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2015 Fall Commencement, Harding University

Commencement Programs

Program for the Harding University Commencement on December 19.

Commencement Speaker: Jonathan Dismang

Addressing The Mental Health Needs Of Women In Rural Communities: A Women’S Wellness Group, Andriana Hench

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

This paper explores the mental health needs of women in rural communities. Based on Myers and Sweeny’s Wellness Model (2008), as well as other relevant research, I have developed a group curriculum as a unique intervention to reach this specific population. This paper provides an overview of relevant literature and includes both a handbook for group facilitators and a participant workbook that compliments the facilitator handbook. This group curriculum is suggested for Clinical Mental Health Counselors and other mental health professionals to promote wellness among rural women.

Family Studies Graduates With National Honors, College Of Education And Human Development

Family and Consumer Sciences News

Jerry Phelps, a family studies student who graduated in fall 2015, is one of 29 students from across the country graduating with National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) honors.

Uab Studying Impact Of Ketogenic Diet On Cognition In Older Adults With Hiv, Adam Pope

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

Designing A Care Delivery System Through Interprofessional Coordinated Care In A Medical Neighborhood Setting, Diane P. Kelly

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Abstract

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2010) has two significant aims: to improve the quality of healthcare and in doing so, to lower the cost of healthcare. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and mental health, which in 2005 affected nearly one of every two Americans, continues to increase (CDC, 2010). Chronic health conditions and lack of access to care are both national and local concerns. These challenges will require the exploration of new models for the delivery of care, as needs shift over time …

Patient-Reported Outcomes Screening For Improved Patient Wellness: A Cancer Center Initiative, Alison Morris

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: People experiencing serious illness have significant unmet physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs. The Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) requires patients to be screened for emotional wellbeing and pain by their second oncology visit. This project details one cancer center’s quality improvement initiative to (a) implement electronic screening of every cancer patient by their second oncology visit, (b) design processes for ongoing assessment and intervention of need(s), and (c) develop measurable and sustainable evaluation metrics to ensure that palliative care needs are met. Methods: In June 2015, we launched electronic collection of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) using the Patient Reported …

Arsenic, Cadmium, Copper, And Zinc Levels In Crayfish From Southwest Louisiana And Atchafalaya Basin, E. Gerald Hebert

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Heavy metal contamination in food is a worldwide concern. Man-made ponds are domestic sites in the production of Procambarus clarkii and Procambarus zonangulus, two edible species of crayfish. Ponds may be constructed in former sugar cane or rice fields. Crayfish farming is an ancillary seasonal business within the rice-growing season. The use of products to control insects, pests, and weeds in rice and sugar cane production, may cause an accumulation of heavy metals in the crayfish tail within pond structures. Arsenic, cadmium, copper, and zinc are heavy metals that are absorbed through the roots of and distributed through rice products. …

Correlations Between Quantitative Fat–Water Magnetic Resonance Imaging And Computed Tomography In Human Subcutaneous White Adipose Tissue, Aliya Gifford, Ronald C. Walker, Theodore F. Towse, E Brian Welch

Peer Reviewed Articles

Beyond estimation of depot volumes, quantitative analysis of adipose tissue properties could improve understanding of how adipose tissue correlates with metabolic risk factors. We investigated whether the fat signal fraction (FSF) derived from quantitative fat–water magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans at 3.0 T correlates to CT Hounsfield units (HU) of the same tissue. These measures were acquired in the subcutaneous white adipose tissue (WAT) at the umbilical level of 21 healthy adult subjects. A moderate correlation exists between MRI- and CT-derived WAT values for all subjects, R²=0.54, p<0.0001, with a slope of −2.6, (95% CI [−3.3,−1.8]), indicating that a decrease of 1 HU equals a mean increase of 0.38% FSF. We demonstrate that FSF estimates obtained using quantitative fat–water MRI techniques correlate with CT HU values in subcutaneous WAT, and therefore, MRI-based FSF could be used as an alternative to CT HU for assessing metabolic risk factors.

Phosphorus Release Potential Of Agricultural Soils Of The United States, Rebecca A. Young

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Phosphorus (P) is one of the leading causes of surface water quality decline in the United States, leading to algal blooms and hypoxia in lakes and streams. Decreasing conservation funds dictate that agencies such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service, maximizes its effectiveness and efficiency in implementing practices to address P management and runoff on agricultural lands. Additional information on P behavior in soil is needed to improve P management plans to reduce pollution risk at the watershed, farm, and field scales. This research focuses on the development of total soil P release models, to be included into assessment and …

Development Of Manganese-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Memri) Methods To Study Pathophysiology Underlying Neurodegenerative Diseases In Murine Models, Aditya N. Bade

Theses & Dissertations

Manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) opens the great opportunity to study complex paradigms of central nervous system (CNS) in freely behaving animals and reveals new pathophysiological information that might be otherwise difficult to gain. Due to advantageous chemical and biological properties of manganese (Mn²⁺), MEMRI has been successfully applied in the studies of several neurological diseases using translational animal models to assess comprehensive information about neuronal activity, morphology, neuronal tracts, and rate of axonal transport. Although previous studies highlight the potential of MEMRI for brain imaging, the limitations concerning the use of Mn²⁺ in living animals and …

The Multidimensionality Of Schoolgirl Dropouts In Rural Bangladesh, Tiffany Yancey

Master's Theses

This thesis outlines the underlying causes for girl dropouts in the secondary school system of rural Bangladesh and assesses the barriers that affect adolescent girls and their families. The complex dynamics of the historical context within the patriarchal-dominant structure of society creates a system that hinders girls’ education and forces them into marriage at an early age. Poverty and lack of parental involvement in schools, as well as societal traditions and lack of government infrastructure play an enormous role and are the main structural factors that are linked to schoolgirl dropouts in this study. This thesis also analyzes previous education …

The Effect Of Body Mass Index On Graft Function And Kidney Transplant Outcomes, Morgan Galle

Theses & Dissertations

Background: When determining eligibility for kidney transplantation, body mass index (BMI) is often a debatable criterion for transplant due to the clinical indication, an elevated BMI has adverse effects on kidney transplant outcomes. There is a current gap in research on the effect BMI has on kidney transplant outcomes.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the role BMI plays in post-kidney transplant clinical outcomes including delayed graft function, new onset diabetes after transplant, wound complications, hospital length of stay, albumin, and readmissions to the hospital from initial hospitalization and at six months following kidney transplantation. The primary …

Fat Boy Private Dance, Adam M. Schwartz

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

After spending a decade losing weight following a traumatic high school experience, Mark has a great life with a beautiful girlfriend, good job which he's passionate about, and a wonderful group of friends. Everything changes when his high school bully reenters his life and shakes his confidence to the point of developing a severe case of body dysmorphia at a time when it's crucial he's confident, as he promised to do a private dance for his girlfriend.

Extension Agriculture And Natural Resources In The U.S. Midwest: A Review And Analysis Of Challenges And Future Opportunities, Mahdi M. Al-Kaisi, Roger Wesley Elmore, Gerald A. Miller, David Kwaw-Mensah

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

This review addresses key changes in U.S. agricultural extension and future opportunities. Agricultural extension has been a part of the land-grant university (LGU) system for more than 100 years. The Morrill Act of 1862 established the LGU system by authorizing states access to federally controlled land and funding for public institutions offering educational opportunities focusing on agriculture and mechanical arts for farmers and the working class. Current surveys in Iowa reveal changing trends in extension: more than 90% of farmers identified private-sector crop advisers as their primary source for recommendations, whereas more than 80% of those advisors identified Iowa State …

Hearing Officers' Perceptions Of Their Roles In Welfare Organizations, Karen R. Brown

Doctoral Dissertations

Little is known about the officials who conduct administrative hearings for aggrieved welfare clients. Hearing officers are charged with ensuring due process for welfare clients, called appellants in the hearing process, who believe that mistakes have been made in their cases and who wish to challenge those decisions. Administrative hearings are one of the few vehicles that afford clients the opportunity to contest welfare policies and procedures. This study explored welfare hearing officers and their perceptions of their roles in conducting hearings.

The concepts of role theory, organizational climate and aspects of professional training were used to examine the role …

The Battle Against Childhood Obesity, Allison Fox

Capstones

When 16-year-old Eric Foy came home from high school one weeknight in the fall of 2005, his life changed forever. His mother, Claudia, was resting on the tan couch in the living room, but she was slumped over to the left, towards the end table that held a dozen framed photos of his extended family. “Get me juice,” Claudia whispered to her son. Immediately, Eric knew what was happening –his mother’s blood sugar level was crashing. As he ran to the kitchen to pour a glass of orange juice, he started to panic.

Staff Education: Nutrition Education In The Intellectually /Developmentally Disabled Community, Claire C. Bradley-Davalos Msn Rn

Master's Projects and Capstones

The objective of my project is to develop staff education regarding a nutrition initiative developed to address the 44% obesity rate among clients in our care. My target population is direct care staff working in the Intellectually/Developmentally Disabled (IDD) community, and high functioning clients who live independently in the community. The staff knowledge was tested pre- and post-education to demonstrate knowledge retained. Staff are required to get a score of 80 or better to pass. Test results are interpreted to see which content areas need further teaching or clarification. Initial results indicate that four areas of education need to be …

Reduced A1c Levels Through Diabetes Self-Management Strategies In The Teen Population: A Systematic Review, Nicole O'Neil

Master's Projects and Capstones

This project utilized current evidence-based practices to improve the diabetes education in the endocrine clinic for the adolescent population ages 15-18. Based on a clinic audit, an average hA1C level of 8.1% was revealed. The goal was to decrease these levels from 8.1% to 7.9% within 90 days through the implementation of the revised diabetes brochure. Evidence suggests the following: DSME improves clinical outcomes and quality of life; an A1C level >7% is associated with increased risks of complications ; teaching aimed at lowering glycemic levels have decreased numerous complications; there is a need to ensure age appropriate, family-centered care, …

Prospectus Elements: Increasing Pediatric Immunization Rates, Catherine Le

Master's Projects and Capstones

There has been a recent outbreak of Measles and the majority who contracted the disease were unvaccinated (CDC, 2015). An increase in pertussis cases from 2013 to 2014 have occurred as well from 28,639 cases to 32,971 in 2014 (CDC, 2015). This is endangering the community, and putting infants and the younger generation at risk. Increasing immunization rates for patients to be fully immunized has become crucial. Being fully immunized not only reduces their chances of getting these diseases, but also helps the rest of the population who are too young to get these vaccines (Daly, Matthew F. & Glanz, …

Reducing Clabsi In The Nicu With Iv Tubing Competency, Tessa A. Toscano Ms

Master's Projects and Capstones

Central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) is a significant problem in a Level IV neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) on the West Coast of California. A clinical nurse leader (CNL) student joined a team consisting of the unit’s nursing manager, nursing educator, clinical nurse specialist (CNS), and CNS student. Literature review highlighted the association between the development of CLABSI and the practice of changing central line intravenous (IV) tubing. Five interviews of nurses and 15 observations of nurses performing IV tubing change revealed practice variations within six major steps of the procedure. The team revised the IV tubing change policy to …

Barriers Encountered By Nurses And Nursing Assistants That Prevent Purposeful Rounding, Mar Joseph B. Odias

Master's Projects and Capstones

Purpose: The aim of the study was to identify barriers encountered by registered nurses (RNs) and nursing assistants (NAs) that prevent purposeful (hourly) rounding.

Background: The literature has shown that purposeful rounding improves patient outcomes and safety. However, few studies show the barriers encountered by nursing staff that hinder the purposeful rounding process.

Methods: A pre-post test design was implemented on a 25-bed oncology, urology medical surgical unit with a staff of 38 RNs, 9 NAs, and 4 Unit Secretaries (US). A pre-implementation needs assessment survey was completed by 55% (21/38) of RNs, 33% (3/9) of NAs, and 100% (4/4) …

Mothers Behind Bars: Breaking The Paradigm Of Prisoners, Anna Mangia

DePaul Journal of Women, Gender and the Law

Prison is an oppressive institution created for men, by men. While some may argue that oppression is the point of prison, this oppression is still created for and directed toward men. Because the paradigm of a prisoner is a violent male, the needs and concerns of women are often not considered. Female prisoners, therefore, experience layers of oppression: intended oppression inherent in the prison system, as well as gender-based oppression inherent in our society. Furthermore, incarcerated mothers experience a third layer of oppression due to their roles and expectations in society. “The mother” is glorified, but when a woman breaks …

Maternal Predictors Of School Readiness Among At-Risk Head Start Preschool Children, Rachel Chase

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Preschool has been identified as a critical period during which children who are at-risk for school difficulties are most responsive to intervention (National Institute of Mental Health, 2002; National Research Council & Institute of Medicine, 2001). Because of this, school readiness has recently become a prioritized area of interest for the educational system, the health care industry, and the federal government. However, many efforts to comprehensively prepare a child to begin school have not been successful because factors beyond the educational system (e.g., parenting/parent attributes, environmental stressors, and other demographic characteristics) have not been closely considered nor adequately researched. Therefore, …

Space Use And Movements Of Moose Hunters And Wolves In The Yukon Flats, Alaska, Ian Johnson

Biological Sciences

Within the Yukon Flats, Alaska, subsistence communities utilize moose (Alces alces) as a primary resource (78% of households) and wolves (Canis lupus) hunt them as an obligatory prey item. Hence, understanding the potential of direct or indirect competition between wolves and humans is useful for managers. In Chapter 1, I used a novel approach utilizing spatially-linked interviews to quantify the distance subsistence users were traveling from communities and rivers to harvest moose in the Yukon Flats. My study was the first to quantify hunter access in the Arctic and may provide managers with a harvest estimation approach that may supplement …

Winter Commencement: December 17-18, 2015, University Of North Dakota

UND Commencement Programs

UND Winter Commencement program from December 17-18, 2015.

The Effects Of Dietary Essential Fatty Acid Enrichment On The Nutrition And Condition Of Red King Crab (Paralithodes Camtschaticus) Larvae, Asia Beder

Fisheries

Alaska red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) is a commercially valuable crab species in Alaska; however, six of the nine red king crab stocks in Alaska are depleted and have failed to recover even after closures of the fisheries. Hatchery rearing is being explored as a possibility for rehabilitating these stocks. In Chapter 1, I review the importance of diet, particularly fatty acids (FAs), when raising crustacean larvae in hatcheries. Long-chain polyunsaturated FAs (PUFAs) are important in molting success, growth, ability to handle stress, and overall survival of crustaceans. Specifically, when the FAs docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3), …

Wsu Board Of Trustees Meeting Minutes, December 17-18, 2015

Board of Trustees Minutes

Minutes from the Wright State University Board of Trustees Meeting held on December 17-18, 2015.

Setting The Kids' Table, Elizabeth Fiske

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

2015-December-17-Two Faculty Members Co-Author Textbook Chapter, University Marketing And Communications, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

No abstract provided.

Assessing Foliar Ascorbate Content In A Rice Diversity Panel And In Selected Mapping Population Lines With Varying Levels Of Seedling Cold Tolerance, Sonia Elizabeth Castillo Gonzalez

Student Theses and Dissertations

Rice is economically, culturally, and socially important to many people in the world. Arkansas is the main rice producer in the USA. Climate change continues to increase the incidence of abiotic stresses such as cold, heat, drought, water excess, and soil salinity. These stresses pose a particular challenge to rice cultivation. Rice has lower yields under cold stress, particularly when plants are exposed to cold at the seedling and reproductive stages. Early spring plantings and field irrigation with underground cold water expose rice seedlings to cold stress. Previous studies in Arabidopsis thaliana have shown that lines engineered to have elevated …