Digital Commons Network^™

Practices Of Nurse Practitioners In Screening For Hepatitis C, Jordin A. Thompson

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

The purpose of this project was to determine both hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening rates and the percentage of cases diagnosed among adults born between 1945 and 1965 in a general practice clinic staffed by nurse practitioners (NPs). A descriptive study was conducted using a chart review of all patients born between 1945 and 1965 seen by NPs in a primary care clinic during a three month period of time. Data was collected on the total number of patients in the target group, those born between 1945 and 1965, as well as each patient’s gender, birth date, if screened for …

The Effect Of An Educational Intervention On Oral Anticoagulation Therapy Knowledge In Primary Care, Elizabeth D. Deck

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

It is estimated that three million people in the United States are on oral anticoagulation therapy (warfarin). Populations studied have been found in therapeutic range 64% of the time (Pernod, Labarere, & Bosson, 2008). The low percentage of therapeutic range is attributable to (a) adherence, (b) monitoring infrequency, (c) Vitamin K antagonists, and (d) the effects of aging and comorbidities. The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to examine whether an educational intervention would improve the knowledge of patients receiving warfarin therapy. Roy’s model for patient adaptation and the Stetler Model for EBP were used as frameworks for …

“Un Pueblo Tan Dulce”: Diabetes, Depression, And Obesity Syndemics In Puerto Rico, Shir Lerman

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Use Of Immunotherapy In The Treatment Of Peanut Allergies In The Pediatric Population, Bethany Rauscher

Senior Honors Theses

Peanut allergies are a serious issue that must be monitored and treated effectively to avoid severe adverse effects and death. In the last decade, their incidence has increased significantly, due to indeterminate factors. Because people typically do not outgrow peanut allergies and the effects of exposure can be life-threatening, it is important that a cure or management method is developed and refined. Recent research regarding treatment for peanut allergies has focused on the use of immunotherapy, a process aimed at desensitizing children's immune systems so that they do not reject foods that contain peanuts. Some studies utilizing immunotherapy have provided …

Characterization And Fluorescence Of Yellow Biofilms In Karst Caves, Southwest Slovenia, Janez Mulec, Andreea Oarga-Mulec, Rok Tomazin, Tadeja Matos

International Journal of Speleology

Biofilms of different colours that colonize surfaces within karst caves represent a source of nutrients. They occur commonly and abundantly at sites with sediments, and close to seepages or underground rivers. Golden-yellow subaerial biofilms are particularly well observed because of their contrast with their surroundings, the characteristics of the pigment and recently, even more, due to the characteristics of light-emitting diode (LED) illumination. Yellow microbial biofilms were sampled from three caves in southwestern Slovenia, Dimnice, Križna jama and Sveta jama. The highest concentration of cultivable microbes (2.33×10⁸ CFU/g) and the biggest number of identified bacteria (66.0%) were retrieved from …

Tonb Not Directly Related To Efflux Of Antibiotics In E. Coli, Amber Gombash

Honors Projects

Studies in Pseudomonas aeruginosa have suggested that the TonB energy transduction system directly contributes to efflux-mediated antibiotic resistance, ostensibly by energizing one or more efflux systems. We have found ∆tonB strains of Escherichia coli to similarly be more sensitive to certain antibiotics relative to wild-type strains. To test the hypothesis that this enhanced sensitivity involved the energization of efflux systems, sensitivity patterns for a variety of antibiotics were evaluated using a set of strains differentially lacking genes encoding the Acr efflux system, the universal outer membrane efflux portal TolC, and TonB. No correlation was evident between the resistance phenotypes of …

Ethanol And Isopropyl Alcohol Exposure Increases Biofilm Formation In Staphylococcus Aureus And Staphylococcus Epidermidis, Megan K. Luther, Bilida, Leonard A. Mermel, Kerry L. Laplante

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Introduction

Alcohols, including ethanol and isopropyl alcohol, are used in clinical practice for disinfection and infection prevention. Recent studies, however, demonstrate that alcohols may enhance biofilm production in Staphylococci.

Methods

We quantified biofilm formation in the presence of ethanol and isopropyl alcohol in six different, well-characterized strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus. After 24 h of biofilm development, each strain was exposed to normal saline (NS), ethanol, or isopropyl alcohol (40%, 60%, 80% and 95%) for additional 24 h incubation. Adherent biofilms were stained and optical density was determined. Viability of strains was also determined after alcohol …

Expansion Of Brucellosis Detection In The Country Of Georgia By Screening Household Members Of Cases And Neighboring Community Members, Lia Sanodze, Christian T. Bautista, Natalia Garuchava, Svetlana Chubinidze, Ekaterine Tsertsvadze, Mariam Broladze, Nazibrola Chitadze, Ketevan Sidamonidze, Shota Tsanava, Tamar Akhvlediani, Robert G. Rivard, Rupal Mody, Matthew J. Hepburn, Philip H. Elzer, Mikeljon P. Nikolich, Nino Trapaidze

Faculty Publications

© 2015 Sanodze et al.; licensee BioMed Central. Background: Brucellosis is considered as endemic zoonotic disease in the country of Georgia. However, the burden of the disease on a household level is not known. Therefore, this study sought to determine the benefits of active surveillance coupled to serological screening for the early detection of brucellosis among close contacts of brucellosis cases. Methods: We used an active surveillance approach to estimate the rate of seropositivity among household family members and neighboring community members of brucellosis index cases. All participants were screened using the serum tube agglutination test (SAT). Blood cultures were …

Hepatitis B Interventions In East- And Southeast-Asian Communities In The U.S., Alizarin Menninga

Tapestries: Interwoven voices of local and global identities

Hepatitis B is a virus that can develop into life-threatening cancers. Three hundred fifty million people are affected with hepatitis B worldwide. Sub-Saharan Africa, Russia and West Asia, and ranges in Asia from the Indian Subcontinent to East Asian countries and South East Asia are disproportionately affected areas of the world. For this paper, I examine approaches in the U.S. to treatment and prevention of hepatitis B in Asian-diasporic communities. I found that there are many factors to explain high prevalence, low screening, low education, and low treatment rates in Asian-American and Pacific-Asian communities in the United States, including cultural …

Celebration Schedule 2015 (Friday), Provost's Office

Celebration

Full presentation schedule for Celebration, Friday, May 1, 2015

Role Of The Church In Fighting Hiv-Aids Stigmatization Among Women In Kenya, Christine Adhiambo Ouko

Master of Art Theology Thesis

Ouko, Christine Adhiambo. “Role of the Church in Fighting HIV-AIDS Stigmatization among Women in Kenya.” MA thesis, Concordia Seminary, 2015, 116 pp.

Practical Theology, a discipline under which this thesis is based, is the application of God’s word in real life problems. HIV/AIDS stigmatization is a persistent and pernicious problem to any effective response to the pandemic. It is, therefore, a perennial danger confronting the church. The peril is acute when women and children struggle in alienation and despair in familial, social, and religious places believed to be lifesaving stations. Apparently, it is not easy to bear the burden of …

Section Abstracts: Biology With Microbiology And Molecular Biology

Virginia Journal of Science

Abstracts of the Biology with Microbiology and Molecular Biology Section for the 93rd Annual Meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science, May 21-23, 2015, James Madison University, Richmond, Virginia

93rd Annual Meeting Of The Virginia Academy Of Science: Proceedings

Virginia Journal of Science

Full proceedings of the 93rd Annual Meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science, May 21-23, 2015, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia

Complete Genome Sequence Of A Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus (H5n2) Associated With An Outbreak In Commercial Chickens, Iowa, Usa, 2015, Travis Clement, Gerald F. Kutish, Jill Nezworski, Joy Scaria, Eric A. Nelson, Jane Christopher-Hennings, Diego Diel

Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

A novel reassortant influenza A virus (H5N2) was first detected in British Columbia, Canada, in December 2014. The virus rapidly spread along the waterfowl migration flyways in the United States, causing multiple HPAI outbreaks in poultry. Here, we present the complete genome sequence of HPAIV-H5N2 from a commercial chicken flock in Iowa.

Progress Notes, Lehigh Valley Health Network

Progress Notes

No abstract provided.

Combating Infectious Diseases In Aquaculture With An Original Probiotic Product, Meagan Hamblin, Saebom Sohn, Christine Ahn Dao, Marta Gomez-Chiarri, David R. Nelson, David Worthen, David Rowley

Senior Honors Projects

Oyster production in Rhode Island accounts for over $2.5 million in annual revenue, making it the top aquaculture product in the state. However, larval tank infections significantly constrain production and create substantial economic losses for commercial hatcheries. In most cases antibiotics may not be used to prevent or treat larval tank infections. A probiotic, or beneficial microbe which competes with pathogens, is a safer and “green” approach to preventing infections. Vibriosis, a common cause of oyster larval mortality, is the result of Vibrio species infections. Previous studies have shown that a native Rhode Island microbe, Bacillus pumilus RI06-95, protects oyster …

Numerical Modelling Of Biological Systems With Memory Using Delay Differential Equations, Fathalla A. Rihan, Bassel F. Rihan

Applied Mathematics & Information Sciences

This is a review article, to show the consistency of delay differential equations with biological systems with memory, in which we present a class of mathematical models with time-lags in immunology, physiology, epidemiology and cell growth. We also incorporate optimal control parameters into a delay model to describe the interactions of the tumour cells and immune response cells with external therapy. We then study parameter estimations and sensitivity analysis with delay differential equations. Sensitivity analysis is an important tool for understanding a particular model, which is considered as an issue of stability with respect to structural perturbations in the model. …

Swords Into Stethoscopes: How The U.S. Military Could Conduct Medical Diplomacy, Oliver Kendall

Political Science Honors Projects

Since the early 1960’s, Cuba and China have won international appreciation by sending doctors abroad to help where they are needed. While there was surprise in some quarters when U.S. military personnel were deployed to combat Ebola in the last months of 2014, the Department of Defense actually has a long history of medical activity. In its current form, DoD medical outreach cannot likely garner soft power in the way that the Chinese and Cuban programs can, but with a few modifications, the U.S. military could be a serious conductor of medical diplomacy that would save countless lives and benefit …

Structural And Functional Interactions Between Bro1 Domain Of Human Alix Protein And Nucleocapsid Packaging Rna Complex From Hiv, Scott Gross

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

A virus is only as powerful as its ability to spread. Enveloped retroviruses, namely HIV-1, use exocytosis pathways that normal host cells use to release particles from the plasma membrane. The main pathways of interest in this study are the Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport (ESCRT) and adjacent ALIX pathways. The ESCRT pathway is especially important for degradation of receptor/cargo complexes that form Multi-Vesicular Bodies (MVBs). Currently, there is no known therapy that targets this endosomal pathway, which would prevent the spread of the virus to other cells. The virus has adapted to jump from pathway to pathway when …

Mutation In Antibiotic Resistance: Rate And Fitness, Fabrizio Spagnolo

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

Understanding how bacterial populations adapt in antibiotic environments has become important, given rising frequencies of antibiotic resistance. In this series of experiments, Escherichia coli are used to understand the mechanisms, timing, and selective forces that dictate how the populations adapt when exposed to the antibiotic streptomycin. We begin with a study of how antibiotic sensitive populations respond to antibiotics in an environment where the concentration of antibiotic grows from zero to above that which would normally kill E. coli cells. This was investigated via a novel system using continuous culture techniques. The results indicate that mutations giving resistance to streptomycin …

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 91, No. 2), Kentucky Library Research Collections

The Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

The Meat You Haven't Met, Pt. 4, Rebecca Soja

Architecture Senior Theses

This thesis contends that architecture can be a tool for exposing the social, environmental, economic, and political problems caused by industrial beef production and excessive cultural consumption of beef in order to promote meaningful change. A narrative is established in which a fictitious beef corporation seeks the expertise of an architect to design a Transparency Tour as part of a green washing campaign. However, while the intent of the corporation is to mislead consumers to gain loyalty, the architect seizes the opportunity to infiltrate the system and expose realities that would have remained hidden. Subversive design interventions within three stops …

Surface Remodeling Of Lentiviral And Adeno-Associated Viral Vectors Via Metabolically Introduced Bioorthogonal Functionalities, Yanjie Chu

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

As the most effective means to transfer genetic material into cells and tissues, viral vectors have been widely used for both therapeutic and basic biological applications. Extensive effort has been invested in the modification of viral surfaces to generate vectors with enhanced properties such as restricted cell tropism, easier purification and reduced immunogenicity. In particular, targeted gene transduction of specific cells has been a highly desirable goal and attempted by various strategies. Bioorthogonal chemical reactions such as Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC), strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition (SPAAC) and Staudinger ligation have significantly facilitated the study of biomolecules in their native environment due …

Exploration Of Lipid Biosynthesis And Transport Mechanisms In Mycobacteria, Megan Ann Touchette

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

The inherent drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) has been attributed in part to the low permeability of its asymmetric outer membrane, which consists of extremely long-chain mycolic acids intercalated with a variety of distinctive surface lipids such as polyacyltrehalose (PAT) and phthiocerol dimycocerosate (PDIM). The biosynthesis of these virulence-associated lipids requires acylation by polyketide-associated protein acyltransferases (PapA). We show that PapA5 is the terminal enzyme in PDIM biosynthesis by demonstrating its dual esterification activity and chain-length preference with synthetic alkyl beta-diol substrate analogues. We also demonstrate that PapA5 is phosphorylated by Mtb kinases PknB and PknE which suggests that …

Madness: Schizophrenia, Then And Now, Diane W. Aldrich

Senior Theses

In examining the subject of mental illness, it is clear that diseases and disorders of the brain have not received the same degree of attention in the United States, over the years, as have acute and infectious diseases of the body. This thesis discusses the history of research and treatment of brain disorders, generally, with particular emphasis on schizophrenia, the most serious of mental disorders. The narrative includes the story of my aunt, who was schizophrenic. The objective of this thesis is to add another voice to the many who have asked that the bar on mental health research and …

Healthy You, Lehigh Valley Health Network

Healthy You

No abstract provided.

Saccharomyces Boulardii As An Enteric Health Promoter In Broiler Chickens, Caroline Stephanie Philpot

Poultry Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Saccharomyces boulardii is a yeast that has been shown to have a probiotic effect on the gut health of humans, ruminants, and swine by helping to control intestinal homeostasis, preventing pathogens from colonizing, promoting beneficial enzyme production, and by other mechanisms. This trial is designed to test whether the addition of S. boulardii to the diet improves the enteric health of broilers. Forty-eight test pens each containing fifteen birds, a water line, and a hanging feed pan were set up in a commercial broiler house from day eighteen to day thirty-six of the flock. The pens were evenly divided into …

Hepatitis B Vaccines And Hpv Vaccines Have Been Hailed As Major Public Health Achievements In Preventing Cancer--Could A Schistosomiasis Vaccine Be The Third?, Michael H. Hsieh, Julia M L Brotherton, Afzal A Siddiqui

Urology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Adapting The Standard Sir Disease Model In Order To Track And Predict The Spreading Of The Ebola Virus Using Twitter Data, Armin Smailhodzic

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A method has been developed to track infectious diseases by using data mining of active Twitter accounts and its efficacy was demonstrated during the West African Ebola outbreak of 2014. Using a meme based n-gram semantic usage model to search the Twitter database for indications of illness, flight and death from the spread of Ebola in Africa, principally from Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Memes of interest relate disease to location and severity and are coupled to the density of Tweets and re-Tweets. The meme spreads through the community of social users in a fashion similar to nonlinear wave propagation- …

The Effects Of Diet And The Microbiome On Reproduction And Longevity: A Comparative Review Across 5 Continents, Stephanie N. Chilton, Megan K. Enos, Jeremy P. Burton, Gregor Reid

Microbiology & Immunology Publications

Human longevity and quality of life remain key societal drivers, but the healthcare burden of diet-related chronic diseases is economically unmanageable. In recent years, it has been proposed that the composition and abundance profiles of certain bacterial phyla in the gut are indicators of malnutrition, and ill health. But, how much does the gut microbiome and diet really contribute to outcomes? The description of three microbial enterotypes remains to be verified, as does its significance for health tested across continents and within people who migrate from one lifestyle to another. It is not simply that the diet of one region …