Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Dental Hygienists' Cognitive Process In Periodontal Soft Tissue Charting, Kelsey M. Schwei

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Dental hygienists have not had the opportunity to be involved in the design and development of the periodontal soft tissue charts and the surrounding interface features that are used while examining dental patients in daily practice. In some cases, dentists are able to give their opinions, wants, and needs into the development of the health information systems that they use on a daily basis, but too often, the dental hygienist is forgotten about and no input is ever given to the developers from the dental hygienists. This project considers the impact of well-designed interfaces on effectiveness and workflow particularly …

The Effects Of Applied Grip Force, Frequency And Duration On Ratings Of Perceived Exertion, Jessica Lynne Gall

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the interactions of various combinations of frequency and duration that result in the same duty cycle at a given applied grip force (measured in % maximum voluntary contraction (MVC)) to determine their relative effect on perceived exertion. Eight female subjects (median age 20.5 years) performed 27 randomized trials containing combinations of dynamic grips, performing each combination twice. Each session contained three 25 minute trials, with a minimum of 12 minutes of rest between trials. The design used a 3x3x3 factorial protocol: i) 3 grip forces (10%, 25%, 40%) ii) 3 duty cycles (25%, 50%, 75%) iii) 3 …

Clinical Decision Making In Last Semester Senior Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Beth Cusatis Phillips

Theses and Dissertations

Clinical decision making (CDM) is an integral part of what nurses do (Muir, 2004; Ramezani-Badr, Nasrabadi, Yekta, & Taleghani, 2009). Yet, inspection of the nursing literature reveals concerns about the lack of preparation and readiness of new nursing graduates to engage in effective clinical decision making (Smith & Crawford, 2002, Duchscher, 2008, Gillespie & Paterson, 2009, Benner, Sutphen, Leonard & Day, 2010, Noohi, Karimi-Noghondar, & Haghdoost, 2012). This study was conducted to better understand the nature of students’ decision making and how they learn to make clinical decisions. Nursing students in their final semester of a baccalaureate program participated in …

Place Experience Of Nursing Home Courtyards: A Holistic Approach To Understanding Institutional Outdoor Environments, Chia Jung Shih

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation research investigates place experience of three nursing home courtyards. Based on systemic place theories, each nursing home courtyard is conceptualized as place or a system consisting of three major subsystems: physical settings, people and rules of place uses. Place experience as the center of conceptualization is the result of interactions between them. Place experience is thus characterized by objective, subjective and consensual qualities of people-environment relationships. The research design follows the premises of pragmatic case study methodology; a mixed research method is employed that includes archival research of floor plans, photo documentation, a physical setting checklist and instrumented …

Upper Extremity Kinematic And Kinetic Comparison Of Anterior Versus Posterior Walkers During Functional Activities In Children With Cerebral Palsy, Chris Burckardt

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Investigating the differences in upper extremity (UE) joint biomechanics between anterior and posterior walkers has been explored in limited contexts, even though research has shown that prolonged use of walking aids can lead to UE joint weakening or musculoskeletal injuries. Recent studies have investigated some of these differences in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy (CP) during gait; however, no research has been conducted that compare these UE joint biomechanical differences during functional activities or activities of daily living (ADLs). The aim of this study is to use motion analysis to compare kinematic and kinetic differences between anterior and …

From Data To Decision: An Implementation Model For The Use Of Evidence-Based Medicine, Data Analytics, And Education In Transfusion Medicine Practice, Nazanin Tabesh

Theses and Dissertations

Healthcare in the United States is underperforming despite record increases in spending. The causes are as myriad and complex as the suggested solutions. It is increasingly important to carefully assess the appropriateness and cost-effectiveness of treatments especially the most resource-consuming clinical interventions. Healthcare reimbursement models are evolving from fee-for-service to outcome-based payment. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has added new incentives to address some of the cost, quality, and access issues related to healthcare, making the use of healthcare data and evidence-based decision-making essential strategies. However, despite the great promise of these strategies, the transition to data-driven, evidence-based …

Functional And Phenotypic Analysis Of B- And T-Helper Cells In Rhesus Macaques And African Green Monkeys, Sahar Ali Alhakeem

Theses and Dissertations

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is one of the most challenging infectious agents at the current time. To date, many vaccine trials have been conducted. However, there has not been a fully successful trial. This is due, in part, to the gap in knowledge of the protective immune response against HIV. African green monkeys (AGMs) serve as an interesting model to study immune protection in primate immunodeficiency virus infections due to their resistance to AIDS. Experimental SIV infection in rhesus macaques (RMs) resembles HIV infection in humans with chronic immune activation and progression to AIDS well characterized in both. Understanding the …

The Lived Experiences Of An Injured Athlete And Members Of A Performance Management Team During Injury Rehabilitation: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Courtney Wynne Hess

Theses and Dissertations

In response to an ever growing understanding of the biopsychosocial nature of health and well-being, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to rehabilitation have grown in acceptance over the past decade. Studies that have explored the effect of these two approaches have found them to be effective in improving rehabilitation outcomes (McAlister et al., 2001; Tur et al., 2003). Although they have been shown to be objectively effective, the impact that these approaches have on the lived experiences of the team employing them, and the athlete or patient they serve, is not well understood. As such, the purpose of the current study …

Determining Accessibility For Ios Applications: Piloting A Checklist For Practitioners, Katelyn White

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Mobile technologies have infiltrated every part of daily life, including the school system. While these technologies are highly customizable, there are 6.4 million children with disabilities who may not be able to utilize these devices because of their lack of accessibility. The iOS Application Accessibility Checklist (iA2C) is a “first of its kind” tool, used to determine if an iOS app is accessible for users with a variety of disabilities.

Hypothesis: When using the iA2C, novice users with little experience in accessible design will determine apps to have a statistically similar number of accessibility features as experts, assessing the …

Improving Mental Health Literacy: A Single-Subject Design Experiment Examining The Effects Of Text Messaging On Adolescent Mental Health Literacy, Emma Coffman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to determine the feasibility of delivering a text-based mental health literacy intervention for adolescent children who have family members with mental illness. The effectiveness of the text message intervention was measured using a single subject, multiple baseline study design. Each participant received three text messages per week for a total of 6 weeks, containing information regarding mental illness, managing crisis, resources, stigma, and assertiveness. The subjects were evaluated using qualitative and quantitative measures at multiple periods throughout the study. Assessments utilized include: Schizophrenia Vignette quiz developed by Jorm et. al. (1997), Perceived Stress Scale-14(PSS-14) …

Print Awareness: A Comparison Between Print And Electronic Assessments In Typically Developing Preschool Children, Peter Kao

Theses and Dissertations

This study compared print and electronic formats of the Concepts About Print (CAP) assessment in typically developing preschool children. The researchers were interested in comparing print awareness skills using two different reading modalities. Independent variables were mode of presentation and age, dependent variables were the CAP scores. To account for a learning curve, two different versions of the CAP assessment were used and counterbalanced. Modes of presentation was also counterbalanced. Examiners achieved a 98.24% agreement (K = 0.964) across 40% of all assessments.

A significant correlation (r =.919) was found between the scores on the CAP and scores on the …

Ancestral Dvelopmental Exposure To Methylmercury Induces Transgenerational Inheritance Of Visual And Neurobehavioral Deficits, Thomas Achankunju Kalluvila

Theses and Dissertations

Methylmercury (MeHg) is an environmental neurotoxicant of global concern. It is considered one of the top ten chemicals of public health concern by the World Health Organization. Prenatal exposure to MeHg has been associated with altered neurodevelopment, neurobehavioral and neurocognitive functions. The effects of low dose MeHg exposure are more subtle and can range from impaired motor function to sensory defects. Using quantitative neurobehavioral assays and zebrafish as a model organism, our laboratory has demonstrated that developmental MeHg exposure causes neurological dysfunction in adult zebrafish. Recently, a wide range of environmental insults (e.g., pesticides, fungicides, plasticizers and endocrine disruptors) has …

The Effects Of Color In Recognition Of Images In Multiple-Choice Displays By People With And Without Aphasia, Kristin Michelle Zenz

Theses and Dissertations

Language assessments for people with aphasia often rely on the use of images. Images are presented together with a verbal stimulus and participants are asked to choose the image that corresponds to the verbal stimulus. It is assumed that if a person chooses an incorrect image, he or she has language comprehension deficits. However, other non-linguistic factors can influence image recognition processes, such as stimulus characteristics and verbal or motoric response requirements associated with target selection. Color has been shown to facilitate image recognition in language-normal individuals and in people with aphasia. However, traditional tasks to assess the influence of …

Migration Of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells To Tumor And Tumor-Draining Lymph Node In A Murine Model Of Breast Cancer, Vyara Matson

Theses and Dissertations

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) consist of two major subsets, monocytic MDSC (M-MDSC) and polymorphonuclear MDSC (PMN-MDSC), both of which expand in cancer and suppress the activation of naïve T cells in the tumor-draining lymph node (TDLN) and the function of effector T cells in the tumor microenvironment. Thus, the ability of MDSC to enter the TDLN and the tumor is likely to be critical for suppression of the anti-tumor immune response. L-selectin mediates the homing of circulating naïve lymphocytes to lymph nodes and the migration of conventional myeloid cells, such as neutrophils and monocytes, to sites of inflammation, but its …

Relationship-Based Care: A Test Of The Quality Caring Model's Association With Nurses' Perceptions Of Work And Patient Relationships, Kristopher Heindel

Theses and Dissertations

This study assesses whether ambulatory surgery nurses who apply concepts from the Quality Caring Model (QCM) will experience different work perceptions and patient relationships than do nurses who do not directly apply QCM concepts. The QCM contends that if nurses demonstrate caring through their interaction, a patient experiences a greater level of satisfaction with the healthcare encounter. Conceptualized from the framework of a service relationship, this thesis posits that nurses employing the QCM should also perceive more positive relationship qualities with their patients and more positive workplace experiences than other nurses who are not utilizing QCM principles. Data from 27 …

Health Of The Nation: The Impact Of Racial And Income Segregation On Food Insecurity In The United States, Mark Anthony Caldwell

Theses and Dissertations

One in six Americans experience food insecurity as a result of not being able to consistently obtain the food they need. Food insecurity ranges from not being able to afford balanced meals to the skipping meals as a way to stretch food budgets. Food insecurity impacts many people in the United States, but it disproportionately impacts people of color and those living in poverty. Racial and income segregation may act to concentrate food insecurity in a few geographic areas with high concentrations of minority and/or poor residents. This is an issue of major concern because studies have shown that racial …

Three Essays On Enhancing Clinical Trial Subject Recruitment Using Natural Language Processing And Text Mining, Euisung Jung

Theses and Dissertations

Patient recruitment and enrollment are critical factors for a successful clinical trial; however, recruitment tends to be the most common problem in most clinical trials. The success of a clinical trial depends on efficiently recruiting suitable patients to conduct the trial. Every clinical trial research has a protocol, which describes what will be done in the study and how it will be conducted. Also, the protocol ensures the safety of the trial subjects and the integrity of the data collected. The eligibility criteria section of clinical trial protocols is important because it specifies the necessary conditions that participants have to …

The Effects Of 830nm Light On Inflammation In Retinitis Pigmentosa, Krystal Marie Bach

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) is an inherited retinal degenerative disease and the most common cause of blindness in developed countries, affecting approximately 1 in 4,000 people. RP is characterized by photoreceptor cell death and recent studies suggest that chronic inflammation may play a key role in the pathogenesis of RP. Currently, there are no known treatments or preventive measures to delay or halt the loss of photoreceptor cells. Photobiomodulation (PBM) by light in the far-red or near-infrared (NIR) range of the light spectrum has been documented to help promote cell survival and reduce inflammation in several disease states. Recent studies …

Comparison Of Conversation And Narrative Language Abilities In Children With Autism: Diagnostic And Therapeutic Considerations, Corissa Kroenke

Theses and Dissertations

Many children with autism experience significant difficulty with comprehension and expression of spoken language. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) require sensitive assessments to describe the unique profiles of individual clients with autism so that appropriate treatments can be prescribed. Language sample analysis is a current best-practice for describing language profiles in children with language difficulties, though there is a limited literature describing clinical best-practices for children with autism. The purpose of this study was to analyze the difference in conversation and narrative language abilities in children with autism. Language ability was also analyzed in comparison to age-matched typically developing peers. This goal …

Hearing The Voices Of Hiv Positive Women In Kenya: Secondary Analysis Of Interview Data Using Dialogic/Performance Analysis, Lenore L. Boris

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to demonstrate the use of the dialogic/performance methodology in health research by conducting a secondary analysis of interview data collected from women in Kenya who are HIV positive. Dialogic/performance analysis is a dynamic, interpretive narrative analytical technique. Qualitative research literature inadequately provides specific methodological guidance especially when reusing a data set. Further, the use of the dialogic/ performance method is very limited in health research. These factors point to the significance of this work in explaining dialogic/ performance analysis thereby potentially expanding its use by both novice and experienced qualitative researchers. Guidance for conducting …

Personal Hygiene Self-Management Of Chronically Unsheltered Homeless Women, Stephanie Lynn Durfor

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

PERSONAL HYGIENE SELF-MANAGEMENT OF CHRONICALLY UNSHELTERED HOMELESS WOMEN

by

Stephanie L. Durfor

The University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 2015

Although the subpopulation of chronically unsheltered homeless women is a small percentage of the overall homeless population, this vulnerable group of women is very high risk for poor health status and negative health outcomes. Unsheltered homeless women are significantly higher risk for assault, physical/mental disorders, and substance/ alcohol abuse compared to women residing in shelters or transitional housing. In the midst of a challenging physical and social environment, chronically unsheltered homeless women must manage their personal hygiene on a daily basis. …

Lived Experiences Of Nursing Autonomy: A Phenomenological Exploration, Rebekah Kalen Dubrosky

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

LIVED EXPERIENCES OF NURSING AUTONOMY: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXPLORATION

by Rebekah Dubrosky

The University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, 2015 Under the Supervision of Professor Mary Jo Baisch

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the meaning that acute care, bedside nurses’ assign to their autonomous actions. A feminist critique of the nursing work environment was applied using standpoint theory. This was balanced and supplemented by a post-modern critique using Foucault’s method of assessing power and knowledge in relation to the discipline of a profession. This study was designed to explore how issues of gender, knowledge, and power affected …

Using Omaha System Documentation To Understand Physical Activity Among Rural Women, Jeanette Melissa Olsen

Theses and Dissertations

Rural women are more inactive and have different barriers to physical activity than those who live in more urban settings, yet few studies have specifically examined physical activity and associated factors in this population. Clinical data documented with standardized terminology by nurses caring for rural women may provide an opportunity to generate evidence that informs and improves nursing care. However, the knowledge to be gained and utility of nurses' clinical documentation in regard to physical activity have not been explored. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to increase understanding of physical activity and associated factors among rural women by …

Assessing Quality Of Pain Management Of Older Adults In Emergency Care, Sharon R. Rainer

Theses and Dissertations

ASSESSING QUALITY OF PAIN MANAGEMENT OF OLDER ADULTS IN

EMERGENCY CARE

by

Sharon R. Rainer

The University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, 2015

Under the Supervision of Dr. Kim Litwack

Pain care of older adults in a complex system such as the emergency department (ED) is challenging and deserves further investigation. Both acute and chronic pain is common among older adults. Typically, retrospective univariate design studies evaluate independent factors related to the quality of pain treatment across all age groups. While physicians have conducted most ED pain management studies research concerning older adult pain management is under-studied especially in the nursing literature. …

Consequences Of Providing Nursing Care In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Riko Sano

Theses and Dissertations

Compassion fatigue is a negative consequence of providing nursing care. It impacts nurses physically, emotionally, and psychologically. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine a model of negative consequences of providing nursing care including compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The conceptual model of consequences of providing nursing care was identified, and then specifically applied to NICU nurses for this study. The conceptual model consists of five main concepts: patient factor, personal factor, work environment factor, positive consequences of providing nursing care, and negative consequences of providing nursing care. The …

School Nurses' Perceptions Of Their Role In Healthy Eating School Environments, Jean Muckian

Theses and Dissertations

School nurses provide health services within schools, as healthy children have a greater potential for optimal learning. Farm to School programs to increase fruit and vegetable intake have been initiated to promote health in many schools. However, the prevalence rate in Wisconsin of children who are overweight is 13.4%, with 15.4% of children categorically obese. Limited information is available related to school nurses’ knowledge of their role in promoting the Farm to School program to advance the health of school children. The purpose of this study was to examine school nurses’ knowledge about the Farm to School program in Wisconsin. …

Examining The Association Of Crime Laboratory Practices, Internal And External Determinants, And Dna Case Completion Time And Backlog, Eva Marie Lewis King

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

EXAMINING THE ASSOCIATION OF CRIME LABORATORY PRACTICES, INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL DETERMINANTS, AND DNA CASE COMPLETION TIME AND BACKLOG

by

Eva Marie Lewis King

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2015

Under the Supervision of Dr. Ron Cisler

Crime laboratories across the country have reported caselog information that supports the fact that case submissions have resulted in very large DNA backlogs. The onset of these DNA backlogs developed a public safety and population health crisis. Literature suggests crime laboratories faced submission of DNA cases in a manner similar to the onset of an epidemic. Literature also suggests the use of novel approaches …

Facilitating And Enhancing Biomedical Knowledge Translation: An In Silico Approach To Patient-Centered Pharmacogenomic Outcomes Research, Kourosh Ravvaz

Theses and Dissertations

Current research paradigms such as traditional randomized control trials mostly rely on relatively narrow efficacy data which results in high internal validity and low external validity. Given this fact and the need to address many complex real-world healthcare questions in short periods of time, alternative research designs and approaches should be considered in translational research. In silico modeling studies, along with longitudinal observational studies, are considered as appropriate feasible means to address the slow pace of translational research. Taking into consideration this fact, there is a need for an approach that tests newly discovered genetic tests, via an in silico …

The Effects Of Antibodies In Disease Progression Of Mog-Induced Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis, Melissa Marie Riter

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an auto-inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS), affecting over 400,000 people in the US. MS is primarily studied in the animal model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). MS is a T cell mediated disease but there is mounting evidence for a role for B cells in MS. Previous studies have established that rMOG Induction depends on the presence of B cells, while induction using the MOG peptide covering amino acids 35-55 does not require B cells to cause disease. When plasma from the rMOG and MOG35-55 immunized WT mice was analyzed by ELISA there …

Family Connections: The Impact Of Self-Disclosure, Solidarity, And Stereotyping On Relational Satisfaction In Grandparent-Adult Grandchild Dyads, Deanne Priddis

Theses and Dissertations

As life expectancy increases, the length of time in both the grandparent and adult grandchild role increase. The grandparent-adult grandchild relationship is integral to the health and preservation of the family system. The sample for this quantitative study included 62 grandparent-adult grandchild dyads, 124 individuals. Findings indicate that both the grandparents and the adult grandchildren experienced meaning and burden in the grandparent-adult grandchild relationship. The six different types of solidarity (affectual, consensual, structural, associational, functional, and normative) had varying associations with relational satisfaction for the grandparents and adult grandchildren. Although there are several self-disclosures in a close grandparent-adult grandchild relationship, …