Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Wmdds Bulletin Holiday 2025

West Michigan District Dental Society Bulletin

In the Holiday 2025 issue, the reader will find articles detailing the recipients of West Michigan Dental Foundation's 2025 grants and scholarships. Also included are your monthly tripartite update, news from West Michigan counties, "Pearls from Local Dentists", the President's Message, and the Editor's Letter, which includes a number of local charities to donate to in the season of giving.

Noda News December 2025

New Orleans Dental Association News

New Orleans Dental Association (NODA) News includes regular columns with regional news impacting the New Orleans membership including: columns from the President and Executive Director, feature articles relating to the field of dentistry, association events and upcoming activities, component news, continuing education opportunities, and classifieds.

How Sports Culture Affects Mental Health: United States And Latin America, Isabelle Westling

Saint John’s Preparatory School Student Work

This paper examines how sports culture in the United States of America and in Latin America shapes the mental health and emotional well-being of student-athletes. To answer this question, I read and examined papers and articles originating from both regions. These articles helped me understand cultural implications and shortcomings from both sides. A number of these articles are in Spanish and translated by me throughout my research. My results show that in United States there are a variety of sources of stress. Pressures from school and academics are prevalent as scholarships and future careers are dependent on it. With that, …

Expanding Epilepsy Representation: On Education And Awareness, Aliyah Wise

Honors Projects

The present-day American public education system has evolved to try to teach young students about more cultures and people of different lifestyles. However, despite these reforms to push for an inclusive education system, there is still minimal effort to teach students about disabilities and the people who live with them. As a student living with epilepsy, I have observed a lack of education or conversation about this disability. The purpose of this research project is to ask: How does miseducation on epilepsy contribute to harmful stereotypes and lead to real issues for people living with this disability? How should neurotypical …

Ada News - 12/8/2025, American Dental Association, Publishing Division

ADA News

Established in 1970 as the official newspaper of the American Dental Association, the ADA News serves practicing dentists and others allied to the dental profession in the U.S. and internationally. It is the No. 1 source of news and information about the many benefits and services the ADA delivers to members daily as well as timely information on scientific, social, political and economic developments affecting dentistry and health care.

Exploring Interactive Robotic Music Therapy Systems For Rehabilitation: A Survey Paper, Hector A. Salinas Gordillo

Discovery Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research Internship

Interactive robotic music therapy introduces an innovative opportunity, where human guided musical interaction with robotic systems can create adaptive and engaging therapeutic experiences. This survey explores the current state of research at the intersection of robotics, music, and rehabilitation, focusing on emerging technologies such as human robot interaction methods and system designs that help enable real time, interactive music therapy.

Potential patient groups include individuals undergoing motor or cognitive rehabilitation, such as those recovering from stroke, living with Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, or other motor impairments, as well as individuals with developmental disorders or limited mobility.

Traditional rehabilitation exercises may …

Cv: Anna Garcia (Radiography), Anne Garcia

Rehabilitation and Health Sciences Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

Cv: Anna Garcia (Radiography), Anna Garcia

Health Sciences Department Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

A Rare Case Of Severe Disseminated Pyoderma Gangrenosum Of The Upper Body With Concurrent Nasopharyngeal And Inferior Orbital Wall Necrosis, Robert M. Branstetter, Isabel E. Baird, Mohammed S. Rais, Danielle N. Ledet, Megan N. Terrebonne

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare neutrophilic dermatosis usually linked to autoimmune or inflammatory bowel disease and typically affects the lower extremities. This case is notable for extensive upper-body, oropharyngeal, and nasal involvement in a patient without an underlying autoimmune disorder. A 56-year-old man with chronic cocaine use and stage IV renal cell carcinoma presented with rapidly progressive ulcerations of the face, neck, shoulders, and back, along with nasal septal collapse and oropharyngeal destruction. Prior biopsy demonstrated sterile neutrophilic inflammation without vasculitis, infection, or malignant infiltration, supporting PG as a diagnosis of exclusion. Imaging showed erosive sinonasal disease. He was …

Art Therapists' Experience Utilizing Virtual Reality’S Multibrush In Group Art Making With Young Adults., Lidice Cohen

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

Young adults aged 20-35 experience disproportionately high rates of mental health conditions yet exhibit low treatment-seeking behaviors, creating a significant care gap. Digital interventions—particularly Virtual Reality (VR)—show promise for reaching this tech-savvy group. The primary research question explored art therapists' insights utilizing this modality, while a secondary aim examined whether creating VR response art (VRRA) enhanced understanding of the group process. Three credentialed art therapists and nine young adults participated, sharing insights via interviews after VR group sessions and VRRA creation. Thematic analysis revealed that adaptation to VR influenced group dynamics, self-expression through embodiment, collaboration, boundary management, sensory stimulation, and …

Predicting Skin Concern Severity From Genetic And Lifestyle Factors: A Comparative Multi-Output Machine Learning Framework, Yassine Benachour, Lina Maloukh, Sadok Bouamama, Barbara Geusens

All Works

Personalized dermatology increasingly leverages both genetic predispositions and lifestyle behaviors to model individual skin health outcomes. This study proposes a multi-output machine learning framework to predict the severity of six dermatological phenotypes—acne, redness, dryness, sensitivity, scarring, and pigmentation—using a multimodal dataset of 5,254 individuals. Input features include mutation profiles for six skin-related genes (FLG, MMP1, MMP3, AQP3, SOD2, GPX) and 22 lifestyle variables such as sun exposure, stress, and hydration. We train and evaluate LightGBM models under independent, multi-output, and chained configurations. Performance is assessed using Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and average Quadratic Weighted Kappa (QWK). The proposed ordinal-aware independent …

Developing Nurse Knowledge And Confidence In Telehealth Delivery For Ptsd Care, Bisilola M. Yinusa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) prevalence increasing and telehealth becoming more integrated into mainstream healthcare practice, it is critical to ensure that nurses are adequately trained to deliver evidence-based, trauma-informed care through digital modalities. The identified practice problem centered on the limited telehealth competency among nurses, particularly in communication strategies, confidence, and clinical readiness for PTSD care via virtual platforms. This doctoral project was a staff education initiative designed to enhance the telehealth delivery of trauma-informed care for patients with PTSD. The purpose of this project was to evaluate whether the structured educational intervention improved nurses’ knowledge and confidence in …

The Timing Of Pubertal Onset Affects Adults Anxiety Behavior In A Sex-Specific Manner, Evan Raubenolt

Honors Projects

This study aims to look at the relationship between the timing of pubertal onset and its long-term effects on adult anxiety behavior in rats. Though the topic of pubertal onset has been frequently discussed in developmental research, its exact effects have been inconsistent. Human models have shown that early and late maturing males are associated with a notable increase in adult anxiety behavior, while in rat models, similar sex-specific effects regarding anxiety have been demonstrated, though those studies focus on a causal relationship between exposure to stress and age of pubertal onset. This study first aims to examine that relationship …

Prosodic Comparisons Between Speech And Music For Different Emotions, Reagan Brothers

Honors Projects

This study compares the prosodic acoustic characteristics between different emotional expressions in speech and clarinet playing and evaluates the similarities in prosody between these two domains. The prosodic features analyzed include pitch, loudness, and duration, which are the psychoacoustic terms referring to fundamental frequency [f_o], intensity, and rate of time. The American folksong “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” was both spoken and performed with three emotions: neutral, sad, and happy. The first comparison was how each prosodic characteristic compared across the three different emotions within each domain, and then prosody was compared across the two domains …

Staff Education On Burnout For Mental Healthcare Staff Mitigation Strategies For Psychiatric Outpatient Staff, Kadine Foreman-Westly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this project is to determine whether implementing a staff education program in a psychiatric clinical setting can improve healthcare staff knowledge of strategies to prevent burnout. The project addresses a critical practice problem: a lack of structured education programs specifically targeting burnout recognition and management among mental healthcare staff. Burnout not only negatively impacts staff well-being but also affects patient safety and the overall quality of care. This project was designed to fill this gap by providing an educational intervention, with effectiveness measured through pre- and post-intervention surveys assessing staff knowledge. This staff education project was strengthened …

Comprehensive Cmr Evaluation Including 4d Flow-Derived E/A Vorticity Ratio In Overweight Adults With And Without Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Sungho Park, Erin K Englund, Takashi Fujiwara, Daniel Enge, Michal Schäfer, Jochen Gerstner Saucedo, Ethan W Clark, Layla A Abushamat, Rebecca L Scalzo, Brian Fonseca, Kendall S Hunter, Mary D Sammel, Judith G Regensteiner, Jane E B Reusch, Alex J Barker

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Aims: This study aimed to assess the impacts of overweight and type 2 diabetes (T2D) on early hemodynamic and left ventricular (LV) changes using comprehensive cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) in three age- and sex-similar groups: lean individuals (LI group), BMI-similar overweight controls without T2D (CWO group) and overweight individuals with uncomplicated T2D (T2D group).

Methods: Middle-aged participants included 13 in the LI group, 37 in the CWO group, and 28 in the T2D group. Baseline assessments included cardiac and vascular function measured by CMR, thoracic echocardiography, insulin sensitivity, clinical measures, and cardiorespiratory fitness. 4D flow CMR was used to …

Standardizing Syphilis Screening In Tennessee Correctional Facilities: A Policy Analysis, Erin Dernlan

DNP Projects

Background and Rationale

Congenital syphilis in Tennessee rose 227% from 2017-2021, despite being more than 90% preventable with timely diagnosis and treatment. Women of childbearing age entering correctional facilities represent a key intervention population due to disproportionally high rates of sexually transmitted infections, limited or absent prenatal care, and significant unmet health needs. Tennessee’s female incarceration rate is 57% higher than the national average, and nearly one-third of women tested at intake are positive for syphilis. Current intake practices rely heavily on self-report, assumed adequate health literacy, and lack standardized STI screening requirements, contributing to missed diagnoses and preventable infant …

Primary And Secondary Hyperaldosteronism, Joanna Lam

Senior Honors Theses

Hyperaldosteronism is characterized by the excess production of aldosterone in the body. This disorder manifests in two subtypes: while primary hyperaldosteronism is due to the excess secretion of aldosterone from the adrenal glands, secondary hyperaldosteronism originates from imbalances elsewhere in the body. Here, recent literature will be reviewed to examine the etiology and effects of both subtypes of hyperaldosteronism across molecular, cellular, and organ levels. Current diagnostic and treatment options for both subtypes of this disorder will also be reviewed, as well as recent research examining the prevalence of hyperaldosteronism over varying demographics.

Exploring Mediated Psychosocial Effects On Dating Violence Perpetration And Victimization In The Me & You Building Healthy Relationships Program For Middle School Students, Mike Henson-Garcia, Elizabeth R Baumler, Christine M Markham, Robert C Addy, Ross Shegog, Belinda Hernandez, Paula Cuccaro, Jeffery Temple, Susan Tortolero Emery, Melissa F Peskin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Teen dating violence (TDV) is a prevalent and injurious public health threat affecting adolescent populations across the globe. In response, a plethora of interventions have been developed and implemented with various effects emerging from evaluation studies of these prevention initiatives. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether attitudes toward sexting, gender-based norms toward violence, and constructive conflict resolution skills mediate the main effects of a TDV intervention. Specifically, this study leverages data from the original efficacy trial of the

Standardizing Sepsis Care Across A Lifespan: A Multidisciplinary Approach To Reduce Variation, Vijayakrishnan Poondi Srinivasan, Jillian Gregory, Sarah Chang

MaineHealth Maine Medical Center

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition affecting patients of all ages and remains a leading cause of mortality, hospitalizations, and healthcare costs worldwide. In pediatrics, severe sepsis accounts for millions of deaths annually, with approximately 176,000 hospitalizations and an 8% mortality rate each year in the U.S. In adults, it contributes to 35% of in-hospital deaths and is the leading cause of readmissions. These data underscore the urgent need for timely recognition, standardized interventions, and consistent, evidence-based care across populations.

Spike Timing Depended Plasticity Produces Unsupervised Learning Of Synergistic Muscle Feedback In A Synthetical Neural Network, Mark Allen Pupkiewicz

Dissertations and Theses

This study investigates how type Ia feedback from muscle spindles can be organized into groups representing agonistic muscle pairs through Spike Timing Dependent Plasticity (STDP). A single degree of freedom joint is actuated with four biologically modeled muscles forming two agonistic pairs. In order to emulate the sensory dynamics of biological muscle spindles, sensors in the model record the active length and velocity states of each muscle, the two primary factors eliciting type Ia afferent responses. In biological networks, synapses from Ia sensory neurons frequently activate interneurons representing agonistic muscle sources. This research investigates whether this organization can emerge in …

Imaging Reactive Oxygen Species With L-012 Reveals Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation In Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Angisha Basnet, Kaitlyn M Landreth, Michael Sestito, Kristen Ranson, Seth T Gammon, David Piwnica-Worms, Brian A Boone, Tracy W Liu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Neutrophils, key effector cells of the innate immune system, combat pathogens through mechanisms including the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). While these responses are critical for host defense, prolonged elevation of ROS and dysregulated NETosis mediated by neutrophils have been implicated in autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammation, and cancer. In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), a highly aggressive and inflammatory malignancy, an increase in neutrophils infiltrating the tumor microenvironment promotes cancer progression and metastasis through increased ROS production and NET release. Using bioluminescence imaging with the reporter L-012 and NET assays, we assessed …

Precise Diagnosis Of Small Invasive Pulmonary Nodules Driven By Single-Cell Immune Signatures In Peripheral Blood, Yang Xia, Yin Zhu, Sai Zhang, Mo Zhou, Jiaqi Zhou, Guanxin Xu, Baiqin Zhao, Guofei Zhang, Qiyuan Wang, Bin Wang, Zexin Chen, Hongyu Shi, Xiuning Le, Tony Mok, Wei Chen, Junqiang Fan, Weiwei Yin, Wen Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Early detection of lung cancer is crucial for improving patient outcomes. However, accurately diagnosing invasive pulmonary nodules and predicting tumor invasiveness remain major clinical challenges. Given the established role of immune dysfunction in cancer development, we hypothesize that peripheral immune profiling could provide a strategy for managing pulmonary nodules. In this multi-center, prospective study, we combine peripheral immune profiling via mass cytometry with machine learning algorithms to develop an integrated pulmonary nodule management platform. This platform accurately distinguishes invasive from non-invasive pulmonary nodules (AUC = 0.952), outperforming established clinical and radiomics-based models. Furthermore, it effectively predicts tumor invasiveness, differentiating minimally …

Healthy Living As A Critical Part Of Emergency Preparedness, Callahan K. Ward, April Litchford

All Current Publications

This resource presents practical, health-focused actions that individuals and caregivers can take to strengthen resilience before, during, and after emergencies. By integrating long-term wellness habits and short-term readiness strategies, it supports a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to disaster preparedness, enhancing not only personal outcomes but also community-wide response capacity.

Intouch Week Of December 8, 2025, New York Medical College

InTouch

No abstract provided.

Myocardial Lipin1 Protects The Heart Against Ischemic Injury By Preserving Lipid Homeostasis, Jiaxi Guo, Brian N. Finck, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Impaired cardiac lipid metabolism has been reported to cause heart failure. Lipin1, a multifunctional protein, is a phosphatidate phosphatase that generates diacylglycerol from phosphatidic acid and a transcriptional cofactor that regulates lipid metabolism-related gene expression. Here, we investigated the roles of lipin1 in cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI). The expression levels of lipin1 significantly decreased in cardiomyocytes of the human failing heart and murine ischemic myocardium. Cardiomyocyte-specific Lpin1 knockout (cKO) mice showed left ventricle enlargement and reduced fractional shortening after MI, compared with control mice. This was accompanied by elevated cardiac fibrosis, accumulation of reactive oxygen species, and increased …

Liver Injury In A Preclinical Model Of Short Bowel Syndrome Is Associated With Impaired Autophagy, Daniel M Alligood, Alex Park, Kerry Swanson, Naima Pyarali, Evan Mayse, David M Alvarado, Xiuli Liu, Jae-Sung Kim, Nicholas O Davidson, Deborah C Rubin, Jun Guo, Brad W Warner

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Critical for cellular maintenance and repair, autophagy recycles damaged or redundant cellular components. Dysregulated autophagy is associated with progressive cellular injury in various liver pathologies. However, the role of autophagy in intestinal failure-associated liver disease has not previously been investigated. Using a preclinical murine model of short bowel syndrome, we explored the role of autophagy impairment at early and late time points. Regardless of sex, small bowel resected (SBR) mice demonstrated significant liver injury compared to sham controls, exhibiting elevated serum transaminases, altered liver histology, and increased mRNA expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress marker (Ddit3) and oxidative stress marker (Nqo1). …

Exploring Outcomes For Patients With Spinal Cord Injuries Participating In A Day Treatment Program, Christina Kane, Alexa Chappell, Kristen Frack, Sarah Salluom, Brittany Meurs

Occupational Therapy Annual Research Colloquium

Purpose: This study explored program outcomes of the Brooks Spinal Cord Injury & Related Disorders Day Treatment Program in Jacksonville, Florida. By examining secondary data, using both the Self-Reported Functional Measure (SRFM) and the Spinal Cord Independence Measure–III (SCIM-III), researchers determined the change between admission and discharge scores in both patient- and therapist-reported outcomes of self-care skills. This study also studied if a correlation existed between the SRFM (patient-reported) and SCIM-III (therapist-reported) outcomes.

Participants: Data from 49 participant records were collected in 2022-2023, with 42 participants data qualifying for this study.

Methods: Using secondary de-identified data, statistical analyses were conducted …

Occupational Participation Among Children With Neurodivergent And Related Conditions: A Mixed Methods Study, Shirish Lala, Darian Amacker, Anne Martens, Alexa Rodefeld, Danielle Toth, Elyssa Wider

Occupational Therapy Annual Research Colloquium

Background: This study explored occupational engagement of children with neurodivergent and related conditions in home, school, and community settings. Children aged 6 to 16 years and their caregivers were recruited to investigate how occupational engagement differs across contexts.

Methods: A mixed-methods approach assessed quantitative data from 51 participants using a modified version of the Child and Adolescent Scale of Participation. Qualitative data were collected from 6 semi-structured interviews. The Model of Human Occupation and its components of volition, habituation, and performance capacity, including environmental factors, informed the research process and methodology. Engagement among children with neurodivergent diagnoses is shaped by …

Sexuality And Sexual Activity Of Adults 21 To 35 Years With High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mariana D'Amico, Aisha N. Maldonado, Gina Fuentes, Andrea Meston

Occupational Therapy Annual Research Colloquium

Purpose

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) report having less sexual experience and engaging in fewer social-sexual behaviors when compared to those without ASD. The purpose of this study is to discover how the quality of sexual education has impacted individuals with high-functioning ASD (HFASD) engagement in sexual activity.

Methods

This qualitative phenomenological study used semi-structured interview questions based on the purpose of the study and identified research questions. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants.

Results

Findings indicated that female adults with HFASD received inconsistent and incomplete sexual education impacting their sexual experiences, safety, and quality of life. All …