Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Optical Coherence Photoacoustic Microscopy (Oc-Pam) For Multimodal Imaging, Xiaojing Liu

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and Photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) are two noninvasive, high-resolution, three-dimensional, biomedical imaging modalities based on different contrast mechanisms. OCT detects the light backscattered from a biological sample either in the time or spectral domain using an interferometer to form an image. PAM is sensitive to optical absorption by detecting the light-induced acoustic waves to form an image. Due to their complementary contrast mechanisms, OCT and PAM are suitable for being combined to achieve multimodal imaging.

In this dissertation, an optical coherence photoacoustic microscopy (OC-PAM) system was developed for in vivo multimodal retinal imaging with a pulsed broadband …

Strategic Communications To Prevent Hiv Infections Among Black And Hispanic Young Adults, Elena Sebekos

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Disparities in HIV disease continue to adversely affect Black and Hispanic populations in the United States. Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) 2010 in Broward County, Florida, used strategic communications to alert Black and Hispanic young adults of the serious threat and the choices they could make to prevent HIV infection. This study assessed the channels through which 18-39 year-old African American, Haitian, Afro-Caribbean, and Hispanic residents of 12 high AIDS-incidence ZIP-code areas obtained information about HIV/AIDS and which sources they found most helpful. In addition, this study examined how obtaining HIV/AIDS information was associated with histories of …

Early Symptoms And Correlates Of Nicotine Dependence Among Adolescent Waterpipe Smokers, Raed Bahelah

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Waterpipe (WP; hookah, shisha, narghile) has re-emerged as a global epidemic of tobacco smoking mainly among young people. Although WP smokers show symptoms of nicotine dependence (ND) and face difficulty quitting, no study has examined the early symptoms and factors associated with ND among young WP smokers. Using baseline data from the Waterpipe Dependence in Lebanese Youth (WDLY) study, this research investigated the appearance and timing of early symptoms, factors, and WP-specific smoking patterns associated with ND symptoms among 160 adolescents (mean age ± SD =14.0 ± 1.1 years at baseline) from 8th and 9th grades who reported WP use …

Childbirth Education In Jordan: Content, Feasibility And Challenges Of Implementing A Childbirth Education Program In Jordan, Fatima Malkawi Ms

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No childbirth education (CE) programs are available in the public sectors in Jordan. Many studies from Jordan recommended that pregnant women be educated about their health needs during pregnancy and childbirth. From the literature, CE programs were found to have positive effects on pregnancy and childbirth outcomes. Four focus groups with pregnant women, midwives and physicians were conducted to examine the perceptions of pregnant women, midwives and physicians regarding the content, feasibility, and challenges of implementing a CE program in Jordan. The 4 focus groups, two with pregnant women (one group with 8 primiparous women and one group with 6 …

Targeted And Controlled Anticancer Drug Delivery And Release With Magnetoelectric Nanoparticles, Alexandra Rodzinski

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A major challenge of cancer treatment is successful discrimination of cancer cells from healthy cells. Nanotechnology offers multiple venues for efficient cancer targeting. Magnetoelectric nanoparticles (MENs) are a novel, multifaceted, physics-based cancer treatment platform that enables high specificity cancer targeting and externally controlled loaded drug release. The unique magnetoelectric coupling of MENs allows them to convert externally applied magnetic fields into intrinsic electric signals, which allows MENs to both be drawn magnetically towards the cancer site and to electrically interface with cancer cells. Once internalized, the MEN payload release can be externally triggered with a magnetic field. MENs uniquely allow …

Carotenoids And Fatty Acids In Early Lactation: A Study Of A Peruvian Population, Vanesa Mendez

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lipid soluble carotenoids are micronutrients present in human milk that serve as precursors of vitamin A and also play an important role protecting cells from damage arising from photooxidative processes and reactive oxygen species. Fatty acids comprise about 3-5% of human milk and are mainly present as triglycerides. They are a major energy source for the infant and are necessary to support cell growth required for normal development and maturation of critical organs. Transport of carotenoids into milk has been little studied and there has been no previous investigation of the relationship of carotenoid transport with that of individual fatty …

Risky Sexual Behavior And The Role Of Decision-Making, Jessica M. Ross

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Risky sexual behavior (RSB) is the number one transmission method of HIV among adolescents. Reducing the rates of HIV among adolescents is of dire importance considering the rises in rates during the last several years. Minority adolescents are disproportionately affected by HIV, and a majority of the individuals living in Miami-Dade County (location of the proposed project) are minorities. RSB, externalizing disorders and cannabis use commonly occur together, such that both greater externalizing disorder symptoms and greater amounts of cannabis use have predicted engagement in more RSB. In addition, decision-making (a neurocognitive function) has found to be associated with cannabis …

Profiling Populations Using Neutral Markers, Major Histocompatibility Complex Genes And Volatile Organic Compounds As Modeled In Equus Caballus Linnaeus, Ketaki Deshpande

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Assessing the genetics of wild animal populations aims to understand selective pressures, and factors whether it be inbreeding or adaptation, that affect the genome. Although numerous techniques are available for assessing population structure, a major obstacle in studying wild populations is obtaining samples from the animals without having to capture them, which can lead to undue distress and injury. Therefore, biologists often use non-invasive sampling methods (i.e., collection of feces, hair) to extract host DNA. In this study, new DNA extraction protocols were developed that improved the quality and quantity of DNA obtained from fecal matter. Fecal samples aged up …

Memory, Processing Speed, And The Effects Of Cognitive Exercise On The Aging Brain, Alexis D. Yero

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to investigate, and expain, the effects of an intervention known as “The Five Task Approach” (TFTA); a cognitive intervention hereby utilized within the realm of the geriatric population, as a means of taxing and strengthening cortical areas associated with memory, and visual processing. This study revealed that even short-term exposure to cognitive activities, and therapeutic cueing known to tax areas connected to visual perception, may have an effect on one’s global cognition, generalized memory, and the accuracy of one’s visual perception. It was demonstrated that even brief cognitive intervention geared at taxing cortical …

Nanofabrication And Spectroscopy Of Magnetic Nanostructures Using A Focused Ion Beam, Ali Hadjikhani

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research used a focused ion beam in order to fabricate record small nano-magnetic structures, investigate the properties of magnetic materials in the rarely studied range of nanometer size, and exploit their extraordinary characteristics in medicine and nano-electronics. This study consists of two parts: (i) Fabrication and study of record small magnetic tunnel junctions (ii) Introduction of a novel method for detection of magnetoelectric nanoparticles (MENs) in the tissue.

A key challenge in further scaling of CMOS devices is being able to perform non-volatile logic with near zero power consumption. Sub-10-nm nanomagnetic spin transfer torque (STT) magnetic tunneling junctions (MTJs) …

Help Me Chat: Eliciting Communicative Acts From Young Children Using Speech-Generating Devices, Rebecca A. Hernandez-Cartaya

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is an evidence-based practice targeting the communication deficits of children with complex communication needs (CCN). While young children with communication disorders are attending preschool and using AAC, and specifically speech-generating devices (SGDs), with increasing frequency, best practices for implementation with this population are largely unexplored. In an effort to contribute to the knowledge base for teachers, the essential communication partners for children in the classroom setting, this research explored the interactions of four teacher-child dyads and analyzed the prompts and cues used to elicit communicative acts from the children.

Results of statistical and descriptive analyses …

Medicinal Plants Of Trinidad And Tobago: Selection Of Antidiabetic Remedies, Angelle L. Bullard-Roberts

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a group of non-infectious diseases that cause hyperglycemia. DM symptoms were first clinically described by ancient Greek physicians whose prescriptions included plant-based remedies. Today, DM affects >400 million people globally and prevalence rates are rapidly increasing in developing countries where basic healthcare relies on local knowledge of botanical remedies. Many developing countries are home to diverse peoples and plants—providing fodder for varied plant-selection strategies and unique botanical pharmacopoeias.

I addressed the plant-selection strategies used in a multi-ethnic, developing country, Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), to ascertain their role in shaping the local antidiabetic pharmacopoeia and to assess …

Relevance Is In The Eye Of The Beholder: Design Principles For The Extraction Of Context-Aware Information, Arturo Castellanos

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the1970s many approaches of representing domains have been suggested. Each approach maintains the assumption that the information about the objects represented in the Information System (IS) is specified and verified by domain experts and potential users. Yet, as more IS are developed to support a larger diversity of users such as customers, suppliers, and members of the general public (such as many multi-user online systems), analysts can no longer rely on a stable single group of people for complete specification of domains –to the extent that prior research has questioned the efficacy of conceptual modeling in these heterogeneous settings. …

A Qualitative Assessment Of What Comprises An Effective And Positive Supervisor-Student Clinician Relationship In Speech-Language Pathology, Jessica Atick Fencel

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the factors that constitute a positive and negative supervisor-supervisee relationship as perceived by speech-language pathology graduate students. Clinical practicum experiences were analyzed using qualitative methods via recorded in-depth participant interviews. After the data were collected and transcribed, the narratives were analyzed to draw useful inferences and discover underlying themes using a phenomenological methodology approach. Two overlaying themes, ASHA’s Task 1 of Supervision and Anderson’s Continuum Model of Supervision, were identified from the participants’ interviews and were used to categorize the data. Results indicate the most likely factors attributed …

The Degradation Of Pharmaceutical Pollutants In Wastewater Catalyzed By Chloroperoxidase And The Construction Of Chloroperoxidase H105r Mutant, Qinghao He

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Trace amounts of pharmaceuticals have been detected in water, from nanograms per liter to micrograms per liter, and have a negatively effect in the aquatic environment and an increased potential risk of drug poisoning for human and animals. In order to address the problem, drug degradation catalyzed by chloroperoxidase (CPO) has been investigated. CPO is a heme-containing glycoprotein secreted by the fungus, Caldariomyces fumago, it catalyzes two major types of oxidations, two one-electron oxidations as catalyzed by most peroxidases and two-electron oxidations which are rare for conventional peroxidases.

Five common drugs from a variety of classes which were persistent in …

Predictors Of Adherence, Withdrawal Symptoms And Changes In Body Mass Index: Finding From The First Randomized Smoking Cessation Trial In A Low-Income Country Setting, Ziyad Ben Taleb

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The most commonly attributed causes of failure of smoking cessation are non-adherence to treatment, experiencing severe nicotine withdrawal symptoms and post-cessation weight gain. However, there is a lack of information regarding these factors among smokers who attempt to quit in low-income country settings. The main objective of this study was to identify predictors of: 1) adherence to cessation treatment; 2) severity of withdrawal symptoms: and 3) post-cessation changes in body mass index among 269 smokers who attempted to quit in a randomized smoking cessation trial in a low-income country setting (Aleppo, Syria). All participants received behavioral counseling and were randomized …

Conformational Dynamics And Stability Associated With Magnesium Or Calcium Binding To Dream In The Regulation Of Interactions Between Dream And Dna Or Presenilins, Khoa Ngoc Pham

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Downstream regulatory element antagonist modulator (DREAM) is involved in various interactions with targets both inside and outside of the nucleus. In the cytoplasm, DREAM interacts with the C-terminal fragments of presenilins to facilitate the production of β-amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease. In the nucleus, Ca²⁺ free DREAM directly binds to specific downstream regulatory elements of prodynorphin/c-fos gene to repress the gene transcription in pain modulation. These interactions are regulated by Ca²⁺ and/or Mg²⁺ association at the EF-hands in DREAM. Therefore, understanding the conformational dynamics and stability associated with Ca²⁺ and/or Mg²⁺ binding to DREAM …

Extraction, Purification And Partial Characterization Of A Carotenoid Binding Protein (Cbp) From The Epidermis Of The Monarch Butterfly Larvae (Danaus Plexippus), Nan Fang

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation describes the purification and partial characterization of CBP from the epidermis of the monarch butterfly larvae (Danaus plexippus). A yellow protein-carotenoid complex was extracted from the yellow pigmented epidermal tissue from monarch butterfly larvae by homogenization. Additional steps in the purification process included differential precipitation with ammonium sulfate, cation and anion chromatography, and lastly size exclusion chromatography. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis demonstrates that a single protein was isolated (M-LBP) having a ~60 kDa molecular weight, the value has subsequently been confirmed by HR-tandem MS. Lutein is the sole carotenoid bound by M-LBP with a stoichiometry of the …

The Effects Of A 12 Week Nutrition And Physical Activity Intervention Program On Mexican Americans Residing In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Tx, Tania Rivera

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The obesity epidemic is a global health concern. In the United States alone, 68.5% of adults are categorized as overweight or obese; of these, 35.1% are considered obese. Obesity is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality from diabetes and cardiovascular disease, two diseases adversely affecting minority groups such as Mexican Americans. Yet, a modest 5% decrease in weight, through changes in diet and physical activity, can help control type 2 diabetes.

The current study extracted the dietary data and selected outcome variables from Beyond Sabor, a 12 week intervention conducted in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, a predominantly …

Characterizing Community-Based Usual Mental Health Care For Infants, Gabriela Marie Hungerford Ms

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Infants who experience multiple risk factors, such as preterm birth, developmental delay, and low socioeconomic status, are at greater risk for mental health problems. Mental health interventions for infants typically target infants from high-risk groups, and there is strong evidence that some intervention programs for infants can prevent long-term negative outcomes and promote long-term positive outcomes. Despite emerging research and federal initiatives promoting early intervention, minimal research has examined community-based mental health services during infancy. Improving the effectiveness and efficiency of routine care requires close examination of current practices. The current study characterized current usual care practices in infant mental …

Human Papillomavirus Infection And Vaccination Policies In The American South, Dudith Pierre-Victor

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, the South has a disproportionate burden of cervical cancer, yet research reporting regional prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is scarce. Since 2008, Virginia has passed a HPV vaccine mandate and Louisiana a HPV education bill. This dissertation estimated the prevalence of HPV infection among females and assessed the impact of Virginia’s and Louisiana’s HPV vaccination policy on vaccination among adolescent females.

The first manuscript estimated the prevalence of HPV infection using data from 4,250 females collected during the 2007–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Among 14–26 year-olds, the prevalence of high-risk oncogenic HPV was …

Antenatal Stressful Life Events And Postpartum Depression In The United States: The Role Of Women’S Socioeconomic Status At The State Level, Soumyadeep Mukherjee

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine patterns of antenatal stressful life events (SLEs) experienced by women in the United States (U.S.) and their association with postpartum depression (PPD). It further explored the role of women's state-level socio-economic status (SES) on PPD; the racial/ethnic dispartites in SLE-PPD relationship; and the role of provider communication on perinatal depression.

Data from 2009–11 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) and SES indicators published by the Institute of Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) were used. Latent class analysis (LCA) was performed to identify unobserved class membership based on antenatal SLEs. Multilevel generalized linear mixed …

The Effect Of Project Proheart- Promoting Healthy Eating And Activity Using Robot-Assisted Training- On Healthy Eating Habits And Physical Activity In School-Aged Children, Nadine Mikati

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a 6 week afterschool nutrition and physical activity intervention administered by a registered dietitian with the help of a humanoid robot targeting elementary school aged children aged 6-12 years. The study was conducted across four Young Men’s Christian’s Association (YMCA) sites in Miami-Dade County, Florida (N= 114, Mean age: 8.16 ±1.57 years) using a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design via randomly assigned intervention (two sites; n=63) and comparison groups (two sites; n=51). The validated Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) kids club questionnaire and the validated Previous Day Physical Activity Recall …

Lifestyle And Biological Risk Factors For Liver Fibrosis In The Miami Adult Studies On Hiv (Mash) Cohort: An Hiv Infected And Hiv/Hcv Co-Infected Population, Tiffanie S. Stewart

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Liver disease is now a leading cause of non-AIDS related morbidity and mortality in people living with HIV (PLWH). The present study investigated the interplay between adverse lifestyle factors that are prevalent in PLWH, biological mediators of liver pathogenesis, and a non-invasive measure of liver fibrosis (FIB-4 index) in HIV mono- and HIV/HCV co-infected individuals.

The results of this investigation in the Miami Adult Studies of HIV (MASH) cohort show that the odds of liver fibrosis progression significantly increased over two years for HIV mono-infected participants who drank alcohol hazardously (OR 3.038, P=0.048), and had BMI ≥ 28kg/m^{2 …}

Co-Occurring Health Risks Among Middle Aged Hispanic Men Who Have Sex With Men (Hmsm) In South Florida, Beatriz Valdes

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2010, men who have sex with men (MSM) represented 4% of the population in the United States (US) and accounted for 78% of all new Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections among Hispanic men. Hispanic men who have sex with men (HMSM) accounted for the third largest number of new HIV infections (6,700 cases). This dissertation explored the effects of age, loneliness, substance use, depression, and social support on high risk sexual behaviors that predispose middle aged HMSM to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV infection risk. A sample of 150 urban HMSM aged 40 to 65 were surveyed in …

Conjugated Polymer-Based Biomaterials Through Controlled Self-Assembly, Megan Twomey

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Synthetic polymeric materials have gained significant use as biological materials (biomaterials) in biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. As a result, a demand for well-defined polymers with tunable properties has emerged. The synthetic versatility of polymeric biomaterials allows the opportunity to understand the structure-property relationship of materials and their cellular interactions. A novel class of polymeric biomaterials are conjugated polymers (CPs), which possess desirable physicochemical and excellent photophysical properties, including inherent fluorescence. The synthetic versatility of CPs allows easy modification of the conjugated backbone to tune emission and side chain structures to adjust biocompatibility through increased water solubility, controlled biodegradability, and incorporation …

Neighborhood-Level Determinants Of Delayed Hiv Diagnosis And Survival Among Hiv-Positive Latinos, Florida 2000-2011, Diana M. Sheehan

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to estimate disparities in late human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) diagnosis and all-cause mortality among varying populations of HIV-positive Latinos, and to identify neighborhood-level predictors. Florida HIV surveillance data for years 2000–2011 were merged with 2007–2011 American Community Survey (ACS) data. Multilevel logistic regressions were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for late HIV diagnosis (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome within 3 months of HIV diagnosis). Multilevel weighted Cox regressions were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) for mortality. Of 5522 Latinos diagnosed 2007–2011, males were at increased odds of late diagnosis compared with females …

Outcomes Of Transition To Adult Hv Care In Perinatally Hiv-Infected Young Adults, Susan Biersteker

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Transitioned perinatally HIV-infected patients may be at increased risk for poor outcomes, yet the impact of transition and of transition programs on health are not well understood. This research examined: (1) post-transition mortality, (2) engagement in adult HIV care, (3) transition experiences, and clinical and sociodemographic influences, including transition program exposure. Data were collected from patients who had transitioned from a Florida pediatric clinic to adult HIV care between January 2003 and September 2012. Post-transition mortality and care engagement were assessed in a retrospective analysis of medical record data. Fisher exact and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for significance testing. Risk …