Digital Commons Network^™

Gavage Program For The Preterm Infant, Amanda K. Guina

Master's Projects and Capstones

Preterm infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care unit, are susceptible to hospital acquired infections due to their immature immune systems. To mitigate this occurrence a change project will be implemented to decrease the incidence of nosocomial infection in this population. The project will be focusing on preterm infants working on full nipple feeds. Our project is aiming to discharge this population home with a nasogastric tube to work on feedings, rather than remaining in the hospital. Chart Audits were conducted pre-program and found approximately 18 patients acquired blood stream infections and 2 acquired MRSA. The method used to assist in …

Infection Control: Reducing Hospital Acquired Central Line Bloodstream Infections, Bobbie Joy Hollins

Master's Projects and Capstones

Hospital-acquired infections are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in neonatal intensive care units (Ceballos, Waterman, Hulett, & Makic, 2013). It’s estimated that each neonatal bloodstream infection costs about $35,000 and adds about two weeks to a baby’s hospital stay (Akron's Children Hospital, 2015). This project was formulated to reduce the incidence of central line blood stream infections in the neonatal population. The setting used for this project was a 40 bed Level III Neonatal ICU. The methods executed include: conducting a root-cause analysis and formulating a unit survey. Kurt Lewin’s Three-Step Change Model was also used to complete …

Hospital Acquired Clostridium Difficile Infection Prevention, Sandy Maalouf

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

The aim of my CNL Internship Project is to decrease the incidence of healthcare acquired C diff infections at the acute care unit 1800 to zero for the next quarter. This will be accomplished by developing an action plan to address the issue by collecting data from audits and developing evidence based practice interventions. The process begins with patient’s admission to the medical surgical unit and ends with patient’s discharge from the medical surgical unit.

By working on the process, the Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI) team expects to improve infection control among all units, increase patient safety, reduce unnecessary …

The Lived Experience Of Registered Nurses Caring For Patient Living With Hiv/Aids In Broward County, Florida: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Archimore Alexander Wright

Dissertations

Vulnerability, opportunistic infections, and infection-related illnesses, caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIF), progressively overwhelms the human immune system resulting in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to slowly and non-discriminately spread continentally with dramatic consequences on the life expectancy of anyone who develops this pervasive illness/disease. The virus, HIV, is well documented and is commonly transmitted through risky behaviors of human contact, and if left unattended and untreated, leaves a path of destruction an devastation of monumental proportions. HIV/AIDS dramatically leads to long struggles and concerns for human rights and end-of-life (EOL) care.

The purpose of this …

Increasing The Hpv Vaccination Rate In A Family Practice: A Quality Improvement Project, Jacqueline Stroud

DNP and Student Works

The purpose of this DNP project was to identify barriers in a family practice setting to recommending the HPV vaccine and to use this information to develop a practice protocol to enhance the delivery of the vaccine series. The goal of the quality improvement project was to increase HPV vaccination rates for patients in this setting. The Stetler Model for Research Utilization was used as a framework to guide each step in the project.

Negative Regulation Of Haa1 By Casein Kinase I Protein Hrr25 In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Morgan Collins

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Haa1 is a transcription factor that adapts Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells to weak organic acid stresses by activating the expression of various genes. How Haa1 is activated by weak acids is not clear. This study proposes that Hrr25 is an important regulator of cellular adaptation to weak acid stress by inhibiting Haa1 through phosphorylation. YRO2, one of the targets of Haa1, shows increase in expression during stationary phase. This increase is due to basal activity of Haa1 and another, unknown, transcription factor. This study proposes that Gsm1 is another transcription factor that regulates YRO2 expression in the stationary phase. Finally, …

The Role Of E-Antigen In Hepatitiv B Virus Infection, Mirjam Sarah Kadelka

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Mathematical Modeling For The Transmission Dynamics Of {\It Mycobacterium Marinum} Incorporating Intra-Host Variability, Lihong Zhao

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Financing Of International Collective Action For Epidemic And Pandemic Preparedness., Gavin Yamey, Marco Schäferhoff, Ole Kristian Aars, Barry Bloom, Dennis Carroll, Mukesh Chawla, Victor Dzau, Ricardo Echalar, Indermit Singh Gill, Tore Godal, Sanjeev Gupta, Dean Jamison, Patrick Kelley, Frederik Kristensen, Ceci Mundaca-Shah, Ben Oppenheim, Julie Pavlin, Rodrigo Salvado, Peter Sands, Rocio Schmunis, Agnes Soucat, Lawrence H Summers, Anas El Turabi, Ron Waldman, Ed Whiting

Global Health Faculty Publications

The global pandemic response has typically followed cycles of panic followed by neglect. We are now, once again, in a phase of neglect, leaving the world highly vulnerable to massive loss of life and economic shocks from natural or human-made epidemics and pandemics. Quantifying the size of the losses caused by large-scale outbreaks is challenging because the epidemiological and economic research in this field is still at an early stage. Research on the 1918 influenza H1N1 pandemic and recent epidemics and pandemics has shown a range of estimated losses (panel).^{1; 2; 3; 4; …}

Needle Exchange Programs For The Prevention Of Hepatitis C Virus Infection In People Who Inject Drugs: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis, Stephen M. Davis, Shay Daily, Alfgeir L. Kristjansson, George A. Kelley, Keith Zullig, Adam Baus, Danielle Davidov, Melanie Fisher

Clinical and Translational Science Institute

Background: Previous research on the effectiveness of needle exchange programs (NEP) in preventing hepatitis C virus (HCV) in people who inject drugs (PWID) has shown mixed findings. The purpose of this study was to use the meta-analytic approach to examine the association between NEP use and HCV prevention in PWIDs. Methods: Study inclusion criteria were (1) observational studies, (2) PWIDs, (3) NEP use, (4) HCV status ascertained by serological testing, (5) studies published in any language since January 1, 1989, and (6) data available for measures of association. Studies were located by searching four electronic databases and cross-referencing. Study quality …

How Much Does A Man Cost? A Dirty, Dull, And Dangerous Application, Rebecca A. Hatfield

Communication

This study illuminates the many abilities of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). One area of importance includes the UAV's capability to assist in the development, implementation, and execution of crisis management. This research focuses on UAV uses in pre and post crisis planning and accomplishments. The accompaniment of unmanned vehicles with base teams can make crisis management plans more reliable for the general public and teams faced with tasks such as search and rescue and firefighting. In the fight for mass acceptance of UAV integration, knowledge and attitude inventories were collected and analyzed. Methodology includes mixed method research collected by interviews …

Detection Of Healthcare-Associated Infectious Disease Outbreaks With A Special Look At Clostridium Difficile Infection In Long-Term Care Facilities, Almea Matanock

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality and a public health priority. However, standard procedures and comprehensive guidelines for HAI outbreak detection and response are still needed. This hybrid thesis describes what is known about HAI outbreaks in the introduction, reviews the HAI outbreaks reported to New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH), in the first paper, and then in the second paper examines how established methods for detecting infectious disease outbreaks perform in identifying Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) outbreaks in long-term care facilities (LTCF) in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, and finally, it closes with our overall …

Hiv Disclosure Laws Are Unjustified, Tony Ficarrotta

Duke Journal of Gender Law & Policy

No abstract provided.

Geospatial And Negative Binomial Regression Analysis Of Culex Nigripalpus, Culex Erraticus, Coquillettidia Perturbans, And Aedes Vexans Counts And Precipitation And Land Use Land Cover Covariates In Polk County, Florida, Joshua P. Wright

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although mosquito monitoring systems in the form of dry-ice bated CDC light traps and sentinel chickens are used by mosquito control personnel in Polk County, Florida, the placement of these are random and do not necessarily reflect prevalent areas of vector mosquito populations. This can result in significant health, economic, and social impacts during disease outbreaks. Of these vector mosquitoes Culex nigripalpus, Culex erraticus, Coquillettidia perturbans, and Aedes vexans are present in Polk County and known to transmit multiple diseases, posing a public health concern. This study seeks to evaluate the effect of Land use Land cover …

Whole Genome Analysis Of A Schistosomiasis-Transmitting Freshwater Snail., Coen M Adema, Ladeana W Hillier, Catherine S Jones, Eric S Loker, Matty Knight, Patrick Minx, +Several Additional Authors

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Biomphalaria snails are instrumental in transmission of the human blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni. With the World Health Organization's goal to eliminate schistosomiasis as a global health problem by 2025, there is now renewed emphasis on snail control. Here, we characterize the genome of Biomphalaria glabrata, a lophotrochozoan protostome, and provide timely and important information on snail biology. We describe aspects of phero-perception, stress responses, immune function and regulation of gene expression that support the persistence of B. glabrata in the field and may define this species as a suitable snail host for S. mansoni. We identify …

Cohort Profile: Seek, Test, Treat And Retain United States Criminal Justice Cohort., Redonna Chandler, Michael S Gordon, Bridget Kruszka, Lauren N Strand, Frederick L Altice, Irene Kuo, +Several Additional Authors

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The STTR treatment cascade provides a framework for research aimed at improving the delivery of services, care and outcomes of PLWH. The development of effective approaches to increase HIV diagnoses and engage PLWH in subsequent steps of the treatment cascade could lead to earlier and sustained ART treatment resulting in viral suppression. There is an unmet need for research applying the treatment cascade to improve outcomes for those with criminal justice involvement.

METHODS: The Seek, Test, Treat, and Retain (STTR) criminal justice (CJ) cohort combines data from 11 studies across the HIV treatment cascade that focused on persons involved …

Serious Mental Illness Among Young Adult Women Who Use Drugs In The Club Scene: Co-Occurring Biopsychosocial Factors, Maayan Lawental, Hilary L. Surratt, Mance E. Buttram, Steven P. Kurtz

Center for Health Services Research Faculty Publications

Young women who regularly attend nightclubs are at risk for numerous health and social consequences, including mental distress, sexual and physical victimization and substance dependence. This paper uses a biopsychosocial framework to examine co-occurring mental health problems, victimization, substance dependence, sexual risk and physical pain among a sample of young women who use drugs (N = 222) in Miami’s club scene. The majority of women were under 24 years old, Hispanic, and identified as heterosexual. Almost all the women reported past 90-day use of alcohol, ecstasy/MDMA, marijuana, cocaine and prescription opioids and benzodiazepines; 32% of women reported being in a …

Real Time Data Analysis Of Clostridium Defficile And Echerichia Coli, Alexa Reyes

OSRI Journal of Student Research and Innovation

Background: Infectious diseases have not seized to exist for it has been found that microorganisms like Clostridium defficile and Escherichia coli bacteria are capable of mutating. As a result, antibiotic resistant novel strains, such Clostridium difficile (C.diff) that cause devastating new disease continue to pose a problem. An early detection tool for such emergent strains and the evaluation of the most highly impacted geographic locations is critical to mitigate the burden of such condition. Much of the literature, however, has shown that while archived data has little predictive nature as well as limited geographic analysis capabilities. On the other hand, …

Nursing Assignments Based On Patient Acuity: The Road To Nursing Job Satisfaction, Kristina Tomic

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Challenges in the healthcare industry, including nursing shortages and low nursing retention, have resulted in nurses’ job dissatisfaction. Improving work environment and workload can lead to improved and equitable nursing shift assignments, which may improve nursing job satisfaction. The purpose of this EBP project was to (a) implement a patient acuity tool in the hospital unit, (b) assess its effectiveness in appropriating nursing shift assignments, and (c) evaluate its effect on nursing job satisfaction. The Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) Model was used as a guide to facilitate the transition of the best evidence into practice. As suggested within the evidence, …

A Consensus Definitive Classification Of Scavenger Receptors And Their Roles In Health And Disease, Mercy R Prabhudas, Cynthia L Baldwin, Paul L Bollyky, Dawn M E Bowdish, Kurt Drickamer, Maria Febbraio, Joachim Herz, Lester Kobzik, Monty Krieger, John Loike, Benita Mcvicker, Terry K Means, Soren K Moestrup, Steven R Post, Tatsuya Sawamura, Samuel Silverstein, Robert Charles Speth, Janice C Telfer, Geoffrey M Thiele, Xiang-Yang Wang, Samuel D Wright, Joseph El Khoury

Faculty Articles

Scavenger receptors constitute a large family of proteins that are structurally diverse and participate in a wide range of biological functions. These receptors are expressed predominantly by myeloid cells and recognize a diverse variety of ligands including endogenous and modified host-derived molecules and microbial pathogens. There are currently eight classes of scavenger receptors, many of which have multiple names, leading to inconsistencies and confusion in the literature. To address this problem, a workshop was organized by the United States National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, to help develop a clear definition of scavenger receptors and …

Biology Major Awarded Prestigious Research Fellowship, University Communications

News and Events (Discontinued Series)

No abstract provided.

B7h6: A Cancer Biomarker For The Development Of Novel Immunotherapy Approaches, Mariana Phillips

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Cancer-based immunotherapy has led the evolution of biologics that can stimulate immune responses towards tumor eradication. The synthesis of small to intermediate size molecules with the targeting and effector functions of mAb may represent a novel class of immunotherapeutics that may overcome the limitations of their biological counterparts.Towards this objective, B7H6 has been identified as a protein ligand localized on the cell surface of transformed tumor cells. B7H6 binds specifically to the activating receptor NKp30, constitutively expressed on all resting and active NK cells. Upon ligand:receptor binding, B7H6 triggers NK cell activation and release of chemokines and pro-inflammatory cytokines such …

The Global Health Law Trilogy: Towards A Safer, Healthier, And Fairer World, Lawrence O. Gostin, Mary Clare Debartolo, Rebecca Katz

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Global health advocates often turn to medicine and science for solutions to enduring health risks, but law is also a powerful tool. No state acting alone can ward off health threats that span borders, requiring international solutions. A trilogy of global health law—the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, International Health Regulations (2005), and Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework—strives for a safer, healthier, and fairer world. This article critically reviews this global health law trilogy.

These international agreements are not well understood, and contain gaps in scope and enforceability. Moreover, major health concerns remain largely unregulated at the international level, such …

The Role Of Histidine Rich Protein Ii In Cerebral Malaria, Priya Pal

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Human malaria is caused by five species of Plasmodium. Of these, P. falciparum is the deadliest and is the only species that causes cerebral malaria (CM). CM is a disease of the vascular endothelium characterized by parasite sequestration, increased inflammatory cytokine production, vascular leakage and leukocyte infiltration. A distinguishing feature of P. falciparum infection is the parasite’s production and secretion of histidine-rich protein II (HRPII). HRPII accumulates to high concentrations (up to 100 µg/ml) in serum, which correlates with disease severity. Due to high serum levels of this protein, HRPII has classically been considered a biomarker for P. falciparum infection. …

The Role Of Bhlhe40 In Autoimmune Neuroinflammation And Mycobacterial Infection, Chih-Chung Lin

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The mammalian immune system is composed of innate and adaptive compartments, which cooperate with each other to maintain homeostasis and protect the host from the invasion by a variety of pathogens. The tight control of immune responses is extremely important for all individuals. Here, we discovered that the transcription factor basic helix-loop-helix family, member e40 (Bhlhe40) is a critical protein that regulates the autoimmune ("against self") and anti-microbial ("against non-self") responses of myeloid cells and T lymphocytes. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a human neuroinflammatory disease in the central nervous system with an autoimmune etiology. We have reported that Bhlhe40 positively …

Occupational Stress And Health Among Home Health Care Workers, Jeanette M. Zoeckler

Dissertations - ALL

Home health care workers fill an essential role in the daily lives of elderly persons. However, the work is physically and emotionally exhausting. This mixed-methods study explicates sources of stress found in agency-based caregiving in the post-industrial economy. Agencies operate under a highly regulated legal and organizational framework, but little is known about how to reduce sources of job strain to better protect workers’ health. Drawing on existing occupational health stress theories (Karasek; Siegrist; Landsbergis) and sociological stress theory (Pearlin; Fenwick & Tausig), this study explores how workers’ experiences and agency characteristics are related to home health care worker’s occupational …

Alice Clark Receives 2017 Distinguished Researcher Award, Staff Report

University of Mississippi News

UM vice chancellor honored for pivotal role in research and creative achievement

Immunology Of The Gray Short-Tailed Opossum During Pregnancy And Prenatal Development, Victoria L. Hansen

Biology ETDs

Vertebrate species that bear live young have overcome the evolutionary challenge of maintaining both a functional adaptive immune system and viviparous life cycle. In normal pregnancy, viviparous mothers are able sustain and nourish a fetus that is genetically half non-self without mounting an immunological attack. In 1953 Sir Peter Medawar brought attention to the “enigma of the fetal graft” and immunologists have been puzzling out the intricacies of fetal tolerance ever since. Although viviparity has evolved in all jawed vertebrate lineages aside from Aves, the vast majority of reproductive immunology research has been limited to eutherian mammals. There are insights …

My Journey To Better Medicine: Healing The Mind-Body Split Through An Integrated Cross-Cultural Model, Harsh Ilapakurthi

Honors Theses

As a future medical doctor, I will always see the process of healing through the hybrid consciousness of my Eastern-Hindu upbringing and Western academic and scientific training. The Eastern philosophy of healing has been linked to consciousness and how the powers of human consciousness can affect the body’s healing. The Western perspective of medicine, which has developed as a result of the industrial and scientific revolutions, generally treats the human body as an object. However, this is not to say that Western medicine is flawed. In fact, Western medicine is incredibly effective in certain specialties, but is limited by the …

The Healing Power Of A Whole Foods, Plant-Based Diet: A Nutrition Prescription For Cancer, Meghan Adelman Mrs.

Master's Projects and Capstones

Chronic disease is quickly overtaking infectious diseases as one of the biggest threats to population health worldwide (Egger, 2012). Studies have shown that plant based diets are effective at reducing prevalence but are also a viable complimentary treatment approach to healing. Further investigation is needed into how plant based diets can reduce risk of recurrence, specifically as it relates to a cancer diagnosis. The Ceres Project is an organization that provides a healing foods philosophy to the care of cancer patients through meal delivery programs at low to no cost. The aim of this research study was to implement the …