Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Occupational Therapy’S Role In Enhancing Awareness And Treatment Of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction In Women’S Health, Nicole Gentry

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Background: There are a variety of reasons that pelvic floor dysfunction can occur in women throughout their life, however, pelvic floor therapy is a minimally invasive and a holistic treatment option that can make significant differences (Cozean & Cozean, 2016; Moody & Fashokun, 2021; Wallace et al., 2019). Pelvic floor therapists can treat and provide interventions to help women manage symptoms associated with pelvic floor dysfunction. Currently, there is limited research on the correlation between pelvic floor dysfunction and recurrent vaginal and urinary infections. However, research suggests that recurrent infections can lead to inflammation, high muscle tone, increased tissue sensitivity, …

Motion Artifacts (Ma) At-Rest In Measured Arterial Pulse Signals: Time-Varying Amplitude In Each Harmonic And Non-Flat Harmonic-Ma Coupled Baseline, Md Mahfuzur Rahman, Mamun Hasan, Zhili Hao

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Motion artifacts (MA) cause great variability in a measured arterial pulse signal, and treatment of MA solely as a baseline drift (BD) fails to eliminate its effect on the measured signal. This paper presents a study on the effect of MA at rest (< 0.7 Hz) on measured arterial pulse signals using a microfluidic-based tactile sensor. By taking full account of the dynamic behavior of the transmission path from the true pulse signal in an artery to a measured pulse signal at the sensor, the tissue-contact-sensor (TCS) stack, an analytical model of MA in a measured pulse signal is developed. In this model, the TCS stack is treated as a 1DOF system for its dynamic behavior; MA is quantified as the displacement (i.e., BD) and time-varying system parameters (TVSP) of the TCS stack. The mathematical expression of MA in a measured pulse signal reveals that while BD remains as low-frequency additive noise, TVSP causes time-varying harmonics in a measured pulse signal. Further time-frequency analysis (TFA) of measured pulse signals validates the existence of TVSP and, for the first time, reveals its effect on a measured pulse signal: time-varying amplitude in each harmonic and non-flat harmonic-MA-coupled baseline.

Assessing Dental Hygienist’S Use Of Anxiety Reducing Practices Toward Patients With Dental Anxiety, Sara C. Steiger

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to assess dental hygienists' practices regarding anxiety-reducing techniques, their attitudes towards managing patients with dental anxiety, and the extent of their training on the topic. To collect data, an adaptation of the existing survey from the UNC Department of Dental Ecology Survey, was distributed to licensed dental hygienists. The findings of the research questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics in the form of frequencies and percentages. The results of this study indicate a substantial need for enhanced educational resources to better equip dental hygienists in managing patients with dental anxiety. Most participants do not …

Healthcare Consolidation: Effects On Corporate And Private Healthcare Facilities, Kaydence N. Mcdonald

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this thesis paper the concept of healthcare consolidation is discussed. The distinctions between small and large healthcare organizations’ structures and functions are explained first. Knowing the distinction between how the different sized healthcare organization’s function will give a better understanding to how consolidation occurs in the facilities. The benefits and challenges that small and large healthcare organizations offer is discussed next. After setting an understanding of the differences in healthcare organizations based on size this paper gives a definition of consolidation, and the forms used in healthcare organizations. It discusses vertical, horizontal consolidation, mergers, and acquisitions. Then the paper …

Brain On Drugs: The Rewarding And Punishing Effects Of Addiction And Relapse, Abby Ferrell

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Addiction is a multidimensional disorder that is heavily influenced by behavior, biology, and social interaction. These factors work together to make addiction persist and make relapse easier. Three major models of addiction are explored--behaviorism, biology, and social learning theory, which all contribute to the understanding of addiction, and their respective treatments can be individual, and when integrated. Behavior models highlight how conditioning and reinforcement contribute to addiction, while biological studies focus on dopamine changes in the brain that alter other areas of brain chemistry. Social learning theories add to the environmental cue associations that behaviorism mentions briefly. The implications that …

Nursing Education For End-Of-Life Oncology Pain Management, Anilyse Deisher, Savannah Phongsouvanh, Beau Glenn, Kaitlyn Woods

SPARK Symposium Presentations

The project addresses the lack of confidence and education among nurses in end-of-life care and pain management for cancer patients, specifically regarding ethical concerns related to hastening death. Nurses currently experience knowledge deficits in pain management and symptom control, which contributes to suboptimal care, ethical challenges, and inconsistent use of tools like RDOS and CPOT. The goal is to improve nursing confidence and their ability to efficiently manage pain and provide ethical treatment. By implementing the ELNEC training program, nurses will gain the skills necessary to assess and respond to symptoms of active death, ensuring proper care that reduces suffering. …

Barriers Of Access Of Infertility Treatment: A Literature Review, Karlee Carney, Danielle N. Craven, Aine O'Connor

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Background: Infertility is experienced by 17.5 % of the world’s adult population, and research indicates that it will only worsen. Objective: This literature review aims to highlight a few of the barriers that interfere with an individual’s ability to receive care. Methods: A search was conducted across PubMed and Embase since August 2024. Search terms such as socioeconomic status, infertility, fertility education, fertility treatment, affordability, IVF, poverty, IUI, and sterility were used. Data was extracted via an Excel Spreadsheet, highlighting the type of study, fertility treatment assessed, social determinants of health assessed, and study limitations. Results: Our research yielded 15 …

Marketing The Message: Maximizing Engagement With Digital Publications Through Social Media, Email, And Analytics, Rich Evans

AADEJ - The Communicator

This article outlines a strategic approach for professional associations to enhance engagement with their digital publications in today's digital-first environment. Drawing from the Michigan Dental Association (MDA)'s transition to a fully digital Journal, it emphasizes the vital role of marketing and analytics. Key recommendations include leveraging social media for strategic visibility (e.g., summarizing articles, tagging authors, video pitches), implementing direct email delivery to members (e.g., monthly digests, audience segmentation), and ensuring easy website integration for accessible content. The piece also stresses the importance of mobile-responsive design, clear formatting, and multimedia embedding to improve the digital reading experience. It suggests evaluating …

Coaching Authors With Generative Ai, Christopher J. Smiley

AADEJ - The Communicator

This paper outlines a systematic methodology for dental editors to coach authors in the ethical use of generative artificial intelligence (GAI). By adopting "AI-First" or "Write-First" strategies, editors can help authors refine their thesis statements and improve logical flow while maintaining human oversight and intellectual integrity. Dr. Smiley asserts that GAI should be used as a tool to enhance communication rather than replace human creativity, ensuring authors remain accountable for their final expressions.

Who Calls For Urgent Action To Ban Flavoured Tobacco And Nicotine Products

Neurosciences

No abstract provided.

Educational Interventions To Improve Pediatric Emergency Care: A Qualitative Assessment Of The Perspectives Of African Healthcare Workers, Emily A. Hartford, Chris A. Rees, Isaac Kihurani, Raana Hussain, Elena Seifert, Alexis Schmid, Tigist Bacha, Carol C. Chen, Megan L. Schultz

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Pediatric emergency care (PEC) training for health care workers (HCWs) is commonly offered in the form of short courses. This study gathers the perspectives of HCWs from eight African countries on how to best deliver and implement short training courses in PEC. This is a qualitative study using semi-structured key informant (KI) interviews. Utilizing the African Federation for Emergency Medicine (AFEM) member list serve, we identified African HCWs who had previous experience participating in and/or delivering short training courses in PEC. From this cohort, four interviewers were selected. These interviewers all received training in qualitative interviewing and then each recruited …

Multimodal Wearable Intelligence For Dementia Care In Healthcare 4.0: A Survey, Po Yang, Gaoshan Bi, Jun Qi, Xulong Wang, Yun Yang, Li Da Xu

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

As a new revolution of Ubiquitous Computing and Internet of Things, multimodal wearable intelligence technique is rapidly becoming a new research topic in both academic and industrial fields. Owning to the rapid spread of wearable and mobile devices, this technique is evolving healthcare from traditional hub-based systems to more personalised healthcare systems. This trend is well-aligned with recent "Healthcare 4.0" which is a continuous process of transforming the entire healthcare value chain to be preventive, precise, predictive and personalised, with significant benefits to elder care. But empowering the utility of multimodal wearable intelligence technique for elderly care like people with …

The Importance Of Trunk Motion In Wearable Based Infant Spontaneous Movement Analysis, Pablo Burgos

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

The characteristics of spontaneous movements in infants are essential for the early detection of neurological pathologies, with the Prechtl method being a widely recognized approach. While the Prechtl method is effective in predicting motor risks, its reliance on the evaluator’s expertise limits its scalability, particularly in low-income areas. In such contexts, the use of inertial sensors combined with automated analysis presents a promising accessible alternative; however, more research is necessary to get results comparable to those of the Precht method. This research aims to determine the more important metrics of trunk and limbs to assess spontaneous movement in healthy infants …

Cognition Is Associated With Daily-Life Mobility In People With Parkinson’S Disease, Pablo Burgos

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Introduction: Cognitive impairment is common in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Mobility is also impaired in people with PD and functional mobility often requires cognitive dual-tasking to navigate complex environments in daily life. We hypothesized that visuospatial and executive cognitive dysfunction in people with PD will be associated with digital measures of mobility in daily life. Since freezing of gait (FoG) is associated with both cognitive dysfunction and mobility impairments, we also examined the influence of FoG on the cognitionmobility relationship. Here, we investigated, for the first time, the association between cognition and dailylife mobility in PD and the influence …

Responsiveness Of Promis Measures For Hip, Knee, And Shoulder Arthroplasty, Ryan Jacobson

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Objectives: In hip, knee, and shoulder arthroplasty, there is evidence that using a broader set of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measures beyond Physical Function and Pain Interference might improve assessment of patient outcomes. However, the utility and responsiveness of PROMIS domains measuring anxiety, fatigue, sleep, and social participation have been minimally investigated in arthroplasty. This retrospective study aimed to determine the 1) responsiveness of seven PROMIS domains and 2) association between change scores for all seven domains and MCID improvement in Physical Function and/or Pain Interference.

Methods: PROMIS domains of Physical Function, Pain Interference, Depression, Anxiety, Fatigue, Sleep …

The Use Of Virtual Reality To Improve Gait And Balance In Patients With Parkinson’S Disease: A Scoping Review, Jason Brumitt

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

(1) Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that impairs balance and postural control, gait, overall motor function, and mood, and involves the gradual degradation of several physiologic systems. With limited treatments available, physical therapy (PT)-based exercise is the nonpharmacologic measure of choice. There is a growing interest in using virtual reality (VR) gaming when rehabilitating patients with various acute brain injuries and neurological disorders. The purpose of this scoping review was to examine randomized controlled trials comparing VR-based rehabilitation programs versus traditional PT at improving gait and balance. (2) Methods: PubMed, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Central Register …

Personalized Versus Fixed Tactile Cueing In Parkinson’S Disease: Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial On Gait Automaticity, Pablo Burgos

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Background

Gait automaticity, the ability of the brain to control locomotion with minimal use of executive-attentional resources, is altered in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Recently, we showed that step-synchronized tactile cueing improved gait regularity and freezing of gait in PD; however, it is not known if this cueing mode also improves gait automaticity. Thus, this study investigates the effects of step-synchronized tactile cueing (versus fixed cueing) on gait automaticity in the laboratory and during daily life.

Methods

This is a pilot, randomized, double-blinded study where sixty participants with PD will be randomized into one of two, cueing interventions: 1) …

Prevalence Of Stress Urinary Incontinence In Female Strength Athletes, Jason Brumitt

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Background: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a symptom during pregnancy and in the postpartum period, but a high prevalence of SUI is experienced in sports involving running and jumping. Objectives: Identify the scope of the problem of SUI in women participating in strength sports, movement patterns that elicit SUI, and the impact on quality of life in female athletes with SUI. Study Design: Survey mixed methods with qualitative focus groups. Methods: The International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form (ICIQ-SF) and a sport-specific and obstetric/gynecological history questionnaire were sent to women who are United States citizens, age 18-65, and members …

A Historic Case Of Relapsing-Remitting Alzheimer's Disease In An Adolescent Attributed To Scarlet Fever., Richard Lathe, Brian J. Balin

PCOM Scholarly Works

We draw attention to a historic case of a boy who suffered from scarlet fever (typically caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes) at age 7 years and went on to develop the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD). His physicians believed that the subsequent dementia was related to the infection. After death at 24 years of age, postmortem brain examination revealed abundant AD-type senile plaques and fibrils, formally confirming AD. Other potential causes of early-onset dementia are discussed, but these are distinct from patient E.H. This case is pertinent regarding the current debate about the potential role of infection in …

Development Of An Ecg-Based Deep Learning Model For Pediatric Congenital Heart Disease (Chd) Diagnosis, Annbar Mekouar

Selected Full-Text Master Theses 2021-

Congenital heart disease (CHD) stands as the leading congenital anomaly which affects pediatric populations throughout the world. The effectiveness of treatment depends on both early diagnosis and accurate identification but echocardiography requires manual interpretation which proves time-consuming and inconsistent especially when examining pediatric patients with their distinct cardiac systems. The research aims to create a deep learning-based diagnostic framework which uses ECG data to identify coronary artery disease subtypes in pediatric patients. The model uses high-quality datasets from Dr. Ignacio Lugones to extract R-R intervals and QRS durations through convolutional neural networks (CNNs). The system addresses pediatric-specific challenges while enhancing …

Preliminary Evaluation Of Bahamian Botanicals For Tropical Applications, Michelle Antoinette Outten

Selected Full-Text Master Theses 2021-

This thesis explores the phytochemical composition and cosmetic potential of three Bahamian botanicals- Mosiera longipes (MLE), Tabebuia bahamensis (TBE), and Momordica charantia (MCE)---traditionally used in local bush medicine. Methanolic and aqueous extracts were prepared and incorporated into topical cream formulations. While HPLC-DAD analysis was performed, no compounds were definitively identified due to hardware limitations; chromatographic data remain preliminary, providing a foundation for future validation. Formulations were assessed for stability under centrifugation, thermal cycling, and long-term storage. All samples demonstrated acceptable initial pH values within the skin-compatible range (4.5-5.5): BWE (5.63 ± 0.04), TBE (5.47 ± 0.02), MLE (5.72 ± 0.04), …

Weight Stigma In Physical And Occupational Therapy: A Scoping Review, Jason Brumitt

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Background: Weight stigma describes the negative attitudes held toward people with obesity. Weight bias stereotypes have been previously reported in physicians, physician assistants, nurses, registered dieticians, psychologists, and students enrolled in healthcare professional education programs. Physical and occupational therapists (PTs and OTs) are healthcare providers who evaluate and treat individuals across their lifespan. A PT or an OT who harbors weight bias may create an environment where the patient may fail to optimize their rehabilitation recovery. The first purpose of this scoping review was to identify the prevalence of weight bias in PT and OT clinicians and students. The second …

Demographic And Clinical Characteristics Of Patients With Charcot Neuro-Osteoarthropathy In People With Diabetes Mellitus In Six Countries: A Multicenter Observational Study From 1996 To 2022, E. B. Jude, C. Siafarikas, A. Rastogi, R. Bem, T. Tankova, M. -F. Kong, Javier La Fontaine, J. Pappachan, N. Tentolouris

School of Podiatric Medicine Publications

Aim: To describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with Charcot neuro-osteoarthropathy (CNO) and to examine for differences between participants with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) (T1DM) and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Materials and Methods: Multicenter observational study in eight diabetic foot clinics in six countries between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 2022. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters were obtained from the medical records. Analyses were performed using parametric or nonparametric statistical tests for variables with normally or nonnormally distributed values, respectively. Comparisons of the qualitative data were performed using the chi-square test.

Results: Seven hundred seventy-four …

Rare Case Of Osteomyelitis Caused By Achromobacter Xylosoxidans, Christopher P. Girgis, Tyler L. Coye, Elizabeth Ansert, Amanda L. Killeen, Peter A. Crisologo

School of Podiatric Medicine Publications

Achromobacter xylosoxidans is a rare opportunistic aerobe that has rarely been documented in the literature as a causative agent for osteomyelitis. It can present with antibiotic resistance, making treatment without operative management challenging. We present the case of a 51-year-old male with a past medical history of uncontrolled type 2 diabetes. The patient presented to a clinic with a grade 2 infection to the right fifth digit, as defined by the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot, and was subsequently admitted for intravenous antibiotics and operative management. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed abnormal signal of the phalanges of the fifth …

Comparative Effectiveness Of Conservative Versus Early Surgical Treatments On Wound Healing Outcomes Of Diabetic Foot Ulcers: A Literature Review, Paul Tran, Yasim Zafar, Andrea Piña, Stephanie N. Campbell

School of Podiatric Medicine Publications

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a severe complication of diabetes mellitus and the leading cause of lower extremity amputations worldwide. Peripheral neuropathy and peripheral arterial disease secondary to complications of diabetes mellitus may result in ulcers going unnoticed, increasing the risk of severe osteomyelitis, necrotizing infection, hospitalization, amputation, and sepsis. While conservative management of DFUs remains the first-line approach—emphasizing wound care, infection control, glycemic management, and offloading—there is growing debate about whether delaying simple surgical interventions worsens long-term outcomes. Surgeries such as tenotomy, digital amputation, and tendo-Achilles lengthening are minimally invasive options that can correct deformities, prevent recurrence, and promote …

Residual Next-Day Effects Of Alprazolam On Psychomotor Performance And Simulated Driving In Healthy Normal Adults, Stevie C. Roszkowski, Shanna Babalonis, Marion A. Coe, Paul Nuzzo, Michelle R. Lofwall, Laura C. Fanucchi, Sharon L. Walsh

Center on Drug and Alcohol Research Faculty Publications

The prevalence of drugged driving has increased in the United States. Some drugged driving may be unintentional as prescription medications used as sleeping aids, like zolpidem, cause impairment after the predicted duration of therapeutic action has elapsed. The aim of this study was to determine if nighttime administration of alprazolam, a drug commonly prescribed off-label as a sleeping aid, impacts driving performance the following day. Participants were healthy adults (n = 15) who completed a double-blind, double-dummy, within-subjects inpatient study examining the effects of nighttime administration of alprazolam (0.5, 1, and 2 mg), zolpidem (10 mg), and placebo on driving …

A Qualitative Study Of End-Stage Liver Disease And Liver Transplant Referral Practices Among Primary Care Providers In Nonurban America, Vashisht Madabhushi, Matthew Wright, Gabriel Orozco, Allison Murphy, Antonio R. Garcia, Natalie D. Pope, Xiaonan Mei, Alexandra Cocca, Roberto Gedaly, Meera Gupta

Surgery Faculty Publications

Purpose: In rural America, the road to obtaining a liver transplant (LTX) often starts at the primary care provider’s (PCP’s) office. Patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) in rural communities experience lower rates of wait-listing and higher mortality. This study identifies issues related to the knowledge and perceptions of ESLD and LTX referral among PCPs in rural Kentucky (KY).

Methods: The study protocol involved relying upon a semistructured outline to explore the knowledge, attitude, and perceptions of PCPs toward ESLD and LTX referral among PCPs in rural KY. Inductive thematic analysis was utilized to identify, analyze, and report themes.

Findings: …

Cardiac Injury Regulates Neuroinflammation Through Extracellular Vesicle–Mediated Heart-Brain Crosstalk, Qingxuan Li, Ramzi H. Hamdalla, Neha Dhyani, Lijun Sun, Lie Gao, Tara L. Rudebush, Irving H. Zucker, Changhai Tian

Toxicology and Cancer Biology Faculty Publications

Cognitive impairment is common in heart failure patients, contributing to morbidity and mortality. This impairment may be linked to neuroinflammation in heart failure. However, the primacy of the heart-brain axis remains to be completely understood. Here, we elucidate the potential effects of myocardial injury on pathways and inflammatory mediators responsible for cognitive impairment using a rodent myocardial injury model. The results demonstrate direct extracellular vesicle (EV)-mediated heart-brain crosstalk and the glial uptake of cardiac EVs. In addition, brain inflammation was also elicited following myocardial injury. Moreover, cardiac EVs promote brain microglial cell activation in vitro, potentially mediated by EV-enriched micro-RNAs …

A Community Effort To Develop Common Data Elements For Pre-Clinical Spinal Cord Injury Research., Britt A. Fedor, Abel Torres-Espin, Romana Vavrek, Maryann E. Martone, John L. Bixby, John C. Gensel, Vance Lemmon, Jeffrey S. Grethe, J. Russel Huie, Adam R. Ferguson, Karim Fouad, The Preclinical Sci Common Data Elements (Cde) Workshop Participants

Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center Faculty Publications

For nearly 350 years, the process of disseminating scientific knowledge has remained largely unchanged. Scientists conduct experiments, analyze the data, and publish their findings in the form of scientific articles. Since the turn of the century, this process has been challenged by numerous open science and data sharing efforts to enhance transparency, reproducibility, and replicability of scientific research. Big data approaches, together with machine learning and artificial intelligence, are frequently used to gain insight into the ever-growing complexity of biological systems and biomedical research. To utilize these approaches and harness the continuously increasing computational power requires data to be both …

Cross-Species Comparisons Between Pigs And Mice Reveal Conserved Sex-Specific Intraspinal Inflammatory Responses After Spinal Cord Injury, Reena Kumari, Gabrielle V. Hammers, Robert H. Hammons, Andrew N. Stewart, Steven M. Maclean, Tracy Niedzielko, Lonnie E. Schneider, Candace L. Floyd, John C. Gensel

Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center Faculty Publications

Objective Therapeutic translation is challenging in spinal cord injury (SCI) and large animal models with high clinical relevance may accelerate therapeutic development. Pigs have important anatomical and physiological similarities to humans. Intraspinal inflammation mediates SCI pathophysiology. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of sex on inflammation and outcomes in a pig thoracic contusion/compression SCI model.

Methods Adult (gonad-intact) male and female Yucatan miniature swine were subjected to either SCI or sham (laminectomy-only) injury.

Results SCI caused locomotor dysfunction (measured with the Porcine Thoracic Injury Behavior Score) with some recovery over 6 weeks and limited tissue sparing …