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Implementation Of The National Asthma Guidelines In A Residential Pediatric Clinic, Patricia A. Foster-Staples

Dissertations

Abstract

Purpose: Foster care children admitted to residential facilities are a unique and vulnerable group, many presenting with undiagnosed or poorly managed asthma. The alarming rate of residents admitted to a particular residential primary care clinic with a diagnosis of asthma led to the project question: “Based on record reviews, does staff education about the importance of utilizing the national guidelines for asthma education influence the implementation of such guidelines in a residential pediatric clinic?” The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement a systematic process to influence practice change. The project was conducted over a period …

Adolescents Using The Internet For General And Sexual Health Information: An Evidence Review, Jean M. O'Neil

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Problem: While adolescent pregnancy numbers may be decreasing, there are millions of new cases of sexually transmitted diseases that are diagnosed each year in the young adult population. Adolescents often express feelings of invincibility and egocentric behavior (Wickman, M. et al., 2008). This, combined with peer pressure and misinformation, can lead to high risk behaviors that can compromise their health. While most providers routinely address general health concerns, some are not as comfortable speaking with the adolescent about their issues regarding sexual health, family planning needs or sexual orientation. Also, access to healthcare can be a problem for this population …

Risk For Cardiovascular Disease In Blacks With Hiv/Aids In America: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Calvin Odhiambo, Jessica Davis, Bernard Omolo

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) related to HIV infection is becoming a major public health concern in the United Stated. Epidemiologic studies show that prolonged use of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy, HIV/AIDS itself, and a combination of traditional vascular risk factors increase the risk for CVD among people with HIV/AIDS. However, little is known about any racial disparities in the risk for CVD in the HIV/AIDS population. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of literature on HIV/AIDS and CVD (June 1, 2010-July 31, 2014) through MEDLINE to examine whether and how HIV-positive African Americans are disproportionately affected by CVD compared to …

Exposure To Secondhand Smoke And The Development Of Childhood Caries: Nhanes (2011-2012), Deborah Mattheus Phd, Msn, Pnp, Krupa Gandhi Mph, Eunjung Lim Phd, Maureen Shannon Cnm, Fnp, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Dental caries continue to plague young children worldwide with numerous adverse effects including pain, poor growth and development, decreased quality of life as well as the potential for the development of life threatening secondary infections. Factors associated with the development of childhood caries are complex as they relate to social, economic and/or cultural behaviors. Recent evidence has linked secondhand smoke to the development of childhood dental caries. The purpose of the study is to re-examine the association between the frequency and extent of exposure to secondhand smoke with the development of childhood caries in the United States. Cross-sectional data of …

Social Determinants Of Health Associated With Hbv Testing And Access To Care Among Foreign-Born Persons Residing In The United States: 2009 - 2012, Kevin M. Greene, Wayne A. Duffus, Jian Xing, Hope King

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Objectives: To describe how select Social Determinants of Health (SDH) are associated with the burden of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among foreign-born persons residing in the United States.

Methods: Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) 2010 Risk Factor Survey data to investigate the independent relationship between SDH and HBV testing and access to care.

Results: HBV infected persons with insurance were more likely to see a physician than those without. Respondents worried about money to pay rent or mortgage were more likely to report HBV infection than …

Psychosocial Knowledge For Future Nursing And Midwifery Practice In Community Placement In Vietnam And Australia, Yvonne Karen Parry, Pauline Hill

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

The oral presentation will report on two completed research projects which compare the levels of staff and student learning across two community based placements, one in the Vietnam highlands and one in a homelessness service in South Australia. Both community based placements provided health care to vulnerable and disadvantaged population groups. Community placements with vulnerable population groups provide nursing and midwifery students with the confidence needed to care for people with complex health and social issues in acute care settings. These placements enhanced the student"s clinical skills and linkages to psychosocial theories of human development. The Australian research project mixed …

The Case For Re-Framing Māori Suicide Prevention Research In Aotearoa/New Zealand: Applying Lessons From Indigenous Suicide Prevention Research, Keri Rose Lawson-Te Aho Dr

Journal of Indigenous Research

The aim of this paper is to present a case for reframing Māori suicide prevention research away from a strong emphasis on clinical research towards research that is more self-determining and historically and culturally contextualised. Rising levels of indigenous suicide have produced an intensified global focus on suicide prevention in indigenous, migrant and LGBTIQ populations.

Suicide research in Aotearoa/New Zealand has largely disregarded the potential explanatory power of historical trauma and the inter-generational transfer of collective suffering on Māori suicide levels. Similarly, the effects of regular exposure to racism, daily micro-aggressions and structural violence are often overlooked as explanatory of …

Ruptured Mycotic Aneurysms: Report And Outcomes Of Two Surgically Managed Patients, Aleena Khan, Muhammad Waqas, Waseem Mehmood Nizamani, Muhammad Ehsan Bari

Section of Neurosurgery

Background: Mycotic aneurysm is a rare potentially life-threatening complication of infective endocarditis (IE). Little data is available on the management and outcomes of ruptured mycotic aneurysms with large intracerebral hematoma. Few cases have been described on the management of mycotic aneurysm in the presence of life-threatening hematoma and mass effect.
Case description: We are presenting two cases of ruptured mycotic aneurysm with intracerebral hematoma and impending brain herniation. Both patients had signs of high intracranial pressure and required urgent surgical evacuation of clot. One patient survived while the other patient expired soon after surgery.
Conclusion: Mycotic aneurysm of middle cerebral …

Analysis Of The Preventive Medicine Undergraduate Curriculum In China: The West China School Of Public Heath Experience: A Case Study, Li Zhao, Ruiou Wang, Junguo Xin, Quan Chen, Chunyan Li, James W. Holsinger Jr., Xiao Ma

Health Management and Policy Faculty Publications

In China, the preventive medicine undergraduate professional training program is the major approach to training public health practitioners. The history of undergraduate education in public health/preventive medicine in China is reviewed utilizing the West China School of Public Health at Sichuan University as an example for analyzing this undergraduate major and its curriculum. Needed reforms in the Chinese undergraduate preventive medicine programs are presented, including review of the traditional preventive medicine course content, revision of its curriculum structure, the need to increase practical experience and to develop variety in teaching and assessment techniques, and systematic planning for curriculum reform. Current …

A Collaborative, Systemwide Approach To Reducing Healthcare Onset Clostridium Difficile (Hoc-Diff), Renecha Abrams, Angeleta Zipporah Robinson

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

The purpose of this multidisciplinary team approach was to standardize our clinical practices across the system, implement evidence-based policies and procedures related to c-diff, identify and correct practices that contribute to HOC-diff cases. All actions were aimed at decreasing the rate of HOC-diff cases, decreasing patient"s length of stay, decreasing organizational expenses associated with HOC-diff, reducing mortality, and decreasing the impact on our community.

A Multicultural Approach To Decreasing Unnecessary Antibiotic Prescribing For Pharyngitis, Mercedes Camacho-Walsh, Corinne Schultz Ellis

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Antimicrobial resistance is a global crisis. In the United States alone, two million people are infected every year with untreatable microbes, resulting in 23,000 deaths (CDC, 2014). Over- prescribing of antibiotics has been cited as major contributor to the crisis. (WHO, 2015). According to the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2011), 50% of antibiotic prescriptions in the United States are unnecessary. Non-prescription antibiotics account for 19-100% of antibiotic use outside northern Europe and North America, with increased antimicrobial resistance in countries with greater use (Morgan, Okeke, Laxminarayan, Perencevich & Weisenberg, 2011).

International guidelines for pharyngitis approach diagnostic scoring and …

Functioning And Personal Experience Predict Job Satisfaction Of Dedicated Nurses Working In Infection Isolation Rooms, Semyon Melnikov, Shoshana Phridman, Esther Shalom, Ilya Kagan

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Purpose: Job satisfaction, as a factor affecting the retention of nurses, is under extensive research and a focus of healthcare systems leadership. The aim of this study was to elucidate the effect of personal practice experience, sense of loneliness, perceived knowledge of KPC, and professional functioning, on job satisfaction among nurses working as dedicated carers of KPC infected patients hospitalized in isolation rooms.

Methods: In a study with a cross-sectional design, a convenience sample of 87 registered nurses working on medical-surgical wards answered a self-administered questionnaire about (a) job satisfaction, (b) perceived knowledge of KPC infection, …

Exploring Water, Sanitation, And Hygiene Practices In Gatineau, Haiti, Diana Lyn Baptiste, Teresa A. Pfaff, Sabianca Delva, Casey Mccormick, Evi Dallman, Ruthly Francois

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Purpose: Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Located in the Western Caribbean, Haiti is populated by more than 10 million people, sharing the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. More than 75% of Haitian residents are living on less than two dollars a day and almost 56% on less than one dollar a day. Haitians have limited access to resources such as health care, food, and clean water. The country lacks adequate infrastructure and is highly dependent on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for public health, schools, and roads. Every year, Haitians die from diseases associated with inadequate …

Week Of July 10, 2017, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Diane E. Heck, Ph.D., Is Appointed Associate Dean for Research in the School of Health Sciences and Practice
• Bridge and Seed Funding Grants Awarded
• Ronnie Myers, D.D.S., Is Named Dean of the Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College
• NYMC SOM and Touro Law Center Collaborate
• School of Medicine Office of Admissions Seeks Interviewers

Copper-Binding Antimicrobial And Host-Defense Peptides: Microbial Elimination Through Lipid And Dna Oxidation, Mark Daben J. Libardo

Doctoral Dissertations

The immune system utilizes a plethora of antimicrobial effectors to ensure efficient microbial eradication. This dissertation focuses on two of these effectors: antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and copper ions. The work described here examines both fundamental and translational aspects of AMPs that contain the amino terminal copper and nickel (ATCUN) binding unit. The first section details our efforts to define the contribution of the ATCUN motif to the biological activity of peptides that are expressed in nature containing the metal binding sequence. In chapter 2, we show how the metal is utilized by an ATCUN-containing AMP to bring about copper-mediated membrane …

Changes In The Gut Microbial Communities Following Addition Of Walnuts To The Diet, Lauri O. Byerley, Derrick Samuelson, Eugene Blanchard, Meng Luo, Brittany N. Lorenzen, Shelia Banks, Monica A. Ponder, David A. Welsh, Christopher M. Taylor

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, phytochemicals and antioxidants making them unique compared to other foods. Consuming walnuts has been associated with health benefits including a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer. Dysbiosis of the gut microbiome has been linked to several chronic diseases. One potential mechanism by which walnuts may exert their health benefit is through modifying the gut microbiome. This study identified the changes in the gut microbial communities that occur following the inclusion of walnuts in the diet. Male Fischer 344 rats (n=20) were randomly assigned to one of two diets for as long as …

Sequential Analysis Of Zero Truncated Geometric Distribution, Bhagwati Devi, Rahul Gupta, Parmil Kumar

Journal of Statistics Applications & Probability

The Geometric distribution is one of the important distributions in the real life situation specifically in reliability/survival analysis and queuing theory. One of the important property of this distribution is the lack of memory property and in case of its truncation, situations arise practically in cases where the ability to record, or even to know about, occurrences is limited to values which lie above or below a given threshold or within a specified range. For example, if the date of occurrence of an infectious disease in a patient is examined, this would typically be subject to truncation relative to those …

Whole Person Wellness: Integrating Care To Improve Physical Health Of Persons With Serious Mental Illness, Kathleen Mcdermott

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Historically, treatment for serious mental illness has been separated from the rest of medicine resulting in gaps in medical care, redundant care, and increased costs. To address the healthcare needs of those with serios mental illness, primary care services are now being embedded in and connected to community mental health centers. However, numerous barriers exist including cost, program design, sustainability, and the adaptability of electronic health records. The purpose of this project was to describe and analyze the system changes that occurred in a nationally recognized community mental health center resulting from the implementation of grant-funded initiatives to promote the …

2017-July-07-Sam Pettyjohn, University Marketing And Communications, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

No abstract provided.

Modeling The Influence Of El Niño On Parasite Transmission In Sand Crab Populations And Seabird Abundance Along The Californian Coast, Aboubacar Dio Seck

Theses and Dissertations

Pacific mole crabs (Emerita analoga) are one of the most important and abundant

invertebrates in sandy beach environments. Consequently, they are a common food source

for seabirds and sea otters. Since the mole crab serves as the primary intermediate host for

acanthocephalan parasites, they have been linked to a number of mortality events. It is

currently estimated that 13-16% of deaths in the threatened California sea otter population

have been caused by infection. In addition, unusually high loads of acanthocephalan

parasites have been linked to episodic deaths of thousands of surf scoters. Studies suggest

that acanthocephalan development and transmission may …

Β-Glucan Size Controls Dectin-1-Mediated Immune Responses In Human Dendritic Cells By Regulating Il-1Β Production, Matthew J. Elder, Steve J. Webster, Ronnie Chee, David L. Williams, J. S. Hill Gaston, Jane C. Goodall

ETSU Faculty Works

Dectin-1/CLEC7A is a pattern recognition receptor that recognizes β-1,3 glucans, and its stimulation initiates signaling events characterized by the production of inflammatory cytokines from human dendritic cells (DCs) required for antifungal immunity. β-glucans differ greatly in size, structure, and ability to activate effector immune responses from DC; as such, small particulate β-glucans are thought to be poor activators of innate immunity. We show that β-glucan particle size is a critical factor contributing to the secretion of cytokines from human DC; large β-glucan-stimulated DC generate significantly more IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-23 compared to those stimulated with the smaller β-glucans. In marked …

Study Of A Gp5-Mosaic T-Cell Vaccine In Protection Of Swine Against Heterologous Prrsv Strains, Junru Cui

Doctoral Dissertations

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) causes significant economic losses due to reproductive failure and respiratory disease. The high genetic and antigenic diversity of PRRSV makes the control of this disease very challenging. Current vaccines cannot provide adequate protection to the circulating PRRSV strains; therefore, vaccines can confer cross-protection are in urgent demand. Two T-cell mosaic vaccines were designed based on 748 GP5 sequences using the Mosaic T-Cell Vaccine Tool Suite from the Los Alamos National Laboratory. These mosaic sequences were then used to construct DNA vaccines. Significantly higher levels of interferon-γ mRNA and virus-specific antibodies, rapid virus clearance in …

Osteopontin Plays A Pivotal Role In In Increasing Severity Of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection, Viviana Sampayo-Escobar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The molecular mechanisms underlying susceptibility to severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection remain poorly understood. Herein, we report on the role of osteopontin (OPN) in regulation of RSV infection in human epithelial cells and how interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), a cytokine secreted soon after RSV infection, when persistently expressed can induce OPN expression leading to increased viral infection. We first compared OPN expression in two human epithelial cell lines: HEK-293 and HEp-2. In contrast to HEp-2, HEK-293 expresses low levels of pro-caspase-1 resulting in decreased IL-1β expression in response to RSV infection. We found a correlation between low IL-1β levels and …

Viruses In Marine Animals: Discovery, Detection, And Characterizarion, Elizabeth Fahsbender

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Diseases in marine animals are emerging at an increasing rate. Disease forecasting enabled by virus surveillance presents a proactive solution for managing emerging diseases. Broad viral surveys aid in disease forecasting by providing baseline data on viral diversity associated with various hosts, including many that are not associated with disease. However, these viruses can become pathogens due to expansion in host or geographic range, as well as when changing conditions shift the balance between commensal viruses and the host immune system. Therefore, it is extremely valuable to identify and characterize viruses present in many different hosts in a variety of …

Rational Drug Design Directed At Blocking The Initial Signaling Events In Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Sepsis., Christopher A. Tipton

Theses

Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) is classified as an immune system response to an infectious state. If left untreated, SIRS leads to sepsis, septic shock, end-organ dysfunction, and death. As a patient progresses through these stages, associations of acute respiratory distress, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and acute renal failure persist, resulting in millions of deaths annually. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a bacterial endotoxin, is released into the blood stream, triggering SIRS. LPS is found in the outer cell-wall of Gram-negative bacteria and is responsible for initiation of a devastating cytokine storm. One of the regions of LPS, lipid A, is a polyacylated glucosamine …

Osteopontin Facilitates West Nile Nirus Neuroinvasion Via Neutrophil "Trojan Horse" Transport, Amber M. Paul, Dhiraj Acharya, Laurel Duty, E. Ashley Thompson, Linda Le, Dobrivoje S. Stokic, A. Arturo Leis, Fengwei Bai

Faculty Publications

West Nile virus (WNV) can cause severe human neurological diseases including encephalitis and meningitis. The mechanisms by which WNV enters the central nervous system (CNS) and host-factors that are involved in WNV neuroinvasion are not completely understood. The proinflammatory chemokine osteopontin (OPN) is induced in multiple neuroinflammatory diseases and is responsible for leukocyte recruitment to sites of its expression. In this study, we found that WNV infection induced OPN expression in both human and mouse cells. Interestingly, WNV-infected OPN deficient (Opn −/−) mice exhibited a higher survival rate (70%) than wild type (WT) control mice (30%), suggesting OPN plays a …

The Myth Of Increasing Life Expectancy And Its Social Policy Implications, Robert E. Parker, Vianett Garcia Achaval

Sociology Faculty Research

This paper examines official life expectancy data and its contribution to the myth of increasing longevity in the US; critiques common assumptions by comparing average life expectancy with age-specific death rates and ties the conventional view to mis-placed calls for Social Security and retirement reform based on official statistics.

Using Proxies For Node Immunization Identification On Large Graphs, Raymond Ahn, Justin Zhan

Computer Science Faculty Research

Given a large graph, like a social network, which nodes should be immunized (or removed) to make the network safe from the spread of a virus? This is the node immunization problem. One of the classical methods, inspired by immunology, in analyzing this problem relies on the calculation of the largest eigenvalue before and after immunization in order to create the largest difference in eigenvalue. We propose a method that does not rely on a costly calculation of eigenvalues; instead, we rely on the notion of proxies and deterministic routing areas in order to find such nodes to immunize. We …

Osteopontin Facilitates West Nile Virus Neuroinvasion Via Neutrophil “Trojan Horse” Transport, Amber M. Paul, Dhiraj Acharya, Laurel Duty, E. Ashley Thompson, Linda Le, Dobrivoje S. Stokic, A. Arturo Leis, Fengwei Bai

Publications

West Nile virus (WNV) can cause severe human neurological diseases including encephalitis and meningitis. The mechanisms by which WNV enters the central nervous system (CNS) and host factors that are involved in WNV neuroinvasion are not completely understood. The proinflammatory chemokine osteopontin (OPN) is induced in multiple neuroinflammatory diseases and is responsible for leukocyte recruitment to sites of its expression. In this study, we found that WNV infection induced OPN expression in both human and mouse cells. Interestingly, WNV-infected OPN deficient (Opn−/−) mice exhibited a higher survival rate (70%) than wild type (WT) control mice (30%), suggesting OPN plays a …

Health Literacy, Depression, Anxiety, And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder As Predictors Of Biological Markers Of Immune Functioning In Youth And Young Adults With Hiv, Courtney A. Lynn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that affects the body’s immune system (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2016a). HIV is a worldwide epidemic and disproportionately impacts youth in the United States. Youth living with HIV (YLWH) face significant mental health problems, namely depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with rates of these disorders discrepant from those in the general population. In addition to psychological difficulties, health literacy is another factor that influences individuals with HIV and is a priority of research with adolescents (Kalichman et al., 2000; Manganello, 2008). The National HIV/AIDS Strategy: Update 2020 (White House Office …