Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Why Not Mold? A Meta-Narrative Review Of Maldi-Tof Ms, Esmeralda Rojo Santibanez, Destanie Corrine Lechuga, Karen Brigette Vallejos, Emily Cheng Eng

Research Methods Poster Session 2024

Hospitals have recorded immunocompromised patients to be highly susceptible to hospital acquired infections caused by yeasts and molds. Successfully identifying such pathogens is important for the rapid diagnosis and treatment of these infections, marking the significance of this study. Since 2010, Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has made mold identification more efficient but its usage in clinical laboratories is widely restricted. With an aim to understand this paradox, this meta-narrative review investigates the limited use of MALDI-TOF MS in mold identification, including factors affecting the accuracy and preparation of specimens. PubMed Central Database was …

Unraveling The Genomic Landscape Of Staphylococcus Aureus: A Microbial Genomics Perspective, Kimi Norway

Undergraduate Research Conference

Staphylococcus aureus is a common pathogen implicated in various skin conditions, including boils (furuncles) and atopic dermatitis (eczema). Understanding the virulence factors contributing to these skin infections is essential for developing targeted therapeutic interventions. This research aims to compare the virulence factors, including toxins, adhesins, and immune evasion proteins, of two Staphylococcus aureus strains associated with boils and atopic dermatitis: Strain A (ST398) and Strain B (NCTC 8325).

Why Is Speech Language Pathology Considered A Gendered Profession Amongst Male College Students In Health Related Majors?, Karli King, Audrey Mcdonald, Caroline Casey, Adrienne Stewart, Catherine L. Cotton

Undergraduate Research Conference

A gender disparity exists in the field of speech-language pathology, and it is recognized in the American Speech and Hearing Association’s demographic report. In Mississippi, 98.4% of SLPs are female and 1.6% are male (ASHA, 2022). Given the numbers presented by ASHA, awareness of speech-language pathology amongst male college students comes into question. According to ASHA’s Strategic Pathway to Excellence, objective #6 is to increase diversity/equity/inclusion within the Association and the discipline (ASHA, 2023). A goal of this research study is to identify the barriers and awareness level of males in health-related undergraduate majors. This information would better facilitate how …

Improving Dementia Symptoms Through Personalized Music, Lindsay Grainger

SC Upstate Research Symposium

Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD) is a prevalent, costly, and complicated disease. With over 6 million Americans affected and the cost of treatment soaring to over $320 billion dollars annually, there is a growing need for low-cost interventions to treat symptoms. Routinely listening to personalized music selections has been shown to reduce agitation—the most common symptom of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia. The purpose of this study was to provide a personalized music listening (PML) intervention of thirty minutes to 10 nursing home residents with dementia. Thirty-minute PML sessions occurred multiple times a week over six weeks. The inclusion …

Gene Expression Analysis Of Atypical Fibroxanthoma Patients Reveals New Insights Into The Tumor Microenvironment, Nia Gyongyosi, Aya Al-Nazal, Shehbeel Arif

Tower Health Research Day

No abstract provided.

Disparities In Speech-Language Pathology As A Result Of Race, Lindsie Moseley, Catherine Cotton

Undergraduate Research Conference

For all children to receive fair and proper speech-language services, it is vital to grasp a better understanding of how disparities in these services might impact clients. It is vital to identify the role race plays so clients of various racial backgrounds can be provided with equitable treatment, regardless of their racial identity (Robinson & Norton, 2019). Research has revealed noticeable discrepancies between racial groups including the quality, time frame of discharge, and overall results of treatment, among children of minority- or majority-racial groups (Riccardi & Lundine, 2022). If speech language pathologists remain unaware of these discrepancies, they will be …

Language Learning Disabilities: Adolescents Receiving Psychological Therapy In Addition To Speech Language Therapy, Katelyn Grace Mcnair, Catherine L. Cotton Phd.

Undergraduate Research Conference

Specific learning disabilities are among the most common disability categories, in which students receive special education and/or related services in schools, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (2023). Research has shown an increase of understanding in the areas of reading, writing, and spelling in individuals with learning disabilities. More recently, Ghiasi, Sedrpoushan, Abedi, Soltani (2022), noted students with learning disabilities have a lower level of achievement, motivation, self-esteem, and a high level of depression. Advances in language literacy remediation, may not be enough to overcome factors such as decreased self-esteem and fear of failure (Wolter, DiLollo, Apel, 2006). …

Comparison Of Infectious Complications In Patients Undergoing Transperineal Biopsy With And Without Antibiotic Prophylaxis, Steven Leonard, Emma Helstrom, Olutiwa Akinsola, Kristen R. Scarpato, Andres Correa

Tower Health Research Day

No abstract provided.

Hhp-3 Comparing Fitness Data Of Cadets In South Carolina To The General Population: A Pilot Study, Justen Chatman, Ming-Chi Sung, Matthew Brisebois

SC Upstate Research Symposium

BACKGROUND: To prepare for physically challenging environments, it is expected that military personnel achieve higher levels of physical fitness than the general population. The recent COVID-19 pandemic impacted physical activity levels among many of America’s youth, and thus, new recruits may be entering military service with lower fitness levels. It is also unknown how fitness levels of army cadets in upstate South Carolina compare to the general population. Therefore, the purpose of this pilot study was to compare anthropometric and fitness variables of army cadets from upstate South Carolina to data from the general population. METHODS: A sample of 22 …

Hhp-8 Barriers And Facilitators To Regular Physical Activity And Healthy Eating Behaviors In Schools: Perspectives Of South Carolina School Personnel, Logan J. Camp-Spivey, Susan D. Newman, Robert N. Stevens, Michelle Nichols

SC Upstate Research Symposium

Background: In South Carolina (SC), 42% of youth are overweight or obese. Two sets of modifiable behaviors contributing to obesity are physical activity (PA) and dietary habits. School-based interventions have successfully improved these behaviors. The purpose of this study was to identify SC public school personnel perspectives on the most common barriers and facilitators to regular PA and healthy eating behaviors in schools.
Methods: A needs assessment survey was conducted with school personnel statewide. There were 17 questions on the survey that addressed: (1) demographic information about participants’ educational backgrounds, (2) barriers to regular PA and healthy eating behaviors in …

Hgs-3 The Influence Of A Tandem Cycling Program In The Community On Physical And Functional Health, Therapeutic Bonds, And Quality Of Life For Individuals And Care Partners Coping With Parkinson’S Disease, Leila Djerdjour, Jennifer L. Trilk

SC Upstate Research Symposium

Purpose Statement: Several studies have shown that aerobic exercise can have a positive impact on alleviating symptoms experienced by individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). Despite this evidence, the potential benefits of exercise for both PD patients and their care partners (PD dyad) remain unexplored. This research project investigates the effectiveness, therapeutic collaborations, and physical outcomes of a virtual reality (VR) tandem cycling program specifically designed for PD dyads.

Methods: Following approval from the Prisma Health Institutional Review Board, individuals with PD were identified and screened by clinical neurologists. The pre-testing measures for PD dyads (N=9) included emotional and cognitive status …

A Case Of “Neptune’S Fix Elixir” - The Dangerous Consequences Of Unregulated Use Of Tianeptine In Over-The-Counter Products, Priscilla Lozano, Maya Qutob Do, Eduardo Espiridion

Tower Health Research Day

No abstract provided.

A Delayed Diagnosis Of Common Variable Immunodeficiency In A Patient With Chronic Enteropathy, Tahminah Kausar, Shefali Amin, Devi Parvathy Jyothi Ramachandran Nair, Raesham Bukhari, Mahmood Danishwar, Nimesh Khanal, Benjamin J. Lloyd

Tower Health Research Day

No abstract provided.

Unraveling A Rare Complication Of Perirectal Abscess In A Patient With Decompensated Alcoholic Cirrhosis, Tahminah Kausar, Mahmood Danishwar, Raesham Bukhari, Devi Parvathy Jyothi Ramachandran Nair, Benjamin J. Lloyd

Tower Health Research Day

No abstract provided.

Ensemble-Based Mutational Profiling And Network Analysis Of The Sars-Cov-2 Spike Omicron Xbb Lineages For Interactions With The Ace2 Receptor And Antibodies: Cooperation Of Binding Hotspots In Mediating Epistatic Couplings Underlies Binding Mechanism And Immune Escape, Nishank Raisinghani, Mohammed Alshahrani, Grace Gupta, Gennady M. Verkhivker

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

In this study, we performed a computational study of binding mechanisms for the SARS-CoV-2 spike Omicron XBB lineages with the host cell receptor ACE2 and a panel of diverse class one antibodies. The central objective of this investigation was to examine the molecular factors underlying epistatic couplings among convergent evolution hotspots that enable optimal balancing of ACE2 binding and antibody evasion for Omicron variants BA.1, BA2, BA.3, BA.4/BA.5, BQ.1.1, XBB.1, XBB.1.5, and XBB.1.5 + L455F/F456L. By combining evolutionary analysis, molecular dynamics simulations, and ensemble-based mutational scanning of spike protein residues in complexes with ACE2, we identified structural stability and binding …

The Sensory Library: Facilitating Opportunities For Success At Bellevue Elementary School, Reagan M. Trussell

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone project was completed through a partnership with Lamar County School District near Hattiesburg, Mississippi. This school district has eight elementary school campuses. The purpose of this project is to provide teachers with tools to improve focus, learning, and participation to facilitate opportunities for success in the classroom. A “sensory library” was created at two elementary school campuses to service grades prek-5 to accomplish this goal.. Faculty was also provided deliverables including rules of the sensory library, instructions to access and use the sensory library digital QR checkout system, the basics of sensory processing, sensory guidebook, contents of …

Best Screening: Introducing The Neonatal Assessment Visual European Grid To Nicus In Tennessee, Gabrielle Sledge

OTD Capstone Projects

Blind Early Services Tennessee (BEST) is an early intervention agency that serves children ages 0-5 with visual impairments across Tennessee. BEST serves over 200 children and families across the state offering early intervention (BEST Start), parent empowerment (BEST Advocate), and family support (BEST Together) programming. The purpose of this project was to assist in the implementation of an early identification initiative (BEST Screening) using the Neonatal Assessment Visual European Grid (NAVEG). The NAVEG is a newborn vision screening shown to identify neurological risk for visual impairments. The long-term goal of this program is to promote the screening and early identification …

Marshall Co. Parks Department: Miracle League Of Western Ky, Ragan Harris Winters

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone project was completed by Ragan Harris Winters through a partnership with the Miracle League of Western Kentucky at Mike Miller Park to develop a training video for volunteers participating in future baseball seasons. The focus of this project was to develop a brief volunteer training video with beneficial information to prepare volunteers to assist players before, during, and after the games. The training video aimed to educate volunteers of the Miracle League to assist players with varying disabilities and what to expect when volunteering at the CFSB Field of Dreams. The project also included administrative tasks related …

Cross-Contamination Of Crispr Guides And Other Unrelated Nucleotide Sequences Among Commercial Oligonucleotides, Hiroshi Arakawa, Hiromi Miura, Rolen M. Quadros, Masato Ohtsuka, Channabasavaiah B. Gurumurthy

Journal Articles: Genetics, Cell Biology & Anatomy

Custom oligonucleotides (oligos) are widely used reagents in biomedical research. Some common applications of oligos include polymerase chain reaction (PCR), sequencing, hybridization, microarray, and library construction. The reliability of oligos in such applications depends on their purity and specificity. Here, we report that commercially available oligos are frequently contaminated with nonspecific sequences (i.e. other unrelated oligonucleotides). Most of the oligos that we designed to amplify clustered regularly interspersed palindromic repeats (CRISPR) guide sequences contained nonspecific CRISPR guides. These contaminants were detected in research-grade oligos procured from eight commercial oligo-suppliers located in three different geographic regions of the world. Deep sequencing …

Flip For Function Program Development To Increase Effectiveness Of Current And Future Program Offerings, Brianne Dombrowski

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone was completed in partnership with Flip for Function, a therapeutic gymnastic program that combines occupational therapy practices to serve children with developmental differences. The goal of this project was to address gaps in the company from perspectives of the current program and the population it serves, to increase satisfaction of all those involved in Flip for Function. This capstone project focused on creating updated training protocols, developing effective curriculum for class offerings, and furthering marketing content for current and future programming. Resources were created for the onboarding process to ensure each new hire is provided with all …

Enhancing Participation In Play Through Staff Training At We Rock The Spectrum, Megan Poppens

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone was completed by partnering with We Rock the Spectrum in Franklin, Tennessee. We Rock the Spectrum is an inclusive, sensory-safe play environment for all children. The goal was to provide education, coaching, and practical tips for staff to foster increased inclusion and participation in play. A training manual was created with topics including the impact of play, development, respectful disability language, disability terms and abbreviations, sensory regulation, safety, common misconceptions, pediatric diagnoses, strategies for leading groups, behavior management, and interacting one-on-one with children. The educational resources were used to enhance the staff member’s knowledge, confidence, and skills …

Childhood Cancer Survivorship: Navigating A New Normal In Middle Tennessee, Karli M. Beaumont

OTD Capstone Projects

Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in partnership with Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center offers REACH for Cancer Survivorship, a pediatric cancer survivorship clinic. REACH provides a full range of follow-up care designed to meet the physical, emotional, and practical needs of survivors and continuous surveillance of deleterious effects of cancer and its treatments. The purpose of this project was to meet population and agency needs through research of long- and late-term sequela while advocating for occupational therapy’s role in the oncology population through the proactive therapy and prospective surveillance models. The process of creating this project included synthesizing the literature, …

Development Of Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines For Pediatric Patients At Risk Of Emergence Delirium, Christina Bensley

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Postoperative emergence agitation or emergence delirium (ED) is a phenomenon that can occur in patients who have undergone surgery requiring the administration of inhaled anesthetics. ED is a postoperative side effect of general anesthesia commonly experienced by pediatric patients that negatively impacts a patient’s overall postoperative experience. There is a lack of consistent standardized clinical practice guidelines for general anesthesia in pediatric or adult populations. The primary goal of this scholarly project is to develop and implement clinical practice guidelines focusing on the occurrence of postoperative ED and select adverse clinical outcomes in pediatric patients undergoing general anesthesia. The project …

Expanding The Availability Of Adapted Athletics For Youth With Physical Disabilities In Middle Tennessee, Alexandra Hurd

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone project was completed in partnership with ABLE Youth in Nashville, TN. ABLE Youth is a non-profit organization that uses sports as the motivation for children who use wheelchairs to reach their goals of independence. The two main goals of this project were as follows: One, to facilitate the Music City Wheelchair Basketball Tournament, the largest adaptive athletics event in Tennessee, and Two, to expand the variety of sports offered at the monthly Super Sports Saturday events. By the end of this capstone experience, volleyball and lacrosse were introduced to the ABLE youth program participants. Ideas for future …

Health Professional Students Receiving Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment: An Interdisciplinary And Interprofessional Activity To Improve Attitudes Towards Osteopathic Medicine And Interprofessional Collaboration, Nicole Neiman, Justinas Joksas, Erica Sickel, Anne Marie Zeller

Research Day

No abstract provided.

Final Scholarly Project: Clinical Guidelines For The Perioperative Management Of Patients With Opioid Use Disorder Requiring Anesthesia, Jessica Kayla Joos

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Opioids have highly addictive properties that allow for high levels of misuse. Since the early 1990s, the misuse and deaths rates related to narcotics have steadily risen in the United States. Efforts to identify individuals using opioids prior to surgery have proven difficult. The number of patients misusing opioids and reporting for surgery can only be estimated due to under-reporting related to fear and self-stigma. With 50 million surgeries in the U.S. annually and 3.32 million people misusing opioids monthly, the chances of a patient with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) presenting for anesthesia are exceptionally high. Moreover, patients who rate …

Police Versus Non-Police Response To 988 Crisis Calls, Miriam A. Maloney-Mattheisen Bsn, Rn, Latrina N. Blakemore Msn, Fnp-Bc, Janelle M. Scullark Msn, Fnp-C, Jacqueline Sharp Dnp, Pmhnp-Bc, Sharon Little Dnp, Fnp-Bc, Margaret Harvey Phd, Aprn, Acnp-Bc, Chfn

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Purpose/Background

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a mental health-specific emergency line that became nationally available in July of 2022. This resource allows callers in crisis to connect with trained mental health professionals. Despite the initiation of this new dispatching service, there is still a significant shortage of trained mental health professionals to respond to these calls when they require emergency intervention. The present scoping review aims to determine whether non-police crisis responses correlate to improved outcomes when compared to police response as evidenced by reduced inpatient admissions, reduced arrests, and decreased presence of intrusive traumatic symptoms following intervention. …

Perceived Recovery States And Physical Fitness In Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Cadets, Lianne Emanuel, Jessie Hirsch, James Bodendorf, Amy Loin, Gregory Ioannides, Aliya Catanzarita, Tarek Harhash, Joseph Schnatter, Isaac Stein, Sean Kane, Julianne Rung, Katie Sell

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadets are challenged mentally, emotionally, and physically with the physical fitness requirements (e.g., Army Combat Fitness Test or ACFT) required within their military science curriculum. Common physical fitness tests such as those for strength, power, and balance can provide insight into the recovery and readiness status of tactical athletes. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between scores on the Short Recovery and Stress Scale (SRSS) and performance on a physical fitness test battery assessing balance, mobility, body composition, muscular strength, and power in collegiate ROTC cadets. METHODS: Seventeen ROTC cadets …

Effects Of Electrical Exercise On Self-Reported Depression And Quality Of Life In Those With Spinal Cord Injury, Aj Barber, Eric Heidorn, John Mcdaniel, Cody S. Dulaney

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

One of the most common psychological disorders that occur as a result of spinal cord injury (SCI) is depression along with reductions in quality of life. Moreover, depression is correlated with quality of life. It is increasingly apparent that exercise offers an accessible and non-pharmacological intervention to ease depressive symptoms and improve quality of life. Unfortunately, access to meaningful exercise options remains challenging to those with mobility impairments such as those seen with SCI. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the chronic engagement of home-based electrical stimulation exercise (ESE) on self-reported depression and quality of life …

Effects Of Electrical Exercise And Affect On Self-Reported Anxiety In Those With Spinal Cord Injury, John Zimmerman, Eric Heidorn, John Mcdaniel, Cody S. Dulaney

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Those who have incurred a spinal cord injury (SCI) have severe and immediate changes to their lifestyle. Those with SCI have reported reduced levels of positive affect and no change in negative affect compared to controls. Also, those with SCI may have reduced opportunities for engaging in meaningful exercise either due to mobility or equipment access limitations. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the chronic engagement of home-based electrical stimulation exercise (ESE) on self-reported anxiety and positive and negative affect. METHODS: 9 individuals with ASIA A or B SCI were recruited for this study. Participants …