Digital Commons Network^™

Patient Engagement Strategies In Weight-Loss Programs, Olufunmilayo M. Bishop

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Weight regain after pharmacological weight-loss interventions remains a pervasive challenge in primary care, with over 70% of patients reverting to baseline weight within six months. This quality improvement project aimed to enhance healthcare providers’ patient engagement skills to improve retention and long-term outcomes in weight-loss programs. A structured staff training program focusing on motivational interviewing, goal-setting, and barrier recognition was implemented among a multidisciplinary team. The program’s effectiveness was evaluated through a mixed-methods approach, incorporating quantitative pre- and post-assessment scores and qualitative staff satisfaction surveys. Results demonstrated a significant increase in staff knowledge, with average scores rising from 68% to …

Silicon Is The Next Frontier In Plant Synthetic Biology, Aniruddha Acharya, Kaitlin Hopkins, Tatum Simms

Faculty Publications - Biological Sciences

Silicon has a striking similarity to carbon and is found in plant cells. However, there is no specific role that has been assigned to silicon in the life cycle of plants. The amount of silicon in plant cells is species specific and can reach levels comparable to macronutrients. Silicon is used extensively in artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and the digital revolution, and thus can serve as an informational molecule such as nucleic acids. The diverse potential of silicon to bond with different chemical species is analogous to carbon; thus, it can serve as a structural candidate similar to proteins. The discovery …

Sos (Save Our Skin)- A Hospital Acquired Pressure Injury Reduction Quality, Nicholas A. La Mar

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: Hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) are a significant source of preventable harm. Often associated with increased patient morbidity, reduced quality of life, and substantial financial costs. In 2023, a Northern California level II trauma center reported 44 HAPI cases, with 25% occurring in the telemetry units. Despite a hospital-wide reduction in HAPIs in 2024, telemetry units accounted for 33% of the cases in the first quarter of 2025, highlighting a need for targeted intervention.

Context: The project was conducted in four adult inpatient telemetry units of a 241-bed level two trauma center. The units faced challenges with inconsistent adherence to …

August 2025, Swosu Bulldog Wellness Committee

SWOSU BULLDOG WELLNESS

• Yoga classes coming 9/16 - 10/14
• National Wellness Month
• 5 Habits of Self-Care
• Vaccines and Immunization
• Zucchini Brownies!
• Family Fun Month - Ideas!
• Standing Desks Available
• Word Search

Physical And Mental Health Of Behavioural Health Certified Peer Specialists In Four Us States, Judith A. Cook, Jane K. Burke-Miller, Morgan Pelot, Jessica A. Jonikas, Laysha Ostrow

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background:

Little is known about the health and healthcare needs of the behavioural health peer specialist workforce in the USA. This study explored the physical and mental health-related quality of life (QOL) of a US multistate cohort of certified peer specialists, and factors associated with health-related work absences among those employed in peer specialist positions.

Methods:

Data come from 419 participants surveyed 18 months after state certification as part of a 2-year longitudinal cohort study of peer specialists in four US states. Measures included the Veterans RAND 12 Item Health Survey, the Epidemic-Pandemic Impacts Inventory and items from the National …

From Once To Future Queen: Revitalizing Guinevere In Recent Arthuriana, Michael A. Torregrossa

Online Midwinter Seminar (OMS)

No abstract provided.

The Unseen Struggle: Poems From The Abyss, Victor Ihechiluru Unachukwu

All ETDs from UAB

The Unseen Struggle: Poems from The Abyss is a collection of seventy poems. The poems cracked into the experiences of Nigerians—enduring social, political, and environmental oppression. Socially, ethnic divisions and limited education restrict opportunity; politically, corruption and repression silence dissent; environmentally, resource exploitation devastates livelihoods. Through poetry, I constructed a fictionalized Imo and Abia State, rendering these struggles visceral without requiring the reader’s physical presence. Drawing on personal experience, I employed sensory, auditory, and visual imagery to immerse readers in the systems that dictate and constrain Nigerian life. As a Nigerian living in America, I intertwine real events with familial …

The Challenges Faced By Postrelease Offenders In Rural Mississippi, Whitney Starks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Reintegration after incarceration has long been a subject of scholarly inquiry, particularly regarding barriers to employment, housing, and mental health services. However, limited research addresses the reintegration experiences of postrelease offenders in rural regions, where access to essential resources is often restricted. This qualitative single case study is an exploration of the challenges and service needs of formerly incarcerated individuals living in rural Mississippi. Using purposive and snowball sampling, six participants were selected based on residency in rural counties, a nonviolent criminal history, and at least one year of successful community reentry. The conceptual framework was guided by the assess, …

Qtc Interval Prolongation In Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Treated With Bedaquiline And Delamanid Under Programmatic Conditions, Oki N. Putra, Yulistiani Yulistiani, Seodarsono Seodarsono, Julaeha Julaeha

Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy Research

Background: The cardiac safety of regimens containing bedaquiline and delamanid is not well-established, especially in Indonesia. This study aimed to analyze QTc interval during six months of treatment and factors associated with QTc interval prolongation. Methods: A prospective cohort of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) patients received regimens containing bedaquiline and delamanid between September 2022 and May 2023 at the outpatient department of MDR-TB of the Dr. Soetomo Hospital. Patients were divided into bedaquiline and bedaquiline-delamanid-containing regimens groups, respectively. QTc interval was evaluated before and until the sixth month of treatment using ECG. QTc interval prolongation was categorized as clinically significant if …

Identification Of Drug Related Problems (Drps) Based On Drug And Dosage Selection In Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients, Dhani Wijaya, Fathia F. Rahmadanita, Ria R. Atmaja, Sadli Syarifuddin, Roihatul Mutiah, Atiqoh N. Habibah, Fika S. Nafisah

Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy Research

Pharmacological therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus involves more than one type of drug, this increases the potential for Drug Associated Problems (DRPs) in terms of selecting the type and dose of the drug. This study aimed to determine the treatment profile and identify the occurrence of DRPs based on drug selection and dosage in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This descriptive observational study was conducted in October 2022 in the medical record room of one general hospital in Batu, East Java. The study sample was obtained by total sampling using 36 medical records of inpatients with type 2 …

Phytochemical And Nutritional Composition Of Vernonia Amygdalina: Antioxidant, Antidiabetic Efficacy, And Hematological Benefits, Hassan A. Adewuyi, Atapia I. Messiah, Ochonung E. Ogar, Waheed S. Adio, Adebimpe H. Aluwatoyin, Obunadike Obunadike, Adeleye A. Edema, Samad Hussein, Usman A. Mohammed, Kevin L. Sebastine, Tolulope O. Jaiyeola

Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy Research

Vernonia amygdalina, a traditionally used medicinal plant, has been purported to possess health-promoting properties.The aim of this study is to investigate the phytochemical and nutritional composition of V. amygdalina, evaluate its antioxidant and antidiabetic efficacy, and assess its hematological benefits. Phytochemical screening, proximate analysis, antioxidant assays (DPPH, ABTS), antidiabetic evaluations in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, and hematological assessments were conducted according to standard protocol. V. amygdalina exhibited a rich phytochemical profile, comprising flavonoids, phenolic acids, and terpenoids, alongside significant antioxidant activity (IC50 = 12.5 μg/mL) and complete source of protein. Proximate analysis revealed high protein (21.1%) and fiber (15.6%) content. Antidiabetic …

Staff Education To Same Day Surgery Nurses, Katherine Lutman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The aim of this doctor of nursing practice staff education project was to provide a staff education program to the same day surgery staff at the practicum site on the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) evidence-based approach to surgical care to improve patient outcomes. ERAS includes multiple modalities designed to optimize a patient’s condition before, during, and after surgery. When implemented correctly, ERAS can reduce the need for narcotics, shorten recovery time, and improve surgical outcomes. The practice gap identified was that the only ERAS modality being actively implemented and tracked was nutrition in colorectal surgical patients and that the …

Gender Role Conflict In Women, Candyletta Lewis

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines gender role conflict (GRC) in women within the context of feminine norms, with a focus on developing a scale designed to measure GRC derived from feminine ideology that may contribute to gender related stress. The primary research questions address the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Gender Role Conflict Scale for Women (GRCS-W). Additional research questions examine the relationship between feminine gender role conflict and psychological well-being, and whether any racial differences exist in self-reported GRC. Participants include 132 women aged 18–70 from diverse educational backgrounds. Findings revealed a three-component solution for the GRCS-W. The internal …

“Literally Made Me Cry”: The Impact Of Course Material Costs On University Of Kentucky Students, Stephen Krueger

Library Reports and White Papers

The Student Course Materials Cost Survey was administered September 16 – October 6, 2024. It was open to current students at the University of Kentucky (UK). The goals were to help UK Libraries better understand how the cost of course materials affects students at UK and to provide a snapshot of student spending across the university. The questions were based on similar research done at other institutions in Virginia (Virginia Course Materials Survey, 2021) and Florida (2022 Student Textbook and Instructional Materials Survey, 2022). Other work based on those surveys includes the 2023 Illinois Course Materials Survey (CARLI, 2023) and …

Rangelands Glossary, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

An alphabetical list of common Rangelands terminology.

Joint Kinematics And Kinetics During Vertical Jump Landings With Progressively Increasing External Loads, Darcie L. Yount

Dissertations

This study examined sagittal and frontal plane kinematics and kinetics during countermovement jump (CMJ) landings performed with either a traditional barbell (BB) or a hexagonal bar (HEX) across increasing submaximal loads in recreationally active males. Generally, hip and knee flexion angles and joint mean angular velocities decreased as loads increased. Hip extension and knee flexion moments increased as load increased up to 20 kg, at which point these values decreased. Performing the CMJ with the HEX exhibited increased frontal plane stability compared with the BB group. Additionally, the BB group exhibited stiffer landing strategies, with decreased sagittal plane joint angles …

Establishment Of Neonatal Sepsis Predictors Utilizing Non-Invasive Monitoring Techniques, Dalton Janssen

Dissertations

Neonatal sepsis remains one of the leading causes of global neonatal mortality. Reactionary approaches for diagnosis and treatment have dominated the tactics in addressing neonatal sepsis but clinical intuition is an untapped resource that could lead to earlier prediction of sepsis onset. Nurses and other staff with specialized training and experience who have served as routine caregivers for a specific patient are able to identify when the patient’s status is altered. This clinical intuition may be substantiated by referencing specific patient trends in non-invasive measures over time. This retrospective, exploratory study examined whether variation in non-invasive monitoring variables could serve …

Demographic Characteristics And Selected Personality Traits Of Women In Competitive Bodybuilding, Chloe A. Zeeuw

Master's Theses

This study investigated demographic characteristics and measures of personality (dimensions of performance perfectionism and five-factor model characteristics) in women in competitive bodybuilding between 18-25 years old. A total of 24 women completed an online survey which included a demographic questionnaire, the Five Factor Model Rating Form (FFMRF), and the Performance Perfectionism Scale for Sport (PPSS) inventories. Descriptive results for the FFMRF were Openness (18.17±3.12), Conscientiousness (25.58±3.33), Extraversion (19.96±3.46), Agreeableness (19.88±4.58), and Neuroticism (15.67±4.94), and for the PPS-S were Self-oriented performance perfectionism (20.96±3.53), Socially prescribed performance perfectionism (13.96±4.26), and Other-oriented performance perfectionism (10.54±4.23). Pearson’s correlation coefficients and Shapiro-Wilk tests revealed that …

Quantifying The Small Body Problem: A Meta-Analysis Of Animal Product Reduction Interventions, Elise Hankings, Andie Thompkins Phd, Allison Troy Phd

Diet

This research provides a meta-analysis to evaluate evidence of a substitution effect in interventions designed to reduce or eliminate animal products from participant diets in which small-bodied animals are substituted for large-bodied animals.

Review: Wombs Of Empire: Population Discourses And Biopolitics In Modern Japan, By Sujin Lee Available, Alexander Bay

History Faculty Articles and Research

A review of Wombs of Empire: Population Discourses and Biopolitics in Modern Japan by Sujin Lee.

Assessment Of Social Media Use And Strategies For Combating Misinformation Among Extension Educators In Arkansas, Enoch Teye Kwao Ametepey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study assessed the use of social media by Extension educators in Arkansas and examines strategies for identifying and combating misinformation within agricultural extension services. Guided by the Uses and Gratifications Theory, the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), and the Third-Person Effect Theory for objectives one, two, and three, this research employed quantitative and qualitative approaches, specifically, two quantitative cross-sectional surveys and a qualitative focus group study developed into a three article dissertation. The first article assessed the extent to which Extension educators utilize social media for professional activities, revealing that social media is predominantly used …

Using Published Undergraduate Biomechanics Research On Hydra Mouth Opening To Train Undergraduates, Stephen Hackler, T. Goel, Jonah Pacis , '25, Eva-Maria S. Collins

Biology Faculty Works

Biophysics research is exciting because physical approaches to biology can provide novel insights, and it is challenging because it requires knowledge and skills from multiple disciplines. We have developed an undergraduate biophysics laboratory module that teaches fundamental skills such as time-lapse microscopy, image analysis, programming, critical reading of scientific literature, and basics of scientific writing and peer review. The module is accessible to students who are familiar with introductory statistics, cell biology, and differential calculus. We used published research on the biomechanics of Hydra mouth opening as a framework because it describes a stunning biological phenomenon: Hydra, a freshwater …

Influence Of Exercise Opportunities On Bone Health In Laying Hens, Jaden Costner, Alexis Clark, Ahmed Ali

Publications

Laying hens are often housed in environments that restrict movement, which may contribute to bone fragility and decreased welfare. These confined environments, such as conventional cage systems, limit exercise and result in poor skeletal development. This study investigates the impact of exercise opportunities on bone health in laying hens by comparing the tibiotarsi and humeri bone characteristics in enriched and unenriched housing environments. A total of 200 hens were housed in pens (20 birds/pen) from 0 to 40 weeks of age. Five pens, which served as the experimental group, were equipped with multi-tier perches and ledges, providing exercise opportunities. In …

Exploring Moral Distress In Hospital-Based Nurse Case Managers: A Qualitative Descriptive Study, Mary Margaret Leas

Dissertations

Moral distress is a well-known phenomenon among hospital-based bedside nurses that is damaging and dangerous to patients, nurses, the healthcare system, and society. There is a gap in the literature related to the experience of moral distress (MD) among hospital-based nurse case managers. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to understand the experience of MD for the hospital-based nurse case manager and identify triggering events and consequences of MD. The following research questions guided this study:

Q1 What is the experience of MD among hospital-based nurse case managers?

Q1a What do they identify as causes or precursors of …

Clemson Commencement Program, August 2025, Clemson University

Clemson Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Building Resilience Where It Matters: Agriculture, Infrastructure, And Ecosystems In The Sharm El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda, Alan Said Hernandez Vazquez

COP30

No abstract provided.

Strengthening Climate Empowerment In Pharmacy Education And Practice: A Literature Review, Hend Ahmed

COP30

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Phenolic Compounds From Sorghum Bran, Grape Seed And Green Tea On Dough Rheology And Bread Quality In Reduced-Salt Formulations, Jinrong Wang, Gengjun Chen, Yonghui Li, Zijian Wu

Dairy Science and Food Science Faculty Publications: 2022 to Present

This study investigated the effects of phenolic compounds (0.5 %–1.5 %) extracted from sumac sorghum bran (SBE), grape seed (GSE), green tea (GTE) on the quality of reduced-salt bread (0.8 % salt). To understand the mechanisms underlying these effects, the influence of SBE, GSE, and GTE on dough mixing properties, extensional properties and gluten surface hydrophobicity were characterized. SDS-PAGE analysis was employed to examine protein cross-linking and interactions between phenolics and gluten. The results showed that phenolics primarily interacted with gluten through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. Specifically, these compounds exhibited preferential binding to high-molecular- weight proteins in glutenin macropolymers …

Kiley Whipple Plants Seeds Of Passion And Purpose, August 01, 2025, Tisa Mason Ed.D.

Heart of a Tiger Columns

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of A Nurse Practitioner-Led Preoptimization Care Management Program’S Impact On Patient Satisfaction For Total Hip And Knee Arthroplasty, Bryttany Chambers

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

This evaluation project aimed to assess whether the nurse practitioner-led preoptimization care management program can increase patient satisfaction by improving the quality metrics, such as same-day ambulation post-surgery, discharge to home, and compliance in preoperative education. The evaluation retroactively reviewed 46 charts of primary total knee and hip arthroplasty patients, male (38%) and female (62%), aged 43 to 84. Using Fisher’s exact test to examine the Net Promoter Scores (NPS) for six months of the PCM program, there was no significant increase in patient satisfaction scores, despite PCM patients averaging 89% compared to non-PCM patients at 83%, based on an …