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Medical Specialties

Dissertations (1934 -)

2017

Articles 1 - 6 of 6

Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Motion Artifact Evaluation Of Coronary Ct Angiography Images, Hongfeng Ma Oct 2017

Motion Artifact Evaluation Of Coronary Ct Angiography Images, Hongfeng Ma

Dissertations (1934 -)

The objective of this dissertation was to develop and validate an automated algorithm to quantify motion artifact level on coronary CT angiography (CCTA) images. Unlike existing motion artifact reduction techniques that evaluate the relative level of motion artifacts within one exam, this dissertation aims to quantify the absolute level of motion artifacts across exams from varying patients. The ability to quantify absolute motion artifact level enables several potential applications, for example, assessing and comparing two motion artifact reduction techniques. This dissertation includes three specific aims. Aim 1 investigated the absolute motion artifact quantification effectiveness of six motion artifact metrics using …

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Nucleotide-Dependent Preferential Localization Of Ras In Model Membranes With Lipid Raft Nanodomains, Anna Shishina Oct 2017

Nucleotide-Dependent Preferential Localization Of Ras In Model Membranes With Lipid Raft Nanodomains, Anna Shishina

Dissertations (1934 -)

Membrane proteins constitute a third of all proteins in the cell and more than 50% of drug targets. However, the analysis of membrane proteins has many challenges owing to their partially hydrophobic surfaces, flexibility and lack of stability. One example of an essential membrane protein is Ras superfamily. Ras is a small monomeric GTPase involved in regulation of cell growth, proliferation and differentiation. Therefore, Ras and its effectors are among the most important targets for cancer therapy. A detailed knowledge of the processes occurring during signal propagation via Ras might help to elucidate the mechanisms of the involved signal cascades. …

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Examining The Durability Of Peers For Adolescents With Asd: Maintenance Of Neurological And Behavioral Effects, Bridget Kathleen Dolan Jul 2017

Examining The Durability Of Peers For Adolescents With Asd: Maintenance Of Neurological And Behavioral Effects, Bridget Kathleen Dolan

Dissertations (1934 -)

To date, there are no known published studies that have assessed the maintenance of treatment effects in the context of neurological changes and their relationship to behavioral outcomes following a social skills intervention for adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The few studies that have incorporated long-term assessment into their design have focused exclusively on sustained behavioral responses to treatment. Individuals with ASD across the lifespan exhibit aberrant neural activity, which is thought to underlie social skill deficits noted in persons on the spectrum. Thus, this study sought to examine the impact of a social skills intervention, the Program for …

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The Development And Psychometric Analysis Of The Mu- Fertility Knowledge Assessment Scale, Qiyan Mu Jul 2017

The Development And Psychometric Analysis Of The Mu- Fertility Knowledge Assessment Scale, Qiyan Mu

Dissertations (1934 -)

Young women between the ages of 18 to 24 experience disproportionally high rates of negative sexual and reproductive health outcomes. Inadequate and inaccurate fertility knowledge can hinder a young woman’s self-care abilities in managing her sexual and reproductive health. There is no validated instrument to assess young women’s fertility knowledge. The primary purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of the MU-fertility knowledge assessment scale (MU-FKAS) for young women. The secondary purpose is to explore the relationships among young women’s individual and contextual factors, self-perceived fertility knowledge, actual fertility knowledge, and fertility health risks. A …

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Pediatric Oncology Nurses' Experiences With Prognosis-Related Communication, Amy Rose Newman Apr 2017

Pediatric Oncology Nurses' Experiences With Prognosis-Related Communication, Amy Rose Newman

Dissertations (1934 -)

Health care providers (HCPs) in pediatric oncology are faced with the challenge of communicating the devastating news of a cancer diagnosis and prognosis. This type of communication can be referred to as prognosis-related communication (PRC). While the initial conversation with the patient and family regarding prognosis is generally considered the responsibility of the physician, patients and family members will subsequently turn to nurses for clarification of the information presented. If nurses are excluded from initial conversations, they may feel as though they are “working in the dark,” trying to answer questions while not contradicting what the physician said. This strained …

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Relationship Of Exposure To Heart Failure Discharge Teaching To Readmission Within 30 Days, Becky Ann Pogacar Apr 2017

Relationship Of Exposure To Heart Failure Discharge Teaching To Readmission Within 30 Days, Becky Ann Pogacar

Dissertations (1934 -)

Heart Failure (HF) patients are at increased risk for higher rates of hospital readmission within 30 days. Previous studies have demonstrated educational interventions delivered by nurses reduce readmission but the relationship of the dose of teaching to HF readmission or ED utilization remains unclear. A retrospective correlational design framed by the General Outcomes Effectiveness Model was utilized to (1) establish a relationship between the dose of discharge teaching documented by acute care nurses and the outcomes of hospital readmission and ED utilization within 30 days of a previous hospital discharge and (2) identify the teaching components included in an evidence-based …

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