Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Win-Win Situation Of Mentoring : Empowering Adolescents Through Mentorship, Jami Baretta

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Explores how mentorship can be utilized in a hospital setting as a short-term inpatient intervention.

A Quality Improvement Investigation Of Pediatric Asthma Services For Patients And Their Families, Tina Dimartino

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This quality improvement project sought to identify attributes of pediatric patients with asthma and their caregivers at a hospital serving pediatric patients and families in Bronx, NY. Anonymous, self-report surveys focused on rates of asthma inpatient admission and emergency department visits, general understanding of asthma, current services utilized in the hospital and interest in the potential expansion of existing services. Additionally, the project explored the prospective development of the current educational healthcare video system within the hospital.

The Olive Branch Program : A Proposal For Outreach To Survivors Of Trauma Highlighting The Restorative Potential Of Nature-Based Cultural Settings, Mariana I. Swick

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Addresses the long-term implications of sexual assault-related trauma on the lives of women survivors and demonstrates how nature-based cultural institutions can support the needs of this population throughout recovery. The study proposes the adoption of The Olive Branch Program (a hypothetical outreach program) by local nature-based cultural institutions in light of the long term needs of women survivors on various pathways towards recovery. In addition, the study proposes ways for cultural institutions to engage in interdisciplinary collaboration, address issues of accessibility, and offer socially relevant programming.

Late Effects Of Childhood Cancer : Implications For Child Life Specialists, Meghan Brewer

Graduate Student Independent Studies

No abstract provided.

Providing Family-Centered Care For Families And Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorders : A Guide For Healthcare Professionals, Kacie Wilson

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The purpose of this thesis is to provide healthcare professionals in the pediatric healthcare setting with the necessary tools to provide high quality family-centered care to children with ASD and to their families.

Creating An Optimal Healing Environment For Pediatric Patients And Families : A Medical School Course On Child Life Theory And Practice, Erin Halman

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This project outlines an introductory child life course intended for medical students. The course covers salient topics from a graduate level child life curriculum, as well as skills identified as the most useful for physicians in a survey of certified child life specialists.

Spark : An Educator's Look At Connection In 21st Century American Schools, Melissa J. Berrada

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Connection, creativity in the classroom and miracles are possible, even in today's standardized climate. The author gives examples that prove damaged systems can be overcome and difficult situations surmounted. Her hope is that this integrative master's project will show a true exploration of what it means to have an inner voice, to find and free it, and eventually express it.

Starting A Child Life Program : A How-To Book For Child Life Specialists, Lindsay A. Wallace

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper and handbook were written and produced to teach child life specialists how to develop a one-person child life program in a hospital setting.

A Trip To The Epilepsy Monitoring Unit : Using Video Modeling To Prepare Children And Caregivers For Inpatient Eeg Monitoring, Peyton Katz

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The goal of this project was to outline the benefits of utilizing video modeling in the preparation of children and families within a child life department's preparation program.

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Delta Agonist, Hpp593, Prevents Renal Necrosis Under Chronic Ischemia, Larisa V. Fedorova, Komal Sodhi, Cara Gatto-Weis, Nitin Puri, Terry D. Hinds Jr., Joseph I. Shapiro Md, Deepak Malhotra

Pharmaceutical Science and Research

The Goldblatt’s 2 kidney 1 clip (2K1C) rat animal model of renovascular hypertension is characterized by ischemic nephropathy of the clipped kidney. 2K1C rats were treated with a specific peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ (PPARδ) agonist, HPP593. Clipped kidneys from untreated rats developed tubular and glomerular necrosis and massive interstitial, periglomerular and perivascular fibrosis. HPP593 kidneys did not exhibit any histochemical features of necrosis; fibrotic lesions were present only in perivascular areas. Necrosis in the untreated clipped kidneys was associated with an increased oxidative stress, up regulation and mitochondrial translocation of the pro-death protein BNIP3 specifically in tubules. In the kidneys …

Move Montana: An Exercise Program For Children, Adolescents, And Their Families, Deanna Lynn Babb

Dissertations

Despite advances in medical science, the prevalence of obesity in the US has more than doubled in the last three decades, to over 72 million people (CDC, 2009). The purpose of this project was to pilot an exercise program that would increase physical activity in a group of adolescents and one of their parents or guardians. A convenient sample of 10 adults and eight adolescents returned surveys and exercised through the entire eight weeks (N = 18). Ten of the 18 participants (56%), six parents and four adolescents, reported increased frequency of exercise each week throughout the eight week period. …

Caveolin-1 Is A Negative Regulator Of Tumor Growth In Glioblastoma And Modulates Chemosensitivity To Temozolomide., Kevin Quann, Donna M Gonzales, Isabelle Mercier, Chenguang Wang, Federica Sotgia, Richard G Pestell, Michael P Lisanti, Jean-François Jasmin

Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Faculty Papers & Presentations

Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is a critical regulator of tumor progression in a variety of cancers where it has been shown to act as either a tumor suppressor or tumor promoter. In glioblastoma multiforme, it has been previously demonstrated to function as a putative tumor suppressor. Our studies here, using the human glioblastoma-derived cell line U-87MG, further support the role of Cav-1 as a negative regulator of tumor growth. Using a lentiviral transduction approach, we were able to stably overexpress Cav-1 in U-87MG cells. Gene expression microarray analyses demonstrated significant enrichment in gene signatures corresponding to downregulation of MAPK, PI3K/AKT and mTOR …

Female Division I Cross Country Runners: Is Balance An Issue?, Stephanie Taylor

Honors Theses

Injuries, including those resulting from falls, are virtually unavoidable in the sport of cross country. Due to the constantly changing terrains that cross country runners face, falls and injuries may be a more common aspect of the sport than previously thought. The strenuous nature of the sport and increased injury risk faced by runners are things that make being successful very difficult. Researchers have made connections between joint stability, muscle fatigue, proprioception, and muscle strength and injury/fall rate. Studies have found that balance abilities are lower in fatigued muscles. The frequent injury trends in distance runners show that many of …

Reducing Heart Failure In An Era Of Reform, Sandra M. Kurpela

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Heart failure (HF) affects an estimated 5 million Americans, with 550,000 new patients diagnosed yearly (American Heart Association, 2004). Despite advancements, readmissions for HF remain high. Management is especially important due to recent legislation that penalizes hospitals with excessive readmissions. The purpose of this evidence-based project (EBP) was to determine if a chronic disease HF management program with advance practice nurse, home care, and telehealth would affect hospital readmission 4 weeks post-discharge. Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory and the Iowa Model guided this system change. The project used a longitudinal experimental pre- and post-test design with convenience sample from two …

Effects Of A School-Based Education Intervention On Bmi And Physical Activity, Lauren M. Panner

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

In 2011, the CDC reported that there are 12.5 million obese children and adolescents living in the United States (U.S.). The financial burden of childhood obesity in the U.S. is estimated to be 14 billion dollars. The objective of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to answer the question: In school-aged children, how does school-based, structured, family-oriented physical activity education affect body mass index (BMI) compared to usual education over an eight week time period? The Stetler Model of EBP and the health belief model were used to guide this project in a rural, Northwest Indiana elementary school. For eight …

Understanding The Motivational Factors For College Students To Remain Non-Smokers, Chanler Hilley

Honors Theses

Cigarette smoking has long been recognized as a negative health behavior. Numerous studies have linked cigarette smoking to cancer, heart and circulatory problems, lung disease, and an array of other health issues, leading to lower quality of life and premature death. There is a wealth of knowledge relating to the negative outcomes of smoking behavior (USDHHS, 2010) and the factors leading to smoking behavior among adolescents (USDHHS, 2012). However, researchers have studied factors leading to nonsmoking behavior much less. The present study uses the Theory of Planned Behavior to understand the motivational factors that lead to a student's nonsmoking behavior, …

Predictors Of Treatment Outcomes In Geriatric Patients With Odontoid Fractures: Aospine North America Multi-Centre Prospective Gof Study., Michael G Fehlings, Ranganathan Arun, Alex R. Vaccaro, Paul M Arnold, Jens R Chapman, Branko Kopjar

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

STUDY DESIGN: Multicenter prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To identify patient and treatment characteristics associated with treatment success or failure in the management of odontoid fractures.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Odontoid fractures are the most common cervical spine fractures in the elderly and represent a significant management challenge with widely divergent views regarding operative versus nonoperative management.

METHODS: A total of 159 patients 65 years and older with radiographically confirmed type II odontoid fractures were enrolled at 10 sites in the United States and 1 site in Canada between January 2006 and May 2009. Subjects were followed at 6 and 12 …

Implementation Of The Intergrowth-21st Project In Kenya, Maria Carvalho, Sudhir Vinayak, Roseline Ochieng, V Choksey, N Musee, W Stones, H E. Knight, L Cheikh Ismail

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

The African site in the INTERGROWTH-21(st) Project was Parklands, a wealthy suburb of Nairobi, Kenya, with a largely middle-to-high socio-economic status population. There are three hospitals with obstetric units in Parklands, with approximately 4300 births per year. The Newborn Cross-Sectional Study (NCSS) sample was drawn from all three hospitals, covering 100% of births in this target population. The Fetal Growth Longitudinal Study (FGLS) sample was recruited from antenatal clinics serving these hospitals, using the eligibility criteria in the INTERGROWTH-21(st) protocol. Special activities to raise awareness of the study included securing media coverage and distributing leaflets in antenatal clinic waiting rooms. …

Shoulder Muscle Activation Of Novice And Resistance Trained Women During Variations Of Dumbbell Press Exercises, Joshua Luczak, Andy Bosak, Bryan Riemann

Health Sciences & Kinesiology: Faculty Publications

Previous research has compared the effects of trunk inclination angle on muscle activation using barbells and Smith machines in men. Whether similar effects occur with the use of dumbbells or in women remains unknown. The purpose was to compare upper extremity surface electromyographical (EMG) activity between dumbbell bench, incline, and shoulder presses. Dominate arm EMG data were recorded for collegiate-aged female resistance trained individuals (n=12) and novice female resistance trained exercisers (n=12) from which average EMG amplitude for each repetition phase (concentric, eccentric) was computed. No significant differences were found between experienced and novice resistance trained individuals. For the upper …

A Moving Journey: Personal Reflections From Dance/Movement Therapists With Non-Traditional Backgrounds, Meghan Nicole Slade

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The field of dance/movement therapy remains a discipline populated by Caucasian females. Although training has developed to treat diverse populations, little attention has been given to increasing the diversity of those studying and practicing the modality. Other than theses created by minority students training to become dance/movement therapists, minimal research has been conducted to understand how the field can invite more diversity. This thesis includes a documentary in which five dance/movement therapists with non-traditional backgrounds were interviewed using the methodology of Organic Inquiry. Their stories provide insight regarding the experiences non-traditional students in dance/movement therapy. Findings include instances of personal …

Truck Driver Dies When Tractor-Trailer Overturns After Leaving Road, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Motor Vehicle

In the early morning hours of a spring day around 5:45 a.m., a 55-year-old male truck driver was driving south on an interstate transporting sheet metal. It is unknown how long he had been driving when he exited from the highway, traveled partially up the ramp, and struck the left side guard rail. The truck left the road, traveled down an embankment and overturned onto its roof. A passing motorist called emergency medical services. The driver was extricated by mechanical means and declared dead at the scene.

To prevent future occurrences of similar incidents, the following recommendations have been made: …

College Of Public Health News, Georgia Southern University

College of Public Health: News & Publications

• Quality Improvement

Analyzing The Health Care Cost Curve: A Case Study, Robert Lieberthal

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

This case study uses data from a self-insured employer plan to perform an analysis into the properties of the health care cost curve. The analysis shows that one statistical property of the health care cost curve is that costs rise continuously, not on an annual or monthly basis. Graphical analysis indicates that managed care techniques used to restrain costs can also smooth utilization, producing the continuously growing cost curve observed. The analysis further illustrates that there is no one ‘‘cost curve’’—analysis must be segmented by population. Finally, the power of predictive models to fit the cost curve varies by population. …

Label-Free Detection Of Low Protein Concentration In Solution Using A Novel Colorimetric Assay, Molla R. Islam, Michael J. Serpe

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Dual pH and temperature sensitive microgel-based etalons were fabricated by sandwiching a “monolithic” microgel layer between two semitransparent, Au layers. The devices exhibit visual color and multipeak reflectance spectra, both of which primarily depend on the distance between the Au surfaces mediated by the microgel diameter. We found that a polycationic polyelectrolyte can penetrate through the Au overlayer to interact with negatively charged microgel confined between Au overlayers. In this submission we report that biotinylated polycationic polymer can penetrate through the Au overlayer of a poly (N-isopropylacrylamide)-co-acrylic acid (pNIPAm-co-AAc) microgel-based etalon and cause the microgel layer to collapse. The collapse …

Community Health News, Georgia Southern University

Health Policy & Community Health: News & Publications (2011-2018)

• Quality Improvement

Estimating Effects On Rare Outcomes: Knowledge Is Power, Laura B. Balzer, Mark J. Van Der Laan

U.C. Berkeley Division of Biostatistics Working Paper Series

Many of the secondary outcomes in observational studies and randomized trials are rare. Methods for estimating causal effects and associations with rare outcomes, however, are limited, and this represents a missed opportunity for investigation. In this article, we construct a new targeted minimum loss-based estimator (TMLE) for the effect of an exposure or treatment on a rare outcome. We focus on the causal risk difference and statistical models incorporating bounds on the conditional risk of the outcome, given the exposure and covariates. By construction, the proposed estimator constrains the predicted outcomes to respect this model knowledge. Theoretically, this bounding provides …

Implementation Of Mental Health Screening In An Adolescent Health Care Clinic, Lisa Colleen Isenberg

Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to increase the awareness of adolescent mental health issues and emphasize the importance of screening for depression and suicidal ideations, to provide clinicians mental health screening tools, and to determine the barriers and challenges involved in performing mental health screenings in practice. This project implemented mental health screenings in an adolescent, urban, walk in health clinic and evaluated the mental health screening and implementation process from the patient and the provider perspectives and determined the resources needed for follow up. This practice evaluation project included a mental health screening on consenting 18-24 year olds, …

What's Happening: May 13, 2013, Maine Medical Center

What's Happening

No abstract provided.

Does Structured Quality Improvement Training For Residents Increase Qi In Practice?, Ivy A. Click, Jeri Ann Basden, Fred Tudiver

ETSU Faculty Works

East Tennessee State University implemented quality improvement (QI) training for second-year family medicine residents in 2009. Results in 2011 indicated training increased scores in QI skill assessments as well as self-efficacy in QI. With residents who completed the training now in practice, does the increase in knowledge and skill translate to increased QI in practice? A survey of graduates compares frequency of QI cycles and self-assessment of QI skills among graduating classes, those receiving QI training and those graduating before training began. Residents that completed the QI curriculum rated their training higher; however residents that did not receive training were …

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation For Bridge To Decision And To Recovery., Hitoshi Hirose, Md, Phd, Shingeki Tabaka, Md, James Diehl, Md, Nicholas C. Cavarocchi, Md

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

Extracorporeal life support has advanced from its humble beginnings over 3 decades ago, with the first description of its success in a patient with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), going as far back as 1971. The indications for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy include refractory respiratory and/or cardiac failure, and ECMO is now being increasingly used in adult patients. In this case report, we present a patient who had traveled from India to the United States, where she developed acute decompensated biventricular failure and shock, requiring ECMO placement as a bridge to a decision. During her first few days on …