Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Plasma Neuronal Exosomal Levels Of Alzheimer's Disease Biomarkers In Normal Aging, Erin L. Abner, Gregory A. Jicha, Leslie M. Shaw, John Q. Trojanowski, Edward J. Goetzl

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Plasma neuronal exosomal levels of pathogenic Alzheimer's disease (AD) proteins, cellular survival factors, and lysosomal proteins distinguish AD patients from control subjects, but changes in these exosomal proteins associated with normal aging have not been described for cognitively intact subjects. Plasma neuronal exosomal levels of P-T181-tau, P-S396-tau, Aβ_1-42, cathepsin D, repressor element 1-silencing transcription factor, and neurogranin were quantified longitudinally in cognitively intact older adults using two samples collected at 3- to 11-year intervals. Except for P-S396-tau, exosomal protein levels changed significantly with aging, but were largely outside the range observed in AD patients.

Village Health Insurance, Michaela Domaratzky, Sean Roget

The International Undergraduate Journal For Service-Learning, Leadership, and Social Change

No abstract provided.

Understanding The Employment Barriers And Support Needs Of People Living With Psychosis, Margaret Hampson, Richard Hicks, Bruce Watt

The Qualitative Report

This study investigated the employment barriers and support needs of people living with psychosis. A purposive community sample of 137 volunteers drawn from six key stakeholder groups were invited to participate in focus groups and semi-structured individual interviews to elicit their perceptions on the employment barriers and support needs of people living with psychosis. The stakeholder groups included in this study were people with lived experience of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, carers, health professionals, employers, employment service providers, and community members. Data obtained from 14 focus groups and 31 semi-structured individual interviews were transcribed, imported into NVivo 10, and coded …

Assessing Understanding Of Sexual Assault Resources And Response Among Health Sciences Students, Michelle M. Pappalardo

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Background: The widely published statistic of 1 in 5 represents the number of women on college campuses who have been sexually assaulted (White House Office of the Press Secretary, 2014). Many colleges and universities have been attempting to address the sensitive topic of sexual assault for quite some time; however, sexual violence still remains prevalent on campuses throughout the United States (Allen, Ridgeway, & Swan, 2015). Many of the roadblocks an institution faces in its efforts may stem from a lack of understanding of the true nature of student attitudes surrounding the topic of sexual assault. The specific needs of …

The Tnfα-Transgenic Rat: Hippocampal Synaptic Integrity, Cognition, Function, And Post-Ischemic Cell Loss, L. Creed Pettigrew, Richard J. Kryscio, Christopher M. Norris

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

The cytokine, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), is a key regulator of neuroinflammation linked to numerous neurodegenerative conditions and diseases. The present study used transgenic rats that overexpress a murine TNFα gene, under the control of its own promoter, to investigate the impact of chronically elevated TNFα on hippocampal synaptic function. Neuronal viability and cognitive recovery in TNFα Tg rats were also determined following an ischemic insult arising from reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Basal CA3-CA1 synaptic strength, recorded in acute brain slices, was not significantly different between eight-week-old TNFα Tg rats and non-Tg rats. In contrast, slices from …

Place Events 2015-2016, Place

PLACE Historical Documents

This document describes PLACE events at Linfield College for 2015-2016.

Charlton Fire Department Resident Expectations: Survey And Analysis, Natalie Omary, Jingxin Wen, Junchen Chen, Denis Kornev

School of Professional Studies

The Town of Charlton is located in the heart of the Massachusetts with a resident population of just under 14,000 people. The Charlton Fire Department serves the town for needs related to fire fighting, fire prevention, burning permits and inspection services along with emergency medical services. The Department has requested the assistance of the Clark University COPACE Capstone students in creating and conducting survey in order to get a sense of what the resident of the town know about the fire department and to better gauge their expectations about what the department can provide for them. The survey was formulated …

Information Technology Proposal For The Town Of Spencer, Vijay Basava, Corey Kenyon, Mahdi Soltani

School of Professional Studies

The Town of Spencer came to us looking for a plan to build and maintain their own personal fiber network for connection between departments and to improve data security for important information. After assessing the existing landscape and determining the various paths forward, we created network diagrams and plans for the movement forward of this project.

After assessing a variety of plans, we found that a full single-mode fiber network would be the best system for the implementation in Spencer. While it was the highest cost, it also scored the highest in our assessment.

The Effect Of Descriptive Norms On Resistance Exercise Self-Efficacy In College-Aged Females 2016, Justin Kompf

Master's Theses

Resistance training is a form of physical activity that provides substantial health benefits. Despite these widespread benefits, participation in resistance training is considerably low, particularly among females. To engage in a skill-related activity such as resistance training, individuals need to have confidence in their abilities. Self-efficacy is a cognitive construct that is used to describe situation-specific self-confidence. Descriptive norms are a type of social norm that describes the behavior of others. Descriptive norms have been useful in positively changing health related behaviors. The exact mechanism of how descriptive norms alter behavior is unknown. However, it has been show in research …

Developing An Online Database Of Experts For The Worcester Regional Chamber Of Commerce, Zikan Chen, Douglas Grey, Pranjal Shah

School of Professional Studies

The Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce as part of their mission to attract business to the Worcester area, want to create an online searchable database of industry experts made up of faculty members of the Colleges and Universities in the Worcester area. This online database will be placed on the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce Higher Education – Business Partnership page on their website. The limitations placed on this request are that the Regional Chamber as of this moment have no monetary or Information Technologies resources to provide for the realization of this request.

The proliferation of as A Service …

Cybersecurity Awareness Shrewsbury Public Schools, Brittany Crompton, David Thompson, Manuel Reyes, Xueyan Zhao, Xueke Zou

School of Professional Studies

In the 21st Century, technology reaches every aspect of our lives. As “digital citizens” we must be aware of the dangers both to our technological equipment and our personal information stored, transmitted, and processed on this equipment. The Cybersecurity Awareness curriculum developed for the Shrewsbury Public School district is designed to meet this need, as well as foster an interest in technology and ethical computer use.

Analysis Of The Point Of Sales System At Tower Hill Botanical Garden And Suggested Courses Of Action, Brian Dunn, Keerthi Bandi, Chantal Kopwa Epse Kassa, F.N.U Shelly

School of Professional Studies

As Tower Hill Botanic Garden continues to improve on its operations and enhance the experience of its visitors and members, they are on a quest for a new Point-Of-Sale (POS) system that not only works with its existing hardware and interface with Raiser’s Edge, a smartcloud fundraising and relationship management software central to the garden’s operations but also, have a restaurant module and the capability of operating both in a wireless and hard-wired environment.

Facilitating Effective Communication Between First Responders And Older Adults During Fall Incidents: An Educational Intervention, Krystin M. Beeman, Erica L. Berger, Isabel A. Cabezas, Nicole M. Mathews

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

PURPOSE. The purpose of this project was to provide first responders with communication strategies for older adults that may help when responding to fall- related calls. General information was also provided to First Responders on working with older adults with a focus on the aging process, fall risk factors, and communications strategies.

METHODS. A series of educational sessions to first responders at a local fire district were developed and presented by occupational therapy students. Materials were developed by presenters from evidence-based resources and tailored to the target population. Each presentation focused on statistics about older adults, the aging process, fall …

African American Female Offender's Use Of Alternative And Traditional Health Services After Re-Entry: Examining The Behavioral Model For Vulnerable Populations, Carrie B. Oser, Amanda M. Bunting, Erin L. Pullen, Danelle Stevens-Watkins

Sociology Faculty Publications

This is the first known study to use the Gelberg-Andersen Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations to predict African American women's use of three types of health services (alternative, hospitalization, and ambulatory) in the 18 months after release from prison. In the multivariate models, the most robust predictors of all three types of service utilization were in the vulnerable theoretical domains. Alternative health services were predicted by ethnic community membership, higher religiosity, and HIV/HCV. Hospitalizations were predicted by the lack of barriers to health care and disability. Ambulatory office visits were predicted by more experiences of gendered racism, a greater number …

The Effect Of Sleep Quality And High Intensity Physical Activity On Inflammation And Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors In College Students, Catherine Abraham

Honors Scholar Theses

Background: Inflammation is the common denominator in chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and depression. While adequate physical activity and optimal sleep quality may help maintain normal inflammation levels, evidence is somewhat conflicting. Aim: This cross-sectional observational study aimed to assess how sleep quality and high intensity physical activity associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and inflammatory biomarkers in a sample of young adults (n=106, ages 18-25 years). Methods: Laboratory-based assessments included lifestyle behaviors (sleep quality, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; self-reported frequency/intensity of physical activity; Healthy Behavior Index derived from reported preference for diet and physical activity), CVD risk …

Married To Nursing School: How Stress Affects Marital Satisfaction Of Nursing Students, Krysta Af Laabs

Honors Theses

In this paper, the lived experience of married nursing students and their stress during nursing school was explored. This project aimed to answer the questions: 1) what is the lived experience of married nursing student during one semester of their nursing program and 2) what is the students’ combined experience of nursing school stress and marital stress or satisfaction? The research design was qualitative with a phenomenological approach. The participants of the study consisted of 7 volunteer, married nursing students attending the BSN program at the University of Southern Mississippi-Gulf Park campus during the fall 2015 semester. The participants were …

Talking About Aphasia: The Two Voices Of Insight, Elizabeth O'Brien

College Honors Program

This thesis aims to understand the lived experience of communication disorders (CDs), including the challenges, stigmas, and misconceptions related to CDs. It draws upon in-depth interviews with speech-language pathologists (SLPs), participant observations of people with aphasia, and observations of aphasia forum websites. During the data collection process, people talked about the stigmas and hardships of CDs and the subjective experience of having trouble communicating with others. This thesis will use their words and ideas to highlight the important aspects of coping with and treating CDs. It discusses how people with aphasia think about space, their body, and time, and considers …

Women And Healthcare In Appalachia: Impeding Circumstance And The Role Of Technology, Ashley Cano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For decades, healthcare access and quality in central and southern Appalachia have trailed the rest of the country. Entrenched poverty and low educational attainment compound healthcare problems. This study examines the healthcare obstacles women encounter in southern and central Appalachia and analyzes how technology use, such as Internet searching and social media affect women’s healthcare decisions. Data were analyzed from four focus groups conducted with women from the region. Results indicate that seeing a physician or not did not influence women’s propensity to search the Internet for health-related information or to seek support through social media sites. Additionally, women reported …

Individual Motivation And Threat Indicators Of Collaboration Readiness In Scientific Knowledge Producing Teams: A Scoping Review And Domain Analysis, Gaetano R. Lotrecchiano, Trudy Mallinson, Tommy Leblanc-Beaudoin, Lisa S. Schwartz, Danielle Lazar, Holly J. Falk-Krzesinski

Clinical Research and Leadership Faculty Publications

This paper identifies a gap in the team science literature that considers intrapersonal indicators of collaboration as motivations and threats to participating in collaborative knowledge producing teams (KPTs). Through a scoping review process, over 150 resources were consulted to organize 6 domains of motivation and threat to collaboration in KPTs: Resource Acquisition, Advancing Science, Building Relationships, Knowledge Transfer, Recognition and Reward, and Maintenance of Beliefs. Findings show how domains vary in their presentation of depth and diversity of motivation and threat indicators as well as their relationship with each other within and across domains. The findings of 51 indicators resulting …

Oregon's Death With Dignity Act: Socially Constructing A Good Death, Erin E. Mauck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As aid-in-dying legislation expands across the United States, this study examines the dynamics influencing participation in Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act. In addition to data from secondary sources, this thesis analyzes field research data collected in Oregon, including 14 in-depth interviews with volunteers and employees of two advocacy organizations at the center of legalized physician-assisted death. Themes emerged including the conditions that motivate participation, the importance of both personal and professional autonomy, the significance of a good death, and the growth of open dialogues about end of life choices. This thesis concludes with a discussion of the impact Death with …

Doulas Could Improve Foreign-Born Women’S Perinatal And Postpartum Satisfaction And Increase Health Providers’ Cultural Competency In A Multicultural Urban Area Of The United States., Crystal Kazik

Sustainability and Social Justice

Doulas act as a cultural bridge between clients and providers through the support, advocacy, and education they provide. Unfortunately, migrant women may be at a disadvantage for accessing and benefiting from their services due to a variety of socioeconomic and cultural factors including predisposed ideas of care and structure based on experiences in native countries, language barriers, lower health literacy, and a lack of awareness and understanding from hospital/clinic staff.

A strategic multifaceted approach utilizing doulas, such as Boston Medical Center’s collaborative and culturally competent model, may greatly improve foreign-born women’s experience and satisfaction with healthcare when pregnant and giving …

Alternatives Unlimited Inc. Property Service Application, Jalpa Dave, Pennie Nataliya, Neelakshi Bali

School of Professional Studies

The purpose of this project is to propose Property service application to be enforced for documenting and managing the work orders raised throughout the residencies. The company is looking into an application that would facilitate to track and monitor the maintenance request received in a systematic order and ensuring priority work request is resolved within the set time frame. The project is to enhance the property service's work more efficiently as this will provide a high level of charge for the occupants by providing quicker response to their requests. The Objectives set to achieve for this project are realistic and …

Staff Interactions And Affect In Persons With Dementia: An Observational Study Of A Memory Care Unit, Keirstin V. Meyer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is estimated that the number of people in the United States living with dementia in 2015 will nearly triple by the year 2050. With no cure for dementia, we are faced with providing care in a way that maximizes well-being. The majority of prior research focused on the best ways to reduce behavioral problems and mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety. The objective of this study was to increase knowledge about the social influences on well-being in persons with dementia, particularly from staff in residential memory care units. This study found that the most common interaction type from …

Predictors Of Quality Of Life For African American Women Who Assist Persons Who Receive Dialysis, Shaquita A. Starks

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The purpose of this predictive correlational study was to describe predictors of quality of life (QoL) for African American women who were caregivers of persons with end stage renal disease (ESRD). Five purposes, derived from a review of literature and conceptual model, guided this study. First, the study described the association between demographic factors (i.e., education, employment, age, marital status), and QoL. Second, the study explored the relationship between stress and QoL. Third, the study described the association between depressive symptoms and QoL. Fourth, the study described the association between family health/happiness and QoL. Fifth, the study described the extent …

Factors Associated With African American Women’S Sexual Health And Risk Behavior: A Mixed Methods Study, Melody N. Waller

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Introduction: When looking at the health status of our nation, an examination of sexual and reproductive health reveals that there are multiple conditions related to sexual behavior posing a burden on the health of African American women (AAW). Disproportionate rates of sexually transmitted infections, unintended/teen pregnancy, and sexual violence in this group reveal the need to integrate a broader construct to address the multiple factors known to contribute to disparities in sexual and reproductive health affecting AAW. Current health promotion efforts including the encouragement of abstinence and condom use fail to address the multiple components involved in sexual health and/or …

Relationship-Centred Care In Health: A 20-Year Scoping Review, Sophie Soklaridis Phd, Paula Ravitz Md Frcpc, Gili Adler Nevo Md Frcpc, Susan Lieff Md Prcpc

Patient Experience Journal

Relationship-centred care (RCC) is a framework for conceptualizing health care which recognizes that the nature and quality of relationships in health care influence the process and outcomes of health care. Our goal was to undertake a scoping review of the peer-reviewed and grey literature on RCC in health. Using Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review methodology we identified literature about RCC in teaching, learning and clinical practice. Electronic databases were searched, and targeted searches were also conducted for grey literature to capture unpublished material. Subsequently, data abstraction tools were used with eligible studies for analysis. Sixty-nine publications originated mainly from the …

Can Social Media Reduce Discrimination And Ignorance Towards Patients With Long Term Conditions? A Chronic Kidney Disease Example In The Uk And More Widely, Shahid N. Muhammad, Amy J. Zahra, Howard J. Leicester, Heather Davis, Stephen Davis

Patient Experience Journal

Long Term Conditions (LTCs) are increasing in prevalence and cost in Western healthcare. Patients with such conditions are often classed as “disabled”, because of impacts of self-care on “activities of daily life” or secondary consequences of conditions (impairments) affecting factors such as mobility, concentration and communications. Disability needs are often ignored in the design of services and treatment of individuals. It manifests as services which some find difficult to use and lack of personal respect (discrimination) often based on lack of understanding by the healthcare profession itself (ignorance). This paper explores how Social Media (SM), an example “Assistive Technology” in …

The Components Of Attentiveness In Oncology Care, Klaartje Klaver, Andries Baart

The Qualitative Report

This article presents the first findings of a qualitative empirical study of caregivers' attentiveness in hospital oncology care. It takes a care ethical perspective, in which attentiveness is considered an indispensable element of good care. The data are derived from participant observation at the oncology department of a general hospital in the Netherlands. The analysis shows a descriptive exploratory model of attentiveness, which comprises a coherent set of the clusters perception (A), object finding (B), and space for attentiveness (C). The methodological output of this article is an important one: the presented descriptive model of attentiveness promotes further research into …

Family And Peer Groups’ Impact On Adolescent Marijuana Use, Brian Lunn

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Differential association theory explains that once definitions favoring deviant behavior become in excess of definitions favoring conforming, one is at an increased risk of acting deviant. This study uses survey data collected from high school students in Delaware to test hypotheses derived from differential association theory on student marijuana use.Consistent with theoretical expectations, the logistic regression results show that both parents’ and friends’ attitudes toward drug use as wrong and having a good relationship with one’s parents significantly reduce the likelihood of marijuana use, while living in an unstable home environment significantly increases the odds of marijuana use. Interestingly, results …

Ua61/1 External Advisory Board Meeting, Wku School Of Nursing

WKU Administration Documents

Powerpoint presentation for WKU School of Nursing external advisory board meeting.