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Spatio-Temporal Analysis Of Childhood Retinoblastoma And Cns Tumors In Kentucky, From 1995 Through 2014, Jennifer A. Khoury

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Objectives

Childhood cancer poses a significant public health burden, both globally and in the United States (US). The most common childhood cancers affect the brain and central nervous system (CNS). Age-adjusted childhood brain tumor (CBT) incidence rates in Kentucky are larger than in the rest of the US; these rates are also higher in Appalachian Kentucky than in the rest of the state. This study determined if high-rate clusters of either CNS tumor or retinoblastoma existed in Kentucky.

Methods

Data for this study were retrieved from the Kentucky Cancer Registry for the years 1995 through 2014. Cases were individuals between …

Evaluation A Depression Treatment Program On Hiv Care And Mental Health Outcomes In Malawi, Project Soar

HIV and AIDS

This brief outlines a Project SOAR study which will provide critical evidence on the feasibility, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of an integrated depression treatment model for improving retention in and adherence to HIV care in Malawi. Among people initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART), those with depression are a large and especially vulnerable population. Depression affects 18–30 percent of patients receiving HIV care in Africa and is an important barrier to early ART retention. Evidence revealed by the study will have implications not only for the applicability of the model in Malawi but for other countries in sub-Saharan Africa as well.

Posterior Estimates Of Dynamic Constants In Hiv Transmission Modeling, Yingqing Chen, Renee Dale, Hongyu He, Quoc Anh T. Le

Faculty Publications

In this paper, we construct a linear differential system in both continuous time and discrete time to model HIV transmission on the population level. The main question is the determination of parameters based on the posterior information obtained from statistical analysis of the HIV population. We call these parameters dynamic constants in the sense that these constants determine the behavior of the system in various models. There is a long history of using linear or nonlinear dynamic systems to study the HIV population dynamics or other infectious diseases. Nevertheless, the question of determining the dynamic constants in the system has …

The Microbiome Of Neotropical Ticks Parasitizing On Passerine Migratory Birds, Khemraj Budachetri, Jaclyn Williams, Nabanita Mukherjee, Michael Sellers, Shahid Karim

Faculty Publications

Seasonal migration of passerine birds between temperate North America and tropical Central and South America is an ecological phenomenon. Migration of birds has been associated with the introduction of ectoparasites like ticks or tick-borne pathogens across the avian migration routes. In this study, the microbial diversity was determined in the ticks and bird DNA samples using 454 pyrosequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Tick DNA samples showed the dominance of genera Lactococcus, Francisella, Raoultella, Wolbachiaand Rickettsia across all the ticks, but birds DNA did not share common microbial diversity with ticks. Furthermore, “Candidatus Rickettsia amblyommii” …

Reagents And Tools To Identify Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus-2, Meghan Syrstad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to define monoclonal antibodies against viral proteins from Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (EHDV) to be used in quality control of vaccines produced by an industrial partner, and development of tools to identify EHDV. EHDV is an Orbivirus, which also includes Bluetongue Virus and African Horse Sickness, which are all transmitted through arthropod vectors. EHDV causes significant morbidity and mortality in white-tailed deer, but has recently been found to infect cattle. EHDV recently caused significant outbreaks affecting both the farmed and wild cervid industry, however few reagents and tools exist to protect against this disease …

A Cost-Effectiveness Study Of The Quadrivalent Hpv6/11/16/18 Vaccination In A Two-Dose Scheme In Girls Of 9-11 Years Old Compared To Bivalent Hpv 16/18 Vaccination In Ecuador And Challenges For Public Health And Screening, Maria-Isabel Roldos, Isabel Espinosa, Amit Kulkarni, Matthew Pillsbury, Andrew Pavelyev, Homero A. Monsanto, Diego Guarin, Miguel Cashat-Cruz

Publications and Research

Abstract

Aims: Assess the incremental cost-effectiveness of the quadrivalent HPV6/11/16/18 vaccination as administered in a two-dose scheme to girls between 9 and 11 years old, as compared to the bivalent HPV 16/18 vaccination administered in Ecuador, and to estimate the cost-saving of preventing GW while preventing cervical cancer with both vaccines.

Study Design: We used a previously developed transmission dynamic mathematical model to evaluate the impact of routine vaccination of 9-11 year-old females. The model assumed coverage of 90% for two doses of HPV6/11/16/18 vaccine at international price rates versus HPV16/18 vaccine and costs for genital warts treatment. Other simulation …

Common Trend In Wic And Non Wic Breastfeeding Rate: A Cointegration Approach Of Panel And Time Series Data, Nazia Azim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the trend of WIC (Women Infants and Children) and non WIC breastfeeding rates in U.S.A. WIC is a special supplemental nutrition program by USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). Time and panel data series have been used for 50 states of U.S.A and D.C (District of Columbia) to analyze the common trend between the two breastfeeding rates (time series data for 35 years and panel data series for 28 years). To determine the common trend, I used residual based cointegration for time series and recently developed error correction based cointegration for panel data series. I also constructed …

Senecavirus A: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis And Infection Dynamics, Lok Raj Joshi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Senecavirus A (SVA) is a positive sense single-stranded virus that belongs to the genus Senecavirus within the family Picornaviridae. Senecavirus has been present in US swine population since 1988. However, there have been only a few reports of SVA associated with disease in last two decades. In late 2014 early 2015, a sudden increase in the number of cases of Senecavirus A associated with vesicular disease was observed in Brazil, the US and China. Affected pigs presented vesicles on snout, coronary band, and dewclaw. Additionaly, increased neonatal mortality has been reported in the field. Many aspects of SVA epidemiology, …

Do College Students Perceive Stigma The Same Way Experts Do? An Experimental Test Of Lay Perceptions Of Body-Size Stigma, Andie Malterud

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Personal experience with weight-based stigma is negatively associated with selfesteem (Myers & Rosen, 1999). This study examined how self-esteem is affected by exposure to weight-based stigma communication that is directed at another person. Using Smith’s (2007a) stigma communication framework, I created a 2 (Stigma Level: high, low) x 2 (Gender of stigmatized person: male, female) x 2 (Body Size of stigmatized person: large, small) posttest-only experiment. Participants’ self-esteem was not impacted after viewing stigmatizing messages directed at another person. This suggests that selfesteem is more stable than some researchers indicate (Wagner, Lüdtke, and Trautwein, 2016). My results suggest that stigma …

Teaching The Hipaa Privacy Rule, Stacey A. Tovino

Saint Louis University Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Prescriber Adherence To Guideline-Based Treatment Pathways Of A Newly Initiated Antimicrobial Stewardship Program At A Rehabilitation Hospital, Christie Bertram

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Background: Inappropriate use of antimicrobials in the healthcare setting is associated with consequences including antimicrobial resistance, Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), adverse drug reactions, and increased healthcare costs. To combat this, hospitals are creating antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) which seek to optimize antimicrobial utilization. To date, no studies have been done to assess adherence to an ASP in a rehabilitation hospital setting. The objective of this study is to evaluate prescriber compliance to treatment pathways for common infections before and after ASP implementation.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients admitted to the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana (RHI) who …

An Exploration Of Dance Therapy, Its Origins, And Its Applications In Parkinson’S Disease, Emilia Floody

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Throughout history, dance has been used as a means of promoting health and wellbeing and for healing the sick. These practices date back to some of the earliest Neolithic societies with the advent of the circle dance in shamanistic cultures and continue into today’s society. Notable examples of healing dances include dances devoted to Apollo in ancient Greek culture, the dancing manias of medieval Europe, and the tarantism of southern Italy that dates back to the fourteenth century. Today, the primary role of dance in healing is the use of dance/movement therapy which, according to the website of the American …

Determining The Effects Of Methanol, Ethanol, Isopropanol, And Glycerol On Both Thermal Stability And Catalytic Activity Of Rv0045c, An Enzyme From M. Tuberculosis, Katelyn Baumer

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly infectious respiratory disease contracted through the inhalation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Serine hydrolases are abundant in M. tuberculosis and serve as a model for studying the inhibition of TB. Rv0045c is an example of such with little known regarding its biological function. Rv0045c was exposed to methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, or glycerol and the effects of varying concentration of these alcohols on the catalytic efficiency and thermal stability of the enzyme was determined. The thermal stability of Rv0045c was found to decrease with concentration of methanol, ethanol, or isopropanol. The opposite was true of the thermal stability …

Optimization Of Growth Conditions Of "Eubacterium Hallii" As A Potential Probiotics, Sampurna Guhathakurta

Wayne State University Theses

ABSTRACT

OPTIMIZATION OF GROWTH CONDITIONS OF “Eubacterium hallii” AS A POTENTIAL PROBIOTICS

by

SAMPURNA GUHATHAKURTA

May 2017

Advisor: Dr. Kequan Zhou

Major: Nutrition and Food Science

Degree: Master of Science

Probiotics are becoming popular to a greater extent over the past two decades for their potential benefits on human health. Therefore, they are widely used in the food industry by incorporation into food products. Nowadays, there are a lot of probiotics which are famous in the market. In this study, the strain of Eubacterium hallii was used because it has a significant importance in the pharmaceutical or food industry especially …

Realizing The Potential Of Cancer Prevention - The Role Of Implementation Science, Karen M. Emmons, Graham A. Colditz

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Topoisomerase Ii Inhibitors Induce Dna Damage-Dependent Interferon Responses Circumventing Ebola Virus Immune Evasion, Priya Luthra, Sebastian Aguirre, Benjamin C. Yen, Colette A. Pietzsch, Maria T. Sanchez-Aparicio, Bersabeh Tigabu, Lorraine K. Morlock, Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, Daisy W. Leung, Noelle S. Williams, Ana Fernandez-Sesma, Alexander Bukreyev, Christopher F. Basler

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Esterase Mutation Is A Mechanism Of Resistance To Antimalarial Compounds, Eva S. Istvan, Jeremy P. Mallari, Victoria C. Corey, Neekesh V. Dharia, Garland R. Marshall, Elizabeth A. Winzeler, Daniel E. Goldberg

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Dietary Factors On Child Food Allergies, Jessica A. Shaw

Honors Theses and Capstones

Solid food introduction guidelines were recently amended to suggest that earlier introduction of peanuts is associated with a decreased prevalence of peanut allergies in high-risk children. This study aimed to determine whether there is a relationship between timing of introduction to the eight most common food allergens and the development of a food allergy. A total of 177 biological mothers of school-aged New Hampshire children completed the survey, but some were excluded due to answering <50% of the survey or not consenting to participate in the study. This left data on 101 participants, and the number of participants then varied between the various food allergens. Out of the 22 children with a milk allergy, 10 children were introduced to milk when they were less than 12 months old and 12 children were introduced at or after one year old. Fifty-nine percent of those introduced before 12 months of age developed a milk allergy, while only 17% of those introduced at or past 12 months developed a milk allergy (p = 0.00). Out of the 55 participants that developed a peanut/tree nut allergy, 12 were introduced to peanuts/tree nuts before the age of 12 months, and 43 introduced after. This means that 63% of those introduced before a year developed an allergy, while only 33% introduced later developed an allergy (p = 0.01). Although not significant, the results for egg, wheat, and peanut also demonstrated that earlier introduction may be associated with an increased risk of an allergy to that food. When only one child per family was considered, to exclude genetic confounders, the only significant value was for a milk allergy, in which 64% of children introduced before 12 months developed a food allergy, while only 18% of children introduced at or after 12 months developed one (p = 0.00). Results were similar even after the exclusion of child one and two. The results of this study concur with the recommendation of introducing milk after one year, but do not support earlier introduction to other food allergens in the general population.

Power, Deviance, Stigma, And Control: A Sociological Reconceptualization Of Sexuality Within Social Work Services, Richard A. Brandon-Friedman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Despite shared societal and historical origins, sociology and social work have had a contentious relationship, leading some to suggest the two disciplines are inherently incompatible. This article challenges that assertion by examining how sociological conceptions of deviance, power, stigma, and control can contribute to more just social work services, particularly in the contentious area of adolescent sexuality. As respected social agents, social workers can play a role in counteracting the forces that alienate outsiders. By understanding how sociological theories contribute to their ability to contest the social discourse regarding sexuality, social workers can challenge social norms and work with clients …

Using Rna Seq To Define Genes And Pathways Affecting Salmonella Vaccine Response In Beef Cattle, Sara Awrahman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A Salmonella siderophore receptor and porin (SRP) proteins vaccine is an intervention strategy to control Salmonella burden in cattle. The vaccine works by stimulating immunity to produce antibodies against bacterial SRPs as siderophore molecules play a major role in transporting iron to bacteria. Blocking iron uptake system by antibodies causes death of bacterial cells. The vaccine can also be useful to protect humans against salmonellosis, which causes high rates of illness and death annually, by reducing shedding of Salmonella in the feces of cattle. Though other researchers have evaluated efficacy and immune response of this Salmonella SRP vaccine, genes …

Introduction Of Peanuts To The Pediatric Patient, Leslee Graff

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Peanut allergies have been diagnosed exponentially over the last ten-years and are more severe now than ever before. (DuToit et al. 2106) Some of the latest statistics are citing more than double the amount of peanut allergies diagnosed in the last few years. Guidelines set forth in 2010, by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology stated that peanut, milk, soy, wheat, egg, and other tree nuts were to be avoided until three years of age, unless these patients have other chronic illnesses such as asthma or other atopic conditions. If so, the patient is to abstain from these …

Characterization Of The Immune Stimulating Properties Of Type Iii Secretion System Needle Protein Bscf From Bordetella Pertussis: Towards The Development Of A New Acellular Pertussis Vaccine, Travis Douglas Alvine

Theses and Dissertations

Despite widespread vaccination, Bordetella pertussis, the causative agent of whooping cough, is still a threat to global health. One cause of pertussis reemergence observed in many countries is ineffective immunity generated by the current acellular pertussis (aP) vaccines. Interestingly, recent studies have shown that TLR stimulating agents can enhance aP vaccine induced immunity. Type III secretion (T3S) system needle proteins from many gram-negative bacteria have been shown to be strong TLR agonists that induce NF-B/AP-1 signaling and promote inflammatory cytokine release from innate cells in vitro. In this study, we investigated the immune modulating properties of BscF, a purified T3S …

Bankruptcy's Role In The Growing Dilemma Of Self-Bonding In The Coal Industry, Jeanna Heard

Emory Bankruptcy Developments Journal

Long-standing regulations mandate that coal companies post bonds for land restoration after mining operations are complete. However, coal companies can use financial liquidity to satisfy these bonds, known as self-bonding. Companies are using the fiscal strength of subsidiaries instead of their own accounts to self-bond. Ultimately, a company can appear financially healthy enough to qualify for reclamation bonds, but in the face of a declining industry it may not have enough cash to cover full clean-up of mining sites. Bankruptcy highlights the insufficiency of such reclamation procedures and the supporting bonding process. The author evaluates several ways to cope with …

Part 3: The Scourge Of Opioids In The Commonwealth, Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Commonwealth Reports

Opioid-related deaths have skyrocketed in the Commonwealth and the United States. Almost three-quarters of those who abuse opioids start with a legitimate prescription. We investigate the rise of fentanyl as the primary cause of overdose fatalities and compare opioid practices in the United States with other industrialized countries. We estimate the costs of the opioid crisis and ask what steps can be taken to help those currently addicted and to prevent future deaths.

Remedying Stigma-Driven Health Disparities In Sexual Minorities, Valarie K. Blake

Law Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Predicting Hiv Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Efficacy For Women Using A Preclinical Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic In Vivo Model, Angela Wahl, Phong T. Ho, Paul W. Denton, Katy L. Garrett, Michael G. Hudgens, Glenn Swartz, Cynthia O'Neill, Fulvia Veronese, Angela D. Kashuba, J. Victor Garcia

Biology Faculty Publications

The efficacy of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) relies on adherence and may also depend on the route of HIV acquisition. Clinical studies of systemic tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) PrEP revealed reduced efficacy in women compared to men with similar degrees of adherence. To select the most effective PrEP strategies, preclinical studies are critically needed to establish correlations between drug concentrations (pharmacokinetics [PK]) and protective efficacy (pharmacodynamics [PD]). We utilized an in vivo preclinical model to perform a PK-PD analysis of systemic TDF PrEP for vaginal HIV acquisition. TDF PrEP prevented vaginal HIV acquisition in a dose-dependent manner. PK-PD modeling of …

The Free Exercise Of Religious Identity, Lauren Sudeall Lucas

Faculty Publications By Year

In recent years, a particular strain of argument has arisen in response to decisions by courts or the government to extend certain rights to others. Grounded in religious freedom, these arguments suggest that individuals have a right to operate businesses or conduct their professional roles in a manner that conforms to their religious identity. For example, as courts and legislatures have extended the right to marry to same-sex couples, court clerks have refused to issue marriage certificates to such couples, claiming that to do so would violate their religious beliefs. Similarly, corporations have refused, for reasons grounded in religious identity, …

Nitrosative Stress Sensing In Porphyromonas Gingivalis: Structure And Function Of The Heme Binding Transcriptional Regulator Hcpr, Benjamin R. Belvin

Theses and Dissertations

Porphyromonas gingivalis, a Gram negative anaerobe implicated in the progression of periodontal disease, is capable of surviving and causing infection despite high levels of reactive nitrogen species found in the oral cavity due to its efficient nitrosative stress response. HcpR is an important sensor-regulator that plays a vital step in the initiation of the nitrosative stress response in many Gram negative anaerobic bacteria. We employ a combination of X-ray crystallography, SAXS, resonance Raman spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and molecular biology techniques to better understand this key regulator. Knockout of the hcpR gene in W83 P. gingivalis results in the inability of …

The Global Epidemiology Of Tourist Fatalities, Caley Reid

Master of Education in Applied Human Development Graduate Projects

With the yearly increase of travelers around the world, tourist fatalities continue to rise. As seen before with infectious diseases, the proper evaluation of the diseases causing tourist mortality and the creation of effective preventive plans has helped to decrease tourist mortality from these ailments. The objective of this study is to identify the types of pre-death activities leading to trauma-based tourist fatalities, contributing factors in fatal incidents, and the demographic trends of the tourist fatalities. The findings reinforce industry trends from previous studies, implying that the creation of a tourist fatality database would have large levels of effectiveness in …

Investigation Of Hsp90 Structure-Activity Relationships In Epigallocatechin Gallate, Arpita Patel

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

(-)-Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a polyphenolic natural product that inhibits the key chaperone protein Hsp90 by binding to the carboxy terminal portion of the protein. The natural product has modest activity as an Hsp90 inhibitor and there is little information in the literature on structure activity relationships for EGCG analogs. Previous studies from this laboratory provided initial data on the effect of a limited range of changes associated with functional groups, substituents and stereochemistry. The focus of this research is to explore these initial results in more detail with a focus on the synthesis of EGCG analogs with more drug …