Browsing by Author "Wicker, Olivia"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Designing a Self-Determination Theory-Based App for a Wellness Behavior Change
    (2020-06) Wicker, Olivia
    Chronic diseases and mental health conditions are a costly and rising health concern. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chronic diseases are rapidly growing and are currently the number one cause of death in America (Chronic Diseases in America). In addition, 19.2% of Americans suffer from a mental health illness, according to the National Alliance on Mental Health (“Mental Health By the Numbers | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness”). Many of these diseases are related and can be linked to unhealthy personal behaviors, such as lack of physical activity and poor nutrition (Chronic Diseases in America;“WHO | 2. Background”). Improving these health behaviors could help lower and/or improve many physical and mental conditions. In the last decade, there has been an expansion in health and fitness apps, but that does not translate to improved health behaviors. One concern is there is a lack of regulation and theory implemented in them (Higgins; Herrmann and Kim; Ozdalga et al.). Few apps take the needed step to use behavior change strategies and building self-efficacy and instead only monitor behavior, provide information, and assist with goal setting (Direito et al.; Higgins; Herrmann and Kim; Sullivan and Lachman, Schoeppe et al.). Apps often offer incentive programs that do not show long-term results and are a source of extrinsic motivation (Herrmann and Kim). Rewards and extrinsic motivation can be helpful for starting a program or health change, but intrinsic motivation is needed for behavior maintenance (Pope and Harvey; Sardi et al.). Self-determination theory is a human behavior meta-theory that suggests people become self-determined by three innate needs: autonomy, relatedness, and competence (Ryan and Deci). Building an app around self-determination theory will better promote long-term health changes that the user will be intrinsically motivated to maintain. This thesis proposes a prototype app designed around self-determination theory. Both the user experience and the design of the user interface promote the theory. This is a design-based project intended to explore a way in which the app could be designed. With this approach, the app would have three levels, moving the user towards becoming intrinsically motivated. As the user advances levels, the app assists with and promotes the user’s autonomy, relatedness, and competence. The final level (and goal) of the app should have two effects on the user that work together: assist the user in developing intrinsic motivation to make healthy choices and to discourage reliance on the app to the point of potentially not needing it at all. This will create a long-term change for the user in multiple health and wellness behaviors, which will, in theory, lead to fewer health problems and chronic diseases and a longer, healthier life.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    PELP1: A Potential Biomarker for Breast Cancer Initiation
    (2017) Wicker, Olivia
    PELP1 (proline, glutamic acid, leucine rich protein 1), an estrogen receptor coactivator protein, normally localizes in the nucleus of cells; however, PELP1 was found to localize in the cytoplasm in 40% of invasive breast cancers (Vadlamudi et al., 2005). Additionally, a clinical study found that cytoplasmic localization of PELP1 occurs in 36% percent of asymptomatic high-risk women (Girard et al., 2014). Currently, there are no molecular biomarkers that can be used to determine which groups of women with pre-malignant breast lesions will go on to develop invasive breast cancer. For pre-malignant breast lesions to develop into invasive breast cancer, the abnormal cells must acquire epigenetic and genetic changes which result in enhanced migration and invasion to break through the basement membrane (Cowell et al., 2013; Mokbel and Cutuli, 2006; Vargo-Gogola and Rosen, 2007). Here we show that cytoplasmic localization of PELP1 in SUM225 DCIS cells can induce a stem cell phenotype and increased migration. Primary and secondary tumorsphere assays showed increased tumorspheres in SUM225 cells with PELP1 cytoplasmic localization (PELP1-cyto) rather than wild type localization (PELP1-wt). Migration assays showed that that PELP1-cyto cells were trending towards being more migratory that PELP1-wt cells. PELP1 localization in the cytoplasm may be an event in breast cancer initiation for regulating stem cell and migratory phenotypes. Our findings suggest that PELP1 may be able to be used as a biomarker for breast cancer initiation or even a targeted therapy.