Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Cardiovascular Recovery From Emotional Stress: An Operationalization Of Equanamity Following Mindfulness-Based Emotional Stress, Emma Mcbride

Theses and Dissertations

Theoretical models of mindfulness suggest that meditation may improve health, in part, by regulating stress physiology, including faster recovery of heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (SBP/DBP) after emotional stress. Furthermore, improved cardiovascular recovery (CR) may be a marker of equanimity, defined as increased acceptance of and reduced reactivity to stress. No studies have tested this hypothesis, partly because methodology for assessing CR remains controversial. Using a novel operationalization of equanimity and several methods of measuring CR, this project investigated whether (1) equanimity is associated with improved CR, (2) Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is associated with improved CR, and (3) …

Inclusion In Religion And Spirituality For Children With Special Needs, Mackinzie C. Weiss

Student Capstone Papers

The proposed vision of this capstone project will focus on using occupational therapy interventions to help a local church be more inclusive to children and families with special needs. This capstone project will partner with a pre-existing special needs program to develop evidence based volunteer training, implement a parent respite program, and introduce a movement based program.

The Effects Of Involvement In Religious Practices On Recovering Substance Users., Taylor Currier

Honors Theses

This paper reviews empirical studies focused on spirituality and its effects on those in the recovery process from substance abuse. This paper will look at qualitative studies as well as quantitative research to see which form has derived the best results on how spirituality has affected substance abuse recovery. Prolonged recovery is the goal for those that struggle with substance use. Behavior change is an important in sustaining sobriety with those dealing with addiction. It is predicted that those who engage in spiritual growth within their community have a higher likelihood of prolonged recovery than those that do not believe …

Greater Social Cohesion Is Associated With Lower Body Mass Index Among African American Adults, Adolfo G. Cuevas, Ichiro Kawachi, Kasim Ortiz, Mariam Pena, Lorraine R. Reitzel, Lorna H. Mcneill

Publications and Research

Obesity remains a public health issue, especially for Blacks (or African Americans). Obesity is thought to reflect a complex interaction of socioenvironmental, biological, and cognitive factors. Yet, insufficient attention has been given to psychosocial factors like social cohesion within the African American community. Using multivariable linear regression, we examined the association between social cohesion, measured by the Social Cohesion and Trust scale, and body mass index (BMI) with cross-sectional data (n = 1467) from a cohort study (2008–2009). Greater social cohesion was associated with lower BMI (b = -0.88; 95% CI: −1.45, −0.32) in an unadjusted model. The association was …

Volume 12, Haleigh James, Hannah Meyls, Hope Irvin, Megan E. Hlavaty, Samara L. Gall, Austin J. Funk, Karyn Keane, Sarah Ghali, Antonio Harvey, Andrew Jones, Rachel Hazelwood, Madison Schmitz, Marija Venta, Haley Tebo, Jeremiah Gilmer, Bridget Dunn, Benjamin Sullivan, Mckenzie Johnson

Incite: The Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Introduction, Dr. Roger A. Byrne, Dean

From the Editor, Dr. Larissa "Kat" Tracy

From the Designers, Rachel English, Rachel Hanson

Immortality in the Mortal World: Otherworldly Intervention in "Lanval" and "The Wife of Bath's Tale" by Haleigh James

Analysis of Phenolic Compounds in Moroccan Olive Oils by HPLC by Hannah Meyls

Art by Hope Irvin

The Effects of Cell Phone Use on Gameplay Enjoyment and Frustration by Megan E. Hlavaty, Samara L. Gall, and Austin J. Funk

Care, No Matter What: Planned Parenthood's Use of Organizational Rhetoric to Expand its Reputation by Karyn Keane

Analysis of Petroleum Products for …

Emotional Intelligence Methods Utilized By Successful Major League Baseball Closers To Perform Successfully In High Pressure Situations, Joshua Rosenthal

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative case study is to understand the similarities that exist in the descriptions of emotional intelligence methods utilized by retired successful Major League Baseball closers to appraise, express, regulate, and utilize their emotions to perform successfully in high pressure situations.

Methodology: The dissertation was a qualitative case study. Twelve of the top 50 retired save leaders in Major League Baseball were interviewed to understand the similarities in the descriptions of emotional intelligence methods used to perform successfully in high pressure situations. This study attempted to understand what exactly elite closers did to utilize emotional intelligence …

Spiritual And Religious Interventions For Medically High-Risk Adults: A Systematic Review, Nathanael J. Strissel

Senior Honors Theses

This systematic review is an update and expansion to the population and methods of a previous systematic review concerning spiritual and religious interventions for the well-being of terminally ill adults. After expanding the criteria to incorporate a more diverse population and including non-randomized experimental studies that contained relatively few concerns of bias, the results of the review are inconclusive due to insufficient data. The lack of usable data in the field highlights the ethical and theoretical issues with the use of experimental trials in analyzing the efficacy of spiritual and religious interventions. The development of spirituality in healthcare will remain …

Sleep Deprivation And High-Fat Diet During Adolescence Protect Stress Effects On Object Memory During Adulthood, Karina Glushchak

Honors Scholars Collaborative Projects

No abstract provided.

A Comes Before B, Like 1 Comes Before 2. Is The Parietal Cortex Sensitive To Ordinal Relationships In Both Numbers And Letters? An Fmri-Adaptation Study, Celia Goffin, Stephan E. Vogel, Michael Slipenkyj, Daniel Ansari

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

How are number symbols (e.g., Arabic digits) represented in the brain? Functional resonance imaging adaptation (fMRI-A) research has indicated that the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) exhibits a decrease in activation with the repeated presentation of the same number, that is followed by a rebound effect with the presentation of a new number. This rebound effect is modulated by the numerical ratio or difference between presented numbers. It has been suggested that this ratio-dependent rebound effect is reflective of a link between the symbolic numerical representation system and an approximate magnitude system. Experiment 1 used fMRI-A to investigate an alternative hypothesis: that …

Spring 2020

Scientia

From the Dean: Forward Motion; Strategic Plan Summary: Make No Little Plans; Alumnus Profile: Principled Prescription - William McDade is making medicine more diverse nationally: Living Our Mission: A Just World - For Mark Potosnak, concern for the environment isn't just a job, it's a moral obligation; One Peace at a Time: Psychology professors LaVome Robinson and Leonard Jason are working to prevent violence in schools; Impactful Inquiry: Real-world opportunities give undergraduate students a head start on their career paths; Lab Notes

A Brief Evidence-Based Intervention To Enhance Workplace Well-Being And Flourishing In Health Care Professionals: Feasibility And Pilot Outcomes, Abbie O. Beacham, Alison Brainard, Norah Janosy, Jennifer Reese

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: The deleterious direct and indirect effects of burnout among physicians and other health care professionals and learners have been well documented. Recently, there have been calls to shift the focus from distress and burnout to enhancing well-being of health care providers and learners. To this end, we developed a brief, well-being focused intervention entitled “CU Flourish” embedded in PERMA theory: positive emotion (P), engagement (E), relationships (R), meaning (M), and accomplishment (A) with a sixth domain – Health – in our working model. Within this framework, elements of values-based interventions, mindful awareness and psychological flexibility inherent to Acceptance and …

The Relationship Between The Development Of Communicative Functions In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Isabelle Bankston

LSU Master's Theses

In regard to the assessment of language, it is difficult to determine exact communicative functions that are exhibited early in development that could indicate a prognostic value of verbal abilities and outcomes of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The Verbal Behavioral Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP, Sundberg, 2008) is frequently used in Applied Behavior Analysis for standard assessment procedures to measure development over time. The current study was designed to use the VB-MAPP to determine a relationship between certain communicative functions (i.e., mand, tact, listener responding, echoic, and intraverbal) that may suggest a correlation in growth in each …

"Being Motivated To Protect": The Influence Of Sexual Communal Motivations On Sexual Risk Taking, Robert V. Phillips, Sadana S. Mukundan, Luke J. Lovelady, Elizabeth R. Brown, Elissa M. Barr

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

College-aged students are a high-risk population for unplanned pregnancy with 40% of women between the ages of 18-20 experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. This can cause physical, mental, and emotional stress resulting in withdrawal from college for the student. Communal motivation (being oriented towards other’s needs) positively predicts condom use. WISE interventions, a simple yet impactful type of interventions targeted towards addressing a problem, have been shown to be successful. Participants completed a sexual risk behavior measure, sexual risk-taking measure and communal motivations (CM) measure following a sexual health video, and reflection activity were participants either applied the sexual health information …

The Tipping Point In Psychopathy: Role Of Psychopathic Traits In Trauma Exposure, Sneha M. Gupta

Student Theses

Though psychopathy has been associated with a socially deviant lifestyle, the idea of “successful” psychopathy has gained increased attention. Previous research has explored whether psychopathic traits play a role in trauma exposure/ PTSD, using clinical and forensic populations. Results from these studies suggest that Factor 1 traits may protect from trauma exposure (Factor 1 Theory) while Factor 2 traits may worsen the impact of trauma through exacerbated exposure to traumatic events. The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between each of Factor 1 traits and Factor 2 traits with trauma exposure and PTSD. In a sample of …

Evaluation Of An Advanced Quality Improvement Program, Arjun M. Dangre Bds Mph, Angelo P. Giardino Md, Phd

Journal of Nursing & Interprofessional Leadership in Quality & Safety

Texas Children’s Hospital implemented the Advanced Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Program (AQI) in 2009, designed to train clinicians and staff to develop leaders in quality improvement to improve patient care, lower costs, change culture, and lead improvement initiatives at the organization. Evaluations of the AQI programs measured the program’s effectiveness in achieving its goals and objectives. This paper describes the Texas Children’s Hospital’s Advanced Quality Improvement and Patient Safety program (AQI,) the program’s evaluation processes, and show the results of the evaluation of the AQI programs using evaluation surveys completed by QI participants over the span of 13 successful …

Relationship Satisfaction & Diet: Exploring The Mechanisms Through Which Intimate Relationships Influence Physical Health, Lindsey Robinson, Dylan Hillock, Dr. Josh Novak

Southeastern Council on Family Relations Conference [2018-2020]

Understanding how intimate relationships influence physical health has been an important topic of focus; however, research remains unclear on the mechanisms through which this influence occurs. The purpose of this study was to examine how relationship satisfaction relates to diet quality, through mental health (depression and anxiety) and diet self-efficacy. Using a dyadic mediation model with a sample of 234 heterosexual couples, researchers found that women's higher relationship satisfaction was associated with better diet through lower depression and higher diet self-efficacy. Results revealed the same association between women's relationship satisfaction and diet through lower anxiety. Interestingly, rather than mediation through …

De Novo Frameshift Variants In The Neuronal Splicing Factor Nova2 Result In A Common C-Terminal Extension And Cause A Severe Form Of Neurodevelopmental Disorder, Francesca Mattioli, Gaelle Hayot, Nathalie Drouot, Bertrand Isidor, Jérémie Courraud, Maria-Victoria Hinckelmann, Frederic Tran Mau-Them, Chantal Sellier, Alica Goldman, Aida Telegrafi, Alicia Boughton, Candace Gamble, Sebastien Moutton, Angélique Quartier, Nolwenn Jean, Paul Van Ness, Sarah Grotto, Sophie Nambot, Ganka Douglas, Yue Cindy Si, Jamel Chelly, Zohra Shad, Elisabeth Kaplan, Richard Dineen, Christelle Golzio, Nicolas Charlet-Berguerand, Jean-Louis Mandel, Amélie Piton

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The neuro-oncological ventral antigen 2 (NOVA2) protein is a major factor regulating neuron-specific alternative splicing (AS), previously associated with an acquired neurologic condition, the paraneoplastic opsoclonus-myoclonus ataxia (POMA). We report here six individuals with de novo frameshift variants in NOVA2 affected with a severe neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by intellectual disability (ID), motor and speech delay, autistic features, hypotonia, feeding difficulties, spasticity or ataxic gait, and abnormal brain MRI. The six variants lead to the same reading frame, adding a common proline rich C-terminal part instead of the last KH RNA binding domain. We detected 41 genes differentially spliced after NOVA2 …

Crisis Communications: Facing Covid-19 Together Could Lead To Positive Psychological Growth, Lowri Dowthwaite

Social Space

Although news reports of hoarding, and panic-buying might make it hard to believe, research shows that natural disasters, like the COVID-19 pandemic, can actually bring out the best in people. Although times of significant threat or crisis can cause post-traumatic stress, research shows that so-called “adversarial growth” is just as common as a response. This is our capacity to not only overcome a crisis, but to actually grow stronger, wiser and more resilient.

2019/2020 Lrsp: Ricardo Andres Pimentel, Ricardo Andres Pimentel

Library Research Scholars Program

Decades of constant wars have produced millions of military personnel returning home after their stints protecting their country. Though many of these military members are able to fully reintegrate into society, a significant minority return with psychical and psychological difficulties. Included in this vast list of difficulties is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This disorder is particularly endemic to military populations, and although numerous treatment modalities are available to veterans with PTSD, they are not all effective for every individual. Thus, numerous grassroots and private organizations have been working to pair veterans with service dogs for the treatment of PTSD. …

Neighborhoods And Mental Health: Understanding The Social, Environmental And Structural Factors To Better Support Our Youth And Communities, Meghan Murtagh

Community Engagement Student Work

The social, structural and environmental characteristics of neighborhoods can have a significant impact on the social, emotional, behavioral and cognitive development of children and adolescents. The Center for Disease Control reports every 1 out of 5 children (22%) living below 100% of the federal poverty level have a mental, behavioral and/or developmental disorder (CDC, 2019). Through the utilization of ecological frameworks and a “place” based framework called The Social Determinates of Health, research was conducted to examine the link between neighborhoods and health outcomes in children and adolescents. These findings were then shared through a workshop with the target audience …

Occupational Stressors Among Firefighters: Application Of Multi-Criteria Decision Making (Mcdm)Techniques, Fazel Rajabi, Hossein Molaeifar, Mehdi Jahangiri, Shekofeh Taheri, Sean Banaee, Payam Farhadi

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: Firefighters are exposed to a wide range of occupational stressors due to the nature of their job. Multicriteria decision-making technique (MCDM) is a method for identifying, evaluating, and preventing occupational stressors among firefighters. The purpose of this study was to identify and prioritize the occupational stressors among firefighters using the fuzzy delphi method (FDM) and fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP).

Methods: This qualitative-descriptive study was carried out in two stages. First, the most important occupational stressors of firefighters were identified and screened using a systematic review of scientific references and expert opinions based on the FDM. Then, all of …

Sensory Inflow Manipulation Induces Learning-Like Phenomena In Motor Behavior, Samuele Contemori, Cristina V. Dieni, Jacqueline A. Sullivan, Aldo Ferraresi, Chiara Occhigrossi, Francesco Calabrese, Vito E. Pettorossi, Andrea Biscarini, Roberto Panichi

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

© 2020, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. Purpose: Perceptual and goal-directed behaviors may be improved by repetitive sensory stimulations without practice-based training. Focal muscle vibration (f-MV) modulating the spatiotemporal properties of proprioceptive inflow is well-suited to investigate the effectiveness of sensory stimulation in influencing motor outcomes. Thus, in this study, we verified whether optimized f-MV stimulation patterns might affect motor control of upper limb movements. Methods: To answer this question, we vibrated the slightly tonically contracted anterior deltoid (AD), posterior deltoid (PD), and pectoralis major muscles in different combinations in forty healthy subjects at a frequency of 100 …

From Isolation To Communication: Connecting Adults Who Have Hearing Loss With Their Communication Partners, Stephen D. Roberts, Nancy A. Delich

JADARA

As Baby Boomers enter the late adulthood stage of life, hearing loss continues to be one of the most prevalent, chronic, and isolating conditions facing older adults today. Research has focused on the negative consequences of hearing loss on the health and the person’s well-being, but it is equally important to recognize that hearing loss also leads to communication loss. The resulting social isolation and the collateral effects of hearing loss on the communication partner are the focus of this mixed-method study that explored the hearing loss-related quality of life for both parties. Five overarching themes emerged from the analysis, …

The Relationship Between Social Functioning And Anxiety Symptoms In Preschoolers With Autism, Kaylee L. Cox

Senior Theses

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by impairments in social functioning. Furthermore, children with ASD have been found to have high rates of comorbid anxiety. Understanding the relationship between ASD and comorbid anxiety is essential in raising awareness of anxiety symptomology in children with ASD in hopes of better informing treatment and support. The present study examines the relationship between social functioning and general anxiety in children with ASD compared to typically developing (TD) children. The first objective of this study was to examine group differences in social impairments and anxiety symptoms between children diagnosed with ASD and TD children. …

Startle Response In Women With The Fmr1 Premutation And Risk For Anxiety Disorders, Azalfa Lateef

Senior Theses

Background: The FMR1 premutation, which occurs when there is an expansion of 55 -200 repeats of the CGG trinucleotide on the FMR1 gene, is associated with an increased risk for anxiety disorders. Indices of autonomic regulation may prove to be useful biomarkers for psychopathological risk, including stress and anxiety. In the general population, diminished habituation to a startle response is linked to a variety of psychological disorders, including anxiety, yet little is known about this relationship in those with the FMR1 premutation. Given the increased risk for anxiety in those with the FMR1 premutation, the present study aims to examine …

An Application Of The Interpersonal Psychological Theory Of Suicide In College-Age Survivors Of Sexual Assault, Ava Katherine Fergerson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Sexual victimization is a pervasive public health concern that disproportionately affects college students and results in severe mental and physical health risks for survivors. Despite low prevalence rates in the general population, a national study found that 33% of survivors of rape reported suicidal ideation, and 13% actually made a suicide attempt (Kilpatrick et al., 1992). Although it is clear that survivors of sexual violence are at increased risk for suicide, knowledge is largely limited to epidemiological studies. Few studies have integrated theories of suicide to understand how and why this population is at such elevated risk for suicidal thoughts …

(Des)Cuidando A Quienes Nos Crían: Una Exploración Cualitativa Del Abordaje Para El Diagnóstico, La Prevención Y El Tratamiento De La Depresión Posparto En La Ciudad Autónoma De Buenos Aires (2020) / (In)Adequate Care For Those Who Raise Us: A Qualitative Exploration Of The Approach To Diagnosis, Prevention And Treatment Of Postpartum Depression In The City Of Buenos Aires (2020), April Hopcroft

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Aunque el embarazo y la maternidad están representadas como periodos de alegría, la llegada de un bebé es una transición significativa en la vida que también puede provocar sentimientos de ansiedad y depresión. La depresión posparto (DPP) es un trastorno de estado de ánimo que plantea consecuencias graves para ambas madre y bebé. Dada la vacancia de investigación en la Argentina, este trabajo pretende analizar el abordaje actual de intervención de la DPP en la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. Los objetivos específicos son: 1) identificar y describir el proceso de diagnóstico, prevención y tratamiento, y 2) indagar las percepciones …

Before-And-After Weight Loss Images' Effects On Body-Esteem, Audrey Boersen

Honors Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine how exposure to Before-and-After weight loss images affects body-esteem, and to explore if the race of the model moderates the relationship. Participants were 89 Caucasian females living in the United States. Participants viewed either a Before-and-After Caucasian or African American weight loss photo, or a control image. Measures of body-esteem and antifat attitudes were then collected. Unexpectedly we found that after being exposed to the images participants with a healthy BMI in the control and Caucasian model conditions reported higher body-esteem than overweight participants, however, there was no difference in the African …

Shu Altop News, Vol. 1, Dr. Susan L. Davis, Rn & Richard J. Henley College Of Nursing, Susan M. Denisco, Kerry A. Milner

News, Magazines and Reports

Updates from the Davis & Henley College of Nursing Sacred Heart University Alternatives to Opioids for Pain Grant.

Alternatives to Opioids for Pain (ALTOP) is a HRSA funded project to help combat the opioid epidemic in Connecticut. Through the creation and support of academic clinical practice partnerships at two federally qualified health centers, family nurse practitioner students are gaining clinical training and experience in the appropriate use of opioids and alternative pain modalities, in primary care settings. This project directly benefits the medically underserved areas in Bridgeport.

Patient, Hospital And State-Level Policy Characteristics Associated With Prevalence Of Treating Opioid Use Disorder In United States Emergency Departments, Rafeek Adeyemi Yusuf

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The opioid crisis in the United States was declared a public health emergency due to escalating and untoward human, financial, and systemic consequences and effects on the nation. Opioid use disorder (OUD) comprising opioid abuse and dependence is devastating because of its associated chronic relapsing nature, overutilization of healthcare services, rising morbidity and mortality rates, and high cost of care. Efforts to address this have not made significant positive impacts. It is thus imperative to reassess the influence of factors associated with OUD. This study answered the question, what patient-, hospital-, and state-level policy factors were associated with prevalence of …