Digital Commons Network^™

Efficacy Of Zuranolone Use For Postpartum Depression, Diana G. Welliver

The PA Department Journal of Medical Science

Introduction: Postpartum depression is a major form of depression that occurs anytime within the first year after a woman gives birth. It is characterized by low moods, increased feelings of sadness and anxiety, and a decreased interest in one’s baby. It is commonly treated with the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which present with negative side effects and have a long duration of onset. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of zuranolone, a fast-acting neuroactive steroid and GABA-A receptor modulator, on its ability to reduce symptoms of postpartum depression.

Methods: The PubMed database was …

Effects Of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors And Angiotensin Receptor Blockers On Covid-19 Outcomes In Severely Ill Patients, Madison L. Edwards

The PA Department Journal of Medical Science

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2 and can cause debilitating illness in vulnerable patient populations. The purpose of this clinical review is to analyze the effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers on the clinical course and severity in COVID-19 adult patients.

Methods: PubMed was searched with a specific search strategy using key terms “adult,” “COVID-19,” and “RAAS inhibiting medications.” Specific operators and filters narrowed the results to a total of five relevant, quality articles for review.

Results: Two articles were randomized controlled trials that directly compared the continuation of …

Comparison Of Vagal Maneuvers And Antiarrhythmics On Adult Patients Presenting With Supraventricular Tachycardias (Svt), James S. Ng

The PA Department Journal of Medical Science

INTRODUCTION: SVT is a well-known and potentially life-threatening arrhythmia, with vagal maneuvers and/or antiarrhythmic drugs often attempted for first-line conversion. The purpose of this clinical review is to analyze the relative effectiveness and success rates of these specific maneuvers and medications.

METHODS: The following PubMed database search was performed:“((vagal maneuver*) OR (valsalva)) AND (pharmacologic) ((medication) OR (medical therapy) OR (adenosine) OR (beta blocker*) OR (calcium channel blocker*) OR (anti-arrhythmic*) OR (anti arrhythmic*) OR (antiarrhythmic)) AND ((SVT) OR (supraventricular tachycardia))”. Filters were then applied and article titles/abstracts reviewed, resulting in a final selection of five articles for review.

RESULTS:. The most …

The Effects Of A Gluten-Free Diet On Patients With Hashimoto’S Thyroiditis, Chandler Blackburn

The PA Department Journal of Medical Science

Introduction: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory condition of the thyroid gland. Hashimoto’s occurs in five percent of the American population and is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the US. There are various comorbidities associated with Hashimoto’s, which treatment can help mitigate some of those risks. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate if a gluten-free diet, as an adjunct treatment, can lower autoimmune related antibodies while improving thyroid labs levels.

Methods: PubMed was searched for clinical reviews using key terms “Hashimoto’s disease”, “hypothyroidism”, “gluten”, and “anti-TPO antibodies”. Operators and additional filters narrowed down search results …

Monotherapy Versus Combination Levothyroxine And Liothyronine In The Treatment Of Hypothyroidism, Anne F. Thomas

The PA Department Journal of Medical Science

Introduction: Primary hypothyroidism is a common condition where the thyroid gland cannot produce free thyroxine (T4), leading to low serum levels of it. For this reason, it is often treated directly with monotherapy synthetic T4 or as a combined synthetic T4/T3. The purpose of this clinical review is to analyze the effectiveness of T4 monotherapy versus T4/T3 combination therapy in normalizing TSH values and improving symptoms in adults with hypothyroidism.

Methods: A specific search strategy in PubMed was used to conduct the research, incorporating key terms such as “hypothyroidism,” “levothyroxine,” “liothyronine,” and “TSH.” Four quality articles were left for final …

Efficacy Of Catheter Ablation Compared To Antiarrhythmic Drug Therapy In Atrial Fibrillation, Sarah Mckinney

The PA Department Journal of Medical Science

Introduction: A-fib occurs when the electrical signals in the heart become unorganized and unsynchronized, resulting in an irregularly irregular heart rate. This can increase the risk of blood clots and stroke. The purpose of this paper is to explore two of the most common treatment options, comparing the efficacy of catheter ablation to AAD (antiarrhythmic drug) therapy in adults diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.

Methods: PubMed was searched using the keywords “atrial fibrillation,” “catheter ablation,” and “antiarrhythmic.” Operators and filters yielded a final result of 159 articles; four articles that most closely aligned with the focus of this research were reviewed. …

Hyaluronic Acid Versus Corticosteroids In Osteoarthritis Of The Knee, Victoria B. Short

The PA Department Journal of Medical Science

Introduction: Osteoarthritis is a very common degenerative disease seen in older adults that is typically due to repetitive movements of the joints over time. Without treatment, osteoarthritis can progress and cause individuals to have decreased function and quality of life. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the effectiveness of hyaluronic acid injections compared to corticosteroid injections in treating osteoarthritis of the knee.

Methods: PubMed was searched with a specific search strategy using key terms “knee osteoarthritis”, “hyaluronic acid”, and “corticosteroids”. Operators and filters were applied to narrow 572 results down to 40. 15 articles were reviewed and 4 …

The Gut Microbiome’S Effect On Metabolic Syndrome, Kayla Turner

The PA Department Journal of Medical Science

Introduction: Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a chronic condition characterized by insulin resistance and low-grade inflammation. The purpose of this review is to focus on pre-/pro/symbiotic supplementation as a means of improving MetS parameters in place of pharmacological intervention.

Methods: PubMed was searched with the terms “metabolic syndrome”, “obese”, “obesity”, “overweight”, “insulin resistance”, “insulin sensitivity”, “probiotic”, “symbiotic”, and “bifidobacter*”. Operators and filters narrowed the results down to 55 results, 4 of which were picked due to their relevance and quality.

Results: The 4 articles chosen were RCT and a systematic review that explored the Bifidobacterium genus in relationship to the MetS …

Beyond Steroids: A Head-To-Head Review Of Hyaluronic Acid And Prp In Knee Osteoarthritis, Phillip A. Sekander

The PA Department Journal of Medical Science

Introduction: Osteoarthritis of the knee is one of the most common primary complaints in the US. Newer injectable therapies that target specific cartilage degeneration are being developed. The purpose of this review is to compare the efficacy of PRP and HA injections for the management of knee osteoarthritis.

Methods: PubMed was searched using the key terms “osteoarthritis of the knee,” “hyaluronic acid,” “platelet-rich plasma,” and “management of pain.” This search was refined using MeSH terms, Boolean operators, and applied filters (English, free full-text, publication date between 2020-2025). Four articles were selected for in-depth review of the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma …

“I Don’T Always See A Future For Me Here”: Oppressive Political Pressures On Lgbtq+ College Students’ Well-Being, Jodi Linley, Olivia M. Copeland, Kathleen J. Buell, Cindy Ann Kilgo, Megan Pendleton, Alex C. Lange, N F. Tennessen

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

In recent decades, colleges have broadly supported LGBTQ+ students. Now, institutions have shuttered LGBTQ+ initiatives in response to political pressures, with little consideration for the effects on students. This study answers the question, what current policy factors do LGBTQ+ college students describe as affecting their well-being, and in what ways? We analyzed 426 responses from a multi-institution study of LGBTQ+ students. By and large, students feel anxious and fearful as they navigate the current climate. Our analysis illustrated numerous factors, from the President and his administration to states and general emboldened violence, and the real and potential consequences of those …

A Multiple Case Study Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Special Education Teachers Of Students With Intellectual Disabilities, Patrece A. Scott

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Special educators, particularly the teachers of students with intellectual disabilities, remained an understudied group in research. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine how special educators navigated their lived experiences collaborating with three key stakeholder groups: parents, general education teachers, and administrators, particularly working with students with intellectual disabilities. Specifically, this study examined how special educators experienced collaboration with those stakeholder groups through the framework of McClelland's (1961) Theory of Needs. The study involved two semi-structured interviews with each of the 12 participants, all of whom were special educators at the middle or high school level. These …

Distillation Laundering: Regulatory Arbitrage And A Potential Beijing Effect In Ai, Laura Edelson, Filippo Lancieri

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

This essay introduces distillation laundering, a new form of regulatory arbitrage. Distillation, a technique for training large language models based on the outputs of other models instead of from scratch, is generally prohibited by the terms of service of closed-weight frontier models. However, it is economically efficient and has been key to the success of the cheap, distilled (largely Chinese) open-weight models, which have reshaped the global political economy of AI regulation. US companies have now begun to re-import the effects of distillation through various means—a process we call distillation laundering. We also discuss how attempts to lobby these models …

Mission-Focused Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Of Tilt-Rotor Evtol Propulsion System, Tyler Critchfield, Andrew Ning

Faculty Publications

Tilt-rotor propulsion system design requires a multidisciplinary approach to tackle important challenges and competing tradeoffs between disciplines. In this paper, we model rotor aerodynamics, blade structures, vehicle drag, electric propulsion, and tonal/broadband acoustics for a tilt-rotor, electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft using low-to-mid fidelity tools. We use gradient-based design optimization with automatic differentiation and parameter sensitivity analyses to explore the design space and complex tradeoffs of tilt-rotor distributed electric propulsion systems, exploring effects of variations in payload/empty weight, battery specific energy, and blade tip speed. This framework models multiple operating points with a mission-focused objective to account for the …

Adults With Dyslexia: Experiences Accessing And Using Reading Strategies And Assistive Technology, Brenda Rosalie King

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Dyslexia is a specific learning disorder of neurobiological origin characterized by persistent difficulties with accurate and/or fluent reading, word recognition, spelling, and decoding. Although dyslexia is widely recognized as a lifelong learning difference, the majority of research has historically focused on children and adolescents, with less attention given to adult experiences. The purpose of this study was to explore how adults with dyslexia access and use reading strategies and assistive technologies to support reading comprehension and independence across contexts. The study also examined barriers and supports influencing access to these tools, as well as the emotional experiences associated with their …

Advancing Understanding Of Lived Experience Of Unhoused People To Reduce Social Stigma And Promote Community Health: A Theoretically-Guided Photovoice Study, B-Rad Stephen Applegate

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Homelessness is a persistent public health challenge shaped by structural inequities, stigma, and exclusion from social and health systems. Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) has increasingly been used to center the knowledge of people who are unhoused, yet limited attention has been given to the theoretical frameworks guiding this work across disciplines. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine theories and methods used in CBPR with unhoused populations and to explore the extension of Margaret Newman’s Theory of Health as Expanding Consciousness from a nursing-focused theory to a public health framework for understanding lived experience.

Using a scoping review methodology …

Flight Control And Costs In Unsteady And Turbulent Airflows In Ringneck Doves (Streptopelia Risoria), Rémy Alexandre Delplanche

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The aerosphere is a highly dynamic environment where turbulence (irregular, chaotic changes in airflow velocity) and unsteady airflows (variations in flow velocity with time at a given spatial point, e.g. gusts) are ubiquitous [1,2]. These airflows are known to perturb man-made aircraft [3,4], and are thus expected to challenge biological fliers such as birds. However, birds display remarkable flight control in turbulent and gusty conditions, suggesting that they have evolved mechanisms to resist aerial perturbations. This in-flight stability is broadly attributed to wing morphing, the capacity for wing shape and orientation to be altered during flight, yet how morphable wings …

Evolution Of A Nitrogen-Fixing Endosymbiont And Integration With Its Diatom Host, Heidi Elizabeth Abresch

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Endosymbiosis, where one cell lives inside of a different cell, is ubiquitous in nature and has enormous impacts on the ecology and evolution of both the host and the endosymbiont [1, 2]. These relationships exist along a continuum ranging from facultative—where both partners are able to live independently—to completely obligate—where partners can only survive in the presence of the other. The most famous examples being the chloroplast and mitochondrion [3]. After hundreds of millions or even billions of years of coevolution, highly-integrated endosymbionts are coordinated with the host on the genetic, metabolic, and cellular levels, but we do not understand …

Á’Po’Taki Iiyika’Kimaa Work/Try Hard For Such A Time As This, Misamsai’Piaakíí Longtime Charging Woman Kimberly Lynn Paul

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This body of work adds to a recent shift in the academic landscape, valuing interdisciplinary research and Indigenous worldview. Predominant is the reversal of extractive research norms within Indigenous populations and the biosystems they steward, instead claiming Piikani (Blackfeet) led community-needs-based research valuing Indigenous data sovereignty, research methodologies, ethics, equity, and Indigenous empowerment. This research proffers requisite historical information providing the ‘why’ context, followed by three of the author’s studies: in toxic dumping, food sovereignty, and Piikani well-being. Under an environmental justice framework, the first study presents a cursory investigation of decades-long illicit toxic waste disposal reports linked to observed …

Hidden Wounds: Exploring Moral Injury In Childhood Exposure To Domestic Violence, Megan Elizabeth Denny

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The profound impacts of Childhood Exposure to Domestic Violence (CEDV) have been documented extensively, revealing long-term psychological effects such as the potential development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and increased likelihood of future victimization or perpetration of violence. Yet, the concept of moral injury (MI) traditionally explored in military and healthcare contexts, remains significantly underexplored in populations exposed to CEDV. This study examines the relevance of MI among individuals who experienced domestic violence (DV) during their youth. The research focused on two primary aims: (1) to describe the level and variability of moral injury-related distress among adults with histories of …

The Forensic Implications Of Hydrochloric Acid (Hcl) Exposure On Dna Preservation In Human Teeth, Shaelyn Lee Zimmerman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Identity is a human right, and forensic anthropological methods are often aimed at returning identity to decedents. Three main pathways are used for the identification of human remains: fingerprints, dental records, and DNA analysis. Identification efforts may be hindered when perpetrators attempt to obscure the victim’s identity. In cases where corrosive substances, such as hydrochloric acid (HCl) are used, dental comparison and fingerprinting often fail and genetic analysis becomes the best chance of achieving personal identification.

Previous studies have shown teeth are an excellent source of DNA. Large, multi-rooted teeth, such as molars, are often preferred because they contain the …

“An Extremely Dangerous Institution:” The Cultures And Controversy Of Public Social Dances In Montana, 1900-1930, Danielle Allison Brown

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This paper explores public social dances east of the Continental Divide in Montana from 1900 to 1930. Rural social dances in schoolhouses and urban dances in dance halls created two different dance cultures. The relaxed nature of rural dances preserved the traditional values of nineteenth-century social dances, which reinforced community and family ties. Urban dances reflected the modern fads of the roaring twenties and challenged traditional values with sexual suggestiveness. Progressive Era moral reformers concerned about the possibility that social dance promoted illicit sexuality participated in an anti-dance movement and pushed for regulations of social dances. The anti-dance movement in …

Unmuted: An Augmentative And Alternative Communication User’S Experience In Accessing And Engaging In Mental Health Care, Kanbi Faith Knippling

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Communication accessibility is a critical yet underexamined factor influencing access to and engagement in mental health care for individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Existing literature suggests that AAC users experience significant barriers to obtaining communication-accessible mental health services, including limited provider preparation, communication-related assumptions, and broader structural inequities. Despite growing recognition of these concerns, little research has explored how AAC users experience and navigate mental health counseling or how communication accessibility shapes participation in care.

This single-case study explored communication accessibility within the context of an adult AAC users' experiences accessing and engaging in mental health counseling. …

A Psychogeography Of The Lower Colorado River Basin, Arren L. Kimbel-Sannit

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Dried-up canals. Superheated strip malls. Proliferating data centers. Infinite appetite for growth despite its apparent circumstances. Arizona may well be the state of the American future. This multi-genre series of essays from Arren Kimbel-Sannit offers a personal, political-economic and ecological critique of growth and accumulation in Arizona — from the perspective of someone who grew up in its suburban expanses, reported on its politics, and long sought to clarify his relationship with home.

Building Trust Through Partnership: A Community Advisory Board Self-Evaluation Within A Blackfeet Nation Community-Based Participatory Research Collaboration, Lauren Dupuis

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Community Advisory Boards (CABs) are frequently used within community-based participatory research (CBPR) to promote community engagement, shared decision-making, and cultural responsiveness. Although CABs are widely utilized in Indigenous research partnerships, relatively few studies have evaluated CAB function from the perspectives of Indigenous community members. Our study describes the development of a CAB established through a collaborative partnership between the University of Montana and the Blackfeet Nation and evaluates the quality and impact of the partnership from the perspectives of CAB members. We conducted a mixed-methods partnership self-evaluation with members of a CAB supporting an Indigenous healthcare research initiative. Three of …

Growing Agroecology: Two Case Studies From The U.S. Student Farm Movement, Amelia B. Armstrong

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Scholars and activists identify agroecology as a crucial science, practice, and movement to move towards more just, equitable, and sustainable agriculture and food systems. Yet, the exploitative industrial food system, that deepens inequalities like food insecurity (Clapp et al., 2025), reduces farmer autonomy (Rotz, 2015), and contributes to increased carbon emissions (Lin et al., 2011) and biodiversity decline (Rotz, 2015), still dominates. Understanding and mobilizing the different spaces that teach agroecology, then, is a crucial step in challenging the dominant industrial food system. Agroecology education in university settings is an important domain to investigate as potential contributors to this movement, …

"More Boldly I Shall Go:" Jacobites, Hanoverians, And The Fabrication Of Nostalgia, 1745-1766, Jacob Louis Shropshire

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study investigates how Jacobites and Hanoverians constructed competing forms of nostalgia, identity, and political meaning in the decades after the rebellion of 1745. Although the defeat of Prince Charles Edward Stuart at Culloden ended any realistic hope of a Stuart restoration, it sparked a cultural struggle in which both supporters and opponents of the Stuarts depicted the Highlander as a symbol of heroic resistance or barbarism. A psychic struggle emerged as a result, and the Highlander became beloved by Jacobites and loathed by Hanoverians. These representations circulated through paintings, engravings, clothing, glassware, newspapers, pamphlets, and verse, which became central …

To Plow Or Not To Plow: A Remote Road Controversy, Hayden Blackford

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Thistlebloom Moondog, Gary W. Jensen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

An aging grieving artist decides to write a memoir as part of a self-healing process, using samples of song lyrics from his extensive collection of original Americana songs as narrative prompts.  Steeped in wanderlust, aspiration, paradox and dysfunction, his is a tale of vexing sub-clinical troubles rooted in the mire of developmental and religious trauma.

Illusions Of Fairness And Sacrifice, Brady Schwertfeger

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The American West is a shifting landscape. An incongruous expanse of isolation and urbanity, wilderness and extraction, wealth and welfare, clear water and fire. Fifteen years ago, I moved to my mother’s ancestral homeland of Montana, and have been here ever since. Before that, I was born and raised in Texas, both the West and the South (and often something else entirely), depending on who you ask. My experiences in this region have shaped me indelibly, and have inspired this collection of essays built around culture, politics, and justice in the West. “Pinedale, Wyoming” considers the musician as itinerant wanderer …

The Experience Of A Single Parent Participating In Child-Parent Relationship Therapy: An Instrumental Single-Case Study, Matthew Nicholas Schramm

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Traditional family structures in the United States have shifted significantly, with single-parent households facing systemic barriers that increase parental stress and strain the parent-child relationship. As this bond is critical for healthy child development, accessible mental health support is essential for these families (Parache et al., 2023).

Child Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT), a ten-week evidence-based program, strengthens this bond by training caregivers to use play as a therapeutic tool (Landreth & Bratton, 2020). This instrumental single case study (Stake, 1995) examined one single-parent's experience of CPRT delivered in a condensed four-week telehealth format, addressing the limited representation of single-parent households …