Digital Commons Network^™

A Comparative Study Investigating Patient Experience At Corporate And Private Dental Practices., Abigail R. Logeman

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Oral healthcare is an essential aspect of an individual’s systemic health. However, many oral conditions are left untreated due to the inaccessibility to dental care. Many disparities limit access to dental care like low income and lack of insurance coverage. Untreated oral conditions are linked to systemic health problems like cardiovascular disease, stroke, and pancreatic cancer. Patient experience is a driving factor in the continued involvement in dental care that would limit some of the diseases with oral health manifestations. I aim to compare patient experiences in private and corporate dental practices to provide a scope of the dental care …

Understanding Age-Related Differences In Dentists' Perceptions Of Fluoride Use In The Midwest, Alexander S. Becker

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This study examined age-related differences in dentists’ perceptions of fluoride use, effectiveness, and risks. Eight Midwest dentists (four early-career, four experienced) participated in interviews with demographic, quantitative, and open-ended questions. While all recognized fluoride’s importance, younger dentists emphasized its benefits and utilized it more themselves than older dentists, two of whom expressed concerns about fluoride exposure and fluorosis, a hypomineralization disorder that occurs during enamel development (Berg et al., 2011). One dentist cited potential neurological risks, including effects on the pineal gland and links to Alzheimer’s Disease. Despite these differences, all but one viewed fluoride as a cost-effective preventive measure …

The Burden Of Care: Understanding Burnout Among Pediatric Healthcare Workers, Navya Khandavalli

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Burnout among pediatric healthcare professionals is a growing concern that impacts both employee well-being and the overall quality of patient care. The aim of this study is to analyze the definition of burnout and how healthcare organizations can implore strategies to help improve the mental and physical well-being of their staff. Analysis was done through a survey administered to healthcare employees recruited from pediatric clinics, the neonatal ICU, pediatric research, and pediatric rehabilitation facilities. Findings from the methods found that burnout is often defined as prolonged occupational stress in an individual and are often characterized by symptoms of emotional exhaustion, …

Dental Access And Public Health Policy Gaps, Hafsa Tasneem

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Oral health is a key component of overall well-being, yet it is often overlooked in public health policy and planning. While regular dental care can prevent long-term complications, many individuals delay or forget treatment due to barriers such as cost, lack of insurance, scheduling difficulties, and limited awareness of available resources. I did this study as I came across health disparities in underserved communities and wanted to see if the results would be similar in a university population that is insured and has access to more resources. To investigate challenges that individuals within a university community face in accessing dental …

Diagnostic Categories And Epistemic Injustice In Clinical Psychology, Thomas Eilers

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This study investigated how clinical psychologists reasoned about and used diagnostic categories in practice. Diagnostic categories are limited and sometimes reductive systems of understanding people. They can also bring with them epistemic injustice, a type of wrong done to someone specifically in their capacity as a knower. In this case the concern is that a mental health diagnosis is a serious attack on a person’s credibility, wherein their experience is seen as less legitimate insofar as it is caused by an illness. Four semi-structured interviews were conducted with clinical psychologists. Psychologists generally described using diagnosis as one of many tools …

Epic Best Practice Alerts Increases Sep1 Orderset Usage, Mark Munir, Zachary Awad, Paul Bozyk, Ramin Homayouni

Posters

Sepsis is a massive, system-wide inflammatory response to an infection that can lead to multisystem organ failure.1 Sepsis has a very high mortality rate of 20-50% in patients with severe sepsis and is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States.2 One of the most significant ways of reducing mortality from sepsis is timely detection and initiation of treatment in septic patients.3

Electronic medical records such as Epic have implemented sepsis warning algorithms and alerts to facilitate quicker detection of sepsis and thus earlier initiation of treatment. The goal of this study is to determine if an Epic …

A Comparative Analysis Of Nf-Κb1 Gene Regulatory Sequence Methylation In Normotensive And Hypertensive Kenyans, Aaryan Barlas Piracha

Honors Theses

Accounting for the majority of deaths worldwide, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) present the greatest health challenge of the twenty-first century. Specifically, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) exceed all other NCDs in annual deaths and especially affect low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Hypertension, being the primary risk factor for CVD, affects over 75% of adults in LMICs due to inadequate health care and preventative measures. Additionally, epigenetic modifications of DNA are important mechanisms that regulate gene expression; DNA methylation, in particular, affects cytosine residues in cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) islands on regulatory sequences. Previous research in our laboratory analyzed percent methylation at 8 different CpG islands …

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Exoenzyme Y Enzymatic Activity Inhibits Exoenzyme S-Induced Caspase Activation But Not Cytotoxicity In Pulmonary Microvascular Endothelial Cells, Connor Holm

Honors Theses

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) is the most common cause of ventilator-associated pneumonia in intensive care unit patients. P. aeruginosa utilizes a type III secretion system that injects exoenzymes U, S, T, and/or Y into the host cell cytosol. A majority of clinically isolated P. aeruginosa strains express ExoY often in combination with ExoU and ExoT, or ExoS and ExoT. Host signaling mechanisms in response to intoxication with individual exoenzymes have been extensively studied, yet little is known about host cell response to co-intoxication. In this study, pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (PMVECs) were infected with P. aeruginosa strains expressing different combinations …

Toxicity And Biodegradability Of Novel Boronium Vs Conventional Ammonium-Based Antimicrobial Compounds In Wastewater Treatment Systems, Noor Shalan

Honors Theses

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are highly effective as disinfectants, herbicides, and pesticides; thus, overuse causes elevated levels of residual toxicity in domestic and industrial wastewater. QACs can be toxic to essential bacteria breaking down pollutants in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and can remain untreated in effluent, harming the environment, and contributing to antibiotic resistance, posing risks to human health. Novel boronium-based antimicrobial compounds have demonstrated efficacy in eliminating bacteria, fungi, and viruses. If the boronium compounds exhibit lower residual toxicity, they could offer a promising alternative to QACs. Because these compounds are still in development, their potential toxicity to the …

Global Multi-Specialty Clinician Perspectives On The Implementation Of Alzheimer's Disease Blood Biomarkers, Joanne Rodda, Lindsey A. Kuchenbecker, Wyllians V. Borelli, Mari L. Demarco, Raphael M. Castilhos, Erin E. Cawston, Tinatin Chabrashvili, Melissa M. Budelier, Claudia Duran Aniotz, Chinedu Momoh

Brain and Mind Institute

Introduction: Clinicians' views on the clinical readiness of Alzheimer's disease (AD) blood biomarkers (BBMs) are not well understood.

Methods: The Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment Biofluid-Based Biomarkers Professional Interest Area conducted a survey to elicit clinician opinions on AD BBM implementation, including contexts of use, assay selection, reporting, and result interpretation.

Results: Clinician respondents (n = 212) practiced in Europe (56%), North America (24%), the Caribbean and Central/South America (11%), and other continents (9%). Most respondents were medical doctors (80%) practicing in secondary or tertiary care (88%). For 56%, cerebrospinal fluid AD …

California Middle And High School Students Report Wanting Fresh And Healthy School Lunch In The Context Of Universal School Meals, Carolyn Chelius, Kassandra A. Bacon, Dania Orta-Aleman, Monica D. Zuercher, Lorrene D. Ritchie, Juliana Cohen, Christina A. Hecht, Kenneth Hecht, Wendi Gosliner

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Objective

Design

Setting

Participants

Main Outcome Measure

Analysis

Results

Dean's Research Newsletter, May 2025, Neil W. Schluger

SOM Dean's Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Optimum Volume Of Serious Fluid For The Detection Of Malignancy: A Systematic Review, Sarah Atieno Okech

Master of Medicine in Anatomic Pathology

No abstract provided.

Development And Validation Of An Adolescent Sleep Algorithm For Pediatric Primary Care, Holly Hink

Doctoral Scholarly Projects & Capstones

Poor sleep quality is a common challenge for many adolescents due to various developmental, environmental, and social factors. Nearly half of all adolescents reported regularly experiencing sleep disruptions. Poor sleep quality among adolescents might have severe mental, emotional, and cognitive consequences including an increased risk for several psychiatric conditions, obesity, and poor academic performance. However, sleep disorders among this population frequently go unreported and are rarely screened during annual well-child exams with primary care providers. The purpose of this project was to develop an evidence-based sleep algorithm for pediatric primary care providers designed to improve screening and treatment of adolescent …

‭Prevalence Of Potentially Pathogenic Bacteria In Showers At A Long-Term Nursing Care Facility, Joseph Caleb Kulon

Honors Theses

Pathogenic bacteria on environmental surfaces in nursing homes may contribute to the‬ growing burden of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), particularly as the U.S. population‬ ages and more individuals transition into long-term care. In this study, 70 swab samples were‬ collected from five community shower rooms at a nursing home over three sampling trips. Five‬ common shower surfaces were sampled: the floor drain, shower bench, faucet/valves, shower‬ curtain, and grab bars. Samples were processed in the UTC CIDC microbiology lab and‬ inoculated onto four selective and differential media: Hardy CHROM MRSA agar (for‬ methicillin-resistant‬‭ Staphylococcus aureus‬‭ [MRSA]‬‭ and‬‭ S. pseudintermedius‬‭ [SIM]), mannitol‬ …

Bacterial Contamination Of Wheelchairs In A Long-Term Rehabilitation Facility, Storm A. Welch

Honors Theses

The presence of bacterial contamination on wheelchair surfaces in long-term care facilities poses a significant risk to infection control and patient safety. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and diversity of bacterial species, including Staphylococcus aureus (SA), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Staphylococcus epidermidis (SE), Pseudomonas spp., and enteric bacteria on five key components of wheelchairs at a local long-term care facility. A total of 320 swabs were collected from wheelchair components, including handles for pushing, armrests, seats, wheel handles, and tires. Samples were analyzed using selective culture media, and bacterial species were identified based on colony morphology. The results …

Evaluation Of Avenanthramide-A As A Skin Penetration Enhancer: In Vitro And In Vivo Testing On Permeation Of Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate And Diclofenac Sodium From Topical Gels, Darshil Dhiren Shah

Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-

Topical and transdermal drug delivery are favored to deliver active pharmaceutical ingredients directly to the skin as an alternative to oral administration for systemic effects. In either case, the active molecules must cross the stratum corneum and epidermis to reach the site of action. The stratum corneum serves as a primary barrier limiting compounds from fully penetrating the skin. Therefore, it is necessary to add penetration enhancers to topical formulations to enhance drug delivery through the skin. Often, penetration enhancers are also irritant to the skin. Earlier research in our pharmaceutical laboratory showed that an addition of colloidal oatmeal, produced …

Pain Registry For Me 2 Participant Information Sheet, Ling Cao

Maine Pain Registry

Information sheet for potential participants in UNE project Pain Registry for ME 2. Including: "Chronic pain is a serious public health problem but little is known about how pain affects Mainers. We plan to establish a pain registry through this study. This registry will collect information from Maine adults who experience recurrent and frequent pain. It is estimated that one in three Mainers experience chronic pain. We would like to hear from as many Mainers as possible. The information we obtain could inform public health approaches to improve pain care across Maine in the future."

A Review Of Praziquantel Resistance In Schistosomes And The Future Of Schistosomiasis Control, Gabriela G. Eastham

Senior Honors Theses

Schistosomiasis is a group of both acute and chronic parasitic trematode infections of the genus Schistosoma. Praziquantel (PZQ) has been the drug of choice to treat schistosomiasis for decades. Though it is effective against all three clinically relevant species, heavy reliance on PZQ has led to concerns of schistosome resistance, especially in areas that have implemented this drug in mass drug administration (MDA) programs. Although there is currently insufficient evidence to conclude that schistosomes are becoming resistant to PZQ on a large scale, other control methods are a necessity to best treat and eliminate schistosomiasis. This article summarizes the …

To Heal A Mind: A Comparison Of Functional And Conventional Treatments In Major Depressive Disorder, Gillian Chambers

Senior Honors Theses

Incidence of major depressive disorder is increasing year over year, with little able to be done to halt the spread of the condition. However, there are many treatment possibilities considered unconventional by the healthcare system. This thesis examines the respective benefits and risks, in comparison to one another, between conventional pharmacological treatment and functional, holistic treatment of depression. This was done via integrative review of available clinical literature, synthesizing evidence on both conventional and functional treatments for depression, as dictated by Whittemore and Knafl (2005). Exploratory search methods revealed 758 records fulfilling inclusion criteria, which were screened and narrowed down …

Functional Polymer Nanocomposites By Gas Aggregation Cluster Source And Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition, Torge Hartig, Joschka Paulsen, Jonas Drewes, Asmaa Mohamed, Nasra F. Abdel Fattah, Cedric Hinrichs, Felix Pohl, Stefan Rehders, Ainura Aliyeva, Henning Wieker, Jörg Wiltfang, Salih Veziroglu, Samah A. Loutfy, Oral Cenk Aktas, Alexander Vahl, Thomas Strunskus, Aydin Gülses, Amal Amal, Stefan Schröder, Franz Faupel

Nanotechnology Research Centre

Functional metal-polymer nanocomposites are required for highly tailored surface properties and coatings. However, past approaches like cosputtering, physical evaporation, or plasma polymerization can not retain the functionality of the polymer matrix or produce tailored nanoparticles. A new kind of codeposition of nanocomposite polymer thin films is presented via the combination of a gas aggregation cluster source (GAS) and initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) in a common GAS+iCVD vacuum system. iCVD delivers ultraprecise and defect-free polymer thin films on the nanoscale while a GAS creates nanoparticles that form in the gas phase and can be tuned in size and composition. Using …

Fc Gamma Receptors Facilitate Antigenic Modulation Of Lilrb4 And Function As Predictive Biomarkers In Acute Monocytic Leukemia, Joshua Morse

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Acute monocytic leukemia (monocytic AML) is a subtype of AML marked by a proliferation of abnormal monoblasts. This subtype represents approximately 10% of AML cases. The prognosis of monocytic AML is poor, with a 5-year survival of ~30%. Most patients are diagnosed at an age when they are unlikely to survive first-line non-targeted cytotoxic chemotherapy as a bridge to hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Even patients who achieve remission commonly relapse. This population of patients would greatly benefit from precision-targeted therapies but currently there are none approved for monocytic AML.

Leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor B4 (LILRB4) is an immune checkpoint expressed …

Expanding Inducible Epithelial Resistance Against Pneumonia: Novel Virus, Novel Receptor, Michael Longmire

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Pneumonia is the leading infectious cause of death worldwide and presents a continuing risk among immunocompromised patients. Our work has been focused for many years on the phenomenon of inducible epithelial resistance, where activation of the innate immune response in the airway epithelium is necessary and sufficient to produce a pathogen-killing but self-protective environment to prevent severe disease. Inducible resistance is pathogen-agnostic and has been demonstrated against an array of respiratory infections. We achieve this using a combination of pattern recognition receptor agonists – Pam2CSK4 and ODN M362 being the current formulation – which produce synergistic levels of pathogen reduction …

Cord Blood Treatment For Children With Cerebral Palsy: Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis, Megan Finch-Edmondson, Madison C B Paton, Annabel Webb, Mahmoud Reza Ashrafi, Remy K Blatch-Williams, Charles S Cox, Kylie Crompton, Alexandra R Griffin, Minyoung Kim, Steven Kosmach, Joanne Kurtzberg, Masoumeh Nouri, Mi Ri Suh, Jessica Sun, Morteza Zarrabi, Iona Novak

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Context: Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a novel treatment for cerebral palsy (CP), with trials indicating UCB can improve gross motor function. However, heterogeneity has limited the ability to interpret findings.

Objective: Assess the safety and efficacy of UCB for improving gross motor function in children with CP, including exploring cell dose effect and responder subgroups.

Data sources: Individual participant data from published reports and registered trials identified via systematic searches.

Study selection: Studies administering UCB to individuals with CP collecting Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) scores.

Data extraction: A 1-stage individual participant data meta-analysis was conducted in R to …

Joint Modelling Of Longitudinal Egfr Trajectory And Time To Acute Kidney Injury In Lung Transplant Patients, Samiha Zakir

Theses and Dissertations

Progressive declines in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) often precede acute kidney injury (AKI), yet the relationship between eGFR trends and AKI risk remains unclear. This study investigates longitudinal eGFR changes and their association with AKI in 459 lung transplant patients followed for up to 7 years (n = 6419). We applied a piecewise linear mixed-effects model to evaluate eGFR trajectories and a Cox proportional hazards model to assess time to AKI. A joint model was used to explore the interplay between longitudinal and survival processes. Key covariates included gender, age at transplantation, antibody-mediated rejection (AMR), and pre-transplant eGFR. Males …

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Outbreak Preparedness In The United States: A Scoping Review, Emma J. Gurley

Honors Theses

In order to gauge preparedness for an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in the United States, a scoping review of the current literature was conducted. This process involved (1) identifying the research question, (2) identifying studies relevant to the topic, (3) selecting studies for inclusion (4) charting the data, and (5) analyzing and reporting the final data. Ultimately, seventeen studies were deemed appropriate for examination within this scoping review and several key themes were identified. The results emphasize the importance of adopting a One Health approach, the key role that vaccination may well play in preventing the spread …

The Barefoot Lifestyle: Bringing Nature Back Into Health, Rachel Murray

Senior Honors Theses

The Barefoot lifestyle has many research questions revolving around the topic. Throughout the introduction, new solutions, such as natural way, will be spoken about broadly. The questions asked are to figure out why going barefoot has so many benefits physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually while introducing examples and other supportive studies and or cases. Additionally, the purpose of this research is to find a way back to a natural way of healing with specific examples of barefoot scenarios, trials of barefoot running and walking, and specific techniques to enhance the effects.

“Re-Storying” Anne Shirley And The Adhd Child: A Crip Genealogy Of Anne Of Green Gables, Darian Aleyna Wilson

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis explores the contested nature of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), focusing on its cultural and historical constructions. While ADHD has been included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders since 1980, its legitimacy remains a subject of debate across medical, disability studies, and historical scholarship. Using Eli Clare’s critique of diagnosis as a tool rather than a fact, this project examines how ADHD is both pathologized and re-storied within societal and medical discourses. It highlights the tension between medical classifications and lived experiences of those diagnosed with ADHD, particularly in the context of girlhood.

The central …

Adolescent Developmental Domains: Examining Risk And Protective Factors In Loneliness, Archer Ward

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent mental health is on the decline and questions have been raised as to what might be contributing. The experience of chronic loneliness has been linked to increased risk of developing anxiety, depression, and suicidal behaviors in both adulthood and adolescence. However, little research has been conducted on the relationship between known risk and protective factors and loneliness in adolescence. The objective of this secondary data analysis is to examine the patterns of association between risk and protective factors in key developmental domains on loneliness. A total of 7,696 adolescent (M age = 14.6, 51% male) responses were collected during …

The Effects Of Daily Beef Consumption On Sleep, Mood, And Wellbeing In Postmenopausal Women, Caroline M. Coughlin

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Menopause is often accompanied by changes in sleep, mood, and overall well-being, partly due to hormonal shifts and loss of muscle mass. Protein intake, especially from nutrient-rich sources like beef, may help address these changes, but research in postmenopausal women remains limited. This study explored how daily beef consumption, as part of a higher-protein diet, affected sleep quality, mood, and well-being over eight weeks. Ten active postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to either a control group (meeting standard protein recommendations) or a treatment group consuming twice that amount, including one serving of lean beef per day. Sleep was measured using …