Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

An Analysis Of The Key Components Of War In Baseball, Natalie Kerr

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

This study explores the creation of Offensive Wins Above Replacements (oWAR) models within the realm of Major League Baseball (MLB) based on individual player statistics for teams who participated in the 2022 postseason. The main objective was to construct a more refined oWAR model through the examination of the already existing oWAR model and its variables. The exploration was aimed at finding the impact that different variables relating to player performance have on the current oWAR and potentially reducing the number of variables used for the model. Through the use of statistical analysis techniques, such as regression analysis, it was …

A Body Disinterred: Academic Grave Robbing And Its Consequences, Jordan Ottaviano

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

This thesis examines the local case of Ella Jamerson, a victim of grave robbing for the purposes of anatomization, in order to display the paradigm shift in documentation which this incident brought to its community. Anatomization is the dissection of individuals in order to gain knowledge concerning the structures and functions of the human body. This practice, though responsible for advancements within the study of human medicine, maintains a heavy stigma of discomposure due to previously unethical methods through which bodies have historically been procured for dissection. The act of resurrection, or graverobbing for medical education was utilized to provide …

Investigation Of The Oral And Gut Microbiomes Of Llamas: 16s Microbiome Testing And Characterization Of An Isolated Microbe, Elizabeth Wenger

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

The oral microbiome informs us about the living conditions of the animal. Understanding the oral microbiome allows handlers to understand the health implications to better protect themselves and care for the animals. Current literature on the oral microbiome in ruminants and alpacas is scant and does not represent llamas. In theory, the oral microbiome of a llama should be similar because they are often housed and cared for in a very similar manner. The gut and oral microbiome in humans have proven to have an overlap in bacterial communities. In theory, this is also true in animals that chew cud …

Aerodynamic And Chemical Comparisons Of The Most Recent World Cup Soccer Balls, Lauren Thomas

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

One goal of this research was to compare the aerodynamics of the 2023 Women’s World Cup ball, the Oceaunz, to the ball used in the 2022 Men’s World Cup, the Al Rihla, using drag coefficients obtained from wind-tunnel data and vertical trajectories of the balls. The two balls have the same panel and seam design, but they possess different surface coloring. Chemical analysis using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy suggests that both balls were designed with water soluble inks, which are environmentally preferable over inks made from oil-based solvents. Analysis of the drag coefficients determined from the wind-tunnel data indicate that …

Relationship Between Outdoor Recreation Activity And Physical And Mental Health, Ian Prinzbach

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Mental and physical health are important aspects of our lives, and maintenance of them is crucial to sustain or improve one’s quantity and quality of life. Research shows that Americans suffer greatly from physical and mental health related complications. Mental illness and chronic disease runs rampant in our society, and this is an issue that needs immediate attention. The purpose of this study was to determine if participation in outdoor activities affected physical and mental health. Based on existing research, it was hypothesized that the frequency of outdoor activity participation would have a positive correlation with more favorable physical and …

Fluorescence-Based Techniques For The Identification Of Small Biomolecules, Charnette Frederic

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Understanding fluorescence-based methods for detecting small biomolecules is a crucial area of focus in research investigations. Our studies focused on the challenge in two parts: Non-intrinsic fluorescence and intrinsic fluorescence. For studies on Non-intrinsic fluorescence, Rifampicin (Rif), an antibiotic harnessed for treating diverse bacterial infections, including tuberculosis (TB), serves as a focal point. Leveraging the Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) process, aptamers emerged from the nonspecific 40-mer Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) library to interact with its target, Rif. During each SELEX cycle, the recovered nucleotides underwent amplification via Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) until the most selective aptamers were …

A Novel Positive-Contrast Magnetic Resonance Imaging Line Marker For High-Dose-Rate (Hdr) Mri-Assisted Radiosurgery (Mars), Li Wang, Yao Ding, Teresa L. Bruno, R. Jason Stafford, Eric Lin, Tharakeswara K. Bathala, Jeremiah W. Sanders, Matthew S. Ning, Jingfei Ma, Karen S. Martirosyan

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can facilitate accurate organ delineation and optimal dose distributions in high-dose-rate (HDR) MRI-Assisted Radiosurgery (MARS). Its use for this purpose has been limited by the lack of positive-contrast MRI markers that can clearly delineate the lumen of the HDR applicator and precisely show the path of the HDR source on T1- and T2-weighted MRI sequences. We investigated a novel MRI positive-contrast HDR brachytherapy or interventional radiotherapy line marker, C4:S, consisting of C4 (visible on T1-weighted images) complexed with saline. Longitudinal relaxation time (T1) and transverse relaxation time (T2) for C4:S were measured on a 1.5 T …

Crafting Community Solar Programs To Alleviate Energy Burdens And Empower Communities In Virginia, Elizabeth Anne Sekelsky

Master's Projects and Capstones

Low to moderate-income (LMI) groups usually suffer from high energy burdens and community solar is a renewable energy strategy that can save LMI groups on their monthly electricity bills. This research explores the intersection of renewable energy and energy justice, specifically the potential for community solar, energy efficiency, and home weatherization to alleviate Virginia's energy burdens. Included is an analysis of incentives, programs, and Greenhouse gas emission goals for the state, investigations on how low-income groups are receiving aid and what is available to them from programs and utilities, suitable sites for solar based on groups in need, and comparisons …

Supporting South Korea’S Aging Population: How Ai And Iot Acceptance Connects The Young And Old, Bobby Im

Master's Projects and Capstones

In 2024, South Korea surpassed every other nation by becoming the country with the lowest fertility rate (below 0.7%). Population decline will hinder future ability to care for their aging population and although the government and private corporations are investing millions of dollars on developing Artificial Intelligence-Internet of Things (AI-IoT) devices to support the aging, the acceptance levels and the amount of family support required is undervalued. By examining AI-IoT’s current use and role in South Korea’s public health system this paper shows how intergenerational support helps optimize existing procedures and equipment, increases the level of acceptance and use, and …

Social Needs Screening And Intervention In Pediatric Primary Care: Impact On Families’ Experience Of Care, Sarah D. Ronis, Marie Masotya, Kurt C. Stange

Faculty Scholarship

Introduction/Objectives: Social determinants of health (SDoH) screening and intervention in pediatric primary care depends upon caregiver disclosure of adverse household or social conditions and thus may be influenced by perceived bias or stigma. This paper examines to what extent parents’ experience of their child’s medical home is associated with their perceptions of a practice-based social needs intervention. Methods: We conducted a cohort study of data reported by 73 parents of children obtaining care in a medical home with an embedded SDoH navigation program. Using survey data collected in October 2021 and October 2022, we calculated descriptive statistics and non-parametric bivariate …

Comparative Analysis Of In-Silico Tools In Identifying Pathogenic Variants In Dominant Inherited Retinal Diseases, Daniel C Brock, Meng Wang, Hafiz Muhammad Jafar Hussain, David E Rauch, Molly Marra, Mark E Pennesi, Paul Yang, Lesley Everett, Radwan S Ajlan, Jason Colbert, Fernanda Belga Ottoni Porto, Anna Matynia, Michael B Gorin, Robert K Koenekoop, Irma Lopez, Ruifang Sui, Gang Zou, Yumei Li, Rui Chen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) are a group of rare genetic eye conditions that cause blindness. Despite progress in identifying genes associated with IRDs, improvements are necessary for classifying rare autosomal dominant (AD) disorders. AD diseases are highly heterogenous, with causal variants being restricted to specific amino acid changes within certain protein domains, making AD conditions difficult to classify. Here, we aim to determine the top-performing in-silico tools for predicting the pathogenicity of AD IRD variants. We annotated variants from ClinVar and benchmarked 39 variant classifier tools on IRD genes, split by inheritance pattern. Using area-under-the-curve (AUC) analysis, we determined the …

Early Cholestasis And Vitamin K Deficiency Secondary To Biliary Atresia Presenting As Coagulopathy And Thymic Hemorrhage, Abbey Elsbernd, Lauren Amos Md

Research Days

Background

Bleeding and progressive coagulopathy are established symptoms of early cholestasis, including extrahepatic biliary atresia. We present a patient with bleeding secondary to vitamin K deficiency and cholestasis-induced fat malabsorption with unusual presentation of mediastinal mass.

Objective

Describe a case of late-onset vitamin K deficiency and cholestasis presenting as jaundice and coagulopathy with associated bleeding into thymic structures Design/Method

Case report

Results

A 4-week-old term male infant was brought to the ED with fussiness and bruising. Prior to presentation, he was afebrile and followed regularly with his primary care provider for jaundice below phototherapy thresholds. Infant received vitamin K at …

Pain Outcomes In Adolescents With Surgically Confirmed Endometriosis: A Single Site Retrospective Cohort Analysis, Madeline Ross, Samantha Janssen, Priya Suvarna, Adam Booser, Ashli Lawson

Research Days

Background: In adolescents with significant dysmenorrhea, empiric therapy via analgesics and hormonal medications is considered gold standard. However, those with refractory pain may have endometriosis. Thus, it is recommended to engage in shared medical decision making with these patients regarding diagnostic laparoscopy. If endometriosis is detected intraoperatively, these lesions are often fulgurated or excised. There currently is a paucity of data regarding the benefits of diagnostic laparoscopy and destruction of lesions in the adolescent population.

Objectives/Goal: To evaluate long-term pain management outcomes and care patterns in adolescent patients undergoing surgical evaluation for endometriosis.

Methods/Design: This was a single-site, retrospective cohort …

Association Of Respiratory Viral Testing And Antibiotic Use For Pediatric Patients Admitted For Acute Respiratory Illness Between 2017-2021 At Children’S Mercy-Kansas City, Edward Lyon, Brian Lee, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Jennifer Schuster

Research Days

Retrospective comparison of hospitalized pediatric patients who did or did not have clinical viral respiratory testing performed to understand if antibiotics were used differently between these groups.

A Mathematical Modeling Study On Hdv Rna, Alt, And Hbsag Dynamics Reveals Dual Mechanisms Of Peginterferon-Lambda., Adquate Mhlanga, Ohad Etzion, Harel Dahari

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Transition Skills Lab: A Telehealth Intervention For Improving Healthcare Transition In Youth With Special Health Care Needs, Angela Combs, Alaina Linafelter, Jordan Sevart, Michele H. Maddux

Research Days

The goal of this abstract is to evaluate youth skill-building and confidence across health care tasks through the virtual Transition Skills Lab.

Long-Term Physical And Emotional Functioning In Children Following Intensive Interdisciplinary Pain Treatment For Amplified Pain Syndrome, Sabrina Ung, Jacqueline Pabis Phd, Jenny Scheurich Phd, Dustin Wallace Phd

Research Days

The current study aimed to examine the efficacy of pediatric interdisciplinary pain treatment (IIPT) several years after treatment completion by exploring mean-level changes of physical and mental health functioning pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at follow-up 2 to 6 years after IIPT completion.

Comparing Bilateral And Unilateral Metal Stabilizers: Incision Complications In Pectus Repair, Seth Saylors, Shawn D. St Peter, Tolulope A. Oyetunji Md Mph, Nelimar Cruz-Centeno, Nitin Nadella

Research Days

Introduction: The use of metal stabilizers in minimally invasive pectus excavatum repair (MIPER) has been previously associated with multiple postoperative complications. We aimed to identify if bilateral metal stabilizers increase the risk of incision complications when compared to unilateral stabilizers.

Methods: Institutional Review Board approval was obtained. Patients that underwent MIPER with metal stabilizers from 2019 to 2022 and currently had the bar in place, at a single tertiary care pediatric center, were included. A telephone survey evaluated if they had incision-associated symptoms, and if the location was congruent with the stabilizer site. A retrospective chart review was performed to …

Rare Complications Associated With Use Of Bovine Pericardium, Mohamed Aashiq Abdul Ghayum, Nitin Madan, William J. Gibson, Sanket Shah

Research Days

Background

Bovine Pericardium (BP), with numerous and improving preparation techniques, has been used extensively for over 50 years in repair of simple and complex congenital heart defects. It has several advantages over other surgical materials. However, there is a paucity of data in the pediatric population regarding complications associated with BP. Herein, we report two rare complications noted with BP use.

Case Description

Case 1. A 14-month-old male, with trisomy 21 and complete Atrioventricular canal defect, repaired using BP. A routine surveillance echocardiogram showed a mass attached to the atrial septum and atrial aspect of the left atrioventricular valve (Figure …

Exploring The Role Of Pain On Physical Activity Among Youth With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Using The Biopsychosocial Model, Anna E. Van Asselt, Renee Gilbert, Meghan Tokala, Jacee Weber, Meredith L. Dreyer Gillette, Robert C. Gibler, Carolyn R. Bates, Keith August

Research Days

The Role of Pain on Physical Activity in Pediatric ALL

Keywords: Biopsychosocial model, pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, pain, physical activity

Introduction: Engaging in physical activity (PA) during cancer treatment benefits a child’s physical and mental well-being (McLaughlin et al., 2021). However, engaging in PA may be challenging due to treatment and disease-related pain (Uhl et al., 2020). Pediatric cancer research has primarily focused on management of procedural and chronic pain, with fewer studies examining how pain may interfere with PA during treatment (Clews et al., 2022). The current study qualitatively investigated the impact of pain on PA using a …

Reducing Sharps Disposal In The Operating Room, Kasey Brooks, Brandon Layton

Research Days

Used an education program to reduce the amount of sharps waste in the operating room within the anesthesia department.

Delirium On Admission To The Cicu, Spencer Wittmeyer, Jaime Silva-Gburek, Kelly S. Tieves

Research Days

Background: Delirium is increasingly recognized in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) with an incidence up to 67% and is associated with worse outcomes including increased mortality, prolonged hospitalization, and increased rates of intubation and mechanical circulatory support. The Cornell Assessment for Pediatric Delirium (CAPD) is the only validated tool for the diagnosis of delirium in the pediatric population. The CAPD may be limited in children with developmental disabilities as it does not account for baseline ability in scoring. Prior work has identified low specificity for the CAPD in children with developmental disabilities and those requiring mechanical ventilation. This …

Pain Management In Perforated Appendicitis: Transitioning To A Minimal Narcotic Strategy, Seth Saylors, Meredith Elman, Pablo Aguayo, Rebecca M. Rentea, Richard J. Hendrickson, David Juang, Charles L. Snyder, Jason D. Fraser, Tolulope A. Oyetunji Md Mph, Shawn D. St Peter, Nelimar Cruz-Centeno, Charles Marchese

Research Days

Introduction: Patient controlled analgesia (PCA) was previously standard for postoperative pain control in children with perforated appendicitis at our institution. We previously reported the equivocal outcome of intravenous (IV) acetaminophen as a pain control adjunct used to transition from PCA to oral narcotics. We have since transitioned to a PCA-free, multi-modal pain control regimen postoperatively in perforated appendicitis. Through observational study, we aim to describe the impact of our new pain control regimen on postoperative narcotic use.

Methods: Children– June 2020 at a single freestanding children’s hospital were reviewed. Details of their hospitalization, including demographic, operative, anesthesia, pain management, and …

Double Aortic Arch With Atresia Of The Left Aortic Arch Proximal To The Left Common Carotid Artery In A Patient With Phace Syndrome – A Management Conundrum, Mohamed Aashiq Abdul Ghayum, Anmol Goyal, Aliessa P. Barnes, Sanket Shah

Research Days

Background Cardiac anomalies in PHACE syndrome (P: posterior fossa anomalies, H: hemangiomas, A: arterial lesions, C: cardiac abnormalities, E: abnormalities of the eye) often consists of complex aortic arch anomalies with double aortic arch (DAA) being an uncommon association. Atresia of the proximal segment of the left arch in DAA is extremely rare and can pose a diagnostic and management conundrum due to formation of a loose vascular ring and asymptomatic nature as seen in our case.

Case Description A 5-year-old male, diagnosed with PHACE syndrome, at a different center was noted to have an incidental finding on head imaging …

Modeling Of Intracellular Compartmentalized Gpcr Signaling, Léo Darrigade

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Benefit Of Medication Reconciliation Practices On Patient Health Outcomes In A Healthcare Setting, Helen Harris, David Petrulis, Lauren Trepp, Bryan Chong, Jillian Haas, David Chan, Laura Ellwein Fix

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

A Model Of Oocyte Population Dynamics For Fish Oogenesis, Louis Fostier, Frédérique Clément, Romain Yvinec, Violette Thermes

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

A Histological Data-Driven Analysis Of The Hypoxic Microenvironment Of Preclinical Murine Bladder Tumors, Awino Maureiq E. Ojwang'

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Time-Dependent Antibody Kinetics For Infected And Vaccinated Individuals Via Graph-Theoretic Modeling, Rayanne Luke, Prajakta P. Bedekar, Anthony Kearsley

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Modeling Fast Information And Slow(Er) Disease Spreading: A Geometric Analysis, Iulia Martina Bulai, Mattia Sensi, Sara Sottile

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.