Digital Commons Network^™

Barriers To Preventive Healthcare For Immigrants In Michigan, Sondos Ghazi Al-Hachim

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Affordable Care Act expanded insurance coverage to the general population; however, expanding insurance coverage to immigrants might not be sufficient to improve utilization of annual physical preventive exams. This study evaluated adult Michigan immigrants' individual demographics, perceptions, and behaviors, as well as the collective cultural and system characteristics that might act as barriers to the utilization of annual physical preventive exams. Ken Wilber's integral operating system model for medicine conceptual framework was used to create a comprehensive map of factors and bring more clarity and understanding to the barriers to annual physical preventive exam. The quantitative survey was the …

Exploring The Strategies To Implement A Sustainable Energy Program In Hong Kong Public Hospitals, Terry Ting

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Healthcare is one of the most energy-intensive industries because of its 24 hour-a-day and 7-days-a-week operation model. Climate change, due to environmental pollution, has increased the incidence of respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, which further overload the financial burden of our healthcare system. The National Health Service Sustainable Development Unit suggested that a sustainable healthcare sector also requires using their resources in an efficient and responsible way. Hong Kong public hospitals are facing this problem along with high energy expenditure. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple site case study was to explore strategies for Hong Kong's public hospital leaders …

Improving Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Uptake Among Health Care Workers, Debra Gray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Yearly influenza (flu) immunization rates for hospital healthcare workers (HCW) continue to be lower than those suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. Vaccination is considered a valuable step in the process to protect patients against influenza infection. The goal of Healthy People 2020, and most hospital administrators, is that 90% of HCWs are being immunized. The objectives for this systematic literature review were to identify best practice recommendations for improving the vaccine rate among HCWs. The Cochrane methodology framed this systematic review, and Fineout-Overholt's and Melnyk's levels of evidence were used to evaluate the …

Hiv Testing Practices And Provider-Identified Barriers In The Acute Care Setting, Alex Ariri

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations to test patients ages 13 to 64 years for HIV at health care settings, routine HIV testing is lacking. As a result, many people are unaware of their HIV seropositive status. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine relationships between HIV testing and provider type, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding HIV testing in the acute care setting. The study was informed by social cognitive theory. Using a convenient sampling method, a questionnaire derived from previous surveys (Society of General Internal Medicine and University of Washington) was sent to …

Social Network And Health Seeking Behavior Of Men Of West African Descent, Opeyemi Odewale

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Men are less likely than women to seek help from health services providers regarding the health issues they face. In the United States, of the various race/ethnicity populations, Black American men are least likely to seek health related help, which is reflected in the substantially higher mortality and morbidity rates in Black American men compared to other populations. Guided by the social epidemiological framework, this study examined the relationship between social network measure and health help-seeking behavior among foreign-born and U.S.-born Black American men of West African descent residing in the state of Rhode Island. A cross-sectional study design with …

Assessment Of Postoperative And Postdischarge Wound Infection After Abdominal Hysterectomy, Jinni J. Amin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Surgical site infection (SSI) is the most common healthcare-associated infection. Approximately 2% to 14% of surgical patients are diagnosed with SSI, which may extend length of stay in the hospital or lead to readmission and may necessitate another surgical procedure. Patient readmission due to SSI costs health care industries about $3,000 to $29,000 per case and a total of $10 billion per year. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional retrospective study was to examine the association between SSI and teaching status, hospital ownership, and number of beds in the hospital. The epidemiological triad was used as a framework to describe …

Understanding The Importance Of Culturally Appropriate Patient-Provider Communication In Diabetes Self-Management, Anita Mwalui

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29.1 million people in the United States have diabetes. Among those 29.1 million people, 21 million have been diagnosed, but 8.1 million have not. Changing demographics in the United States and the prevalence of diabetes are projected to be burdens on the health care system through 2050. Guided by the social cognitive theory, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the importance of culturally appropriate patient-provider communication to the self-management of Type 2 diabetes by patients who are African immigrants. Culturally based health care has unique challenges when …

Implementing A Patient Hand-Hygiene Protocol To Decrease Clostridium Difficile Infections In The Acute Care Setting, Lydia S. Mendez

DNP Projects

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop and implement a patient hand hygiene protocol (PHHP) to improve patient outcomes, specifically to decrease the rates of clostridium difficile infections (CDI) at Norton Hospital (NH) and Norton Audubon Hospital (NAH) in Louisville, Kentucky.

METHODS: This was a multi-center, quasi-experimental study that implemented a PHHP on three units at two hospitals in the Norton Healthcare system. The sample consisted of 159 patients in the pre-intervention period and 18 patients in the intervention period. A retrospective records review was performed to analyze specific demographic variables.

RESULTS: No differences in age and gender …

The Impact Of Nursing Staff Adherence With Chlorhexidine Gluconate Bathing On Intensive Care Unit Patient Outcomes, Tara M. Jones

DNP Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate nursing staff adherence to a chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing protocol in the intensive care unit at Norton Brownsboro Hospital.

Methods: This study utilized a single-site, quasi-experimental, retrospective electronic medical record review format. The sample consisted of 200 patient records post CHG bathing protocol initiation from the Norton Brownsboro Hospital Intensive Care Unit during the period of March, 2015 to May, 2017.

Results: The sample was divided into adherent and non-adherent groups. No significant differences in age, sex, race, ICU length of stay (LOS), BMI, or mortality scores, presence of indwelling medical …

A Gap Analysis On Vaccine Administration For Average And High-Risk Adults, Whitney Pack Metcalfe

DNP Projects

Background: Nationally adult immunization rates continue to fall below the current benchmark goals. It is estimated adult vaccinations range from 20 to 60 percent, depending on the vaccine. There are different vaccine schedules for those of average-risk compared to those with high-risk conditions. Providers are being encouraged to explore their administration of vaccines as preventable, communicable diseases continue to be seen. Objectives: In a primary care clinic, a gap analysis was conducted to: 1.) Determine adult immunization rates, 2.) Compare vaccine administration rates of the Tdap, PCV13, PPSV23, and influenza vaccines between average and high-risk adults, 3.) Determine if specific …

An Evaluation Of Provider Adherence To Adult Sinusitis Quality Measures And Guideline, Caitlin A. Davidson

DNP Projects

Purpose

The purpose of this project is to evaluate adherence to Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) Measures #331 (delaying antibiotic treatment until at least seven days of symptoms) and #332 (prescribing amoxicillin or amoxicillin/clavulanate) on adult sinusitis treatment. Data was collected from patient encounters at the University of Kentucky College of Nursing Community Health Center (UKCONCHC) in Wilmore, Kentucky. To adhere to these quality measures would foster antibiotic stewardship. Further statistical analysis was completed to determine if gender or age bias was present in prescribing practices.

Methods

A retrospective chart audit was conducted to determine adherence to the quality measures. …

Adult Acute Sinusitis Antimicrobial Stewardship Program In A Primary Care Setting, Katelyn M. Hellman

DNP Projects

BACKGROUND: Inappropriate antibiotic prescribing is a well-documented global health crisis (Centers for Disease Control, CDC, 2013). Antimicrobial stewardship (AS) is the purposeful selection of the correct drug, dose, route and duration of antimicrobial treatment to decrease microbial resistance, adverse drug effects and cost while improving patient outcomes (Dellit et al., 2007; CDC, 2016). Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASP) are multidisciplinary programs designed to improve AS.

PURPOSE: To describe baseline prescribing patterns and evaluate the effect of an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) for adult acute sinusitis on provider knowledge and antibiotic prescribing practice. among primary care providers in an internal medicine clinic …

Identification Of Novel Seroreactive Antigens In Johne’S Disease Cattle By Using The Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Protein Array, John Bannantine, Joseph J. Campo, Lingling Li, Arlo Randall, Jozelyn Pablo, Craig A. Praul, Juan Antonio Raygoza Garay, Judith R. Stabel, Vivek Kapur

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Johne’s disease, a chronic gastrointestinal inflammatory disease caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis, is endemic in dairy cattle and other ruminants worldwide and remains a challenge to diagnose using traditional serological methods. Given the close phylogenetic relationship between M. aviumsubsp. paratuberculosis and the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis, here, we applied a whole-proteome M. tuberculosis protein array to identify seroreactive and diagnostic M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis antigens. A genome-scale pairwise analysis of amino acid identity levels between orthologous proteins in M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis and M. tuberculosis showed an average of 62% identity, with more than half the orthologous proteins sharing …

Using Extremophile Bacteriophage Discovery In A Stem Education Professional Development Partnership To Explore Model Classroom Research Experiences Integrating The Three Dimentions Of The Next Generation Science Standards, Carrie L. Boudreau Ms

All Student Scholarship

The National Research Council’s (NRC) A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas describes a vision of what it means to be proficient in science. The project discussed in this thesis was developed with a NIH SEPA Grant 8R25OD010937 to the Virology and Electron Microscopy Laboratory at the University of Southern Maine (USM) under the direction of Dr. S. Monroe Duboise. The goal of the project was to explore using discovery of extreme environment bacteria and their bacteriophages as a model for using the three dimensions of learning to teach Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Specifically, …

Effects And Mechanisms Of Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus (Prrsv) Type 1 And Type 2 On The Permeability And Viability Of Porcine Endometrial Epithelial Cells, Dran Rukarcheep

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Both PRRSV types 1 and 2 revealed the sign of reproductive disorders associated with a lesion at implantation sites. Impairment of maternal glandular endometrium cell integrity and function by PRRSV infection may impact a proper nourishing fetus. This research was aimed to examine the effects of PRRSV type 1 and type 2 directly on the viability and barrier function of the endometrium using porcine glandular endometrial epithelial cell culture (PEG). The comparison of the route and the strain of PRRSV infection coinciding with their virulent in reproductive epithelia were considered. PEG cells isolated from the 4-6 months old PRRSV-free-herd gilts …

A Geo-Statistical Investigation Of Agricultural And Infrastructural Risk Factors Associated With Primary Verotoxigenic E. Coli (Vtec) Infection In The Republic Of Ireland, 2008–2013, Paul Hynds, Jean O'Dwyer, Una B. Fallon, Coilín Oscar Óhaiseadha

Articles

Ireland reports the highest incidence of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) infection in Europe. This study investigated potential risk factors for confirmed sporadic and outbreak primary VTEC infections during 2008-2013. Overall, 989 VTEC infections including 521 serogroup O157 and 233 serogroup O26 were geo-referenced to 931 of 18488 census enumeration areas. The geographical distribution of human population, livestock, unregulated groundwater sources, domestic wastewater treatment systems (DWWTS) and a deprivation index were examined relative to notification of VTEC events in 524 of 6242 rural areas. Multivariate modelling identified three spatially derived variables associated with VTEC notification: private well usage (odds ratio (OR) …

Mechanisms Of Phytochemicals From Murraya Koenigii And Stevia Rebuadiana In Cell Model Of Diabetes, Hepatocellular Carcinoma And Cholangiocarcinoma Under Hyperglycemic Conditions, Nattakarn Nooron

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a group of metabolic disorders in which high blood glucose levels over a prolonged period, caused by deficiency of insulin production from the pancreas, or by the insulin resistance. Several epidemiological studies suggest that diabetic population is not only at increased risk of cardiovascular complications, but also at substantially higher risk of many types of malignancies. Hyperglycemia induced free radical reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, which is a major cause of cell injury and organ damage, especially affects pancreatic beta cells. Whereas insulin resistance in skeletal muscle tissue and adipocyte are the major sites of postprandial …

การประเมินประสิทธิศักย์ของการให้ยาปฏิชีวนะเพื่อป้องกันการติดเชื้อในแผลสุนัขและแมวกัด, พรชนิตว์ หมื่นหน้า

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

วัตถุประสงค์: เปรียบเทียบอุบัติการณ์การเกิดแผลติดเชื้อในผู้ที่ได้รับยา amoxicillin และ amoxicillin-clavulanic acid เพื่อป้องการการติดเชื้อจากสุนัขและแมวกัด/ข่วน และศึกษาปัจจัยที่เกี่ยวข้องกับการเกิดแผลติดเชื้อ
วิธีการดำเนินการวิจัย: การวิจัยเชิงทดลองแท้จริงและใช้วิธีการปกปิดแบบทางเดียว ศึกษาในผู้ป่วยที่เกิดแผลจากสุนัขหรือแมวกัด/ข่วนที่มีระดับการสัมผัสโรคพิษสุนัขบ้าระดับ 3 และเข้ารับการรักษาภายใน 24 ชั่วโมง ณ แผนกฉุกเฉิน โรงพยาบาลบ้านบึง จังหวัดชลบุรี ระหว่างเดือนกุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2561 ถึงเดือนพฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2561 โดยการสุ่มแบบบล็อกให้ผู้ป่วยได้รับยา amoxicillin หรือยา amoxicillin-clavulanic acid เป็นระยะเวลา 5 วัน และประเมินผลการเกิดแผลติดเชื้อในวันที่ 3 และ 7 หลังจากได้รับยาปฏิชีวนะ
ผลการวิจัย: ผู้ป่วยทั้งหมด 236 คน เข้ารับบริการที่โรงพยาบาลด้วยสาเหตุสุนัขกัด แมวกัดและแมวข่วนร้อยละ 75, 18.2 และ 6.8 ตามลำดับ อุบัติการณ์การเกิดแผลติดเชื้อระหว่างกลุ่มที่ได้รับยา amoxicillin (ร้อยละ 1.7) กับยา amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (ร้อยละ 4.2) ไม่มีความแตกต่างกันอย่างมีนัยสำคัญทางสถิติ (p=0.447) ผู้ป่วยที่ได้รับยา amoxicillin-clavulanic acid เกิดอาการไม่พึงประสงค์มากกว่ากลุ่มที่ได้รับยา amoxicillin ร้อยละ 17.5 และ 10.3 ตามลำดับ (p=0.113) แผลบริเวณเท้าจากสุนัขกัดและแผลเจาะจากแมวกัดมีความสัมพันธ์กับการติดเชื้ออย่างมีนัยสำคัญทางสถิติ (p=0.048 และ p=0.029 ตามลำดับ)
สรุปผลการวิจัย : ยา amoxicillin สามารถใช้เป็นยาปฏิชีวนะเพื่อป้องกันการเกิดแผลติดเชื้อจากสุนัขและแมวกัดได้ โดยไม่มีความแตกต่างของอุบัติการณ์การเกิดแผลติดเชื้อระหว่างกลุ่มที่ได้รับยา amoxicillin กับยา amoxicillin-clavulanic acid โดยการเกิดแผลบริเวณเท้าจากสุนัขกัดและการมีแผลเจาะจากแมวกัดอาจเพิ่มความเสี่ยงต่อการเกิดแผลติดเชื้อ

ความชุกของไวรัสที่มาจากยุงในผู้ป่วยที่มีไข้เฉียบพลัน ในประเทศไทย, 2558-2559, วริษฐา เพ็ชรสม

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

ไข้เฉียบพลัน หมายถึง มีอาการไข้โดยไม่ทราบสาเหตุที่แน่ชัด อาการไข้เกิดขึ้นภายใน 1 สัปดาห์ ตามคำจำกัดความ การมีไข้ หมายถึง มีอุณหภูมิของร่างกายเกิน 37.5 องศาเซลเซียส ตามคำจำกัดความ จะให้มีไข้ไม่เกิน 1 สัปดาห์ ในผู้ที่มีสุขภาพแข็งแรงดี ไข้เฉียบพลันที่ไม่มีสาเหตุที่แน่ชัด หรือลักษณะอาการบ่งบอกที่แน่ชัดว่ามีสาเหตุจากอะไร พบได้บ่อย (ในรายที่มีไข้และรู้สาเหตุที่แน่ชัด เช่น เป็นฝี มีหนองการอักเสบของแขนและขา โรคทางเดินหายใจ เช่น ไข้หวัดใหญ่ เราก็จะไม่เรียกว่า ไข้เฉียบพลัน) ไข้เฉียบพลันในประเทศไทย จึงมีสาเหตุมาจากหลายอย่าง แต่ที่พบบ่อย เกี่ยวกับโรคติดเชื้อไวรัส เนื่องจากประเทศไทยเป็นประเทศเขตร้อน (tropical) ซึ่งเป็นเขตที่มียุงชุกชุม เพราะมีสภาพแวดล้อม ได้แก่ มีป่าไม้ แหล่งน้ำ อุณหภูมิ และความชื้น ที่เหมาะสมต่อการแพร่พันธุ์ของยุง ซึ่งยุงเป็นพาหะของโรคติดเชื้อไวรัส ที่เป็นสาเหตุของไข้เฉียบพลัน ในประเทศไทย ได้แก่ ไวรัสเดงกี่ (dengue virus) ไวรัสชิคุนกุนยา (chikungunya virus) และไวรัสซิกา (Zika virus) โดยในการศึกษานี้ จะศึกษาความชุกของไข้เลือดออก ไวรัสชิคุนกุนยา และไวรัสซิกา ในผู้ป่วยที่มีไข้เฉียบพลัน ในประเทศไทย ช่วงปี พ.ศ. 2558 - 2559 โดยการตรวจวินิจฉัยไวรัสเดงกี่ จากผู้ป่วยไข้เฉียบพลันทั้งหมด 1,918 ราย ด้วยเทคนิค Semi-nested RT-PCR ตรวจวินิจฉัยไวรัสชิคุนกยา 1,753 ราย และไวรัสซิกา 1,949 ราย ด้วย Real-time RT-PCR จากนั้นเลือกตัวอย่างผู้ป่วยไข้เฉียบพลันที่ทราบจำนวนวันเป็นไข้ มาทั้งหมด 367 ราย เพื่อมาตรวจหาโปรตีน NS1, IgM และ IgG antibodies (Dengue markers) ด้วย ELISA พบว่าการติดเชื้อไวรัสเดงกี่ ทั้งหมด 181 …

Factors Associated With Dental Caries Experience In Thai Preschool Children With Cerebral Palsy Attending Non-Governmental Rehabilitation Centers, Kullanant Pansrimangkorn

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Objective: To investigate factors associated with dental caries experience in preschool children with cerebral palsy attending physical therapy programs in non-governmental rehabilitation centers in Bangkok. Materials and Methods: This research is a cross sectional study of 60 children with cerebral palsy, aged 3-6 years, mean age 5.01 ± 1.23 years old. Dental caries experience was determined by dmfs index, numbers of surfaces of dental caries, extracted tooth, and filled tooth. The other variables were collected including: dental plaque index (OHI-S), type of cerebral palsy, frequency of carbohydrate intake events, dietary consistency, assisting with toothbrushing, and frequency of toothbrushing. Multiple linear …

Genetic Sequencing Using 16s Rrna For Pathogen Identification In Retropharyngeal Lymph Nodes From Wild Elk, David J. Wilson, Jacqueline P. Kurz

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Cervical region lymph nodes collected by hunters from 43 wild hunter-harvested elk (Cervus elaphus) in Utah were submitted to the Utah Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory during fall 2009. We evaluated these lymph nodes as specimens for identification of bacterial pathogens using 16S rRNA genetic sequencing. Thirty-seven bacterial species were identified; each was found in 2 to 30 individual elk. Many common ruminant livestock pathogens were identified in elk; pathogens previously reported in elk were Pasteurella multocida and Streptococcus spp. Cervical region lymph nodes harvested from wild ruminants appear to be acceptable samples for genetic sequencing of bacteria.

Understanding The Effect Of Bvdv On Innate Immune Response Of Neutrophils, Neelu Singh Thakur

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is one of the highly prevalent and economically important diseases of cattle industry worldwide. The two major consequences of this disease are persistent infection and immunosuppression. Several studies have been done to determine the underline mechanisms of BVDV-induced immunosuppression targeting antigen presenting cells, adaptive immune system cells and cytokine gene expression. However, very little research has been done to determine the effect of BVDV on neutrophils. Neutrophils are one of the most abundant while blood cells (WBC) in the peripheral blood, which play a critical role in the innate as well as adaptive immune response. …

Antibiotic Overuse: The History, Consequences, And Possible Solutions, Brooke A. Bost

Senior Honors Theses

Antibiotic overuse has become alarmingly accepted in the developed world. This overuse is leading to drug resistance in microbes, resulting in bacterial infections that are impossible to treat. Steps must be taken to reverse the damage that has already been done and prevent further resistance from developing. This thesis will examine the context and societal situations that led to this acceptance of antibiotic overuse and misuse seen in both health care professionals and the public, the biochemical and genetic pathways that allow a microbe to develop drug resistance, the various methods that have been suggested by experts to prevent and …

Surveillance Of Preventive Measures For Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (Vap) And Its Rate In Makkah Region Hospitals, Saudi Arabia, Ahmad Banjar, Mohammed Felemban, Khalid Dhafar, Zohair Gazzaz, Badr Al Harthi, Mukhtiar Baig, Kasim Al Khatib, Jameela Zakaria, Kawther Hawsawi, Lilma Isahac, Arbi Akbar

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: The present study aimed to assess the VAP rate and to identify VAP prevention activities in public sector hospitals situated in the Makkah Region, Saudi Arabia (SA). Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, the VAP data from 13 public sector hospitals were collected from January to December 2013 and analyzed using SPSS 16. Results: The overall VAP rate in Makkah Region hospitals was 6.89 cases per 1000 ventilator-days. There was a significant difference in VAP rate among the hospitals of the Makkah Region (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the VAP rate among hospitals, which were using only one, two, or all three VAP preventive approaches (P = 0.26) accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI) and Central Board for Accreditation of Health Care Institution (CBAHI) (P = 0.12), and using the form in intensive care units (ICUs) (P = 0.85). There was a significant difference in the VAP rate among hospitals having different bed capacities (P < 0.001), data regularly collected (P = 0.03), and had a team to supervise the VAP project (P = 0.04). Conclusion: The VAP rate in Makkah Region hospitals is 6.89 cases per 1000 ventilator-days.

Disease Prevalence And Health Determinants In Nevada, Takashi Yamashita, Roberto Millar

Social Health of Nevada Reports

In this report, we use recent data to describe the health of Nevada and update the previous report (Monnat, 2012) on health outcomes and health determinants in the Silver State. Data for this report are mainly obtained from the County Health Rankings, America’s Health Rankings, and the 2016 Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity report.

In line with the previous report by Monnat (2012), we reference Nevada’s disease prevalence in relation to the U.S. average and other states, as well as disease distribution among counties in Nevada. We also compaire health indicators in …

Infusion Of Essentail Oils In Agarose Gels To Create Antimicrobial Surfaces, Simran Guron

Honors College Theses

The current use of antibiotics is very excessive in multiple settings, from treating patients to being present in cleaning products. This overuse of antibiotics is resulting in multiple consequences, ranging from having a negative impact on human health to breeding antibiotic-resistant strains of microorganisms. Antimicrobial surfaces are useful today to aid in sterilization, especially in the medical setting. This would help prevent the spread of infection of microorganisms in these settings. In our research, agarose acts as the antimicrobial surface and essential oils would act as the solution incorporated into the surface that has the antimicrobial properties. Agarose is a …

Fda And The Practice Of Medicine: Looking At Off–Label Drugs, Wendy Teo

Seton Hall Journal of Legislation and Public Policy

No abstract provided.

Phospholipase D: Key Player In Macrophage-Mediated Inflammation And Resolution, Ramya Ganesan

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Phospholipase D (PLD) is a cell membrane remodeling and signaling protein implicated in the pathology of chronic inflammation. As PLD is also central to macrophage cell migration, we investigated the molecular basis of PLD's involvement and regulation in macrophage-initiated inflammation (atherosclerosis) and resolution. We have found that PLD is associated with signaling proteins and positively affects cell movement, phagocytosis and NADPH-initiated release of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). We found that PLD2 but not PLD1 is important for foam cell formation that causes atherogenesis. We have also found a novel way of inducing macrophage class-switch (polarization) by PLD overexpression. PLD induces …

Proteomic Analysis Of Ischemic Stroke Blood Biomarkers, April Arnold Daubenspeck

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Stroke is a global burden that claims 6 million lives and permanently disables another 5 million each year. The risk of morbidity and mortality following stroke decreases when early diagnosis and treatment are achieved. However there is no blood test to diagnose ischemic stroke because biomarkers to date have not shown adequate sensitivity and specificity to be adopted into hospital protocols. The overall objective of this dissertation was to identify novel blood protein biomarkers of ischemic stroke. We achieved this by using a number of proteomic and statistical techniques to investigate the differential abundance of proteins in the blood of …

Association Of Gut Luminal Metabolites And Allergic Responses, Ghaith Mohammed Fallata

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Allergy is a global health problem, affecting more than 40% of the world population. Allergy is often associated with a dysregulation of the immune system that becomes overactive against allergens. Several genes are known to be important for the proper homeostasis of the immune system in the epithelial tissues, and the loss of function of genes such as IKKß or SOX9 impacts the interaction between external stimuli and the host. Many of the allergic responses are triggered through the regulatory cascade governed by transcriptional factor NF-κB. Regulation of NF-κB activity is complex, involves several alternative routes, and is also influenced …