Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Stability Of Synthetic Cathinones In Oral Fluid Samples, Briana Miller, Jiyoung Kim, Marta Concheiro

Publications and Research

Synthetic cathinones are new stimulant drugs derived from cathinone that have been sold as “legal highs” worldwide. These compounds can elicit powerful effects such as delusions, hallucinations as well as other potentially dangerous behavior. New analogs with varying effects and potencies are constantly introduced in the market to evade legislation, and they are not detected by routine screening and confirmation methods. Oral fluid is an alternative matrix of increasing interest in forensic toxicology. Its collection is non-invasive and easily supervised, and positive drug findings typically reflect recent drug exposure. The focus of this research was to develop a method for …

Cime Newsletter : May 2017, Cime

Centre for Innovation in Medical Education (CIME) Archives

- NEW! CIME’s Facebook Page

- Innovation Day

- Sharing Experience

- Higher Education Academy (HEA) Accreditation:

- CME Symposium on Ophthalmology

- Simulated Rapid Response Team (RRT) Training

- Upcoming Events at CIME

- Obstetrics and Gynecology: Basic Hysteroscopy Course for Postgraduate Students

Are Cdi Systems Multicolored, Facultative, Helping Greenbeards?, Elizabeth S. Danka, Erin C. Garcia, Peggy A. Cotter

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Competitive and cooperative interactions between organisms, including bacteria, can significantly impact the composition of a community and the fitness of its members, as well as the fitness of their hosts when communities are living on or within other organisms. Understanding the underlying mechanisms is critical to the development of strategies to control microbiological communities that impact animal and plant health and also for understanding the evolution of social behaviors, which has been challenging for evolutionary biologists. Contact-dependent growth inhibition (CDI) is a phenomenon defined by the delivery of a protein toxin to the cytoplasm of neighboring bacteria upon cell–cell contact, …

Toxic And Essential Trace Element Content Of Commonly Administered Pediatric Oral Medications, Robert A. Yokel, Sarah E. Seger, Jason M. Unrine

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that commonly administered pediatric oral medications are a significant source of toxic elements. The concentrations of 16 elements were determined in 14 frequently used pediatric oral medications.

METHODS: Samples were prepared for analysis by dilution or nitric acid microwave-assisted digestion and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The intake of each element from administration for 1 week of the medication's maximum recommended daily dose to 6-month-olds was calculated and compared to an exposure guideline for that element. Exposure guidelines used for adverse effects were minimal risk levels, oral …

The Social Progression Of Post -Traumatic Stress Disorder: Post Vietnam And September 11th Attacks, Ellie Mcdonald

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The Social Progression of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Post-Vietnam and September 11^th Attacks is an examination on the infrastructure of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’and of the Department of Defense’s lack of clarity and misinformation of the challenges and effects of mental illness within military ranks. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) made the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM) after Vietnam. Since then, PTSD has been reevaluate numerous times, to properly define it. This research is a comparative analysis of the misconceptions of PTSD as experienced by Vietnam veterans and the first responders of the September 11^th tragedy. My research charts …

Hypertension Now And Then: Hypertensive Adolescents Who Consume Sugar Sweetened Beverages Are Associated With Hypertension In Adulthood, Jenna Thompson

Nursing Capstones

No abstract provided.

Consequences Of Urinary Tract Infections In Older Adults, Kayla M. Kappel

Nursing Capstones

No abstract provided.

Peripheral Arterial Disease: Factors Effecting Utilization Of Ankle-Brachial Index, Justin Jaspers

Nursing Capstones

No abstract provided.

Opioid Use In Rhode Island - Review And Suggestions, Vanessa S. Kolb

Senior Honors Projects

It is estimated that over two million Americans have an opioid-related substance abuse disorder. Nationally, 91 people die every day from an opioid overdose, and 60% of drug overdoses involve an opioid. Rhode Island has enacted some of the strictest opioid-prescribing guidelines in the country, but since 2011 the number of overdose deaths within the state that involve illicit opioids has increased by 250%. In 2015, Governor Gina Raimondo established a special task force whose goal is to reduce the number of opioid-related overdose deaths in Rhode Island by one-third by 2018.

In this project, I analyze and compare best …

Nurses' Views On Incorporating Mindfulness In The Acute Care Setting, Davi Prak

Senior Honors Projects

The use of mindfulness as a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has greatly increased during the last few years due to growing evidence of its impact on brain functioning and symptomatology of certain diseases. Preliminary research has demonstrated its benefits not only for patients but healthcare providers as well. Mindfulness-based stress reduction courses have become more and more accessible for employees yielding positive results in terms of health and wellness. In particular, nurses have benefited from mindfulness exercises due to the high stress level of their jobs. With the growing popularity of mindfulness and its positive outcomes, it is important …

Using Lena To Examine Associations Between Parental Speech And Child Language Skills, Courtney T. Swanson

Senior Honors Projects

Children are exposed to language in a variety of ways and by a multitude of people - parents, teachers, friends, etc. Language input that a child receives has been a significant area of study for researchers to determine the cognitive, linguistic, and social developmental levels of speech clients. Traditionally, maternal speech input has been viewed as more influential than paternal speech input. The purpose of this study is to use the Bridge Hypothesis of paternal speech to compare the speech between child and mother vs. child and father through the use of LENA technology. Gathering a speech sample can be …

Healing Through Bibliotherapy, Kristina N. Spinelli

Senior Honors Projects

Emotions that adolescents face while experiencing their parents’ divorce can be traumatic. They often feel as though they have no one else to turn to, and feel alone. There are different types of therapy that can help individuals cope with their emotions and bibliotherapy can be used as a self-coping technique.

Bibliotherapy is a method used to cope with certain feelings from different experiences. It is a reading program that includes a variety of literature to offer emotional therapy. It is effective by aiding the individual who is struggling with his or her feelings to identify with a particular character, …

Treatment Of Vaso-Occlusive Pain Related To Sickle Cell Disease In Pediatric Patients: A Systematic Review, Rebecca L. Tourtellotte

Senior Honors Projects

Sickle cell disease is a rare inherited disorder that affects the shape of red blood cells. Symptoms generally begin by three years of age. Complications of sickle cell disease include vaso-occlusive crises, acute chest syndrome, infections, pulmonary hypertension, priapism, stroke, as well as problems with various organ systems. Vaso-occlusive crises are the most common reason for hospitalization in patients with sickle cell disease. A vaso-occlusive crisis is an episode of pain, described as sharp, intense, and throbbing, most commonly occurring in the lower back, leg, hip, abdomen, or chest. It typically begins at night and lasts 3-14 days. No cure …

The Biomechanics Of Music Performance, Rachel F. Bellisle, Jessika Decker

Senior Honors Projects

When first learning to play a wind instrument, beginner musicians are taught how to hold their instrument and correctly position their body. They are taught how to sit, where to put their hands and fingers on the keys, and how to hold their arms. This initial lesson on posture and hand positioning is often short, as one quickly moves on to learn the embouchure and breathing techniques that allow sound to be produced. As a musician progresses in skill, positioning is emphasized more, and they learn that it can affect their risk of strain or injury and improve their sound …

The Impact Spectrum Of Head Injuries On The Sport Of Hockey, Caleb W. Neal

Senior Honors Projects

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates there are between 1.6-3.8 million sports and recreation related concussions per year. In fact there are over 4 million concussions (including non-sports related) in total each year. A concussion is defined as a serious brain injury caused by the rapid movement (linear front-to-back, side-to-side) or rotational (angular) movement of the brain inside the skull, which results in damage and disruption to the brain cell function, causing brain trauma (sports concussion library). Sports-related concussions (SRCs) are concussions that are specifically sustained during a sporting event. The sport with the highest incidence of …

Estimating Environmental Emissions From Produce Waste Redistribution In The Capital Region, Molly Fleming

Public Health Undergraduate Program

Every year in New York’s Capital Region a large amount of food goes to waste, and about one-half of produce (fruits and vegetable) that is produced is wasted. However, many organizations in the Capital Region have put in efforts to redistribute this surplus produce to the food insecure to help improve their diets. This project looked at how that surplus produce is redistributed to the food insecure in the Capital Region, the life cycle energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions of that redistribution, and how that redistribution could be improved. Working with local partners through survey data collection, interviews, …

Hiv In New York City: An Overview Of Cultural And Social Factors Contributing To An Individual's Decision To Disclose Their Disease Status, Lindsey Riback

Public Health Undergraduate Program

will examine what effect cultural norms surrounding race and sexual orientation, as well as four specific social factors (alcohol use during sex, injection drug use, social support and the importance of religion) have on whether an HIV positive individual, specifically an urban homosexual male, chooses to disclose their disease status. This paper will discuss those cultural norms and social factors through the AIDS Risk Reduction Model, available literature, and the data collected by the National Institute of Mental Health for the Positive Connections intervention trial. The data for this paper were pulled from the larger study, and only the 171 …

Exploring The Effects Of Caring For Congestive Heart Failure Patients On Caregiver Well-Being: A Descriptive Study, Hanna S. Curtis

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: As the incidence of heart failure (HF) quickly becomes the leading cause of disability among older adults, the need for non-professional, in-home caregivers increases as well. Many caregivers are family members who receive no compensation for their efforts, but all are an invaluable tool in the fight against a debilitating disease. Patients with caregivers experience an improved quality of life and lower mortality rates than patients with little social support. The caregiver of a patient with HF may be responsible for everyday activities such as housekeeping and shopping, as well as more complex disease-related necessities as managing medication …

Oncolog, Volume 62, Number 05-06, May - June 2017, Joe Munch, Bryan Tutt, Kathryn Hale

OncoLog MD Anderson's Report to Physicians (All issues) Archives

• Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Directed Natural Killer Cells for B Cell Malignancies: New take on an experimental therapy holds promise for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, other lymphoid cancers.
• Preoperative Exercise Program for Pancreatic Cancer Patients: Prehabilitation regimen to improve functional status during chemotherapy evaluated in clinical trials.
• Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Clinical Trial will evaluate immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with operable early-stage disease.
• HOUSE CALL: Genetic Screening for Hereditary Cancer Syndromes: Genetic counseling, testing help people assess, manage cancer risk

Exploring The Impact Of Community Service On Career Exploration, Self-Determination, And Social Skills For Transition-Age Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Agnes Zalewska, Allison C. Hall, Sheila Fesko, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Bleak transition outcomes for youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), coupled with the surge in incidence, has led to the need for focused and innovative transition strategies. While structured community service reveals promise, documentation of how community service experiences contribute to building employment skills for youth with intellectual/developmental disability (IDD), including those with ASD, is under-researched. The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of a community service on employment skill-building for youth with ASD. Findings from 23 qualitative interviews with a range of stakeholders showed positive perceptions in the areas of career exploration, self-determination, and social skill …

Organic Cation Transporter 3 (Oct3) Is Localized To Intracellular And Surface Membranes In Select Glial And Neuronal Cells Within The Basolateral Amygdaloid Complex Of Both Rats And Mice, Paul J. Gasser, Matthew M. Hurley, June Chan, Virginia M. Pickel

Biomedical Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Organic cation transporter 3 (OCT3) is a high-capacity, low-affinity transporter that mediates corticosterone-sensitive uptake of monoamines including norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, histamine and serotonin. OCT3 is expressed widely throughout the amygdaloid complex and other brain regions where monoamines are key regulators of emotional behaviors affected by stress. However, assessing the contribution of OCT3 to the regulation of monoaminergic neurotransmission and monoamine-dependent regulation of behavior requires fundamental information about the subcellular distribution of OCT3 expression. We used immunofluorescence and immuno-electron microscopy to examine the cellular and subcellular distribution of the transporter in the basolateral amygdaloid complex of the rat and mouse brain. …

Effectiveness Of Pictorial Health Warning Labels For Indonesia's Cigarette Packages, Dien Anshari

Theses and Dissertations

Pictorial health warning labels (PHWL) on cigarette packaging is a key way to communicate with consumers about the harms from tobacco, particularly in the low- and middle-income countries that do not have the resources for effective mass media campaigns. Research is needed to determine the most effective PHWL content for Indonesia, a country with one of the largest populations of smokers in the world and amongst the weakest tobacco policy environments. This research aimed to determine the most effective PHWL content for Indonesia’s cigarette packages, including the social and psychological factors that may influence PHWL effects.

Data for this study …

Comparison Of Enteral Versus Intravenous Potassium Supplementation In Hypokalaemia In Paediatric Patients In Intensive Care Post Cardiac Surgery: Open-Label Randomised Equivalence Trial (Eips), Naveed Ur Rehman Siddiqui, Quratulain Merchant, Babar Hasan, Arjumand Rizvi, Muneer Amanullah, Amina Rehmat, Anwarul Haque

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Objectives: The primary objective was to compare the efficacy of enteral potassium replacement (EPR) and intravenous potassium replacement (IVPR) as first-line therapy. Secondary objectives included comparison of adverse effects and number of doses required to resolve the episode of hypokalaemia.
Trial design: The EIPS trial is designed as a randomised, equivalence trial between two treatment arms.
Study setting: The study was conducted at the paediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU) at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi.
Participants: 41 patients (aged 1 month to 15years) who were admitted to PCICU post cardiac surgery were recruited (23 IVPR arm and 18 …

An In Vitro Study On The Detection Of Ovarian Cancer Using A Novel Ph-Specific Targeting Polypyrrole Nanocontrasting Agent., Phillip Chuong

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Longitudinal tracking and accumulation of polymeric nanoparticles in the context of cancer has largely occurred through identification of a fluorescent cargo. In this study, we created a dual extracellular acidic pH targeted polypyrrole-based hollow nanoparticle as a theranostic (maintain both therapeutic and diagnostic capabilities) agent for improved detection and treatment of ovarian cancer. Polypyrrole-hollow nanospheres (PPy-CS) were fabricated through the removal of a silver chloride (AgCl) core, which served as a template, followed by coating with chitosan and further tumor targeted with a pH low insertion peptide, V7. We exploited the NIR-absorbing property of polypyrrole to track both the nanoparticle …

Investigating The Mechanism Of Novel Anticancer Agent, As1411 : Does Metabolism To Guanine Play A Role?, Parker T Howard

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

AS1411 is an oligonucleotide that has shown promising results in lab experiments and clinical trials as an anti-cancer drug, Likewise, treatments with guanine based purine compounds (GBPCs) have demonstrated similar anti-proliferative effects in vitro. This activity is dependent on the HGPRT enzyme. Similarities in activity and physical structure has led us to believe that AS1411 and GBPCs operate by a similar mechanism. To test this, we compare the activity of both in the presence of HGPRT siRNAs and HGPRT deficient cells. While siRNA treatment was unable to alter the activity of GBPCs or AS1411 in our cell lines, HGPRT deficient …

Enhancing Learning Through Understanding Your Medical Learner., Katerina C. Valavanis Md, Veronica Brohm Do

Department of Education

No abstract provided.

Mental Health 101: Teaching Students And Campus Leaders How To Help Those In Crisis, Megan B. Kuhnly

Senior Honors Projects

One in four Americans ages 18 and older live with a diagnosable mental health disorder. Due to this high prevalence it is very likely that everyone will encounter someone dealing with a mental health crisis in his or her lifetime. Many college students will experience a crisis during their four years of study due to the high levels of stress and psychological triggers. However, we are often not taught how to help these individuals and the resources available are not well advertised. This lack of education and awareness leads to many students being forced to suffer alone and their mental …

Nurses’ Perspectives On Hope In Outpatient Oncology Patients: A Concept Analysis, Natalie-Jo Sidman

Senior Honors Projects

In contemporary times, everyone you meet has either been directly or indirectly affected by cancer. Cancer often creates a whirlwind of emotions as the individual wonders how and why this has happened to them. In health care, oncology is a field that is in constant evolution with the development of new chemotherapeutic agents and clinical trials that bring a sense of hope to oncology patients. Outpatient infusion nurses quickly become a part of a person’s life when they begin their chemotherapy. These nurses are with patients through every scan, procedure, and eight-hour infusion day. Nursing is essential in fostering hope …

Volunteer Resource Guide For Older Adults In The Bowling Green Area, Mallory Farabaugh

Honors Projects

The purpose of this volunteer resource guide is to provide older adults a booklet with a variety of volunteer programs available in the Bowling Green/Wood County area. There are several benefits to volunteering including gaining an increased sense of purpose, giving back to the community, and fulfilling new roles in later life. It is made more convenient for the older adults in the community to access information about each program by listing it in one spot. Each program listed includes general information, how to sign up, any training that is involved, and how to contact the facility. The resource guide …

Social Factors In Prescription Stimulant Abuse Among College Students, Trevor J. Levingston

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In an attempt to maximize their academic performance, many American college students turn toward such prescription stimulant drugs as Adderall and Ritalin, which can increase users' attention span and ability to focus, but are not without risks, including such aversive side effects as anxiety, migraines, and obsessive-compulsive behavior. Prevalence rates for prescription stimulant abuse (PSA) by college students vary widely, with rates as high as 50.6% (McCabe, West, Teter, & Boyd, 2014). PSA among college students is most commonly endorsed for perceived academic benefits, but many students report engaging in recreational PSA, often to resist the depressant effects of alcohol …