Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating The Role Of Ultrasound As A Tool For Airway Assessment And Management For Anesthesia Providers, Alexyss Capestany

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Introduction: The ability to predict and manage difficult intubations is a critical component of airway management in clinical practice.

Background: Ultrasound airway assessment has emerged as a valuable tool in predicting difficult intubation, yet its integration into routine clinical practice remains limited. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project aimed to educate healthcare providers, specifically nurse anesthetists, on the use of ultrasound to assess airway anatomy and enhance prediction of difficult airways.

Methods: An evidence-based airway assessment, the Difficult Airway Evaluation with Sonography (DARES), was implemented during a single-day skills fair. Participants received both didactic instruction and hands-on training focused …

Enhancing Emergency Department Preparedness For Amniotic Fluid Embolism Through Evidence-Based Simulation Training, Olivia M. Smoak

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Maternal mortality in the United States remains a significant and worsening public health concern, with increasing reliance on emergency departments (EDs) as access points for maternal care. Emergency clinicians are therefore more likely to encounter high-acuity obstetric emergencies, including maternal cardiac arrest and amniotic fluid embolism (AFE), yet often receive limited formal training in these conditions. Simulation-based education, interdisciplinary training, and cognitive aids have been identified as effective strategies to improve performance in high-risk, low-frequency events.

The purpose of the evidence-based practice project was to evaluate whether an interdisciplinary simulation with obstetric-led debrief and introduction of the AFE checklist improves …

Innovating Adhd Care: A Doctoral Capstone On A Pilot Adult Adhd Diagnostic Clinic Implementation, Fozia Aman

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Objective: To evaluate whether an APRN-led pilot Adult ADHD Diagnostic Clinic within a large academic healthcare system in the San Diego area improves timely access to diagnostic evaluation and optimizes care disposition for adults with suspected ADHD.

Background: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterized by inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning in daily life. It often emerges in childhood and persists into adulthood, affecting approximately 360 million adults globally. Despite its prevalence and associated functional and psychiatric burden, adult ADHD remains underdiagnosed and undertreated due to limited primary care training, stigma, and reduced access to psychiatric services, resulting in delayed …

Sleep Tight: A Sleep Hygiene Bundle For Adults To Improve Sleep Quality In A Skilled Nursing Facility, Meaghan Corbin

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Abstract

Nearly two thirds of skilled nursing facility (SNF) residents report poor sleep. Negative consequences of poor sleep are depressed mood, anxiety, pain, cognitive impairment, increased risk for dementia, fatigue, decreased concentration, and lower activity participation. A review of literature has shown that implementation of non-pharmacological sleep interventions can significantly improve sleep quality. The aim to screen SNF residents on current self-reported sleep quality and provide non-pharmacological sleep interventions. The evidence-based project utilized the 8 A’s Model. Using the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a resident with a score above 0, received the non-pharmacological sleep hygiene bundle: eye mask, earplugs, …

Improving Transition To Adult Care: Assessing Health Insurance Literacy In Adolescent Patients With Congenital Heart Disease, Kaitlyn V. Mudge

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Background: With advances in surgery and medical management, 95% of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) survive into adulthood. Transition to adult care is an intricate process. Up to 60% of adolescents fail to follow through with cardiology care, facing three times the risk of needing emergency services. Only 25% of young adults with CHD knew of the need to change their care to an adult provider and to acquire health insurance as an adult. One barrier to successful transition is a lack of insurance coverage and limited insurance health literacy. Higher insurance literacy is associated with increased utilization …

Anti-Mattering And Negative Core Beliefs In The Association Between Internalized Racism And Social Anxiety, Alicia K. López

Graduate Masters Theses

Internalized racism is associated with adverse mental health conditions, including anxiety. However, research examining the relation between internalized racism and social anxiety remains limited. The primary purpose of this current study was to explore the relation between internalized racism and social anxiety and whether cognitive processes, such as negative core beliefs about the self or interpersonal factors, such as anti-mattering help explain this relation.  Specifically, this study examined anti-mattering as a potential mediator linking internalized racism and social anxiety and whether negative core beliefs about the self, mediate the relation between internalized racism and anti-mattering. Lastly, the study examined a …

Identity And Distress: The Role Of Misracialization And Membership Esteem In Multiracial Mental Health, Jordan Cherry

Graduate Masters Theses

The population of Multiracial individuals in the US is growing (Jones et al., 2021). Multiracial people face a higher likelihood of adverse consequences, including reconciling the significance of holding multiple racial identities in a society that predominantly categorizes race in single categorical terms (Gabriel et al., 2023). The inaccurate perception of Multiracial individuals by others, or misracialization, is a result of this dynamic. Research indicates that inaccurate racial representation relates to worse mental health outcomes for Multiracial individuals (Campbell & Troyer, 2007; Does et al., 2023; Franco, Toomey, et al., 2021; Lusk et al., 2010). Further, one’s racialized experiences have …

The Cultivation Of Public Perception: Cultivated Meat Narratives And Misinformation On Tiktok, Anna M. Balkus

Graduate Masters Theses

Cultivated meat is an emerging tissue engineering technology that has the potential to address major issues threatening food systems, including climate change, rapid population growth, and the spread of disease. Among technical challenges, public perception remains a significant barrier for the widespread adoption of cultivated meat. While social media has transformed communication globally, it has simultaneously contributed to corrupt online environments infected with misinformation—unintentional inaccuracies that differ from disinformation, which is spread with the intent to mislead. The way the public receives and digests information regarding new food technologies, like cultivated meat, will be shaped by their social media environment. …

Accessibility And Daily Cigarette Consumption Among Indonesian Adolescents: A Descriptive Study, Noviana Lathifah, Istiqomah Hanifah Rachman, Anisa Isnaini, Gloria Threesia Piliphinsa Simatupang

Journal of Indonesian Health Policy and Administration

Despite restrictive regulations, Indonesia faces a high prevalence of adolescent smoking, facilitated by easy access to tobacco products. This descriptive study aims to describe cigarette accessibility patterns and daily consumption trends among Indonesian adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted using secondary data from the 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) involving 9,208 respondents. Descriptive analysis was performed to examine the distribution of age at smoking initiation, daily cigarette consumption, and purchasing accessibility. The majority of respondents started smoking at ≥14 years of age. Daily cigarette consumption showed an increasing trend with age, with older adolescents more likely to consume more …

Deadline-Chasing In Digital Health: Forecasting Emr Adoption Dynamics And Regulatory Impact In Indonesian Primary Care, Suryo Satrio, Bukhori Muhammad Aqid

Journal of Indonesian Health Policy and Administration

Indonesia is accelerating digital health adoption under Minister of Health Regulation No. 24/2022, which mandates the use and integration of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) with SATUSEHAT. However, evidence on how quickly primary health care facilities (Fasilitas Kesehatan Tingkat Pertama – FKTP) are adopting EMRs and what the adoption curve looks like remains limited. Survey findings also suggest key barriers and enablers, including security and data migration concerns, as well as human resource and infrastructure constraints. This observational study used provider-network data from a single EMR vendor. Key measures included cumulative registered facilities, monthly registrations, same-month activation (total_active/monthly inflow) as …

Optimizing Vitamin A Intervention: Strengthening Supplementation With Targeted Biscuit Fortification, Mayfa Yemima Simanjuntak, Nadia Amanda, Yuli Berliana Simanjuntak, Carissa Wityadarda, Lesta Livolina Simamora

Journal of Indonesian Health Policy and Administration

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) remains a persistent public health challenge in Indonesia, particularly among children under five and breastfeeding mothers. This study aimed to analyze the distribution of vitamin A interventions and assess the potential of biscuit fortification as a complementary strategy. This study employs a literature review using the Health Policy Triangle (HPT) framework, examining policy context, content, key actors, and implementation processes related to vitamin A interventions. The analysis was conducted using secondary data from government reports, international agencies, and peer-reviewed literature published between 2018 and 2025, with comparative evidence from Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Ghana. The findings show …

H. C. Robbins Landon (1926-2009): A Brief, But Grateful Tribute, David Wyn Jones

HAYDN: Online Journal of the Haydn Society of North America

Tribute honoring H. C. Robbins Landon on the 100th anniversary of his birth.

Invisible Students, Visible Consequences: Leadership Under Fte Funding, Derek Bryant

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

The full-time equivalent (FTE) funding model used by the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) serves as a structural constraint that misaligns financial incentives with the missions of the 23 member institutions within it. This qualitative, descriptive phenomenological study, through interviews with system- and college-level leaders, found that this model underserves part-time, adult, and workforce students while simultaneously contributing to a resource instability that prioritizes enrollment over student success. The study concludes that any reform must require a redesigned funding model that first makes institutions whole, with a stable operational baseline of funding, by incorporating broader enrollment measures that better align …

Maximum Agency: Educator Engagement In The Ai Era, W Alex Foxworthy

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

The dominant narrative about AI in education emphasizes anxiety: jobs lost, skills devalued, futures foreclosed. But survey data reveals a more complex picture. Students and faculty who engage with AI tools see greater possibility and feel less threatened than those who avoid them. Engagement correlates with optimism. This essay argues that community college educators are uniquely positioned to bridge this gap and can play a key role in moving students from anxiety to agency by modeling engaged adaptation themselves. Yet faculty consistently report that lack of institutional support, not resistance, is the primary barrier to integration. Drawing on recent surveys …

From Access To Success: Addressing Barriers For Students With Disabilities In Higher Education, Melissa Wood

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

Over the past several decades, enrollment of students with disabilities in higher education has steadily increased. However, disparities in retention and degree completion persist. Although federal laws such as the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act guarantee equal access, many students continue to encounter barriers that affect their academic experience. These challenges are often more pronounced in community colleges, which serve diverse populations and often operate with limited resources. This paper examines two key barriers and highlights best practices that institutions can implement to improve accessibility, strengthen support systems, and promote persistence and success for students with disabilities.

Strength In Numbers: Six Nursing Faculty Embark On A Shared Journey To Doctorate Success, Melissa P. Arthur, Leigh Moore

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

Pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a demanding and transformative experience, one that can be both daunting and profoundly rewarding. This article chronicles the journey of six dedicated nursing faculty and administrators from Southside Virginia Community College (SVCC) who undertook this challenge together, turning an academic endeavor into a shared mission of growth, resilience, and collaboration. Originating from a spontaneous suggestion, this collective pursuit of doctoral education evolved into a powerful example of professional solidarity.

As seasoned educators and leaders, the group had previously collaborated on pivotal institutional milestones such as ACEN accreditation, Board of Nursing improvement initiatives, …

Intervention Levers For Stunting Reduction In Indonesia: Evidence From The 2023 Indonesian Health Survey Data, Iwan Ariawan, Hafizah Jusril, Zahra Izza Afifa, Azka Fitri, Elmarizha Sekar Utami, Mikail Hasan, Dwi Puspasari

Kesmas

Stunting remains the largest public health challenge among macro-nutrition problems in Indonesia, affecting almost a quarter of children under five in 2023. The prevalence is considered high according to the World Health Organization standard. This study analyzed 15 aggregated provincial variables from the 2023 Indonesian Health Survey using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), focusing on determinants of stunting among children under two to identify primary intervention levers. Findings indicated that intervention urgency should focus on the first 1,000 days, particularly the steep increase in stunting prevalence observed in the 12–24-month age range. While the highest prevalence is in Eastern provinces (e.g., …

Mandates, Markets, And Megawatts: An Empirical Analysis Of The Causal Effects Of State-Level Energy Storage Mandates On Utility-Scale Battery Storage Deployment In The United States, Bill Zheng

Quantitative Social Science Undergraduate Senior Theses

Utility-scale battery storage is accelerating at an unprecedented pace as the world increasingly relies on renewable energies to power grids. Demand for data centers has produced record-high electricity demand, and utility-scale batteries are becoming crucial in supporting the grid and the variability of renewables. As a result, analysis on the efficacy of policy drivers of battery storage will provide the field with a roadmap for the most impactful policy solutions to spur battery storage deployment. This paper estimates the effect of state battery storage mandates on cumulative installed battery capacity using a staggered difference-in-differences (DiD) design following Callaway and Sant’Anna …

Rewarding Risk: How Political Health Messaging Drives Virality And Controversy On X, Hiba Ali

Quantitative Social Science Undergraduate Senior Theses

No abstract provided.

Narrative Roots - What We Inherit, What We Tell, What We Become: Intergenerational Storytelling, Meaning-Making, And Mental Health, Adam Sholder

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

This capstone synthesis explores how the family stories we inherit and the stories we tell across generations shape who we become, with particular attention to their impact on identity and mental health. Drawing on narrative identity theory, reflective practice, and relational understandings of family life, it introduces the Recursive Narrative Integration Model, which positions intergenerational storytelling as both a method of inquiry and a mechanism of meaning-making. Informed by a recursive process of creative and reflective writing, this synthesis approaches storytelling not only as an object of study, but as a lived and generative practice through which experience and narrative …

Reading Isabella Hammad And Beyond: The Unsaid – The Point Of Recognizing Turning Points, Narratives (Stories), And Strangers, Rory Conces

Philosophy Faculty Publications

The essay is a reflection on Isabella Hammad’s book, Recognizing the Stranger: On Palestine and Narrative (2024). The essay’s approach is to follow the four themes that reflect the title and the subtitle of the book and to draw out what is unsaid from what is said by Hammad. The unsaid reflects my conceptual and historical baggage, so there is a wide assortment of theorists that I connect Hammad with, including Edward Said, Hannah Arendt, Amartya Sen, Didier Fassin, and Slavoj Žižek.

Vergence Task-Based Neural Pathways With Binocularly Normal Vision And Comorbid Persistent Post-Concussive Symptoms -Convergence Insufficiency, Ayushi Sangoi

Dissertations

Binocular dysfunctions are more prevalent in the persistent post-concussive symptoms (PPCS) population than in the general population. The most prevalent binocular disorder is convergence insufficiency (CI), affecting 3-17% of the general population and up to 10 times as many people with PPCS. CI makes it difficult to fuse or maintain fusion on targets at near, and its symptoms include double or blurry vision and headaches when performing close-range tasks such as reading, which can exacerbate PPCS symptoms. Given controversy over the subjectivity and effectiveness of diagnostic tools and symptom surveys for both PPCS and CI, understanding why CI has high …

Membrane-Engineered Nanotherapeutic Platforms For Drug Delivery: Hollow Fiber Membrane Synthesis Of Lipid Nanoparticles, Biomimetic Nanocarriers, And Nanobubbles, Zhixiang Liu

Dissertations

Lipid-based nanocarriers have emerged as a cornerstone technology for RNA therapeutics, enabling effective intracellular delivery for applications ranging from vaccination to gene regulation. However, current manufacturing approaches, particularly microfluidic-based platforms, face inherent limitations in scalability, throughput, and structural tunability due to their reliance on confined channel geometries and restricted mixing architectures. Addressing these challenges requires fundamentally new strategies that decouple nanoparticle formation from traditional microscale flow constraints while maintaining precise control over physicochemical properties.

This dissertation presents a comprehensive framework for the design, engineering, and application of advanced lipid-based nanocarriers, centered on a hollow fiber membrane (HFM)—assisted nanopore-mediated assembly platform. …

Parameter Density Estimation For Cardiac Electrophysiology Models Using Data Consistent Deep Learning, Michael Luo

Dissertations

Mathematical models of biological rhythms and excitable systems can provide insights into mechanisms underlying cardiac electrical dynamics. However, estimating the parameters of these models from experimental observations is often difficult due to noise, heterogeneity, and unobserved variables. For example, in an electrocardiogram (ECG) recording, information about the electrical properties of different regions of the heart is compressed into a single voltage trace. Additionally, variability within these signals may contain important information about population heterogeneity, regional differences in electrophysiology, and time-dependent modulation.

This dissertation develops, explores, and evaluates methods that perform feature-based distributional inference for complex nonlinear dynamical systems. The objective …

Transcranial Ac Modulation Of Cerebellar Nuclear Activity In Awake Animals, Nuran Kavakli

Dissertations

Entrainment of cerebellar nuclear (CN) cells via cerebellar transcranial alternating current stimulation (ctACS) has been reported in animals under ketamine/xylazine anesthesia. Our main objective was to demonstrate modulation of CN activity in unanesthetized, freely moving animals using ctACS. Multi-channel carbon-fiber electrodes were implanted into the interpositus nucleus for recording multi-unit (MU) activity, and thin-film electrodes were implanted subcutaneously over the posterior cerebellum for stimulation. A frequency-domain-based metric was developed to quantify modulation from MU signals. The results demonstrated modulation in a wide range of frequencies (4 Hz-300 Hz) as in anesthetized animals. In contrast, the amplitude of the peak in …

Evaluating Flood Risk Management Performance Under Climate Change Based On Nature-Based Solutions — Empirical Evidence From Taihu Lake Basin, Shaofeng Chen, Conglin Zhang

Double Helix Methodology

Identifying a flood risk management (FRM) performance evaluation method that aligns with the sustainable development goals of the natural-social complex ecosystem is essential for effective and timely responses to flood risks. Using the Taihu Lake Basin (TLB) as a case study, this research systematically examines the evolving needs of FRM under climate change and proposes a performance evaluation method based on Nature-based Solutions (NbS). The method covers multiple dimensions including flood resources, socio-economic, and environmental factors. Principal component analysis (PCA) is employed to assess changes in the FRM level in TLB from 2010 to 2020. The key findings are as …

Enhancing Physiological Complexity Through Mindfulness: A Wearable-Based Intervention For First Responders And Their Partners, Thurmon Lockhart, Rahul Soangra, Christopher W. Frames, Sun-Kyung Lee, Amberlee Martin, Susanne Lee, Abigail H. Gewirtz

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Background/Objectives: First responders frequently encounter high-stress environments that challenge physiological resilience and autonomic regulation. Heart rate variability (HRV) complexity is a critical marker of adaptive capacity and stress regulation. This study assessed the impact of a wearable-based mindfulness intervention on HRV complexity among first responders using a smartwatch. Methods: A total of 87 first responders participated in a one-month wearable-based intervention. Participants wore Garmin Vivosmart 5 devices to continuously collect PPG data (photoplethysmogram), focusing on beat-to-beat intervals (BBIs). The intervention involved daily Ecological Momentary Assessments (EMAs) and individual randomization to either a mindfulness message, a prompt to access an audio …

Empowering Lifelong Choice: Supporting Older Individuals With Idd To Thrive At Work, Transition To Retirement With Dignity, And Maintain Community Connections, Leslie Quarles

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

This synthesis addresses the need to support older individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in their engagement in continued work. The project traces the journey from an initial focus on supporting older individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to work as long as they wish to an eventual shift toward a phased retirement approach. It considers issues such as a reimagined visualization of the support team structure, integration of tailored job supports and Community Life Engagement (CLE). The author's familial history sparked a sense of injustice that would not stay buried, shaping a career path in disability services and access. …

Critical Geopolitics And The Reconstruction Of Meaning: A Discourse Analysis Of The 'Terrorism' Label Applied To Hamas By Western Hegemony, Cahaya Mulyani Sakti, M.Hamdan Basyar

Journal of Terrorism Studies

The emergence of Hamas in 1987 cannot be separated from the configuration of modern colonialism and the continuity of occupation that shaped the political reality. Hamas’s early phase was rooted in socio-religious activities through education and community empowerment programs, before evolving into armed resistance against the occupation. The labeling of Hamas as a “terrorist” organization began in the mid-1990s in U.S. legal documents, which subsequently generated debate and gave rise to counter-narratives. This study employs the frameworks of critical geopolitics (Ó Tuathail & Agnew) and the Discourse-Historical Approach (Wodak) to analyze the labeling of Hamas as “terrorist” by Western hegemony. …

Hybrid Threats In The Lake Chad Basin: The Nexus Between Terrorism, Illicit Wealth, And Transborder Crime, Cletus C. N. Nwadiogbu

Journal of Terrorism Studies

Threats to security in the Lake Chad Basin have changed over the years and hybrid elements have become interweaved. Sustained Boko Haram and ISWAP activities have increased the insecurity in the region, enabling the mixing of armed insurgency and organized criminals, including narcotics dealers, extortion rackets, arms trafficking, drugs production and smuggling, kidnapping and fuel smuggling among Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon states. Nexus elements of illicit wealth, illicit transborder crime and terrorism were thus analysed as interdependent and contributing elements to Hybrid threats in the Basin. The study used a hybrid design (qualitative-quantitative) documenting data from the following institutions: …