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RESEARCH
decreased significantly after individuals were placed in housing.
An additional finding was that the use of emergency room
services declined considerably in the period after housing while
the use of outpatient, primary care visits increased. In the midst of
study limitations, the data suggests that the provision of housing
to people who are homeless not only provides an individual with
safe shelter and services, but it also provides community-level
benefits as well.
Melody Phillips
Melody Phillips, Ph.D., MS ’96, BS
Assistant Professor, Kinesiology
“Exercise is good for you, but HOW
does it work? Mechanisms of exercise-
induced reductions in disease risk”
Phillips
investigated
the
mechanisms involved in exercise-
induced reductions in sub-clinical
inflammation. Sub-clinical inflammation (elevated levels
of markers of inflammation in the blood and other tissues)
accompanies many inactivity-related diseases. Consistent exercise
training is known to reduce sub-clinical inflammation and risk
of many diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis,
Alzheimer’s disease and more. Phillips concluded that consistent
resistance training (weight lifting) alone, in the absence of
weight loss, is still effective in reducing LDL (bad) cholesterol
and other inflammatory markers of cardiovascular (heart) disease
and diabetes.
Deborah J. Rhea AND
Suzy Lockwood
Deborah J. Rhea, Ed.D., MEd, BS
Professor of Kinesiology, Associate
Dean for Health Sciences and Research
and
Suzy Lockwood, Ph.D., MSN, BSN ’83
Professor of Nursing, Director of the
Center for Oncology Education and
Research
“The meaningfulness of experiences
of adults surviving lung cancer two or
more years: a systematic review”
This presentation reported on a
recent systematic review to synthesize
the best available evidence on the
experiences of surviving lung cancer
in adults over the age of 18, two
or more years after diagnosis. Both
qualitative and quantitative studies
were reviewed. The qualitative study
findings
identified
five
themes
related to surviving lung cancer post two years, which included
existential issues, health and self-care, physical ability, adjustment
and support. Quantitative studies identified that distressed
groups had lower lung cancer survival than those who were not
distressed. The studies also found that emotional states and style
of coping were related to lung cancer survival. With less emotional
distress, seeing the good in everything, adjusting life to fit the
changes from lung cancer and adding physical activity to the daily
routine, the life of a lung cancer survivor can be extended and be
more meaningful.
Dru Riddle
Dru Riddle, DNP ’11, MSN, BSN
Assistant Professor of Professional
Practice, Nurse Anesthesia
“Intraoperative brain activity
monitoring and post-anesthesia
care unit length of stay: a systematic
review”
The use of intraoperative brain activity monitoring helps guide
the administration of general anesthesia. Additional benefits of
brain activity monitoring in the face of general anesthesia include
increased patient satisfaction, decreased nausea and vomiting,
decreased pain and decreased risk of intraoperative recall.
Conflicting reports in the literature exist concerning the efficacy
of brain activity monitoring at reducing the post-anesthesia care
unit length of stay. The aim of this study was to determine if the use
of intraoperative brain activity monitoring had an impact on post-
anesthesia care unit length of stay following general anesthesia.
Through the use of the Joanna Briggs Institute Systematic Review
methodology, a systematic reviewwas conducted that determined
the use of the technology had an influence on post-anesthesia
care unit length of stay. The resulting decrease in post-anesthesia
care unit time can also lead to financial gains.
Christopher Watts
Christopher Watts, Ph.D., BS
Professor and Chair, Communication
Sciences and Disorders
“Upregulating the elastin gene: an
exploratory study”
Voice disturbance as a phenotypic
trait is predictable in many genetic
conditions, but our understanding
of how the voice is deviant, either
structurally or physiologically, is significantly limited. In human
disorders that are known to alter elastic fibers, such as inherited
Supravalvular Aortic Stenosis and presbylaryngis (aging voice),
voice quality is abnormal. Studies that advance our understanding
of the genetic influences facilitating the formation and distribution
of vocal fold elastic fibers are critical to the development of a
fundamental understanding of how the genes that regulate the
production of elastin are altered during development, aging,
health and disease. This presentation reported on a line of
investigation that uses a novel animal model, the elastin knockout
mouse, to investigate tissue histology and gene expression levels
in vocal folds containing altered elastin content and measure their
relationship to the biomechanical function of those vocal folds.
research
The Harris College Magazine
- Summer 2012 ·
19