Digital Commons Network^™

Development And Transition In Crisis: The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Division I College Athletes, Grace Kazmierski-Davie, Khalid Ballouli

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

The aim of this study is to explore how Division I college athletes made meaning of their experiences during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020. Though existing literature details various athlete transitions, there is limited knowledge about how athletes navigate unprecedented disruptions like a global pandemic. This qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews to gather in-depth data. The study included a diverse sample of 19 college athletes, ranging from freshmen to seniors, representing various sports and academic levels. Findings revealed that athletes employed diverse strategies to maintain readiness and mental sharpness, reflecting both proactive and reactive coping mechanisms. …

The State And Erosion Of The Civic Space In Nigeria’S Democracy, 1999–2023, Al Chukwuma Okoli, Elias Chukwuemeka Ngwu, Francisca Nkemdilim Onah

Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Nigeria’s experience with democratic rule since 1999 has been somewhat contradictory. Rather than a widening of the civic space for robust citizen participation, there have been sustained attempts by the state to suffocate the civic space by stifling differing viewpoints. The government has led the process by securitizing the civic space, criminalizing civil dissent, and politicizing civil society platforms. Although there appears to have been a global trend towards the shrinking of the civic space, the situation in Nigeria has been typically enervating for fostering the democratic culture. Sequel to this, this paper examined the state of the civic space …

The Development And Psychometric Properties Of Climate Change Awareness Scale Among Higher Education Students, Şuay Nilhan Açikalin, Şefika Şule Erçeti̇n, Nihan Potas, Mehmet Sabir Çevik

Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Higher education has a pragmatic and educational approach to mitigating climate change and solving environmental challenges by enhancing awareness. Therefore, the study aims to develop a scale in a survey model to measure higher education students' awareness of climate change. The study group comprises higher education students enrolled at Public Universities in Ankara during the 2023-2024 academic year. For data analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, convergent and divergent (discriminant) validity, item analysis, and reliability analysis were employed. The scale was rigorously validated through exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and other measures. As a result of the exploratory …

Prediction, Comparison And Visualization Of Premium Pricing Using Machine Learning Methods, Lal S Jan, Farzan Tashfeen, Mohid Hussain, Nadi M Alresheedi, Syed Muhammad Hassan Ahmer, Nahla M Albarkati

Yanbu Journal of Engineering and Science

This study investigates the efficacy of machine learning in forecasting and comparing health insurance premiums. The all-inclusive goal line is to improve the accuracy of premium pricing and minimize the manual labor associated with the traditional methods and present data trends in a logical manner. An open-source dataset of US medical premiums has been utilized and a systematic machine learning model in python programming language has been developed. This model took into account factors like age, bmi, smoking habits, and geographical location. The XGBoost model excels other models with an RMSE value of 0.349 and an adjusted R2 of 90.1% …

The Perception Of Ai Impact Of Academic Processes: A Study Of Student Perspectives, Nora Murphy, Lana Perkovic, Andzelika Wyka

International Undergraduate Journal of Health Sciences

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative technology with the potential to revolutionise education. This research aimed to comprehensively explore students’ perspectives on the integration of AI in educational settings, focusing on understanding its role, advantages, challenges, and expectations. The study analysed responses from a sixteen-question survey created through Google Forms administered online to 196 students from diverse academic backgrounds and educational levels enrolled across two Cork third-level institutions.

The demographic distribution of the respondents showed 44.4% aged 18-20 years old, 43.9% aged 21-23 years old, and 11.7% aged 24 and above, with 67.9% female respondents and 32.1% males. …

The Attitudes And Knowledge Of Organ Donation And The ‘Opt Out’ Consent System Among Irish Third Level Students., Rachel Webster, Emma Flynn, Tara O'Brien

International Undergraduate Journal of Health Sciences

Currently there are approximately 500 people in Ireland waiting for an organ donation while only approximately 280 transplants are carried out per year. While close to 80% of Irish people support organ donation it is estimated that only one-third of those are registered donors. This is the basis for the new ‘Opt Out’ policy within the ‘Human Tissue (Transplantation, Post-Mortem, Anatomical Examination and Public Display) Act 2024’ that has recently been signed into law (as of 28^th February 2024). This study aimed to investigate third-level students’ awareness of this new legislation and to determine if there would be an …

A Meta-Analysis Of The Relationship Between Estradiol, C-Reactive Protein, Interleukin-6 And Tumour Necrosis Factor-Alpha, And Their Association With Breast Cancer Prognosis, Keelin M. Crowley

International Undergraduate Journal of Health Sciences

This meta-analysis reviewed interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels across various tumour stages, compared transdermal and oral estradiol levels on IL-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP), and examined the IL-6 and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a) levels in healthy versus breast cancer patients. This analysis covers studies from 2003 to 2020.

Results: IL-6 can be used as a prognostic biomarker for breast cancer, as levels are seen to increase as the cancer stage advances. While transdermal estradiol does not have any significant effects on IL-6 or CRP, oral estradiol seemed to display an increase in. The baseline IL-6 levels differ between control subjects …

Audit Of The Impact Of The Pause In The National Screening Service For Breast Cancer During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Ava Coakley

International Undergraduate Journal of Health Sciences

In Ireland there is a free national screening service for breast cancer called BreastCheck. BreastCheck invites women aged fifty to sixty-nine to have screening mammograms once every two years to detect any densities in their breast mammogram which could indicate breast cancer. If densities are seen on a mammogram a breast core is sampled and sent to a histopathology laboratory where a part of the tissue is examined by a consultant pathologist using a microscope. Further tests can then be performed on this sample if it is diagnosed as breast cancer. Tests include immunohistochemistry and dual in-situ hybridisation (DISH). BreastCheck …

A Review Of Breast Implant Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (Bia-Alcl) In The Histopathology Laboratory In Cork University Hospital (Cuh), Ruth Purcell

International Undergraduate Journal of Health Sciences

Breast implantation is a common procedure for either breast reconstruction, following a mastectomy or for cosmetics. Approximately 10 million individuals have breast implants worldwide. Breast implants are composed of an outer silicone layer that are filled with either silicone gel or saline and have a lifespan of approximately 16 years (Quesada et al., 2018). When the implantation occurs, a fibrous capsule is naturally formed around the implant. However, it has become apparent in recent years that there is a link between the use of textured implants and a rare type of lymphoma. Breast Implant Associated- Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) …

Full Issue: The International Undergraduate Journal Of Health Sciences, Volume 5, Issue 1, July 2025

International Undergraduate Journal of Health Sciences

Full Issue: The International Undergraduate Journal of Health Sciences, Volume 5, Issue 1, July 2025.

Environmental Health And Safety, University Of Mississippi

University Website Migration from WordPress

No abstract provided.

Screening For Bullying In A Middle School Setting, Paige Bernau

Dissertations

Problem: Bullied youth are two and a half times more likely to experience depression and three times more likely to experience anxiety and suicidal ideation than their peers (Li et al., 2024). Schools represent a key access point for mental health support and treatment for youth (Duong et al., 2020). Despite this, schools typically do not have formal bullying screening integrated into student support services.

Methods: This program evaluation used a descriptive, observational design to evaluate a bullying screening program in a suburban middle-school. This program used the California Bullying Victimization Scale (CBVS) to assess for bullying victimization (BV) followed …

Leveraging Weekly Snow Cover Time Series For Improved Glacier Monitoring And Modeling, Rainey Aberle, Ellyn M. Enderlin, David R. Rounce, Shad O'Neel, Brandon Tober, Alexandra Friel

Boise State University Publications and Presentations

Seasonal snow and ice melt strongly influence glacier mass balance, yet sparse sub-annual observations limit our understanding of seasonal dynamics. Here we construct and analyze weekly snow cover time series for 200 glaciers across western North America from 2013 to 2023 using an automated image processing pipeline. Snow cover varied widely across the region: snow minima timing varied with latitude — from August from 62 to 64N to October from 48 to 50N—and accumulation area ratios ranged from near-zero to 0.92 (median of 0.52). A comparison of snowlines from observations and the PyGEM glacier mass balance model revealed seasonally evolving …

Implementation Of A Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Toolkit Postpartum, Eriola Arapi

Dissertations

Problem: Despite strong recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC, 2021) for HPV vaccination in individuals aged 9 to 26, postpartum women

are often overlooked as a target population. Every year in the U.S., oncogenic human

papillomavirus (HPV) infection causes approximately 330,000 cases of precancerous cervical

dysplasia and 12,000 cases of cervical cancer, the most common female cancer attributable to

HPV (Wang et al., 2024). Many providers miss the opportunity to offer the vaccine during the

postpartum hospital stay and the six-week visit—when patients are insured, motivated, and

more accessible.

Methods: This quality improvement (QI) project used …

Implementation Of An Evidence-Based Postpartum Depression Screening Tool In A Level Iv Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Morgan A. Takacs

Dissertations

Problem: Postpartum depression (PPD) affects up to 40% of mothers with infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), yet many remain undiagnosed due to the absence of standardized screening protocols. Early identification and referral to Perinatal Behavioral Health Services (PBHS) is critical to support maternal well-being and improve neonatal outcomes.

Methods: This evidence-based quality improvement project utilized a descriptive and correlational design to evaluate the impact of implementing the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) for PPD screening among mothers of infants born ≤ 32 weeks’ gestation in a Level IV NICU. A convenience sample of 29 mothers received the …

Evaluation Of A Behavioral Response Team To Decrease Use Of Violent Restraint, Katherine Skrade

Dissertations

Abstract Introduction: The purpose of this Quality Improvement project was to evaluate the implementation of the Behavioral Assessment and Response Team (BART) and evaluate its effect on occurrence and duration of violent restraints on non-psychiatric floors in a pediatric hospital. This QI project also aimed to correlate the use of the Broset Violence Checklist (BVC) to the utilization of the BART as a means of predicting patient escalation, as well as to assess the effect of booster education on the BVC and BART on bedside staff confidence in utilization of these resources.

Methods: Data was collected across three time periods: …

Implementing A Standardized Protocol To Screen For Depression In A Gastroenterology Outpatient Clinic, Catherine M. Karle

Dissertations

Problem: There is a lack of mental health screenings for depression taking place in outpatient gastrointestinal (GI) clinics. Outpatient gastrointestinal (GI) offices are not consistently screening patients for depression despite a rise in depression rates and the known adverse impact depression can have on the GI tract.

Methods: This Quality Improvement (QI) study used a descriptive research design guided by the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice (JHNEBP) Model. Its purpose was to implement a 10-week PHQ-2/PHQ-8 depression screening protocol at a large midwestern health center's gastroenterology outpatient clinic. The study used purposive sampling, including all GI outpatients aged 18+ with …

Palliative Care Beyond Cancer: The Use Of The P-Cares Tool, Breslin E. Meyer

Dissertations

Emergency Departments (EDs) often lack the necessary resources and protocols to provide comprehensive palliative care, resulting in inadequate pain and symptom management (Stoltenberg et al., 2022). This study investigates the potential transformative impact of a palliative care consultation on patients with advanced disease who screen positive using the validated P-CaRES tool. The PICOT questions: Will patients with end-stage COPD, CHF, and or other chronic conditions benefit from P-CaRES screening in the emergency department over nine weeks and receive more palliative care consultations from their primary care providers?

This project was conducted over 9 weeks, utilizing convenience sampling to select 20 …

Implementation Of Quantitative Blood Loss To Detect Postpartum Hemorrhage After Vaginal Birth, Raven S. Simpson

Dissertations

Problem: In the U.S., postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is attributed to maternal morbidity and mortality, resulting in long-lasting effects of extended recoveries, surgical interventions, birth-related trauma, interruptions in mother-infant bonding, or death. Performing estimated blood loss (EBL) measurement methods postpartum is subjective and often associated with over- and underestimations of blood volume. The delay in recognition interferes with timely, efficient, and appropriate interventions, yielding a PPH (≥1000ml).

Methods: A quality improvement (QI) project was initiated with a descriptive, pre-implementation/post-implementation focus on a high-risk Labor and Delivery unit to explore the effects of Quantitative Blood Loss (QBL) measurements on the identification of …

Report Of The Special Rapporteur On The Implications For Human Rights Of The Environmentally Sound Management And Disposal Of Hazardous Substances And Wastes, Marcos Orellana - Military Activities And Toxics, Marcos Orellana

PEEL Faculty Scholarship

Implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes

Note by the Secretary-General

The Secretary-General has the honour to transmit to the General Assembly the report of the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes, Marcos Orellana, in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 54/10.

From The Sidelines To The Courtroom: Nfl Coaches And Anti-Tampering Policy In Wake Of Ftc's Non-Compete Ban, Ruslan Aminov

Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal (1994 - )

No abstract provided.

Ldt Fda Ruling: A Conundrum For Laboratories Across The Usa, Charma Henry

MSMLS Capstone Projects

Abstract

In the article “The Future of Laboratory Medicine Understanding the New Pressures," author Mauro Panteghini expresses that the clinical laboratory has always undergone significant changes due to technological advances and external economic pressures. “Laboratories are indeed an easy target for economic restrictions and limitations due to their technological characteristics.” (Panteghini, 2004, pg. 205) Though these words were written over 20 years ago, no more valid words have been spoken in light of the newest pressure all laboratories face with the new LDT regulation set by the FDA.

This regulation places drastic economic pressure on laboratories to pay the FDA …

Myb And Hif1Α Crosstalk Drives Hypoxia-Induced Transcriptional Reprogramming And Adaptive Signaling Alterations In Pancreatic Cancer, Shashi Anand, Kunwar Somesh Vikramdeo, Mohammad Aslam Khan, Ajay Pratap Singh

Cell and Molecular Biology Publications

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive malignancy, characterized by extensive desmoplasia and a hypoxic tumor microenvironment that contributes to therapy resistance. MYB, a proto-oncogene encoding a transcription factor, plays a crucial role in pancreatic tumor growth and metastasis. Recently, we also revealed a role of MYB in hypoxic survival of pancreatic cancer cells by promoting metabolic reprogramming through interaction with HIF1α, modulating its expression and binding to glycolytic gene promoters. In this study, we investigated how hypoxia influences the genome-wide occupancy of MYB using chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq), and whether this effect is modulated by its interaction with HIF1α. In addition, …

Increasing Access To Asthma Education Through Digital Technology And Surveying Preferences Of Children And Families, Corrin E. Brockschmidt

Dissertations

Abstract

Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition impacting approximately 4.6 million children, with high rates of uncontrolled cases in Missouri. This quality improvement project aimed to explore the use of a digital media system to provide asthma education to children and families receiving care in a rural pediatric pulmonology clinic aged 6 months- 21 years of age; and to assess preferred media format, priority topics, and knowledge gained from exposure to digital educational materials. Utilizing a prospective cohort design, families completed a pre-survey to identify educational preferences and tailored digital asthma education through the use of Patient Education Genius (PEG). …

Implementation Of A Nurse-Driven Process To Decrease Npo Times In A Geriatric Emergency Department, Luke D. Little

Dissertations

Prolonged nil per os (NPO) status for geriatric patients in the emergency department is a critical safety issue, leading to increased rates of delirium, hypoglycemia, and perioperative complications. A quality improvement project was designed to address this problem through a targeted, nurse-driven intervention. In geriatric patients (age ≥70) in a geriatric emergency department, this project aimed to determine if implementing an electronic health record (EHR)-prompted nursing workflow to obtain a diet order would reduce the length of time patients were kept NPO compared with standard practice. An EHR documentation tool was designed and implemented along with targeted nursing education sessions …

Transportation: A Barrier To Healthcare Access Among Disabled, Older Adults With Diabetes And Hypertension In Rural Areas, Anne G. Mwangi-Amann

Dissertations

Problem: Transportation is essential for health service utilization (clinic appointments, diagnostic services, and picking up medications from the pharmacy (Hansmann & Razon, 2024). Shekelle et al. (2022) in their systematic review and meta-analysis indicated that the U.S. rural population is 60 million. Rural areas continue to experience transportation as a significant barrier to health, a key social determinant of health. It causes delayed or foregone care in approximately 3.6 million people annually, resulting in more than 25% of missed appointments. Methods: This quality improvement project utilized a descriptive and observational design. A convenience sample of Medicaid patients receiving care at …

Bowel Regimen Protocol Implementation For Pediatric Patients Following Cardiac Surgery, Eryn Watson

Dissertations

Problem: Pediatric patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) are at an increased risk of constipation following cardiac surgery, which contributes to complications and delays in recovery. Standardized protocols are effective tools for prophylactic management of constipation. However, there is no current standardized protocol in place for postoperative bowel management in a pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (CICU).

Method: This quality improvement project (QI) used a descriptive design with pre- and post-implementation data collection to evaluate the effects of a postoperative bowel regimen protocol on constipation rates and compliance with ordering prophylactic bowel regimens. Convenience sampling was used to identify patients …

Drug Versioning And Legal Accountability, Robert A. Bohrer

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Exploring Exemplary Leadership Practices Of Elementary Principals, Latoya R. Gray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is insufficient understanding regarding the educational leadership practices that have enabled one elementary school, out of 23, to achieve continuous school improvement in ELA and mathematics in Grades 3–5 over 3 consecutive academic years. Although all schools in the district implemented a uniform curriculum, the study site consistently increased the percentage of students scoring proficient or above in both subjects during 2022, 2023, and 2024, as measured by the state end-of-grade assessment. This qualitative single-case study explored how an elementary principal in a suburban Georgia district achieved continuous improvement through distinctive leadership practices. Grounded in Kouzes and Posner’s framework …

A Chat Room In A City Of Missouri's Public Safety Answering Point, Rochele Wynee' Young

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite new and emerging communications technologies to improve access to 911 emergency services for people with speech, hearing, and cognitive disabilities, there continue to be access barriers for those who may require silent communications due to the nature of the emergency. Chat rooms in 911 communications present a promising solution to this challenge. However, the current literature has inadequately examined the use of chat rooms in 911 communications, mainly due to the nascent nature of this technology. This study aimed to fill that gap by providing valuable insights to enhance access to 911 emergency services for individuals who may require …