Digital Commons Network^™

Volumetric Imaging Using The Pupil-Matched Remote Focusing Technique In Light-Sheet Microscopy, Sayed Hassan Dibaji Foroushani

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

ABSTRACT

The dissertation explores innovative techniques in light sheet microscopy, a pivotal tool in biomedical imaging, to enhance its speed, resolution, and efficiency in capturing dynamic biological processes. Light sheet microscopy allows for quick 3D imaging of biological specimens ranging from cells to organs with high spatiotemporal resolution, large field-of-view, and minimal damage, making it vital for in vivo imaging.

The first project introduces a novel optical concept designed to optimize Axially Swept Light Sheet Microscopy (ASLM). This technique is crucial for imaging specimens ranging from live cells to chemically cleared organs due to its versatility across different immersion media. …

An Inquiry Into Urban Schooling And The Social Justice Nexus: An Agency Case Study For Transformative Change, Eduardo E. Peña Jr.

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

In an era of accountability and censorship in public schooling, teaching for social justice is a difficult proposition for K-5 teachers. This inquiry explored the pedagogical principles of five elementary school teachers who navigate the rigors of standardization while also providing an education with a social justice orientation. Using a critical lens, this study v i was guided by the following questions: (1) how do elementary teachers approach topics of social justice in their curriculum? (2) what are the pedagogical considerations for teachers in urban schooling? and (3) what structures prohibit or provide proliferation for the integration of social justice …

"Un Pedacito De Nuestro Pais": Salvadoran Rootedness In Central Los Angeles, Ericka Arias

Latin American Studies ETDs

How has the Salvadoran Market contributed to a sense of cultural rootedness in Central Los Angeles? This thesis project examines the ways in which an informalized street vendor market has employed Latino Urbanism and Placemaking practices to foster a sense of cultural rootedness and belonging for the local Salvadoran community. Through community- based approaches and analysis, this thesis addresses the sociocultural importance of street vendors for immigrant communities and analyzes the ways in which this Salvadoran market facilitates placemaking practices that (re)unite Salvadorans with their cultural roots. This research contributes to subfields of Latino Urbanism and Informality, within Urban Studies, …

Bitcoin Price Modeling Using Machine Learning Algorithms, Azadeh Golduzian

Mathematics & Statistics ETDs

Forecasting in financial markets with various technologies is critical nowadays. The Bitcoin cryptocurrency has grown in popularity in recent years, and as a result, many people all around the world have attempted to forecast its price. To improve forecast accuracy, we must employ multiple types of data and diverse approaches. This thesis combines textual and financial data and employs statistical methods and machine learning to forecast Bitcoin's price as precisely as possible. We show the performance of each strategy using Bitcoin data at the end of each chapter.

Recovery Perceptions And Techniques Of Ultramarathon Runners, Denise Howard

Doctorate in Kinesiology

Ultramarathons have become increasingly popular over the last few decades. Ultramarathons are run on various terrains in different climates and are extremely distressing physiologically and psychologically. Recovery is crucial to restore physiological and psychological functioning yet is underappreciated. Compared to other sports, research related to ultra-endurance is limited, and a gap in research exists on effective recovery modalities and duration for ultrarunners. This study aimed to examine ultrarunners' practice and perceptions regarding recovery techniques and duration. An electronic survey designed for this study collected participants' perceptions about recovery and included physiological and psychological recovery factors. A total of 159 ultrarunners …

From Andy’S Room To Big City And Nickelodeon: Extending The Brand To New Consumers Through Alternate Broadcasts Of Live Sports Entertainment, Cody T. Havard, Timothy D. Ryan

Findings in Sport, Hospitality, Entertainment, and Event Management

The Walt Disney Company aired the Toy Story Football Funday on Sunday, October 1^st, 2023. A live game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons played in London, England aired on ESPN+ while the Toy Story-themed alternate broadcast aired on Disney+. This game followed multiple alternate broadcasts of NFL games by Nickelodeon and an NHL game themed after Big City Greens on the Disney Channel, Disney XD, and Disney+. This analysis paper discusses the use of these alternate broadcasts in an attempt to attract younger viewers and expand consumers for leagues and live sports entertainment. A brief …

Scott, Sue Title Ix Interview, Debbie Touatelli

General Athletics

Sue Scott was the Women’s Athletic Director at American River College. The first part of the recording is the radio interview with Scott by Debbie [Touatelli], the second part is radio commentary on women's volleyball attendance vs. football by Gail Schramm of KUOP.

Digital Journeys: A Narrative Inquiry Into The Experiences Of Third- Grade Through Fifth-Grade General Education Teachers Implementing Instructional Technology In Northern California, Erin Layng

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

The problem studied was the utilization of instructional technology in elementary classrooms, from third-grade through fifth-grade, and how teachers experience the use of technology in teaching methods and student learning. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to understand the experiences of third-grade through fifth-grade teachers regarding the implementation of instructional technology in their classrooms. The study's timing captured teachers' views on technology before, during, and after the 2020-2021 academic year, which was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and distance learning. Qualitative narrative inquiry allowed for a rich exploration of the teachers' experiences, with results of the study …

Socially Engaged Engineering: A Framework For K-8 Education, Christine M. Cunningham, Gregory J. Kelly, Ashwin Mohan

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Socially engaged engineering provides for student learning of the design, analysis, and practices of engineering as well as the ways that engineering is situated in sociocultural contexts. This paper provides a conceptual framework regarding socially engaged engineering for K-8 educators, researchers, and curriculum designers. The framework identifies ways to support youth learning of engineering and considerations of technical, social, environmental, and ethical dimensions of engineering. As engineering enters K-8 educational settings, it is important to introduce the discipline in equity-oriented ways. We draw from the field of engineering for social justice to build this framework for examining engineering at the …

Evaluation Of Operational Performance Of Wusongkou Cruise Port Through Network Data Envelopment Analysis, Qian-Feng Wang, Guo-Ya Gan, Xin-Liang Ye, Hsuan-Shih Lee

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

As major hubs for cruise berthing and passenger transfers, cruise ports in China were developing rapidly in the years before the COVID-19 pandemic because of an ever-growing regional market. Wusongkou Cruise Port is the most important port for cruise ships in China, and this study evaluated the operational performance of this port during 2011–2020. To this end, two-stage network data envelopment analysis was conducted to evaluate the port’s operation performance; subsequently, the change trajectory of the port’s operational efficiency during 2011–2020 was determined, and the potential reasons for the identified changes are discussed. Finally, suggestions for improving the operational performance …

Is Digital Altruism The Same As Offline Altruism?: An Exploration Of Strength-Based Determinants Among Generation Z During Covid-19 Pandemic, Nair Shravya Sunil, Surekha Chukkali

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Digital altruism is a new form of altruism on social media platforms. Social media has been a vital tool for sharing and seeking information for day-to-day situations, enabling people to seek and render help. Engaging in helping behaviour could be purely out of altruism or can be traced back to their professional requirements. Social media platforms have brought out people’s altruistic side on multiple occasions. The present study looked at the altruism levels of Indian Generation-Z social media users and how it is influenced by the users’ strength-based determinants, i.e. empathy, compassion, social justice, optimism, social intelligence, and personality, compared …

An Evaluation Of A Student Allied Health Professions’ Social Prescribing Scheme, Kirstie A. Goodchild, Anya De Iongh

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Social prescribing is a core part of healthcare policy within the NHS and requires support and contributions from all healthcare professionals, including Allied Healthcare Professionals (AHPs). The well-established medical student-led social prescribing student champion scheme (SPSCS) has been expanded to include AHPs, and AHP champions were recruited to deliver peer-led activities focused on social prescribing. This article aimed to evaluate the impact of the scheme's expansion on AHP students. Method: Fourteen AHP champions ran 21 activities that reached 524 students. Those participating in the champion-led activities were asked to complete pre- and post-session surveys to capture the impact of …

Forward Thinking And Adaptability To Sustain And Advance Ipecp In Healthcare Transformation Following The Covid-19 Pandemic, Hossein Khalili, Jyotsna Pandey, Sylvia Langlois, Vikki Park, Ryan Brown, Alla El-Awaisi, Kathleen Macmillan, Shelley Cohen Konrad, Brittany Daulton, Christopher Green, Giray Kolcu, Charlotte Mccartan, Gina Baugh, Andrea Pfeifle, Lisa Wetzlmair, Inci Kolcu, Anthony P. Breitbach

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

The proliferation of the novel SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus across the globe in 2020 produced a shared trauma internationally of unprecedented devastation, disruption, and death. At the same time, the pandemic has been a transformation catalyst accelerating the implementation and adoption of long overdue changes in healthcare education and practice, including telehealth and virtual learning. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed healthcare at a crossroads, either viewing it as a temporary situation that requires short-term solutions, or as a major disruption that presents opportunities for innovation for sustainable development and transformation. As COVID-19 transitions from pandemic to endemic, we have a unique …

A Work Readiness Scale For Allied Health Graduates, Vidya Lawton, Emre Ilhan, Verity Pacey, Taryn M. Jones, Arlene Walker, Catherine M. Dean

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The transition for allied health graduates from university to the workforce has been perceived to be difficult and overwhelming, leading to early attrition within healthcare professions. Work readiness is a crucial aspect of successful transition to the workforce, however, the elements of work readiness are not clearly defined. The purpose of this project was to refine the measurement of work-readiness in allied health graduates. Method: A 62-item Work Readiness Scale for Allied Health Professionals (WRS-AH), based on a work readiness scale for a generic population of graduates, was validated and refined using an exploratory factor analysis. Results …

Stressed Fracture: The Relationship Between Coping Strategies And Workload In Secondary School Athletic Trainers, Andrew Gallucci, Katherine M. Lee, Leslie W. Oglesby, Anna Porter, Leslee Funderburk, Jeff S. Forsse

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The work environment for an athletic trainer (AT) working in a secondary school is typified by heavy workloads and job-related stress. Occupational stress can have negative effects on productivity, absenteeism, employee turnover, and quality of life. Research suggests that personal and situational factors can influence the coping process adopted by an individual. The approach-avoidance framework suggests that people cope with a stressor by either attempting to reduce it or removing oneself from that stressor. Previous research on other healthcare professionals suggested that use of avoidance coping was correlated with higher levels of job stress and those who perceived greater …

The Effectiveness Of Student-Driven Pro Bono Physical Therapy Services On Self-Reported Outcomes Of Community-Dwelling Adults With Musculoskeletal Conditions, Elise Harris, Tamara Hefferon, Peyton Oules, Katherine Sarnacki, Benjamin Galaviz, Jake Robert Gaston

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Student-driven pro bono clinics provide a profound clinical education experience for health professional students while serving members of the community. Currently, there is little research on how the pro-bono clinic impacts the community members involved. The purpose of this study was to examine outcomes following discharge from a pro bono clinic held through an entry-level physical therapy program. Methods: Forty-one volunteer community members, 19 males (M) (46.3%) and 22 females (F) (53.6%), participated in this study. Ages ranged from 20-90 years, with a mean age of 41(17) years. Each community member completed the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale (WBFS), …

Working Hours, Sleep, And Burnout Among Athletic Trainers Employed In College Athletics: A Cross-Sectional Study, Stephanie M. Singe, Catherine G. Mydosh, Alexandrya Cairns, Christianne M. Eason

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Burnout continues to be an important concern for athletic trainers working in the collegiate sport setting. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationships between working hours, sleep, and burnout among athletic trainers providing patient care in the collegiate setting. Methods: A web-based (Qualtrics, Provo, UT) cross-sectional study using a self-reported questionnaire was used to collect demographics and data on working hours, sleep, and burnout. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) was used to determine burnout. Results: The mean age of our participants (n=1006) was 33 ∓ 9 years; 37.6% (n=378) were male, 61.5% (619), and 1.1% …

Perceptions Of Incivility Among Students And Faculty In Entry-Level Health Professional Programs, Kristen Barta, Germaine Ferreira, Manuel A. Domenech

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Online education is growing in popularity but has the potential to result in cyber incivility leading to disruptions in the learning environment. There is little known about the differences in attitudes between students and faculty in the online learning experience regarding cyber civility. The purpose of this study was to analytically measure student and faculty perceptions and attitudes of cyber incivility. Methods: A convenience sample of 180 (34 faculty and 146 students) participants from a health care university were recruited. A 27-item survey was given to record the perceptions of students and faculty on issues of cyber civility. An …

Student Athletic Therapists' Knowledge Of Pain-Relieving Medications: A Nationwide Study, Jackie Vandertuin, Dalya Abdulla, Stephanie Lowther, Joshua Collins

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Misuse of pain-relieving medications (PRMs), including opioids, is high among injured athletes. Athletes are increasingly relying on PRMs and as a result, it is likely that student athletic therapists (SATs) have managed athletes who have misused PRMs and may have potentially missed important symptoms placing athletes in harm. While dispensing PRMs is not within the scope of practice of the SAT, recognition and referral are. Previous research has found that SATs feel ill prepared to recognize PRM misuse and feel tremendous pressure to provide correct health information to the athlete. The purpose of this study was to expand on …

Dehulled Adlay (Coix Lachryma-Jobi L.) Ameliorates Hepatic Gluconeogenesis And Steatosis In Streptozotocin/High-Fat Diet-Induced Diabetic Rats, Shing-Hwa Liu, Wan-Hsin Wu, Huei-Ping Tzeng, Wenchang Chiang, Meng-Tsan Chiang

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Adlay (Coix lachryma-jobi L.) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine with various biological activities. We investigated the anti-diabetic effects of different parts of adlay seeds, including polished adlay (PA), adlay bran (AB) and dehulled adlay (DA) in a streptozotocin (STZ)/high fat diet (HFD) diabetic rat model (DM). DM rats supplemented with or without PA (43%), AB (3%), or DA (46%) diet for 8 weeks. The plasma glucose and insulin levels and the insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) were increased in DM group; among the three adlay diets, DA has the best effects attenuating all of these alterations in DM …

Biological And Clinical Significance Of The Age-Rage Axis In The Aggressiveness And Prognosis Of Prostate Cancer, Shih-Hong Khoo, Pei-Ru Wu, Kun-Tu Yeh, Shih-Lan Hsu, Chi-Hao Wu

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Dietary factors and chronic hyperglycemia are linked to the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and prostate cancer (PCa) risk. The activation of the receptor for AGEs (RAGE) acts as a bridge between various RAGE ligands and certain malignancies. This study showed that the interaction of AGEs and RAGE promoted PCa cell proliferation, invasion, and autophagy-mediated survival in response to chemotherapeutic agents. RAGE-overexpressed PCa cells underwent epithelial-mesenchymal transition and showed increased cancer stem cell-like properties. In mouse xenograft models, RAGE-overexpressed cells showed more substantial tumorigenic capacity than parental cells, whereas RAGE knockdown decreased tumorigenicity. The clinical data validated a …

Recent Advances In Combined Avant-Garde Technologies (Thermal-Thermal, Non-Thermal-Non-Thermal, And Thermal-Non-Thermal Matrix) To Extract Polyphenols From Agro Byproducts, Isaac Duah Boateng

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Because food byproducts (waste) are rich in phytoconstituents, valorizing them is crucial for global food security. However, conventional extraction (CE), including decoction, maceration, Soxhlet, etc., for agro byproducts’ polyphenol extraction are time-consuming and rely significantly on vast volumes of potentially aggressive solvents. Hence, Avant-garde extraction technologies, including non-thermal (high hydrostatic pressure (HHPE), pulsed-electric field (PEF), high voltage electrical discharges (HVED), etc.) and thermal extraction (supercritical fluid (SCF), subcritical water extraction (SWE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), etc.), as well as their thermal combinations (SCF-PLE, SCCO2-SWE, SCCO2-MAE, etc.), non-thermal combinations (HHPE+UAE, PEF+UAE, HVED+UAE, etc.) and combined thermal-non-thermal (MAE-UAE, etc.) are increasingly replacing CE. …

Infektion’S Evolution: Digital Technologies And Narrative Laundering, Darren Linvill, Patrick Warren

Media Forensics Hub Reports

Perhaps Russia’s most notorious disinformation campaign to date was Operation INFEKTION, an activemeasures campaign designed to persuade the world that the United States was responsible for the creation of the AIDS virus (Boghardt, 2009; Selvage & Nehring, 2019). The effort, perhaps more properly referred to by its Russian codename, Operation Denver, began in 1983 with the planting of a fictious letter to the editor in The Patriot, an Indian newspaper created some years earlier by the KGB for the purposes of spreading pro-Soviet propaganda. The letter, entitled “AIDS may Invade India,” was purported to be written by a respected American …

An Analysis Of The Debate And How It Changed Everything: Narratology Vs. Ludology, Robert Veloya

ART 108: Introduction to Games Studies

Video games will rot your brain. Something that people have told us during its inception into the modern world; however, little did they know that the video game industry will one day take its place in the world as one of the best mediums to tell a story and challenge its audience. The video game industry is an ever-growing industry where innovation flows through its veins causing it to grow into a field that is more immersive and compelling. Video games have also evolved into a field of study, a discipline that dives deep into what makes them a unique …

Exploring The Shift In Player Enthusiasm Towards Games, David Daniel

ART 108: Introduction to Games Studies

Video games, providing a constant source of excitement have been an integral part of the lives of many enthusiasts, helping shape childhoods and providing a source of entertainment and social interaction between friends and strangers. From the joy of unboxing the Wii with siblings back in the day, all the way to playing multiplayer battle royales and among us with our friends over the pandemic, the gaming platform has been an ever changing and dynamic experience. However, with time, a noticeable split emerged among peers who once shared the same joy of running home and putting on the headset. Some …

From Pong To Narrative: The Evolution Of Ai In Gaming, Muhammad Assaf

ART 108: Introduction to Games Studies

As video games evolve, the role of artificial intelligence also referred to as AI has been essential. Games have come a long way from being small and having rudimentary logic to being extremely complex and narrative-driven. This research paper will dive into the vast history of AI in gaming, following its path from the simple ball-paddle mechanics of Pong, to the intricate entanglements presented in modern games such as Fortnite, Call of Duty, League of Legends, and more. The interplay between game design and AI development doesn’t just show how far we have come in technological advancement, but rather it …

Type Vs. Turnout: Correlations Between Types Of Higher Education Institutions And Student Voter Turnout, Janea Mccoy

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Voter turnout in the youth demographic has been the subject of increased attention and research in the past several years, with many questions left unanswered. The 18-25 age demographic can play a crucial and impactful role in elections. However, many young adults do not vote. Higher education has often been viewed as a catalyst for civic engagement amongst this age demographic, with correlations between enrollment in higher education and increased rates of voter turnout being evident. Given there is much variation between different kinds of institutions, however, this raises the question: what types of institutions and their respective characteristics correlate …

A Man Ahead Of His Time: Lee Kuan Yew’S Iron First Beneath The Velvet Glove, Yi Chen Zhai

Master's Projects and Capstones

This study examines the role of Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of Singapore, in the country's development from a third-world nation to a first-world economic powerhouse. Lee Kuan Yew was the Prime Minister of Singapore for over three decades and was responsible for implementing policies that transformed Singapore's economy, infrastructure, education, and social systems. This paper analyzes the various policies and strategies, as well as personal values and ideologies, adopted and implemented by Lee Kuan Yew that were instrumental in Singapore's growth. Additionally, the paper discusses the challenges faced by Lee Kuan Yew during his leadership in his public …

Non-Clinical Perspectives On Sepsis: A Project For Enhanced Awareness, Anjali Kumari Singh

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: This project aimed to enhance non-clinical staff knowledge of sepsis through a targeted awareness campaign, while also seeking to uphold or enhance the organization's sepsis-related performance.

Context: Clinical Nurse Leader students conducted a microsystem assessment in five crucial non-clinical departments of an urban Bay Area hospital, each playing a vital role in the organization's efficiency at different levels.

Intervention: During Sepsis Awareness Month, a sepsis awareness campaign was implemented. This involved a concise presentation on sepsis, its consequences, and the significance of awareness in each department. Additionally, informational fliers detailing sepsis signs and symptoms were distributed.

Measures: A pre-and …

Improving Triage Accuracy In The Emergency Department, Joselyn Silverman

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: High rates of patients being mis-triaged was occurring at Hospital X leading to poor patient outcomes and incorrect staffing levels.

Context: This quality improvement project took place at Hospital X’s emergency department. A stakeholder analysis and a microsystem assessment along with a staff survey was created in order to determine areas of improvement and staff responsiveness.

Interventions: Eight educational seminars were conducted along with Hospital X leadership and students created supplemental materials for the staff to use on a daily basis.

Measures: Two data pulls were conducted over the course of the quality improvement project; one prior to the …