Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Role Of Lipoproteins/Cholesterol In Genomic Instability And Chromosome Mis-Segregation In Alzheimer's And Cardiovascular Disease, Antoneta Granic

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Several lines of evidence link Alzheimer's disease (AD) to atherosclerosis (CVD), including that elevated low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol is a common risk factor. Development of genomic instability could also link the two diseases. Previous fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analyses revealed a clonal expansion of aneuploid smooth muscle cells underlying atherosclerotic plaques. Likewise, cellular and mouse models of AD revealed tau-dependent mitotic defects and subsequent aneuploidy partly resulting from amyloid-beta (A&beta) interference with microtubule (MT) stability, and specific MT motors function. Moreover, AD patients develop aneuploid/hyperploid cells in brain and peripheral tissues, implicating similar mechanism that may lead to apoptosis …

The Mediating Role Of Social Support And Fulfillment Of Spiritual Needs In End Of Life Care, Kimberley A. Gryglewicz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

End of life (EOL) caregiving can be a daunting and challenging endeavor as caregivers adjust to the ever-changing care demands associated with dying. Increased personal care, assisting with symptom and medication management, and attending to the emotional and spiritual needs of the dying person require caregivers to learn new tasks and to assume new roles such as social worker, nurse, and chaplain. As families continue to play an essential role in meeting the health care needs of their dying loved ones, it is imperative for social workers to understand the complexities of the end of life caregiving experience in order …

Case-Control Study Of Sunlight Exposure And Cutaneous Human Papillomavirus Seroreactivity In Basal Cell And Squamous Cell Carcinomas Of The Skin, Michelle R. Iannacone

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), comprised of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), is the most common cancer in Caucasians. Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure is the most important environmental risk factor for both BCC and SCC development. However, the precise relationship between UVR and the risk of NMSC is complex, and the relationship may differ by skin cancer type. It has been hypothesized that intermittent patterns and childhood sunlight exposure are important for BCC while continuous (chronic) and lifelong (i.e. childhood and adulthood) sunlight exposure is important for SCC. Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that cutaneous human papillomavirus (HPV) …

Transition Experiences Of Adolescent Survivors Of Childhood Cancer: A Qualitative Investigation, Alana Delores Lopez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent survivors of childhood cancer are a growing population with unique needs as they face a combination of challenges associated with normal development and returning to life after treatment completion (Wakefield et al., 2010). One specific need identified in the research literature includes the effective delivery of transitional care and planning (Hewitt, Greenfield, & Stovall, 2005). It has been suggested that the provision of transition care and planning can help facilitate the shift from one phase of care to another and promote positive transition experiences (National Cancer Institute, 2008). The shift from off-treatment to post-treatment and school reintegration have been …

The Impact Of Hospice And Dementia Special Care Units On End-Of-Life Care For Individuals With Dementia, Catherine Elizabeth Mccarty

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Hospice and Dementia Special Care Units (DSCUs) have been shown to be gold standards of care for individuals who are dying and for those with dementia in nursing homes. Using a retrospective administrator and family survey, this study investigated whether the processes of care used in hospice and DSCUs are associated with increased quality of end of life (EOL) care for individuals with dementia. A convenience sample of 17 facilities in four states (FL, PA, MD and MA) was included in the study. Nursing home administrators were surveyed between September 2008 and October 2009. The administrators identified 116 family …

Inhibition Of P53 Dna Binding Function By The Mdm2 Acidic Domain, Brittany Lynne Cross

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

MDM2 regulates p53 predominantly by promoting p53 ubiquitination. However, ubiquitination-independent mechanisms of MDM2 have also been implicated. Here we show that MDM2 inhibits p53 DNA binding activity in vitro and in vivo. MDM2 binding promotes p53 to adopt a mutant-like conformation, losing reactivity to antibody Pab1620, while exposing the Pab240 epitope. The acidic domain of MDM2 is required to induce p53 conformational change and inhibit p53 DNA binding. ARF binding to the MDM2 acidic domain restores p53 wild type conformation and rescues DNA binding activity. Furthermore, histone methyl transferase SUV39H1 binding to the MDM2 acidic domain also restores p53 wild …

Patient Safety In Nursing Homes, Kali Thomas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Safety of residents has gained increased popularity in recent years following a report from the Institute of Medicine attributing 98,000 hospital deaths each year to errors by staff. As a result, regulatory agencies, advocates, and health care providers have shifted their focus to understanding patient safety and developing a culture that promotes safety. However, nursing homes lag behind other health care providers in their adoption of a patient safety culture and understanding what factors affect safety in resident care. These insights are needed to ensure that nursing home residents receive the safe care.

The purpose of this dissertation is to …