Reflections On Labor And Delivery Internship, Olivia Ozier

2021 Honors Symposium

Introduction
• This research was inspired by clinical experience as a nurse intern on a labor and delivery unit.
• Breastfeeding is extremely beneficial for the health of both mothers and babies. Despite this fact, not enough mothers are breastfeeding.

Purpose
The purpose of this literature review was to determine if the attitude and knowledge hospital staff has about breastfeeding influences how successful mothers are in initiating and continuing breastfeeding.

The Effect Of Physical Activity On Stress In University Students, Faculty, And Staff And How The Covid-19 Pandemic Affected These Variables, Zachary Parisi

2021 Honors Symposium

INTRODUCTION
• Physical activity has been shown in both college aged and broader aged sample sizes as providing health benefits in different areas from mental functioning to increasing VO2 max.
• Changes in DASS-21 made it difficult to have a large enough sample size
• Students who meet the recommendations for vigorous physical activity were less likely to report poor mental health and perceived stress when compared to other students who did not meet those recommendations.
• Within 10 days of COVID-19 being declared a pandemic, there was a 5.5% decrease in mean steps, and within 30 days there was …

The Effects Of Interventions On The Physical And Mental Health Of Undergraduate Engineering Students In North America, Jillian Prince

2021 Honors Symposium

Background
• Stress-induced mental illnesses are common in many undergraduate engineering students
• These can include anxiety, depression, lack of motivation, poor self-regulation, and poor sleeping habits
• Ailments such as these result in decreased retention, lower grades, less cognitive understanding of material, and poor physical and mental health

Purpose
To investigate the effects of interventions on the physical and mental health of undergraduate engineering students in North America to determine what interventions are most successful.

Using Decision Trees To Classify Factors That Predict Health Insurance Status Among Sexual Minority Women, Kayla Simon

2021 Honors Symposium

Background
• Social determinants of health (SODH) are factors that influence an individual's health status.
• SODH inequalities often negatively impact health status.
• LGBTQ+ individuals are more likely than their heterosexual counterparts to be unemployed and uninsured in early adulthood (Charlton, Gordon, Reisner, 2018).

Purpose
The purpose of this project is to build a machine learning model that predicts insurance status based on social determinants of health selected as input variables

Defining Bimodal Bilingualism Within The Field Of Speech-Language Pathology, Jaycie Strunk

2021 Honors Symposium

BACKGROUND
• Speech-language pathologists work with a variety of individuals that each uniquely have their own journey in learning and using language for communication. Many times, professionals are working with those with hearing loss, who are diverse in their use of communication.
• 14.9% of children in between the ages of 6-19 years suffer from hearing loss (Niskar, 1998). This is a large group of individuals that speech-language pathologists serve, each with different goals and needs.
• According to the CDC, around 90% of children born with a congenital hearing loss are born to parents who are not deaf, which …

Facilitating Transition: Moving Beyond High School As A Member Of The Autism Spectrum Community, Cameron Sturgeon, Anna Krizman, Brittany Tran

2021 Honors Symposium

This research seeks to investigate the transition process of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) from high school to post graduation life from the perspective of the transitioning youths’ caregivers. Data has been collected through an online survey, providing qualitative research, of parents’ perception of their children’s transition processes. This research is an important insight on how to better help individuals with ASD gradually navigate new school and lifestyle changes. On this poster you will find an introduction, list of material, methodology, results, discussion, conclusion, direction of future research, references, and acknowledgements.

Perspectives Of Caregivers On Early Onset Dementia: An Investigation Of The Role Of Attachment And Shifts In Identity, Claire Wood

2021 Honors Symposium

Early onset dementia (EOD), diagnosed earlier than 65, is an incurable, neurogenic disease that impacts every aspect of individual and family life as it progresses through three stages. The scope of caregiving broadens from initially helping with the instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and progressing to assistance with essential activities of daily living (ADL) as dementia deepens. The physical demands of caregiving and emotional demands of caring about a loved one who is losing themselves are challenges that impact quality of life. Understanding the role that identity preservation plays as dementia deepens becomes a quality-of-life priority for caregivers and …

Loss And Attainment Of Identity For Individuals Experiencing Early-Onset Dementia, Benjamin Wright

2021 Honors Symposium

Dementia is a progressive neurogenic disease impacting individuals younger than 65 years old who often are working, raising families, and contributing to society. Individuals experiencing early-onset dementia (EOD) gradually lose selfperception, and others including family may no longer perceive them as the people they once were. How can caregivers and therapists protect and preserve a sense of identity that will contribute to quality of life? Narrative research claims storytelling stitches together fragments of life and is a tool for understanding oneself and negotiating this with others. Understanding the impact of narrative shifts that reflect changing identity and personhood could facilitate …

Dysregulation Of The Muscle Clock During Development Of Cancer Cachexia, Madeline Amos

2021 Honors Symposium

INTRODUCTION
Cancer continues to be one of the leading causes of death across the world. Among many conditions that accompany cancer, cachexia is one that has long been identified as an unfortunate consequence. Cachexia is a skeletal muscle-wasting syndrome that ultimately leads to deterioration in the body’s functional ability and is considered to be irreversible solely by nutritional means. Researchers have yet to identify the precise mechanisms responsible for its development and current treatments remain inadequate.

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to confirm the dysregulation of Clock gene expression in male and female tumor-bearing mice, whether such effects …

The Impact Of Hormone Therapy On Cardiovascular And Bone Health In Women With Premature Or Early Menopause, Traci L. Leitheiser

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Objective: • The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) studies were a catalyst for the dramatic decline in the number of postmenopausal women being prescribed hormone therapy (HT). • The WHI published the largest randomized, double-blind, placebocontrolled trial regarding the use of HT in postmenopausal women with a mean age of 63 years. • One group of women thought to benefit from HT but have often been denied HT based on the WHI studies’ results is premature and early menopausal women. • The purpose of this literature review was to compare the WHI studies’ results to studies that reviewed coronary heart disease …

Comparison Of Conjunctive Probiotic Use Versus No Probiotic Use In Outcomes Of Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea, Samantha Simley

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Antibiotics are utilized in the medical community for the treatment of bacterial infections. Consequently, the use of antibiotics may result in certain gastrointestinal side effects. Antibiotic-associated diarrhea is one side effect that can be seen in patient populations that are on an antibiotic regimen. Due to this side effect profile, patient compliance on an antibiotic regimen may be compromised. This lack in patient compliance led to increased interest to determine if there are treatment options available to prevent or reduce instances of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. One treatment option of interest includes the use of probiotics. The purpose of this literature review …

The Place And Role Of Pharmacy Benefit Management (Pbm) Companies In Us Healthcare System, George Mattis Ii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

On average, prescription drugs cost US consumers more than any other developed country in the world. US drug makers claim that intermediaries in the prescription drug supply chain, companies called pharmacy benefit managers (PBM), are forcing them to increase their drug prices. PBMs counter that the discounts they receive from drug makers are channeled to insurers. This thesis will examine the role that PBMs play in the prescription drug supply chain and determine what effect they have on drug prices. This thesis will utilize a comparative static model, Structure, Conduct, Performance (SCP) framework to analyze the pharmaceutical manufacturing and the …

Maternal Hpa Axis Function During Parenting Is Associated With Reduced Brain Activation To Infant Cry And More Intrusive Parenting Behavior, Andrew Erhart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous research indicated that maternal cortisol function and maternal brain response to infant stimuli are separately related to differences in parenting behavior. Evidence from animal models have demonstrated that chronically high cortisol concentration alters brain structure and function, suggesting that studying these two mechanisms together may further improve understanding of parental behavior in human mothers. First time mothers of infants aged 1-7 months old (M age = 3 months) were recruited to participate. Mother’s cortisol concentration was measured during a naturalistic interaction with their infant and their behavior was coded for maternal sensitivity and nonintrusiveness. In a separate session using …

Mechanisms Of Sensory Adaptation In The Primate Visual System, Boris Isaac Peñaloza Rojas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Under ecological conditions, the luminance impinging on the retina varies within a dynamic range of 220 dB. Stimulus contrast can also vary drastically within a scene, and eye movements leave little time for sampling luminance. In addition, the amount of information reaching our visual system far exceeds the brain’s information processing capacity. Given the limited dynamic range of its neurons and its limited capacity in processing visual information in real-time, the brain deploys both structural and functional solutions that work in tandem to adapt to the surroundings. In this work, employing visual psychophysics and computational neuroscience, we study the mechanisms …

Cauda Equina Syndrome In A 53-Year-Old Female Following A Motor Vehicle Accident: A Case Report, Erica Guimond, Hayden Buckhalt, Brendan Adler, Spencer Bourassa

Case Report Papers

Background: Cauda equina syndrome (CES) is a collection of symptoms that can present as the result of many different spinal cord pathologies. CES is a medical emergency and often requires immediate surgical intervention to prevent permanent damage. The criteria for screening and diagnosis for CES is observed to be inconsistent and varied among healthcare professionals.

Case Description: A 53-year-old female was involved in a motor vehicle accident (MVA), resulting in her experiencing a concussion, and fracture of the left (L) ankle and right (R) femur. She required R hip surgery and was given a bilateral lower extremity non-weight bearing status. …

Familial Factors In The Development Of Social Anxiety Disorder, Christine M. Olson

Articles

The purpose of the current article is to explore familial factors that influence the development of social anxiety disorder (SAD) in children and adolescents, including parenting, sibling relationships, and family environment. A multitude of interrelated genetic and familial factors have been found to cause and maintain SAD in children and adolescents. There are many challenges in diagnosing and treating the disorder. Knowledge and awareness of familial factors provide insight on targeted treatments that prevent or ameliorate SAD.

Machine Learning In Sports Medicine: Need For Improvement, Kyle R. Martin, Ayoosh Pareek, Aaron J. Krych

Articles

The over-riding goal of a physician is to optimize the outcome for each individual patient. However, our ability to manipulate the end result at the individual level is limited by our inability to accurately predict the expected outcome of a given clinical scenario. In the age of big data, machine learning can make our predictive capability both easier and more accurate using existing registries and databases which hold the potential to dramatically change decision-making and to optimize individual outcome. The purpose of this editorial was to explore the possible uses of machine learning in sports medicine using existing knee ligament …

Ua19/16/2 Track & Field Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases, photos and meet statistics for WKU track & field team in 2021.

Ua19/16/2 Soccer Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases, photos and game statistics for WKU soccer team in 2021.

Perceptions Of Physical Activity In Those With Visual Impairment, Derek Hendershot, Joseph Grasso, Steven Hernandez, Jonathan Buck, Maureen Rinehimer

Student Research Poster Presentations 2021

Background: Physical inactivity is a significant health issue facing the American population. This is even more prevalent in those with disabilities, such as a visual impairment. There is limited research into how persons with visual impairments perceive their own physical activity. We attempt to gain insight into this in order to better structure exercise programs for those with visual impairments.

Objective: To gain better insight into the perceptions regarding exercise and physical activity in persons with visual impairments in order to better inform healthcare and exercise professionals.

Design: This will be a 20 question survey study that will use convenience …

Reframing A Curative To Preventative Culture, Gabriella Dacosta

Student Research Poster Presentations 2021

No abstract provided.

How Nurse Migration Is Negatively Affecting Source Countries, Kasen M. Heim

Student Research Poster Presentations 2021

Nurse migration has become an increasingly favorable transition for international nurses whom wish to pursue a heightened level of clinical experience. Despite the direct benefits specific to the nurse related to this transition it is undeniable that source countries are suffering from immense short staffing as a result. In order to decrease the migration of nurses from their source countries government officials and accredited nursing organizations should adopt more advanced education and training programs to encourage continued practice of international nurses within their own country.

Diagnostic Imaging Of Inflammatory Carcinoma Of The Breast With Mammography And Sonography, Aubrey Bullock

Student Research Poster Presentations 2021

Inflammatory Breast Carcinoma (IBC) is a rare type of breast cancer with a high incidence of metastases that makes the breast tender, red, swollen, and sometimes exhibits an orange peel appearance. These type of cancer cells block lymph vessels in the skin of the breast and develops rapidly. Risks factors include sex, lifestyle, age, reproductive factors, race, obesity, and family history. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women. Approximately 1 in 8 women have a risk of developing breast cancer. The most accurate way to diagnose inflammatory breast carcinoma is via mammography and/or sonography. Mammography/and …

Voices From The Field: A Qualitative Study Of The Challenges And Promising Practices Of Rural Public Health In Addressing Hiv And Hepatitis C, Martha Elbaum Williamson Mpa, Karen B. Pearson Mlis, Ms, Amanda R. Burgess Mppm, Jennifer D. Lenardson Mhs, Erika C. Ziller Phd

Population Health

Rural areas of the United States may be vulnerable to an HIV or hepatitis C (HCV) outbreak among persons who inject drugs. Researchers at the University of Southern Maine’s Rural Health Research Center examined the capacity of rural public health systems to prepare for, identify, control, and respond to an HIV or HCV outbreak. Through semi-structured interviews with 36 state and local public health professionals from six rural states, we sought to understand the challenges related to HIV, HCV, and serving rural persons who inject drugs and to identify strategies to address those challenges. Challenges limiting the public health capacity …

Dialogue Between Neuroinflammation And Neurodegenerative Diseases In Covid-19, Bisruta Chowdhury, Jayesh Mudgal, Apoorva Sharma, Sairaj Satarker, Madhavan Nampoothiri

Health collection

The release of cytokines due to astrocyte and microglial activation could progress towards the most anticipated cytokine storm proving to be detrimental in the management of COVID-19.

· Such hyper-inflammatory conditions could make the BBB vulnerable, encouraging excessive viral particles into the CNS, leading to further neurodegenerative pathologies like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and Multiple Sclerosis.

· Excessive neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration being the anticipated root causes of these multiple conditions, it is also essential to investigate other factors that synergistically enhance the worsening of these diseases in COVID-19 patients for which additional studies are essential.

Informative Journaling Application (Unwind) For Ambient Awareness On Mood In Young Adults To Reduce Anxiety And Depression: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial, Jalen Wang

Dartmouth College Undergraduate Theses

The mental health of young adults in America is worsening. Technology-based interventions may offer an accessible way to help with this problem. The objective of the study was to determine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an informative journaling application to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression for young adults. In an unblinded trial, 20 individuals age 18-22 were recruited from Dartmouth College and were randomized to either participate in using the informative journaling application (Unwind) (n=10) or were directed to a National Institute of Mental Health pamphlet as part of the control group (n=10). All participants completed the 9-item …

Improving Medication Adherence In Depressed Patients Via Mobile Applications, Melanie Ocampo

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

About 7% of US adults had experienced depression. Depression is characterized by the presence of feelings of sadness, emptiness, or irritability, accompanied by bodily and cognitive changes lasting at least two weeks that significantly affect the individual’s capacity to function. For successful treatment patients must adhere to taking the medication on its scheduled times. Evidence suggests apps reminding patients to take their medication is still a novel idea. The purpose of this project is to determine the impact of Medisafe™ app on medication adherence and overall compliance when used for six weeks.

Effectiveness Of Collaborative Handwriting Curriculum: Handwriting Without Tears And Orton-Gillingham, In Kindergarten Classroom Setting., Merry G. Harper

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Formal handwriting instruction, using evidence-based, developmentally appropriate handwriting programming, in school based occupational therapy is necessary to support the role of a student. Handwriting is an occupation of children in the school environment. Without formal handwriting instruction in place there is evidence to support occupational therapy intervention providing a handwriting program can improve handwriting success.

Purpose: The purpose of this research study is to determine the clinical efficacy of a hybrid approach to handwriting instruction pairing the Handwriting Without Tears and Orton-Gillingham instructional programming for prewriting and handwriting skills in the kindergarten population. The research question addressed is: Will …

Does Pre-Operative Education Increase Activity Participation And Decrease Perceived Arm Dysfunction In Breast Cancer Patients?, Stephanie R. Rexing

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Executive Summary

Background: Currently there is sufficient evidence indicating safety with upper extremity resistive exercise among those at risk for developing breast cancer related lymphedema. However, there is insufficient evidence of the benefits of pre-operative lymphedema prevention education, upper body strengthening exercises, and strategies to continue or resume physically demanding activities that breast cancer survivors need to do, want to do, or are expected to do.

Purpose: This project described the impact pre-operative education has on activity participation, and perceived upper extremity function among individuals diagnosed with breast cancer compared to those who do not receive pre-operative education. The capstone …

Kindness As An Intervention For Student Social Interaction Anxiety, Resilience, Affect, And Mood: The Kiss Of Kindness Study Ii, Katie Shillington, Andrew Johnson, Tara Mantler, Shauna Burke, Jennifer Irwin

Health Studies Publications

No abstract provided.