Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Association Between Urinary Enterolignans As A Marker For Gut Microbiome Diversity And Depression In Nhanes, Marie Knoll

Theses and Dissertations

Depression is a chronic disease which inflicts functional and emotional impairment that has been a growing issue in the United States (US). Depression is the most prevalent mental disorder in the US and is the leading cause of disability in the world. By 2030, It is projected that major depressive disorder will be the second largest contributor to global burden of disease. Causes of depression are still largely unknown and treatments are often expensive, time consuming, and only available to certain populations. Treatment often requires a combination of medicines and therapy to be effective. In recent years, the gut microbiome …

Aging With Hiv In The United States: Trends And Impact Of Hospital Stays On Inpatient Resource Utilization, And Costs Of Care, 2003-2015, Khairul Alam Siddiqi

Theses and Dissertations

Background:

Due to advances in Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), people living with HIV (PLWH) live longer in the United States. Aging prolongs exposure to HIV and antiretroviral drugs, which could lead to an elevated risk of developing multiple age-related comorbidities [HIV Associated Non-AIDS (HANA) conditions], earlier for PLWH. Higher comorbidity burdens among older PLWH may require greater use of inpatient care, i.e., higher hospitalization, inpatient resource utilization, and costs. This study examined the trends and characteristics of comorbidities, resource utilization, and costs of hospital stays with HIV (HSWH) compared to hospital stays without HIV (HSWOH). We also assessed trends for resource …

Intracranial Atherosclerotic Stenosis And Its Association With Inflammation And Meditarrenean Diet, Tushar Trivedi

Theses and Dissertations

Intracranial Atherosclerotic Stenosis (ICAS) is associated with 8 to 10% of all strokes in the U.S. Although there is some evidence that in the Asian population inflammation plays a role in asymptomatic ICAS, it has not been shown in the U.S. population. Prior studies have shown associations between diet and regulation of inflammation. Mediterranean dietary pattern has been associated with lower levels of inflammation and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In light of the important role of inflammation in intermediate stroke risk factors including atherosclerotic disease, and potential role of diet in modulating inflammation, understanding individuals’ diets according to their inflammatory properties …

Effectiveness Among Community Health Center Governing Boards: An Assessment Of The Different Governing Board Members’ Perspectives, Brandi L. Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Governing boards of Community Health Centers were created with the anticipation that majority of its members be patients (users) of the Community Health Center they served. This study assessed South Carolina Community Health Center governing board members’ perception and understanding of what they believe their roles and responsibilities are, and their perceived overall effectiveness. It provides a framework for understanding the governance structure of Community Health Centers, based on examining three characteristic areas (Board Function, Board Performance and Board Development) of Community Health Centers located in South Carolina.

This study invited 234 governing board members to obtain members perceptions. Key …

Complex Syntax Acquisition In Children With Hearing Loss, Marissa Castaldo

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this language sample analysis was to describe complex syntax development in children with hearing loss over the preschool years. The current study addresses the following relevant research questions: Do children with hearing loss have increased performance over preschool years on broad measures of complex syntax? and What are the developmental trajectories on complex syntax in children with hearing loss?

Methods: 9 children with hearing loss participated in a 12-minute language sample following the Hadley Protocol (1998). Each child was tested at age 4 and then again in 6-month intervals until they turned 6. These children with …

Antisaccade Performance As A Measure Of Executive Dysfunction In Women With The Fmr1 Premutation, Lyndsay Schmitt

Theses and Dissertations

Women with the FMR1 premutation appear to be at increased risk for executive dysfunction. Findings in this regard have been mixed, leading to controversy surrounding the executive phenotype. Inhibitory deficits have been a more consistently documented component of this cognitive profile (Klusek et al., 2020; Shelton et al., 2014). This study aimed to clarify the executive phenotype through use of the antisaccade task, a well referenced eye-tracking paradigm that targets oculomotor inhibition and motor control and imposes time constraints that may increase sensitivity to executive deficits in women with the FMR1 premutation. The effects of aging were examined in both …

Examining The Organizational Capacity Of Public Libraries That Offer Obesity Prevention Programs, Olivia Whitt

Theses and Dissertations

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) is a federally funded grant program that helps SNAP-eligible populations make healthy choices, like those outlined by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Together with implementation agencies (IAs) and local sites, SNAP-Ed provides direct nutrition education and facilitates policy, systems, and environmental strategies (PSEs) such as farmers markets and community gardens. This qualitative research investigated two specific aims: 1.) Understand the elements of organization capacity that influence a public library’s ability to implement obesity prevention programs and 2.) Evaluate the need for library staff public health knowledge …

Synthesizing Modified Polymeric Nanoparticles For Biofilm Inhibition, Antibiotic Encapsulation, And Specific Targeting Against Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Logan Schnorbus

Theses and Dissertations

Widespread usage of antibiotics is a growing concern due to antibiotic resistance development in bacteria. This is due to common use of antibiotics in agricultural, livestock, and clinical usage. Antibiotic resistance is developing at a rate in which it is outpacing new drugs on the market. New strategies in drug development are necessary to combat the increasing resistance. We designed several motifs of sugar-modified nanoparticles to inhibit the biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

P. aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogenic bacterium that is responsible for common life-threatening infection in hospitals. This gram-negative opportunistic pathogenic bacterium infects hosts with compromised immune systems …

An In Silico Study Of Small Molecule Anti-Cancer Agents Targeting Dna G-Quadruplexes, Holli-Joi Sullivan

Theses and Dissertations

Free ligand binding molecular dynamic simulations are a powerful tool used to probe the ligand binding process, mechanism and pathway and the insight gained can help expedite the early stages of drug discovery. Using these methods, we model the binding of two small molecule anti-cancer agents BRACO19 and CX-5461 to a variety of DNA G-quadruplexes (G4s) and a DNA Duplex. The first study focuses on the binding of BRACO19 to three different topological folds (parallel, anti-parallel and hybrid) of the human telomeric G4s. Our detailed analysis identified the most stable binding modes were end stacking and groove binding for the …

Physical Activity Motivational Factors Of Activity Trackers For Young Adults, Amy L. Dalton

Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Physical activity for the majority of individuals is below recommended levels despite strong evidence of its significant health benefits. Activity tracker devices present as a promising and affordable tool to help promote physical activity and active choices. Additionally, young adults present as an ideal age group to implement behavior change interventions. OBJECTIVE: To determine what features of activity tracker hardware and software are helpful in motivating active choices. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 149 participants ranging in age from 18-29 years old who wore an ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer for one week. They then continued to wear the accelerometer in …

The Effects Of Distracting Background Audio On Speech Production, Camille Margaret Cowley

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined changes in speech production when distracting background audio is present. Forty typically speaking adults completed a repetitive sentence reading task in the presence of 5 different audio conditions (pink noise, movie dialogue, heated debate, classical music, and contemporary music) and a silent condition. Acoustic parameters measured during the study included vowel space area (VSA), vowel articulation index (VAI), formant transition extent, formant transition rate, and diphthong duration for /ɑɪ/ and /É‘ÊŠ/. It was hypothesized that there would be significant increases in vowel space area and vowel articulation index as well as an increase in formant transition measures …

The Development And Preliminary Evidence Of Validity And Reliability Of A Spanish Static And Dynamic Assessment Of Decoding, Kayla Brooke Ditty

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to develop and administer a Spanish static and dynamic assessment of decoding and other important reading measures. Using the best available resources regarding Spanish literacy acquisition and Spanish language development, a preliminary Spanish dynamic and static screener was developed. The resulting test was named the Spanish Dynamic Decoding Measure (S-DDM) and is a counterpart to the original DDM available in English. This test contains three subtests: decoding, phonemic awareness, and word identification. The S-DDM was administered to eight bilingual Spanish-English speaking students with varying levels of Spanish language ability and reading proficiency in …

The Effects Of Migraines, Anxiety And Depression On Concussion Recovery, Donovan A. Howard

Theses and Dissertations

Concussion recovery has been a very relevant topic in the medical field recently. The impact that a concussion has on the patient post-injury has been a topic of debate. What has not been included in many of these studies has been whether or not certain factors in a medical history of patients under the age of 24 can predispose them to a longer concussion recovery. Medical factors such as depression, anxiety and migraines can result in different areas of the developing brain being compromised such as the hippocampus, anterior cingulate cortex, prefrontal cortex, striatum, and amygdala. A longer recovery duration …

Toward Precision Medicine With Nanopore Technology, Trang Andrea Vu

Theses and Dissertations

Currently, when patients are diagnosed with cancer, they often receive a treatment based on the type and stage of the tumor. However, different patients may respond to the same treatment differently, due to the variation in their genomic alteration profile. Thus, it is essential to understand the effect of genomic alterations on cancer drug efficiency and engineer devices to monitor these changes for therapeutic response prediction. Nanopore-based detection technology features devices containing a nanometer-scale pore embedded in a thin membrane that can be utilized for DNA sequencing, biosensing, and detection of biological or chemical modifications on single molecules. Overall, this …

Kujdesi Infermieror Tek Pacientët Me Apendiks Akut, Agnesa Sahiti

Theses and Dissertations

Apendiksi akut është një zgjatje vermiforme e cecumit ( një tub i hollë i verbër ). Cecum është pjesa e parë e kolonës në formë qese e vendosur në anën e poshtme të djathtë të barkut. Për shkak se cecumi është një thes, ai quhet edhe zorrë e verbër. Eshtë rreth 5-10 cm në gjatësi. Diametri i shëndetshëm i apendiksit nuk kalon 6mm..Emri zyrtar i apendiksit është “appendix veriform” që do të thotë shtojcë e ngjashme me krimbin. Në vitin 1886, ishte Reignald Fitz në Boston, që identifikoi saktë apendiksin si shkakun kryesor të inflamacionit të kuadratit të poshtëm.Ai e …

Kujdesi Infermieror Në Menaxhimin E Rasteve Të Tuberkulozit Gjatë Periudhës Së Trajtimit, Lauretë Etemi

Theses and Dissertations

Tuberkulozi është një sëmundje ngjitëse që shkaktohet nga bakteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis dhe ai shfaqet zakonisht në mushkëri.

Tuberkulozi mund të shfaqet edhe në organe të tjera të trupit, si për shembull në gjendrat limfatike, në kocka, në organet e urinimit dhe ato gjenitale, në organet e brendshme, në sistemin qendror nervor, në lëkurë ose edhe si infeksion i përgjithshëm.

Njeriu mund të preket nga tuberkulozi kur ai është në të njëjtin ambient me një person të sëmurë nga tuberkulozi. Rrezikun më të madh të marrjes së sëmundjes e kanë ata që jetojnë në të njëjtën familje dhe ata njerëz të …

Kujdesi Infermieror Te Pacientët Me Tumore Cerebrale, Sali Qatani

Theses and Dissertations

Ky studim është bërë për të mbrojtur Diplomën Universitare të Infermierisë që të jetë e punuar mirë dhe të theksohet trajtimi nga personeli infermieror ndaj pacientëve me tumore të ndryshme cerebrale. Ky studim përqendrohet më shumë në orët e para të trajtimit të komplikimeve të ndryshme të sëmundjes ditët e para të post-operatoreve janë periudha thelbësore në parandalimin e komplikimeve. Mendoj se ky vendim do t'i shërbejë të gjithë stafit për promovimet e tyre tekniko-profesionale. Gjithnjë flasim për sëmundjet dhe mënyrën e kurimit të tyre, por ajo që është më e vlefshme është parandalimi.

Kujdesi Infermieror Tek Pacientët Me Djegie Të Shkallës I-Ii-Iii Tek Fëmijët, Veneta Shala

Theses and Dissertations

Gjatë punimit të kësaj teme, kemi ardhur në përfundim se shëndeti i pacientëve e posaçërisht kur kanë të bëjnë me djegie tek fëmijët është shumë i rëndësishëm . Një djegie është një lloj i lëndimit të lëkurës ose indeve të tjera, të shkaktuara nga nxehtësia,të ftohtit, energjia elektrike, kimikatet. Shumica e diegieve janë për shkak të nxehtësisë nga lëngjet e nxehta ,të ngurta ose zjarri. Trajtimi i lëndimeve me të djegura është i nderlikuar. Dëmtimet e vogla mund të trajtohen edhe në kushte shtëpiake .Dëmtimet e rënda kërkojnë trajtim në qendra të posaçme për të lehtësuar pasojat. Kujdesi ndaj pacientëve …

Kujdesi Infermieror Te Pacientët Me Herni Diskale Lumbare, Egzon Shala

Theses and Dissertations

Ky studim është bërë për të mbrojtur Diplomën Universitare të Infermierisë që të jetë më mirë dhe të theksohet trajtimi nga personeli infermieror ndaj pacientëve me Herni diskale lumbare Ky studim përqendrohet më shumë në orët e para të trajtimit tëkomplikimeve të ndryshme të sëmundjes ditët e para të post-operatoreve janë periudha thelbësore në parandalimin e komplikimeve . Mendoj se ky vendim do t'i shërbejë të gjithë stafit për promovimet e tyre tekniko- profesionale. Kur flasim për sëmundjet dhe mënyrën e kurimit të tyre, por ajo që është më e vlefshme është parandalimi. Sigurisht, parandalimi është më i sigurti për …

Expansion Of Medication Therapy Management Services To Rural Sites For Patients With An Employer-Sponsored Health Plan, Taylor Thooft Pharmd

Theses and Dissertations

Previous literature supports that pharmaceutical care provider in the ambulatory care setting can improve clinical, economic, and humanistic outcomes for recipients, and when utilized in employer-provided health plans can lead to reduced spending on healthcare costs by employers. A large health system in central Minnesota offers an Employee Medication Therapy Management (MTM) benefit that offers further financial incentives to meet with an MTM Pharmacist for a comprehensive review of one’s medications. Currently, this program is underutilized due to both lack of awareness of the program and geographic for employees in the wester region of the health system. This project sought …

Prediction Of Drug-Drug Interaction Potential Using Machine Learning Approaches, Joseph Scavetta

Theses and Dissertations

Drug discovery is a long, expensive, and complex, yet crucial process for the benefit of society. Selecting potential drug candidates requires an understanding of how well a compound will perform at its task, and more importantly, how safe the compound will act in patients. A key safety insight is understanding a molecule's potential for drug-drug interactions. The metabolism of many drugs is mediated by members of the cytochrome P450 superfamily, notably, the CYP3A4 enzyme. Inhibition of these enzymes can alter the bioavailability of other drugs, potentially increasing their levels to toxic amounts. Four models were developed to predict CYP3A4 inhibition: …

Kujdesi Në Zbatimin E Dhënies Së Injeksioneve, Infuzioneve Dhe Përcjellja E Tyre. Roli I Infermieres, Adelina Pllana

Theses and Dissertations

Hyrje: Infermieria përkufizohet si mbrojtja, promovimi dhe optimizimi i shëndetit dhe aftësive, për parandalimin e sëmundjeve dhe lëndimeve, nëpërmjet diagnozës dhe trajtimit të pacientëve. Injeksioni është akti i vendosjes së një lëngu, veçanërisht një ilaç, në trupin e një personi.

Qëllimi i këtij punimi është të hulumtojë mbi zbatimin e drejtë /jo të drejtë të dhënies së terapisë përmes injeksioneve, infuzioneve periferike dhe rolin e infermierës në këtë proces.

Metodologjia: Ky studim ndërsektorial u realizua midis muajit Janar 2020 dhe Shkurt 2020 në Klinikën e Kirurgjisë Torakale në Qendrën Klinike Universitare të Kosovës, si dhe në Klinikën e Kirurgjisë në …

Kujdesi Infermieror Dhe Diabeti Mellitus, Biondina Veliu

Theses and Dissertations

Arsyeja pse e mora këtë temë për studim është fakti se rastet me diabetin mellitus në vendin tonë janë të shumta. Është e rëndësishme që të mësojmë dhe të marrim sa më shumë informacione rreth Diabetit Mellitus qe t’i vijmë në ndihmë pacientëve dhe t’i sigurojmë një kujdes të veçant për ta. Qëllimi i studimit është që të mësojmë sa më shumë rreth komplikacioneve të kësaj diagnoze qëti sigurojme pacienteve një mënyrë të jetesës sa më të mirë. Duhet të bëjmë që këta pacintë të mos izolohen nga shoqëria por të përshtaten në mënyren e re të jetesës dhe të …

Factors Associated With Quality Of Life And Dialysis Compliance, Viviana Garcia Guerra

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation study explored the relationship between quality of life (QoL) and dialysis compliance with family support, spirituality, age, gender, and socioeconomic status (SES) among people with end stage renal disease (ESRD). Utilizing the Biopsychosocial Spiritual Framework, this study pursued to inform mental health professionals working with people undergoing dialysis about the factors that influence QoL and dialysis compliance. This descriptive quantitative dissertation study included 79 participants who self-identified as persons receiving either hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. Participants were members from closed social online forums and the National Kidney Foundation.

The current study found that family support and SES predicted …

Improving The Classroom Experience By Providing Teachers With A Mindfulness Intervention, Andrea P. Almaguer-Botero

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to improve the classroom environment for teachers by providing them with a mindfulness-based intervention. This experimental study evaluated the outcomes of an eight-week stress and mindfulness prevention intervention (SPAM) created specifically for teachers. The current study measured the following variables: mindfulness, stress, self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and well-being. This study used a four-way ANOVA (2 X 3 X 2 X 5) with two between subjects’ factors, groups and levels, and two within subjects/repeated measures factors, pre-test-posttest and scales. There were 14 teacher participants in the experimental group and 19 teacher participants in the control group. …

Mathematical Modeling Of Nonlinear Dynamics Of Blood Hormones On The Regulatory System, Gabriela Urbina

Theses and Dissertations

We study a mathematical modeling of nonlinear dynamics of blood hormones, which includes glucose and insulin. On Chapter I, II, III and IV, we introduce this work, analyze an effect of the secreted insulin by the pancreatic beta cells and glucagon hormones and state concluding remarks, respectively. This model considers the time evolution of nonlinear dynamics of the equations for glucose, glucagon and insulin concentrations plus insulin and glucagon actions and the secreted insulin as a result of elevation of glucose in the blood plasma. Using both analytical and numerical procedures, we determine such quantities using different parameters for different …

Availability Of & Access To Prenatal Care & The Effects On Maternal & Infant Mortality Rates: A Comparison Of Central American Countries, Costa Rica & Guatemala, Joanne Danae Youngblood

Theses and Dissertations

Costa Rica and Guatemala share similarities in history, culture, and a relatively congruous geopolitical philosophy. Yet despite these superficial parallels, access to prenatal care between the two countries is shockingly disparate. Costa Rican women have better access to prenatal care and both the maternal and infant mortality rates are comparable to more developed countries with significantly higher rates of economic development and higher spending on healthcare per capita. In juxtaposition, the lack of prenatal care within Guatemala’s health care system is a prime example of a country’s failure to implement protections and policies that promote and elevate the level of …

Individual Difference As A Factor In Ethical Decision-Making, Dan W. Reagan Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the dominance of modernistic ethics in counseling there has been a growing development of postmodern thought. There has been a growing understanding the limitations of ethical codes and purely rational thinking in ethical decision-making. Part of this new paradigm is an appreciation for the role of affect and context in the decision-making process. A post-modern approach to counseling ethics seems to be increasingly accepted among persons working in the social service field but little research has been attempted to evaluate the implications of such a change in training and practice. This study attempted to explore possible relationships between individual …

Understanding The Importance Of Psychological Screenings For Patients Undergoing Elective, Invasive Cosmetic Surgery: A Literature Review, Jazmin N. Rush

Theses and Dissertations

All over the United States (U.S.), men and women alike are undergoing elective, invasive cosmetic surgery. Research has found there is an increasing number of patients choosing cosmetic surgery in hopes of alleviating psychological disorders such as body dysmorphic disorder and low self-esteem. The objective of this review is to analyze the literature available regarding cosmetic surgery and the psychological issues leading to the decision to undergo elective, invasive cosmetic surgery in order to understand and identify the possible benefits of psychological screenings. Information for this study was obtained from three electronic databases - Galileo, PubMed, and CINAHL. U.S. based …

The Effects Of Fatigue On Lower Extremity Neuromuscular Control, Matthew Thomas Marcen

Theses and Dissertations

Lower extremity injuries and pathologies are amongst the most common issues recreational athletes face. Fatigue is a factor that may impact how the lower extremity performs on a neuromuscular level. Neuromuscular control is a vital aspect of athletic performance and everyday life, that when hindered, may produce pathological results. The research is contradictory on whether or not fatigue produces a significant impact during neuromuscular performance. The purpose of this study is to assess neuromuscular control following a lower extremity fatigue protocol.

This study was a randomized a controlled trial. Twenty-one recreationally active subjects, 10 males and 11 females, between the …