Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Effect Of A Family-Centered Model Of Hiv Care On Viral Suppression And Care Retention Among Hiv-Positive Children In Swaziland, Project Soar

HIV and AIDS

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) has been supporting the Kingdom of Swaziland since 2003 to prevent mother-to-child transmission and to provide care and treatment services to HIV-positive children and adults. Project SOAR and the Swaziland Ministry of Health are leveraging EGPAF’s establishment of a family-centered care service delivery program (FAM-CARE) and a national rollout of viral load monitoring to assess their implementation and effect on viral suppression and retention in care among children living with HIV. This implementation science study is important because it will provide critical data to national and global policymakers about the model’s feasibility, acceptability, …

Evaluating Community-Facility Linkage Models To Promote Mother-Infant Retention Along The Hiv Care Continuum, Project Soar

HIV and AIDS

In Malawi, and other resourced-constrained, sub-Saharan African countries with a high HIV burden, several service delivery models have emerged to increase prevention of mother-to-child transmission care retention by strengthening connections between health facilities and their surrounding communities. Yet there has been little documentation of the unique characteristics of each model and their comparative impact on mother-infant pair (MIP) care retention and other health outcomes. This brief describes how Project SOAR is responding to these knowledge gaps by conducting research to identify components of community-based MIP support that are associated with maternal care retention and infant HIV-free survival. This research will …

Evaluation A Depression Treatment Program On Hiv Care And Mental Health Outcomes In Malawi, Project Soar

HIV and AIDS

This brief outlines a Project SOAR study which will provide critical evidence on the feasibility, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of an integrated depression treatment model for improving retention in and adherence to HIV care in Malawi. Among people initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART), those with depression are a large and especially vulnerable population. Depression affects 18–30 percent of patients receiving HIV care in Africa and is an important barrier to early ART retention. Evidence revealed by the study will have implications not only for the applicability of the model in Malawi but for other countries in sub-Saharan Africa as well.

Project Yes! Youth Engaging For Success: A Peer Mentoring Program To Transition Youth To Hiv Self-Management In Zambia, Project Soar

HIV and AIDS

This activity brief describes an operational study that responds to challenges and evidence gaps in Zambia about how to support adolescents and young adults living with HIV (YLHIV) in having a greater and more effective role in the management of their own care. The study aimed to refine and test a peer-mentoring strategy in Zambia to strengthen the capacity of health systems and families to support youth as they transition to, and engage in, self-management and adult HIV care and treatment. This approach builds on previous Ministry of Health–approved research at Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital with YLHIV and their families. …

Reducing Hiv Risk Among Adolescent Girls And Young Women, And Their Partners Through The Dreams Partnership In Malawi, Project Soar

HIV and AIDS

Project SOAR is conducting implementation science research in Malawi to build needed evidence to inform decisionmaking about effective programming to reduce HIV risk among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) and their male partners. Specifically, SOAR is: examining approaches to identify the most at-risk girls, particularly those out of school, and enroll and retain them in DREAMS programming; assessing HIV-risk and health-seeking behaviors before and after AGYW’s engagement in DREAMS interventions; exploring how to reach AGYW’s male sexual partners and increase their uptake of HIV services; and assessing facilitators and barriers to HIV service uptake by men living with HIV. …

Engineering A Retinal Progenitor Cell Graft For Transplantation Studies In The Rd10 Mouse Model, Maryam Ghiassi

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

In later stages of retinal degenerative diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinitis pigmentosa stem cell therapy can be the only viable treatment option due to the loss of photoreceptor and RPE cells. Differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) towards the desired lineage explicitly requires a microenvironment that mimics the natural tissue that it is intended to regenerate. Developing a planar 3D retinal graft derived from ESCs can be transplanted to treat various retinal degeneration diseases. Our aim was to explore the differentiation and growth of ESCs on a gelatinous scaffold in order to transplant into a retinitis …

ความชุกและปัจจัยที่สัมพันธ์กับภาวะพร่องฮอร์โมนต่อมหมวกไตแบบทุติยภูมิในอดีตนักมวยไทย, สุวรรณา พิชญ์ชัยประเสริฐ

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

ที่มาและความสำคัญ ภาวะพร่องฮอร์โมนต่อมใต้สมองที่เกิดจากภาวะสมองบาดเจ็บ ถือเป็นปัญหาหลักที่ส่งผลต่อสุขภาพทั้งทางด้านความจำ พฤติกรรม และทางสังคม โดยกีฬามวยไทย ซึ่งเป็นหนึ่งในกีฬาการต่อสู้ที่แพร่หลายมากที่สุด สามารถทำให้เกิดภาวะสมองบาดเจ็บชนิดเรื้อรังที่เกิดขึ้นซ้ำๆ และอาจส่งผลต่อภาวะดังกล่าว วัตถุประสงค์ เพื่อศึกษาความชุกและปัจจัยต่างๆที่ส่งผลต่อภาวะพร่องฮอร์โมนต่อมหมวกไตแบบทุติยภูมิ และฮอร์โมนต่อมใต้สมองชนิดอื่นๆ ในอดีตนักมวยไทย รูปแบบการศึกษา การศึกษานี้เป็นแบบชนิด Cross-sectional descriptive study วิธีการศึกษา อดีตนักมวยไทย จำนวน 48 คน อายุเฉลี่ย 58.31 ± 6.58 ปี ได้รับการตรวจวัดระดับฮอร์โมนจากต่อม ใต้สมองส่วนหน้า ได้แก่ prolactin, thyroid hormone, morning cortisol, sex hormones และ IGF-I ร่วมกับระดับ fasting plasma glucose, lipid profile, serum creatitine และทำการทดสอบ Glucagon stimulation test (GST) เพื่อประเมิน GH-IGF-I และ hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis และทำการทดสอบ 250 mcg ACTH stimulation test เพื่อยืนยันภาวะพร่องฮอร์โมนต่อมหมวกไตแบบทุติยภูมิ และใช้แบบสอบถามประเมินคุณภาพชีวิต อาการพร่องฮอร์โมน เพศชาย อาการเสื่อมสมรรถภาพทางเพศ และอาการซึมเศร้า ผลการศึกษา: พบความชุกของภาวะพร่องฮอร์โมนต่อมใต้สมองในอดีตนักมวย 22 คน (45.83%) ความชุกของ ภาวะพร่องฮอร์โมนต่อมหมวกไตแบบทุติยภูมิ (ชนิดเดียว) เท่ากับ 4% (2 คน) ทั้ง 2 คน มีจำนวนครั้งที่แพ้น็อคสูงกว่าค่ามัธย ฐานของจำนวนครั้งที่แพ้น็อคในกลุ่มอดีตนักมวยที่มีระดับฮอร์โมนปกติ อดีตนักมวยไทย 16 คน มีระดับ GH หลังจากการทดสอบ GST ต่ำกว่าค่าปกติ และพบมีอดีตนักมวยไทย 4 คน มีภาวะพร่องฮอร์โมนเพศชาย …

Immune Response In The Mouse Cornea Elicited By Herpes Simplex Vaccine Vc2, Logan C. Kinamore

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Nitrate Supplementation On Exercise Tolerance And Performance: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Gavin Van De Walle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper was to systematically review the current literature and evaluate the overall efficacy of nitrate supplementation on exercise tolerance and performance by meta-analysis. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they met the following criteria: 1) were an experimental trial published in an English peer-reviewed journal; 2) compared the effects of inorganic nitrate consumption with a non-bioactive supplement control or placebo; 3) used a quantifiable measure of exercise performance; and 4) was carried out in apparently healthy participants without disease. A total of 29 studies were identified that investigated the effects of nitrate supplementation on exercise tolerance …

The Effect Of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness On Jumping Mechanics And Performance, Ryan J. Engels

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is an exercise-induced muscle soreness resulting from high-intensity eccentric muscular contractions. DOMS appears to be more prevalent in athletes at the beginning of an athletic season or when new movements or exercise are first introduced. The acute effect of DOMS on jumping mechanics is currently unknown. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of delayed onset muscle soreness on vertical jump performance and jumping mechanics. METHODS: Twenty college aged, recreationally active males participated in this study (age: 21.54 ± 2.61; height: 1.82 ± 0.067; mass: 81.36 ± 9.53). Participants were …

Reagents And Tools To Identify Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus-2, Meghan Syrstad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to define monoclonal antibodies against viral proteins from Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (EHDV) to be used in quality control of vaccines produced by an industrial partner, and development of tools to identify EHDV. EHDV is an Orbivirus, which also includes Bluetongue Virus and African Horse Sickness, which are all transmitted through arthropod vectors. EHDV causes significant morbidity and mortality in white-tailed deer, but has recently been found to infect cattle. EHDV recently caused significant outbreaks affecting both the farmed and wild cervid industry, however few reagents and tools exist to protect against this disease …

A Cost-Effectiveness Study Of The Quadrivalent Hpv6/11/16/18 Vaccination In A Two-Dose Scheme In Girls Of 9-11 Years Old Compared To Bivalent Hpv 16/18 Vaccination In Ecuador And Challenges For Public Health And Screening, Maria-Isabel Roldos, Isabel Espinosa, Amit Kulkarni, Matthew Pillsbury, Andrew Pavelyev, Homero A. Monsanto, Diego Guarin, Miguel Cashat-Cruz

Publications and Research

Abstract

Aims: Assess the incremental cost-effectiveness of the quadrivalent HPV6/11/16/18 vaccination as administered in a two-dose scheme to girls between 9 and 11 years old, as compared to the bivalent HPV 16/18 vaccination administered in Ecuador, and to estimate the cost-saving of preventing GW while preventing cervical cancer with both vaccines.

Study Design: We used a previously developed transmission dynamic mathematical model to evaluate the impact of routine vaccination of 9-11 year-old females. The model assumed coverage of 90% for two doses of HPV6/11/16/18 vaccine at international price rates versus HPV16/18 vaccine and costs for genital warts treatment. Other simulation …

Development Of Methodology For Raman Microspectroscopic Analysis Of Oral Exfoliated Cells, Hugh Byrne, Fiona Lyng, Alison Malkin, Ola Ibrahim, Genecy Calado, Steven Flint, Isha Behl

Articles

Oral squamous cell carcinoma ranks as the 15th most common cancer worldwide. The present study was undertaken to standardise a protocol for the analysis of oral exfoliated cells using Raman microspectroscopy. For this purpose, samples were obtained from two different sites, based on prevalence of disease (ventral side of the tongue and buccal mucosa). Different oral rinsing agents were employed and it was concluded that non-alcoholic mouthwash adequately removes food debris. Samples were collected using various collection tools and compared. It was observed that endo-cervical brushes yielded cells from deeper layers of the epithelium. Furthermore, monolayer formation of cells was …

Optimized Multilayer Perceptron With Dynamic Learning Rate To Classify Breast Microwave Tomography Image, Chulwoo Pack

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Most recently developed Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD) systems and their related research is based on medical images that are usually obtained through conventional imaging techniques such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), x-ray mammography, and ultrasound. With the development of a new imaging technology called Microwave Tomography Imaging (MTI), it has become inevitable to develop a CAD system that can show promising performance using new format of data. The platform can have a flexibility on its input by adopting Artificial Neural Network (ANN) as a classifier. Among the various phases of CAD system, we have focused on optimizing the classification phase …

Senecavirus A: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis And Infection Dynamics, Lok Raj Joshi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Senecavirus A (SVA) is a positive sense single-stranded virus that belongs to the genus Senecavirus within the family Picornaviridae. Senecavirus has been present in US swine population since 1988. However, there have been only a few reports of SVA associated with disease in last two decades. In late 2014 early 2015, a sudden increase in the number of cases of Senecavirus A associated with vesicular disease was observed in Brazil, the US and China. Affected pigs presented vesicles on snout, coronary band, and dewclaw. Additionaly, increased neonatal mortality has been reported in the field. Many aspects of SVA epidemiology, …

Assessing The Near-Wall Hemodynamics In The Left Coronary Artery Using Cfd, John Junior Asiruwa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis is to computationally investigate the flow mechanics and the near-wall hemodynamics associated with the different take-off angles in the left coronary artery of the human heart. From this study, we will be able to evaluate if the increase in the take-off angles of the left coronary artery will significantly increases or decrease the likelihood of plaque (atherosclerosis) buildup in the left coronary artery bifurcations. This study quantifies the effects of the varying take-off angles on the branches along the left anterior descending (LAD) of the left coronary artery using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The …

The Lived Experience Of Retired College Athletes With A History Of 1 Or More Concussions, Rebecca Cover

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

CONTEXT: Concussions remain misunderstood, underreported, and undiagnosed. While most concussion symptoms resolve within 2 weeks, some patients experience persistent symptoms which adversely affect physical, emotional, social, and/or cognitive functioning. Minimal evidence delineating the effect of concussions on recently retired college athletes currently exists. OBJECTIVE: To examine the lived experience of retired collegiate athletes with a history of 1 or more concussions to discern individual concussion histories, knowledge and perceptions of concussions, and post-concussion quality of life. DESIGN: Qualitative.
SETTING: Personal life after retirement from competitive athletics.
PATIENTS or OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Former Division I athletes (n=14) 1-5 years post-athletics retirement with …

The Philadelphia School Of Occupational Therapy: A Centennial Lesson, Christine O. Peters, Peggy M. Martin, Wanda J. Mahoney

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The Philadelphia School of Occupational Therapy (P.S.O.T.) was one of five founding occupational therapy academic programs in the United States. The program was led by two powerful occupational therapists, Helen S. Willard and Clare S. Spackman, for nearly a half century. After 60 years, P.S.O.T. was closed. This article provides a historical overview of the progression of occupational therapy education in the United States over the last century, using the story of P.S.O.T as a case study. The historical legacy and lesson from P.S.O.T. is that excellence in today’s academy may not mean security. Historically relevant today, the interaction between …

Underperforming Students: Factors And Decision-Making In Occupational Therapy Programs, Beth Cardell, Jeanette Koski, Jessica Wahl, Wendi Rock, Anne Kirby

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The purpose of this study was to better understand factors related to occupational therapy (OT) educators’ decisions to fail underperforming students and to clarify why educators sometimes fail to fail or pass students despite sub-standard performance. Assessing student competence is an essential part of ensuring the safety of those receiving occupational therapy services and ensuring the integrity of the OT profession. Educators in academic and fieldwork settings are responsible for confirming that students who graduate from their programs are able to demonstrate skills required for entry into the profession. A total of 323 OT academic and fieldwork educators responded to …

Evaluating Prescriber Adherence To Guideline-Based Treatment Pathways Of A Newly Initiated Antimicrobial Stewardship Program At A Rehabilitation Hospital, Christie Bertram

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Background: Inappropriate use of antimicrobials in the healthcare setting is associated with consequences including antimicrobial resistance, Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), adverse drug reactions, and increased healthcare costs. To combat this, hospitals are creating antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) which seek to optimize antimicrobial utilization. To date, no studies have been done to assess adherence to an ASP in a rehabilitation hospital setting. The objective of this study is to evaluate prescriber compliance to treatment pathways for common infections before and after ASP implementation.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients admitted to the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana (RHI) who …

The Impact Of Accountable Care: Interactions Between Patients And Payers – Where Do Pharmacists Lie?, Danielle Stone

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Introduction: Over the past several years, patient outcomes became the focus of health care. With increased accountability, pharmacy education must transform the next generation of health care providers according to the new 2016 Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education standards, which includes preparing future pharmacists to provide patient-centered care and population health. Butler University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (COPHS) faculty have responded by creating a required, four semester, integrated course series: Pharmacy Practice and Healthcare Administration.

Purpose: To design a chapter within a pharmacy based textbook, which will replace the physician based Health Care Handbook currently used in the …

A Question Of Food Intake: The Impact Of Living Arrangement And Meal Factors On Total Daily Caloric Intake, Kalei Sorenson

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

There has been dramatic weight gain among college students during their collegiate years. A food diary can give much insight of a college student’s life. The purpose of this study is to analyze the food intake of college-aged students taking in factors such as the size of meal, the foods being eaten, the location of the meal, and if the meal was eaten with others. This research will examine how the student’s food intake throughout the day may affect their overall food calorie intake.

Determining The Effects Of Methanol, Ethanol, Isopropanol, And Glycerol On Both Thermal Stability And Catalytic Activity Of Rv0045c, An Enzyme From M. Tuberculosis, Katelyn Baumer

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly infectious respiratory disease contracted through the inhalation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Serine hydrolases are abundant in M. tuberculosis and serve as a model for studying the inhibition of TB. Rv0045c is an example of such with little known regarding its biological function. Rv0045c was exposed to methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, or glycerol and the effects of varying concentration of these alcohols on the catalytic efficiency and thermal stability of the enzyme was determined. The thermal stability of Rv0045c was found to decrease with concentration of methanol, ethanol, or isopropanol. The opposite was true of the thermal stability …

An Evaluation Of Mumps Antibody Titers Among Pharmacy Students Before And After A University Mumps Outbreak, Kiley Shelley

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Mumps outbreaks continue to transpire across the United States despite the available MMR (Measles-Mumps-Rubella) vaccine and seemingly high vaccination rates. There is limited evidence surrounding the management, impact, and prevention of mumps outbreaks. In particular, there are currently no formal recommendations from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) regarding the administration of additional doses of the MMR vaccine during a mumps outbreak. Furthermore, there are unanswered questions of possible waning of vaccine-induced mumps immunity and the impact of a third dose of the MMR vaccine to assist in mumps outbreak control. Existing studies suggest that administration of the …

Dreadlocks (Dock) Is Necessary To Regulate Growth Of The Germline Ring Canals In The Developing Drosophila Melanogaster Egg Chamber, Olivia Crowe

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Infertility is a prevalent issue in the United States, impacting 1.5 million women (1). A possible cause of infertility is defects in gametogenesis, or the formation of sperm and egg. Therefore, understanding the basic mechanisms that promote normal gamete formation could impact our understanding of infertility. The Drosophila melanogaster egg develops from an organ-like structure called an egg chamber. The egg chamber is composed of a central cluster of 16 germ cells that are connected to one another by intercellular bridges, called ring canals. These ring canals are composed of filamentous actin and allow the transfer of materials from supporting …

What Am I Thinking Right Now?: Social Anxiety Symptomology And Its Impact On Theory Of Mind Ability, Shannon Reid

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Theory of Mind (ToM) is the ability to accurately read other peoples’ minds, which includes their intentions, thoughts, and emotions (Buhlmann, Wacker, & Dziobek, 2015). Individuals with low ToM often experience anxiety in family and social life (Coupland, 2001; Ribeiro & Fearon, 2010), which is a common feature of social anxiety disorder (SAD). Because of this connection, the present study looks at the relationship between social anxiety and ToM. I hypothesized that individuals with greater SAD symptoms would exhibit decreased ToM ability, which was measured using the Hinting Task, the Story Comprehension Task, and the Reading the Mind with the …

Can You Feel It? How Asking Influences Reports Of Psychophysiological States, Trevor Spelman

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

213 participants were shown a sequence of five different increasingly disgusting images. Depending on condition, they were either directly asked (solicited) or prompted to volunteer (unsolicited) whether or not they were experiencing disgust in response to a given image. We found that the act of solicitation directly lowers the threshold at which individuals are willing to provide information about their internal psychophysiological experience of disgust.

A Prospective Follow-Up Of Quality Of Life, Depression, Andanxiety In Children With Lymphoma And Solid Tumors, Ni̇hal Sargin Yildirim, Meti̇n Demi̇rkaya, Betül Berri̇n Sevi̇ni̇r, Sali̇h Güler, Ayşe Pinar Vural, Candan Demi̇röz, Arzu Çirpan Kantarcioğlu

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: The aim of this study was the determination and prospective follow-up of quality of life, depression, and anxiety in pediatric patients with cancer under chemotherapy, as well as the evaluation of related factors. Materials and methods: Fifty newly diagnosed pediatric cancer patients and their parents were prospectively monitored before, during, and after therapy, and tests were used. Results: Significantly lower quality of life scores were recorded during treatment, in the group with CNS tumors, in the group receiving chemotherapy plus radiotherapy plus surgery, in the inpatient-only treatment group, in the group receiving treatment for longer than 6 months, and …

Clinical And Surgical Outcomes Of Upper Lumbar Disc Herniations: A Retrospective Study, Burak Karaaslan, Ayfer Aslan, Alp Özgün Börcek, Ahmet Memduh Kaymaz

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Upper lumbar disc herniation (LDH), generally involving L1?L2 and L2?L3 level herniation, is less common than lower LDH and, in this retrospective study, the clinical and radiological findings of patients who suffered from upper LDH and were operated on due to this pathology were reviewed. Materials and methods: Data regarding neurological and radiological findings of patients operated on between January 2005 and December 2013 were retrospectively collected. During this period, 3494 patients had surgery for LDH, and 129 of these patients had disc herniation at the upper levels. Seventy-eight patients with proper follow-up and data were included in the …

Detection Of High Levels Of Somatic Cells In Milk On Farms Equippedwith An Automatic Milking System By Decision Trees Technique, Beata Sitkowska, Dariusz Piwczynski, Joanna Aerts, Magdalena Kolenda, Serkan Özkaya

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The purpose of the study was to use decision trees to predict increased levels of somatic cells in cow's milk. The material for the study comprised data collected in 2012-2014 from five farms in Poland equipped with an automatic milking system. Data on 803 Polish Holstein-Friesian cows were collected. In order to predict somatic cell count data mining techniques were used to build a graphical model of a decision tree. This study found that the most important factors to anticipate an elevated somatic cell count in cow's milk are milk conductivity, lactation stage, and lactation (primiparous and multiparous cow groups), …