Digital Commons Network^™

Study Of Barrier Face Coverings And Respirator Exhalation Filtration Efficiency And Exhaled Air Velocity During Wear, Weihua Yang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of different types of respiratory protection, including National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Approved respirators and surgical masks in healthcare settings, as well as barrier face coverings (BFCs) used by the public as source control. The assessment was based on three components: total outward leakage (TOL), particle size distribution, and exhalation airflow velocity. To achieve this, the study utilized headform testing systems to measure TOL and airflow velocity. Specifically, a hard surface headform was used for NIOSH Approved respirators and surgical masks, while two soft surface headforms of different sizes were …

Three Essays On Health And Environmental Economics: Applications Of Spatial Econometrics And Spatial Analysis, Mohammed Syedul Islam

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Spatial interaction and the locational structure between observations play key roles in the field of econometrics for both cross-sectional and panel data analysis. Compared to a non-spatial econometric model, a spatial model relaxes the assumption of independency in observations. This research applies spatial and non-spatial econometrics in three different fields of applied economics: (1) drinking water and air quality violations impacts on lung and bronchus cancer incidence in the contiguous United States (U.S.); (2) spillover effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) on COVID-19 cases across the contiguous U.S. counties; and (3) urbanization impacts on carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in …

Cluster Homolog Of Immunoglobulin-Like Receptor Genes In Chicken Immune Responses, Brandi A. Sparling

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation explores the identity and role of immunoglobulin-like (Ig-like) receptors in chickens, with focus on their implications in disease and disease progression. These receptors, wisely expressed across immune cells, interact with the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules to modulate immune responses in mammals. Due to the insufficient representation of chicken Ig-like receptors in online databases, this study systematically annotates the chicken Cluster Homolog of Immunoglobulin-like Receptors (CHIR) genes using advanced bioinformatic techniques, aligning with the release of the 7th edition of the chicken genome assembly that comprises builds for a broiler and layer chicken. The analysis identifies …

Comparing Activity-Based Market Segments On The George Washington And Jefferson National Forests Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Eric Eugene Snyder

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Understanding market segments in forest-based tourism and their dynamics is integral for the tourism industry's ability to adapt and thrive in the ever-evolving market. The purpose of this research is to determine how recreation participation changed over a five-year period in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests before and during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Data were collected via the National Visitor Use Monitoring (NVUM) surveys in fiscal years 2016 and 2021. NVUM surveys are on-site exit interview surveys that produce descriptive information about forest visitors. NVUM utilizes a stratified random sampling methodology that captures data across different use levels, …

Common Sense Or Sensibility: Vaccine Hesitancy, Parens Patriae, And The Common Good, George P. Smith Ii

Scholarly Articles

Contending with national emergencies that develop into transnational catastrophes gives rise inevitably to concerns raised by libertarians and utilitarians over the extent to which the government — state, local, and federal — can restrict or redirect personal conduct to contain, if not resolve, any existing emergency condition. Using its parens patriae powers to protect the common good — especially the communal benefits of health and safety — government must endeavor to establish health care policies, and here, mandate vaccinations to combat the COVID-19 pathogen, against the benefits that are accruing to the general public. The conclusion drawn from this Article …

La Migracion Ambiental En La Frontera Colombo-Ecuatoriana: ¿ Es Suficiente La Proteccion Internatcional Para Los Eco-Refugiados ?, David Delgado

American University International Law Review

El cambio climático es un fenómeno mundial que, acelerado por las actividades humanas, provoca grave degradación ambiental causando olas de migración humana y atentando contra el derecho a la vida. Estas actividades, algunas toleradas por la comunidad internacional, provocan el desplazamiento internacional no solo de habitantes de Estados insulares, sino también de terrestres como Ecuador y Colombia. Sin embargo, a pesar que la migración por causas ambientales es un fenómeno mundial cada vez más frecuente, no existe protección internacional para quienes se ven obligados a realizarla. El presente articulo expone la migración ambiental que sufren las comunidades indígenas que habitan …

Dna Capture And Translocation Through Nanopore, Swarnadeep Seth

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This thesis investigates DNA dynamics and translocation through nanopores using Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations, offering insights into sequencing technologies, DNA marker detection, and accurate barcoding utilizing solid-state nanopore platforms. First, we in silico study the intricate process of capture and translocation in a single nanopore. Our simulation reveals a high probability of hairpin loop formation during the capture process. However, attaching a charged tag to one end of DNA improves multi-scan rates and enhances unidirectional translocations. We use modulating voltage biases to multi-scan a lambda-phage dsDNA with oligonucleotide flap markers (tags) through a single and double nanopore system. Our study …

Understanding Inflammation, Immunity, And Infection, Jeff Vasiloff, Md, Mph

OHIO Open Faculty Textbooks

Inflammation, immunity, and infection explained by Jeffrey Vasiloff, MD, MPH, Associate Clinical Professor, PA Program; Adjunct Professor, PT Program, College of Health Sciences and Professions, Ohio University Dublin Medical Campus; Physician Consultant: Ohio Association of Physician Assistants; Physician Volunteer: Franklin County & Columbus Medical Reserve Corps; Board Certification: Internal Medicine & Diabetes and Endocrinology.

Education On Protective Measures For Primary Care Staff During Covid Outbreaks, Lenina Ochioza Ukeju Chi-Ukpai

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since the emergence of COVID-19, healthcare workers have been in continuous risk of infection because of the way the disease is transmitted. Hence, the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is important during the pandemic. The aim of this project was to increase healthcare workers’ and patients’ disease protection and prevention. This staff education project assessed the knowledge of proper PPE practice among healthcare workers who were in close contact with COVID-19 patients and provided lectures and practice in proper donning and doffing of PPE. Guided by the Lewin theory of change, the knowledge of the 9 health care …

A Qualitative Study Of Moral Distress In Physicians During The Covid-19 Pandemic, William Washington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract The spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) created a pandemic and had a world-shattering effect on healthcare organizations. As a result, many healthcare professionals were exposed to health situations that stretched them beyond their professional ethics, mental health, and emotional capacity. Throughout the last 30 years, moral distress has been understood as the type of stress that medical professionals experience. Research has substantially grown regarding COVID-19 and moral distress, exposing gaps in the ability of experts to care as they should. Moral distress was a term created to define the emotional disruption that occurs when a professional cannot work within their …

Strategies For Clinical Managers To Reduce Nosocomial Infections, Samisha Lynn Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Increasing nosocomial infection rates threaten patient safety when approximately 100 million patients annually acquire at least one nosocomial infection during their hospital stay. Some clinical managers lack strategies to reduce the incidence and costs of nosocomial infections. Clinical managers need training in proactive infection control guidelines that may reduce infection rates and increase profitability. Grounded in adaptive leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore successful strategies that clinical managers used to reduce incidence and costs associated with nosocomial infections. The participants were four clinical managers employed by health care organizations in the Southeast Texas …

Internal Population Displacement And Vaccination Completion, Malnutrition, And Respiratory Infections Among Children In The Central African Republic, Francois Xavier Batalingaya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Forced displacement in fragile and conflict-affected countries has the potential to disrupt access to basic primary healthcare services such as immunization. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between internal population displacement and vaccination completion, malnutrition, and acute respiratory infections (ARIs) while controlling for maternal characteristics of wealth index, education level, and residence status in the Central African Republic. The socioecological model underpinned this cross-sectional study that used a secondary dataset collected in 2018 – 2019 and maintained by UNICEF. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression tests were used to analyze the data. The findings of this study …

Association Between Dietary Phytoestrogen Intake And Xenoestrogen Exposure And Estrogen-Dependent Cancers, Pisita Bolsue

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The role of circulating estrogens and the impact of lifetime exposure to multiple sources of exogenous estrogens as factors in carcinogenesis were not well understood. Research showed conflicting results when dietary phytoestrogen (PE) intake and xenoestrogen (XE) exposure occurred independently and when co-exposed. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between dietary PE intake and XE exposure and the development of estrogen-dependent cancers in an epidemiological context. The advanced model of the epidemiology triangle was the theoretical framework for the current study in which binary logistic regression was employed on secondary data from the 2003–2006 …

The Relationship Between Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis And Race, Gender, And Age, Johnny James Mcgrew

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this quantitative correlational design using secondary data from Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment was to examine the relationship between different types of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), specifically, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, and race, gender, and age in the United States. This study is significant because it could assist medical personnel to focus on more personally-based STI treatments. This study could also lead to a call for more research regarding sexual health programs across the nation, individuals’ willingness to share personal information regarding STIs, and how sexual health programs could increase testing for STIs. The study …

Molecular Characterization Of Streptococcus Pneumoniae Causing Disease Among Children In Nigeria During The Introduction Of Pcv10 (Gsk), Stephanie W. Lo, Paulina A. Hawkins, Binta Jibir, Fatimah Hassan-Hanga, Mahmoud Gambo, Rasaq Olaosebikan, Grace Olanipekun, Huda Munir, Nicholas Kocmich, Amy J. Rezac-Elgohary, Safiya Gambo, Danstan Bagenda, Paul D. Fey, Robert F. Breiman, Lesley Mcgee, Stephen D. Bentley, Stephen K. Obaro, Community Acquired Pneumonia And Invasive Bacterial Disease Capibd Consortium

Journal Articles: Anesthesiology

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a leading vaccine-preventable cause of childhood invasive disease. Nigeria has the second highest pneumococcal disease burden globally, with an estimated ~49 000 child deaths caused by pneumococcal infections each year. Ten-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (GSK; PCV10) was introduced in December 2014 in a phased approach. However, few studies have characterized the disease-causing pneumococci from Nigeria. This study assessed the prevalence of serotypes, antibiotic susceptibility and genomic lineages using whole genome sequencing and identified lineages that could potentially escape PCV10 (GSK). We also investigated the potential differences in pneumococcal lineage features between children with and …

Effectiveness And Safety Of Bictegravir/Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Alafenamide In Patients With Hiv-1 Infection And Ongoing Substance Use Disorder: The Base Study, Joshua P. Havens, Sara Bares, Elizabeth Lyden, Anthony T. Podany, Kimberly Scarsi, Nada A. Fadul, Susan Swindells

Journal Articles: Infectious Diseases

BACKGROUND: People with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and substance use disorder (PWH/SUD) are at higher risk of nonadherence to antiretroviral therapy. Bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (B/F/TAF) exhibits high rates of efficacy with a favorable adverse event profile. The BASE study (NCT03998176) is a phase 4, single-arm study evaluating the effectiveness and safety of B/F/TAF among PWH/SUD.

METHODS: Viremic (HIV RNA >1000 copies/mL) PWH/SUD initiated B/F/TAF once daily for 48 weeks (W). The primary endpoint was proportion of participants with HIV RNA/mL at W24. Secondary endpoints were proportion of participants with HIV-1 RNA/mL at W48, safety, B/F/TAF adherence (dried blood spot [DBS] concentrations …

Fever Of Unknown Origin Secondary To Staphylococcus Epidermidis Infective Endocarditis In A Patient With Aicardi Syndrome, Kimberly Sanchez Lopez, Elvis Caraballo Antonio, Gabriel Barciela Perez, Melanio J. Rodriguez, Yeissen Godinez

East Florida Division GME Research Day 2023

INTRODUCTION Aicardi syndrome is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder predominantly affecting females and characterized by agenesis of the corpus callosum, infantile spasms, and distinctive chorioretinal lacunae. We present the case of a 24-year-old female with a known history of Aicardi syndrome who presented with fever of unknown origin, ultimately attributed to Staphylococcus Epidermidis infective endocarditis involving a native valve.

CASE DESCRIPTION A 24-year-old female with a history significant for Aicardi syndrome and epilepsy presented to the emergency department for fever during the past week; her primary care physician sent her for outpatient blood work a few days prior, including blood culture, …

Staph What?: An Uncommon Species Of Staphylococcus Endocarditis In An Atypical Case Of Diabetic Ketoacidosis, Gilberto Rivera-Gonzalez, Habiba Khan, Harsimrandeep Bhatti, Jazmine Duran, Caleb Nieves, Paul Mathew

Central & West Texas GME Research Day 2023

No abstract provided.

Chromobacterium Haemolyticum Infection From Hot Springs Near Yellowstone National Park, Kyle Patterson, Sean Shearen, Ken Chapman, Katie Suleta

Continental, MidAmerica, & Mountain Divisions GME Research Day 2023

No abstract provided.

Interrogation And Manipulation Of The Igg Fc Glycan, Aaron Keshav Gupta

Student Theses and Dissertations

Antibody signaling is a cardinal feature of successful adaptive immune responses. The magnitude and direction of this signaling is determined by the structure of a given antibody's fragment crystallizable (Fc) domain, which interfaces with cells of the immune system. Often considered a constant region, the immunoglobulin G (IgG) Fc protein backbone and conserved N-linked glycan combine to introduce structural diversity in IgG molecules that in turn, triggers divergent humoral responses. These N-glycans are variably constructed, ultimately leading to families of highly related, but non-equivalent glycoproteins known as glycoforms. Despite burgeoning interest in understanding the complexities of IgG Fc glycoforms and …

Rarely Acquired Type Ii-A Crispr-Cas Spacers Mediate Anti-Viral Immunity Through The Targeting Of A Non-Canonical Pam Sequence, Claire T. Kenney

Student Theses and Dissertations

Viruses that infect prokaryotes, called bacteriophages or phages, are thought to outnumber bacteria by a ratio of 10:1 and provide a constant threat to their hosts. In response, bacteria have evolved numerous defense mechanisms, attacking all major steps of the phage infection and replication cycle. In turn, phages have evolved their own counter defenses. One phage defense system, only recently characterized, has proved revolutionary for our understanding of prokaryote-phage dynamics and our ability to edit genomes of nearly any cell type. CRISPR-Cas (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats and CRISPR-associated genes) functions as an adaptive immune system by identifying and …

Bioorthogonal Tethering Of Drug Fragments To Engineered G Protein-Coupled Receptors, Jordan M. Mattheisen

Student Theses and Dissertations

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) modulate diverse cellular signaling pathways and are important drug targets. Despite the availability of high-resolution structures for nearly 100 discrete GPCRs in complex with various ligands, discovering allosteric drugs that can modulate receptor signaling remains challenging. In principle, allosteric ligands have certain advantages because they bind to pockets on the receptor that do not directly impact the orthosteric site for agonist ligands, but still tune downstream signaling pathways. But identifying and validating allosteric ligands remains difficult partly due to the dynamic nature of GPCRs in native membranes. Of the more than 3700 distinct FDA-approved drugs, there …

Development Of Improved Genetic Methods For Enterococcus Faecium, Victor Chen

Student Theses and Dissertations

Enterococcus faecium is a ubiquitous Gram-positive bacterium that has been recovered from the environment, food, and microbiota of mammals. Enterococcus faecium is widely recognized as an emerging public health threat with the rise of drug resistance and nosocomial infections. Antibiotic usage has afforded antibiotic-resistant and pathogenic isolates from livestock and humans. Nevertheless, commensal Enterococcus strains possess beneficial health functions in mammals to upregulate host immunity and prevent microbial infections. However, the dissection of E. faecium functions and mechanisms has been restricted by inefficient genetic methods. Current genetic engineering methods in E. faecium still require passive homologous recombination from plasmid DNA. …

A Chemical-Genetic Map Of Drug Resistance In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Nicholas Poulton

Student Theses and Dissertations

Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death from any single infectious disease, killing over 1.5 million people each year. Treatment of TB is extraordinarily difficult, requiring at least 6 months of combination antibiotic therapy to cure patients. Even with this prolonged treatment, 5 to 10% of patients are not fully cured and experience disease relapse. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of TB, is intrinsically resistant to most antibiotics and can acquire an additional level of antibiotic resistance through specific chromosomal mutations. A better understanding of intrinsic and acquired drug resistance in Mtb is essential to develop faster treatments …

How The Commonwealth Of The Northern Mariana Islands Stalled Covid-19 For 22 Months And Managed Its First Significant Community Transmission, Dwayne Davis, Stephanie Kern-Allely, Lily Muldoon, John M. Tudela, Jesse Tudela, Renea Raho, Heather S. Pangelinan, Halina Palacios, John Tabaguel, Alan Hinson, Guillermo Lifoifoi, Warren Villagomez, Joseph R. Fauver, Haley L. Cash, Esther Muña, Sean T. Casey, Ali S. Khan

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

OBJECTIVE: The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) is a remote Pacific island territory with a population of 47 329 that successfully prevented the significant introduction of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) until late 2021. This study documents how the response to the introduction of COVID-19 in CNMI in 2021 was conducted with limited resources without overwhelming local clinical capacity or compromising health service delivery for the population.

METHODS: Data from COVID-19 case investigations, contact tracing, the Commonwealth's immunization registry and whole genome sequencing were collated and analysed as part of this study.

RESULTS: Between 26 March 2020 and 31 December …

Differences In Perceptions Of Individual And Government-Level Covid-19 Prevention Measures Based On Vaccine Willingness, Leila Barraza, Erika Austhof, Sana M. Khan, Connor P. Kelley, Alexandra Shilen, Kacey Ernst, Kristen Pogreba-Brown, Felina M. Cordova-Marks, Elizabeth Jacobs, Elizabeth Hall-Lipsy

Journal of Health Care Law and Policy

No abstract provided.

Dying In Isolation: Public Health Implications Of Transportation And Burial Of Human Remains During A Pandemic: A Fifty State Survey, Christopher Ogolla

Journal of Health Care Law and Policy

No abstract provided.

Noteworthy Parasites (Trematoda, Cestoda, Phthiraptera) Of Three Birds (Aves: Passeriformes; Pelecaniformes; Piciformes) From Arkansas, C.T. Mcallister, H.W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Between November 2020 and March 2021, three species of birds, one each of a tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor), pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus), and great blue heron (Ardea herodias) were salvaged from Lawrence and Polk counties, Arkansas, and examined for parasites. Found were four taxa of parasites, including a dicrocoeliid trematode, a cyclophyllidean cestode, and species of philopterid and menoponid lice. We document new host and distributional records for these parasites from select birds of the state.

The Course Of Covid: How Has The Pandemic Changed The Ways Therapists Use Art In Their Therapeutic Practice?, Deborah Sharpe

Art Therapy | Doctoral Dissertations

In 2020, the global pandemic fundamentally changed our everyday lives personally and professionally. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the art therapy profession: the challenges of shifting to telehealth, managing work/life balance, confronting new realities around notions of privacy and confidentiality, and adapting the materials used in sessions. The necessary innovations and adjustments also revealed the unexpected benefits the pandemic and online therapy platforms provided. The researcher was interested in exploring the challenges and benefits of telehealth, the changes to the practical and essential qualities of the art therapy session, the therapeutic relationship, …

Exploration Of Factors Associated With Rural Appalachian Women's Use Of Buprenorphine Prior To Incarceration, Kelsey A. Redmayne

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

The Gelberg-Anderson Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations was used to identify factors related to buprenorphine use in general and through diversion (versus formal treatment) among rural Appalachian women using substances in the six months prior to their incarceration. This study is a secondary analysis of data from interviews completed with rural Appalachian women (N=400) residing in rural Kentucky jails. Independent variables were analyzed using chi square and independent t-tests for buprenorphine use generally and diverted buprenorphine use. The significant predictors were then evaluated through hierarchical logistic regression to explore which factors account for the most variance in general …