Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Ricketts, Hunter Christian, B. 1997 (Fa 1382), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 1382. Project completed by Hunter Ricketts in fall 2019 regarding Mennonite health practices as part of a WKU folk studies class on Field Methods in Ethnography.

Modifications For An Overnight Camp For Children With Chronic Illnesses, Victoria Walker

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

An overnight camp is something that almost every child looks forward to attending. Unfortunately, children with chronic illnesses are often not able to attend these types of camps. However, medical camps that institute modifications can make overnight camp stays a reality for children with chronic illnesses. The purpose of this study was to explore modifications made for children with chronic illnesses at a medical camp. The two research questions for this study were: 1) what modifications do overnight camps make for children with chronic illnesses to keep them safe and promote fun, and 2) how can these modifications be applied …

Synthesis Of Bis(Imino)Pyridine Iron(Ii) Complexes And Development Of Bis(Imino)Pyridine Iron(Ii) Catalyzed Carbene Transfer Reactions, Ban Wang

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Metal catalysis of symmetric and asymmetric carbene transfer reactions has been widely applied in natural product synthesis and material science over years. Metal carbene can be easily generated from the extrusion of nitrogen under the catalysis of metal complexes to further undergo various organic reactions, O/N/C-H insertions, cycloadditions, and ylide formations. Currently, the dominant effective catalysts for carbene reactions are built with expensive precious metal, for example, rhodium, ruthenium, palladium, gold. Notably, the effective reactivity and enantioselectivity of the dirhodium(II) catalysts are researched and established over the decades. However, the use of precious metal catalysts is the major source of …

The Kentucky Cabinet For Health And Family Services’ Response To The Hepatitis A Virus Outbreak In Kentucky: An Idea Model Analysis, Rachel Leigh Cato

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The hepatitis A crisis in Kentucky is unprecedented compared to other states. With thousands of hospitalizations and over 60 deaths in the state of Kentucky alone, there is a need to evaluate the government’s response to the hepatitis A virus (HAV) epidemic. Therefore, the instructional risk communication messages that are being conveyed by the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (KCHFS) are instrumental in the education and action plans of Kentuckians who are at risk of contracting HAV.

This study utilizes the IDEA Model Thematic Analysis Codebook as a guide to analyze the KCHFS’ risk communication regarding the hepatitis …

The Effect Of Viewing Advertisements Depicting Information And Communication Technology On Older Adults' Technology Self-Efficacy, Hollie Brianne Coleman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are an important part of society today. Older adults often report ICTs as difficult to use and unhelpful; however, ICTs can support older adults’ ability to stay in touch with family and friends across long distances and help increase their quality of life. Unfortunately, training programs targeted at teaching older adults to use ICTs are often costly and time-consuming. The current study attempts to determine whether advertisements depicting older adults using ICTs can be used to increase self-efficacy without the use of training programs.

A within subjects experimental design was completed using an independent variable …

Interaction Of A Platinum Triamine Complex Having A Seven-Membered Chelate Ring With N-Acetyl-Lmethionine And Guanosine 5'-Monophosphate, Jae Ko

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In the 1960s, Rosenberg and his colleagues confirmed the anti-cancer activity of cisplatin. Although cisplatin was capable of killing testicular cancer cells there were also serious side effects. It was necessary to find alternate ways of overcoming side effects, and soon many researchers have discovered novel platinum compounds that show similar reactivity. Recently, replacing one chloride group to a heterocyclic amine group showed significant cytotoxicity with a different binding activity than cisplatin. Previously in our lab, [Pt(Me5dien)(NO3)]+ and [Pt(Et2dien)Cl]+ have been synthesized and reacted with NAcetyl- L-methionine (N-AcMet) and Guanosine 5’-monophosphate (5’-GMP) showed unusual reactivity. Unlike most previously studied platinum …

Leaving Ligand Effects On Reactivity And Solubility Of Monofunctional Platinum(Ii) Anticancer Complexes, Heidi Linn Hruska Millay

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Monofunctional platinum(II) complexes, such as phenanthriplatin and pyriplatin, have notably different characteristics from the bifunctional anticancer complexes, such as cisplatin and oxaliplatin, which have detrimental toxicities and resistance associated with them. The unique properties of the monofunctional complexes may be exploited to target cancer cells without producing the toxic side effects associated with the current FDA-approved platinum-based anticancer drugs. To advance the understanding of these monofunctional platinum(II) complexes, this study replaced the chloride leaving ligand with an acetate group, which should increase solubility and alter the rate of reactivity with key amino acid and nucleotide targets. Phenanthriplatin and pyriplatin compounds …

Young, Kathleen Louise "Kay" (Fa 1327), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of paper (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 1327. Student folk studies project titled “Ginseng: A Treasured Kentucky Herb That Goes to China” about the business of buying and selling ginseng in Grayson County, Kentucky and the growing and harvesting of ginseng in Simpson County, Kentucky. Photos include the growing stages of the ginseng plant, the harvesting process, and the informants.

Steenbergen, Joel (Fa 1325), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of paper (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 1325. Student folk studies project titled “Ginseng: The Wonder of the World,” about the history and folklore of ginseng in the United States, its uses, the harvesting process and tools.

Francis, Jim (Fa 1316), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives project 1316. [“Supernatural Legends from Hopkins County, Kentucky”] collected by Jim Francis for a folk studies class at Western Kentucky University. Titles include: "My Grandfather was a Fire-Drawer," "Haunted House of Carbondale," and "Raven Hill Cemetery.”

Mapping The Literature Of Dental Hygiene: An Update, Carol L. Watwood, Terry Dean

DLPS Faculty Publications

Objective: This study updates Haaland’s 1999 dental hygiene mapping study. By identifying core journals and estimating database coverage, it characterizes changes in dental hygiene research and aids librarians in collection development and user education.

Method: Cited references from a three-year (2015–2017) sample of core dental hygiene journals were collected, categorized into five formats, and analyzed by format and publication year according to Bradford’s Law of Scattering. CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE, and EMBASE were surveyed to determine the indexing coverage of cited journals.

Results: The number of cited journal titles increased from 389 in 1999 to 1,675 in 2018. Core Zone 1 …

Graves, Guthrie Yochlee, 1903-1967 (Sc 3449), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 3449. Typescript of an article dated in pencil 4/22/50 and titled "Congenital Subtotal Duodenal Stenosis" by Dr. Guthrie Y. Graves of Bowling Green, Kentucky. Includes three x-rays of an infant’s abdominal section and a copy of the bill from Bowling Green's City Hospital for $132. The x-rays and bill, dated 1946, were for one of the patients mentioned in the article, the case of Baby Wanda Faye Pearson of Bowling Green. Also includes a proof for an article by Drs. Graves and Henry S. Harris titled "Carcinoma of the Male Breast with Axillary …

Wittman, Dorothy M., 1917-2010 (Sc 3438), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid and scans (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3438. Materials related to 2nd Lieutenant Dorothy M. Wittman’s service as a U.S. Army nurse with the 32nd Station Hospital during World War II. Includes a letter to her parents in Canal Fulton, Ohio, from Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky describing a review of the 98th Infantry Division; photographs of her and fellow nurses; a nurses roster; meal tickets; and a whimsical “Dishonorable Discharge” from the Army. Also includes a medical history of the 32nd Station Hospital Unit written by Chief Nurse Helen W. Brammer.

Gray, Timothy L. (Fa 1280), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 1280. Student paper titled “Superstition or Belief on Coach and Athlete” in which Timothy Gray examines the relationships between sports players and their coaches through a folkloric lens. In his paper, Gray describes a brief history of how belief has impacted the ways in which sports are played and the effects, whether positive or negative, of enacting certain superstitious practices before games. The paper also includes a small collection of superstitions and beliefs gathered from close friends and professional coaches.

Age Differences In Attentional Capture Effects Of Emotional Faces, Shelby King

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Sustained attention is necessary to accurately complete cognitive tasks. However, sustained attention can often be disrupted by distracting information. When distractors contain emotional content, past research suggests that they might attract attention. The rapid detection of emotional information is important in everyday life because emotion often emerges in social interaction, including unpleasant interactions where others might pose a threat. The attentional capture effects of emotional faces were explored by inserting them into a visual search task that included differing levels of perceptual load. Twenty-five younger adults and twenty older adults identified target letters in standard trials containing distracting elements, but …

An Experimental Test Of An Online Growth Mindset Intervention: Challenging College Students' Beliefs About Vak Learning Styles, Colten Collings

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

At post-secondary institutions, student attrition and graduation rates are of great concern. One contributing factor could be a student’s belief in inaccurate information about the brain and human cognition (a neuromyth). Previous studies have shown among teachers, college graduates, and pre-service teachers the prevalence of neuromyth beliefs – the most rampant being the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic (VAK) learning styles myth. Though studies have hinted at some possible negative effects of holding the VAK learning styles myth, none have systematically investigated the matter. Therefore, the purpose of this mixed-methods experimental study was to expose college students’ misconceptions about learning, investigate …

Mental Health Stigma In College Students By Academic Major, Kristen Miller

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Stigma is best defined as the disapproval and shame felt by people who display characteristics not widely accepted in society. Although mental illness has become more prevalent in society through advocacy and awareness campaigns, it fails to be accepted and often individuals may feel shame that prevents them from seeking help (Dyrbye, Eacker, Durning, Brazeau, Moutier, Massie, S., et al, 2015; Givens & Tjia, 2002). Physicians in particular have been shown to have decreased help-seeking behaviors for psychological issues due to fear of professional repercussions (Dyrbye et al., 2015). Physicians also show increased levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and elevated …

Age-Related Metric Invariance Of The Bis/Bas, William Hornsby

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The goals of this study were to examine the suitability of Carver and White’s (1994) BIS/BAS for use in adults of different ages, by examining the construct validity of the BIS/BAS, and testing for age-related invariance of the BIS/BAS. In addition, this study predicted that older adults would score higher on subscales of the BIS/BAS related to pursuit of immediate positivity, based on Carstensen’s (2006) theory of Socioemotional Selectivity. This study recruited 314 adults under the age of 30, 320 adults of age between 30 and 60, and 341 adults over the age of 60. Participants completed Carver & White’s …

Self-Regulation: A Cross-Sectional Study Of Preschool-Age Children, Sam J. Fugate

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Self-regulation predicts school readiness and consists of “cool” and “hot” self regulation. “Cool” self-regulation is characterized by inhibition of a dominant response, working memory, and set shifting. “Hot” self-regulation involves inhibition, shifting attention, and regulation of emotion in arousing situations. In this study, self-regulation was measured in 80 preschool-age children (3-5 years). Two “cool” tasks (Pencil Tap and Day/Night) were coded for percent correct, and the other two “cool” tasks (Dimensional Change Card Sort and Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders) were coded for total score. The “hot” task (Snack Delay) was coded for compliance to task demands (no touching of snack/materials until timer beeped …

Opioid Overdose And Unemployment In The Uk, Hayden Grace

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Opioid overdose in the United Kingdom has risen drastically over the last few years along with the rise in the use of zero-hours contracts. Zero-hours contracts are contracts for employment that guarantee no work but can anchor a person to a job that doesn’t pay above minimum wage when they do not receive work. Since opioid use is often associated with poorer economic conditions in the United States, this paper attempts to measure any correlation between poverty and opioid use in the UK. Using zero-hours contracts as a proxy for underemployment we use several regression models to determine the predictability …

Approaches To Parenting And Information Processing, Alyssa Berry

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Corporal punishment can be defined as using physical force with intent to cause pain when punishing a child (Straus, 2000). A substantial amount of research supports that corporal punishment has a negative effect on a child’s social and emotional development, specifically empathy and moral development. Studies also support that those who received corporal punishment as children are more likely to use corporal punishment with their own children (Gagné, Tourigny, & Pouliot-Lapointe, 2007). This current study elaborates on both these aspects of previous research. Three hypotheses frame this study: 1) Receiving corporal punishment as a child predicts lower empathy and moral …

Rapid Assessment Of Problem Solving For Kids (Raps-K), Hannah Perdew

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The Rapid Assessment of Problem Solving (RAPS) is a clinical assessment of verbal problem solving skills created by Dr. Robert Marshall and colleagues (Marshall, 2003). The assessment, originally developed for adults, is based on the well-known twenty questions game. The clinician administering the assessment chooses a target picture and the participant asks yes or no questions to eliminate incorrect answers and, eventually, identify the target picture. Question asking efficiency, indicated by the number of choices eliminated, is considered to reflect levels of cognitive functioning, specifically problem solving. Recently, the RAPS has been utilized with typically developing children and children with …

Through Children's Eyes: Teaching Inclusivity And Understanding Of Communication Disorders With Children's Books, Rachel Peavler

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

“Through Children’s Eyes” is a series of children’s books that focus on describing different aspects of four different communication disorders. The topics covered in the books include augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), dementia, and dysfluency. The illustrations were drawn and colored by hand, and the text and background were added digitally. The goal of this project was to create materials to effectively inform and instruct children about the nature of various cognitive, speech, and developmental differences to foster greater understanding of and tolerance towards people with communication differences.

Is Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing Worth It? A Pragmatic Analysis For Clinicians, Brandon P. Cvengros

Psychology Capstone Projects

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing is a treatment developed for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that combines the cognitive processing of trauma with bilateral eye movements (EMs). Research has demonstrated that EMDR can be an efficacious treatment for PTSD. Other common treatments for PTSD include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy (ET). Research has demonstrated that both CBT and ET are efficacious in the treatment of PTSD. EMDR is a controversial treatment, with critics stating that it is very similar to ET and that the novel component, EMs, are irrelevant to treatment outcomes. EMDR has additional time and financial costs, …

The Relationship Between Non-Suicidal Self-Injury, Suicide-Attempts And Resilience, Life Satisfaction, And Subjective Happiness In Minority Groups, Anna Siewers

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Non-suicidal self-injury and suicide ideation are important issues and known predictors of suicide attempts for any demographic, but specifically for minority groups who are significantly understudied and underreported in comparison to their White and Heterosexual counterparts. It has been found that among adolescents and college students, minority students are disproportionately impacted and are at greater risk for suicidal ideation and behavior. The goal of the present study was to examine the role of both ethnic and sexual minority experience in NSSI and suicide attempts, as well as potential protective factors. A sample of 2,280 undergraduate students completed a survey assessing …

Language Sampling Methods For Early Adolescents With Specific Language Impairment, Anna Mckay

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

One essential component of clinical practice in the field of speech-language pathology is eliciting language to assess an individual’s communication abilities. Language becomes more sophisticated during the adolescent stage of development, particularly in the areas of vocabulary and complexity of sentence structures used. The current protocols used to evaluate adolescents are limited in their ability to elicit and analyze language samples, resulting in decreased effectiveness of identifying adolescents with language disorders. Preliminary data was collected at Western Kentucky University in 2018 regarding a new language sampling technique, the Dixit Method (DM), to elicit more lexically diverse language than standard interview …

Physician Stress: Is The Electronic Health Record To Blame?, Zack Ward

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the potential relationship between Family Medicine physician burnout and the electronic health record. To do so, this study utilized the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory to assess burnout among physicians, along with specific questions regarding usage of the electronic health record and measurement of physician perceptions of the electronic health record. Members of the Kentucky Academy of Family Physicians were sent two separate invitations to participate in the study twice over a one-month period via email.

The study yielded no significant differences in Family Medicine physician demographics and their degree of burnout, or the …

A Collaborative Perspectives Approach For Understanding Effective Care Coordination In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Rachel Severs

Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that causes significant impairment in social and communication areas. The severity of the disorder can often result in a substantial degree and amount of service access and expenditures relating to a child’s needs. This study examined the experiences of how family caregivers and service providers of children with ASD view service delivery using a basic qualitative research design. For the study, 10 participants (five family caregivers and five service providers) were enrolled and interviewed. Interview data were collected and coded to produce a qualitative analysis of the experiences of these individuals who …

Metabolism During Pregnancy And Postpartum: How Does It Change And What Factors Influence It?, Kristin Yoho

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

PURPOSE: Pregnancy is a physically impactful process in a woman’s life. During this time, a woman will gain weight and research has shown that many women will retain some extra weight after delivery. Because of this, recovery in the postpartum period is pivotal to avoiding the implications of weight retention. The postpartum period is vastly understudied in both the research and medical communities and this gap between pregnancy and postpartum research needs to be bridged. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate metabolic changes from pregnancy to postpartum and to study how factors such as sleep and breastfeeding …

Effects Of Ef-24 And Cisplatin On Cancer, Renal, And Auditory Cells, Denis Hodzic

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Cisplatin is a chemotherapy drug effective against several forms of cancer, but can also cause serious side-effects, including nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity. Curcumin, a natural plant compound, can increase cisplatin’s anti-cancer activity and counteract cisplatin’s deleterious effect on the auditory and renal systems. Unfortunately, curcumin exhibits poor bioavailability, which has promoted interest in the development of synthetic curcumin analogs (curcuminoids) that are soluble, target cancer, and do not cause side effects. This study investigated whether the curcuminoid (3E,5E)-3,5-bis[(2-fluorophenyl) methylene]-4-piperidinone (EF-24) increases the anti-cancer effects of cisplatin against a human ovarian cancer cell line (A2780) and its cisplatin-resistant counterpart (A2780cis), while preventing …