Digital Commons Network^™

Staying Current In Your Field Of Interest: Tips For Aspiring Students As Researchers, Dor D. Abelman

Health Studies Publications

Undergraduate students are becoming increasingly involved in research. They already posses the skills required to make meaningful contributions to their field of interest. Some important components of their success relates to a student's ability to stay up to date in the research of their field, and to learn practical skills pertaining to the publishing process. This article hopes to help with this through presenting easy-to-follow summary tables and short paragraphs on tips for success. Topics include staying up to date in a practical way, getting involved, reaching out for help, and publication. For students, by students, this report is relatable …

Freeze Tolerance Of Cyphoderris Monstrosa (Orthoptera: Prophalangopsidae), Jantina Toxopeus, Jacqueline Lebenzon, Alexander H. Mckinnon, Brent J. Sinclair

Biology Publications

The great grig, Cyphoderris monstrosa Uhler (Orthoptera: Prophalangopsidae), is a large (20-30 mm, >1 g), nocturnal ensiferan that in habits montane coniferous forests in northwestern North America. C. monstrosa overwinters as a late-instar nymph, but its cold tolerance strategy has not previously been reported. We collected nymphs from near Kamloops, British Columbia, in late spring to determine their cold tolerance strategy. C. monstrosa nymphs were active at low temperatures until they froze at -4.6 ± 0.3 °C. The nymphs survived internal ice formation (i.e. are freeze tolerant), had a lethal temperature between -9 and -12 °C, and could survive for …

Five-Year Publication Rate Of Clinical Presentations At The Open And Closed American Shoulder And Elbow Surgeons Annual Meeting From 2005–2010, J. Kay, M. Memon, D. De Sa, A. Duong, N. Simunovic, G. S. Athwal, O. R. Ayeni

Bone and Joint Institute

© 2016, The Author(s). Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the five-year publication rate of papers presented at both the open and closed American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons’ (ASES) annual meetings from 2005 to 2010. Methods: Online abstracts of the presentations at the open and closed ASES annual meetings were independently screened for clinical studies and graded for quality using level of evidence. The databases PubMed (MEDLINE), Ovid (MEDLINE), and EMBASE were comprehensively searched for full-text publications corresponding to these presentations and any paper published within five years of the presentation date was counted. Results: Overall, 131/266 …

Quantitative Computed Tomography (Qct) Derived Bone Mineral Density (Bmd) In Finite Element Studies: A Review Of The Literature, Nikolas K. Knowles, Jacob M. Reeves, Louis M. Ferreira

Bone and Joint Institute

© 2016, The Author(s). Background: Finite element modeling of human bone provides a powerful tool to evaluate a wide variety of outcomes in a highly repeatable and parametric manner. These models are most often derived from computed tomography data, with mechanical properties related to bone mineral density (BMD) from the x-ray energy attenuation provided from this data. To increase accuracy, many researchers report the use of quantitative computed tomography (QCT), in which a calibration phantom is used during image acquisition to improve the estimation of BMD. Since model accuracy is dependent on the methods used in the calculation of BMD …

Folic Acid Supplementation And Chronic Kidney Disease Progression, Christina M. Wyatt, J. David Spence

Department of Medicine Publications

In contrast to prior studies demonstrating no benefit or even increased harm from B vitamin supplementation in patients with chronic kidney disease, a large randomized trial from China recently demonstrated small but statistically significant reductions in the risk of first stroke and chronic kidney disease progression with the addition of folic acid to enalapril in adults with hypertension. Differences in the study population and study intervention may explain these discordant results.

Western University (No. 10 Canadian Stationary Hospital And No. 14 Canadian General Hospital): A Study Of Medical Volunteerism In The First World War, Alexandra C Lstl, Vivian C. Mcalister

Office of Military Academic Medicine

The Canadian government depended on chaotic civilian volunteerism to staff a huge medical commitment during the First World War. Offers from Canadian universities to raise, staff and equip hospitals for deployment, initially rejected, were incrementally accepted as casualties mounted. When its offer was accepted in 1916, Western University Hospital quickly adopted military decorum and equipped itself using Canadian Red Cross Commission guidelines. Staff of the No. 10 Canadian Stationary Hospital and the No. 14 Canadian General Hospital retained excellent morale throughout the war despite heavy medical demand, poor conditions, aerial bombardment and external medical politics. The overwhelming majority of volunteers …

Does A Long-Term Orientation Create Value? Evidence From A Regression Discontinuity, Caroline Flammer, Pratima Bansal

Business Publications

In this paper, we theorize and empirically investigate how a long-term orientation impacts firm value. To study this relationship, we exploit exogenous changes in executives’ long-term incentives. Specifically, we examine shareholder proposals on long-term executive compensation that pass or fail by a small margin of votes. The passage of such “close call” proposals is akin to a random assignment of long-term incentives and hence provides a clean causal estimate. We find that the adoption of such proposals leads to i) an increase in firm value and operating performance―suggesting that a long-term orientation is beneficial to companies―and ii) an increase in …

Stem Stories, December 2016, #1, Mir Ashfaquzzaman

STEM Stories

Student Profile - Haley Osborn

A Validated Software Application To Measure Fiber Organization In Soft Tissue, Erica E. Morrill, Azamat N. Tulepbergenov, Christina J. Stender, Roshani Lamichhane, Raquel J. Brown, Trevor J. Lujan

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The mechanical behavior of soft connective tissue is governed by a dense network of fibrillar proteins in the extracellular matrix. Characterization of this fibrous network requires the accurate extraction of descriptive structural parameters from imaging data, including fiber dispersion and mean fiber orientation. Common methods to quantify fiber parameters include fast Fourier transforms (FFT) and structure tensors, however, information is limited on the accuracy of these methods. In this study, we compared these two methods using test images of fiber networks with varying topology. The FFT method with a band-pass filter was the most accurate, with an error of 0.71 …

Influence Of Proportional Number Relationships On Item Accessibility And Students’ Strategies, Michele B. Carney, Everett Smith, Gwyneth R. Hughes, Jonathan L. Brendefur, Angela Crawford

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Extensive evidence points to the need for mathematics instruction to tap into students’ informal understandings in order to conceptually develop formal mathematical ideas (Ahl, Moore, & Dixon, 1992; Freudenthal, 1973, 1991; Treffers, 1987). Contextual problems are a common means of helping students access their informal mathematical ideas (Lamon, 1993; Moore & Carlson, 2012). However, to successfully use context in this manner, we must ensure these problems are accessible to students and have the potential to promote connections to deeper or more formal mathematics (Jackson, Garrison, Wilson, Gibbons, & Shahan, 2013; Stein, Smith, Henningsen, & Silver, 2000). There is thus a …

Scholarworks Statistics - December 2016, Scholarworks

ScholarWorks Reports

For the month of December 2016, ScholarWorks recorded a total of 22,082 full-text and additional file downloads and 8,009 page views.

Deaf Catholic Newsletter, Advent-Christmas 2016

Deaf Catholic Newsletter

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Philapelphia, PA

Deaf Catholic Newsletter Finding Aid

Lower Prairie Creek Project Recreation Tourist Facilities, Susie Van Kirk

Susie Van Kirk Papers

General references regarding tourist facilities in Humboldt County from the 1930s up until 1990. This report is divided into multiple sections, focusing on the Moseley Property, the Berry Glen area, the Valley Green area, and the Tennessee Auto Court. These sections discuss who lived there, who owned the property, any construction that happened, and what kind of lives and relationships the residents had.

What May Be A Dream?, Alyssa Ahlert

The Prairie Light Review

No abstract provided.

Intimate, Sarah Patterson

The Prairie Light Review

No abstract provided.

Cool Off, Wes Solether

The Prairie Light Review

No abstract provided.

Educational Leadership Newsletter December 2016, Educational Leadership Department, University Of Southern Maine

Educational Leadership Newsletters

Inside this issue:

• From the Chair
• 50th Anniversary of Educational Leadership Program
• Southern Maine Partnership Update
• Thinking About Internship?
• Spring 2017 Schedule

Ready, Set, Fire, Jamie Mccreedy

The Prairie Light Review

No abstract provided.

Housework, Natalia Toreeva

The Prairie Light Review

No abstract provided.

Graduate Internship In Agricultural Education-John H Pitman High School, Turlock, Luke F. Gocke

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship report includes validation documents required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The documents are concurrently used for the Agriculture Incentive Grant review process at John H. Pitman High School conducted by representatives of the California Department of Education. The internship included a project which consisted of researching and implementing safety inside a high school mechanics and welding classroom. Vocational Education enhances the learning experience for students and ensuring a safe environment promotes the learning process.

In The Postoperative Cardiothoracic Surgical Patient Being Mechanically Ventilated, Is There A Difference In Outcomes When Comparing Sedation With Dexmedetomidine Versus Propofol?, Benjamin Heinrich Riebesel

Doctoral Projects

Patients undergoing a cardiothoracic operation typically require mechanical ventilation in the postoperative phase. Each year approximately 395,000 of these operations are performed in the United States alone. As many as 10% of these patients require reoperation within the first few hours of recovery due to complications (Barash & Cullen, 2013). This comprehensive review of the literature was performed to determine whether postoperative sedation with dexmedetomidine leads to better patient outcomes than sedation with propofol. Inclusion criteria included publications written in the English language, articles available in full text, articles written within the last 10 years, and publications with a focus …

Parturient Safety: Proper Positioning Education Prior To Neuraxial Anesthesia, Christina Joy Young

Doctoral Projects

In the United States, 61% of parturient patients elect neuraxial anesthesia for labor pain (Koyyalamudi et al., 2016). The incidence of postdural puncture headache is estimated up to 81% following accidental dural puncture-especially in pregnant women receiving elective epidurals (Ragab & Facharzt, 2014). Although the combined rates of complications for spinal and epidural anesthesia are low (2.78%) (American Society Anesthesiologists, 2014), patient safety is extremely important and should be addressed by the overall healthcare system. The purpose of this project assessed a willingness to change which focused on the CRNAs incorporation of proper positioning education prior to neuraxial anesthesia into …

The Effects Of Tranexamic Acid On Mortality Rate In Trauma Patients Compared To Trauma Patients With No Tranexamic Acid Treatment, Bradley Earl Tolar

Doctoral Projects

Traumatic injury is the leading cause of death for many age groups. Traumatic accidents caused over 130,000 deaths in the United States in 2014. This DNP project studied the effects of Tranexamic acid on mortality rate in trauma patients. After the completion of a needs assessment at a local level II trauma center, a literature review was performed. The literature showed a decrease in mortality rate when patients were administered Tranexamic acid within 3 hours of injury with statistically significant statistics. Also, the data from the literature showed no correlation between vascular occlusive events and Tranexamic acid use in trauma …

Electronic Communication Among Anesthesia Providers, Joseph K. Wells

Doctoral Projects

Facilities in the United States are utilizing electronic communication devices (ECDs) for their nursing staff on intensive care units, general medical-surgical floors, and chemotherapy floors, but it is underutilized in the operating room where seconds truly matter (Wu et al., 2012). Situations arise daily within operating rooms that require quick and decisive communication to avoid poor patient outcomes. The ultimate goal is to prevent poor patient outcomes by enhancing communication among anesthesia providers.

This doctoral project evaluated an anesthesia group in southeast Mississippi regarding their satisfaction with current devices used for communication. This anesthesia group utilized smart phones and public …

Adoption Of Perioperative Lidocaine Infusion For The Reduction Of Postoperative Pain, Brandon Scott Figueiredo

Doctoral Projects

Laparoscopic capability provides numerous benefits to patients requiring abdominal surgical procedures. However, the use of these techniques has presented the anesthesia provider with a unique set of challenges in terms of perioperative management and postoperative pain reduction. No standardized method has existed to reduce postoperative pain and improve recovery following these procedures. There were three primary goals of this project. The first goal was to conduct a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to determine the benefit of the use of intravenous lidocaine infusions to reduce postoperative pain in laparoscopic abdominal surgery. Twelve articles were included in the meta-analysis that pertained …

The Use Of Simulation To Decrease Stress In First Year Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Jared Scott Seymour

Doctoral Projects

Each year, critical care nurses across the nation make the decision to become anesthesia providers. In order to become a certified anesthesia provider, nurses must meet the high standards required to be considered for entrance into anesthesia school. Once accepted, these students, known as Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists (SRNAs), must successfully complete a rigorous curriculum consisting of both didactic and clinical training. Due in part to the high degree of difficulty of anesthesia programs, SRNAs are at risk for experiencing high levels of stress. Chipas and McKenna (2011) shows SRNAs experience a self-reported average daily stress level of 7.2 on …

Is Current Evidence That Avoidance Of Inhalation Agents And Opioids May Decrease Metastasis Strong Enough For Crnas To Show A Willingness To Change Practice?, Michael Wesley Tillman

Doctoral Projects

Metastasis following the surgical resection of primary site breast cancer is a medical issue, which plagues mastectomy patients. The intention of this project was to synthesize current literature in order to make a presentation and disseminate it to Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) in southern Mississippi and assess the providers' willingness to change practice. CRNAs took part in a Qualtrics survey after viewing a PowerPoint presentation of evidence regarding anesthesia and metastasis. The presentation illustrated the anesthetic techniques and pharmacological agents utilized, which either mitigate or potentiate a patient's risk for metastasis. The survey assessed for a willingness to change …

Fentanyl Administration On Emergence From Surgery And Post Anesthesia Care Unit Discharge Times And Pain Scores, Andrew Ernst Wetzel

Doctoral Projects

Problem: Pain has been historically mismanaged potentially leading to a host of negative physiological consequences. Today’s dynamic health care reform offers an opportunity to increase satisfaction with care. Utilizing the PICO question, in adults undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy over a 12 month period, does medication with fentanyl during emergence versus not medicating during emergence reduce the need for pain medications and discharge times? Evidence/Background: Two national studies surveyed patient perception of pain management following surgery. The first, conducted by Apfelbaum et.al (2003) showed that 80% of patients experienced acute pain after surgery with 86% rating that pain as moderate …

A Comparison Of The Features And Functions Available In Electronic Health Records, Kathryn Marie Tetreault

Doctoral Projects

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) (2007) estimates that medical errors transpire at a rate of 1.5 million per year. The IOM (2000), approximates 7,000 deaths per year are related to preventable medication errors, which are the leading cause of medical errors. Adverse drug events (ADE) occur due to medication errors, which are 100% preventable. Annually, approximately $21 billion dollars are spent to care for patients’ who experience ADE due to medication errors (IOM, 2007).

This doctoral project evaluates the current features and available functions for pediatric medication administration within the electronic health record (EHR). This comparison explored the EHR functionalities …

Use Of A Handoff Communication Tool Between Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Anesthesiologists, And Post Anesthesia Care Unit Nurses, Rachel Louise Johnson

Doctoral Projects

Ineffective communication in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) is considered to have incidences of increased error, mortality, morbidity, which leads to decrease patient outcomes and quality of care. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to introduce a structured, standardized, and consistent handoff tool to Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA), Anesthesiologists, and Post Anesthesia Care Unit Nurses (PACU) that may result in favorable perception of usage. Without a structured handoff tool, the organization risks the occurrence of increasing errors when the message is not transmitted effectively and efficiently every time. Distractions leave the handoff susceptible to a breakdown during the …