Digital Commons Network^™

High School Athletic Administration’S Policies And Rights To Sanction Student-Athlete’S Social Media Use, Eric S. Peterson

Leadership Education Capstones

This qualitative survey investigated how much authority high school athletic directors have when monitoring student-athletes’ social media accounts while also determining whether athletic directors believe it is necessary to implement social media policies for student-athletes. An in-depth literature review supports evidence of the legality of athletic code of conducts based on previous court cases and a theoretical framework. Twenty-five athletic directors from the state of North Dakota participated in the study via an online survey. The study obtained basic demographics and determined how the administrators have implemented current social media policies, along with understand their views on policies for student-athletes’ …

A Pilot Study On The Retention And Turnover Of Ncaa Division Ii Sports Information Directors, David Albrecht

Leadership Education Capstones

This study reports on sports information directors (SID) at the collegiate level limited to NCAA Division II athletic programs. An online survey was used for all participants, and select respondents completed follow-up interviews. Surveys were intended to determine the impact of work-life balance and overall workload of the SID role. Survey questions sought to find perceptions of SIDs by athletic administrators, including the athletic director (AD), and if their role provided opportunities for career advancement within collegiate athletic administration. The results of the study showed that institution/department culture, family, and professional growth factored heavily on retention. Adversely, turnover was linked …

A Patient-Centered Asthma Management Communication Intervention For Rural Latino Children: Protocol For A Waiting-List Randomized Controlled Trial, Robin Dawson Phd, Rn, Cpnp-Pc, Sue P. Heiney Ph.D., Rn, Faan, Deanne Hilfinger Messias, Dennis Ownby

Publications

Background: Rural Latino children with asthma suffer high rates of uncontrolled asthma symptoms, emergency department visits, and repeat hospitalizations. This vulnerable population must negotiate micro- and macrolevel challenges that impact asthma management, including language barriers, primary care access, parental time off from work, insurance coverage, distance from specialty sites, and documentation status. There are few proven interventions that address asthma management embedded within this unique context. Objective: Using a bio-ecological approach, we will determine the feasibility of a patient-centered collaborative program between rural Latino children with asthma and their families, school-based nursing programs, and primary care providers, facilitated by the …

Meridians Twentieth Anniversary Reader, Ginetta Candelario

Sociology: Faculty Books

This critical anthology consists of thirty of Meridians's most frequently cited, downloaded, and anthologized scholarly essays, activists reports, memoirs, and poems since its first issue was published in fall 2000. The forty authors featured are a virtual who's who of internationally renowned feminist women-of-color scholar-activists (such as Sara Ahmed, Angela Davis, Sonia Alvarez, Paula Giddings, and Sunera Thobani) and award-winning poets (such as Nikky Finney, Laurie Ann Guerrero, and Suheir Hammad). Ranging broadly across geographies (North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East), diasporas (Black, Asian, Indigenous), and disciplines, the collection beautifully exemplifies the best practices of …

Toward A Valid And Reliable Measure Of Play: The Dimensions Of Play Framework, Aubrey Henriksen

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

While it is established that play is important for development, researchers do not have a measure that examines both play type and complexity. Existing measures are limited to examining play type without complexity, complexity of a specific play type, or ethnographic measures. Based on a combination of scales in the literature, I developed the Dimensions of Play Framework as a tool for observational quantitative measurement of play in children's museums. The purpose of this initial study was to investigate interrater reliability using a time-sampling method. Video tapes of 140 children interacting with either a simple or elaborate version of a …

Implementation Of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (Eras) Protocol After Cystectomy: A Quality Improvement Project To Evaluate Bowel Function With Implementation Of Eras Protocol, Weruche Agube

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Abstract

The purpose of this Quality Improvement project was to develop and implement an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol for cystectomy patients at a regional hospital in central Illinois. Specific goals included reducing patient’s length of hospital stay, reducing occurrence of postoperative ileus after surgery as well as educating the nurses involved in patient care about effective implementation the protocol. An educational presentation and knowledge assessment via testing was developed and subsequently presented to the nurses both inpatient and outpatient at the host facility. A specific protocol was crafted after discussion with stakeholders and the ERAS protocol was finalized …

The Impact Of An Education-Based Intervention Program (Ebip) On Dyspnea And Chronic Self-Care Management Among Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients: A Randomized Controlled Study, Ayşe Çevirme, Gönül Gökçay

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of dyspnea and chronic self-care management outcomes of an Education-Based Intervention Program (EBIP) compared to routine care. Methods: The population of the study consisted of self-care management scale of 61 patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) stage 2 and within one month after discharge. A total of 51 conforming patients were divided into experimental and control groups for a single-blind randomized trial. Data were collected using an introductory information form, the baseline dyspnea index (BDI), pulmonary function test (PFT), the self-care management process in chronic illness (SCMP-G) scale and body mass index (BMI). …

Best Practices: The Relationship Between School Counselors' Self-Efficacy And Conducting Suicide Risk Assessments, Maisha Roneal Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative non-experimental cross-sectional study is to investigate the self-efficacy of middle and high school counselors in the state of Louisiana as it relates to their ability to conduct youth suicide risk assessments. Broadly, the study compares the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP). CACREP accredited and non-accredited school counselors to determine if CACREP accreditation equips school counselors with higher self-efficacy. To this end, the study employs the Counselor Suicide Assessment Efficacy Survey (CSAES) scale to analyze degrees of self-efficacy in conjunction with a demographic survey of sample characteristics associated with educational preparation, …

Workout Routine, Valeria Sofia Maynez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Hope Services is an agency that focuses on supporting the community of adults with developmental disabilities. The work there focuses on finding employment avenues for the clients. This population faces difficulty in finding employment opportunities on their own and rely on these services for these resources. Everyone deserves the right to build an income and experience working in their lives. A disability or any obstacle shouldn’t prohibit a person of this opportunity. Due to an overdue stigma towards this group, they have to constantly prove they are fit to work and be productive assets in the workforce. This leads to …

Resume Building And Job Leads Brochure, Evon Harris

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Resume Building and Job Leads Brochure was created as a Capstone project to address the ongoing problem of homeless veterans in Monterey County not being unemployed. These former military members are not able to provide for themselves with a stable income in the civilian world. The project was approved by Bobby Merritt of the Marina, California Veterans Transition Center (VTC). The formatting for this project was a brochure, also known as a pamphlet, which catered to the needs of veterans experiencing homelessness who were aiming to gain employment. The brochure includes information on how to improve written resumes, key points …

Attendance Rates, Jamila Teal

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Absence is a normal part of childhood for kids going to school because sometimes life happens. Kids get sick, have family emergencies, the family might have to move, or lack consistent transportation to get to school. The Early Learning Program (ELP) is a non-profit organization that provides education for preschool aged children and focuses on making preschool easily accessible, primarily for low-income families. It is not uncommon for some families to take advantage of the ELP by not prioritizing taking their kids to school and getting them there on time. Now that the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the lives of …

Emotional Resilience For Educators, Rosario Martinez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The purpose of this project is to implement a program that will provide emotional resilience support for educators in the Salinas Union High School District. This is a voluntary program designed to support staff through the work of Elena Aguilar. The purpose of this capstone project is for school staff to have that extra support and resources. The problem is classroom teachers do not have the necessary training to deal with students' problems. One contributing factor that relates to the problem is about students experiencing trauma and ACE (adverse childhood experiences) in their lives/community. As a result, they carry more …

Surviving Or Thriving? The Impact Community Collaborations Can Make During A Global Pandemic, Stephanie Hernandez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus of this Capstone Project is to determine the ways in which communities and schools can help support students and their families during the current global pandemic. This is an important issue for students and their families because due to differences in socioeconomic status, language, and/or time and availability, not all resources are available to everyone. It is argued that regardless of the presence of any of the factors listed above, all students and their families deserve equitable access to resources, especially in the midst of a global pandemic when resources are not as readily available as they normally …

Popular Music Genres: The Past 70 Years To Now, Natasha Lugo

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Each decade is connected to specific music genres that are remembered years later. Artists who imprint in listeners’ minds, album collections or playlists stand out within certain decades from when they were the most successful. Awards, charts, album sales and performances are some of the accomplishments that help the growth of their careers through the public. With pop and rap being the favored genres, proven in the charts from the last twenty years, what is today’s music genre? Using a few artists as reference along with collecting data, starting from the 1950s and ending with the 2010s, this paper will …

Sustaining Patient Engagement: The Role Of Health Emotion And Personality Traits In Patient Portal Continuous Use Decision, Murad Moqbel, Mohammed Sajedur Rahman, Sunyoung Cho, Barbara Hewitt

Information Systems Faculty Publications

Healthcare providers increasingly rely on technology, such as patient portals, for asynchronous communication with their patients. Even though clinicians have increasingly adopted patient portals to enhance healthcare quality and reduce cost, few patients continue to use this technology. In this paper, we investigate the effect that individuals’ health emotion and personality traits as measured using the five-factor model (FFM) have on patients’ intention to continually use patient portals through the lens of emotional dissonance theory. We collected survey data from 187 patients at a major medical center in the Midwestern United States. After we analyzed the data using structural equation …

Spirituality As A Moderator Between Ptss And Cardiovascular Reactivity, Kriti Sharda

Honors Scholar Theses

Posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) can be distressing and produce robust cardiovascular symptoms, such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, which have been implicated in higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Identifying factors that may reduce symptoms may suggest therapeutic strategies. One such potential factor is spirituality, given that spirituality is associated with both reducing PTSS and with preventing or improving CVD. We sampled 63 young college women who indicated being exposed to unwanted sexual contact. We asked them to write about their experience while we took heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) …

Nutrient Solution Effects On Plant Health And Microbial Community Composition In Soilless Strawberry Culture, William Miller Hardesty-Dyck

Master's Theses and Capstones

Holding advantages in efficiency and geographical flexibility, soilless Controlled Environmental Agriculture (CEA) systems have emerged as economically viable and ecologically sound alternatives to field agriculture, especially in high-value fruit and vegetable production. While commercial soilless operations typically use synthetic, mineral-based nutrient solutions for plant nutrition, there is interest in incorporating more ecologically sustainable naturally derived sources. Aquaponics - the linkage of aquaculture with soilless crop production - represents one such alternative. Aquacultural effluents can provide partial to complete plant nutrition following solids removal and nitrifying biofiltration, while the incorporation of solutes into crop biomass reduces the need to discharge culture …

Voluntary Hypoventilation At Low Lung Volume (Vhl) During Strength And Conditioning Training Increases Anaerobic Performance: A Pilot Study, Zachary Taylor Hundley

Masters Theses

To determine whether a VHL protocol implemented into an already existing strength and conditioning program could improve anaerobic conditioning more efficiently within the military population. Six active duty males completed a seven-week training cycle with VHL protocols implemented on each training day (2-4 days/week). Before (Pre) and after (Post) protocol implementation, the participants performed a multi-stage 20-m shuttle run test (MSRT). After incorporating VHL, participants significantly improved their MRST scores by an average of 50.3%. Additionally, Body Oxygen Level Test (BOLT) scores were improved across the duration of the study. This study showed employing VHL can improve anaerobic performance in …

In-Training Improvement: A Tactical Athletic Approach To Enhance The Performance And Wellness Of Law Enforcement Officers, Shai-Enne Kerry Haynes

Masters Theses

Fitness and musculoskeletal injuries are a major health concern among United States law enforcement personnel. The objectives of this study were twofold: 1) to compare the effects of wearing work gear and not wearing work gear during job related specific activities; and 2) identify the negative effects of the required work equipment on law officials and exploring methods to decrease the negative effects. There is an undeniable prevalence of law officials and back issues and other musculoskeletal complications which presents an interrelated research and field test environment. This study leverages research to help advance the knowledge of law enforcement performance, …

External Stoma Diversion: A Palliative Measure For Peristomal Wound Healing In Resource-Limited Settings, Rachel W. Davis, Youmna A. Sherif, Catherine Anne Morrison

Faculty Publications

The provision of intestinal stoma care is challenging in austere settings due to limitations in surgical and wound care access as well as the high cost and sparsity of ostomy supplies. As a result, many surgical patients suffer from ostomy-related complications such as peristomal wounds and are unable to find relief for these complications from standard treatments and measures. This article describes the external stoma diversion, a cost-effective palliative surgical procedure that assists in the healing of peristomal wounds in resource-limited settings.

Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2020 Report & Evaluation, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

The Community Mediation Center Grant Program embodies the state’s commitment to achieving broad state-wide access to community mediation for the resolution of disputes. The Grant Program received $1,090,000 in state funding for its operation during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, and a total of $848,000 in grants was awarded to 12 community mediation centers based on a performance-based application process. During the first two-thirds of the 2020 fiscal year, administration of the Grant Program and service delivery from participating centers functioned as expected. The emergence of the coronavirus pandemic and attendant restrictions in March 2020 complicated Grant Program administrative responsibilities and …

The Founding Fathers' Shift Towards Anthropological Pessimism: From The Articles To The Constitution, Noah Davis

Senior Honors Theses

American colonists grew to abhor the evils of a strong and tyrannical government. After freeing themselves, they created an intentionally weak government that placed trust in the masses to contribute to the country’s well-being. The weak government of the Articles of Confederation was too weak, and the people did not act as virtuously as was hoped. There were many problems of the Articles, and eventually a poor economy led to riots and rebellions. After being given nearly unbridled freedom, the people revealed themselves to be selfish. The Founding Fathers decided that the people needed a stronger government to regulate society …

Gap Junctions In Stem Cells Provide An Essential Conduit For Cell-Cell Communication, Jacob M. Gunn, David L. Geenen

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

Introduction: Myocardial infarction (MI) results from the death of cardiomyocytes (CM) following obstruction of blood flow and diminished oxygen supply to the tissue (hypoxia). Human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (hADSCs) used in pre-clinical models can replace damaged CM, however, this has not been replicated in human clinical trials due to early loss of hADSCs. We hypothesize that coupling of hADSCs to dying CMs may account for part of this loss. Furthermore, cell culturing is essential aspect of any in-vitro experiment. Through multiple trials we sought to maximize the efficiency of our culturing procedures in order to best facilitate the …

Experimental Analysis Of Heat Generation In Carbon, Mounisha Ganesan

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The purpose of this research is to study a novel non-covalent functionalization technique of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and to examine the feasibility of using carbon nanotube films as thin film heaters. We developed a unique methodology to synthesize a well dispersed, environmentally friendly solution of CNTs that could be easily spin coated as well as spray coated on different substrates based on the application. Using the produced solutions, thin films of SWCNTs were fabricated on a glass substrate. Two sets of experiments were conducted to study the influence of polyaromatic moiety and the pH on the electro thermal characteristics …

Vopo Leverages Cellular Heterogeneity For Predictive Modeling Of Single-Cell Data, Natalie Stanley, Ina A. Stelzer, Amy S. Tsai, Ramin Fallahzadeh, Edward A. Ganio, Martin Becker, Thanaphong Phongpreecha, Huda Nassar, Sajjad Ghaemi, Ivana Maric, Anthony Culos, Alan L. Chang, Maria Xenochristou, Xiaoyuan Han, Camilo Espinosa, Kristen Rumer, Laura Peterson, Franck Verdonk, Dyani Gaudilliere, Eileen Tsai, Dorien Feyaerts, Jakob Einhaus, Kazuo Ando, Ronald J. Wong, Gerlinde Obermoser, Gary M. Shaw, David K. Stevenson, Martin S. Angst, Brice Gaudilliere

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

High-throughput single-cell analysis technologies produce an abundance of data that is critical for profiling the heterogeneity of cellular systems. We introduce VoPo (https://github.com/stanleyn/VoPo), a machine learning algorithm for predictive modeling and comprehensive visualization of the heterogeneity captured in large single-cell datasets. In three mass cytometry datasets, with the largest measuring hundreds of millions of cells over hundreds of samples, VoPo defines phenotypically and functionally homogeneous cell populations. VoPo further outperforms state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms in classification tasks, and identified immune-correlates of clinically-relevant parameters.

Ozanimod To Treat Relapsing Forms Of Multiple Sclerosis: A Comprehensive Review Of Disease, Drug Efficacy And Side Effects, Grace Lassiter, Carlie Melancon, Tyler Rooney, Anne Marie Murat, Jessica S. Kaye, Adam M. Kaye, Rachel J. Kaye, Elyse M. Cornett, Alan David Kaye, Rutvij J. Shah, Omar Viswanath, Ivan Urits

School of Pharmacy Faculty Articles

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a prevalent and debilitating neurologic condition characterized by widespread neurodegeneration and the formation of focal demyelinating plaques in the central nervous system. Current therapeutic options are complex and attempt to manage acute relapse, modify disease, and manage symptoms. Such therapies often prove insufficient alone and highlight the need for more targeted MS treatments with reduced systemic side effect profiles. Ozanimod is a novel S1P (sphingosine-1-phosphate) receptor modulator used for the treatment of clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing–remitting, and secondary progressive forms of multiple sclerosis. It selectively modulates S1P1 and S1P5 receptors to prevent autoreactive lymphocytes from entering …

Move For A Healthy Mind: A Program Of Peer-Led Physical Activity For Adolescents With Depression And Anxiety, Emily Edwards

Master's Projects and Capstones

The following discusses adolescent depression and anxiety and the utilization of physical activity as an intervention or coping mechanism. Adolescents have been experiencing increased rates of anxiety or depression diagnoses over the past roughly two decades. Adolescence is, physiologically, a formative period in the developmental stage from childhood to adulthood. Current barriers to achieving optimal mental health among the adolescent population include the stigmatization of mental health issues, lack of education, socioeconomic status and healthcare access. Further, physical activity has been studied and identified to be an effective treatment for individuals experiencing depression and anxiety. In an effort to treat …

Optimizing A Railroad Bearing Condition-Monitoring Algorithm For Use With An Onboard Wireless Low-Power Sensor Module, Jonas Regan Leano Cuanang

Theses and Dissertations

An algorithm that utilizes vibration measurements was developed by the UTRGV Center for Railway Safety to monitor the condition of railroad bearings. This algorithm uses the data collected from accelerometers on the bearing adapters to determine if there is a defect, where the defect is within the bearing, and the approximate size of the defect. Laboratory testing was performed on the UTCRS single bearing test rig. A four-second sample window of the recorded vibration data is used by the algorithm to reliably identify the defective component inside the bearing with up to a 100% confidence level. However, considerable computational power …

Governance And Sustainable Development Goals (Sdgs): Exploring The Relatinship Between Governance And Sdgs Using An International Comparative Perspective, Apu Deb

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between governance and sustainable development goals from an international comparative perspective. The research question of the study was: Does the performance level of governance affect the achievement of SD specifically in terms of reducing poverty, gender inequality, and human inequalities? This study has used the convenient sampling method to select 16 countries based on their income level and secondary data collected from the UNDP, World Bank for statistical analysis. We did the Hausman test to decide whether used fixed effects or random effects and found the Hausman test was significant …

Disturbance, Defense And Fitness In Silverleaf Nightshade (Solanum Elaeagnifolium) In Their Native Range In South Texas, Jesus Chavana

Theses and Dissertations

The role of human disturbance in accelerating weed growth is well understood. While most of these studies have focused on soil mediated disturbance, mowing is also a management practice that could impact weed traits. Using silver leaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium), a noxious and invasive weed, we asked whether continuous mowing affects growth and plant defense traits. We found that mowed plants produced significantly less fruits, had lower total seed fitness, but had higher seed mass, and germinated significantly faster. When three common herbivores were allowed to feed on the seedlings; tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta), a generalist Solanaceae caterpillar gained more …