Digital Commons Network^™

Cross-Cultural Adaptation Of The Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Index For Turkish-Speaking Patients With Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Hakki Çağdaş Basat, Fati̇h Özyurt, Muhammed İhsan Kodak, Gülşah Özsoy, Caner Kararti

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Considering that there is no specifically designed scale to measure quality of life (QoL) and level of functioning among Turkish-speaking patients with thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), the aim of this study was to adapt the Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Index (TOSI) to the Turkish language (TOSI-TR) and analyze its psychometric properties in patients with TOS. Materials and methods: Thirty-nine patients with symptomatic TOS were included in the study. The participants were assessed using the following measures: the QuickDASH, the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index (WORC), and a visual analog scale (VAS). The psychometric properties of the TOSI-TR were examined in …

Bidirectional Needs Assessment Of Otolaryngology-Head And Neck Surgery Short-Term Surgical Trips In Zimbabwe, Katerina J. Green, Naboth Matinhira, Amiti Jain, Priya Arya, Dontre' M. Douse, Titus Dzongodza, Clemence Chidziva, Joshua P. Wiedermann

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

OBJECTIVES: To describe findings from an otolaryngology-specific needs assessment tool in Zimbabwe.

METHODS: Surveys were developed and shared with Low-Middle Income Country (LMIC) hosting institutions in Zimbabwe and to High-Income Country surgical trip participants (HIC). Respondents were otolaryngologists identified online and through professional networks who had participated in a surgical trip.

RESULTS: The most common procedures Zimbabwe otolaryngologists reported treating were adenotonsillectomy (85.7%), chronic rhinosinusitis (71.4%), chronic otitis (57.1%), and head and neck tumor intervention (57.1%). The most common untreatable conditions that host physicians wanted to treat were skull base surgery (71.4%), flap reconstructions (57.1%), and laryngotracheal reconstruction (57.1%). The …

Using Video Modeling To Improve Hygiene Practices For Students With Significant Cognitive Disabilities, Allison Hovey

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of instruction delivered by video to teach hygiene skills to students with significant cognitive disabilities. The independent variable in this study is personal hygiene instruction delivered by a video model. The dependent variable in this study is the ability of a participant to complete a multi-step hygiene task. The dependent variable will be measured during each data session of intervention by two scorers using the same measures and procedures across phases. Visual analysis demonstrated a functional relationship between the hygiene skill video model intervention and an increase in the percentage …

Lexical Consistency In Verses Of Censure In The Holy Qur’An, Rawaa Ahmed Aziz, Ahmed Abdel Kazem Ali

Uruk Journal of Human Sciences

Textual study is one of the sciences that study language, as it works on studying texts, analyzing them, and looking for coherence and cohesion in those texts. To be a comprehensive and integrated unit, and this is achieved by the availability of textual standards, of which consistency represents one of these criteria, and our research studies this textual consistency at its lexical level, which is achieved by

Reflective Practices And Their Relationship To Evaluative Thinking Among History Teachers In The Middle School, Alaa Hameed Mohsen Al -Naieli

Uruk Journal of Human Sciences

The current research aims to identify the "reflective practices of historical teachers and its relationship to evaluative thinking." The researcher relied on the descriptive relational approach. Teacher and school, and the researcher adopted the reflective scale, which consisted of (40) items, and put five alternatives to answer in front of each paragraph, which are (apply to me completely, apply to me often, apply to me sometimes, apply to me rarely, do not apply to me at all), and the second tool is the measure of thinking The evaluation and the number of its paragraphs reached (40) five-graded paragraphs (often, always, …

Prometheus As A Mythological Hero: A Comparison Between Byron’S Poem "Prometheus" (1816) And Miller’S Novel Circe (2018), Hibbe Moussadak Muslim

Uruk Journal of Human Sciences

Throughout centuries, Prometheus has been regarded as an important mythological character in literature in general, and in Greek and English literature in specific. Often times he is portrayed to be an advocate for the good, or perhaps a hero to humanity, who, according to the Ancient Greeks, was significant for the discovery of fire to mankind. Other times, however, he is referred to as a mighty god who used his power and intelligence to fool the gods surrounding him, and who eventually got punished for that. The ideas of justice, humanity, and freedom are central to the story. To understand …

A Phono-Pragmatic Analysis Of Selected Questions In The Glorious Quran, Sadiq Mahdi Khadhim Alshamiri, Hassan Khalaf Amer Hummadi

Uruk Journal of Human Sciences

This study is concerned with the relationship between phonology and pragmatics, throughout the interrogation in the Glorious Qur'an, specifically rhetorical question. The phonological aspect of this study is based on the analysis of Roach’s patterns of intonation. Whereas the pragmatic side is based on Leech’s classification of speech acts. The data is chosen depending on the recitation of Surat Al-Baqara by Abdulbasit Abdulsamad who recited with Saba Maqam and Hussein Al Aryan who recited with Lami Maqam. The problem of the study is reflected by showing whether there are any variations in pitch between the two recitations and how they …

Harmony Or Discord? The Intersection Of Religious Beliefs And International Mindedness, Ranjan Kumar Lima

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

A fundamental concept of the International Baccalaureate (IB) educational philosophy is international mindedness. International mindedness refers to being, thinking, and acting with openness to the world and an understanding of the interconnectedness of oneself with others. Despite extensive research on religious beliefs and international mindedness separately, there remains a dearth of studies exploring their intersection, especially among the International Baccalaureate (IB) teachers in their early professional years. This study examines how the religious beliefs of early adult and early-career International Baccalaureate (IB) teachers influence their perceptions and manifestations of international mindedness. This study utilizes phenomenological research strategies. It involves eight …

Mindspace: The Creation And Curation Of An Interactive Art Exhibition On Nostalgia, Memory And Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Emma Wallace

University Honors Theses

MINDSPACE is an autobiographical art exhibition aimed at raising awareness about Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) through a collection of multimedia artworks. The exhibition combines sculpture, video projection, and multimedia installations alongside a compilation of creative writing to immerse viewers in the intricate emotional landscape of C-PTSD. Through a series of installations and carefully curated video and audio, visitors are invited to explore the internal world of an artist affected by C-PTSD and learn how this impacts the artist's life in various ways.

PTSD itself was only formally recognized as a discrete diagnostic category in the 1980s, and as of …

The Rainbow Wave: Rethinking Lgbtq Representation In Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Research, Tyler King

University Honors Theses

This thesis critically evaluates the representation and inclusivity of LGBTQ+ populations in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAT) research from 2000 onwards, amidst the resurgence of interest in psychedelics for mental health treatment. Through a quantitative analysis of published studies, it investigates the prevalence and depth of gender identity and sexual orientation data collection, revealing a significant gap in demographic data pertinent to these populations. This research aims to highlight the ethical and scientific necessity for more inclusive study designs that incorporate the unique psychological experiences and needs of LGBTQ+ individuals. Recommendations are proposed for enhancing inclusivity in research methodologies, including organizational buy-in, …

Relationship Between Self-Efficacy And Reading Achievement Among Students With Disabilities, Jessica Maine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students with disabilities (SWD) often display lower self-efficacy and have a more negative attitude toward reading compared to typically developing peers. Little research has been conducted to measure the relationship between reading self-efficacy and reading achievement of SWD. The purpose of this study was to investigate if reading self-efficacy predicts reading achievement for SWD. Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy guided the research question to evaluate the relationship between reading self-efficacy and reading achievement for SWD. In the present quantitative study, a linear regression analysis was used to assess the predictive relationship between SWDs’ reading self-efficacy, as measured by the Readers’ Self-Perception …

Assessing The Effects Of Climate Change On Vulnerability To Poverty: The Case Of Heat Waves And Construction Workers In Egypt, Rachad Bani Samari

Theses and Dissertations

“Doomsday, humanity’s extinction, the end of days”. Apocalyptic adjectives abound to highlight the danger looming over the planet, as the earth is warming up due to global warming and climate change. The picture painted over the canvas has consistently projected a gloomy image of low-income countries and of the poor. As the earth is gently boiling with heat, low-income groups in the Global South are predicted to be most affected. However, most of such warnings and studies focused on sectors directly dependent on suitable weather conditions such as agriculture, and sea tourism. While the climatic phenomena of heat waves may …

Black Superintendents’ Perceptions On The Effectiveness Of Diversity And Equity Professional Development In New Jersey Schools, Tanisha Hinton

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Providing an accessible and equitable education for all students has been an ongoing process mandated by the Managing for Equality and Equity initiative to close the achievement and opportunity gaps among students. This qualitative study examined Black superintendents' perspectives about the effectiveness and impact of diversity, equity, and inclusive initiatives in majority White staffed school districts in New Jersey. Furthermore, the study explored the perceptions of Black superintendents across different regions of New Jersey to understand if there were significant differences in how DEI initiative was perceived. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 Black superintendents and the data was analyzed …

A Trna Modification Pattern That Facilitates Interpretation Of The Genetic Code, Isao Masuda, Ya-Ming Hou

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

Interpretation of the genetic code from triplets of nucleotides to amino acids is fundamental to life. This interpretation is achieved by cellular tRNAs, each reading a triplet codon through its complementary anticodon (positions 34–36) while delivering the amino acid charged to its 3′-end. This amino acid is then incorporated into the growing polypeptide chain during protein synthesis on the ribosome. The quality and versatility of the interpretation is ensured not only by the codon-anticodon pairing, but also by the post-transcriptional modifications at positions 34 and 37 of each tRNA, corresponding to the wobble nucleotide at the first position of the …

Machine Learning In Time-Lapse Imaging To Differentiate Embryos From Young Vs Old Mice†, Liubin Yang, Carolina Leynes, Ashley Pawelka, Isabel Lorenzo, Andrew Chou, Brendan Lee, Jason D Heaney

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Time-lapse microscopy for embryos is a non-invasive technology used to characterize early embryo development. This study employs time-lapse microscopy and machine learning to elucidate changes in embryonic growth kinetics with maternal aging. We analyzed morphokinetic parameters of embryos from young and aged C57BL6/NJ mice via continuous imaging. Our findings show that aged embryos accelerated through cleavage stages (from 5-cells) to morula compared to younger counterparts, with no significant differences observed in later stages of blastulation. Unsupervised machine learning identified two distinct clusters comprising of embryos from aged or young donors. Moreover, in supervised learning, the extreme gradient boosting algorithm successfully …

Associations Between Circadian Alignment And Cognitive Functioning In A Nationally Representative Sample Of Older Adults, Sophie Leahy, Qian Xiao, Chris Ho Ching Yeung, Mariana G Figueiro

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Proper alignment of activity-rest and light-dark patterns allows for healthy bodily functions to occur at optimal times of the day. Disruptions to this alignment may cause poor sleep as well as physical, mental, and cognitive problems. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine if poorer circadian alignment was associated with decreased cognitive functioning among older (> 60 years) participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We utilized actigraphy-based rest-activity and dark-light measurements to calculate phasor magnitude (strength of circadian alignment coupling) and phasor angle (phase difference between activity-rest and light-dark cycles). Multiple linear regression models were …

Differential Effects Of Social Media On Body Esteem: An Ecological Momentary Assessment On Weight Satisfaction And Muscularity Importance, Megan Van Alfen Brown

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated how social media use is related to body esteem (particularly weight satisfaction and muscularity importance) in adolescents. We conducted a 17-day Ecological Momentary Assessment study among 183 adolescents (12–17 years, 58% girls). Each adolescent reported on his/her social media use, weight satisfaction, and muscularity importance four times per day (68 assessments per participant; 6,863 completed in total). Using a person-specific, N=1 method of analysis (Dynamic Structural Equation Modeling), we found that at the between-person level, social media use is not associated with lower satisfaction with one’s weight and greater importance of looking masculine. At the within-person level, …

Strategies And Methods Used By Information Technology Security Professionals To Secure Cloud Access Infrastructure, Oliver Fontem

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cloud computing provides data storage and access services to end users and enterprises but requires effective access controls to protect privileged information from unauthorized and malicious users. Enterprises adopt and integrate cloud computing into their business operations due to its cost-effective and on-demand delivery of computing resources over remote networks but face the challenge of adequate strategies and policies to implement identity and access management securely. Grounded in the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies used by information technology cybersecurity professionals to improve identity and access …

Nursing Staff Retention, Turnover Intention, And Job Satisfaction In California Nursing Home Facilities, Dr. Selene E.A Laws

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurse turnover rates in long-term care facilities, specifically in California nursing homes, are among the most pressing issues for the quality of patient care and nursing homes’ operational costs. The purpose of this integrative review was to reveal effective ways to improve job satisfaction, decrease turnover intention, and increase retention rates among nursing staff in California nursing homes. This study focused on the critical issue of turnover in healthcare administration, grounded by Herzberg’s motivation–hygiene theory, which stated that job satisfaction was the fundamental problem causing high staff turnover, and it suggested that hygiene and motivation factors may affect employee turnover. …

Ay 2023/2024 Sec Agenda, 2024-06-12, Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Archives

No abstract provided.

Ay 2023/2024 Sec Meeting Minutes, 2024-06-12, Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Archives

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of The Results Of The Patients Who Underwent Plasmapheresis In The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Mehmet Nur Talay, Özhan Orhan, Murat Kanğin, Eşe Eda Turanli, Mehmet Nuri̇ Özbek

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is an extracorporeal treatment method that removes large molecular weight substances from plasma. In our study, we aimed to retrospectively examine the indications and procedural methods of the patients who had undergone TPE, and the complications that occurred during the procedure. Materials and methods: Forty-one patients who were monitored in thePICU of Gazi Yaşargil Training and Research Hospital and had indications for TPE between 2017 and 2021 were included in the study. Laboratory parameters were checked before and after the TPE procedure. In addition to these, patients’ diagnosis, weight, type of procedure and type of …

Subtropical Estuarine Ecosystems Display Both Long-Term Stability And Change, Garrett L. Miller

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Subtropical estuaries often support abundant and diverse faunal assemblages, but it is unclear how these productive ecosystems are responding to climate change. In the eastern Gulf of Mexico, estuarine faunal assemblages have been sampled for decades as part of a fisheries-independent long-term monitoring program. I assessed trends in submerged aquatic vegetation, water temperature, and the abundance, richness, and structure of faunal assemblages over more than two decades in four estuarine systems using this dataset. I used both univariate and multivariate analyses to quantify and describe the dynamics of these habitat and faunal variables. Further, I separated my analyses for summer …

Digital Twin Mathematical Models Suggest Individualized Hemorrhagic Shock Resuscitation Strategies, Jeremy W Cannon, Danielle S Gruen, Ruben Zamora, Noah Brostoff, Kelly Hurst, John H Harn, Fayten El-Dehaibi, Zhi Geng, Rami Namas, Jason L Sperry, John B Holcomb, Bryan A Cotton, Jason J Nam, Samantha Underwood, Martin A Schreiber, Kevin K Chung, Andriy I Batchinsky, Leopoldo C Cancio, Andrew J Benjamin, Erin E Fox, Steven C Chang, Andrew P Cap, Yoram Vodovotz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Optimizing resuscitation to reduce inflammation and organ dysfunction following human trauma-associated hemorrhagic shock is a major clinical hurdle. This is limited by the short duration of pre-clinical studies and the sparsity of early data in the clinical setting.

Methods: We sought to bridge this gap by linking preclinical data in a porcine model with clinical data from patients from the Prospective, Observational, Multicenter, Major Trauma Transfusion (PROMMTT) study via a three-compartment ordinary differential equation model of inflammation and coagulation.

Results: The mathematical model accurately predicts physiologic, inflammatory, and laboratory measures in both the porcine model and patients, as well …

History Of Suicidal Behavior And Clozapine Prescribing Among People With Schizophrenia In China: A Cohort Study, Yi Yin, Chen Lin, Lijing Wei, Jinghui Tong, Junchao Huang, Baopeng Tian, Shuping Tan, Zhiren Wang, Fude Yang, Yongsheng Tong, Song Chen, L Elliot Hong, Yunlong Tan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Clozapine is an off-label drug used in most countries to prevent suicide in individuals with schizophrenia. However, few studies have reported real-world prescription practices. This study aimed to explore the association between a history of suicidal behavior and clozapine prescribing during eight weeks of hospitalization for individuals with early-stage schizophrenia.

METHODS: This observational cohort study used routine health data collected from a mental health hospital in Beijing, China. The study included 1057 inpatients who had schizophrenia onset within 3 years. History of suicidal behavior was coded from reviewing medical notes according to the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Information …

Self-Determination Towards Regular Exercise Relates To Quality Of Life In Female College Students With At Least One Child, Toby Khung Chilai Roylance

Theses and Dissertations

Inspired by one of my daughters, Rachel Tam, and her journeys through motherhood while pursuing an MBA at Brigham Young University, this study was conceived from observing her struggle to balance academic responsibilities, motherhood, being a wife, and prenatal care. Her experience highlighted the significance of self-directed physical activity (PA) for young mothers pursuing higher education in a religious institution. This study explores the dynamics of PA, motivation, and well-being among 264 college-attending mothers from Brigham Young University Provo and BYU-Pathway Worldwide. These participants were selected from an online survey pool of over 1,500 female student respondents. All mothers in …

Digital Twin Mathematical Models Suggest Individualized Hemorrhagic Shock Resuscitation Strategies, Jeremy W Cannon, Danielle S Gruen, Ruben Zamora, Noah Brostoff, Kelly Hurst, John H Harn, Fayten El-Dehaibi, Zhi Geng, Rami Namas, Jason L Sperry, John B Holcomb, Bryan A Cotton, Jason J Nam, Samantha Underwood, Martin A Schreiber, Kevin K Chung, Andriy I Batchinsky, Leopoldo C Cancio, Andrew J Benjamin, Erin E Fox, Steven C Chang, Andrew P Cap, Yoram Vodovotz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Optimizing resuscitation to reduce inflammation and organ dysfunction following human trauma-associated hemorrhagic shock is a major clinical hurdle. This is limited by the short duration of pre-clinical studies and the sparsity of early data in the clinical setting.

METHODS: We sought to bridge this gap by linking preclinical data in a porcine model with clinical data from patients from the Prospective, Observational, Multicenter, Major Trauma Transfusion (PROMMTT) study via a three-compartment ordinary differential equation model of inflammation and coagulation.

RESULTS: The mathematical model accurately predicts physiologic, inflammatory, and laboratory measures in both the porcine model and patients, as well …

Mycoplasmoides Genitalium Nucleic Acid Semi-Quantitation And Molecular Macrolide Resistance Detection Via Automated Assays: Gender And Specimen Source Considerations, Erik Munson, Josephine Moore, Trinity Krueger, Amanda Zapp, Stephen C Lavey, Kimber L Munson, Irene A Stafford, Brian Mustanski

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

A laboratory-developed test (LDT) using analyte-specific reagents has been optimized on a commercial platform to detect macrolide resistance-associated mutations (MRM) in 23S rRNA from Mycoplasmoides genitalium from primary clinical specimens. In this study, MRM-LDT was applied to a multi-specimen source study set. One thousand four hundred ninety-five primary specimens testing positive for M. genitalium by commercial transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) were initially titered by the TMA assay using serial 10-fold dilutions to semi-quantitate target nucleic acid burden. Primary specimens were then processed for MRM detection using the MRM-LDT. Findings were stratified by gender and specimen source. The mean log10 target nucleic …

Small-Molecule Inhibition Of Kras Through Conformational Selection, Bharti Manwani, Nivetha Brathaban, Abiya Baqai, Yashee Munshi, Hilda W Ahnstedt, Mengqi Zhang, Kajsa Arkelius, Ted Llera, Edilberto Amorim, Fanny M Elahi, Neel S Singhal

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

L1CAM-positive extracellular vesicles (L1EV) are an emerging biomarker that may better reflect ongoing neuronal damage than other blood-based biomarkers. The physiological roles and regulation of L1EVs and their small RNA cargoes following stroke is unknown. We sought to characterize L1EV small RNAs following stroke and assess L1EV RNA signatures for diagnosing stroke using weighted gene co-expression network analysis and random forest (RF) machine learning algorithms. Interestingly, small RNA sequencing of plasma L1EVs from patients with stroke and control patients (n = 28) identified micro(mi)RNAs known to be enriched in the brain. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed small RNA …

“Camp Is A Home”: The Experiences Of Migrant Students In A College Assistance Migrant Program, Lourdes Bastas, Jamie L. Workman, Meagan C. Arrastia-Chisholm

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

The researchers explored how the migrant students characterized their experiences in the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) program at a predominately White institution in Georgia and how they developed identity in this qualitative study. Interviews with seven migrant students were transcribed and coded for themes using Baxter Magolda’s theory of self-authorship as the theoretical framework. Participants developed their identities and established self-authorship as migrant students due to the influences and impacts of CAMP and perceived CAMP support as the nexus to their academic success and overcoming barriers. Other themes emerged from the narratives including disruption of frequent moves, cultural differences, …