Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Structure-Based Drug Design Of Novel Therapeutics Targeting Oncostatin M, Kelsey Skluzacek

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

At 30% of all new diagnoses, the most prevalent malignancy for women is breast cancer, which in the United States will result in an estimated 266,000 new cases this year alone. Of the patients diagnosed with breast cancer, approximately 10-15% will develop distant metastases within three years of the initial detection of a primary tumor. For comparison, the five-year survival rate for localized breast cancer is 99%, whereas, the survival rate for metastatic breast cancer drops drastically to only 27%. The significant difference in survival rates is indicative of a need for a novel treatment strategy for metastatic breast cancer. …

The Effects Of Formative And Summative Assessment On Student's Connectedness, Satisfaction, Learning And Academic Performance Within An Online Healthcare Course, Thomas J. Wing

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The quantitative study presented here evaluates the effects of formative and summative assessment on student’s connectedness, satisfaction, learning and academic performance within a university three-credit 400 level online healthcare course. Literature exploring the role that formative assessment plays within an online environment is currently lacking. Additionally, understanding how assessment practices can help support the goals of online healthcare education is vitally important given the rise in popularity of this delivery format.

This study investigated student outcomes in the form of connectedness, satisfaction, learning and academic performance. Four cohorts of students were included in this study. Two cohorts were provided with …

Potent And Potentially Non-Cardiotoxic Anthracyclines: Their Synthesis, Biological Evaluation, And Comparison Of Hydrozone-Mediated Reductions, Jerrett Holdaway

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

After nearly half a century since medical approval, the anthracycline doxorubicin (DOX) remains one of the most potent and clinically useful anticancer agents. In spite of its long history, however, the cytotoxic mechanisms of DOX have been debated and remain controversial. Several well-supported mechanisms will be discussed, such as the potential to intercalate DNA and induce apoptosis through topoisomerase poisoning, free radical formation, and DNA cross-linking. While DOX has substantial medical importance, it is plagued by a life-threatening dose-dependent cardiotoxic side effect associated with several structural groups. A number of modifications to DOX have been accomplished to attempt to remove …

Total Synthesis Of 6,7-Dimethyl-N-Methyl Aziridinomitosene, Thaaer N. Muhammed

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Mitomycin C (MC) is a naturally occurring antitumor agent isolated from a soil bacterium. MC is effective against solid hypoxic tumors that respond poorly to radiotherapy, such as colorectal, gastric, and lung tumors. Also, it has a role in the treatment of bladder, head and neck, and non-small cell lung cancers in combination with other chemotherapeutic.

MC and other members of the mitomycin family of antitumor agents fight cancer by forming DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs), which leads to apoptosis. In order to form ICLs, MC requires a reductive activation step that produces reactive oxygen species. This activation step is proposed …

Social Learning Biases In The Use Of Complementary And Alternative Medicine, Marie Denell Letourneau

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, the use of complementary and alternative medicine (usually referred to as CAM) has increased dramatically over the last three decades. However, theoretically informed explanations about why people decide to use CAM therapies are lacking. The purpose of this study is to determine if there is enough statistical evidence to justify additional research on the relationship between social learning and the decision to use CAM. Working on the assumption that people make decisions based on information they have or can obtain, I applied the concept of learning bias in order to examine the ways in which people …

Sex Differences In Lower Limb Biomechanics During A Single-Leg Cut With Body Borne Load, Auralea Carylon Fain

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Musculoskeletal injuries are ever-increasing in military personnel, particularly females. These musculoskeletal injuries are attributed to adaptations in lower limb biomechanics while performing routine military tasks, such as a single-leg cut, with the addition of body borne load. However, it is unknown if females and males exhibit similar lower limb biomechanics with the addition of body borne load during these tasks. This study sought to compare the lower limb biomechanical adaptations exhibited by females and males performing a single-leg cut with body borne load. Methods: Eleven females and 17 males had lower limb biomechanics quantified during a single-leg cut with …