Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of Maternal Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol And Cannabidiol Exposure On Fetal Heart Development In Mice, Gregory Robinson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Up to 22.6% of pregnant women consume cannabis during pregnancy despite the uncertainty of teratogenicity of the main ingredients in cannabis, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). This study tested the hypothesis that gestational THC and CBD exposure leads to heart abnormalities. Daily, oral THC exposure induced heart abnormalities in 68% of offspring with three main phenotypes including thickened semilunar valves, ventricular myocardial hypertrophy and hypoplastic coronary arteries in fetuses, and postnatal cardiac dysfunction. Altered gene expression of key cardiogenic regulators, increased proliferation, and reduced epicardial epithelial-to-mesenchymal-transition were demonstrated implicating potential mechanisms responsible for these abnormalities. Also, maternal CBD exposure resulted …

Pulling Heart Strings: Quality Improvement Algorithm For Temporary Epicardial Pacing Wire Removal Post Cardiac Surgery, Jessica Norman

Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNP) Final Projects, 2020-current

The placement of temporary epicardial pacing wires (TEPW) is considered standard practice post cardiac surgery and is dependent on the patient’s cardiac function intra-operatively and their electrophysiologic profile after weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass (Reade, 2007; Elmistekawy et al, 2016). Complications associated with TEPW removal include myocardial damage, infection, perforation, tamponade, disruption of anastomoses, ventricular arrythmias, and death (Bojar, 2009; Carroll et al, 1998;Timothy & Rodeman, 2004). Currently there is no standard practice on the removal of TEPW and there is wide variation in removal practices involving patients who are routinely on medications such as dual antiplatelet therapies and systemic anticoagulation. …

Applied Molecular Dynamics: From Targeting Viral Helicases, To Understanding The Interactions Of Cucurbituril Complexes In Ionic Solutions, Bryan Raubenolt

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Molecular Dynamics simulations are a highly useful tool in helping understand the fundamental interactions present in a variety of chemical systems. The work discussed here illustrates it’s use in determining the conformational dynamics of the Zika and SARS-Cov-2 helicase in a physiological environment, largely in an effort to discover inhibitors capable of rendering the protein inert. Additionally, we show how it can be used to understand paradoxical trends in the anion-induced precipitation of Cucurbituril cavitands.

Viral helicases are motor proteins tasked with unwinding the viral dsRNA, a crucial step in preparing the strand to be translatable by host cells. By …

Glycemic Variability In Patients With Stage Ii-Iii Colon Cancer, Natalie Mandolfo

Theses & Dissertations

Patients with cancer experience metabolic changes such as hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, and glycemic variability; collectively termed malglycemia. Glycemic variability, defined as fluctuations in glucose, is a marker of metabolic instability. Higher glycemic variability is associated with adverse health outcomes in the general population and in those with diabetes. Little is known about glycemic variability in patients with cancer, especially those with solid tumor malignancies. Glycemic variability is associated with increased infection, shorter periods of remission, and higher mortality in patients with hematological cancer. This body of work describes the concept and measurement of glycemic variability to assess glycemic control in patients …

Cardioprotective Roles Of Hydrogen Sulfide Donor Treatment In Diabetic Cardiomyopathy, Sumit Kar

Theses & Dissertations

Diabetes mellitus (DM) increases the risk of heart failure 2-4-fold. Intensive glycemic control does not abate this risk in DM patients, suggesting that DM-induced heart failure is beyond hyperglycemia. DM silently induces cardiac muscle disorder termed diabetic cardiomyopathy (DMCM), which progresses to heart failure. The objective of this dissertation is to understand the mechanistic underpinnings of DMCM to develop new solutions to diagnose and treat heart failure in DM.

The heart pumps blood due to the contraction and relaxation of terminally differentiated cardiomyocytes with limited regenerative capacity. The DM environment of hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and inflammation causes cardiomyocyte death and leads …

Beyond The Eye: The Neural Signature Of Cerebral Visual Processing In Children With Cerebral Palsy, Jacy R. Hannan

Theses & Dissertations

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a permanent, non-progressive neuromuscular disorder diagnosed early in childhood. Frequently the lesion that causes the motor impairments in individuals with CP concurrently disrupts the visual networks, placing them at a high risk of cerebral visual dysfunctions. Cerebral visual impairment (CVI) often remains unrecognized or misdiagnosed in people with CP. Despite the crucial role of visual function in the development of movement and cognition, the neurophysiological basis of the cerebral visual dysfunctions is almost entirely unknown. This investigation aimed to examine the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying cerebral visual dysfunction in children with CP. Specifically, this research used magnetoencephalographic …

Prevalence Of Rats And Rodent Borne Pathogens Across Post-Katrina New Orleans, Bruno Marco Ghersi

Doctoral Dissertations

Disasters are happening at an increasingly higher rate and intensity a trend that is expected to continue as more humans migrate to coastal urban areas. Disasters, and as importantly, disaster recovery can affect how native and pest populations will recover. My aim was to improve understanding of disease risk by evaluating the socioecological conditions that have shaped commensal rat recovery and distribution, as well as the pathogens they carry, across New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. I first estimated relative abundance and distribution of commensal rats from rodent trapping conducted between mid-2014 and early-2017 across 96 sites in 10 areas of …

Finding The Balance​ The Effects Of Α-Cyclodextrin, 2-Hydroxypropyl-Β-Cyclodextrin, And Cholesterol Bacteroides Vulgatus And Clostridium Bolteae​, Bethany Weaver

Pence-Boyce STEM Student Scholarship

Atherosclerosis is a cardiovascular disease that is characterized by the hardening of arteries through the formation of cholesterol plaques. Cyclodextrins could potentially treat atherosclerosis by shrinking plaques. These cyclic oligosaccharides can make complexes with cholesterol but have also shown toxic side effects. This study looked for potential negative effects of cyclodextrins and cholesterol on gut bacteria. It was hypothesized that Bacteroides vulgatus will have decreased growth when grown in broth with cholesterol. In contrast, Clostridium bolteae will have decreased growth when grown in broth with cyclodextrins. Due to the fact that these bacteria are anaerobic, Clostridium bolteae and Bacteroides vulgatus …

Implementation Of Comprehensive Foot Exams In Primary Care: A Quality Improvement Project, Dora Elia Trevino

Doctor of Nursing Practice

The purpose of this quality improvement project was to increase performance and documentation of provider comprehensive foot exams (CFEs) by 50% among patients with Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in a small clinic in the southwestern United States.

The project leader assessed clinic systems including the electronic health record (EHR) to identify means to increase CFE completion and documentation rate for patients with T2DM being seen for a chronic disease management (CDM) appointment. A process was created to incorporate a hardcopy CFE documentation form into the EHR and create a pop-up care reminder notification system. Staff and the provider were educated …

Patient-Centered Implementation Of Statin Therapy In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Giovanna P. Favarato

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Heart disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Americans with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The American Diabetes Association recommends statins and lifestyle modifications for all patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus for the prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular events. A patient-centered approach to primary prevention is encouraged, yet there are no specific instructions regarding implementation. The Statin Choice Decision Aid is a tool designed to facilitate shared decision-making between the patient and the provider in the clinical setting. The 2018 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines for the primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease for patients with …

Qki-Mediated Cholesterol Biosynthesis In Eye Lens And Myelin Of The Central Nervous System, Seula Shin, Seula Shin

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Cells obtain cholesterol in two ways, de novo biosynthesis and uptake from circulation. While most tissues utilize both sources, eye lens and brain depend extensively on cholesterol biosynthesis due to the limited supply from circulation. Lens cell membrane consists of highest portion of cholesterol. Brain is the most cholesterol-rich organ, which accounts for 23% of total cholesterol. Genetic mutations of cholesterol biosynthesis enzymes in humans and animal models present cataracts and hypomyelinating disorders linked to neurological impairment. Yet, it remains unclear how gene expression of cholesterol biosynthesis is regulated in lens and brain. Therefore, studying cholesterol biosynthesis in both tissues …

Examining Pathogenesis And Preventatives In Spontaneous And Staphylococcus-Induced Bacterial Chondronecrosis With Osteomyelitis In Broilers, Nnamdi Simon Ekesi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis is the most important cause of lameness in broilers. This is important to poultry production, as it poses animal welfare issues, and causes a significant loss in revenue. The remediation of this disease requires the study of its etiology with fitting models and evaluating preventatives. The research reported herein covers genomic virulence analysis of BCO isolates, mainly Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli retrieved from lame birds. We found that S. aureus isolates were closest to chicken strains in Europe but may have been in the Arkansas area for a decade. Phylogenomics suggest our S. aureus is …

A Functional Three-Dimensional Microphysiological Model Of Myeloma Bone Disease, Richard Visconti

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematologic cancer caused by a mature B cell neoplasm, or plasmacytoma, that infiltrates the skeleton at several sites. The disease is characterized by uninhibited transformed plasma cell proliferation that disrupts skeletal homeostasis leading to decreased bone modeling and increased bone resorption. Osteolytic lesions (OL) or voids left in the bone, remain long after the treatment of the cancer and indicate disease progression to myeloma bone disease (MBD). Current combinatorial MM therapies inhibit malignant plasma cell proliferation, slow the progression towards MBD, and increase the mean five-year survival rate, but do little to improve osteoblastic function …

Nuclear-Targeted Gold Nanoparticles Enhance The Effects Of Radiation Therapy With And Without Liposomal Delivery, Maureen Aliru

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Less that 10% of pancreatic cancer patients are eligible for curative resection, and clinical trials evaluating chemoradiation in locally advanced patients with unresectable disease have been largely disappointing. New and creative therapeutic approaches are needed to address the unment need for treatment options. The objective of this thesis is to advance radiosensitization of treatment-resistant densely desmoplastic pancreatic cancer using nanoparticles to surmount biological barriers to effective particle distribution for DNA-targeting.

Clinical translation of radiosensitizing nanoparticles has stalled owing to technical challenges. Current strategies to use AuNPs for radiosensitization require large quantities of gold, kilovoltage x-rays, immediate irradiation after intravenous administration, …

Biogeography Of The Bovine Respiratory Microbiome And Its Relationship With Bovine Respiratory Disease, Jianmin Chai

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the most common and costly disease in the beef cattle industry, leading to high morbidity, mortality and huge economic loss. Despite the recent advances in vaccination and antimicrobial techniques, no significant health-improved outcomes have developed. Due to a deep investigation of the microbiome, respiratory microbiotas are known to have important roles for host health and disease. However, BRD specific pathogens have not yet been identified since they are found in both healthy and diseased animals. A systemic and comprehensive study of the biogeography of the bovine respiratory microbiome and its relationship with BRD is lacking …

Non-Prescription Sale Of Syringes In Monterey County, Ruby Ramos Godoy

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

I have interned for the Monterey County Health Department in the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Prevention Program. My capstone project focuses on a community problem targeting high HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) transmission rates in Monterey County. There are high HIV and HCV rates among injection drug users (IDUs), and many of our community members may partake in these harmful activities. The cause of these high HIV and HCV rates is because there are limited amounts of pharmacies selling syringes without a prescription, which then causes the high HIV and HCV rates among injection drug users and low life expectancy …

Great Expectations: Phosph(On)Ate Prodrugs In Drug Design—Opportunities And Limitations, Victoria Yan

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Phosphate and phosphonates are chemical moieties with historical precedence in anticancer and antiviral nucleotide analogues. Synchronous to modern efforts identifying novel therapeutic targets in cancer, such chemical moieties are being investigated in the design of novel inhibitors with antineoplastic potential. A central challenge to the delivery of phosph(on)ate-containing drugs is their anionic character at physiological pH, which portends poor membrane permeability. This limitation has been successfully overcome through the use of prodrugs. When attached to the phosph(on)ate moiety, prodrugs mask the negative charge and easily enable cell permeability. Upon cellular entry, the promoieties are enzymatically or environmentally cleaved to unveil …

Prevention Of Pediatric Mortality Associated With Malaria: An Exhaustive Literature Review, Taylor Mosley

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Malaria, a disease that is preventable yet frequently fatal, disproportionately affects pediatric African populations at a rate that results in a child under the age of 5 dying every two minutes. Since 1955, the World Health Organization has contributed to a significant reduction in the morbidity and mortality of malaria; however, progress has stalled in recent years. In some countries, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa, cases have increased since 2015. This literature review seeks to identify factors associated with this incline, as well as what interventions can have the greatest impact to prevent pediatric mortality in areas with the largest …

Fate And Dissemination Of Salmonella Reading In Market-Age Turkeys At Processing Using Oral Gavage Challenge Model, Aaron Ashcraft

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to evaluate the fate and dissemination of Salmonella Reading (SR) in market-age turkeys using an oral gavage challenge model. One hundred twenty-eight-week-old commercial turkey hens were moved from commercial production to research facilities. Upon arrival, a combination of enrofloxacin, 10 mg/kg, and florfenicol, 20 mg/kg, were orally administered sequentially before comingled placement on fresh pine shavings. Turkeys were challenged with 108 cfu SR by oral gavage on days 4 and 7 post-placement. Subsets were subjected to simulated commercial processing on days 14 (n=40), 21 (n=40) and 28 (n=32) post-placement (corresponding to 10, 11, and 12 weeks of …

Hyperpolarized Carbon-13 Magnetic Resonance Measurements Of Tissue Perfusion And Metabolism, Keith Michel

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Hyperpolarized Magnetic Resonance Imaging (HP MRI) is an emerging modality that enables non-invasive interrogation of cells and tissues with unprecedented biochemical detail. This technology provides rapid imaging measurements of the activity of a small quantity of molecules with a strongly polarized nuclear magnetic moment. This polarization is created in a polarizer separate from the imaging magnet, and decays continuously towards a non-detectable thermal equilibrium once the imaging agent is removed from the polarizer and administered by intravenous injection. Specialized imaging strategies are therefore needed to extract as much information as possible from the HP signal during its limited lifetime.

In …

A Context-Forward In Vivo Functional Genomics Platform For Target Discovery And Establishing Vulnerability Context In Pancreatic Cancer, Johnathon Rose, Johnathon Lynn Rose

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive malignancy with a very poor patient prognosis (5-year survival of ≤ 7%). While transcriptional profiling has aided in the classification of this disease into at least two broader subtypes, this alone has so far been insufficient to inform on more nuanced patterns of oncogenic dependency. We hypothesized that a more comprehensive and granular characterization of PDAC disease diversity is required to establish relevant context for targeted therapy. To this end, we sought to establish an integrated platform to: i) more comprehensively characterize differential oncogenic signaling across our tumor models, and ii) establish …

Qki-Mediated Cholesterol Biosynthesis In Eye Lens And Myelin Of The Central Nervous System, Seula Shin, Seula Shin

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Cells obtain cholesterol in two ways, de novo biosynthesis and uptake from circulation. While most tissues utilize both sources, eye lens and brain depend extensively on cholesterol biosynthesis due to the limited supply from circulation. Lens cell membrane consists of highest portion of cholesterol. Brain is the most cholesterol-rich organ, which accounts for 23% of total cholesterol. Genetic mutations of cholesterol biosynthesis enzymes in humans and animal models present cataracts and hypomyelinating disorders linked to neurological impairment. Yet, it remains unclear how gene expression of cholesterol biosynthesis is regulated in lens and brain. Therefore, studying cholesterol biosynthesis in both tissues …

Improving Door To Transfer Times For St Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction In Small Emergency Departments: A Quality Performance Improvement Project, Amber Ryals

Doctoral Projects

Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2020). ST-elevation myocardial infarctions are around 38% of all coronary syndrome patients that present to the emergency department (Akbar et al., 2020). Smaller, outlying facilities can be at a disadvantage due to the lack of readily available specialties and services, such as a cardiac catheterization laboratory, which has the potential to cause a delay in inpatient care. With standardized cardiac protocols in place at many facilities, initial identification and treatment of myocardial infarctions are begun long before a patient enters a facility, often …

Association Study: Apoe Alleles Association With Neurodegenerative Disorders In The Hispanic Population, Kimberly Moreno

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of phenotypic variables and Apolipoprotein E (APOE) alleles and its effect on cognitive statues. APOE is a gene found vastly in the Hispanic community, speculated to be linked to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Compared demographic, clinical, and genetic features among Hispanics who were diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and psychiatric disorders (e.g., anxiety and depression) in the efforts to assess the role of APOE. In past research, APOE has been considered a pathological hallmark for neurological diseases.

Past research has …

Early Diagnosis Of Alzheimer’S Disease In The Primary Care Setting, Raymond R. Romano

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The burden of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) affects not just the individual but also families, providers, and society. Early recognition and diagnosis of AD may reduce cost by reducing interaction with the health care system, earlier initiation of treatment, and prolonging time to long- term care. Primary care providers, the first contact for diagnosis of patients with AD, are not fulfilling the potential of early diagnosis for a variety of reasons. Biomarkers of AD emerge on average 15 to 20 years before clinical diagnosis, yet currently established biomarkers are not easily available in the primary care setting. A growing body of …

Characterization Of Adiposity And Inflammation Genetic Pleiotropy Underlying Cardiovascular Risk Factors In Hispanics., Mohammad Yaser (Anwar)

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The observed overlap between genetic variants associated with both adiposity and inflammatory markers suggests that changes in both adiposity and inflammation could be partially mediated by common pathways. The pervasive but sparsely characterized “pleiotropic” genetic variants associated with both adiposity and inflammation have been hypothesized to provide insight into the shared biology. This study explored and characterized the genetic pleiotropy underpinning adiposity and inflammation using genetic and phenotypic observations from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort (CCHC). A total of 3,313 samples and >9 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were examined in this study. Mixed model genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were …

Systems Genetics And Systems Biology Analysis Of Paraquat Effects In Bxd Recombinant Inbred Mice, Carolina Del Valle Torres Rojas

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Paraquat (PQ) is a chemical herbicide that is used in many countries including the United States. It is also highly acutely toxic to humans and has been used as a means of suicide. As PQ is applied mainly in agricultural settings, it moves to soil and well water. Chronic low dose exposure via drinking water may have adverse effects on humans, including increased risk for sporadic Parkinson’s disease (sPD). The etiology of sPD is unclear and the most accepted hypothesis states it is the result of the interaction between environmental factors and genetic susceptibility. Increasing evidence led us to infer …

The Link Between Heart Disease In Low Socioeconomic Communities In America, Khristopher Chea

Nursing | Senior Theses

As a future medical professional in the healthcare field, we continue to see patients admitted for cardiovascular issues. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of mortality among adults living in the U.S. despite advances in treatment throughout the past century. A number of risk factors such as hypertension, obesity, smoking, and physical inactivity contribute to the significant rise of cardiovascular disease. Research data suggests that there is correlation between cardiovascular disease, low socioeconomic status, and diet. According to the American Phycological Association socioeconomic status is measured by income, educational status, and occupation, and has been shown to be closely …

The Effects Of Moderate-Severe Plaque Psoriasis On Patient Well-Being And Prevention Of Flares, Glenn Devera

Nursing | Senior Theses

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that is indicated by red, patchy and scaly skin that can be painful when irritated. Patients with psoriasis have an increased risk for a number of chronic diseases. Despite the expansion of treatments for moderate-to-severe psoriasis over the last decade, patients may still find that treatment strategies are not as successful, leaving them dissatisfied with their treatments. A relationship built upon trust between the nurse and the patient diagnosed with psoriasis may serve to help ensure optimal care. A comprehensive literature review was performed and found that best practices for patient management need to …

Covid-19: Best Practices And The Way Forward, Juliana Nwauwa

Student Scholarly Projects

COVID-19 is a global health emergency that originated in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. It was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020, and since then has affected more than 53,507,282 individuals and claimed the lives of more than 1,305,164 around the globe. It is a respiratory virus transmitted from person to person through airborne aerosols and droplets from infected individuals and direct contact with infected surfaces.

Numerous factors, such as socioeconomic status, population density, pre-existing health conditions, and lack of health insurance, have contributed to the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 among certain demographic groups. The COVID-19 impact ranges from …