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Effects Of Voluntary Physical Rehabilitation On Neurogenesis In Svz And Functional Recovery After Ischemic Stroke, Anuranjani Balakrishnan

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability and 87% of all strokes are due to ischemic strokes. In this current study, we examined whether voluntary physical rehabilitation can influence neurogenesis (measured by Doublecortin) in the subventricular zone and show improved motor functional recovery in 10-12 month female rats after ischemia. We saw a significant increase in the neurogenesis (measured by doublecortin) of all three regions (anterior, middle and posterior) of SVZ in the rehab animals compared to control group when using a two-way variance ANOVA test, although we were unable to see significant differences in paired t-tests of similar …

Attitudes And Knowledge Of Healthcare Providers Regarding Patients With Intellectual Disability And The Impact On Analogue Clinical Decision-Making, Alexandra Freed Santoro

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Throughout their careers, physicians, particularly those in primary care settings, can expect to treat patients with intellectual disability (ID) across the lifespan. Nevertheless, little attention is given to preparing medical students to effectively treat patients with ID through education and clinical training opportunities. The purpose of this study was to examine how knowledge and attitudes toward patients with ID may impact analogue clinical decision-making at different stages of physician education and career. Included in the review of the current literature is research relating to physician attitudes, education, and clinical decision-making; the biological, psychological, and social considerations in treating patients with …

Identifying Veterans With Opioid Use Disorder That Could Benefit From Referral For Evidence-Based Medication-Assisted Treatment, Emily Hampton

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Current treatment guideline recommendations published by the American Society of Addiction Medicine for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) include both psychotherapy and Medication- Assisted Treatment for optimal management of this chronic medical illness. Military veterans are at an increased risk for fatal outcomes related to opioid overdoses due to a higher prevalence of depression/Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and self-medicated substance use compared to their civilian counterparts. Additionally, many have been diagnosed with OUD but are not being treated in accordance with current treatment recommendations.

In an effort to increase access to treatment and combat the opioid epidemic, the Lexington VA Medical …

Modeling The Impact Of 13rs-Hb358: Hpv Vaccination For School Entry In A High-Prevalence State, Stacy Lee Ware

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Prophylactic cancer vaccination presents novel opportunities to improve the health and well-being of populations. Since the approval of a cervical cancer vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) in 2006, only three states have passed legislation adding it to their school-entry schedules of required vaccinations. Despite ample evidence of its safety and efficacy, the vaccine remains controversial, and national vaccination rates among both girls and boys remain low. Risk for HPV-related cancers varies by population, and Appalachian Kentucky has among the highest HPV-related morbidity and mortality in the nation. Annual attempts to pass HPV vaccine legislation in Kentucky have so far failed …

Using A Video Modeling-Based Intervention Package To Teach Hand Washing To Children With Autism, Ndaru Prapti

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

The purpose of this study was to teach four preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to wash their hands independently using a video modeling-based intervention package. A research questions was asked: Is there a functional relation between a video modeling-based intervention package and increases in level and trend for washing hands independently? A multiple probe across participants design was used to answer this question. Results indicated that the intervention package had functional relation with the increase in level and trend of the three participants’ performance in washing hands. The intervention package of video modeling and least-to-most prompting was found …

Evaluating The Relationship Between Physician Characteristics And Opioid Knowledge And Use Of Opioid And Non-Opioid Chronic Pain Management Strategies, Erin Hopkins Stern

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a mental health condition that has high personal, societal, and emotional costs. Opioid use disorder, misuse, and abuse is a national epidemic. Many factors have contributed to the increased use of opioids and OUD. One such factor is the heightened emphasis on pain management in the medical community, one that that began nearly two decades ago. This has led to increased prescribing of opioid-based medication for chronic pain patients. This contributed in part to the development of OUD in many individuals who became addicted to opioids. For this reason, current guidelines discourage the use of …

Caged In: The Devastating Harms Of Solitary Confinement On Prisoners With Physical Disabilities, Jamelia Morgan

Faculty Articles and Papers

This article draws from interviews with currently and formerly incarcerated people with disabilities, disability rights advocates, prisoners' rights advocates, medical experts, legal scholars, and correctional officials, and examines the conditions of confinement, harms, and challenges facing prisoners with physical disabilities in solitary confinement. In addition, this article fills some of the gaps in data and where possible builds on existing data to provide a snapshot into (1) the number of people with physical disabilities; (2) the number of prisoners with physical disabilities in solitary confinement; and (3) the volume of grievances filed by prisoners with disabilities in ten state prison …

Examining Injury Data Reporting Practices Among Wildland Firefighters, Erin M. Boggs

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Wildland Firefighter (WLFF) Crews lack an injury surveillance program to collect information on non-traumatic and traumatic injuries. Tactical athletes including: police, military and structural firefighters all have a variety of collection systems in place for injury data collection. The lack of injury data prevents WLFF crews from identifying high-risk environments, implementing injury prevention programs, and improving the overall quality of care on the job. Over the last several decades the recent rise in wildfire occurrences and wildfire suppression costs creates a need for healthy and strong individuals in the field. The cost of firefighter salaries and medical care can be …

The Mechanisms Shaping The Repertoire Of Cd4(+)Foxp3(+) Regulatory T Cells, Piotr Kraj, Leszek Ignatowicz

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Regulatory T (Treg) cells expressing Foxp3 transcription factor control homeostasis of the immune system, antigenic responses to commensal and pathogenic microbiota, and immune responses to self and tumour antigens. The Treg cells differentiate in the thymus, along with conventional CD4⁺ T cells, in processes of positive and negative selection. Another class of Treg cells is generated in peripheral tissues by inducing Foxp3 expression in conventional CD4⁺ T cells in response to antigenic stimulation. Both thymic and peripheral generation of Treg cells depends on recognition of peptide/MHC ligands by the T-cell receptors (TCR) expressed on thymic Treg precursors or …

Chronic Tenosynovitis Caused By Mycobacterium Avium-Intracellulare Of The Flexor Tendons In A 65-Year-Old Man: A Case Report, Kourosh M. Kolahi, Moheb S. Moneim

UNM Orthopaedic Research Journal

We report a rare case of Mycobacterium aviumintracellulare flexor tenosynovitis in the hand of a 65-year-old man. The patient reported no history of penetrating trauma but was an avid gardener and presented nearly 2 years after the onset of symptoms. Our case highlights the difficulty in diagnosing mycobacterial infections owing to their lack of classic clinical and laboratory findings. Our patient underwent successful surgical debridement followed by oral antibiotic therapy, initiated 4 weeks after the culture was positive for a slow-growing organism.

Targeting Internal Publics During The 2014 Ebola Outbreak: An Analysis Of Kaiser Permanente’S Crisis Communication Strategy, Ingrid S. Greene, Denise P. Ferguson

International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference

Issues management in today’s quickly changing world can be complex and unpredictable, and in the case of the spread of Ebola, carry lethal implications. Kaiser Permanente (KP) faced a potential internal crisis due to the involvement of medical staff during the spread of the disease in the United States. In addition, KP needed to ensure the safety of the patients the healthcare provider serves. This case study examines how the corporate communications team at KP in Southern California communicated the necessary messages during this crisis in the U.S. in the fall of 2014. The methodology of this case is a …

Machine Learning Methods For Flow Cytometry Analysis And Visualization, Emily Sassano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Flow cytometry is a popular analytical cell-biology instrument that uses specific wavelengths of light to profile heterogeneous populations of cells at the individual level. Current cytometers have the capability of analyzing up to 20 parameters on over a million cells, but despite the complexity of these datasets, a typical workflow relies on subjective labor-intensive manual sequential analysis. The research presented in this dissertation provides two machine learning methods to increase the objectivity, efficiency, and discovery in flow cytometry data analysis. The first, a supervised learning method, utilizes previously analyzed data to evaluate new flow cytometry files containing similar parameters. The …

Light Scattering Property Of Gold Nanoparticles With Applications To Biomolecule Detection And Analysis, Tianyu Zheng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have unique optical and chemical properties. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) is an analytical tool used routinely for nanoparticle size measurement. The combined use of AuNPs and DLS has led to a novel analytical assay technology called D2Dx (from diameter to diagnostics). Herein, my dissertation highlights the extended use of D2Dx for biomolecule detection and analysis. Under this general theme, Chapter 1 provides some background information of AuNPs, DLS, the principle of D2Dx technique and its potential applications. Chapter 2 summarizes a study on the effect of AuNP concentrations and laser power on the hydrodynamic size measurement of …

Public Health Crises And Abortion: The Need For A Reinterpretation Of The Helm's Amendment's, Leah Moczulski

Emory International Law Review

Globally, there has been a significant backsliding in reproductive rights for women, encouraged, in part, by the implementation of anti-choice U.S. foreign policies. Specifically, the Helms Amendment to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 prohibits the use of U.S. foreign aid money to 'pay for the performance of abortions as a method of family planning or to motivate or coerce any person to practice abortions.' This Comment focuses particularly on the effect its provisions have on the response to the Zika virus in Latin America. One of the emerging harms of the existing interpretation of the Helms Amendment is the …

The Fda's Priority Review Voucher Program's Role In Bringing Benznidazle To Chagas Disease Patients In The United States, Lisa Cline

Cybaris®

No abstract provided.

Qualitative Case Study Of Needle Exchange Programs In The Central Appalachian Region Of The United States, Stephen M. Davis, Danielle Davidov, Alfgeir L. Kristjansson, Keith Zullig, Adam Baus, Melanie Fisher

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

The Central Appalachian region of the United States is in the midst of a hepatitis C virus epi- demic driven by injection of opioids, particularly heroin, with contaminated syringes. In response to this epidemic, several needle exchange programs (NEP) have opened to pro- vide clean needles and other supplies and services to people who inject drugs (PWID). How- ever, no studies have investigated the barriers and facilitators to implementing, operating, and expanding NEPs in less populous areas of the United States.

Methods

This qualitative case study consisted of interviews with program directors, police chiefs, law enforcement members, and PWID …

Implementation Of A Collaborative Hiv And Hepatitis C Screening Program In Appalachian Urgent Care Settings, Carmen N. Burrell, Melinda J. Sharon, Stephen M. Davis, Elena M. Wojcik, Ian B.K Martin

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Introduction: With the current hepatitis C (HCV) epidemic in the Appalachian region and the risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection, there is a need for increased secondary prevention efforts. The purpose of this study was to implement routine HIV and HCV screenings in the urgent care setting through the use of an electronic medical record (EMR) to increase a provider’s likelihood of testing eligible patients.

Methods: From June 2017 through May 2018, EMR-based HIV and HCV screenings were implemented in three emergency department-affiliated urgent care settings: a local urgent care walk-in clinic; a university-based student health services center; and …

Institutionalizing Resilience In Us Universities: Prospects, Opportunities, And Models, Morris Foster, James O'Donnell, Mark Luckenbach, Elizabeth Andrews, Emily Steinhilber, John Wells, Mark Davis

ODU Articles

[From Introduction]

The United States is taking a largely region-specific approach to addressing challenges posed by climate change, in contrast with national and international approaches in most of the rest of the world. In locations such as Hampton Roads, New Orleans, and coastal Connecticut, the impacts of climate change tend to be addressed as they become locally evident rather than as part of a larger anticipatory national plan. Given that regional focus, universities can play a unique role in how the United States responds to the challenges of a changing climate. Universities can be knowledge brokers positioned outside or across …

The Use Of Rapid Antigen Testing And Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization-Timeof Flight Mass Spectrometry In The Diagnosis Of Group A Beta-Hemolytic Streptococci Inthroat Swab Samples, Ridvan Deni̇z, Eli̇f Aktaş Sepetci̇, Ayşe Bariş, Banu Bayraktar

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a rapid antigen test in detecting group A beta-hemolytic streptococci (GAS) in throat samples in comparison with the culture method and to compare the efficiency of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and traditional methods in identifying GAS in cultures. Materials and methods: A total of 3668 throat samples from patients with a prediagnosis of tonsillopharyngitis were assessed by the QuickVue+Strep A antigen test and culture. For GAS identification from cultures, bacitracin sensitivity, PYR, and latex agglutination tests and MALDI-TOF MS were used. Results: A total of 567 (15.5%) …

Eng 1099g : Stories Matter, Honors 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, English

Approved Course Proposals

No abstract provided.

Identifying Rates, Barriers And Facilitators For Hpv Vaccines In Children Ages 11-14 In A Kentucky Primary Care Clinic, Sarah J. King

DNP Projects

Background: Among all of the pediatric vaccinations recommended by the CDC, the HPV vaccination has consistently had lower adherence rates than the goal set by Healthy People 2020. The CDC recommends that adolescents start receiving the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine at the ages 9-11 to provide protection against certain strains of HPV that can cause cancer. The goal is to administer the HPV vaccine before the adolescent would be exposed to the virus. However, there has been much resistance and non-adherence to the HPV vaccination. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the current rates of HPV vaccination …

Choosing Medical Malpractice, Nadia N. Sawicki

Faculty Publications & Other Works

Modern principles of patient autonomy and health care consumerism are at odds with medical malpractice law's traditional skepticism towards the defenses of contractual waiver and assumption of risk. Many American courts follow a patient-protective view, exemplified by the reasoning in the seminal Tunkl case, rejecting any attempts by physicians to relieve themselves of liability on the grounds of a patient's agreement to assume the risk of malpractice. However, where patients pursue unconventional treatments that satisfy their personal preferences but that arguably fall outside the standard of care, courts have good reason to be more receptive to such defenses. This Article …

Would Hamsterdam Work - Drug Depenalization In The Wire And In Real Life, John Bronsteen

Faculty Publications & Other Works

The television show The Wire depicts a plan called “Hamsterdam” in which police let people sell drugs in isolated places, and only those places, without fear of arrest. Based on limited but decent empirical evidence, we can make educated guesses about what would happen if that were tried in real life. Indeed, Swiss police tried something remarkably similar in the 1980s. More generally, the results of various forms of drug legalization, depenalization, and decriminalization in Europe--such as in Portugal, which has transferred the state's method of dealing with drug use (including heroin and cocaine) from the criminal justice system to …

Public Health Preparedness & Response: An Exercise In Administrative Law, John D. Blum, Jordan Paradise

Faculty Publications & Other Works

Responses to epidemics, pandemics, and other biological disasters require multiple coordinated initiatives that combine sophisticated planning, sound emergency management, effective stockpiles, solid geographic information systems, well-developed laboratory surveillance and response, and effective management capabilities. Critical to the noted elements of planning and response is the existence of a legal structure, which underpins the operations of necessary programs. While the law may not be the first public health tool considered in a disaster, it is fundamental to the effective functioning of multiple actors and must be harmonized across jurisdictional lines. This article explores the role of law in pandemics and other …

Partnering With Inpatient Situation Awareness Screening To Improve Early Sepsis Recognition, Leslie Hueschen, Stephanie Burrus, Andrea Raymond, Charity Thompson, Lisa Carney, Jay Rilinger

Posters

Background

Early recognition of sepsis and designing a huddle process are key drivers of the Improving Pediatric Sepsis Outcomes (IPSO) collaborative. Our tertiary care, free-standing, pediatric hospital joined the IPSO collaboration in 2016. Our hospital began piloting Situation Awareness (SA) Escalation Huddles in 2016, to improve recognition of patients with clinical deterioration. The tool triggers if a patient has a high PEWS(> 5), requires initiation of hi-flow nasal cannula, or for staff/parental concern. The SA paper tool guides the communication process and steps of the huddle. Huddles include a nurse, provider, and respiratory therapist. One of the goals of the …

Evaluation Of Diagnostic Criteria In The Early Identification And Treatment Of Sepsis, Christopher Anzalone Zirker

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

The recently introduced Sepsis-3 guidelines have yet to be applied to the emergency department (ED) setting. To compare these new definitions clinically with those of Sepsis-2, a retrospective analysis was performed using a dual-center ED registry of patients prospectively identified as having sepsis with organ dysfunction as defined by Sepsis-2. Of 446 registry patients meeting Sepsis-2 criteria, 61.0% (n = 272) had an elevated qSOFA score. 28-day in hospital mortality for patients with an elevated qSOFA was 15.8% compared to 10.9% in patients with non-elevation (p = .162). Rates of mechanical ventilation and vasopressor infusion were 38.6% and 36.4% respectively …

Alternatively Activated Macrophages In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Pneumonia: Modulation Of The Nf-Κb Signaling Pathway And The Immunomodulatory Role Of Arginase-1, Dalia Haydar

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Background: Azithromycin polarizes macrophages into an alternative phenotype and promotes a regulated immunity. Arginase is an important effector of these macrophages believed to play an essential role in decreasing injury and promoting repair.

Hypothesis: Decreases in inflammation in response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) pneumonia achieved by polarizing macrophages to an alternative phenotype is dependent upon the production of arginase.

Methods: Requirement of arginase was examined by pharmacological inhibition using S-(2-boronoethyl)- l-cysteine (BEC) or l-norvaline and by infecting arginase-1 conditional knock-out mice (Arg1^flox/flox;Lyz2-cre (Arg1^Δm)) with PA intratracheally. Arg1^ΔM and control Arg1^flox/flox mice were then …

Discovery Of New Antimicrobial Options And Evaluation Of Aminoglycoside Resistance Enzyme-Associated Resistance Epidemic, Selina Y. L. Holbrook

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

The extensive and sometimes incorrect and noncompliant use of various types of antimicrobial agents has accelerated the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In fact, AMR has become one of the greatest global threat to human health in this era. The broad-spectrum antibiotics aminoglycosides (AGs) display excellent potency against most Gram-negative bacteria, mycobacteria, and some Gram-positive bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus. The AG antibiotics amikacin, gentamicin, kanamycin, and tobramycin are still commonly prescribed in the U.S.A. for the treatment of serious infections. Unfortunately, bacteria evolve to acquire resistance to AGs via four different mechanisms: i) changing in membrane permeability to …

Synthesis And Biological Evaluation Of Novel Drug Candidates To Address Drug Resistance In Tuberculosis And Fungal Diseases, Huy Ngo

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Tuberculosis (TB) and fungal infections are two of the most lethal infectious diseases worldwide due to the emergence of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and fungal strains that can resist the most potent antimicrobial drugs currently employed. Due to the rise of these drug resistant strains, effective treatment options for these two infections are limited. This dissertation aims at exploring novel drug scaffolds to help combat drug resistance in TB and fungal infections.

TB caused by the pathogenic Mtb is, alongside with human immunodeficiency virus acquired immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the deadliest infectious disease worldwide with approximately 2-3 billion people …

Rhodococcus Equi In The Foal – Improving Diagnostic And Prevention Measures, Fernanda Bicudo Cesar

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Although Rhodococcus equi (R. equi), previously known as Corynebacterium equi, was first isolated from pneumonic foals almost a century ago, it remains the most common cause of subacute or chronic granulomatous bronchopneumonia in foals. While the majority of foals exposed to R. equi develop a protective immune response (regressors), others exhibit a unique susceptibility to infection (progressors). The determinants for either outcome are not completely understood. Therefore, current diagnostic and preventive measures are suboptimal and require betterment. In light of this current need, we hypothesized that immunoglobulin G subisotype T [IgG(T)] against the virulence-associated protein A (VapA) …