Of Vero Cells, Derek J. Prince

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

HSV-1 is an opportunistic virus responsible for infecting the majority of the global population. The ability of this virus to strategically alternate between lytic and latent states has made the development of effective treatments challenging. Polygonum multiflorum (Chinese Knotweed, CK) is a perennial plant local to the south central regions of China. The thunb (root) constituents of this compound have been used in traditional Chinese medicines to treat a broad range of illnesses for centuries. In the present study, CK root extracts were evaluated for potential anti-HSV-1 activity. Cytopathic effect (CPE) monitoring studies indicate that Vero cells infected with HSV-1 …

Four Projects Awarded Funding Through Amc21 Multi-Investigator Grants, Kendra Carter

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No abstract provided.

The Rhetoric Of Nineteenth Century British Anti-Vaccinators: An Interdisciplinary Movement Of Medicine, Religion, Class, And Popular Culture, Madison P. Walter

Student Scholarship

Since the introduction of vaccination in 1796 by Edward Jenner, there has been a continuous debate regarding the practice of vaccination. The debate initially focused on ethical and religious opposition to vaccination, but quickly turned towards politics following the passing of compulsory vaccination laws in England in 1853. This politically charged debate regarding compulsion is what remains in the forefront of the minds of anti-vaccinators today. Does the government have the right to force vaccination upon its citizens?

This project is not an examination of ethics or the role of the government, and therefore does not seek to answer this …

Sociobot: Twitter For Command And Control Of A Botnet, Ismeet Kaur Makkar

Master's Projects

A botnet is a collection of computers controlled by a botmaster, often used for malicious activity. Social network provides an ideal medium for botnets to spread their reach. In this research, we develop and analyze a botnet that uses Twitter for its command and control channel. We use this botnet to perform a distributed denial of service attack on a web server, and we utilize the biological epidemic models to analyze the spread of the botnet using Twitter.

Governing Through Health: The Biomedical And Public Health Management Of Drug Using Bodies, Kelly Szott

Dissertations - ALL

Focused on the intersection of health, drug use, and poverty, this dissertation closely examines the use of discursive registers in the conceptualization of health among low-income people who inject drugs in New York City. Using qualitative in-depth interviews with 40 people who inject drugs, 13 health care practitioners who provide care for drug-using patients, and 4 researchers of drug use, the governmentality of a public health risk population--people who inject drugs--is traced. To historicize this population a genealogy of the "injection drug user" is conducted through the examination of public health research publications from the 1980s and historical literature on …

Benzo-Fused Lactams From A Diversity-Oriented Synthesis (Dos) Library As Inhibitors Of Scavenger Receptor Bi (Sr-Bi)-Mediated Lipid Uptake, Chris Dockendorff, Patrick W. Faloon, Jun Pu, Miao Yu, Stephen Johnston, Melissa Bennion, Marsha Penman, Thomas J.F. Nieland, Sivaraman Dandapani, José R. Perez, Benito Munoz, Michelle A. Palmer, Stuart L. Schreiber, Monty Krieger

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

We report a new series of 8-membered benzo-fused lactams that inhibit cellular lipid uptake from HDL particles mediated by Scavenger Receptor, Class B, Type I (SR-BI). The series was identified via a high-throughput screen of the National Institutes of Health Molecular Libraries Small Molecule Repository (NIH MLSMR), measuring the transfer of the fluorescent lipid DiI from HDL particles to CHO cells overexpressing SR-BI. The series is part of a previously reported diversity-oriented synthesis (DOS) library prepared via a build-couple-pair approach. Detailed structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies were performed with a selection of the original library, as well as additional analogs prepared …

Discovering The Biological Activities Of Maltose Derivatives For Controlling Bacterial Multicellular Behaviors, Gauri Shirish Shetye

Dissertations - ALL

Since the serendipitous discovery of the first antibiotic, the "wonder drug" penicillin by Alexander Fleming, bacteria over time have slowly developed resistance to most antibiotics through three well coordinated processes. Firstly, bacteria can evolve their genetic makeup to become resistant against antibiotics; Secondly, bacteria can relay the modified antibiotic resistant genes to other bacteria and other species through a process called conjugation. Thirdly, bacteria quickly give up their individuality to become a part of a team to form surface attached multicellular communities known as biofilms. Bacteria residing within biofilms are protected by a layer of slime which renders the bacteria …

Characterization Of The Older Adult Refugee Population At Thomas Jefferson University’S Center For Refugee Health (Crh), Kathryn Beldowski, Md, Neesha Patel, Md, Brooke Salzman, Md

Department of Family & Community Medicine Presentations and Grand Rounds

Background

• Established in 2007, the CRH has served over 1,000 refugees of all ages as they resettle in Philadelphia, PA.
• Research about refugee populations generally focuses on infectious disease, women’s health, pediatrics and mental health, with minimal research on the older adult refugee population.
• The objective of this study was to describe the characteristics of the older refugee population served by the CRH, focusing on chronic disease, smoking status, immunization and cancer screening rates, and presence of geriatric syndromes.

Rural Primary Health Care Providers' Response To Intimate Partner Violence And Survivors' Perceptions Of Helpfulness, Annah Bender

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects the health and mental health of many women in the United States, with some estimates projecting that one in three women will experience physical, sexual, and/or psychological abuse from a current or former partner during their lifetimes (National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey [NISVS], 2011). The problems many survivors of IPV face as they attempt to secure help and establish a life free from violence are numerous and include housing, legal, employment, medical, and other domains. Such problems are frequently compounded for survivors residing in rural areas of the U.S., where access to social …

Single-Chain Rankl Provides Insights Into Rank Receptor Oligomerization And A Novel Approach To Osteoclast Inhibition, Julia Therese Warren

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease characterized by bone resorption in excess of bone formation. The osteoclast is the sole bone resorbing cell and therefore provides an important avenue for novel therapeutic development. The mature osteoclast is derived from the monocyte/macrophage lineage, and its proper differentiation and function requires the interaction of receptor activator of NF-kB Ligand (RANKL) with its receptor RANK. RANKL exists as a homotrimer, with classical models of receptor activation assuming trimeric clustering of receptor as necessary for signal transduction. We have designed a novel single-chain RANKL (scRANKL) construct to test the assumption that the recruitment of three …

Molecular Characterization Of A Novel, Highly Protective Combination Monoclonal Antibody Therapy Against Chikungunya Virus, Pankaj Pal

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an Aedes mosquito-transmitted alphavirus that causes epidemics of a debilitating, often chronic polyarthritis in humans. Over five million people in Africa and Asia have been infected since 2005, and an outbreak occurred recently in Italy demonstrating the potential for a global epidemic. A strong antibody response is elicited during infection and the aim of this thesis was to develop a better understanding of how the humoral immune response can control CHIKV infection. We identified 230 new anti-CHIKV monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) and tested their ability to inhibit infection of strains representing all three CHIKV genotypes (East/Central/South African, …

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Cascade In Hematopoiesis And Susceptibility To Therapy-Related Leukemia, Elise Peterson Lu

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Apoptosis and the DNA damage response have been implicated in hematopoietic development and differentiation, as well as in the pathogenesis of myelodysplastic syndrome (MS) and leukemia. However, the specific roles of direct mediators of apoptosis, such as caspases, in hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis have not been elucidated. In order to address this, we studied the effects of loss of Caspase-9, the initiator caspase of the intrinsic apoptotic cascade, and Apaf1, the key component of the apoptosome, on fetal and adult hematopoiesis. We first found that loss of these key regulators has significant effects on the hematopoietic stem and progenitor compartment, with …

Assessing Vascular Inflammation With Bioluminescence Imaging, Reece Joseph Goiffon

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity, mortality, and health care costs in the developed world and is often undiagnosed until clinical presentation with a major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE). Plasma myeloperoxidase (MPO) content is an emerging biomarker for risk, progression, and prognosis at different stages of CVD. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) are currently used to measure clinical plasma MPO concentration, but ELISAs are costly and time-intensive. Luminol is a chemiluminescent compound with specificity for MPO activity in vivo, but is not sensitive enough for use as a bioluminescence reporter of plasma MPO oxidation. The luminol derivative L-012 …

Viral And Innate Immune Factors Controlling Disease Susceptibility During Chikungunya Virus Infection, Anjali Rohatgi

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a re-emerging pathogen that causes a high fever, painful arthritis and a macular rash. The current outbreak began in Kenya in 2004 and spread throughout the Indian Ocean area and Southeast Asia, infecting millions. During this outbreak, more severe disease manifestations, including lethality, were reported for the first time. To understand one possible reason for this change in severity, we explored the impact of genetic changes in the virus on disease pathogenesis. In addition, we dissected the role of type I interferon (IFN) subtypes in CHIKV infection. From these studies, we have gained important insight into …

The C-Terminal Linker Of Ftsz Acts As An Intrinsically Disordered Peptide During Cell Division In Bacillus Subtilis, Steven Grigsby

Undergraduate Theses—Unrestricted

The bacterial tubulin homologue FtsZ polymerizes in vitro in a GTP-dependent manner to form long, single stranded filaments. In cells, these filaments assemble at the nascent division site, interacting laterally to form the contractile Z ring. The Z ring serves as a scaffold for the rest of the division machinery and constricts at the leading edge of the invaginating septum during cytokinesis. The FtsZ polypeptide consists of three primary domains: the N-terminal globular core consisting of 315 residues that contains the GTP binding site, a variable and flexible C-terminal linker (CTL) consisting of 50 residues, and a conserved region at …

Refugee Health And The Kentucky Global Health Center, Rahel Bosson, Ruth M. Carrico

Journal of Refugee & Global Health

In this University of Louisville Grand Rounds lecture, Drs. Rahel Bosson and Ruth Carrico give an overview of the real struggle of the refugee population and provide an update of the current state of refugee health in Kentucky.

They also provide an overview of the Global Health Initiative at University of Louisville, which includes the follow programs: HIV/AIDs, Refugee Health and Immunization, Vaccine and International Travel and Global Health Research Support.

The talk concludes looking to the future with a comprehensive Global Health Center composed of improving refugee orientation and EMR, healthcare worker education, developing guidelines, and bettering our surveillance …

Molecular Mechanism Of Cytokine Production By Human Lung Fibroblast In Response To Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Elastase, Kourtney Bass

Biology Theses

Pathogenicity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections can be heavily influenced by the host inflammatory responses. P. aeruginosa secretes several extracellular products such as lipopolysaccharide, exotoxin A, and elastase. This bacterium is widely studied in acute and chronic lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and Cystic Fibrosis (CF). In order to understand part of the underlying mechanism, we focused on the role of Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase (PE) in provoking the host inflammatory response in an in vitro model. We hypothesized that PE stimulates cytokine and chemokine production by activating mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade through nuclear factor kappa …

Draft Genome Sequences Of Six Different Staphylococcus Epidermidis Clones, Isolated Individually From Preterm Neonates Presenting With Sepsis At Edinburgh's Royal Infirmary, Paul Walsh, M. Bekaert, J. Carroll, T. Manning, B. Kelly, A. O'Driscoll, X. Lu, C. Smith, P. Dickinson, K. Templeton, P. Ghazal, Roy D. Sleator

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Herein, we report the draft genome sequences of six individual Staphylococcus epidermidis clones, cultivated from blood taken from different preterm neonatal sepsis patients at the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.

Boppana Receives Inaugural Award For Cytomegalovirus Research, Jim Bakken

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

The Origin Of Fleas And The Genesis Of Plague, Alan L. Gillen

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Human history has been riddled by diseases spread by flea vectors including the bubonic plague. Recently, Madagascar has documented more than 100 cases. Fleas were part of God’s “very good” (Genesis 1:31) creation that transformed to an ectoparasitic condition after the Curse. Creation biologists continue to synthesize a working model of this conversion from environmental recyclers to parasites as a secondary state. Morphological design of the flea combined with its unique feeding ability has resulted in it being an exceptional vector for Yersinia pestis, the causative bacterium of the plague.

Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center - 2015 - 141st Commencement, Office Of The Registrar, Lsu Health Sciences Center-No

Graduation & Commencement Programs

The program for the 141st Commencement of LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans held May 14, 2015.

Demystifying Open Access Workshop, Rose Fortier, Heather G. James, Martha G. Jermé, Patricia Berge, Rosemary Del Toro

Library Events and Research Institutes

Among the avenues for sharing research and scholarship, open access journals offer an increasingly viable and important option. However, it can be challenging not only to identify these journals but also to evaluate their quality and reach, as well as to weigh the benefits of publishing in them.

To help demystify this process, Raynor Memorial Libraries offered a workshop on evaluating open access journals. Aimed at faculty, graduate students, and others interested in publishing their academic work, the workshop offered an overview of current open access options for sharing research, criteria to help assess the rigor and reliability of open …

Chikungunya Occurrence Among A Religious Missions Trip To Haiti In The Summer Of 2014 And Implications For Community Health, Veronica Williams, Jared Rutledge, Heather Brewer

Research Day

As global travel becomes more common, the risk of spreading infectious diseases is increasing. Vectors too are spreading and becoming invasive species in environmental niches where they had previously been absent. The potential continues to grow for people to bring back diseases and infect local naive insect populations, which over time will increase the likelihood of the disease transmission occurring locally. This article evaluates the impact of a mission’s trip to Haiti and the return to a region of the United States that just recently became invaded by Aedes aegypti. The attack rate among the missionaries was approximately 20% (n=2), …

The Relationship Of Chlamydia Antigen, Ad-Like Pathology, And Inflammation In The Brains Of Intranasally Infected Balb/C Mice: A Comparative Study, Brittany L. Kane, Lindsey V. Weidmann, Brian J. Balin, Denah M. Appelt, Justin H. Schripsema, Christopher L. Smith, Kyle Ramsey, C. Scott Little

Research Day

Background and Significance: Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is characterized by amyloid deposition and inflammation. Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn) intranasal infection of BALB/c mice has been shown to induce AD like pathology in brain tissue. Preliminary data suggests that other species of Chlamydia induce similar pathology in mice. Objectives: (1) identify and localize Chlamydia antigen and amyloid pathology in specific AD-related brain regions of intranasally inoculated BALB/c mice infected with Cpn or Chlamydia muridarum (Cmu) and (2) evaluate the degree of glial cell activation in these regions. Methods: Non-transgenic BALB/c mice were intranasally inoculated with Cpn AR-39 (n=3) or Cmu (in vivo passaged …

Moving Thru: Dance/Movement Therapy Based Program For Direct Caregivers Of Childhood Survivors Of Human Trafficking And Commercial Sexual Exploitation In Belize, Amy Vanbecelaere

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this project was to; identify the biopsychosocial needs of child survivors of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation in Belize and to develop a dance/movement therapy based program that Belizean caregivers can utilize to better serve the children they work with. The Moving THRU (Trauma Healing, Recovery + Understanding) program was developed based on current literature regarding post-trafficking mental health care and information provided in interviews by Belizean direct caregivers currently working with youth who have been trafficked and exploited in the Cayo District of central Belize. The curriculum is designed to help direct caregivers utilize techniques …

Potential Of The Desert Locust Schistocerca Gregaria (Orthoptera: Acrididae) As An Unconventional Source Of Dietary And Therapeutic Sterols, Xavier Cheseto, Serge Philibert Kuate, David P. Tchouassi, Mary Ndung'u, Peter E.A. Teal, Baldwyn Torto

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Insects are increasingly being recognized not only as a source of food to feed the ever growing world population but also as potential sources of new products and therapeutic agents, among which are sterols. In this study, we sought to profile sterols and their derivatives present in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, focusing on those with potential importance as dietary and therapeutic components for humans. Using coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), we analyzed and compared the quantities of sterols in the different sections of the gut and tissues of the locust. In the gut, we identified 34 sterols which showed …

Internal Ecologies And The Limits Of Local Biologies: A Political Ecology Of Tuberculosis In The Time Of Aids, Abigail H. Neely

Dartmouth Scholarship

South Africa is known for its high rates of HIV and tuberculosis (TB), where HIV has provided fertile ground for the transmission of TB. Indeed, HIVTB coinfection is widely understood as one of the, if not the, biggest health problems in the country. In practice, doctors and nurses understand that unusual cases of tuberculosis indicate HIV and they make diagnosis and treatment plans accordingly. International treatment standards and protocols inform this practice as doctors pay little attention to individual people and the political, economic, cultural, social, and environmental contexts in which they live. Political ecology, with its nested, place-based analysis, …

The Zen Of Daryl: A New Masculinity Within Amc's The Walking Dead, Sarah Jane Mulvey

Honors Program Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.