Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Physical Activity, Exercise Training And Heart Failure: Does Intensity Matter?, Elizabeth Moxley

Faculty Peer-Reviewed Publications

Heart failure currently affects an estimated 6.2 million US adults¹ and approximately 2% of individuals on a global scale.² According to heart failure exercise guidelines by the American College of Cardiology Foundation and the American Heart Association (AHA), exercise training is considered an effective treatment for chronic heart failure at a class 1 level³ and recognized as a therapeutic approach for stable heart failure. Physical activity and exercise reduce symptoms, improve the quality of life and left ventricle function, lower heart rate response to submaximal exercise, and reverse remodeling in heart failure patients.^4-6

Skeletal Muscle Mass And Cardiovascular Health, Elizabeth Moxley

Faculty Peer-Reviewed Publications

What is the connection between skeletal muscle mass and cardiovascular health? Three recent studies demonstrate that an increase in skeletal muscle mass could lead to improved cardiovascular health regardless of fat mass.

Physiological Stability During Oral Feeding In Preterm Infants: Associations With Feeding Behaviors And Cues, Cindy M. Lund

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between measures of physiological stability/instability during feeding. An additional aim was to determine if behaviors associated with physiological stability were also perceived as readiness or stress cues. Participants included 5 preterm infants (<37 weeks gestation) with no craniofacial anomalies. Infants were videotaped when they were taking at least 90% of prescribed volume. This study analyzed the common behaviors seen in preterm infants during bottle feeding to determine if there were associations with measures of physiological stability. Behaviors were also analyzed to determine which were perceived as indicating stress or readiness to feed by novice observers. Coding was conducted offline using Noldus Observer software.

Results revealed a statistically significant relationship between behaviors classified as stress cues and HR instability. There was not a significant association between stress cues and RR or SPO2. Binomial testing identified specific preterm infant feeding behaviors that were more often classified as stress cues, with significance noted in audible swallow and vocalization. Several of the specific preterm …

Grief Experiences Of Counselors: A Photovoice Exploration And Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Paige S. Spangler

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

There is a lack of research on practicing counselors and how personal and painful experiences, such as grief, influence their identity. Grief can impact counselors’ wellness and result in emotional impairment. CACREP standards do not require training in grief counseling. Thus, there are vacancies in understanding the influence of grief and a lack of preparation in navigation and dialogue of grief in counselor education programs. This qualitative study explored the phenomenological experiences of how grief influences counselor identity. The methodology used in this study was photovoice with interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Photovoice allowed participants to describe their experiences through their …

Global Impact Of Physical Inactivity And Implications For Public Health Nursing, Elizabeth Moxley, Kashica Webber-Ritchey, Laura Hayman

Faculty Peer-Reviewed Publications

Physical inactivity has been a public health problem worldwide for more than a decade. Of those who are physically active, a substantial percentage engage solely in low or very low physical activity (PA) levels. In the last 3 decades, the prevalence of PA in the United States has decreased with approximately 80% of adults not meeting the recommended guidelines for aerobic and muscle strengthening PA. The PA levels of youth have dramatically decreasedwith 85% of adolescents reporting no PA. Regular PA participation can aid in preventing chronic diseases. A strong inverse dose-response relationship exists between PA and the incidence of …

Cue Polarization And Representation In Mouse Home-Base Establishment, Ericka Ann Schaeffer

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Many individuals suffer from navigational deficits and subsequent topographical disorientation, yet there is debate over how navigation to a goal is represented within the brain. Early research suggests animals represent their environment in a Cartesian coordinate system which manifests into a cognitive map. Current research suggests animals use a vector-based system which gives rise to a directional response. These studies examined responses to the environment when there was a specific end goal (i.e., hidden platform, food reward, etc.), versus an animal’s internal goal, home-base. The first study used mice to examine the influence of visual and tactile cues on the …

Application Of Data And Geospatial Analysis In Energy And Health Systems, Ali Faghani

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Having sustainable energy and health systems are the main factors in the vision plan of every country. Both of these systems are correlated with a variety of frameworks, including social, physical, technological, political, and economic factors. Therefore, different types of analytics methods can be implemented to develop the required assessments for those who make plans since understanding the effect of such factors individually, also their interactions, and the overall effect is crucial. With this regard, applications of data analysis and geospatial techniques in both energy, and health systems have recently gained attention. The proposed research here deployed advanced data analytics …

Exploring Superivsion, Efficacy Beliefs, And The Supervisory Working Alliance When Counselors-In-Training Work With Lgbtgeqiap+ Clients, Sandra Gene Gavin

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The focus of this study was to explore the perception of the supervisory working alliance (SWA) and counseling efficacy beliefs for CITs who work with LGBTGEQIAP+ client(s). There is evidence that supports the importance of a strong SWA that aids in CIT development and the importance of counseling self-efficacy in clinical supervision. However, few researchers have explored the perceptions of the SWA, counseling self-efficacy, other-efficacy beliefs on CITs counseling self-efficacy with no models that explored these concepts when CITs work with LGBTGEQIAP+ clients. This study was conducted to explore these perceptions of the SWA, counseling efficacy beliefs, and how these …

High School Student-Athlete Sleep Habits Using Activity Monitoring, Corey Thomas Ungaro

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Sleep research is an area of scientific inquiry that impacts all individuals due to sleep's effects on health, well-being, and performance. Healthy sleep habits have been shown to improve academic and athletic performance in collegiate student-athletes. Surprisingly, no sleep research has been conducted on high school student-athletes during a semester. High school student-athletes can benefit from understanding their sleep habits and how sleep can affect the development of the adolescent brain and improve performance giving athletes the potential for a competitive advantage. This retrospective analysis aims to examine the sleep habits of student-athletes while balancing their academic and athletic responsibilities …

Perceived Neighborhood Characteristics And Parental Role In Physical Activity Of African American Youth, Kashica Webber-Ritchey, Elizabeth Moxley, Sungsoon Hwang, Desale Habtzghi, Sai Yalla

Faculty Peer-Reviewed Publications

Introduction: Lack of physical activity (PA) serves as one of the contributing factors to pediatric obesity in African American (AA) youth.

Objective: Further examination of the Social Ecological Model [SEM] influences on PA in AA youth is vital. The purpose of this pilot study is to explore environmental factors, built environment (BE) and parental role, in PA promotion.

Methods: Using mixed method data collection, a convenience sample of 28 AA parents/caregivers of school-aged children (6-12 years) enrolled in Chicago Youth Programs (CYP) completed an online survey. Parents/caregivers along with their child participated in focus group sessions (n=18 parent/child dyads). …

Virtual Pedagogical Strategies And Hesi Student Outcomes In Response To Covid-19, Elizabeth Moxley, Anitha Saravanan, Larinda Dixon, Janice Miller, Maureen Waller

Faculty Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: To maintain curricular integrity in response to COVID-19, nurse educators are increasingly required to transition from traditional (face-to-face) to virtual pedagogy. Objectives: The purpose of this analysis was to compare the HESI scores based on a traditional pedagogy with the HESI scores following implementation of virtual pedagogy during Spring 2020. Methods: Student (n = 115; 81% female; mean age = 25.71 years) HESI scores were compared after each eightweek session using the Mann Whitney U test, permutation test and Wilcoxon rank test. Logistic regression was used to identify students achieving at least 850. Chi-square test was used to determine …

A Lesson Involving Nursing Management Of Diabetes Care: Incorporating Simulation In Didactic Instruction To Prepare Students For Entry-Level Practice, Elizabeth Moxley, Larry Maturin Jr., Desale Habtzghi

Faculty Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: Diabetes is a global health problem requiring nursing students demonstrate a thorough understanding for NCLEX^® and entry-level practice, although clinical opportunities are increasingly limited, especially for Associate Degree Programs.

Method: A Simulation-based Education was incorporated in a didactic lesson to improve diabetes nursing care. Knowledge, confidence, application and relevance were measured using Wilcoxon signed-rank, Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis analyses.

Results: Student (n=46, 85% female) perceived knowledge of glycemic management (post > pre, p < 0.0001), confidence administering insulin (post > pre, p < 0.0001), and clinical relevance improved. Confidence increased among three cohorts per Kruskal Wallis H test (² = 7.76, p = 0.021). Increased confidence correlated with relevance (² = 30.965, p = 0.009) and prior understanding of therapy ( …

Carborane-Appended Levodopa For Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen And Boron Neutron Capture Therapy, Alejandra Macias

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

A multi-step organic synthetic method to attach carborane cages to biocompatible organic compounds for application in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) was conducted. Boron Neutron Capture Therapy is a form of radiation therapy that promises a new and effective form of cancer treatment that involves the destruction of tumor cells using an isotope of boron (10B). The effectiveness of this therapy depends on the boron content accumulated in cancerous tissue. Carboranes are boron-rich clusters that possess unique physical and chemical properties making them suitable for a wide range of applications including medicinal chemistry. Because of their high boron content, carborane-appended …