Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Project Adkeyso: Addressing Female Genital Mutilation And Cutting In Somaliland, Ayanna Joyner

Capstone Showcase

Project Adkeyso: Addressing Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting in Somaliland

Ayanna Joyner

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Comfort Olorunsaiye

Female Genital Mutilation or Cutting (FGM/C) is the procedure of intentionally causing injury and altering the vulva of a young girl or woman for non-medical reasons. There are four types of FGM/C however, type III or infibulation, remains the most dangerous because the procedure consists of the narrowing of the vaginal opening by creating a seal with the labia majora through stitching. With infibulation, there will be a need for further surgeries or re-infibulation, which requires reopening of the stitches covering the vagina …

Grant Proposal For Thrive: Targeting Malnutrition In Children Under-Five In Bolivia’S Indigenous Population, Leah Mccaskey

Capstone Showcase

Thrive: Targeting Malnutrition in Children Under-Five in Bolivia’s Indigenous Population

Leah McCaskey BSPH(c)

Faculty Advisor: Comfort Olorunsaiye, PhD

Malnutrition is a serious public health issue that has been linked to an increase in morbidity and mortality¹. Poor nutrition can lead to severe health issues, including stunted growth, developmental disabilities, immune deficiency, chronic fatigue, and in the most severe cases, death¹. Children under the age of five are the most vulnerable to malnutrition because of the immense nutrition requirements for physical and mental development. Bolivia has the highest prevalence of under-five malnutrition in South America, with 25 …

The Path To Pregnancy: Fertility Services And Assisted Reproductive Technologies, Olivia H. Gilbert

Scripps Senior Theses

The emergence of reproductive assistance like fertility treatments and assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in recent decades have provided new paths to pregnancy for many individuals. However, certain demographics in the US like low-income women and women of color are often excluded from utilizing these services on the basis of race, geography, and socioeconomic status. This in turn leads to significant disparities in access to and usage rates of such services. This research points out the perceived shortcomings in the current academic discussion surrounding fertility service disparities with the ultimate goal of expanding access to fertility assistance services for those who …

Retrieval-Induced Forgetting In Autism Spectrum: Combining Narrative Experience With Clinical Research To Explore Stress-Induced, Transitory Retrograde Amnesia, Elizabeth Willsmore-Finkle

Scripps Senior Theses

Currently, psychological research explores autism, a blanket term for a range of neurobiological and developmental differences, through a clinical, as opposed to an experiential, lens. Autism has only existed as formal diagnosis under that name since 1943 (Kanner); however, the advocacy of activists such as Temple Grandin, a slaughterhouse systems designer best known for documenting her life with autism in a series of autobiographic accounts, has begun to legitimize the incorporation of emic experiences of autism within clinical research. Researcher Dermot Bowler and colleagues (2011) have conducted extensive reviews of memory distinctions in autism, finding differences of varying degrees across …

Evaluating The Impact Of A Depression Care Management Program, Natalie Dreyfoos

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Depression is a common mental health disorder that causes significant individual and societal burden. Depression care management programs use a collaborative approach to lessen these effects. Evaluating patient satisfaction and experience are essential to obtain a comprehensive view of program benefits. This program evaluation project evaluated the experiences of patients in a depression care management program provided by a healthcare system in Washington state. A mixed methods approach using opened ended question surveys, telephone interviews and PHQ-9 scores provided a deeper understanding of individual experiences. The analysis showed patients were highly satisfied with the program. Collectively, depression severity scores decreased …

Childhood Obesity In California: The Impact Of School Lunch Options And Physical Education Standards In Public Elementary Schools, Audrey Connell

Scripps Senior Theses

Obesity is a biosocial phenomenon in that it is shaped by both biological and social processes. On the biological level, excess body fat increases one’s risk of placing the body in a non-homeostatic state that can weaken the immune response. On the social level, social inequalities are linked to obesity in the United States where racial and ethnic minority communities with low education and high poverty rates bear the largest burden of obesity. In various institutions, multiple actors such as food marketers, public health officials, policy makers, and school administrators dictate the opportunities available to children for them to reach …

Caring For Young Adults With Cancer: A Systematic Review, Sarah M. Pelletier

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Young adulthood is unique period of life in which critical developmental milestones are achieved amid dynamic physical, emotional, and social changes. During this period of life, young adults are charged with establishing personal and social independence. When challenged with a cancer diagnosis, the already turbulent late teens, twenties, and thirties are dramatically and permanently altered. Hence, the needs of young adults vary from that of their pediatric and older adult counterparts. The aim of this systematic review of the literature was to identify what age-specific needs must be addressed by healthcare professionals to enhance quality of care and outcomes for …

Metformin’S Role In The Prevention Of Type 2 Diabetes In Individuals Diagnosed With Prediabetes: A Systematic Literature Review, Jillian Williamson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The United States is facing a growing epidemic of unchecked and untreated individuals with prediabetes. While lifestyle interventions have remained the gold standard of treatment, has this been enough? A literature review was carried out to identify metformin’s role in treatment and management of prediabetes as well as perceived barriers to its prescribing. A total of 24 articles met inclusion criteria. Main findings include (a) metformin is effective in reducing the incidence of diabetes, though not as effective as lifestyle interventions; (b) certain populations did benefit more from metformin usage then other populations; (c) there was more treatment compliance with …

The Impact Of Yoga On Symptom Management In Adults With Depression, Laura S. Eggen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Depression is one of the most prevalent mental health conditions worldwide. Despite continual advances in the fields of psychiatry and psychology, hundreds of millions of individuals continue to suffer due to ineffective treatment, adverse effects, lack of access to care, and the relapsing nature of the disease. Depression extends beyond the affected individual and burdens families, healthcare systems, and societies. Yoga is a mind-body modality, growing in popularity, that has been cited in the literature as a promising treatment for depression. The purpose of this paper is to systematically review recent literature on the impact of yoga on depression management …

Search For The Cause Of Vaping Associated Lung Injury In Adolescents, Alexandra E. Krueger

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

In August 2019 an unexplained, exponential rise in severe respiratory illnesses in previously healthy young adults, swept across America catching the attention of medical providers. Hospital admissions for lung injury increased 10-fold over two months’ time leaving practitioners scrambling for answers. All affected patients were found to have used e-cigarettes prior to symptoms and endorsed using nicotine and marijuana vape pens. The medical community quickly began to search for the cause of these vaping associated lung injuries. Understanding the mechanism of injury is important in order to assist in educating the public about the risks associated with e-cigarettes. The aim …

Benefits Of Exercise On Mental Health: Literature Review, Angela Ristau

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Providers diligently educate patients on exercise to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and stroke. However, in recent years, providers judiciously educate patients on exercise and its correlation to improving or impacting mental health disorders. Physical activity has been steadily shown to relate to improved physical health, life satisfaction, cognitive functioning, and psychological well-being. A large body of literature examines the impact of physical activity and exercise on mental health. There is a growing interest in the use of exercise in the treatment of depression and anxiety, as a primary option or as an adjunct to pharmacological treatment. …

Sexual Consent In Middle School Sex Health Education: An Analysis Of Health Education Standards In Minnesota, Ashley Parent

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Comprehensive sex education is designed to teach sexual health, reproductive health, human sexual anatomy, safe sex, birth control and sexual abstinence. Consent education focuses on sexually transmitted infection (STI), pregnancy prevention, sexual identity, and the risks of sexual violence (Willis, 2019). This qualitative content analysis and survey will explore consent education in middle schools adopted in Minnesota from the past ten years. The research questions for this study are: is consent a part of sex education? How has consent been taught in 8-10 grades in Minnesota over the past 10 years? What frameworks are being used to teach consent to …

Antibacterial, Antifungal, Antioxidant Activity And Polyphenol Content Of Aerial Parts And Bulbs Of Allium Schugnanicum., Saidbeg Satorov, F. Mirzoeva, Sh. Kurbonbekova, Sh. Satorov, M. Vakhidova, Vyacheslav Dushenkov

Publications and Research

Objective: То study of antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant activity, and content of polyphenols in the bulb and aerial parts of an endemic species of onion A. schugnanicum. Methods: An ethanol-based extract was prepared from fresh plants. Total polyphenolic content (Folin) and ABTS antioxidant capacity assays were used to characterized extracts. Extracts obtained from bulbs, peduncle, and seeds demonstrated antibacterial activity against the reference Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 4929), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 4930) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 4927) strains, as well as against the hospital strains of the same types of bacteria, i.e. strains isolated from inpatient surgical patients. Results: The study …

Cardiovascular Tissue Remodeling Of Preeclampsia, Rachel Metz

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy that leads to a multitude of problems for the mother and fetus during and after pregnancy. While the effects on the mother's body after pregnancy are often overlooked, preeclamptic mothers are prone to cardiovascular diseases from the great deal of stress experienced through the duration of a preeclamptic pregnancy. The associated high blood pressure causes cardiac muscle to work a great deal harder in an attempt to successfully perfuse tissues adequately. This increase in prolonged stress leads to remodeling of the cardiovascular tissues-significantly increasing the risk of heart issues in life beyond the …

Neuroanatomy Of The Blackspotted Rockskipper, Entomacrodus Striatus, Pooja Dayal

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Here I characterized the central neuroanatomy of the Blackspotted Rockskipper, Entomacrodus striatus, native to French Polynesia. The neuroanatomy of E. striatus has not been studied prior to this paper. I used several histology and antibody staining techniques to accomplish this, including Crystal Violet, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and Bielschowsky’s Silver Nitrate staining. This paper describes the most successful techniques used, identifies major structures in the species’ neuroanatomy, and also explains why studying E. striatus is important in the future of vertebrate research.

Critical Issues In Health, Janet R. Heller

Open Educational Resources

This is a personal health course for today's college student. Topics cover basic information on mental health, nutrition, substance use disorder, violence prevention, chronic diseases, infectious diseases and reproductive health.

Contents include as OER reading list and a sample outline.

A revised syllabus was added on July 28, 2026. The changes were made to reflect more current information.

Analyzing The Effects Of Opioids On Cortical Pore Networks In Rabbit Tibiae And Femora, Kassidy Wilson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The following project was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) (Protocol number #18-11-12 ARC). This study was completed as a subset of Dr. Andronowski's overarching lab project. Femora and tibiae were procured from New Zealand White rabbits to study the prolonged effects of opioid use in bone remodeling. This specific project analyzed the effects of opioids on the pore networks and the pore orientation.

Oxidative Stress Analysis Of Placental Tissue In The Rupp Pregnant Rat, Natalie Ganios

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Preeclampsia is a disease associated with a vasoconstrictive phenotype due to disrupted signaling in the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) relaxation pathway. The purpose of these studies is to determine the level of oxidative damage that is occurring in the placenta of the reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP) rat, which serves as a common model for preeclampsia. RUPP and SHAM placenta tissue will be examined for oxidative stress as an indicator of tissue damage associated with the pathologically induced ischemia. Oxidative stress in the placental tissue will be measured by performing the following oxidative stress assays: 8-isoprostane test, TBARS assay, …

Does The Type Of Housing A Child Lives In Predict Blood Lead Level?, Elizabeth Alvarado Navarro

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background and Significance: Childhood lead exposure continues to be a global health problem that can compromise children's long-term health. Identifying factors that predict which children may be at the highest risk of exposure is a strategy that could help focus child lead surveillance. Lead is a natural element found in small amounts in the earth's crust and has been widely used in industry and consumer products since the time of the Romans. Lead, however, is highly toxic for humans and serves no biological purpose in the human body. There is substantial evidence that, even at the lowest levels of exposure, …

Association Of A Repetitive Manual Task On Inflammatory Biomarker Expression, Heart Rate Variability And Rating Of Perceived Exertion, Daniel Conde

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) defines work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) as a group of disorders involving muscles, tendons, and nerves. The WMSDs symptoms are considered the most common occupational disease, causing limitations in daily activities. Even though there is an association between repetitive manual tasks involving short work cycles, force demanding tasks, and the development of WMSDs, the specific cause of the physiological changes over a long period of time is a cause of debate. The study of mechanisms underlying the physiological changes is essential for the early detection, diagnosis, and appropriate management of WMSDs.

A Cellulose-Based Biological Sensor For The Quantitative Determination Of Glucose And Glycated Hemoglobin (Hba1c), Gilberto Henao-Pabon

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Importance: Diabetes is a common world-wide disease characterized by insulin resistance and as result there is an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and other metabolic abnormalities, that contribute to irreversible end-organ damage. The cause of diabetes is multifactorial and includes genetic, inflammatory and environmental factors plus lifestyle issues. Because in diabetes there are high levels of glucose and glycated hemoglobin, these molecules are used in clinical settings for the acute and chronic management of diabetic patients.

Objectives: a. To design and build an electrochemical biological sensor using the enzyme Glucose Oxidase (GOX) to detect glucose in biological fluids.

b. …

Isolation And Characterization Of Α-Gal-Containing Extracellular Vesicles (Evs) From Three Major Genotypes Of Trypanosoma Cruzi: Potential Biomarkers Of Chagas Disease, Nasim Karimi Hosseini

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Chagas disease (ChD) is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by the protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi. It is transmitted by the insect-vector triatomine (popular known as kissing bug), blood transfusion, organ transplantation, congenitally, and contaminated foods and juices. T. cruzi has evolved several strategies to invade the host cells, including the release extracellular vesicles (EVs), which assist pathogen survival and its replication within the host. T. cruzi is covered with highly glycosylated surface molecules such as glycoproteins and glycolipids, which are shown to be involved in the interaction with host immune cells. These molecules are highly immunogenic and reactive with …

Testing A Culturally Tailored Intervention To Promote Hpv Vaccination Intentions In Latina Young Adults, Erica Landrau

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States and a known risk factor for cervical cancer. Several HPV vaccines have been approved as a primary prevention option. Vaccination rates remain low among Latinas, despite a disproportionately high rate of cervical cancer rates of among this population. Few culturally tailored interventions to promote HPV vaccination have been developed for Latina young adults. The first objective of the present study was to test the efficacy of a culturally-tailored fotonovela to increase intention to vaccinate among Mexican American female young adults. The second objective was to …

Expression And Functional Sialome Of Triatomines, Insect Vectors Of Chagas Disease, Maria Tays Mendes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Triatomines are blood-sucking arthropods that transmit Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiologic agent of Chagas disease (ChD). Triatomines use bioactive molecules in the saliva for successful blood feeding and to evade the hemostatic and immune defense system of the hosts. Knowing the saliva composition could be useful for a better understanding which and how insect-derived molecules might influence host-parasite interactions. Previous studies have shown that some saliva-derived proteins and lipids can modulate the host immune system and increase T. cruzi infection. We hypothesize that the triatomine saliva contains a great diversity of lipids and proteins that can modulate the mammalian host immune …

Boxing Training Effects On Cardiovascular Risk, Quality Of Life, Endothelial Function, And Blood Flow Patterns In Individuals With Elevated Blood Pressure Or Stage 1 Hypertension, Francisco Morales

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Early stages of high blood pressure, such as elevated blood pressure or stage 1 hypertension, have shown to increase cardiovascular mortality. Exercise is recommended for the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure; however, most clinical evidence is based on traditional types of exercise that have relatively high dropout rates. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of boxing training, a nontraditional exercise modality, on clinical and vascular outcomes and its relation to blood flow patterns in individuals with elevated blood pressure or stage 1 hypertension. To achieve these goals, two experiments were designed. The first …

Molecular And Functional Characterization Of Α-Galactosyl Epitopes In Trypanosoma Cruzi, Uriel Ortega Rodriguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease (CD) currently affects 6-7 million people across the world. Currently, only two drugs, benznidazole and nifurtimox, are available for treatment of CD and they are highly toxic and less effective in the chronic stage of the disease. Specific biomarkers for diagnosis and follow-up of treatment do not exist in the clinical settings. following chemotherapy, patients take approximately 10-20 years to exhibit negative seroconversion with the conventional serology assays. Moreover, there is no vaccine available to prevent or treat CD. T. cruzi contains a complex cell surface consisting of several classes of glycoconjugates …

The Effects Of A 6-Week Controlled Whole-Body Vibration Training Program In Reducing Falls Risk Among Healthy Older Adults, Fabricio Saucedo Jr.

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Falling is the second leading cause of accidental or injury-related death in the aging population worldwide and a leading cause of serious injury. Whole-body vibration (WBV) training has been implemented as a way to improve functional performance among the elderly and reduce the falls risk. The purposes of this study were: 1) examine to what extent a six-week course of WBV training reduced falls risk and improved fall outcomes in response to slips, and 2) examine whether the benefits of WBV training could be retained at least 2 months after the completion of the entire training session. A total of …

Development And Validation Of The Perinatal Mental Health Literacy Scale Among Latinas, Irma Y. Torres-Catanach

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Psychiatric disorders in pregnancy and in the first year after childbirth are considered a significant health complication of the perinatal period (O'Hara & Wisner, 2014). The prevalence of perinatal mood disorders has been shown to be higher among women from racial/ethnic minority groups (Gavin et al., 2011; Melville et al., 2010). As the largest racial/ethnic minority group in the U.S., Latinas are disproportionately affected by these disparities. Despite the volume of research examining the prevalence of and treatment for perinatal psychiatric disorders, there is a dearth of knowledge focused on educational approaches that aim to reduce perinatal mental health disparities. …

Assessing Cervical Cancer Knowledge Among High-Risk Women Living In The Us-Mexico Border Region In El Paso, Tx, Crystal Costa

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Despite major decreases in cervical cancer incidence rates in the U.S. over the past several decades, certain populations of women continue to be disproportionately affected by it. One of these groups includes US Latina/Hispanic women who have the highest cervical cancer incidence rates as compared to their racial/ethnic counterparts. To improve detection and prevention in US Latina/Hispanic women, it is important to first understand their current knowledge and health literacy with regard to cervical cancer.

This cross-sectional study examined perceived self-knowledge of cervical cancer and cervical cancer functional health literacy in high-risk Hispanic women living in the El Paso, Texas …

Validity Of A Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Device For Analyzing Field Dust Wipe Samples For Lead, Alexander Boakye Obeng

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background and Significance. Interior dust lead loadings on floors and windowsills are reliable predictors of a child’s blood lead level and an important predictor in “clearance testing” of residences. The traditional method of determining dust lead levels on surfaces is to send dust wipe samples to a laboratory for analysis. These laboratory analyses are expensive and analysis reports typically take up to 2 weeks to complete. The portable X-ray fluorescence device has been touted as a technique that can provide fast, accurate, and precise results regarding the presence of dust lead hazards in residences but needs to be further evaluated …