Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Rapamycin Rescues Vascular, Metabolic And Learning Deficits In Apolipoprotein E4 Transgenic Mice With Pre-Symptomatic Alzheimer’S Disease, Ai-Ling Lin, Jordan B. Jahrling, Wei Zhang, Nicholas Derosa, Vikas Bakshi, Peter Romero, Veronica Galvan, Arlan Richardson

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Apolipoprotein E ɛ4 allele is a common susceptibility gene for late-onset Alzheimer's disease. Brain vascular and metabolic deficits can occur in cognitively normal apolipoprotein E ɛ4 carriers decades before the onset of Alzheimer's disease. The goal of this study was to determine whether early intervention using rapamycin could restore neurovascular and neurometabolic functions, and thus impede pathological progression of Alzheimer's disease-like symptoms in pre-symptomatic Apolipoprotein E ɛ4 transgenic mice. Using in vivo, multimodal neuroimaging, we found that apolipoprotein E ɛ4 mice treated with rapamycin had restored cerebral blood flow, blood–brain barrier integrity and glucose metabolism, compared …

Neurologists Look At Causes Of Baffling Brain Condition, Maggie Freleng

Capstones

It can be hard getting help for someone with mental illness, but almost impossible when that person doesn't think they are sick. At at least half of people with schizophrenia, for example, insist that the voices they hear are real. People who do not know they are ill often refuse therapy and medication -- and their symptoms can spiral out of control. Doctors call this lack of awareness anosognosia. Neurologists are trying to discover what causes this baffling condition--and how to treat it.

The Sixty-Six Percent, Natalie Abruzzo

Capstones

The Sixty-Six Percent represent the percentage of women in the U.S. who are overweight. They are regarded as full-figured or “plus” size in the world of women’s apparel. Even though more than half of American women wear a “plus” size - size 14 and up - designs for these women account for a fraction of women’s apparel - Only 37% of women's wear is plus-size.

The Sixty-Six Percent is coming at an important time in a broader conversation about de-stigmatizing what it means to be a plus-size woman in America. Fat shaming has become taboo and mainstream media as well …

The War At Home, Joseph A. Altobelli Mr.

Capstones

This site was made to show how the cuts to and politics behind the Veterans Affairs Hospital in New York affects the veterans it is set up to care for.

Association Between Depression And Aggression In Rural Women, Laetitia Meyrueix, Gabriel Durham, Jasmine Miller, K. Bryant Smalley Phd, Psyd, Jacob C. Warren Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Rural women represent approximately 20% of women living in the United States, yet research on the specific mental health needs of rural women is limited. Given the well-recognized gender-linked disparity in depression, its correlated symptoms in women still need much investigation. While emerging notions of depression in men embrace potential symptoms related to irritability and aggression, less research has focused on the potential role of aggression in depressed women. This connection may be particularly relevant for rural women who face unique mental health stressors in comparison to their urban counterparts. The purpose of this study was to examine if aggression …

"There’S More To Us Than This:" A Qualitative Study Of Black Young Adults’ Perceptions Of Media Portrayals Of Hiv, Maya Corneille, Anna Lee, Roseina Britton, Judith C. Barker

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The extent to which the targeted group attends to and is engaged by HIV/STI prevention messages is one component of effective health communication. Through an empirical examination of the cumulative perceptions of HIV/STI prevention media messages targeted to Black youth and young adults, this qualitative study privileges the voices of Black/ African American young adults as a group that is frequently targeted in HIV prevention campaigns. Semi-structured interviews with 23 Black/African American young adults yielded key themes that suggest barriers to effective health communication. Traditionally, health promotion has advocated for targeted messages as a means to increase risk perception and …

Factors Associated With Providers’ Perceptions Of Mental Health Care In Santa Luzia’S Family Health Strategy, Brazil, Angela R. Ghesquiere, Rogerio M. Pinto, Rahbel Rahman, Anya Y. Spector

Publications and Research

Brazil has a unique mental health care system, characterized by universal coverage delivered by interdisciplinary teams both in the community and in specialized centros de atenção psicossocial (CAPS—psychosocial care centers). Provision of patient-centered mental health care is an important principle of Brazilian mental health care, but this topic has not been well-studied. We analyzed data from a cross-sectional survey of 151 community health workers (CHWs), nurses, and physicians in Santa Luzia, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Chi-squares, t-tests and multivariate regression analyses examined differences in socio-demographics, caseload, engagement in evidence-based practices (EBPs), and transdisciplinary collaboration between providers who reported providing high …

Exploring End User Experience: How Can We Achieve Lifelong Engagement With Physical Activity Tracking Devices?, Mohammed Karim Impelee

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

Activity tracking devices provide biofeedback information and encourage people to be active, however, their long-term usage has been problematic. This study explored the theory of reinforcement techniques and the theory of self- determination to enhance long-term usage of activity tracking devices.

A sample of 43 people was surveyed to examine their experience with activity tracking devices. A multi-regression analysis demonstrated significant results(R square=71.6% Sig level=0.012 N=43). The result indicates how individuals with different orientations likely to perceive the supportiveness of their devices and how likely they were to continue using or stop using their devices. Conclusion: understanding the principles of …

Prescription For Critical Thinking: A Discussion Of Psychotropic Medication And Counseling, Barton W. Biggs

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

This paper examines questions about the safety and efficacy of psychotropic medication, and looks at how these questions should impact the field of counseling. The paper first looks at increasing rates of use of psychotropic medication, and establishes that nearly every clinical mental health counselor will work with clients who are taking or considering taking such medication. The paper next examines the scientific literature and establishes that there is a legitimate basis for questions to be raised about the safety and efficacy of these medications. The paper goes on to establish that there is a foundation in ethical codes and …

Advocacy In Action: A Framework For Implementation Of The American Counselors Association Advocacy Competencies On A Local Level, Jeffrey M. Lown

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

Despite calls from within the professional field and external forces, counselors have faced ongoing challenges in their efforts to be effective advocates for their clients and themselves. A review of the literature reveals that throughout the history of the profession, prominent figures have called on counselors to assume advocacy roles, and that some initiatives have been successful in fostering lasting change. However, as counselors and their clients’ needs continue to evolve, so too must strategies to address these needs be reevaluated and new initiatives put into place.

In this paper, I have outlined a committee structure and agenda that seeks …

Health Care Service Disparity: Factors Associated With The Distribution Of Primary Care Physicians, Robert L. Morgan

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Primary care physicians operate on the front lines of health care. Although primary care physicians play a critical role in improving health outcomes, workforce trends in the United States show a growing shortage of primary care physicians as demand for primary care rises. In conveying the importance of primary care physicians, the worsening physician shortage, the inequitable distribution of providers, and the lackluster institutional response thus far, this paper calls into question the effectiveness of current indicators used to identify underserved areas and provide appropriate government assistance. Through the use of data from the 2010 census and American Medical Association …

Patient-Reported Outcomes Screening For Improved Patient Wellness: A Cancer Center Initiative, Alison Morris

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: People experiencing serious illness have significant unmet physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs. The Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) requires patients to be screened for emotional wellbeing and pain by their second oncology visit. This project details one cancer center’s quality improvement initiative to (a) implement electronic screening of every cancer patient by their second oncology visit, (b) design processes for ongoing assessment and intervention of need(s), and (c) develop measurable and sustainable evaluation metrics to ensure that palliative care needs are met. Methods: In June 2015, we launched electronic collection of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) using the Patient Reported …

Improving The Patient Experience By Implementing Patient-Centered Care In A Community Hospital, Richard A. Billingsley Dnp, Mha, Rn

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Health care is a complex business currently undergoing extensive reform. These changes require new methods of care deliver and ways in which health care organizations are operating. At the forefront of this change effort is the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which is transforming health care from a volume-based, fee-for-service process to the delivery of services that have value, improve quality outcomes, increase satisfaction, elicit greater efficiency, demonstrate improved safety outcomes, show cost-effectiveness, promote better access to services, and result in high reliability between providers and organizations. The goal of providing a more positive health care experience is …

Examining Employee Knowledge Of The Jennie Edmundson Hospital Active Shooter Policy, Mallory W. Darais

Theses & Dissertations

Nationally, there has been a large increase in the number of active shooter events within healthcare facilities such as hospitals. Due to this increase, government organizations have recently released documents to guide healthcare facilities on implementing active shooter policies and updating emergency operation plans. Currently, recommendations from government entities such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security suggest the “Run, Hide, Fight” approach during an active shooter incident. Jennie Edmundson Hospital, located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and affiliated with the Methodist Health System, currently has an active shooter policy in place. Data was collected from …

Developing Inter-Professional Oral Health Education: An Evaluation Of Educational Resources, Jordan A. Jew

Master's Projects and Capstones

As healthcare continues to evolve, providers will need to uphold the quality of patient care provided to patients. Traditional healthcare holds many gaps that do not recognize the unmet needs that exist within today’s society. To maximize the abilities of healthcare services, inter-professional education introduces a collaborative approach that develops a network of shared knowledge and clinical skills beyond the primary scope of practice.

In this project, oral health learning modules developed for family practice residents were introduced to first-year dental students at the Dugoni School of Dentistry to improve their knowledge and confidence to both educate and practice with …

Impact Of Executive Order 13211 On Environmental Regulation: An Empirical Study, Elizabeth Ann Glass Geltman

Publications and Research

A great deal has been written about the Energy Policy Act of 2005 exempting oil and gas operations using hydraulic fracturing from the purview of certain federal environmental laws. Far less attention has been paid to George W. Bush’s Executive Order 13211 (EO 13211), entitled “Actions Concerning Regulations that Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution or Use.” The executive order requires federal agencies to evaluate the impact of federal regulations on “supply, distribution and use of energy.” This study examined the impact of EO 13211 on United States environmental and conservation regulations proposed and promulgated by federal agencies. The study found …

Preserving Personhood In Individuals With Cognitive Impairment: A Caregiver's Role, Maren Legg

Honors Projects

This project consists of an educational program for informal caregivers in the Bowling Green community on preserving personhood in individuals with cognitive impairments through caregiving experiences. The program was based on a copious amount of research regarding personhood, how personhood relates to individuals experiencing cognitive impairment, and how care provided by caregivers can be provided in a way that promotes and preserves an individual’s personality, personhood, and selfhood.

The program was developed over the span of four months and incorporates models of personhood, behaviors that threaten and preserve or promote personhood, as well as practical suggestions for strategies in how …

Inter-Organizational Network Effects On The Implementation Of Public Health Services, Glen P. Mays

Health Management and Policy Presentations

Background: The Affordable Care Act created new incentives for hospitals, insurers, public health agencies, and others to contribute to disease prevention and health promotion activities, potentially changing inter-organizational relationships and expanding implementation of strategies that improve population health. This study uses data from the 1998-2014 National Longitudinal Survey of Public Health Systems to examine: (1) the extent and nature of change in inter-organizational contributions to public health activities; (2) whether network changes attenuate or exacerbate disparities in public health implementation across communities; and (3) how network changes affect preventable mortality and resource use.

Methods: We follow a longitudinal cohort of …

Geographic Variation In The Implementation Of Public Health Services: Organizational, Economic, And Network Determinants, Glen P. Mays

Glen Mays

An expanding body of research-tested public health interventions exist to prevent disease and injury and promote health on a population-wide basis, such as those profiled in the CDC’s Guide to Community Prevention Services, but adoption and implementation of these strategies vary widely across states and communities. Public health services are delivered through diffuse constellations of governmental agencies and their private-sector and community-based counterparts using implementation mechanisms that are poorly understood. The studies in this panel examine how organizational, economic, and inter-organizational network characteristics influence the implementation of public health services across states and communities.

Inter-Organizational Network Effects On Public Health Service Implementation, Outcomes, And Disparities Across U.S. Communities, Glen P. Mays

Glen Mays

Background: The Affordable Care Act created new incentives for hospitals, insurers, public health agencies, and others to contribute to disease prevention and health promotion activities, potentially changing inter-organizational relationships and expanding implementation of strategies that improve population health. This study uses data from the 1998-2014 National Longitudinal Survey of Public Health Systems to examine: (1) the extent and nature of change in inter-organizational contributions to public health activities; (2) whether network changes attenuate or exacerbate disparities in public health implementation across communities; and (3) how network changes affect preventable mortality and resource use.Methods: We follow a longitudinal cohort of 360 …

Smoking And Exercise: Mechanisms And Effects During Simulated And Genuine Quit Attempts, Stefanie De Jesus

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Cigarette smoking is a leading agent for premature morbidity and mortality among the global community. Most individuals surrender to tobacco use disorder due to the inability to cope with cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Exercise appears to provide acute relief. Currently, it is unclear how exercise attenuates these reductions. Furthermore, the available evidence has focused on acute outcomes besides smoking behaviour and is limited to simulated quit attempts. Three experimental studies were designed to address these outstanding issues. Not surprisingly, a bout of moderate intensity exercise was found in study 1 (chapter 2) to reduce cravings associated with a temporary period …

Academic Medicine As A Bridge To Peace: Building Arab And Israeli Cooperation, Abi Sriharan, Ziad Abdeen, Dennis Bojrab, Shurkri David, Ziad Elnasser, Tim Patterson, Robert Shprintzen, Harvey Skinner, Yehudah Roth, Arnold Noyek

Robert J. Shprintzen

Can you imagine Canadian, Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian medical students singing, volunteering, and working together to develop programs to address issues related to global pediatric emergency medicine? Such a program was first held in Toronto in 2003 and continues annually. Can you imagine Canadians, Israelis, Jordanians, and Palestinians jointly teaching and developing solutions, via video teleconference, to address behavioral neurological problems affecting elderly populations? Such an initiative began in 2006 and continues to expand today. Can you imagine senior Jordanian and Israeli ear surgeons operating together, successfully carrying out pioneering cochlear implant surgery on deaf infants, on Jordanian national television? …

Cognitive And Psychiatric Predictors To Psychosis In Velocardiofacial Syndrome: A 3-Year Follow-Up Study, Kevin Antshel, Robert Shprintzen, Wanda Fremont, Anne Higgins, Stephen Faraone, Wendy Kates

Robert J. Shprintzen

Objective: To predict prodromal psychosis in adolescents with velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS). Method: 70 youth with VCFS, 27 siblings of youth with VCFS and 25 community controls were followed from childhood (Mean age = 11.8 years) into mid-adolescence (mean age 15.0 years). Psychological tests measuring intelligence, academic achievement, learning/memory, attention and executive functioning as well as measures of parent and clinician ratings of child psychiatric functioning were completed at both time point. Results: Major depressive disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder diagnoses increased in the VCFS sample. With very low false positive rates, the best predictor of adolescent prodromal …

Puerto Rico’S Community Health Centers In A Time Of Crisis, Peter Shin, Jessica Sharac, Marie Nina Luis, Sara J. Rosenbaum

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

In 2014, Puerto Rico’s twenty federally funded community health centers, operating in 71 sites located throughout the Commonwealth, served 330,736 patients, approximately one in ten Commonwealth residents. Compared to other Puerto Rico residents, health center patients are less likely to be insured. Despite considerable growth in Medicaid as a result of the supplemental funding provided under the Affordable Care Act, in 2014, 12.2% of health center patients remained uninsured.

Compared to health centers outside Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico’s health centers show a greater proportion of Medicaid patients served (69% compared to 46% outside Puerto Rico), a greater dependence on physician …

The Use Of Exercise Self-Talk By Female Adolescents, Sadie Puddister

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Already below recommended levels, physical activity participation in female youth is known to decline throughout adolescence. Self-talk, a form of self-regulation has been demonstrated to influence behaviour in both sport and exercise settings. The purpose of the present research was to explore the exercise related self-talk of teen girls (aged 14-18) with the intent of uncovering reoccurring themes and attributes in the self-talk of both low frequency exercisers (LFEs) and high frequency exercisers (HFEs). Participants were teen girls (N=28, M_age=15.56, SD_age=1.47) recruited from A. B. Lucas Secondary School in London, Ontario. Physical activity …

Effects Of Repeated Quetiapine Treatment On Conditioned Avoidance Responding In Rats, Jun Gao, Min Feng, Natashia Swalve, Collin Davis, Nan Sui, Ming Li

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The present study characterized the behavioral mechanisms of avoidance–disruptive effect of quetiapine in the conditioned avoidance response test under two behavioral testing (2 warning signals vs. 1 warning signal) and two drug administration conditions (subcutaneous vs. intravenous). In Experiments 1 and 2, well-trained adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were tested under the subcutaneous (s.c.) quetiapine treatment (5.0, 15.0, 25.0, 50.0 mg/kg) for 7 days in a novel procedure consisting of two conditioned stimuli (CS) (white noise serving as CS1 and pure tone as CS2). Only the highest dose (50.0 mg/kg) produced a persistent suppression of the avoidance response without impairing the …

The Hidden Epidemic: Mental Health Epidemiology In Post-Conflict Populations And Implications For Conflict Transformation Practices, Jennifer Sato

Capstone Collection

This capstone explores the ramifications of unmitigated mental health illness in conflict populations, paying special attention to refugees and migrants. The intersection between conflict and mental health is explored and analyzed in order to highlight the implications of the findings and to make recommendations to both metal health and conflict transformation practitioners. This capstone depends predominately on secondary resources and personal interviews and is informed by my own practicum experience at a refugee health center. The need to improve mental health outcomes in order to pursue conflict transformation and peace building is a key focus and is supported by the …

Travel Tales: The Role Of Storytelling In Abroad Experience And Healing, Colleen N. Mcmurray

Capstone Collection

This capstone paper examines the perceived effectiveness of storytelling in the healing process. It aims to answer the question: What role does storytelling play in the healing of returning travelers? The study was conducted by analyzing forty digital videos, categorizing themes, and analyzing the themes in relation to themes found within several articles about the power and effects of storytelling. Five principal themes were used from the data collected. The themes were then used to gain a deeper understanding of how storytelling makes the storyteller feel and how storytelling can be used for healing. The author of this paper has …

Explaining The Longitudinal Association Between Puberty And Depression: Sex Differences In The Mediating Effects Of Peer Stress, Colleen Conley, Karen Rudolph, Fred Bryant

Colleen S. Conley

This research investigated whether exposure to peer stress serves as one pathway through which pubertal development contributes to depression over time, differentially for girls and boys. Youth (N = 149; 9.6–14.8 years) and their caregivers provided information at two waves, 1 year apart, on puberty (Wave 1), peer stress (occurring between Waves 1 and 2), and depression (Waves 1 and 2). Structural equation modeling analyses examined sex differences in the extent to which peer stress mediated the impact of pubertal status and timing on subsequent depression (i.e., tests of moderated mediation). Significant sex-moderated mediation was found for both pubertal status …

Measurement Invariance Of The Kidney Disease And Quality Of Life Instrument (Kdqol-Sf) Across Veterans And Non-Veterans, Karen Saban, Fred Bryant, Dominic Reda, Kevin Stroupe, Denise Hynes

Fred B. Bryant

Background Studies have demonstrated that perceived health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients receiving hemodialysis is significantly impaired. Since HRQOL outcome data are often used to compare groups to determine health care effectiveness it is imperative that measures of HRQOL are valid. However, valid HRQOL comparisons between groups can only be made if instrument invariance is demonstrated. The Kidney Disease Quality of Life-Short Form (KDQOL-SF) is a widely used HRQOL measure for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) however, it has not been validated in the Veteran population. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the measurement invariance …