Reproductive and Urinary Physiology Commons^™

Testosterone: The Forgotten Female Hormone, Katherine A. Horner Pa-C

Lynchburg Journal of Medical Science

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this article is to review the current and past use of testosterone as a replacement hormone for women in peri- and early postmenopause. Healthcare providers are often not educated about testosterone as a sex hormone with profound effects on the female body. Yet, clinicians who treat women in the 4th and 5th decades of life should be familiar with the function of testosterone, clinical symptoms associated with declining levels, women’s perceptions about peri- and postmenopause as well as side effects of testosterone, and the implications of its use as a replacement hormone on other body systems. …

Blood Tnf-Α And Gabra-1 Levels In Individuals With Poor Ovarian Response Underwent In Vitro Fertilization Program, Gadsara Ruangprachum, Paweena Thuwanut, Wisan Sereepapong, Vorasuk Shotelersuk, Siraprapa Tongkobpetch, Porntip Sirayapiwat

Chulalongkorn Medical Journal

Background: Poor ovarian response (POR) to ovarian stimulation during in vitro fertilization (IVF) program remains a critical issue contributing to decreased ovarian reserve and cancellation of IVF cycles. Nevertheless, the complete etiology of PRO condition remains inadequately understood.

Objectives: This research primarily aimed to compare levels of blood pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α) and apoptotic marker (GABRA-1) between those exhibiting normal ovarian response (NOR) and those with poor ovarian response during IVF program.

Methods: A cross-sectional study involving whole blood collection from 25 participants was conducted (15 individuals in NOR group and 10 in POR group). Relative gene expression levels of blood …

Renal Transplant Recipients And Complicated Utis: A Path Toward Next-Generation Care, Rob E. Carpenter

Human Resource Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) offers diagnostic potential in managing complicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in renal transplant recipients by enabling precise pathogen identification and resistance profiling. Integrating NGS into care protocols can improve graft preservation, reduce hospitalizations, and support antimicrobial stewardship. Policies should prioritize its adoption, while research explores cost-effectiveness and clinical outcomes. Medical education must emphasize NGS to prepare clinicians for advanced diagnostic approaches, fostering improved patient outcomes and innovative care solutions. Please cite this paper as: Carpenter RE. Renal transplant recipients and complicated UTIs: a path toward next-generation care. Renal transplant recipients face a heightened risk of complicated urinary …

Reduction Of Prostate Cancer Risk: Role Of Frequent Ejaculation-Associated Mechanisms., Mohamed Hassan, Thomas W. Flanagan, Abdulaziz M. Eshaq, Osama K. Altamimi, Hassan Altalag, Mohamed Alsharif, Nouf Alshammari, Tamadhir Alkhalidi, Abdelhadi Boulifa, Siraj M. El Jamal, Youssef Haikel, Mossad Megahed

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Simple Summary: There is considerable evidence to suggest that frequent ejaculation reduces the risk of prostate cancer. The more frequently ejaculation occurs without risky sexual behavior, the lower the risk of prostate cancer. The mechanisms regulating the reduction in PCa risk associated with frequent ejaculations are attributed to the suppression of the sympathetic nervous system, resulting in a relief of tension and a slowing of the division of prostate epithelial cells. It is suggested that ejaculation frequency affects gene expression in prostate tissue and subsequently influences the susceptibility of the tissue to tumor formation, leading to a reduction in the …

Evaluation Of Age-Related Spermatozoa Morphological Section Lengths In Gloster Canary Spermatozoa Using Computer Aided Sperm Analysis (Casa) System, Arda Onur Özkök, Burcu Esi̇n, Cumali̇ Kaya

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

The canary is a small passerine bird of the finch family. Canary spermatozoa are also morphologically similar to many other songbird species. In this study, the morphological characteristics of Gloster canary spermatozoa of different age ranges were examined, and the length values of the parts forming the spermatozoa were compared. The study used ten active Gloster canaries between the ages of 3 (Trial-1) and four years (Trial-2). Semen samples from 3-year-old canaries in the study were evaluated, and morphological segment lengths were recorded. In the study, to avoid individual differences and make homogeneous measurements, semen samples were retaken from the …

Implementation Of Endometriosis Toolkit: A Quality Improvement Project To Enhance Nurse Practitioners’ Knowledge And Management, Hasbun Rachel

DNP Qualifying Manuscripts

Abstract

Background: Endometriosis, characterized by the ectopic growth of endometrial-like tissue, affects approximately 11% of reproductive-aged women in the United States. Diagnosing endometriosis is challenging due to its diverse clinical presentations, reliance on laparoscopic procedures, absence of biomarkers, and limited awareness among healthcare providers and patients.

Local Problem: The diagnostic complexity of endometriosis, compounded by reduced provider awareness and a lack of comprehensive resources, leads to delayed and suboptimal care for affected women.

Methods: This Doctor of Nursing Practice quality improvement project aimed to enhance nurse practitioners’ (NPs) knowledge and management of endometriosis through a 1-hour educational session at the …

Reproductive Autonomy In Immunological Intervention: Ethical Boundaries In Maternal-Fetal Immune Therapy, Marium Z. Rizvi

Journal of Health Ethics

Recent advances in immunology have broken barriers in reproductive medicine through immune-modulating therapies that support fertility and pregnancy. Treatments such as intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and intralipid infusions are increasingly offered to patients with Recurrent Implantation Failure (RIF) or Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL), conditions that result in miscarriages and failed IVF treatments (Pillarysetti et al., 2023). Maternal-fetal immunology reveals a delicate interplay between immune tolerance and defense: the maternal system must accept a genetically foreign fetus while preserving immunological protection. Disruptions in this balance are implicated in implantation disorders and pregnancy failure. As a result, immune-based therapies have emerged as promising …

Diagnosis Of Hypertensive Disorders In Pregnancy, Rebecca Horgan, Yara Hage Diab, Maged Costantine, George Saade, Baha Sibai

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology Faculty Publications

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including chronic hypertension, superimposed preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, and preeclampsia, affect 10-20% of pregnancies and are a significant cause of maternal and perinatal mortality. The incidence of these disorders is rising due to factors such as advanced maternal age, obesity, assisted reproductive technology, and increased rates of preexisting comorbidities. Differentiating pregnancy-associated hypertension from pre-existing chronic hypertension is challenging, as the overlap between the two may be broadening due to the changing demographics of the pregnant population. This review critically evaluated the evidence regarding the current time periods recommended to make a diagnosis of a hypertensive disorder of …

Wrongful Migration: A Hidden Culprit Behind Flank Pain, Ryan Miller, Anjeza Cipi, Emma Pierce

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

[Introduction] A 32-year-old woman with no significant past medical history presented to the emergency department with 11 days of fever, fatigue, chills, and new-onset fullness in her left flank. She denied dysuria, abdominal pain, or vaginal bleeding. Vital signs showed fever and mild hypotension, and the physical examination revealed left-sided abdominal distension. Laboratory results demonstrated leukocytosis and a lactate of 3.2 mmol/L. She appeared nontoxic but was persistently febrile despite initial fluids and antibiotics. Computed tomography—shown in Figure 1, and ultrasound—shown in Figure 2, were obtained and revealed the diagnosis.

Delayed And Misdiagnosed Endometriosis, Teresa Doyle

Nursing | Senior Theses

Aim: This research investigates whether targeted education can improve the early diagnosis of endometriosis, a chronic condition affecting around 10% of women of reproductive age. Unfortunately, endometriosis is often misdiagnosed, delaying treatment, prolonging discomfort, and lowering quality of life. Healthcare practitioners' knowledge gap is addressed by this study, which examines whether organized training promotes awareness and diagnostic accuracy. This research proposal evaluates an educational intervention developed to improve gynecological experts' knowledge and diagnostic skills. The main research issue is whether the intervention reduces misdiagnosis and improves patient outcomes. A quasi-experimental design will examine participants' knowledge and diagnosis accuracy before and …

Longitudinal Assessment Of Intravillous Arterioles In Normal Pregnancy Using Superb Microvascular Imaging, R. Horgan, E. Sinkovskaya, G. Saade, E. Kalafat, A. Heeze, A. Abuhamad

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology Faculty Publications

Objective

To use superb microvascular imaging (SMI) to longitudinally evaluate blood flow in intravillous arterioles (IVA) in pregnancy, and to develop reference ranges for IVA pulsatility index (PI) and peak systolic velocity (PSV) from 12 to 38 weeks' gestation.

Methods

The data for this study were obtained from the National Institutes of Health-funded Human Placenta Project. Eligible for inclusion were women aged 18-35 years, with a body mass index of <  30 kg/m², without comorbidities, with a singleton pregnancy conceived spontaneously and a gestational age of ≤ 13 + 6 weeks. Exclusion criteria were maternal or neonatal complications, fetal or umbilical cord anomalies, abnormal placental implantation and delivery <  37 weeks. Each participant underwent eight ultrasound examinations during pregnancy. Using SMI technology, the total number of IVA identified was recorded in a sagittal placental section at the level of cord insertion. The PI and PSV were measured in a total of six IVA (two in the central portion of the placenta, two peripherally towards the uterine fundal portion and two peripherally towards the lower uterine segment). Umbilical artery (UA)-PI was also obtained. Multilevel regression models were used to create reference ranges for IVA-PI and IVA-PSV at 12-38 weeks' gestation.

Results

A total of 90 women fulfilled the study criteria. IVA-PI decreased throughout pregnancy from a mean ± SD of 1.04 ± 0.23 in the first trimester (at 12-13 weeks) …

Menstrual Cycle Phase Effects On Exercise Thermoregulation And Performance In The Heat, Kailei J. Eustis

All Master's Theses

Hormone fluctuations across the menstrual cycle (MC) may influence physiological responses. This study examined whether thermoregulatory measures differ across MC phases, and if these changes impact running performance in the heat. Ten eumenorrheic adults completed two treadmill runs in simulated conditions (wet bulb globe temperature 31.7 ± 1.4°C) during early follicular (EF) and midluteal (ML) phases. First 45min was a constant self-selected light pace followed by a 15min performance test for distance. Core temperature (Tc), mean skin temperature (Ts), heart rate (HR), perceived exertion (RPE), thermal perception (THERM), and comfort perception (COMF) were assessed every 5min. Sweat perception (SP), sweat …

Assessing Reproductive Health In Zoo-Managed African Elephant Bulls (Loxodonta Africana), Kaitlyn Marie Campbell

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Populations of zoo-managed African elephant (Loxodonta Africana) exhibit substantial individual- and population-level variation in reproductive success, yet research has largely focused on females, leaving male fertility poorly understood. Subfertility in bulls, characterized by low libido and inconsistent semen quality, poses significant challenges to genetic management and long-term population sustainability. This study a) systematically evaluates semen quality, b) identifies physiological, behavioral, social, and environmental determinants of fertility, and c) advances ex situ conservation through the expansion of the African elephant sperm bank. Between January 2023 and July 2025, 209 semen collection events were conducted from 13 sexually mature bulls …

Inflammatory Mediators And The Rage Pathway In Placental Tissues Of Pregnancies Complicated By Severe Preeclampsia, Neelima Chandra, Thomas D. Kimble, Kathleen R. Heim, Sharon M. Anderson, Andrew P. Wong, Andrea R. Thurman, Gustavo F. Doncel

CONRAD Publications

Introduction: Preeclampsia (PE) is a complex multisystem disorder of pregnancy associated with abnormal placentation, vascular anomalies, and systemic inflammation and hypertension. Previous research assessing inflammatory triggers of the condition used plasma, amniotic fluid, or explant samples. Studies using placental tissue from either vaginal or cesarean deliveries are confined to semiquantitative analysis using subjective scoring methods and generally involve a small sample size.

Methods: In this study, we have quantified the expression of inflammatory mediators by immunohistochemical image analysis of archived placental tissues obtained from cesarean delivery of preeclamptic, chorioamnionitic, and normal pregnancies.

Results: Among the inflammatory mediators, we found a …

Investigating The Impact Of Phthalate Exposures From Personal Care Products On Uterine Fibroid Incidence And Prevalence In Us-Born Black Women, Ella Brissett

CMC Senior Theses

Uterine fibroids are benign tumors composed of smooth muscle cells and connective tissue that develop within or on the walls of the uterus. Despite being non-cancerous, they can severely affect quality of life by causing heavy bleeding, chronic pain, and reproductive complications. Fibroids are typically found in women of reproductive age, but they disproportionately affect Black women, who experience higher incidence and severity. The underlying causes of this disparity is poorly understood; however, an emerging body of research is highlighting the role of phthalates, endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in many personal care products, in exacerbating fibroid development. Through a critical analysis …

Codon Composition In Human Oocyters Reveals Age-Associated Defects In Mrna Decay, Pavla Brachova, Lane K. Christenson, Nehemiah S. Alvarez

Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences Faculty Publications

Oocytes from women of advanced reproductive age exhibit diminished developmental potential, but the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely defined. Oocyte maturation depends on translational control of maternal mRNA synthesized during growth. We performed a computational analysis on human oocytes from women < 30 versus ≥40 years and observed that mRNA GC content correlates negatively with half-life in oocytes from young (< 30 yr) but positively with oocytes from aged (>40 yr) women. In young oocytes, longer mRNA half-life is associated with lower protein abundance, whereas in aged oocytes GC content correlates positively with protein abundance. During the GV-to-MII transition, codon composition stratifies stability: codons that support rapid translation (optimal) stabilize mRNA, while slow-translating codons (non-optimal) promote decay. With reproductive aging, GC-containing codons become more optimal and align with increased …

Analisis Situasi Masalah Penyakit Infeksi Menular Seksual Di Kota Bogor Tahun 2024, Wardiman Wardiman, Ratna Djuwita, Bai Kusnadi

Jurnal Epidemiologi Kesehatan Indonesia

Abstrak

Infeksi menular seksual (IMS) masih menjadi tantangan kesehatan global, termasuk di Indonesia, terutama pada kelompok usia produktif 15-49 tahun. Di Kota Bogor, angka kasus IMS mengalami peningkatan, namum belum sepenuhnya menggambarkan kondisi yang sebenarnya. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis situasi IMS secara mendalam dan menetapkan prioritas masalah kesehatan menggunakan metode PAHO-adapted Hanlon, yang mengacu pada pembobotan Basic Priority Rating (BPR) berdasarkan lima kriteria utama, yaitu, A=Masalah utama; B=Keseriusan masalah; C=Efektivitas intervensi; E=Ketidakadilan; F=Kapasitas institusi dalam mengatasi masalah. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan di Dinas kesehatan Kota Bogor pada Oktober 2024 hingga Januari 2025, dengan pendekatan kualitatif dan kuantitatif, serta disajikan secara …

Determinan Faktor Dengan Ketidakpatuhan Dalam Mengonsumsi Obat Antiretroviral Pada Orang Dengan Hiv(Odhiv) Di Rumah Sakit Umum Daerah Kabupaten Tangerang Tahun 2023, Dessi Marantika Nilam Sari, Mondastri Korib Sudaryo, Syahrizal Syarif, Helwiah Umniyati, Suyono .

Jurnal Epidemiologi Kesehatan Indonesia

Ketidakpatuhan alasan utama Pasien HIV tidak menerima pengobatan ARV sehingga harus selalu dipantau dan dinilai secara teratur serta didorong pada setiap kunjungan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengamati determinan faktor terjadinya ketidakpatuhan dalam mengonsumsi obat ARV pada ODHIV yang mendapatkan terapi ARV di Rumah Sakit Umum Daerah Kabupaten Tangerang. Jenis penelitian ini menggunakan penelitian observasional dengan rancangan cross sectional. Penelitian dilakukan di poli HIV RSUD Kabupaten pada bulan November 2023 menggunakan data laporan HIV pada SIHA. Populasi penelitian berjumlah 1.337 ODHIV aktif menjalani pengobatan antiretroviral di RSUD Kabupaten Tangerang dengan menggunakan total sampling sesuai dengan kriteria inklusi dan ekslusi sehingga sampel …

Faktor Risiko Kejadian Hipertensi Dalam Kehamilan Pada Ibu Hamil Di Provinsi Jawa Timur (Analisis Data Riset Kesehatan Dasar Tahun 2018), Putri Amalia Firjatillah, Sudarto Ronoatmodjo

Jurnal Epidemiologi Kesehatan Indonesia

Hypertension during pregnancy is one of the most common pregnancy complications and the leading cause of maternal mortality in Indonesia. One of the regions in Indonesia with a high number of hypertension-related pregnancy complications is East-Java Province with a prevalence rate of 17,8%. This study aims to analyze the risk factors associated with hypertension during pregnancy among pregnant women in East Java. The study adopts a cross-sectional design using secondary data from 758 pregnant women aged 15-54 years in East Java Province who participated in 2018 Riskesdas Survey during which blood pressure measurements were taken. The dependent variable analyzed in …

Faktor Determinan Kasus Diabetes Mellitus Tipe 2 Di Kabupaten Administrasi Kepulauan Seribu Provinsi Dki Jakarta Tahun 2023, Ulinuha Setya Darmawanti

Jurnal Epidemiologi Kesehatan Indonesia

Kepulauan Seribu Administrative District has the highest Diabetes Mellitus Incidence Rate compared to other areas in the DKI Jakarta Province, which is 317.4 per 10,000 residents. The purpose of this research is to identify the determinant factors that most influence cases of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in the Kepulauan Seribu in 2023, based on the relationship between factors such as Age, Gender, Occupation, History of Diabetes Mellitus, Body Mass Index (BMI), Excessive Sugar Consumption, Excessive Salt Consumption, Excessive Fat Consumption, Insufficient Fruit and Vegetable Intake, and Lack of Physical Activity. This research employs an analytical observational study method with a …

Factors Affecting The Adoption Of Malaria Interventions For Pregnant Women In Tanzania: Tanzania Demographic Health Survey 2022, Melisa Nyamukondiwa, Asri C. Adisasmita, Renti Mahkota, Same Betera

Jurnal Epidemiologi Kesehatan Indonesia

Tanzania is endemic to malaria and pregnant women due to their vulnerability are among the high-risk groups. The adoption of malaria interventions targeted to pregnant women is affected by a number of factors. A cross-sectional study using secondary data from Tanzania Demographic Health Survey (TDHS) for 2022 was used. A logistic regression was used for bivariate analysis to identify factors affecting the adoption of malaria interventions during pregnancy in Tanzania. Data from pregnant women between 15 to 49 years (N=1408) were analyzed in this study. Insecticide treated nets (ITNs) and intermittent preventive therapy in pregnancy using sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) were the …

The Impact Of Smoking Degree On One Year Survival Of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (Nsclc) At Persahabatan Hospital, Arief Wicaksono, Asri C. Adisasmita, Andika Chandra Putra

Jurnal Epidemiologi Kesehatan Indonesia

Lung cancer is a major global mortality problem with the worst prognosis compared to other types of cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer and smoking is one of the main factors causing lung cancer. This study aims to determine the one-year survival of NSCLC patients with smoking levels and to determine what factors affect survival. This study is an observational study with a retrospective method, looking at medical record data of NSCLC patients both inpatients and outpatients at Persahabatan Hospital between January 2023 and December 2023 and then followed up until September …

Hubungan Gangguan Mental Emosional Dan Obesitas Sentral: Literature Review, Dwi Rahmawati, Ratna Djuwita

Jurnal Epidemiologi Kesehatan Indonesia

The prevalence of central obesity, both globally and in Indonesia, continues to increase. Mental and emotional disorders are one of the contributing factors to central obesity. In previous studies, it was known that the relationship between emotional mental disorders and obesity can occur in bidirections, where emotional mental disorders can cause central obesity or vice versa. This literature review aims to find out more about the relationship between emotional mental disorders and central obesity from various countries. The searching for articles used 4 databases (Scopus, Science Direct, Proquest, and Pubmed) with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis …

Asosiasi Antara Indeks Massa Tubuh Dan Mortalitas Pada Pasien Gagal Ginjal Kronis Yang Menjalankan Hemodialisa Reguler: Meta-Analisis Dari Studi Kohort, Joue Abraham Trixie Latupeirissa, Mondastri Korib Sudaryo, Dorothy Gabriella Ms., Benedikta Suryandari Ms., Vine Aprilianita Sri Indah Putri Ms.

Jurnal Epidemiologi Kesehatan Indonesia

Chronic kidney failure patients must undergo hemodialysis for life, therefore it is important to maximize hemodialysis services in every health facility. Accordingly, factors related to survival rates must be addressed. One of them is low Body Mass Index (BMI). This study assessed the relationship between low BMI and mortality in the patients. The study design used was meta-analysis. The articles involved were in the period 2012 - 2024. There are three literature sources: medical databases, previous studies, and ongoing research. Overall, 26 articles were obtained. Data analysis showed that BMI

The Correlation Of Covid-19 Vaccination With Covid-19 Patient Mortality In Depok City, Indonesia, Dian Nugrahari, Asri Adisasmita Prof, Nurhanifah Hamdah

Jurnal Epidemiologi Kesehatan Indonesia

Vaccination is a disease prevention method recommended by the WHO as it will reduce disease severity, mortality rate and risks. The objective of this study is to discover the impact of COVID-19 vaccination against COVID-19 mortality rate in Indonesia. This was a retrospective cohort research on the data from the NAR COVID-19 database and the KPCPEN COVID-19 Dashboard of the Depok City Health Department from May 2020-February 2023. We performed a Cox proportional hazard analysis to obtain the risk for death. We discovered that COVID-19 vaccination reduced the mortality until it was less than 10% of unvaccinated population (0,24% for …

Legal Disputes Over Frozen Embryos After Dobbs: A Retrospective Study Of Claims, Contracts, And Liability In Cases Of Divorce Or Separation, Gerard Letterie, Dov Fox

Pace Law Review

This study reviewed legal claims and clinic liability over disputed frozen embryos in cases of divorce or separation. Our data shows that one-third of cases had no prior arrangement regarding disposition about what to do in the event of separation or divorce. When agreements were in place they were rarely clear enough to determine the court’s resolution in these cases. In a post-Dobbs era, absence of adequate guidance could have significant implications regarding liability for all parties.

Dobbs And Sterilization Decision-Making: Understanding The Coercive Spillover Effects In Reproductive Choice, Thomas Wilson Williams

Pace Law Review

The Supreme Court majority in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization argued their decision would have limited impact beyond abortion rights. This Article examines how Dobbs and subsequent state abortion restrictions are likely to increase women’s reliance on permanent sterilization procedures, particularly among already marginalized populations. Drawing on emerging data and historical context, I argue that some post-Dobbs sterilizations should be understood as effectively coerced by state policies, implicating reproductive justice concerns and potentially undermining fundamental rights established in Skinner v. Oklahoma. Then, I demonstrate how interdisciplinary bioethics frameworks and methodologies can help courts better understand the full …

The Role Of Kctd13 In Androgen Receptor Ubiquitination​, Faith Abraham, Ahmed Chahdi, Phd, Carolina Jorgez, Phd, Abhishek Seth

HCA-NSU MD Research Day

The Role of KCTD13 in Androgen Receptor Ubiquitination Faith Abraham1, Ahmed Chahdi, PhD2, Caroline Jorgez, PhD3, and Abhishek Seth, MD2 1Class of 2024, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, 2Urology, Nemours Children’s Hospital, Orlando, FL 3Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX Objective: This study was conducted to determine the effect of the KCTD13 gene on major protein effectors of common genitourinary (GU) defects. Background: Hypospadias, characterized by the ventral positioning of the urethral opening, occurs in approximately 1 out of 125 live births. Cryptorchidism, or undescended testes (UDT), is the most common GU birth defect, affecting around …

Evaluating Viability, Developmental Competence, And Chromatin Configurations Of Cryopreserved Equine Oocytes, Tricia Adams

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Assisted reproduction technology and the use of specialized laboratories have increased in the horse breeding industry over the last decade. This expansion has highlighted the inability to routinely cryopreserve oocytes and preserve female genetics. Oocyte vitrification, a cryopreservation process, continues to be characterized as an experimental procedure in horses. The goal of this dissertation was to evaluate the viability, developmental competence, and nuclear structures of cryopreserved equine oocytes to illuminate potential areas of improvement in the vitrification process. Oocytes were collected from abattoir derived ovaries and exposed to either varying lengths of in vitro maturation (IVM) or pretreated with a …

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy In Pregnant And Postpartum Women, Madison G. Kaup

Senior Theses

This project had three main goals: 1) Explore how pregnancy and childbirth affect the female pelvic floor anatomy and physiology, 2) Examine current practices through a literature review and interviews conducted with pelvic floor physical therapists currently practicing in various clinical settings across the United States, and 3) Develop suggestions to mitigate the challenges currently faced in the field by patients and therapists.

The female pelvic floor undergoes extensive changes throughout pregnancy as its structures are targeted by laxity-inducing hormones and mechanical stress from the growing fetus. During childbirth, the system is stretched beyond its physiological limit, causing damage to …