Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Interpersonal Communication In The Context Of Dementia: Examining Family Caregivers' Appraisals And Burden, Stacy Lynn Barnes

Dissertations (1934 -)

Purpose and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore dementia family caregivers' appraisals of communication behaviors and strategies, and their relationships to caregiver burden. Study objectives were to investigate: 1) the relationship between frequency of dementia-related communication behaviors and caregivers' appraisals of frustration; 2) the relationship between caregivers' use of communication strategies and appraisals of helpfulness; 3) the structural relationships between communication behavior appraisal, communication strategy appraisal, problem behaviors, and caregiver burden; and 4) caregiver education level as a moderating variable of the final structural model. Methods: A written, mailed questionnaire was developed to capture dementia family caregivers' …

Palliative Care's Sacramental And Liturgical Foundations: Healthcare Formed By Faith, Hope, And Love, Darren M. Henson

Dissertations (1934 -)

Medical history identifies Dame Cicely Saunders as the founder of modern hospice and palliative care for the unique care she gave to the incurably and terminally ill. Less known is how her Christian faith, combined with her knowledge of medicine, influenced her vision. This work retrieves the Christian roots of palliative care and asserts that the practice of faith preserves the practice of medicine from succumbing to medicalized dying--a phenomenon that excessively relies on technology with the implied hope that it will ultimately conquer illnesses and even death. Efficiency and effectiveness ground modern medicine's epistemology. These concepts follow the philosophical …

Hispanic Mothers' Normative Beliefs And Intentions About The Discussion Of Sex-Related Topics With Their Adolescent Daughters, Dana M. Rodriguez

Dissertations (1934 -)

Hispanic adolescent females continue to have rates of pregnancy and STIs, which exceed those of white non-Hispanic peers. When mothers engage in the discussion of sex-related topics (DSRTs) with their adolescent daughters, it has been shown to delay or decrease sexual intercourse. However, it has been found that Hispanic parents talk less with their daughters about sex-related topics (SRTs) when compared to other ethnic groups. Understanding why Hispanic mothers may or may not intend to engage in DSRTs is important in order to design culturally appropriate programs aimed at increasing their DSRTs. A sequential mixed-methods predictive correlational design framed by …

Effect Of Different Enamel Conditionings On The Bond Strength Of Glass Ionomer Cement And Ceramic Brackets, Dauro Douglas Oliveira, T. Gerard Bradley, Matheus Melo Pithon, Mariele Cristina Garcia Pantuzo, Emilio Akaki, Virendra B. Dhuru

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Aim: To evaluate the effect of different enamel conditionings on the shear bond strength (SBS) and bond failure patterns of a resin modified glass ionomer cement (RMGIC) used to bond ceramic brackets. Methods: 105 human premolars extracted for orthodontic reasons were divided into 7 groups according to the enamel surface treatments: conditioners (35% phosphoric acid and 10% polyacrylic acid), type of adhesive (Transbond® and Fuji Ortho LC Capsule®), washing time and drying of the surface. Results: A significant p0.05) to the group that had brackets bonded with composite resin. The two groups that had enamel prepared with polyacrylic acid and …

Are Rural And Urban Newly Licensed Nurses Different? A Longitudinal Study Of A Nurse Residency Programme, Marilyn Meyer Bratt, Marianne Baernholdt, Jessica E. Pruszynski

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Aim

This study aimed to compare rural and urban nurse residency programme participants’ personal and job characteristics and perceptions of decision-making, job satisfaction, job stress, nursing performance and organisational commitment over time.

Background

Nurse residency programmes are an evolving strategy to foster transition to practice for new nurses. However, there are limited data available for programme outcomes particularly for rural nurses.

Method

A longitudinal design sampled 382 urban and 86 rural newly licensed hospital nurses during a 12-month nurse residency programme. Data were collected at the start of the programme, at 6 months and the end of the programme.

Results …

Pharyngeal And Cervical Cancer Incidences Significantly Correlate With Personal Uv Doses Among Whites In The United States, Dianne E. Godar, Rong Tang, Stephen Merrill

Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

Because we found UV-exposed oral tissue cells have reduced DNA repair and apoptotic cell death compared with skin tissue cells, we asked if a correlation existed between personal UV dose and the incidences of oral and pharyngeal cancer in the United States. We analyzed the International Agency for Research on Cancer's incidence data for oral and pharyngeal cancers by race (white and black) and sex using each state's average annual personal UV dose. We refer to our data as ‘white’ rather than ‘Caucasian,’ which is a specific subgroup of whites, and ‘black’ rather than African-American because blacks from other countries …

Stress-Induced Cocaine Seeking Requires A Beta-2 Adrenergic Receptor-Regulated Pathway From The Ventral Bed Nucleus Of The Stria Terminalis That Regulates Crf Actions In The Ventral Tegmental Area, Oliver Vranjkovic, Paul J. Gasser, Clayton H. Gerndt, David A. Baker, John R. Mantsch

Biomedical Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (vBNST) has been implicated in stress-induced cocaine use. Here we demonstrate that, in the vBNST, corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) is expressed in neurons that innervate the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a site where the CRF receptor antagonist antalarmin prevents the reinstatement of cocaine seeking by a stressor, intermittent footshock, following intravenous self-administration in rats. The vBNST receives dense noradrenergic innervation and expresses β adrenergic receptors (ARs). Footshock-induced reinstatement was prevented by bilateral intra-vBNST injection of the β-2 AR antagonist, ICI-118,551, but not the β-1 AR antagonist, betaxolol. Moreover, bilateral intra-vBNST injection of …

Consonant Context Effects On Vowel Sensorimotor Adaptation, Jeffrey J. Berry, John Jaeger Iv, Melissa Wiedenhoeft, Brittany A. Bernal, Michael T. Johnson

Speech Pathology and Audiology Faculty Research and Publications

Speech sensorimotor adaptation is the short-term learning of modified articulator movements evoked through sensory-feedback perturbations. A common experimental method manipulates acoustic parameters, such as formant frequencies, using real time resynthesis of the participant's speech to perturb auditory feedback. While some studies have examined phrases comprised of vowels, diphthongs, and semivowels, the bulk of research on auditory feedback-driven sensorimotor adaptation has focused on vowels in neutral contexts (/hVd/). The current study investigates coarticulatory influences of adjacent consonants on sensorimotor adaptation. The purpose is to evaluate differences in the adaptation effects for vowels in consonant environments that vary by place and manner …

Palate-Referenced Articulatory Features For Acoustic-To-Articulator Inversion, An Ji, Michael T. Johnson, Jeffrey J. Berry

Speech Pathology and Audiology Faculty Research and Publications

The selection of effective articulatory features is an important component of tasks such as acoustic-to-articulator inversion and articulatory synthesis. Although it is common to use direct articulatory sensor measurements as feature variables, this approach fails to incorporate important physiological information such as palate height and shape and thus is not as representative of vocal tract cross section as desired. We introduce a set of articulator feature variables that are palate referenced and normalized with respect to the articulatory working space in order to improve the quality of the vocal tract representation. These features include normalized horizontal positions plus the normalized …

Social Script Ipad Application Versus Usual Care Before Undergoing Medical Imaging: Two Case Studies Of Children With Autism, Norah L. Johnson, Octavia Alexis Bree

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are neurodevelopmental disorders of socialization, communication, and repetitive behaviors. Children with ASD have underlying anxiety leading to challenging behaviors in unfamiliar situations. The anxiety impacts timely completion of an imaging procedure. The purpose of the case study was to describe the process of the social script intervention delivered using the iPad application on parent and child anxiety, child behaviors, and imaging procedure length between two parent and child dyads. The case study of two parent-child dyads demonstrated the process for comparing the social script intervention iPad app for preparing for imaging versus usual care. Parent anxiety …

Comparison Of Abstinence And Coital Frequency Between 2 Natural Methods Of Family Planning, Richard J. Fehring, Mary Schneider

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Introduction

The length of periodic abstinence, due to overestimation of the fertile phase of the menstrual cycle, is often a cause for dissatisfaction, discontinuation, and user error with natural family planning (NFP) methods. The objective of this research was to compare the length of required abstinence (ie, estimated fertility) and coital frequency between 2 NFP methods.

Methods

This was an analysis of data from a 12-month prospective comparison study in which participants were randomized into either an electronic hormonal fertility monitor (EHFM) group or a cervical mucus monitoring (CMM) group—both of which included a fertility algorithm as a double check …

“Releasing A Lot Of Poisons From My Mind”: Patients' Delusional Memories Of Intensive Care, Jill L. Guttormson

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Objectives

To describe intensive care unit (ICU) patients' delusional memories and interpretations of those memories.

Background

Delusional memories of the ICU are distressing for patients and may impact psychological recovery.

Methods

This is a secondary analysis from a study of mechanically ventilated patients' recall in relation to sedation. Subjects, recruited from one medical-surgical ICU, participated in structured interviews after extubation.

Results

Subjects (n = 35) with a mean age of 66 (SD 12.9) and on the ventilator a median of 4.5 days provided detailed descriptions of delusional memories of being shackled, caged, strangled, or being in a foreign country. …

Cyclic Ovarian Hormone Modulation Of Supraspinal Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol-Induced Antinociception And Cannabinoid Receptor Binding In The Female Rat, Alexa A. Wakley, Alisha A. Mcbride, Linda K. Vaughn, Rebecca M. Craft

Biomedical Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Estrous cycle-related fluctuations in delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-induced antinociception have been observed in the rat. The aim of this study was to determine which major ovarian hormone modulates the antinociceptive effects of i.c.v. THC, and whether hormone modulation of THC's behavioral effects could be due to changes in brain cannabinoid receptors (CBr). Vehicle (oil) or hormones (estradiol or progesterone, or both) were administered to female rats on days 3 and 7 post-ovariectomy. On the morning or afternoon of day 8 or day 9, vehicle or THC (100 μg) was administered i.c.v. Paw pressure, tail withdrawal, locomotor activity and catalepsy tests were conducted …

Strength Properties Of Preceramic Brazed Joints Of A Gold-Palladium Alloy With A Microwave-Assisted Oven And Gas/Oxygen Torch Technique, Hyeongil Kim, Soni Prasad, Robert Dunford, Edward A. Monaco, Jr.

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Statement of problem

The effect of microwave brazing on the strength properties of dental casting alloys is not yet known.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to compare the strength properties of preceramic brazed joints obtained by using a microwave oven and a conventional torch flame for a high noble alloy (Au-Pd).

Material and methods

A total of 18 tensile bars made of an Au-Pd ceramic alloy were fabricated. Six specimens were cut and joined with a high-fusing preceramic solder in a specially designed microwave oven, and 6 specimens were joined with a conventional natural gas/oxygen torch. The remaining …

Transition From Hospital To Home Following Pediatric Solid Organ Transplant: Qualitative Findings Of Parent Experience, Stacee M. Lerret, Marianne E. Weiss, Gail Stendahl, Shelley Chapman, Katie Neighbors, Joan Lokar, Ashley Voit, Jerome Menendez, Estella M. Alonso

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Transplant providers are challenged to determine appropriate interventions for patients and families due to limited published research regarding the context of the post-discharge experience from the perspective of parents of transplanted children. The purpose of this study is to describe the parent perspective of the transition from hospital to home following their child's solid organ transplant. Within a mixed-methods design, 37 parents of pediatric heart, kidney, and liver transplant recipients from three pediatric hospitals responded to qualitative interview questions on the day of hospital discharge and three wk following hospital discharge. Insight to the discharge preparation process revealed necessary education …

Reducing The Burden Of Medication Costs To Improve Medication Adherence, Christine R. Shaw

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

The high cost of medications is one reason that patients do not adhere to treatment plans. Providers can take actions to relieve the economic burden such as prescribing generic medications and offering patients information on various resources, including discount generic drug lists, discount cards, mail-order pharmacies, and prescription assistance programs.

Microstructure And Mechanical Properties Of Nickel-Free And Nickel-Containing Stainless Steel Orthodontic Wires, Amanda Olejniczak

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Introduction: In orthodontics, contact dermatitis caused by nickel allergy should be of concern with the number of nickel-containing appliances and wires used. Stainless steel archwires are commonly used throughout orthodontic treatment. With the release of nickel from these wires, some manufacturers have turned to nickel-free stainless steel alternatives. The goal of this research was to compare nickel-free stainless steel with traditional stainless steel archwires with regard to mechanical properties and microstructure. Materials and Methods: Nickel-free stainless steel and regular stainless steel archwires from four companies were included. Five random samples of each wire, vertically mounted in fast-set acrylic, were indented …

Dimensional Changes Of Facial Soft Tissue Associated With Rapid Palatal Expansion, Peter Charles Longo

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Introduction: Orthodontic treatment demands excellent outcomes in both function and esthetics. Despite the popularity of rapid palatal expansion in orthodontic treatment, few studies have examined its consequences on facial soft tissue using direct anthropometric measurements. The primary goal of this study was to determine facial soft tissue changes immediately following rapid palatal expansion. Materials and Methods: Twenty-eight patients (age range, 8-17 years) attending Marquette Dental School Orthodontic Post-Graduate Clinic were enrolled in the study. Facial soft tissue measurements were taken with digital calipers at two separate time points (T0: initial exam and T1: thirty days following expansion); measurements were recorded …

Composition, Phase Structure, And Corrosion Of Nickel-Free And Nickel-Containing Stainless Steel Orthodontic Wires, Amrita Rakalla

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Stainless steel wires have long been used in orthodontics. The austenitic stainless steel used in orthodontics contains approximately 18 wt% chromium and 8 wt% nickel. Nickel improves the corrosion resistance and helps maintain the austenite structure of stainless steel. Nickel is the most allergenic metal and is the most common metal associated with contact dermatitis in orthodontics. Nickel-free wires have been developed, and it was the goal of this study to compare nickel-free and nickel-containing stainless steel orthodontic wires to determine and compare their composition, phase structure, and corrosion properties. For each test, nickel-free and conventional stainless steel wires were …

Comparing The Vertical Misfit Of Casts Produced By Two Verification Jigs, Abdulaziz Saeed Alqahtani

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Purpose: To compare the dimensional accuracy between master casts fabricated with verification jigs made of acrylic resin and light cure Triad. Materials and Methods: 10 GC Pattern resin Pattern verifications jigs and 10 Triad gel verification jigs fabricated of a master cast of a mandibular model of 4 internal hex implants. A stone base was fabricated for each verification jig. One screw test was used to evaluate the vertical gap at the terminal abutment using a digital micrometer with an accuracy of 1μm to record the vertical gap for each sample. Results: Triad Gel group has the lowest average distortion …

An Investigation Into The Bonding Properties Of New Generation Ceramic Brackets As Compared To A Stainless Steel Bracket, Ami Inoue

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Introduction: More patients are seeking esthetic alternatives for their orthodontic treatment options, which has led to increased use of ceramic brackets in recent years. These brackets were marketed before independent scientific research was completed. Many of the early ceramic brackets used a silane coupling agent to allow for a chemical bond between the bracket and the adhesive resin. Early reports from clinicians of increased bond strengths and iatrogenic tooth damage after bracket removal were common. Manufacturers have made changes to their base designs, relying more on mechanical retention for bond strength. The goal of this study was to test the …

Effect Of Mechanical Vibration On Resistance To Sliding In The Fixed Orthodontic Appliance, David Robert Kennedy

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Objective: To determine the effects of mechanical vibrations produced from electric tooth brushes and a commercially available device called AcceleDent, on the resistance to sliding at the bracket-arch wire interface. Materials and Methods: All as-received wires and brackets were cleaned with 95% ethanol prior to testing. An individual metal bracket was mounted on a custom metal fixture. The custom metal fixture had a polyurethane material that resembled the mechanical feature of the human periodontal ligament. The test metal bracket was aligned and bonded passively with 4 other non-movable brackets using a straight piece of .0215" X .025" SS wire. Another …

Time Course Of Cocaine-Induced Behavioral And Neurochemical Plasticity, Victoria Lutgen, Linghai Kong, Kristen S. Kau, Aric Madayag, John Mantsch, David A. Baker

Biomedical Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Factors that result in augmented reinstatement, including increased withdrawal period duration and high levels of cocaine consumption, may provide insight into relapse vulnerability. The neural basis of augmented reinstatement may arise from more pronounced changes in plasticity required for reinstatement and/or the emergence of plasticity expressed only during a specific withdrawal period or under specific intake conditions. In this study, we examined the impact of withdrawal period duration and cocaine intake on the magnitude of cocaine-primed reinstatement and extracellular glutamate in the nucleus accumbens, which has been shown to be required for cocaine-primed reinstatement. Rats were assigned to self-administer under …

The Unique Needs Of Older Adults Readmitted To The Hospital, Laila Hasan, Maharaj Singh, Ariba Khan, John Lung, Michael Malone, Anna Karst

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Approximately 20% of Medicare beneficiaries are readmitted within 30 days of discharge from the hospital, costing $17.4 billion per year.1 A number of studies have examined the factors associated with risk of hospital readmissions.1 To the best of the knowledge of the authors of the current study, no studies have examined the characteristics of individuals who are on their second hospital stay. Identification of these characteristics is important for quality care, better interventions, and economic reasons.2 This study was performed to examine the characteristics and vulnerabilities of individuals aged 65 and older who had a second hospital stay within 30 …

Self-Assessed Health In Caregivers Of Persons With Autism: Associations With Depressive Symptoms, Positive Cognitions, Resourcefulness, And Well-Being, Abir K. Bekhet

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose

Caregiving for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can affect family caregivers' self-assessed health. The purpose of this study was to determine whether depressive symptoms, positive cognitions, resourcefulness, and well-being will differ significantly among those who rated their health as fair, good, or excellent.

Design and Methods

This study is a secondary analysis of 109 ASD caregivers who were recruited from the Interactive ASD Network.

Findings

Depression was significantly lower among those who rated their health as excellent than among those who rated their health as fair. Positive cognitions, resourcefulness, and well-being were significantly higher among those who rated …

A Comparison Of Two Formulas Of Topical Menthol On Vascular Responses And Perceived Intensity Prior To And Following A Bout Of Maximum Voluntary Muscular Contractions (Mvmcs), Robert V. Topp, Alexander V. Ng, Alyson Cybulski, Katalin W. Skelton, Paula E. Papanek

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

The purpose of this study was to compare the vascular responses in the brachial artery and perceived intensity of two different formulas of topical menthol gels prior to and following a bout of maximum voluntary muscular contractions (MVMCs).

18 adults completed the same protocol on different days using blinded topical menthol gels (Old Formula and New Formula). Heart rate, brachial artery blood flow (ml/min), vessel diameter and reported intensity of sensation were measured at baseline (T1), at 5 min after application of the gel to the upper arm (T2), and immediately following five MVMCs hand grips (T3).

The New Formula …

Mechanisms Of Isometric Exercise-Induced Hypoalgesia In Young And Older Adults, Kathy J. Lemley

Dissertations (1934 -)

Pain reduction following exercise (exercise-induced hypoalgesia; EIH) is well-established in young adults. Specific to isometric exercise, the greatest EIH follows low intensity contractions held for long duration. The EIH response of older adults is not known; and the mechanisms for EIH are unclear at any age. This dissertation aimed to address these unknowns through a series of three studies. In study one, repeatability of pressure pain reports (pain threshold and pain ratings) was assessed in healthy older adults, including the impact of psychological factors. Pain reports, measured before and after quiet rest, did not change following quiet rest. Higher state …

Changes In Glutamate Receptor Subunits Within The Medulla In Goats After Section Of The Carotid Sinus Nerves, Justin Robert Miller, Suzanne Neumueller, Clarissa Muere, Samantha Olesiak, Lawrence Pan, John D. Bukowy, Asem O. Daghistany, Matthew Hodges, Hubert Forster

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

The mechanisms which contribute to the time-dependent recovery of resting ventilation and the ventilatory CO₂ chemoreflex after carotid body denervation (CBD) are poorly understood. Herein we tested the hypothesis that there are time-dependent changes in the expression of specific AMPA, NMDA, and/or neurokinin-1 (NK1R) receptors within respiratory-related brain stem nuclei acutely or chronically after CBD in adult goats. Brain stem tissues were collected acutely (5 days) or chronically (30 days) after sham or bilateral CBD, immunostained with antibodies targeting AMPA (GluA1 or GluA2), NMDA (GluN1), or NK-1 receptors, and optical density (OD) compared. Physiological measurement confirmed categorization of each …

Strategies For Sustaining Self Used By Family Caregivers For Older Adults With Dementia, Margaret J. Bull

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

The negative health consequences of caring for an older adult family member with dementia are well documented. However, not all family caregivers experience these negative health consequences. The purposes of this study were to describe strategies family caregivers use to help them continue to provide care for an older family member with dementia despite challenges and describe these family caregivers’ resilience and psychological distress. A mixed methods design was used with a narrative approach dominant and standardized scales for resilience and psychological distress used to enhance the description of the sample. Data were collected through telephone interviews with 18 family …

Patient Perceptions Of Patient-Empowering Nurse Behaviours, Patient Activation And Functional Health Status In Postsurgical Patients With Life-Threatening Long-Term Illnesses, Teresa Jerofke-Owen, Marianne E. Weiss, Olga Yakusheva

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Aim

To explore the trajectory of associations between the nursing care process of patient empowerment during postsurgical hospitalization and postdischarge patient self-management outcomes, specifically patient activation and functional health status.

Background

Patient-centred care models advocate for patient empowerment in long-term illness care. Postsurgical patients with life-threatening long-term illnesses frequently feel powerless, have unmet needs, decreased functional health status and high readmission rates; however, previous studies of patient empowerment have conceptualized empowerment as an outcome primarily in outpatient settings, with little attention paid to provider processes used to empower patients during hospitalizations.

Design

A non-experimental, prospective, correlational study.

Methods

This sample …