Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Re-Optimization Of Radiation Therapy Dose To The Prostate Using Cbct: Reducing Dose To Organs At Risk, R. Charles Keider Jr.

Masters Theses

Cancer of the prostate is the second most common cancer among American males. The prostate is small gland, located in the pelvis, posterior to the bladder and anterior/inferior to the rectum. Due to this location when irradiating the prostate the normal tissue organs at risk are the bladder and rectum. Negative effects seen when these structures are irradiated can include; bladder stricture, dysuria, hematuria, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and proctitis.

In order to eliminate or reduce these negative effects more precise and accurate treatment techniques have been employed. Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) has been successful in achieving greater precision when …

Evaluation Of The Nutritional Options For Wellness (Now) Program: Mitigating Cardiovascular Disease And Type 2 Diabetes Through Food Pantries, Sarah L. Henning

Masters Theses

Individuals with a lower socioeconomic status are at higher risk for chronic disease diagnosis and complications (Gerteis et al., 2014). The NOW Program is a social service program that was created in order to relieve some of the burden placed on these individuals utilizing the charitable food system. The purpose of the study was to perform a quantitative program evaluation on the NOW Program which is administered by pantry coordinating organization. The NOW Program connects chronically ill, low income members of Kent County with local food pantries that offer diet specific food and health education about their specific chronic disease …

Intercanine Distance Used As A Measure To Rule Out Biters In Bite Mark Forensics, Alana Joy Scudiere Ohana

Masters Theses

The science of identification by bite mark analysis has recently been called into serious question. (Reesu and Brown 2016) Human dentition is truly variable, but often not unique. When animal bites are considered, a proper ID of the perpetrator is nearly impossible. Primary distortion (when the bite is made) and secondary distortion (during decomposition or healing) both further disrupt landmarks that might be used for identification. (Sheasby and MacDonald 2001) Using only ink marks and intercanine distance on live subjects, this study attempts to determine maximum distortion possible for a variety of bite mark locations on skin. (Pretty and Sweet …

Follicular Dynamics In Insulin Resistant Mares, Julio Cesar Prado

Masters Theses

Obesity and insulin resistance have been linked to prolonged interovulatory period, aberrations in the estrous cycle, and continuous reproductive activity during the non-breeding season. EMS has been determined to influence the intrafollicular environment of mare ovaries. In humans, insulin resistance has been linked to polycystic ovaries as part of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). A study was conducted to determine 1) the impact of insulin resistance on follicle growth and size at ovulation, and 2) whether predicted ovulatory follicles respond to hCG administration in Insulin-resistant (IR) mares. Mares were selected for the study based on insulin sensitivity and separated into an …

Epidemiology Of Toxoplasma Gondii And A Survey Of Other Parasites In The West Indian Manatee (Trichechus Manatus), Heidi Lynn Wyrosdick

Masters Theses

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite of felids reported to cause morbidity and mortality in the two subspecies of the West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus): the Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) in Puerto Rico and the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris). Sera or plasma (n=343) were collected from live-capture T. m. latirostris through the US Geological Survey (USGS) manatee health assessment program and serosanguinous fluid (n=10) were collected from necropsies conducted by the Marine Mammal Pathobiology Laboratory (MMPL). Additionally, serum or serosanguinous fluid samples (n=5) were collected from rehabilitated or necropsied T. m. manatus …

Effect Of Listening To Music During Warmup On Wingate Anaerobic Test Performance, Russell P. Fox

Masters Theses

The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether or not different music conditions would affect performance on the Wingate anaerobic test. We also sought to explore the effect of music on psychological variables such as, rating of perceived exertion (RPE).

16 subject (8 males, 8 females) listened to either pre-selected music, self-selected music or white noise during a 10-minute warmup, cycling at 50 Rev.min-1 for 10 minutes with a light resistance of one kilogram. Once the warmup was completed they performed a Wingate Anaerobic test against a resistance of 7.5% of their body mass in kilograms.

There were …

The Oncolytic Potential Of Tanapoxvirus To Treat Retinoblastoma, John D. Christie

Masters Theses

Retinoblastoma is the leading cause of intraocular malignancy in children under 2 years of age. Current treatments, while generally effective in eliminating the tumor, have many negative side effects. Oncolytic virotherapy is the use of either wild type or recombinant viruses, to destroy tumor cells. There are currently several viruses being engineered as potential therapeutics for a wide range of cancers. They offer tumor specific alternative to current therapies with lesser toxicity. This study looked at the oncolytic efficacy of multiple tanapoxviruses (TPV) recombinants in an in vitro retinoblastoma. Here we have tested recombinants of TPV for their ability to …

Mobile Produce Markets: A Strategy For Increasing Access To Fruits And Vegetables Among Low Income Urban Residents, Bi-Sek J. Hsiao

Masters Theses

Mobile produce markets (MPM) are a community-based strategy to improve produce access in areas with few fruits and vegetables (FV) retail options. The purpose of this thesis is to assess the functionality of MPM in low-income urban neighborhoods. This thesis includes three studies. Study 1 investigates FV availability in areas around MPM locations (n=13). We found limited fresh FV availability in stores, but high prevalence of 100% juice, and canned FV and beans. Study 2 applied questionnaire data from MPM shoppers (n=143) to assess MPM experiences. Chi Square was used to compare shopping behaviors between older (≥ 60) and younger …

Does Age Influence Dynamic Stability And Muscular Power Following Neuromuscular Fatigue In Women?, Ben J. Hoffmann

Masters Theses

Older adults, especially older women, produce less muscular power than young adults, due primarily to slower maximal contractile velocity. These decrements may lead to increased fall risk in older women and can be exacerbated by fatigue. Recently, a 32 min walking task (32MWT) was shown to elicit fatigue in older women. The purpose of this study was to determine whether knee extensor (KE) maximal velocity is related to dynamic stability (margin of stability, MoS) in young and older women pre- and post-32MWT. METHODS: Nine young (Y; 24.3+1.1years, mean±SE) and 17 older (O; 71.1±1.1years) healthy women completed 2 testing sessions on …

A Comparison Of Techniques For Handling Missing Data In Longitudinal Studies, Alexander R. Bogdan

Masters Theses

Missing data are a common problem in virtually all epidemiological research, especially when conducting longitudinal studies. In these settings, clinicians may collect biological samples to analyze changes in biomarkers, which often do not conform to parametric distributions and may be censored due to limits of detection. Using complete data from the BioCycle Study (2005-2007), which followed 259 premenopausal women over two menstrual cycles, we compared four techniques for handling missing biomarker data with non-Normal distributions. We imposed increasing degrees of missing data on two non-Normally distributed biomarkers under conditions of missing completely at random, missing at random, and missing not …

Comparison Of Hip And Wrist Accelerometers In A Pre-Adolescent Population In Free-Living And Semi-Structured Physical Activity, Matthew Ahmadi

Masters Theses

PURPOSE: The primary aim of this study was to examine the accuracy of a hip (Evenson algorithm) and wrist-worn (Crouter algorithm) accelerometer in assessing time spent in different intensity categories in pre-adolescent girls during semi-structured dance classes using direct observation (D.O.) as the criterion measure. The secondary aim of this study was to examine the validity of a wrist-worn accelerometer for dichotomizing pre-adolescent girls as meeting or not meeting different preselected doses of moderate-to-vigorous PA compared to the hip-worn accelerometer. METHODS: Data were collected and analyzed on a total of 6 participants (age = 10.22 ± 2.38) for the primary …

Sexual Health Education Among The Intellectually And Developmentally Delayed Populations: An Examination Of Medical Providers Perspective, Sarah E. Nota

Masters Theses

Sexuality is a recognized human right as it influences mental, social and emotional wellbeing. Despite this, individuals with intellectual or developmentally delays (ID/DD) rarely receive the necessary sexual education. ID/DD persons are also at an increased risk for sexual abuse, further demonstrating the strong need for education. A natural setting in which to receive unbiased and informative sexual health information is through their medical provider. The purpose of this research was to examine current clinic standards, education, and perceptions of medical providers in regards to sexual education for ID/DD adolescents. Medical providers and students within West Michigan were surveyed with …

Farm-To-Preschool In East Tennessee: Evaluation Of A Small-Scale Farmer’S Market At A Childcare Center On Household Fruit And Vegetable Availability And Preschoolers’ Consumption Of Fruits And Vegetables, Jade Morgan Parry

Masters Theses

Background: Most preschool-aged children do not consume an adequate amount of fruits and vegetables (F&V). Accessibility to F&V and parental influence are important factors in determining fruit and vegetable consumption in preschool-aged children. The incorporation of farmer’s markets at childcare centers as part of a farm-to-preschool program provides an opportunity to increase access to F&V and engage parents in supporting positive changes in their children’s dietary behaviors. Gaps in the farm-to-preschool literature include a lack of well-designed intervention trials that include a control group and rigorous evaluation tools.

Methods: This was a pilot study with a quasi-experimental, pre-test, post-test …

A Feasibility Study Of Just-In-Time Asthma Self-Management Intervention, Phillip Charles Scruggs

Masters Theses

Quality asthma care requires not only an initial diagnosis, but long term follow up care and education on long term control. Preventable symptoms continue to reduce the quality of life for chronic asthma sufferers and place an unnecessary burden on emergency services and the health care system at large. A mobile health (mHealth) solution is proposed to effectively improve outcomes for patients while ultimately reducing the overall burden of mismanagement on the healthcare system as a whole. The Just-in-Time Asthma Self- Management and Intervention (JASMIN) system provides a way for a patient or user to track, self-manage, and interact with …

Improving Aedes Mosquito Surveillance And La Crosse Virus Screening In Eastern Tennessee, Cassandra Urquhart

Masters Theses

La Crosse virus (LACV), transmitted by infected Aedes triseriatus, Ae. albopictus, and Ae. japonicus mosquitoes is the leading cause of pediatric arboviral encephalitis. Severe cases of LAC encephalitis occur in individuals 16-years-old or younger and may cause permanent neurological damage or fatality. No vaccines exist making mosquito control and disease prevention crucial to public health. Effective screening and surveillance practices are key components to these goals. While a number of standard mosquito surveillance methods exist, continuous testing and improved understanding of vector biology to determine the best ways to implement these methods is important. Additionally, the current standard …

The Effect Of Television Watching And Portion Size On Intake During A Meal, Rachel Nicole Rosenthal

Masters Theses

Background: Several investigations have examined the influence of television and portion size on intake. Results have found that watching television while eating or being provided larger portions increases intake. However, no investigation has examined the combined effect of these variables on food intake, when these factors are combined they may enhance consumption.

Methods: To test the influence of television and portion size on intake during a meal in healthy weight adults, a 4X2X2 mixed factorial design was used, with a between-subject factor of order of conditions and within-subject factors of television (TV vs. NO TV) and portion size (SMALL vs. …

The Effects Of A Visually Appealing And Interactive Snack Activity On Fruit And Vegetable Intake Of Preschool-Aged Children, Kristen Leigh Clay

Masters Theses

Background: Previous research has shown the potential of increasing vegetable intake by incorporating the senses into interventions. However, little to no research has specifically looked at the impact that the use of the senses can have on intake of vegetables among preschool-aged children.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to examine if mean intake of vegetable snacks and/or willingness to try the vegetable snacks would be significantly higher among preschool-age children who participated in a visually appealing and interactive snack activity compared to children who received control vegetable snacks.

Methods: Two preschools were selected to participate in the study. …

Sleep Patterns, Urinary Levels Of Melatonin And Subsequent Weight Change In The Women’S Health Initiative Observational Study, Nicole M. Barron

Masters Theses

Results from prospective studies examining associations between sleep duration and weight gain have been mixed. Melatonin has been hypothesized to mediate the association between sleep duration and weight/body composition. In cross-sectional studies, aMT6s has been shown to be inversely associated with weight/body fat percentage. We examined associations between baseline sleep duration, insomnia status, aMT6s levels with weight/body fat percentage through 6 years, utilizing a subset 690 women who participated in a breast cancer case-control study nested within the WHI-OS. Multi-variable and mixed-effects regression was used to calculate beta-coefficients and 95% confidence intervals. Cross-sectional analyses showed urinary aMT6s levels were inversely …

One-Carbon Metabolism Related B-Vitamins Alter The Expression Of Micrornas And Target Genes Within The Wnt Signaling Pathway In Mouse Colonic Epithelium, Riccardo Racicot

Masters Theses

ABSTRACT

It has been widely recognized that microRNAs are involved in nearly all cellular processes that have been investigated and contribute to a variety of diseases including cancer. Our prior studies demonstrated the depletion of one-carbon metabolism related B-vitamins, including folate, vitamin B2, B6 and B12, induced a genomic DNA hypomethylation and an elevation of the tumorigenic Wnt signaling in mouse colonic epithelium. The present study aimed to define whether microRNAs serve as mediators between these B-vitamins and the Wnt signaling, and thereby influence intestinal tumorigenesis. MicroRNA expression profiles were measured using miRNA microarray and real-time PCR on colonic epithelial …

A Comparative Sustainability Study For Treatment Of Domestic Wastewater: Conventional Concrete And Steel Technology Vs. Vegetated Sand Beds (Vsb’S) And Their Relative Differences In Co2 Production, Alicia M. Milch

Masters Theses

Conventional wastewater treatment in the U.S. is an energy dependent and carbon dioxide emitting process. Typical mechanical systems consume copious amounts of energy, which is most commonly produced from fossil fuel combustion that results in the production of CO₂. The associated organic load is also metabolized by microorganisms into CO₂ and H₂O. As the desire to reduce CO₂ output becomes more prominent, it is logical to assess the costs of conventional treatment methods and to compare them to alternative, more sustainable technology. Vegetated Sand Bed (VSB) and Reed Bed (RB) systems are green technologies …

Antidepressant Use And Risk Of Colorectal Cancer In The Women's Health Initative, Jenna F. Kiridly

Masters Theses

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer among U.S. women; 63,610 new cases were estimated to have occurred in 2015. Prior studies found a reduced risk of colorectal cancer among antidepressant (AD) users, however, none adjusted for depression, which is itself linked to increased colorectal cancer risk and could confound this relationship. We assessed the relationship between ADs and AD drug classes with risk of colorectal cancer in a prospective cohort of 145,190 women between the ages of 50-79 without a previous history of cancer at enrollment. Current AD use was assessed at baseline. Over an average follow-up of …

Evaluating A Novel Photochemical Tool For Labeling And Tracking Live, Endogenous Calcium-Permeable Ampars, Rosamund Elizabeth Combs-Bachmann

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research is to advance development of a photochemical tool designed to probe the role of ionotropic glutamate receptor signaling in neurodegenerative processes, and to delve more deeply into the biological processes underlying the role of these receptors in signaling and memory formation. This ligand-targeted nanoprobe was designed and developed in our lab to label endogenous calcium-permeable AMPARs (CP-AMPARs) in live cells with minimal disruption to native receptor activity. Nanoprobe is designed to use naphthyl acetyl spermine (NASPM) as a photocleavable ligand to target and covalently label native CP-AMPARs with a non-perturbing, fluorescent marker that then allows …

The Adoption Of Harm Reduction By Abstinence Program Staff: A Qualitative Analysis, Morgan Coe

Masters Theses

Opioid overdose fatalities have quadrupled in the United States since the turn of the century, and are becoming increasingly recognized as a nationwide epidemic. While naloxone (narcan) has long been the standard treatment for overdose in clinical settings, it has not been issued to opioid users or their family members in the U.S. until relatively recently. As naloxone distribution and overdose training become more widespread, they are being incorporated into more and more abstinence-oriented settings including detoxes, halfway houses, and outpatient methadone and suboxone treatment programs. This qualitative study explored whether the staff at such programs found that training their …

Examining The Relationship Between Vitamin A Intake And Weight Management, Jennifer Paige Eastep

Masters Theses

Introduction: Treatments of retinoic acid, a metabolite of vitamin A (VA) are shown to induce hyperlipidemia in humans and animals, which may influence adiposity. To understand the role of VA in weight management, two studies, one in animals examining effects of VA combined with high-fat diet (HFD) on body mass (BM) gain and the second in humans comparing dietary VA between participants who were overweight/obese and who had and had not lost 10% of body weight by consuming a hypocaloric, low-fat diet, were conducted.

Methods: Male Sprague Dawley rats were fed a HFD containing sufficient VA (HF-VAS) or a HFD …

Improving Ventricular Catheter Design Through Computational Fluid Dynamics, Sofy Hefets Weisenberg

Masters Theses

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunts are fully implantable medical devices that are used to treat patients suffering from conditions characterized by elevated intracranial pressure, such as hydrocephalus. In cases of shunt failure or malfunction, patients are often required to endure one or more revision surgeries to replace all or part of the shunt. One of the primary causes of CSF shunt failure is obstruction of the ventricular catheter, a component of the shunt system implanted directly into the brain's ventricular system. This work aims to improve the design of ventricular catheters in order to reduce the incidence of catheter obstruction and …

Identification Of Feline Tritrichomonas Foetus Surface Epitopes: Putative Targets For Development Of A Novel Diagnostic Test For Feline Trichomonosis, Emily Nissa Gould

Masters Theses

BACKGROUND: Tritrichomonas foetus (T. foetus) is a flagellated protozoa that infects the distal ileum and proximal colon of domestic cats and also induces reproductive failure in cattle. Although feline trichomonosis is recognized to have a global prevalence of up to 30%, it still poses a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to veterinarians; thus, there is a need for both improved diagnostics and therapeutics. Despite differing organ tropism between genotypes, evidence exists for conserved virulence factors between feline and bovine T. foetus. Two epitopes (1.15 and 1.17) of the bovine T. foetus glycosylated surface antigen 1.15-1.17 have been found …

Perceived Benefits Of Therapeutic Recreation Camps For Young Adults With Disabilities, Macie Dean Parsons

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the perceived benefits that a Therapeutic Recreation camp offers young adults with disabilities. A total of 12 campers were interviewed with 6 being male and 6 being female. Emerging themes included: (a) Social, (b) New Experiences, (c) Character Building, and (d) Get Away. Findings identified the benefits that young adults receive from attending a Therapeutic Recreation camp program. Attending a Therapeutic Recreation camp program allows for individuals with disabilities to be around friends, to meet new friends, to feel a part of a family, to do things they have never done before, …

Ethics With Regard To Compensation And Current Ncaa Policy, Tyler Mcbride

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research is to analyze former NCAA Division I football players’ ethical perceptions of current NCAA policy, specifically concerning regulations governing compensation of the student athlete. This quantitative research study collected data using a 20-question survey instrument composed of demographic and Likert type questions. Statistical analysis determined the data failed to establish a statistically significant behavioral trend arguing either for or against current policies. However, data revealed a statistical difference between the opinions expressed by Caucasian alumni as compared to those of other ethnicities. The purpose of this study was to expose illegitimate processes within the NCAA …

An Initial Analysis Of A Long-Term Ketogenic Diet’S Impact On Motor Behavior, Brain Purine Systems, And Nigral Dopamine Neurons In A New Genetic Rodent Model Of Parkinson’S Disease, Jacob Rubin, William H. Church

Masters Theses

A growing body of research suggests that dopaminergic cell death seen in Parkinson’s disease is caused by mitochondrial dysfunction. Oxidative stress, with subsequent generation of reactive oxygen species, is the hallmark biochemical product of mitochondrial dysfunction. The ketogenic diet has been found to enhance mitochondrial energy production, protect against reactive oxygen species-generated cell death, and increase adenosine, a purine that modulates dopamine activity. The current study evaluates the effects of a long-term (5-month) ketogenic diet on behavioral, neurochemical, and neuroanatomical measures in PINK1-KO rats, a new animal model of Parkinson’s disease. Both wild-type and PINK1-KO animals fed a ketogenic diet …

Targeting Interventions To Reduce Chlamydia-Related Disparities In Kalamazoo County Using Gis And Statistical Analysis, Claudio Owusu

Masters Theses

The annual incident rates of chlamydia continue to rise within Kalamazoo County despite an increase in public health campaign, particularly for persons between the ages of 15-24. This trend in incidence rates of chlamydia by age also shows strong disparities in race/ethnicity and gender at state and county levels. With the increasing burden on the cost of treatment of chlamydia, which is one of the many sexually transmitted infections, targeting high risk populations offers a means of reducing the cost and the spread of the infection. This has shaped attention of researchers and policy makers to the complexity of the …