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Eco-Interoception: What Plants, Fungi And Protista Have Taught My Body, Sara Riley Dotterer

Art Theses and Dissertations

To me, ecology is the relational, full-body awareness that I am made up of and deeply connected to everything around me; and for better or worse, this is reciprocal. I form ecotones, an ecological transitional zone between two ecosystems, with the world around me. I use this ecotonal lens to blur binaries and dissolve boundaries between me and the world “outside my body.” During my Masters of Fine Arts at Southern Methodist University, I have continuously explored and represented the lives of various more-than-human species outside of my body, including plants, fungi and protista through an ecotonal lens. Although these …

The Relationship Between Fully Online Gateway Science Courses And Student Academic Performance In Health Career Associate Degree Programs At Regional Community College, Mukesh George

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The severe shortage of healthcare professionals creates an increased demand for new graduates in Allied health and Nursing programs. Gateway science courses to HCAD programs such as A&P are often considered predictors of student success in Allied health and Nursing programs. A&P courses have been traditionally taught face-to-face, and the COVID pandemic has forced institutions to switch these courses to a fully online format. Despite its increased popularity, the impact of fully online gateway courses on student academic performance in HCAD programs needed to be clarified. This quantitative study examined the relationship between fully online gateway science courses and student …

Monitoring Sars-Cov-2 Risk With Co2. The Importance Of Ventilation, Masks, And Vaccinations., Preston Betz

Earth Sciences Theses and Dissertations

To assess airborne pathogen infection risk, concentrations of interior carbon dioxide and changes in relative humidity serve as proxies for human respiration products. Yanes and Yapp, 2010, demonstrated that interior air carbon dioxide concentrations and ¹³C/¹²C ratios display a two-component mixing relationship between respiration carbon dioxide which is highly concentrated (>100x atmospheric) in respiration air CO₂ at >40,000 ppm compared with ambient air (~410 ppm). In the absence of combustion carbon dioxide, the concentration of carbon dioxide, in an interior space, depends on the rate of respiration CO₂ addition relative to the amount of …

Factors For Success Of International Female Doctoral Students In Science In The United States, Maria Patricia Cantu

Theses & Dissertations

Factors for Success of International Female Doctoral Students in Science in the United States

Many international doctoral female students in the sciences in the United States do not obtain a degree despite their large investment in time, effort, and financial resources. The loss of highly prepared and credentialed international female doctoral students, who have a genuine interest in science but who choose not to pursue their studies to graduation or switch careers due to real or perceived barriers, signifies such a loss not just for the women themselves and their families but for their countries of origin, their hosts universities, …

Making Forests, Making Communities: An Ethnography Of Reforestation In Monteverde, Costa Rica, Megan Brown

Anthropology Theses and Dissertations

Reforestation is not just planting trees in the ground. More than net increase in forest cover, reforestation is a complex political endeavor undertaken by both humans and non-humans and a popular climate change mitigation tactic. However, little research has examined the dynamics between selection of specific reforestation strategies, health, and community resilience, particularly with attention to entanglements between the lives of both human and non-human forest dwellers. This ethnographic work, based on six months of in-person fieldwork and six months of digital ethnography, examines reforestation and forest relations in Costa Rica’s Monte Verde zone, a region which experienced widespread deforestation, …

The Impact Of Sentiment And Misinformation Cycling Through The Social Media Platform, Twitter, During The Initial Phase Of The Covid-19 Vaccine Rollout, Emily Grace Burwell

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This study assesses the underlying topics, sentiment, and types of information regarding COVID-19 vaccines on Twitter during the initiation of the vaccine rollout. Tweets about the COVID-19 vaccine were collected and the relevant tweets were then filtered out using a relevancy classifier. Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) was used to uncover topics of discussion within the relevant tweets. The NRC lexicon was used to assess positive and negative sentiment within tweets. The type of information (information, misinformation, opinion, or question) in tweets was evaluated. The relevancy classifier resulted in a dataset of 210,657 relevant tweets. Eight topics provided the best representation …

Towards A Common Vision For Innovation: Making Sense Of Complexity In A Health Sciences Program, Nina L. Blanes

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

The growing use of digital educational technologies in higher education has seen considerable change resulting in significant institutional energies directed towards maintaining currency with today’s emerging trends. The move to digital transformation is an inevitable assumption and generally positively accepted by academia. Despite this, technology integration has emerged in an ad hoc and reactive fashion rather than purposeful and strategic. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) addresses the need for a shared vision for technology adoption across a health sciences program in a mid-sized institution. Although faculty participate enthusiastically in developing curricular initiatives, their roles and engagement with technology visioning are …

Pedagogic Recontextualization In Health Science Education During A Global Pandemic: Faculty Perspectives On Instructional Adaptations, Kara R. De La Fosse

Education Doctorate Dissertations

This qualitative study explored Health Science faculty navigating learning during a global pandemic. Data collection sources for the study comprised individual interviews, individual online questionnaires, and a focus group. The study produced four emergent themes from data analysis of individual interviews, online questionnaires, and the focus group: Faculty Flexibility with Responding to Virtual Instructional Delivery, Shift from Didactic to Conceptual Contextual Learning, Shift in Assessment of Skills and Competency, and Faculty Creativity in Changing the State of Practice Through Course Design. Conclusions from the study established changing pedagogy from a teacher-focused to student-focused approach and employing creativity were paramount with …

Functions Of Atr Kinase In Terminally Differentiated Human Epidermal Keratinocyles And In Human Ex-Vivo Skin After Exposure To Ultraviolet B Radiation, Vivek Shashank Nag Gogusetti

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The functions of Ataxia telangiectasia and Rad-3 related protein (ATR) is very much important in a cell, as it is a DNA damage response protein, which plays an important role in cell division, DNA repair and apoptosis. This protein helps in proliferation in the actively DNA dividing normal cells and in cancer cells. The functions of ATR in a proliferating cell are well studied and known to involve regulation of replication fork and cell cycle progression after DNA damage. Whereas, in a non-replicating cell, the functions of ATR are not so well known. In the human body, most of the …

Lived Experience Of Exemplary Physical Therapist Students In Clinical Education: A Phenonenological Study, Laura Hagan

Department of Physical Therapy Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction and Review of the Literature. The academic community has made it priority to determine best practice in the clinical education (CE) of Physical Therapist (PT) students. The perspective of various stakeholders has been considered inthe profession’s pursuit of excellence. Previous research highlighting the characteristics of expert clinicians and clinicalinstructors in physical therapy has served as a model for those who strive for excellence. The student and critical stakeholder, however, has not been given the opportunity to be heard. To date, no literature has explored the experience of PT student who demonstrate excellence. This study aims to understand the lived …

Validity Of Various Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis Devices Vs The Bod Pod For Body Composition, Alivia Blakley

ETD Archive

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the validity of various BIA devices compared to a criterion, the Bod Pod. It was hypothesized that (1) there would be no significant difference in the various BIA devices (Seca, Inbody, Tanita, Omron) as compared to the Bod Pod, for validity and reliability, (2) there would be no significant difference in total body water as measured by the Seca and Tanita, and (3) there would be significant differences in weight as measured by four of the five devices (Bod Pod, Seca, Tanita, Inbody). Methods: Forty participants, ages 18-31 years, 20 female …

Voice Disorders Secondary To Thyroidectomy: A Case Study, Samantha D'Agostino

ETD Archive

The thyroid is an important gland that aids in development. Located anteriorly at the base of the neck, the thyroid produces hormones that regulate metabolism. Thyroid dysfunction can lead to excess or reduced production of hormones known as hyper and hypothyroidism. Usually affecting women, hyper and hypothyroidism can be life-threatening. A well-known treatment is a thyroidectomy, or removal of the thyroid gland. Many people report vocal change secondary to thyroidectomy. Dysfunction can result from intubation during surgery or damage to laryngeal nerves and/or muscles. A participant’s low intensity and difficulty with projection prompted a case-study to examine the laryngeal area …

The Effect Of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems On The Vocal Folds, Hilary Gayle Sample

ETD Archive

Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) are non-combustible tobacco products that are rapidly gaining in popularity worldwide. ENDS are marketed as safer alternatives to cigarettes; however, very little research is available to support or deny these claims. ENDS aerosol is inhaled over the vocal folds and into the lungs consistent with cigarette smoke. The larynx is among the primary locations affected by smoking; therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the effect, if any, of ENDS on the larynx. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the laryngeal appearance and function of seven ENDS users as compared to four cigarette …

Agent-Based Simulation Of Artificial-Intelligence-Assisted Transfer Of Care, Paul B. Stone

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This study demonstrates the application of Agent-Based Simulation as a potential training aid for Transfer of Care (ToC) between EMS and a hospital triage department. The specific aim was to develop a simulation to increase the efficiency and accountability of information communication during ToC to test the suitability of Agent-Based Simulation to address training requirements in complex, health provision settings. This paper focuses on the design of the training simulation, including the development of individual agents within the simulation through the user interface elements and the evaluation and verification of the prototype simulator. The primary objective is for the simulation …

Exploration Of Statistics Anxiety Among Doctoral Students In Health Sciences Related Disciplines, Quincy Chau

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study explored the statistical anxiety levels of doctoral students in health sciences related disciplines, i.e. Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). This study also explored the differences in statistics anxiety levels between professional doctoral students (i.e. D.N.P.) and research doctoral student (i.e. Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Sciences, Health Sciences, Nursing, Environmental and Occupational Health, Human Movement Sciences Concentration and Kinesiology & Rehabilitation.) 403 doctoral students responded to the online survey and 312 of them completed 100% of the Statistical Anxiety Rating Scales (STARS) instrument and 100% of the social demographic questions. Statistics anxiety scores achieved internal …

The Moderating Role Of Emotion Regulation In The Relationship Between Stress And Inflammatory Bowel Disease Severity Among Diagnosed Individuals, Sarah M. Ghose

ETD Archive

This study examined whether both perceived and objectively rated chronic stress are contributing external factors to altered Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) disease severity among diagnosed individuals. This study further examined whether emotion regulation (ER) acts as an ameliorative factor within this relationship. Of additional interest to this investigation was whether objectively rated stress (acquired via the UCLA Life Stress Interview) provided a unique contribution to this relationship. Recent investigations suggest that higher levels of perceived stress may result in increased IBD severity. Further, ER deficits may be associated with increased IBD disease activity in response to both chronic and perceived …

Drughelp.Care – A Web Application For The Discovery Of Drug Addiction Treatment Facilities, Sachin Hiriyanna

ETD Archive

One of the current and biggest problems in the system of emergency care for the drug overdose epidemic, is the failure of information delivery on nearby treatment facilities. Even though some initiatives on the internet tried to solve this issue, they either failed in delivering the information or in providing ease of usability. This thesis research aims to develop a web application which, 1. Delivers a highly accurate, easy-to-understand and targeted information in a timely manner for drug abusers and their well-wishers. 2. Provides an eco-system for the treatment facilities with an easy-to-use backend to constantly update their complex information …

Real-Time Assessment And Visual Feedback For Patient Rehabilitation Using Inertial Sensors, Deepa Adinarayanan

ETD Archive

Rehabilitation exercises needs have been continuously increasing and have been projected to increase in future as well based on its demand for aging population, recovering from surgery, injury and illness and the living and working lifestyle of the people. This research aims to tackle one of the most critical issues faced by the exercise administers-Adherence or Non-Adherence to Home Exercise problems especially has been a significant issue resulting in extensive research on the psychological analysis of people involved. In this research, a solution is provided to increase the adherence of such programs through an automated real-time assessment with constant visual …

An Evaluation Of Interprofessional Knowledge And Attitudes In Graduate Students From Six Programs In Health Sciences After An Interprofessional Education Workshop Experience, Joanna Velasco

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Interprofessional Education (IPE) occurs when two or more disciplines learn about, from, and with each other to provide interprofessional patient-centered care which ultimately improves patient health care outcomes (WHO, 2010). Through collaboration, students not only bring their own expertise, but are given an opportunity to learn what the other disciplines can offer for the same patient. Although IPE's importance is highly recognized, many universities do not engage in IPE practice because of scheduling difficulties, lack of faculty involvement, implementation challenges for various levels of competency, and uncertainty of how to measure the effectiveness of IPE activities (Johnson et al., 2015). …

Low-Impact Yoga Improves Flexibility, But Has No Effect On Heart Rate Variability In Sedentary Adult Women, Lauren Marie Shafer

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among adults in the United States and more than 600,000 people per year die when the condition goes untreated. Many cardiovascular maladies, such as high blood pressure and heart disease, can be markedly improved with lifestyle changes, including eating a healthy diet and regular exercise. In this study, 15 sedentary adult women (aged 19-63 years) participated in a prescribed 12-week yoga program. Electrocardiography was used to measure Heart Rate Variability, a tool that assesses autonomic tone on the heart. Autonomic nervous system activity is assessed at VLF, LF, and HF spectral components. …

Health Professions At Carolina: Promoting The University Of South Carolina Galen Health Fellows And Health Sciences Initiatives Using Social Media Marketing, Sarah Adair Roof

Senior Theses

This project sought to bring awareness to the newly developed Galen Health Fellows and health sciences programs at the University of South Carolina. In collaboration with the University of South Carolina Office of Admissions, investigators created and promoted a trackable social media marketing campaign for prospective program participants composed of online profiles of current USC health science students. These profiles aimed to promote the beyond-the-classroom experiences and advantages gained from pursuing a health sciences career at the University of South Carolina, particularly as a Galen Health Fellow. Student profiles were posted on the USC Admissions account of the blog site …

Serum Iron Concentration And Prostate Cancer In The United States, Aleeshaia Danner Raymonvil

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over 2 million adult men in the United States have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, with nearly 200,000 new diagnoses each year. This type of cancer is the leading cause of mortality in U.S. men. One possible risk factor for prostate cancer is a high level of iron in the body, but the association has yet to be confirmed. This study was an investigation of the relationship between serum iron concentration and prostate cancer using data obtained from the 2009-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. This quantitative study involved 1,850 men in the U.S. aged 51 to 70 years. …

Health Science Adminstrators' Perception Of Remediation With Students In The Professional Track Programs, Yvonne Jackson Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Remediation to improve student retention is rapidly becoming an important part of health science programs in higher education. A career college located in the midwestern United States implemented remediation for students to address declining enrollment health science professional-track programs. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how remediation was carried out by college instructors and their perceptions of instructional best practices for students in health science programs in the context of current research. The conceptual framework that guided this study was based on constructivism and adult learning theory. Research questions focused on how instructors were carrying out …

The Effect Of Breakfast Protein Source On Postprandial Hunger And Glucose Response In Normal Weight And Overweight Young Women, Marie Christina Crowder

General Human Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Skipping breakfast is associated with weight gain and obesity, as well as cardio-metabolic risk factors, such as poor glucose control. Currently, there is debate as to what the ideal macronutrient composition of breakfast should be for optimal health. Studies have shown that subjects who eat a breakfast high in protein (PRO) stay fuller throughout the day compared to subjects who consumed a carbohydrate (CHO)-based breakfast. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine if PRO quality (animal vs plant PRO) at breakfast influences postprandial satiety and glucose response in subjects consuming a higher PRO breakfast. Normal weight (NW; n=14) …

Development Of A Nutrition Education Tool To Reduce The Risk Of Childhood Obesity In A Northwest Arkansas Hispanic Population, Isabel Maria Barrenechea Acre

General Human Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Health Sciences, Nutrition

Nutrition Knowledge Of High School Senior Students In Northwest Arkansas, Grace Heymsfield

General Human Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Numerous changes in school environment regarding nutrition have been implemented in Arkansas, but there is no means in place of testing nutrition curriculum effectiveness in terms of nutrition knowledge of students. High school senior students completed a validated nutrition knowledge survey regarding the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010. Further testing with a larger sample size is recommended.

Comparison Of A Derived Ecg From A Cardioware Harness To A Standard 12-Lead Ecg During Rest And Exercise, Nickole R. Lay

ETD Archive

Purpose: To determine whether a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) using five dry electrodes in the modified EASI electrode position in the CardioWare harness can be derived from a standard 12-lead ECG during rest, ambulatory walking, and strenuous walking on a treadmill. Methods: Thirty healthy men (n=15) and women (n=15), ages 20-54 years, from Cleveland State University and the surrounding community participated in this study. Each subject served as their own control as they were connected to both types of ECG simultaneously (Modified EASI CardioWare and Standard Mason-Likar). Data was collected from both ECG placements for five minutes of rest (Trial A) …

The Effect Of A Speech-Generating Ipad Application On The Communication Outcomes Of Students Who Have Complex Communication Needs In Educational Settings: Three Case Studies, Amber Szilagyi

Master's Theses and Capstones

The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the efficacy of the use of a speech-generating application on the Apple iPad as a speech-generating device (SGD) by measuring three students' progress towards individual communication goals using the Speak for Yourself! (SFY) speech-generating app. The proposed speech-generating device was implemented into regularly scheduled speech-language therapy sessions with 3 students with complex communication needs (CCNs) over a 12-week period. Data measured at three different points were collected by students' speech-language pathologists using Goal Attainment Scaling. Results were positive. All student participants made progress towards, reached, or exceeded communication goals during the …

Everyday Food Practices Among Three Low-Income Groups: Rural, Homeless, And Refugee, Amy L. Redman

Doctoral Dissertations

Lower-income groups are more susceptible to diet-related diseases like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease (CDC, 2010). They are also more likely to need food and nutritional assistance (USDA, 2011). Yet very little is known about the day-to-day food practices of these individuals and families. Many times those who are relatively adjacent in terms of income are assumed to have similarities in food consumption (Hupkens, Knibbe, & Drop, 2000); however, this has not been empirically examined. The main objectives of this research are to 1) gain an exploratory in-depth understanding of the everyday food practices of individuals in three low-income groups: …

Promoting The Affective Domain Within Online Education, Stephen Roche

CCE Theses and Dissertations

In the past decade Higher Education Institutions have experienced tremendous growth in enrollments. To meet this demand, many higher education institutions have embraced online education and its requisite technologies. Online education has matured, and studies focusing on the cognitive domain indicate that distance education is as effective as the traditional face-to-face instructional modality. However, there is a scarcity of affective domain studies due to: a) the need for the institutions of higher education to perform quantitative studies to establish the quality of online education b) the affective domain's inherent subjective nature, and c) the educational research environment has slow recognition …