Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection In Postpartum: A Hidden Cause Of Maternal Myocardial Infarction, Riya Chhabra, Brian Renard

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a tear in the coronary artery lining which decreases blood flow to the heart. SCAD is the leading cause of myocardial infarction in young to middle aged women, especially during and after pregnancy. While SCAD is often managed conservatively, patients are prone to complications like cardiomyopathy. This case underscores the importance of considering SCAD as a differential for postpartum women with chest pain. Furthermore, this case highlights the diagnosis and management of an atypical stress-induced cardiomyopathy with global hypokinesis following postpartum SCAD. A 37-year-old female postpartum for five weeks presented to our hospital with …

The Effect Of Two Desensitizing Agents In Treatment Of Dentin Hypersensitivity In Cervical Lesions (A Randomized Clinical Trial), Hend Sayed Ahmed, Mohamed Fouad Haridy, Hoda Fouda, Sara Katarya, Youssef M. Haridy

Dentistry

No abstract provided.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Associated Perioptic Neuritis, Neud Kiros, Alina Sinha, Anant Krishnan

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Clinical History A 47-year-old male with history of stage IV gastric cancer on nivolumab presented with blurry vision worse at close distances. Binocular horizontal diplopia was found on exam. Fundus exam demonstrated 4+ disc edema and hemorrhage bilaterally. Recent head MRI was negative for leptomeningeal enhancement. MR venogram and MRI orbits with contrast were ordered as well as lumbar puncture. The patient’s next dose of immunotherapy was held. Opening pressure was normal, and MRV showed no evidence of dural sinus thrombosis. MRI of the orbits was positive for perioptic neuritis bilaterally, and the patient was started on a steroid taper …

Clinical Impact Of Prior Versus De Novo Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors Use On Motor Recovery After Ischemic Stroke, Jonathan Xi, Alexandre Mazar, Michelle Jankkowski, Jose Mendez, P Tyler Roskos

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Background: Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA), or stroke, is the fourth highest cause of death and the leading cause of disability in the United States. Although used typically as antidepressants, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) have been linked to positive outcomes in stroke recovery. This retrospective chart review evaluated differences in motor recovery with prior versus de novo Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor use in the inpatient rehabilitation setting. Methods: Participant data were obtained using a convenience sample of adult (aged 18 or older) ischemic stroke patients admitted to the inpatient rehabilitation unit at a suburban inpatient rehabilitation unit from January 1, 2016, …

Three Essays On Veterinary Drug Maximum Residue Limits, Akinbode Okunola

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This dissertation consists of three essays: the first examines the prevalence of veterinary drug maximum residue limits (MRLs), the regulatory behavior of countries in setting these MRLs, and the degree of country-level compliance with international standards of Codex Alimentarius (Codex). The second evaluates the extent to which compliance with international standards across countries can help to manage potential transmission of resistant bacterial from animals to humans through consumption of contaminated meat, dairy and aquaculture products. The third focuses on how differences in regulatory standards across countries can impact international trade in the global beef, pork, and poultry markets.

The first …

Novel Applications Of Coronary Cta In Patients With Intermediate Risk Of Cad, Ashley Armstrong, Luai Madanat, Robert D. Safian

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Background: ACC/AHA guidelines provide class 1 and 2A recommendations respectively for coronary CTA and FFRCT in patients with chest pain and intermediate risk of CAD. We present a case in which novel applications of CTA excluded obstructive CAD, identified the correct diagnosis, and allowed optimization of medical therapy. Case: In a 72-year-old male with stable angina and HEART score 6, stress ECG was positive for angina and frequent PVCs (Fig 1A). Coronary CTA (Fig 1B) and FFRCCT (Fig 1C) showed non-obstructive CAD and intramyocardial bridging/severe systolic compression in the mid-LAD (Fig 1D). AI plaque analysis demonstrated a mixed plaque burden …

Leveraging State Of The Art Simulation-Based Education To Enhance Medical Student Interest In Internal Medicine And Cardiology, Mohamed Abdalaziz, Nicholas Mitchell, Ryan Madder

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Abstract Background: Early clinical exposure plays a critical role in shaping medical student interest, and therefore choice in medical specialty. Traditional curricula offer limited opportunities for hands-on engagement with cardiovascular decision-making and procedures. Simulation-based education may address this gap by providing immersive, low-risk learning experiences. Methods: An internal medicine resident and Cardiology fellow led, faculty-supported simulation curriculum was developed for third- and fourth-year medical students using a state-of-the-art simulation laboratory. Two 75-minute sessions were conducted over a two-month period, with a total of 27 students participating. The first session included a focused electrocardiography didactic emphasizing ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) recognition, …

A Pain That Wouldn't Sleep: Osteoid Osteoma Masquerading As Lateral Epicondylitis, Madelyn Bagley, Luca Halalau, Aimee Espinosa, Terrence Metz

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Osteoid osteoma is a benign osteogenic tumor that accounts for approximately 10% of all benign bone tumors and predominantly affects adolescents and young adults. It classically presents with nocturnal pain that responds dramatically to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, a feature attributed to increased prostaglandin production within the nidus. The femur and tibia are most commonly involved, whereas upper extremity lesions are relatively uncommon. A 19-year-old male presented with nearly two years of chronic, progressive left lateral elbow pain and left wrist weakness. The pain was nocturnal, radiated along the left arm, and was markedly relieved by nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs. He was …

Opioid-Free Hernia Repair Protocol Reduces Pediatric Opioid Exposure Without Compromising Pain Control, Abigail Teitelbaum, Kristin E. Lemarbe, Diane Studzinski, Corey Shafer, Antonela Muca, Emanuela Peshel, Randall Hilleary, Anthony Stallion, Nathan M. Novotny, Pavan Brahmamdam, Begum Akay

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Abstract: Purpose: Protocolizing perioperative pain management may reduce opioid exposure in children. We designed a multimodal pain management protocol for pediatric ambulatory hernia surgery with the goal of reducing opioid use. This study evaluates the impact of this protocol on opioid use, pain control, and patient/proxy satisfaction. Methods: Our protocol utilized child life services, regional anesthesia, and non-opioid analgesic adjuncts in the perioperative period. We reviewed all pediatric ambulatory hernia cases two years before and after protocol implementation. Protocol adherence was stratified by level of opioid use: high (no opioid use), medium (opioids used intraoperatively or postoperatively), and low adherence …

Right Atrial Thrombosis In Behcet's Disease Presenting With Tricuspid Inflow Obstruction, Famta Basher Bisher, Thekrayat M. Asad, Sireen Shehadah

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Introduction Behçet’s disease (BD) is a chronic multisystem vasculitis characterized by recurrent mucocutaneous, ocular, vascular, and neurologic manifestations. Cardiac involvement is rare but can be severe, with intracardiac thrombosis representing an uncommon and potentially life-threatening complication. Management is challenging, as first-line medical therapy may be limited by bleeding risk or hemodynamic compromise. Case Presentation A 26-year-old woman with a 9-year history of Behçet’s disease presented with two weeks of progressive dyspnea, palpitations, fever, fatigue, and cough. She denied chest pain, or syncope, or lower extremity swelling. One year prior, she had been hospitalized for pulmonary embolism and was found to …

Igg4-Related Aortitis Presenting As Intramural Hematoma Of The Descending Thoracic Aorta, Sarah Ibrahim, Tejasvini Khanna, Lark Steafo, Ioannis Karageorgiou, Judith Bateman

Conference Presentation Abstracts

IgG4-related aortitis is a rare manifestation of IgG4-related disease and can closely mimic acute aortic syndromes, including intramural hematoma (IMH), on imaging. Isolated involvement of the descending thoracic aorta is particularly uncommon, and misdiagnosis may lead to unnecessary surgical or endovascular intervention. A 68-year-old man with extensive cardiovascular disease, including prior coronary artery bypass grafting, recent percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stent placement, permanent pacemaker implantation for complete heart block, and recent pulmonary embolism, presented with three days of chest pain, shortness of breath, and left lower quadrant abdominal pain. At presentation, he was receiving apixaban, aspirin, and clopidogrel. Computed …

The Effect Of Fall Prevention Programs With Hourly Rounding On Fall Rates Among Adults Patients In Neurological Unit, Oyinlola A. Ogundeji

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this QI project was to evaluate the effect of a structured hourly rounding program on patient fall rates in an adult neurological inpatient unit.

Background

Patient falls remain a major safety concern in acute care, particularly among hospitalized neurological patients with impairments in mobility, cognition, and balance. In an adult neurological unit within a Magnet-designated hospital, fall rates exceeded national benchmarks, underscoring the need for a targeted quality-improvement

Methodology

A pre–post QI design, guided by the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework, was implemented over 12 weeks in a 28-bed neurological unit. This intervention featured structured hourly rounding using the …

Bio 23 Human Anatomy & Physiology I Syllabus, Rujin Tian

Open Educational Resources

The syllabus for BIO 23 contains a course description, course objectives, course readings divided by week and a link to an OER textbook.

Bio 24 Human Anatomy And Physiology Ii, Rujin Tian

Open Educational Resources

The syllabus for BIO 24 contains a course description, course objectives, course readings divided by week and a link to an OER textbook.

Prefrontal Engagement In Cognitive Flexibility Across Paradigms, Katarina Kalajzic

Honors Scholar Theses

Cognitive flexibility is an executive function that involves dynamically adapting behavior in the face of changing environmental circumstances to achieve a particular goal. Disrupted in numerous psychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, OCD, and depression, the neural correlates of cognitive flexibility are not well understood. However, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is strongly implicated in executive function and attentional control processes. Thus, we sought to examine the neural circuitry involved in distinct cognitive flexibility tasks – the attentional set-shifting task and the probabilistic 2-armed bandit task. Through optogenetic suppression, we targeted pyramidal neurons of the rodent medial prefrontal cortex, an …

Factors Affecting Pedestrian-Vehicle Conflicts: An Empirical Analysis, Christo D. Jamo

Honors Scholar Theses

The number of pedestrian deaths increased by 78% between 2009 and 2023, while other motor vehicle crash deaths increased by 13% in the same period [1]. To identify potential pedestrian safety measures, this study analyzed the effects of location-based demographics, pedestrian phasing type, and other physical infrastructure and behavior variables on the probability of pedestrian-vehicle conflicts at signalized intersections, which is a surrogate measure of crash risk. Data were collected from 55 intersections in Connecticut, and the pedestrian-vehicle interactions were classified by severity based on the Swedish Traffic Conflict Technique: undisturbed passage, potential conflict, minor conflict, or serious conflict. Because …

From Prescription To Plate: Redefining The Pharmacist’S Role In Food Is Medicine Initiatives, Aleena R. Thomas

Honors Scholar Theses

Produce prescription (PRx) programs are an emerging Food is Medicine intervention designed to address diet-related chronic diseases and food insecurity by integrating healthcare delivery with access to fruits and vegetables. Diet-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease represent a major public health burden in the United States, particularly among populations with limited access to nutritious food. Despite growing evidence supporting PRx programs, pharmacists -- who routinely manage these conditions and monitor outcomes -- are underutilized in program implementation. The objective of this project is to translate the public health aspects of PRx programs into an accessible, …

Diagnostic Ability Of Rate Of Torque Development For Patellofemoral Pain, Arun Loganathan, Neal R. Glaviano Phd, Sungwan Kim Phd

Honors Scholar Theses

Context: Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is a highly prevalent condition (22.7% in general population) that significantly impacts the quality of life of those who suffer from it. However, there is no gold standard test to diagnose it yet, leading to inconsistencies with treatment as well as delayed intervention. Rate of torque development (RTD) is a neuromuscular measure that has shown strong connections to PFP.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the diagnostic ability of RTD for PFP.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: Laboratory.

Participants: Thirty-five individuals with PFP (24 males and 11 females, 22.7 ± 3.7 years, 1.67 ± 0.1 …

Validation Of A Real-Time Pcr Laboratory Developed Test For The Detection Of Pneumocystis Jirovecii In Bronchoalveolar Lavage Samples, Caitlyn Moon

Honors Scholar Theses

Pneumocystis jirovecii is an opportunistic, host-obligate fungal pathogen responsible for causing P. jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) in humans. PJP is treated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), a strong broad-spectrum antibiotic that carries risk of renal and hepatotoxicity. Therefore, rapid diagnosis or exclusion of PJP is crucial to ensure PJP-positive patients receive effective treatment and PJP-negative patients avoid unnecessary antibiotics. Unlike most microorganisms, P. jirovecii cannot be cultured, presenting complications for the typical methods of diagnosing fungal pathogens. Historically, the gold standard for diagnosis was direct microscopic examination with stains such as methenamine silver and calcofluor white, but this diagnostic technique requires highly skilled …

Play To Win: A Randomized Controlled Trial To Assess The Effects Of Play-Based Training On Upper Extremity Function In Children With Hemiplegia, Vivian London

Honors Scholar Theses

Hemiplegia, or paralysis of one side of the body, is the primary symptom of unilateral cerebral palsy, a subtype of cerebral palsy, the most common movement disorder in children. Standard of care is regular physical and occupational therapy to improve performance in bimanual activities, but conventional therapy can be expensive and draining for caregivers and children, so a need exists for a novel intervention that can take place at home and that is economical for families while being engaging for children. This thesis reports data from a subset of ten children seen as part of a randomized controlled clinical trial …

Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Reactions To Germ Exposure Based On The Big 5 Personalities, Elizabeth Macdonald

Honors Scholar Theses

Despite extensive didactic and clinical training, variability in adherence to infection prevention practices in undergraduate nursing students exists. Individual differences, such as personality, may help to explain this inconsistency. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which the Big Five personality traits were associated with self-reported pathogen mitigation or avoidance behavior in undergraduate nursing students. An online survey design was used with undergraduate nursing students. Participants were presented with scenarios depicting different pathogen exposures and asked to indicate their likelihood of engaging in pathogen mitigation behaviors. The Big Five personality traits were also assessed, and bivariate …

The Development Of A Crispr-Based Calibrated Functional Assay For Classifying Pathogenicity Of Msh2 And Msh6 Variants In Lynch Syndrome, Olivia N. Amodeo

Honors Scholar Theses

Lynch syndrome is a hereditary disease caused by the inheritance of a mismatch repair gene variant. Individuals with this condition are predisposed to cancer development, most commonly colorectal cancer. Current guidelines for variant classification are based on numerous evidence categories, including functional evidence. However, many novel clinical variants are not well characterized, and evidence is difficult to obtain if functional assays are not calibrated.

To address this, our lab created a calibrated functional assay that calculates an odds of pathogenicity score for MSH2 and MSH6 gene variants that can be used as evidence for classifying variants of uncertain significance. This …

Agnikarma Therapy In Management Of Plantar Fasciitis (Vatakantaka): A Systematic Review Of Ayurvedic Case Reports, Karishma Sebastian, Nidhin John, Amanda Killeen

School of Podiatric Medicine - Student Research

Plantar fasciitis is a leading cause of heel pain, commonly affecting adults aged 40–60, characterized by microtears and inflammation of the plantar fascia.

Conventional treatments (NSAIDs, corticosteroids, orthotics, surgery) often provide incomplete relief or cause adverse effects.

In Ayurveda, plantar fasciitis corresponds to Vatakantaka, a Vata-dominant condition of the heel region (Khudukapradesha).

Agnikarma, a para-surgical Ayurvedic technique involving therapeutic thermal cauterization using heated metallic rods (Shalaka), is described for disorders involving ligaments, bones, and joints with chronic pain and stiffness.

This review synthesizes clinical case reports evaluating Agnikarma as a treatment for plantar fasciitis to determine its efficacy, safety, and …

Recommendations For Sharing Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Device Data With Patients Based On Clinician Interviews, Carly Daley, Jonathan Shirazi, Tina Allmandinger, Mindy Flanagan, Stephanie Pruitt, Hung-Yeh Lin, Victor P. Cornet, Jeanne Carroll, Yi Rong Tan, Tammy Toscos, Michael Mirro

Health Services and Informatics Research

BACKGROUND Cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) capture an abundance of data that requires specific medical knowledge to interpret. Currently, there are no clear recommenda tions for sharing clinically meaningful CIED data with patients from the abundance of data in CIED remote monitoring reports.

OBJECTIVE The objectives of this study were to explore clinicians’ perceptions of clinical care gaps related to CIED data that could be improved through patient access to data and to generate recom mendations for sharing CIED data with patients.

METHODS In this institutional review board-exempt, 2-phase sequential qualitative study, 42 semi-structured phone interviews were conducted with 32 …

Adventitial Macrophage Accumulation Impairs Perivascular Nerve Function In Mesenteric Arteries With Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Elizabeth A. Grunz, Benjamin W. Jones, Olubodun Michael Lateef, Sidharth Sen, Katie Wilkinson, Trupti Joshi, Erika M. Boerman

Biomedical Sciences

Introduction: Inflammatory bowel disease involves aberrant immune responses and is associated with both cardiovascular disease risk and altered intestinal blood flow. However, little is known about how inflammatory bowel disease affects regulation of perivascular nerves that mediate blood flow. Previous work found perivascular nerve function is impaired in mesenteric arteries with Inflammatory bowel disease. The purpose of this study was to determine the mechanism of impaired perivascular nerve function.

Methods: RNA sequencing was performed on mesenteric arteries from IL10−/− mice treated with H. hepaticus to induce disease (inflammatory bowel disease) or left non-gavaged (Control). For all other studies, Control and …

When The Eagle Strikes The Vein: A Case Of Styloid-Induced Venous Sinus Thrombosis, Neud Kiros, Ahmad Chehab, Abeer Abukamil, Ali Luqman, Kamil Abu-Shaban, Mehdy Haidar, Ay-Ming Wang

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Clinical History 41-year-old male with no prior relevant medical history presented to the emergency department with severe neck pain and occipital headaches radiating bilaterally to the temporal regions. He also reported diplopia and “tunnel vision.” He had presented two weeks earlier with similar symptoms and was advised outpatient follow-up. Initial CT head and cervical spine were unremarkable. Imaging Findings Brain MRI/MRV demonstrated heterogeneous signal and enhancement in the left transverse and sigmoid sinuses and jugular bulb, initially thought to reflect possible motion artifact. However, CT venography was recommended for further assessment. The MRI also showed subtle left posterior occipital subdural …

Diffuse Marrow And Orbital Fat Signal Abnormality Mimicking Infiltrative Disease: A Case Of "Flip-Flop" On Mri, Mehdy Haidar, Alexander Pietroski, Kamil Abu-Shaban, Anant Krishnan

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Clinical History A 68-year-old male with a history of left tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma treated 5 months ago and reportedly negative recent PET and CT scans of the neck and body with eye pain with possible but uncertain remote history of trauma was sent in for imaging of the orbits. The patient has a feeding tube and was recently hospitalized and discharged for tube obstruction. Imaging Findings Orbital imaging revealed diffuse signal alterations involving the orbital and scalp fat, and marrow, characterized by low signal intensity on T1WI and high signal intensity on T2WI. In particular on the STIR sequence, …

Combined Middle Meningeal Artery Embolisation And Subdural Evacuation Port System Drainage For Chronic Subdural Haematoma: A Systematic Review, Single-Arm Meta-Analysis, Meta-Regression, And Cost-Benefit Analysis, Shiva A. Nischal, Santosh Guru, Shaan Patel, Ashviniy Thamilmaran, Mary Murphy

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Chronic subdural haematoma (cSDH) is an increasingly prevalent condition in older, anticoagulated, and medically frail patients, in whom recurrence and perioperative risk remain substantial despite standard surgical evacuation. Growing recognition of cSDH as an angiogenic, inflammatory disorder has prompted interest in minimally invasive strategies that combine mechanical decompression with targeted modulation of the underlying vascular pathology. This study aimed to evaluate the safety, effectiveness, and health-economic profile of combined middle meningeal artery embolisation and subdural evacuation port system (MMAE-SEPS) drainage for cSDH, compared with conventional burr-hole evacuation.

METHODS: MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL were searched from inception to 24th August …

Participant Recruitment, Baseline Characteristics And Burden Of Cardiometabolic Risk Markers Among Adults With Prediabetes In Kenya: Insights From The Fermented Foods And Prediabetes Study, Rosebella Iseme, Alex Muia, Jacob Shabani, Samuel Mucheru, Catherine Gathu, Eliphas Gitonga, Redempta Mutisya, Peter Kioko, Jalal Safipour, Cornelia Witthöft

Population Health, East Africa

Aims

Methods

Results …

Prevalence And Determinants Of Fully Vaccinated Status For Covid-19 Among Pregnant Women In Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, And Pakistan, Vaishnavi Mathur, Jessica Schue, Berhaun Fesshaye, Prachi Singh, Emily Miller, Caroline Badzi, Emefa Modey, Marleen Temmerman, Ferdinand Okwaro, Renato Souza

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

Maternal immunization provides essential maternal and fetal protection for several infectious diseases. The variability in vaccination guidelines for pregnant women across countries and through the course of the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the perception of both the general public and broader health care systems towards COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy and moreover shaped the accessibility and decision-making trajectory of pregnant women to become fully vaccinated. As part of a larger multi-country, mixed-methods study, the purpose of this cross-sectional analysis is to assess what factors are associated with pregnant women being fully vaccinated for COVID-19 in Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, and Pakistan. In each …