Digital Commons Network^™

Denny Design For The Gretsch Company, Zach S. Henderson Library Special Collections

Finding Aids

With original work spanning 1998–2024, this collection consists of materials created by graphic designer Don Denny for the Gretsch Company. The materials include digital project files, physical samples of digital products, photographs, and historic printed materials documenting the Gretsch Company’s history.

Student Academic Success System, Brandi Castle

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

This project aimed to enhance academic success and retention rates in a practical nursing program through the implementation of a Student Academic Success System (SASS), utilizing evidence-based teaching strategies. A quality improvement design using both the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice and the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) framework was guided by Kolb’s Model. Nurse faculty saw a need for increased student retention among practical nursing students; the student then proposed a plan, translated evidence, created a pre- and post-survey, and carried out SASS with the use of trained nurse faculty coaches. The goal of the project was to reduce …

Impact Of An Education Program On Screening For Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Lauren Rucker

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) has the potential for multiple complications which include non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The American Diabetes Association (ADA) updated its guidelines recommending screening of patients with T2DM for NAFLD (ADA, 2023). Screening is prompted by the increased incidence of NAFLD in patients with T2DM. Approximately 70% of people with T2DM suffer from NAFLD which can progress to hepatic steatosis or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) (ADA, 2023). NALFD is a common diagnosis leading to the need for liver transplantation (Alkhouri et al., 2020). This project aims to determine if an education program for primary care providers and …

Big Data Visualization For Black Sigatoka Disease Of Bananas And Pathogen–Host Interactions (Phi) Of Other Plants, Soichiro Takashashi, Prasanna Rajbhandari, Richard S. Segall

Arkansas Biosciences Institute

Black sigatoka is a leaf spot disease affecting banana plants that has caused significant yield reductions of up to 50% (Arman et al., 2023). This research presents data visualizations of 8,761 data points related to black sigatoka in banana plants, encompassing attributes such as time, canopy temperature, and relative humidity. The paper also reviews related work, including the application of data mining to plant studies, the use of deep learning neural networks for plant disease data, and the use of machine learning for predicting crop yields and detecting disease. Additionally, it presents big data visualizations for 20,952 values obtained from …

Let’S Move! Benefits Of Exercise Compared To Ssris (Escitalopram) For The Management Of Depression: Research From 2020 And Beyond, Brianna Droessler-Aschliman

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

The purpose of this literature review is to determine the effectiveness of exercise as either monotherapy or in combination with SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) for the management of major depressive disorder. Studies gathered for this review came from the following databases: PubMed, SpringerLink, Academic Search Ultimate, Academic Search Complete, and CINAHL. Current research completed between the years 2020-2023 that consisted of either clinical trials, RCTs, or meta-analysis were included. A total of eleven studies were reviewed that addressed either the benefits of exercise, SSRIs, or a combination for the management of depression. Upon completion of the literature review, it …

Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis: Immunosuppression Versus Stem Cell Therapy, Bailee Blickensderfer

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

methotrexate monotherapy, rheumatoid, arthritis, mesenchymal stem cell transplantation, anti-TNF, CXCL8, CXCL12, CXCL13, umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell, and adipose tissue mesenchymal stem cell

Statin Therapy Vs. Plant-Based Diet For Reduction Of Plaque Burden In Coronary Artery Disease, Molly Zak

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

Coronary artery disease is one of the most common chronic health conditions to affect adults in the United States, with heart disease being the leading cause of death. Contributing factors include high prevalence of processed foods containing saturated fats, low fiber diets and poor overall nutrition, and physical inactivity. These practices increase risk of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) plaque buildup and calcification within arteries that supply the heart, leading to decreased blood flow and subsequent oxygen supply. Treatment for coronary artery disease has traditionally been dominated by HMG CoA-reductase inhibitors, or statins. These medications are more effective than the alternative …

Efficacy Of Complimentary Manual Therapies For Labor Pain Management, Emily Yenter

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

Labor and delivery pain is commonly considered to be the most pain a woman will ever experience. Options for pain control during labor include pharmacological and nonpharmacological. The purpose of this systematic literature is to determine if complementary manual therapies such as massage therapy, acupressure, and reflexology are effective nonpharmacologic management tools for labor pain. The electronic databases PubMed and ClinicalKey were searched, and the ten studies chosen for this review were randomized controlled trials published within the past ten years. Current research provides significant data supporting these three complementary modalities as effective nonpharmacologic management tools to control labor pain. …

The Contracts Word List: Integral Vocabulary For Reading And Writing English Contracts, Elizabeth Hanks, Brett James Hashimoto, Jesse Egbert

Faculty Publications

Both Business English as a Lingua Franca (BELF) and Legal English as a Lingua Franca (LELF) users engage with legal contracts regularly. However, contractual language is notoriously complex, due in part to the vocabulary it contains. To help mitigate the challenges related to learning the vocabulary of contracts, this paper introduces a word list of American English contracts called the ContractsWord List (CWL).We describe the compilation of the Corpus of English Business Contracts (CEBC) that represents six major contract types in 48 million words. The extraction of prevalent and specialized words from the CEBC is described, following validation procedures in …

Language Change At The Intersections Of Movement, Economy, And Orientation, Joseph A. Stanley, Margaret E. L. Renwick, Monica Nesbitt

Faculty Publications

A growing amount of research on North American English varieties shows that many sociolinguistic variables peaked among the Baby Boomer Generation (born approximately 1946–64). By “peak,” we mean that a linguistic phenomenon in one community has reached its point of greatest intensity and is maximally divergent from realizations of that same variable in most other North American communities. Similarly, we also find studies that describe a “cliff” beginning among Generation X (born approximately 1965–82) such that after generations of relative stability, local dialect features are lost. Nesbitt (2021, 359) observes that “the Baby Boomer–Gen X transition appears to be a …

Demographic Change, Migration, And The African American Vowel System In Georgia, Jon Forrest, Margaret E. L. Renwick, Joseph A. Stanley, Lelia Glass

Faculty Publications

The theme of this volume is generational trends in language change, with an emphasis on the Baby Boomer to Gen X transition as an important period of time. Many studies have found sharp changes in vowel systems in communities after the Baby Boomer Generation on the East Coast (Thiel and Dinkin 2020) and in the Midwest (Nesbitt 2021). Though we know a great deal about the geographic consistency of the Baby Boomer to Gen X transition, in all of these cases, the focus has been on White speakers and regional varieties. Besides the general importance of including a breadth of …

Comparison Of Cerebrospinal Fluid, Plasma And Neuroimaging Biomarker Utility In Alzheimer's Disease, Karin L Meeker, Patrick H Luckett, Nicolas R Barthélemy, Diana A Hobbs, Charles Chen, James Bollinger, Vitaliy Ovod, Shaney Flores, Sarah Keefe, Rachel L Henson, Elizabeth M Herries, Eric Mcdade, Jason J Hassenstab, Chengjie Xiong, Carlos Cruchaga, Tammie L S Benzinger, David M Holtzman, Suzanne E Schindler, Randall J Bateman, John C Morris, Brian A Gordon, Beau M Ances

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Alzheimer's disease biomarkers are crucial to understanding disease pathophysiology, aiding accurate diagnosis and identifying target treatments. Although the number of biomarkers continues to grow, the relative utility and uniqueness of each is poorly understood as prior work has typically calculated serial pairwise relationships on only a handful of markers at a time. The present study assessed the cross-sectional relationships among 27 Alzheimer's disease biomarkers simultaneously and determined their ability to predict meaningful clinical outcomes using machine learning. Data were obtained from 527 community-dwelling volunteers enrolled in studies at the Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center at Washington …

Implementation Of A Recreational Program For Those With Visual Impairments, Caitllyn Fussy

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: Quality of life can be found through participation in meaningful and rewarding occupations (Cote-Letlerc, 2017). Studies have shown that individuals with visual impairments have impacted occupational performance and engagement in occupations leading to a loss of independence, changes to identity, and lowered self-esteem (Duquette, et. al., 2019; Kumar, et. al., 2022). Some barriers these individuals face that impact their ability to participate in meaningful occupations include having fewer opportunities available, difficulty navigating, having impaired proprioception, accessibility, and physical or cognitive impairments (Diaz, 2019; Hill, 2023). Opportunities to engage in recreational activities presented as a clear need for this scholarly …

Bridges To Bright Beginnings: A Resource Guide For Caregivers Of Infants Diagnosed With Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (Nas), Makayla E. Murden

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Background Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a condition that happens in newborn babies who were exposed to illicit substances or opiates while in the womb. The baby becomes dependent on the substances and will experience withdrawal symptoms after birth. Between 2010 and 2017, NAS births increased by 131%. Approximately 6.6% of pregnant women admitted to using prescription opioids, of which 21.2% acknowledged misuse. A significant portion (31.9%) of these women reported not receiving information on the potential effects of opioid use on their unborn baby. Infants exposed to opioids in utero are at higher risk of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit …

Developing A Sensory Room For Children With Autism Living On The Navajo Reservation, Rudessa Bedonie

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability characterized by challenges in social interaction, communication, and restrictive or repetitive behaviors (Hirota & King, 2023). Children with autism demonstrate sensory challenges impacting their participation in activities of daily living and social engagement (Schaaf et al., 2014 & Travers et al., 2022). Occupational therapists often employ techniques and settings to enrich sensory experiences when working with children diagnosed with autism. Accessibility and awareness of occupational therapy services on the Navajo reservation are also restricted (Casimir, 2023). People on the Navajo reservation may experience cultural and language barriers with others, and limited …

The Virtual Therapist: An Occupational Therapy Practitioner’S Guide To Telehealth Service Delivery In Pediatrics, Jossette Hannah M. Gianan

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this scholarly project was to improve the telehealth competency and confidence of occupational therapy practitioners working in pediatrics through the use of a quick reference resource guide.

Methodology: The development of The Virtual Therapist: An Occupational Therapy Practitioner’s Guide to Telehealth Service Delivery in Pediatrics was guided by the concepts found in the Ecology of Human Performance model (Dunn, 2017). The concepts of person, context, and task were used in the overall creation of the guide, while the five intervention strategies outlined in the model were used in the creation of the intervention plan section. A …

An Occupational Therapy Program For First Responders Facing Trauma Fatigue And Work-Related Stressors Using Equine Facilitated Approaches, Kady Locke

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The proposed program is a mental health program, targeting meaningful daily occupations for the population of first responders facing trauma fatigue and antecedents of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms related to stress from work. For individuals who serve as first responders, there is significant prevalence for trauma exposure, leading to trauma fatigue due to events encountered on the job. Mazur and Collins (2023) found that 80% of police and first responders experience traumatic events on the job and that 25% have experienced suicidal ideation due to impacts of trauma exposure. There is a lack of professional mental health services supporting this …

Promoting Independence In An Existing Cancer Survivorship Program: Adaptive Equipment And Intimacy & Sexuality, Bailee Scheer

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to create educational materials for cancer survivors and their caregivers/families on the topics of adaptive equipment and intimacy/sexuality. A person is considered a cancer survivor at any point after receiving a cancer diagnosis, regardless of what stage they are at in their course of treatment (American Cancer Society, 2024). The rate of cancer survivors within the United States has grown drastically over the past several years, due to advances in treatment and early detection (Cronin et al., 2022). Cancer survivors experience many changing side effects during and after treatment that influence the way …

Inclusive Physical Education And Its Impact On Adolescents With Disabilities In A School Setting, Ashley Renee Freund

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Background: Adolescents with disabilities frequently encounter barriers preventing participation in physical education alongside their peers. The absence of inclusive practices and adaptations tailored to students with disabilities poses challenges that impact students' physical health and mental well-being (Carbone et al., 2021). Fostering improved mental and physical health for adolescents with and without disabilities is related to group-based programming as well as instructor leadership and knowledge regarding disability and activity modification (Shirazipour et al., 2020). By integrating these elements, physical education teachers can optimize the benefits of participation in physical education, including enhanced mental health, increased physical participation and engagement, and …

An Interdisciplinary Approach To Fall Prevention In Rural Health, Casidi Pullar

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Background: Hospital-acquired falls can lead to severe injuries and complications, posing significant challenges for patient safety and the healthcare facility (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2023). Healthcare workers in rural, Critical Access Hospitals often handle a wide range of responsibilities due to the smaller staff size, limited resources, and difficulty retaining or recruiting staff due to the remote location, typically resulting in fall prevention being less prioritized (Abelsen et al., 2020; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2023). Addressing patient safety and fall prevention strategies is an organizational and systemic challenge that requires evidence-based education and an interdisciplinary team …

Nature-Based Therapy Supporting Veterans With Mental Health Difficulties, Kaitlyne Dittberner

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Background: Using nature has been linked to improvements in well-being for individuals with depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (Bettmann et al., 2019). Combining nature with physical activity can increase feelings of revitalization, positive engagement, and energy with decreased feelings of tension, confusion, anger, and depression (Coon et al., 2011). Group-based activities for veterans can assist with the reintegration process back into the community as combat veterans value connections with like peers (Hawkins et al., 2016). Occupational therapy practitioners have the skills to analyze activities to make accommodations to allow veterans to be successful in the occupations in the nature-based …

Physical And Psychosocial Wellness For Individuals With Neurological Impairments, Emmalee Burtsfield

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: Neurological impairments have been identified as the first leading cause of disability across the world and the second leading cause of death globally. There is a substantial financial impact associated with neurological conditions. Therefore, it is essential to consider how effective use of best therapy practices can help to reduce costs accompanying neurological impairments and promote quality of life amongst patients. The goal of this scholarly project was to promote physical and psychosocial wellness for individuals with neurological impairments. The project serves as a resource that can be utilized by patients and caregivers alike. The materials in this resource …

Increasing Success For Children With Sensory Processing Difficulties: Education And Support For Individuals Working With Children In Community Settings, Alyssia D. Pucel

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Integration into community settings with limited ability to control one’s exposure to sensory stimuli is often challenging for children with sensory processing difficulties (Isamel et al., 2018). To self-regulate, children often exhibit behaviors that appear to others as abnormal or inappropriate to the expectations within the social environment but are out of the child’s control (Brown et al., 2019). Individuals who do not know about sensory processing may respond to the behavior in a way that is unsupportive to the child’s sensory needs and overall daily functioning. To advocate for children in natural community contexts, Success with Sensory provides individuals …

Providing Occupation-Based Mental Health Care For Lgbtq+ Youth Through Telehealth Service Delivery, Hannah Leisenheimer

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose A significant percentage of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ+) youth in the United States report experiencing serious mental health concerns, yet they face major challenges when it comes to seeking out and receiving mental health care (The Trevor Project, 2022). As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and rapidly expanding technologies, telehealth services have become a norm in the healthcare field (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022; Whaley & McBain, 2023). However, there is a lack of evidence on how to incorporate meaningful, occupation-based interventions to address these mental health needs into telehealth services …

Occupational Therapy Intervention To Promote Rest And Its Role In Inpatient Rehabilitation Recovery, Kjerstin Drugan

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Background: Insufficient sleep is a public health epidemic that affects 10-30% of the population, impacts brain functioning, mood, attention, memory, and healing (CDC, 2015) and increases the likelihood of serious medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease (Ho & Sui, 2018). The rate of sleep difficulties increases to 47-67% in the hospitalized population (Miller et al., 2019). According to Poole et al. (2022), 98% of occupational therapists reported believing that sleep assessment and intervention are important in rehabilitation, but less than 25% implemented any intervention. The physical effects and stress of illness and the inpatient rehabilitation …

The Wyld Outdoors: A Community Based Occupational Therapy Program To Address Mental Health Strategies In Rural Wyoming, Emily Ray

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Title: The WYld Outdoors: A Community-Based Occupational Therapy Program to Address Mental Health Strategies in Rural Wyoming

Background: Globally, there is an expressed need to address mental health promotion and prevention strategies in community-based settings (World Health Organization [WHO], 2022). To work toward meeting these needs it is important to start at a local level. Statewide initiatives in Wyoming have risen in recent years with goals to expand upon mental and behavioral health, but culture and lack of environmental means significantly impact accessibility to these resources (State of Wyoming [SOW], 2023). Based on literature findings there are even fewer local …

Supporting Community Integration For Veterans With Mental Health Conditions Through The Lens Of Recovery: Rise-Ing Together, Erin Marie Ferebee

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Title: Supporting Community Integration for Veterans with Mental Health Conditions Through the Lens of Recovery: RISE-ing Together

Introduction: This paper delves into the VA's commitment, aligned with AOTA guidelines, to enhance Veterans' well-being through the PEO model in occupational therapy during community reintegration. Highlighting recovery as a transformative process, it addresses mental health challenges, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, underscoring the central role of occupational therapy practitioners in providing tailored care. Shifting focus to the environment, drawing on studies (Pedersen & Wiser, 2021; Phelan et al., 2018; Sayer et al., 2021), the paper accentuates challenges and opportunities, …

Expecting Better When You’Re Expecting: Empowering Mothers Through Occupational Therapy, Ann K. Landreville

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The maternal health crisis of the United States presents an opportunity to improve the level of care provided to the maternal population. A new standard of care must be established, going beyond decreasing maternal mortality and morbidity rates, but instead working to promote the health and well-being of mothers. While many well-recognized health professionals currently play a role on the interdisciplinary care team for postpartum mothers, occupational therapists are emerging in this field, proving they have a vital role in providing services that addresses the current gap in care. Many professions largely address physical health; occupational therapists have a holistic …

An Occupational Therapy Approach To Chronic Condition Self-Management, Makayla Marie Tucker

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Background Chronic health conditions often lead to decreased engagement in valued occupations, habits, roles, and routines secondary to the effects of the diagnosis (Lorig et al., 2020). This community project aims to explore occupation-based intervention approaches to assist adults in self-managing their chronic conditions. Additionally, the project aims to fill the gap in healthcare to improve healthcare professionals’ collaboration to improve clients’ health outcomes. Occupational therapy’s role in health management may include developing habits and management strategies for nutrition, physical activity, medications, stress and coping, and improving social skills for problem solving and communication. A literature review and informal interviews …

Improving Occupational Performance For Survivors Of Sex Trafficking: An Executive Functioning Program, Riley P. Thomas

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: In 2021, the U.S. reported 10,360 human trafficking cases, of which 7,499 or 72% were explicitly identified as instances of sex trafficking (National Human Trafficking Hotline, 2021). Sex trafficking is “a form of modern-day slavery in which individuals perform commercial sex through the use of force, fraud, or coercion” (National Human Trafficking Hotline, n.d., para. 1). Due to survivors of sex trafficking being exposed to dehumanizing and traumatic events, this may impact the ability to participate and engage in daily activities related to an individual's executive functioning and life skills. The purpose of this scholarly project was to analyze …