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The Effectiveness Of Implementing A Diabetic Checklist To Improve Patient Care Documentation, Evans Mutua, Edwilyn Colwell

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The Effectiveness of Implementing a Diabetic Checklist to Improve Patient Care Documentation of Treatment and Outcomes.

Diabetes mellitus is a major public health problem worldwide. In 2012, about 29.1 million Americans had diabetes with about 1.4 million Americans being diagnosed with diabetes yearly (CDC, 2017). Diabetes is the 7^th leading cause of death in the United states and in Illinois, the cost is $6,490 per person with a treated population of 774, 600 (CDC, 2017). Complication due to diabetes include; diabetic retinopathy, neuropathy, end stage renal disease, amputations and death.

The American Diabetes Association, provide evidence-based guidelines for the …

The Effect Of Home Health Interventions On Hospital Readmission Rates In Patients With Congestive Heart Failure, Lindsay Reavis

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Heart failure is a common diagnosis that affects millions of people worldwide. Unfortunately, heart failure is associated with a high risk of 30-day hospital readmission rates. Home health nurses have the potential to bridge the gap between discharge and hospital readmission by providing up-to-date patient education on a one-to-one basis. Research indicates home health nurses lack knowledge of the disease process, nurse management of the disease, and treatment. This project focused on an educational session about the pathophysiology of heart failure, fluid/weight monitoring, diet, medications, and exercise with a pre- and post-tests evaluating home health nurses understanding of heart failure. …

Establishing Defoliation Thresholds In Peanut (Arachis Hypogaea (L.)) In Mississippi, Chadwick Cameron Abbott

Theses and Dissertations

Foliage feeding insects like fall armyworm (FAW) [Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith)], granulate cutworm (GCW) [Feltia subterranean (F.)], velvetbean caterpillar (VBC) [Anticarsia gemmatalis (Hübner)] and corn earworm (CEW) [Helicoverpa zea (Boddie)] in peanut (Arachis hypogaea (L.)) and their effects on canopy defoliation and the resultant yield loss is outdated and essentially non-existent in Mississippi. With the expansion of peanuts throughout the state since 2012, growers struggle to manage foliageeeding pests in peanut. The lack of current information regarding insect pressure and economic injury levels is troublesome; especially with newer, high yielding, disease resistant cultivars. Research was required to understand how …

Culture Techniques And Evaluation Of Snail Consumption By Black Buffalo Ictiobus Niger, Emmet Liam Guy

Theses and Dissertations

Black Buffalo Ictiobus niger are a catostomid species native to the Mississippi River Basin with declining populations. Aquaculture is a common component of recovery plans, however little information is published on catostomid culture methods. This study developed culture techniques for Black Buffalo including tank acclimation, induced spawning, larval rearing, and protein requirements. Fish needed a lengthy acclimation (> 2 months) to reduce signs of stress. After, an induced-spawning protocol was described with gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue. Swim-up fry did not readily consume zooplankton at first feeding but began selecting for cladocerans one week after stocked in a rearing pond. The juvenile …

An Analysis Of Grain Corn Nutritional Supplements And Relative Maturity In Mississippi, Joseph Bryan Whittenton

Theses and Dissertations

A review of available corn relative maturity groups in Mississippi shows a limited range of maturity groups in use. Research focusing on expanding the range of maturity groups was conducted in MS in 2015 and 2016. Along with expanded maturity groups, treatments of fertilizer (10-34-0), foliar zinc, and a plant hormone blend were studied to shorten the growing season. Four site years in MS were studied to determine optimal plant maturity group and treatment for length of season. The results showed decreased yield of 0.09-0.15 Mg ha-1 (1.5-2.3 bu ac-1) for each day of decreasing relative maturity in three of …

An Investigation Of The Barriers That Influence Extension Employees' Attitudes Toward Social Media Use At Mississippi State University, Jamal Mohammed Alotaibi

Theses and Dissertations

Many Extension organizations in the United States utilize social media to communicate with clients and deliver Extension educational programs. The purpose of this study was to investigate what social media platform Extension employees were using as a communication tool to deliver educational programs, and to examine factors influencing Extension employees’ attitude toward using social media with Mississippi State University Extension. The study followed a descriptive correlational design, using a researcher- developed questionnaire. Data were collected via Qualtrics. A total of 170 Extension faculty and agents responded to the questionnaire. Most of respondents were Extension agents, white, with an equal percentage …

Characterization Of An Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet Using Optical Emission And Cavity Ringdown Spectroscopy, Shane Moore Clark

Theses and Dissertations

Cold plasma is useful in numerous medical applications, largely because of the highly-reactive chemical species generated in the discharge. The hydroxyl radical (OH) is of these species and has significant biological importance. An atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) was constructed in the form of a plasma pencil, and relative and absolute measurements were made of OH in both its first excited ground state—OH(A) and OH(X), respectively—using optical emission spectroscopy and cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS). The total number of OH radicals were found to be constant in the plume and within the range given by relative measurements made on similar devices …

A Feel For The Whole: Considering State-Specific Quality Measures For Medicare's Value-Based Programs In The Context Of Social Risk Factors And Population Health, Kimberly K. Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are used as a measure for federal value-based payment programs. Using data for 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed newer risk adjustment models to calculate the standardized infection ratio (SIR) for various infections occurring in hospitals. New national baselines were set to compare performance among medical facilities and states. Despite adjustments for various facility-level factors that contribute to HAI risk, there are ongoing concerns that SIR calculations do not adequately account for non-hospital risk factors that have been linked to clinical outcomes. This explanatory study evaluates state-level data using simple linear regression to …

A New Perspective On Giving-Up Density Experiments And The Landscape Of Fear, Jordan D. Mcmahon

Theses and Dissertations

Non-consumptive effects that predators have on prey are important to ecosystems. The perceived risk of predation can alter feeding behavior. Giving-up density (GUD) experiments have been a foundational method to evaluate perceived predation risk, but rely on the assumption that food preferences are absolute. However, nutritional preferences are context dependent and can change with risk. In my first chapter, I used spiders and grasshoppers to test the hypothesis that covariance in nutritional preferences and risk may confound the interpretation of GUD experiments. My results demonstrate that predation risk and nutritional preferences covary and can confound interpretation of GUD experiments. In …

Effect Of Curcumin Supplementation On Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, And Muscle Damage, Steven Allen Basham

Theses and Dissertations

Oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation can be detrimental to exercise performance. Antioxidants such as curcumin are shown to reduce exercise-induced OS, inflammation, muscle damage, and soreness. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of curcumin on biomarker markers of OS (MDA, TAC), inflammation (TNF-á), muscle damage (CK) and soreness. Participants performed an exercise-induced muscle damage protocol. Before and after supplementation, subjects were randomly assigned to curcumin (1.5 g/day) or placebo for 28 days. Blood was sampled immediately before and after exercise, as well as 60 min, 24, and 48 h after exercise. No significant differences were observed …

Effects Of Bacillus Subtilis-Based Probiotics On Broiler Growth And Intestine Health, Xi Wang

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research was to use Bacillus subtilis-based probiotics alone or combined with various additional antibiotic alternatives (yeast-derived prebiotics and zinc supplementation) to maintain gut health and improve growth performance of antibioticree broilers. Three consecutive studies have been conducted to evaluate dietary effects on intestinal morphology, digestive organ development, microbiota, and growth performance of commercial broilers under different coccidia-challenge circumstances. In the first study, broilers were raised under commercial conditions, without coccidia-challenge (Chapter III). Broilers fed diets supplemented with antibiotics exhibited the highest body weight gain (BWG) from d 15 to 27. Broilers fed diets supplemented with B. …

Adaptability And Management Of Alfalfa Overseeded Into Warm-Season Perennial Grasses In Mississippi, Joshua Andrew White

Theses and Dissertations

Alfalfa overseeded into warm-season perennial grasses such as bahiagrass or bermudagrass has the potential to increase forage quality and dry matter yield as well as extend the growing season. Many of the challenges associated with alfalfa in mixtures have been observed in warm-season grasses, but few studies have attempted to explain the dynamics between these grasses and alfalfa when grown together. Two studies were designed to note these relationships: The objective of the first study was to observe the effect of seeding rate and sod preparation on alfalfa and bermudagrass persistence over three years by using minimum tillage and alfalfa …

Exploring The Relationship Between Volunteer Motives, Satisfaction, Commitment, And Intention To Leave The Mississippi Master Gardener Program, Austin Pace Jacobs

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore and to examine the relationship among Mississippi Master Gardeners’ characteristics, motives for volunteering as a Master Gardener, satisfaction serving as a Master Gardener, organizational commitment, and intention to leave the Mississippi Master Gardener Program. Specifically, this research sought to determine what drives or motivates Mississippi Master Gardener volunteers to volunteer, what satisfies them, and what makes these volunteers consider leaving the Mississippi State University Extension Master Gardener programs. This study used a descriptive survey research design to examine the relationship between the variables. Sixty-one items encompassed the five-part survey which was completed …

Hematological And Histopathological Changes Associated With Chronic Diazinon Exposure In Alligator Gar, Atractosteus Spatula, Ahmad Salem Omar Ali

Theses and Dissertations

Extensive use of the organophosphate diazinon has led to its accumulation in aquatic environments and negative effects on fish health. Most studies focus on the effects of short term exposure to high levels of organophosphate pesticides. This research was conducted to assess the effect of chronic sub-lethal exposure to 0, 0.01, and 0.1 mg/L diazinon for 15 and 30 days on blood parameters and histopathological damage in alligator gar, Atractosteus spatula. Fish exposed to either concentration were motionless, produced excess mucous, had lighter skin color, and had skin lesions. Blood indices of red blood cells, leukocytes and hematocrit values significantly …

Influence Of Strain And Temperature On Growth, Survival And Biofilm Formation By Listeria Monocytogenes And Salmonella Spp. In High And Low Concentrations Of Catfish Mucus Extract On Four Food-Contact Surfaces And Their Destruction, Nitin Dhowlaghar

Theses and Dissertations

According to USDA-FSIS reports, L. monocytogenes and Salmonella are two important foodborne pathogens that are prevalent throughout catfish environment. Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) is the most important aquaculture species in the United States accounting for more than 60% of its aquaculture production. The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of strain, temperature concentration on the growth, survival and biofilm formation of L. monocytogenes and Salmonella using catfish mucus extract on different food-contact surfaces. Growth and survival of L. monocytogenes and Salmonella was greater at the higher concentration of mucus extract at both 10°C and 22°C. In 15 …

Inhospitable In The Hospitality State: The Mississippi State Hospital In The Jim Crow South, 1865-1966, Michael Thomas Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an institutional history of the Mississippi State Hospital. Specifically, it is a study of the use of the hospital as an institutional instrument to establish, maintain, reinforce state-sponsored racial segregation and white supremacy during the period of Jim Crow in Mississippi. Mississippi's institution for its mentally ill residents became an instrument to reinforce the state's racially, socially, and economically rigid society.

The Effects Of Diet, Population, And Water Temperature On The Stress Response Of Angled Largemouth Bass Micropterus Salmoides, Colin P. Dinken

Theses and Dissertations

Angling practices subject Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides to multiple stressors, causing homeostatic physiological disturbances. The combined effects of ambient and live well temperature on stress responses from exercise have not been thoroughly examined. Large numbers of fish required for stress experiments can be produced by intensive culture, but hatchery fish may differ physiologically from wild fish due to dietary carbohydrates. Therefore, the effects of diet, population, and temperature on stress response and health were examined. Stress responses were similar among fish fed formulated and live diets and liver health improved within 4-6 weeks. Although cortisol responses of hatchery and wild …

The Effects Of Supplemental Progesterone Via A Cidr Insert On Pregnancy Rates In Dairy Heifer Recipients Of Ivp Embryos, Melissa Steichen

Theses and Dissertations

In previous research, progesterone has been supplemented using various techniques, at differing time points during peri-insemination in cattle, with conflicting results. Little research has been conducted on the effects of intravaginal delivery of supplemental progesterone following transfer of embryos produced in vitro, and no research was found to investigate this method exclusively in the period post-transfer. Pregnancy rates following the transfer of embryos produced in vitro are considered less than ideal, especially if these embryos have been cryopreserved. Embryos produced in vitro are less equipped to handle the freezing process due to alternative ultrastructural differences, and display lesser developmental potential …

The Impact Of Pre-Kindergarten Attendance On Later Academic Achievement In A Mississippi School District, Lisa Cox Hull

Theses and Dissertations

In an era of high stakes testing and accountability, educators and policy makers are working to improve the educational outcomes for children. In a quest to help children achieve at high levels, Pre Kindergarten is often cited as a proactive strategy to address the academic gaps many children have upon entering school. While the goal of Pre Kindergarten is to prepare children for later schooling, it is important to determine if this costly strategy has sustainable, long-term academic benefits. The purpose of this research was to determine if a Title I, Part A Pre Kindergarten program had an impact on …

The Importance Of Carbohydrate Timing During High-Intensity Training While Consuming A Low Carbohydrate Diet, Benjamin Michael Krings

Theses and Dissertations

The effects of low carbohydrate (CHO), high fat (LCHF) diets on adaptations to high-intensity exercise have recently gained interest. Consuming a LCHF may potentially decrease the ability to use CHO during exercise and impair high-intensity exercise adaptations. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to examine the importance of CHO timing while consuming a LCHF diet and completing a high-intensity exercise program. Eighteen resistance trained males were randomized into two treatment groups. Both groups completed 6 weeks of a high-intensity exercise training program with the first 2 weeks serving as familiarization to resistance training (RT) 3 days per week and …

Nutrients Influence Diet Selection In Herbivores, Jacob Lee Dykes

Theses and Dissertations

Natural selection should favor selective foraging in deer to choose among nutrients in plant communities to meet their physiological requirements. I designed a two-tier cafeteria-style experiment where I measured plant nutritional quality and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) use on 1) 15 species of herbaceous plants, and 2) 2 species of plants of manipulated nutrient concentrations. I tested the hypotheses: 1) deer use across plants would be influenced by plant nutrients, and 2) soil nutrients would influence plant selection by deer. My analyses indicated deer selected plants of low neutral detergent fiber and sulfur concentrations. However, deer selected for crude protein. …

Vitamin D Deficiency And Supplemental Use In Pregnancy: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Christine Rogers-Kelly

Theses and Dissertations

Vitamin D inadequacy is highly prevalent among pregnant women worldwide. Inadequacy or deficiency of vitamin D can lead to adverse outcomes during pregnancy such as pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and caesarian section. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to examine the effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation on serum vitamin D status during pregnancy in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, EBSCO, Cochrane CENTRAL Database of Controlled Clinical Trials, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Google Scholar, in addition to searching reference lists in published reviews. A comprehensive list of RCTs of vitamin D status and supplemental use …

Spatiotemporal Dynamics Of Multi-Scale Habitat Selection In An Invasive Generalist, Kelsey Elizabeth Paolini

Theses and Dissertations

Spatiotemporal dynamics of resource availability can produce markedly different patterns of landscape utilization which necessitates studying habitat selection across biologically relevant extents. Feral pigs (Sus scrofa) are a prolifically expanding, generalist species and researchers have yet to understand fundamental drivers of space use in agricultural landscapes within the United States. To study multi-scale habitat selection patterns, I deployed 13 GPS collars on feral pigs within the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. I estimated resource selection using mixed-effects models to determine how feral pigs responded to changes in forage availability and incorporated those results with autocorrelated kernel density home range estimates. My results …

Morphological Comparison Of Fourth-Instar Larvae From Various Populations Of Wyeomyia Smithii, Kendra D. Moore

Honors College Theses

Populations of pitcher plant mosquitoes, Wyeomyia smithii, have exhibited recent shifts in blood-feeding behavior, likely in response to changes in climate and food availability. A comparison of various morphological structures in fourth-instar larvae was conducted to investigate the hypothesis that geographic and temporal dietary differences are reflected in changes in organismal size.

State Biotechnology Oversight: The Juncture Of Technology, Law, And Public Policy, Christine C. Vito Ph.D.

Maine Law Review

In a 1980 landmark decision, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that genetically engineered lifeforms such as bacteria were patentable. The significance of this decision to the emerging biotechnology industry—an industry predicated on intellectual property rights—was incalculable. The characteristically research-intensive, capital-intensive biotechnology industry now had the economic incentive to push the technology of genetic engineering to previously unimagined extremes. The genetic engineering and recombinant DNA applications pursued by the biotechnology industry over the past ten years have engendered a spectrum of perplexing inquiries concerning ethical and moral values; agricultural, ecological and environmental matters; global competitiveness and economic priorities; …

Healthcare Provider Attitudes Toward Personalized Care Plan Development, Kafi Rudolph, Adarsh Gupta

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: Prevention care plans are created by healthcare workers to direct patient care and are guidelines to optimize patient health. The care plans include actions patients can take to prevent worsening of chronic conditions and potentially decrease hospitalizations. The current research project was conducted to assess satisfaction of using automated personalized care plans among healthcare providers, which can increase office visit efficiency.

Effects Of Vitamin D Supplementation, Keith R. Anacker, Adarsh K. Gupta

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol) is known to be a fat soluble vitamin. We hypothesized that losing weight would thus cause an increase in serum vitamin D levels. To investigate this, a retrospective chart review was performed in which data including sex, age, race, serum Vitamin D levels, body weight and more, of 200 Rowan SOM Family Medicine patients for up to 6 doctor’s office visits each were collected. These data were then analyzed using Microsoft Excel and IBM SPSS. We found while there was a significant positive correlation between weight loss and serum Vitamin D levels, there was not a significant …

The Unity Project: Camden Community Health Center Building Authentic & Impactful Relationships Through The Ask-First Model, Christian Diliberto, Ruchi Shah, Patrick J. Tempera

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Last spring, the Camden Community Health Center (CCHC) launched the Unity Project, an initiative aimed at fostering relationships with various Camden, New Jersey organizations to not only educate community members about our services, but also to collaborate with them on improving Camden’s health. Although the CCHC has been in Camden for over 15 years, local organizations were unaware of our existence. There was also a similar disconnect among these organizations themselves. The goal of the Unity Project is to work towards affecting long-term change by forming authentic and impactful relationships with organizations that are already doing meaningful work.

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Cyanobacteria Reduce Quagga Mussel (Dreissena Rostriformis Bugensis) Spawning And Fertilization Success, Anna G. Boegehold, Nicholas S. Johnson, Jeffrey L. Ram, Donna R. Kashian

Environmental Science and Geology Faculty Research Publications

Quagga mussels (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) are highly fecund broadcast spawners invasive to freshwaters of North America and western Europe. We hypothesized that environmental cues from phytoplankton can trigger gamete release in quagga mussels. Nutritious algae may stimulate dreissenid spawning, but less palatable food, such as bloom-forming cyanobacteria, could be a hindrance. The objective of our study was to test whether exposure to cyanobacteria can inhibit quagga mussel spawning and fertilization. We assessed spawning in the presence of serotonin, a known spawning inducer, where adult quagga mussels placed in individual vials were exposed to 13 cyanobacteria cultures and purified algal toxin …

Can Your P2o5 Be Commercially Exploited?, Ewan Wingate, Michael E. Kelahan, M. Robert Kelahan

Beneficiation of Phosphates VIII

World reserves of high-grade, high-quality phosphate rock are steadily decreasing. As a result, lower quality rock is being increasingly evaluated to determine its potential for commercial exploitation. It is well known that the chemical and mineralogical composition of phosphate rock varies widely from deposit to deposit, and therefore, the conditions for processing different phosphate rock types also varies.

Unfortunately, most early stage phosphate feasibility studies tend to focus on the P₂O₅ content and neglect the other chemical constituents or impurities in the rock. It is the remainder of the chemical constituents that often define the quality of …