Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Quantifying Value In Public Health: Using Economic Methods To Analyze System Change, Theresa M. Green

Dissertations

In this time of economic downturn, it is becoming increasingly important for organizations, including those in public health, to “prove their worth,” to show the value in improvement strategies. Health agencies have learned to discuss impact in terms of health outcome and mortality/morbidity measures. However, it is critical that these impacts are also expressed in a way that shows cost-efficiency and economic benefit especially for promising, evidence-based public health interventions. Although several methods of economic evaluation including cost-effective analysis, cost-utility analysis, or cost-benefit analysis and return on investment (ROI) have been used in social sciences and health research, fewer examples …

The Partial Characterization Of The 142r Protein Of Tanapox Virus, Krystal N. Seibert

Dissertations

Due to the complex nature of cancer, a variety of strategies are being employed to treat patients. Among these are oncolytic viruses that conditionally replicate in tumor cells with specific cellular landscapes. Several viruses including Herpesviruses, Adenoviruses, and Poxviruses, predominantly vaccinia virus (VV), have been explored for their oncolytic potential. Most of these viruses can productively infect a variety of cell types and it is one goal to create conditionally lethal viruses that can only replicate in tumor cells. Due to the prevalence of p53 inactivating mutations in cancers viruses that are restricted to p53 null cells are desirable and …

Grip Strength, Multimorbidity, And Disability, Amy M. Yorke

Dissertations

The presence of two or more chronic health conditions, also known as multimorbidity, is one of the most prevalent health disorders experienced by adults. Adults with multimorbidity and functional limitations represent clinical and financial challenges to the current health care system. The purpose of this three-paper dissertation is to examine the relationship between grip strength, multimorbidity, and the prediction of disability in adults. Data from the 2008 Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative, longitudinal study completed on Americans age 50 years and over, are used for the dissertation.

The objective of the first paper is to investigate the …

Evaluation Of Modafinil In Preclinical Behavioral Assays Of Abuse Liability, Amanda J. Quisenberry

Dissertations

Modafinil is an FDA-approved drug for the treatment of narcolepsy with efficacy in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, and shift-work sleep disorder. Modafinil’s wake-promoting and cognitiveenhancing effects are reportedly similar to those of traditional psychostimulants, but without the side effects typically associated with these substances. Modafinil has also been investigated as an agonist replacement therapy for psychostimulant dependence, although results of clinical trials are equivocal. Few studies have examined its behavioral effects in combination with psychostimulants and the neuropharmacological actions of modafinil are not well understood. The primary aim of this study was to assess modafinil’s …

An Examination Of Executive Function, Mild Cognitive Impairment And Fall Risk In Community Dwelling Older Adults, Jennifer A. Blackwood

Dissertations

The aim of this three-paper dissertation was to examine the relationship between fall risk, executive function (EF) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in community dwelling older adults. Papers one and two describe how mild changes in cognition influence performance on four measures of fall risk, the Five Times Sit to Stand Test (FTSTS), usual gait speed, the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and the Activities Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC) in a group of community dwelling older adults. The third paper describes if participation in a progressively challenging domain specific computerized cognitive training intervention influenced performance on measures of …

A Prospective Examination Of Mindfulness Training On The Mitigation Of Postraumatic Stress Symptoms, Abby E. Blankenship

Dissertations

The current study investigated the ability of a one-session computerized mindfulness intervention to mitigate posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-like symptoms in response to a trauma analogue. Ninety-two participants were randomly assigned to either mindfulness training or no treatment. Participants assigned to the mindfulness training completed a 1-hour computerized mindfulness training and practiced their skills for 1 week. All participants were exposed to an analogue for real-life trauma and were assessed at 1- and 2-week follow-up. Participants assigned to the mindfulness condition exhibited significantly lower levels of PTSD-like symptoms at 2-week follow-up in comparison to the no treatment condition. In addition, participants …

Impact Of Participating In A Short-Term Intervention Model Of Sports Education Camps For Children With Visual Impairments, John Michael Mcmahon

Dissertations

This three-paper format dissertation explores three topics relevant to participating in a short-term model Sports Education Camp for youth with vision impairments. The three papers are independent studies, yet build upon each other by first measuring physical performance in certain skills, then exploring their levels of self-perception, body mass index, and level of physical activity in their local communities, and finally describing the population of participants at various points over a 25-year period. Papers one and two examined differences in pre- and post-camp measures for first-time and repeat participants, with the first paper focusing on physical performance, and the second …

Discovery And Characterization Of A Tanapoxvirus Encoded Human Neuregulin Mimetic, David Jeng

Dissertations

Studies on large dsDNA viruses such as poxviruses have been helpful in identifying a number of viral and cellular growth factors that contribute to our broad understanding of virus-host interaction. Orthopoxviruses and leporipoxviruses are among the most studied viruses in this aspect. However, tanapoxvirus (TPV) a member of the genus Yatapoxvirus, still remains largely unexplored, as the only known hosts for this virus are humans and monkeys. Here, we describe the initial characterization of an EGF-like growth factor mimicking human neuregulin from TPV, expressed by the TPV-15L gene. Assays using a baculovirus expressed and tagged TPV-15L protein demonstrated the ability …

Motivational Interviewing Assessment And Behavior Therapy As A Stepped-Care Approach To The Treatment Of Adolescent Depression, Tanya N. Douleh

Dissertations

Depression is a significant public health concern with a lifetime prevalence of 24.01 for adolescents in grades 9-12 (Lewinsohn, Hops, Roberts, Seeley, & Andrews, 1993) and a point prevalence of 4-6% (Kessler, Avenevoli, & Ries, 2001). The risks associated with adolescent onset depression include comorbidity, depressive episodes continuing into adulthood, and suicidality. These risks make it imperative to develop effective treatments to address adolescent depression. Stepped care is an approach to treatment which involves treatment of illness using the least invasive measures first and moving toward more invasive treatment as indicated by ongoing assessment. Through a single-participant design, the current …

Counselor Educator Knowledge, Experience, Attitudes And Beliefs Toward Complementary And Alternative Medicine, Jennifer Mills Langeland

Dissertations

Following growing public interest and widespread use, many health professions have begun to explore the attitudes toward, knowledge of and experience with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) of the various stakeholders within their professions. This foundational information has enabled disciplines such as medicine, nursing, psychology, and marriage and family therapy to take a closer look at how students, patients, clients, and faculty think about and utilize CAM and its relevance to their professions. Surveying the practices and attitudes of stakeholders has been an important starting point for professions undertaking the task of integrating these practices into training programs.

This study …