Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Level Of Cultural Responsiveness And Its Preparation Among Grand Valley State University’S Occupational Therapy Graduates, Kathleen Kovach, Rebecca Palmitier, Robyn Ward

Education

Background: In a field that aims to be holistic and client-centered, occupational therapists need to consider their client's culture. Culture is comprised of values, beliefs, and lifestyles and will affect the therapy process (Cheung, Shah, & Muncer, 2002; Cole, Stevenson, & Rogers, 2009). To truly treat clients holistically, therapists need to be culturally responsive in their practice, considering factors which influence therapy and its outcomes. Occupational therapy education programs, therefore, need to prepare its students to be culturally responsive practitioners. This research examined whether Grand Valley State University (GVSU) Occupational Therapy (OT) graduates are culturally responsive and how the program …

Regulation Of The Mouse And Human Β-Globin Genes By Krüppel Like Transcription Factors Klf1 And Klf2, Yousef N. Alhashem

Theses and Dissertations

Krüppel-like factors KLF1 and KLF2 are closely related transcription factors with three zinc finger domains in their carboxy-termini. KLF1 (erythroid Krüppel-like factor, or EKLF) plays essential roles in embryonic and adult erythropoiesis. KLF2 is a positive regulator of the mouse and human embryonic β- globin genes. KLF1 and KLF2 have overlapping roles in embryonic erythropoiesis, as demonstrated using single and double knockout (KO) mouse models. Ablation of the KLF1 or KLF2 gene causes embryonic lethality, and double KO embryos are more anemic and die sooner than either single KO. We have shown that KLF1 and KLF2 positively regulate the human …

Humor As A Teaching Strategy: The Effect On Students' Educational Retention And Attention In A Nursing Baccalaureate Classroom, Mohammed Ahmed Alkhattab

Nursing Master Theses

With the rapid development in nursing education systems, nurse educators struggle to find effective teaching strategies for their students. Using humor as a teaching strategy with nursing students can be helpful in improving many areas of their education. The review of literature showed a lack of studies on the effect of using humor in nursing education. The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of using humor as a teaching strategy on the educational retention and attention of sophomore nursing students. The setting for this study was a college of nursing at a Midwestern university. The participants were …

The Lived Experience Of Indonesian Nursing Faculty Participating In A Nursing Education Reform Based On The 2009 World Health Organization Global Standards, Joan Elaine Edwards

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

Problem: In 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) published global standards for initial education of professional nurses and midwives. Curriculum revision is challenging; but even more difficult in developing countries such as Indonesia. Faculty may not be equipped educationally and experientially for the educator role. Indonesian nursing curricula are not currently based on the 2009 WHO global standards. Purpose: To understand the lived experience of Indonesian nursing faculty participating in curriculum revision based on 2009 World Health Organization global standards. Design: A mixed descriptive and interpretive phenomenological qualitative research approach, based on van Manne's methodology. Participants: Thirty-seven nursing faculty from …

Association Of Genetic Variation, Gene Expression, And Protein Abundance Within The Natriuretic Peptide Pathway, Bipin Sunkara

Honors College Theses

Background: The natriuretic peptide (NP) system is a critical physiologic pathway in heart failure, but there is marked individual variability in its functioning which may be genetic in origin. We investigated how genetic variations in NP pathway genes correlate with gene expression and protein abundance.

Methods: DNA, RNA, and tissue from human kidney (n=77) were obtained. Kidney was chosen as target tissue because each of the four candidate genes and proteins (natriuretic peptide receptor 1 (NPR1), NPR2, NPR3 and membrane metallo-endopeptidase (MME)) are expressed there. DNA samples were genotyped for 120 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in these four genes using …

The Role Of Internal Communication And The Effect On Employee Engagement, Cherie Gaither

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The purpose of this project was to build and evaluate internal communication interventions that would enhance employee engagement. The desired outcome of the communication team’s efforts was to show a significant increase in employee engagement, as compared to peer institutions.

Self-Reported Racism, Transphobia, Their Intersection And Impact On Past-Year Hiv Related Sexual Risk Behaviour, Roxanne M. Longman Marcellin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Background: Studies examining HIV prevalence and risk behaviors within trans subgroups have identified them as high risk. Yet few studies have addressed how discrimination impacts this prevalence. Minority stress theory suggests that there is a relationship between minority stress and HIV-related risk behaviour. We hypothesize that multiple minority statuses may result in discriminatory experiences, specifically self-reported transphobia and racism in synchrony with other attributes, that interact to alter past-year HIV-related risk behaviour.

Methods: Data came from the Trans PULSE project, a mixed-methods, community-based research study that used respondent-driven sampling to access 433 trans Ontarians, between May 2009 and …

The Role Of Aldhhicd44+ Cells In Breast Cancer Metastasis And Therapy Resistance, Alysha K. Croker

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Breast cancer is a leading cause of death in women, due primarily to ineffective treatment of metastatic disease. Despite being a lethal process, metastasis is surprisingly inefficient, with less than 0.5% of cancer cells able to successfully navigate the metastatic cascade, indicating that only a small proportion of cancer cells possess the necessary characteristics to establish metastases. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have recently been identified in leukemia and solid tumors; however, the role of CSCs in breast cancer metastasis and therapy resistance remains poorly understood. Sub-populations of cells demonstrating stem-cell like characteristics (high expression of CSC markers and/or high ALDH …

Peptide-Mediated Targeting Of Angiogenesis For Molecular Imaging And Treatment Of Cancer, Choi-Fong Cho

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The development of screening approaches to identify novel affinity ligands has paved the way for a new generation of molecular targeted nanomedicines. To identify novel targeting ligands, several studies have demonstrated the advantages in screening one-bead-one-compound (OBOC) libraries. Conventional methods typically bias the display of the target protein to ligands during the screening process. We have developed an unbiased multiplex ‘beads on a bead’ strategy to isolate, characterize, and validate high affinity ligands from OBOC libraries. In addition, due to the advantages associated with screening OBOC libraries directly against living cells, we sought to combine cell-based screen methods with automated …

Properties And Applications Of Sensory Outcome Measures In Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Derek Km Cheung

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis aimed to determine the psychometric properties and applications of sensory threshold tools and outcome measures in patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). The first chapter is a psychometric study that defines clinically important difference (CID), construct validity and responsiveness of touch and vibration threshold tools and in the Symptoms Severity Scale (SSS). The study found the CID for the PSSD and for the SSS was 0.15g/mm² and 0.50 respectively. The study also found that the Vibrometer was more representative of hand function and responsive compared PSSD. The second objective of this thesis was to determine the feasibility …

Assessment Of Balance In Collegiate Cheerleaders: Is Implementing A Balance Training Program A Good Idea?, Caitlin Carroll

Honors Theses

Cheerleading has evolved immensely over the years. Gone are the days of simply shaking pom poms and yelling "GO TEAM!" Flips, twists, and prime athletic ability are what can be seen on the sidelines of any collegiate football or basketball game. Cheerleaders in general are assumed to have an above average level of balance, due to the nature of their training and sport. However, with these new skills comes the increasing risk for injury, and this risk may differ according to a cheerleader's position. As with any sport, cheerleading has specific positions. The cheerleaders that are put into the air …

Autonomic And Behavioral Reactivity To An Acute Laboratory Stressor, Jeremy C. Peres

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Stress has been widely shown to directly influence people’s emotional and behavioral processing as well as their underlying biological systems. This project examined physiological and behavioral responses as indicators of stress and coping in the context of a psychosocial stressor in a controlled laboratory setting. We examined the association between indicators of behavioral coping and underlying physiological reactivity within participants while experiencing stress. Participants included 68 emerging adults. Physiological measures include autonomic biomarkers (e.g., heart-rate, skin conductance) at rest and during the stressor while behavioral indicators that were coded include acute verbal and non-verbal actions exhibited by participants during the …

Strategies Used By Hospitals In A Southeastern State To Reduce Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections: Comparing The Outcomes By Hospital Structure And Processes, Furnell Rife

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections are considered a clinical indicator of quality of care. A descriptive research study was conducted to identify the strategies used by hospitals to reduce or eliminate CAUTIs. Infection Control Preventionists were surveyed. In a predominately rural southeastern state, this study demonstrated that about 40% of hospitals surveyed are implementing CAUTI prevention processes.

Evaluation Of Heat Stress In Migrant Farmworkers, Stephen L. Mcqueen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rate of heat-related fatalities in crop production workers is almost 20 times that of other industries. Heat stress was investigated in migrant tomato workers in July, 2012, using measurements of body temperature, heart rates, body weight loss, evaluation of the thermal environment, and survey data. Using occupational safety criteria, these workers were found to work in an environment that should require protective measures to prevent heat strain. Increases in body temperature, heart rate, and physiological strain correlated with heat exposure. One third of workers had body weight percentage losses that indicated dehydration. However, working in hot environments appears to …

The Effect Of The Female Athlete Triad On Performance: Both Physiologically And Psychologically, Constance Darlington

Honors Theses

The female athlete triad is a condition that is composed of an interaction of three separate disorders: low energy intake due to the presence of an eating disorder or disordered eating, menstrual dysfunction, such as, oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea, and osteoporosis. Separately, each disorder can affect performance; however, when the disorders are combined, the consequences are magnified. The female triad has a profound effect on an athlete's performance both physiologically and psychologically. The female athlete triad can affect any female athlete; however, it is more prevalent among the athletes that specialize in aesthetic sports or sports that emphasize leanness, for example, …

Effectiveness Of A Pilot Gerontological Nursing Certification Preparation Support Program For Registered Nurses Working In Long Term Care, Gail B. Sprigler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Between 2000 and 2025 there will be a 30% increase in the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in Indiana (Alzheimer’s Association, 2010). Many individuals with AD and related dementia are cared for in long term care communities. Adequate knowledge and expertise of nurses caring for older adults, particularly those with dementia, is important for the delivery of quality care and the promotion of quality of life for residents living in long term care. This pilot project examined the benefit of a resource support program to encourage Gerontological Nursing certification for registered nurses in the long term care setting.

Implementation Of Shared Governance, Sheryl Glasscock

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Implementation of shared governance in any facility presents challenges for leadership as well as the nursing staff. The implementation of shared governance for this organization yielded positive results operationally, and for the development of nursing overall.

Workplace Lactation Support: Project Development And Implementation, Peggy Rinehart

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Objective: A pilot project establishing a lactation support program for staff, faculty, and students at Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC) was introduced in September 2012. The lactation support program is intended to promote and support breastfeeding and decrease barriers to continued breastfeeding for mothers who are employed or attending classes. The purpose of this paper is to report on the: (1) development and implementation of a lactation support program in a regional multi-campus community college; and (2) plans for evaluation of the effectiveness of the new program. Setting: The program was implemented at a community college with campus sites …

A Correlational Pilot Study Of Fatalism And Self-Efficacy Among Appalachians With Type Ii Diabetes Mellitus., Dwyn Mounger

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Despite the vast amount of research regarding type II diabetes, little is known about the relationship between fatalistic beliefs and self-efficacy in individual self-care among adult Appalachians with type II diabetes. As a result of multiple predisposing risk factors that include high rates of obesity and poverty, as well as a lack of access to preventative care services, the prevalence of diabetes is very high in this region and has become a major health issue. In addition, a history of exploitation and lack of diverse economic development has profoundly influenced the cultural beliefs of those living within the region, which …

Does Pregnancy Intent Impact The Decision To Breastfeed?, Rachel Collins

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Current literature overwhelmingly supports the benefits of breastfeeding for mothers and infants. Numerous studies significantly correlate specific demographics and background factors of breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding mothers. However, little research has focused on the intendedness of the pregnancy and its association with breastfeeding. The goal of this study was to examine the association between pregnancy intendedness and breastfeeding plans and behavior. The first question of interest examined was whether pregnancy intent was associated with a woman’s intent to exclusively breastfeed when asked during the third trimester, after control for potentially confounding differences between the two groups. The second question of interest …

Adoption Of Innovation: Impact Of Rituximab (Rituxan®) Faster Infusion On Oncology Nurses' Perceptions, Practice, And Resource Utilization, Keith Dawson

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

The translation of advances in clinical research into clinical practice in a manner that provides benefits while reducing potential harm is a challenge within the health care delivery system. Data from a phase III multicenter clinical trial led to the 2012 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a 90-minute infusion of rituximab (Rituxan) starting at Cycle 2 for patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma who did not experience a Grade 3 or 4 infusion-related adverse event during Cycle 1. The 90-minute rituximab faster infusion will result in a significant change in how nurses in the United States have been administering …

A Practical Scale For Multi-Faceted Organizational Health Climate Assessment, Zandra M. Zweber

Master's Theses

The current study sought to develop a practical scale to measure workplace health climate in a way that has not previously been conceptualized – as a three-faceted approach from the employee perspective serving as an indicator of a healthy organization. The goal was to create a short, useable yet comprehensive scale that could translate into practical use by organizations and occupational health professionals planning workplace interventions. To accomplish this, the proposed multi-faceted organizational health climate scale (MOHCA) assesses three-facets which match up with three organizational levels: 1) organization 2) supervisor and 3) workgroup. Ten items were developed and tested on …

Cultural Traditions And The Reproductive Health Of Somali Refugees And Immigrants, Nancy S. Deyo

Master's Theses

Millions of Somalis began fleeing their country in 1991 to escape the civil war. The largest Diaspora of Somali refugees in the United States currently reside in Minnesota. Utilizing a qualitative research approach, four focus groups with 25 Somali women, two focus groups with 12 Somali men, one focus group with Somali religious leaders and seven in-depth interviews with American healthcare professionals were conducted in Minneapolis to help develop culturally sensitive reproductive health programs for Somali mothers. Twenty key distinctions between Somali cultural traditions and Western medicine were identified. For many Somali women, prenatal care is a new concept. There …

Evaluation Of The Survival Effect For Various Treatment Modalities Among Stage Ii And Iii Rectal Cancer Patients In California, 1994-2009, Myung Mi Cho

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: European trials evaluating the effect of preoperative (PreOP) versus postoperative chemoradiotherapy (PostOP CRT) found no survival benefit. However, the effect of a change from PostOP to PreOP CRT has not been evaluated in a population-based setting. We sought to evaluate multimodal treatment changes and overall survival for perioperative (PeriOP) CRT versus surgery alone and for PreOP versus PostOP CRT from 1994 through 2009 among patients receiving radical surgery for stage II and III rectal cancer (RC).

Patients and Methods: We conducted a nonconcurrent cohort study evaluating demographic predictors of multimodal therapy for stage II and III RC using …

A Descriptive Analysis Of The Effects Post Discharge Phone Calls Have On Readmission Rates For Medicare Beneficiaries, Heaven Owens

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

One in five Medicare patients is readmitted within 30 days of a previous hospitalization, which impacts patients and the healthcare system with exponential expenditures (Allaudeen, Vidyarthi, Maselli, Auerbach, 2011). The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have mobilized recovery audits to begin recapturing funds related to readmission, and medical institutions must take an active role to ensure their financial integrity and protect their clinical reputation. For the purpose of this project, the population of interest was Medicare beneficiaries age 50 through 88 with a primary diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or Congestive Heart Failure (CHF). The intervention included …

Noun Clauses In Clinical Child Language Samples, Christine Beate Scoville

Theses and Dissertations

Noun clauses are grammatical constructions that are of relevance both to typical language development and impaired language development. These clauses have been part of published techniques for the clinical analysis of language samples, and computer software for the automated analysis of clinical language samples has attempted to identify noun clauses, with limited success. The present study examined the development and clinical use of noun clauses as well as the automated identification of these clauses. Two sets of language samples were examined. One set consisted of 10 children with specific language impairment (SLI) whose age ranged from 7;6 to 11;1 (years;months), …

Parents' Perceptions Of Activity Restrictions In Children With Epilepsy: First Two Years Post-Diagnosis, Nathan C. King

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Children with epilepsy are less physically and socially active than their peers. The objective is to explore whether parents represent a barrier to children’s activity, by examining associations between child and family factors and parents’ perceptions of epilepsy-related activity restrictions. Data were from the Health Related Quality of Life in Children with Epilepsy Study, a longitudinal study of children 4-12 years old with new-onset epilepsy. Parents reported on activity restrictions and family factors and neurologists reported on epilepsy-related characteristics at baseline, 6, 12, and 24 months. Linear mixed models were used to model relationships among child and family factors and …

The Role Of Ca2+/Calmodulin Dependent Protein Kinase Ii Alpha In Group 1 Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Endocytosis And Signalling, Stephanie C. Kulhawy

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR1 and mGluR5) are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) activated by glutamate. mGluR1/5 couples to Gα_q/11 and releases Ca²⁺ from the endoplasmic reticulum. Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II alpha (CaMKIIα) can be activated by Gα_q/11-mediated Ca²⁺ release through binding of Ca²⁺/calmodulin. Results from a proteomic screen identified CaMKII as a novel mGluR-interacting protein. Therefore, we hypothesized that CaMKIIα associates with group 1 mGluRs and this association alters mGluR1/5 signalling and internalization. Firstly, we demonstrated the novel association between CaMKIIα and mGluR1/5 by co-immunoprecipitation of transiently transfected proteins in …

Prenatal Genetic Diagnosis Using Transcervically Derived And Immunomagnetically Isolated Trophoblast Cells, Swati Bajpayee

Honors College Theses

Trophoblast cells migrate from the placenta into the endocervical canal early in the first trimester and can be collected non-invasively by transcervical sampling (TCS), potentially providing fetal DNA for prenatal genetic diagnosis. Experiments were conducted to separate fetal cells from maternal cells within the TCS specimens and use the fetal cells to perform genetic analysis. Trophoblast cells were efficiently isolated from TCS specimens during weeks 5-18 of gestation using HLA-G antibody coupled to magnetic nanoparticles. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that 99% of isolated cells expressed the chorionic gonadotropin β subunit (β-CG), while the non-bound cell fraction expressed none. Immunomagnetically isolated cells …

Screening For Adult Adhd In Ontario: A Cross-Sectional Study Examining Sex Differences, Mental Health Correlates And Substance Use, Deanne Daigle

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The vast majority of studies on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are based on samples with inherent age, sex, and referral biases. Therefore, the current study used population-based data to 1) estimate the prevalence of adult ADHD (as well as previous diagnosis and medication use using an ADHD screener) and co-occurring psychiatric distress and substance use in Ontario 2) examine the sex differences in ADHD screening status and co-occurring psychiatric distress and substance use and 3) model ADHD screening status as a risk factor for psychiatric distress using the 2011 cycle of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Monitor. A positive …