Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Cholesterol Effect On The P-Glycoprotein Conformational Dynamics, Zane Bunn

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

P-Glycoprotein (Pgp) is a human efflux pump that belongs to the ABC transporter family. This protein consists of two transmembrane domains (TMD) that convert between inward to outward facing configurations to remove a wide variety of structurally different compounds from the intracellular membrane into the extracellular space using ATP.  This non-specific efflux of compounds has brought Pgp to scientific light as having a major role in multi-drug resistance of many diseases, and researchers are focused on developing a deeper understanding of the protein. To further this understanding, this study analyzed how the structure of Pgp is affected by a 10% …

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Quality Housing, Education And Healthy Environment In 48219 Reflection, Dina Charara, Edward Hill, Michelle El-Sayah, Zaid Jani, Joseph Gjonaj, Zaynab Lughmani, Maxwell Braker, Melanie Cohn

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Healthcare Access, Food Desert, And Transportation, Charmaine White, Nicholas Cominos, Hassan Yassine, Nicholas Saeedi, Maria Pacheco Martinez, Miranda Baumbick, Turner Tomatti, Ariel Wallace

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Sdohs: Environment, Food Scarcity, Community, Leigha Diegel, Ryan Smith, Haidy Aziz, Timothy Zhu, Lauren Timmer, Christian Smolen, Tavan Zadeh, Danielle Foster

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Education, Built Environment, And Access To Primary Care, Parita Patel, Sarah Haidar, Laura Flores, Dane Hubers, Faris Mahjoub, Daniel Serpas-Medina, Sahana Oglesby, Kris Shah

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Minimizing Musculoskeletal Injury Risk In Health Care Professionals With Education On Physical Activity Recommendations, Emma H. Foran

Honors College Theses

Working in healthcare settings that require patient handling is physically demanding - over 80% of providers involved in patient handling report work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Injuries or exacerbation of a previous injury may occur if the individual cannot tolerate heavy workloads. Injuries that cause lost work time or work restrictions impact the healthcare team, may alter quality of life, and impact employee income. A practical way to minimize these effects is to prevent WMSDs. Training providers to use proper body mechanics, practice patient handling, and engage in regular exercise designed to increase muscular strength and endurance through resistance training improves …

Community Vitality: Establishing Blue Zone Based Education For Elementary Students, Eliza G. Heinrich

Honors College Theses

Blue Zones are areas of the world where people live longer and healthier lives. These areas share several key characteristics called the Power 9 (Buettner & Skemp, 2016). The goal of this study was to increase general knowledge of Blue Zones as well as the implementation of healthy habits to increase the longevity of the population of Calloway County, Kentucky through educational sessions of elementary students. Researchers involved in this study asked participants to fill out a pre-test to gauge knowledge of Blue Zones. Participants then underwent several educational sessions and activities surrounding the Power 9. Participants were then asked …

Advances In Glp-1 Receptor Agonists Delivery Systems For Obesity And Diabetes, Mehrnaz Abbasi, Kai Sun, Kevin W Huggins, Braeden Heath, Hannah Deloit, Lauren Mcginness, Kate Mccamy

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Obesity and diabetes are chronic metabolic diseases affecting millions worldwide. Current treatments, including lifestyle changes, medications, and surgery, face challenges like poor adherence and side effects. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are recommended innovative medications for these conditions, with studies showing significant clinical benefits. GLP-1RAs are traditionally delivered orally or via subcutaneous injections, but these methods have limitations, including low bioavailability, poor solubility, the need for high doses, gastrointestinal side effects, and frequent dosing requirements. Novel delivery technologies offer promising strategies to overcome these challenges and enhance therapeutic effectiveness. Recent advances in drug delivery technologies, including nanocarrier- and microcarrier-based systems, …

Significantly Elevated Procalcitonin In Aki Reliable Or Not Reliable?, Sally Othman, Sujata Kambhatla, Chadi Saad

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Introduction Procalcitonin (PCT) is a biomarker that helps distinguish bacterial infections from other causes of infection or inflammation and can be used as a helpful adjunct to clinical judgment to resolve diagnostic uncertainty. However, the reliability of procalcitonin goes down when a patient has Acute kidney injury (AKI). Yet is there any significance for procalcitonin if it is extremely high, in hundreds, same in our patient, despite the patient in AKI and can PCT still be used to help determine mortality along with all other markers, or independent from other markers. Case report 36 years old male with PMH of …

Device And Patient-Related Complications Of Renal Denervation For Resistant Hypertension: A Post-Marketing Analysis Of The Fda Maude Database, Sai Tharun Reddy Gopannagari, Kesava Manikanta Achuta, Divya Ganisetti, Towfiqul Chowdhury, Chadi Saad

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Background: Renal denervation (RDN) has re-emerged as an adjunctive therapy for resistant hypertension following recent FDA approvals of ultrasound- and radiofrequency-based systems. While contemporary randomized trials report a favorable safety profile, real-world post-marketing data may capture a broader spectrum of complications. Methods: We queried the FDA Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database from inception through December 22, 2025, using product code ‘QYI’ and brand names ‘Paradise’ (Recor Medical) and ‘Symplicity Spyral’ (Medtronic). Reports describing RDN procedures for resistant hypertension were included. Events were manually reviewed and categorized as vascular, device-related, hemodynamic/arrhythmic, neurologic, or other. When multiple events occurred …

A Qualitative Exploration Of How Spanish-Speaking Latino Parents Communicate With Their Adolescent Children About Substance Use, Diana Karina Diaz

Doctoral Dissertations

Substance use during adolescence remains a significant public health concern, particularly within Latino communities where cultural values, family dynamics, and communication patterns play a central role in youth development. This qualitative study explored how Latino parents communicate with their adolescent children about substance use, the strategies they use for prevention, and the cultural and contextual factors that shape these conversations. Using a focus group design, data was collected from four focus groups consisting of two groups of Latino mothers (n = 10) and two groups of Latino fathers (n = 9). A thematic analysis revealed six primary themes: (1) parent–child …

Tiny Tusk Internship: Gut Instincts: A Review Of Literature On The Impact Of Breastfeeding On The Infant Gut Microbiome, Rayla Payne

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate both the short- and long-term benefits that breastfeeding has on the infant gut microbiome. The PICOT question was: In full-term infants, how does exclusive breastfeeding compared to mixed or formula feeding influence the diversity and composition of the gut microbiome throughout the first 12 months of life? For this research, EBSCOhost, CINAHL, and the National Library of Medicine databases were searched to find relevant studies and systematic reviews. Terms such as “breastfeeding and infant gut microbiome” were used to conduct the search. Other terms used included “breastfeeding OR formula feeding”, “human …

Total Intravenous Anesthesia Versus Inhalation Anesthesia For The Prevention Of Post Operative Nausea And Vomiting: A Comprehensive Literature Review, Francesca A. Diflorio

Nursing Undergraduate

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common complication defined as the occurrence of nausea and/or vomiting within the first 24–48 hours following surgery. While nausea represents the subjective urge to vomit, vomiting involves the physical expulsion of gastric contents; both remain among the most distressing postoperative complications, strongly associated with the type of anesthesia administered. According to Timerga and Befkadu (2024), the incidence of PONV ranges from 25% to 30% in the general surgical population and may increase to as high as 80% among high-risk patients. Complications resulting from PONV can further prolong recovery and negatively impact patient outcomes, …

Bridging Care Gaps For Sickle Cell Disease: Examining Case Management And Healthcare Utilization., Lindsey Page

Doctor of Social Work Capstone Projects

Individuals living with sickle cell disease (SCD) experience complex medical and social needs, including high emergency department (ED) utilization, fragmented care, and systemic inequities. Disease-specific case management has emerged as a promising strategy to improve care coordination, patient outcomes, and healthcare efficiency. This mixed-methods case study examined the impact of disease-specific case management on healthcare utilization, patient-reported outcomes, and healthcare providers’ perspectives. Quantitative analysis evaluated the impact of disease-specific case management on ED and inpatient admissions, healthcare-related costs, and the length of stay for inpatient admissions. Qualitative data were collected using interviews with patients and healthcare providers, exploring utilization, bias, …

A Word From The Writing Team (May 2026), Pam Walter, Mfa, Laura Deloretta, Phd

A Word From the Writing Team (Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

The Physiological And Psychological Effects Of Social Media Addiction: A Mixed Methods Study, Ella M. Roper

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

Objectives: This study sought to examine the physiological and psychological effect of social media addiction displayed through sleep quality, cortisol levels, heart rate, and emotional affect in students at the University of Arkansas.

Methods: Seven adults (Age range = 18-21; 100% female) participated in a mixed-methods study investigating social media addiction across a two-week period. Sleep quality and duration were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Participants provided saliva samples which were used to quantify cortisol levels. For two weeks, participants were asked to spend at least ten minutes on social media daily and to report their …

The Effect Of Facial Adiposity On Hypothetical Medical Treatments As A Function Of Disgust, Lindsey Duran

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Perceivers are capable of estimating the health of individuals through cues to facial adiposity, with such inferences having accuracy in recognizing worse chronic health among those exhibiting greater adiposity. Nonetheless, these inferences could extend beyond health assessments into subsequent anti-fat prejudice based on perceptions of such individuals as pathogenically threatening. Although potentially functional in ancestral contexts, modern healthcare settings could render this functional stigmatization a liability that results in worse medical care toward those with higher adiposity. In this study, I tasked medical workers to evaluate male and female hypothetical patients at high and low levels of facial adiposity, particularly …

Exploring Exercise Motivation And Mental Well-Being In College Students, Elaine M. Lindesmith, Anqi Deng Dr

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study examined the relationship between physical activity, exercise motivation, and mental well-being among 48 undergraduate students at the University of Arkansas. Guided by Self-Determination Theory, the study used survey data to measure depression, anxiety, physical activity, and open-ended exercise motivation responses. Motivation responses were coded as autonomous or controlled.

Results showed that physical activity was weakly and negatively related to depression and anxiety, but these relationships were not statistically significant. There were also no significant differences in mental health between autonomous and controlled motivation groups, and motivation did not significantly predict mental health outcomes in regression analyses. Overall, the …

Exploring Sexually Explicit Material Literacy In Compressive Sex Education, Ashton Payne

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: Adolescents increasingly encounter sexually explicit material (SEM) through digital media, often before receiving formal instruction about sexuality, relationships, or consent. This early and unmediated exposure has prompted growing interest in pornography literacy as a necessary component of comprehensive sex education (CSE). Purpose: This literature review synthesizes empirical research published between 2015 and 2025 examining pornography literacy pedagogy, its implementation within CSE, and its documented impacts on adolescent knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Methods: The University of Arkansas’s OneSearch served as the primary search engine, drawing from major academic databases including ProQuest, PubMed, Web of Science, JSTOR, and …

When Optimal Therapy Becomes High Risk: A Risk-Benefit Framework For Beta-Lactam Desensitization In Life-Threatening Mssa Infection, Rana Amoush, Aaron Kobernick

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Background Beta-lactam antibiotics are preferred for invasive methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infections, especially those involving prosthetic material. Management is challenging in patients with severe beta-lactam hypersensitivity, as alternative agents may be less effective or poorly tolerated. Limited guidance exists on reassessing desensitization risk when second-line therapies become untenable. Purpose To present a case-based risk-benefit framework for evaluating beta-lactam desensitization in medically complex patients with life-threatening MSSA infections. Methods We retrospectively reviewed a patient with recurrent MSSA prosthetic graft infection and severe beta-lactam hypersensitivity. Clinical decision-making was analyzed using a structured risk–benefit framework incorporating infection severity, therapeutic superiority of beta-lactams, tolerance …

An Evaluation Of Leading Indicators In The Construction Industry And Their Relationship With Incident Rates, Kitti Miller Whalen

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Improving safety programs has been a focus of organizations for decades. Historically, focus has been directed towards lagging indicators such as recordable incident rates and experience modification rate (EMR). While these remain beneficial, they are only one component of the broader framework. In recent years, companies have started to examine what occurs prior to an incident, which are known as leading indicators. The research into leading indicators is promising, however research into the area is limited. The focus of this study is to identify which leading indicators are most strongly associated with improved incident rates in the construction industry specifically. …

Grace Under Pressure: An Analysis Of School Administrator Personal And Professional Stress And Self-Efficacy, Andrew Mcdaniel

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Indiana public school administrators are one of the most important factors for a school’s academic success. If those administrators are effective, they can help maintain an excellent school’s academic success or perhaps even turnaround a failing school. Without a doubt, their performance is critical for a school’s success. If they have confidence in their ability to help create positive outcomes, their school can achieve great things. Unfortunately, assistant principals and principals are facing significant challenges, not only from schools, but also at home. How do these personal and professional stressors affect their sense of self-efficacy? The purpose of this study …

Exploring The Impact Of University-Recognized Spaces On Racial Battle Fatigue Among Black Faculty & Staff At Historically White Institutions, Tiffany M. Courseault

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Black Faculty and Staff (BFS) at Historically White Institutions (HWIs) navigate environments shaped by racial microaggressions, systemic inequities, and institutional marginalization. These conditions contribute to Racial Battle Fatigue (RBF), a psychological, behavioral, and physiological response to sustained exposure to racialized stress. While institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives are often positioned as mechanisms for improving campus climate, existing research suggests they frequently fail to address the lived realities of BFS. This study examined how university-recognized communal spaces function as critical sites of support, resistance, and mitigation within these environments.

Using a narrative inquiry methodology, this study explored the lived …

Implementation Of A Multi-Institutional Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (Eras) For Elective Spine Surgery: Two-Year Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (Mssic) Experience, Anisse Chaker, Kylie Springer, Kari Jarabek, Michael Melhem, Heegook Yeo, Jian-Hui Hu, Jad Khalil, Kenneth Easton, Richard Easton, Doris Tong, Miguelangelo Perez-Cruet, Noojan Kazemi, Ilyas Aleem, Muwaffak Abulhak, Victor Chang

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Introduction: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols have been introduced to several surgical specialties with the intention to reduce peri-operative adverse events and improve various health-system quality metrics including length of stay and patient satisfaction. Though this has been studied in the setting of spine surgery, the vast majority are single institution protocols biased toward academic teaching hospitals. There is a paucity of literature studying the utilization of a multi-institutional ERAS protocols that is applicable to community hospitals without associated training programs. We present the Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MSSIC) two-year experience implementing a multi-institutional ERAS protocol for elective …

Changes In Opioid Prescribing Patterns In Opioid Naive Patients Can Translate To Improved Outcomes In The Opioid Non-Naive Patients With Anterior Cervical Surgery: A Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (Mssic) Study, Anisse Chaker, Geoff Kahn, Michael Melhem, Jian-Hui Hu, Kari Jarabek, Heegook Yeo, Bhargav Ayloo, Trevor Ruesch, Adam Junn, Jad Khalil, Kenneth Easton, Richard Easton, Doris Tang, Miguelangelo Perez-Cruet, Noojan Kazemi, Ilyas Aleem, Muwaffak Abulhak, David Nerenz, Victor Chang

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Introduction: Though often necessary for adequate analgesia after spine surgery, continued opioid use can lead to chronic dependency. The Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MSSIC) has demonstrated in prior work the promise of utilizing a multi-institutional morphine milliequivalent (MME) cutoff for elective anterior cervical surgery in the opioid naıve population. However, the effect of this cutoff in patients who were already on opioids pre-operatively have not previously been studied. The goal of this study was to evaluate whether changes in prescribing patterns in the opioid naıve population would also translate to the non-naıve populations, and whether the non-naıve population would …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Spine Surgery: Temporal Trends In Complications And Patient-Reported Outcomes Across A Statewide Cohort, Ali Mehaidli, Richard Easton, Ahmad Almaat, Gary George, Alqasim Elnaggar, Victor Chang, Doris Tong, Jad Khalil, Kevin Taliaferro

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic caused major disruptions in elective surgical care, including spine surgery, due to widespread hospital restructuring and resource limitations. Although previous studies have examined surgical volumes and safety during the pandemic, limited data exist on how outcomes varied across multiple phases of the pandemic, especially in real-world, multicenter spine surgery populations. Material and Methods: This retrospective cohort study used data from the Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MSSIC) to compare outcomes in patients undergoing lumbar or cervical spine surgery across four COVID-19 timeframes: pre-COVID (1/2019-2/2020), onset-COVID (3/2020-9/2020), active-COVID (10/2020-2/2022), and post-COVID (3/2022- 12/2022). Patient demographics, surgical characteristics, …

Cultural Adaptation Of A Single Session Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Guide For College Students In Uganda, Miriam Mukasa Kasozi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and stress are common among Ugandan university students and can make it difficult for them to succeed in school or maintain well-being. However, many students do not have access to professional mental health care. Digital self-help programs can make support more available, especially when they are designed to fit the local culture and context. This project examined how an online program called ACT Guide Lite, which teaches skills from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), could be adapted for use with Ugandan college students. Students and other university community members first completed the program …

Characterizing Metabolic Flux Of Plant Secondary Metabolites From Diverse Animal-Source Foods To Humans, Muhammad Ahsin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

There is a popular saying: “You are what you eat.” But does this also mean, “You are what your food eats”? This dissertation explores that question by examining how farming practices shape the nutritional quality of meat—and what, if anything, those differences mean for the people who consume it. While modern livestock production and nutrition research often emphasize protein and fat, this work tests the idea that animals function as biological mediators, linking soil and plant conditions to human diets through the chemical composition of meat and milk. To evaluate this hypothesis, we tracked health-relevant plant compounds— phytonutrients—across the soil–plant–animal–human …

Probing The Roles Of Connexin 43 Hemichannels In A Mouse Model Of Alzheimer's Disease, Madison Treasure-Areno

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disorder involving neuronal death and cognitive decline, such as memory loss and changes in personality. One feature of the disease is buildup of abnormal protein called amyloid-beta in the brain. Amyloid-beta may activate support cells called astrocytes, triggering them to release large amounts of chemicals, possibly harming nearby cells. This study set out to examine the roles of the channels on astrocytes involved in releasing these chemicals, called connexin 43 hemichannels. Using a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, this study blocked the hemichannels using the drug Tonabersat, and measured spatial learning and memory in a …

The Rodent Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (Rends): Effects Of Age On Self-Administration Of Inhaled Nicotine In Female Rats, Daniel Santos Da Silva

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Smoking tobacco is the leading avoidable cause of death and drives many health problems. Nicotine, the main chemical in tobacco products, keeps people using it. This study used the Rat Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (RENDS), an inexpensive and freely shared, to examine e-cigarette use in adolescent and adult female rats by exploring four phases of nicotine delivered and not delivered to understand use patterns among ages. Our study found that both adolescent and adult female rats chose to inhale nicotine when given the opportunity, showing drug-seeking behavior. Overall, nicotine use was similar between ages. These results could help inform therapies, …