Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Pituitary Apoplexy Presenting With Acute Onset Complete 3rd Cranial Nerve Palsy, Justin M. George, Yoona Choe, Matthew J. Boyle, Peter Maduka

Research Day

INTRODUCTION: Pituitary adenomas, arising from the pituitary adenohypophyseal cell, are commonly classified by cell type, size, and hormone secretion. Approximately 48% are macroadenomas (≥10 mm), with around 53% being prolactinomas. Despite their frequency, only 1 in 1100 individuals show clinical symptoms, making detection challenging. These adenomas pose an additional risk, with up to 27.6% developing apoplexy—a medical emergency due to acute hemorrhage or infarction leading to gland necrosis. Symptoms vary widely, including sudden headache, altered mental status, visual impairment, ophthalmoplegia, or hormonal dysfunction, depending on mass effect compression. Less commonly, the tumor invades the cavernous sinus, causing cranial nerve palsies. …

Uncommon Presentation Of A Chronic Recurrent Symptomatic Encapsulated Calcified Post-Operative Paraspinal Lumbar Hematoma: A Case Report, Shaan Sadhwani, Timothy Edwards, Antonio J. Almeda-Lopez, Brendan Swenney, Walter C. Peppelman, William J. Beutler

Research Day

Purpose:

This report highlights the uncommon presentation of postoperative recurrent calcified lumbar paraspinal hematoma. In doing so, we explore the details surrounding this phenomenon and describe the operative management utilized.

Background:

Paraspinal hematoma can be a common complication following spine surgery. However, most of these hematomas are asymptomatic and reabsorbed. There is a paucity of literature that describes the recurrence of these hematomas in a chronic setting and management when this situation is encountered. This case report describes a patient with a chronic recurrent calcified paraspinal hematoma that first developed over 4 years and then reoccurred 11 years later at …

Comparative Analysis Of Caffeine Therapy Guidelines In Neonates, Abigail E. Vangorder, Brandon Poterjoy

Research Day

INTRODUCTION:

Clinical guidelines are utilized in the effort to practice evidence-based medicine. Despite caffeine citrate’s common use in the treatment of apnea of prematurity (AOP) in neonates, there is not a commonly adopted clinical guideline for caffeine therapy. We aim to explore how variation in cited sources influences variation in published recommendations for caffeine therapy in the treatment of apnea of prematurity.

METHODS:

We utilized comparative analysis to identify qualitative variances in clinical guidelines for caffeine therapy to treat apnea of prematurity (AOP) in neonates and bibliometric analysis to identify to what degree citations vary or overlap between clinical guidelines. …

Adjunctive Therapies In The Management Of Tibial Stress Fractures: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Hunter Smith, Joshua Rogers, Merrick Wetzler

Research Day

I. Introduction

Tibial stress fractures are common overuse injuries that are a source of pain, disability, and missed time from athletic activity. There are established protocols currently for return-to-play programs, but little consensus on the use of adjunctive modalities during the recovery period to reduce the recovery period. The purpose of this review is to summarize the results of randomized controlled literature evaluating the effectiveness of modalities to reduce time to healing in posteromedial tibial stress fractures.

II. Methods

A systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar was conducted between September 2022 and July 2023, following PRISMA guidelines. The …

The Role Of Ppars During Coxiella Burnetii Infection, Kaitlin C. O'Boyle, Maria Biancaniello, Minal Mulye

Research Day

Introduction

The obligate intracellular bacterium, Coxiella burnetii is transmitted to humans via inhalation of contaminated aerosols and subsequently causes Q fever. Coxiella persists in modified phagolysosomes termed Coxiella-containing vacuoles (CCV) within the alveolar macrophages it infects. Acutely, Q fever presents as a flu-like illness; however, chronic infection is often characterized by non-curable endocarditis. Q fever endocarditis can develop years after the initial infection, indicating the bacterium's ability to survive long-term. While the specific host cell pathways Coxiella targets to achieve this long-term survival remain unknown, our lab has demonstrated that Coxiella actively manipulates host lipid storage organelles known as …

Lasers And Topical Therapies For The Treatment Of Rosacea: A Systematic Review, Jane Mundadan, Margaret Chou, Maria J. Karim, Jessica Labadie, Robin Ashinoff

Research Day

Rosacea, a multifaceted skin condition characterized by facial redness, visible blood vessels, and acne-like bumps, lacks a definitive cure. Treatment options encompass oral medications, topical creams, and laser therapy. To assess the efficacy of combining laser procedures with topical treatments, a systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. The search, which included databases like PubMed and Embase, identified 496 studies, of which 8 met inclusion criteria.

These studies, involving a total of 200 patients aged between 33.8 to 51.1 years, utilized various combinations of laser therapy and topical agents. Most commonly used lasers included pulsed dye laser (PDL), potassium titanyl …

Effects Of Mitoquinone And Dexrazoxane On Doxorubicin’S Anti-Tumor Efficacy, Le Mai An, Aakash Belsare, James Huang, Juliet Melnik, Meagan Lyons, Lloyd Yan, Lindon H. Young, Robert J. Barsotti, Qian Chen

Research Day

Introduction

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a well-known chemotherapy drug for various cancers, including breast cancer. However, DOX-induced cardiotoxicity set a significant barrier limiting its clinical application. Dexrazoxane (Dex) is the only FDA-approved drug to protect the heart against DOX-associated damage. Nonetheless, it is still arguable if Dex induces secondary malignancy. Our lab previously showed that pretreating H9c2 myoblast with a mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant, mitoquinone (MitoQ), demonstrated significantly higher cell viability than cotreatment with DOX. Still, whether MitoQ pretreatment or cotreatment would potentiate DOX’s efficacy on cancer cells is unclear. Furthermore, it is intriguing to evaluate if MitoQ’s effects on DOX’s anti-tumor capacity …

Role Of Lipid Droplets And Prostaglandine2 In Coxiella Burnetii Intracellular Growth, Maria Biancaniello, Nell Guarino, Christabelle Ayensu-Asiedu, Steve Wooten, Minall Mulye

Research Day

Coxiella burnetii is an obligate intracellular bacterium that typically infects livestock. In humans, inhalation of Coxiella results in Q fever presented as atypical pneumonia, which may relapse after a prolonged latent period, leading to potentially fatal endocarditis. Our goal is to determine the mechanisms Coxiella employs to survive long-term in the host. While the bacterium initially infects alveolar macrophages, in endocarditis patients, Coxiella is found in foamy macrophages that are rich in neutral lipid storage organelles called lipid droplets (LDs). Our previous studies show that Coxiella manipulates host LD metabolism via the Type 4 Secretion System (T4SS), a major virulence …

Improving Iol Calculators’ Total Corneal Astigmatism Predictions With Deep Learning, Jason Fink, Mathieu Gauvin, Chirag Shah, Mark Cohen, Avi Wallerstein

Research Day

Precise intraocular lens (IOL) selection plays a critical role in optimizing surgical outcomes for patients undergoing IOL surgery. Traditionally, only the anterior corneal astigmatism (ACA) was considered during IOL selection. However, the posterior corneal astigmatism (PCA), also significantly impacts vision, though it is more challenging to measure directly. Advancements in deep learning offer a promising solution. By analyzing existing ACA measurements, deep learning algorithms can predict total corneal astigmatism (TCA) with high accuracy, effectively inferring PCA and enabling more precise IOL selection.

We employed a multivariate linear regression neural network (NN) and evaluated its performance through R-squared and root mean …

Increasing Motivation In Stem Education: A Self-Talk Classroom Intervention, Tiffany L. Copeland, Richard Allen, Sofia Pham, Kristin Gagnier

Research Day

INTRODUCTION: This study examines a social-emotional learning intervention that teaches positive self-talk to high school students from underrepresented minority groups in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The setting of this study is a place-based program that immerses students in hands-on STEM activities while located in Philadelphia’s life science hub. Before taking a science assessment, students will learn to say self-talk statements such as “I will give my best effort” and “I can achieve a high score.”

METHODS: This mixed method quasi-experimental design compares pre- and post-program data using an ANOVA. Student science performance will be measured using a probe …

Sleep Quality Monitoring With Wearable Devices After Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty, Yash P. Chaudhry, Hunter Hayes, Efstratios Papadelis, Thomas Muzzonigro, Mark Lagreca, Kenneth Wojnowski, John Hobbs, Jackson Harvi, Andrew Star

Research Day

INTRODUCTION:

Patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are often subjected to immediate postsurgical pain and disruption of sleep. Recent studies have explored the role of postoperative sleep disruption using subjective assessments, however the literature on objective markers of sleep quality remain sparse. The aim of this pilot study was to assess objective measures of sleep quality in the immediate postoperative period following TKA.

METHODS:

Patients undergoing primary unilateral TKA at a level two medical center were enrolled in a prospective study in which they wore wearable sleep tracking devices (WHOOP, USA) for at least a week prior to surgery and …

Enhancing Intracellular Delivery Of Protein Kinase C Beta Ii Via N-Terminus Conjugation Of Myristic Acid-Trans-Activator Of Transcription To Attenuate Superoxide Release In Rat Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes, Alexandra Barrera, Jennifer Dang, Denise Pinto, Alexis Verwoert, Sunit Singh, Emily Andrews, Arjun Nair, Devani Johnson, Taylor Dilisi, Annam Humayun, Tameka Dean, Juliet Melnik, Mai An Le, Qian Chen, Robert J. Barsotti, Lindon H. Young

Research Day

Introduction

Protein kinase C beta II (PKCβII) activation promotes polymorphonuclear (PMN) superoxide (SO) production by phosphorylating serine and threonine amino acid residues on NADPH oxidase (NOX-2). Previous studies have shown that cell-permeable myristic acid-conjugated PKCβII inhibitor (myr-PKCβII-; SLNPEWNET) (20 µM) attenuated phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-induced PMN SO release when compared to scrambled peptides (myr-Tat-PKCβII- scram; WNPESLNTE), unconjugated peptides and nontreated controls by ~35%. This suggests an enhanced intracellular delivery of PKCβII-. Studies have also shown that SO release is attenuated via the trans-activator of transcription-conjugated (Tat; YGRKKRRQRRR) NOX-2 inhibitor (Nox2ds-Tat) (80 µM) by ~37%. There have not been evaluations of …

Lessons Learned From Protein Kinase C Epsilon Peptide Mitigation Of Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury For Post-Transplant Acute Kidney Injury (Aki) And The Key Function Of Uncoupled Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase In This Process, Taurai Augustin, Kerry-Anne Perkins, Desmond Tanoh Boakye, Yanlin Jiang, James George, Anupam Agarwal, Lindon H. Young

Research Day

Introduction

Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is marked by increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) during reperfusion, causing cellular injury. Uncoupled endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is a major source of ROS in myocardial I/R, hindlimb I/R, and kidney extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. During reperfusion, activation of protein kinase C epsilon (PKCε) enhances ROS via uncoupled eNOS due to an increased dihydrobiopterin/tetrahydrobiopterin ratio. Inhibiting uncoupled eNOS using myristic acid conjugated-PKCε peptide inhibitor (N-Myr-EAVSLKPT [Myr-PKCε-]) attenuates ROS. This study examined the effects of Myr-PKCε- in kidney I/R. We hypothesized that Myr-PKCε- will exert renal-protective effects by attenuating PKCε translocation in kidney I/R compared to …

Research For The Whole Person: 13 Years Of Research Day At Pcom, Jackie K. Werner

Research Day

In 2011, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Center for Chronic Diseases of Aging and Sigma Xi chapter jointly sponsored PCOM’s first annual Research Day. In honor of PCOM’s 125th anniversary, this poster takes a look at how Research Day has grown over the years and how the research shared has impacted many communities.

Analysis Of Oite By Subsection From 2017 - 2022 With Comparison To Abos Part 1 Certifying Examination, Nicholas Abate, Mark Lagreca, Brandon Klein, Luke Bartlett, Randy Cohn

Research Day

Introduction:

In light of recent efforts of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons (ABOS) to align the Orthopaedic In-Training Examination (OITE) with the Part I Certifying Exam, this study assessed each section of recent OITEs and compared content between the OITE exams and the ABOS part 1 exam outline.

Methods:

A cross-sectional review was performed using questions from 2017 – 2022 OITE exams. Question domains, subtopics, journal references, publication lag time, imaging modalities, and question taxonomy were reviewed for each exam section. The AAOS ResStudy online module was used to extract question …

Examining The Relationship Between Outcome Expectancies And Anxiety Severity In Patients Using Medical Marijuana, Paulina Syracuse, Stephen R. Poteau

Research Day

Many states have legalized marijuana for medical and recreational use despite it being classified as a Schedule I controlled substance. Although research regarding its efficacy is limited, one of the most common medical marijuana referral reasons is anxiety, and patients often report experiencing reductions in anxiety. Many patients have beliefs about the effects of medical marijuana, called outcome expectancies, which may differ based on previous recreational marijuana use. These beliefs may influence anxiety outcomes, but this relationship is still unclear. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between patients’ medical marijuana outcome expectancies, previous recreational marijuana use, …

Rates Of Intimate Partner Violence In A Child-Welfare Based Ipv Prevention Program, Athena R. Roca, Elizabeth Gosch, Alexa Bonacquisti, Michael B. Roberts

Research Day

Introduction:

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive problem with significant personal and public health effects. IPV is defined as acts of psychological, physical, financial, and sexual abuse between current or former intimate partners (Cameranesi & Piotrowski, 2020). According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), ten million adults experience IPV annually in the United States (NCADV, 2020). Primarily, women are identified as the survivors or victims of IPV, while men are often the persons causing harm (PCH). Research indicates that one out of every four women is impacted by IPV within their lifetime (NCADV, 2020).

Objectives:

Currently, there …

Impact Of Craniectomy Size On Complications And Outcomes: A Single-Center Experience, Nathaniel Neavling, Manisha Koneru, Hamail Iqbal, Joseph Ifrach, Clint Badger, Corey Mossop, Ajith Thomas, Daniel Tonetti

Research Day

Introduction: Decompressive craniectomy is a pervasive treatment modality for malignant ischemic stroke and traumatic injury. Minimum craniectomy size is an established TBI guideline. However, there is no consensus on optimal craniectomy sizing in relation to patient head size. Preliminary studies within the literature suggest that bone flap circumference to skull hemi-circumference ratios greater than 65% showed significantly better ICP control. Here, we examined complication rates and 1-year follow-up GOS-E in relation to patient head and craniectomy size.

Methods: Patients undergoing craniectomy for ischemic stroke or traumatic injury at a single site were analyzed between December 2013 and June 2023. Axial …

The Liebelt Attitudes, Knowledge, And Engagement Scale: The Development And Validation Of A Psychometric Test Between Rural And Urban Adults, Anna F. Liebelt, Robert A. Ditomasso

Research Day

INTRODUCTION: While the prevalence of mental illness is comparable between rural and urban populations, adults in rural locations receive mental health treatment on a less frequent basis, and when received, the care offered is of lower quality relative to urban adults. Underutilization of mental health services in rural areas is a serious, well-documented problem and has been attributed to several possible factors, including geographic inaccessibility, reduced access to appropriate or culturally competent providers, lack of anonymity when seeking treatment, and reluctance to seek help due to discrimination and stigma. However, rural individuals may also remain reluctant to initiate treatment, possibly …

Differentiating Chronic Neuropathic Rib Pain: A Case Report, Emily Andrews, Anna Klunk, Alberto Giardini

Research Day

Background: Thoracic pain can be challenging to diagnose due to a wide variety of etiologies in the area. Intercostal neuromas are a potential source of pain in the thoracic region. In the setting of blunt intercostal trauma, neuromas should be higher on the differential following rib fracture, anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome (ACNES), slipping rib syndrome, costochondritis, and visceral etiologies. ACNES and intercostal neuromas can present similarly and lead to misdiagnosis and delay in treatment.

Case Description: 69-year-old male with a complex medical history who was evaluated in the OMM Clinic at PCOM for left sided rib pain for 10 …

Nonmedical Prescription Stimulant Use, Mood Lability, And Quality Of Life Among Graduate Students, Anastasia Skliros, Donald P. Masey, Ashley Poole, Michael B. Roberts

Research Day

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is commonly diagnosed in childhood, yet research indicates that symptoms persist into adulthood for approximately two-thirds of clinical cases. Stimulant medications are the primary treatment for all ADHD presentations across developmental ages. This prospective study investigated the relationship between nonmedical prescription stimulant use (NMPSU), mood, anxiety, and quality of life among graduate college students. Quantitative data from 321 participants were obtained using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) for anxiety, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHO-QOL) measure. Four participant groups were examined: those with ADHD engaging in NMPSU, …

Examining The Effects Of A Teacher-Led Coaching Intervention On Increasing Paraprofessionals’ Use Of Behavior-Specific Praise In An Approved Private School Setting, Melanie Singh, Barry Mccurdy

Research Day

INTRODUCTION: The role of paraprofessionals in education is important as they support students in classrooms in conjunction with teachers. While the role of a paraprofessional can vary based on the needs of the school, classroom, and student, paraprofessionals are known to support students at the individual and group levels by providing academic and/or behavioral support. Despite their roles being prevalent in education, paraprofessionals may benefit from additional training methods, specifically when working with students with behavioral needs and applying behavior-specific praise (BSP) to students in the classroom setting. Research has shown that performance feedback (PF), when applied to paraprofessionals through …

Peri And Postoperative Complications Of Minimally Invasive Tubal Ligation Versus Salpingectomy For Permanent Contraception, Alexandra Mcquillen, Vaishnavi Patel, Shelby Boock, Kimberly Toumazos, Young Son, Komal Sharma, Grace Lara, Virgil Kevin Demario, Devki Patel

Research Day

INTRODUCTION

Salpingectomy and Tubal Ligation are commonly performed procedures for permanent contraception in women. Salpingectomy has been suggested to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, but its comparative operative and perioperative risks have not been well established. The objective of this study is to compare peri and postoperative complications of minimally invasive tubal ligation versus salpingectomy for permanent contraception.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of women who underwent Salpingectomy or Tubal Ligation for permanent contraception between 2018 and 2021 using data from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database. The primary outcomes …

The Covid-19 Pandemic: Predictors Of Inpatient Admission For The Severely Mentally Ill, Ashley Killoren, David Rubenstein

Research Day

Introduction: How we understand mental health and its treatment has evolved over the past century. From the 19th century to the present day, different eras have reflected how mental illness is defined, how it is treated, who is treated, and the emergence and evolution among mental health treatment facilities and standards of care. This progression over time has reflected ongoing changes to different considerations of the etiology of mental illness. Each era has also reflected changes in the environmental and socio-geopolitical climate, resulting in the emergence of representative clinical phenomena (e.g., PTSD) and demographic factors (e.g., immigration trends) that have …

Parkinson's Disease And Voice Perception: A Little Bit Louder Now!, Samantha Manes, Taylor Desimone

Graduate Student Research: Capstone Competition

This proposed study aims to address gaps in research literature on Parkinson’s disease by investigating the neural mechanisms involved in PD patients' perception of volume using electroencephalography (EEG). By examining brain activity during voice perception tasks, the research seeks to uncover specific areas within the brain that may contribute to the lack of awareness of speaking softly. Insights gained from this study could inform the development of targeted interventions to improve communication and overall quality of life for PD patients. Ultimately, the research aims to provide a louder voice to those affected by Parkinson's disease, enhancing their ability to engage …

Supporting Text And Data Analysis Across Campus From The Academic Library, Amy Kirchhoff, Hejin Shin Phd

Digital Initiatives Symposium

The ability to comprehend and communicate with text-based data is essential to future success in academics and employment, as evidenced in a recent survey from Bloomberg Research Services which shows that nearly 97% of survey respondents now use data analytics in their companies and 58% consider data and text mining a business analytics tool (https://www.sas.com/content/dam/SAS/bp_de/doc/studie/ba-st-the-current-state-of-business-analytics-2317022.pdf). This has fueled a substantial growth in text analysis research (involving the use of technology to analyze un- and semi-structured text data for valuable insights, trends, and patterns) across disciplines and a corresponding demand on academic libraries to support text analysis pedagogy and text analysis …

The Media’S Influence On Disordered Eating And Body Dysmorphia In Males And Females, Alexis Kotanidis, Jamie Vitrano

Molloy Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research Conference

The media typically refers to various means of communication that reach or influence people widely. This includes television, radio, newspapers, magazines, social media platforms, websites, podcasts, and more. Essentially, it has many ways through which information is transmitted to a large audience. The media plays a significant role in shaping public opinion, especially with regard to disordered eating and body dysmorphia in both men and women. Disordered eating refers to a wide range of irregular eating behaviors that may or may not meet the criteria for a specific eating disorder diagnosis such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge-eating disorder. …

Investigating The Influence Of Prenatal Metals Exposures On Childhood Mitochondrial Biomarkers, Z'Dhanne Williams

Molloy Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research Conference

Note: Z'Dhanne is a current Molloy student and conducted this research while studying at Columbia University - Mailman School of Public Health

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Mitochondrial health plays a vital role in the development of chronic health conditions, including neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases. Mitochondria have the unique ability to independently control replication of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depending on conditions of cellular stress, including oxidative stress. Exposure to environmental metals affects a variety of health outcomes via oxidative stress pathways. Our objective was to determine the association between prenatal exposure to metals on two biomarkers of mtDNA in child blood: …

A Persuasive Case Against Government Authority In End-Of-Life Decisions For Vegetative Patients, Helen Gizachew

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

The debate over whether the government should have jurisdiction to withdraw life support from people in a vegetative state is heating up, producing a persuasive case emphasizing the need to protect human liberty and oppose government overreach in matters of life and death. The key tenet of this argument is individual autonomy, which stresses a person's freedom to make decisions about their own life and body. Giving the government the authority to decide the fate of people in vegetative states violates this basic right, setting a dangerous precedent that undermines personal liberty and self-determination. Entrusting such decisions to a bureaucratic …

Confronting Cosmetic Carcinogens: A Proposal Regarding The Dangers Of Talcum Powder, Rachael Howell

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

The Federal Government needs to stop the import, export, mining, and distribution of talcum powder in the United States. This is an issue that affects all Americans, especially active-duty military members.

Since 2013, there have been over 38,000 lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson, which allege that their talcum-based baby powder caused cancer. The plaintiffs in the very first talc case in the U.S. have died. All four of the plaintiffs from a 2019 suit have died. Yet, the 2019 case has been reversed and remanded. The FDA has redacted the names of scientist(s) that conduct “safety tests” on talc samples. …