Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Effect Of Promoting Psychosocial Resilience In Adolescents With Diabetes: An Integrative Literature Review, Britney Sandino

Grace Peterson Nursing Research Colloquium

Background: Adolescent obesity and diabetes increase the risk of numerous physiological health threats and psychosocial stress disorders. Educating this population on how to cope with physical and psychosocial stressors improves their health status and health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

Objectives: The purpose of this review was to provide the nursing community with insight on the health promotion effects of fostering psychosocial resilience in diabetic adolescents aged 7 to 17 and suggest specific methods to integrate into their plan of care.

Methods: An integrative literature review was performed using PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Health Literature, Ovid Medline, ProQuest …

Addressing The High Rates Of Infant Mortality In The African American Population: An Integrative Literature Review, Faith Frangenberg

Grace Peterson Nursing Research Colloquium

No abstract provided.

Assessment In The Interpersonal Domain: Experiences From Empathy Assessment In Medical Education, Neville Chiavaroli

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

Frameworks for the teaching and assessment of 21st-century skills commonly recognise the importance of learning and skill development in the interpersonal domain. They also usually acknowledge the challenge of reliably and validly assessing students in this domain. In the field of medical education and in selecting students for medical courses, the concept of empathy has become central to representing the particular interpersonal understandings and skills expected of students and practising doctors. Attempts to assess these attributes during medical training are just as challenging as in school contexts. This presentation draws on several years’ experience of working with medical educators to …

Abstract Book (Pdf), Lsu Health School Of Medicine

Summer Research Internship Program

No abstract provided.

Realist Evaluation Of Ldcp Funded Health Equity Indicators, Shamiram Zendo Ms

Western Research Forum

Background: The Health Equity Indicators were developed by a group of public health practitioners, and academics to assist Local Public Health Agencies (LPHAs), across Ontario, Canada, determine whether their public health programs and activities meet the equity standards required by the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care (MOHLTC). The Health Equity Indicators have been designed to assess organizational internal practice and determine whether programs meet equity standards.

Objective: A realist evaluation is currently underway to determine who these indicators work for and under what conditions, across the LPHAs in the province of Ontario.

Method: Realist methodology has been …

Dance As A Protective Measure Against The Cognitive And Physical Declines Associated With Aging: A Proposed Study, Sarah M. Schwanz, Jeffrey Holmes, Jessica Grahn

Western Research Forum

Background:

Dance is considered a multimodal activity in that it requires both physical and cognitive engagement. Combining physical activity with music may have a synergistic effect, enabling dance to enhance physical and cognitive functions more than music and physical activity alone. The positive changes attributed to dance training such as improved visuospatial and motor ability, high coordination, greater balance, and increased cognitive ability may also benefit individuals as they age.

Methods:

This proposed study will examine whether dance training has the potential to protect against age-related cognitive and physical decline by assessing the cognitive and physical domains that show decline …

Interpreting Patient Reported Outcomes In Orthopaedic Surgery: A Systematic Review, Shgufta Docter, Zina Fathalla, Michael Lukacs, Michaela Khan, Morgan Jennings, Shu-Hsuan Liu, Dong Zi, Dianne Bryant

Western Research Forum

Background: Reporting methods of patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) vary in orthopaedic surgery literature. While most studies report statistical significance, the interpretation of results would be improved if authors reported confidence intervals (CIs), the minimally clinically important difference (MCID), and number needed to treat (NNT).

Objective: To assess the quality and interpretability of reporting the results of PROMs. To evaluate reporting, we will assess the proportion of studies that reported (1) 95% CIs, (2) MCID, and (3) NNT. To evaluate interpretation, we will assess the proportion of studies that discussed results using the MCID or the effect sizes and how …

Public Policy Advocacy In The Canadian Context: A Review Of The Current Literature, Amy Lewis, Abram Oudshoorn, Helene Berman

Western Research Forum

Public Policy Advocacy in the Canadian Context: A Review of the Current Literature

Background: Public policy advocacy is an important competency for students from healthcare and social service programs to develop; however, integration of policy advocacy within university curricula remains inconsistent. Identifying the knowledge and skills that healthcare and social service professionals use in policy advocacy supports the development of educational competencies to achieve entry-to-practice objectives. A review of the literature published on the topic of public policy advocacy in higher education was undertaken to determine the current state of this evidence.

Methods: For this scoping review, CINAHL, Scopus, and …

Identifying The Enzyme Involved In Vacuolar Atpase Acetylation During Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity, Rebecca Dang, Tianqing Peng

Western Research Forum

Doxorubicin is an established anticancer medication infamous for its bright colouration and extremely toxic side effects. Emerging studies support that the imbalance between acetylation and deacetylation disrupts the autophagic flux leading to doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. Vacuolar ATPases are a family of electrogenic proton pumps present on the lysosomal membrane that create an acidic environment for proteases to degrade proteins. Our preliminary study found that acetylated Vacuolar ATPase subunit V₀ D1 levels increased in doxorubicin-injected mouse hearts. However, it is unknown how acetylation of subunit V₀ D1 is modulated and whether this modification plays a role in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.

The …

Does Improved Physical Function Following A Nustep® Seated All Extremity Exercise Intervention Reduce The Fear Of Falling And Improve Quality Of Life In Older Adults With Fear Of Falling Living In Community Care Homes?, Navjot Gill, Denise Connelly

Western Research Forum

Background:

Decreased physical activity associated with fear of falling invokes a dangerous cycle of more fear, reduced activity and falls. NuStep is a seated all-extremity recumbent cross trainer which provides safe and efficient exercise training.

Hypotheses/Objectives:

The objectives of this study are to:

i. improve physical function and mobility of older adults living with a fear of falling with a NuStep;

ii. assess change in self-reported fear of falling and quality of life before and after the exercise intervention; and

iii. determine whether there is a relationship between exercise-related improved physical function/mobility with change in fear of falling and/or quality …

Role Of Gp120 Glycosylation In Sexual Transmission Of Hiv, Yingxue Sun, Adam Meadows, Najwa Zebian, Eric Arts, Carole Creuzenet

Western Research Forum

Background:

In chronic HIV patients, the viral populations are genetically diverse due to mutations introduced by the viral reverse transcriptase during HIV replication. However, more than 80% new infections result from single transmission founder (TF) viruses; therefore, targeting the TFs is key to control AIDS worldwide.

Gp120 is a glycosylated envelope protein required for HIV infection, propagation, and transmission. Glycans on gp120 influence HIV infectivity through their interactions with lectins, the carbohydrate-binding immune proteins in the host mucosa. To transmit sexually, viruses must overcome the lectin traps to access more target T cells.

Hypothesis:

TF viruses are less likely to …

An Application Of The Modifiable Areal Unit Problem: Optimizing Cluster Method Parameters To Produce Predictive Data For Hiv Outbreaks, Connor J. Chato, Art Fy Poon

Western Research Forum

Background

A popular approach to study HIV outbreaks is to cluster cases based on genetic similarity. However, there is no widely-used statistical criterion which optimizes the parameters for sequence-based clustering methods. The relationship between a cluster-defining similarity threshold and it’s associated set of clusters can be analogized to the aggregation level in the Modifiable Areal Unit Problem (MAUP).

Hypothesis

Based on the selection of aggregation level for study partitions in MAUP, we present a statistical framework to optimize the similarity threshold for pairwise distance algorithm TN93 (http://github.com/veg/tn93). We hypothesize that defining this threshold includes case connections such that …

The Wet Bridge Transfer System: An Novel In Vitro Tool For Assessing Exogenous Surfactant As A Pulmonary Drug Delivery Vehicle, Brandon J. Baer

Western Research Forum

Background:

Due to its complex branching structure, direct drug delivery to the remote areas of the lung is a major challenge. Consequently, most therapies, such as those treating pulmonary infection and inflammation, must utilize large systemic dosing, with the potential for adverse side effects. A novel alternative strategy is to use exogenous surfactant, a material capable of distributing throughout the lung, as a pulmonary drug delivery vehicle.

Objective:

Utilize an in vitro transferring system to assess exogenous surfactant (BLES) as a pulmonary delivery vehicle for different therapeutics.

Methods:

An in vitro technique was developed to simultaneously study surfactant delivery and …

Psychometric Properties Of Standardized Balance Confidence, Fear Of Falling, And Falls-Efficacy Measures In People With Lower Limb Amputations, Jack Y. Wang, Susan W. Hunter, Ricardo Viana, Jeffrey D. Holmes, Michael Payne

Western Research Forum

Background:

In Canada, >50% of community-dwelling lower limb amputees (LLA) fall at least once each year, a rate that is almost twice that of community-dwelling older adults. While the physical consequences of falls may be readily apparent, psychological sequelae that follow may be just as, if not more, detrimental than an actual fall itself. Current measures of balance confidence show no change in LLA following discharge from rehabilitation. The limited detectable change may be due to content validity challenges of the measures as they were not developed for the unique challenges faced by LLA.

Objectives:

1) Review items from standardized …

Depression Affects Recovery Following Distal Radius Fracture: A Latent Class Analysis, Shirin Modarresi, David M. Walton, Joy C. Macdermid

Western Research Forum

Background: Most people recover within six months following distal radius fractures (DRFs) but some experience pain and disability for one year or longer. Therefore, it is important to understand the factors that can help predict recovery. According to the biopsychosocial model of pain, psychological aspects of a condition can play important roles in explaining recovery.

Objectives: To identify the recovery trajectories of patients with DRFs and to determine the degree to which depression affects these trajectories.

Methods: Recovery was assessed in 318 patients using the Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation scale at baseline, three, six, and 12 months. Demographic information was collected …

Where On Ice? Algorithmically Deconstructing Nhl Shot Locations As A Method For Player Classification, Devan Becker, Douglas G. Woolford, Charmaine B. Dean

Western Research Forum

Where do hockey players shoot from? How does this vary from player to player? We present the results of a study that uses data-driven statistical methods to investigate these questions. The locations of shots by National Hockey League (NHL) players from 2011 to 2017 are analyzed using a combination of an image recognition algorithm and spatial statistical methodology. An unsupervised classifier is applied to output from a spatial point process model in order to determine which shot locations best characterize a given player. We define the number of regions a priori, but the image recognition algorithm chooses the shape …

Phylogenetic Estimates Of Hiv-1 Gp120 Indel Rates Across The Group M Subtypes, John Palmer, Art Poon

Western Research Forum

Insertions and deletions (indels) in the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120 play a significant role in the evolution of HIV pathogenesis and transmission fitness. While substitution rates in HIV-1 are well characterized by phylogenetic models, there is a lack of quantitative measures of indel rates in HIV-1. Here we use a dated-tip phylogenetic analysis of gp120 sequences to estimate indel rates for 7 subtypes and CRFs of HIV-1 group M.

We obtained and processed 26,359 HIV-1 gp120 sequences from the Los Alamos National Laboratory HIV Sequence database. After filtering these sequences, we extracted the conserved and variable regions from the remaining …

Mouse Performance On A Novel Touchscreen Continuous Performance Task Is Dependent On Signaling In The Prelimbic Cortex, Tyler D. Dexter, Daniel Palmer, Amy C. Reichelt, Anita Taksokhan, Lisa M. Saksida, Tim J. Bussey

Western Research Forum

Attention is the cognitive processing that facilitates the ability to target and attend to relevant environmental stimuli, while filtering out irrelevant or distracting stimuli. Control over selective attention is theorized to be dependent on organized neural communication that stems from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). To evaluate selective and sustained attention, mice were trained on the novel touchscreen rodent continuous performance task (rCPT), a task designed to emulate the human CPT. In the rodent version, images are continuously presented on a touchscreen, where mice have been trained to selectively respond to one image type while suppressing responses to all others. …

Dairy Intake And Cognitive Function In Canadian Older Adults, Mariam R. Ismail Miss, Alan Salmoni

Western Research Forum

Background: Dietary intake is one of the modifiable factors that may affect older adults’ cognitive function in their later years. Few research has considered the potential role of dairy foods on cognitive function. Methods: Across-sectional study was undertaken in 2014. Cognitive function was assessed using The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Rey Complex Figure Test and Recognition Trial (RCFT), Trail-Making Test (TMT), Victoria Stroop Test (VST) and the Digit Span Test (DST). Dietary intake was assessed via estimated 5-day food intake records and analyzed for saturated fat, vitamin D and calcium. Results: A total of 32 participants (8 males and 24 …

Using Molecular Dynamics To Study Qs21 Interactions And Penetration Of Lipid-Cholesterol Bilayers, Sarai Guerrero, Mikko Karttunen

Western Research Forum

Saponins have been used as adjuvant agents for decades in vaccines and therapies, but none are as well studied or heavily used as QS-21. This achievement is notwithstanding the fact that QS-21 usage is limited by its stability, toxicity, and scarcity. These shortcomings have only pushed researchers to develop and experiment with artificial recreations of the saponin to harness its unique benefits. A considerable number of research hours have been poured into this topic, but like QS-21 there is a shortcoming here as well. The number of articles that look at QS-21 interactions with the bilayer or the conditions under …

Cell-Free Dna Release During Programmed Cell Death In Ischemia Reperfusion Injury, Alexander Dionne, Anthony M. Jevnikar, Zhu-Xu Zhang

Western Research Forum

Transplantation is invariably associated with acute allograft injury caused by ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI). This injury causes cells of the allograft to undergo various forms of programmed cell death including apoptosis and necroptosis. During programmed cell death, immunogenic molecules are released from cells, one of which is cell-free DNA (cfDNA). We hypothesize that cfDNA is released by microvascular endothelial cells (MVECs) during programmed cell death of IRI and that cfDNA acts as both a biomarker for cellular injury as well as a biologically active molecule capable of amplifying inflammation and organ injury.

Our results indicate that cfDNA is released by …

The Effect Of Democracy, Development, Religion And Science On Animal Welfare, Sydney Richardson

Celebration of Learning

This project examined the determinants of animal welfare across five countries: India, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden and the United Stated. The dependent variable of animal welfare was measured based on the Animal Protection Index (API) developed by the World Protection, a global non-profit organization. Democracy, development, religion and science were major areas that were evaluated to determine if there were correlations with the API. Correlation with the API was tested by using the Pearson Correlation Coefficient. A Country’s Freedom House scores were used to evaluate Democracy. Development examined each country’s Human Development Index from the UN’s Human Development Reports and …

Pparg Signaling In The Nucleus Accumbens Regulates Mesolimbic Dopamine Activity, Tony Jung, Roger Hudson, Hanna Szkudlarek, Walter Rushlow, Steve Laviolette

Western Research Forum

Background: The mesolimbic dopamine system consists of dopamine neuron projections from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the nucleus accumbens (NAc). The NAc regulates VTA dopamine release through inhibitory GABA projections to the VTA. Hyperactive mesolimbic dopamine signaling is implicated in anxiety. Cannabidiol, a compound found in cannabis, demonstrates promising therapeutic potential for anxiety through the regulation of the mesolimbic dopamine system. Previous studies have revealed that cannabidiol infusions into the NAc decreases mesolimbic dopamine activity - potentially through the inhibitory GABA signaling to the VTA. However, the receptor mechanism in the NAc through which CBD produces its effects is …

Marketing Channel Effectiveness Of New Medications/Medical Technology, Hadley Mccormick

Celebration of Learning

This research project will study what marketing platforms/channels are most effective in the dissemination of new medical product news. Many people like myself have an illness/disease that requires daily medication, or require the daily use of a medical device. Due to the increasing influence of Direct to Consumer advertising of pharmaceuticals and the constant development of new medications and devices, patients may now more often go to the doctor with perceptions of what they should do to manage their illness/disease. This study aims to look at how the developers of these medications/medical devices promote their products currently and how certain …

Exercise To Combat Neurocognitive Decline In Older Adults, Joyla Furlano

Western Research Forum

Background: Older adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) experience cognitive decline and neural atrophy, and therefore are at high risk for developing dementia. Consequently, older adults at-risk for developing T2D (i.e., overweight or pre-diabetic individuals) are at higher risk for cognitive decline, and intervening at this point may prevent or delay the onset of such decline. One promising lifestyle intervention that may improve neurocognitive function is exercise. For example, 6 months of aerobic training improves cognitive function in overweight or pre-diabetic older adults, but research has not examined whether resistance training (RT) can produce comparable results in this population.

Hypothesis: …

Social And Economic Factors Leading To Health Disparities In The Latino Population Living In The United States, Omar Espinoza

Grace Peterson Nursing Research Colloquium

Abstract

Background: Several studies suggest that the Latino population in the United States receive poorer access to health care compared to other ethnics group.

Objective: The purpose of this integrative literature review was to identify social and economic factors that lead to health disparities among Latinos in the United States and to provide research-based recommendations on addressing the factors that lead to health inequalities.

Methods: This integrative literature review utilized the Self-Care Theory by Orem (2016) as framework to organize and conceptualize the research information. The keywords “Latinos AND healthcare AND disparities” were used to search the literature between …

Beneficial Effects Of Mindfulness Based Interventions Used With Spinal Cord Injury Patients; Integrative Literature Review, Sharif Ahmed Rahim

Grace Peterson Nursing Research Colloquium

Beneficial Effects of Mindfulness Based Interventions Used with Spinal Cord Injury Patients An Integrated Review of Literature

Sharif Rahim

Background and Significance: The major psychiatric complication of 20 to 45% after the injury is related to depression (North, 1999). This population has 4 to 5 times of higher rates of suicide which is the leading cause of death. Seventy-five percent of suicides occur within the first 5 years of the injury. High levels of pain and lack of support further increases their status of being at high risk. This population faces a difficult transition filled with stress from the trauma …

Gender Competence And Quality Of Care, Mary E. Losacco

Grace Peterson Nursing Research Colloquium

Gender Competence and Quality of Care:

What is the Role of Healthcare Providers in Transgender Healthcare Disparities?

An Integrative Literature Review

Mary Losacco

Faculty Sponsor: Elizabeth P. Anderson RN, PhD

Background: Unlike cisgender individuals, whose gender identities match the sexes they were given at birth, transgender individuals exhibit gender incongruence, because their gender identities differ from the sexes they were assigned at birth. Transgender individuals are still underrepresented in research and reporting, leading to obstacles in understanding possible health disparities within the community due to lack of recognition and knowledge of these issues. Early recognition by health care providers …

The Efficacy Of Incentive Spirometry In Postoperative Pulmonary Complication Prevention: An Integrative Review, Ziyad Zuhair Thalji

Grace Peterson Nursing Research Colloquium

The Efficacy of Incentive Spirometry in Postoperative Pulmonary Complication Prevention:

An Integrative Review

Ziyad Thalji

Background: Both the postoperative pulmonary complications (PPC) of atelectasis and pneumonia increase risk of fatality among postoperative patients. Pulmonary stasis, as the result of surgery, promotes along with the inability to expel secretions and ventilate the parenchyma the potential for multi-drug resistant pathogens for compromised host entry. Post-operative atelectasis risk occurs when there is reduced respiratory muscle activity and strength for inspiration and expiration. The resultant pooling of secretions can promote the growth of pathogens to a common form known as pneumonia. The incentive spirometer …

Examination Of The Impact Of Team Sport Participation On Adolescent Male Mental Health: An Integrative Literature Review Proposal, Alicia Ann Foster

Grace Peterson Nursing Research Colloquium

Examination of the Impact of Team Sport Participation on Adolescent Male Mental Health: An Integrative Literature Review Proposal

Alicia Foster

Background: In 2018, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) found that depression impacts almost one in eight adolescents and young adults yearly. They further sited that the number of adolescents who experienced major depressive episodes increased nearly a third from 2005-2014. Also in 2018, the World Health Organization cited that suicide is the third largest cause of death in older adolescents, ages 15-19 years old.

Objectives: The purpose of this integrative literature review is to evaluate the …