Hematology Commons^™

G6pd Deficiency, Annette C. Osias Arredondo

Honors Capstones

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is an X-linked recessive enzyme disorder affecting over 400 million people worldwide.G6PD is essential for producing NADPH, which maintains reduced glutathione (GSH)—the RBC’s primary defense against oxidative damage. When G6PD activity is low, RBCs cannot neutralize oxidants, leading to hemoglobin oxidation, Heinz body formation, and subsequent bite cells and hemolysis. Symptoms range from asymptomatic to acute hemolytic crises, especially after exposure to oxidative triggers such as infections, certain drugs, or fava beans.

Orthogonal Comparison Of Nuclear And Mitochondrial Clonal Architectures In Hematologic Malignancies, Nehali Shah

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a hematologic malignancy characterized by accumulation of mutations that disrupt hematopoietic differentiation and promote clonal expansion. Understanding how these mutations arise and evolve is essential for improving diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment stratification. Current methods are limited by either restricted genomic coverage (targeted panels) or low throughput and high cost (in single-cell whole genome sequencing, scWGS). An emerging alternative is the use of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations as clonal markers.

This study aims to determine whether mitochondrial-derived clonal architectures correlate with nuclear-derived clonal architectures in AML, thereby evaluating mtDNA as a scalable orthogonal tool for lineage …

Evaluating The Therapeutic Potential Of Geranylgeranyl Diphosphate Synthase Inhibitor, Ram2061, In Myeloma Bone Disease, Molly Muehlebach

Theses & Dissertations

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy of the plasma cells which often results in lytic bone disease. Myeloma bone disease (MBD), characterized by diffuse osteopenia, bone lesions, or pathological fracture, results from MM mediated promotion of osteoclast resorption and dual inhibition of bone formation, drastically reducing bone strength and integrity. Development of MBD is known to significantly impact patient quality of life and increase risk of mortality. Considering that up to 80-95% of MM patients are expected to develop bone disease post-initial MM diagnosis, there is a significant need within this population for therapeutics which address both MM disease …

Contact Pathway Factors As Potential Modifiers Of Bleeding Related To Factor Xi Deficiency, Ivy R. Han, Leah Rosenfeldt, Courtney Young, Bal Krishan Phd, Rachel Cantrell Phd, Cassie Sprague, Mousa Kharnaf, William Abplanalp, Joseph Palumbo Md

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Factor XI (FXI) deficiency, also known as Hemophilia C, is characterized by mild to moderate bleeding symptoms. However, the factors that modify bleeding severity in FXI deficiency are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated whether components of the contact activation pathway can act as modifiers of bleeding in the context of FXI deficiency. Using a tail vein transection (TVT) model in rats, we assessed bleeding in four experimental groups: wild-type Sprague-Dawley rats, Prekallikrein knockout (PKK^-/-) rats, rats treated with a FXI-inhibiting antibody, and PKK-/- rats treated with the FXI antibody.

Under anesthesia, each rat underwent a …

Investigating The Role Of Prostasin In Angiogenesis: A Chorioallantoic Membrane Model Approach, Zaima Aline

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Prostasin, also known as PRSS8 or CAP1, is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored extracellular serine protease involved in various physiological and pathophysiological processes. Prostasin expression is observed during key phases of trophoblast invasion and placental development, critical steps in embryo implantation in Rhesus monkeys. This suggests a role for prostasin in extracellular matrix remodeling and tissue invasion, both essential for a healthy pregnancy. Moreover, prostasin appears vital for development as studies in mice show that a germline knockout of the gene leads to significant placental defects and eventual embryonic death, highlighting its importance in vascular and structural development within the placenta.

Building …

Enhancing Clinical Trial Matching In Molecular Diagnostics: Using Natural Language Processing And Clustering Approaches In Hematological Malignancies, Gillian Fanning

Theses and Dissertations

Clinical trial matching is a critical component of personalized medicine, particularly in the management of hematologic malignancies. At Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health, the Molecular Diagnostics (MDX) Lab produces somatic variant reports and recommends clinical trials based on the presence of clinically significant mutations. However, the current manual trial recommendation process is time-intensive and lacks scalability.

This study introduces a computational framework to streamline and standardize clinical trial matching using natural language processing (NLP) and unsupervised clustering. Trial brief descriptions were analyzed to extract frequent terms, and trials were grouped based on term similarity using joint dimensionality reduction and clustering. …

Reducing The Incidence Of Nosocomial Aspiration Pneumonia In Adult Oncology Patients Through Improved Compliance With Oral Hygiene Protocols, Rickey Maung

Master's Projects and Capstones

Objective: Oncology patients undergoing chemotherapy are at increased risk of mucosal barrier injuries and aspiration pneumonia, with current aspiration pneumonia rates exceeding target levels. Enhanced oral hygiene protocols and improved compliance have been shown to reduce these complications in this vulnerable population.

Context: The microsystem under review comprises six oncology units within Hospital A, a major medical center in California. Aspiration pneumonia, frequently linked to mucosal barrier injuries, poses a significant threat to patient safety and increases treatment costs and complications in oncology care. Recognizing the critical need to address this issue, an aspiration pneumonia task force has prioritized efforts …

Using Rapid Protein Degradation To Determine The Effect Of Runx1 Loss-Of- Function On Dna Damage Accumulation And Repair., Jackriel Pina Morales

Theses and Dissertations

Germline mutations in RUNX1 are associated with familial platelet disorder with a predisposition to myeloid malignancy (RUNX1-FPDMM), in which patients present with low platelet counts,excessive bleeding and bruising, and an increased risk of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)/Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) development throughout their lifetime. To understand how these loss-of-function mutations in RUNX1 drive predispose to malignancy, it is important to develop a detailed understanding of the molecular basis of RUNX1 function. While RUNX1 is a transcription factor, preliminary data from our group and work from others suggests that RUNX1 also interacts with proteins that are critical for DNA damage …

Cis-Regulatory Mechanisms Through Stages Of Erythroid Regenration, Yichao Zhou

Theses & Dissertations

Produced by steady state erythropoiesis, erythrocytes serve as vital regulators of metabolism and life by delivering oxygen to all the cells and tissues. Under acute anemia, steady state erythropoiesis is not sufficient to produce enough erythrocytes, leading to distinct mechanisms needed to regenerate large numbers of mature erythrocytes rapidly. Erythroid regeneration occurs in four stages: activation, expansion and differentiation, resolution, and post-resolution, according to the dynamics of erythrocyte numbers and progenitor activity. Erythroid regeneration throughout this timeline requires some critical extracellular cues, but the intrinsic molecular mechanisms needed to accelerate and decelerate the activity of erythroid progenitors in anemia and …

Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis (Cvst): A Retrospective Study, Nia Acharya

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This retrospective study investigates the long-term management of Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis (CVST) in 51 patients over a 3-month follow-up. The analysis covers demographics, risk factors, CVST presentation, associated diseases, thrombophilia, laboratory results, and antithrombotic treatments. CVST, a rare thrombosis of dural/cerebral sinuses, poses life-threatening risks with an annual incidence aligning with literature, notably affecting young individuals. Underlying causes range from rare disorders to common triggers, complicating diagnosis, especially during pregnancy. Imaging techniques aid diagnosis, with systemic anticoagulation preferred despite bleeding risks. Noteworthy findings include a higher incidence in women, predominantly presenting with headaches. Two cases of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic …

Bone Marrow Donor Recruitment Drive And Registry, Elizabeth R. Dovich

Honors Theses

Bone marrow transplants are vital for those with blood cancers and disorders, but not every ethnic group has an equal chance of finding a match. Some of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) cell markers used to match donors and recipients are unique to certain ethnic groups, making it harder for members of those groups to find a match. This project worked to address this inequality by organizing a bone marrow registry recruitment drive on the campus of Andrews University in partnership with the NMDP registry. It encompassed the planning, promotion, and execution of the drive which took place March 5-7, …

Inflammatory Protein Elicitation In Response To Whole-Body Vibration Exposure, Nicholas Miller

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study aimed to assess the effects of whole-body vibration (WBV) on the brain through changes in blood protein concentrations, seat and head accelerations, and symptomatology over time. Subjects were assigned to control, 1-hour, or 8-hour vibration exposure groups. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and S100B concentrations were measured. Root mean square average weighted vibration (A_ws), vibration dose value (VDV), and seat-to-head transmissibility (STHT) were calculated. There were no differences in GFAP (p = 0.79) or S100B (p = 0.97) concentrations between 1-hour and 8-hour subjects (p = 0.79). Average weighted head acceleration (p …

Investigating The Association Of Demographic Factors On Methotrexate Delay-Clearance And Toxicity In Pediatric Oncology Patients: A Retrospective Chart Review, Belal Alabdul Razzak

Honors Undergraduate Theses

High-dose methotrexate (HD MTX) is critical for treating pediatric malignancies such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia and neuro-carcinoma. However, its significant toxicity due to drug accumulation poses substantial risks. This retrospective study assesses the impact of demographic factors on MTX toxicity and clearance in pediatric oncology patients. Patient records from Saint Mary Hospital were analyzed, focusing on two MTX administration protocols: a 24-hour infusion followed by alkaline hydration and a 4-hour infusion followed by alkaline hydration. We hypothesize that factors such as age, body surface area (BSA), and body mass index (BMI) are associated with MTX clearance and toxicity. The study …

Single Cell Proteogenomics Analysis Of Aml Samples Treated With Decitabine And Venetoclax Reveals Divergent Treatment Escape Mechanisms, Yi June Kim

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Venetoclax is a small molecule inhibitor targeting BCL-2. Since its approval, the combination therapy of hypomethylating agents and Venetoclax (HMA+Ven) has become a standard of care for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients unfit for intensive chemotherapy. Nonetheless, clinical challenges persist as patients either do not respond or eventually relapse, and the underlying mechanisms of these outcomes are not yet fully understood. Prior studies have identified genetic factors (TP53 and RTK/RAS pathway mutations) and phenotypic factors (monocytic differentiation) to be associated with resistance. In this light, we hypothesized that integrative assessment of genetic and phenotypic factors could further elucidate the unknown …

Impact Of Lyophilization On Porcine Hemoglobin Properties., Mustafa Almosawi

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Blood transfusion is the single most often performed lifesaving procedure in hospitals worldwide. Unfortunately, packed red blood cells (RBCs) used for transfusion can only be stored for 42 days at 4 °C before being discarded due to irreversible damage that occurs during storage. Any reduction in available RBCs for an extended period can lead to blood shortages. To increase the shelf-life of RBCs, we investigated freeze-drying (lyophilizing) in the presence of the non-toxic sugar trehalose as a method for long-term preservation. However, the oxidative stress of the lyophilization and storage processes can compromise the functionality of these cells, and the …

High Cholesterol Diet Induces Sudden Death In Mice With Impaired Reverse Cholesterol Transport, Misa Ito

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

Unexplained sudden death continues to be a major public health crisis as AHA reports that 1,000 people suffer sudden cardiac arrest each day in the U.S. with only 10% surviving. A number of ongoing challenges hinder to understand the sudden death. Thus, investigating underlined mechanisms of sudden death is urgent. Unexpectedly, I found a high cholesterol diet (HCD)-induced sudden death preclinical model. Although HCD is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the subendothelial lipoprotein retention theory is well established for atherosclerosis development, these theories cannot explain the sudden death in my model because atherosclerosis and CVD …

Protein S In Coagulation And Inflammation, Martha Mega Silvia Sim

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Protein S (PS) is a key regulator, which links inflammation and coagulation and performs multiple proposed functions in both processes. PS exists in the blood as a free soluble form (~40%), bound to complement component 4b-binding protein/ C4BP (~60%), and packaged in platelet α-granules (~2.5%). Subendothelial tissue factor (TF), upon exposure to blood, initiates coagulation, a proteolytic cascade which results in the activation of thrombin, the enzyme responsible for formation of a fibrin clot. PS is a critical anticoagulant that inhibits multiple steps of this process. Only the free fraction of PS has full anticoagulant properties, as C4BP blocks this …

การศึกษาลักษณะกลายพันธุ์ของยีนที่ถอดรหัสเป็นโปรตีนในเยื่อหุ้มเซลล์เม็ดเลือดแดงในผู้ป่วยกลุ่มเยื่อหุ้มเซลล์เม็ดเลือดแดงผิดปกติ, จารุวรรณ ปานาราช

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

โรคกลุ่มเยื่อหุ้มเซลล์เม็ดเลือดแดงผิดปกติเป็นโรคโลหิตจางตั้งแต่กำเนิดเกิดจากการกลายพันธุ์ของยีนที่กำหนดการสร้างโปรตีนไซโทสเกเลตอนซึ่งเป็นโครงสร้างของเยื่อหุ้มเซลล์เม็ดเลือดแดงเพื่อให้เซลล์เม็ดเลือดแดงมีความยืดหยุ่นและรักษารูปร่างได้โดยยีนที่เกี่ยวข้องได้แก่ ANK1, SPTA1, SPTB, EPB42 และ SLC4A1 งานวิจัยนี้ทำการศึกษาการกลายพันธุ์โดยใช้ Whole exome sequence (WES) และตรวจยืนยันผลด้วยเทคนิค Sanger sequencing ซึ่งงานวิจัยนี้พบการกลายพันธุ์ตำแหน่งใหม่ที่เป็นสาเหตุทำให้เกิดโรคเม็ดเลือดแดงป่องพันธุกรรมจำนวน 3 ตำแหน่งและพบการกลายพันธุ์ในผู้ป่วย hereditary pyropoikilocytosis (HPP) 1 ตำแหน่ง การกลายพันธุ์ตำแหน่งใหม่ประกอบด้วยการกลายพันธุ์ในยีน SPTB ตำแหน่ง c.5692C>T และ c.3823delG และในยีน ANK1 c.1994C>A ผลการศึกษาผลของการกลายพันธุ์ในระดับอาร์เอ็นเอพบว่าการกลายพันธุ์ตำแหน่ง c.5692C>T และ c.3823delG ในยีน SPTB และ c.1994C>A ในยีน ANK1 ส่งผลให้เกิด premature stop codon และพบว่าการกลายพันธุ์ตำแหน่ง c.5692C>T และ c.3823delG ในยีน SPTB ส่งผลให้ระดับการแสดงออกของยีนลดลงเมื่อเทียบกับคนปกติซึ่งอาจเกิดจากกระบวนการ nonsense-mediated mRNA degradation ทำให้ mRNA ที่ผิดปกติถูกทำลาย ผลจากการเพาะเลี้ยงเซลล์เม็ดเลือดตัวอ่อนพบว่าผู้ป่วยเม็ดเลือดแดงป่องพันธุกรรมมีอัตราการเพิ่มจำนวนเซลล์เม็ดเลือดแดงตัวอ่อนมากกว่าคนปกติ แต่มีการเจริญเติบโตและพัฒนาช้ากว่าคนปกติ จากการวัดปริมาณไมโครพาติเคิลด้วยเทคนิคโฟลไซโทเมทรีพบว่าในผู้ป่วยกลุ่มเยื่อหุ้มเซลล์เม็ดเลือดแดงผิดปกติมีปริมาณไมโครพาติเคิลที่สูงกว่าคนปกติ องค์ความรู้ที่ได้จากงานวิจัยนี้ทำให้ทราบกลไกการเกิดความผิดที่เกิดจากการกลายพันธุ์ของยีน SPTB และ ANK1 ในเซลล์เม็ดเลือดแดงผู้ป่วยกลุ่มเยื่อหุ้มเซลล์เม็ดเลือดแดงผิดปกติเพิ่มขึ้น

The Link Between Fat Soluble Vitamin Deficiencies, Decreased Microbiota Diversity And Severity In Children With Sickle Cell Disease Followed In A Clinic In Omaha Nebraska, Chinenye R. Dike

Theses & Dissertations

Fat soluble vitamin (FSV) deficiencies are associated with worse pain in individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD). Data on the dietary and pancreatic function influence on fat soluble vitamin levels are limited. Additionally, individuals with SCD have gut dysbiosis but there are gaps in knowledge on the impact of this on severity. This thesis attempted to evaluate FSV prevalence and gut microbial profile in our cohort of children with SCD and compare this with matched healthy children and to ascertain if diet or pancreatic function affects these levels and see if these affects sickle cell severity.

Concomitant Inhibition Of Flt3 And Mcl-1 In Flt3 Mutated Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Paul Panis

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The MCL-1 inhibitor S63845 synergizes with the FLT3 inhibitor midostaurin for potent anti-leukemic effect in preclinical human models of FLT3-ITD mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Acute Myeloid leukemia (AML) is a neoplastic blood disorder defined by a characteristically rapid growth rate and altered behavior of myeloid cells in the bone marrow. The FLT3 receptor is responsible for the upstream regulation of many key processes in hematopoietic cells. FLT3 internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutations are common in leukemia and have been observed in up to a third of newly diagnosed AML patients. FLT3-ITD have been implicated as a driver mutation partly …

Acute Kidney Injury: Evaluating Risk Factors In Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Patients, Jennifer Tenley, Pamela Millin, Austyn Franklin

Nursing Masters Papers

Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients are at risk to develop acute kidney injury during the transplant process. Acute kidney injury (AKI) can occur due to a multitude of insults related to nephrotoxic medications, hypoperfusion, and dehydration. Additionally, patients who present for HSCT may have risk factors that could pose an increased risk of developing AKI which include chronic kidney disease, hematologic disease, type of transplant, conditioning chemotherapy, and poor pretransplant renal testing. The purpose of this secondary analysis was to identify the contributing factors that may influence the development of AKI, understand the relationships between the variables, and identify …

The Impact Of Disruptive Physician Behavior On Support Staff And Patients: A Quantitative Secondary Analysis, Michael C. Marino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this quantitative secondary analysis, the purpose was to examine the nature of disruptive physician behavior (DPB) from the support staff and patient perspectives. Healthcare staffing shortages existed prior to the global pandemic and have increased, creating importance for employee retention and recruitment. I wanted to understand the impact of physician behavior on staff turnover rates in a private oncology practice, its effect on patient satisfaction rates, and to compare these rates of physicians that display DPB with physicians that do not display this behavior in a private hematology oncology community outpatient setting in the Southwest United States. To answer …

Sex Dimorphism In Hematopoiesis And Bone Marrow Niche, Xiaojing Cui

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), which are a rare population of cells existing in human circulating blood and bone marrow, can form the whole-blood system by their self-renewal capacity and differentiation ability. Sex dimorphism can be found in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, and in the development of hematopoietic lineages. Also, males are at higher risk and have a worse prognosis for most hematologic malignancies than females. Under normal conditions, the number of circulating progenitor cells in women is lower than in men. Furthermore, female mice have a higher rate of HSC division than male mice. A dramatic gender difference exists …

การพัฒนาเทคนิคพีซีอาร์เอชอาร์เอ็มสำหรับตรวจหาการติดเชื้อมาลาเรียในมนุษย์และการกลายพันธุ์ของยีนจีซิกพีดีชนิดเวียงจันทน์และมหิดล, ปวีณ์สุดา รัตนคช

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

โรคมาลาเรียถือเป็นปัญหาด้านสาธารณสุขที่สำคัญ ในปี พ.ศ.2564 องค์กรอนามัยโลกรายงานจำนวนผู้ติดเชื้อมาลาเรียทั่วโลกกว่า 247 ล้านรายและผู้เสียชีวิตกว่า 627,000 ราย ซึ่งมีแนวโน้มเพิ่มสูงขึ้น ส่งผลต่อการควบคุมและการกำจัดโรคมาลาเรีย โดยเฉพาะกลุ่มผู้ป่วยที่ไม่แสดงอาการอาจไม่ได้รับการตรวจวินิจฉัยและการรักษา จึงสามารถเป็นแหล่งสะสมและแพร่กระจายของเชื้อมาลาเรียได้ ในปัจจุบันมีเชื้อพลาสโมเดียมที่ก่อโรคในมนุษย์ 5 สปีสีช์ ได้แก่ P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale และ P. knowlesi ดังนั้นเทคนิคที่มีความไวสูงในการตรวจหาเชื้อมาลาเรียจึงมีความสำคัญมาก นอกจากนี้การรักษาด้วยยาต้านเชื้อมาลาเรีย เช่น ไพรมาควิน อาจส่งผลต่อผู้ที่มีภาวะพร่องเอนไซม์จีซิกพีดีทำให้เกิดภาวะเม็ดเลือดแดงแตกได้ งานวิจัยนี้จึงได้พัฒนาเทคนิคพีซีอาร์เอชอาร์เอ็มสำหรับตรวจหาเชื้อมาลาเรียและการกลายพันธุ์ของยีนจีซิกพีดี รวมทั้งทดสอบปริมาณความหนาแน่นต่ำสุดที่สามารถตรวจพบได้ ความไวและความจำเพาะของเทคนิคที่พัฒนาขึ้นพบว่าสามารถตรวจหาเชื้อมาลาเรียที่มีความหนาแน่นต่ำสุดเท่ากับ 2.354-3.316 copies/µL มีความไวและความจำเพาะในการตรวจหาเชื้อ P. falciparum, P. malariae, P. ovale และ P. knowlesi เท่ากับ 100% และ 100% ตามลำดับ ความไวและความจำเพาะในการตรวจหาเชื้อ P. vivax เท่ากับ 100% และ 99.28% ตามลำดับ สำหรับการตรวจการกลายพันธุ์ของยีนจีซิกพีดีพบว่าสามารถตรวจระบุจีซิกพีดีเวียงจันทน์และจีซิกพีดีมหิดลได้อย่างถูกต้อง ดังนั้นเทคนิคพีซีอาร์เอชอาร์เอ็มที่พัฒนาขึ้นจึงเป็นอีกหนึ่งทางเลือกสำหรับการตรวจเชื้อมาลาเรียและการกลายพันธุ์ของยีนจีซิกพีดี ซึ่งจะเป็นประโยชน์แก่ผู้ป่วยมาลาเรียเพื่อให้ได้รับการรักษาอย่างมีประสิทธิภาพ

Apixaban To Prevent Thrombosis In Adult Patients Treated With Asparaginase, Krishna Gundabolu

Theses & Dissertations

The outcomes of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have improved dramatically after intensification of the multi-agent chemotherapy backbone over a period of time starting from 1960’s, and asparaginase (ASP) is an important part of this success story. Adoption of such strategy in adult ALL and other high grade lymphoid neoplasms had been difficult due to higher anticipated toxicities including thrombosis. Many thrombosis prevention strategies including antithrombin (AT) replacement, Enoxaparin, unfractionated heparin (UFH) was studied but there is no firmly established evidence-based approach yet. We report the safety and efficacy of thrombosis prophylaxis with apixaban 2.5 mg orally twice daily for …

Outcomes Of Elective Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Management: Open Surgical Versus Endovascular Repair, Chelsea Armbruster

Theses and Graduate Projects

Introduction: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a disease with high mortality and morbidity. Evidence-based screening guidelines and elective repair options are crucial to mitigate the risk of rupture. Two primary techniques exist in the treatment of AAA. The open surgical repair method was standard of care until introduction of endovascular aneurysm repair in the 1990s. Endovascular aneurysm repair has become the mainstay of treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms due to its minimally invasive approach and improved perioperative outcomes. Long-term overall survival outcomes are similar between the two approaches.

Methods: A systematic search of PubMed was conducted to review relevant articles …

In Adults Suffering Acute Large Cerebral Vessel Occlusion, Is Direct Mechanical Thrombectomy More Effective Than Treatment With Tpa For Reducing Long-Term Morbidity?, Collin Barry

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background: Discussion whether intravenous tPA or mechanical thrombectomy is the ideal choice for treatment of acute ischemic strokes has been debated around the medical community for last three decades. However still, after several clinical trials, it is still unclear if one is superior to the other.

Methods: This meta-analysis pooled several different results from studies revolving around treatment of acute ischemic stroke. The goal of this paper was to evaluate whether previous clinical trials favoring mechanical thrombectomy had sufficient research to prove it is superior to treatment with tPA in reducing long-term morbidity. Primary outcomes measured were the modified Rankin …

Impact Of Social Isolation In Hiv-Positive Individuals During A Pandemic, Corina Jane Bakoylis

Dissertations

Problem: The global pandemic of COVID-19 caused concern for immunocompromised individuals. The purpose of this quality improvement initiative was to assess the impact of social isolation on feelings of loneliness, depression, and social isolation experiences in HIV-positive individuals residing in a long-term care facility.

Methods: A mixed-method convergent design with a purposeful sample of HIV-positive adult residents residing in a long-term care facility was utilized. An evaluation of loneliness using the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale (Version 3) and depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) were completed. Personal experiences were also assessed with five predetermined open-ended …

Goals-Of-Care & End-Of-Life Quality In Relapsed High-Risk Leukemia: Silent Conversations, Lacy Jo Graham

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

BACKGROUND: The distorted association of “end of life (EOL)” with “goals of care (GOC)” has “silenced” crucial goals discussions in patients with relapsed high-risk leukemia, which raises concerns for the provision of care that is inconsistent with patient’s values and preferences.

AIM: The two main goals of this study were to quantify hematologists rate of participation in a GOC pathway initiative during two separate months, then explore their definition and barriers to having/documenting GOC discussions.

DESIGN: Mixed-methods, explanatory sequential design (follow-up explanations variant).

SAMPLE: Quan: Hematology inpatient admissions during the months of October 2020 and January …

Enhancing Medication Adherence Behaviors Among Ambulatory Pediatric Hematology & Oncology Patients: A Quality Improvement Project, Desiree Palmer

Doctoral Projects

Introduction: Researchers have found that pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and adolescent patients with sickle cell disease struggle to adhere to medication treatment requirements. Because of this trend, there is a clear need to address medication adherence. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to enhance medication adherence behaviors among pediatric hematology and oncology patients and their families within an ambulatory hematology and oncology clinic.

Methods: The project included a systematic literature review to identify evidence-based interventions, an organizational assessment, and a three-phase multifaceted quality improvement process. To increase patients bringing medications to appointments, 32 medication transportation bags …