Digital Commons Network^™

Increasing Chlorhexidine (Chg) Daily Bathing Compliance, Jonathan Lee

Master's Projects and Capstones

Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) daily bathing in hospitalized patients in the intensive care setting is one of many interventions implemented by institutions to reduce and prevent central line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) and catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). These hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) plague and complicate treatments for critically ill patients in the acute care setting. CLABSIs and CAUTIs increase patient morbidity and mortality as well as place a financial burden with increased costs and hospital lengths of stay. The decrease of CHG compliance in our ICU unit can be associated with an elevated CLABSI rates. The focus of this CNL …

Filipino American Mothers’ Knowledge About Male Hpv Vaccination And Intent To Vaccinate Their Sons, Krista M. Navarra

Master's Projects and Capstones

Information about the attitude and intent of Filipino-American mothers on HPV vaccination for their adolescent son is unavailable and unidentified. In this systematic review, three unique studies within different cultural backgrounds and demographic locations were analyzed. Data were collected from the following populations: Puerto Ricans, Ugandans, Caribbean Americans and African Americans. All studies were cross-sectional and integrated questionnaires which distinguished parents’ knowledge and attitude toward HPV vaccinations along with additional information such as socio-economic status, educational attainment, occupation, etc. In the study performed in Puerto Rico, 200 parents of 9-17 years old were given a self-administered questionnaire, and the results …

Why We Still Need To Worry About Bees, Meaghan Lee Callaghan

Capstones

American honey bees, and other native bee species, are still in decline, though the specter of colony collapse disorder may be fading behind us. Colony decline, the loss of bees overwinter experienced across the country at a quarter to third lost per hive (sometimes more), is now expected. Losses can include those from colony collapse disorder. The author discusses the different causes for colony decline and speaks to bee health scientists and local beekeepers. Read more at: http://www.meaghanleecallaghan.com/capstone/index.html

The Politics Of Contagion, Joseph M. Young

Master's Theses

Contagion events have occurred throughout history leaving death and destruction in their wake. Often sensationalized in movies and shows such as Contagion and The Walking Dead, contagion events are life-altering events filled with gory symptoms and elevated mortality rates. The dangers of contagion events prompted governments to develop agencies with the purpose of preventing and mitigating the risks contagions pose. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other agencies across the globe pour millions of dollars each year into eliminating the risk of contagions and making the world a safer place. However, while more resources are dedicated to …

Challenges Associated With Improving The Nutritional Quality Of Foods Available In Schools: The Case Of San Francisco Unified School District, Marianne Hoeidal

Master's Theses

This thesis examines school meal programs as a governmental intervention to improve food security among children. Further, it will examine how the global nutrition transition is affecting school meal programs and what challenges schools have met in their attempts to improve the nutritional components in meals served in schools. This thesis uses the case of San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) located in California, United States of America, as an opportunity to investigate the key challenges in the process of improving the nutritional components of their meal plans, and how they overcame this challenges. The thesis begins with a historical …

Complete Genome Sequences Of Nine Enterovirus D68 Strains From Patients Of The Lower Hudson Valley, New York, 2016, Weihua Huang, Changhong Yin, Jian Zhuge, Taliya Farooq, Esther C. Yoon, Sheila M. Nolan, Donald Chen, John T. Fallon, Guiqing Wang

NYMC Faculty Publications

Complete genome sequences of nine enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) strains from patients in New York were obtained in 2016 by metagenomic next-generation sequencing. Comparative genomic analysis suggests that a new subclade B3, with ~4.5% nucleotide divergence from subclade B1 strains causing the 2014 outbreak, is circulating in the United States in 2016.

Mass Spectrometry And Protein Analysis: Structure, Oligomerization And Interaction, Hanliu Wang

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Protein aggregation is common in biological processes including neurodegenerative diseases, as well as artificial development in biopharmaceutical production and protein storage. Therefore, understanding proteins involved in aggregation systems is important. It is generally difficult for high resolution structural methods, such as X-ray or NMR, to interrogate proteins possessing aggregation propensities. On the other hand, techniques that tolerate solution heterogeneities, such as circular dichroism, only provide global or low-resolution information. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based methods are appropriate and powerful in such applications because they can deal with mixtures. Additionally, primary sequence, post-translational modification, and structural information can be obtained at low sample …

Molecular Mechanism: The Human Dopamine Transporter Histidine 547 Regulates Basal And Hiv-1 Tat Protein-Inhibited Dopamine Transport, Pamela M. Quizon, Wei-Lun Sun, Yaxia Yuan, Narasimha M. Midde, Chang-Guo Zhan, Jun Zhu

Molecular Modeling and Biopharmaceutical Center Faculty Publications

Abnormal dopaminergic transmission has been implicated as a risk determinant of HIV-1-associated neurocognitive disorders. HIV-1 Tat protein increases synaptic dopamine (DA) levels by directly inhibiting DA transporter (DAT) activity, ultimately leading to dopaminergic neuron damage. Through integrated computational modeling prediction and experimental validation, we identified that histidine547 on human DAT (hDAT) is critical for regulation of basal DA uptake and Tat-induced inhibition of DA transport. Compared to wild type hDAT (WT hDAT), mutation of histidine547 (H547A) displayed a 196% increase in DA uptake. Other substitutions of histidine547 showed that DA uptake was not altered in H547R but decreased by 99% …

Simplified Antibiotic Regimens For Treatment Of Clinical Severe Infection In The Outpatient Setting When Referral Is Not Possible For Young Infants In Pakistan (Simplified Antibiotic Therapy Trial [Satt]): A Randomised, Open-Label, Equivalence Trial, Fatima Mir, Imran Nisar, Shiyam S. Tikmani, Benazir Baloch, Sadia Shakoor, Fyezah Jehan, Imran Ahmed, Simon Cousens, Anita K M Zaidi

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Parenteral antibiotic therapy for young infants (aged 0–59 days) with suspected sepsis is sometimes not available or feasible in countries with high neonatal mortality. Outpatient treatment could save lives in such settings. We aimed to assess the equivalence of two simplified antibiotic regimens, comprising fewer injections and oral rather than parenteral administration, compared with a reference treatment for young infants with clinical severe infection.
Methods: We undertook the Simplified Antibiotic Therapy Trial (SATT), a three-arm, randomised, open-label, equivalence trial in five communities in Karachi, Pakistan. We enrolled young infants (aged 0–59 days) who either presented at a primary health-care …

Salvinia Molesta: An Assessment Of The Effects And Methods Of Eradication, Arti Lal

Master's Projects and Capstones

Salvinia molesta is an invasive aquatic fern. It is now the second worse aquatic invader in the world. Since the 1930s, it has invaded most tropical and some temperate countries. S. molesta plants grow vegetatively and can increase in size rapidly. S. molesta can form thick mats of up to 1-meter-thick. There are a number of ways these thick mats negatively affect the environment: 1) reduce light to benthic organisms, 2) reduce oxygen in the water column for other organisms, 3) accumulate as organic matter at the bottom of the water column, 4) decrease nutrients for other organisms, and 5) …

Understanding The Integration Of Foreign-Educated Cuban Physicians Into The U.S. Medical Field, Wendy Jordana Moore

Open Access Theses

In the U.S., immigrants and refugees are often unable to continue their profession after arrival. This paper describes a qualitative study of Cuban foreign-educated physicians (FEPs) who have attempted to integrate into the U.S. medical field. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Cuban FEPs who varied in age, gender, job, marital status, and amount of time in U.S. Participants were recruited via snowball sampling and thematic analysis was utilized to identify various pathways. Findings describe the importance of professional identity and how it influences participants’ transcultural process as well as their journey to find a “match” within the U.S. medical field. …

Effective Treatment Of Tumors And Cancer With Triciribine And Related Compounds, Jin Q. Cheng, Said M. Sebti

USF Patents

The inventors have determined, contrary to the prior art and experience, how to successfully use triciribine to treat tumors and cancer by one or a combination of (i) administering triciribine only to patients which according to a diagnostic test described below, exhibit enhanced sensitivity to the drug; (ii) use of a described dosage level that minimizes the toxicity of the drug but yet still exhibits efficacy; or (iii) use of a described dosage regimen that minimizes the toxicity of the drug.

Advances In Cystic Fibrosis, Courtney Utley, Kristen L. Mchenry

ETSU Faculty Works

The purpose of this review was to identify the history of and advances in cystic fibrosis (CF). New treatment plans, medication developments, and a historical perspective of airway clearance therapy (ACT) will be presented. The importance of treatment compliance and time management in the care of cystic fibrosis patients will also be discussed. Furthermore, the development of cystic fibrosis clinics and the pivotal role they play in the treatment of the disease will be addressed. Lastly, a brief discussion concerning the need for and process of lung transplantation will be reported.

Change In Culture: Addition Of A Clinical Pharmacist To The Emergency Department Antimicrobial Culture Review Process, Samantha Streiff, Denise Ramponi, Thomas W. Cline

DNP and Student Works

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a unit based pharmacist in assisting with antimicrobial selection of female patients discharged from the emergency department with a diagnosis of an uncomplicated urinary tract infection.

Strategic Silences And Sexual Morality: Gender, Sex Education, And The Impartiality Of The Royal Commission Report On Venereal Disease, Kori Janelle Lennon

Historical Perspectives: Santa Clara University Undergraduate Journal of History, Series II

No abstract provided.

Influence Of Seasonality On Salmonella Concentration And Dynamics In Khartoum Wastewater Stabilization Station, Ayman A. Elshayeb, Abdelazim A. Ahmed, Adil A. El-Hussien

Open Water Journal

Introduction: Seasonal weather variables are universal and can obviously affect different Salmonella sp populations’ dynamics in wastewater influencing their fluctuations.

Objectives: This work was conducted to create a predictive mathematical model for Salmonella spread, distribution and outbreak in local wastewater resources with understanding the mechanisms and impacts of seasonal environmental drivers.

Methods: Empirical models were developed to solve several biologically distinct mechanisms of Salmonella sp by which seasonality can impact their interactions, including seasonal changes in replication, distribution and mortality rates.

Results: Mathematical models and field observations show that the strength and mechanisms of seasonality can alter the spread and …

Anthropogenic Disturbance Modulates Mammal Community Diversity, Assembly, & Abundance: Emerging Infectious Disease Risk In The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Leticia Andrea Gutiérrez Jiménez

Dissertations

This dissertation examines the role of mammalian biodiversity in maintaining overall ecosystem health in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). The study explores the pathways by which anthropogenic disturbance prevents or promotes the emergence of human infectious diseases. I studied two paramount research questions: Question 1: What are the direct effects of anthropogenic disturbance on rodent community assemblages and the consequent indirect effects on public health? I first surveyed the GYE rodent community and their pathogens by using land use as a measure of anthropogenic disturbance (e.g., human settlements, horseback ranches, pastures, undisturbed). I identified pathogens in rodent blood samples by …

Synthetic Ion Channels: A New Class Of Membrane Disruptor And Efflux Pump Inhibitor For The Recovery Of Antibiotic Potency, Mohit Bharatkumar Patel

Dissertations

Antibiotic resistance has become a world-wide health care crisis. In 2013 there were 50,000 deaths in U.S. and EU, associated with hospital acquired bacterial infections. This problem is exacerbated by the lack of new antibiotics in development. Here, we report that synthetic amphiphiles represent a new class of adjuvants that rescue antibiotic potency against multidrug resistant bacteria. Hydraphiles are amphiphiles, designed and synthesized in Gokel lab, that show many of the same properties as protein ion channels. Hydraphiles were previously shown to have antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, we report that hydraphiles recover the …

Novel Methods Of Chromatography And Mass Spectrometry For Quantitative Investigation Of Bacteria-Derived Lipopeptides And Their Relationship With Human Disease, Reza Nemati Josheghani

Doctoral Dissertations

Diseases such as periodontal disease, chronic inflammatory bowel disease and autoimmune disease are reported to be associated with changes in the bacteria populations in specific locations of the body, particularly the gastrointestinal tract and the oral cavity. Because oral and gastrointestinal microbiomes do not typically invade tissues in the host with chronic inflammatory disease, considerable work has instead focused on virulence factors produced by these organisms and their role in triggering innate immune responses that may promote chronic inflammatory diseases. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are innate immune receptors that recognize specific structural moieties shared among microbes of different classes. My work …

Commencement Convocation Program, Usf, Graduate, December 10, 2016, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

Honorary Doctor of Business - Retired Vice Admiral Mike McConnell

Behavioural Mhealth In Developing Countries: What About Culture? / Andre Matthias Müller, A.M. Müller

Research Publications (2016 to 2020)

Behavioural health in many developing countries (Lachat et al., 2013) one could suggest to simply make use of infrastructure that is already available – the mobile technology infrastructure. This seems sensible considering that modern mobile technology has reached almost every person on our planet. Additionally, the digital divide between developed and developing countries is closing and in 2016 95% of the global population has access to a mobile phone network while the number of mobile broadband subscriptions grows rapidly especially in developing countries (International Telecommunication Union, 2016). Mobile technology ownership is also not limited to any specific demographic because it …

Qualitative Health Research Involving Indigenous Peoples: Culturally Appropriate Data Collection Methods, Amy L. Wright, Olive Wahoush, Marilyn Ballantyne, Chelsea Gabel, Susan M. Jack

The Qualitative Report

Historically, health research involving Indigenous peoples has been fraught with problems, including researchers not addressing Indigenous research priorities and then subsequently often failing to utilize culturally appropriate methods. Given this historical precedence, some Indigenous populations may be reluctant to participate in research projects. In response to these concerns, the Government of Canada has developed the Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS2): Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada, which stipulates the requirements for research collaborations with Indigenous communities. Utilizing this policy as an ethical standard for research practices, this paper describes, critiques and synthesizes the literature on culturally …

Historical Biogeography, Spatial Distribution, And Within-Host Interactions Of Avian Haemosporidian Parasites (Apicomplexa, Haemosporida), Leticia De Souza Soares

Dissertations

This dissertation addresses several aspects of the biogeography and evolution of avian malarial parasites (Haemosporida: Plasmodium and Haemoproteus), and the interactions of these pathogens with their hosts and other avian blood parasites. In Chapter 1, I investigate change in haemosporidian assemblages on the West Indies over millennial time scales, taking advantage of the historical isolation of islands by postglacial rising sea levels. I found that, the prevalence of parasite lineages is highly dynamic over periods from decades to thousands of years. Turnover of lineages requires more time than variation in lineage prevalence, suggesting that competitive exclusion of parasite lineages, likely …

Unlocking Bat Immunology: Establishment Of Pteropus Alecto Bone Marrow-Derived Dendritic Cells And Macrophages, Peng Zhou, Yok Teng Chionh, Sergio Erdal Irac, Matae Ahn, Justin Han Jia Ng, Even Fossum, Bjarne Bogen, Florent Ginhoux, Aaron T. Irving, Charles-Antoine Dutertre, Lin-Fa Wang

KIP Articles

Bats carry and shed many emerging infectious disease agents including Ebola virus and SARS-like Coronaviruses, yet they rarely display clinical symptoms of infection. Bat epithelial or fibroblast cell lines were previously established to study the bat immune response against viral infection. However, the lack of professional immune cells such as dendritic cells (DC) and macrophages has greatly limited the significance of current investigations. Using Pteropus alecto (P. alecto ) GM-CSF plus IL4, FLT3L and CSF-1, we successfully generated bat bone marrow-derived DC and macrophages. Cells with the phenotype, morphology and functional features of monocyte-derived DC, bona fide DC or macrophages …

Network Interdiction Models And Algorithms For Information Security, Apurba Kumer Nandi

Theses and Dissertations

Major cyber attacks against the cyber networks of organizations has become a common phenomenon nowadays. Cyber attacks are carried out both through the spread of malware and also through multi-stage attacks known as hacking. A cyber network can be represented directly as a simple directed or undirected network (graph) of nodes and arcs. It can also be represented by a transformed network such as the attack graph which uses information about network topology, attacker profile, and existing vulnerabilities to represent all the potential attack paths from readily accesible vulnerabilities to valuable target nodes. Then, interdicting or hardening a subset of …

Antigenic And Genetic Evolution Of Emerging Avian Origin Influenza A Viruses, Yifei Xu

Theses and Dissertations

Periodic introductions of influenza A viruses (IAVs) from wild birds contribute to emergence of novel strains that infect domestic poultry, lower mammals, and humans, but the mechanisms of emergence are unclear. The objectives of this dissertation research are to infer the genesis of two emerging IAVs, low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) H10N8 and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H7N8 viruses, and to characterize the antigenic diversity and genetic evolution of contemporary H7 avian influenza viruses (AIVs) from North America. First, AIVs that are genetically close to the human H10N8 isolate were recovered at the live poultry market (LPM) visited by …

The Effects Of Sub-Lethal Chlorine Induced Oxidative Stress On Biofilm Formation And Thermal Resistance Of Salmonella, Janak Dhakal

Theses and Dissertations

The effect of sub-lethal chlorine stress on various strains/serotypes of Salmonella on biofilm formation and thermal resistance was studied. The effect of oxidative stress (induced by 150 ppm of chlorine in TSB) on Salmonella biofilm formation on polystyrene and stainless steel surfaces at three temperatures (4°C, 30°C, and room temperature) in nutrient rich (full strength TSB) and nutrient limited conditions (1/10th TSB) was evaluated. On polystyrene surface, chlorine stressed S. Heidelberg (strain ID 72), S. Newport (strain ID 107) and S. Typhimurium (ATCC 14028) formed stronger (P < 0.05) biofilms at 30°C. On stainless steel, the chlorine stressed S. Heidelberg (ATCC 8326) and S. Enteritidis (ATCC 4931) at room temperature formed stronger (P < 0.05) biofilms as compared to the non-stressed control cells. The thermal resistance of short-term (1h) and long-term (27d) chlorine stressed Salmonella Heidelberg and S. Typhimurium were compared with the non-stressed controls at three different temperatures (55°C, 58°C and 61°C) and two growth phases (logarithmic and stationary). The short-term stressed log phase cells (both serotypes) were found to be more sensitive (P< 0.05) to thermal inactivation in TSB. Upon long-term sub-lethal chlorine exposure, Salmonella developed a rugose morphotype on tryptic soy agar at 37°C. The rugose morphotype provided significant thermal protection (P< 0.05) against heat stress as compared to smooth morphotype. In chicken broth, at 55°C, short-term chlorine stressed stationary phase S. Typhimurium displayed a higher D55 value compared to non-stressed cells. The findings from this research reveal that some Salmonella strains have the potential to form stronger biofilms and exhibit higher thermal tolerance upon exposure to sub-lethal chlorine concentration.

Canine Pure Platelet-Rich Plasma For Regenerative Medicine And Platelet Research: Protocol Optimization, Marina Mitie Monobe

Theses and Dissertations

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) can be widely used in veterinary medicine in different areas. Studies using PRP frequently use different methodologies making for difficult comparison. The objective of this study was to evaluate the purity and platelet activation of a PRP protocol. A total of 18 blood samples were drawn from six dogs, collected once per week over a total of three weeks. Blood samples were centrifuged six times at 300g for 5 min. Ultra-pure PRP (OP) was obtained by adding PRP a Optiprep 1.063g/mL density barrier and centrifuged at 350g for 15 min. Mean platelet recovery from whole blood was …

Co-Infection Dynamics Of The Tick-Borne Bacteria: Rickettsia Parkeri And "Candidatus Rickettsia Andeanae", Jung Keun Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Amblyomma maculatum Koch (Acari: Ixodidae) is the primary vector for Rickettsia parkeri which is a causative agent of American Boutonneuse fever. Infection rates of R. parkeri in A. maculatum populations from the United States are approximately 0-56%. The first human clinical case of Rickettsia parkeri infection was reported in 2014 and the patient presented with a febrile illness similar to Rocky Mountain spotted fever but showing milder clinical symptoms. Through 2016, approximately 40 human clinical cases of R. parkeri infection have been reported within southern United States. Amblyomma maculatum may also be infected with a rickettsia of unknown pathogenicity “Candidatus …

Physician In The Vietnam War, Julia R. Wright Miss

Vietnam

The interview was conducted in one session on November 1, 2016 and lasted approximately 45 minutes to an hour. It was conducted over the phone because the interviewee does not live in the state. Only the interviewer and interviewee were present.

Bill Bryan was born in Takoma Park, Maryland on April 9, 1942. He was a physician in the Vietnam War in the 25^th infantry division in 1969. The topics covered in the interview range from his initial draft into the army to life after the war.