Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Enumeration Of Endothelial Progenitor Cells In Hind Limb Suspended Rats And The Mechanics Of Endothelial Wound Healing, Jarrod Matthew Pennington

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The endothelium repairs itself through two methods. One is by the activity of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). EPCs are immature endothelial cells that circulate the bloodstream that are capable of proliferation and differentiation into mature endothelium. It is thought that EPCs contribute to the repair and replacement of damaged endothelial cells in the process of reendothelialization. Physical inactivity and bed rest are known to be deleterious to the endothelium. It is possible that this inactivity is also deleterious to the number of viable EPCs, which would reduce the ability of the endothelium to repair itself. We used hind limb …

Prevalence Of Intestinal Parasite Infection In Symptomatic And Asymptomatic Dogs In Southwestern West Virginia: The Potential Impact On Human Health, Tashina Marie Savilla

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Most dog owners are unaware of asymptomatic infection and of the possibility of contracting zoonotic parasites from their dogs. We hypothesized that parasite infection is: associated with one or more symptoms; independent of gender and age; and independent of anthelmintic usage. Stool samples were collected from 231 dogs in Kanawha County, West Virginia, and were examined by simple fecal flotation. Parasitic prevalence was found to be 23% for Ancylostoma caninum, 8% for Trichuris vulpis, 7% for Toxocara canis, 4% for Isospora species, and 32.5% overall. There was no significant relationship between infection and gender, nor between infection and symptom for …

Effects Of Microgravity On Cancer Stem Cells Cultured In A Nasa Developed Bioreactor: Chemotherapeutic Implications., Sarah Elizabeth Daron Kelly

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of simulated microgravity on cancer cell growth. Simulated microgravity is a condition in which cells are in constant free-fall and in which they are able to grow suspended without the shear and stress. Microgravity allows for important insights into the cellular mechanism and may be key in understanding why some cells thrive in this condition and others go into apoptosis. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are considered a subset of the bulk tumor responsible for initiating and maintaining cancer. SAOS-2 is a human bone cancer cell line which consists of a …

Deferasirox Decreases Age-Associated Iron Accumulation In The Aging F344bn Rat Heart, Ravi K. Arvapalli

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

It is thought that aging in rats and humans is associated with increases in iron accumulation and these increases in iron may be associated with increased cellular apoptosis. Here we examine the relationship between cardiac iron levels and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in aged F344BN rats which were treated with an oral iron chelator (Deferasirox; 100mg/kg body. weight/day) for 6 months. Compared with 6- month controls, the levels of cardiac iron, cardiac apoptosis, FLC and DMT-1 were higher in 33-month hearts. Deferasirox treatment for six months decreased cardiac iron and this was associated with decreases in the number of apoptotic cardiac myocytes. …

The School Nurse's Perception Of Health Promotion Behavior, Susan Bullard Furr

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

This was a descriptive study that assessed school nurses' perceptions of health-promoting behavior. A sample of 33 school nurses was asked to complete the Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II) to measure their health-promoting lifestyle. The HPLP-II is a Likert-styled instrument that consists of 52 items divided among six subscales. The six subscales are: (1) health responsibility; (2) physical activity; (3) nutrition; (4) interpersonal relations; (5) spiritual growth and; (6) stress management. The findings indicated that the nurses perceived interpersonal relationships and spiritual growth to be components of their health-promoting behavior as evidenced by higher mean scores in those two …

Factors Influencing Early Detection Of Breast Cancer In African American Women, Tamrah Joy Parker

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Background. African American women are more likely to have breast cancer diagnosed at a later stage than Caucasian women and with a five year death rate 1.5 times greater than Caucasian women. Mammography screening detects breast cancer in its early stages and can reduce mortality.

Objective. To examine factors influencing early detection of breast cancer for African American women.

Methods. A convenience sample of 39 African American women 50 years of age and older was selected from two local Baptist churches in eastern North Carolina. Eligibility criteria included ability to read and write in English with no prior or present …

A Study Of Program Completion And Attrition In One Baccalaureate Nursing Program In The Southeastern United States, Lori J. Shrock

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Already facing a national hospital and long-term care registered nurse (RN) shortage, the current number of potential nurse candidates successfully completing baccalaureate nursing programs (BNPs) is not sufficient to meet the estimated demand for baccalaureate-prepared nurses in the United States of America (U.S.) and worldwide. Yet program attrition due to varying reasons leads to graduating nursing classes that are below the clinical program's admission limit in a particular BNP in the Southeastern U.S.--often considerably lower. The study used a convenience sample of all current or former BNP students enrolled in the university from the fall of 2004 to the spring …

A Model For Electrical Communication Between Cochlear Implants And The Brain, Douglas A. Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the last thirty years, cochlear implants have become an invaluable instrument in the treatment of severe-to-profound hearing impairment. An important aspect of research in the continued development of cochlear implants is the in vivo assessment of signal processing algorithms intended to improve perception of speech and other auditory signals. In trying to determine how closely cochlear implant recipients process sound relative to the processing done by a normal auditory system, various assessment techniques have been applied. The most common technique has been measurement of auditory evoked potentials (AEPs), which involves the recording of neural responses to auditory stimulation. Depending …

Hispanics' Experience With Hospice Care, Maria Rosario Diaz

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project was to learn about Hispanic's experience with hospice care and gain insight into their unique needs. The findings will offer Hospice programs with information on how to provide the most appropriate care to the Hispanic population. This study found that the quality of patient care transcended cultural and spiritual boundaries.

Perceptions About The Effectiveness Of Play Therapy Among Parents, Maria Nina Joy Malasig Flores

Theses Digitization Project

This thesis will explore the perceptions about the effectiveness of play therapy among parents. This study will work with Bilingual Family Counseling Services, (BFCS) in Ontario, with their school based program. Their school based program runs throughout the Montclair and Ontario school districts and helps counsel children with behavioral problems who are from 5-12 years of age with play therapy. The issue that will be addressed in this study is to find out through the perception of the parent whether or not play therapy has been effective with their child. This study will survey parents about their child's progress throughout …

Substance Abuse Among The Aging Population: A Needs Assessment, Stephen Michael Clark

Theses Digitization Project

This needs assessment was composed of 33 clinicians' in Riverside and San Bernardino counties that work in the substance abuse field. This study was developed to test if there is a need to increase clinicians' knowledge level base when working with older adults age 65 plus with a substance abuse problem. This needs assessment looked at demographics and tested the differences between self reported knowledge and what instruments their agencies are currently using.

Identification Of Effective Outreach Methods For Mental Health Services To The Hispanic Population, Nidia Yamileth Canello

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to find effective outreach methods to the Hispanic population to empower them to seek mental health services when they need them. Hispanics seek mental health services at a lower rate than mainstream America. This community is the most rapidly growing in San Bernardino County, and lack of early intervention when necessary may have costly consequences to Hispanics and society as a whole.

Seriously Mentally Ill Clients' Perspectives On Substance Use And Treatment, Ann Laverne Jankowski

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to interview individuals with co-occurring disorders, who attend Dual Diagnosis Anonymous groups, to obtain their perspectives on the consequences and effects of substance use on their mental illness and their lives; their participation in and evaluation of treatment, and their willingness to stop, reduce, or continue to abstain from substance use.

Parental Substance Abuse Services That Promote Family Reunification Under Adoption And Safe Families Act Timelines, Omeera Qadir

Theses Digitization Project

Parents involved in the child welfare system often receive substance abuse services. However, the Adoptions and Safe Families Act (ASFA) time frames for permanency may not be addressing all of the long-term needs of families who are involved within the system. The purpose of this research study was to assess the effectiveness of substance abuse services in promoting family reunification under the ASFA timelines for parents whose children are dependents of the Juvenile Court. The primary information being analyzed was the case files of 50 families who were involved in Riverside County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS), Children's Services …

Barriers That Affect The Under Utilization Of Mental Health Services Among Foster Children, Haneen Sabah Alghita, Denise Nunez

Theses Digitization Project

There are many barriers that interfere with the utilization of mental health services which include instability of the foster child, county/budget restrictions, racial/ethnic inequality, delivery of service, lack of knowledge and understanding of mental health needs, inadequate training on mental health needs for children among foster parents, social worker caseload and lack of communication between Foster Care Social Worker (FCSW) and County Social Worker (CSW). The purpose of this research is to examine the various barriers that affect the under-utilization of mental health services among foster children. Participants included foster parents recruited from Riverside and San Bernardino County who are …

The Relationship Between Full Service Partnership Intervention And Rehospitalization Rates Of The Severe And Persistent Mentally Ill, Joseph Ralph Tena

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to assess Inland Empire Mental Health's (IEMH) Full Service Partnership program in Southern California in order to understand the relationship between Full Service Partnership (FSP) intervention and psychiatric rehospitalizations among the Severe and Persistent Mentally Ill. This research project explored what treatment interventions prove effective in reducing psychiatric inpatient rehospitalizations among the severe and persistent mentally disordered population.

The Effects Of Negative Childhood Experiences On The Severity Of Mental And Substance Abuse Disorders And Recidivism, Christie Lynn Gabriel

Theses Digitization Project

Overcrowded prisons are a growing problem in the United States. Currently, California prisons are over capacity 85%. Substance abuse increases the likelihood of criminality, for half of state prisoners admitted to being under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of their offense(s). A large portion of these individuals, once incarcerated, is also diagnosed with a mental illness. By researching dually diagnosed inmates who were participating in a 90-day in-custody treatment program, this study focuses on how negative family and school experiences become major contributors to adult mental and substance abuse disorders and criminality.

Reflective Materials And The Use Of Glitter In Art Therapy, Amber Dee Mazza

Art Therapy | Master's Theses in Print

This paper hypothesizes that glitter is an important media in art therapy. This research asked the question, what is the significance and clinical application of glitter in art therapy? Glitter is a commonly used art material and research on the subject matter is absent. The method used was survey research with quantitative and qualitative questions. Seven hundred and fifty eight members of the American Art Therapy Association completed the survey. Glitter has significant meaning in reference to Cathy Moon’s theory of materiality, and can be used to bring light to client art work.

Group Feeding For The Lactating Cow, Anthony Joseph Martin

Dairy Science

Feeding individualized rations for lactating dairy cattle in the commercial herd based on dietary needs is a popular issue. This has been a debating topic since evolution of the Total Mixed Ration (TMR). Since dairymen were able to mix grain in a feed wagon and mix a specific dietary ration to meet the demand for an organized group, there has been an issue in which protocol cow pen grouping should take. Dairymen have always feed cattle based on if lactating or late in their gestation, nonlactating. With the evolution of the TMR dairymen are then allowed to go into more …

Novel Word Learning Of Children With Hearing Impairment And Children With Typical Hearing, Matthew R. Clark

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Children with hearing impairment may be at risk for reading difficulty due, in part, to delayed vocabulary development. However, advances in amplification technology, most notably cochlear implant technology, make it possible for children with profound hearing loss to acquire oral language. This study asked if novel word learning differed between children with typical hearing and those with severe to profound hearing loss who either wore hearing aids or had cochlear implants. Children learned nonsense words as names for Beanie Babies during a play scenario and were later asked to identify and name each Beanie Baby using its correct nonsense word …

Use Of Pelvic Clocks For Physical Therapy Management Of A Patient With Sacroiliac Dysfunction And Low Back Pain: A Case Report, Amber Huener

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose. This case study describes the evaluation and treatment of a patient with sacroiliac dysfunction and low back pain. The purpose of this case study is to explore the effects of pelvic clocks used as muscle energy techniques in the treatment of sacroiliac dysfunction and low back pain.

Description. The patient was a 62-year-old woman with a 5-month history of SI pain who was seen for outpatient physical therapy over a 5-week period. The client presented with decreased strength in hip abduction bilaterally, decreased knee ROM, sacroiliac pain, and referring pain down to the knee on the left. …

Polymorphisms And Biologic Effects Of Acidic Mammalian Chitinase In Asthma, Heather Wachtel

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

In this study, we hypothesize that human acidic mammalian chitinase (AMCase) binds and is regulated by the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and that AMCase interacts with Galectin-3 (Gal-3) to mediate anti-apoptotic functions. We further hypothesize that asthma-associated polymorphisms of AMCase alter chitinase activity and modulate anti-apoptotic effects. We investigated the interactions between AMCase, Gal-3 and EGFR by establishing binding and co-expression in vitro; apoptotic effects were evaluated via Annexin V/Propidium Iodide staining. Molecular cloning was performed to generate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of AMCase associated with asthma. Our data showed that co-expression of AMCase and EGFR induces chitinase activity; …

Perceptions Of Breast Cancer Patients On Communicating Sexuality-Related Issues, Farrah Joy Oblepias

Theses Digitization Project

The research project focused on the perceptions of breast cancer patients on addressing sexuality-related issues to their health care provider. A female breast cancer survivor is likely to have low sexual functioning when experiencing change in hormonal status, problems in partner relationships, and vaginal dryness. Moreover, women who undergo a mastectomy due to breast cancer had difficulties in their self-image and their sexual relationship with men.

The Effects Of Immediate Follow-Up On Psychiartric Rehospitalization Rates, Jennifer Erin Mccreight

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an immediate post hospitalization follow-up intervention on the rehospitalization rates of consumers of public mental health services with a classical experimental design. The intervention involves reinforcing the discharge plan, providing psychoeducation, encouraging medication adherence, and triaging each discharged client for additional needs.

Efficacy Of Deferasirox In Preventing Complications Of Iron Overload In The Iron Overloaded Gerbil, Rabaa M. Al-Rousan

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Iron overload is a significant, world-wide problem that results in several chronic diseases including cardiovascular, hepatic and pancreatic complications.The newly developed, orally effective, iron chelating agent deferasirox is thought to offer tremendous promise as an alternative to deferoxamine. However, the efficacy and safety profile of deferasirox is not yet clear. In the present study, the efficacy of deferasirox in removing iron from target tissues has been examined using the gerbil model of iron overload. Deferasirox administration resulted in a significant reduction of iron from cardiac and hepatic tissue. In addition deferasirox reduced iron induced increase in cardiac and hepatic oxidative …

Image Processing Of Oct Glaucoma Images And Information Theory Analysis, Shuting Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Glaucoma is a group of optic nerve disease with progressive structural changes leading to loss of visual function. A careful examination and detection of changes in the optic nerve is the key to early diagnosis of glaucoma. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is one of the known techniques of diagnosis of glaucoma. The patients' eyes are scanned and sub-surface images are captured from optical nerves. Captured OCT images usually suffer from noise and therefore image enhancement techniques can help doctors in better analysis of OCT images and diagnosis of glaucoma. In this thesis, we propose three successful algorithms for enhancing the …

The Relationship Between Perceived Stress And Smoking: Focusing On Schizophrenia And Comparative Sub-Groups Diagnosed With Mental Illness, Wanda K. Savioli

ETD Archive

The context for this research project is a population of individuals diagnosed with a mental illness schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depressive disorders, or other diagnosis as specified by participant. Research has shown that 87 of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia are smokers and 65-75 of those diagnosed with bipolar or depressive disorders smoke compared to 20 from the general population. The purpose of this study is to determine if perceived stress is positively associated with cigarette dependence among a study sample of non-psychiatric participants and those diagnosed with a mental illness. A correlational survey based design was used to test five hypotheses …

Identification And Characterization Of Novel Sir3/Mecp2-Chromatin Interactions, Nicholas L. Adkins

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The eukaryotic genome is packaged into chromosomes that are made up of a highly organized and heavily regulated structure called chromatin. The proteins involved in the compaction of DNA into this condensed state are mostly understood at the level of the structure of the nucleosome. The higher order arrangement of chromatin and how it effects gene regulation is only partially understood and characterized. The compaction of nucleosomal arrays into 30-nm and higher structures are partially the responsibility of architectural, or structural, chromatin associated proteins. The following dissertation analyzes the individual chromatin contributions of two well studied architectural proteins, the yeast …

Building Trusted Relationships With Female Street Sex Workers: A Nontraditional Approach, Sandra Finn

Theses and Graduate Projects

This project develops a model for community health nurses to use to connect with African American street sex workers. Women involved in street prostitution are not only marginalized by society, but also healthcare systems. In understanding the importance of building relationships and rapport with women involved in street sex work I chose to use Reiki and a spiritually attuned environment to interact with a group of women. A support group unfolded as well as a bond I created with the participants that helped to bridge the gap for the women between them and health care systems, legal and government organizations. …

Theory, Research & Practice Of A Comprehensive Teen Sexuality Education Curriculum, Dawn M. Bowker

Theses and Graduate Projects

Rates of sexually transmitted disease (STD), teen pregnancy, and teen births are higher in the United States than in most other industrialized countries (Kohler, 2008; Manhart, 2006; Teitelman, 2004; Terry-Humen, 2006). Five years ago, a Christian based, sexuality retreat curriculum was initiated that focused on teen knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about sexuality. The developmentally appropriate curriculum promoted an increased awareness of self and issues influencing sexuality. The goal was to create a common language and a better understanding of the way adolescent males and females think and behave in matters of sexuality. This paper presents an evaluative retrospective analysis of …