Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Mechanism Of Anticancer Action Of Bifidobacterium: Insights From Gut Microbiota, Hoang Do, Esther Asiamah, Mayanijesu Olorife, Arathi Pillai, Sakshi Patel, Ponniah Selvakumar, Sidhartha D Ray, Ashakumary Lakshmikuttyamma

College of Pharmacy Faculty Papers

Bifidobacterium has captured major attention recently because of its health benefits and extensive research highlighting its potential in cancer treatment and prevention. Evidence suggests that bifidobacterium can actively fight against various types of cancer, including those of the colon, lungs, breast, and stomach. Research indicates that several species of bifidobacterium can potentiate the action of chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation therapy in battling tumors, and reducing their adverse effects. Bifidobacteria shows its multipronged effect by modulating various immunomodulatory and inflammatory signaling pathways, potentially leading to the suppression of tumor growth. Moreover, different species of bifidobacteria are known to regulate signaling molecules …

Staff Education Program To Improve Nurses' Knowledge Of Diabetes Self-Management Education (Dsme) Toward Reducing Readmissions, Vivian Adaora Okechukwu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This project was a staff education program to enhance nurses' knowledge and skills in Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) in reducing hospital readmission. Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder that occurs as a direct result of the body's inability to produce enough insulin or the inability to utilize insulin in the bloodstream effectively, consequently accounting for life-threatening health complications. At the local organization, where diabetes is the third leading cause of hospitalization, evidence shows that it critically affects about 25% of the patient population. Also, some care providers at the organization do not have the distinctive competencies to give DSME …

Staff Education Project To Improve Management Of Depression, Maryjane Henshaw

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

I designed this Doctor of Nursing Practice staff education project to enhance the ability of primary care nurses at a mental health outpatient clinic to manage depression in patients who are non-compliant with treatment. Currently, nurses lack structured training in recognizing and addressing depression, which contributes to inconsistent care, increased relapse and readmission rates, lower patient satisfaction, and greater healthcare utilization. This project aimed to provide evidence-based education to close a critical gap in practice that affects care quality, continuity, nurse confidence, and patient outcomes. The guiding practice-focused question was: In primary care nurses at a mental health outpatient clinic, …

Music Therapy To Prevent Delirium, Melissa Combs, Heather Lewis, Dena Chapman, Adria Brown, Julia Hatfalvi, Kylee Dunton, Sarah Tuttle, Casey Glassford, Kalie Mitchell, Isabella Middei, Jennifer Hinton, Allyson Dressing

Nursing Research and EBP Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Healthy Workplace Initiative, Melissa Combs, Heather Lewis, Dena Chapman, Kelly Baker, Hanna Erdle, Briana Chauncey, Brittani Bove, Isabella Middei, Kalie Mitchell

Nursing Research and EBP Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Following The Script? Barriers And Facilitators To Nursing Adhering To Provider Orders For Pain Medication, Jarrod A. Atkinson, Angela Cavallaro

Nursing Research and EBP Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Battle Of The Bladders: Internal Vs External Catheters, Karina Rotoli, Sam Mckellar, Melissa Tatarka, Ben Gehl, Joe Santillo, Tina Holley

Nursing Research and EBP Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Effectiveness Of Motivational Interviewing In Improving Medication Adherence In Patients With Severe Mental Illness, Jill Hudson

Nursing Research and EBP Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Improving Emergency Care Through Standardized Post Event Debriefing, Kiersten Ash, Madison Boyce, Katie Dolan, Jessica Mccann, Jessica Morones, Katherine Yaworsky

Nursing Research and EBP Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Bedside Report: The Way To Go?, Taylor Augello, Jenelle Lapiana, Marsha Murphy, Jackie Nocita, Emma Raines, Olivia Spark, Katrina Uy

Nursing Research and EBP Day 2025

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Structured Education On Medication Adherence/Education In Hypertensive Patients In Emergency Medicine, Marie Alexander, Leah Calcango, Charlessa Christiano, Frank Fullone

Nursing Research and EBP Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Just Culture In The Operating Room, Jaidin Degraw, Brooke Gisel

Nursing Research and EBP Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Development Of An Ambulatory Care Complex Patient Management Process, Rebecca Dellafave, Elizabeth Carreira

Nursing Research and EBP Day 2025

No abstract provided.

In-Silico Assessment Of Aortic Valve Function And Mechanics Under Hypertension, Jason A. Shar, Philippe Sucosky

Faculty Articles

Introduction: Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is the most common heart valve disorder. While hypertension is a major risk factor, the mechanisms by which elevated blood pressure contributes to calcification are largely unknown. Given the established sensitivity of aortic valve (AV) tissue to mechanical cues, hypertension may subject AV leaflets to a stress state conducive to CAVD. To address this hypothesis, the objective of this study was to compare AV function and mechanics under normotensive (NTN, 120/ 80 mmHg), pre-hypertensive (preHTN, 125/80 mmHg) and hypertensive (HTN, 130/90 mmHg) conditions using fluid-structure interaction modeling.

Methods: AV flow and leaflet dynamics were …

“For Haitian Culture, Being Older [Is] A Blessing”: Perceptions Of Aging, Elderhood, And Dementia In A Haitian Born Sample, Melissa K. Eustache

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates how first-generation Haitian immigrants in the United States understand and interpret dementia within the intersecting contexts of culture, migration, and biomedicine. While dementia is constructed as a pathological “loss of self” and a public health epidemic, in American biomedical and popular discourse, this study examines how Haitian-born individuals—socialized within a non-Western cultural and spiritual framework—make sense of cognitive decline and impairment in ways that diverge from Western biomedical narratives. Guided by theoretical orientations from medical anthropology, including Mark Nichter’s idioms of distress, Margaret Lock’s local biologies, and neuroanthropology, this research explores how cultural models of illness, aging, …

First-Line Met Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Versus Immunotherapy ± Chemotherapy For Patients With Met Exon 14 Skipping Mutant Metastatic Nsclc, Federica Pecci, Hui Li, Alessandro Di Federico, Jia Wu, Hong Chen, Eleonora Gariazzo, Francesco Mantuano, Edoardo Garbo, Mihaela Aldea, Valentina Santo, Don Gibbons, Hai Tran, Francesco Paoloni, Guilherme Rossato De Almeida, Giulio Metro, Andrea De Giglio, Francesco Gelsomino, Xinan Wang, Marcello Tiseo, Julia Rotow, Andrea Ardizzoni, J Jack Lee, Mark M Awad, Alfredo Addeo, Lingzhi Hong, Marcelo V Negrao, Pasi A Jänne, John V Heymach, Jianjun Zhang, Biagio Ricciuti, Xiuning Le

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: First-line treatment options for MET exon 14 skipping-mutant metastatic non-small cell lung cancer vary because of differences in drug approvals and clinical experience. This study investigates factors influencing outcomes with first-line MET tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) versus immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) ± chemotherapy.

Experimental design: Clinicopathologic data were collected from patients with metastatic MET exon 14 skipping-mutant non-small cell lung cancer treated with first-line MET TKI or ICI ± chemotherapy at five centers. Primary endpoints were real-world progression-free survival (rwPFS) and overall survival (OS) to first-line MET TKI versus ICI ± chemotherapy. Subgroup analyses by clinical and tumor characteristics …

Oligomeric Cystatin C Supports The Immunosuppressive Activity Of Myeloid Cells Through Interaction With Inhibitory Receptors, Chengcheng Zhang, Yubo He, Xiaoye Liu, Jingjing Xie, Meng Fang, Xing Yang, Ryan Huang, Qi Lou, Bufan Li, Ankit Gupta, Cheryl Lewis, Marc I Diamond, Ningyan Zhang, Zhiqiang An, Cheng Cheng Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Amyloid proteins are linked to various diseases; however, their functional roles in immunity and cancer remain unclear. Here, we establish a direct link between oligomeric cystatin C-a cysteine cathepsin inhibitor and a well-characterized amyloidogenic protein-within the tumor microenvironment and the immune inhibitory receptors LILRB2 and LILRB5 on myeloid cells. We demonstrated that human LILRB2 and LILRB5, along with their murine counterpart PIRB, serve as functional receptors for cystatin C oligomers. Engagement of these inhibitory receptors by oligomeric cystatin C enhances the immunosuppressive activity of myeloid cells, leading to T-cell suppression and tumor progression. Deletion of the CST3 gene, which encodes …

Severe Myocarditis In The Pediatric Patient: A Simulation For Emergency Department Management, Prayerna Uppal, Anita Thomas, Robyn Wing, Lauren Kinneman, Cassandra Koid Jia Shin, Daisy Ciener, Jean I. Pearce, Claire Smith, Jennifer Reid, Kimberly Stone, Katina Summerford, Katherine Wolpert

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Myocarditis in a pediatric patient can present with a variety of signs and symptoms, leading to a broad differential diagnosis. Delays in the correct identification of myocarditis and the initiation of appropriate interventions can have a detrimental impact on patient outcomes. In this case, a simulated five-year-old patient with myocarditis and secondary cardiogenic shock presents to the emergency department (ED). The goals of this simulation curriculum were to familiarize trainees and ED providers with the often nonspecific presentation of pediatric myocarditis, educate the care team about crucial interventions that positively or negatively impact the patient's stabilization course, and reinforce the …

How Life Enrichment Farms Promote Independence, Health, And Well-Being Through Vocational Skills And Sensory Processing Skills, Olivia Stanek

Honors Theses

There is limited knowledge about life enrichment farms and their role in supporting individuals with disabilities. This project aimed to highlight how occupational therapy can collaborate with these farm-based programs to promote independence, health, and well-being among younger adults with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities. An evidence-informed approach and qualitative research methods were used to explore this question, including a literature review and an interview with AACORN Farms, a life enrichment farm located in Michigan. Findings were further examined through occupational therapy activity analysis to identify the vocational, sensory, and meaningful engagement opportunities embedded within the various areas …

Effect Of Freezing And Freeze-Thaw Cycles On Equine Serum Insulin Concentration: A Pilot Study, Molly Wallace, Shea Porr, Lydia O'Sullivan

Honors College Theses

Insulin dysregulation is a key component of Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS), and is often a predisposing factor to conditions such as laminitis and hepatic lipidosis. Diagnosis of EMS is most often reached through a combination of glucose and insulin measurements in equine serum. Achieving an accurate result of insulin concentration is vital for diagnosis, making proper sample handling essential. The aim of this project was to evaluate the effect of repetitive freeze-thaw cycles on equine serum insulin concentrations. Serum was collected from 10 university-owned horses and split into four treatment groups: Unfrozen, Once Frozen, Twice Frozen, and Thrice Frozen. Unfrozen …

Vitamin D Is Glucoprotective In Aging Males But Not Females, Olivia Z B Ginnard, Maria Morales, Ji Youn Youn, Yong Xu, Stephanie R Sisley

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Vitamin D supplementation is linked to many beneficial health outcomes in the geriatric population, such as decreased mortality, epigenetic aging, and fracture risk. Conversely, type 2 diabetes is strongly linked to vitamin D deficiency in older adults. However, there is a discrepancy between clinical trials in adults on the efficacy of vitamin D treatment in prediabetes and diabetes. In addition, human data indicates there may be sexual dimorphism in the effect of vitamin D deficiency on dysglycemia that is more pronounced in men. These incongruities may be due to our limited understanding of the underlying mechanisms of vitamin D in …

A Role For Gut Mycobiome And Altered Fungal-Bacterial Interactions In Women With Endometriosis†, Chandni Talwar, Ashirbad Guria, Kristi Hoffman, Scott Biest, Patricia Jimenez, Ramakrishna Kommagani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Endometriosis is a gynecological pathology prevalent in reproductive age women in which the inner uterine wall (endometrium) grows outside as ectopic lesions. The inflammation resulting from these growing implants closely associates with disease severity, causing chronic pain and infertility. Emerging studies have found altered bacterial communities in endometriosis and a causal role for gut bacteria in endometriosis. However, the role of the gut mycobiome, i.e., the fungal component of the microbiome in endometriosis is a current knowledge gap that needs to be addressed. In this study, utilizing the stool samples from women with endometriosis, we found that the gut fungal …

2025 Graduate Research Day Agenda (Pdf), Graduate Studies

Dr. Joseph M. Moerschbaecher, III Graduate Research Day

The 4th Annual Dr. Joseph Moerschbaecher, III Graduate Research Day Agenda (PDF)

From Chest Pain To Recovery: A Rare Case Of Anomalous Origin Of The Circumflex Artery From The Pulmonary Artery In A Child And The Role Of Timely Surgical Intervention, A.V. Kauk, Serezha Manukian, A.N. Arkhipov, A.V. Voitov, I.A. Soynov

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

This report highlights the diagnostic challenges and successful surgical management in a symptomatic pediatric case with anomalous origin of the circumflex artery from the pulmonary artery. A 4-year-old boy presented emergently with dyspnea and substernal pain. Coronary angiography identified the circumflex artery originating anomalously from the right pulmonary artery. Emergency surgical reimplantation to the aorta was performed, with subsequent normalization of cardiac function (EF 67% at 3-month follow-up). Although exceptionally rare, anomalous origin of the circumflex artery from the pulmonary artery requires high clinical suspicion in pediatric patients with ischemic symptoms. Early anatomical correction yields excellent outcomes, as demonstrated in …

Corrigendum To “The Usefulness Of 3d Heart Models As A Tool Of Congenital Heart Disease Education: A Narrative Review” [J Saudi Heart Assoc. 37 (2025) Article 1]

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

No abstract provided.

Improving Staff Knowledge And Competency In Saint Louis University Mental Status Dementia Screening, Arteece Noel Crum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Summary Early recognition of cognitive decline is vital to improving outcomes and maintaining patient safety across healthcare settings. The Saint Louis University Mental Status (SLUMS) screening tool assists nurses in detecting early cognitive changes; however, inconsistent administration and interpretation of the screening tool can reduce its effectiveness. A gap in staff knowledge regarding scoring, education-level adjustments, and documentation accuracy was identified at the practice site. To address this gap in practice, I developed and implemented a staff education program focusing on SLUMS administration and evidence-based clinical response to abnormal scores. The practice-focused question guiding this Doctor of Nursing Practice project …

Comparison Of Two Clinical Education Models On Confidence, Resilience, Organizational Commitment, And Stress And Burnout Of New Graduate Registered Nurses, Lenore Reilly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The transition to independent clinical practice is a stressful experience that may lead many new graduate RNs (NGRNs) to leave their first role within a year. Effective clinical education can help prepare NGRNs for the dynamic environment of the acute care setting. The purposes of this study, guided by Meleis’s transitions theory, were to determine if there was (a) a difference in confidence in NGRNs who experienced a dedicated education unit (DEU) and NGRNs who experienced a traditional clinical education model (TCEM), (b) a difference in resilience in NGRNs who experienced a DEU and NGRNs who experienced a TCEM, (c) …

Enhancing Patient Follow-Up: Creating And Evaluating Clinical Practice Guidelines On Appointment Reminders Using The Agree Ii Tool, Goretti Numfor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This report presents the outcomes of a quality improvement (QI) DNP practicum project situated at an outpatient facility. The preparation for the practicum project included a situational assessment to determine feasible changes and an appropriate strategy of change leadership. The target practice problem is missed appointments. Keeping appointments is a defining element of plans for care for medical services that require regular assessments and updates. In psychiatric nursing, reminders dictate schedules for the nurse practitioners because they indicate expected encounters and commitments. At the same time, unplanned changes could demand a change of the appointments or rescheduling. Best practice guidelines …

Enhancing Ptsd Diagnostic Accuracy Among Immigrant Patients Through Staff Education On The Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, Elijah Machogu Mabururu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This doctor of nursing practice (DNP) project is a staff education initiative addressing the underdiagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among immigrant patients. The project was developed in response to inconsistent screening practices, lack of standardized tools, and limited provider confidence in assessing PTSD in culturally diverse populations. The purpose is to equip clinical staff with the knowledge and skills to apply the HTQ appropriately and consistently, thereby improving diagnostic accuracy and supporting equitable access to mental healthcare. The practice-focused question guiding this project was: Can an educational intervention using the HTQ improve staff’s ability to identify PTSD symptoms among …

Trypanosoma Cruzi Infection-Induced Changes In Cardiac Microvascular Endothelial Cell Morphology And Function, Lyndsey N. Gisclair, Douglas A. Johnston

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Introduction. Six to seven million individuals are infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. With 12,000 deaths annually, chronic Chagas disease remains a significant global health challenge due to persistent vector transmission, increasing non-vector transmission and limited therapeutic options. Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.Gap Statement. Since its initial description more than 100 years ago, research efforts into the cardiomyopathy found in chronic Chagas disease have primarily focused on the contributions of immune cells, cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts, leaving a significant gap in understanding the …