Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Comparison Between Two Methodological Paradigms Of Conditioned Place Preference With Methlyphenidate., Bryce D. Watson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The aim of this thesis is to examine the mechanisms of Methylphenidate (MPH) on Conditioned Place Preference (CPP), a behavioral test of reward. The psychostimulant MPH is therapeutically used in the treatment of ADHD, but has been implicated in many pharmacological actions related to drug addiction and is considered to have abuse potential. Past work in our lab and others have shown substantial sex-differences in the neuropharmacological profile of MPH. Here a discussion of the relevant mechanisms of action of MPH and its relationship to neurotrophins and CPP are reviewed. Furthermore, previous work is reviewed and a rationale for two …

Attitudes And Perceptions Of Nursing Homes., Amanda C. Black

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine how past experiences with nursing homes influence perceptions and attitudes of college students toward nursing homes in the United States. A review of the current research literature indicates that nursing homes are publicly scrutinized in a negative manner. Variables examined included students’ college of study, experience with nursing homes either from personal experience, from a well-known relative or friend, or the media, and different attitudes and perceptions including good or bad views of nursing homes. Results indicate that students’ perceive nursing homes more negatively than positively even when their experience came from …

Hand Hygiene Perceptions Of Student Nurses., Brittany Berger

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Compliance with hand hygiene is widely recognized as the most important factor in preventing transmission of infection to patients in healthcare settings (Haas and Larson, 2007). Hand hygiene dramatically decreases the potential pathogens on hands and is considered the first measure for decreasing the risk of transmitting organisms to patients, healthcare professionals, and family members. Noncompliance with hand hygiene practices has been shown to increase healthcare-associated infections, costing hospitals $35.7-$45 billion each year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2012). Education about hand hygiene starts in school and should transfer into the real world of nursing. The purpose of …

Surveys Of Women With Hpv And Their Healthcare Experiences., Danielle Defayette

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Genital human papillomavirus infection is the most common sexually transmitted virus in the United States, with almost 20 million Americans currently infected and an additional 6.2 million becoming newly infected each year. Women rely strongly on their health care providers to educate and comfort them regarding this distressing diagnosis. This study will use an online, self-completion questionnaire to obtain women’s opinions regarding their health care providers’ performances concerning the initial consultation after learning of their HPV diagnosis. Findings from this study provided insight as to how women prefer receiving information from their health care providers concerning their diagnosis of HPV. …

Effects Of Wii Fit™ Plus Cardiovascular Exercises On Cognitive Function In Older Adults: Feasibility Study., Ifeanyichukwu Chinedozi

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Cognitive decline increasingly plague older adults. Although various studies have correlated aerobic exercises with decreased incidence of the development and progression of cognitive deterioration in older adults, there is no evidence as to whether or not the Wii Fit Plus Rhythm Kung-Fu, Hula-Hoop and the Wii Just Dance can improve the cognitive function of older adults as measured by the Standardized Mini Mental State Examination (SMMSE) instrument. A descriptive study design was used to explore the feasibility of implementing an aerobic exercise program for older adults in an assisted living facility using these Wii games, and evaluating whether or not …

Impact Of Oxidative Stress On Female Fertility., Tasha Harris

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study examined nutritional status and fecundity of women and was approved for patient enrollment by the ETSU Institutional Review Board (IRB). Once enrolled, participants filled out two food frequency questionnaires (FFQ, fruit/vegetable intake, fat intake), self-reported anthropometric data, and had one 5 mL vacutainer of whole blood (EDTA) collected for measures of oxidative stress (OS), coenzyme Q10 level, and fatty acid profile of the red blood cell (RBC) membrane. Participants were either designated to the case group (13 women experiencing fertility problems and an anti-mullerian hormone level of 1 ng/ml or less (AMH, <1 ng/mL)) or the control group (13 women experiencing normal ovulation cycles and no evidence of polycystic disease). This study hypothesized that the case group would have poorer plasma antioxidant status, consume more dietary saturated fat and have lower levels of omega-3 and higher levels of omega-6 fatty acids in the RBC membrane. Results showed that case participants had significantly higher body mass index (BMI) when graduating from high school, BMI upon enrollment in the study, and trended to gain more weight since high school. Antioxidant status of the plasma tended to be higher for the case group. This result was surprising as case participants consumed significantly fewer servings of fruits and vegetables (sources of antioxidants) than control subjects. FFQ results indicated that case participants consumed significantly higher amounts of total fat (g), saturated fat (g), unsaturated fat (g), and their diets had a higher dietary fat percent. No significant differences were noted in the individual fatty acids isolated from the RBC membrane or in calculated ratios of fatty acid between case and control groups. The fatty acid profile from RBC membranes are in agreement with self-reported fat intake from FFQ data and may provide a rationale for no differences observed between the two groups.

Exploring Self-Efficacy And Stress Of Senior Nursing Students Who Participate In Progressive Simulation., Kaitlyn Nora Luckey-Smith

Undergraduate Honors Theses

According to Bandura (1994), self-efficacy is defined as "the belief in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required in managing prospective situations" (quoted by Pajaras, 1996, p. 543). Self-efficacy has long been theorized to increase job retention and success after graduation from a nursing program. In this study, the researchers explored whether high fidelity simulation during the senior semester of nursing school increases perceived self-efficacy among nursing students. We also evaluated the impact of stress levels on perceived self-efficacy. The study surveyed 135 senior BSN students from both traditional and accelerated programs a Southeastern Tennessee University …

Effect Of Asthma And Cystic Fibrosis On Health Utilization And Education Progress In Children And Adolescents., Bradlee A. Jenkins

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Aims. To determining the effect of asthma, cystic fibrosis (CF), and both on healthcare utilization, absences from school, and rate of progress in school.

Background. Previous studies on academic progression and health care utilization in children with the respiratory diseases of asthma and CF have been limited or conflicting.

Design. Non experimental, cross-sectional, secondary data analysis using a multilevel probability sample.

Methods. The response of all persons under 18 years of age in the U.S. 1997-2012 National Health Interview Survey to interviewer questions on demographic, educational, and health care utilization items were analyzed. The mean and 95% confidence intervals for …

Efficacy Of The Arvigo Techniques Of Maya Abdominal Therapy On Dysmenorrhea Symptoms In Women., Tabitha S. Burchett

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Dysmenorrhea is one of the most reported symptoms by women in OB/GYN departments with an effect on up to 95% of women. Because pain experienced during menstrual cycles influences the mental and physical health of women, it is important to find practical and effective relief.

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a new clinical and scientific field in the practice of Western medicine. The use of CAM by the public has increased dramatically in recent years and among the practiced modalities lies a fairly new massage technique aimed at treatment of uterine abnormalities attributed to misplacement. The Arvigo Techniques of …

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Education Effectiveness For Athletic Trainers At A University Community Physical Activity Center., Afton Cope

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a problem nationally and affects many people from all walks of life. Community associated MRSA is often ignored and not viewed as significant, thus there is a lack of education on the topic. One area that is at a particular risk for the transmission of Community Associated MRSA is physical activity centers. Education in these areas could improve the knowledge of community acquired MRSA among employees and decrease the likelihood of infection at physical activity centers. In this study a pre-test was given. After the pre-test an educational powerpoint on MRSA was presented and then …

Meeting The Needs Of Family Members Of Icu Patients., Kalie Nolen

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The intensive care unit is an extreme environment which houses the most critically ill patients in a hospital. As a result, an array of equipment, IV lines, medications, and sounds that are unfamiliar to the general public can be found. These factors, added to the fragile emotional state of families and friends who have recently admitted a loved one, can be overwhelming. This rush of unforeseen stimuli often leads to feelings of fear and powerlessness (Farrell, Joseph, & Schwartz-Barcott, 2005).

The patients in Intensive Care Units (ICU) are the primary focus of staff; some need virtually continuous care. As a …

Nursing Student's Perceptions Of Cultural Competency., Caitlin Malcolm

Undergraduate Honors Theses

As the United States population becomes more culturally diverse, it has become a priority for health care professionals to competently provide culturally sensitive care. Cultural competency is required in baccalaureate (BSN) programs, mandated by collegiate nursing accrediting agencies. Although BSN programs have integrated cultural competency education into their core curricula, little data has been collected evaluating outcomes and effectiveness. Using a 36 question survey, students in all levels of a selected BSN program were asked questions regarding cultural competency and attitudes towards cultural care. The ANOVA and a Tukey Kramer analyses were performed with an alpha coefficient of 0.05 and …

Dose Creep: Is It Real Or Imagined?, Cody Baker

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Two types of patient-centered care in the radiology profession are service and safety. Service relates to the technologist being a patient advocate by effectively communicating, building relationships and providing care. Two types of safety in the radiologic sciences profession relate to contrast media and radiation safety. The focus of this study was on radiation safety. The project was designed to evaluate exposure indicator values from radiographic procedures performed by junior and senior radiography students during the month of March 2013. The mean exposure indicator values for radiographic procedures were evaluated by all students and then by student rank (juniors and …

Electromyographical Analysis Of Barefoot Squat: A Clinical Perspective., Sarah E. Brown

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare muscle activation in eight superficial lower limb muscles during execution of barbell back squats while in barefoot and athletic shoe conditions. It was hypothesized that greater muscle activity would be seen when squats were performed in barefoot conditions. Six participants were included in the study (means: 21.33±1.53 years, 170.45±11.33cm height, 69.85±12.46kg mass, 3.4±1.40 years training). Each met specific inclusion criteria. Participants came in three separate days for data collection (Day 1 – 1 repetition maximum [1RM] was determined, Day 2 – maximum voluntary contraction tests were held, Day 3 – squat tests …

Nursing Students' Perceptions Of Uncivil Behavior In The Classroom Setting., Jessica Marie Stamey

Undergraduate Honors Theses

There is an increase in uncivil student behaviors in the classroom setting including inattention, lying, cheating, and plagiarism. The purpose of this quantitative descriptive study was to determine behaviors that undergraduate nursing students perceived as uncivil in the classroom. The research question was, “How do undergraduate nursing students perceive uncivil behavior in the classroom?” A convenience sample using cluster sample method of all five undergraduate baccalaureate nursing student cohorts from a College of Nursing in Appalachia were invited to complete the researcher’s edited version of the Incivility in Nursing Education (INE) survey. There were 526 undergraduate nursing students enrolled in …

Test Anxiety And Nursing Students., Brad Moore

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Test anxiety has been a problem for many individuals not only in the workforce, but also in many schools and colleges (Driscoll, Evans, Ramsey & Wheeler 2009). According to Driscoll et al., when compared to high school students and the general public (17%), nursing students are shown to have over double (55-60%) the rate of moderately high to high test anxiety. Cognitive test anxiety can account for a 7 to 8% drop in test grades, which can drop test score’s an entire letter grade (Cassady & Johnson, 2001). The purpose of this research is to explore the level of test …

Analysis Of The Role Of D2 Receptors In Methylphenidate-Induced Conditioned Place Preference., Chase M. Duty

Undergraduate Honors Theses

ADHD is one of the most commonly diagnosed disorders during adolescence. Recently, significant increases in the diagnosis of ADHD have caused the prescription of the ADHD medication methylphenidate (MPH) to increase. MPH is a psychostimulant that blocks the dopamine transporter, which is responsible for dopamine reuptake at the synapse. The blockade of the dopamine transporter results in an increase in the availability of dopamine in the synaptic cleft. This increase of dopamine accounts for the addictive properties of a MPH due to strong effects on portions of the brain’s drug-reward pathway, including the striatum and nucleus accumbens. In this study, …

Balance And Gait Among A Community Dwelling Older Adult Population Using Nintendo Wii Bowling Game., Carly Hutchins

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Due to the increase in the aging population older adults are looking for ways to stay fit and active in their later years. Such activities need to be fun, easy to operate, and encourage socialization. The Nintendo Wii© Bowling provides these features for the aging population. Participants in this quantitative pilot study had the opportunity to play the Nintendo Wii© Bowling Game twice a week for six weeks to see if their balance and mobility would improve when compared with the pre and post scores from the Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA). The participant’s scores on the Performance Oriented Mobility …

Ovarian Modifications In Mice Exposed To Whole-Body Irradiation., Jacob Marion Poole

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This experiment was designed to determine the involvement of varying levels of whole-body irradiation on ovarian follicular and corpora luteal development in mice. Previous research has indicated reduced counts of ovarian follicles and corpora lutea in mice flown in space. These differences may be the result of microgravity, increased exposure to radiation, or some combination of both. Fifty-six mice were divided into three groups (apocynin-treated, nox2 knockout, and wild-type control) before exposure to 0 Gy, 0.5 Gy, or 2.0 Gy radiation. The tissues were harvested, preserved, run through the appropriate paraffin embedding procedures, serially sectioned, mounted on microscope slides, and …

Stress Relief Habits And Perceived Stress Among College Nursing Students., Geneva Record

Undergraduate Honors Theses

With healthcare reform on the rise and the population of Baby Boomers increasing exponentially, nurses are in higher demand than ever before. Students in nursing school are under a great deal of stress as they balance a heavy academic load with outside responsibilities to jobs and families. These stressors often carry into professional practice, resulting in nurses that are constantly stressed. This study asks nursing students about their perceived stress and about the specific ways they cope with their stress.

The study’s results show that most students wish they had more time to engage in stress relieving activities. When students …

The Study Of The Effect Of Two Flavone Isomers Derived From Gnaphalium Elegans And Achyrocline Bogotensis In Breast Cancer., Jessica J. Walker

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Flavonoids are ubiquitous to all terrestrial plants and many are known to have anti-tumor activities. In this research project we studied the differential cytotoxic effects of two flavone isomers on human breast cancer cells (BT-474, SKBR-3, and MCF-7) and normal breast cells as a control (MCF-10A). The basis of the relationships between chemical structures, type and position of substituent groups and the effects these compounds exert specifically on cancer cells are not completely elucidated. These flavones are derived from plants native of Colombia, South America. These plants of the family Asteraceae, genera Gnaphalium and Achyrocline are reputed to have anti-cancer …

Numerical Study Of The Effect Of Blood Vessel Geometry On Plaque Formation., Lindsey Fox

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the United States, cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death for both men and women. Heart attacks and strokes can happen because of atherosclerosis, or plaque build-up inside arteries, which obstruct blood flow to the heart and brain. One common site of atherosclerosis is the carotid artery bifurcation. This study looks at how the angle between the branching arteries of the bifurcation affects the potential for atherosclerosis by running flow simulations through virtual models of the bifurcation. The higher the wall shear stress, turbulence intensity, and turbulence kinetic energy at the bifurcation, the lower the chance of …

Self-Management Of Diabetes In Low-Income Appalachian Women., Erin Austin

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Diabetes mellitus is a major health concern and the number of Americans diagnosed with the disease is quickly increasing, affecting all aspects of an individual’s life and requiring significant self-involvement. Little is known about how low-income Appalachian women with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) manage their diabetes from day-to-day. This population struggles to effectively manage the illness as they desire for many reasons. The purpose of this study is to better understand the experiences of Appalachian women in self-managing diabetes so that health care providers can better meet the social and cultural needs of this unique population.

This study used …

Locus Coeruleus And Hippocampal Tyrosine Hydroxylase Levels In A Pressure-Overload Model Of Heart Disease, Luke A. Johnson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Studies have indicated that approximately 30% of people with heart disease experience major depressive disorder (MDD). Despite strong clinical evidence of a link between the two diseases, the neurobiological processes involved in the relationship are poorly understood. A growing number of studies are revealing similar neuroanatomical and neurochemical abnormalities resulting from both depression and heart disease. The locus coeruleus (LC) is a group of neurons in the pons that synthesize and release norepinephrine, and that is known to play a significant role in depression pathobiology. For example, there is evidence that tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) is elevated in the LC in …