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Examining Effective And Realized Healthcare Access In The West South Central Division., Katherine Cameron

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores realized and effective access domains outlined by Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. Exploring other domains of access is critical to understanding how the healthcare system functions (Kirby & Yabroff, 2020). This study evaluates rural-urban and racial/ethnic differences in access to care using two underresearched domains of healthcare access. It also allows for exploring access disparities within rural communities amongst minority populations. This dissertation is divided into five chapters. Chapter One provides an overview of health disparities and inequities and a brief overview of the study. Chapter Two details a high-level history of racism and its …

Death Of A Bacterium: Exploring The Inhibition Of Staphylococcus Aureus By Burkholderia Cenocepacia., Tiffany Brandt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Antimicrobial resistance is a phenomenon of increasing concern as antimicrobial overuse and misuse eliminate current therapeutic options, ushering society into a post-antimicrobial era. Antibiotic discovery and synthesis efforts are urgently needed to counter the increasing burden of antimicrobial resistance. Staphylococcus aureus is a causative agent of a variety of clinical manifestations including bacteremia, endocarditis, soft tissue infection, osteomyelitis, and device-related infections. S. aureus infection presents additional treatment challenges due to its capacity for biofilm formation, which is a mode of growth that confers protection from antibiotics and physical elimination, and the emergence of antibiotic resistant strains, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus …

Metabolic Foundations Of Exercise-Induced Cardiac Growth., Kyle Fulghum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Regular aerobic exercise promotes physiological cardiac growth, which is an adaptive response thought to enable the heart to meet higher physical demands. Cardiac growth involves coordination of catabolic and anabolic activities to support ATP generation, macromolecule biosynthesis, and myocyte hypertrophy. Although previous studies suggest that exercise-induced reductions in cardiac glycolysis are critical for physiological myocyte hypertrophy, it remains unclear how exercise influences the many interlinked pathways of metabolism that support adaptive remodeling of the heart. In this thesis project, we tested the general hypothesis that aerobic exercise promotes physiological cardiac growth by coordinating myocardial metabolism to promote glucose-supported anabolic pathway …

Re-Engineering Cardio-Oncology Testing Using Biomimetic Heart Slice Cultures., Jessica Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

28% of drug withdrawal from the market are due to unforeseen disruptions in cardiomyocyte contractility and electrophysiology. The most commonly used platforms for drug testing are in vivo animal models and in vitro cell culture models. While both have been of paramount importance for the discovery and detection of many cardiotoxicities and mechanisms of action, they lack the ability to model an intact human myocardium. This work aims to establish cardiac tissue slices, which are 300-micron thin tissue sections taken from the left ventricular myocardium, as an alternative platform for cardio-oncology studies, specifically cardiotoxicity testing. Additionally, this work aims to …

Systematic Review Of A Ramsar Wetland And Unesco Biosphere Reserve In A Climate Change Hotspot (Ichkeul Lake, Tunisia), Sabrine Sahbani, Béchir Béjaoui, Sihem Benabdalla, Rachid Toujani, Afef Fathalli, Noureddine Zaaboub, Jalel Aouissi, Zeineb Kassouk, Nabil Hamdi, Nabiha Ben Mbarek, Hechmi Missaoui, Leila Basti, Reginald Blake, Hamidreza Norouzi

Publications and Research

Tunisia's Ichkeul Lake is among the most productive ecosystems in the Mediterranean, with a great regional value thanks to its diversity of habitats. It is an important overwintering area for waterfowl species. It is a RAMSAR wetland, a National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage, and a Biosphere Reserve. This review paper provides a broad overview of the climatic, hydraulic, biogeochemical features, bio-resources, and bio-productivity of the Lake. The interconnectivity between the different environmental components of the lake is presented, highlighting the main characteristics of this vital ecosystem. Its ecosystem consists of a permanent lake bordered by temporary marshes. It is …

An Interprofessional Prediabetes And Diabetes Self--Management Education Quality Improvement Project Among Vulnerable Populations At A Tuberculosis Hospital, Robert Saul Castro Natal

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Background. Patients greatly benefit from diabetes self-management education (DSME) as it boosts knowledge and self-efficacy, decreases body weight, fasting blood sugar, and hemoglobin A₁C levels, and improves overall health outcomes in a cost-effective manner. Unfortunately, many individuals with prediabetes and diabetes who qualify for DSMEs do not attend these classes nor receive sufficient prediabetes and diabetes support elsewhere to attain guideline recommended metrics. However, individuals from vulnerable populations and without DSME education experience disproportionate diabetes-related complications worsening health outcomes. Aims: Increase general prediabetes and diabetes knowledge, facilitate behavior change, improve glycemic, metabolic, and lipid values, and increase …

Implementing Food Insecurity Screening On A College Campus, Norma Martinez

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Background. Students attending universities have higher rates of food insecurity than U.S. households. Most college campuses do not routinely screen students for food insecurity, which can affect students’ health and school performance. Currently, the university health clinic does not screen students for food insecurity. Purpose. To screen all students who present to the university clinic for food insecurity and evaluate students with food insecurity for malnutrition. Evidence. Foreman et al. (2018) and Abu and Oldewage-Theron (2019) found that food insecurity was present at some of the largest Texas universities at rates higher than the national average. Project Objectives. To screen …

Addressing Obstacles In Following Prescribed Medication Regimens In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Cristina Sarro

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Background. Type 2 diabetes is the ninth leading cause of death in the United States. Micro/macro vascular complications are common in diabetes. Purpose. To implement an evidence-based protocol addressing obstacles for patients with type 2 diabetes in following their prescribed medication regimens to reduce glycosylated hemoglobin levels. Evidence. Failure to follow treatment plans increases diabetes complications. Perceptions and complexities of treatment plans, side effects of therapies, and cost contribute to patients not taking their medications as prescribed. Goals. To increase the number of patients with type 2 diabetes who follow their prescribed medication regimen and reach their targeted glycosylated hemoglobin. …

Implementing The Depression Screening Tool Phq-9 In The Annual Wellness Exam Of Concierge Family Medicine, Eric Iglesias

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Abstract

Background: Depression has been one of the most common mental health disorders that our population fact but is underdiagnosed and undertreated. Primary care providers are often the first line of defense in detecting depression. Because of this, implementing a depression screening tool in a primary care setting will improve holistic management of care and improve quality of life.

Project Aim: The aim of this project was to increase the number of clients who are evaluated for depression by using the PHQ-9 screening tool during their annual wellness exam and initiate treatment according to the Veteran’s Affairs/Department of Defense Depression …

In Vitro Rooting Techniques In Prunus Spp. For Propagation And Disease Screening For Armillaria Root Rot (Arr) Resistance, John Lawson

All Theses

Prunus is a genus widely cultivated to produce edible fruit including almond (P. amygdalus), peach (P. persica (L.) Batsch), cherries (P. avium and P. cerasus), among others. The cultivation of Prunus is economically important for several regions of the United States and relies on appropriate cultivars and rootstocks that are adapted to a growing region. Encroaching plant pathogens are forcing breeders to use sexually compatible germplasm from related species for introgression of novel alleles that confer tolerance or resistance. This is especially true in the rootstock breeding where interspecific hybridization is often used …

Essential Property, Timothy M. Mulvaney, Joseph William Singer

Minnesota Law Review Vols. 106:2 onward (2021-present)

For a sizable swath of the U.S. population, incomes and wealth are insufficient to cover life’s most basic necessities even in the most ordinary of times. A disturbingly resilient explanation for this state of affairs rests on the view that resource inequities are avoidable through self-reliance, a stance that invites observers to see people in poverty as morally suspect. This Article advances a counterview in contending that the widespread lack of essential resources did not simply arise naturally via individuals’ life choices but instead has been, in very meaningful part, created and perpetuated by our system of property laws. The …

Efficacy Of A Typical Clean-In-Place Protocol Against In Vitro Membrane Biofilms, Diwakar Singh, Sanjeev Anand

Dairy Science and Food Science Faculty Publications: 2022 to Present

This study evaluates the effectiveness of a typical clean-in-place (CIP) protocol against in vitro biofilms on whey reverse osmosis (RO) membranes developed under static condition. Bacterial isolates obtained from RO membrane biofilms were used to develop single and multispecies biofilms under laboratory conditions. A typical commercial CIP protocol was tested against the 24-h-old biofilms, and included 6 sequential treatment steps based on alkali, surfactant, acid, enzyme, a second surfactant, and a sanitizer treatment step. Experiments were conducted in 4 replicates and the data were statistically analyzed. The results revealed a variation in the resistance of mixed-species biofilms against the individual …

U-Glide Program Fall 2022, Unf Office Of Undergraduate Research, Unf Graduate School

Undergraduate – Graduate Learning, Inquiry, and Distinctive Experimentation (U-GLIDE) Symposium Programs

No abstract provided.

Assessing Knowledge And Perceptions About Cancer Among American Indians Of The Zuni Pueblo, Nm, Safia Safi, Donica Ghahate, Jeanette Bobelu, Andrew L. Sussman, Joseph Rodman, Angela Wandinger-Ness, Shiraz I. Mishra, Thomas Faber, Cheryl Willman, Vallabh Shah

Pathology Research and Scholarship

American Indians (AIs) in New Mexico have lower cancer screening rates compared to other populations and are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer at an advanced stage of the disease as reported by Li et al. (Archives of Internal Medicine 163(1):49-56, 2003). AIs also have the lowest 5-year cancer survival rates compared to any ethnic/racial group in the USA as reported by Clegg et al. (Arch Intern Med 162:1985-1993, 2002) and Edwards et al. (Cancer 97:1407-1427, 2005). Numerous barriers such as cultural beliefs, fear, fatalism, mistrust, stigma, and lack of culturally appropriate interventions could contribute to low cancer screening …

The Role Of Vsmc Mir-33a Expression On Apoa-I Mediated Cholesterol Efflux And Macrophage-Like Cell Transdifferentiation, Ikechukwu Esobi

All Dissertations

Atherosclerosis is a condition caused by cholesterol accumulating in arterial intimal cells and is a disease that kills more people in the United States and globally than any other disease. Atherosclerosis is commonly recognized to arise from arterial intimal macrophage cholesterol accumulation, but cell lineage tracing technology has shown that a large majority of cholesterol-laden intimal cells found in atherosclerotic arteries are actually vascular smooth muscle cells that have switched phenotypes to a macrophage-like cell. This vascular smooth muscle cell to macrophage-like cell phenotypic switch is known as transdifferentiation and can be triggered by vascular smooth muscle cell cholesterol accumulation. …

Effect Of Chlorine Dioxide Gas On The Properties Of Packaging Materials And Effect Of Chlorine Dioxide Gas To Maintain The Quality Of Fresh Strawberries, Duleeka Kuruwita, Duleeka Prasadani Kuruwita Arachchige

All Dissertations

ClO₂ as an antimicrobial gas in the headspace of produce package is a relatively novel approach. Gaseous ClO₂ is more effective than aqueous ClO₂ and can be used in the headspace of fresh food packages. ClO₂ gas can diffuse into product surfaces and films. As an oxidizer, it can react with and change polymeric package components, possibly affecting the product’s shelflife.

This research studied effects of ClO₂ gas treatments on produce packaging materials (APET, two PE types, Nylon). The treatment group (with ClO₂) and the control group (without ClO₂) of packaging …

The Role Of Muscle Damage On Joint Tissue, Logan Nicholas Moore

Kinesiology Dissertations - Archive

The musculoskeletal system is a highly diverse network of tissue that operates in conjunction to one other, both mechanically and biochemically. In states of disorder such as musculoskeletal disorders, this cross-communication between tissues is pivotal in the progression of disease state in other tissues, or the prevention and healing of the effected tissue. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSkD) are a broad term encompassing disorders to bones, joints, muscles and connective tissues. These disorders include Osteoarthritis, Osteopenia, Sarcopenia, Tendonitis, Myopathies, and muscle weakness. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disorder, characterized as damage to the articulating cartilage and alterations in other joint …

Timing Of Implants Use In Backgrounding System, Kylie M. Butterfield

Applied Science Program: Theses

A study was conducted over two years to determine the interactions of winter rate of gain at a high gain (HG) of 0.91 kg and low gain (LG) 0.45 kg, and implant strategy in the backgrounding and subsequent effects in the finishing phases. There were three phases in this study, the winter phase (~148 days), the summer phase (~60 days) and the finishing phase (~120 days). This was a 2 x 3 factorial design. The first factor is a rate of gain at either 0.91 kg (HG) or 0.45 kg (LG). The next factor is the timing of implant where …

Quantifying The Relationship Between Soil Organic Carbon And Soil Color In Nebraska, Aldi J. Airori

Applied Science Program: Theses

Soil color is easily measured in the field and holds potential to be used as an indirect measurement of soil organic carbon (SOC). The main limitation to this approach is knowledge about the specific color-SOC relationship in a region, which often varies in relation to parent material, soil texture, climate, and land use. Furthermore, the Munsell color data is subjective in nature. The objectives of this study are: 1) to develop and evaluate the accuracy of pedotransfer functions (PTFs) for the prediction of SOC based on soil color and texture in the state of Nebraska and 2) to evaluate digital …

173rd Commencement, Fall

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Factors Impacting Organ Transplant Outcomes, Katelyn Grubich

Nursing | Senior Theses

Organ transplants are crucial to the survival of those on the receiving end. With medicine advancing, so has transplantation. Health care providers are becoming more aware of the strategies necessary to prolong the transplanted organ and how to obtain better outcomes. Heart, lungs, kidney, liver, pancreas, and some where more than one organ are involved, are the types of organ transplants performed.

Providing patients information will allow them to be a part of their treatment and can help to ease their anxiety knowing what is being performed and what can be expected. Health care providers must ensure that patients and …

Safe Practices For Preventing Covid-19 Among School-Aged Children, Meleena Reyelle Banda-Garcia

Nursing | Senior Theses

Communicable diseases and infections are common health problems among children. Among the most impactful communicable diseases present today is COVID-19, a disease caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2, which has forced many school closures due to rapid transmission. Despite children not being the main driving factor of the spread of the disease, severe complications underlying COVID-19 incidence have resulted in increased hospitalization among school-age children.The initial global response to the spread of COVID-19 included the closure of school systems; however as the disease continues to be effectively managed, communities are starting to re-open schools partially or entirely nationwide. Although pharmaceutical …

Increasing Production Of Therapeutic Mabs In Cho Cells Through Genetic Engineering, Charles Barentine

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Between 2014 and 2018, the global market for therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) rose from $60 billion to $115.2 billion with a projected value of $300 billion by 2025. These molecules are used to effectively treat some of the most challenging illnesses from auto-immune diseases to cancer. While mAbs are highly valuable with potent applications, their production at scale remains an outstanding challenge. These molecules are largely produced in Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells that require highly specific conditions to produce a useful product.

Genetic engineering presents one solution to overcome productivity limits. With the advent of CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced …

Amplification Of Inflammation By Lubricin Deficiency Implicated In Incident, Erosive Gout Independent Of Hyperuricemia, Khaled A. Elsaid, Tony R. Merriman, Leigh-Ana Rossitto, Ru Liu-Bryan, Jacob Karsh, Amanda Phipps-Green, Gregory D. Jay, Sandy Elsayed, Marwa Qadri, Marin Miner, Murray Cadzow, Talia J. Dambruoso, Tannin A. Schmidt, Nicola Dalbeth, Ashika Chhana, Jennifer Höglund, Majid Ghassemian, Anaamika Campeau, Nancy Maltez, Niclas G. Karlsson, David J. Gonzalez, Robert Terkeltaub

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Objective

In gout, hyperuricemia promotes urate crystal deposition that stimulates the NLRP3 inflammasome and IL-1β-mediated arthritis. Incident gout without background hyperuricemia is rarely reported. To identify hyperuricemia-independent mechanisms driving gout incidence and progression, we characterized erosive urate crystalline inflammatory arthritis meeting ACR/EULAR gout classification criteria in a normouricemic young adult female.

Methods

Whole genome sequencing, quantitative proteomics, whole blood RNA-seq, and IL-1β-induced murine knee synovitis characterized proband candidate genes, biomarkers, and pathogenic mechanisms.

Results

Lubricin was attenuated in proband serum, associated with elevated acute phase reactants and inflammatory whole blood transcripts and transcriptional pathways. The proband had predicted damaging gene …

Machine Learning In Agriculture: Crop Yield Prediction, Hames Sherif

Theses

The amount of crops harvested varies every year due to changes in climate and other operational as well as economic factors. Predicting the amount of crops a land will produce will result in more efficient field operations and management. At a national level, crop yield prediction can help work towards achieving food security. This, at a global level, will serve as a step towards the UN Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger. This research identifies the significant factors that affect the production of staple crops in regions with desert and semi-arid climate in Africa and predict their yield. Different techniques …

Pedagogical Data Literacy With A Multi-Tiered System Of Supports: A Mixed Methods Study Of Teachers Using Data-Driven Reading Instruction In A Title I School, Paula Alexander

All Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to examine how teachers use pedagogical data literacy methods using the South Carolina Multi-Tiered System of Supports (SCMTSS) framework, and its influence on positive student outcomes in reading achievement for all students and students receiving reading intervention supports in Kindergarten through third grade.

Teachers' pedagogical data literacy, or the intersection of educators' knowledge and skills to transform the data into instructional strategies to meet students' needs, provides a lens to fulfill the SCMTSS framework approach of using data-based problem solving to maximize growth of all students. This research study identified SCMTSS Tier I …

Total Energy Expenditure Is Repeatable In Adults But Not Associated With Short-Term Changes In Body Composition, Rebecca Rimbach, Yosuke Yamada, Hiroyuki Sagayama, Philip N. Ainslie, Lene F. Anderson, Liam J. Anderson, Lenore Arab, Issaad Baddou, Kweku Bedu-Addo, Ellen E. Blaak, Stephane Blanc, Alberto G. Bonomi, Carlijn V.C. Bouten, Pascal Bovet, Maciej S. Buchowski, Nancy F. Butte, Stefan G.J.A. Camps, Graeme L. Close, Jamie A. Cooper, Sai Krupa Das, Lara R. Dugas, Ulf Ekelund, Sonja Entringer, Terrence Forrester, Barry W. Fudge, Annelies H. Goris, Michael Gurven, Catherine Hambly, Asmaa El Hamdouchi, Marije B. Hoos, Sumei Hu, Noorjehan Joonas, Annemiek M. Joosen, Peter Katzmarzyk

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Low total energy expenditure (TEE, MJ/d) has been a hypothesized risk factor for weight gain, but repeatability of TEE, a critical variable in longitudinal studies of energy balance, is understudied. We examine repeated doubly labeled water (DLW) measurements of TEE in 348 adults and 47 children from the IAEA DLW Database (mean ± SD time interval: 1.9 ± 2.9 y) to assess repeatability of TEE, and to examine if TEE adjusted for age, sex, fat-free mass, and fat mass is associated with changes in weight or body composition. Here, we report that repeatability of TEE is high for adults, but …

Direct And Indirect Effects Of Planting Density, Nitrogenous Fertilizer And Host Plant Resistance On Rice Herbivores And Their Natural Enemies, Finbarr G. Horgan, Eduardo Crisol-Martínez, Alexander M. Stuart, James M. Villegas, Ainara Peñalver-Cruz, Enrique A. Mundaca, Marivic O. Perez, Carmencita C. Bernal, Maria Liberty P. Almazan, Angelee F. Ramal

Faculty Publications

In rice ecosystems, seeding densities can be adjusted to compensate for lower nitrogen levels that reduce GHG emissions, or to increase farm profitability. However, density-induced changes to plant anatomy could affect herbivore-rice interactions, and alter arthropod community dynamics. We conducted an experiment that varied transplanting density (low or high), nitrogenous fertilizer (0, 60 or 150 kg added ha−1) and rice variety (resistant or susceptible to phloem-feeding insects) over two rice-growing seasons. Yields per plot increased with added nitrogen, but were not affected by variety or transplanting density. Planthopper and leafhopper densities were lower on resistant rice and in high-density field …

Sk3 In Pomc Neurons Plays A Sexually Dimorphic Role In Energy And Glucose Homeostasis, Meng Yu, Jonathan C. Bean, Hailan Liu, Yang He, Yongjie Yang, Xing Cai, Kaifan Yu, Zhou Pei, Hesong Liu, Longlong Tu, Kristine M. Conde, Mengjie Wang, Yongxiang Li, Na Yin, Nan Zhang, Junying Han, Nikolas A. Scarcelli, Pingwen Xu, Yanlin He, Yong Xu, Chunmei Wang

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Background: Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons play a sexually dimorphic role in body weight and glucose balance. However, the mechanisms for the sex differences in POMC neuron functions are not fully understood. Results: We detected small conductance calcium-activated potassium (SK) current in POMC neurons. Secondary analysis of published single-cell RNA-Seq data showed that POMC neurons abundantly express SK3, one SK channel subunit. To test whether SK3 in POMC neurons regulates POMC neuron functions on energy and glucose homeostasis, we used a Cre-loxP strategy to delete SK3 specifically from mature POMC neurons. POMC-specific deletion of SK3 did not affect body weight in either …

Interindividual Differences In Trainability And Moderators Of Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Waist Circumference, And Body Mass Responses: A Large-Scale Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis, Jacob T. Bonafiglia, Paul A. Swinton, Robert Ross, Neil M. Johannsen, Corby K. Martin, Timothy S. Church, Cris A. Slentz, Leanna M. Ross, William E. Kraus, Jeremy J. Walsh, Glen P. Kenny, Gary S. Goldfield, Denis Prud’Homme, Ronald J. Sigal, Conrad P. Earnest, Brendon J. Gurd

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Although many studies have assumed variability reflects variance caused by exercise training, few studies have examined whether interindividual differences in trainability are present following exercise training. The present individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis sought to: (1) investigate the presence of interindividual differences in trainability for cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), waist circumference, and body mass; and (2) examine the influence of exercise training and potential moderators on the probability that an individual will experience clinically important differences. The IPD meta-analysis combined data from 1879 participants from eight previously published randomized controlled trials. We implemented a Bayesian framework to: (1) test the hypothesis …