Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Sexual Health Education In New Mexico Public Secondary Schools, Elizabeth Dickson

Nursing ETDs

Previous research has shown that comprehensive sexual health education (SHE) can significantly reduce risky sexual behavior and can increase protective behavior in adolescents. While an important component for all adolescents, this is particularly important for adolescents at high risk for adverse health outcomes, such as unplanned adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. The aims of this descriptive study were to explore the content and delivery of SHE in New Mexico and to describe influences on decisions pertaining to implementation of state SHE policy. The social ecological model (SEM) was used as a theoretical framework to better understand levels of influence …

Next Generation Sequencing Technologies For Real-Time Genotyping And Targeted Sequencing For Precision Medicine, Priyanka Rawat

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

Astounding success of Human genome project and accelerating success of sequencing technologies have enabled $ 1000 genome goals possible. But, this is still far-fetched from the reach of many resource refrained populations with high genetic variations causing lethal genetic diseases. Based on present technology principles, I have developed prototypes for affordable, scalable and customizable point-of-care genotyping and targeted sequencing. Ion-sensitive field effect transistors with novel read-out and signal amplification techniques are used for laying foundation of possible ISFET based allele-arrays. Sequencing-by-synthesis based full-fledge sequencer is made with novel immobilization, flow-cell and data acquisition methods for massive sequenciing.

Understanding Behavioral Health And Treatment Engagement With Former Users Of Prenatal Substances: A Strengths-Focused Mixed Methods Inquiry, Jennifer G. Benson, Peggy Maclean, Andrew Hsi, Sarah J. Erickson

Psychology ETDs

Accessible services for users of prenatal substances are lacking, and treatment engagement is poor with services that are available. Furthermore, legal consequences are often punitive, which ultimately damages the well-being of mother and child. Milagro and FOCUS are two New Mexico programs that provide comprehensive, coordinated care, including medication-assisted treatment, to former users of prenatal substances during pregnancy (in the Milagro Program) and for three years post-birth (in the FOCUS Program). This mixed methods study explored the lived experiences of women from this complex, high-risk population, using a high-engagement sample of women who utilized services at both Milagro and FOCUS. …

Cholesterol Regulation Of Pulmonary Endothelial Calcium Entry Following Chronic Hypoxia, Bojun Zhang

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Chronic hypoxia (CH)-induced pulmonary hypertension (PH) is associated with diminished ATP-induced endothelial Ca2+ entry as well as membrane cholesterol in pulmonary arteries. Store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) and depolarization-induced Ca2+ entry are major components of the response to ATP and are similarly decreased after CH. Because endothelium-dependent vasodilation is closely associated with pulmonary endothelial [Ca2+]i, the blunted agonist-induced Ca2+ influx in pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAEC) may contribute to the development of CH-induced PH. Interestingly, impaired agonist-induced Ca2+ influx in PAEC following CH can be restored by membrane cholesterol supplementation. In the current studies, we hypothesized that impaired Ca2+ entry in …

The Assessment Of A School-Based Dental Program, Peggy H. Hyden

Dental Hygiene ETDs

The Assessment of a School-Based Dental Program

by

Peggy H. Hyden

B.S., Dental Hygiene, Caruth School of Dental Hygiene, Texas A&M College of Dentistry, 1979 M.S., Dental Hygiene, University of New Mexico, 2018

ABSTRACT Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare non-participants and participants of a school-based dental program and assess the utilization and satisfaction of services offered. Methods: Sixty-seven hundred questionnaires, containing 20 questions, were distributed to the parents/guardians of the Carlsbad and Loving school systems. Surveys were taken home by the students, given to the parent/guardians and returned within 1 week. Descriptive statistics was used to …

Post-Transcriptional Regulation Of Addiction-Related Behaviors: Opposing Roles Of Nucleus Accumbens Mir-495 And Hud, Robert J. Oliver Jr

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Substance use Disorders (SUDs) are characterized by chronic relapse after periods without symptoms. This has been hypothesized to stem from persistent alterations in corticolimbic circuit function and structure caused by drug-induced alterations in addiction-related gene (ARG) expression. Transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of ARGs and addiction-like behaviors have been well characterized but the role of post-transcriptional regulation is an understudied, yet promising field. RNA binding proteins (RBPs) are one post-transcriptional regulator of mRNA stability. HuD is a neuronal specific RBP that stabilizes mRNAs and is regulated by neuronal activity and cocaine. Another type of post-transcriptional regulator, microRNAs (miRNAs), are non-coding RNAs …

Discourse Changes Following Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Longitudinal Study, Elizabeth Young

Speech and Hearing Sciences ETDs

Purpose: There are few longitudinal data charting recovery of discourse skills following severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Limited knowledge about the trajectory of discourse recovery and the best tools for assessing communication abilities in persons with TBI (PWTBIs) restricts detection of communication impairment and the ability to make informed prognostic judgments following TBI. This study sought to contribute longitudinal data to the research base, using clinically efficient measures that are sensitive to communication deficits associated with TBI and that use nuanced scoring systems to provide detailed characterization of discourse.

Methods: Twenty-three PWTBIs completed picture description tasks at 3 (or 6) …

Proposed Method For Measuring The Let Of Radiotherapeutic Particle Beams, Stephen D. Bello

Physics & Astronomy ETDs

The Bragg peak geometry of the depth dose distributions for hadrons allows for precise and effective dose delivery to tumors while sparing neighboring healthy tissue. Further, compared against other forms of radiotherapeutic treatments, such as electron beam therapy (EBT) or photons (x and \(\gamma\)-rays), hadrons create denser ionization events along the particle track, which induces irreparable damage to DNA, and thus are more effective at inactivating cancerous cells. The measurement of radiation's ability to inactivate cellular reproduction is the relative biological effectiveness (RBE). A quality related to the RBE that is a measurable physical property is the linear energy transfer …

A Socio-Ecological Analysis Of Childhood Obesity And School Nutrition Policies And Practices In Select Elementary And Middle Schools On The Navajo Reservation, Regina S. Eddie

Nursing ETDs

Navajo and other American Indian children are most affected by overweight and obesity in comparison to their US counterparts, and schools have become a focal setting for prevention interventions. The study applied an ecological and a cultural framework to analyze the various factors that influence the food choices available to students and the impact of these choices on childhood obesity. The overall purpose of this descriptive study was to examine and describe how schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) are contributing to the diets of Navajo students since the passage of the Healthy Hunger Free Kids …

Mathematical Modeling For Predicting Chemotherapy And Nanoparticle Treatment Efficacy In Breast Cancer, Terisse Arielle Brocato

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

Breast cancer treatment response varies by subtype, treatment regiment, and additionally by vasculature characteristics. For this reason, breast cancer is a model disease for the development of both targeted therapy and prognostic and predictive biomarkers. Mathematical modeling allows for personalized patient specific prediction of treatment outcome based on parameters found to be important to the cancer type. Mathematical modeling is beneficial in providing insight into why cancer treatment fails and in what cases, additionally determining what characteristics result in a successful treatment. Presented in Chapter 1 is a scientific introduction and discussion focusing on representative modeling works specified towards breast …

Patient Centered Family Planning Care, Lauren Thaxton Md, Mba

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

The Institute of Medicine defines six important domains of health care quality: safety, efficacy, timeliness, efficiency, equitable delivery and patient-centeredness. Quality family planning care aims to provide individuals with the tools needed to engage in healthy and satisfying sex lives while planning and spacing pregnancies to achieve desired family size. The field of family planning strongly relies on the domain of patient-centeredness as individual values and preferences guide clinical care. Yet large gaps in knowledge exist in understanding how to improve patients’ clinical experience. This hybrid thesis posits avenues for improving the quality and patient-centeredness of clinical care.

Quality care …

Exploring Biological Heterogeneity And Its Consequences At Tissue And Cellular Scales Through Mathematical And Computational Modeling, Romica Kerketta

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

This dissertation explores the effects of heterogeneity across different biological scales in cancer as well as normal cells. At the tissue scale, we investigated the variability present in the tumor microenvironment and its effect on patient chemotherapeutic outcomes using a mathematical model of drug transport. We found that parameters such as tumor blood perfusion and radius of blood vessel had an impact on the tumor cytotoxicity. This indicated that the physical microenvironment of the tumor is an important regulator of the tumor response to chemotherapy. At the cellular scale, we investigated the heterogeneity present on the membrane landscape of ErbB2 …

Photography And Catalogue Of Cutaneous Vascular Malformations Of Patients With Ccm1- Chm Cerebral Cavernous Malformations, Athanasios K. Manole

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Due to a genetic mutation, a rare and potentially fatal disease has spread throughout New Mexico. This disease, Familial Cerebral Cavernous Malformation (FCCM1-CHM), is due to a mutation that affects peoples of Hispanic heritage in New Mexico. The FCCM disease is characterized by the development of dilated, thin walled, leaky vessels that occur in the brain and spinal cord. As a result of this genetic mutation, the lesions in the blood vessels of the brain and spinal cord are highly susceptible to hemorrhaging into surrounding tissue. This can lead to headaches, seizure, and possibly death. Researchers at the University of …

Analyzing The Effectiviness Of A Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Targeting At-Risk Opioid Abuse Patients, Treadway Childs

Public Administration ETDs

The effectiveness of a prescription drug monitoring program in coordination with a prescription opioid recidivism program was examined at a semi-rural community hospital. Patients were identified by a multi-disciplinary committee to be at-risk for opioid misuse or abuse, and were denied prescription opioids. Patients were considered eligible for the program if they had over 12 emergency department visits in the previous 12 months, or 6 visits in the previous 6 months, depending on how long the hospital had records on a patient. Patients who were placed in the prescription opioid recidivism program could not receive opioids at this hospital. The …

The Evaluation Of The Effects Of The Use Of The Palliative Care Diagnosis Code On Risk-Adjusted Mortality And Hospital Ranking In Patients With Severe Sepsis, Renee D. Donohoe

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

Background: The International Classification of Diseases, Ninth-Revision-Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) for palliative care (V66.7) has been shown to affect risk-adjusted mortality rates. This code can increase the risk of mortality when included in billing data and incorporated into risk-adjustment models (1).

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine variations in coding between high-performing (low mortality indices (Observed/Expected)) and low-performing (high mortality indices) hospitals by examining the use of the ICD-9-CM code for palliative care; coding of severe sepsis; and assignment of higher-weighted Medicare-Severity Diagnosis Related Group (MS-DRG) codes.

Methods: Data were obtained from the Vizient™ Clinical Database/Resource Manager (CBD/RM) …

Assessing The Utility Of Phenylene Ethynylenes Against Candida Species Pathogens, Rina Sylejmani

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

Candida species are the cause of many bloodstream infections through contamination of indwelling medical devices. These infections account for a 40% mortality rate, posing a significant risk to immunocompromised patients. Traditional treatments against Candida infections include amphotericin B and various azole treatments. Unfortunately, these treatments are associated with high toxicity, and resistant strains have become more prevalent. As a new frontier, light-activated phenylene ethynylenes have shown promising biocidal activity against Gram-positive and -negative bacterial pathogens, as well as the environmental yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this thesis, we monitored the viability of Candida species after treatment with a cationic conjugated …

Estimating The Impact Of Assessment And Treatment Fidelity On Aphasia Treatment Outcomes, Trisha L. Tanaka

Speech and Hearing Sciences ETDs

Purpose: Calls for treatment and assessment fidelity strongly suggest the need to reduce treatment provider and assessor variance surrounding intervention research. The extent to which these sources of variance influence treatment outcomes in aphasia treatment research has yet to be examined. This simulation study sought to explore the relationships between quality of fidelity methods, sample size, power to detect treatment effects, and aphasia treatment effect sizes.

Methods: Individual participant outcomes collected from previous aphasia treatment research studies were used to simulate 200,000 participant outcomes, from which 8,000 sample treatment trials were simulated. Effect sizes were calculated for treatment outcomes related …

A Comparison Of Video Conferencing And In-Person Health Coaching Approaches In Combination With Mhealth Devices On Weight Loss, Physical Activity, And Glycemic Control, Kelly E. Johnson

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

Background: Compare health coaching efficacy on weight loss, physical activity, and glycemic control between individualized video conferencing (VC), in-person (IP) and control (CG) groups of adults with high BMI.

Methods: Thirty adults (BMI≥30 kg/m²) were randomly assigned to create three groups of 10 members each. Participants received a wireless accelerometer watch and weight scale to sync with their personal smartphones and downloaded apps. Participants assigned to VC and IP received weekly health coaching individualized based on data uploaded over the 12-wk intervention. Steps/day and weight loss were analyzed via analyses of covariance (ANCOVA). Between-group ANOVAs analyzed post-intervention changes …

A Multiscale Modeling Study Of The Mammary Gland, Joseph D. Butner

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

Multiscale, hybrid computer modeling has emerged as a valuable tool in the fields of computational systems biology and mathematical oncology. In this work, we present an overview of the motivations for, and development and implementation of, three hybrid multiscale models of the mammary gland system and early stage ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in the gland. Pubertal mammary gland development was described first using a two-dimensional, lattice-based hybrid agent-based model description of the mammary terminal end bud (TEB), and then with a three-dimensional lattice-free TEB model. Both models implement a discrete, agent-based description of the cell scale, and a continuum, …

Oil Pulling Curriculum At Universities, Community Colleges, Private And Proprietary Schools Throughout The United States, Nicholas C. Jones

Dental Hygiene ETDs

ABSTRACT

Study Design: A cross-sectional study design was conducted by emailing a survey to dental hygiene program directors nationwide.

Objective: Evaluate the integration of oil pulling curriculum among associate, bachelor’s, and masters programs.

Methods: A 10-question survey was delivered to dental hygiene program directors in the United States via an online survey tool, Survey Monkey.

Results: Oil pulling is taught in nine out of fifty-two schools that responded. Five of thirty-two associate programs are teaching oil pulling, three of fifteen bachelor’s programs are teaching oil pulling, and one out of five master programs is teaching oil pulling, the sample size …

Comparison Of Post-Marketing Surveillance Approaches Regarding Infections Related To Tumor Necrosis Factor (Tnf) Inhibitors, Cheng Chen

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

Objective: Both spontaneous (voluntary) reporting systems and observational approaches serve as important tools in post-marketing surveillance for adverse drug events, however, each has its own advantages. The primary purpose of this project was to compare and contrast the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) data and findings from observational studies in post-marketing surveillance through examining TNF inhibitors (etanercept, adalimumab, infliximab, certolizumab and golimumab) related infections, and secondarily, to examine the applicability of additional analyses in FAERS, such as multiple logistic regressions and time to onset of event analysis.

Methods: Using MedDRA^® preferred terms (PTs), infection and infestation cases in …

Mk2 Promotes Colorectal Cancer Development, Invasion, And Growth Through Mk2-Induced Cytokines, Anita Lynne Ray

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignancy in the United States for men and women. A major risk factor for CRC development and progression is inflammation, in particular the inflammatory cytokines IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α. These proteins promote critical cancer functions, such as proliferation, invasion, survival, and migration. Control of inflammation is one potential area of therapeutic intervention for some cancers. Because signaling of these cytokines overlaps in many of the same pathways, targets upstream of protein production could prove an effective strategy to reduce inflammation. MAPK-activated protein kinase 2 (MK2) pathway controls production of these cytokines within …

Relationship Between Weight Status, Demographic Variables And Health-Related Quality Of Life In New Mexico Adolescents, Ukeme Umoh

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

This study evaluated the relationship between weight status, demographic variables and HRQOL in New Mexico adolescents. This secondary analysis uses baseline data from 991 adolescents in the 9^th and 10^th grades enrolled in the ACTION PAC clinical trial. HRQOL was assessed using the validated Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Version 4.0 (PedsQL 4.0). Body mass index (BMI) percentiles were calculated from anthropometric measurements, and demographic variables (age, sex, race/ethnicity and household income) were obtained via self-report. Obese adolescents (BMI ≥ 95^th percentile) had lower total (pthpercentile) adolescents. Males reported higher total (p

The Impact Of Dysphagia On Quality Of Life And Stigma In Hispanic New Mexicans, Aaron Padilla

Speech and Hearing Sciences ETDs

INTRODUCTION: Eating is a function of daily life and is the centerpiece of family gatherings, business meetings, and holiday/religious traditions. Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), can abolish the pleasure of mealtimes, which can negatively impact quality of life (QOL) and result in stigma. These variables may be influenced by cultural perceptions and/or acculturation, which is a measure of the impact that one cultural group has on another. The purpose of this investigation was to: a) identify the relationship between level of acculturation and QOL and stigma for Hispanics, b) measure the relationship between dysphagia severity and QOL and stigma, and c) explore …

Barriers To Treatment With Buprenorphine For Opioid Addiction In New Mexico, Kanwal Qidwai

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

More persons died from drug overdoses in the United States since 2000 than during any past years on record. There were approximately one and a half times more drug overdose deaths in the United States than deaths from motor vehicle crashes in 2015. Opioids, primarily prescription pain relievers and heroin, are the main drugs associated with overdose deaths. The 2014 data demonstrates that the United States opioid overdose epidemic includes two distinct but interrelated trends: a 15-year increase in overdose deaths involving prescription opioid pain relievers along with a recent rise in illicit opioid overdose deaths, driven by heroin. Natural …

Cortico-Striatal Coordination Disrupted In Behaviorally Inflexible Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposed Mice, Kristin L. Marquardt

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Up to 61% of adolescent school aged children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) have been suspended or expelled. Executive function deficits, like dis-inhibition and cognitive inflexibility, have been proposed to be better predictors of behavioral problems then IQ score, which qualifies these individuals for developmental disability and special school programs. Reversal learning, a widely used behavioral paradigm for assessing cognitive flexibility across species, has been shown to be impaired in rodent models of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). Here we show that a mouse model with daily maternal drinking, resulting in a BAC of 85 mg/dl throughout gestation, results in …

Detection Of Healthcare-Associated Infectious Disease Outbreaks With A Special Look At Clostridium Difficile Infection In Long-Term Care Facilities, Almea Matanock

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality and a public health priority. However, standard procedures and comprehensive guidelines for HAI outbreak detection and response are still needed. This hybrid thesis describes what is known about HAI outbreaks in the introduction, reviews the HAI outbreaks reported to New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH), in the first paper, and then in the second paper examines how established methods for detecting infectious disease outbreaks perform in identifying Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) outbreaks in long-term care facilities (LTCF) in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, and finally, it closes with our overall …

Comparing The Effectiveness Of Using Educational Booklet Or Brief Video On Patients’ Knowledge, Perceptions And Willingness To Participate In Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trials, Khalid F. Almoaikel, Dennis Raisch, Matthew Borrego, Mike Sather, Mark Holdsworth

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

Background and Objectives: Limited knowledge about clinical trials can influence a patient’s willingness to participate in medical research. For placebo-controlled clinical trials, it is more difficult to recruit patients compared to clinical trials without a placebo arm. Thus, educating individuals about clinical trials and placebos can potentially improve their perceptions about clinical trials and might increase their willingness to enroll in them. The study objectives include:

1) To design educational interventions (a booklet and a video) to improve a patient’s knowledge of placebo controlled clinical trials.

2) To compare the impact of the educational interventions (booklet, video or both) on …

Identification & Evaluation Of Dna Ligase Inhibitors: Predicting The Binding Of Small Molecules To The Dna Binding Domain By Molecular Modeling, Timothy Rl Howes

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

The phosphodiester backbone of DNA is maintained by DNA ligases. In human cells, there are three genes that encode DNA ligase polypeptides with distinct but overlapping functions. A series of small molecule inhibitors of human DNA ligases were previously identified using a rational structure-based approach. Three of these inhibitors, L82, a DNA ligase I selective inhibitor, and L67, an inhibitor of DNA ligases I and III, and L189, an inhibitor of all three human DNA ligases, have related structures. Here I present and characterize L82-G17 a next-generation ligase I specific inhibitor. L82-G17 is a potent ligase I uncompetitive inhibitor that …

Hemodynamic And Metabolic Responses During Self-Paced And Ramp Graded Exercise Testing Treadmill Protocols, Nicholas Mark Beltz

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

Purpose: To investigate: 1) if a self-paced (SP) graded exercise testing protocol elicits similar and reliable maximal oxygen uptake (VO_2max) responses compared to a ramp (RAMP) treadmill protocol; 2) the impact of SP on cardiac output (Q), stroke volume (SV), and arteriovenous oxygen difference (a-vO_2diff); and 3) the metabolic response during SP through blood lactate (BLa^-) accumulation and ventilatory threshold (VT) attainment. Methods: Sixteen recreationally trained men (23.7±3.0 yrs) completed two separate treadmill graded exercise testing protocols. SP consisted of five 2-min stages (10 min total) of increasing speed based on the Borg …