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Bridgewater Magazine, Volume 35, Number 1, Fall 2025, Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater Magazine

THE EDUCATION ISSUE: Reaching Higher Through degree and non-degree programs, BSU supports learners of all ages and from all backgrounds, like middle-schooler Zhyra Lopes who is creating a clay model of a brain.

INSIDE: Educational Outreach Programs I A More Inclusive Honors Program I New Home for College of Education and Health Sciences I The Quantum Future

Providing Safe Gastric Feedings In Pediatric Patients On High Flow Nasal Cannula Respiratory Support, Olivia Joyce Chan

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

Purpose: HFNC is used to manage pediatric respiratory distress, but concerns aboutgastric air insufflation and aspiration risk lead to delayed feedings. There is no standardized practice guiding gastric feedings in children on HFNC. This project developed and implemented a decision tree to guide clinical decision-making for gastric feedings for children on HFNC. Methods: A HFNC feeding safety decision tree was developed following literature review and implemented in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). The primary outcome evaluated HFNC flow rates when starting gastric feeds. Secondary outcomes include adverse events (AEs), physiologic distress, and PICU/hospital LOS. Data were analyzed using Chi-Square …

Transgender And Gender Diverse People – Inclusive Healthcare System Access, Dakota Denielle Lawtum

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

Transgender and Gender Diverse People – Inclusive Healthcare System AccessPurpose: This DNP project implemented a dual strategy to increase system-wide access to care and awareness of the needs of transgender and gender diverse people. Background: The 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey is the most recent and largest survey of its kind in the United States comprising a total of 27,715 responses. (National Center for Transgender Equality, 2015, U.S. Transgender Survey). The results of this survey are as follows: 1) 26% of the total national respondents experienced insurance issues for gender affirming healthcare or being denied coverage for routine care; 2) 32% …

Nebraska Test #2302: Claas Xerion 12.650 Terra Trac, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Nebraska Test# 2299: Claas Xerion 12.590, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Nebraska Test #2296: John Deere 9rx 710, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Nebraska Test #2268: Case Ih Steiger 595, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Nebraska Test #2269: Case Ih Steiger 645, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Assessing Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Community Composition And Diversity Across A Land-Use Gradient In Eastern Washington Prairies, Katherine I. Cole

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are key to healthy, functioning terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. Associating with over 80% of all extant land plants, they play a pivotal role in nutrient cycling, and contribute to overall plant health. Given their significance to terrestrial ecosystems, AMF have a crucial role to play in the successful restoration of Eastern Washington’s native prairies. However, AMF community composition is significantly altered by the commercial agricultural practices used extensively in this region for over 100 years. The Eastern Washington University (EWU) Prairie Restoration Project aims to restore ~120 acres of farmland to native prairie. This research provides insight …

Mathematical Modeling Of Lead Climbing Falls, Rosemary Christmas Evans

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

This thesis presents a force-based mathematical model for simulating dynamic falls in lead sport climbing, with an emphasis on physical realism and empirical validation. The system is modeled as a mass–spring–damper, incorporating gravity, nonlinear rope stiffness, internal damping, and Capstan-style friction at protection points. The goal is to predict peak forces and rope elongation while capturing the complex dynamics of real climbing ropes. Several novel features are introduced. Activation switches ensure forces only engage when the rope is tensioned, preventing premature response. A velocity-sensitive stiffness transition function allows the rope to stiffen smoothly with increasing fall speed, reflecting rate-dependent rope …

Reference Interview Recommendations For Text And Data Mining, Laura Egan

Librarian Publications

Text and data mining (TDM) has become increasingly important in research and teaching in higher education. Researchers at all levels are engaging with larger quantities of data than previously feasible. The exponential increase in the availability of text data has resulted in a proliferation of the number of tools that facilitate text data processing and analysis. While TDM skills may have been optional or a disciplinary focus in the past, they are increasingly employed in a broader range of fields. Students and researchers may also be inspired to use TDM tools as they come across examples while looking for new …

Practical Necromancy For Beginners: A Short Incomplete Opinionated Introduction To Artificial Intelligence For Archaeology And History Students, Shawn Graham

Digital Press Books

Many feel bewildered and quietly embarrassed that they don’t know more about how AI technology works, where it came from, or even how to get started. Start here.

Practical Necromancy represents Shawn Graham’s vision for how we should treat large language model (LLM) artificial intelligence applications. Graham advocates approaching these technologies as a necromancer. In antiquity, the figure of the necromancer lay outside the boundaries of official religion, talking not with gods but with the mournful echoes of ghosts. Practical Necromancy explores ways of surfacing the ghosts that lurk in AI technology. Graham suggests that the most useful thing we …

The Potential For Albedo-Induced Climate Mitigation Using No-Till Management In Midwestern U.S. Croplands, Xian Wang, Mallory Barnes, Landon Yoder, Christopher A. Williams, Jennifer Tank, Todd Royer, Shellye Suttles, Kim Novick

Geography

No-till management is often recognized for its environmental and economic benefits, but its potential to reduce climate warming is still uncertain. Beyond ongoing debate over its effects on soil carbon storage, no-till also leaves plant residue on the surface, which can reflect more sunlight. This increase in surface reflectivity, called albedo, may help mitigate climate change by reducing the energy absorbed by the land. Here, we assessed this climate benefit of no-till across the U.S. Corn Belt using conservation survey records, county-level tillage data, and satellite observations. We found that no-till increased land surface brightness during the dormant season, reducing …

Permafrost And Structural Controls On Holocene Bedrock Landslide Occurrence Around Eyjafjörður, North‐Central Iceland, Adam Booth, Halldór G. Pétursson

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Rapid, transient, landscape‐scale changes associated with deglaciation can condition slopes for failure and trigger bedrock landslides. However, the mechanisms leading to paleo rock slope failures following the last glacial period are challenging to infer because observations of how both landsliding and potential driving factors were distributed in space and time are limited. Here, we map and analyze the spatiotemporal pattern of 676 post‐glacial bedrock landslides around Eyjafjörður in north‐central Iceland using 2‐m resolution digital elevation data generated from optical stereo satellite imagery. Frequency‐ratio analysis demonstrates that after controlling for slope, landslides are most overrepresented within 2.6 km horizontal distances from …

The Petrology Of The Ozerki Meteorite Constrained By Electron Backscatter Diffraction And X-Ray Computed Tomography, Alice Macente, Luke Daly, Sammy Griffin, Maria Gritsevich, Jarmo Moilanen, Josh Franz Einsle, Patrick Trimby, Chris Mulcahy, Jonathan Moffat, Alexander M. Ruzicka

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Combining electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) with X-ray computed tomography (XCT) offers a comprehensive approach to investigate shock deformation and rock texture in meteorites, yet such integration remains uncommon. In this study, we demonstrate the synergistic potential of XCT and EBSD in revealing deformation metrics, thereby enhancing our understanding of petrofabric strength and shock-induced deformation. Our analysis focuses on the Ozerki (L6, S4/5, W0) meteorite fall, which was instrumentally observed on June 21, 2018, and subsequently recovered by the Ural's branch of the Russian Fireball Network (UrFU) recovery expedition a few days later. The trajectory analysis conducted by the Finnish Fireball …

Peaking Today, Taking It Easy Tomorrow: Daily Performance Dynamics Of Working Long Hours, Lieke L. Ten Brummelhuis, Charles Calderwood, Christopher C. Rosen, Alison S. Gabriel

Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Underlying the “ideal worker” image that pervades many organizational cultures is the assumption that working longer hours equates to higher performance, despite recovery research that suggests that long work hours might actually impair future work performance. In an effort to reconcile these differences in how long work hours are thought to relate to job performance, we develop and test a conceptual model in which daily boosts in same-day performance associated with working longer hours could be offset by lower next-day performance. More specifically, we examine if working a longer day than usual reduces sleep, which has the potential to diminish …

Parallel Multi Objective Shortest Path Update Algorithm In Large Dynamic Networks, S. M. Shovan, Arindam Khanda, Sajal K. Das

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

The multi objective shortest path (MOSP) problem, crucial in various practical domains, seeks paths that optimize multiple objectives. Due to its high computational complexity, numerous parallel heuristics have been developed for static networks. However, real-world networks are often dynamic where the network topology changes with time. Efficiently updating the shortest path in such networks is challenging, and existing algorithms for static graphs are inadequate for these dynamic conditions, necessitating novel approaches. Here, we first develop a parallel algorithm to efficiently update a single objective shortest path (SOSP) in fully dynamic networks, capable of accommodating both edge insertions and deletions. Building …

Safenav: Safe Path Navigation Using Landmark Based Localization In A Gps-Denied Environment, Ganesh Sapkota, Sanjay Madria

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

In battlefield environments, adversaries frequently disrupt GPS signals, requiring alternative localization and navigation methods. Traditional vision-based approaches like Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) and Visual Odometry (VO) involve complex sensor fusion and high computational demand, whereas range-free methods like DV-HOP face accuracy and stability challenges in sparse, dynamic networks. This paper proposes LanBLoc-BMM, a navigation approach using landmark-based localization (LanBLoc) combined with a battlefield-specific motion model (BMM) and Extended Kalman Filter (EKF). Its performance is benchmarked against three state-of-the-art visual localization algorithms integrated with BMM and Bayesian filters, evaluated on synthetic and real-imitated trajectory datasets using metrics including Average Displacement …

Smartsla: Enabling Quality Of Service In Blockchain-Enabled Iot Networks, Kyle M. Whitlatch, Asad Waqar Malik, Sanjay Madria

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

The significant advancement in Internet of Things (IoT) adoption has enabled Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) to mitigate IoT sensors limited computational, transmission power constraints, and data distribution overhead. However, integrating MEC with the IoT ecosystem poses several challenges, resulting in integrity issues with the MECs, impacting their capacity to effectively serve users seeking data generated by IoT sensors. To address this, we propose SmartSLA, a blockchain based solution to ensure Quality of Service (QoS) from third party IoT devices. SmartSLA leverages the decentralized and immutable nature of blockchain to combat the shortcomings of MECs. Using smart contracts, we develop a …

Brain-Adapter: Enhancing Neurological Disorder Analysis With Adapter-Tuning Multimodal Large Language Models, Jing Zhang, Xiaowei Yu, Yanjun Lyu, Lu Zhang, Tong Chen, Chao Cao, Yan Zhuang, Minheng Chen, Tianming Liu, Dajiang Zhu

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Understanding brain disorders is crucial for accurate clinical diagnosis and treatment. Recent advances in Multimodal Large Language Models (MLLMs) offer a promising approach to interpreting medical images with the support of text descriptions. However, previous research has primarily focused on 2D medical images, leaving richer spatial information of 3D images under-explored, and single-modality-based methods are limited by overlooking the critical clinical information contained in other modalities. To address this issue, this paper proposes Brain-Adapter, a novel approach that incorporates an extra bottleneck layer to learn new knowledge and instill it into the original pre-trained knowledge. The major idea is to …

Classiffication Of Mild Cognitive Impairment Based On Dynamic Functional Connectivity Using Spatio-Temporal Transformer, Jing Zhang, Yanjun Lyu, Xiaowei Yu, Lu Zhang, Chao Cao, Tong Chen, Minheng Chen, Yan Zhuang, Tianming Liu, Dajiang Zhu

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) is an advanced technique for capturing the dynamic changes of neural activities and can be very useful in the studies of brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Yet, existing studies have not fully leveraged the sequential information embedded within dFC that can potentially provide valuable information when identifying brain conditions. In this paper, we propose a novel framework that jointly learns the embedding of both spatial and temporal information within dFC based on the transformer architecture. Specifically, we first construct dFC networks from rs-fMRI data through a sliding …

Exploring The Trade-Offs: Unified Large Language Models Vs Local Fine-Tuned Models For Highly-Specific Radiology Nli Task, Zihao Wu, Lu Zhang, Chao Cao, Xiaowei Yu, Zhengliang Liu, Lin Zhao, Yiwei Li, Haixing Dai, Chong Ma, Gang Li, Wei Liu, Quanzheng Li, Dinggang Shen, Xiang Li, Dajiang Zhu, Tianming Liu

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Recently, ChatGPT and GPT-4 have emerged and gained immense global attention due to their unparalleled performance in language processing. Despite demonstrating impressive capability in various open-domain tasks, their adequacy in highly specific fields like radiology remains untested. Radiology presents unique linguistic phenomena distinct from open-domain data due to its specificity and complexity. Assessing the performance of large language models (LLMs) in such specific domains is crucial not only for a thorough evaluation of their overall performance but also for providing valuable insights into future model design directions: whether model design should be generic or domain specific. To this end, in …

When Federated Learning Meets Quantum Computing: Survey And Research Opportunities, Aakar Mathur, Ashish Gupta, Sajal K. Das

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Quantum Federated Learning (QFL) is an emerging field that harnesses advances in Quantum Computing (QC) to improve the scalability and efficiency of decentralized Federated Learning (FL) models. This paper provides a systematic and comprehensive survey of the emerging problems and solutions when FL meets QC, from research protocol to a novel taxonomy, particularly focusing on both quantum and federated limitations, such as their architectures, Noisy Intermediate Scale Quantum (NISQ) devices, and privacy preservation, so on. With the introduction of two novel metrics, qubit utilization efficiency and quantum model training strategy, we present a thorough analysis of the current status of …

Grace-Fl: Green Resource-Aware Communication-Efficient Federated Learning, Dipanwita Thakur, Antonella Guzzo, Giancarlo Fortino, Sajal K. Das

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Federated Learning (FL) enables collaborative model training across distributed clients while preserving data privacy, but its deployment on resource-constrained devices is hindered by high communication overhead, inefficient energy usage, and poor convergence under non-IID data distributions. To address these challenges, we propose GRACE-FL: a Green Resource-Aware Communication-Efficient Federated Learning framework that explicitly incorporates device energy capacity into training. Each client adapts its learning rate, number of local epochs, and gradient quantization bit-width based on its available energy, allowing high-capacity devices to sustain more intensive training while low-capacity devices operate with lighter configurations. A novel energy-weighted aggregation strategy ensures that clients …

Investigating The Effects Of A Psychoplastogen On Depressive-Like Behaviors In Huntington Disease Model Mice, Kaleigh M. Hanley

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Huntington Disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expansion in the trinucleotide CAG repeat on exon 1 of the huntingtin gene. In HD one of the first symptoms is often depression. In cases where SSRIs fail, treatments for treatment-resistant depression often become a patient’s only option. These rigorous treatments, such as electroconvulsive therapy, are not suitable for this patient population as it can worsen motor symptoms. In order to search for potential alternatives, we queried whether depressive-like behavior could be reduced in Hu97/18 and Q175FDN HD mice by administering tabernanthalog, a non-hallucinogenic psychedelic analog. Our study is not …

Unravelling The Role Of Two-Component Systems In Mycobacterium Abscessus, Andrea C. Molero Perez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab) is an emerging pathogen within the nontuberculous bacteria (NTM) which poses a threat due to its complex multi-drug resistance and opportunistic nature. It is predicted that only 45.6% of patients will have successful treatment, with immunocompromised and cystic fibrosis patients being the most threatened. Moreover, investigating new treatment approaches is key to responding to this public health issue. Two-component systems (TCS) are regulatory pathways that play a pivotal role in bacterial survival and virulence. These systems are composed of a sensor histidine kinase (HK) and cognate response regulator (RR) protein that senses environmental cues and triggers specific …

Florida’S Gifted Education Program: Exploring The Nexus Between Giftedness And Choice Of College Major, Sterlin L. Bass

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Florida’s Gifted Education Program (FGEP) is a K-12 educational program in Florida’s public education system through which gifted students are identified and supported through individualized educational plans promoting intellectual development. The intent of this study is to explore the influence Florida’s Gifted Education Program has on the choice of major of a student and mental health outcomes. Current data revolving around different definitions of “giftedness” such as high ACT scores, SAT scores, and GPA, show a connection between negative mental health outcomes produced by the development of perfectionism. FGEP presents challenges in addressing these concerns due to non-standardized curricula across …

Solving The National Security Threat Of The United States Drug Crisis, Anna B. Freehafer

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis analyzes the current drug crisis in the United States with the intention of forming a sound National Security Report and Strategy to equip current and future administrations with the necessary tools and information to adapt to the modern crisis. The number of drug induced and related deaths are rising in the U.S., which arguably is cause for alarm at the federal level. With the country divided on how to properly attack this crisis, which affects hundreds of thousands of lives across the nation, this thesis aims to provide a solution to a drug crisis that is unlike any …

Threading The Needle: Chinese American Adoptees And The In-Between, Annalee Johnson

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Threading the Needle is a short documentary that investigates the relationships between Chinese American adoptees, their families, and their heritage. The film features two primary participants, Mia Nails and Annalee “AJ” Johnson as they reflect on their Asian American identity, experiences with racism, and their struggles with cultural estrangement. The similarities and differences in their perspectives shed light on both the wonderful and the heartbreaking circumstances of adoption. The contemporary value of the film lies in how it challenges popular representations of the Asian American experience: Though in recent years, Asian American media has become more present in popular culture, …

Intelligent Tutoring Systems In The Age Of Llm-Based Agentic Frameworks - Adapting Small On-Device Language Models For Fact-Checking And Student Compliance Detection, Evan Vahid Naderi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

As large language models (LLMs) demonstrate increasingly sophisticated language understanding capabilities, they offer transformative potential for educational technology, particularly in developing more responsive intelligent tutoring systems (ITS). To develop these systems, a synthesis that balances theoretical frameworks with practical, cutting-edge, and deployable technology would be useful. This thesis aims to advance the field of ITSs theoretically by viewing the modern advancements in natural language processing within the context of the foundational frameworks important to the fields of self-regulated learning, ITSs, and cognitive agents. Then, building on prior research on the ITS MetaTutor \citep{Azevedo2022}, this research focuses on how functions of …