Digital Commons Network^™

Understanding Quality Of Life In Adolescents Living With Advanced Cancer, Cynthia J. Bell

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to advance theoretical understanding of how an adolescent with incurable cancer prepares for end-of-life (EOL). A theoretical model was developed to link awareness, acceptance, and willingness to take action to EOL preparedness (knowledge about EOL, acknowledgement of grief and emotion, identification of the meaning of death and spirituality, and conceptualization of personal plan) and communication about EOL preferences and priorities; and to determine impact on quality of life (QOL).

Effects Of Exercise On Physiologic And Psychologic Outcomes In Patients With End Stage Renal Disease On Hemodialysis: A Quasi-Experimental Study In Lebanon, Ghada Ballout Dunbar

Dissertations

End stage renal disease (ESRD) is a public health problem that is expected to continue to rise and has overwhelming effects on individuals' psychological, physical, and emotional wellbeing. Treatment options include hemodialysis (HD), which is a lifesaving procedure for patients suffering from ESRD where a dialysis machine and a dialyzer are used to clean and purify the blood as their kidneys are not functioning normally. This patient population will suffer from muscle atrophy and weakness due to inactive lifestyle and lack of physical activity. They also question their existence, are extremely stressed, and are afraid of death.

The Effects Of High-Stakes Ati Remediation And Testing Practices Including The Ati Content Mastery Series And Ati Pn Comprehensive Predictor, Elaine Hernandez Hunter

Dissertations

The purpose of this retrospective, descriptive study was to determine if any differences existed in students' test scores on the Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI) PB tests: Fundamentals, Pharmacology, Medical Surgical and the Comprehensive Predictor before and after implementing a high-stakes remediation and testing policy. The ATI computer-based standardized tests are widely used in nursing programs as a program assessment tool. Also, ATI tests provide correlational evidence of first-time NCLEX-RN passage. The ATI Remediation and tests are commonly added to nursing programs progression plans. In recent years nursing programs have applied high-stakes ATI Remediation to the ATI tests in response to …

Exploration Of Factors That Promote Continued Volunteer Engagement Of American Red Cross Disaster Health Services Nurses, Kathleen V. Eid-Heberle

Dissertations

The purpose of the research study was to explore factors that promote continued volunteer engagement of American Red Cross Disaster Health Services (DHS) nurses.

Older Hispanic Women With Health Care Provider Diagnosed Osteoarthritis: Experience And Perceptions Of Culturally Competent Care, Claudia A. Oglivie

Dissertations

Arthritis is the leading cause of disability among U.S. adults over the age of 65. Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, has an incidence rate that increases with age with the highest rates among women. Hispanic women are more affected than any other racial or ethnic group. Little is known about how Hispanic women respond to having osteoarthritis and how they manage its symptoms and limitations. Few studies have examined the specific experiences and perceptions of this population. We do not know how differences in incidence, access to care, disease burden, and activity limitations affect the treatment of Hispanic …

Childhood Obesity Interventions In The Republic Of Trinidad And Tobago: A Qualitative Study Exploring Government Policies And Their Implementation By Health Practitioners, Phyllis Woolford

Dissertations

Because of the rising prevalence of childhood obesity and overweight in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and the observation that efforts to address the problem were showing disappointing results, this study seeks to explore the experiences and views of policymakers, health practitioners, and parents of overweight and obese children, in order to inform leaders and policy makers regarding the current interventions.

Method

A qualitative research case study methodology is the research design used, which, with my research questions, I considered would best uncover knowledge and provide perspectives that would provide an increased understanding of the issues arising from the …

Abl2 Promotes Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease Via Ppar Gamma Regulation, Gregory Malnassy

Dissertations

Alcohol-associated liver disease (AALD) is an umbrella term for a spectrum of diseases resulting from chronic alcohol (e.g. ethanol) abuse ranging in severity from reversible conditions such as alcohol-induced steatosis to advanced and largely irreversible liver pathologies including alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH), alcoholic hepatitis (AH), fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). AALD is one of the primary causes of chronic liver disease worldwide and accounts for 44% of liver disease deaths in the United States. Drinking rates, both in the United States and globally, have increased year over year for the past three decades, a trend which has resulted in significantly …

Imagining Otherwise: Designing And Implementing A High School Writing Center, Sheldon Cale Krieger

Dissertations

This study explored the work of planning and opening a new high school writing center in a school with a student population predominantly of students of color. The action research study occurred over the first twelve weeks of the writing center opening to better understand how such work might begin to disrupt oppressive systems and structures inherent in the school site as well as education at large. The arts-based methodology included daily reflective journals, a series of four collages, and document analysis. The study utilized critical imagining as its theoretical framework by combining tenets of critical race theory (CRT) with …

Elucidating The Role Of Kmt2d In Her2+ Breast Cancer, Emily Ma

Dissertations

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in the US. Histone modifications are common epigenetic changes that have been implicated in several breast cancers, including HER2+ breast cancers. Current therapies, such as trastuzumab, block the HER2 receptor to reduce tumor growth. Unfortunately, HER2+ breast cancers have found ways to overcome these therapies, leading to tumor resistance, metastases, and poor survival outcomes. A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms contributing to HER2+ breast cancer resistance may lead to the discovery of novel therapeutic strategies to improve patient outcomes.One prognostic marker for poor survival in women with …

Factors That Affect The Rate Of Preterm Birth: An Examination Of The Inter-Related Impacts Of Social Determinants, Behavior And Physical Health Status, Krystal Michelle Hunter

Dissertations

The work seeks to examine the factors that have significant relationships to the rate of preterm birth (PTB) along with its cost to society.

There are four papers within this work. This purpose of the first paper is to measure the impact that healthy behaviors have on the rate of PTB when modeled with other factors like household demographics, community deprivation, chronic disease and mental health. This work finds that positive health behaviors has a negative relationship with PTB. The interaction between body mass index (BMI) and social class and its relationship to PTB is examined in the second paper. …

The Health-Related Quality Of Life Of Adults With Down Syndrome, Rebecca Jermyn Graves

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and factors associated with the HRQOL of adults with Down syndrome (DS) as reported by adults with DS and their caregivers. The study was designed to compare measures of HRQOL, health problems, health risks, and health-care utilization of adults with DS based on self-report with those from caregiver-report and to explore associations between HRQOL and health problems, health risks, health-care utilization, adaptive behavior, and demographic characteristics.

Exploring Resilience In Exemplary Rural School Superintendents, Silas Gaussoin-Radcliffe

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory phenomenological study was to identify and describe the strategies used by exemplary rural superintendents to maintain personal resiliency based on Everly, Strouse, and McCormack’s (2015) five factors of personal resilience (active optimism, decisive action, moral compass, relentless tenacity, and interpersonal support).

Methodology: This exploratory phenomenological study used purposeful criterion sampling and recommendations from the county superintendents in the identified geographic area. Each of the 8 identified exemplary rural superintendents was interviewed using an instrument aligned to the five factors of personal resilience and their definitions. The researcher collected rich qualitative interview data, that were …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Patient-Centered Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Program, Sharie Blythe

Dissertations

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), 34.2 million adults or 10.5% of the population had diabetes (ADA, 2018). In 2015, 88 million Americans age 18 and older had prediabetes (ADA, 2018). Diabetes remains the 7th leading cause of death in the United States (U.S.). The "Prevent T2 Program" is an example of an initiative supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to address the increasing burden of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in the U.S. The program aims to prevent diabetes and complications associated with the disease through diabetes self-management education (DSME) and peer support.

Family Child Care (Fcc) Provider Perspectives Of Barriers To Obtaining Resources And Support Services For Quality Child Care Outcomes: A Qualitative Study, Kathleen Diane Tostado Kenshur

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore family child care (FCC) provider perspectives of barriers to obtain resources and support services for quality FCC outcomes. Methodology: This study used a phenomenological qualitative research method to identify and describe barriers that hinder FCC providers from obtaining resources and support for quality outcomes. Four open-ended and semistructured interview questions were administered to 12 participants online via the Zoom platform. This study analyzed data across three categories of barriers: (a) situational, (b) dispositional, and (c) institutional. Results of analysis guided the narrative by identifying and prioritizing themes. The population …

Effects Of Creatine Supplementation Protocols And Doxorubicin On Cardiac And Skeletal Muscle Phosphocreatine System, Salaheddin M. A. Sharif

Dissertations

Doxorubicin (Dox) is a highly effective anticancer drug used to treat several cancer types; however, its use is limited due to its cytotoxicity (cardiotoxicity and myotoxicity). Doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity might occur within days and lead to congestive heart failure. Doxorubicin-induced myotoxicity involves fatigue, cachexia, and skeletal muscle dysfunction. Although the exact mechanisms causing Dox-induced cytotoxicity are not entirely understood, an alteration in the phosphocreatine system seems to be a central mechanism where studies showed Dox decreased phosphocreatine (PCr), creatine (Cr), impaired creatine kinase (CK) enzyme function, and decreased creatine transporter (CrT) expression in cultured cardiomyocytes. Ultimately, Dox-induced cytotoxicity might compromise quality …

Combatting Mental Illness In Schools: Are Teachers Ready?, Deshonda Payton

Dissertations

If ever there was a time school districts, principals and teachers had to worry about providing a quality education for students, it is now, at the time of this writing. Due to the Nation's current state in dealing with a worldwide pandemic, the education system as a whole has suffered traumatically, both mentally and emotionally. No longer will teachers be solely responsible for providing students with the essentials necessary to be academically, emotionally, and socially successful in schools. Hundreds of thousands of students suffer from some form of mental illness within our schools. And, the teachers who service and support …

An Investigation Of Outsourcing Ticket Sales In Division I College Athletics, Kyle John Brannigan

Dissertations

Understanding the phenomenon of outsourcing ticket sales in collegiate athletics can help athletic departments make more informed ticketing decisions. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research study was to help create new and emerging knowledge of outsourcing ticket sales in collegiate athletics from the interactions with the study’s participants. The study had 15 participants who experienced the decision-making process as well as the stakeholder impact of outsourcing ticket sales in collegiate athletics. After doing a thematic analysis of the data, eight final themes were used to help describe the phenomenon. It was clear that the importance of being able to …

Physical Education In Colorado: Status And Stakeholders’ Perceptions, Xiaoping Fan

Dissertations

This dissertation includes two studies, aiming to explore the status of physical education and stakeholders’ perceptions of physical education in Colorado. In study one, using the PE for All Colorado model policy as a guiding framework, the purpose of this study was to explore the status of physical education in Colorado. Research questions included: (a) what is the status of physical education in Colorado based on the PE for All model policy’s recommendations? and (b) what are the facilitators and barriers to implementing physical education in schools? A sequential explanatory mixed method design was utilized in this study consisting of …

Effects Of Exercise Training On Neutrophil Proliferation And Function In Cancer Patients, Nicholas Harman

Dissertations

Cancer and its treatments, namely chemotherapy and radiation, lead to negative physiological consequences. Neutrophils are the most abundant leukocytes in circulation with several studies pointing to the impact of cancer and its treatments lowering the count and function of this cell line. Exercise has been shown to positively impact to neutrophil count and function in the generally healthy population. However, this effect is less understood in the cancer population. The purpose of this study was to quantify and characterize neutrophil populations in cancer patients and examine the effects of a prescribed exercise intervention on neutrophil count and neutrophil function. It …

Lxr Acts As A Differentiator In The Regulation Of Fas And G6pdh Gene Expression Under Insulin Resistant Conditions, Jaafar Hachem

Dissertations

Diabetes is a chronic disease that effects 10 percent of the world’s population and causes more than 1.5 million deaths a year and billions of dollars in associated health care cost. It can lead to very serious complications such as renal failure, liver cirrhosis, heart attack, and vision loss. The most common type of diabetes is type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes arises when blood glucose levels remain chronically high due to insulin resistance. The reason for this elevation is due to the failure of insulin to allow tissues to uptake glucose causing problems in subsequent metabolic pathways. Over the …

The Experience Of Nursing Care For Female Medicaid Recipients, Sara K. Kaylor

Dissertations

This phenomenological study is guided by a feminist-informed critical theory for the purpose of exploring the experiences of nursing care for female Medicaid recipients. The goals of this research were to understand how nurses' attitudes and behaviors towards female Medicaid recipients influence the ways in which these patients receive and act upon their health care, and to consider what those understandings suggest for nursing education. Semi-structured interviews with female Medicaid recipients were conducted to understand their experiences of nursing care, and a focus group interview with nurse educators was conducted to consider what those understandings suggest for nursing education.

Current …

Evaluation Of Lifestyle Modification Program For Polycystic Ovary Syndrome In Infertile Women, Kelly Batton

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) affects a large proportion of the female population worldwide. PCOS can have a wide variety of health implications for the woman including difficulty achieving pregnancy.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of 368 patient records were assessed for inclusion criteria yielding 163 patients with PCOS suffering from infertility. Demographic and health data were gathered for each patient to provide a baseline comparison between the first two quarters of 2019 and the first two quarters of 2020.

Results: The results of the study were mixed. Patients who lost weight did have a higher positive pregnancy rate. …

Use Of Strategies For The Relief Of Symptoms Of Insomnia, Marianne Homsey

Dissertations

Insomnia is a condition that leads to health problems and raises health care costs. The purposes of this Web-based, quantitative, descriptive, correlational study were to identify frequency of use and success of strategies to alleviate sleep problems, to determine if there is a relationship among strategies chosen, and to examine any patterns that emerged based on these preferences.

The Effect Of An Unfolding Case Study On Critical Thinking, Knowledge Acquisition, And Handoff Communication In Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Antionella M. Upshaw

Dissertations

Miscommunication during handoffs at time of transition for the older adult patient often results in hospital readmissions, penalties and nursing malpractice. Handoff communication (HOC) is a necessary and critical factor in patient safety; therefore, it is imperative that nurses be educated and trained in how to communicate essential geriatric patient data, minimize errors and ensure continuity of care. Nursing researchers report that HOC is a critical responsibility and varies in educational methods creating a latent patient safety risk. The unfolding case study (UCS) is increasingly being used to promote critical thinking and improve communication but lack of evidence to guide …

An Examination Of Faith Community Nursing Interventions In The Promotion Of Successful Aging, Lina B. Hixson

Dissertations

Faith Community Nursing is a specialty nursing practice providing ongoing supportive health care to community dwellers of all ages. Practicing within the context of a community of faith, these nurses focus on health promotion and disease prevention using their expertise to combine spiritual and physical dimensions of care. As the population of Americans continues to age at a rapid rate, the number of older adults is expected to more than double by the year 2060. Many older individuals live with one or more chronic diseases, however living with a chronic disease does not always require inpatient or home care services. …

The Role Of Zingiberales Shared Evolutionary History And Leaf Traits In Structuring Rolled-Leaf Beetle Assemblages In A Tropical Forest, José Miguel Chaves Fallas

Dissertations

Understanding how local assemblages of plants and animals are structured is a central challenge for evolutionary ecology. Tropical assemblages are high in species numbers and in variety of ecological interactions, providing unique multispecies biological systems to test ecological and evolutionary hypotheses about community assembly. The objective of this dissertation was to understand the role of Zingiberales shared evolutionary history and plant traits for structuring the rolled-leaf beetle (Cephaloleia and Chelobasis, Chrysomelidae) assemblage in a lowland wet forest (La Selva Biological Station) of Costa Rica.

In chapter I studied the evolution of physical, nutritional, and chemical leaf traits, how …

Impact Of Date-Pit Activated Carbon In Different Applications: Biomedical And Environment, Betty Titus Mathew

Dissertations

Activated carbon (AC) or activated charcoal are black carbonaceous porous solid material with prominent physico-chemical properties such as low volume pore size distribution, high specific surface area, and high-degree of surface reactivity for adsorption and other chemicals reactions. AC as strong and reliable adsorbent have been reported to be employed in diverse applications stretching from water/air purification, medical, sewage treatment, energy storage devices, catalyst, supercapacitor electrodes fabrication, and as biosensors component. In this current work, AC was produced from date pits, which is a common biological waste product in UAE, and used for biomedical and environmental applications instead of using …

Essays On The Impacts Of Extreme Natural Events On Health, Moumita Ghorai

Dissertations

This dissertation comprises three chapters that examine how extreme events impact health outcomes such as short-term illness, body mass index, probability of pre-term birth, and mortality. The study reveals the severe consequences of these events and shows that certain groups within a particular country are affected disproportionately.

The first chapter examines whether National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), India’s flagship workfare program, mitigates adverse health outcomes of a drought. This paper contributes to a growing area of research on adaptations to climate change. Using Indian Human Development Survey (2004-2005 and 2010-2011), a nationally representative panel data set, and high resolution …

Family Nurse Practitioners' Use Of Mhealth Apps For Health Promotion With Patients, Rebecca Coyle Mueller

Dissertations

Due to the significant prevalence of chronic illnesses in the United States, engaging patients in health promotion activities is imperative. mHealth apps have the ability to complement the family nurse practitioner's (FNP) prescribed care plan, and offer a user friendly, convenient method to promote healthy behaviors and lessen the prevalence of chronic disease. The purpose of this descriptive, quantitative study was to describe FNPs' intent to use and use of mHealth apps for health promotion with their patients using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), and to determine the types and frequencies of apps recommended by …

Normalization And Family Functioning In Families With A Child Who Is Technology Dependent, Valerie Boebel Toly

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between child/maternal factors (child's functional status, level of technology dependence, mother's depressive symptoms, length of caregiving duration, amount of home health care nursing hours, race, family income and age of the child) and (a) family functioning, as well as (b) normalization in families with a child who is technology dependent. Additionally, this study examined whether there are differences in family functioning, normalization and mother's depressive symptoms based upon the child's level of technology dependence (mechanical ventilation, intravenous nutrition/medication, respiratory/nutritional support). A descriptive, correlational design was used in this cross-sectional study.