Digital Commons Network^™

Disruptions In Your Light-Dark Cycle May Be Leaving You In The Dark, Ava Barjenbruch

BUHealth

Shift work, made up of a rotation through morning, daytime, evening, and overnight shifts, becomes dangerous not only for the individual, but also for those under care of these occupations. Many essential and often life-saving jobs require 24-hour staffing. However, the rotating shifts needed to provide 24-hour coverage are shown to have negative effects on the employee’s cognitive function. Due to the irregularities in the sleep-wake cycle of a shift worker, the cyclical functions that occur during sleep like memory consolidation, motor cortex synchronization, and neuronal remodeling, are also impaired. These functions play key roles in maintaining the domains of …

Evaluation Of A Smoking Cessation Program In Primary Care, Yolanda Duncan-Watt

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem: The adult tobacco smoking rate exceeds 12.5%. The problem is the insufficient attention given to smoking cessation education in low socioeconomic status(SES) communities. There is a lack of access to and awareness of smoking cessation programs for low-income populations.

Methods: This quality improvement (QI) study will use a descriptive, observational approach. A retrospective medical record review will be conducted to determine the rate of individuals who got the smoking cessation intervention and the rate of those who successfully quit one month after the intervention. Data was collected throughout the spring of 2024, during primary care visits and phone …

Implementation Of Skin-To-Skin Immediately Post C-Section: A Pilot Study, Miah Vernor

Dissertations

Skin-to-skin contact during the golden hour is a practice that has numerous health benefits following the delivery of a newborn. These benefits include a healthy transition to extrauterine state, initiation of breastfeeding, thermoregulation, and more. However, the mode of delivery affects how often this practice is done. Parents who deliver vaginally are routinely offered the opportunity to perform skin-to-skin immediately after delivery whereas birth parents who deliver by cesarean section are not always offered this same benefit due to various reasons. A quality improvement project was conducted on an 18-bed labor and delivery unit at a Midwest hospital. This project …

Implementation Of Skin-To-Skin Contact Immediately Post Cesarean Birth: A Quality Improvement Project, Sophia Cooke

Dissertations

Problem: Skin-to-skin contact implemented within the first hour of a newborn’s life improves health outcomes for both mother and infant. One of these health outcomes includes exclusive breastfeeding. The purpose of this quality improve project was to implement an infant securement device within the operating room after cesarean section births to decrease the time to initiate skin-to-skin contact and increase exclusive breastmilk feeding rates at discharge.

Methods: This study utilized a descriptive, observational design and was guided by the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework. A pre-test, post-test design was utilized to compared retrospective and prospective data. The retrospective data was collected to assess …

Implementation Of The Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Screening Tool For Postpartum Depression In A Midwest Primary Care Clinic, Makenzie Garrison

Dissertations

Problem: Postpartum depression is a prevalent health concern in postpartum women. Screening practices to identify postpartum depression are inconsistent. The purpose of this quality initiative is to determine if the implementation of the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Screening Tool (EPDS) to screen for postpartum depression in the primary care setting increases the detection of postpartum depression in postpartum women from delivery to one year postpartum.

Methods: This quality improvement project utilizes a descriptive, observational design. A retrospective medical record review was utilized as well as a 12-week data collection period. Retrospective medical record reviews were conducted to assess the rate of …

Implementation Of Quantitative Blood Loss Following Cesarean Section Birth, Layna Victoria Schultz

Dissertations

Problems: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a significant problem due to potential harm and is a main contributor to maternal morbidity (ACOG, 2019). According to ACOG, of maternal deaths in the United States, 11% are caused by PPH and 54-93% of the deaths related to PPH could be prevented (ACOG, 2019). When institutions adopt quantitative blood loss (QBL) protocols for improved accuracy in blood measurement, PPH can be identified sooner, allowing for earlier intervention. Inaccurate estimation of obstetric blood loss by health care providers is a primary cause of delayed staff response to PPH (ACOG, 2019).

Methods: This quality improvement (QI) …

The History Of Diapers And Their Environmental Impact, Cansu Tokat, Nicholas C. Rickman, Cynthia F. Bearer

Faculty Scholarship

Impact: This article examines diaper practices around the world throughout history. This article reviews the innovation of the modern diaper and the environmental effects of disposable diapers.

Symptom Burden, Identity Balance, And Emotional Distress In Cancer Survivors, Lynne Bentley

Dissertations

Emotional distress suffuses the experience of cancer survivors and is associated with adverse outcomes. Emotional distress is a response to a circumstance, which threatens the stability of identity. Of the antecedents to emotional distress in cancer patients, symptom burden accounts for the greatest amount of variance. Qualitative studies in populations of cancer survivors have shown that identity affects the experience of emotional distress related to symptom burden. The purpose of this dissertation research was to measure the relationships among symptom burden, identity balance, and emotional distress by testing whether identity balance mediates the relationship between symptom burden and emotional distress …

“If I Knew What Was Going On With Me, Then I Probably Wouldn’T Feel So Sad Or Scared”: A Cbpr Study Addressing Health Disparities For Black Pregnant Women, Heather Howard, Erica Cadavid, Herlie Bertrand, Kerry-Ann Dixon, Dawn Hawthorne, Sarvika Bommakanti,, Angel Montfort

Journal of Family Strengths

Maternal mortality rates for women identifying as Black are significantly higher than rates for women identifying as Hispanic or White women. The purpose of this community-based participatory research (CBPR) study was to enhance racial equity for Black women who are pregnant. We recruited 20 Black mothers in three Florida counties as co-researchers. These mothers had delivered a live infant within the 12 months prior to the study. Two major themes emerged: environment and health literacy. Theme one entailed three subthemes: lack of options, racial disparities, and feeling dismissed. One subtheme emerged from the second theme: asking for help and communicating …

Experimentally Verified Effective Doping Model For Lactate And Troponin Ofet Biosensors Using Machine Learning Algorithm, Sameh O. Abdellatif, Hana Masalam, Salma Ahmed

Electrical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Experimental Validation Of An Analytical Transient Model For Saturated Boosting Gain In Dc–Dc Converters With Variable Duty Cycle, Goliana Samir, Simon Ezzat, Wagdy Anis, Sameh O. Abdellatif

Electrical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Low-Power Dc-Dc Converters For Smart And Environmentally-Friendly Electric Vehicles: Design, Simulation, And Fabrication On A Glass Substrate, Michelle Makar, Sameh O. Abdellatif

Electrical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Dynamic Social Ecologies Of Students' Motivational Resilience: The Complex Relationship Between Family, Teacher, And Peer Support, And Students' Academic Coping And Reengagement, Kristen Elizabeth Raine

Dissertations and Theses

Drawing upon self-determination theory (SDT) based models of motivational resilience, the following dissertation contains three studies that expand upon the current literature by investigating how processes of motivational resilience, or children's general capacity to handle the everyday academic stressors they encounter at school, are connected to the complex social ecologies created by the intersecting contexts of school and home. Study 1 examined whether family motivational support predicted increases in student reengagement through its effect on subsequent levels of students' self-system processes of relatedness, competence, and autonomy in a sample of 590 early adolescents from an urban middle school in the …

Research Review: "A Novel Mind-Body Podcast Program For Military And Veteran Caregivers", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This research review discusses how mind-body interventions can alleviate stress and enhance health for caregivers, but they are not widely accessible in many communities. To overcome this limitation, a study converted an 8-week mind-body program into a 28-day daily podcast series featuring education on stress response, relaxation techniques, and self-compassion exercises. The program was tested with 55 military caregivers, all cisgender women averaging 42.3 years old, and evaluations at the start, halfway through, and at the end of the program revealed notable reductions in stress, depression, and physical issues, along with improved social role performance, indicating that a daily mind-body …

Usa V. Robert Haggerty

2024 Decisions

USDC for the Western District of Pennsylvania

The Effectiveness Of Technology And Smart-Home Based Teaching Modules For Direct Care Workers, Emily Demers, Andrea Mesbergen, Elise Kuiper, Jenna Prohaska, Lauren Czajka

Masters Projects

Little research has investigated the benefits of implementing technological devices in at-home environments for those with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD). Assistive technology has the capability to increase resident’s self-determination, communication, and overall independence in completing everyday tasks. This study explored the effects of training/education on the ongoing use of technology within the living space of those with IDD. The methodology for this study included a 2-part series of modules to teach direct care workers how to use and support their residents in using Amazon Alexa Show devices, Amazon Alexa Dot Devices, smart lights, and smart doorbells. The series included …

Re: Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Final Unreclaimed Sites Field Sampling Plan (Fsp) Package #10: Ur-44, Ur-45, Ur-46, Ur-47, And Ur-48, Mike Mcanulty

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Re: Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Final Unreclaimed Sites Field Sampling Plan (Fsp) Package #11: Ur-49 And Ur-50, Mike Mcanulty

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Residential Metals Abatement Program Construction Completion Report (Non- Residential Parcels – Indoor Dust) Kennedy Elementary, Christopher Berg, Thomas J. Beckman

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

America Is Unprepared To Meet The Needs Of Its Growing Older Adult Population, Sierra Kaplan

Population Health Research Brief Series

In 2030, nearly 73 million Americans will be aged 65 years or older. As Americans continue to have fewer children than in the past, the number of older adults will outnumber children. Thus, fewer young adults will be around to support and care for the older adult population. Coupled with COVID-19 pandemic-driven disruptions to the healthcare industry, America’s health and aging care system is unprepared to support its large and growing older adult population. Over time, we will see increased health care scarcity and inequality in the distribution of elder care services, especially with continued healthcare worker shortages and drastic …

The Planning Strategy For Electric Vehicle Charging Stations In The Road Transportation Network Synchronized With The Distribution Network, Muthukannan S

Theses and Dissertations

Electric vehicles (EVs) are recognized as a potentially effective solution to the environmental crisis and fuel deficit that modern metropolises are currently experiencing. Meanwhile, the expansion of EVs and their haphazard charging would negatively affect the road transportation network (RTN) as well as the electric distribution network (EDN). The proper infrastructure for the electric vehicle charging station (EVCS) will enhance the effective utilization of energy of both the networks.

This research work proposes a two-phase planning strategy for deploying Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS), considering both static and dynamic factors. The strategy uses a hybrid PSO-DS algorithm which is a …

Systems And Methods For Cultivating Algae, Daniel H. Yeh, Ivy Lea Cormier Drexler, Melanie Pickett, David Fulcher

USF Patents

In one embodiment, an algae cultivation system includes a basin that contains a liquid and a photobioreactor at least partially immersed in the liquid of the basin, the photobioreactor comprising a closed container including multiple panels that together define an interior space in which algae can be cultivated, at least one of the panels being transparent, the photobioreactor further comprising an inflatable float associated with the container that can be filled with a gas to change one or both of the position and orientation of the container within the liquid.

System And Method For Perishable Product Monitoring Along A Supply Chain, Ismail Uysal, Frederick Louis Wu

USF Patents

A system and method for assessing a supply chain for a perishable product. In various embodiments, the present invention provides a quality code for a perishable product which encodes a cut-to-cool time, transportation quality and accumulated shelf-life loss into a compact, modular, and simple to read format. The system and method also provide feedback to address any differences between the quality code and one or more observed qualities of the perishable product at a destination.

Why We Need A Long View Of Abolition To End The School-To-Prison Pipeline, Karen Sotiropoulos

History Faculty Publications

Drawing on experiential, literary and historical narratives, this article connects the long history shaping the school-to-prison-pipeline to the contemporary experiences of Black youth in today’s educational system. It maps abolitionism from its origins as a movement to end slavery through the ongoing Black freedom struggles that have challenged state and vigilante violence throughout the eras of Jim Crow and Civil Rights to today’s efforts to dismantle the prison state. By situating the criminalization of African American education from our nation’s founding until the present with particular focus on the post Brown years, the article stresses how policies that funded policing …

Assessing The Relative Sustainability Of Point-Of-Use Water Disinfection Technologies For Off-Grid Communities, Bright C. Elijah, Ali Ahmad, Yalin Li, Jaime Plazas-Tuttle, Lewis Stetson Rowles

Civil Engineering & Construction: Faculty Publications

Point-of-use (POU) water disinfection technologies can be adopted to provide access to safe drinking water by treating water at the household level; however, navigating various POU disinfection technologies can be difficult. While numerous conventional POU devices exist, emerging technologies using novel materials or advanced processes have been under development and claim to be of lower cost with higher treatment capacity. However, it is unclear if these claims are substantiated and how novel technologies compare to conventional ones in terms of cost and environmental impacts when providing the same service (i.e., achieving a necessary level of disinfection for safe drinking water). …

Angler Knowledge Of Live Bait Regulations And Invasive Species: Insights For Invasive Species Prevention, Alexis L. Gerber, Hannah Mulligan, Mark A. Kaemingk, Alison A. Coulter

Biology Faculty Publications

The prevention of aquatic invasive species is one of the most cost-effective management strategies for reducing negative ecological, economic, and social impacts to freshwater ecosystems. The release of leftover baitfish via the live bait trade has been identified as a high-risk pathway for introducing invasive species beyond physical barriers (e.g., mountains, dams). To assess differences in behavior surrounding live bait use and angler knowledge of invasive species, we conducted in-person angler surveys at waterbody access sites (i.e. boat ramps with available shore fishing and a shore fishing location with no boat ramp) along the Missouri River, above and below Gavins …

Atrocity Prevention In The Digital Era: Adapting Norms, Laws, And Code To Changes In The Ways Atrocities Are Committed, David J. Simon, Samhitha Josyula, Joshua Lam, Julian D. Melendi

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

Emerging digital technologies have changed some of the ways that genocides are planned and executed. This paper examines those differences, calling attention to how changes in the execution of genocide should prompt a shift in the approaches to atrocity prevention. It develops a conceptual framework addressing how atrocity prevention efforts might adapt to new technology within three realms of potential prevention efforts: the ethical (norms), the legal (laws), and the digital (code).

Security Or Vulnerability? The Optics Of Data In The Humanitarian Sphere, Nicole M. Bennett, Hamid Ekbia

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

Governments, humanitarian agencies, and non-government organizations increasingly resort to data-driven techniques to meet the challenges they face in dealing with growing mobile populations such as refugees. Such techniques originate in bureaucratic administrations of the 19th century and, even earlier, in slave trade and plantation accounting methods. They were then perfected in logistics and global supply chain management of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, especially with the advent of information technology. We examine the application of these techniques in humanitarian cases, seeking to contextualize them within the framework of logistic security. To understand the drivers of this trend, we introduce the …

Agenda De Investigación Para El Manejo Sustentable Del Manglar En Tamaulipas, México [Research Agenda For The Sustainable Management Of Mangroves In Tamaulipas, Mexico], Carlos Zamora-Tovar, Alejandro Fierro-Cabo, Glenda Nelly Requena-Lara

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Se presenta un análisis de la información ecológica disponible sobre los manglares de Tamaulipas, México. El objetivo fue establecer una línea base de conocimiento que defina el estado del arte a partir de la información publicada; actualizar la estructura forestal con datos propios observados en el año 2018; y determinar una agenda de investigación prioritaria para el manejo sostenible del ecosistema de man-glar, ecosistema de vital importancia por la gran variedad de recursos y servicios ambientales que aporta a la sociedad. La investigación bibliográfica recopiló 32 trabajos relevantes: 16 publicaciones formales, siete ediciones institucionales y nueve consideradas literaturas gris; recopilación …

Characterizing And Manipulating Intra-Die Performance Variation Of Fpgas And Its Application In Security, Hayden C. Cook

Theses and Dissertations

Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are reconfigurable, high-performing devices that are often used in critical applications. However, like all semiconductors, FPGAs experience transistor aging that can lower performance and lead to device failures. Additionally, device aging also has several security implications. Therefore, understanding the aging mechanisms behind transistor aging is necessary to ensure the reliability of FPGAs. However, current aging studies either rely on simulation alone or are unable to isolate aging effects on specific elements within the FPGA. This dissertation uses the reconfigurability of FPGAs to develop novel aging techniques that allow for the targeted aging of specific areas …