Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Body Mass And Depression Among Mississippi Women With Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Laurel A. Bruce

Honors Theses

Objective

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between body mass and depression among Mississippi women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

Methods

Ten women participated in this study. Data was collected by online survey. The survey was distributed to eligible participants on pcoschallenge.com, a support network for women with PCOS. The survey included the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) questionnaire as well as five additional questions that asked the participants to report their weight, height, comorbidities, age, and race. The CES-D score provided a measurement for depression while the participant’s weight and height allowed the researcher …

Hip Reconstruction Osteotomy By Ilizarov Method As A Salvage Option For Abnormal Hip Joints, Masood Umer, Haroon Rashid, Hafiz Muhammad Umer, Hasnain Raza

Department of Radiology

Hip joint instability can be secondary to congenital hip pathologies like developmental dysplasia (DDH) or acquired such as sequel of infective or neoplastic process. An unstable hip is usually associated with loss of bone from the proximal femur, proximal migration of the femur, lower-extremity length discrepancy, abnormal gait, and pain. In this case series of 37 patients coming to our institution between May 2005 and December 2011, we report our results in treatment of unstable hip joint by hip reconstruction osteotomy using the Ilizarov method and apparatus. This includes an acute valgus and extension osteotomy of the proximal femur combined …

Correlation Between Throwing Velocity And Baseball- And Softball-Specific Performance Tests In Collegiate Baseball And Softball Players, Michael A. Reese

Theses

Throwing velocity is a critical factor in baseball and softball performance, yet its relationship with sport-specific performance tests remains unclear. This study examines correlations between common performance tests and throwing velocity in right-handed collegiate baseball and softball players. A total of 33 athletes (22 baseball, 11 softball) participated in a series of tests assessing anthropometric measurements, grip strength, agility, lower body power, and rotational power.

Results indicate that performance tests incorporating frontal and transverse plane movements, such as rotational broad jumps and medicine ball rotational scoop tosses, were the strongest predictors of throwing velocity. Notably, rotational broad jumps had the …

University Students And The Risk Of Hiv And Other Sexually Transmitted Infections In Uganda: The Crane Survey., George W. Rutherford, Andrew Anglemyer, Danstan Bagenda, Michael Muyonga, Christina P. Lindan, Joseph L. Barker, Lisa Johnston, Wolfgang Hladik

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Adolescents and young adults are at high risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in sub-Saharan Africa. Previous reports have found that university students in Africa comprise a sexually active population, although the prevalence of HIV or sexually transmitted infections (STI) has not been measured. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of students from five large universities in Kampala, Uganda, using respondent-driven sampling. We asked students to complete behavioral questionnaires and provide biological samples to test for HIV, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Treponema pallidum, Trichomonas vaginalis, and bacterial vaginosis. We enrolled 649 students and obtained interpretable data from 640. Around 50% …

Pediatric Care Recommendations For Freestanding Urgent Care Facilities., Committee On Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Gregory P. Conners

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Treatment of children at freestanding urgent care facilities has become common in pediatric health care. Well-managed freestanding urgent care facilities can improve the health of the children in their communities, integrate into the medical community, and provide a safe, effective adjunct to, but not a replacement for, the medical home or emergency department. Recommendations are provided for optimizing freestanding urgent care facilities' quality, communication, and collaboration in caring for children.

An Exploratory Study Of Generational Differences In Health Information Seeking And Smoking Behaviors In Bulgaria, Iva Stoyneva

Communication & Theatre Arts Theses

Smoking is a serious global public health threat that causes more than 6 million deaths annually (WHO, 2013). Smoking is also the single, most preventable cause of death (CDC, 2014). According to a recent study, Bulgaria was ranked as one of onlyl 1 countries in the world, in which half of the adult male population smokes, as well as one of 11 countries in which more than one-quarter of the adult female population smokes. Research suggests that the most significant predictors of smoking behavior in Bulgaria were age and geographic location (Balabanova, Bobak & McKee, 1998). Contributing to these finings, …

Use Of Ovulation Predictor Kits As Adjuncts When Using Fertility Awareness Methods (Fams): A Pilot Study, Rene Letva, Ula Burban, Edmond Kyrillos, Richard J. Fehring, Robin Mclaren, Catherine Dalzell, Elizabeth Tanguay

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose: Difficult clinical signs such as confusing cervical mucus or erratic basal body temperature can make the use of fertility awareness methods (FAMs) difficult in some cases. The goal of this study was to assess the feasibility of using a cheap urinary luteinizing hormone (LH)–surge identification kit as an adjunct to identify the infertile phase after ovulation when facing these scenarios.

Methods: The study used a block-allocation, crossover, 2-arm methodology (LH kit/FAM vs FAM only). Comparison of the 2 arms was done with regard to the accuracy of identification (yes/no) of the luteal phase in each cycle as confirmed by …

Cohort Efficacy Study Of Natural Family Planning Among Perimenopause Age Women, Richard J. Fehring, Qiyan Mu

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: To determine the efficacy of using natural family planning (NFP) methods to avoid unintended pregnancy among women of perimenopause age (i.e., age 40-55 years).

Design: A secondary analysis of subset data from two prospective observational cohort studies.

Setting: A university based in-person and online NFP service program.

Participants: One hundred and sixty couples who used either a website or an in-person NFP service to learn how to avoid pregnancy from January 2001 to November 2012.

Methods: A prospective 12-month effectiveness study among 160 women (between ages 40-55) who used NFP to avoid pregnancy. The …

Feasibility Of Oral Prenatal Probiotics Against Maternal Group B Streptococcus Vaginal And Rectal Colonization, Lisa Hanson, Leona Vandevusse, Megan Duster, Simone Warrack, Nasia Safdar

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

To examine the effect of an oral prenatal probiotic on group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonization and to demonstrate the feasibility of a larger randomized controlled trial.

Design

This pilot study was an open‐label, two‐group quasi‐experiment.

Setting

An urban central city nurse‐midwifery and wellness center serving a diverse population.

Participants

Ten pregnant participants received the oral probiotic (Florajen3) taken once daily, and 10 participants served as controls.

Methods

A questionnaire on dietary practices, vaginal cleansing, sexual history, and symptoms and GBS colony count samples were taken at 28‐, 32‐, and 36‐weeks gestation.

Results

Participants in the probiotic group reported no …

Phd Preparation For Nurse Faculty And Nurse Scientists: Do They Have To Be The Same?, Donna O. Mccarthy

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Do You Use Your Professional Code Of Ethics?, Kathryn Schroeter

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Psychometric Properties Of The Resourcefulness Scale Among Caregivers Of Persons With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Abir K. Bekhet, Jaclene Zauszniewski

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Caregiving for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be very costly to caregivers’ well-being. Resourcefulness interventions have shown increases in positive health outcomes. However, before delivering the intervention, there should be a reliable and a valid measure to test resourcefulness. The psychometric properties of the Resourcefulness Scale (RS) have not been examined among ASD caregivers. This study examined the psychometrics of the 28-item RS in a convenience sample of 204 ASD caregivers. A Cronbach’s alpha of .91 showed the internal consistency of the RS. Construct validity was supported by the emergence of two dimensions of resourcefulness (personal and social) …

Prostate Cancer: Alcohol, Cancer And 5Α-Reductase Inhibitors-Is There A Link?, Leonard G Gomella

Department of Urology Faculty Papers

Two major trials have been performed to determine the effect of 5α-reductase inhibitors on subsequent diagnoses of prostate cancer. Both trials showed that high alcohol intake significantly increased prostate cancer risk among men allocated to the treatment arms. The recommendation that patients eliminate alcohol when taking 5α-reductase inhibitors seems appropriate.

Purple Urine Bag Syndrome: Regulation Of Pyrimidine Enzymes, Ashley N. Broadway

Honors Theses

Purple Urine Bag Syndrome, PUBS, is a unique condition that shows an interesting discoloration of the urine from women who have a chronic catheter. This study focused on the regulation of enzyme activities to determine the effects that may create an environment where PUBS is seen in patients with catheters. In this study, the reductive pyrimidine pathway was used to read out the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15692. This microorganism expresses a pathway that synthesizes indoxyl from tryptophan. The bacteria strains were grown using various carbon and nitrogen sources. Concentrations of acetonitrile at 2 mM and 10 mM, concentrations of …

Predictors Of Vaccination Card Retention In Children 12-59 Months Old In Karachi, Pakistan, Sana Sadiq Sheikh, Syed Asad Ali

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Objective: To determine the factors associated with retaining the vaccination card among care takers of 12-59 months old children in Karachi, Pakistan.
Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study in Karachi. Households were randomly selected throughout a multistage cluster sampling technique. Data was collected for 504 children of 12- 59 months of age. Questionnaire was administered to caretakers to gather information regarding the children's vaccination status, socio-demographic characteristics and reviewing their vaccination cards. Statistical analysis was done by SPSS 19 using logistic regression.
Results: Among 462 vaccinated children, caretakers of 33% provided vaccination cards. Odds of card retention decrease if …

Functional Implications Of Demyelination And The Molecular Control Of Remyelination In The Adult Mouse., Nicholas John Kuypers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Oligodendrocyte (OL) loss contributes to the functional deficits underlying diseases with a demyelinating component (Gajjar et al., 1997; Miller et al., 2002). Remyelination can restore these deficits (Duncan et al., 2009). Chapter 1 is an introduction to de- and re-myelination thus providing the necessary background information for consideration in subsequent chapters. Ethidium bromide (EB) has been extensively used in the rat and cat as a model of spinal cord demyelination. However, this lesion has not been addressed in the adult mouse. Therefore, Chapters 2 and 3 characterize a model of chronic EB-induced spinal cord demyelination in the mouse which can …

Effect Of Metallic Restoration Artifacts On Maxillofacial Cone Beam Computed Tomography Images., Mitali Binani 1987-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Artifacts due to high-density objects (HDO) such as metallic dental restorations on maxillofacial cone beam computed tomographic (CBCT) images can render certain areas unsuitable for diagnosis. It was hypothesized that image quality due to HDO artifacts was affected by CBCT acquisition parameters and the number and configuration of HDO. Simulated complete maxillary and mandibular dental arches were constructed using dental stone and extracted teeth. Conservative coronal dental amalgam (MOD) restorations on premolar and molar teeth were used as HDOs. Gray values (GV) measured on uniform dental stone test cylinders at specific levels from the occlusal plane at three tooth locations …

Cognitive Decline And Polypharmacy In An Elderly Population., Ximena A. Oyarzun Gonzalez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Aging is associated with increased risk of chronic disease, comorbidities, and greater medication use. Polypharmacy, the concomitant use of 5 or more medications, has been associated with adverse health effects, and potentially cognitive decline. The proposed hypothesis is that polypharmacy increases the risk of cognitive decline in elderly people. Using longitudinal data from 572 participants from the New Mexico Aging Process Study cohort, the impact of polypharmacy on the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) was studied. The statistical analyses were performed using mixed linear regression multivariable models and generalized estimating equations, adjusting for important …

Protracted Effects Of Juvenile Stressor Exposure Are Mitigated By Access To Palatable Food, Jennifer Christine Mackay, Jonathan Stewart James, Christian Cayer, Pamela Kent, Hymie Anisman, Zul Merali

Brain and Mind Institute

Stressor experiences during the juvenile period may increase vulnerability to anxiety and depressive-like symptoms in adulthood. Stressors may also promote palatable feeding, possibly reflecting a form of self-medication. The current study investigated the short- and long-term consequences of a stressor applied during the juvenile period on anxiety- and depressive-like behavior measured by the elevated plus maze (EPM), social interaction and forced swim test (FST). Furthermore, the effects of stress on caloric intake, preference for a palatable food and indices of metabolic syndrome and obesity were assessed. Male Wistar rats exposed to 3 consecutive days of variable stressors on postnatal days …

Strategic Planning In The Non Profit Sector: Creating A Strategic Plan For Affinity 2014-2017, Emilee Taplin-Lacey

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

The purpose of engaging in the creation of a strategic plan for Affinity is to integrate knowledge acquired through participation in the Public Policy and Nonprofit Management Master’s Degree program at the Muskie School of Public Service. In addition, my facilitation of a strategic planning process for Affinity is meant to meet the requirements of graduation and represents my capstone project in this regard.

Substance Abuse Trends In Maine: State Epidemiological Profile 2014, Tim Diomede

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

This report takes into account the primary objectives of the Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHS): to identify substance abuse patterns in defined geographical areas, establish substance abuse trends, detect emerging substances, and provide information for policy development and program planning. It also highlights all the prevention priorities identified in the SAMHS strategic prevention plan: underage drinking, high-risk drinking among 18-25 year olds, misuse of prescription drugs among 18-25 year olds, and marijuana use in 12-25 year olds; as well as monitors the progress being made to address these priorities. This report includes data available through December …

An Assessment Of The Health Needs Of Maine Veterans And Their Access To Veterans Administration Health Care Services, Kristin Brawn

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

On a state level, only a few assessments have been conducted, which indicate that Maine veterans are also experiencing similar mental and physical health issues; however, it does not appear that the adequacy of Maine’s VHA services to meet the needs of Maine’s veterans has been comprehensively evaluated. It is unknown whether the physical and mental health needs of Maine’s veterans are currently being met. Therefore, this project proposes to determine if there is a similar problem among Maine’s veterans in regard to health issues and lack of access to VHA health services, as has been reported at the national …

Novel Α-Msh Peptide Analogs For Melanoma Targeting, Adam Michael Flook

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Skin cancer is the one of the most diagnosed cancers in the United States with increasing incidence over the past two decades. There are three major forms of skin cancer but melanoma is the deadliest. It is estimated that 76,690 new diagnoses of melanoma and 9,480 deaths will occur in 2013. Melanoma accounts for approximately 1.6% of all cancer related deaths and is the 5th leading diagnosed cancer in the United States. The mean survival rate of patients diagnosed with metastatic melanoma is six months, with five year survival rates of less than 5%. In this project, we describe the …

Molecular Mechanism Of Autophagy-Based Unconventional Secretion Of Il-Β, Shanya Jiang

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Proteins without signal peptides can still be released into extracellular space via ER/Golgi-independent unconventional secretory pathway(s) that remain to be revealed. A class of leaderless proteins including the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-β (IL-β) is processed in the cytosol by proteolytic machineries such as the inflammasome prior to secretion. Studies in yeast uncovered a new unconventional secretory pathway that is dependent on GRASP (Golgi Reassembly and Stacking Protein) and autophagy proteins. The purpose of this work was to determine whether this autophagy-based unconventional secretory pathway (secretory autophagy) is conserved in mammals, how this secretory autophagy differs from the traditional degradative autophagy, and …

Development Of Hpv Next-Generation Virus-Like Particle Vaccines That Are Cross-Protective, Mitchell Ryan Tyler

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Virus-like particles (VLPs) comprised of viral structural proteins that self-assemble into particles resembling the native virion represent a relatively novel vaccine development strategy. Both safe and immunogenic, VLPs can be used as vaccines against the virus from which they are derived, but can also be used to present heterologous epitopes from other pathogens to the immune system. Both techniques result in high-titer antibody responses against the target epitope. Indeed, vaccines of VLPs are already available, including the two vaccines targeting Human Papillomavirus (HPV). These vaccines are very effective at preventing infection by the HPV types included in their formulation; high-risk …

Patient And Provider Views On Informed Consent For Cardiac Catheterization: A Pilot Study, Jarrod D. Frizzell

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Background: Patient provision of informed consent is foundational to medical decision- making. However, clinical informed consent is not as well studied as consent for research. Cardiac catheterization (CC) is a complex medical procedure with many potential variations, making informed consent challenging. Objective: To determine patient and provider attitudes toward the informed consent process for CC and to test a new measure for measuring patient capacity to consent for CC. Design: A mixed methods pilot study. Setting: Academic medical center. Participants: 8 patients who consented for non-emergent CC, cardiology fellows and faculty (21 surveyed, 7 interviewed). Measurements: Patients and providers underwent …

Targeted Cancer Nanotherapeutics By Adoptive Transfer Of Mononuclear Splenocytes, Jaclyn Murton

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

The most common cause of cancer deaths among women is breast cancer. Current breast cancer chemotherapies rely on passive diffusion of the drug into the tumor interior, which leads to a sub-optimal drug concentration in some tumor regions. One important goal for cancer pharmaceutics is optimizing drug targeting to tumors. We propose to develop active drug delivery, mediated by the patient's immune cells. We hypothesize that circulating monocytes, known to infiltrate tumors, are effective biologically-active carriers of multifunctional nanoparticles. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MS) were isolated from the spleens of transgenic mice that are immunocompetent and spontaneously develop mammary tumors. …

Modulated Functions Of The Fanconi Anemia Core Complex, Yaling Huang

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Cells derived from Fanconi anemia (FA) patients are characterized by hypersensitivity to DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs), suggesting that FA genes play a role in ICL repair. Fanconi anemia core complex (including A, B, C, E, F, G, L, FAAP20, and FAAP100) activates the Fanconi pathway by providing the essential E3 ligase activity for FANCD2 mono-ubiquitination. Previous studies suggested the existence of three protein-protein interaction groups. However, the functions of most FA core complex protein are still limited to their presence in the complex. How the spatially-defined FANCD2 ubiquitination is accomplished by the core complex remains unknown.

To elucidate the roles …

Investigating The Role Of Exosomal Communication In The Glioma Microenvironment, Javier Figueroa

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Evidence indicates that human cancers are maintained by a population of cells with stem-like properties called cancer stem cells (CSCs). However, the influence of the surrounding stromal cells on the behavior of the CSCs remains poorly understood. We have recently shown that the micro-environment of human gliomas, the most aggressive human brain tumors, contains both glioma stem cells (GSCs) and cells that resemble human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs), called Glioma Associated-MSCs (GA-MSCs). We have also shown that GA-MSCs generate a cytokine-mediated increase in the growth and self-renewal (clonogenicity) of GSCs. However, other paracrine interactions between GA-MSCs and GSCs …

Targeting Breast Cancer With Bacteriophage Associated Silicon Particles, Srimeenakshi Srinivasan

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Nanoparticle based therapeutics have been successfully used in the treatment of breast cancer. Development of nanovectors targeted to cancer cells or elements in the tumor microenvironment has been pursued to improve their site specific accumulation while reducing the non-specific delivery to normal tissues. However, addition of targeting ligands to the surface of nanovectors while maintaining their payload carrying potential is generally challenging. Therefore, there is a critical need to develop surface decoration strategies that allow for effective combination of targeting and payload delivery to the tumor.

In this study, we propose a novel strategy for covering the surface of mesoporous …