Matching Items (57)
Filtering by

Clear all filters

165151-Thumbnail Image.png
Description

Virus-like particles (VLPs) are optimum candidates for creating vaccines, as they are highly flexible, adaptable, safe, and similar to the structural proteins of the target cells. The COVID 19 pandemic has increased the need to create effective and safe vaccines that can be mass produced to stop the spread of

Virus-like particles (VLPs) are optimum candidates for creating vaccines, as they are highly flexible, adaptable, safe, and similar to the structural proteins of the target cells. The COVID 19 pandemic has increased the need to create effective and safe vaccines that can be mass produced to stop the spread of COVID-19. Till now, various types of vaccine platforms have been utilized to create COVID-19 vaccines, each with unique characteristics and techniques. It is essential to use robust vaccine platforms that can deliver optimum results in a short period of time, with minimal risks. The structural proteins found in SARS-CoV-2, such as Spike (S) protein have been widely targeted to induce antibody response, also called a humoral response, which is a part of acquired immunity. The other structural proteins such as M (membrane) and E (envelope) can also be used as targets for antibodies. The S2 and glycoprotein (S full) can be used to induce an efficient IgG response. Therefore, the incorporation of structural proteins into VLPs can prove to be useful. Furthermore, double mosaic VLPs employs double epitopes, which can effectively cover the distances between the S proteins, thus optimizing the B cell activation process. This review describes the various developments that have taken place in the field of VLPs and more specifically, with regards to developing VLP vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

ContributorsSharma, Anjali (Author) / Hogue, Brenda (Thesis director) / Li, Yize (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor)
Created2022-05
184825-Thumbnail Image.png
Description

The occurrence of tragedies throughout history, whether it be natural disasters, pandemics, or wars, is inevitable. The way that humans have chosen to respond to destruction and disagreements has also changed. However, something that remains the same is that those with less monetary resources and political power are at a

The occurrence of tragedies throughout history, whether it be natural disasters, pandemics, or wars, is inevitable. The way that humans have chosen to respond to destruction and disagreements has also changed. However, something that remains the same is that those with less monetary resources and political power are at a higher disadvantage whenever the world is under duress or hardship. This propensity (tendency) can be seen through the comparison of two very different yet very profound events in recent history, the COVID-19 pandemic and World War II. The two events are distinct in their time periods, the nature of the disaster that they caused, and the problems that were created by their existence. Although they are very dissimilar, those in the US who had less monetarily were still disadvantaged much more than those who were more affluent. This pattern of disparity is revealed through the use and failure of the supply chain during both events. A supply chain is the sequence of processes involved in the production and distribution of a commodity or service (Supply Chain Definition & Meaning, n.d.). Although the supply chains used in World War II were not as fine-tuned as the ones required to distribute goods around the world today, World War II was instrumental in the refinement and use of the supply chain due to the high demand for goods and personnel across the world. During COVID-19 the quick shift in demand for unprecedented goods and services exposed the inflexibility of the world's largest supply chains, which in turn caused shortages around the world. For the United States government or large global corporations to fix the problems caused by these events, they both turned to the people who bear the majority of the burden of working overtime to account for the loss of goods; those who are most susceptible to the shortages of goods and services: those in lower-income communities.

ContributorsKarlowicz, Elizabeth (Author) / Lee, Christopher (Thesis director) / Wiedmer, Robert (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description

The occurrence of tragedies throughout history, whether it be natural disasters, pandemics, or wars, is inevitable. The way that humans have chosen to respond to destruction and disagreements has also changed. However, something that remains the same is that those with less monetary resources and political power are at a

The occurrence of tragedies throughout history, whether it be natural disasters, pandemics, or wars, is inevitable. The way that humans have chosen to respond to destruction and disagreements has also changed. However, something that remains the same is that those with less monetary resources and political power are at a higher disadvantage whenever the world is under duress or hardship. This propensity (tendency) can be seen through the comparison of two very different yet very profound events in recent history, the COVID-19 pandemic and World War II. The two events are distinct in their time periods, the nature of the disaster that they caused, and the problems that were created by their existence. Although they are very dissimilar, those in the US who had less monetarily were still disadvantaged much more than those who were more affluent. This pattern of disparity is revealed through the use and failure of the supply chain during both events. A supply chain is the sequence of processes involved in the production and distribution of a commodity or service (Supply Chain Definition & Meaning, n.d.). Although the supply chains used in World War II were not as fine-tuned as the ones required to distribute goods around the world today, World War II was instrumental in the refinement and use of the supply chain due to the high demand for goods and personnel across the world. During COVID-19 the quick shift in demand for unprecedented goods and services exposed the inflexibility of the world's largest supply chains, which in turn caused shortages around the world. For the United States government or large global corporations to fix the problems caused by these events, they both turned to the people who bear the majority of the burden of working overtime to account for the loss of goods; those who are most susceptible to the shortages of goods and services: those in lower-income communities.

ContributorsKarlowicz, Elizabeth (Author) / Lee, Christopher (Thesis director) / Wiedmer, Robert (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description

The COVID-19 pandemic’s unprecedented nature caused significant disruptions in the global supply chain industry, resulting in setbacks for supply chain operations. The repercussions of the supply chain challenges impacted various industries. This thesis seeks to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the supply chain industry, with a focus

The COVID-19 pandemic’s unprecedented nature caused significant disruptions in the global supply chain industry, resulting in setbacks for supply chain operations. The repercussions of the supply chain challenges impacted various industries. This thesis seeks to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the supply chain industry, with a focus on how disruptions have affected the efficiency and resilience of companies within this sector. Data analytics will be leveraged to analyze these disruptions and improve supply chain operations.

ContributorsPatwardhan, Sampada (Author) / Sirugudi, Kumar (Thesis director) / Sopha, Matthew (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor)
Created2023-05
147788-Thumbnail Image.png
Description

This essay will provide an analysis of the responsiveness of the world's hospitals to the crisis of the COVID 19 pandemic. This analysis will be focused on determining the previous adaptiveness of these hospitals and how they became and can become more adaptable in order to effectively handle the next

This essay will provide an analysis of the responsiveness of the world's hospitals to the crisis of the COVID 19 pandemic. This analysis will be focused on determining the previous adaptiveness of these hospitals and how they became and can become more adaptable in order to effectively handle the next global crisis that we will face. The essay will first examine some of the underlying issues that existed within healthcare institutions immediately prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. After this, it will next observe some of the general challenges posed by the circumstances of the pandemic, followed by an exploration of what changes took place within hospitals in order to combat these challenges. After this the essay will provide an analysis of the effectiveness of these changes. Lastly, the essay will give recommendations on how international healthcare facilities can take broad steps to be better prepared for the next global health crisis.

ContributorsBrackett, Jonah Lynn (Author) / Oke, Adegoke (Thesis director) / Kizer, Elizabeth (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
The aim of this paper is to investigate the B-casein fractions in Scandinavian and Icelandic milk for evidence to either support or refute the claim that the A1 variant of B-casein is diabetogenic in adolescent populations. Based on the theory that differences in milk protein composition explain a lower incidence

The aim of this paper is to investigate the B-casein fractions in Scandinavian and Icelandic milk for evidence to either support or refute the claim that the A1 variant of B-casein is diabetogenic in adolescent populations. Based on the theory that differences in milk protein composition explain a lower incidence of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) in Iceland when compared to surrounding Nordic countries, an informative poster was created so that a more educated decision can be made by those wishing to take preventative measures against the incidence of the disease. This paper includes a basic background behind the epidemiology of T1D and the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations. Next, comparison between milk protein composition and consumption in Iceland against the other Nordic countries is performed through an in-depth literature review. The review was conducted using PubMed databases until December of 2018. Key findings of this investigation raise concerns regarding the decision between optimizing milk producing rates or breeding for milk devoid of diabetogenic proteins. The current literature on the impact of cattle genetics on the protein composition of milk sheds light on the safety of Icelandic dairy and the resulting health of their population. Icelandic dairy has been evidenced to contain lower levels of A1 b-casein and is considered less diabetogenic. For these reasons, this author would recommend the consumption of Icelandic dairy products over those from other regions.
ContributorsThunberg, Carly Marie (Author) / Morse, Lisa (Thesis director) / Grgich, Traci (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Introduction: This research examined the prevalence of Chinese older adults’ risk factors (perceived racial discrimination, fear of COVID-19), protective factors (resilience, community support), and mental health status (depression, PTSD) in Chinese older adults aged 65 years and above during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the relationships between risk and protective factors

Introduction: This research examined the prevalence of Chinese older adults’ risk factors (perceived racial discrimination, fear of COVID-19), protective factors (resilience, community support), and mental health status (depression, PTSD) in Chinese older adults aged 65 years and above during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the relationships between risk and protective factors and their mental health outcomes were explored. Methods: This study was a secondary data analysis using the anonymous survey data collected by a research team. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the distributions of the variables; and hierarchical multiple regression models were conducted to examine their relationships. Results: The sample included 90 Chinese older adults in the United States. The participants demonstrated a moderate level of fear of COVID-19 (M= 21.55, SD = 4.75; range 10-33). The participants scored on the lower end of the perceived discrimination scale (M = .40, SD = 1.44 before COVID-19; M = .77, SD = 1.54 during COVID-19; range 0-7). Resilience (M = 29.02, SD = 5.78 on a scale of 0-40) demonstrated a moderate to moderately high level of resilience. As for community support, 40.3% of participants reported receiving assistance or information regarding COVID-19 from local Asian organizations, indicating a moderate level of community support. The participants reported a relatively low score for PTSD (M = 0.75 SD = 1.17 on a scale from 0 to 5) or depression (M = 2.76 SD = 2.72 on a scale from 0 to 27). Consistent with hypotheses, findings of hierarchical regression models suggested that the risk factors fear of COVID-19 and perceived racial discrimination were positively associated with PTSD symptoms while resilience was negatively associated with PTSD symptoms. Differently, none of the risk factors were significantly associated with depression symptoms while resilience showed a negative relationship with depression symptoms. Conclusion: The findings of this research will help public health officials better understand the needs of minority and aging communities to best support them during crises similar to the COVID-19 pandemic.
ContributorsMang, David (Author) / Chia-Chen Chen, Angela (Thesis director) / Li, Wei (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor)
Created2024-05