Digital Commons Network^™

Caring To Care: Nurturing Icu Healthcare Professionals' Wellbeing For Enhanced Patient Safety, Emilio Rodriguez-Ruiz, Martina Maria Cornelia Van Mol, Joseph Maria Latour, Kristina Fuest

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Healthcare professionals working in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) care for patients suffering from a critical illness and their relatives. Working within a team of people with different personalities, competencies, and specialties, with constraints and demands might contribute to a working environment that is prone to conflicts and disagreements. This highlights that the ICU is a stressful place that can threaten healthcare professionals' wellbeing. This article aims to address the concept of wellbeing by describing how the stressful ICU work-environment threatens the wellbeing of health professionals and discussing how this situation jeopardizes patient safety. To promote wellbeing, it is imperative …

A Social-Ecological Justice Approach To Ecotourism: Examples From Cockpit Country, Jamaica, Laurel Ann C. Curry

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Ecotourism aims to support local social, ecological, and economic systems sustainably, but its implementation often perpetuates social and environmental injustices. This work applies a new social-ecological justice (SEJ) framework to ecotourism, combining Pope et al.’s holistic approach with principles like ecological stewardship, economic repositioning, and collaboration tailored to specific contexts. Importantly, basic capabilities for full functioning of humans and other species were used in this research to measure areas of justice and injustice. Using a case study approach with the Southern Trelawny Environmental Agency (STEA) in Jamaica's Cockpit Country, co-created interview data were analyzed to evaluate its ecotourism program’s alignment …

Feminine Felons: Violent Offenders' Intersectional Experiences In Twentieth-Century Montana, Cassidy Ann Vander Voort

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This paper explores the treatment of violent female offenders in Montana in both the media and prison system from 1900-1960. Women of all races faced gender discrimination from both the carceral system and popular media. Local newspapers sensationalized crimes committed by female offenders, portraying them as women who lived outside of the expectations of womanhood in the twentieth century. Newspapers and courts placed women into two categories: “mad/sad” female offenders, who received forgiveness for their crimes; or unforgivable, “bad” offenders. Crime did not determine these categorizations; instead, gender expectations of the white middle class shaped female criminals’ treatment. If these …

Structural Optimization And Stability Enhancement Of Uba(2) And Ntl9 Using The Computational Tool: Emcast, Bahar Ghazi Esfahani

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study enhances protein stability prediction by refining EmCAST (Empirical C-Alpha Stability Tool), a computational tool used to identify stabilizing mutations in protein domains. We applied EmCAST to two model proteins: the α-helical ubiquitin-associated domain 2 (UBA(2)) and the α/β N-terminal domain of ribosomal protein L9 (NTL9). Protein stability is critical for proper function, and mutations can lead to misfolding and disease. To validate EmCAST’s predictions, guanidine hydrochloride-induced denaturation was monitored using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy for both wild-type and mutant variants. Results guided refinements to EmCAST’s algorithm, incorporating new experimental datasets to improve accuracy. Additionally, we examined the assumption …

Exploring The Potential For Cynophagy, Working Dogs, And Village Dogs At Housepit 54, Daniel O. Nohren

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Several field seasons at the Bridge River Archaeological Site have recovered a vast faunal assemblage subject of numerous archaeological and genetic investigations, several of which have focused on potential roles of domestic dogs (Canis familiaris). In order to examine the highly fractured nature of the Housepit 54 canid assemblage, the calculation of a fracture freshness index was performed which created quantitative units of measure useful in the comparison of bone fracture taphonomy over time and across taxonomic groups. This method has been employed specifically to investigate the potential for exploitation of within-bone nutrients among both a sample of …

The Relationship Between Principals’ Transformational Leadership And Teachers’ Organizational Citizenship Behavior Within Public Primary And Middle Schools In Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China, Chuxuan Yin

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This non-experimental causal-comparative study was designed to explore the relationship between principals’ transformational leadership and teachers’ organizational citizenship behavior within public primary and middle schools in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China, as well as the differences in principals’ transformational leadership and teachers’ organizational citizenship behavior based on demographic characteristics. A sample of 142 principals and 675 teachers was recruited. Data collection utilized two validated instruments: the Transformational Leadership Questionnaire for evaluating principals’ transformational leadership level, and the Organizational Citizenship Behavior Scale for Primary and Middle School Teachers for measuring teachers’ organizational citizenship behavior level. Both descriptive statistics (frequency distribution, mean, standard …

As Above, So Below: Environmental Justice Stories Of Seeds, Mining And Migration, Cassidy M. Motahari

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Environmental justice issues directly impact the health, cultural heritage and livelihoods of communities. This multimedia master’s project examines how federal policies, legal frameworks and the prioritization of corporate interests perpetuate environmental justice issues in the western United States. Three distinct stories provide a more nuanced understanding of the impact of systemic inequities on seed saving, mineral extraction and humanitarian aid on public lands.

With four companies controlling over 60 percent of the global seed market, declining genetic diversity in seeds limits the potential to cultivate and develop crops that meet the regional and cultural needs of diverse growers. In a …

Investigating Algal Response To Scouring Flow And Nutrient Interactions In The Clark Fork River, Montana, Hannah E. Adkins

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Algal communities play a vital role in aquatic ecosystems, but excessive growth can degrade water quality, disrupt ecosystem function, and hinder beneficial uses (Banish, 2017; Davie, 2012; Wang et al., 2007; Wurtsbaugh et al., 2019). Nutrient enrichment, particularly elevated nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, is a well-established driver of algal proliferation in lentic systems. However, these nutrient–algae relationships are less predictable in lotic systems, where the dynamic effects of flow can modify or obscure these patterns (Bennet et al., 2017; Biggs and Close, 1989; Dodds et al., 2002). The Clark Fork River in western Montana has long struggled with nuisance algal …

Positive Allosteric Modulation Of Glun1/Glun3 Nmda Receptors, Mia Ruth Johns

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are ionotropic glutamate receptors that mediate excitatory neurotransmission in the central nervous system (CNS) where they play critical roles in normal and pathological brain functions and neurodevelopment. While the glutamate/glycineactivated GluN2-containing NMDA receptors (GluN1/GluN2) have been extensively studied, the physiological roles and pharmacology of glycine-activated GluN3-containing receptors (GluN1/GluN3) remain less understood. Although GluN1/GluN3 receptors exhibit unique functional properties and play distinct roles in neuronal development and synapse maturation, studies of their precise roles in neurophysiology and circuit function are impeded by limited availability of GluN3-selective pharmacological tools. This study describes UCM-A86, a novel GluN3-selective positive allosteric …

Social, Ecological, And Anthropogenic Drivers Of Gray Wolf Vital Rates In Yellowstone National Park, Brenna Jo Cassidy

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Populations of animals can be regulated by many factors, including food availability, anthropogenic influences, and social dynamics. Survival of adults and juveniles is one mechanism of population regulation, and these life stages can be influenced by different ecological pressures. In this dissertation, I investigate the ecological, anthropogenic, and social drivers of transboundary gray wolf (Canis lupus) vital rates in and around Yellowstone National Park. First, I evaluate the effect of variable harvest pressure on wolf survival and test whether anthropogenic mortality is compensatory or additive. Theory predicts that under densitydependent conditions, anthropogenic mortality should be offset by a corresponding reduction …

When Does Might Make Right? The Role Of Race/Ethnicity And Implicit Bias On Teacher Reactions To Peer Aggression, Charlotte Jane Moss

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Educators must evaluate social interactions between children on a daily basis. Social evaluations are thought to be impacted by cognitive (e.g., perceived controllability) and emotional (e.g., anger, sympathy) processes, and the ways in which teachers respond to bullying incidents may be influenced by their own implicit racial biases. There is inadequate research examining how these variables influence teacher reactions to bullying scenarios. Additionally, within the bullying literature, many studies focus on the bully and/or the victim, with less emphasis on other roles, such as a student defending the victim. Moreover, researchers typically define defenders as a student who gets help …

Authenticity Can Be Costly: Understanding School Belonging Among Latine Immigrant High School Students, Deborah A. Ith

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

School belonging is strongly associated with positive outcomes, including overall wellness and higher educational attainment. These outcomes can have lasting impacts on the lives of students. The construct of school belonging is defined as the degree to which a student feels accepted, supported, valued, and comfortable expressing themselves authentically within the school community. Students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, especially recent immigrants, often have experiences within the school setting that interfere with the development of a strong sense of school belonging. Unfortunately, much of the prior research on school belonging has relied on survey data, correlational studies, or teacher …

Echoes Of Heritage: Understanding The Impact Of Subtractive Bilingualism On Emotional Well-Being And Bicultural Identity In First- And Second-Generation Immigrants, Anna Reszewicz

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The effects of emotional well-being and cultural identity have been widely examined, yet little research has examined these outcomes among subtractive bilinguals. This study aimed to fill the gap in the literature by exploring the relationship between emotional well-being and bicultural identity among first- and second-generation immigrants in the United States who were identified as subtractive bilinguals and non-subtractive bilinguals. Subtractive bilinguals are defined as individuals who learn a second language (L2) while experiencing a decline in proficiency or usage of their heritage language (L1). Using self-report measures, 170 participants were recruited and completed an eligibility survey that included the …

Causes And Consecuences Of Gene Expression Divergence In The Rodent Placenta, Luis Fernando Rodriguez Caro

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Understanding the origin and diversification of reproductive traits is a central goal in evolutionary biology. In mammals, the placenta represents a key evolutionary innovation that reshaped developmental strategies and enabled the ecological success of the clade. Yet despite its importance, the genetic mechanisms and selective pressures driving placental evolution remain poorly understood, due in part to methodological challenges and the limited phylogenetic and genomic scope of prior studies. This dissertation research addresses these gaps by integrating comparative genomics, transcriptomics, and new analytical tools to investigate placental gene regulation across closely related rodent species. Chapter one presents an extensive comparison of …

How Perceptions Of Trauma Impact The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Events And Drinking Habits Of College Students, Caitlin M. Ward

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been consistently linked to alcohol misuse across the lifespan; however, little research has examined how individuals’ perceptions of these experiences contribute to risky drinking behaviors. The present study investigated the associations among ACEs, perceived traumatic impact of childhood adversity, gender identity, and alcohol use among 211 undergraduate students ages 18 to 25 at the University of Montana (Missoula). Participants completed measures assessing ACE exposure, perceived trauma impact, depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), adult adverse experiences, and alcohol use (AUDIT). ACE scores significantly predicted higher AUDIT scores in an unadjusted model; however, this relationship was no longer significant …

Sports Facilities, Trails, And Travel Cost: A Non-Market Valuation Case Study Of Parks In Montana, Clemens Walter Wilson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study applies the travel cost valuation method to urban parks in the State of Montana in an effort to determine whether parks with attributes related to exercise have greater value for recreationalists. By observing real recreation behaviour of urban park visitors through the use of cellphone mobility data, recreational demand for varying parks can be ascertained. To model recreational demand, the random utility model (RUM) and multinomial logit model (MNL) are leveraged to understand choice probabilities of parks, based on the attributes of parks, including sports facilities and trails. This study finds that there are positive and significant relationships …

Counselor Educators’ Understanding Of Ableism: A Mixed Methods Study, Cynthia Renee Boyle

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Ableism, defined as beliefs and practices that prioritize able-bodiedness and lead to disability discrimination, is a prevalent but often overlooked form of oppression rooted in the historical American legacy of other forms of prejudice, discrimination, and is foundationally rooted in higher education through eugenics. Despite the counseling profession's mandate for multicultural competence, disability issues and ableism are often excluded from mainstream curriculum, contributing to a knowledge gap among counselor educators. This convergent mixed methods study explored and analyzed counselor educators’ understanding of ableism using a cross-sectional questionnaire administered to 48 participants. Quantitative results indicated a positive correlation between more formal …

Tactile Kinaesthetic Methods Without Abdominal Pressure Promoting Gastrointestinal Passage In Preterm Infants: A Scoping Review, Natalie Hurst, Jos M. Latour, Christian F. Poets, Christoph E. Schwarz

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Background: Tactile kinaesthetic stimulation (TKS) might support enteral feeding and meconium excretion in preterm infants, but volvulus has been linked to abdominal massage. Aim: To map the evidence and to identify knowledge gaps on TKS in preterm infants. Methods: A scoping review was conducted in August 2024 using four databases. Results: Ten studies (totaling 268 infants weighing 1000–2500g at birth) met inclusion criteria. All studies utilized whole-body TKS, involving stroking and movement with moderate to gentle pressure, administered 1 to 3 times daily by staff. Starting TKS in the first days of life seemed to improve meconium excretion, while later …

Bridging The Gap: Exploring The Potential Of Virtual Reality For Supporting Autistic Individuals In Interview And Recruitment Processes Through A Realist Review, Katie Edwards, Marius Varga, Michael Loizou

School of Nursing and Midwifery

The aim of this realist review was to systematically analyse the peer-reviewed academic literature, reports and blogs to determine: (1) the mechanisms and contexts by which recruitment and early employment experiences lead to poor outcomes for autistic adults, and (2) how a Virtual Reality (VR) intervention might lead to positive outcomes within the recruitment and early employment experiences for autistic adults. Throughout, we worked with a PPIE group of autistic people who were fully involved in the realist synthesis process. We identified challenges across the employment journey including limited vocational guidance and employment readiness support, exclusionary job descriptions, and traditional …

Patient Experiences And Prerequisites Of Collaboration As Partners In Person-Centred Care: An Interview Study, Lena Rosenlund, Sofie Jakobsson, Helen Lloyd, Anna Diffner, Åsa Lundgren-Nilsson, Anna Dencker

School of Psychology

Aim: To explore what characterises communication and collaboration within a patient and professional partnership in outpatient care settings garnered from the experiences of persons living with long-term conditions. Design: A qualitative descriptive study design. Methods: Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 15 persons with long-term condition/s who experienced outpatient treatment or follow-up care. Data were explored through inductive thematic analysis. The COREQ checklist was followed. Results: The analysis revealed five themes: adapting and self-managing in daily life, handling and carrying information, building trust and continuity, acting in a flexible and transparent dialogue and sharing the way forward. The participants described …

Nature Contact And Health Risk Behaviours: Results From An 18 Country Study, Leanne Martin, Mathew P. White, Sabine Pahl, Jon May

School of Psychology

Emerging evidence suggests that residential greenspace is associated with a lower prevalence of health risk behaviours, but it remains unclear whether these effects are generalizable across countries or different types of nature contact. Using representative cross-sectional samples from 18 countries/regions, we examined the associations between two types of nature contact (greenspace, nature visits), current smoking and everyday drinking. After controlling for a range of covariates, greenspace was inversely associated with current smoking and everyday drinking. Visiting natural spaces at least once a week was linked to a lower prevalence of current smoking, but unrelated to everyday drinking. Increasing residential greenspace …

Cross-Cultural Data On Romantic Love And Mate Preferences From 117,293 Participants Across 175 Countries, Marta Kowal, Piotr Sorokowski, Biljana Gjoneska, Katarzyna Pisanski, Gerit Pfuhl, Leonardo Aguilar, Steve M.J. Janssen, Benjamin Gelbart, Patrícia Arriaga, Jan Antfolk, Katarina Zvončáková, Linda H. Lidborg, Jorge Contreras-Garduño, Mikhail V. Kozlov, Taciano L. Milfont, Marco A.C. Varella, Valerija Križanić, Mahmoud Boussena, Tina Kavčič, Diana Ribeiro Da Silva, Brahim Hamdaoui, Fatima Zahra Sahli, Karlijn Massar, Eliane Deschrijver, Tatsunori Ishii, Hakan Cetinkaya, Oksana Senyk, Farida Guemaz, Koen Ponnet, Yahya Don

School of Psychology

Psychological studies on close relationships have often overlooked cultural diversity, dynamic processes, and potentially universal principles that shape intimate partnerships. To address the limited generalizability of previous research and advance our understanding of romantic love experiences, mate preferences, and physical attractiveness, we conducted a large-scale cross-cultural survey study on these topics. A total of 404 researchers collected data in 45 languages from April to August 2021, involving 117,293 participants from 175 countries. Aside from standard demographic questions, the survey included valuable information on variables relevant to romantic relationships: intimate, passionate, and committed love within romantic relationships, physical-attractiveness enhancing behaviors, gender …

Understanding The Role Of Pluralistic Ignorance In Biodiversity Conservation: A Research Agenda, Sandra J. Geiger, Hirotaka Imada, Carya Maharja, Nattavudh Powdthavee, Valeria Vitale, Lei Zhang, Claudio D. Rosa, Zenith N. C. Delabrida, Kristian S. Nielsen, Franz Essl, Mathew P. White

School of Psychology

Most people believe that biodiversity loss is human-caused, yet they may not realize how many others share this belief. Such collective misperceptions—known as pluralistic ignorance—may hinder individual and system changes required to address biodiversity loss. At the same time, reducing pluralistic ignorance may promote positive change. In this Perspective, we provide a brief overview of existing work on pluralistic ignorance about environmental topics and propose an agenda for impactful pluralistic ignorance research in the biodiversity domain. We highlight several research gaps and offer recommendations, including (a) investigating different forms of pluralistic ignorance, (b) improving our understanding of consequences and determinants, …

Clinical Decision Making And Risk Appraisal Using Electronic Risk Assessment Tools For Cancer Diagnosis: A Qualitative Study Of Gp Experiences, Alex Burns, Emily Fletcher, Elizabeth Shephard, Raff Calitri, Mark Tarrant, Adrian Mercer, William Hamilton, Sarah Dean

School of Psychology

Background: Electronic risk assessment tools (eRATs) are intended to improve early primary care cancer diagnosis. eRATs, which interrupt a consultation to suggest a possibility of a cancer diagnosis, could impact clinical appraisal and the experience of the consultation. This study explores this issue using data collected within the context of the Electronic RIsk-assessment for CAncer (ERICA) trial. Aim: To explore views and experiences of GPs who used the ERICA eRATs, how the tools impacted their perception of risk and diagnostic thinking, and how this was communicated to patients. Design & setting: Qualitative interviews with GPs from English general practices undertaking …

“Being Away From Everything”: Exploring The Importance Of Access To Nature For Individuals Living With Chronic Low Back Pain, Alexander Smith, Kayleigh Wyles, Patricia Schofield, Sam Hughes

School of Psychology

Chronic low back pain is a persistent and debilitating condition, and therapeutic outcomes in the long term are generally poor. There is growing evidence to support the ineffectiveness of ‘one-size-fits-all’ pharmacological approaches to pain management. To that end, alternative non-pharmacological therapies such as green social prescribing and time spent in nature are gaining popularity. But it is imperative to understand to what extent these potential interventions are viable by gaining a deeper insight into the lived experiences of the chronic low back pain community. The present qualitative cross-sectional study employed ten semi-structured interviews (9 women, M age = 50.1, M …

Development Of Machine Learning Algorithms To Predict Viral Load Suppression Among Hiv Patients In Conakry (Guinea), Degninou Yehadji, Geraldine Gray, Carlos Arias Vicente, Petros Isaakidis, Abdourahimi Diallo, Saa Andre Kamano, Thierno Saidou Diallo

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Background: Viral load (VL) suppression is key to ending the global HIV epidemic, and predicting it is critical for healthcare providers and people living with HIV (PLHIV). Traditional research has focused on statistical analysis, but machine learning (ML) is gradually influencing HIV clinical care. While ML has been used in various settings, there’s a lack of research supporting antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs, especially in resource-limited settings like Guinea. This study aims to identify the most predictive variables of VL suppression and develop ML models for PLHIV in Conakry (Guinea). Methods: Anonymized data from HIV patients in eight Conakry health facilities …

Standardization Of The Vermicompost For Organic Cultivation Of Andrographis Paniculata (Burm. F.) Wallich Ex Nees, Ranjeet Kumar Yadav, Saurabh Singh, Priya, Geet Govind Sinam, Lal Bahadur

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wallich ex Nees is an important medicinal plant that belongs to the family Acanthaceae . It has been used to treat many human diseases since ancient times. The pharmaceutical industries accept only organically grown biomass of A. paniculata that is free from contamination. Vermicompost is an important organic manure that is used as an organic source for the cultivation of crops. The experiment aims to find the optimum dose of vermicompost for organic cultivation of A. paniculata. The different doses of the vermicompost, i.e., Control (T₁), 2.5 t/ha (T₂), 5 t/ha (T …

Evaluation The Level Of Interleukin-6 And Interleukin-10 In Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Hiba Aldeen, Muna Abdulbasit Kashmoola

Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

BACKGROUND: Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a hematopoietic stem cell disease. IL-6 and IL-10 play critical roles in AML pathogenesis; IL-6 regulates hematopoiesis and leukemic blast formation, and IL-10 inhibits pro-inflammatory responses in leukemic cells.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate IL-6 and IL-10 levels in AML patients and assess their correlation with clinical and laboratory parameters.METHOD: A case-control study, conducted in Nineveh Province from January to October 2024, included 30 newly diagnosed AML patients and 30 healthy controls. Hematological and biochemical tests, including Complete Blood Count, bone marrow aspirate, flow cytometry, and serum IL-6 and IL-10 levels (measured by ELISA), performed at diagnosis …

Clinical Significance Of "S" Isoform Of Dclk1 In Different Gastric Cancer Subtypes Using Newly Produced Monoclonal Antibody, Mahdieh Razmi, Ali-Ahmad Bayat, Nafiseh Mortazavi, Elham Kalantari, Leili Saeednejad Zanjani, Sima Saki, Roya Ghods, Zahra Madjd

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Background

Materials and methods

Association Of Helicobacter Pylori Infection With Pediatric Asthma In Palestine, Alaa Hrizat, Amal A Shahin, Banan M Mafarjeh, Mohammad A Atawneh, Kamel Gharaibeh, Nisreen Rumman, Mutaz Sultan

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Purpose: Significant debate exists on the association between Helicobacter pylori infection and childhood asthma. We aimed to explore this association in a cohort of children in Palestine while estimating the prevalence of H. pylori in this population. Methods: We conducted a prospective case-control study among children aged 6–15 years in Palestine, including 44 asthma cases diagnosed by pediatric pulmonologists and 99 age-matched healthy controls recruited through cluster sampling from schools. H. pylori status was determined using a stool antigen test. Asthma severity was assessed using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire. Data on recent antibiotic use, …