Matching Items (202)
Description
Mathematical epidemiology, one of the oldest and richest areas in mathematical biology, has significantly enhanced our understanding of how pathogens emerge, evolve, and spread. Classical epidemiological models, the standard for predicting and managing the spread of infectious disease, assume that contacts between susceptible and infectious individuals depend on their relative frequency in the population. The behavioral factors that underpin contact rates are not generally addressed. There is, however, an emerging a class of models that addresses the feedbacks between infectious disease dynamics and the behavioral decisions driving host contact. Referred to as “economic epidemiology” or “epidemiological economics,” the approach explores the determinants of decisions about the number and type of contacts made by individuals, using insights and methods from economics. We show how the approach has the potential both to improve predictions of the course of infectious disease, and to support development of novel approaches to infectious disease management.
ContributorsPerrings, Charles (Author) / Castillo-Chavez, Carlos (Author) / Chowell-Puente, Gerardo (Author) / Daszak, Peter (Author) / Fenichel, Eli P. (Author) / Finnoff, David (Author) / Horan, Richard D. (Author) / Kilpatrick, A. Marm (Author) / Kinzig, Ann (Author) / Kuminoff, Nicolai (Author) / Levin, Simon (Author) / Morin, Benjamin (Author) / Smith, Katherine F. (Author) / Springborn, Michael (Author) / Simon M. Levin Mathematical, Computational and Modeling Sciences Center (Contributor) / College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor) / W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Economics (Contributor) / Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2015-12-01
Description
The number of cancer survivors in the United States is growing rapidly and it is expected to double by 2040. Arizona is nationally ranked with the 14th highest number of survivors, many of which experience a wide range of persisting medical complications that result from the cancer and associated treatment. Consequently, there is an increased need for services tailored to the health and wellness of survivors. Studies have shown that exercise rehabilitation is effective in improving the physical and mental health of this patient population. This project aimed to investigate the status of medically-based exercise rehabilitation for cancer survivors in Arizona. It focused on services offered by cancer treatment centers and cardiac rehabilitation clinics, with cardiac rehabilitation providing a possible delivery method for future cancer exercise rehabilitation. A directory of resources was compiled based on responses to structured telephone interviews with the cancer treatment centers (n=32) and cardiac rehabilitation clinics (n=34) within the state. The directory will serve as a resource for both patients and clinicians by identifying statewide related services that are available at the medical institutions and within the community. Results showed that 42.9% and 39.4% of the cancer treatment centers and cardiac rehabilitation clinics, respectively, offered exercise related services for cancer survivors. 78.6% of cancer centers stated that they refer cancer survivors to physical therapy, while only 35.7% refer survivors to community-based programs. Only 2 cardiac rehabilitation clinics, or 6%, offered preventative cardiology exercise consultations to cancer survivors. In conclusion, rehabilitative exercise resources for cancer survivors in Arizona were limited. Additional cancer rehabilitation efficacy studies are needed to further clarify evidence-based practice guidelines and provide direction for optimal methods of healthcare delivery. It is recommended that this directory remains current with routine updates in an effort to increase patient accessibility to care.
ContributorsHitt, Ellen (Author) / Scales, Robert (Thesis director) / Huberty, Jennifer (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12
Description
Callithrix penicillata, also known as the Black-tufted marmoset primarily lives in the Brazilian highlands and has had little research conducted on it. For this project I performed a genome curation on the newly assembled genome of this species. The scaffolds obtained by the Dovetail Genomics reads were organized and labeled into chromosomes using the 2014 Callithrix jacchus genome as a reference. Then, using that same genome as a reference, 13 of the chromosomes were reverse complimented to be continuous with the 2014 Callithrix jacchus genome. The N50 statistics of the assembly were calculated and found to be 124 Mb. Quality scores were run for the final genome using referee and visualized with a bar plot, with 99% of sites scoring above 0. Heterozygosity was also calculated and found to be 0.3%. Finally, the final version of the genome was visually compared to the 2017 Callithrix jacchus genome and the GRCh38 human genome. This genome was submitted to the NCBIs database to await further approval.
ContributorsJohnson, Joelle Genevieve (Author) / Cartwright, Reed (Thesis director) / Stone, Anne (Committee member) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12
Description
Spaceflight and spaceflight analogue culture enhance the virulence and pathogenesis-related stress resistance of the foodborne pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium). This is an alarming finding as it suggests that astronauts may have an increased risk of infection during spaceflight. This risk is further exacerbated as multiple studies indicate that spaceflight negatively impacts aspects of the immune system. In order to ensure astronaut safety during long term missions, it is important to study the phenotypic effects of the microgravity environment on a range of medically important microbial pathogens that might be encountered by the crew. This ground-based study uses the NASA-engineered Rotating Wall Vessel (RWV) bioreactor as a spaceflight analogue culture system to grow bacteria under low fluid shear forces relative to those encountered in microgravity, and interestingly, in the intestinal tract during infection. The culture environment in the RWV is commonly referred to as low shear modeled microgravity (LSMMG). In this study, we characterized the stationary phase stress response of the enteric pathogen, Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis), to LSMMG culture. We showed that LSMMG enhanced the resistance of stationary phase cultures of S. Enteritidis to acid and thermal stressors, which differed from the LSSMG stationary phase response of the closely related pathovar, S. Typhimurium. Interestingly, LSMMG increased the ability of both S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium to adhere to, invade into, and survive within an in vitro 3-D intestinal co-culture model containing immune cells. Our results indicate that LSMMG regulates pathogenesis-related characteristics of S. Enteritidis in ways that may present an increased health risk to astronauts during spaceflight missions.
ContributorsKoroli, Sara (Author) / Nickerson, Cheryl (Thesis director) / Barrila, Jennifer (Committee member) / Ott, C. Mark (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
While non-invasive breast cancer treatments may be considered less costly in the short-term, over the course of a lifetime, a more aggressive treatment can be overall less costly, especially with recurrence cases; however, these more aggressive treatments are not necessarily covered by insurance and are difficult to discuss in the short amount of time in physician consultations. This analysis studied data from 982 women diagnosed with breast cancer over a five-year period to evaluate monetary costs associated with treatment options and incorporated five in-depth interviews to understand experiences and non-monetary costs. Data showed the most expensive option was a unilateral mastectomy with radiation therapy and the least costly option was breast conserving surgery. Interviews determined each woman evaluated the monetary costs with each treatment but most heavily focused on personal values, biases and recommended opinions when deciding on a treatment. The use of prompt sheets before physician appointments and consultations, along with the addition of financial counselor meeting with each patient can improve patient satisfaction and alleviate stress by simplifying a woman's choice in deciding a treatment. In addition, increased insurance coverage to include every treatment chosen by women (rather than on a case-by-case basis), specifically contralateral prophylactic mastectomy and additional screening options, could decrease long term costs \u2014 both monetarily and in quality of life for patients.
ContributorsOsumi, Alana (Author) / LaRosa, Julia (Thesis director) / Sivanantham, Jai (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2018-12
Description
The International Space Station (ISS) utilizes recycled water for consumption, cleaning and air humidity control. The Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) have been rigorously tested at the NASA Johnson Space Center. Despite the advanced engineering of the water recovery system, bacterial biofilms have been recovered from this potable water source. Microbial contamination of potable water poses a potential threat to crew members onboard the ISS. Because astronauts have been found to have compromised immune systems, bacterial strains that would not typically be considered a danger must be carefully studied to better understand the mechanisms enabling their survival, including polymicrobial interactions. The need for a more thorough understanding of the effect of spaceflight environment on polymicrobial interactions and potential impact on crew health and vehicle integrity is heightened since 1) several potential pathogens have been isolated from the ISS potable water system, 2) spaceflight has been shown to induce unexpected alterations in microbial responses, and 3) emergent phenotypes are often observed when multiple bacterial species are co- cultured together, as compared to pure cultures of single species. In order to address these concerns, suitable growth media are required that will not only support the isolation of these microbes but also the ability to distinguish between them when grown as mixed cultures. In this study, selective and/or differential media were developed for bacterial isolates collected from the ISS potable water supply. In addition to facilitating discrimination between bacteria, the ideal media for each strain was intended to have a 100% recovery rate compared to traditional R2A media. Antibiotic and reagent susceptibility and resistance tests were conducted for the purpose of developing each individual medium. To study a wide range of targets, 12 antibiotics were selected from seven major classes, including penicillin, cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, glycopeptides/lipoglycopeptides, macrolides/lincosamides/streptogramins, tetracyclines, in addition to seven unclassified antibiotics and three reagents. Once developed, medium efficacy was determined by means of growth curve experiments. The development of these media is a critical step for further research into the mechanisms utilized by these strains to survive the harsh conditions of the ISS water system. Furthermore, with an understanding of the complex nature of these polymicrobial communities, specific contamination targeting and control can be conducted to reduce the risk to crew members. Understanding these microbial species and their susceptibilities has potential application for future NASA human explorations, including those to Mars.
ContributorsKing, Olivia Grace (Author) / Nickerson, Cheryl (Thesis director) / Barrila, Jennifer (Committee member) / Ott, Mark (Committee member) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12
Description
Background:
The positive impacts of yoga on stress, pain, and chronic disease has recently led to the integration of yoga as part of physical therapy (PT) treatment. Due to the lack of training for PTs related to yoga, there is currently a need to provide knowledge and education about how to safely and easily implement therapeutic yoga (TY) as a complementary treatment approach.
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to assess the readiness of PTs (those who do not currently prescribe TY to patients) to integrate TY into treatment, and secondly, the feasibility (i.e., acceptability, demand, and practicality) of a 5-week online TY training to improve the readiness of PT’s to utilize TY in their practice.
Methods:
Licensed Physical Therapist’s (n=103) were recruited nationally through social media and email. Eligible and consented participants were asked to register in a 5-week online TY training course, Readiness for Integrating Yoga Therapeutics into Rehabilitation for PTs (intervention). PTs perceptions of TY and the role of safety and confidence in prescribing TY to patients were measured at baseline and post-intervention using a customized survey. Feasibility outcomes were measured after completion of the 5-week online training course with a survey. Feasibility was measured with acceptability, demand, and practicality. Our benchmarks included: (1) at least 70% of PTs would find the course acceptable, (2) at least 60% would finish the course (i.e., demand) and (3) there would be significant improvements in PTs perceptions of TY.
Results:
A total of 95 licensed PTs registered in the 5-week online TY training course, with 60 PTs (63%) completing the intervention and surveys. Of the PTs who completed the 5-week online training course, most PTs felt they were not ready (n=19/60, 31.7%) or somewhat ready (n=25/60, 41.7%) to integrate TY prior to taking the online training. Over half of PTs thought the online training was acceptable (n= 50/60, 83.3%) and finished the course (n=60/95, 63%). There were significant improvements in personal readiness to prescribe TY, safety prescribing TY, confidence to prescribe TY, current understanding/knowledge of TY and feeling adequately trained and educated to use some form of TY techniques with patients.
Conclusion:
Findings suggest a 5-week online TY training course is feasible in improving PTs readiness to prescribe TY, safety prescribing TY, confidence to prescribe TY, current understanding/knowledge of TY and feeling adequately trained and educated to use some form of TY techniques with patients. Future studies are proposed to test the effectiveness of TY training and education opportunities with PTs to further advance the adoption of TY into PT practice.
The positive impacts of yoga on stress, pain, and chronic disease has recently led to the integration of yoga as part of physical therapy (PT) treatment. Due to the lack of training for PTs related to yoga, there is currently a need to provide knowledge and education about how to safely and easily implement therapeutic yoga (TY) as a complementary treatment approach.
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to assess the readiness of PTs (those who do not currently prescribe TY to patients) to integrate TY into treatment, and secondly, the feasibility (i.e., acceptability, demand, and practicality) of a 5-week online TY training to improve the readiness of PT’s to utilize TY in their practice.
Methods:
Licensed Physical Therapist’s (n=103) were recruited nationally through social media and email. Eligible and consented participants were asked to register in a 5-week online TY training course, Readiness for Integrating Yoga Therapeutics into Rehabilitation for PTs (intervention). PTs perceptions of TY and the role of safety and confidence in prescribing TY to patients were measured at baseline and post-intervention using a customized survey. Feasibility outcomes were measured after completion of the 5-week online training course with a survey. Feasibility was measured with acceptability, demand, and practicality. Our benchmarks included: (1) at least 70% of PTs would find the course acceptable, (2) at least 60% would finish the course (i.e., demand) and (3) there would be significant improvements in PTs perceptions of TY.
Results:
A total of 95 licensed PTs registered in the 5-week online TY training course, with 60 PTs (63%) completing the intervention and surveys. Of the PTs who completed the 5-week online training course, most PTs felt they were not ready (n=19/60, 31.7%) or somewhat ready (n=25/60, 41.7%) to integrate TY prior to taking the online training. Over half of PTs thought the online training was acceptable (n= 50/60, 83.3%) and finished the course (n=60/95, 63%). There were significant improvements in personal readiness to prescribe TY, safety prescribing TY, confidence to prescribe TY, current understanding/knowledge of TY and feeling adequately trained and educated to use some form of TY techniques with patients.
Conclusion:
Findings suggest a 5-week online TY training course is feasible in improving PTs readiness to prescribe TY, safety prescribing TY, confidence to prescribe TY, current understanding/knowledge of TY and feeling adequately trained and educated to use some form of TY techniques with patients. Future studies are proposed to test the effectiveness of TY training and education opportunities with PTs to further advance the adoption of TY into PT practice.
ContributorsThompson, Abigail Ann (Co-author) / Thompson, Abigail (Co-author) / Huberty, Jennifer (Thesis director) / Taylor, Matthew (Committee member) / Ortiz, Alexis (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
In 2016, in the United States alone, the cosmetics industry made an estimated 62.46 billion dollars in revenue (Revenue of the Cosmetic Industry in the U.S. 2002-2016 | Forecast). With a consistent increase in sales in the last several years, the industry has reached continued success even during times of hardship, such as the Great Recession of 2008. The use of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), external campaigns, and thoughtful packaging and ingredients resonates with targeted consumers. This has served as an effective strategy to maintain growth in the industry. Cosmetic companies promote their brand image using these sustainability tactics, but there seems to be a lack of transparency in this unregulated industry. The purpose of this thesis is to determine if the cosmetics industry is a good steward of the sustainability movement. Important terms and concepts relating to the industry will be discussed, then an analysis of sustainability focused cosmetic brands will be provided, which highlights the extent to which these brands engage in activities that promote sustainability. This is followed by an application of findings to a company that could benefit from using such practices. Overall, the analysis of the different brands proved to be shocking and disappointing. This is due to the sheer amount that scored very poorly based on the sustainability criteria developed. The cosmetics industry is too inconsistent and too unregulated to truly act as a good steward for sustainability. Though some companies in the industry succeed, these accomplishments are not consistent across all cosmetic companies. Hence, the cosmetics industry as a good steward for sustainability can only be as strong as its weakest link.
ContributorsMamus, Sydney Wasescha (Author) / Ostrom, Amy (Thesis director) / Kristofferson, Kirk (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
This report was commissioned to provide an analysis and evaluation of consumer perceptions and branding as it relates to the political and social climate in America. To be able to do this, the paper analyzes shifts in the external environment as well as researching case studies and online consumer perception surveys. Overall, this paper aims to examine the distributed survey and attempt to correlate and identify how branding, consumer perceptions, and social and political issues all can work and affect one another. Through the administration of this survey, we were able to formulate a conclusion that points towards the importance of brands actively adhering to changing consumer preferences, ideals, and expectations.
ContributorsClark, Sydney (Co-author) / Loera, Carolina (Co-author) / Montoya, Detra (Thesis director) / Samper, Adriana (Committee member) / W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
The use of generalized linear models in loss reserving is not new; many statistical models have been developed to fit the loss data gathered by various insurance companies. The most popular models belong to what Glen Barnett and Ben Zehnwirth in "Best Estimates for Reserves" call the "extended link ratio family (ELRF)," as they are developed from the chain ladder algorithm used by actuaries to estimate unpaid claims. Although these models are intuitive and easy to implement, they are nevertheless flawed because many of the assumptions behind the models do not hold true when fitted with real-world data. Even more problematically, the ELRF cannot account for environmental changes like inflation which are often observed in the status quo. Barnett and Zehnwirth conclude that a new set of models that contain parameters for not only accident year and development period trends but also payment year trends would be a more accurate predictor of loss development. This research applies the paper's ideas to data gathered by Company XYZ. The data was fitted with an adapted version of Barnett and Zehnwirth's new model in R, and a trend selection algorithm was developed to accompany the regression code. The final forecasts were compared to Company XYZ's booked reserves to evaluate the predictive power of the model.
ContributorsZhang, Zhihan Jennifer (Author) / Milovanovic, Jelena (Thesis director) / Tomita, Melissa (Committee member) / Zicarelli, John (Committee member) / W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05