Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Morphometric Analysis Of Left & Right Tonsils In Adult Symptomatic Type 1 Chiari Patients And Healthy Controls, Louis J. Konstan

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Historically, CMI has been radiographically defined by cerebellar tonsillar descent below the foramen magnum (FM) more than 5 mm (2). This measurement is typically made with a single sagittal plane T1-or T2-weighted MR image. Studies have obtained additional morphometric measurements to help diagnose CMI, and establish normal values (3,4). These studies were somewhat These studies were somewhat successful in differentiating CMI patients from healthy subjects. However, results from these studies have shown that the standard TD measurement does not necessarily correlate with neurological symptom severity as patients with CMI-like symptoms have been found with a TD of less than 5 …

The Impact Of Baby Sign Training On Stress Levels Of Daycare Providers, Grisel Julieta Rodriguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Proponents of baby sign claim improvements in child-caregiver interactions and reductions in parental stress as benefits of implementing baby sign. Due to research contradicting the claims, and to the rise in daycare attendance, the current study investigated the effects of a baby sign workshop on the stress perception of daycare providers. A pre-test post-test between groups design with 20 participants was conducted using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS10) and a workshop-specific descriptive survey as measures. The difference between the post-test stress levels of experimental and control groups approached significance, as did the differences between pre-test and post-test results for the …

The Impact Of Accented English On Speech Comprehension, Benigno Valles

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

In the context of shifting demographics in the United States and with an increasing multicultural workforce, the verbal exchange of information is vital especially between health care providers and patients. Although English is the official language in the United States, many individuals from different national origins speak English with some degree of accent. Before we can address health care provider/patient communication, it is necessary to investigate the potential impact of accented English on speech comprehension and its implications on basic communicative interactions. The verbal exchange of information between health care providers and patients is important in diagnostics, treatment, patient …

Identification Of Leishmania Spp. And T. Cruzi Parasites In Stray Felines In El Paso, Texas Through Polymerase Chain Reaction, Patricia Isabela Gonzalez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Chagas disease and leishmaniasis are considered neglected parasitic diseases, and although dogs are considered the main domestic reservoirs, infected cats have recently been found in endemic areas in several countries and became a public health concern. These diseases can be transmissible to other animals and are known to infect humans as well. Natural infection of cats by Leishmania spp. and Trypanosoma cruzi has been demonstrated in several European, Latin American, and Asian countries. A recent field study found dogs and wild animals tested positive for both Leishmania and Trypanosoma cruzi in the El Paso, Texas Region. Cats, however, have not …

Detecting Enzootic Leishmaniasis And American Trypanosomiasis In Stray Dogs In El Paso County, Texas And The Potential For Autochthonous Transmission To Humans, Evan James Kipp

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Cutaneous leishmaniasis and Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) are two vector-borne, protozoal zoonoses whose emergence into the southern United States is a public health problem of increasing significance. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is caused by several species of intracellular protozoa in the genus Leishmania and is most often characterized by the formation of large, ulcerative skin lesions that can result in considerable scarring and permanent disfigurement. Infection with Leishmania is prevalent throughout the world in tropical and sub-tropical regions and in areas where people are regularly exposed to the hematophagous sand fly vectors that transmit the disease. Chronic infection with Trypanosoma cruzi, the …

Does Low-Level Arsenic Exposure Predict Blood Pressure In Children?, Tania Angelica Mayorga

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background & Significance: Inorganic arsenic is a heavy metal naturally found in soil and human exposure to this heavy metal causes adverse effects. Exposure risks are particularly high in developing children. Arsenic is mainly found in bedrock. It is also a by-product of smelting, it is used in cement production, and historically is has been found in crop pesticides. Among other ill-effects, arsenic exposure in humans can cause respiratory diseases, peripheral neuropathy and liver fibrosis. In particular arsenic has been shown in many studies to be a contributing factor in the risk for hypertension in adults however no studies have …

Effects Of Controlled Whole-Body Vibration Training On Reducing Risk Of Falls Among Young Adults With Obesity, Jose Jesus Munoz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Among people with obesity, several factors increase the risk of falls: an abnormal body mass distribution, muscle weakness, and postural instability. Although standard exercise-based training could change these factors, a significant portion of people with obesity may be unable or unwilling to comply with long duration and high intensity training programs. Therefore, alternative training methods are highly demanded. Growing evidence supports that controlled whole-body vibration (CWBV) training can reduce risk of falls among older adults. No study has yet investigated the potential effect of CWBV training on reducing risk of falls among obese populations. The purpose of this study …

The Effects Of Sign On Speech Segmentation In Infants, Alma Rosa Acosta

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: The ability to extract words from fluent speech (speech segmentation), perhaps one of the greatest obscure achievements for the purpose of learning language, is dependent upon imperceptible endeavors. Remarkably, infants are active participants from the moment they are born, using auditory and visual information to assist them segmenting speech. As motivated parents attempt to use baby sign to bridge communication gaps, visual information in the form of baby sign may benefit children in extracting words from speech. To examine the effects of baby sign on speech segmentation, a systematic replication of the Hollich et al. (2005) study, a within-subject …

Monolingual And Bilingual Intervention Outcomes In A Bilingual Child With Autism, Victoria Alexander

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: When treating bilingual children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the language of intervention has been a controversial topic among professionals. There is limited research on the treatment of bilingual children with ASD.

Purpose: To extend the limited research on the use of language of intervention in bilingual children with ASD. This study compared a monolingual English treatment and a bilingual English-Spanish treatment, to examine which one was more efficient.

Methods: A single-subject alternating treatment design with a baseline was used to compare the efficacy of two treatment conditions in increasing language skills in a bilingual child with ASD. The …

A Comparative Assessment Of Electrophysiological And Behavioral Performance In Individuals With Aphasia Responding To Spoken And Written Sentence Length Commands, Sha-Renae Alexander

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The aim of this study is to investigate whether deficits in processing affect auditory and reading comprehension in the same manner. This study compared the behavioral and electrophysiologic performance of four individuals with aphasia and four participants with no brain damage responding to spoken and written sentence length commands using a modified version of the Revised Token Test (McNeil & Prescott, 1978). Electrophysiological responses were recorded from the scalp using event related potentials (ERP). The latency and amplitude of the N400 ERP component were measured and analyzed. Behavioral reaction times and correct responses were collected and examined. Performance differences between …

Restraint Stress Alters Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Expression And Increases Superoxide Dismutase In The Rat Hypothalamus And Hippocampus, Kristina Isabel Barron

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The impact of restraint stress on changes in cytokine expression and oxidative stress markers in hippocampal (Hipp) and hypothalamic (Hyp) regions of the brain, were assessed in a rat model. In addition, immune and inflammatory variables were assessed in peripheral blood. Male Wistar rats were acutely (30 min) or repeatedly (30 min/d for 14 consecutive days) exposed to a restraint stress, or maintained as non-stressed controls. At the time of sacrifice, whole blood and brain tissues enriched in Hyp or Hipp regions were collected; blood was collected with EDTA as an anticoagulant and centrifuged to yield plasma. All tissue samples …

A Culturally Appropriate Cognitive Assessment Screening For Bhutanese Refugees, Holly Milligan

Master's Theses and Capstones

Background: As the incidence of cognitive impairment continues to rise, timely and accuratediagnoses are essential. Aim: The aim of this quality improvement project was to evaluate the standard cognitiveassessment screening for Bhutanese refugees in a medical home, and compare an alternative,validated, and potentially more culturally appropriate tool. Also, an assessment of provider,nurse and interpreter satisfaction with the two tools was performed. Method: Mixed methods including qualitative observations and quantitative satisfaction surveysrelated to the implementation of a culturally appropriate cognitive assessment tool. Results: When assessed with the standard tool, all 10 people screened positive for cognitiveimpairment. However, when using the alternative …

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth In Post Oesophagectomy And Gastrectomy Patients, Melissa Dooley

Masters

A review of patients who underwent a hydrogen breath test for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth, following an oesophagectomy or gastrectomy was carried out in the Gastrointestinal Function Unit, St. James’s Hospital, Dublin. The aim of this research was to look at the incidence of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth and create an optimal protocol for Hydrogen Breath Testing with the hope of improving patient compliance and reducing clinic waiting times. Factors such as lifestyle, multimodal therapy, tumour morphology, and gender were analysed in relation to positive Hydrogen Breath Test results in this patient group. Patients were selected following a referral from …

Medical Academia Conflict Of Interest Policy And Potential Impact On Research Funding, Michael Keith Maahs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The partnership between medical academia and the pharmaceutical industry has been scrutinized for issues associated with research bias. As a result of this scrutiny, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued policy recommendations in 2009 directing academia to adopt comprehensive conflict of interest (COI) policies. During the same time, a slowdown of funded research into academia occurred, and it is not clear whether the IOM recommendations contributed to this problem. The purpose of this case study was to determine the extent to which compliance with the IOM policy resulted in a reduction in funded research. The Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) was …

Genome-Wide Association Study On The Sleep Symptom Of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Tammy Pooler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that presents with 3 main symptoms're-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyper arousal'after an individual experiences a traumatic event. Recent evidence suggests a potential genetic basis for PTSD and a sub symptom of hyper arousal, sleep, as a potential pathway for PTSD development, but no study has identified candidate genes associated with specific symptoms such as sleep difficulty. Based on a conceptual framework in which specific genes are associated with the onset of PTSD, this study used a genome-wide association

study (GWAS) method with a case control study design to compare the genomes of individuals …

Systematic Review Of Retention Of Direct-Care Workers In Long-Term Care Facilities, Regina Evonne Goins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Turnover among direct-care workers in long-term care (LTC) facilities is high, and has a significant impact on residents, leaders, and owners of LTC facilities. The overall turnover costs are also substantial and constitute a significant financial burden in LTC facilities. This systematic review of the literature examined, retention strategies for direct-care workers in the LTC workforce. The information may be used to develop and provide practice recommendations that will help improve retention rates among direct-care workers in LTC facilities. The project design involved a systematic examination of English-only studies from 2001-2004, retrieved from 3 major databases: CINAHL with Medline simultaneous, …

Multiple Regression Analysis Of Factors Concerning Cardiovascular Profitability Under Health Care Reform, Gordon Brian Wesley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cardiovascular (CV) patients receive one-third of the care and account for $444 billion of the health care costs in the United States. The cardiovascular service line (CVSL) in hospitals contributes to the profitability influenced by elements of resource dependence theory (RDT). The purpose of this study was to understand whether the regression model of hospital characteristics and outcomes would predict profitability in a CVSL through the cost-to-charge ratio (CCR). The use of a general linear model and multiple regression analysis to examine the 2012 National Inpatient Sample from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project allowed estimates from a weighted sample …

Building Resilience And Coping Effectiveness (Brace): A Program For Military Families, Linda Pauline Zarrett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Building Resiliency and Coping Effectiveness (BRACE): A Program for Military Families

by

Linda Zarrett

MSN, University of Cincinnati, 2012

BSN, Minnesota State University, Moorhead, 1985

Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Walden University

August 2015

Veterans returning from combat report significant family strain and Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms (PTSS) yet have limited access to care resources. Family members, including children, report very similar symptoms to those of veterans and have yet fewer health care resources. The purpose of this project was to apply principles from existing research on post-traumatic stress …

Inflammatory Markers Associated With Disease Progression Of Cardiorenal Syndrome, Srikanta Banerjee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An increase in cellular inflammatory biomarkers directly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Using the social ecological and biomedical theories, the study examined quantitatively how specific inflammatory biomarkers are associated with cardiorenal syndrome (CRS), a potential complication of hypertension and diabetes, and how sociodemographic factors modify this association in the U.S. adult population. A retrospective secondary data analysis of the data collected from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2010 was utilized to evaluate these hypotheses. High sensitivity C-reactive protein, homocysteine (hcy), and fibrinogen had a modifying effect on Type 4 (chronic reno-cardiac etiology), Type 2 CRS (chronic …

A Policy Guide To Decrease The Use Of Continuous Passive Motion Machines, Rosa M. Cooper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A Policy Guide to Decrease the Use of Continuous Passive Motion Machines

by

Rosa M. Cooper

MSN, Walden University, 2009

BSN, Immaculata University, 2007

Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Walden University

August 2015

This project was conducted at a post-acute rehabilitation hospital that served post-acute orthopedic, stroke, brain injury, cardiac, and skilled nursing patients. On the orthopedic unit, there were 5 practicing physicians, 3 of whom consistently used continuous passive motion (CPM) therapy on total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and 2 of whom did not. As a result of discussions …

Killing Adherent And Nonadherent Cancer Cells With The Plasma Pencil, Mounir Laroussi, Soheila Mohades, Nazir Barekzi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The application of low temperature plasmas in biology and medicine may lead to a paradigm shift in the way various diseases can be treated without serious side effects. Low temperature plasmas generated in gas mixtures that contain oxygen or air produce several chemically reactive species that have important biological implications when they interact with eukaryotic or prokaryotic cells. Here, a review of the effects of low temperature plasma generated by the plasma pencil on different cancerous cells is presented. Results indicate that plasma consistently shows a delayed killing effect that is dose dependent. In addition, there is some evidence that …

Case Study: Breastfeeding Facilitation And Initiation Within One Prison Nursery Program, Jessica Wallace

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Breastfeeding rates of incarcerated women in the U.S. are unknown. As the female prison population rises, little to no data exists on breastfeeding initiation within prison nursery programs. The purpose of this case study was to assess breastfeeding facilitation and initiation within one prison nursery program. An interview was conducted with a nursery program administrator from one of nine active prison nurseries here in the U.S. Constructs from the Social Cognitive Theory including reciprocal determination, facilitation, observational learning, and incentive motivation were assessed. Through an administrative perspective, the results provided a better understanding of prison nursery programs and shed light …

An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of Caregivers' Support For Their Preschool Children's Language And Social Skills Development, Sheri Stein Blum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some children have difficulty communicating due to a lack of age-appropriate language and social skills. Researchers have explored how music and language share features that shape language processing. The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological analysis was to explore the experiences of caregivers of preschool children who participated in a music-based program and to understand their perspectives related to children's language and social skill development. Learning style and sensory integration processing theories were used as framework to provide foundations of skills in this study. Research questions addressed caregivers' choices related to this program for their children, their experiences of their children's …

Preparing The Periphery For A Subsequent Behavior: Motor Neuronal Activity During Biting Generates Little Force But Prepares A Retractor Muscle To Generate Larger Forces During Swallowing In Aplysia, Hui Lu, Jeffrey M. Mcmanus, Miranda J. Cullins, Hillel J. Chiel

Faculty Scholarship

Some behaviors occur in obligatory sequence, such as reaching before grasping an object. Can the earlier behavior serve to prepare the musculature for the later behavior? If it does, what is the underlying neural mechanism of the preparation? To address this question, we examined two feeding behaviors in the marine mollusk Aplysia californica, one of which must precede the second: biting and swallowing. Biting is an attempt to grasp food. When that attempt is successful, the animal immediately switches to swallowing to ingest food. The main muscle responsible for pulling food into the buccal cavity during swallowing is the I3 …

Factors Motivating Employee Participation In Employer-Sponsored Health Awareness Programs, Markanthony Henry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employers adopt worksite health promotions to reduce the incidence of preventable diseases, reduce healthcare costs, reduce absenteeism and presenteeism, and improve productivity. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the motivational factors affecting employee participation in employer-sponsored health awareness programs. The theory of planned behavior grounded the study and formed the conceptual framework. Data collection occurred through semistructured interviews with 24 participants in the northeastern United States with lived experiences in worksite health promotion. Participants answered open-ended interview questions regarding the motivations for engaging in health promotions. Data were transcribed and coded for trends and themes. During …

Predictors Of Cervical Cancer Screening Among Hispanic Women In The United States, Benedicta Ngozi Ilouno

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Minority women groups in the United States have the highest incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer. Hispanic women have the highest incidence rate and the second highest mortality rate of the disease. Researchers have examined the lower rates of cervical cancer screening among Hispanic women, as compared to other groups of U.S. women, but researchers have not examined the extent to which socioeconomic status, acculturation, and sexual activity impact Hispanic women's compliance with screening. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between compliance with cervical cancer screening and acculturation, socioeconomic status, and sexual activity among U.S. …

A Mixed Method Study Of Diagnostic And Adaptive Functioning Challenges In African American Preschool-Aged Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Douglene Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are known to experience performance and participation challenges, with early diagnosis being critical for improved outcomes. Children from ethnic minority backgrounds tend to receive their diagnoses later, even when symptomatology is similar. This mixed methods study explored symptom severity, functional difficulties, and age at diagnosis for ASD and to describe the functional challenges encountered by preschool-aged children with ASD of African American descent. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health along with the Model of Human Occupation were the theories used for this study to conceptualize functional challenges and other potential factors. Research …

Examining The Impact Of Accreditation On A Primary Healthcare Organization In Qatar, Alia Ghareeb

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although a modest body of literature exists on accreditation, little research was conducted on the impact of accreditation on primary healthcare organizations in the Middle East. This study assessed the changes resulting from the integration of Accreditation Canada International's accreditation program in a primary healthcare organization in the State of Qatar. The study also investigated how accreditation helped introduce organizational changes through promoting organizational learning as well as quality improvement initiatives. Pomey's Dimension of Change framework and questionnaire was used to measure the effect of Accreditation Canada International standards on the perceived quality performance and the progress towards organizational learning. …

Examining Biopsychosocial Factors In The Drive For Muscularity And Muscle Dysmorphia Among Personal Trainers, Beau J. Diehl

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted to assess the presence of muscle dysmorphia (MD) and a drive for muscularity (DFM) in 1,039 personal trainers using the Muscle Dysmorphia Inventory (MDI) and the Drive for Muscularity Scale (DMS). Muscle dysmorphia is considered a subtype of body dysmorphic disorder that can be exacerbated by an intense DFM, which may in turn lead to negative psychobehavioral outcomes. Because personal trainers are an unresearched population with regard to these 2 constructs, a multidisciplinary framework was used to ground the present research study. Independent variables were structured using a biopsychosocial foundation where the biological dimension …

An Educational Program For Nurses On Therapeutic Misconception In The Oncology Setting, Debra Magnanelli

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A key component of informed consent to participate in research is the understanding that research is not the same as treatment and that scientific goals have priority over therapeutic ones. However, studies have found many research participants do not understand these important differences between research and treatment, a phenomenon termed therapeutic misconception (TM). The problem addressed in this project was research nurses' lack of education regarding the existence and concepts of TM, and their struggles to assess and address research participants' TM of clinical trials. Matutina's conceptual model of TM was used to guide this project. The purpose of this …