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Examining The Use Of Mindfulness Meditation To Enhance Attention Regulation Efficiency In Nursing Students, Kathleen Burger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The development of mindfully-attentive nursing graduates is a heightened charge for pre-licensure nurse educators given an increasingly complex healthcare workplace in which nurse's must detect patient risk among multiple stimuli, distractions, and interruption (Beyea, 2007; Cornell et al., 2010; Ebright, et al., 2006). Novice nurses frequently report symptoms of cognitive overload associated with error and other negative patient outcomes (Ebright, Urden, Patterson, & Chalko, 2004; McGillis Hall et al., 2010; Unver, Tastan, & Akbayrak, 2012) yet standard pre-licensure nursing curricula does not specifically prepare students for the needed attention regulation skills of safe nursing practice. Recent and accumulating neuroscientific research …

Monoamine Transporter Photoaffinity Ligands Based On Methylphenidate And Citalopram: Rational Design, Chemical Synthesis, And Biochemical Application, Nageswari Yarravarapu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Monoamine transporters (MATs) are a family of proteins that include the dopamine transporter (DAT), serotonin transporter (SERT), and norepinephrine transporter (NET). Specifically, dysregulation of MAT function is associated with a host of disease states including drug abuse, major depressive disorder, and anxiety. Additionally, several drugs acting as MAT inhibitors are clinically available to treat multiple disorders. However, details regarding the transport inhibition mechanism created by these drugs, as well as their discrete ligand-binding pockets within their target MAT proteins, remains poorly understood. This knowledge gap in turn hinders rational development of novel therapeutics for numerous MAT-associated disorders. The objective of …

The Visible And Invisible Aspects Of Miscarriage: A Phenomenological, Hermeneutic, Imaginal Study, Denise M. Mahone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is a qualitative study that used an innovative, phenomenological, hermeneutic, imaginal method to explore the implicit, embodied, and imaginal dimensions of three women's lived experiences of perinatal loss and its aftermath. The study has a dual, but overlapping, focus on a holistic elaboration of women's lived experience of perinatal loss that includes these less articulated dimensions of experience, as well as a focus on the process and implications of the innovative method itself as a research approach. Findings are presented accordingly, addressing both new understandings about the lived phenomenon of miscarriage, and foregrounding the working method through which those …

Well Water Quality In Southern Butler County, Pennsylvania, Scott Mayes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The increase in unconventional shale gas extraction in Pennsylvania has resulted in an increased number of groundwater contamination claims. Well water quality was investigated in southern Butler County, PA where 387 unconventional gas wells have been drilled since 2006. A total of 121 households participated in a survey and 238 well water samples were tested. Specific conductivity, pH, and dissolved oxygen in these samples were measured in the field and seven anion concentrations and thirty metal concentrations were measured in the lab. A subset of 91 water wells was also tested for light hydrocarbons (methane, ethane, ethylene, propylene, propane, butane). …

Secretion Of Malaria Transmission-Blocking Proteins From Paratransgenic Bacteria, Nicholas Bongio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Malaria is a debilitating and deadly disease that afflicts over 200 million people and kills over 600 thousand each year. Due to quickly evolving drug resistance and lack of an affordable vaccine, novel interventions are needed to fight the Plasmodium parasites that cause malaria. Targeting Plasmodium inside their mosquito hosts is one approach that could complement other preventative and medicinal interventions by reducing the ability of the mosquitoes to transmit the disease to humans. The research presented here uses paratransgenesis, the genetic modification of symbiotic bacteria within the mosquito midgut, to provide antimalarial protein to the mosquito and to interfere …

Development Of Extraction Method For Persistent Organic Pollutants In Water And Dietary Supplement Using Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction And Isotope Dilution Mass Spectrometry, Weier Hao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in drinking water and dietary supplements can be sources of xenobiotic pollutants in human body and cause detrimental impacts on human health. In this study, an accurate, precise, sensitive, reproducible, and green method was developed to quantify POPs in water and dietary supplements using stir bar sorptive extraction- gas chromatography- mass spectrometry and isotope dilution mass spectrometry. Different analytical parameters were tested for method optimization. Based on efficiency as well as recovery of the analytes, stirring at room temperature for one hour with water and methanol as solvent was selected as the optimal method. After validation, …

Predictors Of Breast Cancer Screening And Cancer Genetic Services Use Among Young African American Female Breast Cancer Survivors: A Secondary Data Analysis, Tarsha Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe the breast cancer screening behaviors and cancer genetic services (genetic testing and counseling) use among African American female breast cancer survivors diagnosed between the ages of 20-45 years of age (Young Breast Cancer Survivors -YBCS). Additionally, this study examined factors that predicted these breast cancer screening behaviors.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: An expanded version of the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991) as modified by (Katapodi et al., 2013) guided this study. According to the original theory, knowledge/attitudes, subjective norms regarding the behavior, and perceived control towards the behavior predicts one's intention to …

Identifying Potential Neuroplasticity Changes In The Brains Of Young Chinook Salmon During Salt Water Entry, Brennen Coristine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As organisms encounter different environments, their ability to process new and changing information directly impacts survival. In vertebrates, this ability often occurs through the development of cognitive processes, which is facilitated by neuroplasticity. Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) smolts experience a large environmental change as they migrate from their freshwater natal streams into the ocean, and must be able to learn, react to, and remember new stimuli. I used RNA sequencing techniques to investigate transcription differences between brains of Chinook salmon who had been exposed to salt water for 24h and a freshwater control group. I also investigated differences …

Factors Predicting Adolescents' And Parents' Help Seeking Behaviour, Jennifer Lynn Cometto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents' perceptions and responses to mental health problems have been shown to have significant implications for their future competence, coping skills, well-being, and subsequent life choices; yet, as few as 25 percent of young Canadians with mental health problems seek help (Bergeron, Poirier, Fournier, Roberge, & Barrette, 2005). The purpose of this study was to examine the stages of adolescent help seeking (i.e., recognizing the problem, deciding to seek professional help, and seeking professional help ) to better understand why some adolescents seek help and others do not. Specific predisposing, enabling, and need factors were examined as predictors of adolescents' …

Metal Ion Adsorption Onto Bacteria-Mineral Composites, Rachel E. Franzblau

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adsorption onto mineral and bacterial surfaces affects the fate of aqueous metal(loid)s but there is currently a poor understanding of adsorption onto mixtures of these two sorbents. This thesis used chemical analyses and imaging to track selenate and copper adsorption by iron oxide- Escherichia coli composites during Fe(II) aq addition. No selenate adsorbed onto E. coli under the conditions in this study. Selenate adsorption onto composites was reduced compared to iron oxide. Surface complexation models (SCMs) suggested that the reduction in selenate adsorption was due to masking of iron oxide sites and aggregation of the mineral over time. Copper adsorbed …

An Examination Of Vascular Responses To Acute Isometric Handgrip Exercise And A Complementary Ischemic-Reperfusion Cuff Protocol, Joshua Seifarth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Isometric handgrip (IHG) training lowers resting arterial blood pressure (BP) in older, normotensive adults and it has been proposed that repeated exposure to oxidative stress, via IHG-induced ischemia-reperfusion (IR), could be an underlying mechanism. The objectives were to quantify the IHG neurovascular stimulus, determine if this IHG protocol elicits systemic vascular effects, and compare the response of the IHG stimulus to an IR cuff protocol. Vascular reactivity, assessed via flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and strain-gauge plethysmography (RVF), was determined prior-to and immediately-post an IHG bout in the exercised arm, non-exercised arm, and after IR in the reperfused arm. No significant differences …

Exploring Self-Perceived Hand Hygiene Practices Among Undergraduate Nursing Students, Anne Foote

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The consistent performance of hand hygiene by health care providers is the single most effective strategy to prevent the transmission of health care associated infections. An anonymous questionnaire to explore self-perceived hand hygiene compliance rates, predictors of compliance, and barriers to compliance was completed by 306 nursing students registered at the University of Windsor, in Ontario, Canada. Overall, 74.8% of participants were considered to be hand hygiene compliant, indicating that their compliance was greater than 90% both before and after having had direct patient contact. Logistic regression analysis suggested that seven variables were independent predictors of hand hygiene compliance: participant's …

Engagement Of Seniors: 'How' And 'Why' Engagement Profiles Change Over Time, Kelly Carr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored 'how' and 'why' engagement profiles change throughout older adulthood within a framework of successful aging. A convergent parallel mixed methods design was employed. Fifty-four participants (mean age = 79.17, age range = 65-97 years; 21 males, 33 females) completed questionnaires to quantify 'past' and 'present' engagement. Focus groups segmented by decade of life and semi-structured interviews were completed with a subsample of participants (n = 42). Results indicated that participation in productive and active leisure activities decreased with increasing age, while social and passive leisure engagement remained stable. This change in engagement pattern may be a function …

An Examination Of The Relationships Between Causal Attributions For Smoking And Smokers' Treatment Seeking And Quit Intentions: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach, Sabrina C. Voci

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With increasing knowledge of the role that genetics play in the development and treatment of nicotine dependence, it is expected that in the future smoking cessation treatment will be able to be tailored to a smoker's genetic profile. Despite anticipated benefits such as improved quit rates, concerns have been raised about the impact of genetic testing results on perceived control over smoking, motivation to quit, and treatment seeking behaviour. One potential mediator of such outcomes are causal attributions, the causal explanations people form for behaviours and events, which evidence suggests can be altered by genetic testing feedback. The purpose of …

Effectiveness Of Commercial Video Gaming On Fine Motor Recovery In Chronic Stroke Within Community-Level Rehabilitation, Kathleen C. Paquin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Chronic stroke survivors often live with persisting upper extremity deficits that affect their daily life, and are traditionally offered little rehabilitation. Commercial gaming can act as a motivating way to complete rehabilitation. Purpose: To investigate the effectiveness of commercial gaming as an intervention for fine motor recovery in chronic stroke. Methods: Ten chronic phase post-stroke participants completed a 16-session program using the Nintendo Wii for 15 minutes 2x/week with their more affected hand. Measures used at four testing sessions included: Jebsen Hand Function Test (JHFT), Box and Blocks Test (BBT), Nine Hole Peg Test (NHPT), Stroke Impact Scale (SIS). …

The Metaphor Interpretation Test: Cognitive Processes Involved And Age Group Differences In Performance, Sam Iskandar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is well known that aging affects fluid cognitive processes while leaving crystallized processes largely intact. When it comes to language abilities, figurative language tends to be more associated with fluid abilities and literal language with more crystallized abilities. Fluid abilities involve short-term storage of information and mental manipulation, which are associated with metaphor interpretation. Eighty participants (40 adults over fifty years old, and 40 young adults) completed the Metaphor Interpretation Test (Iskandar & Baird, 2013). The test includes 17 items chosen from a list of metaphors by Katz et al. (1988). Answers were coded as abstract complete (AC), abstract …

Hiv Discourse And Prevention Practices: A Case Study Of Professional And Entrepreneurial Women In Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, Neema William Jangu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The dominant HIV discourse has identified poverty, lack of education and lack of gender power as primary sites for women's vulnerability. This presents women as a homogenous population. This study focuses on Professional and Entrepreneurial Women (PEW) who have at least a post-secondary education and are professionally employed and/or engaged in medium skilled entrepreneurial activities. The study suggests that PEW are women who have an education, well-paying jobs by local standards, and power. Yet their rates of HIV infection are higher than women who are uneducated and poor. An intersectional postcolonial feminist approach is employed to examine: (a) the dominant …

Exploration Of Fatigue In Second Year Nursing Students, Michelle Lynn Groundwater

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore fatigue in second year nursing students at a university in southwestern Ontario. The study examined the perceptions of fatigue at the end of clinical consolidation in second year and the predictors of fatigue. A sample of 66 undergraduate nursing students completed a demographic questionnaire and the Occupational Fatigue Exhaustion Recovery (OFER) scale. Findings revealed that nursing students experienced moderate levels of fatigue with low inter-shift recovery. More than half of participants felt exhausted at work. The majority of participants reported having no energy left after a typical work period. Over half …

Exploring The Developmental Roles Of Plk4, Candace Rapchak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Plk4 is a member of the Polo-like kinase family of cell cycle regulators that has well established roles in the regulation of centrosome duplication, cytokinesis and the DNA damage response in adult cells. Mice with homozygous Plk4 null mutations are embryonic lethal at E7.5 and do not develop somites, notochord nor a proper neural tube. In this study, plk4 was cloned and characterized for expression and function during the embryonic development of Xenopus laevis. Xenopus plk4 is expressed in a diverse number of tissues including the somites, lens and retina. Translational knockdown of plk4 via morpholinos causes perturbations to somitogenesis …

The Effect Of Sodium Salicylate On The Level Of Gabab Receptor Subunits In The Rat's Central Auditory System, Sehrish Butt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tinnitus is a phantom sensation of sound in the absence of acoustic stimulus and can be induced by ototoxic drugs such as sodium salicylate (SS). Tinnitus is likely related to hyperactivity in central auditory structures. In the central nervous system, activity is dependent on excitatory/inhibitory neurotransmission. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter. It can activate the type-B GABAergic receptor (GABA B receptor), which can control the level of excitation/inhibition through regulating the release of neurotransmitters and lowering the cell membrane potential. I hypothesized that SS affects hearing by changing the level and distribution of the GABA B receptor …

"I Wouldn't Change It": An Exploration Of The Lived Experiences Of International Student-Athletes In Canadian Interuniversity Sport, Jessica Clemencon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of international student-athletes (ISAs) competing in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS). Guided by Ridinger and Pastore's (2000) theoretical model of adjustment to college for ISAs, which has since been validated and revised by Popp, Love, Kim and Hums (2010), this study explored the antecedents, adjustments, and outcomes of these lived experiences along with the wants and needs of ISAs. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 13 ISAs competing in CIS during the 2013-2014 season. All categories from Ridinger and Pastore's (2000a) model were supported, as were the components added by …

Comparative Analysis Of Organochlorine Accumulation In Two Top Predator Shark Species With Contrasting Life History Traits, Marina C. Beaudry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sharks vary widely in life-history strategies, and possess unique lipid metabolism. Because of this diversity, and organochlorine (OC) lipid association, dynamics of OC accumulation in elasmobranch-rich ecosystems may be ineffectively predicted by the typically relied upon indicators, stable isotopes and body size. I compared ontogenetic OC profiles and concentrations between dusky ( Carcharhinus obscurus ) and white ( Carcharodon carcharias ) sharks. OC concentrations were elevated in the larger, higher trophic position (TP) white shark, but despite a tenably faster growth rate, ontogenetic diet shifts to mammal prey, and regional endothermy, slopes of growth-dilution corrected concentrations with age were equal …

Examining The Relationships Between Trust In Athlete Leadership And Cohesion, Geoffrey M.A. Hackett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined trust in athlete leadership. The study examined whether an athlete's propensity to trust others moderated the relationship between the antecedents of trust and trust in athlete leadership. In addition, the study examined whether the consequences of trust mediated the relationship between trust in athlete leadership and outcomes of trust. The sample comprised of 125 varsity athletes. Results showed Ability and Benevolence were significant predictors of Trust in the Athlete Leader, while Propensity to Trust did moderate the relationship between Benevolence and Trust in the Athlete Leader. As well, results indicated that Closeness fully mediated the relationship …

The Development Of An International Sport Federation: An Examination Of The International Golf Federations' Association With The Modern Olympic Movement, Michael A. Ayotte

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2003, the World Amateur Golf Council (WAGC) changed its name to the International Golf Federation (IGF), thereby taking the first step in allowing golf to return to the Olympic Programme in 2009. The purpose of this study was to analyze what, if any, were the influences on the IGF as it went from creation, to development, to subsequent re-instatement on the Olympic Programme in the span of six years. Through interviews and document analysis, the primary source of influence came from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) during this process. In addition, the IGF was influenced by the International Tennis …

Can Tropical Macrophytes Establish In The Lower Laurentian Great Lakes?, Amanda P. Eyraud

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many macrophyte species sold in stores across Canada are perceived as unlikely to invade owing to climate mismatches. This does not account for climate change, which may make the Great Lakes more suitable to invaders. This study aimed to assess the invasion potential of two macrophytes ( Pistia stratiotes and Eichhornia crassipes ) that were recently discovered in the Great Lakes, and determine the mechanisms responsible for their persistence. I surveyed the Canadian shoreline of the Great Lakes to determine their current range, and tested three hypotheses that may account for their continued presence. Surveys conducted in 2010, 2011 and …

Political Advocacy: Beliefs And Practices Of Registered Nurses, Crystal D. Avolio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Professional governing bodies of nursing have claimed that registered nurses have a responsibility to fulfill social mandate of political advocacy. Little is known about how nurses can accomplish this task. An exploratory, descriptive study (N=201) was undertaken to examine registered nurse's beliefs and practices regarding the concepts of politics and advocacy and secondly, to explore if nurses believe political activism to be a function of their advocacy role. Results suggest that nurses believe it is important to be politically active and report an interest in learning more about politics. The majority of nurses agreed that politics is the concern of …

Designing And Implementing A Hospital Environmental Management Framework, Taylor Purdy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Modern Canadian hospitals are large generators of landfilled waste. However, much of the waste disposed of by hospitals is divertible. A Hospital Environmental Management Framework (HEMF) was designed and implemented in a local hospital in an effort to control the organization's landfilled waste and improve environmental performance. Environmental issues are gaining awareness among businesses in other sectors, but are not commonly addressed in hospitals, where patient care takes priority over the environment. While specific, recommended waste reduction initiatives tailored to hospital operations have been widely published, information on how to implement these initiatives is lacking. The results from this research …

Emergency Department Triage Acuity Assignment In Patients With Sepsis At An Academic Tertiary Care Centre: Predictors And Outcomes, Leon Daniel Petruniak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recognition and prioritization of septic patients in the Emergency Department (ED) is a fundamental component of the management of sepsis, a condition that is frequently encountered in EDs and causes significant morbidity and mortality. However, it is not known how triage nurses determine acuity level among this group. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that predict triage acuity level among septic patients, and to examine how patients with high versus low acuity scores differed with respect to time until receipt of first antibiotic, and 28-day in-hospital mortality. Logistic regression analysis suggested that high acuity assignment was …

Parent And Young Adolescent Perspectives Of Family Meals And Meal Preparation And The Influence Of The Kinect-Ed Program, Jillian Ciccone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recently, public health messaging has included having more family meals and involving young adolescents (YAs) with meal preparation in order to improve healthful diets and family dinner frequency (FDF). Kinect-Ed, a nutrition education program included a motivational presentation created to encourage YAs (grades 6-8) to help with meal preparation and ultimately improve FDF. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Kinect-Ed presentation, correlations between YA/parent dyad responses, and to determine parents' perception of the Kinect-Ed. Participants consisted of YAs (n=113), and dyads (n=219) from the Niagara Region. Kinect-Ed successfully improved participants' FDF, food preparation frequency, self-efficacy for cooking, …

The Effect Of Attentional Focus On A Supra Postural Task In Hemiplegic Gait, Jecy Kunju Kunju

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dynamic stability during walking is important to prevent falls and to integrate patients into community ambulation. This study tries to examine the effect of attentional focus, mainly external focus of attention on a supra postural task while walking, in hemiplegic patients. Three cases were examined in detail. The participants were made to walk on a GAITRite(TM) walkway under three experimental conditions: 1) Baseline walking 2) Walking with a supra postural task with no instructional cues and performing a verbal task 3) Walking with a supra postural task with specific attentional focus instructions and the spatial and temporal parameters are recorded. …