Bachelor of Science (BS), Ohio University, 2024, Translational Health

Ankle sprains are one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries in active populations, which can develop into chronic ankle instability (CAI), a condition with uncertain etiology and symptoms that include poor dynamic balance performance. There are biomechanical and psychophysiological components of CAI, indicating that both the body and mind may impact the development and persistence of CAI. Hence, integrative therapies like hypnosis could help with the restoration of functional performance. Purpose: To investigate the relationship between interoceptive awareness and (1a) self-reported ankle instability and (1b) single-limb dynamic balance performance, (2a) kinesiophobia and emotional distress-anxiety with heart rate variability (HRV), and (2b) kinesiophobia and pain self-efficacy with single-limb dynamic balance. In addition, we assessed (3) the impact of a brief hypnosis practice on single-limb dynamic balance. Methods: Twenty-four participants from Ohio University and local community were recruited to participate in this basic experimental study with a randomized crossover design. Participants received an educational video discussing ankle disability and rehabilitation strategies (Ankle Ed) and an audio guided hypnosis (Hypnos) with a 3-day washout period between interventions. Participants were screened for CAI using 2 self-report ankle physical function outcomes - the Identification of Functional Ankle Instability (IdFAI) and Functional Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM). Eligible participants completed 5 additional self-report outcomes for interoceptive awareness (2 self-reports), self-efficacy, emotional distress-anxiety, and kinesiophobia. Baseline resting heart rate variability (HRV) was recorded for each of the 2 lab sessions. Single-limb dynamic balance was assessed with the stability indices derived from the Biodex Stability System (BSS) and Y-Balance Test (YBT) pre- and post-Ankle Ed and Hypnos interventions. Results: No significant relationship exi (open full item for complete abstract)

DNP, Otterbein University, 2025, Nursing

Primigravida women undergoing cesarean section under neuraxial anesthesia frequently suffer from anxiety in the perioperative period. Literature suggests this population suffers disproportionately due to gender, surgical naiveness, lack of birthing experience, fear of complications, and exposure to the operating theatre's noxious environment. Despite the high anxiety prevalence and numerous negative consequences, safe treatment options are lacking. Unfortunately, contemporary pharmacologic therapy to treat anxiety threatens the parturient and the fetus. However, the field of medicine has long appreciated music's physiologically calming effects on the body. This project details a literature search, review, synthesis, and analysis of the available literature supporting and guiding the use of music intervention in the defined population. With the Iowa Model, this final scholarly project develops evidence-based practice guidelines for using music as a form of anxiolysis in the perioperative period. The secondary goals for the project were to create a comprehensive implementation, monitoring, and adjustment plan if the project outcomes were not as expected. The project was developed for the proposed implementation at a high throughput obstetric and gynecological unit within a large, inner-city, comprehensive teaching hospital in Southwest Ohio with a Level 1 Trauma Center designation. By implementing music intervention in the perioperative period for primigravida women undergoing cesarean section under neuraxial anesthesia, women can enjoy decreased levels of anxiety, decreased incidence of tachycardia, and other improved surgical and anesthesia outcomes.

Master of Arts in Music Therapy, University of Dayton, 2023, Music Therapy

This study sought to identify dimensions of a song that might suggest its clinical relevance to the music therapy method-variation of song discussion as employed with adolescents with behavioral health needs. Additionally, I aimed to explore how those dimensions of a song interact with an individual and their unique clinical profile and thus may contribute to indications and contraindications for the use of this method-variation in treatment. Because much of the published literature on song discussion points to its efficacy, it seemed fitting that the next step would be to detail the various salient aspects of a song that a music therapist must give attention to when evaluating its relevance for a discussion experience. I carefully reviewed the music therapy literature on song discussion, reflected on my own process of choosing songs for discussion in my clinical practice with children and adolescents, and I consulted other music therapy professionals on their process of choosing song material for song discussion and incorporated this information into my considerations. In this report, I outline the 30 relevant dimensions I have identified as crucial to consider when examining a song's potential for use in song discussion. The list of dimensions related to the lyric, musical, and nonmusical aspects of song selection for song discussion is intended to provide a general roadmap for music therapists and is not necessarily the ultimate or only resource that therapists may consult.

Master of City and Regional Planning, The Ohio State University, 2023, City and Regional Planning

The rapid expansion of the cannabis industry in the United States, in line with the recent wave of legalization, has not yielded consistent growth across all societal segments. Particularly, marginalized communities historically subjected to disparate cannabis-related law enforcement and legal penalties often find themselves excluded from this emergent economic sector. This thesis critically focuses on the role of Cannabis Social Equity Programs (CSEPs) in mitigating this historical imbalance and promoting inclusivity and diversity within the cannabis industry. The thesis delves into the historical context of cannabis prohibition, its disproportionate impacts on marginalized communities, predominantly ethnic and racial minorities, and how this context informs modern CSEPs. A comprehensive comparative analysis of three distinct CSEPs from Arizona, and Connecticut, and Ohio is undertaken. The analysis scrutinizes the diverse demographic profiles and unique approaches these states take toward cannabis legalization and regulation. Ohio's approach, which lacks a comprehensive CSEP, is used as a control. In contrast, both Arizona and Connecticut have adopted more substantial CSEPs that are explicitly aimed at aiding disproportionately impacted communities, embodying a strong sense of restorative justice. The focus of this thesis is to underline the efforts of these programs in rectifying historical injustices and creating a more inclusive cannabis industry, noting the variation in success. The thesis sheds light on the potential benefits and limitations of state-level initiatives, offering insights into factors contributing to their effectiveness or ineffectiveness. The thesis argues that appropriately designed and efficiently managed CSEPs have the potential to contribute significantly towards a more equitable cannabis industry. It promotes leveraging CSEPs for economic empowerment and targeted reinvestment in disadvantaged communities impacted by the War on Drugs. (open full item for complete abstract)

Bachelor of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2023, History

Medieval Europe was a period of development and change, none of which is more evident than through the transition of medical authority from women and magic to solely men and medicine. At the start of the Middle Ages, magic and medicine held an interwoven relationship, where women could freely practice and function as medical authorities within their communities alongside men. Their presence as healers provided them with a rare opportunity to escape from the traditional confines of the patriarchal society of the Middle Ages. However, the creation of medical universities, which excluded women from enrolling, sought to eliminate the role which magic held within the medical field. With its usefulness in through medicine relegated, an opposition towards magic begun developing and the connection between magic and witchcraft to the nature of women was solidified. Women's already vulnerable status within society added onto the perceived threat of witchcraft opened the door for direct persecution women. Medical practitioners, ecclesiastical writers, the Christian church, governing bodies, and local authorities all contributed to the curation of stereotypes surrounding witchcraft practitioners. As a result, the Inquisition and larger witch hunt movement developed, specifically targeting women. The witchcraft trials were the final deadly product of this movement and were overwhelmingly disproportionate in their indictment and execution of women.

Bachelor of Science (BS), Ohio University, 2023, Translational Health

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a collection of chronic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar. Chronic health complications can arise from this disease, including macrovascular complications such as cardiovascular disease that can result in myocardial infarction and/or stroke, microvascular complications including retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy, as well as psychological complications such as depression, anxiety, and diabetes distress. Despite the existence of many effective glycemic control agents, rates of diabetes incidence and mortality continue to rise, prompting the investigation of novel, multi-action therapeutics. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-intoxicating phytocannabinoid derived from the Cannabis sativa (marijuana) plant that has widespread physiological effects, an excellent safety profile, and growing consumer interest within the US. Methods: A comprehensive, scoping review of the literature was conducted in order to organize and assess evidence for CBD's ability to manage, prevent, and or delay the onset of diabetes and diabetic complications. The research databases PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and SCOPUS were searched. Results: A total of 1,324 articles were assessed against relevant inclusion and exclusion criteria, resulting in 40 included articles. The majority of included articles reported CBD improved glycemic measures associated with diabetes, yet this was not an overwhelming consensus. CBD showed mixed therapeutic effects in diabetic complications. This scoping review provides a broad review of studies with heterogenous designs and methods. Gaps in the scientific literature were discovered, including deficits in human in vivo research evaluating the therapeutic effects of CBD in diabetes and diabetic complications, as well as conflicting experimental results. Conclusions: More research, especially in diabetic human subjects, is needed to elucidate the therapeutic effects of CBD in diabetes (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Music (MM), Ohio University, 2022, Music Therapy (Fine Arts)

Adult individuals seeking non-pharmacological, therapeutic support for situational mental health challenges have emerged as a population group that is unrecognized and underserved by the mental healthcare system in the US. Music therapy is known as a beneficial treatment modality for these individuals, but accessible treatment methods for this group of consumers is narrowly represented in music therapy literature. This case exploration was conducted to gain insight into the experiences of one member of this population as she engaged in a series of music therapy sessions involving reflexive, participant-led therapeutic music experiences facilitated by a supportive music therapist. The clinician, who was also the primary investigator in this study, employed research methods based in transcendental phenomenology during collection and analysis of rich, descriptive data. The research process ultimately resulted in synthesis of the essential, structural elements of a phenomenon that emerged organically from the participant's therapeutic process. The essence of the phenomenon, Therapeutic Change, is defined by the intersection of Awareness, Control, and Connection within the therapeutic space. The researcher discusses implications of these findings and makes recommendations for development and future implementation of a new, integral model of music psychotherapy that emerged as a result of this work, called Insight-Oriented Music Facilitated Psychotherapy (IMFP). The researcher believes the ethical application of IMFP will empower and inspire music therapy clinicians to expand their services to meet the mental health treatment needs of this emergent group of consumers.

Undergraduate Honors Program, Malone University, 2021, Honors Thesis

Lavender essential oil has been used as a treatment for anxiety in humans, while peppermint has been known to improve attention/concentration. There have been published studies showing a correlation between lavender essential oil inhalation and decreased anxiety-like behaviors in rats. However, no such research has been published on the effects of peppermint essential oil on rats. This study examined the effects of peppermint and lavender essential oils on anxiety-like behaviors in rats by using time spent in the closed versus open arms of an elevated plus maze (EPM) as a measure of anxiety-like behaviors (with more time in closed arms indicating anxiety-like aversion to open-arm exploration). Sixteen adult male Long-Evans (outbred) rats were tested in an EPM on three occasions (Baseline 1 [B1], Intervention, Baseline 2 [B2]). In this mixed design study, there was one between-subjects (grouping in Peppermint or Lavender) variable and one within-subjects (three EPM tests) variable. Results indicated no group difference. However, there was a significant difference with regard to the within-subjects variable. Baselines 1 and 2 yielded similar scores; in comparison, the Scent Intervention revealed more time spent in the open arms across both groups. Implications of these findings are that both peppermint and lavender may have had anxiolytic effects.

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2022, Anthropology

In 2011, the World Health Organization added the drug misoprostol to its Essential Medicines List in order to treat postpartum hemorrhage, which is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the world. While global health agencies and planners have cited this as a revolution for maternal health, studies in Pakistan are beginning to highlight inconsistent use of the drug, paradoxically exacerbating issues of maternal health within the nation. In this thesis, I contextualize the misoprostol programs in Pakistan within the larger colonial context of global health to elucidate why it continues to be promoted despite these risks. Ultimately, we are shown how the power ascribed to Western-based global health agencies has allowed them to reshape local maternal health landscapes to reproduce their authority and expand the use of misoprostol, at the expense of the wellbeing and safety of women.

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2022, Antioch Santa Barbara: Clinical Psychology

In Montserrat, traditional healing medicines consist of herbal treatments and customary therapeutic methods such as ritual practices and herbal teas also known as “Bush and Weed” (Duberry, 1973, p.1). The purpose of this study is to discuss herbs known as “Bush,” in Montserrat, and how they benefit psychological wellbeing among the communities in Montserrat. A subsequent intention of this study is to address how an understanding of Montserratian Traditional Healing remedies can be beneficial to Western Psychological practice and enhance the efficacy for psychological healing. The gap in the literature indicates that few studies are examining mental health methods in Montserrat, and that further exploration is necessary. This dissertation has contributed to this small but growing body of information, although more research may be needed. In order to analyze this effect, this study uses an ethnographic qualitative methodology. Eight Montserratian participants who were familiar with traditional healing treatments were interviewed and the data was transcribed and coded utilizing MAXQDA. Three major themes emerged from the data, Herbal/Bush Treatments, Jumbie Dance and Mental Illness, which focused on the use of traditional healing remedies. Traditional treatments in Montserrat are indigenous remedies that are utilized mostly by Montserratians for daily use, as well as for the treatment of mental and physical wellbeing. The study concludes with discussions which recommend a need to continue focusing on passing down generational knowledge of Traditional Healing methods and having a more localized understanding of mental health in Montserrat. This includes an analysis of responsibly integrating Montserratian healing methods into Western psychology. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA, https://aura.antioch.edu/ and OhioLINK ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu

BA, Oberlin College, 2021, Hispanic Studies

This honors thesis examines archival and fictional representations of women in the early modern Spanish empire who engaged in heterodox practices, considering the purposes and efficacy of their work, the material vestiges of the resistance to regulations imposed by Spanish Inquisitorial bodies, and the ways they mobilized traditional knowledge to construct intimate, diverse, and intergenerational communities. Examining questions of representation, resistance, and persecution in both the Iberian peninsula and the Viceroyalty of New Spain, this project considers the alignment of the period of transition––between the Middle Ages and Renaissance––with the escalation of imperial expansion as integral to the understanding of Spanish, Catholic restrictions of heterodox knowledge and practice. Through the analysis of Spanish Golden Age texts and inquisitorial records, this thesis demonstrates the extent to which hechiceras (sorceresses) effectively challenged and expanded orthodox understandings of medical and natural knowledge, in large part due to their ability to construct and maintain intimate and intergenerational communities of women, which materially and demonstrably threatened ecclesiastical authority over free will, sexuality, and healing.

DNP, Otterbein University, 2021, Nursing

At a regional Veterans Administration hospital, nurses performing case management were unable to perform face-to-face visits with patients due to coronavirus. Care coordination and discharge planning efforts occurred through telephonic case management to preserve personal protective equipment and reduce transmission rates through social distancing. Trust and rapport between patients and nurses were reduced without personal contact. Peplau's theory of interpersonal relations described six nurse roles and three phases of relationship development required to create therapeutic nurse-patient relationships. Connectedness was a key concept considered to be the path to a successful meaningful therapeutic nurse-patient relationship (Hrabe, 2005). To evaluate current perceptions about virtual healthcare technology and determine if the nurse perception changes through a clinical practice change, a group of VA registered nurses participated in a computer-based educational intervention. The clinical practice change examined the nurses' perceptions of the nurse-patient relationship while using virtual health care technology. The clinical practice change project included completion of pre- and post-education intervention questionnaires adapted from the Myers (2014) measurement tool containing demographic, Likert-type scales, and free text items. The project also included completion of a 30-minute recorded education intervention explaining the virtual healthcare technology available at the VA and instructions on how to use the technology. Success of the project occurred when the post-education intervention changed nurse perception about the impact of the virtual healthcare technology on the nurse-patient relationship.

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2021, Comparative Studies

Bolivia was one of the worst-hit countries in the world by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also known to be the only country in the world that has legalized the use of chlorine dioxide, a substance mainly used as bleach, to treat and prevent COVID-19. The use of chlorine dioxide as medicine has been often been linked with conspiracy theories about the pharmaceutical industry, the medical complex and, currently, the COVID-19 pandemic. In this document, I want to understand how conspiracy theories operate in the field of medicine and science; and particularly, I want to understand what led Bolivia to embrace chlorine dioxide as a possible treatment for COVID-19. My main argument is that in Bolivia, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, chlorine dioxide acted as a boundary object that allowed for antagonistic groups to collaborate with each other. The differences among these groups were not just political or ideological, they were mainly communicational; and for this reason, I suggest that they can be understood as distinct communities of practice. In that context, chlorine dioxide worked as a boundary object that was flexible enough to be adapted to the needs and desires of these different communities of practice and created a space for collaboration and agreement; while at the same time, disrupting these groups' cohesion from within. As a conclusion, I propose that the theory of boundary objects can be helpful to understand the success of certain conspiracy theories in the sense that they may allow certain people to build communication channels that are often closed for stigmatized knowledge. I will argue that this could be the case when the stigmatized knowledge that constitutes the basis of the conspiracy theory is linked to notions of folk common sense, as it often happens in postcolonial societies.

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2021, Latin American Studies (International Studies)

80% of the population in developing countries uses traditional medicine as their primary response to healthcare issues worldwide (Chivian & Bernstein , 2002). Nevertheless, traditional medicine does not occupy the place of the mainstream tradition in the medicine field. Instead, Western medicine has taken that place in spite of its multiple problems ranging from access to healthcare to budgetary issues. While traditional medicine (TM) and its holistic approach could present a viable alternative that would contribute to solving health issues worldwide, such an option is not taken into consideration. In order to understand why TM benefits are not being incorporated in mainstream medicine, this investigation has analyzed what people think about TM. In this regard, this investigation has focused on digging deep into the middle-upper class perceptions about TM in Ecuador. Taking into account that this segment of the population determines what medical theory is valid or is considered true, what truths are told, whose voices are privileged, and which ones are missing. The results show a deep rejection towards most of the components of TM practices. This research analyzes the roots of such perceptions through a variety of social sciences tools.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2020, Communication Studies (Communication)

My research broadly examines how complementary and alternative health care providers engage in communication interaction with their patients and compares and contrasts their communication with biomedical/conventional health care providers. The objective of this qualitative research study is to investigate and understand the communication interactions between yoga students and their yoga teachers at the Sivananda Ashram in Ahmedabad, Gujarat (India) and highlight, and theorize from, how students find that communication different from their communication with their conventional medical practitioners. Based on the patient-centered paradigm, I use ethnography to investigate how complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approaches, specifically yoga, enables patients to participate and involve themselves in decisions about their health and well-being. I then create meaning from this ethnographic data using thematic analysis and grounded theory. Drawing from forty-five semi-structured interviews with participants who identify themselves as students at the Sivananda Ashram, I explore how individuals share their holistic experience of doing yoga, their motivation to seek out such alternative means of health and well-being, the influence of culture on their health choices and differences in their communication interaction with yoga teachers versus conventional health care providers. The findings report six primary themes that explain yoga students experiences. Building upon previous research from eminent health communication scholars and researchers (Geist-Martin, 2003; Dutta, 2008), I theorize how yoga is a form of communication that participants practice in their everyday. Examining, exploring, and theorizing the communication interaction between yoga students and their yoga teachers at the Ashram, I re-work the culture-centered approach and develop a venn-diagram to build and explain my findings.

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2020, Antioch Seattle: Clinical Psychology

Psychology in the United States (U.S.) is partially constituted by a cultural history of intellectual imperialism that undermines its altruistic intent and prevents disciplinary reflexivity. The scholarship and clinical application of Yoga exemplifies the way U.S. psychology continues to give lived authority to imperialism as part of the neoliberal agenda. Through a hermeneutic literature analysis of two source Yogic texts and peer-reviewed articles that exemplify the dominant discourse on Yoga in U.S. psychology, this dissertation identified themes that describe culturally embedded presentations of Yoga and their sociopolitical implications. Through interpretation, Yoga was conceptualized as: (a) a 5,000 year-old tradition that prescribes a life path to achieving one's full potential and includes (but is not limited to) an expression of psychology unique to Yoga that encompasses a complex moral framework, theory of mind, conceptualization of suffering and illness, and rich collection of healing technologies; (b) a phenomenological state of being, or unwavering realization of the self as undifferentiated unified consciousness; and (c) an artifact of U.S. psychology that enacts dissociated, unformulated, and unarticulated sociopolitical arrangements and events. Themes were presented as dialogue, allowing Yogic theory, philosophy, psychology, and morality to call into question facets of U.S. psychology as they relate to the human condition, psyche, mental illness, and healing technologies. Within the scope of the dissertation, there were four articulated pathways for Yoga to influence U.S. psychology without reverting back to the unconscious inclination to dissociate or appropriate: (a) participate in the tradition of Yoga rather than trying to possess it; (b) acknowledge what the moral framework of Yoga highlights about the complicity of U.S. psychology in the neoliberal agenda; (c) discontinue practices that normalize and sustain intellectual imperialism; and (d) co (open full item for complete abstract)

DNP, Kent State University, 2019, College of Nursing

Abstract Background and Review of literature: Arts-based interventions have been studied in the cancer care setting and shown to have positive effects on pain, anxiety, depression, and various quality of life indicators. Participants of group art-based experiences often experience a deep sense of connectedness to one another, and self-awareness. Purpose: This project was designed to elicit the perceptions of the adult cancer survivor who engaged in a multi-modal expressive arts intervention in a community cancer support group setting. Methods: This project used quantitative and qualitative approach, purposive sampling from existing adult cancer survivor community support groups. Theoretical concepts from Natalie Roger's Creative Connection® informed the overall design, implementation and evaluation of the project. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using the Expressive Arts for Cancer Survivor data collection tool consisting of a post-intervention 12-item Likert Scale survey and 7 open-ended questions developed for this research. Implementation Plan/Procedure: An expressive arts intervention consisting of drawing and painting or clay work was implemented at the Breast Cancer, Blood Cancers, and Head and Neck Cancer community support groups. Group participants were invited to explore other modalities such as expressive writing, sound, movement and group dialogue to enhance the expressive art experience. Implications/Conclusion: Expressive arts during the cancer support group setting fostered creativity, insight, and self-awareness; helping survivors learn more about their feelings. Participants experienced a deeper sense of connectedness and appreciation for others within the group. The opportunity for sharing was positively received; the arts provided a means of self-expression. Participants expressed a strong desire to discuss the use of expressive arts with their healthcare provider. Findings signal the importance of developing evidence based (open full item for complete abstract)

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2019, Leadership and Change

Scientists debunked the belief that breast cancer is always viral with the mid-90s discovery of the first hereditary genetic mutation linked to a significantly higher-than average chance of breast and ovarian cancer. This genetic condition, called Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC), passes the mutation from generation to generation in a family. Thousands of variations of such mutations exist, and carriers account for 10 to 15% of all breast cancer, and up to 20% of ovarian (Childers et al., 2017). In addition, genetic testing uncovered a rapidly rising number of healthy people (never had breast/ovarian cancer) who are also carriers, flooding healthcare providers seeking potential options to reduce their elevated risk. Those prophylactic measures are invasive, permanent and can cause physical—and emotional—scarring. As a newer medical phenomenon, few, if any, studies address the potential psychological implications, which include fear, anxiety, guilt, family tension, and more. Using narrative inquiry methodology, this study analyzes the authentic lived or felt experiences of individuals when they learn that they have inherited a mutation that significantly increases their risk of breast, ovarian and related cancers, and their choices that directly affect their effort to outrun a cancer that may never come. This dissertation is accompanied by the author's MP4 video introduction and is available in open access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu/ and Ohiolink ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu/

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2018, Chemistry and Biochemistry (Arts and Sciences)

Advancing age is the primary risk factor for cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and renal diseases. The imbalance between prooxidative and antioxidative processes increase with senescence. The decrease in cytoprotective nitric oxide (NO) and increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide (O2¯) and peroxynitrite (ONOO¯) are suggested to be the main factors of endothelial dysfunction and aging. Endothelial dysfunction is associated with the impaired generation of NO and overproduction of O2¯ resulting in the formation of cytotoxic ONOO¯. Replicative senescence of human endothelial cells (ECs) was analyzed here using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). In this study, we employed a nanomedical system to measure the concentration of NO, O2¯, and ONOO¯ simultaneously. Peroxynitrite is a powerful cytotoxic oxidant formed from the reaction between NO and O2¯. Nanosensors were placed near the endothelium and calcium ionophore-stimulated NO, O2¯, and ONOO¯ were measured. The present work was performed to investigate endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) dysfunction during aging of endothelial cells. The age-related cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure, atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease and myocardial infarction can be associated with endothelial dysfunction. The nanomedical approach enabled us to characterize changes in eNOS coupling/uncoupling as a function of biological aging. The release of NO and ONOO¯ was studied in different passages in ethnic groups (Caucasian Americans (CAs), African Americans (AAs) and Asian Americans (ASAs)). Our results suggest that HUVECs of AAs are more susceptible to endothelial dysfunction during aging. The shortening of relative telomere length in aging coincided with a decrease of NO and increase of ONOO¯ concentrations. The imbalance between [NO] and [ONOO¯] was due to endothelial dysfunction. The treatment of aging endothelium with factors affecting the eNOS pathway (e.g., VAS2870, PEG-SOD, and L-ar (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2018, Gerontology

India is home to numerous medical traditions; almost 70% of its population relies on herbal, traditional, and/or folk medicine for basic healthcare needs. A fairly large proportion of this population comprises older adults who live in rural areas such as remote villages in the Indian Himalayas. Consequently, significant changes affecting any of these medical systems is likely to impact older adults more acutely than younger generations. A qualitative study using ethnographic data collection techniques was undertaken in three villages in a northern Indian state to understand the role of herbal, traditional, and folk medicines in the lives of older adults who are the primary users, practitioners, and custodians of local, traditional medical knowledge. The results have been contextualized in two time periods – “In the olden days…” and “These days…” to highlight the contrasts that older residents have witnessed in the nature, cause, and treatment of illnesses over time. Major themes in the time period “In the olden days…” include: pure food, pure environment, physical ability, traditional medical/non-medical knowledge, folk systems, and community support. Major themes in the time period “These days…” include: modern conveniences, migration of younger generations, climate change/environmental degradation, unsustainable harvest of herbs, changes in food systems, and decline in physical abilities. All of these together answer how older adults view and address “small illnesses”, “big illnesses”, “new illnesses” and “illnesses of old age” in the two time periods. This study highlights the relationship between the health seeking behavior of older adults and the evolving nature of various factors including trade, development, environment, socio-cultural norms, lifestyles, and family structures in the region.