Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Neural Biomarkers For Assessing Different Types Of Imagery In Pictorial Health Warning Labels For Cigarette Packaging: A Cross-Sectional Study, Roger D. Newman-Norlund, Jim Thrasher, Johann Fridriksson, William Brixius, Brett Froeliger, David Hammond, Michael K. Cummings

Faculty Publications

Objective Countries around the world have increasingly adopted pictorial health warning labels (HWLs) for tobacco packages to warn consumers about smoking-related risks. Research on how pictorial HWLs work has primarily analysed self-reported responses to HWLs; studies at the neural level comparing the brain's response to different types of HWLs may provide an important complement to prior studies, especially if self-reported responses are systematically biased. In this study we characterise the brain's response to three types of pictorial HWLs for which prior self-report studies indicated different levels of efficacy.

Methods Current smokers rated pictorial HWLs and then observed the same HWLs …

Mcp-1 In Colorectal Cancer: Benefits Of Exercise, Jamie Lee Mcclellan

Theses and Dissertations

The etiology of colon cancer is a complex phenomenon that involves both genetic and environmental factors. However, only about 20% have a familial basis with the largest fraction being attributed to environmental causes that can lead to chronic inflammation. Tumors associated macrophages drive the pro-inflammatory response in the tumor micro-environment and are associated with poor prognosis in certain cancers. Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) is thought to be the most important chemokine for recruitment of macrophages to the tumor microenvironment. In chapter 1, we examined the timing and magnitude of the intestinal inflammatory cytokine response in relation to tumorigenesis in …

The Cardio-Protective Effects Of Substance P In Both Ischemia/Reperfusion And And Short-Term Hypoxia Rat Models, Shaiban Jubair

Theses and Dissertations

Substance P, a member of the tachykinin family, is found primarily in sensory nerves. In the heart, substance P-containing nerve fibers surround coronary vessels, making them ideally positioned to sense changes in coronary pressure and/or flow. Recent studies have identified substance P as being protective acutely following ischemia-reperfusion due to its ability to induce coronary blood vessel vasodilation. In addition, studies conducted on non-cardiac tissue have reported substance P to be protective against cell death through a mechanism involving activation of anti-apoptotic AKT pathway. However, the possibility of substance P being similarly cardioprotective has not been reported. Accordingly, the purpose …

Effect Of Primary Care Physician Density On Late Stage Cervical Cancer Diagnosis, Emily Haanschoten

Theses and Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: Late-stage cervical cancer diagnosis is an important contributing factor to the cervical cancer mortality rate. Screening for cervical cancer is a vital tool in reducing the number of late-stage cases, preventing incident cases and reducing mortality. Access to care is often a significant barrier to receiving these services. Women who have no usual source of care report significantly lower percentages of Pap tests than women who have a usual source. South Carolina ranks 13th in the US in cervical cancer incidence and 7th in cervical cancer mortality. South Carolina also struggles with a primary care physician shortage, ranking 39th …

Gestational Weight Gain, Pregnancy Outcomes, And Use Of Perinatal Health Services, Lujing Zhan

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three studies that were undertaken to better understand 1) the role of gestational weight gain (GWG) during early pregnancy on subsequent blood pressure changes and the risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), 2) the causal effect of GWG in both early and mid-late pregnancy on the subtypes of preterm births, and 3) the impact of personal capital on the use of perinatal health services (i.e., prenatal care use and preconception care counseling). The first two studies were based on the data from the 1988 National Maternal and Infant Health Survey and the third study employed the data …

The Effects Of Multiple Gratitude Interventions Among Informal Caregivers Of Persons With Dementia And Alzheimer's Disease, Cristy Degregory

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this group randomized intervention trial was to examine the impact of participation in three telephone-based gratitude interventions on the physical, psychological and social functioning of participants in caregiver support groups who are unpaid family caregivers of persons with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Fredrickson’s (2001) Broaden-and-Build Theory informed the investigation of the effect of three gratitude interventions on participants’ levels of gratitude, positive aspects of caregiving, subjective well-being, physical health and mental health. This was a randomized, wait-list controlled study involving informal caregivers involved in support groups. The research questions were: 1.) How does gratitude contribute to subjective …

Simulation Based Evaluation Of Multiscale Small Area Health Models, Purbasha Dasgupta

Theses and Dissertations

The effects of scale on the analysis of spatial data, often referred to as the modifiable areal unit problem in spatial studies, is one of the issues often encountered in small area health models. These spatial effects of scale are also seen in the areas of disease mapping where data are usually available in counts. Often there is a need to consider the different scales of aggregation that exist within count data, since inferences based on analyses can vary if we change the definition of the unit of analysis. This thesis provides a framework that describes the distribution of relative …

Impact Of Multi-Hospital System Organizational Structure On Financial Performance And Quality Of Care In Rural Hospitals, George Raul Audi

Theses and Dissertations

Considering the increasing challenge to providing access to affordable healthcare in the United States and its effect on the economy, it is critical for patients, healthcare organizations, financial institutions, and federal and state agencies to understand the impact of different organizational structures within affiliated hospitals. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of different organizational structures within rural multi-hospital systems (MHS) on the hospitals’ financial performance and the quality of patient care. The data for this study were drawn by linking two national datasets: the 2011 American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey and the 2012 American Hospital …

Mixture Cure Models: Simulation Comparisons Of Methods In R And Sas, Myra Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

Typical survival methods have the assumption that every subject will eventually experience the event of interest, given enough follow-up time. However, there are some occasions in which a proportion of the population of interest will never experience the event of interest. Therefore, the incorporation of a “cure” fraction in a statistical model is necessary. In this thesis, I comprehensively evaluate mixture cure models in two different statistical software programs: the smcure package in R and the PSPMCM macro in SAS. Extensive simulation studies in R and SAS allow evaluation of the performance of these two models. An additional aspect of …

Examining The Influence Of Healthy Eating Identity On Shopping Behaviors, Jordan Brittingham

Theses and Dissertations

Eating identity is shown to be a promising measure capable of enhancing our understanding of nutrition behavior. Persons with healthy eating identities are less likely to consume the typical American diet and report healthier diets in general. While there are several studies linking healthy eating identity and diet, there is currently no research examining healthy eating identity in relation to food shopping behavior, an important aspect of nutritional intake. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of healthy eating identity on shopping behaviors including supermarket utilization, supercenter utilization, likelihood of shopping at the nearest store, distance to …

Periodontal Microorganisms, Obesity, Chronic Inflammation, And Type 1 Diabetes, Georges Joseph Nahhas

Theses and Dissertations

Periodontal disease is a low-grade chronic inflammation in the tissues surrounding the teeth caused by multiple, mostly gram-negative pathogens. It is associated with diabetes, obesity, and chronic inflammation. The specific roles that periodontal microorganism play in these conditions are not well-studied. Hereby, we explored how periodontal bacteria from sub gingival plaque clustered in youth with and without type 1 diabetes, and how such patterns related to body-mass-index percentile (BMI percentile), C-reactive protein (CRP) and adiponectin. Cross-sectional data were collected from 105 youth with type 1 diabetes and 71 without diabetes. Participants were between 12 and 19 years of age receiving …

Marine Population Connectivity: Range Boundaries And Climate Change, Rhiannon Leigh Rognstad

Theses and Dissertations

Population connectivity, particularly in open systems, is an important metric for understanding population-level processes on both ecological and evolutionary timescales. In coastal marine systems, adults are typically sedentary and dispersal occurs primarily during a larval stage when individuals are transported in ocean currents. Because coastal marine populations exist as networks of interconnected subpopulations, variation in the magnitude and extent of population connectivity can have profound effects on population dynamics and species distribution limits. Connectivity is a complex process, affected by a multitude of factors, including adult inputs and physical dispersal, which operate at multiple scales and may interact. This dissertation …

Impacts Of Adolescents' Emotional And Behavioral Concerns And Social Skills On Parenting Stress, Marissa Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Minimal literature has examined predictors of parenting stress for parents of adolescents and what may contribute to the impact of these predictors, particularly those regarding adolescent behavior. The current study sought to evaluate whether adolescents’ internalizing and externalizing behaviors significantly predicted parenting stress and whether adolescent social skills moderated the relationship. Covariates of gender, age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status were entered first into a multiple regression moderation model and followed by internalizing and externalizing behaviors, social skills, and interaction terms, respectively. The overall model explained 19 percent of the variance in parenting stress. While internalizing behaviors significantly predicted parenting stress, …

Quality Improvement Project: A Comparison Of Daily Routine Chest Radiography Versus Clinically-Indicated Chest Radiography In Preventing Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia In Adult Icu Patients On Ventilators: An Evidenced Based Practice Project, Kimberly Mckenney

Theses and Dissertations

Ventilator-associated pneumonia is one of the critical complications identified by a chest x-ray (CXR). However, there is a controversy about the use of CXRs. Overuse of the CXR has also identified concern among the ICU patient population. The purpose of this evidenced-based practice project was to determine if there were differences in patient outcomes when receiving daily routine CXRs as compared to clinically-indicated CXRs. Patient outcomes measured were: ICU length of stay, complications while on the ventilator and ICU mortality, number of ventilator days, diagnostic efficacy, therapeutic efficacy, costs, and radiation exposure The author identified 30 articles in the search …

Metformin Arrests Growth And Induces Apoptosis Of Neuroblastoma Cells, Nadia Al-Sammarraie

Theses and Dissertations

Neuroblastoma is one of the most common solid neoplasms in children, which affects sympathetic neurons with a wide range of genetic abnormalities, especially MYCN amplification, a molecular marker of poor prognosis. Despite advance therapy, still the mortality rate for advance disease is high with frequent relapse and resistance to cytotoxic therapy with evidence of p53 mutation. Metformin, an oral hypoglycemic medication, is a relatively safe and cost effective drug with wide clinical applications, mainly for treatment of Type 2 diabetes. Recent studies have showed promising anticancer effect of metformin on various cancer types, especially on p53 mutant cells. In our …

Design And Development Of A Novel Class Of Cell Cycle Cdk Inhibitors Targeting The Cyclin Binding Groove Utilizing The Replace Strategy, Padmavathy Nandha Premnath

Theses and Dissertations

Inhibition of CDK2 activity in G1 and S phases of the cell cycle can promote selective apoptosis of cancer cells through the E2F1 pathway. Currently available CDK inhibitors target the ATP binding pocket and result in lack of specificity for the cell cycle vs. the transcriptional CDKs. It has been shown that a peptide HAKRRLIF derived from the tumor suppressor p21 binds to the cyclin binding groove (CBG) and selectively inhibits cell cycle CDKs (CDK2/Cyclin A, CDK2/Cyclin E and CDK4/Cyclin D). The CBG is unique to cell cycle CDKs hence targeting this site avoids the inhibition of transcriptional CDKs can …

Early Screening And Identification Of Preschool Children Affected By Serious Emotional Disorders, Cathy Renee Robey-Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Mental illness has surpassed physical health problems as the leading cause for morbidity and mortality in American children. National prevalence of serious emotional disorders in the 0-5 age group has ranged from 9.5% to 14.2%. Of the 15 million children affected by mental illness, less than 20- 25% receive any treatment. Nationwide, early screening, identification, and treatment of preschoolers with emotional or behavioral disorders have become a critical priority in order to reduce the increasing burden of healthcare costs for mental illness and psychiatric care. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of a screening process for …

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms In Dna Repair And Oxidative Stress Genes, And Their Interaction With Antioxidants On Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness, Samuel Antwi

Theses and Dissertations

Prostate cancer is the leading invasive malignancy and the second most common cause of cancer death among American men. Despite compelling evidence that oxidative stress, ineffective DNA damage repair, and habitually low antioxidants intake may act in tandem to influence prostate carcinogenesis, few studies have examined gene-diet interactions involving these risk factors. Even fewer studies have examined such interactions in relation to prostate cancer aggressiveness. This study investigated whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in DNA repair- and oxidative stress-related genes modulated associations between antioxidant intake and prostate cancer aggressiveness. We utilized data from the North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project (PCaP) …

Exploring The Association Between Depression And Obesity Among Alzheimer's Patients, Stephanie Clugstone

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurological disorder that affects elderly individuals, and is becoming an increasing concern among the aging population of the world. Due to the projected increase in incidence of AD, modifiable risk factors such as depression and obesity should be evaluated, as prevention is the only current option. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of obesity and depression among AD patients, and to evaluate the association between depression and obesity. Patients were chosen from a subset of the South Carolina Alzheimer’s disease registry, which included information about weight status and depression, as well as several other …

Mental Disorders, Mental Health Problems, And Treatment Among Army Recruiters And Recruiting Candidates, 2011-2013: An Examination Of Current Rates In The Recruiting Population, Chadwick Karl Knight

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This study sought to determine the prevalence and severity of mental health disorders (MHDs) and/or mental health problems (MHPs) and types of treatments received among soldiers who have or will serve as recruiters. Research Design and Methods: Data were collected between October 2011 to July 2013 from active duty soldiers (N=2,783) attending courses on Fort Jackson at the U.S. Army’s Recruiting and Retention School (RRS). Students consisted of regular active duty soldiers and activated Guard/Reservist that were either recruiters or recruiting candidates. The medical records of participating recruiters and recruiting candidates were reviewed for the prevalence of MHDs and …

Weight-Gain And Energy Balance, Benjamin Thomas Gordon

Theses and Dissertations

Energy balance is the result of a dynamic relationship between energy intake (EI), energy expenditure (EE) and energy storage (ES). These three components of energy balance have extremely complicated associations, and all three major components are consistently influenced by physiologic, psychological, and sociologic factors. Concerted changes between EE and EI result in alterations of the ES. Most often in clinical and research settings, bodyweight is used as marker of body composition (i.e., ES) changes. Traditional measurements of bodyweight do not give an accurate portrayal of ES change or the role it has in energy balance. This dissertation supplies new methods …

Awareness, Trial, And Use Of Electronic Cigarettes Among 10 Countries: Findings From The Itc Project, Shannon Gravely, Geoffrey T. Fong, K. Michael Cummings, Mi Yan, Anne C. K. Quah, Ron Borland, Hua-Hie Yong, Sara C. Hitchman, Ann Mcneill, David Hammond, James F. Thrasher, Marc C. Willemsen, Hong Gwan Seo, Yuan Jiang, Tania Cavalcante, Cristina Perez, Maizurah Omar, Karin Hummel

Faculty Publications

Background: In recent years, electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have generated considerable interest and debate on the implications for tobacco control and public health. Although the rapid growth of e-cigarettes is global, at present, little is known about awareness and use. This paper presents self-reported awareness, trial and current use of e-cigarettes in 10 countries surveyed between 2009 and 2013; for six of these countries, we present the first data on e-cigarettes from probability samples of adult smokers. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of probability samples of adult (≥ 18 years) current and former smokers participating in the International Tobacco Control (ITC) surveys …

Psychological Fears Among Low-Paid Female Sex Workers In Southwest China And Their Implications For Hiv Prevention, Shan Qiao Ph.D., Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Chen Zhang, Yuejiao Zhou, Zhiyong Shen, Zhenzhu Tang, Bonita Stanton

Faculty Publications

Commercial sex plays a critical role in rapidly increasing heterosexual transmission of HIV in China. Low-paid female sex workers (FSWs) are especially vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. Because of the illegality and stigma associated with sex work, FSWs may constantly live with fears in their daily life. Based on cross-sectional study of 794 low-paid FSWs in China we described their psychological fears related to commercial sex and examined the associations between fears and HIV-related behaviors. Fear of HIV infection was significantly associated with consistent use of condoms with clients. However, fear of breaching sex worker identity significantly prevented the FSWs from consistently …

Musculoskeletal Safety Outcomes Of Patients Receiving Daptomycin With Hmg-Coa Reductase Inhibitors, Christopher M. Bland, P Brandon Bookstaver, Z Kevin Lu, Brianne L. Dunn, Kathey Fulton Rumley

Faculty Publications

Daptomycin, a cyclic lipopeptide antibiotic, and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins) are commonly administered in the inpatient setting and are associated with creatine phosphokinase (CPK) elevations, myalgias, and muscle weakness. Safety data for coadministration of daptomycin with statins are limited. To determine the safety of coadministration of daptomycin with statin therapy, a multicenter, retrospective, observational study was performed at 13 institutions in the Southeastern United States. Forty-nine adult patients receiving statins concurrently with daptomycin were compared with 171 patients receiving daptomycin without statin therapy. Detailed information, including treatment indication and duration, infecting pathogen, baseline and subsequent CPK levels, and …

Toxicity Of Engineered Nanomaterials And Their Transformation Products Following Wastewater Treatment On A549 Human Lung Epithelial Cells, Yanjun Ma, Subbiah Elankumaran, Linsey C. Marr, Eric P. Vejerano, Amy Pruden

Faculty Publications

Here we characterize the toxicity of environmentally-relevant forms of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), which can transform during wastewater treatment and persist in aqueous effluents and biosolids. In an aerosol exposure scenario, cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of effluents and biosolids from lab-scale sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) to A549 human lung epithelial cells were examined. The SBRs were dosed with nanoAg, nano zero-valent iron (NZVI), nanoTiO2 and nanoCeO2 at sequentially increasing concentrations from 0.1 to 20 mg/L. Toxicities were compared to outputs from SBRs dosed with ionic/bulk analogs, undosed SBRs, and pristine ENMs. Pristine nanoAg and NZVI showed significant cytotoxicity to A549 cells in …

2014 Scas Annual Meeting Program

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Genotypic And Phenotypic Characterization Of Aerosolized Bacteria Collected From African Dust Events, Christina A. Wilson, Robin L. Brigmon, Chris Yeager, Garriet W. Smith, Shawn W. Polson

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Twenty-one bacteria were isolated and characterized from air samples collected in Africa and the Caribbean by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Isolates were selected based on preliminary characterization as possible pathogens. Identification of the bacterial isolates was achieved using 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) profiling, the BIOLOG Microlog^® System (carbon substrate assay), and repetitive extragenic palindromic (REP)-PCR analysis. The majority of isolates (18/21) were identified as species of the genus Bacillus. Three isolates were classified within the Bacillus cereus senso lato group, which includes Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus thuringiensis, and Bacillus …

Remembering To Perform Actions In The Future: Can Intentions Pop Into Mind?, Gilles O. Einstein

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Role Of Vitamin A In Retinal Diseases, Rosalie K. Crouch, Masahiro Kono, Peter H. Tang

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Vitamin A has an essential role in vision in that it forms the photosensitive pigments that absorb light and initiate the visual process. However, vitamin A and its analogues also have critical roles in maintaining the structural integrity of the retina. Disruption of the metabolism of vitamin A results in several blinding diseases. This review focuses on our recent studies on the role of a protein critical to the processing of vitamin A, RPE65. The absence or dysfunction of this protein causes the childhood blinding disease Leber congenital amaurosis.

Scas Officers And Council Members 2014-2015

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.