Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Interdisciplinary Teams In Healthcare: Can Geriatric Healthcare Be Improved?, Rebecca Notter, Sam Hadar

Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

Autism Awareness: Debunking Misconceptions, Nicole Summers

Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

The Exploration Of The Health Care Systems Of The United States And Belize Including A Cultural Analysis, Laura Hughes

Honors Projects

Health systems throughout the world may have a profoundly different, or extremely similar structure. A well-known, industrialized nation, the United States has an unusual system, which Shi and Singh (2008) describe as “unnecessarily fragmented” (p. 2). Highly unusual for a developed country, this system does not guarantee access to medical care for all of its citizens. On the other hand, a small Central American country more known as a vacation hotspot, Belize ensures health care for all inhabitants of this tropical nation. How can these major differences affect health outcomes? What could these two vastly different countries have in common …

Modern Dietetics And Why The World Should, But Won’T, Change It’S Diet, Jason King

Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

The Need For Additional Food Assistance Programs For School Children In Mid Michigan, Gabriel Dominguez

Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Hippotherapy On Coordination Of Speech In A Person With Traumatic Brain Injury, Anna Thrall, Matthew Moser

Honors Projects

Hippotherapy occurs when physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speechlanguage pathologists use the movement of a horse as a treatment strategy. Previous research has documented improvements in gross motor function such as walking, reaching, standing, balance, and trunk control following treatment that incorporates hippotherapy. However, no study to date has investigated the effect of hippotherapy on fine motor control functions such as speech. The purpose of the study was to complete a pilot investigation of the effects of hippotherapy on speech motor control in one person with traumatic brain injury. The treatment records of a 24 yearold woman with TBI who …

X-Ray Crystallographic And Functional Characterization Of Bshc: The Third Step Of Bacillithiol Biosynthesis, Andrew Vanduinen

Honors Projects

Bacillithiol is a low molecular weight thiol that reduces oxidative stress and regulates thiol homeostasis in some Gram-positive bacteria, including the pathogenic Bacillus anthracis and Staphylococcus aureus. It has recently been determined that bacillithiol plays a key role in resistance to the FDA-approved antibiotic fosfomycin. The biosynthesis of BSH is believed to occur via a three step pathway utilizing the enzymes BshA, BshB, and BshC. BshA replaces UDP with malate on UDP-N-acetylglucosamine. BshB acts as a deacetylase to produce glucosaminyl-malate, and BshC is proposed to add cysteine to glucosaminyl-malate to produce bacillithiol. The first solved structure of …

Climate, Environmental And Socio-Economic Change: Weighing Up The Balance In Vector-Borne Disease Transmission, Paul E. Parham, Joanna Waldock, George K. Christophides, Deborah Hemming, Folashade Agusto, Katherine J. Evans, Nina Fefferman, Holly Gaff, Abba Gumel, Shannon Ladeau

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Arguably one of the most important effects of climate change is the potential impact on human health. While this is likely to take many forms, the implications for future transmission of vector-borne diseases (VBDs), given their ongoing contribution to global disease burden, are both extremely important and highly uncertain. In part, this is owing not only to data limitations and methodological challenges when integrating climate-driven VBD models and climate change projections, but also, perhaps most crucially, to the multitude of epidemiological, ecological and socio-economic factors that drive VBD transmission, and this complexity has generated considerable debate over the past 10-15 …

Behavioral Effects Of Fluoxetine On Aggression And Associative Learning In Betta Splendens, Benjamin Eisenreich

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

While the link between serotonin and the behaviors of aggression and learning has been elucidated, few studies have examined the impact serotonin has on learning for aggressive rewards. In particular, the SSRI fluoxetine has been demonstrated to reduce aggression as well the acquisition of instrumental responding for rewards indicating that this drugs behavioral effect may be related to motivational processes important for learning. To examine the relationship between fluoxetine and motivational process important for learning, two experiments were conducted using Betta splendens, a species well known for their robust aggressive response and drive to engage in aggressive behaviors, to examine …

Patterns Of Sedentary Behavior And Association With Health Risks Among African American Adults, Tatiana Y. Warren-Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: There is growing and compelling evidence suggesting time spent in sedentary behaviors (SB) is a unique contributor to health risk that appears to be independent of time spent in moderate- and/or vigorous-intensity physical activity (PA). However, few studies have examined these associations in women and even fewer studies have included ethnic minority populations.

Purpose: The major objectives of this study were to: (1) describe patterns of objectively measured sedentary and PA behaviors and variation in these behaviors in African American (AA) adults; (2) assess the association between bouts of and breaks in SB and waist circumference risk, body mass …

Geographic Accessibility To Health Services And Neonatal Mortality Among Very Low Birthweight Infants In South Carolina, Portavia Featherstone

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Infant mortality is commonly denoted as a marker of population health with more than half of all infant deaths occurring during the neonatal period (0-27 days) of infancy. Mortality for infants born very low birthweight (<1500 grams) is markedly higher than the babies born with normal birthweight (2500-4000 grams). The purpose of this research project was to assess geographic access to perinatal health services and the risk of neonatal death among infants born with very low birth weight. Data and methods: The linked birth and death records of a retrospective cohort of very low birthweight (<1500 grams) infants born in South Carolina between the years 2010 and 2012 were used (n=3191). We assessed the impact of travel time from maternal residence to delivery hospital and travel time from maternal residence to the nearest prenatal care provider (obstetricians/gynecologists, community health center, or rural health clinic). Logistic regression modeling was performed with adjustments for maternal characteristics (race, age, chronic/gestational hypertension, chronic/gestational diabetes mellitus, smoking, prenatal care), newborn characteristics (gestational age, birthweight, gender, NICU admission at birth), and the birth in a level III hospital. Results: There were a total of 563 neonatal deaths in this population and the neonatal mortality rate was 17.64 neonatal deaths per 100 live births. We did not find significant associations of travel time from maternal residence to delivery hospital and to a closest prenatal care provider with neonatal death after adjusting for confounders. However, we found that a one-week increase in gestational age (OR: 0.61 [95% CI: 0.57-0.65]) and non-Hispanic Black mothers (versus non-Hispanic White mothers) (OR: 0.65 [95% CI: 0.45-0.94]), were associated with the lower odds of neonatal death, while non-NICU admission at birth (OR: 5.99 [95% CI: 4.05-8.84]) was associated with an increased odds of neonatal death. Conclusion: Although we did not find that travel time was associated with neonatal mortality among very low birthweight infants, our study identified a few significant correlates for neonatal deaths in this birthweight group. Future studies should investigate the role of geographic access to care on mortality during other periods of infancy and among other birthweight groups.

Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Converting Enzyme Inhibition During Acute Colitis In Mice: A Regional Analysis, Brian Maddox

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Tumor Necrosis Factor-a Converting Enzyme (TACE) induces active TNFa and may contribute to the development of colitis in humans. I hypothesized that pharmacological blockade of TNFa production would improve colitis scoring through decreased expression of inflammatory biomarkers. Acute colitis was induced in wild type BALB/c mice using 5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in drinking water for 7 days. TACE inhibition was accomplished through twice daily intraperitoneal injection of DPC- 333 (10mg/kg; BSM Inc.) To determine the effects of TACE blockade during colitis, the following experimental groups (n=6-7/group) were tested: 1) vehicle; 2) DPC-333; 3) 5% DSS and vehicle; and 4) …

Disruption Of Skin Stem Cell Homeostasis Following Transplacental Arsenicosis; Alleviation By Combined Intake Of Selenium And Curcumin, Shiv Poojan, Sushil Kumar, Vikas Verma, Anupam Dhasmana, Mohtashim Lohani, Mukesh K. Verma

School of Medicine Publications

Of late, a consirable interest has grown in literature on early development of arsenicosis and untimely death in humans after exposure to iAs in drinking water in utero or during the childhood. The mechanism of this kind of intrauterine arsenic poisoning is not known; however it is often suggested to involve stem cells. We looked into this possibility by investigating in mice the influence of chronic in utero exposure to arsenical drinking water preliminarily on multipotent adult stem cell and progenitor cell counts at the beginning of neonatal age. We found that repeated intake of 42.5 or 85ppm iAs in …

Genetics Of Kidney Disease And Related Cardiometabolic Phenotypes In Zuni Indians: The Zuni Kidney Project, Sandra L. Laston, V. Saroja Voruganti, Karin Haack, Vallabh O. Shah, Arlene Bobelu, Jeanette Bobelu, Donica Ghahate, Antonia M. Harford, Susan S. Paine, Francesca Tentori

School of Medicine Publications

The objective of this study is to identify genetic factors associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and related cardiometabolic phenotypes among participants of the Genetics of Kidney Disease in Zuni Indians study. The study was conducted as a community-based participatory research project in the Zuni Indians, a small endogamous tribe in rural New Mexico. We recruited 998 members from 28 extended multigenerational families, ascertained through probands with CKD who had at least one sibling with CKD. We used the Illumina Infinium Human1M-Duo version 3.0 BeadChips to type 1.1 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Prevalence estimates for CKD, hyperuricemia, diabetes, and …

Discovering Schizophrenia Endophenotypes In Randomly Ascertained Pedigrees, David C. Glahn, Jeff T. Williams, Joanne E. Curran, Harald H. H. Goring, Thomas D. Dyer, Anderson M. Winkler, Rene L. Olvera, Ravi Duggirala, Laura Almasy, John Blangero

School of Medicine Publications

Background

Although case-control approaches are beginning to disentangle schizophrenia’s complex polygenic burden, other methods will likely be necessary to fully identify and characterize risk genes. Endophenotypes, traits genetically correlated with an illness, can help characterize the impact of risk genes by providing genetically relevant traits that are more tractable than the behavioral symptoms that classify mental illness. Here we present an analytic approach for discovering and empirically validating endophenotypes in extended pedigrees with very few affected individuals. Our approach indexes each family member’s risk as a function of shared genetic kinship with an affected individual, often referred to as the …

A Retrospective Examination Of Mean Relative Telomere Length In The Tasmanian Familial Hematological Malignancies Study, Nicholas B. Blackburn, Jac C. Charlesworth, James R. Marthick, Elizabeth M. Tegg, Katherine A. Marsden, Velandai Srikanth, John Blangero, Ray M. Lowenthal, Simon J. Foote, Joanne L. Dickinson

School of Medicine Publications

Telomere length has a biological link to cancer, with excessive telomere shortening leading to genetic instability and resultant malignant transformation. Telomere length is heritable and genetic variants determining telomere length have been identified. Telomere biology has been implicated in the development of hematological malignancies (HMs), therefore, closer examination of telomere length in HMs may provide further insight into genetic etiology of disease development and support for telomere length as a prognostic factor in HMs. We retrospectively examined mean relative telomere length in the Tasmanian Familial Hematological Malignancies Study using a quantitative PCR method on genomic DNA from peripheral blood samples. …

Binding Pattern Elucidation Of Nnk And Nnal Cigarette Smoke Carcinogens With Ner Pathway Enzymes: An Onco- Informatics Study, Qazi Mohammad Sajid Jamal, Anupam Dhasmana, Mohtashim Lohani, Sumbul Firdaus, Md Yousuf Ansari, Ganesh Chandra Sahoo, Shafiul Haque

School of Medicine Publications

Cigarette smoke derivatives like NNK (4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone) and NNAL (4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butan-1-ol) are well-known carcinogens. We analyzed the interaction of enzymes involved in the NER (nucleotide excision repair) pathway with ligands (NNK and NNAL). Binding was characterized for the enzymes sharing equivalent or better interaction as compared to +Ve control. The highest obtained docking energy between NNK and enzymes RAD23A, CCNH, CDK7, and CETN2 were -7.13 kcal/mol, -7.27 kcal/mol, -8.05 kcal/mol and -7.58 kcal/mol respectively. Similarly the highest obtained docking energy between NNAL and enzymes RAD23A, CCNH, CDK7, and CETN2 were -7.46 kcal/mol, -7.94 kcal/mol, -7.83 kcal/mol and -7.67 kcal/mol respectively. In order …

Preconception Maternal And Paternal Exposure To Persistent Organic Pollutants And Birth Size: The Life Study, Candace A. Robledo, Edwina H. Yeung, Pauline Mendola, Rajeshwari Sundaram, Jose Maisog

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are developmental toxicants, but the impact of both maternal and paternal exposures on offspring birth size is largely unexplored.

Objective: We examined associations between maternal and paternal serum concentrations of 63 POPs, comprising five major classes of pollutants, with birth size measures.

Methods: Parental serum concentrations of 9 organochlorine pesticides, 1 polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), 7 perfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs), 10 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and 36 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured before conception for 234 couples. Differences in birth weight, length, head circumference, and ponderal index were estimated using multiple linear regression per 1-SD increase in …

A Novel Fmri Paradigm Suggests That Pedaling-Related Brain Activation Is Altered After Stroke, Nutta-On Promjunyakul, Brian D. Schmit, Sheila M. Schindler-Ivens

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure pedaling-related brain activation in individuals with stroke and age-matched controls. We also sought to identify stroke-related changes in brain activation associated with pedaling. Fourteen stroke and 12 control subjects were asked to pedal a custom, MRI-compatible device during fMRI. Subjects also performed lower limb tapping to localize brain regions involved in lower limb movement. All stroke and control subjects were able to pedal while positioned for fMRI. Two control subjects were withdrawn due to claustrophobia, and one control data set was …

Effects Of Tgf-Β1 And Il-33 On Mast Cell Function, Victor S. Ndaw

Theses and Dissertations

TGFβ is involved in many pathological conditions, including autoimmune disorders, cancer, and cardiovascular and allergic diseases. We have previously found that TGFβ can suppress IgE-mediated mast cell activation in human and mouse mast cells in vitro. IL-33 is a recently discovered member of the IL-1 family capable of inducing mast cell responses and enhancing IgE-mediated activation. In this study, we investigated the effects of TGFβ on IL-33-mediated mast cell activation. Bone marrow-derived mast cells cultured in TGFβ -1, -2, or -3 showed reduced IL-33-mediated production of TNF, IL-6, IL-13 and MCP-1, in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, TGFβ also reduced …

Low-Flow Domiciliary Oxygen As A Mechanism Of Ongoing Oxidative Stress In Copd Patients, Jill Stulce

Theses and Dissertations

Healthcare costs are escalating in the U.S., with a projected 48 trillion dollars by 2021. More than ever medical researches are obligated to ensure that costly treatment modalities are safe and effective. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a costly and debilitating disease, ranked as the third leading cause of death in America. Currently, treatment for COPD consists of anti-inflammatory agents, bronchodilators, antibiotics and supplemental oxygen when hypoxemia or clinical manifestations ensue. Oxidative stress is central to the pathology of COPD. Supplemental oxygen has been substantiated as an instigator of oxidative stress; however, LFDO has not been evaluated as a …

Colorectal Cancer Screening Practices Among Nurse Practitioners And Physician Assistants, Sandra A. Laird

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the colorectal cancer screening practices of Texas nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs). Research Questions: 1) What are the beliefs, attitudes, barriers, and practices of Texas NPs and P As with regard to risk stratified CRC screening in adults? 2) Is there a relationship between provider demographics (professional role, age, gender, race/ ethnicity, time in professional role, specialty, practice setting, percentage of primary care provided, percentage of patients aged>50, and weekly patient volume) and CRC screening practices? 3) What are the differences between NPs and P As …

Friendships For High School Students: With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Without, Alanna Young

Honors Theses and Capstones

People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience deficits in social communication, having difficulty with carrying on conversations, abiding by social norms, and feeling empathy towards others. As social skills are important for successful interactions, these deficiencies can decrease the number of friendships experienced by teenagers with ASD. However, it is also possible that other social barriers are involved, such as stigma, assumed by peers of teenagers with ASD. The influence of deficits in social interaction and stigma was examined through semi-structured interviews and focus groups, comprised of groups with teenagers with ASD and groups with typically developing teenagers. It was …

Criterion-Related Validity Of The Children's Occupational Performance Questionnaire, Kelsey Zukowski

Honors Theses and Capstones

This study examined concurrent, criterion-related validity of a new measure of occupational performance for children, the Children’s Occupational Performance Questionnaire (COP-Q). The COP-Q is completed by caregivers of children to measure performance in five areas of occupation: Activities of Daily Living, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, Social Participation, Play/Leisure, and Education/Work. Scores from a sample of children ranging in age from birth to 18 years were correlated with scores from the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-II (VABS), a well-established assessment tool of adaptive behavior that measures similar functional areas as the COP-Q. The results indicated that the COP-Q correlates highly and …

Nutrinews Volume 1, January, 2015, Department Of Nutrition And Dietetics, University Of North Florida

NutriNews

This issue features Who are we? Introducing the Editorial Board, Students of the Month, Faculty Spotlight

Social Inequality And Marginalization Of Transgender Individuals, _ Anonymous

The Corinthian

The purpose of this paper is to assess the numerous issues of marginalization, discrimination, and health disparities experienced by transgender individuals in U.S. culture. These experiences include those fostered by the cisgender heterosexual majority as well as the LGBT community. Legal issues, biological essentialism, and social inequality will be addressed, with a focus on transgender women as at high risk for hate crimes. Intersectionality is frequently addressed due to the multitude of identities transgender men and women occupy at a single time and throughout their lifespan.

Se Habla Español: The Health Disparity Among The Latino Population, Karen Paz

The Corinthian

Latinos are considered the fastest growing and the largest ethnic minority group in the United States. It is estimated that by 2050, 24% of the U.S. population will be Latino. According to Census data, approximately 18% of the U.S. population age five or older speaks a language other than English at home, and current projections continue to show increases in U.S. immigrant and second-language groups nationwide. About half of that population self-reported that they speak English less than “very well.” Members of this population are referred to as individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP). As the largest ethnic minority, 28 …

Ethnic Disparities In The Reproductive And Sexual Health Screening Practices Of Ecuadorian Women, Ruth Castillo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: Evidence suggests that reproductive and other health disparities disproportionately affect Indigenous and Afro-Hispanic ethnic minority groups throughout the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region. Factors associated with reproductive health disparities in LAC countries include low social economic status (SES), poor health care access, racial and gender discrimination, machismo, health beliefs and low perceived risk for breast cancer, cervical cancer, sexual transmitted infections (STIs) and other conditions. Preventive measures such as health education and early screening is vital for disease prevention and detection. However, screening rates for breast cancer, cervical cancer, and STIs are lower in most LAC countries compared …

The Role Of Kentucky State-Supported Postsecondary Education In Creating A Healthier Citizenship, Julia K. Buchanan

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Citizens within the United States of America (USA) and the Commonwealth of Kentucky exhibit indicators of lessened health status in a variety of areas. Many chronic diseases and conditions are due to individual lifestyle behaviors, which can be modified through the implementation of dedicated health and wellness programming. Such programs, often housed within institutions of higher education, have the ability to impact many individuals including students, faculty, staff, and community members. This dissertation is a report of a mixed-methods study that begins to explore how state-supported postsecondary institutions may be able to impact individual behavior and thus, resulting health outcomes. …

Patient-Reported Outcomes In Male And Female Collegiate Soccer Players During An Athletic Season, Johanna M. Hoch, Beth Druvenga, Brittany A. Ferguson, Megan N. Houston, Matthew C. Hoch

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context: Clinicians are urged to document patient-based outcomes during rehabilitation to measure health-related quality of life (HRQOL) from the patient's perspective. It is unclear how scores on patient-reported outcome instruments (PROs) vary over the course of an athletic season because of normal athletic participation.

Objective: Our primary purpose was to evaluate the effect of administration time point on HRQOL during an athletic season. Secondary purposes were to determine test-retest reliability and minimal detectable change scores of 3 PROs commonly used in clinical practice and if a relationship exists between generic and region-specific outcome instruments.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Athletic facility. …