Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Β-Lactamase Induction Requires Two Permeases, Ampg And Ampp, Kok-Fai Kong, Alian Aguila, Kalai Mathee, Lisa Schnepper

Department of Biological Sciences

Background

In Enterobacteriaceae, β-lactam antibiotic resistance involves murein recycling intermediates. Murein recycling is a complex process with discrete steps taking place in the periplasm and the cytoplasm. The AmpG permease is critical to this process as it transports N-acetylglucosamine anhydrous N-acetylmuramyl peptides across the inner membrane. In Pseudomonadaceae, this intrinsic mechanism remains to be elucidated. Since the mechanism involves two cellular compartments, the characterization of transporters is crucial to establish the link.

Results

Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 has two ampG paralogs, PA4218 (ampP) and PA4393 (ampG). Topology analysis using β-galactosidase and alkaline phosphatase fusions indicates ampP and …

Conjugated Quantum Dots Inhibit The Amyloid Β (1–42) Fibrillation Process, Garima Thakur, Miodrag Micic, Yuehai Yang, Wenzhi Li, Dania Movia, Silvia Giordani, Hongzhou Zhou, Roger M. Levlanc

Department of Physics

Nanoparticles have enormous potential in diagnostic and therapeutic studies. We have demonstrated that the amyloid beta mixed with and conjugated to dihydrolipoic acid- (DHLA) capped CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) of size approximately 2.5 nm can be used to reduce the fibrillation process. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used as tools for analysis of fibrillation. There is a significant change in morphology of fibrils when amyloid β (1–42) (Aβ (1–42)) is mixed or conjugated to the QDs. The length and the width of the fibrils vary under modified conditions. Thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence supports the decrease …

Structural And Antigenic Variance Between Novel Influenza A/H1n1/2009 And Influenza A/H1n1/2008 Viruses, Shailendra K. Saxena, Niraj Mishra, Rakhi Saxena, M.L. Arvinda Swamy, Pranshu Sahgal, Shailja Saxena, Shrish Tiwari, Asha Mathur, Madhavan Nair

HWCOM Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND:

The emergence of influenza A/H1N1/2009 is alarming. The severity of previous epidemics suggests that the susceptibility of the human population to H1N1 is directly proportional to the degree of changes in hemagglutinin/HA and neuraminidase/NA; therefore, H1N1/2009 and H1N1/2008 were analyzed for their sequence as well as structural divergence.

METHODOLOGY:

The structural and sequence divergence of H1N1/2009 and H1N1/2008 strains were analyzed by aligning HA and NA amino acid sequences by using ClustalW and ESyPred3D software. To determine the variations in sites of viral attachment to host cells, a comparison between amino acid sequences of HA and NA glycosylation sites …

Knowledge, Behaviors, And Beliefs Of Nannies Regarding Nutrition For Children In Their Care, Melody Garza

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nannies impact the development of children; however, research is nonexistent regarding their influence on children’s eating habits. The purpose of this study was to examine nannies’ nutrition knowledge, feeding behaviors, and beliefs about children and eating. In a descriptive, cross-sectional study, 83 nannies responded to an electronic survey. Respondents were White (94%, n=78), females (100%, n=83) and full-time employees (73.2%, n=60) of one family (82.1%, n=64). Nannies’ mean raw score was 24 out of 32 points resulting In 75% correct in nutrition knowledge. No significant correlations were found between scores and age (p=.51), education (/?=.73), or employment years (/?=.47). Responses …

A Comparison Of Job Responsibility And Activities Between Registered Dietitians With A Bachelor's Degree And Those With A Master's Degree, Stephanie M. Pillow

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Minimal educational requirements for Registered Dietitians (RDs) include a bachelor’s degree and practice program. Recently, a master’s degree was recommended. Studies have not established whether education affects employment. A secondary analysis of 2005 Dietetics Practice Audit data determined whether job responsibility, individuals supervised, and activities differed between 1,626 bachelor’s RDs (B-RDs) and 767 master’s (M-RDs) RDs, registered ≤5 years. Chi-square and ANOVA analyzed differences between B-RDs and M-RDs, at entry-level (0-3 years experience) and beyond-entry-level (3+-5 years experience). Beyond-entry-level B-RDs (31.8%) and entry-level M-RDs (31.9%) reported “supervisor/executive” responsibility more than entry-level B-RDs (26.5%; p=0.01). A higher percentage of M-RDs supervised …

Pressure Ulcers And Nutritional Deficits In Elderly Long-Term Care Patients : Effects Of A Comprehensive Nutritional Program On Pressure Ulcer Healing, Length Of Hospital Stay And Charges To Patients, Beverlin Allen

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The elderly are at the highest risk of developing pressure ulcers that result in prolonged hospitalization, high health care costs, increased mortality, and decreased quality of life. The burden of pressure ulcers will intensify because of a rapidly increasing elderly population in the United States (US). Poor nutrition is a major predictor of pressure ulcer formation. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a comprehensive, interdisciplinary nutritional protocol on: 1) pressure ulcer wound healing 2) length of hospital stays, and 3) charges for pressure ulcer management. Using a pre-intervention/post intervention quasi-experimental design the study sample was …

Information Discovery On Electronic Health Records Using Authority Flow Techniques, Vagelis Hristidis, Ramakrishna R. Varadarajan, Paul Biondich, Michael Weiner

School of Computing and Information Sciences

Background

As the use of electronic health records (EHRs) becomes more widespread, so does the need to search and provide effective information discovery within them. Querying by keyword has emerged as one of the most effective paradigms for searching. Most work in this area is based on traditional Information Retrieval (IR) techniques, where each document is compared individually against the query. We compare the effectiveness of two fundamentally different techniques for keyword search of EHRs.

Methods

We built two ranking systems. The traditional BM25 system exploits the EHRs' content without regard to association among entities within. The Clinical ObjectRank (CO) …

Impact Of A Comprehensive Nutrition And Lifestyle Education Intervention On Body Weight And Health-Related Outcomes In Morbidly-Obese Hispanic-Americans Following Laparoscopic Roux-En Y Gastric Bypass, Monica Petasne Nijamkin

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As morbid obesity increasingly affects Hispanic-Americans, the incidence of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedures (RYGB) among this population rises. Prospective research on the impact of postoperative educational interventions focused on Hispanic-Americans is needed to prevent premature weight loss plateau, weight regain, nutritional deficiencies, and relapse of obesity-related comorbidities. This randomized-controlled study evaluated the impact of a comprehensive nutrition and lifestyle education intervention (6 biweekly postoperative sessions that incorporated motivational strategies for behavioral change) as compared to a non-comprehensive approach (printed guidelines for healthy lifestyle). The variables to consider are body weight, obesity-related comorbidities (depression, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and others), nutrient status, physical …

Low Cholesterol? Don't Brag Yet ... Hypocholesterolemia Blunts Haart Effectiveness: A Longitudinal Study, María Jose Miguez, John Lewis, Vaughn E. Bryant, Rhonda Rosenberg, Ximena Burbano, Joel Fisherman, Deshratn Asthana, Rui Duan, Madhavan Nair, Robert M. Marlow

HWCOM Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Parenthood—A Contributing Factor To Childhood Obesity, Fatma G. Huffman, Sankarabharan Kanikireddy, Manthan Patel

Department of Dietetics and Nutrition

Prevalence of childhood obesity and its complications have increased world-wide. Parental status may be associated with children’s health outcomes including their eating habits, body weight and blood cholesterol. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the years 1988–1994, provided a unique opportunity for matching parents to children enabling analyses of joint demographics, racial differences and health indicators. Specifically, the NHANES III data, 1988–1994, of 219 households with single-parents and 780 dual-parent households were analyzed as predictors for primary outcome variables of children’s Body Mass Index (BMI), dietary nutrient intakes and blood cholesterol. Children of single-parent households were significantly …

On The Evolution Of Calculation Abilities, Alfredo Ardilla

Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences

No abstract provided.

Hiv-1 Subtype C-Infected Individuals Maintaining High Viral Load As Potential Targets For The ‘‘Test-And-Treat’’ Approach To Reduce Hiv Transmission, Vladimir Novitsky, Rui Wang, Hermann Bussmann, Shahin Lockman, Marianna K. Baum, Roger Shapiro, Ibou Thior, Carolyn Wester, C. William Wester, Anthony Ogwu, Aida Asmelash, Rosemary Musonda, Adriana Campa, Sikhulile Moyo, Erik Van Widenfelt, Madisa Mine, Claire Moffat, Mompati Mmalane, Joseph Makhema, Richard Marlink, Peter Gilbert, George R. Seage Iii, Victor Degruttola, M. Essex

Department of Dietetics and Nutrition

The first aim of the study is to assess the distribution of HIV-1 RNA levels in subtype C infection. Among 4,348 drug-naı¨ve HIV-positive individuals participating in clinical studies in Botswana, the median baseline plasma HIV-1 RNA levels differed between the general population cohorts (4.1–4.2 log10) and cART-initiating cohorts (5.1–5.3 log10) by about one log10. The proportion of individuals with high ($50,000 (4.7 log10) copies/ml) HIV-1 RNA levels ranged from 24%–28% in the general HIV-positive population cohorts to 65%–83% in cART-initiating cohorts. The second aim is to estimate the proportion of individuals who maintain high HIV-1 RNA levels for an extended …

Assessment Of Nutritional Status Of Patients On Hemodilaysis: A Single Center Study From Jeddah, Saudi Arabia., Khadija A. Alharbi

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Malnutrition (MN) is prevalent worldwide in hemodialysis patients (HDP); however it has not been assessed in HDP living in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of MN in HDP at the Jeddah Kidney Center as well as to determine if the 7-point subjective global assessment (SGA) correlates with anthropometric [Body Mass Index (BMI), Tricep Skinfold Thickness (TSF), Mid-Arm Muscle Circumference (MAMC)], or biochemical (albumin) measurements. In a cross sectional, descriptive study, 270 HDP were assessed for MN. Over half of the HDP were malnourished, with 47.8% moderately and 6.3% severely malnourished. Fifty-eight percent …

Glycemic Control: Risk Factors, Quality Of Life, Workforce Participation, And Mortality Among Us Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Evelyn P. Davila

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite research showing the benefits of glycemic control, it remains suboptimal among adults with diabetes in the United States. Possible reasons include unaddressed risk factors as well as lack of awareness of its immediate and long term consequences. The objectives of this study were to, using cross-sectional data, 1) ascertain the association between suboptimal (Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≥7%), borderline (HbA1c 7-8.9%), and poor (HbA1c ≥9%) glycemic control and potentially new risk factors (e.g. work characteristics), and 2) assess whether aspects of poor health and well-being such as poor health related quality of life (HRQOL), unemployment, and missed-work are associated with …

Magnetic Nanoformulation Of Azidothymidine 5’-Triphosphate For Targeted Delivery Across The Blood–Brain Barrier, Zainulabedin M. Saiyed, Nimisha H. Gandhi, Madhavan Nair

HWCOM Faculty Publications

Despite significant advances in highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the prevalence of neuroAIDS remains high. This is mainly attributed to inability of antiretroviral therapy (ART) to cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB), thus resulting in insufficient drug concentration within the brain. Therefore, development of an active drug targeting system is an attractive strategy to increase the efficacy and delivery of ART to the brain. We report herein development of magnetic azidothymidine 5’-triphosphate (AZTTP) liposomal nanoformulation and its ability to transmigrate across an in vitro BBB model by application of an external magnetic field. We hypothesize that this magnetically guided nanoformulation can …

Waist Circumference And Bmi In Relation To Serum High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (Hs-Crp) In Cuban Americans With And Without Type 2 Diabetes, Fatma G. Huffman, Suzanne Whisner, Gustavo G. Zarini, Subrata Nath

Department of Dietetics and Nutrition

Relationship between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and adiposity by diabetes status and gender in Cuban-Americans with and without type 2 diabetes (T2D) was studied. Adult subjects, 226 females, 129 males participated in a case control, single time point study. Subjects with T2D were older, had higher waist circumference (WC) and body mass index (BMI). WC and BMI were associated with ln hs-CRP (P < 0.001). An interaction with diabetes status was found for BMI (P = 0.037). Gender showed a strong relationship with ln hs-CRP (P < 0.001), which was moderated by diabetes status. Only males without diabetes exhibited a significant relationship for both WC and BMI with ln hs-CRP. In this sample of Cuban-Americans, WC and BMI had stronger associations with ln hs-CRP but not with diabetes status. Obesity prevention and controlling for CRP levels may be necessary to eliminate its contributions to develop diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Analysis Of Protease Treatment-Associated Mutations In A Group Of Hiv-1 Subtype F Infected Individuals With Two Sequences Obtained In Different Time Points, Márcia Perez Resende Oliveros, Clarice Gameiro Da Fonseca Pachi, Jorge Futoshi Yamamoto, Elizabeth Cavalieri, Maria Cecilia Araripe Sucupira, Luis Fernandez Lopez

Center for Internet Augmented Research & Assessment (Ciara)

No abstract provided.

Combination Of 16s Rrna Variable Regions Provides A Detailed Analysis Of Bacterial Community Dynamics In The Lungs Of Cystic Fibrosis Patients, Melissa S. Doud, Michael Light, Gisela Gonzalez, Giri Narasimhan, Kalai Mathee

Department of Biological Sciences

Chronic bronchopulmonary bacterial infections remain the most common cause of morbidity and mortality among patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Recent community sequencing work has now shown that the bacterial community in the CF lung is polymicrobial. Identifying bacteria in the CF lung through sequencing can be costly and is not practical for many laboratories. Molecular techniques such as terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism or amplicon length heterogeneity-polymerase chain reaction (LH-PCR) can provide many laboratories with the ability to study CF bacterial communities without costly sequencing. The aim of this study was to determine if the use of LH-PCR with multiple …

Beta-Lactam Antibiotics: From Antibiosis To Resistance And Bacteriology, Kok-Fai Kong, Lisa Schneper, Kalai Mathee

HWCOM Faculty Publications

This review focuses on the era of antibiosis that led to a better understanding of bacterial morphology, in particlar the cell wall component peptidoglycan. This is an effort to take readers on a tour de force from the concept of antibiosis, to the serepidity of antibiotics, evolution of betalactam development, and the molecular biology of antibiotic resistance. These areas of research have culminated in a deeper understanding of microbiology, particularly in the area of bacterial cell wall synthesis and recycling. In spite of this knowledge, which has enabled design of new even more effective therapeutics to combat bacterial infection and …

Role Stress, Emotional Exhaustion, And Job Satisfaction In The Hotel Industry: The Moderating Role Of Supervisory Support, Osman M. Karatepe

Hospitality Review

The purpose of this study is to investigate supervisory support as a moderator of the effects of role conflict and role ambiguity on emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction. This study also examines the moderating role of supervisory support on the relationship between emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction. Data were collected from a sample of frontline hotel employees in Northern Cyprus. The aforementioned relationships were tested based on hierarchical multiple regression analysis. The results demonstrate that supervisory support mitigates the impact of role conflict on emotional exhaustion and further reveal that supervisory support reduces the effect of emotional exhaustion on job …

The Foodservice Industry's Social Responsibility Regarding The Obesity Epidemic, Part Ii: Incorporating Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility Into Foodservice Operations, Audrey C. Mccool, Barent N. Mccool

Hospitality Review

Just as all types of business firms are now expected to go beyond their profit-oriented activities in boosting the well-being of the community, so, too, is corporate social responsibility (CSR) expected from foodservice firms. The significance of the obesity epidemic, combined with the foodservice industry's role in the development of this epidemic, suggests that the industry has an ethical responsibility to implement CSR activities that will help reduce obesity, particularly among children. CSR should be seen as an efficient management strategy through which a firm voluntarily integrates social and environmental concerns into its business operations and its interactions with stakeholders. …