Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Perceived Social Support Among Chinese American Hemodialysis Patients, Kaklam Wong

Master's Projects

Social support is linked to improved health outcomes both in Western and Asian societies and is a vital factor in a patient's adjustment to end-stage renal disease and its treatment regimen. This study explored perceived social support among 46 Chinese American hemodialysis patients in San Francisco's Chinatown using the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire plus open-ended questions. Findings unexpectedly revealed low levels of perceived social support and lack of tangible support especially in elder patients. We can no longer assume that traditional family cultural values are providing adequate social support for this population.

Practice Patterns Contributing To Positive Patient Outcomes By Nurse Practitioners, Kandice Bandy

Master's Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify NP practice patterns most important for positive patient outcomes. Data Sources: A convenience sample (n = 93) of Nurse Practitioners attending the 2005 California Association for Nurse Practitioners Conference (N = 535) completed the survey. Conclusions: The most important practice patterns identified were associated with patient-centered care. When analyzed with years in practice, patient-centered practice patterns continued to be the most important. This study suggests that patient-centered practice patterns are most important to positive patient outcomes for NPs. Implications for practice: Identifying the practice patterns that are most important to positive …

Analysis Of Contraceptive Self-Efficacy In Clients Requesting Emergency Contraception, Jennifer L. Nordeen

Master's Projects

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Sickle Cell Disease On Growth Of The Craniofacial Complexes, Timothy Charles Bandeen

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic disorder affecting over 100,000 African Americans. While once lethal, medical treatment now allows those with SCD to lead comparatively normal lives, and these children are more frequently seeking orthodontic treatment. We report here on a cephalometric study of a contemporary cohort of 62 children with SCD (27 SC and 35 SS genotypes). This was a cross-sectional study of children from the MidSouth between 3 and 16 years of age, and results were co mpared to standards in Richardson’s Atlas of growth of American Black children in Nashville, TN. Raw values were converted to …

First Premolar Extraction Decisions And Effects, Ryan Gregory Bowles

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The most common method of resolving substantial tooth size-arch length discrepancies (TSALD) is to treat patients with the extraction of premolars. Not all of the extraction space, however, is needed to eliminate the patient's TSALD. Also, it is typical that some of the extraction space will be lost because the molars are used as anchorage units to retract the anterior teeth. OBJECTIVE: This study developed a method to measure changes in the positions of the canines and second premolars relative to the palatal rugae. These data were used to assess how the extraction space was used in resolving the malocclusion. …

Somatostatin Regulates Intracellular Signaling In Human Bronchial Smooth Muscle Cells, Michael J. Alfonzo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Somatostatin (somatotropin release inhibitory factor; SRIF), is an endogenous peptide family that controls cellular secretion and proliferation. While SRIF's cognate receptors and associated actions have been clearly identified in a range of tissues, such as the endocrine, gastrointestinal and immune systems, a role in human lung physiology remains unknown. Using primary human bronchial smooth muscle cells (hBSMC) as a model for studying SRIF's actions, we have investigated whether SRIF receptors are present and functional in human bronchial smooth muscle. Reverse transcriptase- polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis ofhBSMC total mRNA demonstrated the presence of the sst, receptor subtype, providing a molecular …

"Bariatic Surgery For Obese Adolescents", Hilary Brooke Spooner

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

With the rise of adolescent obesity, the need for treatment of this life-threatening disease is under consideration. There are several methods for the treatment of this disease, but a newer method is on the rise. Bariatric surgery for adolescents is a new technique that has been performed on adults for years, but the effects on the younger population are still unknown. There are certain criteria and guidelines for the patients undergoing this surgery, but the results seem to be promising. Nutritional and surgical complications are of great concern, but are the chronic disease health benefits brought on by weight loss …

The Adverse Health Effects Of Trans Fatty Acids, And Implications For Public Policy, Jonathan D. Atkin

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Subject: Trans fatty acids (TFAs) are produced either by the process of bacterial hydrogenation in the stomachs of ruminant animals, or the commercial method called industrial hydrogenation. The latter began early in the 20^th century based on purported health benefits and lowered costs. Alarming results from scientific studies in the early 1990's began to raise questions about whether TFAs should be regulated in our food supply.

Findings/Statistics: Scientific research initially discovered that TFAs raise the LDL/HDL ratio, thereby increasing the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Recent large, prospective, population-based studies have indicated a 25% increased risk of ischemic …

The Macrobiotic Diet May Have Benefits In Cancer Prevention, Brittany Lewis

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Macrobiotics is one of the most popular alternative or complementary approaches to fighting cancer. The diet is primarily plant-based, is centered on the idea of an all encompassing "yin-yang" concept in life, mind, environment and food. The dietary components of the macrobiotic diet, along with the many lifestyle implications are shown to have beneficial effects in cancer prevention and therapy. The diet has many anti-carcinogenic compounds, as well as a decrease in foods thought to promote cancer. A cause for concern is the vitamin deficiencies that may ensue in following a strict macrobiotic diet, which typically results from an all …

Comparison Of Pap Smear, Visual Inspection With Acetic Acid, Human Papillomavirus Dna-Pcr Testing And Cervicography, H De Vuyst, Patricia Claeys, S Njiru, L Muchiri, Sophia Steyaert, Petra De Sutter, E Van Marck, J Bwayo, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Objective: To assess the test qualities of four screening methods to detect cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia in an urban African setting.

Method: Six hundred fiftythree women, attending a family planning clinic in Nairobi (Kenya), underwent four concurrent screening methods: pap smear, visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), PCR for high risk human papillomavirus (HR HPV) and cervicography. The presence of cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN) was verified by colposcopy or biopsy.

Result: Sensitivity (for CIN2 or higher) and specificity (to exclude any CIN or cancer) were 83.3% (95% CI [73.6, 93.0]) and 94.6% (95% CI [92.6, 96.5]), respectively, for pap smear; 73.3% …

Catabolism Of Amino Acids To Volatile Fatty Acids By Lactococcus Lactis, Balasubramanian Ganesan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Lactic acid bacteria are essential as flavor producers of cheese and fermented products. They are capable of catabolizing aromatic, branched chain, and sulfur amino acids to flavor compounds. During cheese ripening the numbers of lactococcal colonies decrease, but lactococci survive without replication in culture. This prompted an investigation into possible mechanisms of catabolism of branched chain amino acids into branched chain fatty acids and the physiological relevance of amino acid catabolism to the bacteria. We hypothesized that lactococci catabolize branched chain amino acids to branched chain fatty acids during nonculturability.

Lactococci, lactobacilli, and brevibacteria catabolized both branched chain amino acids …

The Relationship Between Student Perceptions Of Faculty Support And Student Perceptions Of Clinical Competency, Linda Clark

Master's Projects

This study explored the relationship between student perceptions of faculty support and student perceptions of clinical competency in beginning and senior level nursing students. A total of 91 ethnically diverse, generic baccalaureate nursing students from a state funded university participated in the study. The participants completed Mozingo, Thomas, and Brooks' (1995) Perceived Competency Scale (PCS), Shelton's (2003) Perceived Faculty Support Scales (PFSS), and a demographic questionnaire. An independent t test determined that the observed mean difference between perceived competency scores in 46 beginning students (M=32.02) and 45 senior students (M=27.36) was statistically significant (t (89) =3.25,p<.05). The students demonstrated high scores of perceived faculty support and demonstrated no difference between the beginning (M=94.82) and the senior (M=95.61) nursing students (t (87) =-.25,p>.05). No statistically significant …

Color And Depression In The Diagnostic Drawing Series, Cara Emily Levitt

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

One of the most interesting and widely held assumptions by clinicians who used projective drawings was that the absence of color may indicate depression. The research about color’s relationship to depression was ambiguous, limited and dated. In this study it was hypothesized that the absence or presence of color in the Feeling Drawing of the Diagnostic Drawing Series [DDS] will have a positive correlation with a diagnosis of Major Depression. To test this hypothesis the colors both in the DDS archives Major Depression group and comparison group were counted and then statistically analyze to determine if specified colors were present …

Impact Of A Multifaceted Quality Improvement Initiative To Implement Jcaho Core Measures For Ami And Chf, Michael A. Rossi Md, Zubina M. Mawji Md, Mph, Patricia Parker Rn, Joshua B. Skibba Md, Katrina A. Fritz Bsn, Tamara Masiado Ma, Thomas E. Wasser Phd

Administration & Leadership

No abstract provided.

Effectiveness Of A Progress Note On Quality Care Indicators In A Get With The Guidelines Hospital, Michael A. Rossi Md, Zubina M. Mawji Md, Mph, Patricia Parker Rn, Joshua B. Skibba Md, Katrina A. Fritz Bsn, Tamara Masiado Ma, Thomas E. Wasser Phd

Administration & Leadership

No abstract provided.

Cart: An Hrs/Actinin-4/Berp/Myosin V Protein Complex Required For Efficient Receptor Recycling, Qing Yan, Wei Sun, Pekka Kujala, Yasmin Lotfi, Thomas A Vida, Andrew J Bean

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Altering the number of surface receptors can rapidly modulate cellular responses to extracellular signals. Some receptors, like the transferrin receptor (TfR), are constitutively internalized and recycled to the plasma membrane. Other receptors, like the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), are internalized after ligand binding and then ultimately degraded in the lysosome. Routing internalized receptors to different destinations suggests that distinct molecular mechanisms may direct their movement. Here, we report that the endosome-associated protein hrs is a subunit of a protein complex containing actinin-4, BERP, and myosin V that is necessary for efficient TfR recycling but not for EGFR degradation. The …

Palatal Perforation Associated With Intranasal Prescription Narcotic Abuse, Wendi M. Jewers, Yeshwant B. Rawal, Carl M. Allen, John R. Kalmar, Eric Fox, Guillermo E. Chacon, Parish P. Sedghizadeh

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Palatal perforation resulting from insufflation of cocaine has been well documented. In comparison, reports of destructive orofacial lesions resulting from intranasal abuse of prescription narcotics are rare. We present the clinical and histologic findings in a case of palatal perforation arising in a patient abusing a prescription opioid drug. The patient denied any history of cocaine use but admitted to habitually crushing and snorting a hydrocodone/acetaminophen preparation.

Study design

The patient presented to our clinic seeking resolution of speech difficulties associated with an oroantral fistula. Surgical repair of the defect had been attempted unsuccessfully in the past. In addition …

Using A 0-10 Scale For Assessment Of Anxiety In Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction, Maria J. De Jong, Kyungeh An, Sharon Mckinley, Bonnie J. Garvin, Lynne A. Hall, Debra K. Moser

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Background: Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) often experience anxiety, an emotion that predicts adverse physiologic outcomes. Critical care clinicians have not adopted an anxiety assessment instrument for widespread use, due in part to the unavailability of an easy to administer anxiety instrument that is not burdensome to either clinicians or critically ill patients. Objectives: To determine whether a single-item anxiety assessment instrument, the Anxiety Level Index (ALI), is a valid alternative to the State Anxiety Inventory (SAI) or the anxiety subscale of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) in assessing state anxiety for patients with AMI. Methods: In this prospective …

Heuristic Research Study: Implications For Art Therapy In Smoking Cessation, Sarah Roberts

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

This study explored the implications for the use of art therapy in smoking cessation, using a heuristic research design. The participant is a 22-year-old female smoker currently enrolled in the graduate art therapy program at Eastern Virginia Medical School. The data in this study consisted of spontaneous art expressions, audio-recordings, and visual and written journal entries throughout smoking cessation. Audio-voice recordings were made during art making and were followed by reflective writings about the art-making experience. Over an 8-week time period the researcher refrained from smoking and relapsed on three occasions. Each period of smoking cessation and relapse was considered …

Characterization Of Cytokine Induction And Effects Of Antiviral Treatment In Four Murine Models Of Poxvirus Infection, Corinna W. Knorr

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Cytokine profiles during cowpox virus (CPV) strain Brighton and vaccinia virus (VV) strain Western Reserve infections were characterized in intranasal (i.n.) and intraperitoneal (i .p.) models in BALB/c mice. The time-course of induction and effects of cidofovir treatment on interferon (IFN)-γ, IFN-γ inducible protein (IP)-10, interleukin (IL)-6, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 were determined. The four models have distinct patterns of cytokine induction. CPV i.p. and VV i.n. infections showed increased induction throughout the time studied. CPV i.n. infection resulted in delayed induction of IFN-γ and IP-10. Cytokine levels were fairly constant during VV i.p. infections. Cidofovir treatment (100 mg/kg/day …

A Replication Study For Comparative Purposes Of Evidence-Based Practice Activities In Magnet And Non-Magnet Hospitals, Joann F. Bunke

Theses and Graduate Projects

Nursing literature is rich with articles and studies in support of evidence-based practice. Health-care consumers today expect quality and excellence. As McSherry (1997) states, "'Patients', 'consumers'or'clients'are being encouraged to expect no less than a quality service and high standards of patient care from health professionals" (p. 985). The Magnet Recognition Program is one way to publicly recognize excellent nursing service. Using the 2003-2004 Magnet Recognition criteria within Standard Xlll is a way to evaluate the research environment of health-care facilities. The purpose of this study was to examine characteristics of the research environment of nursing departments within hospitals that are …

Our Public Health History In Florida: Interview With Peter J. Levin

Florida Public Health Review

No abstract provided.

Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acids And Ionizing Irradiation On Human Breast Cancer Xenograft Growth And Angiogenesis, W. Elaine Hardman, Luzhe Sun, Nicholas Short, Ivan L. Cameron

Biochemistry and Microbiology

Background

The effects of an omega-3 (n-3) fatty acid enriched diet alone and in combination with gamma irradiation (IR) therapy in nude mice bearing a human MDA-MB231 breast cancer xenograft were tested. The cancer cells were injected into the mammary fat pad of young female mice. Six weeks later, mice were randomly divided into two diet groups: 1) mice with 10% corn oil (rich in omega 6 fatty acids) in their food, 2) mice consuming a 10% fat diet that was enriched in n-3 fatty acids. After two weeks on the diet, treatment with 200 cGy of IR every second …

Glutamate Receptors In Perirhinal Cortex Mediate Encoding, Retrieval, And Consolidation Of Object Recognition Memory., Boyer D Winters, Timothy J Bussey

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Object recognition is consistently impaired in human amnesia and animal models thereof. Results from subjects with permanent brain damage have revealed the importance of the perirhinal cortex to object recognition memory. Here, we report evidence from rats for interdependent but distinct stages in object recognition memory (encoding, retrieval, and consolidation), which require glutamate receptor activity within perirhinal cortex. Transient blockade of AMPA receptor-mediated synaptic transmission within perirhinal cortex disrupted encoding for short- and long-term memory as well as retrieval and consolidation. In contrast, transient NMDA receptor blockade during encoding affected only long-term object recognition memory; NMDA receptor activity was also …

Ll5Β: A Regulator Of Postsynaptic Differentiation Identified In A Screen For Synaptically Enriched Transcripts At The Neuromuscular Junction, Masashi Kishi, Terrance T. Kummer, Stephen J. Eglen, Joshua R. Sanes

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Deep-Etch Em Reveals That The Early Poxvirus Envelope Is A Single Membrane Bilayer Stabilized By A Geodetic "Honeycomb" Surface Coat, John Heuser

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Tularemia: Emergence/Re-Emergence, Jeannine M. Petersen, Martin E. Schriefer

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Francisella tularensis is a gram-negative coccobacillus and the etiologic agent of the zoonotic disease tularemia. First described in 1911 in Tulare County, California, it has since been reported throughout the Northern Hemisphere, with natural infections reported among an unusually wide range of vertebrates and invertebrates. In recent years, tularemia has emerged in new geographic locations, populations, and settings. This review will serve to highlight mechanisms contributing to the recent emergence of tularemia as well as a repertoire of diagnostic tools useful for detecting and diagnosing disease.

The Ups And Downs Of Waiting For A Cure, Kenneth P. Serbin

At Risk for Huntington's Disease

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Amplification Enzymes For Hepatitis C Virus Quasispecies Analysis., Stephen J Polyak, Daniel G Sullivan, Michael A Austin, James Y Dai, Margaret C Shuhart, Karen L Lindsay, Herbert L. Bonkovsky, Adrian M Di Bisceglie, William M Lee, Chihiro Morishima, David R Gretch

SoM Articles

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) circulates as quasispecies (QS), whose evolution is associated with pathogenesis. Previous studies have suggested that the use of thermostable polymerases without proofreading function may contribute to inaccurate assessment of HCV QS. In this report, we compared non-proofreading (Taq) with proofreading (Advantage High Fidelity-2; HF-2) polymerases in the sensitivity, robustness, and HCV QS diversity and complexity in the second envelope glycoprotein gene hypervariable region 1 (E2-HVR1) on baseline specimens from 20 patients in the HALT-C trial and in a small cohort of 12 HCV/HIV co-infected patients. QS diversity and complexity were quantified using heteroduplex mobility assays …

Trefoil Factor 2 (Tff2) Deficiency In Murine Digestive Tract Influences The Immune System, M. Baus- Loncar, J. Schmid, El-Nasir Lalani, I. Rosewell, R. A. Goodlad, H. G.W. Stamp, N. Blin, T. Kayademir

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background & Aims:

The gastrointestinal trefoil factor family (TFF1, TFF2, TFF3) peptides are considered to play an important role in maintaining the integrity of the mucosa. The physiological role of TFF2 in the protection of the GI tract was investigated in TFF2 deficiency.

Methods:

TFF2-/- mice were generated and differential expression of various genes was assessed by using a mouse expression microarray, quantitative real time PCR, Northern blots or immunohistochemistry.

Results:

On an mRNA level we found 128 differentially expressed genes. We observed modulation of a number of crucial genes involved in innate and adaptive immunity in the TFF2-/- mice. …