Digital Commons Network^™

Nonprofit Hospitals' Community Benefits Should Actually Benefit The Community: How Irs Reforms Can Improve The Provision Of Community Benefits, Kim Simmons

Richmond Public Interest Law Review

Policymakers and health care leaders have frequently questioned and critiqued whether nonprofit hospitals’ provision of community benefits is worth their favored tax status. While legislation and regulations have recently been enacted to address such concerns, the tax exemption standards continue to fail to promote the goals articulated in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) of reforming and improve health care delivery systems in the United States for all people. To better effectuate the purposes of the ACA, this article suggests that the Internal Revenue Service adopt minimum community benefit spending requirements that vary depending on the …

Senso - A Real-Time Interactive Mobile System To Improve Users’ Overall Skin Condition, Wenyue Zhan

Theses

Healthy skin is a critical part of overall health for everyone and not only important for appearance. Useful information about the skin is often overwhelming, misleading, or difficult to obtain. There are many factors that affect the skin’s condition, from environmental conditions like UV, humidity, or lifestyle factors like diet and the amount of sleep a person gets to specific ingredients in cosmetics. All this makes the effective management of skin health time consuming and inaccurate without knowing where to find the right information.

This project explores a theoretical system that is designed to help users understand and manage their …

Know Good Food: Fighting The Effects Of Food Deserts Through Community Education, Timothy Huntley

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

According to a nation-wide study conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture Service nearly 10% of the population “are living in communities that do not provide adequate access to healthy food retailers.” This phenomenon is commonly referred to as a ‘Food Desert’. This problem is predominately articulated in the low income, urban communities of color and many rural communities. The inadequate access to healthy food and the definition of what is considered a ‘Food Desert’ only provides a glimpse of the problem. Many families living in these low income areas have access to and are able to buy healthy …

Gnrh Agonist Improves Hyperandrogenism In An Adolescent Girl With An Insulin Receptor Gene Mutation., Emily Paprocki, Romina Barral, Heidi Vanden Brink, Marla Lujan, Tania S. Burgert

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Type A insulin resistance (IR) is caused by heterozygous mutations in the insulin receptor gene. It presents with mild acanthosis nigricans, severe IR, and hyperandrogenism in the absence of obesity or lipodystrophy. Treatment aims to improve insulin sensitivity and decrease androgens. An adolescent girl was evaluated for secondary amenorrhea and prominent hirsutism. She had a normal body mass index, and laboratory testing revealed an elevated LH to FSH ratio (LH 11.6 mIU/mL, FSH 4.2 mIU/mL), testosterone 96 ng/dL (reference range/dL), free testosterone 2.21 ng/dL (reference rangeA(pGly1032Asp)]. After standard treatment of hirsutism and hyperinsulinism failed, a trial of GnRH agonist therapy …

Neuroprotection With Novel Anti-Oxidant And Cannabinoid-Based Small Molecules, Jacqueline R. Mcgrath

Honors Theses

Neurodegenerative diseases are caused by various underlying mechanisms within the nervous system. Excitotoxicity is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases, and is produced by over excitation of glutamate receptors on neurons, ultimately leading to cell death. Protein aggregates and oxidative stress have also induced neuronal cell death that lead to many neurodegenerative diseases as well. Many compounds isolated from plants have shown protective ability against these underlying toxicity mechanisms. In this study, we tested several cannabinoid and anthyocanin-based small molecules protective abilities against excitotoxicity. We found several compounds that protected against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in a concentration-dependent manner. We also tested …

Trafficking Of Haitians On The Island Of Hispaniola After The 2010 Earthquake, Caroline Bass

Honors Theses

On January 12th, 2010 a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the nation of Haiti. The people of Haiti suffered many losses of life, homes, and livelihood. Later that year, as a result of the earthquake, a cholera outbreak occurred in Haiti taking the lives of thousands more. This study attempts to determine if Haitians were at a higher risk of being trafficked and if human trafficking increased on the island after the earthquake. I analyze how human trafficking in Haiti and the Dominican Republic was impacted as a result of the earthquake and the consequent reaction of the Dominican Republic in …

Farmers’ Perspectives On Challenges And Opportunities Associated With Using High Tunnels For Specialty Crops, Analena B. Bruce, Elizabeth Maynard, James R. Farmer

Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture Faculty Publications

High tunnels are an increasingly popular part of the infrastructure among small and diversified farms that market their products directly to consumers. In addition to extending the growing season, research has strongly indicated that high tunnels can increase yield, enhance shelf life, and improve the quality of crops grown. The objective of this study was to gain a better understanding, from the perspective of farmers, of the challenges and opportunities associated with adopting high tunnels for specialty crops in Indiana. We collected information through a case study that included questionnaires and in-depth interviews with 20 farmers. We found that the …

Studies On Luminescent Gold And Platinum Nanoclusters For Biological Sensing And Catalysis, Richard Covington

Honors Theses

Nanoclusters are small nanoparticles that usually range around a micrometer in diameter. Gold Nanoclusters are known for their unique size and surface qualities and do not share metallic properties with nanoparticles or their respective bulk material. Some metal nanoclusters show high fluorescence and can be synthesized with protein mediation. Nanocluster formation depends on a number of variables, including temperature, pH, and type of reducing agent. This experiment was done to begin to understand how these variables may affect synthesis and what exactly they are. Pure Wild Type CSP-1 protein was induced, transformed, and purified in order to mediate gold and …

The Lived Experience Of Breastfeeding For Women With Perinatal Depression, Beth A. Pratt

Dissertations

Exclusive breastfeeding for at least 6 months provides numerous infant and maternal benefits. Yet mothers with risk factors, such as lower education, lower socioeconomic status, younger maternal age, planned cesarean birth, and anxiety and depression, are more likely to stop breastfeeding in the early postpartum period. Few studies have focused on perinatal depression as a risk factor for breastfeeding cessation. To tailor effective interventions, nurses must first understand the lived experience of breastfeeding for mothers at risk for perinatal depression. A descriptive phenomenological study was conducted to elucidate the experience of breastfeeding for mothers with perinatal depression. The study was …

Household Support For Physical Activity In Adolescent Girls Living In Primarily Low Socioeconomic Status Neighborhoods, Kristie Rupp, Sharon E. Taverno Ross, Tiffany L. Gary-Webb, Thomas Akiva, John M. Jakicic

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 12(5): 811-824, 2019. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between perception of household support and physical activity levels of adolescent girls living in primarily low socioeconomic status (SES) neighborhoods. The sample consisted of thirty-six adolescent girls (N=36; 60% non-Hispanic Black; mean age of 14.6 ± 1.3 [mean ± sd]; median body mass index (BMI) percentile of 90.5 [58.5, 97.0]) living in primarily low socioeconomic status (SES) neighborhoods. Trained researchers measured participants’ height and weight, and administered questionnaires to assess perception of household support for physical activity and minutes per day participating …

Optimizing Concentrating Mirrors And Fiber Optics For Food Production On Mars, Paul Kusuma, Bruce Bugbee

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Growing food on Mars for long-term space exploration has many benefits including reduced costs and fuel requirements for lift-off, increased nutrition and psychological benefits for astronauts, and oxygen and water regeneration. However, there are also many complication including potential threats caused by the thinner atmosphere, which would force production underground or into a heavily armored base. Fiber optics and concentrating mirrors for photon delivery provide a more efficient system than more traditional electric systems. This technology transmits solar radiation, and the spectra can be altered by tuning the mirrors to only transmit photosynthetic photons. In order to reduce heat loads …

Representing Camp: Constructing Macaroni Masculinity In Eighteenth-Century Visual Satire, Freya Gowrley

ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640–1830

This article asks how ‘Camp,’ as defined in Sontag’s 1964 essay, ‘Notes on Camp,’ might provide a valuable framework for the analysis of late eighteenth-century satirical prints, specifically those featuring images of the so-called ‘macaroni.’ Discussing a number of satirical prints and contemporary writings on the macaroni, the article reads them against Sontag’s text in order to establish its utility as a critical framework for understanding the images’ complex relationship of content, form, and function.

The Benefits Of Interaction With Environments Created For Attracting Birds On People Living With Dementia, Mahsa Yari

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses - Archive

In consideration of the increasing growth of people living with dementia, researchers have started to look at different interventions that help enhance their health and well-being. While the search for medical interventions is important, it is critical for other professions to consider how to contribute to the quality of care that dementia patients receive. Therapeutic landscapes can improve the overall care process for older adults with dementia living in long-term care facilities (i.e., dementia care homes) (Bossen 2010). While the landscape should be designed to help older adults with dementia, it should also create natural environments that attract birds that …

Serum Procalcitonin Levels In Children With Clinical Syndromes For Targeting Antibiotic Use At An Emergency Department Of A Kenyan Hospital, Samuel Akech, Doris Kinuthia, William Macharia

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Serum procalcitonin (PCT) was measured in 228 children aged 1 month to 15 years at an emergency department of a hospital located in an area without local malaria transmission in children with suspected infections; 21% (49) children had a clinical syndrome for suspected bacterial infections (Syndrome+ve). In children with Syndrome+ve criteria, 27/49 (55.1%) had PCT ≥0.5 µg/l but only 59/179 (32.9%) of those Syndrome-ve had abnormal PCT, χ2 = 8.0, p = 0.005; positive likelihood ratio = 2.0 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-3.3]; negative likelihood ratio = 0.8 (95% CI 0.7-1.0). In patients with pneumonia, 9/15 (60%) with severe pneumonia …

Influences Of Nutritional Food Label Understanding On African American Women With Obesity, Cynthia Jean Hickman

Dissertations

Nutritional food label understanding (NFLU) in African American Women (AAW) is a philosophy that addresses obesity. Public health efforts have implemented nutritional and caloric information to packaged and restaurant foods to improve nutrient and calorie literacy. Research suggest NFLU might have a minimal effect on reducing obesity. However, it is not known how obese AAW born during the baby-boom era (51 to 64 years of age) perceive NFLU in relation to their dietary behaviors. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experience of obese AAW regarding NFLU from a cognitive and behavioral perspective.

Utilization Of Care Coordination Among Children With Special Needs In The 1994 National Health Interview Survey On Disability Phase Ii, Barbara J. Kruger

Dissertations

Care coordination helps families of children with special needs obtain a variety of services and manage communication among providers. Some families coordinate care themselves, while others receive assistance from professionals. Health care system changes are making these children less visible, and therefore at-risk for not receiving care coordination. A key question is how to identify families who need care coordination. Research about use of care coordination is sparse, and no generalizable method exists to identify which families require coordination. One aim of our study was to explore the differences among child and family factors and the use and need for …

A Qualitative Study Of Hope And The Environment Of Persons Living With Cancer, Lucia M. Tipton

Dissertations

The purpose of this naturalistic study was to explore and describe the impact of factors from the internal and external, human and non-human environments on the hoping process utilized by persons living with cancer. Given the nature of difficulties encountered by persons living with cancer, a sense of hopefulness is deemed to be especially important in managing life with this diagnosis. Using semi-structured interviewing and a purposive sample of fifteen persons living with cancer, positive and negative factors from the total environment were explored.

Outcome Evaluation Of An Interdisciplinary Care Model For Children With Cystic Fibrosis, Roberta P. Pawlak

Dissertations

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a life-limiting, autosomal recessive inherited disease that affects approximately 30,000 individuals in the United States. Health problems of children with CF tend to be complex, requiring specialty health services. Often children with CF are cared for in CF Care Centers, where an interdisciplinary care team addresses these needs. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) recommends specific Clinical Practice Guidelines be applied to all patients with CF. A major gap in the CF literature is evidence of guideline application results on health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of an interdisciplinary care model …

A Grounded Theory Approach To Explore The Experience Of Involuntary Childlessness In Couples With Infertility, Taylor L. Grube

Dissertations

Couples who experience involuntary childlessness as a result of infertility are challenged to manage the biological, sociological, and psychological implications of the situation. Furthermore, they are confronted with a variety of options regarding infertility management and resolution of involuntary childlessness. Nurses play a key role in supporting couples as they manage infertility and involuntary childlessness. Since infertility and subsequent involuntary childlessness is a couple's experience, nursing care should aim to meet the needs of both partners. However, there is a lack of evidence to suggest how couples experience and manage this phenomenon. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to …

An Investigation Of The Ability Of The Minnesota Early Childhood Screening Program To Predict Educational Achievement In Third Grade Children, Martha Dewey Bergren

Dissertations

The ecological model assumes school, community, family, and friends shape child outcomes. Minnesota mandates comprehensive Early Childhood Screening (ECS) for preschool children including vision and hearing, and cognitive, language, motor, growth and speech, with optional screening for health, behavior, and life stresses. Children meeting federal criteria for special education programs are recommended for interventions. Children with less serious health and/or behavior problems or who lack sufficient resources may also be at risk for academic difficulties. The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of family, health, development, behavior, and stress data collected at Minnesota ECS to predict grade …

A Rolling Perspective: What's On The Menu?, Jennifer Holland

Blog Posts

The blog post is about a perspective on eating out.

Strong Relationship Between Vascular Function In The Coronary And Brachial Arteries: A Clinical Coming Of Age For The Updated Flow-Mediated Dilation Test?, Ryan M. Broxterman, Melissa A. Witman, Joel D. Trinity, H. Jonathan Groot, Matthew J. Rossman, Song-Young Park, Simon Malenfant, Jayson R. Gifford, Oh-Sung Kwon, Soung Hun Park, Catherine L. Jarrett, Katherine L. Shields, Jay R. Hydren, Angela V. Bisconti, Theophilus Owan, Anu Abraham, Anwar Tandar, Charles Y. Lui, Brigham R. Smith, Russell S. Richardson

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Early detection of coronary artery dysfunction is of paramount cardiovascular clinical importance, but a noninvasive assessment is lacking. Indeed, the brachial artery flow-mediated dilation test only weakly correlated with acetylcholine-induced coronary artery function (r=0.36). However, brachial artery flow-mediated dilation methodologies have, over time, substantially improved. This study sought to determine if updates to this technique have improved the relationship with coronary artery function and the noninvasive indication of coronary artery dysfunction. Coronary artery and brachial artery function were assessed in 28 patients referred for cardiac catheterization (61±11 years). Coronary artery function was determined by the change in artery diameter with …

Effects Of Treatment On Melanoma With Checkpoint Inhibitor, Pembrolizumab (Keytruda ®), Anti-Cd47 Tti-621 (Trillium), And Anti-Sema4d Pepinemab Combination Treatment, Lauren E. Fitzgerald

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Traditionally, cancer therapies are generally non-specific treatments meant to eradicate cancer cells. This can result in death of healthy tissue, which can significantly affect the overall well-being of the patient during and after treatment. Immunotherapy offers a more targeted approach by using immune cells to specifically identify and kill cancer cells through various neoantigens presented on the surface of the cancer cell. Drugs that target and block PD-(L)1 and CTLA-4, known as checkpoint inhibitors, act to “cut the breaks” on the immune response and keep it actively seeking out and killing cancer cells. Many patients fail on these treatments due …

Social Determinants Of Health And Variability In Weight Trends Of Children Of Low Income Families Living In New Mexico, Molly Aileen Morrison

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

When evaluating the prevalence of obesity rates throughout New Mexico (NM), it appears these rates have reached a plateau. A recent study conducted by the NM Department of Health (DOH) found that NM was among 19 other states that have had a first time decrease in child obesity rates among low income families. However, when examined deeper, when looking at geographical areas throughout NM, hidden geography of weight disparities become apparent. Although obesity rates may have decreased in some areas, they have increased in others. The purpose of this study is to effectively evaluate variability in weight trends between geographical …

Comparative Effectiveness Trial Of An Obesity Prevention Intervention In Efnep And Snap-Ed: Primary Outcomes, Joanna Buscemi, Angela Odoms-Young, Melinda R. Stolley, Linda Schiffer, Lara Blumstein, Margaret H. Clark, Michael L. Berbaum, Jennifer Mccaffrey, Carol Braunschweig, Marian L. Fitzgibbon

College of Science and Health Faculty and Staff Works

There is a need to disseminate evidence-based childhood obesity prevention interventions on a broader scale to reduce obesity-related disparities among underserved children. The purpose of this study was to test the comparative effectiveness of an evidence-based obesity prevention intervention, Hip-Hop to Health (HH), delivered through Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) versus the standard curriculum delivered by the programs (Standard Nutrition Education (NE)). A nonequivalent control group design was delivered to compare the effectiveness of HH to NE on weight gain prevention and health behavior outcomes at EFNEP and SNAP-Ed sites. One …

The Effects Of Dance And Movement Therapy With Adolescents Who Have Experienced Trauma, A Literature Review, Katherine Anderson

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

With the growing number of trauma-informed practices in the mental health field, it is necessary to look at what best practices should be implemented in treating adolescents who have experienced trauma, specifically from a body-based intervention, such as dance and movement therapy. In this literature review, articles are discussed that encompass the following topics: dance and movement therapy and trauma, general dance interventions for the adolescent population, empowerment models as a way to cope with trauma symptoms, and cultural considerations of treating adolescent females of color. The gaps in current research must be acknowledged, specifically dance and movement therapy interventions …

Geography Of Obesity And Related Health And Socioeconomic Factors In Chicago, Illinois, Peyton I. Whiston

Honors Capstones

Obesity is a major global health concern, but few studies have examined the spatial distribution of obesity and related health factors on a neighborhood level scale. In this project, our study area is Chicago, the third largest city in the United States and a very diverse metropolitan area. For this project, Microsoft Excel, SPSS, and MGWR software was used for statistical analyses while QGIS was used for mapping purposes. Significant correlations were found among all of the health metrics that were analyzed. There was also a strong correlation between the hardship index, a composite of various socioeconomic factors, and obesity …

The Decline In The Health Of African Americans, Jessica A. Walker

Honors Capstones

The purpose of this study is to explore how racial discrimination and cultural perspectives impact the beliefs, ideologies, and ultimately the health of Africans and Black Americans. The ultimate goal is to develop some key factors as to how and why health epidemics primarily effect the Black community. Through a survey regarding the Black community and healthcare. I was able to analyze and give further narratives about Black people and their experiences within the healthcare realm. The first set of survey questions asked about neighborhood dynamics and income. The second set of questions asked about health and doctors. On the …

Effects Of Enrichment On Captive Ring-Tailed Lemurs, Madison T. Evans

Honors Capstones

This research aimed to examine the effects of different enrichment devices on the behavior of a group of four captive ring-tailed lemurs at Summerfield Zoo in Belvidere, IL. Enrichment has been shown to increase the overall health and wellbeing of animals living in captivity by encouraging natural behaviors while discouraging harmful behaviors. This project studied the reactions the lemurs had to four different feeding enrichment devices over a seven-week period. Lemurs sat and slept significantly more and interacted less during the pre-enrichment period (17%, 61%, 0% respectively) as compared to the during-enrichment period (34%, 0%, 33%) (T=5.74, p <0.001, T=14.17. p <0.001, T=-6.64, p < 0.001). Lemurs also sat more and slept less during the post-enrichment (28%, 30%) than during the pre-enrichment period (17%, 61%) (T=-3.69, p<0.01, T=8.10, p<0.001). There were no significant differences in the effects of the four different enrichment devices on the lemurs’ behavior. As wild ring-tailed lemurs are active during most of the day, the devices successfully increased naturalistic behaviors, and these effects persisted even in the post-enrichment period. These results suggest that zoo and sanctuary animals can benefit from exposure to different enrichment devices, and that even simple, inexpensive enrichment devices are effective and should be included in the daily care of all animals.

Childhood Acute Illness And Nutrition (Chain) Network: A Protocol For A Multi-Site Prospective Cohort Study To Identify Modifiable Risk Factors For Mortality Among Acutely Ill Children In Africa And Asia, Childhood Acute Illness And Nutrition Network, J A. Berkley, J L. Walson, A H. Diallo, Asmsb Shahid, A Gwela, Ali Faisal Saleem Dr, Syed Asad Ali, C C. Tigoi, C Bourdon

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Introduction: Children admitted to hospitals in resource-poor settings remain at risk of both inpatient and post-discharge mortality. While known risk factors such as young age and nutritional status can identify children at risk, they do not provide clear mechanistic targets for intervention. The Childhood Acute Illness and Nutrition (CHAIN) cohort study aims to characterise the biomedical and social risk factors for mortality in acutely ill children in hospitals and after discharge to identify targeted interventions to reduce mortality.
Methods and analysis: The CHAIN network is currently undertaking a multi-site, prospective, observational cohort study, enrolling children aged 1 week to 2 …