Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Evaluating The Potential Of Repurposing Commercially Available Drugs For The Treatment Of Viral Infections, Brennan Connor Mcewan

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Viral infections that are often overlooked as common seasonal illnesses such as influenza can rapidly become a public threat. They threaten society as new, more dangerous strains of these common viruses emerge and as strains develop resistance to current vaccines and antiviral treatments (Kochanek, Murphy, Xu, & Tejada-Vera, 2014). To combat this, the development of antiviral treatments with novel mechanisms of action is essential. Repurposing drugs instead of developing new drugs can save years of development time and hundreds of millions of dollars (DiMasi, Hansen, & Grabowski, 2003). To support the effort to discover drugs with unique mechanisms of action, …

A Review Of Osteoarthritis, Madelin Brooke Session

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease which plagues many older animals and humans. It is a disease that is characterized by the degeneration of joint cartilage, inflammation, as well as chronic pain and stiffness that results from this disorder. Unfortunately, most of the treatments for this painful and chronic disease mostly involve pain management and temporary relief strategies. These strategies usually include pain medication, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, injectable lubricants, as well as surgical techniques. However, because these treatments are just temporary fixes meant for pain management and to improve quality of life they must continue throughout the remainder of the …

Young Germ Cell Depleted Ovaries In Post-Reproductive Mice And Its Effects On Immune Function, Mckenna Walters

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

It has previously been shown that young, cycling ovarian transplantation in aged female mice increased the general health and life span in regard to their post-reproductive health. It has further been hypothesized that this enhancement of health is directly influenced by the ovarian somatic cells. To address this hypothesis, transplants of young germ cell depleted and germ cell containing ovaries were performed on female mice. The purpose of this study is to continue to discern the reproductive influence on aging health, specifically in the area of immunological well-being. Control group mice were separated by age and treatment mice were subsequently …

Manipulation Of Ovarian Function Significantly Influenced Glucose Metabolism In Cba/J Mice, Kyleigh Ann Tyler

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Menopause is associated with a decline in overall health in women. One health aspect impacted is glucose metabolism. As women experience menopause, their metabolism declines dramatically. The current study addressed the influence of ovarian somatic cells on the improvement of metabolic health through transplantations of young, germ cell-depleted ovaries. The purpose of this study is to expand the understanding of female reproductive health on metabolism. Control mice were grouped by age and treatment mice were age-matched. Treatment mice were placed into one of three groups: 1) mice received germ cell-depleted ovaries, 2) mice received germ cell-containing ovaries, and 3) mice …

A Hepatitis C Screening Tool For An Uninsured Population, Kimberly Belle Babcock-Nobles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a public health epidemic effecting 3.5 million people in the United States alone. The uninsured, underserved residents of a rural county in North Carolina have limited access to screening and early detection for HCV. Through collective efforts, a free medical clinic partnered with a grant funded, nonprofit organization to provide free hepatitis C testing by use of a mobile medical unit. The aim of this study was to determine if use of an HCV screening tool would increase the number of patients screened for testing as compared retrospectively to the number of patients screened without …

Raising Awareness Of Compassion Fatigue Among Healthcare Providers In The Coronary Care Unit, Keri Tifft

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Compassion fatigue is a pressing issue in critical care units across the healthcare field. There is a sincere desire by nurses to give the best care possible to each of their patients; however, many obligations split the nurse’s attention so they do not feel as if they are providing the best care to their patients. When nurses stop viewing their patients as humans and start viewing them as tasks, the compassion that the nursing profession prides itself on, is no longer there to the degree that is needed for quality care. Increasing awareness of compassion fatigue and teaching nurses and …

When Saliva Is A Crime: Reforming Mississippi’S Hiv Criminalization Law Utilizing The Center For Disease Control And Prevention’S Policy Analytical Framework, Anastasia Walrod

Honors Theses

Mississippi is currently experiencing an HIV/AIDS crisis. The state is ranked in the top 10 for diagnoses of HIV infection, with Jackson, Mississippi ranked sixth in the nation for HIV diagnoses and fourth in the nation for AIDS diagnoses. Despite antiretroviral treatment allowing for persons with HIV to lead healthy lives, Mississippians continue to die from AIDS in large part because of stigma, misinformation, and lack of resources. This is furthered by Mississippi’s HIV criminalization law. HIV criminalization laws are used to penalize HIV exposure, but HIV-specific criminal laws are considered largely ineffective public health policies because these statutes further …

Interdevice Reliability Of A-Mode Ultrasound To Measure Body Composition, Megan Bigler

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

A-mode ultrasound is a noninvasive and rapid method for measuring subcutaneous fat thickness and estimating body fat percentage (%BF). The validity and reliability of the BodyMetrix BX2000 A-mode ultrasound has been reported; however, the purpose of this study was to compare results from two machines to determine interdevice reliability. Ultrasound measures were repeated with two BX2000 machines at 10 body sites (chest, biceps, triceps, scapula, lower back, hip, waist, thigh, calf, axilla) on 42 males of varying age and leanness (age: 28.6 ± 11.9 y, BMI: 25.4 ± 4.6 kg/m²). The intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.939 to …

Pediatric Malnutrition: A Global Health Threat, Anja Wutz

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Pediatric malnutrition is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in developing nations. In Ghana, one-third of childhood deaths are attributable to it. The most common forms of severe acute malnutrition include kwashiorkor (protein deficiency), marasmus (overall energy deficiency), and various micronutrient deficiencies (iodine, vitamin A, zinc, iron). Thirteen percent of Ghanaian children are moderately or severely underweight, 23% are stunted, and 6 % are wasted due to malnutrition. Princess Marie Louise Children’s Hospital (PML) is the largest facility in the greater Accra region for managing cases of pediatric severe acute malnutrition (SAM). Current public health guidelines to reduce disability …

Evaluation Of Body Fat Prediction Equations From A Portable A-Mode Ultrasound (Bodymetrix) Compared To Bod Pod, R. Stephan Lowry

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

A-mode ultrasound is a relatively inexpensive and noninvasive way of measuring subcutaneous fat thickness and estimating body fat percentage (%BF). The BodyMetrix BX2000 A-mode ultrasound is programmed with nine different equations that can be used to estimate %BF. The purpose of this study was to compare the %BF estimation from all nine equations available for adult males in this ultrasound system to the %BF estimation from Bod Pod air displacement plethysmography. Ultrasound measures were taken at 10 body sites on 42 males of varying age (28.6 ± 11.9 y), height (182.4 ± 7.6 cm), weight (84.5 ± 16.9 kg), and …

J Mich Dent Assoc May 2019

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Every month, The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association brings news, information, and features about Michigan dentistry to our state's oral health community and the MDA’s 6,200+ members across the state. No publication reaches more Michigan dentists!. This month's issue features an interview with Dr. Margaret Gingrich, MDA president, the MDA's partnership with TDSC, The Dentists Supply Company, and more on our 100th anniversary celebration.

Asthma Care In The Emergency Department And Urgent Care Center, Children's Mercy Kansas City

Clinical Pathways (Formally Known As Clinical Practice Guidelines)

No abstract provided.

Impact Of A Formal Patient Safety And Quality Improvement Curriculum: A Prospective, Controlled Trial, Nausheen Jamal, Sarah N. Bowe, Michael J. Brenner, Karthik Balakrishnan, John P. Bent

School of Medicine Publications

Objective

To assess the impact of implementing a dedicated Patient Safety and Quality Improvement (PSQI) curriculum for otolaryngology residents.

Methods

Residents in two otolaryngology residency programs were recruited to participate in the study. Residents at institution A (intervention group) participated in a formal, newly developed, year-long PSQI curriculum. Residents at institution B (control group) participated in traditional, morbidity, and mortality conference-based PSQI education, with no formal curriculum in place. Curriculum participants completed anonymous surveys to assess learner satisfaction. Validated instruments were administered to assess for changes in resident confidence in the ability to develop PSQI projects, their attitudes toward patient …

Influence Of Change In Ph On Whey Expulsion From Cheddar Cheese Curds Made From Recombined Concentrated Milk, Kanak Bulbul

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Western Dairy Center at Utah State University funded this project to investigate cheese research using concentrated milks. Concentrated milk was provided by the South Dakota State University and starter culture for this study was prepared and donated by Vivolac Cultures Corporation, Greenfield, Indiana.

The project initiated as a continuation of a previous study on effects of protein concentration, coagulum cut size and set temperature on curd moisture loss kinetics while stirring during cheesemaking. It was aimed at determining the extent to which pH drop prior to draining and final cheese moisture when using microfiltered concentrated milk.

We performed twelve …

Evaluation Of Casein Hydrolysate As An Alternative Dry-Off Treatment And Milk Quality Management Tool In Dairy Cows, Justine Elena Britten

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mastitis, an infection of the mammary gland, is the most common and expensive animal health problem for the dairy industry and affects every dairy farm to some degree. This disease complex is painful for dairy cows, increases the on-farm use of antibiotics, presents a threat to milk quality and is a waste of time, money and milk production. Each year, the dairy industry loses as much as a billion dollars to mastitis.

Many cows will experience mastitis at least once during a lactation cycle and some animals will develop recurring mastitis episodes in a single mammary quarter. These mastitic quarters …

Male Reproductive Infection And Sexual Transmission Of Zika Virus In An Immunocompromised Mouse Model, Chad S. Clancy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a sexually transmitted viral infection most frequently transmitted by mosquitoes. The source of infectious virions in the male reproductive tract has yet to be elucidated. The goals of the studies included developing and characterizing two mouse models for reproductive transmission studies and demonstration of sexual transmission of virus via artificial insemination. The mouse strains used in the study lacked receptors to interferon molecules, key signaling proteins of the host immune response. Inflammation severity was assessed during acute disease, 5-11 days after infection using a novel histopathology grading system. ZIKV proteins and genome were initially detected in …

Evaluating The Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services To Treat Performance Problems Of Adults With Intellectual Disabilities, Brian H. Hess

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Unemployment is a problem for individuals with disabilities. Supported employment provides occupational supports for individuals with disabilities to get a job and keep that job once hired. The Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (PDC-HS) is used to address performance problems with employees in human services settings. This study evaluated using the PDC-HS with three adults with intellectual disabilities working in supported employment at a library cleaning shelves. The results of the PDC-HS identified insufficient training and prompting as barriers. The matched intervention package was effective in increasing performance of the shelf-cleaning task for all participants. Participant responses to a social validity …

Early Educator Awareness Of Autism Spectrum Disorder In Preschool Hispanic Populations, Karla Cecilia Vidaurri

Theses and Dissertations

Christensen et al. (2016) highlights how "there are disparities by race/ethnicity in estimated ASD prevalence, particularly for Hispanic children, as well as disparities in the age of earliest comprehensive evaluation and presence of a previous ASD diagnosis or classification, suggesting that access to treatment and services might be lacking or delayed for some children" With an increase in autism prevalence and Hispanic population, there's a crucial demand for effective servicing and referrals for early identification of Autism.

The aim of this study was to analyze how prepared early educators are in identifying children that fall under the category of autism …

Cellular Localization Of Rad51d Mutant Proteins And The Application Of Art To Increase Scientific Literacy In America, Claire L. Chabot

Senior Theses

Ovarian cancers are the leading cause of death from cancer of the female reproductive system. Approximately 50% of ovarian cancers have defects in the homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair pathway that is required for the repair of DNA double-stranded breaks. The status of HR genes, such as BRCA1, BRCA2, and the RAD51 family, contributes to ovarian cancer development as well as treatment decisions regarding chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy. The overarching goal of this project is to identify new insights into HR that can integrate with Precision Medicine Initiatives and align with the goals of the Cancer Moonshot 2020 Program. I …

Enhancing Patient Medication Knowledge: Utilizing An Educational Tool To Improve Patient Satisfaction Scores, Elizabeth Orgon

Master's Projects and Capstones

The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey has recognized the need for medication education with communication about medication as a patient satisfaction indicator. Literature shows a medication guide or tool that is readily accessible and easy to understand for the patient can help provide nurses with a teach back method to help increase patient knowledge about common medications. Continued use of this tool will then positively affect communication between patients and providers thereby increasing medication communication related HCAHPS survey scores. Review of current Stanford Health Care HCAHPS survey data shows that all nursing units are continually …

Creating The Therapeutic Environment: An Exploration Of Art Therapy And Sexuality, Allison Marx, Lia Verzatt

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This research explored how art therapists create a safe and inviting environment for clients to discuss topics related to sex and sexuality in therapy. Our research consisted of three main questions: How do art therapists use art therapy techniques, materials, and directives to create a therapeutic environment in which clients can open up about their sexuality? How comfortable and/or experienced are therapists regarding discussion of topics related to sex and sexuality with clients in therapy sessions? What barriers are there to discussing sexuality in therapy, and how does art help overcome those barriers? Our research subjects were practicing art therapists …

Art As Meaning Making, Zoe Brockway, Tim Cunningham, Lucia Hye Yoon Joo, Jessica Pedroza, Michelle Plotkin

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This project examines the meaning-making of art through multiple disciplinary lenses: Art Therapy, Art History, Studio Art, Art Education and Anthropology. Disciplines were selected for their inherent ability to enhance an understanding of meaning-making through the art making process and art product. An arts-based methodology was utilized in conjunction with the Outliers and American Vanguard Art exhibition at The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), which featured a juxtaposition of formally trained and self-taught artists. Each of the five researchers selected a piece of art included in the exhibition, rendered the piece, documented the rendering process, and viewed each …

Biomarkers Of Dietary Omega-6 Fatty Acids And Incident Cardiovascular Disease And Mortality: An Individual-Level Pooled Analysis Of 30 Cohort Studies, Matti Marklund, Jason H. Y. Wu, Fumiaki Imamura, Liana C. Del Gobbo, Amanda Fretts, Janette De Goede, Peilin Shi, Nathan L. Tintle, Maria Wennberg, Stella Aslibekyan, Tzu-An Chen, Marcia C. De Oliveira Otto, Yoichiro Hirakawa, Helle Højmark Eriksen, Janine Kroger, Federica Laguzzi, Maria Lankinen, Rachel A. Murphy, Kiesha Prem, Cecelia Samieri, Jyrki Virtanen, Alexis C. Wood, Kerry Wong, Wei-Sin Yang, Xia Zhou, Ana Baylin, Jolanda M. A. Boer, Ingeborg A. Brouwer, Hannia Campos, Paulo H. M. Chaves, Kuo-Liong Chien, Ulf De Faire, Luc Djousse, Gudny Eiriksdottir, Naglaa El-Abbadi, Nita G. Fouruhi, J. Michael Gaziano, Johanna M. Geleijnse, Bruna Gigante, Graham Giles, Eliseo Guallar, Vilmundur Gudnason, Tamara Harris, William S. Harris, Catherine Helmer, Mai-Lis Hellenius, Allison Hodge, Frank B. Hu, Paul F. Jacques, Jan-Hakan Jansson, Anya Kalsbeek, Kay-Tee Khaw, Woon-Puay Koh, Markku Laakso, Karin Leander, Hung-Ju Lin, Lars Lind, Robert Luben, Juhua Luo, Barbara Mcknight, Jaakko Mursu, Toshiharu Ninomiya, Kim Overvad, Bruce M. Psaty, Eric Rimm, Matthias B. Schulze, David Siscovick, Michael Skjelbo Nielsen, Albert V. Smith, Brian T. Steffen, Lyn Steffen, Qi Sun, Johan Sundstrom, Michael Y. Tsai, Hugh Tunstall-Pedoe, Matti I. J. Uusitupa, Rob M. Van Dam, Jenna Veenstra, Monique Verschuren, Nick Wareham, Walter Willett, Mark Woodward, Jian-Min Yuan, Renata Micha, Rozenn N. Lemaitre, Dariush Mozaffarian, Ulf Risérus

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

BACKGROUND: Global dietary recommendations for and cardiovascular effects of linoleic acid, the major dietary omega-6 fatty acid, and its major metabolite, arachidonic acid, remain controversial. To address this uncertainty and inform international recommendations, we evaluated how in vivo circulating and tissue levels of linoleic acid (LA) and arachidonic acid (AA) relate to incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) across multiple international studies.

METHODS: We performed harmonized, de novo, individual-level analyses in a global consortium of 30 prospective observational studies from 13 countries. Multivariable-adjusted associations of circulating and adipose tissue LA and AA biomarkers with incident total CVD and subtypes (coronary heart disease, …

The Effects Of Contrast With Compression Therapy On The Recovery Of Muscle Glycogen After A Bout Of Resistance Exercise, Vincent Colantuono

Senior Honors Projects

Contrast with compression (CwC) therapy is commonly used by athletes to reduce pain and swelling and improve the rate of recovery of strength after intense exercise. Muscle glycogen is an important energy source for many athletes and is often a rate limiting factor of performance in prolonged high intensity sports. It is presently unknown if CwC affects the rate of muscle glycogen recovery after exercise. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to use a recently developed CwC device to determine if its use after an intense bout of resistance exercise affects the rate of intramuscular glycogen recovery. METHODS: The …

Evidence-Based Practice Guide And Workflows: Improving Hospital Throughput And Reducing Emergency Department Overcrowding, Maulah Halley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Hospitals in the United States are experiencing disruptions to patient throughput. These disruptions create barriers to patients who seek emergent care in the Emergency Department (ED) and who must be moved to hospital inpatient beds after the decision to admit has been made. As a result, patients requiring hospital admission via the ED may have long wait times, which, in turn, contribute to ED crowding and overcrowding. The root causes of ED overcrowding are inefficiencies within the system and the inability of hospitals to meet demand. Although bed capacity on any given unit may not be altered, ED patient’s arrival …

Prevalence And Use Of High-Fidelity Simulation In Family Nurse Practitioner Programs, Christina Rosa Pendrak Pepin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Family nurse practitioner (FNP) programs represent almost 60% of all accredited primary-care NP programs in the U.S. in 2015. Increased enrollments and creation of new NP programs has led to a shortage of appropriate clinical sites and the increased competition for quality clinical sites. FNP programs have turned towards utilizing innovative ways to address this shortage including the use of high-fidelity simulation. However, a lack of literature supports substituting traditional clinical hours with high-fidelity simulation. Only 45 articles were found over a 35-year period describing the use of high-fidelity simulation in an FNP program and of those published since 2014, …

An Analysis Of Postmastectomy Breast Reconstruction Due To Breast Cancer In Nevada And The United States From 2008-2013, Jenna Webb

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: In the United States, female breast cancer was the leading cause of new cancer cases from 2011-2015. Since the Women’s Health and Cancer Act of 1998 (WHCRA), the federal government mandates employee and private health insurance providers to cover breast reconstruction if they cover mastectomies. Postmastectomy breast reconstruction (PBR) rates increased after the WHCRA, but these rates have remained relatively low throughout recent years. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine factors associated with women having PBR due to breast cancer in Nevada and the United States from 2008 to 2013. Methods: Using two HCUP database, NIS …

Nurses’ Experiences And Perceptions Of Using Online Resources For Patient And Family Education: A Qualitative Interview Study, Carrie Grinstead, Sarah Sumner, Julius Shakari, Martha Inofuentes

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Efficacy And Safety Of Transitioning Patients From Natalizumab To Ocrelizumab (Octave), Kyle E Smoot, Kiren Kresa-Reahl, Pavle Repovic, Jessica Craddock, Chiayi Chen, Lindsay Lucas, Tiffany Gervasi-Follmar, Stanley Cohan

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

No abstract provided.

Staying Well With Survivorship Wellness, Janni Buaiz

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

No abstract provided.