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Mental Health Among Collegiate Athletes, Stella Elise Fairbanks May 2024

Mental Health Among Collegiate Athletes, Stella Elise Fairbanks

Honors Thesis

Mental health has become increasingly more linked with athletics, especially collegiate athletics. There has been an increase in public acknowledgment of the presence of mental health in sports, specifically, more athletes are speaking about their mental health struggles as well as more research is being conducted in order to gain a greater understanding of the relationship between mental health and athletics. This literature review discusses athletes’ personal experiences of their mental health struggles, the presence of stigma associated with mental health and athletics, and the results of the recent NCAA, National Collegiate Athletic Association, research. This thesis aims to uncover …


Development Of A Synthetic Biomarker System For Early Detection Of Ischemic Stroke, Mason L. Matthies May 2024

Development Of A Synthetic Biomarker System For Early Detection Of Ischemic Stroke, Mason L. Matthies

Honors Thesis

Stroke, particularly Ischemic Stroke (IS) affects millions of individuals across the world each year . Current diagnostic methods like CT scans and MRI imaging have limitations in detecting minor IS due to the limited spatial resolution of the CT scan and the feasibility and access to MRIs warranting a more effective method of early detection. Natural biomarkers are currently ineffective in detecting IS prior to severe damage like rapid cell death (32,000 cells/sec) post arterial blockage because there is minimal amount of natural biomarkers expressed from minor cellular damage . Our proposed Synthetic Biomarker System (SBS) would solve this by …


Major Injuries Sustained In Towable Watersports, Elijah J. Klein May 2024

Major Injuries Sustained In Towable Watersports, Elijah J. Klein

Honors Thesis

Towable watersports are activities where a participant is being pulled by a motorized watercraft while wearing or holding onto a floating device. Watersports come with many known risks such as drowning, whiplash, and fatigue; however, other injuries are often overlooked or misunderstood. With this thesis, I aimed to explore injury records pertaining to towable watersports and attempted to identify prevalent injury trends in wakeboarding, waterskiing, and water tubing. Using the National Electronic Injury Survey System (NEISS), a public database with yearly injury records, I compiled information related to the relevant sports from 2013 to 2022. Included with the data is …


Perceptions Of Applied Behavior Analysis Therapy On Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Via Social Media, Kaitlyn Drilling May 2024

Perceptions Of Applied Behavior Analysis Therapy On Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Via Social Media, Kaitlyn Drilling

Honors Thesis

The use of Applied Behavioral Analysis Therapy (ABA) on children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a controversial topic. Stakeholders have strong opinions, and the use of social media allows them to reach a bigger audience to share their perceptions. Stakeholders such as parents of children with ASD, adults with ASD who have been treated using ABA therapy, and ABA clinicians themselves may post on long-form social media such as Reddit or Facebook to ASD specific forums. These forums provide stakeholders with information, community, and support that they might not have otherwise. The perceptions of ABA on children with ASD …


The Consequences Of Homophobia: Analysis Of Discriminatory Medical And Legislative Policies And Their Influence On Health Disparities, Kaiden J. Fandel May 2024

The Consequences Of Homophobia: Analysis Of Discriminatory Medical And Legislative Policies And Their Influence On Health Disparities, Kaiden J. Fandel

Honors Thesis

Are there specific roots that influence the introduction and incorporation of discriminatory medical policies? What are the sources of such stigma, discrimination, and prejudice, in what forms does such discrimination take place, and what negative impacts does such hatred have on health outcomes, quality of care, and health disparities? Through a review of existing literature on this topic, intertwining the examination of the evolution of discriminatory policies and other explanatory literature in the United States, this thesis aims to answer the questions above, and explain the roots of such homophobic discrimination and its prevalence in the United States. Through the …


The Dearth Of Knowledge Of Health Insurance Literacy Within The United States, Katherine A. Conzet Apr 2024

The Dearth Of Knowledge Of Health Insurance Literacy Within The United States, Katherine A. Conzet

Honors Thesis

This literature review and cross-comparison were conducted to combine resources that bring to light the lack of knowledge on health insurance, the impact of this low health insurance literacy (HIL), and the lack of research being done in this subject field. This thesis analyzes and compares different research that measures HIL levels and compares these findings. At the same time, this thesis presents the complex history of health insurance and how this understanding can contribute to lower population HIL and proposes different ways to accurately measure HIL. The purpose is to show the necessity for more research into the field …


Strategies Over Knowledge: Training Gaps Present In Caring For Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorder For Pediatric And Student Nurses, Jasmine E. Johnson Apr 2024

Strategies Over Knowledge: Training Gaps Present In Caring For Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorder For Pediatric And Student Nurses, Jasmine E. Johnson

Honors Thesis

With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) prevalence ever increasing among the pediatric population, nurses can expect to see an increase in the number of autistic patients within their clinical practice settings. Previous researchers have shown that pediatric nurses are required to overcome many barriers when working with autistic patients, and adequate training is necessary to achieve genuine patient-centered care. However, parents have reported less than optimal care received by their children with ASD within the healthcare system. Therefore, research is needed to determine where training could be improved for this patient population. This study aimed to identify where training deficits are …


Otherization And Healthcare: A Philosophical Analysis Of Gender-Based Discrimination In Medicine, Rachel M. Beare Apr 2024

Otherization And Healthcare: A Philosophical Analysis Of Gender-Based Discrimination In Medicine, Rachel M. Beare

Honors Thesis

Healthcare interactions are a core feature of medical practice and medicine cannot function without these relationships. Moreover, the physician-patient relationship within healthcare have revealed varying problems that arise within the interpersonal interactions. These problems were even more concerning when they showed gender discrimination occurring within medical interactions, such as workplace discrimination of female physicians, higher risk of misdiagnosing and mortality of female patients, and an overall medical culture that invalidated women. Understanding the extent of these problems was achieved through analyzing philosophical structures presented within the philosophical writings of G. W. F. Hegel and Simone de Beauvoir. Application of Hegel’s …


Bridging The Gap: Strategies For Enhancing Wic Participation Rates In South Dakota, Melissa K. Wyum Apr 2024

Bridging The Gap: Strategies For Enhancing Wic Participation Rates In South Dakota, Melissa K. Wyum

Honors Thesis

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a national program administered by the USDA to State agencies for low-income women and nutritionally at-risk infants and children. South Dakota WIC provides services related to breastfeeding, healthcare referrals, and accessibility/knowledge of nutritious foods. Successes of WIC include improved birth outcomes, decreased healthcare costs, regular immunization rates, establishment of a primary care provider, and improved nutrition status. Although WIC has shown positive health outcomes for mothers and children, the relationship between the barriers of WIC access and resulting health outcomes in South Dakota is unknown. According to the …


Comparison Of Perceived Stress In First-Year Pre-Med Students And First-Year Medical Students At Usd, Maggie Derner Apr 2024

Comparison Of Perceived Stress In First-Year Pre-Med Students And First-Year Medical Students At Usd, Maggie Derner

Honors Thesis

Stress can be caused by many factors, including money, relationships, promotions, grades, and responsibilities. In college, these stressors can be exacerbated. This research dives into stress in both undergraduate students as well as medical students. Previous literature has indicated that high levels of stress are present in students, and it is likely to have negative effects on the students, whether that is their mental or physical well-being. Schools have put interventions in place to help combat the stress levels present in their students. At the University of South Dakota (USD) and USD Sanford School of Medicine (USD SSOM), perceived stress …


A Review Of The Progression Of Concussion Protocols Used Over Time In High School And College Athletics, Renee M. Thompson Apr 2024

A Review Of The Progression Of Concussion Protocols Used Over Time In High School And College Athletics, Renee M. Thompson

Honors Thesis

Concussions have a significant impact on teenagers and young adults. Most concussions occur when participating in sports. Therefore, the focus is on high school and college athletes for this review. Over the years many new concussion studies and protocols have been implemented and removed. Concussions are head injuries, where the person has suffered trauma causing the brain to shift and receive damage. This typically impacts brain tissue and a variety of symptoms results. Concussions were traditionally not considered with the same severity as broken bones or bloody wounds. Head injuries can have extreme effects on the body and daily living …


Genetic Influences On The Response To Neuromodulation In Craving Behaviors, Carly J. Haring May 2023

Genetic Influences On The Response To Neuromodulation In Craving Behaviors, Carly J. Haring

Honors Thesis

Obesity and eating disorders are highly prevalent in the United States. People who suffer from obesity and/or eating disorders face serious health consequences and even death. Current treatments are not effective as recovery rates are low, so there is a dire need for an effective treatment for obesity and eating disorders. There have been studies investigating the use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) as a means of treatment for these people. While findings show promise, there is much variability. The goal of this study is to further prior …


Physician Assistant Professional Issues: Optimal Team Practice In South Dakota, Michael J. Eggum May 2023

Physician Assistant Professional Issues: Optimal Team Practice In South Dakota, Michael J. Eggum

Honors Thesis

Optimal team practice (OTP) is a policy meant to modernize physician assistant (PA) practice laws, and one of the most controversial associated changes is removing the requirement for a PA to have a supervisory/collaborative agreement with a physician. In South Dakota (SD), there have been three OTP-related bills that failed to pass during their respective legislative sessions: House Bill 1163 from 2021, Senate Bill 134 from 2022, and Senate Bill 175 from 2023. This study was conducted as a survey consisting of 11 questions administered to SD PAs. The goal of this survey study was to determine PA understanding/disposition towards …


Detection Of Sars-Cov-2 Mutations In Vermillion, Sd, Wastewater Utilizing Probe-Based Rt-Qpcr, Matthew J. Schmitz May 2023

Detection Of Sars-Cov-2 Mutations In Vermillion, Sd, Wastewater Utilizing Probe-Based Rt-Qpcr, Matthew J. Schmitz

Honors Thesis

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from the subgenus Sarbecovirus, has presented numerous public health challenges for communities across the globe. As demonstrated by the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) and the recent Omicron variants, the virus can mutate and pose new risks for communities, such as reinfection, increased transmissibility, and variable mortality. As such, accurately monitoring the spread of specific variants has become a priority for public health agencies. However, clinical testing faces various limitations, and the increased use of at-home test kits inhibits surveillance. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) can monitor infection rates of entire …


Complementary Medicine And Its Perceived Effects On Cancer Patients, Madison A. Sundvold May 2023

Complementary Medicine And Its Perceived Effects On Cancer Patients, Madison A. Sundvold

Honors Thesis

This research examines the perceived effects of the top ten complementary medicine types on cancer patients' perceived health outcomes, when used in combination with Western or evidence-based medicine. This thesis analyzes various peer-reviewed articles as a literature review and utilizes a previous honors thesis conducted survey of the general population. It studies the depth of knowledge that people have of complementary medicine types and if they combine the resource with regular Western medicine. The purpose of this study is to examine if complementary medicine used decreases the side effects associated with cancer treatment, such as fatigue, pain, and nausea. After …


Assessing Gender Differences In Usd Students In The Consumption Of Pornography, Abbey Selleck May 2023

Assessing Gender Differences In Usd Students In The Consumption Of Pornography, Abbey Selleck

Honors Thesis

While pornography consumption has been studied many times in the past decade, little has been done on assessing the gender differences behind it. This study sought out to find those differences. A total of 306 University of South Dakota students participated in an online pornography survey. There was 231 females and 75 males. When asked about intentionally consuming pornography, there was 241 responses, 180 females and 61 males. Of those responses, 57 males (93%) and 142 females (79%) said they intentionally consume pornography. As hypothesized, a higher percentage of men said they consumed porn regularly (34%) than did women (4%). …


Examining Asian Americans' Perceived Barriers To Healthcare Access, Kathleen Nguyen, Jennifer Ramos May 2023

Examining Asian Americans' Perceived Barriers To Healthcare Access, Kathleen Nguyen, Jennifer Ramos

Honors Thesis

This research aimed to examine Asian Americans and their perceived barriers to healthcare access. Asian Americans, due to not being a homogenous ethnic group, experience health disparities that are different to those that other ethnic groups experience. Compared to whites in America, Asian Americans are less likely to have job-based insurance coverage and because of this are then less likely to be insured (Brown et al., 2000). Additionally, the most common perceived barriers to accessing healthcare for Asian Americans are cultural attitudes, financial and socioeconomic status, as well as language barriers. These barriers found in the literature served as the …


Oral Health In Relation To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Anika L. Gram Apr 2023

Oral Health In Relation To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Anika L. Gram

Honors Thesis

Oral health has seen significant changes through the Covid-19 pandemic. Many people experienced the lifestyle alteration of wearing a mask for a major portion of their day-to-day life, and some went to the dentist significantly less than they did pre-pandemic. The literature review explores dental practices during the Covid-19 pandemic. It also examines mask-wearing behaviors both before and during the pandemic and the research that has been conducted previously regarding the potential effects of mask-wearing. Despite the decrease in use of masks post-pandemic, many healthcare professionals continue to wear masks daily. Additionally, in the event of future disease outbreak, it …


Discrepancies In The Estimation Of Vaping Rates Among College Students, Cameron J. Klug Apr 2023

Discrepancies In The Estimation Of Vaping Rates Among College Students, Cameron J. Klug

Honors Thesis

The use of nicotine inhalation products among college students is an imminent public health issue, with young-adult populations being particularly likely to take up nicotine use during their college years (American College Health Association, 2021). Even with elevated levels of nicotine vapor product use in college populations, existing surveys may still underestimate the prevalence of nicotine use among this population. This study aimed to address this issue by conducting a survey of college students at the University of South Dakota, using a peer-to-peer approach to reduce social desirability bias. The study’s survey directly stated it was being issued and analyzed …


Investigating The Effects Of Sex And Carvedilol On Ischemia Preconditioning Protective Effect, Casey Jc Miller Apr 2023

Investigating The Effects Of Sex And Carvedilol On Ischemia Preconditioning Protective Effect, Casey Jc Miller

Honors Thesis

Many studies have been done on ischemic preconditioning and its protective effects using the murine model with overwhelmingly consistent and promising results. However, many clinical trials have failed to demonstrate the protective effects of ischemic preconditioning. The causes of the inconsistency are unknown. The effect of sex on ischemic preconditioning protection is largely unclear, which may be a contributing factor. Additionally, in clinical trials, the recruited patients were most likely taking some medications. This project aimed to test the differences in sex on preconditioning protection and the effect of a common β-blocker medication, Carvedilol, on preconditioning protection. Tourniquet-induced unilateral hindlimb …


Wastewater: History And Impact On Society, James H. Macy Apr 2023

Wastewater: History And Impact On Society, James H. Macy

Honors Thesis

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, wastewater surveillance has gained popularity and has proved itself to be an useful public health tool. In this paper, I looked at four different methods to filter wastewater: Membrane filtering, Polyethylene Glycol, Skim Milk Flocculation, and Magnetic Bead filtering. Membrane filtering’s main goal is to take a large sample and reduce it to a small sample for molecular analysis. Polyethylene Glycol helps the Covid-19 RNA bind to it. With the use of centrifuge the RNA is spun down to a pellet used for molecular analysis. Skim Milk Flocculation uses skimmed milk as the flocculation polymer and …


The Economic, Mental Health, And Social Stressors During The Covid-19 Pandemic Among Native Americans In South Dakota, Savannah E. Lukkes Apr 2023

The Economic, Mental Health, And Social Stressors During The Covid-19 Pandemic Among Native Americans In South Dakota, Savannah E. Lukkes

Honors Thesis

American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities test positive for COVID-19 and experience higher mortality than other racial and ethnic groups. These high rates of vulnerability could be connected to the systemic inequalities that have been experienced for centuries. This study aimed to compare socioeconomic stressors, concerns, and mental health experiences during the early COVID-19 pandemic between AI/AN and non-AIAN populations in South Dakota. The study sample (n=1,586) was grouped by AI/AN and non-AI/AN status based on self-identification of being AI/AN alone or in combination with another race/ethnicity. Participant responses to socioeconomic stressors and concerns (e.g., top concerns, level of concern, self-isolation, …


Communication Disorders And Mental Health: A Scoping Review, Haven B. Schultze Dec 2022

Communication Disorders And Mental Health: A Scoping Review, Haven B. Schultze

Honors Thesis

This scoping review examined current research investigating the relationship between communication disorders and mental health disorders. Depression and anxiety disorders were correlated with communication disorders, but this relationship is complex. Next, potential interventions and clinical implications are discussed. The literature suggests that Speech-Language Pathologists and mental health professionals are most effective when working collaboratively to meet the needs of the whole child.


Factors Affecting Emergency Department Mental Health Visits, Logan Daul May 2022

Factors Affecting Emergency Department Mental Health Visits, Logan Daul

Honors Thesis

Research has shown that current quantities of emergency department visits for mental health and substance use are increasing at a startling rate. These increases are acknowledged in quantitative studies and some important information can be gathered from qualitative studies however determining specific causes for these emergent visits are difficult. The purpose of this study is to derive findings from statistical analyses focusing on quantities of emergency department visits for mental health and substance use disorders. Comparisons will be drawn at the state level between the per capita quantity of emergency department visits and poverty rate, climate, psychiatric healthcare infrastructure, urban …


Reno-Protective And Immune Effects Of Growth Differentiation Factor 15 In Obesity-Related Kidney Disease, Jessie T. Sullivan May 2022

Reno-Protective And Immune Effects Of Growth Differentiation Factor 15 In Obesity-Related Kidney Disease, Jessie T. Sullivan

Honors Thesis

According to the World Health Organization, worldwide obesity has tripled since 1975 and is still on the rise, putting people at a higher risk of some cardiovascular diseases and kidney disease. Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) is a stress-responsive cytokine that has been studied recently for its role in multiple biological processes and diseases. The member of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-b) family has been investigated as a therapeutic agent and biomarker for obesity and associated cardiovascular diseases, stroke, diabetes, osteoarthritis, cancer, and kidney disease. Studies have shown the anti-inflammation, anti-obesity, and anti-diabetic effects of GDF15, but few have …


Investigating The Effect Of Meaningful Relationships On Team Chemistry, Isabel N. Fairbanks May 2022

Investigating The Effect Of Meaningful Relationships On Team Chemistry, Isabel N. Fairbanks

Honors Thesis

Team chemistry in sports is one of the more vital factors that potentially impacts the overall success of a team. There is increasing growth in the school of thought surrounding the use of team building in sports to develop the best teams built for success. Many programs exist in athletics and other environments that strive to promote strong team culture. This literature review examines the influence sports psychology has on the success of a sports team and current programs that exist in both the business environment and athletics, intending to improve team culture. Furthermore, the book containing the experiment on …


The Impact Of Sleep On Athletic Performance: A Review Of The Literature, Rylan J. Pratt May 2022

The Impact Of Sleep On Athletic Performance: A Review Of The Literature, Rylan J. Pratt

Honors Thesis

This paper reviewed the literature regarding sleep and athletic performance, specifically identifying the problem of sleep debt in student athletes, the effects of sleep debt, and what factors negatively influence sleep, along with how to improve sleep. The literature revealed that it is common for athletes to not get adequate sleep. Sleep debt can have psychomotor and physiological effects on the body, which decreases optimal athletic performance. The many factors that negatively impact sleep include high intensity training sessions, travel, sleep disturbances, caffeine and/or alcohol consumption, and pre-competition anxiety. Recommendations for athletes that are struggling to achieve adequate sleep include, …


The Relationship Between Pro-Stress And Anti-Stress Receptors In The Stress-Learning Brain Regions Of Female Mice, Nathan Popp Apr 2022

The Relationship Between Pro-Stress And Anti-Stress Receptors In The Stress-Learning Brain Regions Of Female Mice, Nathan Popp

Honors Thesis

Human men and women react to stress in different ways, both biologically and psychologically (Verma et al., 2011). Orexins (or hypocretins) are neuropeptides involved in eliciting a stress response and have been shown to have opposing actions via two different receptors. Activation of the Orx1 receptor promotes stress, while activation of the Orx2 receptor relieves stress (Staton et al., 2018). Using the Stress Alternatives Model (a four-day paradigm in which small female mice are in an open arena with a larger aggressor mouse), distinct phenotypic behaviors can be observed after the second day: anxiety-prone and stress-resilient. After the second day, …


Testing For Transferred Immunity Of A Universal Influenza Vaccine In Pigs, Rachel Marie Sestak Apr 2022

Testing For Transferred Immunity Of A Universal Influenza Vaccine In Pigs, Rachel Marie Sestak

Honors Thesis

Influenza causes high numbers of illnesses and deaths annually (CDC, 2020). Influenza vaccines prevent these complications by reducing the risk of flu illness between 40-60% (CDC, 2021). However, no vaccination exists for infants under six months old so other methods, such as passive immunity, must be explored. To determine how infants can be protected, we tested the passive transfer of a universal influenza vaccine using a pig model and researched the mechanism of transfer. Four pregnant pigs were vaccinated one time with PBS and one time with HA-129 vaccine and four were vaccinated twice with the HA-129 vaccine. After farrowing, …


Testing For Transferred Immunity Of A Universal Influenza Vaccine In Pigs, Rachel Marie Sestak Apr 2022

Testing For Transferred Immunity Of A Universal Influenza Vaccine In Pigs, Rachel Marie Sestak

Honors Thesis

Influenza causes high numbers of illnesses and deaths annually (CDC, 2020). Influenza vaccines prevent these complications by reducing the risk of flu illness between 40-60% (CDC, 2021). However, no vaccination exists for infants under six months old so other methods, such as passive immunity, must be explored. To determine how infants can be protected, we tested the passive transfer of a universal influenza vaccine using a pig model and researched the mechanism of transfer. Four pregnant pigs were vaccinated one time with PBS and one time with HA-129 vaccine and four were vaccinated twice with the HA-129 vaccine. After farrowing, …