Digital Commons Network^™

Genetic Analysis Of Hereditary Gingival Fibromatosis Associated Sos1 Missense Variants Of Uncertain Significance In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Himani Patel

Theses

Hereditary gingival fibromatosis (HGF) is a disease that can present as benign overgrowth of gingival tissue in the mouth. The overgrowth can enclose the entire mouth and teeth in severe cases or present itself in a concentrated area. Researchers have identified that mutations in the SOS1 gene can be responsible for HGF. This disease can impair basic functions related to the mouth. Eating, smiling, speaking can all be affected. Additionally, excess inflammation can cause periodontal disease because of the difficulty in maintaining proper oral health. Periodontal disease can lead to severe bone loss which can lead to complete loss of …

New York City’S Health Governance And Activism From The 1950s To The 1970s, Andres Valcarcel

Theses

New York City's expansive network of hospitals and preventative health services has an intense history outside of the popular narratives of biomedical and technological advancement. This thesis will discuss the period between the 1950s and 1970s and the various movements and parties that shaped the city's health and hospital system. During this period, New York City's healthcare delivery system became increasingly privatized and commercialized; processes that improved the quality of healthcare yet simultaneously barred the poorest from accessing it. Communities, healthcare workers, and civil rights organizations worked to address perceived faults and extend their agency in health and hospital policy; …

Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Eating Disorders, And Mental Stress Among United Arab Emirates University Students, Maram Braikan Alotaibi

Theses

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Eating Disorders (EDs), and mental stress are understudied in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), especially among university students. The objective of this study is to assess the prevalence of IBS, ED, mental stress, their associations, and the determinants of IBS among United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) students. An observational cross-sectional study was conducted via a 48-item online-survey shared with 14,268 undergraduate/graduate students, registered during academic year 2021-2022 in UAEU. Logistic regression models were performed to examine the predictive factors associated with IBS among UAEU students in total and by ED status. Significance was determined at p< 0.05. The prevalence of IBS was 39%, ED 55.9%, and high mental stress 53.2%, and they co-existed in 15.9% of UAEU students. Students who reported consuming trigger-food were 6 times more likely to have IBS than their counterpart [AOR: 5.859; 95% CI: 3.092–11.102, p< 0.001]. Those who reported intakes of relief-food were 4 times more likely to have IBS compared to their counterpart [AOR: 3.881; 95% CI: 1.669 – 9.022, p=0.002]. Students with family history of IBS (FHIBS) were 2.6 times more likely to have IBS than their counterpart [AOR: 2.572; 95% CI: 1.420–4.660, p= 0.002]. Students with high mental stress were 1.7 times more likely to have IBS than those with low-moderate stress, when adjusted for sex and age [AOR:1.730; 1.058–2.830, p= 0.029). No significant associations existed between IBS and ED, Socioeconomic Characteristics (SEC), lifestyle, dietary, and health-related factors. UAEU students reported high prevalence of IBS, ED and mental stress. A significant relationship was found between IBS and FH-IBS, trigger- and relieving- food. This study confirmed the prevalence of IBS, ED and mental stress. Large cohort studies on university students in the UAE are warranted to establish the relationships among IBS, ED, mental stress and their determinants.

Deciphering The Salivary Microbiome In Crohn’S Disease Patients With Different Factors Contributing To Dysbiosis, Hala Elzayat

Theses

Crohn’s Disease (CD) is a chronic Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), common in the UAE. Microbiota is necessary to maintain a balanced gut environment which is essential for good health. Dysbiosis can predispose to many diseases including CD. The oral cavity has the second largest and most diverse microbiota after the gut harboring over 700 species of bacteria. This study aims to investigate the alterations in the salivary microbiome in patients with CD compared to Healthy controls (HC). It also aims to compare CD patients for salivary microbiome complexity and diversity according to different factors that can contribute to dysbiosis, including …

Elucidation Of Novel And Established Campylobacter Species With Clinical And Agricultural Significance Through Phenotypic, Genotypic, And Taxonomic Investigation, Caoimhe Lynch

Theses

Campylobacter spp. are well-established human, veterinary and economic pathogens, with a broad host range spanning from terrestrial and marine mammalian, avian and reptilian hosts. The scope of the study includes novel and notorious species within the genus, with reference to zoonotic agents Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli - the leading cause of human bacterial gastroenteritis in the EU and Ireland, Campylobacter fetus that represents the most common campylobacter causing bacteraemia and two novel species isolated from pigs not described in the literature previously. C. jejuni and C. coli isolates (n = 350) recovered from broiler caecal and neck skin samples, …

Osseointegration For Amputees: Past, Present And Future: Basic Science, Innovations In Surgical Technique, Implant Design And Rehabilitation Strategies, Munjed Al Muderis

Theses

Loss of a leg or arm is a tremendous disability. Immediate and obvious impairments are decreased mobility or diminished functional capacity. Not quite as obvious are the difficulties associated with activities of daily living, quality of life impairments, sometimes loss of independence or employment, and the mental health issues which often accompany limb loss. The interface between native tissue and the prosthetic limb presents the greatest challenge to amputee rehabilitation. Computer-controlled robotic limbs have been widely available since the 1990s. However, the weight of prosthetic limbs, coupled with the difficulty of where to locate the components, requires substantial loads to …

Nurse Escorts’ Perceptions Of Their Ability To Manage Patient Clinical Deterioration During Nurse-Led Inter-Hospital Ambulance Transfer In The Wheatbelt Region Of Western Australia: A Mixed Methods Study, Sinqobizitha Mndebele

Theses

The Western Australia (WA) Country Health Service (WACHS) requires a ward or emergency department registered nurse (RN) to assume the responsibility of conducting inter-hospital nurse-led patient ambulance transfers. In WACHS, these nurses are usually generalist nurses with no specialised training. WACHS has various escalation policies, guidelines and support systems for nurses when they are located within the hospital and wards. However, despite these escalation protocols being clear in this setting, their relevance and practicality during patient transport is uncertain. This research explores how well equipped WACHS RNs in the Wheatbelt region of WA are in managing clinical deterioration of patients …

Safety And Effectiveness Of Stoss Therapy In Children With Vitamin D Deficiency, Paul Tannous

Theses

Objectives: Paediatric vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D - 25OHD) deficiency can lead to nutritional rickets and extra-skeletal complications. Compliance with daily therapy can be difficult, making high dose, short-term vitamin D (stoss) therapy attractive to correct vitamin D deficiency. We compared the effectiveness and safety of standard versus stoss therapy in treating childhood 25OHD deficiency.

Study Design: Children aged 2 - 16 years with 25OHD <50nmol/L were randomized to either standard (5,000IU daily for 80 days) or stoss (100,000 IU weekly for 4 weeks) cholecalciferol. Participants underwent evaluation of effectiveness and safety. 25OHD, random spot calcium: creatinine ratio (Ca:Cr) and compliance were measured at 12 weeks.

Results: 151 children were enrolled in the study (68 standard and 83 stoss), median age 9 years (IQR: 6 - 12 years). Baseline 25OHD levels were 26 nmol/L (IQR: 19 - 35 nmol/L) and 32 nmol/L …

Study Of The Health Needs Of Older Women Experiencing Homelessness In The Perth Metropolitan Area, Gloria Sutherland

Theses

Women aged over 50 years represent the most rapidly growing cohort of the Australian homeless population. Despite an increasing awareness of older Australian women being at risk of homelessness, little is known of how their health contributes to, and changes due to their homelessness. Drawing on the principles of the World Health Organisation’s social determinants of health, this study sought to investigate the personal life circumstances of older homeless women who live in the Perth metropolitan area, their healthcare needs and to identify any barriers to their accessing healthcare.

The study used a convergent mixed methods approach using quantitative and …

A Western Australian Story: A Mixed Method Study Exploring Nutrition Knowledge, Food Intake, Influences On Food Choice, Body Image And Eating Attitudes Of University Students, Michelle Lambert

Theses

Emerging adults are fast gaining recognition as an important target group for health promotion as previous research indicates very few are meeting dietary guidelines, often consuming foods that have increased saturated fats, sugar and sodium. These eating patterns place this group at higher risk of developing chronic illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Understanding how and why these eating patterns develop is important to help establish healthy eating behaviours and greater compliance to Australian Dietary Guidelines – Recommended Daily Serves (ADG-RDS) for emerging adults. International research has focused on eating habits, weight gain patterns and possible influences …

An Examination Of Pain Education Of Medical Students In Australia And New Zealand, Elspeth Shipton

Theses

Background: Unrelieved pain is a significant public health challenge in Australia and New Zealand. Medical practitioners play an essential role in the management of acute, cancer and chronic non-cancer pain.

Aim: This thesis aimed to examine the delivery of pain education at medical schools in Australia and New Zealand, and to determine how effectively it equips medical students with pain medicine competencies required for internship.

Methods: An explanatory sequential mixed methods approach was used. Quantitative studies focused on gathering information regarding the pain-related content of medical curricula of all medical schools; and on testing pain medicine competencies of final-year medical …

Development, Implementation, Evaluation And Validation Of A Haemophilia Nurses’ Education Program In South Africa, Jill Smith

Theses

Haemophilia is a rare, inherited bleeding disorder found in all races and ethnic groups. Intervention regimens are more complicated in developing countries, such as South Africa, where numerous challenges present impediments to effective health care. This study investigated the value of the Haemophilia Nurses’ Education Program (HNEP) in the South African context where no comparable program of training for haemophilia nurses exists.

The HNEP has been in operation in South Africa for some fifteen years. The researcher, as one of the key instigators of the HNEP, was keen to determine whether the course was delivering the outcomes that had been …

Microbiota, Diet And Medication In Human Gut Disorders, Adam Clooney

Theses

The microbiota, a community of micro-organisms in a particular environment, have been intensely researched in the past decade and interest appears to continue to increase. The human body is richly populated with bacterial cells (3.8x10'^) and alterations in these communities are associated with disease. The work presented in this thesis explores aspects of microbiota research methodologies with regard to optimisation and concerns over a lack of reproducibility. Additionally, we investigated the effects of medication, in particular Proton Pump Inhibitors, on the human gut microbiota, along with comparisons between the microbiota of patients with active and inactive Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Microbiota …

Carveol And Related Monoterpenes Inhibit The Function Of The Human Α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor, Yosra Adnan Lozon Adnan Lozon

Theses

Plants and phytochemicals have been used for centuries for therapeutic purposes. Essential oils from these plants are complex mixtures and may possess a large spectrum of biological activities many of them of clinical interest. Among the active constituents of essential oils, monoterpenes, demonstrated valuable antioxidant, antiviral, antimicrobial, anticancer, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. In recent years, actions of monoterpenes on the function of ion channels have been investigated. In the present study, effects of different monoterpenes including carvacrol, carveol, d-carvone, eugenol, (+)-pulegone, thymol, thymoquinone, menthome and limonene, on the function of the cloned α7 subunit of human nicotinic acetylcholine (nACh) receptor …

Noongar Women's Birth Experience, Judith Pamela Wilson

Theses

This qualitative study used a descriptive interpretive approach that drew heavily on the methodological underpinnings of interpretive phenomenology in order to explore the lived experience of Noongar women in childbirth. The aim of the study was to give voice to Noongar women, who despite having poorer outcomes than the wider population, remain marginalised and mute in childbirth reform. The purpose of the study was to acknowledge as authoritative, Noongar women’s wisdom and understanding of their childbirth experience.

This study was conducted at the cultural interface, by a non-Indigenous researcher who implemented a collaborative and power sharing model of enquiry. Ten …

Pro-Aging Vs. Anti-Aging: A Comparative Study Of Attitudes Toward Older Adults, Vanessa Lee Benavidez

Theses

A comparative study was conducted on the attitudes toward older adults between Counselors and Non Counselors. The participants included 50 Licensed Professional Counselors from the state of Missouri, who are registered members of the American Counseling Association (ACA), and 33 Graduate students from Lindenwood University in Saint Charles, Missouri, who are enrolled in graduate programs unrelated to professional counseling. The participants completed a demographic questionnaire and the Facts on Aging Quiz' (FAQl). The demographic questionnaire contained personal data, and the FAQ 1 measured attitudes and knowledge in five areas: correct answer, negative bias, positive bias, neutral, and don't know. The …

The Effect Of Binaural Auditory Beats On The Anxiety And Psychological Hardiness Levels Of Graduate Students, Terry L. Moore

Theses

Three graduate students from a Midwestern urban university were selected from a pool of volunteers based on elevated levels of anxiety. The students were initially tested using the Self-Evaluation Questionnaire and Hardiness Scale. Students were provided with audio tapes using binaural beats. Each Self-Evaluation Questionnaire score was tracked for the purpose of determining the affect of the audio tapes on levels of anxiety and hardiness. All three students showed reduced levels of anxiety after using the tapes, with either a similar or higher level of Hardiness.

Awareness And Usage Of Alternative Medicine In The Elderly Black Population, Deborah Martin Burks

Theses

Alternative medicine covers a broad range of healing philosophies, approaches and therapies. When these therapies are used alone they are referred to as ' alternative'. When they are used with conventional therapies or other alternative therapies then they are referred to as complimentary.

Alternative medicine also embraces health beliefs and practices that fall outside of orthodox medicine. They offer the opportunity for an individual or case manager to explore alternative forms of healing when conventional treatment alone is not effective. Research has shown an increased interest in alternative medicine for the treatment of chronic illness.

The overall goal of this …

Safety Guidelines For Occupational Hazards To The Reproductive System, Laverne Raquel Ogieste

Theses

Most workers are unaware of the hazards to the reproductive system that surround them in the workplace, and therefore, few if any precautions are taken to avoid unnecessary exposures. In this research, safety guidelines were developed in order to eliminate such dangers from occurring or reoccurring.

These guidelines were developed by reviewing case studies of occupational hazards to the reproductive system, including federal laws and regulations related to safety within the workplace. The following forms were also developed in order to formulate suitable safety guidelines for occupational hazards to the reproductive system. They are: an occupational reproductive survey, a reproductive …

The Integration Of The Long Term Care Continuum Into A Seamless Health Delivery System, Virginia E. Moseley

Theses

A seamless continuum of healthcare services is necessary to serve older adults, caregivers and the community. Personal knowledge and experience of the author, a nurse and skilled nursing facility administrator. is combined with a literature review to determine a vision for serving older adults and caregivers. A vertical integration of long term care into a health delivery network traditionally focused on acute and primary care is proposed.

The Effects Of Industrial Quality Management Of The Japanese And United States Health Care Systems, Mary Jo Sexton-Tosh

Theses

This thesis will focus on the effects of industrial quality management on the Japanese and United States Health Care Systems.

Research bas attributed the lack of quality management information in terms of the Japanese health care system to the closing of Japan's borders prior to the Meijing Restoration Era. Because of the isolation from the western world, Japan is behind the United States in its implementation of quality measurement standards to the provision and outcome of health care services.

Over the years the development of the health care industry in both the United States and Japan has taken different paths. …

An Evaluation Of Needleless Intravenous Therapy Devices, Tina Jones

Theses

As the number of persons infected with bloodborne diseases continues to increase, it is paramount that all health care workers exhibit behaviors reflecting unerring compliance with universal precaution.

The majority of occupational exposures to potentially infectious blood and body fluids occur via needlestick injury. The morbidity and mortality from these exposures is significant. A review of research examining work practices mandated by the Bloodborne Pathogen Standard challenges their effectiveness. Principles identified provide insight into why work practice may not prevent needlesticks.

Several industries are developing new products to address this situation, but there are few data on how well these …

Long Term Care Policy And Procedure Manual, Glynis Warters

Theses

This culminating project will focus on the changes that have occurred in the medical world and how those changes have, and will continue to impact the elderly, specifically in the long term care setting .

Over the years the main consideration of health care has changed from direct patient impact to direct dollar impact . With these changes has come the ethical dilemma of providing care for the elderly in a dignified and individualized manner while maintaining a positive cash flow . No longer will society accept mediocre care for the elderly, gone are the days of few and poorly …

The Clinton Health Care Proposal: A Good Idea With Good Intentions, But Will This Dream Ever Come True?, Herbert Joel Segall

Theses

This thesis will focus on the past, present and future status of health care in the United States. Much of the discussion will be centered around the controversial Health Care Reform Bill that v. as proposed by President Bill Clinton in October,1993.

During the past century, researchers, scientists, chemists, and physicians have all made great strides regarding their knowledge of the human body. Many of their studies have provided valuable information of how people can live longer, healthier, and more productive lives, Additionally, technological advancements have played a large role in medicine. These machines and devices have aided physicians in …

Prevention Of Occupational Exposure Of Tuberculosis To Health Care Workers, Thomas C. Carle

Theses

The resurgence of tuberculosis in the United States within the past decade has prompted the health care community to develop tuberculosis elimination policies. However, recent outbreaks of tuberculosis have proved to be resistant to multiple antibiotics. Tuberculosis infections among health care workers is also rising. This increase in occupational exposures has prompted the examination of current exposure control measures.

The occupational exposure to tuberculosis is prevented by the use of administrative policies, engineering controls and personal protective equipment. Each control measure has inherent strengths and weaknesses and when implemented through an exposure control plan the risk of occupational exposure can …

Senior Wellness Prescription, Theresa Schnabel James

Theses

The St. Joseph Health Center and St. Joseph Hospital West mission statement commissions the Hospital to be an advocate for, and agent of change in the community health-care system, and to provide a holistic health-care philosophy to the community. The Hospital's goal is to promote the health and well-being of the community by delivering effective institutional services.

Service to the community is at the philosophical core of St. Joseph Health Center and St. Joseph Hospital West. The Hospital will serve by becoming a leading provider of health-care. It will meet the needs of the patients and the community by providing …

Compliance Documentation For Osha's Bloodborne Pathogen Standard Including Exposure Control Plan And Training, Edward Lloyd Tyerman

Theses

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) regulation on Bloodborne Pathogens is in full effect since its introduction on December, 1991. This standard mandates that every company whose workers may expect to come into contact with human blood, or other body fluids, during the course of their work develop an Exposure Control Plan, train employees about Bloodborne Pathogens and establish work practice controls. All hospitals, physician and dental offices, ambulance companies, emergency medical technicians, medical laboratories, fire departments, and sites with their own first aid and response teams must comply with the standard.

Bloodborne pathogens include, among others, the human …

Do The Experiences Of Other Health Care Systems Identify Incentives For A Cost-Effective Universal Health Care System In The United States?, R. Daniel King

Theses

Each health system used various incentives to achieve lower cost and better utilization of services. In some cases there was evidence that particular incentives demonstrated considerable success with no negative side-effects, while others were effective but introduced new problems.

The results of this analysis did support that other universal health care systems contained examples of proven incentives that if incorporated would benefit a universal health care system in the United states.

Evaluation Of A Pediatric Clinic Program, Fern Brody Hogan

Theses

A community health center opened a well baby clinic in January 1981. The pediatric clinic service was offered to mothers who had delivered a baby through the health center's obstetric clinic. The basic goal of this study is to identify barriers to pediatric clinic attendance. The researcher has attempted to provide a profile of the users of the pediatric clinic. Following this, an evaluation of the pediatric clinic's geographic and financial accessibility, as perceived by the users, was done one year after starting the pediatric service. Analysis of demographic data obtained for the profile showed no significant differences between mothers …

Wholistic Approach To Dental Health, Janice Franklin

Theses

Unavailable.