Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Advancements In The Synthesis Of Polyoxygenated Oxepanes And Thiepanes For Applications To Natural Products, Aditya R. Pote, Shayne M. Weierbach, Mark W. Peczuh, Kyle M. Lambert

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Oxepanes are central motifs and tenants of many biologically important molecules, and their synthetic construction often presents a challenge to chemists due to consequential entropic and enthalpic barriers that have limited the synthetic toolbox to access these seven-membered oxacycles. This review covers the breadth of synthetic methods to afford the oxepane/thiepane moiety, with a focus on polyoxygenated oxepanes and includes radical cyclizations, Lewis acid-mediated cyclizations, ring closing-metathesis, Nicholas-Ferrier rearrangement, homologations, and ring-expansion strategies. Implementation of these tactics towards sugar-based and non-sugar based (de novo) approaches is presented alongside their extensive application to the total synthesis of several complex polyoxygenated oxepane-containing …

Effect Of S-Ketamine On Postoperative Nausea And Vomiting In Patients Undergoing Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Yu Qi, Meiyan Zhou, Wenting Zheng, Yaqi Dong, Weihua Li, Long Wang, Haijun Xu, Miao Zhang, Dunpeng Yang, Liwei Wang, Hai Zhou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) frequently occur in patients after surgery. In this study, the authors investigated whether perioperative S-ketamine infusion could decrease the incidence of PONV in patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This prospective, randomized, double-blinded, controlled study was conducted a total of 420 patients from September 2021 to May 2023 at Xuzhou Central Hospital in China, who underwent elective VATS lobectomy under general anesthesia with tracheal intubation. The patients were randomly assigned to either the S-ketamine group or the control group. The S-ketamine group received a bolus injection of 0.5 mg/kg S-ketamine …

Design And Implementation Of Multicenter Pediatric And Congenital Studies With Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance: Big Data In Smaller Bodies, Michael P Dilorenzo, Simon Lee, Rahul H Rathod, Francesca Raimondi, Kanwal M Farooqi, Supriya S Jain, Margaret M Samyn, Tiffanie R Johnson, Laura J Olivieri, Mark A Fogel, Wyman W Lai, Pierangelo Renella, Andrew J Powell, Sujatha Buddhe, Caitlin Stafford, Jason N Johnson, Willem A Helbing, Kuberan Pushparajah, Inga Voges, Vivek Muthurangu, Kimberley G Miles, Gerald Greil, Colin J Mcmahon, Timothy C Slesnick, Brian M Fonseca, Shaine A Morris, Jonathan H Soslow, Lars Grosse-Wortmann, Rebecca S Beroukhim, Heynric B Grotenhuis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has become the reference standard for quantitative and qualitative assessment of ventricular function, blood flow, and myocardial tissue characterization. There is a preponderance of large CMR studies and registries in adults; However, similarly powered studies are lacking for the pediatric and congenital heart disease (PCHD) population. To date, most CMR studies in children are limited to small single or multicenter studies, thereby limiting the conclusions that can be drawn. Within the PCHD CMR community, a collaborative effort has been successfully employed to recognize knowledge gaps with the aim to embolden the development and initiation of high-quality, …

Emerging Unconventional Therapies For Glioblastoma Multiforme, Danielle Morang

Capstone Showcase

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most prevalent and aggressive primary malignant brain tumor occurring in adults with a median survival of less than two years. It is a highly invasive tumor characterized by genetic heterogeneity, angiogenesis, and rapid proliferation. Patients undergo a multimodal treatment regimen consisting of surgical resection and chemoradiation therapy, yet GBM tumors almost always recur with a worsening prognosis. The molecular and genetic complexities of GBM pose a significant challenge for developing effective therapeutics. Thus, it is imperative to identify new therapeutic targets and explore novel treatment strategies to improve patients’ overall survival time and quality of …

Impact Of Sleep Deprivation On Stress And Performance In Students: Best Interventions, Brianna Crowley

Capstone Showcase

Sleep is an essential part of physical and mental well-being, yet, many individuals underestimate its importance.^1,2,4 Sleep deprivation can lead to a variety of detriments including memory loss, disorganized thinking, and mood changes.^3,6,7 Because of this, academic performance can be directly impaired as well, which further perpetuates a vicious cycle of sleep deprivation and increasing stress.⁸ Interventions to help improve sleep include adequate sleep hygiene, appropriate physical exercise, lifestyle changes, practicing mindfulness, and using pharmaceutical aids. Providers must continue to address this common issue among patients as it truly impacts various aspects of life and follow good …

Examining The Efficacy Of Treatments For Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Michael Podcasy

Capstone Showcase

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a disease that affects the sensory, motor, sudomotor, vasomotor and trophic systems of patients. The pathophysiology is currently unknown and the diagnostic criteria that is used, the Budapest criteria, has its own shortcomings. This had led to hurdles in the research of the disease and well as a lack of high-quality studies on the efficacy of the many treatments currently being used to treat CRPS today. This poster explores those concepts.

Early Onset Colorectal Cancer: Research, Trends & Challenges, Sarah E. Smith

Capstone Showcase

Early onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) incidence and mortality are rising in a global trend, contrasting with improvements seen in late-onset colorectal cancer (LOCRC). EOCRC appears to differ in presentation, histology, and pathology from LOCRC painting concerns of a more aggressive tumor profile. With incidence steadily climbing, there is still lacking awareness and guidance on screening for EOCRC. This article aims to provide background on EOCRC including epidemiology, risk factors, and traits, as well as to explore methods for adjusting provider screening criteria to combat this concerning trend.

A Thoughtful Approach To Weight Loss Management, Zachary Brock

Capstone Showcase

As a student preparing to graduate PA school, one of the areas I hope to improve upon is my ability to educate patients in a comfortable, caring, encouraging, and effective manner. In my experience, the topic of weight-loss is often handled in ways that are insensitive, making patients feel shameful about their condition and less inspired to change. The goal of this article will be to address the current literature on how to medically manage obesity in patients and combine resources that offer more effective, encouraging, and subtle approaches that will help lead to a more effective, shame-free treatment of …

Migraine Treatment In Primary Care, Vivian Tran

Capstone Showcase

Migraines are a common problem that medical providers encounter, especially in primary care, neurology, and the emergency department. Given that 15% of the population suffers from migraines annually, it is important for providers to know how to diagnose migraines. Migraines may also present as a symptom of another disorder, so being able to recognize whether symptoms are alarming is crucial to start the correct workup. The mainstay abortive therapy for migraines is ibuprofen, and for prophylactic therapy is topiramate. However, CGRP targeted medications like gepants and CGRP mAbs may be the new treatment of choice for abortive and prophylactic treatment …

Cme: Pcos Diagnostic Criteria, Lindsay R. Phillips

Capstone Showcase

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or PCOS, is a hormonal imbalance that can affect females of reproductive ages and is described as women having high androgen levels, irregular menstrual cycles, and small cysts on one or both ovaries. PCOS is difficult to accurately diagnose since the diagnostic criteria are vague and the disease falls on a wide spectrum of symptoms, leaving women underdiagnosed. Previous research has shown marked improvement in the diagnostic criteria for PCOS over the years. However, due to the vagueness in symptoms, most of the criteria has been created through expert opinion based on subjective data vs objective data. …

Herniated Nucleus Pulposus Radiculopathy In Athletes, Elizabeth G. Massel

Capstone Showcase

Herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP), commonly referred to as intervertebral disc (IVD) herniation, is the second most common cause of neck and back pain, and most common cause of radiculopathy. The purpose of this CME article is to provide guidance on the medical management and secondary prevention of HNP in athletic populations, and highlight the pathophysiological process of mechanical overload putting athletes at a proportionately higher risk of the disease. It will address the unique pathophysiology of overuse-related HNP, as opposed to underuse, with the mechanical overload on vertebral discs associated with many sports. It will also review, with more emphasis …

Introducing Comprehensive Sexuality Education And Hiv Prevention And Treatment Methods Through Pop-Up Clinics To Secondary School Girls In Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, Eliza I. Tobin, Joaquin Carlos Pinga, Caitlyn Stanya

Capstone Showcase

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system leading to people living with HIV (PLHIV) immunodeficient and more susceptible to other infections or diseases (UNAIDS, 2023b). This can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) within 8-10 years of infection (UNAIDS, 2023b). HIV does not always present symptoms, making it hard for people to identify their HIV status without proper screening. The lack of awareness around a person’s status has led HIV to spread worldwide. In addition to the worldwide spread of HIV, there is no cure for the disease, however, antiretroviral therapy (ART) is mainly used …

Reducing The Prevalence Of Overweight And Obesity In Children Ages 10-13 In Charleston, West Virginia Through A School-Based Nutrition Education And Physical Activity Program, Isabella Tullio, Emma Heffley, Natalie Scardino

Capstone Showcase

Childhood overweight and obesity, the excessive or abnormal accumulation of fat causing a health risk, is primarily caused by lifestyle issues including inadequate physical activity and too many calories from food and drinks (WHO, 2020; Mayo Clinic, n,d). Key determinants of health for childhood obesity include physical environment, socioeconomic status or occupation, education level, and school environments. Children with parents who have low socioeconomic status, live in a food desert, (a neighborhood with limited access to fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains), or a food swamp, (a neighborhood with a saturation of fast-food outlets, convenience stores, and corner stores), or …

New York City’S Health Governance And Activism From The 1950s To The 1970s, Andres Valcarcel

Theses and Dissertations

New York City's expansive network of hospitals and preventative health services has an intense history outside of the popular narratives of biomedical and technological advancement. This thesis will discuss the period between the 1950s and 1970s and the various movements and parties that shaped the city's health and hospital system. During this period, New York City's healthcare delivery system became increasingly privatized and commercialized; processes that improved the quality of healthcare yet simultaneously barred the poorest from accessing it. Communities, healthcare workers, and civil rights organizations worked to address perceived faults and extend their agency in health and hospital policy; …

Preventive Genetic Screening: Genetics And Ethics, Elena Vinton

Scripps Senior Theses

For completion of my dual thesis at Scripps College in Biology and Bioethics, I analyzed the feasibility of preventive genetic screening both ethically and genetically. Because each discipline approaches academic inquiry differently, I decided to ask two sequential questions: (1) How are variants analyzed in preventive genetic screening? (Biology) (2) Do patients who undergo preventive genetic screening have the ‘right not to know’ their genetic status – including medically actionable genetic information? (Bioethics). I have separated my ethical and biological inquiries into two sections. The first section is an ethical inquiry into the justification of the ‘right not to know’ …

The Effect Of Asynchronous Pre-Service Training On Aac Strategy Use, Cheri Dodge Chin

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the impact of a one-time online, asynchronous training program on graduate students' use of communication partner strategies for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) users. The study examines the training effect on the overall correct usage of naturalistic communication partner strategies, the implementation immediacy, the influence of feedback, and the training's benefits and drawbacks. Using an A-B single case research design with qualitative feedback, the study included pre-service university students studying speech pathology or education. Participants engaged in storybook reading activities with communication devices at a university clinic to establish baseline measures. Following this, they completed a one-hour …

Female Titin Mutant Mice Outperform Young And Old Males, Reese Ger

Scripps Senior Theses

Exercise performance is widely believed to generally be maximal among young males. However, little research has been conducted to investigate the impact of sex or age on muscle performance. This study investigated the effects of sex and age on forelimb and all limb grip strength performance in wildtype and titin mutant mice. Titin is the largest known protein, with known involvement in muscle function. The mice in this study were Ttn∆112-158 with a 75% deletion to the PEVK region of titin. Based on limited existing research, we hypothesized that wildtype mice would outperform all Ttn∆112-158 mice, males would outperform females …

Synthetic Neuroactive Steroids Targeting Gaba-A Receptors As A Potential Therapy For Contraceptive-Associated Mood Disorders, Alexandria A. Davis

Scripps Senior Theses

4-10% of women who use hormonal oral contraceptives (HOCs) discontinue use after experiencing symptoms of anxiety, irritability, and depression in the first 3 months of administration. Previous studies have acknowledged a relationship between HOCs and emotional dysregulation but have not identified mechanisms by which HOCs have this effect. As a result, effective treatment options for HOC-induced mood disorders are lacking. Current theories implicate combined-HOCs, particularly those containing ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel (EE-LNG), in reducing neuroactive steroid levels. Specifically, HOC users show decreases in allopregnanolone, a positive allosteric modulator associated with neuronal inhibition and emotional regulation. The objective of this study …

Racial Disparities In Plea Bargaining: An Examination Of Coercive Dynamics In The Negotiation Process, Naszya Iman Heidi Bradshaw

Scripps Senior Theses

This research addresses the enduring concerns about the ethical and legal intricacies of coercion in plea bargaining within the U.S. criminal justice system, with a focus on its correlation with racial disparities. This study acknowledges an existing research gap in comprehending the subtle dynamics of coercion and its differential impact on Black and Latin individuals. By employing the Cumulative Disadvantage Theory and Dual Processing Theory, the research aims to investigate the differential susceptibility to coercion during plea bargaining among individuals from Black and Latin communities compared to their white counterparts. Variables such as the severity of criminal charges, the quality …

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 07: Biostatistics For Parasitologists: A Painless Introduction [Parascript Approaches], Jenő Reiczigel, Marco Marozzi, Fábián Ibolya, Lajos Rózsa

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

Covers biostatistics for parasitologists and includes discussion of taking samples, frequency distribution of host individuals across infection classes, sample size, prevalence, mean intesity, median intensity, stochasic equality of intensities, abundance, crowding, levels of aggregation, parasite sex ratio, parasite species richness, interactions between parasite species, and the tool Quantitative Parasitology on the Web (QPweb).

Chapter 7 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology on biostatistics for parasitologists by Jenő Reiczigel, Marco Marozzi, Fábián Ibolya, and Lajos Rózsa. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap007

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 58: Acanthocephala Rudolphi, 1808 (Phylum), Scott Monks

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the phylum Acanthocephala Rudolphi, 1808, also called the thorny-headed or spiny-headed worms, including discussion of their general morphology, life cycles, classification, and phylogenetic relationships.

Chapter 58 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Scott Monks. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap058

Psychotropic Polypharmacy On Heart Rate Of Daphnia Magna, Gwendolynne Miller, Brian Bagatto

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The prevalence of patients being prescribed multiple medications concurrently is significantly rising, and so is the importance of investigating any interactions between medications. One common example—sertraline and clomipramine have been used together to treat obsessive compulsive disorder. Clomipramine, however, is known to cause tachyarrhythmias in some patients. The present study set out to investigate the role of this drug combination on the heart rate of a simple animal model, Daphnia magna, or the water flea. The water flea was exposed to saline, sertraline, clomipramine, or sertraline plus clomipramine, and heart rate was measured subsequently. It was found that the …

Creation Of A Survey And Study On Sleep Habits Of College Students, Sierra Stein

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Sleep is extremely important in all aspects of life. From the time someone is born to the time they pass they need sleep. It is crucial for their abilities to function and live their day to day lives. However, in different parts of life sleep is more crucial than ever. Young adults/college age students are one of those groups who need sleep but tend to pass up on adequate sleep. Throughout this, there will be the detailed importance of sleep and one way in which sleep can be studied in correlation to academics, physical health, eating habits, mental health and …

The Effects Of Social Support On Recovery Outcomes Of Hip Fracture Patients, Preshecca Ragavan

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This literature review, completed under the guidance of Ms. Anuja Sarode-Paciorek from Summa Health - Akron, will investigate the effects of social support on the recovery outcomes of hip fracture patients. As part of this literature review, I will collect and analyze several scientific journal articles previously published on this topic to gain an overview of what prior knowledge clinical researchers have already gathered about this topic. As part of the analyses, each article will be thoroughly read and briefly summarized. Then, these summaries will be used to compile a list of a few strengths and a list of a …

Research News, Publications, 2024, Volume 2, Soumyajit Majumdar

Publications (2015-)

Publications that appeared during the period of April 1 through June 30, 2024.

Research News, Publications, 2024, Volume 3, Soumyajit Majumdar

Publications (2015-)

Publications that appeared during the period of July 1 through September 30, 2024.

Research News, Publications, 2024, Volume 4, Joshua Sharp

Publications (2015-)

Publications that appeared during the period of October 1 - December 31, 2024.

Research News, Grants, 2024, Volume 3, Soumyajit Majumdar

Grants (2015-)

Grants and contracts awarded during July - September 2024 - Revised 10/22/24

Research News, Grants, 2024, Volume 4, Joshua Sharp

Grants (2015-)

Grants and contracts awarded during October - December 2024

Observed Effects Of Physiological Melatonin Dosing On Mda-Mb-231 Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation, Wenli Wu

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project seeks to evaluate pharmacological dosing of melatonin on the cell proliferation of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line in culture, using the two solubility carriers: DMSO/water and ethanol. This experiment is a component of ongoing research at the Eaton lab which will elucidate melatonin dose-response toxicology in zebrafish and a possible breast cancer xenograft model for novel treatment therapies.