Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Analysis Of Ptv Margins For Vmat Treatment Of Rectal Cancers Utilizing Prone Bellyboard Device., Ben Armbuster

Masters Projects

Utilization of a bellyboard device reduces small bowel dose for patients receiving radiation therapy for rectal cancer. The reduction of small bowel dose with the bellyboard is even more significant in intensity modulated radiation therapy rectal treatments, as opposed to conventional 3D treatments. However, there is evidence of increased setup variation with prone bellyboard positioning, especially in pitch and roll. The purpose of this study is to determine the margin needed between the clinical target volume and the planning target volume to adequately account for these setup variations when planning volumetric modulated arc therapy rectal cases utilizing the bellyboard device. …

Potential Role Of The Large Protein Titin In The Development Of Heart Failure, Mary M. Prickett

Senior Theses

I will be exploring the impact of the large protein Titin on heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). It was hypothesized that myocardial Titin plays a significant role in the progression of HFpEF through isoform, N2BA and N2B, changes. It was hypothesized that an increase in the quantity of N2B Titin, less compliant, and a decrease in N2BA Titin, more compliant, will be observed as HF progresses, contributing to an increase in passive stiffness involved in heart contraction. I will cover a detailed report on the role of Titin in HFpEF and propose research methods to explore further.

Analysis Of The Year 2 Questionnaire: Predictions Of Increased Burnout Raise Concern For The Health Of Medical Students, Marco C. Garcia

Senior Theses

Well-being of medical doctors is essential for physicians, the healthcare environment, and treatment of patients. Unfortunately, burnout in this demanding profession has become a prevalent issue. This psychological phenomenon presents as three components: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. Burnout can diminish professionalism and health care quality, promote medical error, and contribute negatively to physician’s personal lives. Past studies implicate that burnout in physicians is most likely rooted before they even start practicing medicine. Specifically, feelings of burnout start appearing while they are in medical school.

This project explores this proposition via statistical analyzation of the relatively new Year …

Late Preterm Infants Progression Of Adaptive Functioning Skills From Age 8 To 23, Kimberly L'Etoile

Senior Honors Projects

Background: Late preterm infants (LPT) are born 34^0/7 to 36^6/7 weeks gestation, comprising 71% of preterm infants in the United States. Despite being of similar size and weight to full term (FT) infants, LPT infants exhibit poorer long-term outcomes. Using data from a longitudinal Rhode Island cohort of former preterm infants, this study investigated adaptive functioning skills of LPT infants as compared to FT infants at 8 and 23 years.

Methods: The sample included 30 LPT infants born 33-36 weeks gestational age (GA) and 40 FT infants. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at 8 years and Adult Self …

Urinary Epidermal Growth Factor As A Marker Of Disease Progression In Children With Nephrotic Syndrome., Debbie S. Gipson, Howard Trachtman, Anne Waldo, Keisha L. Gibson, Sean Eddy, Katherine M. Dell, Tarak Srivastava, Kevin V. Lemley, Larry A. Greenbaum, Sangeeta Hingorani, Kevin E. Meyers, Frederick J. Kaskel, Kimberly J. Reidy, Christine B. Sethna, Cheryl L. Tran, Chia-Shi Wang, Katherine R. Tuttle, Gia Oh, Alicia M. Neu, Elizabeth Brown, Jen-Jar Lin, Jennifer Lai Yee, Therese M M. Roth, Jonathan P. Troost, Brenda W. Gillespie, Matthew G. Sampson, Matthias Kretzler, Wenjun Ju

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Introduction: Childhood-onset nephrotic syndrome has a variable clinical course. Improved predictive markers of long-term outcomes in children with nephrotic syndrome are needed. This study tests the association between baseline urinary epidermal growth factor (uEGF) excretion and longitudinal kidney function in children with nephrotic syndrome.

Methods: The study evaluated 191 participants younger than 18 years enrolled in the Nephrotic Syndrome Study Network, including 118 with their first clinically indicated kidney biopsy (68 minimal change disease; 50 focal segmental glomerulosclerosis) and 73 with incident nephrotic syndrome without a biopsy. uEGF was measured at baseline for all participants and normalized by the urine …

Drug Deprescription-Withdrawal Risk, Prevention, And Treatment, Madison K Bangert, Gabriel M Aisenberg

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In most cases, a sudden interruption of most medications has no major consequences. There are well-recognized therapies that, when withheld, can either lead to the reappearance of the symptoms they were controlling or to signs or symptoms of withdrawal. In this article, we present a table including medications that when interrupted can produce withdrawal syndromes, the signs and symptoms of the withdrawal syndrome, the time to onset and resolution of the syndrome, information regarding alternative delivery options for the drug/s when the oral route is not possible, as well as prevention and therapy.

Pitfalls In Quantitative Myocardial Pet Perfusion I: Myocardial Partial Volume Correction, K Lance Gould, Linh Bui, Danai Kitkungvan, Tinsu Pan, Amanda E Roby, Tung T Nguyen, Nils P Johnson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: PET quantitative myocardial perfusion requires correction for partial volume loss due to one-dimensional LV wall thickness smaller than scanner resolution.

METHODS: We aimed to assess accuracy of risk stratification for death, MI, or revascularization after PET using partial volume corrections derived from two-dimensional ACR and three-dimensional NEMA phantoms for 3987 diagnostic rest-stress perfusion PETs and 187 MACE events. NEMA, ACR, and Tree phantoms were imaged with Rb-82 or F-18 for size-dependent partial volume loss. Perfusion and Coronary Flow Capacity were recalculated using different ACR- and NEMA-derived partial volume corrections compared by Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistics to standard perfusion metrics with established …

Healthy Lifestyles Community Readiness Assessment: Co-Creating Initiatives With Communities And Examining Differences In Sectors And Demographic Characteristics Across Dimensions, Brenna Schmader

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Nebraska Extension identified a need to better understand community readiness to engage communities and meet their needs. An interdisciplinary team of Extension Educators and Specialists was developed from the Community Vitality Initiative and the Food, Nutrition, and Health team. Six dimensions were identified as contributing factors for healthful communities and were the basis for the Healthy Lifestyles Community Readiness Assessment (HLCRA): Leadership Energy; Issue Awareness; Participation; Inclusivity; Resources; and Entrepreneurial Activities.

The assessment helps determine: a) programming type needed and b) who Extension can connect with in the community to enhance program success. The assessment was piloted by trained staff …

The Effect Of Hay Net Use On Cribbing Horses, Lauren Wesolowski

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Cribbing is a stereotypic behavior observed in horses, wherein the animal grasps a solid object with its front incisors and contracts its neck muscles to suck in air through its mouth, resulting in an audible grunt. Stereotypic behaviors such as cribbing are thought to be done in response to stress or insufficient stimulus in an animal’s living environment. Slow feeding hay nets can increase the amount of time horses spend eating daily hay rations. This research aims to use slow feeding hay nets to create a feeding process that is closer to natural grazing behavior and provide more stimulation for …

Temporary Change Of Course Grading Options In Response To Covid-19, Unf Undergraduate Studies

UNF COVID-19 Response

Temporary Course grading options in response to Covid-19

Covid-19 Hr Challenge: Lessons From Vigilant Singaporeans, Richard R. Smith

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Lessons from Singapore that may benefit global HR business leaders in caring for the health and well-being of the workforce during this challenging time.

It Won’T Be Business As Usual After Covid-19, Arnoud De Meyer

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

As customer behaviours change, they will reshape business models in the post-coronavirus world.

Establishing A Science-Policy-Society Interface For Biodiversity Conservation And Human Well-Being In The Amazon: The Case Of Madre De Dios, Peru, S. L. Mathez-Stiefel, A. J. Mulanovich, S. Jaquet, S. Bieri, J. Lojas, T. Breu, P. Messerli

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

This transdisciplinary research aimed to establish the basis for a science-policy-society interface on behalf of environmental conservation and sustainable development in Madre de Dios, Peru by: (1) identifying and characterizing the stakeholders of biodiversity conservation and human wellbeing; (2) analyzing stakeholders' views on major development trends in the region; and (3) initiating a process of stakeholder engagement from academia, government, and civil society. The methods used included field visits, expert interviews, stakeholder mapping, stakeholder surveys, and a participatory multi-stakeholder workshop. Stakeholder mapping revealed 16 categories of key actors grouped among direct land-resource users, indirect land-resource users, the public sector, civil …

Neurochemical Characterization Of Brainstem Pro-Opiomelanocortin Cells, Teodora Georgescu, David Lyons, Barbora Doslikova, Ana Paula Garcia, Oliver Marston, Luke K Burke, Raffaella Chianese, Brian Y H Lam, Giles S H Yeo, Justin J Rochford, Alastair S Garfield, Lora K Heisler

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Genetic research has revealed pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) to be a fundamental regulator of energy balance and body weight in mammals. Within the brain, POMC is primarily expressed in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARC), while a smaller population exists in the brainstem nucleus of the solitary tract (POMCNTS). We performed a neurochemical characterization of this understudied population of POMC cells using transgenic mice expressing green fluorescent protein (eGFP) under the control of a POMC promoter/enhancer (PomceGFP). Expression of endogenous Pomc mRNA in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) PomceGFP cells was confirmed using fluorescence-activating cell sorting (FACS) followed by …

Elucidating The Impact Of Amino Acid Substitutions In Lysosomal Storage Disorders: Insights On Infantile Gm1-Gangliosidosis And Schindler Disease, Fedah Emad Hamed Mohamed

Medical Education Dissertations

Monogenic disorders, inherited conditions arising from single gene defects, including more than 8,000 different entities with a worldwide prevalence of 10/1000 individuals. Disease-causing missense variants are very common in monogenic disorders and may lead to various consequences at the protein and cellular levels. Therefore, a monogenic disease may show variable onset, symptoms, and severity based on the type and position of the mutation. Lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) are a group of more than 60 monogenic metabolic disorders that are usually caused by deficiencies in specific lysosomal enzymes due to genetic defects in their coding genes. Of all reported LSDs’ disease-causing …

Rethinking The Customer Experience: An Empirical Comparison Of Airbnb And Hotels, Jing Li

Theses and Dissertations

Experience is at the heart of the tourism and hospitality industry. One of the fundamental objectives of this sector is to create memorable customer experiences. For years, the sharing economy has been an essential industry phenomenon. Distinct from the traditional sector, Airbnb emerged as a disruptive innovation and a dominant online sharing-economy platform and has had a significant impact on the traditional industry. Despite growing interest in customers’ experiences in tourism and hospitality, limited research has provided insight into what constitutes the customer experience with Airbnb, how it can be conceptualized, and how it should be measured. In addition, Airbnb …

The Moderating Effects Of Parenting Factors And Perceived Stress On African American Adolescent Weight Related Outcomes, Colby Kipp

Theses and Dissertations

African American adolescents experience a higher prevalence of obesity than nonminorities with approximately 40% being overweight or obese. Chronic stress, both among parents and adolescents, may be important to consider when assessing the factors that influence adolescent weight status. Baseline data were collected from one hundred forty eight African American adolescents (M_age = 12.93, SD = 1.75; M_BMI% = 96.7, SD = 3.90) and their caregivers (M_age = 44.5, SD = 8.6; M_BMI = 37.63, SD = 8.21) enrolled in the Families Improving Together (FIT) for Weight Loss trial. Adolescents self-reported their perceptions of …

Surveying Tuberculosis Screening Practices Of South Carolina Hospital Employees, Tamara T. Carree

Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Every year tuberculosis (TB) causes over 10 millions of people globally and in recent years has caused over 9,000 cases annually in the United States. TB can be transmitted in hospital settings, and South Carolina hospitals, like hospitals elsewhere in the country maintain a responsibility to test their employees for this disease. Nosocomial infections of active TB among patients and healthcare workers can be burdensome on hospital resources. Testing healthcare workers and implementing prevention strategies are examples of administrative controls provided in the 2005 guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Implementation of administrative controls are …

Magnet Recognition (Mr) And Hospital Quality Outcomes In The U.S.A– Analysis Based On 2017 Hospital Data, Abdulmalik Alhammad

Theses and Dissertations

The American Nurse Credentialing Center (ANCC) introduced Magnet Recognition (MR) in the U.S.A in 1994. Magnet Recognition was adopted based on the findings of a comprehensive study (conducted in 1983) that tried to identify factors explaining high rates of nurses’ retention in 41 hospitals in the U.S.A.

The objective is to compare MHs with the hospitals not recognized as “Magnet” (non-MHs) in terms of important outcomes of the health system and to examine whether the MHs themselves vary significantly in terms of the outcomes.

All the general specialty of MHs (367 hospitals) and their matched of non-MHs (380 hospitals) in …

Quality Of Life Of Children With Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Parents’ Perspectives In Light Of New Treatments, Analyssa R. Tallas

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To directly compare parents’ perspectives of the quality of life of their children with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) who received supportive care, nusinersen (Spinraza®), onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi (Zolgensma®), or both nusinersen and onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi. Methods: The parents of children with SMA were recruited to complete anonymous online surveys. All surveys included qualitative questions about quality of life. Surveys regarding children in the 1-12-month and 13-24-month age groups included the Pediatric Quality of Life Infant Scales assessment. Surveys regarding children in the 2-4-year age group included the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 Generic Core Scales and the Pediatric Quality of …

Circulating Calcium, Phosphorus, And Parathyroid Hormone And Aggressive Prostate Cancer In The North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project, Brittany Crawford

Theses and Dissertations

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men in the United States. Despite improvements in screening, diagnostic methods, and treatment, African-American men have an increased risk of total and aggressive prostate cancer. In recent years, a growing body of evidence linking biomarkers of calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) to prostate cancer development has emerged. Circulating calcium, phosphorus, and PTH are homeostatically related. Prior studies linking prostate cancer and circulating calcium and PTH have produced inconclusive results, and no studies have examined the association between serum phosphorus and prostate cancer. The present study examined the relationship between circulating calcium, …

Influences On Parents’ Food Shopping For Children’S Consumption In South Carolina, Nazratun Nayeem Monalisa

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The diets of children in the United States typically do not meet dietary guidelines. Energy-dense nutrient-poor (EDNP) foods dominate children’s diets, contributing excessive energy, sugar, sodium, and fat intake. Home is the major source of children’s energy intake. Parents oversee household food purchases including foods for children.

Objectives: This research aimed to 1) identify parents’ food and beverage purchases for their household and for 6-11-year old children; 2) understand how parents made food purchase decisions by adjudicating among different values; 3) understand children’s food choice construction, strategies to influence parents for desired items, and extent of children’s influence.

Methods: …

If You’Re Hapi And You Know It Clap Your Hands!, Zaida Alba Bsn, Rn, Jennifer Mazzanti Ad, Rn, Norbert Kaminski Rn, Jay Almodovar Rn, Nicole Youngcourt Bsn, Rn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Screening Of Acute Stress Disorder (Asd), Katie Bergan Adn, Rn, Eva Marte Adn, Rn, Ashley Young Adn, Rn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Epic’S “Brain”, Julian Caiazzo Bsn, Rn, Gina Gobo Bsn, Rn, Angelica Hartzell Bsn, Rn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Additional Newborn Weight Implementation, Nicole Nicholas Bsn, Rn, Honi Trauger Bsn, Rn, Kimberly Ward Bsn, Rn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Prevention Of Skin Breakdown In The Ed, Amanda Tokarick Bsn, Rn, Jenna Ritter Bsn, Rn, Donielle Tucker Bsn, Rn, Harry Sexton Rn, Jessica Sauer Rn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Making Change In Medical Errors In The Emergency Department, Devon Green Bsn, Rn, Soo Jin Han Bsn, Rn, Kaitlyn Kilroy Bsn, Rn, Danielle Michlovsky Bsn, Rn, Amy Min Bsn, Rn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Is Bed Alarm Activated?, Roosevelt Totaye Rn, Doris Amo-Mensah Rn, Yan Yang Rn, Bonnie Emmett Rn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Reduce The Rate Of Lab Errors, John Labiak Bsn, Rn, Lauren Gabryluk Bsn, Rn, Mallory Phelps Bsn, Rn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.