Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Wellness And Coping Of Residents In A Skilled Nursing Facility, Christine M. Larson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Depression is common among older adults in long-term care (LTC) facilities. As many as 50%-80% of residents will experience depressive symptoms or have a diagnosis of depression. Depression increases the risk of poor health-related outcomes in older adults. A review of the literature suggests that early intervention using movement-based techniques decreases the risk for depression and improves depressive symptoms. This scholarly project aimed to reduce the risk of depression of residents in an LTC located in a suburban area in Midwestern United States. The LTC facility and a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student implemented the Chair One Fitness program …

Decreasing Psychiatric Readmissions In A Nonprofit Behavioral Health Hospital, John Schreiber

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This scholarly project aimed to decrease adult readmission rates of psychiatric patients in a Nonprofit Behavioral Health Hospital (NBHH). The project aims to decrease the number of readmissions to an NBHH by 25% using specific interventions that have been revealed through a literature review of evidence-based practices (EBPs). A literature review revealed focused EBP interventions that could decrease readmissions. The PICOT question for this project was, "In adult mentally ill patients who are in an NBHH, what is the effect of focused interventions compared with usual care on readmission rates in 2 months?" Reducing the number of psychiatric readmissions is …

Increasing Knowledge Of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening Criteria And Introduction Of A Screening Tool To Improve Aaa Screening In A Family Practice Clinic: An Evidence-Based Practice Project, Jennifer Elizabeth Rank

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are diagnosed most frequently in male patients of advanced age with a current or past smoking history. Screening for AAA by ultrasonography is effective at detecting clinically significant aneurysms and reduces AAA-associated and all-cause mortality at short-term and long-term follow-up. The criteria for screening include male gender, age 65 to 75, and a current or past smoking status. Additional criteria that may be considered include family history of AAA in a first-degree relative and/or a personal history of hypertension or atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Based on review of the evidence, the project leader designed an evidence-based practice …

Low Health Literacy Impact On Heart Failure Patients' Readmissions: An Integrative Review, Melissa S. Goodwin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Heart failure is a common chronic disease that affects numerous people throughout the world. Low health literacy plays a critical role in heart failure mismanagement. The purpose of this systematic review was to summarize what is known about the impact of health literacy of heart failure patients’ readmissions. MEDLINE, CINAHL, PSYCHINFO, and PUBMED databases were searched for the years 2010-2020 and for English language articles. The findings indicated that low health literacy has a significant impact on heart failure patients’ unplanned readmissions. Interventions for low health literacy also affect outcomes for heart failure patients; for example, reduce unplanned hospital readmissions. …

Implementation Of An Independent, Unit Specific Lgbt Cultural Competency Training, Kristen Nicole Kaiafas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This paper describes the methodology of the implementation of an educational intervention in the emergency department (ED) setting seeking to improve the provision of culturally competent care for the Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender (LGBT) population. The intent of the project was to improve the knowledge and skills, openness and support, and oppression awareness of ED nurses when providing care to the LGBT population. The scholarly project included an evidence-based, unit specific education intervention to improve these measurement outcomes. Analysis utilizing descriptive statistics demonstrated an increase in the mean knowledge and skills and openness and support following the education intervention. The results illustrated an …

Strength In Community: A Community-Based Health Program To Improve Weight Loss And Blood Pressure Within An African American Faith-Based Organization, Leonna Sylvitrice Ameduite

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In general, conventional health promotion strategies have not successfully mitigated health inequality and health disparities in African American communities. Health disparities among African Americans continue to persist. Obesity and hypertension are more prevalent in African Americans and are well-known precursors to chronic illness such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and stroke. A wholistic solution to health disparities is complex and multifaceted. However, community-based programs such as faith-based health promotion programs can be an integral part of the solution. The purpose of this project was to provide a community faith-based weight loss program for African Americans to help guide weight loss and …

Health Care Financial Literacy Among Nurses: A Qualitative Intrinsic Case Study, Kory Scott Holt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Nurses have to perform many clinical services that require efficient decision-making processes in support of quality patient care. Alongside staff nurse clinical literacy, health care financial literacy was described as an important, but vaguely defined component of the nursing role. The significance of having financially competent nurses to efficient hospital operations and financial management continues to increase. However, the topic of health care financial literacy and financial decision-making among nurses remains disproportionately represented in existing scholarly research. To address this knowledge gap, this study integrated a single-site instrumental case study research design to examine health care financial literacy among nurses …

Implementation Of Post Forms Upon Hospice Admission: An Evidence-Based Practice Intervention To Reduce Hospice Revocations, Joanna Grace Asselin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Background and Purpose: Reduction of live hospice discharges in the form of revocations is necessitated in order to maintain regulatory compliance and meet quality measures. Upon admission to hospice services, many have not considered personal desire regarding further intervention beyond Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) status. Evidence-based practice has revealed Physician Order for Scope of Treatment (POST) forms as effective in enhancing translation of patient desires related to care and interventions at end-of-life. The clinical question of this scholarly project asked if implementation of POST forms upon admission to hospice services would result in decreased revocations with related emergency department (ED) …

The Predictive Nature Of Learning And Study Strategies In Online Physical And Occupational Therapy Education, Evan Michael Pucillo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a nationwide shortage of health professionals and a growing demand for education programs. As physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) education programs rapidly expand to generate more candidates for the health workforce, they have increasingly adopted online instruction. The PT and OT programs can be rigorous, and it is beneficial for educators to understand how to best support academic outcomes in an online environment. Students may adhere to specific learning and study strategies to ensure success. Prior work indicates Anxiety, Attitude, Concentration, Time Management, Motivation, and Self-regulation strategies are significantly related to academic outcomes (Crede & Kuncel, …

A Nursing Education Intervention In An Adult Inpatient Setting For Decreasing Hypoglycemia Incidence, Meredith Lynn Camilleri

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Hypoglycemia can cause an array of outcomes including increased morbidity, mortality, and hospital length of stay. The literature revealed specific educational methods effective in decreasing hypoglycemia including case-based learning tutorials and unit-based lectures. Focused nursing education regarding the cause of hypoglycemia and understanding the importance of provider notification of hypoglycemia was also shown in the literature to reduce rates of hypoglycemia. The purpose of this project was to decrease inpatient hypoglycemia incidence utilizing a unit-based educational seminar as an intervention on a diabetic renal unit within a hospital. While anticipating a decreased hypoglycemia incidence after the educational seminar, an increased …

Dataset On The Epidemiology And Genetic Diversification Of Dengue Virus (Denv) Serotypes And Genotypes In Mexico, Eduardo Dominguez-De-La-Cruz, María De Lourdes Muñoz, Ericel Hernández-García, Gerardo Pérez-Ramírez, Randy E. David, Joel Navarrete-Espinosa, Alvaro Diaz-Badillo, Miguel Moreno-Galeana, Cesar Armando Brito-Carreón

School of Medicine Publications

Variation and clade shifts in dengue virus (DENV) genotypes are responsible for numerous dengue fever outbreaks throughout Latin America in the past decade. Molecular analyses of dengue serotypes have revealed extensive genetic diversification and the emergence of new genotypes in Brazil (DENV-4 genotype I) and elsewhere in tropical and subtropical America. The goal of the present study is to assess the extent to which the adventitious introduction of DENV genotypes and their increasing genetic diversity affects dengue epidemiology in Mexico. A nuanced sequence inspection and phylogenetic analysis of the C-prM nucleotide region of DENV was performed for specimens collecting in …

Growing South Dakota (Summer 2020), College Of Agriculture, Food And Environmental Sciences

Growing South Dakota (Publication of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences)

[Page] 3 COVID-19: From Our Students' Perspective
[Page] 11 Class of 2020 Q&A
[Page] 19 Alumni Advice for the Future Generation
[Page] 21 Recent Alumni Features
[Page] 25 Student Features
[Page] 31 CAFES News, Student Success, Awards and Achievements
[Page] 57 Jackrabbits Now and Then: A Current Student and Alumni Q&A

Growing South Dakota (Spring/Summer 2020), College Of Agriculture, Food And Environmental Sciences

Growing South Dakota (Publication of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences)

This issue contains the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station 2019 Annual Report.

[Page] 2 South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station Update
[Page] 4 Featured Research
[Page] 14 Graduate and Undergraduate Research: In Our Own Words
[Page] 20 Featured Research
[Page] 32 Research in Progress
[Page] 38 CAFES News and Updates
[Page] 56 Jackrabbits Now and Then: A Current Student and Alumni Q&A

Midwifing The Perinatal Microbiome, Lisa Hanson, Emily Malloy, Leona Vandevusse

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Correlates Of Maternal Health Service Use And Women’S Experiences Using Antenatal Care In Ghana: A Mixed-Methods Study, Anna Cofie

Theses and Dissertations

The pace of improvements in maternal mortality has been slow in Ghana. While Ghana’s maternal mortality ratio (MMR) decreased from 635 per 100,000 live births to 319 per 100,000 live births between 1990 and 2015, the country failed to meet the 75% reduction target set by Millennium Development Goal (MDG) goal 5A, to reduce maternal mortality ratio by 75% between 1990 and 2015. Antenatal care (ANC) is critical to improving maternal morbidity and mortality and child deaths. In 2003, Ghana introduced the National Health Insurance Scheme to ensure that all pregnant women have access to free maternal care, and in …

Function Of Gpr68 In Normal Hematopoiesis And Malignant Hematopoietic Diseases, Xiaofei He

Theses and Dissertations

G protein-coupled receptor 68 (GPR68), as a proton-sensing receptor, is involved in numerous physiological processes. However, its specific functions in normal hematopoiesis and malignant hematopoietic diseases were unknown. Using a genetic loss of function approach (i.e. whole-body Gpr68^-/- mouse model), B lymphocytes were reduced under stressed conditions, such as aging and hematopoietic regeneration. However, hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) from Gpr68^-/- mice exhibited comparable function as HSC from wild type mice either under steady-state or upon stress. To determine whether the unaltered HSC function of Gpr68^-/- mice was due to compensatory effects of Gpr68 in nonhematopoietic cells, a …

Association Between Urinary Enterolignans As A Marker For Gut Microbiome Diversity And Depression In Nhanes, Marie Knoll

Theses and Dissertations

Depression is a chronic disease which inflicts functional and emotional impairment that has been a growing issue in the United States (US). Depression is the most prevalent mental disorder in the US and is the leading cause of disability in the world. By 2030, It is projected that major depressive disorder will be the second largest contributor to global burden of disease. Causes of depression are still largely unknown and treatments are often expensive, time consuming, and only available to certain populations. Treatment often requires a combination of medicines and therapy to be effective. In recent years, the gut microbiome …

Aging With Hiv In The United States: Trends And Impact Of Hospital Stays On Inpatient Resource Utilization, And Costs Of Care, 2003-2015, Khairul Alam Siddiqi

Theses and Dissertations

Background:

Due to advances in Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), people living with HIV (PLWH) live longer in the United States. Aging prolongs exposure to HIV and antiretroviral drugs, which could lead to an elevated risk of developing multiple age-related comorbidities [HIV Associated Non-AIDS (HANA) conditions], earlier for PLWH. Higher comorbidity burdens among older PLWH may require greater use of inpatient care, i.e., higher hospitalization, inpatient resource utilization, and costs. This study examined the trends and characteristics of comorbidities, resource utilization, and costs of hospital stays with HIV (HSWH) compared to hospital stays without HIV (HSWOH). We also assessed trends for resource …

Intracranial Atherosclerotic Stenosis And Its Association With Inflammation And Meditarrenean Diet, Tushar Trivedi

Theses and Dissertations

Intracranial Atherosclerotic Stenosis (ICAS) is associated with 8 to 10% of all strokes in the U.S. Although there is some evidence that in the Asian population inflammation plays a role in asymptomatic ICAS, it has not been shown in the U.S. population. Prior studies have shown associations between diet and regulation of inflammation. Mediterranean dietary pattern has been associated with lower levels of inflammation and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In light of the important role of inflammation in intermediate stroke risk factors including atherosclerotic disease, and potential role of diet in modulating inflammation, understanding individuals’ diets according to their inflammatory properties …

Effectiveness Among Community Health Center Governing Boards: An Assessment Of The Different Governing Board Members’ Perspectives, Brandi L. Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Governing boards of Community Health Centers were created with the anticipation that majority of its members be patients (users) of the Community Health Center they served. This study assessed South Carolina Community Health Center governing board members’ perception and understanding of what they believe their roles and responsibilities are, and their perceived overall effectiveness. It provides a framework for understanding the governance structure of Community Health Centers, based on examining three characteristic areas (Board Function, Board Performance and Board Development) of Community Health Centers located in South Carolina.

This study invited 234 governing board members to obtain members perceptions. Key …

Complex Syntax Acquisition In Children With Hearing Loss, Marissa Castaldo

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this language sample analysis was to describe complex syntax development in children with hearing loss over the preschool years. The current study addresses the following relevant research questions: Do children with hearing loss have increased performance over preschool years on broad measures of complex syntax? and What are the developmental trajectories on complex syntax in children with hearing loss?

Methods: 9 children with hearing loss participated in a 12-minute language sample following the Hadley Protocol (1998). Each child was tested at age 4 and then again in 6-month intervals until they turned 6. These children with …

The Air Gap Effect Between A Bolus And The Skin Surface For Chest Wall Irradiation, Marisa Clark

Masters Projects

Planning technique and bolus choice are important aspects in planning chest wall irradiation (CWI). Many previous studies have tested various combinations of photon energies, electron energies, bolus types and sizes, air gaps sizes, and treatment methods. This study aims to assess the effect of smaller, clinically relevant air gap sizes on specific chest wall treatments using a variety of common bolus types. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, no data was able to be collected and was instead fabricated by the researcher. Four different treatment plans were created on a phantom patient using various energies of photons (6MV and 10MV) and …

Examining The Organizational Capacity Of Public Libraries That Offer Obesity Prevention Programs, Olivia Whitt

Theses and Dissertations

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) is a federally funded grant program that helps SNAP-eligible populations make healthy choices, like those outlined by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Together with implementation agencies (IAs) and local sites, SNAP-Ed provides direct nutrition education and facilitates policy, systems, and environmental strategies (PSEs) such as farmers markets and community gardens. This qualitative research investigated two specific aims: 1.) Understand the elements of organization capacity that influence a public library’s ability to implement obesity prevention programs and 2.) Evaluate the need for library staff public health knowledge …

Medicine And Media: The Ranitidine Debate., Jennifer A. Wagner, Jennifer Colombo

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Ranitidine has been the topic of recent media reports. Current findings, confirmed by the US Food and Drug Administration, indicate that some ranitidine products contain a substance that may be carcinogenic. Providers and patients require additional information on the risks of continuing therapy vs. the benefits of the medication. This article comments on what is currently known about the evolving situation of elevated N-nitrosodimethylamine levels in ranitidine and the limits of the existing information to assess best practices.

Correlation Of Blood Oxidative Stress Parameters To Indoor Radiofrequency Radiation: A Cross Sectional Study In Jordan, Yazan Akkam, Ahmed A. Al-Taani, Salam Ayasreh, Abeer Almutairi, Nosaibah Akkam

All Works

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Background: Electromagnetic pollution is a general health concern worldwide, as cell phone towers are ubiquitous and are located adjacent to or on the roof of schools, and hospitals. However, the health risks are still inconclusive. This cross-sectional study evaluated the potential effect of electromagnetic radiation generated from various resources including cell phone towers on blood glutathione S transferase activity (e-GST) and total antioxidant activity of the Jordanian population. Methods: The power density of three districts in the city of Irbid, Jordan was mapped to generate “outside the houses” and “inside the …

Invasive Liver Abscess Syndrome Caused By Klebsiella Pneumoniae: First Tanzanian Experience, Nadeem Kassam, Omar Aziz, Samina Somji, Zainab Yusuf Fidaali, Salim Ramzan Surani

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Over the past 20 years there has been growing awareness of community-acquired primary liver abscess caused by strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) especially in patients of Asian descent, a minority of which are characterized by metastatic spread. A common and frequent destructive complication is endophthalmitis as well as the involvement of the central nervous system (CNS), causing suppurative meningitis or brain abscess. Here we report a case of invasive liver abscess caused by K. pneumoniae in an Asian patient who presented to our hospital in Tanzania with bilateral lower limb swelling for 6 weeks with acute onset of difficulty …

Trends In Legionnaires' Disease-Associated Hospitalizations, United States, 2006-2010, Gayathri Mudali, Paul E. Kilgore, Abdulbaset Salim, Shawn P. Mcelmurry, Marcus Zervos

Department of Pharmacy Practice

Background: Legionella pneumophila is a waterborne cause of both healthcare-associated and community-acquired pneumonia. Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 is responsible for 80% of infections. There is currently limited published disease burden data on Legionnaires' disease-associated hospitalization in the United States.

Methods: In this study, we estimated the annual incidence of Legionnaires' disease-associated hospitalizations in United States and identified demographic, temporal, and regional characteristics of individuals hospitalized for Legionnaires' disease. A retrospective study was conducted using the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) data from 2006 to 2010. The NHDS is a nationally representative US survey, which includes estimates of inpatient stays in …

Legal Constraint In Emergencies: Reflections On Carl Schmitt, The Covid-19 Pandemic And Singapore | Symposium On Covid-19 & Public Law, Wei Yao, Kenny Chng

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The controversial legal theorist Carl Schmitt’s challenge to the possibility of meaningful legal constraint on executive power in emergencies could not be more relevant in a world struggling to deal with Covid-19. Scrambling against time, governments around the world have declared states of emergency and exercised a swathe of broad executive powers in an effort to manage this highly infectious disease. In times like these, if Schmitt is indeed right that emergencies cannot be governed by law, we are on the cusp of (or perhaps have already entered) a post-law world – where the business of government is characterised by …

Getting Back To The “New Normal”: Autonomy Restoration During A Global Pandemic, Eric M. Anicich, Trevor A. Foulk, Merrick R. Osborne, Jake Gale, Michael Schaerer

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We investigate the psychological recovery process of full-time employees during the two-week period at the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Past research suggests that recovery processes start after stressors abate and can take months or years to unfold. In contrast, we build on autonomy restoration theory to suggest that recovery of impaired autonomy starts immediately even as a stressor is ongoing. Using growth curve modeling, we examined the temporal trajectories of two manifestations of impaired autonomy—powerlessness and (lack of) authenticity—to test whether recovery began as the pandemic unfolded. We tested our predictions using a unique experience-sampling dataset collected over …

Diagnostic Value Of Mean Elasticity Index As A Quantitative Shear Wave Elastography Parameter For Prediction Of Malignancy In Small Suspicious Solid Thyroid Nodules, Saba Sohail, Sameera Kaliq Uz Zaman

Department of Radiology

Objective: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of mean elasticity index (Emean) on quantitative shear wave elastography (SWE) in detection of malignancy in small solid suspected malignant thyroid nodules on ultrasound, taking histopathology as the gold standard.
Study design: Analytical study.
Place and duration of study: Department of Radiology, Dow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) and Dr. Ruth K. M. Pfau Civil Hospital, Karachi from September 2017 to March 2018.
Methodology: Adult patients of either gender with suspected malignant thyroid nodules (solid, ≤10 mm) were subjected to SWE examination. All patients underwent thyroid surgery later. Histopathological findings were …