Digital Commons Network^™

Efficacy Of Antibiotic Treatments For Klebsiella And Esbl Pneumonia, Harry Snow

Clinical and Translational Science Center Scholarly Output

There is a dearth of knowledge and studies about empiric antibiotic treatment for Extended Spectrum-β-Lactamase (ESBL) bacterial pneumonia.

This study is meant to improve quality of evidence to “medium” levels from the current level of “very-low” quality.

Improved methods for treating Klebsiella Pneumoniae infection.

Primary outcome:Mortality

Aim:To assess differences in patient survival probability due to different antibiotic regimens, considering all classes of antibiotics.

Enamel Hypoplasia And Its Relation To Ethnicity And Socioeconomic Status In The 19th Century United States, Amanda Drew Olivas Cook

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) is a condition of tooth enamel characterized by linear bands in tooth enamel that result from metabolic stress during the childhood years of enamel formation. The presence of LEH has frequently been used in biological anthropology as a marker of stress experienced during childhood. This paper uses a biocultural approach to investigate the occurrence and severity of LEH defects on the teeth of African American and European American adult male remains in the Terry Anatomical Skeletal Collection. The Terry Collection consists of low socioeconomic status individuals whose remains were unclaimed at St. Louis morgues and hospitals, …

An Assessment Of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria In Nebraska, Molly Hoffman

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Background. Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the U.S., yet not much is known about the prevalence and risk factors. It is thought to be increasing and most commonly found in women and older adults. The objectives of this project were to estimate the burden of NTM in Nebraska and to describe the patterns of NTM infection including location, species, specimen source, and patient demographic characteristics.

Methods. The National Electronic Disease Surveillance System was searched for all NTM infections reported from 2012-2017. Cases were classified as either pulmonary or nonpulmonary and available information was …

Occupational Health Challenges In Research, Anthony Blake

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Employees working in universities and hospitals are faced with common and unique health and safety challenges. Usually, the campus Department of Health and Safety is tasked with reducing employee exposure through risk assessments. Purpose: In this study, we present a unique risk assessment case study related to a research project undertaken by the campus Department of Health and Safety (DHES). This project also describes the activities done by DHES to improve campus safety. We hypothesized that carbon monoxide, particulate matter, formaldehyde, and VOCs emitted from burning wood chips in a closed laboratory space will exceed …

Serum Proteomics In African American Female Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome: An Exploratory Study, Kristen R. Weaver-Toedtman Phd, Acnp, Anp, Gail D.Eramo Melkus, Jason Fletcher, Wendy A. Henderson

Publications

Background Sex and subtype differences within patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) complicate the understanding of disorder pathogenesis and hinder the design of efficacious, therapeutic interventions. Objectives The aims of this study were to harness the power of shotgun proteomic analysis, identify circulating proteins that differentiate African American female patients with IBS from healthy controls (HC), and gain biological insight on symptomatology. Methods Serum proteome analysis was performed upon a cohort of overweight, African American female participants with constipation predominant IBS symptoms (n = 5) and HC (n = 5), matched on age, sex, years of education, body mass index, …

Characterizing Cultivable Bacteria From Trachymyrmex Septentrionalis Fungus Gardens, Hannah Beatty

Honors Scholar Theses

The relationship between the fungus-growing ant Trachymyrmex septentrionalis, its symbiotic cultivar fungus, and the transient and residential community of microorganisms is a diverse and complex symbiosis that has evolved over space and time. The fungus garden, comprised primarily of the cultivar fungus belonging to the family Leucocoprineae,provides an environment that hosts many bacteria, which may also play an important role in this symbiosis. Although it is known that Pseudonocardia bacteria defend the ant host against fungal pathogens, other species of bacteria that are present in these fungus gardens also likely contribute to this symbiosis. Previous studies of this …

Investigating The Construct Of Health Literacy Assessment: A Cross-Validation Approach, Bethany Miller

Dissertations

According to researchers, low health literacy is considered a worldwide health threat (Lee, Tsai-Tzul, Tsai, & Kuo, 2010). With the recent emphasis on healthcare and improving health status, knowledge has proven vital in the struggle for improved health status and health prevention. The purpose of this study was to investigate the measurement of health literacy utilizing a cross-validation approach. Health literacy measurement has been assessed using three health literacy instruments that are currently available: Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (STOFHLA), Newest Vital Sign (NVS), and Health Literacy Skills Instrument (HLSI). This study used an exploratory research design. …

University Of Central Florida Graduate Catalog, 2018 - 2019, University Of Central Florida

UCF Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Mexican American Counselor And Client: Perceptions Toward Substance Use Disorders, Eluterio Blanco Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Over 28.6 million Americans have admitted to the ongoing use of illicit drugs and more than half of Americans are current alcohol drinkers yet a significant number of these people do not seek treatment. Trends regarding substance-related treatment have shown Hispanic drug users tend to underutilize drug and alcohol services and treatment avoidance is especially prevalent among Mexican Americans who reside along the US-Mexico border, due in part to the stigma associated with substance use. In addition, counselor attitudes as well as student counselors-in-training attitudes are showing a manifestation of the same kind of stigma toward substance use as the …

Eureka Zika! How The Feared Virus May Be The Key To Treating Gliobastoma, Samantha Palicz

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Identification Of Young Children With Visual Impairments Including Unique Characteristics And Factors Related To Responsive Services, Deette L. Snyder

Dissertations

In order to truly meet the unique learning needs of young children with blindness and visual impairment (BVI), it is critical to accurately define the population to create and implement quality and responsive support services. The current analysis utilized existing data gathered from the Babies Count database to examine the defining characteristics of a sample of 588 young children, aged birth to three, with BVI and then used these characteristics to predict the influence of potential barriers to early referral. This study also examined the multiple variables through descriptive statistics and then utilized a multiple regression procedure to determine which …

Hud’S Transitional Housing Unit Program’S Role In The Santa Clara County Community Plan To End Homelessness, Emilie Thorburn-Quihuis

Master's Projects

Counties in California invest local, state, and federal funds to try to end homelessness. At present the homeless numbers in Santa Clara County are among the highest in the U.S. at 6,556, with 33% of those being chronically homeless. Using process evaluation to compare permanent housing and shelter demographics and recurrence rates, how is the federal Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Transitional Housing Units Program (THU) in Santa Clara County meeting the goals of the county’s Community Plan to End Homelessness 2015-2020 (2013)?

Stigma Surrounding Mental Illness And Its Reduction: What Sort Of Information Is Most Effective?, Natalie S. Tanner

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine whether or not an educational intervention can reduce mental health stigmatization. The quantitative piece of this project is a randomized experiment; participants were assigned to one of three conditions: 1. an experimental group that read an article about mental health stigmatization, 2. an active control group that read an article on anxiety, and 3. an inactive control that did not read any material. Mental health stigmatization was measured via survey both pre and post intervention. Although the results were not significant, the educational intervention group showed less bias immediately afterwards than …

Concepts In Animal Parasitology: Permission To Publish Agreement, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

Blank Permission to Publish agreement form for authors of the Concepts in Animal Parasitology textbook/open educational resource.

Parasite Mind Control: How A Single Celled Parasite Carried In The Cat Intestine May Be Quietly Tweaking Our Behavior, Sophie Letcher

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Scientific Kenyon Neuroscience Edition (Full Issue)

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Tumor Immunotherapy: Mechanisms Of Acquired Resistance And Characterization Of Immune Related To Xicities, Ashvin Jaiswal

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Tumor immunotherapy has shown very promising clinical benefit across an array of cancers; however, two major challenges remain unresolved in the field. First, many patients do not respond to therapy at all or relapse after a period of remission. Second, there are often dose-limiting immune related adverse effects associated with immunomodulation.

In order to understand the mechanisms employed by tumors to evade immunotherapeutic responses, we established a murine model of melanoma designed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying immunotherapy resistance. Through multiple in vivo passages, we selected a B16 melanoma tumor line that evolved complete resistance to combination blockade of …

Does Spaceflight Increase The Chance Of Female Astronauts Developing Uterine Cancer?, Areej Mosa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the main questions put forth by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) is whether or not an organism, especially mankind, can complete an entire life cycle in space. With this in mind, it is essential to study the effect of spaceflight on reproductive tissues. Using simulated microgravity techniques and whole-body radiation we sought to determine if females subjected to a simulated spaceflight environment have increased incidences of uterine cancer. Uterine tissue from mice subjected to simulated spaceflight was analyzed using immunohistochemical staining and western blot analysis. Two pathways commonly activated in cancer were investigated. Additionally, the uterine …

Hiv-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, And Behaviors In Two Low Resource Settings, Candice Lynn Collins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) outbreaks occurred almost simultaneously in the United States (US) (2014-2015) and in Cambodia (2015). Information is lacking on HIV-related knowledge, stigmatizing attitudes, and high-risk behaviors (KAB) among the general population, which may affect the transmission of HIV and lead to outbreaks. The current study aimed to: 1) assess KAB among the general population in a high-risk county in the US, 2) analyze KAB among the general population of Cambodia, and 3) compare KAB across samples from a high-risk county in Northeast Tennessee and a province in Cambodia. Tennessee data were collected in 2017 and Cambodian …

Myths, Risks, And Ignorance: Western Media And Health Experts’ Representations Of Cultures In Ebola-Affected West African Communities, Samson Wonnah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The 2014 Ebola outbreak, mostly affecting Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea, is the largest ever recorded. The Ebola response encountered resistance in some affected communities, where some residents accused relief agencies from the Global North of denigrating local cultures. This thesis examines mainstream Western media and health experts’ representation of culture in the Ebola-affected region and employed Foucauldian analysis of discursive power to discuss the impact of such a representation on the concerned communities. Through a content analysis of selected journal and news articles by Western scholars and media and official reports by some relief agencies involved with the Ebola …

Return With Honor: An Investigation Of The Reentry Experiences And Discourses Of Returning Missionaries In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Garrett Stone

All Dissertations

Reentry is one of the most difficult and important periods of a traveler’s journey – a time to reflect on and integrate new experiences, identities, and perspectives into life at home. This period is often bittersweet and marked by a host of challenges and symptomology. Religious language and practice may function to alleviate or exacerbate these routine reentry challenges, or introduce a host of new concerns. Situated in the nexus of religion and tourism, the purpose of this critical-constructive qualitative inquiry is to (a) investigate the experiences and discourses of returning missionaries in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day …

A Comparison Of Craniofacial Asymmetry In Gorilla Gorilla Gorilla And Pan Troglodytes Troglodytes, Ashly Noel Romero

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) – random deviations from bilateral symmetry in an organism’s paired features – is a good candidate for investigating developmental stability. This easily accessible measurement can be used to understand the relationship between stress and development across organisms, and growth rate plays a vital role in developmental processes. Few studies have investigated craniofacial FA in non-human primates, and those that have suggest that levels of FA are higher in slower growing species. This study examines craniofacial FA in two primate species (Pan troglodytes troglodytes and Gorilla gorilla gorilla; n=81) to elucidate the effect of growth rate on FA …

The Inhibitory Effects Of A Novel Gel On Staphylococcus Aureus Biofilms, Lindsey Vance

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Antibiotic resistance is an ever-growing topic of concern within the medical field causing researchers to examine the mechanisms of resistance to develop new antimicrobials. Bacteria’s ability to form biofilms is one mechanism which aids in antimicrobial resistance. Staphylococcus aureus is of special interest as it is one of the most frequent biofilm-forming bacteria found on medical devices causing infections and posing dangerous threats in a clinical setting. A recently developed antimicrobial gel has been shown to have profound effects on treating bacterial infections and wound healing. This research is centered upon examining the antimicrobial effects of this gel on the …

Interdisciplinary Knowledge Of Etsu Dental Hygiene And Nutrition Students, Jade Merritt

Undergraduate Honors Theses

There is a significant relationship between nutrition, systemic disease, and oral health. The integration of both nutrition and oral health information into educational programs for dental hygiene and nutrition students is vital for each profession. The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge levels of dental hygiene and nutrition students in regards to content material pertaining to each discipline. This study attempted to provide baseline data for those teaching in ETSU’s Dental Hygiene and Nutrition programs to determine if modifications in the curricula are needed to better prepare future students. Results indicated that there was not a significant …

Assessment Of Nurse Behaviors That Influence Care And Maintenance Of Pediatric Oncology Central Venous Catheters, Susan Elizabeth Mckenna

Doctoral Projects

Central venous catheters (CVC) are devices necessary to medically treat pediatric patients diagnosed with conditions such as cancer. Central line associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) is a complication associated with utilizing a central line. Nurses are responsible for maintaining and complying with strict prevention protocols. The aims of this quality improvement project are to: (a) gain an understanding of perceptions of CLABSI prevention, (b) observe adherence to the CLABSI prevention bundle, (c) measure adherence to the current CLASBI prevention bundle (post-training), (d) identify ways to improve adherence to the CLASBI bundle, and (e) ascertain potential strategies for further compliance efforts. Three …

Peripheral Biomarkers Of Inflammation Following Blast Exposure In A Clinical Population, Katie Edwards

All Dissertations

Concussions resulting from blast exposures represent a significant source of injury among military service members and the civilian population. Overall, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are a significant cause of hospitalization, disability, long-term care, and mortality across all age groups in the United States. Blast induced traumatic brain injury (biTBI) is an increasingly recognized subtype of brain injury, especially among military personnel. Blast exposure may influence a number of neurological processes, such as the inflammatory response, representing a unique biological profile. Outcomes from a TBI vary, even in similar injuries, and biomarkers including proteins and gene expression are increasingly studied to …

Bovine Mastitis Resistance: Novel Quantitative Trait Loci And The Role Of Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells, Jacqueline P. Kurz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Bovine mastitis, or inflammation of the mammary gland, has substantial economic and animal welfare implications. A genetic basis for mastitis resistance traits is recognized and can be used to guide selective breeding programs. The discovery of regions of the genome associated with mastitis resistance, and knowledge of the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible, can facilitate development of efficient mastitis control and therapeutic strategies. The objectives of this dissertation research were to identify sites of genetic variation associated with mastitis resistance, and to define the contributions of the milk-secreting epithelial cells to mammary gland immune responses and mastitis resistance. Twenty seven regions …

Outbreak And Extinction Dynamics In Stochastic Populations, Garrett T. Nieddu

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Each piece of work herein examines nonlinear population dynamics using methods from deterministic dynamical systems, stochastic processes and statistical mechanics. This dissertation is the compilation of three independent – but related – pieces of work: the first investigates an isolated population that is capable of maintaining multiple carrying capacities; the second project examines a stochastic Ebola model with a zoonotic disease reservoir; and the third looks at a basic disease-invasion model to characterize outbreak vulnerability and the connectedness of supposedly separate populations.

Each of these three chapters explore the interplay between interconnected systems, without explicitly modeling the elements that are …

Decreased Expression Of Tim-3 On Th17 Cells Associated With Ophthalmopathy In Patients With Graves’ Disease, Paul W. Bible, J. Zhao, B. Lin, H. Deng, X. Zhi, Et Al.

Computer Science Faculty publications

Purpose : Thyroid-associated Ophthalmopathy (TAO) is one of the most common orbital immunological diseases in adults. CD4 + helper T (Th) cells play important roles in the pathogenesis of TAO. But the mechanisms regulating CD4 + T cell activity is unclear. This study examines T cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain 3 (TIM-3) expression in helper T cell type 1 (Th1), Th17, and regulatory T cells in sufferers of TAO.

Methods : Participants were divided into 3 groups: patients with TAO, patients with Graves’ disease but without orbitopathy (GD), and healthy control patients (HC). Peripheral blood samples were collected for …

Genetic Analysis Of Deep Phenotyping Projects In Common Disorders, Elliot S. Gershon, Godfrey Pearlson, Matcheri S. Keshavan, Carol Tamminga, Ney Alliey Rodriguez

School of Medicine Publications

Several studies of complex psychotic disorders with large numbers of neurobiological phenotypes are currently under way, in living patients and controls, and on assemblies of brain specimens. Genetic analyses of such data typically present challenges, because of the choice of underlying hypotheses on genetic architecture of the studied disorders and phenotypes, large numbers of phenotypes, the appropriate multiple testing corrections, limited numbers of subjects, imputations required on missing phenotypes and genotypes, and the cross-disciplinary nature of the phenotype measures. Advances in genotype and phenotype imputation, and in genome-wide association (GWAS) methods, are useful in dealing with these challenges. As compared …