Digital Commons Network^™

Building A Better Book Widget: Using Alma Analytics To Automate New Book Discovery, Travis Clamon

ETSU Faculty Works

Are we doing enough to market newly acquired book titles? Libraries purchase and subscribe to many new book titles each year, both print and electronic. However, we rely on the expectation that users will periodically search our systems to discover newly acquired titles. Static lists and displays have been traditional marketing methods for libraries, but require tedious time and effort to maintain. Without a practical solution for an academic library, East Tennessee State University developed an automated process to generate book widgets utilizing data from Alma Analytics. These widgets are now deployed in our subject guides, website, and on our …

“I Don’T Know If I Have The Courage”: Reproductive Choices In Times Of Zika, Ana Rosa Linde Arias, Elisa Tristan-Cheever, Grace Furtado, Eduardo Siqueira

Gastón Institute Publications

Neste estudo transnacional, pretendemos fornecer informações sobre as opiniões e atitudes das mulheres em relação aos seus direitos reprodutivos durante a epidemia do Zika. Mulheres de diferentes nacionalidades e etnias foram recrutadas em vários locais do Brasil, Porto Rico e Estados Unidos. Foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas que sugerem que as decisões reprodutivas dos participantes estavam intimamente relacionadas às convicções pessoais e crenças culturais, e suas ações e pensamentos foram incorporados em suas normas socioculturais. A maioria das mulheres entrevistadas comunicou que é preciso coragem para tomar a decisão extrema, emocional e esmagadora de fazer um aborto. Os achados deste estudo …

Bjc Today

BJC Today

No abstract provided.

The Underlying Determinants And Impacts Of The Substance Abuse Crisis In Knox, Whitley, And Laurel Counties, Mikaela B. Rhodes

Honors Theses

Substance use has become a growing problem on a national, statewide, and local level. While the commonwealth of Kentucky has astonishing rates of substance use and abuse, the areas of Knox, Whitley, and Laurel counties of Kentucky are observing similar results within county lines. There are many social determinants that could potentially lead an individual to substance use or abuse which can often be unique to an area as well as the adverse effects of substance abuse on a community. Interviews were conducted with individuals in professions that directly relate to the substance abuse crisis in Knox, Whitley, and Laurel …

Monocyte Anti-Inflammatory Activity Is Dictated By Metabolic Status During Staphylococcus Aureus Biofilm Infection, Kelsey J. Yamada

Theses & Dissertations

Staphylococcus aureus biofilms represent a significant cause of morbidity and economic burden and are often associated with nosocomial infections, including medically implanted devices. In particular, prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are a growing concern due to the continued increase in orthopedic procedures. Staphylococcal species cause >50% of all PJIs, while S. aureus represents the most invasive and associated with the most morbidity. S. aureus-associated biofilm infections are recalcitrant to antibiotic therapy, due to both the acquisition of genetic elements and metabolic dormancy. Furthermore, S. aureus biofilm infections remain chronic because they cannot be cleared by the immune system. Recent studies …

Common Areas For Improvement From After Action Reports (Aars) Generated After Exercises Or Actual Disasters, As Reported By A National Sample Of U.S. Hospitals, Abdoulaye Abdoulaziz

Theses & Dissertations

Many hospitals conduct exercises every year, and they conclude the process with an After-Action Report and Improvement Plan. Therefore, there are thousands of AAR/IP’s across the country with limited opportunity to compare them or to learn from them collectively. Our project has gathered Improvement Plans (IP’s) and conducted a qualitative analysis which determined whether the “lessons learned” can be categorized into common themes.

Novel Antiviral Effect Of A Small Molecule Onc201 And Its Potential Application In Hiv-1 Eradication, Runze Zhao

Theses & Dissertations

Despite the success of antiretroviral therapy (ART), eradication of HIV-1 from brain reservoirs remains elusive. HIV-1 brain reservoirs include perivascular macrophages that are behind the blood-brain barrier and difficult to access by ART. Macrophages express transcription factor FOXO3a and the TNF superfamily cytokine TRAIL, which are known to target HIV-1-infected macrophages for viral suppression. ONC201 is a novel and potent FOXO3a activator capable of inducing TRAIL. It can cross the blood-brain barrier, and has shown an antitumor effect in clinical trials. We hypothesized that activation of FOXO3a/TRAIL by ONC201 will reduce the size of HIV-1 brain reservoirs. Using primary human …

God, I Hope This Part Of My Life Is Over: A Focused Ethnography Of A Correctional Youth Facility’S Therapeutic Climate, Eric Meyer

Theses & Dissertations

Although all prisons have the same goal of isolating offenders from society, the precise strategies used vary from one jurisdiction to the next. Some prisons use means of punishment to gain inmate compliance. Other prisons concentrate their limited resources on rehabilitation. Contained within the following pages are details of a focused ethnography that was completed in a state correctional youth facility that housed males between the ages of 15 and 21 years, all of whom were convicted of violent crimes. This study had the objective of exploring the climate of therapy in this correctional youth facility where rehabilitative programs were …

The Cxcr2-Dependent Role Of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts In Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Mohammad Awaji

Theses & Dissertations

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common type of pancreatic cancer, the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the USA with over 40,000 deaths per year. Unlike other major cancer types, the progress in dealing with PDAC is plodding, attributed mainly to the asymptomatic nature of the disease, the late diagnosis and the ineffectiveness of current therapies. A better understanding of the biology of the disease could permit the discovery of novel diagnostic and therapeutic tools. With that in mind, we present this dissertation that investigates the tumor-stromal interaction underlined by genetic alterations and inflammation. PDAC develop as …

Development Of A Long-Acting Nanoformulation Of Dolutegravir For Prevention And Treatment Of Hiv-1 Infection, Brady Sillman

Theses & Dissertations

Dolutegravir (DTG) is a potent human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrase strand-transfer inhibitor (INSTI) with a high barrier to viral drug resistance. However, opportunities to improve its profile abound. These include extending the drug’s apparent half-life, increasing penetrance to “putative” viral reservoirs, and reducing inherent toxicities. These highlight, in part, the need for long-acting, slow effective release antiretroviral therapy (LASER ART) delivery schemes. A long-acting (LA) DTG was made by synthesizing a hydrophobic and lipophilic prodrug encased with poloxamer (P407) surfactant. This modified DTG (MDTG) reduced systemic metabolism and polarity, increased lipophilicity and membrane permeability, improved encapsulation, and formed …

Developing Targeted Therapy Against Pancreatic Cancer, Garima Kaushik

Theses & Dissertations

Not available.

Examining Mosquito Abundance, Composition, And Distribution Before And After Hurricane Irma In Miami-Dade County, Florida, Qian Huang

Open Access Theses

Flooding events such as hurricanes have become common throughout the world, yet our understanding of how these events affect the spatial and temporal distribution of disease vectors such as mosquitoes is limited. This knowledge can guide development of effective and timely strategies for mitigating mosquito-borne disease outbreaks in the aftermath of flood disasters. This study examined the influence of weather and socio-demographic factors on the spatial and temporal distribution of mosquitoes before and after Hurricane Irma in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Adult female mosquitoes were collected from August 15 through October 15, 2017 using CDC light traps (n= 30 traps) and …

The Impact Of Bifidobacterium Longum/Infantis On Infants, Shanice Clarke

BIO 410 Spring 2019 Research Papers

This review focuses on the impact of Bifidobacterium longum/infantis on infants and to associate these impacts to effect of B. longum/infantis on the titers of polio IgA in infants.

Bifidobacterium longum/infantis is a ubiquitous inhabitant of the gastrointestinal tract of infants; these bacteria are the champion colonizer of the gastrointestinal tract blocking out other harmful bacteria from colonizing. B. longum/infantis have been shown to improve dysbiosis condition and prevent infants from getting any allergy or harmful disease such as poliomyelitis. This review was aimed to assess the impact B. longum/B. infantis has on infants and to associate these impacts to …

Aluminum Adjuvants In Vaccines: Movement Towards Understanding Their Role And Mechanism Of Action, Thad Rehmert

BIO 410 Spring 2019 Research Papers

Aluminum adjuvants have been used in vaccines for over 80 years in order to increase the immune response in vaccinated individuals. While the addition of aluminum adjuvants has been extremely successful, the success powered the adjuvants to be used in numerous vaccines without a proper understanding of their mechanisms of action. Advancements in medical understanding over the last 4-5 decades has resulted in researchers understanding the harsh reality of aluminum toxicity. Due to this, researchers have begun to delve into the actions and mechanisms of these adjuvants in an effort to enhance understanding of how they work. This review will …

Comparison Of Methods Used To Estimate The Global Burden Of Disease Related To Undernutrition And Suboptimal Breastfeeding, Alexander C. Mclain, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Sonja Y. Hess, Ellen G. Piwoz

Faculty Publications

The Global Burden of Disease study (GBD) is an ambitious effort to estimate the disease burden attributable to various risk factors. The results from the GBD are used around the world to monitor the UN established Sustainable Development Goals, set health policies and research strategies, among others. The GBD along with other studies, such as those from the Maternal Child Epidemiology Estimation Group and the Lancet Breastfeeding Series Group, produce estimates of the nutrition-related global burden of disease that exhibit considerable differences. These differences are difficult to reconcile due to the estimation methods, which in recent years have substantially increased …

Changes In Hiv Related Risk Behaviors: A Comparative Analysis Of Florida’S 2013 And 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey., Daniel Diyaolu

Florida Public Health Review

Background: Identifying changes in HIV related risk factors is essential to reducing HIV rates in Florida. This study examines if changes occurred in HIV risk factors between 2013 and 2016. Methods: The study utilized secondary data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System from 2013 and 2016. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the changes between the years regarding health care coverage and routine HIV testing. Additionally, a separate analysis was performed for the 2016 dataset analyzing if HIV risk behaviors varied by gender, race, age, insurance coverage and HIV testing.

Results: The findings of this study suggest …

Spatial Distribution Of Tuberculosis And Its Association With Meteorological Factors In Mainland China, Yingjie Zhang, Mengyang Liu, Samuel S. Wu, Hui Jiang, Junjie Zhang, Songwang Wang, Wei Ma, Qihuan Li, Yuan Ma, Yue Liu, Wei Feng, Endawoke Amsalu, Xia Li, Wei Wang, Weimin Li, Xiuhua Guo

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

BACKGROUND: The incidence of tuberculosis (TB) remains high worldwide. Current strategies will not eradicate TB by 2035; instead, by 2182 is more likely. Therefore, it is urgent that new risk factors be identified.

METHODS: An ecological study was conducted in 340 prefectures in China from 2005 to 2015. The spatial distribution of TB incidence was shown by clustering and hotspot analysis. The relationship between the distribution patterns and six meteorological factors was evaluated by the geographically weighted regression (GWR) model.

RESULTS: During the 11 years of the study period, TB incidence was persistently low in the east and high in …

Synthesis Of Piperidine-Based Inhibitors Of Kasa, A Vital Enzyme Of M. Tuberculosis, Lindsey Jones

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death from infectious disease in the world. Although tuberculosis drugs exist, the rise of drug-resistant tuberculosis has created a need for new research. Identifying novel, effective drugs for treatment of tuberculosis could reduce the cost of care and treatment time, saving millions of lives. The enzyme KasA, which synthesizes part of the tuberculosis bacterial cell wall, has been identified as an attractive drug target. A virtual screen using KasA discovered a compound, 4-(4-bromophenyl)-1-pyrenemethyl-4-piperidinol (1), which inhibited bacterial growth in vitro. In this research, nine derivatives of compound 1 were synthesized for future testing …

How Non-Centrist Parties Gain Electoral Success In German Politics: An Analysis Of The Alternative Für Deutschland’S Success In The 2017 Federal Election., Madison B. Bickert

Honors Theses

[No Abstract was provided]

Framework For Algorithmically Optimizing Longitudinal Health Outcomes: Examples In Cancer Radiotherapy And Occupational Radiation Protection, Lydia Joyce Wilson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Background: Advancements in the treatment of non-infectious disease have enabled survival rates to steadily increase in recent decades (e.g., diabetes, heart disease, and cancer). Epidemiological studies have revealed that the treatments for these diseases can have life-threatening and/or life–altering effects. Thus, realizing the full beneficial potential of advanced treatments necessitates new tools to algorithmically consider all major components of the health outcome, including benefit and detriment. The goal of this dissertation was to develop a framework for improving projected health outcomes following planned radiation exposures in consideration of all beneficial and detrimental, early and late, and fatal and non-fatal …

The Role Of Parental Concerns In The Recognition Of Sepsis In Children: A Literature Review, Amanda Harley, Jos Latour, Luregn J. Schlapbach

School of Nursing and Midwifery

No abstract provided.

Mississippi Mosquito Blood Meals And Haemosporidians, Jessica Aycock

Theses and Dissertations

Mosquitoes (Culicidae) transmit several parasites and pathogens including the causative agent of malaria, haemosporidians (Haemosporida). Transmission of these agents to and from the mosquito occurs during the collection of a blood meal. Because of this, it is imperative to gather data on current feeding patterns of mosquitoes. Prior to this study there were no published data on current feeding patterns of mosquitoes in Mississippi. Mosquitoes were captured with CDC light traps at eleven sites in two collection years. Engorged females were analyzed for blood meal content, and the vertebrate host was identified to species level in 72 mosquitoes. Previously published …

Treating Acute Bronchitis In Primary Care, Haylie Patterson, Stacy Wieland

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

There has been a significant rise in inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in the United States with at least 30 percent of antibiotics prescribed deemed unnecessary (Fiore, Fettic, Wright, & Ferrara, 2017). Overprescribing antibiotics for viral illnesses such as acute bronchitis leads to antimicrobial resistance. Based on current treatment guidelines, most upper respiratory infections do not respond to antibiotics but rather require supportive measures. Antibiotic prescribing trends for a Midwestern rural clinic were obtained through a retrospective and prospective chart review. Patients were frequently receiving antibiotics for acute bronchitis. To approach the problem a quality improvement (QI) evidence-based project was proposed. A …

Chronic Wasting Disease Management Through Culling, Baiting, And Vaccination Methods, Jake Brockman

BIO 410 Spring 2019 Research Papers

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a lethal, progressive, and highly infectious disease that targets cervid populations through transmission by prions. There are currently no treatment options that are highly effective at stopping CWD, but the scientific community has great knowledge on CWD’s transmission and effects. In this literature review: culling, baiting and vaccination techniques are analyzed and compared to view which method could potentially work the best to control CWD. Long term effects of CWD could result in cervid population extermination and enormous economic losses for areas that are inhabited by cervids.

Cardio-Metabolic Disease Risk Factors Among South Asian Labour Migrants To The Middle East: A Scoping Review And Policy Analysis, Shiva Raj Mishra, Saruna Ghimire, Chandni Joshi, Bishal Gyawali, Archana Shrestha, Dinesh Neupane, Sudesh Raj Sharma, Yashashwi Pokharel, Salim S. Virani

Office of the Provost

This paper aims to explore the burgeoning burden of cardiovascular and metabolic disease (CMD) risk factors among South Asian labor migrants to the Middle East. We conducted a qualitative synthesis of literature using PubMed/Medline and grey literature searches, supplemented by a policy review of policies from the South Asian countries. We found a high burden of cardio-metabolic risk factors among the migrants as well as among the populations in the home and the host countries. For example, two studies reported the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) ranging between 9 and 17% among South Asian migrants. Overweight and obesity were highly …

Uab Is One Of Seven Sites Worldwide In Hiv-Prevention Trial, Alicia Rohan

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

Cardio-Metabolic Disease Risk Factors Among South Asian Labour Migrants To The Middle East: A Scoping Review And Policy Analysis, Shiva Raj Mishra, Saruna Ghimire, Chandni Joshi, Bishal Gyawali, Archana Shrestha, Dinesh Neupane, Sudesh Raj Sharma, Yashashwi Pokharel, Salim S. Virani

School of Public Health Faculty Research

This paper aims to explore the burgeoning burden of cardiovascular and metabolic disease (CMD) risk factors among South Asian labor migrants to the Middle East. We conducted a qualitative synthesis of literature using PubMed/Medline and grey literature searches, supplemented by a policy review of policies from the South Asian countries. We found a high burden of cardio-metabolic risk factors among the migrants as well as among the populations in the home and the host countries. For example, two studies reported the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) ranging between 9 and 17% among South Asian migrants. Overweight and obesity were highly …

Observation Of Visitors At A Chimpanzee (Pan Troglodytes Schweinfurthii) Ecotourism Site Reveals Opportunity For Multiple Modes Of Pathogen Transmission, Darcey Glasser

Theses and Dissertations

Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) tracking is a popular ecotourism activity across Sub-Saharan Africa, offering visitors a personal wildlife experience. However, chimpanzee ecotourism may increase the risk of disease transmission between chimpanzees and people. This study assessed how tourist behaviors might facilitate cross-species disease transmission in Kibale National Park, Uganda.

Seen And Unseen: Visualizing Contradictions In Postwar Japan, 1950s–1960s, Christina Lai

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis offers a comparative study on how photography visualizes the political dynamics, ideological and psychological contradictions in postwar Japan. The discussion includes the exhibition The Family of Man in Tokyo (1956), Werner Bischof and Robert Capa’s photographs of Japan, and local photographers Ken Domon and Shomei Tomatsu.

The Interface Between Invasive Species And The Increased Incidence Of Tick-Borne Diseases, And The Implications For Federal Land Managers, Ed Clark, Janis Mcfarland, Blaine Parker, Slade Franklin

National Invasive Species Council

Includes information on the dynamics of tick-borne disease, factors affecting the occurrence and density of ticks, matrices of ties between habitat, human activities, invasive plants, and ticks, federal resources and programs related to ticks and vector-borne disease in the United States, with references and an annotated bibliography of literature on ticks, vector-borne diseases, and invasive species.