Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

An Application Of Matrices To The Spread Of The Covid 19, Selena Suarez

Theses and Dissertations

We represented a restaurant seating arrangement using matrices by using 0 entry for someone without covid and 1 entry for someone with covid. Using the matrices we found the best seating arrangements to lessen the spread of covid. We also investigated if there was a factor needed to create a formula that could calculate the matrix that shows who would be affected with covid with each seating arrangement. However, there did not seem to be a clear pattern within the factors. Aside from covid applications, we also investigated the symmetries in seating arrangements and the possible combinations with these arrangements …

Acoustic And Perceptual Effects Of Mask-Wearing On Voice And Communication In Healthcare Practitioners, Astrid C. Ortiz Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study aims to determine the perceptual and acoustic voice effects experienced by healthcare practitioners following prolonged use of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 19 participants were recruited and divided into control and experimental groups. Of these 19, 10 were assigned to the experimental group (E) which required participants to engage in increasing their fluid intake by 1 liter per day, while the remaining 9 were part of the control group (C) and had no additional instructions.

To gather perceptual data, a survey was created and conducted via Qualtrics software, and addressed …

Parenthood Orientation Among Young Women: Is It Associated With Pregnancy Intention And Unprotected Intercourse?, Nakeisha Blades

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored relationships between parenthood orientation, pregnancy intention, and unprotected intercourse. Nulligravid, sexually active women aged 18-29 (N = 252) were surveyed on these topics in May 2019. There were significant differences in parenthood orientation by past and current pregnancy intention. Higher scores on parenthood orientation were associated with increased odds of past unprotected intercourse and expecting future unprotected intercourse. Only education and contraceptive self-efficacy retained significance in adjusted models. Study results are consistent with prior work on parenthood orientation and pregnancy intention and point to other factors as stronger correlates of contraceptive use.

Dating App Facilitated Sexual Assault: A Growing Phenomenon, Kristen Mella Hamblin

Theses and Dissertations

Dating App Facilitated Sexual Assault (DAppSA) is a new phenomenon and growing concern. Research on DAppSA is extremely limited. This study aimed to identify unique victim and assault characteristics associated with DAppSAs. A retrospective SAMFE chart review of patients (N = 3,413) from 2017 to 2020 was conducted. Sexual assault nurse examiners completed SAMFEs. Inclusion criteria for DAppSA cases included 1) victim was 14 years of age or older; 2) victim indicated they met the perpetrator on a dating website or app; 3) the SA occurred at the initial in-person meeting; 4) victim had a SAMFE with evidence collection. DAppSAs …

Frequency And Magnitude Of Obstacles And Helpful Behavior Items In End-Of-Life Care As Perceived By Nurses Working In Critical Access Hospitals, Shalyn C. Larsen

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Twenty percent of Americans live in rural areas where most of their healthcare is provided in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). It is unknown how frequently obstacle and helpful behavior items occur in End-of-Life (EOL) care in CAHs. Objectives: To determine the frequency of occurrence scores of obstacle and helpful behavior items in providing EOL care in CAHs. To also determine which obstacles and helpful behaviors have the greatest or least impact on EOL care based on the magnitude scores. Methods: A questionnaire was sent to nurses working in 39 CAHs in the United States. Nurse participants were asked to …

A Vaccine Education Module For University Students: Vaccine Concerns And Knowledge Gained, Joslyn D. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purposes of this research are to evaluate the effectiveness of a vaccine education module (VEM) in 1) contributing to new vaccine knowledge of university freshmen; and 2) identifying common vaccine concerns of university freshmen before and after completing the VEM. Methods: A VEM, including information about vaccine-preventable diseases, benefits of vaccines, principles of community or herd immunity, and where to go to get vaccinated, was created for freshman students. Student vaccine concerns were identified using a pretest/posttest quasi-experimental design using an online questionnaire before and after completing the VEM. After the VEM, participants were also asked to identify …

Technology Use In Schizotypy Utilizing The Domains Of Technology Use Survey (Dotus), Devin Massaro

Theses and Dissertations

The diathesis stress model for schizophrenia posits that genetics and prenatal factors confer vulnerability (diathesis) for mental illness which then may be activated through exposure to environmental stressors during life. One component of our contemporary environment involves technology use which has demonstrated risk and beneficial capabilities in regards to the schizophrenia spectrum. Using an online and in-person survey, this study aimed to elucidate the manner in which time spent on technology related to schizotypy, problematic technology use (PTU), and health behaviors in 227 undergraduate students (aged 18-30). We hypothesized that levels of schizotypy, as well as time spent on social …

Discovery And Mechanistic Study Of Novel Pbd-Targeted Inhibitors Of Plk1 For Prostate Cancer Treatment, Danda Pani Chapagai

Theses and Dissertations

Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is a central player in regulating entry into and progression through mitosis. Inhibition of sub-cellular localization and kinase activity of PLK1 through the Polo-box domain (PBD) is emerging as a viable alternative to ATP binding site directed drugs for which the development of resistant mutants and inhibition of closely related members of the PLK family (tumor suppressor roles) are primary concerns. I describe related novel non-peptidic PBD binding inhibitors, termed abbapolins, identified through successful application of the REPLACE strategy and demonstrate their potent antiproliferative activity in prostate tumors and other cell lines. Furthermore, the abbapolins show …

Exploration Of The Role Of Neighborhood Residential Segregation By Race And Ethnicity In Obesity Risk Among School-Aged, Melissa L. Fair

Theses and Dissertations

Youth obesity prevalence remains high, despite decades of intervention. Grounded in the social ecological model, neighborhoods and schools are important settings in addressing the complex systems that influence obesity. Contributing to disparities, by race/ethnicity, Black and Hispanic youth are more likely to live in segregated neighborhoods and attend segregated schools, which are also more likely to have high rates of poverty and are less likely to have high quality nutrition and built environments. Leveraging data from local school district (district and state department of education) and national datasets (ACS, Childhood Opportunity Index 2.0), this study examined the associations between school …

The Impact Of Cannabis And Alcohol Use On The Management Of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Joshua Eric Sellner

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation sought to contribute to the evidence-base of diabetes management and acute complications associated with alcohol and cannabis use among individuals with Type 1 Diabetes (T1DM). Three interconnected studies were initiated to complete this goal. First, existing literature surrounding the potential consequences of cannabis consumption among individuals with T1DM were summarized within a systematic review. Study results were combined to provide a single measure of association through a meta-analysis. Second, identified associations were further investigated through a cross-sectional study using the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth data on alcohol and cannabis use on diabetes management and acute complications including …

Mediator Kinase Inhibitors For Breast Cancer Therapy, Xiaokai Ding

Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancers (BrCa) that overexpress oncogenic tyrosine kinase receptor HER2 are treated with HER2-targeting antibodies (such as trastuzumab) or small-molecule kinase inhibitors (such as lapatinib). However, most patients with metastatic HER2+ BrCa have intrinsic resistance and nearly all eventually become resistant to HER2-targeting therapy. Resistance to HER2-targeting drugs frequently involves transcriptional reprogramming associated with constitutive activation of different signaling pathways. We have investigated the role of CDK8/19 Mediator kinase, a regulator of transcriptional reprogramming, in the response of HER2+ BrCa to HER2-targeting drugs. Selective CDK8/19 inhibitors (senexin B and SNX631) showed synergistic interactions with lapatinib and trastuzumab in a panel …

Testing Models Of Context-Dependent Outcome Encoding In Reinforcement Learning, William M. Hayes Iv

Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies of reinforcement learning (RL) have established that choice outcomes are encoded in a context-dependent fashion. Several computational models have been proposed to explain context-dependent encoding, including reference point centering and range adaptation models. The former assumes that outcomes are centered around a running estimate of the average reward in each choice context, while the latter assumes that outcomes are compared to the minimum reward and then scaled by an estimate of the range of outcomes in each choice context. However, there are other computational mechanisms that can explain context dependence in RL. In the present study, a frequency …

Assessing Identification Of Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer Patients For Referral To Genetic Counseling, Corinne Marie Locke

Theses and Dissertations

Since 1998, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines have specified clinical indications for genetic testing for breast cancer susceptibility genes, but retrospective studies have shown that, despite meeting the NCCN criteria, patients are not always advised of the option of genetic testing. Further compounding this issue, studies have shown that cancer family history intake and documented family history can be incomplete even when taken by oncology providers. At this study site and other cancer centers in the country, patients with a new diagnosis of breast cancer are referred for genetic counseling by their cancer care team if they are …

Perspectives About Food Safety In Diverse Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Sejla Isanovic

Theses and Dissertations

Concerns about unsafe food influence food choice, and consumption of unsafe foods increases morbidity and mortality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Actions to ensure safety of food are dominated by mitigation of biological and chemical hazards through supply-side risk management, disregarding individuals’ experiences and perspectives of food safety. We aimed to identify and categorize perspectives about food safety in five countries. Five Drivers of Food Choice projects provided transcripts from 17 focus groups discussions and 303 interviews in Kenya, Ghana, India, Guinea, and Vietnam. We analyzed transcripts using a priori and emergent codes. Individuals constructed meaning about food safety …

Gonorrhea: Core Areas And State Policies, Jessica Purser

Theses and Dissertations

This research looked at gonorrhea rates both from a community perspective and at the state level. Using hot spot analysis, means differences, and quantile regression, we found that education, specifically the percent of people over the age of 25 with less than a high school education, was the dominant factor at the state level while core areas of gonorrhea exist in the PeeDee and western Lowcountry regions of South Carolina in 2017 and 2018. Risky sexual behaviors are well-defined in the literature for individual persons, but this shows that looking at societal and community factors is important.

This is a …

Longitudinal Relation Of Dietary Quality And Hemoglobin A1c In Youth And Young Adults With Diabetes, Hope Bercaw

Theses and Dissertations

Background Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is a clinical measure of glycemic control among people with diabetes and is associated with health outcomes such as cardiovascular disease. It is possible to decrease HbA1c by improving diet, but it is largely unknown which dietary components are most important in targeting glycemic control.

Objective This study aims to examine whether changes in diet quality across diabetes duration, assessed with the 2015-Healthy Eating Index (HEI), are associated with HbA1c in youth and young adults (YYA) with type 1 (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Additionally, we aim to assess whether these relationships differ when dietary …

Economic Development, Political Processes And Climate Change Adaptation In The Solomon Islands, Adam Christopher Ereth

Theses and Dissertations

Climate change exacerbates existing societal inequalities, including those related to uneven adaptation developments. Often, climate change prompts societies in Oceania to implement adaptation strategies to deal directly and indirectly with related issues. The futures of island nation inhabitants have sparked as much curiosity and inquiry as it has fears of diminished futures for Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Narratives and discourse on climate change adaptation range from engineered solutions to address sea level rise and storm wave issues, to pessimistic retreat with claims that islands are sinking and little can be done but move elsewhere. These disparate realities call into …

Associations Of The Fto Gene And Risk Of Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Avery Ulrich

Theses and Dissertations

Background Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a blood cancer that affects ~70,000 people each year in the US. The Fat Mass and Obesity (FTO) gene on chromosome 16 has been reported to be associated with obesity, solid tumor cancers (lung, renal, breast, prostate, pancreatic, endometrial), and more recently with hematologic malignancies, like AML. In this thesis, we test the hypothesis that inherited variants within the FTO gene are associated with an increased risk of AML. Methods Using the DISCOVeRY-BMT (Determining the Influence of Susceptibility COnveying Variants Related to one-Year mortality after Blood and Marrow Transplantation), a well-powered genome-wide association study …

Homestead Vegetable And Poultry Production And Related Practices: An Assessment In Nepal, Shiva Bhandari

Theses and Dissertations

Consumption of nutrients-rich foods like diverse vegetables, eggs, and meat throughout a year remains a challenge in low- and middle-income countries due to poor availability, accessibility, and affordability. One important way to overcome the challenge is to promote households’ own production of these foods and encourage individuals to consume. Improving household production of the foods necessitates understanding whether active participation and performance of frontline workers in the communities and performing improved production-related practices can translate into improved production of nutrients-rich foods. This study had two specific aims. The first aim was to examine demographic, socio-economic, and programmatic determinants of active …

Evaluating The Military Medical Evacuation Dispatching And Delivery Problem Via Simulation And Self-Exciting Hawkes Process, Virbon B. Frial

Theses and Dissertations

The location, allocation, and utilization of military medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) resources significantly impact the quality and timeliness of medical care to injured troops. In 2009, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates introduced the Golden Hour mandate that entails the evacuation of critically-injured troops to military treatment facilities (MTFs) within an hour to prevent further complications. To develop high-quality policies that improve MEDEVAC system performance, several papers in the current literature assume that MTFs have both the capacity and capability of treating any patient, regardless of the type of injury. However, these assumptions are unrealistic when conducting high-intensity operations. While acknowledging MTF …

Effect Of Covid-19 On The Wellbeing Of Healthcare Professionals In Public Isolation Hospitals In Egypt, Shaimaa Sabbah

Theses and Dissertations

One of the most vulnerable groups severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic has been the Healthcare Professionals (HCPs), especially the physicians, pharmacists, and nurses who work in public Isolation hospitals. The Egyptian medical syndicate declared the death of more than 600 physicians from February 2020 till January 2022. In the meantime, the Egyptian government has worked on different policies for relieving the negative effects of the pandemic on this vulnerable group; however, easing restrictions, no total lockdown implementation, and monitoring bureaucracy has negatively affected the wellbeing of those HCPs. The study aims to figure out recommended policies to protect HCPs’ …

A Predictive Model For Geographical Location Using Microbiome Composition And Covid-19 Based Analysis, Ahmed Adel Aboushanab

Theses and Dissertations

The human microbiome is a main contributor for the health and welfare of the human body. It is affected by many factors like diet and hygiene. These factors differ between different populations. Testing the population-microbiome differences using healthy samples from different countries is the first objective of this study. This data was then used in training and testing machine learning models (Random Forest and L2-logistic Regression Classifiers) for the prediction of the geographical location based on the microbiome data. Random Forest Classifier had the highest accuracy. Feature importance analysis showed that the data for Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes improved the …

Repurposing Metformin And Antifolates For The Treatment Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Sherouk Mohamed Tawfik

Theses and Dissertations

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most prevalent types of cancers worldwide, continues to maintain high levels of resistance to standard therapy. As clinical data revealed poor response rates, the need for developing new methods has increased to improve the overall wellbeing of patients with HCC. Due to its safety, wide availability and previously reported anti-cancer effects, metformin (MET) serves to be a possible therapeutic agent when combined with other well-known anti-cancer agents. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential anti-cancer effects of MET, an anti-diabetic agent, when combined with two antifolate drugs: trimethoprim (TMP) or methotrexate …

Selective Gsk3Β Inhibition Mediates An Nrf2-Independent Anti-Inflammatory Microglial Response, Mohamed H. Yousef

Theses and Dissertations

Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 (GSK3) is associated with the proinflammatory phenotype of microglia and has been shown to act in concert with Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). . GSK3 is also a suppressor of Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), the principal regulator of redox homeostasis. Agreeing with the oxidative paradigm of aging, Nrf2 is often deregulated in parainflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we aimed to explore a multimodal disease-modifying utility of GSK3 inhibition, beyond neuronal proteopathologies, Furthermore, we aimed to underscore the difference in therapeutic value between the two GSK3 paralogs by isoform-selective chemical inhibition.

The …

Selective Small Molecule Targeting Of Mcl-1 In Multiple Myeloma, Omar S. Al Odat

Theses and Dissertations

Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a deadly blood malignancy, characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of aberrantly differentiated plasma cells. MM is challenging to diagnose and treat, accounting for approximately 12% of hematologic malignancies. The overexpression of anti-apoptotic group of Bcl-2 family proteins, particularly Myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl-1), play a critical role in the pathogenesis of MM. The overexpression of Mcl-1 is associated with drug resistance and overall poor prognosis. Thus, inhibition of the Mcl-1 protein is an attractive therapeutic strategy against myeloma cells. Over the last decade, the development of selective Mcl-1 inhibitors has seen remarkable advancement. In this project, …

Dia.Ries, Katherine A. Doyle

Theses and Dissertations

dia.ries is a pilot episode of an episodic series that offers insight into the lives of a few of the 500 million people around the world with diabetes—otherwise normal, everyday people who happen to be living each day with an “invisible illness.” Produced through video diaries and other user-generated content, the series tells stories from first-person points of view along thematic lines, using a collaborative approach rooted in Third Cinema.

Repurposing Of Small Molecule Inhibitor Ym-155 Inhibits High-Risk Neuroblastoma Growth By Directly Inhibiting Survivin Protein, Danielle Crystal Rouse

Theses and Dissertations

High-risk neuroblastoma (NB) is an aggressive pediatric tumor which develops from the extracranial sympathetic nervous system and accounts for almost 15% of all childhood cancer-related deaths. Current therapies include high-dose chemotherapy and radiation which have long-term toxic side-effects. Despite these intensive therapies, the overall survival rate of NB is less than 50%. Therefore, developing novel therapeutic approaches by directly targeting the molecular mechanisms that drives NB progression is very important. In the present study, we analyzed genomic datasets of 1235 NB patients and discovered that overexpression of survivin coding gene BIRC5 strongly correlates with poor overall and event-free survival of …

A Technology-Based, Mixed Methods Approach To Examining The Psychosocial Determinants Of Maternal Health Disparities, Hannah M. Ming

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Exposure to racism and discrimination in the U.S. increases Black women’s risk for experiencing maternal health disparities. Additionally, racism and discrimination affect maternal psychosocial well-being, creating evidence for a biopsychosocial relationship between racism and maternal health outcomes. However, current research does not define the psychosocial Black maternal self well. Given the dynamic relationship between racism, psychosocial well-being, and Black maternal health outcomes, research must comprehensively examine the Black maternal self. The operationalization of a comprehensive construct for Black maternal psychosocial well-being can improve understanding of the relationship between racism, psychosocial well-being, and Black maternal health outcomes.

Purpose: …

Clear Aligner Therapy In The Mixed Dentition: Indications And Practitioner Perspectives, Nicholas M. Lynch

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: This study evaluated current trends and perspectives among orthodontists regarding clear aligner therapy in the mixed dentition (CAMD), including insights into perceived indications, compliance, oral hygiene, and other factors.

Methods: An original, 22-item survey was mailed to both a randomized, nationally representative sample of practicing orthodontic specialists (n = 800) and to a specific, randomized sub-sample of high-aligner-prescribing orthodontists (n = 200). Questions assessed respondents’ demographic information, experience with clear aligner therapy, and perceived advantages/disadvantages of CAMD compared to fixed appliance therapy (FA). Responses were compared using McNemar’s chi-squared and paired t-tests to assess CAMD versus FA. …

Changes In Physical Activity And Relationships To Submaximal Exercise Capacity And Cardiac Function During Breast Cancer Therapy, Moriah P. Bellissimo

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Breast cancer (BC) survivors are at high risk for heart failure due to curative cancer therapies. In non-cancer populations, physical activity is a first line treatment for preventing cardiovascular disease. This study examined whether more physical activity was associated with better submaximal exercise capacity and cardiac function during the first three months of cancer therapy.

Methods: Participants included 223 women with stage I-III BC before therapy and after three months of undergoing treatment and 126 controls. Leisure time physical activity was reported using the Godin Sheppard leisure time exercise questionnaire. Cardiac function was assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance, and …