Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Playwork: Five Years On, Pete King

International Journal of Playwork Practice

In 2020, at the start of the March 2020 COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom, a study was undertaken with 23 participants exploring the impact this may have on playwork and playwork practice.  That project started an 18-month longitudinal study between March 2020 and September 2022.  COVID-19 was five years ago, and this final study aimed to explore the current impact on playwork and playwork practice.  In total, 8 interviews were undertaken, and the results constructed 4 main themes regarding the continuing effects of COVID-19: 1) Community Engagement, 2) Emotional Regulation, 3) Outdoors, and 4) Health and Safety.  The findings …

Well-Being For Novice Nurses With The Powerful Feeling Of Belonging Through Mentorship, Shelli Anne Marie Chernesky, Natalie Bermudez, Diane Kramer

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Nursing is a known profession to help others by providing an environment of healing that includes elements of physical and psychological comfort. Our project looks at the importance of belonging as a form of supportive protection for the acute care novice nurse by using mentorship to help navigate the everchanging clinical environment. Mentoring has a direct correlation with belonging for nurses, being part of something with shared goals. Mentorship supports professional development while endorsing career pathway direction. Demanding clinical environments increase nursing responsibilities. Therefore, healthy work environments can be compromised and produce physical fatigue and mixed feelings leading to decreased …

Hidden Barriers: Enforcement Asymmetry And The Political Economy Of U.S.–Mexico Food Trade And The Cattle Industry, Sabina Prieto, Chris Jackson

Honors Thesis

This project examines how enforcement irregularities in Mexican food safety regulation affect small exporters’ ability to access U.S. markets. On paper, agricultural trade is regulated by laws on food quality, certification, and logistics. In practice, it is how those rules are enforced. In Mexico, big firms and producer associations tend to gain steady support and easier certification, while smaller producers face delays, rejections, or inconsistent oversight that make it much harder to compete. This study uses a comparative case study approach to analyze how similar industries produce different outcomes in market access. By tracing key events such as disease outbreaks, …

Cross-Cultural Neuropsychological Testing: A Behavioral Item Analysis Of The Party Subtest From The Muns Battery Administered To Argentinian And U.S. Participants, Arwen A. Miranda, Alberto Luis Fernandez

Honors Thesis

In response to prevalent cultural bias in neuropsychological testing, cross-cultural tests (CCTs) were developed for accessibility across cultures through the use of “universal” stimuli. The Multicultural Neuropsychological Scale (MUNS) is a CCT developed to be appropriate across education levels, cost-effective and capable of assessing cognitive functions. The MUNS consists of seven subtests, including the Party subtest, which measures executive functioning by instructing participants to organize a party on a map. During this activity, participants purchase items such as food while remaining mindful of a 100-coin budget and minimizing travel distance. The present study examined whether the Party subtest functions comparably …

All-Inside Endoscopic Zone 1 Flexor Hallucis Longus Transfer: A Cadaveric Feasibility Study., Kevin D Martin, Yi Wei, Adam G F Smith, Franco Piscitani, Luke M Martin, Brian Steginsky, Brian Tscholl, Nathaniel A Bates

Surgery Articles

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic flexor hallucis longus (FHL) tendon transfer addresses chronic Achilles tendon ruptures. Traditional percutaneous plantar incisions gain FHL length but risk neurovascular injury. This study evaluated the feasibility of an all-inside endoscopic FHL zone 1 tenotomy and transfer technique, which avoids plantar incisions by using zone 1 of the FHL tendon. We hypothesized that this technique would (1) provide sufficient tendon length, (2) avoid neurovascular damage, and (3) securely anchor the FHL tendon without tunnel blowout.

METHODS: Ten cadaveric all-inside endoscopic zone 1 FHL tendon transfers were performed without fluoroscopic guidance. Specimens were independently assessed post hoc by 2 …

Reducing Challenging Behavior Through Classroom Management Techniques In The Early Childhood Classroom, Mayra Moreno

Masters Projects

This literature-based project examines the impact of challenging behavior on student learning and evaluates the effectiveness of preventative classroom management strategies. Challenging behaviors include aggression, disruption and withdrawal, negatively affect the learning environment by decreasing student engagement, increasing teacher stress and burnout, and contributing to a less supportive classroom climate. Grounded in Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development and Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development, this project emphasizes the importance of developmentally appropriate practices that support both cognitive and social-emotional growth. Included are preventative classroom management techniques aimed at reducing challenging behaviors. Key strategies include maintaining a 5:1 ratio of positive to …

Center For Social Development Report To The Community: 2026, Center For Social Development, Washington University In St. Louis

Center for Social Development Research

For more than 30 years, the Center for Social Development (CSD) has been a hub for implementing and testing applied social innovations. As the 2026 "Report to the Community" underscores, we remain dedicated to our mission to advance policies and practices that support individuals, families, and communities in achieving their goals and contributing to society and the economy.

Improving Transfer Portal Decision-Making Through A Microsoft Excel Optimization Model, Peyton Steffes

Honors Projects

The creation of the transfer portal has increased the mobility of collegiate athletes, giving players the autonomy to switch teams throughout their career. As a result, the roster development process has become more complex, as coaches are tasked with the challenge of recruiting from the transfer portal, which involves an extensive decision-making process. Coaches not only have to evaluate a substantial pool of players, but they also must consider the following constraints they are under: scholarship budget, roster spots available, and positional needs. To simplify this decision-making process, this analysis includes the results of a Microsoft Excel data optimization model …

The Economic Impact Of Grand Forks Airbase On North Dakota Using Input – Output Analysis & Va Mortgage Loan Evaluation, Jack S. Weikum

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

In this paper, I examine the economic contributions of the Grand Forks Air Force Base to our community. This paper and research seek to find out what the total economic impact of the base truly is compared to its public reports. The base’s own impact statements do not consider the indirect effects associated with its operations. To fully examine its true economic impact, we must consider two important aspects that affect the local economy and other industry sectors. Specifically, I will first examine the economic impact that base operations directly have on expenditures, employment, and labor income. This information will …

Beyond The Negative Serologies: A Case Of Fulminant Vasculitis, Multiorgan Dysfunction, And An Uncharacteristic Infection, Guo Hui (Greyson) Gan, Do

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

Case Presentation: 70-year-old male presented with one week of fever and a painful right lower extremity purpuric rash that rapidly evolved into fullthickness desquamation and necrosis. Concurrent multiorgan dysfunction: respiratory failure, renal failure with nephritic proteinuria, and severe thrombocytopenia refractory to high dose steroids. Extensive serologic workup for viral, autoimmune, vascular, and hematologic etiologies were pan-negative, including serum cryoglobulins twice repeated (QR code for table of workup). A PET scan for a broad evaluation found a hypermetabolic right inguinal lymph node. Discussion: Unique features of this case: His hematologic workup was convincingly negative in setting of having type 1 CryoGN. …

From Novice To Target: Reducing New Graduate Nurse Bullying, A Quality Improvement Project, Christina Matousek, D'Ana Brooks, Joy Elwell, Ivy M. Alexander, Tracy Carafeno

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Background: The bullying of new graduate nurses is often considered a rite of passage in the nursing profession.¹ Bullying within nursing has led to poor professional development, reduced self-confidence, and has the potential to negatively impact patient outcomes; with links to increased medication errors, falls, and hospital costs.^1,9 Within a comprehensive cancer center, high rates of nurse bullying have been reported. Currently, this institution lacks staff education regarding bullying and the negative impacts it poses to staff and patients.

Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to reduce the bullying of new graduate registered nurses (RNs), …

Storytelling Ai Could Help Identify Loneliness, Depression In Elders, Clara Turnage

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – Social isolation and loneliness produce serious impacts on mental and physical health, and older adults are likely to experience these conditions. A new project aims to use artificial intelligence to help identify loneliness of older adults as they tell the stories of their lives.

Navigating Social Belonging: Live Experiences Of Young Adults With Intellectual Disabilities In Inclusive Postsecondary Education Programs, Brian Keys

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) programs have expanded access to higher education for students with intellectual disabilities (ID), yet access alone does not ensure meaningful inclusion or a sense of belonging. This study examined how students with ID experience and make meaning of social belonging within inclusive college environments. Grounded in disability studies and belongingness theory, the study focused on how students perceive belonging, navigate social relationships, and experience campus spaces in relation to inclusion and exclusion.

An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) design was employed to explore the lived experiences of four young adults enrolled in a university-based IPSE program. Participants …

Deep Learning-Based Multi-Class Classification Approach For Diabetic Eye Diseases, Ruqaia Jawd, Arwa Alqudsi, Ahmad Sabah, Huda Kadhim, Raja Kadhim, Hasanain Jalil

Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data

Diabetes-related eye diseases are the leading cause of blindness amongst working-age individuals and represent a serious global health concern. Early detection is essential to prevent vision loss. However, current screening techniques face limitations in scalability and accessibility. A deep learning (DL) method for automatically classifying retinal images into four groups—diabetic retinopathy, normal, glaucoma and cataract—is presented in this work. We developed and assessed a convolutional neural network (CNN) model using transfer learning (TL) with EfficientNetB3 as the foundational architecture, utilising a diverse dataset of over 4,000 retinal images collected from various sources. Our model achieved an overall accuracy of 91.3%, …

Enhancing Well-Being In Long Term Care: A Lifestyle-Redesign-Based Program For Older Adults, Rachel L. Hajek

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

This project focused on the development and implementation of a Lifestyle Redesign^®-based program to improve well-being and quality of life among older adults living in a skilled nursing facility. The program emphasized engagement in meaningful, client-centered activities tailored to the residents’ interests and values. Ten participants from two long-term care neighborhoods completed a five-week program consisting of ten wellness sessions. Sessions were designed to promote emotional, physical, and social engagement while incorporating participants’ personal values, including spiritual elements. Outcomes were measured using pre- and post-assessments of perceived well-being and engagement. Results indicated improvements in overall well-being, increased social …

Perceptions Of Rural Large Animal Owners On Cost And Distance As Barriers To Veterinary Medicine, Alyssa Dalleske

Honors College Theses

Access to veterinary care remains a significant issue in rural communities due to financial, geographic, and access barriers. Limited access to veterinary care can have an impact on animal welfare and an economic impact for producers. This study aimed to assess factors influencing access to veterinary services, including cost, distance to clinics, perceived value of care, and availability of mobile veterinary professionals. The survey was distributed to rural large animal owners using social media, and gained 20 participants. It collected data on perceived barriers within their communities. The survey results indicated that cost of care and distance to veterinary clinics …

How To Build A Successful High School Sports Program, Jacob Jude Mulligan

M.S. in Leadership

The goal of this study was to explore the most influential factors for building a successful high school sports program. Through an expansive literature review, including testimonies from Hall of Fame coaches, themes emerged around the importance of Vision, Relationships, Belief, and Identity when it comes to the question of how to build a successful high school sports program. This research was conducted with the purpose of highlighting evidence of how these four themes have led to a positive culture and success for sports programs and athletes. This study is designed to help current and future high school coaches so …

Evaluating The Screening And Referral Process For The Use Of Phq-9 Screening Tool In Middle-School Aged Students: A Scoping Review, Kaythi Soe, Msn, Pmhnp-Bc, Fnp-Bc, Margaret Harvey Phd, Acnp-Bc, Fhrs, Sharon Little Dnp, Fnp-Bc

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

No abstract provided.

Parent Well-Being In Early Intervention: The Case For Assessing Parental Stress, Karla Michelle Chaff

Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Innovations in OT Symposium: Transforming Possibilities into Practice

Importance:

Research shows that parental stress negatively impacts child developmental outcomes, indicating caregiver well-being can directly influence intervention responses. Parental stress is a well-documented barrier to effective early intervention that remains unmeasured.

Objective:

This quality improvement project aims to assess the potential for adoption of a parent stress measure into family assessment to ensure caregiver well-being is systematically identified, documented, and addressed.

Design:

A feasibility project design was used to evaluate relevance, usability, barriers, and facilitators to introducing a standardized stress measure in practice.

Setting:

The project is based in an early intervention program.

Participants:

Key stakeholders were recruited from …

April 29, 2026 Blazer Weekly, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

Blazer Weekly (student newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Gestational Diabetes Screening, Sataj Johnson, Daniel Ruegg

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) screening is recommended between 24–28 weeks of gestation to allow timely diagnosis and treatment and reduce adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. The two-step glucose tolerance testing method is supported by ACOG, though completion can be delayed due to the need for multiple tests. In 2024 at Providence Milwaukie Family Medicine Clinic, incomplete GDM screening occurred in 23.1% of patients, and incomplete two-step screening occurred in 33.3%, with an average completion time of 12 days. Objective: To increase completion rates of two-step GDM screening and reduce time between abnormal 1-hour and diagnostic 3-hour glucose tolerance tests …

Acquired Amegakaryocytic Thrombocytopenia And Pure Red Cell Aplasia As Initial Presentation Of Thymoma, Nidhi Patel, Md, Natasha Edwin, Md

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

Introduction: Pure Red Cell Aplasia (PRCA) is a common feature of thymomas, but it rarely presents with acquired amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (AAMT). Here, we present a case of a 59-year-old male with fatigue found to have severe anemia and thrombocytopenia, who was eventually diagnosed with a thymoma Case Presentation: Found to have Hg of 6.1 g/dL and platelet count of 33 k/uL; Reticulocyte count was 0.0068. CT chest showed an anterior mediastinal mass measuring 4.5 x 6.6 cm. Mass biopsy showed thymoma. Bone marrow biopsy showed 50% cellularity with absence of erythroid and megakaryocyte precursors compatible with AAMT and PRCA. At …

Addition Of Gitr Agonist To A Dark Matter Cancer Vaccine And Anti-Pd-1 Increases Regulatory T Cell Numbers Without Appearing To Impact Therapeutic Efficacy, Rom S. Leidner1, Guo Hui Gan1, Christopher C. Paustian, Shawn M. Jensen

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

Background: DPV-001 is an off-the-shelf cancer vaccine containing tumor associated proteins commonly overexpressed in adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. It is enriched for short-lived proteins (SLiPs) and defective ribosomal products (DRiPs), including both canonical and non-canonical (or “dark matter”) antigens —comprising over 100 identified non-canonical microproteins. These antigens are delivered in spectrin-coated microvesicles that contain 5 TLR/ NOD agonists and 15DAMPs/molecular chaperones, and target CLEC9A+ conventional dendritic cells (cDCs). Preclinical models showed enhanced antitumor responses when the murine analog of DPV-001 (DRibbles) was combined with co -stimulatory agonists. Additional studies showed enhanced antitumor responses when co-stimulatory agonists were combined with …

Acute Pancreatitis Outcomes In Native Americans In Northern Arizona, Jin Yun Do1, Afsheen Moshtaghi Do2, Hamza Khan, Md2, Hady Shahbaz Bs2, Yoshinobu Koguchi, Tarsem L. Moudgil, Noah D. Simons, Venkatesh Rajamanickam

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

Background and Aims: Prior studies have shown the impact of racial and ethnic disparities in outcomes of acute pancreatitis (AP). Data remains sparse for Native American populations, who may be uniquely affected by socioeconomic and geographic factors. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the disproportionate outcomes of AP in Native Americans compared to the general population in Northern Arizona. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of hospitalized patients with AP at two community hospitals in Northern Arizona. A total of 1,113 patients between Jan and Aug 2024 were included, comprising 413 Native American patients and 700 patients of other racial backgrounds. …

Ceftriaxone-Induced Thrombocytopenia: An Atypical Presentation Of A Commonly Used Antibiotic, Matthew Moritz, Omar Pandhair

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

INTRODUCTION: Drug-induced thrombocytopenia (DITP) is rare and impacts roughly ten persons per million people annually (1). Over one-hundred medications have been identified as possible offenders, with immune response occurring within one to two weeks of drug exposure (2). Here we present a case of ceftriaxone as cause of DITP, an extremely rare complication of a commonly used antibiotic. CASE PRESENTATION: A fifty-year-old male with diabetes and depression initially presented after attempted suicide by hanging. He was intubated in the field and admitted directly to the intensive care unit (ICU). He remained in the ICU due to persistent encephalopathy which was …

Supplement Risk, Allison Connor, Bs, Linh Tang Taylor, Md, Jeffrey Youker, Md

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

Introduction: Increasingly, it is the case that patients are using a variety of supplements. About half of American adults use supplements. ¹. The purpose of this case report is to consider the impact of surreptitious supplement use on clinical presentation and under score the value in gathering a robust patient history. Case report: A 58-year-old man with prior history of infective endocarditis (IE) resulting in bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement (2 years prior) presented with worsening left lumbar pain and low-grade fever. He was found to have Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia with L4/5 vertebral osteomyelitis and a left psoas abscess. …

Visual Cues And Pharmacy Pathways Improve Hypertension Management In A Resident Clinic, Gage Lemunyan M.D., Cody Paiva, Do, Mari Kai, Md

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

Background: Managing hypertension in ambulatory settings is becoming increasingly challenging, often competing with other visit priorities. “White coat hypertension” remains a key consideration when considering initiating or increasing anti-hypertensives. Blood pressure may be transiently elevated on initial screening and improve on recheck. Problem: In our clinic, only ~55% of patients were at goal, defined as BP < 140/90 at last office visit. • < 50% of patients received serial recheck after identifying an elevated reading. • 43% of same-day rechecks were < 140/90. Aim: Enhance hypertension management using low-cost, easy to implement interventions. Results: Process was examined iteratively, starting with a yellow card that was placed on the door to alert clinicians to the need to recheck blood pressure before discharge. This was continually refined based on staff feedback. Visual cues prompted more frequent rechecks by rooming staff, increasing the rate of those with elevated initial reading who had serial recheck from 48% to 69%, a net increase of 21%. Improvement was seen in clinic-wide blood pressure control, with the percentage of patients with a blood pressure < 140/90 at most recent office visit increasing from 55.7% to 66.6% after 1 year. This represented a net increase of 10.9%. Discussion: Visual cues in the exam room were effective at alerting clinicians for the need for serial BP recheck. These were most-effective when they were “eye catching”. PharmD visits were effective at creating a visit to focus solely on hypertension management, thereby eliminating competing interests that may dominate office visits with their primary care provider. These paired interventions were surprisingly effective at halting clinical inertia and ultimately led to more effective management of hypertension clinic-wide. Team-based EMR messaging was particularly helpful as an adjunct for coordinating timing of blood pressure rechecks. In a residency setting, this can be performed while ‘staffing’ with a faculty physician. Limitations: Current guidelines identify blood pressures >130/80 as hypertensive. This study utilizes 140/90 as a cutoff. Frequency of blood pressure rechecks highly variable based on available support staff. May place strain on support staff when short staffed. PharmD involvement may not be available in every setting

Nursing Students Sweep Top Awards At Regional Research Conference, Aaron Sanborn

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Why We Do This Work, Eric F. Spina

President's Blog: From the Heart

The University of Dayton and other American Talent Initiative institutions have opened the doors of education for more than 75,000 high-achieving, lower-income students. That’s an entire football stadium filled with talented young people.

Beyond Beneficial Margins: Four Mechanisms Linking Border Vegetation To Pest Dynamics, Jorge F. M. Cardoso, Fabiane M. Mundim

Biology Student Research

Vegetated field borders are widely promoted as tools to enhance biodiversity and strengthen biological control in agroecosystems. However, their role in pest dynamics remains conceptually fragmented and empirically inconsistent. Here, we develop a unified framework explaining how crop border vegetation influences pest populations through four interlinked ecological mechanisms. First, borders act as host reservoirs and selective filters, providing alternative hosts and overwintering habitat that enhance pest persistence across crop cycles. Second, borders modify pest colonization dynamics by shaping movement, aggregation, and host-location behavior at crop edges. Third, borders restructure multitrophic networks, simultaneously supporting natural enemies, alternative prey, vectors, and pathogens, …