Digital Commons Network^™

New York City’S Wage Theft Crisis, Amanda Rozon

Capstones

In New York City, all workers regardless of citizenship status are granted the same rights under New York State labor laws. But in the construction industry, undocumented immigrant workers who are reluctant to report violations are at risk of being exploited by their employers and often fall victim to wage theft. Despite efforts by the city and local immigrant rights organizations, wage theft remains high; according to a study by the Center For Popular Democracy, New Yorkers are cheated out of roughly $3 billion annually. https://medium.com/@amanda.rozon37/new-york-citys-wage-theft-crisis-9595917491ce

United States Pharmacopeia General Chapter <800>: Improving Safe Handling And Administration Of Hazardous Drugs, Courtney Clark

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: This quality improvement project is dedicated to increasing the safe handling and administration of United States Pharmacopeia (USP) General Chapter Hazardous Drugs (HDs) within the Medical/Surgical unit to minimize the risk of exposure to patients, healthcare personnel, and the environment.

Context: The quality improvement project was implemented in two Medical/Surgical units in Hospital A in the San Francisco Bay Area. The patient population of these units has the highest receipt of HDs outside of a traditional Hematology/Oncology unit.

Intervention: The proposed intervention is the use of active and passive observation to assess compliance with USP protocols within the two …

Simulated And Experimental Approaches To The Development Of Novel Test Phantoms For Radiofrequency Heating Of Implanted Medical Devices, Amgad M. Louka

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has cemented itself as the gold standard for imaging of soft tissues and is only increasing in popularity. Given the rising number of MRI scanners and medical device being implanted into patients, it is becoming increasingly likely that patients undergoing MRI will have an implanted medical device (IMD). The presence of an elongated metallic IMD inside a scanner could result in dangerous interactions with the radiofrequency fields during MRI, thus some of these IMDs preclude the patients from being scanned.

Orthopedic devices typically fall into this category due to their high potential for RF induced heating, …

Evaluating Impacts Of Shared E-Scooters From The Lens Of Sustainable Transportation, Nitesh Shah

Doctoral Dissertations

As the popularity of shared micromobility is increasing worldwide, city governments are struggling to regulate and manage these innovative travel technologies that have several benefits, including increasing accessibility, reducing emissions, and providing affordable travel options. This dissertation evaluates the impacts of shared micromobility from the perspective of sustainable transportation to provide recommendations to decision-makers, planners, and engineers for improving these emerging travel technologies.

The dissertation focuses on four core aspects of shared micromobility as follows: 1) Safety: I evaluated police crash reports of motor vehicle involving e-scooter and bicycle crashes using the most recent PBCAT crash typology to provide a …

Technological Integration To Enhance Jobsite Safety, Luke Barragan

Construction Management

The content derived in this paper portrays the effect that technology has on safety and how it may be enhanced and altered in the built environment. Ensuring safety on the jobsite is the most important aspect of concluding a successful project. Alongside safety on the jobsite is technology, both of which work coherently together to ensure proper construction. Technology has advanced tremendously in the built environment and it is difficult for all aspects of the project to be up to date universally. Safety lacks the technological integration that is found in the design and preconstruction phases of a project. There …

Use Of Harsh-Braking Data From Connected Vehicles As A Surrogate Safety Measure, Nathaniel Patrick Edelmann

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Traffic safety may be analyzed with the use of surrogate safety measures, measures of safety that do not incorporate collision data but rather rely on the concept of traffic conflicts. Use of these measures provides several benefits over use of more traditional analysis methods with historical crash data. Surrogate measures eliminate the need to wait for crashes to occur to conduct a safety analysis. The amount of time required for enough crash data to accumulate can be significant, delaying safety analyses. Similarly, these measures allow for safety analysis to be conducted prior to crashes occurring, potentially calling attention to hazardous …

Techniques Against Language Barriers: A Company Case Study, Bryan W. Cruz

Construction Management

The United States construction industry employed approximately 10.8 million people in 2020. Of these 10.8 million, an estimated 3.3 million, or 30%, were Hispanic workers. On construction job sites, workers are exposed to numerous safety risks, including falls, struck-by incidents, and electrocution. Unfortunately, some Hispanics or workers with limited English language skills encounter language barriers which cause additional safety concerns. Language barriers impact their communication and comprehension abilities and, consequently, their safety. For example, workers who do not speak English do not benefit from safety training conducted purely in English; they also cannot read operation manuals for machinery and equipment …

Healthcare Worker Burnout: An Impending Crisis Or An Opportunity For Organizational Posttraumatic Growth, Isabella Stofberg

Master's Projects and Capstones

Healthcare Worker Burnout (HCWB) has become a global and national phenomenon. Amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, and further exacerbated by the healthcare worker shortage, healthcare institutions and policy makers find themselves in a unique position to incorporate creative solutions to address this seemingly monumental issue. The World Health Organization classifies burnout as an occupational phenomenon due to its causes being rooted in the work environment, rather than the individual. Caused by chronic workplace stress, burnout is characterized by mental exhaustion, feeling depleted, having mental distance from the job at hand, feeling negative or cynical as well as experiencing decreased professional …

Development Of A Fall Prevention Bundle With Evidence-Based Tools For Hospitalized Adults, Kelly A. Tirone

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem

One million hospitalized people fall annually in the United States, and up to a third are preventable.

Context

Data from an acute care hospital show one medical-surgical unit reported eight patient falls in 2021, two causing major harm that reached sentinel event criteria.

Interventions

A Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) leveraged the unique CNL skill set and characteristics of Human-Centered Leadership to engage in horizontal leadership, injury prevention, and team coordination through authentic human connection. The team leveraged documentation for improved fall risk communication. Unavoidable disruptions hindered other planned interventions.

Measures

Outcome measures observe for total fall count and the …

Developing Novel Optimization And Machine Learning Frameworks To Improve And Assess The Safety Of Workplaces, Amin Aghalari

Theses and Dissertations

This study proposes several decision-making tools utilizing optimization and machine learning frameworks to assess and improve the safety of the workplaces. The first chapter of this study presents a novel mathematical model to optimally locate a set of detectors to minimize the expected number of casualties in a given threat area. The problem is formulated as a nonlinear binary integer programming model and then solved as a linearized branch-and-bound algorithm. Several sensitivity analyses illustrate the model's robustness and draw key managerial insights. One of the prevailing threats in the last decades, Active Shooting (AS) violence, poses a serious threat to …

Student Achievement And Teacher Perceptions Of School Climate In Title 1 And Non-Title 1 Schools, Jennifer E. Pangle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there is a significant relationship between student achievement and teacher perceptions of school climate. An additional purpose of this study was to determine if there is a significant difference in teacher perceptions between Title 1 and non-Title 1 schools. The final purpose of this study was to determine if there is a significant difference in teacher perceptions of school climate among the schools according to overall student achievement. A series of Spearman’s Correlation analyses were used to analyze data to determine if there was a significant relationship between TVAAS composite …

To Report Or Not To Report: Student Reporting Behaviors Of Violent Crimes In Schools, Heather Monaghan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

School-based violence is a criminal justice topic that often captures the attention of the media and the public. As a result, measures - such as school security strategies, safety personnel, and teacher training - are put into place to help combat school-based violence. These measures are not only costly and time consuming, but also have inconclusive research findings to support them. However, violence in schools can still be prevented. Research has found support for the role that student reporting has in preventing violence. However, many students may choose not to report violent crimes. Using a modified version of Sykes & …

How A Racial Minority Status Impacts The Feeling Of Safety In Therapy, Bayleigh Serage

Theses and Dissertations

With the lack of adequate mental health care in racial minority communities (NAMI, 2021), more research is needed for clinicians to understand the racial minority client experience. This study aimed to explore the racial minority client's perception of safety during therapy. The MFT- PRN was utilized in order to assess safety for racial minority clients at the start of therapy and later on as the alliance changes. The study hypothesized that racial minority clients would initially report a lower feeling of safety in therapy and would show lower feelings of safety after four sessions of therapy when compared to demographic …

Understanding Juvenile Correctional Officers' Perceptions About Safety And Care Of Youth In Their Facilities, Megan Patterson

Theses and Dissertations

There is an increasing need to understand the environment confined juveniles are exposed to in America. This study examines the conditions of confinement for juveniles in detention facilities, mainly focusing on the indices of control, care, quality of life, and programs for confined youths. The study further examines how these confinement conditions are associated with juvenile detention officers’ level of concern with the facility operation. Anonymous Likert scale surveys were administered to active juvenile detention officers. Results from this study provide better insight into understanding performance-based standards in juvenile detention facilities and specify what areas need to be improved for …

Image-Based Crack Detection By Extracting Depth Of The Crack Using Machine Learning, Nishat Tabassum

Theses and Dissertations

Concrete structures have been a major aspect of social infrastructure since the ancient Roman times, so they have been used for many centuries. Concrete is used for the durability and support it provides to buildings and bridges. Assessing the state of these structures is important in preserving the longevity of structures and the safety of the public. Detecting cracks in their early stage allows repairs to be made without the need to replace the whole structure, so it reduces the cost. Traditional methods are slowly falling behind as technology advances and an increase in demand for a practical method of …

Prefabrication And Modular Construction: Cm 214 Residential Construction Learning Module, Matthew V. Keeth

Construction Management

The residential construction industry in the United States has certainly stuck to the conventional methods of stick-built construction nationwide. What if there was a better way? This project seeks to educate future Construction Management students about a smarter, more efficient, and sustainable method of homebuilding: Modular Construction. Distinguishing the difference between prefabrication and modularization is a necessary standard. Prefabrication is defined as the process of manufacturing the essential structural components of a home at a factory off-site. The large scale structural components of a home are then transported to the jobsite for easy installation. In addition, Modular Construction is defined …

Impact Of Cell Phone Usage On Jobsite Productivity, Nathan C. Saedi

Construction Management

Technological advances in cell phones have led to a change in the way contractors are able to complete project management tasks. When utilized while upholding safety standards, smartphones possess the capabilities to successfully function as a supervision, reporting, and communication tool. This paper examines some of the daily time spent on cell phones and impacts safe cell phone usage can yield. This paper further presents an exploration into an effective usage of cell phone applications to support construction field activities and promote productivity on the jobsite. The primary objective of this research is to highlight cell phone applications that can …

Oceanside Angler’S Club David Pine Memorial Weight Board, Tanner Joseph Pine

Construction Management

The David Pine Memorial Weight Board was constructed for the Oceanside Angler’s Club. I was contacted by this organization, to create a weigh board in founding member David Pine’s memory. The club had a previous weight board that was destroyed due to the harsh conditions of the coast. The process of building this board incorporated many of the facets taught in the Cal Poly curriculum. I had to work with the owners in order to create a suitable design, materials had to be acquired using alternative methods, subcontractors were worked with to create components of the board, and a schedule …

Safely Covered Or Dangerously Exposed: Analyzing The Safety Vest Code Of Compliance, Sophie L. Stewart

Construction Management

As the construction industry transitions to reflect a more diverse population, it is essential that personal protective equipment (PPE) accommodates this shift in demographics. In particular, the “One size fits all” approach is no longer an appropriate metric of fit for the safety vest. Previous student research reflected an overwhelming consensus that construction workers do not have vests which appropriately fit them. In response, the Cal Poly Construction Management Department hosted the first ever Verifying Everyone's Safety Together (VEST) Hackathon. This two-day event fostered a space for industry members, students, and faculty to discuss and develop several prototypes which better …

Oceanside Angler's Club David Pine Memorial Weight Board, Tanner Joseph Pine

Construction Management

The David Pine Memorial Weight Board was constructed for the Oceanside Angler’s Club. I was contacted by this organization, to create a weigh board in founding member David Pine’s memory. The club had a previous weight board that was destroyed due to the harsh conditions of the coast. The process of building this board incorporated many of the facets taught in the Cal Poly curriculum. I had to work with the owners in order to create a suitable design, materials had to be acquired using alternative methods, subcontractors were worked with to create components of the board, and a schedule …

Effects Of Chronic Stress On Safety Processing And Physiology In The Medial Prefrontal-Amygdala-Basal Forebrain Circuit, Itamar S. Grunfeld

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Chronic stress increases generalization of fear to non-threatening cues, a key symptom in numerous psychiatric mood disorders. However, the mechanisms through which stress impacts safety learning remain poorly understood. To probe the relationship between stress and safety learning, this dissertation employed multiple behaviors, in conjunction with in-vivo multisite physiology during explicit safety and fear discrimination learning. In Chapter 1, I outline the role of chronic stress in driving neurological adaptations that result in generalized fear and highlight how this occurs because of impaired safety cue encoding. In Chapter 2, I show that chronic stress in the form of social defeat …

The Perceived Effect Of A Workplace Education Program On Reducing Needlestick Injuries Among Sophomore And Junior Year, Bachelor Of Science Nursing Students Attending Incarnate Word College, San Antonio, Texas, Barbara Glenn Covington

Dissertations

Needlestick injuries continue to occur at an alarming rate among nursing students and hospital personnel across the United States. The first exposure to these injuries occurs when the individuals are in school learning the needle-handling skills and procedures. Nursing students, faculty, and nursing personnel are the largest group of hospital employees who frequently handle instruments or supplies contaminated with blood and are the most at risk for exposure to bloodborne pathogens. Needlestick and sharps injuries present a higher risk for occupational exposure to HIV. The risk of hepatitis B virus infection is approximately 30% for unvaccinated healthcare workers and higher …

Gun Control Laws And Policies Reported Influence On The Attitudes Of Faculty At Mississippi Universities, David Besancon

Dissertations

The concealed carrying of firearms is a polarizing subject. In general, the political left would like to see more restrictive gun laws, whereas the political right would like to see less restrictive guns laws. Research of this also seems politically biased. While one researcher will use data that show violent crime increases with more restrictive gun laws, another researcher will use logic to dictate that less guns means less violence. University campuses are generally considered a liberal environment. However, Mississippi has been one of the two most conservative states since the 1930s. This research examines the attitudes of faculty at …

Design For Our Lives! Defensive Design Strategies For School Shootings, David Wolf

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Viewer Discretion is advised. This thesis serves to analyze tragedies that have been running rampant in America since roughly the 90s. Looking at them from an architectural standpoint and how design elements incorporated into the modern way schools are design can create a safer environment for the students and staff alike.

Trauma-Informed Teaching Practices Post-Covid: A Classroom Action Project, Jillian Weemaes

MA TESOL Collection

Out of recognition of experienced trauma, trauma-informed practices have existed in schools and classrooms long before the start of the pandemic and will continue to exist and evolve after. Programs need to evolve due to the changing nature of the pandemic such as the possibility of teachers experiencing trauma alongside their students, and distance learning complicating the ability of students to make connections with peers, teachers, and administrators. Limited literature currently exists in the field showcasing how teachers have changed and updated their practices since the start of the pandemic. The objective of this action research is to add to …

Safety Measures In The Epilepsy Monitoring Unit: An Organizational Assessment, Tina Yates

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Long-term video-electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring in the epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) is an elective procedure and generally safe. Clinical experts determined the EMU protocols at a level-4 comprehensive epilepsy center were not followed correctly. The project is a retrospective chart audit incorporating Ray’s Bureaucratic Caring theoretical framework with Donabedian’s conceptual model. The project objective is to evaluate if safety measures protocols are implemented appropriately in the EMU and determine whether a need exists for quality improvements.

The project reviewed patients admitted to the EMU from September 2021 through November 2021 who developed a generalized tonic clonic (GTCs) seizure with electrographic epileptiform …

Network-Wide Pedestrian And Bicycle Crash Analysis With Statistical And Machine Learning Models In Utah, Md Rafiur Rahman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Recent trends in crashes indicate a dramatic increase in both the number and share of pedestrian and bicyclist injuries and fatalities nationally and in many states. Crash frequency modeling was undertaken to identify crash prone characteristics of segments and non-signalized intersections and explore possible non-linear associations of explanatory variables with crashes. Crowdsourced “Strava” app data was used for bicycle volume, and pedestrian counts estimated from nearby signalized intersections were used as pedestrian volume. Multiple negative binomial models investigated crashes at different spatial scales to account for different levels of data availability and completeness. The models showed high traffic volume, steeper …

Ketamine Use In Refractory Depression, Mckenzie K. Kemmet

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

Despite pharmacological advancements, depression continues to be considered the third leading cause of disability in the world. Although depressive symptoms may decrease within a few weeks after beginning typical antidepressants, there are still about one-third of individuals that fail to respond and do not achieve recovery. The symptoms not resolved by antidepressant therapy ultimately leads to decreased quality of life, decreased productiveness of the individual, increased hospitalizations, higher health care costs, and increased rates of suicide. As a result, the clinical use of ketamine in refractory depression is increasing because of the antidepressant properties found in a multitude of studies. …

A Dangerous Pursuit Of Safety: The Value Of Freedom Of Expression And The Folly Of Trading It Away, Nina Katarina Štular '22

Honor Scholar Theses

Freedom of expression has always been weighed against other values. Like all freedoms, it brings with it a degree of risk that it will be misused to do ill. In the work ahead, I hope to offer a reminder of the value of free expression and a warning against the folly of over-restricting it. Those in favor of censoring and regulating expression too often feign to act as protectors of the much desired public or community safety. What censorship really produces, however, is at best a mere illusion of safety. Only an environment in which all ideas, no matter how …

Validation Of Relap5-3d For Transient Simulation Of Lead-Lithium Systems For Fusion Applications, Nicholas Akira Meehan

Masters Theses

With increasing development in fusion technology including the construction and subsequently planned experimental campaign of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), validation must be performed for simulation tools used in the design, development, and licensing of future commercial fusion systems. This thesis contains several validation studies for transient simulation of lead-lithium eutectic (PbLi) systems using the RELAP5-3D code. This validation analysis is performed initially using models of systems without the influence of a magnetic field to inspect heat transfer and pressure drop phenomena. The validation study then uses models of systems under the influence of a magnetic field to inspect …