Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Case Report: A Novel Ocular Screening Aid For Detection Of Sport-Related Concussion In High School Athletes, Payton Monson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop, implement and determine the general effectiveness of a novel battery of ocular tests referred to as the Rapid Ocular Screening Test (ROST) that can be performed efficiently on the sideline and is based on our current understanding of the physiological effects of blunt head trauma on ocular functioning.
Background: Assessment of ocular function following a suspected head-injury has been recognized as an important adjunct to a concussion evaluation protocol; however, sideline-screening recommendations currently do not include a comprehensive set of ocular functioning tests. Three high school student athletes who suffered a …

Relationship Of Physical Health Risk Screenings In Seriously Mentally Ill With Self-Efficacy For Health, Perception Of Health Risk, And Intention To Follow-Up With Medical Care., Dawn (Vanruler) Bos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Morbidity and mortality occur at higher rates in those with serious mental illness (SMI) than those without SMI. These higher rates are worsening in degree, despite known preventative strategies, such as physical health risk screening (HRS). This study evaluates the relationship of physical HRS with self-efficacy for health prevention behaviors, perception of level of risk of health consequences, and intention to follow up with medical care for identified health risks. The study considers Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) factors related to HRS in individuals with SMI. A HRS tool was administered to 54 adult ambulatory clients from the Midwestern United States …

Evaluation Of Berberine As An Alternative To Antibiotics In Nursery Pig Diets, Emily Scholtz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pig weaning process results in reduced growth performance and gut health of weaned pigs. Antibiotics can be added in diets for weaned pigs to improve growth performance and gut health, but their use is being discouraged because they can lead to development of antimicrobial resistant microorganisms. Thus, there is need for alternatives to antibiotics in diets for weaned pigs. The overall goal of this thesis research was to determine the effects of plant extracts (berberine, quercetin, and allyl isothiocyante [AITC]) as alternatives to antibiotics in weaned pig diets. The first objective of the research was to determine in vitro antimicrobial …

Synthetic Investigation Of Natural Products Causing Dopaminergic Neurodegeneration, Michael John Cunningham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The terrestrial organisms Streptomyces venezuelae and Rhaponticum repens produce toxic secondary metabolites that likely function as chemical deterrents. The polyketide SV-6 from S. venezuelae and the sesquiterpene lactone repin from R. repens both produce dose-dependent and selective degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. These molecules represent two possible tools that can be used to explore chemotoxic induction of Parkinson’s disease. In the case of SV-6, a newly isolated metabolite, total synthesis was undertaken to confirm its structure and biological activity. The natural product was produced from methacrolein and Roche ester starting materials that were elaborated to their respective fragments, a vinyl iodide …

Surveillance Of South Dakota Mosquito Abundance, Infection Rate, And Insecticide Susceptibility, Geoffrey P. Vincent

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this dissertation was to survey and evaluate the abundance, infection rate, and insecticide susceptibility of mosquito fauna present in South Dakota. Mosquito surveillance has been conducted across South Dakota to record and track potential West Nile virus (WNV) vectors from 2004 to 2017. The nuisance mosquito Aedes vexans was found to be the most abundant species overall in the state and most abundant in many of the regions. The WNV vector, Culex tarsalis, was found to be the second most abundant mosquito and the most abundant vector mosquito across the state. However, geospatial variation did exist between …

Daily Pork Consumption As A Part Of The Dietary Approaches To Stop Hypertension Diet Influences Body Composition And Preserves Muscle Mass In Older Adults Consuming Controlled Intakes, Alyssa Anne Kauffman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that muscular fitness is preserved in older adults who consumed pork daily as a part of the DASH dietary pattern. A controlled feeding pilot study was used to test this. Eight healthy older men and women were randomly assigned to consume either 3 ounces or 6 ounces of pork daily as a part of the DASH diet for a total of 12 weeks. Indicators of muscle mass, strength, and function were assessed at five time points (weeks 0, 3, 6, 9, 12) throughout the 12 weeks. A seven day cyclical …

A Longitudinal Examination Of Eating Disorders And Associated Risk Factors In Division I Student-Athletes, Nicole Court-Menendez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

CONTEXT: Eating disorders represent a significant concern across multiple populations including collegiate athletes. Risk factors for eating disorders may be amplified in athletes because of internal and external performance and image expectations. Little is known about how these risk factors change over time in collegiate student-athletes.
OBJECTIVE: To longitudinally examine select eating disorder risk factors in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I student-athletes.
DESIGN: Descriptive longitudinal study.
SETTING: NCAA Division I collegiate athletics.
PARTICIPANTS: Retired Division I collegiate athletes (n=204), ages 18-22, who competed in football, women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, baseball, men’s and women’s track and field, men’s and …

The Role Of Brand Name Fluency: A Pharmaceutical Marketing Perspective, David Wamble

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: consumers are exposed to thousands of advertisements, most all of which are designed to promote a particular brand and accompanying brand name. The selection of a brand name is a critical strategic decision and is an important means to building brand equity. The importance of branding elements, specifically brand names, has led pharmaceutical manufacturers to become more creative and open the possibilities of language in brand name development. Given the complexities associated with brand name development in the U.S. pharmaceutical industry and the trends observed in recent pharmaceutical brand names, advancing the understanding of how brand name selection can …

Functionality And Role Of Different Fatty Alcohols In Topical O/W Cream Formulation, Supriya Bhide

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fatty alcohols are excipients that are abundantly used in various pharmaceutical formulations. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the impact of incorporating different fatty alcohols on microstructural and formulation characteristics of topical o/w clotrimazole cream formulation. The formulations containing different fatty alcohols as Kolliwax® CSA 50 (CSA 50), Kolliwax® CSA 70 (CSA 70), Kolliwax® MA (MA), Kolliwax® CA (CA), Kolliwax® SA (SA) were prepared by selecting suitable RPM and homogenization time. The M.P. of API and fatty alcohols were determined using DSC technique. The prepared cream formulations were evaluated for their phase separation. The various tests like …

Polymer Based Delivery Of Doxycycline Hyclate For The Prevention Of Peri-Implant Mucositis Infection, Sagar Deepak Sawant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Peri-implant mucositis is a silent inflammatory condition that is destructive in nature affecting only the soft tissues in the vicinity of dental implants. The current line of treatment includes the use of systemic antibiotics, mechanical debridement using LASER decontamination, the use of mouthwash or oral rinsing with chlorhexidine, maintenance and improvement of oral hygiene, mechanical debridement with or without systemic antibiotic treatment, mechanical debridement with or without the use of local drug delivery systems. However, these treatments do not solve the problem of implant rejection as peri-mucositis progresses to per-implantitis which causes severe bone loss and ultimately leading to implant …

Novel Applications Of Hot-Melt Extrusion Technology, Ajinkya Moreshwar Bhagurkar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hot-melt extrusion, an adaptable technology, has established its position in a wide spectrum of manufacturing operations like amorphous solid dispersions, immediate and controlled oral formulations, implants, and taste masked products. In recent years the industrial focus has shifted towards continuous manufacturing, thus melt extrusion is being explored for new applications. The aim of this research work was to investigate the novel applications of hot-melt extrusion by carrying out an in depth study to understand the interplay between the process and the product. The conventional techniques used for the preparation of ointments and nanostructured lipid carriers are multi-step and time consuming …

Risk In Privacy Breach Determination: The Application Of Prospect Theory To Healthcare Privacy Officers, Amanda Walden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A significant concern in healthcare is that of patient privacy and how organizations protect against unauthorized access to protected health information. The federal government has responded by instituting policies and guidelines on requirements for protection. However, the policy language leaves areas open to interpretation by those following the guidelines. Reporting to the Office for Civil Rights and/or the patient can open an organization to risk of financial and possible criminal penalties. There is a risk of harm to their reputation which could impact patient visits and market share. Therefore, Privacy Officers might view risk in different ways and therefore handle …

Work And Family Conflict: A Comparative Analysis Among Staff Nurses, Nurse Managers, And Nurse Executives, Amanda Raffenaud

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The nursing workforce increasingly faces issues that affect clinical and managerial practice. One such issue is work-family conflict (WFC) and family-work conflict (FWC). Nurses face role strain as they confront the pressures from often competing work-and-family roles. This study assessed WFC/FWC among varying nurse roles: staff nurses, managerial nurses, and nurse executives. A random sample of 5,000 nurses, generated from registered nurses practicing in the state of Florida, was surveyed for this research study. Nurses were surveyed on demographics, perceptions regarding the work environment, and perceptions of WFC/FWC. Descriptively, nurses experienced more work-family conflict than family-work conflict. Regression analyses and …

Fourth Grade Teachers' Implementation Of An Explicit Vocabulary Teaching Technique With Students Who Are Socioeconomically Disadvantaged, Joanna Spielvogel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study investigated the impact of fourth grade general education teacher implementation of the Vocabulary Scenario Technique – General Education 16 (VST-GE16) protocol on the vocabulary knowledge gains of students from low socioeconomic status (SES) circumstances. For children living in poverty, vocabulary knowledge deficits begin in toddlerhood and persist throughout their lives. Early deficits in vocabulary knowledge translate to performance gaps in vocabulary knowledge, literacy, and academic success between students from higher and lower SES homes. The development of explicit instructional protocols to be used by general education teachers is critical to the amelioration of these intransigent gaps. The study …

Development Of A Non-Human Primate Model For Staphylococcus Aureus Nasal Carriage, Amanda Lasseter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage (SANC) is largely asymptomatic, but presents a risk of autoinfection and dissemination to new immunocompromised hosts. SA disease states range from mild cutaneous infections to life-threatening bacteremia. Historically utilized rodent models do not naturally carry SA in the nose, are insufficient in longitudinal SANC experimentation, and lack immune factors that are vital in human clearance of SA. The nasal passages of non-human primates are similar anatomically and histologically, and reproductive mucosal studies have shown similar immune responses to pathogens and human-relevant microbial profiles. Seventeen captive pigtailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) were found to naturally carry SA in …

Crosslinguistic Analysis Of Stuttering And Typical Disfluencies In Polish-English Bilingual Adults Who Stutter, Aleksandra Krawczyk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study examines the types and frequencies of stuttering, typical disfluencies, and speech rate in Polish-English bilingual adults who stutter across a variety of speaking situations. As Polish and English are phonetically and morpho-syntactically disparate languages, they provide grounds for evaluating the cross-linguistic correlates that may contribute to dysfluency in bilingual individuals who stutter in hopes of contributing to more effective assessment, diagnostic determination, and clinical practice. Participants were all native Polish speakers who spoke English at an intermediate or higher level, were diagnosed with a developmental stutter, and were at least 18 years old. Given that the participants …

Embryonic Stem Cell Derived Exosomes Enhance Cardiac Stem Cell Differentiation Into Heart Cells, Jamillah Hammond

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Transplantation of embryonic stem (ES) cells into the ischemic and infarcted heart has proven to repopulate cardiac cell populations, attenuate structural cardiac remodeling, and rescue cardiac function. Unfortunately, the pluripotency of ES cells increases risk of teratoma formation in vivo. Exosomes, smaller in comparison to ES cells, are cell free carriers of miRNA, proteins, and lipids, and do not suggest risk of teratoma formation. Exosomes have been proposed to mediate and attenuate regeneration following myocardial infarction (MI), however, the role of exosomes derived from ES cells (ES-Exo) in activating resident cardiac stem cells (CSCs) to undergo cardiac differentiation is not …

Applied Software Tools For Supporting Children With Intellectual Disabilities, Ahmad Abualsamid

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We explored the level of technology utilization in supporting children with cognitive disabilities at schools, speech clinics, and with assistive communication at home. Anecdotal evidence, literature research, and our own survey of special needs educators in Central Florida reveal that use of technology is minimal in classrooms for students with special needs even when scientific research has shown the effectiveness of video modeling in teaching children with special needs new skills and behaviors. Research also shows that speech and language therapists utilize a manual approach to elicit and analyze language samples from children with special needs. While technology is utilized …

Preparation And Evaluation Of Cefuroxime Axetil Gastro-Retentive Floating Drug Delivery System For Improved Delivery Via Hot-Melt Extrusion Technology, Rahul Madhukar Lalge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The objective of the present study was to develop lipid-based gastro-retentive floating drug delivery system of amorphous Cefuroxime Axetil (CA) to minimize the enzymatic degradation in the gastro intestinal tract utilizing hot-melt extrusion technology for improved absorption.

Methods: Preliminary studies were performed to select the appropriate lipids. Selected ratios of CA and lipids were extruded using a twin screw hot-melt extruder. Extrudates obtained were milled to obtain floating granules and were further evaluated for drug content, floating strength and micromeritic properties. In vitro drug release studies were performed in 900 mL of simulated gastric fluid (without enzyme) of pH …

Topical Formulation For Stimulating Sweat Secretion As An Alternative To Iontophoresis, Tasnim Fatima

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sweat test or pilocarpine iontophoresis test is the existing method for diagnosis of cystic fibrosis that is recommended to perform at 48 hours after birth. However, the current method is painful, with several side effects such as full thickness skin burn, skin rash, erythema etc. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop a pilocarpine topical formulation which can stimulate sweat secretion when applied on skin without iontophoresis. Several formulations with Transcutol®, polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400), Polyethylene glycol 200 (PEG 200), menthol and salicylic acid (SA) each at varying concentrations were screened as penetration enhancers. In vitro penetration …

Acute And Chronic Vascular Responses To Blood Flow Restriction In The Upper Body, J. Grant Mouser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Blood flow restriction (BFR) with low load exercise increases muscular size and strength. Little is known of vascular adaptations to this training modality, and nothing was known at very low loads. These studies examined cardiovascular responses to high load (70% of one-repetition maximum (1RM)) and very low load (15%1RM) exercise, alone or at two levels of BFR. Study 1: Participants performed unilateral biceps curls using either 15%1RM with no BFR (15/00), 40% of arterial occlusion pressure (AOP) (15/40), or 80%AOP (15/80), or 70%1RM (70/00). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP) and blood flow (BF) were measured in the arms …

On The Future Of Antidepressant Treatments: Targeting Neurotrophic Factors And Plasticity, Stephen W. White

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For 60-plus years the explanatory model for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) has been the monoamine theory, which states that low levels of monoamine neurotransmitters or alterations in their post-synaptic receptors are responsible for depressive symptoms. Drugs designed to elevate synaptic monoamine levels have remained the first line of pharmacotherapy prescribed by clinicians for MDD patients. However, these drugs have shortcomings. Despite evidence that current antidepressants elevate synaptic monoamine levels within hours of administration, these drugs require four to six weeks of daily administration before symptom relief appears. Furthermore, approximately half of patients taking typical antidepressants never achieve full symptom relief. …

Experimentally Investigating The Joint Effects Of Physical Activity And Sedentary Behavior On Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Jeremiah Blough

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To experimentally examine whether increasing sedentary behavior, among a young adult active population, for one week is still associated with increased depression symptomology even when allowing for a moderate engagement in physical activity (PA). Methods: Participants were confirmed as active via self-report and accelerometry during baseline and randomly assigned to one of three experimental groups. The Sedentary Intervention Group (n=19) reduced steps to less than 5000/day and were not alloto exercise for one-week; the Reduced MVPA (moderate-to-vigorous PA) Group (n=18) reduced steps to less than 5000/day but exercised for 50% of their previously reported vigorous PA for one-week; and …

Development And Characterization Of Fluocinolone Acetonide Loaded Nanosized Lipid Carriers For Ocular Delivery Via Subconjunctival Route: Synergistic Effect Of Vitamin A Palmitate, Bhavik Soneta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Though nanotechnology which exploits the use of nanoparticles for therapeutic application have embarked as an emerging tool for drug delivery applications, the delivery of therapeutic molecules into deep ocular compartments has always been a challenging task. In this regard, the main objective of our current investigation was to develop and evaluate the fluocinolone acetonide (FA) loaded nanostructure lipid carrier (FA-NLC) in situ gel for improved ocular bioavailability by subconjunctival injection. FA, a corticosteroid administered for inhibiting the ocular inflammation either as intravitreal injection or as intravitreal implants. The FA-NLCs were developed by using vitamin A palmitate as one of the …

Feasibility Of Aquasolvetm Hpmc-As Lg Via Hot-Melt Extrusion: Effect Of Pressurized Co2 On Physico-Mechanical Properties, Mashan Almutairi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of the current study was to investigate the processability of Aquasolve™ HPMC-AS LG via hot-melt extrusion, and to examine the effect of pressurized carbon dioxide (P-CO2) on the physico-mechanical properties of Efavirenz (EFA)-loaded extrudates (EXT). EFA is as a poorly water-soluble drug and HPMC-AS LG was chosen as a carrier for this study. To optimize the process parameters and formulations, various physical mixtures were prepared with the following composition: EFA (30-40-50% w/w) and HPMC-AS LG (70-60-50 % w/w) respectively. Physical mixtures were extruded through the co-rotating twin-screw extruder (16mm Prism Euro Lab, Thermo Fisher Scientific) utilizing a standard …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Redox-Sensitive Polymer And Prodrug For Targeted Drug Delivery, Chang-Hee Whang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Systemic administration of chemotherapeutics is associated with various side effects deriving from accumulation in off-target sites and acute toxicity of the drugs. In the past decade, engineering targeted drug delivery platforms arose as a novel paradigm to overcome such obstacles and ultimately achieve advanced forms of chemotherapy. This thesis reports successful syntheses of l-RSP, a redox-sensitive self-immolative polymer, and DNS-SN38, thiol-sensitive SN-38 prodrug, as potential candidates for targeted drug delivery platforms. By covalently conjugating a redox-trigger (p-nitrobenzyl alcohol) and self-immolative linker (p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol) to the cyclization spacer (n-2-(hydroxyethyl)ethylene diamine), a novel self-immolative monomer was obtained. Polymerization of the respective monomer …

Crystalline Salt Formation Of An Acidic Drug Indomethacin Using Hot Melt Extrusion Technology, Mustafa Bookwala

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although salt formation is the most ubiquitous and effective method of increasing the solubility and dissolution rates of acidic and basic drugs, it consumes large quantities of organic solvents and is a batch process. Herein, we show that the dissolution rate of indomethacin (a poorly water-soluble drug) can be increased by using hot melt extrusion of a 1:1 (mol/mol) indomethacin:tromethamine mixture to form a highly crystalline salt, the physicochemical properties of which are investigated in detail. Specifically, pH–solubility studies demonstrated that this salt exhibited a maximal solubility of 19.34 mg/mL (>1000 times that of pure indomethacin) at pH 8.19. …

A Novel Acetaminophen Soft-Chew Formulation Produced Via Hot Melt Extrusion With Inline Near-Infrared Monitoring As A Process Analytical Technology Tool, Pengchong Xu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

People suffer dysphagia when swallowing hard tablets and capsules. Gelatin based soft chewable tablets was used as an alternative and novel drug delivery format to overcome dysphagia. But conventional method of producing gelatin based soft chewable tablets has many potential issues. The objective of this study is using glycerol and hot-melt extrusion technique to address potential issues and optimizing the formulation. Gelatin (15%), acetaminophen (30%), saccharin (1.5%), xylitol (6.5%), sodium chloride (2%) and six different ratios of water (45-0%) and glycerol (0-45%) were used in seven formulations. The extrusion process temperature of formulation 1-6 and formulation 7 were 90 ëšc …

Predictors Of Dental Opioid Analgesic Prescribing, Opioid Use And Dental Emergency Department Visits In The Mississippi Medicaid Population, Chukwuebuka Dibie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were: (1) to determine prevalence of opioid analgesics prescribing for non-ED dental related visits in the Mississippi Medicaid population, (2) to assess predictors of receiving opioid analgesics following non-ED dental related events among Mississippi Medicaid beneficiaries, and (3) to determine prevalence of opioid analgesic prescribing for dental related emergency departments (ED) visits in the Mississippi Medicaid population. METHODS: A retrospective, cross-sectional, observational database analysis using Mississippi Medicaid administrative claims data from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2016. Beneficiaries with dental related visits were included in this study. Descriptive statistics were utilized to assess …

Fluorinated Organic Molecules For Medicinal Applications, Munia Sowaileh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The significant applications of fluorinated molecules in the pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and material sciences make them attractive synthetic targets. Difluoromethylation methods are of exceptional value and a limited number of techniques are available to perform that transformation. The primary method for introducing CF2 groups is through the use of difluoroenolates. Difluoroenolates can be generated from α-keto pentafluoro gem -diols under mild conditions. The process involves the cleavage of carbon-carbon bond and the release of trifluoroacetate. The release of trifluoroacetate is a versatile method to generate fluorinated molecules. We explored the utility of this method in generating various fluorinated moieties including α,α-difluoroketones, …