Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Telehealth In Rural Tennessee- Closing The Gap In Care?, Kara L. Bianchini

Applied Research Projects

Telehealth is quickly becoming a tool used in everyday healthcare. Certain areas, such as rural communities in Tennessee, experience health disparities because of their location and distance from health care providers. This gap in care can be diminished through the use of telehealth services. This research project is taking place to gather data from hospitals in Tennessee currently providing telehealth services. I want to determine if telehealth is closing the gap-in-care seen in rural communities. Through research, I have found there are multiple barriers to telehealth, but also significant benefits. I think with additional education and training, telehealth can become …

Impact Information Governance Has On Healthcare Organizations, Nadine N. Ellington

Applied Research Projects

The purpose of this study evaluated the impact of information governance (IG) on healthcare organizations. Objectives and limitations were derived from literature reviews, case studies, and surveys. A methodology of evaluation research with a focus on summative evaluations was conducted. The population study consisted of health information management (HIM) professionals, consultants, data analyst, and other healthcare professionals. The findings from the research provided significant evidence supporting the value IG programs possess along with the benefits healthcare organizations gained with the adoption of the IG initiative.

Joint Coordination Variability In Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstructed Subjects During Stair Ambulation Using A Vector Coding Technique, Bryan R. Simrak

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is a common injury, with an estimated incidence of 120,000 to 200,000 per year in the United States. ACL reconstruction surgery is the standard treatment for this injury to restore knee joint stability and function. While surgical reconstruction has been shown to restore laxity of the knee, current literature lacks consensus on return to normal knee joint kinematics following surgery. Additionally, re-injury is a major risk for those who return to sports activity after reconstruction surgery. Dynamical systems methods for quantifying joint coordination variability have been explored as a method for detecting differences between ACL …

The Role Of Bip Co-Chaperone Sil1 In Marinesco-Sjögren Syndrome Pathogenesis, Viraj Paresh Ichhaporia

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Marinesco-Sjögren syndrome (MSS) is a rare, autosomal recessive, multisystem disorder, which is characterized by cerebellar ataxia, early-onset bilateral cataracts, and progressive myopathy amongst other symptoms. MSS has been attributed to mutations in the SIL1 gene, which encodes a nucleotide exchange factor for the endoplasmicreticulum- resident Hsp70 chaperone, BiP. To date, there are 46 MSS-associated mutations that have been reported in SIL1, which occur throughout this gene and are predicted to result in a loss of SIL1’s function. The large majority of these mutations cause deletions of large fractions of the SIL1 protein. Nine MSS-associated mutations are particularly interesting because they …

Effective Measures Of Weight Gain Five Years Post-Kidney Transplantation, Tara Calico Cherry

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

BACKGROUND: Weight gain is commonly observed post-kidney transplantation and is associated with unfavorable health outcomes, such as graft loss, new onset diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to determine the most effective measure for assessing body composition after kidney transplantation.

DESIGN: The study was a descriptive correlational follow-up study from a single kidney transplant site.

SUBJECTS: A total of 45 eligible patients from a 2007-2011 parent study were selected, ages of 37 to 78.

MEASUREMENTS: Body composition was obtained 5–8 years posttransplant via anthropometric measures (waist circumference, body mass index, and dual energy X-ray …

The Tumor Microenvironment Regulates Retinoblastoma Cell Survival, Zachary K. Goldsmith

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Retinoblastoma (Rb) is the most common intraocular malignancy in children comprising 4% of all pediatric tumors. Early intervention increases survival rates up to 95% in developed countries; being survival rates associated to socio-economic status. Despite the high survival rates in developed countries, preservation of the eye and vision are continuing challenges in the management of Rb. Vitreous seeds constitute the greatest challenge in treatment of Rb. The unique location of these seeds within the vitreous makes them difficult to treat. Viable seeds showed reduced proliferative capacity and metabolism. making the majority refractory to current chemotherapeutics. This prompted the development of …

Development Of Multiple Microemulsion Eye Drops For Sustained Release Of New Glaucoma Drug, Doaa Nabih Ahmed Maria

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Persistent or repeated elevation of intraocular pressure (IOP) is a primary risk factor of visual field loss in glaucoma, therefore IOP reduction is the first-line therapeutic option in the disease management. Unfortunately, the current therapies are associated with a lot of deficiencies including several daily dosing, reduced efficacy and systemic side effects all of which resulted in poor patient compliance. Previously we have identified Calcium voltage-gated channel auxiliary subunit Alpha2delta 1 gene (Cacna2d1) as a novel modulator of IOP and confirmed that pregabalin targeted CACNA2D1 in eye tissues (ciliary body and trabecular meshwork) to lower IOP in a …

Molecular Response Of Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells To Oxidized Lipoproteins: Global And Targeted Studies, Diwa Koirala

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Global-scale examinations of biological systems at the molecular level complement targeted approaches to scientific inquiry that focus on specific subsets of biomolecules, or on a single molecule of interest. In this dissertation, we utilized both the discovery-based approach to evaluate the proteomics workflows centered around mass spectrometry as the key technology, and the targeted approach to examine the molecular response of RPE due to oxidized lipoproteins (oxLDL) treatments. A crucial aspect in proteomics studies is the design of bioanalytical strategies that maximize coverage of the complex repertoire of a proteome. A comprehensive, unbiased examination of the proteome represents a powerful …

Targeting The Colchicine Binding Site On Tubulin To Overcome Multidrug Resistance And Anticancer Efficacy Of Selective Survivin Inhibitors, Kinsle E. Arnst

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Tubulin inhibitors are widely used as chemotherapeutic agents, and their successis attributed to their ability to target microtubule dynamics and disrupt critical cellular functions including cell signaling, motility, intracellular trafficking, and mitosis. Interference with microtubule dynamics consequently disrupts mitotic progression and ultimately leads to apoptosis, validating microtubule dynamics as an excellent target for anticancer agents. While this class of drug has proven to be effective against many cancer types, the clinical efficacy of current tubulin inhibitors is often limited by the development of multidrug resistance. The most common form of resistance to these agents arises from the overexpression of drug …

Genetic Exploration Of Hereditary Immune Diseases, Cheng Tian

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

An autoimmune disease is a condition arising from an abnormal immune response to a normal body part. There are at least 80 types of autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic sclerosis are two of them. My study focuses on these two diseases. Our hypothesis is that mutated genes lead to autoimmune diseases that cause the immune system to attack the human body. The mutated genes cause the gene expression levels to change which fail to properly regulate the body's functions, resulting in immune system diseases. I used existing mouse models to improve the understanding of these two diseases.

The first …

The Role Of Exosomal Transport Of Viral Agents In Persistent Hiv Pathogenesis, Benjamin J. Patters

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, despite great advances in antiretroviral therapy (ART), remains a lifelong affliction. Though current treatment regimens can effectively suppress viral load to undetectable levels and preserve healthy immune function, they cannot fully alleviate all symptoms caused by the presence of the virus, such as HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). Exosomes are small vesicles that transport cellular proteins, RNA, and small molecules between cells as a mechanism of intercellular communication. Recent research has shown that HIV proteins and RNA can be packaged into exosomes and transported between cells, to pathogenic effect. This review summarizes the current knowledge on …

Roles Of Cytosolic Nucleic Acid Sensors In Cancer And Infection, Qifan Zhu

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Pattern recognition receptors are innate immune sensors that recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) with crucial roles in host defense against microbial infection, autoimmune diseases and cancer. Cytosolic nucleic acids including DNA and RNA originate from pathogens or self-cells, which form major groups of PAMPs and DAMPs. A range of nucleic acid sensors have evolved to sense various types of nucleic acids. How different DNA-sensing pathways regulate microbial infection and cancer is the focus of this dissertation.

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) is a cytosolic innate immune sensor for cyclic dinucleotides that also serves a dual …

Signaling Induced By Inflammatory Mediators In The Rodent Pulmonary Microvasculature, Rachel Escue Helms

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Acute lung inflammation (ALI), stemming from a disproportionate and detrimental immune response, may arise from or complicate other disease states, leading to the often-fatal acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Because of the many culpable factors and differing points of induction, pinning down the signaling mechanisms involved in the morbidity of this disorder as well as defining an effective treatment has proved problematic. However, the most detrimental characteristic of this condition is seen regardless of the development of the response: increased microvascular permeability. Because of the architecture and the size of the pulmonary microvascular network, the lungs have a resident, sequestered …

Managing Across: A Magical Method For Providing Leadership And Skill Development, Heather Holmes

Southern Chapter/Medical Library Association Annual Conference

Objective: To provide an opportunity for faculty librarians to lead initiatives that will enhance the Research and Education Department’s knowledge and practice. Methods: Six faculty librarians at an academic health sciences library have been assigned an area of focus based upon their personal interests. The intent is for each of them to be able to work in an area that is of interest to them, but also for them to lead initiatives within the department to educate their peers. The areas are the ACRL Framework, LibGuides, Data and Assessment, Instructional Technology, NIH updates, and Teaching and Education. Each librarian is …

The Future Of Measuring Scholarly And Societal Impact In The Health Sciences: Exploring Dimensions In Non-Traditional Algorithms, Candace K. Vance, Tim Vance, Arthur Boston

Southern Chapter/Medical Library Association Annual Conference

Objective: To provide an overview of evaluating scientific scholarly impact among researchers in the health sciences. Librarians, as department liaisons, are a natural choice for guiding faculty, students, and tenure and promotion committees in understanding and responsibly applying altmetrics and bibliometrics, including the Relative Citation Ratio (RCR), to evaluate the impact of contemporary health sciences scholars. Background: Scholars in the health sciences, particularly clinician-researchers, who divide their time among patient care, education, as well as academic service, have less time for research than other scientists. Thus, citation patterns vary across the disciplines, possibly placing clinicians at a disadvantage when traditional …

Keeping Up With Trends In Your Library: Simple And Speedy Ways To Assess Users’ Needs, Shalu Gillum, Natasha Williams, Terri Gotschall

Southern Chapter/Medical Library Association Annual Conference

Objective: To find simple, fast, and easy ways to assess library users’ needs and to get real-time responses in order to shorten the interval between deploying surveys, gathering responses and implementation of solutions. In the past the library employed email surveys to assess user needs but the process was inefficient and ineffective due to low response rates and time spent creating online surveys. Methods: The library team began using paper “micro-assessments” to understand users’ needs. Short paper surveys of no more than five questions, were deployed at three different times throughout the academic year: (1) Medical students were handed surveys …

Using A Reflexive Process To Investigate Organizational Change: The Use Of The Research Spider Matrix, Ardis Hanson, Allison Howard, Randall Polo, Krystal Bullers, Stephanie Tomlinson, John Orriola, Kristen Sakmar

Southern Chapter/Medical Library Association Annual Conference

The primary objective was to assess the research competencies (knowledge, experience, and skills) of librarians at an academic health sciences library using the Research Spider matrix (Smith et al., 2002). This was motivated by the shift from a traditional reference model to a research-centric paradigm.

Building A Framework To Guide Residents Through Scholarly Activities, Lindsay Blake, Jennie Kirby, Jennifer White

Southern Chapter/Medical Library Association Annual Conference

Objective: The objective of this project was to build an online resource that will help guide residents through their Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) scholarly activity requirement by providing guidelines, advice, and resources on publishing, presenting, and research. Methods: The Clinical Services Librarian first met with the Graduate Medical Education (GME) office to determine the needs of the residencies and clarify current ACGME requirements. Meetings were then set with representatives from the largest residencies to discuss how the scholarly activity requirement was currently being met and to collect resources. After these meetings the librarian began building an online …

A New Way To Look At Old Bones: Launching Virtual Reality At A Health Sciences Library, Tariq Rahaman

Southern Chapter/Medical Library Association Annual Conference

No abstract provided.

Cruising Toward Mapping Usa And Canadian Dental Education Competencies To The Acrl Framework, Irene Lubker, Christy Tyon, Nena Schvaneveldt, Martin Morris, Erica Brody, Natalie Clairoux, Sean Stone, Nicole Theis-Mahon, Maria Zych

Southern Chapter/Medical Library Association Annual Conference

No abstract provided.

Leading The Way: Establishing A Versatile Ebsco E-Audiobooks Leadership Collection Tosupport Talent Development Initiatives And Employee Growth In A Large Healthcare System, Aidy Weeks

Southern Chapter/Medical Library Association Annual Conference

No abstract provided.

Utilizing Second Life® Virtual World Gaming Technology For Staff Development, Marilyn G. Teolis, Priscilla Stephenson, Sandra L. Winkler, Fatima M. Barnes

Southern Chapter/Medical Library Association Annual Conference

No abstract provided.

Marketing The Evolving Refworks In An Endnote Environment: Providing Users With Choices, Christine Andresen, Irene Lubker

Southern Chapter/Medical Library Association Annual Conference

No abstract provided.

Resource Use Trends By Medical Students At An Academic Medical Center In The 3rd And 4th Clerkship Years, Lindsay Blake, Elena Wood, Shilpa Brown Md, Erin Latif, Thaddeus Y. Carson Md, David Kriegel Md, Pamela Fall Md, Ashley Saucier Md, Matthew Diamond Do, Sarah Egan

Southern Chapter/Medical Library Association Annual Conference

No abstract provided.

You Talk, We Listen: How Nnlm Sea Is Responding To Your Feedback, Aimee Gogan

Southern Chapter/Medical Library Association Annual Conference

No abstract provided.

Collaboration And Innovation: Nnlm’S Nationwide Online Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon, Aimee Gogan, Erin Latta

Southern Chapter/Medical Library Association Annual Conference

No abstract provided.

Hospital Library Here Not Closing, Not Downsizing, But Flourishing: Hospital Library Here To Stay, And Newlyrenovated, Allison P. Matthews

Southern Chapter/Medical Library Association Annual Conference

No abstract provided.

Anticipating Disaster: Do Our Vendors Meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines?, Jean Gudenas, Kelly Burgess, Christine Andresen, Emily Jones

Southern Chapter/Medical Library Association Annual Conference

No abstract provided.

Flying Without A Text: Using Open Educational Resources, E-Books, And Libguides For Nursing Education, Gregg A. Stevens

Southern Chapter/Medical Library Association Annual Conference

No abstract provided.

Transformation, Opportunity, Identity: Reflections On A Decade In A Hospital Medical Library, Asia Frey

Southern Chapter/Medical Library Association Annual Conference

No abstract provided.