Valuation Of Mentorship In Pharmacy Education And The Impact Of Perceived Personal Relevance, Ashley Stubblefield Crumby

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mentorship is an important component of personal and professional development for student pharmacists. This research measured the value of mentorship in this population examined potential influencing factors and the likelihood to participate in a mentoring relationship and identified preferences for the mentoring relationship. Data collection involved survey self-report of student pharmacists (P1-P4) at four participating universities. An adapted 29-item Mentoring Functions Scale (MFS) was used to measure value with functions divided into career and psychosocial categories. The highest ranked mentoring functions were psychosocial with an average score of 9 or greater on the 10-point scale. Perceived personal relevance measured using …

Pharmacy Value-Based Incentive Programs: An Evaluation Of Health Plan Strategies, Pharmacist Attitudes, And Financial Impact On Retail Stores, Tristen H. Jackson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2012 health plans serving Medicare beneficiaries have begun receiving sizeable incentives (>$1B) for demonstrating high ratings to quality performance scores in CMS’s Medicare star ratings program. Several of the quality measures can be directly impacted by retail pharmacists (e.g. medication adherence measures) resulting in health plans implementing programs designed to incentive retail pharmacies to work toward improving their own performance related to quality measures. While awareness of these value-based incentive (VBI) programs is growing there is still a significant lack of research which elucidates the nature of these programs and the potential …

Comparative Assessment Of Safety And Quality Of Tinospora Species-Tinospora Crispa And Tinospora Sinensis, Abidah Parveen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tinospora crispa Miers ex Hook.f. & Thomson and Tinospora sinensis (Lour.) Merr. (Menispermaceae) are two species that have morphological similarities which makes distinction between the two of critical importance because T. crispa has been reported to cause hepatotoxicity. Comparative morpho-anatomy of the leaves and stems of Tinospora species indigenous to south and southeast Asia was undertaken to elaborate their distinguishing pharmacognostic features. Chemical characterization of the secondary metabolites of the two species may aid in elucidating their chemical diversity and hence help to resolve safety and quality issues. Phytochemical investigation of the stems led to the isolation of nineteen compounds …

African American Students In Physical Therapy: Enhancing Diversity, Kimberly Renee Willis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

African Americans are motivated by early exposure to the profession and future expectations for their personal career path including stability work-life balance and helping others. The elimination of barriers such as finances lack of support and cultural microaggressions influences their career path. Following statistical analysis of admissions data conclusions were made that the current admissions criteria does not successfully predict first year success for any students including African American students. Lastly African American physical therapy graduates from UMMC reported excitement upon admission concerns over quotas lack of African American faculty students and physical therapists and the presence of microaggressions while …

Role Of Cardiolipin Remodeling In The Malignant Progression Of Breast Cancer, Jawaher H. Alkhamisy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In spite of the current advances in both radiotherapy and surgical techniques as well as molecularly targeted therapies, over 90 percent of cancer mortality rate is due to metastases. Considering the pivotal role of metabolism in cellular physiology, there is no doubt that metabolic alterations are critical for metastatic progression. Cardiolipin (CL), the signature phospholipid of mitochondria, is linked to a variety of vital mitochondrial processes, like oxidative phosphorylation. Cardiolipin is a unique dimeric phospholipid which contains four fatty acyl chains. Moreover, the CL remodeling process is believed to be responsible for generation of immature CL species that contribute to …

Unraveling Anticancer Activity And Pharmacokinetics Of Dihydroartemisinin Dimer Oxime, Lu Dai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Artemisinin is currently used as an antimalaria drug. Studies have shown its monomeric form exhibited promising anticancer effects by inhibiting the proliferation, inducing apoptosis, and increasing oxidative stress of tumor cells. Recently, several dimeric forms of artemisinin have been synthesized with more potent anticancer activity. In this study, nine dihydroartemisinin dimers with diversely functionalized linkers exhibited similar cytotoxicity against human breast adenocarcinoma MDA-MB-231 in vitro. Among these nine DHA dimers, DHA dimer oxime was selected for further anticancer activity and pharmacokinetic study. Our preliminary study shothat DHA dimer oxime displayed more than a 10-fold increase of antiproliferation effect over its …

End Of Life Costs In Medicare Beneficiaries With Parkinson’S Disease, Sasikiran Nunna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disorder which is characterized by motor and non-motor disorders. The prevalence of PD is high among elderly patients. Due to the chronic nature of PD, increasing prevalence and ageing population, it is important to understand the burden of PD at various stages of patient’s life so that value of PD therapies can be assessed. While direct healthcare costs during the life time of PD were assessed in previous studies, there is lack of information about end of life costs in PD patients. This dissertation aimed at filling the gap in literature …

Characterization Of Drug-Loaded Milled Extrudate Particles Produced By Hot Melt Extrusion Technology For Dry Powder Inhalers, Ahmed Almotairy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of the current investigation is to develop a sustained-release dry powder inhalation (DPI) formulation through continuous Hot Melt Extrusion (HME) process and see the impact of Sodium Bicarbonate (SB) and Mannitol (MAN) on the hydrophobic Eudragit RL PO (ERLPO) polymer. Ball milling and air-jet milling were utilized to have powder with a particle size range that is required for inhalation. Air-jet milled formulations shopromising particle size results compared to ball milled formulations. All solid-state characterization studies revealed no change on Theophylline (TH) crystallinity or occurrence of drug-excipient interactions in physical mixtures and formulations. X2 formulation released TH constantly …

Recall Reading Intervention For Children In Preschool And Kindergarten With Moderate To Severe Language Delays, Rebekah Christine Bosley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dialogic reading is a reading intervention method in which the adult prompts the child with questions and expansions. Previous research has documented that it has been effective in promoting engagement, increasing response rates, developing vocabulary knowledge, and increasing overall answer accuracy in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (Fleury, Miramontez, Hudson, & Schwartz, 2014; Fleury & Schwartz, 2016; Whalon, Martinez, Shannon, Butcher, & Hanline, 2015). The current study investigates whether children with moderate to severe language delays with or without Autism could increase their verbal and nonverbal responses and joint attention through the RECALL (Reading to Engage Children with Autism …

Progress Toward The Synthesis Of 3-Methoxyflavones As Potential Antioxidants, Neuroprotective Agents, And Trifluoromethylated 19f Nmr Probes, Reem Alkhodier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The total synthesis of polyhydroxylated flavones have proven to be challenging, due to the presence of more than one hydroxyl group. Direct cyclization was not successful in any of the attempts. However, by using a silyl protecting group, the cyclization was feasible. Other reactions like the Friedel-Crafts acylation and selective protection of phenols were also difficult.

Synthesis Of Fluoroflavones As Potential Neuroprotective Agents, Maali Alshammari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Flavones are polyphenol natural products that are known to have neuroprotective effects against many diseases caused by the formation of reactive species. Flavonoids are subgroup of flavones and they are believed to function as antioxidants. Specifically, they target free radicals and eliminate its harmful effect on the cell. Fluoroflavones were designed to improve the potency of the antioxidant activity and potentially be used as neuroprotective agents. A monofluorinated and trifluoromethylated flavone were synthesized by using commercially available fluorination reagents, N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide; and Togni’s or Umemoto's respectively. After the synthesis of the desired flavones and their monofluorinated and trifluoromethylated derivatives, biological testing …

Design Of Thermosensitive Hydrogel For Extended-Release Of Praziquantel, Sheng Feng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parasitic diseases are a severe threat to people and animals. Praziquantel is the most comanti-parasitic drug with high efficiency, and it has been used to treat parasitic diseases for many years. However, it has very strong gastrointestinal and liver metabolism that leads to a strong first-pass effect and a short half-life. Additionally, the frequent oral administration was inconvenient for the large livestock. To overcome these drawbacks, this study aimed to develop an extended-release thermosensitive hydrogel formulation that was applicable to the injectable administration. The praziquantel-loaded hydrogel formulation based on poloxamer 407 (20%, w/v) was prepared, and two strategies for modifications …

Development Of Controlled Release Oral Dosages By Density Gradient Modification Using 3d Printing Technologies, Zhiqing Hu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the years, three-dimensional (3D) printing has gradually become more comin people's lives. Due to its quick development, it has attracted the attention of researchers in the pharmaceutical industry. The main purpose of this project was to couple fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printing with hot melt extrusion (HME) technology to manufacture tablets with different drug release profiles and to solve dose issues related to an individual’s physiological differences and to enhance extended release properties. Ketoprofen was used as the model drug and different properties were added to the polymer to create a formulation suited to HME technology for the …

Mutations Of Fus Cause Aggregation Of Rna Binding Proteins, Disruptions In Protein Synthesis, And Dysregulation Of Nonsense Mediated Decay, Marisa Elizabeth Kamelgarn

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor neuron death and subsequent muscle atrophy. Approximately 15% of ALS cases are inheritable, and mutations in the Fused in Sarcoma (FUS) gene contribute to approximately 5% of these cases, as well as about 2% of sporadic cases. FUS performs a diverse set of cellular functions, including being a major regulator of RNA metabolism. FUS undergoes liquid- liquid phase transition in vitro, allowing for its participation in stress granules and RNA transport granules. Phase transition also contributes to the formation of cytoplasmic inclusions found in the …

Improving Access To Antenatal Care In Ngara, Tanzania Through Implementation Of The Lady Health Worker Programme, Alison L. Bailey

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Maternal mortality is one of the greatest health disparities facing the world today. A disproportionate number of women who die from pregnancy-related complications live in developing countries: the average maternal mortality in developed nations is 12/100,000, compared to 239/100,000 in developing nations; this rate is even higher in several sub-Saharan African nations. Reasons for this disparity include a lack of providers, inaccessibility to care, and poor quality of treatment in developing nations. Women living in the sub-Saharan country of Tanzania face many of these barriers, and as a result the country’s maternal mortality rate is 398/100,000. Antenatal care is an …

Trends In Opioid Use Disorder Among Pregnant Women And Opioid Use During Vaginal Delivery Hospitalization, Ayooluwatomiwa Deborah Adekunle

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Background: The prevalence of opioid use in pregnancy has increased sharply in recent years. Kentucky is one of the hardest hits states and has seen many babies born with withdrawal symptoms over the past decade. Recent years have seen an increase in efforts to decrease opioid use in both inpatient and outpatient settings. However, Kentucky continues to have high rates of opioid prescription. This study aims at looking at trends in Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) in pregnancy, Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome(NOWS) and the use of opioids during delivery hospitalization at a Kentucky tertiary institution.

Methods- Data on all deliveries between …

Examining The Effects Of Indiana’S Syringe Exchange Program On New Hepatitis C And Hiv Diagnoses From 2015-2017, Katherine Youngen

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

In 2015, a rural Indiana county experienced an outbreak of HIV related to intravenous drug use. 181 people were diagnosed with HIV between Oct. 1, 2014 and Nov. 1, 2015. This outbreak prompted the state legislature to implement a policy that legalized syringe exchange programs for the first time ever in Indiana. This capstone attempts to summarize the situation that led to the creation of this policy and the effects of this policy, Indiana Senate Enrolled Act 461 (IN SEA 461). Finally, this capstone makes recommendations for modifying the existing policy or implementing a similar policy in an area experiencing …

Case-Control Study Of Nutrition And Lung Cancer In Appalachian Kentucky, Afton N. Wright

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Background and Objectives

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths world-wide. Recent studies suggest a possible association between nutrition and risk for specific histological subtypes of cancer. We examined the relationship between nutrition and lung cancer histology in Kentucky, a largely rural U.S. state that ranks among the highest in the nation in lung cancer rates, as well as diseases related to diet, such as diabetes and obesity. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of nutrition on lung cancer risk and histology in Kentucky. More specifically, we wanted to investigate potential associations with …

Influence Of Occupation And Geographic Location On Underground Coal Miner Exposure To Respirable Crystalline Silica, Quantez Ramaud Crowe

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

I. Specific Aims:

i. Review potential factors contributing to the resurgence of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP) in Appalachia and analyze the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) Complete Quartz dataset for potential contributors of underground (UG) coal miner exposure to silica and coal dust.

Objectives:

1. i. To provide evidence of an association between silica and coal dust exposure and various UG coal miner occupations and mine locations.
2. ii. Explore changes over time in UG coal miner silica exposure, dust exposure, and silica concentration in samples collected.
3. iii. Determine if UG coal miners have experienced an increase in exposure to silica …

Analyzing Differences In Mental Health Treatment Seeking Behavior In Hopkins County, Kentucky, Kathryn Olson Gross

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Rates of mental illnesses are consistently higher in the corrections system at all levels of incarceration. However, local jails are largely unable to meet the mental health needs of their inmates. Considering that there are several barriers to treatment seeking such as stigma, transportation, or availability of services in rural areas already, the treatment seeking behavior of people in jail differs from those not in jail. The objective of this research is to understand the factors that influence treatment seeking behavior among those in jails, and how those factors differ from those not in jail. Overall people in jail had …

Drugs, Alcohol, And Their Impact On The Severity Of A Traumatic Work-Related Injury, Keisha Mcfarlane

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Objectives

Traumatic work-related injuries result in thousands of deaths per year in the United States. It is important to determine factors that may contribute to these deaths in order to find ways to decrease the risk of injury. The study objectives were to determine if alcohol and drug (prescription and illicit) use could increase the risk of severe injuries or cause a specific mechanism of injury (being struck by or against an object, a fall, or injured as an occupant in a motor vehicle) when consumed prior to an injury.

Methods

A retrospective, facility-based, case review study of traumatic work-related …

Assessing The Tuberculosis (Tb) Screening Compliance Rates And Treatment Completion Among International Students At The University Of Kentucky, Bongiwe P. Malinga

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Background: Tuberculosis early screening and diagnosis are cost-effective strategies for infection control. Tuberculosis elimination which is aimed for 2030 requires that both latent tuberculosis and active disease be fully treated. This study measures the tuberculosis screening rates and treatment completion rates among the international students at the University of Kentucky between 2016 and 2018.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included all J1 and F1 student visa holders enrolling from 2016 fall to 2017 fall. To accommodate the nine months treatment completion, the cohort period overlapped to 2018. Data were provided by the University Health Services and the sample size …

Consultation Experience In Public Health, Zimu Li

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Nowadays, students safe in violence area is becoming to a huge problems, from the survey- National Youth Risk Behavior Survey we find that the sexual and dating violence rate is increasing during the past few years.For the willing that we try to reduce the risk of dating and sexual violence, we are going to build some programs and publish them to the society especially the schools to protect our teenagers. As we know that the period for students from high school to the university is a very important time to build their right social norms, we start a program called …

Implementing Components Of The Cafeteria Power Plus Project And The Five-A-Day Power Plus Project With The Catch’S Go, Slow & Whoa Program To Increase Fruit And Vegetable Consumption In Community Eligibility Provision Elementary Schools In Lexington, Ky, Kayla Payton Keller

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Poor diet quality is a leading risk factor for many chronic diseases affecting Americans today. Increasing consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables during childhood helps to protect against chronic diseases in adulthood and overall prolonged healthier habits. Since 1988, trends in fruit consumption remain unchanged in the United States and vegetable consumption has slightly decreased. Communities living under the poverty level have a greater disparity for access to and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. This proposal is given by the Lexington Fayette County Health Department (LFCHD) and combines aspects of three evidence-based programs: the 5-a-day Power Plus Project, the …

Women Identifying New Goals Of Safety (Wings) In Conflict Affected Regions Of Ukraine, Maryna Hrudii

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

According to Radio’s Liberty (Radiosvoboda) analyses of data provided by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the National Violence Hotline and the Geneva Center of Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), there were 1.85 million survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Ukraine in 2014-2017, and of these, only 83,000 contacted the police. IPV and gender based violence (GBV) in Ukraine remain underreported due to the lack of law enforcement investigations, as well as due to stigma and shame. Women in conflict-ridden regions of Ukraine are at heightened risk for GBV/IPV. The project will IPV/GBV in Luhansk and Donetsk regions, where …

Reducing Infant Mortality Through The Nurse Family Partnership Home Visitation Program In Montgomery County, Alabama, Kristyn Hill

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

The mitigation of infant mortality (IM) has long been a public health effort within the United States. And although the rates have dramatically decreased with medical advancements, certain populations remain disproportionately affected. There are various factors that are thought to contribute to our IM rates and the disparities between women of varying demographics. Alabama has the highest rates of infant mortality in our county, and women of color within the state have even higher rates.

Many programs with goals of decreasing the IM rate within the United States have been implemented over time. In particular, home visitation programs have been …

Evaluating The Effects Of Safe Injection Facility Legalization On Fatal And Non-Fatal Overdose And Infectious Disease, Olivia M. Ramirez

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

In 2017, 70,000 lives were lost to fatal drug overdoses with approximately 46,000 of those involving the use of prescription and illicit opioids (CDC, 2018b). Unaddressed, the opioid epidemic is costing large amounts of money, lost productivity and valuable lives.

Injection drug use has also become increasingly common in the United States, as it is an efficient means of consuming opioids. Unfortunately, injecting drugs is also an efficient method of transmitting bloodborne diseases. Estimates show that in the United States, 8% of all new HIV infections in 2010 and 22% of all adults and adolescents with HIV resulted from injection …

Seasonality, Atmospheric Conditions, And Variation In Household Radon, 1990-2015, Nicholas Conley

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

_Background:

Radon is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless radioactive gas. Indoor radon exposure is responsible for at least 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the U.S. Radon concentrations vary greatly, with atmospheric conditions as one of the major factors contributing to this variation. There is also a link between season of the year and indoor radon values, with higher readings in winter compared with summer months. Seasonality studies are necessary in order to determine the best time for radon exposure screening. The purpose was to determine if atmospheric conditions (i.e., temperature, precipitation and wind) were predictive of observed home …

The Impact Of Medication Donation Repositories: A Policy Analysis, Lacey Brinegar

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Two major issues surround the U.S. healthcare system: waste and inaccessibility of prescription drug medication. This paper primarily examines the financial impact medication donation repositories have on individuals and the healthcare system overall. Healthcare facilities may act as repositories for donated medications to be dispensed to those otherwise unable to afford them. The specifics of each policy vary from state to state with some policies covering a wider array of acceptable donations than others. Although Kentucky enacted a policy in 2005, the state still lacks any operational programs. By analyzing the policies of multiple states, this paper elucidates the more …

Culminating Experience In The Application Of Biostatistics In Public Health: A Report On My Consultation Experiences, Samantha Kennedy

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Executive Summary

This portfolio is a compilation of three different consulting experiences that I have had to opportunity to work with as a part of University of Kentucky’s Master of Public Health program with a concentration in biostatistics. My portfolio consists of project descriptions, notes, reports, relevant SAS code and output, and other supporting materials for the three projects I worked with. Each of the projects that I worked with were vastly different, as was my role in them. As such the supporting documents for each are very different as well, but each does have a brief description of the …