Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Sexting Among Adolescents: Examining The Association Between Sexting And Self-Esteem, Hanaah Fannin

Physician Assistant Studies | Student Capstone Presentations

The primary objective of this study is to provide a systematic review of the published literature, examining the association between sexting and self-esteem in adolescents, and to identify gaps in existing knowledge to provide recommendations for future research.

Practicing Leadership Skills Through Peer Mentoring And Teaching: The Lived Experience Of Bsn Students, Alicia Bright

Nursing | Faculty Scholarship

Although leadership theory is introduced in baccalaureate nursing curriculum, opportunities to practice and develop leadership skills are limited for undergraduate nursing students. This study explores the experience of advanced nursing students who provided mentoring and tutoring to beginning nursing students. The experiences they describe are interpreted in light of literature on leadership education in undergraduate nursing schools, as well as that of peer mentoring and peer teaching. These advanced students described opportunities to practice and reflect on leadership skills and attributes. Peer mentoring and peer teaching programs may be an effective and efficient way of helping nursing students gain leadership …

Fragile X Syndrome And Family Occupations: Sertraline Treatment Via Case Studies, Decerie Mendoza, Tracy P. Ye, Martina C. Dualan, Elena A. Javier

Student Research Posters

Current research on children with Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) lacks inclusion of qualitative outcomes on the child’s daily occupational performance. Standardized measurements are frequently utilized and provide useful information, however, can be less sensitive to change (Berry Kravis et al., 2013) and miss capturing family perspectives and improvements within meaningful occupations. This research incorporates family perspectives via semi-structured interviews to promote an in-depth understanding about FXS and its impact on child and family occupations in addition to standardized assessment scores through in-depth case study analysis. This study used a mixed method research design examining four male participants who were given …

Flowers Or Flora?: Understanding The Effects Of Probiotics On Depression, Nicole Collopy

Senior Theses

The human gut is populated with hundreds of types of bacteria and fungi. In North America, both intestinal and mood disorders are prevalent, presenting health problems that challenge health care professionals and patients alike. A scholarly literature review was conducted to explore this important relationship.

The investigation of the literature revealed that there is an association between gut health disorders and mood disorders, mainly anxiety and depression. This is due to bi-directionality between the brain-gut pathways, meaning that gastrointestinal health may have an effect on mental health and vice versa.

This connection between gut and mood can have substantial implications …

Identifying The Risk Factors To Postpartum Depression, Jannica Bondoc Santos

Senior Theses

A woman’s life instantly changes after the birth of their child. Furthermore, culture influences the stigma that a mother is the primary caregiver of their children and are accountable for the health and upbringing of the child. Giving birth to a baby and taking up the responsibility of another human life is a great impact in a female’s existence. In addition to the new tasks that come with motherhood, women are also challenged to cope with their emotional and mental state after giving birth. The most chronic mental illness that can develop after labor is postpartum depression (PPD). Women who …

What Can Be Achieved With An Interprofessional Class?, Kitsum Li, Olivia Catolico

Occupational Therapy | Faculty Scholarship

Introduction Recently, educators advocated for interprofessional education to better prepare entry-level healthcare workers for efficient, effective, and respectful teamwork to lower the cost of healthcare and improve the delivery of collaborative quality patient care. This article describes the results of an educational program evaluation of an interprofessional class (IPC) taught over a five-year period between nursing and occupational therapy (OT) departments at a small private university.

Methods During the IPC sessions, a small group of nursing and OT students observed a simulated patient care scenario in which a nursing and an OT student provided care related to their respective discipline. …

First-Time Experience In Owning A Dog Guide By Older Adults With Vision Loss, Kitsum Li, Jeffrey Kou, Yvonne Lam, Patricia Lyons, Susan Nguyen

Occupational Therapy | Faculty Scholarship

Introduction: Dog guides were found to be effective in helping adults with vision loss navigate in the community and improve overall well-being. In spite of the vast amount of literature on pet therapy and dog companionship, limited study exists on older adult with vision loss experience of owning a dog guide. The purpose of this study is to explore the facilitators and barriers of first time owning and using a dog guide as experienced by older adults with vision loss.

Methods: Data were gathered among seven participants using open-ended semi-structured telephone interviews. Participants were asked to describe their experiences related …

Mental Health Disparities For Latino Immigrants & Its Impact On Psychological Well-Being, Ana Do Rosario Sousa

Counseling Psychology | Master's Theses

In the present study, the researcher sought to examine the factors associated with Latino immigrants and the barriers/challenges that are faced in mental health. The main question that the researcher focuses on in the present study is: What are some of the mental health challenges for Latino immigrants & how do these disparities further impact psychological well-being? Furthermore, the research focuses on highlighting the variables that are increasingly damaging to the minority population of Latinos in the United States. These variables include lack of health insurance, stigma, acculturation issues, legal issues, and biopsychosocial factors, such as socioeconomic class. In multiple …

Supporting Marin County Youth Suffering From Anxiety And Depression, Victoria L. Grajeda

Counseling Psychology | Master's Theses

This toolkit was created to help shed light on the impact a stressful high school environment can have on today’s youth, and provide teachers, students, and parents with up-to-date information on what resources are available within the county of Marin. When working with adolescents, it is important to consider environmental threats to their mental health (i.e., lack of sleep) in order to make proper referrals and treatment plans. A study done by Kelley, Lockley, Kelley, & Evans (2017) implemented a 10:00 a.m. start time at an urban school in England. By delaying school start times, Kelley et al., found that …

Dietary Restriction Enhances Circadian Amplitude And Delays Visual Decline By A Clock-Driven Increase In Phototransduction, Geoff Meyerhof

Natural Sciences and Mathematics | Biological Sciences Master's Theses

Aging is accompanied by a progressive loss of circadian rhythms. Lifespan-extending dietary paradigms such as dietary restriction (DR) enhance circadian amplitude and appear to extend lifespan in a clock-dependent fashion. However, the mechanisms by which DR amplifies circadian rhythms and why circadian rhythms decline with age have yet to be fully elucidated. Here we find that DR amplifies circadian amplitude by enhancing light sensitivity in the eye. We performed a circadian mRNA microarray in flies (Drosophila melanogaster) reared on DR or a high nutrient diet and found that DR increases the number of circadian transcripts and selectively amplifies the …

Investigating Neuroinflammation And Demyelination In The Nervous System Of Twitcher Mice By The Use Of Immunohistochemistry, Irene Wilson

Natural Sciences and Mathematics | Biological Sciences Master's Theses

Neuroinflammation and demyelination are the hallmark lesions of the Twitcher mouse—the model of Krabbe Disease. By analyzing hemibrains and sciatic nerves via immunohistochemistry, we supported the microglial hypothesis that early activation of microglial cells, macrophages, and globoid cells in the nervous system of Twitcher mice results in specific cellular polarization states that may contribute to myelin loss. The influx of activated macrophages seen in both the central and peripheral nervous systems at days 21 and 17, respectively, accounted for this polarization. Using selected M1 and M2 markers, YKL-40, and GPNMB and CD206, respectively, we proved that microglial cells and macrophages …

Modulating P300 Acetylation Promotes The Rapid Degradation Of Erbb2 Mrna In Erbb2-Positive Breast Cancer Cells., Jacob Rose

Natural Sciences and Mathematics | Biological Sciences Master's Theses

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) are a novel class of drugs that target histone deacetylases, enzymes that by removing acetyl groups from the lysine resides of histones and many other non-histone proteins alter the cell’s chromatin structure and cellular functions, including regulation of protein translation and transcript stability. The mechanism of how these inhibitors destabilize some but not all transcripts remains incompletely understood. Our recent research has demonstrated that treatment of ERBB2-positive breast cancer cells with the HDAC1/2 selective HDACi, FK228 (Romidepsin) promotes rapid decay of various oncogenic mRNA transcripts including ERBB2 mRNA. Most recently we have demonstrated that histone acetyltransferase …

How Undocumented Latino Parents’ Legal Status Affects Their U.S. Citizen-Children’S Health, Karla Garcia Hernandez

Senior Theses

The purpose of this paper is to review studies that have assessed how undocumented parents’ legal status have affected their United States citizen-children’s health. This issue involves nurses from different specialties, such as pediatric nursing, mental health nursing and community health nursing. Eight articles were reviewed in regard to how parental legal status affects the child’s access to healthcare services, the child’s physical health and the child’s mental health. The articles revealed that citizen-children of undocumented parents had limited access to health care services, had poorer health, and had higher chances of having mental health illnesses. The paper provided implementations …

Food Pantry Evaluation And Assessment At The Dominican University Of California, Damian Cortez

Senior Theses

Food security continues to be a relevant and prevalent problem in the US that affects millions of people per year (1). In 2016, 12.3% of American households were food insecure. Although the percentage of food insecure households is experiencing a downward trend since the great recession in 2007, the current percentage is still higher than the percent of food insecure households before the recession (1).

Research shows that food insecurity is an indicator for negative health, academic, and social outcomes among elementary children leading to poor mathematical and reading performance, weight gain, and poor social development (2). The negative health …

The Sources And Effects Of Occupational Stress On Recent Graduate Nurses, Athena Pham, Mirabella Mercado

Honors Theses

This paper will examine the underlying stressors and consequences of occupational stress on recent graduate registered nurses and how they cope with it. By exploring the various factors, early interventions and strategies can be implemented to help reduce cases of compassion fatigue, occupational mental illness, and early retirement that is associated with cumulative stress. Stress is not just an occupational hazard, but a significant health problem as well. A nurse’s role is associated with physical labor, long work hours, sleep deprivation, and exposure to work-related violence or threats. Thus, the main purpose of this study is to investigate the relation …

Electronic Cigarettes: Addiction And Physiological Effects Within Adolescents And Young Adults, Matthew Pastrana

Honors Theses

In recent years, different organizations such as the American Cancer Society (ACS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO) have released statements and plans regarding the use of, and possible health risks of electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes, mods, vape pens, etc. Data released by the National Institute on Drug Abuse stated that teenagers in grades 8-12 are smoking e-cigarettes but have not smoked cigarettes before. In addition, 66% of those teenagers reported that the liquid they are smoking are “just flavoring” (NIH 2016).

According to the ACS, although electronic cigarettes are …

Saudade: An Exploration Of The Choreographic Process And The Power Of Dance, Audrey Erickson

Honors Theses

This paper serves as a reflection on my choreographic process as a LINES BFA senior and as an investigation into the innate power of human creative movement. I will document the challenges and joys of producing movement in the dancing arts, as well as illuminate the physical and psychological power of movement harbored within the practice of Dance Movement Therapy, an enduring form of psychotherapeutic movement used to promote emotional, social, cognitive, and physical well-being. The main goals of my personal choreographic experience, as well as those of my fellow Dance Majors were three-fold: 1) the cultivation of an encouraging …

Safe Injection Facilities, Timothy Kwong

Honors Theses

According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “In 2016, a total of 63,632 persons in the United States died from drug overdoses; the age-adjusted rate was 19.8 deaths per 100,000 persons.” There have been countless programs with the sole purpose of reducing the amount of drug related deaths. Some with positive outcomes and others with negative outcomes. Since there is no feasible method of eradicating the problem as a whole, the next logical thing to do would to be creating effect prevention programs.

Safe Injection Facilities (SIFs) have been around for over three decades. They are widespread …

Detection Of Genetic Thrombophilia (Fa V Leiden & Pt20210 Mutation) Using Genexpert Technology With Iqcp Implementation, Mariegrace Saquilayan

Natural Sciences and Mathematics | <br />Clinical Laboratory Sciences 2016 - 2019

Abstract

Individuals having Genetic Thrombophilia pose a higher risk of having a thrombotic event. It is crucial to determine these gene variants to prevent a possible episode of thromboembolism. With the current PCR method, it involves individual processing of DNA isolation, amplification, and detection using three (3) different instruments resulting to an increased turnaround time of 5 to 7 days and additional staff utilization. It is performed by repetitive manual sample pipetting and preparation of reagent master mixes in small vials. Results interpretations are entered manually to a worklist built initially for final verification. These processes increase the risk of …

Identification Of Anaerobes In Clinical Specimens Comparison Between The Rapid Ana Ii System And The Bruker Maldi-Tof Ms System Utilized In The Clinical Laboratory, Raymond Chow

Natural Sciences and Mathematics | <br />Clinical Laboratory Sciences 2016 - 2019

Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption and Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has been revealed as an invaluable platform for identifying anaerobic bacteria in the clinical laboratory over traditional methods such as the RapID ANA II System.

A qualitative comparison is made, through the analysis of methodologies and specifications, to determine whether the RapID ANA II system or Bruker MALDI-TOF MS is more suitable for identifying anaerobic organism in the clinical laboratory. Based on the data reviewed, the MALDI-TOF MS is a more intuitive platform within the clinical laboratory due to its increased specificity, cost-effectiveness, and shorten turnaround time for the identification …

Physiological Responses Of Adults With Sensory Over-Responsiveness, Catherine Anne Datu, Nicholas Wing Or, Megan Melody Valentine, Megan Jeanne Velcich

Occupational Therapy | Graduate Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research study is to identify if there are physiological response patterns associated with self-reported sensory over-responsiveness (SOR) in typical adults. SOR is the most common sensory modulation disorder and negatively affects the daily experiences of those that report SOR. The first phase of the study consisted of phone interviews where participants were screened for any potential characteristics that could affect physiological function. Then, the SRQ and AASP were used in conjunction to identify low and high SOR, typical adults. The last phase utilized the Sensory Challenge Protocol, which is both standardized and randomized, to expose participants …

Pediatric Pain Management During Intravenous Line Placement: Nursing Perceptions And Interventions, Kate Shaffer

Honors Theses

Children are under assessed and under treated for pain associated with medical procedures, specifically during venipuncture. Recent studies show that procedural pain is preventable and that pain management interventions are underutilized. Failure to provide adequate pain relief can mentally and physically hurt children - in addition to inducing fear, suffering and lack of trust, exposures to pain can alter the central nervous system and increase a child’s sensitivity to pain. Pediatric nurses are responsible for assessing and managing pain before, during and after a procedure. Therefore, this review of literature and pilot study examines how registered nurses practicing in the …

Autism And Occupation: Video Modeling For Maker Activities, Hannah Gibeson, Kelly Yerby, Molly Smith, Brittany Yung

Occupational Therapy | Graduate Capstone Projects

Understanding the lived experiences of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) using video modeling (VM) while engaging in Maker activities is an essential part of occupational therapy research. Participants in this study were four individuals with ASD recruited from a project-based studio located in San Rafael, CA, and one staff member. The qualitative portion of this study analyzed the lived experiences and perspectives of the individuals with ASD and their service provider through qualitative semi-structured interview methods. The quantitative portion of this study analyzed the effectiveness of VM for Maker activities during the activity of making a box using a …

The Sensoryfun! Toolkit: A Bilingual Resource For Parents & Caregivers, Nicolette D'Esposito, Yvette Lozano, Natalie Carrillo, Sarah Pashby

Occupational Therapy | Graduate Capstone Projects

A sensory diet is an occupational therapy (OT) intervention strategy. Sensory diets are specifically designed to meet a child's sensory integration needs. Sensory diets are not standardized among practitioners and there are a limited number of resources available for individuals that do not have a clinical background. The lack of easy to understand resources for parents and caregivers creates several barriers for occupational therapists working with families with children experiencing sensory processing difficulties. One barrier is that there are few resources available in Spanish. The purpose of this project was to develop a resource for parents and caregivers using educational …

Exploratory Application Of A Sensory Activity Schedule In Head Start Preschool, Marian Perez, Elaine Wong, Michelle Perryman

Occupational Therapy | Graduate Capstone Projects

Objective: The objective of this research is to determine whether the implementation of sensory activity schedule in a preschool classroom can increase the on-task behaviors of the students.

Methods: Three students were recruited to participate in a quantitative multiple single subject design with qualitative follow-up study. The participants performed sensorimotor activities before circle time and were monitored for frequency of their off-task behavior using a time sampling frequency data collection. Afterwards, the head teacher was interviewed to discuss the experience.

Results: Off-task behavior decreased from baseline on all three children, which supports the efficacy of sensory activity schedule in reducing …

The Impact Of Fall Efficacy On Occupational Performance In Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Michelle Fong, Araya Moua, Erin Denola, Merit Franklin

Occupational Therapy | Graduate Capstone Projects

Falls are a major health concern in the older adult (OA) population. While there is research on falls and their prevention, research on how low fall efficacy (FE) impacts the occupational engagement of the OA population is limited. FE is defined as the confidence a person has in his/her ability to complete a task without falling (Tinetti & Powell, 1993). A qualitative study was conducted using a phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of OAs with low FE and the impact on occupational performance. Participants who scored ≤ 6 on the Modified Fall Efficacy Scale (MFES) engaged in a …

Dating For College Students In The San Francisco Bay Area, Justin Pring, Cristina Cummings, Gabriela Saucedo, Cathy Lynn Gonzales

Occupational Therapy | Graduate Capstone Projects

Dating is a widely practiced occupation by many individuals, especially the emerging adult, college student population. The primary objective of this research study was to develop a greater understanding of San Francisco (SF) Bay Area college students’ perception, practice, and occupational impact of dating. Phenomenological interviews were conducted with seven college students living in the SF Bay Area. Three themes emerged: the dating process, internal and external factors that influence dating, and personal growth from dating experiences. The data revealed that the emerging adult, college student population values dating and believes it can significantly impact their own development. However, this …

A Sensory-Based Program To Enhance Occupational Performance For Dementia, Ivy Annahi Torres-Flores, Jacob Gantan, Heather Anne August, Naomi Grace Wong

Occupational Therapy | Graduate Capstone Projects

Dementia is a neurological disease, causing behavioral and cognitive symptoms, that progressively impairs an individual’s ability to engage in meaningful activities. Progressive deterioration associated with dementia impacts occupational performance and independence and quality of life. Sensory based interventions, such as drumming groups, have been hypothesized to be a non-pharmacological intervention for individuals with dementia. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of a sensory based intervention program, in this case participation in a drumming group, on functional engagement during self-feeding for individuals with dementia. Researchers gathered data over the course of two days using the Functional Behavior …

Effects Of Sertraline Treatment For Young Children With Fragile X Syndrome: Family Perspectives Via Case Studies, Tracy P. Ye, Decerie A. Mendoza, Elena A. Javier, Martina C. Dualan

Occupational Therapy | Graduate Capstone Projects

Current research on children with Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) lacks inclusion of qualitative outcomes on the child’s daily occupational performance. Standardized measurements are frequently utilized and provide useful information, however, can be less sensitive to change (Berry Kravis et al., 2013) and miss capturing family perspectives and improvements within meaningful occupations. This research incorporates family perspectives via semi-structured interviews to promote an in-depth understanding about FXS and its impact on child and family occupations in addition to standardized assessment scores through in-depth case study analysis. This study used a mixed method research design examining four male participants who were given …

Transition In Occupations Of Refugees During Resettlement, Jacqueline-Elizabeth Cantrell, Kimberley K. Banuelos, Adam Chan, Jennifer H. Daine

Occupational Therapy | Graduate Capstone Projects

Purpose: In 2016, there were 22.5 million refugees worldwide (UNHCR, 2017). California resettled just over 5,000 of those 85,000 (Igielnik & Krogstad, 2017). Limited research has been conducted in the United States (U.S.) focusing on the refugee experience; furthermore, there is a significant gap in research regarding the impact of the refugee experience on the occupations of refugees as they transition to living in the U.S. Smith (2012) explored the adaptation of cultural weaving among Karen refugees to maintain their previous occupations and the impact of daily weaving on their lives within Western culture; however, the study focused only …