Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of A Brief, Three-Day Mindfulness Meditation Protocol, Andrew James Kurz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of A Mind-Body Website By Women With Breast Cancer, Laura Beck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite having access to volumes of information, women newly diagnosed with breast cancer report a moderate level of distress related to their diagnosis, treatment, life expectancy, threat to current roles, and life-changing surgery and treatment choices. Web sites designed to teach people strategies to reduce distress are readily available online. The online format may be useful and practical for women who can access the site at their convenience, learn the components of the interventions at their own pace, and practice the strategies in the comfort of their home. The purpose of this study was to evaluate an online Mind-Body web …

Ventilator-Associated Complications In The Mechanically Ventilated Veteran, Joan Grano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Surveillance of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) has been the common outcome measurement used for internal and external benchmarking for mechanically ventilated patients; and although not a clinical definition, it is commonly used as an outcome measurement for research studies. Criteria in the VAP definition include both subjective and objective components, leading to questions of validity. In addition, recent legislation has mandated the public reporting of healthcare-associated infections, including VAP, in many states. Infectious disease experts have recently recommended monitoring a new outcome, ventilator-associated events (VAE), that contain specific objective criteria. The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) have refined this …

Self-Ratings Of Communication Style And Discourse Performance Of Healthy Aging Adults, Hayley E. Besten

Theses and Dissertations--Communication Sciences and Disorders

This study investigated the accuracy of healthy aging adults‟ self-rating of communication style, as measured by quantifiable measures of discourse performance. Ninety cognitively healthy adults participated and comprised three age cohorts (20s, 40s, 60s). Participants completed discourse tasks that included recounting a vacation, telling a story, and describing a picture. Participants also self-rated their communication style, placing them in a talkative or reserved cohort. Communication style was measured by discourse performance variables of interest: length of output (TNW) and informativeness (%IU). When presented with an unconstrained task (recounting a vacation), talkative and reserved groups, regardless of age, produced a similar …

Redox-Regulated Relb-Ar Axis Mediates Prostate Specific Antigen Expression: Insight In Prostate Cancer Response To Radiation Therapy, Lu Miao

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Although the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test is widely used in clinical settings for prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis and post-treatment follow-up monitoring, false positive PSA test results, which contribute to over-diagnosis of PCa, and false negative results, which miss some patients with aggressive PCa, remain problems of clinical importance.

Our study demonstrates that radiation therapy, which is widely used for treatment of localized PCa, generates TNF-α in tumor cells and stromal fibroblasts, redox dependently. Interestingly, TNF-α rapidly and transiently triggers the RelA-mediated NF-κB canonical pathway, but its effect on RelB expression is more robust and long lasting, which leads to …

Effects Of Cellular Heterogeneity And Immune Cells In Angiotensin Ii-Infused Hemorrhaged Ascending Aortas, Kyung Sik Jung

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

A previous thoracic aortic aneurysm time course study from our laboratory determined that ascending aortic dilation was significantly increased by day 5, and reached a plateau by day 28 of angiotensin II (AngII) infusion. We also found that mice had hemorrhage localized to the ascending aortas by day 5 of AngII infusion. The purpose of these studies was to provide mechanistic insight into the development of AngII-induced ascending aortic hemorrhage.

Male C57BL/6 mice fed normal diet were subcutaneously infused with either AngII (1000 ng/kg/min) or saline for 5 days. To examine cellular heterogeneity, hemorrhaged ascending aortas were collected and sectioned …

Reinforcing, Subjective, And Cognitive Effects Of Methamphetamine During D-Amphetamine Maintenance, Erika Pike

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Translational research suggests that agonist replacement may be a viable treatment approach for managing methamphetamine dependence. This study sought to determine the effects of d-amphetamine maintenance on methamphetamine self-administration in stimulant using participants. A cognitive battery was used to determine the performance effects of methamphetamine alone and during d-amphetamine maintenance. During each maintenance condition, participants first sampled a dose of intranasal methamphetamine then had the opportunity to respond on a progressive ratio task to earn portions of the sampled dose. Subject-rated drug-effect and physiological measures were completed prior to and after sampling methamphetamine. Methamphetamine was self-administered as function …

Expression Of Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms Across The Ovulatory Cycle: A Multilevel Investigation, Tory A. Eisenlohr-Moul

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a disabling condition characterized by chronic emotion dysregulation and behavioral impulsivity. Prospective studies that test proposed mechanisms of within-person change in BPD hold the key to improving symptom predictability and control in this disorder. A small body of evidence suggests that fluctuations in estradiol such as those occurring naturally at ovulation during the monthly female reproductive cycle may increase symptoms in women with BPD (DeSoto et al., 2003). Furthermore, there is preliminary evidence that both self-esteem and feelings of social rejection are highest at ovulation, when estradiol peaks (Durante and Hill, 2009; Eisenlohr-Moul et al., …

The Mesocorticolimbic Dopamine Pathway Reconstituted In Vitro: Glutamate Receptors And Corticosteroid-Methamphetamine Neurotoxicity, Jennifer N. Berry

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Stress promotes the use of methamphetamine and other recreational substances and is often implicated in relapse to stimulant use. Thus, it is of critical importance to examine the consequences of the co-occurance of stress and methamphetamine use. Activity of the glutamatergic N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor system appears to be involved in the neurotoxic effects of both chronic stress and methamphetamine exposure. The current studies investigated the hypothesis that chronic pre-exposure to the stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) results in an increase of NMDA receptor activity and that this will potentiate the neurotoxic effects of methamphetamine (METH). Co-cultures of the …

Writing Supports For Older Students With Significant Disabilities: Examining Two Students' Journeys Towards Becoming Writers, Emily Helen Freeman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study describes the changes in linguistic and social communicative competencies that occurred when two older students with significant disabilities where provided with writing opportunities, instruction, and supports over a semester of the academic year. The goals of the study were to identify themes and patterns in the skills associated with linguistic and social communicative competence as evidenced in writing over time. A second aim of this study was to identify instruction methods and assistive technology supports being used in the classroom and describes the themes and patterns that emerged in the students’ writing given the presence of these curriculum …

Partnerships Between Hospitals And Community: A Qualitative Study On Collaboration For Spiritual Care In Healthcare, Angela E. Schmidt

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Partnerships between Hospitals and Community: A Qualitative Study on Collaboration for Spiritual Care in Healthcare

Abstract:

Hospital-Community Collaborative (HCC) arrangements for the provision of spiritual care have been brokered in certain Ontario hospitals with varying degrees of success. The current study investigated how a community based organization could effectively partner with a healthcare institution to ensure spiritual care support for hospital patients. It asked the question: What factors are essential to make a hospital-community collaboration function well as a model for the provision of spiritual care? Qualitative research was conducted with four hospital corporations with HCC partnerships to ascertain the …

“It Feels Like Home”: The Impacts Of Supportive Housing On Male Youth – Perspectives Of Youth And Service Providers At Five Beds To Home, Sarah Michelle Ogden

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study identifies the impacts of supportive housing on the lives of male youth. The researcher studied the Five Beds to Home (Five Beds) supportive housing facility for male youth, located in Cambridge, Ontario. The study focused on two areas: one, the current engagement of tenants and second, the long term impacts on past tenants. Impacts include areas such as progress on or achievement of goals/overcoming challenges, employment and education status, happiness and health, and housing stability. The general research questions were as follows: 1) What are the impacts of supportive housing on the lives of male youth?, 2) What …

A Discourse Analysis Of Ontario's Family Health Teams, Rachelle Ashcroft

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Inspired by critical social work practice, this study engages in a discourse analysis of Ontario’s Family Health Team (FHT) model. The purpose for this study is threefold; namely, a) to deepen our understanding of health discourses promoted by Ontario’s FHT model; b) to explore how Ontario’s FHT model compares to Haggerty, Burge, Lévesque, Gass, Pineault, Beaulieu, & Santor’s (2007) conceptual model of PHC; and c) to promote critical reflection in order to help inform decisions on how to improve quality of care and enhance health equity in FHTs. This study is guided using the overarching question: What health care practices …

Prevalence Of Acute Kidney Injury Using Urine Neutrophil Gelatinase Associated Lipocalin As An Early Biomarker In Neonates With Perinatal Asphyxia, Farida Essajee

Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Perinatal asphyxia is a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication of perinatal asphyxia occurring in up to 61% of the neonates. Currently the diagnosis of AKI is based on serum creatinine levels and clinically by oliguria, however these are late markers of the disease. More novel biomarkers are emerging that predict the diagnosis early. Current research indicates urine NGAL as an early marker for AKI, yet there is paucity of data about its use in term neonates with perinatal asphyxia.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence …

Primary Antiretroviral Drug Resistance Profiles Among Hiv-1 Therapy Naïve Patients In Two Referral Hospitals In Kenya, Simon Onsongo Nyangena

Theses & Dissertations

Objective: To characterize antiretroviral drug resistance mutations among drug naïve patients in two referral hospitals in Kenya

Background: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) caused by Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was first described in 1982. Since then the virus has spread globally to infect millions of people. HIV was first described in Kenya in the period between 1984/1985. Currently, Kenya has an estimated HIV-1 prevalence of 6.2% with a country population of about 40 million people. With the introduction of antiretroviral drugs, the survival of most HIV patients has been prolonged markedly. However this is greatly threatened by increasing rates of antiretroviral …

An Acoustic Description Of Vowels Spoken By Speakers With Cajun Ethnicity In Southern Louisiana, Ali Beslin

LSU Master's Theses

This study aimed to provide selected acoustic data for vowels of one portion of the southern region (Southern LA) in recognition that a variety of Southern dialects have not been recognized on the American English dialect map. To examine dialectical variations in vowel acoustics, this study included a relatively greater number of acoustic parameters including: vowel duration, F1 and F2 from the temporal midpoint of the vowel, trajectory length, and F2 slope. Ten participants between the ages of 18 to 24 were selected from the Southern Louisiana dialect region. Speech stimuli, which have been used in prior research regarding dialect, …

Comparing The Treatment Effect Of Conversational And Traditional Aphasia Treatments On Linguistic Complexity Measures, Kelsey Ann Copperberg

LSU Master's Theses

Linguistic complexity is frequently analyzed in studies of child language acquisition and impairment (Heilmann, Miller, & Nockerts, 2010; Price, Hendricks, & Cook, 2010) and the language of aging adults (Capilouto, Wright, & Wagovich, 2005; Kemper & Sumner, 2001; Kemper, Thompson, & Marquis, 2001; Kynette & Kemper, 1986; Shewan & Henderson, 1988) to document changes over time. There is little, if any, literature applying linguistic measures to analyze the language of individuals with aphasia as well as to analyze effects of different treatment measures. The current study analyzed semantic and syntactic components of linguistic complexity used by people with aphasia (PWA) …

Examination Of The Impact Of Race-Related Stress And Culture-Specific Coping On Burnout And Compassion Fatigue In Black Nursing Assistants, Marika A. Maris

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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The Prevalence Of Burnout Among Chiropractic Practitioners, Shawn P. Williams

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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The Correlation Of Repeat Sprint Measures To Predicted Vo2 In Recreationally Active Males, Matthew R. Miltenberger

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Nurse Manager Caring And Workplace Bullying In Nursing : The Relationship Between Staff Nurses' Perceptions Of Nurse Manager Caring Behaviors And Their Perception Of Exposure To Workplace Bullying Within Multiple Healthcare Settings, Lynda Diana Olender

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study examined the relationship between staff nurses’ perception of nurse manager caring behaviors and their perceived exposure to workplace bullying within multiple healthcare settings. It was based on the theoretical position that caring promotes reciprocal caring and healing for each other and for the larger universe as informed by Watson’s theory of human caring (1979, 2006, 2008). Results indicated a statistically significant, negative, linear relationship between the CFS-CM and the NAQ-R (r = -.534, p < .001), meaning that as staff nurses’ perceptions of their nurse manager caring increased, their perception of exposure to negative acts (meeting the definition of workplace bullying) significantly decreased. The sample consisted of primarily older, more experienced, staff nurses who worked 10 years or longer within their work environment. Data analysis also revealed that staff nurses who were females and those who worked in Medical/Surgical settings were significantly more likely to perceive their managers as caring (p < .05 respectively) and that a high workload significantly influenced the staff nurses perception of exposure to workplace bullying (p < .05). In view of the predicted nursing shortages as baby-boomer nurses retire at the same time the demand for health care is rising (AACN, 2009), these findings highlight the importance of caring leadership for the health and availability of nurses at the bedside, and may lead to shifting work priorities for nurse managers. Study findings may also foster the design and implementation of a caring curriculum and caring competencies applicable for the nurse managers’ role either within nursing academic or clinical settings.

The Effects Of Morphophonic Faces As A Method For Teaching Sight Words, Ashley Jean Williams

LSU Master's Theses

Previous studies exploring the use of superimposed pictures for sight word learning provide mixed results, with inconclusive benefits. One criticism is that even when sight word learning is enhanced, it does not improve the learner’s use of the alphabetic principle. A second criticism is that it is only feasible for easily depicted words. This study addressed these criticisms by using pictured sight words representing a hybrid between alphabet and sight word learning, MorphoPhonic Faces (MPF). MPF have the first letter drawn in the mouth of a face suggesting speech production cues. Thus, participants were provided alphabet cues first and then …

The Effect Of Cajun Status On Kindergartners' Use Of Five Grammar Structures, Corrina Spedale

LSU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between Cajun status, as defined by location, and five grammatical structures of Cajun English (CE): zero marking of past tense, zero marking of third person singular, zero marking of copula is and are, and was-leveling. The data were from 35 kindergartners, 14 from a Cajun status school, 21 from a non-Cajun status school; 15 were male and 20 were female. The data compared rate-based differences between the Cajun status and non-Cajun status children’s productions of the five CE structures in transcribed language samples. Five independent samples t-tests revealed that …

The Effectiveness Of Education Interventions On Coaching Education Students’ Concussion Knowledge, Retention, And Attitudes, Brienna L. Simons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Context: Coaches who don’t have access to qualified health care providers need to be well educated on prevention, detection, assessment, and management of sport-related concussion to help decrease the risks associated. Due to the lack of assessment on educational interventions there is no way to determine the validity of the content. Objective: Determine which of three online concussion education interventions was most influential on coaches’ concussion knowledge, retention of knowledge, and their effects on attitudes amongst a sample of coaching education students. Participants: 233 coaching student’s recruited, used 154 for data analysis (71% male, x̅ age = 21.2 ± 1.68 …

Historical Remedies Versus Current Pathogens : Laboratory Investigation Of The Efficacy Of Traditional Herbal Remedies Against Present-Day Common Causes Of Bacterial Pneumonia, Eibhlin Mccarthy

Theses

Despite the medical advances of recent years, pneumonia is still a common disease in Ireland, accounting for approximately 7% of deaths in this country'. While national databases such as those run by CIDR and SARI ensure that incidences of systemic and notifiable infections such as tuberculosis are recorded, there are currently no available statistics on commonplace respiratory isolates within Ireland. This study analysed the available data on bacterial pathogens isolated from respiratory samples at a 355 bed Irish hospital over a one year period. Seasonal variations and resistance patterns were noted. The most frequently isolated pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus (27%), …

Long-Term, Low-Dose Exposure Of People Residing In Arsenic Affected Areas Of Iowa: A Cross-Sectional Analytical Study, Junu Shrestha

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Arsenic contamination in the ground water source is a major problem throughout the world. Epidemiological studies show that long-term arsenic exposure in drinking water, even at low concentrations, can lead to chronic toxicity problems and negative health outcomes. In the United States, private wells are not mandated to comply with the drinking water standards that piped water is, putting many people at risk. This study focused on monitoring of arsenic contamination of private well water, hair samples, and questionnaire based surveys. Of the 260 private well owners selected from 13 counties in Iowa who were invited to participate in the …

Skin Cancer - Education And Prevention: The Role Of Social Marketing, Tim Crowley

Theses

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in Ireland and worldwide. Skin cancer rates have been steadily rising in recent times. The high use of sunbeds in both Ireland and the UK is quite worrisome. Skin cancer is caused by over exposure to UV rays or through the use of sunbeds and as a result it is actually a highly preventable disease. It is estimated that 90-95% of all skin cancers are preventable. This thesis focuses on the use of social marketing in order to educate people on the dangers of skin cancer with the eventual aim of making recommendations …

Copper Oxide Wire Particles Used To Control Haemonchus Infections : Efficacy In Giraffe (Giraffa Camelopardalis) At Busch Gardens Tampa And Potential Mechanism Of Action, Allyson Kinney Moscona

LSU Master's Theses

Gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infections affect production systems and exotic hoofstock in zoos, particularly giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis). Anthelmintic resistance (AR) prevalence is increasing in production systems and zoos. To combat the AR that compounds GIN problems, alternative control methods are used. One such alternative is copper oxide wire particles (COWP), which control the abomasal nematode Haemonchus contortus. COWP was given to seven adult giraffe at Busch Gardens Tampa, at descending dosages: 25 g, 12.5 g, 6.3 g. Treatment administration time was determined by fecal egg count (FEC) being above 600 eggs per gram (EPG), and therefore varied with each animal. FEC …

Examining The Validity And Reliability Of The Infant-Toddler Meaningful Auditory Integration Scales (It-Mais) Via Rasch Analysis, Anne Denise Schubert

LSU Master's Theses

In this study, we analyzed the validity and reliability of the Infant-Toddler Meaningful Auditory Integration Scales (IT-MAIS; Zimmerman-Phillips, Osberger, & Robbins, 2001), an assessment designed to measure listening skills in children ages 0-3 years. The IT-MAIS is a caregiver report tool used by speech-language pathologists and audiologists to assess listening skills in children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) pre- and post-cochlear implant (CI). The IT-MAIS is widely used; however, it has not undergone thorough psychometric analysis. Using longitudinal data collected by the University of Iowa Children’s Cochlear Implant Program, we analyzed the psychometric properties of the IT-MAIS via Rasch analysis, …

Differentiation Of Voice Disorders Using Objective Parameters From Harmonic Waveform Modeling In High-Speed Digital Imaging, Aimee Elaine Perkins

LSU Master's Theses

High-speed digital imaging (HSDI) has recently become clinically available for the direct observation of vocal fold movement in the last 20 years. However, before it can become routinely used in the clinical setting, a universal means of objectively analyzing and interpreting the HSDI data must be established. In this study, preliminary data was gathered for five parameters used to objectively analyze vocal fold vibratory patterns observed with HSDI. The parameters investigated were established by Ikuma, Kunduk, and McWhorter (2012a) and were previously studied with a small sample (N=8) comparing pre and post-phonosurgical removal of benign lesions. The five parameters included …