Digital Commons Network^™

Is American Retail At A Historic Tipping Point?, Violetta Torres-Baron

Capstones

There’s a transformation happening in the American economy as consumers increasingly buy things online and e-commerce approaches 10% of all US retail sales with Amazon leading the way. Now, nearly everyone knows that Amazon is one of the hottest stocks on Wall Street right now given its impressive gains year after year. With its technological sophistication and ability to know it’s customers in ways never seen before, many retailers fear the “death by Amazon” as the company moves into different sectors and diversifies its product offerings – but is this is a bonafide fear for the retail sector? The big-box …

Sleep Paralysis: Dreams, Demons And Rem-Atonia, Joshua G. Christensen

Capstones

Have you ever woken up from a dream only to find you can’t move? You’re paralyzed and, sometimes, you are even having vivid hallucinations. It’s terrifying, but harmless and very common. Regardless of it being so innocuous, Sleep Paralysis has inspired fear for centuries and many still believe it to be a supernatural phenomenon. This is, most likely, because most people who get Sleep Paralysis, don’t really know what it is. People just like me.

https://medium.com/@joshua.christensen/sleep-paralysis-dreams-demons-and-rem-atonia-27f46c2748cf

Nimby: Not In My Backyard, Ariama Long

Capstones

Ariama Long talks to residents in Flatbush, Brooklyn who are clashing with developers over a hotel that houses homeless people. A hotel development has seemingly split the neighborhood. It’s community versus developer and neighbor versus neighbor.

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs Pick Up The Pieces After Defunding Scare, Camille Danielle Smith

Capstones

The Trump administration attempted to cut $200 million dollars from the Obama administration’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs. About 81 TPP programs across the U.S. would have had their funding end in June of 2018 instead of the original end date of June 2020. Many organizations sued the Department of Health and Human Services and the courts ruled the cuts illegal and ensured the funding until 2020. But now many programs across the U.S. are trying to cope with life after the defunding scare.

Link to capstone project: https://medium.com/@camille.smith/teen-pregnancy-prevention-programs-picking-up-the-pieces-after-de-funding-scare-6dd2f7ab00bf

¿Quien Llora A Las Mujeres Invisibles? / Who Mourns The Invisible Women?, Sindy A. Nanclares, Sofía Cerda Campero

Capstones

The average age of death for a transgender woman is 35 years old. Transgender women of color make up 82 percent of the victims of hate crimes and violent deaths in the United States.

This project explores the way in which transgender women have turned their pain and fear into a movement they hope will save their lives. The investigative story and short documentary offer a glimpse to Liaam Winslet, a 30-year-old activist from Ecuador who lives in New York. She examines the cultural disenfranchisement that propels violence against trans women in Latin America. Liaam walks the audience through struggles …

Urbanely Chained: Issues Within A City, Esther Shittu

Capstones

Each city in the United States bears its own burdens. In New York, one glaring burden is transportation, the second is the criminal justice system that seems to be packaged into one main facility: Rikers Island. The video and animation below explore these two issues. In Urbanely Chained: 219 West, the problems are examined within the scope of a television news magazine show. In Urbanely Chained: Gladiator Island History, the deep-rooted history of Rikers is explored.

Every month, students in the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism produce a news magazine show that highlights different human interest stories. As a …

The New World Of Pet Prosthetics, Anna Brooks

Capstones

When an abandoned dog was found in Brooklyn with his paw gnawed off, the animal shelter had two options: amputate the leg, or put the dog down. But neither seemed like a solution. So they decided to do something different, and fit the dog for a prosthetic leg. Prosthetics for people have been around for millennia, and now these devices are moving into the animal kingdom. This story explores the new world of animal prosthetics, and how these devices have changed the lives of animals like Mr. Stubbs — the first alligator with a prosthetic tail — and saved the …

Transgressed Bodies, Estephani Cano Martinez

Capstones

In 2005, desperate to feminize her figure, Paola Gil, a 43-year-old trans woman from Guatemala, decided to get silicone injections in her hips for $1,000. Two hours after the illegal procedure, she started vomiting and defecating blood. She ended up in a coma in the hospital for a month.

The medical record shows that Paola received a silicone injection mixed with mineral and castor oil. She still suffers serious consequences, including difficulty walking, kidney and liver failure, and depression, after seeing her body disfigured.

Because of discrimination, lack of economic resources, and misinformation, many trans women like Paola see liquid …

Politically-Connected Nonprofit Makes Millions Putting Homeless Families In Unsafe Homes, Benjamin Foldy

Capstones

A document-driven investigation into the city’s largest recipient of homelessness funds uncovered the group’s dense political connections, questionable practices regarding subcontracting to for-profit affiliated entities and systematically subpar housing provided to homeless families. https://medium.com/@ben.foldy/politically-connected-nonprofit-makes-millions-putting-homeless-families-in-unsafe-homes-309314c2eed2

Kinder Carnage, Talib Visram

Capstones

In the wake of school shootings, including Parkland, states and school districts have scrambled to protect against threats. But faced with no federal focus on gun control and little funding, schools have to make tough safety choices. Some have adopted novelty security gadgets; others have discussed arming teachers and even giving children tools to defend themselves. To some, this is the ideal solution; the answer to violence is more violence. And so, some schools are starting to resemble military camps. With reporting from a security conference in Florida, and a military camp for kids in Kentucky, this story takes a …

Soundboard Scholar No. 4: Cover

Soundboard Scholar

It was in about 1828–29 that Parisian guitarist and publisher Charles de Marescot brought before the public a short collection of his easier solo guitar pieces entitled La Guitaromanie. It was enhanced with six unpaginated satirical lithographs, of which the most memorable one (“Discussion entre les Carulistes et les Molinistes”) appears on this issue’s cover. Readers are welcome to review the publication details, found in the accompanying article by Damián Martín. See his text between footnotes 16 and 17. A complete digital copy of the Guitaromanie collection, represented as being in the public domain, was posted during the preparation …

1897 - Decisions Of The Department Of Interior And General Land Office From July 1, 1896 To June 30, 1897

US Government Legislation and Statutes

A compilation of the decisions of the Department of Interior and General Land Office concerning the administration of the United States public land laws.

1899 - Decisions Of Department Of Interior And General Land Office From January 1899 To June 30, 1899

US Government Legislation and Statutes

A compilation of the decisions of the Department of Interior and General Land Office concerning the administration of the United States public land laws.

Combining Patient-Centered-Care And Technology To Reduce Falls In A Medical/Telemetry Unit, Megan Mira

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

PROBLEM: From October 2017 through June 2018 there were 25 patient falls recorded on the 5^th floor medical surgical telemetry unit. Top factors contributing to this high fall rate include: poor patient-centered-care planning, and inadequate set-up for use of technology.

CONTEXT: According to the Joint Commission, 2015, each fall with injury costs $14,000. This estimate doesn’t include the potential indirect costs that account for the long-term effects of injuries such as disability, dependence on others, lost time from work, household duties, and reduced quality of life.

INTERVENTIONS: Staff education was introduced and focused on using a new mindfulness …

Renouncing The Universal Museum’S Imperial Past: A Call To Return The Rosetta Stone Through Collaborative Museology, Anna Volante

Master's Projects and Capstones

In colonial times, Western empires used orientalism to justify and perpetuate colonialism and imperialism over countries that they believed inferior to their own. These imperial powers plundered cultural heritage artifacts from the nations they oppressed and took these objects back to their national museums to be displayed as trophies of subjugation. The ownership of cultural heritage remains a point of contention throughout the field of museum studies. Despite cries for repatriation, these artifacts continue to be housed in universal museums today. One of the most well-known cases is that of the Rosetta Stone, stripped from the city of Rashid, Egypt …

Banks - First National Bank

Bulloch County Papers

This is the digital file for the Statesboro-Bulloch County Public Library's Banks - First National Bank folder. Many of the items are from the Statesboro Herald Newspaper or its predecessors.

The Effect Of Wall Cooling And Heating On Görtler Vortices In High-Speed Boundary Layers, Safae El Amrani

Theses and Dissertations

The development of the so-called Görtler vortices in boundary layer flows over a concave surface leads to strong velocity gradients in both wall-normal and spanwise directions. This determines the flow structures to become more prone to secondary instabilities, which prompt to an early transition from laminar to turbulent flow, ultimately increasing the frictional drag. It is possible to circumvent these secondary instabilities by means of passive or active flow control strategies, with sensors and actuators implemented at the wall. In this thesis, the effect of wall cooling and heating on Görtler vortices developing in supersonic and hypersonic boundary layers is …

Accessing Mental Health Services As An Undocumented Individual: Policy Recommendations For The State Of California, Lorena Mosqueda

Master's Projects and Capstones

Undocumented individuals are subject to stressors that may exacerbate existing mental health problems or proliferate new mental health illnesses. Due to unjust historical and current institutional and systemic policies the undocumented population accesses mental health services at a rate far below the general population. As a result, this vulnerable community is left with untreated mental health conditions and is further entrenched in a cycle of inequity. In an effort to address this alarming reality we based a review of relevant literature to identify recommendations to increase access to mental health services among the United States undocumented population. Additionally, a simulation …

An Innovative Discharge Intervention: A Quality Improvement Project, Yvonne Swain

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Problem: This project aims to decrease the discharge time of a patient from the hospital once the discharge order has been written. Current discharge times are averaging over 3 hours, leading to a breakdown in the patient throughput process. A patient survey was conducted to determine the reason for prolonged discharge times. The survey revealed that patients are not aware of their day of discharge, which may lead them to being discharged without transportation home. Many studies conclude that there are improvement opportunities around discharge planning and communication.

Context: This quality improvement initiative takes place in a 26-bed, medical-surgical/telemetry …

Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection Reduction: A Quality Improvement Project, Wallace Kramm

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Problem: Hospital-acquired infections are preventable harm that occurs to patients while in the hospital. Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is a preventable hospital-acquired infection that continues to plague hospitals nationwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are more than 13,000 CAUTI related deaths in the United States annually (Scanlon, 2017). In addition to the harm caused to patients by CAUTIs, the estimated $500 million yearly cost for CAUTI treatment has created a fiscal burden on healthcare systems (Scanlon, 2017). Decreasing the rate of CAUTI by decreasing overall number of catheters is the goal of this …

"Improving Nursing Communication Outcomes Through The Tell-Us Card", Jillian Cule, Jeffrey Salao, Nina Park, Laura Le, Brittney Pilker, Maricarmen Reyes

Master's Projects and Capstones

Nursing communication plays a pivotal role in patient-centered care. However, statistics have shown that failures in communication exist in more than 20% of all hospital settings (Sethi & Rani, 2017). Within the explored microsystem, a gap in patient communication was identified through the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) surveys. Reports revealed that the microsystem was performing at 69%, which is 11% below the national average for nursing communication (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services [CMS], 2018). After performing a microsystem assessment, there was a measurable communication opportunity between the patients and nurses. It was determined that …

Genetics Of Sexually Dimorphic Development Of Butterfly Wing Patterns, Luis Fernando Rodriguez Caro

Theses and Dissertations

Butterfly wing color patterns result from the arrangement of monochromatic scales containing chemical pigments and a delicate architecture that can cause interference or diffraction of light, generating iridescent colors. The latter mechanism is known as structural coloration and, despite its ecological importance, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of this trait. The Southern Dogface butterfly, Zerene cesonia, exhibits sexually dimorphic development of ultraviolet wing reflectance. Males possess a UV-reflective patch on the forewing that results from nano-structures on the wing scales, which are absent in females. This dimorphism offers an excellent opportunity to explore the genetic …

Complex Network Analysis For Early Detection Of Failure Mechanisms In Resilient Bio-Structures, Reena R. Patel

Theses and Dissertations

Bio-structures owe their remarkable mechanical properties to their hierarchical geometrical arrangement as well as heterogeneous material properties. This dissertation presents an integrated, interdisciplinary approach that employs computational mechanics combined with flow network analysis to gain fundamental insights into the failure mechanisms of high performance, light-weight, structured composites by examining the stress flow patterns formed in the nascent stages of loading for the rostrum of the paddlefish. The data required for the flow network analysis was generated from the finite element analysis of the rostrum. The flow network was weighted based on the parameter of interest, which is stress in the …

Revision Of The Subgenus Prionus (Neopolyarthron) Semenov (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Prioninae) In North America, With Notes On Prionus (Antennalia) Casey, Terence L. Schiefer

Theses and Dissertations

The classification of North American species of Prionus (Prionus) Geoffroy is reevaluated, with three subgenera recognized: P. (Antennalia) Casey, revived status, P. (Neopolyarthron) Semenov, revived status, and P. (Prionus). Prionus (Neopolyarthron) is revised and consists of P. imbricornis (Linnaeus), P. debilis Casey, revived status, and P. cuneatus Casey, revived status, with the latter two species removed from synonymy with P. imbricornis. Prionus robustus Casey, new synonymy, and P. fissicornis parviceps Casey, revised synonymy, are transferred from synonymy with P. imbricornis to synonymy with P. cuneatus and P. fissicornis respectively. Keys to North American subgenera of Prionus and to species of …

Quantifying Pre-Industrial To Mid-Late 20th Century Anthropogenic Lead, Mercury And Cadmium Pollution In Caribbean Marine Environments Using Skeletonized Sea Turtle Remains, Felicia L. Pena

Theses and Dissertations

Various lines of evidence indicate that levels of anthropogenic pollutants, such as lead, mercury and cadmium, have increased in terrestrial and atmospheric environments since the early 19th century and the advent of industrialization. While the exposure to these three trace elements is a global concern, this study focused primarily on marine environments located throughout the Caribbean. Using ICP-MS, this study aimed to detect and quantify anthropogenic pollutants, specifically lead (Pb), mercury (Hg) and cadmium (Cd), using skeletonized remains of sea turtles as biological proxies for environmental quality. Archaeologically derived (n=5) and mid-late 20th century (n=6) Hawksbill and Green turtles were …

Understanding Cognitive Dissonance And Information Sources In Home Furniture Purchases, Toni-Rochelle S. Ford

Theses and Dissertations

The present research seeks to increase understanding of cognitive dissonance by exploring the various information sources that may influence the negative feelings that may arise during post-purchase evaluation. Specifically, the author focuses on the impact of consumer opinion seeking, traditional media search, internet search and social media search on cognitive dissonance by employing two studies. In Study 1, depth interviews are collected and analyzed in an effort to gain more insight into the search process and consumers perceptions of the helpfulness and credibility of different information sources. Categories of information sources, categories of which sources were deemed most helpful or …

Tailoring Math Curricula For Community Colleges: A Process Approach, Ira Lindsay Mcfarland Kinard

Theses and Dissertations

Community college instructors continue to search for effective instructional methods that promote student success in developmental mathematics courses such as intermediate algebra. According to research, mathematics is a major obstacle for students succeeding, persisting, and completing community college programs. Each student enrolled in intermediate algebra has an ACT sub-score of 16 to 18 or an ACCUPLACER sub-score of 57 to 75. Most community colleges in Mississippi use placement testing to determine the strengths and needs of students. However, students approach math with high anxiety, more than any other areas, which interferes with their learning. Research indicates that to improve students’ …

What Role Is Neuroscience Playing In New State Raise-The-Age Laws?, Dane N. Stallone

Capstones

Several states have cited neuroscientific evidence to help justify new raise-the-age laws that raise the age at which offenders can be tried as adults. Neuroscience shows that adolescent brains continue to mature well into their 20s. How much influence neuroscience should have in determining legal policy, however, remains contested among experts.

https://theartofscienceme.wordpress.com/2019/01/05/what-role-is-neuroscience-playing-in-new-state-raise-the-age-laws/

Visiting The "Golden God": Roundtrip From Chinatown To The Blackjack Tables, Katherine Fung

Capstones

Thousands of Chinese immigrants travel by bus to casinos in the Northeast every day. The casinos court and cater to them because they are regulars if not high-rollers -- like Mr. Ng, a retiree, who has traveled six hours daily to and from the Mohegan Sun for the last 13 years.

Guardians Of Virtue, Tamsen Maloy, Tasia Jensen

Capstones

Guardians of Virtue is a short documentary following Tamsen Maloy as she explores how the church of her upbringing--the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon church)--handles sexual assault. It is quickly revealed that the church does not have adequate resources for sexual assault survivors. On the contrary, the culture and system of the church enables assault and encourages survivors to feel they are to blame.

Link to capstone: https://tantproductions.wordpress.com/