Digital Commons Network^™

Curriculum In Pharmacoepidemiology Training Programs: A Cross-Sectional Study To Assess Educational Needs And Alignment With Core Competencies, Amie Goodin, Deborah Layton, Ryan Chung, Vicki Osborne, Chioma Ejekam, Xiaojuan Li, Xuerong Wen, Kristian B. Filion, Luciane Cruz Lopes, Daniela C. Moga

Pharmacy Practice and Science Faculty Publications

Purpose: Pharmacoepidemiology is a key discipline for evidence-based decision-making, yet its educational programs have not been systematically assessed for alignment with international core competencies. Our objectives were to evaluate curricula alignment of pharmacoepidemiology training programs with ISPE-recommended core competency themes and identify key curriculum content development areas.

Methods: The ISPE Core Competencies Workgroup and ISPE leadership developed a curriculum and needs assessment survey, incorporating feedback from global members. The survey was electronically distributed to leaders of pharmacoepidemiology training programs (e.g., department chairs and program directors) using the ISPE contact database, followed by snowball sampling to enhance representation. Institutional respondent characteristics …

Correspondence, To Senator Albert Gore, From The Citizens To Preserve Overton Park, 1964

Documents

A draft letter to Tennessee Senator Albert Gore, Washington, D.C., from the Citizens to Preserve Overton Park, and Chairman, Mrs. Ralph W. Handy (Marie Handy), Memphis, Tennessee, 1964 June 19. Marie wrote notes on the letter, including one she wrote three times, that says, "same letter to Senator Walters." The letter was regarding "the proposed six-lane coast-to-coast U.S. Interstate 40 highway with its cloverleaf, going through or in any part of Overton Park."

Hyena Den Distribution, Human-Hyena Interactions And Mitigation Strategies In The Greater Amboseli Ecosystem, Katherine Elizabeth Davis Matczak

Honors Theses and Capstones

The Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta) is a prevalent predator across Africa, recognized for their noticeable gait and powerful jaws which enable them to maul and scavenge on prey. Due to human population growth and encroachment onto wildlife territory, the overlap between human settlements and hyena den sites has become a growing concern, particularly regarding livestock predation. Livestock is intrinsic to livelihoods across Africa, with most individuals deriving their livelihoods from pastoralism. This paper provides an evaluation of den proximities to communities, hyena diet preference, human-hyena conflict/attitudes, and mitigation strategies used to protect hyenas, livestock, and the people. Results …

"That She May Bear On My Knees:" An Adoption Ritual In The Hebrew Bible, Claire Ellen Hobbs

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

A Frog, A Toad, And A Salamander Walk Into A Forest: How Timber Harvest And Environmental Conditions Impact Amphibian Species Abundance In The White Mountain National Forest, William T. Brandenburg

Honors Theses and Capstones

Balancing the needs of humans and wildlife is one of the primary goals of conservation. Understanding how species respond to resource extraction is essential to achieve long-term population stability. This is especially relevant for amphibians, which are particularly sensitive to environmental disturbances due to habitat loss and degradation. As such they are often used as indicator species. This study leverages 20-years of amphibian abundance data from surveys in different silvicultural treatments to understand how American toads (Anaxyrus americanus), wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus), and red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) respond to changes in forest structure, weather, …

Surveillance Of A Novel Vesivirus Discovered In An Urban Mephitis Mephitis Population, Amanda E. Diggins

Honors Theses and Capstones

Caliciviridae is a family of non-enveloped, positive-sense, single stranded RNA viruses, including eleven defined genera that contain important pathogens of humans and animals. Within the Caliciviridae family, the genus Vesiviridae includes feline calicivirus, a leading cause of upper respiratory disease in cats, and vesicular exanthema of swine virus, a historical disease of domestic swine that has now been implicated in several marine mammal vesicular diseases, one of which has been confirmed zoonotic. Urban landscapes create a unique environment for rapid intra- and interspecies transmission of viruses. Clustered resources attract high-density populations of synanthropic wildlife species, increasing spatial overlap and heightening …

Exploring Biopsychosocial Influences On Hookup Culture And Disrupting Compulsory Behaviors In Emerging Adults: A Multidisciplinary Analysis Of A Contemporary Public Health Concern, Catherine Benjamin

Honors Theses and Capstones

Multidisciplinary analysis, including biology, psychology, and sociology, to better understand the compulsory Hookup Culture that exists as a contemporary public health concern among the age group defined as emerging adults. Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) diagnoses are steadily rising in the United States and disproportionately affecting college students. Early socialization and current educational resources that contribute to shame and stigma are discussed to explain how lifestyle and social conditions can act as risk factors for individual health outcomes.

Metabarcoding Ixodes Scapularis To Characterize Feeding Behavior In Comparison To Pathogen Carriage And Geospatial Distribution, Adrianna Kate George

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Political Media Hesitancy And Avoidance In College Students, Taylor Mandile

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Current And Historical Occurrences Of Rare Coastal Plants In The Hampton Falls Salt Marshes, Liliana T. Chirichella

Honors Theses and Capstones

A botanical survey of two sites in the Hampton Falls saltmarshes was conducted to document the occurrences of a list of eleven endangered and threatened coastal plants listed in the Natural Heritage Bureau’s NH Rare Plant List. This survey was conducted in fulfillment of the NH Native Plant Protection Act to highlight and identify target species in an area where restorative runneling is to be implemented in order to restore proper hydrology and prevent further expansion of mega-pools in the Little River and Depot Road salt marsh sites, which have been subject to historical ditching and are a part of …

After The Impact: Balance Function In Women With Repeated Concussions, Caroline M. Stack

Honors Theses and Capstones

Balance deficits following repeated mild traumatic brain injuries are well documented, yet research examining the delayed outcomes specifically in college-aged women remains limited. The present study investigated whether women with a history of two or more mTBIs exhibit lasting balance impairments compared to women with zero or one prior mTBI, tested at least six months after their most recent injury. Thirty-four English-speaking women (ages 18-30) recruited from the University of New Hampshire were assigned to a repetitive mTBI group or a control group. Balance was assessed using the Balance Error Scoring System and a MetaMotion inertial measurement sensor positioned on …

Exploring The Association Between Internal Body Temperature And Metabolic Status In Early Lactation Jersey Cattle, Alexandra Ferreri, Claira Seely

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Generating Concentrated Ring Polymers Through Supercoiled And Open Circle Pdna Isoform Separation, Kelsey E. Hodsdon

Honors Theses and Capstones

DNA can serve as a model polymer due to its high uniformity compared to synthetic polymers. Plasmid DNA (pDNA) in particular offers a well-defined, low-dispersity model for studying topologically uniform systems of a cyclic nature. pDNA has unique isoforms known as open circle (OC) and supercoiled (SC). Using fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC), specifically anion exchange chromatography (AEX), these OC and SC isoforms can be separated in order to access their unique material properties. Our lab was able to yield the pure SC isoform. However, OC isoform separation has been more challenging. Various difficulties arose during this process, including imaging …

Effects Of Volatile Organic Compounds Produced By Temperature-Adapted Microbes On Duckweed Growth, Phaedra Yael Stemp

Honors Theses and Capstones

As host-associated microbes adapt to their abiotic environment, these adaptations can affect their host species as well. Previous research showed that varying temperatures and volatile organic compound (VOC) production can affect microbial benefits to hosts. This experiment analyzed how 27 microbes pre-adapted to different temperature conditions affected growth of their host, common duckweed plants, comparing effects of direct contact with microbes, effects of microbe VOCs alone, or both. Each microbe was pre-adapted to one of three temperature regimes: “Northern” at 28 °C, “Southern” at 33 °C, and “Extreme” at 36 °C. We then grew duckweeds in I-plates with each microbe …

Differential Effects Of Growing-Season Climate Anomalies On New England Crop Yields: A 1990-2024 Comparative Analysis Of Heat-Tolerant And Heat-Sensitive Crops, Rhea Shirodkar

Honors Theses and Capstones

As rising temperatures and variable precipitation effects are becoming increasingly prevalent in New England, as does the need to consider how these climate change-induced weather patterns affect the region's agricultural productivity and food system stability. Using annual crop yield data from the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS) and growing-season climate anomaly data from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), this study examines how growing-season temperature and precipitation anomalies affect seven major New England crop yields (tomatoes, potatoes, sweet corn, cranberries, carrots, lettuce (head), and apples) over a 34-year period from 1990 to 2024. …

Fgf Signaling Is Necessary For Newt Lens Regeneration, Leo Alexander Napoleon

Honors Theses and Capstones

The Iberian ribbed newt Pleurodeles waltl can regenerate the lens by transdifferentiating iris pigmented epithelial (IPE) cells into lens epithelial cells (LECs), but the mechanism by which this occurs remains largely uncharacterized. We aim to mechanistically show an early and critical role for FGF signaling by using small molecules to inhibit FGF receptors and observe the histological and intracellular effects. Two inhibitors were found to completely stall lens regeneration. Cell cycle analysis revealed decreased DNA synthesis and uniformly low but unchanged entry to mitosis under signaling inhibition by staining for EdU incorporation and phospho-histone H3 (pH3), respectively. Western blot revealed …

Stress And Reward Interactions In Substance Use Disorder: An Evolutionary Mismatch Framework, Nicholas L. Castrucci

Honors Theses and Capstones

Substance use disorder (SUD) is a major public health concern characterized by compulsive substance use despite adverse consequences. While contemporary models emphasize biological, psychological, and environmental contributors, stress- and reward-related systems are often examined in isolation. This review integrates these systems within an evolutionary mismatch framework to examine how chronic stress exposure and repeated substance use increase vulnerability to addiction. Stress and reward systems are evolutionarily conserved but may become chronically dysregulated under modern conditions characterized by persistent psychosocial stressors and highly potent rewarding stimuli. This is associated with converging neuroadaptations across stress and reward circuitry, resulting in altered affective …

Investigating Microbe-Mediated Temperature Tolerance In Lemna Minor, Matthew Thomas Farbaniec

Honors Theses and Capstones

Temperature limits plant growth and survival more than many other environmental variables, and increases in the frequency of extreme hot or cold weather events pose significant challenges for plant growth and crop yields. Previous studies have shown that bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms associated with plants ( i.e., the plant microbiome) can influence host response to temperature stress. These same microbes have their own temperature tolerances. We investigated whether microbial temperature tolerance correlates with plant resilience using an aquatic plant model, Lemna minor, and isolates derived from its microbiome. Microbial isolates were assessed at −10°C, 4°C, and 32°C for …

Crab And Lobster Shell Meal Taste Preferences Of Dairy Heifer Calves, Summer R. Pescinski, Peter S. Erickson

Honors Theses and Capstones

Objective: This preference study was conducted to evaluate the palatability of crab shell meal (CM) and lobster shell meal (LM) when added to calf starter for post-weaned dairy heifer calves.

Materials and methods: Six calves were used for a sequential elimination experiment to rank their taste preferences when offered control calf starter, calf starter mixed with 50 g of CM, and calf starter mixed with 50 g of LM.  The calves were kept on the study for a total of 5-d split into two feeding segments.  Preference was determined by calculating the total intake of each treatment …

The Impact Of Intimate Partner Violence On Victims’ Mental, Physical, And Economic Well-Being: A Comprehensive Literature Review (2012–2022), Kerry Lee, Jennifer L. Mezzapelle, Lyric N. Russo, Emily M. Douglas, Denise A. Hines

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

Intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a significant global public health concern, drawing increasing attention due to its profound impact on victims. A systematic review by Lawrence et al. (2012) demonstrated that IPV victims of physical and psychological abuse experience higher rates of physical injuries, poorer health outcomes, poorer physical functioning, and increased psychological symptoms compared to non-victimized individuals. Building on this work, we conducted a systematic review of 159 quantitative studies published between 2012 and 2022.

Across the included studies, more than half had samples ranging between 100-500 (52.8%, n=84) in size, were cross-sectional (84.9%; n=135), and utilized …

Development Of Highly Reactive Sulfone Iminium Fluoride Reagents And Their Application In Fluorine Methodologies, James Vogel

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

Organofluorines are important molecules that have found great use in the pharmaceutical industry. Deoxyfluorination is an appealing methodology available to synthetic chemists for forming carbon-fluorine bonds. In the first part of this work, we report the synthesis of sulfone iminium fluorides (SIFs), a new and highly reactive sulfur (VI) fluoride reagent class. A small library of these compounds was synthesized in five simple, modular steps from cheap starting materials. The SIF reagents successfully convert alcohols and carboxylic acids into their corresponding fluorinated moieties in high yields at room temperature with unprecedented reaction speed, requiring just 60 seconds. Furthermore, the SIF …

Weeping And Virtus In Early Imperial Roman Epic, Mary Somerville

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

Are men always feminized when they weep? It is well-known that Greek epic heroes like Odysseus weep without losing their claim to masculinity; does the same rule hold true for Roman epic heroes? In this dissertation I examine how men weep in Roman epic poetry of the early Roman empire as an aspect of the performance of masculinity. Specifically, I explore the multiple valences of male tears and related emotional expressions across three core texts: Vergil’s Aeneid, Lucan’s Bellum Civile, and Statius’ Thebaid. I seek to understand judgments of and explanations for men’s tears within my sources, …

Feasibility Of Brief Behavioral Telehealth Interventions For Sleep And Pain In Adults With Chronic Musculoskeletal Orofacial Pain: An Idiographic Clinical Trial, Linda Sangalli, Gabriel Gilmore, Isabel Moreno-Hay, Lauren N. Whitehurst, Anna Alessandri-Bonetti, Ian Andres Boggero

Oral Health Science Faculty Publications

Objective: Brief behavioral interventions targeting pain (Physical Self-Regulation, PSR) or sleep (Brief Behavioral Intervention for Insomnia, BBTI) show promise for interdisciplinary management of chronic pain, though their feasibility with chronic musculoskeletal orofacial pain (MSK-OFP) populations remains underexplored. This pilot study assessed the feasibility of a randomized clinical trial (RCT) of these interventions in a university-affiliated tertiary OFP clinic and explored clinical changes in pain, sleep, and other secondary outcomes.

Methods: Treatment-seeking participants (N=19) with chronic MSK-OFP and insomnia were randomized to three-session PSR or BBTI. At pre- and post-intervention, participants completed questionnaires (assessing pain intensity, insomnia symptomatology, sleep …

Health Care Fraud And The End Of Chevron, Joan H. Krause

Faculty Publications

What do the Environmental Protection Agency’s “plantwide” definition of a “stationary” pollution source,” a National Marine Fisheries Service determination of who pays for fishing boat observers, and a Department of Health and Human Services rule governing the marketing of prescription drugs have in common? In short, a government agency’s interpretation of a federal statute. All three cases go to the heart of the administrative state: the ability of an agency, staffed by experts in the field, to interpret static statutory language to offer practical guidance to an ever-evolving industry.

The same is true of health care fraud, although it is …

Assessment Of Diagnostic Image Quality In Mobile Vs Conventional Departmental Head Ct Scans, Anjelica De Los Reyes, Austin Messer, Brianna Fowler, Tristan Flores, Lindzee Lemonn, Saleha Zafar

Research Methods Poster Session 2026

No abstract provided.

Advanced Practice Radiation Therapy: A Needs Assessment In Texas, Jennifer Navas, Vanessa Sorto, Cindy Tran, Rachel Gallagher, Ramsi Rodriguez

Research Methods Poster Session 2026

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Robustness Of Let-Optimized Proton Therapy Pelvic Plans​, Savannah Demus, Christopher Rosas, Colton Schubert, Ella Peterson, John Low, Jamie Baker, Luis Perles

Research Methods Poster Session 2026

Assessing robustness of linear energy transfer (LET)-optimized pencil beam scanning (PBS) proton therapy plans for whole pelvis irradiation treatment (WPRT) of anal cancer.

A Meta-Narrative Review Of Histological Evaluation As The Gold Standard For Lung Adenocarcinoma Diagnosis Using Ttf-1 Biomarkers, Sebastianz P. Nguyen, Ariana C. Fonseca, Sylvia Zavala Rideaux

Research Methods Poster Session 2026

No abstract provided.

Chevron Deference, Prospective Gay Parents, And The Need For A Centralized Child Welfare System, Mantas Grigorovicius

Washington and Lee Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice

For over four decades, Chevron deference allowed federal agencies to exercise considerable discretion in interpreting laws, enabling them to implement broad regulatory agendas. This deference was pivotal for administrative agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in shaping public policy. However, in 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to overturn this precedent, shifting power from agencies to courts and potentially reshaping the regulatory landscape. This Article examines the implications of this change within the context of child welfare, focusing on HHS’s role in foster care. As states often rely on taxpayer-funded private child-placing agencies to …

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Modulates Gut Microbiota And Lipid Metabolism To Reduce Diarrhea In Low-Birth-Weight Neonatal Calves, Zhanhe Zhang, Duo You, Donglin Wu, Xintong Li, Yang Jia, David L. Harmon, Ming Xu

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism by which colonic fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) improves lipid metabolism in low-birth-weight neonatal calves via modulation of the gut microbial ecosystem. In a completely randomized design, seventy newborn Holstein calves (1 day old, 32.63 ± 3.13 kg BW) were assigned to two groups (35 calves/treatment; 30 females and 5 males per group). A healthy calf was used as a fecal donor. A 10% fecal bacterial suspension was prepared and administered colonically (50 mL, twice daily for 5 days). All calves were fed the same milk replacer and weaned using a step-down protocol at …