Digital Commons Network^™

Improving Functional Electrical Stimulation Prescription For Persons With Multiple Sclerosis: A Case Series, Shahla Hosseini, Kimberly Bigelow, Nick Padgett, Robert Campbell, Lauren Boland, Skylar Forsberg, Brett Weaver, Kurt Jackson

University of Dayton Doctor of Physical Therapy Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Yoga On The Symptoms Of Perimenopause And Menopause: A Randomized Control Trial, Wendy Chorny, Betsy Donahoe-Fillmore, Brenlyn Rostad, Olivia Miller, Summer Rivas, Andrea Heitkamp, Cassidy Albers, Kennedi Gephart, Mary Fisher

University of Dayton Doctor of Physical Therapy Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

A Tennis Ball Necklace As Simple Feedback To Effectively Reduce Impact Kinetics During Running, Kevin Sheehan, Matthew Minard, Andrew Clark, Jason Clingenpeel, Morgan Gigandet, Nicolas Love, Madison Scott, Joaquin Barrios

University of Dayton Doctor of Physical Therapy Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Determining The Concurrent And Predictive Validity Of The Repetitive Step Test In Individuals With Parkinson’S Disease, Harold Merriman, Kurt Jackson, Kyle Arrowood, Kaylee Virag

University of Dayton Doctor of Physical Therapy Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Split-Squat Lower Limb Biomechanics In Individuals With And Without Chronic Ankle Instability, Joaquin Barrios, Eva Carbone, Matt Cesario, Marshall Flynn, Danielle Updike

University of Dayton Doctor of Physical Therapy Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Soft Tissue Mobilization Versus Hold-Relax Stretching On Wrist Extensor Tendon Stiffness In Tennis Players, Brendan Burck, Adina Taylor, Cody Pohlman, Andrew Traven, Harold Merriman, Joseph Day

University of Dayton Doctor of Physical Therapy Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Targeted Skin Cancer Education Improves Agricultural Workers' Safe Sun Practices And Knowledge In South Dakota: A Farm Show Survey, Leah Naasz, Kianna Thelen, Candace Zeigler

Scholarship Pathways Program

Targeted Skin Cancer Education Improves Agricultural Workers' Safe Sun Practices and Knowledge in South Dakota: A Farm Show Survey

Leah Naasz, MD | Candace Zeigler, MD

Background: Agricultural workers are at increased risk for skin cancer due to prolonged ultraviolet (UV) exposure, yet many underutilize sun protection. Brief, community-based educational interventions may improve knowledge and preventive behaviors.

Objective: To provide a targeted skin cancer educational session to increase awareness and promote sun protection behaviors among agricultural workers in South Dakota.

Methods: Twenty agricultural workers attending the Vermillion and Sioux Falls Farm Shows participated in a pre- and post-educational survey. Inclusion …

Program Development And Implementation Of A Sensory-Based Self Regulation Curriculum For Adults With Down Syndrome At Gigi’S Playhouse, Grace Blair

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone project was completed through partnership with Gigi’s Playhouse Nashville, a non-profit organization offering free programming and services to individuals of all ages with Down syndrome and their families. The goal of this project was to develop and implement an educational curriculum for adult education programs focused on daily life skills, money management, physical health, self confidence, and a variety of other topics. A secondary focus of this project was to support sensory regulation in individuals with Down syndrome to promote overall health and participation. The results were physical and digital materials to be used for future adult …

Patient Reported Outcome Measure Use In Heart Transplant Care, Nichole Côté

Doctoral Projects

Despite growing evidence supporting Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) in chronic disease management, no consistent application exists within the international heart transplant community. This Doctor of Nursing Practice project implemented the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire-12 (KCCQ-12) as a PROM within the a large volume heart transplant clinic, evaluating workflow feasibility, the association between Overall Summary Scores (OSS) and visit length, and clinician perceptions of PROM use. The KCCQ-12 was administered via a mobile health application with automated distribution. Workflow integration was assessed by calculating the percentage of scheduled visits with completed PROM documentation. Visit length was measured using electronic medical record …

Examining The Rural Workforce: Comparing Admissions Strategies And Training Pathways In U.S. Medical And Dental Education, Charolyn A. Harris

Honors Theses

Access to healthcare in rural and underserved communities remains a significant challenge in the United States, particularly in dental care, where workforce shortages are more pronounced. This study examines how medical and dental education programs develop rural healthcare providers, focusing on admissions strategies and training pathways. Using a structured scoping review and secondary data analysis, this research compares how each field incorporates known predictors of rural practice, such as rural background and training experiences, into workforce pipeline development. Findings indicate that while both medical and dental education recognize rural background as a strong predictor of rural practice, medical education more …

Neuroprotective Effects Of Estradiol And Genistein And Interactions With Aromatase Inhibitions Post Cerebellar Lesion In Male Zebra Finches, Grace E. Thompson, Anthony P. Irovic

Honors Theses

Across vertebrates, peripheral and brain-derived estradiol (E₂) promotes neuroplasticity. After injury, E₂ can be derived locally from testosterone via aromatase (AROM), an enzyme that is upregulated in glia at the site of neural injury. E₂disrupts testicular function and elevates cancer and stroke risk, primarily via binding to estrogen receptor alpha (ER α). Genistein (GEN), a phytoestrogen, is similar to E₂ but binds preferentially to estrogen receptor beta (ER β). It may offer neuroprotection without adverse effects of E₂. We used adult male zebra finches (ZF) to model neuroprotective effects of E_{2 …}

The Intersection Of Faculty Perceptions Of Student Evaluations Of Teaching And Nursing Retention: The Challenges Of Undergraduate Nursing Programs In Higher Education Institutions, Melissa Wolff

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

For over 100 years, higher education institutions in the United States of America have been using student evaluations of teaching (SET) to evaluate course effectiveness and teaching quality. SETs are used to inform faculty about areas where course improvements are needed, if course objectives have been met, and the strength of their teaching ability. Even with the longstanding integration of SETs in higher education their reliability and validity have been questioned. Various factors negatively influence student ranking of faculty including class size, faculty appearance, ethnicity, and gender. SETs also impact faculty’s ability to earn tenure and promotion, which raises concerns …

Countless Journeys: Becoming A Mental Health Counselor, David Smallen

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This self-analysis articulates the author’s process of developing, across his own lifetime, personal aspects essential to professional practice as a mental health counselor. Explored in this paper are the author’s experiences across diverse areas of development, including: relationships, culture, mental and physical health, career and hobby interests, and personal strengths. The author’s theoretical orientations towards therapeutic practice, including the lenses of Psychosocial Lifespan Development, Relational-Cultural Theory, and Existential Theory, are articulated and connected to his personal narrative. Results from two personality inventories, the VIA Character Strengths Inventory and the Primals Inventory are presented and discussed, as are key points from …

A Critically Appraised Topic: Effectiveness Of Hydrogen-Rich Water Therapies In Reducing Inflammation, Bill Craig, Dawn Hammerschmidt, Jay Albrecht

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Inflammation is an important part of healing, but prolonged inflammation or inflammatory disease can cause excess pain and tissue damage. Hydrogen-rich water therapies have shown to have positive effects on this wide variety of conditions and may have a role in future therapeutic intervention for inflammatory conditions and acute injury care. Hydrogen is a commonly known element that has recently been the subject of scientific studies to analyze its beneficial properties when used as a therapeutic intervention. Hydrogen is physically the smallest element on the periodic table, and when two hydrogen atoms combine to form H2, it is known as …

Investigating The Relationship Between Student Nurse Perceptions Of Faculty Caring Interactions And Their Reported Professional Quality Of Life, Lynette A. How

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Abstract

Burnout and compassion satisfaction in academic clinical contexts are critical dimensions of professional quality of life (ProQOL) in nursing education, yet their influence on student perceptions of faculty caring remains underexplored. Guided by Watson’s Theory of Human Caring and a social constructivist lens, this quantitative, cross-sectional correlational study examined relationships between nursing students’ self-reported professional quality of life and perceptions of faculty caring interactions. Data were collected from 207 prelicensure nursing students enrolled in practical, associate, and baccalaureate programs at two Midwestern institutions. Two validated instruments were employed: the Professional Quality of Life Scale – Short Version (Short ProQOL) …

What Are The Specific Parameters Of Cold-Water Immersion On Its Positive Effects On Recovery And Sleep In The Physically Active Population?, Landyn L. James, Jay Albrecht, Dawn Hammerschmidt

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Cold-water immersion (CWI) is widely used in athletic and rehabilitative settings to enhance post‑exercise recovery, yet optimal treatment parameters remain inconsistent across clinical practice. Physically active individuals frequently seek recovery strategies that improve muscle function and sleep quality, creating a need to evaluate the evidence supporting specific CWI protocols. Focused Clinical Question: The purpose of this critically appraised topic (CAT) was to determine which temperature and duration parameters of CWI most effectively improve muscle recovery and sleep in physically active populations. A focused clinical question was developed using the PICO framework. Search Strategies: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses were identified through …

Reducing Emergency Department Overuse Through Patient Education, Maddie Pieper, Joshua Heuertz

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects: College of Nursing

Background/Introduction

Emergency departments (EDs) are designed to provide rapid evaluation and management of acute, life-threatening, and time-sensitive conditions. However, EDs are frequently used for nonemergent or low-acuity concerns that could be managed in primary care or urgent care settings. This overuse contributes to rising healthcare costs, resource strain, longer wait times, and overcrowding. Underserved populations may rely more heavily on ED services because of barriers such as limited primary care access, language differences, low health literacy, restrictive work schedules, transportation challenges, and difficulty navigating the healthcare system. These factors can make the ED seem the most accessible source of care. …

The Ethical Imperative Of Public Health Institutions To Protect The Reproductive Autonomy Of Vulnerable Populations, Kennethea Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation establishes the ethical responsibility of public health institutions to safeguard reproductive autonomy, especially among vulnerable populations. While reproductive decision-making is traditionally framed within individual clinical encounters, this work contends that reproductive autonomy is fundamentally a matter of public health ethics. Socioecological determinants, including social, legal, environmental, and structural factors, often constrain individuals’ ability to make meaningful reproductive choices, leading to preventable harm.

Reproductive autonomy is defined as the capacity to make informed decisions about whether and when to conceive, as well as how to parent. The dissertation critiques the sufficiency of clinical ethics frameworks, such as informed consent …

Expertise First: Reflections On Informal Artificial Intelligence Mentoring In An Asynchronous Nursing Faculty Community, Anna Liza D. Villena Phd, Rn, Fnp-Bc

Journal of Online Mentoring

The integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) into higher education has arrived faster than the support structures designed to help faculty navigate it. This article reflects on one faculty member’s experience providing informal AI integration mentoring to nursing colleagues at Walden University, a fully asynchronous online graduate nursing program, where clinician-educators with deep disciplinary expertise often struggled to recognize that expertise as an asset in their interactions with AI tools.

Drawing on Rogers’ (2003) diffusion of innovations theory, the article describes the mentoring approach that emerged from practice, the central insight that faculty are not failing to integrate AI because …

I Am God's Masterpiece: Ministry For Adults With Idd, Kerrigan J. Creech

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

Executive Summary 

My capstone Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) focus area included program development, with additional focus on education, advocacy, and leadership. For my Applied Leadership Experience (ALE), I worked with three other occupational therapy graduate students to develop and implement an inclusive Vacation Bible School (VBS) for adults with disabilities at Parkway Ministries. The purpose and overall goal of the project was to increase opportunities for adults with disabilities to participate in an inclusive Vacation Bible School through individualized supports and activity adaptations.

A needs assessment and SWOT analysis were completed and revealed that adults with disabilities …

Systemic Α₂-Agonist Use And Lower Hazard Of Glaucoma Compared With Β-Blockers: A Cohort Study, Ibrahim Abboud, Amin Z. Khudari, Abdelaziz Abdelaal, Amr Almobayed, Subhi J. Al'aref, Jonathan S. Myers, Richard K. Lee, Abdelrahman M. Elhusseiny

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

OBJECTIVE: Systemic antihypertensive medications may influence glaucoma-related outcomes through intraocular pressure-dependent and vascular mechanisms. While topical α₂-agonists are established glaucoma therapies, the association between systemic α₂-agonists and glaucoma hazard remains unexamined; we compared their hazard with systemic β-blockers in adults with hypertension.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We conducted a multicentre retrospective cohort study using deidentified electronic health records. Adults aged ≥40 years with hypertension and chronic exposure to systemic α₂-agonists or β-blockers were included. Patients with pre-existing ocular hypertension (OHT), primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), concomitant comparator use, or inadequate ophthalmic follow-up were excluded. We balanced cohorts using propensity score matching (PSM) …

Determining The Relatedness Of Simian Varicella Virus Strains Using Polymerase Chain Reactions And Delta Herpesvirus-Dervied Primers, Ellyn M. Waits

Honors Theses

This study examines genetic variation among strains of Simian Varicella Virus (SVV) using genomic analysis. The primary goal of this experiment was to observe potential genomic differences among the Liverpool vervet virus (LVV), the Tsukuba herpesvirus, and the Delta herpesvirus (DHV) strains using primer sets developed from the fully sequenced DHV strain. SVV strains were initially cultivated in Vero cell cultures to begin viral propagation. Viral proliferation in these cell cultures enables DNA isolation via standard purification methods. The extracted viral DNA is subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification targeting specific regions of open reading frames (ORFs) in the …

Tale Of Two Pharmacies, Katie R. Jadin

Honors Theses

Community pharmacists are among the most accessible healthcare providers in the United States and play an increasingly important role in improving patient outcomes. This study observes whether geographical distance and demographic differences influence patient healthcare needs within community pharmacy settings. Communities in Wisconsin and Mississippi, approximately 800 miles apart, were compared due to differences in population demographics, socioeconomic factors, and disease burden.

A survey was distributed to community pharmacy employees, including pharmacists, pharmacy interns, and pharmacy technicians, to assess common disease states, medication patterns, pharmacy workload, and patients' barriers to care. Twelve responses were collected from pharmacy employees.

Despite the …

The Impact Of Hearts For The Homeless On Students At The University Of Mississippi, Ellie Menszer

Honors Theses

Hearts for Homeless (H4H) is an international organization that works to help one of the most vulnerable populations for cardiac disease, the homeless, due to the lack of access to health care and information. At the University of Mississippi, H4H is a registered student organization that volunteers weekly at the Oxford Community Market (OXCM) to provide free blood pressure screenings and heart health information. H4H helps the community while also providing students with hands-on patient care experience. The goal of this research is to determine how volunteering with H4H impacts students at the University of Mississippi. A literature review informed …

Synthesis Of Novel Tetrafluorinated Alcohols Through The Dimerization Of Difluoromethyl Ketones For Use In Drug Development, Abigail A. Ryan

Honors Theses

As the most electronegative element, fluorine has unique applications and properties. The carbon-fluorine bond is known to be one of the strongest bonds in organic chemistry. As a result of fluorine’s high C–F bond strength, fluorine chemistry has become an interdisciplinary field of chemistry, pharmacy, physics, geology, and ecology. In pharmaceuticals for example, current estimates indicate that about 15–20% of FDA approved small-molecule drugs include at least one fluorine atom. The incorporation of fluorine atoms into organic molecules has become a powerful strategy in modern drug development, as fluorination can enhance metabolic stability, lipophilicity, and biological activity. Despite these advantages, …

Illness Perception, Depression, And Anxiety Among Middle-Aged Adults With End-Stage Chronic Kidney Disease, Zioleyda Soto

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Staff Education To Improve Appointment Adherence In Outpatient Behavioral Health, Yvonne Joseph

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Staff Education To Improve Gad-7 Screening For Generalized Anxiety Disorder In Outpatient Behavioral Health Settings, Senami Olubunmi Edalere-Lukula

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Staff Education To Improve Fall Prevention In A Behavioral-Health Urgent Care Setting, May Nnenna Akalemeaku

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Kern National Network At Ouwb: Helping Medical Student Ideas Come To Life While Promoting Student Wellness And Academic Success, Shivapriya Chandu, Ahmad Abu-Mahfouz, Rohit Ray, Riya Chhabra, Berkley Browne-Holtz

Posters

Poster Winner - Medical students experience evolving stressors and wellness needs throughout training. From preclinical coursework to board preparation and clinical rotations, priorities may shift over time. This project addresses the following research question: How can we effectively improve student wellness initiatives through student engagement during the M1- M3 medical school years?