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Commencement Convocation Program, St. Petersburg Campus, May 5, 2013, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

King O'Neal Scholar - Sean D. Ericson; Outstanding Graduate - Aaron G. Kawaja

Commencement Convocation Program, Sarasota - Manatee Campus, May 5, 2013, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

Outstanding Professor Award - Richard Reich; Golden Bull Service & Outstanding Leadership Award - Ryan Page; Outstanding Graduate - Dat Vu; King O'Neal Scholar - Michaela Cerce

Commencement Convocation Program, Usf, Graduate, May 4, 2013, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

No abstract provided.

Commencement Convocation Program, Usf, Baccalaureates, May 3, 2013, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

Honorary Doctor of Science - Jerry L. Atwood

Sugars: Seductive, Sweet, Secret And Deadly, Kaitlyn Gross

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

In America today, obesity has become commonplace and health-related costs are rising. Therefore, it is imperative that Americans start eating healthier foods. To start, Americans need to ingest less sugar. This may be complicated by the fact that food companies might be deceiving consumers with confusing, incomplete or misleading information on food labels that include nutrition facts and the list of ingredients. Certain practices, such as not distinguishing between added sugar and total sugar, although legal, can mislead the consumer into thinking the food is healthier than it is. Currently, such labeling is not required (U.S. Department of Health and …

Intent To Study Abroad: The Role Of Subjective Social Status And Intolerance Of Ambiguity, Sean Ericson

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

The purpose of this research is to explore variables related to intent to study abroad in an effort to aid attempts by universities to internationalize. The personality variables of subjective social status and intolerance of ambiguity were considered. This is the first time subjective social status has been considered in research on intent to study abroad, and helps to answer the question of how students are affected by divergent social positions. Participants included 167 undergraduate students from a large American public university. Three scales were administered measuring intent to study abroad, subjective social status, and intolerance of ambiguity. Multiple linear …

The Phenomenology Of Distress In The Absence Of Electronic Devices And Its Relationship With Other Types Of Distress, Rachel Baumsteiger

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

The recent surge in the availability of personal electronics is enabling more people to use them in their daily lives. Yet, many people experience some distress associated with using electronics, especially if they are unable to access or use their devices. This distress has not been adequately examined in previous studies and there is no existing research concerning whether distress without electronics (DWE) is related to other mental health issues. The objective of this study was to investigate the phenomenology of DWE within a non-clinical sample, as well as its association with other types of distress. A sample of 236 …

Method Of Diagnosing Or Assessing Risk For Parkinson's Disease Or Alzheimer's Disease Using Tcr Clonality, Chuanhai Cao, Xiaoyang Lin, Huntington Potter

USF Patents

Changes in adaptive immune system were identified and correlated as a predictor of Aβ40 and Aβ42 and AD progression. T-cell, B-cell, TCR and BCR profiles were used to correlate clinical progression of AD. The CDR3 region was spectratyped, showing the clonality of the CDR3 region. This intrafamily gene fragment length profile was compared to age-matched controls, thereby indicating the existence of a neurodegenerative disease. The novel method is useful in diagnosing neurodegenerative disease, like Parkinson's disease, HIV-associated Dementia, or Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, this permits the clinical identification of patients at a very early stage of AD and/or monitoring the potential …

Matrix Metalloproteinase-28 Deletion Exacerbates Cardiac Dysfunction And Rupture After Myocardial Infarction In Mice By Inhibiting M2 Macrophage Activation, Yonggang Ma, Ganesh V. Halade, Jianhua Zhang, Trevi A. Ramirez, Daniel Levin, Andrew Voorhees, Yu Fang Jin, Hai Chao Han, Anne M. Manicone, Merry L. Lindsey

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Rationale: Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-28 regulates the inflammatory and extracellular matrix responses in cardiac aging, but the roles of MMP-28 after myocardial infarction (MI) have not been explored. Objective: To determine the impact of MMP-28 deletion on post-MI remodeling of the left ventricle (LV). Methods and Results: Adult C57BL/6J wild-type (n=76) and MMP null (MMP-28, n=86) mice of both sexes were subjected to permanent coronary artery ligation to create MI. MMP-28 expression decreased post-MI, and its cell source shifted from myocytes to macrophages. MMP-28 deletion increased day 7 mortality because of increased cardiac rupture post-MI. MMP-28 mice exhibited larger LV volumes, …

The Conceptualization And Measurement Of Comorbidity: A Review Of The Interprofessional Discourse, Salimah H. Meghani, Harleah G. Buck, Victoria Vaughan Dickson, Marilyn J. Hammer, Eneida Rejane Rabelo-Silva, Robyn Clark, Mary D. Naylor

Nursing Faculty Publications

Background. Chronic medical conditions often occur in combination. Understanding underlying mechanisms causing diseases and their interactions may make it possible to address multiple complex conditions with single or consolidated treatment approaches and improve patients’ health outcomes while reducing costs.

Objectives. We present a synthesis of the current interprofessional discourse on the issues surrounding comorbidities.

Methods. A targeted review of the literature was conducted using published editorials, commentaries, and review articles.

Results. Errors in conceptualization and measurement plague our current understanding of comorbidities. Two potential paths to generating knowledge involve the use of etiological or epidemiological approach. An etiological approach investigates …

Epigenetics In Critical Illness: A New Frontier, Brian T. Graves, Cindy L. Munro

Nursing Faculty Publications

Epigenetics is the study of alterations in the function of genes that do not involve changes in the DNA sequence. Within the critical care literature, it is a relatively new and exciting avenue of research in describing pathology, clinical course, and developing targeted therapies to improve outcomes. In this paper, we highlight current research relative to critical care that is focused within the major epigenetic mechanisms of DNA methylation, histone modification, microRNA regulation, and composite epigenetic scoring. Within this emerging body of research it is quite clear that the novel therapies of the future will require clinicians to understand and …

Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, 2013-2014, University Of South Florida St. Petersburg

Academic Learning Compacts

The Academic Learning Compact for 2013-2014 for Interdisciplinary Social Sciences.

Self-Care And Chronic Disease, Victoria Vaughan Dickson, Robyn A. Clark, Eneida Rejane Rabelo-Silva, Harleah G. Buck

Nursing Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Measuring Comorbidity In Cardiovascular Research: A Systematic Review, Harleah G. Buck, Jabar A. Akbar, Sarah Jingying Zhang, Janet A. Prvu Bettger

Nursing Faculty Publications

Background. Everything known about the roles, relationships, and repercussions of comorbidity in cardiovascular disease is shaped by how comorbidity is currently measured.

Objectives. To critically examine how comorbidity is measured in randomized controlled trials or clinical trials and prospective observational studies in acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure (HF), or stroke.

Design. Systematic review of studies of hospitalized adults from MEDLINE CINAHL, PsychINFO, and ISI Web of Science Social Science databases. At least two reviewers screened and extracted all data.

Results. From 1432 reviewed abstracts, 26 studies were included (AMI n = 8, HF n = 11, stroke n = …

Obese And Diabetic Kkay Mice Show Increased Mortality But Improved Cardiac Function Following Myocardial Infarction, James R. Heaberlin, Yonggang Ma, Jianhua Zhang, Seema S. Ahuja, Merry L. Lindsey, Ganesh V. Halade

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Introduction of the yellow obese gene (Ay) into mice (KKAy) results in obesity and diabetes by 5 weeks of age. Methods: Using this model of type 2 diabetes, we evaluated male and female 6-to 8-month-old wild-type (WT, n=10) and KKAy (n=22) mice subjected to myocardial infarction (MI) and sacrificed at day (d) 7. Results: Despite similar infarct sizes (50%±4% for WT and 49%±2% for KKAy, P=not significant), the 7d post-MI survival was 70% (n=7/10) in WT mice and 45% (n=10/22) in KKAy mice (P < .05). Plasma glucose levels were 1.4-fold increased in KKAy mice at baseline compared to WT (P < .05). Glucose levels did not change in WT mice but decreased 38% in KKAy post-MI (P < .05). End-diastolic and end-systolic dimensions post-MI were smaller and fractional shortening improved in the KKAy (5%±1% in WT and 10%±2% in KKAy, P < .05 for all). The improved cardiac function in KKAy was accompanied by reduced macrophage numbers and collagen I and III levels (both P < .05). Griffonia (Bandeiraea) simplicifolia lectin-I staining for vessel density demonstrated fewer vessels in KKAy infarcts (5.9%±0.5%) compared to WT infarcts (7.3%±0.1%, P < .05). Conclusion: In conclusion, our study in KKAy mice revealed a paradoxical reduced post-MI survival but improved cardiac function through reduced inflammation, extracellular matrix accumulation, and neovascularization in the infarct region. These results indicate a dual-role effect of obesity in the post-MI response.

Expectations Of Nursing Home Use, Psychosocial Characteristics And Race/Ethnicity: The Latino/A Case, Heidi Ross

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study used data from the 2008 wave of the Health and Retirement Study to examine variations in relationships among selected psychosocial characteristics, race/ethnicity and expectations of nursing home utilization in the United States, with a particular focus on Latino/a subgroups. This study sought to test a modified version of the Andersen and Newman model of health service utilization. Findings revealed that expectations of nursing home utilization remained lower among Latino/as than in the Non-Latino White sub-groups, even when levels of need, enabling, and predisposing factors were controlled for. However, for Mexican Origin respondents (who are often arbitrarily combined with …

African Americans And Hospice: A Culture-Centered Exploration Of Disparities In End-Of-Life Care, Patrick Dillon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As the United States' population ages and grows more diverse, scholars and practitioners have grown increasingly concerned about persistent disparities in the cost and quality of end-of-life health care, particularly with regard to African Americans. Although a variety of factors may influence these disparities, most scholars agree that the underutilization of hospice care by this population is an important contributor. Drawing from the culture-centered approach to health communication and narrative theory, the present study explores African American patients and caregivers' experiences with hospice care and takes an initial step toward addressing disparities in end-of-life care. I begin this study, first, …

Spiritual Life Review With Older Adults: Finding Meaning In Late Life Development, Alicia Margaret Stinson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Spirituality has been recognized as a positive factor in the lives of older adults, especially as it influences their emotional, mental, and physical well-being. This convenience sample study included 17 older adults residing at a faith based continuing care retirement community in Florida. The sample was represented by Caucasian older adults with an average age of 84 years, highly educated, majority Protestant and mostly female. Spiritual life reviews were conducted using spiritual life maps (Hodge, 2005) and semi-structured interview questions. Erikson's epigenetic stage of ego-integrity was used along with Butler's life review process and Tornstam's gerotranscendence as a conceptual …

Commencement Convocation Program, Usf, Baccalaureates, December 15, 2012, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

King O'Neal Scholars - Kyle Achors, Amanda Amole, Britney Bandel, and Michelle Santhouse; President's Fellow Medallion - John F. Germany; Distinguished Citizen Award - David M. Touchton

Commencement Convocation Program, Usf, Graduate, December 15, 2012, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

Honorary Doctor of Science - Joseph S. Francisco

Extracellular Matrix And Fibroblast Communication Following Myocardial Infarction, Yonggang Ma, Ganesh V. Halade, Merry L. Lindsey

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

The extracellular matrix (ECM) provides structural support by serving as a scaffold for cells, and as such the ECM maintains normal tissue homeostasis and mediates the repair response following injury. In response to myocardial infarction (MI), ECM expression is generally upregulated in the left ventricle (LV), which regulates LV remodeling by modulating scar formation. The ECM directly affects scar formation by regulating growth factor release and cell adhesion and indirectly affects scar formation by regulating the inflammatory, angiogenic, and fibroblast responses. This review summarizes the current literature on ECM expression patterns and fibroblast mechanisms in the myocardium, focusing on the …

Transgenic Overexpression Of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 In Macrophages Attenuates The Inflammatory Response And Improves Left Ventricular Function Post-Myocardial Infarction, Rogelio Zamilpa, Jessica Ibarra, Lisandra E. De Castro Brás, Trevi A. Ramirez, Nguyen Nguyen, Ganesh V. Halade, Jianhua Zhang, Qiuxia Dai, Tariq Dayah, Ying Ann Chiao, Wesley Lowell, Seema S. Ahuja, Jeanine D'Armiento, Yu Fang Jin, Merry L. Lindsey

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Following myocardial infarction (MI), activated macrophages infiltrate into the necrotic myocardium as part of a robust pro-inflammatory response and secrete matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). Macrophage activation, in turn, modulates the fibrotic response, in part by stimulating fibroblast extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis. We hypothesized that overexpression of human MMP-9 in mouse macrophages would amplify the inflammatory and fibrotic responses to exacerbate left ventricular dysfunction. Unexpectedly, at day 5 post-MI, ejection fraction was improved in transgenic (TG) mice (25 ± 2%) compared to the wild type (WT) mice (18 ± 2%; p < 0.05). By gene expression profiling, 23 of 84 inflammatory genes were decreased in the left ventricle infarct (LVI) region from the TG compared to WT mice (all p < 0.05). Concomitantly, TG macrophages isolated from the LVI, as well as TG peritoneal macrophages stimulated with LPS, showed decreased inflammatory marker expression compared to WT macrophages. In agreement with attenuated inflammation, only 7 of 84 cell adhesion and ECM genes were increased in the TG LVI compared to WT LVI, while 43 genes were decreased (all p < 0.05). These results reveal a novel role for macrophage-derived MMP-9 in blunting the inflammatory response and limiting ECM synthesis to improve left ventricular function post-MI.

Day-To-Day Variability In Nap Duration Predicts Medical Morbidity In Older Adults, Natalie D. Dautovich, Daniel B. Kay, Michael L. Perlis, Joseph M. Dzierzewski, Meredeth Rowe, Christina S. Mccrae

Nursing Faculty Publications

Objective: The objectives for the present study were to (a) examine within-person variability of nap duration and (b) assess how variability in nap duration is related to the number of health conditions in a sample of older adults. For highly variable behaviors such as sleep, it is important to consider fluctuations within the person instead of solely comparing averages of behaviors across persons. Method: Data were drawn from a previous study examining sleep in 103 community-dwelling older adults. Subjective estimates of napping behavior were obtained from sleep diaries and objective estimates of napping behavior were obtained using actigraphy. Both measures …

Commencement Convocation Program, Usf, August 4, 2012, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

King O'Neal Scholars - Brooke Dosal, Diane Florez, and Haimanti Mitra; Honorary Doctor of Engineering - Harvey L. Kaylie; President's Fellow Medallion - Lee E. Arnold, Jr.; Outstanding Graduate - Demelza K. Hays

Dha Derivatives Of Fish Oil As Dietary Supplements: A Nutrition-Based Drug Discovery Approach For Therapies To Prevent Metabolic Cardiotoxicity, Yonggang Ma, Merry L. Lindsey, Ganesh V. Halade

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Introduction: During the early 1970s, Danish physicians Jorn Dyerberg and colleagues observed that Greenland Eskimos consuming fatty fishes exhibited low incidences of heart disease. Fish oil is now one of the most commonly consumed dietary supplements. In 2004, concentrated fish oil was approved as a drug by the FDA for the treatment of hyperlipidemia. Fish oil contains two major omega-3 fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). With advancements in lipid concentration and purification techniques, EPA- or DHA-enriched products are now commercially available, and the availability of these components in isolation allows their individual effects to be examined. …

Commencement Convocation Program, Lakeland Campus, May 7, 2012, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

Outstanding Faculty - Aryn Bush; Outstanding Graduate - Kathryn Bevilacqua

Commencement Convocation Program, St. Petersburg, May 6, 2012, University Of South Florida St. Petersburg

USF St. Petersburg Graduations and Commencements

King O'Neal Award - John Boda, Andrew Thurston, Emily Young; Outstanding Graduate - Britanny Lyp

Commencement Convocation Program, Usf, Graduate, May 5, 2012, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

President's Global Leadership Award - Sir Steve Smith

Commencement Convocation Program, Usf, Baccalaureates, May 4 And 5, 2012, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

King O'Neal Scholars - Shannon Arant, Meika Billings, Amanda Brady, Farah Britto, Ryan Cardew, Meagan Eastman, Bryan Gassaway, Amy Hoover, Kallee Humerick house, Michael Thomas Massengill, Stratton David Nauman, Nicole Perkins, Sumayya Saleh, and Courtney Warters; President's Global Leadership Award - Gabriella Ganugi; Outstanding Graduate - Matthew A. Diaz

Commencement Convocation Program, St. Petersburg Campus, May 1, 2012, University Of South Florida St. Petersburg

USF St. Petersburg Graduations and Commencements

King O'Neal Award: John Boda, Andrew Thurston, Emily Young; Outstanding Graduate: Britanny Lyp