Rocky Vista University

Variable IL13Rα2 Expression Across Glioblastoma Models and Tumor Regions

Background: Interleukin-13 Receptor alpha 2 (IL13Rα2) is an attractive therapeutic target for glioblastoma because of its limited expression in normal brain tissue and overexpression in many tumors. However, the spatial heterogeneity of glioblastoma and limitations of conventiona...

Implementation and Comparative Outcomes of Near-Peer Tutoring in Virtual Reality and Cadaveric Environment

Background: Cadaveric dissection remains foundational in anatomy education, while virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a potential complementary or alternative modality. This randomized, curriculum-embedded modified AB/BA crossover study evaluated VR-based versus cadaver-based ana...

Xylazine Usage and Awareness Among People Who Use Drugs in Denver, Colorado

Background: Xylazine, also known as “tranq,” is an alpha-2 agonist with various effects including central nervous system depression, analgesia, and vasoconstriction. Since xylazine is a non-opioid, its effects are not reversible with ,bnaloxone, complicating overdose treatment. X...

Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome in the Differential Diagnosis of Bathtub Deaths

Cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) is a condition caused by chronic use of cannabis in which individuals develop severe cyclic vomiting, nausea, and abdominal pain. This report presents two case fatalities of a 38-year-old male and a 44-year-old male, both found in bathtub and s...

Integrated Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Coordinated Gliovascular Remodeling Across Diffuse Glioma Grades

Background: The gliovascular unit forms the structural and functional basis of the glymphatic system, which facilitates cerebrospinal fluid–interstitial fluid exchange to maintain brain homeostasis. Although disruption of individual astrocytic, vascular, and extracellular matrix...

Laryngospasm in Pediatric Anesthesia with Intravenous versus Inhalation Anesthetic Induction

This review explores the occurrence of laryngospasm following intravenous (IV) administration of propofol versus inhalation induction with sevoflurane in pediatric anesthesia. A structured literature search was conducted using PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL to identify rel...

Pediatric Hemifacial Spasm: A Narrative Review and Call to Action

<b>Background</b>: Hemifacial spasm (HFS) is a chronic hyperkinetic facial nerve disorder characterized by involuntary, unilateral facial muscle contractions. While well-described in adults, where neurovascular compression of the facial nerve root exit zone predominates, pediatri...

The Human Hand Behind the Algorithm: Ethical Perspectives on AI in Clinical Practice

The incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) into clinical practice represents a pivotal shift in healthcare delivery. AI promises greater efficiency, diagnostic support, and precision, yet its adoption raises ethical concerns related to autonomy, equity, transparency, and t...

Life on the Oncology Floor: An Ode to the Cancer Patient

On morning rounds, we would stand in dimly lit hospital rooms, watching elderly couples hold hands in silence, their faded, scratched wedding rings that were missing a few stones here and there overlapping in perfect, worn harmony. Fifty years of marriage, and now they were facin...

Efficacy of Viscosupplementation in a Patient with Bilateral Partial Meniscectomies: A Case Study

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative disease that can significantly impair daily life and mobility. This case report describes a 60-year-old female with bilateral knee OA and a history of partial medial meniscectomies, who experienced severe pain and functional limit...

Community-Based Participatory Research for Critical Health Interventions for the Quichua People in Bolivar, Ecuador

The health needs of rural Ecuadorians are often addressed through foreign aid and short-term medical missions. While these efforts provide temporary relief for rural populations struggling to access government-mandated universal healthcare, they fail to address underlying systemi...

Celebration of Movement

On my first day as an OMS-I, we were taught the tenets of osteopathic medicine. The first tenet states that a person is made up of mind, body, and soul. This means that to care for your patient entirely, you must consider not only their physical ailments but also their fears, fru...

Balancing Optimism and Empathy: Lessons from a Granddaughter and Future Physician

We are fortunate to have a close-knit family, spending every holiday in the same living room, going on annual summer vacations, or camping together. My grandparents had four children and many grandchildren, so we always had big gatherings at their house growing up. Earlier this y...

A Case Study: Vitiligo Regression Secondary to the Onset of Puberty

Vitiligo is a chronic skin disorder characterized by hypopigmented patches on various parts of the body. This study explores the spontaneous re-pigmentation of vitiligo in a white female from the age of 10 to 22. At age 10, the patient developed a hypopigmented patch on her right...

The Medicine is Born

The agony of labor ends! A golden hour to begin Little can she comprehend the situation she is in Fleeting thoughts of joy and peace melt into doubt, anxiety Her babe is snuggled up at least, sleeping in satiety

Regenerative Medicine in Orthopedics: Evaluating PRP, MSC Therapies, BPC-157, TB-4/TB-500, CJC-1295, Retatrutide, and Osteostatin as Complements to Conventional Care: A Narrative Review

Musculoskeletal disorders affect billions of individuals globally and are a leading cause of disability and healthcare expenditure. Regenerative medicine has emerged as a potential therapy, aiming to enhance tissue repair, improve functional outcomes, and delay the need for surgi...

AI Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting in Neuro-Oncology: A Narrative Review of Diagnostic Performance and Clinical Readiness

Magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) is a quantitative magnetic resonance imaging technique that generates tissue signals that vary based on chemical, physical, and biological properties called “fingerprints.” MRF enables simultaneous estimation of multiple tissue properties,...

The Female Pelvis

I’ve always been drawn to portraiture, specifically the challenge of capturing structure, expression, and identity in a single frame. For years, I focused on faces to better understand people. But since starting medical school, I’ve shifted my focus inward. Medical illustration h...

Investigating a Standardized Protocol for Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment of Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Preliminary Single-Blinded Study

Primary dysmenorrhea, characterized by painful uterine contractions during menstruation which affects a large proportion of individuals. Current standard of care is management with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). While effective, NSAIDs carry risks with prolonged...

My studies of the human form: Figures I-IIIb

My first study of the human form was as an undergraduate studio art major. I searched for a path where I could blend the anatomical sciences with the arts. This led to a concentration on the human figure, which involved over 100 hours of drawing, painting, and sculpting from a li...