Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Novel Myopia Genes And Pathways Identified From Syndromic Forms Of Myopia, Daniel Ian Flitcroft, James Loughman, Christine F. Wildsoet, Cathy Williams, Jeremy A. Guggenheim

Articles

Clinical phenotypes and syndromes that have refractive errors as a recognized feature were identified using the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database. One hundred fifty-four unique causative genes were identified, of which 119 were specifically linked with myopia and 114 represented syndromic myopia (i.e., myopia and at least one other clinical feature). Myopia was the only refractive error listed for 98 genes and hyperopia and the only refractive error noted for 28 genes, with the remaining 28 genes linked to phenotypes with multiple forms of refractive error. Pathway analysis was carried out to find biological processes overrepresented within these …

Novel Myopia Genes And Pathways Identified From Syndromic Forms Of Myopia, Daniel Ian Flitcroft, James Loughman, Christine F. Wildsoet, Cathy Williams, Jeremy A. Guggenheim

Articles

P URPOSE . To test the hypothesis that genes known to cause clinical syndromes featuring myopia also harbor polymorphisms contributing to nonsyndromic refractive errors.

The Effect Of Stretching The Gastrocnemius On Electromechanical Delay And Decreased Muscle Power Production, Kolyse E. Wagstaff

Honors College Theses

Previous studies in the field of biomechanics have determined that statically stretching muscles before explosive athletic events decreases muscle power production during performance. However, current research does not explain why muscle power production is lessened due to static stretching. Electromechanical delay (EMD) is the delay between muscle stimulation and force, and the purpose of this research is to determine if the decrease in muscle force production is due to a lengthened EMD of the muscle, potentially caused by static stretching. To test this, participants jumped on force plates and jump power produced by the gastrocnemius was calculated, with stretching and …

A Behavioral And Neuroimmune System Model Of The Effects Of Chronic Low-Level Lead Exposure In Young Male C57bl/6j Mice, Mayra Gisel Flores-Montoya

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Chronic low-level lead exposure reduces memory in children however the brain mechanisms mediating these effects are not known. In previous studies we showed that early lead exposure reduced olfactory memory and exploratory behavior in young mice, and reduced microglia cell density in hippocampus/dentate gyrus. The present studies aimed to identify additional behavioral tests that were sensitive to early low-level lead exposure in young mice; and to examine whether microglia upregulated factors known to promote cell migration. Seventy-two C57BL/6J male mice were exposed to 0 ppm (controls), 30 ppm (low-dose), or 430 ppm (high-dose) of lead acetate via dams' milk from …

Parental Understandings Of The Meaning Of Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd), Kylara Leyva

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study examines how parents understand autism, their child's behavior and development. Parents can understand their child's behavior and development through a medical model perspective, which sees the childâ??s autism as a series of deficits and deviations. However, a growing number of parents understand their child's behavior and development through a neurodiversity perspective, where a child is seen as having differences in behavior, instead of deficits. Parents' understandings of autism can influence how they see their child's behavior and development and be a driver for seeking diagnosis. In-depth interviews were conducted with parents of children with autism to probe for …

Healthcare Utilization Awareness And Labor Monitoring Methodology: A Theoretical I.M.S.E. Approach To Risk Minimization And Human Metrics Capturing In The Nursing Workforce, Luis Reyes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The healthcare industry is so complex and dynamic that the development of any tool designed to promote positive patient outcomes nearly requires the developer to be an actual healthcare practitioner. Many healthcare tools exists that initially give the perception that there will be no future requirements that may hinder the tools' integrity, but more often than not, the unexpected occurs. The future is one unpredictable element of life that most engineers wish they could capture with optimal precision. I.M.S.E. (Industrial, Manufacturing and Systems Engineering) applications do not assist with fortune telling, but they do assist with creating robust tools designed …

The Effect Of Yoga Practice On Glucose Control, Physiological Stress, And Well-Being In Type 2 Diabetes: Exploring A Mechanism Of Action, Maricarmen Vizcaino

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Multiple studies have found yoga practice to be effective in improving glucose control and other health markers of adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, current findings cannot reach a consensus given multiple methodological inconsistencies. The primary purpose of this Dissertation work was to investigate the impact of yoga practice on the glucose control of participants with T2DM through two different approaches in two separate exploratory studies. The first study, a quasi-experimental design, examined the effect of eight weeks of yoga practice on glucose control taking into account previous limitations in the literature. The second study, a single-subject design, …

Student Self-Assessment And Faculty Assessment Of Performance In An Interprofessional Error Disclosure Simulation Training Program, Theresa Poirier, Junvie Pailden Phd, Ray Jhala Pharmd, Katie Ronald Pharmd, Miranda Wilhelm Pharmd, Jingyang Fan Pharmd

SIUE Faculty Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Objectives. To conduct a prospective evaluation for effectiveness of an error disclosure assessment tool and video recordings to enhance student learning and metacognitive skills while assessing the IPEC competencies.

Design. The instruments for assessing performance (planning, communication, process, and team dynamcis) in interprofessional error disclosure were developed. Student self-assessment of performance before and after viewing the recordings of their encounters were obtained. Faculty used a similar instrument to conduct real-time assessments. An instrument to assess achievement of the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) core competencies was developed. Qualitative data was reviewed to determine student and faculty perceptions of the …

Public Policy And The Legislative Process, Sheila A. Leander, David F. Walz

Book Chapters

No abstract provided.

Reduction Of Surgical Site Infections After Cesarean, Melissa Erickson Msn Ed, Bsn, Rnc-Mnn, Phn, Patricia Dumonceaux Msn, Phn, Cic

Articles

To decrease cesarean surgical site infection (SSI) rates to less than the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) mean. By decreasing SSI rates, secondary goals included improving the patient experience, decreasing readmissions, and promoting bonding between the mother and newborn.

Ambulatory Hemodynamic Monitoring Reduces Heart Failure Hospitalizations In "Real-World" Clinical Practice, Akshay S. Desai, Arvind Bhimaraj, Rita Jermyn, Jamie M. Pelzel

Articles

BACKGROUND:

In the CHAMPION (CardioMEMS Heart Sensor Allows Monitoring of Pressure to Improve Outcomes in New York Heart Association [NYHA] Functional Class III Heart Failure Patients) trial, heart failure hospitalization (HFH) rates were lower in patients managed with guidance from an implantable pulmonary artery pressure sensor compared with usual care.

OBJECTIVES:

This study examined the effectiveness of ambulatory hemodynamic monitoring in reducing HFH outside of the clinical trial setting.

METHODS:

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using U.S. Medicare claims data from patients undergoing pulmonary artery pressure sensor implantation between June 1, 2014, and December 31, 2015. Rates of HFH …

Student’S Oral Health Knowledge, Oral Health Practices, And Their Susceptibility To Oral Health Diseases At A Midwestern University, Mouhamed Koubaytari

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Poor oral health knowledge and poor oral health practices have been a silent epidemic in the United States of America. This self-perpetuating cycle of poor oral health knowledge and poor oral health practices have affected groups of people in the United States with low income who are at risk of population due to the lack of insurance. Scholars have shown that poor oral health can result from a lack of access to preventive care (dental appointments) and restorable care when dental diseases or issues may be fixed. Poor oral health knowledge may lead to poor oral health self-care practices down …

Avian And Pandemic Influenza Knowledge And Risk Perception In Southern Minnesota, Holly Munch

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Avian influenza is an important public health issue because such viruses have the potential to mutate into a pandemic influenza virus with widespread, even global, morbidity and mortality. Studies have indicated that knowledge about avian and pandemic influenza and perception of pandemic risk are low among the public and even in the health professions. This study was undertaken to evaluate the level of avian and pandemic influenza knowledge and risk perception among adults in southern Minnesota with a view to preparing effective educational interventions and improving preparedness for an influenza pandemic. An 18-question electronic survey was administered to 99 people …

Weikangning Therapy In Functional Dyspepsia And The Protective Role Of Nrf2, Yujuan Chang, Wei Wei, Li Tong, Yanjun Liu, Aimin Zhou, Jiande Chen, Ruhan Wei, Ping Zhang, Xiaolan Su

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a non-organic gastro-intestinal disorder that has a marked negative impact on quality of life. Compared with conventional pharmacological therapies, the traditional Chinese medicine weikangning (WKN) is a safe and effective treatment for FD. The present study aimed to determine the molecular mechanisms underlying the efficacy of WKN. The effect of different concentrations of WKN on the proliferation of the human gastric mucosal epithelial cell line GES-1 was assessed. The optimal WKN concentration to promote cell proliferation was determined, and this concentration was used to examine the effect of WKN compared with a domperidone-treated positive control group …

Alternative Therapies For People With Special Needs: An Emphasis On Animal-Assisted Therapies, Emily Hamilton

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper contains research examining the effectiveness of alternative therapies - play therapy, art therapy, music therapy, horticulture therapy, and animal-assisted therapies – in helping various special needs populations. The focus of this research was on animal-assisted therapies that utilized therapy dogs or horses. These therapies provide a plethora of benefits physically, mentally, and psychologically. 11 interviews were conducted with counselors, psychologists, therapy dog owners, and an equine therapy director to further examine the effectiveness of these alternative therapy programs. Each interview presented unique evidence of the positive impact these therapies are having on various populations. All research into these …

Senior Bsn Students’ Confidence, Comfort, And Perception Of Readiness For Practice, Megan Ashley Wray

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In order for new graduate nurses to practice confidently, senior nursing students must be adequately prepared to assume the role of a nurse in a professional setting. This study, using the Casey-Fink Readiness for Practice Survey, focused on identifying senior Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students’ level of comfort/confidence performing various skills and perception of readiness for practice as new graduate nurses. All participants had recently completed their senior preceptorship course. Participants completed the survey and descriptive statistics were used to analyze data, while free response answers were studied and key words were identified to categorize responses into themes. …

Move More, Stress Less: Exploring The Relationship Between Physical Activity And Test Anxiety In Undergraduate Nursing Students, Ashleigh Cleveland

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between physical activity and test anxiety in undergraduate baccalaureate nursing students. Participants (N=69) were first, second, and third year undergraduate nursing students at a small, private university in the southeastern United States. The Westside Test Anxiety Scale was administered along with questions regarding the type of physical activity performed each week and the number of minutes of physical activity performed each week. A Pearson r correlation coefficient and descriptive statistics were analyzed. Results were inconclusive regarding the relationship between physical activity and test anxiety. Survey results indicated 97% of students …

A Comparison Of Traditional Epidural And Low-Dose Epidural Techniques, Ellen Terry

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to compare traditional epidural analgesia to other low-dose epidural analgesic techniques e.g. combined spinal-epidural analgesia and mobile epidural analgesia. The risk and side-effects of each type of epidural had on both mother and the newborn was researched and discussed. This was a comprehensive analysis of several studies dating from 1989 to 2016. It was found that traditional epidural analgesia increased the risk for cesarean deliveries, vaginal assisted deliveries, longer duration of labor, postpartum hemorrhage, breastfeeding cessation, higher temperature, lower maternal satisfaction and failed catheters. No effect on the newborn was found. Combined spinal was …

Innovation And Collaboration: Creating A Transdisciplinary Childhood Obesity Prevention Graduate Certificate Program, Becky Jensen, Mindy Anderson-Knott, Mary Bowne, Linda Boeckner, Suzanne Stluka, Kendra Kattelmann, Jessica Meendering

Health and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Preparing future professionals to work in transdisciplinary settings with a skill set to effectively foster collaborations and sustainable change requires a thoughtful and concerted interprofessional educational approach. Through an inter-university partnership in 2010 with name of university and the name of university, a group of faculty convened to propose the Transdisciplinary Obesity Prevention (TOP) graduate certificate program. With funding supported by a United States (US) Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant in 2011, a team of faculty from name of university and name of university representing various disciplines (exercise science, nutrition, dietetics, health promotion, public …

Risk Of Glucose Intolerance And Gestational Diabetes Mellitus In Relation To Maternal Habitual Snoring During Early Pregnancy., Chunfang Qiu, Wayne Lawrence, Bizu Gelaye, Lee Stoner, Ihunnaya O Frederick, Daniel A Enquobahrie, Tanya K Sorensen, Michelle A Williams

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or habitual snoring is known to be associated with impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes among both men and non-pregnant women. We examined the association of habitual snoring during early pregnancy with risk of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

METHODS: A cohort of 1,579 women was interviewed during early pregnancy. We collected information about snoring frequency during early pregnancy. Results from screening and diagnostic tests for IGT and GDM were abstracted from medical records. Multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% …

The Big Patent Short: Hedge Fund Challenges To Pharmaceutical Patents And The Need For Financial Regulation, Ariel D. Multak

Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law

The enactment of the America Invents Act (AIA) in 2011 ushered in a new system for post-grant patent review. In the interest of enhancing the efficiency of the patent regime by invalidating “bad” patents, certain requirements were relaxed. For example, the AIA created an examination process called inter partes review, which allows a party without legal standing to challenge the validity of a patent in front of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. In the pharmaceutical patent context, it was expected that inter partes review would be utilized mostly by generic drug makers seeking to invalidate patents without incurring the …

Neurobiology Of The Premonitory Urge In Tourette's Syndrome: Pathophysiology And Treatment Implications, Andrea E Cavanna, Kevin J. Black, Mark Hallett, Valerie Voon

2010-2019 OA Pubs

Motor and vocal tics are relatively common motor manifestations identified as the core features of Tourette's syndrome (TS). Although traditional descriptions have focused on objective phenomenological observations, such as anatomical location, number and frequency of tics, patients' first-person accounts have consistently reported characteristic subjective correlates. These sensory phenomena are often described as a feeling of mounting inner tension or urge to move ("premonitory urge"), which is transiently relieved by tic expression. This article reviews the existing literature on the clinical and neurobiological aspects of the premonitory urge in patients with TS, with focus on its pathophysiology and possible treatment implications.

International Education For Medical Students: An International Program Design In Publich Health, Elizabeth Anne Tyrie

Capstone Collection

Cultural Perspectives in Public Health: An International Education Program for Medical Students proposes a six-week international mobility course for medical students at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. The course design was inspired by a request from the UCSC medical student cohort to expand credit-bearing international program opportunities. The program will introduce participants to Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning cycle in an effort to provide students with a framework to use when evaluating common practices in the medical field. The course aims to increase academic collaboration between Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, an Italian based Higher Education Institution, and the Higher Education …

Music, Healing, And Conflict: Balancing Science And Intuition, Marisa K. Massery

Capstone Collection

Music move us personally and with more meaning than any other medium in the world. In the past few decades, modern advances in neuroscience have proved via neuroimaging that musical processing involves almost every region of the brain, a task that no other stimulus can achieve. Science can show what is happening in our brain, but humans have intuitively known and utilized music for healing purposes since the beginning of humanity. This research examines the dynamics of continued scientific advancement in light of Non-Western ways of knowing. The study is an attempt to shorten the distance between music, healing and …

Exploring The Multidimensional Structure Of The Wasi-Ii: Further Insights From Schmid-Leiman Higher-Order And Exploratory Bifactor Solutions, Brittany Mcgeehan, Nadine Ndip, Ryan J. Mcgill

Archives of Assessment Psychology

The Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence-Second Edition (WASI-II; Wechsler, 2011a) is a versatile and widely utilized brief intelligence measure by assessment psychologists in a variety of clinical settings. Despite the fact that a hierarchical measurement model is implied in the WASI-II Manual (Wechsler, 2011b) and the scores provided by the instrument, a hierarchical measurement model was not specified in the structural validation studies conducted by the test publisher. Due to this shortcoming, two exploratory factor analytic methods (Schmid-Leiman [SL] and exploratory bifactor analysis [EBFA]) were utilized to disclose the higher-order structuring of WASI-II variables. Results from both solutions indicated that …

Localization Of Fam171b Mrna Expression In Mouse Brain Using In-Situ Hybridization, Ashani Kumudika Sudasinghe

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Proteins containing polyglutamine (polyQ) tracts within their primary amino acid sequence are particularly interesting because expansion mutation within them has been shown to underlie a growing list of severe neurodegenerative disorders including Huntington's Disease and several types of Spinocerebellar Ataxias. FAM171B is a novel polyQ protein that was originally identified via large scale sequencing efforts. However, to date, very little is known regarding its normal cellular function and expression pattern. In this study, in situ hybridization was utilized to assess whether FAM171B is expressed in developing (postnatal days 7, 21, 42) and adult mouse brains. The results of the experiments …

Validating Drug Targets Through Inhibition Of Protein-Protein Interactions In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Erin C. Driscoll

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death by single infectious disease worldwide; novel antibiotics are needed to continue to treat this disease. To goal of this project is to provide proof-of-principle support for the idea that targeting protein-protein interactions (PPI) is an appropriate course for the discovery of new drugs. This study optimized the M-PFC assay, which allows detection of PPI in Mycobacteria, through the use of stronger promoters and inducible expression of a peptide blocker by riboswitch. To accomplish this, promoter induction studies were used to find stronger promoters for the M-PFC, optimization of the riboswitch as a …

Profit-Bearing Administrators: Exploring The Application Of Economics And Financial Concepts In Healthcare Management, Brandon K. Riddick

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Healthcare managers face an incredible challenge today; understanding and implementing financially and economically sound decisions in the complex healthcare environment of the United States. The pressure to be profitable managers is greater than ever. Considering current research, past studies, and articles focused on the demands of healthcare managers will illuminate the state of health care administration, and the importance of real world application of accounting and economics in healthcare.

This thesis will explore and examine research about industry standards, and the need for preparedness in healthcare finance management. It will also examine the important and complex role of accounting and …

Predicting Patients' Trust In Physicians From Personality Variables, Ethnicity, And Gender, Zoreed A. Mukhtar

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study examined variables related to the doctor-patient interaction that can predict college students’ trust in their physicians. Specifically, I examined if five personality variables, ethnicity, and gender were associated with attitudes toward physicians. A second aim of the study was to determine if there was a difference in the level of trust in physicians between pre-medical and non-pre-medical students. Surveys were administered to UCF students containing a series of questions compiled from the Interpersonal Physician Trust Scale, Interpersonal Trust Scale, Illness Attitude Scale, Big Five Inventory, Martin-Larsen Approval Motivation Scale-Short Form, Almost Perfect Scale-Revised and Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale-Short …

Improved Physiology And Psychosocial Well-Being For Children With Physical Disabilities Through Virtual Reality Immersion, Bethany D. Fralish

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this case study was to examine the physiological and psychosocial effects of an immersive virtual reality (VR) system in a female, young adult with right side paralysis following a left hemisphere brain bleed in order to determine the usefulness of immersive VR for children with physical disabilities, in particular, cerebral palsy (CP). The current study consisted of six sessions over a span of three weeks, with each session lasting approximately 45 minutes. Physiological factors (upper body mobility, heart rate variability) were assessed via a hand use questionnaire and a heart rate monitor, while psychosocial factors (e.g. positive …