Digital Commons Network^™

Memory + Architecture | The Act Of Forgetting, Mariel Mora Llorens

Architecture Senior Theses

This thesis proposes the activation and repurposing of buildings associated with traumatic memories as a means of studying the ways in which architecture embodies memories and aids in the process of forgetting. Architecture and the built environment are linked to the creation and recollection of memories because they trigger four of the senses that are related to memory.

To forget is an active, not passive endeavor. Conscious forgetting is not an act of erasing memories, but transforming them by removing the emotional responses that are produced by our recollection of these memories. Like memories in our brains, buildings that have …

The Ebola Crisis: A Communicative Response From Samaritan's Purse, Bailie Porter

Masters Theses

Crisis does not discriminate. It can strike without warning, at any time or place. Managers, organizations, and leaders alike, must be ready at all times to respond to them, whether they are planned for or not. An efficient and quick response is especially necessary when health crises or natural disasters strike, because human life may be at stake. Crisis communication has become more and more important in a world that is daily filled with catastrophes. This study uses W. Timothy Coomb’s situational crisis communication theory as a lens to view the Ebola crisis. The purpose of the research is to …

Pharmacologic And Clinical Evaluation Of Posaconazole., Jason N. Moore, Jason R. Healy, Walter K. Kraft

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

Posaconazole, a broad-spectrum triazole antifungal agent, is approved for the prevention of invasive aspergillosis and candidiasis in addition to the treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis. There is evidence of efficacy in the treatment and prevention of rarer, more difficult-to-treat fungal infections. Posaconazole oral suspension solution has shown limitations with respect to fasting state absorption, elevated gastrointestinal pH and increased motility. The newly approved delayed-release oral tablet and intravenous solution formulations provide an attractive treatment option by reducing interpatient variability and providing flexibility in critically ill patients. On the basis of clinical experience and further clinical studies, posaconazole was found to be …

Hexapod Herald - Vol. 28, No. 2, May 2016

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

Contents: Welcome - Congratulations - Publications - Faculty News - Grants - Student News - Travel

Modeling Consequences Of Reduced Vaccination Levels On The Spread Of Measles, Guillermo Ortiz

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Introduction: In this thesis we propose a mathematical model for the spread of measles in a closed population. In section 1 we offer a motivation for the project, describe the measles virus as well as its history in the U.S., and provide a brief summary of three epidemiological models from the literature. In section 2.1 we introduce some probabilistic tools used in our model. Section 2.2.1 outlines our stochastic model used for the spread of measles in a population, which is refined in section 2.2.2 to include health interventions from the CDC. We conclude the thesis by presenting in section …

Today - May 2016, Loma Linda University Health

TODAY

Inside this Issue:

-- More than 3,000 attend Loma Linda University Health Vision 2020 Groundbreaking Event
-- Sold-out LLUH Women's Conference inspires attendees to 'Be the Artist of Your Life'
-- Daniel Samano's two big home runs
-- Loma Linda University Health helps community discover 'Your Best Pathway to Health'
-- Annual Children's Day teaches kids about health care in a fun, safe environment
-- LLU alumna appointed as Florida surgeon general
-- ECMO open house displays new CARDIOHELP technology to help critically ill children survive
-- President Hart leads work bee to uncover original Loma Linda Sanitarium steps
-- …

Immune Modulating Functions By Soypeptide Lunasin In Cancer Immunotherapy, Chun-Yu Tung

Open Access Dissertations

Chemotherapy is currently the mainstay of treatment for most cancer patients. Despite its efficacy in eliminating cancer cells, a high percentage of chemotherapy patients eventually relapse or suffer progression of the disease. Immunosurveillance is capable of recognizing and eliminating continuously arising transformed mutant cells, and thus cancer immunotherapy is one of the emerging therapeutic strategies that harnesses the power of the immune system to eradicate chemotherapy-resistant cancerous cells. However, the adverse side effects of chemotherapy impede the therapeutic effects of immunotherapy. Our previous studies demonstrate that lymphoma patients are refractory to clinical immunotherapy because of chemotherapy-induced immune dysfunction. In addition, …

Computing The Optimal Path In Stochastic Dynamical Systems, Martha Bauver

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In stochastic systems, one is often interested in finding the optimal path that maximizes the probability of escape from a metastable state or of switching between metastable states. Even for simple systems it may be impossible to find an analytic form of the optimal path, and in high-dimensional systems, this is almost always the case. The optimal path is of great importance, since it represents the most likely path of a rare switching or escape event. For instance, the optimal path for an infectious disease model represents a switching from an infectious state to the extinction of the disease within …

A Novel Solution To Targeting Prosthetic Joint Infection, Christopher Chen

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Prosthetic arthroplasty may be a life changing event for better or worse. The integrity of bone cartilages such as the lateral and medial meniscus found between the femur and tibia may degrade over time due to natural causes which may eventually result in bone on bone exposure causing excruciating pain. Prosthetics are used to replace the cartilage and bone damage using femoral and tibial component and a plastic spacer. A small percentage of all orthopedic replacement surgeries may lead to infections. These infections are caused by biofilm forming bacteria which allows bacteria to attach to abiotic surfaces and mature as …

"Gutless Bitch" Camouflage : Post-Postmodern Barbarism And Shifting Gender Performativity In Amc's The Walking Dead, Lynette Marie Surie

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

AMC’s The Walking Dead is part of Robert Kirkman’s franchised juggernaut, The Walking Dead. Within this world, humans struggle to survive as they band together in groups to fight against the zombie hoard and monstrous elements of humanity. As survival is their main priority, established roles from pre-fall society no longer function as all genders, races, ages, and classes of people actively fight to live. Using Judith Butler’s gender performance theory and Julia Kristeva’s description of the abject, this thesis questions how and if gender functions when culture is destroyed and civilization breaks down. Gender markers of femininity are lost …

Factors Influencing The Eating Practices Of Hospital Nurses During Their Shifts, Tina Maria Monaghan

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Background

Nursing is the largest health care profession in the U.S. There are 3.1 million registered nurses (RNs) nationwide, over four times as many as there are physicians. Hospital nurses have a vital presence in the healthcare industry as highly skilled professionals who perform the essential service of patient care on the front line. Research points toward an association between work environment and nurse outcomes. Several studies have linked favorable nurses’ work environments to improved patient experience and care quality. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that influence hospital nurses’ eating practices during their shifts.

Methods …

Expression, Purification, Enzymatic And Inhibition Profile Of Brugia Malayi Dihydrofolate Reductase, Romy Perez-Abraham

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is an essential enzyme that plays an important role in the production of cofactors that are required in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis. The literature suggests that DHFR is a potential drug target for the elimination of the parasitic worm, B. malayi. B. malayi is one of the causative parasites of lymphatic filariasis, a globally neglected tropical disease. In this study, we expressed and purified B. malayi DHFR. Expression was carried out in E. coli with a His6-tagged construct, and purification was achieved through affinity chromatography using a special strain of E. coli cells called “LOBSTR.” The resulting …

Legal, Structural, And Ethical Barriers To Prevention And Treatment Of Hiv/Aids: A Review Of Malaysia And Kazakhstan, Amanda S. Volk

Public Health Undergraduate Program

The HIV/AIDS epidemic in nations that use Islamic scripture in law has faced several challenges. The conservative ethical and political approach to the epidemic has been ineffective in halting the spread of and treating the existence of HIV/AIDS. It is expected that there will be several structural barriers to obtaining care, treatment, and prevention services for HIV/AIDS in these nations particularly for vulnerable populations such as Men who have Sex with Men (MSM), People Who Inject Drugs (PWID), and sex workers. This research will investigate and analyze research, laws, politics, ethics, and structure in the nations of Malaysia and Kazakhstan …

Turkey: An Overview On National Drug Use, Treatment Design, And The Characteristics Of Patients Utilizing Treatments, Katherine Waye

Public Health Undergraduate Program

Existing research on the patterns and risk factors of drug use and how they vary by age and location in Turkey is limited. The paper will examine the drug treatment options within Turkey as well as the socio-demographic characteristics, behaviors, treatment history, and identified correlates of lifetime and current injection drug use of Turkish citizens who were admitted to inpatient substance use treatment at public and private facilities in Turkey during 2012 and 2013. Of the 11,247 patients at the 22 public treatment centers in 2012-2013, a majority were male, lived with family, were unemployed, and had an average age …

Dissemination And Persistence Of Plasmid Located, Integron Associated Antibiotic Resistant Genes In Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent And Stream Water Bacteria, _ Suhartono

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Transmissible plasmid-mediated integrons play important role in the persistence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance throughout the environment. Plasmids from 139 multi-antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli recovered from wastewater treatment plant effluent and upstream and downstream receiving stream water in Northwest Arkansas were extracted and profiled. Genes of class 1 and class 2 integrase (intI), mobilization (mob), sulfamethoxazole resistance (sul), and trimethoprim resistance (dfr) were detected using PCR and confirmed through DNA sequencing. Plasmids from almost half of the isolates (47%) were transmissible with mobF12 gene as the most frequently detected mobilization gene. Plasmid-borne class 1 with and without class 2 integrons …

Viruses, Vaccines And The Public, Judy Diamond, Julia Mcquillan, Amy Spiegel, Patricia Wonch Hill, Rebecca Smith, John T. West, Charles Wood

World of Viruses

Current research in virology is changing public conceptions about vaccines and infectious disease. The University of Nebraska State Museum collaborated with research virologists, science writers, artists and learning researchers to create public outreach materials about viruses and infectious disease. The project, funded by the National Institute of Health’s SEPA program, developed comics, a book with Carl Zimmer, and other materials and programs. The project launched three kinds of learning research: 1) a survey of Nebraska adults on their opinions about vaccines and infectious disease; 2) a study comparing the mental models of viruses, vaccines and infection from virologists, teachers, and …

Historic Preservation As Social Justice: Analyzing Historic Charleston Foundation's Elliottborough Neighborhood Impact Initiative, Lourdes Naomi Doddington

All Theses

While scholars debate the causes of gentrification and some question if it exists, the revitalization of inner-city neighborhoods more often than not results in the displacement of many of its residents. Failure to engage the unintended consequences of gentrification are world-wide. Some policy-makers embraced gentrification as a panacea for all their city's problems. The displacement of the urban poor and lower-middle class weakens not only their bonds with generations of community but also the character of the neighborhood which attracted the gentrifiers in the first place. Grassroots organizations have attempted anti-displacement efforts by in many places, but there have been …

The Effect Of Interspecies Signaling On Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia Growth., Zachary Ethan Dickinson

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder that effects over 70,000 people worldwide, and is particularly prevalent in those of Caucasian descent. CF increases susceptibility to chronic infections of the lungs and GI tract, often leading to decreased quality of life and early death to afflicted individuals. No cure is available, and so treatment is limited to treating the frequent infections that afflict CF patients. Several species of bacteria are commonly implicated in these infections, including Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Infections of this species is of particular interest as it has been shown to be highly antibiotic resistant. This is a concern …

Anogenital Human Papillomavirus Infection And Hiv Infection Outcomes Among Peruvian Transgender Women: Results From A Cohort Study, Brandon Brown, Jerome T. Galea, Gita Byraiah, Tonia Poteat, Segundo R. Leon, Gino Calvo, Hugo Sánchez, Thomas J. Coates, Jeffrey D. Klausner

Social Work Faculty Publications

Latin American transgender women are highly vulnerable to HIV infection, and although much is known about factors associated with HIV infection in this population, little is known about the association of human papilloma virus (HPV) with HIV infection. We investigated anogenital HPV and cumulative HIV incidence among 68, initially HIV uninfected, Peruvian transgender women enrolled into a 2-year, prospective cohort study: 95.6% had at least one anogenital HPV genotype at baseline, 19.1% had visible anogenital warts, and 6.0% became infected with HIV over the course of the study. Due to the high anogenital HPV prevalence, this population would likely benefit …

Phosphorylation Of Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 2 Alpha Regulates Stress In The Human Protozoan Parasite Entamoeba Histolytica, Holland M. Hendrick

All Theses

Entamoeba histolytica is a food- and water-borne intestinal parasite responsible for amoebic dysentery and amoebic liver abscess. The life cycle of E. histolytica alternates between the host-restricted trophozoite form and the highly infective latent cyst stage that is able to persist in the environment. Throughout its life cycle, which may include invasion of tissues in the human host, the parasite is subjected to a variety of stressful conditions. In other systems, stress can trigger the activation of kinases that phosphorylate a serine residue on eukaryotic translation initiation factor-2α (eIF2α). This modification inhibits the activity of eIF2 resulting in a general …

Threats Of Disease Spillover From Domestic Dogs To Wild Carnivores In The Kanha Tiger Reserve, India, Vratika Chaudhary

All Theses

Many mammalian carnivore species persist in small, isolated populations as a result of habitat destruction, fragmentation, poaching, and human conflict. Their small numbers, limited genetic variability, and increased exposure to domestic animals such as dogs place them at risk of further losses due to infectious diseases. In India, dogs ranging from domestic to feral are associated with villages in and around protected areas, and may serve as reservoirs and vectors of pathogens to the carnivores within. India’s Kanha Tiger Reserve (KTR) is home to a number of threatened and endangered mammalian carnivores including tigers (Panthera tigris), leopards (Panthera pardus), wolves …

The Relationship Between The Intensity Of Raccoon Roundworm Infection And Egg Production, Elizabeth Ritchie

Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Increased Exposure Of Uvc Light On Human Skin Microbiota, T'Kylia S. Moss

Honors Theses

Many methods have been employed to prevent infections from opportunistic pathogens in immunocompromised individuals. Among these are the use of ultraviolet light (UV). In this study, UVC light, was found to have a deleterious effect on specific skin flora. Organisms tested included Acinetobacter baumanii, Candida albicans, Candida kefyr, Corynebacterium renale, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Streptococcus pyogenes. Nutrient agar was used to cultivate most organisms. Blood agar was used for the cultivation of Streptococcus pyogenes and Enterococcus faecalis. Bacterial suspensions were made and utilized to plate each organism onto a set of 7 nutrient agar or …

Decision Making Theories Of Retaliation, Katlyn S. Farnum

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In 2013, the Supreme Court decided, in University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center v Nassar, that Title VII retaliation claims should be interpreted under the stricter but-for causality instructions. This requires claims of retaliation to show that the plaintiff’s discrimination complaint (or involvement in a discrimination claim) is the direct cause of the adverse action, as compared to a motivating factor that is required under the less strict motivating factor causal instructions. The current research examines the role of regulatory focus (promotion v. prevention), causal instructions, employment action (promotion v. dismissal), and number of claims considered on both juror …

"All I Do Is Win": The No-Lose Strategy Of Cafo Regulation Under The Caa, Karl J. Worsham

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Corporate farms, often known as concentrated animal feeding operations ("CAFO'), provide inexpensive animal products but do so by externalizing the cost of their operation in the form of environmental harms and risks to human health. This article explores one possible approach to mitigating CAFO-caused harms. It argues that CAFO regulation under any one of three Clean Air Act ("CAA ") programs will result in net benefits, not just for air quality, but also for other CAFO-caused harms and thus, that CAA regulation of CAFOs is a no-lose strategy. The article then goes further to conclude that, while regulation under any …

Regulation Of Irf-3-Dependent Innate Immune Signaling Pathway By The Plpro Domain Of Non-Structural Protein 3 (Nsp3) Of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) Coronavirus, Sandra Nicole Lester

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The induction of Type I Interferons (IFNs) is a powerful and rapid innate defense mechanism against viral infection, and many viruses have developed elaborate strategies to overcome the antiviral effects of IFN, ensuring their survival and replication. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is a highly pathogenic virus that causes severe lung disease in humans and is associated with high mortality rates. SARS-CoV, like all other successful viruses, encode proteins that counteract the innate immune response. A number of reports have indicated the papain-like protease (PLpro) domain of SARS-CoV Non-Structural Protein 3 (NSP3) as a powerful interferon antagonist, by suppressing …

Bipolar Cell Dendritic Morphology Analysis In Mice With Model Retinitis Pigmentosa., Simra Ahmed

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

No abstract provided.

Paternalism, Self-Governance, And Public Health: The Case Of E-Cigarettes, Wendy E. Parmet

University of Miami Law Review

This article develops a normative framework for assessing public health laws, using the regulation of e-cigarettes as a case study. Although e-cigarettes are likely far less dangerous to individual users than traditional cigarettes, it remains uncertain whether their proliferation will lead to a reduction of smoking-related disease and deaths or to increased morbidity and mortality. This scientific uncertainty, whether and how to regulate e-cigarettes. This article presents a normative framework for analyzing such questions by offering three justifications for public health laws: impaired agency, harm to others, and self-governance. Each justification responds to the common charge that public health laws …

Redesigning Gfp Reporter System For Utilization In Clostridium Difficile, Laura E. Fitzgerald

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is a gram-positive bacterium that comprises part of the healthy human gut microbiome. When it gains sufficient access to peptides, C. difficile flourishes and releases tissue-damaging toxins, which cause inflammation of the colon that can develop into a Clostridium difficile Infection (CDI).¹⁰ The Ivey Laboratory believes that the best tactic in preventing CDIs is stopping peptide ingestion, which theoretically could be accomplished by manipulating the oligopeptide permease (App) system.⁷ In order to verify that altering the App system would successfully impede peptide uptake, first the expression of the app Promoter Region ( …

Exploring The Mechanisms Of Action Of Antifungal Peptides Using Saccharomyces Cerevisiae., Michelle L. Mason

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Candida albicans is a normal inhabitant of the skin and mucosal membranes of humans, however, in individuals with depressed immune systems or disrupted cutaneous flora, Candida can overgrow and cause serious infection. Candida infection is the fourth leading cause of nosocomial infection in the United States. These infections are often associated with longer hospital stays and higher mortality. Current drug therapies for this infection are largely ineffective due to the increased drug resistance of Candida species, and for some therapeutics, high levels of drug toxicity to humans. Histatin 5 is a naturally occurring salivary peptide that has strong antifungal properties. …