Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Codont5: A Multi-Task Codon Language Model For Species-To-Species Translation, Ashley N. Babjac

Doctoral Dissertations

DNA (DeoxyriboNucleic Acid) carries the genetic information for the biological processes and function of all organisms. It is composed of nucleotides, which can be grouped into 3-mer triplets called codons. It is well known that codons encoding the same amino acid, referred to as "synonymous" codons, are selected with differing frequencies between organisms. Prior research has revealed there are codons used with much higher frequency than others, causing to them being "preferred" in highly expressed genes. This has led to the development of multiple computational models that do a good job predicting gene expression in some protein-coding genes; however, their …

Investigation Of Parasites And Other Pathogens Associated With Eastern Wild Turkey (Meleagris Gallopavo Silvestris) Declines In Tennessee, Laura K. Horton

Doctoral Dissertations

This multi-part research project was carried out in order to investigate and address disease aspects which may be at play in the Middle Tennessee Wild Turkey population. This population has been experiencing declines since a restoration period which spanned from 1990-2000. In combined effort with Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency, the National Wild Turkey Federation, and collaboration with other research groups at the University of Tennessee, this survey of parasites and diseases of known risk to Wild Turkeys was carried out in the study population from 2020-2023. We evaluated the prevalence of the following pathogens for three field seasons: Histomonas meleagridis …

Toxoplasma Gondii: The Dynamics Between Free-Roaming Cats And Wildlife, Tania J. Dawant

Doctoral Dissertations

Toxoplasma gondii is a single celled, apicomplexan parasite with a complicated life cycle. Felids are the definitive hosts, and shed oocysts in their feces, which are extremely hardy in the environment. Intermediate hosts maintain a life-long infection with the parasite encysted in tissues. Due to this phenomenon, being seropositive is indicative of infection. The transmission dynamics between cats and wildlife is not completely understood. With its zoonotic risk, it is important to understand how T. gondii is spreading between domestic and wild populations. We sought to deepen the understanding of the dynamics between free-roaming cat populations and select wildlife species. …

Device-Based Measures Of Maternal Physical Activity, Pregnancy Nocturnal Glucose, Postpartum Sleep, And Infant Adiposity, Bethany R. Hallenbeck

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation presents physical activity, sedentary behavior, and bedrest (sleep estimation) data from ActiGraph devices worn during pregnancy and postpartum. Analyses of these data consider how these behaviors may relate to each other and health outcomes in the mother and child. The research aims to bridge the gap in understanding the intricate relationship between physical activity health behaviors and maternal and infant health metrics during the critical phases of pregnancy and postpartum. For this work, we employed repeated measures mixed modelling and integrated device-based, research-grade, ActiGraph data with clinical measures and survey responses to elucidate the multifaceted dynamics influencing a …

Improving Campus Prescription Delivery Service Process At A Campus Health Center, Monase Chibambo Swanigan

Doctoral Dissertations

Objective

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project aimed to decrease barriers to accessing prescriptions using a free campus prescription delivery service (CPDS) through process improvement and interprofessional collaboration. The target population was the clinic population, focusing on college students residing on campus (SRoC).

Background

A utilization review and social influencers of health (SIoH) screenings revealed barriers to filling prescriptions among acutely ill students at a local university in a Midwestern rural college town.

Methods

A quality improvement project was implemented. An SIoH and a CPDS tool identified at-risk students who were then referred to a pharmacy delivery service. The …

A Pattern Matching Algorithm For Self-Adjusting Basal Rates In Insulin Pump Systems, Lauren Smith

Doctoral Dissertations

In a Type 1 Diabetic, Insulin can be administered in a pump system. There are two types of insulin that must be given: basal and bolus. Basal insulin is a long-acting form of insulin that works in the background while fasting, while Bolus insulin is rapid/short acting given in response to food to immediately begin working to lower blood sugar.

Modeling in Diabetes can be represented by algorithmic approaches ranging from simple autoregressive models of the Continuous Glucose Monitor time series to multivariate nonlinear regression techniques of machine learning. Other examples of modeling in Diabetes include prediction models of hypoglycemia …

Development And Feasibility Studies Of Ai-Powered Socially Assistive Robotics To Promote Wellbeing Of Persons With Alzheimer’S Disease And Related Dementias, Fengpei Yuan

Doctoral Dissertations

The number of persons living with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (PLWDs) has been keeping growing. In 2024, it is estimated that there will be approximately 6.7 million individuals living with Alzheimer's Dementia. This number will increase to about 14 million in 2060. Due to the damage in neurons, the capabilities of memory, thinking, and language will decline as the disease progress. As a result, persons with dementia will gradually withdraw from their social activities and become more dependent on others during their activities of daily living. Making it worse, our society is not ready for the increasing requirements of …

The Voices Of Veteran Women Shared With The World: Experiences Of Military Sexual Trauma, Kerri Alaine Qualls

Doctoral Dissertations

Through the cumulative work of this dissertation, I sought to provide a new perspective on the experience of Military Sexual Trauma (MST) through the voices of veteran women who shared their stories with the world through the internet. This approach had three sequential segments: (a) an integrative literature review, (b) an innovative methodology approach involving the application of the netnographic method, and (c) a qualitative research study. First, I present an integrative review of current MST literature. After the evaluation of thirteen studies common findings were the numerous barriers to disclosure that women veterans encountered, as well as the negative …

Farm Animal Assisted Therapy Intervention With Ducks For Persons With Traumatic Brain Injury, Arshak Alex Sargsyan

Doctoral Dissertations

Interaction with animals may offer numerous benefits for human health. In addition to benefits for physical health, Animal Assisted Therapies (AAT) interactions are beneficial for mental health. In particular, animal interactions may offer improvement in patients with depression and anxiety. While the majority of AAT research focuses on pets, animal assisted therapies with farm animals (AATF) also have been found to be beneficial.

AATF is a component of the Green Care therapeutic approach. Green Care is described as a cluster of nature-based therapeutic interventions to promote health in humans. AATF like AAT has undeniable benefits for people who suffer from …

Discriminative Nursing Care Practices Towards Patients With Opioid Use Disorder In The Hospital Setting: How Knowledge And Social Attitudes Impact Care Delivery, Jeanne Adam Bernier

Doctoral Dissertations

Discriminative nursing care (DNC) practices towards patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) is a current phenomenon negatively affecting patient care and patient outcomes. It leads to delays in care, insufficient pain control, and feelings of guilt and shame, and it is linked to self-isolation, social isolation, social rejection, and even unemployment and housing disruption which perpetuate a dangerous cycle of inequity that is hard to overcome. In some cases, OUD stigmatization even increases morbidity and mortality rates. OUD stigmatization and discrimination are real problems in today’s health care climate due to the vast number of people affected by OUD and …

Physical Activity On Multiuse Trails And In A Novel Bike Park Within An Urban Wilderness, Douglas Gregory

Doctoral Dissertations

Research has shown that the presence of, access to, and use of parks and trails is associated with increased levels of PA. However, little research exists on nature-based, recreational multiuse trails and bike-specific amenities within parks and their impact on PA. Therefore, to explore the effect trails and bike parks have on PA, this dissertation conducted three investigations to: 1) determine the impact of trail/greenway interventions on PA, 2) investigate how seasonality and weather influence nature-based recreational trail use, and 3) develop a demographic and PA profile of bike park users.

Investigation 1 (Chapter 4) systematically reviewed the literature specific …

Enhancing Metabolic Syndrome Surveillance For Adults Taking Second Generation Antipsychotic Medication, Ilanit Marx

Doctoral Dissertations

Background: Individuals prescribed Second-Generation Antipsychotics (SGAs) face an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome (MetS), characterized by a higher prevalence of metabolic abnormalities such as diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and obesity. This heightened susceptibility significantly raises the chances of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes (Abdulhaq et al., 2021; Chen & Nasrallah, 2019).

Objectives: This quality improvement project aims to address the management of MetS in patients with severe psychiatric disorders prescribed SGAs. Applying the theory of planned behavior (TPB) framework, this project seeks to gain insights into the determinants shaping clinician behavior and provide a comprehensive understanding of the …

The Efficacy Of Implementing A Collaborative Palliative Pain Panel Team To Reduce Cancer Pain, Angela Lynette Embree

Doctoral Dissertations

Title of Manuscript: The Efficacy of Implementing a Collaborative Palliative Pain Panel Team to Reduce Cancer Pain Author name: Angela L. Embree Contributing author names: Dr. Nicole Harpold, Grand Valley State University, Dr. XXX XXX, XXX Palliative Care Clinic Key Words: cancer; pain; control; interprofessional care team; multidisciplinary care team; collaborative care Abstract Background: A palliative care clinic established a collaborative pain team to evaluate patients with severe, poorly controlled cancer-related pain. While the clinic collected data, it did not have a process for analyzing it and could not evaluate the effectiveness of this collaborative team. Objective: To evaluate the …

Perception Of Pediatric Readiness Across A Health System's Emergency Departments, Rebekah L. Sabo

Doctoral Dissertations

The recent pandemic and pediatric respiratory syncytial virus surge have reinvigorated pediatric care readiness conversations. National strategies and associations exist to guide health systems in improving the quality of emergency care offered to pediatric populations by first assessing readiness for care. These research strategies center on survey implementation and staff engagement in general emergency departments with the goal to improve staff readiness to care for pediatric patients that may present for treatment. What impact would developing a consolidated pediatric readiness program that includes: pediatric emergency care coordinator designation for each emergency department, pediatric readiness education and committee engagement have on …

Deprescribing Proton Pump Inhibitors In A Rural Health Clinic, Jason Thomas Barney

Doctoral Dissertations

Background: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have been extensively prescribed for gastrointestinal pathologies, contributing to $14 billion in annual expenditure in the United States alone. Inappropriate PPI prescriptions, affecting 48% of adults, raise concerns about prolonged usage and associated health risks. Addressing these issues is vital, considering the significant impact of PPIs on patient health and healthcare costs.

Local Problem: A Midwestern clinic grapples with inappropriate and unnecessary PPI use among patients. In response, a comprehensive deprescribing intervention combining a provider algorithm with patient education was implemented to reduce PPI usage that was medically unnecessary.

Methods: A literature …

Selective Targeting Of Microglia By Quantum Dots And Green Synthesis Of Metal Organic Biohybrids; Applications In Dynamic Cell And Assay Systems, Navya Uppu

Doctoral Dissertations

Neurological disorders are the leading cause of physical and cognitive disability across the globe, currently affecting approximately 15% of the worldwide population. Part of the glioma microenvironment are microglia, resident immune cells of the CNS that were thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of diverse neurodegenerative diseases. Though it remains uncertain what triggers microglial activation in these disorders, targeting and tracking microglial functions using nanotools like Quantum Dots (QDs) could help us elucidate them in such neurological diseases. This research focuses on the comparative study of different QDs formulations and their selective uptake by brain microglia in primary cultures …