Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Systematic Structure-Activity Relationship Studies Of Nalfurafine, Mengchu Li

Theses and Dissertations

Today’s opioid crisis is one of the most challenging public health emergency. Two million Americans suffer opioid addiction. Over 20 million adults are affected by daily pain without non-addictive analgesics.

Kappa opioid receptor (KOR) is one of the most studied new pain targets void of abuse liability. KOR agonists have shown potent analgesia and also potential in alleviating opioid addiction. The only approved KOR agonist in clinic is nalfurafine (NFU). Though not leading to addiction, the analgesic effects of NFU are accompanied by sedative side effects. Therefore, we designed a systematical structure-activity relationship study of NFU for developing non-addictive analgesics. …

Feeling The Squeeze: The Association Between Multigeneration Caregiving And Informal Caregivers’ Health, Christine L. Patterson

Theses and Dissertations

While U.S. public policy and research has focused on the health needs of the aging population, less attention has been given to the consequences informal caregivers face caring for this generation. With the segment of the population aged 65 years or older growing rapidly, it is important to understand the factors that place informal caregivers at risk for poor health outcomes and health behaviors. Since multigeneration caregivers balance more personal, work, and caregiving demands than single-generation informal caregivers of older adults, they may be at higher risk for poor health outcomes. The aim of this study was to examine the …

Ck2 Phosphorylation Of Human Papillomavirus 16 E2 On Serine 23 Promotes Interaction With Topbp1 And Is Critical For E2 Plasmid Retention Function, Apurva Tadimari Prabhakar

Theses and Dissertations

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are the causative agents in most cervical cancers and have been implicated in a rising number of oropharyngeal cancers. HPV positive oropharyngeal cancers have increased significantly over the last two decades with no specific anti-viral therapeutic options for the treatment of HPV diseases. During its lifecycle, HPV16 encoded E2 protein interacts with host cellular factors to regulate viral transcription, replication and genome segregation/retention. Our understanding of the cellular partner proteins that E2 uses to mediate its functions remains incomplete.

Previously, an interaction between E2 and the host protein TopBP1 was identified. In earlier studies, it was also …

Nurse Cognition In Response To Alert Generation During Bar Code Medication Administration (Bcma): An Examination Of Human Factors, Elizabeth A. Sloss

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Nurses are at the forefront of care delivery, spending more time with patients than most other providers. Paramount to patient safety is the ability for nurses to make clinical decisions free from human error. Yet, the dynamic clinical environment in which nurses work is characterized by uncertainty, urgency, and high consequence, necessitating that nurses make quick and critical decisions. Notably, medical errors related to clinical decision-making, including medication administration errors, may occur more frequently among new graduate nurses. Therefore, the aims of this dissertation study are to 1) examine patterns of alert generation and alert response decisions (decision outputs) …

Strengthening Mental Health Diagnostic Detection In Integrated Primary Care, Julia Brechbiel

Theses and Dissertations

Primary care behavioral health (PCBH) is crucial for providing mental health treatment to underserved, minority, and uninsured populations. There is a lack of knowledge about accurate mental health diagnoses at PCBH. Underdetection of mental health symptoms has the potential to worsen racial and socioeconomic disparities. Using an expert review process, I developed an abbreviated diagnostic clinical interview (ADCI) for integrated primary care. Next, patients (N = 82) completed the interview after attending PCBH appointments. According to the interview, 63.4% of participants met criteria for a diagnosis, while 64.7% received a diagnosis from their provider. A large portion of patients …

Il-36g Cytokine Induction In Oral Epithelial Cells Triggered By Treponema Denticola And Their Role In Chronic Periodontitis, Christopher Blake

Theses and Dissertations

Periodontal disease is a polymicrobial disease affecting 10-15% of the population. Periodontal disease affects the quality of life by reducing mastication and potentially causing tooth loss. Periodontal disease is also linked to more severe, systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Development of the diseased state occurs when the plaque biofilm shifts from healthy to dysbiotic. The shift to a dysbiotic biome brings with it a shift in bacterial presence, specifically an increase in gram-negative bacteria, such as T. denticola. T. denticola is a gram-negative, anaerobic spirochete whose relationship with oral epithelial cells is poorly understood. Preliminary data …

Validation Of A Screening Tool For Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Pilot Study, Julia A. Giardina

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Pediatric-Modified-STOP-Bang (PM-STOP-Bang) as a screening tool to assess sleep related breathing disorders (SRBD) within a pediatric population. The specific aims of this study were: 1) compare the PM-STOP-Bang scores with those from the validated Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ), 2) determine the ability of the PM-STOP-Bang and the PSQ screening tools to accurately detect children of high risk for SRBD from a one-night home sleep apnea test (HSAT).

Methods: Orthodontic patients were screened using the PM-STOP-Bang at VCU Graduate Clinic. Patients (n=10) who were recruited and enrolled. Five were determined to …

Radiographic Comparison Using Cbct-Pai And Volumetric Analysis Of Endodontically Treated Teeth: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Jeremy Hargrove

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To assess the changes in CBCT-PAI score as well as 3-D volume of periapical findings associated with endodontically treated roots and to see how these findings change over time.

Methods: Retrospective chart review with the following inclusion criteria: 1. At least one tooth was endodontically treated at the endodontic private practice; 2. Patient had a recall examination and the treated tooth was asymptomatic, functional and a CBCT was exposed; 3. CBCT interpretation found a periapical finding associated with the treated tooth; 4. A follow-up recall examination was completed and CBCT exposed. Cases that fulfilled the inclusion criteria had the …

Reproducibility And Accuracy Of The Virtual Occlusal Record, Anne M. Harper

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To evaluate the reproducibility and accuracy of the virtual occlusal record compared to the gold standard physical bite record

Methods: Two physical bite records of PVS and two virtual bites using an iTero Element scanner were obtained from 22 participants. Intraoral scans were exported as STL files, and virtual occlusal records were created. CBCT images were taken of physical occlusal records and converted to STL files. STL files were superimposed using Geomagic Control X™ Software. Root mean square (RMS) and percent similarity within 0.25 mm tolerance were compared at a significance level of 0.05.

Results: Average …

Virtual Reality Tool For Visualizing The Oral Microbiome, Alexus M. Harris

Theses and Dissertations

There are limited teaching tools for helping both students and patients understand the oral microbiome. It is important to understand the oral microbiome as it heavily influences the health of your oral cavity and the dysbiosis of disease. The oral microbiome influences other aspects of health and serves as an indicator for health. With a greater understanding of the oral microbiome, patients can make healthier lifestyle changes and dentists can better educate their patients. For that reason, the goal of this project was to create a virtual reality tool for visualizing the oral microbiome. The assets for the VR tool …

Molecular Basis Of Cross-Sensitization In Colonic Inflammation-Induced Somatic Hypersensitivity, Parshva K. Mehta

Theses and Dissertations

A major portion of pain experienced by patients with an Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD) or Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) can be attributed to visceral hypersensitivity. Visceral stimuli transmitted through primary afferent neurons in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) induce a nociceptive response. Notably, a subset of patients has also experienced the development of somatic pain, such as leg pain, after diagnosis of a bowel disorder. The aim of this investigation is to ascertain which biochemical mediators are involved in the development of such viscerosomatic cross-sensitization. Initially, the Von Frey Test was used to find behavioral evidence of somatic referred pain; …

Modulation In Nmda Receptor Function Alleviates Safety Learning Deficit In Females Who Experienced Chronic Stress During Adolescence, Zuby C. Okafor

Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety disorders disproportionately impact women and are more prevalent in people with a history of chronic stress. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a type of stress and trauma-related disorder that is largely characterized by hyperarousal to fear-based cues. The inability to dissociate the fear-response from a non-threatening cue is known as impaired safety learning. Given that N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are key mediators of learning behaviors, we examined the role of NMDAr function in deficient safety learning. Previous studies have shown that female rats with a history of stress have altered NMDAr gene expression and altered glutamatergic signaling; therefore, we hypothesized …

In Vitro Evaluation Of The Solubility Of Endosequence Bc Sealer In Acidic Solutions, Inderpal S. Sappal

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: In recent years, bioceramic sealers (BCS), such as EndoSequence BC Sealer, have gained popularity in endodontic practices. Previous research has found BCS difficult to remove from canals during retreatments when compared with other endodontic sealers. Acidic solutions have been found to inhibit the set of BCS and increase their solubility. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of acidic solutions in the removal of BCS as compared with a traditional retreatment solvent.

Methods: Roots of extracted human single rooted teeth (N=15) were prepared into 17 mm sections, then instrumented with ProTaper Gold (PTG) rotary files up …

The Effect Of Local Anesthesia When Used In Dental Restorative Cases Under General Anesthesia On Control Of Intraoperative Physiologic Parameters And Post-Operative Comfort, Kathryn S. Skarda

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose:

To determine the effect of local anesthesia on post-operative pain and physiologic parameters intraoperatively in patients undergoing dental care under general anesthesia.

Methods:

This study was modeled as a double-blinded randomized control trial. Patients included healthy children under the age of six scheduled for restorative dental treatment under general anesthesia. Patient behavior was evaluated pre and post-operatively using the FLACC score and post-operatively using the Parental Pain Score Measure. Intraoperatively, all participants followed a standardized general anesthesia protocol and were given either local anesthetic infiltration by the dental surgeon performing the surgery or no anesthesia was utilized. Intraoperatively physiologic …

Pushing The Limits: Increasing The Speed And Specificity Of Sars-Cov-2 Testing, Grayson Way

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence and spread of the current COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the importance of continual improvements upon current microbiological testing methods. Rapid and accurate testing can help mitigate spread by improving on the time to quarantine and quarantine duration required. As of the writing of this thesis, COVID-19 has been responsible for more than 500,000 deaths in the United States of America, and greater than 2 million deaths globally. The work done in this thesis has shown improvements in the current SARS-CoV-2 testing methodology by reducing the time it takes for patient testing while maintaining accuracy and the sensitivity required …

Profiling Genome-Wide Dna Methylation Patterns In Human Aortic And Mitral Valves, Sarah Halawa

Theses and Dissertations

Cardiac valve structure and function are complex and include dynamic interactions between cells, extracellular matrix (ECM) and their hemodynamic environment. Valvular gene expression is tightly regulated by a variety of mechanisms including epigenetic factors such as histone modifications, RNA-based mechanisms and DNA methylation. To date, methylation fingerprints of non-diseased human aortic and mitral valves have not been studied. In this work I analyzed the differential methylation profiles of 12 non-diseased aortic and mitral valve tissue samples (in matched pairs). Methylation data were acquired via reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS). Of 1601 promoters analyzed genome-wide, my analysis revealed 584 differentially methylated …

Roli I Infermierit Tek Fëmijët Me Hipertermi, Ariana Isufi

Theses and Dissertations

Ky studim është bërë për të njohur sa më mirë rëndësinë e kujdesit infermieror tek fëmijët me Hipertermi. Sigurisht, parandalimi është më i sigurti për një jetë të gjatë dhe të shëndetshme.

Hipertermia, megjithëse është një shenjë e sëmundjes që mund të vijë ose aktualisht është e paraqitur, ajo është shumë e diskutueshme nga ana e prindërve dhe gjithnjë e më shumë ka filluar të bëhet një problem serioz për popullatën.

Faktorët që ndikojnë në Hipotermi janë të shumtë dhe të ndryshëm që mund të ndikojnë në shfaqjen e saj te fëmijët, për të cilët do të diksutohet gjerë dhe …

Ndryshimet Psikologjike Te Pacientët Pas Diagnostikimit Me Kancer, Blerinë Terziu

Theses and Dissertations

Synimi kryesor i këtij punimi ishte që të kemi më shumë njohuri mbi ndryshimet psikologjike që ndodhin te pacientët pas diagnostikimit me sëmundjen e kancerit. Për të arritur këtë synim është përdorur metoda kuantitative si qasje kryesore metodologjike. Hulumtimi përfshinë një mostër prej 55 personave, 20 meshkuj dhe 35 femra. Pacientët vijnë nga vende të ndryshme të Kosovës dhe janë pacientë kryesisht të moshës së shtyrë. Rezultatet e këtij hulumtimi kanë treguar se femrat kanë tendencë të shfaqin më shumë ndjenja të përjetimit të situatës pas diagnostikimit me sëmundjen e kancerit si dhe janë më të lira për të komunikuar …

Kujdesi Infermieror Tek Pacientet Me Hepatite Virale, Elona Sopa

Theses and Dissertations

Hyrje - Hepatitet si sëmundje virale përfshijnë një numër të madh të personave të sëmurë në gjithë botën. Është shumë e rëndësishme që të bëhet promovimi i duhur i rrezikshmërisë së sëmundjes së hepatitit në mënyrë që të merret seriozisht edhe kujdesi ndaj saj. Kujdesi infermieror është baza më e rëndësishme për trajtimin e pacientëve me hepatit e cila synon në përkujdesjen e pacientëve, ngritjen e tyre fizikisht dhe moralisht gjatë përballimit me sëmundjen.

Qëllimi i hulumtimit - ishte të mblidhja të dhënat se sa kanë njohuri njerëzit për sëmundjen e Hepatitit dhe rrezikshmërinë e saj si dhe kujdesit ndaj …

Frakturat E Kokës Dhe Kujdesi Infermieror, Fitore Kelmendi

Theses and Dissertations

Fjala Infermier(e) rrjedh nga gjuha latine “nutrire” qe do të thotë kujdestare/nënë. Infermieria është një profesion shëndetësor i cili ka për qëllim kujdesin dhe përmirësimin e cilësisë së jetës së shoqërisë.

Ne, si infermierë duhet t’i trajtojmë të gjithë pacientët njësoj sepse jeta e secilit është e rëndësishme. Kujdesi infermieror tek frakturat e kokës është mjaft i rëndësishëm andaj edhe kam përzgjedhur këtë temë për hulumtim, duke treguar trajtimin që duhet bërë këtyre pacienteve që janë me rrezik jete, dhe për përmirësimin e jetës së tyre dhe parandalimin e rreziqeve që mund të vijnë si pasojë e dëmtimit te kokës. …

Association Study: Apoe Alleles Association With Neurodegenerative Disorders In The Hispanic Population, Kimberly Moreno

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of phenotypic variables and Apolipoprotein E (APOE) alleles and its effect on cognitive statues. APOE is a gene found vastly in the Hispanic community, speculated to be linked to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Compared demographic, clinical, and genetic features among Hispanics who were diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and psychiatric disorders (e.g., anxiety and depression) in the efforts to assess the role of APOE. In past research, APOE has been considered a pathological hallmark for neurological diseases.

Past research has …

College Students' And Educators' Attitudes Toward Offenders With Mental Illness, Sulema Perales

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to examine college students’ and college educators’ attitudes toward offenders with mental illness (MI). A non-experimental, exploratory research design was used to measure the following variables: demographics characteristics, academic major/teaching discipline, and personal relationships with offenders. Correlational and regression analyses and a one-way analysis of variance were used to analyze the data for 349 college students and 35 college educator participants. The results of the study showed there was a significant relationship between college students’ attitudes toward offenders with MI and students’ academic major. The results also showed significant relationships between college students’ …

Bivariate Markov Chain Model Of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (Ibs) Subtypes And Abdominal Pain, Ricardo Reyna Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers use stochastic models like continuous-time Markov chains (CTMC) to model progression of morbidities of public health impact, like HIV and Hepatitis C. Most of the research in that area is done for a single disease. In this research, we use a bivariate continuous-time Markov chain (CTMC) to model progression of co-morbidities. In particular, we use a bivariate CTMC to model the joint progression of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and abdominal pain. Symptoms of IBS are known to change throughout the duration of the disorder. Hence, patients are normally asked to make a journal of the stool type, symptoms, and …

Metabolomics Of Acid Whey Derived From Greek Yogurt, Muriel Mercedes Allen

Theses and Dissertations

Acid whey, a byproduct of Greek yogurt production, has little commercial value due to its low protein content and is also environmentally harmful when disposed of as waste. However, as a product of microbial fermentation, acid whey could be a rich source of beneficial metabolites associated with fermented foods. This study increases understanding of acid whey composition by providing a complete metabolomic profile of acid whey. Commercial and lab-made Greek yogurts, prepared with three different bacterial culture combinations, were evaluated. Samples of unfermented yogurt mix and cultured whey from each batch were analyzed. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry metabolomics were …

Kujdesi Infermieror Tek Të Sëmurët Me Gjakderdhje Të Poshtme Digjestive, Aferdita Qeriqi

Theses and Dissertations

Hyrja: Gjakderdhja në traktin e poshtëm digjestiv përbën deri në një të tretën e të gjitha hemorragjive të GI dhe është një shkak shumë i shpeshtë i pranimit në spital për shkak të shoqërimit të tij me rritjen e sëmundshmërisë dhe vdekshmërisë.

Qëllimi i punimit është të shpjegohet rëndësia e kujdesit infermieror tek pacientët me gjakderdhje të poshtme digjestiv.

Tek shqyrtimi i literaturës janë treguar shkaktarët e gjakderdhjës së poshtme digjestive, është treguar edhe për faktorët e rrezikut, trajtimin, shenjat etj. Dhe më e rëndësishmja është shpjeguar për vlerësimet dhe ndërhyrjet që duhet të i bëj infermierja në rastet me …

Përdorimi I Cefalosporinave Në Një Regjion Të Caktuar Të Prizrenit, Arianë Maçkaj

Theses and Dissertations

Shëndeti i çdo pacienti është gjëja primare, dhe duhet të ketë një kujdes të veçantë.

Temën që unë zgjedha si punim diplome tregon faktin që unë dua që ta ruaj shëndetin e pacientëve.

Antibiotikët janë një temë e cila shtjellohet shumë pak por është e një rëndësie shumë të madhe sepse kujdesi gjatë aplikimit të medikamenteve ka një rëndësi të madhe rreth marrjes së tyre.

Antibiotikët janë medikamente të rëndësishme që përdoren për mjekimin e infeksioneve bakteriale si në njerëz në kafshë dhe jo në infeksionet virale.

Përdorimi i antibiotikëve në mënyrën e duhur është mënyra më e mirë për …

Kujdesi Infermieror Te Pacientët Me Herniektomi Inguinale, Aurita Zejnullahu

Theses and Dissertations

Hernia përkufizohet si një zgjatje anormale e një organi ose indi përmes një defekti patologjik në murin rrethues.Në përgjithësi, hernia është e zakonshme dhe përgjithësisht besohet se është një gjendje beninje e shoqëruar me një sëmundshmëri të vogël, megjithëse nuk mendohet se shoqërohet me vdekshmëri të konsiderueshme.Në disa raste, një herni mund tëjetë një gjendje vdekjeprurëse.Kjo përmbledhje përfshinë patofiziologjinë, stabilizimin dhe vlerësimin, diagnozën, trajtimin, disponimin dhe rezultatet e hernisë.Shifrat tregojnë vendndodhjet anatomike të mureve të ndryshme të barkut, ijë, lumbale dhe të legenit; një hernie direkte inguinale; një hernie indirekte; sonografitë e pikës së kujdesit që tregojnë një hernie të …

Kujdesi Infermieror Tek Të Sëmurët Me Diabet, Deniza Podrimçaku

Theses and Dissertations

Diabeti është një gjendje kronike e cila ndodhë kur pankreasi i njeriut nuk mund të prodhoj sasi të mjaftueshme të insulinës dhe insulina e prodhuar nuk vepron efektivisht.

Këto dërgojnë në rritjen e sheqerit në gjak dhe në çregullime tjera në organizëm. Një dietë e qëndrueshme dhe e vazhdueshme me një program të rregullt të ushqyeshmëris do të lehtësojë gjitha vështirësitë e të jetuarit me diabet.

Qëllimi i këtij hulumtimi është të njohim diabetin si sëmundje dhe të njihemi më nivelin e njohurive të diabetikëve rreth mënyrës së të ushqyerit dhe disiplinës në ushqyeshmëri.

Tumorët E Kokës Dhe Kujdesi Infermieror, Gresa Shala

Theses and Dissertations

Hyrje:Këtë punim e kam perpiluar ne bazë te shume problemëve, që perballemi ne ditet e sotme e po ashtu gjatë gjithe historisë së njerzimit. Athere tema “Tumoret dhe Kujdesi Infermieror” ështe mjaftë temë atraktive ti hulumtoj të gjitha mundesitë dhë veshtiresitë që do të përballem un si profesioniste shëndetsore në të ardhmen.

Qëllimi Hulumtimi:Qëllimi im në këtë Temë Diplome është të ndergjegjësoj popullaten dhe jo vetëm të kontrollohen për ta parandaluar tumorin,por edhe te luftoj për tv mbijetuar tumorit.

Metodologjia:Gjatë këtij hulumtimi janë perfshirë 41 përsonel shëndetsor gjegjësisht infermier nga klinikat e QKUK.

Konkluzionet:Rezultatet në këtë …

Komplikimet Akute Te Diabeti Mellit, Endrita Etemi

Theses and Dissertations

Në këtë punim trajtohet tema e diabetit duke u përqëndruar me theks të veçantë tek Diabeti mellit dhe komplikimet akute të tij. Sëmundja e diabetit konsiderohet mjaft e komplikuar, së cilës me studimet që i janë bërë, megjithë vështirësive, është arritur t’i gjendet një zgjidhje e pranueshme shkencore.

Marrë parasysh faktin se çfarë po bëhet në botë për luftimin dhe mposhtjen e kësaj sëmundje,në këtë hulumtim do të bëhen përpjekje që të bëhet një shqyrtim i hollësishëm i literaturës shkencore dhe të dalë kështu një punim i vlefshëm në lëmin e diabetit.Vlen të theksohet fakti se, tema është më shumë …