Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Development Of Polymer Blends Of Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) And Poly(Lactic Acid) As Denture Base Material, Taksid Charasseangpaisarn

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Nowadays, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) usage in dentistry is increasing due to its mechanical and physical properties close to those of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). However, the thermal properties of PLA is poor due to its low glass transition temperature, which leads to distortion when used in high temperatures. The blending of polymers is an easy and cost-effective method to improve the desired properties of polymers. The objective of this study was to develop the PMMA/PLA blend in various compositions for use as denture base materials. The three PMMA/PLA blend compositions (M75, M50, and M25) were conducted by melt blending with a …

Nail Cortisol For Welfare Assessment In Shelter And Owned Cats, Minh Pham Quoc Anh

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Shelter cats are vulnerable to stress due to the challenging circumstances they face, including confinement, unfamiliar environments, people, and animals. This vulnerability often leads to welfare issues, emphasizing the importance of assessing and improving their well-being. Measuring cortisol levels, a stress hormone, from nails has emerged as a non-invasive method to evaluate the stress response in humans and other animals. This study aimed to apply nail cortisol for welfare assessment in cats by measuring and comparing nail cortisol concentrations (NCCs) of owned cats and shelter cats living in different conditions. Nails of 31 owned cats (OC), 29 shelter cats living …

Metabolomic Profiles Of Mammary Gland Secretion In Relation To Dam’S Weight, Litter Size, Parity Number, And Kid’S Growth In Black Bengal Goat, Tien Vo Thi Phuong

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Black Bengal goat, a small size meat-type goat which is known to have high litter size and low milk yield. Kids born from high litter size dams are at high risk of mortality. Colostrum contains high quantities of nutrients, growth factors, and passive antibodies, and is essential for kid survival and development. However, metabolomic profiles of mammary secretion in goats are still limited. The aims of this study were to investigate metabolomic profiles of mammary secretion of purebred Black Bengal goats and their relationships regarding to litter size, parity, dam health, and kid growth. Forty-three colostrum samples (D0) were collected …

Canine Pd-L1 Mrna And Protein Expression In Normal Tissues And Common Cancers, Fuengfa Damjamnong

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), an immune check points molecule, is expressed differently in various tissues and plays an important role in common cancers. The objectives of this study are to investigate the expression of canine PD-L1 mRNA and protein in normal tissues and common cancers and to determine the correlation of PD-L1 expression with histologic grading of the malignant mammary gland tumor (MGT). In the normal tissue, the highest PD-L1 mRNA expression was observed in lymph node (P<0.01). In the cancer tissues, the highest PD-L1 mRNA expression was observed in lymphoma, but not significant (P=0.224). The PD-L1 mRNA expression was higher in benign tumors compared to malignant MGT (P=0.093) but not significant. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed in formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue of normal and MGT tissue using newly developed anti-canine PD-L1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) (clone 5D2). Immunostaining was detected on epithelial cells, transitional cell, parenchymal cells, alveolar macrophages and immune cells. The immunostaining score of malignant MGTs was higher than benign MGT (P<0.05). The immunostaining score was not significantly different among histological sub-types and histological grades. The lack of correlation between PD-L1 mRNA and protein expression in canine malignant MGTs was observed. In conclusion, this anti-canine PD-L1 mAb could be used as predictive biomarker for canine MGT. This study has fulfilled and expanded a knowledge of the PD-L1 checkpoint molecule in dogs and highlights a potential of PD-L1 antibodies using for immunotherapy in canine MGTs, similar to their application in human tumors.

Comparison On The Effects Of Tiletamine/Zolazepam And Dexmedetomidine With And Without Tramadol Combination Undergoing Calvarial Surgery In Rats., Kaewkarn Manomaya

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study aims to evaluate the perioperative anesthetic quality of a dexmedetomidine and tiletamine/zolazepam combination with or without tramadol during rat calvarial surgery. The study employed adult male Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus), intraperitoneal (IP) administered with a combination of dexmedetomidine (0.1 mg/kg) and tiletamine/zolazepam (25 mg/kg) - referred to as the DZ group, or the addition of tramadol (12.5 mg/kg) - referred to as the DZT group. The procedures have been approved by the Institutional Animal Care Committee, Chulalongkorn University Laboratory Animal Center. The key parameters for anesthetic quality assessment were anesthetic achievement, the onset of induction, and the onset …

Neurophysiological And Psychological Characteristics Of Individuals With History Of Lateral Ankle Sprain, Katherine Bain

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Lateral ankle sprain (LAS) is among the most common lower limb musculoskeletal injuries impacting both the general and sport populations. Even more problematic is that approximately 70% of individuals who sustain an LAS develop residual deficits. Of that subgroup, roughly 40% develop chronic ankle instability (CAI). Chronic ankle instability is a clinical diagnosis defined by the presence of ongoing impairments following the initial LAS which may include perceived instability, pain, mechanical instability, and episodes of giving way during physical activity. Not all who sustain multiple ankle sprains or experience residual deficits fit the clinical diagnosis criteria for CAI; yet may …

Content Validation Of A Patient-Reported Outcome Measure For Pediatric Clients With Hand And Upper Extremity Impairment, Jenny M. Dorich

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Occupational therapists and physical therapists practicing in hand therapy have adopted routine use of patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) for evaluating treatment outcomes. However, the PROMs currently used in pediatric hand care are limited in clinical utility for the pediatric population. Thus, a need exists for developing a PROM that is tailored to the pediatric hand therapy population. The overarching purpose of this dissertation is to establish the content validity of a novel PROM for children with hand and upper extremity impairment – the Upper Extremity Life Impact Measure-Youth (UE LIM-Y).

This three-part dissertation applies published standards for PROM development …

The Experience Of Meditation, And Its Effects On Attention, For Adults With Stroke Or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Three-Part Dissertation With Qualitative And Quantitative Evidence, Cheryl Carrico

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Impairment of attention is common after stroke; is a defining characteristic of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); and has been shown to correlate significantly with difficulties in daily life for individuals with these conditions. More research is needed to establish effective interventions addressing impaired attention in such cases. Meditation is not a standard-of-care intervention for this purpose but may have therapeutic potential. Meditation has been broadly defined as an activity which has self-regulation of attention as its main aim. In other words, it can be considered a training of attention. To shed light on the therapeutic potential of meditation, including …

The Utilization Of Physical Literacy To Understand Physical Activity In Individuals With A History Of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction, Rachel Renee Kleis

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is common in physically active populations. Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is commonly performed after injury in order to restore joint stability and knee function and return patients to desired levels of physical activity. However, not everyone will return to their pre-injury levels of sport after surgery and recent evidence reveals that individuals with a history of ACLR are less likely to meet the recommended physical activity guidelines. Specifically, previous literature has reported that individuals with a history of ACLR take fewer daily steps and participate in less moderate-to-vigorous physical activity compared to …

Increasing Social Inclusion For Children With Disabilities In Faith-Based Settings: A Four-Part Dissertation, Valerie Miller

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

The aim of this dissertation is to increase the body of research in occupational therapy about how to increase the social inclusion of children with disabilities in faith-based settings. Even since the advent of important legislation like the Americans with Disabilities Act, which paved the way for community participation for individuals with disabilities, individuals with disabilities continue to face barriers to participating in society. Decreased inclusion for individuals with disabilities is seen throughout all sectors of society. One area of regular societal participation for many Americans is in faith-based settings such as churches, synagogues and temples. It has been reported …

Telehealth Readiness In Older Adults In Kentucky, Kristen Weidner

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

During the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth became an increasingly widespread service delivery model. Not all populations, however, accessed telehealth services equally. Older adults were less likely to use telehealth during the pandemic, continuing a historical trend. These usage patterns persist despite evidence that telehealth could be a helpful service delivery option for this population. Researchers have explored how theoretical frameworks explain older adults’ decisions to use technology, but there is yet to be a measure of older adults’ readiness for telehealth technology. A validated, theory-backed tool of older adults’ perceptions about telehealth, prior to the health care encounter, could help clinicians …

Implementation Of Physical Activity In Kentucky Public Schools: From Theory To Policy, Nancy Kearns

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Physical activity in schools improves academic performance and fitness measures in children. However, state policy supporting implementation of physical activity remains poor. Identifying specific barriers to implementing physical activity minutes in Kentucky public schools is pivotal in preserving the cognitive and physical health of our children. This is of particular interest as physical activity minutes remain low despite the positive effects of exercise on cognition. The purpose of this dissertation is to provide policymakers and school administrators a method of identifying current policies, attitudes and infrastructure that inhibit the implementation of physical activity minutes in public schools. Thus, the findings, …

A Study To Compare Baseline Functional Residual Capacity And Forced Vital Capacity As A Predictor Of Mortality And Hospitalization In A Cohort Of Mild To Moderate Interstitial Lung Disease, O R. Gomez Rojas, E Naeem, F Ionescu, E Castillo, G B. Nair

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Background Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) is a common parameter used to assess disease progression in patients with Interstitial lung disease (ILD) and acts as a surrogate for mortality. Previous studies suggest Functional Residual Capacity (FRC) may be an earlier predictor of disease progression in ILD. In this study, we compared ability of baseline FRC to FVC to predict one-year-mortality and respiratory related hospitalization in patients with mild to moderate ILD. Methods We retrospectively analyzed a prospective cohort of ILD patients attending a multidisciplinary ILD program from Jan 2017 to Oct 2021 at a large Health care system. Patients who had …

Programming To Help At-Risk Youth Find Success In And Outside Of The Classroom, Nora Carlson

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Title: Senior Portfolios: A guide to Help Students Plan for the Transition to Adulthood Nora Carlson, OTDS, Dr. Andrea Young, OTD, OTR/L, Faculty Advisor, Department of Occupational Therapy, University of North Dakota School of Medicine Health Sciences, 501 North Columbia Rd, Grand Forks, ND 58202

Purpose: The purpose of the project was to assist at-risk students attending an alternative learning center (ALC) with secondary transition planning into adulthood to promote a successful first year out of high school. Planning is essential to ensure a smooth transition (Mankey, 2011). This project also aimed to showcase occupational therapy’s role in transition services, …

Care For The Caregiver: A Rural Perspective, Michaela Claire Gerving

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Title: Care for the Caregiver: A Rural Perspective

Background: Informal caregivers in rural communities have multiple challenges. First, they have limited access to caregiving training yet are expected to perform tasks at skilled levels (Morelli, Barello, Mayan, & Graffigna, 2019). Second, they have limited access to supportive services, such as respite, which keeps them on-call 24 hours a day (Pfankuch, 2018). Finally, this continual status of caregiving around the clock encroaches on their own engagement in personal health management (Hewitt & McNiesh, 2019).

Purpose: The product of this scholarly project is an interprofessional (IP) telehealth wellness program for informal caregivers …

Pandemics And Animal Welfare: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry Into How The Covid-19 Pandemic Has Affected The Companion Animal Industry In Northwest Arkansas, Sabrina G. Cox, Isabel Whitehead

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

The first cases of coronavirus reported in the United States came in January 2020 (World Health Organization, 2020). In the two years since then, countries around the world have been affected by COVID-19 and the subsequent social, economic, and mental health issues. Previous research shows that the animal healthcare field is already overrun with burnout, substance abuse, depression, and increased levels of stress (Gardner and Hini, 2006), and the pandemic has only compounded these issues (Mair et al., 2020). Observing a lack of meaningful reporting on the issues affecting veterinary staff led the researchers to investigate staff members’ practices, day- …

Qualitative Study Exploring The Feasibility, Usability And Acceptability Of Neonatal Continuous Monitoring Technologies At A Public Tertiary Hospital In Nairobi, Keny, Mai-Lei Woo Kinshella, Violet Naanyu, Dorothy Chomba, Mary Waiyego, Jessica Rigg, Jesse Coleman, Bella Hwang, J. Mark Ansermino, William Macharia, Amy Sarah Ginsburg

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Objective: To assess the feasibility, usability and acceptability of two non-invasive, multiparameter, continuous physiological monitoring (MCPM) technologies for use in neonates within a resource-constrained healthcare setting in sub-Saharan Africa.

Design: A qualitative study using in-depth interviews and direct observations to describe healthcare professional and caregiver perspectives and experiences with investigational MCPM technologies from EarlySense and Sibel compared with selected reference technologies.

Setting: Pumwani Maternity Hospital is a public, high-volume, tertiary hospital in Nairobi, Kenya.

Participants: In-depth interviews were conducted with five healthcare administrators, 12 healthcare providers and 10 caregivers. Direct observations were made of healthcare providers using the technologies on …

Stemming The Shadow Pandemic: Integrating Sociolegal Services In Contact Tracing And Beyond, Medha D. Makhlouf

Faculty Scholarly Works

The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on the challenges of complying with public health guidance to isolate or quarantine without access to adequate income, housing, food, and other resources. When people cannot safely isolate or quarantine during an outbreak of infectious disease, a critical public health strategy fails. This article proposes integrating sociolegal needs screening and services into contact tracing as a way to mitigate public health harms and pandemic-related health inequities.

A Game Theoretical Model Of Radiological Terrorism Defense, Shraddha Rane, Jason Timothy Harris

International Journal of Nuclear Security

Radiological dispersal devices (RDD) pose a threat to the United States. Healthcare facilities housing high-risk radioactive materials and devices are potentially easy targets for unauthorized access and are vulnerable to malevolent acts of theft or sabotage. The three most attractive candidates for use in RDD considered in this study are: ⁶⁰Co (radiosurgery devices), ¹³⁷Cs (blood irradiators) and ¹⁹²Ir (brachytherapy high dose radiation device). The threat posed by RDDs has led to evaluating the security risk of radioactive materials and defending against attacks. The concepts of risk analysis used in conjunction with game theory lay the foundations of …

Nuclear Security Awareness Survey At A University, Marcia P. Robinson, Naomi German, Destiny B. White, Shraddha V. Rane, Jason Timothy Harris

International Journal of Nuclear Security

The concept of assessing safety culture in an organization emerged with its application at the nuclear power industry and has expanded since then. An assessment of nuclear security, on the contrary, is still under-developed, especially at non-nuclear facilities, such as academic institutions and medical facilities. To identify the level of the awareness and understanding of credible nuclear and radiological threats, response preparedness, security culture, and the integrity of nuclear security systems among non-radioactive material users at a university setting; a campus-wide survey was deployed. A total of 3,336 non-radioactive material users, including students, faculty, and staff participated in the survey. …

Etsu Health Annual Report - 2022, 2022

ETSU Health Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Advancing Medical Education By Optimizing The Use Of Formal And Informal Curriculum Resources, Ziana Bagot

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Current and aspiring medical school students are inundated by curriculum resources. To optimize the curriculum resources that are offered in medical education, the present work examines both institutionally and commercially developed resources from the lens of various stakeholders through three separate, yet related, studies. The first study, a scoping review, synthesizes and recognizes gaps in scholarship regarding obstacles that underrepresented, pre-medical students encounter in applying to medical school, specifically focusing on the impact of access to commercial test preparation resources. A review of existing literature regarding this population's medical school admission difficulties yielded a majority of non-empirical, deficit-focused articles that …

Size-Weight Illusion With A Squatting Task (Poster), Amanda Laron, Maryssa Becker, Mason Flores, Mikaela Raudsepp, Nicole Seidl, Robin Dorociak, Andrew Meszaros

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Hypothesis:

The SWI will be observed during a squat movement, resulting in initially a larger GRF through the lower extremity on the side of the larger cube and more vertical displacement of the side of the bar with the large cube.

The bilateral GRF and bar displacement will become symmetrical after 10 repetitions.

Participants will initially predict the larger cube is heavier and after completing the squatting task will perceive the smaller cube as heavier.

Improving Interpretation Of The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (Promis) Physical Function Scale For Specific Tasks In Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Jeff Houck, Ryan Jacobson, Michael Bass, Chris Dasilva, Judith F. Baumhauer

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Background and purpose: New generic patient-reported outcomes like the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) are available to physical therapists to assess physical function. However, the interpretation of the PROMIS Physical Function (PF) T-score is abstract because it references the United States average and not specific tasks. The purposes of this study were to (1) determine convergent validity of the PROMIS PF scale with physical performance tests; (2) compare predicted performance test values to normative data; and (3) identify sets of PROMIS PF items similar to performance tests that also scale in increasing difficulty and align with normative data.

Methods: …

Learning Deficits And Attenuated Adaptive Stress Response After Early-Life Seizures In Zebrafish., Harsimran Singh, Alfonsina Ramon, Dana Finore, Kaleigh Burnham, Scott Mcrobert, Jocelyn Lippman-Bell

PCOM Scholarly Works

Early-life seizures (ELS) are often associated with the development of cognitive deficits. However, methods to predict and prevent these deficits are lacking. To increase the range of research models available to study cognitive consequences of ELS, we investigated whether seizures in larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) lead to behavioral deficits later in life. We thus modified the existing pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizure model in larval zebrafish, exposing zebrafish to PTZ daily from 5 to 7 days post-fertilization (dpf). We then compared later-life learning, social behavior (shoaling), and behavioral and chemical measures of anxiety in the PTZ-exposed zebrafish (PTZ group) to …

Formulation And Characterization Of Oral Dissolving Films With Ascorbic Acid, Ava Atri

Selected Full-Text Master Theses 2021-

People are becoming increasingly health conscious and the popularity of dietary supplements is growing. More specifically, consumers have become focused on improving the beauty of their hair, skin and nails and improving the health of their immune systems. Vitamin C or ascorbic acid provides many health and beauty benefits. Because humans are unable to synthesize vitamin C endogenously, it is an essential dietary component that one must consume either through foods or through supplements. For beauty, ascorbic acid supports the biosynthesis of collagen which is important for maintaining skin’s elasticity as well as for wound healing. Ongoing research studies are …

A Plague Of Their Own: Injury Incidence Remains Elevated In The 2021 Major League Baseball Season Compared To Pre-Covid-19 Seasons, Brooks N. Platt, Breanna Sullivan, Shawn Dripchak, Timothy L. Uhl, Aaron Sciascia, William B. Kibler, Austin V. Stone

Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Faculty Publications

Background Significant increases in injuries were observed in the 2020 Major League Baseball (MLB) season; these were attributed to an increased acute to chronic workload due to the interrupted preseason and compressed season during the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In 2021, the MLB resumed its regular schedule.

Hypothesis/Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the injury incidence and epidemiology of the 2021 MLB season compared to the injury incidence in the 2020 season and pre-COVID-19 seasons. The hypothesis was that, with the return to normal preseason training, injury incidence in 2021 would return to pre-COVID-19 rates. …

To Investigate The Foveal Avascular Zone In A Young Healthy Population Using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography, Susan O'Shea

Masters

Introduction/Aims Inflammatory diseases such as diabetes, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can alter the size and shape of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ). Macular pigment (MP), a powerful antioxidant, located at the macula can protect the eye from oxidative stress damage. This study aims to investigate possible factors affecting the FAZ, such as vessel perfusion and overweight/obesity, in association with MP status in a young, healthy population. Normative values for FAZ size/shape and vascularity will also be proposed.

Methods One hundred and fifty-four subjects aged 18-35 years old were recruited. Superficial FAZ area, diameter, ganglion cell layer, central macular …

To Investigate The Effects Of Low Plus Prescription Lenses On Quality Of Life And Visual Performance In Children., Patricia Maher

Masters

Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of low plus prescription lenses on Quality of life and visual performance data. As part of the study opinions of optometrists regarding paediatric eye care was also explored. Methods: Each one of the 92 participants, aged between 8 and 12 years, attended for three visits, baseline, at 1 month and 3 months. A quality of life questionnaire was completed at each visit. Optometric probes including dynamic retinoscopy, relative accommodation, fusional reserves and stereopsis as well as reading speed were examined. A survey was sent out electronically to optometrists followed …

Project Spraoi: The Implementation And Outcomes Of A Process Evaluation Of A School-Based Health Promotion Intervention, Yvonne Larrissa O’Byrne

Theses

Large multi-site school-based interventions are challenging to implement and difficult to evaluate due to the complex adaptive nature of schools as a research setting. This study focused on implementing a comprehensive process evaluation of a multicomponent primary school-based health promotion called Project Spraoi (PS), alongside intervention delivery, to aid the translation of outcomes and understand the moderating role of contextual factors on intervention delivery. PS is led by a physical activity (PA) specialist known as an Energizer and aims to improve children’s PA levels and reduce sedentary time by delivering 20 minutes extra daily moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) during …