Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Haptic And Exoskeleton Devices For Neurorehabilitation Of Upper Limb Paralysis: A State Of Art And A Night Landing Task, Samantha Renee Wagner

All NMU Master's Theses

Rehabilitation is an important training phase for those suffering from upper limb paralysis as a result of brain injury. When successfully completed, the re-trained limb should be able to successfully complete daily life activities. An alternative to traditional therapy is the usage of effective rehabilitation by using haptic devices in a virtual environment. The type of haptic device and task are crucial for the success of the therapy training sessions. After presenting a state-of-art literature review of several haptic devices that has been used in research and clinical facilities, we thought to use the black hole illusion (BHI), a night …

Modeling The Adaptive Immune Response To Mutation-Generated Antigens, Rory J. Geyer

University Scholar Projects

Somatic mutations may drive tumorigenesis or lead to new, immunogenic epitopes (neoantigens). The immune system is thought to represses neoplastic growths through the recognition of neoantigens presented only by tumor cells. To study mutations as well as the immune response to mutation-generated antigens, we have created a conditional knockin mouse line with a gene encoding, 5’ to 3’, yellow fluorescent protein (YFP), ovalbumin (which is processed to the immunologically recognizable peptide, SIINFEKL), and cyan fluorescent protein (CFP), or, YFP-ovalbumin-CFP. A frame shift mutation has been created at the 5’ end of the ovalbumin gene, hence YFP should always be expressed, …

Himmelfarb Library Liaison Letter - May 2014, George Washington University, Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library

Himmelfarb Library Liaison Letters

No abstract provided.

Response To Androgen Therapy In Patients With Dyskeratosis Congenita, Payal P. Khincha, Ingrid M. Wentzensen, Neelam Giri, Blanche P. Alter, Sharon A. Savage

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is an inherited bone marrow failure syndrome and telomere biology disorder characterized by dysplastic nails, reticular skin pigmentation and oral leucoplakia. Androgens are a standard therapeutic option for bone marrow failure in those patients with DC who are unable to undergo haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, but there are no systematic data on its use in those patients. We evaluated haematological response and side effects of androgen therapy in 16 patients with DC in our observational cohort study. Untreated DC patients served as controls. Seventy percent of treated DC patients had a haematological response with red blood cell …

Bridging The Gap: Understanding, Anticipating, And Responding To The Needs Of Student Veterans In A Bachelor Of Science In Nursing Program, Larry Michael Stowers

Doctoral Projects

The passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment Act (ADAAA) of 2008 and the Post-9/11 Veterans Assistance Act of 2008 have afforded veterans the opportunity to pursue post-secondary education. Since October 2001, over 2 million American men and women in uniform have deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). While thousands of returning combat veterans take advantage of recent legislation that helps pay for their education, they face new challenges in the classroom. This nation’s veterans represent a group of diverse individuals who bring different experiences, thus different perspectives than traditional college-aged students. …

A Systematic Column Performance Comparison For The Confirmation Of Opioids Used In Pain Management By Lc-Ms, Derek Stallard

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this study, three different chromatographic column chemistries (C18, Pentafluorophenyl (PFP), Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography (HILIC)) were compared under optimal conditions to determine which stationary performed best in the separation and detection of a mixture of opioids using LC-MS. Furthermore, these stationary phases were examined in three different column technologies – traditional silica, porous shell, and porous polymer (PRP). The PRP column had the best peak shape for all 13 opioids and dominated for later-eluting compounds. In terms of column reproducibility, the Hamilton C18 column had the lowest %RSD values. The Kinetex HILIC produced the most theoretical plates and best resolution …

Rural Pediatric Primary Care Practice Patterns As A Result Of An On-Site Behavioral Health Consultant: A Retrospective Analysis, Kayla D. Mccarter

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Nationally, it has been estimated that 10 to 21% of children with psychosocial concerns are seen in primary care settings (Jellinek et al., 1999; McInerny, Szilagyi, Childs, Wasserman & Kelleher, 2000; Palermo et al., 2002). Often, however, children go undiagnosed with/treated for psychosocial concerns in pediatric primary care due to lack of physician time and poor referral rates to mental health providers. Evaluations of integrated care models, in which a behavioral health consultant is present in primary care practices, has shown to increase the availability of mental health services (Stancin, Perrin, & Ramirez, 2009). Using extant data from patient records …

Birthing Positions: Is There A Connection Between Acutal Nursing Experience And Evidence-Based Research?, Leah M. Latham

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The objectives of this study were to determine whether there was an association between clinical nursing knowledge of four birthing positions and current evidence-based research of those same positions and also to identify possible areas where nursing knowledge of those birthing positions was inadequate. This pilot study used convenience sampling to survey registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) on labor and delivery units. The survey was distributed to three hospitals in the southeastern United States, and twenty-four RNs and LPNs participated. Participants’ knowledge did not reflect current clinical evidence in two key areas, (1) the best position to …

"Nursing Contamination: Wearing Scrubs In Public", Kemble Green

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Nurses are frequently seen in public in their “scrubs,” which could mean that contaminated clothing is being brought into the community, thereby posing an infection risk. The purpose of this study is to investigate if and which contaminants are present on the fabrics and the actions nurses are taking to eliminate contamination risks.

Eleven scrub tops were worn on hospital units over one twelve-hour shift. The contaminated scrubs and three control tops were then swabbed and used to inoculate agar plates. After incubation, colonies were counted, streaked onto nutrient and Mannitol-salt agar for isolation, and incubated. Using API Staph strips …

The Prevalence Of Smoking In Nursing Students, Jennifer Trotter

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Tobacco use is one of the most preventable sources of death and disease, and yet remains a worldwide problem. With the rising costs of healthcare, the focus of efforts to control them has honed in on lifestyle behaviors that contribute to the escalating costs. Within the scope of this scrutiny, the prevention or cessation of smoking and tobacco usage has become a global priority and a major focal point of worldwide anti-tobacco initiatives. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified cessation interventions by health care professionals as a crucial factor in successful patient smoking cessation, and studies have shown that …

A Guide To Federal Education Programs That Can Fund K-12 Universal Prevention And Social And Emotional Learning Activities, Diane Stark Rentner, Olga Acosta Price

Center for Health and Health Care in Schools

No abstract provided.

Multidrug-Resistant And Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (Mrsa) In Hog Slaughter And Processing Plant Workers And Their Community In North Carolina (Usa), Ricardo Castillo Neyra, Jose A. Frisancho, Jessica L. Rinsky, Carol Resnick, Karen C. Carroll, Ana M. Rule, Tracy Ross, Yaqi You, Lance B. Price, Ellen K. Silbergeld

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Background: Use of antimicrobials in industrial food-animal production is associated with the presence of antimicrobial resistant Staphylococcus aureus among animals and humans. Hog slaughter/processing plants process large numbers of animals from industrial animal operations, and are environments conducive to the exchange of bacteria between animals and workers.

Objectives: To compare the prevalence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and multidrug resistant S. aureus(MDRSA) carriage between processing plant workers, their household members, and community residents.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of hog slaughter/processing plant workers, their household members, and community residents in North Carolina. Participants responded to a questionnaire and …

Political Determinants Of Health: Lessons For Pakistan, Rashid Jooma, Guido Sabatinelli

Section of Neurosurgery

There is much concern about the capacity of the health system of Pakistan to meet its goals and obligations. Historically, the political thrust has been absent from the health policy formulation and this is reflected in the low and stagnant public allocations to health. Successive political leaderships have averred from considering healthcare is a common good rather than a market commodity and health has not been recognized as a constitutional right. Over 120 of world's nation states have accepted health as a constitutional right but the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan does not mandate health or education as a fundamental right …

Does Motor Learning Generalize Between Distinct Functional Upper Extremity Tasks In Older Adults?, Bergen Elyse Lindauer

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

Background: The process of motor learning can decline with age, such that older adults tend to learn new motor skills at a slower rate and to a lesser degree than younger adults. The degree to which aging affects the generalization of motor learning, however, is unclear.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to test whether task-specific training on one functional motor task would 1) result in motor learning, and 2) generalize to two untrained tasks in older adults.

Methods: Twenty-one adults age 65 years and older participated in this study and were assigned to either a training group or …

Make Your Garden Grow: Designing A Physical Activity Estimation Improvement Game, Ashish Amresh, Leigh Small

Publications

We present a novel game and virtual world based application that is aimed at improving the physical activity estimation skills of parents. It has been well established that lack of proper estimation of preschool children’s activity levels may be one of the main causes for childhood obesity. Childhood obesity has several long term health effects ranging from cardio-vascular disease to type II diabetes and obese preschool children are at risk for later life. We have developed an application that caters to both the parent and the child and uses a virtual garden as a fledgling ecosystem controlled both by the …

Inter- And Intra-Rater Reliabililty Of A Modified Approach To Scoring The Balance Error Scoring System Bess In Undistracted And Distracted Conditions, Jacob Ryan Pierce

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

Context: We have developed a modified approach to scoring balance errors with the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) by eliminating two of the six original error criteria.

Objective: To measure the inter- and intra-rater reliability of this modified BESS approach. Because of the potential auditory distractions that may be present in a clinical setting, we also measured reliability for distracted rating conditions.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: University sports medicine clinic.

Patients or Other Participants: Board of Certification (BOC) certified athletic trainers as raters (n=6).

Intervention: Raters used a modified approach to scoring the BESS to score 32 different …

Isoflupredone Acetate As Ancillary Therapy For Bovine Respiratory Disease In High-Risk Stocker Calves, Claire E. Crews

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the leading cause of illness and death in U.S. feedlot cattle. This study evaluated the use of isoflupredone acetate in the treatment of BRD. Crossbred male beef calves (n = 192; BW = 221 ± 3.9 kg) were acquired in two blocks from regional auction markets and transported to the University of Arkansas Stocker and Receiving Cattle Unit. Calves were observed daily for signs of respiratory illness. Antibiotic treatment was administered if calves displayed signs of respiratory illness and rectal temperature was ≥ 40 °C. Calves (n = 72) requiring antibiotic treatment were assigned randomly …

Preventive Effect Of Non-Mitogenic Acidic Fibroblast Growth Factor On Diabetes-Induced Testicular Cell Death., Melissa Skibba 1990-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-1 was found to protect the heart from oxidative damage, but clinically its long-term use was restricted for its undesirable proliferating activity on cells. Thus a cluster of amino acids responsible for the proliferation were deleted in the native FGF-1 to create a non-mitogenic FGF-1 (nmFGF-1). To assess whether nmFGF-1 protects male germ cells from diabetes-induced apoptotic death, the study employed a murine model of diabetes using multiple low-doses of streptozotocin, followed by nmFGF-1 treatment for 6 months. Diabetic mice showed a decrease in testicular weight and an increase in apoptotic cell death. Treatment with nmFGF-1 alleviated …

Factors Influencing The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status And Prenatal Smoking., Irene Yang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of prenatal smoking is highest among women from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. The adverse effects of smoking on pregnancy outcomes are widely known and current intervention efforts appear to have reached their maximum effectiveness. Improving interventions, particularly for those who are most vulnerable to this behavior demands a deeper and more contextualized understanding of contributing factors. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore factors that influence the relationship between SES and prenatal smoking. This was done in three ways: a critical review of literature on prenatal smoking in low SES women; an examination of the state …

Implementation Of An Oral Health Intervention For Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities., Brigit Rene Zaksek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Often oral care is overlooked during the daily care of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Due to the integration of adults with IDD from institutions into group homes and private homes, caregivers need to be taught to implement daily oral hygiene protocols. The purpose of this pilot study, conducted by the University of Louisville and the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, was to develop an oral hygiene plan for adults with IDD residing in group homes in the Louisville, Kentucky area that would ultimately improve their oral health and quality of life. This thesis focuses on the …

Markers And Mechanisms Of Metabolic Aging., Peter Dziewornu Ahiawodzi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Oxidative stress has been implicated in aging and age-related diseases. Using three distinct studies, this dissertation examines associations between lifestyle factors and oxidative stress, and their effects on advanced glycation end products, telomere length, and type II diabetes. Carboxymethyl-lysine (CML), an advanced glycation end-product, has been linked to oxidative stress, cardiovascular and other age-related diseases. The first study investigates the association between sleep disordered breathing (SDB), a source of oxidative stress, and CML. 1002 participants with sleep data from the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) were analyzed. SDB was not significantly associated with CML, but after stratification by gender and hemoglobin …

Quality Of Primary Care From The Patient Perspective In Saudi Arabia : A Multi-Level Study., Khalid Awad Alahmary

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: To assess primary care performance for measures of patients’ experience in Community-based Primary Care (CPC) and Employer-based Primary Care (EPC) systems in Saudi Arabia, to examine variations in performance across the two systems, and to explore factors at both the individual-level and the organizational-level that explain variations in primary care performance. Design and Methods: This is an observational and cross-sectional study, using comparative design and survey research methods. The newly revised and re-translated Arabic version of the Primary Care Assessment Survey (PCAS) was used to measure patients’ experience of primary care. PCAS operationalizes the IOM definition of primary care, …

The Role Of Pesticides In Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (Nafld)., Laila Al-Eryani 1986-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

NAFLD, the most common form of liver disease worldwide, is caused by various factors including industrial chemicals and pesticides exposure. Annually, 5.2 billion pounds of pesticides are used worldwide and can contribute to liver disease, but their role is modestly studied. We hypothesize that pesticides contaminating food supply can worsen diet-induced steatosis via xenobiotic receptor activation. Two human and two rodent databases were utilized and 85% of the 330 chemicals identified associated with NAFLD were pesticides. Eight were selected for evaluating hepatic receptor activation in vitro. The majority including DDT activated hPXR/CAR and mPXR. DDT (100 mg/kg) was studied in …

Neutrophils Alter Epithelial Response To Porphyromonas Gingivalis In A Gingival Crevice Model., Jessica Lynn Bondy-Carey 1987-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A gingival crevice model (epithelial cell-Porphyromonas gingivalis-neutrophil) was established and used to profile gingipain, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), MMP mediators [neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1 (TIMP-1)] and cytokine networks. Smoking is the primary environmental risk factor for periodontitis. Therefore, the influence of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) was also monitored in the same model. Porphyromonas gingivalis alone induced low levels of interleukin-1b and interleukin-8 from epithelial cells, but high levels of both cytokines were produced on the addition of neutrophils. Exposure to CSE (100 and 1000 ng mL1 nicotine equivalency) significantly compromised P. gingivalis-induced cytokine secretion (both …

The Performance Of The K6 Scale In A Large Adolescent Sample., Nicholas Chalmer Peiper 1982-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an applied research study to examine the performance of the K6 scale that measures serious emotional disturbance (SED) among adolescents. As the K6 was included in the 2012 administration of the Kentucky Incentives for Prevention Survey (KIP), three specific aims are included: 1) confirm the unidimensional structure of the K6 among adolescents using factor analysis; 2) define the prevalence and correlates of adolescent SED among Kentucky students; and 3) utilize latent class analysis (LCA) to empirically derive clinically relevant subtypes of adolescents with SED. Of the 122,718 students who completed the KIP in 2012, approximately 89% provided …

Neurodegeneration-Associated Instability Of Ribosomal Dna., Justin Lauren Hallgren 1981-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Homologous recombination-mediated instability of the repetitively organized ribosomal DNA has been proposed as a mediator of cell senescence in yeast triggering the DNA damage response. High individual variability in the content of human ribosomal DNA suggests that this genomic region remained relatively unstable throughout evolution. Therefore, quantitative real time PCR was used to determine the genomic content of ribosomal DNA in post mortem samples of parietal cortex from 14 young and 9 elderly individuals with no diagnosis of a chronic neurodegenerative/neurological disease. In addition, ribosomal DNA content in that brain region was compared between 10 age-matched control individuals and 10 …

Effectiveness Of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Copd) Management Program At The University Of Louisville., Malhar Anantbhai Jhaveri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive disease of the respiratory system characterized by airflow limitation that is not completely reversible and is associated with systemic effects especially of the cardiovascular system. COPD is frequently complicated by acute exacerbations that contribute to physical impairment and increased health care use. As COPD is a chronic lung disease with significant systemic manifestations, it is important to have chronic disease management programs specifically targeting individuals with COPD designed to improve their overall quality of life, reduce the burden of disease and decrease the impact of COPD on daily life. Chronic disease …

Clinical Efficacy Of Cross-Sectional Imaging Compared With Panoramic Imaging And Virtual 3d Models For The Assessment Of Dental Implant Placement., Moiz Ahmad Khan 1987-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: This study compared the clinical efficacy of panoramic imaging and Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) in the optimal placement of virtual dental implants in the posterior edentulous bounded regions of the jaws. Material and methods: From a retrospective audit of patient records, fifty-two subjects were recruited with sixty-one dental implant sites in the maxilla and mandible. Physical measurements of the residual alveolar ridge were performed and consensus decisions of optimal implant length and bone graft necessity were obtained using reformatted panoramic alone (RP) or cross-sectional imaging (XS). Results: Horizontal restorative space measurements greater for RP (p=0.001). Shorter implants were …

Roscoe Reid Graham (1890 To 1948): A Canadian Pioneer In General Surgery., Christine C. Piper, Ba, Charles J. Yeo, Md, Scott W. Cowan, Md

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

Roscoe Reid Graham, a Canadian surgeon trained at the University of Toronto, was a true pioneer in the field of general surgery. Although he may be best known for his omental patch repair of perforated duodenal ulcers-often referred to as the "Graham patch"-he had a number of other significant accomplishments that decorated his surgical career. Dr. Graham is credited with being the first surgeon to successfully enucleate an insulinoma. He ventured to do an essentially brand new operation based solely on his patient's symptoms and physical findings, a courageous move that even some of the most talented surgeons would shy …

Genomics Into Healthcare: The 5th Pan Arab Human Genetics Conference And 2013 Golden Helix Symposium., Paolo Fortina, Najib Al Khaja, Mahmoud Taleb Al Ali, Abdul Rezzak Hamzeh, Pratibha Nair, Federico Innocenti, George P. Patrinos, Larry J. Kricka

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

The joint 5th Pan Arab Human Genetics conference and 2013 Golden Helix Symposium, "Genomics into Healthcare" was coorganized by the Center for Arab Genomic Studies (http://www.cags.org.ae) in collaboration with the Golden Helix Foundation (http://www.goldenhelix.org) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from 17 to 19 November, 2013. The meeting was attended by over 900 participants, doctors and biomedical students from over 50 countries and was organized into a series of nine themed sessions that covered cancer genomics and epigenetics, genomic and epigenetic studies, genomics of blood and metabolic disorders, cytogenetic diagnosis and molecular profiling, next-generation sequencing, consanguinity and hereditary diseases, clinical genomics, …