Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of Factors And Constraints On Sporting Attendance, Joshua D. Whitlow

Honors Theses

21,625 fans packed the confines of Brooks stadium on September 3, 2022, for a clash between the Army Black Knights football team and the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers football team. This was a new record at Brooks stadium, and was followed with just 12,261 the next week vs. Gardner Webb. Meanwhile, a 2022 Coastal Carolina Women’s Soccer game draws in less than 200 spectators. On the surface level, the disparity of these numbers appears confusing and unconnected to one another, however there are a multitude of factors that go into the number of people who show up to a particular sporting …

Drug-Free Noninvasive Thermal Nerve Block: Validation Of Sham Devices, Michael Fishman, Ahish Chitneni, Alaa Abd-Elsayed, Samuel Grodofsky, Ashley Scherer, Brendan Schetzner, Malvina Klusek, Stephen Popielarski, Stephen Meloni, Steven Falowski, Philip Kim, Konstantin Slavin, Stephen Silberstein

Department of Jefferson Headache Center Papers and Presentations

Headache is a leading cause of disability and suffering. One major challenge in developing device treatments is demonstrating their efficacy given devices' often-high placebo rate. This paper reviews the importance of validating sham devices as part of finalizing the design for larger-scale prospective randomized controlled trials in patients with chronic headache as well as the results of a prospective, single-blind trial to validate two potential sham noninvasive thermal nerve block devices. Study participants were trained to self-administer thermal nerve block treatment using sham devices in an office visit. Two different sham systems with different temperature profiles were assessed. Devices were …

Examining Written Expression Curriculum-Based Measurement For Students With Emotional And Behavioral Challenges, John Elwood Romig, Hannah M. Mathews, Amanda A. Olsen

SAGE Open Access Agreement Publications-Archive

Students with emotional and behavioral challenges often struggle with writing. Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is an assessment used for a variety of purposes including screening, progress monitoring, and data-based individualization. However, little research has examined technical properties of writing CBM data and supported inferences. This study examined criterion validity of two CBM tasks with the Test of Written Language-4 and whether writing fluency was affected by writing prompt type. Thirty-eight students in 7th–12th grades with emotional and behavioral challenges completed a descriptive writing task and a narrative writing task. Writing samples were scored for the number of words written, words spelled …

Feasibility Of Using Podcasts For Knowledge Dissemination To Reduce Health Disparities For Women Targeting Preventative Initiatives And Lifestyle Medicine Interventions, Kristin Stovern

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

The purpose of this feasibility project was to look at podcasts to shed light on the issues that affect the well-being of women with gender-based disparities in healthcare. Women face persistent obstacles when it comes to the quality of healthcare they receive. One of the barriers that has been ever-present is with failure of the medical system to rigorously study the effects of diseases and drugs on women or to fund studies on women’s health conditions. Implicit biases and lack of access to care inhibit the quality of healthcare. Collectively, these issues result in unnecessary sickness, disability, and decreased quality …

Frequency Of Ciwa Scoring In Patients With Alcohol Dependence In A Mental Health Setting, Heather Mcmanis

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

The purpose of this quality improvement project was too assess the knowledge and attitudes of nursing staff toward assessing patients diagnosed with alcohol dependence who are detoxing from alcohol in a mental health facility. An educational intervention was done with nursing staff to assess their knowledge of the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol (CIWA) scale and to stress the importance of frequent and accurate use of the scale. Data was collected for three months before the educational intervention and three months after the educational intervention on the total number of patients admitted to the facility with a diagnosis of …

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, …

The Impact Of Sitting And Crawling On The Acquisition Of Object Permanence In Infants With Motor Delays And Infants With Typical Development, Karl Jancart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Object permanence (OP) is the ability to understand that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be perceived. During play, infants with an understanding of OP will continue searching for toys when the toys have been obscured by other items. Searching requires movement. The theory of embodied cognition maintains that the form and function of an organism’s body influence how the organism learns; Therefore, if a child has difficulties with movement, as demonstrated by children with motor delays, they will likely have difficulty engaging in play, the modality by which children learn about their world. The current research is …

Understanding The Psychological Significance Of Astrology In Millennial Women's Lives, Rachel June Floyd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In North America, astrology has been experiencing a resurgence in popularity. This is immediately remarkable given that the United States and Canada are industrialized, modern societies where astrology is widely lamented as a pseudoscience. This dissertation presents a phenomenological exploration of the underlying reasons for this cultural trend, particularly among the demographic that uses it most: millennial women. Existing psychological literature on astrology is primarily dominated by correlational studies or historical analyses and lacks the depth and richness of direct experiences of individuals engaging with this phenomenon. This study sought to address this gap within psychological literature specifically, by conducting …

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 …

Digital Literacy For Older Adult English Language Learners, Talley Caruso

Master's Projects and Capstones

When essential services transition to digital platforms, individuals with limited digital proficiency, immigrant English Language Learners (ELLs), and older adults aged 65 and above face challenges accessing these resources, leading to potential exclusion.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to online interactions and services due to lockdown measures, reducing face-to-face interactions. This sudden transition left individuals without digital skills unable to access healthcare, essential services, and maintain connections with their support networks. Addressing this issue presents an opportunity to promote inclusivity, empowerment, and community engagement through targeted digital literacy training.

Digital literacy encompasses the ability to navigate technology such as …

Queer Theory In The Metal Music Scene: How These Cultures Influence Each Other, Dalton A. Dalton

Faculty Curated Undergraduate Works

Queer theory has existed in the metal music scene since its beginning. In this paper, many aspects of both topics are dissected. Focusing on metal fashion and its crossover into queer armor, Queer coding, and its translation to metal archetypes on television. And the analysis of queer comfortability in metal music spaces by using queer theory as it applies to mass cultures and subculture

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 …

A Qualitative Exploration Of The Lived Experiences Of Graduate Students With Histories Of Mental Health Diagnoses Navigating Clinical Psychology Doctoral Programs, Hannah Flanery

Dissertations and Theses

In general, graduate students experience unhealthy stress levels throughout their graduate careers. Clinical psychology doctoral students experience additional stressors related to intensive training in providing psychological-related services to clients. There is a gap in the literature in understanding how clinical psychology doctoral students with a personal history of mental health effectively navigate highly stressful graduate programs. This dissertation explored the experiences of clinical psychology Ph.D. students who 1) have a history of mental health diagnoses and 2) experience current psychological distress as they manage educational/training demands and administer psychological interventions to clients. A phenomenological qualitative approach was utilized to fully …

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). …

Implementing An African American Cultural Awareness Program For Skilled Nursing Facility Staff, Adekemi T. Adedipe

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Patient care is most effective when patients and providers establish a therapeutic connection in a cultural context. Nurses’ lack of awareness of a cultural context for patient care impairs establishing a therapeutic provider/patient relationship, with care of lesser quality and poorer health outcomes as consequences.

Local Problem: Staff at a Northern Californian skilled nursing facility (SNF) caring for African American patients with mental illness lacked self-awareness of the cultural context of care. Staff did not consider cultural constructs of care in treating patients and developing care plans.

Methods: Educational intervention to increase the cultural competence of a skilled …

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 …

Early Diagnosis Methods For Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review, Megan Denise Mccarthy

Doctoral Dissertations

Objective: This systematic review aimed to comprehensively synthesize existing literature on early detection methods for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in children birth to 3 years, that lead to an effective and reliable early diagnosis in children 2 to 3 years of age.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted across multiple electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and PsycINFO following PRISMA guidelines. Studies reporting on early detection methods for ASD in infants and toddlers within ages 0 to 3 years that lead to early diagnosis of children ages 2 to 3 years were eligible for inclusion. Data extraction and quality assessment were …

The Effect Of Culture And Society On Postpartum Depression: Impacts Observed In India And America, Roma Agarwal

The Crown: Syracuse Honors Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Making Mathematics Meaningful: How Learning About Local Social Injustices Develops Undergraduate Students’ Identity, Intellect, Skill, And Criticality, Emanuel Boutros, Qiong Wu, Hanyi Xu, Nicole Fonger

The Crown: Syracuse Honors Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Creative Therapies For Autism: Movement, Music, And Sandplay, Alena Slak

The Crown: Syracuse Honors Research Journal

No abstract provided.

The Crown, Complete Issue - V1, The Crown

The Crown: Syracuse Honors Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Screening For Uterine Fibroids In Black Women, Winnie N. Kagendo

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Uterine fibroids are benign growths in the uterine muscle that affect around 70% of women. Black women have a higher risk, with three times the likelihood of developing fibroids compared to other races.

Problem: The issue of uterine fibroids continues to be poorly addressed in healthcare settings. Black women continue to be particularly adversely impacted by this problem. There is a lack of better screening methods, leading to late detection and limited treatment options for those hoping to maintain fertility.

Methods: A quality improvement project was implemented at a primary care clinic in Loma Linda, California, using the Uterine …

Enhancing Mental Health Assessments For Hysterectomy Patients: Implementing A Depression Screening Tool For Healthcare Clinicians, Dede Mihedji

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Hysterectomies are prevalent in the United States ranging from

5.1 to 5.8 per 1000 women (Harnod et al., 2018). A standardized screening tool for assessing preoperative depression could mitigate the worsening of postoperative depressive symptoms in patients scheduled for a hysterectomy. Local Problem: Currently, there is no standard practice for preoperative depression screening in hysterectomy patients. Studies have identified that a hysterectomy may increase the risk of cardiovascular events, menopause, depression, and other outcomes (Madueke-Laveaux et al., 2022). Methods: To address the gap, clinicians attended a fifteen-minute Zoom course on the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) and its …

The Role Of Pre- And Perinatal Oxycodone Exposure On Postnatal Brain Development And Behavior: Assessing The Impact On Later Life Brain Injuries In Juvenile Rats, Austin M. Gowen

Theses & Dissertations

There has been a long history of research investigating the role of the gestational environment on later life health and disease. The progressive widespread illicit and prescribed use of opioids in the 21^st century has seen opioids become one of the most significant gestational insults in the last century. The ability of opioids to pass both the placental barrier and blood-brain barrier makes them a particularly dangerous teratogen capable of altering the peripheral physiology, neurobiology, and behavior of affected children. The works herein investigate the impact of a widely prescribed opioid, oxycodone, on developmental neurobiology in the context of …

Feasibility Of A Laboratory Model For Evaluating The Use Of An Alternative Response Option In Mitigating Caregiver Treatment Integrity Errors, Jessie K. Weber

Theses & Dissertations

The current study assessed the feasibility of a laboratory model designed to evaluate options for mitigating common caregiver errors in the implementation of destructive behavior treatment. We developed a computer-based analogue to caregiver implementation of extinction for attention-maintained destructive behavior; the model included contingencies on both caregiver errors of commission and adherence to the treatment protocol. We also conducted a preliminary investigation of the effects of participant access to alternative activities as a potential strategy for mitigating integrity errors. Participants included 14 MTurk workers or staff in a severe behavior clinic, and individual response patterns revealed distinct sensitivities to the …

A Multiple Methods Study To Describe The Manifestation Of Burnout Of Nebraska Physical Therapists, Nicole M. Sleddens

Theses & Dissertations

The extent of burnout within the profession of physical therapy remains relatively unexplored despite the widespread national attention given to burnout among other healthcare professionals. The purpose of this pilot study was to describe the current state of burnout of physical therapists in Nebraska using a multiple methods approach.

The quantitative phase of the study utilized a cross-sectional design and survey to measure burnout levels and identify associated characteristics of 407 practicing physical therapists in Nebraska. According to the Maslach Burnout Inventory, approximately half the sample exhibited engagement while the other half experienced at least one dimension of burnout. The …

A Mixed Methods Study Of Physical Activity In The Intensive Care Unit And Post-Intensive Care Unit Hospital Stay: Patient Characteristics, Symptom Burden, And Experiences Of Postoperative Adults, Christina Bach

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Physical activity (PA) beginning early in the intensive care unit (ICU) can reduce adverse outcomes commonly experienced by individuals after ICU discharge. Patient-centered approaches to PA in the ICU and reliable activity evaluations are essential for understanding PA's impact on patient outcomes.

Objective: This dissertation sought to evaluate patient-related factors associated with PA in the ICU and post-ICU hospital stay.

Methods: The purpose of the dissertation was to conduct: 1) a concept analysis to define ICU survivorship and identify critical care aspects important for patient recovery; 2) an integrative literature review to assess early mobility (EM) interventions with physical, …

A Community-Based Participatory Research Approach To Addressing Pediatric Asthma Disparities In Douglas County, Nebraska, Aislinn Rookwood

Theses & Dissertations

Pediatric asthma is the leading chronic disease among children in the United States, and the incidence of pediatric asthma is increasing every year. Nebraska has an asthma prevalence comparable to the United States average; however, the state has significant disparities by county, race, and geographic location, with prevalence rates much higher than the national average. Douglas County is a hot spot for increased pediatric asthma rates, with further differences in rates by race and geographic location within the county. The University of Nebraska Medical Center, in partnership with Healthy Housing Omaha and the Nebraska Asthma Coalition, collaborated to conduct this …

Examining Teacher Leadership: Phenomenology Of The Perceived Challenges Of Being A Teacher Leader, Noelle H. Green

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning Infographics

Today’s school leaders recognize that one person, mainly the principal, cannot adequately address the needs of all members of the school community. Many principals rely on teacher leaders to lead alongside them to further school improvement, knowing that the traditional way of thinking of school leadership as being the sole role of the principal is no longer effective or efficient. While K-12 teachers typically have a strong background in child development, psychology, and pedagogy, many lack experience in leading and facilitating adults and have little background in adult learning theory.

The purpose of this research is to determine how K-12 …