Digital Commons Network^™

Repurposing The Land Of An East Los Angeles Church: The Discovery Of How Small And Medium Sized Churches Through Affordable Housing Can Combat Homelessness While Revitalizing Its Nonprofit Status, Donald Cook, Donald Ray Cook Ii

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

In order to live, humans need to sleep; therefore, sleep is mandatory, but unfortunately, everyone does not have the option of sleeping inside. Subsequently, many homeless encampments have developed in many countries. The perspective that people have often determines their response to homelessness. One person might view a homeless encampment as a problem that needs to be removed while someone else can view it as an opportunity to serve the least of these. Not only did Adam and Eve experience homelessness when removed from the Garden of Eden, but Mary, Joseph, and Jesus experienced first-hand the rollercoaster of inadequate housing. …

Bat Cutaneous Microbial Assemblage Functional Redundancy Across A Host-Mediated Disturbance, Matthew Grisnik, Donald M. Walker

Biology

Understanding the processes and factors that influence the structure of host-associated microbial assemblages has been a major area of research as these assemblages play a role in host defense against pathogens. Previous work has found that bacterial taxa within bat cutaneous microbial assemblages have antifungal capabilities against the emerging fungal pathogen, Pseudogymnoascus destructans. However, our understanding of natural fluctuations in these cutaneous microbial assemblages over time due to shifts in host habitat is lacking. The objective of this work was to understand how the taxonomic and functional bat cutaneous microbial assemblage responds to seasonal shifts in host habitat. We hypothesized …

Making Conflicts Of Interest Matter To Federally Funded Academic Research, Kimberly M. Papadantonakis

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

This article first provides background on the academic science and technology enterprise and the concerns of counterintelligence agencies that prompted the White House, DOJ, and Congress to act. Section III discusses specific criminal and civil cases, focusing on where prosecutions succeeded or faltered. Section IV covers the new rules and how the agencies are implementing them. Finally, Section V analyzes themes from the cases and examines how the new rules may impact future enforcement and compliance efforts.

Rethinking Safe Nurse Staffing In The Post-Covid Icu: A Comparative Analysis Of The Nurse-To-Patient Ratio And Mixed Model Approach For State Policies, Emilie A. Maxie

Dissertations

The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) led to an unprecedented surge in ICU admission, increasing the nurse-to-patient ratios and intensifying stress on ICU nurses. This prompted many nurses to leave bedside care, exacerbating the ongoing nursing shortage and creating unsafe working conditions. Fourteen states have enacted safe nurse staffing policies. California implemented a mandated nurse-to-patient ratio, while Massachusetts adopted a mixed model for ICUs that involves a ratio, nurse committees, and workload tools. In post-COVID, this raises the question of which state policy approach is more effective in retaining ICU nursing staff. Literature suggests a mixed policy may be more effective.

Minimizing Infant Injury Risk By Utilizing Parental Education In A Primary Care Setting, Courtney Munroe, Erin Kuehl, Rachel Mahlberg

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects: College of Nursing

Introduction

Accidental injury and death to infants has been correlated to lack of proper education to parents of infants in the primary pediatric care setting. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and unintentional injuries were the second and third leading causes of post neonatal death during this period of time (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016). Studies have found that motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of child injury and death for infants under 12 months of age. The CDC found that drowning, suffocation, and poisoning were other leading causes that contributed to child injury and death rates …

Interactions Of The Sars-Cov-2 Viral Genome 3’-Untranslated Region With Viral And Host Rnas, Caleb Frye, Mihaela Rita Mihailescu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the characterization of RNA-RNA interactions within the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genome and with host microRNAs. As the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), SARS-CoV-2 has evolved rapidly since its appearance. This has warranted prompt characterization of the virus particularly of its single stranded RNA (ssRNA) genome. By using a combination of bioinformatics, biophysics, and/or biological assays, we analyzed the SARS-CoV-2 viral genomic RNA and uncovered interactions of genomic RNA with host RNAs, highlighting an underutilized method of targeting RNA viruses. We showed here that the conserved elements in the viral genomic …

Evaluating The Implementation Of Community Schools’ Strategies To Address Post-Pandemic Student Mental Health, Dawn Gordon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research explores the systemic and structural barriers affecting the effectiveness of community schools, particularly in providing mental health services and support, with a specific focus on how principals have responded to these needs in the post-COVID-19 era. Employing qualitative methods, including focus groups with principals from schools implementing the community schools’ model, the study identifies three major themes: difficulties with lead agency collaboration and coordination with host schools, systemic and structural barriers to effective functioning, and holistic approaches to enhancing student support and well-being with mental health.

Difficulties with lead agency collaboration and coordination reveal how inadequate communication and …

Effects On Maternal And Pregnancy Outcomes Of First-Trimester Malaria Infection Among Nulliparous Women From Kenya, Zambia, And The Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Sequoia I. Leuba, Daniel Westreich, Carl L. Bose, Andrew F. Olshan, Steve M. Taylor, Antoinette Tshefu, Adrien Lokangaka, Waldemar A. Carlo, Elwyn Chomba, Musaku Mwenechanya, Edward A. Liechty, Sherri L. Bucher, Osayame A. Ekhaguere, Fabian Esamai, Paul Nyongesa, Saleem Jessani, Sarah Saleem, Robert L. Goldenberg, Janet L. Moore, Tracy L. Nolen, Jennifer Hemingway-Foday, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Marion Koso-Thomas, Richard Derman, Matthew Hoffman, Steven R. Meshnick, Melissa Bauserman

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Few studies have assessed the impact of first-trimester malaria infection during pregnancy. We estimated this impact on adverse maternal and pregnancy outcomes.

METHODS: In a convenience sample of women from the ASPIRIN (Aspirin Supplementation for Pregnancy Indicated risk Reduction In Nulliparas) trial in Kenya, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we tested for first-trimester Plasmodium falciparum infection using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. We estimated site-specific effects on pregnancy outcomes using parametric g-computation.

RESULTS: Compared to uninfected women, we observed the adjusted site-specific prevalence differences (PDs) among women with first-trimester malaria of the following pregnancy outcomes: preterm birth …

Rna Structural-Dynamical Hierarchy: Sars-Cov, Sars-Cov-2, And Delta/Omicron Variant S2m Monomers, Kissing Complexes, And Extended Duplexes, Adam Kensinger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The power and promise of ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules are only beginning to be realized in living organisms and pharmaceutical intervention. Specifically, defining the chemical physics of RNA’s heterogenous structural ensemble and dynamics, which has experienced expansive growth over the last few years, is central to a complete understanding, yet continues to be a significant challenge. A 41-nucleotide hairpin called the stem-loop II motif (s2m), present in the viral genomes of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), SARS-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), and the Delta and Omicron variants responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, is a potential antiviral target due to its high sequence conservation …

Organ-On-A-Chip Platforms For Drug Development, Cellular Toxicity Assessment, And Disease Modelling, Muhammad Maaz Khurram, Göktürk Ci̇nel, Özlem Yeşi̇l Çeli̇ktaş, Erdal Bedi̇r

Turkish Journal of Biology

Organ-on-a-chips (OoCs) or microphysiological platforms are biomimetic systems engineered to mimic organ structures onto microfluidic devices for biomedical research. These microdevices can mimic biological environments that enable cell-cell interactions at a small scale by mimicking 3D in vivo microenvironments outside the body. Thus far, numerous single and multiple OoCs that recapitulate organs have been developed, and they have emerged as forerunners for drug efficacy and cytotoxicity testing. This review explores OoC platforms to portray their versatility in investigating drug safety, efficacy, and toxicity. We also reflect upon the potential of OoCs to effectively demonstrate disease models for probable novel therapeutics, …

Characterizing The Francisella Tularensis Universal Stress Protein, Benjamin Girardo

Theses & Dissertations

Francisella tularensis is an extremely virulent pathogen responsible for the zoonotic disease tularemia. F. tularensis employs various defense mechanisms to survive and persist under diverse environmental and host-induced stress conditions. Despite its significance, the full spectrum of stress factors that enable F. tularensis persistence remain inadequately understood. In many bacterial species, universal stress proteins (Usp) play a crucial role in managing adverse conditions. The aim of this study was to elucidate the role of Usp in F. tularensis as a means of clarifying the stress response mechanisms of this pathogen. The F. tularensis Usp is encoded by a single, highly …

Ccr5-Ligand Decorated Rilpivirine Lipid-Based Nanoparticles For Sustained Antiretroviral Responses, Milankumar Patel

Theses & Dissertations

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the standard remedy to improve the health-related quality of life of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, limited access to the viral reservoir has significantly hindered its effectiveness in fully eradicating HIV. Therefore, to improve HIV therapy, here we propose a C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5)-targeted theranostic lipid Based Nanoparticles (LBNPs) to noninvasively track and specifically deliver the antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to the viral reservoir. A multi-modular radioactive nanoprobe was synthesized and co-encapsulated with rilpivirine (RPV, an ARV) into the LBNP to achieve a theranostic LBNP that can be tracked by positron emission …

A Clustering-Based Location Allocation Method For Delivery Sites Under Epidemic Situations, Yaqiong Zhou, Junqi Chen, Weishi Li, Sihang Qiu, Rusheng Ju

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: To address the poor performance of commonly used intelligent optimization algorithms in solving location problems—specifically regarding effectiveness, efficiency, and stability—this study proposes a novel location allocation method for the delivery sites to deliver daily necessities during epidemic quarantines. After establishing the optimization objectives and constraints, we developed a relevant mathematical model based on the collected data and utilized traditional intelligent optimization algorithms to obtain Pareto optimal solutions. Building on the characteristics of these Pareto front solutions, we introduced an improved clustering algorithm and conducted simulation experiments using data from Changchun City. The results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm outperforms …

The Ethics Of Involuntary Psychiatric Hospitalization: A Comprehensive Analysis Of Policies, Practice, And Ethical Oversight, Mariah Chobany

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As a specialized field of medicine, psychiatry presents unique ethical challenges and dilemmas distinct from other medical disciplines. A particularly complex aspect of psychiatric care involves the involuntary treatment of patients who may be unable to make informed decisions about their care or participation in research due to the debilitating effects of their psychiatric condition. This presents a significant challenge for providers and researchers, particularly concerning capacity issues and the informed consent process. Despite the intricacies and complexities of ethical dilemmas in psychiatric treatment and research, there is a notable lack of comprehensive guidance in policies and practices on addressing …

Bio-Preparedness In A Global Context: Multi-Site International Study Investigating Global Health Security Challenges In Egypt, Oman, And The United States, Rima M. Al Balushi

Theses & Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed myriad vulnerabilities globally within public health systems, from inadequate bio-risk management in laboratories to overwhelming utilization of hospital resources and disparities in vaccine access and uptake. The Global Health Security Index (GHSI), which critically evaluates health security domains including health systems and risk environments, reports serious weaknesses in global health security. This dissertation aims to investigate critical aspects of global health security domains by examining factors impacting biosafety and biosecurity capacities in laboratories in Egypt, healthcare resource utilization in hospitals in Oman relating to acute respiratory infections (ARI), and COVID-19 vaccine uptake in the United States. …

Prospective, Crossover, Comparative Study Of Two Methods Of Chlorhexidine Bathing, Richard J. Hankins

Theses & Dissertations

Bathing intensive care unit (ICU) patients with chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) decreases hospital acquired infections (HAIs). The optimal method of CHG bathing remains undefined. Prospective cluster crossover study comparing CHG daily bathing with 2% CHG impregnated cloths versus 4% CHG solution. In phase 1, from January 2020 through March 2020, one ICU utilized 2% cloths, while the other ICU utilized 4% solution. After an interruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, in phase 2, from July 2020 through September 2020, the unit CHG bathing assignments were reversed. Swabs were performed three times per week from patients’ arms and legs to measure skin …

Family Care And Health Behavior: A Sociocultural Perspective On Ebola Virus Disease Transmission In Sierra Leone, Abubakarr Jalloh

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

The 2013–2016 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa was the largest and deadliest in the four-decade history of the disease. This study examined the sociocultural context of EVD transmission during the outbreak, with a particular focus on a high-risk behavior—caring for sick relatives. Guided by a sociocultural perspective on health, it specifically explored the role of family-based caregiving practices in the transmission of EVD during an outbreak. Utilizing a qualitative collective case study, I interviewed three Ebola survivors in Makeni, Sierra Leone. Content analysis resulted in two themes: (1) family care and perceived EVD transmission and (2) how …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Novel Diffusible Signal Factor Analogs For Antibiofilm Properties, Elisabeth Rachel Wiley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Biofilms are composed of biomolecules, bacteria, and sometimes fungi and are considered the leading cause of antibiotic resistance. Biofilm formation and dispersion is regulated in part by signaling molecules called diffusible signal factors (DSF) through a process termed quorum sensing. However, the mechanism of action behind quorum sensing remains poorly understood. Chapter 1 focuses on the structure activity relationship (SAR) of DSF. DSF are medium chain fatty acids with an alkene at the C2-C3 carbon position. Tail length, branching, and cis/trans configuration all significantly affect antibiofilm action; these affects are also microbe specific. The chapter concludes with a discussion on …

Impact Of Global Environmental Changes On The Range Contraction Of Eurasian Moose Since The Late Pleistocene, Magdalena Niedziałkowska, Marcin Górny, Joanna Gornia, Danijela Popović, Mateusz Baca, Urszula Ratajczak-Skrzatek, Oleksandr Kovalchuk, Maciej Sykut, Małgorzata Suska-Malawska, Paweł Mackiewicz, Emilia Hofman-Kamińska, Rafał Kowalczyk, Maxim Czarniauski, Kamilla Pawłowska, Daniel Makowiecki, Larisa Tataurova, Alexey Bondarev, Andrey Shpansky, Albert V. Protopopov, Aleksandr Dmitrievich Sorokin, Urmas Saarma, Pavel Kosintsev, Ulrich Schmölcke, Jarosław Wilczyński, Grzegorz Lipecki, Adam Nadachowski, Gennady G. Boeskorov, Gennady F. Baryshnikov, Roberto Zorzin, Nadezhda Vorobiova

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Climatic oscillations are considered primary factors influencing the distribution of various life forms on Earth. Large species adapted to cold climates are particularly vulnerable to extinction due to climate changes. In our study, we investigated whether temperature increase since the Late Pleistocene and the contraction of environmental niche during the Holocene were the main factors contributing to the decreasing range of moose (Alces alces) in Europe. We also examined whether there were significant differences in environmental conditions between areas inhabited by moose in Europe and Asia, that could support the division of moose into western and eastern forms, as suggested …

The Plasmodium Falciparum Ncr1 Transporter Is An Antimalarial Target That Exports Cholesterol From The Parasite's Plasma Membrane, Zhemin Zhang, Eva S Istvan, Daniel E Goldberg, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Malaria, a devastating parasitic infection, is the leading cause of death in many developing countries. Unfortunately, the most deadliest causative agent of malaria,

Ifrd1 Is Required For Maintenance Of Bladder Epithelial Homeostasis, Bisiayo E Fashemi, Amala K Rougeau, Arnold M Salazar, Steven J Bark, Rayvanth Chappidi, Jeffrey W Brown, Charles J Cho, Jason C Mills, Indira U Mysorekar

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The maintenance of homeostasis and rapid regeneration of the urothelium following stress are critical for bladder function. Here, we identify a key role for IFRD1 in maintaining urothelial homeostasis in a mouse model. We demonstrate that the murine bladder expresses IFRD1 at homeostasis, particularly in the urothelium, and its loss alters the global transcriptome with significant accumulation of endolysosomes and dysregulated uroplakin expression pattern. We show that IFRD1 interacts with mRNA-translation-regulating factors in human urothelial cells. Loss of Ifrd1 leads to disrupted proteostasis, enhanced endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress) with activation of the PERK arm of the unfolded protein response pathway, …

Rna-Dependent Rna Polymerase Of Predominant Human Norovirus Forms Liquid-Liquid Phase Condensates As Viral Replication Factories, Soni Kaundal, Ramakrishnan Anish, B Vijayalakshmi Ayyar, Sreejesh Shanker, Gundeep Kaur, Sue E Crawford, Jeroen Pollet, Fabio Stossi, Mary K Estes, B V Venkataram Prasad

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Many viral proteins form biomolecular condensates via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) to support viral replication and evade host antiviral responses, and thus, they are potential targets for designing antivirals. In the case of nonenveloped positive-sense RNA viruses, forming such condensates for viral replication is unclear and less understood. Human noroviruses (HuNoVs) are positive-sense RNA viruses that cause epidemic and sporadic gastroenteritis worldwide. Here, we show that the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of pandemic GII.4 HuNoV forms distinct condensates that exhibit all the signature properties of LLPS with sustained polymerase activity and the capability of recruiting components essential for viral replication. …

Historical Use Of Libraries In Inpatient Psychiatric Treatment In The United Kingdom, Jessica Buckey, Mlis

SLIS Connecting

In the 19th and 20th centuries, libraries were a common amenity in psychiatric hospitals, particularly private ones. This paper sheds new light on the history of these libraries in inpatient psychiatric treatment centers. The prevailing medical philosophy held that occupation and moderate intellectual stimulation were important for recovery, a mode of thought culminating in the 20th century bibliotherapy movement. This is not a clinical study, and it assumes no stance on the therapeutic value of reading. Instead, it is a historical study of libraries in inpatient psychiatric centers: how these libraries were curated; how patient libraries, throughout their history, responded …

Notes From The Field: School-Based Surveillance Of Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Trends And Impact On School Attendance By Students And Staff Members - Missouri, Fall 2024., Olivia M. Almendares, Brittney Fritschmann, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Brian R. Lee, Chris Edens, Maureen Diaz, Brett Whitaker, Shannon Tilsworth, Janelle Porter, Nibha Sagar, Jennifer E. Schuster, Jennifer Goldman, Hannah L. Kirking

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

No abstract provided.

Exploring Nutrition Teachers' Perspectives Of Enacted Nutrition Policies To Address Childhood Obesity In The Bahamas, Shondell M. De Velde

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain a comprehensive understanding of nutrition teachers' perspectives on enacted nutrition policies aimed at combating childhood obesity in The Bahamas. The central phenomenon of the study is teachers' perspectives of enacted nutrition policies to address childhood obesity in The Bahamas. The Health Belief Model (HBM) developed by Irwin M. Rosenstock in the 1950s was used to provide a theoretical framework, that can be used to understand nutrition teachers' perceptions and actions related to enacted nutrition policies. The HBM delves into an individual’s motivation to accept healthy behavior and is thus constructed to …

Covid-19 Effects On School Choral Music Programs’ Rehearsal Instruction: Exploring Responses, Sharing Teacher Perceptions On Future Preparedness, Watson Chilala

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The US experienced increased hospitalizations resulting from a resurgence of COVID-19 infections from Late July to mid-September 2023. Among educators and parents, the trend brought back memories of government school closures and their school instruction-related repercussions. This qualitative holistic case study explored how school choral music directors perceive their choral music programs' preparedness to mitigate instruction-related losses should future pandemics or long-term disruptions to instruction occur. The study examined relevant literature vis-a-vis journal articles and books and conducted open-ended interviews online, by phone, and in person. This study can empower choral music education with teaching strategies to improve SCMPs’ future …

Il-12 Encoding Ondv Synergizes With Car-T Cells In Orthotopic Models Of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Amanda Rosewell Shaw, Daisuke Morita, Caroline E Porter, Eric Tu, Greyson W Biegert, Sonia Agrawal, Nicholas Durham, Malcolm K Brenner, Masataka Suzuki

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Systemic administration of oncolytic viruses (OVs) is a promising approach for targeting metastatic solid tumors, but their anti-tumor activity is limited by pre-existing neutralizing antibodies against common human viruses. Therefore, investigators have developed OVs derived from non-human host viruses. Successful implementation of this strategy requires that the viral vector selectively infects and replicates within human cancer cells. Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is an avian paramyxovirus that, as NDV-based OVs (oNDVs), has demonstrated safety and activity against multiple human tumors in clinical trials. Their use as a single agent, however, is insufficient to cure tumors. Similarly, chimeric antigen receptor-modified T cells …

Home/Hospital, Jose Luis Pablo

Kritika Kultura

No abstract provided.

Covid-19: Kritikal Na Pagsusuri Ng Diskurso Ng Kagawaran Ng Kalusugan Sa Unang Yugto Ng Pandemya Sa Pilipinas, Alona Jumaquio-Ardales, Nathaniel Oco

Kritika Kultura

The paper contributed to the literature of COVID-19 in the Philippines by conducting an interdisciplinary study on the discourse of the Department of Health during the early phase of the pandemic in the country. The frame of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the process of Human Language Technology (HLT), and the concept of Crisis Management (CM) were used in analyzing the press conferences and virtual pressers. There were 56 videos selected from 30 January to 30 May 2020 using the technique of Browsing, Linking, Shortlisting, and Focusing (BLSF). The results of the study showed that: (1) Filipino language was the medium …

Slow And Quick Violence: Illnesses And Injuries In America Is In The Heart, Ling Liu

Kritika Kultura

This article aims to offer a new route into the study of Carlos Bulosan’s America Is in the Heart by going beyond the usual sociocultural focus and turning instead to the material, specifically the illnesses and injuries borne by Filipino bodies—tuberculosis, syphilis, hunger, injuries, even death—to learn about their colonial and migrant experiences. In the novel, tuberculosis affects working-class migrant Filipinos disproportionately in both the Philippines and the United States of America. Migrant Filipinos are also constantly haunted by hunger and are always injured, or even shot; and working-class women frequently die from syphilis. Applying ecocritical theories to study the …