Digital Commons Network^™

From Synapse To Circuit: Mechanisms Of Behavioral Flexibility And Its Restoration After Prenatal Alcohol Exposure, Jayapriya Chandrasekaran

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Behavioral flexibility—the ability to adapt behavior when contingencies change—is a fundamental executive function supported by orbitofrontal–striatal circuitry. This dissertation examined molecular, motivational, and circuit mechanisms underlying flexibility and its restoration after prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). In healthy mice, GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors in the orbitofrontal cortex increased during outcome updating, while AMPA receptor subunits in the dorsal striatum rose during new learning, defining temporally distinct plasticity processes. PAE impaired reversal learning under low-reward conditions, but not when motivation was high, indicating altered thresholds for circuit engagement rather than permanent loss. Finally, optogenetic stimulation of OFC→dorsal striatum projections rescued flexibility in PAE …

Look, I Finished My Pem Sticker Chart!, Kimberly L. Fugok Do, Sarah Fish Do, Kira Galeano, Kyle S Wilson Md, Dawn M. Yenser, Bryan G. Kane Md

Department of Emergency Medicine

No abstract provided.

A Global Prospective Harmonization Framework For Suicidality, Anhedonia, And Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms In Psychiatric Genetic Studies: A Cross-Continental Study Within The Ancestral Population Network, Ana Diaz-Zuluaga, Jacey Anderberg, Ana Ramirez-Diaz, Andrea Marques, Catherine Rast, Daniel Bustamante, Deborah Jonker, Johanna Valencia-Echeverry, Stella Gichuru, Lukoye Atwoli

Internal Medicine, East Africa

This study aims to prospectively collect harmonized, quantitative, and dimensional psychiatric phenotypes (suicidality, anhedonia, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms) and information on discrimination, stigma, and unfair treatment in up to 27,500 individuals across diverse ancestries and clinical populations for genetic analysis within the NIMH Ancestral Population Network (APN). Five APN projects are participating in the current study (PUMAS-Paisa, PUMAS-NeuroGAP, KOMOGEN-D, LATINO, and SAX-II), spanning recruitment over 15 countries across the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Participants are being enrolled via the recruitment protocols specific to each participating project. The harmonized clinical battery includes the Columbia-Suicide Severity Scale, Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale, and Florida Obsessive-Compulsive …

Implementation Of A Patient Preference Card (Ppc) To Enhance Nurse–Patient Communication In The Intensive Care Unit, Lashunda S. Hickerson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose

Nurse-patient communication barriers occur when critically ill patients are sedated, mechanically ventilated, or neurologically impaired. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement a structured Patient Preference Card (PPC) to improve nurse–patient communication for non-verbal postoperative patients in an intensive care unit (ICU). The primary aim was to improve nurse-patient communication scores on the Nurse-Patient Communication Scale (NPCS) by at least 20% during a 90-day pilot implementation. A secondary aim was to achieve at least 90% compliance with PPC completion and use across nursing shifts to support consistent communication of patient preferences.

Background

Communication breakdowns frequently occur …

Improving Nurse Utilization Of Protocols To Prevent Pressure Injuries And Increase The Detection Of Pressure Injuries On Admission Using Skin Assessments And Education, Karla Vazquez

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

PURPOSE

This quality improvement project was intended to improve nurses’ use of existing pressure injury (PI) prevention protocols by 20%, ensure 80% of them can adequately stage PIs, 100% report adequate PI prevention knowledge, and 50% of patient admissions receive a comprehensive skin assessment by two nurses. This project took place in the intensive care unit of a hospital in San Antonio, Texas.

BACKGROUND

PIs are sources of pain and infection for patients and financially burden healthcare systems. Nurses are frontline workers with the capability to prevent PIs by being knowledgeable of prevention practices. Additionally, the two-nurse skin assessment is …

Exploring Clinical Reasoning In Occupational Therapy Students Using Think Aloud During Computerized Patient Simulation, Candra Selene Talylor

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

The objective of this research was to explore the effects of the think aloud (TA) method on the development of clinical reasoning in occupational therapy students completing an online simulation assignment. The study aimed to determine if thinking aloud develops clinical reasoning in occupational therapy students as evidenced by a change in clinical reasoning skill scores and investigates the relationship between students' overall clinical simulation competency scores.

This study used a mixed methods design, combining quantitative and qualitative data to explore and measure the use of the TA strategy on the development of clinical reasoning skills. The sample from this …

Big Feelings, Fast Decisions: Emotion Regulation As A Moderator Of Impulsivity In Binge And Emotional Eating, Emma G. Folk

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Emotion-driven impulsivity and difficulties with emotion regulation are both associated with maladaptive eating behaviors, including binge eating and emotional eating. However, it remains unclear whether broader emotion regulation difficulties intensify the influence of impulsive responses to emotional states on these behaviors. This study examined whether emotion dysregulation moderates the relationship between emotion-driven impulsivity and maladaptive eating behaviors. Participants were 266 adults (ages 18–65) who completed measures of impulsivity, emotion regulation difficulties, binge eating, and emotional eating. Moderation analyses were conducted using PROCESS in SPSS, controlling for body mass index (BMI) and gender. Negative and positive urgency were significantly associated with …

Associations Of Blood Biomarkers Of Glial Cell Dysfunction And Neuronal Injury With Future Cognitive Decline And Incident Dementia, Srishti Shrestha, Xiaoqian Zhu, B Gwen Windham, Kevin J Sullivan, Priya Palta, Rebecca F Gottesman, Russell P Tracy, Clifford R Jack, Petrice M Cogswell, Prashanthi Vemuri, Sudha Seshadri, Thomas H Mosley, Michael E Griswold, Myriam Fornage

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Prospective studies of blood-based biomarkers reflecting pathogenic processes, other than Alzheimer-specific pathologies, that contribute to dementia in diverse cohorts are lacking.

Methods: We jointly fitted linear mixed-effect models and proportional hazards models to examine associations of midlife glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), chitinase-3-like protein 1 (YKL-40), soluble cluster of differentiation-14 (sCD14), neurofilament light chain (NfL), total tau (t-tau), and ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) levels in serum (collected in 1993 to 1995) with cognitive decline and incident dementia (ascertained over 29 years through 2022) in the community-based Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. sCD14 and YKL-40 were measured in 3082 …

Perceived Neighborhood Environment And Objectively Assessed, Habitual Physical Activity Among Us Adults: An All Of Us Research Program Study, Natalia I Heredia, Michael C Robertson, Christopher D Pfledderer, Ethan T Hunt, Timothy J Walker, Deborah Salvo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to assess the associations between perceived socioenvironmental neighborhood attributes and objectively assessed habitual physical activity among US adults as well as whether associations vary by sociodemographic characteristics.

Methods: We used data from the All of Us research program, a longitudinal cohort study of a diverse sample of Americans. Perceived neighborhood social cohesion, physical and social disorder, walkability, and sociodemographic characteristics were self-reported. Habitual physical activity was ascertained using Fitbit-derived step counts over ≥24 weeks. Generalized additive mixed-effects models were used to test the associations between perceived socioenvironmental neighborhood attributes and daily step counts. …

Addressing Nonignorable Missing Data And Heterogeneity In Prognostic Biomarker Assessment, Xinran Huang, Ruosha Li, Jing Ning, For The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Covariate-specific and time-dependent area-under-curve (AUC) is often used to evaluate the discriminative performance of biomarkers with time-to-event outcomes, particularly when certain covariates influence biomarkers' accuracy. In biomarker research, despite extensive efforts, missing data remain unavoidable, with nonignorable missingness posing significant challenges. This article focuses on estimating the impact of covariates on time-dependent AUC in the presence of nonignorable missing biomarkers. Assuming a parametric model on the missing probability, we leverage instrumental variables to address the identifiable issue and estimate the unknown parameters. We integrate the inverse probability weighting approach into the score equation of a pseudo partial likelihood for estimation …

A Bilingual Ai-Based Chatbot For Nutrition Education In A Food Is Medicine Intervention For High-Risk Pregnant Women: Design And Development Study, Lorena Macias-Navarro, Nalini Ranjit, Gregory W Bounds, Brendon A Providence, Yesmeena Shmaitelly, Naomi M Tice, Shreela V Sharma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Conversational agents (artificial intelligence [AI]-based chatbots) offer a novel approach to health interventions by providing personalized, adaptive interactions that improve over time based on user engagement. In nutrition education, given the wide variation in knowledge, skills, and abilities across participants, AI-based chatbots have the potential to enhance accessibility, engagement, and behavior change. Food is Medicine (FIM) interventions, which aim to improve food security and diet quality among multicultural, at-risk populations, often face challenges related to sustained engagement and use.

Objective: This paper describes the design, development, and iterative refinement of a bilingual AI-driven nutrition chatbot integrated into an FIM …

The Current Status Of Infant Oral Health Instruction Within Predoctoral Dental Education, Beau D Meyer, Priyanshi Ritwik, Jean Star, Timothy Followell, Mikhail Jones, Leola Royston, Brenda Bohaty, Martina Majstorovic, Adriana Modesto Gomes Da Silva, Katherine Chin, James R Boynton, Chelsea Fosse

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

A pediatric dental home is a patient-provider relationship that establishes compassionate, comprehensive care that is continually accessible. For more than two decades, professional organizations have recommended children establish a dental home by their first birthday. In 2024, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) Council on Pre-Doctoral Education had a governance charge approved by the AAPD Board of Trustees to evaluate the status of infant oral health (IOH) instruction in pre-doctoral dental education. This study was designed to describe the current state of didactic and clinical clock hours dedicated to IOH in U.S. pre-doctoral curricula. Following IRB approval, a 25-item …

May 2026, Swosu Bulldog Wellness Committee

SWOSU BULLDOG WELLNESS

Mental Health Awareness Month

Stress Management Tips for Bulldogs

WELLNESS REMINDER

GET INVOLVED WITH BULLDOG WELLNESS

Bulldog Resources

The Bulldog Wellness Stress Relief Toolkit

Optimisation Of Photosensitive Recording Materials For Broadband Holographic Optical Elements, Michael Murray

Doctoral

The introduction of broadband (white) LED outdoor lighting has led to significant energy savings. However, this has come at the cost of increased light pollution which has negative impacts both on ecological systems and human health. This light pollution is largely the result of the lack of control measures for the directionality of the light emitted by outdoor LED lighting. The lack of directionality also results in higher energy consumption in order to compensate for the light scattered to the atmosphere and sufficiently illuminate the target area. In this thesis holographic optical elements (HOEs) are proposed as a complementary technology …

More Than A Mesh: Gastrocnemius Flap Augmentation In Extensor Mechanism Reconstruction, Jered Wilson

Summer Research Program Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Waring Library Society Newsletter, Spring 2026, Waring Library Society, Waring Historical Library, Medical University Of South Caroilna, Jude Arendall, Joann Livingston Zeise, Brooke Fox

The Waring Library Society Newsletters

In this issue, the Waring Library Society welcomes its new President and shares updates on recent and upcoming renovations to Waring Historical Library. Waring Historical Library's staff reflect on insights gained from a recent sabbatical, and highlight several events and engagements the Waring has been part of this season.

Improving Patient Satisfaction Through Enhanced Communication Strategies, Kiranjot Kaur

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Patient satisfaction reflects more than the technical quality of healthcare; it represents patients' perceptions of communication, respect, and emotional trust throughout the care experience. Ineffective communication contributes to poor comprehension, reduced treatment adherence, preventable readmissions, and disparities in patient outcomes. Conversely, clear, culturally responsive communication improves patient engagement, safety, and satisfaction. This project proposes a leadership-driven communication improvement initiative for a mid-sized acute-care hospital located in Southern California serving a culturally and linguistically diverse population, including Hispanic, Asian, and limited-English-proficient patients. The initiative is guided by the Patient-Centered Care Model and Hersey and Blanchard's Situational Leadership Theory. These frameworks position …

Associations Between Water Intake, Dietary Quality, And Beverage Consumption Among University Students, Mohammad A. Qazi

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Title: Associations Between Water Intake, Dietary Quality, and Beverage Consumption Among University Students

Background and Aims: Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) and ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption significantly contribute to chronic disease risk and is often more common in underserved and racially/ethnically diverse communities. Drinking water is a low-cost, calorie-free behavior that may support healthier beverage and dietary patterns. Previous studies show that increased daily water consumption positively correlates with better diet quality and is inversely correlated with SSB and UPF consumption. This study aims to examine whether (1) increased daily water intake is associated with self-reported diet quality and (2) self-reported hydration …

Certified Health Education Specialist Exam Toolkit For Undergraduate Public Health Students, Briana C. Villari

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) is a credentialing exam that is offered by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc (NCHEC) for public health professionals and students. With the completion of this exam, individuals can demonstrate their mastery of core health education skills and concepts. With the 2025 testing cycle, roughly 63 to 73 percent of test takers passed. The purpose of this project is to create a CHES exam toolkit for undergraduate public health students in preparation for their exam. The development of this toolkit was guided by the Health Education Specialists Practical Analysis (HESPA II 2020), …

Assessing The Needs Of Public Health Professionals In The Inland Empire, Esteban Silva-Garcia

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

An effective public health system relies on the need for highly trained professionals with degrees or certifications within the field of public health. As public health continues to evolve, professionals are required to improve and evolve with the pace of technology and knowledge advancements. This project focuses on reviewing literature on the current ongoing needs of public health professionals and providing them with resources that are available at low to no cost. It surveys the needs of public health professionals in the Inland Empire and the solutions created by organizations and federal agencies to support professional development for current and …

The Quantification Of Fluoride Water Quality And Its Significance On Oral Health, Harleen Kaur Maroak

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral and studies have shown that when added to community water supplies, it effectively reduces dental caries. According to the U.S. Public Health Services (PHS), 0.7mg/L is the optimal fluoride level in drinking water to prevent tooth decay. This study focuses on examining the fluoride levels in water in San Bernardino County (SBC) and Riverside County (RC). Data is collected from recently published articles, databases along with assessing the laboratory water sample (n=45) analysis to determine if the fluoride levels are meeting the optimal standards. In SBC, there are total of 154 water systems with …

How Are Women Dealing With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome?, Adrianna A. Brown

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background and Aims: PCOS is one of the leading multisystem conditions among women of reproductive age. Dietary changes may help improve outcomes associated with PCOS and its comorbidities. While a lower carbohydrate, moderate protein diet is often recommended, those with PCOS often use temporary diets or dietary supplements instead of or in addition to prescription medications due to dissatisfaction with their treatment options. Additionally, studies examining the usefulness of supplements and their effects on PCOS symptoms are lacking. This study explored the prevalence of use of temporary diets, prescription medications, and dietary supplements among women with PCOS.

Methods: An anonymous …

Evaluating The Impact Of Myplate-Based Expanded Food And Nutrition Education Program (Efnep) On Healthy Dietary Choices Among Low-Income Families, Theresa N. Agbonome

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Dietary behaviors towards healthy food choices remain a major public health issue in the United States, with prevalence among low-income families. The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) with Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) trains both health educators and volunteers to provide community-based nutrition education, which prioritizes low-income families. The initiative employs the MyPlate guidelines that are composed of 5 different food groups which include fruits, vegetables, protein, grains, and dairy products. This project focuses on evaluating nutritional habits of disadvantaged families within San Bernardino County (SBC) by using an evidence-based evaluation tool known as the …

Development Of An Employee Leave Guide Handbook At The California University Of Science And Medicine, Leyal Nidal Fakhreddine

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Employee leave policies play an important role in supporting workforce well-being, organizational compliance, and retention of skilled labor, especially in medical and educational health institutions. However, employees still experience confusion when trying to make sense of complicated leave options such as the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), maternity and paternity leave, and military leave. The lack of clear, centralized guidance can result in delays, miscommunication, and increased workplace stress.

This project was carried out as a part of the Master of Public Health (MPH) program integrative learning experience requirements at California State University, San Bernardino, and was conducted during …

Reducing Hospital Readmissions Through Post-Discharge Follow-Up Programs, Gurjeet Singh

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Within 30 days of the discharge, hospital readmissions continue to be one of the significant problems in healthcare organizations and are commonly seen as the measure of care quality, coordination, and efficiency. The high readmission rates indicate the disconnect between inpatient and outpatient settings, patient education, medication reconciliation, and discharge planning. They also have high financial implications in value-based reimbursement settings. The proposed project will be a descriptive and analytical literature review studying the effects of structured post discharge follow up interventions such as scheduled telephone calls, telehealth visits, and home based outreach on preventing unnecessary hospital readmission and enhancing …

A Pilot Project On Improving Icu Nurses’ Confidence In Early Defibrillation, Adetutu Obadina

Doctoral Projects

Early recognition of shockable cardiac rhythms and timely defibrillation are critical components of effective resuscitation during in-hospital cardiac arrest. Despite established guidelines from the American Heart Association (AHA), nurses may experience uncertainty or reduced confidence when identifying shockable rhythms and delivering timely defibrillation during cardiac arrest events. The purpose of this project was to examine whether a structured educational intervention incorporating simulation-based training could improve intensive care unit (ICU) nurses’ confidence and knowledge in recognizing shockable rhythms and performing timely defibrillation. A pre-and post-intervention design was implemented among ICU nurses at a large academic medical center between September and October …

Understanding The Role Of Toxs As A Bile Sensing Component Of The Toxrs Virulence Regulatory System In Vibrio Spp., Minje Kim

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Pathogenic Vibrio bacteria, such as V. cholerae and V. parahaemolyticus, colonize in the human small intestine to cause severe gastrointestinal disease. During the infection, these bacteria encounter bile salts, antimicrobial cholesterol metabolites secreted into the intestine. Pathogenic Vibrio species have evolved to utilize bile salts as signals to regulate virulence. The signaling depends in part on ToxRS, a conserved co-component transmembrane transcription regulator. ToxRS consists of the transcription factor ToxR and its membrane-tethered binding partner ToxS. ToxS is required for ToxR stability and full transcriptional activity. Although bile salts are known to influence ToxRS-dependent virulence gene expression, the molecular …

Clawing Our Way To Inclusion: Identifying Minority Students’ Barriers To Entering The Veterinary Medicine Profession, Danielle Reeves

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Veterinary services are being utilized more each year as pet owners are increasingly viewing and treating their pets like family members. Due to this changing perspective, the veterinary profession has grown significantly. Yet, despite this change, there is a lack of ethnic/racial diversity within the veterinary field. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors and/or barriers associated with minority students' desire or lack of desire to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. This study used an online survey tool to collect qualitative and quantitative data from 423 undergraduate students at the University of Arkansas during the spring …

Qualitative Beta-2-Adrenoceptor Signaling In The Regulation Of Human Airway Epithelia Mucin And Cytokine Production, Fred Graumuller, Diana Cervantes, Tung O. Chan, Niccolette Schaunaman, Dominic R. Villalba, Burton F. Dickey, Julia K. L. Walker, Hong Wei Chu, Raymond B. Penn

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Numerous in vivo studies have demonstrated beta-2-adrenoceptor (β2AR) -agonism as permissive in the development of allergic lung inflammation, and have implicated the arrestin-dependent signaling arm of the β2AR in mediating this effect. However, the specific cell type(s) mediating β2AR regulation of allergic lung inflammation remain unestablished.

METHODS: To explore the potential contribution of airway epithelia in this phenomenon, we compared the ability of ractopamine (RP), recently identified as a Gs-biased beta-agonist, to that of the unbiased/balanced beta-agonist albuterol (ALB), on IL-13-stimulated mucin and cytokine production in human airway epithelia cultures in air-liquid interface (HAE).

RESULTS: ALB, which activates both …

Treatment And Interventions For Sexual Assault In Humanitarian Contexts: Addressing Gaps In Refugee And Idp Camp Care In Myanmar, Erin Nash

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) remains a pervasive yet under-addressed issue in humanitarian settings. Refugee and internally displaced person (IDP) camps along the Thai– Myanmar border represent a complex nexus of protracted displacement, ethnic conflict, and limited access to medical and psychosocial care. Although the prevalence of sexual assault in these contexts is well-documented, there is a critical gap in the literature regarding effective, context-specific treatment and intervention strategies. This capstone project conducts a comprehensive review of existing research on sexual assault care in humanitarian crises worldwide and assesses its applicability to displaced ethnic minorities from Myanmar. The analysis considers …