Digital Commons Network^™

Enhancing Immunotherapeutic Interventions For Treatment Of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Kamira K. Maharaj

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common leukemia in developed countries. It is characterized by the accumulation of CD5+ B lymphocytes in the peripheral blood, bone marrow, and lymphoid tissues of affected patients. Patients experience lymphadenopathy, fatigue, and are severely immunocompromised. Management of disease and symptoms is possible with chemo-immunotherapy for higher risk patients; however, CLL remains incurable unless bone marrow transplant is performed. Identification of novel targets and optimization of current therapeutics is therefore still necessary. The new targeted therapies are at the forefront of development for CLL treatment, but it remains challenging to maximize their efficacies while …

Understanding The Adoption Process Of An Hpv Vaccine School-Entry Requirement In Puerto Rico, Coralia Vázquez-Otero

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the US. Infection with low-risk HPV (i.e., 6 and 11) can cause genital warts, and persistent infection with high-risk HPV types (i.e., HPV 16 and 18) can progress to cancer. Currently, there is an HPV vaccine that is recommended for boys and girls, aged 11 to 12. Healthy People 2020 established a national objective of 80% completion of HPV vaccination among children aged 13 to 15 years old. Although the HPV vaccine is proven to be a safe and effective primary prevention strategy, uptake and completion rates remain …

The Potential Of Marine Microbes, Flora And Fauna In Drug Discovery, Santana Alexa Lavonia Thomas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Natural products are chemical compounds synthesized by a living organism. These compounds have been utilized by humans from ancient times to the present for their pharmacological and biological activities. Terrestrial organisms are considered a lucrative source of bioactive compounds and chemical diversity. Within the past 60 years, the marine environment has presented its potential as a validated source for structural diversity and biologically active compounds. Technology has given access from shallow waters down to the abyssal plane for exploration and investigation of the inhabitants. Marine organisms have displayed their benefits in the pharmaceutical industry with the approval of several marine-derived …

Simulating Pathway-Based Steady States To Prevent Epithelial- Mesenchymal Transition In Ovarian Cancer, K Jeselle Clark

Theses

Ovarian cancer is a complex disease that involves gene regulatory dysfunction and that requires a systemic viewpoint to fully understand. Applying executable biology to ovarian cancer research and leveraging documented regulatory protein interactions, one can efficiently inform the prediction of characteristic gene-product activation using a logical model checking approach. Using this innovative approach to reducing terms and satisfying constraints, this thesis presents a strategy for applying regulatory systems biology to cancer research. By viewing ovarian cancer pathways like an electrical circuit, and constructing a pathway model with natural language processing tools, gene product expression patterns that have not been explained …

The Validity Of Medicare Claims-Based Codes To Identify Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Infection In Patients With Bronchiectasis, Jennifer Ku

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

Background: Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is a disease of increasing incidence, causing permanent airway damage leading to destructive pulmonary disease. Medicare claims-based codes have been used to identify NTM infection and to evaluate trends in diagnosis and disease outcomes. However, claims-based codes to identify NTM infection have not been validated.

Methods: We linked patients with a bronchiectasis diagnosis (ICD-9-CM 494.0 or 494.1) excluding cystic fibrosis from the national 2006-2014 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (Medicare) data to the U.S. Bronchiectasis Research Registry (BRR). The BRR is a national prospective cohort of patients with bronchiectasis, that collects detailed clinical, laboratory, microbiology and …

Preventing Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis In Salmonid Fish Along The Columbia River Basin, Whitney L. Wright

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is a member of the Rhabdoviridae family and causes infectious hematopoietic necrosis (IHN) disease in many salmonid species during the juvenile or “fry” stage of life. IHNV is endemic to Western North America and occurs in the Columbia River Basin, where Steelhead and Chinook salmon are the most abundant IHNV-vulnerable species. IHNV can cause an epidemic in wild or farmed stocks, killing 90-95 percent of the fish it infects. Transmission is currently understood to occur by direct exposure through the gills, and the virus is shed typically from asymptomatic or clinically ill carrier adults at …

Daily Eastern News: April 03, 2019, Eastern Illinois University

April

No abstract provided.

The One Health Approach To Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, And Prevention Strategies, A. Alonso Aguirre, Travis Longcore, Michelle Barbieri, Haydee Dabritz, Dolores Hill, Patrice N. Klein, Christopher Lepczyk, Emily L. Lilly, Rima Mcleod, Judith Milcarsky, Caroline E. Murphy, Chunlei Su, Elizabeth Vanwormer, Robert Yolken, Grant C. Sizemore

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

One Health is a collaborative, interdisciplinary effort that seeks optimal health for people, animals, plants, and the environment. Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii, is an intracellular protozoan infection distributed worldwide, with a heteroxenous life cycle that practically affects all homeotherms and in which felines act as definitive reservoirs. Herein, we review the natural history of T. gondii, its transmission and impacts in humans, domestic animals, wildlife both terrestrial and aquatic, and ecosystems. The epidemiology, prevention, and control strategies are reviewed, with the objective of facilitating awareness of this disease and promoting transdisciplinary collaborations, integrative research, and capacity building among universities, …

The Sucking Louse Fauna Of Mongolian Rodents: Host Associations, Molecular Phylogenetics And Description Of Two New Species, Chase N. Robinson

Honors College Theses

This study aimed to screen Mongolian rodents for sucking lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera: Anoplura) to better understand host-parasite associations for this understudied region. Nine species, including 3 previously undescribed, from 4 genera were identified. A molecular phylogeny based on 2 mitochondrial genes of collected louse specimens is included.

The Roles Of Cholesterol And Its Metabolites In Normal And Malignant Hematopoiesis., Hideyuki Oguro

Faculty Research 2019

Hematopoiesis is sustained throughout life by hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that are capable of self-renewal and differentiation into hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs). There is accumulating evidence that cholesterol homeostasis is an important factor in the regulation of hematopoiesis. Increased cholesterol levels are known to promote proliferation and mobilization of HSCs, while hypercholesterolemia is associated with expansion of myeloid cells in the peripheral blood and links hematopoiesis with cardiovascular disease. Cholesterol is a precursor to steroid hormones, oxysterols, and bile acids. Among steroid hormones, 17β-estradiol (E2) induces HSC division and E2-estrogen receptor α (ERα) signaling causes sexual dimorphism of HSC division …

The Experience Of Families When A Child Is Diagnosed With Cancer With A Favorable Diagnosis, Laura Clarke-Steffen

Dissertations

The major objective of this longitudinal, descriptive study was to describe the family transition to living with childhood cancer, from the family's point of view, when a child is diagnosed with cancer with a favorable prognosis. The major research question was: What is the experience of families when a child is diagnosed with cancer with a favorable prognosis? A convenience sample consisted of 40 members of 7 families with a child recently diagnosed with cancer with a favorable prognosis at a northwestern health sciences university hospital. Cancer with a favorable prognosis was defined to be any subtype of cancer with …

Initiating Buprenorphine In Patients Hospitalized With Intravenous Drug-Use-Related Endocarditis, Naiska Y. Cheung

Yale School of Medicine Physician Associate Program Theses

During the current opioid crisis, hospitalizations for the treatment of intravenous drug use-related infective endocarditis have increased. Despite this, opioid use disorder is inadequately treated resulting in continued drug use, higher surgical intervention, recurrence and mortality rates relative to non-drug use-related endocarditis. Buprenorphine* is a safe and effective medication-assisted addiction treatment in outpatient settings; however, buprenorphine remains underutilized, particularly among patients hospitalized for infective endocarditis. Emergency department-initiated buprenorphine combined with referral to ongoing treatment is associated with improved rates of addiction treatment engagement. Therefore, our objective is to investigate whether hospital-initiated buprenorphine combined with referral in patients with opioid use …

Spring 2019 News: Researchers Developing Sensor To Quickly Detect Viral Dna, Christine Delfanian

SDWRI Water News

A simple method of detecting viral DNA could make it possible to diagnose infectious diseases in the barn or in the feld. That’s what Associate Professor Zhengrong “Jimmy” Gu of the South Dakota State University Department of Agricultural and Biosysems Engineering and his collaborators are developing.

Dipl 4278 Global Health Diplomacy, Jack C. Chow Phd

Diplomacy Syllabi

The course examines contemporary issues in global health and the international diplomacy which advances, or complicates, its advancement. The course undertakes a strategic leadership approach in analyzing cases in global health diplomacy, using a core framework that enables the student to better conceptualize a policy player's missions, interests, goals and plans.

Impact Of Obesity On Acyclovir-Induced Nephrotoxicity, Katie E. Barber, Jamie L. Wagner, Kayla R. Stover

Faculty and Student Publications

© 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Triamcinolone acetonide (TA), an intermediate acting corticosteroid, is used in the treatment of posterior ocular diseases, such as inflammation, posterior uveitis, and diabetic macular edema. The objective of this investigation was to prepare TA-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (TA-SLNs) and in situ gel (TA-SLN-IG) formulations for delivery into the deeper ocular tissues through the topical route. TA-SLNs were prepared by hot homogenization and ultrasonication method using glyceryl monostearate and Compritol® 888ATO as solid lipids and Tween®80 and Pluronic® F-68 as surfactants. TA-SLNs were optimized and converted to TA-SLN-IG by the inclusion of …

"Profitability" Analysis, Ekta Chugh

Honors Projects in Accounting

The United States has a very unique healthcare system. The different layers of variance from care coordination, case management to utilization in all parts of healthcare makes the system really complex. With the continuous evolution in the healthcare system including changes in healthcare laws and payment methods, the profitability and financial sustainability of hospitals have become aspects of utmost importance not only to the hospitals but also to the people in general. My senior thesis focuses on the determination of the financial sustainability of hospitals. To understand that, I conducted a comparative analysis of profitability among different departments in a …

Second Chance For Youthful Offenders: Intervention, Prevention, Solution, Monieke Nikole Mcneil

Political Science Student Work

This thesis was written with the specific intent and purpose to address and bring awareness to the “true” underlying causations of juvenile crime and delinquency. To create a new systematic approach and set of policies that effectively diminishes juvenile crime and delinquency and implement and promote new effective solutions of systematic accountability. Although there have been several slight attempts to change the model in which we handle delinquency and crime, an overall change to the system as a whole is warranted. There must be a more comprehensive strategy and culpable understanding of the correlation between the behaviors of crime and …

Baystate Health Sciences Library Newsletter - Spring 2019, Maria Roman

Library Newsletters

Health Sciences Library Newsletter - Spring 2019

Human Gut Microbiome, Enrico José Aveiro Johannsen, Mandy Peak

Posters

The human gut microbiome has been an area of interest for researchers due to its established link with human metabolism, nutrition, physiology, and immune functions. The research presented further investigates the microbiome to better understand it. Stools from two healthy young African males and a French obese individual were analyzed using MALDI-TOF MS and the enrichment culture technique. For the identification of bacterial species metagenomics, genomics, and culturomics were used. The results showed a much broader biodiversity in the human gut than previously predicted, as well as better results when using culturomics for measuring biodiversity in large-scale isolation.

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis As A Prevention Strategy For Hiv Seroconversion In The Men Who Have Sex With Men Population With Comparison Of Its Effectiveness In Other At-Risk Groups, Jack W. Jones Iii

Physician Assistant Capstones

Since the beginning of the United States AIDS epidemic in the early 1980s, the medical community has overcome significant challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections. Many advancements in suppressing HIV viral loads and maintaining healthy immune system function in HIV positive patients have been achieved with antiretroviral therapy (ART). Moreover, these drugs have been shown to be effective for preventing HIV infections. Once-daily Truvada (emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) has been approved by the FDA for this purpose. The availability of this preventive therapy, commonly known as preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), necessitates educating at-risk patient populations about …

Accuracy Of Self-Collected Vaginal Swabs In The Diagnosis Of Bacterial Vaginosis, Vaginal Candidiasis, And Trichomoniasis, Anna Chase

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Vaginitis is the most common gynecological problem seen in primary care. It is estimated to account for 10 million primary care visits each year. The most common causes of vaginitis - responsible for up to 90% of cases - are bacterial vaginosis (BV), vaginal candidiasis (“yeast infections”), and trichomoniasis. The purpose of this evidence-based project was to evaluate whether self-collected vaginal swabs are as accurate as those collected by a provider during a speculum exam in the diagnosis of BV, yeast infections, and trichomoniasis.

In order to appropriately diagnose and treat vaginitis, samples from a vaginal swab are often required. …

Yuval Noah Harari. Sapiens: A Brief History Of Humankind. New York: Harpercollins Publishers, 2015, Joseph Drew

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Predicting The Effects Of Medicaid's Sobriety Requirements On The Spread Of Hepatitis C In Rhode Island, Mary Cate Gallagher

Honors Projects in Science and Technology

Hepatitis C (HCV) is the most prevalent infectious disease in America (1). This virus is spread through blood to blood contact, and disproportionally affects the People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) community. There is a 99% effective curative treatment available. However, Rhode Island Medicaid stipulates that a patient must be six months sober before accessing this treatment. Because of this barrier, less than 16% of people infected with HCV are able to access the curative treatment and the disease continues to run rampant throughout the state. Using SIS disease spread modeling techniques fit to current published Rhode Island Department of Health …

Usability And Acceptability Of An Electronic Clinical Decision Support Tool For Antibiotic Selection For Common Pediatric Infections In Outpatient Rural Healthcare Clinics, Sammi Simpson, Karen Johnson, Amy Hite, Kristi Frisbee, Anuradha Ghosh

Posters

The purpose of this project was to determine the potential role of an electronic clinical decision support tool (ECDST) for optimizing antibiotic prescribing practices in rural clinical practice. The specific aim was to evalu­ate the usability and acceptability of an ECDST for antibiotic prescribing in pediatric patients in outpatient ru­ral health clinics. The data was collected from providers working with pediatric patients at Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas. The ECDST used in this project was found to have a high usability value and was accepted as a potential tool for clinical practice by the majority of the providers who …

Increasing Hepatitis C Infection Related To Growing Opioid Epidemic, Chelsea Poell, Barbara Mcclaskey

Posters

Hepatitis C (HCV) is rapidly growing and has become the most common blood-borne infection throughout the United States. The objective of this study was to compare trends in rates of injection drug use (IDU), spe­cifically opioid injection, with national trends in the incidence of acute HCV infection to assess whether these events correlated over time. The methodology was a literature review. To test for trends researchers calculated the annual incidence rate, demographics, and risk characteristics of reported cases of acute HCV infection using surveillance data from 2004 to 2014. They also analyzed the annual percentage of admissions to substance use …

Biological Biomedical Seminar | Searching For In Vitro And In Vivo Phenotype In Coxiella Burnetii Pathogenesis, April 15, Ohio University College Of Arts & Sciences

All Forum Articles

No abstract provided.

Division Of Natural Sciences Spring 2019 Newsletter, Bridgewater College

The Greg L. and Betty P. Coffman School of Natural Sciences Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Wright State University Magazine, Spring 2019, Office Of Marketing, Wright State University, Wright State Alumni Association, Wright State University Foundation

Wright State University Magazine

56-page issue of the Wright State Magazine. This magazine is published twice a year and focuses on news related to Wright State alumni, faculty, and friends of the university.

From Miasma To Microbe, Jade Maestas

ESSAI

No abstract provided.

Alumni Journal - Volume 90, Number 1, Loma Linda University School Of Medicine

Alumni Journal, School of Medicine

Features
24 | Reflections on an Antarctic Cruise
28 | A Cup of Tea on a Breathtaking Continent
30 | Department Reports: Pathology and Human Anatomy and Orthopedic Surgery
34 | AIES Helps to Cure Blindness
36 | Picture of Progress
39 | Teach a Man to Fish and Feed Him for a Lifetime
40 | Day of Deliverance
44 | What’s Up, Doc? - Glenn E. Kerr '73-A
45 | Historical Snapshot

Editorials
2 | From the Editor
4 | From the President
6 | From the Dean

News
7 | This and That
9 | The Student Fund …