Thesis (M.S.)--California State University, Fresno. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Ohio University, August, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references.

Orientador: Rogério Martins Amorim / Banca: Silvia Mitiko Nishida / Banca: Mauro Lantzman / Resumo: O estudo avaliou o desempenho de cães adultos em testes cognitivos, para posteriormente identificar e monitorar alterações cognitivas em cães idosos, além de verificar a viabilidade e selecionar um dos testes para utilização na rotina clínica. Foram utilizados 15 cães adultos hígidos para os testes cognitivos de abordagem à recompensa, abordagem ao objeto, discriminação do objeto, aprendizado reverso, atraso não ligado à posição e atraso não ligado à amostra. Não houve diferença significativa no desempenho quanto ao número de dias quando comparados machos com fêmeas, cães de idade inferior ou superior a quatro anos, cães de peso inferior ou superior a 20 kg, e ainda cães treinados no ambulatório ou em sua própria casa em nenhum dos testes realizados. Os testes de atraso não ligado à posição (DNMP) e de atraso não ligado à amostra (DNMS) não apresentaram diferença significativa entre si. Já a comparação dos testes de discriminação do objeto com o aprendizado reverso apresentou diferença significativa. Conclui-se que o sexo, a idade analisada, o porte e o ambiente do animal não tiveram influência significativa no desempenho dos cães nos testes realizados. O teste de discriminação do objeto foi mais fácil aos cães do que o aprendizado reverso e os testes de DNMP e de DNMS apresentaram dificuldade semelhante aos cães. Sugere-se o teste de DNMP para ser utilizado na rotina clínica para avaliação de cães com alterações cognitivas por ser sensível e de rápido aprendizado / Abstract: This paper evaluated the performance of adult dogs in cognitive tests, to after identify and monitor cognitive changes in older dogs, to verify viability and select one of the tests to use in clinical practice. 15 healthy adult dogs were used for the cognitive tests of reward approach learning, object approach learning, object discrimination learning, reversal learning, delay non-matched to position and delay non-matched to sample. There was no significant difference on number of days in performance when compared males with females, dogs younger or older than four years, dogs weighing less or more than 20 kg, and still trained dogs in the clinic or at home in any of the tests. The tests of delay non-matched to position (DNMP) and delay non-matched to sample (DNMS) showed no significant difference between them. The comparison between object discrimination test and reversal learning showed significant difference. We conclude that sex, age, size and environment of the animal had no significant influence on the performance of dogs in tests. The object discrimination test was easier to dogs than reversal learning and DNMP and DNMS had similar difficulty to the dogs. DNMP test is suggested to be used for routine clinical evaluation of dogs with cognitive impairments since it is sensitive and quickly learned / Mestre

Thesis (M.S.M.) PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / Endothelial dysfunction is a key modulator of the development of cardiovascular disease. Prior studies in selected samples have suggested that the association of age and vascular function may vary between men and women. To investigate the sex-specific patterns of this association, we utilized non-invasive vascular function testing in the Framingham Heart Study. We measured brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation, a measure of conduit artery function, and hyperemic flow velocity, a measure of small vessel function, in 6790 participants (49±14 years, 53% women) in the Offspring and Third Generation cohorts. We found evidence of effect modification by sex on the relation of age and flow-mediated dilation (P=0.0001) and the relation of age and hyperemic flow velocity (P<0.0001). Using restricted cubic spine analysis, we observed that the relation of age and flow-mediated dilation was linear in men but nonlinear in women. To further characterize the patterns of vascular aging, we divided the cohort by the median age of 47 years old. In multivariable regression models adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors, there was a greater decline in flow-mediated dilation with increasing age in older as compared to younger women (β=-0.113 95% CI -0.129,-0.098 vs β=-0.046 95%CI -0.064,-0.029, p<0.0001 for difference). Whereas in men the association of age and flow-mediated dilation was similar in old and young men (β=-0.038 95%CI-0.054,-0.021 vs β=-0.038 95%CI-0.061,-0.023, p=0.199 for difference). For reactive hyperemia, we found a greater decline in older participants for both men and women (for young men, β=-0.087 95%CI-0.200,0.027 compared to older men β=-0.776 95%CI-0.883,-0.669 p<0.0001 for difference, for young women β=0.141 95%CI 0.033,0.249 compared to older women, β=-1.054 95%CI-1.156,-0.952, p<0.0001 for difference). In a large, community-based cohort the patterns of association between age and conduit vessel vasodilation differed in men and women with an accelerated decline in women after age 47. Small vessel function declined more rapidly in older participants in both men and women, however the decline was more pronounced in women. Our findings suggest that the process of vascular aging differs based on sex and between conduit vessels and the microcirculation. Further studies are needed to evaluate the longitudinal patterns of vascular aging in men and women. / 2031-01-01

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:32:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-07-30Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:43:54Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 macedo_mls_dr_botfm_prot.pdf: 3586847 bytes, checksum: 528671d32509cb0d8b738be7fcab29b3 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / A hipertensão gestacional está presente em cerca de 10% das gravidezes e ainda é a primeira causa de mortalidade materna no Brasil. O diabetes gestacional complica 7,6% das gestações no Brasil e está associado a esultados perinatais insatisfatórios. Estas complicações cursam com disfunção endotelial e alteração da elasticidade da parede -.vascular. A onometria de aplanação é um método não invasivo, portátil e de fácil aprendizagem que avalia a função endotelial através do estudo da rigidez arterial (perda da elasticidade arterial). Além de avaliar a função endotelial este método oferece estudo indireto de vários parâmentros cardiovasculares centrais. O grande número de informações que este método obtém de maneira não invasiva, faz deste, um instrumento valoroso em pesquisa. Apresenta grande potencial, especialmente, na compreensão dos mecanismos fisiopatológicos que cursam com comprometimento vascular na gravidez. / Gestational hypertension affects 10% of pregnancies and is still the first :ause of maternal mortality in Brazil. Gestational diabetes affects 7,6% of gnancies in Brazil and is associated with an unsatisfactory peri-natal come. These complications are associated to endothelial dysfunction and abnormal elasticity of the arterial wall. Applanation tonometry is a nonvasive, portable and easy learning method that evaluates endothelial nction by the study of arterial stiffness (Iost of arterial elasticity). Beyond e endothelial function evaluation, this method gives, indirectly, several central cardiovascular parameters. The great number of information btained non invasively by this method, makes of this, a valuable instrument in research. It has special potential to help in the comprehension of the mechanisms of those diseases that presents with vascular commitment in pregnancy.

M.A. (Psychology) / Although recent research findings suggest that perceptualmotor training in the education of the child with learning problems is irrelevant and superfluous, clinicians have maintained that this method has notable success. The primary objective of the study was to explore the consequences of perceptual-motor therapy on the academic achievement, intellectual ability, and personality development of the MBD child. The subjects used were children in the aid classes of eight different schools. These children had been classified by the school psychologists and doctors as showing symptoms of MBD. A Solomon Four Group Design was utilised in the experimental investigation. This entailed the division of subjects into experimental and control groups. These groups were further subdivided so that half of each group received pre-testing and the other half no pre-testing. All the subjects received posttesting. Thus practice effect could be separated from treatment effect. There were sixty five subjects in the study, thirty two in the experimental group and thirty three in the control group.

"Hearing is one of the body's five senses. But listening is an art." (Tyger, 2005 : para.1). While working in the haemodialysis unit in KwaZulu-Natal, I observed that patients preferred not to disclose their experiences of erectile dysfunction with the professional nurse practitioners but to the health care workers and to other patients in the unit. The nondisclosure served as a barrier to the patients receiving the assistance and support they required to be able to cope with erectile dysfunction. Added to this, there were no therapy groups or supportive groups available for the patients to allow them the platform to voice their experiences of erectile dysfunction and to provide them with strategies to cope with these experiences. The professional nurse practitioners lacked the knowledge and skills to assist the patients to cope with their experiences of erectile dysfunction. Therefore, there was a shortcoming in the provision of holistic nursing care to these patients, threatening their mental health specifically. The Theory for Health Promotion in Nursing (University of Johannesburg [UJ], 2009:4) states that a person is seen holistically in interaction with the environment in an integrated manner therefore the need for holistic nursing care. From the problem identified above I envisioned the need to conduct a study on the lived experiences of patients with erectile dysfunction from a holistic perspective that includes a mental health perspective. The overall aim of this study was to generate an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of patients with erectile dysfunction who were on a haemodialysis programme in three units of a renal disease management organisation in KwaZulu-Natal. The aim was achieved by exploring and describing the patients’ lived experiences of erectile dysfunction. My understanding of the lived experiences of these patients formed the basis for proposing recommendations to facilitate the mental health of patients with erectile dysfunction in the context of this study with reference to nursing practice, education and research. The facilitation of mental health care to the patients in the haemodialysis units would require the provision of holistic nursing care to be implemented by the professional nurse practitioners with the assistance and support of the advanced psychiatric professional nurse practitioner. A phenomenological research design that was qualitative, explorative and contextual was followed to achieve the aim and objectives of the study. Purposive sampling was used for the sample selection based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The number of participants selected for this study was guided by data saturation. The total number of participants selected for this study was nine. The data collection methods utilised were phenomenological interviews, naïve sketches and field notes. In the phenomenological interview the participant was asked: “How is it for you to live with erectile dysfunction?” Thereafter the participants were requested to “Write a story on living with erectile dysfunction.” The field notes included observational, methodological, theoretical and personal notes. The phenomenological interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. An independent coder and I analysed the transcribed phenomenological interviews, written naïve sketches and field notes. I made use of Creswell’s method of data analysis (Creswell, 2007:156) in analysing the data. The measures taken to ensure trustworthiness in this study included credibility, dependability, confirmability, transferability and authenticity. The three primary ethical principles articulated by the Belmont Report (beneficence, respect for human dignity and justice) and the Declaration of Helsinki guided this study. There were two major themes with sub-themes that emanated from the collection of multiple data. The first major theme was that the participants’ lived experiences of erectile dysfunction reflected psychological, physical and social losses that seemingly negatively influenced their mental health. An alternative story of two of the participants’ acceptance of living with erectile dysfunction which positively influenced their mental health emerged as the second major theme. Therefore the essence of most of the participants’ experiences of erectile dysfunction was reflected by losses in the psychological, physical and social dimensions that seemingly negatively influenced their mental health. However, two participants had embraced the challenges of erectile dysfunction and managed to deal with the losses in the psychological and social dimensions. Based on the findings and the literature control recommendations were proposed for nursing practice, education and research. The recommendations were guided by the Theory for Health Promotion in Nursing from the University of Johannesburg (2009:1). These recommendations served as a frame of reference to enable the professional nurse practitioner to facilitate the mental health of patients who experience erectile dysfunction within the context of rendering holistic nursing care. The advanced psychiatric nurse practitioner has both developmental and consultative roles to implement in the haemodialysis unit. In implementing these roles, the professional nurse practitioner is assisted by the advanced psychiatric nurse practitioner to mobilise the internal and external resources to meet the patient’s needs on a holistic level. A psychiatric nursing qualification for professional nurse practitioners treating patients in the haemodialysis units is recommended to assist and support the patients to cope with their experiences of erectile dysfunction, thus facilitating their mental health. Copyright / Dissertation (MCur)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Nursing Science / unrestricted

Individuals with diabetes have an increased mortality due to the macro- and microvascular complications, which are commonly preceded by endothelial dysfunction. We have shown that endothelial microparticles (eMPs) are markers and mediators of vascular injury and pathology. However, their utility as a biomarker of hyperglycemia-induced endothelial damage and their influence on the vasculature remains unclear. We hypothesized that high glucose (HG) exposure alters eMPs protein composition, making them reflective of active signalling processes characteristic of a hyperglycemic environment. In addition, HG alters eMPs bioactivity, making them more potent inducers of oxidative stress, thrombosis and endothelial damage. Therefore, we assessed the exclusive effects of HG on eMPs formation, composition, and signalling. Results: Exposure of endothelial cells to high glucose for 24 hours caused a 3-fold increase in eMPs formation, increased mean vesicle size and their absolute electronegativity. Proteomic analysis of eMPs identified 1,212 independent proteins, with 68 exclusive to HG and associated with signalling processes related to metabolic processes, oxidation-reduction reactions, hemostasis and thrombosis and cellular interactions at the vascular wall. Compared to eMPs formed under normal conditions, eMPs formed in response to HG possess a ~3-fold greater procoagulant activity, induced a greater production of cellular ROS and were more potent inhibitors of endothelial-dependent relaxation. Conclusions/Interpretation: Taken together our results indicate HG alters the composition of eMPs, making them more potent mediators of endothelial damage. With similar changes in bioactivity being evident in the protein composition and the associated enriched biological processes, eMPs protein content may provide insight into the pathophysiological status of the cells in a hyperglycemic environment and provide use clinically, to identify dysregulated pathways for therapeutic targeting.

This thesis showed that dogs with natural infection with B. canis had both renal and cardiac dysfunction, both of which can be classified as complications of babesiosis and would thus necessitate supportive therapy. This thesis demonstrated that RTE celluria, proteinuria, and variable enzymuria and azotaemia occur in dogs with babesiosis. However, these were all minimal changes and all could be consistent with hypoxia, reduced GFR, or reduced cardiac output This thesis showed that dogs with naturally occurring babesiosis had significant urine met-haemoglobin with no evidence of blood met-haemoglobin. The possibility would be that the urinary methaemoglobin was either produced in the kidney or possibly by oxidation of haemoglobin to met-haemoglobin in the bladder. It has been shown experimentally that met-haemoglobin can be toxic. The combination of reduced GFR, anaemic hypoxia, and met-haemoglobin can all act synergistically to cause renal damage. Renal haemodynamics are also much more likely to be abnormal when cardiac dysfunction is present Reduced renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate are evidence of redistribution of blood flow that commonly occurs in early heart failure. An important finding in this thesis was that dogs with babesiosis had lower serum sodium than control dogs but there was no difference between mild, severe, or complicated cases of babesiosis. In addition, dogs with babesiosis had a lower fractional clearance of sodium than Clinically healthy control dogs, which can be interpreted as sodium retention by the kidneys. This sodium retention would also result in water retention , which will result in an expansion of the plasma volume. In the past heart lesions in canine babesiosis were regarded as rare complications, with the majority of lesions being reported as incidental findings at post-mortem examination of complicated babesiosis cases. This thesis has demonstrated that cardiac lesions to be common in canine babesiosis. This thesis showed that that ECG changes in babesiosis were similar to the pattern described for myocarditis and myocardial ischaemia, and together with the histopathological findings indicated that the heart suffers from the same pathological processes described in other organs in canine babesiosis, namely inflammation and hypoxia. As the clinical application of the ECG changes found in this thesis was limited, cardiovascular assessment should be based on functional monitoring rather than ECG. Using cardiac troponin as a marker of myocardial injury, this thesis showed that myocardial cell injury occurs with canine babesiosis. Cardiac troponins, especially troponin I, are sensitive markers of myocardial injury in canine babesiosis, and the magnitude of elevation of plasma troponin I concentrations appears to be proportional to the severity of the disease. ECG changes and serum cardiac troponin were correlated with histopathology. On cardiac histopathology from dogs that succumbed to babesiosis, haemorrhage, necrosis, inflammation and fibrin microthrombi in the myocardium were documented, all of which would have resulted in ECG changes and elevations in cardiac troponin. Myocardial infarction causes left ventricular failure, which will result in hypotension and an expansion of the plasma volume due to homeostatic mechanisms. This thesis showed that dogs with babesiosis had hypoalbuminaemia, which may be because of intravascular volume dilution due to fluid retention. In disease hypoalbuminaemia can occur as a negative acute-phase protein. In the light of the cardiac changes, hyponatraemia, and hypotension, a probable cause would be fluid retention due to myocardial disease. This thesis showed that dogs with babesiosis had left ventricular lesions, which can result in systolic heart failure. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Veterinary Tropical Diseases / unrestricted

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(人間健康科学) / 甲第21702号 / 人健博第68号 / 新制||人健||5(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院医学研究科人間健康科学系専攻 / (主査)教授 古田 真里枝, 教授 天谷 真奈美, 教授 小川 修 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Human Health Sciences / Kyoto University / DFAM