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Molecular Mechanisms That Regulate The Stress Response In A. Baumannii, Feroz Ahmed

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Acinetobacter baumannii is particularly problematic in hospital settings, where infections can occur in a range of tissues. This bacterium can endure extreme stress from various antimicrobial agents, biocides, host immune response etc. Not much is known about how these bacteria react to such high stress. A. baumannii also possesses a unique ability to inactivate lipooligosaccharide (LOS) biosynthesis, which is an essential molecule in most Gram-negative bacteria. LOS is enriched in the outer membrane and is the targeted by the last-resort antibiotic, colistin. LOS-deficient A. baumannii is highly resistant to the list-line antimicrobial. Previously, our lab discovered that a two-component system, …

Public Space And Well-Being: An Empirical Study Of Central Park In Old Louisville., Maryam Entezam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Urban green spaces have been receiving attention in urban planning and the health profession in the 21^st century as environmental elements that contribute to well-being. This dissertation explored the relationship between green space usage and individuals’ physical, mental, and social well-being. This empirical research focused on Central Park in Old Louisville to examine how residents use the park and whether it contributes to the well-being of residents. After exploring the existing literature, I identified four well-being indices: (1) perceived health (PHI), (2) health outcome (HOI), (3) mental well-being (MWI), and (4) social well-being (SWI). Frequent Park usage is expected …

Illuminating Underappreciated Mechanisms Of Receptor Regulation In Human Lymphocytes., Cassandra Woolley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A thorough understanding of receptor regulation is imperative to predict expression in varying contexts of disease or treatment. Lymphocyte surface receptors are often used as biomarkers and drug targets, making them particularly important for study. For receptors of debated functionality, such as the Fc receptor for IgM (FcMR), understanding regulation can also help to predict expression in vivo to supplement hypotheses of biological roles. Various mechanisms exist for altering receptor surface expression, including direct feedback mechanisms such as ligand-induced endocytosis and broader mechanisms such as transcriptional and translational control. In this dissertation, we explore selected underappreciated mechanisms of lymphocyte receptor …

Perceptions And Experiences Of Nursing Students And Faculty Members Regarding Implementation Of The Bs-Nursing Program, Abdul Karim, Yasmin Amarsi, Yasmin Parpio, Laila Akber Cassum, Munira Amirali, Shakir Rehman

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Objective: To explore the perceptions and experiences of nursing students and faculty members regarding the implementation of the baccalaureate nursing programme in public-sector setting.
Methods: The descriptive, exploratory, qualitative study was conducted at the Khyber Medical University, Peshawar, Pakistan, from April 15, 2020 to April 15, 2021, and comprised undergraduate nursing students and faculty members. Because of the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic, the subjects were interviewed through telephonic call using a semi-structured interview guide. Data was analysed using the Creswell's analysis approach.
Results: Of the 15 subjects, 10(66.6%) were students aged 21-24 years; 7(70%) males and 3(30%) females. The remaining 5(33.3%) …

Perspectives On The Application Of Pharmacogenomics In Patient Care, Erika Meaddough

All Dissertations

Pharmacogenomics, the study of the genetic contribution to inter-individual differences in drug response, has great potential for realizing the goals of precision medicine: the right drug, for the right patient, at the right time. However, application in the clinical setting, through the use of pharmacogenetic testing, still has not gained widespread acceptance. This work describes multiple aspects of pharmacogenomics, which drive current research in this field.

Chapter I is an introduction to pharmacogenomics. Regulatory agencies and professional organizations across the globe provide information about gene-drug interactions that could lead to adverse drug reactions, and/or therapeutic failure. Risks for poor health …

Increasing The Safety Of Bicyclists Using A Cyclist Behavior Questionnaire And A Smartphone Based Application, Anika Jannat Rimu

Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering Dissertations - Archive

ABSTRACT: Bicycling is beneficial for health, the environment, road users’ flexibility, and personal expenses. Compared to motor vehicles, they are an active mode of transport, cause minimum pollution, are affordable, and can easily navigate through the increasing traffic all over the world. This increase in traffic, however, also increases the possibility of crashes with motor vehicles. Bicyclists, being more exposed to traffic than drivers, suffer fatal consequences from a crash. Therefore, a standard tool is required to understand bicyclist behavior on the road. This tool can provide insights into bicyclists’ behavior so that appropriate infrastructure or policy changes can be …

Examining The Effects Of Iron-Oxide Nanoparticles On Primary Gingival Keratinocytes For The Prevention Of Oral Disease, Jennifer C. Carranza

Dental Hygiene ETDs

Oral plaque biofilm has been identified as the primary contributor to dental conditions such as dental caries and periodontal disease that promotes a diverse and pervasive collection of microbial species to inhabit the oral cavity. Disrupting the plaque matrix early could help combat this global disease burden. This study evaluated the effect of IONPs on primary gingival keratinocytes.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine existing research regarding nanoparticles and determine if IONPs affect the PGK cell membranes with preliminary research to find the maximum lysis possible with PGK cells.

Methods: IONP core/shell syntheses were performed. Considering keratinocyte characteristics, examining data …

University Of Central Florida Graduate Catalog, 2023 - 2024, University Of Central Florida

UCF Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Investigation Of Orthohantavirus Genetics In Rodent Reservoirs And Clinical Samples, Samuel Melvin Goodfellow

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Orthohantaviruses are negative-sense, single stranded RNA viruses with trisegmented genomes that can cause severe disease in humans and are carried by several host reservoirs throughout the world. In the United States, Sin Nombre orthohantavirus (SNV) is the primary cause of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) with a fatality rate of ~36% and the highest cases occuring in the southwest region. The primary SNV host reservoir is thought to be the western deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus, however it has been shown that other rodents can carry different orthohantaviruses. We designed a pan-orthohantavirus detection tool to survey several small mammal populations throughout New …

Trends In Gestational Weight Gain In Louisiana, March 2019 To March 2022, Emily W. Harville, Chelsea L. Kracht, Nicole L. Cohen, Elizabeth F. Sutton, Maryam Kebbe, Leanne M. Redman

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

IMPORTANCE Average gestational weight gain (GWG) increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is not known whether this trend has continued. OBJECTIVE To examine patterns of GWG during the COVID-19 pandemic by delivery and conception timing through the second year of the pandemic. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cohort study is a retrospective review of birth certificate and delivery records from 2019 to 2022. Electronic health records were from the largest delivery hospital in Louisiana. Participants included all individuals giving birth from March 2019 to March 2022. Data analysis was performed from October 2022 to July 2023. EXPOSURE Delivery date …

Inspire : Vol 6, Issue 9, Department Of Medicine

INSPIRE – Department of Medicine Archives

• Message from the Chair
• Medicine at National and International Forums Dermatology & the Journey of Education
• Risk Management training
• Nuts and Bolts of Research Administration training research program
• Pitfalls of Harmful Cosmetics and Skincare Trends
• In-depth- featuring Dr Zeba Rasmussen | Visiting Faculty By Zahrah Rahmatullah & Shahnoor Ahmed
• Featured Faculty | Dr Nashiz Inayet | Gastroenterology Section “…everyday, life brings its own challenges and with every challenge, an opportunity
• What Academics Are Reading?
• Poem

Outcomes Associated With Sars-Cov-2 Reinfection In Individuals With Natural And Hybrid Immunity, Geehan Suleyman, Raef Fadel, Kunj Patel, Al Muthanna Shadid, Haim Bernardo Cotlear Stuart, Michael Kattula, Andrea Janis, Mohamed Maki, Shing Chao, George Alangaden, Indira Brar

Infectious Diseases Articles

BACKGROUND: Studies comparing SARS-CoV-2 reinfection outcomes among individuals with previous infection (natural immunity) and previous infection plus vaccination (hybrid immunity) are limited.

METHODS: Retrospective cohort study comparing SARS-CoV-2 reinfection among patients with hybrid immunity (cases) and natural immunity (controls) from March 2020 to February 2022. Reinfection was defined as positive PCR> 90 days after initial laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Outcomes included time to reinfection, symptom severity, COVID-19-related hospitalization, critical COVID-19 illness (need for intensive care unit, invasive mechanical ventilation, or death), length of stay (LOS).

RESULTS: A total of 773 (42%) vaccinated and 1073 (58%) unvaccinated patients with reinfection were included. …

Ultrastructure For The Diagnosis Of Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia In South Africa, A Resource-Limited Setting, Monica Birkhead, Samuel Otido, Theodore Mabaso, Keketso Mopeli, Dorcas Tlhapi, Charl Verwey, Ziyaad Dangor

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Introduction: International guidelines recommend a multi-faceted approach for successful diagnoses of primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). In the absence of a gold standard test, a combination of genetic testing/microscopic analysis of structure and function/nasal nitric oxide measurement is used. In resourcelimited settings, often none of the above tests are available, and in South Africa, only transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is available in central anatomical pathology departments. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical and ultrastructural findings of suspected PCD cases managed by pediatric pulmonologists at a tertiary-level state funded hospital in Johannesburg.

Methods: Nasal brushings were …

Investigating The Effects Of E219 Mutations In M. Tuberculosis Indole-3-Glycerol Phosphate Synthase, Cinthya Moran

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis drug resistance is increasingly a problem, but recent research has provided results that suggest Indole-3-Glycerol Phosphate Synthase (IGPS) could be a potential drug target. IGPS is an enzyme that catalyzes the fourth step in the tryptophan biosynthesis pathway, a crucial process for optimal Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth. In this research, we studied IGPS from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MtIGPS) to shed light on a particular conserved residue that has not been studied in depth in any IGPS homolog. My investigation focuses on understanding the role of the active site residue E219. …

A Postmortem Analysis Of Covid-19 Ensemble Forecasts: Forward Or Sticky Information?, Jinman Pang

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study conducts a postmortem analysis to evaluate the overall forecasting performance of a large number of pandemic transmission models for COVID-19 mortality. For a comprehensive accuracy analysis, we selected thirty-nine prolific forecasting models, which reported continuously national-level weekly incident death forecasts at least fifty times at four weekly horizons between June 8, 2020, and May 28, 2022. We found that the forecasting performance of individual models varies over target weeks and horizons, even after adjusting for time-varying forecast difficulty. Most individual models predicted the turning points with a lag, and very few models excelled at predicting the troughs and …

Out-Of-Pocket Health Expenditures Associated With Chronic Health Conditions And Disability In China, Jingyi Gao, Hoolda Kim, Sophie Mitra

College of Business and Economics

The objective of this study is to estimate the extra costs of living associated with chronic health conditions and disabilities in China. Leveraging the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study involving 13,530 respondents aged 50 and over, we apply both an ordinary least squares linear regression model and a logistic model to analyze the correlation between medical out-of-pocket expenditures (OOPEs) and chronic health conditions, as well as disabilities measured by Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) limitations. This paper bridges the gap in the literature on OOPEs and their association with disabilities and …

Physiological, Ecological, And Microbial Factors Shaping Thermal Tolerance And Performance In Ectothermic Vertebrates, Jason Warren Dallas

Dissertations

Temperature represents a major driving force in biology as it influences essential functions across multiple levels of biological organization. The role of temperature is especially important for ectothermic animals, whose biotic processes are dependent on both body and environmental temperature. Assessing the relationship between temperature and organismal performance represents an important research direction as temperatures continue to warm under anthropogenic climate change. Chapters two and three are focused on a recently colonized population of the invasive Mediterranean House Geckos at the northern edge of their invasion front. These chapters examine the ecological and physiological factors that enable these lizards to …

Healthcare Built Environment And The Covid-19 Pandemic, A Mixed-Method Study, Mohammad Saleh Nikooopayan Tak

All Theses

The outbreak of COVID-19 presented an unparalleled risk to public health, leading to urgent scientific efforts in understanding transmission mechanisms and mitigating risks, especially in healthcare settings. This mixed-methods study examines knowledge advancement regarding indoor air quality in healthcare facilities during the pandemic. A systematic literature review of 163 post-COVID studies identifies key research thrusts and 31 recommendations related to building ventilation, air filtration, surface disinfection, and monitoring. Comparison with over 200 pre-pandemic publications reveals both reliance on established infection control principles and unique contributions, such as detecting viral RNA in air and surface samples indicating potential airborne and fomite …

Enhancing Depression Screening And Treatment For Latinxs Residing In The U.S., Linda Esperanza Guzman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: In the U.S., Latinxs with Spanish as their preferred language encounter two prominent structural barriers impacting access to treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). The first is that MDD symptoms commonly go undetected in Latinxs with Spanish compared to English as their preferred language. This might be perhaps because commonly used MDD screeners lack somatic symptom survey items culturally specific in how MDD may present among Latinxs with Spanish as their preferred language. The second structural barrier is that treatment access and completion rates are lower in Spanish-speaking than English-speaking Latinxs, perhaps due to treatments lacking the structure and …

Modeling The Egyptian Goose (Alopochen Aegyptiaca) Invasion; And Future Concerns, Percival Matzinger Marshall

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In an increasingly interconnected world, the ecological and financial cost of invasive species is expected to continue to climb through the movement of exotic biota. Understanding the driving forces behind how a species invades, what environments promote their establishment, and what impacts they are likely to have on the invaded environment are all critical for management. Waterfowl, order Anseriformes, are one such category of invasive species of concern due to their popularity of accidental introduction, ease of movement, and propensity to affect both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) is a native to the African continent that …

Role Of Hospital Leadership In Pandemic Preparedness: Experience At A Tertiary Hospital In Kenya During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Lucy Mwangi, William Macharia, Benjamin Wachira, Jemimah Kimeu, Boniface Mativa, Lukoye Atwoli

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Introduction: Pandemic preparedness refers to being ready for, responding to and recovering from public health crises, and is integral for health security. Hospital leadership is a critical building block of an effective healthcare system, providing policy, accountability and stewardship in a health crisis.

Objectives and methods: We aimed to describe the leadership and governance structures put in place at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, a private not-forprofit tertiary healthcare facility, following the COVID-19 pandemic. We reviewed over 200 hospital documents archived in the COVID-19 repository including those received from the Kenya Ministry of Health, emails, memos, bulletins, meeting minutes, …

Covid-19 And The “Most Magical Place On Earth”: Applying The Idea Model To Theme Park Crisis Messaging, Lakelyn E. Taylor, Gaurav Panse, Carissa Baker, Deanna Sellnow, Timothy Sellnow, Michael Strawser

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

The global tourism reaches of Orlando, Florida, and the world’s most visited theme park complex, Walt Disney World, provide a unique context for studying global communication in a tourism setting through the crisis messaging efforts. This study explores the reopening of Walt Disney World and subsequent messaging, specifically from a risk and crisis perspective, using the IDEA model to categorize Disney COVID-19 messages. Using a qualitative, etic approach via a codebook based on the IDEA model, the study results determined whether pandemic messages and mentions (the study’s unit of analysis) addressed internalization, explanation, or action.

Covid-19 Experiences Of International Students In Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Ajay K. Garg, Raymundo C. Rosada

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Understanding Connections Between Public Health Districts And Individuals Who Have Recently Been Released From Carceral Systems In Idaho, Ashley Harris

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Background

Gaining a better understanding of the relationship between public health and individuals recently released from the carceral system in Idaho is vital. According to the Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2020 Idaho had the highest female incarceration rate of all US states at twice the national average (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2020). The incarceration rate of women and girls has increased nearly 834% in the last 40 years and rates in Idaho follow this trend (Steinberg, 2018). Compared to 62% of women in prisons nationally, 80% of women in local jails report having children under the age of …

Increasing Repeat Lactate Collection For Sepsis Bundle Management Of Care, Rahwa Teklehaimanot

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Problem: In 2020, sepsis was the leading cause of mortality in this Northern California Hospital Organization. This QI project aimed to reduce the number of fallouts for collecting repeat lactate levels to less than two per month, from a baseline of five per month, within three months.

Context: This Northern California Emergency Department serves a broad range of patients, from pediatrics to geriatric patients, with an average daily census of 80-90 patients. In this 20-bed Emergency Department, approximately 650 patients were diagnosed with sepsis in 2022.

Intervention: The hospital sepsis committee collaboratively developed a new standardized workflow for sepsis …

Group B Streptococcus: A New Perspective, Susan Harris

MSN Capstone Projects

Group B streptococcus (GBS) is a major cause of illness and death in young infants across the nation. Current guidelines suggest pregnant women should be screened from thirty-five-to- thirty-seven-weeks gestation. Although screening may be negative at that time, the expectant mother could become colonized with GBS before delivery. GBS is a pathogen that lives in the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tract of fifteen to twenty percent of women of childbearing age (Moorhead et al., 2019). GBS does not become a problem until it is passed from colonized mothers to the neonate during delivery (Virranniemi et al., 2019). When GBS is passed …

The Effects Of Socioeconomic Status On Female Health At St. Benet Sherehog, Anastasia S. Slack

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the impacts of socioeconomic status on female health at three pre-industrial burial sites in London, England. The analysis compares the female skeletal sample from the parish burial of St. Benet Sherehog (SB), a high-status site, to the cemeteries at the ‘New Churchyard’ at Broadgate (BG) and St. Thomas Hospital (ST), both representing low-status sites during the 17th century. Data for St. Thomas Hospital was made available by the Museum of London’s Wellcome Osteological Research Database and was compared with published data for St. Benet Sherehog and Broadgate to test the hypothesis that women at St. Benet Sherehog …

An Analysis Of Sex Trafficking Support Services In Mental Health Care For Survivors, Darian Marie Alexandria Auge

Graduate Research Papers

This study is an examination of the current mental health care services for sex trafficking survivors. Sex trafficking is a growing epidemic in the United States and the need for mental health care for survivors is growing. This study examines the mental health disorders and consequences survivors face due to prolonged trauma. This study also examines current shortterm and long-term interventions that are suggested in the literature for care for sex trafficking survivors. Additionally, this study explores any current mental health treatments and programs and looks at any current resources available to sex trafficking survivors. This study examines options for …

Dengue Outbreak Response During Covid-19 Pandemic, Key Largo, Florida, Usa, 2020, Devin Rowe, Catherine Mcdermott, Ysla Veliz, Alison Kerr, Mark Whiteside, Mikki Coss, Chad Huff, Andrea Leal, Edgar Kopp, Alexis Lacrue, Lea A Heberlein, Laura E Adams, Gilberto A Santiago, Jorge L Munoz-Jordan, Gabriela Paz-Bailey, Andrea M Morrison

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We report a dengue outbreak in Key Largo, Florida, USA, from February through August 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Successful community engagement resulted in 61% of case-patients self-reporting. We also describe COVID-19 pandemic effects on the dengue outbreak investigation and the need to increase clinician awareness of dengue testing recommendations.

Knowledge Representation And Management 2022: Findings In Ontology Development And Applications, Jean Charlet, Licong Cui, Section Editors For The Imia Yearbook Section On Knowledge Representation And Management

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: To select, present, and summarize the best papers in 2022 for the Knowledge Representation and Management (KRM) section of the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) Yearbook.

METHODS: We conducted PubMed queries and followed the IMIA Yearbook guidelines for performing biomedical informatics literature review to select the best papers in KRM published in 2022.

RESULTS: We retrieved 1,847 publications from PubMed. We nominated 15 candidate best papers, and two of them were finally selected as the best papers in the KRM section. The topics covered by the candidate papers include ontology and knowledge graph creation, ontology applications, ontology quality assurance, …