Research Methods in Life Sciences Commons^™

Athletic Trainers’ Motivations For And Satisfaction With Transition To The Physician Practice Setting, Abigail G. Overstreet, Nicolette A. Harris, Cailee E. Welch Bacon

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

An increasing number of athletic trainers are transitioning from traditional settings, such as secondary schools, colleges, universities, and professional sports, to physician practice. Although research suggests athletic trainers may be changing settings in search of better working conditions, little is known about their motivations for and satisfaction with the setting transition. The objective of this research was to explore athletic trainers’ motivations for and satisfaction with transition to the physician practice setting. A qualitative design was used to collect and interpret data. Eleven certified athletic trainers (6 women, 5 men; age 1⁄4 38.5 6 10.0 years) who transitioned from a …

Trust, Culture, And Conversation: How Athletic Training Leaders Navigate High-Stakes Interactions, Nicole A. Wilkins, Ashley B. Thrasher, Ericka P. Zimmerman

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Introduction: Engaging in difficult conversations is central to leadership growth and requires sustained effort to refine and strengthen these skills. Leaders not only need to navigate the complexities of their role within an organization, but also the intersectionality of interpersonal dynamics, emotional intelligence, structural hierarchies, and the nuanced environments that influence how communication occurs. Furthermore, leaders must adapt to role expectations that shift across clinical, academic, and administrative contexts, adjusting their approach to engaging in conversations based on these complexities. As part of a larger research project examining difficult conversations, this portion of the study explored how leaders in athletic …

Integrating Wearable Technologies Into Athletic Training: Bridging Innovation And Clinical Practice, Michael Douglas

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Athletic training is entering a transformative period driven by the convergence of wearable technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced biomechanical modeling. Historically, wearable technology in sport was primarily used for performance tracking, including workload monitoring, heart rate assessment, and movement quantification. However, advances in sensor accuracy and data analytics have expanded the clinical relevance of wearable systems, allowing athletic trainers to monitor fatigue markers, movement asymmetry, and neuromuscular control patterns that inform injury risk and rehabilitation progression. Wearable sensor technologies provide objective data that can support clinical decision-making when integrated with traditional evaluation methods.¹Despite these advancements, wearable technologies present persistent …

Recurrent Lateral Patellar Dislocation After Mpfl Repair With Subsequent Tibial Tubercle Anteromedialization And Concomiant Mpfl Reconstruction, Jacob Hardy, Anthony Thomas Drazick, Joshua Pratt, Jeremy M. Burnham

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Introduction: Patellar instability is a common knee pathology, particularly among adolescents and young adults, with reported incidence rates ranging from 7 to 77 per 100,000 person-years. Following an initial patellar dislocation, recurrence rates have been reported as high as 86%, particularly in patients with underlying anatomic risk factors. Identification of the multifactorial contributors to patellar instability is critical to guide appropriate management and prevent recurrent episodes. Common pathoanatomic factors associated with recurrent instability include trochlear dysplasia, patella alta, lateralized tibial tubercle, coronal or torsional malalignment, and abnormal patellar shift. This case report describes a patient who presented with a chronic …

Improving Entry-Level Athletic Training Student Confidence In Emergency Care: A Pilot Study, Michele Pye, Cade Watts, John Hunt, Kimberly Pritchard

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Introduction: Immediate and emergency care is essential to athletic training education and clinical practice. Athletic training students (ATS) may have limited exposure to emergencies during their clinical experiences, which can undermine their confidence. AT educators can improve ATS confidence and clinical reasoning using a simulation-based, learner-centered SNAPPS approach. SNAPPS consists of Summarizing the history and findings, Narrowing and Analyzing the differential diagnoses, Probing peers about uncertainties or confusion, Planning management, and Selecting case-related knowledge gaps for self-directed learning. This empowers students to control the learning environment while adding realism to encounters. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine …

Performance On The Timed Single-Leg Step-Down Test Is Correlated With Hip And Knee Biomechanics As Measured By 3d Markerless Motion Capture, Ghislain Aminake, Anthony Drazick, Christ Focht, Chloe Roy, Emily Clark, Savannah Knighton, Edward Austin, Jeremy Burnham

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Introduction: The timed single-leg step-down (SLSD) test is widely used in clinical and sports settings to assess lower extremity function and injury risk, yet the specific biomechanical determinants of performance on this test remain poorly understood. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between performance on the timed SLSD test and hip and knee biomechanics captured by a markerless 3-D motion-analysis system. Methods: Twenty (20) healthy high school athletes with no recent history of lower extremity injury completed a 60-second timed single leg step down test. The number of quality SLSD repetitions (REPS) constituted their SLSD score. …

Beta-Casomorphin7 Detection In Milk From Dairy Species And Beta-Casein Protein Characterization In Cattle From Selected Provinces In The Philippines, Angelo M. Tapia, Cynthia R. Oliveros Maria, Queennie Hope D. Umipon, Hazel Marie E. Nicolas, Naoya Ogawa, Yasuyuki Kitaura

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

This study was conducted to detect β-casomorphin7 (BCM7) in dairy animals and to characterize the β-casein (CSN2) genotype among dairy cattle breeds in the Philippines. A total of 59 dairy animals, composed of 35 cattle (12 Holstein Sahiwal [HS16 Jersey × Holstein Friesian [JHF], and 7 Siquijor Native Cattle [SNC]), 15 buffaloes (Bulgarian Murrah and Brazilian Murrah), and 9 goats (Saanen and Anglo-Nubian) were collected with milk samples. Milk protein was extracted and subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS) analysis after stimulated gastrointestinal digestion. BCM7 was detected in cattle with an average concentration of 0.322 + 0.080, whereas …

Design And Functionalization Of A Hierarchical Cu-Btc/Zeolite A4 Composite With Tannic Acid For High-Performance Heavy Metal Removal: Synergistic Adsorption Mechanisms, Kinetic Insights, And Reusability Evaluation, Samar A. Salim

Nanotechnology Research Centre

This study presents the development of a novel multifunctional adsorbent Cu-BTC (HKUST-1)/Zeolite A4 composite functionalized with tannic acid—for the efficient removal of toxic heavy metal ions (Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Cr(VI)) from aqueous solutions. The composite was synthesized via a solvothermal process and systematically characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM-EDS, and BET surface area analysis. The resulting material exhibited a high specific surface area (1050 m²/g), a hierarchical pore structure, and a homogeneous distribution of active sites. Batch adsorption experiments revealed superior adsorption capacities of 220 mg/g for Pb²⁺, 180 mg/g for Cd²⁺, and 150 mg/g for Cr(VI) at pH 6, surpassing those …

Humanity Is Evolving Its Consciousness: The Role Of Archetypal Energies As Guides During An Unfolding Weeding Out And Alignment Process, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

Humanity is evolving its consciousness at individual and collective levels.  Given these seemingly tumultuous times, as of this writing (January 2026), to make such a statement may sound like a strange thing to say.  However, I suggest that if you are alive today and if you are reading these words, these are the very times for which you were born—to assist Humanity as it evolves its consciousness with your unique gifts, whatever they may be.  That is, this period of our individual and collective human being-ness may be characterized as an unfolding period of weeding out and alignment with the …

Mechanical Characterization And Modeling Of Rat Myocardia Under The Influence Of Epirubicin, Abdallah Mahmoud Alkhaiyat

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer remains a predominant health challenge that is responsible for a significant portion of global morbidity and mortality. Epirubicin (EPI), a chemotherapeutic anti-cancer drug, has shown remarkable efficacy in combating various malignancies. However, it is known to have undesirable side effects on the heart, collectively referred to as cardiotoxicity. This research investigates the adverse effects of chemotherapy on cardiac contractility through an in vitro examination of the mechanics of healthy and infarcted animal heart tissues. Electrically stimulated slices of rat ventricular tissue were tested using an isometric force measurement tissue bath. The tissue slices were subjected to uniaxial stretching, allowing …

A Simple And Affordable Protocol To Assess Censer Seed Dispersal: First Confirmation Of The Mechanism In The Genus Solanum, Abigail J. Motter, Christopher T. Martine, Melody P. Sain

Faculty Journal Articles

The censer seed dispersal mechanism, whereby mature fruits are retained on plants and seeds dispersed by mechanical shaking, is among the most specialized wind-aided seed dispersal strategies employed by the flowering plants. An efficient, affordable, and easily repeatable protocol for determining whether a species uses this unusual mechanism of seed dispersal is lacking. Our focal species, Solanum tudununggae, is one of just two Solanum species (in a fleshy-fruited genus of ca. 1200 species) hypothesized to use this dispersal mechanism as a means to move seeds farther from parent plants than would gravity alone.

20% Caloric Restriction Did Not Impact Bone Health Nor Exercise-Induced Elevations In Bone Mass In Young Female Rats, Ken D. Sumida, Brady Slater, Haley Folta, Kassandra Lee, Sarina Karwande, Quinton Wong, S. Victoria Jaque, Frank Frisch

Health Sciences and Kinesiology Faculty Articles

The purpose of this study was to determine if a 6-week 20% caloric restrictive (CR) diet, with or without resistance training, would impact bone health in growing young female rats. Forty female rats (~ 5 wks old) were randomly divided into the following groups: baseline (n = 8), sedentary fed a normal diet (N, n = 8), sedentary fed a 20% CR diet (D, n = 8), resistance trained fed a normal diet (NT, n = 8), and resistance trained fed a 20% CR diet (DT, n = 8). The exercise groups were conditioned to climb a vertical ladder …

Factors Affecting Detection Of A Cryptic Ambush Predator Using Camera Traps, With Implications For Snake Monitoring, Sarah Elizabeth Ebert

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Camera traps are becoming increasingly popular in wildlife research because they can be deployed for long time periods with little maintenance and are much less invasive than traditional trapping methods. However, they are primarily used to study large mammals and have not been extensively tested for snake species, many of which are cryptic and understudied. The Adapted-Hunt Drift Fence Technique (AHDriFT) arrays were designed to improve detection of herpetofauna by attaching camera traps to drift fences. In the summer of 2022, we installed 20 AHDriFT arrays at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in coastal South Carolina where we …

Systematics Of Disk-Winged Bats (Thyroptera), Courtney L. Klumpp

Capstone Showcase

This thesis investigates the evolutionary relationships among disk-winged bats in the genus Thyroptera, a small group of Neotropical bats known for the adhesive suction disks on their wings and feet that allow them to roost inside tightly rolled leaves. The distinctive morphology and behavior of these bats have not been extensively documented, and their phylogenetic relationships remain only partially resolved. The goal of this research is to better understand how these species are related to one another and to determine whether the five recognized species of Thyroptera form a single monophyletic group. To address this question, morphological and genetic …

Parasite Party: Investigating Ecological Drivers Of Trematode Parasite Prevalence Across The Isles Of Shoals, Aimee D. Bousquet, April Blakeslee, Amy Fowler, David Buck

UNH URC Open (2026 and after)

Parasite Party: Investigating Ecological Drivers of Trematode Parasite Prevalence Across the Isles of Shoals

Disrupted Circadian Rhythms Affect Hallmark Pathologies In Alzheimer’S Disease-Related Mouse Models, Valeria Buzinova

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease with two hallmark pathologies: extracellular amyloid-b (Ab) and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Ab is proteolytically processed from amyloid precursor protein (APP) by b-secretase and g-secretase as a monomeric peptide prone to aggregation. Eventually, the aggregate-prone monomers will form dense plaques that are difficult to break down and remove. These plaques begin to deposit into the cortex decades prior to the formation of NFTs and the onset of cognitive decline. NFTs are comprised of hyper-phosphorylated tau. Tau is a protein that serves to promote and stabilize the formation of microtubules. The formation of …

Magnesium-Based Metal Matrix Nanocomposite Implants And Nanobubble-Based Delivery Systems: Integrated Strategies For Bone Loss Treatment With Cytocompatibility Evaluation, Lucas José Martinho Bizuti

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis intends to investigate the development of different multimodal therapeutic strategies for combating bone loss. Most specifically, this paper will emphasize the utilization of Magnesium-Based Metal Matrix Nanocomposite Implants (MMNC) and Nanobubble-Based Delivery Systems as options for future treatment focus. The effects of biodegradable magnesium implants were evaluated for cytotoxicity and cytocompatibility via Hematoxylin and Eosin, and Masson’s Trichrome staining, as well as radiological images. The Nanobubble-Based Delivery System is being developed and optimized as a delivery system to target osteoclast activity. This paper focused on optimizing experimental parameters, which include Rotational speeds for nanobubble stimulation under microgravity conditions …

A Cross-Species Meta-Analysis Of Environmental Enrichment Effects On Cognition, Greg S. Fitzgerald

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Environmental enrichment --providing animals or people with stimulating, complex surroundings --consistently improves cognitive performance in laboratory rodents. But when similar interventions are tested in humans, the benefits are much smaller. Understanding why matters: if researchers overestimate how well rodent findings will translate, it can mislead expectations for human cognitive interventions.

This dissertation presents the first cross-species meta-analysis comparing environmental enrichment effects on cognition between rodent and human studies. Drawing on 121 studies (71 rodent, 50 human) contributing 478 effect sizes, the analysis used multilevel models with variance correction to account for the statistical dependence created when studies report multiple outcomes. …