Digital Commons Network^™

Does Normalizing Gut Microbiota Decrease Exacerbation In Ibd, Franchesca Cook

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including Crohn’s Disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC) has become a more common diagnosis. The number of screenings for IBD has increased, drawing more attention to finding the cause. Researchers are finding that a change in diet, increased stress levels, and overuse of antibiotics may contribute to IBD by changing the gut microbiota (Skrautvol et al., 2011; Bernstein, 2010). Prebiotics and probiotics, an individualized anti-inflammatory diet, and lifestyle modification to decrease stress are all currently undergoing evaluation to discover a possible role in the reversal of IBD insult to the normal flora of the gut. This …

Nrf2 Pathway And The Reduction Of Oxidative Stress, Stephanie Jacobs Uselman

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Oxidative stress has been linked to cellular damage initiating disease processes such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. The Nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2(Nrf2) pathway (Figure 1) aids in age-related cellular decline. The purpose of this study was to define the relationship between Protandim, its activation of the Nrf2 pathway, and decline in oxidative stress and cellular damage. The literature review included journal articles obtained from PubMed, Google scholar, and Cochrane review within the past 5-10 years, and contained both animal and human studies. The methods used in the animal studies included ANOVA, the standardized t-test, and the Neuman-Keuls post-test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. The human study included healthy participants, both male and female, age 29-78 with or without a specific medical diagnosis. Statistical analysis was based on the standardized t-test with a value of p<0.05 considered statistically significant. Liu et al. (2009) conducted a study investigating Protandim’s ability to suppress cancer tumor formation. Tumor incidence declined by 33% and multiplicity of skin tumors by 57% with p = 0.003. Superoxide dismutase increased 35%, catalase 58%, and manganese superoxide dismutase 21%. In 2013, Reuland et al. conducted a study to determine if Protandim could activate the Nrf2 pathway and induce antioxidant enzymes, thereby protecting cardiomyocytes from apoptosis. Results indicated that treated cardiomyocytes showed increased levels of Nrf2 nuclear accumulation, activation of endogenous antioxidant enzymes, and protection against cell targeted oxidative stress (p<0.05). Quereshi et al. (2010) completed a study to delineate if Protandim decreased oxidative stress through the Nrf2 pathway. After six months of supplementation, TBARS decreased by 48% (p=.006), and plasma osteopontin decreased by 57% (p=.018). In 2005, Nelson et al. conducted a study to determine if Protandim decreased cellular damage. After 30 days of supplementation, TBARS declined by 40% (p =0.0001), at 120 days, TBARS declined by 40-54% (p =0.002), and superoxide dismutase and catalase increased by 30% and 54% respectively. The results from studies indicate that Protandim’s activation of the Nrf2 pathway increased endogenous antioxidant availability, resulting in decreased oxidative stress and age related cellular damage.

A Multimodal Approach To Preventing And Treating Alzheimer’S Disease, Jason B. Smith

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

As of 2015 over 47 million people worldwide are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The incidence of AD increases with age, and affects males and females equally. Current pharmacologic treatment includes two classes of drugs. The purpose of this study was to determine if a multimodal approach (i.e. diet, exercise, cognitive stimulation) towards the prevention and treatment of AD would be more beneficial than pharmacologic therapy alone. Research methods included reviewing peer reviewed journal articles published within the past five years obtained from PubMed, Dynamed, Cochrane, CINAHL, and Clinical Key. Ehret and Chamberlin (2015) found donepezil (Aricept) increased MMSE scores …

Proximal Muscle Weakness And Debility Secondary To Polymyositis: A Case Report, Adam Meidinger

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Polymyositis (PM) is the most common inflammatory myopathy in persons over age 50. It predominantly causes weakness at proximal musculature including the trunk, hips, thighs, shoulders, upper arms, and neck leading to challenges with ambulation and mobility, community activities, and difficulty swallowing, eating, and talking. Studies have shown physical therapy to be a staple in the plan of care for treatment of PM to aid in the restoration of muscle function and to improve or prevent further loss of strength. The purpose of this case report is to outline physical therapy's role in the treatment of a …

Serum Biomarkers Compared To Neural Imaging In The Differentiation Of Stroke Etiologies, Kevin Conboy

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Stroke is a leading cause of disability and morbidity and the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, and the second leading cause of death worldwide.

• Early restoration of blood flow is the most effective treatment of ischemic stroke by intravenous thrombolytic therapy within 3-4.5hrs of symptom onset.

• Patient outcomes have been shown to improve with earlier thrombolytics, each 15 minute increment increases survival by 3.0-4.0%.

• Non-contrast CT is the current standard for differentiation of stroke. It is beneficial due to speed of acquisition and its high sensitivity in ruling out hemorrhagic stroke.

• …

Sublingual Immunotherapy: Is It A Viable Option To Subcutaneous Immunotherapy When Treating Allergic Rhinitis?, David Ryan Kesterson

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a very common debilitating disease that can be detrimental to one’s lifestyle, work, and home life. Immunotherapy is the only treatment option that has disease modifying capabilities with a proper therapeutic regimen. Subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) was developed over 100 years ago and has been the gold standard in immunotherapy for many years in the United States. During these years many adverse reactions have been reported with SCIT along with non-adherence to total treatment. The introduction of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) over 20 years ago gave providers a promising alternative to SCIT.

• Method: A review …

Vitamin D Supplementation And Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Pamela Rangen

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are prone to hypovitaminosis D because of their photosensitivity.

• Vitamin D has beneficial effects not only on bone metabolism but also on the function of the immune system.

• Vitamin D levels depend on many variables, including sun exposure, age, ethnicity, body mass index, use of medications and supplements.

• Patients with SLE avoid the sun because of photosensitive rashes and potential for disease flare, so adequate oral supplementation is critical.

• In addition, to the traditional known metabolic activities, vitamin D has been shown to modulate the immune system, and its …

A Comparison Of Traditional Care And Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Treating Depression Following Open Heart Surgery, Derryk Allen

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Depression occurs shortly after open heart surgery in many patients. When depression is identified, traditional treatment consists of antidepressant medications along with cardiac rehabilitation and follow up care but these visits may not address depression. The purpose of this study compares traditional care with cognitive behavioral therapy. Does cognitive behavioral therapy more effectively manage depression than traditional care among male and female patients that have undergone open-heart surgery and acquired depressive symptoms? An article search of the following databases was conducted: PubMed and The Cochran Library. The review of literature explored studies that compare treatment between traditional care and CBT …

A Case Report: Paraplegia Secondary To A Failed Lumbar Fusion, Nicole Jefferson

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: Low back pain is one of the most common symptoms that individuals experience around the world. The total cost for low back pain in the United States are over a billion dollars per year. Although an ample amount of research has been done looking into the epidemiology and treatment of back pain, many people are still suffering from lack of effective treatments.

Case Description: The purpose of this case report was to describe a patient who was post lumbar surgery to evaluate and examine the benefits of physical therapy. The patient in this case report was …

The Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale And Its Use In Assessing Confidence In Elderly Community-Dwellers Attending The Stepping On Program, Sierra Heeren

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Introduction: Stepping On is a 7-week comprehensive fall program aimed at reducing falls for the community-dwelling elderly. Participants are educated on balance and strengthening exercises, and the influence medications, visions, inclement weather, etc. has on safety and falls.

Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to utilize the Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale (ABC) and survey results to determine if attendance of Stepping On improves balance confidence. Secondly, this research sought out to discover if increased balance confidence relates to decreased fall risk.

Methods: Participants of this were included 13 individuals initially (with one participant joining the …

Effectiveness Of Cognitive Timed Up And Go Test In Assessing Fall Risk In The Older Adult, Cory Sailer

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Introduction: Falls are a common and devastating injury for the older adult. Fall programs, such as the Stepping On program, are used to educate, strengthen, and sequentially reduce the number of falls its participant's endure. The Stepping On program is a multifactorial fall prevention program that addresses: balance and strength exercises, visual impairments, home modifications, pharmacologic effects, and even assistive devices. One aspect that has been found to be influential on fall risk is cognition, in particular executive functioning during ambulation.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to screen participants of the Stepping On program for unknown …

Evaluation Of Fall Risk, Functional Mobility And Quality Of Life Changes Of Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Parkinson's Disease Participating In A Community Exercise Program, Gabrielle Dahl, Elizabeth Hermanson, Laura Nelson, Kayla Selinger

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Purpose/Hypothesis: Falls are evident in the older population and are a common and disabling feature of Parkinson Disease (PO). The benefits of activity are well known to decrease balance deficits and increase overall quality of life in the older adult population. In addition highly challenging exercises have been suggested to increase neuroplasticity in individuals with PD. The effect of challenging exercises on clinical outcomes in a structured Physical Therapy setting is documented in literature; however, the effect of a community based program is not well documented. Our pilot study examined the effect of a community exercise program on improving …

Interdisciplinary Mental Health Approach To Equine Assisted Therapy For Veterans, Elizabeth Large, Brier Van Valin

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this program plan, Veteran Equine Therapy Services: An Interdisciplinary approach (VETS), is to provide an interdisciplinary, theory-driven structure to increase veterans’ occupational performance in the community using equines as a therapeutic medium.

Methods: A thorough literature review was completed focusing on current PTSD treatment options for veterans, beneficial effects of using animals and equines in treatment, and interdisciplinary team effectiveness. Scholarly articles were retrieved through databases found on the Harley E. French Library website located at the University Of North Dakota School Of Medicine and Health Sciences including PubMed, Google Scholar, Sociological Abstracts, CINAHL, and PsycInfo. …

Pcsk9 Inhibitors: A Review Of The Efficacy, Safety And Current Literature Recommendations, Lacey L. Jandrin

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in developed counties. It is estimated that 60 million Americans have LDL-C levels > 160 mg/dl. Only about 1/3 of these patients meet treated LDL cholesterol goals of < 70 mg/dl indicating a need for greater control. High dose statins have been the mainstay in treatment of dyslipidemia, however, up to 20% of patients are statin intolerant indicating a need for secondary treatment strategies. This lead to the development of monoclonal antibodies to proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors. PCSK9 inhibitors result in decreased destruction of the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDL-R) which leads to an increase in the transport of LDL-C to its destruction effectively reducing LDL-C levels in the blood. The purpose of this study is to analyze the literature available on the efficacy and safety of new PCSK9 inhibitors. The results of this literature review indicated that PCSK9 inhibitors effectively lowered LDL-C by an average of approximately 50%. The evidence reviewed by this analysis indicate that 70% of patients treated with PCSK9 inhibitors met LDL-C goals. The findings also indicate that the side effects associated with this new class of medications are comparable to current side effects seen with traditional cholesterol lowering agents. The largest side effect seen in up to 10% of patients were injection site reactions and did not require discontinuation of the medication. The results of this analysis indicate that PCSK9 inhibitors may be of benefit in patients who are statin intolerant, do not meet LDL-C goals on traditional statin therapy or have familial hypercholesterolemia. Education in use of injectables, cost and insurance coverage and dosing schedule are likely to be areas of continued research and may affect use of this new class of cholesterol lowering agents.

Biodegradation Of Lignin By Fungi, Bacteria And Laccases, Fnu Asina

Theses and Dissertations

Lignin, a heterogeneous three-dimensional biopolymer, is one of the building blocks of lignocellulosic biomass. Due to its limited chemical reactivity, lignin is currently processed as a low value by-product in pulp and paper mills. Therefore, valorization of lignin holds great potential as this would provide a readily available source of aromatic compounds for various industrial applications. In this study, indulin AT biodegradation was assessed by comparing the effects of basidiomycetous fungi (Coriolus versicolor and Trametes gallica) and actinobacteria (Mycobacterium sp. and Streptomyces sp.) to those of two commercial laccases, those from T. versicolor (≥ 10 U/mg) and C. versicolor (≥ …

The Relationship Between Athletes' Perceptions Of Coaching Efficacy And Collective Efficacy In Collegiate Soccer, Frazer Atkinson

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between athletes’ perceptions of their coaches’ confidence and team confidence in a sample of 272 collegiate soccer players (M = 19.84 years; SD = 1.42) from the NCAA and NAIA. Athletes’ perceptions of their coaches’ confidence were assessed using a modified version of the Coaching Efficacy Scale (CES) (Feltz, Chase, Moritz & Sullivan, 1999), and a single item measure asked participants to rate their perceptions of their coaches’ confidence. Team confidence was assessed using the Collective Efficacy Questionnaire for Sport (CEQS) (Short, Sullivan & Feltz, 2005). Athletes also reported the results of their team’s previous …

Diagenesis And Reservoir Analysis Of The Birdbear Formation, Williston Basin, North Dakota, Sunny Ekwenta

Theses and Dissertations

The southwestern part of Birdbear Formation of the Williston basin is part of the three shelf-wide sedimentary cycles in the Devonian transgressive-regressive sequence rock deposit. It is bounded above by the Three Forks and below by Duperow Formation. The formation can be informally divided into an upper A zone and a lower B zone. The common rock types in the Birdbear are dolomites, limestone, and anhydrite as well as combinations of anhydrite limestone, and dolomite limestone that is mostly found in the upper zone usually at the contact between the Three Forks and the Birdbear. Hydrocarbon has been found in …

Hommage Á Trois: A Tale Of Some Very Hungry Grammia Spp. Caterpillars, Katherine Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations

Larvae of the Arctiinae use an impressive arsenal of defenses to protect themselves against natural enemies. Several species within this subfamily have been studied for their defensive capabilities, specifically the use of plant secondary metabolites. Life history and sequestration patterns of secondary metabolites have been well documented for Grammia incorrupta; however, little information exists for other species of Grammia. Furthermore, information on sequestration patterns during the immature stages of several Grammia spp. is largely unknown. To address these gaps in knowledge, I am conducting a comparative study of the chemical ecology and life history traits for the virgin tiger moth …

Paying But Half Heed To My Father And His World: Daughters And Fathers In Postcolonial Texts Of South Africa And Ireland, Jody Lee Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation reads novels from South Africa and Ireland by noted writers like Nadine Gordimer and William Trevor, in order to examine how the peripheral and underanalyzed literary daughter has been increasingly used as a symbol of the developing postcolonial state. This reading focuses especially on the daughter-father dyad and how through this relationship the daughter reconfigures herself as what Kwame Anthony Appiah has elsewhere called "a partial cosmopolitan" - that is, a individual connected to both the local environment and to the larger global culture. This dual connection that I trace is established in a range of ways throughout …

Vitamin D Awareness, Prevalence Of Supplementation And Estimated Total Vitamin D Intake In College Athletes, Bennett Leitch

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to investigate the awareness of vitamin D among collegiate athletes and evaluate the association between vitamin D awareness and total dietary intake of vitamin D. Eighty-one athletes completed the vitamin D awareness and dietary intake questionnaire. The results showed that males and females had very little concern over their vitamin D levels. Men reported 20.7% while females 25% for “likely” or “very likely”. Furthermore, overall male and female belief for being at risk for vitamin D deficiency was low. Males reported 24.1% for either “likely” or “very likely” to be at risk for deficiency and females 30.7% …

Critical Illness Polyneuropathy, Complications, Erica E. Hjelmstad

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: Critical Illness Polyneuropathy/Myopathy results from the presence of sepsis, multi-organ or respiratory failure, septic inflammatory response syndrome, or difficulty weaning from the ventilator. Decreased amplitudes of compound muscle and sensory action potentials, and widespread denervation potentials in muscle are the primary cause for the resultant muscle weakness. The purpose of this paper is to report on the rehabilitation progress in a woman who developed CIP following surgical complications.

Case Description: A 63-year-old woman suffered from critical illness polyneuropathy following a complicated recovery following a sigmoidectomy secondary to diverticular disease. Multiple surgeries, inability to wean from …

Accessibility And Perceived Value Of Pre-Admission Clinical Contact Hours: A Physical Therapy Student Perspective, Katie Anderson, Megan Volden

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: The purposes of this study were to determine whether professional physical therapy students experience challenges obtaining pre-admission contact hours and if they found them to be beneficial. The results of the survey will be utilized to allow physical therapy programs to make informed decisions about admission requirements in regard to pre-admission contact hours.

Methods: This study was performed utilizing an electronic survey sent in an e-mail to program chairpersons or Directors of Clinical Education, asking them to distribute the survey to their respective current students. All accredited physical therapy programs in the United States were …

Developmental Dysplasia Of The Hip: A Case Study, Joseph D. Taylor

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

PURPOSE: The primary purpose of this case study was to describe the implementation of a conservative treatment protocol for dysplasia of the hip in a young girl in an attempt to prevent surgical intervention. A secondary objective of reducing femoral acetabular impingement was subsequently undertaken in the course of the case study.

BACKGROUND: The patient was a 16 year old female with a diagnosis of bilateral developmental dysplasia of the hip (DOH), bilateral femoral acetabular impingement (FAI), anterior superior labral tear to left (L) hip, elevated antinuclear antibody (ANA) screening and a history of depression.

PLAN OF CARE …

Plant And Arthropod Associations With Environmental Gradients In A Northern Tallgrass Prairie, Bryon Wayne Deal

Theses and Dissertations

Plants and arthropods are the base of grassland communities, and their interactions with environmental gradients and each other can determine their composition and spatial structure within a site. The composition and spatial structure of these communities can determine how they contribute to grassland function, yet grassland conservation and restoration efforts typically do not consider both plants and arthropods. As a result, our understanding of how plant and arthropod communities assemble in response to environmental gradients, and each other, in the same space is incomplete. Furthermore, most studies of grassland community assembly do not address assembly across multiple taxonomic levels, and …

Novelty Detection And Cluster Analysis In Time Series Data Using Variational Autoencoder Feature Maps, Sophine Clachar

Theses and Dissertations

The identification of atypical events and anomalies in complex data systems is

an essential yet challenging task. The dynamic nature of these systems produces huge volumes of data that is often heterogeneous, and the failure to account for this will impede the detection of anomalies. Time series data encompass these issues and its high dimensional nature intensifies these challenges.

This research presents a framework for the identification of anomalies in temporal data. A comparative analysis of Centroid, Density and Neural Network-based clustering techniques was performed and their scalability was assessed. This facilitated the development of a new algorithm called the …

The Impact Of Trauma On Children’S Functioning And The Utility Of The Cbcl Ptsd Profile, Nicola Ashton Herting

Theses and Dissertations

The high rates of trauma exposure among children and adolescents is a major public health concern due to the many ways trauma can adversely impact cognitive, emotional, and social development and functioning. The high rates of comorbidity between posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and other mental health disorders translate to complex diagnostic pictures. When conducting psychological, educational, or neuropsychological evaluations it is therefore imperative that clinicians assess for trauma to accurately diagnose, but ultimately to ensure appropriate recommendations for treatment and interventions are made. Several challenges to screening and assessing PTSS among children and adolescents have prompted the identification of efficient …

Using Simian Virus 40 As A Model To Determine The Effects Of Replication And Transcription On Histone Methylation, Les Kallestad

Theses and Dissertations

Simian Virus 40 (SV40) is a well-characterized virus whose small circular DNA genome is organized into chromatin and, as a consequence, undergoes many of the same biological processes observed in cellular chromatin. SV40 early transcription is repressed when the product of early transcription, T-antigen, binds to its cognate regulatory sequence, Site I, in the promoter of the SV40 minichromosome. We have subsequently shown that T-antigen binding to Site I results in the replication-dependent introduction of H3K9me1 into SV40 chromatin late in infection. Since H3K9me2 and H3K9me3 are also present late in infection, we determined whether their presence was also related …

Role Of The Cholesterol Metabolite 27-Hydroxycholesterol In Breast And Prostate Cancer, Shaneabbas S. Raza

Theses and Dissertations

The cholesterol metabolites known as oxysterols play an important role in maintaining cell homeostasis. They play vital roles in inflammation, cell growth, cell signaling, immunity, oxidative stress and aging. Following the discovery that the most abundant oxysterol, 27-hydroxycholesterol (27-OHC) is a Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM), it has been implicated in hormonal cancers such as breast and uterine cancer. 27-OHC is a ligand of estrogen receptors (ER), a nuclear hormone receptor involved in cell growth and proliferation. The downstream events followed by 27-OHC-induced ER activation in the context of breast cancer is unknown. Also, the role of 27-OHC in prostate …

Hypothalamus And Pituitary Gland Development In The Common Snapping Turtle, Chelydra Serpentina, And Disruption With Atrazine Exposure, Kathryn Lee Gruchalla Russart

Theses and Dissertations

Neural control of the endocrine system originates in the hypothalamus in all vertebrates. The hypothalamus signals directly to the pituitary gland to maintain homeostasis by releasing hormones directly into the bloodstream. Hormones travel to peripheral endocrine organs, and regulate widespread activities including growth, metabolism, stress response, circadian rhythms, water balance, and reproduction. Many of these functions have sex-specific aspects, and therefore sexual dimorphism in morphology and function of the hypothalamus is present. Sex-specific genetic background and morphology is established during pre- and peri-natal development, during which sexually dimorphic cellular differentiation occurs and hormonal profiles are set. Disruption of development can …

Instructors’ Perspectives Of Giving Audio And Video Feedback: Can You Hear Me Now?, Jane Marie Sims

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated university instructors’ perspectives, values and processes of giving assignment feedback to students using written, audio and video formats and examined samples of feedback in these formats for differences in amount of content, language complexity and tone of feedback. The instructors represented different campus disciplines and a variety of campus, online and hybrid environments, and their classes included undergraduate and graduate students and ranged from small to large class sizes. This qualitative study applied Media Naturalness Theory to a phenomenological and discourse analysis of instructor interviews and feedback samples. The interview data revealed intentionality in selecting different feedback …