Digital Commons Network^™

Impact Of Television On The Language Development Of Young Children, Courtney E. Daly

Honors College

Today, children are growing up immersed in television screen media, which has been shown to have both positive and negative effects on language development. Young children are considered developmentally vulnerable, and today, they are growing up highly immersed in digital media. Strict guidelines by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggest that limiting the use of screen time. However, there is limited current research on the effect of coviewing while watching television programs on the language development of children. This investigation sought to contribute to efforts aimed at understanding the impact of coviewing on language output.

Predictive Diagnostic Analysis Of Mammographic Breast Tissue Microenvironment, Dexter G. Canning

Honors College

Improving computer-aided early detection techniques for breast cancer is paramount because current technology has high false positive rates. Existing methods have led to a substantial number of false diagnostics, which lead to stress, unnecessary biopsies, and an added financial burden to the health care system. In order to augment early detection methodology, one must understand the breast microenvironment. The CompuMAINE Lab has researched computational metrics on mammograms based on an image analysis technique called the Wavelet Transform Modulus Maxima (WTMM) method to identify the fractal and roughness signature from mammograms. The WTMM method was used to color code the mammograms …

Localization Of Synapses On Adipocytes And Stromal Vascular Fraction Cells In Adipose Tissue Using Electron And Immunofluorescent Microscopy, Emma Garner

Honors College

Obesity, weight gain and the many metabolic disorders that can arise from being overweight are predominant health issues in America and in the State of Maine. The body’s ability to balance energy intake and energy expenditure is what determines whether a person gains or loses body fat. Although there are many different factors that influence energy storage and expenditure, neural innervation of white and brown fat (or adipose) tissues is an important aspect of energy balance that is not well understood. The Townsend Lab focuses on brain-adipose communication and the role of adipose peripheral nerves in maintaining proper body weight …

Incorporation Of Civilian Care In Emergency Medicine: Retainment Of Training And Familiarization Of Resources At The University Of Maine, Courtney Jurson

Honors College

According to statistics by the American Heart Association, there are 475,000 deaths from cardiac arrest every year with more than 350,000 of them happening outside of the hospital. The only chance of a victim of sudden cardiac arrest to survive is a bystander rapidly starting cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), contacting emergency services for assistance, and acquiring an automated external defibrillator (AED).

This research recruited participants affiliated with the University of Maine campus and divided them into two groups: those who are required to have CPR/AED training for their affiliation and those who were not required these trainings. All participants then took …

Pediatric Hospice Care: A Literature Review Of Hospice Care Its Role In Pediatrics And Resources In Maine, Rachel Emerich

Honors College

Hospice care allows individuals to die in the most comfortable way possible, with the most support possible. These services are meant for anyone of any age, including children, who are predicted to die within a few months. Although these services are meant to be utilized by any age group, Maine unfortunately does not have any sort of strictly pediatric-specific hospice resources available. I conducted a literature review to distinguish the differences of pediatric hospice services versus adult hospice services in order to support the reason for a pediatric-specific hospice care service in Maine. I also spoke with pediatric nurses who …

Barriers To Hospital Food Waste: A Pilot Exploratory Study, Jennifer Goulding

Honors College

Food waste is an ever-growing problem in this country and hospitals are large producers of food waste. Food is something that is beneficial to everyone on the planet, but when wasted, it creates added methane gas production which contributes to the greenhouse gas effect. There is a paucity in the literature concerning industry specific food waste disposal processes. To add knowledge about food waste in Maine, a 24-question survey was used to ask healthcare organizations nutritional and environmental personnel about, food disposal, reuse, and environmental sustainability efforts. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The response rate was low, however …

Perceptions Of Emergency Room Nurses Regarding Needle Exchange Programs, Theresa Murray

Honors College

Objective: In 2018, over 586,000 US citizens were reported to be addicted to intravenous heroin. It was reported by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that in 2017, 70,237 people ages 25 years to over 65 years died from a drug overdose in the United States; analogous to roughly the number of people residing in Portland, Maine. Needle exchange programs have been found to be effective at reducing needlestick injuries in the community, reducing associated health care costs and improving the short-term and long-term health of people who use injection drugs (PWUID). Of all health care providers, emergency department nurses …

An Analysis Of Stress In Undergraduate Nursing Students At The University Of Maine, Samantha King

Honors College

Prolonged stress has shown a direct correlation to negative health outcomes. College students are amongst the population of individuals who experience chronic stress due to a variety of factors (e.g. heavy course load, pressures to succeed, and a new environment and social setting). Nursing students in particular are exposed to considerable stress as they face these same stress triggers as other college majors in addition to the strict pass/fail guidelines, clinical experience, and the pressures of life or death experiences when working in the health field. Knowing that stress has a profound impact on health and well-being, nursing students should …

Genomic And Proteomic Effects Of Red Raspberry (Rubus Idaeus) Consumption On The Perivascular Adipose Tissue Of The Obese Zucker Rat, A Model Of Human Metabolic Syndrome, Jasmine Waite

Honors College

The Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) affects 35% of U.S. adults and is an indicator of early death. While pharmacological treatments have been developed for the majority of MetS risk factors, obesity-induced inflammation remains to be addressed. Dysfunctional adipose tissue is a source of inflammation, and perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) is critical in its pathogenesis. This study investigates the effects of red raspberry (rubus idaeus) diet-enrichment on inflammation of PVAT. The obese Zucker rat (OZR) model of MetS and the lean Zucker rat (LZR) control (C) model were used. Rats received an eight-week control or whole red raspberry-enriched (WRR) diet …