Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Mysleep101©: An Educational Mobile Medical Application For Sleep Health In Primary Care, Sonya Cook

Theses and Dissertations

Insufficient sleep has emerged over the past few decades as a public health concern. As little as 1 to 2 hours of sleep loss can produce extreme fatigue and physiological drives similar to thirst and/or hunger which increases the risk of motor vehicle accidents, work related mistakes and injuries. Sleep restriction whether voluntary or involuntary has produced a culture of chronic sleep deprivation that can be seen throughout the population. Chronic lack of quality sleep has been shown to adversely affect cardiovascular health, cognitive function, memory, immune responses and hormonal regulation among other homeostatic functions. Sleep disorders represent the cause …

Spatio-Temporal Analysis Of The Occupational Fatal Victimization Of Law Enforcement Officers In The Us, Xueyi Xing

Theses and Dissertations

The models with constant coefficients of the covariates across space and time are commonly used in spatio-temporal analyses. However, the associations between risk factors and the outcome could have locally differential temporal trends in many cases. In this study, a Bayesian latent cluster modeling strategy is employed to identify potential spatial clusters in which locally specific sets of temporally varying coefficients of covariates are allowed. A state-level panel data of police officers occupational fatal victimization for the years 1979-2010 is used. To accommodate overdisperson and excess zeros, a negative binomial model and zero-inflated Poisson/negative binomial models are also utilized. A …

Morphogenic Effects Of Dopamine In Cultured Rat Hippocampal Astrocytes, Ashley L. Galloway

Theses and Dissertations

Dopamine is critical for processing of reward and addictive behaviors brought about by drugs of abuse. Scientific investigation of drugs of abuse and their effects on CNS function has traditionally been directed at understanding the role of neurons. However, astrocytes, which constitute approximately half of all human brain cells, play a dynamic role in many essential nervous system functions, including neurotransmission, ion homeostasis, and immune defense. Dopamine effects on astrocytes have been historically understudied, yet research indicates that astrocytes express dopamine receptors and are sensitive to dopaminergic activity. Importantly, astrocytes, comprise a morphologically heterogeneous population of cells, and a distinction …

The Roots Of Perspective In The American Context: News Media Discourse And Stakeholder Perspectives About The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Nicholas Younginer

Theses and Dissertations

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program serves 46 million people but is controversial. The media is positioned to influence political and public opinions about SNAP policy. This study identifies the SNAP media discourse and investigates perspectives of SNAP participants and frontline workers about the program.

I employed a mixed-methods design with two aims. Aim 1 gathered 295 articles across six news outlets, semi-inductively coding the articles for characters, assignment of responsibility, and framing of the article. I then ran chi-square tests for difference between employed frame and responsibility and employed frame and political ideology.

Aim 2 collected a sample of 20 …

An Efficient Method For Optimizing Segmentation Parameters, Jacob D' Avy, Wei-Wen Hsu, Chung-Hao Chen, Andreas F. Koschan, Mongi Abidi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Segmenting an image into meaningful regions is an important step in many computer vision applications such as facial recognition, target tracking and medical image analysis. Because image segmentation is an ill-posed problem, parameters are needed to constrain the solution to one that is suitable for a given application. For a user, setting parameter values is often unintuitive. We present a method for automating segmentation parameter selection using an efficient search method to optimize a segmentation objective function. Efficiency is improved by utilizing prior knowledge about the relationship between a segmentation parameter and the objective function terms. An adaptive sampling of …

Healthcare Utilization And Expenditure Patterns Among Older Adults With Functional And Medical Decline, Ashley Shields Robertson

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose. As the aged population of this country grows, the U.S. healthcare system will face increased pressure to provide long-term care services and supports to increasing numbers of elderly Medicare beneficiaries. Studies have indicated that unmet long-term care need can lead to increased, unnecessary utilization of the healthcare system, thus further taxing the Medicare system. Little is known about how type of long-term care, as well as how long-term care policies—specifically payment policies—affect health care utilization. The objective of this original dissertation research was to examine the effects of place of residence (community versus residential long-term care facility) and …

Nursing Attitudes Towards Suicidal Patients In The Emergency Department: Assessment Interview Training, Belinda Beaver

Theses and Dissertations

This project sought evidence for the effectiveness of pedagogy in professional nursing continuing education and its effect on emergency department nurse attitudes towards patients seeking crisis intervention for suicide. Approximately 12 million emergency department (ED) visits annually were for patients suffering with mental illness and/or suicidal ideation. Emergency department staffs were often not adequately prepared to manage these problems. The purpose of this project was to examine the impact of an educational initiative on nurses’ attitudes about patients expressing suicidal ideation in the emergency departments 2 rural southeastern towns.

The project question was; in two different rural community emergency departments …

High-Throughput Sequencing-Based Approaches For The Identification And Development Of Molecular Targets For Cancer Therapy, David Joel Oliver

Theses and Dissertations

Effective cancer treatment depends on the development of therapeutics that efficiently eliminate the disease without significant reduction to quality of life. Targeted therapeutics achieve these goals, but their long-term efficacy is limited by the ability of cancers to become resistant to these therapies over time. The identification of new therapeutic targets is crucial for the future of cancer treatment. In this work we present functional identification and characterization of novel targets for cancer therapy.

Loss-of-function screens are a well-founded approach for the functional identification of new therapeutic targets, and, in combination with high-throughput sequencing technology, can now be performed at …

Relationships Of Chronotype, Social Jetlag, Sleep, Physical Activity And Diet With Mood, Perceived Stress, Obesity, Blood Pressure And Prostate Cancer, Daria M. Mcmahon

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Chronotype, social jetlag, poor sleep, proinflammatory diet, and low physical activity have been associated with increased risk of chronic diseases: obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression and cancer. Yet the relationships between these factors have not been extensively investigated in prospective studies.

Methods: Two studies were conducted. The first study followed 390 healthy men and women ages 21-35 for two years. Social jetlag [SJL] and sleep measures (total sleep time [TST], sleep onset latency [SOL], wake after sleep onset [WASO]), sleep efficiency [SE]), were derived from physical activity personal (armband) monitoring. The participants wore the armband for 4-10 …

The Effect Of Arsenic On Type 2 Diabetes And Inflammation, Kayla Penta

Theses and Dissertations

Arsenic, a ubiquitous environmental contaminant, has been shown to cause a number of health effects. At high concentrations the inorganic form is a well-known toxin, but at lower concentrations the effects range from various cancers, to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. At higher concentrations of arsenic (500- 1000μg/L) there have been epidemiological studies conducted demonstrating an increased risk in the development of type 2 diabetes with this exposure. At lower levels of arsenic exposure (<500 μg/L) the epidemiological results are inconclusive. Arsenic is also an immunotoxicant, meaning that it will cause changes in the immune response. The changes in the immune response will vary depending on a number of variables, including amount of arsenic exposure, forms of exposure and route of exposure. We wanted to determine if arsenic could modulate the immune system, and if this change could lead to an increase in susceptibility to type 2 diabetes development. We chose to examine this in C57BL/6 and db/+ mice – two non-susceptible strains. After 8 weeks (4 weeks old to 12 weeks old) of low dose inorganic arsenic exposure (50 μg/kg or 500 μg/kg) we evaluated changes in body composition, glucose tolerance and immune response. We saw that there were differences based on sex, genotype and treatment group present after the 8-week treatment period in body composition, while there were minimal changes in glucose tolerance. Finally, the immune response showed great variability depending on sex, genotype and treatment group. This project has demonstrated that while we are trying to compare differences in in vivo and epidemiological studies to find a link between arsenic and type 2 diabetes, there may be deeper levels of complications based on individual variability to arsenic exposure.

Sustainability Of Food And Nutrition Security Policies During Presidential Transitions: Integrating Socio-Political And Nutritional Sciences, Jessica Liana Escobar-Alegría

Theses and Dissertations

Presidential transitions are uncertain periods in which relationships among power, accountability, and electoral support of a democratic process do not hold. Transitions challenge collaboration towards implementing policies contributing to food and nutrition security (FNSP). Sustaining these policies during transitions is critical for reaching long-term goals. Knowledge gaps remain on how to perform strategic multisectoral work during transitions to maximize FNSP sustainability.

This study aimed to examine what determines FNSP sustainability during presidential transitions and responded to the questions: How do policy actors define sustainability? What are the mechanisms determining policy sustainability? What are the implications of terminal logic behavior (TLB) …

Contextualizing Multilayered Sexual Subjectivities Of Heterosexual Black Female Undergraduate Students At A Predominantly White Institution In The South, Amarachi Rossana Anakaraonye

Theses and Dissertations

This study uses an intersectional theoretical framework to examine Black college women’s sexual health by focusing on how they engage in sexual decision making within their social contexts. This qualitative study analyzed 20 individual in-depth interviews of Black female undergraduate students, ages 18-22, who attend a predominantly white institution (PWI) in the Southeastern United States. The themes that emerged from qualitative data analysis include Black female undergraduate students’ perceptions of the sexual culture of their campus and the protective strategies they employ to navigate the sexual culture in order to achieve and/or maintain physical, emotional, and social well-being. Key findings …

Stimuli Responsive Nanoparticle For Cancer Targeted Therapy, Huacheng He

Theses and Dissertations

Nanoparticle is the particle with a size in the range from several nanometers to hundreds of nanometers. It has been extensively used for cancer diagnosis and therapy. However, it is still a great challenge to fabricate nanoparticles with spatiotemporally controllable delivery of anticancer drugs to tumors and with high therapeutic efficacy. This thesis mainly focuses on the development of stimuli responsive nanoparticles for cancer targeted therapy. These nanoparticles either response to internal stimuli such as pH and redox potential or external stimuli like temperature and light could effectively target tumors and control the release of anticancer drugs there to improve …

Expectations And Quality Of Life During The Antepartum And Postpartum Period, Mary Kathryn Adams

Dissertations

During pregnancy, women frequently anticipate birth and motherhood with unrealistic images and expectations which are formed by personal experience and society’s portrayal of motherhood (e.g., books and movies). How these expectations impact the postpartum period for women has not been well studied. However, research has identified a link between maternal expectations, reality, and negative emotional responses. When expectations are met, the experience of motherhood may be a positive one. However, when these expectations are not met, the potential for negative emotional responses may be greater. The postpartum period is a significant period of adjustment, and depression occurs in about 13%–19% …

Moral Distress And The Health Care Organization, Andy Kondrat

Dissertations

A health care professional may experience moral distress when she believes she knows the ethical course of action in a given situation, but is unable to enact that plan, or must do otherwise. This dissertation argues that health care organizations have an ethical obligation to address moral distress in their health care professionals, and that common responses to moral distress are ethically insufficient due to their reliance on hierarchical solutions when hierarchies are, in fact, often a cause of moral distress. Thus, health care organizations, as moral agents, have a responsibility to find a non-hierarchical response to moral distress.

In …

Simulation Learning And Transfer To The Clinical Environment In Undergraduate Nursing Students, David A. Miles

Dissertations

Simulation learning is an integral component of many undergraduate nursing programs throughout the country. Experiential learning through simulation allows students to improve their cognitive, affective, and psychomotor skills. Some clinical experiences lack significant practice of clinical skills for students; including the inability to assume the role of the nurse. A recent literature review revealed a need to advance the understanding of simulation learning and transfer; with many questions still remaining unanswered. The aim of this study was to conceptualize the process by which simulation learning transfers to the clinical environment in undergraduate nursing students. Twenty-five, fourth-year traditional nursing students, who …

Examining The Effects Of Anti-Nogo A Immunotherapy On Post-Stroke Neurogenesis In The Adult Rat, Daniel Shepherd

Dissertations

Stroke is a leading cause of adult disability with no pharmacological treatments to restore lost function. Our laboratory has shown that treatment with neutralizing antibodies against the neurite growth-inhibitory protein Nogo-A improves sensorimotor and cognitive recovery after stroke in adult and aged rats. This recovery is paralleled by increased dendritic and axonal plasticity in anti-Nogo-A-treated rats. Neurogenesis, an alternate form of plasticity involving the de novo production of new neurons, may contribute to post-stroke neural repair. While previous studies have found roles for Nogo-A in adult neurogenesis, neurogenesis has not been investigated after stroke and anti-Nogo-A treatment. The goal of …

Monetizing Personal Data: A Two-Sided Market Approach, Ahmed Saleh Bataineh, Rabeb Mizouni, May El Barachi, Jamal Bentahar

All Works

© 2016 The Authors. Mobile phone-based sensing is a new paradigm that aims at using smartpohnes to answer sensing requests and collect useful data. Nowadays, a wide variety of domains ranging from health-care applications to pollution monitoring are benefiting from such collected data. However, despite its increasing popularity and the huge amount of data provided by users, there is no platform where mobile phone owners can effectively sell their data. In this paper, we propose the idea of a data monetization platform using two-sided market theory. In this platform, the data is viewed as an economic good and the data …

Characterization Of Dielectric Barrier Discharge Atmospheric Air Plasma Treated Chitosan Films, Shashi Pankaj, Carmen Bueno-Ferrer, Luke O'Neill, B.K. Tiwari, Paula Bourke, Patrick J. Cullen

Articles

Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma is a novel non-thermal food decontamination technology. The effects of DBD plasma on the surface topography, chemical composition and crystal structure, film hydrophilicity, water vapor permeability and oxygen permeability of chitosan films have been examined. DBD plasma treatment increased the surface roughness of chitosan films with emergence of sharp protuberances. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra confirm a significant increase in the oxygen containing groups in the chitosan film after plasma treatment. Significant increase in the film hydrophilicity was observed after plasma treatment. X-ray diffraction results showed that DBD plasma treatment do …

Conducting Qualitative Interviews By Telephone: Lessons Learned From A Study Of Alcohol Use Among Sexual Minority And Heterosexual Women, Laurie Drabble, Karen Trocki, Brenda Salcedo, Patricia Walker, Rachael Korcha

Faculty Publications

This study explored effective interviewer strategies and lessons learned based on collection of narrative data by telephone with a subsample of women from a population-based survey, which included sexual minority women. Qualitative follow-up, in-depth life history interviews were conducted over the telephone with 48 women who had participated in the 2009–2010 National Alcohol Survey. Questions explored the lives and experiences of women, including use of alcohol and drugs, social relationships, identity, and past traumatic experiences. Strategies for success in interviews emerged in three overarching areas: (1) cultivating rapport and maintaining connection; (2) demonstrating responsiveness to interviewee content, concerns; and (3) …

Attitudes To Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual And Transgender Parents Seeking Health Care For Their Children In Two Early Parenting Services In Australia, E Bennett, K Berry, T Emeto, L Shields

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Aim: to examine the attitudes to and knowledge and beliefs about homosexuality, of nurses and allied professionals in two early parenting services in Australia.

Background: Early parenting services employ nurses and allied professionals. Access and inclusion policies are important in community health and early childhood service settings. However, little is known about the perceptions of professionals who work within early parenting services in relation to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families.

Design: This is the final in a series of studies and was undertaken in two early parenting services in two states in Australia using a cross-sectional design with …

Self-Management Interventions To Improve Skin Care For Pressure Ulcer Prevention In People With Spinal Cord Injuries: A Systematic Review Protocol, J Baron, J Swaine, J Presseau, A Aspinall, S Jaglal, B White, D Wolfe, J Grimshaw

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Pressure ulcers are a serious, common, lifelong, and costly secondary complication of spinal cord injury (SCI). Community-dwelling people with a SCI can prevent them with appropriate skin care (i.e. pressure relieving activities, skin checks). Adherence to skin care remains suboptimal however, and self-management interventions that focus on improving this have been designed. Little is known on their content, effectiveness, or theoretical basis. The aim of the proposed systematic review is to synthesize the literature on self-management interventions to improve skin care in people with a SCI. Specific objectives are to describe these interventions in relation to their content, effectiveness, …

Identifying Patient-Specific Epstein-Barr Nuclear Antigen-1 Genetic Variation And Potential Autoreactive Targets Relevant To Multiple Sclerosis Pathogenesis, M Tschochner, S Leary, D Cooper, K Strautins, A Chropra, H Clark, L Choo, D Dunn, I James, W Carroll, A Kermode, D Nolan

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection represents a major environmental risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS), with evidence of selective expansion of Epstein-Barr Nuclear Antigen-1 (EBNA1)-specific CD4+ T cells that cross-recognize MS-associated myelin antigens in MS patients. HLA-DRB1*15-restricted antigen presentation also appears to determine susceptibility given its role as a dominant risk allele. In this study, we have utilised standard and next-generation sequencing techniques to investigate EBNA-1 sequence variation and its relationship to HLA-DR15 binding affinity, as well as examining potential cross-reactive immune targets within the central nervous system proteome.

Methods: Sanger sequencing was performed on DNA isolated from peripheral blood …

The Use Of Feedback In Group Counseling In A State Vocational Rehabilitation Setting, Saara Grizzell, Julie Smart, Michael J. Lambert, Jamison Fargo

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

This study examined the impact of providing progress feedback to individuals with disabilities receiving services at a state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency. Thirty individuals were randomly assigned to receive either group therapy (treatment-as-usual, TAU) or group therapy plus feedback (treatment, Fb) during a 10-week counseling program at one of five agency offices. Each week, participants attended a 90-minute session and completed a measure of mental health (Outcome Questionnaire-45). Longitudinal multilevel models were used to evaluate the hypothesis that participation in the Fb group would lead to improved mental health. The effect of the intervention was conditional on receipt of public …

Factors Influencing The Decisions Of Women Small Business Owners On Hiring People With Disabilities, Roy K. Chen, Stephen A. Zanskas, Hung-Jen Kuo, Noel A. Ysasi

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

Despite the passage of disability rights legislation in the United States, individuals with disabilities continue to experience high unemployment and underemployment rates than their counterparts without disabilities. The purpose of the study was to examine the attitudes of women small business owners towards hiring individuals with disabilities, and to determine what factors influence their hiring decisions. A total of 80 women small business owners in a southwestern U.S. state took part in the study. The Employer Attitudes Questionnaire (EAQ) and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale Short Form-C (M-C Form C) were used to assess participants’ attitudes. The results of a …

Physiatrists' Professional Opinions Of Secondary Complications After Sci, Noel A. Ysasi, Irmo Marini, Bradley Mcdaniels, Roy K. Chen, Lisa R. Dunkley, Shelby Kerwin

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

The professional opinions of physiatrists were collected to ascertain the likelihood of occurrence, frequency of hospitalization, and treatment required as a direct result of 13 secondary complications (SCs) of two otherwise healthy males in their mid-20s, one with a C5-C6 tetraplegia and the other with T6 paraplegia spinal cord injury. Physiatrists responded to our online survey and overall, a general consensus was found among practitioners. Descriptive statistics was implemented with details outlining the frequency, mean, standard deviations, and the probability (51% or greater) versus possibility (50% or less) of SC occurrence is provided. Implications for life care planners and recommendations …

A Comparison Of Physiatrist Life Care Planners Versus Non-Life Care Planner Physiatrists' Professional Opinions Regarding Secondary Complications Of Spinal Cord Injuries, Noel A. Ysasi, Irmo Marini, Danielle Leigh Antol, Kristin Maxwell, Shelby Kerwin

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

The specialization of life care planning continues to evolve through empirical research and periodic standards of practice symposiums. Within this evolution, the need exists towards advancing the profession through the creation of a universal and standardized approach among all who operate within the field of life care planning regarding when/when not to include secondary complication costs into a life care plan. Opposing life care planners (LCPs) are sometimes millions of dollars apart in projected costs, often generally attributed to the inclusion of such costs which may be possible (51%) from a life care planning certainty threshold. The current study surveyed …

A Comprehensive Literature Review Of Secondary Complications Of Spinal Cord Injury, Noel A. Ysasi, Shelby Kerwin, Irmo Marini, Bradley Mcdaniels, Danielle Leigh Antol

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

Spinal cord injury (SCI) and secondary complications (SCs) that occur as a direct result of the injury can be a contributing factor for increased hospitalization and need for specialized healthcare. For instance, level of injury, time since injury, gender, age, and personal health care have shown to increase and/or decrease the incidence rate of specific SCs. The authors conducted a comprehensive literature review for 12 SCs to examine the relative prevalence of each for people with SCI. The data utilized was to determine the probability (>50%) versus the possibility (

Positive Psychology And Hope As Means To Recovery From Mental Illness, Jinhee Park, Roy K. Chen

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

The field of psychiatric rehabilitation has seen a paradigm shift in its perceptions of symptom reduction, recovery, and restoration of personal-growth and -development. Recovery is subjective in nature, as no two individuals achieve identical rehabilitation outcomes; the process is dynamic and influenced by an array of personal and environmental factors, all of which can facilitate a deeply personal, unique progression that changes one's attitudes, values, feelings, goals, skills, and roles. The concept of positive psychology is relevant to the perception from mental illness. Positive psychology seeks to understand what makes life worth living and encourages the use of mental strengths …

The Association Between Physical Activity And Serum Immunoglobulin G (Igg) Antibodies Against Periodontal Bacteria, A. Paige Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to add more research and evidence to the mechanisms surrounding periodontal disease, periodontal microorganisms, and physical activity. The main objective of this study is to evaluate and explore the association between physical activity and serum IgG antibodies, which are grouped into four distinct clusters, formed from species specific 19 periodontal antibody titers. This cross sectional study divided physical activity into three categories: adequately physically active, inadequately physically active, and inactive based on MET scores. Certain models were adjusted for confounders including age, sex, race/ethnicity, income-to-poverty ratio, years of formal education, smoking, alcohol intake, BMI, …