Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Analyzing Adherence To Prenatal Supplements: Does Pill Count Measure Up?, Kristie Elizabeth Appelgren

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Background: Results of a trial of prenatal Vitamin D supplementation are analyzed for associations of pill count data with serum-based measures of adherence. Obiective: It is hypothesized that adherence as measured by pill count will have a significant association with serum-based measures of adherence. Design: The study from which the data for this analysis were derived is a large randomized, controlled, and double-blinded trial of vitamin D supplements in pregnant women. The women have been stratified by race and randomized into three groups, which receive a 400IU (control), 20001U, or 40001U dose of vitamin D[subscript 3] once daily. Women enter …

A National Study To Compare The Tolerability And Effectiveness Of Colon Cleansing Preparations, Glenda Lynn Daniels

Nursing Dissertations - Archive

Colorectal cancer is the third most common form of cancer, and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Fortunately, 90% of colorectal cancer deaths are preventable if the disease is detected early. Colonoscopy, the gold standard for colorectal cancer screening, allows direct examination of the colon. However, the colon must be cleaned of all stool in order to detect polyps, tumors, inflammation, and other problems. A wide variety of purging agents are available for colon cleansing but all have limitations and poor bowel cleansing is common. The purpose of the study was to (1) describe bowel …

Awareness Of Increased Risk For Heart Disease And Cardiovascular Risk Factors In Women With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Patricia Weinstein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) develop cardiovascular disease (CVD) earlier and at a more accelerated rate compared to women without SLE. Many women with SLE are unaware of their increased risk despite years spent in the health care system, thus giving the atherogenic process time to accrue damage. Research has not explained fully why women with SLE are unaware of their increased risk for CVD or why awareness does not correspond to risk-educing behaviors. Stage theories of behavior like the Precaution Adoption Process Model (PAPM) propose that health behavior change proceeds through qualitatively different stages, and people at one …

Combination Of Fasl Gene Therapy And Acid Ceramidase Inhibitors: A Novel Therapeutic Approach For The Treatment Of Head And Neck Cancer, Saeed Elojeimy

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Despite significant advances in the diagnosis and treatment of head and neck cancer, the survival rate of patients has not changed significantly during the last decade suggesting that novel therapeutic approaches are worth investigation. In this project, we investigate the use of FasL gene therapy in combination with acid ceramidase (AC) inhibitors as a new promising modality for the treatment of head and neck cancer. We first demonstrate the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of FasL gene therapy for the treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Next, we show that the ceramide metabolizing enzyme AC is …

Use Of Aquatic Therapy/Core Stabilization And A Multi-Disciplinary Treatment For A Patient With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Case Report, Jesse Elis

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: This case report describes the use of two different conservative treatment approaches on a patient suffering from chronic nonspecific low back pain. The case report illustrates the difference between aquatic therapy/core stabilization, which focuses on the biological aspect of the injury, and multi-disciplinary treatment, which treats the injury on a biopsychosocial level.

Case description: The patient was a 32-year old man that suffered two disc herniations from lifting a large box at work. After the injury, the patient received conservative treatments 3 months prior to this specific case report. Neurological deficits were present and the patient had …

Freedom To Live, Freedom To Die: Health Disparities In El Salvador, Shaina Elizabeth Rose

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Nurses [Sic] Knowledge Of Mass Casuality Emergency Situations, Disasters And Related Laws Regulating Nursing Practice In Michigan And Ohio, Ashley Elizabeth Sandmann

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

A survey was conducted among 51 emergency department nurses in both Michigan and Ohio from 2008 to 2009. A comparative design was used to analyze the surveyed data. The purpose of the study was to describe and compare the knowledge level of emergency department nurses with regards to disaster nursing, emergency preparedness, and correlating related nursing laws in their respective states of licensure. Results showed that there is no significant correlation between knowledge level of emergency and disaster preparedness and related laws to the state in which a nurse is licensed, but nurses in Michigan reported having more instruction in …

College Student Risk Behavior: Implications Of Religiosity And Impulsivity, Mary Cazzell

Nursing Dissertations - Archive

College student risk-taking among 18 to 21 years olds includes smoking cigarettes, binge drinking, casual sex with multiple partners, automobile accidents due to risky driving or driving under the influence, and substance use. Among 10 to 24 year olds, 72% of all fatalities result from automobile accidents, unintended injuries, homicide, and suicide. Since not all college students participate in risk behaviors, protective factors such as religiosity may be a protective social or psychological buffer that supports positive relationships and moral order. Impulsivity, an inability to squelch inappropriate thoughts or actions, is associated with the later development (in the mid-twenties) of …

Impact Of The Short-Term Consumption Of A Moderately High Fat Diet On Nitric Oxide Production And Bioavailibility, Kan Huang

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Nitric oxide (NO) plays an essential role in the regulation of numerous biological processes. Its bioavailability is assured by a well regulated balance between NO generation and NO removal. Disruptions in this balance contribute to the pathogenesis of various diseases, including hypertension, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes mellitus and arthritis. Many factors contribute to the maintenance of NO bioavailability by controlling nitric oxide synthase (NOS) expression, NOS activity, the availability of substrates and cofactors involved in the generation of NO by NOS, levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the formation and mobilization of NO reservoirs. Dietary factors have a significant impact …

Substitute Costs: A Method For Determining Ecological Service Values In Stormwater Management, Steven B. Mckinney

All ETDs from UAB

Many alternatives exist for estimating the value of the natural environment. These approaches have been developed over the past 40 to 50 years and began principally because of increasing awareness that economic development had an associated cost in environmental degradation. Environmental economics provides some of the tools necessary to aid in balancing economic growth with the environmental impacts created by this growth and to do so through evaluating policy. Using environmental economics as a mechanism for policy assessment allows the evaluation of potential gains from specific courses of economic growth and of the trade-offs in environmental services that may be …

Mouse Modeling Of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (Pdac); Search For Early Diagnostic Markers And Therapeutic Targets, Kyoko Kojima

All ETDs from UAB

PDAC is a highly malignant neoplasm that carries a very poor prognosis. PDAC development is a multistage transformation process that involves multiple genetic alterations that include activation of EGFR/HER2 and KRAS, and loss-of-function mutations in INK4A/ARF, p53 and SMAD4. In recent years, several genetically engineered mouse models that accurately recapitulate human pancreatic neoplasia have been developed. Histological characterizations of those models have revealed possible roles for the mutated RAS, INK4a/ARF and p53 in pancreatic tumorigenesis. However, the role of SMAD4 mutation, which is associated with late stages of tumor progression, has yet to be explored. Additionally, those models that would …

The Potential Role Of Vh Replacement In Editing And Generating Autoreactive Antibodies, Run Fan

All ETDs from UAB

VH replacement occurs through RAG-mediated secondary recombination between an upstream VH gene and an existing VHDJH joint. In the first part of this dissertation, we focused on the potential regulation of VH replacement in the human B lineage EU12 cells muHC+ population, which underwent spontaneous VH replacement during in vitro culture. We cloned one of the dominant IgH genes, A19H, expressed in the EU12 muHC+ cells, and generated recombinant antibodies. We found that these recombinant antibodies recognize SM antigens. The anti-SM reactivity of A19H can not be efficiently neutralized by a randomly selected group of fourteen IgL chains from healthy …

The Relationships Among Satisfaction With Social Support, Perceived Stress, And Coping On Quality Of Life And Survival At 5 To 10 Years After Heart Transplantation, Connie White-Williams

All ETDs from UAB

Introduction: Detailed information regarding satisfaction with social support and its relationship with quality of life (QOL) and survival 5 to 10 years (yrs) after heart transplantation (HT) is unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among satisfaction with social support perceived stress, and coping with QOL and survival of patients (pts) who were 5 to 10 years post heart transplantation. Methods: This study was a retrospective outcome analysis from data collected from two existing data sets: The HT QOL Study and the Cardiac Transplant Research Database (CTRD). Institutional Review Board approval was obtained. Data on 555 …

The Role Of Gbf1 In Golgi Biogenesis And Secretory Traffic., Tomasz Szul

All ETDs from UAB

The secretory pathway within a cell consists of series of membrane compartments connected by shuttling secretory vesicles containing cargo that travel from endoplasmic reticulum (ER) though ER-to-Golgi intermediate compartment (ERGIC), the Golgi apparatus, and endosomal compartment to the plasma membrane (PM). The Golgi specific brefeldin A (BFA)-resistant factor 1 GBF1 has been identified as an important factor involved in traffic between ER and Golgi and within the Golgi apparatus. GBF1 belongs to a family of guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) that stimulate the exchange of GDP for GTP on small GTPases, ADP-ribosylation factors (ARFs). The exchange of the nucleotide activates …

Counterregulatory Roles Of Transforming Growth Factor (Tgf)-Beta And Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (Anp) In Pressure Overload-Induced Cardiac Remodeling And Fibrosis, Jason Anthony Lucas

All ETDs from UAB

Pressure overload stress (eg. hypertension or aortic stenosis) results in excessive cardiac fibrosis, changes in left ventricular (LV) geometry, and disruption of LV contractility, ultimately leading to heart failure. We hypothesize that transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), a pro fibrogenic factor, and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), an anti fibrogenic factor, interact directly in a counterregulatory manner to balance the production of extracellular matrix (ECM) under pressure overload induced cardiac stress or hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular adaptation. In this report, we examine structural and functional responses of the intact heart to pressure overload stress in vivo. We then utilize isolated rat pulmonary artery …

Diffusion Pathways Through The Outer Membrane Of Mycobacteria, Olga Danilchanka

All ETDs from UAB

The extraordinary capacity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) to adapt to environmental changes during infection contributes to its success as a pathogen. While the unique outer membrane (OM) of mycobacteria functions as a permeability barrier for toxic molecules, uptake of nutrients is required to sustain viability of Mtb. Whereas hydrophobic molecules can diffuse through membranes, uptake of small hydrophilic compounds is mediated by water-filled channels, porins. For example, Msp-like porins of M. smegmatis (Ms) were shown to be required for uptake of hydrophilic beta-lactam antibiotics, which are also known to diffuse through porins in gram-negative bacteria. Because the structure of the …

The Influence Of Familism On Descriptive And Injunctive Norms In Predicting The Intention To Eat A Vegetarian Diet Among Chinese Seventh-Day Adventists, See Wei Toh

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

According to the theory of planned behavior (TpB), one determinant of intention to engage in a behavior is the subjective norm. Various studies have found that subjective norm is often the weaker predictor of intention compared to perceived behavioral control and attitude. This study examined whether familism (emphasis on the family rather than the individual) would contribute positively to the predictive power of the TpB model through interactions with the family portion of descriptive and injunctive norms. Descriptive and injunctive norms are component variables of the subjective norm. A sample of 284 adult Chinese Seventh-day Adventists 18 years and older …

The Application Of Visual Phonics And Phonological Awareness Interventions To Address Language Impairment In Preschool Children, Jodi Dyke

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of two phonological awareness interventions on the development of auditory comprehension, expressive language, semantics, and syntax. Specifically, the study examined the effect of phonological awareness intervention integrated with See the Sound/Visual Phonics hand cues versus only phonological awareness intervention. Twenty-seven children identified as speech and/or language delayed were assigned to one of three groups that received (a) phonological awareness instruction, (b) phonological awareness instruction coupled with visual phonics hand cues, or (c) no intervention. Seven children were designated as a control group and twenty were placed in one of two …

Health Literacy And Medication Adherence, Seanny Minn

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

No Abstract Available

Comparison Of Four Different Embolic Materials For Uterine Artery Embolization In Post-Procedure Mri Enhancement, Steven David Abramowitz

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

The aim of this study was to assess embolic agent equivalency in uterine artery embolization (UAE) using post-procedure MRI enhancement of uterine fibroids in patients embolized using Embosphere Microspheres, (EM) Contour SE spheres (CSE), Poly-Vinyl Alcohol particles (PVA) and Bead Block spheres (BB). A total of 84 women with 6-month MRI follow-up constituted this retrospective study. Within this group, 25 women were treated with PVA, 23 were treated with CSE, 19 were treated with EM and 17 were treated with BB. Pre- and post-procedure MRI exams were analyzed for the total number of fibroids present in the uterus of each …

Creating A Path For High Quality Care: Implementation Of The Mini-Cex In A Student-Run Clinic, Paul Daniel Di Capua

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Purpose: This study examines the utility of implementing the mini-CEX at a student-run primary care clinic. The mini-CEX is a validated tool for clinical skills feedback and evaluation. The implementation of the mini-CEX sought to improve quality standards in providers clinical skills, and therefore to set a model for continuous quality improvement in medical education. Hypothesis: The primary hypothesis tested is that a minimum of three mini-CEXs per week will produce a positive utility for both students and faculty. Methods: A needs-based analysis focus group solicited opinions on the mission and function of the clinic from the student-providers. The mini-CEX …

Forehead Laser Doppler And Transcranial Doppler During Simulated Hypovolemia, Kathleen Samuels

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

The present study employed lower body negative pressure (LBNP), a rapidly titratable, safe and reversible means of inducing simulated hypovolemia, for a comparison of transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound of the middle cerebral artery and laser Doppler (LD) flowmetry of the forehead microvasculature. With IRB approval, 9 healthy volunteers (26.3±2.7 years) were monitored continuously with EKG, noninvasive finger arterial blood pressure (BP), and TCD positioned at the transtemporal window. After a baseline (Base) period, subjects underwent rapid onset of LBNP to -70 mmHg over the course of 1 minute, followed by progressive declines of ~10 mmHg until lightheadedness or had a …

The Rate And Time Course Of Complications In Catheter-Dependent Hemodialysis Patients, Shreya Sood

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Many patients with end-stage renal disease come to rely on catheters as their only means of hemodialysis when other options are no longer viable. These patients have a very poor quality of life due to their chronic illness as well as many long-term complications related to the use of tunneled catheters. Many prior attempts have been made to understand these catheter-related problems. Yet, they continue to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality in chronic catheter-reliant patients. We hope to examine the rate as well as long term time course of these complications such that in future, we may …

Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation In Elderly Patients With Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Joel Robert Green

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Clinical trials investigating autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) have historically excluded elderly patients due to the risk of treatment-related morbidity related to the administration of high dose chemotherapy. While the availability of this procedure continues to expand, the elderly still represent a population for which the role of ASCT needs to be fully defined. 201 patients who underwent autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) for Non Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) at a single institution following BEAM conditioning between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2007 were retrospectively identified from the Yale University School of Medicine Bone Marrow Transplant Database. 67 patients were …

Comparison Of Zeocin And G418 Resistance Markers In Pichia Pastoris, Allison Moy

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The methylotrophic yeast, Pichia pastoris, has been used to successfully produce and express over 700 heterologous proteins. Currently, the only two dominant selectable markers available are the Zeocin and blasticidin resistance genes. This study focused on characterizing and developing the modified G418 selectable marker so it could be used for primary selection of single copy and multicopy strains. To demonstrate its use as a selectable marker the SLPI reporter gene was inserted into the Zeocin resistance vector, pPICZB, and the new G418 resistance vector, pKANa B. The resulting constructs were then transformed into P. pastoris yJC100 cells. Piggyback strains containing …

Biological Characterization Of Fc Receptor-Like 6 (Fcrl6), Daniel M. Schreeder

All ETDs from UAB

Members of the Fc receptor-like (FCRL) family are cell-surface proteins with ancient conservation, distinct lymphocyte expression patterns, and tyrosine-based signaling capa-bilities that imply a fundamental role for them in modulating immune responses. Though they share many features with the Fc receptors (FCR) for IgG and IgE, FCRLs have not been found to bind immunoglobulin. In these studies, we sought to characterize the cellu-lar expression pattern, binding partner, and function of a recently identified FCRL family member, human FCRL6. By developing specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) we determined that FCRL6 is dis-tinctly expressed by cytotoxic lymphocytes, namely NK cells, CD8+ T cells, …

Design Of The Predictive Power Method With Two Endpoints, Kiya R. Hamilton

All ETDs from UAB

Three reasons to review accumulating data in clinical trials include: ethical issues, financial concerns and administrative concerns. Interim analysis is a good way to monitor accumulating data in clinical trials. Interim analysis allows for the possibility that a study may be terminated early; that is, if the currently observed data convincingly favor the null or the alternative hypothesis then the study ends early. In addition, many clinical trials are conducted to compare a treatment group to a standard group on multiple endpoints. Combining interim analyses with multiple endpoints allows for more information to be provided from the trial than either …

Analysis Of The Malaria Vaccine Potential Of Plasmodium Falciparum Merozoite Surface Protein-3, Stephen James Jordan

All ETDs from UAB

Malaria causes an estimated 1-3 million deaths each year, with the majority of deaths being a result of infection with Plasmodium falciparum. No commercially available vaccine currently exists, but multiple subunit-based vaccines are in development including one based on the promising vaccine candidate P. falciparum Merozoite Surface Protein-3 (PfMSP3). PfMSP3 varies in sequence between P. falciparum isolates, but all variation is restricted to the N-terminal domain. This observation has lead to the development of a PfMSP3-based vaccine comprised solely of the highly conserved, yet poorly immunogenic, C-terminal domain. The rationale for supporting the C-terminal domain relies entirely on its conserved …

Oxidative Stress-Stimulated Vascular Calcification, Chang Hyun Byon

All ETDs from UAB

Oxidative stress plays a critical role in pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. However, the effect of oxidative stress-induced molecular signaling in development of vascular calcification, a feature of advanced atherosclerosis, has not been defined. Osteogenic differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) is critical in development of vascular calcification. We determined hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress promoted a phenotypic switch of mouse primary VSMC from contractile to osteogenic phenotype. This effect was associated with increased expression and transactivity of Runx2, a key transcription factor for osteogenic differentiation. Inhibition of Runx2 using short hairpin RNA blocked oxidative stress-induced VSMC calcification. By contrast, adenovirus-mediated …

Intracellular Trafficking Of The Hantaviral Nucleocapsid Protein And Its Function In Modulation Of Immune Signaling, Steven Joe Ontiveros

All ETDs from UAB

Old World and New World hantaviruses, family Bunyaviridae, mature intracellularly within cellular compartments. Although it is generally accepted they assemble and bud in the Golgi apparatus the site remains controversial for New World hantaviruses, because some studies have raised the possibility of their maturation at the plasma membrane. Furthermore, the site of assembly hantaviruses still remains undetermined. The nucleocapsid (N) protein has been proposed to play a key role in facilitating assembly. To gain insight into the assembly pathways of Old World hantaviruses, we examine the intracellular trafficking of the Hantaan (HTN) virus N protein. We show progressive redistribution of …