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The Current - Volume 36 Issue 1, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

The Professional And Occupational Identities Of Nicu Occupational Therapists, Lindsay M. Marquardt, Karen Park

Summer 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Occupational therapists in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) provide specialized care, including infant positioning, feeding, handling techniques, and anticipatory guidance. While the American Occupational Therapy Association has outlined the role, little research has explored how therapists perceive their own occupational and professional identities in this highly specialized setting. This study explored the perspectives of NICU occupational therapists to better understand how their roles and identities are shaped within the NICU environment. A mixed-methods descriptive design was used. Data was collected through an electronic survey including Likert-scale and open-ended questions, with optional 30-minute follow-up interviews. Snowball and convenience sampling were …

Addressing Psychosocial Barriers To Participation In People Experiencing Homelessness: An Occupational Therapy Workshop, Preston E. Bender

Student Capstone Papers

This capstone project addressed the critical gap in occupational therapy education and practice regarding the psychosocial needs of people experiencing homelessness. Despite the occupational therapy profession’s emphasis on holistic, person-centered care, many occupational therapy practitioners and occupational therapy students report feeling a lack of self-efficacy and preparedness to navigate the complex psychological, social, and systemic barriers that hinder occupational participation among this population. This capstone project aimed to address the perceived unpreparedness among clinicians through the creation of an 8-hour interactive educational workshop. The workshop is grounded in the Model of Human Occupation and informed by the Bridging the Transition …

State Of Illinois Cannabis Testing, University Of Mississippi – National Center For Cannabis Research And Education, Yasha Kahn, Mcr Labs

Illinois

No abstract provided.

Palpation Characteristics Of An Instrumented Virtual Cricothyroidotomy Simulator, Melih Turkseven, Trudi Di Qi, Ganesh Sankaranarayanan, Suvranu De

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Cricothyroidotomy (CCT) is a critical, life-saving procedure requiring the identification of key neck landmarks through palpation. Interactive virtual simulation offers a promising, cost-effective approach to CCT training with high visual realism. However, developing the palpation skills necessary for CCT requires a haptic interface with tactile sensitivity comparable to human fingers. Such interfaces are often represented by plastic partial mannequins, which require further adaptation to integrate into virtual environments. This study introduces an instrumented physical palpation interface for CCT, integrated into a virtual surgical simulator, and tested on 10 surgeons who practiced the procedure over a training period. Data on haptic …

Relationship Between Perioperative Nurses’ Perception Of Empowerment Versus Burnout And Intent To Leave In A Level 1 Hospital On The East Coast, Kelly D. Sambrano

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retaining perioperative nurses is vital for maintaining high-quality care, operational efficiency, and financial stability in healthcare settings. These nurses are integral to surgical care and require significant training and resources, making their retention a strategic priority. This quantitative study, grounded in Kanter’s theory of structural empowerment, used secondary data to explore two main questions: (a) Which demographic factors—such as age, experience, training, certification, and loyalty predict empowerment, burnout, and intent to leave? and (b) How do empowerment and job satisfaction influence the intent to stay? With nearly 20% of the perioperative workforce expected to retire within five years, identifying retention …

A Disposable Biosensing System For Analysis Of Ca125 In Real Human Serum Samples, Meltem Afşar, Berfi̇n Vural, Meli̇ke Bi̇lgi̇ Kamaç, Mustafa Kemal Sezgi̇ntürk

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

Several biomarkers have been developed to track the development of ovarian cancer and identify the illness at an early stage. A promising development for ovarian cancer is using cancer antigen 125 (CA125). The objective of this work is to identify the CA125 marker by utilizing an indium tin oxide polyethylene electrode. The advantage of the designed biosensor is that it is very cheap, disposable, practical, and easy to use. The necessary parameters for the developed biosensor have been optimized in detail. Repeatability, reproducibility, regeneration, storage, and selectivity studies have been completed to characterize the proposed biosensor. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and …

Mechanisms Of Ssdna Gap Resection In Brca1-Proficient And -Deficient Cells, Isabelle Seppa

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Single-stranded (ss) DNA gaps are potentially genome-destabilizing structures that require prompt repair (or filling) to prevent DNA breakage and genome instability. We previously showed that gap repair is defective in cancer cells with deficiencies in the breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA1. These findings explain why ssDNA gaps accumulate in BRCA1-deficient cells in response to therapies that target DNA, such as platinum-based compounds, or therapies that inhibit specific repair pathways, such as PARP inhibitors (PARPi). We also discovered that gap repair can be restored in BRCA1-deficient cells by inhibiting MRE11 nuclease activity, indicating that nuclease processing plays a central role in …

Photolysis Of Emerging Agricultural Applications Under Environmental Conditions, Kun-Pu Ho

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Novel agricultural applications are rapidly emerging to protect crops from weeds or pests in the US and worldwide. Isoxaflutole is a proherbicide considered agriculturally significant because it controls weeds that have developed resistance to other commonly used herbicides. In addition, RNA interference (RNAi) technology is regarded as a next-generation biopesticide because the technology has less toxicity to humans and more specificity to pests than traditional pesticides, which pose risks to the environment and the health of humans and livestock. However, we cannot disregard the possible risks of the emerging proherbicides and biopesticides to humans or non-target organisms. Therefore, the study …

Developing Aerosol Representation In Atmospheric Modeling, Inderjeet Singh

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Ambient aerosols affect climate and air quality in the Earth system. Global chemical transport models used to study these impacts require an accurate representation of aerosols in terms of shape, composition, and vertical distribution. For example, despite having a complex morphology, mineral dust is often treated as spherical particles in these models. This can lead to errors in optical properties calculations, trace gas retrievals, and heterogeneous chemistry. Similarly, inaccurate representation of the vertical distribution of smoke particles in these models can lead to uncertainties in air quality assessments. Aerosol composition also plays a critical role in determining radiative forcing and …

Anti-Inflammatory Diet And Probiotic Supplementation As Strategies To Modulate Immune Dysregulation In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Carlos Andrés Naranjo-Galvis, Diana María Trejos-Gallego, Cristina Correa-Salazar, Jessica Triviño-Valencia, Marysol Valencia-Buitrago, Andrés Felipe Ruiz-Pulecio, Luisa Fernanda Méndez-Ramírez, Jovanny Zabaleta, Miguel Andres Meñaca-Puentes, Carlos Alberto Ruiz-Villa, Marcela Orjuela-Rodriguez, Juan Carlos Carmona-Hernández, Luisa Matilde Salamanca-Duque

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background/Objectives: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition associated with behavioral and cognitive impairments. Increasing evidence also links ASD with systemic immune dysregulation, including abnormal cytokine profiles and chronic low-grade inflammation. Emerging evidence suggests that targeted dietary strategies and probiotic supplementation may modulate immune responses and gut–brain interactions in patients with ASD. This study aimed to evaluate the immunomodulatory effects of a structured anti-inflammatory diet (NeuroGutPlus) compared to multi-strain probiotics in children with ASD. NeuroGutPlus is a nutritionally complete anti-inflammatory dietary protocol that targets gut integrity, inflammation, and mitochondrial function. It includes a diet low in gluten, FODMAPs, casein, …

Dominant Tree Species As A Driver Of Forest Herb Community Assembly: The Peculiar Case Of Pawpaw (Asimina Triloba), Anna Wassel

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the drivers of community assembly is a key goal in ecology and conservation. One way to better understand community assembly is to understand how the presence or absence of dominant species– highly abundant species with a proportionally large effect on the ecosystem–affects assembly. This approach allows for a more generalized understanding of community assembly based on the presence or abundance of one species rather than pairwise interactions among all species in a community. In forests, studies on dominant tree species have focused on how they affect patterns of species diversity. In contrast, surprisingly little is known about how dominant …

Ghosts Of Predators Past: Um Student Studies Raccoon Scent Memory, Clara Turnage

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – They are known for their clever paws and masked faces, but raccoons might also have an unexpected survival skill: remembering scents of predators they have never met.

School Safety And Health Policies, Bob Underwood, Erin Mccann

Pediatrics in Practice: A CME Podcast

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Erin McCann, MD, MPH, attending physician at the Children’s Mercy Primary Care Clinic, to explore the evolving landscape of school safety and health policies. From mental health support and chronic illness management to emergency preparedness and public health mandates, Dr. McCann shares practical insights on how pediatricians can partner with schools and families to create safer, healthier learning environments. Whether you're navigating new legislation or advocating for your patients, this conversation offers timely guidance and actionable takeaways.

Click here to stream the podcast episode.

Essay, The Mighty Mangrove, Carol A. Mickett

Creekshed: Ekphrastic Writing with the Archives

An ekphrastic reflection on mangroves in Tampa Bay.

The Impact Of Interactive Read-Alouds On Students’ Literacy Development, Kaitlyn Hill

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examined how multicultural interactive read-alouds support first-graders’ literacy skills and cultural awareness. Multicultural literature was used to conduct interactive read-alouds to first-grade students. A look across all data sources suggested three main themes that occur throughout the research study. These themes included student engagement and questioning, making connections by experiencing culture through an authentic lens, and developing cultural awareness and empathy for those who are different. It was evident that incorporating multicultural literature into classroom instruction had a positive impact on students’ literacy development and cultural awareness. The data suggested that these multicultural texts supported the students’ development …

Registered Nurses' Autism Knowledge And Preparedness To Care For Autistic Patients, Bronte Elisa Weissman

Theses and Dissertations

Autistic individuals frequently report negative experiences during healthcare interactions and numerous provider-level barriers to accessing quality care, including stereotyping, perceived lack of autism knowledge, challenges with communication, and insufficient accommodations. Reports of healthcare providers’ experiences caring for autistic patients in the U.S. have largely come from physicians, who endorse inadequate training, resources, and practical guidelines. Although patients spend far more time with nurses than other healthcare providers, registered nurses (RNs)’ perspectives on caring for autistic patients in the U.S. are largely unknown and autism-focused trainings for nurses are minimal. In the current study, a survey was nationally disseminated to a …

08.18.2025 Ored Connect, Liz Williamson

ORED Newsletter

ORED on-demand training, Tableau training, Research Reception 2025

The Professional And Occupational Identities Of Nicu Occupational Therapists, Lindsay M. Marquardt, Karen Park

Summer 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Occupational therapists in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) provide specialized care, including infant positioning, feeding, handling techniques, and anticipatory guidance. While the American Occupational Therapy Association has outlined the role, little research has explored how therapists perceive their own occupational and professional identities in this highly specialized setting. This study explored the perspectives of NICU occupational therapists to better understand how their roles and identities are shaped within the NICU environment. A mixed-methods descriptive design was used. Data was collected through an electronic survey including Likert-scale and open-ended questions, with optional 30-minute follow-up interviews. Snowball and convenience sampling were …

Understanding Loss To Follow-Up: The Role Of Social Determinants Of Health In Infants Referred After A Positive Newborn Screening – A Quantitative Analysis, Betsy Graham-Moeller Graham-Moeller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Newborn screening (NBS) is a vital U.S. public health initiative that identifies medical conditions shortly after birth. Patients with positive screenings are referred for medical follow-up or evaluation. However, many patients do not receive the recommended long-term follow-up, posing concerns for healthcare providers and public health professionals working to ensure timely treatment and care continuity. Based on the Social Determinants of Health framework, this quantitative, retrospective cohort study aimed to examine demographic and clinical factors associated with follow-up adherence among 691 infants identified through NBS in Colorado and Wyoming. The purpose of the study was to determine whether race, ethnicity, …

Predicting Utilization Of Mental Health Services Among Undergraduate Nursing Students On College Campuses In The Mississippi Delta, Deidra Michelle Byas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over recent years, concerns about the mental health of nursing students in the Mississippi Delta have increased. However, research indicated that many nursing students do not utilize mental health services. This population has received little research attention, creating a gap in the literature and leaving counselor educators and supervisors ill-equipped to prepare counselors to meet the needs of nursing students. This quantitative study examined whether attitudes toward mental health services, social and cultural stigmas, and demographic characteristics explained the variance in nursing students’ willingness to seek help. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior, the study focused on three areas: …

A Content Analysis Of Podcasts Exploring The Experiences Of Nba Players And Mental Health, Joanna D. Hedin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black male athletes are at a greater risk of not seeking treatment for their mental health issues due to cultural stigmas and expectations. The purpose of this qualitative secondary data research study was to understand the experiences of Black NBA players regarding their mental health and the sociocultural factors that influence their decision making regarding participation in mental health services, as revealed through podcast appearances. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory was applied in this study to suggest that learning is an integral part of the social process and that culture contributes to how and what one learns. This study asked about what …

Cardiac And Coronary Hemodynamics: Using An Integrated Ex-Vivo Beating Heart Experiments And Computational Modeling, Chenghan Cai

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Cardiovascular function arises from the complex interactions among the heart, the arterial system, and the coronary circulation. Questions such as how variations in left ventricular (LV) loading conditions affect LV and aortic functions through LV–aorta interactions; and how coronary artery diseases, such as stenosis, impact cardiac function and myocardial perfusion including left and right coronary perfusion via LV–coronary interactions, remain understudied. To answer these questions, this thesis focuses on two core objectives: (1) investigate the effects of LV loading conditions on LV and aortic functions through LV–aortic interactions by performing ex-vivo beating rat heart experiments, and (2) elucidate the impact …

Strategies To Use Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Programs To Increase Employee Performance And Profitability, Kecia Bailey Alexander

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A lack of effective strategies for implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs to increase employee performance and profitability is a concern for leaders in the education industry. This problem is significant to educational leaders because, without effective strategies for implementing DEI programs, they cannot address the gap in practice that hinders improvements in employee performance and organizational profitability. Grounded in Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior, this qualitative pragmatic inquiry identified and explored the effective strategies educational leaders used to successfully implement DEI programs to increase employee performance and profitability. Participants were six leaders from both for-profit and non-profit educational …

Class A Biosolids Production Using Conventional And Low-Cost, Low-Tech Processes At Small Water Resource Recovery Facilities: A Multidimensional Sustainability Assessment, Janna Brown, Robert Handler, Eric Seagren, Jennifer Becker

Michigan Tech Publications

Producing Class A biosolids is a beneficial way to reuse wastewater treatment solids, but most conventional processes are energy-intensive and expensive. There is growing interest in the use of low-cost, low-tech (LCLT) Class A biosolids treatment processes, especially at small water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs). This study used a holistic sustainability assessment to examine the environmental, economic, and social sustainability of conventional and LCLT processes at small WRRFs. The technologies studied were Direct Heat Drying, Composting, Lagoon Storage, Air Drying, and Temperature-Phased Anaerobic Digestion (TPAD). Environmental impacts were determined by conducting life-cycle assessments for all technologies, which is described in …

Anti-Tumor Activity Of Camptothecin Analog Conjugate Of An Rspo4-Based Peptibody Targeting Lgr4/5/6 In Preclinical Models Of Colorectal Cancer, Yukimatsu Toh, Ling Wu, Jianghua Tu, Zhengdong Liang, Adela M Aldana, Jake J Wen, Li Li, Sheng Pan, Julie H Rowe, Martha E Hensel, Carolyn L Hodo, Rick A Finch, Kendra S Carmon, Qingyun J Liu

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Background: Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are a significant advancement in targeted cancer therapy, but none are approved for colorectal cancer (CRC). LGR4/5/6, highly expressed in most CRCs, are promising targets. While LGR5-targeting ADCs show strong anti-tumor effects, their efficacy is limited by LGR5 loss in some CRC cells. RSPO4, a natural ligand for LGR4/5/6, binds all three receptors with high affinity. This research develops RSPO4-based peptibody drug-conjugates (PDCs) to simultaneously target LGR4/5/6, offering a novel therapeutic approach for CRC.

Methods: LGR4/5/6 expression in CRCs was analysed using RNA-seq datasets and Western blot. Peptibody binding affinities were measured, conjugated to camptothecin analog, …

Insights Regarding The Role Of Administrative Support And Teacher Retention In A Suburban Arizona School District, Kristen Louise Tiffany

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed through this study is that teachers are leaving the profession in an Arizona high school district (AHSD, a pseudonym), which might be due to a lack of administrator support. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore teachers’ perceptions of reasons they chose to remain in their positions as well as administrators’ perceptions on the support they provide to encourage teacher retention at AHSD. Grounded in Bandura’s social cognitive theory, semistructured interviews were conducted with six administrators and 10 teachers from AHSD. Saldana’s pattern coding was used with the following themes emerging: Teachers …

Using Exercise To Treat Anxiety In Adult Patients With Addiction, Emmanuella N. Nnadozie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Summary In this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project, I selected a staff education as the best intervention to improve staff knowledge in using exercise to treat anxiety disorders in adult patients at a recovery clinic for addiction. Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent among individuals undergoing substance abuse treatment, often exacerbating withdrawal symptoms and increasing relapse risks; thus, integrating the use of exercise in addition to existing standard care for anxiety treatment in individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) will lead to decreased anxiety, decreased alcohol use and drug cravings, improved quality of life and affect, increased abstinence, and improve …

Reconciling Harm Reduction Philosophy And Approaches Among Abstinence-Only Substance Abuse Treatment Professionals, Amy Rose Ashton-Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Historically, substance use disorder (SUD) treatment in the United States has been firmly grounded in abstinence-only treatment approaches. Harm reduction as a treatment model has gained additional traction. With increased rates of opioid use, overdoses, and advancements in medications for SUDs, harm reduction treatment approaches are becoming more important to improve lives of people who use drugs. Little is known about how counselors who have been educated, trained, and deliver abstinence-based SUD treatment reconcile use of harm reduction into their practice. To address this gap in literature, a generic qualitative study was conducted using the social constructivism theory. A purposive …

Re: Comment Letter For Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Draft 2024 Site-Wide Surface Water Monitoring Data Summary Report (Dated May 30, 2025), Emma Rott

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.