Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Intermediate Filaments Regulate Tissue Size And Stiffness In The Murine Lens, Douglas S. Fudge, John V. Mccuaig, Shannon Van Stralen, John F. Hess, Huan Wang, Richard T. Mathias, Paul G. Fitzgerald

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

PURPOSE. To define the contributions of the beaded filament (BF), a lens-specific intermediate filament (IF), to lens morphology and biomechanics.

METHODS. Wild-type and congenic CP49 knockout (KO) mice were compared by using electrophysiological, biomechanical, and morphometric approaches, to determine changes that occurred because of the absence of this cytoskeletal structure.

RESULTS. Electrophysiological assessment established that the fiber cells lacking the lens-specific IFs were indistinguishable from wild-type fiber cells. The CP49 KO mice exhibited lower stiffness, and an unexpected higher resilience than the wildtype lenses. The absence of these filaments resulted in lenses that were smaller, and exhibited a higher ratio …

Induction Of Mucosal Immunity Using Virus-Like Particle Based Vaccines, Zoe Hunter

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Many viral structural proteins are capable of spontaneously self-assembling into structures that resemble virus particles. These structures, called virus-like particles (VLPs), have multivalent, highly repetitive structures which are capable of inducing robust and enduring immune responses, and, therefore, can serve as the basis for effective vaccines. VLPs can be used as stand-alone vaccines targeting the viruses from which they are derived and also as platforms for presenting heterologous antigens; their ability to evoke strong antibody responses against even poorly immunogenic targets makes them an attractive model for future vaccine and drug delivery vehicle designs. Our lab developed display technologies that …

Team Assignment Strategies In Youth Sports, Stephanie Marhefka

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Assigning players to teams is a general dilemma that affects many people every day. Teams are formed in many situations including work environments, school projects, sporting teams, and for general day to day activities. The method used to assign players or members to teams can influence the productivity, efficiency, and the final outcome of the team in question. For this reason, much thought is put into forming a team to meet the specifications of the projects.
Youth sports leagues, specifically Little League baseball leagues, are an integral part of the lives of children and parents in the United States today. …

Effects Of Insulin And Oral Antidiabetic Agents On Glucose Metabolism, Vascular Dysfunction And Skeletal Muscle Inflammation In Type 2 Diabetic Subjects, J. Joya-Galeana, M. Fernandez, A. Cervera, Sara M. Reyna, S. Ghosh, C. Triplitt, N. Musi, Ralph A. Defronzo, Eugenio Cersosimo

School of Medicine Publications

Background

To test potential differences between the actions of anti-diabetic medications, we examined the effects of oral hypoglycemic agents versus insulin glargine-apidra therapy in T2DM.

Methods

T2DM subjects were randomized to either OHA (pioglitazone, metformin, glipizide, n=9) or IT (n=12) for 6 months. Carotid intimal media thickness (CIMT), vascular reactivity [FMD] (% change in brachial arterial diameter [BD] post-ischemia), and sublingual nitrate [SLN] were measured with ultrasonography. Euglycemic hyperinsulinemic (80 mU/m2) clamp with [3]-3H-glucose and muscle biopsies were performed.

Results

FPG (∼257 to ∼124, OHA ∼256 to ∼142 mg/dl, IT) and HgbA1C (∼10.3 to ∼6.4%, OHA; ∼10.7 to ∼7.1%, IT), …

Violence Towards Remote Area Nurses: A Delphi Study To Develop A Risk Management Approach, Kylie M. Mccullough

Theses : Honours

Incidents of occupational violence against nurses are unacceptably high. Remote Area
Nurses in Australia frequently encounter violence in the work place and have limited
resources to deal with the problem. Adopting a risk management approach, and
utilising the Delphi method, a panel of expert Remote Area Nurses (n=10) from
geographically diverse communities, identified and prioritised hazards that increase the
risk of violence and made suggestions for controlling those hazards.
Priority hazards included; building maintenance and design, attending call-outs away
from the clinic, staff inexperience and lack of knowledge about the community, as well
as intoxicated clients, communication difficulties and a …

The Role Of Diffusion And Membrane Topography In The Initiation Of High Affinity Ige Receptor Signaling, Nicholas L. Andrews

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

The high affinity IgE receptor (FcεRI) plays a primary role in the pathogenesis of allergic disease and shares significant similarities with the two other multichain immune recognition receptor family members, the B-cell receptor and T-cell receptor. A wealth of information exists in all three of these receptor systems with regard to the signaling cascades occurring subsequent to receptor activation. It is also known that all three require binding of multivalent antigen to initiate signaling. However, very little is known about the precise mechanism by which multivalent antigen binding initializes downstream signaling. It has long been known that, in response to …

Bmi Trajectories During The Transition To Older Adulthood: Persistent, Widening, Or Diminishing Disparities By Ethnicity And Education?, Katrina M. Walsemann, Jennifer A. Ailshire

Faculty Publications

Previous research has produced inconsistent results on whether education and ethnic disparities in BMI persist, widen, or diminish over time. We investigate how education and ethnicity, independently and conditionally, influence BMI trajectories during the transition to older adulthood. Employing random coefficient modeling, we analyzed 8 biennial waves of data (1992-2006) from the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative longitudinal study of individuals born between 1931 and 1941. After adjusting for health behaviors and health status, education and ethnic disparities in BMI persisted for most groups, but narrowed between high-educated white men and both low-educated Hispanic men and high-educated black …

Regulation Of Spreading Depression Events In Brain Slices By Astrocyte Metabolism, Jessica Lousie Seidel

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Spreading depression (SD) is a severe depolarization of both neurons and astrocytes that can propagate throughout CNS tissue. SD has long been associated with migraine, and recent work has strongly suggested that closely related events are likely to be involved in pathophysiological conditions where they provide a large additional metabolic burden to injured tissues. The major goal of this dissertation was to test the overall hypothesis that manipulation of astrocyte metabolic capacity can modify the initiation and propagation of deleterious spreading depression (SD)-like events. If this were the case, then it may support targeting these cells in a range of …

Snap-25 Is A Component Of A Ubiquitous Snare Complex Required For Evoked Neuroexocytosis In Gabaergic Neurons, Lawrence C. R. Tafoya

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

The processes of vesicular trafficking and membrane fusion are fundamental to nervous system development and communication among neurons within integrated circuits. The regulated release of several neurotransmitters is dependent on synaptosomal-associated protein 25 kDa (SNAP-25)-containing soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) core complexes. The requirement for this fusogenic machinery in evoked neurosecretion has been repeatedly demonstrated through the use of mutant mouse models and neurotoxin blockades. However, the existence of a functional role for a SNAP-25-containing SNARE complex has not been shown in the major inhibitory neurotransmitter system of the brain, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). To determine whether SNAP-25 participates …

Health Needs Of Hiv-Infected Women In The United States: Insights From The Women Living Positive Survey., Kathleen E Squires, Sally L Hodder, Judith Feinberg, Dawn Averitt Bridge, Staats Abrams, Stephen P Storfer, Judith A Aberg

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

The objective of this study was to describe attitudes, opinions, and perceived health needs of HIV-infected women in the United States. In this cross-sectional study, women were invited to participate in the Women Living Positive survey, a structured interview instrument with 45 questions. Collected data were deidentified and the margin of error was calculated as four percentage points. Incoming toll-free phone interviews were conducted from December 21, 2006, through March 14, 2007 among subjects recruited from a U.S. national network of AIDS counseling centers. Seven hundred HIV-infected women (43% African American, 28.5% Hispanic, 28.5% Caucasian; median age, 42.5 years) receiving …

The Effects Of Climate Change On Public Health And The Healthcare Provider's Role In Addressing Climate Change, Allyson J. Pfeiffer

Senior Honors Projects

“Climate change is a term that refers to major changes in temperature, rainfall, snow, or wind patterns lasting for decades or longer.  Both human-made and natural factors contribute to climate change” (EPA, p. 1, 2011).  Some examples of human-made causes of global warming include burning fossil fuels (e.g., petroleum, coal, diesel), cutting down forests, and developing land for farms, cities, and roads, because these activities all release green house gases into the atmosphere.  Green house gases are gases that trap heat in the atmosphere.  There are some greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide that occur naturally and are emitted into …

The Mind In Motion, Shayan A. Gates

Senior Honors Projects

The Mind in Motion

Shayan Gates

Faculty Sponsor: Galen Johnson, Philosophy

The origin of most scientific disciplines can be traced back to a few philosophical insights posed by a few curious thinkers throughout time, and cognitive science is no exception.While intrigue has nearly always surrounded the human mind and its relation to the brain, validation of this relationship has not been so easy to come by, and there are still areas of contention during this time of advancement in neurological sciences and related technologies.

This topic is very broad (to say the least) so I decided to confine this paper …

Understanding Autism, Kaileigh J. Sweeney

Senior Honors Projects

Understanding Autism

Kaileigh Sweeney

Faculty Sponsor: Carolyn Hames

Autism spectrum disorders are greatly misunderstood in today’s society.  In the United States, it is estimated that 1 in 110 children are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.  Despite this high prevalence, a great deal of the population is under the impression that a diagnosis of autism is straight forward and indicative of one set of devastating signs and symptoms.  However, the severity of this disorder can range from mild to severe. According to the National Institute of Health, an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders characterized …

A Review Of The Alteration Of Polychlorinated Biphenyls In The Aquatic Environment With An Analysis Of The Pcb Contamination Of The St. Lawrence River Fish, Kate Bennett

Public Health Undergraduate Program

No abstract provided.

Nutrition And Fitness Guide For Graduating Student-Athletes, Anna Fukunaga

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

For the last four years of your life, you have been supported by strength coaches, academic advisors, athletic trainers, tutors, mentors, and coaches. Your life is dedicated to your sport, and your body is molded into the ideal build to compete at the highest level you can achieve. As soon as your competitive days are over, your life dramatically changes and the needs of your body change as well. Because you typically do not sustain the same level of activity, you do not have the same nutritional needs. The demands you place on your body for your sport are higher …

Effect Of Whole Body Vibration On Sterotypy Of Young Children With Autism, Mandi W. Gibbons

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Objective: To determine if acute whole body vibration exposure influences stereotyped behavior of young children with autism.

Design: Single-case pilot study.

Setting: Early intensive behavioral intervention clinic.

Subjects: A convenience sample of four young boys (ages 4-5 yrs) diagnosed with autism.

Interventions: Standing on a whole body vibration platform with the machine turned off (control condition) and on (treatment condition) for three to four, 30-s periods (frequency = 28 Hz; amplitude 0.97 mm).

Main measure: The outcome measure was frequency of stereotypic behavior, which was evaluated for 5-min before and after standing on the vibration platform. Between 10-40 observation-condition-observation sessions …

Improving Patient Satisfaction In A Hospital Foodservice System Using Low-Cost Interventions: Determining Whether A Room Service System Is The Next Step, Vanessa A. Theurer

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

A survey was used to assess patient foodservice satisfaction at an acute care hospital. Results were then used to identify the lowest scoring areas of foodservice. Low-cost interventions were implemented to address the areas of needed improvement. Patient satisfaction was reassessed by re-issuing surveys. Group T-tests were used to compare the results of the baseline and follow-up surveys (P

A Survey Of Speech-Language Pathologists' Attitudes Toward The 3:1 Service Delivery Model, Whitney Hubert

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the attitudes and perceptions of SLPs who are currently using the 3:1 service delivery model. The 3:1 Model consists of services being directly administered for three out of the four weeks of a month and indirect services provided during the fourth week. An internet-based questionnaire was completed by 90 speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to obtain their perspectives regarding the 3:1 Model. In general, 45% of the SLPs reported using the 3:1 Model with all of their clients and 86% preferred the 3:1 Model over other models (block scheduling, traditional model). The SLPs noted …

The Effects Of Repetitive Drop Jumps On Impact Phase Joint Kinematics And Kinetics, Joshua T. Weinhandl, Jeremy D. Smith, Eric L. Dugan

Kinesiology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of fatigue on lower extremity joint kinematics, and kinetics during repetitive drop jumps. Twelve recreationally active males (n = 6) and females (n = 6) (nine used for analysis) performed repetitive drop jumps until they could no longer reach 80% of their initial drop jump height. Kinematic and kinetic variables were assessed during the impact phase (100 ms) of all jumps. Fatigued landings were performed with increased knee extension, and ankle plantar flexion at initial contact, as well as increased ankle range of motion during the impact phase. …

Policy Implications Of Oral Agents, Sandra L. Spoelstra, Barbara A. Given, Charles W. Given, Marcia Grant

Peer Reviewed Articles

OBJECTIVE: With the increasing use of oral antineoplastic agents in cancer management, patients and family members need to understand of how to obtain, safely handle, and store the medication, how and when the medications should be taken, and when to report toxic side effects to accomplish efficacious treatment.

DATA SOURCES: Research based articles and conference presentations.

CONCLUSION: Cancer centers to modify policies, protocols, or practices to assure safe and proper administration of oral antineoplastic agents.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Clinicians need to monitor and facilitate administration of oral antineoplastic agents, and ultimately improve clinical outcomes.

Investigation Of Improvements In The Quality Of Life For Cancer Patients, Joelle M. Gagnon

Senior Honors Projects

Investigation of Improvements in the Quality of Life for Cancer Patients

Joelle Gagnon

Faculty Sponsor: Lenore Martin, CELS

The treatment of cancer has been a topic of study for decades due to the devastating effects of the disease and the need for a therapeutic regimen that presents maximum efficacy with minimal toxicity. For cancer patients, quality of life is disturbed by not only the pathogenesis of disease, but also the potential toxic effects on the body as a result of the prescribed therapeutic regimen. Topoisomerase inhibition is a molecular mechanism of action of chemotherapy agents that have been of clinical …

Over The Counter (Otc) Analgesics: A Knowledge And Usage Assessment In College Students, Nicole Patel

Senior Honors Projects

This project was designed to assess the general understanding of OTC pain relievers and their management via a survey in a college student population. From this data, an educational program was developed in conjunction with the College of Pharmacy and Health Services to educate college students on the dangers of OTC analgesic misuse.

164 college students aged 18 years and older were recruited in-person to participate in a brief survey.  This 12 question survey was developed to assess the general understanding and current usage of OTC analgesics. Specifically, health majors were compared to non-health majors in relation to the answers …

Assessing The Cultural Competence Of Healthcare Professionals In A Psychiatric Setting, Jean Kulas

Senior Honors Projects

Hospitals, nursing homes, and mental health facilities throughout Rhode Island admit patients from a multitude of cultures on a daily basis. As a result, healthcare professionals are often taking care of patients from backgrounds other than their own. Different groups of people have their own set of norms and unique views regarding medical treatment. How knowledgeable are healthcare workers about certain cultural practices, beliefs, and symptomatology?

My goal was to assess the cultural competency of healthcare professionals in a psychiatric and mental health facility in Rhode Island. I chose to focus on the mental health setting instead of a general …

Mandatory Hiv Testing During Pregnancy: A Review Of Its Considerations, Ethics & Precedents, Abigail C. Beaudette

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Every year, in the United States, between 100-200 babies are infected prenatally with HIV. With the use of antiretroviral medications, elective cesarean section and formula feeding, the risk of vertical transmission can be reduced to less than 2%. In this paper I analyzed whether or not state governments should mandate HIV testing for all pregnant women in order to reduce vertical transmission of HIV. By looking at the cases for and against mandatory testing, as well as looking at states such as Connecticut who have implemented mandatory testing, I will present the case for why the benefit of mandatory testing …

Assessment Of Suny Upstate Medical University’S Child Telepsychiatry Consultation Program, Mary E. Lau

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Objectives: The project assesses the child telepsychiatry services provided by SUNY Upstate psychiatrists to several county mental health clinics in central New York State. Method: Data for forty-five patients was extracted from pre-consultation forms completed by the referring clinic and post-consultation summaries completed by the Upstate psychiatrists that occurred between July 13^th, 2009 and May 12^th, 2010. The study identified characteristics of patients for whom telepsychiatry consultations were sought, reviewed recommendations provided by the telepsychiatry consultant, and noted recommended changes in therapy and medication. Results: Analysis of the data showed that there was a large variation …

Reducing Maternal And Perinatal Mortality Through Labor And Delivery Practices At A Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa District Hospital, Kristen E. Culmo

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Maternal and perinatal mortality have become main focuses in global health, including in the country of South Africa. Many maternal and perinatal deaths can be prevented just before, during, and directly after the labour and delivery process. This study examines such prevention practices being employed at a district hospital serving a rural population in north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The study looks at the methods used by the hospital to reduce maternal and perinatal mortality in the labour ward during the intrapartum and immediate postpartum periods, from the start of contractions through three hours post delivery.

Regulation Of Immediate Early And Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition Genes Expression By Adipocytokines In The Female Reproductive Tract, Zhufeng Yang

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Individuals who are overweight or obese are at increased risk for cancer.  However, the mechanistic link between obesity and cancer is poorly defined.  Adipose tissue produces hormones and pro-inflammatory cytokines with mitogenic properties.  Many of these hormones and cytokines are altered in obese individuals and may lead to disruption of the normal balance between cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine how adipocyte-derived factors regulate the expression of genes that contribute to cell proliferation and migration.  To compare immediate early gene (cell proliferation) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (cell migration) gene expression between untreated and …

Revising, Improving And Using A Locally-Developed Worksheet For Multiple Journal Requests To Simplify The Review Process, Steven W. Brown, Kathe Obrig

Himmelfarb Library Faculty Posters and Presentations

The Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library Serials Department implemented revisions to a previously developed worksheet used to aid in more effectively making collection development decisions. The worksheet as developed was used effectively, but subsequent questions and further input encouraged the original developer to identify additional parameters to measure, thus improving on the original worksheet. This poster presentation is a summary of the process and results of the improvements made to the worksheet.

Rethinking Library Service To Distance Education Students: Analyzing The Embedded Librarian Model, Elaine Sullo, Alexandra Gomes, Thomas Harrod, Gisela Butera

Himmelfarb Library Faculty Posters and Presentations

Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library has embedded librarians into Blackboard classes in the George Washington University School of Nursing and School of Medicine and Health Sciences. This poster is a summarized guide of how librarians can best support distance learning groups in the medical field.

Rethinking Our Mobility: Supporting Our Patrons Where They Live, Alexandra Gomes, Elizabeth Palena Hall, Laura E. Abate

Himmelfarb Library Faculty Posters and Presentations

In anticipation of the release of a mobile VPN to access the George Washington University wireless network, the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library began developing materials and services to provide support to patrons. This poster is an outline of the mobile services that were implemented to reach patrons where they live.