Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Composite First Person Narrative: Texture, Structure, And Meaning In Writing Phenomenological Descriptions, M. S. Wertz, M. Nosek, Susan Mcniesh, E. Marlow

Faculty Publications

This paper illustrates the use of composite first person narrative interpretive methods, as described by Todres, across a range of phenomena. This methodology introduces texture into the presently understood structures of phenomena and thereby creates new understandings of the phenomenon, bringing about a form of understanding that is relationally alive that contributes to improved caring practices. The method is influenced by the work of Gendlin, Heidegger, van Manen, Gadamer, and Merleau-Ponty. The method’s applicability to different research topics is demonstrated through the composite narratives of nursing students learning nursing practice in an accelerated and condensed program, obese female adolescents attempting …

Learning Formative Skills Of Nursing Practice In An Accelerated Program, Susan Mcniesh, P. Benner, C. Chesla

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to describe how students in an accelerated master’s degree entry program experientially learned the practice of nursing. One research question examined in this study was: What formative experiences did students identify as helping them develop and differentiate their clinical practice? Data from clinical observations and a combination of small group and individual interviews were collected and analyzed using interpretive phenomenological methods. Students identified formative skills learned through the independent care of a patient as pivotal in their identity and agency development. By experiencing the responsibility and action from within the body and …

Skin Blood Flow Response To 2-Hour Repositioning In The Long-Term Care Residents: A Pilot Study, Vivian K. Wong

Faculty Publications

PURPOSE: The purpose of this noninvasive pilot study was to examine the changes in transcutaneous oxygen (tcO2), skin temperature, and hyperemic response in the heels, sacrum, and trochanters in a 2-hour loading-unloading condition in nursing home residents who are positioned in supine and lateral positions. DESIGN: A 1-group, prospective, repeated-measures design was used. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: Nine subjects (5 males, 4 females) with a mean age of 85.3 ± 10.86 years (mean ± SD) who required help in turning and positioning at a skilled nursing facility participated in the study. METHODS: Oxygen and temperature sensors were placed on the heels, …

Changes In Temperature Of Heel Skin Under Pressure In Hip Surgery Patients, Vivian K. Wong, N. A. Stotts, H. W. Hopf, G. A. Dowling, E. S. Froelicher

Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to examine the effect of external pressure of the bed surface on heel skin temperature in adults in the first 3 days after hip surgery. DESIGN: A quasi-experimental study in a prospective, within-subjects, repeated-measures design. SETTING: This study was performed at 2 acute-care hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: Eighteen subjects (9 men and 9 women) with a mean age of 58.3 (±16.1) years were recruited after hip surgery at the 2 hospitals. METHODS: Temperature sensors were placed on the plantar surface of each foot, close to the heels. Measures were taken when the heels were (1) …

Anthocyanins, Phenolics, And Antioxidant Capacity Of Vaccinium L. In Texas, Usa, Wei Yuan, Lijing Zhou, Guangrui Deng, Ping Wang, David Creech, Shiyou Li

Faculty Publications

Berries of Vaccinium spp. have long been an important source of food and pharmaceutical ingredients and are considered to have high antioxidant potential. Growing blueberries in Texas, United States is a substantial industry, but there is no report on their antioxidant capacity, total phenolics, and anthocyanins. This study evaluates antioxidant capacity and contents of total phenolics and anthocayanins in both fruits and leaves of 19 genotypes including five commercial cultivars and 11 selections of rabbiteye blueberry (V. ashei) and southern highbush (V. corymbosum hybrids), and three native species (V. darrowii, V. arboreum, and V. fuscatum) grown in Nacogdoches, Texas. Significant …

Preparation And Characterization Of A Standardized Anticonvulsant Ginseng Rb Extract From Panax Quinquefolius L., Xiao-Yuan Lian, Zhizhen Zhang

Faculty Publications

A ginseng Rb extract (GRbE) containing three major ingredients of ginsenoside Rb1 (G-Rb1), ginsenoside Rb3 (G-Rb3) and ginsenoside Rd (G-Rd) has been shown to have anticonvulsant and neuroprotective activity. As such, sufficient characterization and standardization of this active GRbE are demanded to facilitate an ongoing preclinical investigation on its potential for the treatment of epilepsy. In the investigation, the methods for generating the active GRbE and isolating G-Rb1, G-Rb3, and G-Rd in large scale from Panax quinquefolius are described. The chemical profile of GRbE was characterized by identifying the structure of the individual ingredients using NMR, and the concentration of …

Gender-Based Insecurity And Opportunities For Peace: Supporting The Reintegration Of Young War-Affected Mothers, Miranda E. Worthen, S Mckay, A Veale, M Wessells

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Photosensitizer Drug Delivery Via An Optical Fiber, Matibur Zamadar, Goutam Ghosh, Adaic Kapillai Mahendran, Mihaela Minnis, Bonnie I. Kruft, Ashwini Ghogare, David Aebisher, Alexander Greer

Faculty Publications

: An optical fiber has been developed with a maneuverable miniprobe tip that sparges O2 gas and photodetaches pheophorbide (sensitizer) molecules. Singlet oxygen is produced at the probe tip surface which reacts with an alkene spacer group releasing sensitizer upon fragmentation of a dioxetane intermediate. Optimal sensitizer photorelease occurred when the probe tip was loaded with 60 nmol sensitizer, where crowding of the pheophorbide molecules and self-quenching were kept to a minimum. The fiber optic tip delivered pheophorbide molecules and singlet oxygen to discrete locations. The 60 nmol sensitizer was delivered into petrolatum; however, sensitizer release was less efficient in …

Chemical Composition And Product Quality Control Of Turmeric (Curcuma Longa L.), Shiyou Li, Wei Yuan, Guangrui Deng, Ping Wang, Peiying Yang, Bharat Aggarwal

Faculty Publications

Chemical constituents of various tissues of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) have been extensively investigated. To date, at least 235 compounds, primarily phenolic compounds and terpenoids have been identified from the species, including 22 diarylheptanoids and diarylpentanoids, eight phenylpropene and other phenolic compounds, 68 monoterpenes, 109 sesquiterpenes, five diterpenes, three triterpenoids, four sterols, two alkaloids, and 14 other compounds. Curcuminoids (diarylheptanoids) and essential oils are major bioactive ingredients showing various bioactivities in in vitro and in vivo bioassays. Curcuminoids in turmeric are primarily accumulated in rhizomes. The essential oils from leaves and flowers are usually dominated by monoterpenes while those from …

Acute Impact Of Moderate-Intensity And Vigorous-Intensity Exercise Bouts On Daily Physical Activity Energy Expenditure In Postmenopausal Women, Xuewen Wang, Barbara J. Nicklas

Faculty Publications

This study determined whether performing a single moderate- or vigorous-intensity exercise bout impacts daily physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE, by accelerometer). Overweight/obese postmenopausal women underwent a 5-month caloric restriction and moderate- (n = 18) or vigorous-intensity (n = 18) center-based aerobic exercise intervention. During the last month of intervention, in women performing moderate-intensity exercise, PAEE on days with exercise (577.7 ± 219.7 kcal·d⁻¹) was higher (P = .011) than on days without exercise (450.7 ± 140.5 kcal·d⁻¹); however, the difference (127.0 ± 188.1 kcal·d⁻¹) was much lower than the energy expended …

Topiramate: Safety And Efficacy Of Its Use In The Prevention And Treatment Of Migraine, Ginger C. Minton, April D. Miller, P Brandon Bookstaver, Bryan L. Love

Faculty Publications

Migraine headaches are typically episodic in nature and may affect nearly 10% of the population. In addition to treatment, prevention of subsequent episodes or progression to a chronic migraine state is an important therapeutic area. Topiramate is a centrally acting medication approved for both the prevention of seizures and migraine headache. At this time, the exact mechanism of how topiramate assists in migraine prevention is unknown. Several large randomized, controlled trials have aided in establishing topiramate's role in migraine prevention. Despite a favorable pharmacokinetic and adverse effect profile established in clinical trials, several additional studies, case reports and toxicology reports …

In Memoriam: James A. Inciardi, Professor Of Sociology & Criminal Justice And Director Of The Center For Drug & Alcohol Studies At The University Of Delaware, Wendee Wechsberg, Duane C. Mcbride, Hilary Surratt

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Elbow Extension Predictsmotor Impairment And Performance After Stroke, Crystal L. Massie, Stacy L. Fritz, Matthew P. Malcolm

Faculty Publications

Background and Purpose. Kinematic motion analysis has helped to characterize poststroke reaching strategies with the hemiparetic arm. However, the relationships between reaching strategy and performance on common functional outcome measures remain unclear. Methods. Thirty-five participants were tested for motor performance and motor impairment using the Wolf Motor Function Test (time and functional ability measure) and Fugl-Meyer assessment, respectively. Kinematic motion analysis of a forward reaching paradigm provided potential predictors of reaching strategy including shoulder flexion, elbow extension, and trunk displacement. A stepwise linear regression model with three potential predictors was used in addition to Pearson-product moment correlations. Results …

Simulating The Neural Correlates Of Stuttering, Dirk B. Den Ouden, Charles F. Adams, Allen A. Montgomery

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Cerebral Perfusion In Chronic Stroke: Implications For Lesion-Symptom Mapping And Functional Mri, Jessica D. Richardson, Julie M. Baker, Paul S. Morgan, Chris Rorden, L. Bonilha, Julius Fridriksson

Faculty Publications

Lesion-symptom mapping studies are based upon the assumption that behavioral impairments are directly related to structural brain damage. Given what is known about the relationship between perfusion deficits and impairment in acute stroke, attributing specific behavioral impairments to localized brain damage leaves room for speculation, as impairments could also reflect abnormal neurovascular function in brain regions that appear structurally intact on traditional CT and MRI scans. Compared to acute stroke, the understanding of cerebral perfusion in chronic stroke is far less clear. Utilizing arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI, we examined perfusion in 17 patients with chronic left hemisphere stroke. The …

Higher Micronutrient Intake Is Associated With Human Papillomavirus-Positive Head And Neck Cancer: A Case-Only Analysis, Anna E. Arthur, Sonia A. Duffy, Gloria I. Sanchez, Stephen B. Gruber, Jeffrey E. Terrell, James R. Hébert, Emily Light, Carol R. Bradford, Nisha J. D'Silva, Thomas E. Carey, Gregory T. Wolf, Karen E. Peterson, Laura S. Rozek

Faculty Publications

No studies have investigated dietary differences between head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive tumors and patients with HPV-negative tumors. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between diet and HPV status in HNSCC patients. Cases of HNSCC were recruited from 2 clinical centers participating in the University of Michigan Head and Neck Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE). HPV tissue genotyping was performed, and epidemiological and dietary data collected. Multivariable logistic regression tested whether pretreatment consumption of 12 selected micronutrients was significantly associated with HPV-positive status in 143 patients newly diagnosed with cancer …

Adjusting Wheal Size Measures To Correct Atopy Misclassification, Hongmei Zhang, Wilfried J. Karmaus, Jianjun Gan, Weichao Bao, Yan D. Zhao, Dewi Rahardja, John W. Holloway, Martha Scott, Syed Hasan Arshad

Faculty Publications

Purpose: Skin prick testing (SPT) is fundamental to the practice of clinical allergy identifying relevant allergens and predicting the clinical expression of disease. Wheal sizes on SPT are used to identify atopic cases, and the cut-off value for a positive test is commonly set at 3 mm. However, the measured wheal sizes do not solely reflect the magnitude of skin reaction to allergens, but also skin reactivity (reflected in the size of histamine reaction) and other random or non-random factors. We sought to estimate wheal sizes exclusively due to skin response to allergens and propose gender-specific cutoff points of atopy. …

Fitness And Adiposity As Predictors Of Functional Limitation In Adults, Andréa L. Maslow, Anna E. Price, Xuemei Sui, Duck-Chul Lee, Ilkka Vuori, Steven N. Blair

Faculty Publications

Background: This study examined the associations of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) with incident functional limitation (IFL) in adults.

Methods: Patients (n = 2400), 30+ years [mean age, 45.2 (SD, 8.3); 12% women], completed a baseline health examination during 1979 to 1995. CRF was quantified by age- and sex-specific thirds for maximal treadmill exercise test duration. Adiposity was assessed by BMI and WC (grouped for analysis according to clinical guidelines). Incident IFL was identified from mail-back surveys during 1995, 1999, and 2004.

Results: After adjusting for potential confounders and either BMI or WC, CRF …

Prostate Cancer Incidence Rates In Africa, Lisa W. Chu, Jamie Ritchey, Susan S. Devesa, Sabah M. Quraishi, Hongmei Zhang, Ann W. Hsing

Faculty Publications

African American men have among the highest prostate cancer incidence rates in the world yet rates among their African counterparts are unclear. In this paper, we compare reported rates among black men of Sub-Saharan African descent using data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program from 1973-2007. Although population-based data in Africa are quite limited, the available data from IARC showed that rates among blacks were highest in the East (10.7-38.1 per 100,000 man-years, age-adjusted world standard) and lowest in the West (4.7-19.8). These rates were considerably …

Groundwater Uranium And Cancer Incidence In South Carolina, Sara E. Wagner, James B. Burch, Matteo Bottai, Robin C. Puett, Dwayne E. Porter, Susan Bolick-Aldrich, Tom Temples, Rebecca C. Wilkerson, John E. Vena, James R. Hébert

Faculty Publications

Objective

This ecologic study tested the hypothesis that census tracts with elevated groundwater uranium and more frequent groundwater use have increased cancer incidence.

Methods

Data sources included: incident total, leukemia, prostate, breast, colorectal, lung, kidney, and bladder cancers (1996–2005, SC Central Cancer Registry); demographic and groundwater use (1990 US Census); and groundwater uranium concentrations (n = 4,600, from existing federal and state databases). Kriging was used to predict average uranium concentrations within tracts. The relationship between uranium and standardized cancer incidence ratios was modeled among tracts with substantial groundwater use via linear or semiparametric regression, with and without stratification …

Alcohol Consumption And Risk Of All-Cause And Cardiovascular Disease Mortality In Men, Erin K. Howie, Xuemei Sui, Duck-Chul Lee, Steven P. Hooker, James R. Hébert, Steven N. Blair

Faculty Publications

This study examined the association between consumption of alcoholic beverages and all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in a cohort of men (n = 31,367). In the Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for age, year of examination, body mass index (BMI), smoking, family history of CVD, and aerobic fitness, there were no significant differences in risk of all-cause mortality across alcohol intake groups. Risk of CVD mortality was reduced 29% in quartile 1 (HR = 0.71, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.53, 0.95) and 25% in quartile 2 (HR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.58, 0.98). The amount of alcohol consumed …

Association Between Depression And C-Reactive Protein, Yunsheng Ma, David E. Chiriboga, Sherry L. Pagoto, Milagros C. Rosal, Wenjun Li, Philip A. Merriam, James R. Hébert, Matthew C. Whited, Ira S. Ockene

Faculty Publications

Objective. Depression has been associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk, and a depression-related elevation of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) has been proposed as a possible mechanism. The objective of this paper is to examine association between depression and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). Methods. Subjects consisted of 508 healthy adults (mean age 48.5 years; 49% women, 88% white) residing in central Massachusetts. Data were collected at baseline and at quarterly intervals over a one-year period per individual. Multivariable linear mixed models were used to assess the association for the entire sample and by gender. Results. The …

Self-Rated Health Status And Cardiorespiratory Fitness As Predictors Of Mortality In Men, Jennifer Gander, Duck-Chul Lee, Xuemei Sui, James R. Hébert, Steven P. Hooker, Steven N. Blair

Faculty Publications

Self-rated health (SRH) and cardiorespiratory fitness (fitness) are independent risk factors for all-cause mortality. The purpose of this report is to examine the single and joint effects of these exposures on mortality risk. The study included 18 488 men who completed a health survey, clinical examination and a maximal exercise treadmill test during 1987–2003. Cox regression analysis was used to quantify the associations of SRH and fitness with all-cause mortality. There were 262 deaths during 17 years of follow-up. There was a significant inverse trend (p_trend <0.05) for mortality across SRH categories after adjustment for age, examination year, body mass index, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, abnormal ECG, hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. Adjustment for fitness attenuated the association (p value =0.09). The authors also observed an inverse association between fitness and mortality after controlling for the same covariates and SRH (p_trend = 0.006). The combined analysis of SRH and fitness showed that fit …

The Development Of Psychometrically Equivalent Cantonese Speech Audiometry Materials, Shawn L. Nissen, Richard W. Harris, Ron W. Channell, Brooke Conklin, Misty Kim, Lena Wong

Faculty Publications

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop and psychometrically evaluate speech audiometry materials that can be used to measure word recognition (WR) and speech recognition testing (SRT) in quiet for native speakers of Cantonese. Study Sample: Commonly used bisyllabic and trisyllabic Cantonese words were digitally recorded by native male and female talkers and then evaluated by twenty normal-hearing Cantonese listeners. Design: The recorded bisyllabic words were psychometrically evaluated and arranged into four WR lists and eight half-lists that are relatively homogeneous in audibility. Using logistic regression, SRT materials were developed by selecting 28 trisyllabic words with relatively steep …

Traditional Treatment And Altered Auditory Feedback Lead To Intelligibility Benefits In A Subset Of Speakers With Parkinson Disease, Christopher Dromey

Faculty Publications

Because relatively little evidence has been published that compares the long-term effects of different dysarthria treatments, the authors undertook a study to document changes in speech rate and intelligibility in response to two types of intervention. Rate control is taught in many speech-language pathology training programs as a means to improve speech intelligibility, and thus it was a logical choice for the present study. Likewise, AAF has been shown to impact both normal and disordered speech, in most cases resulting in reduced rate. In theory, either approach should have a positive effect on speech, since individuals with neuromotor control deficits …

Perspectives On Nursing: Using Multimedia Interviews To Influence Career Decisions, Karen M. Lundberg, Michael C. Johnson, Cheryl A. Corbett, Michael Thompson

Faculty Publications

Students often have misconceptions regarding the reality of nursing and the opportunities available to nurses that sometimes result in poor choices related to pursuing nursing as a career. To help prenursing students make better-informed career decisions and address misunderstandings, faculty developed the DVD and Web site Perspectives on Nursing, a collection of 15 nurse interviews. The authors describe and discuss the project, the value of recorded nurses' stories, analysis of student feedback, and recommendations.

Building Meaningful Participation In (Re)Integration Among War-Affected Young Mothers In Liberia, Sierra Leone And Northern Uganda, S Mckay, A Veale, Miranda E. Worthen, M Wessells

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Sex Trafficking Or Sex Work: Conceptions Of Trafficking Among Anti-Trafficking Organizations In Nepal, Miranda E. Worthen

Faculty Publications

Trafficking for sexual purposes is widely recognized as a violation of human rights. Trafficking of women and girls within Nepal and from Nepal to India’s red light districts is thought to be extremely common. There is sharp debate within the anti-trafficking community, both within Nepal and globally, about why trafficking occurs and how to prevent it. I argue that this disagreement is rooted in two distinct underlying frameworks employed by anti-trafficking advocates to understand trafficking, which I identify as the “Prostitution Framework” and the “Labour Exploitation Framework”. This article introduces these frameworks and investigates where the anti-trafficking community in Nepal …

The Relations Between Traumatic Exposures, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder And Anger In Male And Female Veterans, Miranda E. Worthen

Faculty Publications

Military personnel who have served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom have experienced high rates of combat exposure, which is associated with posttraumatic stress disorder. Less is known about the relations between military sexual trauma (sexual harassment, assault, and rape while serving in the military) and posttraumatic stress disorder. Little is known about anger problems in this Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran population, which research from prior conflicts suggests may be a consequence of both traumas and posttraumatic stress disorder. Anger is an emotional state closely related to aggression, hostility, and violence. Veterans who have difficulty controlling …

The Acoustic Effects Of Vowel Equalization Training In Singers, Christopher Dromey, Emily Heaton, J. Arden Hopkin

Faculty Publications

Vowel equalization is a technique that can be used by singers to achieve a more balanced vocal resonance, or chiaroscuro, by balancing corresponding front and back vowels, which share approximate tongue heights, and also high and low vowels by means of a more neutral or centralized lingual posture. The goal of this single group study was to quantify acoustic changes in vowels following a brief training session in vowel equalization. Fifteen young adults with amateur singing experience sang a passage and sustained isolated vowels both before and after a 15 minute training session in vowel equalization. The first two …