Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Synthesis Of A New Scytovirin Protein Derivative, Sd1-Sd2-Sd2, To Decrease Hiv-1 Binding Affinity, Alexandra M. Wood

Honors Theses

Scytovirin is a novel anti-viral protein isolated from the cyanobacterium Scytonema varium. This protein has produced great scientific interest for its anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) activity. Scytovirin disrupts the mechanism of HV infection by binding to HIV-1 proteins glycoprotein 120, glycoprotein 160, and glycoprotein 41. It does not bind to the CD4 receptor on human immune cells. The wild-type protein consists of a single 95 amino acid chain. When folded, Scytovirin's amino acid sequence is arranged into two distinct domains, each with a high degree of sequence conservation. This implicates the importance of both domains in anti-HIV activity. Primers were …

Cardiologists Referring Patients For Periodontal Evaluation, Valerie Maxey

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"The association of periodontal disease and atherosclerotic vascular disease is proven in current scientific literature, however there is no empirical evidence that suggests cardiologists recognize this association or collaborate with dentists to address this association for patients. This study utilized qualitative research method to investigate the current beliefs and practices of five cardiologists. Using a standardized open-ended interview technique, the cardiologists were asked 12 interview questions designed to answer three research questions. Grounded theory method of analysis was followed in order to generate theories to answer the research questions. Results imply that while cardiologists accept the oral-systemic link as associative …

Mechanical Ankle Instability: Relationship With Active Joint Position Sense, Kristin K. Barnett

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"Current research defines chronic ankle instability (CAl) as the combination of mechanical ankle instability (MAl) and functional ankle instability (FAI). Previous research has found individuals with CAl and FAI to have deficits in proprioception, more specifically joint position sense (JPS). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between MAl and active JPS. Twelve participants (5 male, 7 female) were selected for this study based upon their subjective ankle instability as assessed by a score on the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) and objective ankle instability as assessed by measurements taken using a portable ankle arthrometer. Eligible participant's …

Relationship Between Nonmedical Benzodiazepine Use And Psychiatric Disorders Among Rural Appalachian Drug Abusers, Derek Szesny

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Abstract

Background: Inhabitants of Appalachian Kentucky are encumbered by tremendous health disparities, exhibit high rates of prescription drug abuse, and often co-present with psychiatric disorders. Compared to opioids, little research has focused on the nonmedical use of benzodiazepines.

Objective: To examine the association between nonmedical benzodiazepine use and major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anti-social personality disorder (ASPD) in a population of opioid drug abusers.

Methods: Data for this cross-sectional study was obtained from the Social Networks among Appalachian People (SNAP) study. Contingency tables analysis and the

X2statistic were used to …

The Effect Of State Expansion Of Medicaid Eligibility On Uninsurance Rates And Health Outcomes Of Nonelderly Adulst, Lazarus Ude Eze

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Abstract

Background:

Arizona, New York, and Maine expanded Medicaid eligibility to include nonelderly non-disabled childless adults between 2001 and 2002. This study examines whether this policy affects the percentage of uninsured nonelderly adult population and years of potential life lost in the state.

Methods

I compared the three states with Medicaid expansion with three other states with similar demographic characteristics but without expansions. The study population consists of uninsured adults between ages of 19 and 64 years of income equals or below 138% federal poverty level. I carried out a paired-samples t-test on the data and also plotted a line …

Increasing The Relevance Of Research To Underserved Communities: Lessons Learned From A Retreat To Engage Community Health Workers With Researchers, Heather Angier, Noelle Wiggins, Jessica Gregg, Rachel Gold, Jennifer E. Devoe

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article presents information on a community retreat developed to seek input from community health workers (CHWs) to increase the relevance of our research to underserved communities in Oregon. Retreats facilitating dialogue between researchers and CHWs could yield important insight to enhance the significance of research for communities.

Examining Roles In Children's Group Therapy: The Development Of A Dramaturgical Role Instrument To Measure Group Process, Craig Haen

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

In this exploratory group process study of two children’s psychotherapy groups in an outpatient clinic, group roles were examined through the development of a dramaturgical coding instrument and the use of trained raters to analyze videotaped scenes of interaction. Exploratory data analysis was conducted that compared individual members within groups, group-level data between groups, and members who showed clinical change with those who did not. The results suggest the potential diagnostic utility, for researchers and therapists, of applying dramaturgical roles to group process.

A Structure-Preserving Hybrid-Chordal Filter For Sampling In Correlation Networksa Structure-Preserving Hybrid-Chordal Filter For Sampling In Correlation Networks, Kathryn Dempsey Cooper, Tzu-Yi Chen, Sriram Srinivasan, Sanjukta Bhowmick, Hesham Ali

Interdisciplinary Informatics Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

Biological networks are fast becoming a popular tool for modeling high-throughput data, especially due to the ability of the network model to readily identify structures with biological function. However, many networks are fraught with noise or coincidental edges, resulting in signal corruption. Previous work has found that the implementation of network filters can reduce network noise and size while revealing significant network structures, even enhancing the ability to identify these structures by exaggerating their inherent qualities. In this study, we implement a hybrid network filter that combines features from a spanning tree and near-chordal subgraph identification to show how a …

Phase Composition Control Of Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles For Tunable Drug Delivery Kinetics And Treatment Of Osteomyelitis. Part 1: Preparation And Drug Release, Vuk Uskoković, Tejal A. Dasai

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Developed in this study is a multifunctional material for simultaneous osseoinduction and drug delivery, potentially applicable in the treatment of osteomyelitis. It is composed of agglomerates of nanoparticles of calcium phosphate (CAP) with different monophasic contents. The drug loading capacity and the release kinetics were investigated on two model drug compounds with different chemical structures, sizes and adsorption propensities: bovine serum albumin and fluorescein. Loading of CAP powders with small molecule drugs was achieved by physisorption and desiccation-induced agglomeration of nanoparticulate subunits into microscopic blocks. The material dissolution rate and the drug release rate depended on the nature of the …

Glue Sniffing Neuropathy And Review Of Literature, Hazim Brohi, Al Amri A. Saeed, Osamma Shams, Al Jundi E Ziad, Alreshi M Noauf, Abualela Handi, Khotani Amal, Babakkor Mohammed

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Glue sniffing neuropathy commonly known as n-hexane neuropathy. It is well documented that industrial exposure to n-hexane causes neuropathy, however it is less well recognized that inhalation of n-hexane present in the vapors can also cause neuropathy However such patients are not seen that frequently. The acute worsening also generates differential diagnosis of GBS. Most of literature is reported from west .We report such case for the first time from Saudi Arabia. A 35 year old male presented to us with progressive numbness followed by weakness in both legs since last three weeks. Over next two week he became chair …

What Diabetics Know About Diabetes?, Hazim Brohi, Aftab Ahmed Laghari, Shahid A Mirza, Arif Memon, Johar Khanzada, Tooba Rehman

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Patient’s lack of understanding of disease hinders in proper control of disease thus increasing the morbidity and mortality. Review of the studies done in this region, dose not provide a detail account of patients understanding about the disease. Majority of patients when interviewed in clinics do not know the right answer to cause, level of desired sugar, possible complication. Material and methods: Hospital-based cross-sectional KAP study was conducted on diabetic patients visiting the diabetic clinic in two tertiary care Hospitals and a diabetic poly clinic in different areas of Karachi during the month of September 2012. Results: The mean age …

Not All Asymptomatic Carotid Plaques Are Equal: Some Require Intervention, Iram Naz

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Ischemic stroke represents a major health hazard around the world, which has a severe impact on society and the health-care systems. Roughly, 15% of all strokes can be attributed to significant atherosclerotic disease of the carotid arteries. Some patients presenting with disabling strokes for the first time cannot benefit from carotid revascularization having lost the opportunity of prevention. We know that all symptomatic patients were once asymptomatic. Hence, after identifying high risk carotid plaques and patient’s characteristics suitable for interventions, they should be offered carotid revascularization at specialized centers (with low perioperative stroke and death rates) to prevent stroke and …

Major Depressive Disorder And Measures Of Cellular Aging: An Integrative Review, Patricia Anne Kinser, Debra E. Lyon

School of Nursing Publications

Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects millions of individuals and causes significant suffering worldwide. It has been speculated that MDD is associated with accelerated aging-related biological and functional decline. To examine the accelerated aging hypothesis, one of the biomarkers under study is leukocyte telomeres, and specifically the measure of telomere length and telomerase activity. This review integrates findings from eleven human studies which evaluated telomere length and telomerase activity, in order to synthesize the state of the current science and to inform the development of new knowledge and enhance nursing research of depression using appropriate biobehavioral measures. Although preliminary, the findings …

Evaluation Of Provider Strategies To Promote Adherence To Childhood Obesity Clinical Guidelines, Gigi T. Thomas

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

The American population is rapidly becoming ethnically diverse with an increase in Hispanics. As the number of Hispanics increase, so is the prevalence of obesity among Hispanic children, adolescents, and adults, indicating a need for early prevention. Regardless of guidelines from an array of professional organizations, translating evidence-based research into practice remains a challenge for providers. The purpose of this study is to examine how a practice intervention influences provider adherence to childhood obesity guidelines on preventing, assessing, and treating obesity among Hispanic children ages 6 to 12 years old. The practice intervention consisted of provider awareness of current practice …

Written Asthma Action Plan (Wap): An Educational Color-Coded Bilingual Pictorial Pediatric Asthma Action Plan, Kathy Thompson

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

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Are We Ready For A New Epidemic Of Under Recognized Liver Disease In South Asia Especially In Pakistan? Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Om Parkash, Saeed Hamid

Section of Gastroenterology

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasingly recognized as an important public health problem nowadays. NAFLD encompass a variety of liver pathologies including simple steatosis, NASH, fibrosis, cirrhosis and finally cancer. It is associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome, dyslipidaemia, Insulin resistance (IR) and type 2 diabetes. It is the most common chronic liver disease in USA and considered to be increasing in Asia Pacific region including South Asia however there is no community based study from Pakistan. Customarily NAFLD had been regarded as a benign disease; however clinical as well as epidemiological studies had contradicted this belief because approximately 20% …

Those Who Get Left Behind, Maggie Pfutner

3690: A Journal of First-Year Student Research Writing

Overview: For most people, losing a friend or loved one is the most difficult thing that they will have to deal with in their life. When that person is an adolescent who may not have personally dealt with death before and especially a death from suicide, the process of grieving can become even more difficult and complicated. In 2009, 4,630 young adults ages 10-24 died by suicide (“Youth Suicidal Behavior”). For each of these deaths a conservative estimate is that “as many as 6 to 10 survivors (persons close to the suicide victim) remain to cope with the loss” (Mitchell …

Experiences Of Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Students: An Exploratory Phenomenological Study, Anysia J. Ensslen

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Within the past decade little research has been conducted in the United States to examine the preparedness of beginning speech-language pathologists; the seminal article used for this research study comes from the United Kingdom (Horton, Byng, Bunning, & Pring, 2004). Literature from the past few decades indicates that there may be deficiencies in the way that beginning speech-language pathologists are being trained clinically.

The review of the literature suggests that the field may lack a clear and broadly supported learning theory or framework for the clinical supervision and training of speech-language pathology graduate students. The literature further supports the importance …

Behavioral Intentions And Nonmedical Anabolic Steroid Use Among Non Intercollegiate Athlete Males Ages 18-30, Vitesh Enaker

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of factors associated with nonmedical anabolic steroid use among males ages 18-30 who do not participate in intercollegiate athletics. The Behavioral Intentions and Ergogenic Aid/Performance Enhancer use among non-intercollegiate athlete males survey instrument was developed, reviewed for content validity by a jury of experts, and pilot tested. The pilot testing results (n=25) demonstrated acceptable reliability (Cronbach’s alpha= 0.74). The final version of the Behavioral Intentions and Ergogenic Aid/Performance Enhancer use among non-intercollegiate athlete males survey instrument was administered at two distribution sites which included Ford’s Fitness Center in Lexington, Kentucky and …

Development Of An Eeg Brain-Machine Interface To Aid In Recovery Of Motor Function After Neurological Injury, Elizabeth Salmon

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Impaired motor function following neurological injury may be overcome through therapies that induce neuroplastic changes in the brain. Therapeutic methods include repetitive exercises that promote use-dependent plasticity (UDP), the benefit of which may be increased by first administering peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) to activate afferent fibers, resulting in increased cortical excitability. We speculate that PNS delivered only in response to attempted movement would induce timing-dependent plasticity (TDP), a mechanism essential to normal motor learning. Here we develop a brain-machine interface (BMI) to detect movement intent and effort in healthy volunteers (n=5) from their electroencephalogram (EEG). This could be used in …

Noninvasive Near-Infrared Diffuse Optical Monitoring Of Cerebral Hemodynamics And Autoregulation, Ran Cheng

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Many cerebral diseases are associated with abnormal cerebral hemodynamics and impaired cerebral autoregulation (CA). CA is a mechanism to maintain cerebral blood flow (CBF) stable when mean arterial pressure (MAP) fluctuates. Evaluating these abnormalities requires direct measurements of cerebral hemodynamics and MAP. Several near-infrared diffuse optical instruments have been developed in our laboratory for hemodynamic measurements including near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS), hybrid NIRS/DCS, and dual-wavelength DCS flow-oximeter. We utilized these noninvasive technologies to quantify CBF and cerebral oxygenation in different populations under different physiological conditions/manipulations. A commercial finger plethysmograph was used to continuously monitor MAP. For investigating …

Effects Of Intranasally Administered Dnsp-11 On The Central Dopamine System Of Normal And Parkinsonian Fischer 344 Rats, James H. Sonne

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

Due to the blood-brain barrier, delivery of many drugs to the brain has required intracranial surgery which is prone to complication. Here we show that Dopamine Neuron Stimulating Peptide 11 (DNSP-11), following non-invasive intranasal administration, protects dopaminergic neurons from a lesion model of Parkinson’s disease in the rat. A significant and dose-dependent increase in an index of dopamine turnover (the ratio of DOPAC to dopamine) was observed in the striatum of normal young adult Fischer 344 rats by whole-tissue neurochemistry compared to vehicle administered controls.

Among animals challenged with a moderate, unilateral 6-hydroxy-dopamine (6-OHDA) lesion of the substantia nigra, those …

Molecular And Cellular Characterization Of Dopamine Neuron Stimulating Peptides, Kristen Kelps

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

Parkinson’s disease, the second most common neurodegenerative disease, is characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons within the substantia nigra. Currently, the treatments available for PD are symptomatic treatments that do not stop the progression of the disease. Trophic molecules, such as glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), have been evaluated as potential therapeutic molecules that could stop the loss of neurons and potentially restore some of the neurons that have already been lost. However, these trophic molecules are large making them difficult to produce and delivery. Here we characterize three peptides (DNSP-5, DNSP-11, and DNSP-17) to determine it they …

Changes In Sleep Architecture And Cognition With Age And Psychosocial Stress: A Study In Fischer 344 Rats, Heather M. Buechel

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

Changes in both sleep architecture and cognition are common with age. Typically these changes have a negative connotation: sleep fragmentation, insomnia, and deep sleep loss as well as forgetfulness, lack of focus, and even dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Research has shown that psychosocial stressors, such as isolation from family and friends or loss of a loved one can also have significant negative effects on sleep architecture and cognitive capabilities. This leaves the elderly in a particularly vulnerable situation: suffering from cognitive decline and sleep dysregulation already, and more likely to respond negatively to psychosocial stressors. Taking all of these factors …

Inhibition Of Calpains By Calpastatin: Implications For Cellular And Functional Damage Following Traumatic Brain Injury, Kathleen M. Schoch

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a devastating health problem based on its high incidence, economic burden, and lack of effective pharmacological treatment. Individuals who suffer an injury often experience lifelong disability. TBI results in abrupt, initial cell damage leading to delayed neuronal death. The calcium-activated proteases, calpains, are known to contribute to this secondary neurodegenerative cascade. Prolonged activation of calpains results in proteolysis of numerous cellular substrates including cytoskeletal components, membrane receptors, and cytosolic proteins, contributing to cell demise despite coincident expression of calpastatin, the specific inhibitor of calpains.

A comprehensive analysis using two separate calpastatin transgenic mouse lines was …

Sex Differences In Cell Death And Steroid Hormone Receptors In Cortical Explants, Amanda L. Trout

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Estrogens, such as the biologically active 17-b estradiol (E2) have many actions in the male and female brain. Not only does E2 regulate reproductive behavior in adults, it organizes and activates the brains of younger animals in a sex-specific manner. In addition, many human studies have shown E2 to provide protection against a variety of neurological disorders, including stoke. These studies have been controversial and depend largely on the type and timing of hormone replacement. Animal studies are much less controversial and clearly demonstrate a neuroprotective role for E2 following ischemic brain injury. Because much of E2 neuroprotection requires sex …

Mechanistic Basis For Atrial And Ventricular Arrhythmias Caused By Kcnq1 Mutations, Daniel C. Bartos

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Cardiac arrhythmias are caused by a disruption of the normal initiation or propagation of electrical impulses in the heart. Hundreds of mutations in genes encoding ion channels or ion channel regulatory proteins are linked to congenital arrhythmia syndromes that increase the risk for sudden cardiac death. This dissertation focuses on how mutations in a gene (KCNQ1) that encodes a voltage-gated K⁺ ion channel (Kv7.1) can disrupt proper channel function and lead to abnormal repolarization of atrial and ventricular cardiomyocytes.

In the heart, Kv7.1 coassembles with a regulatory protein to conduct the slowly activating delayed rectifier K^{+ …}

Evaluation Of Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 As A Therapeutic Approach For The Treatment Of Traumatic Brain Injury, Shaun W. Carlson

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a prevalent CNS neurodegenerative condition that results in lasting neurological dysfunction, including potentially debilitating cognitive impairments. Despite the advancements in understanding the complex damage that can culminate in cellular dysfunction and loss, no therapeutic treatment has been effective in clinical trials, highlighting that new approaches are desperately needed. A therapy that limits cell death while simultaneously promoting reparative mechanisms, including post-traumatic neurogenesis, in the injured brain may have maximum effectiveness in improving recovery of function after TBI. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is a potent growth factor that has previously been shown to promote recovery of …

Glutamate Dysregulation And Hippocampal Dysfunction In Epileptogenesis, Seth R. Batten

Theses and Dissertations--Medical Sciences

Epileptogenesis is the complex process of the brain developing epileptic acitivity. Due to the role of glutamate and the hippocampus in synaptic plasticity a dysregulation in glutamate neurotransmission and hippocampal dysfunction are implicated in the process of epileptogenesis. However, the exact causal factors that promote epileptogenesis are unknown.

We study presynaptic proteins that regulate glutamate neurotransmission and their role in epileptogenesis. The presynaptic protein, tomosyn, is believed to be a negative regulator of glutamate neurotransmission; however, no one has studied the effects of this protein on glutamate transmission in vivo. Furthermore, evidence suggests that mice lacking tomosyn have a …

Conviction Celerity, Punishment Severity, And Treatment Compliance As Predictors Of Dui Recidivism: Mediation And Moderation Models Of Deterrence, Megan F. Dickson

Theses and Dissertations--Sociology

Driving under the influence (DUI) is one of the most frequently committed offenses in the United States and approximately one-third of DUI offenders are recidivists. Researchers have evaluated multiple DUI prevention approaches, most of which have been rooted in deterrence theory. Recently, the criminal justice system has moved away from deterrence-based approaches and begun employing various forms of rehabilitation to reduce DUI recidivism. This shift in the criminal justice system has lead researchers to begin exploring the effects of rehabilitation on DUI offenders, including an examination of offender compliance with rehabilitation programs. Although each of these areas has been investigated …