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Publication Humor is a Positive Intervention(2025) Shaun Eli Breidbart; Tomasulo, DanielPositive psychology is the science of improving one’s mental well-being. A positive intervention is an activity or behavior that leads to an improvement in mental well-being. Humor, the subject of this paper, has been shown to improve one’s mental and physical health, through a variety of mechanisms. Depression, stress, heart disease and blood pressure can all be reduced by laughing. While much of what friends laugh at together isn’t actual humor but more an acknowledgement of a shared experience, humor and laughter, regardless of the source, are healthy. Children, adults and senior citizens can all benefit from humor. And a sense of humor, the ability to create comedy (as opposed to the other aspect of a sense of humor, which is appreciating humor), can be developed and improved. Creating humor, and sharing it with friends, is also beneficial to one’s mental health. While many people are resistant to psychology or therapy, a comedy show that introduces elements of positive psychology to the audience, while also making them laugh, can help them respect and appreciate psychology, and may lead them to begin using techniques of positive psychology to improve their mental well-being.Publication Dr(2025-06-12) Alkandari, Naser; Theken , KatherineIntroduction: Neutrophils (PMNs) are the most abundant leukocytes in the human body. They play an integral role in inflammation and combating infection, especially in the postoperative setting. PMNs are able to conduct these functions through a number of biological processes as well as release of biochemical mediators. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and B-endorphin are among these mediators that play a role in the propagation and modulation of pain. With the ongoing opioid epidemic and its devastating effects on society, there has been an impetus to move away from prescribing opioid analgesics in favor of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which inhibit Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) thereby reduce PGE2 production. However there still persists a cohort of patients who do not achieve adequate analgesia with the current NSAID regiment leading to supplementation with an opioid rescue. The exact mechanisms underlying this are still not clear. The aim is to better characterize PGE2 production in human derived PMNs and determine differences between male and female samples. Materials and Methods: Healthy adults undergoing surgical extraction of partial or full bony impacted mandibular third molars, will have their blood drawn at different intervals; baseline before surgery, T0 (administration of first dose of 400 mg ibuprofen by mouth), T4 (four hours after administration), 24 hours post surgery, 7 days after surgery. PMNs will be extracted and purified via negative selection with immunomagnetic bead separation. After cell counting, cells will be divided into experimental and control arms. PMNs will be incubated with A23187 for 15 minutes and 60 minutes, and LPS for 24 hours, each with corresponding control. PGE2 levels will be measured using Cayman Chemical ELISA kit (Ann Arbor, MI). Concentrations will then be standardized before statistical analysis. Results: Analysis included 23 study participants which comprised 16 females and 7 males. Of the 23 patients, 6 (1 male and 5 females) used opioid rescue medication in addition to ibuprofen in the first week after extraction. No significant differences were observed between men and women in PGE2 production by neutrophils over time. PGE2 production was numerically higher in female-derived neutrophils at most time points, but these results were highly variable and did not attain statistical significance. The comparison of PGE2 production between partial and complete responders were also analyzed. Partial responders had significantly lower PGE2 production at T=4 compared to complete responders following stimulation with A23187 for 1 hours (p=0.038) Conclusion: Our results show that there are no sex differences in PGE2 production by human neutrophils following third molar extraction. In contrast, there was a trend toward lower PGE2 production in partial responders to ibuprofen, particularly at T=4. Among the partial responders to ibuprofen the majority were women (5 of the 6); however, a bigger sample is needed for statistical analysis and definitive conclusions.Publication Analyzing How LEED Certification of Academic Buildings Affects Perceptions and Well-Being in Masters of Environmental Studies Students on the University of Pennsylvania Campus(2025-05-18) Anwen Kelly; Mascuch, GeraldThe U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification offers guidelines to create healthier spaces for building occupants and the surrounding environment. However, most research on these sustainable design benefits focus on physical measurables, such as corporal health and pollution reduction. There have also been studies researching how occupants perceive LEED versus non-LEED certified buildings, but in relation to how interactions with their space affect their physical well-being and preferences. Young adults have been found to have the highest stress levels, particularly those in graduate school, with room ambience being a significant indicator. This study analyzes how LEED certification can affect perceptions of well-being in an academic setting through the use of survey responses from Masters of Environmental Studies (MES) students on the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) campus. The LEED framework is being considered as Penn has made a commitment for all new campus buildings and major renovations to achieve a minimum of LEED Silver certification. The survey, generated through Qualtrics, was sent out through email to all MES students in the academic year 2024-2025. The survey aims to analyze perceptions of LEED specific designs between two academic buildings and how MES students believe it affects their well-being. The two buildings to be considered are the LEED Gold certified Ronald O. Perelman Center for Political Science and Economics, and the non-LEED certified Hayden Hall. The survey received a total of 50 responses from a participant pool of 190, and results are comparatively analyzed between the two academic buildings for each question. The Perelman Center averaged at a higher rate of perception than Hayden Hall overall, and for all categories except green spaces and ability to socialize. LEED certification displays a more favored perception from student occupants, which provides an argument for LEED certification to be applied to other academic campuses or by an academic building developer. Results from this study may also provide evidence for why sustainable building should be pursued beyond physical benefits.Publication Influence of Restorative Factors on Peri-implantitis(2025-05-19) Kristen Richey; Fiorellini, JosephAim: The aim of this study is to determine the influence of restorative factors on peri-implant bone loss. Material and methods: The clinical charts and radiographs of patients who received dental implants at the University of Pennsylvania or outside office were reviewed. In total, 1003 implants were studied across 323 patients. Of the total number of implants, 525 were placed in male patients, and 478 were placed in female patients. Information about the restoration including mesial and distal emergence angle of the original restoration, mesial and distal emergence profile (convex/concave/straight), mesial and distal bone loss %, restoration change, platform switched, subcrestal placement, distance between implant and adjacent tooth or implant, adjacent tooth with bone loss at the initial radiograph, and adjacent tooth with bone loss at the final radiograph were also recorded. All distance and angle measurements were made using the distance and angle tools in the Mipacs system. Results: The mesial and distal emergence angle and emergence profiles did not have a statistically significant effect on marginal bone loss. Platformed switched implants and single unit crowns had a protective effect on bone loss. Conclusion: From the variables examined in this study, there is not a clear answer of specific restorative factors that lead to peri-implantitis. Although some values were statistically significant, the values were not clinically significant. Due to the retrospective nature of the study, no causation can be attributed. Splinted implants and non-platformed switched implants may lead to more marginal bone loss, but further studies are necessary to confirm this claim.Publication Dimensional Changes and Histological Analysis Following Extraction and Ridge Preservation Using Different Membranes: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Clinical Study(2025-05) Chen, Yu-Hsin; Chang, Yu-Chang; Korostoff, Jonathan; Chen, Chia-Yu; Fiorellini, JosephIntroduction Following tooth extraction, alveolar bone resorption—particularly in the buccal-lingual dimension—is a well-documented phenomenon. Alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) is commonly performed to maintain ridge volume for future implant placement. While various materials and techniques are available for ARP, the optimal choice of membrane in cases with an intact buccal plate remains inconclusive. This study aims to evaluate the dimensional changes in hard and soft tissues and to perform histological analysis following ARP using different membrane types. Materials and Methods 51 subjects with premolar extraction sites were randomized into five groups, each receiving alveolar ridge preservation with a 1:1 allograft–xenograft mixture and one of the following membranes: absorbable collagen dressing (ACD), non-resorbable d-PTFE (d-PTFE), cross-linked collagen membrane (CLCM), non-cross linked ECM membrane (N-CLCM), or dehydrated human deepithelialized amnion-chorion membrane (DHDA-C). Pre-extraction intraoral scans (Pre-STL) and cone beam computed tomograms (Pre-CBCT) were obtained. Four months after extraction, Post-STLs and Post-CBCTs were taken. Comparison of the pre- and post-extraction scans was performed to determine horizontal alveolar and soft tissue dimensional changes using a standardized Region of Interest (ROI) guide. Five months post-extraction, implants were placed and bone cores harvested using trephine drills guided by surgical stents. Histological analysis was conducted to evaluate tissue quality and graft integration across membrane groups. Results Of 80 patients enrolled, 48 (54 sites) were included for hard tissue and 27 (27 sites) for soft tissue analysis. ANOVA showed no statistically significant differences in total horizontal ridge dimensional changes (p = 0.741) or crestal region changes (p = 0.875) among membrane groups. Soft tissue analysis revealed no significant differences among groups (p = 0.389). Histological analysis (n = 36 patients, 40 sites) showed no significant differences in total bone percentage (p = 0.058) or residual allograft (p = 0.337), but significant differences in new bone formation (p = 0.008) and residual xenograft (p = 0.007). CLCM demonstrated superior new bone formation compared to ACD (p = 0.018). Conclusion All membrane types demonstrated comparable effectiveness in preserving ridge dimensions in intact sockets, with no significant differences in hard or soft tissue outcomes. However, CLCM showed superior new bone formation compared to ACD. Since no membrane completely prevented ridge resorption, membrane selection should be based on clinician preference, handling characteristics, and patient- specific factors. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings and explore the clinical significance of histological differences.