Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Articulatory Patterns In Children Who Use Cochlear Implants: An Ultrasound Measure Of Velar Stop Production In Bilingual Speakers, Katherine Javier

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Coarticulation occurs in running speech when one speech sound or phoneme overlaps with another. It can be considered a result of the way we sequence and organize our articulators to efficiently produce consecutive consonants and vowels in fluent speech. Previous research has suggested that measures of coarticulation can provide insight into the maturity of the motor speech planning system (Barbier, Perrier, Ménard, Payan, Tiede, & Perkell, 2013; Zharkova & Hewlett, 2009; Zharkova, Hewlett, & Hardcastle, 2011). Speech stability has also been suggested as an indicator of motor speech maturity in previous research using ultrasound imaging of velar-vowel targets (Frisch, Maxfield, …

Epidermal-Specific Deletion Of Tc-Ptp Promotes Uvb-Induced Epidermal Cell Survival Through The Regulation Of Flk-1/Jnk Signaling, Minwoo Baek, Mihwa Kim, Jae Sung Lim, Liza D. Morales, Joselin Hernandez, Srinivas Mummidi, Sarah Williams-Blangero, Ik-Soon Jang, Andrew Tsin, Dae Joon Kim

School of Medicine Publications

UVB exposure can contribute to the development of skin cancer by modulating protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) signaling. It has been suggested that UVB radiation increases the ligand-dependent activation of PTKs and induces PTP inactivation. Our recent studies have shown that T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase (TC-PTP) attenuates skin carcinogenesis induced by chemical regimens, which indicates its critical role in the prevention of skin cancer. In the current work, we report that TC-PTP increases keratinocyte susceptibility to UVB-induced apoptosis via the downregulation of Flk-1/JNK signaling. We showed that loss of TC-PTP led to resistance to UVB-induced apoptosis in vivo epidermis. We established …

The Effect Of Kalanchoe Pinnata In Astrocitome Metastasis, Jorge Rosa

The International Student Science Fair 2018

Astrocytomas, from cell line 1321N1,are cancerous astrocytes. These are a type of glial cell in the brain which is responsible for maintaining synaptic contact and the signaling capacities among neurons. They also represent a fundamental element in controlling blood flow and defining brain micro structure. Due to the fact that this variant is cancerous, a condition commonly described as an abnormal cell cycle and uncontrolled reproduction of cells, they have the ability to metastasize.

In the metastatic process of cancer cells the initial phase is know as tumor invasion. This stage consists mainly of the cells migrating away from the …

Blocking Nmdar Disrupts Spike Timing And Decouples Monkey Prefrontal Circuits: Implications For Activity-Dependent Disconnection In Schizophrenia, Jennifer L. Zick, Rachael K. Blackman, David A. Crowe, Bagrat Amirikian, Adele L. Denicola, Theoden I. Netoff, Matthew V. Chafee

Faculty Authored Articles

We employed multi-electrode array recording to evaluate the influence of NMDA receptors (NMDAR) on spike-timing dynamics in prefrontal networks of monkeys as they performed a cognitive control task measuring specific deficits in schizophrenia. Systemic, periodic administration of an NMDAR antagonist (phencyclidine) reduced the prevalence and strength of synchronous (0-lag) spike correlation in simultaneously recorded neuron pairs. We employed transfer entropy analysis to measure effective connectivity between prefrontal neurons at lags consistent with monosynaptic interactions and found that effective connectivity was persistently reduced following exposure to the NMDAR antagonist. These results suggest that a disruption of spike timing and effective connectivity …

Methadone For Analgesia In Children With Life-Limiting Illness: Experience From A Tertiary Children's Health Service., Christine Mott, Amrita Sarpal, Krista Moss, Anthony Herbert

Paediatrics Publications

Methadone has the potential to assist in the management of pain in children with life-limiting illness, but its use is limited by its complex pharmacokinetic profile and limited research on its use in children. This is a retrospective review of the use of methadone as an analgesic in 16 children with life-limiting illness. Efficacy, dosing and side effect profile were analysed. Fifteen (94%) patients had improvements in their analgesia with minimal observed adverse effects. Patients were either rapidly converted from a prior opioid in one change or received methadone as an adjunct medication. Conversions were calculated using ratios frequently in …

High-Risk Advanced Maternal Age And High Parity Pregnancy: Tackling A Neglected Need Through Formative Research And Action., Khadidiatou Ndiaye, Erin Portillo, Dieneba Ouedraogo, Allison Mobley, Stella Babalola

Global Health Faculty Publications

Pregnancy among women of advanced maternal age (those 35 years or older) or among women of high parity (those having had 5 or more births) is linked to maternal and infant mortality. Yet little is known about the drivers of these pregnancies as they are often neglected in existing family planning and reproductive health programs. To better understand the context in which advanced maternal age and high parity pregnancies occur and the acceptability of discussing associated pregnancy risks, the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (HC3) conducted formative qualitative research between January and March 2015 on the perception and determinants of such …

Local Bdnf Delivery To The Injured Cervical Spinal Cord Using An Engineered Hydrogel Enhances Diaphragmatic Respiratory Function., Biswarup Ghosh, Zhicheng Wang, Jia Nong, Mark W. Urban, Zhiling Zhang, Victoria A. Trovillion, Megan C. Wright, Yinghui Zhong, Angelo C. Lepore

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Faculty Papers

We developed an innovative biomaterial-based approach to repair the critical neural circuitry that controls diaphragm activation by locally delivering brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to injured cervical spinal cord. BDNF can be used to restore respiratory function via a number of potential repair mechanisms; however, widespread BDNF biodistribution resulting from delivery methods such as systemic injection or lumbar puncture can lead to inefficient drug delivery and adverse side effects. As a viable alternative, we developed a novel hydrogel-based system loaded with polysaccharide-BDNF particles self-assembled by electrostatic interactions that can be safely implanted in the intrathecal space for achieving local BDNF delivery …

Evaluating Video Modeling To Teach Job Seeking Skills: Composing A Professional Email, Scott A. Fontechia Ii

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Within the disabilities community, individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis consistently have some of the most detrimental employment related statistics. To address this issue, this study evaluated video modeling, an evidence-based procedure, in teaching professional emailing skills to individuals diagnosed with ASD when applying for a job. Results of the study support video modeling research as an effective teaching tool. Significant skill acquisition, in composing a professional email, occurred across all participants. Seventy-five percent of participants concluded the study at mastery level. Implications of this study are immediately impactful on the ASD community as a new evidence-based transition …

Disclosure Of Homosexual Behaviors To Healthcare Providers And Uptake Of Hiv Testing For Men Who Have Sex With Men: A Systematic Review., Shan Qiao Ph.D., Guangyu Zhou, Xiaoming Li

Faculty Publications

To promote HIV-testing and offer optimal care for men who have sex with men (MSM), health-care providers (HCPs) must first be aware of their patients’ sexual behaviors. Otherwise, HCPs may overlook MSM’s risks for HIV infection and their special health-care needs. For MSM, reporting their same-sex behaviors to HCPs (disclosure to HCPs) may promote their linkage to HIV prevention and treatment cascade and improve their health outcomes. No literature review has been conducted to examine the relationship between disclosure to HCPs and uptake of HIV-testing among MSM. The current study reviewed and synthesized findings from 29 empirical studies published in …

Through The Lens Of Objectification Theory: Social Media Use And Women's Behavioral Health, Gina-Maria Roca

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Objectification theory considers how gender and culture intersect to position women at a greater risk of developing eating disorders, depression, and sexual dysfunction. Self-objectification is defined as the internalization of a third person perspective to view one’s own body, which then leads to mental health consequences of anxiety, body shame, insensitivity to internal drives, and decreased peak motivational states. Body surveillance, the habitual and constant monitoring of the body, denotes the behavioral manifestation of self-objectification. Altogether, the accumulation of objectifying experiences and mental health consequences heighten women’s risks of developing the aforementioned mental disorders.

Rationale: Extant experimental and correlational …

Partial Characterization Of Plasmodium Falciparum Protein Kinase Abck2 (Pfabck2), Muhammad Khalid

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Malaria is a major threat to the public health worldwide as it is affecting populations in tropical and subtropical areas globally. Among those populations are around 40% of pregnant women and children who are susceptible to this disease. Plasmodium falciparum is the most lethal agent that causes malaria in human. Currently, there is drug resistance against antimalarial drugs in parasite against treatment of malaria infections, it is essential to search for new drug targets in order to find cure and alleviate suffering of human population.

There are approximately 100 protein kinases in P. falciparum that are involved in phosphorylation of …

Relationship Between Intelligibility And Response Accuracy Of The Amazon Echo In Individuals With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Exhibiting Mild-Moderate Dysarthria, Caroline A. Layden

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is an ever-growing and increasing amount of technology options that use speech recognition software. Currently, the market includes smartphones, computers, and individual smart home personal assistants that allow for hands-free access to this technology. Research studies have explored the utility of these assistive devices for the completion of activities of daily living; however, there is limited research looking at the accuracy of voice recognition software within smart home personal assistants in populations with disordered speech. In persons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), symptoms include changes to motor functions, speech in particular, and it is unknown how some of these …

The Impact Of Vocabulary Knowledge On Nonword Judgments In Spanish-English Bilinguals, Marisa E. Leyden

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis suggests that the range of vocabulary in an individual’s lexicon has an influence on in their assessment of nonword wordlikeness. The study included thirteen Spanish-English bilinguals who participated in a language dominance questionnaire, standardized assessments of Spanish and English vocabulary knowledge, and Spanish and English wordlikeness judgment tasks. Resulting data demonstrated moderate correlations between vocabulary knowledge and performance on nonword wordlikeness judgement tasks in Spanish and English. Participants with larger lexicons appeared more tolerant of less probable nonwords, those with low phonotactic probability, while those with smaller lexicons were less accepting of nonwords with low phonotactic probability. The …

Despite High Levels Of Expression In Thymic Epithelial Cells, Mir-181a1 And Mir-181b1 Are Not Required For Thymic Development., Heather E Stefanski, Yan Xing, Patricia A Taylor, Stefano Maio, Jorge Henao-Meija, Adam Williams, Richard A Flavell, Georg A Hollander, Bruce R Blazar

Faculty Research 2018

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to be key modulators of post-transcriptional gene silencing in many cellular processes. In previous studies designed to understand the role of miRNAs in thymic development, we globally deleted miRNA exclusively in thymic epithelial cells (TECs), which are critical in thymic selection. This resulted in the loss of stromal cells that instruct T cell lineage commitment and affect thymocyte positive selection, required for mature T cell development. Since murine miR-181 is expressed in the thymus and miR-181 deficiency disrupts thymocyte development, we first quantified and thereby demonstrated that miR181a1 and miR181b1 are expressed in purified TECs. …

A Variant Origin Of The Carotid Sinus Nerve., Kevlian Andrew, Joe Iwanaga, Marios Loukas, Rod J Oskouian, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The carotid sinus nerve is known to convey baroreceptive fibers from the carotid sinus. Despite studies on the baroreflex pathway and the course and communications of the carotid sinus nerve with the surrounding nervous and vascular structures, there have been scant reports on variations in the origin of the carotid sinus nerve (CSN). We identified an unusual origin of the CSN. On the right side of a cadaveric specimen, the CSN was found to arise from two small rami extending from the external laryngeal nerve. Such a case can help better understand various pathways used to monitor the carotid sinus. …

Central Venous Access System, John Gurley

Internal Medicine Faculty Patents

A catheter system and method of use for re-establishing venous access near an occluded vessel.

Hidradenocarcinoma: Five Years Of Local And Systemic Control Of A Rare Sweat Gland Neoplasm With Nodal Metastasis, Benazir Mir, Muhammad Atif Mansha, Nasir Ali, Ahmed Nadeem Abbasi, Syed Mustajab Ahmed, Bilal Mazhar Qureshi

Department of Radiation Oncology

Hidradenocarcinoma is a rare and locally aggressive tumor rendering a poor prognosis. Furthermore, very few cases present with nodal metastasis. Diagnosing such an entity, and then differentiating it from a benign counterpart, poses a great challenge to the clinicians. There are no established treatment guidelines for the management of this disease, particularly in patients with nodal involvement. We present a case of a young male who was diagnosed with hidradenocarcinoma of the scalp, along with a neck swelling. A thorough diagnostic evaluation was done with endoscopy, pathological, and radiological investigations. He was successfully treated with resection of the scalp lesion …

Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis – Current Perspectives, Sidra K. Jafri, Raman Kumar, Shahnaz H. Ibrahim

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. It usually occurs 7–10 years after measles infection. The clinical course is characterized by progressive cognitive decline and behavior changes followed by focal or generalized seizures as well as myoclonus, ataxia, visual disturbance, and later vegetative state, eventually leading to death. It is diagnosed on the basis of Dyken’s criteria. There is no known cure for subacute sclerosing panencephalitis to date, but it is preventable by ensuring that an effective vaccine program for measles is made compulsory for all children younger than 5 years in endemic countries.

Nonlinear Associations Between Working Hours And Overwork-Related Cerebrovascular And Cardiovascular Diseases (Ccvd), Ro-Ting Lin, Lung-Chang Chien, Ichiro Kawachi

School of Public Health Faculty Research

Long working hours are recognized as a risk factor for cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases (CCVD). We investigated the relationship between working hours and different CCVD severity outcomes—death, disability, and illness—across industries in Taiwan from 2006 to 2016. We applied a generalized additive mixed model to estimate the association between working hours and the rate of each severity outcome, adjusted for salary, unemployment rate, time, and a random intercept. Industry-average working hours were significantly associated with each outcome level of overwork-related CCVD, especially when monthly working hours increased from 169 (relative risk [RR] = 1.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.002–2.12) to …

Efficient Intracellular Delivery Of Cell-Impermeable Cargo Molecules By Peptides Containing Tryptophan And Histidine, Amir Nasrolahi Shirazi, Saghar Mozaffari, Rinzhin Tshering Sherpa, Rakesh Tiwari, Keykavous Parang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

We have previously evaluated and reported numerous classes of linear and cyclic peptides containing hydrophobic and hydrophilic segments for intracellular delivery of multiple molecular cargos. Herein, a combination of histidine and tryptophan amino acids were designed and evaluated for their efficiency in intracellular delivery of cell-impermeable phosphopeptides and the anti-HIV drug, emtricitabine. Two new decapeptides, with linear and cyclic natures, both containing alternate tryptophan and histidine residues, were synthesized using Fmoc/tBu solid-phase chemistry. The peptides were characterized and purified by using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) spectroscopy and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), respectively. These peptides did not show significant toxicity up …

Preventing P-Gp Ubiquitination Lowers Aβ Brain Levels In An Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Model, Anika M. S. Hartz, Yu Zhong, Andrew N. Shen, Erin L. Abner, Björn Bauer

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

One characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is excessive accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) in the brain. Aβ brain accumulation is, in part, due to a reduction in Aβ clearance from the brain across the blood-brain barrier. One key element that contributes to Ab brain clearance is P-glycoprotein (P-gp) that transports Aβ from brain to blood. In AD, P-gp protein expression and transport activity levels are significantly reduced, which impairs Aβ brain clearance. The mechanism responsible for reduced P-gp expression and activity levels is poorly understood. We recently demonstrated that Aβ₄₀ triggers P-gp degradation through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Consistent with these …

An Examination Of Optimism Between Gender, Race, And School Classification Of Millennial Students – An Exploratory Study, Abigail C. Johnson

Honors College Theses

Optimism is defined as an individual’s approach to the expectation that good things will happen in the future and bad things are a rarity. Along with the general definition of what optimism is, many researchers have found that optimism depends on culturally embedded values and beliefs (Singh & Shukla, 2014; Lee & Mason, 2013). In addition, the relationship between optimism and positive health outcomes and well-being is well established (Coll, J.E. & Draves, P. R., 2008; Bastianello, M. R., Pacico, J. C., & Hutz, C. S., 2014). Although this is the case, little research has been found examining the differences …

Nurses' Experience With Health Information Technology: Longitudinal Qualitative Study., Inga M Zadvinskis, Jessica Garvey Smith, Po-Yin Yen

Nursing Articles

BACKGROUND: Nurses are the largest group of health information technology (HIT) users. As such, nurses' adaptations are critical for HIT implementation success. However, longitudinal approaches to understanding nurses' perceptions of HIT remain underexplored. Previous studies of nurses' perceptions demonstrate that the progress and timing for acceptance of and adaptation to HIT varies.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore nurses' experience regarding implementation of HIT over time.

METHODS: A phenomenological approach was used for this longitudinal qualitative study to explore nurses' perceptions of HIT implementation over time, focusing on three time points (rounds) at 3, 9, and 18 months after implementation …

Early Gestational Mesenchymal Stem Cell Secretome Attenuates Experimental Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia In Part Via Exosome-Associated Factor Tsg-6., Sushma Chaubey, Sam Thueson, Devasena Ponnalagu, Mohammad Afaque Alam, Ciprian P. Gheorghe, Zubair Aghai, Harpreet Singh, Vineet Bhandari

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are promising tools for the treatment of human lung disease and other pathologies relevant to newborn medicine. Recent studies have established MSC exosomes (EXO), as one of the main therapeutic vectors of MSCs in mouse models of multifactorial chronic lung disease of preterm infants, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). However, the mechanisms underlying MSC-EXO therapeutic action are not completely understood. Using a neonatal mouse model of human BPD, we evaluated the therapeutic efficiency of early gestational age (GA) human umbilical cord (hUC)-derived MSC EXO fraction and its exosomal factor, tumor necrosis factor alpha-stimulated gene-6 (TSG-6).

METHODS: Conditioned …

Efficacy Of Interventions For Increasing Performance Of Activities Of Daily Living In Persons With Parkinson's And Lewy Body Disease, Jennifer Mejeur, Joshua Grimmer

Occupational Therapy Graduate Student Evidenced-Based Research Reviews

No abstract provided.

Long-Term Efficacy Measured By Maintenance Of Weight Loss For Bariatric Surgery (Specifically The Gastric Sleeve And Roux-N-Y Methods) Vs. Behavioral Changes, Amelia Verduzco

Occupational Therapy Graduate Student Evidenced-Based Research Reviews

No abstract provided.

Sacubitril/Valsartan Vs Acei And Beta-Blocker Therapy For Heart Failure Patients With Reduced Ejection Fraction (Ef <40%)?, Eric Sveska

Occupational Therapy Graduate Student Evidenced-Based Research Reviews

No abstract provided.

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Children And Adolescents With Ptsd, Monica Phillips, Meghan Schrom

Occupational Therapy Graduate Student Evidenced-Based Research Reviews

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Psychometric Properties Of Balance Assessment Tools For Older Adults, Kelsey Johnson, Shannon Funk

Occupational Therapy Graduate Student Evidenced-Based Research Reviews

No abstract provided.

Effectiveness Of Interactive Metronome Training For Children With Adhd, Bethany Fox, Corinne Leer

Occupational Therapy Graduate Student Evidenced-Based Research Reviews

No abstract provided.