Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Evidence-Based Approaches To Lowering Uti Rates In Skilled Nursing Facilities: A Review Of The Literature And Application To A Local Skilled Nursing Home, Hailey Griffin

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The purpose of this paper may be divided into two parts. The first part was a literature review that sought to determine the most common risk factors for developing a urinary tract infection in nursing homes, as well as to identify evidence-based practice interventions for decreasing UTI rates within that specific patient population. The second part consisted of a case study that sought to apply the principles gathered from the literature review to the UTI logs of a deidentified local nursing home. It was found that indwelling urinary catheters and age are the two most common precipitating risk factors for …

Speech Intelligibility Assessment: Predicting “Noncompliant” Listener Behavior, Briggs Kroff

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Purpose: When researching speech intelligibility among people with dysarthria, convenience sampling has typically been used to recruit listeners. A new online crowdsourcing method, Mechanical Turk (MTurk), results in ecologically valid results, but outlier results are often removed from the analysis and considered "noncompliant". This study aims to examine whether there is a relationship between age, gender, speech/language/hearing impairment, and whether someone is "noncompliant".

Methods: 16 speakers, both with and without dysarthria, were recorded while they read prewritten sentences. Research participants found through MTurk then listened to the sentences and transcribed them. They also were asked questions including their …

Ethical Issues With Schizophrenia Research And Treatment, Chloé Brogdon

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Schizophrenia is a complex and debilitating mental disorder that affects millions of individuals worldwide. Current medical science is rapidly growing in its understanding of this illness. As researchers and practitioners seek to better understand and treat this condition from a medical and physiological standpoint, it is crucial that ethical implications of research and treatment approaches are fully considered and prioritized. This project investigated the nature and scope of schizophrenia as an illness in order to delve into ethical issues with current research and treatment approaches. Some of the ethical issues identified and analyzed include issues with informed consent, stigmatization, and …

Language Revitalization: Strategies To Reverse Language Shift, Jessica Jamiel Martin

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Language shift, the process by which a language loses speakers until it becomes extinct, is occurring in speech communities all over the world. This process is influenced by internal and external political, social, and economic factors unique to each community. As its causes and effects are not uniform, a universal model for reversing language shift does not exist. However, several broad principles can be applied across multiple contexts and situations for successful language revitalization. It is essential for the speech community to be the primary decision maker in any program. A thorough assessment of the community’s current status, challenges, and …

The Effects Of Strength And Conditioning Training On The Health Of College Students, Brynli Bleak

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Does participation in Strength and Conditioning (S&C) classes have a positive effect on the physical, emotional, mental, and social health of college students? This study was designed to measure and explore different markers of physical, mental, emotional, and social health from participants in Strength and Conditioning classes. Class participants were asked to complete a survey to self report the effects of the training on various aspects of their life. Data were analyzed and compared to national averages for college students, and correlation tests were conducted to identify relationships in the reported effects. The study found that no significant correlations existed …

Young Germ Cell Depleted Ovaries In Post-Reproductive Mice And Its Effects On Immune Function, Mckenna Walters

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

It has previously been shown that young, cycling ovarian transplantation in aged female mice increased the general health and life span in regard to their post-reproductive health. It has further been hypothesized that this enhancement of health is directly influenced by the ovarian somatic cells. To address this hypothesis, transplants of young germ cell depleted and germ cell containing ovaries were performed on female mice. The purpose of this study is to continue to discern the reproductive influence on aging health, specifically in the area of immunological well-being. Control group mice were separated by age and treatment mice were subsequently …

Evaluating The Potential Of Repurposing Commercially Available Drugs For The Treatment Of Viral Infections, Brennan Connor Mcewan

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Viral infections that are often overlooked as common seasonal illnesses such as influenza can rapidly become a public threat. They threaten society as new, more dangerous strains of these common viruses emerge and as strains develop resistance to current vaccines and antiviral treatments (Kochanek, Murphy, Xu, & Tejada-Vera, 2014). To combat this, the development of antiviral treatments with novel mechanisms of action is essential. Repurposing drugs instead of developing new drugs can save years of development time and hundreds of millions of dollars (DiMasi, Hansen, & Grabowski, 2003). To support the effort to discover drugs with unique mechanisms of action, …

Manipulation Of Ovarian Function Significantly Influenced Glucose Metabolism In Cba/J Mice, Kyleigh Ann Tyler

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Menopause is associated with a decline in overall health in women. One health aspect impacted is glucose metabolism. As women experience menopause, their metabolism declines dramatically. The current study addressed the influence of ovarian somatic cells on the improvement of metabolic health through transplantations of young, germ cell-depleted ovaries. The purpose of this study is to expand the understanding of female reproductive health on metabolism. Control mice were grouped by age and treatment mice were age-matched. Treatment mice were placed into one of three groups: 1) mice received germ cell-depleted ovaries, 2) mice received germ cell-containing ovaries, and 3) mice …

Body Dissatisfaction And Weight Bias In Children, Megan Janette Jensen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This article reviews the rate of body dissatisfaction and weight bias among young children. It was initially hypothesized that body-image begins much earlier than adolescence, where most interventions take place. Out of fifty articles read on the subject, forty-five peer reviewed articles were included in this review. The findings of these articles were synthesized for a comprehensive review on the topic. Results suggested that weight bias begins around three years of age, while body dissatisfaction begins around age five for girls, and seven for boys. Rates of body dissatisfaction among children were similar to the rate among adolescents, averaging out …

A Review Of Osteoarthritis, Madelin Brooke Session

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease which plagues many older animals and humans. It is a disease that is characterized by the degeneration of joint cartilage, inflammation, as well as chronic pain and stiffness that results from this disorder. Unfortunately, most of the treatments for this painful and chronic disease mostly involve pain management and temporary relief strategies. These strategies usually include pain medication, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, injectable lubricants, as well as surgical techniques. However, because these treatments are just temporary fixes meant for pain management and to improve quality of life they must continue throughout the remainder of the …

Does Talker Familiarity Or Time Of Testing Facilitate Sentence Recognition When Listening In Noise?, Madison S. Buntrock

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

At the most elementary level, the speech signal is comprised of two parts: linguistic information and indexical information. The linguistic information is the phonetic information of the signal and indexical information is speaker specific and is the paralinguistic information of the signal. Part of this indexical information is talker specific characteristics; which have been shown to help people understand speech. The talker specific characteristic we looked at was talker familiarity. Talker familiarity has been shown to help babies segment speech and adults listen in noise and recall stories. We looked at talker familiarity to see if it would benefit typically …

A Deeper Look Into The Vastus Medialis: A Stabilizer For The Knee, Connie Nicole Barnes

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Anterior cruciate ligament tears are one of the most common injuries that occur, especially in female athletes. It requires surgery and months of physical therapy to get these athletes back in playing condition. The angle of women’s hips and lack of strength of inner quadriceps muscles enhances the risk of injuries to the knees. One specific muscle that is known for being a stabilizer of the knee and may help in preventing ACL tears is the vastus medialis. By understanding what exercises activate this muscle the most, conditioning plans and preventative workouts need to be created to help female athletes …

Dynamic Stability On Land And In Waist-Deep Water: Comparison Between Young And Middle Aged Adults, Christie Bunnell

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to compare dynamic stability on land and in water, between young and middle-aged adults performing plyometric exercises. Twenty adults were asked to volunteer: Young = 24.40 ± 2.63 years, n = 10 and middle-aged = 46.80 ± 3.05 years, n = 10. Participants performed three plyometric exercises (countermovement jump, squat jump, and drop landing) on land and in waist-deep water. Dynamic stability was assessed during landing for each exercise using a time to stabilization (TTS) paradigm. Data were collected via a waterproof force plate positioned on an adjustable-depth pool floor and analyzed with a …

Classroom Amplification: The Necessity Of Sound-Amplification In The Classroom, Kalley Ellis

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In a classroom, the optimal signal-to-noise ratio, as is recommended by the American Nation Standards Institute (ANSI), is 35 dBA, with the reverberation reaching a maximum of 0.6s (Lewis, 2008); yet, in classrooms today, the typical signal-to-noise ratio ranges from 40-73 dBA (Lewis, 2008). With at least 75% of the school day being spent in listening activities (e.g. reading, instructions, lecture, etc.), this noise level in the classroom has great impact on what a child hears and, thus, learns (Blazer, 2008). Unfortunately, with each new year, classroom sizes are increasing and creating an even more detrimental noise level and signal-to-noise …

Age-Related Changes In Attention During Motor Learning, James E. Gardner

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Theories of motor learning predict that humans require high levels of attention to perform new motor tasks, but little to no attention for those that are well-learned. Thus, practicing a task may decrease the amount of attention required to perform it. To test this theoretical relationship between attention and task practice, we used a physiological proxy for attention known as electrodermal activity (EDA). We hypothesized that 1) EDA (proxy for attention) would decrease over the course of training and that 2) attention would be higher overall in older adults than in younger adults when performing the same task. This second …

Patient Perspectives Of Nutrition In Healthcare: An Exploratory Study, Matthew Gary Petersen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Healthcare is one of the most debated and controversial issues facing our nation and the world today. From availability to affordability, healthcare influences the lives of millions of people daily. For more than a decade the World Health Organization has called for an integrated approach to improve global health by improving patient adherence to prescribed treatments. Despite this, very little improvement has been made in adherence trends since the 1980's. Some current research has focused on improved adherence through an understanding of the patient's perspective of healthcare. By understanding how the patient sees healthcare, physicians are able to provide more …

Ebt At Farmer's Markets Is A Snap, Amanda Spackman

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Research Question: How can farmers' markets best implement the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to increase sales and provide low income individuals with access to fresh, local produce?

This paper will discuss the use of SNAP benefits (formerly known as food stamps) at farmers' markets, with particular emphasis on the Cache Valley Gardener's Market as an example. Lack of access to adequate food is a major issue in the US. When farmers' markets work in conjunction with the federal SNAP program they can help individuals who struggle with food security to gain access to local food. There are many benefits …

The Benefits Of Exercise During Pregnancy, Nikelle Holbrook Hunsaker

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

People are often confused about the effects and recommendations of exercise during pregnancy. A review of the literature demonstrates that regular physical activity provides benefits to both mother and fetus during pregnancy. These benefits range from decreasing the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus to improving the mother's psychological well-being and can be obtained without causing harm to the fetus. The recommendations for physical activity during pregnancy include thirty minutes of physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week. These recommendations are the same as those for non-pregnant individuals. Contrary to popular opinion, a sedentary lifestyle during pregnancy …

Comparison Of Peak Power On Four Cycling Modes, James O. Olsen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

There has been a vast amount research conducted concerning many different aspects of cycling performance. This is, in part, due to the relative ease with which variables can be isolated and tested. The equipment used for cycling research is generally compact, stationary, and relatively inexpensive, which make cycling a convenient method to test a variety of variables. In a laboratory setting, researchers often utilize cycle rollers, ergometers, and trainers to best simulate road cycling. Rollers allow subjects the familiarity of using their personal bicycles, and the ability to experience typical factors of cycling such as angular and lateral movement. Trainers …

A Short Stress Coping Intervention In Female Collegate Student-Athletes, Brett K. Steadman

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This research examines the effect of a stress coping based intervention in the lives of female student-athletes. Sixteen female student-athletes attending Utah State University participated in a 60 minute intervention teaching skills such as progressive muscle relaxation, stressor identification, and stress coping. Participants completed the Inventory of College Students’ Recent Life Experiences before and after the intervention. The scores collected from the inventory were used to determine whether the intervention had a significant impact on the amount of perceived stress in their lives. The findings suggest that those who participated in the 60 minute intervention experienced no change in their …

A Comparison Of Muscle Activity Responses Of Adults And Children During Whole Body Vibration, Dustin Blair Nash

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Results of recent studies have suggested that attenuation and transmissibility of WBV in adults and children are similar, but due to anatomical differences, it is hypothesized that children employ different strategies. One suggested strategy is that of muscle tuning, whereby muscle activity levels are adjusted to control potentially dangerous accelerations produced by vibration resonance. The purpose of the study was to compare muscle activity responses between children and adults exposed to whole body vibration. It was hypothesized that the muscle activity in children would be greater than that in adults due to muscle tuning strategies. Eleven adults and fourteen children …

Vitamin D Deficiency In The United States: How Common Is It?, Christine N. Arnold

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Background: Vitamin D deficiency in the US is more prevalent than before estimated. Given the numerous roles vitamin D plays in the body, it is becoming apparent that the need for adequate intake is vital. It is generally accepted that adults require 1,000 IU per day.

Methods: Electronic searches were conducted using Google Scholar and Elsevier databases. Search terms included “vitamin D deficiency”, “vitamin D deficiency US”, and “vitamin D screening”. Databases were reviewed for prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the US.

Results: Populations at high risk for deficiency include the elderly, adolescents, people with darker skin, those who …

Evaluation And Validation Of Bodpod Body Scan Method As Compared To Dexa, Effect Of Calcium And Caloric Intake In Female Collegiate Track Athletes, Jennifer Day

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the validity of the BODPOD air displacement plethysmography as compared to the DEXA (dual energy x-ray absorptiometry) in testing body fat percentages in female collegiate runners. The link between caloric intake and body fat distribution, as well as the link between calcium and vitamin D intake and bone density was also evaluated.

Methods: Participants were 8 female collegiate athletes from the USU track team. A 3-day diet history was obtained from each participant and body fat test were performed using both the BODPOD and the DEXA scans within a four month period due …

An Investigation Of Dietary Supplementation As A Potential Source Of Nutrition Misinformation Hindering The Development Of Healthy Eating Habits In The College Population, Mary Dimmick

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Current dietary supplement legislation allows nutrition misinformation to flourish; misleading structure‐function and health‐claims now abound on supplement labels. Meanwhile, college students tend to be open to experimentation and exploration. Hence, this study’s objective was to discover if students at USU are being influenced by such claims to unjustifiably take dietary supplements in a manner which hinders the development of healthy eating habits. During August of 2009, 1,300 USU freshmen were invited to voluntarily participate in an on‐line survey concerning dietary patterns which included a section about dietary supplementation. Five‐hundred‐and‐twelve completed the survey after providing informed written consent to participate. The …

Significant Interactions With The Most Commonly Used Herbal And Nonherbal Supplements Impact Warfarin Safety And Efficacy, Brittany Jean Sagers

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Background: Nearly 20% of adult Americans used herbal therapies in 2007, but greater than two-thirds failed to report such use to their medical provider. Significant patient harm may occur when herbal supplements are taken in conjunction with warfarin; however, patients and medical providers may not be aware of these interactions and this may place patients at risk for life-threatening bleeds or thrombotic complications.

Methods: The authors determined the top 25 herbal and 25 nonherbal supplements used by Americans using sales data from 2008, and each product was reviewed for its potential to interact with warfarin. Electronic searches were conducted using …

To What Extent Do Local Farmers' Markets, Community Supported Agriculture Programs, And Community Gardens Help Low-Income Families Improve Access To Fresh, Local Produce?, Christy Gene Somsen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Farmers’ Markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Programs, and Community Gardens have been developed to help farmers. Many times, they also aim to help low-income families improve access to fresh produce. Often, these programs may end up helping a larger amount of middle class families instead of lower class families. There have been many programs developed to try to better help low-income families such as the Women Infant and Children (WIC) Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) and allowing farmers to accept WIC Cash Value Vouchers (CVV), which allows WIC participants to buy fresh produce. Farm to School Programs have also been …

Metastasis Suppression In Carcinoma And Melanoma Cells, Sherry Marie Baker

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Weight Discrimination: Why Current Perceptions Need To Change, Kelsey Rae Eller

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Discrimination based on weight has been labeled the last form of socially acceptable prejudice. Weight discrimination is becoming more and more prevalent in schools, the workplace, social settings, the media, and even in healthcare. Overweight and obese individuals are often stereotyped as lazy, addicted to food, and lacking self-discipline and initiative, and as a result may struggle with decreased employment opportunities, fear and shame in public, attempting dangerous weight loss methods, or even eating disorders.

This project seeks to identify and examine research that has been done on this subject in order to increase awareness of weight bias and to …

Infant Feeding Practices: History, Nutrient Needs, Assessment Of Nutriture, And Special Concerns, Katy Lynn Bodily

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Ideas regarding infant feeding practices have changed drastically over the past 100 years. Research discovered the composition of human milk, followed by the invention of human milk substitute (HMS). These discoveries lead to many changes in the way people feed infants. The macro and micronutrient needs of infants have been determined, and are used to develop ideal feeding practices for infants. There are many choices available for feeding infants including human milk, HMS, and solid foods. There are many guidelines available that provided suggestions on what to feed an infant, and at what age. Assessing the adequacy on infant feeding …

Does Glutamine Supplementation Contribute To The Incidence Of Diarrhea In Ventaltor Dependent Patients?, Justin Johnson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In this project we investigated the incidence of diarrhea and its possible causes in ventilator dependent patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) at McKay-Dee Hospital. Chronic diarrhea has been a long time problem in the ICU, but the etiology has never been fully explored. High dose antibiotic therapy has been thought to be a potential risk factor. Another proposed risk has been the use of glutamine, a conditionally essential amino acid contained in some enteral products. Glutamine is commonly used in feeding critically ill patients because of its immune enhancing properties.

Currently, we have not established a correlation between …