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Different Coral Pathogens Causing Disease Through Biofilm Formation And Ways To Study And Disrupt It, Dena Kamel

2020 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Coral pathogens have been causing irreversible damage to the coral communities all around the world. Specific genera of bacteria like Vibrio have been studied throughout the years, however, researchers continue to find new species. Some pathogens’ biofilm formation ability negatively impacts the corals. We attempted to optimize the biofilm assay in a specific species Vibrio coralliilyticus in order to learn more about the conditions and variables that affect biofilm formation and to develop a set of conditions that the pathogen deems as ideal. The immediate goal of this research is to be able to quantify biofilm and find factors that …

Targeted Lc-Ms Analysis For Metabolite Profiling From Pathogenic Bacteria, Jessica Gomez-Vargas

2020 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Groundwater is relied on for drinking by more than 50 percent of the United States. For this reason, the purity of groundwater is extremely important. There has been possible contamination of opportunistic pathogenic microorganisms in groundwater attributable to oil and gas extractions from drilling and hydraulic fracturing; two of which are Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus cereus. These pathogens can cause severe infections in humans. P. aeruginosa increases prevalence of chronic and nosocomial infections. B. cereus produces toxins that are one of the most common causes of food poisoning. B. cereus can also cause infections of the eye, respiratory tract, and …

An Analysis Of The Role Of Reality Television In The Representation Of Immigrants On Tlc's Show, 90 Day Fiancé., Morohunfolu Jimade Seton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A larger number of people reside outside their country of birth today than in any other time in history, and these levels are expected to continue to rise in the future (International Organization for Migration, 2011). The United States is currently the most popular immigrant destination in the world, with more immigrants than any other country. Immigrants statistics indicate that the immigrant population in the United States reached a record of 44.4 million in 2017 (Pew Research Centre, 2019). Correspondingly, the percentage of immigrants who were admitted into the U.S. as spouses of citizens has increased over of the last …

Louisville's Dark Tourist: Liminality, Legend, And The Macabre., Montgomery Quaid Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a historical and theoretical analysis of touristic motivations behind visiting dark tourist attractions that uses two Louisville, Kentucky attractions as case-studies. It begins by providing an overview of concepts relevant to the analysis of these motivations including liminality, dark tourism, and legend studies, thereby drawing connections between these concepts to develop a framework for the analysis of these liminal spaces and the legends that surround them. It uses these theories to build a framework that argues for the inclusion of legend studies in the conversation of dark tourism and providing a new lens for viewing touristic motivation …

Development Of Rationally Designed Live Attenuated Vaccines For Lassa Fever And Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis., Dylan Macgregor Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lassa Virus (LASV) and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus (VEEV) are two single stranded RNA viruses belonging to the Arenavirus and Alphavirus families, respectively. Both are emerging pathogens without approved vaccines or treatments. VEEV is an important biothreat pathogen because it has been weaponized and is extremely infectious as an aerosol. VEEV causes biphasic febrile illness that can progress to a viral encephalitis with low mortality, but high morbidity. LASV causes a viral hemorrhagic fever, Lassa Fever (LF), which is endemic in West Africa, and responsible for between 100-500k annual infections with a 1-2% overall mortality rate. ML29 and VEEV TC-83 …

Dual Role Of Antimicrobial Peptide Cathelicidin In Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease., Fengyuan Li

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Patients with alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) have high morbidity and mortality in its severe forms. One of the major features in different forms of ALD is the altered gut microbiota. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) play a crucial role in maintaining gut microbiota homeostasis. LL-37 (known as CRAMP in mouse) is the sole member of the human cathelicidin family and has piqued great research interest for its dual role in modulating microbiota and the immune response in metabolic diseases. Inflammasome activation is an important component of the liver pathophysiology in ALD and requires two signals for its full activation to induce the …

The Emerging Oral Pathogen, Filifactor Alocis, Disrupts Neutrophil Functions To Enhance Survival And Dysregulate Inflammation., Irina Miralda Molina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Periodontitis is an irreversible, chronic inflammatory disease where pathogenic microbial communities accumulate in the gingival crevice. Advances in culture-independent techniques have facilitated the identification of new bacterial species in periodontal lesions, such as the Gram-positive anaerobe, Filifactor alocis. Neutrophils are a major component of the innate host response, and the outcome of their interaction with F. alocis may be a determinant of oral health status. While neutrophil functions typically protect the host against periodontal disease, oral pathogens have adapted to evade or disarm neutrophil microbicidal functions while promoting mechanisms that drive inflammation, which also provides a source of nutrients …

Tobacco Smoke Exposures And Fertility-Related Outcomes Among Females Seeking Fertility Care, And The Interaction With N-Acetyltransferase 2 (Nat2).., T'Shura S. A. Ali

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cigarette smoke contains thousands of harmful substances and is one of the leading preventable causes of mortality and morbidity in the United States. Past studies examining tobacco smoke exposures on fecundability and pregnancy outcomes are inconsistent. NAT2 is an important enzyme in the metabolism of xenobiotic substances found within tobacco smoke. This preconception cohort study examines associations between active smoking and secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe) on fecundability and spontaneous abortion (SA), and explores a possible interaction with NAT2 acetylator status. A total of 223 women seeking fertility care were followed for up to 2.3 years. Preconception tobacco smoke exposures were …

Elucidating The Developmental Defects In Zebrafish Associated With The Cardiac Drug Verapamil, Blake Stephan Justis

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Birth defects are abnormalities in a developing organism that lead to a malformation in structure or function. Over half of birth defects have no determined cause; however, known causes occur by genetic anomalies, exposure to environmental agents (a.k.a. teratogens), or multifactorial reasons. To explain the unknown causes of birth defects, an area of focus in this study is to identify potential teratogens. Identifying these teratogens, is key to preventing future birth defects. An obvious source of teratogens in pregnant women would be that of pharmaceuticals. Thus, a main goal of this study is to identify drugs that cause birth defects. …

Does Aging Identity Moderate The Impact Of Experiences With Familial Ageism On Well-Being?, Emily E. Kinkade

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to begin investigating the effects of ageism in the family context. The current literature has documented the negative impacts that negative stereotypes and negative perceptions of aging has on older adults’ health, mortality, and well-being (Levy, 1996; Levy, 2003). However, the majority of extant research on ageism focuses on age discrimination in the workplace and in healthcare despite the majority of peoples’ time being spent in the family context. Therefore examining experiences of ageism sourced from family members merits study. Walker, Bisconti and Kinkade (in preparation) found evidence that the experience of ageism within …

Leptospirosis: A Tropical Disease In The Midwest, Joshua J. Won

MERF 2020 - Case Reports

Introduction: Regional diseases travel across the globe with little difficulty in the modern age. Ease of long-distance travel and importation of exotic goods are the culprit. Leptospirosis is a disease mostly prevalent in tropical countries surrounding the equator, with the incidence of new cases decreasing as you move north. It is a zoonotic disease, with rodents as the common host, contributing to about 900,000 cases worldwide with up to 50,000 deaths per year. There are reported of cases throughout the southern United States, but new cases in the Midwest, or Northern states, are rare. Therefore, acquiring a thorough history, including …

Renal Cysts In An Immigrant Patient: An Atypical Presentation Of Echinococcosis, Bhavana Tetali, Daniel C. Grahf, Elian D. Abou Asala, Daniel Axelson

MERF 2020 - Case Reports

Introduction: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is an infection caused by the Echinococcus tapeworm that results in the creation of cysts within a range of visceral organs. Ninety percent of these cysts are in the liver or lungs. In the United States, cases are quite rare and most are found in immigrants from endemic countries. Patients with CE may remain asymptomatic for years. If left undiagnosed and untreated, mortality from CE is estimated to be 90% by ten years. In this case, we discuss a patient who presented to the emergency department with genitourinary complaints and was diagnosed with CE of primary …

Case Report: Four Extremity Compartment Syndrome Fasciotomy Resulting From Influenza A Viral Myositis; A Rare Complication, Eric Chen, Arion Lochner, Robert Cesaro

MERF 2020 - Case Reports

Influenza A and B commonly cause benign respiratory disease in humans but can cause more severe illness in higher risk populations. From 2009-2015 there was only one reported case in the English literature with the formal diagnosis of compartment syndrome as a complication from influenza. We report an unusual case of a previously healthy adult patient who presented with myocarditis and severe rhabdomyolysis secondary to influenza A infection, which resulted in atraumatic compartment syndrome of all four extremities each requiring emergent fasciotomy. The patient was subsequently managed with delayed primary closure and skin grafting in the operating room. Prompt recognition …

Not Every Rash Is An Allergy, Sashi N. Nair

MERF 2020 - Case Reports

A 61-year-old HIV+ male presented for regular follow up and complained of a rash. Past history was notable for myelofibrosis, and a solitary renal nodule. He had been on cART since 1996 and was on FTC/TAF/Dolutegravir with CD-4 greater than 200 and an undetectable viral load. Three months prior to evaluation he began to develop intermittent fevers with drenching night sweats. Subsequently one month prior to evaluation he developed a rash which started on his trunk and was non-painful and non-pruritic, it spared his face and extremities. He had never had anything similar before. He had taken no new medications …

Tender Erythematous And Necrotic Papules In A Young Pregnant Woman, Sasank Konda, Vignesh Ramachandran, Chauncey A. Mchargue

MERF 2020 - Case Reports

Patient History & Physical: A pregnant 21-year-old African American female (G5P2, 34w2d) presented with one day of painful, red bumps of her upper and lower extremities. Associated symptoms included chills, malaise, headache, photophobia, phonophobia, and edematous arthralgias (left shoulder, left ankle). Personal and family history were negative for thromboembolic phenomena, autoimmune disorders, or coagulopathies. She denied intravenous drug use, new sexual partners, blood transfusions, sick contacts, or recent travel. Physical examination demonstrated sparse, irregularly-distributed, exquisitely tender erythematous to necrotic pinpoint papules and pustules of the abdomen and distal extremities. Vital signs were notable only for mild tachycardia.

Biopsies: Punch biopsies …

2020-May-01-Medical Student Summer Research Program Offered Remotely, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

Sarah Hamilton’s college experience turned out very different from what she expected it to be – in the best way possible. When the Johnson City resident began her freshman year at East Tennessee State University, she wanted to focus entirely on her grades. At first, she had no desire to get involved in any extracurricular activities or organizations on campus.

Sarah’s attitude changed when she realized that connecting to the ETSU community improved her college experience and made her a better student. Remaining focused on her studies in her double major – biology and Spanish – Sarah began to embrace …

Effects Of Penfluridol On Integrin-Fak Signaling And Tumor Cell Killing In Combination With Oncolytic Hsv In Glioblastoma, Mitra Nair

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Integrins are known to play an important role in activating multiple intracellular pathways, one of which is focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Phosphorylation of FAK can lead to the activation of various downstream signaling pathways that can increase tumor cell growth and proliferation, making it an ideal target for cancer therapeutics. Due to the fact that many FAK inhibitors are limited in their penetration of the blood brain barrier, we investigated the use of Penfluridol, an antipsychotic drug known to attenuate integrin expression at a transcriptional level, in combination with oncolytic herpes simplex I virus (oHSV) in a glioblastoma model. We …

Campylobacter Jejuni Bacteremia In The Setting Of Pancytopenia, Natalie M. Wiseman, Andrew Failla

MERF 2020 - Case Reports

Introduction: Campylobacter species are a common infectious cause of acute diarrhea worldwide. Small gram-negative bacteria, Campylobacter species are commonly transmitted fecal-orally and frequently found nonpathogenically in the guts of animals including chickens, creating a risk for frequent animal-human transmission. Campylobacter jejuni, one of the most important Campylobacter species for human health, typically produces a watery or inflammatory diarrhea. It is common in developing countries and outbreaks are often linked to contaminated water, unpasteurized milk, undercooked poultry, and contact with animals or infected persons. C. jejuni is a fastidious, gram-negative spiral-shaped rod which is best detected by culture but can also …

Recurrent Benign Lymphocytic Meningitis In A 66-Year-Old Male Diagnosed With Mollaret Syndrome. Is Suppressive Therapy Necessary?, Khaled Jamoor, Rita Kassab, Niluka Weerakoon

MERF 2020 - Case Reports

Mollaret syndrome is a rare form of recurrent lymphocytic meningitis. It is defined as recurrent episodes of acute attacks that last usually few days and separated by symptom free periods that can last months to years. Herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) is responsible for the majority of cases. Diagnosis is usually made by isolating the virus DNA from the CSF. Treatment with antivirals as a herpetic infection has been used and showed some success. Here we present a 66-year old male with past medical history of genital herpes who presented with his third episode of meningitis. Patient presented with low …

The Origins And Future Of Global Health Law: Regulation, Security, And Pluralism, Sam F. Halabi

Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a global health crisis unlike any seen in the seventy-five years since the United Nations and the World Health Organization were formed - one that is killing people, spreading human suffering, and upending people's lives. But this is much more than a health crisis. It is a human crisis. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is attacking societies at their core. It is therefore a crucial point around which to focus the capability of national and global institutions to address this essential threat to human health and life.

The purposes of this Article are to revisit and …

Effect Of Maternal Microbiome On Offspring Neurodevelopment: A Review, Zoe Beausoleil

PCOM Capstone Projects

The purpose of this paper is to delve into the maternal influence on the offspring microbiome, and how maternal lifestyle factors and choices; mode of birth, feeding method, stress and the interventions used to alleviate said stress, maternal age, substance use, exercise, and nutrition, alter the microbiome and therefore affect the neurodevelopment of the offspring. The human microbiome is composed of billions of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses that occupy the gut, skin and other areas of the body. Numerous studies have illustrated the importance of the microbiome in healthy human physiologic processes including energy metabolism, gut health, immune function …

A Review Of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Sophie Silver

Senior Honors Theses

Human immunodeficiency virus, also referred to as HIV, is a devastating virus which has infected millions. Characterized as a retrovirus, HIV has an RNA genome, which is reverse transcribed into DNA upon entry into the host cell. HIV primarily affects CD4⁺ T cells and is diagnosed by the significant reduction of CD4⁺ T cells. While no cure has been discovered yet, antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been demonstrated as an effective treatment option. In the progression of HIV, additional HIV-associated diseases may arise, including HIV-associated psoriasis and sensory neuropathy. In addition to the use of ART, clinicians often prescribe …

Ecology, Behavior, And Conservation Of The Mona Coqui (Eleutherodactylus Monensis) In Puerto Rico, Jennifer Stabile

Master's Projects and Capstones

The Mona Coqui (Eleutherodactylus monensis) is a medium-sized, terrestrial frog endemic to Mona Island, Puerto Rico. E. monensis is the only amphibian known to inhabit Mona Island, a small (57 km2) subtropical dry forested island located in the Caribbean between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. E. monensis is currently listed by the IUCN (2008) as Vulnerable due to its restricted range of less than 100 km2. Other possible threats may include emerging amphibian disease (i.e. Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd)), invasive species, and climate change. An increase of eco-tourism may also pose an immediate threat to this species if measures are …

How Nutrition Can Help To Fight Against Covid-19 Pandemic, Faseeha Aman, Sadia Masood

Section of Internal Medicine

Currently Covid-19 pandemic is a leading challenge across the globe. It is mandatory to attain and maintain good nutritional status to fight against virus. Nutritional status of individual is affected by several factors such as age, sex, health status, life style and medications. Nutritional status of individuals has been used as resilience towards destabilization during this COVID-19 pandemic. Optimal nutrition and dietary nutrient intake impact the immune system, therefore the only sustainable way to survive in current context is to strengthen the immune system. There is no evidence found that supplement can cure the immune system except Vit C, which …

Can Technology Help Improve Diarrhoea Management?, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Woman and Child Health

No abstract provided.

Covid-19 And Studying Disasters In Singapore, Wee-Kiat Lim

CCX Research

Dealing practically with the web of complexities that constitutes the COVID-19 pandemic requires going beyond public health and economic repercussions. Social science research on disasters can contribute to this. In this article, I will sketch three approaches drawn from sociology, psychology, geography, and political science.

A Case Of Babesiosis Seen Outside Of Its Endemic Area And Outside Of Its Incubation Period, Kiran Tirumalasetty, Jinal K. Patel, Gauthier L. Stepman, Bassem Zeidan, K V. Sundaresh, Parth R. Desai, Johnathan Frunzi

West Florida Division GME Research Day 2020

Babesiosis Microti is a parasitic alveolate that is usually transmitted by Ixodes scapularis ticks. In the United States, the endemic areas of Babesiosis include the Northeast and Upper Midwestern regions [1]. Symptoms include fever, malaise, fatigue, vomiting, and jaundice [1]. Current therapy primarily consists of a combination of azithromycin and atovaquone. Clindamycin and quinine may be administered in severe cases. For its emerging health risk worldwide, clinicians must be aware of the several presenting manifestations of babesiosis. Since 2017, the Centers Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has deemed Babesiosis is a reportable disease. This case focuses on the importance of …

Non-Narcotic Treatment For Postherpetic Neuralgia, Caitlyn Meehan Rn

Nursing Capstones

No abstract provided.

Herpes Zoster In Pregnancy, Kimberly Svidal Rn

Nursing Capstones

No abstract provided.

Effectiveness Of Shingrix Versus Zostavax In Immunocompromised Adults Aged 50 Years And Older., Sandrine Ndetah Rn

Nursing Capstones

No abstract provided.