Digital Commons Network^™

Engaging Hmong Americans Long-Term Use Of Healthcare Technology Using Culturally Revised Social Cognitive Theory Model, Peggy Xiong

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Information technology benefits the world, and it’s required for health care system, such as electronic medical records (EMR). User acceptance model is to systematically study how users come to accept and use a technology. For example, the cultural values of a society restrict use of technology in which an individual can be less incline to accept it. There is a significant amount of Hmong population in great Milwaukee area. Spirits are a central part of Hmong religious beliefs where the spirit is tied to health. Chronic disease is believed to be caused by bad actions done by the individual’s …

Contributing Factors To Diaper Dermatitis In The Nicu, Media S. Esser

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Describe the prevalence of diaper dermatitis (DD) and clinical characteristics of the infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) that develop DD. Explore the relationships between clinical characteristics and the development of DD.

Design: Retrospective, exploratory, descriptive study

Setting: Level IV NICU in an urban community in Southeast Wisconsin.

Participants: A convenience sample of 611 infants who were born and admitted to the NICU within 12 hours of life and discharged from the same NICU. A final total of 537 infants remained after exclusion criteria were met.

Methods: Data were collected from the participant’s electronic health records …

Functional Characterization Of Lt-Hsc Metabolic Activity Dependent On Ahr Activity, Everett Tate

Theses and Dissertations

The cells of the immune system are descended from multipotent hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that emerge during development. Multipotency means that a single progenitor HSC can differentiate into any cell of the immune system. HSCs are required to do this for the lifetime of the organism through a process called self-renewal, and as such, any perturbation during development or in the bone marrow can have a trickle-down effect, affecting the self-renewal capacity or ability to terminally differentiate. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a known regulator of HSCs. The AHR is a transcription factor required for the detoxification of numerous …

Examining The Relationship Between Yoga Participation And Health. You Down, Dog?, Bethany Forseth Hanson

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of debilitating chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and Alzheimer’s disease, are increasing in the United States. Inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, stress and depression are common pathologies associated with these chronic diseases. Many individuals engage in yoga because they believe it will improve their health. However, research examining the impact of yoga on markers of health associated with chronic diseases is limited and often reports conflicting results. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation is to examine the relationship between yoga and inflammation, protein content of oxidative phosphorylation complexes, stress and depression, which may support the use of lifestyle …

Cholesterol: A Possible Mediator Of Apoe Risk For Alzheimer's Disease, Michelle Marie Dunk

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the well-established link between the ε4 allele of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene and AD, the underlying mechanisms that mediate the risk of developing AD remain elusive. Literature on the role of APOE in cholesterol metabolism suggests that blood cholesterol may be a key factor in the development of AD pathology. Current study aims to investigate whether total cholesterol differs by APOE status and whether this relationship is predictive of AD diagnosis and its biomarkers. Baseline total cholesterol, APOE status, AD diagnosis, global cognitive function, brain Aβ, plasma Aβ40 and Aβ42, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ, tau, and phosphorylated …

Consumer Health Information Needs, Seeking And Searching Behavior By Rural Residents In The Kachia Grazing Reserve, With A Focus On Vector-Borne Diseases, Musa Dauda Hassan

Theses and Dissertations

Information is considered the basic material for making decisions. People from all walks of life have information needs for business and personal use. Consumer Health Information (CHI) is an emerging form of information made accessible to the layperson. It is a simplified form of information from the types of information available to medical professionals. This study examines the health information behavior of the residents of one region in the Kachia Grazing Reserve (KGR) located in the North West of the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. This dissertation explores the health information needs, seeking and searching behavior of the residents of …

Investigating The Contribution Of Instance-Reliant Learning In Visuomotor Adaptation And Its Generalization, Shancheng Bao

Theses and Dissertations

Motor adaptation has been of great interest in the past two decades as it reflects how movement skills are acquired and consolidated by the nervous system. In our recent studies, instance-reliant learning is considered as an essential component of visuomotor adaptation, since it plays a unique role in fast and automatized control of movement output. The goal of this dissertation is to investigate the nature of instance-reliant learning on two aspects: to determine the differential contributions of algorithmic learning and instance-reliant learning to visuomotor adaptation; and to determine the nature of movement instance involved in visuomotor adaptation and its generalization …

Engaging Hmong Americans Long-Term Use Of Healthcare Technology Using Culturally Revised Social Cognitive Theory Model, Peggy Xiong

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Information technology benefits the world, and it’s required for health care system, such as electronic medical records (EMR). User acceptance model is to systematically study how users come to accept and use a technology. For example, the cultural values of a society restrict use of technology in which an individual can be less incline to accept it. There is a significant amount of Hmong population in great Milwaukee area. Spirits are a central part of Hmong religious beliefs where the spirit is tied to health. Chronic disease is believed to be caused by bad actions done by the individual’s …

Role Of Regulatory T Cells In The Development And Progression Of Lyme Disease In Balb/C Mice, Kaitlyn Nielsen

Theses and Dissertations

Lyme disease, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, is an increasingly important public health concern, with tens of thousands of new cases being diagnosed each year, even in previously non-endemic areas. It is known that symptoms of Lyme disease are caused by an inflammatory immune response initiated to aid in clearance of the pathogen. Left unchecked, these inflammatory responses can potentially increase tissue damage, leading to increased disease severity. Mechanisms responsible for the control of the inflammatory response to infection with B. burgdorferi are not entirely understood. Evidence exists that regulatory T (Treg) cells, a population of Foxp3-expressing CD4+ T cells known …

Experiences Of Women Accessing Prenatal Care: Voices Of Rural Saudi Women In Faifa Mountains, Faten Yahya Alfaifi

Theses and Dissertations

It is well documented that rural pregnant women around the world experience barriers to accessing prenatal care. Existing literature is based on research that mainly examines the experiences of rural women with prenatal care access and utilization in Western, African, and some Middle Eastern countries. However, the available literature has little information about Saudi rural women’s experience with prenatal care access generally and no information about the experiences of pregnant women in the rural areas of Jazan. To address this gap, this qualitative study was employed to gain in-depth understanding of the experiences of Saudi women in accessing prenatal care …

Medication Self-Management Behaviors Of Community-Dwelling Adults With Chronic Disease, Michelle Yvonne Williams

Theses and Dissertations

MEDICATION SELF-MANAGEMENT BEHAVIORS OF COMMUNITY- DWELLING

ADULTS WITH CHRONIC DISEASE

by

Michelle Y. Williams, PhD, MSN, RN

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2019

Under the Supervision of Professor Rachel Schiffman, PhD, RN, FAAN

Chronic conditions threaten public health, individuals, and families and affect all areas of a person’s life and require significant self-management from the individual with the disease, care from the healthcare provider and team, and support from the individual’s family. The relationship of selected risk and protective factors and communication with healthcare providers to medication self-management behaviors and quality of life was examined in 616 adults with chronic disease …

To Meme, Or Not To Meme: Applying The Theory Of Motivated Information Management To The Provision Of Support After Depressed Individuals Share Suicidal Memes, Jacki Paige Willenborg

Theses and Dissertations

Social media sites are increasingly where individuals seek and share information on a range of topics. The focus of this thesis is on suicidal memes and how individuals interpret them. Suicidal memes are memes that suggest suicide through either text or visual images. No research has investigated interpretations of suicidal memes to date as well as why individuals post them. It is important to study such issues as the interpretations of these memes can mean the difference between depressed individuals, for example, receiving the help they need or those same individuals alienating themselves from their loved ones. Informed by the …

Trans In Higher Ed: Understanding The Experiences Of Transgender And Nonbinary College Students, Katherine Cochran

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study sought to further explore the lived experiences of trans and nonbinary college students, in attempts to address the empirical gap contributed to by conflation of sexual and gender minorities’ experiences in research. The focus is on the lived experiences of trans and nonbinary college students to explore identity development, their experiences on campus and with mental health services, the nature of help-seeking behaviors, and their recommendations for mental health professionals, allies, and college staff. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews addressing the following research questions: (1) What are the lived experiences of trans and nonbinary college students; …

The Effect Of Attention To Self-Regulation Of Speech Sound Productions On Speech Fluency In Oral Reading, Chana Basya Halpern

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This study ultimately sought to test whether a condition of heightened attention to speech sound production during connected speech serves to trigger increased disfluencies. Disfluencies, or disruptions in the flow of speech, are highly variable in form and location, both within and across individuals and situations. Research to identify conditions that can predictably trigger disfluencies has the potential to provide insight into their elusive nature. A review of related literature covered the cognitive-linguistic theories related to speech fluency and stuttering. This review of previous literature also served as the foundation for why it was proposed that disfluencies would be …

Obesity Suppresses Pigment Epithelium-Derived Factor And Alters Pro-Tumorigenic Signaling Pathways In Prostate Cancer, Nizar Ahmed Khamjan

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), a multifunctional protein, is a potent tumor suppressor and anti-angiogenic factor. PEDF has been identified as a novel regulator of lipid metabolism via binding and activating adipose triglyceride lipase, which stimulates lipolytic pathways. PEDF-deficient mice develop prostatic hyperplasia that progresses to cancer when these mice are fed a high fat diet (HFD). PEDF expression is decreased in prostate cancer (PCa) patient tissues. Conversely, PEDF treatment inhibits PCa growth in mouse models. Recently, our lab has demonstrated that excess oleic acid (OA) treatment, an in vitro obesity model, suppresses secreted PEDF expression in PCa cell lines …

Factors Associated With Turnover Intention Among Newly Graduated Nurses, Shaherah Yousef Andargeery

Theses and Dissertations

Saudi Arabia faces many challenges to retain experienced and newly graduated nurses (NGNs), similar to Western and Asian countries. The turnover rate of Saudi nurses has reached 50% (Abu Zinadah, 2006) and about 38% out of 172,483 nurses are Saudi (MOH, 2017). Turnover needs to be urgently addressed to secure the future supply of nurses for Saudi Arabia. Despite government efforts to address the workforce shortage, turnover has increased. Research shows that job stress, work environment satisfaction, preceptorship experience, and role conflict and ambiguity are key factors that contribute to turnover intention. It is important for policymakers and nurse leaders …

Simulation Facilitator Competency: Validity And Reliability Of A Self-Assessment Tool, Mary (Molly) Kellgren

Theses and Dissertations

The use of simulation as a teaching and learning strategy continues to grow in nursing education. Standards of Best Practice, certification criteria, and simulation theory support the notion that facilitation of simulation requires a specialized skill set that differs from traditional classroom and clinical teaching. The discipline of nursing has already established valid and reliable tools for teachers within the classroom and clinical environments to complete self- and/or peer evaluation to inform teaching effectiveness. The National League for Nursing/Kellgren Simulation Facilitator (NLN/KSF) tool fills a gap in the literature by providing a valid and reliable tool to self-assess comprehensive facilitator …

Quantitative Evaluation Of Geared Manual Wheelchair Mobility In Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury: An Integrative Approach, Omid Jahanian

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to quantify the effects of using geared wheelchair wheels on upper extremity biomechanics and energy expenditure during functional mobility tasks in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). The effects of using geared wheels on hand-rim biomechanics, glenohumeral joint dynamics, and shoulder muscle activity were investigated during manual wheelchair propulsion over tiled and carpeted level-floors and up a ramp in low gear (1.5:1) and standard gear (1:1) conditions. The results for the hand-rim biomechanics indicated that regardless of the terrain, using the geared wheels in the low gear condition significantly decreased the propulsion speed, stroke …

Heart Failure Self-Management, Svetlana Zaharova

Theses and Dissertations

Heart failure is a chronic health problem. Heart failure is costly for society, resulting in high morbidity and mortality which accounts for large public spending on this disease. Heart failure (HF) management is complex and requires coordination between patients, families, and their health team members. Self-management (SM) of HF is an important component of chronic disease management and, when done well, aids in preventing HF exacerbations and unnecessary hospitalizations. There are gaps in nursing knowledge of as to which strategies best account for successful outcomes of SM in HF and which patient attributes help contribute to better SM. To clarify …

Less Than Human: A Study Of The Institutional Origins Of The Medical Waste Recovered At The Milwaukee County Poor Farm Cemetery, Alexander Anthony

Theses and Dissertations

Poor Laws enacted in the early 19th-century condemned the most destitute to confinement in almshouses, poor farms, and workhouses. These laws paralleled contemporary Anatomy Acts that turned the unclaimed bodies of individuals who died at those institutions over to medical facilities for dissection, often simultaneously removing anatomization as a punishment for murder. In essence, pauperism became punishable by anatomization. Thus, dissection served the dual purpose of reinforcing social identity amongst the lower class and privileging the social identity of upper-class medical students. This study is an analysis of the material medical waste recovered from the graves of individuals interred at …

It’S A Process: A Qualitative Study About The Resistance And Resilience Of Transgender Youth Of Color Navigating Parent/Guardian Support And Societal Oppressions, Linda Marie Wesp

Theses and Dissertations

Transgender youth of color experience alarming rates of marginalization and victimization within society, including experiences of rejection from parents/ guardians, which has been associated with various adverse health outcomes. Health care providers are encouraged to facilitate parent/guardian support for transgender youth to improve long term health, however nurses report feeling underprepared to care for transgender populations and nursing transgender health research is lacking. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to describe how transgender youth of color experience and navigate parent/guardian support, considering the broader societal context.

This study was informed by critical and intersectionality theory. A qualitative secondary approach …

Information Overload: Auditing The Clinical Utility Of Smart Pump Reporting Tools, Elizabeth Rodman

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Smart pump technology provides detailed information about each infused drug and fluid that can be used to examine trends and assist in data set optimization. When smart pumps interface with the electronic health record through interoperability, additional data are available.

Methods: The primary outcomes of this study were to identify the top 10 drugs implicated in smart pump near miss events and to reduce the number of near miss events related to smart pump programming. Interoperability data from April 2017 to October 2017 were assessed for near miss trends. Potential interventions for the top 10 drugs were compared using …

Memory-Based Viewing: A Potential Marker Of Pathological Aging, Jenna Blujus

Theses and Dissertations

Markers of cognitive impairment are needed to distinguish normal from pathological aging prior to the onset of clinical symptomology to improve Alzheimer’s disease (AD) treatment or prevention efforts. AD pathology is believed to develop years or even decades prior to diagnosis in medial temporal lobe subregions that provide input to the hippocampus (Braak & Braak, 1991), disrupting the ability of the hippocampus to bind individual elements of an experience to form cohesive memory representations. Eye movement behavior is a sensitive index of learning and effects of memory on eye movements have been shown to emerge rapidly (within 500-750ms of stimuli …

Buffering Of Physiological And Affective Reactivity By A Single Proactive 5-Minute Stress Management Technique, Kayla Talia Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

A plethora of recent research highlights the long-term chronic disease risks of elevated blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and affective and cognitive responses to mental stressors and how traditional forms of mindfulness meditation (MM) and progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) may help offset these long-term risks. On top of that, briefer forms of MM (e.g., 3-day training sessions) have shown benefits for emotional and physical health. Further, perseverative cognitions, or the tendency to worry and rumination about stressful events, is linked with heightened CV reactivity, and may impede the success of stress management techniques. The purpose of this study was …

Buffering Of Physiological And Affective Reactivity By A Single Proactive 5-Minute Stress Management Technique, Kayla Talia Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

A plethora of recent research highlights the long-term chronic disease risks of elevated blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and affective and cognitive responses to mental stressors and how traditional forms of mindfulness meditation (MM) and progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) may help offset these long-term risks. On top of that, briefer forms of MM (e.g., 3-day training sessions) have shown benefits for emotional and physical health. Further, perseverative cognitions, or the tendency to worry and rumination about stressful events, is linked with heightened CV reactivity, and may impede the success of stress management techniques. The purpose of this study was …

Stability Analysis For The Equilibria Of A Monkeypox Model, Rachel Elizabeth Tewinkel

Theses and Dissertations

Monkeypox virus was first identified in 1958 and has since been an ongoing problem in Central and Western Africa. Although the smallpox vaccine provides partial immunity against monkeypox, the number of cases has greatly increased since the eradication of smallpox made its vaccination unnecessary. Although studied by epidemiologists, monkeypox has not been thoroughly studied by mathematicians to the extent of other serious diseases. Currently, to our knowledge, only three mathematical models of monkeypox have been proposed and studied. We present the first of these models, which is related to the second, and discuss the global and local asymptotic stability of …

Memory-Based Viewing: A Potential Marker Of Pathological Aging, Jenna Blujus

Theses and Dissertations

Markers of cognitive impairment are needed to distinguish normal from pathological aging prior to the onset of clinical symptomology to improve Alzheimer’s disease (AD) treatment or prevention efforts. AD pathology is believed to develop years or even decades prior to diagnosis in medial temporal lobe subregions that provide input to the hippocampus (Braak & Braak, 1991), disrupting the ability of the hippocampus to bind individual elements of an experience to form cohesive memory representations. Eye movement behavior is a sensitive index of learning and effects of memory on eye movements have been shown to emerge rapidly (within 500-750ms of stimuli …

Less Than Human: A Study Of The Institutional Origins Of The Medical Waste Recovered At The Milwaukee County Poor Farm Cemetery, Alexander Anthony

Theses and Dissertations

Poor Laws enacted in the early 19th-century condemned the most destitute to confinement in almshouses, poor farms, and workhouses. These laws paralleled contemporary Anatomy Acts that turned the unclaimed bodies of individuals who died at those institutions over to medical facilities for dissection, often simultaneously removing anatomization as a punishment for murder. In essence, pauperism became punishable by anatomization. Thus, dissection served the dual purpose of reinforcing social identity amongst the lower class and privileging the social identity of upper-class medical students. This study is an analysis of the material medical waste recovered from the graves of individuals interred at …

The Assessment Of Technology Adoption Interventions And Outcome Achievement Related To The Use Of A Clinical Research Data Warehouse, Katie A. Mccarthy

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: While funding for research has declined since 2004, the need for rapid, innovative, and lifesaving clinical and translational research has never been greater due to the rise in chronic health conditions, which have resulted in lower life expectancy and higher rates of mortality and adverse outcomes. Finding effective diagnostic and treatment methods to address the complex challenges in individual and population health will require a team science approach, creating the need for multidisciplinary collaboration among practitioners and researchers.

To address this need, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) created the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program. The CTSA …