Digital Commons Network^™

Public Water Fluoridation, Jessica Fohey

Honors Program Theses

This thesis project addresses the issue of public water fluoridation. There is a debate within the United States as to whether or not public water systems should be fluoridated. Because of the large scale potential health impact, it is critical to determine whether or not this practice is in the best interest of the public. This paper provides an extensive review of scientific literature on the effectiveness, safety, and cost effectiveness of public water fluoridation. Following the review of scientific literature, I will present an overview of pseudo-scientific literature which advocates against public water fluoridation that, although often not scientifically …

Range For Normal Body Temperature In The General Population Of Pakistan., Mehreen Adhi, Rabia Hasan, Fatima Noman, Syed Faisal Mahmood, Anwar Naqvi, Adib-Ul-Hasan Rizv

Department of Medicine

OBJECTIVES:

To determine the range for normal body temperature in the general population of Pakistan and to determine if any age, sex and ambient temperature related variations exist in body temperature. Moreover, to compare how much axillary temperature differs from oral temperature measurements.

METHODS:

Oral as well as left and right axillary temperature recordings were made using an ordinary mercury-in-glass thermometer in 200 healthy individuals accompanying patients at various clinics at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) between mid-May to mid-June 2006. Data analysis was done using Epi Info version 3.3.

RESULTS:

The range for Normal Oral Temperatures …

Molecular Processes That Handle — And Mishandle — Dietary Lipids, Kevin Jon Williams

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Overconsumption of lipid-rich diets, in conjunction with physical inactivity, disables and kills staggering numbers of people worldwide. Recent advances in our molecular understanding of cholesterol and triglyceride transport from the small intestine to the rest of the body provide a detailed picture of the fed/fasted and active/sedentary states. Key surprises include the unexpected nature of many pivotal molecular mediators, as well as their dysregulation — but possible reversibility — in obesity, diabetes, inactivity, and related conditions. These mechanistic insights provide new opportunities to correct dyslipoproteinemia, accelerated atherosclerosis, insulin resistance, and other deadly sequelae of overnutrition and underexertion.

Sensitivity Of The Human Circadian System To Short Wavelength (420 Nm) Light, George C. Brainard, David Silney, John P. Hanifin, Gena Glickman, Brenda Byrne, Jeffrey M. Greeson, Samar Jasser, Edward Gerner, Mark D. Rollag

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

The circadian and neurobehavioral effects of light are primarily mediated by a retinal ganglion cell photoreceptor in the mammalian eye containing the photopigment, melanopsin. Nine action spectrum studies using rodents, monkeys, and human for these responses indicate peak sensitivities in the blue region of the visible spectrum ranging from 459 nm to 484 nm, with some disagreement in short wavelength sensitivity of the spectrum. The aim of this work was to quantify the sensitivity of human volunteers to monochromatic 420 nm light for plasma melatonin suppression. Adult female (N=14) and male (N=12) subjects participated in two studies, each employing a …

Promoting Self-Confidence In Clinical Nursing Students, Karen M. Lundberg

Faculty Publications

Clinical nursing instructors are continually telling their students that they just need more confidence. But how do students find this needed confidence and how can nursing instructors help them? The author discusses sources and principles of confidence in relationship to teaching behaviors and strategies for increasing self-confidence, such as simulations, peer modeling, story telling, skill review sessions, and journaling.

Physician Assistant Naples Campus 2008, Nova Southeastern University

Health Professions Divisions Course Catalogs and Course Descriptions

No abstract provided.

Physician Assistant Fort Lauderdale 2008, Nova Southeastern University

Health Professions Divisions Course Catalogs and Course Descriptions

No abstract provided.

Methods For Detection Of Matrix Metalloproteinases As Biomarkers In Cardiovascular Disease, Viorica Lopez-Avila, Juliet Spencer

Biology Faculty Publications

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of zinc-dependent proteolytic enzymes that degrade extracellular matrix (ECM) components like collagen, fibronectin, and laminin. While this activity is important for normal development, morphogenesis, and wound healing, deregulation of MMP activity has been implicated in a number of cardiovascular diseases, including congenital heart defects, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and congestive heart failure. MMPs are good potential diagnostic indicators of cardiovascular disease, but current detection methods are time consuming and quite laborious. This review will discuss MMP biology, current methods for detection of MMPs from patient samples, and potential new developments in multiplexed analysis of MMPs.

Physician Assistant Orlando 2008, Nova Southeastern University

Health Professions Divisions Course Catalogs and Course Descriptions

No abstract provided.

Vascular Sonography 2008, Nova Southeastern University

Health Professions Divisions Course Catalogs and Course Descriptions

No abstract provided.

Patient-Centred Laboratory Validation Using Software Agents, John Mcgrory, Jane Grimson, Frank Clarke, Peter Gaffney

Conference Papers

Guidelines are self-contained documents which healthcare professionals reference to obtain knowledge about a specific condition or process. They interface with these documents and apply known facts about specific patients to gain useful supportive information to aid in developing a diagnosis or manage a condition. To automate this process a series of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and workflow processes are constructed using the contents of these documents in order to manage the validation flow of a patient sample. These processes decompose the guidelines into workflow plans, which are then called using condition triggers controlled by a centralised management engine. The software …

Investigation Of Inosine And Hypoxanthine As Biomarkers Of Cardiac Ischemia In Plasma Of Non-Traumatic Chest Pain Patients And A Rapid Analytical System For Assessment, Don E. Farthing

Theses and Dissertations

Each year in the U.S., approximately 7-8 million patients with non-traumatic chest pain visit hospital emergency departments (ED) for medical evaluation. It is estimated that approximately 2-5% of these patients are experiencing acute cardiac ischemia, but due to the shortcomings of current test methods, they are incorrectly diagnosed and discharged without appropriate treatment provided, thus leading to poor patient outcome and potential medical malpractice litigation.The goals of this research were to evaluate plasma samples for potential biomarker(s) of acute cardiac ischemia prior to heart tissue necrosis, and to ultimately develop a rapid method for detection of the potential biomarker(s) in …

Metabolism Of Neutrophil-Deprived Chlorinated Isoflavones, Tracy Lyn D'Alessandro

All ETDs from UAB

Despite medical advances in both drug therapy and surgical techniques, Americans mostly die from heart disease. Many belong to the low- and middle-class families who do not have sufficient access to medical care due to its high costs. An alternative is the development of healthier lifestyles such as diet which may play a positive role in chronic disease management. Epidemiological and migratory studies suggest that soy plays a pivotal role in the decreased incidence of heart disease in East Asian countries, such as China, Japan, and Korea. The role of soy in cardiovascular disease progression has been the subject of …

Adenovirus As A Platform For Assembly And Targeted Delivery Of Gold Nanoparticles To Tumor Cells, Vaibhav Saini

All ETDs from UAB

Novel combinatorial strategies need to be explored to achieve tumor eradication. In this regard, viral vector based gene therapy and nanotechnology offer unique possibilities for cancer therapy. As an example, multifunctional adenoviral (Ad) vectors capable of targeting, imaging, and successful cancer gene therapy have been advanced into multiple clinical trials. Similarly, novel multifunctional gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been utilized for drug delivery, targeting, imaging, and hyperthermia tumor therapy. Therefore, to accrue the benefits of both gene therapy and nanotechnology for cancer therapy, we proposed to combine Ad vectors and AuNPs in a single multifunctional nanodevice. Towards this goal, herein, we …

Effects Of Cold Weather On Mortality: Results From 15 European Cities Within The Phewe Project, Antonis Analitis, Klea Katsouyanni, Annibale Biggeri, Michela Baccini, Bertil Forsberg Bertil Forsberg, Luigi Bisanti, Ursula Kirchmayer, Ferran Ballester, Ennio Cadum, Patrick J. Goodman, Ana Hojs, J. Sunyer, Pekka Tiittanen, Paola Michelozzi

Articles

Weather-related health effects have attracted renewed interest because of the observed and predicted climate change. The authors studied the short-term effects of cold weather on mortality in 15 European cities. The effects of minimum apparent temperature on cause- and age-specific daily mortality were assessed for the cold season (October-March) by using data from 1990-2000. For city-specific analysis, the authors used Poisson regression and distributed lag models, controlling for potential confounders. Meta-regression models summarized the results and explored heterogeneity. A 1 degrees C decrease in temperature was associated with a 1.35% (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.16, 1.53) increase in the daily …

Profiling The Quality Of End Of Life Care, Catherine Murton

All Theses

ABSTRACT
Despite increased national debate regarding quality of life and quality of care at the end of life, patients in the United States continue to die primarily in hospitals experiencing a myriad of distressing symptoms, leaving caregivers and healthcare professionals wondering if caring for the dying will ever change in this country. There are alternatives available, but it is necessary to assess current conditions for dying patients in order to change the status quo in end of life care. Profiling how patients experience the last few months of life, as well as their terminal hospital stay, is a starting point …

Rapid Phase Adjustment Of Melatonin And Core Body Temperature Rhythms Following A 6-H Advance Of The Light/Dark Cycle In The Horse, Barbara A. Murphy, Jeffrey A. Elliott, Dawn R. Sessions, Mandi M. Vick, Erin L. Kennedy, Barry P. Fitzgerald

Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Rapid displacement across multiple time zones results in a conflict between the new cycle of light and dark and the previously entrained program of the internal circadian clock, a phenomenon known as jet lag. In humans, jet lag is often characterized by malaise, appetite loss, fatigue, disturbed sleep and performance deficit, the consequences of which are of particular concern to athletes hoping to perform optimally at an international destination. As a species renowned for its capacity for athletic performance, the consequences of jet lag are also relevant for the horse. However, the duration and severity of jet lag related …

Detection Of Simulated Apical Root Resorption Using Three Cone Beam Ct Machines, Marcus Paulson

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine orthodontists' ability to discriminate small differences of simulated apical root resorption (SARR) on extracted teeth, using the output from three cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) machines. Twenty-four unrestored maxillary anterior teeth exhibiting normal morphology, were collected. The teeth were scanned by three CBCT machines: 1) the NewTom 3G (AFP imaging, USA), 2) the iCAT (Imaging Sciences, USA) 3) and the MicroCAT II (Siemens Medical, USA). Using a sandblaster the apical portion of each tooth was reduced in 0.5 mm increments up to a total reduction of 1.5 mm. Each root modification was …

Meeting Report: The Role Of Environmental Lighting And Circadian Disruption In Cancer And Other Diseases, Richard G. Stevens, David E. Blask, George C. Brainard, Johnni Hansen, Steven W. Lockley, Ignacio Provencio, Mark S. Rea, Leslie Reinlib

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Light, including artificial light, has a range of effects on human physiology and behavior and can therefore alter human physiology when inappropriately timed. One example of potential light-induced disruption is the effect of light on circadian organization, including the production of several hormone rhythms. Changes in light-dark exposure (e.g., by nonday occupation or transmeridian travel) shift the timing of the circadian system such that internal rhythms can become desynchronized from both the external environment and internally with each other, impairing our ability to sleep and wake at the appropriate times and compromising physiologic and metabolic processes. Light can also have …

Well Child Health Care In Wales: A Change Of Setting, A Shift Of Power, Jennifer Herman

Inquiry Journal 2007

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of High-Fidelity Manikin-Based Human Patient Simulation On Educational Outcomes In Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support Courses, David L. Rodgers

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The use of high-fidelity manikin-based simulation has been studied in many healthcare education areas. However, the use of this education technology in the American Heart Association Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) course has not been well examined in the literature, despite this education program being one of the most widely taught standardized medical courses in the United States. This study examined high fidelity manikin-based simulation versus low-fidelity manikin-based simulation in the context of an actual ACLS course. Four outcomes were measured: learning outcomes as judged by an expert rater panel reviewing videos of subjects performing a simulated cardiac arrest event …

Aging Influences Multiple Indices Of Oxidative Stress In The Heart Of The Fischer 344/Nnia X Brown Norway/Binia Rat, Shinichi Asano

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Here we report the influence of aging on multiple markers of oxidativenitrosative stress in the heart of adult (6-month), aged (30-month) and very aged (36- month) Fischer 344/NNiaHSd X Brown Norway/BiNia (F344/NXBN) rats. Compared to 6 month old rat hearts, indices of oxidative (superoxide anion (–O2 ·), 4-hyrdoxy-2- nonenal (4-HNE)) and nitrosative (protein nitrotyrosylation) stress were 34.1 ± 28.1%, 186 ± 28.1% and 94 ± 5.8% higher, respectively, in 36-month hearts and these findings were highly correlated with increases in left ventricular wall thickness (r>0.669; r>0.710 and p<0.01, respectively). Regression analysis showed that increases in cardiac oxidative-nitrosative stress with aging were significantly correlated with changes in the expression and/or regulation of proteins involved in transcriptional (NF-κB) activities, signaling (mitogen activated protein kinases along with Src), apoptotic ( Bcl-2, Traf-2), and cellular stress (HSPs). These results suggest that the aging F344/NXBN heart may be highly suited for unraveling the molecular events that lead to age-associated alterations in cardiac oxidative stress.

Dolphin-Assisted Therapy: More Flawed Data And More Flawed Conclusions, Lori Marino, Scott O. Lilienfeld

Animal-Assisted Therapy Collection

Dolphin-Assisted Therapy (DAT) is an increasingly popular choice of treatment for illness and developmental disabilities by providing participants with the opportunity to swim or interact with live captive dolphins. Two reviews of DAT (Marino and Lilienfeld [1998] and Humphries [2003]) concluded that there is no credible scientific evidence for the effectiveness of this intervention. In this paper, we offer an update of the methodological status of DAT by reviewing five peer-reviewed DAT studies published in the last eight years. We found that all five studies were methodologically flawed and plagued by several threats to both internal and construct validity. We …

Large-Scale In Silico Mapping Of Complex Quantitative Traits In Inbred Mice, Pengyuan Liu, Haris Vikis, Yan Lu, Daolong Wang, Ming You

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Cardiac Rehabilitation Education Module For Entry-Level Occupational Therapists, Bonnie Hoff

Occupational Therapy Capstones

According to the American Heart Association (2007) statistics, it is estimated that 79,400.000 American adults have one or more types of cardiovascular disease, or one in every three people. It is estimated that 37,500.000 are over the age of 65 years. (AHA, 2007). Heart disease and stroke are the first and third leading cause of death for both men and women in America and accounts for 40% for all deaths, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2005). Approximately one individual will die from heart disease every thirty-three seconds (CDC, 2005).

According to the CDC (2005), a …

Developmental Variations In Plasma Leptin, Leptin Soluble Receptor And Their Molar Ratio In Healthy Infants, Winston Wk Koo, Mouhanad Hammami, Elaine M. Hockman

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Leptin and its soluble receptor (sOB-R) are important to regulation of body composition but there are no data on the developmental variations in these plasma variables and their relationship with body composition measurements,

Methods

Weight, length, and body composition (bone, fat and lean mass) by dual energy absorptiometry, and plasma variables were measured in healthy infants at 2, 4, 8 and 12 months.

Results

15 whites and 29 African Americans (21 males and 23 females) with mean birth weight 3357 +/- 45 (SEM) g and gestation of 39.3 +/- 0.17 weeks were studied. The overall Z score for …

Oxpat/Pat-1 Is A Ppar-Induced Lipid Droplet Protein That Promotes Fatty Acid Utilization, Nathan E. Wolins, Benjamin K. Quaynor, James R. Skinner, Anatoly Tzekov, Michelle A. Croce, Matthew C. Gropler, Vijayalakshmi Varma, Aiwei Yao-Borengasser, Neda Rasouli, Philip A. Kern, Brian N. Finck, Perry E. Bickel

Clinical and Translational Science Faculty Publications

Lipid droplet proteins of the PAT (perilipin, adipophilin, and TIP47) family regulate cellular neutral lipid stores. We have studied a new member of this family, PAT-1, and found that it is expressed in highly oxidative tissues. We refer to this protein as "OXPAT." Physiologic lipid loading of mouse liver by fasting enriches OXPAT in the lipid droplet tissue fraction. OXPAT resides on lipid droplets with the PAT protein adipophilin in primary cardiomyocytes. Ectopic expression of OXPAT promotes fatty acid-induced triacylglycerol accumulation, long-chain fatty acid oxidation, and mRNAs associated with oxidative metabolism. Consistent with these observations, OXPAT is induced in mouse …

Advanced Practice Update, Michael Hartman, Leif Penrose

Faculty Works: AHS (2004-2023)

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Athletic Training Program Course Progression And Implementation Of Course Progression On First-Time Success Rate On The Board Of Certification Examination, Matthea S. Hungerford

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Context: For optimal preparation for the Board of Certification (BoC) examination, the environment in which a student learns should be designed to disseminate the appropriate knowledge in a sequenced, timely manner. Objective: To determine if there is a relationship between progression of courses (prevention and care, first evaluation course, rehabilitation, modalities, organization and administration) and their respective timing on first-time pass rate of the written and overall BoC examination. Design: Multiple Pearson correlational analyses. Setting: Web-based survey. Patients or Other Participants: Program directors from 31 Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) accredited entry-level undergraduate athletic training education …

Stress Management Through Art-Making, Karina Schwarz

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Stress is a natural and necessary part of everyday existence; the symptoms related to stress are unavoidable and systemic (Frey, 2001). Acute and chronic stress can adversely affect individuals both physically and emotionally. The literature gives evidence that medical school students are not provided with the adequate tools needed to cope with stress. This study was an art-making intervention designed to decrease stress among medical students. There were 24 participants, 19 women and 5 men enrolled in the Doctor of Medicine program at Eastern Virginia Medical School. The participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to measure their levels of …