Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Frequency And Outcome Of Meningitis In Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Of Pakistan, Amna Jawaid, Surriya Bano, Anwarul Haque, Khubaib Arif

Department of Emergency Medicine

Meningitis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide in intensive care settings. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency and outcome in children with meningitis through a retrospective chart review done in pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary care hospital from January 2000 to December 2014. During these 14 years, 64 patients were admitted with meningitis in pediatric intensive care unit. Out of 64, 36 were diagnosed with pyogenic meningitis, 18 patients with viral meningitis, and 10 with tuberculous meningitis. Most complications were observed in the initial 48 hours. Most common presentation was altered …

The Associations Among Expressed Emotion, Relationship Satisfaction, Ptsd Symptoms, Alcohol Use, And Depression: A Longitudinal Investigation With A Military Sample, Laci Lee Zawilinski

Dissertations

PTSD in military personnel is highly prevalent and accompanied by elevated rates of additional issues such as depression, problematic alcohol use, and interpersonal relationship problems. Family members and spouses of military personnel have also been shown to be negatively impacted by PTSD symptoms. Previous research has indicated that family members and spouses’ expressed emotion regarding the PTSD patients’ symptoms negatively impacts treatment outcome in civilian populations. However, studies have yet to investigate the effect of expressed emotion on the course of PTSD symptoms and associated problems in military personnel. Therefore, the purpose of the present investigation was to examine the …

Factors Influencing Healthy Eating And Physical Activity Behaviors Of Adolescents In Appalachia, Natalie Walker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the TPB constructs of attitude, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms and their ability to predict healthy eating and physical activity behaviors among adolescents living in Southern Appalachia. The study also considered the relative utility of subjective norms and social support in predicting these behaviors. Data for this research were derived from a larger study, Team Up for Healthy Living, conducted September 2011 through November 2014 with high school students in the Appalachian region (Study ID: R01MD006200 from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities). Participants (n=963) completed a three-part paper survey collecting data about …

Primary Melanotic Schwannoma With Typical Histology, Usman B. Mahmood, Fazal Wahab Khan, Benish Fatima, Muhammad Usman Tariq, Saulat Hasnain Fatimi

Department of Surgery Docs

Abstract

We present a case of a 17-year male with a soft tissue density spreading from the neural foramina (T3) of the spinal cord and involving the right upper thoracic cavity. We managed the patient through surgical intervention and resected the complete tumor. Gross definition and microscopic findings of the resected tissue revealed the definitive diagnosis of melanotic schwannoma. The histological characteristics in this case were very specific and harbour an important diagnostic clue for this rare disease. Malignant melanoma was ruled out on the basis of histological findings. The patient recovered completely and was healthy on one-year follow-up.

Failure To Thrive Hospitalizations And Risk Factors For Readmission To Children's Hospitals., Henry T. Puls, Matt Hall, Jessica L. Bettenhausen, Matthew B. Johnson, Christina Peacock, Jean L. Raphael, Jason G. Newland, Jeffrey D. Colvin

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVES: Risk factors for failure to thrive (FTT) readmissions, including medical complexity, have not been described. We sought to characterize children hospitalized for FTT and identify risk factors associated with FTT-specific readmissions during the current era of increasing medical complexity among hospitalized children.

METHODS: This retrospective cohort study used the Pediatric Health Information System database of 43 freestanding children's hospitals across the United States. The cohort included childrenmodels, we assessed the association of demographic, clinical, diagnostic, and treatment characteristics with FTT-specific readmission.

RESULTS: There were 10 499 FTT hospitalizations, with 14.1% being readmitted for FTT within 3 years and 4.8% …

Pituitary Adenylate-Cyclase Activating Polypeptide Regulates Hunger- And Palatability-Induced Binge Eating, Matthew M. Hurley, Brian Maunze, Megan E. Block, Michael J. Reilly, Eugene Kim, Yao Chen, Yan Li, David A. Baker, Qing-Song Liu, Sujean Choi

Biomedical Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

While pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) signaling in the hypothalamic ventromedial nuclei (VMN) has been shown to regulate feeding, a challenge in unmasking a role for this peptide in obesity is that excess feeding can involve numerous mechanisms including homeostatic (hunger) and hedonic-related (palatability) drives. In these studies, we first isolated distinct feeding drives by developing a novel model of binge behavior in which homeostatic-driven feeding was temporally separated from feeding driven by food palatability. We found that stimulation of the VMN, achieved by local microinjections of AMPA, decreased standard chow consumption in food-restricted rats (e.g., homeostatic feeding); surprisingly, …

Upper Body Characteristics Related To Double Pole Performance In Female Cross Country Skiers, Karmen M. Whitham

All NMU Master's Theses

The purpose of the current study was to correlate upper body (UB) lean mass (UBLM), UB maximal strength (UBMS), and average power production during a 3-min ski ergometer (SERG) test to predict the dependent variable, a one-kilometer uphill double pole time trial (DPTT) on snow. We hypothesized UBLM would be most important to performance. All tests were conducted within four weeks of completing the championship phase of a Division I cross country (XC) ski season. Skiers (n=10; all females) performed the mass-start DPTT on snow (i.e., criterion measure), SERG, and UBMS separated by at least a few days recovery. Lastly, …

Review Of Fluorescence Guided Surgery Systems: Identification Of Key Performance Capabilities Beyond Indocyanine Green Imaging, Alisha V. Dsouza, Huiyun Lin, Eric R. Henderson, Kimberley S. Samkoe

Dartmouth Scholarship

There is growing interest in using fluorescence imaging instruments to guide surgery, and the leading options for open-field imaging are reviewed here. While the clinical fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) field has been focused predominantly on indocyanine green (ICG) imaging, there is accelerated development of more specific molecular tracers. These agents should help advance new indications for which FGS presents a paradigm shift in how molecular information is provided for resection decisions. There has been a steady growth in commercially marketed FGS systems, each with their own differentiated performance characteristics and specifications. A set of desirable criteria is presented to guide the …

An Evaluation Of African American Fathers’ Perceptions And Influences On Child Food Choices And Physical Activity Behaviors, Valerie Annette Richardson

Dissertations

Child obesity is affecting children’s health nationwide. Rates are highest among African Americans (AA) in the South. Research has explored parents’ influence on child eating and activity, but most has reported on mothers’ influences. The purpose of this research was to investigate perceptions about AA fathers’ influences on their children’s eating and physical activity. Using a structured focus group questionnaire based on the parent layer constructs of Birch and Ventura’s Ecological Model for Child Overweight (2009), four focus groups were conducted with 28 AA fathers with children 6- to 11-years-old in a rural and an urban church setting in southeast …

Analysis Of The Intricacies Of Substrate Recognition Of High Mobility Group Proteins And Aminoacyl-Trna Synthetases Using Non-Cognate Substrates, Douglas Van Iverson Ii

Dissertations

The studies presented in section 1 (Chapters I-IV) focus on the design and development of nucleic acid four-way junctions (4WJs) to target a member of the high mobility group (HMG) proteins, the proinflammatory cytokine high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1). In the present study, hybrid PNA-DNA 4WJs based on a model DNA 4WJ were constructed to improve the thermal stability of 4WJs while maintaining strong binding affinity toward HMGB1. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) was used to examine the binding affinity of an isolated DNA binding domain of HMGB1, the HMGB1 b-box (HMGB1b), toward a set of PNA-DNA …

The Scoop, Vol. 3 Issue 5, August 2016, Health Sciences Library

Volume 3

Latest news and events from the Health Sciences Library in our monthly newsletter for August 2016.

A Study On The Effect Of Higher Education Branding On Student's College Decision, David E. Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

All around us we are inundated by brand marketing. Logos and labels with trademarks surround our lives. With marketing being part of our society, higher education institutions have created a brand marketing scheme all their own. This new form of branding has caused many students to make their decision based on the logo, mascot or social lifestyle. The purpose of this study was to test whether attitudinal brand loyalty has a statistically significant effect on college decision through academic and athletic factors. Based on multiple regression analysis, results show that attitudinal brand loyalty does have a significant effect on college …

Identifying Determinants Of Match Performance In Division I Women’S Collegiate Soccer Players, Jacob L. Grazer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to better understand position specific physical qualities and how they relate to high speed running performance throughout the course of a competitive collegiate soccer season. The amount of literature devoted to female soccer players is scarce when compared to the vast amount of literature associated with male soccer players. The objectives of this dissertation were: 1) to determine if playing position has an influence on physical qualities such as speed, change of direction ability, countermovement jump performance, relative strength, rate of force development, and intermittent endurance capacity, 2) investigate the differences between high and …

Radiography Students: Factors Contributing To Their Stress And Methods Of Coping, Kayla A. Rosenbaum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

College students experience high levels of stress, especially those in health care programs. The purpose of this study was to determine what factors contribute to Tennessee radiography student stress levels and the methods by which they cope with stress. Additionally, do demographic factors affect radiography student stress levels? The research was conducted February 4 to March 30, 2016. A survey was distributed to students in a radiography program at two and four year colleges in Tennessee. Participants were asked questions on factors that influence their stress levels, coping strategies, and health issues experienced in the past year. Descriptive statistics, independent …

To Foster A Culture Of Curiosity: A Hermeneutic Study Of The Experienced Nurse Educator And Student Intellectual Curiosity In The Online Learning Environment, Bedelia H. Russell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Skills of inquiry are essential outcomes from a baccalaureate nursing education. Students who demonstrate intellectual curiosity can develop effective skills of inquiry. Nurse educators must place emphasis on teaching and learning strategies which engage student intellectual curiosity. However, the concept of intellectual curiosity is not well-studied across multiple contexts of teaching and learning environments within nursing education. In addition, there is little known about the experienced nurse educator and the meaning of student intellectual curiosity across multiple teaching and learning environments. With the increased emphasis on online teaching and learning in nursing education as a solution for expanding student access …

Molecular Characterization Of Human Papillomavirus In Head And Neck Tumors., Sujita Khanal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Head and neck cancers (HNCs) are common causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. An increasing incidence of subsets of HNCs is due to human papillomavirus (HPV). Other subsets are associated with tobacco and alcohol use. Determination of differential biomarkers and molecular mechanisms distinguishing HPV-associated and unassociated HNCs should improve diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. This study was designed to identify potential biomarkers for HPV detection, and to evaluate viral and host genetic and epigenetic mechanisms involved in HPV-associated HNCs. Overexpression of a cellular protein, p16INK4a, which is widely used as a surrogate marker for HPV-positive HNC, is non-specific because some HPV-negative cancers …

Determining Mechanisms Of Response To Polo-Like Kinase 1 Inhibition In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Ruchitha Goonatilake

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. The discovery of genetic alterations in some patients (~15%) has made it possible to use targeted therapies without the use of chemotherapy. To identify potential therapeutic targets in NSCLC, we systematically evaluated two cancer cell line databases with sensitivity data for a broad range of drugs. We identified polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) as the most promising target for further investigation based on a subset of sensitive cell lines and inhibitors that were in advanced clinical development. To identify potential biomarkers of response and mechanisms of Plk1 inhibitor-induced …

Regulation Of Breast Cancer Initiation And Progression By 14-3-3zeta, Chia-Chi Chang

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

14-3-3ζ is a ubiquitously expressed family member of proteins that have been implicated to have oncogenic potential through its interactions and involvement in cancer initiation and progression. 14-3-3ζ belongs to the highly conserved 14-3-3ζ protein family and modulates numerous pathways in cancer. Overexpression of 14-3-3ζ is an early event, occurs in more than 40% of human breast cancer cases, and is associated with disease recurrence and poor prognosis. Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer. Cancer cells elevate aerobic glycolysis to produce metabolic intermediates and reducing equivalents, thereby facilitating cellular adaptation to the adverse environment and sustaining fast proliferation. Interestingly, …

Discoveries Of Targets And Novel Agents For The Treatment Of Ischemic Retinopathy And Neovascular Disease, Jordan Javad Toutounchian

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are among the most common causes of blindness in adults. Vision loss can occur during the advanced stages of DR and AMD as a consequence of unregulated and dysfunctional growth of new blood vessels, or neovascularization (NV) in the retina or choroid. NV can also be triggered by numerous other ocular insults and diseases including radiation retinopathy (RR) and retinal vein occlusion. These latter cases are generally less common but, like DR and AMD, they are characterized by an initial injury, chronic inflammation, and ischemia which perpetuates episodes of retinal neovascularization (RNV). …

Social Justice And The Future Of Higher Education Kinesiology, Brian Culp

Faculty Articles

This article presents a rationale for the infusion of social justice into kinesiology programs for the purpose of reducing inequities in society. Specifically, the current climate for social justice is considered and discussed using examples from an university-inspired service-learning initiative, law, and politics. Of note are the following areas of discussion: (a) differentiation between social diversity and social justice, (b) public pedagogy as a means by which to inspire service action, (c) the creation of climates for speech and application of social justice, (d) modeling and socialization for equity, and (e) the neoliberal threat to inclusiveness. The article concludes with …

Tapering For Strength-Power Individual Event And Team Sport Athletes, Caleb Bazyler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The overall purpose of this dissertation was to address mechanistic and performance changes following a peaking phase in individual event and team sport strength-power athletes. This purpose was addressed by conducting 4 separate investigations with track and field athletes, volleyball athletes, and a national level weightlifter. The following are the primary findings from these investigations. Division I collegiate throwers increased competition throwing performance, jumping performance, and preserved muscle architecture characteristics following an overreach and taper. There were moderate decreases in division I female collegiate volleyball athlete’s vastus lateralis muscle thickness with no statistical changes in jumping performance following a taper …

The Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioner: An Exploration Of The Patient Perspective Regarding The Advancement Of A Mid-Level Dental Provider, Jacqueline M. Burgess

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine patient attitudes and opinions regarding the advancement of a mid-level dental provider, such as the ADHP, in an effort to better understand the perceptions of those who may one day be in a position to receive care from this type of provider. In this quantitative study, I analyzed the differences between those with and without access to dental care and evaluated differences among respondents based upon their socioeconomic and demographic attributes. I collected data from patients treated at Mt. Juliet Family & Cosmetic Dentistry and at the Coweta Samaritan Clinic via a …

Mucosal Vaccination By Adenoviruses Displaying Reovirus Sigma 1, Eric A. Weaver, Zenaido T. Camacho, Matthew L. Hillestad, Catherine M. Crosby, Mallory A. Turner, Adam J. Guenzel, Hind J. Fadel, George T. Mercier, Michael A. Barry

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

We previously developed adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) vectors displaying the sigma 1 protein from reovirus as mucosal vaccines. Ad5-sigma retargets to JAM-1 and sialic acid, but had 40-fold reduced gene delivery when compared to Ad5. While weaker at transduction, Ad5-sigma generated stronger T cell responses than Ad5 when used for mucosal immunization. New Ad5-fiber-sigma vectors were generated here by varying the number of fiber β-spiral shaft repeats (R) fused between fiber tail and the sigma. Ad5 virions encoding R3, R14, and R20 chimeras were rescued. Increasing chimera length led to their decreasing encapsidation of these proteins in the virions. Ad5-R3 …

Loss Of Exogenous Androgen Dependence By Prostate Tumor Cells Is Associated With Elevated Glucuronidation Potential, Brenna M. Zimmer, Michelle E. Howell, Qin Wei, Linlin Ma, Trevor Romsdahl, Eileen G. Loughman, Jennifer E. Markham, Javier Seravalli, Joseph J. Barycki, Melanie A. Simpson

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Prostate epithelial cells control the potency and availability of androgen hormones in part by inactivation and elimination. UDP-glucose dehydrogenase (UGDH) catalyzes the NAD⁺-dependent oxidation of UDP-glucose to UDP-glucuronate, an essential precursor for androgen inactivation by the prostate glucuronidation enzymes UGT2B15 and UGT2B17. UGDH expression is androgen stimulated, which increases the production of UDP-glucuronate, and fuels UGT-catalyzed glucuronidation. In this study, we compared the glucuronidation potential and its impact on androgen-mediated gene expression in an isogenic LNCaP model for androgen dependent versus castration resistant prostate cancer. Despite significantly lower androgen-glucuronide output, LNCaP 81 castration resistant tumor cells expressed higher …

Acceptability And Feasibility Of Point-Of-Care Cd4 Testing On Hiv Continuum Of Care In Low And Middle Income Countries: A Systematic Review, Minh D. Pham, Paul A. Agius, Lorena Romero, Peter Mcglynn, David Anderson, Suzanne M. Crowe, Stanley Luchters

Population Health, East Africa

Background: CD4 testing is, and will remain an important part of HIV treatment and care in low and middle income countries (LMICs). We report the findings of a systematic review assessing acceptability and feasibility of POC CD4 testing in field settings.

Methods: Electronic databases were searched for studies published in English between 2005 and 2015 that describe POC CD4 platforms. Studies conducted in LMICs and under field conditions outside a laboratory environment were eligible. Qualitative and descriptive data analysis was used to present the findings.

Results: Twelve studies were included, 11 of which were conducted in sub-Saharan countries and used …

Cryptosporidium Parvum Among Coprolites From La Cueva De Los Muertos Chiquitos (600–800 Ce), Rio Zape Valley, Durango, Mexico, Johnica J. Morrow, Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

In the present study, 90 coprolites from La Cueva de los Muertos Chiquitos (CMC) were subjected to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests for 3 diarrhea-inducing protozoan parasites, Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia duodenalis, and Cryptosporidium parvum, to determine whether these parasites were present among the people who utilized this cave 1,200–1,400 yr ago. These people, the Loma San Gabriel, developed as a culture out of the Archaic Los Caracoles population and lived throughout much of present-day Durango and Zacatecas in Mexico. The Loma San Gabriel persisted through a mixed subsistence strategy of hunting-gathering and agricultural production. The results of …

A History Of The Audiology Program At The University Of Nebraska-Lincoln: 1920 To 2015, T. Newell Decker

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Programs for the hearing impaired have been in existence at the University of Nebraska for many years. However, there is no comprehensive history of these efforts. This work is an attempt to provide a complete picture of these programs and to detail the history and growth of the Audiology Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. When the author came to the University in 1977 audiology was already well established at the University as well as in the State. After joining the faculty, the author served in the capacity of Coordinator of the Audiology and Hearing Science Program from 1977 until …

Clinical Detection Of Deletion Structural Variants In Whole-Genome Sequences., Aaron C. Noll, Neil A. Miller, Laurie D. Smith, Byunggil Yoo, Stephanie Fiedler, Linda D. Cooley, Laurel K. Willig, Josh E. Petrikin, Julie Cakici, John Lesko, Angela Newton, Kali Detherage, Isabelle Thiffault, Carol J. Saunders, Emily G. Farrow, Stephen F. Kingsmore

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Optimal management of acutely ill infants with monogenetic diseases requires rapid identification of causative haplotypes. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has been shown to identify pathogenic nucleotide variants in such infants. Deletion structural variants (DSVs, >50 nt) are implicated in many genetic diseases, and tools have been designed to identify DSVs using short-read WGS. Optimisation and integration of these tools into a WGS pipeline could improve diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of WGS. In addition, it may improve turnaround time when compared with current CNV assays, enhancing utility in acute settings. Here we describe DSV detection methods for use in WGS for rapid …

Reduction In Squamous Cell Carcinomas In Mouse Skin By Dietary Zinc Supplementation., Jin Sun, Rulong Shen, Morgan S. Schrock, James Liu, Xueliang Pan, Donald Quimby, Nicola Zanesi, Teresa Druck, Louise Y. Fong, Kay Huebner

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Inadequate dietary Zn consumption increases susceptibility to esophageal and other cancers in humans and model organisms. Since Zn supplementation can prevent cancers in rodent squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) models, we were interested in determining if it could have a preventive effect in a rodent skin cancer model, as a preclinical basis for considering a role for Zn in prevention of human nonmelanoma skin cancers, the most frequent cancers in humans. We used the 7,12-dimethyl benzanthracene carcinogen/phorbol myristate acetate tumor promoter treatment method to induce skin tumors in Zn-sufficient wild-type and Fhit (human or mouse protein) knockout mice. Fhit protein expression …

Sexual Health Education Among The Intellectually And Developmentally Delayed Populations: An Examination Of Medical Providers Perspective, Sarah E. Nota

Masters Theses

Sexuality is a recognized human right as it influences mental, social and emotional wellbeing. Despite this, individuals with intellectual or developmentally delays (ID/DD) rarely receive the necessary sexual education. ID/DD persons are also at an increased risk for sexual abuse, further demonstrating the strong need for education. A natural setting in which to receive unbiased and informative sexual health information is through their medical provider. The purpose of this research was to examine current clinic standards, education, and perceptions of medical providers in regards to sexual education for ID/DD adolescents. Medical providers and students within West Michigan were surveyed with …