Is Metoclopramide Effective In Treating Symptoms In Diabetic Gastroparesis?, Prachi Patel

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not is metoclopramide effective in treating symptoms in diabetic gastroparesis?

Study Design: Systematic review of 1 controlled randomized double blinded study, 1 controlled randomized open label study, and 1 controlled open label case analysis published in peer reviewed journals between 2012-2014, all in English language.

Data Sources: 1 randomized double blinded study, 1 randomized open label study, and 1 case analysis comparing symptom reduction of gastroparesis after the intervention of nasal and oral metoclopramide compared to placebo controls. These sources were found using PubMed and OVID.

Outcomes …

Does Grounding To The Earth Reduce Subjective Experience Of Pain?, Adam Umbro

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not grounding to the earth reduces subjective experience of pain.

STUDY DESIGN: This paper evaluates one double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial, one randomized placebo-controlled trial, and one prospective cohort trial investigating the efficacy of grounding in reducing subjects’ experience of pain.

DATA SOURCES: All articles were published in English language peer-reviewed journals and accessed through PubMed.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: The outcome measured in this review is the subjective experience of pain by study participants. Pain levels are measured using a visual-analog pain scale or pain survey.

RESULTS: Two studies …

Is Bovine Lactoferrin Effective In Preventing Diarrhea In Infants And Toddlers?, Kateryna Toganov

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this selective evidence-based medicine (EBM) review is to determine whether bovine lactoferrin is effective in preventing diarrhea in infants and toddlers.

Study design: Review of three English-language primary randomized controlled trials published between 2007 and 2016.

Data sources: Three double-blind controlled trials comparing bovine lactoferrin to placebo were found using PubMed.

Outcomes measured: Incidence and incidence rate of diarrhea in episodes/child/year were measured using the information provided by the caregivers and the healthcare records obtained from a hospital or clinic.

Results: King et al. found that there was no statistically significant difference in incidence of diarrhea …

Does Secukinumab Improve Self-Reported Quality Of Life In Patients With Moderate-To-Severe Ankylosing Spondylitis When Taken Regularly?, Ryan Yenovkian

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not secukinumab improves self-reported quality of life in patients with moderate-to-severe ankylosing spondylitis when taken regularly.

Study design: A systematic review of three randomized placebo-controlled trials (RCTs), published in peer-reviewed journals between 2013 and 2015, all in the English language. Data sources: All three studies were found and accessed on PubMed.

Outcomes measured: Patient quality of life was assessed in all three studies using the Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life (ASQoL) questionnaire and reported as mean change from baseline. ASQoL is scored from 0-18 with a higher …

Evaluating State Anxiety Levels In Nursing Students, Rachel Stevens, Rachel Nussbaum, Tyler Blake

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Anxiety, dependent upon the frequency and severity, can be a serious problem that reduces physical, cognitive, and clinical performance. Nursing students have been found to experience especially high levels of state and trait anxiety which, according to Dorothea Orem’s self-care deficit theory, causes a deficit in health promotion and the health of oneself. There is little evidence available about how progression through a baccalaureate nursing program in the United States impacts anxiety. This research investigates anxiety in baccalaureate nursing students and how progression through the program influences self-reported anxiety levels. A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on a convenience sample …

Long-Term Effects Of Breastfeeding Compared With Alternative Food Sources: A Systematic Review, Charlotte Bates

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The topic of the long-term impact of breast milk and alternative foods on the health status of children continues to be a focus of discussion and research. The aim of this systematic review was to describe and appraise evidence about the effects of breast feeding on health outcomes in children four years and older. Seventeen studies about on infant feeding were identified using Google Scholar and scholarly databases through The University of Akron. Google Scholar, CINAHL, and MEDLINE PLUS methods of searching were utilized, incorporating keywords, i.e., “breastfeeding” AND “cognitive development;” “obesity,”, “intelligence,”, and “immune system.” Based on appraisal of …

Leucine Supplementation In Cuprizone-Induced Oligodendrocyte Toxicity, Michael Ley

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Cuprizone is a copper chelator that induces demyelination in the central nervous system when fed to mice. This compound is thought to target Complex IV and disrupt mitochondrial metabolism leading to loss of myelin-producing oligodendrocytes. In this proposal, we further examine the chemical and toxicological properties of cuprizone. Immunofluorescence imaging and microarray data on MO3.13 cells treated with cuprizone revealed the possibility of alterations in lysosomal function, as well as mitochondrial disruption via mTOR and Electron Transport Chain (ETC) related pathways. Cell viability assays conducted suggest that addition of Branched-Chain Amino Acids, most commonly used from literature, leucine, can increase …

Assessing The Benefits Of A Collegiate-Run Wellness Program For Akron Inner City Residents, Alaina Gent

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper offers insight into the University of Akron Wellness Wednesday Program, an interprofessional organization of campus students and faculty that present wellness programming to three off-campus housing developments: Edgewood Village, Belcher Apartments, and Saferstein Towers I. The residents of these complexes receive wellness programming from many different disciplines for six months of the year, and then experience a large, four-month gap when the university breaks for summer. With this gap, residents often vocalized that they felt as if information was lost and that they were not able to remember as much when the program returned in the fall. In …

Evaluation Of Heritage Beans In West Virginia, Lewis Jett, Silas Childs

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

No abstract provided.

Data Approximation Strategies Between Generalized Line Scales And The Influence Of Labels And Spacing, Jonathan C. Kershaw, Cordelia Running

Department of Food Science Faculty Publications

Comparing sensory data gathered using different line scales is challenging. We tested whether adding internal labels to a generalized visual analog scale (gVAS) would improve comparability to a typical generalized labeled magnitude scale (gLMS). Untrained participants evaluated cheeses using one of four randomly assigned scales. Normalization to a cross‐modal standard and/or two gLMS transformations were applied to the data. Response means and distributions were lower for the gLMS than the gVAS, but no difference in resolving power was detected. The presence of labels, with or without line markings, caused categorical‐like lumping of responses. Closer low‐end label spacing for gLMS increased …

Characterizing Dysgeusia In Hemodialysis Patients, Ciara Fitzgerald, Gretchen Wiese, Ranjani N. Moorthi, Sharon M. Moe, Kathleen Hill Gallant, Cordelia Running

Department of Food Science Faculty Publications

Dysgeusia (abnormal taste) is common in those with chronic kidney disease and contributes to poor nutritional intake. Previous sensory work has shown that taste improves after dialysis sessions. The goal of this pilot study was to characterize altered taste perceptions in patients on dialysis compared with healthy adults, and to evaluate relationships between serum parameters with taste perceptions. We hypothesized that patients undergoing dialysis would experience blunted taste intensities compared with controls, and that serum levels of potential tastants would be inversely related to taste perception of compounds. Using a cross-sectional design, we carried out suprathreshold sensory assessments (flavor intensity …

Plant Spacing Influence On Sweet Corn Yield And Quality, Ron G. Goldy, Kyle Ferrantella

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

No abstract provided.

Early Childhood Development And The Replication Of Poverty, Clare Huntington

Faculty Scholarship

Traditional understandings of federalism suggest that states are likely to take varying approaches to important policy questions, particularly in areas as sensitive as family law. And indeed, there are patterns of convergence and divergence in state approaches to supporting early childhood development. Surprisingly, however, the divergences do not always follow predictable political lines. These similarities and differences raise a puzzle that deserves attention by scholars and advocates.

In the United States, differences in early childhood play a key role in replicating poverty. Clear evidence establishes that child development in the first five years of life lays essential groundwork for future …

Internet Of Things In Smart Agriculture: Enabling Technologies, Abdul Salam, Syed Shah

Faculty Publications

In this paper, an IoT technology research and innovation roadmap for the field of precision agriculture (PA) is presented. Many recent practical trends and the challenges have been highlighted. Some important objectives for integrated technology research and education in precision agriculture are described. Effective IoT based communications and sensing approaches to mitigate challenges in the area of precision agriculture are presented.

The Dilemma Of Localism In An Era Of Polarization, Nestor M. Davidson

Faculty Scholarship

Localism, the discourse of local legal power and state-local relations, has returned to the center of national attention, driven by gridlock at the federal level and sharply rising political and cultural conflicts between cities and their states. In recent years, states have aggressively sought to constrain, eliminate, and even criminalize local policy discretion across an array of policy domains. Cities and their advocates have just as aggressively fought back—in litigation, in the po- litical arena, and in popular discourse.

Advocacy for resurgent local empowerment is raising anew what has long been the central dilemma of localism: how can a vertical …

Student Affairs Viewbook, 2019-2020, Division Of Student Affairs, Illinois State University

Student Affairs Viewbook

No abstract provided.

“I Was Prepared To Stay Here And Die With My Animals”: Pet Owners, Hurricane Harvey, And The Role Of Communication In Disaster Sense-Making, Ashleigh Day

Wayne State University Dissertations

Companion animals (also referred to as “pets”) are omnipresent in society and, increasingly, many companion animals are considered members of the family unit. However, crisis planning, preparedness, and communication efforts are sparse in including pets and their owners/guardians. This study investigates the disaster experience(s) and sense-making process(es) of pet owners (POs) and animal guardians (AGs) that were affected by the 2017 Hurricane Harvey. More specifically, examination pays close attention to the role and function of PO/AG identity and crisis and risk communication in individuals’ sense-making of their disaster experience. Importantly, participant experiences provide the means to examine the larger context …

Understanding The Utilization Of Community-Based Services In Late Old Age: A Participatory Approach For Connecting Through The Communication Ecology, Carrie Leach

Wayne State University Dissertations

As the pool of eligible recipients continues to grow, understanding service system utilization and barriers can help ensure very old adults can access support from their communities when needed. Mounting research demonstrates that investment in community-based services to ensure seniors remain independent translates to saved government dollars. As a contributing researcher of a multi-year county-wide older adult needs assessment in Monroe County, Michigan, data collected from 1,870 people revealed a communication disjuncture between seniors and service providers. In response, officials convened a post assessment working group that focused on communication and outreach. Along with members of the Community Advisory Group …

Defining The Effect Of Environmental Perturbation On The Male Germline, Molly Estill

Wayne State University Dissertations

Periconceptional environment, according to the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) theory, influences offspring phenotype, primarily via epigenetic mechanisms. Although the paternal component in humans is poorly understood, both maternal and paternal peri-conceptional environment are now believed to contribute to this phenomenon. Manipulation of the early embryo for treating human infertility, is suspected of contributing to offspring abnormalities through epigenetic mechanisms. To directly address the effects of common assisted reproductive technology procedures on the offspring epigenome, the DNA methylation profiles of newborns conceived naturally, or through the use of intrauterine insemination (IUI), or in vitro fertilization (IVF) using Fresh …

Biochemical, Structural, And Drug Design Studies Of Aspartate Transcarbamoylase From Pseudomonas Aeruginosa And Staphylococcus Aureus, Chandni Patel

Wayne State University Dissertations

Sepsis affects 1.7 million people in the United States every year and nearly 270,000 people die as a result. Sepsis is characterized by systemic inflammation from an infection leading to organ dysfunction and death. Multi-drug resistance in bacteria is increasing globally, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus are notorious for their multi-drug resistance and pose a serious need for the development of new antibiotics. The levels of pyrimidines in blood are too low to sustain the growth of bacteria, so they must rely on pyrimidine biosynthesis. Previous studies have shown that a defect in several pyrimidine biosynthetic enzymes resulted in …

The Exploration Of Parent Self Efficacy And Parent Involvement In Early Education, Brionie Dixon-Elliott

Theses and Dissertations

In America, children from urban communities come to kindergarten lacking the basic skills in literacy to be successful learners in life (Jumpstart, 2009). Students are unprepared and parents are becoming less knowledgeable of the requirements for early education and diminished confidence in their ability to prepare and assist their children is occurring. Therefore, there is a need to understand the underlying drivers of parents' low self-efficacy and what can be done to support them. The purpose of this case study was to develop an understanding of a means to support parents of early education students enrolled in an urban learning …

Leadership Strategies To Improve Healthcare Outcomes, Roxanne Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The disparities in health care and the challenges of healthcare leaders in achieving positive health outcomes are a priority in America. Much discourse and policy is currently evolving in the legislative and executive branches of government. The United States has the highest health expenditures in the world and is classified as one of the unhealthiest countries. Many factors contribute to the disparities. These factors include socioeconomic, cultural competency, social determinants, policy, and health leadership. The challenge for health leaders is to identify strategies to improve the trends and the status of health quality and well-being for all Americans. This study …

A Manualized Parent Psychoeducation And Nutrition Program And Its Impact On A Sense Of Community: A Pilot Study, Nahaal Binazir

Theses and Dissertations

Parenthood is an experience that is both joyful and anxiety provoking. Amidst a number of pressures, new parents may encounter depressed feelings, consistent anxious thoughts or various other stressors. These factors can also lead to the development of poor nutritional habits, which further exacerbate psychological symptoms and can create a destructive cycle in their lifestyles. Research indicates that one’s sense of community (or conversely social isolation) can further impact parental experiences - which include one’s sense of competence, affect directed towards their children and their overall satisfaction. In considering this, a quantitative and partially qualitative pilot study was conducted to …

Detecting Subtle Brain Injury In College Students, Bryant Steury

Theses and Dissertations

Clinicians at University Counseling Centers (or UCCs) are at the epicenter of a unique demographic in that they may encounter individuals from diverse backgrounds in every sense of the term. In addition to the “traditional” college student, they may also provide clinical care to student-athletes and current or returning military personnel. One injury that impacts every demographic grouping a counselor will treat is head trauma. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) have become a subject of increasing interest among clinicians with an emphasis on proper diagnosis and post-concussive care. TBIs have been shown to negatively impact cognitive capacity, emotional regulation, frustration tolerance, …

Healthy Eating Opportunities And Choices For University Faculty, Selby Rebecca Entrekin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

College food environments can be obesogenic settings due to the availability of fast food restaurants and buffet style cafeteria’s accessible to the university community. These environments often foster eating behaviors that can contribute to rising obesity rates in the United States. The aim of this study was to identify university faculty’s perceptions of the campus food environment and access to healthy foods. Investigated were barriers to making healthy food choices on campus and strategies ion how to provide and encourage better food choices. Questions were developed to identify barriers, perceptions, and solutions to improve the healthy eating environment on campus. …

The Impact Of A Fruit And Vegetable Intervention On School Cafeteria Fruit And Vegetable Selection And Consumption In A Rural, Appalachian Mississippi Elementary School, Michelle Weber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fruit and vegetable intake for children in the United States is low, which puts them at risk for poor health in the future. The National School Lunch Program meal pattern and nutrition standards for participating schools include increased fruits and vegetables, compared to previous standards. Using a pretest-posttest design, this study examined the effect of a fruit and vegetable intervention on fruit and vegetable food selection and consumption in a rural, Appalachian Mississippi elementary school. A six-week intervention (nutrition education, cafeteria tastings, fruit and vegetables for home usage/backpack program) was implemented. The unannounced fruit and vegetable selection and waste measurements …

Increasing Teacher Retention: An Applied Research Study On The Effects Of Mentoring And Culture In The Abc County School District, Jimmy Holland Weeks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This applied research study sought to improve the retention rate of beginning teachers through a teacher mentoring program. The need for the teacher retention rate to improve became evident as student achievement fell, new teacher training costs increased, and fewer new teachers entered the teaching profession. Using four elements in this study, mentoring, job-embedded coaching, individual growth plan, and culture development, the program sought to better support new teachers during the first few years of their careers. Surveys, evaluations, collaboration logs, and professional growth plans were used in the study. The findings revealed improvement in the teacher retention rate in …

Implementing Mass Spectrometry For The Structural And Compositional Analysis Of Proteins, Mohammad Riaz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lectins are sugar-binding proteins that perform various biological functions such as cellular recognition attachments etc. Pulses the dried edible seeds of certain plants are great sources of lectins and a proteomics approach directed at lectins identification would bring substantial improvement in the lectin identification process. Lectins from nine different plant species were analyzed through SDS-PAGE and proteomics analysis. After LC-MS/MS analysis proteins were identified with protein database searches using Uniprot. Functionally uncharacterized proteins were identified with database searches were annotated with the Pfam and NCBI-CCD databases. In-vitro pharmacological screening will be carried out to assess the pharmacological effects of these …

The Need For An Independent Children's Commissioner In Hong Kong: A Good Governance Imperative, Katherine Lynch

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

No abstract provided.

Irrigated Pinto Bean Crop Stress And Yield Assessment Using Ground Based Low Altitude Remote Sensing Technology, Rakesh Ranjan, Abhilash K. Chandel, Lav R. Khot, Haitham Y. Bahlol, Jianfeng Zhou, Rick A. Boydston, Phillip N. Miklas

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The pinto bean is one of widely consumed legume crop that constitutes over 42% of the U.S dry bean production. However, limited studies have been conducted in past to assess its quantitative and qualitative yield potentials. Emerging remote sensing technologies can help in such assessment. Therefore, this study evaluates the role of ground-based multispectral imagery derived vegetation indices (VIs) for irrigated the pinto bean stress and yield assessments. Studied were eight cultivars of the pinto bean grown under conventional and strip tillage treatments and irrigated at 52% and 100% of required evapotranspiration. Imagery data was acquired using a five-band multispectral …