Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Neurocorrelates Of The Mirror Neuron System In Children With Chromosome 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome, Ade Marais

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Activation of brain regions that make up the mirror neuron system (MNS) is thought to reflect processing and perceiving behavior, action, and intentionality of other organisms. Sensing and perceiving motor behavior in others is an important component of understanding and participating in social interactions. Children with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) are diagnosed with serious medical, cognitive, and socio-emotional symptoms. Atypical development and function of the MNS may underpin some aspects of socio-emotional impairment and autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-like symptomology reported. This study of the MNS investigates differences in activation in the operculum, sensorimotor areas, and basal ganglia (BG) in …

Ls301 Fluorescence-Guided Photodynamic Therapy Of Brain Cancer Using Ppix Photosensitizer, Haini Zhang

McKelvey School of Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Incomplete brain tumor removal always causes neurologic deficit, disease recurrence and high mortality. Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) accumulated in glioma cells with exogenous 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) serves as contrast agent for fluorescence-guided surgery and as well as acts as a photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy (PDT). However, the accurate tumor delineation using PpIX is limited by autofluorescence and superficial penetration depth. LS301 is a tumor-targeted near-infrared (NIR) contrast agent developed in our lab which allows deeper tumor imaging and avoids autofluorescence. My project aims to investigate whether LS301 can improve PpIX mediated PDT and tumor removal surgery. We have demonstrated co-localization of …

Cancer Survivorship: Promoting A Lifetime Of Health, Janelle Coleman-Smith

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Introduction Cancer survivors can face post-cancer treatment effects that need addressing throughout their care trajectory. Education provided to stakeholders and patients will be beneficial in preventing fragmented care, increasing patient satisfaction, and expanding ongoing supportive clinical survivorship care. Methods An adapted Dr. Joanne Lester survivorship needs survey was given to n=7 post-cancer treatment patients within a northern California cancer patient advisory committee. The survey results were analyzed to identify common underserved chronic long-term survivorship needs. Based on the data, an evidence-based educational component was included within a booklet to enhance future survivorship care. Additional surveys were sent to stakeholders …

A Novel Model Of “Remedy And Elimination Of Tuberculosis”, Akanksha Mishra

Master's Theses

Tuberculosis (TB), is one of the top ten causes of death worldwide. TB is commonly linked to poverty and creates poverty as it is the single largest cause of death in the 15-49-year-old age group in South-East Asia (WHO, 2017). It is also linked to the HIV population, and its leading cause of death. TB is effected by socio-economic factors, cultural factors, and health policy. My goal of this dissertation is to identify systematic approaches that shall support the mission set by World Health Organization (WHO): to eliminate TB globally by the year 2050. Measures might include addressing social barriers …

Assessment Of Falls On A Medical-Telemetry Unit, Andie Reed

Master's Projects and Capstones

The purpose of this quality improvement project aimed at reducing falls on a medical-telemetry unit in a large metropolitan Magnet hospital. It was important for the MSN/CNL students to focus on falls because it is not just a concern for this institution, it is a national dilemma that needs to be addressed. Due to the complexities and intricate details of the IRB process, the MSN/CNL students were unable to collect data or further advance their project into the microsystem. Instead, information was attained from the University of San Francisco database to allow the MSN/CNL students to continue with the steps …

Hepcidin-Mediated Iron Regulation In P19 Cells Is Detectable By Mri, Kobra Alizadeh Pourbouyeh

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to track cellular activities in the body using iron-based contrast agents. However, intrinsic cellular iron handling mechanisms may also influence the detection of magnetic resonance (MR) contrast. For instance, inflammation involves downregulation of iron export in macrophages by the hormone hepcidin, due to degradation of the iron export protein, ferroportin (Fpn). We examined the effect of hepcidin on iron regulation and MR transverse relaxation rates in multi-potent P19 cells, which display high iron export activity, similar to macrophages. In response to varying conditions of iron supplementation, our results showed similar Fpn expression in …

Increasing Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists Clinical Self-Efficacy Using Peer Mentoring, Megan Christine Bass

Doctoral Projects

The purpose of this project is to determine if clinical self-efficacy is increased in SRNAs at The University of Southern Mississippi after participation in the peer mentoring program. The project was a one-group pre and posttest design in a sample of SRNAs who received peer mentoring. To evaluate the students’ perceived clinical self-efficacy before and after the peer mentoring educational intervention, the Rowbotham and Schmitz Student Self-Efficacy scale (SSE) (2013) was adapted and administered to second-year SRNAs (N=17). Clinical performance, skill and knowledge development, social interaction with clinical faculty, and coping with clinical stress are the four areas evaluated by …

Implementing Computerized St-Segment Analysis Utilizing 5-Lead Ecg Cables During The Perioperative Period For Myocardial Ischemia Detection In Patients At Risk For Cardiovascular Disease, Lauren Robertson

Doctoral Projects

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of death in the United States (U.S.) annually (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). Mississippi has a disproportionately higher percentage of citizens likely to have CVD (Mississippi State Department of Health [MSDH], n.d.). The numerous stressors related to surgery are alone enough to increase the demand of the heart and lead to ischemia of the myocardium. Surgical stressors combined with preexisting CVD can exponentially increase the risk of ischemia. It is estimated that over a third of all surgical patients have ischemic heart disease. Puelacher et al. (2015) reported 40% …

Administering Dexamethasone Prior To Peripheral Nerve Blocks, Jacob Millwood

Doctoral Projects

Post-operative pain creates burdens for the patient and their family members while also drastically increasing the price of cost to the healthcare system. The Institute of Medicine Committee on Advancing Pain Research, Care, and Education states that the annual economic cost of chronic pain in adults is $560-630 billion (IOM, 2011). Regional anesthesia has been shown to provide potent analgesia that often times leads to a reduction in systemic analgesic requirements, opioid related side effects, general anesthesia requirements, and possibly the incidence of chronic post-operative pain. There are several adjunct medications that can be combined with peripheral nerve blocks to …

Analysis Of Diagnostic, Preventive, And Disease-Modifying Therapeutic Measures Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Ghazal Habib Havoutis

HCNSO Student Capstones

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common late-onset neurodegenerative disorder and cause of dementia, characterized by the formation of neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaque deposits. The heterogeneous nature of the disease (both genetically and environmentally) makes it difficult to prevent or cure. Without prevention, the prevalence of AD is expected to triple by 2050. However, because the diagnosis of AD is usually preceded by years of cognitive impairment, early detection may aid in reducing prevalence. Thus, there is a need for validated diagnostic measures for early and improved diagnosis and prevention. In this review, current and ongoing classifiers of early …

Investigating The Regulation Of Indole-3-Acetic Acid Production By The Plant Associated Microbe Pantoea Sp. Yr343, Kasey Noel Estenson

Doctoral Dissertations

The auxin indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) plays a central role in plant growth and development and many plant-associated microbes produce IAA. Several IAA biosynthetic pathways have been identified in microbes which use the precursor tryptophan. Pantoea sp. YR343, which was isolated from the Populus deltoides rhizosphere, is a robust plant root colonizer that produces IAA. Using genomic and metabolomics analyses, we predicted that the indole-3-pyruvate (IPA) pathway is the major pathway in Pantoea sp. YR343 for IAA production. To better understand IAA biosynthesis and the effects of IAA exposure on cell physiology, we performed proteomics on Pantoea sp. YR343 grown in …

Evaluating The Therapeutic Efficacy Of Restoring Wild-Type P53 Activity In P53-Mutant Tumors, Connie A. Larsson

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

The p53 transcription factor is the most frequently altered in human cancers usually via missense mutations that undermine its transcriptional activity. Clinically, TP53 mutations have been shown to be remarkably predictive of refractoriness to treatment, resulting in poor outcome. Consequently, the development of p53 pathway activating agents is rapidly evolving and gaining more attention in cancer therapeutics research, with several small molecule compounds currently in preclinical and clinical trials. However, it remains largely unknown what types or proportions of p53-mutant tumors will respond to p53 restoration-based therapies.

Using a mouse model of Li Fraumeni syndrome, we genetically restored wild-type …

Retrieval Analysis Of Necropsy Total Hip Replacements: Considerations Beyond The Implant, Julie Alyse Lowell

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Introduction. Total hip arthroplasty (THA) surgery is one of the most commonly performed and successful orthopedic procedures in the United States. More than 300,000 primary THAs and 40,000 revision THAs performed in the United States every year. While the need for revision surgeries can stem from a variety of causes, there have been, to the author’s knowledge, no studies attempting to correlate the concentrations of certain inflammatory cytokines to metal ion concentrations found in the tissue surrounding the implant, amount of polyethylene wear, or strength of the interface of the modular taper. The purpose of this study was to begin …

Effects Of Lower Extremity Aerobic Exercise And Conditioned Pain Modulation On Evoked Shoulder Pain, Logan Lumpkins, Craig Wassinger

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that aerobic exercise and conditioned pain modulation may be advocated in treating patients with musculoskeletal pain. The effects of lower extremity aerobic exercise and conditioned pain modulation on evoked shoulder pain are not known.

Purpose: To determine the acute effects of lower extremity aerobic exercise and conditioned pain modulation on outcomes of evoked shoulder pain from pain pressure threshold measurements.

Study Design: Repeated measures.

Methods: Thirty (30) healthy volunteers were tested over the course of two sessions. Session 1 consisted of collecting pain pressure threshold measurements over the infraspinatus before and immediately following a conditioned pain …

Peri-Operative Regional Nerve Blocks (Pnb) In The Treatment Of Pain In Patients Undergoing Operative Fixation Of Lower Extremity Fractures, Joshua K. Radi

Dissertations

This research explores current approaches to managing pain control in patients undergoing operative fixation of lower extremity fractures. As opioid use in the U.S. and abroad increases, alternative methods of treating and preventing opioid requirements are being examined. Patients with lower extremity fractures are susceptible to nonunion when anti-inflammatories are consumed, so alternative approaches are warranted. One such alternative, a peri-operative regional nerve block (PNB), is accomplished by injecting local anesthetic adjacent to one or more peripheral nerves supplying the area of the fracture to decrease pain (Fowler, Symons, Sabato, & Myles, 2008). The goal of this research was to …

The Effects Of Continuous Insulin Pump Therapy On Glycemic Control In Pregnant Type 1 Diabetics, Kimberly Kelsey

Senior Theses

Type 1 Diabetics have various ways of managing their diabetes that have been studied for their effectiveness. Pregnancy in the Type 1 Diabetic has been understudied. It is known that Diabetics in general have poorer pregnancy outcomes because of poor glycemic control. This coupled with the fact that the body needs 3-4 times more insulin as pregnancy comes to an end makes managing blood glucose levels challenging for diabetics (Lowdermilk, 2016, p. 689). For the Type 1 Diabetic, there are two main ways to control diabetes: multiple daily injections using at least two type of insulin and continuous subcutaneous insulin …

Habituation And Dishabituation In The Olfactory Bulb: From Neural Responses To Behavior, Mary Cameron Ogg

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Habituation and dishabituation modulate the neural resources and behavioral significance allocated to incoming stimuli across the sensory systems. The purpose of the research presented in this dissertation was to characterize these processes in the mouse olfactory bulb (OB) and to determine if OB acetylcholine (ACh) has a role in physiological and behavioral olfactory dishabituation. Calcium imaging was used to determine the timecourse and magnitude of habituation in different parts of the OB during and after a prolonged odor presentation. Widefield imaging of the dendritic, or glomerular, response of OB output cells demonstrated that prolonged odor input habituates glomerular responses during …

The Development Of A Wayfinding Smart Phone Application As A Large Healthcare Facility Investment Opportunity, Jessie Fortson Marshall

Doctoral Projects

Health care is a continually growing field. New hospitals are constantly being built, while older facilities are experiencing renovation and expansion. With this growth comes a set of difficulties for patients as they try to navigate through large, multi-building facilities. Most large facilities have multiple parking garages, numerous buildings, and medical towers with an unending number of floors. Patients are forced to rely on directional signage to find their destination that is often insufficient. Attempting to navigate through large facilities is often overwhelming for visitors leading to frustration and stress.

New technology has allowed a convenient solution to this problem …

Memory Potential, Molecular Characterization, And Translational Applications Of The Novel Theo/Tceo T Cell Phenotype, Todd Bartkowiak, Todd Bartkowiak

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

T cells comprise a substantial arm of the immune system and are exquisitely adapted to combat pathogens and tumors. The inflammatory environment largely dictates the nature of T cell response. A hallmark of T cell-mediated immunity is formation of immunological memory; the ability to respond more potently to re-encounter with pathogens. The immune system is also capable of recognizing tumors as foreign, much like viral or bacterial pathogens. Tumors have evolved, though, to generate an immunosuppressive environment to avoid destruction. The field of immunotherapy seeks to overcome immune suppression, in part by targeting T cell co-receptors on the cell surface …

Teenagers Who Have Been Diagnosed With Cancer Are Fighting For A Better Future, Rocio Enriquez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Support Services is a non-profit organization that “exists to support and improve the quality of life for children with cancer and supports their families in the challenges they face” (“jacobheart.org,” 2017). Kirchhoff (2010) points out, “Young adult survivors of childhood cancer have been reported to be six times more likely than a healthy sibling to report health-related unemployment and almost twice as likely to be unemployed but seeking work.”Together, Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Support Services would like to introduce a service that would help our teens flourish in life, by helping them to develop life coping …

E-Visits For Early Post-Operative Visits Following Orthopaedic Surgery Can They Add Efficiency Without Sacrificing Effectiveness, William G. Jeffery

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

We asked 217 sport surgery and 135 total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients to complete a questionnaire (e-Visit) before attending their two and six-week post-operative appointment. Our primary objective was to use the questions asked of patients prior to their appointment to develop a model that could be used as web-based e-Visit to predict early post-operative adverse events. Gold standard comparison was the surgeon’s opinion as to the presence or absence of an event at follow-up. Secondary objective was evaluation of a simplified model. We found good area under the curve (AUC) statistics (0.76 (95% CI 0.69 - 0.84) and 0.80 …

Robust Biosensors For Healthcare Applications: From High-Content Screening To Point-Of-Care Testing, Ngoc D. B. Le

Doctoral Dissertations

Efficient detection of proteins, mammalian cells, microorganisms and other biological systems in complex mixture is essential in disease diagnosis and environmental health. Therefore, technological platforms that provide sensors of high sensitivity, selectivity and stability are greatly desired. Recently, the ‘chemical-nose’ sensing approach has proved to be an effective strategy for profiling bio-relevant targets in complex mixtures. Detecting analytes in complex mixture is a challenge that conventional specificity-based sensors are still trying to solve due to the requirement of prior knowledge of the analyte, which is unknown in many cases. This thesis focuses on how to develop simple and robust …

Determining The Detective Quantum Efficiency (Dqe) Of X-Ray Detectors In Clinical Environments, Terenz R. Escartin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

According to Health Canada, dental and medical radiography accounts for more than 90% of total man-made radiation dose to the general population. Ensuring patients receive the health benefits of diagnostic x-ray imaging without use of higher radiation exposures requires knowledge and understanding of the detective quantum efficiency (DQE). Currently, the DQE is not measured in clinics because it requires specialized instrumentation and specific DQE-expertise to perform an accurate analysis. In this regard, the goals of this thesis were to: 1) address the limitations of measuring the DQE in clinical environments that affects the accuracy of the measurement; 2) develop and …

Implementation Of An Innovative Early Warning System: Evidenced-Based Strategies For Ensuring System-Wide Nursing Adoption, Shirley S. Paulson

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Early deterioration in adult medical-surgical patients is associated with increased intensive care unit and hospital mortality (Goldhill, 2001). Failure to recognize deterioration is a preventable patient safety and quality issue. To address this problem, since 2013, Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KP NCAL) has piloted Advance Alert Monitor (AAM) at two hospitals. This early warning system employs a set of predictive models developed by the KP NCAL Division of Research, which automatically predicts patient deterioration within the next 12 hours based on a complex algorithm of laboratory and clinical data points. Improvements in mortality and length of stay have been realized …

The Application Of Self-Administered Nutrition Screening Tools And Evaluations Of The Impact Of Malnutrition On Quality Of Life In Individuals With Head And Neck Cancer, Mark J. P. Lynch

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Abstract

Background: Individuals with head and neck cancer (HNCa) are at an increased risk of malnutrition. Therefore, self-administered nutrition screens which attempt to address their nutritional concerns may yield benefits for treatment outcomes and quality of life (QOL).

Methods: 34 participants (26 men, 8 women) completed one demographic and two QOL surveys, two nutrition self-screening tools, a nutrition assessment and an ease-of-use questionnaire. Results of the screens were compared to those of the assessment, and relationships between QOL, nutrition status, and demographics were examined.

Results: 32.3% of participants were identified as nutritionally compromised. The sensitivity and specificity for the PG-SGA …

Improvements In Four-Dimensional And Dual Energy Computed Tomography, Rachael M. Martin

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Dual energy and 4D computed tomography (CT) seek to address some of the limitations in traditional CT imaging. Dual energy CT, among other purposes, allows for the quantification and improved visualization of contrast materials, and 4D CT is often used in radiation therapy applications as it allows for the visualization and quantification of object motion. While much research has been done with these technologies, areas remain for potential improvement, both in preclinical and clinical settings, which will be explored in this dissertation. Preclinical dual energy cone-beam CT (CBCT) can benefit from wider separation between the peak energy of the two …

Biomechanical Testing Of An Exercise For Strengthening The Proximal Femur., Alyssa Osbourne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Based on the principles of cutting edge bone remodeling research, a unique therapeutic exercise device was designed specifically to improve bone quality at the most critical location of the proximal femur prone to fracture: the superior-lateral femoral neck where the fracture first initiates during a fall. The exercise/device is intended to work by inducing enough strain in the bone to stimulate the body’s natural bone remodeling mechanisms to increase bone density in the proximal femur and consequently prevent a fracture from arising if a fall to the side does occur.

In order to test the proposed exercise, experiments simulating the …

Quantitative Dwi As An Early Imaging Biomarker Of The Response To Chemoradiation In Esophageal Cancer, Benjamin C. Musall

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

For patients diagnosed with stages IIa-IIb esophageal cancer, the current standard of care treatment is tri-modality therapy (TMT), where neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCRT) is followed by surgical resection. Histopathology of resected tumors reveals that pathological complete response (pCR) is achieved in 20-30% of patients through nCRT alone. Because of the high mortality and morbidity associated with esophagectomy, it may be advantageous for patients exhibiting pCR from nCRT alone to be placed under observation rather than completing their TMT. Therefore, a method for predicting response at an early time-point during nCRT is highly desirable. Conventional methods such as endoscopic ultrasound, re-biopsy, and …

Mechanical Properties Of Retrieved Highly Cross-Linked Polyethylene Acetabular Liners In Total Hip Arthroplasty, Gurpreet Singh

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Highly cross-linked polyethylene (HXLPE) has replaced the conventional ultra-high-molecular-weight-polyethylene (UHMWPE) as the gold standard bearing surface in total hip arthroplasty (THA) due to superior wear characteristics and survivorship. However, HXLPE has demonstrated poorer mechanical properties, in vivo oxidation, and concerns of rim fractures. The purpose of this project was to study the mechanical properties at the rim of retrieved HXLPE acetabular liners.

We developed a simple technique for measurement of hardness at the rim of irradiated, remelted, HXLPE liners of a specific design. The effect of shelf time on mechanical properties of retrieved liners was determined and showed no correlation …

Development Of 90th Percentile Norms For Ipsilateral Acoustic Reflex Thresholds: A Feasibility Study, Iris Wertheimer

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The acoustic reflex threshold has been well established in the literature as an involuntary bilateral contraction of the stapedius muscle in response to loud transient sounds. Additionally, the clinical utility of the acoustic reflex threshold has been established as it allows for the differential diagnosis of many different conductive, cochlear and retrocochlear pathologies. Gelfand, Schwander and Silman (1990) have established and validated 90^th percentile normative data for use with the contralateral acoustic reflex threshold. Much of the literature on the acoustic reflex threshold has focused on the contralateral acoustic reflex threshold; however, surveys have found that many clinicians are …