Digital Commons Network^™

Diagnostic Effectiveness Of Lead Avr As A Stemi Equivalent, Phung Vu, Karen Hayes

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2016 to 2019

Background: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) encompasses a collection of three acute processes related to myocardial ischemia. These include: unstable angina, non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) is a crucial tool in the diagnosis and risk stratification of ACS. Unlike the other 11 leads, lead augmented Vector Right (aVR) has been long neglected until recent years. Recent investigations have shown that an analysis of ST-segment shift in lead aVR provides useful information on the coronary angiographic anatomy and risk stratification in ACS. This implies that the use of lead aVR can be …

Cervical Cytology Versus Primary Hpv Testing As Screening Tests For Cervical Dysplasia, Erin Shea, Biniam Abraham

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2016 to 2019

Background: Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women, accounting for 10% of all female cancers and 7.5% of all cancer deaths worldwide.^1,2 Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been detected in up to 99.7% of cervical cancers, making it the primary risk factor for the development of cervical cancer.³ Current guidelines recommend a screening test which includes a combination of cervical cytology as well as HPV co-testing in women over the age of 30, with HPV testing not recommended in women younger than the age of 30.¹¹ The Food and Drug Administration has approved primary HPV …

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”, …

The Urothelial Cell Line Urotsa Transformed By Arsenite And Cadmium Display Basal Characteristics Associated With Muscle Invasive Urothelial Cancers, Zachary E. Hoggarth, Danyelle B. Osowski, Brooke A. Freeberg, Scott H. Garrett, Mary Ann Sens, Xudong Zhou, Ke K. Zhang, Seema Somji

Pathology Faculty Publications

Muscle invasive urothelial carcinomas are divided into various molecular subtypes with basal and luminal subtypes being the prominent ones. The basal muscle-invasive urothelial carcinomas are generally more aggressive at presentation and significantly enriched with squamous features. Our laboratory has developed an in-vitro model of urothelial cancer by transforming the immortalized cell line UROtsa with arsenite (As3+) and cadmium (Cd2+). In this study, we characterized the tumors formed by these transformed cell lines as more basal-like based on their gene expression patterns with increased expression of KRT1, KRT5, KRT6, KRT14, KRT16, KRT17 and CD44. In addition, histological examination of these tumor …

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 …

Comparison Of The Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale And Mini-Mental State Examination For Dementia Detection, Lauren Fry, Daniel Wolfe

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2016 to 2019

Objective: To assess the ability of the Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (RUDAS) in comparison to the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) to detect signs of dementia in a diverse elderly population. Design: Systematic literature review. Methods: Searches were done in PubMed, utilizing the terms MMSE, RUDAS, and dementia. Results: Using the keywords mentioned on PubMed,two articles met the inclusion and exclusion criteria: Limpawattana et al and T. R. Nielsen et al. One other article was found by searching under the “Related Articles” section on PubMed: D. Basic et al. Conclusion: The RUDAS performs just as well as …

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 …

Vitamin C In The Treatment Of Septic Shock, Alyson O. Shaughnessy, Matthew Tieszen

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2016 to 2019

Objective:To assess the efficacy of improving outcomes of septic shock treatment with the addition of Vitamin C to standard treatment compared to standard therapy alone. To assess whether or not Vitamin C has a favorable outcome in the treatment of septic shock in terms of decreasing duration of vasopressor usage, reducing duration of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and improving mortality.

Design: Systematic literature review.

Methods: Searches were conducted in PubMed and Google Scholar using the terms ascorbic acid, sepsis, septic shock, and vasopressors. In PubMed the following filters were used: humans only, clinical trials, studies within the past …

The Changing Face Of Pester Power, Margaret-Anne Lawlor

Articles

No abstract provided.

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 …

The Influence Of Engaging Centralized Student Support On The Academic Achievement Of Student Veterans, Paul Morgan

Dissertations, 2014-2019

As more veterans and service members enroll in higher education, institutions are investing greater resources in the establishment and enhancement of centers to support them. However, little is known about the outcomes associated with utilization of the centers. Furthermore, researchers have consistently aggregated veterans and service members under “student veterans” with little regard for potential differences. Using regression analyses and analysis of variance, this case study explored the effect of visits to a veterans center on grade point average (GPA), the effect of academic need on frequency of visits, and differences in academic achievement for different types of military-affiliated 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 …

V. 86, No.11, December 14, 2018

Archway (1946-2020)

No abstract provided.

Lvhn Weekly-Hazleton, Lehigh Valley Health Network

LVHN Weekly-Hazleton

No abstract provided.

Lvhn Weekly, Lehigh Valley Health Network

LVHN Weekly

No abstract provided.

Lvhn Weekly-Pocono, Lehigh Valley Health Network

LVHN Weekly-Pocono

No abstract provided.

Microplastics In Full View: Birds As Bioindicators Of Malta's Coastal Ecosystem Health, Dalton Brauer

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Plastic pollution has recently become a widely studied topic, yet research on microplastics has remained lacking for specific geographic regions. Microplastics are small plastics resulting from degradation or the dumping of raw material and can lead to deleterious impacts on the coastal marine environment and its organisms. To assess Malta’s coastal environmental health, water birds (inshore, offshore and pelagic species) were used as bioindicators by assessing the presence and abundance of plastic within their stomach contents. The project hoped to fill some of the current gaps in knowledge on microplastics within Malta by creating a working baseline, as well as …

Documenting Fifth-Grade Band Students’ Experiences In A Kodály-Centered Beginning Band Curriculum, Elisabeth Henderson Dhillon

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

ABSTRACT

Based on the work of Hungarian composer and educator Zoltán Kodály, the Kodály method, a sound-to-symbol approach to music-making and literacy stemming from an aural and auditory entry point, forms an integral aspect of many elementary level general music curricula in the United States. In this process-oriented, experiential approach, students hear and explore music kinesthetically, aurally and through folk and art song before visual concepts in the form of notes in formal notation are introduced.

In contrast, traditional beginning band methodologies tend not to incorporate a sound-to-symbol approach, teaching the intricacies of a complex new instrument in conjunction with …

"C.H.A.M.P. Families": Description And Theoretical Foundations Of A Paediatric Overweight And Obesity Intervention Targeting Parents-A Single-Centre Non-Randomised Feasibility Study., Kristen Reilly, Trish Tucker, Jennifer D. Irwin Phd, Andrew Johnson, Erin S Pearson, Dirk E Bock, Shauna M. Burke

Paediatrics Publications

Childhood obesity represents a significant global health challenge, and treatment interventions are needed. The purpose of this paper is to describe the components and theoretical model that was used in the development and implementation of a unique parent-focussed paediatric overweight/obesity intervention. C.H.A.M.P. Families was a single-centre, prospective intervention offered to parents of children aged between 6⁻14 years with a body mass index (BMI) ≥85th percentile for age and sex. The intervention included: (1) eight group-based (parent-only) education sessions over 13-weeks; (2) eight home-based activities; and (3) two group-based (family) follow-up support sessions. The first section of the manuscript contains a …

Probiotics As An Adjunct Treatment To Standard Therapy In Ulcerative Colitis, Melissa Maloof, Grace Berardini

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2016 to 2019

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of probiotics in addition to traditional therapy for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) using a systematic review. Methods: PubMed and Cochrane Library databases were queried to evaluate patient clinical trials within the past five years using the search terms probiotics and ulcerative colitis. Results: Three trials met inclusion criteria. Two of three studies found no significant improvement in their primary endpoint with probiotics. Yoshimatsu, et al. found that after one year 56.6% of the placebo group remained in remission, whereas 69.5% of the probiotic group remained in remission (p>0.05).⁹ Tursi, et …

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 …

Arab Nationalism In Interwar Period Iraq: A Descriptive Analysis Of Sami Shawkat’S Al-Futuwwah Youth Movement, Saman Nasser

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Abstract

Historiography of Iraqi Arab nationalism has studied the Iraqi Futuwwah Youth Movement of the interwar period in relation to the European fascist youth model of the post-World War I era. Moreover, the futuwwah is limited by linking its objective to training high school students of Iraq in the area of paramilitary exercises. By re-reading the futuwwah lectures of Sami Shawkat, the Director General of Education and founder of the futuwwah in Iraq, this thesis demonstrates how the movement was rather at the core of Iraqi Arab nationalism. The lectures appear in Shawkat’s book Hadhihi Ahdafuna (These are Our Goals), …

Health Care Economics: Policy And Ethics Nur 412, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.