Digital Commons Network^™

Predictors Of Middle School Girls' Engagement In Suspendable School Offenses., Barbara Harlow Cavanaugh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite research evidence that social context and personal characteristics are related to girls' violent behavior, little is known about the relative contribution of such antecedents. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the relative strength of predictors of school violence among a sample of middle school girls. Of special interest were the intervening variables, because knowledge of their relative strength could enable schools to design targeted interventions to reduce school violence. Social learning theory formed the theoretical foundation for the study. A four-part survey consisting of sociodemographic items, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, an amended version of the Attitudes …

Adults' Perceived Prevalence Of Enteric Fever Predicts Laboratory-Validated Incidence Of Typhoid Fever In Children, Xinguang Chen, Bonita Stanton, Al Pach, Andrew Nyamete, R. Leon Ochiai, Linda Kaljee, Baiqing Dong, Dipika Sur, S.K. Bhattacharya, Siti Sapardiyah Santoso, Magdarina Agtini, Zahid Memon, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Canh Gia Do, Lorenz Von Seidlein, John Clemens

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

This study was undertaken to develop a model to predict the incidence of typhoid in children based on adults’ perception of prevalence of enteric fever in the wider community. Typhoid cases among children, aged 5-15 years, from epidemic regions in five Asian countries were confirmed with a positive Salmonella Typhi culture of the blood sample. Estimates of the prevalence of enteric fever were obtained from random samples of adults in the same study sites. Regression models were used for establishing the prediction equation. The percentages of enteric fever reported by adults and cases of typhoid incidence per 100,000, detected through …

Cigarette Smoking As A Public Health Hazard: Crafting Common Law And Legislative Strategies For Abatemen, George P. Smith Ii

Scholarly Articles

The debate over when, and to what extent, the government may regulate public smoking, is a contentious one of great moment. The point at which the line will be drawn with regard to an individual's right to smoke in public is narrowing. This right may stop at public restaurants and the workplace; or it may reach as far as public stadia, outdoor gathering spots and public streets. In 2006, one report showed 461 municipalities in thirty-three states and the District of Columbia, had adopted one-hundred percent smoke-free coverage in restaurants, bars or workplaces; and 135 municipalities had one-hundred percent coverage …

Effects Of Teaching Resourcefulness And Acceptance On Affect, Behavior, And Cognition Of Chronically Ill Elders, Jaclene Zauszniewski, Abir K. Bekhet, Chien-Yu Lai, Patricia Mcdonald, Carol M. Musil

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

This clinical trial examined changes in affect, behavior, and cognition in 176 chronically ill elders who were randomly assigned to Resourcefulness Training (RT), Acceptance Training (AT), or Diversional Activities (DA). The RT group improved on affect (t(1,42) = 4.91; p < .001) and cognition (t(1,42) = 2.03; p< .05) and these effects lasted 12 weeks. The AT group improved on affect (t(1,36) = 3.08; p < .01), but this improvement did not persist. The RT and AT groups both showed positive behavior changes after six weeks. There were no changes in the DA group. The findings suggest that teaching elders resourcefulness and acceptance of chronic conditions may promote healthy functioning and improve their quality of life.

Prevalence Of Family History Of Speech-Language Impairment In An African American Sample, Tricia Mccully Rodrigue

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of a positive family history of speech and/or language impairments in an African American sample. The first phase of the study used questionnaires from the primary caregivers of 161 children. The questionnaires allowed for an examination of family history as a function of a child’s socioeconomic level (+/- high school level of maternal education), educational placement (+/- receipt of services by a speech language clinician), and clinical status (+/- profile consistent with a diagnosis of SLI). The second phase of the study included interviews that were collected from 17 families …

Role Of Heparanase And Heparanase-Degraded Heparan Sulfate In Brain-Metastatic Melanoma, Madhuchhanda Roy

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Cancer metastasis is a frequent manifestation of malignant melanoma progression. Successful invasion into distant organs by tumor cells must include attachment to microvessel endothelial cells, and degradation of extracellular matrix. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans are ubiquitous macromolecules associated with cell surface and extracellular matrix of a wide range of cells and tissues. Heparanase is an extracellular matrix degradative enzyme which degrades the heparan sulfate chains of heparan sulfate proteoglycans. To investigate effects of changes in heparanase gene expression in metastatic melanoma cells, we constructed adenoviral vectors containing the full-length human heparanase cDNA in both sense (Ad-S/hep) and anti-sense orientations (Ad-AS/hep). We …

A Study Of Auxiliary Be In African American English: A Comparison Of Children With And Without Specific Language Impairment, April W. Garrity

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study’s purpose was to examine the use of auxiliary BE forms in African American English (AAE)-speaking children with and without language impairment. The impetus for this work was a lack of information in the literature about BE use in AAE as a function of form, language status, and tasks, and the relevance of this type of data for testing one theoretical model of childhood language impairment, the Extended Optional Infinitive account (EOI; Rice, Wexler, & Cleave, 1995). Thirty African Americans participated: 10 six-year-olds with specific language impairment (SLI); 10 age controls (AM); and, 10 language controls (LM). All of …

Expectation In Auditory Processing Of Environmental Sounds In People With Fluent Aphasia, Meghan Evelyn Collins

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the integrity of the nonverbal auditory system in subjects with fluent aphasia, and determine the relative preservation of the nonverbal auditory system in comparison to the lexical system. This was attempted through the task of expectation, a high level processing skill. Two groups of participants were examined: a group with fluent aphasia, and a group of non-neurologically damaged individuals. Participants were administered two nonverbal auditory conditions devoid of lexical information, a simple condition and a complex condition in which they were required to determine if the last sound heard in a sequence …

Reducing Liver Cancer Disparities: A Community-Based Hepatitis-B Prevention Program For Asian-American Communities

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: Several Asian-American groups are at a higher risk of dying of liver diseases attributable to hepatitis-B infection. This culturally diverse community should be well informed of and protected against liver diseases. The present study assesses the knowledge of hepatitis B before and after a hepatitis-B educational program and determines the infection status of an Asian community.

METHODS: Nine Asian communities of Montgomery County, MD, enrolled in the hepatitis-B prevention program between 2005 and 2006. They attended culturally tailored lectures on prevention, completed self-administered pre- and posttests, and received blood screening for the disease.

RESULTS: More than 800 Asian Americans …

A Spatial-Temporal Approach To Surveillance Of Prostate Cancer Disparities In Population Subgroups

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer mortality disparities exist among racial/ethnic groups in the United States, yet few studies have explored the spatiotemporal trend of the disease burden. To better understand mortality disparities by geographic regions over time, the present study analyzed the geographic variations of prostate cancer mortality by three Texas racial/ethnic groups over a 22-year period.

METHODS: The Spatial Scan Statistic developed by Kulldorff et al was used. Excess mortality was detected using scan windows of 50% and 90% of the study period and a spatial cluster size of 50% of the population at risk. Time trend was analyzed to examine …

Towards A Hybrid Method To Categorize Interruptions And Activities In Healthcare, James P. Turley, Vimla L. Patel, Jiajie Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

ObjectiveInterruptions are known to have a negative impact on activity performance. Understanding how an interruption contributes to human error is limited because there is not a standard method for analyzing and classifying interruptions. Qualitative data are typically analyzed by either a deductive or an inductive method. Both methods have limitations. In this paper a hybrid method was developed that integrates deductive and inductive methods for the categorization of activities and interruptions recorded during an ethnographic study of physicians and registered nurses in a Level One Trauma Center. Understanding the effects of interruptions is important for designing and evaluating informatics …

Computer Simulation Of Glioma Growth And Morphology, Paul Macklin, Elaine L. Bearer, Vittorio Cristini

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Despite major advances in the study of glioma, the quantitative links between intra-tumor molecular/cellular properties, clinically observable properties such as morphology, and critical tumor behaviors such as growth and invasiveness remain unclear, hampering more effective coupling of tumor physical characteristics with implications for prognosis and therapy. Although molecular biology, histopathology, and radiological imaging are employed in this endeavor, studies are severely challenged by the multitude of different physical scales involved in tumor growth, i.e., from molecular nanoscale to cell microscale and finally to tissue centimeter scale. Consequently, it is often difficult to determine the underlying dynamics across dimensions. New techniques …

Predictive Oncology: A Review Of Multidisciplinary, Multiscale In Silico Modeling Linking Phenotype, Morphology And Growth, Elaine L. Bearer, Vittorio Cristini

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Empirical evidence and theoretical studies suggest that the phenotype, i.e., cellular- and molecular-scale dynamics, including proliferation rate and adhesiveness due to microenvironmental factors and gene expression that govern tumor growth and invasiveness, also determine gross tumor-scale morphology. It has been difficult to quantify the relative effect of these links on disease progression and prognosis using conventional clinical and experimental methods and observables. As a result, successful individualized treatment of highly malignant and invasive cancers, such as glioblastoma, via surgical resection and chemotherapy cannot be offered and outcomes are generally poor. What is needed is a deterministic, quantifiable method to enable …

High-Resolution Vascular Imaging Of The Rat Spine Using Liposomal Blood Pool Mr Agent, P A Narayana

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: High-resolution, vascular MR imaging of the spine region in small animals poses several challenges. The small anatomic features, extravascular diffusion, and low signal-to-noise ratio limit the use of conventional contrast agents. We hypothesize that a long-circulating, intravascular liposomal-encapsulated MR contrast agent (liposomal-Gd) would facilitate visualization of small anatomic features of the perispinal vasculature not visible with conventional contrast agent (gadolinium-diethylene-triaminepentaacetic acid [Gd-DTPA]). METHODS: In this study, high-resolution MR angiography of the spine region was performed in a rat model using a liposomal-Gd, which is known to remain within the blood pool for an extended period. The imaging …

A Model Of Late Long-Term Potentiation Simulates Aspects Of Memory Maintenance

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Late long-term potentiation (L-LTP) denotes long-lasting strengthening of synapses between neurons. L-LTP appears essential for the formation of long-term memory, with memories at least partly encoded by patterns of strengthened synapses. How memories are preserved for months or years, despite molecular turnover, is not well understood. Ongoing recurrent neuronal activity, during memory recall or during sleep, has been hypothesized to preferentially potentiate strong synapses, preserving memories. This hypothesis has not been evaluated in the context of a mathematical model representing ongoing activity and biochemical pathways important for L-LTP. In this study, ongoing activity was incorporated into two such models - …

The Ctsa University Of Texas Health Science Center (Uthsc) Northeast—Tyler And Rio Grande Valley Success Story: How Rural, Underserved Academic Communities Rapidly Built A Robust Engine For Collaborative Covid-19 Clinical Research

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In Escherichia coli, the Min system, consisting of three proteins, MinC, MinD, and MinE, negatively regulates FtsZ assembly at the cell poles, helping to ensure that the Z ring will assemble only at midcell. Of the three Min proteins, MinC is sufficient to inhibit Z-ring assembly. By binding to MinD, which is mostly localized at the membrane near the cell poles, MinC is sequestered away from the cell midpoint, increasing the probability of Z-ring assembly there. Previously, it has been shown that the two halves of MinC have two distinct functions. The N-terminal half is sufficient for inhibition of FtsZ …

Association Of Putative Enteroaggregative Escherichia Coli Virulence Genes And Biofilm Production In Isolates From Travelers To Developing Countries, James P Nataro

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) is an emerging enteric pathogen that causes acute and chronic diarrhea among children, human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients, and travelers to developing regions of the world. The pathogenesis of EAEC strains involves the production of biofilm. In this study, we determined the association between presence of putative EAEC virulence genes and biofilm formation in 57 EAEC isolates (as defined by HEp-2 adherence) from travelers with diarrhea and in 18 EAEC isolates from travelers without diarrhea. Twelve nondiarrheagenic E. coli isolates from healthy travelers were used as controls. Biofilm formation was measured by using a microtiter plate assay …

All In The Family: Atypical Hsp70 Chaperones Are Conserved Modulators Of Hsp70 Activity

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Divergent relatives of the Hsp70 protein chaperone such as the Hsp110 and Grp170 families have been recognized for some time, yet their biochemical roles remained elusive. Recent work has revealed that these "atypical" Hsp70s exist in stable complexes with classic Hsp70s where they exert a powerful nucleotide-exchange activity that synergizes with Hsp40/DnaJ-type cochaperones to dramatically accelerate Hsp70 nucleotide cycling. This represents a novel evolutionary transition from an independent protein-folding chaperone to what appears to be a dedicated cochaperone. Contributions of the atypical Hsp70s to established cellular roles for Hsp70 now must be deciphered.

Genome Sequence Of Fusobacterium Nucleatum Subspecies Polymorphum — A Genetically Tractable Fusobacterium, Yamei Liu, Susan Kinder Haake, George M Weinstock, Sarah K Highlander

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Fusobacterium nucleatum is a prominent member of the oral microbiota and is a common cause of human infection. F. nucleatum includes five subspecies: polymorphum, nucleatum, vincentii, fusiforme, and animalis. F. nucleatum subsp. polymorphum ATCC 10953 has been well characterized phenotypically and, in contrast to previously sequenced strains, is amenable to gene transfer. We sequenced and annotated the 2,429,698 bp genome of F. nucleatum subsp. polymorphum ATCC 10953. Plasmid pFN3 from the strain was also sequenced and analyzed. When compared to the other two available fusobacterial genomes (F. nucleatum subsp. nucleatum, and F. nucleatum subsp. vincentii) 627 open reading frames unique …

Nuclear Localization Of Hbd-1 In Human Keratinocytes, Stephen M Milner

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: Human defensins and cathelicidins are a family of cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which play multiple roles in both innate and adaptive immune systems. They have direct antimicrobial activity against several microorganisms including burn pathogens. The majority of components of innate and adaptive immunity either express naturally occurring defensins or are otherwise chemoattracted or functionally affected by them. They also enhance adaptive immunity and wound healing and alter antibody production. All mechanisms to explain multiple functions of AMPs are not clearly understood. Prior studies to localize defensins in normal and burned skin using deconvolution fluorescence scanning microscopy indicate localization of …

Does Time Really Slow Down During A Frightening Event?

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Observers commonly report that time seems to have moved in slow motion during a life-threatening event. It is unknown whether this is a function of increased time resolution during the event, or instead an illusion of remembering an emotionally salient event. Using a hand-held device to measure speed of visual perception, participants experienced free fall for 31 m before landing safely in a net. We found no evidence of increased temporal resolution, in apparent conflict with the fact that participants retrospectively estimated their own fall to last 36% longer than others' falls. The duration dilation during a frightening event, and …

Rehabilitation Of Patients With Melas Syndrome: A Casereport, Chia-Sho Yang, Tsung-Ying Li, Shuu-Hai Jiang, Chang-Hung Hsu, Yaw-Don Hsu, Shin-Tsu Chang

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

MELAS (mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and recurrent stroke-like episodes) syndrome is a mitochondrial disorder. Patients with mitochondrial myopathies typically have exercise-induced symptoms. Thus, patients are often advised to avoid exercise, which leads to deconditioning. Currently, the concept of aerobic exercise training as therapy for mitochondrial disease is not well established. We report the case of a patient with adult-onset MELAS, who responded positively to a low intensity rehabilitation program. Low intensity training was safe and significantly improved our patient's physical fitness. During the 20-month follow-up period, there was no significant reduction in muscle strength and function. Therefore, short-term endurance training …

Temporal And Kinetic Characteristics Of Different Sit-To-Stand Movement Strategies In Females With Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures, Katie Pei-Hsuan Wu, Yu-Cheng Pei, Mei-Yun Liaw, Wei-Hsien Hong, Jyh-Yuh Ke, Alice M.K. Wong

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

The purpose of this investigation was to objectively identify the temporal and kinetic features of the three different sit-to-stand (STS) strategies in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures for possible future reference. Fourteen female patients, aged 68.2±7.8 years, with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures were included. Subjects sat on a height adjustable, armless, backless chair with their feet on force plates to perform STS using simple, flexion, and extension strategies. Temporal and kinetic features, including STS duration, horizontal and vertical momentums, and maximal left-right vertical force differences (Max-LR-VF-Diff) were measured. The flexion strategy allowed for the longest overall STS duration. The …

Conducting Surveys Among Immigrants: Methodology And Implementation Of A Health Needs Assessment In The Haitian Community Of Miami, Florida

Florida Public Health Review

Lack of reliable data about foreign-born groups creates gaps in demographic measurement methodology leading to a cycle of misinformed policy development. Haitian immigrants represent one of the largest foreign-born groups in Florida. Only limited information is available on the health care issues that they face. This paper describes the methodological design and strategies employed for the implementation of a study whose primary purpose was to identify and evaluate basic health care needs and barriers to health care access for the Haitian immigrant population of Miami, Florida. Information was collected during face-to-face interviews on demographic characteristic and health needs and access …

Comparison Of Thermal Effect With Ultrasound In Rat Calf Muscles After The Application Of Five Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, Yueh-Ling Hsieh, Chen-Chia Yang, Hui-Wen Kuo

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

Background and Purposes: Phonophoresis has been defined as the migration of drugs through the skin under influence of ultrasound (US). The phonophoresis of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) was studied in vivo through hairless rat skin to determine the temperature changes in superficial and deep tissues in response to NSAID phonophoresis.Study Design and Objectives: To measure and compare the temperature changes in tissues in response to five NSAIDs under phonophoresis. Methods: Male Wistar rats weighing 250 to 350 g had one of five drugs; i.e., piroxicam (Feldene), indomethacin (Indocin), etofenamate (Rheumon), methylsalicylate (Salomethyl), or diclofenac (Voren) applied to one hindlimb followed …

Survey Of Spinal Cord Injuries Due To Diving Accidents In Taiwan, Ya-Wen Tu, Huey-Wen Liang, Yen-Ho Wang, Jiunn-Horng Kang, Liu-Ing Bih, Fuk-Tan Tang

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

Objective: To examine the clinical characteristics of diving-related spinal cord injuries (SCI) in Taiwan.Methods: This study is a retrospective reviewarticle of all hospitalized patients with spinal cord injuries due to diving accidents in three rehabilitation centers between January 1982 and July 2002. Demographic data and clinical features were presented and analyzed. Results: A total of 1216 spinal cord injuries were reviewarticleed, and 16 cases (1.3%) met the inclusion criteria. Their mean age at the time of injury was 26.8 years and 15 (94.0%) of the cases were male. All of the injuries resulted in tetraplegia and 11 (69.0%) were neurologically …

Bilateral Sciatic Neuropathy Due To Drug Overdose With Coma, Susan Y Fan, Chang-Zern Hong, Lin-Fen Hsieh, Yii-Jiun Shao, Hsu-Yi Chen

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

Limb compression in an unattended comatous patient often results in peripheral nerve injuries; however, bilateral sciatic neuropathy in these patients has rarely been described in literature. A 37-year-old woman with bilateral numbness and paralysis of the lower limb after drug overdose with coma was reported. After onset of unconsciousness, she was in a seated position with trunk and hips flexed and knees nearly fully extended for approximately ten hours. In the department of emergency, she was found to have bilateral thighs and buttocks swollen as well as myoglobulinuria. Electrodiagnostic studies supported a diagnosis of complete denervation bilaterally in the distribution …

Acute Neuropathy Mimicking Guillain-Barré Syndrome After Diabetic Ketoacidosis: A Casereport, Po-Hong Chen, Hsiu-Fang Hsueh, Chang-Zern Hong

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

A 42 year-old woman was admitted in a comatose state after exhibiting polydipsia and progressive body weight loss of 4-week duration. Diabetic ketoacidosis was diagnosed due to an increased blood glucose level (956 mg/dl), metabolic acidosis, and positive urinary ketone bodies. On the fourth hospital day, despite recovery from the critical state of ketoacidosis, the patient suffered from progressively ascending paresthesia and weakness in the lower limbs. On the basis of clinical and electrophysiological findings, axonal Guillain-Barré syndrome presenting as a paraparesis variant, a very unusual neuropathy related to diabetic ketoacidosis, was diagnosed. The patient reached satisfactory functional outcome after …

Mirror Writing After Left Anterior Cerebral Artery Infarction: A Casereport, Rong-Bin Hong, I-Hsien Wu, Yi-Ming Lo, Hui-Chun Juan, Mei-Ju Ko, Willy Chou

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

Mirror writing is characterized by the writing of alphanumeric characters in the direction opposite to normal. It has been reported infrequently in patients with stroke. We present a 67-year-old male patient who is left-handed but writes with his right hand. He developed sudden onset of right side weakness. CT scan and MRI both revealed acute left anterior cerebral artery infarction involving cingulated gyrus and corpus callosum. His right side weakness gradually improved after rehabilitation. Mirror writing was found when he wrote with his left hand but not with his right hand. The frequency of his mirror writing gradually dropped and …

Metastatic Tumor In The Atlantoaxial Spine: A Casereport, Hsin-Chi Wu, Chieh-Tsai Chiu, Pu-Sheng Yeh, Yi-Shiung Horng

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

Atlantoaxial involvement is rare in metastatic tumors of the spine. We report a case of atlantoaxial metastatic adenocarcinoma of pulmonary origin, which was treated as cervical spondylosis because the first clinical manifestations were cervical pain followed by limitation of rotation. In the literature, most authors stated that in patients with cervical spine metastases but without neurological signs, pain may be the only complaint. Most metastasized tumors of the atlantoaxial spine originate in the lung or breast. The goal of treatment for these cases is palliative. Posterior fixation is indicated for patients having intractable pain or whose cervical spine is unstable. …