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The Impact Of Peptide Nucleic Acid Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (Pna Fish®) Rapid Diagnostic Testing On The Initiation Of Appropriate Antifungal Therapy In Patients With Candida Species Bloodstream Infections, Jenna Lee Ksiazkiewicz

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Background: Traditional methods for detecting positive blood cultures include the use of broth bottles with sensitive indicators for growth. These techniques can take 24-48 hours to signal a positive test. Another 24 hours are often required to determine the species of the organism. The use of rapid diagnostic testing for Candida species bloodstream infections provides accurate species identification in less than two hours.

Objective: Evaluate the time to appropriate antifungal therapy in patients in which rapid diagnostic testing was utilized.

Methods: This study was a retrospective, observational cohort of patients who had positive blood cultures for Candida species and had …

Evaluating Blood Perfusion Of The Corpus Luteum In Beef Cows During Fescue Toxicosis, Garrett Fredrick Cline

Theses and Dissertations

Fescue toxicosis is a common problem in beef cattle grazing endophyte-infected (E+) tall fescue. Symptoms include decreases in feed intake, weight gain, and reproductive efficiency along with vasoconstriction. The mechanisms by which fescue toxicosis affects the bovine reproductive tract have yet to be discovered. The objective of this study was to determine if the onset of fescue toxicosis conditions would alter the blood perfusion observed in the CL and peripheral concentrations of progesterone in cattle. We hypothesized that during fescue toxicosis, the vasoconstrictive symptoms would lead to a reduction in CL blood perfusion thus decreasing peripheral concentrations of progesterone. Overall, …

An Integrated Approach For Predicting Nitrogen Status In Early Cotton And Corn, Amelia Ann Amy Fox

Theses and Dissertations

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and corn (Zea mays L.) spectral reflectance holds promise for deriving variable rate N (VRN) treatments calibrated with red-edge inflection (REI) type vegetation indices (VIs). The objectives of this study were to define the relationships between two commercially available sensors and the suitable VIs used to predict N status. Field trials were conducted during the 2012-2013 growing seasons using fixed and variable N rates in cotton ranging from 33.6-134.4 kg N ha-1 and fixed N rates in corn ranging from 0.0 to 268.8 kg N ha-1. Leaf N concentration, SPAD chlorophyll and crop yield were analyzed …

An Exploration Of Hepatitis Polices And Prevalence In Prison: An Ecological Approach, Kristen Lynn Stives

Theses and Dissertations

Hepatitis is an infectious disease that affects millions of people worldwide. The current project seeks to achieve two objectives: 1) To understand how hepatitis policies affect hepatitis prevalence in prison, and 2) To understand how hepatitis prevalence in prison affects the general population. Using a content analysis of correctional policies available through each state Department of Corrections (DOC) and secondary data from the 2010 Census, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Corrections Compendium; hepatitis prevalence and policies are analyzed. The content analysis employed for this study revealed that some states have more comprehensive policies than others. However, all states …

A Ten Year Retrospective Study Of Pediatric Pneumonia Cases In Haiti, Talia A. Savic

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Effectiveness Of Nutrition Diagnosis And Intervention, Olivia R. Massa

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This study is designed to investigate whether the current system of administering fluid to enteral nutrition patients in a mid-sized community hospital is effective based on the enteral feeding order, outcomes recorded by the dietitian in the medical record, or comparison to widely- accepted standards for estimating fluid needs. Data of this retrospective chart review came from 566 medical records that were pulled based on admission date within a one year time span and an order for enteral nutrition (EN) during the patient’s stay. Out of these, 107 records were used due to incomplete chart documentation and inaccessibility of medical …

Insomniac Of The Soil: A Collection Of Poetry And Essays, Sarah E. Golibart

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

“Insomniac of the Soil” is a homage to a landscape that has deeply informed Sarah Golibart's life and her artistic voice – the tidewater flatlands of Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay peninsula where her family lives and where Golibart has worked on farms since high school. Both her poems and essays are earthy, imagistic, and grounded – quite literally – in the soil as well as in a sensibility of ecological ethics and sustainability. “Insomniac of the Soil” is also a love song to the fervent and fallow cycles of the soil.

Investigation Of Sheep Reproductive Tract As An Animal Model For Pelvic Organ Prolapse And Urogyencological Research, Sourav Patnaik

Theses and Dissertations

Pelvic organ prolapse is characterized by the failure of vaginal wall support and protrusion of the pelvic organs through the vaginal orifice. Exact etiology of pelvic organ prolapse is not completely understood. The surgical procedures for pelvic organ prolapse utilize various biomaterials for holding the organs in place. However, the biomaterials used for restoring these organs have a high rate of failure in a complicated anatomical and biomechanical environment. With the given issues at hand, animal models are the best answer for understanding the pathophysiology of prolapse, and determining the cause of failure of these surgical interventions. For this study, …

Fatherhood And Food: Food Insecurity And Paternal Role Associations With Father And Child Diet Quality, Von Jessee

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Heat Acclimation On Hand Cooling Efficacy During Exercise Heat Stress, Elizabeth Adams

Master's Theses

The Effect of Heat Acclimation on Hand Cooling Efficacy During Exercise Heat Stress

Adams EL, Vandermark LW, Pryor JL, Pryor RR, Vanscoy RM, Denegar CR, Huggins RA, Armstrong LE, Casa DJ. Korey Stringer Institute, Department of Kinesiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT.

CONTEXT: Heat acclimation (HA) and body cooling during exercise in the heat both help to mitigate the rise in body temperature; however, the effects of HA and hand cooling combined remain unexplored. OBJECTIVE: To determine the separate and combined effects of HA and hand cooling efficacy, during and after exercise in the heat. DESIGN: Randomized, counterbalanced, crossover design. …

An Evaluation Of Corn Earworm Damage And Thresholds In Soybean, Brian Patrick Adams

Theses and Dissertations

Interactions between corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), and soybean, Glycine max L. (Merrill), were investigated in the Mid-South to evaluate thresholds and damage levels. Field studies were conducted in both indeterminate and determinate modern cultivars to evaluate damage, critical injury levels, and soybean response to simulated corn earworm injury. Field studies were also conducted to evaluate the response of indeterminate cultivars to infestations of corn earworm. Field studies were also conducted to investigate the relationship between pyrethroid insecticide application and corn earworm oviposition in soybean. Results of field studies involving simulated corn earworm damage indicated the need for a dynamic …

The Effects Of Walking On The Alter-G® Treadmill On Fat Oxidation In Overweight/Obese Males, Toni Lasala, Toni Lasala

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Purpose: To determine if a reduction of body weight from 100% to 75% while walking on a lower body positive pressure treadmill (LBPP) affects peak oxygen consumption (V̇O_2peak), fat oxidation (FO), peak fat oxidation (PFO), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), heart rate (HR) and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) in overweight and or obese men. Methods: Fourteen, overweight and obese men (mean age 23.2 ± 2.4 years, BMI 36.5 ± 3.8 kg/m² and Body Fat % 38.6 ± 7.0%) were randomly assigned to walking on the LBPP treadmill at 100% and 75% of their body weight. The protocol …

The Effect Of The Pre-Kindergarten Program On The Reading Achievement Of African American Students, Sebrina R. Palmer

Theses and Dissertations

This study utilized the 2013 language arts data from the Mississippi Curriculum Test II to examine the impact Pre-k has on the reading achievement of low socio-economic African American students. This study was guided by one research question and employed a causal-comparative research design. The research question sought to determine the difference in MCT2 language arts scores of third grade students who participated in a school district’s Pre-k program and those who did not attend the district’s Pre-k program. The results indicated that there was a significant difference in the language arts scores of students who attended Pre-k and those …

Propagation Of Blueberries In Compost Amended Media, Susan Stuart Worthey

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of propagation media containing composted material on the rooting of hardwood and softwood blueberry cuttings. The physical properties were measured at the end of the experiment. The media used were pine bark fines, composted pine bark with ammoniated nitrogen added, hardwood bark and composted chicken manure, pine bark and cotton gin waste, and control (peat moss and perlite, 1:1). All treatments resulted in a low number of rooted hardwood cuttings compared to the control. The total number of roots per cutting and alive cuttings hardwood cuttings was increased by pine …

Screening Corn Hybrids For Cold Tolerance Using Morpho-Physiological Traits For Early Season Planting System, Godakande Chathurika Wijewardana

Theses and Dissertations

Earlier planting to escape summer drought and high temperature has increased the importance of cold tolerance in corn. The objectives of this study were to assess cold tolerance among the corn hybrids using morpho-physiological traits and to classify hybrids into different groups of tolerance. Corn hybrids were subjected to optimum, low, and very low temperatures during seed emergence and seedling growth and morphological and physiological traits were assessed. Variability existed among the corn hybrids for the measured traits. Total, leaf and root weights and cumulative length and length per unit volume were the most important morphological traits in describing hybrid …

Soil Resource And Production Dynamics Of A Tree-Grass Intercropping System Managed Across Gradients Of Interspecific Competition, Kurt Joseph Krapfl

Theses and Dissertations

Belowground competition presents a threat to the production and sustainability of tree-grass ecosystems. Management scenarios designed to optimize the spatial and temporal distribution of soil resources will improve resource-use efficiency and promote greater co-production. We conducted three experiments to assess competition dynamics between loblolly pine and switchgrass. In a three-year field trial, loblolly pine and switchgrass were intercropped across varying competitive intensities. Interspecific competition decreased loblolly pine annual growth; however, establishing vegetation exclusion zones surrounding pines largely mitigated these effects. Switchgrass yields were less affected by interspecific competition compared to pines and land equivalency ratios indicated that with proper management …

Pesticide Toxicants And Atherosclerosis; Role Of Oxidative Stress And Dysregulated Lipid Metabolism In Human Monocytes And Macrophages, Lee Christopher Mangum

Theses and Dissertations

Evidence suggests that pesticide exposure is a risk factor for atherosclerosis, a pathology involving oxidative stress and dysregulated cholesterol metabolism in monocytes and macrophages as vital causative factors. This research focused on understanding two different mechanisms by which organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides may contribute to atherogenesis. First, the ability of organochlorine insecticides to contribute to elevated oxidative stress was investigated. Urinary concentrations of F2-isoprostanes (a systemic oxidative stress biomarker) and serum levels of the persistent organochlorine compounds p,p’-DDE, trans-nonachlor and oxychlordane were quantified in human samples and the association of these factors with diagnosis of atherosclerosis was described in a …

Dietary Fiber Education For Diverticular Disease And Hospital Readmission Rates, Shiloh Brittany Quintana

Theses and Dissertations

Hospital readmission rates are being used to indicate quality of care by healthcare facilities in recent years. Increase in incidence and hospitalizations of patients with diverticular disease (DD) has caused burden to hospital resources. High fiber diets have been a part of the recommended therapy for patients to reduce symptoms and complications of DD. Analysis of the effect of high fiber diet education on hospital readmission of patients with a diagnosis of DD (N=68) was conducted. Chi-square analysis determined that high fiber diet education was not associated with readmission (x2=0.567, P=0.452). T-tests determined that men were more likely to be …

Effects Of Phosphine Fumigation And Food-Grade Coatings On The Safety, Mite Mortality, And Sensory Quality Of Dry-Cured Ham, Yan Zhao

Theses and Dissertations

Dry-cured hams often become infested with ham mites (Tyrophagus putrescentiae) during the aging process. Methyl bromide has been used to fumigate dry cured ham processing plants and is the only known fumigant that is effective at controlling ham mite infestations. However, methyl bromide will be phased out of all industries by 2015. This research was designed to 1) determine the efficacy of phosphine fumigation at controlling ham mites and red-legged beetles and its impact on the sensory quality and safety of dry cured hams, and 2) to develop and evaluate the potential of using food-grade film coatings to control mite …

Effects Of Warm-Ups On Time Trials For Elite Ncaa Division I 800-Meter Middle Distance Runners: Establishing A Priming Warm-Up For Optimum Results In A Peak Performance, Roger Lynn Keesling

Theses and Dissertations

This study utilized an experimental design testing low, medium, and high intensity warm-up protocols for NCAA Division I 800-meter male and female middle distance runners to determine which result in optimal outcomes in a peak performance, i.e., 800-meter time trial. Mississippi State University student athletes on the Track and Field Team who compete in middle distance running events participated. Among males, results of the repeated measures ANOVA found no significant difference among the three warm-up protocols for the first 400 meters completed. For females, repeated measures ANOVA results found no significant difference among the protocols for the first 200 meters …

Association Of P,P'-Dde And Metabolic Disease: A Possible Mechanistic Connection, Lauren Heard Mangum

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is a disease that increases risk of developing metabolic diseases including insulin resistance (IR), metabolic syndrome (MS), and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Adipose tissue expansion during obesity leads to immune cell infiltration, causing local inflammation and disruption of lipid homeostasis. There is an association between exposure to environmental chemicals, like p,p’-DDE, a metabolite of p,p’-DDT, and diagnosis of obesity, dyslipidemia, IR, and prevalence of MS and T2D. DDE accumulates in fatty tissues and has been shown to have immunomodulatory properties, affecting macrophage and T cell populations. Potential mechanisms were studied by which DDE could modulate adipocyte and immune cell …

Transmission Electron Microscopy Study Of Listeria Monocytogenes Serotype 1/2a Cells Exposed To Sublethal Heat Stress And Carvacrol, Sulagna Saha

Theses and Dissertations

Previous findings showed that Listeria monocytogenes exhibits higher heat tolerance to thermal exposure at 60°C when pre-exposed to sublethal heat stress at 48°C for 30/60 min. The objective of this study was to investigate the morphological changes that occurred in L. monocytogenes serotype 1/2a cells as visualized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) after exposure to sublethal heat stress at 48°C for 60 min and in combination with lethal concentration of carvacrol for 30 min. The TEM micrographs revealed thickening of cell wall and cell membrane, and clumping of cytoplasm when subjected to sublethal heat stress followed by carvacrol treatment. These …

Low Salinity Tolerance In Gulf Killifish Fundulus Grandis With Relevance To Aquaculture, Shane Wyman Ramee

Theses and Dissertations

The Gulf killifish Fundulus grandis is a euryhaline baitfish species with commercial aquaculture potential. The low salinity and freshwater tolerance of early life-stages of F. grandis were evaluated to determine the potential for inland culture and guide production protocols. Egg fertilization and embryo survival decreased in fresh water, but freshwater incubation improved larval freshwater tolerance. In juveniles, survival and growth were reduced in fresh water from 2-6 weeks post-hatch but not from 7-11 or 12-16 weeks post-hatch. Na+/K+-ATPase activity and whole body Na+ content were elevated in low salinity treatments of the 7-11 weeks post-hatch age group, indicating substantial osmoregulatory …

Thou Shalt Not Ration Justice The Law And The Poor Man In The Sixties, Marshall S. Shapo

Cornell Law Review

No abstract provided.

Spaghetti Versus Burgers: A Nutritional Comparison Of Italy And The United States, Cecily A. Haase

Honors Theses

The United States and Italy provide a stark contrast to one another in terms of diet and lifestyle.This research proves that by comparing traditional diets, health care, and nutrition education of these two countries. Through surveys of both American and Italian students and a thorough review of current research, lifestyle changes and suggestions are recognized. The aim of this comparison of Italy and the United States is to open the doors for more comparative research and international collaboration to improve the health of each nation.

Cave Cyanobacteria Showing Antibacterial Activity, Vasiliki Lamprinou, Kyriaki Tryfinopoulou, Emmanuel N. Velonakis, Alkiviadis Vatopoulos, Smaragdi Antonopoulou, Elizabeth Fragopoulou, Adriani Pantazidou, Athena Economou-Amilli

International Journal of Speleology

Cave Cyanobacteria - thriving in an ‘extreme’ environment with interesting species biodiversity - are supposed to be a potential source of bioactive compounds. Lipid extracts from pure cultures of two recently established Cyanobacteria from Greek caves, Toxopsis calypsus and Phormidium melanochroun, were used for antibacterial screening against human pathogenic bacteria (reference and clinical isolates). Antimicrobial Susceptibility testing for both taxa was carried out using the disc-diffusion (Kirby Bauer) method, while preliminary data applying the standard broth microdilution method for the determination of the Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) are given only for T. calypsus. Antibacterial activity was demonstrated against the …

Developing Critical Social Justice Literacy In An Online Seminar, Elizabeth Bondy, Elyse Hambacher, Amy S. Murphy, Rachel Wolkenhauer, Desirae Eva Krell

Education

The purpose of this article is to report on an effort to cultivate a critical social justice perspective and critical social justice praxis among educators enrolled in an online graduate program. Although the entire program was organized around themes of equity, collaboration, and leadership, this study focused on educators’ perspectives of the purposes, pedagogy, and outcomes of one course, Critical Pedagogy. Fourteen of the 19 students enrolled in the online course participated in one of six online focus groups following the conclusion of the course. Using constructivist grounded theory methods, the researchers identified the different ways in which students responded …

Today's Classroom Is Changing. The Living Classroom Concept, Alicia Springer

Master of Education in Instructional Design and Technology Plan II Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project is to research, develop, deliver and evaluate a continuing education unit based on the concept of the living classroom. The unit was designed for Education Managers and other industry experts to present to Architects and Designers (A&D) who are associated with the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

The trainees were both educated in the role of student and instructor. The overall project goal was to educate those associated with the educational industry and educate them about the learning revolution that is transforming the way we teach and learn …

Spring Commencement, Graduate Ceremony [Program], May 8 & 9, 2015, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Commencement Programs

The program of the commencement ceremonies, including a list of institutional leadership, a list of the departments by college, awards given at the ceremonies, and a list of undergraduate and graduate degree candidates.

Transitioning Teens With Diabetes To Adult Healthcare, Rebecca Ann Meyer

Dissertations

Adolescents must enter adult health care services at age 18, yet most are not ready and have not mastered daily self management of their type 1 diabetes. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of a transition planning intervention, focused on educating adolescent/parent dyads about diabetes self management in preparation for the transition from pediatric to adult health care, using a newly developed transition plan and framework. The setting was a diabetes endocrinology clinic where 95% of young type 1 diabetics in the metropolitan area are seen. The intervention included supporting the parent in the relinquishing of …