Digital Commons Network^™

Convenient And Quick Vs. Trusted And Reliable: Exploring The Disruption Of Retail Medical Clinics In The Traditional Hospital/Physicians Office Healthcare System, Hannah Probst

Academic Festival

The purpose of this poster is to determine what disruptive innovation is and why retail health clinics are considered a disruptive innovation in the traditional hospital/physician office system.

Therapy Dogs As A Wellness Incentive For Stress Management On A College Campus, Jordan Devlin, Brenden Berger, Vanessa Vizcarrondo

Academic Festival

The popularity of Animal Assisted Activity (AAA) programs are on the rise, especially in institutions such as universities. These programs are used as a therapeutic approach to combat students’ stress but little research has been done to investigate the effectiveness of these programs. The current study attempts to explore the possible benefits of AAA programs using questionnaires and salivary cortisol analysis to assess student stress levels before and after exposure to therapy dogs on campus. Student participants were given a saliva swab to collect saliva samples for 1 minute. Then the students were asked to complete two surveys; the Perceived …

Reliability Of Attachment Methods Of A Wearable Tibial Monitor, Hannah Tucker

Academic Festival

Tibial accelerometers are a common tool used in clinical practice to determine tibial acceleration as well as an athletes return to play ability by utilizing assessments such as the single leg maximal hop test.1-3 In this study, the IMeasureU Blue Trident (IMU, Vicon; Auckland, New Zealand) tibial accelerometer was used to measure peak tibial acceleration (PTA), time to peak acceleration, and rate of acceleration (biomechanical jerk). 16 healthy subjects (10 female, 6 male) volunteered to perform single leg maximal hop tests with two different attachment methods (DST=double sided tape with elastic bandage, SS=manufacturer silicon strap) to determine which is more …

Influence Of A Novel Music App On Spatiotemporal Mechanics During Running, Danielle Mannino

Academic Festival

An increased running step rate (i.e., cadence) can decrease lower extremity joint loads and potentially reduce running-related injury (RRI) risk. Many gait interventions have significantly increased a runner’s cadence through a variety of external stimuli (e.g., metronome). Runners have been shown to spontaneously manipulate their cadence when listening to music with a tempo that differed ±3% from their baseline cadence. However, no study has determined whether a runner will subconsciously increase cadence > 3% when listening to up-tempo music. PURPOSE: To determine if music tempo (beats per minute, bpm) set 10% higher than baseline cadence affects spatiotemporal running mechanics. METHODS: Utilizing …

Music Throughout Christianity, Stephanie O'Reilly

Academic Festival

Worshipping through music is a huge part of Christianity. Worship is done through music to bring people closer to God, and help teach about the faith. There have been many changes to the styles of music used to worship. In the 16th century chants in Latin tongues were used to spread God's word. As the times changed so did the language used. Chants changes to psalms which in more recent years have progressed into hymns. In an even more recent time music has been brought into a service of its own called Praise and Worship in order to draw in …

Influence Of Reach Direction During Performance Of The Upper Quarter Y-Balance Test In Collegiate Softball Players, Katelyn Christian

Academic Festival

Softball is a sport of repetitive overhand throwing motions. As in most overhead throwing sports, the supporting structures around the shoulder experience high forces that cause microtrauma to the ligaments and muscles which can eventually lead to tendinitis, impingement, lesions, and instability.¹ PURPOSE:The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a difference in strength and stability between throwing and non-throwing arms for collegiate softball players. Also, to determine if the sequence of reaches in the upper quarter Y-balance test (YBT-UQ) influences performance. METHODS: Twenty-two collegiate softball players (14 varsity, 8 club; 19.95 ± 1.52 yo) …

Disruptive Innovation In Pharmacy: Technology’S Influence On A Lifetime Necessity, Michaela Vieira

Academic Festival

The purpose of this paper is to discuss an example of disruptive innovation in the pharmaceutical industry. Disruptive innovation in pharmacy has been achieved through the creation of online doorstep delivery service from PillPack.com, later purchased by Amazon Pharmacy. These services provide a quick, easy, convenient, and efficient way to obtain necessary medications for treatment of underlying health conditions. The presence of this service has challenged retail pharmacies to improve their technological service options to prevent the loss of customers and ultimately, full businesses. Concerns around the reliability of previous establishments of online pharmacies such as lack of insurance confirmation, …

The Effect Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy On Perceived Quality Of Life In Patients With Post-Concussion Syndrome: A Critically Appraised Topic, Kirsten Cunha

Academic Festival

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is defined as brain damage, secondary to impact or rapid acceleration/deceleration which produces a violent, mechanical, neural shearing on the cranial tissue, resulting in an altered neuronal state. While most symptoms are transient, there is potential for the structural and functional integrity of the brain to experience long-term repercussions. Symptoms persisting for more than 4 months post-injury, are characterized as post-concussion symptoms (PCS). Recurrent symptomatology can limit a patient's capacity to live a full life long after he/she is cleared to return to activities of daily living. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a modality designed …

Analyzing The Efficacy Of A Cultural-Based Exercise Program In Preventing And Managing Cardiovascular Disease And Associated Risk Factors, Marcus A. Eugenio-Mendoza

Academic Festival

Incorporating cultural values and practices into a patient’s treatment plan can be an effective modality in treating and managing their chronic health conditions. For instance, Pacific Islanders have a higher prevalence of health concern, in that they are three to four times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD), and 68% more likely to contract coronary heart disease.In response to these disproportional disparities, researchers have conducted several studies within the past decade on the effectiveness of hula to asses if it is physiologically appropriate with cardiac rehabilitation guidelines. Hula demonstrated potential in not only achieving health-promoting levels of exercise but …

The Effect Of Off-Season Training Load On Lactate Threshold, Strength And Rowing Performance In Collegiate Div. 1 Rowers, Kayla Kowalczyk

Academic Festival

Collegiate rowers require efficient aerobic and anaerobic power to perform at an elevated level. The Pioneer Performance Center at Sacred Heart University in conjunction with the Sacred Heart Crew team developed a testing battery to assess the team’s aerobic and anaerobic proficiency. Twenty-one female rowers completed testing in the Fall and Spring semesters (Average Age: 19.1 years; Height: 167.05 cm; Weight: 69.33 kg). Data was collected over a two-week period. The three assessments included grip strength, isometric leg strength, and lactate threshold. Data analysis and descriptive statistics were produced in Microsoft Excel. Statistically significant improvement was found in right hand …

The Nurse's Role In Laparoscopic Surgery Education, Nicole Marie Langlais

Academic Festival

Patient education is a key factor in preventing surgical complications, decreasing hospital readmissions, promoting high-quality patient outcomes and satisfaction. This projected was identified through observational clinical experience in the post-anesthesia care unit at Saint Vincent’s Medical Center discovering there was a need for educational resources for the nursing staff and the patients about laparoscopic surgery. Laparoscopic surgery being a minimally invasive surgery that over the last 30 years has been one of the biggest advancements in medicine (Leeds & Makary, 2019). An educational strategy was employed and an evidence-based educational handout was developed for use with patients under careful review …

Effects Of Bisphenol-A Or Testosterone Treatment During Adolescence On Memory And Weight Gain In Gonadectomized Male Rats, Adrianne G. Alfonso, Olivia F. Downey, Emma Devanny, Caroline E. Loiodice, Sean W. Mefford

Academic Festival

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a common environmental endocrine disrupter exerting effects on many parameters (neural, physiological, and behavioral measures) via both estrogen and androgen receptors. BPA is an industrial compound used to make polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins, such as CDs and DVDs, electronic equipment, cars, sports safety equipment, widely used in manufacture of hard plastic products such as food storage containers, bathtubs and countertops, can linings, and reusable bottles. BPA has many negative effects in humans. It may have carcinogenic effects leading to breast cancer, be toxic to the liver, linked to obesity due to effects on fat-cells, and can …

Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (Mals) Explained, Katherine Meyer

Academic Festival

Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS) is a rare condition caused by the median arcuate ligament compressing the celiac plexus. Families are challenged to find reliable information about MALS, its treatment, and what to expect after medical intervention. At Stamford hospital, patients admitted to the pediatrics floor after MALS surgery are typically between the ages of 11 and 17. They speak English or Spanish, are literate, and are accompanied by at least one family member. This poster describes the creation a patient oriented educational tool with relevant information about MALS, surgery, and recovery that reflects individual, family, and community values. Sections …

The Evolution Of Cardiovascular Disease And Its Relationship To The Human Diet, Mary Reiner

Academic Festival

I am submitting a powerpoint presentation with a voiceover discussing the evolution of our human diet and its relationship to cardiovascular disease.

Thesis: Western style diets can cause detrimental consequences to the health and longevity of the contemporary human population, because the nutritional components of Western diets’ increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Exercise Prescription And Behavior In People With Parkinson's Disease, Jacqueline Noftle

Academic Festival

Background:There is a general consensus in the literature that exercise in several forms is beneficial for individuals with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) patients. There are multiple factors that may determine exercise behavior in this population. This study focuses on three questions: Is exercise recommended as a primary treatment of PD by physicians? Are exercise facilities accessible? Do individuals have a support system to carry out exercise programs?

Objective:The purpose of this study is to determine if PD patients are prescribed exercise by their primary care physician, evaluate barriers PD patients endure in order to complete exercise prescriptions, and determine …

Test-Retest Reliability Of A Wearable Tibial Monitor During Single-Leg Hopping Assessments, Emily Tobin

Academic Festival

Introduction: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are a common injury that many athletes have repaired, ACL-Reconstruction (ACL-R). Athletes will then participate in a return-to-sports (RTS) protocol, which usually includes single-leg hop assessments. Both single-leg hop (SLH) and single-leg triple hop (SLTH) have been shown to be reliable.^1–3 IMeasureU device is a three-dimensional motion capture system and can record accelerations of different body segments (i.e. tibial acceleration). There is no evidence that has shown the reliability of an IMU device on single-leg hop assessments.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of an IMeasureU device on …

The Effect Of Early Sport Specialization On Lower Extremity Injury Frequency On Youth Athletes: A Critically Appraised Topic, Jillian Picard-Busky

Academic Festival

Sport specialization is defined as intense training in one sport at the exclusion of other sports, that becomes more common in early to middle childhood. Although there can be incredible opportunities that result from early sport specialization such as increased chance of earning a college scholarship, this practice has been associated with negative physical, psychological and sociological effects. Participating in multiple sports at a young age helps increase neuromuscular control, which has been associated with a decrease in injury rates during adolescence. A search of the literature related to this topic yielded 13 studies and after review of the abstracts, …

Migration Challenges Of The Anguilla Rostrata (American Eel) From Anthropogenic Impacts., Benjamin Miller

Academic Festival

The life cycle of Anguilla rostrata (American Eels) involves a migratory route that originates at the Sargasso Sea, where adults spawn and hatchling glass eels traverse up rivers along the U.S. east coast. They spend their time feeding until they pass into the adult silver phase, when returning to the Sargasso Sea. This life cycle is threatened by anthropogenic barriers, such as hydropower plants and reservoirs. During downstream migration, eels are routinely injured/ killed when attempting to traverse these barriers. Here, the effects of lighting to deter migrating eels from intake pipes was examined. Fifty silver phase eels were tagged …

A Comparative Test Of Creative Thinking In Bottlenose Dolphins And Preschool Children, Madison Bradley, Iva Barun, Kylie Cardinali, Tia Deleo, Nicole Malatestinic, Nikole Rudis, Cassandra Zoetjes, Heather Hill, Kathleen Dudzinksi, Teri Bolton, Deirdre Yeater, Dawn Melzer

Academic Festival

Few studies have explored the relationship between creativity and intelligence/cognitive ability in non-human species and children. Testing creativity through the production of novel behaviors may be one way in which the cognitive abilities of both animals and children can be assessed. A non-verbal test of creativity was created and implemented for this study. The study measured the fluency of novel behavior in bottlenose dolphins and preschoolers after being given a hand signal or prompt.

Cognition And False Memories, Taylor Rogan

Academic Festival

Our memories are fallible and what we may believe to be the truth can be the complete opposite. Memories are not vivid recollections that are stored, but rather pieces of information that we must remember and piece together subconsciously. Often these pieces are interpreted, and our brain can fill in memories with information that we believe to be true – this leads to false memories. Our memories are fallible and what we may believe to be the truth can be the complete opposite.

Memories are not vivid recollection that are stored, but rather pieces of information that we must remember …

Social And Socio-Sexual Interactions In Belugas (Delphinapterus Leucas), Ashley Penczynzyn, Kelly Rosenbaum

Academic Festival

There have been relatively few studies examining the social interactions among belugas (Delphinapterus leucas). The current study investigated the social behaviors and interactions, including socio-sexual behaviors, between five individual belugas housed in a managed care facility. The longitudinal study spanned over five years. The social groupings varied over the years, with two to four belugas living together at a time. This study aims to gain a better understanding of beluga social interactions under human care. The data were recorded at Mystic Aquarium then coded for social interactions. Results indicated that one male (sub-adult developing to an adult male over the …

Bottlenose Dolphin Calf Social Development Over The First Two Years Of Life, Madison Bradley

Academic Festival

As dolphin calves develop, they are observed spending less time with their mothers and more time engaged in independent activities. In this study, the social development of nine dolphin calves (Tursiops truncatus) housed in naturalistic sea pens at the Navy Marine Mammal Program in San Diego, CA were studied over the first two years of life. Focal animal behavioral ethogram data were collected using a 30 second scan sampling technique over multiple 10-minute trials. The predominant swim positions and individual behaviors were observed. The results showed developmental patterns across every three months and between the individual dolphins, in …

Views Of Undocumented Immigrants As Shaped By The Media, Maya Benyaacov

Academic Festival

The focus of this study is uncovering if there is a relationship between sources of media and how it may affect an individual’s view towards undocumented immigrants. The research question is: Does the source of media and political affiliation affect an individual’s perception of undocumented immigrants? The hypothesis of this study is that republicans and individuals who use social media as their main news source will have more negative perceptions of undocumented immigrants when compared to democrats and people who do not use social media as primary new source.

Euthanasia, Sabrina Didiano

Academic Festival

This paper talk discusses several factors of Euthanasia. First, the definition of euthanasia and the different types of euthanasia will be addressed. Next, the term "terminally ill" will be defined and explained. Then, I will touch on the psychological aspect of euthanasia, as it is a big part of this process. There was a widespread use of euthanasia in both Belgium and the Netherlands which was included and discussed in this paper. Two other aspects of euthanasia are the ethical and legal role. Furthermore, I will be discussing if it is ethical and the legality of the process. Lastly, I …

The Decline Of The Horseshoe Crab In The Long Island Sound, Adrian Nelson

Academic Festival

The Long Island Sound is a home to many different marine and coastal species of animals and plants. This biodiversity is part of an ecological balance and provides ecosystem services. Not only are some these species important for the environment, but they can also be important for human health and research. Limulus polyphemus, the American horseshoe crab, is one of the oldest living organisms in the Long Island Sound and is known as a ‘living fossil’. Although adult horseshoe crabs have only a few predators, their eggs are an important part of shorebird and fish diets. Horseshoe crabs also …

Native Pollinator Bombus Impatiens (Apidae) Prefers Non-Native Flower Resources In Isolated Foraging Preferences Assays, Anna Carney, Victoria Jordan, Lexi Edwards

Academic Festival

Pollinators are the key to a successful ecosystem and without pollination our food chain would collapse. Studies have shown that both native and honey bee pollinators are on the decline in recent years. In order to increase pollinator health, proper foraging resources must be provided for bees. Many studies have provided knowledge of foraging preferences of honey bees, however, much less is known about the foraging preferences of native bees. The goal of our study was to determine the foraging preferences of native bees. We began by exploring the foraging preferences of the native eastern bumble bee, Bombus impatiens (Apidae); …

Old Games On New Computers, Jonathan Carpenter

Academic Festival

What is Mancala? What is Matlab?

Mancala In Matlab, Angelica Galati

Academic Festival

MATLAB was a great tool to create Mancala.

Can A Molecule Within Chili Peppers Enhance Cough Suppression Therapy For Individuals With Chronic Cough?, Paige E. Morkrid, Rachel Harker

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

This study includes individuals with Refractory Chronic Cough, who often experience significant disruption in quality of life such as depression, social isolation, and loss of work. Participants have previously been unresponsive to medical treatment, including behavioral cough suppression therapy. The aim of this research is to examine the effectiveness of using a molecule found within chili peppers-capsaicin-to enhance existing behavioral cough suppression techniques.

Participants were randomized to either a treatment or placebo group and evaluated through pretest, treatment and post-test measures. Pretest measures established the participants baseline, which included: the concentration of aerosolized capsaicin that elicits five coughs when inhaled …

Do Studies Of Speech Sound Acquisition Accurately Represent All Children? A Comparison Of Demographic And Design Variables Across Normative Studies., Allyson K. Mertz

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Purpose: Normative data are collected from a sample of the population to establish benchmarks for developmental expectations. A developmental timeline for speech sounds has been established using these benchmarks. This timeline is used by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to determine whether a child’s speech skills are developing in a typical or delayed manner, and is often critical in qualifying a child for speech pathology services. However, for the clinical comparison to be accurate and valid, SLPs should be aware of the demographic and design variables used in each study to determine if the children being tested are fairly represented. Thus, the …