Digital Commons Network^™

Genomic Characterization Of Antibiotic Resistant Escherichia Coli Isolated From Domestic Chickens In Pakistan, Muhammad Rafique, Robert F Potter, Aura Ferreiro, Meghan A Wallace, Abdul Rahim, Akbar Ali Malik, Naila Siddique, Muhammad Athar Abbas, Alaric W D'Souza, Carey-Ann D Burnham, Naeem Ali, Gautam Dantas

Open Access Publications

Poultry husbandry is important for the economic health of Pakistan, but the Pakistani poultry industry is negatively impacted by infections from

The Interplay Between Viral-Derived Mirnas And Host Immunity During Infection, Richa Mishra, Ashish Kumar, Harshad Ingle, Himanshu Kumar

Open Access Publications

MicroRNAs are short non-coding RNAs that play a crucial role in the regulation of gene expression during cellular processes. The host-encoded miRNAs are known to modulate the antiviral defense during viral infection. In the last decade, multiple DNA and RNA viruses have been shown to produce miRNAs known as viral miRNAs (v-miRNAs) so as to evade the host immune response. In this review, we highlight the origin and biogenesis of viral miRNAs during the viral lifecycle. We also explore the role of viral miRNAs in immune evasion and hence in maintaining chronic infection and disease. Finally, we offer insights into …

Visualization Of Positive And Negative Sense Viral Rna For Probing The Mechanism Of Direct-Acting Antivirals Against Hepatitis C Virus, Dandan Liu, Philip R Tedbury, Shuiyun Lan, Andrew D Huber, Maritza N Puray-Chavez, Juan Ji, Eleftherios Michailidis, Mohsan Saeed, Tanyaradzwa P Ndongwe, Leda C Bassit, Raymond F Schinazi, Robert Ralston, Charles M Rice, Stefan G Sarafianos

Open Access Publications

RNA viruses are highly successful pathogens and are the causative agents for many important diseases. To fully understand the replication of these viruses it is necessary to address the roles of both positive-strand RNA ((+)RNA) and negative-strand RNA ((-)RNA), and their interplay with viral and host proteins. Here we used branched DNA (bDNA) fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to stain both the abundant (+)RNA and the far less abundant (-)RNA in both hepatitis C virus (HCV)- and Zika virus-infected cells, and combined these analyses with visualization of viral proteins through confocal imaging. We were able to phenotypically examine HCV-infected cells …

Analysis Of The Tcr Repertoire In Hiv-Exposed But Uninfected Infants, Benjamin Gabriel, Carey Medin, Jeremiah Alves, Ruth Nduati, Rose Kerubo Bosire, Dalton Wamalwa, Carey Farquhar, Grace John-Steward, Barbara L. Lohman-Payne

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Maternal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has been shown to leave profound and lasting impacts on the HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) infant, including increased mortality and morbidity, immunological changes, and developmental delays compared to their HIV-unexposed (HU) counterparts. Exposure to HIV or antiretroviral therapy may influence immune development, which could increase morbidity and mortality. However, a direct link between the increased mortality and morbidity and the infant’s immune system has not been identified. To provide a global picture of the neonatal T cell repertoire in HEU versus HU infants, the diversity of the T cell receptor beta chain (TRB) expressed in …

Randomized Controlled Trial Of Influenza Vaccine In Patients With Heart Failure To Reduce Adverse Vascular Events (Ivve): Rationale And Design, Mark Loeb, Hisham Dokainish, Antonio Dans, Lia M. Palileo-Villanueva, Ambuj Roy, Ambuj Roy, Kamilu Karaye, Jun Zhu, Yan Liang, Gerald Yonga

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: Influenza is associated with an increase in the risk of cardiac and other vascular events. Observational data and small randomized trials suggest that influenza vaccination may reduce such adverse vascular events.

Research Design and Methods: In a randomized controlled trial patients with heart failure are randomized to receive either inactivated influenza vaccine or placebo annually for 3 years. Patients aged ≥18 years with a clinical diagnosis of heart failure and NYHA functional class II, III and IV are eligible. Five thousand patients from 10 countries where influenza vaccination is not common (Asia, the Middle East, and Africa) have been …

Structural Studies Of Some Proteins Responsible For Bacterial Pathogenesis, Kartik Manne

All ETDs from UAB

A wide range of infections is attributed to the pathogenesis of Gram-positive bacteria. The emergence of multi-drug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens has been a significant health concern and present serious therapeutic challenges globally. Some of the common Gram-positive bacterial species like Streptococcus pneumonia, Group B Streptococcus, and Staphylococcus aureus are infectious by employing several virulence factors for initial adhesion, colonization, biofilm initiation and dispersion, complement evasion, nutrient acquisition, and infection. The structural insights into these virulence factors are essential for understanding their mode of action, and also for developing a new class of antibiotics; a significant interest of many researchers. Pneumococcal adhesive …

Reported Clinical And Financial Performance Of Hospitals With Physician Ceos Compared To Those With Nonphysician Ceos, Leon Moores

All ETDs from UAB

Leaders impact organizational behavior and performance, and CEOs may have greater impact via numerous proposed mechanisms. Because of this, organizations expend considerable resources recruiting and selecting CEOs and may benefit from information suggesting a positive impact on organizational performance based upon measurable CEO characteristics. Little work has been done comparing the performance of hospitals with physician CEOs versus non-physician CEOs, in spite of the ease of identification of this characteristic and extant leadership theories suggesting a relationship between technical expertise and success in leading highly technical organizations. We compared multiple measures of reported clinical and financial performance and our linear …

Determination Of The Role Of Smu_833 In The Fitness And Virulence Of Cariogenic Streptococcus Mutans, Katherine Lynn Rainey

All ETDs from UAB

Dental caries, commonly known as tooth decay, is the most common infectious disease worldwide. The main etiological agent of dental caries is Streptococcus mutans which can readily form a biofilm on the surface of teeth and produce acids through the metabolism of dietary sugars, which is largely responsible for the demineralization and subsequent destruction of tooth enamel. In addition, S. mutans synthesizes extracellular glucosyltransferases (Gtfs) capable of breaking apart dietary sucrose and polymerizing the glucose subunits into the sticky glucan matrix of the biofilm, imperative for the formation of robust, three-dimensional biofilms. Currently used caries therapies are not species-specific and …

Self-Tracking Practices: The Roles Of Social Contexts And Chronic Conditions, Aowen Zhu

All ETDs from UAB

The rapid development of mobile health (mHealth) technologies is propelled by the culture of disease prevention and management. Smartphone applications and wearable devices provide valuable personal data for self enhancement. In addition to health promotion, people with chronic conditions are using apps and devices to monitor symptoms and behaviors. There is great potential for self-tracking practices to reduce health care cost and improve population health. However, the emphasis on personal responsibility of individuals’ health may hinder the long-term effectiveness of self-tracking practices. The purpose of the study is to examine the associations between social contexts and self-tracking practices, chronic health …

Role Of Primary Care Providers And Integrated Disease Surveillance In Chad, Dhoud Stave Gischel Samba

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the Republic of Chad, primary care physicians play a central role in the detection and control of outbreaks and are critical actors in the integrated disease surveillance system through mandatory reporting. Feedback on such surveillance must reveal the needs and perceptions of these physicians. These needs and perceptions were examined using a questionnaire survey distributed to a sampling of 20 physicians in Chad. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the role of primary care providers in the integrated disease surveillance to identify factors that impact complete, quality, and timely reporting. The theory of planned behavior was …

Hit Me With Your Best Shot: A Critical Analysis Of The Resistance To Vaccine Utilization, Katherine Coleman Sistrunk

Honors Theses

Vaccines have provided humans protection from infectious diseases for centuries, yet the vaccination rate in the United States fails to come near one-hundred percent, allowing vaccine-preventable diseases to re-emerge in communities across the nation. Vaccines have proven to be a safe and effective method in preventing the spread of infectious disease, but vaccine resistance remains high due to false information perpetuated by anti-vaxxers, greatly impacting the vaccination rate in our country. This thesis, by means of a literature review, provides a critical analysis the resistance to vaccine utilization in the United States to determine what policy recommendations and interventions can …

The Protective Role Of Estrogen On Hiv-1 Mediated Neurotoxicity, Macklin Licamied

Honors Theses

The prevalence of HIV among men have been in a steady inclination over the last several decades, yet the accelerated infection rate among older women is considerably concerning. Not only does the HIV virus affect the immune system but it also affects the central nervous system. One of its viral proteins, Tat, acts as an excitotoxin and disrupts the cell’s membrane potential by increasing the concentration of Ca2+ inside the cell. This influx of calcium ions leads to apoptosis and secretion of the cell’s contents into the surrounding area. Macrophages, along with other innate immune components, gather and induce the …

The Promising Viral Threat To Bacterial Resistance: The Uncertain Patentability Of Phage Therapeutics And The Necessity Of Alternative Incentives, Kelly Todd

Duke Law Journal

Bacteriophages, or “phages,” are a category of highly adept and adaptable viruses that can infect and kill bacteria. With concerns over the burgeoning antibiotic-resistance crisis looming in recent years, scientists and policymakers have expressed a growing interest in developing novel treatments for bacterial infections that utilize bacteriophages. Because of the great expense associated with bringing a new drug to market, patents are usually considered the gold standard for incentivizing research and development in the pharmaceutical field. Absent such strong protection for a developer’s front end investment, pharmaceutical development remains financially risky and unattractive. Unfortunately, recent Supreme Court jurisprudence analyzing patentable …

Elq-331 As A Prototype For Extremely Durable Chemoprotection Against Malaria, Martin J. Smilkstein, Sovitj Pou, Alina Krollenbrock, Lisa A. Bleyle, Rozalia A. Dodean, Lisa Frueh, David J. Hinrichs, Multiple Additional Authors

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

The potential benefits of long-acting injectable chemoprotection (LAI-C) against malaria have been recently recognized, prompting a call for suitable candidate drugs to help meet this need. On the basis of its known pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profiles after oral dosing, ELQ-331, a prodrug of the parasite mitochondrial electron transport inhibitor ELQ-300, was selected for study of pharmacokinetics and efficacy as LAI-C in mice.

Four trials were conducted in which mice were injected with a single intramuscular dose of ELQ-331 or other ELQ-300 prodrugs in sesame oil with 1.2% benzyl alcohol; the ELQ-300 content of the doses ranged from 2.5 to 30 …

Building From Scratch: University Of Georgia School Of Law's Practicum In Animal Welfare Skills, Lisa Milot, Deena Agamy

Scholarly Works

The Practicum in Animal Welfare Skills (PAWS) brings together students from the University of Georgia School of Law, legal and law enforcement professionals from the Athens-Clarke County (ACC) Unified Government, and private parties interested in improving animal welfare in the Athens area, for the sake of the animals and the people who care about them. This Article focuses on the evolution of the Practicum in Animal Welfare Skills (PAWS) at UGA School of Law.

Nudges And Norms In Multidistrict Litigation: A Response To Engstrom, Elizabeth Chamblee Burch

Scholarly Works

On paper, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure apply equally to billion-dollar opioid allegations and small-stakes claims for $75,000.01. In practice, however, judges and attorneys in high-stakes multidistrict proceedings like those over opioids have invented a smattering of procedures that you’ll never find indexed in the Federal Rules: plaintiff fact sheets, short form complaints, science days, bellwether trials, census orders, inactive dockets, and Lone Pine orders to name but a few. In a world where settlement is the prevailing currency, norms take root. But as norms blossom, the stabilizing features of the federal rules—balance, predictability, and structural protections—can wither. As …

State Of The University Annual Report - 2018-2019, Office Of The President, East Tennessee State University, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

Office of the President State of the University Annual Report

No abstract provided.

Differences In The M1 And M2 Macrophage Subtypes Between The Sexes Determine Susceptibility To Francisella Tularensis Infection, Michelle Arlene Sanchez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Francisella tularensis is the causative agent of the human disease tularemia. It is highly infectious with as few as 10 microorganisms via inhalation causing a lethal infection. F. tularensis infects a variety of cell types, including macrophages and neutrophils, since it needs to enter, survive and proliferate in order to cause pathogenicity. Disease is the result of over activating the host's own inflammatory response initiated by the macrophage's response to infection.

Known differences exist in the intensity of the inflammatory response between the sexes which leads to differences in sensitivity to autoimmune and infectious disease. Males tend to be more …

Trypanosoma Cruzi Trypomastigote Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-Anchored Mucins And A Synthetic Alpha-Gal-Containing Neoglycoprotein As Potential Biomarkers And Vaccines For Chagas Disease, Igor Leandro Estevao

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Chagas disease (CD), caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is a neglected tropical disease that kills or permanently disable thousands of people annually. About 6-8 million people are estimated to be infected worldwide. Although many efforts have been made for the development of an effective immunotherapy, currently there is no vaccine to prevent or treat CD in humans. Despite their toxicity, the two current drugs for CD, benznidazole (BZN) and nifurtimox (NFX), have medium-to-high efficacy in the chronic stage of the disease and could save or improve the lives of thousands of patients. However, negative seroconversion in treated patients, as …

Determinants Of Self-Efficacy Among Individuals Who Are Hard-Of-Hearing, Sergio Cuevas, Roy K. Chen, Chia Vang, Shawn P. Saladin

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

Self-efficacy plays an important role in their lives of the estimated 48 million Americans who report having some degree of hearing impairment, helping them navigate through a myriad of communication challenges. The purpose of the present study was to assess the levels of self-efficacy in this disability group by examining an array of social, psychological, spiritual, disability, and demographic variables. A total of 114 persons who identified as hard-of-hearing took part in an online survey. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed to answer the research question. The proposed regression model explained 24.7% of variance in self-efficacy among individuals who …

Papanicolaou Test Status Among Inner-City Adolescent Girls In Accra, Ghana, Collins Kwesi Asamoa-Afriyie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cervical cancer is an emerging public health problem in developing countries. Globally, it is the 3rd most common malignancy in women after breast and colorectal cancers and 4th most frequent cancer in women, with an estimated 570,000 new cases and 311,000 deaths in 2018. Cervical cancer screening in the developed countries is credited with the reductions in cervical cancer morbidity and mortality during the last 50 years. However, nearly 90% of cervical cancer deaths occur in less developed countries. Ghana has a cervical cancer rate of 26.4%. Further, it is the highest cancer incidence faced among women 25 to 44 …

Determinants Of Maternal Health Care Utilization In The Philippines: Implications On Information Dissemination Strategies, Nancy M. Landicho

Journal of Public Affairs and Development

From 2000 to 2017, maternal deaths in the Philippines considerably decreased. With COVID-19, the mechanisms to ensure safe pregnancy and childbirth for mothers have been greatly challenged. To find possible means by which women can access health care services remotely, the study looked into the factors affecting Filipino women’s utilization of maternal health care services using the 2017 Philippine National Demographic and Health Survey. Place of residence and employment status significantly affect the frequency by which women read newspaper or magazine, listen to the radio, and access the internet. Wealth status is the sole socio-demographic characteristic that has significant relationship …

Generation, Identification And Characterization Of Novel Monoclonal Antibodies Against Ctla-4, Pd-1 And Btla For The Treatment Of Cancer, Rosabril Acuna

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Members of the CD28 co-inhibitory receptor family, Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte- associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4), Program death-1 (PD-1) and B- and T-lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) are type I transmembrane proteins expressed on a variety of immune cells. Co- inhibitory receptors deliver "off" signals that play an important role in down regulating immune cell activation. Manipulation of inhibitory signals have shown to be a powerful strategy in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and various forms of cancer. In fact, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has approved the use of monoclonal antibodies against CTLA-4 (Ipilimumab) for the treatment of metastatic melanoma, against …

Exploring Paths For Water Services And Human Capabilities In U.S.-Mexico Border Colonias, Chilton Tippin

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Thesis examines causes and consequences of water insecurity in colonias on the U.S.-Mexico border and explores potential pathways for improving situations wherein low-income households lack reliable access to water and sewer services. Colonias are low-income, rural and/or semi-rural communities that lack basic services, such as paved streets, water, and sewer. Through in-depth interviews, surveys, and ethnographic observations, the research presented here describes needs, desires, and capabilities of residents in two high-needs Texas colonias. First, findings elucidate the lived experiences of water insecurity in colonias households, leading to an argument that lacking water access constitutes a nexus, wherein water insecurity …

Application Of Urinary Metabolites For Cancer Detection, Qin Gao

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the 3rd most common cause of male cancer mortality in the US. Early diagnosis and treatment of PCa will improve the quality of care and reduce mortality. The prostate specific antigen (PSA) is commonly used in the current PCa screening, but its limitation has resulted in an intense search for more reliable biomarkers. Studies showed that dogs could differentiate PCa patients from negative control by sniffing their urine. As the odor profiles are generated by volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the finding suggests that particular VOCs could be linked to PCa, PCa risk levels and other cancers. …

Development Of Ligand-Kinase Binding Affinity Predictive Model, Govinda Kc

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Prediction of interaction between drugs or drug like compounds and targets, is of high importance in drug discovery process as it provides important insights into therapeutic potential and possible adverse effects. As the experimental testing would be highly expensive, laborious and time consuming, screening the molecules computationally before performing experiments would be cost effective, faster and convenient as a method of approach. In this study, I have developed computational models, leveraging machine learning techniques, to predict drug-kinase binding affinities. The predictive model is mainly built using the Random Forest (RF) machine learning method. This study is focused on kinases because …

Social Vulnerability Assessment Of Dog Intake Location Data As A Planning Tool For Community Health Program Development: A Case Study In Athens-Clarke County, Ga, 2014-2016, Lisa Milot, Jessie Lee Dyer

Scholarly Works

A retrospective spatial analysis of dog intake data from an open admission animal shelter in Georgia was conducted to explore patterns within dog demographics and outcomes by pickup location or by the home address of the person who transferred ownership rights of the dog to Athens-Clarke County Animal Control during the period 2014–2016. Spatial analysis found the relationship between these intake locations and the final disposition of the dogs to be non-random, suggesting social and environmental influences on distribution. Statistically significant clusters were identified using the Getis-Ord Gi* statistic. This study found statistically significant hot spots (i.e., areas with higher …

Geospatial Analysis Of Care And Mortality In The 2014 Liberia Ebola Outbreak, Marion Carlton Kinkade

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014 to 2016 had more than 28,000 suspected, probable, and confirmed cases. It was the largest Ebola outbreak in history. Of the 28,000 cases in the three Ebola-affected countries, Liberia had 10,000 cases with almost 5,000 deaths. The Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) entered Liberia along the border of Guinea and moved to the capital city of Monrovia where the virus spread. Ebola Treatment Units (ETUs) were constructed throughout the response in locations where there were available facilities versus distance to care challenges. This study examined the association of distance from villages to ETUs …

Comparison Of The Effectivity Of Handrubbing And Handwashing On The Number Of Bacterial Colonization On Clinical Students At The Department Of Oral And Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty Of Dentistry, Universitas Sumatera Utara March-May 2018, Ahyar Riza, Abdullah Oes, Hendry Rusdy, Khairun Nisah

Journal of Dentomaxillofacial Science

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of The Attitudes Of Veterinary Students Towards Cancer In Animals Using A Cancer Attitude Scale For Animals, İbrahi̇m Kiliç, İbrahi̇m Demi̇rkan, Aysun Çevi̇k Demi̇rkan, Si̇nan Saraçli

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The aim of this descriptive study was to examine the attitudes of veterinary undergraduate students towards cancer in animals with cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions by a new cancer attitude scale for animals approach. Questionnaires, as data collection tools, were applied to 205 students training to be veterinary surgeons at Afyon Kocatepe University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, who were selected by systematic random sampling method. Validity-reliability analysis and t-test as well as ANOVA were used in addition to descriptive statistics for the data analysis. The students? general attitudes to cancer were (X = 3.65) greater than the midscore, 3, according …