Digital Commons Network^™

The Discrepancies In Voter Perception Of Male And Female Political Candidates: Biases Of Characteristic Traits And Policy Priority, Julia Piver

Honors Theses

Gender remains a defining factor in how political candidates are perceived by the American electorate, shaping not only evaluations of characteristic traits but also perceived policy priority. These discrepancies are rooted and propelled by traditional gender roles from the 1900s. This thesis shows that the perceptions of female and male political candidates differ depending on the informational environment as well as the voter demographics. I used both a quantitative nationally representative survey and a qualitative interview of students on Bucknell's campus. The date revealed that individuals in lower information environments are more likely to enact gender stereotypes along traditional gender …

Barriers To Immunity: Understanding Covid-19 Vaccine Uptake In Africa, Emilia Blechschmidt

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the factors influencing COVID-19 vaccine uptake across African countries, with a focus on structural, informational, and behavioral barriers to immunization. Drawing on cross-country data, the study analyzes how access to transportation, reliable information, and healthcare resources shape vaccination rates, alongside the effect of demographics and institutional factors in shaping individual perceptions of risk and vaccine safety.

The findings emphasize that the broader strength and preparedness of national health systems strongly influence vaccine uptake. Countries that demonstrated higher coverage of routine childhood immunizations, such as polio and hepatitis B, also tended to perform better in COVID-19 uptake efficiency …

Combining Haptic Feedback With Electromyography To Study Knee Injury In Stationary Cycling, Christopher Kirby

Honors Theses

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) is the most prevalent overuse injury in cycling, often linked to altered neuromuscular activation patterns of the quadriceps and hamstrings. While sensory feedback has successfully modified cyclists posture, there is a critical lack of evidence-based interventions targeting the underlying muscle activation imbalances associated with chronic knee pain. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel, real-time biofeedback system that utilizes electromyography (EMG) to trigger vibrotactile cues, aiming to shift muscle onset timing earlier in the pedal stroke to mitigate PFPS-related imbalances. A closed-loop system was engineered by integrating a Delsys EMG system with a SageMotion …

Interpreting Legal Standards Of Proof: An Experimental Study Of Probabilistic Decision-Making, Hayley Leopold

Honors Theses

Legal standards of proof play a central role in structuring decision-making under uncertainty, yet they are typically communicated using qualitative language rather than precise probabilities. This raises an important question: how do individuals interpret and apply these standards when making decisions based on probabilistic evidence? This study examines whether individuals apply legal standards of proof in a manner consistent with their commonly associated probabilistic thresholds, and whether quantification and incentives improve alignment with normative decision-making.

To address these questions, I conducted a controlled behavioral experiment in which participants made legal-style decisions under uncertainty. Participants were assigned roles in a simplified …

Plea Bargaining And The Destruction Of Procedural Justice: A Theoretical And Empirical Critique Of Fairness In The U.S. Legal Sphere, Emma Scillitani

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the legal process of plea bargaining as it currently operates within the criminal justice system in the United States. Through both an empirical and theoretical evaluation of this procedure, it analyzes how plea bargaining exists in practice and whether it can be considered a fair mechanism of case resolution. This project investigates the practice on a molecular level through its presence at a county-level court jurisdiction, which represents broader structural implications of the national legal system. Furthermore, it identifies three central factors that drive the overutilization of plea bargaining: power asymmetry, information, asymmetry, and case processing time. …

Imagined Afterlives: Anti-Black Medical Violences In Contemporary Black Arts, Katie Schadler

Honors Theses

“Imagined Afterlives: Anti-Black Medical Violences in Contemporary Black Arts” is a multi-genre exploration that studies the following works: Venus (1996) by Suzan Lori Parks, Get Out (2017) by Jordan Peele, and Dawn (1987) by Octavia Butler. I respectively study an experimental play, a psychological horror film, and a speculative novel to understand how Black creatives are depicting and responding to anti-Black violences, particularly medical violences. This work brings together Black art spanning from the late 1980s to 2017 as well as historical events and figures from the eighteenth century all the way to a not-so-distant future. While these works defamiliarize …

Assessing Relations Between Rape Myth Acceptance, Prior Sexual Victimization, And Bystander Intervention Behavior, Zoe Mendel

Honors Theses

Campus Sexual Assault (CSA) remains a very prevalent issue in higher education (Koss et al., 2022). Through cultural norms, sexual violence is often normalized, with blame frequently shifted away from perpetrators and onto victims. Rape myth acceptance (RMA) contributes to harmful harmful attitudes that justify or minimize sexual violence (Lonsway & Fitzgerald, 1994). Prior research suggests that lower endorsement of rape myths is associated with greater prosocial bystander intervention behavior (McMahon, 2010); however, findings on the role of prior victimization are mixed. This study used a mix-method approach, including a survey and interviews. Results indicated that members of Greek life …

Long-Term Incidence Trends And Stage Distribution Of Cutaneous Melanoma In The United States (1975–2022): A Seer Population-Based Analysis, Thea Danielle Amadasun, Shahzaib Maqbool

MidAmerica Division GME Healthcare Symposium 2026

No abstract provided.

Smarca4-Deficient Carcinoma Of The Gastroesophageal Junction, Hanna Riga, Austin Lehr

MidAmerica Division GME Healthcare Symposium 2026

No abstract provided.

A Rare Case Of New Onset Lisinopril-Induced Angioedema Improved With Tranexamic Acid: A Case Report, Hafiz Numan Ijaz, Shahzaib Maqbool, Yugandhar Kandimalla

MidAmerica Division GME Healthcare Symposium 2026

No abstract provided.

2026 Midamerica Gme Research Symposium, Hca Healthcare

MidAmerica Division GME Healthcare Symposium 2026

No abstract provided.

Atypical Del(5q) Mutation In Myelodysplastic Syndrome Presenting With Thrombocytopenia: A Case Report Of Tp53-Mutated High-Risk Biology, Shahzaib Maqbool, Munaf Siyamwala, Amelia Goslin, Shivani R. Scharf, Katsiaryna Laziuk

MidAmerica Division GME Healthcare Symposium 2026

No abstract provided.

Intestinal Tuberculosis Masquerading As Crohn’S Disease: A High-Risk Diagnostic Mimic, Maikel Tawadrous, Tejaswi Vadde, Subuhee Ahmed, Lawrence San Jose, Chelsea Curry, Aradhana Pandey

MidAmerica Division GME Healthcare Symposium 2026

No abstract provided.

High-Flow Ectatic Anomalous Right Coronary Artery From The Pulmonary Artery With Stimulant-Induced Cardiomyopathy: A Case Report, Prithvi Basu Roy, Danish Bawa, Louis Orlando

MidAmerica Division GME Healthcare Symposium 2026

No abstract provided.

From Focal Peroneal Neuropathy To Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: A Case Of Progressive Unilateral Lower Extremity Pain, Ali Haider, Yu-Shiuan Hsu

MidAmerica Division GME Healthcare Symposium 2026

No abstract provided.

Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency In Primary Care: A Case Presentation, John Sweetman, Gazala Parvin

MidAmerica Division GME Healthcare Symposium 2026

No abstract provided.

Intermittent Hypoxia In A Middle-Aged Woman With A Probable Bethlem Myopathy Carrier State And Suspected Complex Sleep-Related Hypoventilation, Jonathan Paul Ladera, Louis Orlando

MidAmerica Division GME Healthcare Symposium 2026

No abstract provided.

"Qt Okay, Bowel Not Okay"- Dofetilide Masking An Evolving Small-Bowel Obstruction, Tejaswini Yeshala, Pankti Shah, Syed Ali Abidi, Archana Machavarapu

MidAmerica Division GME Healthcare Symposium 2026

No abstract provided.

Efficacy Of A Vertically Integrated, Module-Based Small Group Discussion And Virtual Patient Simulation Model To Enhance Cardiology Knowledge And Clinical Reasoning In Medical Students, Kumar Abhishek, Pratyush Kumar, O Puri, M Pathania

MidAmerica Division GME Healthcare Symposium 2026

No abstract provided.

Time To Safe Chest Tube Removal After Water-Seal Trial, Rahul Pawa, Joshua Gazzetta, Leo A. Benedict, Sean Nix, Phillip Jones, Yoon Cho, Alyssa Fesmire

MidAmerica Division GME Healthcare Symposium 2026

No abstract provided.

Esophageal Stents: How High Can You Go? A Traumatic Injury Treated With High Esophageal Stent Placement, John W. Surbeck, Anthony P. Melillo, James S. Scott

MidAmerica Division GME Healthcare Symposium 2026

No abstract provided.

Type 2 Myocardial Infarction In Adults Admitted For Severe Persistent Asthma With Status Asthmaticus: Evaluating Predictors And Mortality Burden, Kanwar Bir Dhaliwal, Rahul Pawa, Naresh Kodwani

MidAmerica Division GME Healthcare Symposium 2026

No abstract provided.

A Histopathological Mystery: A Rare Atypical Feature Of Microscopic Colitis, Mohammad Mahfouz, Pratyush Kumar, Kumar Abhishek, Archana Machavarapu

MidAmerica Division GME Healthcare Symposium 2026

No abstract provided.

Overcoming Resistance To Car T-Cell Therapy In Hematologic Malignancies: Mechanisms, Counter-Strategies, And The Emerging Triple-Threat Multi-Antigen Approach, Muhammed Salman Ullah

MidAmerica Division GME Healthcare Symposium 2026

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Pharmacist Intervention And Cardiac Rehab In Post-Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients On 90-Day Readmission Rates, Paige Hall, Jennifer Wong, Tricia Walsh

MidAmerica Division GME Healthcare Symposium 2026

No abstract provided.

Baseline Right Ventricular-Pulmonary Arterial Coupling As A Predictor Of Clinical Outcomes In Endobronchial Valve Therapy For Advanced Emphysema, Syed Ali Raza Abidi, Prithvi Basu Roy, Munaf Siyamwala, Amelia Goslin

MidAmerica Division GME Healthcare Symposium 2026

No abstract provided.

Opioid Prescribing Patterns Following Isolated Trigger Finger Release: A Single-Institution Quality Improvement Study, Brandalynn Mathis, Robert Garner, Cameron Sprong, Mark Gamadia, Alan Cornett, Steven Smith

MidAmerica Division GME Healthcare Symposium 2026

No abstract provided.

Efficacy And Safety Profile Of Busulfan Plus Low Dose Melphalan Versus High Dose Melphalan As A Conditioning Regimen For Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cells Transplantation In Multiple Myeloma Patients, Shahzaib Maqbool, Munaf Siyamwala

MidAmerica Division GME Healthcare Symposium 2026

No abstract provided.

Beyond Drainage: Can Pleural Effusion Serve As A Natural Tamponade Against Tumor Hemorrhage? A Case Report And Mechanistic Hypothesis, Pratyush Kumar, Kumar Abhishek, Pankti Shah, Amelia Goslin, Archana Machavarapu, Catherine Joyce, Michael Waxman

MidAmerica Division GME Healthcare Symposium 2026

No abstract provided.

Implications Of Glp-1 Receptor Agonist Semaglutide For Hysterectomy Outcomes, Tess Branstetter, Megan Foster, Abbey Fritzel, Kimberly Swan, Alyssa Kozlowski, Jeffrey Durbin, Jordan Martin, Kari Nilsen

MidAmerica Division GME Healthcare Symposium 2026

No abstract provided.