Digital Commons Network^™

Quantification Of Phosphatidylethanol In Whole Blood And Dried Blood Spots By Lc-Ms/Ms, Elizabeth Yulianto

Student Theses

Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is an alcohol biomarker that provides a longer window of detection than direct alcohol measurement or other common alcohol metabolites, like ethyl glucuronide. PEth has become useful in assessing drinking history, such as for alcohol-withdrawal treatment, organ transplant settings or prenatal alcohol exposure determination. A method was developed and validated to quantify PEth 16:0/18:1 and 16:0/18:2 in whole blood and dried blood spots (DBS) by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The whole blood method was applied to 149 samples from pregnant women, elucidating possible prenatal alcohol exposure. Fifty μL whole blood and 12.7 mm whole punches from …

Short-Range Magnetic Correlations, Spontaneous Magnetovolume Effect, And Local Distortion In Magnetic Semiconductor Mnte, Raju Baral

Theses and Dissertations

The antiferromagnetic semiconductor MnTe has recently attracted significant interest as a potential high-performance thermoelectric material. Its promising thermoelectric properties are due in large part to short-range magnetic correlations in the paramagnetic state, which enhance the thermopower through the paramagnon drag effect. Using magnetic pair distribution function (mPDF) analysis of neutron total scattering data, we present a detailed, real-space picture of the short-range magnetic correlation in MnTe, offering a deeper view into the paramagnon drag effect and the nature of the correlated paramagnetic state. We confirm the presence of nanometer-scale antiferromagnetic correlations far into the paramagnetic state, show the evolution of …

Sars-Cov-2 Detecting Rapid Metasurface-Based Sensor, Shobhit K. Patel, Jaymit Surve, Juveriya Parmar, Khaled Aliqab, Meshari Alsharari, Ammar Armghan

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

We have proposed a novel approach to detect COVID-19 by detecting the ethyl butanoate which high volume ratio is present in the exhaled breath of a COVID-19 infected person. We have employed a refractive index sensor (RIS) with the help of a metasurface-based slotted T-shape perfect absorber that can detect ethyl butanoate present in exhaled breath of COVID-19 infected person with high sensitivity and in-process SARS-CoV-2. The optimized structure of the sensor is obtained by varying several structure parameters including structure length and thickness, slotted T-shape resonator length, width, and thickness. Sensor’s performance is evaluated based on numerous factors comprising …

Association Of Chronic Kidney Disease With Prior Tinnitus: A Case-Control Study, Shih-Han Hung, Sudha Xirasagar Mbbs., Ph.D., Yen-Fu Cheng, Nai-Wen Kuo, Herng-Ching Lin

Faculty Publications

This population-based, case-control study aims to explore the relationship between prior tinnitus and the occurrence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) using a nationwide, population-based cohort study. We used data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database to explore the association of CKD with tinnitus. We identified 15,314 patients aged >= 40 years old with a first-time diagnosis of CKD as the cases. We used propensity-scored matching to select 45,942 controls (1:3 ratio). We performed multivariate logistic regression to estimate the odds ratio (OR) of a prior tinnitus diagnosis among the CKD group vs. the control group. Analysis showed that …

Association Of Chlorhexidine Use And Scaling And Root Planing With Birth Outcomes In Pregnant Individuals With Periodontitis: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Maxwell Akonde, Rajat Das Gupta, Maxwell Akonde, Mark Reynolds, Stephanie Smith-Warner, Jihong Liu Sc.D., Fouzia Tarannum, James Beck, Donald Mattison

Faculty Publications

Importance Chlorhexidine mouthwash enhances treatment effects of conventional periodontal treatment, but data on chlorhexidine as a source of heterogeneity in meta-analyses assessing the treatment of maternal periodontitis in association with birth outcomes are lacking.

Objective To assess possible heterogeneity by chlorhexidine use in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating the effect of periodontal treatment (ie, scaling and root planing [SRP]) vs no treatment on birth outcomes.

Data Sources Cochrane Oral Health’s Trials Register, Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth’s Trials Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE Ovid, Embase Ovid, LILACS BIREME Virtual Health Library (Latin American and Caribbean Health Science …

Association Of Chlorhexidine Use And Scaling And Root Planing With Birth Outcomes In Pregnant Individuals With Periodontitis: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Anwar T. Nerchant, Rajat Das Gupta, Maxwell Akonde, Mark Reynolds, Stephanie Smith-Warner, Jihong Liu, Fouzia Tarannum, James Beck, Donald Mattison

Faculty Publications

Importance Chlorhexidine mouthwash enhances treatment effects of conventional periodontal treatment, but data on chlorhexidine as a source of heterogeneity in meta-analyses assessing the treatment of maternal periodontitis in association with birth outcomes are lacking.

Objective To assess possible heterogeneity by chlorhexidine use in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating the effect of periodontal treatment (ie, scaling and root planing [SRP]) vs no treatment on birth outcomes.

Data Sources Cochrane Oral Health’s Trials Register, Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth’s Trials Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE Ovid, Embase Ovid, LILACS BIREME Virtual Health Library (Latin American and Caribbean Health Science …

Manufactured Homes In Nevada Counties, Joshua Padilla, Annie Vong, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Housing & Real Estate

This fact sheet presents data on the share of manufactured homes in each of Nevada’s 17 counties, as reported in the June 2022 The Daily Yonder article, “With Housing Shortage Still Ongoing, Manufactured Homes are Gaining Ground,” by Kristi Eaton. The original report includes data made available by the Housing Assistance Council (HAC) for each county in the United States from 2009 and 2018.

Implementation Of An Adverse Childhood Experiences (Ace) Screening Protocol For Adults At An Outpatient Medical Psychology Practice: A Dnp Project, Jennifer E. Allain

Dissertations

This DNP project aimed to educate and train staff and providers on ACE screening and implement an ACE screening policy and protocol at an outpatient medical psychology practice. The two expected outcomes of this project, provider knowledge after ACE training and provider compliance with the ACE screening protocol, were measured to determine if a clinical practice change occurred. A paired-samples t-test compared the participants' knowledge of ACEs before and after the ACE educational intervention with a pre/post-test. There was a statistically significant difference in the pre-test and post-test scores. These findings reflected a change in knowledge based on education …

The Digital Markets Act Between The Eu Economic Constitutionalism And The Eu Competition Policy, Claudia Massa

Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies

Given that a lot has already been written by legal scholars on the practical implications that the entry into force of the Digital Markets Act will have, the present article intends to bring the discussion back to the theoretical level, trying to find out where the roots of this proposed regulation lie, with an analysis of the context in which it falls, the EU principles and values upon which it is based, the objectives it intends to pursue, and the legal-economic theories behind it.

Gateways To The Internet Ecosystem – Enabling And Discovery Tools In The Age Of Global Online Platforms, Judit Firniksz, Borbála Tünde Dömötörfy, Péter Mezei

Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies

The Google Shopping case has provided significant lessons that reach beyond antitrust enforcement. ‘Enabling and discovery tools’ create a layer that serves as a gateway to the Internet ecosystem. Therefore, on the one hand, they play a key role in ensuring the openness of the Internet ecosystem, and on the other hand, they exercise a primary influence on consumer experiences and their cognitive processes, which in turn determine online consumer transactions. Enabling and discovery tools, such as adopting design methods based on applied behavioural sciences (for example: user experience design (UX) and user interface design (UI)), create global challenges at …

Defining Traffic Scenarios For The Visually Impaired, Judith Jakob, Kordula Kugele, József Tick

The Qualitative Report

For the development of a transfer concept of camera-based object detections from Advanced Driver Assistance Systems to the assistance of the visually impaired, we define relevant traffic scenarios and vision use cases by means of problem-centered interviews with four experts and ten members of the target group. We identify the six traffic scenarios: general orientation, navigating to an address, crossing a road, obstacle avoidance, boarding a bus, and at the train station clustered into the three categories: Orientation, Pedestrian, and Public Transport. Based on the data, we describe each traffic scenario and derive a summarizing table adapted from software engineering …

The Final Amen: Designing And Implementing A Christlike System For The Closure Of Waypointe Christian Fellowship, Christopher E. Sherwood

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Like a myriad of other churches across the country, WayPointe Christian Fellowship (WCF) experienced a long decline leading to a critical question: Should the church permanently close? In the case of WCF, the answer was yes, which led to other questions about how to accomplish the task while maximizing God's glory, minimizing the pain felt by those involved, and preparing the congregation to migrate to another body of believers. This thesis project was designed to enable the leaders of WCF and other church leaders to answer these questions. In this pursuit, a comprehensive closure plan was created and implemented at …

James Monroe’S White House: The Genius Of Politics And Place, Susan Glen Amos

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research endeavor has discerned the origins of an enduring American nationalistic distinctiveness perpetuated by President James Monroe’s White House. A careful scholarly examination of Monroe’s White House as a cultural landscape enquires into the genesis of interdependence between place and politics. It also studies the depth of the American people’s ability to embrace, as their own, the symbolism and national vision fashioned in these spaces. The juxtaposition of James Monroe’s election as the first United States president after the War of 1812 with the resurrection of the White House manifested for him an exclusive opportunity, still fraught with perils, …

American Policy Discourses On China: Two Centuries Of National Imagination And Constructed Reality, Yan Chang Bennett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In the 2022 U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS), the United States government has declared that the world is at an inflection point in which there are tremendous challenges that the American people face with regard to their collective continuing security and prosperity. One of those challenges that the Biden administration has identified is the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), which, according to the NSS, “harbors the intention and increasingly, the capacity to reshape the international order in favor of one that tilts the global field to its benefit.” As the administration believes, The PRC threatens the U.S.-led …

The Effect Of Language Used In The Home On Academic Achievement In English Language Learners With Special Needs, Rebecca Dawn Bramblett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The number of students classified as English language learners enrolled in schools in the United States continues to multiply yearly. An increasing number of these students also qualify for special education services. Students in either group have underperformed compared with their general education peers for years, and the basic academic proficiency levels of these students are concerning when either language proficiency or disability is considered separately. However, when a lack of language of proficiency is compounded with a disability, academic proficiency levels become even more concerning. While student language proficiency and disability are well-researched in terms of academic performance, the …

Impacts Of Telemonitoring On Weight Obesity In African Americans, Miranda Bessem Mbutambe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Obesity has become a complex public health issue among African Americans over the last few decades, due to the health risks it poses to this population. Obesity exposes African Americans to a variety of chronic diseases, including, but not limited to, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Owing to the complexity inherent in obesity, healthcare practitioners have developed various strategies and interventions to manage weight among vulnerable populations. In this regard, telemonitoring, a continuous or non-continuous process that allows medical practitioners to remotely monitor, collect, and interpret data necessary for medical follow-up and, if necessary, make medical decisions regarding the health state …

Communicating The Gospel Authentically: Message Transmission Between The Christian Music Artist And The Audience, Lindsey Montez Graham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study seeks to establish that congruence between the Christian artist and the piece directly affects the process of Message Transmission. Artist authenticity and perceived artist authenticity are central to this study. Authentic expression must be believed in the heart and then confessed with the mouth (Romans 10:9–10; Matthew 12:34; Matthew 15:18). In the secular space there is an expectation for the artist to embody or emulate the performance piece temporarily while performing the song, but to not “be” the piece in life. In the Christian setting, however, the artist is communicating the means by which people should live their …

A Phenomenological Study On Church Leaders' Perspective Of Internet Church As A Biblical Community, Jason Lavon Rankin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Current events and relatively recent technological developments have caused and significantly increased the use of digital technology in most aspects of life. The digital revolution, as some have termed it, has permeated all organizations, from businesses to institutions of higher learning, including religious institutions. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine Christian church leaders’ perspectives on whether the internet church fulfills the biblical and theological definitions of the church or biblical community. At this stage in the research internet church, also known as online church, e-church, virtual church, etc., is defined as a group of people with shared …

Non-Christian, Japanese College Students’ Perspectives Of Engaging With God Through The Participatory Components Of Christian Worship, Jacqueline Leigh Bencke

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study seeks to examine the extent to which non-Christian college students in Japan perceive their engagement with the biblical God while participating in daily chapel services at Kyūshū Lutheran College. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, analyzing survey and focus group data to explore whether a relationship exists between students’ participation in chapel committee activities and their perceived spiritual engagement. Responses to Lynn Underwood’s Daily Spiritual Experience Survey, the Centrality of Religiosity Scale, and the Centrality of Buddhist Religiosity Scale are combined to create a general spiritual profile of respondents. Worship leaders and missionaries who are in positions of …

Best Strategies To Address Burnout Among Healthcare Professionals: An Integrative Review, Kimberly Ann Delbo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this integrative literature review (ILR) is to provide a comprehensive summary and analysis of past empirical and theoretical literature related to the phenomenon of burnout while sharing a synthesis of literature. This ILR explores, critiques, summarizes, and analyzes best practices and interventions to address burnout and promote engagement and well-being among health care workers within acute care hospitals. The scientific basis for this ILR was the premise that a relationship exists between burnout interventions and organizational cultures which can be positively influenced by relational and social leadership styles that reduce work-related stressors and create positive, professional, healthy …

How Does The Use Of Telemonitoring In Adult Patients With Uncontrolled Hypertension Improve Blood Pressure Control? An Integrative Review, Lucie Bakop

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Hypertension is an evolving problem worldwide and it constitutes a great risk for cardiovascular diseases. Despite the research and new drugs on the market to manage high blood pressure, hypertension remains the leading cause of disability-adjusted life and death worldwide. With many people suffering from hypertension around the world, and the burden of uncontrolled hypertension, it is imperative to find an intervention that can improve blood pressure control. To better target uncontrolled hypertension, the conventional method of management of high blood pressure based on in-person visits has shown some limitations and it must be combined with a contemporary approach that …

The Nature Of Confession For Forgiveness In 1 John 1:5–2:6, Carleton Edward Hafer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study on 1 John 1:5–2:6 is to examine whether repeated confession of post-salvific sins is required either for additional forgiveness or to maintain fellowship with God. This dissertation argues that John teaches that confession is required for salvation and results in complete forgiveness at the moment of salvation; however, despite what is commonly taught, John never teaches ongoing post-salvific confession for forgiveness or to maintain fellowship with God. While post-salvific confession may benefit a believer on a psychological level, that is not what John taught in 1 John. From God’s standpoint, the relationship is not impaired …

Effectiveness Of Instructional Design And Technology In A Non-Traditional Parental Program: An Embedded Single Case Study, Sonja Loraine Howell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study is to discover the effectiveness of the instructional design of an organization's current programs. The central research question was to determine how instructional design impacts the effectiveness of a nontraditional court-ordered parental instructional program. The theory guiding this study is Kearsley & Schneiderman’s engagement theory, as it structures interactions to facilitate collaboration in a project-based environment with a meaningful focus using instructional design. The methodology for analyzing this study includes Yin’s and Stake’s models to understand a profoundly complex social phenomenon and actual live program. This study gave intrinsic and extrinsic validity while researching …

Digital Habit Evidence, Andrew Guthrie Ferguson

Duke Law Journal

This Article explores how “habit evidence” will become a catalyst for a new form of digital proof based on the explosive growth of smart homes, smart cars, smart devices, and the Internet of Things. Habit evidence is the rule that certain sorts of semiautomatic, regularized responses to particular stimuli are trustworthy and thus admissible under the Federal Rules of Evidence (“FRE”) 406 “Habit; Routine Practice” and state equivalents.

While well established since the common law, “habit” has made only an inconsistent appearance in reported cases and has been underutilized in trial practice. But intriguingly, once applied to the world of …

Addressing The Problem Of Student Engagement In The Classroom, Levi R. Urias

Masters Projects

The problem of student engagement is one that is faced by teachers everywhere. While multiple strategies exist for combating this issue, project-based learning and inquiry-based learning are two that stand out in the multitude of research. Additionally, these strategies are ideal in the science classroom as they align very well with the Next Generation Science Standards that are used in Michigan, including rural Southwest Michigan school, Eau Claire High School. This project explores these instructional strategies and their various benefits which include improved critical thinking, improved social skills, and improved questioning skills.

Exploring Using Game-Based Learning And Gamification In A Secondary Classroom To Increase Engagement, Mandee Lynn Thiell

Masters Projects

Research has connected the importance of student engagement and student experience within the classroom but continue to use teacher directed traditional teaching methods. This project explores the use of gamification and game-based learning and how it promotes student engagement. The use of games and game-elements provide a relevant approach that focuses on student autonomy and experience, and ultimately use fun engaging ways to motivate students to learn. This project provides an entry level learning in-service opportunity for secondary educators to discover and create their own lessons that implement gamification and game-based learning in their classrooms in hopes to increase student …

Going Cold Turkey? Changes To Faunal Subsistence In The Northern San Juan Region From Basketmaker Ii Through Pueblo Iii, Tenaya Gatrell-Bedard

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research in the Northern San Juan Region of the American Southwest has revealed a pattern of change in subsistence patterns from the Basketmaker II through Pueblo III periods. Jonathan C. Driver describes the pattern as: cottontail in Basketmaker III (500 to 750 CE) and Pueblo I (750 to 900 CE), deer in Pueblo II (900 to 1150 CE), and turkey in Pueblo III (1150 to 1350 CE). The transition from deer to turkey as the main subsistence has been recorded at several sites throughout the Northern San Juan Region and is thought to be caused by the overhunting of …

The Importance Of Mitral Valve Prolapse Doming Volume In The Assessment Of Left Ventricular Stroke Volume With Cardiac Mri, Brendan K Podell, Omowunmi Aibana, Chuan-Chin Huang, James E Dilisio, Macallister C Harris, David F Ackart, Kody Armann, Alexander Grover, Patrice Severe, Marc Antoine Jean Juste, Kathryn Dupnik, Randall J Basaraba, Megan B Murray

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Although previous studies have shown that vitamin A deficiency is associated with incident tuberculosis (TB) disease, the direction of the association has not been established. We investigated the impact of vitamin A deficiency on TB disease progression.

METHODS: We conducted a longitudinal cohort study nested within a randomized clinical trial among HIV-infected patients in Haiti. We compared serial vitamin A levels in individuals who developed TB disease to controls matched on age, gender, follow-up time, and time to antiretroviral therapy initiation. We also evaluated histopathology, bacterial load, and immune outcomes in TB infection in a guinea pig model of …

A Forehead Wearable Sensor For The Objective Measurement Of Chronic Pain, Marcus Orzabal, Ramo Naidu, Kasra Amirdelfan, Alireza Akhbardeh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Chronic pain impacts one in five Americans and is difficult to manage, costing ~USD 600 billion annually. The subjective experience of pain is a complex processing of central nervous system input. Recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging revealed the prefrontal cortex as vital to the perception of pain and that changes in the cerebral hemodynamics can be used to detect painful sensations. Current pain monitoring is dependent on the subjective rating provided by patients and is limited to a single time point. We have developed a biomarker for the objective, real-time and continuous chronic pain assessment using proprietary algorithms termed …

Taking The Biscuit: Defining Excessive Quantities Of Free Refreshments In A Healthcare Library, Andrew Tabner, Stuart G. Spicer, Kerryn Husk, Holly Blake, Caroline White, Suzanne Toft, Graham Johnson

Peninsula Medical School

Evidence suggests that complementary hot drinks and biscuits benefit an overworked and highly stressed healthcare workforce. But when signage in healthcare libraries asks patrons not to consume “excessive” quantities of free hot drinks and biscuits, how much is too much? Tabner and colleagues explore this resource allocation conundrumAs the festive season approaches, temperatures plummet, days shorten, and healthcare workers see glimmers of time off around the holidays, some might consider the provision of unlimited free hot drinks and biscuits a welcome token of appreciation; this is particularly the case for National Health Service staff, who are often felt to be …