Digital Commons Network^™

Curcumin Supplementation For Relief Of Pain Associated With Osteoarthritis, Kelly M. Schatzlein, Keely Tietjen

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2016 to 2019

NSAID Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory drug

OA Osteoarthritis

WOMAC Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index

VAS Visual analogue scale

LPFI Lequesne Pain and Function Index

KOA Knee osteoarthritis

ROS Reactive oxygen species

ADL Activity of daily living

BMI Body mass index

Objective: To determine if curcumin supplementation compared to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), placebo, and rescue medications is an effective treatment of arthritic symptoms in males and females between the ages of 50 and 80 with a diagnosis of osteoarthritis.

Design: Systematic Literature Review

Methods: Searches were done in PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus utilizing the terms “turmeric”, “curcumin”, “osteoarthritis”, …

Prescribing The Impossible: State Ideals Of Intensive Parenting, Francesca Vescia

Sociology Honors Projects

The state is a powerful force in private life; families that challenge its framework face erasure or sanction. From what ideals do these families deviate? This paper investigates that question in relation to childrearing. Through a content analysis of three court-approved parenting courses for separating or divorcing parents, I explore what constitutes proper parenting in the eyes of the state. Drawing from the literature on ideologies of family and self, I find courses 1) make efforts to explicitly challenge dominant ideologies of family and parenting while implicitly naturalizing them and 2) grapple to reconcile the logics of intensive parenting and …

Ethyl Chloride Spray For Injection Site Analgesia, Ryan T. Pyles, Mackenzie N. Kappe

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2016 to 2019

Objective: To determine if ethyl chloride spray provides adequate analgesia prior to injections. Design: Systematic literature review. Methods: A search was conducted in both Pubmed and Scopus using search terms ethyl chloride and injection. The Pubmed search was narrowed to include studies within a 10-year publication range. Articles were excluded based on: population age range, date of publication, and if ethyl chloride was used in conjunction with another analgesic. There were no relevant articles in the Scopus search. Results: Franko O, Stern P. demonstrated that there was no statistically significant improvement in anxiety or pain perceived with ethyl chloride treatment …

The Mckenzie Method And Treatment Of Low Back Pain, Sylvia Meyer, David Harrison

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2016 to 2019

Objective: To compare the McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT) exercise program to other treatment modalities for reducing pain, disability, and improving function in patients complaining of low back pain. Design: Systematic literature review. Methods: Searches were conducted in PubMed and Google Scholar using terms “McKenzie Method”, “mechanical diagnosis and therapy”, “low back pain”, “spinal manipulation”, “physical therapy”, and “placebo”. Results: In Machado et al., a statistically significant difference was found between MDT and using a first line approach (advice, reassurance, and over the counter (OTC) analgesics) regarding pain; however, it did not meet the pre-established level of …

Long-Term Proton Pump Inhibitor Use And Effect On Risk Of Fractures, Hannah Messer, Alison K. Conforto

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2016 to 2019

Objective: To conduct an analysis of literature that examined the effects of long-term proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in adults 50 years and older on fracture risk. Methods: A literature search of the PubMed database using the terms “long-term use of PPIs” AND “fractures” Results: All 3 studies reported a statistically significant increased risk of fracture associated with long-term use of PPIs in both men and women over 50. None of the studies showed an increased risk of fracture with short-term PPI use. Conclusions: Health care providers should be informing their patients of the potential risk associated …

Effects Of Equine Assisted Activity On Children And Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Briana Ciampi, Jeffrey M. Roy

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2016 to 2019

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) encompasses a spectrum of disorders which are characterized as having impaired communication skills, social skills and repetitive behaviors or body movements.^1,2 Since every individual with ASD presents with different challenges, treatment modalities for ASD are quite diverse. Equine Assisted Activities (EAA) to include therapeutic horseback riding (THR) is a treatment modality that has been utilized more in recent years for children and adolescents with ASD, as it is thought the connection between the individual and the horse can facilitate emotional, behavioral, and cognitive growth.³ Objective: To determine the effectiveness of Equine Assisted Activity …

Effects Of A Robotic Cat On Agitation And Quality Of Life In Individuals With Dementia In A Long-Term Care Facility, Jillian Nicole Marsilio, Samantha Virginia Mckittrick, Lisa Renee Umbell, Melissa Ann Garner, Sharon Maiewski, Jeanne Wenos

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2016 to 2019

Study Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine whether introducing a robotic companion cat into a long term care facility may improve affect and, subsequently, increase participation for residents with dementia, and to determine potential benefits for caregiver roles and relationships with individuals with dementia.

Background: The number of people with dementia is growing, and the behavioral and psychological side effects are negatively affecting the quality of life for these people as well as their caregivers. Additional research is needed to help develop and confirm the use of nonpharmacological treatment for dementia with therapeutic robots.

Study Subjects: Research …

The Effect Of Opioid Overdose Education And Naloxone Distribution Programs On Opioid-Related Mortality, Blake Rogers, Sharon P

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2016 to 2019

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of opioid overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) program implementation in reducing opioid-related overdose mortality. Methods: A PubMed search was conducted using the terms “opioid overdose prevention community naloxone,” yielding 80 records, 36 of which were screened. The remaining 44 articles were reviewed for eligibility, resulting in three articles chosen for the study. Results: An interrupted time-series analysis by Walley et al., and two retrospective cohort studies by Albert et al. and Rowe et al. were analyzed. Conclusion: Studies by Walley et al. and Albert et al. demonstrated a positive association between OEND program implementation …

Community-Acquired Pneumonia In Adults: Diagnostic Reliability Of Physical Examination Techniques And Their Teaching In Academia, Amber Tordoff, Lauren A. Williams

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2016 to 2019

Background: Chest physical examination techniques are taught in academia, but their usefulness in the evaluation and diagnosis of patients in the clinical setting is controversial. Objective: To investigate the accuracy of physical examination techniques and their reliability in diagnosing community acquired pneumonia (CAP) and suggest a modified teaching approach to be used in academia. Design: Systematic Literature Review. Methods: Database search of PubMed and Google Scholar using the search terms “prediction of pneumonia in adults” and “prediction rule for pulmonary infiltrates.” Filters were implemented to include articles that only dealt with human subjects and were full text. Articles …

Investigation Of An Unusual Thin Layer Descending Through The Upper Stratosphere, Houston D. Bentley

Physics Capstone Projects

Lidar observations on the night of 19-20 February 2004 at Logan, Utah (41.74 N, 111.81 W) revealed a strange thin layer which descended from roughly 55 km to 30 km over seven hours. Approximations are made for the dimensions and descent rate of the layer. Although the particle radius and density are unknown, a range can be determined from the descent rate and reference to the sizes of known particles. Several possible sources for the layer are explored, concluding that an object entering the Earth’s atmosphere was the most probable cause.

Root Cause Analysis To Improve Incident Reporting In An Ambulatory Care Setting, Lisa Ann Duncan

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Problem: The subject organization (SO) is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) with an internally developed incident reporting system. The SO wanted to improve patient and employee safety using data from incident reports, but the incident reporting system did not give enough information to recognize patterns and develop countermeasures.

Context: Supervisors welcomed the opportunity to learn more about incident report follow-up and conducting root cause analysis (RCA). Members of the Safety Committee were eager for data to use to develop countermeasures to improve patient and employee safety. Decreases in employee injuries can save the SO from increases in the …

Effectiveness Of High-Fidelity Human Patient Simulation In Learning To Manage Medically-Complex Infants, Erin Clinard

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Survival of preterm and medically-complex infants has dramatically increased over the past thirty years due to significant advances in medical care and technology, however the developmental costs of survival are substantial. Comprehensive care of premature babies is critical and there is a need for more neonatal therapists, including speech-language pathologists (SLPs), with the knowledge and confidence to provide that care.

Students in graduate SLP programs often receive little clinical experience or dedicated coursework in pediatric feeding and swallowing, especially with medically-complex infants. However, hands-on and experiential learning can support the development of the necessary foundational knowledge and confidence of students …

Using A Logic Model To Direct Backward Design Of Curriculum, Aria Mia Loberti, Bryan M. Dewsbury

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Contemporary approaches to STEM course design typically encourage the backward design of curricula. This is to say that the learning activities and assessments of the course are explicitly guided by the learning outcomes of the course. Less discussed is the fact that this paradigm is also used in nonacademic settings. From this perspective, drawing from the nonacademic world, we discuss the use of a logic model approach as a structured, orderly way to implement backward design. We use the design and implementation of an introductory biology class to illustrate how a logic model template helped frame our inclusive, Freirean approach …

Quarterly Meeting Packet, Wku Board Of Regents

Board of Regents Documents

Quarterly meeting information packet containing:

• Agenda
• Named rooms
• Property acquisition
• Personnel actions
• Salaries
• 2018-2019 First Quarter Statement of Revenue / Expenditures
• Auditor's Report, June 20, 2018
• Kelly Thompson Hall
• Agriculture & Food Science
• Strategic Sport Communications Graduate Certificate
• Emeriti Appointments
• Bylaws revisions

Long Term Outcomes Of On-Pump Cabg Versus Off-Pump Cabg, Christopher Fetrow, Jessalyn Dickerson

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2016 to 2019

Objective: Assess the long-term outcomes including mortality, revascularization and myocardial infarction events to determine whether off-pump CABG is more effective for patients compared to on-pump CABG procedures.

Methods: Studies were found using PubMed with the search term, “on and off pump CABG” which yielded 1736 studies. After assessing for records within 5 years the search was narrowed to 370 articles and then down to 353 because some articles were not available in full-text. Our search was then divided into first looking at randomized control trials and meta-analysis availability from the 353 articles meeting our criteria. After narrowing our search for …

Where No Fandom Has Gone Before: Exploring The Development Of Fandom Through Star Trek Fanzines, Jacqueline Guerrier

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Where No Fandom Has Gone Before: Exploring the Development of Fandom Through Star Trek Fanzines is a digital archive and exhibit project centered around a collection of forty earlyStar Trek fanzines. The website serves two functions: primarily to archive these fanzines, and secondarily to showcase their viability as research tools which can provide valuable data. Through the use of several digital exhibits, this project supports the argument that fanzines had an integral role in the development of early Star Trek fandom and served as a primary means of communication between fans. The website project can be found at: https://guerrijd.wixsite.com/wherenofandomhasgone

Stealth Democracy: Authoritarianism And Democratic Deliberation, Peter Muhlberger

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

In Stealth Democracy, Hibbing and Theiss-Morse seek to show that much of the American public desires "stealth democracy"--a democracy run like a business with little deliberation or public input. The authors maintain that stealth democracy beliefs are largely reasonable preferences, and the public does not want and would react negatively to a more deliberative democracy. This paper introduces an opposing "authoritarian stealth democrats thesis" that suggests that stealth democracy beliefs may be driven by authoritarianism and a variety of related orientations including poor political perspective taking and low cognitive engagement. These orientations may be ameliorated through democratic deliberation. Hypotheses are …

Jesus Of Nazareth At The Heart Of Catholic Schools: What Can We Learn About Jesus From The Gospel Women?, Maurice Ryan

eJournal of Catholic Education in Australasia

All Catholic schools locate Jesus of Nazareth at the heart of their enterprise. Jesus is their hero and sponsor; their inspiration and leader. Jesus of Nazareth is the key to the identity and mission of a Catholic school. Insights about Jesus provide intellectual, religious and pastoral resources that assist Catholic schools in pursuing their educational goals. Unfortunately, the sources for encountering and understanding Jesus seem opaque and distant rather than immediate and transparent. This paper focuses on the gospel women and what we might learn from them about Jesus of Nazareth. The paper surveys scholarship on the gospel women in …

Usa V. Linda Todd

2018 Decisions

USDC for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Screening Project For Adult Males From The Middle East And Afghanistan, Ricky Norwood

Master's Projects and Capstones

Current research indicates a significant rise in PTSD signs and symptoms of adult males arriving from the Middle East and Afghanistan. In an effort to increase the awareness of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in clinical personnel and adult males from the Middle East and Afghanistan, the Sacramento Refugee Health Clinic implemented a PTSD Screening Project. This project was designed to ensure the maximum number of the adult males from the Middle East and Afghanistan would be appropriately screened for PTSD and provided additional opportunities to meet the mental and acute primary care needs of these patients in an adequate and …

Examining Barriers To Receiving Home Care In A Medical Program, Mariah Martinez

Master's Projects and Capstones

Introduction: In Home Supportive Services is a Medi-Cal program serving low-income seniors and adults with disabilities. IHSS clients, or “consumers” are responsible for finding, hiring and supervising their IHSS home care worker. IHSS workers provide services such as feeding, bathing, bowel and bladder care, meal preparation and clean-up, laundry, and paramedical care. This project was created to identify why a high number of IHSS clients have not been able to hire and retain an IHSS care worker. The aim of the study was to understand the consumers interactions with IHSS and identify points at which consumers experience challenges in …

Finding The Narrative In Incident Reports, La'eeqa Aslam

Master's Projects and Capstones

The Progress Foundation, as licensed by the state of California and the Community Care Licensing, is required to use incident reports for internal audits and remain in compliance as a health facility. Incident reports are used to record events or accidents that have occurred within an organization. Often times, reports are made, handed off, and given from the residence home to the Community Care Licensing with little to no information of how an incident was managed. The Progress Foundation is working towards tracking information from the incident reports to improve internal management and understand the trends in the reports.

In …

Mdr Matters! Improving Primary Nurse Participation In Multidisciplinary Rounds, Alma Alcantara

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Problem: The current model of multidisciplinary rounds (MDR) in a 40-bed medical-surgical unit within a Northern California community hospital has demonstrated low participation rates from primary nursing. The primary nurse attendance in MDRs is consistently at 50% participation, below the target goal of 80%. This lack of engagement leads to ineffective communication and fragmented care coordination resulting in suboptimal quality care and cost outcomes.

Context: An intervention strategy to standardize the MDR model was implemented over three months. A literature review revealed that effective and consistent MDR practices can directly influence primary nurse participation. This change management project focus …

Keep The Beat With Heart Failure Education: A Quality Improvement Project, Brenda L. Peterson

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Problem: Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is the number one diagnosis-related group (DRG) for people 65 years of age and older in the United States. This disease group is complicated and debilitating, requiring frequent hospitalizations with high mortality rates. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has identified CHF as an area for improvement in hospitals.

Context: This was a quality improvement project for an integrated medical center in the Central Valley, California with over 19,000 HF patients. In 2018, for patients 65 years and older, HF is the third-most admitted DRG …

Health Care Improvement Initiative: Outcomes And Impact Of An Academic-Practice Partnership Between A Large Integrated Health System’S Nurse Scholars Academy And The University Of San Francisco School Of Nursing And Health Professions, Ryan Fuller

Master's Projects and Capstones

By December 2018, a large integrated health system’s Nurse Scholars Academy (NSA) will have financially-sponsored 64 registered nurses to return to school through a strategic academic-practice partnership program at the University of San Francisco (USF). Referred to as ‘Nurse Scholars,' health system employees elected to return-to-school through NSA. As a five-year initiative, NSA was at risk for not receiving additional funding beyond 2020 without a thorough outcomes analysis that articulated the outcomes to executive leadership.

This health system employs more than 23,000 registered nurses in Northern California (NCAL). The NSA is a region-wide effort to accelerate academic progression, leadership development, …

Reducing Inpatient Readmissions Through Early Follow-Up Appointment Planning: A Quality Improvement Project, Isabella Cuenco

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: Inpatient readmissions have a highly negative impact on healthcare systems. Not only do these hospitalizations have a detrimental effect on patient outcomes they also are accompanied by a prohibitive financial burden to the hospitals.

Context: Follow-up appointment with a primary care provider after discharge has been demonstrated as a viable strategy to reduce the risk of readmissions.

Interventions: Create a volunteer program to schedule patient appointments with a primary care provider within seven days of discharge.

Measures and Results: Compare the number of patients that were discharged with a follow-up appointment after the intervention to before the intervention, and …

Improving The Staff Responsiveness By Bundling Care, Practicing Proactive Authentic Hourly Visits, And Using The Four P’S, Robert Vega

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Problem

Staff responsiveness is an important Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Star Rating composite tool that hospitals monitor because it is consumer-driven information. The intent is that the HCAHPS composite promotes patient satisfaction, contributes to the prevention of harm, and can save millions of dollars (Danaf et al., 2017). On admission, the patient is orientated to their room, provided a nurse call light button to use, and told not to get out of bed alone and to wait for their nurse (Mitchell et al., 2014). On Three North, a gap exists in the delay it …

English For Baking: Lessons For Kitchen Workers Using On-Site Learning, Christopher Torossian

Master's Projects and Capstones

Today, the back of house staff in culinary kitchens is comprised largely by migrant workers whose native language is something other than English. At times this can create issues among workers due to communication errors or complete lack of communication all together, posing issues for not only cooking, but it can also be a threat to kitchen safety as well. Additionally, due to native speaker stigma surrounding non-native speakers of English, many workers are often denied the chance at a higher position in the workplace simply because of their low communicative competence, despite their actual talents and skills in the …

Music Education And Its Impact On L2 Learning, Johanna Nilsson

Master's Projects and Capstones

English Language Learners are disproportionately underrepresented in secondary music classes in the United States. They are systematically excluded due to overly restrictive schedules, high emphasis on test scores and academic remediation, real and perceived cost of participation, and the types of courses that are offered at most secondary schools. At the same time, musical intervention research has revealed that musical ability is linked to literacy, pronunciation, and vocabulary retention, all aspects of second language acquisition. By excluding English Language Learners from music education, we could be denying them a tool that could positively impact their language acquisition. However, most of …

Calls For Action: Exhibition Interactives As Method To Promote Civic Engagement In Community-Centered Museums, Angeera Khadka

Master's Projects and Capstones

This Capstone explores the potential for museums to be agents of social change in their communities through exhibition interactives that promote civic engagement. Derived from two linked movements of the progressive education pedagogy and the community-centered museum, these interactives allow museums to take an active role in their communities. Three recent case studies that encouraged and empowered their visitors to take action in their communities are analyzed. This analysis reveals key factors that enabled the three institutions to collaborate and co-create with community members to create these interactives. The implementation of such interactives presents the museum studies field …