Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Qualitative Case Review Of A Male With Down Syndrome, Mary Josephine Hoyer

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal condition in the United States. In the United States, about one of every 700 babies is diagnosed with Down syndrome. The purpose of this study was to assess pre-existing data on a 13-year-old male with a diagnosis of Down syndrome to contribute to research on this chromosomal abnormality. The individual received speech and language related services at Western Kentucky University beginning in 2007. Through analysis of previously collected data, the researcher created a qualitative case review that identified the progress of an individual with Down syndrome and emphasized what attributed to his progress. …

A Study Of Kindergarten Language Screening Performance Across Schools With Variable Demographic Compositions, Baylee Lackey

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The Quick Interactive Language Screener (QUILS) for language impairment was designed and normed for children of diverse backgrounds. This study examined the utility of the QUILS in a diverse school district by comparing failure rates across five elementary schools. Schools varied in racial composition (non-White range: 20.45 – 80%) and socioeconomic status (free/reduced lunch qualified range: 35.35 – 100%). Among 321 currently-enrolled kindergartners, 272 completed the QUILS. Using author recommendations for kindergarten-aged cutoff scores, the district-wide screening failure rate for primarily monolingual English speakers (n = 212; via parent questionnaire) was 16.51% (range: 7.69 – 34.29% per school). Failure rates …

Side Effects And Efficacy Of Isotretinoin In College Students, Brittany Smith

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Acne vulgaris is a serious disease that can have serious consequences for the person who has the condition. Acne can occur on the face, chest, back, and among other locations on the body. Its pathogenesis is complex and has many factors. Ahmad (2015), states acne involves abnormal keratinization, hormonal dysfunction and immune hypersensitivity. This condition can range from mild, moderate, or severe. Acne can be debilitating to the person who is struggling with it. Acne can occur at any age, but it is seen more often in adolescents. According to Marron, Tomas-Aragones, and Boira (2013), acne is prevalent in up …

Learning To Jump Like Corbin Bleu: The Physics Behind Jump Rope, Caroline Camfield

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This project seeks to determine how engineering can be applied to the sport of jump rope so that athletes may better understand the science behind the sport and apply it to improve their performance in “speed jumping.” This style of jump rope consists of a jumper alternating their feet, with the rope passing under them with each step. Several types of ropes, handles, rope lengths, and widths between a jumper’s handles were tested to determine correlations between each variable and different STEM concept. These findings were then transitioned into a lesson plan so that both the jumpers and coaches could …

College Women's Knowledge And Understanding Of Women Health Issues: A Descriptive Study, Dana Brown

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Breast self-examinations, pap smears, Obstetrician and Gynecologist (OBGYN) visits, mammograms, and other preventative measures are all vital pieces of women’s health that can help determine a variety of issues and illnesses (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2020). Women are presumed to have acquired information on these issues through certain sources to guide them through their adult lives. Not every woman is familiar with, or follows, the recommended guidelines for breast self-examination or gynecological visits. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 94,000 U.S. women are diagnosed each year with some form of gynecologic cancer, which disproportionately …

Assessing Biomass Fuel Consumption In Kasigau, Kenya As A Predictor Of Hypertension, Conner Hounshell

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally and disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries, such as Kenya. Hypertension is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is influenced by a variety of factors such as diet, tobacco use, and genetics. One such factor linked to hypertension is exposure to air pollution, but minimal research exists on the effects of household air pollution. Hypertension that is not related to common Western risk indicators, such as waist-to-hip ratio, body mass indices, and hypercholestorlemia, is prevalent in the community of Kasigau, Kenya, along with the prevalence of risks for household …

Impact Of Geographic Location And Social Determinants Of Health On Lung Cancer Incidence And Mortality Rates, Katherine Ashley

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This paper studies the effect of geographic location and socioeconomic status, specifically level of education and income, on rates of incidence and mortality of lung and bronchus cancer. While some prior studies have focused on socioeconomic status’ and global geographic location’s impact on these rates, few have focused on the impact in Appalachian Kentucky and non-Appalachian Kentucky. In this paper, level of education and income are controlled for using four variables: median household income, percentage of persons in poverty, percentage of high school graduates or higher who are at least 25, and percentage of persons with a bachelor’s degree or …

A Look At Gene Control: Tracking The Ccnd1 Gene, Bryan Anders

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Cancer occurs when the cell does not properly control its own cell cycle. It then replicates in an out of control fashion leading to the death of various organs and then the demise of the organism as a whole. As it seems to have always been a problem for cell-based life, certain safeguards against cancer have been evolved over time. One such method comes in the form of prevention via cyclin proteins, which are encoded from cyclin genes. The gene that is the focus of this research is the CCND1, or cyclin D1, gene that controls the progression through various …

Creating A Social Communication Module For Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Erin Walton

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Research (Hales, Carroll, Fryar, & Ogden, 2017) shows that those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience poorer physical health and fewer opportunities for social interactions than typically developing peers. As the prevalence of ASD increases, it is essential to consider effective interventions that target multiple skill areas for individuals seeking therapy. Youth ages 9 to 17 with ASD may experience physical health and social communication benefits from the implementation of a social communication curriculum module that could potentially be incorporated with Bingocize®, an online application that incorporates bingo with physical exercise, as well as educational content. Social communication educational …

The Impact Of Exercise In Spaceflight And Microgravity Environments, William Bybee

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Since mankind’s first spaceflight, a significant barricade in reaching distant planets has been the damaging effects of microgravity upon the human body. Effects range from loss in bone mineral density and severe muscle atrophy to autoimmune disorders. The most effective countermeasure of these effects to date is exercise. Implementation of exercise in microgravity is not an easy task, so various specialized equipment must be utilized to effectively administer it. Even with this equipment, exercise as it is currently used does not entirely prevent body systems from undergoing detrimental changes. New modalities and implementations are currently being investigated that may significantly …

Developing The Rapid Assessment Of Problem Solving For Kids (Raps-K), Emily Phillips

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The Rapid Assessment of Problem Solving (RAPS) was created by Dr. Robert Marshall in order to assess an individuals’ problem solving abilities. This assessment is set up like the popular twenty-questions game and is used to assess adults with cognitive impairments. An administrator chooses a picture from a board of thirty-two pictures and the subject must ask yes or no questions in order to guess the target picture in as few questions as possible. Analysis assesses integration planning scores, question asking efficiency scores, and question types to determine a level of problem solving abilities.

Smith and Jones (2018) used the …

The Role Of Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier 1 (Mpc1) In Heart Failure And Its Implications For Cardiac Recovery, Obadiah Issachar Kirk

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Heart failure (HF) is a complex syndrome with high mortality rates around the world. HF also has diverse etiology as many things contribute such as hypertension, obesity, coronary artery disease, inflammation, and cardiac arrhythmias. Studies have shown that unloading of a failing heart with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) can lead to cardiac recovery in a subpopulation of individuals with advanced HF. RNA-sequencing and protein expression analysis of myocardial tissue from HF patients who underwent the LVAD implant and heart transplant indicated that subpopulation of HF patients who responded to LVAD unloading had significantly lower levels of mitochondrial pyruvate …

A Hard Row To Hoe: Suicide Among Kentucky Farmers, Olivia Eiler

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, male farmers die by suicide at nearly twice the rate of the general population. My research focuses on understanding the factors contributing to this trend and identifying potential solutions, with a specific focus on the Commonwealth of Kentucky. I have collected qualitative data through video interviews with political leaders, scholars, and youth who are active in the agriculture community. These individuals have identified several key stressors, including stigma, a lack of healthcare providers in rural areas, financial insecurity, a lack of appreciation from the public, and uncertainty due to decisions made …

Assessing Access To Healthcare For Limited English Proficient Patients, Hannah Bergamini

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Patients with limited English skills often face additional struggles when accessing medical care. These patients, referred to as limited English proficient (LEP) patients, are unable to communicate directly with their physician. This lack of direct communication typically results in unique challenges for the patient and provider. Due to these challenges, LEP patients often have poorer health statuses and experience poorer health outcomes. However, when provided with access to qualified medical interpreters, many of these challenges facing LEP patients can be ameliorated. Therefore, using qualified interpreters is an important component in improving the access to healthcare for LEP patients. To determine …