Digital Commons Network^™

Skeletal Muscle Mass And Gait Speed In Patients With Lung Cancer: A Pilot Study, Riley K. Russo, Abigail Schmitt

2026 Honors Symposium

Skeletal Muscle Mass and Gait Speed in Patients with Lung Cancer: A Pilot Study

Russo, R. & Schmitt, A.C.: The MOVE Lab, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR

Background: Lung Cancer is one of the leading causes of deaths in the United States, and Arkansas has one of the highest rates of lung cancer in the nation. Many patients with lung cancer experience cancer cachexia, fatigue, reduced strength, and mobility, all which negatively affect a patient’s life. Gait can be used as an essential indicator of underlying health challenges; specifically gait speed has been defined as the “sixth vital sign” for …

The Relationship Between Skeletal Muscle Mass And Gait Performance In Breast Cancer Patients: A Pilot Study, Sidney Fewell

2026 Honors Symposium

This study examined the relationship between skeletal muscle mass and gait performance in breast cancer patients undergoing or previously treated with chemotherapy. Results showed a moderate positive association between skeletal muscle mass and gait velocity, suggesting that maintaining muscle mass may support functional mobility, while gait variability appeared to be influenced by additional factors beyond muscle mass alone.

A Review Of Mobility And Gait Changes In Patients With Prostate Cancer: Disease Stage, Symptom, And Treatment-Related Influences, Lauren Hathorn, Abigail Schmitt Dr

2026 Honors Symposium

Background: This review examines the impact of prostate cancer symptoms, progression, and treatments on patients’ gait and mobility. Prostate cancer is the leading cancer diagnosis for men in the United States, with an increase in incidents in the last decade. Prostate cancer, its progression, and its various symptoms and treatments have both physical and functional consequences that often cause changes in patients’ mobility and gait. Some studies have found gait to be a predictor of functional decline and mortality. Given that functional decline and mortality are also consequences of cancer progression and cancer treatments, gait analysis could offer a non-invasive …

Exploring The Impact Of Age On Traumatic Brain Injury Cause And Recovery In Arkansas: A Retrospective Review, Abby Jones, Steven Wheeler, Jessica Danley

2026 Honors Symposium

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) remain a major public health concern, and increasing evidence goes to show the significance of the effect of age in quality of care, diagnosis, and recovery outcomes. In rural states, such as Arkansas, where research has shown a lack of resources and higher fatality rates among TBI patients, healthcare professionals can become better informed and equipped as a result of research efforts to uncover the effects of age on cause and recovery for inpatient TBI individuals in the early stages (Daugherty et al., 2022). Current research and prior evidence suggests that older individuals are more likely …

Comparative Analysis Of Shipping Costs Across Multiple Routes Using Fedex Api Data, Valerija Curikova, Andrew Kramer

Annual Research Symposium

Shipping costs are an important factor for both individuals and companies, especially in industries like healthcare where medical material should be delivered quickly and reliably. While working as an intern at Avera Health in the Supply Chain logistics team, I was introduced to the challenge of the high cost of delivering medical supplies to different patient locations. Shipping prices vary depending on distance, route direction, and service type. Using real-time data from the FedEx API allows for more accurate analysis of shipping costs and helps identify opportunities to optimize delivery decisions and reduce logistics expenses.

Constructing Information Systems: Technology Frames And Career Interest Among Middle School Students, Sai Mounika Chintalapudi, Cherie Noteboom

Annual Research Symposium

Information Systems (IS) plays a critical role in modern society, supporting organizations, healthcare systems, businesses, and digital infrastructure. Despite its importance, many students develop limited or inaccurate perceptions of the IS field at an early age, which may influence their willingness to pursue IS-related careers. Middle school is an important stage where students begin forming career interests and professional identities. However, little research has examined how younger students interpret and understand the field of Information Systems. Technology Frames of Reference (TFR) explains how individuals interpret technology through cognitive frames related to its nature, purpose, and use. While TFR has traditionally …

Small Habits, Gpa Differences: The Relationships Between Student Habits And Academic Performance, Tyler Pham, Mihael Heysen, Yi Chen, Alexandra Honeycutt, Mai Nguyen

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

This project looked at how the habits students do every day affect how well they do in school and which things are most important. It uses information from 1,000 students to examine how factors like time spent studying, sleeping, mental health, class participation, and screen time affect grades. All of this information was analyzed to build a model that could predict how well students would do on tests and to make sure the results were accurate.

The results showed that spending more time studying makes the biggest difference in improving grades, while too much screen time can hurt performance. Getting …

Improving Feeding Outcomes: Occupation-Based Feeding Interventions From Nicu To Outpatient Pediatrics, Bailey Ciardelli

OTD Capstones

A researcher from an entry-level doctorate program examined gaps in feeding and sensory-based care for premature infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and outpatient pediatric feeding setting. The Improving Feeding Outcomes project aimed to improve feeding readiness, sensory regulation, and caregiver confidence through the development of occupation-based, family-centered interventions. This report evaluates the implementation of evidence-based resources, including caregiver education handouts, a NICU staff training presentation, a caregiver tummy time group, and a standardized infant feeding assessment tool integrated into outpatient pediatric therapy practice. These interventions were designed to address gaps in OT-led infant feeding and sensory care, …

Mmpi-3 Indicators Of Suicidal Ideation And Behavior In Post-9/11 Veterans, Alec Rothman

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Suicide remains a serious concern among post-9/11 U.S. military veterans, highlighting the need for effective tools to identify those at risk. This study examined whether the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3), a commonly used psychological test, can help assess suicide risk in this population.

I analyzed responses from 189 post-9/11 veterans, a group largely reflective of the current veteran population, who completed the MMPI-3 and other measures looking at their mental health and history of suicidal thoughts or attempts. I focused on the MMPI-3’s Suicidal/Death Ideation (SUI) scale, along with other MMPI-3 scales that measure internalizing symptoms (such as depression …

Beyond The Game: Educating Youth Coaches In Sport Psychology And Psychological Skills Training, John Wygant

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

This paper presents the development of a manualized program designed to train youth sport coaches to implement a psychological skills training (PST) program that enhances both athletic performance and mental health. Rooted in sport psychology and coaching expertise, this program introduces a novel approach to addressing youth mental health challenges through upstream intervention. With many young athletes facing mental health struggles and traditional efforts in schools and communities showing limited success, this program equips coaches to teach essential psychological skills such as goal setting, adaptive thinking, confidence, and emotional regulation. By integrating these skills into sports practices and presenting them …

Utilizing The Mmpi-3 To Assess Symptoms Of Ptsd In Post-9/11 Veterans, Lauren A. Worden-Baroni

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are heterogeneous, and the psychological impact of trauma varies. This underlines the need for better understanding the impact of trauma on the development of psychopathology, especially in populations where traumatic stressors are more prevalent. Specifically, the current study will evaluate how the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3) can be used to measure psychopathology presentations among those who have been exposed to military trauma. Although there is myriad research supporting the use of other MMPI measures (e.g., MMPI-2-RF) in the assessment of trauma-related psychopathology in military populations, there is limited evidence supporting the use of …

Court-Mandated Parenting Intervention: A Parenting Program To Reduce Conflict And Increase Positive Coping Skills For High-Conflict Parents In Family Court, Joshua T. Metcalf

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

The number of children in the United States whose parents have either separated or divorced has continued to increase over time. While some parents are able to effectively co-parent their children after separation or divorce, others may be unwilling or unable to effectively do so. Parents who ineffectively co-parent their children, often referred to as high conflict co-parents, can often over utilize family court resources to solve disputes and to make co-parenting decisions. In the literature review presented, current co-parenting resources often utilized by family courts are explored and research regarding current co-parenting interventions is discussed. Additionally, key components of …

Steadfast And Joyful: First Baptist Church Of Dayton, 1824-2024, Donna Miles Curry

Books Authored by Wright State Faculty/Staff

For two centuries, First Baptist Church of Dayton has stood as a cornerstone of faith, resilience, and community life. Steadfast and Joyful traces the church’s journey from its founding in 1824 through generations of growth, challenge, and renewal. Through archival records, photographs, and personal narratives, this volume captures the enduring spirit of a congregation rooted in service and hope.

Bragging Rights: How Women Candidates Use Endorsements In Strategic Messages, Eva Carter, Tyhlar Holliway

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

This research analyzes the methods and terminology employed by men and women candidates when they talk about their political endorsements in strategic campaign communication. While existing literature addresses topics such as educating uninformed voters, the influence of endorsements in political campaigns, messaging ethics, celebrity endorsements, and the correlation between money and endorsements, analyses of gender differences in the use and types of endorsements remain underdeveloped. We argue that women candidates, due to the unique vulnerabilities they face in campaigns (Bauer 2015; Lazarus and Steigerwaltz 2018), will be more likely than men to highlight their endorsements in campaign ads. We record …

Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (Mthfr) Polymorphisms And Neural Tube Defects In African Populations: A Global Meta-Analysis And Population Genetic Characterization In Uganda, Nana Ekua Entsiwa Adenu-Mensah

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Background: Neural tube defects (NTDs) affect 1.9 per 1,000 births globally, with the highest burden occurring in African populations that remain underrepresented in genetic epidemiology. The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T and A1298C polymorphisms reduce enzyme activity and have been associated with increased NTD risk in several populations, though their relevance across African regions remains unclear.

Methods: We conducted: (1) an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of MTHFR C677T and A1298C polymorphisms and NTD risk (66 studies, ~22,000 participants); (2) population-level genotype characterization of 978 Ugandan children using whole-genome sequencing; and (3), a comparative analysis of MTHFR C677T allele frequencies across …

Opportunities To Address Alcohol Use With Community-Based Hiv Testing: A Parallel Mixed Methods Study, William Thomas Allen

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Background: Unhealthy alcohol use (UAU), defined as alcohol consumption at a level that has caused or has the potential to cause adverse physical, psychological, or social consequences, and particularly heavy episodic drinking (HED), is a risk factor for HIV infection that is often overlooked in HIV prevention settings. UAU impacts HIV infection risk through sexual decision-making mechanisms including condom use and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) adherence. Community-based HIV service organizations (HSO) may provide an opportunity to reach individuals with overlapping HIV risk, UAU, and low access to traditional healthcare systems. The feasibility and utility of UAU screening and intervention in the …

Lapses In Care Among Patients With Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy: A Mixed-Methods Study, Serina Sera Applebaum

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) affects approximately 7% of individuals with diabetes and requires consistent follow-up to prevent irreversible vision loss. Despite this, lapses in PDR care are common, but poorly characterized. We conducted a two-phase mixed-methods evaluation, including a quantitative retrospective national cohort study of individuals with PDR, followed by a qualitative study investigating participant perspectives on their own lapses in PDR care. In the quantitative component, we used data from 13 academic health systems in the Sight Outcomes Research Collaborative (SOURCE) Repository between 2008 and 2023 to identify adults aged ≥18 with PDR and ≥6 months of ophthalmic follow-up. …

Level Of Evidence And Cost Considerations In United States Clinical Practice Guidelines, 2019-2023, Omar Qureshi

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

BackgroundClinicians rely on clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) to fulfill a dual mandate: practicing evidence-based medicine and ensuring cost-conscious stewardship of resources. However, it remains unclear whether modern CPGs provide the guidance necessary to meet these goals. Specifically, the extent to which recommendation strengths align with evidence quality and the prevalence of cost-related guidance within U.S. medical society CPGs remains unknown.

Research Aimsa) To examine the distribution of SOR and LOE ratings for recommendations offered by United States medical societies through CPGs and evaluate concordance between SOR and LOE ratings for CPG recommendations. Additionally, assess whether there are recommendation-level, guideline-level, or …

Automated Cerebral Autoregulation Monitoring With Machine Learning, Matteo Rosati

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Background - Current methods of identifying patients in the neurological intensive care unit (NeuroICU) with disrupted cerebral autoregulation rely on statistical methods that require significant time to produce predictions. There is a need for faster algorithms that can minimize the secondary damage caused by disrupted autoregulation in these patients.

Research Aims - We aim to develop a machine learning (ML) model that determines whether a patient is outside optimal autoregulatory limits using continuously recordable and minimally invasive physiologic data gathered in the NeuroICU.

Hypothesis - We hypothesize we can use ML techinques to ingest physiologic data in short time windows …

The Spectrum Of Cutaneous And Systemic Manifestations Associated With Anti-Pm/Scl, Sabrina Maariyah Saeed

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Anti-PM/Scl is a rare anti-nuclear autoantibody first identified in patients with polymyositis and the scleroderma/myositis overlap syndrome. Due to its low prevalence, the clinical manifestations associated with anti-PM/Scl remain incompletely understood. This study aims to further delineate the phenotype associated with anti-PM/Scl. Anti-PM/Scl positive patients treated at Yale New Haven Health Systems between 2012 and 2024 were retrospectively identified. Chart review was conducted to characterize demographics, skin findings, and extracutaneous manifestations associated with the antibody. Anti-PM/Scl was detected in 64 of the 2867 patients tested. Fifty-seven of these patients met inclusion criteria (i.e. sufficient availability of medical records and age …

Predictive Modeling Of Transfusion After Cranial Vault Remodeling For Pediatric Craniosynostosis, Paul Serrato

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Background: Cranial vault remodeling (CVR) for pediatric craniosynostosis is associated with postoperative blood transfusion, yet determinants of transfusion risk remain incompletely defined. Estimating transfusion risk preoperatively could support more personalized blood management planning for this population.Research Aims: To evaluate whether supervised machine learning models can reliably predict postoperative transfusion risk following CVR compared to traditional logistic regression and to identify the most informative predictors of those models. Hypothesis/Question: We hypothesized that ensemble machine learning approaches (e.g. random forest, extreme gradient boosting) would match or outperform logistic regression in predicting transfusion by leveraging nonlinear associations and higher-order interactions across patient, procedural, …

Vascular Identity And Remodeling: Sox17 Mediates Arteriovenous Fistula Maturation, Andrew William Schwartz

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Background/Scientific Premise Mature arteriovenous fistulae (AVF) are the gold standard vascular access allowing hemodialysis for patients with end-stage kidney disease. The rate of AVF failure remains high, reflecting an incomplete understanding of the biology of AVF maturation and failure. Sox17 is a transcription factor indispensable for the acquisition and maintenance of endothelial arterial identity. Because endothelial cells (EC) acquire dual arteriovenous identity after AVF creation, we determined whether Sox17 mediates venous remodeling in AVF. Research Aims This study aims to characterize the degree of Sox17 expression within the venous outflow tract after AVF creation in humans and in a mouse …

Leveraging Large Language Models To Augment Emergency Department Chest Pain Decision-Making, Conrad Safranek

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Background - Large language models (LLMs) can convert unstructured clinical text into structured, computable signals, creating a new class of clinical decision support (CDS) that is tightly coupled to real documentation workflows. This is especially relevant in emergency medicine, where decisions must be made rapidly under uncertainty, often with key information scattered across notes, reports, and prior encounters. Emergency department (ED) chest pain evaluation is a prototypical setting for this problem: it is high-volume, high-stakes, operationally costly, and driven by pathway-based triage and risk stratification, yet care remains heterogeneous across clinicians and teams. As health systems and electronic medical record …

Disparities In Utilization Of Glp-1 Receptor Agonists And Sglt2 Inhibitors Across Social Determinants Of Health: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Nisarg Shah

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Background: SGLT2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) significantly reduce cardiovascular and metabolic risk in type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. Yet real-world utilization remains inconsistent, and emerging evidence suggests that social determinants of health (SDOH) may contribute to unequal access and prescribing.Research Aims: The extent and drivers of these disparities have not been systematically characterized, so we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess whether SDOH—socioeconomic status (SES), insurance status, education, geography, and neighborhood deprivation index (NDI)—and demographic factors—race and sex—are associated with differential utilization of SGLT2i or GLP-1RA. Question: To what extent are SES, insurance …

Association Between Baseline Prostate Mri Pi-Rads And Risk Of Gleason Upgrade During Active Surveillance, Shayan Smani

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Background: Active surveillance (AS) is the preferred management strategy for men with favorable-risk prostate cancer, aiming to avoid overtreatment while preserving oncologic safety. However, a meaningful proportion of patients experience Gleason Grade Group (GG) upgrading during follow-up, reflecting either biological progression or baseline misclassification. Multiparametric prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), interpreted using the Prostate Imaging–Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS), is well established for detecting clinically significant prostate cancer at diagnosis, yet its prognostic role during AS remains incompletely defined. Specifically, whether baseline PI-RADS scores independently predict the risk of GG upgrading among men managed with AS has not been systematically …

Impact Of Pharmacologic Interventions On Cerebral Autoregulation After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, Kaitlyn Alana Stoehr

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Background: Impaired cerebral autoregulation following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) increases susceptibility to secondary brain injury from systemic blood pressure (BP) fluctuations and is associated with delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) and poor clinical outcomes. Oral nimodipine is the first-line treatment to prevent DCI after SAH but can result in BP reduction. In cases of refractory vasospasm, endovascular rescue therapy (ERT) with intra-arterial vasodilators or angioplasty may be employed. The effects of these interventions on cerebral autoregulation after aSAH are unknown.

Research Aims: To understand the impact of pharmacologic interventions on cerebral autoregulation following aSAH, we conducted two observational trials. We evaluated …

“Treatment Not Tents:" The Medicalization Of Homelessness In California’S 2022-2025 Legislative Agenda, Elana R. Straus

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Modern homelessness emerged in the 1980s due to political choices that cut the social safety net and decreased the availability of affordable housing. Medicalized views of homelessness that frame homelessness as driven by individual pathology, particularly mental illness and addiction, emerged in research, media, and politics at this time. Homelessness has persisted since and remains particularly high in regions, including California, where the housing markets are most constrained. In this context, California advanced multiple legislative changes between 2022 and 2025 that increased pathways to involuntary treatment and criminal-legal control over people experiencing homelessness. In this thesis, I demonstrate how legislators …

What You See Is What You Learn: National Variation In Emergency Medicine Residency Environments, Carlisle Topping

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Background: The evolution of Emergency Medicine (EM) residency programs over the past two decades has been marked by significant growth and changes in clinical practice environments. Concerns have emerged regarding whether recently founded programs, non-teaching status programs, and for-profit institutions provide adequate training for EM residents. This study evaluates EM training programs using clinical education outcomes such as clinical volumes, acuity exposure, and board pass rates based on key program characteristics including founding year, teaching status, hospital ownership, and program duration.Methods: We conducted an observational analysis of linked datasets encompassing EM residency data from the Accreditation Counsil for Graduate Medical …

Evaluating Outcomes Of Coronary Revascularization In Solid Organ Transplantation Candidates, Joshua Stephen Vogel

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

BackgroundKidney and liver transplantation significantly improve life expectancy and quality of life in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or end-stage liver disease (ESLD). Due to the scarcity of organs, transplant centers face high scrutiny of outcomes and employ thorough preoperative evaluation for potential candidates. Patients with ESRD and ESLD often have high comorbidity burdens, including coronary artery disease (CAD), and since transplant is a major surgery, evaluating and reducing cardiac risk is a key component of preoperative evaluation and optimization. However, the role of coronary revascularization in transplant candidates with stable CAD is uncertain, leading to variation in clinical …

Discoid Lupus: Retrospective Analysis Of Epidemiology, Clinical Features, Autoimmunity Profiles, And Treatment Patterns, Aster Workineh

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) produces lifelong morbidity through visible, functionally consequential skin disease and accrued damage. In discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE), alopecia and dyspigmentation at hair-bearing and cosmetically sensitive sites are frequently cited as major drivers of reduced quality of life1,2. Despite this burden and the risk of progression to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), CLE has no FDA-approved therapy, and treatment evidence remains limited by the small number of CLE-specific datasets and trials focused on CLE-trials. Many therapeutic decisions for CLE are extrapolated from SLE despite the fact that CLE subtypes differ in morphology, histopathology, and reported immune signatures3,4. We …