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Student Research Symposium Schedule 2022, Texas A&M University-San Antonio

Student Research Symposium 2022 (Archived)

No abstract provided.

Promoting Confidence In Pressure Injury Management In Rural Long-Term Care, Leah Radke

Nursing

Despite prevention efforts, pressure injuries (PIs) remain prevalent across care settings and impose significant burden on affected individuals and the entire healthcare system. Many individuals, including those who live rurally and in long-term care (LTC) facilities, face challenges when accessing specialty care, leaving PI management to primary care providers (PCPs) and nursing staff. Minimal training and the myriad of commercially available wound care products contribute to lack of confidence in PI management. This quality improvement project aimed to promote confidence in management of PIs in LTC residents, through development of a product selection guide, example orders, and separate education for …

Implementing Adult Waist Circumference Measurements In Primary Care, Terryl Lynn Johnson

Nursing

Overweight and obesity negatively affect multiple acute and chronic disease conditions (USDHHS & ODPHP, n.d.). Two of the most valid and reliable measurements of overweight and obesity are body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) (NHLBI, n.d.). Despite evidence that waist circumference measurement (WCM) can aid in stratifying risk, the predominant measurement of obesity is BMI alone (Ross et al., 2020). The purpose of the practice improvement project involved creating a workflow to measure adult WC at wellness visits, increase the frequency of adult WCM, and documentation of WCM in the electronic health record (EHR). The project included increasing …

Influenza Vaccination Rates In Primary Care, Kara Kreft

Nursing

Influenza is a common and highly contagious upper respiratory illness that affects an average of 8% of Americans each season. The flu was associated with 18 million medical visits, 400,000 hospitalizations, and 22,000 deaths during the 2019-2020 flu season in the United States (US). The best protection from the flu is to receive an annual vaccination. However, only 56.5% of North Dakotans received a flu vaccine for the 2019-2020 season, well below the Healthy People 2030 goal of 70%. Suboptimal vaccination rates, along with increasing vaccine hesitancy and misinformation associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, make efforts in improving vaccine uptake …

Prediabetes: Provider Awareness And The Implementation Of The Prevent Diabetes Stat Toolkit Resources, Brooke Feltman

Nursing

Increased proactivity and improved management of prediabetes is a growing need amongst providers in the primary care setting. Nearly one third of North Dakota residents over the age of 20 have prediabetes, but only one out of ten are aware of this reversible medical condition. Without early correction and identification, 15-30% of people with prediabetes will develop type 2 diabetes. Based on the need for increased proactivity towards prediabetic management, evidence-based resources were created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Medical Association. The Prevent Diabetes STAT Toolkit was developed to guide medical professionals in assisting …

Providing Postpartum Depression Resources At A Local Wic Agency, Katie Marie Casey

Nursing

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a significant mental illness that impacts 12.5% of all postpartum women. In women with low-income, the prevalence increases to 25% and 40-60% of low-income, adolescent mothers report depressive symptoms. Postpartum depression also presents a significant early risk to healthy child development and the bond between mother and child. Symptoms of PPD can present as soon as 2 weeks postpartum and as late as 3 years postpartum. Unfortunately, once delivered, women are typically not assessed by a medical provider until 6 weeks postpartum. Therefore, targeting additional opportunities for PPD education in low-income women may play a role …

Aspirin And Statin Use For Primary Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease, Natalie Jean Carriveau

Nursing

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States and aspirin and statins are well-known medications associated with CVD prevention. There are well-known benefits of aspirin for secondary prevention of CVD, but aspirin’s role in primary prevention remains controversial. The decision to start aspirin for primary prevention is individualized to the specific patient and situation. Statins are a drug used as first-line therapy in cholesterol management, though there is a complicated relationship with adherence due to real and/or perceived safety issues associated with statin use. The decision to start statins needs to be determined …

Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Knowledge, Beliefs, Attitudes, And Barriers: An Educational Intervention For Male College Students To Increase Knowledge, Vaccine Intent, And Vaccine Uptake, Shannon Marie Thompson

Nursing

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. When the virus does not spontaneously resolve, HPV infections can develop into papillomas or cancers (CDC, 2020d). While interventions promoting the HPV vaccine as a means to prevent cervical cancer have been successful, HPV-related cancer in men has been commonly overlooked. Current data shows low rates of HPV immunization for young adult males in North Dakota (NDIIS, 2020). To address this low uptake, an intervention was designed to address the following clinical question: In college males ages 18 to 26, will the provision of education regarding …

Adolescent Mental Health: A Community Needs Assessment, Michael Hammer

Nursing

Depression among adolescents has been trending upward with approximately 3.2 million adolescents aged 12-17 having at least one major depressive episode in the United States (U.S.) in 2016. The incidence of depression also rises with age among adolescents, with depressive episodes at 4.8% for 12-year-olds, 11.8% for 14-year-olds, and as high as 18.5% in adolescents aged 17 years. Interventions aimed at understanding mental health needs of adolescents and reducing barriers to care are essential to improve overall health outcomes for this population. The goal of this community needs assessment was to better understand adolescent mental health and determine the needs …

The Impact Of A Gencyber Camp On In-Service Teachers’ Tpack, Kevin M. Thomas, Jessica Ivy, Kristin Cook, Robert R. Kelley

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a GenCyber camp curriculum on teachers’ technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge (TPACK). The camp was designed to engage participants in developing the knowledge and skills to incorporate GenCyber Cybersecurity First Principles and GenCyber Cybersecurity Concepts (GenCyber, 2019) into their curriculums. Participants (37 middle and high school teachers from a variety of disciplines) attended one of two weeklong camps held at a Midwestern liberal arts university. Using the TPACK Self-Reflection and TPACK Self-Assessment Surveys, pre- and post-camp data were collected from participants. Findings indicate that participants demonstrated an increase in …

Screening For Noise Induced Hearing Loss In Agricultural Workers And Farmers, Erin Dewitz

Nursing

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health hearing loss is the third most prevalent condition after high blood pressure and arthritis in the United States (U.S.) (NIOSH, 2019). An estimated 22 million U.S. workers are exposed to hazardous noise, making noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) the second most self-reported occupational disease or injury. Although most industries are regulated by government organizations such as NIOSH and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, agriculture does not fall under regulations and policies enacted through these groups. The incidence of hearing loss is high in farmers and agricultural workers, reflecting an …

Barriers To Seeking Preventative Care For Men Living In Rural North Dakota, Stanley Johnson

Nursing

The purpose of this evidence-based practice improvement project (PIP) was to identify perceived barriers to seeking primary and preventative healthcare by males living in a rural North Dakota community. Research has shown that men in the United States live shorter lives and are more likely to die of many common causes of death than females. These facts may be partially explained by the idea that men are less likely than women to regularly see a healthcare provider. Health disparities also exist between rural and metropolitan communities as well. Individuals living in rural areas have been found to die more frequently …

Synthetic Methods For Improved Scope And Efficiency Of Copper-Catalyzed Regioselective Alkene Boracarboxylation, Steven William Knowlden

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The synthesis of carboxylic acids is important to the chemistry community, owing to the broad applicability of these compounds as fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Method development over the last decade has focused on the preparation of carboxylic acids through transition metal catalysis utilizing CO₂ as a C1 synthon. Copper-catalyzed heteroelement(bora and sila)-carboxylation protocols provide functional group rich carboxylic acid products, yet remain underdeveloped and thus underutilized. Consequently, catalytic reductive difunctionalization methodologies in which CO₂ and B(pin) (pin = pinacolate: 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-butanediolate) are installed across the double bond of a vinyl arene were recently developed. These boracarboxylation protocols provided novel, …

Food Safety In The Us: Regulation, Liability, And Tracing, Marziyeh Bahalou Horeh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation addresses three issues related to food safety. First, it examines the economic efficiency of irrigation water quality guidelines of Food Safety Modernization Act. Second, it estimates the value of traceability in the U.S. lettuce supply chain. Third, it uses state-level data and panel regression models to examine the relationship between product liability laws and reported foodborne illnesses in the U.S.

The second chapter develops a theoretical framework and a corresponding empirical analysis to analyze the Food and Drug Administration's irrigation water quality regulatory standard pursuant to the Food Safety Modernization Act. We develop a stochastic, price endogenous partial …

Optimization And Analytics Of Decarbonized Forest And Biomass Supply Chains, Xufeng Zhang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

First, a data-driven holistic analysis framework was developed to aid the industrial development of forest biomass for bioenergy to promote the regional bioeconomy. Leveraging the existing but fragmented multi-source data, four components of industrial bioenergy development were integrated into the framework including spatial statistical analysis of biomass feedstock and bioenergy production, machine learning-based suitability assessment, bioenergy plant sites identification and ranking, and socio-economic impacts assessment. A case study was conducted for forest biomass to pellet fuel in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region. Our results indicate that the great potential of forest biomass with high variation at the county level is primarily …

Behaviors, Contextual Influences, And Consequences: Relationships That Affect Student Decision-Making Of Academic Misconduct In College, Justine A L Burnett

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Academic misconduct on college campuses is not a new challenge for higher education institutions but an old problem that has changed considerably. Student demonstrations of academic misconduct behaviors have evolved, making it difficult for institutions to consistently keep well-informed on how students cheat to effectively respond to violations of academic integrity policies. This study investigates the relationships between misbehaviors, their associated consequences, and influences to prevent, respond to, and reduce academic misconduct at a large research-intensive university.

This quantitative study uses institutional academic misconduct reports between 2017 and 2020 and student surveys to examine significant relationships in the decision-making process …

Methodology For Enhanced Filtration And Dewatering Of Fine-Grain Amd Precipitate Using Geocomposites For Rare Earth Elements Recovery, Iuri Lira Santos

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Research performed by the West Virginia Water Research Institute (WVWRI) in partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE) has identified that coal mining by-products contain significant amounts of Rare Earth Elements (REEs). REEs currently are in high demand, and extraction from coal mining reject presents a potential for commercialization if extraction is feasible. The coal mining reject include Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) in the aqueous phase and sludge from AMD treatment. A novel two split selective precipitation method was implemented to remove gangue metals, increasing the concentration of REEs in the sludge.

This process presents a two-fold benefit: 1) treatment …

Stylistic Changes In The Music Of Ruth Crawford Seeger, Xinlei Chu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

While the body of Ruth Crawford Seeger’s works is not extensive, her musical legacy cannot be ignored. As a central member of the “ultramoderns,” her work influenced the next generation of American composers such as Elliot Carter. This research document examines the stylistic changes of Crawford’s music throughout her career as a composer. Taking into account the various influences that could have impacted her compositional style over time, three pieces were selected for in-depth analysis from different times in Crawford’s life. The first two pieces analyzed are the first movement of Diaphonic Suite No. 2 and the third movement of …

Understanding Vaccine-Induced Memory Responses To Develop The Next Generation Of Pertussis Vaccines, Kelly L. Weaver

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Bordetella pertussis is a Gram-negative respiratory pathogen that can infect individuals of all ages and is notably responsible for infant fatalities. Pertussis (whooping cough) is a vaccine-preventable respiratory disease for which vaccines have been available in the United States since the 1940s. Whole cell pertussis vaccines kept incidence of pertussis under 5,000 cases per year, but were associated with reactogenicity issues. Following the introduction of less reactogenic acellular pertussis vaccines in the late 1990s, there have been noteworthy outbreaks of pertussis. For example, in 2012 there were over 50,000 reported cases of pertussis and 20 deaths in the U.S. The …

Sex Differences In Response To A Large 200-Person Audience Using The Trier Social Stress Test In Pre-Recorded Virtual Reality, Garrett Byron

Psychology

The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) induces stress in the lab by having participants complete challenging tasks in front of an audience. The TSST has been adapted to virtual reality (VR), eliminating in-person audience variability that could explain sex differences in stress responses. Furthermore, the VR-TSST facilitates the examination of factors difficult to investigate in person, such as the effect of a large, 200-person audience. This study compared male and female physiological and psychological responses to an in-person 2-person TSST and a prerecorded VRTSST with audience sizes of 2 and 200 persons. Results indicated that only males had statistically significant …

Longitudinal Examination Of Sleep And Chrononutrition, Allison Christine Veronda

Psychology

Chrononutrition (i.e., circadian timing of food intake) offers promising opportunities to improve weight management strategies, but many fundamental aspects of chrononutrition are still unknown. While research to date has suggested that unhealthy chrononutrition behaviors are linked to weight gain, chrononutrition preferences are markedly understudied, and research has not yet determined whether chrononutrition preferences and behaviors are variable or stable over time in the natural environment. Potential mechanisms underlying chrononutrition’s impact on weight are still being explored. Recent evidence suggests that weight gain is the result of an imbalance of energy consumption and expenditure that is influenced by sleep duration. Though …

Development Of Quantification And Diagnosis Methods For Cereal Bacterial Leaf Streak Pathogens, Eunhye Hong

Plant Pathology

Bacterial leaf streak (BLS) has been a major disease on wheat and barley in the Northern Great Plains. It is caused by Xanthomonas translucens pv. undulosa (Xtu) on wheat and X. translucens pv. translucens (Xtt) on barley. Many questions remain unclear on pathogen biology and BLS epidemiology. Based on previous study, I identified an Xtu/Xtt specific region and established a qPCR quantification method for the bacterial pathogens. The method was shown to be effective to detect and quantify the bacterial pathogen in seeds and leaves. In addition, molecular markers were developed to differentiate Xtu and Xtt. Those markers were successfully …

Historias De Una Pandemia: Documenting Latina/O/X Stories During Covid-19 Through Performed Storytelling, Elena Foulis

Spanish Faculty Publications (Archived)

Using oral histories and narratives collected during the Covid-19 pandemic, a student-led performance invites consideration about the role of language, cultural, and social pluralities in creating a socially just world.

Privacy And Online Social Networks: A Systematic Literature Review Of Concerns, Preservation, And Policies, Damion Mitchell, Omar F. El-Gayar

Research & Publications

Background: Social media usage is one of the most popular online activities, but with it comes privacy concerns due to how personal data are handled by these social networking sites. Prior literature aimed at identifying users’ privacy concerns as well as user behavior associated with privacy mitigation strategies and policies. However, OSN users continue to divulge private information online and privacy remains an issue. Accordingly, this review aims to present extant research on this topic, and to highlight any potential research gaps. Method: The paper presents a systematic literature review for the period 2006 - 2021, in which 33 full …

Improving North Dakota's Arboreta: Utilizing Living Museums To Their Greatest Capacity, Stephen Lee Ahrenholz

Natural Resources Management

North Dakota has roughly 20 arboreta, though many of them are in decline. NDSU Extension developed an arboretum improvement project that included field visits, site inventories, and educational programming. North Dakota’s arboreta are a diverse group with over 70 genera and more than 500 tree and shrub species represented. Soil Conservation District (SCD) arboreta have an average of 31 species per arboretum while non-SCD arboreta average about 70. Labeling methods and accuracy, condition, and maintenance varied greatly. We conducted four educational workshops for arboretum managers, but attendance was relatively low: only 21 individuals attended. Attendees include SCD employees, Extension agents, …

The Impacts Of Exotic Species On Native Bee Communities And Interactions In Novel Northern Great Plains Grasslands, C. K. Pei

Natural Resources Management

Human alterations to landscapes impose novel conditions on native plant and animal species. Exotic plants are among these changes and are presently common and prevalent across Northern Great Plains (NGP) grasslands. Their introductions alter plant communities and influence the wildlife species that rely on the resources provided by plant communities. Exotic plants displace native plant species, but we do not understand how or if some exotic plants can provide resources to pollinating insects requiring floral resources. Considering the spread of exotic plants and the important ecological services bees provide, it is important to understand how native bees value and interact …

Plant Blindness Represents The Loss Of Generational Knowledge And Cultural Identity, Stacie Blue

Natural Resources Management

Elders from the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians (TMBCI) who have gathered plants within the region have seen the plant numbers reduced and species of plants disappear. Their statements of concern for the plants and their hope for increased plant diversity led to the development of the current research study. Increasing plant knowledge is vital to rebuilding and maintaining the diversity of vegetation within the forest, grassland, and wetland habitats. The present study used an online survey to assess citizens’ ability to identify plants that belong in wetland, grassland, and forest habitats in the area; names of plants; learn …

Implementing Trauma-Informed Care Through A Multi-Agency Learning Collaborative: A Theory-Driven Analysis Of Outcomes And Sustainability, Mira D H Snider M.S.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Learning collaboratives (LCs) are often used in large-scale implementation initiatives to promote evidence-based practice across provider networks. Although the outcomes and stakeholder perspectives of many LCs have been documented, support for the effectiveness of LCs is equivocal, and the means by which LCs achieve long-term improvements in clinical care are not understood. The current study investigated outcomes and sustainability of a multi-agency LC for implementing trauma-informed care in 23 rural Pennsylvania counties. Changes in outcomes (i.e., trauma symptom screening, trauma-informed care training attendance, clinician confidence with using trauma informed-care, utilization of trauma-related diagnostic codes, retention in service, service unit density) …

Atomistic Antitrust, Robin C. Feldman, Mark A. Lemley

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

In Search Of The Public Interest, Jodi L. Short

Faculty Scholarship

“Public interest” standards in statutory delegations to agencies represent the greatest hopes and the darkest fears of the U.S. administrative state. On the one hand, the public interest standard provides a vessel for agencies to infuse policymaking with the moral and ethical commitments of the community. On the other hand, regulation in the public interest opens the door to the arbitrary exercise of tyrannical state power. Despite the lofty aspirations and ominous warnings about regulation in the public interest, little is known about how agencies actually decide what is in the public interest when charged by statute to do so. …