Digital Commons Network^™

Determination Of The Effects That A Previously Uncharacterized Secreted Product From Klebsiella Pneumoniae Has On Citrobacter Freundii And Enterobacter Cloacae Biofilms, Cody M. Hastings

Undergraduate Honors Theses

More so than ever, Multiple Drug Resistant (MDR) bacteria are on the rise due to overuse of antibiotics along with natural selection for adaptations that enhance drug-resistant properties. One particular bacterial family, Enterobacteriaceae, has been problematic, exhibiting several bacterial members that have developed a precipitous resistance to modern antibiotics and are also primary causative agents of nosocomial, or hospital acquired, infections. Citrobacter freundii (CF) and Enterobacter cloacae (ECL) are two species of the Enterobacteriaceae family causing significant medical concern due to their role in producing numerous opportunistic infections such as bacteremia, lower respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, and endocarditis. …

The Role Of Social Location In Coping With Caregiving, Jacqueline Ragin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A salient concern stemming from population aging is the expected rise in demand for informal family caregivers for diseases impacting the elderly, including dementia (MMMI 2010; NIA and WHO 2011). Studies of caregiver well-being often problematize the sociodemographic caregivers (e.g. gender, marital status) while caregiver intervention studies typically focus on the program itself (Gallagher-Thompson et al., 2008; Rabinowitz et al., 2006; Shulz et al., 2003). In this dissertation I unite these two bodies of caregiver research and examine how the sociodemographic characteristics of participants in a caregiver intervention program relate to the program’s effectiveness. I use secondary data from the …

Meaning Of Pregnancy Terms Among African-American Women, Stephanie Solomon, Sandra G. Suther, Ivette Lopez, Alicestine Ashford, Linda C. Amankwaa, Gareth Dutton

The Qualitative Report

The concept of pregnancy intendedness is complex and may not bear the same meaning to all women. Moreover, researcher definition and women’s meaning were thought to be different. Some researchers have indicated that it is unclear how well women understand and relate to questions used by the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) and how the classifications relate to women’s lives. The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning of terms such as planned and/or intended pregnancy among African-American women of childbearing age using a qualitative exploratory descriptive method. Although African-American women want children, they are three times …

Attitudes And Perceptions Of Advanced Practice Nurses Towards Health Information Technology And Its Effects On Caring, Debbie Ramos Shih

Doctoral Projects

Technology is rapidly, constantly evolving, and affecting healthcare. While it has the ability to improve healthcare outcomes, it is important to realize the impact this technology has on the relationships between patients and nurses (Korhonen, et al., 2015). Interactions with patients are increasing through computer technology and decreasing by physical presence and touch, potentially compromising the development of a trusting relationship and thus affecting patient quality outcomes (Sandelowski, 2002).

This cross sectional study explored the attitudes and perceptions of APRNs towards HIT and its effects on caring. 150 Advanced Practice Clinicians in a Northern California healthcare was surveyed, using the …

The Msaabcr Operon Mutant Staphylococcus Aureus Is Deficient In Persister Cells, Aaliyah D. Cole

Honors Theses

Persister cells comprise a phenotypic variant that shows extreme antibiotic tolerance resulting in chronic infections. While this phenomenon has posed a great threat in public health, mechanism underlying their formation in Staphylococcus aureus remains largely unknown. Increasing evidence of the presence of persister cells in recalcitrant infections underscores the great urgency to unravel the mechanism by which these cells are developed. The Elasri Research group characterized msaABCR operon that plays roles in regulation of virulence, biofilm development and antibiotic resistance. It was hypothesized that the operon also plays a role in persister cell formation. In this study, the persister cell …

Ophthalmic Manifestations Of Congenital Zika Syndrome In Colombia And Venezuela, Juan B. Yepez, Felipe A. Murati, Michele Petitto, Carlos F. Peñaranda, J. Fernando Arevalo, Gladys E. Maestre

School of Medicine Publications

IMPORTANCE The ocular manifestations and sequelae of Zika virus infection are not well known. Recently, the World Health Organization changed the declaration of Zika as a public health emergency and designated the viral outbreak and related microcephaly clusters as a long-term program of work. This change indicates the urgent need to evaluate and document ophthalmic manifestations in patients for timely management of this disease. In addition, confirmation whether the public health problem in Brazil extends to other regions in South America is needed.

OBJECTIVE To report the ocular manifestations of congenital Zika syndrome with microcephaly in Colombia and Venezuela.

DESIGN, …

Property And Sovereignty: An Indian Reserve And A Canadian City

UBC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Egg Yolk On Piglet Growth Performance, Circulating Immunoglobulins, Biomarkers Of Intestinal Integrity, And Microbial Community, Kelly C. Moore

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A total of 72 crossbred pigs weaned at 24 days were assigned to a completely randomized design (CRD) arrangement of treatments to determine the effects of egg yolk on a nursery piglet’s growth performance, circulating immunoglobulins, biomarkers of intestinal integrity, and microbial community. Pigs were provided with spray-dried plasma (SDP), spray-dried egg yolk (SDEY), or a control diet. During Phase III, ADG was affected by treatment (P < 0.10). Pigs consuming the egg yolk diet had greater (P < 0.05) ADG vs. the plasma group for Phase III. Circulating immunoglobulins (IgA and IgG) were not affected by dietary treatment. C-reactive protein (CRP) and haptoglobin (Hp) concentrations remained constant during the experiment. Treatment did effect Glugacon like peptide-2 (GLP-2) concentration (P < 0.01) where pigs fed egg yolk had the greatest concentration. Microbial OTUs were similar among treatments (P > 0.8), but there were changes over time; from d 0 to Phase I and II there was an increase in diversity (P < 0.01) followed by a decrease in …

Antimicrobial Biomaterials And Sustainable Polymers From Renewable Biomass, Mitra Shiran Ganewatta

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, development of antimicrobial biomaterials and sustainable polymers from renewable biomass is described. In Chapter 1, an overview and recent development about sustainable polymers from renewable biomass, antimicrobial biomaterials and polymerization methods are given. Afterwards, the major research objectives of this doctoral research work are described.

Innovative cationic polymers containing pine resin sourced abietic acid is discussed in Chapter 2. The preparation of cationic compounds is conversed via a combination of Diels-Alder, catalytic esterification, quaternization and subsequent decoration of polycaprolactone that was prepared via ring-opening polymerization (ROP). Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity against a range of bacteria, biocompatibility with …

Determining The Effects Of Social Media Monitoring To Identify Potential Foodborne Illness In Southern Nevada, Lauren Diprete

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Foodborne illness, commonly referred to as food poisoning, affects an estimated 1 in 6 Americans every year, despite the fact that it is entirely preventable. Many cases of foodborne illness go unreported; however, better reporting leads to faster health department response and containment. Social media monitoring, using software to identify trends in social media posts, is a novel new tool that has been tested in a variety of public health fields with promising preliminary results. The Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) has employed social media monitoring software to identify potential foodborne illness within Southern Nevada. The purpose of this study …

Factors Affecting The Psychosocial Well-Being Of Orphan And Separated Children In Five Low- And Middle-Income Countries: Which Is More Important, Quality Or Form Of Care?, Hy V. Huynh

All Dissertations

This study employed a correlational design and examined the extent to which four components of quality of care (including food security, quality of shelter, quality of caregiving, and access to health care services) predicted psychosocial well-being of orphaned and separated children (OSC), as well as the extent to which these components of quality of care and key demographic factors, such as age, gender, and orphan status moderated the associations between care settings and psychosocial well-being of OSC. This study was an extension of Whetten et al.'s 2009 study that found psychosocial well-being was no worse for institution- than community-based OSC …

Risks, Protections, And Weight Status Among Springdale High School Students, Leanna Christine Gavin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the role of sociodemographic characteristics and various Social factors in determining BMI among adolescent high school students. In a sample of 1,493 students at a public high school in Springdale, Arkansas, disparities in body mass index across race/ethnicity, gender, and Social class were assessed. This project also examined risk and protective factors in the individual, peer, and family domains as they contributed to weight status outcomes and disparities. Using a quantitative approach, BMI outcomes were examined in a four-step multiple regression model, considering both main effects and interactions of race/ethnicity, class, and gender, as well as risk …

Borrelia Burgdorferi-Specific Iga In Lyme Disease, Christina D'Arco, Raymond Dattwyler, Paul Arnaboldi

NYMC Faculty Publications

The laboratory diagnosis of Lyme disease is currently dependent on the detection of IgM and IgG antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of the disease. The significance of serum IgA against B. burgdorferi remains unclear. The production of intrathecal IgA has been noted in patients with the late Lyme disease manifestation, neuroborreliosis, but production of antigen-specific IgA during early disease has not been evaluated. In the current study, we assessed serum IgA binding to the B. burgdorferi peptide antigens, C6, the target of the FDA-cleared C6 EIA, and FlaB(211-223)-modVlsE(275-291), a peptide containing a Borrelia flagellin epitope linked to a …

Pulmonary Hypertension Management Challenges In Pediatric Age Group, Rajamma Mathew

NYMC Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Hyper Ige Syndrome And Renal Cell Carcinoma, N Patel, Mark J. Ferretti, John L. Phillips

NYMC Faculty Publications

Hyper IgE Syndrome (HIES) is an immunodeficiency disorder characterized by increased serum levels of IgE, eczema, and recurrent cutaneous and pulmonary infections. In this report, we present, to our knowledge, the first documented case of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) found in a patient with HIES. The patient received infectious disease clearance prior to obtaining a partial nephrectomy which revealed clear cell histology. Both HIES and RCC have an immunological basis for their pathophysiology and may involve common pathways. Further studies may provide insight into any possible link and clinicians should be mindful of immunocompromised patients who present with risk factors …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Child, Family, And Community Factors And Early Childhood Oral Health And The Utilization Of Dental Health Services, Nicole Holt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background / Objective: Children under the age of 5 years bear a disproportionate burden of oral disease. The aim of this study is to investigate how child, family, and community determinants impact dental care utilization, and parental report of child’s oral health. Methods: Data for this study came from the 2011/2012 National Survey of Children’s Health for children aged 1 to 5 years old. Dependent variables evaluated were if the child had an oral health problem, been to a dentist in the past year, and parents description of the child’s teeth. Independent variables were selected from child, family, and community …

Comparative Evaluation Of The Antibacterial, Anti-Biofilm And Anti-Spore Effects Of Theaflavins And Palmitoyl-Egcg, Gabriella M. Appice

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Tea, one of the most common beverages, originates from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Two major groups of tea are fermented black tea and unfermented green tea. Theaflavins (TFs) are the major polyphenols present in black tea, while mono-palmitoyl-epigallocatechin-gallate (pEGCG) is a modified green tea polyphenol. In this study, the antibacterial effects of TF and pEGCG were evaluated against six selected bacteria, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus mutans, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus vulgaris, using an antibacterial assay. A viability assay using SYTOX® staining and flow cytometry was also used to determine the effect of these compounds …

Eliminating Wrong Blood Transfusions - Recent Advances, Farheen Karim, Salman Naseem Adil

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

No abstract provided.

Psychosocial Challenges Facing Women Living With Hiv During The Perinatal Period In Rural Uganda, Scholastic Ashaba, Angela Kaida, Jessica N. Coleman, Bridget F. Burns, Emma Dunkley, Kasey O'Neil, Jasmine Kastner, Naomi Sanyu, Cecilia Akatukwasa, David R. Bangsberg, Lynn T. Matthews, Christina Psaros

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

The complexities of navigating pregnancy while living with HIV predispose women to additional stress. Finding ways to minimize psychosocial challenges during the perinatal period may maximize the well-being of mothers living with HIV and their children. The goal of this study was to explore psychosocial challenges experienced by women living with HIV (WLWH) during pregnancy and the postpartum.

We conducted individual in-depth interviews with 20 WLWH recruited from an HIV treatment cohort study in Mbarara, Uganda as part of a larger study exploring perinatal depression. We conducted content analyses to identify themes related to challenges of WLWH during pregnancy and …

Part (I): Synthesis, Characterization And Antibacterial Activity Of Vanadium(V) Complexes With Ons Schiff Bases Part (Ii): Synthesis Of 9-Cd₃-11-Cis-Retinal For The Investigation Of The Activation Mechanism Of Gpcr Rhodopsin By Solid-State ²H Nmr Spectroscopy, Samira M. Faylough

Theses and Dissertations

Vanadium compounds are known to play many roles in both biology and industry, and the biochemical activity of these compounds has led to their increased importance in both biological and medical research. In the present work, some new substituents for hydrazinecarbodithioate Schiff base ligands and their dioxo vanadium(V) complexes were synthesized and characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, DART mass, FT-IR, UV-vis, fluorescence spectrometer, and single X-ray diffraction analysis for complex K[VO₂{(S-benzyl-3-(2-hydroxy-5-nitrophenyl) methylene dithiocarbazate)}] (212). Dioxovanadium(V) complexes K[VO₂{(S-methyl-3-(2-hydroxy-5-nitrophenyl)methylenedithiocarbazate)}] (211) and 212 have been tested for antibacterial activity against Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei strains. Ceftazidime was used as a reference …

Improved Survival After Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease Diagnosis In The Modern Era, H Khoury, T Wang, Michael T. Hemmer, D Couriel, A Alousi, Mitchell Cairo, J Pidala

NYMC Faculty Publications

Acute graft-versus-host disease remains a major threat to a successful outcome after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. While improvements in treatment and supportive care have occurred, it is unknown whether these advances have resulted in improved outcome specifically among those diagnosed with acute graft-versus-host disease. We examined outcome following diagnosis of grade II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease according to time period, and explored effects according to original graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis regimen and maximum overall grade of acute graft-versus-host disease. Between 1999 and 2012, 2,905 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (56%), acute lymphoblastic …

Differences In Speb Protease Activity Among Group A Streptococci Associated With Superficial, Invasive, And Autoimmune Disease, A Ly, J Noto, O Walwyn, R Tanz, S Shulman, W Kabat, Debra Bessen

NYMC Faculty Publications

The secreted cysteine proteinase SpeB is an important virulence factor of group A streptococci (GAS), whereby SpeB activity varies widely among strains. To establish the degree to which SpeB activity correlates with disease, GAS organisms were recovered from patients with pharyngitis, impetigo, invasive disease or acute rheumatic fever (ARF), and selected for analysis using rigorous sampling criteria; >300 GAS isolates were tested for SpeB activity by casein digestion assays, and each GAS isolate was scored as a SpeB-producer or non-producer. Highly significant statistical differences (p < 0.01) in SpeB production are observed between GAS recovered from patients with ARF (41.5% SpeB-non-producers) compared to pharyngitis (20.5%), invasive disease (16.7%), and impetigo (5.5%). SpeB activity differences between pharyngitis and impetigo isolates are also significant, whereas pharyngitis versus invasive isolates show no significant difference. The disproportionately greater number of SpeB-non-producers among ARF-associated isolates may indicate an altered transcriptional program for many rheumatogenic strains and/or a protective role for SpeB in GAS-triggered autoimmunity.

Translational Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Modeling And Simulation In The Development Of Spectinamides, A Novel Class Of Anti-Tuberculosis Agents, Chetan Rathi

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

New chemotherapeutic agents are urgently needed to control the spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) forms of tuberculosis, which still remains an important public health challenge globally. Recently, spectinamides have emerged as a novel class of anti-tuberculosis agents that overcomethe native drug efflux. Spectinamides bind to the 30S bacterial ribosomal subunit which interferes with ribosomal translocation, and ultimately results in inhibition of protein synthesis. They have potent in vitro activity against drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), and also demonstrated sustained efficacy in (Mtb)-infected mouse models. Pharmacokinetic (PK)/ pharmacodynamic (PD) analyses play a critical role in identifying …

Evidence Of Strain Structure In Plasmodium Falciparum Var Gene Repertoires In Children From Gabon, West Africa, K Day, Y Artzy-Randrup, K Tiedje, V Rougeron, Donald S. Chen, T Rask, M Rorick, F Migot-Nabias, P Deloron, A Luty, M Pascual

NYMC Faculty Publications

Existing theory on competition for hosts between pathogen strains has proposed that immune selection can lead to the maintenance of strain structure consisting of discrete, weakly overlapping antigenic repertoires. This prediction of strain theory has conceptual overlap with fundamental ideas in ecology on niche partitioning and limiting similarity between coexisting species in an ecosystem, which oppose the hypothesis of neutral coexistence. For Plasmodium falciparum, strain theory has been specifically proposed in relation to the major surface antigen of the blood stage, known as PfEMP1 and encoded by the multicopy multigene family known as the var genes. Deep sampling of the …

A Novel Role For Osteopontin In Facilitating West Nile Virus Neuroinvasion, Amber M. Paul

Dissertations

West Nile virus (WNV) is a positive-sensed, single-stranded RNA flavivirus that can cause human neuroinvasive diseases, including encephalitis, meningitis, and flaccid paralysis. The mechanisms by which WNV enters the central nervous system and the host-factors that are involved in WNV-neuroinvasiveness are not completely understood. Osteopontin (OPN), a multifunctional glycoprotein, has been implicated as a bio-marker for a number of neuroinflammatory diseases. In particular, secreted (s)OPN has been implicated to participate in recruitment of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) to sites of its expression, while PMNs have been suggested to act as WNV reservoirs. Therefore, sOPN recruitment of PMNs may contribute to neuroinvasive …

Elucidating The Role Of Interleukin-17a In West Nile Virus Infection, Dhiraj Acharya

Dissertations

West Nile virus (WNV) is a neurotropic flavivirus of significant public health importance for which no therapeutics and vaccine are currently available. Interleukin-17A (IL-17A) is an inflammatory cytokine that regulates diverse immune functions, while its role is unclear in host’s immune response to WNV. Furthermore, CD8⁺ T cells are crucial components of immunity and play a vital role in recovery from WNV infection. Here, we report a previously unrecognized function of IL-17A in regulating CD8⁺ T cell cytotoxicity. We show that WNV induces the expression of IL-17A in both mouse splenocytes and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells cultured …

Study Of Rickettsia Parkeri Colonization And Proliferation In The Tick Host Amblyomma Maculatum (Acari: Ixodidae), Khemraj Budachetri

Dissertations

Amblyomma maculatum (Gulf coast tick) ticks are prevalent across the Atlantic to Gulf Coast region of United States. These ticks are recognized vectors of Rickettsia parkeri, a spotted fever group of Rickettsia (SFGR) known to cause American boutonneuse fever associated with fever and eschar rashes localized to the site of bites. We hypothesized that Rickettsia parkeri colonization and proliferation in the tick vector involve pathogen-symbiont dynamics and tick-pathogen interactions, which influence rickettsial transmission to the victims after tick bites. The rickettsial infection is maintained across the tick life cycle for many generations due to transovarial and transstadial transmission of …

Emergence Of Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia Nosocomial Isolates In A Saudi Children’S Hospital: Risk Factors And Clinical Characteristics, Jobran M. Alqahtani

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To describe the clinical characteristics of pediatric patients colonized or infected by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (S. maltophilia) at a Saudi children’s hospital, to identify risk factors associated with infection, and to investigate the antimicrobial resistance patterns of this emerging pathogen. Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, 64 non-duplicating S. maltophilia strains were isolated in Najran Maternity and Children’s Hospital, Najran, Saudi Arabia between January 2015 to February 2016. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the reference broth microdilution method. Results: In this study, 48 (75%) isolates were identified in true infections and 16 (25%) isolates were considered colonization. The main …

Improved Survival After Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease Diagnosis In The Modern Era., Hanna J. Khoury, Tao Wang, Michael T. Hemmer, Daniel Couriel, Amin Alousi, Corey Cutler, Mahmoud Aljurf, Joseph H Antin, Mouhab Ayas, Minoo Battiwalla, Jean-Yves Cahn, Mitchell Cairo, Yi-Bin Chen, Robert Peter Gale, Shahrukh Hashmi, Robert J. Hayashi, Madan Jagasia, Mark Juckett, Rammurti T. Kamble, Mohamed Kharfan-Dabaja, Mark Litzow, Navneet Majhail, Alan Miller, Taiga Nishihori, Muna Qayed, Helene Schoemans, Harry C. Schouten, Gerard Socie, Jan Storek, Leo Verdonck, Ravi Vij, William A. Wood, Lolie Yu, Rodrigo Martino, Matthew Carabasi, Christopher Dandoy, Usama Gergis, Peiman Hematti, Melham Solh, Kareem Jamani, Leslie Lehmann, Bipin Savani, Kirk R. Schultz, Baldeep M. Wirk, Stephen Spellman, Mukta Arora, Joseph Pidala

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

A cute graft-versus-host disease remains a major threat to a successful outcome after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. While improvements in treatment and supportive care have occurred, it is unknown whether these advances have resulted in improved outcome specifically among those diagnosed with acute graft-versus-host disease. We examined outcome following diagnosis of grade II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease according to time period, and explored effects according to original graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis regimen and maximum overall grade of acute graft-versus-host disease. Between 1999 and 2012, 2,905 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (56%), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (30%) or myelodysplastic syndromes (14%) received a sibling …

Real-Time Analysis Of Hydrogen Peroxide In Staphylococcus Aureus By Secm, Yang Cundi, Li Zhonghai, Ren Jiali

Food and Machinery

The typical bacterial membrane in the food industry (Staphylococcus aureus film) was chose to explore the single bacterial membrane in the formation of bacteria, and the production of their own activities with redox activity during the membrane formation and growth process was investigated. Comparing with the real-time changes of the bacterial membrane, the change of the redox activity was also studied to find the mechanism of controlling the bacterial pollution in the food industry. The real-time monitoring of catalase in Staphylococcus aureus membrane was carried out by analyzing the peak current obtained from the bacterial membrane of different culture periods. …