Digital Commons Network^™

Using Zombie Literature To Build Skills In Responding To Real Events For High School Students, Sarah Olson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This project seeks to enhance student engagement in English language arts through zombie literature, bridging fiction and reality by exploring the question How can zombie literature be used in high school language arts curriculum to discuss and process real-world issues and events? It examines research on fiction's societal impact and horror's ability to boost student interest. The curriculum, adaptable for all high school levels, guides students in connecting fictional narratives to real-life experiences. By exploring the intersection of zombies, literature, and society, the project aims to create a more engaging and relatable learning experience for students.

Putting Play In The Elementary School Classroom, Robert Mchugh

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Elementary school is a major setting for children’s development and the beginning of their academic journey learning language arts, math, and more. One of the primary ways that children learn and develop is through play. This capstone addresses the research question: How can organized play opportunities in elementary schools be leveraged to help nurture students’ development and strengthen their academic learning outcomes? This capstone report delves into the author's personal and professional connections to the topic of children’s play. Through the process of literature review, evidence is compiled to show that play opportunities strengthen the development of children’s physical health, …

Stories Elicit Feelings Of Kinship And Inspire Pro-Environmental Behavior, Ellen Shaw

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Humans pass down stories to transmit ways of knowing and ways of interacting within their culture. For Indigenous humans, stories give outsiders insight into a deeply intertwined connection with the environment. As a woman of European descent teaching Environmental Education classes, my lack of awareness inspired the question, How can a story lead to adolescents developing a kinship with the more-than-human elements of a place and lead to pro-environmental behavior grounded in reciprocity? The literature review focused on elevating Indigenous authors such as; Robin Wall Kimmerer, Gregory Cajete, Jessica Hernadez, Albert Wiggan, Masanobu Fukuoka. Traditional Ecological Knowledge is the current …

How Can Urban Nature-Based Preschools Partner With Churches To Support Each Other?, Sarah Sinclair

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Nature-based preschools are increasing exponentially across the United States. These preschools combine best practices in early childhood education with place-based environmental education. Nature is the unifying theme of nature-based preschools, with programs spending a significant amount of time outdoors learning in, with, and about the natural world. Many nature-based early childhood educators are seeking to create urban nature-based preschools to reach children and communities with little access to green spaces or natural habitats. Urban nature-based preschools thus require locations that have attached green space or can access public green space easily. In most states of the U.S., these preschools must …

Ocean Literacy: Understanding The Importance Of Sharks In Marine Ecosystems, Nicole Mueller Januário

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The ocean covers about 71% of our planet’s surface and provides us with food and marine resources. It regulates global climate and weather patterns, and acts as a climate change carbon sink yet remains largely unprotected. A restorative human-ocean relationship is urgently needed to combat the negative impacts of humanity and climate change and support marine biodiversity. Sharks, one of the oldest fish species and apex predators, play a crucial role in maintaining a balanced marine ecosystem and healthy ocean. However, sharks are threatened by climate change and illegal, unregulated, unreported fishing and finning. A radical behavior change is also …

Integrating Environmental Education Into The 4th-Grade Classroom, Brandi Mckenna

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The growing awareness of the effects of climate change on our planet and the need for solutions that slow, stop, or potentially reverse these effects have led to the desire to increase environmental education in our youth. Research shows that building environmental literacy and stewardship helps create citizens with pro-environmental behaviors. Since the Tbilisi Declaration in 1977, there has been significant growth in environmental education programs in non-traditional education settings. However, despite the need for environmental education, it struggles to gain a strong footing in the traditional classroom. This is due to multiple reasons, with educator preparedness and resources being …

Creating A Community Garden To Enhance Environmental Education And Action In 10th-12th Grade Boys, Tess Ingebrigtsen

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone is to understand how making community connections through the creation of a community garden will emphasize environmental education and action from students. The guiding question of this project is: How can creating a community garden enhance environmental education and action for 10th-12th grade boys in a science elective? Throughout this project, I explore how 10th-12th grade boys' perceptions and feelings on environmental education and action develop and change through the process of creating, designing, and maintaining a community garden and making community connections through their school. Throughout this project, a multitude of major learnings occurred …

Experiential Gardening For Environmental Literacy And Food Systems Awareness, Adam De Leeuw

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

School and community gardens have a rich history from the late 19th Century to the present, which includes the voices of Agassiz, Greene, Dewey, Washington Carver, Du Bois, and Montessori. This history spans the periods of school gardens from ‘nature study,’ the School Garden Army, Victory Gardens, the Tbilisi Declaration, and Garden-based learning. The purpose of this capstone project was to answer the following question: What are the individual lessons needed in a curriculum to support and connect experiential school and community garden programs for K-2 youth to serve as effective educational tools for environmental literacy and food systems awareness? …

Creating Outdoor Learning Opportunities For Neurodiverse Students: An Outdoor Learning Curriculum For Neurodiverse Students, Erin Barnes

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This project aimed to answer the question, how can special education teachers provide outdoor learning opportunities for neurodiverse students? The benefits of outdoor learning are well-researched and documented. Spending time in nature reduces stress levels and positively impacts mental health. However, many neurodiverse students in special education settings have limited access to outdoor learning due to concerns about safety, accessibility, and lack of training in environmental education for special education teachers. The need for access to outdoor learning is especially true for students in more restrictive special education settings. This project addresses barriers by providing outdoor learning opportunities that are …

Using Geography To Spark Curiosity In Students, Stephen Schmitz

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project explores geography and student curiosity, designed to answer the research question: How can teachers use geography to spark curiosity in their students? Geography has been an often overlooked and diminished subject, yet it has great potential to engage students. As student apathy and disengagement continue to be an issue within the contemporary school system, this capstone advocates for using geography as a way to spark interest in the subject, and learning altogether. The research undertaken in this capstone has yielded a unit curriculum designed for fifth grade students that weaves important geographic concepts with strategies to spark …

Identifying And Removing Barriers To Accessibility In Environmental Education And Outdoor Recreation, Patricia Bonnin

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

There are numerous mental, physical, and socio-emotional health benefits to spending time outdoors, and this is especially true for people with disabilities. However, outdoor spaces such as park systems, nature centers, and other natural places are typically not accessible for people with disabilities. Research shows there are numerous barriers they encounter when trying to attend outdoor areas. The capstone project, titled Nature Adapted: Guidebook for evaluating and modifying current programs and practices to increase outdoor accessibility, was created to assist environmental education centers and outdoor recreation organizations in becoming more inclusive. It includes information sections, pre-assessements, reflections, and places to …

Use Of Ultrasound For Identification Of Musculoskeletal Injury In Active Populations, Kathleen Karen Hogan

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Lower extremity tendinopathies and fasciopathy conditions are prevalent amongst sedentary individuals,^1,2 athletes,^3,4 elite runners,^5,6and military personnel⁷ and can lead to chronic disability and reduction in quality of life. ^8,9 Both tendinopathy and fasciopathy are thought to be mechanical in nature and caused by acute or chronic overloading leading to a disruption in the uniformity of the soft tissue structure. Ultrasound imaging has gained popularity in the last decade among many sports medicine clinicians to gain information regarding tissue structure for musculoskeletal injury (MKSI) management. Ultrasound imaging allows for the evaluation of in-vivo structures and at …

Poglut2/3 Double Knockout In Mice Results In Neonatal Lethality With Reduced Levels Of Fibrillin In Lung Tissues, Sanjiv Neupane, Daniel B Williamson, Robyn A Roth, Carmen M Halabi, Robert S Haltiwanger, Bernadette C Holdener

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Fibrillin microfibrils play a critical role in the formation of elastic fibers, tissue/organ development, and cardiopulmonary function. These microfibrils not only provide structural support and flexibility to tissues, but they also regulate growth factor signaling through a plethora of microfibril-binding proteins in the extracellular space. Mutations in fibrillins are associated with human diseases affecting cardiovascular, pulmonary, skeletal, and ocular systems. Fibrillins consist of up to 47 epidermal growth factor-like repeats, of which more than half are modified by protein O-glucosyltransferase 2 (POGLUT2) and/or POGLUT3. Loss of these modifications reduces secretion of N-terminal fibrillin constructs overexpressed in vitro. Here, we investigated …

Modulation Of Tmem16b Channel Activity By The Calcium-Activated Chloride Channel Regulator 4 (Clca4) In Human Cells, Monica Sala-Rabanal, Zeynep Yurtsever, Kayla N Berry, Conor Mcclenaghan, Alyssa J Foy, Alex Hanson, Deborah F Steinberg, Jessica A Greven, Colin E Kluender, Jennifer M Alexander-Brett, Colin G Nichols, Tom J Brett

2020-Current year OA Pubs

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Study Of A Pst-Trained Voice-Enabled Artificial Intelligence Counselor For Adults With Emotional Distress (Speac-2): Design And Methods, Corina R Ronneberg, Thomas Kannampallil, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Novel and scalable psychotherapies are urgently needed to address the depression and anxiety epidemic. Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), a voice-based virtual coach named Lumen was developed to deliver problem solving treatment (PST). The first pilot trial showed promising changes in cognitive control measured by functional neuroimaging and improvements in depression and anxiety symptoms.

METHODS: To further validate Lumen in a 3-arm randomized clinical trial, 200 participants with mild-to-moderate depression and/or anxiety will be randomly assigned in a 2:1:1 ratio to receive Lumen-coached PST, human-coached PST as active treatment comparison, or a waitlist control condition where participants can receive Lumen …

Digital Catharsis Or Harmful Exposure? A Thematic Analysis Of Self-Directed Violence Reddit Posts, Lindsay A. Lundeen, John R. Mccall, Amanda Sams Bradshaw, Erika L. Leblanc, Lizy Humphrey

Counseling, Leadership, and Research Methods Faculty Publications and Presentations

Many feel uncomfortable discussing self-directed violence with individuals in their social circle, often leading to concerned posts on social media. Previous studies address self-harm, suicide, and nonsuicidal self-injury; however, minimal literature combines suicide and nonsuicidal self-injury to explore common themes representing self-directed violence. This study identified themes from suicide and self-harm subreddit communities, with themes common to each subreddit comprising themes of self-directed violence. Using 1,989 Reddit posts from suicide and self-harm communities, we employed an inductive thematic analysis to explore how users discussed self-directed violence within anonymous online communities. Ultimately, the impact of using Reddit for discussion of self-directed …

Reducing Student Anxiety Using Neurofeedback-Assisted Mindfulness: A Quasi-Experimental Single-Case Design, David Christian, Cian L. Brown, Evan C. Smarinsky, Erin K. Popejoy, Allison Ames Boykin

Counseling, Leadership, and Research Methods Faculty Publications and Presentations

The authors implemented an A–B–A with follow-up quasi-experimental single-case research design to assess the effectiveness of a consumer-grade neurofeedback (NFB)-assisted mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) for reducing anxiety in high-achieving high school students (N = 5). Three of the participants from racial/ethnic minority and lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds reported reduced anxiety as measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Youth (STAI-Y) during the intervention. In contrast, the two participants who identified as White, higher SES did not report decreased anxiety during the intervention. Results provide initial support for the use of the NFB-assisted MBI used in this study as a …

A Guide To Understanding Big Data For The Nurse Scientist: A Discursive Paper, Henry Ofori Duah, Samantha J. Boch, Sara Arter, Nichole Nidey, Joshua Lambert

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Big data refers to extremely large data generated at high volume, velocity, variety, and veracity. The nurse scientist is uniquely positioned to leverage big data to suggest novel hypotheses on patient care and the healthcare system. The purpose of this paper is to provide an introductory guide to understanding the use and capability of big data for nurse scientists. Herein, we discuss the practical, ethical, social, and educational implications of using big data in nursing research. Some practical challenges with the use of big data include data accessibility, data quality, missing data, variable data standards, fragmentation of health data, and …

Sharps Injuries Among Healthcare Workers In Liberia And Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Survey, Laura Jean Ridge, John Arko-Mensah, Josh Lambert, Lydia Aziato, G. Clinton Zeantoe, Henry Ofori Duah, Marjorie Mccullagh

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

There are little data on sharps injuries among healthcare workers in West Africa despite the region’s high rate of hepatitis B and human immunodeficiency virus. The purpose of this study is to investigate healthcare workers’ history of sharps injuries in Liberia and Ghana. An electronic cross-sectional survey was conducted among healthcare workers in Liberia and Ghana from February to June 2022. A link to the survey was texted to participants through professional association membership lists, including nursing, midwifery, and physician assistant organizations in both Liberia and Ghana and a physician organization in Ghana only. Five hundred and nine participants reported …

Diversifying The ‘Hsi Bubble’: Black And Asian Women Faculty At Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Elena M. Venegas, Jacqueline B. Koonce, Lorenza Lancaster, Julissa Bazan, Adriana Garza

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

This qualitative case study explored the experiences of seven Black and Asian women faculty at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). The unique experience of each woman is shared in this paper. Three themes highlight the interconnectedness of participant experiences. The first theme indicated that these Black and Asian women faculty operated in unsupportive microclimates within their HSIs. Secondly, participants communicated a need for representation within the ‘HSI bubble.’ Finally, our participants felt as though their HSIs needed to exercise greater intentionality in terms of truly serving their student populations. Amongst the implications of this research is a better understanding of the experiences …

Exploring How Rural Schools And Communities Influence The Academic Journeys Of College Students In Stem Majors, Elise J. Cain, Anne Valauri, Jennifer R. Perry, Aliyah Deloach

The Rural Educator

An incongruence exists between the growing job opportunities in rural areas and the educational opportunities provided to rural students, especially in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Positive change is possible, however. As one means to tackle this complex issue, this study sought to understand the perceptions and experiences of students who graduated from rural high schools and pursued STEM majors in college as exemplars of rural students who pursued postsecondary education in STEM disciplines. This phenomenological study explored how college students in STEM majors perceived their rural schools and communities as influencing their academic journeys. Rather than focusing …

Enhancing Social And Emotional Competencies In Rural Middle School Students: A Cluster-Randomized Study On Character Playbook, Gina Ricker Phd, Joanne Angosta

The Rural Educator

This cluster-randomized pre-post study examined the effectiveness of Character Playbook, a digitally delivered, universal social-emotional learning (SEL) program, in enhancing social and emotional knowledge and confidence among rural middle school students. Pre- and post-assessments and surveys measured students’ knowledge and self-reported confidence related to social and emotional skills. The sample consisted of 128 students from two rural middle schools. Analyses of covariance with multiple imputations to account for missing data revealed that students who participated in Character Playbook demonstrated significantly higher knowledge and more positive confidence toward their social and emotional learning competency than the control group. These findings, with …

Rural Teacher Preparation In The State Of Alabama, Avington Medeiros, Eva Kane

The Rural Educator

Rural teacher recruitment and retention is a matter of interest for the state of Alabama as policymakers look to understand teacher shortages in rural schools across the state. How teachers are prepared to teach in rural schools is an essential part of rural teacher recruitment and retention. Preservice teachers need exposure to rural contexts as a part of their teacher preparation programs. This study examined how teacher preparation programs in Alabama are integrating rural-specific components. Among the 25 teacher preparation programs in Alabama, nearly 25% reported integrating three or more rural-specific components into their teacher preparation programs. Some teacher preparation …

Rural Students Find Their Voice On A College Campus, Ann K. Schulte, Karen Schreder

The Rural Educator

For rural students, finding one’s voice and identity on a college campus and developing a sense of belonging are important for engagement and degree persistence. Rural affinity groups can create a feeling of comfort or connection that affirms students’ place identity and can lead to a more successful college experience. Additionally, an organized group of students can be a resource for the university to learn more about rural places, cultivate collaborations with rural communities, and develop a positive rural narrative. At California State University, Chico, the North State Student Ambassadors are paid student representatives of their rural communities. They do …

The Hoof Inside Out: A Comprehensive Investigation About The Shoe Configuration Effects On The Behavior Of The Equine Hoof, Rita Aoun

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The equine hoof is a unique organ in biology that has intricate elastic properties. From simple protection to therapeutic and corrective measures, horseshoes are widely used in the equine industry. Various types of shoeing have been designed and used based on their unique targeted functions following hoof care. Shoes can modify the gait of the horse, affect the alignment of the distal joints, and alter stress and strains on specific hoof regions. The objective of this dissertation is to provide an overview of the available research on the existing methodology and literature on the effects of shoeing on equine gait …

Origins Of Cancer: Ain't It Just Mature Cells Misbehaving?, Charles J Cho, Jeffrey W Brown, Jason C Mills

2020-Current year OA Pubs

A pervasive view is that undifferentiated stem cells are alone responsible for generating all other cells and are the origins of cancer. However, emerging evidence demonstrates fully differentiated cells are plastic, can be coaxed to proliferate, and also play essential roles in tissue maintenance, regeneration, and tumorigenesis. Here, we review the mechanisms governing how differentiated cells become cancer cells. First, we examine the unique characteristics of differentiated cell division, focusing on why differentiated cells are more susceptible than stem cells to accumulating mutations. Next, we investigate why the evolution of multicellularity in animals likely required plastic differentiated cells that maintain …

Feasibility Of Simulation Free Abdominal Stereotactic Adaptive Radiotherapy Using An Expedited Pre-Plan Workflow, Alex T Price, Joshua P Schiff, Alice Silberstein, Robbie Beckert, Tianyu Zhao, Geoffrey D Hugo, Pamela P Samson, Eric Laugeman, Lauren E Henke

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Improved hounsfield-unit accuracy of on-board imaging may lead to direct-to-unit treatment approaches We aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of using only a diagnostic (dx) computed tomography (CT)-defined target pre-plan in an

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight patients with abdominal treatment sites (five pancreatic cancer, three oligometastases) were treated using an integrated adaptive O-Ring gantry system. Each patient's target was delineated on a dxCT. The target only pre-plan served primarily to seed the ART process. During the ART session, all structures were delineated. All simulated cases were treated to 50 Gy in 5 fractions to a planning target optimization …

Dlg1 Functions Upstream Of Sdccag3 And Ift20 To Control Ciliary Targeting Of Polycystin-2, Csenge K Rezi, Tao Cheng, Jeffrey H Miner, Moe R Mahjoub, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Polarized vesicular trafficking directs specific receptors and ion channels to cilia, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here we describe a role for DLG1, a core component of the Scribble polarity complex, in regulating ciliary protein trafficking in kidney epithelial cells. Conditional knockout of Dlg1 in mouse kidney causes ciliary elongation and cystogenesis, and cell-based proximity labeling proteomics and fluorescence microscopy show alterations in the ciliary proteome upon loss of DLG1. Specifically, the retromer-associated protein SDCCAG3, IFT20, and polycystin-2 (PC2) are reduced in the cilia of DLG1-deficient cells compared to control cells. This phenotype is recapitulated in vivo and …

Clinician-Perceived Barriers To Cervical Cancer Screening Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic At Three Us Healthcare Systems, Veronica M Boratyn, Gaia Pocobelli, Steven J Atlas, Cheryl R Clark, Sarah Feldman, Gina Kruse, Anne Marie Mccarthy, Meghan Rieu-Werden, Michelle I Silver, Noel O Santini, Jasmin A Tiro, Jennifer S Haas

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic posed serious challenges to cancer screening delivery, including cervical cancer. While the impact of the pandemic on deferred screening has been documented, less is known about how clinicians experienced barriers to screening delivery, and, in particular, the role of pre-pandemic barriers to changes reported during the pandemic.

METHODS: Survey of clinicians who performed ≥ 10 cervical cancer screening tests in 2019 from Mass General Brigham, Kaiser Permanente Washington, and Parkland Health, the healthcare systems participating in the Population-based Research to Optimize the Screening Process (PROSPR II) consortium (administered 10/2020-12/2020, response rate 53.7 %).

RESULTS: Prior to …

Contraceptive Use Among Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence And Reproductive Coercion: The Moderating Role Of Ptsd And Depression, Jessica L. Zemlak, Lea Marineau, Tiara C. Willie, Helena Addison, Gabrielle Edwards, Trace S. Kershaw, Kamila A. Alexander

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Women experiencing reproductive coercion (RC) report more unintended pregnancies and mental health symptoms that can influence contraceptive use patterns. We examined associations between RC and contraceptive use among intimate partner violence (IPV) exposed women aged 18–35 (N = 283). We tested depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and co-morbid depression and PTSD as effect modifiers. Though no association was found between RC and contraception, PTSD significantly modified this relationship. Among Black women (n = 112), those reporting RC and either PTSD or comorbid PTSD and depression were less likely to use partner-independent contraception compared to those reporting RC without …