Digital Commons Network^™

Mental Health Issues And Barriers To Seeking Mental Health Services Amongst College Athletes, Katelyn Przybylski

Academic Festival

In the year 2022, Sarah Shulze, Katie Meyer, Jayden Hill, Robert Martin, and Lauren Bernett all died to suicide, and they were all collegiate athletes. Sarah Shulze attended the University of Wisconsin and was on the track team, she was a part of Division I athletics. Katie Meyer played soccer at Stanford University; a Division I level program. Jayden Hill ran track at Northern Michigan University which is a Division II level program. Robert Martin played lacrosse at Binghamton University; a Division I level program. Finally, Lauren Bernett played softball at James Madison University which is also a Division I …

Decreasing The Incidence Of Cautis, Annie Patriarca

Academic Festival

The research presented discusses the effects that CAUTIs have on patients, their families, and hospitals. Nursing interventions to aide in the promotion of best practice are also discussed.

Evaluating High- And Low-Tech Visual Scene Displays In Children With Complex Communication Needs, Colleen Goldrick, Tara Shipos, Gabrielle D'Andrea

Academic Festival

Visual Scene Displays (VSDs) are a form of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) that utilize pictured scenes with hot spots to provide individuals with the opportunity to develop language in a contextualized environment. This investigation identified and assessed 12 peer-reviewed articles pertaining to the implementation of high- and low- tech VSDs for children and adolescents presenting with a range of complex communication needs. All articles were evaluated and scored using a published rating scale consisting of 11 predetermined criteria. Following assessment of the articles, it was found that VSDs are an effective form of AAC for children and adolescents with …

The Use Of Chlorhexidine In Combating Phlebitis, Gabrielle Gately

Academic Festival

There has been an increase in the number of patients developing phlebitis at the IV site after experiencing a chlorhexidine swab shortage. After speaking to the nurse managers and coordinator of the IV team, they felt that providing staff with education and the importance would benefit the department and aid in the decrease of infection rates.

The Relationship Between Set Shifting And Lexical Retrieval In Healthy Individuals, Jessica Longa, Erin Dobson, Sydney Collier, Mia Greenberg

Academic Festival

Objectives:

• Is set shifting correlated with noun and verb retrieval in healthy individuals?
• Is set shifting correlated with noun and verb retrieval in adults in various stages of dementia?

The Relationship Between Non-Verbal Inhibition And Lexical Retrieval, Erin Dobson, Sydney Collier, Jessica Longa, Mia Greenberg

Academic Festival

Research Question: Is non-verbal inhibition correlated with lexical retrieval speed of both nouns and verbs in healthy individuals?

Hypothesis: Non-verbal inhibition will impact performance on lexical retrieval tasks for both nouns and verbs.

Understanding The Mechanics And Flight Controls Of Drones: Challenges And Opportunities, Julia Piascik

Academic Festival

This project aims to understand the mechanics and flight controls of drones. Implementation methods included building a Raspberry Pi drone and setting up NewBeeDrones. Understanding the design and hardware (GPS, motors, ESCs, etc.) that go into building a successful drone is important. Although built, the Raspberry Pi drone has had problems with calibrating the ESC motors. It is expected to solve this issue to be able to fly the drone outside. The project's scope was changed to learning about NewBeeDrones to continue developing knowledge of drones. Current outcomes include successfully binding several drones to their radio controllers and FatShark goggles, …

The Relationship Between Attention And Working Memory In Healthy Individuals, Mia Greenberg, Jessica Longa, Erin Dobson, Sydney Collier

Academic Festival

Research Question : Does performance on tasks of non- verbal attention and non-verbal working memory impact performance on lexical retrieval for both young adults and older adults?

Hypothesis: Attention and working memory will have additive impact on lexical retrieval. The impact will be most significant for older individuals.

Does Voluntary Euthanasia Fulfill Or Contradict A Physicians’ Oath To “Do No Harm”, Sarah Margaret Carr

Academic Festival

Voluntary Euthanasia, or VE, is a practice which has been medically, and ethically, debated for decades. VE is a medical procedure in which a physician, with the explicit and informed consent of the patient, administers a lethal agent for the purpose of relieving a patients intolerable and incurable suffering (Euthanasia, 2022). The availability of this practice as an option for terminally diagnosed patients, to allow them to choose to die on their own terms, has been debated for its ethicality. Through my research, I strove to answer the question of whether VE fulfills, or contradicts, a physician’s oath to “do …

The Crossroads Of Shu Saacs, Stephanie Campbell

Academic Festival

The student Chapter of the American Chemical Society at Sacred Heart University aims to bring science to the community and bring Sacred Heart closer to chemistry.

The Evaluation Of Agritourism In Italy, Lucia Catino

Academic Festival

This research focused on the success of the agritourism industry within Italy. Considering the role of hospitality in the Italian tourism industry and its history as well as the need for a revival in rural areas and the agricultural sector. The results demonstrate how agritourism revitalizes the agricultural industry as well as the tourism industry and revives local ecosystems while demonstrating local goods and regionally famous products. In this paper I investigate the effect local products, farms and economics play into the agritourism business and vice versa.

R Analytics Tool To Study The Performance Of The D1 Women’S Basketball Team At Sacred Heart University, Erica Juliano, Chelsea Thakkar

Academic Festival

The R Analytics tool leverages the power of the R programming language, a versatile and widely used software environment for statistical computing, to provide a comprehensive and sophisticated analysis of the team's performance. Advanced statistical techniques are employed to generate insights into the team's performance and identify areas for improvement. The tool also integrates data from multiple sources, including game statistics, player performance data and other relevant information, to create a comprehensive picture of the team's performance. The goal of the tool is to support data-driven decision making and help coaches and staff at Sacred Heart University gain a deeper …

With Obesity On The Rise, It Is More Important Than Ever To Live A Balanced And Healthy Lifestyle, Victor Dipierro

Academic Festival

It is no secret that obesity is on the rise in the U.S. Obesity causes health problems, death, and economic loss, and is bad for the common good of society. However, considering my message is about good mental and physical health, we need to pay attention to other factors such as excessive attention to body image, which can also be dangerous to our health and well-being. I believe that living a balanced lifestyle with daily exercise and healthy eating is essential to live a long life with both good physical and mental health.

The Styles Of Sport & Their Impacts, Joseph Schuler

Academic Festival

Throughout society, there are many universal uniters that brings large groups of people together. Some of these universal uniters include national pride, religion, and even sports. To an ordinary observer, sports looks the same; an environment that brings people from all different social and economic classes together through the love of sports. At a young age, sports are introduced to the lives’ of the participants, where they learn the rules of the games they play. Eventually, these participants end up in one of three areas; the professionals, the fans, or those who choose to work in the world of sport. …

Social Media And Its Effects On Mental Health, Christian Felipe

Academic Festival

My paper discusses the effects social media has on adolescents' mental health, as well as the role it played during the pandemic.

The Relationship Between Resolution Of Semantic Interference And Non-Verbal Inhibition, Sydney Collier, Mia Greenberg, Jessica Longa, Erin Dobson

Academic Festival

Research Question: Is difficulty with resolution of semantic interference correlated with non verbal inhibition ability in healthy controls and individuals with Alzheimer's?

Hypothesis: Individuals who have difficulty with nonverbal inhibition will also have difficulty with resolution of semantic interference.

The Juxtaposition Of Various Forms Of Cancer Vaccines For Metastatic Melanoma, Abby Molloy

Academic Festival

Cancer vaccines are a new, transcendent form of treatment aimed at achieving remission for metastatic melanoma patients. Recent studies have shown that two main forms of these vaccines have emerged: dendritic cell vaccines and personalized neoantigen vaccines. Neither of these types of cancer vaccines are especially effective for the treatment of metastatic melanoma on their own. However, they become much more efficient when utilized in conjunction other immunotherapeutic methods. Dendritic cell vaccines are most effective when used with either Ipilimumab or Interferon-α treatments. Personalized neoantigen vaccines are most productive when used with an anti-PD1 treatment. Each of these vaccines, when …

Are We Bait Or Clickbait?, Aladeen Hussein

Academic Festival

Over the last ten years there has been a significant increase in shark attacks. Climate change and human interaction are the prime suspects that are causing an increase in shark attacks along the eastern seaboard. Could social media be the cause of click baits?

How The Damage Of Racism In Social Media Generates Social Activism, Jessica Fontaine

Academic Festival

Social media can be a positive place where people around the world can share their stories and experiences. However, it is also a cesspool of negativity. One way this negativity has manifested itself is in the form of racism. Videos of police brutality against people of color are heavily prevalent on social media.

The killings are highly publicized, especially in recent years, and this publication has changed audience’s opinions about the police. Although incidents of police violence are shared through numerous platforms, such as newspapers and television news, social media has been the most recent and vital medium of sharing …

Ethical Implications Of The Fashion Industry, Ciara Flood

Academic Festival

Abstract

The Fashion industry has been around since the beginning of human civilization. In the earliest societies clothing and fashion have always been a driving source of culture and identity. Beginning with clothing made of animal skins and vegetation in ancient times, ranging to the textiles and technologies we have today, fashion has existed since the existence of human kind. Daily, humans are subconsciously participating in the fashion industry by simply picking out an outfit for the day. The fashion industry starts at raw materials and exists until the disposal of clothes. It is a cycle that is constantly repeating …

Physician Assisted Suicide, Alexa Setteducati

Academic Festival

Death is inevitable. An individual can hope to live a long healthy life and end it peacefully. However, the reality of death is much different for some individuals. Death can be a painful and grueling process that hinders oneself from feeling any morsel of dignity. Patients with terminal illnesses can instate advanced directives, in which they can choose their preference of life saving resuscitation and comfort measures. However, these interventions in patients with terminal illnesses are not available until the patient has fully deteriorated. An article claims, “As the end-oflife approaches, the ability of medicine to heal and prolong life …

Be Kind To Yourself: Examining How Self-Compassion Mediates The Relationship Between Minority Stress And Health, Samantha Cavalea

Academic Festival

Sexual minorities (e.g., LGB people) experience stressors specific to their minority status. Minority stressors are either proximal (intrapersonal) or distal (interpersonal), and both negatively predict mental and physical health. Self-compassion is the ability to hold one’s experiences of suffering with warmth and understanding, integrating aspects of self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness. A recent metanalysis (Helminen et al., 2022) found that self-compassion relates to minority stress and potentially helps buffer the links between stress and health. However, past work examined single aspects of minority stress and there is uncertainty in determining which types of stressors self-compassion may relieve. This study examined …

Think Before You Speak: Examining The Impact Of Ageist Labels On Perceptions Of Older Adults, Samantha Cavalea, Devin Mccarthy, Nicole Badia, Nicole Alvira, Victoria M. Federico, Maria Pandolfo

Academic Festival

The goal of this proposed study is to examine how the use of different labels of older adults affect our perceptions of them.

Validity Of Maximal Heart Rate During An Intermittent Cycle Test - A Pilot Test, Ella Frisbie

Academic Festival

The purpose of this study is to validate a cycle ergometer field test to elicit maximal heart rate (HRmax) that can be completed in a fitness setting by the general population. Seventeen participants (F=14, M=3), aged 20 to 21yrs partook in the study. Each subject completed the incremental and a field test in a random order with an average 6.88 ± 1.80 days between the tests. During both test the subjects pedaled at 60 repetitions per minute (rpm) wearing the Polar H10 tracking heart rate (HR). Expired gases were measured by the Parvo metabolic cart. During the incremental test subjects …

Validity Of Maximal Heart Rate During An Intermittent Cycle Test, Ella Frisbie

Academic Festival

The purpose of this study is to validate a cycle ergometer field test to elicit maximal heart rate (HRmax) that can be completed in a fitness setting by the general population. Seventeen participants (F=14, M=3), aged 20 to 21yrs partook in the study. Each subject completed the incremental and a field test in a random order with an average 6.88 ± 1.80 days between the tests. During both test the subjects pedaled at 60 repetitions per minute (rpm) wearing the Polar H10 tracking heart rate (HR). Expired gases were measured by the Parvo metabolic cart. During the incremental test subjects …

The Effect Of Social Media On Perceptions Of Women In Sports, Grace Hand

Academic Festival

The popularity of the smartphone has led to a society where information can be accessed or shared at any time with just the tap of a finger. Social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have capitalized on this technology to create platforms where people can be more connected than ever before. The influence has bled into all levels of society. In terms of the sports world, social media has become an outlet for teams, athletes, and fans to grow a dedicated following of like-minded individuals. However, despite the progressive nature of these sites, they have not escaped many of …

Improving Care For Emergency Department Boarders, Gemma Vecchiarino, Mariana Virote

Academic Festival

Changes to implement to decrease the volume, and improve the quality of care and safety for emergency department boarders.

Marijuana Legalization, Grace Langdon

Academic Festival

Marijuana is a psychoactive drug used for both recreational and medical purposes which can be smoked or consumed. It is a term for the dried flowers and leaves of the plant Cannabis sativa. This drug is used by millions of individuals across the United States, both legally and illegally. While some of these users are smoking prescribed medical marijuana (CBD-based) to treat concerns such as anxiety, epilepsy, and pain, the majority of marijuana usage is recreational (THC-based). Within the past several years, more and more states have been continuously legalizing this drug in both its medical and recreational form. These …

Perception Of Visible Body Art In Healthcare: Perceptions On A College Campus, Nicolette Mascioli, Conor Duffy, Rebecca Oswald

Academic Festival

This project aims to determine if there is a relationship between visible body art on a healthcare provider and perceptions of that person’s ability to render care. During the literature review, it was clear there was a lack of research on this topic. A survey was designed by the researchers. The data was collected during social justice week on Sacred Heart University’s campus. The data was then compared to regional healthcare facilities and nursing program policies and procedures to see if they are synonymous with the survey findings.

From Marx To The Modern Day: Do The Economic And Social Impacts Of Socialism’S Myriad Experiments Discourage Future Trials?, Joseph Nowak

Academic Festival

As the length of time that has passed since the era of socialistic giants like the Soviet Union and China increases, there has been a concurrent rise in sympathy for such an ideology. The fading or non-existent memory of the threat posed by such regimes is reflected in a significant age striation in support for socialism, with each successive generation more amenable to it. But a similarly consequential reason is a fundamental misunderstanding of what “socialism” really is. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, this paper defines socialism from Karl Marx’s own writings in order to investigate the economic and social outcomes …