Digital Commons Network^™

How Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (Mbsr) Techniques Affect Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Literature Review, Piper Ritke

Honors Theses

This literature review examines the potential effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) as a non-invasive therapeutic intervention for individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Traditional treatments for OCD, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure and response prevention (ERP), are evidence-based but can be distressing for some patients. MBSR, originally developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, emphasizes nonjudgmental awareness of thoughts and may offer a less intrusive alternative. Three peer-reviewed studies were analyzed: a randomized controlled trial comparing MBSR with cognitive therapies, a technology-supported mindfulness intervention utilizing EEG feedback, and a case study documenting individualized MBSR treatment. All studies demonstrated reductions in …

Comparative Effects Of Combustible Cigarette Versus Electronic Cigarette Exposures On Kras Mutant Lung Cancer Promotion, Walter V Velasco, Maria T Grimaldo, Nastaran Karimi, Michael J Clowers, Avantika Krishna, Ranran Wu, Rahmah Ejaz, Bo Yuan, Segundo Del Aguila, Iman Bouchelkia, Javier Eduardo Moreno Barragan, Katherine E Larsen, Yasmina Rezai, Farbod Khalaj, Kyler Mitra, Carlos Reyna Rodriguez, Ricardo Millares, Angelica Baca De Anda, Susana Castro-Pando, Umesh C Karandikar, Joseph F Petrosino, Florencia Mcallister, Humam Kadara, Edwin J Ostrin, Johannes F Fahrmann, Kristi Louise Hoffman, Seyed Javad Moghaddam

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Despite the emerging public health concern related to the use of electronic cigarette vapors (ECV), its impact on lung cancer is poorly understood. We assessed the effect of ECV on lung tumorigenesis in a mouse model of lung adenocarcinoma. Mice were exposed to either room air, combustible cigarette smoke (CCS), or ECV 2 hours daily for 8 weeks at which lung samples were harvested and studied for different outcomes. We found that CCS, but not ECV, led to a significant increase in tumor burden. Immunophenotyping of both CCS- and ECV-exposed lungs displayed pronounced pro-tumor immunosuppressive phenotypes, characterized by significantly decreased …

A Toolkit For Improving School Climate: Lessons Learned From Action Research In A Network Of 16 Charter Schools, Grant E. Erwin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Educators today face daunting challenges, especially in addressing persistent gaps in outcomes for historically underserved students from low-income and minority backgrounds. Practitioners often cite school climate as a key barrier to student success—an assertion supported by research linking school climate to students’ academic and personal outcomes. This study sought to improve school climate across 16 urban middle and high schools within one charter network. Using a mixed methods Collaborative Action Research (CAR) design over multiple years, the study triangulated academic research, external resources, and on-the-ground lessons to provide practical guidance for other educators. Data were collected from multiple stakeholders and …

Plasma Surrogate Markers Of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Correlate With Disease Severity In Patients With Moderate To Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Joni A Aoki, Frederik Denorme, Mark J Cody, David P Perry, John L Rustad, Samuel M Brown, Stephanie A Goldstein, Elizabeth A Middleton, Christian C Yost, Estelle S Harris, Nhlbi Prevention And Early Treatment Of Acute Lung Injury (Petal) Network Investigators

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Although studies have evaluated the presence of cell-free DNA and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), the kinetics of NET formation during the early ICU admission and whether plasma NET markers correlate with clinical outcomes in patients with moderate-to-severe hypoxemia remain unknown. We sought to determine whether serial plasma NET marker levels in study participants collected over 48 h post enrollment predict disease severity and mortality in non-COVID-19 ARDS patients.

METHODS: We obtained previously collected plasma samples (trial enrollment, 24 h, 48 h) from 200 randomly selected ARDS participants in the completed Reevaluation of Systemic …

3d Printed Vitamin D Impregnated Catheters For Magnetic Resonance-Guided Interventions: Proof Of Concept And Imaging Characteristics, Liam O Cunningham, Aravinda Ganapathy, Cihat Eldeniz, Jeffery A Weisman, Kevin E Lindsay, Udayabhanu Jammalamadaka, Karthik Tappa, Amber Salter, Hongyu An, Pamela K Woodard, David H Ballard

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Catheters used for magnetic resonance (MR)-guided interventions require intra-catheter coils and often produce artifacts. This study aimed to fabricate 3D-printed catheters impregnated with vitamin D solution to allow for optimal visualization during MR-guided procedures.

METHODS: 3D printing was used to fabricate catheters impregnated with vitamin D solution. Computer-aided design files were generated for a size 18 French catheter prototype with a compartment for vitamin D solution to be manually introduced into the catheter's lumen and sealed via thermoplastic welding. Polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastic was 3D printed into filaments via material extrusion (FDM

RESULTS: All 3D-printed catheters impregnated with vitamin …

Results From The Phase 2/3 Daffodil Study Of Trofinetide In Girls Aged 2-4 Years With Rett Syndrome, Alan K Percy, Robin Ryther, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Trofinetide is the first available treatment for Rett syndrome (RTT) and is approved in the United States in adults and pediatric patients aged ≥2 years. The DAFFODIL study was conducted in girls aged 2-4 years with RTT to examine the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of trofinetide and to validate that the recommended dosage, according to body weight, achieved target exposure.

METHODS: DAFFODIL was a phase 2/3, open-label study of trofinetide consisting of two treatment periods (12 weeks [period A] and ∼21 months [period B]). Pharmacokinetic samples were collected at regular intervals during period A. Assessments included treatment-emergent adverse events …

Peering Into The Past And Future: Connection, Challenge, Growth, And Rural Peer Mentors, Tinker Elizabeth Jacobs Duclo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Peer mentoring is a recognized strategy for supporting student success, academic persistence, and belonging in higher education. However, while mentee benefits are well-documented, the long-term effects on peer mentors (PMs) remain underexplored, particularly at Rural-Serving Institutions (RSIs). My evaluation bridges that gap by examining the lasting impact of PM service through a qualitative evaluation of the Rifle Colorado Mountain College (CMC) Peer Mentor Program. Guided by Rural Cultural Wealth (RCW) theory and using the Most Significant Change (MSC) model within a constructivist framework, my evaluation centers alumni PM voices, gathering their reflections on the significant changes and impacts of their …

Survival Guide For Queer Families In Heteronormative Healthcare: Liberatory Consciousness And The Paradox Of Dependent Healthcare, A Critical Policy Discourse Analysis, Dwenna A. Holden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study I explored and analyzed how the queer experiences of an anonymous higher education institution in the western United States’ self-identified queer faculty and staff intersected with the discursive framing of the college’s dependent healthcare structure and documents. Within a critical paradigm I designed research around a high-density theoretical approach to weaving various branches of queer theory together with critical theory around policy and law in relation to queer bodies and hostile heteronormative policy environments. I arrived at solutions based in complaint, survival, and transformation. I used critical policy discourse analyses to interrogate the college’s dependent healthcare documents …

From Deficit To Asset: Developing An Equitable Early Warning System For Ninth Grade Success, Stephanie Mann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I explored the design and implementation of an asset-based Early Warning System (EWS) to support ninth-grade students at The Academy, a PK-12 charter school, during their critical high school transition. Using Practical Action Research, I addressed the question: How might a comprehensive EWS leverage student assets and systemic support to ensure success? Over one academic year, the study unfolded in two phases: Phase I employed qualitative methods—interviews, focus groups, and data reviews—to identify gaps, while Phase II developed an enhanced EWS, integrating map and street data for richer student profiles and staff collaboration. Findings underscore a human-powered EWS rooted in …

Cultivating Resilience In The Anthropocene: Evaluating A Gssw Ecological Justice Curriculum, Windy Selig

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This Dissertation in Practice evaluated the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) Ecological Justice Pathway to examine how resilience is conceptualized and cultivated within the curriculum. Grounded in a constructivist paradigm and guided by an ecological justice framework, this evaluation explored the pedagogical and curricular strategies designed to prepare social work students for the emotional, ethical, and professional demands of practicing in the Anthropocene—a time marked by ecological degradation, climate crisis, and compounding social inequities.

Through qualitative methods, including faculty interviews and curriculum document analysis, the evaluation identified both explicit and implicit components that foster student resilience. …

The Improvement Regime: Public Trusts, Real Estates, And India’S Urban Futurities, Anwesha Ghosh

Articles

Over the last two decades, since scholarly writing on India witnessed an “urban turn,” numerous historians have analyzed the role of the improvement trust in the redevelopment of Indian cities in the twentieth century, most specifically those of Bombay, Calcutta, and Delhi. This paper revisits and reassesses some of their key arguments to suggest that rather than studying the “failures” of the individual trusts to foster sanitary built environments, we should pay attention to the contingent workings of the city trusts that were constitutively designed for such failures. Using a comparative analysis of the Bombay and Calcutta improvement trusts, this …

Letter From Herbert Hill To Ivory M. Davis, Herbert Hill

Ivory Davis Civil Rights Case Papers

Letter from Herbert Hill from the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to Ivory M. Davis. The letter advices Davis to file a new complaint rather than sending a copy of the old complaint.

Perceptions Of Exclusionary Discipline In Inclusive Classroom: A Phenomenological Study Of Middle School Co-Teachers’ Experience With Special Education Students Of Color, Tino Tomasi

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

Exclusionary discipline practices in public middle schools disproportionately impact students of color in special education, disrupting their academic progress and social development. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore how public middle school co-teachers in inclusive classrooms perceive the use of exclusionary discipline for special education students of color. The study explored the lived experiences of eight public middle school co-teachers through three research questions: (1) How do public middle school co-teachers in inclusive classrooms perceive the use of exclusionary discipline for special education students of color? (2) How do public middle school co-teachers in inclusive classrooms …

An Extent Of Children’S Health Coverage: Medicaid, Chip, And Beyond, Rohitha Goonatilake

Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk

This article examines children's health coverage today and explores the ways and means to ensure its financial sustainability and the factors associated with it. As extensively argued, reductions in children's coverage would lead to decreased access to care and other long-term effects for children and increase the financial burden on states and providers. It also suggests that reductions in children’s coverage could have broader implications and long-term negative effects on their health, education, and eventually on their financial success as adults. However, despite the decades of progress, mostly bolstered by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a new funding mechanism needs …

Evaluation The Antibacterial Activity Of Cornulaca Moncantha Extract Against Multidrug Resistant Coagulase- Negative Staphylococci, Uday A.R. Hussein, Ayat H. Abd Al-Ameer, Tabark F. Abass, Haneen H. Abbas, Zahraa H. Jabbar, Fatima M.A. Alrasol, Mafaz G. Hassan, Mays A. Khaled

Al-Ameed Journal for Medical Research and Health Sciences

Background: Emergence of anti-microbial resistance represents a serious challenge to public health and the global economy, creating an urgent need for searching of new anti-microbial agents.

Objective: To investigate the antibacterial activity of Cornulaca moncantha ethanolic root extract against multidrug resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococci.

Material and Methods: The ethanolic extract of Cornulaca moncantha roots was prepared using a Soxhalet apparatus. Phytochemical screening was performed via standard qualitative tests (alkaloids with Mayer’s test, tannins with ferric chloride, flavonoids with Shinoda test, and saponins with foam test). The plant antibacterial activity as well as susceptibility of antibiotic against bacteria were evaluated using agar …

Attitudes Toward Pig Islet Xenotransplantation For Type 1 Diabetes: A Scoping Review, Daniel J Hurst, Daniel Rodger, Luz A Padilla, Fernando Ovalle

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Over 8 million people globally have type 1 diabetes. Islet allotransplantation offers an alternative to insulin therapy but is constrained by donor availability. Genetically modified pig islet transplantation presents a potential solution, yet understanding stakeholder attitudes is crucial before clinical adoption.

METHODS: This scoping review followed Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and PRISMA guidelines. CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed, PsychINFO, and SCOPUS were searched for studies examining attitudes toward pig islet xenotransplantation among patients, healthcare workers, and other stakeholders.

RESULTS: From 199 sources, 16 met eligibility criteria, spanning ten countries from 2003 to 2023. The 23,780 participants included 1,535 (6.5%) patients/family members, …

The New Right-Wing Populist: The Blonde “Mother Of The Nation”, Christina Charie

Political Science Undergraduate Theses

The rise of right-wing populism in European politics has come along side an increased presence of female representation in political affairs. What aesthetic decisions are being made by far-right female populist politicians? How do moderate right and left-wing women politicians differ in their presentation styles from populist women? While right-wing politics have gained traction in Europe before, this time women are the face of many right-wing populist movement, even though much of the ideology is rooted in misogyny and the presence of strong, masculine figureheads. With women taking center stage within these right-wing movements that are historically masculine, understanding their …

Decentralized Biobanking For Transparency, Accountability, And Engagement In Biospecimen Donation, Kennedy Sabharwal, Brian Hutler, M Eifler, Marielle Gross

Journal of Health Care Law and Policy

No abstract provided.

Predictive Analysis Of Crash Severity And Modeling Of 85th Percentile Speed For Rural Highways Of Arkansas Using Artificial Intelligence (Ai), Sagun Basel

Student Theses and Dissertations

Crash severity is a significant aspect of transport safety as its contributing factors assist engineers and designers in designing safer roads. The focus of this project is to predict crash severity, analyze crash parameters, and modeling of the 85th percentile speed (V85) selected rural roads (i.e., Interstate-555, East Johnson Avenue Highway, and Red Wolf Blvd) in Arkansas, using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models. MATLAB® was used to predict the V85 and compare it with the actual V85 collected from field instrumentation. Besides the speed data, weather (e.g., rainfall), road geometry, light conditions, and traffic volume were used as input in …

Moyle V. United States: The (In)Decision Addressing The Public Health Crisis In America’S Emergency Rooms, Presley Dawson

Maryland Law Review Online

No abstract provided.

Equal Rights And Protections In Human Subjects Research: A Call To Action, Leslie E. Wolf, Laura M. Beskow

Journal of Health Care Law and Policy

No abstract provided.

From Roe To Risk: The Sobering Realities Of Reproductive Data Privacy In A Post-Roe America, Brynn Drury

Journal of Health Care Law and Policy

No abstract provided.

“Do No Harm,” Unless God Says So? The Unholy Conflict Of Religious Objections In Health Care, Brandon Hernandez

Journal of Health Care Law and Policy

No abstract provided.

Not Here Or There: How Catholic Hospital Abortion Bans Interact With State Bans, Lori Freedman, Debra Stulberg, Elizabeth Reiner Platt

Journal of Health Care Law and Policy

No abstract provided.

Arbitrating With Indian Tribes: Separability, Tribal Sovereign Immunity, And Exhaustion Of Tribal Remedies, Paul F. Kirgis

New Mexico Law Review

Indian tribes have emerged as significant contributors to the national and regional economies, notably through industries such as gaming, natural resource extraction, technology, and consumer lending. This increasing commercial activity brings with it increasing commercial disputes. Both Indian tribes and their nonmember counterparts need a fair and reliable forum to ensure that agreements are performed, loans repaid, and avoidable harms compensated. But the complex legal landscape of tribal sovereignty and jurisdiction complicates dispute resolution involving tribes. Tribes’ status as sovereign entities raises challenging issues of federal and state court jurisdiction, tribal sovereign immunity, and exhaustion of tribal remedies. Arbitration offers …

What Law Schools Teach When They Don’T Teach About State Constitutions, Ellie Margolis, Leonore F. Carpenter

New Mexico Law Review

No abstract provided.

Walking The Line On Safety And Free Speech: Sidestepping First Amendment Challenges To Median Bans, Taylor J. Black

New Mexico Law Review

In 2021, the Tenth Circuit held a ban targeting pedestrians on street medians in Albuquerque, New Mexico unconstitutional under the First Amendment. Citing a crisis of pedestrian fatalities, Albuquerque has since promulgated a new pedestrian-safety ordinance with an adjusted median ban that prohibits pedestrians from sitting or standing on certain street medians. This ban not only fails to increase pedestrian safety but also arbitrarily blames the city’s poorest residents and poses a threat to First Amendment freedoms. Because the city cannot produce case-specific evidence to show that the ban is narrowly tailored to ameliorate a nonspeculative harm, the current ban …

Prisoners, Patients, And Privatization: Accountability For Corrections Contractors Under The New Mexico Civil Rights Act, Mayalyn Durham

New Mexico Law Review

New Mexico dedicates significant resources to incarceration—particularly with respect to prison medical care. Although New Mexico has mostly transitioned away from privately operated prisons, the New Mexico Corrections Department (NMCD) continues to contract with various corporations to provide health services in state-owned prisons. Not surprisingly, the private contractors’ cost-saving measures often result in the provision of grossly inadequate healthcare that constitutes cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment. Prisoner litigation under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, however, is fraught with substantive and procedural barriers to recovery. The New Mexico Civil Rights Act (NMCRA or “the Act”) provides an avenue of …

Unchecked Contempt: The Necessity Of Maximum Sanctions For Criminal Contempt In New Mexico, Cam Rosenberg

New Mexico Law Review

Few areas of law are so completely entrusted to judge’s discretion, and therefore engender the risk of judicial abuse, as the contempt power. Despite this risk, New Mexico has significantly expanded the criminal contempt power over the last three years. Yet the results of this expansion—which typically play out in trial courts with little publicity and rare appellate review—have not been studied in any detail. This Comment examines how New Mexico trial courts used criminal contempt from January 1, 2023, to October 20, 2024, in light of the broad discretion granted to these courts. In this timeframe, a select few …

Preoperative Clinical Practice Guidelines For Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery, Marjorie Badong Yumul

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Walden University College of Nursing This is to certify that the doctoral study by Marjorie B. Yumul has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Patricia Schweickert, Committee Chairperson, Nursing Faculty Dr. Diane Whitehead, Committee Member, Nursing Faculty Chief Academic Officer and Provost Sue Subocz, Ph.D. Walden University 2025 Executive Summary: Clinical Practice Guideline Preoperative Clinical Practice Guidelines for Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery by Marjorie B. Yumul MS, University of the Philippines Manila, 2003 BS, La Concordia, …