Demographic And Clinical Characteristics Predicting Missed Clinic Visits Among Patients Living With Hiv On Antiretroviral Treatment., Osaremhen Ikhile

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Background: Patients living with HIV (PLHIV) often face challenges that contribute to missed clinical care which can impact their health outcomes.

Purpose: The primary objective of this study was to examine associations of clinical and sociodemographic factors such as age at the entrance into antiretroviral treatment (ART), rurality-urbanicity, biological sex, province of residence, and viral load with PLHIV’s tendency to miss scheduled visits for ART among persons living with HIV (PLHIV) in the Kinshasa and Haut-Katanga provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) between 2018 and 2019.

Methods: The study participants for this quantitative study were 5338 adults …

How Do Cultural Norms Shape Healthy Eating In African Americans? The Role Of Cultural Congruence And Mindsets Of Health In Healthy Eating Intentions Among African American College Students, Danyel Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Targeting dietary behaviors is a predominant strategy to reduce rates of obesity among African Americans, across the lifespan. Notably, dietary behaviors are shaped by social, cultural and environmental affordances. This study integrated Theory of planned behavior (TPB), identity-based motivation, and mindset theory to unearth cultural mechanisms that inform motivations to eat healthy among African American college students. This project employed a cross-sectional (Study 1) and experimental design (Study 2) to contextualize the antecedents of intentions to eat healthy among African American college students. Recruitment occurred via university-wide digital channels. Eligible participants: were 18+ years; Black/African American; were undergraduate students; and …

Quantifying Insect Emergence In Tidal Freshwaters And The Importance Of Aquatic Prey In Wetland-Dependent Songbird Diet, Samantha L. Rogers

Theses and Dissertations

Insectivorous birds and their arthropod prey are experiencing widespread population declines, driven largely by anthropogenic disturbance and climate change. For wetland-dependent insectivores that consume a mixture of terrestrial and aquatic insects, understanding the availability, consumption, and nutritional qualities of aquatic diet subsidies is important for conservation. I use prothonotary warblers (Protonotaria citrea) as a model species throughout this work, because their breeding season aligns with aquatic insect emergence and they include aquatic insects when provisioning nestlings. In the first chapter, I estimate aquatic insect emergence from tidal freshwaters, which are understudied compared to nontidal systems. Using continuous field …

Food Deserts And Pediatric Oral Health Status In An Under-Resourced Urban Community, Jessica T. Mcauliffe

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The aim of this analysis of survey data was to assess the influence of living within a food desert as a predictor of oral health problems among children of East Henrico County, Virginia.

Methods: Survey participants were recruited and questionnaires applied online. Residing in a food desert, using access to affordable produce as a proxy value, was the independent variable, while self- reported assessment of the child’s oral health status was the primary outcome variable. Analyses controlled for other indirect factors of pediatric oral health. Logistic regression was used to model the association between the self-reported access to healthy …

Evaluating The Acute Effect Of Vaping On Food Intake, Gabrielle Maldonado

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Weight control is a common motive for continued cigarette smoking, and weight concerns pose a barrier to quitting. These effects are driven in part by nicotine’s ability to reduce overall appetite and ultimately body weight. Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) have been marketed and used for weight control, suggesting that the use of these products potentially may share similar effects as well as barriers to quitting as observed for cigarette smoking. However, little to no controlled clinical lab evidence exists supporting ENDS use for weight control. The present study tested the influence of an ENDS on acute eating behavior …

“It's Just Not Enough”: Examining The Experiences Of School-Based Sexual Health Education And Conversation Engagement With Trusted Adults Among Black Boys In Richmond, Va, Sharyn A. Dougherty

Theses and Dissertations

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that youth make up a quarter of the sexually active population, yet account for half of the 20 million new sexually transmitted infections in the United States.In 2021, youth age 15-19 living in Virginia’s central region, which includes the Richmond Metropolitan area, had the second highest number of chlamydia cases and fourth highest number of gonorrhea cases among all age groups, with the highest rates among Black youth. The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of Black youth in Richmond, VA with school-based sexual health education (SHE) and their …

The Impact Of Patient Characteristics On Dysphagia Therapy Utilization And Feeding Outcomes For Premature Infants In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Tiana Nguyen

Theses and Dissertations

Medical advances have significantly increased the survival rates of preterm infants at lower gestational ages. However, infants born at lower gestational ages have an increased risk for developmental disabilities and oral feeding difficulties. A stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is very costly and inadequate oral feeding is the most common barrier to discharge for premature infants. Infants can receive dysphagia therapy services during their NICU stay that focuses on the development of oral feeding and swallowing skills. However, literature to this date has mainly focused on the impact of therapy services for premature infants after NICU discharge. …

Treponema Denticola Synthesizes C-Di-Amp And Encodes The Cdaa-Type Diadenylate Cyclase Cdaa, Claire R. O'Brien

Theses and Dissertations

Periodontitis is a form of oral disease characterized by dysbiosis of the oral microbiome, leading to inflammation, bone resorption, and in severe cases, entire tooth loss, affecting 42% of adults in the US. One of the bacteria most associated with periodontal disease progression is Treponema denticola (Td), an oral spirochete which inhabits the mouth in small quantities during health but which can dominate the biofilms that form during periodontal disease. The ability of Td to survive in a disease environment and contribute to the progression of disease requires the use of robust signaling networks. Analysis of Td cultures …

Formation Of Vasculogenic Mimicry: Role Of Melanoma Differentiation Associated Gene-9 In Human Melanoma, Jinkal Shah

Theses and Dissertations

Malignant melanoma (MM) is the most aggressive skin cancer and the most frequent skin disorder in Caucasians. MM is associated with aggressive and progressive disease states, leading to major cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Recent investigations identify an alternative pathway -vasculogenic mimicry (VM), which is considered a cancer hallmark that can independently facilitate tumor neovascularization by the formation of fluid-conducting and vascular endothelial cells. MM cells undergoing VM can dedifferentiate into numerous cellular phenotypes and acquire endothelial-like features, resulting in the formation of the de novo matrix-rich vascular-like networks, such as plasma and red blood cells. The co-generation of endothelial cells, …

Sdf-1 Induces Directional Chemotaxis Of Endogenous Bmscs At The Intervertebral Fusion Site And Promotes Osteogenic Differentiation By Regulating Wnt/Ss-Catenin In The Bone Marrow Chimera Spinal Intervertebral Fusion Mouse Model, Qiwen Zhang, Ning Liang, Bin He, Siyou Wu, Depeng Wen, Xiaoyong Tang, Xiongcheng Shen

Turkish Journal of Biology

Clinical observations show that the current spinal fusion with internal fixation has a nonfusion rate of 5%-35%; however, methods to promote spinal fusion are limited. This study aimed to investigate the role of SDF-1-induced directional chemotaxis of BMSCs in bone marrow chimera spinal intervertebral fusion mouse model. BMSCs were isolated from bone marrow and identified by detecting CD44/CD34 positive cells. BMSCs (GFP-BMSCs) were labeled with GFP for tracking in vivo. Mice were inoculated with GFP-BMSCs to construct bone marrow chimera spinal intervertebral fusion model, which were divided into BM-SIF model, BM-SIF+SDF-1, BM-SIF+SDF-1-Anta group. The callus area of intervertebral fusion site …

Tsrna-15797-Modified Bmsc-Derived Exosomes Mediate Lfng To Induce Angiogenesis In Osteonecrosis Of The Femoral Head, Shanhong Fang, Mengqiang You, Jie Wei, Peng Chen

Turkish Journal of Biology

Background: Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is an ischemic disease characterized by the impairment of angiogenesis. We have previously elucidated the role of tsRNAs and BMSC exosomes in ONFH, but whether tsRNA-modified BMSC exosomes promote angiogenesis in ONFH remains unclear. Methods: The expression of angiogenesis-related tsRNA in plasma exosomes from ONFH patients was examined by q-PCR. The function of tsRNA in HUVECs was identified by CCK-8 and angiogenesis assay. Exosomes purified from tsRNA-15797 overexpressed BMSCs were cocultured with HUVECs to examine their role in angiogenesis. The molecule mechanism of tsRNA-15797-modified exosomes was explored by RNA sequencing, dual-luciferase assay, and …

Methionine Restriction And Cancer Treatment: A Systems Biology Study Of Yeast To Investigate The Possible Key Players, Esra Börklü

Turkish Journal of Biology

Background/aim: Dietary restriction, mainly carbon and/or methionine restriction are among the upcoming supporting interventions along with chemotherapy in various cancers. Although dietary restriction has been proven to be beneficial, the main cellular machineries affected by its administration lacks deeper information considerably, a notable pitfall in its use as a personalized nutritional approach. Materials and methods: In this study, cellular effects of methionine restriction on a yeast model are explored via systems biology approaches. The methionine biosynthesis network, constructed by integrating interaction data with gene ontology terms, was analysed topologically, and proved to be informative about the intertwined relationship of methionine …

Assessing The Entrepreneurship Ecosystem In Egypt Through A Gender Lens, Hala Wasef Hattab

Business Administration

Purpose: According to the Egyptian Start-up Ecosystem Report (ITIDA, 2021), Egypt has one of the foremost start-up ecosystems on Africa, both in terms of levels of start-up activity and inward investments. Yet the county lags in terms of women’s participation in founding start-ups. According to the latest Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report for Egypt, the entrepreneurial activity rate for women was 5.7%, while that of Egyptian men was 16.7%, despite women’s positive attitudes towards entrepreneurship. Methodology: The current research has an exploratory nature and aims at analysing entrepreneurship ecosystem in Egypt through a gender lens to highlight the factors that are …

Household Food Insecurity And Student Behavior: The Impact Of One School's Second Breakfast Program, Bradley S. Witzel, Elizabeth Wall-Bassett

Mid-Western Educational Researcher

Household Food Insecurity (HFI) is a frequent challenge for children living in poverty that impacts social, emotional, and behavioral development. Federally assisted meal programs, such as the National School Breakfast Program, address HFI for students living in poverty through free or reduced-price breakfast. However, there are challenges for students to take advantage of this opportunity, and it is underutilized. In this research, all middle school students at a high poverty school were offered a free of charge meal alternative called Second Chance Breakfast. Since this program was started, student participation in school breakfast increased and behavior incidences in school dropped …

Caring For Fat Bodies: Bridging The Gap Between Intention And Practice In Primary Care, Sadie Pile

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Healthcare providers work hard to support patients in optimizing their health. Typical care prioritizes use of the body mass index (BMI) which has widely been criticized for its ineffectiveness at measuring health, and which perpetuates a white European male body as “normal”. From individual care to public health policy, the measurement of health through BMI and thinness has created and enforced weight stigma. Literature over the past 20 years has continued to demonstrate the negative health impacts of weight stigma, not only in harming physiological, psychological, and behavioral health, but also in fact contributing to weight gain. Notably, the research …

Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Program: Participant Factors For Retention And Motivation For Treatment, Javier Barrero, Victoria Strickland

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to explore OUD patient-reported factors for motivation and retention in a medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program in the Seattle metropolitan area. Method: This mixed methods project collected data via an exploratory, preliminary survey from patients receiving treatment at 11 outpatient medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) clinics located in three counties in Washington state. The survey contained both qualitative and quantitative questions that addressed factors of motivation, external support, and self-efficacy. The survey was sent via a secure text messaging system. Results: Qualitative analysis developed five themes after coding: supportive factors for retention, health …

Supporting Pregnant People In Prenatal Physical Activity & Exercise: Brief In-Service Training Integrating The 6 Rs Framework To Facilitate Counseling By Healthcare Professionals, Morgan Frazier

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Studies show that physical inactivity in pregnancy is attributed to pregnant people receiving inadequate and incomplete prenatal physical activity and exercise (PAE) counseling from healthcare professionals (HCPs). There is a gap in the knowledge translation of prenatal PAE guidelines and pregnant people are uncertain how to safely engage in PAE. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate the effect of an online brief in-service training integrating the 6 Rs Framework on Rainier Valley Birth & Health Center HCPs’ (i.e., Certified Nurse-Midwives and Licensed Midwives) attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, and practices pertaining to antenatal PAE. Quantitative data was collected …

An Interprofessional Collaboration To Increase Total Enteral Nutrition In Critically Ill Patients On Vasopressor Agents In Cvicu, Priyanka Shah

DNP Projects

Background: Delayed enteral nutrition (EN) in critically ill patients increases the risk of complications and poor outcomes. The 2016 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.) and Society of Critical Care Medicine (S.C.C.M.) evidence-based guideline recommends initiating EN within 24-48 hours of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission once resuscitation and hemodynamically stability have been achieved. The evidence-based guideline notes that critically ill patients on low-dose vasopressors can be started on EN with close monitoring.

Purpose: This interprofessional project aims to increase the amount of EN delivered to all qualifying Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) patients who are at risk …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Family-Based Treatment Education On Provider's Knowledge, Anticipatory Use, And Attitudes Who Treat Adolescent Patients Diagnosed With Anorexia Nervosa, Treven Back

DNP Projects

Background. Anorexia Nervosa is a chronic, disabling, and costly disease with a higher mortality rate than any other psychiatric illness. Because of the need for medical, psychiatric, and nutritional care, treatment is complex. The current literature supports Family-Based Treatment as a first-line treatment for adolescent patients diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa. However, a gap exists between translating family-based treatments into clinical practice. Literature shows that education and understanding providers' attitudes and beliefs are the first steps to successfully implementing family-based treatments.

Purpose. This DNP project aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a family-based treatment education intervention on providers' attitudes, knowledge, and …

Evaluating The Feasibility And Efficacy Of A Brief Motivational Interviewing Nutrition Intervention For Women With Type 2 Diabetes In Primary Care, Charlotte M. Adams

DNP Projects

Background: The American Diabetes Association recommends lifestyle modification to prevent and treat diabetes in their 2021 Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes. Evidence suggests that motivational interviewing (MI) is an effective intervention that clinicians can use to facilitate behavior change in patients with type two diabetes.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to evaluate a brief motivational interviewing intervention that could be delivered by a PCP to provide individualized nutrition counseling for adult women with type two diabetes in a primary care clinic in Lexington, KY. This study was a continuation of a previous quality improvement project at this …

Impact Of Physical Activity Vital Sign Screening On Physical Activity Counseling And Referrals In Primary Care, Anna Selepina

DNP Projects

Background/Purpose: Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week for adults; however, half of the adults do not meet this goal, which leads to increased chronic health conditions and poor health outcomes. The physical activity vital sign (PAVS) screening tool is an evidence-based assessment tool associated with increased physical activity counseling, which can lead to increased physical activity and improved patient outcomes.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of PAVS screening on physical activity counseling and referrals in primary care.

Methods: This prospective study took place in a small …

Evaluating The Effect Of Electronic Health Record Patient Portal Use On Medication Adherence In Adults With Chronic Conditions, Jennifer Averbeck

DNP Projects

Background Medication non-adherence is prevalent among fifty percent of the United States population. This behavior leads to increased morbidity and mortality as well as increased healthcare costs for both the patient and the healthcare system. More than two-thirds of nonadherence exists in those aged over 65 years old who are diagnosed with Multiple Chronic Conditions (MCC). Several studies have researched and trialed interventions to improve rates of adherence, limit poor health outcomes, and decrease overall cost of care. The patient portal is an interactive tool which encourages participation of the patient in their healthcare management. Implementation of this tool has …

Molecular Analysis Of Epigenetic Memory Of Stress Establishment And Long-Term Maintenance In A Perennial Woody Plant, Jia Wen Tan

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Plants adapt to extreme environmental conditions through physiological adaptations, which are usually transient. Recent research has suggested that environmental conditions can activate a memory of stress that can result in a primed response to subsequent stress events. While the effect of priming has been observed in many plants, the underlying mechanisms are puzzling and seldom studied. A large body of research has been developed in the last decade linking response to stress, stress priming, and memory of stress with epigenetic mechanisms. This understanding of plant epigenetics has opened the door to the application of epigenetics to crop improvement, such as …

Building A Kentucky Baguette: Agronomic Traits, Bread Baking Quality Measurements, And Sensory Evaluation Of Modern And Landrace Wheat Cultivars Grown Under Conventional And Organic Nitrogen Management, Bryan Brady

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

The demand by artisan bread bakers across the United States for local wheat varieties has increased in recent years. The southeast is traditionally a soft winter wheat (SWW) region, producing low gluten flours more suitable for biscuits and cookies. Recently, hard winter wheat (HWW) varieties have been bred to produce acceptable yields in the high humidity environment of the southeastern United States. Artisan bread bakers in Kentucky would like to create a niche food value chain benefitting farmers, small-scale millers, bakers, consumers, and their local and regional food systems (LRFS). The increased demand and the availability of adapted hard wheat …

Food Insufficiency, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) Status, And 9-Year Trajectory Of Cognitive Function In Older Adults: The Longitudinal National Health And Aging Trends Study, 2012–2020, Muzi Na, Nan Dou, Monique J. Brown Ph.D., Mph, Lenis P. Chen-Edinboro, Loretta R. Anderson, Alexandra Wennberg

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

How Perspectives On Food Safety Of Vendors And Consumers Translate Into Food-Choice Behaviors In 6 African And Asian Countries, Sejla Isanovic, Shilpa V. Constantinides, Edward A. Frongillo Ph.D., Shiva Bhandari, Sharraf Samin, Emma Kenney, Sigrid Wertheim-Heck, Stella Nordhagen, Michelle Holdsworth, Paula Dominguez-Salas, Ramya Ambikapathi, Amos Laar, Crystal L. Patil, Bharati Kulkarni, Salome A. Bukachi, Mariah Ngutu, Christine E. Blake Ph.D., Rd

Faculty Publications

Background: Consumption of unsafe foods increases morbidity and mortality and is currently an issue, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Policy actions to ensure food safety are dominated by mitigation of biological and chemical hazards through supply-side risk management, lessening the degree to which consumer perspectives of food safety are considered. Objectives: This study aimed to provide an in-depth understanding, from vendor and consumer perspectives, of how food-safety concerns of consumers translate into their subsequent food-choice behaviors in 6 diverse low- and middle-income countries. Methods: Six Drivers of Food Choice projects (2016–2022) provided transcripts from 17 focus group discussions and …

2023 Jan Term Course Catalog, Saint Mary's College Of California

Jan Term Course Catalog

No abstract provided.

How Has Entrepreneurship Opportunity Formation Amongst Immigrants Been Influenced By The Covid-19 Pandemic?, Osa-Godwin Osaghae, Thomas M. Cooney

Articles

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how entrepreneurship opportunity formation amongst immigrants has been influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, given that environmental changes and irregularity can contribute to entrepreneurship opportunity formation in the immigrant set-up.

Effectiveness Of An Integrated Multilevel Early Child Development Intervention On Caregiver Knowledge And Behavior: A Quasi-Experimental Evaluation Of The Malezi Program In Tanzania, Gretchen Antelman, Josephine Ferla, Michelle M. Gill, Heather J. Hoffman, Teopista Komba, Amina Abubakar, Pieter Remes, Ola Jahanpour, Martha Mariki, Mary A. Mang’Enya, Roland Van De Ven

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Background The quality of caregiving and the parent-child relationship is critical for early child development (ECD) and has been shown to be modifiable. This study evaluated an ECD project in Tanzania, assessing the effectiveness of radio messaging (RM) alone and a combined radio messaging/video job aids/ECD (RMV-ECD) intervention.

Methods This two-arm pre-post evaluation study enrolled a cohort of caregivers of children 0–24 months in four districts of Tabora region, following them for 9 months. ECD radio messages were broadcast on popular stations at least 10 times/day reaching all study districts. In two districts, community health workers (CHW), trained in UNICEF’s …

ผลของการใช้กรดอะมิโนร่วมกับการออกกำลังกายแบบแรงต้านต่อองค์ประกอบของร่างกายและสมรรถภาพของกล้ามเนื้อในบุคคลสุขภาพดี, กสิวัฒน์ เจียรธนะกานนท์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

วัตถุประสงค์เพื่อศึกษาผลของการใช้กรดอะมิโนร่วมกับการออกกําลังกายแบบแรงต้าน ต่อองค์ประกอบของร่างกายและสมรรถภาพของกล้ามเนื้อในบุคคลสุขภาพดีวิธีการดําเนินงานวิจัย กลุ่มตัวอย่างคือบุคคลที่มีสุขภาพดีเพศชายและหญิงที่ไม่ได้ออกกําลังกายเป็นประจํา อายุเฉลี่ย27.33±3.45ปี จํานวน 24 คน แบ่งเป็น 2 กลุ่ม กลุ่มละ 12 คน ได้แก่ กลุ่มควบคุม (CON) ที่ได้รับการฝึกออกกําลังกายแบบแรงต้านเพียงอย่างเดียว และกลุ่มทดลอง (AA+RT) ที่ได้รับการเสริมกรดอะมิโนร่วมกับการฝึกออกกําลังกายแบบแรงต้าน เป็นเวลา 12 สัปดาห์ ผู้วิจัยทําการทดสอบตัวแปรด้านองค์ประกอบของร่างกาย ความแข็งแรงของกล้ามเนื้อ ขนาดของกล้ามเนื้อ ความหนาของกล้ามเนื้อก่อนการฝึก สัปดาห์ที่ 6 ของการฝึก และหลังการฝึก ครบ 12 สัปดาห์ แล้วนํามาเปรียบเทียบทางสถิติด้วยโปรแกรมสําเร็จรูป โดยใช้การทดสอบความแปรปรวนแบบผสม และใช้การทดสอบแบบรายคู่ด้วยสถิติ LSD ที่ระดับความมีนัยสําคัญทางสถิติ เมื่อ p< 0.05ผลการวิจัย หลังการจบโปรแกรม 12 สัปดาห์ พบว่ากลุ่มตัวอย่างที่ได้รับกรดอะมิโน ร่วมกับการฝึกด้วยแรงต้านมีปริมาณไขมันในร่างกาย มวลไขมัน ลดลงอย่างมีนัยสําคัญทางสถิติ (p0.05) อย่างไรก็ตามเมื่อเปรียบเทียบเปอร์เซ็นต์การเปลี่ยนแปลงของความแข็งแรงของกล้ามเนื้อที่ทดสอบด้วยน้ำหนักสูงสุดในออกแรงต้าน (1 Repetition Maximum; 1RM) และเปอร์เซ็นต์การเปลี่ยนแปลงความหนาของกล้ามเนื้อเปรียบเทียบกันระหว่างก่อนการทดลอง และหลังการฝึกสัปดาห์ที่ 12 พบว่ากลุ่มทอลองมีค่ามีกว่าอย่างมีนัยสำคัญทางสถิติ เมื่อเปรียบเทียบกับกุล่มควบคุมที่ได้รับการฝึกด้วยแรงต้านเพียงอย่างเดียวสรุปผลการวิจัย การใช้กรดอะมิโนร่วมกับการฝึกด้วยแรงต้านเป็นเวลา 12 สัปดาห์ สามารถลดปริมาณไขมันใต้ผิวหนังในร่างกาย เพิ่มความแข็งแรงของกล้ามเนื้อ และความหนาของกล้ามเนื้อในบุคคลสุขภาพดีได้