Digital Commons Network^™

Social Support And Mental Toughness As Predictors Of Perceived Stress Among College Kinesiology Students, Jianmin Guan, Wan Xiang Yao, Xiaofen D. Hamilton, Gaofeng Lu

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Drawing on Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional theory of stress and coping, this study examined the associations of age, gender, three types of social support (family, friends, and significant others), and mental toughness with two dimensions of perceived stress (helplessness and coping inefficacy) among 666 college students majoring in Kinesiology. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that male college students, as well as those with higher levels of mental toughness and family support, reported significantly lower levels of helplessness and coping inefficacy in managing stress. Additionally, greater support from friends was significantly associated with lower levels of coping inefficacy, while younger students …

A Qualitative Research Study Exploring Icu Nurses' Resilience During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Teenu Xavier, Rebecca C. Lee

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

ICU nurses faced numerous demands and adversities during the COVID-19 pandemic that significantly impacted their well-being. Developing strategies to promote resilience was crucial for ICU nurses to overcome these workplace adversities. The purpose of this study was to explore the strategies used by ICU nurses to promote their resilience and cope with the additional stressors brought on by the pandemic. Two theories provided the overarching theoretical framework which guided this study. These are Polk's middle-range theory of resilience A Focused Ethnographical approach provided the overarching framework for this research project. ICU nurses working in adult ICUs who had cared for …

Improving Structured Handoff Documentation In A Pediatric Emergency Department, Deborah Hammett, Rebecca Matta, Jody Kieffer, Jillian Savage, Courtney Nelson

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: The I-PASS handoff tool guides provider handoffs and reduces adverse events in the inpatient setting. Transitions of care occur frequently in the emergency department (ED), and the unpredictable environment can lead to less structured handoffs. Our goal was to increase the percentage of handoff notes that include all 4 I-PASS components by 20% within 6 months.

METHODS: We developed a handoff note template for the pediatric ED that included 4 key I-PASS elements: illness severity, patient care summary, action list, and situational awareness/contingency planning. Our primary outcome measure was the percentage of handoff notes that contained all 4 I-PASS …

Gender Differences In College Students’ Physical Activity Self-Efficacy, Social Comparison Beliefs, And External Frames Of Reference, Ken Murfay, Sarah Pyszczynski, Sarah Collins

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

This study examined whom college-aged individuals believe observing would more likely increase their physical activity self-efficacy (PASE) for a physical skill, whom they are more likely to compare their abilities to within a physical education (PE) class, how often they compare themselves to others in PE, and what students’ PASE scores were. Based on the mean scores for each question, students were more likely to compare themselves to a student than a teacher, friend than a non-friend, and similar or higher skilled peer than a lower skilled peer. To increase students’ confidence for a physical skill, students had higher levels …

Depressive Symptoms Predict Cannabis Initiation Among Mexican American Young Adults, Srishty Arora, Caroline North, C. Nathan Marti, Seth J. Schwartz, Bara S. Bataineh, Liza Talavera-Garza, Alexandra Loukas, Anna Wilkinson

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Background: Factors contributing to cannabis initiation among Hispanic young adults remain understudied. Methods: We examined the independent and interactive roles of depressive symptoms, family cohesion, and family conflict on cannabis initiation one year later among 616 18-29-year-old cannabis-naïve Mexican American college students in Texas. Results: Mixed-effects logistic regressions indicated that greater depressive symptoms predicted cannabis initiation one year later. Neither family cohesion nor family conflict moderated the depressive symptoms-cannabis initiation association. Conclusion: Mexican American young adults experiencing depressive symptoms may initiate cannabis use to cope with emotional distress. Additional research should examine the factors that drive cannabis initiation in this …

Uranium Chemical Compound Classification Using Sub-Images And Statistical Machine Learning For Nuclear Forensics, Lee C. Lambert, Brett J. Borghetti, Abigail A. Bickley

Faculty Publications

Uranium particle analysis from Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) imagery is a crucial tool in nuclear forensics. The particle morphology lexicon proposed by Tamasi et al. in J Radioanal Nucl Chem 307, 1611–1619 (2016) follows a standardized, manual identification process to identify particle morphology features. The present work seeks to mirror this methodology using computer feature selection from the scikit-image Python library rather than human classification. Using a random forest classifier, a 56% overall uranium true positive classification accuracy (a 39.6% balanced classification accuracy) was achieved on a test set outperforming a naïve (chance) model by 48%. The methodology introduced splits …

Sustaining A Healthy Work Environment With Leadership Staff Rounds, Sarojini V. Seemungal

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Background: Globally, HCWs have reported worsened mental health since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has threatened the well-being of 51% of healthcare workers (HCWs). In 2020, Mental Health America reported that 93% of HCWs experienced stress, 86% experienced anxiety, 76% reported feeling burned out, and 75% felt overwhelmed.

Problem: A 2023 employee engagement survey, conducted at a Certified Home Health Agency, revealed 72% overall favorability among HCWs. The lowest favorability rating was related to managing work and personal life (52.3%), feeling supported to do the job (60%), and receiving recognition from one’s manager at (61.2%).

Methods: …

Really Thrilling Location System (Rtls Real-Time Location System) Adds Value To Hospital Nurses, Linda R. Dicarlo, Deirdre O'Flaherty, Gregg Husk, Tammy Ng, Maureen Dennis, Royce Varghese

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Learning Outcomes: The learner will be able to: understand the usage of an RTLS system in asset management, and how nursing engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration drive value, increase satisfaction and safety, save time and money.

Identify the Pertinent Desired Outcome/Objectives: The learner will be able to understand the functions of RTLS.

While this application may not be feasible for all organizations, empowering nurses to engage with other disciplines, focus on identifying issues, propose workflows, implement, and evaluate solutions to make the best use of their valued time.is.

Methods: Literature review. RTLS pilot at a 450-bed hospital, created a training …

Exploring Moral Distress In Icu Nurse Practitioners: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study, Steven L. Bocchese

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Nurse Practitioners (NPs) working in the intensive care environment experience clinical and operational anxiety, such as moral distress. Moral distress occurs when an individual knows the ethically correct action but cannot take it due to internal or external constraints or violation of their professional core values. Causal factors of moral distress in nursing include inadequate staffing, prolonged patient pain and suffering, ethical conflicts in end-of-life care, lack of transparency and false hope, disruptive or aggressive family, and ineffective leadership. Historically, nurses have experienced moral distress at higher levels than other healthcare professionals, especially those in intensive care units (ICU). Because …

Journey To A Heart Safe Community, Mary Mccormack, Carole Zarcone, Kendra Hoepper, Dorothy Veron

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

The sudden loss of life is a traumatic event inflicting devastating and lasting impacts on families and communities. It has been estimated that more than 350,000 episodes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) occur annually in the United States (Virani et al., 2021); however, being that there is no nationwide mandatory reporting system, this number may be a gross underrepresentation of reality. The majority of OHCA occur residential homes and in the community setting. Survival rates are heavily dependent upon provision of immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation with neurologic damage occurring within 5 minutes (Brooks et al., 2022).

Unfortunately, the …

Human Microglia In Brain Assembloids Display Region-Specific Diversity And Respond To Hyperexcitable Neurons Carrying Scn2a Mutation, Jiaxiang Wu, Xiaoling Chen, Jingliang Zhang, Kyle Wettschurack, Morgan Robinson, Weihao Li, Yuanrui Zhao, Ye-Eun Yoo, Brody A Deming, Yue Shu, Akila D Abeyaratna, Zhefu Que, Dongshu Du, Matthew Tegtmeyer, Chongli Yuan, William C Skarnes, Zhong-Yin Zhang, Jean-Christophe Rochet, Long-Jun Wu, Yang Yang

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Microglia critically shape neuronal circuit development and function, yet their region-specific properties and roles in distinct circuits of the human brain remain poorly understood. In this study, we generated region-specific brain organoids (cortical, striatal, and midbrain), each integrated with human microglia, to fill this critical gap. Single-cell RNA sequencing uncovered six distinct microglial subtypes exhibiting unique regional signatures, including a subtype highly enriched for the GABAB receptor gene within striatal organoids. To investigate the contributions of microglia to neural circuitry, we created microglia-incorporated midbrain-striatal assembloids, modeling a core circuit node for many neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism. Using chemogenetics to activate …

From Waitlist To Activation: Exploring Patient Barriers And Team Interactions In Kidney Transplant Readiness, Judith I. Eguzoikpe

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

Kidney transplant candidates frequently experience prolonged inactive waitlist status due to incomplete readiness requirements, yet limited understanding exists regarding how patient barriers and team interactions intersect to influence activation timelines. This transcendental-phenomenological study explored how patient barriers and team dynamics contribute to delays in kidney transplant readiness, guided by Team Theory. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 participants (8 patients, 8 healthcare professionals) between December 2025 and February 2026. Data were analyzed using systematic phenomenological methods to identify patterns that address patient barriers, team interaction effects, and the teamwork improvements needed for earlier activation. Five interconnected themes emerged: Navigating a …

Enhancing Risk Governance In Agile Settings: Toward An Integrated Agile Framework For Strategic Risk Alignment, Mohammed Shaik

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

Agile project management is widely used in dynamic and regulated environments because of its adaptability and iterative delivery (Beck et al., 2001). However, Agile teams often rely on informal risk practices that may limit visibility into enterprise-level risks (Stare, 2014). In contrast, Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) frameworks provide structured oversight aligned with strategic objectives (Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission [COSO], 2017), yet they are frequently viewed as fast-paced project settings. This misalignment creates governance challenges for organizations operating in complex environments.

This study examined how Agile practices can be integrated with ERM frameworks to strengthen strategic risk …

Bank Finance And Private Sector Development: A Comparative Study Of Sub- Saharan Africa And The Oecd Economies, Raymond Asamoah

Doctoral Dissertations (DBA)

The study examines bank credits to the private sector and the factors driving bank decisions in 25 Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries and 25 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, which are considered both developing and developed countries by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, with comparative stabilized economies. It focuses on the factors that influence banks to offer credit to the private sector. Domestic credit to the private sector as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) is used as the dependent variable. 8 determinants or explanatory variables are used to explain Bank credit decisions. …

Black History In Lower Manhattan, Jennifer Bancamper

NYLS Community News

No abstract provided.

Fsec Meeting Minutes February 20, 2026, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

2025 And 2026 - Faculty & Staff Research Symposium - Mini, Elizabeth Outka, Lidia Radi

Faculty and Staff Research Symposium Programs

September 26, 2025; November 7, 2025; January 20, 2026; and, February 20, 2026

[Excerpt from the "Welcome"]

"Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to the Faculty and Staff Mini-Symposia Series!

As we gather for the fourth and final installment of this year’s Mini-Symposia Series, we are delighted to continue this new chapter of the Faculty and Staff Research Symposium, building on the extraordinary enthusiasm of the past two years. What began as a single day of conversation and exchange has grown into a cycle of events designed to highlight the intellectual and creative work of our community in even more accessible and collaborative …

Perinatal And Maternal Outcomes By Indication For Delivery In The Second Trimester, Kristen A Cagino, Paula L Mcgee, Maged M Costantine, Michael W Varner, Alan T N Tita, Monica Longo, Barbara J Stoll, John M Thorp, Uma M Reddy, William A Grobman, Dwight J Rouse, Hyagriv N Simhan, Jennifer L Bailit, Lorraine Dugoff, George R Saade, Baha M Sibai

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Perinatal and maternal morbidity in the setting of preterm birth may differ by delivery indication. We compared perinatal and maternal outcomes of second-trimester (240/7-276/7 weeks of gestation) deliveries indicated for preeclampsia with severe features (PE-SF), with those following preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM).Secondary analysis of an observational cohort study of singleton and twin preterm deliveries before 35 weeks' gestation at 33 hospitals across the United States. Singletons without congenital anomalies who were delivered due to PE-SF or PPROM from 240/7 to 276/7 weeks of gestation were included. The primary outcome was a composite of perinatal morbidity or death, defined …

Νgan: A Deep Learning Emulator For Cosmic Web Simulations With Massive Neutrinos, Neerav Kaushal, Elena Giusarma, Mauricio Reyes

Michigan Tech Publications

Understanding the impact of neutrino masses on the evolution of the Universe is a central goal of modern cosmology. Due to their large free-streaming lengths, neutrinos significantly affect structure formation at nonlinear scales, requiring accurate theoretical predictions to fully exploit current and future galaxy surveys. However, generating such predictions through large ensembles of cosmological simulations is computationally expensive. In this work, we introduce a deep learning-based generative adversarial network, νGAN, to emulate the Universe across a range of neutrino masses from 0.0 to 1.2 eV. The generated 2D cosmic web maps are statistically independent, show no correlations with the training …

The Mosaic, Georgia Southern University

George-Anne Media Group: Newsletters & Magazines

No abstract provided.

Magnetic Field Tuned Magnetic Order And Metamagnetic Criticality In Nonstoichiometric Ceaubi2, Halyna Hodovanets, Hyunsoo Kim, Tristin Metz, Yasuyuki Nakajima, Christopher J. Eckberg, Kefeng Wang, Jie Yong, Shanta R. Saha, David Graf, Nicholas P. Butch, Thomas Vojta, Johnpierre Paglione

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

We present a detailed study of magnetization, resistivity, heat capacity, and x-ray and neutron powder diffraction measurements performed on single crystals of nonstoichiometric CeAuBi₂, Au deficiency 18%, a strongly correlated antiferromagnet with Néel temperature T_N = 13.2 K. Field-dependent magnetization measurements reveal a large magnetic anisotropy at low temperatures with an easy axis along the crystallographic c axis, in which direction a spin-flop transition exhibits strong features in magnetization, specific heat, and resistivity at H_c = 75 kOe. The constructed temperature-field phase diagram connects this transition to the suppression of magnetic order, which evolves from a …

External Validation Of The Proliferation Saturation Index Model In Predicting Tumour Volume Regression In Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Undergoing Radiation Therapy, Sarah Barrett, Mohammad Zahid, Conor K Mcgarry, Heiko Enderling, Gerard M Walls, Laure Marignol

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The Proliferation Saturation Index (PSI) model is a patient-specific mathematical model designed to simulate and predict tumour volume regression (TVR) during radiation therapy (RT) using early treatment response dynamics. This study validates the PSI model in an independent external cohort of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using previously derived model parameters.

Methods: In a cohort of 71 patients, treated with definitive RT alone (55Gy/20#) tumour volume measurements extracted from 6 Cone Beam CT (CBCT) scans acquired on days 1, 2 and 3 and weekly thereafter. Model predictions of TVR at final CBCT (CBCT6) were made using tumour …

Mid-Level Perceptual Features, And Not Ambiguity, Accelerate Access To Awareness, Nadav Amir, Uri Maoz, Liad Mudrik

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Current theoretical accounts of perception and high-level cognition suggest that awareness plays an active role in disambiguating incoming sensory information. However, the relationship between ambiguity resolution and conscious access remains unclear, partially due to a lack of quantifiable measures of ambiguity. Here, we describe a novel paradigm designed for testing whether more ambiguous stimuli would enjoy preferential access to awareness, as indexed by the time it takes them to break interocular suppression in the breaking continuous flash suppression paradigm. In a series of three experiments, we found that stimuli’s mid-level perceptual features (most likely, visual symmetry levels), rather than their …

Association Between Children’S Secondhand Co-Exposure To Tobacco And Cannabis Smoke And Elevated Urinary Cotinine Levels: A Cross-Sectional Analysis, Bradley N. Collins, Stephen J. Lepore, Vincent Berardi, Renee D. Goodwin, Karen Wilson, Mona Baishya

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background Cannabis use is far more common among adults who smoke tobacco than adults who do not, and its use is increasing among people who smoke tobacco with children living in the home. Given the well-established evidence that caregiver smoking is the primary source of children’s secondhand exposures to these products, the increasing trend in caregiver co-use is raising public health concerns about children’s co-exposure. Emerging data indicates that adult co-use is linked to additive health consequences, such as elevated nicotine and other tobacco-related toxicant blood levels, relative to use of only tobacco. It is unknown whether children’s co-exposure leads …

Evaluating The Feasibility And Acceptability Of A Facilitator-Guided Wellness Initiative In A Residency Program, Alexander A. Missner, Jacob Gilbreth, Stacey Kaltman, Mayada Akil

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Burnout in residency is a significant concern. There is an urgent need for feasible and transferable interventions that enhance resident well-being. Toward this end, we implemented a wellness intervention in a psychiatry residency program in 2019. Goals of the intervention included: 1) creating a safe space for sharing experiences in a supportive environment, 2) fostering group cohesion, and 3) addressing developmental challenges in training. We evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention.

Methods: This study utilized a mixed methods design. Following the 2022-2023 academic year, residents completed a survey examining their perceptions of how well the …

Development Pathways And Strategies For Enhancing Resilience Of Underground Space In China’S Megacities, Xiangsheng Chen, Dong Su, Zezhou Wu, Kaihang Han, Xingtao Lin, Xiangpeng Cao, Weibin Chen

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

As China’s urbanization enters the phase of enhancing quality and efficiency of existing assets, megacities are facing dual pressures of resource constraints and safety risks. Underground space, as a key carrier for urban resilience, holds urgent strategic significance for high-quality development. This study systematically analyzes the current status, challenges, and future trends of underground space development in China’s megacities, focusing on two core issues: “resilience enhancement of existing underground space” and “resilience-oriented development of deep underground space”. It proposes a systematic development path covering “digital base–intelligent platform–key technologies–collaborative governance”. The study emphasizes the need to comprehensively enhance the disaster prevention, …

Study And Reflection On Undergroundization Of Critical Infrastructure In Megacities From Perspective Of National Strategy, Kaiguo Jia, Baohua Huang, Lina Ye, Tengfei Guo, Rong Yi

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Critical infrastructures are vital strategic resources, directly impacting national security and the operation of economy and society. Twenty-two megacities and large cities in China, due to the concentration of resources and poorly concealed distribution of critical infrastructure, face multiple risks such as warfare attack, natural disaster, and facilitiy aging. Incorporating the undergroundization of critical infrastructure into national strategy is an imperative choice for national security, resilient city, and high-quality growth. International practices have proven the advantages of underground development in terms of protection and space optimization. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, it is recommended to adopt strategies such as …

Opportunities And Challenges In Synthetic Biology For Manufacture Of Bulk Chemicals, Xiaolin Shen, Qipeng Yuan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Traditional chemical manufacturing, reliant on fossil resources, meets material demands but faces challenges such as resource depletion, environmental pollution, and carbon emissions. This underscores the urgent need for a shift towards green and sustainable production methods. Biomanufacturing, which uses renewable resources to produce chemicals, offers a promising pathway for the chemical industry’s green transition. In recent years, biomanufacturing has emerged as a key area of global attention. Through synthetic biology, bulk chemicals like 1,3-propanediol have been successfully produced. Nevertheless, biomanufacturing of bulk chemicals still faces significant challenges, including high costs, low efficiency, and limited scalability. This is particularly true for …

Promoting Joint Development Of Digital Standards For The Belt And Road Initiative: Achievements, Challenges, And Future Strategies, Xiaolei Sun, Longfei Li, Lili Yuan, Yu Song, Dayong Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

As a foundational regulatory framework in the digital economy era, digital standards serve as critical infrastructure for facilitating technological coordination, enabling data circulation, driving industrial upgrading, and ensuring security safeguards. Nevertheless, current practices reveal that the U.S. and Europe are strategically constraining China’s digital standardization efforts through the politicization of technical specifications and the imposition of cross-border data flow barriers, while China continues to face deficiencies in core technology innovation autonomy and influence within international standardization bodies. This study conducts a systematic analysis of the developmental trajectories, practical outcomes, and contemporary challenges in advancing digital standard co-construction under the Belt …

Nci9673 (Part B): Etctn Randomized Phase Ii Study Of Nivolumab With Or Without Ipilimumab In Refractory, Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma Of The Anal Canal, Van K Morris, Kristen K Ciombor, Lianchun Xiao, Joshua K Ochieng, Enrica Marmonti, Blase Polite, Benjamin A Weinberg, John C Krauss, John Hays, Sarbajit Mukherjee, Olivia Aranha, Syma Iqbal, Tony Shields, Al B Benson, Syed Kazmi, Christopher Lieu, Howard Hochster, Jennifer Whisenant, Cara Haymaker, Cathy Eng

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: In the previously completed NCI9673 (part A) single-arm study, the antiprogrammed death (PD)-ligand-1 antibody nivolumab demonstrated efficacy for patients with metastatic anal cancer. In NCI9673 (Part B), we evaluated the anticytotoxic T-cell lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) antibody ipilimumab in combination with nivolumab for patients with incurable anal cancer.

Methods: In this phase II NCI ETCTN trial, 100 patients with refractory, incurable anal cancer were randomly assigned to receive nivolumab (480 mg IV once every 4 weeks) alone or with ipilimumab (1 mg/kg IV once every 8 weeks). The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints included radiographic response, …