Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Exploration Of Nursing Assistants' Beliefs About Job Satisfaction, Darcie M. Brady

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) make up 66% of the healthcare work force making them the largest group of health-care workers (American Health Care Association Department of Research [American Health Care Assoc.], 2011). A variety of factors contribute to a 36% turnover rate of CNAs nationwide (2015 Staffing Report, 2015). The consequences of turnover are also disruptive to the quality of patient care. According to Stone and Wiener (2001) high rates of turnover and staff vacancies have multi-layered consequences; patient care suffers, cost of constantly replacing workers soars, and worker job dissatisfaction increases. This study examined the CNAs’ beliefs about job …

Using An Educational Intervention To Address Nurse-Patient Communication At The Bedside: A Qualitative Study, Rebecca L. Tolino

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

It has been shown that simply instituting bedside report does not necessarily improve nurse-patient communication. Nurses need to be educated on standardized methods of giving report. Having a common predictable structure such as SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment and Recommendation) for giving bedside report influences the patient’s perception of communication with the nurse. The researched question was “In nurses working on a medical surgical unit in an acute care hospital does the implementation of an information and role-play workshop using SBAR affect perception of nurse-patient communication in bedside report.” The purpose of the project was to determine nurses’ perceptions of nurse-patient …

Np Students' Perceptions Of Weight Loss Treatment Using Cam, Terri Miller

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Americans use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities to treat and prevent disease and to enhance quality of life. Nurse practitioners (NPs) are in a unique position to use CAM in patient care and educate patients about potential benefits and risks. NPs need more information to effectively use CAM as treatment for weight loss. To address this need an educational intervention was developed. A qualitative key informant study was conducted to determine NP students’ perceptions of using CAM following an education intervention on CAM. A purposive sample of NP students from a university pharmacology class was study participants. The nurse …

An Exploration Of Nurses’ Perceptions Of Resuscitation Of Spinal Cord And Traumatic Brain Injured Patients, Lisa Jaye Shelton-Chappell

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

The study explored nurse perceptions of resuscitation of Spinal Cord injured (SCI) and Traumatic Brain injured patients (TBI) with nurses at a specialty rehabilitation hospital. Research shows that cardiac arrests that occur within hospitals but outside of critical care or emergency departments are challenges for first responders who are generally nurses (Ranse & Arbon, 2008; Morrison et al., 2013). SCI and TBI patients are at increased risk for cardiac arrest which can extend into the rehabilitation period (Casha & Christie, 2011). In settings where emergencies are not the norm, additional anxiety and stress are created for these first responders, especially …

Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Boys State Basketball Tournament, Kassie Mcgettigan

Master of Arts in Sport Management

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations, and is a small, non-profit organization. The WIAA's Boys State Basketball tournament, most attended event hosted by the WIAA, has a long standing history in Wisconsin sports and is always looking to improve the event each year. The purpose of this thesis was to gain an in depth understanding of the event's history, budget, marketing, risk management, and human resource management. Recommendations were made for risk management issues and a marketing plan was laid out. A recent ethical dilemma surrounding the event …

Antagonism Of Triazolam Self-Administration In Rhesus Monkeys Responding Under A Progressive-Ratio Schedule: In Vivo Apparent Pa2 Analysis., Bradford D Fischer, Donna M Platt, Sundari K Rallapalli, Ojas A Namjoshi, James M Cook, James K Rowlett

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Conventional benzodiazepines bind non-selectively to GABAA receptors containing α1, α2, α3, and α5 subunits (α1GABAA, α2GABAA, α3GABAA, and α5GABAA receptors, respectively), and the role of these different GABAA receptor subtypes in the reinforcing effects of benzodiazepines has not been characterized fully. We used a pharmacological antagonist approach with available subtype-selective ligands to evaluate the role of GABAA receptor subtypes in the reinforcing effects of the non-selective conventional benzodiazepine, triazolam.

METHODS: Rhesus monkeys (n=4) were trained under a progressive-ratio schedule of intravenous midazolam delivery and dose-response functions were determined for triazolam, in the absence and presence of flumazenil (non-selective antagonist), …

From Squirrels To Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Cbt): The Modulation Of The Hippocampus, Rachel Ariella Bartfeld

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The legitimacy of psychotherapy can often be thrown into doubt as its mechanisms of action are generally considered hazy and unquantifiable. One way to support the effectiveness of therapy would be to demonstrate the physical effects that this treatment option can have on the brain, just like psychotropic medications that physically alter the brain’s construction leaving no doubt as to the potency of their effects. Beginning with the understanding of therapy as a behavior, this paper first questions the possibility of behavior effecting measurable change on the brain. Examining diverse samples of both animals and humans repeatedly shows that the …

Is Deep Brain Stimulation A Viable Treatment For Parkinson’S Disease?, Brocha Gold

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Treatment options for those suffering from Parkinson’s Disease are as diverse as its symptoms. With the advent of modern technology there are new and innovative treatments that are becoming available, such as Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). Prior to exploring treatment options one must understand the various causes of the disease. Treatment of the various motor and non-motor symptoms can include a combination of medication and surgical therapies. Among surgical interventions DBS is the treatment of choice. It has the fewest side effects and provides the greatest symptomatic relief.

Is There A Link Between Zika Virus And Microcephaly In Neonates?, Yuliya Salanovich

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

With Zika virus spreading worldwide, a lot of attention is drawn to researching its pathogenesis and etiology. It has also been noticed by various research groups and such health agencies such as CDC and WHO that there might be a connection between ZIKV and microcephaly, due to the spiking number of cases of microcephaly reported in areas with affected patients. Temporal and geographical data from the affected ZIKV areas, including Brazil and French Polynesia, suggests a connection between microcephaly and the virus. Tests of amniotic fluids of pregnant women with reported Zika virus infection and microcephalic fetuses revealed the presence …

3d Organ Printing, Chana Sirota

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The global shortage of donor organs is a cause for countless fatalities across the world. Although, diseases can be treated through organ transplantation it can come along with many complications. Not only is there a high demand for donor organs, there is also the risk of the body’s rejection of the newly implanted organ. Through the method of 3D printing organs, many lives could be saved as well as reducing the need for donor organs. Finding materials to create a suitable scaffold is the focus of many experiments. Materials that are used in organ printing are made from soft materials, …

The Secret Ingredient For Improving Infant/Child Mental Health: Teaching Parents To Play, Geraldine Healy Marini

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Disorders in mental health are the highest of all disorders and results in the most common form of disability. Since 2011, mental health disorders have increased at alarming rates. It is estimated that 9.5 to 14.2% of children between the ages of 0 to 5 years have and emotional or behavioral problem. The mental health of parents or caregivers can affect and impact the development of young children (Nelson & Mann, 2011, Zero to Three, 2004).

The over arching goal of this research is to explore issues of mental health within parent-child interactions. Coaching parents during the co-occupation of play …

African Clawed Toads’ Responses To Visual And Lateral Line Stimuli, Marko Milosavljevic, Kevin Goth

Undergraduate Research Posters 2016

The African Clawed Toad, Xenopus laevis, is an aquatic species commonly found throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. Adults use vision to sense movements and lateral line to sense vibrations in the water. Here, we analyze the effectiveness of the toads' vision and lateral line systems individually and in combination. This study will help us understand how Xenopus utilizes sensory information to capture prey. We tested which sensory system elicits greater responses, how stimulus angle and distance affect the probability of a response, and if the toads respond equally to visual and lateral line stimuli. We found that a combination of both visual …

The Relationship Between Observed And Perceived Measures Of Balance Stability, Lrenzo Bianco, John Demarco, Sarah Gualtier

Undergraduate Research Posters 2016

Introduction Injurious falls have risen significantly in the past decade, raising concerns about the efficacy of fall prevention programs. The purpose of this study was to analyze the correlation between perceived and observed balance measures used in a falls prevention program. Methods Subjects (S) were 70 (F), 59 (F), and 73(M). They were taught the Rate of Perceived Stability (RPS), a perceived measure of balance intensity and completed the Berg Balance Test (Berg), Timed up and Go (TUG), and Activities Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC). The Berg and TUG are observed measures and the ABC is a perceived measure. Last, …

How Big Is A Cloud: A Statistical Analysis Of Cloud Size Distributions Derived From Large Eddy Simulations, Dorothy Pharis, Nicholas Barron

Undergraduate Research Posters 2016

To accurately represent cumulous clouds in climate and weather models, it is important to understand how large clouds, in certain cloud fields, are. These fields can be described by a cloud size distribution (CSD), the number of clouds of a certain defined size. This study utilized data from a Large Eddy Simulation (LES), a high resolution numerical model describing the atmosphere, to explore what defines the cloud size distribution. First, we have developed a toolkit to illustrate the cloud size distribution by using the slope and deriving an estimate for the scale break. Second, we performed a statistical analysis of …

How To Manage Knee Arthritis: Best Practices For Treatment Prior To Orthopaedic Referral, Ali Oliashirazi Md, Alex Caughran Md, Zain Quazi Md, Grant Buchanan Md, Akash Sharma, Franklin D. Shuler Md, Phd

Orthopaedics

Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is a debilitating disease in which degeneration of the joint space cartilage can lead to life-altering pain and stiffness. The prevalence of OA has a strong correlation with age, with evidence of radiographic knee OA found in 37.4% of persons older than 60 years of age. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ) 2013 report, osteoarthritis was ranked the second most expensive condition for Medicare and private insurers, with over 90% of the hospitalizations for OA involving a knee or hip replacement. It is projected that by 2030 the number of primary …

Delaying Chemotherapy In The Treatment Of Stage Iv Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Does Not Adversely Affect Survival Outcome, Mohammad Mozayen Md, Mohamed Alsharedi, Inderjit Mehmi, Todd W. Gress Md, Maria Tria Tirona Md

Biochemistry and Microbiology

Background: Whether a delay in the initiation of chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can affect overall survival is not well studied. We aim to evaluate the effect of the time interval between diagnosis and initiation of chemotherapy on overall survival in patients with stage IV NSCLC.

Methods: A retrospective review of newly diagnosed stage IV NSCLC patients who received chemotherapy between 1995 and 2012 was conducted. Demographics, histology and site(s) of metastases of patients were reviewed. Time interval between the date of diagnosis and the date of starting chemotherapy was calculated in days. Patients were divided in …

Adiposity Predicts Pulse Pressure In Subjects With Chronic Kidney Disease: Data From The Modification Of Diet In Renal Disease, Preeya T. Shah Phd, Rebecca Martin, Juan R. Sanabria, Zeid Khitan Md, Prasanna Santhanam, Komal Sodhi, Nader G. Abraham, Joseph I. Shapiro Md

Biochemistry and Microbiology

Obesity is a known risk factor for hypertension, but the mechanisms by which this occurs are still unclear. As the body mass index (BMI) is frequently used to define obesity, but the BMI does not distinguish between adipose and other tissues, we sought to develop another index of obesity. We decided to look at the ratio of BMI to urinary creatinine excretion as the latter measurement is believed to be an index of muscle mass. We used data from the modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD) study as urinary creatinine collections and blood pressure measurements were readily available in …

Gallic Acid, A Phenolic Compound, Exerts Anti-Angiogenic Effects Via The Pten/Akt/Hif-1Α/Vegf Signaling Pathway In Ovarian Cancer Cells, Zhiping He, Allen Y. Chen, Yon Rojanasakul, Gary O. Rankin, Yi Charlie Chen

Pharmacology, Physiology and Toxicology

Gallic acid (GA), a polyphenol, is widely found in numerous fruits and vegetables, particularly in hickory nuts. In the present study, we found that gallic acid, a natural phenolic compound isolated from fruits and vegetables, had a more potent growth inhibitory effect on two ovarian cancer cell lines, OVCAR-3 and A2780/CP70, than the effect on a normal ovarian cell line, IOSE-364. These results demonstrated that GA selectively inhibits the growth of cancer cells. Gene expression was examined by ELISA and western blot analysis, and gene pathways were examined by luciferase assay. It was found that GA inhibited VEGF secretion and …

Whole Genome Sequence Analysis Of The Tallyho/Jng Mouse, James Denvir, Goran Boskovic, Jun Fan, Donald A. Primerano, Jacaline K. Parkman, Jung Han Kim

Biochemistry and Microbiology

Background: The TALLYHO/Jng (TH) mouse is a polygenic model for obesity and type 2 diabetes first described in the literature in 2001. The origin of the TH strain is an outbred colony of the Theiler Original strain and mice derived from this source were selectively bred for male hyperglycemia establishing an inbred strain at The Jackson Laboratory. TH mice manifest many of the disease phenotypes observed in human obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Results: We sequenced the whole genome of TH mice maintained at Marshall University to a depth of approximately 64.8X coverage using data from three next generation sequencing …

Systematic Review Of Metabolic Syndrome Biomarkers: A Panel For Early Detection, Management, And Risk Stratification In The West Virginian Population, Krithika Srikanthan, Andrew Feyh, Haresh Visweshwar, Joseph I. Shapiro Md, Komal Sodhi

Biochemistry and Microbiology

Introduction: Metabolic syndrome represents a cluster of related metabolic abnormalities, including central obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance, with central obesity and insulin resistance in particular recognized as causative factors. These metabolic derangements present significant risk factors for cardiovascular disease, which is commonly recognized as the primary clinical outcome, although other outcomes are possible. Metabolic syndrome is a progressive condition that encompasses a wide array of disorders with specific metabolic abnormalities presenting at different times. These abnormalities can be detected and monitored via serum biomarkers. This review will compile a list of promising biomarkers that are associated with metabolic …

Identity-By-Descent Estimation With Population- And Pedigree-Based Imputation In Admixed Family Data, Mohamad Saad, Alejandro Q. Nato Jr., Fiona L. Grimson, Steven M. Lewis, Lisa A. Brown, Elizabeth M. Blue, Timothy A. Thornton, Elizabeth A. Thompson, Ellen M. Wijsman

Biochemistry and Microbiology

Background: In the past few years, imputation approaches have been mainly used in population-based designs of genome-wide association studies, although both family- and population-based imputation methods have been proposed. With the recent surge of family-based designs, family-based imputation has become more important. Imputation methods for both designs are based on identity-by-descent (IBD) information. Apart from imputation, the use of IBD information is also common for several types of genetic analysis, including pedigree-based linkage analysis.

Methods: We compared the performance of several family- and population-based imputation methods in large pedigrees provided by Genetic Analysis Workshop 19 (GAW19). We also evaluated the …

Estimating Relationships Between Phenotypes And Subjects Drawn From Admixed Families., Elizabeth M. Blue, Lisa A. Brown, Matthew P. Conomos, Jennifer L. Kirk, Alejandro Q. Nato Jr., Alice B. Popejoy, Jesse Raffa, John Ranola, Ellen M. Wijsman, Timothy Thornton

Biochemistry and Microbiology

Background: Estimating relationships among subjects in a sample, within family structures or caused by population substructure, is complicated in admixed populations. Inaccurate allele frequencies can bias both kinship estimates and tests for association between subjects and a phenotype. We analyzed the simulated and real family data from Genetic Analysis Workshop 19, and were aware of the simulation model.

Results: We found that kinship estimation is more accurate when marker data include common variants whose frequencies are less variable across populations. Estimates of heritability and association vary with age for longitudinally measured traits. Accounting for local ancestry identified different true associations …

Improving Communication And Collaboration Between Disciplines: Utilization Of Adaily Goals Sheet During Daily Multidisciplinary Rounds In The Critical Care Setting, Kelly E. Diehl

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Communication problems have been cited as the “top safety incident” causing patient harm in intensive care units (Halm, 2008). Many concerns related to interdisciplinary communication and collaboration were found in a small, satellite critical care unit of a major teaching facility. This led to missed patient care goals and opportunities for improved patient outcomes, as well as increased length of stay. The researcher used a convenience sample of 40 nurses and advanced care providers and a mixed methods quasi-experimental pre/post survey design to explore whether multidisciplinary rounds utilizing a rounding tool would improve communication and collaboration between advanced care providers …

Art And Medicine: A Collaborative Project Between Virginia Commonwealth University In Qatar And Weill Cornell Medicine In Qatar, Amy J. Andres, Thomas R. Himsworth, Alan Weber, Stephen Scott

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Four faculty researchers, two from Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar, and two from Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar developed a one semester workshop-based course in Qatar exploring the connections between art and medicine in a contemporary context. Students (6 art / 6 medicine) were enrolled in the course. The course included presentations by clinicians, medical engineers, artists, computing engineers, an art historian, a graphic designer, a painter, and other experts from the fields of art, design, and medicine. To measure the student experience of interdisciplinarity, the faculty researchers employed a mixed methods approach involving psychometric tests and observational ethnography. Data …

Implementation Of Modified Constraint-Induced Therapy In Upper Limb Stroke Rehabilitation In An Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital, Umana W. Udoeyop

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

This study will seek to demonstrate the efficacy of mCIT in upper extremity rehabilitation of patients with acute stroke resulting in hemiplegia in an inpatient rehabilitation hospital as a way to demonstrate its feasibility and applicability in this setting for this subset of stroke patients. It is expected that the study will provide a model for the implementation and application of mCIT in stroke rehabilitation in inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and serve as a pilot program for an evidence-based approach to rehabilitation of patients with acute stroke in inpatient rehabilitation hospitals.

Joint Modelling In Liver Transplantation, Elizabeth Renouf

Data and Test Instruments

In the setting of liver transplantation, clinical trials and transplant registries regularly collect repeated measurements of clinical biomarkers which may be strongly associated with a time-to-event such as graft failure or disease recurrence. Multiple time-to-event outcomes are routinely collected. However, joint models are rarely used. This thesis will describe important considerations for joint modelling in the setting of liver transplantation. We will focus on transplant registry data from the United States. We develop a new tool for joint modelling in the context where a critical health event can be tracked in the longitudinal biomarker and often presents as a non-linear …

Endocidal Regulation Of Secondary Metabolites In The Producing Organisms, Shiyou Li, Ping Wang, Wei Yuan, Zushang Su, Steven H. Bullard

Faculty Publications

Secondary metabolites are defined as organic compounds that are not directly involved in the normal growth, development, and reproduction of an organism. They are widely believed to be responsible for interactions between the producing organism and its environment, with the producer avoiding their toxicities. In our experiments, however, none of the randomly selected 44 species representing different groups of plants and insects can avoid autotoxicity by its endogenous metabolites once made available. We coined the term endocides (endogenous biocides) to describe such metabolites that can poison or inhibit the parent via induced biosynthesis or external applications. Dosage-dependent endocides can selectively …

Principles Of Fatigue In Residency Education: A Qualitative Study, Taryn S Taylor, Christopher J Watling, Pim W Teunissen, Tim Dornan, Lorelei Lingard

Obstetrics & Gynaecology Publications

BACKGROUND: Proposals to implement fatigue-management strategies in residency education assume that medicine shares the view of other risk-adverse industries that fatigue is hazardous. This view is an essential underpinning of fatigue-management strategies that other industries have embedded as part of their workplace occupational health and safety programs. We sought to explore how residents understand fatigue in the context of their training environment.

METHODS: We interviewed 21 residents in 7 surgical and nonsurgical programs at Western University in 2014. All participants met the inclusion criteria of routinely working 24-hour call shifts while enrolled in their training program. Data collection and analysis …

Motor Skill Acquisition Promotes Human Brain Myelin Plasticity, Bimal Lakhani, Michael R. Borich, Jacob N. Jackson, Katie P. Wadden, Sue Peters, Anica Villamayor, Alex L. Mackay, Irene M. Vavasour, Alexander Rauscher, Lara A. Boyd

Physical Therapy Publications

Experience-dependent structural changes are widely evident in gray matter. Using diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), the neuroplastic effect of motor training on white matter in the brain has been demonstrated. However, in humans it is not known whether specific features of white matter relate to motor skill acquisition or if these structural changes are associated to functional network connectivity. Myelin can be objectively quantified in vivo and used to index specific experience-dependent change. In the current study, seventeen healthy young adults completed ten sessions of visuomotor skill training (10,000 total movements) using the right arm. Multicomponent relaxation imaging was performed before …

Ovarian Tumour Growth Is Characterized By Mevalonate Pathway Gene Signature In An Orthotopic, Syngeneic Model Of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer, Daniel B. Hardy

Physiology and Pharmacology Publications

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most lethal gynecological cancer and often is not detected until late stages when cancer cells transcoelomically metastasize to the abdomen and typically become resistant to therapy resulting in very low survival rates. We utilize an orthotopic, syngeneic mouse model to study late stage disease and have discovered that the tumor cells within the abdominal ascites are irreversibly re-programmed, with an increased tumorigenicity and resistance to apoptosis. The goal of this study was to characterize the reprogramming that occurred in the aggressive ascites-derived cells (28-2 cells) compared to the original cell line used for tumor …