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Analysis Of Firearm Violence During The Covid-19 Pandemic In The Us, Shengzhi Sun, Wangnan Cao, Yang Ge

Faculty Publications

Importance In the US, the COVID-19 pandemic intensified some conditions that may contribute to firearm violence, and a recent surge in firearm sales during the pandemic has been reported. However, patterns of change in firearm violence in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US remain unclear.

Objective To quantify the changes in interpersonal firearm violence associated with the pandemic across all 50 US states and the District of Columbia.

Design, Setting, and Participants This population-based cross-sectional study examined 50 US states and the District of Columbia from January 1, 2016, to February 28, 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic …

A Comparison Of The Remote Food Photography Method And The Automated Self-Administered 24-H Dietary Assessment Tool For Measuring Full-Day Dietary Intake Among School-Age Children, Traci A. Bekelman, Corby K. Martin, Susan L. Johnson, Deborah H. Glueck, Katherine A. Sauder, Kylie K. Harrall, Rachel I. Steinberg, Daniel S. Hsia, Dana Dabelea

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

The limitations of self-report measures of dietary intake are well-known. Novel, technology-based measures of dietary intake may provide a more accurate, less burdensome alternative to existing tools. The first objective of this study was to compare participant burden for two technology-based measures of dietary intake among school-age children: the Automated-Self-Administered 24-hour Dietary Assessment Tool-2018 (ASA24-2018) and the Remote Food Photography Method (RFPM). The second objective was to compare reported energy intake for each method to the Estimated Energy Requirement for each child, as a benchmark for actual intake. Forty parent-child dyads participated in two, 3-d dietary assessments: a parent proxy-reported …

Nm-Rs Au Naturale: Investigations Into Simulating A Natural Environment, Jenna Pantophlet

Theses and Dissertations

Naked Mole-rats (NM-Rs) have been studied in laboratories for decades due to their unique behavior and physiology. However, due to the scope and complexity of the NM-R’s natural subterranean tunneling system, it has been difficult to replicate in the laboratory environment. From a researcher’s perspective, optimal housing is cost- and space-efficient and easily cleaned. On the other hand, optimal animal welfare and husbandry encourages the most biologically relevant enclosure to evoke the fullest range of an animal's behavioral repertoire. While there is an abundance of works centered on the biomedical potential of these odd rodents (Buffenstein et al, 2012; Delaney …

Parenthood Orientation Among Young Women: Is It Associated With Pregnancy Intention And Unprotected Intercourse?, Nakeisha Blades

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored relationships between parenthood orientation, pregnancy intention, and unprotected intercourse. Nulligravid, sexually active women aged 18-29 (N = 252) were surveyed on these topics in May 2019. There were significant differences in parenthood orientation by past and current pregnancy intention. Higher scores on parenthood orientation were associated with increased odds of past unprotected intercourse and expecting future unprotected intercourse. Only education and contraceptive self-efficacy retained significance in adjusted models. Study results are consistent with prior work on parenthood orientation and pregnancy intention and point to other factors as stronger correlates of contraceptive use.

Non-Verbal Pride Expressions As A Predictor Of Lgbtq Health, Craig Gilbert

Theses and Dissertations

Pride is a self-conscious, positive emotion that has been assessed in a wide range of populations and with a variety of pre-validated measures. Research has shown that the presence of pride can function as a potential resilience factor against minority based stress and has been linked to increased emotional well being, life satisfaction, and self-esteem. However, a majority of this research relies upon self-report questionnaires as opposed to observational data. To evaluate the predictive power of non-verbal pride behaviors, a group of LGBTQ+ individuals (n=125) were asked during a recorded interview to describe an experience where they felt prideful about …

Dnp Final Report: Using Standardized Surgical Bundles To Reduce Post Cesarean Section Infection: An Evidence-Based Practice Project, Amy L. Wagner

DNP Final Reports

A new mother has so many stressors and a post cesarean section infection should never have to be one of them. The infection rate at MHTW is double the national average at 1.85. This evidence-based practice project looks at the implementation of a pre-surgical bundle in women undergoing cesarean section to reduce overall risk of developing a post cesarean section infection. This evidence shows that the combination of a standardized bundle including infection specific education for the patient and family, pre- and post-surgical bathing, elimination of jewelry worn by patients and staff, antibiotic timing, Chlorhexidine skin prep, and a vaginal …

Dnp Final Report: Education Impacting Delirium Knowledge And Recognition, Lynn A. Cox

DNP Final Reports

Background: Delirium is a disturbance of consciousness with an acute onset that varies from hours to days. Patients with delirium have a risk of increased length of stay, increased mortality, morbidity, and long-term cognitive effects. Therefore, the following PICOT question arises: In registered nurses in the acute care setting (P), how does education on use of the CAM (Confusion Assessment Method) tool (I) compared to those units not receiving education (C) affect recognition of delirium (O1) and use of the CAM tool (O2) over 6 weeks? (T)

Purpose: The evidence-based practice project described nurse education and pilot implementation using the …

Editors' Note

Bryant Literary Review

No abstract provided.

Risk Factors For Severe Covid-19 Differ By Age For Hospitalized Adults, Sevda Molani, Patricia V Hernandez, Ryan T Roper, Venkata R Duvvuri, Andrew M Baumgartner, Jason D Goldman, Nilüfer Ertekin-Taner, Cory C Funk, Nathan D Price, Noa Rappaport, Jennifer J Hadlock

Open Access Publications

Risk stratification for hospitalized adults with COVID-19 is essential to inform decisions about individual patients and allocation of resources. So far, risk models for severe COVID outcomes have included age but have not been optimized to best serve the needs of either older or younger adults. Models also need to be updated to reflect improvements in COVID-19 treatments. This retrospective study analyzed data from 6906 hospitalized adults with COVID-19 from a community health system across five states in the western United States. Risk models were developed to predict mechanical ventilation illness or death across one to 56 days of hospitalization, …

A Therapeutic Sheep In Metastatic Wolf's Clothing: Trojan Horse Approach For Cancer Brain Metastases Treatment, Hai-Jun Liu, Mingming Wang, Shanshan Shi, Xiangxiang Hu, Peisheng Xu

Faculty Publications

Early-stage brain metastasis of breast cancer (BMBC), due to the existence of an intact blood–brain barrier (BBB), is one of the deadliest neurologic complications. To improve the efficacy of chemotherapy for BMBC, a Trojan horse strategy-based nanocarrier has been developed by integrating the cell membrane of a brain-homing cancer cell and a polymeric drug depot. With the camouflage of a MDA-MB-231/Br cell membrane, doxorubicin-loaded poly (D, L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticle (DOX-PLGA@CM) shows enhanced cellular uptake and boosted killing potency for MDA-MB-231/Br cells. Furthermore, DOX-PLGA@CM is equipped with naturally selected molecules for BBB penetration, as evidenced by its boosted capacity in entering …

Efficient Handover Mechanisms For Heterogeneous Networks., Shankar Kumar Ghosh Dr.

Doctoral Theses

In this thesis, some analytical frameworks have been developed to analyze the effect of different system parameters on handover performances in heterogeneous network (HetNet) and based on such frameworks, some efficient handover algorithms have been proposed. The study starts with an analytical framework to investigate the effect of resource allocation mechanisms, upper layer mobility management protocols (MMPs) and handover decision metrics on user perceived throughput. This analysis reveals that among other factors, handover decision metric plays a crucial role in determining user perceived throughput in HetNet. Subsequently, we develop two handover decision metrics for ultra dense networks (UDN) and unlicensed …

Crime On Campus In Tennessee 2021, Tennessee. Bureau Of Investigation.

Crime on Campus

No abstract provided.

Gustav Holst's The Planets (1917) As Psychological "Mood Pictures", Dante Canchola

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

Gustav Holst said about his seven-movement orchestral suite The Planets: "...whether it's good or bad, it grew in my mind slowly - like a baby in a woman's womb ... For two years I had the intention of composing that cycle, and during those two years it seemed of itself more and more definitely to be taking form." This rhetoric fits squarely with the 19th-century English and German musical context where "psychological" "mood pictures" in the form of orchestral works were popular. For example, both Holst's teachers Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924), and Stanford's colleague, Joseph Joachim (1831-1907), composed orchestral …

Do Pornography Use And Masturbation Play A Role In Erectile Dysfunction And Relationship Satisfaction In Men?, Joe Castleman, Katelyn R. Bacys

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

The current study investigated the relationships among masturbation frequency, pornography use, and erectile functioning and dysfunction in 3586 men within a multivariate context that assessed sexual dysfunctions. Results indicated that frequency of pornography use was unrelated to either erectile functioning or erectile dysfunction (ED) severity in samples that included ED men with and without various sexual comorbidities or in a subset of men 30 years or younger. In contrast, variables long known to affect erectile response emerged as the most consistent and salient predictors of erectile functioning and/or ED severity, including age, anxiety/depression, chronic medical conditions known to affect erectile …

Development Of An Instrument To Identify Depression In College Freshman, Julianna Barbosa, Estelle Niego, Marypaz Arroyo, Hannah Krueger

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

The incidence of depression in college students is increasing at an alarming rate. Unidentified and untreated depression can lead to significant difficulties adjusting to college life. The goal of this research project is to develop an instrument to identify depression in college freshmen. The development of this instrument is still in the working phase. Qualitative data, collected through interviews with students who experienced depression as college freshmen, provided the basis for the initial draft of items for the instrument. These items reflect the unique experience of depression as experienced by college freshmen. The initial draft of items was reviewed during …

Non-Fungible Tokens: Accessible Investment For All, Or A Bubble?, Franco Raimondi, Ian Mcmillan, Patrick Malone

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

NFTs have complex direct and indirect consequences on the modern economy, making the average, rational individual’s use of them prone to higher risk. Just as professional, educational, and social institutions progressed through the COVID-19 pandemic using technological tools such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, the world’s economy has also become more intertwined with technology than ever before. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs), through Web 3.0, have played a major part in this intermingling of public markets and technology. On a surface level, NFTs can seem like a trend or Ponzi scheme put forth by the young “influencers” of social media. Additionally, the …

Effects Of Environmental Factors On Candida Albicans Morphology: A Focus On Estrogen And Microgravity, Sky Kaur, Idalia Zachara, Anita Coleman, Caleb Vanarragon, Tiffany Kolba, Michael Watters, Patrice Bouyer

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

C. albicans is one of the commensal fungi living in the human intestinal tract in a harmless spore form. In its filamentous form, C. albicans becomes invasive and penetrates the human body, which can cause serious health issues. In vitro factors such as change in temperature or pH are known to induce morphology shift in C. albicans. Interestingly, microgravity has been reported to decrease the human immunity and increase gene virulence expression in C. albicans. During sepsis, high levels of estrogen are reported and the risk of candidiasis also increases. Within present work, we tested the effect of microgravity and …

Nanoplastic Formation From Macro And Microplastics In Aqueous Solution, Joe Castleman, Scott Kaiser

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

Plastic pollution is a growing issue and has been found increasingly in our water systems. Given the massive, global extent of this pollution, it is important to understand the chemical reactivity of these plastics in water. Plastics fragment and weather over time, often turning into micro- and nanoplastics. Microplastics (MP) are plastic pieces smaller than 5 mm, and are a significant part of the plastic pollution in surface waters. The separate classification of nanoplastics (NP) was more recently adopted for plastic particles smaller than a micrometer. Nanoplastics display different properties and interactions. In our research, we discovered that microplastics, which …

An Analysis Of Road Dust Samples In The United States, Joey Lucas, Adelyn Carney, Ali Egertson, Alyssa Suprenant, Caitlyn Quidetto, Doc Janowiak, Gavin Tabor, Lily Groessl, Liz Tancos, Osaid Attallah, Siobhan Cleveland, Mia Wind, Noah Durlam, Julie Peller

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

In industrial regions, such as those in Northwestern Indiana, raw input, waste, and other products of industry are moved to and from their manufacturing locations, and can affect and be detected in local ecosystems. One method of qualifying the presence of any potentially hazardous industrial byproducts is by sampling the dust which accumulates along roads, called Road Dust Sediments (RDS), and chemically analyzing these samples for numerous properties. Road dust, which is a mixture of organic and inorganic compounds, can be used as an indicator for what pollutants are present in a particular area. Through an analysis of samples collected …

Unmasking The Truth Of Masks: How Science And Community Have Affected The Covid-19 Pandemic, William A. Neupert, Joy Kassel, Isoken Ogli

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

Before the start of the pandemic, wearing masks to curb the transmission of diseases was a niche societal norm specific to certain east asian countries such as China, Japan and Korea. It was also used as a method to protect people from bad air quality. With the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic, the scientific and societal view on wearing masks reached a global scale such that wearing a mask is synonymous with caring for the health and safety of one’s community. Several factors have played a role in this paradigm shift in the use of masks including the media, politics …

Vaping Prevalence After “Avoid” On A College Campus, Nick Ridder, Shamus Marr, Alaina Meyer, Lexi Przybylski, Kaylinn Woolever, Estelle Niego, Isabella Dietrich, Asia Janeczek, Marianna Baca

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

The college-aged demographic is at risk for adverse effects from using electronic vaping devices (Kenne et al., 2017). Youth e-cigarette rates were 20.9% in 2018 (Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, 2021), and 11.8% in 2021 (ACHA). The objective was to analyze the use of electronic vaping devices by college students, following the Anti-Vaping Ongoing Interventions Dissemination (AVOID) program. Using the Transtheoretical Model, decisions to change vaping behavior were assessed to determine the effects of the AVOID program (Prochaska & Velicer, 1997). 900 undergraduate students at a Midwestern university were invited to participate through SurveyMonkey®. Data were collected and analyzed to …

Circadian Phase Shifts Effect Of Social Jetlag On Cellular Metabolism And Circadian Genes In Wildtype Flies, Olivia Kozub

Biology Student Scholarship

Olivia Kozub ’23
Major: Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Pamela Snodgrass-Belt, Biology

Drosophila, like humans, have circadian clocks which regulate behavioral and physiological systems within the body. This “biological clock” is synchronized to the environment via temperature and/or light cycles. Small fluctuations in day-length trigger a reset of circadian clocks daily. However, large disruptions can cause health and stress issues such as social jetlag. Social jetlag occurs when an individual’s biological clock clashes with the timing of one’s sleep schedule determined by social factors and the demands of the day.

The Weekly Challenger, April 28, 2022, The Weekly Challenger, Et Al

Weekly Challenger Newspaper Collection

The April 28, 2022, issue of The Weekly Challenger.

Deepening Knowledge Of Nutrient Dynamics In Coastal Waters, Meirinawati Hanny, Wahyudi A'An Johan

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

Nutrients are important compounds in waterbodies that regulate primary productivity and phytoplankton growth, the basis of food webs. Increased nutrient concentration has become a serious concern because it causes eutrophication and threatens the sustainability of ecosystems. Eutrophication is the process of nutrient enrichment in water bodies that affects their productivity and decreases water quality. Although information about nutrient distribution, limiting nutrients, and nutrient budgets is important for coastal water management, studies of wide-scale nutrient dynamics in Indonesian waters remain limited. To provide comprehensive data on nutrients, this review summarized the concentrations and compositions of nutrients in coastal waters, compared the …

Long-Acting Antipsychotic Injectables Vs. Oral Antipsychotics: Comparing Compliance, Relapse, And Re-Hospitalization Rates, Latoria Boyland Bsn, Rn, Kara Darretta Bsn, Rn, Ansley Geno Bsn, Rn, Keevia Porter Dnp, Np-C, Rn

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Purpose/Background Psychosis is a psychiatric disorder characterized by hallucinations and delusions. These symptoms not only negatively impact a patient’s quality of life but can also make treatment compliance difficult. This lack of treatment compliance ultimately leads to higher relapse and re-hospitalization rates among this population. Thus, it is imperative that effective treatments are developed, utilized, and made readily available for patients. Antipsychotics are medications that block dopamine D2 receptors. These medications are used for psychosis to help to improve patient outcomes. Currently, two routes of antipsychotic administration are available, oral antipsychotics or long-acting antipsychotic injections (LAIs). Oral antipsychotic administration requires …

Characterization Of Large-Scale Functional Network Organization In The Human Hippocampus, Annie Zheng

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The hippocampus is critically important for a diverse range of neural processes, such as episodic memory, prospective memory, affective processing, and spatial navigation. Using both individual-specific precision functional mapping and large-sample group-averaged approaches of characterizing large-scale functional network organization in the human hippocampus, we uncovered general principles of and behaviorally-associated individual differences in hippocampal organization across development in children and adults. We found the hippocampus to be modularly organized along the anterior-posterior axis with the anterior hippocampus being preferentially connected to the default mode network (DMN), as expected. However, the posterior hippocampus was strongly connected to the parietal memory network …

Improving Provider Adherence To Ada Clinical Practice Guidelines: A Qi Project In A Patient Centered Medical Home, David H. Kamp

Masters Projects

Background and purpose: Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, lower limb amputations, and adult blindness. The American Diabetes Association recommends timely screenings to reduce complications. Flowsheets facilitate improved outcomes. The project implemented an electronic flowsheet to promote staff adherence to select screenings.

Methods: Screenings included foot exam, eye exam, glycohemoglobin, microalbumin creatinine ratio, lipid profile, and anti-hypertensive medication. Staff viewed the flowsheet to determine screening eligibility per ADA guidelines. Quantitative and qualitative data analyzed.

Results: Quantitative results: 40% improvement among medical assistants (MAs) completing foot exams and 75.53% improvement among providers ordering eye exams. No statistical significance among …

Improving Vaccination Rates In Pediatric Primary Care, Lauren E. Osbeck

Doctoral Dissertations & Projects

Objectives: In a small, rural pediatric primary care clinic, the effectiveness of electronic patient portal reminders were evaluated at improving vaccination rates for school required immunizations.

Methods: A quality improvement project was initiated utilizing The Social Ecological Model. All pediatric patients were sent reminders who were under-immunized. This QI project evaluated the effectiveness of vaccine reminders on the improvement of immunization rates in the clinic

Results: Total number of fully-vaccinated patients within the practice improved (2%) and patients under-immunized decreased by 1%. 87 immunizations were given to patients were given to patients who were under-immunized and an average of 10% …

An Overview Of Approaches To Nuclear Security In Ghana, Raymond Agalga, Paul Atta Amoah, Daniel Nii Adjei, Daniel Frederick Charles, Emmanuel Ofori Darko

International Journal of Nuclear Security

Ghana has significantly improved its nuclear security infrastructure over the years. However, as threats increase by the day and new applications of nuclear and radiological technology are designed and implemented, Ghana must develop a rigid and comprehensive approach to mitigating the negative impacts on its nuclear security while improving prevention, detection, and deterrence of nuclear and radiological terrorism within its geographical space. This paper overviews the approaches adopted by Ghana to build a strong nuclear security regime within the past decade. These include improving legal frameworks for nuclear security by establishing an independent Nuclear Regulatory Authority; assessing nuclear security culture …

Children Of Divorce Parents Group Manual, Sheyenne Hokit

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Divorce is something that is, unfortunately, becoming a commonality for a lot of children, and due to the complexity of divorce, many children struggle when trying to understand divorce and how it affects them. Some effects of divorce are various emotional and behavioral issues such as increased anger and decreased emotion regulation. Social, health, and academic concerns were also found. Counseling interventions like narrative therapy, emotion-focused family therapy, emotion-focused therapy, and play therapy were found to be effective with this population (Hirschfeld & Wittenborn, 2016, Thomas & Gibbons, 2009). The identified interventions provide peer-based social support, education on the misconceptions …