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A Quality Improvement Initiative: Implementing An Effective Massive Transfusion Protocol Cognitive Aid Tool Within An Operating Room & Post-Anesthesia Care Unit Setting, Jenna L. Farrell

Master's Theses and Capstones

Abstract

Background: Massive Transfusion Protocol (MTP) activations are low-frequency, high-acuity events in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) setting.  These events necessitate the rapid formation of codes teams, interdisciplinary communication amongst unfamiliar providers, critical decision-making, high-volume rapid blood transfusions, and critical laboratory marker monitoring.

Local Problem: Due to the infrequent nature of hemorrhagic events in the PACU, nurses may have limited experience participating in these protocols at their institutions, resulting in potential for documentation errors from retrospective back charting, decreased confidence regarding blood product sequencing and laboratory draw timing, and increased cognitive workload overall.  This quality improvement (QI) project implemented …

Increasing Nursing Education On Effective Therapeutic Communication For Postpartum Depression: A Quality Improvement Project, Kayley Jade Couture

Master's Theses and Capstones

Introduction
At a nonprofit hospital located in New Hampshire, a 5P assessment was completed to determine a gap in the nursing staff's education on postpartum depression on a labor and delivery unit. Through the use of instructional design, persistent education on postpartum depression shows an overall increase in knowledge resulting in better patient-centered care (Takei, 2023). An important aspect of this quality improvement project was the participation of the nursing staff.

Methods
Using the PDSA framework (Plan-Do-Study Act), registered nurses on a labor and delivery unit participated in a three week quality improvement project to test their knowledge on postpartum …

Lease Capitalization And Financial Flexibility: An Empirical Investigation Of Asc 842’S Impact On Liquidity In The Us Telecommunications Industry, Caleb J. Martin

Doctor of Business Administration Dissertations

Measures of liquidity are some of the most important financial ratios to analyze when measuring a firm’s overall financial health and its ability to pay both creditors and dividends. The US telecommunications industry is an industry that has become synonymous with dividends, mergers, and acquisitions, all of which are possible due to industry wide and firm specific liquidity. With the implementation of ASC 842 and the new standard of placing operational leases on the balance sheet, additional research may be warranted to determine the effect ASC 842 may have on firm liquidity. This study investigated whether there was evidence to …

Gienapp's Big Book: Conceptual Rupture, Modernism, And The End Of Originalism, Logan E. Sawyer Iii

Scholarly Works

For decades, we have lived in an age of partisan jurisprudence, in which nearly every Republican has embraced originalism, and nearly every Democrat has rejected it. One can mark the start of that era in multiple places, but one good choice is November 11th, 1977. That day, in the pages of National Review, William F. Buckley previewed Government by Judiciary, Raoul Berger’s originalist critique of the Warren Court’s rights revolution. The review, entitled “Berger’s Big Book,” was highly complimentary. Berger’s rebuke of Warren Court activism was, Buckley thought, “devastating.” And he was not alone. Following the publication of Government by …

State Medical Licenses Without Borders, Meighan Parker

Scholarly Works

Access to health care in the United States is undermined by a maldistribution of physicians, and state medical licensure remains a barrier to correcting this issue, despite legal reforms that attempt to streamline physician licensure pathways. Geographic distribution gaps can have serious consequences in rural areas, such as poor health outcomes, reduced access to care, and further entrenchment of health disparities.

On the bright side, physicians can potentially use telemedicine to help improve geographic distribution gaps through the provision of clinically appropriate, virtual care across state lines. But states have traditionally required physicians, even those who are currently licensed in …

Workers’ Empowerment As U.S. Trade Policy, Desiree Leclercq

Scholarly Works

U.S. trade policy stands at an inflection point. The Biden administration’s “worker-centered” trade policy promised to empower foreign workers to improve employment and living standards globally, but it linked its trade assistance to political allies. The Trump administration’s “America First” trade policy promises to use tariffs and isolationism to protect and empower U.S. workers, but it is fostering antagonism rather than cooperation in trade. Both policies, while sharply diverging at the edges, recognize that U.S. trade policy affects employment opportunities in the United States. Both policies also critically overlook the relationship between the treatment of workers in trade partner countries, …

A More Perfect Union? (Reviewing Erwin Chemerinsky, No Democracy Lasts Forever: How The Constitution Threatens The United States (2024)), Neil Fulton

South Dakota Law Review

It is a bold claim that the United States Constitution is a threat to democracy in the United States. It is certainly a claim that most would reject outright or be highly skeptical of at least. It is, however, exactly the claim that Erwin Chemerinsky makes in his book No Democracy Lasts Forever.

Erwin Chemerinsky is a prolific scholar, particularly of constitutional law. It is not surprising that he would produce a timely, topical, and thought-provoking book on the subject. What is surprising is his fundamental premise that the Constitution itself threatens democracy in the United States today. This provocative …

The Trial Of Socrates, Jonathan K. Van Patten

South Dakota Law Review

In many important ways, the trial of Socrates was not just the trial of the century, nor even the trial of the millennium. It predated the trial of Jesus, which is important for many other reasons, but Socrates’ contribution to how we think about justice and the rule of law is without equal. This Article explores the ways that this fifth-century B.C. trial, located geographically on the margin of what came to be known as the West, is at the center of what makes us a civilization. It is not simply about the drama, nor the politics of free inquiry, …

Oversight Of Conservatorships And Guardianships In South Dakota: A Call For Legislative Reform, Peyton Forney-Rassat

South Dakota Law Review

Courts have the legal and ethical duty to monitor guardianship and conservatorship cases in order to protect the rights and livelihoods of persons subject to such arrangements. With increased aging populations and people with disabilities in America, this has become an area of concern for both federal and local governments. Lack of data regarding the number of guardianships and conservatorships present in America, as well as the number of individuals subject to abuse in such arrangements, has become difficult to address. However, recent highly publicized cases have brought this issue to the forefront of many American minds. The number of …

Common Law Creep And Judicial Optionality: A Measured Critique Of Restrictive Covenant Law In South Dakota, Alex M. Hagen

South Dakota Law Review

South Dakota law governing restrictive covenants establishes a statutory framework with a simple structure: a general prohibition against restraints on trade, subject to four narrow exceptions. In theory, courts need only determine whether a challenged covenant falls within a statutory exception. In practice, however, courts exercise far broader discretion, applying elaborate analyses that extend well beyond statutory boundaries. In this Article, I critique the current doctrine of restrictive covenant law in South Dakota and contend that the judiciary has provided itself with too many options in deciding how these types of contractual agreements will be assessed and played too active …

An Empirical Analysis Of Statutory Enactment And Interpretation In South Dakota: Are We Aligned?, Neil Fulton, Zane Rankin

South Dakota Law Review

Statutes have supplanted the common law as the primary source of American law. It is accordingly vital to evaluate how statutes are applied and interpreted. Most statutory interpretation scholarship focuses on enactments by Congress, is based on the perspective of courts alone, and uses non-empirical analysis. This article takes a different perspective. The article focuses on South Dakota statutes and the legislative process. It is centered on an empirical survey of legislators, lobbyists, and professional staff to ascertain their beliefs and preferences about how statutes are enacted and how they should be used. These observations are then compared with existing …

May It Please The Artificial Intelligence: Experimental Ai-Authored Jurisprudence And Authentic Human-Authored Counterparts, Justin Huston, Thomas E. Simmons

South Dakota Law Review

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly intruding into many professions, from publishing and healthcare to engineering, graphic design, and the law. Law firms are adopting AI for discovery, factual summaries, and briefing. Many courts are embracing AI to streamline docket management and filings. Even some judges are experimenting with AI. This article describes an experiment with the use of an AI Judge to decide both an expert witness issue embedded in a South Dakota Supreme Court appeal and a South Dakota Circuit Court legal malpractice issue. We then compare the AI-generated opinion with the opinions penned by the Judge and Justice, …

Filling The Tribal Court Attorney Need Through Tribes Licensing Their Own Attorneys, Nicholas James Stamates

South Dakota Law Review

The need for attorneys in Indian country to fill the positions of tribal prosecutors and tribal public defenders in criminal cases is dire. There are many postings on jobs sites such as Indeed and Zip Recruiter for tribal prosecutor and tribal public defender jobs in the $60,000 to $90,0000 a year salary range constantly being reposted for months—even years. Simply put, the Tribes cannot fill these positions at the salaries they are willing to pay or can afford due to their rural locations. 2024 data from Bryce Drapeaux & Hannah Haksgaard published in the South Dakota Law Review showcased how …

A Critical Review Of The Theory Of Planned Behaviour In Tourism Research, Kourosh Esfandiar, Arghavan Hadinejad

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) has received considerable attention across various academic disciplines and remains one of the most widely applied–yet increasingly critiqued–theoretical frameworks in tourism research. Despite its widespread use, there is a notable lack of critical reflection on its adequacy in capturing the complexity of tourist behaviour and a limited exploration of alternative theoretical pathways. This paper addresses this gap by critically evaluating the appropriateness and limitations of the TPB in tourism research. Special attention is given to the Theory of Reasoned Goal Pursuit (TRGP), a recent extension of the TPB, alongside complementary frameworks from parent disciplines …

Howell Thomas Heflin Collection, University Of Alabama School Of Law

Manuscript Collections

The Howell Thomas Heflin Collection documents Heflin's years as legal reformer and Alabama State Supreme Court Chief Justice, as well as his tenure as United States Senator through press clippings, scrapbooks, speech files, audiotapes, videotapes, press releases and statements, newsletters and various printed materials, photographs, negatives, campaign materials, and memorabilia.

Deploying The “Trade Bazooka”: How The Anti-Coercion Instrument Reshapes Eu Public Procurement, Amanda Lythgoe, Christopher R. Yukins

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

As trade disputes continue to batter the relationship between the U.S. and its partners in the European Union, a new countermeasure by the EU—the Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI)—has emerged as a serious threat to trade flows, including in public procurement. Although formally framed as a trade-defense mechanism, the ACI is a legal instrument capable of addressing a broad range of economic coercion. Notably, although the ACI is presented as a means of deterrence and de-escalation, the ACI authorizes countermeasures that extend well beyond tariffs, and can severely restrict foreign firms’ access to EU public procurement markets. This article provides an historical …

Nothing To See Here. Yet. Ames V. Ohio Department Of Youth Services, Michael J. Yelnosky

Roger Williams University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Sepulveda V. Buffum, 334 A.3d 98 (R.I. 2025)., Jack A. Burum

Roger Williams University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Because It's Family: A Generic Qualitative Study Of The Implementation Of Restorative Practices In A Urban Middle School Classroom, Anthony Rodriguez

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Restorative Circles provide an answer to creating engaging, creative and positive elementary classroom environments. There is currently limited research of the practice’s efficacy in K-12 classrooms and even more so from the point of view of the student’s experience. This General Research study explored the co-creation of a trusting classroom environment through the structural implementation of Restorative Practice Circles. The responses collected provided an opportunity for the participants to provide insight on their experiences and perceptions of the classroom engagement approach and express their thoughts on its weekly implementation over the course of one academic school year. Utilizing Restorative Justice …

Implications Of Quantum Computing For Enterprise Cybersecurity And Data Integrity, Manikantha Varaprasad Inakollu

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

Quantum computing represents a paradigm shift in computational capabilities that poses both unprecedented threats and opportunities for enterprise cybersecurity. This research examines the implications of quantum computing advancement on current cryptographic systems, data protection mechanisms, and organizational security frameworks. Through analysis of quantum computing developments from 2019-2024 and surveys of 280 cybersecurity professionals across various industries, this study identifies critical vulnerabilities in existing encryption standards and explores emerging quantum-resistant solutions. The findings reveal that approximately 78% of enterprises remain unprepared for quantum threats, with current RSA and ECC encryption systems facing potential compromise within the next 10-15 years. The research …

Examination Of The Effects Aesthetic Enrichment And Music Have On Well-Being And Task Performance In A Workplace Simulation, Emily Budik

Theses and Dissertations

Workplace environments are often designed with a focus on efficiency, yet emerging research suggests that environmental features such as aesthetic enrichment and music may influence employee well-being and performance. The present study examined whether visual aesthetic enrichment and auditory stimulation through music could improve well-being, reduce stress, and enhance task performance within a simulated workplace task. Participants completed a 30-minute in-basket task under one of four conditions: a control environment, music only, aesthetic enrichment only, or a combined aesthetic enrichment and music condition. Measures of stress, well-being, and task performance were collected following task completion. Results indicated that neither aesthetic …

Data Utilization In Facilities’ Performance Management Decision- Making At U.S. Four-Year Public Institutions: A Cross-Sectional Exploratory Study, Tanaporn Supanichrattana

Theses and Dissertations

The growing complexity of higher education finance, aging infrastructure, and rising accountability expectations has intensified demands on facilities organizations to manage institutional assets strategically. As colleges and universities face sustained fiscal constraints and expanding operational pressures, the ability of facilities leaders to use data to inform performance management has become increasingly critical. Despite this importance, limited empirical research has examined how facilities leaders integrate data into decision-making within public higher education contexts.

The quantitative study employed a cross-sectional, exploratory survey design to investigate data utilization practices among facilities leaders at U.S. public four-year institutions. Guided by the Data–Information–Knowledge–Wisdom hierarchy and …

Effect Of Substrate Dispersion Method And Particle Size On In Vitro Digestibility, Gas Production Kinetics And Composition, And Fermentation Characteristics In Different Feed Types, Luiz C. O. Sousa, Ellem M. A. Matos, Ronald J. Trotta, Edenio Detmann, David L. Harmon

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Our objective was to evaluate the influence of substrate dispersion method and particle size on in vitro digestibility, gas production kinetics and composition, and fermentation characteristics of different feed types. Alfalfa hay, tall fescue hay, ground corn, soybean meal, and a total mixed ration (TMR) were used as substrates. Treatments were designed according to a 2 × 2 × 5 factorial arrangement: two substrate dispersion methods (loose substrate and in filter bags), two particle sizes (1 mm and 2 mm), and five feeds. Filter bags decreased (P ≤ 0.001) digestibility and gas production compared with loose samples. Filter bags decreased …

Soybean Meal Mitigates Vasoconstriction And Serotonin Suppression During Fescue Toxicosis In Beef Cattle, Luiz C.O. Sousa, Brittany E. Davis, David L. Harmon, Ronald J. Trotta

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Legume supplementation has been shown to mitigate fescue toxicosis in beef cattle. However, no studies have directly compared the use of soybean-based feeds to alleviate symptoms of fescue toxicosis under controlled environmental heat and equalized feed intake. The objectives were to evaluate the effects of soybean hulls, whole soybeans, or soybean meal (SBM) supplementation on the mitigation of vasoconstriction, heat stress, and inflammatory responses in beef cattle during fescue toxicosis. Ten ruminally-cannulated Angus × Holstein steers were used in a 5 × 10 Latin rectangle design. Five treatments were evaluated: 1) non-toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue seed (NTE), 2) toxic endophyte-infected …

Menstrual Cycle Phase Effects On Alcohol-Impaired Driving Performance And Risk Awareness, Annie K. Griffith

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Growing evidence indicates that risky behavior among women is elevated during the late follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, likely due to increased estradiol levels. Furthermore, alcohol-induced impairment of women’s inhibitory control is significantly greater during the late versus early follicular phase. Consequently, cycle phase may influence outcomes of poor inhibitory control while intoxicated, such as alcohol-impaired driving. Alcohol-impaired driving risk manifests in two ways: risk-taking while driving, and risk awareness regarding the decision to drive. This dissertation tested the hypothesis that alcohol-induced increases in driver risk-taking and decreases in risk awareness would be exacerbated during the late versus early …

Relative Utility Governs Working Memory For Drug-Associated Stimuli In A Novel Translational Paradigm, Maxwell E. Boileau

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Substance use disorder (SUD) remains a prevalent health concern, partially characterized by continued drug use despite aversive consequences. Contrary to accounts emphasizing cognitive deficits, drug versus non-drug choice data reflect sensitivity to reinforcement dimensions, with preference shifting systematically as a function of magnitude and probability. The present study tested whether another cognitive system, working memory, is similarly affected by relative utility. Preclinical studies have demonstrated sensitivity of working memory to reinforcement dimensions, but these are often attributed to the differential outcomes effect. Generalized matching models were fit to allomorphic choice data, allowing estimation of exchange rate parameters. A concurrent solid- …

Working Memory In The Pigeon: An Alternative Paradigm, Daniel Peng

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

One of the most widely used measures of working memory in non-human animals is the delayed matching to sample (DMTS) design. While this design can assess for duration of working memory, alternative accounts can be made to explain decrements in retention. In addition, DMTS does not assess capacity of working memory in terms of number of items able to be held. The works in this dissertation aims to design a paradigm to measure capacity of number of items held in memory for non-human animals by asking animals to make a specific response after presentation of a random spatial sequence. While …

Next-Day Effects Of Binge Drinking On Inhibitory Control In Laboratory And Naturalistic Settings, Justin Verlinden

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Binge drinking occurs at an alarmingly high rate, despite its negative consequences on behavior, health, and cognition. One acute cognitive consequence of binge drinking is the impairment of inhibitory control, or the ability to stop oneself from engaging in maladaptive or inappropriate behaviors. Specifically, during a binge episode, individuals display impaired inhibitory control while completing Go/NoGo or Stop Signal Tasks (SST). This impairment has been shown to be maintained for up to five hours post-drinking, even as breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) approaches zero. Evidence also suggests that binge drinking results in next-day deficits in attention, memory, and psychomotor speed. However, …

Effects Of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation On Urge During Cue-Exposure To Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors, Hannah Rebecca Wild

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) are unnecessary, repetitive grooming behaviors linked to abnormalities in sensory and reward processing, as well as top-down inhibition. The left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) is implicated in these processes and plays a key role in cravings among individuals facing addiction. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) targeting the left dlPFC shows promise in reducing craving for addictive substances. Despite phenomenological similarities between BFRBs and addictive disorders, no controlled studies have examined tDCS’s effect on BFRBs. This study used a randomized, double-blind design to examine whether a single session of anodal multifocal tDCS targeting the left dlPFC reduced …

Comparing Domain- And Facet-Based Models Of Personality Disorder: Incremental Predictive Validity And Model Fit, Alexandra Hines

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Personality disorders (PDs) have historically been conferred using a categorical diagnostic framework (i.e., present versus absent). However, recent research supports a transition toward dimensional models of PDs wherein personality traits are measured along a continuum. Some dimensional models contain personality domains only, whereas other models contain both personality domains and facets of each of those domains. The leading models of each type are the PD model in the eleventh edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) and the Alternative Model of Personality Disorders (AMPD) in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), respectively. …