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Designing A Surgical Scorecard To Inform And Evaluate Appropriate Perioperative Antibiotic Prophylaxis, Rehan Tariq, Paul Chittick

Posters

Perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis (PAP) implementation is a widespread strategy used to ensure the minimization of surgical site infections (SSIs) during various surgical procedures including hip and knee replacements and organ transplants. Despite the widespread implementation of PAP, there exists a gap in understanding what is considered appropriate PAP. This may be due in part to the absence of a feedback mechanism that educates physicians on which antibiotics are truly appropriate for preventing the SSIs arising from certain surgical procedures. The goal of this project is to design an informative surgical prophylaxis scorecard that physicians can use to determine which antibiotic …

Effects Of Maternal Disease History On Provisioning, Brooding, And Offspring Outcomes, Sakura Roberts

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Disease within a population has the ability to shape the development, evolution, and general performance of a species. Pathogen exposure to hosts can influence their physiology and behavioral patterns to further shape offspring immunity. Parental conditions experienced by offspring during early development can benefit survival and fitness (e.g. increasing provisioning rates), as well as help deter against similar diseases experienced by parents. By testing if parental behavior changes can better prepare offspring outcomes for disease exposure, such as disease severity or duration of infection, we can see the beneficial impacts it has on disease dynamics and host-pathogen processes. Incubation temperature, …

Exploring A Potential Bias In Detection Of Mesopredators By Cameras, Rylee Gibson

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Mesopredators, such as the raccoon (Procyon locor), Virginia opossum (Didpelphis virginiana), and striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) play crucial ecological roles as predators, prey, and disease vectors across much of the United States. Because of their importance and the way that populations of these mesopredators can dramatically increase due to human-subsidized resources, it is imperative that studies attempting to quantify mesopredator community composition are accurate and unbiased. However, it has recently been suggested that not all mammals trigger motion-activated wildlife game cameras at the same rate and for some species detection probability may be biased. My goals for this thesis were …

Laboratory Evaluation Of An Enzyme Immunoassay To Detect Coccidioides Galactomannan Antigens In Serum Samples, Anneliese Ahrens

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Introduction: Coccidioidomycosis (cocci) is an infection caused by fungal pathogens in soil of dry and arid regions in the Southwestern states of the United States. The disease can present itself anywhere in the body, but usually is found in the lungs. The symptoms are very similar to the symptoms of a bacterial or viral respiratory infection, which is one of the reasons it is commonly misdiagnosed or left untreated. The CDC reports cases to have increased 143% from 2014 to 2019, with a mortality rate of 200 deaths per year, however this is likely underreported because of the inadequacies of …

The Impact Of Low Appendicular Skeletal Muscle Mass In The Development Of Insulin Resistance And Metabolic Syndrome: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Ella Boston

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Chronic conditions are the leading cause of death and disability. More specifically, cardio-metabolic disease is the number one cause of death worldwide. The tragedy and burden of disease is unrefuted; even more so, evidence indicates that realistic modifications of lifestyle can prevent most chronic disease. Metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance are leading risk factors in the development of cardio-metabolic disease. Presently, chronic disease is treated through symptomatic evaluation of risk. Reframing the lens of care through root cause evaluation is fundamental to optimizing patient outcomes. The purpose of this systematic review is to synthesize literature evaluating the impact of low …

A Different Kind Of Shot: The Covid-19 Vaccination Behavior Of College Students, Alexandra Maria Mccann

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

COVID-19 and its mitigation through social distancing, masking, and preventative vaccination have impacted societies worldwide, leading to controversy regarding public health policy. This dissertation investigates the determinants of the vaccination behavior of 18-24-year-old college students in four-year public institutions in the United States, specifically concerning coronavirus. Of interest are reasons “why” or “why not” students would opt for or against the COVID-19 shot. Findings could aid in messaging public policy targeted toward a desired audience. Concepts related to policy, public health, beliefs, and their effects on the willingness to receive the coronavirus shot are explored. Prospect Theory – decision-making under …

Past And Present Patterns Of Neutral And Adaptive Genetic Diversity In Wild Mandrills (Mandrillus Sphinx), Anna Weber

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Although primates have fascinated researchers and the public alike for generations, one species that has remained enigmatic is the mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx), a large Cercopithecine monkey endemic to Central Africa. Mandrills are currently in decline due to bushmeat hunting, urbanization, and habitat loss. Neutral and adaptive genetic diversity are important tools for understanding evolutionary history and future viability, since diversity influences a species’ ability to adapt to a changing environment. However, thus far, minimal genetic information has been available for wild mandrills. Because of the dense vegetation in their tropical forest habitat, studying wild mandrills has proven to …

Exploring The Plausibility Of Human Ecosystem Disruption Being The Cause For Increased Viral Prevalence, Andrew Ventura

University Honors Theses

Viral diseases and their prevalence--including both the number of cases and the appearance of new viruses--has increased in the last century, and these diseases have become an increasing threat to human health and well-being. The influenza and COVID-19 pandemics served both as introductions and reminders respectively to the power these viruses have to destroy and disrupt human life. As such, it intimates a necessity to investigate possible causes for the increase in these deadly diseases. Among these plausible causes is the dilution effect hypothesis, which states that decreasing the biodiversity of an ecosystem increases a pathogen's ability to infect, both …

Potency Of Novel Anti-Toxoplasmic Compounds, Matthias Walters

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Toxoplasma gondii, the causative agent of toxoplasmosis, is an intracellular apicomplexan parasite. Toxoplasmosis is often asymptomatic, though, it can be debilitating or fatal to immunocompromised individuals and fetuses, being one of the leading causes of fetal mortality and birth defects. Toxoplasmosis is treated with a synergistic combination of drugs pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine; however, these drugs are only effective against the acute stage of infection, and the pyrimethamine is relatively cytotoxic, damaging bone marrow and causing noxious side effects. Due to these limitations, a safer alternative that targets the chronic stage of infection is needed. In this study, we tested …

Investigating Novel Chemotherapeutics Against The Parasite Toxoplasma Gondii, Braydon Dreher

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular protozoan, is a globally prevalent parasite due to the infectivity of T. gondii with nearly 2.5 billion people affected worldwide. Toxoplasma gondii can cause toxoplasmosis, which is a disease acquired through the consumption of undercooked meat or found in the feces of felines, and often leads to profound neuropathology and potentially death. Currently, acute toxoplasmosis is treated with pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine, which is a combination of an antiprotozoal and a sulfonamide. This combination of drugs directly targets the acute stage of infection but has failed to eliminate or impact the chronic carriage of bradyzoites while …

Dengue Virus And Blood Safety: A Mini-Review Of Research Publications, Festus Mulakoli, George Gachara, Eric Ndombi, Samoel Khamadi

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

The growing demand for donated whole blood and blood products to save lives has both health benefits and health risks for blood recipients at the same time. Dengue virus, a re-emerging viral disease poses a threat to blood safety, and it has spread to over 128 countries in the world. Several studies have documented transfusion-transmitted (TT) dengue, with the first cases being reported in China in 2002 and Singapore in 2008. To understand the magnitude and broader picture of the dengue virus and blood safety, we conducted a mini-review of published literature from the Scopus database. The review focused on …

Nurse Practitioner-Led Hepatitis C Virus Education In A Central Valley Opioid Treatment Program, Nikiesha Thomas Redus

Doctoral Projects

Introduction Viral hepatitis has been classified as a worldwide public health threat and it is estimated that 130-150 million people worldwide are infected with viral hepatitis. In the United States, increases in hepatitis C infections can be attributed to intravenous drug use and associated behaviors. Many people who inject drugs are unaware of their serostatus and access to accurate hepatitis C virus (HCV) information and education is limited. However, opioid treatment programs are well positioned to fill hepatitis C services gap among people who inject drugs by providing education, to raise hepatitis C awareness and lead to services and treatment …

The Ethical And Validity Conundrum In Epilepsy Research In Lmic Settings, Pauline Samia, Adeel Shah, Archana Patel, Philip Olielo, Lionel Mudave, Samson Gwer

Brain and Mind Institute

In the last few decades, research in epilepsy has significantly improved understanding of risk factors and etiologies associated with epilepsy, promoting greater access to interventions and medications that have improved health-related outcomes for patients. However, these advances and benefits are not being felt evenly on a global scale due to significant inequalities in access to and utilization of research resources and expertise in Low-and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs).

To promote effective research output, and advance evidence-based practices; the context, disease burden, and challenges that hinder good research need to be re-defined and addressed. This is key in facilitating implementation of coherent …

Vaccines In The 20th Century, Samantha Valakos

Senior Honors Projects

In 1796 Edward Jenner marked a turning point in epidemiology after testing a theory and developing the first vaccination known to mankind: smallpox. Since his work, many scientists have discovered that virulent strains of a virus can be attenuated in humans, consequently aiding in the creation of many different vaccines. Nowadays, one of the most common vaccines for humans to receive is the influenza vaccine. The influenza vaccine is very effective in prevention of getting the virus, as well as reducing the risk of flu-like symptoms. However, each year many individuals continue to choose not to get the flu vaccine …

East Tennessee Spatial And Temporal Species-Specific Bat Activity Patterns, Seth Morelock

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Determining the activity among species-specific bat populations within specific habitat selections can help contribute to the conservation of Appalachian bat species. This study examines the differences in species-specific bat activity patterns between three ponds of variable sizes and a southeast-facing open field with a wooded edge. Four Song Meter SM4BAT FS bioacoustics detectors were used on a 15-acre property in Fall Branch, TN, with a wildlife acoustics detector being placed at three ponds and one field. There were three stages of data collection for this study which all took place during 2023. The first stage was during the spring (March …

A Tri-Culture Model For Examining Polymicrobial Interactions, Mason Stanley

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Candida albicans is a fungal microbe that is often present inside of humans in the mouth and gastrointestinal tract. It shares a mostly commensal relationship with its hosts but can develop into an opportunistic pathogenic infection under conditions of immune suppression. Oral thrush or candidiasis is an uncomfortable condition resulting from excessive growth of Candida albicans in the oral cavity. Candidiasis is prone to progressing into more threatening symptoms without proper treatment. There are few effective antifungal medicines used for treatment and the problem of antimicrobial resistance is growing. Alcaligenes faecalis is a bacterial microbe that does not pose a …

Justification And Compliance: Public Health Ethics In A Post-Covid America, Nathan Alan Turner

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and the high-profile nature of the public health response make it a natural context for exploring the current state of public health ethics. This paper explores this topic from two perspectives: justification and compliance. Libertarianism and utilitarianism are two frameworks that dominate the question of how public health interventions are justified. Consequently, this paper analyzes the events of the pandemic to determine how these frameworks fared in terms of offering reliable means of justifying the interventions needed to curb the spread of COVID-19. Consideration of these events suggests that a framework centered around actionable …

“I Know My Body Better Than Anyone Else” Perspectives Of People Who Inject Drugs On Antimicrobial Treatment Decision Making For Serious Infections, Amy Eckland, Michael Kohut Phd, Henry Stoddard, Debra Burris, Frank Chessa, Monica Sikka, Daniel Solomon, Colleen Kershaw, Ellen Eaton, Rebecca N. Hutchinson, Peter Friedmann, Thomas Stopka, Kathleen Fairfield, Kinna Thakarar

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

Introduction:

• Few studies have examined the perspectives of patients with lived experience regarding outpatient treatment options for injection drug use (IDU) associated infections.

• We sought to better understand the perspectives of both community partners with lived experience who work with people who inject drugs (PWID) and hospitalized patients with IDU-associated infections on shared treatment decision making.

Differential Electrostatic Interaction Patterns In Sars-Cov-1 And Sars-Cov-2 Variants: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study, Ugochi Hope Isu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The SARS-related coronavirus (SARS-rCoV) is a highly contagious virus that has raised significant worldwide health concerns. It caused outbreaks in 2002-2003 and more recently in 2019-2020 with SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in a significant global impact on health and the economy. The spike protein of the virus plays a critical role in its infectivity and transmission, and the receptor-binding domain (RBD) within the spike protein is of particular interest, as it is responsible for binding to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor. In this study, we used Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to …

The Progression, Treatment, And Rehabilitation Of Guillain Barré Syndrome: Case Report, Hannah M. Shaffer

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: Guillain Barré Syndrome (GBS) is an acute demyelinating disease of the peripheral nervous system. It is characterized by sudden progressive weakness and paraesthesias of the limbs. This case study evaluates the effectiveness of physical therapy (PT) and the use of body-weight support gait training (BWST) in the return to function in GBS patients.

Case Description: The patient was a 42-year-old female who presented to the acute care hospital with sudden onset paresthesias and weakness causing sudden loss of ambulation and functional mobility.

Interventions: Due to decreased activity tolerance, initial PT treatment consisted of passive …

The Effect Of Different Types Of Plastic And Rubbers Often Found In Healthcare Facilities On The Survival Of Potentially Pathogenic Bacteria, Ashely George

Honors Theses

This study focused on the survival of different species of bacteria on different types of plastics and rubbers found in healthcare facilities. The gram-positive coccus Staphylococcus aureus and the gram negative bacillus Escherichia coli, known to have importance as potential pathogens in healthcare facilities, were tested on two types of plastic (polyurethane and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)) and two types of rubbers (latex and nitrile) typically found on reusable healthcare surfaces. Known quantities of bacteria were aseptically placed on disinfected plastic surfaces in triplicate, air-dried, and then incubated at room temperature for 30 minutes, 20 hours, and 40 hours. After incubation, …

The Influences Of The Public Health Care System And Education System On The Economic Growth Of Swaziland, Grace Greer

International and Global Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Kingdom of Eswatini, also known as Swaziland, has one of the youngest populations in the world with over 70% of citizens being under the age of 18 years old. This creates a substantial opportunity for economic, social, and educational growth in a country previously plagued with diseases such as HIV/AIDS, poor health care infrastructure cutting off thousands from basic care, and an educational system with a very low attendance rate and an even lower graduation rate. By evaluating the root causes of such issues dating back to the colonial era there is an opportunity to reprioritize health care and …

Elucidating Mechanisms Involved In Host Microbial-Tumor Interactions, Vidhi Chandra

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Cancer is a rising cause of mortality worldwide. Microbiota is the collection of micro-organisms that live inside our bodies and can impact the host health and disease by interacting with the immune and metabolic systems. The relationship between the microbiota and cancer is complex. Gut and intratumoral microbiota can affect cancer development and progression by influencing patient outcomes and therapy responsiveness in several cancer types. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive cancer surrounded by a highly immuno-suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) which limits efficacy of most available therapies. The tumoral niche provides a privileged microenvironment for microbial colonization that can …

Anti-Vaccination: Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy And Its Consequences For Modern Public Health Policy, Joshua Bird

Senior Honors Theses

Modern vaccination is arguably the most significant medical achievement in human history. Through widespread vaccination, populations are no longer susceptible to diseases that plagued humanity for most of its existence (measles, rubella, smallpox). While vaccinations have largely shown themselves as safe and efficacious under most circumstances, small but considerable portions of the worldwide population reject vaccination for various social, religious, and political reasons. Research indicates that vaccine hesitancy spans all socioeconomic boundaries, affecting patients and their physicians. To explore the underlying themes of vaccine hesitancy and their relationship to loss aversion and omission bias, a study of various factors underlying …

Shortening Of Telomeres Caused By Bacterial Lipopolysaccharides In Hiv-1 Exposed Human Oral Keratinocytes, Daphne Alcala Zúñiga

Theses and Dissertations

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV-1) continues to affect many individuals around the globe. Although people with HIV (PWH) have longer life expectancies because of modern treatments, they continue to exhibit comorbidities that are signs of premature aging compared to healthy individuals. The significance of the oral microbiome during HIV-1 infection has become of interest as chronic inflammatory conditions, such as periodontitis, have shed light on the detrimental effects of chronic inflammation. HIV-1 infection can promote dysbiosis, an imbalance of the oral microbiota, which in turn promotes the growth of opportunistic microorganisms such as P. gingivalis. This overpopulation enhances pathogenicity through …

A Comprehensive Compilation Of Accounting Case Studies And Analyses, Erin Morgan

Honors Theses

The following thesis consists of a collection of case studies surrounding accounting and related topics. These case studies were written and directed under Dr. Victoria Dickinson during the enrollment of Honors Accountancy 420 to fulfill the requirements for the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College. Five of my cases specifically correlate to the company Johnson & Johnson for the case competition that was presented at the end of the semester to accounting professionals from numerous firms. The other cases include a variety of accounting topics. Through this thesis, I discovered a deeper understanding of accounting and related topics which will benefit …

Incidence And Risk Factors For Clinically Confirmed Secondary Bacterial Infections In Patients Hospitalized For Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19), Hiromichi S. Park, Caitlin M. Mccracken, Noah Lininger, Cara D. Varley, Multiple Additional Authors

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective: The true incidence and risk factors for secondary bacterial infections in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains poorly understood. Knowledge of risk factors for secondary infections in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 is necessary to optimally guide selective use of empiric antimicrobial therapy. Design: Single-center retrospective cohort study of symptomatic inpatients admitted for COVID-19 from April 15, 2020, through June 30, 2021. Setting: Academic quaternary-care referral center in Portland, Oregon. Patients: The study included patients who were 18 years or older with a positive severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) PCR test up to 10 days prior to admission. Methods: …

Oncolytic Virus Immunotherapy: Development And Potential For Cancer Treatment, Olivia Guinness

Honors Scholar Theses

The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2023, 1,958,310 new cancer cases and 609,820 cancer deaths will occur in the United States [16]. A promising therapeutic option that has been supported by recent clinical trials is the use of oncolytic viruses to treat malignant tumors. The mechanism of action of existing treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery, differs from that of oncolytic virus therapy because oncolytic viruses are able to affect cancer cells with specificity, minimizing side effects. When infecting a normal, non-cancerous cell, oncolytic viruses do not replicate, leaving healthy cells unaffected. In tumor cells, oncolytic viruses will …

Differences In Intracellular Protein Levels In Monocytes And Cd4+ Lymphocytes Between Bipolar Depressed Patients And Healthy Controls: A Pilot Study With Tyramine-Based Signal-Amplified Flow Cytometry, Keming Gao, Marzieh Ayati, Nicholas M. Kaye, Mehmet Koyutürk, Joseph R. Calabrese, Stephen J. Ganocy, Hillard M. Lazarus, Eric Christian, David Kaplan

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Highlights

• To measure 18 intracellular proteins in blood cells of bipolar depressed patients and healthy controls;

• TFour proteins in monocytes and 2 proteins in CD4+ T Cells were significantly lower in patients than in healthy controls;

• The studied proteins are involved in prolactin, leptin, BDNF, and interleukin-3 signal pathways;

• Studying intracellular proteins with enhanced flow cytometry may find biomarkers differentiating bipolar disorder from healthy controls.

Abstract

Background

Molecular biomarkers for bipolar disorder (BD) that distinguish it from other manifestations of depressive symptoms remain unknown. The aim of this study was to determine if a very sensitive tyramine-based signal-amplification technology for …

Potential Public Health Impacts Of Louisiana House Bill 182, Corisandra Leyton-High

Journal of the Louisiana Public Health Association

No abstract provided.