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Investigating The Interactions Of The Iron-Sulfur Mitochondrial Protein, Mitoneet With Its Binding Partners, Ebenezer Osei Newton

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

MitoNEET belongs to the CDGSH Iron-Sulfur Domain (CISD)-gene family of proteins and is a [2Fe-2S] cluster-containing protein found on the outer membrane of mitochondria. The specific functions of mitoNEET/CISD1 remain to be fully elucidated, but the protein is involved in regulating mitochondrial bioenergetics in several metabolic diseases. Unfortunately, drug discovery efforts targeting mitoNEET to improve metabolic disorders are hampered by the lack of ligand-binding assays for this mitochondrial protein. We have developed a protocol amenable for high-throughput screening (HTS) assay, by modifying an ATP fluorescence polarization method to facilitate drug discovery targeting mitoNEET. Based on our observation that adenosine triphosphate …

A Preoperative Intervention To Improve Glycemic Control In Surgical Patients With Diabetes, Kelsey L. Boyd

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Perioperative hyperglycemia is reported in 20-40% of patients undergoing general surgery and is an independent risk factor for negative surgical outcomes. Patients with diabetes presenting to a local community hospital are at risk for negative surgical outcomes due to the lack of strategies to prevent perioperative hyperglycemia. This project aimed to implement and evaluate the usefulness of succinct diabetes education for preoperative total joint surgical patients with diabetes. The intervention was a nurse-led, face-to-face diabetes education session provided to total joint surgical patients with diabetes during a preoperative evaluation appointment, compared to usual care (no preoperative diabetes education). This project …

Needs Assessment Of Diabetes Self-Management Education And Support Within West Virginia From Provider Viewpoints, Kasey M. Yost

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects millions of Americans. It can have significant, lasting effects on an individual’s mental and physical wellbeing, especially when it goes unmanaged or untreated. Diabetes has been a growing problem in West Virginia (WV), which has the highest adult rate of diabetes at 15.7% in the US. Furthermore, WV has the highest mortality rate associated with diabetes at 36.2%. An effective method of management is through diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES). DSMES is a critical component of care for all individuals with diabetes. It is defined as the ongoing process of facilitating …

Classifying Blood Glucose Levels Through Noninvasive Features, Rishi Reddy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Blood glucose monitoring is a key process in the prevention and management of certain chronic diseases, such as diabetes. Currently, glucose monitoring for those interested in their blood glucose levels are confronted with options that are primarily invasive and relatively costly. A growing topic of note is the development of non-invasive monitoring methods for blood glucose. This development holds a significant promise for improvement to the quality of life of a significant portion of the population and is overall met with great enthusiasm from the scientific community as well as commercial interest. This work aims to develop a potential pipeline …

Optimizing A Pediatric Dka Protocol In A Tertiary Care Hospital System In Northern West Virginia, Jennifer L. Burky

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Background: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a serious complication of diabetes that occurs when the body compensates for insufficient insulin, producing dangerously high levels of ketones. Without proper treatment, DKA can be fatal. For that reason, staff in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at a tertiary care hospital in northern West Virginia expressed concerns about the complexity of and lack of adherence to a poorly referenced and dated DKA treatment protocol.

Objective: The purpose of this project was to assess the feasibility and sustainability of optimizing the DKA protocol in the PICU. The primary objective was to implement an updated, …

Environmental Regulation Of The Heart: The Role Of Non-Coding Rna And Epigenetics In Influencing Mitochondrial And Cellular Health, Quincy Alexander Hathaway

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The mitochondrion, a small but ubiquitously distributed organelle in the cell, continues to be the focus of many disease pathogeneses, tissue and organ dysfunctions, and other morbidities that occur throughout the body. The purpose of this work was to understand how cardiac mitochondrion are altered in disease and pathological states, specifically in their adaptation to environmentally stimulated regulatory networks, such as epigenetic modifications and promotion/inhibition of non-coding RNAs. Acute stress to mitochondrial regulation (inhalation toxicology) as well as chronic (type 2 diabetes mellitus) was examined. Using a FVB transgenic microRNA-378a mouse knockout model, the cardiovascular impact derived from altering the …

Examining Participant Perceptions Of Benefits, Barriers And Social Support In A Diabetes Lifestyle Program, Samantha Shawley-Brzoska

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Comorbidities On Diabetes And Hypertension Co-Management And Healthcare Expenditures, Rashmi Goyat

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Hypertension and type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are among the most prevalent chronic conditions that often co-exist. Their co-existence increases the risk for comorbidities due to their impact on other organs such as blood vessels (leading to vasoconstriction/hypertension); brain (resulting in increased caloric intake); pancreas (decreased in beta-cell mass and glucose sensing); bone (possibly decreasing bone mass and strength). Occurrence of comorbidities can complicate the already complex care of diabetes and hypertension. It increases the risk of poor patient outcomes such as preventable hospitalization, adverse drug events and mortality. However, different comorbidities can affect the co-management differently. We identified the types …