Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Electroporation Of Pediococcus Pentosaceus And The Curing Rate Of Plasmids, Heidi E. Shields

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Genetic engineering is a relatively new process and is a major focus of research in various fields, such as medicine, plant genetics, and food science. The potential applications of genetic engineering include designer drug production, mass protein production, and enhanced food processing. Finding an appropriate host organism to be used in genetic engineering is an important preliminary step. Pediococcus pentosaceus has been suggested as a bacterial species with such potential. Since plasmids are often the vector of choice in genetic recombination, this research tests the ability of P. pentosaceus to take up and incorporate plasmids into its genome. Two plasmids …

Nutritional Concerns In Pediatric Renal Disease, Rachael Firmage

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Chronic kidney disease is a growing area of nutritional concern as the number of diagnosed cases increases. Children suffering from these renal diseases require special attention and medical nutrition therapy because of concerns and problems unique to this renal population. Uncontrolled kidney failure in pediatric patients can result in a number of consequences, such as growth retardation, anemia, metabolic imbalances, renal osteodystrophy, anorexia, and malnutrition. With the proper guidance, medical interventions, and dietary prescriptions, these untimely side effects can be reduced or avoided all together.

Refeeding Practices Of Malnourished Children, Marcianne Wittwer

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Over 200 million children in developing countries under the age of five are malnourished. Malnutrition contributes to more than half of the nearly 12 million under-five deaths in developing countries each year. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines malnutrition as "the cellular imbalance between the supply of nutrients and energy and the body's demand for them to ensure growth, maintenance, and specific functions." Because of the high demand for energy and essential nutrients, infants and children are at a particular risk for under-nutrition. Malnutrition is a condition that needs to be taken seriously and with proper treatment can save the …

The National School Lunch Program, Elizabeth Strasser

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The National School Lunch (NSLP) Program is a federally assisted meal program that began in 1946 and is designed to provide nutritionally balanced lunches to children. The program started slowly in 1853, in a few school districts around the United States. The efforts spread throughout different cities, and organizations were set in place to serve meals to children in schools under the supervision of the school boards.

The American Dietetic Association believes that all children and adolescents should have access to food and nutrition programs that ensure adequate food supply that promotes optimal physical. and social growth and development.

School …

Prevalence Of Type 2 Diabetes In Youth And Adolescents, Julie Patterson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Until recently, Type 2 diabetes was typically regarded as a disease of the middle-aged and elderly. While it is still true that this age group maintains a higher risk than younger adults, evidence is accumulating that onset in those of a much younger age. Children and adolescents are now part of this epidemic. This new phenomenon brings a serious new aspect to the global diabetes epidemic and heralds an emerging public health problem of major proportions. Prevention and treatment in these youth cannot be taken lightly. Prevention can be maintained through implementing exercise and balanced nutrition. It is essential to …

Does Motor Lateralization Have Implications For Stroke Rehabilitation?, Robert L. Sainburg, Susan V. Duff

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Recent findings on motor lateralization have revealed consistent differences in the control strategies of the dominant and nondominant hemisphere/limb systems that could have implications for hemiplegic stroke patients. Studies in stroke patients have demonstrated deficiencies in the ipsilesional arm that reflect these distinctions; patients with right-hemisphere damage tend to show deficits in positional accuracy, and patients with left-hemisphere damage show deficits in trajectory control. Such deficits have been shown to impede functional performance; yet patients with severe dominant-side hemiplegia must often use the nondominant arm as the primary manipulator for activities of daily living. Nevertheless, the nondominant arm may not …

Development Of An Instrument To Identify The Virtues Of Expert Nursing Practice: ‘Byrd’S Nurses Ethical Sensitivity Test’ (Byrd’S Nest), Lisa Marie Byrd

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to develop and analyze the psychometric properties of Byrd’s Nurse’s Ethical Sensitivity Test (Byrd’s NEST). An instrument to evaluate nurses’ ethical sensitivity in practice by examining choices of action in ethical dilemmas based on nursing virtues: compassion, fidelity to trust, moral courage, justice, self-confidence, resilience, practical reasoning, and integrity (Benner, Tanner, & Chelsa, 1996; Volbrecht, 2002). Benner’s theory of skill acquisition-novice to expert was the theoretical framework for this research which surveyed for correlations between a nurse’s ethical sensitivity and educational level, years of experience, certification, and work setting. Until now, there have been …

The Total And Specific Dimensions Of Self Concept Related To Female Participation In Collegiate Athletics, Dane Bradford Beary

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if differences existed between female collegiate sport participation and non-participation, as well as female collegiate individual and team sport participation on the total, the specific dimensions of self-concept and supplementary scores as rendered by the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale Second Edition TSCS:2 (Fitts & Warren, 1996). A subject pool of N=190 participants were used. All subjects included in data analysis were female undergraduate students. A multivariate analysis of variance (M ANOVA) was utilized to evaluate effects of sports participation versus non-participation and individual versus team sports participation on self-concept. On sports participation versus …

Nurse Practitioners' Attitudes Toward Obesity, Teresa Cueba Dionne

Master's Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore if negative attitudes exist among nurse practitioners toward obese clients. Data Sources: Data sources included responses to a 23 item questionnaire and a 7 item demographic survey completed anonymously through the mail. 104 Nurse practitioner members of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (21% response rate) participated in the study. Participants were asked to respond to questions related to attitudes about obese persons and weight management.

A Study Of Adolescent Depression Among Middle School Students, Cristina Lee

Master's Projects

Adolescent depression and teenage suicide should not be neglected and underestimated. While mental health is one of the ten health indicators that Healthy People 20 I 0 is focused on, and there are goals for the health community to work on, statistics are showing that teenagers in a county in Northern California were at high risk for mental health problem. This study was an introductory screening of the depression level of 7th graders attending middle school, and explored sources of adolescent perceived stress and routes of assistance. Results of the study show that almost one in every five 7th graders …

A Survey Of Perceived Job Satisfaction Among School Nurses, Warren Nelson

Master's Projects

Many studies have examined job satisfaction of nurses in various clinical settings, but few have focused on school nurses. This project was a follow-up to the study by Foley, Wilson, Lee, Young Cureton, & Canham (2004), who used a written questionnaire and convenience sample rather than the electronic means and random sampling employed here. Both studies, based on Stamp's Index of Work Satisfaction, analyzed six parameters to determine the degree of job satisfaction among members of a state school nurses organization. The results of this study substantially agreed with the prior study. School nurses were not satisfied with their jobs. …

Dependence Of Craniofacial Growth On Stages Of Cervical Vertebral Maturation And Stages Of Mandibular Canine Mineralization, Charles Allen Chance

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

When an individual presents for orthodontic treatment, orthodontic records are made that also include demographic information. The orthodontic treatment plan is determined not only from the diagnostic records but also from the relative amounts of growth the orthodontist perceives will take place during treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine if pretreatment biological age, as assessed from cervical vertebral (CV) maturity and/or mandibular canine mineralization, are statistically tied to the amount of growth occurring during treatment, and if so, then if biological age has any predictive merit in anticipating the amounts of growth occurring during treatment. The sample …

Changes In Integumental Dimensions Of The Face Following Orthodontic Treatment: A Long-Term Study, Jack Hou

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Most studies of facial growth in adults have relied on cross-sectional data. Longitudinal studies in this area are scarce because it is difficult to collect data on adults across time and because the changes are less dramatic than during childhood or adolescence. An interesting sample exists in the Charles H. Tweed collection, where orthodontic patients were recalled 10 or more years after treatment with an average time out of treatment of about 15 years. The availability of frontal facial photographs from this collection provided us with an uncommon opportunity to longitudinally quantify the changes in facial dimensions from adolescence into …

Hand-Wrist Bone Age In Children Treated For Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Mary Elizabeth Martin

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is the most common malignancy of childhood, constituting 31 percent of all childhood malignancies. Treatment strategies to target ALL include chemotherapeutic agents, irradiation of the neck and/or spine, and bone marrow transplantation. The aggressive nature of antineoplastic therapies often produces numerous craniofacial and dental sequelae as well as additional harmful effects to the entire body. Cranial irradiation may adversely affect the hypothalamic-pituitary axis decreasing growth hormone production. Consequently, children with ALL may experience a transient or permanent reduction in growth iatrogenically. Hand-wrist radiographs are valuable for evaluating maturational status in children with ALL. These radiographs allow …

Genetic Networks Modulating Retinal Injury, Felix Vazquez-Chona

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Many advances have and are being made with the advent of modern sciences. One area that remains resistant to significant advances is the recovery of the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) after injury. Considerable efforts were placed on understanding the cellular and biochemical changes occurring after injury and during wound healing. Aside from cataloging the changes that occur, little progress is being made in understanding the molecular cascades associated with the control of the healing process. The present series of studies define the global changes that occur after injury. They also define CNS repair mechanisms by identifying genetic networks that …

Pyemotes Herfsi (Acari: Pyemotidae), A Mite New To North America As The Cause Of Bite Outbreaks, Alberto B. Broce, Ludek Zurek, James A. Kalisch, Robert Brown, David L. Keith, David Gordon, Janis Goedeke, Cal Welbourn, John Moser, Ronald Ochoa, Eduardo Azziz-Baumgartner, Fuyuen Yip, Jacob Weber

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

High incidences of red, itching, and painful welts on people in the midwestern United States led to the discovery of a European species of mite, Pyemotes herfsi (Oudemans) (Acari: Pyemotidae), preying on gall-making midge larvae on oak leaves. The mites' great reproductive potential, small size, and high capacity for dispersal by wind make them difficult to control or avoid.

The Vaccinia-Related Kinases Phosphorylate The N' Terminus Of Baf, Regulating Its Interaction With Dna And Its Retention In The Nucleus, R. Jeremy Nichols, Matthew S. Wiebe, Paula Traktman

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The vaccinia-related kinases (VRKs) comprise a branch of the casein kinase family whose members are characterized by homology to the vaccinia virus B1 kinase. The VRK orthologues encoded by Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster play an essential role in cell division; however, substrates that mediate this role have yet to be elucidated. VRK1 can complement the temperature sensitivity of a vaccinia B1 mutant, implying that VRK1 and B1 have overlapping substrate specificity. Herein, we demonstrate that B1, VRK1, and VRK2 efficiently phosphorylate the extreme N' terminus of the BAF protein (Barrier to Autointegration Factor). BAF binds to both DNA and …

Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Icp0 Localizes In The Stromal Layer Of Infected Rabbit Corneas And Resides Predominantly In The Cytoplasm And/Or Perinuclear Region Of Rabbit Keratocytes, Naoyuki Morishige, James V. Jester, Julie Naito, Nelson Osorio, Andrew Wahlert, Clinton J. Jones, Roger D. Everett, Steven L. Weschler, Guey Chuen Perng

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Herpes stromal keratitis (HSK) results from the reactivation of herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) in the cornea. The subsequent corneal inflammation and neovascularization may lead to scarring and visual loss. The cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying HSK remain unknown. The presence of stromal HSV-1 viral proteins or antigens in the HSK cornea remains a subject of debate. It was recently reported that HSV-1 ICP0 rapidly diffuses out of infected rabbit corneas. To investigate further the presence of HSV-1 ICP0 in the infected cornea, particularly in the corneal stroma, ex vivo confocal microscopy was used to scan rabbit corneas infected with …

A Coprological View Of Ancestral Pueblo Cannibalism, Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

As the object of my scientific study, I’ve chosen coprolites. It’s not a common choice, but to a paleonutritionist and archaeoparasitologist, a coprolite—a sample of ancient feces preserved by mineralization or simple drying—is a scientific bonanza. Analysis of coprolites can shed light on both the nutrition of and parasites found in prehistoric cultures. Dietary reconstructions from the analysis of coprolites can inform us about, for example, the origins of modern Native American diabetes. With regard to parasitology; coprolites hold information about the ancient emergence and spread of human infectious disease. Most sensational, however, is the recent role of coprolite analysis …

Girls On The Move Program To Increase Physical Activity Participation, Lorraine B. Robbins, Kimberlee A. Gretebeck, Anamaria S. Kazanis, Nola J. Pender

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background:

Because physical inactivity poses serious health risks, interventions are urgently needed to reverse the increasingly sedentary lifestyles of adolescent girls.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of "Girls on the Move," an individually tailored computerized physical activity (PA) program plus nurse counseling intervention, in increasing PA.

Methods:

A pretest-posttest control group design was used with 77 racially diverse sedentary girls in Grades 6, 7, and 8 from two middle schools. Each of the instructional grades was randomly assigned to either an intervention or control condition. After completing computerized questionnaires, each girl in the control …

Variability In The Phases Of The Menstrual Cycle, Richard J. Fehring, Mary Schneider, Kathleen Raviele

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: To determine variability in the phases of the menstrual cycle among healthy, regularly cycling women. Design: A prospective descriptive study of a new data set with biological markers to estimate parameters of the menstrual cycles. Participants: One hundred forty one healthy women (mean age 29 years) who monitored 3 to 13 menstrual cycles with an electronic fertility monitor and produced 1,060 usable cycles of data. Measures and Outcomes: Variability in the length of the menstrual cycle and of the follicular, fertile, and luteal phases, and menses. The estimated day of ovulation and end of the fertile phase was the …

Lsuhsc Facilities Biweekly Update: May 2006, Lsuhsc Property And Facilities Management

LSUHSC Facilities Biweekly Updates: 2006

LSUHSC Facilities Biweekly Updates from May 6 and 27, 2006.

These updates describe damage and a timeline of repairs at the LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans campus due to Hurricane Katrina which made landfall August 29, 2005.

Health Promoting Aspects Of The Mediterranean Diet, Devrie Fielding

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In the 1960's information regarding the diet of the Mediterranean Regions was publicized as a healthful way of eating. Information was obtained from the Seven Countries Study conducted by Ancel Keys. This study revealed that residents of these regions had a lower incidence of coronary heart disease and increased longevity. Such health benefits were connected with low intakes of saturated fat. However, several other studies since then have found the Mediterranean dietary patterns to be more than cardioprotective. A decreased risk of cancer, reduced morbidity and mortality, and a decreased risk of several other diseases are also attributed to the …

Lsuhsc Facilities Daily Update: May 2006, Lsuhsc Property And Facilities Management

LSUHSC Facilities Daily Updates: 2006

LSUHSC Dailly Facilities Updates from May 2006. These updates describe damage and a timeline of repairs at the LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans campus due to Hurricane Katrina which made landfall August 29, 2005.

Dietary Supplement Use Among The Elderly, Diana Kristine Keith

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Introduction: According to NHANES data from 1999-2000, 52% of US adults reported talcing a dietary supplement in the last month. Even greater use of dietary supplements is observed among older individuals. Dietary supplements contain a wide range of ingredients from vitamin and minerals (VM) to botanicals, herbs, amino acids, and other ingredients sometimes referred to as non-vitamin and minerals (NVM).

Methods: Data on VM and NVM supplement use was collected in a prospective study of elderly people living in Cache Valley, Utah. The reported supplements were researched to obtain ingredient information and then categorized into groups representing the types of …

An Analysis Of Nutritional Services Available For Persons With Developmental Disabilities, Dawnie Elzinga

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Developmental disabled (DD) individuals are living longer, more normal lives in the United States. There has been an influx of DD individuals living in residential settings instead of the more traditional institutional setting. Consequently, dietetic professionals will encounter persons with DD in every area of practice. Nutrition therapy is becoming more important in the multidisciplinary treatment of DD individuals. Governmental legislation and community programs have improved the treatment and rights of DD persons over the past decade. Even with these advocacy efforts, DD persons are often not receiving the nutritional treatment they need. Common nutritional problems encountered in the DD …

Motivation And The Dietitian: Dietitians Must Increase Their Efforts To Motivate And Bring About Long-Term Success In Their Clients, Cory Ann Hansen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Perhaps the most difficult aspect of a dietitian's job is motivating clients to make necessary changes in their lives to benefit their health. Although most people are capable of enduring short-term attempts at healthy living, a lifetime of appropriate dietary habits is difficult for virtually everyone. One of the greatest challenges of long-term success is a lack of motivation. This signifies that it is not skills or knowledge that people lack in general. Therefore, dietitians must focus part of their efforts on motivation rather than simply teaching people what they need to do. Methods that have been found to be …

The National School Lunch Program: History Of The Past, Challenges Of The Present, Solutions For The Future, Hilary Annie Smith

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) was initially designed to provide nutritious meals to hungry schoolchildren. Over time, it seems as though this focus has shifted to serving as a source of proper nutrition in a society of over-fed yet undernourished children. The stated purpose of the NSLP is to "safeguard the health and well-being of the nation's children and to encourage the domestic consumption of nutritious agricultural commodities and other food." Currently, there are many challenges that the National School Lunch Program faces in meeting its goal of promoting healthful lifestyle practices among school-aged children. Three main challenges include …

Maximum Repetition Rates In Children At-Risk For Dyslexia, Amy L. Baxter

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

My senior thesis has focused on current research exploring precursor communication skills being conducted by Dr. Ben Massen at the Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen in the Netherlands. To that end, I worked in an acoustics lab analyzing Maximum Repetition Rates (MRR), also known as diadochokinetic rates, DDKs, in young children's speech development. This four year funded research project began in 2004.

In this paper I will provide an overview of the underlying theoretical considerations guiding the study and then describe my particular contribution to the effort, completed during Fall semester 2005 while I was a foreign exchange student.

Nutritional Perspective Of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Jessianna Rose

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, incurable, autoimmune disease that affects as many as two million persons in the United States. Current nutritional guidelines are very basic and revolve around specifics of the treatment of symptoms as seen with drug-nutrient interactions. Although current opinion does not directly see the onset of this disease linked to dietary factors, recent research may indicate that there is a link to a possible deficiency of pantothenic acid. This is not a widely accepted theory, but has some very unique observations which shed a new and interesting light on possible interventions through nutrition.