Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Framework Of Academic Persistence And Success For Ethnically Diverse Graduate Nursing Students, Margaret J. Bull, Judith Fitzgerald, Josie L. Veal

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

The goal of this qualitative study was to examine how ethnically diverse graduate nursing students persisted with academic studies. Ethnically diverse nurses are vastly underrepresented in the workforce. This problem is accentuated by high attrition rates in academic programs. A grounded theory approach was used. Five focus groups were conducted with 16 ethnically diverse graduate students in nursing and interviews were conducted with two diversity advisers. Analysis of the data indicated that the process of learning to balance stressors with moderators was key to academic persistence and retention. A conceptual framework emerged from the data that provides a guide for …

The Impact Of Certification On Certified Perioperative Nurses: A Qualitative Descriptive Survey, Kathryn Schroeter, Michelle Byrne, Katharine Klink, Matthew Beier, Natalie S. Mcandrew

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

As the practice of healthcare becomes more technologically advanced, specialized and complex, there is an increasing demand for accountability. Certification demonstrates that an individual practitioner has maintained an acceptable, or perhaps more advanced level of qualifications, knowledge, and skills in a specialty practice area. The nurses' perceptions, as shared in this study, revealed positive aspects related to their achievement of certification in perioperative practice. Although certification for nurses has been available for decades a detailed evaluation of its meaning and implications for practice seems to be unavailable. The purpose of this qualitative study, conducted in Chicago, Illinois and also online, …

Faculty Mentoring: Priceless (Letter To The Editor), Donald D. Miller

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Mexican American Female Adolescents’ Perceptions Of Relationships And Dating Violence, Kristin Haglund, Ruth Ann Belknap, Juanita Terrie Garcia

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose: This study fills a gap regarding the perspectives of Mexican American female adolescents on dating relationships and dating violence (DV).

Methods: This was a qualitative descriptive study. Focus groups included 20 Mexican American young women, primarily first and second generation, mean age 14.5 years (SD= 2.5). Data were analyzed with categorical analysis.

Findings: Participants described key components of DV and identified cultural aspects that may serve to promote healthy dating relationships.

Conclusions: Family-based interventions to promote exploration of gender roles and parent-child communication may foster biculturalism as well as promote healthy dating relationships and prevent violence within …

Expression And Localization Of Aquaporin‐1 In Temporomandibular Joint Disc With Internal Derangement, Carla Loreto, Concetta Galanti, Luis Eduardo Almeida, Rosalia Leonardi, Giuseppe Pannone, Giuseppe Musumeci, Maria Luisa Carnazza, Rosario Caltabiano

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Background: Internal derangement is the most frequent arthropathy affecting the temporomandibular joint, where its commonest form is anterior disc displacement with or without reduction. Despite the frequency of the disorder, the biochemical features of displaced discs are still unclear.

Methods: We investigated the expression pattern and localization of aquaporin‐1, an important channel protein involved in plasma membrane water permeability, in patients with anterior disc displacement (both with and without reduction), with a view to assessing the characteristics of local tissue responses to the microenvironmental changes induced by abnormal mechanical loading of the displaced disc. Protein expression was studied by immunohistochemistry …

Parenting And Feeding Behaviors Associated With School-Aged African American And White Children, Michele L. Polfuss, Marilyn Frenn

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Pediatric obesity is multifactorial and difficult to treat. Parenting and feeding behaviors have been shown to influence a child’s weight status. Most prior studies have focused on preschool-aged White children. Additional complicating factors include parents’ inability to accurately identify their child’s abnormal weight status. Parenting and feeding behaviors used by 176 African American and White parents of school-age children were examined. Assessment included (a) identifying what behaviors were reported when parent expressed concern with child’s weight and (b) the relationship of these behaviors on child’s body mass index percentile (BMI%), considering ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), and parent’s body mass index …

Interactions Among Positions In The Third And Fourth Membrane-Associated Domains At The Intersubunit Interface Of The N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Forming Sites Of Alcohol Action, Hong Ren, Yulin Zhao, Donard S. Dwyer, Robert W. Peoples

Biomedical Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor is a major target of ethanol in the brain. Previous studies have identified positions in the third and fourth membrane-associated (M) domains of the NMDA receptor GluN1 and GluN2A subunits that influence alcohol sensitivity. The predicted structure of the NMDA receptor, based on that of the related GluA2 subunit, indicates a close apposition of the alcohol-sensitive positions in M3 and M4 between the two subunit types. We tested the hypothesis that these positions interact to regulate receptor kinetics and ethanol sensitivity by using dual substitution mutants. In single-substitution mutants, we found that a position …

Parenting And Feeding Behaviors Associated With School-Aged African American And White Children, Michele Polfuss, Marilyn Frenn

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Pediatric obesity is multifactorial and difficult to treat. Parenting and feeding behaviors have been shown to influence a child’s weight status. Most prior studies have focused on preschool-aged White children. Additional complicating factors include parents’ inability to accurately identify their child’s abnormal weight status. Parenting and feeding behaviors used by 176 African American and White parents of school-age children were examined. Assessment included (a) identifying what behaviors were reported when parent expressed concern with child’s weight and (b) the relationship of these behaviors on child’s body mass index percentile (BMI%), considering ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), and parent’s body mass index …

Titanium Nitride And Nitrogen Ion Implanted Coated Dental Materials, Youssef S. Al Jabbari, Jennifer Fehrman, Ashley C. Barnes, Angela M. Zapf, David W. Berzins, Spiros Zinelis

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Titanium nitride and/or nitrogen ion implanted coated dental materials have been investigated since the mid-1980s and considered in various applications in dentistry such as implants, abutments, orthodontic wires, endodontic files, periodontal/oral hygiene instruments, and casting alloys for fixed restorations. Multiple methodologies have been employed to create the coatings, but detailed structural analysis of the coatings is generally lacking in the dental literature. Depending on application, the purpose of the coating is to provide increased surface hardness, abrasion/wear resistance, esthetics, and corrosion resistance, lower friction, as well as greater beneficial interaction with adjacent biological and material substrates. While many studies have …

Amelioration Of Oral Mucositis Pain By Nasa Near Infra Red Light Emitting Diodes In Bone Marrow Transplant Patients, Brian D. Hodgson, David Margolis, Donna E. Salzman, Dan C. Eastwood, Sergey Tarima, Lisa D. Williams, Jane E. Sande, William P. Vaughan, Harry T. Whelan

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

PURPOSE: To investigate the use of extra-orally applied near infra-red (NIR) phototherapy for the reduction of oral pain secondary to chemo- and radiation-therapy induced mucositis in adult and pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients.

METHODS: 80 HSCT were divided into regular (R) and low (L) risk groups, then to experimental (E) and placebo (P) groups, resulting in 4 groups (ER, EL, PR, PL). Experimental subjects received (670 (+/- 10) nm gallium-aluminum-arsinide light emitting diode (LED) device for 80 sec at an ~50mW/cm2 energy density and power exposure of 4J/cm2. Placebo patients received the same procedures, but with a placebo …

Traumatic Injury And Identity: Incorporating Traumatic Episodes Into The Life Story, Abbey K. Valvano

Dissertations (1934 -)

With an increasing number of traumatic injury survivors, a better understanding of post-trauma meaning-making processes is needed, including improvement in our understanding of post-trauma narrative reconstruction. This project aimed to identify emergent themes within the life story narratives of spinal cord injured veterans and to both generate and test hypotheses regarding how emergent themes related to an indicator of post-trauma wellness. Seven themes were revealed within two specific sections of the life story interview. Findings revealed that individuals who author their life narratives in such a way as to demonstrate altruism and generativity showed significantly higher wellness. Further, narratives with …

Adhd Problem Recognition For Latino Parents: The Role Of Cultural Factors And Parental Cognitions, Brian W. Schneider

Dissertations (1934 -)

Latino youth experience similar or higher rates of mental health problems including ADHD, as compared to non-Latino children in the United States. They also are less likely to receive services due to a variety of access barriers and cultural factors which Latino families commonly experience. Behavioral help-seeking models have been developed to help explain the discrepancies between need and utilization for ethnically-diverse youth. Little research to date has investigated the impact of culture and parental beliefs of child behavior throughout the help-seeking process, including the beginning stage of problem recognition. Thus, the goal of the current study was to examine …

Impression Management And Psychological Reactions Of Living Kidney Donors, Lee Hildebrand

Dissertations (1934 -)

This report describes the findings of a mixed-methods study that examined the psychological reactions and use of impression management by individuals who had donated a kidney. It focused on the use of impression management and concealing information during the pre-donation psychological evaluation that is conducted to help determine the donor’s appropriateness for a donation, and the psychological reactions of living kidney donors post donation. A search of the literature found no study that has empirically investigated the prevalence of impression management and concealing information by living kidney donors during their pre-donation psychosocial evaluations. The mixed methods design utilized both a …

Traumatic Brain Injury And Executive Functioning In An Incarcerated Sample, Abigail A. Bernett

Dissertations (1934 -)

Incarcerated adults in the United States represent a significant segment of the population, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) in incarcerated populations has been identified as an area of public health concern. However, not much is known about it because research investigating TBI in incarcerated populations has focused primarily on its relationship to violent behavior. The existing research suggests that a history of TBI may be related to later violent behavior, criminal activity, mental health problems, and poorer institutional and community adjustment. Further, some of the cognitive deficits found in the general population following TBI, including executive dysfunction, have also been …

Terror Management Theory: Interplay Between Mortality Salience, Death-Thoughts, And Overall Worldview Defense, Sharon R. Shatil

Dissertations (1934 -)

This study examines both the generalizability of Terror Management Theory (TMT) and the mechanisms by which individual difference variables work in the TMT model. A plethora of research exists to support TMT, a theory that explains much of human behavior as attempts to buffer the potential for anxiety provoked by being aware of one's own inevitable mortality (Pyszczynski et al., 2003). This dissertation investigated the generalizability of Terror Management Theory (TMT) and the mechanisms by which individual difference variables work in the TMT process. In order to do so, an operationalization of the variable "overall worldview" was provided. Participants consisted …

Taking A Cultural Perspective On Intimate Partner Violence, Claire Oxtoby

Dissertations (1934 -)

Intimate partner violence continues to be a growing social concern associated with extensive physical, emotional, and financial consequences. Previous models of intimate partner violence have failed to recognize the role cultural components may play in the etiology of violence, specifically cultural values, the bi-dimensional process of acculturation, and sociodemographic variables. Prior research has shown these factors all contribute to women‟s perceptions of violence and such perceptions may impact the relationship between exposure and emotional outcomes. The present study examined how women‟s cultural background influences their perceptions of violence and subsequent adjustment. Eighty-six Latina women completed measures assessing cultural values, acculturation …

The Mental Health Implications Of Experiencing Racial/Ethnic Microaggressions Among Latina/Os: Cognitive, Affective, And Behavioral Components, Kelly M. Moore

Dissertations (1934 -)

The present study sought to elucidate the cognitive, affective, and behavioral components associated with the experience of racial/ethnic microaggressions among Latina/os, and the mental health outcomes of this form of discrimination. The study examined data from 175 Mexican and Mexican-American Latina/o adults recruited from a large Latina/o ethnic festival in a moderately-sized Midwestern city. Methodology of the present study incorporated innovative materials, including a quantitative measure of racial/ethnic microaggressions and a vignette to elicit an experience of a racial/ethnic microaggression. Results showed that past six-month experiences with racial/ethnic microaggressions are predictive of psychological distress. Overall, one's greater affective stress response …

Resourcefulness Training Intervention: Assessing Critical Parameters From Relocated Older Adults’ Perspectives, Abir K. Bekhet, Jaclene Zauszniewski, Denise M. Matel-Anderson

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

The population of American elders is increasing rapidly and relocation to retirement communities has been found to adversely affect their adjustment. This pilot study of 38 relocated elders evaluated, from elders’ perspectives, six critical parameters of a resourcefulness training (RT) intervention designed to help elders adjust to relocation. Within the context of Zauszniewski's theory of resourcefulness, a pre-/post-test design with random assignment to RT or to diversionary activities (DA) was used. Objective questionnaires measured demographic and relocation factors. An intervention evaluation questionnaire was designed and given to the relocated elders in order to assess the six critical parameters—necessity, acceptability, feasibility, …

Transformative Learning Through Study Abroad In Low-Income Countries, Cynthia Foronda, Ruth Ann Belknap

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Study abroad in low-income countries is an emerging trend in nursing education, yet student outcomes vary from positive to negative. Study abroad in low-income countries can be transformative because it has the potential to increase student awareness of socioeconomic relations, structural oppression, and human connectedness. The authors discuss 10 strategies to facilitate transformative learning in students who study abroad.

Evaluation Of A Coping Kit Of Items To Support Children With Developmental Disorders In The Hospital Setting, Jennifer Drake, Norah L. Johnson, Alice V. Stoneck, Deb M. Martinez, Megan Massey

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

This study attempted to answer the question, "Do nurses perceive coping kits to be effective at meeting the needs of hospitalized children with developmental disabilities who are at increased risk for challenging behaviors?" A cross-sectional post-test survey study design was used, with a convenience sample of 24 registered nurses at a Midwestern free-standing children's hospital. A coping kit with simple communication cards, social script book, and distraction items (toys) was developed to enhance communication and distract children with developmental disabilities (including autism spectrum disorder) undergoing procedures in the hospital. A modified version of Hudson's (2006) intervention effectiveness survey was used …

Spectral Properties Of H-Reflex Recordings After An Acute Bout Of Whole-Body Vibration, Kristof Kipp, Samuel T. Johnson, Mark A. Hoffman

Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications

Although research supports the use of whole-body vibration (WBV) to improve neuromuscular performance, the mechanisms for these improvements remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to identify the effect ofWBV on the spectral properties of electrically evoked H-reflex recordings in the soleus (SOL) muscle. The H-reflex recordings were measured in the SOL muscle of 20 participants before and after a bout of WBV. The H-reflexes were evoked every 15 seconds for 150 seconds after WBV. A wavelet procedure was used to extract spectral data, which were then quantified with a principle components analysis. Resultant principle component scores were used …

Weightlifting Performance Is Related To Kinematic And Kinetic Patterns Of The Hip And Knee Joints, Kristof Kipp, Josh Redden, Michelle B. Sabick, Chad Harris

Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications

The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlations between biomechanical outcome measures and weightlifting performance. Joint kinematics and kinetics of the hip, knee, and ankle were calculated while 10 subjects performed a clean at 85% of 1 repetition maximum (1RM). Kinematic and kinetic time-series patterns were extracted with principal components analysis. Discrete scores for each time-series pattern were calculated and used to determine how each pattern was related to body mass–normalized 1RM. Two hip kinematic and 2 knee kinetic patterns were significantly correlated with relative 1RM. The kinematic patterns captured hip and trunk motions during the first pull …

Restoring Functional Status: A Long-Term Case Report Of Severe Lung And Ventilatory Muscle Pump Dysfunction Involving Recurrent Bacterial Pneumonias, Dennis Sobush, Linda Jean Laatsch-Lybeck, Randolph J. Lipchik

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

Background and Purpose: Prolonged mechanical ventilation contributes to immobility and deconditioning making efforts to safely discontinue ventilator support desirable. This case report documents how implementing physical therapy treatment interventions, based on the Guide to Physical Therapist Practice, can help to restore a person’s functional status even after multiple years of mechanical ventilation dependency. Case Description: A patient (female; aged 63 years) with severe restrictive and obstructive ventilatory impairment has survived 34 recurrent pneumonias involving 6 bacterial pathogens while being mechanically ventilated at home. A 3-year study was approved and informed consent obtained for a home exercise program of resistive extremity …

Parenting Behaviors Of African American And Caucasian Families: Parent And Child Perceptions, Associations With Child Weight And Ability To Identify Abnormal Weight Status, Michele Polfuss, Marilyn Frenn

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

This study examined the agreement between parent and child perceptions of parenting behaviors, the relationship of the behaviors with the child's weight status, and the ability of the parent to correctly identify weight status in 176 parent–child dyads (89 Caucasian and 87 African American). Correlational and regression analyses were used. Findings included moderate to weak correlations in child and parent assessments of parenting behaviors. Caucasian dyads had higher correlations than African American dyads. Most parents correctly identified their own and their child's weight status. Parents of overweight children used increased controlling behaviors, but the number of controlling behaviors decreased when …

Mental Health Of Elders In Retirement Communities: Is Loneliness A Key Factor?, Abir K. Bekhet, Jaclene Zauszniewski

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Short Of Transformation: American Adn Students' Thoughts, Feelings, And Experiences Of Studying Abroad In A Low-Income Country, Cynthia Foronda, Ruth Ann Belknap

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

ADN students are a large yet distinct subgroup of nursing students who require research and understanding. The purpose of this study was to describe the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of American associate degree nursing (ADN) students who participated in a short study abroad course in a low-income country. A qualitative, narrative method was used. Three categories emerged from the analysis. Participants revealed thoughts of “constant comparisons”, feelings of an “emotional journey”, and they experienced “learning”. Participants did not demonstrate perspective transformation as defined by Mezirow as participants signified no intent for social action. Several potential blocks to perspective transformation were …

A Comparison Of Topical Menthol To Ice On Pain, Evoked Tetanic And Voluntary Force During Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, Pramod Johar, Varun Grover, Robert V. Topp, David G. Behm

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose/Background: Pain can adversely affect muscle functioning by inhibiting muscle contractions. Delayed onset muscle soreness was used as a tool to ascertain whether a topical menthol-based analgesic or ice was more effective at reducing pain and permitting greater muscular voluntary and evoked force. Methods: Sixteen subjects were randomized to receive either a topical gel containing 3.5% menthol or topical application of ice to the non-dominant elbow flexors two days following the performance of an exercise designed to induce muscle soreness. Two days later, DOMS discomfort was treated with a menthol based analgesic or ice. Maximum voluntary contractions and evoked tetanic …

Clinical Observation Reflections From Students In An Interdisciplinary Palliative Care Course, Marcia Phillips, Susan Breakwell, Kim Minju, Margaret Faut Callahan

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into how a brief clinical observation encounter contributed to students’ experiences in an interdisciplinary palliative care course. This course was required of all graduate nursing students and was available as an elective for medical and other healthcare professions students at a healthcare sciences university. The students were required to spend approximately 8 to 12 hours attending interdisciplinary team meetings or accompanying a team on rounds and patient visits.

The students’ summary narratives of their observation experience were analyzed in this qualitative study that focused on six categories of feedback: (1) patients’ …

Near Infrared Spectroscopic Monitoring During Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing Detects Anaerobic Threshold, Rohit P. Rao, Michael J. Danduran, J. E. Dixon, Rohit S. Loomba, George M. Hoffman

Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) provides assessment of the integrative responses involving the pulmonary, cardiovascular, and skeletal muscle systems. Application of exercise testing remains limited to children who are able to understand and cooperate with the exercise protocol. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) provides a noninvasive, continuous method to monitor regional tissue oxygenation (rSO2). Our specific aim was to predict anaerobic threshold (AT) during CPET noninvasively using two-site NIRS monitoring. Achievement of a practical noninvasive technology for estimating AT will increase the compatibility of CPET. Patients without structural or acquired heart disease were eligible for inclusion if they were ordered to undergo CPET …

Glutathione-Mediated Neuroprotection Against Methylmercury Neurotoxicity In Cortical Culture Is Dependent On Mrp1, Travis Rush, Xiaoqian Liu, Andrew B. Nowakowski, David H. Petering, Doug Lobner

Biomedical Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Methylmercury (MeHg) exposure at high concentrations poses significant neurotoxic threat to humans worldwide. The present study investigated the mechanisms of glutathione-mediated attenuation of MeHg neurotoxicity in primary cortical culture. MeHg (5 μM) caused depletion of mono- and disulfide glutathione in neuronal, glial and mixed cultures. Supplementation with exogenous glutathione, specifically glutathione monoethyl ester (GSHME) protected against the MeHg induced neuronal death. MeHg caused increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation measured by dichlorodihydrofluorescein (DCF) fluorescence with an early increase at 30 min and a late increase at 6 h. This oxidative stress was prevented by the presence of either GSHME or …