Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Coupled Fluid-Thermal Analysis Of Low-Pressure Sublimation And Condensation With Application To Freeze-Drying, Arnab Ganguly

Open Access Dissertations

Freeze-drying is a low-pressure, low-temperature condensation pumping process widely used in the manufacture of bio-pharmaceuticals for removal of solvents by sublimation. The goal of the process is to provide a stable dosage form by removing the solvent in such a way that the sensitive molecular structure of the active substance is least disturbed. The vacuum environment presents unique challenges for understanding and controlling heat and mass transfer in the process. As a result, the design of equipment and associated processes has been largely empirical, slow and inefficient.^ A comprehensive simulation framework to predict both, process and equipment performance is critical …

Quantitative Modeling Of Spatiotemporal Systems: Simulation Of Biological Systems And Analysis Of Error Metric Effects On Model Fitting, James Hengenius

Open Access Dissertations

Understanding the biophysical processes underlying biological and biotechnological processes is a prerequisite for therapeutic treatments and technological innovation. With the exponential growth of computational processing speed, experimental findings in these fields have been complemented by dynamic simulations of developmental signaling and genetic interactions. Models provide means to evaluate "emergent" properties of systems sometimes inaccessible by reductionist approaches, making them test beds for biological inference and technological refinement.^ The complexity and interconnectedness of biological processes pose special challenges to modelers; biological models typically possess a large number of unknown parameters relative to their counterparts in other physical sciences. Estimating these parameter …

Prediction Of Parturition And Dystocia In Holstein-Friesian Cattle, And Cesarean Section In Dystocic Beef Cattle, Wen Han Mark Hiew

Open Access Dissertations

Dystocia is a major problem in the dairy industry as it causes livestock and economic loss. It is more frequently seen in primiparous cattle compared to their multiparous counterparts due to their smaller stature and the slow maturation of pelvic dimensions. In some instances, human intervention of the parturition process is imperative to avoid pain, injury, and mortality of the neonate and the dam. The ability to accurately predict dystocia and the time of parturition will ensure that timely assistance can be given to animals that are of high risk of dystocia.^ The present thesis contains four studies that explore …

Evaluation Of Yttrium-90 Positron Emission Tomography Dosimetry, Katherine N. Tapp

Open Access Dissertations

Purpose: Radioembolization is a novel treatment which utilizes the liver's unique dual system blood supply to trap yttrium-90 (⁹⁰Y) microspheres in microvasculature near liver tumors. Radioembolization dose planning and dosimetry are based on crude, inaccurate assumptions due to the lack of knowledge of patient specific ⁹⁰Y microsphere distribution. In recent years, the very small 3.1867e-5 internal pair production decay branch of ⁹⁰Y has been shown to allow for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging following radioembolization. This work explores the accuracy and limitation of ⁹⁰Y PET imaging due to the extremely low signal to noise (SNR) …

Structured Deterministic Models Applied To Malaria And Other Endemic Diseases, Katia Patricia Vogt Geisse

Open Access Dissertations

This thesis includes modeling studies on three structured deterministic models. These models are used to study the disease dynamics of malaria or the joint disease dynamics of HIV and HSV-2. Each of the models includes multiple components containing individuals in various epidemiological classes for the purpose of addressing questions that are of interests to biologists and epidemiologists. Some of the compartments have a continuous age-structure, which is necessary for studying the specific biological questions under investigation.^ In Chapter 2 a chronological-age structured deterministic model for malaria is presented. The model includes the human and mosquito populations with the human population …

Current Steering And Electrode Spanning With Partial Tripolar Stimulation Mode In Cochlear Implants, Ching-Chih Wu

Open Access Dissertations

Cochlear implants (CIs) partially restore hearing sensation to profoundly deaf people by electrically stimulating the surviving auditory neurons. However, CI users perform poorly in challenging listening tasks such as speech recognition in noise and Cochlear implants (CIs) partially restore hearing sensation to profoundly deaf people by electrically stimulating the surviving auditory neurons. However, CI users perform poorly in challenging listening tasks such as speech recognition in noise and music perception, possibly due to the small number of implanted electrodes and the large current spread of electric stimulation. Although current spread may be reduced using partial tripolar (pTP) stimulation mode, the …

Host Cell Death In Legionella Pneumophila Pathogenesis And Immunity, Wenhan Zhu

Open Access Dissertations

Legionella pneumophila is an intracellular pathogen that causes a severe, atypical pneumonia termed Legionnaires' disease. Upon entering the host cell, L. pneumophila resides in a membrane-bound vacuole, in which the bacterium evades lysosomal fusion and replicates. The establishment of the vacuole requires the Dot/Icm (Defect in organelle trafficking/ intracellular multiplication) transport system, which translocates a large number of substrates into host cells to re-orchestrate various cellular processes, such as intracellular trafficking, protein synthesis and host cell death pathways. Therefore, a key step in understanding the biology of Legionella is to dissect the mechanisms of action of the Dot/Icm substrates. By …

Coordination Between Hand And Trunk Movements In A Fitts' Law Task, Fuwen Cai

Open Access Dissertations

It has been shown that limb movements are coupled in space and time in a bimanual Fitts' task. The present study was designed to examine whether coordination of hand and trunk share some sets of coordinative principles with bimanual coordination. Participants (n = 28) were required to perform a Fitts' task with the dominant hand and a Fitts' task with the trunk. These tasks were performed separately or together. The task required moving the trunk, the dominant hand or both, such that the cursor/cursors on a computer screen was/were moved from the starting position/positions to the designated target/targets as fast …

African Starchy Foods, Gastric Emptying, And Starch Digestion In Malian Stunted Children, Fatimata Cisse

Open Access Dissertations

Starch serves as the main energy source in cereal and tuber-rich diets, and its glycemic response profile has been associated with health-related conditions. Sorghum and millet are known to have relatively low starch digestibility, a potentially desirable property for controlling blood glucose response and providing sustained energy. Gastric emptying rates of traditional sorghum and millet-based African foods of the Sahelian region (couscous, thick and thin porridges made from millet and/or sorghum) were compared to those of non-traditional "modern" foods that are mostly consumed in urban areas using a non-invasive 13C-labelled octanoic acid breath test in healthy volunteers. The obtained results …

Evaluating The Student Health Needs At Dalton State College, Cheryl W. Owens

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

The incidence of chronic diseases in college students mirrors that of older adults. Yet despite the enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), college student continue to have difficulty accessing medical care. Many have no insurance, limited transportation and inadequate finances during college to obtain medical care. While college health centers may improve access to care, smaller colleges often do not have the financial and personnel resources to provide student health services. Even in colleges that provide student health services, the focuses are primarily on sexual health, mental health, violence, and substance abuse. Prevention and treatment of chronic diseases services …

Assessment And Re-Assessment Of Psychiatirc Patients Boarded In The Emergnecy Department: The Impact Of Compliance With Best Practice Standards On Patient Outcomes, Jacquelyn Byrd

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

Psychiatric patients have been “deinstitutionalized” over recent decades with their care shifting from the inpatient to outpatient setting. As a result of the closing of more than 13,500 in-patient psychiatric beds between 2005 and 2010, emergency departments (ED) across the nation have become both safe havens and holding areas for psychiatric patients seeking care in the ED. The boarding of psychiatric patients in the ED impacts the timeliness of care provide to psychiatric and non-psychiatric patients alike lengthening door to discharge time for all patients. The purpose of this study is to assess the nursing staff’s compliance with departmental standards …

Nurse Practitioner Screening Practices For Mild Cognitive Impairment In The Older Adult, Margaret Mcilwain

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

Abstract

Nurse practitioners (NPs/APRNs) who provide primary care services may be the first line providers in situations where adults present with symptoms of memory loss and forgetfulness. Though protocols are available for evaluating dementia, specific guidelines for evaluating early cognitive changes, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), are lacking. This descriptive research project assesses the knowledge, current screening methods, and barriers to screening for MCI by nurse practitioners (APRNs) in the state of Georgia. One hundred and thirty two NPs participated in the survey. Forty-five percent of the participants were unfamiliar with the diagnostic category of MCI. Of the major barriers identified, …

Can Utilizing A Computerized Provider Order Entry (Cpoe) System Prevent Hospital Medical Errors And Adverse Drug Events?, Krista Charles Ms, Margaret Cannon Ms, Robert Hall Ms, Alberto Coustasse Drph, Md, Mba, Mph

Management Faculty Research

Computerized provider order entry (CPOE) systems allow physicians to prescribe patient services electronically. In hospitals, CPOE essentially eliminates the need for handwritten paper orders and achieves cost savings through increased efficiency. The purpose of this research study was to examine the benefits of and barriers to CPOE adoption in hospitals to determine the effects on medical errors and adverse drug events (ADEs) and examine cost and savings associated with the implementation of this newly mandated technology. This study followed a methodology using the basic principles of a systematic review and referenced 50 sources. CPOE systems in hospitals were found to …

A Business Case For Tele-Intensive Care Units, Alberto Coustasse, Stacie Deslich, Deanna Bailey, Alesia Hairston, David Paul

Management Faculty Research

Objectives: A tele-intensive care unit (tele-ICU) uses telemedicine in an intensive care unit (ICU) setting, applying technology to provide care to critically ill patients by off-site clinical resources. The purpose of this review was to examine the implementation, adoption, and utilization of tele-ICU systems by hospitals to determine their efficiency and efficacy as identified by cost savings and patient outcomes.

Methods: This literature review examined a large number of studies of implementa­tion of tele-ICU systems in hospitals.

Results: The evidence supporting cost savings was mixed. Implementation of a tele- ICU system was associated with cost savings, shorter lengths of stay, …

Ethanol-Induced Oxidant Stress Modulates Hepatic Autophagy And Proteasome Activity., Terrence M. Donohue, Paul G. Thomes

Journal Articles: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

In this review, we describe research findings on the effects of alcohol exposure on two major catabolic systems in liver cells: the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and autophagy. These hydrolytic systems are not unique to liver cells; they exist in all eukaryotic tissues and cells. However, because the liver is the principal site of ethanol metabolism, it sustains the greatest damage from heavy drinking. Thus, the focus of this review is to specifically describe how ethanol oxidation modulates the activities of the UPS and autophagy and the mechanisms by which these changes contribute to the pathogenesis of alcohol-induced liver injury. Here, …

Chironian Fall/Winter 2014, New York Medical College

The Chironian

No abstract provided.

Detection Of Bacterial Antigens And Alzheimer's Disease-Like Pathology In The Central Nervous System Of Balb/C Mice Following Intranasal Infection With A Laboratory Isolate Of Chlamydia Pneumoniae, C. Scott Little Phd, Timothy A. Joyce, Christine Hammond, Hazem Matta, David Cahn, Denah Appelt, Brian J. Balin Phd

PCOM Scholarly Works

Pathology consistent with that observed in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has previously been documented following intranasal infection of normal wild-type mice with Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn) isolated from an AD brain (96-41). In the current study, BALB/c mice were intranasally infected with a laboratory strain of Cpn, AR-39, and brain and olfactory bulbs were obtained at 1-4 months post-infection (pi). Immunohistochemistry for amyloid beta or Cpn antigens was performed on sections from brains of infected or mock-infected mice. Chlamydia-specific immunolabeling was identified in olfactory bulb tissues and in cerebrum of AR-39 infected mice. The Cpn specific labeling was most prominent at 1 …

Oncolog, Volume 59, Number 10, October 2014, Sarah Bronson, Kathryn L. Hale, Roberto Molar-Candanosa, K. Stuyck

OncoLog MD Anderson's Report to Physicians (All issues) Archives

• New Drugs for Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Ease Suffering and Extend Life: A new class of drugs has redefined treatment for patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms by easing their symptom burden while extending their lives
• Neoadjuvant Targeted Therapy May Offer Multiple Benefits for Patients with Locally Advanced Renal Cancer: Despite definitive treatment with nephrectomy, locally advanced renal cancer recurs in 20%-30% of patients, substantially reducing their chance for long-term survival. To prevent such recurrences and prolong survival, urologic oncologists are studying the integration of targeted molecular therapies with surgical treatments
• New Combination Therapy Offers Potential to Cure FLT3-ITD Acute Myelogenous Leukemia: A new …

Baystate Health Sciences Newsletter - Fall 2014, Baystate Health Sciences Library

Library Newsletters

Baystate Health Sciences Library Newsletter - Fall 2014

Staphylococcus Aureus Hyaluronidase Is A Cody-Regulated Virulence Factor, Carolyn B. Ibberson, Crystal L. Jones, Shweta Singh, Matthew C. Wise, Mark E. Hart, Daniel V. Zurawski, Alexander R. Horswill

United States Army: Publications

Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive pathogen that causes a diverse range of bacterial infections. Invasive S. aureus strains secrete an extensive arsenal of hemolysins, immunomodulators, and exoenzymes to cause disease. Our studies have focused on the secreted enzyme hyaluronidase (HysA), which cleaves the hyaluronic acid polymer at the β-1,4 glycosidic bond. In the study described in this report, we have investigated the regulation and contribution of this enzyme to S. aureus pathogenesis. Using the Nebraska Transposon Mutant Library (NTML), we identified eight insertions that modulate extracellular levels of HysA activity. Insertions in the sigB operon, as well as in genes …

New Roles: Participating On The Curriculum Redesign Team, Laura E. Abate, Gisela Butera, Alexandra Gomes, Thomas Harrod, Anne Linton

Himmelfarb Library Faculty Posters and Presentations

In 2011, the GW School of Medicine decided to change from a traditional curriculum for the M.D. program to an integrated, systems-based curriculum. Students will move from a traditional 2x2 curriculum (2 pre-clinical years and 2 clinical years) to one in which they complete their pre-clinical training in 18 months followed by 2 1/2 years clinical training. The purpose of this poster is to highlight the ways in which Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library librarians were engaged in and helped with this transition.

Helping Principal Investigators Comply With The Nih Public Access Policy, Paul Levett

Himmelfarb Library Faculty Posters and Presentations

Recognizing the consequences of non-compliance with the NIH Public Access Policy (NIHPAP), Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library worked to identify NIHPAP non-compliant papers by GW faculty authors and help Principal Investigators (PI's) and their delegates get them into PubMed Central (PMC).

Regulation Of Peripheral Molecular Clocks In Mammalian Tissues And In Vitro Skeletal Muscle Activation Of Amp-Activated Protein Kinase Via Aicar, Alex C. Lupolt, Daniel P. Moorhead, Josef Brandauer

Student Publications

Most organisms possess a common molecular machinery that governs cellular and tissue circadian rhythmicity through a roughly 24-hour transcription-translation feedback loop. It is estimated that up to 15 percent of human genes are influenced by the core clock machinery. It is likely, however, that the metabolic networks affected by the molecular clock differ according to body tissue.

Recent evidence suggests that peripheral molecular clocks are governed to a greater extent by energy availability than by light and dark cycles. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) acts as a cellular fuel gauge within the cell and is activated in response to exercise and …

“In Light Of Real Alternatives”: Negotiations Of Fertility And Motherhood In Morocco And Oman, Victoria E. Mohr

Student Publications

Many states in the Arab world have undertaken wide-ranging family planning polices in the last two decades in an effort to curb high fertility rates. Oman and Morocco are two such countries, and their policies have had significantly different results. Morocco experienced a swift drop in fertility rates, whereas Oman’s fertility has declined much more slowly over several decades. Many point to the more conservative religious and cultural context of Oman for their high fertility rates, however economics and the state of biomedical health care often present a more compelling argument for the distinct differences between Omani and Moroccan family …

Research: South Dakota State University, Fall 2014, Christie Delfanian, Dave Graves, Emily Weber

State of Discovery South Dakota State University's Research Magazine

CONTENTS:

Dietician seeks to reduce obesity among college-age students [Page] 2
Wind: Support for wind energy based in economic development [Page] 3
Berg leaves legacy of accomplishments [Page] 3
Soil: Improved soil condition increases moisture for crops [Page] 4
Microbial process increases soybean meal's protein power [Page] 5
Medgene develops vaccines using university technologies [Page] 6
BioSNTR funding boosts biotechnology in South Dakota [Page] 8
Scientists collaborate to combat avian influenza [Page] 8
Pharmacy students role-play as part of a health-care team [Page]10
Nursing research seeks to improve health care, reduce costs [Page 10]
Improving organic solar cell efficiency essential …

Premedical Programs Newsletter, October 2014, University Of Dayton

Pre-Health Resource Center Campus Communications

Newsletter for students, staff, and faculty in the premedical and predental programs.

Return To Swimming Protocol For Competitive Swimmers: A Post-Operative Case Study And Fundamentals, Tracy H. Spigelman, Aaron Sciascia, Timothy L. Uhl

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

A large percentage of swimmers report shoulder pain during their swimming career. Shoulder pain in swimmers has been attributed to duration of swim practice, total yardage, and break down in stroke technique. Rehabilitation programs are generally land-based and cannot adequately address the intricacies of the swimming strokes. Return to swimming protocols (RTSP) that address progression of yardage are scarce, yet needed. The purpose of this clinical commentary is to familiarize the clinician with the culture and vernacular of swimming, and to provide a suggested yardage based RTSP for high school and collegiate level swimmers.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 5.

Questions And Decisions: Application Of A Cyclical Model For Program Assessment, Cathy Bieber Parrott, Marleen Lannucci

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Expectations for public accountability, including accreditation, challenge allied health science educational programs to develop a sound program assessment plan. However, program assessment is often detached from what faculty feel is important. What is needed is a model for assessment that allows faculty to adapt assessment processes so they can ask their own questions and obtain useful findings that guide their decisions about program improvement. The purpose of this paper is to posit our model for program assessment, provide an example of implementation of the model, and discuss its value. Model Description and Implementation: Our proposed model is rooted in …

Point In Time The Fitsteps For Life Exercise Program Improves Quality Of Life Of Persons With Cancer, Barbara Haas, Gary Kimmel, Melinda Hermanns

Faculty Posters

This poster was presented at the National Collegiate Honors College Conference in Fall of 2014 at Denver, Colorado.

Baseline Immune Biomarkers As Predictors Of Mbsr(Bc) Treatment Success In Off-Treatment Breast Cancer Patients, Richard R. Reich, Cecile Lengacher, Kevin E. Kip, Steven C. Shivers, Michael J. Schell, Melissa M. Shelton, Raymond H. Widen, Catherine A. Newton, Michelle K. Barta, Carly L. Paterson, Jerrica R. Farias, Charles E. Cox, Thomas W. Klein

College of Medicine & TGH Faculty Publications

Researchers focused on patient-centered medicine are increasingly trying to identify baseline factors that predict treatment success. Because the quantity and function of lymphocyte subsets change during stress, we hypothesized that these subsets would serve as stress markers and therefore predict which breast cancer patients would benefit most from mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)-facilitated stress relief. The purpose of this study was to assess whether baseline biomarker levels predicted symptom improvement following an MBSR intervention for breast cancer survivors (MBSR[BC]). This randomized controlled trial involved 41 patients assigned to either an MBSR(BC) intervention group or a no-treatment control group. Biomarkers were assessed …