Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Emergency Nurses' Department Design Recommendations For Improved End-Of-Life Care, Elise Megan Corbett

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Death occurs frequently in emergency departments (EDs). Obstacles present in EDs can make providing end-of-life (EOL) care stressful and challenging for emergency nurses. Although death is common in EDs, there is a paucity of research regarding ED design as an obstacle to EOL care. The purpose of this study was to identify emergency nurses experiences and recommendations regarding ways ED designs negatively or positively impacted EOL care for dying patients and their families. Methods: At 25-item questionnaire regarding ED design and EOL care was sent to a geographically dispersed, national random sample of 500 emergency nurses. Inclusion criteria were …

Emergency Nurses' Department Design Recommendations For Improved End-Of-Life Care, Elise Megan Corbett

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Death occurs frequently in emergency departments (EDs). Obstacles present in EDs can make providing end-of-life (EOL) care stressful and challenging for emergency nurses. Although death is common in EDs, there is a paucity of research regarding ED design as an obstacle to EOL care. The purpose of this study was to identify emergency nurses experiences and recommendations regarding ways ED designs negatively or positively impacted EOL care for dying patients and their families. Methods: At 25-item questionnaire regarding ED design and EOL care was sent to a geographically dispersed, national random sample of 500 emergency nurses. Inclusion criteria were …

Healthy People Are Bad For Capitalism, Eri King

Theses and Dissertations

Healthy People are Bad For Capitalism is a four part installation that creates an alternative space for the chemicals, Red 40 and Monosodium Glutamate. Presented as a holistic center that offers healing services and remedies, Center for the Red 40 and MSG Healing explores the homeopathic doctrine of Like Cures Like (what make a human ill also cures them) through the relationship between Traditional Japanese Healing Practices, and Western Capitalism.

Healthy People are Bad For Capitalism presents Red 40 MSG Apothecary, Red 40 Zen MSG Healing Rock Garden, Theta Wave Eternal Flame Meditation and Red 40 MSG …

Association Between Hispanic Parents' Attitudes And Knowledge Regarding Obesity And Their Children's Body Mass Index: Implications For The Development Of Obesity, Renee Starr

Theses and Dissertations

According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2017), more than 1.9 billion adults age 18 and older are overweight and over 650 million are obese. Data collected through the Centers for Disease Control indicates the prevalence of U.S. adults who are overweight and obese is estimated at 36.5% and the national childhood obesity rate is more than 12.7 million (17%), with approximately one in six school-aged children reaching the obesity level (Ogden, Carroll, Fryar, & Flegal, 2015). Hispanic children have the highest levels of obesity among all racial/ethnic groups (21.9%) and obesity rates are especially prevalent among impoverished Hispanics residing …

Longitudinal Relations Between Interparental Conflict And Adolescent Self-Regulation: The Moderating Role Of Attachment To Parents, Lisa Tensmeyer Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

This study used growth curve analysis to investigate associations between interparental conflict, attachment to parents, and adolescent self-regulation outcomes. Using data from 681 families in the Flourishing Families survey obtained in two western U.S. cities, associations between interparental conflict, mother and father attachment, and initial and growth levels of adolescent self-regulation were analyzed across five time points. Adolescent self-regulation showed steady growth across a five-year period during adolescence, suggesting that self-regulation may continue to develop generally throughout adolescence, a finding not revealed in prior research. Adolescent self-regulation increased significantly more in the first city over the five years of the …

Variables Relevant To Self-Efficacy: Mexican-American High School Students With Specific Learning Disabilities, Matilde Barrera Alaniz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to ascertain if a relationship exists between self-efficacy and grade point average (GPA), age, gender, language proficiency, socioeconomic status, and failed grade levels during school career among Mexican-American high school students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) residing along the southwestern state of the Mexican border. Moreover, to learn if a relationship exists between motivation and the above variables. This study also observed if a relationship between motivation as measured by the Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ-A) (i.e., external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, and intrinsic motivation) and GPA existed; it also observed the correlation between …

The Effects Of Family Stressors On Depression In Latino Adolescents As Mediated By Interparental Conflict, Jenny Carolina Mondragon

Theses and Dissertations

Extensive literature suggests that Latino youth experience higher levels of depression when compared to youth from other ethnic backgrounds yet relatively little is known regarding why this particular population is especially susceptible to depression. This study focused on family level stressors and the link between interparental conflict and adolescent depressive symptoms in Latino families. The sample consisted of 400 girls and 290 boys, they were distributed into four groups based on gender and family structure. Written surveys were completed in their respective English classes measuring the aforementioned variables. Results indicated a significant relationship across all four groups between family stressors …

Computational Study Targeting Anti-Fungal Tavaborole Analogs And Anti-Cancer Braco19, Babitha Machireddy

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis comprises of three computer aided drug design studies utilizing molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulations: (i) a lead optimization study virtually screening an initial library of ~120000 lead compounds targeting fungal leucyl tRNA synthetase, (ii) an exploratory study to understand the binding pathway of BRACO19 to a parallel telomeric DNA G-quadruplex by MD simulations and compare with experimentally solved X-ray crystal structure (iii) a comparative study to understand the lack of selectivity of BRACO19 to various topologies of human telomeric DNA G-quadruplex over DNA duplex.

The first chapter provides the background information required to understand the molecular docking …

Parental Attitudes Of Immunization In Children With Special Healthcare Needs: A Qualitative Study, Maren Topham

Theses and Dissertations

Background and Purpose: Just over 15% of children under 18 years of age in the UnitedStates, or approximately 11.2 million children, are estimated to have special healthcare needs.Although children with special healthcare needs (CSHCN) make up a small percentage of thepediatric population, they account for over one third of pediatric medical care. Parental attitudesregarding immunization play a significant role in vaccination rates among children. The purposeof this research is to explore parental attitudes regarding immunization of CSHCN.Methods: This qualitative study focused on parental perceptions and beliefs aboutimmunizations for CSHCN. Sixteen participants, who were parents of CSHCN from onepediatric specialty care …

Dietetic Students' Lived Experience Working With Preceptors: A Phenomenology, Mary-Pat Maciolek

Theses and Dissertations

The majority of the research conducted on the preceptor model has focused on Allied Health professions other than dietetics. This phenomenological study sought to understand the preceptor experience in dietetics education as revealed by the individuals who had the experience. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the preceptor experience from the perspective of dietetic education graduates in order to understand the impact of the preceptor experience component of the educational process on the professional growth of dietetics education graduates. The August 2016 ACEND Update reveals no significant progress in the match rate for applicants into supervised practice …

Communicating Consent: An Investigation Of Predictors Of College Student Sexual Consent Communication, Erin L. Link

Theses and Dissertations

Often, sexual consent is only discussed and explored in the context of sexual assault. While consent is often the deciding factor to determine if a crime occurred, consent is also a vital part of an equally enjoyable sexual encounter. The present study examines a variety of variables effects on consent attitudes, norms, and communication behaviors to attempt to identify predictors of college student consent communication. Findings and recommendations are discussed that highlight the necessity of viewing consent as a communicative act.

Desert Within A City: Exploring The Relationship Between Food Security, Diet, And Body Mass Index, Jamey Ann Baietto

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Food deserts are areas of decreased access to nutritious and affordable foods. Residing within a defined food desert is thought to decrease consumption of produce, dairy, and whole grains and increase consumption of energy-dense foods as well as body mass index (BMI).

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the level of food security on consumption of fruits, vegetables, dairy, whole grains, high-sugar foods, high-fat foods, and BMI.

Design: A one-time, self-administered data collection packet was sent to residents of a food desert. The Dietary Screener Questionnaire was utilized to determine the average daily …

Social Capital And Hospital Readmission Of Older Adults, Sheryl Emmerling

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is comprised of three manuscripts exploring the concept of social capital and hospital readmission of older adults. The first manuscript provides a review of the literature evaluating studies that measure the relationship between social capital and health, healthy behaviors, and access to and utilization of healthcare resources. Further research focusing on testing various types of individual social capital and their relationship to key outcomes including hospital readmission is needed.

The second manuscript is a description of the Social Capital and Health Framework that can serve as an outline for assisting nurses and other healthcare providers to consider older …

Mechanism Of Action Of American Ginseng And Its Components In The Treatment Of Ulcerative Colitis, Anusha Chaparala

Theses and Dissertations

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), mainly ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn’s disease (CD), are chronic, idiopathic, inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract affecting millions of people worldwide. The incidence of IBD is steadily increasing in the modern world due to changes in dietary habits and other environmental influences that originated from industrialization. The etiology is poorly understood but is believed to be a combination of genetic predisposition, environmental factors, and overactive immune system. UC is characterized by inflammation and ulceration of colonic mucosa and rectum and has a higher incidence than CD. Aside from severely affecting the quality of life of the …

Utilization Of Lung Cancer Screening And Molecular Testing To Improve Lung Cancer Outcomes, Jennifer Lynne Ersek

Theses and Dissertations

Despite progress in detection and treatment, lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends adults at high risk for lung cancer undergo annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening, however, lung cancer screening (LCS) uptake remains low. Qualitative research on family physician (FP) perceptions and experiences with LCS has been limited since USPSTF publication and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) decision memo. We conducted a qualitative study to assess FP knowledge and perceptions of LCS and gain insight into their current experiences with LDCT. A …

The Role Of Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 8 In Vascular Disease, Desiree Leach

Theses and Dissertations

In response to injury, mature vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) undergo dedifferentiation, also known as phenotype modulation or switch. This process is characterized by a downregulation or loss of expression of contractile genes and concomitant with an increase in cell proliferation, migration, and extracellular matrix production, thereby leading to vascular lesion formation. However, the underlying molecular mechanism is not fully understood. The objective of my study was to determine whether cyclin-dependent kinase 8 (CDK8), a transcription-regulating kinase, plays a mediator role in vascular SMC dedifferentiation and lesion formation. Our results from immunochemical staining and Western blot revealed that CDK8 expression …

Characterization Of Jet Fuel Combustion Emissions During A C-130 Aeromedical Evacuation Engines Running Onload, Michelle L. Page

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to characterize jet fuel combustion emissions (JFCE) in an occupational setting. Prior research demonstrated that aircraft emit hazardous species, especially at engine start-up and ground idle. Complaints of eye, nose, and throat irritation from occupational exposures near aircraft exist. In this study JFCE were tested during an aeromedical evacuation engines running patient onload (ERO) on a C-130 Hercules at the 179^th Airlift Wing, Mansfield-Lahm Air National Guard. Ultrafine particles, VOC, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide (CO), sulfuric acid, and metals were sampled simultaneously in approximate crew and patient breathing zones. Testing methods were portable condensation …

Multifunctional Nanosystems For Targeting And Treating Cancer Cells, Vijayalakshmi Dantuluri

Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, breast cancer is one of the most frequently occurring and deadly cancers. Though various therapies have seen success, they have numerous negative side effects. The incorporation of nanomaterials with anticancer drugs could help avoid these side effects and enhance the drugs’ effects. Nanomaterials have many properties, such as size, shape, structure, morphology, and surface features, that can be precisely tuned by altering their chemical composition. In this work, we explored the use of graphene and gold nanorods to enhance drug localization in and destruction of cancer cells by targeted delivery of the drugs doxorubicin (Dox) and …

A Study Of The Integration Of Biomedical Devices With Information Technology Systems With An Emphasis On Information Quality, James A. Mcginnis, Jr

Theses and Dissertations

The cost of Information Technology in the US per year is estimated at 1.7 trillion of dollars with an estimated 7.6 billion in healthcare (Hillestad, et al., 2005). While this seems to be a large investment that should produce substantial returns regarding quality care, patient safety, and improved healthcare, there appears to be a distrust of data between Information Technology (IT) and the medical industry/systems (Holden & Karsh, 2009), (Holden & Karsh, 2010). The distrust of the data that can arise from data shared between biomedical devices, IT systems can become evident when proper policies, and procedures are not in …

The Effect Of Paid Sick Leave On Physician Office-Based Visits, Korvin Vicente

Theses and Dissertations

This paper uses a balanced sample of workers from cross-sections of the National Health Interview Survey to estimate the causal effects of paid sick leave on the medical care seeking behavior of individuals, as measured by physician office-based visits.

Impact Of Sexual Violence Prevention Programming At Rowan University, Emily Kofman

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to explore the impact of sexual violence prevention programming on the main Rowan University campus. This study focused primarily on the Take Back the Night event on April 4, 2017. The study evaluated the impact of the event on those who attended as well as looking at Social Norm Theory. A total population of 167 Rowan students were surveyed at the event with the instrument Take Back the Night Survey. Results of the data revealed that students positively benefitted from attending the event and were able to increase their knowledge of the subject. …

Factors Influencing Health Behaviors In Those At Risk For Developing Schizophrenia, Adriana C. Pennacchi

Theses and Dissertations

Significant health concerns are common among those with schizophrenia- spectrum disorders and are associated with an average lifespan reduction of 15-20 years compared to the general public (Saha, Chant, & McGrath, 2007). Although symptoms of the disorder can disrupt self-care and health behaviors, evidence also suggests that problematic health behaviors are present before the onset of the manifest disorder. One example includes nicotine use which is elevated in those with a family history of schizophrenia (Ferchiou et al., 2012) and in those who show subclinical signs of risk for schizophrenia (Esterberg, Jones, Compton, & Walker, 2007). Despite these findings, there …

Youth Disclosure: Examining Measurement Invariance Across Time And Reporter, Robb E. Clawson

Theses and Dissertations

Measurement invariance across time and reporter is rarely reported in the literature for measures of youth disclosure, even though it is often necessary to establish at least strong invariance before proceeding to further analyses such as comparing means across time or reporter. Measurement invariance was examined across time (ages 11, 14, and 17) and across reporter (youth report of disclosure to mother, youth report of disclosure to father, mother report of youth disclosure, father report of youth disclosure) with a sample of 348 youth and their parents. Youth report of disclosure to mothers demonstrated strong invariance across ages 11-14 and …

Multiculturalism And Social Work: A Content Analysis Of The Past 25 Years Of Research, Lauren Christine Smithee

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this content analysis was to analyze the past 25 years of research in two major social work journals, Social Work and Research on Social Work Practice, to provide a status update on the amount of ethnic-focused research being published within the discipline. This analysis examined trends in ethnic-focused publications, the change across time in percent of focused articles, the top topics studied, per ethnic group, the top funded topics, most and least involved funding agencies, geographical groupings of focused samples, the setting of the samples, measures used, and the percentage of samples based in a clinical …

Do Adults Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorders Have An Advantage In Real-World Visual Search Tasks?, Nicholas Charles Russell

Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) often perform better than typically developing (TD) individuals in simple, albeit difficult, visual search tasks. This ability is often attributed to a lack of drive for coherence or superior local processing. We compare thirty adults with ASD with forty-nine TD individuals and twenty-seven adults with anxiety (ANX) across two real-world visual search tasks. Individuals had to find either a number superimposed over a real-world scene ("œno context" condition) or an object located in a contextually relevant location ("œcontext" condition). Each participant completed forty-one trials in each condition, each with a unique scene. Eye movements …

The Efficacy Of A Literature-Based Social Communication Intervention On Teacher Report Of Withdrawal For Children With Language Impairment, Cammy G. Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that children with language impairment (LI) often have deficits in social communication. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a social communication intervention targeting emotion understanding on teacher perceptions of withdrawal in six elementary-aged boys with LI. The intervention incorporated four elements into treatment sessions: a) Story sharing of children's literature that was rich in emotional content and prosocial behaviors; b) Story enactment of the same children's literature; c) identification and discussion of pictures of facial expressions; and d) journaling to help internalize and reflect on emotions and social behaviors targeted. Two withdrawal subscales …

Investigating Motivations For Using Dating Websites And Geosocial Apps, Sean Calvin Aaron

Theses and Dissertations

Using the internet to meet dating partners is increasingly popular and may have ramifications that are not yet fully realized. Although many dating sites have been operating for years, new online dating platforms continue to draw millions of new users. By using a large sample of people who use online dating platforms (n=1,286) we identified similarities and differences in what motivates people to use geosocial apps and dating sites. Motivations previously considered in the literature were supported and brought together in a single theory driven confirmatory factor analysis for each type of dating platform. A motivation to seek amusement was …

A Pilot Study Examining The Role Of Treatment Type And Gender In Cortisol Functioning, Stephanie Young Davis

Theses and Dissertations

This pilot study examined the effectiveness of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) compared to Treatment As Usual (TAU) in improving cortisol functioning among distressed couples. It also investigated the role of gender in cortisol functioning. Measures for cortisol were collected at five time points, both at pre- and posttreatment. Data were collected from a total of 60 couples, 20 of which received EFT and 40 of which received TAU. Overall, results from a two-way analysis of variance suggest that there are no significant differences between men or women, nor among couples in EFT and TAU, in posttreatment cortisol functioning. Directions …

State Requirements For Childhood Vaccination Exemption Forms In The United States, Katherine Elizabeth Hill

Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, children must be vaccinated in order to attend school, although parents also have the right to request a vaccine exemption. The type of vaccine exemption varies by state but can include exemption for religious, philosophical, medical, and temporary medical reasons. The purpose of this research was to identify the use of provider signature requirements and fees in states during the vaccine exemption process. A questionnaire was sent to immunization managers in the 50 United States, District of Columbia, the United States Indian Health Service, and eight United States territories. The managers were asked if their states …

Development Of An Early Expository Text Comprehension Assessment: A Pilot Study, Stacey Christianson

Theses and Dissertations

Literature supporting the use of informational texts with preschool children has increased in recent years. However, many preschool classrooms still focus on narrative text, and teachers are often unsure how to provide support for children's comprehension of informational texts. An assessment addressing preschool children's informational text comprehension will help teachers understand what children can do with informational texts and point out demands or tasks that children should be able to handle. A comprehension assessment for preschool children focusing on text purpose, text features, text retell, and comprehension of text structures has not been available. To fit this need, recent effort …