Digital Commons Network^™

Analysis Of Rule Violations Leading To Disqualification In Youth Swimming Competitions: Evidence From Indonesia, Ika Novitaria Marani, Ari Subarkah, Heni Widyaningsih, Ricky Susiono, Muhammad Syahrul Ramadhan

Indonesian Journal of Research in Physical Education, Sport, and Health

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine how disqualifications of competition rules in swimming competitions are committed. Rules must be obeyed when competing, and there are consequences for swimmers who violate them. Objective: To find out how the disqualification of the rules of the competition game in the swimming sport is carried out in the swimming competition. Methods: The research was conducted at the GBK Senayan Swimming Pool, and the study used a descriptive observational design. The population in this study consists of all beginner-level swimmers who take part in the 2025 DKI Jakarta swimming competition in Indonesia. …

Mitochondrial Presequences Harbor Variable Strengths To Maintain Organellar Function, Youmian Yan, Baigalmaa Erdenepurev, Thiago N Menezes, Ian Collinson, Natalie M Niemi

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Hundreds of mitochondrial proteins rely on N-terminal presequences for organellar targeting and import. While generally described as positively charged amphiphilic helices, presequences lack a consensus motif and thus likely promote protein import into mitochondria with variable efficiencies. Indeed, the concept of presequence strength underlies biological models such as stress sensing, yet a quantitative analysis of what dictates strong versus weak presequences is lacking. Furthermore, the extent to which presequence strength affects mitochondrial function and cellular fitness remains unclear. Here, we capitalize on the MitoLuc protein import assay to define multiple aspects of presequence strength. We find that select presequences, including …

Epidemiological Survey Of Abortion In Camels (Camelus Dromedarius) And Histopathological Investigation Of Toxoplasmosis And Neosporosis In Those Animals From Slaughterhouses In Southeastern Algeria, Amira Djeddou-Benabid, Hind Houssou, Omar Bennoune, Ferhat Nouicer, Amel Djaout

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are heteroxenous apicomplexan parasites recognized as major causes of reproductive disorders in numerous mammalian species. The present study aimed to assess through an epidemiological survey, the prevalence of reproductive losses in 75 dromedary herds during the period 2022-2025, as well as the associated risk factors, and to detect these protozoa by histopathological analysis in 63 dromedaries slaughtered at the slaughterhouse of El Oued province (126 samples: 63 hearts and 63 diaphragms). The survey revealed that 80% of the herds had a history of abortions, of which 60% also reported cases of stillbirth. Risk factor analysis …

Therapeutic Potential Of Bacillus Coagulans Unique Is2 Probiotic Supplementation On Early Periodontitis Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Renu Gaur, Aysha Jebin A, Prabhuji M L V

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

Objectives: Bacillus coagulans (B. coagulans) is a probiotic commonly used for broad spectrum of systemic infections, its potential to treat oral infections, particularly periodontitis, is still being studied.The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of probiotic B. coagulans as an adjunct to SRP in periodontitis patients.

Methods: Thirty systemically healthy patients with stage I/ stage II and grade A/ grade B periodontitis were selected and randomly divided into two groups. The control group received SRP along with placebo and the test group received SRP + B. coagulans probiotic chewable tablets. At baseline, one month, and three months …

Study Of The Changes In Vestibular Bone Plate Absorption Values After Implant Placement Under Immediate Loading For A Period Of 5 Months Using Cbct: An In Vivo Study, Hassen Merzouk, Samir Habibi, Ben Ali Boutabout

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

Introduction: The study focuses on the success and durability of dental implants, which depends heavily on the bone surrounding them. Changes in this bone affect how the implant looks and functions. The researchers aimed to use CBCT, a modern three-dimensional imaging tool, to accurately measure changes in the thickness of the bone plate on the cheek side (vestibular bone plate) around implants placed in the lower jaw (mandible). Specifically, they looked at bone changes five months after placing implants that were immediately loaded (meaning they were used for chewing right away) in 15 patients who had missing molars or premolars. …

Oral Rehabilitation Of A Pediatric Patient With A Dental Anomaly: A Case Report, Enas Almasri, Mohamed Altinawi, Shadi Azzawi, Imad Katbeh, Anas Abdo

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

Objective: Tooth fusion is an uncommon dental abnormality, occurring in 0.1% of permanent dentition. Fusion of a normal permanent tooth and a supernumerary tooth is unusual. This case report delineates a multidisciplinary strategy for the management of a child with a fused tooth and a concomitant supernumerary tooth. The objective is to progressively illustrate the aesthetic and functional restoration of a smile impacted by a dental fusion abnormality.

Case Report: A 9-year-old boy was referred to the pediatric dental clinic with the chief complaint of a large upper anterior tooth. Intraoral and radiographic investigations showed fusion of the permanent maxillary …

The Role Of Ai Chatbots In Dentistry: A Systematic Review Of Applications, Benefits, Challenges, And Future Directions, Arushi Kumari, Upasana Reddy, Mamatha Shekar Shetty

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

Introduction: Artificial intelligence (AI) aims to develop systems capable of performing tasks that require human intelligence, including learning, reasoning, and decision-making. In dentistry, AI is increasingly applied across multiple specialties, such as operative dentistry, periodontics, orthodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, and prosthodontics, particularly in diagnosis, treatment planning, and prognosis.

Objectives: This review focuses on the application of AI chatbots in dentistry, exploring their potential benefits and limitations. The objective of this review is to addresses the questions: 1. Which dental domains employ AI chatbots? 2. What evidence exists for their performance in diagnostics, patient engagement, and education? 3. What ethical, …

Development Of The U.S. Academic Ophthalmology Faculty Database (Us-Aofd): A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Analysis, Brenton T. Bicknell, Josephine M. Rudd Zhong Manis, Haley Chishom, Yejin Heo, Lance Dzubinski, Alvina Liang, Taylor L. Aaserud, Shayan Massoumi, Thanushri Srikantha, John Stoffer, Emily Mccourt, Sruthi Arepalli, Beeran Meghpara, Ayan Chatterjee, Basil K. Williams, Janice Law, Steven E. Brooks, Robert Tauscher

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

Background: Academic ophthalmology plays a critical role in advancing eye care and training the next generation of ophthalmologists. However, comprehensive data on the U.S. academic ophthalmology workforce remains limited. Existing databases focus on individual subspecialties or specific demographics, without capturing a national, integrated perspective.

Purpose: To develop and analyze the U.S. Academic Ophthalmology Faculty Database (US-AOFD), a comprehensive, national resource that characterizes the demographic composition, academic ranks, leadership roles, and research productivity of ophthalmology faculty at Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)–accredited programs in the United States.

Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study compiled data for 4,028 …

Impact Of An Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessment Program (Okap) Pre-Test: A Pilot Study At Two Institutions, Lindsey S. Fields, Jee Young Moon, Saras Ramanathan, Matthew S. Wieder, Jamie B. Rosenberg

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

Background: A formal assessment of knowledge prior to the Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessment Program (OKAP) may help ophthalmology residents identify areas of weakness and organize their study plans.

Purpose: To assess the utility of an OKAP pre-test as a means of helping students prepare for the OKAP.

Methods: A 91-question OKAP pre-test was formulated from the American Academy of Ophthalmology self-assessment study bank and administered in January to 28 residents at two academic institutions. Residents were given the results of their January test scores with a breakdown by subtest before the OKAP. Overall and subtest scores from the …

Mondo: Integrating Disease Terminology Across Communities, Joseph E Flack, Kathleen R Mullen, Harshad Hegde, Sarah Gehrke, Patricia L Whetzel, Yousif Shwetar, Nomi L Harris, Mee S Ngu, Gioconda L Alyea, Megan S Kane, Paola Roncaglia, Eric Sid, Courtney L Thaxton, Valerie Wood, Roshini S Abraham, Maria Isabel Achatz, Pamela Ajuyah, Joanna S Amberger, Lawrence Babb, Jasmine Baker, James P Balhoff, Jonathan S Berg, Amol Bhalla, Xavier Bofill-De Ros, Ian R Braun, Eleanor C Broeren, Blake K Byer, Alicia B Byrne, Tiffany J Callahan, Leigh C Carmody, Lauren E Chan, Amanda R Clause, Julie S Cohen, Marcello Deluca, Natalie T Deuitch, May Flowers, Jamie Fraser, Toyofumi Fujiwara, Vanessa Gitau, Jennifer L Goldstein, Dylan Gration, Tudor Groza, Benjamin M Gyori, William Hankey, Jason A Hilton, Daniel S Himmelstein, Stephanie S Hong, Charles T Hoyt, Robert Huether, Eric Hurwitz, Julius O B Jacobsen, Atsuo Kikuchi, Sebastian Köhler, Daniel R Korn, David Lagorce, Bryan J Laraway, Jane Y Li, Adriana J Malheiro, James Mclaughlin, Birgit H M Meldal, Shruthi Mohan, Sierra A T Moxon, Monica C Munoz-Torres, Tristan H Nelson, Frank W Nicholas, David Ochoa, Daniel Olson, Tudor I Oprea, Tomiko T Oskotsky, David Osumi-Sutherland, Kelley Paris, Helen E Parkinson, Zoë M Pendlington, Xiao P Peng, Amy Pizzino, Sharon E Plon, Bradford C Powell, Julie C Ratliff, Heidi L Rehm, Lyubov Remennik, Erin R Riggs, Sean Roberts, Peter N Robinson, Justyne E Ross, Kevin Schaper, Brian M Schilder, Johanna L Schmidt, Elliott W Sharp, Morgan N Similuk, Damian Smedley, Tam P Sneddon, Rachel Sparks, Ray Stefancsik, Gregory S Stupp, Shilpa Sundar, Terue Takatsuki, Imke Tammen, Kezang C Tshering, Deepak R Unni, Eloise Valasek, Adeline Vanderver, Alex H Wagner, Ryan F Webb, Danielle Welter, Doron Yaya-Stupp, Andreas Zankl, Xingmin Aaron Zhang, Julie A Mcmurry, Christopher G Chute, Ada Hamosh, Christopher J Mungall, Melissa A Haendel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Precision medicine aims to enhance diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis by integrating multimodal data at the point of care. However, challenges arise due to the vast number of diseases, differing methods of classification, and conflicting terminological coding systems and practices used to represent molecular definitions of disease. This lack of interoperability artificially constrains the potential for diagnosis, clinical decision support, care outcome analysis, as well as data linkage across research domains to support the development or repurposing of therapeutics. There is a clear and pressing need for a unified system for managing disease entities⁠-including identifiers, synonyms, and definitions. To address these …

Claudins Interact With Lilrb Immune Inhibitory Receptors To Promote Myeloid Immunosuppression In Cancer, Xiaoye Liu, Ryan Huang, Zhiqiang Ku, Jingjing Xie, Heyu Chen, Yubo He, Qi Lou, Chengcheng Zhang, Xing Yang, Cheryl Lewis, Jade Homsi, Ankit Gupta, Lei Dong, Kenian Chen, Annabel Tu, Liming Du, Hailong Yu, Qing Hu, Meng Fang, Bufan Li, A E M Adan Khan, Caroline Simith, Samuel John, Lin Xu, Ningyan Zhang, Zhiqiang An, Cheng Cheng Zhang

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

The mechanisms underlying tumor cell-myeloid cell interactions in the tumor microenvironment (TME) remain unclear, and predictive biomarkers for patient response to myeloid checkpoint blockade are lacking. This study identified specific binding between tight junction claudins (CLDNs) and leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor subfamily B2 (LILRB2) and LILRB5. In multiple human cancer cohorts, the spatial proximity of LILRB2-positive macrophages to CLDN-expressing cancer cells correlated with clinical outcomes, highlighting this spatial relationship as a potential biomarker. In syngeneic LILRB2-transgenic and humanized mouse models, CLDN18.2-LILRB2 interactions triggered bidirectional signaling, enhanced the immunosuppressive activity of myeloid cells, and accelerated tumor progression. These effects were reversed by …

Regulation Of Mitochondrial Ros By C15orf48 In A Basal Cell Subpopulation Contributes To Chemotherapy Resistance In Tnbc, Yuan Qi, Steven W Wall, Xiaomei Zhang, Jiansu Shao, Sabrina Jeter-Jones, Shirong Cai, Faiza Baameur Hancock, Gloria V Echeverria, Jeffrey T Chang, Helen Piwnica-Worms

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Systemic neoadjuvant chemotherapy, often combined with immunotherapy, is the standard of care for early-stage, non-breast cancer susceptibility gene (BRCA)-mutant triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, up to 70% of patients retain residual disease after treatment, which is linked to recurrence and mortality within 5 years. To define mechanisms of resistance, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing on orthotopic TNBC patient-derived xenografts during a cycle of treatment with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (AC). Clustering identified four tumor epithelial cell populations, with basal cells enriched in residual tumors. These basal cells up-regulated C15ORF48, a paralog of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase associated subunit FA4 …

Drd2 Rs6276 Polymorphism And Trait Impulsivity In Individuals With Mixed Behavioral And Substance Addictions, Gabriela Zdunek, Remigiusz Recław, Aleksandra Suchanecka, Krzysztof Chmielowiec, Dariusz Larysz, Patryk Ilków, Kinga Łosińska, Jolanta Chmielowiec, Łukasz Jaworski, Anna Grzywacz

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background/Objectives: Impulsivity is a key transdiagnostic trait linked to dysregulated reward processing in both behavioral and substance-related addictions, as recognized in DSM-5. Dopaminergic genes, including DRD2, may modulate individual differences in impulsivity, particularly under conditions of increased addiction vulnerability. This study examined whether the DRD2 Exon 8 rs6276 polymorphism predicts impulsivity levels in men with mixed addictive behaviors compared with healthy controls. Methods: A total of 328 males (128 with mixed behavioral and substance addictions and 200 controls) were assessed. Diagnoses were confirmed using the MINI interview, and impulsivity was measured with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11). Genotyping of …

Nurse Driven Intervention To Address Cesarean Section Rates, Cavetta Tulloch-Lewis

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

Abstract

Cesarean sections (C-sections) account for approximately one-third of births in the United States and remain the most common inpatient surgical procedure. Primary cesarean sections are a major contributor to rising rates, often leading to repeat cesareans in subsequent pregnancies. While medically necessary C-sections are lifesaving, their overuse in low-risk pregnancies is associated with increased maternal morbidity. Labor dystocia is one of the leading indications for primary cesarean delivery and may be mitigated through evidence-based, nurse-driven interventions such as maternal positioning and peanut ball utilization. Registered nurses are uniquely positioned to influence labor progression and promote vaginal birth through continuous …

Lived Experiences Of Shingles Vaccine-Hesitant Adults Over Age 50 In Riverside County, California, Michelle Beatrice Loomis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Shingles (herpes zoster) causes substantial morbidity, especially among adults over age 50 in the United States. There is a need to better understand the reasons behind low vaccination rates among adults over age 50 given the associated risks for infection and adverse health outcomes that can reduce their quality of life. This qualitative interpretative phenomenological study explored how individuals’ perceptions of the benefits, barriers, susceptibility, and severity of shingles influence vaccine intentions and identified what factors influence vaccine uptake. The health belief model was used to guide the study. Data were collected from one-on-one semistructured virtual interviews with eight adults …

Exploring The Ethical And Practical Considerations Of Artificial Intelligence In Real-World Health Care Settings: Stakeholder Focus Group Study, Carmen Wendy Ulizio, Devika Dua, Naya Meenkashi Mukul, Santosh Areti, Kristin Kostick-Quenet, Vasiliki Nataly Rahimzadeh

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies continue to transform how we research human disease, diagnose and treat patients, and operate hospitals. However, emerging ethical dilemmas surrounding their design, use, and oversight demand both policy attention and empirical research.

Objective: This study aims to explore current AI development, integration, and use activities across the Texas Medical Center (TMC), the largest medical center in the world, and identify emerging ethical priorities.

Methods: We conducted a total of 3 qualitative focus groups via Zoom (Zoom Video Communications, Inc) between May and June 2025 to gauge the perspectives of 19 clinicians, developers, administrators, and patient …

The Effect Of Cerebral Somatosensory Network Priming On Language Function In Chronic L-Mca Ischemic Stroke: A Companion Case Study, Mandelin E. Wollesen

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Chronic aphasia following a left middle cerebral artery (L-MCA) stroke is often associated with limited recovery beyond the acute phase, necessitating interventions that target neuroplastic mechanisms. This study examined the effects of somatosensory pneumotactile stimulation paired with cognitive-linguistic tasks on functional language performance in an individual with chronic aphasia. Using a single-subject pre-post design, the participant completed a 10-week intervention protocol involving repeated pneumotactile stimulation via the GALILEO system combined with language and motor tasks. Outcomes were assessed using standardized measures, discourse-based language samples, oral reading, repetition, and phonemic verbal fluency. Discourse was analyzed using Correct Information Units (CIUs), words …

Goal-Directed Perfusion Strategies And Postoperative Acute Kidney Injury: A Scoping Review, Austin Davis

Student Works

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) remains a frequent and clinically important complication following cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Goal-directed perfusion (GDP) strategies—most commonly targeting indexed oxygen delivery (DO₂i) and/or other hemodynamic and metabolic parameters—have been proposed to reduce renal injury by improving renal oxygenation and perfusion during CPB.

Methods: A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses – Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR) compliant scoping review identified 28 adult CPB studies evaluating GDP strategies and postoperative AKI outcomes.

Results: Maintenance of indexed oxygen delivery (DO2i) above critical thresholds and minimizing hemodilution were consistently associated with reduced AKI.

Conclusion: GDP strategies centered on maintaining …

Evaluating The Relationship Between Vitamin D Supplementation, Lifestyle, Social Determinants Of Health, Asthma, And Respiratory Tract Infections, Yun O'Donnell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hypovitaminosis D is a significant public health concern in the United States associated with inadequate sunlight exposure and insufficient dietary intake. Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition that progressively worsens over time. While asthma is typically managed through individual-level treatment approaches, population-level strategies such as vitamin D supplementation and food fortification policies have not been implemented. A five-tier Public Health Impact Pyramid theoretical foundation guided this nonexperimental quantitative cross-sectional study. Data from 2013-2014 and 2017-2018 NHANES (n = 1,456) was evaluated for relationships between vitamin D supplementation, duration of sunlight exposure, and food security index, with asthma, asthma exacerbation severity, …

Nanog Proximity Proteomics Maps Neighborhood Hubs Linked To Mesenchymal Stem Cell Stemness And Chromatin Control, Allan Chris M Ferreon, Marian Kalocsay, Josephine C Ferreon

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

NANOG overexpression has been reported to reverse aging-associated decline in mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (MSC) function, but the molecular machinery engaged by NANOG in MSCs remains incompletely defined. Here, we applied APEX proximity labeling coupled with quantitative mass spectrometry to define the NANOG proximity interactome (proxeome) in human MSCs. Of 1040 quantified proteins, 828 were significantly enriched in the APEX-NANOG (H2O2 labeling) samples, consistent with a broad NANOG-centered neighborhood rather than a single stoichiometric complex. Enriched proteins encompass RNA-processing pathways (including splicing/RNP factors and selected m6A-related proteins), transcriptional coactivation and elongation control (Mediator and 7SK/P-TEFb regulators), chromatin repression/poising modules (Polycomb and …

The Effect Of Articulatory Cues On Phonemic Segmentation, Word Reading, Nonword Reading, And Nonword Spelling: A Clinical Trial, Robyn Becker, Grace T. Clark, Iyad Ghanim, Kaitlyn Verney, Alexis Gallagher

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Purpose: Although some studies suggest articulatory cues may help enhance early literacy outcomes, research has yet to isolate their specific contribution to the gains. Framed by the motor theory of speech perception (Liberman & Mattingly, 1985), this study seeks to fill this gap by providing phonemic segmentation training using articulatory cues and comparing reading/spelling outcomes to two different comparison groups to attempt to control for the motivation and attention the articulatory cues may provide.

Method: Twenty-seven typically developing four and five year-olds were seen individually for seven weekly sessions during a typical day in a preschool classroom (NCT06504264). The participants …

Effects Of Static Ankle Stretching On Balance And Gait: The Roles Of Age And Parkinson's Disease, Taylor M. Gauss

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The focus of this dissertation involves the effects of static ankle stretching on balance and gait in adults of different ages and with Parkinson’s disease (PD). A brief introduction in Chapter 1 precedes a detailed literature review in Chapter 2, in which we identify gaps in research on balance and gait following ankle stretching and explain why ankle stretching may serve as a predominant strategy for improving motor performance in aging and PD populations. In Chapter 3, we present the first study identifying whether muscle group selection or stretch duration influences balance in young adults. Results showed that longer durations …

Depolymerizing F-Actin Accelerates The Exit From Pluripotency To Enhance Stem Cell-Derived Islet Differentiation, Nathaniel J Hogrebe, Mason D Schmidt, Punn Augsornworawat, Sarah E Gale, Mira Shunkarova, Jeffrey R Millman

2020-Current year OA Pubs

In this study, we demonstrate that cytoskeletal state at the onset of directed differentiation impacts the exit of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) from pluripotency and downstream lineage specification. In particular, depolymerizing F-actin with latrunculin A (latA) during the first 24 h of definitive endoderm formation facilitates efficient loss of pluripotency and alters Activin/Nodal, BMP, c-Jun, and WNT signaling dynamics. These signaling changes influence downstream patterning of the gut tube, leading to improved pancreatic progenitor identity and decreased expression of markers associated with other endodermal lineages. Continued differentiation generates islets containing a higher percentage of β cells that exhibit improved …

Innovator - Fall 2025

Innovator

06 - Message From the President

08 - Time Machine

10 - News

24 - Nureed Saeed ‘99

28 - Cell Mates

32 - Robert C. Sergott, MD

36 - Working Smarter

42 - Question & Innovate

44 - Alumni Impact

48 - Leeor Gal ‘19

50 - Class Notes

56 - In Memory

58 - Trivia

Innovator - Fall 2023

Innovator

06 - Get to Know Jefferson's Interim President

08 - Leadership Announcements

10 - Time Machine

14 - The Nexus

22 - Climate Change on Your Block

30 - Humana and Jefferson

34 - Question & Innovate

38 - Caffeinated Creativity

42 - Alumni Impact

46 - Ram RoundUp

50 - Brotherhood's Enduring Legacy

56 - Class Notes

60 - In Memory

62 - Trivia

Hypothermia Prevention In Major Trauma Patients, Alaina Hostetler

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Traumatic injuries present a significant health challenge for providers, often resulting in hypothermia, coagulopathy, and acidosis, referred to as the trauma triad of death. Hypothermia significantly impacts trauma patients' outcomes and exacerbates morbidity and mortality rates, particularly in trauma cases with high injury severity scores who require immediate surgical intervention. Despite the detrimental effects of hypothermia, evidence-based approaches to treating hypothermia in this population are lacking. Traditional warming methods heavily rely on provider preference and can lead to inconsistent care. Rapid, reliable, and effective resuscitation interventions are essential in the immediate care of major trauma patients. The proposed project will …

Loss Of Sarm1 Affects Myelin Uptake And Clearance In Macrophages, Grace J. Bergeron

Senior Theses

Clearance of myelin debris is an essential step in nerve regeneration after injury in both the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS), a process that is primarily carried out by macrophages. Failure to phagocytose and clear myelin can prolong inflammation and impair recovery. Sterile alpha and TIR motif-containing protein 1 (SARM1) is well researched as a regulator of axonal degeneration, yet its role in macrophages is still unclear. This study investigates how sarm1 deletion and cytokine signaling influence macrophage uptake and clearance of CNS and PNS myelin in vitro. Splenic macrophages isolated from wild-type (WT) and sarm1 …

Exploring Synthesized Cbd Derivatives: Implications Of Therapeutic Strategies For Neuroinflammation, Josephine Mosser

Senior Theses

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid derived from Cannabis Sativa with well-documented antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, yet its clinical utility is limited by moderate receptor selectivity, rapid hepatic metabolism, and broad pharmacological activity on the central nervous system (CNS). This thesis describes the design and partial execution of a multi-step synthetic route aimed at generating CBD/CBD-derived chalcone intermediates for potential therapeutic applications for neuroinflammation. The steps encompass an O-methylation, O-acetylation, and a Fries rearrangement. The first three steps were completed successfully and reproducibly shown through 1H-NMR and 12C-NMR; however, purification of the fourth step was not successful within the available …

Cell-Free Mitochondrial Dna (Mtdna) Triggers Vascular Dysfunction Via Toll-Like Receptor 9 (Tlr9)-Dependent Activation Of Inflammasomes, Mohin Amin

Senior Theses

Hypertension is the leading global risk factor for mortality and is closely associated with vascular inflammation and dysfunction. Damaged mitochondria release cell-free mitochondrial DNA (cf-mtDNA), which activates toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9). The binding of TLR9 to mtDNA activates the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway, promoting the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines via gasdermin D (GSDMD), therefore worsening inflammation. However, the mechanisms linking mitochondrial injury to inflammation-induced vascular dysfunction remain unclear. We hypothesize that cf-mtDNA triggers TLR9-dependent NLRP3 inflammasome activation contributing to vascular and endothelial dysfunction. To assess that, adult male C57BL/6 were exposed to 28 consecutive days of chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) or …

Bias Analysis And The Movement Toward A Bias-Free Curriculum, Haley J. Mcmahon, Denyelle Kenyon

Scholarship Pathways Program

Implicit biases within medical education can influence learners’ perceptions, clinical reasoning, and future patient interactions. This study analyzed implicit bias within the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine’s (USD SSOM) Pillar I pre‑clerkship curriculum using a two‑phase mixed‑methods approach. Phase I consisted of a subjective content analysis of randomly selected lectures across ten system blocks, examining both textual and visual materials for evidence of bias in eleven domains identified by the Association of American Medical Colleges. Phase II employed quantitative survey data from the MD Class of 2027, who rated perceived bias in lecture content, lecture images, exam …