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Molecular Analysis Of Β-Lactamase Genes In Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria, Neisha Medina Candelaria

Honors Projects

The wide overuse of antibiotics in both the medicine as well as agricultural has lead to a problem with antibiotic resistance. This present research experiment aims to identify various environmental bacterial samples to find antibiotic resistant strains. By looking at these strains we are then able to develop a system to monitor how antibiotic resistance spreads and develops over time. We can then compare different bacteria species to identify any similarities and the prevalence of the resistant strains.

Topics In Group Testing With Multiple Infections, Peijie Hou

Theses and Dissertations

Group testing, dating back to the early 1940s, was first proposed to screen for syphilis among US inductees during World War II (Dorfman, 1943). Since then, the benefits of reducing testing costs by employing group testing have been demonstrated in many areas, such as drug discovery, genetics, and infectious disease testing. Traditionally, statistical research in group testing has largely been motivated by applications involving a single infection. With the recent development of multiplex assays that can diagnose multiple infections simultaneously, generalizing the existing group testing literature to incorporate multiple infections is a natural and necessary next step. This dissertation consists …

A Unified Inter-Host And In-Host Model Of Antibiotic Resistance And Infection Spread In A Hospital Ward, Lester Caudill, Barry Lawson

Department of Math & Statistics Faculty Publications

As the battle continues against hospital-acquired infections and the concurrent rise in antibiotic resistance among many of the major causative pathogens, there is a dire need to conduct controlled experiments, in order to compare proposed control strategies. However, cost, time, and ethical considerations make this evaluation strategy either impractical or impossible to implement with living patients. This paper presents a multi-scale model that offers promise as the basis for a tool to simulate these (and other) controlled experiments. This is a “unified” model in two important ways: (i) It combines inter-host and in-host dynamics into a single model, and (ii) …

Making Sex Work For The State : The Policing Of Sex Work In The United States., Madeline A Clabough

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

This thesis analyzes the ways that sex work is regulated within the United States, and analyze the ways that regulation is shaped by contemporary feminist discourse. To do so, it analyzes the ways in which sex workers have been and pathologized since the 19th century, and address the ways that these conceptualizations have been incorporated into the legal regulation of sex workers. Finally, this thesis will look to contemporary practices in the state regulation of sex workers, and argue that the relationship between neoliberalism, the carceral state, and what has come to be termed “carceral feminism” operate in conjunction to …

A Retro Development In Education: Evaluating The Feasibility Of Integrating Place-Based Education Into Mississippi Curriculum Standards, Colby K. Mcclain

Honors Theses

This thesis evaluates the feasibility of integrating place-based environmental education activities from Think Green, Take Action: Books and Activities for Kids into the Mississippi Department of Education’s (MDE) Frameworks for Science and Social Studies for K-5. As children develop and experience the world, their ability to understand and interpret the surrounding environments expand; however, Mississippi schools are not focused on experiential environmental education, even though experiencing and understanding the surrounding environment is vital in fostering eagerness to learn. Due to a growing disconnect between humans and the natural world, this thesis examined 37 place- and environment-based activities for children, sixteen …

The Regulatory Relationship Of Transcriptional Regulators Msab And Cody In Capsule Production In Staphylococcus Aureus, Brittany L. Trunell

Honors Theses

There are many transcriptional regulators found in pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus. Many of these regulators are essential for the organism’s ability to switch from commensal form to the virulent pathogenic form. One of these main regulators is CodY. This regulator has been shown to be responsive to nutrient availability during phases of growth. Additionally, we have recently found that MsaB, the only protein coding ORF of the msaABCR operon, is a putative co-regulator of capsule along with CodY. To explore these regulator interactions, we produced mutations of codY and msaABCR individually and a double mutation of msaABCR/ codY. We have observed …

Nurse Knowledge, Attitude, And Compliance Related To Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, Ellen A. Suss

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine nurses’ knowledge of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the attitude they have towards patients with MRSA, and how well they comply with MRSA protocols. Forty-six nurses participated in this study. A questionnaire assessing knowledge, attitude, and compliance was distributed via email to graduates of the University of Southern Mississippi. The survey had three sections to assess each variable, with 17 true/false questions about knowledge, 10 questions about attitude, and 6 questions about compliance. Overall, nurses in this study had adequate knowledge of MRSA, aside from overt lack of knowledge regarding antibiotic treatment. …

In Ovo Evaluation Of Floramax-B11 On Marek's Disease Hvt Vaccine Protective Efficacy, Hatchability, Microbiota Composition, Morphometric Analysis, And Salmonella Enteritidis Infection In Broiler Chickens, Kyle Dean Teague

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It has previously been shown that effective probiotics can accelerate gut maturation and the development of a normal microflora in poultry. This results in increased resistance to enteric pathogens encountered by chicks early in life. Our objective in experiments 1 and 2 was to evaluate the effect of in ovo administration of FloraMax®-B11 (FM) on Marek’s disease (MD) herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT) vaccine protective efficacy. In Exp. 1, day 18 White Leghorn embryos were randomly distributed in four groups, 1) HVT vaccinated, no MDV challenge, 2) HVT + FM vaccinated, no MDV challenge, 3) HVT vaccinated, challenge with virulent MDV, …

Tuberculosis And Risk Of Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis, Moises A. Huaman, Richard J. Kryscio, Carl J. Fichtenbaum, David Henson, Elizabeth G. Salt, Timothy R. Sterling, Beth A. Garvy

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Several pathogens have been associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Whether this occurs with Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection is unclear. We assessed if tuberculosis disease increased the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We identified patients with tuberculosis index claims from a large de-identified database of ~15 million adults enrolled in a U.S. commercial insurance policy between 2008 and 2010. Tuberculosis patients were 1:1 matched to patients without tuberculosis claims using propensity scores. We compared the occurrence of index AMI claims between the tuberculosis and non-tuberculosis cohorts using Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox Proportional Hazard models. Data on 2026 patients with …

Polymorphism In The Prpc Prion Protein Gene In Pigs, Anuja Paudyal

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Protein coding regions of the PrPC gene in 51 pigs belonging to 3 breeds namely Hampshire, Yorkshire, Blue Butt Cross (blue spotted cross from a Hampshire X Yorkshire), and a wild pig were studied. These breeds are used nationwide for commercial purposes. The PrPC gene of the pigs that code for prion proteins were sequenced and studied. Deletions of the octapeptide (WGQPHGGG) were observed in 13 samples that belongs to the crossbreed Dark Cross sow 71 by Blue Butt Boar (Gummy bear). This hydrophobic repeat has been used in experiments as a model to investigate neurodegeneration in prion diseases. Also, …

Expression Of Zeb Factors In Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma., Saira Ahmed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: The ZEB family of transcription factors (ZEB1 and ZEB2) have been demonstrated to play a role in metastatic progression of several cancers, and may also influence the initial transformation and generation of cancer stem cells. However, the expression pattern of ZEB proteins in the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma has not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to define changes in expression and subcellular localization of the ZEB family in both precancerous lesions and different grades of OSCC. Materials and Methods: Seventy-nine tongue biopsies were subjected to immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence to determine the expression and subcellular …

Exploring A Novel Nf-ĸb- Inhibiting Nanoparticle For Periodontitis Therapy., Kameswara Satya Srikanth Upadhyayula

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Periodontitis is an infection-driven inflammatory disease characterized by gingival inflammation and bone loss. The NF-ĸB signaling pathway is pivotal in osteoclastogenesis and infection-induced pro-inflammatory responses. The use of nanoparticles as a vehicle to deliver drug increases stability, loading capacity, and facilitates transmembrane transportation. The hypothesis was that a novel nanoparticle carrying therapeutic NBD inhibitory peptides (NBD-nanoparticles) will inhibit measures of periodontal disease. In this project, we tested the nanoparticles for their ability to directly inhibit osteoclastogenesis and inflammation as an original strategy for periodontitis therapy. We also tested the capability of the nanoparticles to inhibit gingival inflammation and alveolar bone …

Treg Regulation In Periodontal Disease During Pregnancy., Aislinn Leah Hays

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Although pregnancy is prone to induce more severe periodontal inflammation and tissue damage, its mechanism remains elusive. Periodontal diseases during pregnancy are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes including preterm birth or low birth weight. Animal models are ideal for investigating immunological mechanisms in periodontal disease. With a newly modified ligature-induced disease model, we managed to develop periodontal disease in pregnant mice and investigate the immunological mechanism of more severe symptoms during pregnancy. Hypothesis: We hypothesis that P. gingivalis infection during pregnancy will lead to a down-regulation of Treg cells, therefore causing increased inflammation and disease severity. Methods: A ligature-induced …

Function Of The Enterobactin Operon Of A. Actinomycetemcomitans In The Presence Of Catecholmines And Iron., Taylor Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa) possesses a two-component system, QseBC, which is key in biofilm formation/virulence and is activated in the presence of iron-catecholamine complexes. Aa does not synthesize enterobactin, a catechol-based siderophore, yet possesses the machinery for recognition and uptake. We hypothesize that Aa is able to acquire iron by catecholamine mediation through the enterobactin receptor/transporter. Methods: By insertional mutation, we attempted to delete the enterobactin permease from the genome using suicide vector pJT1. A growth curve of truncated mutant ΔfepA was also conducted to observe growth in the presence of iron and catecholamines. Statistical significance was determined by ANOVA …

Faith-Based Motivation For Health Behavior Change: A Pilot Of The Daniel Plan In A Small, Rural Alaskan Community, Anna J. Williams

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

Motivating patients to make beneficial lifestyle changes such as improved diet and exercise habits is a challenging but important role for Nurse Practitioners. This project addressed this problem by exploring one promising method for motivating patients, that of faith-based interventions. The Daniel Plan, a previously successful faith-based, six-week small group study was implemented in a small, rural Alaskan community. Data collection included biometric measurements and self-report questionnaires on nutrition and physical activity. All those who completed the study lost weight and improved their diet and exercise habits. Participants reported that the group setting and the spiritual focus were most effective …

Clinician-Parent Discussions About Influenza Vaccination Of Children And Their Association With Vaccine Acceptance, Annika M. Hofstetter, Jeffrey D. Robinson, Katherine Lepere, Morgan Cunningham, Nicole Etsekson, Douglas J. Opel

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective: To examine how clinicians communicate with parents about influenza vaccination and the effect of these communication behaviors on parental vaccine decision-making.

Study Design: We performed a secondary analysis of data obtained from a cross-sectional observational study in which health supervision visits between pediatric clinicians and English-speaking parents of young children were videotaped. Eligible visits occurred during the 2011-2012 and 2013-2014 influenza seasons, included children ≥ 6 months, and contained an influenza vaccine discussion. A coding scheme of 10 communication behaviors was developed and applied to each visit. Associations between clinician communication behaviors and parental verbal vaccine acceptance …

Emergency Preparedness Competencies Among Nurses In Northwest Arkansas, Katie M. Waller

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Existing literature suggests that nurses lack basic knowledge and skills related to emergency and disaster preparedness. Nurses nationwide have reported low levels of understanding related to numerous facets of emergency and disaster knowledge and planning. The purpose of this research was to determine the self-reported level of emergency preparedness competencies of nurses in the Northwest Arkansas area and whether those competencies varied by level of nursing education. The Emergency Preparedness Information Questionnaire (EPIQ) was utilized to measure knowledge. The results suggest that nurses across the board are unprepared in the event of an emergency or disaster situation. No statistically significant …

The Legal Context Of Medicine: Looking At Healthcare Through A Bicultural Lens, Annamarie Beckmeyer

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Predictors Of Physical Therapy Non-Treatment Among Patients Scheduled For Treatment Two Times A Day In The Acute Hospital, Sara Bookout, Kyle Ozaki

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background and Purpose: Consistent participation in physical therapy treatment is the key to the success of any physical therapy treatment program. Scheduled therapy sessions that do not result in treatment (non-treatment) may cause longer hospital stays and/or poor outcomes. A better understanding of the factors affecting non-treatment could allow proper adjustments to prevent non-treatment by hospital administration, improve patient-therapist interaction, and may result in improved care, greater patient satisfaction, and lower healthcare costs. The purpose of this study was to investigate characteristics of patients that affect physical therapy non-treatment events for patients scheduled for therapy twice a day (BID) in …

The Bioarchaeology Of Inequality During The Middle Bronze Age In Central Anatolia, Cheryl Anderson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation research study focused on the bioarchaeology of Kaman-Kalehöyük and the goal was to provide baseline data for investigating the effects of social inequalities on rural communities during the Middle Bronze Age (MBA) (ca. 2000-1750 years Before Current Era) in central Anatolia (present-day Turkey). In particular, this project addresses the impact of the political landscape during the MBA on population health at the village site Kaman-Kalehöyük using multiple lines of evidence. This is accomplished through the thorough documentation and analysis of human skeletal remains at Kaman-Kalehöyük. More specifically, all MBA skeletal remains from this site were examined for health …

Evaluation Of A Fluorescence Method For Quantifying Bioaerosol Concentrations On Air Quality Filter Samples, Rachel Kolberg

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Airborne particulate matter (PM) in outdoor environments contains many components that cause adverse human health effects. The size of the particulates determine in what manner the particles would bypass the body’s defense mechanisms to enter the respiratory system and is directly related to their health impacts. Currently the United States Environmental Protection Agency is enforcing the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to regulate the annual and 24-hour average concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 in the air. PM2.5 are fine particles with aerodynamic diameter <2.5μm, small enough to reach the deepest parts of the bronchi and lungs. PM10 include PM2.5 and larger particles with aerodynamic diameter of 2.5-10μm. Both PM2.5 and PM10 contain multiple components from multiple sources. Bioaerosols are an important component of PM, but there is limited knowledge about how bioaerosols contribute to PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations. There is also a lack of research about the incidence and prevalence of disease caused by bioaerosols and about the limits of exposure to bioaerosol particulates. The main barrier to assess bioaerosol concentrations and health-related effects is the absence of quick and inexpensive methodology for quantifying bioaerosols. This study explored the feasibility of using fluorescence microscopy to quickly quantify bioaerosols in PM2.5 and PM10 collected on polycarbonate filters. Bioaerosols were stained with a DNA marker directly on a filter, followed by fixation, microscopic imaging, and automatic counting. The method was first validated using reference samples prepared by depositing different known concentrations of E. coli onto blank polycarbonate filters. The results indicated a linear response over two orders of magnitude (R2 = 0.9) and an accuracy within ±25%. E. coli were also deposited onto selected ambient PM10 and PM2.5 filter samples to determine if pre-loaded particles would interfere with bioaerosol imaging and counting. It was found that despite an increase in uncertainty (variability), the calibration slope remained within ±10% of unity for both PM2.5 and PM10 samples. Bioaerosol concentrations in ambient samples, as quantified by this method, were on average 14% higher for PM10 than for PM2.5 acquired concurrently in a desert environment of Las Vegas, Nevada. The application of this method to other types of compliance filters, such as Teflon filters and tapes of a Beta Attenuation Monitor (BAM) were also explored in this study. By means of a high-yield approach this method is expected to facilitate bioaerosol research, support exposure and health assessments, and help refine NAAQS for PM2.5 and PM10.

A Rural And Urban Study Of The Food Environment In Select Nevada Geographies, Joseph Nickelson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

National and county level examination of urban and rural food environments has taken place, but primary validation of venue existence and in-venue data are lacking. The literature show disparities in access to healthy foods through low density of large grocers/supermarkets, low variety and quality of produce and higher prices for a healthy diet in rural versus urban geographies. Rural areas are of unique concern due to poor health indicators such as higher obesity rates, higher diabetes rates, lower incomes and lower educations than urban residents. The goal of this study was to explore differences in the community and consumer level …

Psychometric Testing Of The Malaria Critical Thinking Test, Tally Rae Tinjum

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Accrediting bodies of baccalaureate nursing programs require quantified assessment of critical thinking in students. The current literature indicates two types of critical thinking assessments: (a) standardized, psychometrically sound, and non-nursing specific, and (b) nursing specific, but lacking the established psychometric properties. Therefore, a nursing-specific critical thinking test with established psychometric properties would help nurse educators understand the unique critical thinking ability of baccalaureate nursing students. With information from a quantitative critical thinking ability assessment tool, instructional methods could be revised to target student characteristics that correlate with critical thinking ability. Additionally, nurse educators could use the information from a nursing-specific …

Healthcare Accessibility For Syrian Refugees: Understanding Trends, Host Countries’ Responses And Impacts On Refugees’ Health, Gertrude Morgan Dadzie

Public Administration & Policy

The Syrian civil war, now in its 6th year is the biggest refugee and humanitarian crisis in present times. Since March 2011, over 11 million Syrians have fled out of their country to neighboring countries, Europe and other parts of the world. Associated with refugee movement is the movement and spread of communicable and non-communicable diseases among Syrian refugees and beyond. The war also continues to affect the psychosocial and emotional states of Syrian refugees, especially young people and children. This paper seeks to identify trends in health conditions among Syrian refugees and those who are internally displaced within the …

Assessment Of Social, Dietary And Biochemical Correlates Of Cardiometabolic Risk In Pre-Adolescent Hispanic Children, Abraham Basil Alhassan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Obesity, elevated blood pressure and dyslipidemia are highly prevalent in Hispanic children. Compared to their non-Hispanic White peers, Hispanic children experience higher prevalence of obesity and hypertension. The Hispanic population in Tennessee has been growing, with about a tenth of newborn babies being Hispanic. This study aimed to: 1. Examine the influence of sociodemographic factors on Hispanic children’s cardiometabolic risk; 2. Assess the relationship between food group intake and cardiometabolic risk in Hispanic children; and 3. Evaluate the efficacy of non-traditional biomarkers for detecting cardiometabolic risk in Hispanic children. Data for the study came from a larger cross-sectional pilot study …

Antibiotic Prophylaxis Is Associated With Subsequent Resistant Infections In Children With An Initial Extended-Spectrum-Cephalosporin-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae Infection., Sibani Das, Amanda L. Adler, Arianna Miles-Jay, Matthew P. Kronman, Xuan Qin, Scott J. Weissman, C A. Burnham, Alexis Elward, Jason G. Newland, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Kaede V. Sullivan, Theoklis Zaoutis, Danielle M. Zerr

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

The objective of this study was to assess the association between previous antibiotic use, particularly long-term prophylaxis, and the occurrence of subsequent resistant infections in children with index infections due to extended-spectrum-cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae We also investigated the concordance of the index and subsequent isolates. Extended-spectrum-cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. isolated from normally sterile sites of patients aged species, resistance determinants, and fumC-fimH (E. coli) or tonB (Klebsiella pneumoniae) type were identical to those of the index isolate. In total, 323 patients had 396 resistant isolates; 45 (14%) patients had ≥1 subsequent resistant infection, totaling 73 …

The Effectiveness Of Citronella Essential Oil Extract As A Mosquito Larvicide Against Culex Spp., May 2017, Mina M. Patel

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

The production and use of mosquito insecticides has long been practiced; presently, the search for natural insecticides and larvicides is a flourishing field. Natural insecticides and larvicides persist less in the environment and are less toxic than synthetic insecticides such as DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane). I studied the effectiveness of citronella grass, Cymbopogon nardus, as a larvicide against Culex quinquefasciatus and Culex nigripalpus mosquito larvae and how it affected their behaviors. The larvae were exposed to three different treatments: two self-prepared extractions of citronella oil of different concentrations and a natural commercialized citronella repellant spray. I recorded the number of deaths and …

Functional Limitation And Depressive Symptomatology: Considering Perceived Stigma And Discrimination Within A Stress And Coping Framework, Robyn Lewis Brown

Sociology Faculty Publications

This study examines whether perceived stigma and discrimination moderate the associations between functional limitation, psychosocial coping resources, and depressive symptoms among people with physical disabilities. Using two waves of data from a large community study including a representative sample of persons with physical disabilities (N = 417), an SEM-based moderated mediation analysis was performed. Mediation tests demonstrate that mastery significantly mediates the association between functional limitation and depressive symptoms over the study period. Moderated mediation tests reveal that the linkage between functional limitation and mastery varies as a function of perceived stigma and experiences of major discrimination and day-to-day discrimination, …

Rising Thyroid Cancer Incidence In Southern India: An Epidemic Of Overdiagnosis?, Indu Elizabeth Mathew, Aju Mathew

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Thyroid cancer incidence is rising in high-income countries. This increase in disease burden is attributed to the phenomenon of overdiagnosis.

Objective: We aimed to investigate trends in thyroid cancer rates in India, focusing on the state of Kerala in southern India, which has reported a high incidence of the disease.

Design: Population-based study using data from the National Cancer Registry Program.

Participants: We used data from the Population Based Cancer Registries for Thiruvananthapuram (capital of Kerala state), Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Chennai. We used data for three reporting periods from 2005 to 2014 (represented as 2006, 2009, and 2012). …

Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention In 18 To 24-Year-Old Heterosexual Men: Pilot Study, Susan P. Mckeefrey

Doctoral Projects

The CDC reported that there were over 20 million cases in the United States and half affected young adults, 15 to 25-year olds. Strategies STD prevention have been developed by the CDC but does not include avoiding alcohol or other similar agents in the context of a sexual encounter. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of STD prevention education intervention by improving Condom Use Self-Efficacy in heterosexually 18 to 24-year old men. It was hypothesized self-efficacy would improve with a face-to-face brief educational intervention. A quasi-experimental, pre-/post-test design with simple randomization of subjects into control and …