Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Daily Recovery From Work: The Role Of Guilt, Eunae Cho

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Acknowledging the critical role that occupational factors play in employee health, researchers have tried to understand ways to reduce the harmful effects of work on employee health. As the process by which individuals recharge resources that have been depleted, recovery has been recognized as important due to its potential to mitigate the negative effects of work on employee well-being. Although the recovery literature has continued to grow, many questions remain unanswered. The purpose of the present study was to expand our knowledge of recovery by examining situational (job characteristics) and individual (trait guilt) predictors of recovery and investigating psychological attributes …

The Role Of Molecular Chaperones In The Etiology And Treatment Of Psychiatric Diseases In The Elderly, John Clarence O'Leary

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The elderly are at increased risk for developing psychiatric diseases, which include Alzheimer's disease, depression, anxiety and suicide. The probability of multiple disease comorbidity is also increased in the elderly. At the cellular level, the loss of protein homeostasis is often at the root of disease emergence, and thus the scientific community is searching for ways to help maintain this balance. A vast group of proteins that are paramount to balancing and counterbalancing protein levels is the molecular chaperone protein group, which has evolved a tremendous variety of functions in the cell. They aid in protein trafficking, folding, receptor signaling, …

The Elimination Of Blindness: An Ethnographic Exploration Of The Fight Against Trachoma In Niger, Kelley Cosby Sams

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study is to explore specialized and popular cultural models of trachoma, and the interaction between the trachoma elimination program and its target audience in one trachoma hyper-endemic intervention community. Eighty four million people worldwide, mainly children, are infected with active bacterial trachoma. For some, this will lead to painful and progressive corneal opacity and eventual blindness. The disease is most commonly spread by person-to-person contact or by flies, and affects very specific populations living in resource-poor areas such as rural Niger, which has one of the highest prevalence rates worldwide.

The World Health Organization formed an …

The Saliva Microbiome Of Pan And Homo, Jing Li, Ivan Nasidze, Dominique Quinque, Mingkun Li, Hans Peter Horz, Claudine André, Rosa M. Garriga, Michel Halbwax, Anne Fischer, Mark Stoneking

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: It is increasingly recognized that the bacteria that live in and on the human body (the microbiome) can play an important role in health and disease. The composition of the microbiome is potentially influenced by both internal factors (such as phylogeny and host physiology) and external factors (such as diet and local environment), and interspecific comparisons can aid in understanding the importance of these factors. Results: To gain insights into the relative importance of these factors on saliva microbiome diversity, we here analyze the saliva microbiomes of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus) from two sanctuaries in Africa, …

The Effect Of Rate Change On The Relative Timing Of Speakers With Multiple Sclerosis, Brandlynn N. Reister

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Relative timing ratios are a useful measure for determining the temporal regularities of speech. The timing intervals that make up these ratios are thought to be important when creating the motor plan for an utterance (Weismer & Fennell, 1985). In fact, these ratios have been shown to be remarkably stable, even when speakers deliberately increase their rate (Tuller & Kelso, 1984; Weismer & Fennell, 1985). The constancy of these ratios also has been demonstrated in speakers with known speech timing disturbances, like the dysarthrias associated with Parkinson's and Huntington's disease (Goberman & McMillan; Ludlow, Connor, & Bassich, 1987; Weismer & …

The Inflammatory Response Initiated By The Spleen To Ischemic Stroke, Hilary Seifert

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The peripheral immune system plays a role in delayed neural injury after stroke. This response originates from the spleen as splenectomy prior to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rats significantly reduces infarct volume in the brain. This research is based on the hypothesis that inhibiting the splenic response will reduce neurodegeneration after stroke. Studies in animals have implicated lymphocytes as the immune cell type that is detrimental following MCAO. Interferon gamma (IFNγ) has been identified as a pro-inflammatory cytokine that is also detrimental following stroke. IFNγ is important because it activates microglia and macrophages in a pro-inflammatory nature that …

Common Host-Derived Chemicals Increase Catches Of Disease-Transmitting Mosquitoes And Can Improve Early Warning Systems For Rift Valley Fever Virus, David P. Tchouassi, Rosemary Sang, Catherine L. Sole, Armanda D.S. Bastos, Peter E.A. Teal, Christian Borgemeister, Baldwyn Torto

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Rift Valley fever (RVF), a mosquito-borne zoonosis, is a major public health and veterinary problem in sub-Saharan Africa. Surveillance to monitor mosquito populations during the inter-epidemic period (IEP) and viral activity in these vectors is critical to informing public health decisions for early warning and control of the disease. Using a combination of field bioassays, electrophysiological and chemical analyses we demonstrated that skin-derived aldehydes (heptanal, octanal, nonanal, decanal) common to RVF virus (RVFV) hosts including sheep, cow, donkey, goat and human serve as potent attractants for RVFV mosquito vectors. Furthermore, a blend formulated from the four aldehydes and combined with …

Community And Household Management Strategies For Water Supply And Treatment In Rural And Peri-Urban Areas In The Developing World, Ryan William Schweitzer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Eighty percent of the 780 million people worldwide that access water from an unimproved source live in rural areas. In rural areas, water systems are often managed by community based organizations and many of these systems do not provide service at the designed levels. The Sustainability Analysis Tool developed in Chapter 2 can inform decision making, characterize specific needs of rural communities in the management of their water systems, and identify weaknesses in training regimes or support mechanisms. The framework was tested on 61 statistically representative geographically stratified sample communities with rural water systems in the Dominican Republic. The results …

Spiritual Life Review With Older Adults: Finding Meaning In Late Life Development, Alicia Margaret Stinson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Spirituality has been recognized as a positive factor in the lives of older adults, especially as it influences their emotional, mental, and physical well-being. This convenience sample study included 17 older adults residing at a faith based continuing care retirement community in Florida. The sample was represented by Caucasian older adults with an average age of 84 years, highly educated, majority Protestant and mostly female. Spiritual life reviews were conducted using spiritual life maps (Hodge, 2005) and semi-structured interview questions. Erikson's epigenetic stage of ego-integrity was used along with Butler's life review process and Tornstam's gerotranscendence as a conceptual …

Descriptions Of Clinical Teaching Excellence In The First Two Years Of Medical School: The Views Of Academic And Community-Based Preceptors, Patricia Anne Stubenberg

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The changing dynamics in patient care, along with the increasing role of early clinical experiences and community-based teaching models, can be a catalyst in furthering important research and training for clinical teaching excellence. Curricular challenges as well as limited scholarly work generate educational possibilities for study. Embracing a strong educational doctrine of teaching excellence in undergraduate medical education will help shape the future of health care and ultimately enhance patient care.

This grounded theory study (a) described and explained descriptions of teaching excellence among first and second year academic and community-based preceptors in the Longitudinal Clinical Experience (LCE) program at …

Knowledge, Attitudes And Traditions Regarding Water Consumption And Sanitary Practices Of The Ngäbe-Buglé Indigenous Women In The Chiriquí Province In Panama, Natalia Vega

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: In 2007, approximately 66.2% of the population of the Comarcas (indigenous reservations) in Panama had access to potable water. However, over 50% of this population lacked access to sanitation. As a result, the leading causes of death in the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé are due to severe diarrhea and gastroenteritis of infectious origin. The present project assessed the need for an in-depth understanding of the Ngäbe-Buglé women and their communities regarding their knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors about water and sanitation. Methodology: In this cross-sectional exploratory study, a convenience sample of 52 women were interviewed, utilizing a questionnaire guided by the …

Statistical Analysis And Modeling Of Prostate Cancer, Yiu Ming Chan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of the present study is to address some important questions related to prostate cancer treatments and survivorship among White and African American men. It is commonly understood that the risk of developing prostate cancer is higher in African American men than the other races. However, using parametric analysis, this study demonstrates that this perception is a "myth" not a "reality". The study further identifies the existence of racial/ethnic disparities by comparing the average mean tumor size, the median of survival time, and the survival function between White and African American men. These results underline the necessity of understanding …

A Three Dimensional Scaffold For Anticancer Drug Development, Yvonne Girard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Attrition rates for anticancer drugs are much higher than any other therapeutic area. Only 5%#37; of the agents that demonstrate anticancer activity in the preclinical stages of development demonstrate clinical efficacy in phase III trials. This high attrition rate becomes alarming when we consider that the cost of research and development can amount to 1 billion dollars. To exacerbate this problem, many new cancer drugs are being discontinued, withdrawn or suspended. The reasons for this high attrition rate are complex and may be partly attributed to suboptimal preclinical strategies such as the use of two-dimensional (2D) cell culture systems to …

Predictors Of The Incidence And Charges For Lumbar Spinal Fusion Surgery In Florida Hospitals During 2010, Anna Ialynychev

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the past several decades rates of spine surgeries in the U.S. have increased dramatically. Spinal fusion surgery rates, in particular, have grown exponentially despite being one of the most costly, invasive, and controversial methods for treating patients suffering from back conditions. Furthermore, lumbar fusion surgeries continue to be performed at increasing rates despite a lack of scientific evidence and consensus that they are cost-effective and produce better clinical outcomes than less radical treatment of lower back pain. As a result, large amounts of healthcare dollars continue to be invested in these costly procedures which are potentially dangerous and have …

Examining The Effectiveness Of Intensive Language Action Therapy In Individuals With Nonfluent Aphasia, Rachel A. Goff

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Background: Individuals with nonfluent aphasia may have significant difficulties with functional spoken communication tasks in their daily life. Aphasia treatment held in a group setting may provide an enriched communicative context wherein the requirements of spoken language are similar to those within functional day-to-day communicative situations. Thus engaging in a spoken language activity in a group setting may directly target generalization of trained skills to those required in real-life, social communication situations. The present study is concerned with an aphasia group treatment that requires focused practice of spoken language during a social-functional communication task. Intensive Language Action Therapy (ILAT) …

A Monte Carlo Approach To Change Point Detection In A Liver Transplant, Alexia Melissa Makris

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Patient survival post liver transplant (LT) is important to both the patient and the center's accreditation, but over the years physicians have noticed that distant patients struggle with post LT care. I hypothesized that patient's distance from the transplant center had a detrimental effect on post LT survival. I suspected Hepatitis C (HCV) and Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) patients would deteriorate due to their recurrent disease and there is a need for close monitoring post LT. From the current literature it was not clear if patients' distance from a transplant center affects outcomes post LT. Firozvi et al. (Firozvi AA, 2008) …

Prenatal Stress, Depression, And Herpes Viral Titers, Pao-Chu Hsu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recent studies suggest that some cases of prenatal depression may be associated with reactivation of latent infections of the herpesvirus family. The possible relationships among stress, prenatal depression, and herpes viral reactivation in pregnancy are understudied and the molecular pathways such as the neuroimmune biogenic amine pathway are unidentified. Chronic stress shifts the T helper-1 cell (Th1) cytokine profile to a Th2 profile, which favors virus induced pathogenesis and survival. Pregnancy is also associated with a similar Th2 dominance. In non-pregnant individuals, exposure to psychological or physical stress may be associated with latent herpes viral reactivation and could result in …

Counselor Discomfort With Sexual Issues And Supervisory Role, Barbara Lofrisco

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Sexual issues are common among the general population; therefore it is likely that clients suffer with them whether or not they are presenting issues. Because unresolved sexual issues may contribute to harm, counselors have an ethical obligation to ensure these issues are addressed during therapy. Yet, many fail to do so for a variety of reasons. Because clinical supervisors are in a unique position to nurture and mentor novice counselors, their influence is salient to this issue.

Although some research has been done to address this issue, results are inconclusive and somewhat contradictory. This study attempts to fill in …

The Determinants Of Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence And The Relationship Of Healthcare Expenditures To Adherence Among Florida Medicaid-Insured Patients Diagnosed With Hiv Or Aids, Zachary Pruitt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research supports the clinical and societal benefits of antiretroviral treatment (ART) for people living with HIV or AIDS (PLWHA). However, factors associated with ART adherence and the relationship of ART adherence to total healthcare expenditures are not well understood.

The research data included Florida Medicaid claims for five years (July 2006 through June 2011). All subjects (n=514) were HIV-positive, adult, non-pregnant, and ART naïve for at least 12 months prior to their 24 month measurement period. Each subject was categorized as adherent (>90%#37;) or non-adherent (<90%#37;) based upon medication possession ratios (MPR). Total expenditures were payments Medicaid made to providers and pharmacies.

Objective 1 modeled the logit probability of a subject being non-adherent to ART …

Molecular And Cellular Mechanisms Of Reelin Signaling In The Adult Hippocampus, Justin Howard Trotter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Reelin signaling pathway is critical for neuronal migration during development and the function of excitatory synapses in the adult forebrain. Despite a growing body of evidence implicating impaired Reelin signaling in the pathogenesis of numerous neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, including Schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease, little is known still regarding the specific molecular and cellular mechanisms whereby Reelin signaling modulates the function of synapses to enable normal learning and memory. In this dissertation, we addressed these knowledge gaps by identifying mechanisms of Reelin proteolysis following synaptic potentiation (Chapter 2) and dissociated the synaptic function of Reelin signaling at excitatory (Chapter …

Histone Deacetylases As Targets For Melanoma Immunotherapy, David Michael Woods

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cancer represents the second leading cause of death in the United States. For many malignancies, currently available treatment options offer little long-lasting survival benefits to patients. However, recent studies have shown immunotherapeutic approaches to be an attractive strategy to cancer treatment. While many current immunotherapeutic strategies convey durable responses, such responses are only seen in a minority of patients. An increased understanding of the mechanisms governing tumor immunogenicity and the biology of immune responses is crucial to improving upon the efficacy of current and future cancer immunotherapies. Histone deacetylases (HDACs), enzymes classically associated with regulation of gene expression, have been …

Factors Related To The Professional Management Of Early Breastfeeding Problems: Perspectives Of Lactation Consultants, Erica Hesch Anstey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Addressing the sub-optimal breastfeeding initiation and duration rates has become a national priority. Inadequate support for addressing early breastfeeding challenges is compounded by a lack of collaboration between providers such as lactation professionals, nurses, pediatricians, and the family. The purpose of this exploratory study was to understand International Board Certified Lactation Consultants' (IBCLCs) perceived barriers to managing early breastfeeding problems. This qualitative study was guided by the symbolic interactionist framework through a grounded theory methodological approach. In-depth interviews were conducted with 30 IBCLCs from across Florida. IBCLCs were from a range of practice settings, including hospitals, WIC clinics, private practice, …

Nonword Processing In Bilingual Five Year Olds: Do Phonotactics Count?, Kyna Betancourt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Phonotactic processing is foundational to the word processing task in both monolingual and bilingual children (Li & Farkas, 2002; Pierrehumbert, 2001; Shook & Marian, 2013; Storkel & Morrisette, 2002). While the use of phonotactic information in word processing in monolingual children is relatively well documented, it is less well understood in bilingual children. The purpose of this study was to investigate how bilingual kindergartners process the phonotactic probabilities of their two languages. A set of nonwords was developed that manipulated the strength of phonotactic probability across both Spanish and English while also controlling the language environment of the experimental task …

Diet-Induced Ketosis And Calorie Restriction In Mouse Models Of Alzheimer's Pathology, Milene Lara Brownlow

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dietary manipulations and their pharmacological outcomes have been increasingly studied in neurodegenerative diseases. However, a systematic comparison among different methods in validated animal models of Alzheimer's disease is made necessary due to several different approaches applied in recent studies. Moreover, despite the large body of evidence on the effects of calorie restriction (CR) and ketogenic diets (KDs) on amyloid pathology, no consistent data is available on the effects of calorie restriction, ketogenic diet or ketone supplements on tau pathology in transgenic models of AD. Moreover, the ketogenic diet used in our studies was custom made with low carbohydrate content and …

Age Dependent Analysis And Modeling Of Prostate Cancer Data, Nana Osei Mensa Bonsu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Growth rate of prostate cancer tumor is an important aspect of understanding the natural history of prostate cancer. Using real prostate cancer data from the SEER database with tumor size as a response variable, we have clustered the cancerous tumor sizes into age groups to enhance its analytical behavior. The rate of change of the response variable as a function of age is given for each cluster. Residual analysis attests to the quality of the analytical model and the subject estimates. In addition, we have identified the probability distribution that characterize the behavior of the response variable and proceeded with …

Predictors Of Quality Of Life In Patients With Cutaneous T Cell Lymphoma, Darcie Marie Deaver

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) is a rare, incurable, chronic disease accounting for approximately 3% of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnoses every year. Patients with CTCL have skin lesions that can vary in severity putting patients at risk for developing symptoms that may impair their quality of life (QOL). The disease burden can lead to increased depressive symptoms, fatigue distress, and anxiety that the disease may be worsening. Seventy-five participants agreed to take part in an exploratory, prospective study to evaluate depressive symptoms, anxiety, fatigue distress, and spirituality as predictors of QOL in CTCL patients. Demographic variables including stage of disease, …

Asbestos Exposure In The Research Laboratory, Ediberto D. Garcia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Asbestos has been employed in a myriad of industrial applications for more than a century. Of the 181 Mt of asbestos produced worldwide, over 31 Mt was consumed in the U.S. The production and consumption of this mineral eventually was found to cause asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. While the brunt of the human exposure to asbestos occurred in insulation work, many more workers in other jobs were expose to asbestos fibers. Very little is known about the potential exposure to asbestos in research labs.

Goal: In order to investigate potential research lab work exposures, we simulated lab work …

Effects Of Speech Production Ability On A Measure Of Speech Perception Capacity In Young Children With Cochlear Implants And Their Articulation-Matched Peers, Victoria Beatriz Gonzalez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With reductions in the age criterion for cochlear implantation, the need for age-appropriate measures of speech perception skills has increased. One recently developed tool that shows great promise for the clinical assessment of auditory speech perception capacity in young children with cochlear implants is the On-Line Imitative Test of Speech-Pattern Contrast Perception (OlimSpac). The OlimSpac requires a child to imitate nonword utterances by providing a verbal response. The child's perceptual abilities are inferred from the child's productions through having a listener, who is masked to the stimulus select the utterance produced by the child in an eight-alternative force-choice task. Although …

Practitioners' Use Of Clinical Practice Guidelines: An Evidence-Based Approach, Sondra Michelle Phipps Santana

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pre-diabetes is a serious health problem in the United States. Distinguished by plasma glucose levels that are above the normal threshold, patients with pre-diabetes are 10 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Patients with pre-diabetes suffer the same complications as patients with diabetes including diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, and microalbuminuria.

There is considerable evidence to support the idea that early identification and aggressive treatment of pre-diabetes has the potential to delay disease progression. The American Diabetes Association’s clinical practice guideline recommends management of with lifestyle modification and metformin for patients who are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. …

Het Gebruik Van Risicotaxatie Instrumenten Onder Spv-En (The Use Of Risk Assessment Instruments Among Community Psychiatric Nurses), Sophie De Valk, Corine De Ruiter, Jorge Folino, Matthew Large, Thierry Pham, Kim Reeves, Carolina Condemarin, Louise Nielsen, Martin Rettenberger, Robyn Mei Yee Ho, Verónica Godoy-Cervera, Kimberlie Dean, Maria Francisca Rebocho, Karin Arbach-Lucioni, Martin Grann, Katharina Seewald, Michael W. Doyle, Sarah Desmarais, Richard Van Dorn, Randy Otto, Jay Singh

Faculty Scholarship

Dutch Abstract: Auteur en een groot aantal alumni-collega's van de Universiteit van Maastricht, hebben gekeken welke risicotaxatie-instrumenten SPV-en gebruiken om het risico van recidive in te schatten bij clienten uit de forensische psychiatrie. Met behulp van START kan volgens hen het risico voor anderen, het risico op victimisatie, risico op zelfbeschadigend gedrag, suïcidegevaar, ongeoorloofde afwezigheid, middelenmisbruik en zelfverwaarlozing bij deze forensische groep vastgesteld worden.

English Abstract: The author and colleagues from the University of Maastricht investigated the use of structured risk assessment instruments in forensic psychiatry. Using instruments such as the START may aid in the assessment of violence, victimization, …