Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Synergistic Surgical Strategies: A Comparative Analysis Of Combined Carpal Tunnel And Trigger Finger Release, Diana Kernen Ba, Clayton Kramm Bs, Meet Patel Bs, Trae Hill Bs, Carter Dunaway Bs, Charles S. Day Md, Mba

Medical Student Research Symposium

Introduction:

Since 1980, U.S. healthcare spending has outpaced GDP growth, while lagging outcomes, highlighting the need to evaluate cost-effectiveness of treating Trigger Finger Release (TFR) and Carpal Tunnel Release (CTR) simultaneously or sequentially.

Methods:

36 Patients were recruited: 12 CTR and 12 TFR patients comprised the sequential cohort, while 12 patients who underwent simultaneous CTR and TFR comprised the simultaneous cohort. Costs were calculated utilizing time-dependent activity-based costing (TDABC), activity-based costing (ABC), and insurance claims data. Procedural times were tracked and multiplied by personnel per-minute salaries to determine direct variable labor costs. Direct variable costs for supplies and direct fixed …

Characterizing Kmt2d In Endometrial Cancer, Katherine R. Davanzo

Medical Student Research Symposium

Endometrial cancer is rising in incidence in the United States, notably among premenopausal women. This increase and the trend of delayed childbearing warrant the need for further advancement in fertility-sparing treatment for endometrial cancer. A gene left widely unexplored in its possible clinical utility as a target for fertility-sparing treatment is KMT2D, a lysine-specific methyltransferase and tumor suppressor. Preliminary gene set enrichment analysis on a 12Z endometriotic epithelial cell line identified TIMP3 as a gene that is possibly regulated by KMT2D expression. TIMP3 encodes an irreversible inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), a well-recognized class of proteins as contributing to the …

Skin Of Color Representation In Biologic Advertisements For Psoriasis And Psoriatic Arthritis, Grace Doakes, Sydney Martin, Melissa Baithey, Julia Riley, Kelsey Flood, Rithu Srikantha

Medical Student Research Symposium

Skin of color (SoC) patients with psoriasis experience more severe disease, lower quality of life, and increased psoriasis-related hospitalizations compared to non-SoC counterparts (1-2). SoC patients with psoriasis demonstrate decreased familiarity with biologic medications (3-4) , which could lead to undertreatment and greater disease burden. In light of previous findings indicating inadequate SoC representation in dermatologic direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising, we compared skin tone representation in patient-facing materials for 13 biologics FDA-approved for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) on pharmaceutical DTC advertising websites from July 20, 2023 to August 20, 2023. Images of 331 people, excluding videos, were analyzed via Fitzpatrick …

Enhancing Patient Education: Evaluating The Efficacy Of A Video-Based Diagnostic Tool For Hand And Wrist Conditions, Carinne M. Jarvis, Hunter Cohn, Kate Workman, Mary Zylinski, Alexander Sonaglia, Youssef Salama, Charles S. Day

Medical Student Research Symposium

Introduction

Improving patient understanding of health conditions before consultations can enhance readiness, comprehension, adherence, and outcomes. This study evaluates whether a physician-designed interactive video helps patients self-diagnose one of thirteen common hand and wrist conditions before consulting a specialist. Developed collaboratively with hand specialists and patients, the video guides users through a structured decision-making process to identify their condition. We hypothesize that patients who utilize the video-based diagnostic tool prior to their appointment will be more likely to correctly identify their diagnosis.

Methods

Fifty-six patients were randomized into control and experimental groups. The control group selected a diagnosis from a …

Sexual And Reproductive Healthcare Perceptions Among Arab-American Women: Implications For Gynecological Health Outcomes, Munna Hazime, Kaitlyn Zablock, Whitney Bowyer, Natalie Ahmad Mateju, Andrew Markowitz

Medical Student Research Symposium

This literature review analyzes the sexual and reproductive healthcare perceptions of Arab-American (AA) women living in the United States and how this impacts the prevalence of gynecological diseases. Sexual health is viewed promiscuously within the AA population and is generally reduced to the physical act of intercourse. It is considered either an agent of sexual desire or a means to reproduce. This dichotomy overlooks aspects of gynecological health within a broader framework. This attitude is evident in the minimal utilization of preventative screenings and increased rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and gynecological cancers. Consequently, this narrow view of sexual …

The Role Of Churches In Enhancing Cancer Screening Adherence: A Focus On Faith-Based Health Literacy Among African American Women, Miranda I. Goodson, Genevieve Murray

Medical Student Research Symposium

Background: It is estimated that cancer is the second leading cause of death for African American women in the United States. One study revealed that Black women have a 1 in 3 chance of developing cancer with a 1 in 6 chance of mortality. Research has shown a lower breast cancer screening adherence among women in cultural minorities and faith-based communities. The importance of spirituality and religion as an influential factor on Black community members’ beliefs about health and medicine must be considered as churches are pillars of social support within Black American communities.

Methods: A search for studies about …

Assessing Middle Eastern American Attitudes Towards Substance Use Disorders, Hazem Alata, Hussein Bazzi, Saleh Al-Juburi, Angie Achkar, Liam Browning, Nicole Oska, Adam Chaban, Arash Javanbakht

Medical Student Research Symposium

Assessing Middle Eastern American Attitudes Towards Substance Use Disorders

Introduction:

Substance use disorders (SUD) among Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) populations remain largely understudied, despite evidence of high prevalence rates and lower rates of treatment engagement. Unique cultural conceptualizations and beliefs surrounding substance use disorders may perpetuate stigma, further contributing to disparities in access to and utilization of treatment services. This study aims to explore the attitudes and perspectives of individuals from MENA communities regarding substance use disorders, with the goal of identifying and addressing barriers to treatment.

Methods:

An anonymous bilingual Qualtrics survey was administered, gathering responses from …

Gap Analysis Of The Surgical Clerkships Experience According To The 2022 And 2023 Aamc Gq Survey, Madelyn N. Moretti, Suhas Nagappala, Michael Nunu, Neha Iska, Yeonju Kim, Jason Booza

Medical Student Research Symposium

BACKGROUND: Surgery remains a male-dominated field, and mediating factors for this discrepancy remain ill-defined. Little research has explored the experience of female medical students in surgical clerkships, which can exert strong influence over career choice. This study investigates whether disparities in clerkship experiences contribute to this gender gap.

METHODS: US medical students were surveyed on a variety of measures, including clerkship experiences, via the 2022 and 2023 AAMC GQ surveys. Differences in response pattern between male and female students were analyzed with chi-squared tests.

RESULTS: In surgical clerkships, female students reported less physician oversight when performing histories (2022: 79.60% vs …

Is There A Difference In Effectiveness Between Nonoperative Treatments For Modified Garcia-Elias Scapholunate Ligament Injuries Stages 1 And 2?, Michelle Yi, Minie Zhang, Lucas Kopp, Charles S. Day

Medical Student Research Symposium

Introduction

Scapholunate interosseous ligament (SLIL) injuries result from falling on an outstretched hand. Studies have assessed the effectiveness of non-operative treatments, but none has compared different non-operative treatments. We analyze the effectiveness of casting and bracing/splinting based on patient reported outcomes (PRO).

Methods

Chart review was conducted on 1150 possible SLIL injury patients from 5 orthopaedic hand surgeons from a Midwestern, tertiary-care academic hospital system between 2021 and 2024. Two patient cohorts were divided based on treatment. PROs obtained were PROMIS Upper Extremity (UE) and Pain Interference (PI) pre-treatment and 2-3 months after. Patient improvement was calculated as difference between …

Understanding Adolescent Fear Extinction: Identifying Profiles And Connections To Anxiety, Jovan Jande, Clara Zundel, Samantha Ely, Sneha Bhargava, Carmen Carpenter, Reem Tamimi, Leah Gowatch, Mackenna Shampine, Emilie-Clare O'Mara, Jennifer Losiowski, Christine Lewis, Alaina Jaster, Shravya Chanamolu, Hilary A. Marusak

Medical Student Research Symposium

Anxiety disorders, the most prevalent mental health conditions, often emerge during adolescence. Core features include difficulties in regulating or extinguishing learned fear. However, compared to adults, less is known about fear extinction and its relationship with anxiety in youth. Most studies rely on group-level averages of single fear indicators, such as skin conductance responses (SCR) or self-reported fear, which may overlook individual variation, introduce bias, and miss critical manifestations like behavioral avoidance. Using a validated Pavlovian fear extinction paradigm, we applied k-means clustering to identify distinct fear extinction profiles in adolescents, examining their reliability and validity in relation to conditioned …

How The Conflicts In The Middle East Affect The Mental Health Of Arab American Medical Students, Samar Ghassan Chehab, Abeer Wael Abukamil, Sabrina Khan, Jennifer Mendez, Rima Charara

Medical Student Research Symposium

Background and Relevance

Medical school students represent a vulnerable population frequently experiencing mental health disorders such as chronic stress and anxiety (Dederichs et al., 2021). The unstable political climate in the Middle East may contribute to worsening mental health among the population of Arab American medical students. Helplessness regarding unfolding political events and perceptions from peers often deter students from accessing already limited mental health resources (Mental Health America, 2021).

Design and Methods

An anonymous survey distributed to Arab American medical students in Michigan evaluated the impact of recent events in the Middle East on their well-being. The Future Anxiety …

Implications Of Glyphosate-Based Herbicides On The Female Reproductive System And Reproductive Outcomes, Alexandra Stone, Olivia G. Camp Ms, David Bai Md, Awoniyi Awonuga, Husam M. Abu-Soud

Medical Student Research Symposium

Background

Glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) are the most widely used herbicides in the United States, accounting for 19% of estimated global use. Although the Environmental Protection Agency has reaffirmed that the active ingredient glyphosate (GLY) is safe for humans, recent studies on exposure have suggested an association with cancer, metabolic disorders, endocrine disruption and infertility, and Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Recently, we have shown that GLY exposure deteriorates metaphase II oocyte quality through zinc deficiency, ROS accumulation, and chromosome disruption. In this work, we review the mechanisms of GLY toxicity in the female reproductive tract and discuss the potential clinical implications …

Androgen Hormones Regulate The Production On The Pain-Inducing Inflammatory Molecule Il-1Β In A Mouse Model Of Inflammatory Pain, Hariharan Ramakrishnan, Geoffroy Laumet, Jaewon Sim

Medical Student Research Symposium

Chronic pain prevalence varies between sexes with a higher incidence and duration reported in women compared to men. This disparity suggests that biological factors, such as sexual hormones, may influence pain perception and development. Among the key players in pain mechanisms, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), an inflammatory molecule, has been identified to activate neurons involved in pain sensation. This study explores the hypothesis that sexual hormones, particularly androgens, regulate IL-1β production in inflamed tissues, thereby influencing pain responses. To investigate this, we induced inflammatory pain in male and female mice using Complete Freund’s Adjuvant (CFA), injected into the hind paw. To …

Methods For A Bioengineered 3d Human Brain-Like Tissue Model Of Neuro-Regeneration After Traumatic Brain Injury, Marly Coe, Sydni Rosenfeld, Celia Byrne, Volha Liaudanskaya, David Kaplan

Medical Student Research Symposium

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes permanent cell death and can lead to long-term cognitive dysfunction, with no available treatments to repair the damaged brain tissue. Methods to track and understand TBI in humans are severely limited by the inaccessibility of living brain tissue, creating a need for in vitro model systems to study cellular mechanisms of degeneration and regeneration following injury. Here we describe methods to establish a 3D human brain tissue model, consisting of a silk-collagen composite scaffold seeded with human neurons, astrocytes, and microglia, to study neuro-regeneration after TBI. Step-by-step fabrication, injury, and analytical assessments of the 3D …

The Role Of Age, Experience, And Physical Fitness In Technical Performance In Karate: An Observational Analysis, Rui Miguel Silva, Joaquim Ferreira, Georgian Badicu, Jarosław Muracki, Beata Pożarowszczyk-Kuczko, Adam Kawczyński

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: This study aimed to investigate the relationships between age, experience, anthropometric measures, physical fitness, and the quality of technical performance in karate practitioners. We conducted an observational cross-sectional study with 53 federated karate athletes, aged 5 to 55, affiliated with the Youth Karate Association Portugal. The participants were divided into age and experience groups to assess differences in anthropometric measures (body mass, height, BMI) and physical fitness (strength, power, flexibility). The technical performance of four specific karate techniques – kizami, gyaku zuki, mawashi geri, and ura mawashi geri – was evaluated using a custom-designed technical evaluation …

Safety Study Of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Extracted From New Zealand Green Lipped Mussel And Krill On Hematology And Blood Chemistry Profiles Of Healthy Dogs And Cats, Uttra Jamikorn, Panumas Kongpanna

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

New Zealand green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus) is a shellfish with a green shell containing many types of fatty acids, especially polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). The aim of the present study was to investigate the safety of dietary PUFAs supplementation on blood hematology, chemistry and coagulogram pancreatic enzymes in dogs and cats. Twelve healthy beagle dogs and healthy mature cats were used in these studies. Complete randomized block and triplicate 4×4 Latin square designs were used for these dog and cat safety studies, respectively. Experimental diets composed of sham control (0X) and 3 treatment groups, including 1X, 3X, and …

Ergonomic Consulting As Fieldwork: A Pandemic Need & Beyond, Sarah Klunk, Mba, Otr/L, Sara Loesche, Ms, Otr/L, Cht, Ceas

Department of Occupational Therapy Posters and Presentations

Background

In March of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted clinical and educational environments accessed by occupational therapy students. Educators had to reimagine learning in virtual spaces—including fieldwork education. At the same time, workers in many industries quickly pivoted from office spaces to a work from home (WFH) environment. Most workers had to navigate this transition without employer support—especially in larger companies (Voss et al., 2021).

This project was a collaboration between the academic fieldwork coordinator (AFWC) and a faculty member (fieldwork educator) who worked to identify a need for services as a result of the shift in work environments. Then, …

Backpacks & Beyond: Applying Ergonomic Principles To Promote Wellness For School Students And Staff, Sara Loesche, Ms, Otr/L, Cht, Ceas

Department of Occupational Therapy Posters and Presentations

Overview

Students in elementary and secondary educational settings encounter ergonomic risk factors due to sedentary activity, poor postural habits, backpacks, and lack of knowledge related to health and wellness. Additionally, students are still physically developing during childhood and adolescent years.

An Occupational Therapy Intervention To Enhance Social And Physical Well-Being In Young Adults With First Episode Psychosis, Sarah Zagorac, Caitlin Taylor, Nuriya Neumann, Ilyse Kramer, Tina Deangelis

Department of Occupational Therapy Posters and Presentations

Background

Can Occupational Therapy (OT) increase social participation, physical well-being, and functional recovery in young adults with psychosis?

• Early Intervention Services (EIS), including Coordinated Specialty Care programs (CSC), for young adults who experience a first episode of psychosis (FEP) have been shown to reduce hospitalizations, increase quality of life, and increase global functioning.^1,2,3
• Young adults who experience FEP report a need to further address physical well-being and social participation, areas of life linked with long-term functional recovery.^4,5,6
• Early evidence related to the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the disproportionate impact on underserved youth’s psychological well-being, including decreased social participation and …

Medical School Watercooler Newsletter - April 3, 2025, Lindsay Hughes

Watercooler Newsletter

This is the Thursday, April 3, 2025 edition of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine's newsletter -- Watercooler.

Contents include:

• USA scientist challenges study on mitochondrial DNA inheritance
• EDGE session focuses on communication, collaboration and 'Crucial Conversations'
• Whiddon COM hosts internal medicine meeting about precision healthcare
• 'IMPROV Your Networking' event builds student confidence, connection skills
• Medical student awarded scholarship from USA Department of Neurology
• Radiology residents receive Outstanding Trainee Poster Award at Southern Radiological Conference

"I Know Who I Am": Draw-And-Tell Conversations With Gender-Creative Children, Eline Leemans Lenne

Dissertations and Theses

A growing number of children identify in various gender-creative ways, likely due to broader social awareness and affirmation of transgenderism. Gender-creative children face higher risks for adverse social, academic, mental health, and healthcare outcomes compared to non-transgender peers. Support from loved ones along with guidance from pediatric providers can mitigate poor outcomes and ensure that gender-creative children live healthy and happy lives. Young gender-creative children's perspectives about the aforementioned topics are markedly absent from the literature, which instead highlights adolescent and adult proxy perspectives.

In this participatory arts-based study anchored by a constructivist epistemology and informed by post-structuralist, queer, and …

Growing The Good: A Communal Garden Case Study Among Marginalized, Rural Populations, Claire Barbier

LSU Master's Theses

Community and Communal gardens (CG) have been documented as early as the late 1800s during periods of economic recessions and high food insecurity (The MIT Press Reader, 2022). However, C.G. adoption rates are expanding on a global scale as communities and municipalities see the potential for the tool to bring relief to environments in dire need of additional resources. Utilizing a communal garden can be used to address a surplus of systemic barriers a community faces; it has a significant opportunity to bring forth the interconnected tiers of public health altogether (Twiss et. al, 2003). Modernized C.G projects bring forth …

Exploring The Impact Of Social Media And Social Networks On Juvenile Sexual Behavior Problems: A Scoping Review, Shaleen Clay

LSU Master's Theses

The issue of juvenile problematic sexual behavior has become a pervasive problem, and little research exists on the topic. How social media and social networks impact problematic sexual behaviors in juveniles is even less known and understood. The objective of this scoping review was to determine what is known about the impact of social media and social networks on juvenile sexual behavior problems. Four key themes appeared in the literature including the use of adult terminology, rather than juvenile, to describe juvenile relationships; the normalization of abusive behaviors within adolescent relationship; the influence of social networks/peer groups on aggression and …

The Relationship Between Fear Avoidance Beliefs And Low Back Pain In Crossfit Participants, Kyle Flaten

Doctorate in Kinesiology

This study aimed to examine the relationships between fear avoidance, low back pain (LBP), and disability in CrossFit (CF) participants in the greater Twin Cities area in Minnesota with correlations between the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), and Fear Avoidance Belief Questionnaire for physical activity (FABQpa). 151 CF participants voluntarily completed the survey, including demographic information, LBP characteristics, the ODI, the RMDQ, and the FABQpa. Results showed that for CF participants with current LBP, duration had a large effect on fear avoidance (ɲ = .519 and ɲ2 = .269), and for those who reported a …

Oral Hygiene And Cardiovascular Health, Md. S. Zaman, S. M. Golam Alam, Mohammed S. Razzaque

School of Medicine Publications

The human oral microbiome plays a vital role in maintaining oral and systemic health. This diverse microbial community includes over 700 bacterial species, some of which are implicated in developing systemic diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Research highlights a strong association between periodontal disease and increased cardiovascular risk, suggesting that good oral hygiene practices may reduce the incidence of CVDs. Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum drive chronic inflammation in periodontal disease; these bacteria can extend beyond the mouth and contribute to systemic inflammatory responses. The inflammatory factors, including C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukins (IL-1, IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), damage …

A Mapping Review And Critique Of The Literature On Translation, Dissemination, And Implementation Capacity Building Initiatives For Different Audiences, Ana A Baumann, Danielle R Adams, Laura-Mae Baldwin, Rachel G Tabak, Sara Malone, Maura M Kepper, Anita D Misra-Hebert, Kathleen R Stevens, Maria E Fernandez, Sunil Kripalani

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Capacity building is critical for research and practice as the fields of dissemination, implementation and translation science continue to grow. Some scholars state that capacity building should be grounded in competencies. However, the fields are unclear in determining which competencies are relevant for whom, including the content and appropriate level of information and skills for different roles. The goal of this study was to catalogue competencies across current D&I capacity building initiatives.

METHODS: We conducted a mapping review to examine to what extent are theories or frameworks used to guide capacity building, who is being trained, to what extent …

The Effect Of Different Surface Treatments On The Roughness, Translucency, And Staining Of 3d-Printed Occlusal Device Materials, Silvia Rojas Rueda, Hanna Sepsick, Mohammed Hammamy, Amir H. Nejat, Edwin Kee, Nathaniel C. Lawson

School of Dentistry Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVES: To compare surface treatments (as-printed, optical polish, resin-coated, polished) of two 3D-printed occlusal device materials (KeySplint Soft and NightGuard Flex 2) cured with or without glycerin for surface roughness, translucency, and coffee staining. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Discs (2 mm thick) from two 3D-printed occlusal resins (KeySplint Soft and NightGuard Flex 2) were printed using a DLP 3D printer (SprintRay Pro 95), cleaned (ProWash S), and cured (ProCure 2) with or without glycerin. Some specimens were printed in an optical polish tank. Specimens were either as-printed, resin-coated, or polished. Reference milled (ProArt CAD Splint) and heat-cured (Excel Formula Heat Cure …

A Mapping Review And Critique Of The Literature On Translation, Dissemination, And Implementation Capacity Building Initiatives For Different Audiences, Ana A Baumann, Danielle R Adams, Laura-Mae Baldwin, Rachel G Tabak, Sara Malone, Maura M Kepper, Anita D Misra-Hebert, Kathleen R Stevens, Maria E Fernandez, Sunil Kripalani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Capacity building is critical for research and practice as the fields of dissemination, implementation and translation science continue to grow. Some scholars state that capacity building should be grounded in competencies. However, the fields are unclear in determining which competencies are relevant for whom, including the content and appropriate level of information and skills for different roles. The goal of this study was to catalogue competencies across current D&I capacity building initiatives.

Methods: We conducted a mapping review to examine to what extent are theories or frameworks used to guide capacity building, who is being trained, to what extent …

Efficacy Of Early Adl’S In The Post Operative Total Joint Replacement Population, Lee Ann Phillips Ms, Otr/L, Ryan Vetter Ms-Otr/L

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Polygenic Score Analysis Identifies Distinct Genetic Risk Profiles In Alzheimer’S Disease Comorbidities, Carlos F Hernández, Camilo Villaman, Costin Leu, Dennis Lal, Ignacio Mata, Andrés D Klein, Eduardo Pérez-Palma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is usually accompanied by comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes (T2D), epilepsy, major depressive disorder (MDD), and migraine headaches (MH) that can significantly affect patient management and progression. As AD, these comorbidities have their own cumulative common genetic risk component that can be explored in a single individual through polygenic scores. Utilizing data from the UK Biobank, we investigated the correlation between polygenic scores (PGS) for these comorbidities and their actual presentation in AD patients. We show that individuals with higher PGS values showed an elevated risk of developing T2D (OR 2.1, p = 1.07 × 10−11) …