Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Development Of An Evidence Based Pressure Ulcer Prevention Bundle For The Medical Surgical Unit, Fanhelea Morency

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Serological Evidence Of Onchocerca Volvulus Exposure And Entomological Indicators Of Parasite Transmission, Didier Kapuku Bakajika

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Staff Education On The Use Of Music To Alleviate Anxiety In Patients With Dementia Within Long-Term Care Facilities, Anyinkeng Lydia Tazi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Staff Education On Lipoprotein (A) Screening And Clinical Follow-Up In Primary Care, Deshawntae Griffin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Development Of Novel Plasma Proteomic Biomarkers For Cancer-Associated Thrombosis In An Advanced Cancer Cohort, Preeti, Mrinal Ranjan, Dang Pham, Juan L Bueno, Micheline M Resende, Michael E Scheurer, Christopher I Amos, Chao Cheng, Ang Li

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Existing risk models for cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) show suboptimal performance in selective high-risk populations with cancer. Affinity-based plasma proteomics offers a novel approach for detecting CAT risk.

Objectives: To identify plasma biomarkers for CAT using proximity extension assays in an advanced cancer cohort.

Methods: We performed a nested case-control study using the Olink Explore HT panel. The final cohort included 57 patients with CAT and 113 matched control patients from 5 selected cancer types who had samples collected between cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy initiation. Random survival forest model was used to assess nonlinear associations with CAT in 5416 normalized …

Progressive Cardiac Phenotypes And Reduced Reversibility From Long-Term Cugexp Rna Expression In A Dm1 Mouse Model, Rong-Chi Hu, Mohammadreza Tabary, Xander Ht Wehrens, Thomas A Cooper

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is caused by an expanded CTG repeat in the DMPK gene, resulting in mutant transcripts that form expanded CUG (CUGexp) RNA foci and sequester muscleblind-like (MBNL) RNA-binding proteins. DM1 is multisystemic, with progressive worsening of disease manifestations in affected tissues. Disease progression is attributed to somatic expansion of the CTG repeats with age, resulting in production of CUGexp RNA with enhanced intrinsic toxicity due to increased MBNL sequestration. To determine the degree to which cardiac disease progression can occur independently of repeat expansion, we used a transgenic DM1 mouse model with inducible heart-specific expression of …

Improving Postoperative Handoff For Placenta Accreta: Implementing A Structured Handoff Communication Tool, Isabelle L. Gerrard

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose Implement a standardized postoperative handoff tool to improve interdisciplinary communication during transfer of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) patients from the operating room to an obstetric intensive care unit at an academic women's hospital.

Background Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) is a high-risk obstetric condition requiring coordinated multidisciplinary care. At the project site, operating room (OR)-to-obstetric intensive care unit (OB ICU) handoffs lacked a standardized process. This resulted in inconsistent communication and omission of critical information. Nurses reported reduced confidence. Standardized handoff tools can improve communication and promote safer transitions of care.

Methodology This 10-week quality improvement project used Plan-Do-Study-Act methodology …

Staff Education To Improve Interpretation And Documentation Of Category Ii Fetal Heart Rate Patterns In Labor And Delivery Nurses, Lizette Girado

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Improving Diagnostic Accuracy Through Implementation Of An Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Ambient Scribe In Skilled Nursing Psychiatric Practice, Ernest Glenn Gorleski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

The Implementation Of A Home Blood Pressure Monitoring Program, Michelle Oxendine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Orthographic Representations In American Sign Language Fingerspelling, Zed Sehyr, Lauren Fillet, Kiana Billot-Vasquez, Emily Saunders, Karen Emmorey

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

This study examined fingerspelling accuracy and error patterns in deaf American Sign Language (ASL) signers and written spelling in hearing English speakers to investigate how orthographic representations are shaped by phonological, visual, and motor encoding strategies. Deaf participants (n = 39) completed a fingerspelling repetition task, while hearing participants (n = 35) completed a written dictation task using the same word and pseudoword stimuli. While overall accuracy did not differ significantly between groups, deaf participants exhibited qualitatively distinct error patterns, including higher rates of deletions and transpositions, compared to hearing participants who made more substitution errors. Deaf participants also produced …

Left Out And At Risk: Post-Pandemic Continuation Of Organizational Service Reduction In Metropolitan New York City Coincides With Rise In Opiate Use And Mental Health Problems For Latinos, Ruth Lin Campbell, Smita Ekka Dewan

Publications and Research

Increasing opiate use and mental health problems among younger and older Latinos in urban US contexts prompted this investigation into the organizational resources that facilitate help-seeking efforts of Latinos in New York State (NYS). Guided by a Vulnerability Model and a framework of organizational enabling resources, this study used complementary longitudinal and cross-sectional designs. The longitudinal component examined changes in levels of organizational facilitators for Latino substance use disorder (SUD) help-seeking in Downstate NYS across three time periods, while the cross-sectional component compared post-pandemic facilitator levels across service types and regions. A convenience sample of 241 SUD clinicians participated in …

Practicing Professional Intake Consultations With Ai: An Experiential Assignment For An Exercise Prescription Course, Mark E. Hartman

Educational Practices in Kinesiology

The purpose of this article is to describe an assignment that integrates artificial intelligence (AI) with simulation-based learning in an upper-level undergraduate exercise prescription course. A large body of evidence supports the use of simulation-based education, though due to cost and feasibility limitations, it has largely been limited to medical education. This assignment leverages AI as a scalable, low-cost simulation tool, offering exercise science students a highly realistic practice simulation that reinforces both professional reasoning and interpersonal communication skills. In this assignment, titled Simulated Exercise Consultation Using ChatGPT, students practice conducting an intake session as a personal trainer while …

Prevalence Of Adverse Events Following T-Cell Redirecting Therapies In Patients With Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: A Pooled Analysis, Abhiraj Saxena, Marc Yorker, Nicholas Zorko, Vivek Narayan, Bilal Siddiqui, Biren Saraiya, William Tester, Patrick Mille, Amy Shaver, Nikita Nikita, Grace Lu-Yao, W. Kevin Kelly, Kevin K. Zarrabi

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: T-cell redirecting therapies, including T-cell engagers (TCEs) and Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR-T), are under investigation in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Despite their promising therapeutic potential, these therapies remain in early stages of development due to treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). This study aims to quantify the frequency and severity of adverse events in clinical trials with a pooled analysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic search of PubMed, CINHAL, Scopus, and Ovid was conducted to identify clinical trials evaluating TCEs or CAR-T in patients with mCRPC. Types and frequencies of TRAEs were collected and analyzed using a random-effects model. …

A Quality Improvement Initiative Evaluating Factors Influencing Patient Experience With Virtual Reality During Awake​ Interventional Radiology Procedures, Quynh Dao-Payne

Doctoral Projects

Procedural anxiety and pain are common among pediatric patients undergoing awake interventional radiology (IR) procedures and may negatively affect patient comfort, cooperation, and overall patient experience. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising nonpharmacologic intervention to reduce anxiety and improve patient-centered outcomes. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate patient-reported experiences and perceived outcomes associated with VR use during awake pediatric IR procedures at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.​ A qualitative descriptive quality improvement design was utilized. Twenty pediatric​ patients ages 10–21 years undergoing awake IR procedures with VR as part of standard clinical​ care completed structured …

Values-Based Clinical Ethics: A New Model Of Health And Ethics Consultation For Patients Suffering In Extremis, Adam Trainer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation argues that contemporary clinical ethics is inadequately equipped to support patients suffering in extremis because it relies on an insufficiently discriminating account of health and a constrained model of moral reasoning. Drawing on Bernard Lonergan, it reconceives health as an emergent, multi-layered, heuristic notion shaped by biological, psychological, social, and existential goods. On that basis, it critiques principlism’s global applicability thesis and the undergirding claim that its principles form part of the common morality, arguing that this justificatory structure is philosophically insufficient and practically limited for clinical ethics in cases marked by profound suffering, moral plurality, and normative …

The Effect Of A Superficial Biochar Layer On Soil Radon Exhalation: A Preliminary Investigation Into A Passive Residential Radon Mitigation Strategy, Nicholas Richmond Nelson

Honors Theses

Residential radon exposure is a leading cause of lung cancer worldwide, yet home testing and mitigation remain infrequent. Active mitigation systems can be costly, and existing passive radon-resistant construction techniques, while cost-effective, are not always sufficient to reduce indoor radon to below the recommended EPA threshold of 4.0 pCi/L (148 Bq/m3). This initial work examines the potential for a superficial biochar layer placed beneath a house foundation during construction to reduce soil radon exhalation and subsequent indoor radon concentration. Biochar is also being explored as an admixture to concrete, and this study investigates radon transmission through concrete with varying biochar …

Dna Methylation Signatures Associated With Bipolar Disorder In Peripheral Blood Improve Prediction Models, Markos Tesfaye, Anne-Kristin Stavrum, Kira D Höffler, Kevin S O'Connell, Friederike S David, Melanie E Garrett, Sonia Hesam-Shariati, Bronwyn J Overs, Claudia Pisanu, Luana Spano, Oliver J Watkeys, Antoine Weihs, Rafaella Ardau, Allison E Ashley-Koch, Lavinia Athanasiu, Jean C Beckham, Kyle J Bourassa, Caterina Chillotti, Srdjan Djurovic, Ole K Drange, Josef Frank, Anouar Khayachi, Nathan A Kimbrel, Lourdes Martorell, Susanne Meinert, Ingrid Melle, Gunnar Morken, Pasquale Paribello, Marco Pinna, Gloria Roberts, Guy Rouleau, Peter R Schofield, Esteban Sepúlveda, Giovanni Severino, Vidar M Steen, Frederike Stein, Fabian Streit, Va Mid-Atlantic Mirecc Workgroup, Trine Vik Lagerberg, Martin Alda, Udo Dannlowski, Andreas J Forstner, Janice M Fullerton, Hans J Grabe, Melissa J Green, Tilo Kircher, Javier Labad, Mirko Manchia, Philip B Mitchell, Jair C Soares, Alessio Squassina, Alexander Teumer, Leonardo Tondo, Elisabet Vilella, Ole A Andreassen, Boris Chaumette, Gabriel R Fries, Stephanie Le Hellard

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a major mood disorder influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. While DNA methylation from peripheral tissues can reflect both genetic and environmental influences and reveal insights into disease biology, it remains understudied in BD. DNA methylation signatures may complement polygenic scores (PGS) and hold potential as biomarkers. Here, we conducted the largest epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of BD to date and evaluated the predictive value of polymethylation scores (PMS) in classifying case-control status.

Methods: DNA methylation from peripheral blood of 1729 cases and 1747 controls, comprising twelve cohorts, was obtained. We performed meta-analyses for …

Identifying Novel Gene Dysregulation Associated With Opioid Overdose Death: A Meta-Analysis Of Differential Gene Expression In Human Prefrontal Cortex, Javan K Carter, Bryan C Quach, Caryn Willis, Melyssa S Minto, Dana B Hancock, Janitza Montalvo-Ortiz, Olivia Corradin, Ryan W Logan, Consuelo Walss-Bass, Brion S Maher, Eric Otto Johnson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Only recently have human postmortem brain studies of differential gene expression (DGE) associated with opioid overdose death (OOD) been published; sample sizes from these studies have been modest (N = 40-153). To increase statistical power to identify OOD-associated genes, we leveraged human prefrontal cortex RNA-seq data from four independent OOD studies and conducted a transcriptome-wide DGE meta-analysis (N = 272). Using a unified gene expression data processing and analysis framework across studies, we meta-analyzed 20, 098 genes and found 335 significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by OOD status (false discovery rate <  0.05). Of these, 66 DEGs were among the list of 303 genes reported as OOD-associated in prior prefrontal cortex molecular studies (e.g., genes/gene families OPRK1, NPAS4, DUSP, EGR). The remaining 269 DEGs were not previously reported (e.g., NR4A2, SYT1, HCRTR2, BDNF). There was little evidence of genetic drivers for the observed differences in gene expression between opioid addiction cases and controls. Enrichment analyses for the DEGs across molecular pathway and biological process databases highlight an interconnected set of genes and pathways linked to orexin and tyrosine kinase receptors through MEK/ERK/MAPK signaling to affect neuronal plasticity.

Tunable Tripcides Suppress Virulence Factor Secretion During Staphylococcus Aureus Infection And Kill Dormant Cells, Hasan Tükenmez, Taylor M Nye, Suzanne Hickerson, Chloe L P Obernuefemann, Jerome S Pinkner, Karen W Dodson, Michael G Caparon, Scott J Hultgren, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in common bacterial pathogens, including methicillin-resistant

Inflammatory Markers In The Emergency Department And Ptsd Symptoms In The Aurora Study: A Longitudinal Cohort Study, Kristen Nishimi, Stacey L House, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammation is hypothesized to contribute to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) vulnerability. Few studies have examined inflammation shortly after trauma as a predictor of later PTSD symptoms. We examined whether inflammation from the emergency department (ED) post-trauma is associated with PTSD symptom severity over the following 6 months.

METHODS: Our sample included 742 AURORA participants, a longitudinal cohort of patients in 29 EDs across the United States after a traumatic stressor, followed up to 6 months. Plasma cytokines were assessed from a study blood draw in the ED: an inflammatory index (standardized sum of generally pro-inflammatory markers interleukin [IL]-6, …

Modeling Individual Self-Protective Behavior During Epidemics, Geonsik Yu, Michael J. Garee, Mario Ventresca, Yuehwern Yih

Faculty Publications

Protecting public health from infectious diseases requires collective action, as individual behaviors—such as vaccination and mask-wearing—directly influence disease dynamics. During the COVID-19 pandemic, unexpected public responses often undermined the effectiveness of interventions, highlighting the need to understand collective behavioral patterns and motivations to design more effective mitigation strategies. This study presents an agent-based simulation model that captures how individuals adjust self-protective behaviors based on evolving opinions about disease risk and examines how these decisions interact with external factors, such as public health interventions, to shape collective outcomes. To improve the representativeness of the simulated population, multiple datasets were integrated to …

Photophysical Properties Of Tunable Dox-Ir820 Chemo-Ptt Combination Nanomedicine, Eshaal Nadeem, Fatima Abbas, Noureen Siraj

Research and Creative Works Expo

Cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the United States, underscoring the urgent need for more effective treatment options. Nanotechnology offers innovative solutions through combination nanomedicines that can integrate multiple therapeutic mechanisms into a single platform. In this study, we developed aqueous nanoparticles (NPs) composed of a combined chemotherapeutic agent and photothermal therapy drug,[DOX][IR820], using a simple reprecipitation method. By adjusting different parameters, we tuned NP size and evaluated how this influenced their photophysical behavior, such as absorbance and fluorescence emission, and photothermal therapeutic activity such as light-to-heat conversion efficiency. These properties were analyzed to identify the optimal …

Visual And Refractive Outcomes Of Premium Intraocular Lens Implantation In Post-Refractive Eyes Undergoing Refractive Lens Exchange Or Cataract Surgery, Simon Zakhari, Abhilash Guduru

Cumberland Medica

Historically, premium intraocular lenses (IOLs) were used cautiously in post-refractive patients due to concerns that preexisting or surgically induced higher-order aberrations could degrade visual quality by increasing glare and halos, while also reducing contrast sensitivity. Patients with prior corneal refractive procedures (LASIK, PRK, SMILE, or RK) often have altered corneal curvature, making IOL power calculations and lens performance less predictable. With advances in biometry, corneal imaging, and modern IOL designs that compensate for spherical aberrations, these concerns have diminished. This retrospective cross-sectional study evaluated visual and patient satisfaction outcomes after premium IOL implantation in post-refractive eyes undergoing refractive lens exchange …

Challenges And Innovations In Tennis Coach Development: International Insights From Practitioners Across Continents, Miguel Crespo, Rafael Martinez-Gallego, Christine Nash

Journal of Coach Development

Tennis is a global sport with effective coaches being essential to the continued appeal, therefore the work of the coach developers within the International Tennis Federation (ITF) is crucial. This research examined the work and aspirations of coach developers in tennis using in-depth interviews with 10 ITF coach developers. Subsequently, we developed detailed pen portraits of two ITF coach developers at different levels of experience and engagement in order to highlight any differences in work, objectives or ambition. Findings from coach developers revealed three themes: support from ITF; barriers to learning; making learning less traditional. The pen portraits added further …

Agenda (Pdf), Department Of Surgery

Surgery Research Symposium

Agenda for the 4th Annual Surgery Research Symposium held May 7, 2026.

Staff Education To Improve Fall Prevention In A Behavioral-Health Urgent Care Setting, May Nnenna Akalemeaku

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Reducing Emergency Department Overuse Through Patient Education, Maddie Pieper, Joshua Heuertz

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects: College of Nursing

Background/Introduction

Emergency departments (EDs) are designed to provide rapid evaluation and management of acute, life-threatening, and time-sensitive conditions. However, EDs are frequently used for nonemergent or low-acuity concerns that could be managed in primary care or urgent care settings. This overuse contributes to rising healthcare costs, resource strain, longer wait times, and overcrowding. Underserved populations may rely more heavily on ED services because of barriers such as limited primary care access, language differences, low health literacy, restrictive work schedules, transportation challenges, and difficulty navigating the healthcare system. These factors can make the ED seem the most accessible source of care. …

Colorectal Cancer Screening: Implementation And Evaluation Of A Screening Algorithm In A Rural Family Practice Clinic, Mollie M. Tate, Whitney Dubas

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects: College of Nursing

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States and disproportionately affects rural populations. Although more than 90% of cases occur in adults older than 50 years, increasing incidence among younger adults prompted an update to national guidelines recommending screening beginning at age 45. Rural residents face multiple barriers to colorectal cancer screening (CRCS), including limited access to care, transportation challenges, lack of insurance, and absence of standardized screening processes in primary care. These barriers contribute to lower screening rates, delayed diagnosis, and poorer outcomes. Evidence demonstrates that CRCS reduces CRC morbidity and …

Transition To Noninvasive Testing From The Gold Standard Of Liver Biopsy, Heidi Bien, Sabina Choudhry, Christine Pocha, University Of South Dakota Sanford School Of Medicine & Avera Health System

Scholarship Pathways Program

Purpose: Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, represents a rapidly growing public health concern, affecting roughly 30% of the global population. MASLD encompasses a spectrum from simple steatosis to its more progressive form, metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis (MASH). Early and accurate assessment of liver disease is critical for risk stratification and management, yet the current gold standard-liver biopsy remains invasive, costly, and limited by sampling variability and interpretive subjectivity. Noninvasive imaging modalities, particularly magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), have emerged as promising alternatives, but their concordance with biopsy in real-world clinical practice remains underexplored.

 Methods: …