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University Studies Annual Assessment 2023-2024, Portland State University. University Studies Program

University Studies Annual Assessment Reports

Annual in-depth examination and assessment of Portland State University's general education model, the University Studies Program. The tools and methods used to assess student learning are faculty driven and developed.

Enhancing Disaster Preparedness In Nursing Education: A Quality Improvement Approach Using Simulation And Training, Paul Dreater

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Natural or artificial disasters threaten safety and continuity in educational settings. The University of San Francisco School of Nursing and Health Professions (USF SONHP) identified a critical gap in its disaster preparedness, underscored by the absence of a comprehensive disaster plan. This shortfall highlights the need for an educational strategy encompassing disaster readiness and response, particularly given the potential for such events to cause substantial harm and disruption.

Local Problem: A gap analysis conducted at the USF SONHP revealed the lack of a structured disaster plan, underlining the urgent need for an initiative to develop and implement a comprehensive …

Gardner-Webb Athletes Of The Week For Nov. 25 And Dec. 2 Recognized For Accomplishments On The Court And In The Pool, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

After a weekend of noteworthy performances, junior Justin Bender of the Gardner-Webb University swimming team and freshman Maja Rohkohl of the Gardner-Webb women’s basketball team were named GWU Athletes of The Week for Nov. 25.

The Bear Essentials, December 9 2024 Edition, Dmacc Student Life

The Bear Essentials

Bear Essentials is an online newsletter published by the Student Activities Council of Des Moines Area Community College. The newsletter was established in early 2020 when DMACC closed its facilities due to the coronavirus pandemic. The newsletter covers topics such as upcoming virtual activities and events, college resources, and community service opportunities. When asked about the origins of the newsletter, Student Activities Advisor Erin Smith said, "We wanted students to know they were not alone, the entire DMACC Community was coming together to help support one another in any way possible."

Uni Holiday Concert, Featuring The Cecilians, Cantorei, Concert Chorale, Jazz Band Two, December 9, 2024 [Program], University Of Northern Iowa. School Of Music.

Music Recital Programs

Program of a music recital given by faculty, students, or guest artists from the School of Music at the University of Northern Iowa.

Fall Prevention Staff Education For Nurse Preceptors' Utilization In Nursing Orientation, Angela Green

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This project involved the creation of a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) staff education project for nurse preceptors to utilize in nursing orientation. The project was to increase the nurse preceptors’ knowledge, awareness, and competencies of the hospital’s fall prevention plan. The gap in nursing practice issue was an increase in fall occurrences throughout the hospital. The hospital’s key performance indicators for fall events demonstrated a significant increase in fall rates. The practice-focused question for this project addressed whether a staff education project on fall prevention provided to nurse preceptors would result in a decrease in the number of the …

High Intracranial Pressure Following Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy: Illustrative Case, Zachary Sokol, Rohan V. Gupta, Robert Ziechmann, Scott R. Shepard

Jefferson Hospital Staff Papers and Presentations

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is an effective procedure for the treatment of triventriculomegaly associated with aqueductal stenosis. However, some patients can develop severe and symptomatic intracranial pressure (ICP) elevations in the immediate postoperative period that can be monitored and treated with external ventricular drain (EVD) placement and controlled cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion until the ICP normalizes and symptoms resolve.

OBSERVATIONS: The authors describe the case of a 39-year-old male who underwent ETV and intraoperative EVD placement for obstructive hydrocephalus associated with aqueductal stenosis. The patient was noted to have sustained ICP elevations in the immediate perioperative period but ultimately …

Faculty Senate Xxix 2024-2025 - December 9, 2024 Agenda, Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Agendas & Minutes

No abstract provided.

University Of New Hampshire 2024-2025 Faculty Senate Xxix - December 9, 2024 Minutes Summary, Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Agendas & Minutes

No abstract provided.

Na2B12Si6Se18: A Novel B12-Cluster-Containing Quaternary Selenoborate Framework Material, Gopabandhu Panigrahi, Hunter B. Tisdale, Gregory Morrison, Hans Conrad Zur Loye

Faculty Publications

We report the successful synthesis of the new quaternary, three-dimensional Na₂B₁₂Si₆Se₁₈ material using a solid-state synthesis route. This compound is characterized by a unique framework structure that features the rare icosahedral [B₁₂]¹⁰⁺ cation which is connected via Si2Se6 polyhedral units into a 3D framework structure with Na+ ions located inside the channels. The Na₂B₁₂Si₆Se₁₈ compound crystallizes in the cubic crystal system in the space group Im, with lattice parameter a = 11.91110(10) Å and unit cell volume of 1689.88(4) ų. …

Wearable Surface Electromyography System To Predict Freeze Of Gait In Parkinson's Disease Patients., Anna Moore, Jinxing Li, Christopher H Contag, Luke J Currano, Connor O Pyles, David A Hinkle, Vivek Shinde Patil

Neuroscience Articles

Freezing of gait (FOG) is a disabling yet poorly understood paroxysmal gait disorder affecting the vast majority of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) as they reach advanced stages of the disorder. Falling is one of the most disabling consequences of a FOG episode; it often results in injury and a future fear of falling, leading to diminished social engagement, a reduction in general fitness, loss of independence, and degradation of overall quality of life. Currently, there is no robust or reliable treatment against FOG in PD. In the absence of reliable and effective treatment for Parkinson's disease, alleviating the consequences …

Access To Virtual Care In Behavioral Health: A Social Determinant Of Health, Patrick J. Hearle, Emily A. Smith, Richard J. Caplan, Ram A. Sharma

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

Abstract Objective: In the wake of COVID-19, the use of virtual modalities to provide healthcare has increased significantly. While virtual care services, particularly for behavioral health encounters, have become commonplace in many healthcare systems, there is limited data describing to what extent access to virtual care is affected by social determinants of health. The present study aims to characterize the utilization of virtual (video, phone) and non-virtual (in—person office visits) behavioral health care encounters among differing socioeconomic and demographic populations in two campuses served by a tertiary care center in Delaware to identify trends and potential barriers to these services. …

Youth Program Fy2024 Evaluation Report December 2024, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Karina Zeferino

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

The Youth Conflict Resolution & Restorative Practices Program (Youth Program or Program), administered by the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) in collaboration with 10 community mediation centers (Centers), aims to reduce youth conflict and/or violence through a social and emotional learning (SEL) and positive youth development framework. This approach leverages mediation and restorative practices to equip youth with essential SEL skills and improve school climate. This FY2024 program evaluation report assesses the Youth Program’s effectiveness across multiple domains, including school climate, student SEL competencies, engagement/awareness, training, and resources.

Career Preparation In English And Creative Writing, Katherine Fischer

Honors Projects

The information presented within this Honors Project considers and evaluates career preparation within English and Creative Writing (CW) majors. The project is divided into three parts titled Business Curriculum, Field Research, and Connections with Businesses. The Business Curriculum section analyzes how the Schmidthorst School of Business career preparation curriculum can be applied to the CW or English major; the Field Research section explores current CW and English students’ perceptions of career preparation at BGSU; and the Connections with Businesses section discovers businesses regional to BGSU for potential future experiential learning opportunities. Ultimately, the results of the project's sections include: a …

Antibiotic Resistance Of Laboratory E. Coli Strains, Alexis H. Hart

Honors Projects

Antibiotic resistance is an ongoing global health crisis. The prevalence and distribution of antibiotic resistance in environmental microbial communities have become climactic areas of investigation due to their far-reaching implications for ecosystem health, human well-being, and the sustainability of antimicrobial efficacy.

Forecasting Crime Rates Utilizing Machine Learning And Economic Indicators, Owen Miller

Honors Projects

Abstract: The following project utilized the correlation between economic indicators and crime rates to build tree-based machine learning algorithms that predict monthly crime rates in Ohio. The goal of the study was to answer how economic variables could be used in forecasting county level crime rates. A sample of 9 counties were utilized in building regression trees, random forests and evolutionary random forest models. The study concluded that lagged crime rates provided the best predictive ability in forecasting models, while economic variables provided more accuracy to property crime. The study could be furthered by creating models at the department level …

Steps In The Right Direction: The Pursuit Of Walkability Within The United States, Griffin Neuschaefer

Honors Projects

The benefits associated with walkability are well documented and observed across a number of disciplines. Benefits pertaining to the economy, physical and mental health, and safety are clearly associated with walkability and the implementation of walkable design within specific communities. Due to dominant practices pertaining to urban design within the United States and a history of increasingly single-use and low-density zoning, walkability and the use of walking as a form of transportation are rarely utilized to the same extent as similarly developed countries. This paper aims to evaluate the features of walkability related to the aforementioned benefits in order to …

Using Fragments To Uncover Connections Through Call And Response, Resonance, And Dissonance, Mary Garland, Laurinda Brown, Melissa Dunlop, Carol Laidler, Marian Liebmann, Donata Puntil, Artemi Sakellariadis, Jane Speedy

Professional Services

CANI-net (Collaborative Artful Narrative Inquiry Network) has evolved over the last thirty years from being a research center and network at the University of Bristol to holding online monthly “open inquiry space” sessions attended by scholars, educators, and artists around the world. The sessions are flexible, encouraging the presentation of work in progress, ideas just emerging, middling, in a warm, friendly, supportive atmosphere with students and academics and others engaging, collaborating, and offering feedback to one another. Each session usually offers the opportunity for those present to write into the shared space, and to then share that writing. In the …

Social Media Influencer’S Crisis Responses And The Short And Long-Term Effects On Their Brand And Reputation, Reese K. Brosnan

SPARK Symposium Presentations

A crisis for a social media influencer is incredibly prevalent as a part of the career since they are constantly online and showing themselves to the world. There is currently plenty of research on how to plan for a crisis response for organizations that are not having to respond as both an individual and as a brand. The need for research on how an influencer can plan for and respond to a crisis in an effective manner is imperative as the rate of people wanting to be a social media influencer has increased. Therefore, more people will become reliant on …

Enhancement Of Ambient Air Quality Index Forecasting Using Optimized Ensemble Model, Vanitha M

Theses and Dissertations

Forecasting ambient air quality is essential for environmental sustainability and public health, especially in heavily populated regions such as China, India, and the United States where air pollution remains a serious concern. Traditional forecasting models often struggle to accurately represent air quality data because of its complex patterns and nonlinear interactions. To address these challenges and improve forecast performance, this research proposes a comprehensive strategy that integrates parallel heterogeneous ensemble modeling with Bayesian optimization.

The study begins with a seasonal machine learning–based imputation technique (SeasonalMLImpute) designed to handle missing data in meteorological and air quality parameters. This method is evaluated …

When Help Hurts: Workplace Instrumental Support And Employee Emotional Exhaustion Within-Person, Jensine Paoletti-Hatcher, Anthony T. Misisco, Eden B. King

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The social support paradox describes mixed findings on the effects of social support on well-being. An application of the person-environment fit perspective can address the paradox by reasoning that similar quantities of social support needs and social support supplies should result in optimal well-being outcomes. We integrate a person-environment fit perspective with self-determination theory in an examination of the relationship between workplace instrumental support and emotional exhaustion through a two-week experience sampling method study. Fifty-nine participants responded to questions about desired quantities of work-related help from their colleagues (coworkers and supervisors) and their perceived quantities of work-related help after work …

Accelerating Shock-Driven Reactions In Metal Nanocomposites, Siva Kumar Valluri, Edward L. Dreizin, Dana D. Dlott

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Metal powders are sought as energetic additives to conventional explosives. However, due to their sluggish reaction kinetics with external gaseous oxidizers, pure metals are replaced with metallic composites with intimately mixed condensed phase oxidizers prepared by arrested reactive milling (ARM). Such composites can be initiated by non-thermal, mechanical means; through shear mixing of fuel and oxidizer under a shock compressive load. Since the ARM preparatory technique allows for tuning multiple powder attributes such as fuel/oxidizer of interest, their degree of mixing, amount of oxidizer, particle porosity, among others, a parametric study is crucial in identifying suitable traits for fast reactions …

The Role Of Dna Topoisomerases In The Completion Of Dna Replication, Parisa Mokhtari

Dissertations and Theses

Accurate replication of the genome is essential to maintain cellular life. Completing DNA replication on the chromosome is central to this task and involves several enzymes, including RecBCD, RecG and SbcCD-ExoI, which process, join, and resolve the two convergent replication forks. This event is certain to generate a number of structural complexities involving supercoiling, tangles and knots as the two DNA replication forks converge which must be resolved to maintain the integrity of the genome. Structural knots and tangles generated during DNA replication, transcription and segregation are typically resolved by DNA topoisomerases. E. coli encodes four DNA topoisomerases--two type I …

Deciphering Immune Suppression Mechanisms Of Primary And Metastatic Breast Cancer, Seunghyun Lee

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has revolutionized cancer treatment, receiving FDA approval for various previously incurable cancers. In breast cancer, the combination of pembrolizumab (an anti-PD-1 antibody) with chemotherapy has become the standard-of-care for early-stage (Keynote-522) and advance-stage (Keynote-355) triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Unfortunately, over 30% of TNBC patients fail to respond to the combined chemo-immune therapy treatment, and the causes are unknown. Furthermore, ICB has demonstrated poor results in hormone-receptor positive breast cancer. While it is well-established that breast cancer cells can evade immune responses, the specific mechanisms driving immune evasion remain unclear. Thus, deciphering the immune system's role in …

Empowering Veterans For Social Innovation: A Study On Bridging Military Experience And Civilian Impact Through Targeted Educational Programs, Jill H. Wolfe

Masters Projects

Transitioning from military to civilian life poses unique challenges for veterans, including difficulties in leveraging their military-acquired skills for impactful civilian roles. This thesis explores how veterans’ leadership, adaptability, and mission-driven purpose can be harnessed for social innovation—a field requiring systemic thinking and collaborative problem-solving to address complex societal challenges. Through qualitative interviews with veterans and case studies of existing programs like The Mission Continues and Team Rubicon, the study identifies gaps in educational frameworks that prepare veterans for social innovation roles.

Findings reveal that while veterans possess the resilience and strategic capabilities essential for social impact, barriers such as …

Exploring The Factors Involved To Support African American Males' Success In Mathematics During The Early Grades, Elmore Travis Collier

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This study used a mixed methods approach to examine the instructional and social emotional factors that support African American boys’ success during early elementary grades. The study investigated key influences including teacher and parent demographics, student-teacher, and parent-student relationships, building mathematical confidence in students, and approaching math as a long-term investment. It explored how these factors existed within an ecosystem that contributed to positive math outcomes for students by the third grade. The study used surveys and interviews of teachers, parents, and students to describe instructional activities, relationships, and interactions at school and home that supported positive math outcomes. Findings …

Senior Voice Recital Program, Ethan Gonzalez

Honors Capstones

I performed a vocal recital for my senior year at NIU as part of the final requirements for the completion of the Music Education degree. This document consists of in-depth biographies on the composers; Henry Purcell, George Frideric Handel, Johannes Brahms, Claude Debussy, and Manuel De Falla. Additionally, I have provided research on each piece performed in the program that discusses the history, harmonic structure, and any cultural significance that ensued from the piece. I have also provided English translations to pieces sung in foreign languages. This recital is made possible by daily practice towards my musical skills and diligent …

Student Life E-Newsletter December 09, 2024, Seattle University School Of Law Student Life

Student Life E-Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Association Of Unmet Social Needs With Disease-Related Outcomes In Pediatric Patients With Sickle Cell Disease, Molly Sonenklar, Sarah Marks, Cerelia Donald, Cecelia Valrie, Wally Smith, India Sisler

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Social determinants of health (SDoH) are socioeconomic factors that influence health and well-being, though when unmet can greatly contribute to health disparities. Individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at increased risk of mortality, disability, and healthcare utilization. However, there are limited data linking specific social needs with disease outcomes in this population. Therefore, we sought to identify the unmet needs in one institution and their association with healthcare utilization. Methods: Children with SCD and their guardians answered demographic and SDoH questionnaires during routine Sickle Cell Clinic appointments. We defined an unmet social need as any positive answer to …

Adipocyte-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles Exacerbate Diabetic Ischemic Heart Injury By Promoting Oxidative Stress And Mitochondrial-Mediated Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis, Lu Gan, Jianli Zhao, Peng Yao, Theodore A. Christopher, Bernard Lopez, Wayne B. Lau, Walter Koch, Erhe Gao, Xin-Liang Ma, Yajing Wang

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Diabetes increases ischemic heart injury via incompletely understood mechanisms. We recently reported that diabetic adipocytes-derived small extracellular vesicles (sEV) exacerbate myocardial reperfusion (MI/R) injury by promoting cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Combining in vitro mechanistic investigation and in vivo proof-concept demonstration, we determined the underlying molecular mechanism responsible for diabetic sEV-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis after MI/R.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Adult mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks. sEV were isolated from plasma or epididymal adipose tissue. HFD significantly increased the number and size of plasma- and adipocyte-derived sEV. Intramyocardial injection of an equal number of diabetic plasma sEV in nondiabetic …