Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Analyzing The Ramifications Of Climate Change On Mental Health, Salvatore A. Medori

CAFE Symposium 2024

When thinking about the vast array of impacts that the climate crisis has on humanity, there are many things that come to mind, but mental health impacts are likely not one of them. Even though research demonstrates that mental effects from any form of disaster far exceed the physical health implications mental health impacts of the largest disaster facing humanity since the Second World War are rarely considered at all, let alone when solutions are being created. This has led to a hidden crisis emerging underneath an even larger crisis, with serious consequences for most individuals across the globe. The …

Selective Mutism In The Classroom, Audrey Whisman

CAFE Symposium 2024

Selective Mutism is an extreme form of anxiety where in social situations, you completely freeze. It affects around 1 child in every 5 classrooms, but is considered to be one of the most misunderstood mental health disorders. Audrey Whisman created a curriculum program and guidebook which she will use to educate school professionals and teachers about what symptoms look like and how they can best support their students.

Navigating Car Attitudes: An Analysis Of Transportation Habits, Environmental Views, And Demographics, Caroline J. Jordan, Sydney E. Lucero, Anna L. Imrie

Student Publications

Transportation plays a crucial part in the daily lives of people and society worldwide. Our study examined the transportation habits and environmental attitudes of both Gettysburg College students and individuals across the United States. We conducted a comparative analysis using a sample from students on campus and a national sample collected from the crowdsourcing platform, Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Additionally, we compared our findings with two similar studies completed by an Environmental Studies capstone nine years ago. We calculated each respondent's environmental score to gauge environmental attitudes, derived explicitly from their answers to five of the 24 survey questions. Next, we …

Roadway Characteristics And Car Accident Trends In Gettysburg, Pa, Max Smith, Jake H. Kennell, Russell H. Canova

Student Publications

This study addresses the rising motor vehicle accident and fatality rates in the United States (Moore, 2023). Focusing on the conditions in the Gettysburg Borough in an attempt to answer the following research questions: Are age of driver, weather conditions of car accidents, and traffic volume contributing to accidents in the Gettysburg Borough? What are the roadway characteristics of accident hot spot areas within the Gettysburg Borough? Utilizing Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) crash data from 2018 to 2022 and PennDot Average Annual Daily Traffic data, this study employs a comprehensive approach. Combining GIS analysis and statistical analysis to determine …

"Life Unworthy Of Life" Aktion T4: The First Nazi Genocide, Alexander M. Remington

Student Publications

Though usually viewed as a prelude to the Holocaust, the T4 euthanasia program was a distinct genocide carried out by the Third Reich’s doctors. Allowing themselves to be corrupted by eugenics and Nazi policy, the perpetrators of the Nazi euthanasia killings transformed themselves from healers to murderers. Despite public resistance led by Bishop Clemens von Galen which resulted in the cancellation of the T4 program, Nazi doctors took it upon themselves to continue euthanizing patients until the end of the war, emphasizing the legitimacy that euthanasia had acquired. The history of the T4 program, its perpetrators, and resisters is critical …

Juicemania: Interpreting Jay Kordich’S Health Empire As Religion, Deirdre M. Sullivan

Student Publications

John “Jay” Kordich, an American “health reformer,” salesman, author, and celebrity, is best known for his recipe books on diet and health and his series of television infomercials. With his charismatic presentations and playful sense of humor, he captivated audiences with his demonstrations of various models of juicers and the delicious taste of his fresh juices. Kordich is part of a long line of health reformers, fasters, and practitioners of alternative medicine that has persisted in American culture for over 200 years. These advocates of alternative medicine have not only met a need for medical treatment, but also for religion …

Increasing Substance Safety Concentrating On The Fentanyl Epidemic, Rachael A. Geesaman

CAFE Symposium 2023

An action plan designed to combat the fentanyl epidemic, I plan to educate others on the dangers of fentanyl by sharing and debunking common misconceptions and research online in a digestible format. To do so, I plan to create a website and Instagram account that has a global outreach to educate others and alleviate the stigma around substance use and death by fentanyl poisoning. Furthermore, the project is to spread awareness of current efforts and resources in specific areas in South Central PA, such as Adams County, Franklin, and Cumberland Counties.

Alzheimer's Disease, Dylan L. Weber

Student Publications

An overview of the background, etiology, pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease.

Age Related Macular Degeneration, Kathryn J. Hopsicker

Student Publications

This paper is a literature review on the subject Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) with a focus on its etiology, pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. AMD is the leading cause of severe and irreversible central vision loss in in individuals over the age of 55. There are two subtypes of AMD referred to as dry and wet respectively. The etiology of this disease is multifactorial and complex, with no hallmark of disease definitively identified. The distinct pathophysiological features differing in dry and wet AMD are explored in this review as well as its diagnosis and treatment. This disease is …

Ms-293: Gillilan Family Letters, Jessica A. Cromer, Carly A. Jensen, Merlyn Maldonado Lopez

All Finding Aids

This collection contains approximately 90 letters written by various letters of the Gillilan family, including Lewis, his parents, wife, and children. The bulk of the letters are written by Lewis between 1909 and 1910, but there are also a significant amount written by his daughter, Lois, in 1939. These letters provide insight into the life of a stagecoach driver and a young woman studying medicine in Europe during the rise of the Nazi party, amongst other things. Many of the early letters also depict Lewis and Ellen navigating their personal relationship as it was contested by their families.

All of …

Documenting & Describing Experiences Of Marginalized Gender Identities In Healthcare, Laura Stepnowski

Gettysburg Social Sciences Review

Despite its importance to quality and length of life, health varies widely among the U.S. population depending on various sociodemographic factors, such as age, race, gender, and income. This research focuses on the perception of treatment for those with marginalized gender identities. There is a long history of discrepancies in healthcare, but no time such as the present seems to be filled with such a nuanced perspective of quality of treatment for those with marginalized gender identities. This became evident through the focus groups conducted for this study. Findings show that participants used more collaborative language when discussing their positive …

Brown Adipose Tissue (Bat) Activation And Its Potential Utilization As A Treatment Option For Obesity And Diabetes, Darcie B. Schneider

Student Publications

Within the human body, there are two types of adipose tissue: white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT). WAT is beneficial for insulation whereas BAT has thermogenic capacity. BAT activation increases energy consumption via heat generation. Increased energy expenditure is associated with improved glucose and lipid metabolism. Therefore, BAT activation research has primarily been aimed at its potential use in the treatment of obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders. In this literature review, BAT's thermogenic mechanisms, techniques of activation, potential therapeutic targets, and future research topics are explored.

Extreme Exposure To Cold: A Method To Enhance Physical Wellness And Recovery, Mallory E. Duggan

Student Publications

This paper reviews the current literature on Cryotherapy and its ability to enhance physical wellness and recovery. The paper details the proposed mechanisms of Cryotherapy as well as its various clinical applications regarding the treatment of numerous diseases and physical exercise recovery. The paper also details the possible limitations/detrimental effects of Cryotherapy usage.

Water Intoxication: Current Developments In Hyponatremia, Allison C. Mosmiller

Student Publications

This paper is a review of recent research on the subject of exercise-associated hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is notoriously difficult to diagnose and to treat due to its general symptoms and required specificity in diagnosis in order to assign appropriate treatment. If left untreated, Hyponatremia can result in the development of complications like cerebral edema, seizures, coma, and sometimes death. The pathogenesis of hyponatremia includes multiple proposed mechanisms, including overconsumption of hypotonic fluids, inappropriate release of antidiuretic hormone, inefficiency of fluid filtration by the kidneys, redirection of fluid into intestinal lumen, and activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Signs and symptoms of hyponatremia …

Brown Fat In Humans: The Significance Of Thermogenic Active Tissue, Brett T. Swanson

Student Publications

Brown adipose tissue is a metabolically active form of fat in the body that performs a crucial function in non-shivering thermogenesis. It can be compared to the prevalent white adipose tissue which is generally understood to be energy storage in the body, with brown tissue performing an opposing role. The tissue itself contains unique gene and protein markers such as uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) which allows for the thermogenic process inside the cell, burning lipids to do so. These gene and protein markers have proven to be crucial in the detection of brown adipose tissue, which had previously been thought …

Oxygen Deprivation Masks For Training, Brittany M. Hanlon

Student Publications

Oxygen deprivation masks are being advertised towards athletes as a piece of fitness equipment that can simulate the effects of high altitude, as well as a respiratory muscle training device. Studies that investigated the claims as to whether ODMs increased VO2max and improved endurance were looked into. Experimental data did not find that the use of these masks increased VO2max, nor was there any supporting data to prove that it improved endurance. The function of ODMs as a training tool to increase respiratory muscle strength was also examined. There were contradicting results between the three different studies examined. One study …

Epidemiology In Higher Education: Scarlet Fever At Gettysburg College, Addison E. Lomax

Student Publications

Throughout the early 20th century, the relationship between higher education and the spread of epidemic disease evolved in the United States. Two notable epidemics of scarlet fever in 1915 and 1920 serve as a lens through which the larger roles of disease and higher education can be analyzed. By assessing the roles both the administration and the students played at Gettysburg College, then Pennsylvania College, historians can understand the process of combating health crises in the future. Although the Pennsylvania College scarlet fever epidemics of 1915 and 1920 impacted campus to a smaller extent than the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the …

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy And Wound Healing, Karen E. Lucero Ortega

Student Publications

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) has been around since the 1860s and is now a well-established form of treatment. HBOT has been proven to be a safe therapeutic option and has been successful in treating non-healing wounds, traumatic wounds, and radiation-induced wounds. There has also been success in treating other conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, carbon monoxide poisoning, and decompression sickness with HBOT. The way HBOT works is by exposing the body to 100% pure oxygen in a closed chamber, which exceeds normal atmospheric pressure by two to three times. With HBOT, large amounts of oxygen enters the body, which …

Neutrophil Dynamics Affect Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Granuloma Outcomes And Dissemination, Caitlin Hult, Joshua T. Mattila, Hannah P. Gideon, Jennifer J. Linderman, Denise E. Kischner

Math Faculty Publications

Neutrophil infiltration into tuberculous granulomas is often associated with higher bacteria loads and severe disease but the basis for this relationship is not well understood. To better elucidate the connection between neutrophils and pathology in primate systems, we paired data from experimental studies with our next generation computational model GranSim to identify neutrophil-related factors, including neutrophil recruitment, lifespan, and intracellular bacteria numbers, that drive granuloma-level outcomes. We predict mechanisms underlying spatial organization of neutrophils within granulomas and identify how neutrophils contribute to granuloma dissemination. We also performed virtual deletion and depletion of neutrophils within granulomas and found that neutrophils play …

Cryotherapy, Emma E. Bedell

Student Publications

Rest and recovery are vital for athletes to give their bodies time to repair and strengthen between workouts. Whole-body cryotherapy involves exposing the body to vapors that reach ultra-low temperatures, ranging from -200°F to -300°F. There are several possible beneficial mechanisms from whole-body cryotherapy that support a fast recovery such as muscle temperature decrease, reduction in muscle damage, reduction in inflammation, reduction in heart rate and cardiac output, peripheral vasoconstriction, reduction in peripheral edema formation, and pain-relieving effects. This paper dissects the adaptations cryotherapy provides in athletic recovery, and additionally notes some draw backs of this cooling technique.

Terrorism In Your Brain: The Battles Of Multiple Sclerosis (Ms), Paul W. Asper

Student Publications

This paper is a review of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) looking at the phenotypes, epidemiology, etiology, pathology, and immunology. Additionally, this paper examines the clinical presentations and criteria for diagnosis along with the treatment and management of symptoms.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: The Disease Of The Peripheral Nervous System, Aisling G. Lavelle

Student Publications

A literary review of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis summarizing the most up to date information about ALS. The most recent prevalence and incidence reports globally and specifically the USA are reported. Characteristics of the phenotypes are described and a break down of symptoms and effective diagnosis measures are reported and explained. Genetic and environmental factors are summarized and broken down in layman's terms. Current research and treatments being performed for ALS patients and their future impacts are described.

Kaatsu Training, Efrain De Leon Angon

Student Publications

This paper explores the use of blood flow restriction training as a rehabilitation tool in physical therapy and as a training method for the general population such as the fact that BFR training can be an alternative option for individuals who cannot tolerate high-load resistance training due to injury or surgery. This allows BFR training to be used by a wide spectrum of ages and physical capacities. However, the safety of BFR is still being questioned as well as its effects on well-trained athletes.

Rhabdomyolysis And Covid-19, Brett T. Swanson

Student Publications

This paper seeks to summarize recent research findings concerning the link between rhabdomyolysis and COVID-19. While most commonly known as a respiratory disease, COVID-19 has strong direct effects on the kidneys which presents a serious challenge to treatment and care of patients. New research also suggests that COVID-19 directly damages skeletal muscle tissue as well, and rhabdomyolysis induced as a result of viral attack or secondary factors can also place major strain on the kidneys. Both COVID-19 and rhabdomyolysis can lead to acute kidney injury on their own, and their combined effects can present severe clinical complications. This body of …

Implications Of Online Gambling Legalization, William M. Schmidt

Student Publications

The tradition of gambling has been around for thousands of years, but has undergone a recent evolution into what it is perceived as today. This has turned it into an industry of its own, which will only continue to grow with the ongoing legalization of online gambling. Past trends in these legislations would project further economic growth tied to the gambling industry. However, the mental health implications that have been seen to stem from the practice of gambling are as present as ever. This problem associated with the industry will also be expected to climb as gambling becomes both more …

Naturalistic Child Observation, Rachel Bradley

Gettysburg Social Sciences Review

Among the many different research methods available naturalistic observation is one of the oldest forms. In this paper advantages and disadvantages of naturalistic observation will be discussed, followed by observations of two preschool children to determine which developmental stage they place in Piaget’s cognitive development theory. The results found that each child fit within Piaget's cognitive development theory with each exhibiting different spheres of the preoperational stage. Further research could look at gender differences or certain behavioral incidences only.

New Developments In Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Arden M. Scheetz

Student Publications

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, or HBOT, is a form of treatment based on the inhalation of 100% pure oxygen while subjected to closed chamber or room at pressures greater than sea level (1 atmosphere, ATA) (Howell et al., 2018; Kocaman, 2020). HBOT is administered through either a mono-place chamber or a multi-place chamber. Mono-place chambers are pressurized with oxygen and are equipped to handle a single person at a time. Multi-place chambers, on the other hand, can accommodate up to 20 people at a time, including medical personnel and intubated patients. These chambers are pressurized with air, and pure oxygen is …

Acute Mountain Sickness, Efrain De Leon Angon

Student Publications

Overview of Acute Mountain Sickness including Diagnosis, risk factors and treatment/prevention, as well as the pathophysiology effects of AMS.

The Physiology Of The Circadian Rhythm, Jessica S. Ken-Kwofie

Student Publications

This paper discusses the importance and origin of the Circadian Rhythm. First recorded by Jean Jacque d’Ortous de Mairan in 1729, the Circadian Rhythm is understood to be a fundamental biological system that is tailored to Earth’s axis. Having impacts on peripheral organs, sleep patterns, and hormonal balances, this process influences almost every aspect of the human body and several other mammals. Focusing on the Circadian Rhythm is vital to further understanding the “clock-like” patterns of the human body and future research and development of treatments could be the solution to current detrimental diseases and disorders.

Altered Physiology Of Gastrointestinal Vagal Afferents Following Neurotrauma, Emily N. Blanke, Gregory M. Holmes, Emily M. Besecker

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

The adaptability of the central nervous system has been revealed in several model systems. Of particular interest to central nervous system-injured individuals is the ability for neural components to be modified for regain of function. In both types of neurotrauma, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury, the primary parasympathetic control to the gastrointestinal tract, the vagus nerve, remains anatomically intact. However, individuals with traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury are highly susceptible to gastrointestinal dysfunctions. Such gastrointestinal dysfunctions attribute to higher morbidity and mortality following traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. While the vagal efferent output remains …