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Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis: Exploring The Experiences Of Eye Bank Coordinators When Approaching Families Of Decedents For Eye Donation, Concetta Triglia

Health Sciences Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This dissertation was used to addresses a group of individuals who work as eye bank coordinators. These individuals call families and approach them for eye donations from a loved one who has just passed away. An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to explain the lived experience of eye bank coordinators who call families for consent of eye tissue. The focus was to understand the dedication of the coordinators to giving the gift of sight and exploring the positive and negative experiences of eye bank coordinators. IPA is used for a keen understanding of eye bank coordinators, and the investigator …

Transplantation Of Schistosome Sporocysts Between Host Snails: A Video Guide., Gabriel Mouahid, Anne Rognon, Ronaldo De Carvalho Augusto, Patrick Driguez, Kathy Geyer, Shannon Karinshak, Nelia Luviano, Victoria Mann, Thomas Quack, Kate Rawlinson, George Wendt, Christoph Grunau, Hélène Moné

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Schistosomiasis is an important parasitic disease, touching roughly 200 million people worldwide. The causative agents are different Schistosoma species. Schistosomes have a complex life cycle, with a freshwater snail as intermediate host. After infection, sporocysts develop inside the snail host and give rise to human dwelling larvae. We present here a detailed step-by-step video instruction in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese that shows how these sporocysts can be manipulated and transferred from one snail to another. This procedure provides a technical basis for different types of ex vivo modifications, such as those used in functional genomics studies.

Diagnostic Performance Of Urinary Igg Antibody Detection: A Novel Approach For Population Screening Of Strongyloidiasis., Chatanun Eamudomkarn, Paiboon Sithithaworn, Christine Kamamia, Anna Yakovleva, Jiraporn Sithithaworn, Sasithorn Kaewkes, Anchalee Techasen, Watcharin Loilome, Puangrat Yongvanit, Chompunoot Wangboon, Prasert Saichua, Makoto Itoh, Jeffrey M Bethony

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

The diagnosis of strongyloidiasis by coprological methods has a low sensitivity, underestimating the prevalence of Strongyloides stercoralis in endemic areas. Serodiagnostic tests for strongyloidiasis have shown robust diagnostic properties. However, these methods require a blood draw, an invasive and labor-intensive sample collection method, especially in the resource-limited settings where S. stercoralis is endemic. Our study examines a urine-based assay for strongyloidiasis and compares its diagnostic accuracy with coprological and serological methods. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses determined the diagnostic sensitivity (D-Sn) and specificity (D-Sp) of the urine ELISA, as well as estimates its positive predictive value and diagnostic risk. …

Method Overtness, Forensic Autopsy, And The Evidentiary Suicide Note: A Multilevel National Violent Death Reporting System Analysis, Ian R. H. Rockett, Eric D. Caine, Steven Stack, Hilary S. Connery, Kurt B. Nolte, Christa L. Lilly, Ted R. Miller, Lewis S. Nelson, Sandra L. Putnam, Paul S. Nestadt, Haomiao Jia

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Objective

Higher prevalence of suicide notes could signify more conservatism in accounting and greater proneness to undercounting of suicide by method. We tested two hypotheses: (1) an evidentiary suicide note is more likely to accompany suicides by drug-intoxication and by other poisoning, as less violent and less forensically overt methods, than suicides by firearm and hanging/suffocation; and (2) performance of a forensic autopsy attenuates any observed association between overtness of method and the reported presence of a note.

Methods

This multilevel (individual/county), multivariable analysis employed a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM). Representing the 17 states participating in the United States …

Biosocial Criminology Versus The Constitution, Karen E. Balter

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

The continually emerging field of biosocial criminology provides a basis for productively merging biology with sociological reasonings for criminal behavior. Mainstream research in criminology focuses on environmental factors as the sole reason individuals exhibit antisocial behavior patterns and may ultimately commit crimes. Criminological research has travelled in this direction for decades. The current climate within this community subscribes heavily to the notion that biology has very little to do with why people behave the way they do, and if it did, government control would be the norm. The nature of biocriminology opens a door through which constitutional issues may enter. …

Global And Multi-Focal Changes In Cerebral Blood Flow During Subthalamic Nucleus Stimulation In Parkinson’S Disease, A. M. Mubeen, B. Ardekani, M. Tagliati, R. Alterman, V. Dhawan, D. Eidelberg, J. J. Sidtis

Journal Articles

© 2017, © The Author(s) 2017. Electrical stimulation of subthalamic nuclei (STN) is a widely used therapy in Parkinson’s disease (PD). While deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the STN alters the neurophysiological activity in basal ganglia, the therapeutic mechanism has not been established. A positron emission tomography (PET) study of cerebral blood flow (CBF) during speech production in PD subjects treated with STN-DBS found significant increases in global (whole-brain) CBF.1That study utilized a series of whole-slice regions of interest to obtain global CBF values. The present study examined this effect using a voxel-based principal component analysis (PCA) combined with Fisher’s …

Switching Language Modes: Complementary Brain Patterns For Formulaic And Propositional Language, J. J. Sidtis, D. Van Lancker Sidtis, V. Dhawan, D. Eidelberg

Journal Articles

© John J. Sidtis et al. 2018. Language has been modeled as a rule governed behavior for generating an unlimited number of novel utterances using phonological, syntactic, and lexical processes. This view of language as essentially propositional is expanding as a contributory role of formulaic expressions (e.g., you know, have a nice day, how are you?) is increasingly recognized. The basic features of the functional anatomy of this language system have been described by studies of brain damage: left lateralization for propositional language and greater right lateralization and basal ganglia involvement for formulaic expressions. Positron emission tomography (PET) studies of …

Development Of Methods To Modulate Natural Killer Cells, Kari A. Shaver

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Natural Killer (NK) cell based immunotherapies have demonstrated success against malignancies and hematological cancers. However, tumors have developed mechanisms to evade detection by and suppress the immune system, commonly through altering the expression of cell-surface proteins. Overexpression of human leukocyte antigen-E (HLA-E), which binds to the inhibitory NKG2A on NK cells, protects malignant cells from lysis. Downregulating the NKG2A receptor on NK cells should release NK cell inhibition, but proves challenging as NK cells are difficult to transfect and no good methods currently exist. This project is designed to investigate the use of exosomes – small vesicles and natural carriers …

Targeted Delivery Of A Therapeutic Protein For The Treatment Of Alzheimer's Disease, Heather Holman

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease are linked to mitochondrial dysfunction and the underexpression of TOM40, a protein with chaperone-like qualities that is responsible for transporting precursor proteins into the mitochondria. Overexpression of TOM40 is reported to partially restore mitochondrial dysfunction and decrease the accumulation of neurotoxic aggregates of α-synuclein. Our goal is to develop an effective method for delivery of TOM40 protein to the brain.

Previous studies have used lentiviruses to carry TOM40 into the hippocampus of α-synuclein transgenic mice. The disadvantage of lentiviral transfection is the random insertions of the target gene into the host …

Cross-Script Orthographic And Phonological Preview Benefits, Olessia Jouravlev, Debra Jared

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

The present experiment examined the use of parafoveally presented first-language (LI) orthographic and phonological codes during reading of second-language (L2) sentences in proficient Russian-English bilinguals. Participants read English sentences containing a Russian preview word that was replaced by the English target word when the participant’s eyes crossed an invisible boundary located before the preview word. The use of English and Russian allowed us to manipulate orthographic and phonological preview effects independently of one another. The Russian preview words overlapped with English target words in (a) orthography (ВЕЛЮР [vʲɪˈlʲʉr]–BERRY), (b) phonology (БЛАНК [blank]–BLOOD), or (c) had no orthographic or phonological overlap …

Parasympathetic Nerve Derived Exosomes Inhibit Hyperglycemia Induced Apoptosis In Cardiomyoblast Cells, Reetish K. Singla

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Diabetic cardiomyopathy involves both forms of cardiac cell cell death such as apoptosis and necrosis. However, this remains unknown whether hyperglycemia induced apoptosis in the cell culture system is inhibited by parasympathetic nerve derived exosomes. We isolated parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves and derived exosomes. We developed hyperglycemia induced apoptosis in H9c2 cells. H9c2 cells were divided into 4 groups: 1) Control, 2) H9c2+ Glucose 100 mmol, 3) H9c2+ Glucose +parasympathetic-exo, 4) H9c2+ Glucose+sympathetic-exo. We determined cell proliferation and viability with MTT assay kit and apoptosis with TUNEL staining and cell death detection ELISA kit. Data was further confirmed with pro-apoptotic …

Effects Of The Influenza Vaccine On The Oral Cavity, Laura Sawires

Honors Undergraduate Theses

According to existing literature, there is a suggested correlation between certain vaccinations and oral cavity symptoms. Studies have shown that the Diphtheria, Tetanus, Acellular Pertusis, as well as Polio Vaccinations have an association with presented symptoms of bleeding gums, sores, ulcers, white spots in the mouth or on lips, and unpleasant breath odor. Although these symptoms may not occur simultaneously or directly after administration of the immunization, there has been supported evidence of correlation. Given the relevance of an association between vaccinations and orally manifested side effects, an investigation on the presence of such association with the widely administered flu …

The Effect Of Mismatch Primers On The Efficiency Of Amplification In Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reactions, Molly C. Dawkins

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a method used in many research protocols to amplify a small amount of a short segment of DNA to millions of copies. PCR is used for many taxonomic studies, as well as for some medical diagnostic procedures. Through PCR, short DNA primers bind to the template DNA to allow the thermostable DNA polymerase to copy the DNA. Often, researchers create universal primers to target a conserved region of DNA in multiple species, for example, the 16S rRNA gene in bacteria. The problem with these universal primers is that they do not always perfectly match the …

Comparison Of Standard Agglutination Tests, Enzyme Immunoassay, And Coombs Gel Test Used In Laboratory Diagnosis Of Human Brucellosis, Emi̇ne Emel Koçman, Memnune Selda Erensoy, Meltem Taşbakan, Meltem Çi̇çekli̇oğlu

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: It was aimed to evaluate the results of Rose Bengal (RB), ELISA total tests (IgM and IgG), and the Brucella Coombs gel test (BCGT), which are used as screening tests, with the combined results of a tube agglutination test (standard Wright test: SWT) and a tube agglutination test with antihuman globulin (AHG TAT). Materials and methods: Samples from 97 patients prediagnosed with brucellosis (age ≥18 years) were screened with RB, ELISA, and BCGT. SWT < 160 samples and RB-negative but ELISA- or BCGT-positive samples were tested by AHG TAT. SWT ≥ 160 or AHG TAT ≥ 160 was taken as reference. Results: Thirty-two of 56 RB-positive samples and one RB-negative but ELISA- and BCGT-positive sample were found to be ≥160 with SWT or AHG TAT. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and agreement (kappa) values according to SWT ≥ 160 or AHG TAT ≥ 160 positivity were as follows, respectively: RB 96.9%, 62.5%, 74.2%, and 0.509; ELISA total 100%, 60.9%, 74.2%, and 0.515; BCGT test 97%, 70.3%, 79.4%, and 0.594. Conclusion: Sensitivities of the screening tests are similar, but positivities should be confirmed by more specific tests. Positive samples from screening tests should be tested with AHG if the SWT value is

The Effects Of Emerging Technology On Healthcare And The Difficulties Of Integration, Skyler J. Pavlish-Carpenter

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Disruptive technology describes technology that is significantly more advanced than previous iterations, such as: 3D printing, genetic manipulation, stem cell research, innovative surgical procedures, and computer-based charting software. These technologies often require extensive overhauls to implement into older systems and must overcome many difficult financial and societal complications before they can be widely used. In a field like healthcare that makes frequent advancements, these difficulties can mean that the technology will not be utilized to its full potential or implemented at all.

Objective: To determine the inhibiting factors that prevent disruptive technology from being implemented in conventional healthcare.

Methods: …

Effects Of Energy-Based Therapies On Postoperative Recovery: An Integrative Review Of The Literature, Emily M. Wooten

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Associated with health care reform, there has been a growing interest among healthcare professionals regarding use of energy-based therapies as a complementary therapeutic intervention. The purpose of this integrative literature review was to examine the impact of energy-based therapies (i.e. healing touch, reiki, therapeutic touch) on patients’ postoperative recovery. The methodology included identifying appropriate peer-reviewed, English-language research articles on the topic area that were published between 2006 to 2018. Following a search in select data bases, articles focusing on the topic were critiqued, analyzed and synthesized by the researcher. Consistent and inconsistent findings along with gaps in the literature are …

Primary Liver Cancers, Part 2: Progression Pathways And Carcinogenesis, Kun Jiang, Barbara A. Centeno

Pathology and Cell Biology Faculty Publications

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and primary intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) have been increasing in incidence worldwide and are leading causes of cancer death. Studies of the molecular alterations leading to these carcinomas provide insights into the key mechanisms involved. A literature review was conducted to identify articles with information relevant to current understanding of the etiologies and molecular pathogenesis of HCC and ICC. Chronic inflammatory diseases are the key etiological risk factors for both HCC and ICC, although other diseases play a role, and for many ICCs, an underlying risk factor is not identified. Mutations in catenin beta 1 (CTNBB1) …

Recurrent Aneurysmal Bone Cyst Of The Distal Fibula Treated With Denosumab And Curettage, Philip B. Fontenot, Jose Jesurajan, Marilyn Bui, Damon Reed, Odion Binitie

Pathology and Cell Biology Faculty Publications

We report the case of a 13-year-old girl with multiple recurrences of an aneurysmal bone cyst of the distal fibula successfully treated with denosumab and curettage. Aneurysmal bone cysts are locally aggressive lesions with high rates of recurrence. The novel use of denosumab with curettage in a long bone showed a favorable outcome with no adverse events or signs of recurrence three years after treatment.

Primary Liver Cancers—Part 1: Histopathology, Differential Diagnoses, And Risk Stratification, Kun Jiang, Sameer Al-Diffalha, Barbara A. Centeno

Pathology and Cell Biology Faculty Publications

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CC) are the 2 most common primary malignant liver tumors, with hepatocellular and bile ductular differentiation, respectively. This article reviews the key histopathological findings of these 2 primary liver cancers and includes a review of the role of ancillary testing for differential diagnosis, risk stratification according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging recommendation, and a review of precancerous lesions. A literature review was conducted to identify articles with information relevant to precancerous precursors, current histopathological classification, ancillary testing, and risk stratification of primary malignant liver tumors. The histomorphology of normal liver, preinvasive …

Proof-Of-Concept Testing Of A Real-Time Mhealth Measure To Estimate Postural Control During Walking: A Potential Application For Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries, Hyunhwa Lee, Sunchul Lee, Laura Salado, Jonica Estrada, Jacob White, Venkatesan Muthukumar, Szu-Ping Lee, Sambit Mohapatra

Nursing Faculty Research

Background: Most individuals with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) experience post-injury deficits in postural control. Currently available measures of postural control are lab-based or supervised, which may hinder timely symptom assessment for individuals with mTBI, including Asian populations, who do not seek initial screening post-injury. In this proof-of-concept testing study, we introduce a real-time mobile health (mHealth) system to measure postural control during walking. The proposed mHealth system can be used for home-based symptom assessment and management of mTBI. Methods: In our proposed mHealth system, a smartwatch, a smartphone, and a cloud server communicate to measure, collect, and store body …

Does Glycerol Have An E Ect On Pain During Nasal Packing Removal, Sanem Okşan Erkan, Bi̇rgül Tuhani̇oğlu, Zeynel Abi̇di̇n Erkan, Tali̇h Özdaş, Orhan Görgülü

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the e cacy of lubricating and moistening of Merocel nasal packs with glycerol on reducing pain and bleeding during nasal packing removal in patients who had undergone endoscopic sinus surgery or with epistaxis. Materials and methods: Fifty patients were included in the study. Glycerol was used on one side while saline was used on the other side of the same patient as a control. All patients were blinded to which side received glycerol and which side received saline. In the glycerol group, glycerol was in ltrated into the Merocel packing in …

Reference Values Of Anthropometric Measurementsin Healthy Late Preterm And Term Infants*, Betül Si̇yah Bi̇lgi̇n, Özgün Uygur, Demet Terek, Özge Altun Köroğlu, Mehmet Yalaz, Mete Akisü, Muhsi̇n Özgür Çoğulu, Ni̇lgün Kültürsay

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Geographical distribution, ethnicity, and other socioeconomic factors may affect anthropometric measurements, and for that reason each society should determine their own measurements accounting for those factors. In this study, we aimed to determine the anthropometric measurements of healthy late preterm and term infants to compare the results with other national and international studies. Materials and methods: This sectional study was carried out among 1197 infants born with a gestational age of ≥35 weeks. Chest circumference, ear length, foot length, palmar length, middle finger length, philtrum distance, inner and outer canthal distances, and palpebral fissure length were measured in the first …

The Histopathological Effects Of Calcium Triglyceride Bone Cement Andchitosan On The Healing Of Experimental Bone Defects, Levent Uslucan, Berkem Atalay, Cüneyt Korhan Oral, Mustafa Sami̇ Yildirim, Abdulkadi̇r Burak Çankaya

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: This study evaluated the histopathological effects of two different bone grafts, calcium triglyceride bone cement (CTBC) and chitosan, on the healing of experimental bone defects. Materials and methods: Ninety-two Sprague Dawley male rats, with a weight of 240 ± 20 g, were used. Two experimental groups that consisted of 64 rats were divided into four subgroups due to the sacrification days, which were 7, 14, 30, and 60. After creating an 8-mm- long and 1-mm-wide cortico-cancellous bone defect in the right tibia of each rat, CTBC and chitosan were applied to the bone defects. In the main group, after …

Real-Time Pcr Using High-Resolution Melting Analysis Technology For Diagnosis Of Leishmania And Determination Of Types Of Clinical Samples, Serhat Si̇rekbasan, Erdal Polat

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Leishmaniasis is a disease group carried by Phlebotomus and Lutzomyia sand flies infected with Leishmania and is mostly observed in rural areas. In this study, using high-resolution melting analysis (HRMA), we aim to identify the active types of leishmaniasis, which are inadequately identified by classical methods. Materials and methods: Samples of 85 patients were examined in the study. Six of the patients were suspected of having visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and 79 cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). The slides prepared from the samples were stained with Giemsa stain and examined under a light microscope. The results were compared with those determined in …

Development And Testing Of A Novel Symptom Assessment Scale For Behçet's Disease, Fi̇li̇z Özel, Aynur Esen Türeyen, Fi̇sun Şenuzun Aykar, Gökhan Keser

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: This study was designed to develop a Behçet's disease (BD) symptom assessment scale based on the theory of unpleasant symptoms, which deals with understanding symptom experiences in a disease. Materials and methods: The BD Symptom Assessment Scale has two sections: the factors influencing symptoms and the situations influenced by symptoms. Both of these sections were developed through an initial item pool, and expert opinions were consulted during a pilot test performed with 30 patients with BD. We then tested the validity and reliability of this scale on 218 different patients with BD fulfilling the ISG criteria. Finally, we scored …

Reliability And Validity Of The Turkish Version Of Thefoot Function Index In Patients With Foot Disorders, Bahar Külünkoğlu, Nesli̇han Firat, Nazim Tolgahan Yildiz, Afra Alkan

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: The Foot Function Index (FFI) is a valid, reliable, and widely used self-reported questionnaire for the foot. The purpose of this study was to provide evidence for the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the FFI (FFI-TR) among patients with foot disorders such as plantar fasciitis, hallux valgus, pes planus, and hammertoe deformities. Materials and methods: One hundred and fifty-nine patients with foot disorders were enrolled. The psychometric properties of the previously translated and adapted FFI-TR were assessed. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability were evaluated. Construct validity was examined for correlations with the Short Form-36 (SF-36) …

Correlation Between Epicardial Adipose Tissue Thickness And The Degree Of Coronary Artery Atherosclerosis, Arthur Atilla Keresztesi, Gabriela Asofie, Mihai Adrian Simion, Harald Jung

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the thickness of the epicardial adipose tissue and its association with the degree of coronary artery disease in a group of autopsied cases. Materials and methods: A number of 79 cases were included in the study. Five preestablished incisions of the epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) were made on each of the hearts. These five points were next to/on the path of the major coronary vessels. The degree of coronary atherosclerosis was evaluated during the autopsy. Results: The results revealed the greatest thickness of the EAT on the incision made on …

Evaluation Of Urinary Incontinence And Quality Of Life In Marriedwomen Aged Between 20 And 49 Years (Sakarya, Turkey), Kevser İlçi̇oğlu, Sevi̇l Şahi̇n, Nebahat Özerdoğan, Alaetti̇n Ünsal

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence and to evaluate the relationship between urinary incontinence and quality of life in married women. Materials and methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted among married women aged 20-49 years living in the vicinity of the Çökekler Community Clinic (Family Health Center) in Sakarya, Turkey, from 1 November 2011 to 15 April 2012. The study group consisted of 1161 women. Results: The frequency of urinary incontinence was 71.5% (n = 830). Out of a total of 830 patients with symptoms of urinary incontinence, mixed was the most frequently determined …

Cross-Cultural Adaptation, Reliability, And Validity Of The Turkish Version Of The Cancer Fatigue Scale In Patients With Breast Cancer, Sedef Şahi̇n, Meral Huri̇, Orkun Tahi̇r Aran, Mi̇ne Uyanik

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: The Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS) was developed to evaluate the severity of fatigue in patients with breast cancer. The aim of this study is to translate and culturally adapt a Turkish version and investigate the validity and reliability of the CFS in Turkish patients with fatigue symptoms. Materials and methods: Eighty participants completed the Turkish version of the CFS for breast cancer and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire ″Core 30″ (EORTC QLQ-C30). Test-retest reliability was evaluated by repeating the CFS with a 7-day interval. Results: The CFS demonstrated high test-retest …

In Vivo Attenuation Of Angiogenesis In Hepatocellular Carcinoma By Nigella Sativa, Moustafa Fathy, Toshio Nikaido

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Angiogenesis is imperative in malignant tumor growth. Hepatocellular carcinoma is a typical hypervascular tumor that relies on angiogenesis. The aim of this study is to investigate the in vivo molecular mechanism underlying the antitumor properties of Nigella sativa ethanolic extract (NSEE) through its antiangiogenic effect against diethyl nitrosamine (DENA)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. Materials and methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups: normal, NSEE, DENA, and NSEE-DENA groups. Final body weight, hepatosomatic indices, serum AFP, serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels, and liver tissue hepatocyte growth factor ß (HGFß) protein expression were estimated. Liver sections were stained for histological …