Digital Commons Network^™

Initial Changes In Ground Beetle (Carabidae: Coleoptera) Assemblages After Creating Gaps Of Varying Sizes In Mature Northern Hardwoods Forests In Wisconsin, Robert A. Haack, Robert E. Acciavatti, Toby R. Petrice, Robert L. Davidson, Terry F. Strong

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Managers of northern hardwood forests in the Great Lakes region create gaps in the forest canopy of various sizes during harvesting to achieve different silvicultural objectives. Single-tree harvesting favors recruitment of shade-tolerant tree species by creating small gaps in the canopy, whereas group selection creates larger gaps that can favor shade-intolerant tree species. We evaluated changes in carabid beetle abundance and diversity in harvest-created gaps of five sizes (gap diameters of 6, 10, 20, 30, and 46 m) and uncut forests in northern Wisconsin where sugar maple (Acer saccharum) was the dominant tree species. Gaps were cut during …

Innovative Leadership For Success Among Bipoc And First-Generation Students, Jennifer L. Saylor, Jennifer S. Graber, Elizabeth Speakman

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: The literature review reveals that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and first-generation college (FGC) students need more support during their college transition. Barriers to success include feeling uncomfortable seeking help while under stress, which can stem from racist attitudes on campus, feeling isolated, and the rigor of the nursing curricula that are often immediately pushed on BIPOC and FGC students.

Purpose: The Connecting Future Caregivers Program (CFCP) was developed to facilitate community-building and enhance academic success strategies, without positioning faculty and staff as benevolent authorities providing knowledge to BIPOC and FGC nursing students,

Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional …

Combating Bullying And Incivility In Nursing Education Amid Global Faculty Shortages, Jennifer S. Graber, Jennifer L. Saylor, Rebecca Ivory

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Introduction: With the current nursing faculty shortage, incivility and bullying must be addressed to ensure the continuity of nursing faculty to educate the next generation of nurses. The academic setting should be a safe space for students and faculty at all levels to grow and even make mistakes.

Purpose: This case study explores the issue of incivility in nursing education using personal accounts from novice and seasoned nursing faculty and offers strategies for novice nurses, mentors, and leaders to manage incivility and create a healthy work environment.

Methods: An experienced faculty educator from a different institution independently reviewed a de-identified …

Collaborative Post-Doctoral Program For Sigma Dnp And Phd Members: A Proposal For Action, Ilya Kagan, Julie Ellen Grady, Bonnie Charland

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Over the past decade, there has been a global focus on increasing the number of doctorally prepared nurses to advance nursing education, expand the body of knowledge, and promote the status of nursing as a research and evidence-based profession. Upon completing doctoral studies (PhD or DNP), nurses are expected to continue developing by engaging in coursework and professional activities to produce scholarly work for further development. Globally, accessibility to postdoctoral studies varies significantly, and there is a lack of leadership and career development frameworks in both clinical and academic pathways. A significant challenge is combining postdoctoral studies with a work …

Readiness For Advance Care Planning In Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study, Jie-Ru Hsu, Yu-Chi Chen, Cheng-Pei Lin, Chih-Ching Lin, Chieh-Yu Liu

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patient often face unpredictable progression, leading to sudden deterioration that impair communication of medical preferences in emergencies. Without Advance Care Planning (ACP), treatments may conflict with patient values, causing decisional conflicts and excessive interventions. While ACP helps ensure patient autonomy, there is limited understanding of CKD patients' readiness for ACP restricts healthcare providers from delivering timely and appropriate supportive care.

Purpose: This study aims to identify factors influencing ACP readiness in CKD patients to inform strategies for patient-centered care.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with non-dialysis CKD patients using the validated Chinese version of …

Loneliness, Technology, And Culture: Insights From Older Chinese Immigrants’ Experiences, Shao-Yun Chien, Oleg Zaslavsky, Basia Belza, Annie T. Chen

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Loneliness and social isolation significantly impact the well-being of older adults, particularly immigrants from minority groups. Chinese immigrants are the third-largest immigrant group in the United States and may encounter unique challenges related to loneliness and social isolation due to life transitions. The prevalence of loneliness among older Chinese immigrants is 26%, significantly higher than in the broader aging population. Despite information and communication technology (ICT) interventions developed to address these issues, their effectiveness remains unclear, possibly due to neglecting the subjective nature of loneliness and the diverse backgrounds of participants, including racial and cultural differences.

Research Purpose: This …

Internalizing Stigma And Distancing Behaviors: Social Media Youth Perspectives, Lauren L. Niles

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Significance: Rates of youth mental health difficulties have risen drastically in recent years. Transition-aged youth (TAY) ages 18-24 years old represent a vulnerable population at risk for poor mental health outcomes, with depression and anxiety diagnoses increasing faster than any other age group. While the cause for this upsurge is multifaceted, these trends have occurred concurrently with the increasing popularity of social media (SM) platforms. Current evidence presents contradictory findings as to the impact of SM platforms on mental health, revealing a critical gap in knowledge.

Methods: This interpretative phenomenological study aimed to explore the social media perceptions of TAY …

Structure, Processes & Outcomes Of Sci Peer Mentoring: A Community-Engaged, Cross-Sectional Survey, Susan D. Newman, Martina Mueller, Marychris Pittman, Lindsey Elliott, Jonathan Sigworth, Bill Cawley, Marka Danielle Rodgers

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Peer mentoring is a vital resource for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), providing emotional support, practical advice, and guidance from others who share a similar lived experience (1,2,3). Additionally, peer mentoring is an important component of SCI rehabilitation and supports the role of the rehabilitation nurse in promoting effective self-management and independence after SCI. Research on the effect of community-based peer mentoring interventions' structure and processes on outcomes, as well as quality and effectiveness, is limited (4).

Aim: The primary aim of this study, informed by Donabedian's Model of quality assessment (5), was to describe the structure, processes, …

Addressing Debriefing Needs: Enhancing Clinical Practice And Academic Preparedness, Ryan Nguyen, Zechariah Thompson, Renjith Cherian

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

An estimated 18% of inpatient post-event debriefings occur (Zinns, 2020). Debriefing have seldom occurred with the bedside staff, with one issue being the use of trained facilitators. However, in the academic setting, debriefing is a standard practice for student learning post-simulation. Increasing the education of debriefing and using clinical debriefing tools can improve patient outcomes, increase nurse resiliency, and decrease burnout related to traumatic experiences (Philips).

Professionals in healthcare are experiencing a rise in burnout and post-traumatic stress disorder. This is partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this issue existed long before the pandemic started (Gilroy, 2022). There has …

Effectiveness Of Blended Learning In Enhancing Nursing Students' Communication With Older Adultseffectiveness Of Blended Learning In Enhancing Nursing Students' Communication With Older Adults, Ya-Ling Tzeng, Yu-Kuei Teng, Mei-Chen Ho

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Given the aging population, addressing specific communication needs in geriatric care is crucial in healthcare education. Traditional approaches often lack practical interaction, focusing instead on theoretical content.

Objectives: This study tests a newly developed digital material using a blended learning model that combines online and in-person components to improve students' communication skills.

Methodology: Using an experimental design, students were divided into two groups—an experimental group using digital materials and a control group using traditional learning methods. Both groups completed older adult communication modules, with assessments conducted pre- and post-study. Key outcomes measured included knowledge of aging, …

Shared Decision-Making, Health Literacy, And Self-Care Knowledge On Hemodialysis Self-Care Behaviors, Hyohjung Lee, Mikyoung Cho

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Patients undergoing hemodialysis experience various complications and physical and emotional difficulties, leading to decreased quality of life. Self-care behaviors(SCB) are essential for preventing complications and reducing mortality rates. Effective SCB significantly depend on shared decision-making(SDM), health literacy(HL), and self-care knowledge(SCK), each critical in patient self-care performance and disease management. This study aimed to determine the importance and relevance of SDM, HL, and SCK. In particular, it enhances SCB among hemodialysis patients. Further, it sought to propose practical nursing interventions based on these findings. Participants were 108 adult hemodialysis patients from the nephrology departments of three general hospitals in Region C. …

Lost In Translation? Using Generative Ai To Make Academic Expertise Easier For Partners To Discover, Jackson Anderson, Timothy Cain

International Forum on Expert Finder Systems

Universities increasingly recognize the value of interdisciplinary collaboration as a powerful way to tackle complex challenges. However, establishing effective partnerships across institutions, industry, and government is often difficult due to siloed organizational structures and language barriers between sectors.

The Ohio Innovation Exchange (OIEx) provides a centralized web portal enabling users to discover expertise, research opportunities, intellectual property, and specialized equipment and services across Ohio's higher education landscape. Built upon Symplectic Elements, OIEx directly facilitates connections between academia and industry partners to foster collaboration and innovation.

Simply bringing potential collaborators together is often not enough: effective partnerships depend on clear communication …

Making Your Faculty Information System A Tool Faculty Actually Want To Use!, Jenny Hulsen, Jami Thompson

International Forum on Expert Finder Systems

We all know that faculty generally dislike the burden of keeping multiple profiles up-to-date. How can we get faculty to see that FIS/RIM/CRIS systems are tools that can not only help them tell their story, but also helps align their professional goals with institutional requirements. In this session we'll discuss the importance of change management, as well as other ways to get faculty buy-in.

Treatment Of Tics In Pediatric Patients With Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Faiza Ahmad

Research Colloquium

Background: The prevalence of chronic and transient tic disorders in children with neurodevelopmental delays is substantially higher than in the general pediatric population. Disorders including Tourette’s Syndrome, Chronic Persistent Motor Tic Disorder or Provisional Tic Disorder, can present challenges in treatment when comorbid neurodevelopmental disorders. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Down’s Syndrome or other developmental delays may not be able to participate in first-line behavioral interventions like CBIT (Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics) therapy. Therefore, optimization of pharmacologic treatment is often necessary in this population, especially in the case of severe, refractory tics. Additionally, pharmacologic treatment can be …

Educational Services And Language Congruency In Low-Income Children Who Are Deaf Of Hard-Of-Hearing, Courtney J. Austin, Dylan Chan, Jihyun Stephans

Research Colloquium

Background: Children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH) are required by United States law to have access to educational services through the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). However, access to language-congruent providers, as well as supplemental services, varies considerably. Household income is associated with poorer hearing care access and outcomes in DHH children. We predict that access to supplemental, language-congruent DHH services is poorer in DHH children from lower-income homes.

Methods: This is a secondary, ad hoc exploratory study of DHH children aged 0-27 months enrolled in a randomized clinical trial (CT.gov: NCT04928209). Children were enrolled across all …

From Resettlement To Employment: Bridging Barriers And Empowering Refugee Women Through Workforce Training In Tampa Bay, Mikayla William, Haley Mendillo, Aileen Pinell, Brittany Gordon

OneUSF Undergraduate Research Conference

Approximately 12,425 refugees aged 18-60, resettled in Hillsborough County in fiscal year 2023, highlighting a need for targeted programs supporting refugees in building career skills and gaining confidence in navigating the job market. Refugee women face unique challenges as they integrate into the U.S. workforce, including communication barriers, limited work history, and adapting to workplace norms. A workforce readiness program tailored to refugee women in Tampa Bay provides essential career development tools, fostering economic independence and integration through culturally sensitive training methods. Over a two-day program, a structured curriculum was implemented to accommodate varying educational backgrounds and English proficiency levels. …

Assessing The Effectiveness And Implementation Of Artificial Intelligence In Detecting And Preventing International Financial Crimes: A Case Study Of The United Kingdom, Robert J. Dalton

OneUSF Undergraduate Research Conference

Financial crime has been an issue that has plagued the world for as long as the concept of trade has existed. With the rise of the digital age and globalization, financial crime has continuously and significantly evolved, with increasingly complex and intricate methods of financial crime and fraud being committed each year. Government organizations and financial institutions are having to constantly overcome new barriers and challenges to monitor financial crimes due to their evolving nature. Artificial intelligence, a new technology that is being constantly researched and explored, has the potential to innovate current and new technologies within the financial intelligence …

L-Ergothioneine Shows Benefits In Reducing Age-Related Hearing Loss: Improved Signal-In-Noise Detection In Mice, Evin Roji, Muhammad Hassam Amir

OneUSF Undergraduate Research Conference

The amino acid, L-ergothioneine (EGT), has gained attention as a potential therapeutic for age-related conditions due to its antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties. EGT is naturally found in various foods and shows promise in protecting against oxidative stress, inflammation, and neurodegeneration. Recent studies have highlighted its role in improving physiological functions in aging models, particularly in mitigating age-related declines in sensory and neurological systems. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether long-term oral administration of EGT via gavage could improve hearing function in aged mice. Hearing sensitivity and signal-in-noise detection were measured to determine the therapeutic potential of EGT for …

Parental Internalizing Symptoms And Parenting Behaviors: The Moderating Role Of Social Support, Anh Van Nguyen

OneUSF Undergraduate Research Conference

“It takes a village to raise a child”. Social support is vital to parents in carrying out child-rearing duties, which is an additional source of stress for parents. Parents who exhibit higher levels of internalizing symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety, stress) are more likely to engage in negative parenting behaviors. These behaviors can, in turn, negatively impact child development. Therefore, it is essential to investigate whether greater social support can buffer or attenuate the relationship between parental internalizing symptoms and negative parenting practices. Understanding this potential moderating effect is particularly important given the central role of parenting in shaping children’s developmental …

Evaluating Extreme Weather And Climate Adaptation Concerns For Corn And Soybean Farmers, Dharsh Saravana

OneUSF Undergraduate Research Conference

Corn and soybeans are the most economically valuable crops in Minnesota and represent significant land usage in the state with farmers reporting 14.5 million acres of corn and 7 million acres of soybeans planted in 2024. Continued warming and fluctuations between extreme weather events driven by climate change are expected to increase pest pressure, flood damage, and risk of heat stress for crops and farmworkers. Six climate-conscious commercial corn and soybean farmers located predominantly in southern Minnesota were interviewed to understand their perceived extreme weather and climate impacts, farm management responses to these conditions, and risk management concerns for their …

The United States’ Secret Warfare Against Democracy, Ashtyn J. Smith

OneUSF Undergraduate Research Conference

This study examines the methods used by the U.S government to orchestrate the overthrow of the democratically elected Guatemalan president Jacobo Árbenz in 1954, by focusing on declassified CIA and State Department documents. Through operation PBSUCCESS, the U.S employed a combination of psychological warfare, economic pressure, diplomatic isolation, and paramilitary operations to destabilize the Árbenz administration. CIA documents reveal the role of propaganda campaigns, assassination proposals, and the arming of opposition forces to create internal chaos. By using primary sources such as CIA memos, and the Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) archives, this research will outline the step-by-step …

Revolutionary Sisters: The Rise Of Chicana Feminism, Christian Rodriguez

History in the Making

This essay examines the rise of Chicana feminism during the Chicano Rights Movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. It covers the reasons why women felt the need to create an organization outside of the movement that focused on specific women’s issues and the importance of building sisterhood with Chicanas. As great as it was for women to have a space where they could organize and discuss the advancement of Chicanas, there were other women who did not feel that feminism should even be a topic for discussion. The essay also touches on queer liberation, the importance of art, …

Reverberations Of The 1950s Puerto Rico Nationalist Independence Movement, Gustavo Alonso Chamu

History in the Making

In the first half of the twentieth century, the nationalist movement in Puerto Rico, led by Harvard Law School graduate Pedro Albizu Campos (1893–1965), firmly called for the independence of the island. Its supporters made vociferous calls against the exploitation of the island by the United States government, its military and multinational corporations. Their campaign for independence culminated on October 30, 1950, with small-scale armed insurgencies across Puerto Rico, the Governor’s residence in San Juan, and the attacks against then President Harry S. Truman (1884–1972) at Blair House, Washington D.C. While a combination of domestic and foreign actors played significant …

Cervical Cancer Disparities In Hispanic Women: A Multilevel Analysis Using Seer And Texas State Data, Aura M. C. Calderon, Ivan Mogollon, Shubhank Goyal, Jose Loayza, Everardo Cobos, Diane Nguyen

Research Colloquium

Background: Cervical carcinoma continues to exert a disproportionate burden on Hispanic women within the United States, notably in jurisdictions such as Texas, where individuals of Hispanic descent constitute more than 40% of the demographic populace. Notwithstanding progress in screening methodologies and preventive measures, considerable disparities persist in incidence rates, mortality figures, and survival outcomes when assessed through the lens of racial and ethnic stratifications.

Objective: To examine and visually communicate disparities in cervical cancer burden among Hispanic women through a combination of national survival data and Texas state-level incidence and mortality statistics.

Methods: Publicly accessible datasets were employed from the …

Transitioning A Generative Model-Powered Assistant Into Translation Mode, Andrew Hard, Shujian Zhang, Aditya Barua, John Lambert, Wenxuan Zhou

Defensive Publications Series

Conversational large language models (LLMs) often have limited capabilities when functioning as a real-time interpreter. These models can fail to follow instructions consistently, resulting in responses in the incorrect language or attempts to answer a user's question instead of providing a direct translation. This issue stems from a lack of training data that reflects the typical turn-by-turn, interleaved conversation flow between two speakers of different languages. Some implementations are directed to transitioning a generative model-powered assistant into a translation mode in which the assistant facilitates structured conversational turns between two users speaking different languages, with the generative model acting as …

Enhancing Fault Tolerance In Distributed Systems Using Shared Checkpoint Replica Mechanisms, Ameer A. Mousa, Mahdi S. Almhanna

Journal of Intelligent Informatics, Networking, and Cybersecurity

Fault tolerance is a critical requirement in distributed systems, as node and network failures can cause significant data loss, service disruption, and performance degradation. Traditional fault-tolerance methods often provide partial solutions, relying on separate recovery models for errors and delayed responses, while also incurring high resource costs. This paper aims to design and implement a more robust and efficient fault-tolerant architecture based on the concept of a shared checkpoint replica. In the proposed system, a master server and multiple slave servers collaboratively process client requests, share checkpoint replicas, and ensure seamless recovery in case of failures. To evaluate the approach, …

Practitioners’ Perspectives On Preventing Environmental Gentrification In Chicago, Illinois, Usa, Tania Schusler, Amy Krings

School of Environmental Sustainability: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Pollution cleanup, green space creation, and other improvements to environmental quality in cities are important to urban sustainability. However, because they occur within a political economic context characterized by structural racism, urban greening initiatives can intentionally or unintentionally reproduce racial, economic, and social inequities through environmental gentrification. We explored possibilities for improving environmental quality without displacing or excluding long-term residents including people of color, the poor, and members of other marginalized groups. We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with community organizers, environmental justice advocates, urban planners, housing specialists, and others who held deep expertise through their lived and professional experience in …

Minutes, Crummer Graduate School Faculty Meeting, Thursday, September 18, 2025, Crummer Graduate School Of Business Faculty

Crummer Graduate School of Business Minutes and Reports

No abstract provided.

Minutes, College Of Liberal Arts Faculty Meeting, Thursday, September 18, 2025, College Of Liberal Arts Faculty, Rollins College

The College of Liberal Arts Faculty Minutes

No abstract provided.

The Minutes Of The Marshall University Staff Council Meeting, September 2025, Marshall University Staff Council

Staff Council Minutes

No abstract provided.