Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2023, Pathology

Vaccination forms an immune memory to protect organisms from pathogens. Vaccination remains a critical part of the public health arsenal against infectious diseases. However, with age, the immune system experiences functional declines. This results in both increased susceptibility to disease as well as a decline in vaccine efficacy. To combat this, several vaccines targeted toward older adults use immune-boosting components like adjuvants. Adjuvants take advantage of the innate immune system to sense potential pathogens and promote effective adaptive responses to vaccines. However, it is not fully clear from mouse models 1) what innate immune responses lead to a protective adaptive response and 2) what a protective adaptive response looks like. In this thesis, we examine two adjuvanted vaccines shown to increase clinical protection in older adults. In chapter 3 of this thesis, we explore the model provided by the recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV). RZV is highly efficacious in older populations and utilizes the novel adjuvant AS01. We use techniques such as flow cytometry, RNA sequencing, and co-culture with T cells to analyze how AS01 affects human myeloid cells. We show that AS01 activates human myeloid cells, particularly monocytes, towards expression of inflammatory cytokines and costimulatory molecules. The other vaccine model examined is the adjuvanted trivalent influenza vaccine (aTIV), which has been shown in clinical trials to provide superior protection over unadjuvanted influenza vaccine. In chapter 4 of this thesis, we assess the humoral and cellular immunity induced by aTIV and TIV. We show that aTIV preferentially enhances anti-neuraminidase titers compared to TIV, potentially explaining its superior clinical protection in older populations. While age-related immune decline is demonstrable and results in increased clinical mortality, growing evidence suggests that aged immune systems can still respond to stimuli under the optimal circumstances. T (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Donald Anthony (Committee Chair); David Canaday (Advisor); Clive Hamlin (Committee Chair); Carlos Subauste (Committee Member); Cheryl Cameron (Committee Member) Subjects: Immunology; Pathology

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2017, Civil Engineering (Engineering and Technology)

The continuous use of recycled material in asphalt pavement mixtures, specifically Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP), Recycled Asphalt Shingles (RAS) and Re-Refined Engine Oil Bottoms (REOB), have developed an increasing need to further evaluate the performance of these mixtures at the micro and macro-levels, as the use of such materials reduces cost of virgin materials and energy consumption. Although asphalt binder, including recycled or additive materials, may meet a desired performance grade (PG) using macro-scale tests, they may lack critical nano-mechanical properties that largely affect long-term performance, such as adhesion and diffusive efficiency between virgin and recycled binders. These commonly overlooked properties can correlate with performance behaviors such as fatigue and low temperature cracking during field performance. This study was conducted in two major parts. Part one was performed with the intent to evaluate the nano-mechanical and blending-diffusive efficiency of toluene and trichloroethylene extracted RAP and RAS binder using tapping mode imagery and force spectroscopy using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Furthermore, this study was set to correlate the findings from micro-testing to macro-scale laboratory performance tests including Semi-Circular Bending (SCB) to evaluate fatigue cracking resistance at intermediate temperatures, Asphalt Concrete Cracking Device (ACCD) to evaluate low temperature cracking and AASHTO 283 ITS to study moisture damage susceptibility of intermediate course mixtures with high RAP and RAS contents. Results showed that tear-off RAS material have a significant effect on fatigue and low temperature cracking performance, primarily at long-term aged conditions. Neither tear-off nor manufactured waste RAS binder blend well with virgin binder, whereas RAP shows a zone of blending. AFM imaging indicated all extracted RAS binder had a much rougher surface texture than RAP or virgin binders and did not contain any (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Munir Nazzal Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: Civil Engineering; Materials Science

Master of Science, University of Akron, 2012, Civil Engineering

A laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the effect of recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) on the physical and chemical properties of asphalt binders. A virgin asphalt binder meeting the Superpave specifications for PG 58-28 was mixed with varying percentages (0, 5, 7, and 10%) of RAS binder recovered from post-manufactured asphalt shingles. The physical properties of the blended binders were measured using the rotational viscometer (RV), dynamic shear rheometer (DSR), multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR), and bending beam rheometer (BBR) tests. The chemical properties of the binders were determined using the Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and gel-permeation chromatography (GPC) tests. The physical test results showed an improved resistance to permanent deformation (or rutting) with the addition of RAS, but higher susceptibility to early low-temperature (thermal) cracking. The results were inconclusive regarding the fatigue resistance of the RAS-containing asphalt binders. The chemical test results showed an increased level of aging due to the addition of RAS. Higher levels of aging were also observed following the use of the rolling thin film oven (RTFO) and the pressure aging vessel (PAV) tests. There was a modest increase in the level of aging in RTFO-aged binders due to the addition of RAS. However, significantly higher levels of aging were obtained for PAV-aged binders containing higher percentages of RAS, indicating that the addition of RAS will primarily impact the long-term performance of the asphalt binders.

Committee: Ala Abbas Dr. (Advisor); Anil Patnaik Dr. (Committee Member); Kallol Sett Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Civil Engineering