Digital Commons Network^™

The Benefits And Barriers To Expanding Crna Programs In Michigan, Grace Van Zweden

Honors Theses

The demand for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and their delivery of safe, high-quality anesthesia care has increased significantly due to nationwide anesthesia provider shortages and the growing reliance on CRNAs to meet healthcare system needs. This demand underscores the importance of expanding nurse anesthesia programs in Michigan and across the United States to support nurses pursuing advanced education and to improve patient access to essential care within their communities. The CRNA profession has evolved over time to meet the changing needs of the healthcare system, and current CRNA programs require applicants to satisfy rigorous and highly specific admission criteria. …

Cholesterol Metabolism And Oral Health: An Integrative Review, Raíssa Colherinhas, Carla Guimarães Moutinho, Ana Cristina F Vinha, Carla Alexandra Lopes Andrade De Sousa E Silva

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

Background: This integrative review associated changes in cholesterol metabolism and oral diseases. Conditions such as periodontal disease, tooth loss and oral cancer may be influenced by imbalances in lipid levels through mechanisms involving inflammation, oxidative stress, and immune modulation.

Highlight: This review examined scientific studies published mainly in the last decade. The findings indicate consistent associations between hypercholesterolemia or hyperlipidemia and periodontal disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular conditions, peri-implant health, and tooth loss. Hypocholesterolemia was associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma. Periodontal disease was the most frequently investigated oral condition, representing almost half of the included studies.

Conclusion …

Do Research Day Program 2026, Lincoln Memorial University, Debusk College Of Osteopathic Medicine

DO Research Day

DO Research Day was hosted by the DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine at Lincoln Memorial University. This program features abstracts from the LMU-DCOM community.

Effects Of Hydrogen-Infused Water On Endurance Performance, Body Hydration Biomarkers, And Health-Related Quality Of Life In Collegiate Athletes (Hydro2eau): A Randomized-Controlled Clinical Trial, Jovan Kuzmanovic, Nikola Todorovic, Marijana Ranisavljev, David Nedeljkovic, Sergej M. Ostojic

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: Hydrogen-infused water (HIW) has attracted considerable interest over the past two decades due to its potential health benefits. However, its effects on exercise performance and hydration biomarkers remain inadequately explored, particularly in physically active populations such as collegiate athletes. This study aimed to investigate the impact of medium-term HIW supplementation on running performance, hydration biomarkers, and health-related quality of life in collegiate athletes. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial was conducted with twelve collegiate athletes (age: 25.1 ± 3.5 years, six female). Participants consumed 660 mL daily of either HIW (300 µmol/L dihydrogen) or control water (0 µmol/L …

Simulated Participant Engagement In Communication Sciences & Disorders Programs: A Scoping Review, Jason Konzelmann, Richard I. Zraick

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Introduction. Simulated participants (SPs) are widely used in medical and nursing education, but their application in allied health, including Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD), remains limited. Despite accreditation standards supporting simulation in CSD training, student engagement with SPs is still uncommon.

Objectives. This scoping review examined recent literature on SP use in CSD programs involving speech-language pathology or audiology students or providers. We explored how SPs were integrated and identified gaps for future research.

Methods. Guided by PRISMA-ScR, we searched six databases and an internet search yielded one additional article. Studies published between 2019 and 2025 were included if they …

Comparative Analysis Of Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Implications For Active Learning And Assessment At Various Curricular Levels Of Stem And Health Sciences In Developed Versus Underprivileged Countries, Vinay Munlapudi, Santanu De

FDLA Journal

Today’s all-pervasive emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) necessitates a comprehensive evaluation of its role in education, especially for occupational disciplines in health sciences and STEM. AI has reshaped student learning and instructors’ navigation of the evolving, post coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) global academic landscape. This study aimed at encapsulating evidence-based AI implications for student-centered, active learning and assessment at various curricular levels of science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and health sciences education in developed versus underprivileged or less developed countries. An extensive, scoping review of 65 recent, scholarly publications was conducted over six months through diverse search engines (PubMed, Google …

Evaluating The Discus Throw As An Ancient Greek Combat Training Tool Through Modern Performance Metrics, Daniel R. Porter

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This study’s purpose was to explore the correlations between peak velocity in a rotational throw with a medicine ball, peak force (PF) and rate of force development (RFD) in an isometric mid-thigh pull, time to failure in a plank test, and peak velocity in a sword thrust task, which was also tested for reliability. Twenty-seven recreationally trained male participants between the ages of 18-35 completed the study. The sword thrust task was significantly correlated with the medicine ball throw (p = 0.012, r = 0.475, r² = 0.226, 95% CI [0.724, 0.116]) and PF (p = 0.045, r …

Behavioral And Dietary Associations Of Vitamin D Deficiency Among Landscaping Workers: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study In El Paso, Texas., Cristela Anahi Avila

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is a persistent public health concern, even among outdoor workers who receive substantial sunlight exposure. Landscaping workers may still be at risk because sun-protective clothing, early work hours, behavioral practices, and low dietary intake can reduce effective vitamin D synthesis. Purpose: This pilot study examined dietary vitamin D intake, sun exposure behaviors, and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status among male landscaping workers in El Paso, Texas, to identify behavioral and nutritional factors associated with deficiency. Methods: Twenty participants completed a culturally adapted food frequency questionnaire and behavioral assessment and underwent capillary point-of-care testing for serum 25(OH)D. Descriptive …

Rethinking Vaginal Microbiome Resilience: A Conceptual Multi-Omic Framework, Brittnee Cagle-White, Rob E. Carpenter, Alaina Vincent, Ellen Kominek, Andrew Krouse

Human Resource Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

The vaginal microbiome is often interpreted through static taxonomic patterns. Yet microbial composition alone does not explain why some communities resist perturbation, recover after disruption, or transition toward dysbiosis. This narrative review synthesizes evidence that vaginal microbiome stability is shaped by endocrine phase, epithelial substrate availability, microbial functional capacity, mucosal tone and candidate host modifiers. High-estrogen states, particularly pregnancy, are associated with epithelial maturation, glycogen accumulation, low vaginal pH, and Lactobacillus-dominant communities, whereas postpartum, lactational, menopausal, and other hypoestrogenic states are associated with reduced epithelial support and increased vulnerability to diverse anaerobe-rich configurations. We review the linking of the estrogen–glycogen–Lactobacillus …

Effects Of Maternal Vitamin D Supplementation During Pregnancy And Lactation On Immune Development In Offspring: A Systematic Review, Kurnia Maidarmi Handayani, Ghaniyyatul Khudri, Laura Zeffira, Widia Sari

Chulalongkorn Medical Journal

Background: Vitamin D, a fat-soluble prohormone, is essential for skeletal health and plays a key role in immune regulation. Deficiency is common among pregnant and lactating women, raising concerns as fetal and neonatal vitamin D status relies entirely on maternal stores. Insufficiency during these periods is linked to preterm birth, low birth weight, and immune-mediated disorders. This review examines the effects of maternal vitamin D supplementation on the immune development of offspring.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines and registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251117397). Experimental rodent studies published between 2019 and 2022 that investigated maternal vitamin …

Keynote Address And Meeting Program, Academy Editors

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Role Of Vitamin D In Familial Mediterranean Fever: Pathogenesis, Triggers, And Immune Modulation, Hagop Sassounian, Saad Aad, Hilda E. Ghadieh, Lara Khouzami, Elsa Nicolas, Sami Azar, Frederic Harb

All Works

Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is among the most frequent autoinflammatory diseases in populations originating from the area of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries. It is caused by mutations in the MEFV gene, which causes dysregulated pyrin expression and thus an immunologic anomaly. FMF is diagnosed by recurrent episodes of fever and serosal inflammation, predominantly peritonitis and pleuritis, as well as other systemic symptoms. Recent research is dedicated to searching for factors beyond genetic code contributing to how FMF evolves, the severity of its symptoms and response to conventional therapy—colchicine. These factors include epigenetic modifications of the MEFV gene and other …

Slouching Towards Inefficiency? The Cardiometabolic And Cognitive Costs Of Poor Posture, Ava Mae Fitzenrider

Honors Projects

Posture affects all of our lives. It is both static and dynamic, adapting continuously to environmental demands. One postural alteration frequently observed in occupational settings is hyperkyphosis, which can be induced by sitting position. During computer use, individuals commonly adopt a slouched posture, which can exacerbate hyperkyphosis, and contribute to dis-ease within the body. Previous research has demonstrated that such postural deviations can negatively affect pulmonary function, as well as other bodily functions. Despite these findings, the effects of acute hyperkyphosis (“slouching”) on cardiometabolic function and cognition remain largely unexplored. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the …

Mitochondrial Ca2+ Uniporter (Mcu) Variants Form Plasma-Membrane Channels, Iuliia Polina, Jyotsna Mishra, Michael Cypress, Maria Landherr, Nedyalka Valkov, Isabel Chaput, Bridget Nieto, Brian Rhee, Ameneh Ahrari, Nathan Demichaelis, Kye-Im Jeon, Ulrike Mende, Peng Zhang, Bong Sook Jhun, Jin O-Uchi

Center for Translational Medicine Faculty Papers

MCU, originally known as CCDC109A, is widely recognized as the gene responsible for encoding a pore-forming subunit of a Ca2+-selective channel, mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter complex (mtCUC). While MCU expression is typically highly mitochondrial-specific, we report here a protein variant derived from the MCU gene, termed MCU-S, which lacks the mitochondria-targeting sequence (MTS) and forms a Ca2+-permeable channel outside of mitochondria. The mRNA of MCU-S was ubiquitously expressed in all cell types/tissues tested, with particularly high expression in human platelets. MCU-S protein formed Ca2+ channels at the plasma membrane, which exhibited similar channel properties to those observed in mtCUC. MCU-S channels …

Simultaneous Multielectrode Recordings Along The Human Scala Tympani: Evidence For Level-Dependent Place Coding, Amit Walia, Matthew A Shew, Shannon M Lefler, Amanda J Ortmann, Patrick Ioerger, Jordan Varghese, Jacques A Herzog, Craig A Buchman

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The cochlea systematically encodes sound frequency and intensity via a precisely organized tonotopic map, in which traveling waves peak at specific cochlear locations. A fundamental but incompletely understood aspect of auditory coding involves how stimulus intensity shapes this tonotopic organization. In animal models, increasing intensity shifts the cochlear traveling wave peak basally; however, physiological evidence for such intensity-dependent shifts in human cochlear processing is limited. Here, we performed simultaneous multielectrode electrocochleography recordings along the human scala tympani to characterize how cochlear place coding varies as a function of stimulus intensity. In subjects with preserved cochlear mechanics, including individuals with auditory …

The Impact Of Glucose Exposure On Organic Cation Transporters (Oct) Function In A Corneal Epithelial Cell Line, David A. Garza

Theses & Dissertations

Organic cation transporters (OCT) facilitate the movement of neurochemicals and medications, contribute to the removal of cellular waste, and facilitate neuronal communication. Three subtypes of these high-capacity, low-affinity transporters (OCT1, OCT2, and OCT3) are differently expressed in peripheral tissues such as the liver, kidneys, as well as the central nervous system. OCTs are also expressed in ocular tissues. Chronic hyperglycemia is a complication commonly associated with diabetes that can lead to ocular diseases such as diabetic keratopathy, which affects the cornea. In this project, we expose immortalized human corneal epithelial cells (HCE-S) to various glucose concentrations to study their impact …

Characterizing Metabolic Flux Of Plant Secondary Metabolites From Diverse Animal-Source Foods To Humans, Muhammad Ahsin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

There is a popular saying: “You are what you eat.” But does this also mean, “You are what your food eats”? This dissertation explores that question by examining how farming practices shape the nutritional quality of meat—and what, if anything, those differences mean for the people who consume it. While modern livestock production and nutrition research often emphasize protein and fat, this work tests the idea that animals function as biological mediators, linking soil and plant conditions to human diets through the chemical composition of meat and milk. To evaluate this hypothesis, we tracked health-relevant plant compounds— phytonutrients—across the soil–plant–animal–human …

Beyond The First Bout: Adaptations To Repeated Injuries Across Physiological And Pathological Conditions, Cory W. Baumann, Christopher P. Ingalls, Kazunori Nosaka, Jarrod A. Call

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Skeletal muscle exhibits remarkable plasticity following injury, yet most research has focused on responses to a single bout of eccentric contractions. This review addresses adaptations to repeated eccentric contraction–induced injuries across physiological and pathological conditions, with emphasis on insights from preclinical rodent models. In healthy muscle, the repeated bout effect (RBE) reduces strength loss and accelerates recovery after subsequent bouts. However, these adaptations are highly condition dependent. Aging can attenuate the RBE, while dystrophic muscle remains vulnerable to repeated injury despite compensatory remodeling. Other factors, including but not limited to, chronic alcohol intake and malignant hyperthermia can influence these responses, …

Medical Simulation In Toxicology: Enhancing Clinical Competence, Decision Making And Patient Care In Resource-Limited Settings, Rakesh Ghimire, Anjana Thapa, Sanjeev Kharel, Shristi Kharel Ghimire, Rabin Basnet, Farshad Mazda Shirazi, Allan J. Hamilton

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Medical simulation has emerged as a transformative approach in toxicology education. By providing immersive, hands-on experience, simulation enhances learner engagement, critical thinking, and long-term knowledge retention while offering a safe environment to practice clinical decision-making without jeopardizing patient safety. Despite these advantages, the integration of simulation-based training remains limited in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to resource constraints, lack of standardized curricula, and limited access to high-fidelity simulators. Additionally, little research has explored its optimal application in these settings. This review explores available evidence regarding the effectiveness of medical simulation in the diagnosis and treatment of toxicological emergencies in LMICs. …

A Treatise On Tool Development: The Arthroscope’S Cultural, Technological, And Metascientific Translation, Montgomery F. Waterer

Honors Theses

The arthroscope was a revolutionary development in the fields of medicine, engineering, and ethics. There are many valuable lessons to be learned from the story of its development and translation that are relevant to the future of medicine and society. Beginning with a brief description of the tool’s design, this paper will examine a period within the history of the arthroscope. This window contains multiple innovators and ends with the life and work of Dr. Robert Jackson. In examining the relevant historical facts of its development, this paper will then briefly address the importance of sports medicine in the development …

Iron-Based Nanoparticles As Delivery Tools, Keykavous Parang, Rajesh Vadlapatla, Ajoy Koomer, Victoria Moran, Lanie Jackson, Amir Nasrolahi Shirazi

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Iron-based nanoparticles, particularly iron oxide nanostructures (IONPs), have emerged as versatile and clinically relevant platforms for drug delivery and theranostic applications. Among these, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), including magnetite (Fe₃O₄) and maghemite (γ-Fe₂O₃), are the most extensively investigated due to their biocompatibility, magnetic responsiveness, and established safety profiles. Their unique superparamagnetic behavior enables external magnetic-field-guided targeting, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast enhancement, and magnetically triggered hyperthermia, enabling simultaneous diagnosis and therapy. Surface functionalization with polymers, silica, lipids, peptides, and biomolecules further improves colloidal stability, circulation time, targeting specificity, and controlled drug …

Using Somatic Experiencing To Mitigate Symptoms Of Secondary Traumatic Stress In Female Helping Professionals, Jillian Christie Guinta

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological and quantitative study explored the lived experiences of a dozen women within the veterinary, social work, and nursing communities and how secondary traumatic stress impacts their lives. Faced with unanticipated patient illnesses, facilitating compassionate end-of-life procedures, and rapidly moving from one emotional state to the next between patients, professionals are carrying tremendous unprocessed emotional burdens that can affect them physiologically and psychologically. Somatic Experiencing (SE) indicates tremendous promise in rehabilitating practitioners’ trauma-impacted nervous systems by offering techniques to release emotional stress and re-regulate the nervous system (Kuhfuß et al., 2023). This mixed-methods study explored the world of these …

Innovator - Summer 2024

Innovator

06 - A Message from the President

10 - Time Machine

16 - The Nexus

32 - Our History

38 - Weaving a Legacy of Excellence

40 - Bridging the Gaps

44 - Harnessing the Qualities That Create Healthcare Heroes

48 - Question & Innovate

52 - Alumni Impact

54 - Ram Roundup

58 - Be Kind

62 - Class Notes

68 - In Memory

70 - Trivia

Mindbodystrong: A Pilot To Address Nursing Burnout & To Promote Wellness, Leilah Hunt

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Background: Nursing burnout rates have increased significantly since the Covid-19 pandemic, not only within the United States but throughout the world. As burnout is multifaceted in nature, identifying and addressing the root cause of burnout has been challenging. One approach to remedy burnout effects is by enhancing wellness through daily practice of healthy habits. Purpose: The purpose of this DNP project was to pilot and evaluate the effects of the MINDBODYSTRONG Cognitive Behavioral Skills Building Program on self-rated anxiety, stress, depressive symptoms, and burnout symptoms in a sample population of nurses at a large psychiatric hospital. This program has …

Insights Into Stroke Risk And Prediction For Underweight Individuals, Saeed Awad M. Alqahtani, Moutasem S. Aboonq

Neurosciences

This review explores the relationship between underweight status and stroke risk and outcomes. Although the impact of obesity on stroke is well-documented, the harmful effects of being underweight are often overlooked. Drawing on evidence from observational studies, case-control studies, and meta-analyses, this review highlights that underweight individuals face increased mortality, poorer functional recovery, and higher rates of major adverse cardiovascular events and recurrent strokes post-stroke. Challenges in stroke prediction for this population are examined, including the limited research focus, shortcomings of existing risk assessment tools such as the CHA₂DS₂-VASc score, and population-specific factors affecting underweight prevalence …

Segmental And Multifocal Isolated Dystonias: Similarities And Differences, Hyder A Jinnah, Vittorio Velucci, Daniele Belvisi, Gamze Kilic-Berkmen, Joel S Perlmutter, Laura J Wright, Christine Klein, Jeanne S Feuerstein, Steven Bellows, Joseph Jankovic, Cynthia Comella, Richard L Barbano, Aparna Wagle Shukla, Stephen G Reich, Mark S Ledoux, Alberto J Espay, Kevin R Duque, Florence C F Chang, Victor S C Fung, Sarah Pirio-Richardson, Carmen Terranova, Emile S Moukheiber, Sarah Idrissi, Barbara Vitucci, Susan H Fox, Samuel Frank, Natividad Stover, Brian D Berman, Rachel Saunders-Pullman, William G Ondo, Christopher L Groth, Marcello Esposito, Laura Avanzino, Francesco Bono, Roberto Erro, Marcello Mario Mascia, Antonella Muroni, Alfredo Berardelli, Giovanni Defazio

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Whether the traditional distinction between segmental and multifocal dystonia is clinically or scientifically useful remains unclear.

Objective: To evaluate whether idiopathic isolated adult-onset segmental and multifocal dystonia can be differentiated based on clinical features other than the contiguity of affected body regions.

Methods: We compared data on segmental and multifocal dystonia from two large dystonia databases established in the USA and Italy that used similar criteria for patient recruitment and assessment.

Results: Compared to segmental dystonia, multifocal dystonia was characterized by a higher proportion of men, a younger age at dystonia onset, a greater frequency of upper limb dystonia, …

Microbiome-Responsive Hydrogels: From Biological Cues To Smart Biomaterials, Rajesh Vadlapatla, Amir Nasrolahi Shirazi, Ajoy Koomer, Judy Weng, Matthew Ernest Ghilarducci, Alai Qudus, Keykavous Parang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background: Stimuli-responsive hydrogels (SRHs) are smart polymeric materials that undergo reversible physicochemical changes in response to abiotic cues and externally applied fields, enabling applications in drug delivery, wound healing, and tissue engineering. However, they exhibit limited biological specificity and do not adequately reflect the dynamic, disease-relevant complexity of native tissue microenvironments. Microbe-colonized tissues display distinctive biochemical features driven, shaped by microbial metabolism, including localized pH gradients, short-chain fatty acid production, secretion of quorum-sensing molecules, biofilm formation, and expression of specialized enzymes. These endogenous, spatiotemporally regulated signals are closely linked to host physiology and pathology but remain underutilized in hydrogel …

Psychological And Physiological Effects Of Acute Cold Exposure Following Bouts Of Intense Exercise, Blake E. Wright, Leroy Bolden, Cory Smith, Andrew Gallucci

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Background: Thermal strain results from extreme temperature exposures and is common among athletes that create conflicting physiological responses. However, little is known on how rapidly shifting the body from a heat-dissipating to a heat-conserving state impacts human physiologically and psychologically. Purpose: To assess the physiological and psychological effects of thermal strain on collegiate football players.  Methods: 18 Division I collegiate football players (19.72y ± 1.36) participated in the study during one full contact practice in the spring semester. Participants reported to the athletic training room 15-minutes before practice to have a Zephyr sensor placed in the midaxillary line. Participants also …

Steroid Receptor Coactivators - From Basic Research To Translational Opportunities, Yosef Gilad, Sang Jun Han, David M Lonard

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The concept of nuclear receptor (NR) coregulation was proposed nearly two decades before it was experimentally validated. According to this model, NRs - executors of a vast array of transcriptional programs - do not act independently but are governed by a network of regulatory proteins that either activate or repress their biological function. NRs identify the genes to be regulated. However, coregulators ultimately serve as the true controllers of transcriptional outcomes. They recruit cofactors and coordinate the activity of transcriptional complexes, thereby shaping NR-mediated gene expression beyond NRs' intrinsic functionality. The Steroid Receptor Coactivator (SRC) family is the most extensively …

Physiological And Neuroimmune Effects Of Manual Therapy, Murdi S. Alanazi

ETDs from 2020-2029

Manual therapy (MT) is widely used across healthcare disciplines for the management of musculoskeletal conditions. Emerging evidence indicates that MT may also influence broader physiological systems such as the nervous and the immune systems. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects are still not well understood, and limited evidence exists regarding the neuroimmune effect of MT in neurologically impaired populations such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The overall aim of this dissertation was to investigate the physiological effects of MT, synthesizing current evidence across mechanistic domains, and generating pilot data to inform future research. This dissertation was structured around four manuscripts. The …