Digital Commons Network^™

Keeping It Real: The Evolution Of The Black American Sitcom, Ebony E. Prescod

Capstones

The image of the black person has undergone many iterations in American popular culture. From the mammy of post antebellum America, to blaxploitation, to the black upper class -- what it next for the representation of black people in popular media, especially as it is now being helmed by black creatives. What does the black American of the 2020s look like? Now, what does it look like to be true to the black experience, today?

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-KpHMb37_khYkOmlR6-gEPGEHLVZA4ND7HwNwhdz6ig/edit?usp=sharing

Marisa Kalil-Barrino Final Project, Marisa G. Kalil-Barrino

Capstones

Around the world, Black and Brown fashion designers are underrepresented in the media and fashion industry. Often, fast fashion companies like Shein, Zara, and H&M imitate or steal designs from Black and Brown designers who handcraft their clothes while factories mass produce them. Marisa Kalil-Barrino created 1202 Magazine, an arts and culture publication highlighting emerging artists, events, and concepts, especially her community, Black and Brown fashion designers.

For The Love Of Culture, Shanaé Harte

Capstones

‘For the Love of Culture’ explores the lives of people who moved to America from the Caribbean or have immigrant roots, but use different methods to preserve their cultures from their homes. These stories will be told by immigrants and family members of immigrants.

https://shanaeharte.wixsite.com/website/capstone-project

Evaluation Of Effectiveness Of Cultural Competence Program Implemented As Standard Practice To Improve Nurses’ Cultural Competency (Cultural Awareness, Cultural Cultural Knowledge, Cultural Skill), Improving Patient Care In A Community Hospital, Kendra Elam

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Manuscripts

The need for a culturally competent healthcare workforce is increasing as diversity increases in the United States’ patient population. Cultural competence is necessary because it helps the healthcare provider to offer the best care to every patient while considering and incorporating their cultural diversity and the patient holistically. Healthcare providers should be culturally competent to provide compassionate, caring, patient-centered care that promotes safety and quality in healthcare, reducing healthcare disparities. Culturally competent care supports social justice and health equity; it encourages health care as a human right. There is evidence that cultural competence and humility in professional development improve providers' …

Implementation And Evaluation Of Abcdef Bundle In The Surgical Intensive Care Unit (Sicu): A Quality Improvement Project, Carrie Blasko

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Manuscripts

Intensive Care Unit (ICU) delirium is highly prevalent in this patient population; however, it is a potentially avoidable hospital complication (Vasilevski et al., 2018). The Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) has been used as a tool to measure delirium in the SICU since 2014 (AHN, 2023). The SICU clinicians deliberated if a better assessment and management bundle is available to better identify and manage delirium as a concerning volume of patients continue to experience ICU delirium even with the current delirium assessment tool in place. Upon reflection, SICU clinicians acknowledge a gap in nurses’ knowledge in connection with identifying signs, symptoms, …

Implementation Of A Self-Care Management Program Utilizing Telehealth In Adults With Hypertension, Diann Schmitt

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Manuscripts

Hypertension (HTN) can lead to heart disease which is the leading cause of death in the United States for men, women, and most racial and ethnic groups. Evidence-based practice supports early recognition of available self-care management (SCM) modalities to impact hypertension improvement and medication adherence. Best practices for heart disease prevention and management include lifestyle modification, reducing out-of-pocket costs, self-management support and education, and self-measured blood pressure monitoring. Successful evidence-based approaches within literature have addressed the modalities and successful outcomes.

The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) is a quality standard of The Institute of Health Improvement (IHI) was used to conduct this project …

We Have Arabic At This School?: The Impact Of Neoliberalism And Orientalism On Arabic Education In The United States, Ella V. Pastore

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research examines Arabic education in the United States at the undergraduate level, highlighting the question: How do forces such as Orientalism, globalization, and neoliberalism affect the way that the Arabic language is taught and recognized in the United States? The Arabic programs of three highly accredited American universities are presented, in relation to their Japanese programs. While Japanese is a language that faces its own Orientalisms and imperial history with the West, Japan is currently not a country that is prioritized through national security interests, with Arabic being designated as a “Critical Language”. Through examination of the advertisement of …

Community Health Worker Certification Program - Motivational Interview, Advocacy, Communication And Conflict Resolution, Stella Antony

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Rural residents have health disparities more than urban populations. The significant health inequities in the underprivileged population include a higher incidence of chronic diseases, lack of access to healthy foods, health care, health insurance, unhealthy eating habits, poor socioeconomic status, cultural and language barriers, and lack of health literacy. As locals, Community health workers (CHWs) meet these populations and can improve healthy lifestyle changes and advocate for their community.

Local Problem: The population in Fresno and Tulare County in Central Valley, California, is underprivileged, lacks access to proper health care, and has higher rates of health disparities, including chronic …

Bridging The Gaps: Characterizing Alzheimer's Disease In Native Hawaiian And Pacific Islander Populations, Justina P. Tavana

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation addresses critical gaps in dementia research in Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities. Focusing on Samoan and Tongan communities, the study successfully adapted and validated the AD8 informant interview and the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale in native languages, establishing these instruments as reliable tools for detecting cognitive impairment in these populations. The research process prioritized meaningful community engagement and forged partnerships with indigenous professionals, ensuring alignment with and responsiveness to the specific needs of the community. These invaluable connections were the foundation of making this difficult work possible. Subjects assessed with these adapted instruments were enrolled …

Factors Influencing Conversion Of Cambodian Muslims To Christianity, Thomas W. Seckler

Witness

No abstract provided.

Depression Screening Tool For Hysterectomy Patients, Dede C. Mihedji

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of hysterectomies in the United States ranges from

5.1 to 5.8 per 1000 women (Harnod et al., 2018). A standardized screening tool for assessing

depression preoperatively could mitigate the worsening of postoperative depressive symptoms in patients scheduled for a hysterectomy.

Local Problem: Currently, there is no standard of practice to routinely screen for depression in preoperative patients scheduled for hysterectomy surgeries. However, as with any surgical intervention, there are risks of long-term complications. Studies have identified that a hysterectomy may increase the risk of cardiovascular events, menopause, depression, and other outcomes (Madueke-Laveaux et al., 2022). …

A Quality Improvement Project On Anxiety Management Before Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, Kiera Paulo

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: This Quality Improvement project sought to determine if a brief progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) session could decrease patient anxiety before receiving intramuscular (IM) injections for ketamine-assisted therapy. Problem: The Kerstin Helgason, NP clinic does ketamine-assisted therapy, and many patients express anxiety beforehand, either due to a fear of needles or nerves surrounding the medication treatment. Intervention: This project implemented a brief progressive muscle relaxation therapy for patients with anxiety before receiving their IM injection. Measures: The patient’s anxiety levels were measured before and after the PMR therapy using a five-point Likert scale ranging from none to very severe. Results: …

Developing And Implementing An Infection Prevention Practice Fellowship Program, Sejal Naik

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Developing and Implementing an Infection Prevention Practice Fellowship Program

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic placed huge demands on infection prevention programs (Blanchard et al., 2022), seriously taxing a profession already mired with progressively increasing workload and responsibilities (Bryant et al., 2016).

Local Problem: In a rapidly changing environment, infection preventionists (IPs) contend with pandemic surges, emerging infections, and supply chain disruptions. The NCAL Region of an integrated health system experienced IP turnover, and in the absence of a formal training program, newly hired IPs experienced variable to no opportunities to develop their competencies.

Methods: A literature review on infection prevention …

Using A Three-Dimensional Theoretical Orientation Matching Model To Predict Therapeutic Outcomes, Daniel Rhodes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Matching helpers and clients in a therapeutic setting is inefficient and ineffective. So far, there are no significant and enduring variables that reliably match helpers and clients that lead to positive therapeutic outcomes. This study attempts to match helper and client using theoretical orientation. It uses a quantitative methodology to predict therapeutic outcomes given match quality in the therapeutic dyad. Participants were 30 dyadic pairs—consisting of one helper and one client—who had a pre-existing therapeutic relationship. Each was given an assessment tool, used to measure their theoretical orientation to psychotherapy. Results showed no statistically significant relationships between theoretical orientation match …

Negative Psychology Of Anti-Semitism: Fear Of The Uncategorizable, Benjamin Strosberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Anti-Semitism is a pervasive global issue, particularly prominent in the United States. Studying and defining anti-Semitism prove remarkably challenging for scholars, leading to inadequate understanding and exclusion from contemporary academic discourse and social justice initiatives. In this dissertation, I made the case that anti-Semitism is hard to categorize, stemming, in part, from the difficulty in categorizing what it is to be Jewish, which seems to be multi-form (a figure of thought, a race, an ethnicity, a religion, a nation, none of the above). In thinking about the difficulty in categorization, I constellated various instances of anti-Jewish practices across historical epochs …

Understanding Unacceptable Graduation Outcomes For Historically Excluded Trio Student Support Services Students, Erica Willis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this mixed-methods study is to define the problem and to understand the system that has been leading to unacceptably low graduation outcomes for historically excluded Trio Student Support Services (Trio SSS) students at Mid-Atlantic University (MAU), a pseudonym. To achieve the primary purpose extant documents and institutional data that can shed light on system processes and institutional conditions that perpetuate disparities in graduation outcomes, particularly for historically excluded racial groups that exist at the intersection of first-generation status and/or low socioeconomic status, will be analyzed. The secondary purpose of this study is to identify potential change …

A Demonstration Of Enactivist Personality Assessment Using The Five-Factor Model, Garri Hovhannisyan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation seeks to extend the intellectual and existential horizon of the enactive approach by bringing forth an enactivist understanding of human cognitive life as it is lived from the perspective of personality traits. The theoretical task of this dissertation is to review existing evidence in support of the Enactivist Big-5 Theory (EB5T) of personality and its potential for bridging the phenomenological gap between minimal and human cognition. As a phenomenologically grounded theory of personality, EB5T conceptualizes individual differences not merely as differences in trait measures within a person but as differences in styles of how individuals bring forth, experience, …

Functional Cynicism, Michelle Fried

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Trait cynicism, or “cynical hostility” as measured by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory’s Cook-Medley Scale, is defined and studied as characteristics associated with psychopathology, interpersonal conflict, and negative health outcomes including heart disease and cognitive decline. Likewise, “organizational cynicism” is operationalized in industrial/organizational psychology for the purpose of describing and identifying an undesirable employee type in the workplace. This research proposes an alternative assessment. It reconnects cynicism with its roots in ancient philosophy by asking if cynical attitudes, despite their negative valence ascribed in the modern literature and conventional opinion, may serve a practical purpose. This study of Functional Cynicism …

Changing The Face Of Reading Instruction: Do Culturally Relevant Passages Increase The Effects Of The Repeated Reading Intervention For Middle School Black Girls With Reading Difficulties (Bgrds)?, Olajumoke Edith Oshokoya

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that fewer studies have focused on improving the reading abilities of middle school Black girls (Morris, 2007). As BGRDs progress through K – 12 grades, they increasingly rely on basic and advanced reading skills (i.e., oral reading fluency [ORF] and comprehension) to learn. Providing BGRDs with engaging reading passages that are relevant to their prior knowledge, background, interests, and experiences, is more likely to motivate them to read, and eventually improve their reading skills (Cartledge et al., 2015). While there is a growing body of literature focused on Black students’ experiences, currently no study has explored the …

Air-Jet Bioprinting Of Stem Cell-Encapsulated Alginate Micro-Droplets For Organoid Biomanufacturing, Mirabella B. Stump

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biomanufactured 3D-organoids show promise for modeling and treating various conditions, particularly insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (type-1 diabetes). Pancreatic islet organoids serve as sustainable sources of insulin-producing β-cells, potentially restoring insulin regulation in patients and providing a long-term solution for diabetes. Hydrogel droplet printing is an emerging technique in regenerative medicine due to its advantageous tunability and biocompatibility; however, challenges of consistency, quality control, and scalability persist. To address these issues, we developed a novel air-jetting based droplet bioprinting system for the generation of monodispersed alginate micro-droplets. The objective of this project was to incorporate human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into …

Large - Scale Manufacturing Of Fluorescent Perfluorocarbon Nanoemulsions For Oxygen Delivery, Anneliese Troidle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over 100,000 Americans are currently waiting for a life – saving organ transplant, yet 17 patients die daily waiting for a transplant they will never receive [1]. Preservation of organs is an area that has seen innovation throughout the years and can improve rates of transplantation, yet vascularized composite allotransplantation preservation has not followed suit [2]. Current standard of care is use of electrolyte solutions such as Histidine – Tryptophan – Ketoglutarate (HTK) or University of Wisconsin (UW) Solution, yet these perfusates lack an oxygen carrying component [3]. Hemoglobin – based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) …

The Contribution Of Principlism To Foster Ethical And Clinical Reciprocity In Resolving Healthcare Dilemmas, Dominic Glorioso

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Principlism is an ethical method that uses an analytical framework based on a set of principles that can function as guidelines for healthcare professionals. The term was made

famous by the work of two bioethicists, Tom L. Beauchamp and James F. Childress. Their book, Principles of Biomedical Ethics and its multiple editions described a set of norms that are basic

for biomedical ethics. The first edition of their book was published in 1979, and the ninth edition in 2019. Its persistence and durability speak for themselves. In addition, their writings made

famous the four bioethical principles of respect for Autonomy, …

The Implications Of The Halogen Atom On The Physical Stability Of Amorphous Solid Dispersions, Mustafa Bookwala

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Amorphous solid dispersions (ASD), although a promising formulation strategy for poorly water-soluble drugs, are susceptible to rapid, spontaneous recrystallization owing to their metastable nature. Non-covalent interactions (NCI) between the drug and polymer are known to help prevent ASD physical destabilization. Conventionally, hydrogen-bonding (H-bonding) is considered important for ASD formation and persistence. However, carbon-bound halogen atoms, which are frequently present on drug molecules and can form specific halogen-bonds (X-bond) with the polymer, remain relatively unexplored with respect to their ability to stabilize ASDs. It was, therefore, hypothesized that the presence of a peripheral Br on bromopropamide, and Cl on chlorpropamide will …

Development, Fabrication, And In Vitro Characterization Of Coconut Oil Lipidic Nanoparticles, Suneera Adlakha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nano-delivery systems such as solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) are being actively explored. Drug encapsulation in SLNs helps in improving the drug’s bioavailability and can be used for targeted delivery. We hypothesize that the production of stable SLNs can be achieved using low melting point lipids such as coconut oil (CO). The safety of CO has been demonstrated, and its capacity to dissolve drug molecules has been established. Drug-free solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) were formulated through the utilization of sonication and magnetic stirring as production techniques. Different compositions and process variables that directly influence SLN manufacturing were evaluated with the target …

The Normative Requirement For Shared Decision Making (Sdm) In Healthcare Ethics, Margaret Nornor-Quadjie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Medicine and medical technology started to advance after World War II. During that period, the practice of medicine became technical. A lot began to happen in the biomedical world during the period after WWII that attracted comments, criticisms, and analyses from scholars. Perhaps, the 1947 Doctors’ Trial at the Nuremberg Tribunal and the Nuremberg Code may be said to be the defining moment for bioethics. These events eventually led to, in the United States, the passage of the National Research Act of 1974 that established the Institutional Review Board system and the National Commission for Protection of Human Subjects of …

Comparative Functional And Genomic Analysis Of Protein Targets Of Sexual Selection In Primates, Brianna Ports

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sexual selection is driven by the differential reproductive success of individuals, which is influenced by competition for mates and mate choice. In primates, this selective pressure has been attributed to the development of distinct anatomical, physiological, and behavioral characteristics. By employing comparative functional and genomic methodologies, this study aimed to assess the repercussions of primate sexual selection. To better understand the mechanisms driving sexually selected traits, an unbiased genome-wide analysis was used to associate rates of protein evolution with relative testes size and sexual size dimorphism. While previous research focused on the rapid evolution of male reproductive proteins in response …

Role Of The Anti-Viral Immune Response In Neural Cell Modulation And Neurological Sequelae Of Childhood Viral Infections, Yashika Kamte

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Viral infections of the central nervous system (CNS) often result in neurological sequelae and are considered a risk factor for the development of neurological disease. Moreover, the outcomes of a viral infection are largely dependent on the age of the host, with younger hosts developing more profound neuropathology. Perhaps the developing brain coupled with an immature immune system contributes to worse outcomes in the very young. Children suffering from brain infections are more prone to develop enduring neurological impairments even after recovery from the infection. Although majority of the brain growth occurs in utero, neurodevelopment continues throughout the juvenile …

E Hui Me Ke Kaiāulu: To Connect With The Community, Heather Kayleen Bartlett

Dissertations and Theses

Urban planning literature contains a wealth of knowledge on community engagement as a crucial component of the planning process, yet there remains a notable gap in our understanding of best practices when it comes to sustaining community involvement for ongoing plan implementation. The County of Hawai'i, has charted a unique course through the establishment of Action Committees which serve as an intermediary to uplift grassroots implementation efforts while remaining closely entwined with County resources and processes. This interplay provides a unique case study that results in somewhat of an "identity crisis": Action Committees do not have the autonomy of external …

Framing Of Immigration: The Discussion Of Immigration And Its Influence On The American Identity, Nathan Torabi

The Crown: Syracuse Honors Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Psychometric Functions On Word Recognition Test Exploring The Difference In Performance Between Mandarin-English Bilinguals And English Monolinguals On The Nu-6 Word Recognition Test, William Russell, Jamie Desjardins

The Crown: Syracuse Honors Research Journal

No abstract provided.