Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Cd151 Reinforces Vascular Stability By Balancing Endothelial Cell Adhesion And Cytoskeletal Tension, Feng Zhang

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Tetraspanin CD151 is highly expressed in endothelial cells and regulates pathological angiogenesis. However, the mechanism by which CD151 promotes vascular morphogenesis and whether CD151 engages other vascular functions are unclear. We observed that CD151 is required for the maintenance of endothelial capillary-like structures formed in vitro and the integrity of lung endothelial cell-cell contacts in vivo. As a master regulator of endothelial cell-matrix and cell-cell adhesions, CD151 is needed for the optimal functions of various cell adhesion proteins such as integrin, cadherin, and CD44. The loss of CD151 elevates the cellular intrinsic contraction by upregulating RhoA signaling and downregulating of …

Evaluating The Impact Of The Guatemalan Nursing Program On Staff, Organizational, And Clinical Outcomes, Sara Williamson Day

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

There is great disparity between the outcome of childhood cancer in developed and developing countries. Nurses, who comprise the largest group of health care professionals globally, are essential to successful treatment. Pediatric oncology education is generally unavailable for nurses in developing countries. This lack of education is likely to contribute to the disparity in survival rates, as undereducated nurses are unable to meet the demands of pediatric cancer care. A second critical problem in developing countries is the workload of the nurse, with a patient nurse ratio reported as high as 30 patients per one nurse.

In 2006, the quality …

The Use Of Preclinical Models To Improve The Treatment Of Retinoblastoma, Katie Marie Nemeth

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Rodent models play an essential role in the development of new chemotherapeutics and dosing regimes. It is often difficult to carryout a clinical study for pediatric cancers due to the small patient population. Retinoblastoma, a pediatric cancer of the eye, is one example of a pediatric cancer that can benefit from preclinical studies. Over the years various retinoblastoma rodent models have been developed used to test various combination of broad-spectrum systemic chemotherapy. It was found form these studies that the combination of topotecan and carboplatin was effective. However both drugs cause myelosuppression and therefore administrating both of these drugs systemically …

Pain Management In Nursing Home Residents With Cancer And Dementia With And Without Hospice Services, Todd Bryant Monroe

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Aims: We sought to identify differences in pain management between two groups; nursing home residents with malignant cancer and dementia with and without hospice services.

Methods: Decedent records from 2003-2009 were assessed for diagnosis of dementia and cause of death as cancer. Ten malignant cancer diagnoses were determined a priori from the CDC 2004 data on the top 10 malignant cancers for all races and genders. Fifty-five decedents from 10 nursing homes were included in the final sample. Four instruments were used: Minimum Data Set (MDS) a standardized assessment tool required of most U.S. nursing homes. A large …

Tamoxifen: Mechanisms Of Resistance, Cyrus Mccoy Adams

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The role of estrogen in breast cancer has been recognized for decades. The selective estrogen receptor modulator tamoxifen was the first targeted therapy for the treatment of breast cancer. It was also the first drug approved by the FDA for the reduction of breast cancer risk. While tamoxifen has extended the lives of countless patients with breast cancer, resistance to tamoxifen remains a significant clinical problem. Work over the last two decades has greatly enhanced our understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which breast cancer cells may become resistant to tamoxifen treatment. Here I review our current understanding of the …