Matching Items (10)
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- Creators: School of Life Sciences
- Creators: Stout, Valerie
Description
HIV/AIDS is the sixth leading cause of death worldwide and the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age living in low-income countries. Clinicians in industrialized nations monitor the efficacy of antiretroviral drugs and HIV disease progression with the HIV-1 viral load assay, which measures the copy number of HIV-1 RNA in blood. However, viral load assays are not widely available in sub-Saharan Africa and cost between 50-$139 USD per test on average where available. To address this problem, a mixed-methods approach was undertaken to design a novel and inexpensive viral load diagnostic for HIV-1 and to evaluate barriers to its adoption in a developing country. The assay was produced based on loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). Blood samples from twenty-one individuals were spiked with varying concentrations of HIV-1 RNA to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of LAMP. Under isothermal conditions, LAMP was performed with an initial reverse-transcription step (RT-LAMP) and primers designed for HIV-1 subtype C. Each reaction generated up to a few billion copies of target DNA within an hour. Presence of target was detected through naked-eye observation of a fluorescent indicator and verified by DNA gel electrophoresis and real-time fluorescence. The assay successfully detected the presence of HIV in samples with a broad range of HIV RNA concentration, from over 120,000 copies/reaction to 120 copies/reaction. In order to better understand barriers to adoption of LAMP in developing countries, a feasibility study was undertaken in Tanzania, a low-income country facing significant problems in healthcare. Medical professionals in Northern Tanzania were surveyed for feedback regarding perspectives of current HIV assays, patient treatment strategies, availability of treatment, treatment priorities, HIV transmission, and barriers to adoption of the HIV-1 LAMP assay. The majority of medical providers surveyed indicated that the proposed LAMP assay is too expensive for their patient populations. Significant gender differences were observed in response to some survey questions. Female medical providers were more likely to cite stigma as a source problem of the HIV epidemic than male medical providers while males were more likely to cite lack of education as a source problem than female medical providers.
ContributorsSalamone, Damien Thomas (Author) / Jacobs, Bertram L (Thesis advisor) / Marsiglia, Flavio (Committee member) / Stout, Valerie (Committee member) / Johnson, Crista (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Curanderos are Hispanic traditional healers who attend to their clients through spiritual, natural, and physical techniques. Recent studies have shown that a subset of the Hispanic population refer to these healers for HIV and STD treatment and believe they are important in a collaborative targeted HIV intervention. Thus, curanderos were interviewed and the lay population of Phoenix was sampled in order to get a better idea of the utility of these healers in an HIV prevention effort targeted at the Hispanic community. Due to the limitations of this study there was not sufficient enough data to make significant conclusions; however the interviews with the curanderos were surprising in the they had significant roles as healers in the Phoenix area, patients have referred to them for HIV and STD treatment, and a couple of the healers have integrated western medical knowledge into their practice.
ContributorsMartinez, Justin Anthony (Author) / Maupin, Jonathan (Thesis director) / Hruschka, Daniel (Committee member) / Aguilera, Miguel (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
Studies have demonstrated that viruses such as human immunodeficiency virus [HIV], M13 bacteriophage, and murine cytomegalovirus [MCMV] have been effectively inactivated by exposure to ultra short-pulsed lasers (6,7,10,11,14,15,17). Ultra short pulse laser shows promise as a new method for non-invasive antiviral treatments (17). This method can be used to prevent problems such as drug resistance that is currently rising in numbers. According to the Center for Disease Control [CDC], there are more than two million people in the United States of America that are infected with antimicrobial-resistant infections and at least 23,000 deaths per year occur as a result (19). In this study, ultra-short pulses, specifically Ti-Sapphire Laser [USP Ti-Sapphire Laser] will be evaluated for viral inactivation. The virus chosen for this study was MS2 bacteriophage, which is a non- enveloped, icosahedral, single-stranded RNA [ssRNA] bacteriophages that infects F+ pilus Escherichia coli (16). It was hypothesized that ultrashort pulses from a Ti-Sapphire laser will inactivate MS2 bacteriophage. Inactivation was measured using plaque-forming units [PFU/mL] as an indicator. It was expected that there would be an increase in inactivation of MS2 bacteriophage with an increase in irradiation duration. The results indicated that MS2 bacteriophage was highly sensitive to irradiation treatments of the USP Ti-Sapphire Laser. The concentration of MS2 bacteriophage decreased by 107 PFU/mL after being treated for various time periods ranging from 5 minutes to 150 minutes. Longer duration of USP Ti- Sapphire Laser treatment inactivated more MS2 Bacteriophage.
ContributorsApablasa, Nayeli Aleysa (Author) / Stout, Valerie (Thesis director) / Jacobs, Bertram (Committee member) / Tsen, Kong-Thong (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
In the years following the HIV epidemic, much has changed in the way of public health, the social epidemic of stigma has remained. It is the assertion of the authors that stigma can be combatted through the propagation of accurate education and exposure to the lasting negative impacts of social stigma on persons living with HIV in the United States at present. Although individuals who are not apart of this community cannot truly understand the impacts of HIV-related stigma on those directly impacted by it, a sense of understanding and compassion may be elicited through the breakdown of social stigma into comprehensible components and the provision of stigma-inspired artwork. In addition to providing a background on the scientific basis of Human immunodeficiency virus and its spread, the authors have elected to utilize public engagement by means of an anonymous survey as well as personal interactions with HIV advocates to synthesize paintings. Responses were collected from approximately 300 survey participants via social media with no demographic information collected. It was the hope of the authors that the lack of identifying questions may prompt participants to answer freely and honestly to improve overall understanding of social perceptions of HIV and its related stigma. These paintings and resources deemed appropriate based on the results of the aforementioned survey are to be displayed on a webpage for easier access and engagement with a broader audience.Moreover, this webpage is intended to be maintained and utilized beyond the timeframe of this Undergraduate Honors Thesis for the intended purpose of promoting stigma-free HIV advocacy and education.
ContributorsRidgley, Nathan Laurence (Co-author) / Luigs, Stephanie (Co-author) / Jacobs, Bertram (Thesis director) / Salamone, Damien (Committee member) / Spencer, Glen (Committee member) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Since the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) crisis began in the early 1980s, there has been a significant amount of stigma attached to the disease and the virus that causes it, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). At the time, HIV/AIDS was viewed as a death sentence. A large part of the stigma came from the fact that in the early days of the crisis, AIDS patients were predominantly part of the LGBTQ+ community. With the discovery of effective antiretroviral therapies, today HIV can be thought of as a preventable, yet manageable, chronic illness, although it remains a huge public health concern (About HIV/AIDS, 2018). While the virus is now rarely viewed as a death sentence, there is still considerable stigma that surrounds people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Research shows that the shows and movies people watch can affect their attitudes on a variety of issues, and HIV is no exception. Because HIV is such a big threat to public health, and because people often adopt views they see in media, analyzing the ways shows and movies portray PLWHA is an important aspect in understanding where stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS comes from. The writers behind today's HIV+ characters on television and in movies all seemingly made an effort to decrease stigma, but they went about it in different ways, and with varying amounts of success. A common method to dispel stigma was to use the entertainment-education method (Singhal & Rogers, 1999), which in these cases means characters had discussions about topics like safe sex, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), and the importance of getting tested. A few shows showed serodiscordant couples, which was also effective at fighting stigma. In contrast, by trying to be representative of PLWHA, some shows actually contributed to the stereotypes behind the stigma, or had characters be openly stigmatizing towards PLWHA. After analyzing what I found the shows and movies did well and what they did poorly, I'll analyze why it is important that shows maintained historical accuracy, and how doing so appeared to fight the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS. I will also evaluate what's missing \u2014 such as which high-risk groups are not represented. Ultimately, this thesis will argue that shows and movies made in the last 12 years all aimed to decrease stigma, through a variety of techniques.
ContributorsEvans, Celia Grace (Author) / Hurlbut, Ben (Thesis director) / Berkel, Cady (Committee member) / Blattman, Joseph (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12
Description
Viral protein U (Vpu) is a type-III integral membrane protein encoded by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV- 1). It is expressed in infected host cells and plays vital roles in down-regulation of CD4 receptors in T cells and also in the budding of virions. But, there remain key structure/function questions regarding the mechanisms by which the Vpu protein contributes to HIV-1 pathogenesis and thus, it makes for an attractive target to study the structural attributes of this protein by elucidating a structural model with X-ray crystallography. This study describes a multi-pronged approach of heterologous over-expression of Vpu. The strategies of purification and biophysical/ biochemical characterization of the different versions of the protein to evaluate their potential for crystallization are also detailed. Furthermore, various strategies employed for the crystallization of Vpu by both in surfo and in cubo techniques, and the challenges faced towards the structural studies of this membrane protein by characterization with solution Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy are also described.
ContributorsDeb, Arpan (Author) / Leket-Mor, Tsafrir S (Thesis advisor) / Fromme, Petra (Committee member) / Mason, Hugh (Committee member) / Stout, Valerie (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Description
This white paper serves as an accumulation of research to guide needle exchange program (NEP) policies in the state of Arizona to decrease the transmission of infectious diseases such as HIV and HCV.
ContributorsLeaver, Jillian (Author) / Hruschka, Daniel (Thesis director) / Doran, Chris (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
Brought on by extended survival due to Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy and increased incidence among older adults, the demographic profile of the HIV epidemic has begun to shift towards the aging population. As people living with HIV (PLWH) begin to age and develop multiple comorbidities, their needs are no longer limited to HIV treatment and disease management; they may require aging services similar to those with a negative HIV status. Increased attention has been placed on HIV and aging to assess the unique needs of older PLWH, however, limited research exists on the preparedness of aging services to provide adequate care to this population. This study aims to assess HIV and aging within Maricopa County, where individuals aged 50 years and older account for nearly half the reported HIV/AIDS cases in the county, and 30% of cases in Arizona. Two focus groups – one with older PLWH and another with aging service professionals – were conducted to gather information about existing aging services and the perspectives of older PLWH regarding their growing needs. Older PLWH were found to experience challenges similar to those that have been well-documented in previous studies: most notably, PTSD and other mental health conditions; fear of the future and isolation; HIV status disclosure and stigma; and economics and financial security. An anonymous survey was developed in conjunction with Aunt Rita’s Foundation to evaluate Maricopa County aging services; it was discovered that providers lack experience with HIV and admit deficiencies in their preparation to address the age-related concerns of older PLWH. The results show that the majority of providers were supportive of offering care to older PLWH and expressed interest in improving their preparedness. Future research is necessary to obtain perspectives from additional aging services in Maricopa County and word towards the development of an aging services directory to connect older PLWH to care.
ContributorsLayon, Sarah (Author) / Jacobs, Bertram (Thesis director) / Coon, David (Committee member) / Spencer, Glen (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor) / School of Art (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
HIV continues to remain a global health issue, in particular in many low and middle-income countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that of the nearly 38 million HIV-1 positive individuals, 25% are unaware they are infected. Despite decades of research, a safe and effective preventative vaccine has yet to be produced. The HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein41 and the Gag structural protein have been identified to be particularly important in HIV-1 transcytosis and cytotoxic lymphocyte response, respectively. Enveloped virus-like particles (VLPs) consisting of Gag and a deconstructed form of glycoprotein (dgp41) comprising the membrane proximal external region (MPER), transmembrane domain and cytoplasmic tail may present a unique and safe way of presenting these proteins in a state mimicking their natural formation. Another form of presenting the immunogenic glycoprotein41, particularly the MPER component, is by presenting it onto the N-terminal of an IgG molecule, thereby creating an IgG fusion molecule. In our lab, both VLPs and IgG fusion molecules are highly expressed and purified within GnGn Nicotiana benthamiana. The results indicated that these recombinant proteins can be assembled properly within plants and can elicit an immune response in mice. This provides a preliminary step in using such Gag/dpg41 VLPs and RIC as present a safe, effective, and inexpensive HIV vaccine.
ContributorsGarcia, Izamar (Author) / Mor, Tsafrir (Thesis director) / Mason, Hugh (Committee member) / Kamzina, Aigerim (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Plant-made virus-like particles (VLPs), composed of HIV-1 Gag and deconstructed gp41 proteins, have been shown to be safe and immunogenic in mice. Here, we report the successful production of HIV-1 Gag/dgp41 VLPs in Nicotiana benthamiana, using an enhanced geminivirus-based expression vector. This novel vector results in unique expression kinetics, with peak protein accumulation and minimal necrosis achieved on day 4 post-infiltration. In comparing various purification strategies, it was determined that a 20% ammonium sulfate precipitation is an effective and efficient method for removing plant proteins and purifying the recombinant VLPs of interest. If further purification is required, this may be achieved through ultracentrifugation. VLPs are a useful platform for a variety of biomedical applications and developing the technology to efficiently produce VLPs in the plant expression system is of critical importance.
ContributorsFleming, Claire (Author) / Mor, Tsafrir (Thesis director) / Mason, Hugh (Committee member) / Kamzina, Aigerim (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Physics (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2022-05