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Cost Effectiveness Analysis Of Enzalutamide, Abiraterone Plus Prednisone And Cabazitaxel Plus Predinsone For The Treatment Of Visceral Metastatic Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer (Mcrpc) After Docetaxel Therapy, Yazan K. Barqawi

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

Background: Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death after lung cancer among men in the US. The America Cancer Society predicts 164,690 new cases and 29,430 prostate cancer deaths in 2018. Of those diagnosed with prostate cancer, about 10-20 % will develop castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) within 5 years of diagnosis and 70 % of those cases will metastasize to mCRPC. In 2014, nearly US $13.4 billion was spent on prostate cancer in the US and expected to reach US $15.4 billion by 2020; making prostate cancer the fifth most costly cancer.

Objective: To conduct a cost-effective analysis …

Adaptations Made To Evidence-Based Public Health Programs In Low- To Middle- Income Countries: A Concept Mapping Analysis, Elizabeth Holguin

Nursing ETDs

One of the most challenging barriers to implementing successful and sustainable evidence-based programs in public health is the ability to remain faithful to original protocols grounded in scientific evidence while adapting programmatic components to reflect the reality of the communities they are meant to benefit. It is generally accepted that some degree of adaptation should occur in order to achieve positive, sustainable outcomes in public health programs. A concept mapping methodology was used to explore types of adaptation that occur during implementation of evidence-based global health programs in low- to middle-income countries (LMICs). Purposive and snowball sampling produced a sample …

Relationships Between Aprn State Practice Authority, Perceived Autonomy, Professionalism, And Interprofessional Team Function Among A National Sample Of Aprns In The U.S., Patricia Rae Gilman

Nursing ETDs

Healthcare that includes high performing interprofessional clinical teams (IPTs) is one recommended strategy to provide optimal quality and cost-effective care delivery. Highly functional IPTs are characterized by effective communication, trust, respect, collaboration, information-sharing, and conflict resolution and are more efficient than individual providers working alone. Internally, IPT members’ relationships and understanding of both one’s own professional identity and others’ role and responsibilities are crucial to team functionality and effectiveness. Externally, factors including regulatory practice environments might influence the effectiveness and performance of both individual team members and the team overall. Inconsistencies between states’ practice authority (SPA) for advanced practice nurses …

Evaluation Of The New Onset Diabetic Education Program For Navajo Adults, Denise S. Bartley

Nursing ETDs

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is higher in American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) than in any other racial or ethnic group in the United States (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2018). In response to this escalating health issue, the U.S. government funded a number of DM education and treatment programs focusing on AI/AN populations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the New Onset Diabetes Education Program (NODEP) based at Northern Navajo Medical Center (NNMC) in Shiprock, N.M.

The Navajo philosophy of learning was used as a guiding framework. …

Effect Of Strong Electrolyte Containing Gelling Aids On The Sol-Gel Transition Temperature Of Hypromellose 2910, Elnaz Sadeghi

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

Hypromellose, or hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) - has been widely used for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications due to its advantages, including that it is modifiable in terms of viscosity, and it has the ability to form thermally reversible hydrogels. The thermal gelation temperature (T_Gel) of a given HPMC solution strongly depends on its characteristic grade and the solution concentration. Applying certain additives can modify the T_Gel even further; depending on their nature and concentration. With the addition of said additives, a lower or higher T_Gel can be obtained. For example, the addition of sodium chloride (NaCl) reduces …

The Role Of Interest Groups In Shaping U.S. Governmental Responses To Military Sexual Trauma, Patricia Ann Harnois-Church

Nursing ETDs

Military sexual trauma (MST) is a significant problem in U.S. military service branches, service academies, and National Guard units, with both immediate and longer term traumatic effects on survivors who are disproportionately female. MST includes sexual harassment or assault during military service and the ensuing consequences for physical health and psychosocial well-being of service members and veterans. The Department of Defense is committed to reducing the incidence of sexual assault and harassment among service members, encouraging victims to report, and mitigating the impact of MST. However, the estimated prevalence of sexual assault among active duty service members remains unacceptably high, …

Neural And Behavioral Associations Of Drinking And Empathic Processing, Charles Samuel Henry Robinson

Psychology ETDs

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a major health problem, yet most individuals with AUD do not perceive a need for formal treatment and do not receive treatment. The lack of treatment seeking among individuals with AUD may suggest a lack of self-awareness and insight into the seriousness of AUD related problems. Moreover, individuals who have lost or are at risk of losing major relationships are especially likely to perceive the need for help. Thus, it may be the case that awareness of the influence of one’s drinking on social relationships and the feelings of others (i.e., empathy) could improve treatment …

Housing Condition Impact On Pae Learning And Bdnf Expression., Annette K. Fernandez Oropeza

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

Prenatal alcohol and early life stress exposure are associated with reduced levels of BDNF in the frontal cortex. Several studies have implicated (BDNF) in frontal cortex as important contributor of learning and memory. In the present study, we look to determine whether early housing conditions could mitigate the impact of prenatal alcohol exposure on learning as well as BDNF expression in sex-specific manner in frontal cortex of mice. Compared to control, prenatal alcohol mice expresses reduced total BDNF levels and displayed reduced freezing behavior response during contextual fear conditioning in both female and male mice. Female displayed increased BDNF levels …

Perceptions And Clinical Applications Of Feedback Type If Dental Hygiene, Elmer Eleazar Gonzalez

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

Purpose/Objectives: The study assesses whether or not feedback type and feedback delivery method play a significant role in students’ learning and clinical performance. The study explores Ego Stroking Sandwich feedback and Non-Sandwich feedback as the feedback types and Instructors feedback vs. Scoring guide feedback as the feedback delivery method. Students’ perceptions and clinical applications were considered as part of the study.

Methods: Eleven participants were included in the study. One group was the Ego Stroking Sandwich type feedback (n=5) and the other was the Non-Sandwich Type feedback (n=6). Each group performed two dental impressions (a maxillary and a mandibular) while …

Resident And Facility Factors Associated With Rehospitalization From Skilled Nursing Facilities, Angelina M. Flores-Montoya, Mark B. Parshall, Marie L. Lobo, Stephen H.A. Hernandez, Christine A. Mueller

Nursing ETDs

ABSTRACT

Older adults often require short-term nursing home care after an acute hospital stay to receive skilled nursing or rehabilitation services. Rehospitalization after a skilled nursing facility (SNF) admission is a potential indicator of poor nursing home quality that is associated with substantial risks of complications and increased costs of care. This study examined resident and facility factors associated with 30-day rehospitalizations during a one-year study period from SNFs in New Mexico. The Minimum Data Set 3.0 was used to explore resident factors and Nursing Home Compare data was used for facility factors. Among residents admitted to the SNF from …

Comprehensive Sequencing With Surface Tagmentation Based Technology, Kuan Feng

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Next-generation sequencing technologies (NGS) have undergone extensive improvements since the invention of the 454 sequencing system in 2005. With tremendous progress in throughput, speed and a dramatic reduction in per-base cost, DNA sequencing is widely used in basic science as well as translational research. However, it is still a challenge to acquire a complete human genome. The long-range information is often missing due to the short length of NGS reads, which leaves many gaps in between scaffolds rather than an entire piece for each chromosome. Moreover, without the long-range information, haplotype-resolved genome sequencing and structural variant detection can be difficult, …

Assessing The Impact Of Prescription Opioid Use Versus No Use On Adherence To Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Copd) Maintenance Medications, Copd Exacerbations And Total Healthcare Costs, Akshay Kharat

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

OBJECTIVES:COPD contributes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide and is currently the third leading cause of mortality in the United States. Chronic pain prevalence is high among COPD patients leading to a high rate of prescription opioid use. The potential impact of concurrent prescription opioid use on COPD maintenance medication adherence, COPD exacerbations, and total healthcare costs is not well understood. The study objectives were i) to assess the impact of prescription opioid use compared to no prescription opioid use on COPD maintenance medication adherence in 90, 180, 270, and 365-day follow-up periods, and ii) to assess the impact of …

Trying To Cover The Sun With Your Thumb: A Critical Ethnography Of Maternity Care Provision In Rural Northern New Mexico, Abigail Reese

Nursing ETDs

Access to maternity care is disappearing for women across rural America. In the state of New Mexico, women often travel long distances to access hospitals and providers that offer childbirth services, as these resources are concentrated primarily in metropolitan areas. Although data on provider distribution is available, very few studies have explored the maternity care access crisis from the perspectives of the midwives and physicians who work in rural areas. The purpose of this critical ethnographic study was to explore barriers and facilitators to the provision of childbirth services from providers’ perspectives with the intent of informing policy debates around …

Access To Dental Care In Fillmore County Minnesota, Katie M. Ristau

Dental Hygiene ETDs

Purpose: Dental care accessibility can be an issue for certain populations and can be an issue for people on Medical Assistance. This has been a struggle throughout our country. The purpose of this research was to assess if the children on Medical Assistance in Fillmore County are in need of dental services and if parents of these children are willing to accept an Advanced Dental Therapist provider. Methods: This descriptive research utilized a survey to collect data on access to care for children on Medical Assistance insurance in Fillmore County, Minnesota. Of the total number of children on Medical Assistance, …

Prescription Opioids And Heroin Abuse In New Mexico: Swot Analyses Of Possible Policies/Interventions And The Way Forward, Ali Abbasi

Public Administration ETDs

Throughout the last decade or so, Opioid related fatalities are at all-time high in the United States. New Mexico’s problem with Opioids abuse in not a new phenomenon and a large number of New Mexicans are losing their lives almost on a daily basis. The paper highlights the alarming situation of overdose deaths caused specifically by the abuse of Prescription Opioids and Heroin which, in 2016 alone have taken 347 lives in New Mexico. Policy makers along with other stakeholders play a vital part in shaping the politics along with other interventions which can help tackle the epidemic. The paper …

Comparison Of Calculated Energy Expenditure To Measured Energy Expenditure In Overweight And Obese Burn Patients In An Icu Setting: A Retrospective Study, Elle Maree Skinner, Deborah A. Cohen, Orrin B. Myers, Diana Gonzales-Pacheco

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

Burns cause massive dermal wounds. Wound healing elicits a significant catabolic response and increase in energy expenditure, and thus, calorie needs. Overfeeding and/or underfeeding the overweight and obese critically ill patient can increase complications. Indirect Calorimetry (IC) is considered the ‘gold standard” for the measurement of Energy Expenditure (EE). Predictive equations are calculated to estimate EE instead. This study is a retrospective chart review. The difference between predictive energy expenditure (via Curreri formula) and measured IC were analyzed via non-parametric Wilcoxon signed rank match paired tests. Curreri equation prediction was analyzed on the ability to match IC (0% over or …

Acoustofluidics And Soft Materials Interfaces For Biomedical Applications, Frank A. Fencl

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

This dissertation describes fabrication of devices and other tools for biomedical applications through the integration of acoustofluidic systems with bio separation assays, instrumentation components, and soft materials interfaces. For example, we engineer a new class of transparent acoustic flow chambers ideal for optical interrogation. We demonstrate efficacy of these devices by enhancing the signal for high throughput acoustic flow cytometry, capable of robust particle focusing across multiple parallel flowing streams. We also investigate an automated sampling system to determine the parameters of transient particle stream focusing in between sample boluses and air bubbles to model a high throughput, multi-sampling acoustic …

Dental Hygiene Protocol Used By Nurses In The Hospital Setting A Pilot Survey, Tsenre M. Vigil

Dental Hygiene ETDs

Oral care is often dismissed or undervalued in the overall health and wellness of individuals and can be detrimental to patients in hospital-like settings. Although dental hygienists are educated to practice in alternative practice settings like pediatric offices, hospitals, nursing homes, schools and federally qualified health centers they are underutilized in such arenas. The purpose of this study is to learn about the University of New Mexico Hospital’s (UNMH) current oral hygiene care practices and protocols, nurses’ values and interests in inter-professional collaboration with a dental hygienist.

A feedback survey was created and intended recipients included all UNMH nurses regardless …

The Tetraspanin Cd82 Regulates Hematopoietic Stem Cell Fitness And Bone Marrow Retention, Chelsea Saito-Reis

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

The maintenance of the hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) population is critical to sustaining the adult blood and immune system throughout an organism’s lifespan. The bone marrow microenvironment plays a key role in the regulation of HSPC maintenance and functions. Previous work from our lab has identified the tetraspanin CD82 as an important modulator of HSPC interactions with the bone marrow niche. However, the mechanisms as to how CD82 contributes to the maintenance, trafficking and retention of HSPCs with the niche remained unclear. First, we investigated how CD82 promotes HSPC quiescence, homing and engraftment using a global CD82 knock …

Dental Hygeinists Clinical Assessment Of Dental Cervical Lesions, Shyanne Padilla

Dental Hygiene ETDs

Dental hygiene is among one of the fastest growing career fields in the healthcare system. With dental hygienists spending a considerable amount of time with their patients during periodic recall appointments, it is important for dental hygienists to be calibrated with one another in how they recognize and aid in recommending treatment options for certain dental conditions. Dental cervical lesions is one of the most commonly seen oral implications in the dental office, many times being associated with tooth sensitivity. With the array of etiologies and treatment options for dental cervical lesions it is important to see if this same …

Advantages Of Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Tube Placement In Patients With Head And Neck Cancer Who Receive Radiation As Part Of Their Treatment, Nevin Thul

Speech and Hearing Sciences ETDs

The use of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tubes as an intervention strategy in head and neck cancer was investigated in this retrospective chart review. Twenty-five veterans met the inclusion criteria and were categorized into two groups – use of prophylactic percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy and absence of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube placement. Medical charts were reviewed and data extracted included weight, swallow function, swallow exercise compliance, and physical and social quality of life for 2 years post-treatment. Month-to-month data were compared across the two groups with respect to weight, swallow function, swallow exercise compliance, and physical and social quality of life scores. …

Niemann-Pick C1, Its Connection To Obesity, And Its Impact On Human Evolution, Joseph Joshua Castillo

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Niemann-Pick type-C disease is a rare autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease that classically presents in the first decade, leading to ataxia, vertical-gaze palsy, loss of communication skills, epileptic seizures, and eventually death. The stark reality about NPC disease underlines the important role the NPC1 protein plays in whole-body lipid homeostasis. It is no surprise, then, that the NPC1 gene has been associated with other diseases as well, such as obesity, diabetes, and Ebola virus infection. In this manuscript, a connection will be made that intertwines genetics, biochemical and molecular mechanisms, physiology, and evolutionary pressures, and will explain how a gene, discovered …

Analyzing The Medical Definition Of Death In Criminal Homicide Prosecution, Mariah Wood

Nursing ETDs

I investigated the use of the medical definition of human death in the criminal justice system and the impact of this definition on the prosecution of criminal homicide. The units of design for this research were two violent crimes cases investigated by the Homicide Unit of the Albuquerque Police Department. Data was collected from officer interviews, case files, Office of the Medical Investigator reports, media and social media.

I identified the themes of pursuit of justice, frustration, and family from the collected data. Key findings include that the medical definition of human death causes confusion and delay in the criminal …

Religiosity/Spirituality And Cancer Risk Assessment For Hereditary Breast And Ovarian Cancer: Latina And Non-Latina Women In New Mexico, Belinda Vicuna Tellez

Psychology ETDs

Introduction: Although cancer risk assessment for high-risk individuals and families can offer life-saving information and options for cancer risk management, Latinas have historically underutilized cancer prevention services. Much needed is a better understanding of what encourages and discourages engagement in cancer risk assessment services among Latino populations. Religiosity/spirituality is potentially relevant to such engagement given religion has often been a central coping resource for Latina cancer survivors.

Aim: This study explored the potential impact of religiosity/spirituality and psychological processes on how Latinas and non-Latinas approach decisions regarding preventative health behaviors.

Methods: As a small subset of a larger research project, …

Dental Hygienists' Knowledge Of Medical Marijuana: A Survey, Lizbeth Hinojos

Dental Hygiene ETDs

Cannabis consumption is at an all-time high in the United States. Due to its fast growth in the medical industry and the lack of FDA approval, research is very limited. Dental hygienists’ will likely encounter a patient under the influence of this substance in the dental office. To provide the best quality of care, the dental hygienist must be aware of the oral implications, side effects and necessary modifications to treatment. Therefore, dental hygiene providers must be knowledgeable on medical marijuana to have discussions with patients when needed. Due to scarce research on the topic it makes it difficult to …

Laterality In The Power Five And Group Of Five Conferences In Women's College Softball, Jon C. Nachtigal

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

Females in sport are under-represented in data and analysis when compared to their male counterparts. This disparity also applies to women’s softball in comparison to men’s baseball. To help fill this gap, this study evaluated the extent and impact of laterality in women’s college softball’s Power Five and Group of Five conferences from 2015-2017.

This study focused on the extent of a left-sided lateral preference in women’s college softball, possible interactions between throwing hand and batting preference, to what extent the platoon effect exists in the sport, and the extent of positional bias in the sport. As one of the …

The Effect Of Breathy And Strained Vocal Quality On Vowel Perception, Sarah Nieman

Speech and Hearing Sciences ETDs

INTRODUCTION: Research into speech intelligibility in dysarthria historically focuses on articulation deficits. However, voice quality deficits associated with motor speech disorders may also impact speech perception. This study investigates how breathy and strained vocal quality affects vowel identification and ratings of vowel goodness.

METHODS: A healthy speaker recorded vowels with normal, simulated breathy and simulated strained voice quality. Acoustic, physiologic, and perceptual measures confirmed the presence of the desired voice deficits. 16 volunteer listeners participated in three perceptual tasks: vowel identification, vowel goodness ratings, and voice quality ratings.

RESULTS: In the voice quality rating task, listeners detected voice quality deficits …

Developing Droplet Based 3d Cell Culture Methods To Enable Investigations Of The Chemical Tumor Microenvironment, Jacqueline A. De Lora

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Adaptation of cancer cells to changes in the biochemical microenvironment in an expanding tumor mass is a crucial aspect of malignant progression, tumor metabolism, and drug efficacy. In vitro, it is challenging to mimic the evolution of biochemical gradients and the cellular heterogeneity that characterizes cancer tissues found in vivo. It is well accepted that more realistic and controllable in vitro 3D model systems are required to improve the overall cancer research paradigm and thus improve on the translation of results, but multidisciplinary approaches are needed for these advances. This work develops such approaches and demonstrates that new droplet-based cell-encapsulation …

Compartmentalization Of Dna-Based Molecular Computing Elements Using Lipid Bilayers, Aurora Fabry-Wood

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

This dissertation will present a progression from the detection of double-stranded DNA using a combination of toehold-mediated strand displacement and DNAzyme reactions in dilute saline solutions, to the generation of separate compartments to allow standardization of DNA computing elements, by protecting from complementary strands. In well-mixed solutions complementary regions cause spurious interactions. Importantly, these compartments also provide protection from nucleases. Along the way we will also explore the use of silica microsphere supported lipid bilayers to run compartmentalized DNA reactions on a fluid surface and the design of a molecule capable of DNA-based transmembrane signal transduction.

Inpatient Initiated Methadone For Chronic Non-Cancer Pain At The University Of New Mexico, Steven Fishburn

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Inpatient initiation of methadone is ideal due to associated risks of cardiac arrhythmias and a high incidence of overdose. Evidence based guidelines have been developed for initiation of methadone for chronic noncancer pain (CNCP). The purpose of this study is to describe the frequency of pretreatment testing and high-risk prescribing in patients initiated on methadone at the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH).

Methods

A retrospective observational study was conducted using electronic health record data from UNMH, a southwest tertiary care center. We collected data on frequency of (1) pretreatment testing and (2) discharges with concomitant high-risk prescriptions. …