Digital Commons Network^™

Enhancing Family Centered Care, Participation, And Well-Being In The Nicu, Abigail Schweickhardt

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Background

Caregiver mental health is often overlooked or not addressed in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). When diving into the literature, themes of anxiety, stress, depression and PTSD are reported from NICU caregivers. A metanalysis study reported many caregivers received short discharge notices, and NICU staff deemed caregivers competent in using their child’s medical equipment after a 15-minute brief. The short notices and lack of knowledge in medical equipment causes caregivers to not feel confident in taking care of their infant (Padratzik, 2022). To help improve caregiver mental health, the family centered care model is the gold standard. Caregivers …

Holding Hope: Empowering Parents Through Perinatal And Nicu Palliative Care, Huntington N. Cotten

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Families receiving perinatal and neonatal Palliative Care (PC) services can experience significant emotional and practical challenges while caring for a child with medical complexities. The Care Companion, a family centered, educational resource, was created in response to survey findings indicating that rehabilitation therapists (OT, PT, and SLP) encountered challenges in providing PC services, followed by site‑specific insights that highlighted additional gaps in family support, education, and parent–infant bonding. This Occupational Therapy (OT) Capstone project was completed within a large academic pediatric medical center providing interdisciplinary PC services to families whose infants have been diagnosed with serious, life‑limiting conditions. The purpose …

Two Unh Students Earn Goldwater Scholarships, Brooks Payette

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Building An Inclusive Workforce: Closing Equity Gaps In Community Colleges And Vocational Schools With Elliott’S Embodied Inclusion 360 Framework, Niki Elliott Ph.D.

Inclusion in Postsecondary Education

Community colleges and vocational schools serve as critical access points to higher education and upward mobility, yet historically marginalized neurodiverse students—particularly men of color—continue to face inequitable outcomes in retention, completion, and career readiness. Despite rising enrollment in career and technical education programs and increasing workforce demand, institutional practices often rely on fragmented supports that overlook the interplay of physiology, environment, culture, trauma, and instructional design. Closing these equity gaps requires a holistic, embodied approach informed by neuroscience, trauma studies, and culturally responsive pedagogy. Elliott’s Embodied Inclusion 360 (EI 360) Framework offers such a model, integrating five interdependent domains—physiological, relational, …

Forecasting Future Precipitation In Basrah City, Iraq Using The Statistical Downscaling Model (Sdsm), Ahmed Sagban Khudier

Warith Scientific Journal of Engineering and Technology

Accurate rainfall predicting has become for securing managing water resources, chiefly in light of escalating climate crises. Basrah is among the Iraqi cities most vulnerable to these changes, as climate fluctuations are clearly impacting water availability and hydrological sustainability indicators in the region. The results of this study, through using the Statistical Downscaling Model (SDSM), indicate that the future precipitation was predicted for Basrah Governorate/Iraq up to 2085. Future precipitation projections were developed under group of Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios which RCP (2.6, 4.5, and 8.5). The CanESM2 global climate model was used to generate large-scale atmospheric predictors for …

Bridging The Unemployment Gap For Individuals With Developmental Disabilities: An Educational Program, Desiree Polite, Cynthia Haynes

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Improving work readiness skills for individuals with developmental disabilities to increase work/volunteer opportunities.

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Adaptive Sports: Implementation Of A Young Athletes Program In St. Johns County, Gabriellea Elizabeth Zito Fernandez, Cynthia Haynes

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

This doctoral capstone project examined the feasibility and acceptability of implementing the Special Olympics Young Athletes Program (YAP) within St. Johns County, Florida, an area with limited early childhood adaptive sports opportunities. Grounded in Social Cognitive Theory and the occupation-centered program development model, the project aimed to support participation in inclusive recreation for children ages 2–7 with and without disabilities.

A comprehensive needs assessment, community resource mapping, and collaboration with Brooks Rehabilitation Adaptive Sports & Recreation informed program planning and implementation. A five-week YAP pilot program was conducted, focusing on foundational motor skill development through structured, play-based activities centered on …

Addressing Social Isolation, Role Loss, And Participation Challenges In Older Adults Post-Stroke: An Education Program, Djenane Fevrier, Zeida Gutierrez

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of the project was to develop four educational workshop to equip occupational therapists with resources to identify barriers to social participation such as social isolation, role loss, and participation challenges from the patient’s perspective in older adults. This capstone addresses a gap in current post-stroke care, where rehabilitation often prioritizes physical recovery while providing limited structured and evidence-based strategies to support social participation and role restoration. In response, four educational workshops were develop for occupational therapists highlighting findings from the needs assessments, review of six assessment tools, and building a screening tool to improved engagement in meaningful roles …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In The Health Management Of Cancer Survivors, Morgan Mcguffee, Cassandra Nelson

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Cancer survivorship often results in ongoing physical, cognitive, and psychosocial challenges that disrupt daily routines, roles, and participation in meaningful activities. Despite these needs, occupational therapy remains underutilized in survivorship care. This capstone project, completed at the Cancer Support Community North Texas, developed and implemented a 6-week occupation-based wellness program to support re-engagement in daily life, promote health management, and enhance overall quality of life

Examining The Correlation Between Emotional Well-Being, Leisure Engagement, And Leisure Preferences In Geriatric Long-Term Care, Katherine G. Stahl, Keisa Boykin, Sharon Glover

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project explores the relationship between emotional well-being, leisure participation, and activity preferences among older adults in an assisted living facility using a mixed-methods approach. Findings showed that participation frequency alone was not strongly associated with emotional well-being, as residents with varying levels of attendance reported similar well-being scores. Instead, factors such as personal interest, physical limitations, scheduling conflicts, and environmental preferences played a larger role in engagement. Residents preferred socially interactive and physically active activities, such as fitness classes and performances, and identified gaps in current programming where preferred activities were not consistently offered. Overall, the study highlights …

Interview No. 1837, Guadalupe Luna

Combined Interviews

Guadalupe Luna shares about growing up in the Guardian Angel area of South El Paso.

This area has always been a close-knit community, based on family, religion, and culture. Luna went to the Guardian Angel Catholic School from pre-K to 8th grade and participated in many of the Catholic traditions and customs that were part of this community. Luna talked about many of the stores and businesses that were part of her everyday life and helped to develop a sense of community among neighbours through Nava’s grocery store, attending church bazaars, and enjoying dining at the many restaurants and recreational …

Emotional Intelligence Training In Physician Assistant Education: Comparing Workshops Alone To Workshops Plus Coaching, Mickey Lebowitz, William Holmes

Innovations in Health Sciences Education Journal

Introduction

Clinicians and health care students with higher emotional intelligence (EQ) are more likely to experience positive outcomes for themselves and their patients. Given these benefits and EQ’s learnability, teaching EQ to health care students has been suggested. Therefore, we aimed to assess the impact of workshops combined with coaching (W+C) relative to workshops only (WO) on PA students’ EQ, and, as an outcome measure, their feelings of success. Additionally, we investigated whether these impacts depend on students’ baseline EQ.

Method

Using the Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence Inventory, we retrospectively tracked first- and second-year changes in EQ and success scores …

Cripping The Border – Acompañamiento As Access: An Ethnographic Case Study Of Transborder Youth With Disabilities, Marco O. Amaral

Dissertations

The U.S.-Mexico border is a historical, geopolitical site of intense militarization where colonial logics of "othering" converge to marginalize disabled transborder youth. While transborder studies have expanded, students with disabilities remain relegated to the "void" and contained by educational systems that prioritize surveillance over access. Grounded in Sepúlveda’s (2011) acompañamiento and Transborder DisCrit, this ethnographic case study examines the lived experiences of both students and their families who cross the border daily to attend school in the U.S. It frames these journeys not as mere commutes, but as acts of defiance within the broader disability rights movement.

As a teacher-activist, …

The Effect Of Vestibular System Stimulation On Emotional Regulation In Children With Disabilities, Mickayla N. Coyle

Student Capstone Papers

This capstone project is a mixed-methods research study that aimed to identify the impact of vestibular system stimulation on emotional regulation in children with disabilities. Throughout this research study, swing use was used as vestibular stimulation to identify its effectiveness in improving emotional regulation in children with disabilities. The study was conducted over the course of six weeks in a school-based setting.  The results of this research study are indicative that using a swing as a vestibular input is an effective intervention to manage emotional regulation in children with disabilities. Utilization of linear swinging at the beginning of occupational therapy …

Occupational Therapy In Action: Enhancing Diabetes Awareness And Support In Rural Schools, Sierra Cook

Student Capstone Papers

The rising prevalence of type 2 diabetes among adolescents highlights the need for early prevention-focused interventions. This capstone project developed and implemented an occupation-based educational program for middle school students targeting body awareness, nutrition, movement, and stress management. The program consisted of five interactive workshops addressing energy awareness, meal planning, social and environmental influences on health, movement-based regulation strategies, and coping skills. Hands-on activities, including energy check-ins, meal logs, movement stations, and coping toolbox development, were used to promote engagement and support the development of healthy routines.

Advice For Incorporating Ai Tools Into Your Legal Practice, Celia Bigoness, Robert A. Mackenzie, David J. Reiss

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

We have been speaking with many lawyers and law students about using generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools in their legal practice. We are struck by the fact that many of them have not been experimenting much, if at all, with the tools that are available to them - although many acknowledge that their clients are increasingly integrating generative AI into their businesses. We have been integrating a lot of these tools into our own professional lives, and here are some tips to help lawyers and law students get comfortable with AI tools that can help them, in big ways and …

Assessing Walleye Recruitment Via Otc Marks And Temporal Sampling Changes In Smallmouth Bass Population Structure In Lake Mcconaughy, Nebraska, Robert D. Allison Iv

Biology Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

Lake McConaughy is a socially and economically important reservoir managed to provide diverse, high-quality angling opportunities. Walleye are the most frequently targeted species, although Smallmouth Bass have increased in popularity in recent years due to improvements in abundance and size structure. Walleye have been stocked annually since 1989 to support the population and have been the focus of extensive research. In contrast, Smallmouth Bass have been present for over 80 years and are self-sustaining; however, their population has not been formally evaluated since introduction.

The first objective of this study was to develop an oxytetracycline (OTC) mark retention correction factor …

Ckd-Associated Osteoporosis: A Comprehensive Clinical Update, Suthiya Anumas, Midori Sakashita, Waroot Pholsawatchai

Asian Medical Journal and Alternative Medicine

Objective: To provide an updated overview of the pathophysiology, diagnostic strategies, and treatment options for chronic kidney disease (CKD)-associated osteoporosis.

Methods: A narrative review of recent literature and guideline recommendations, including KDIGO 2017 and 2025, with emphasis on bone health assessment and pharmacologic interventions in CKD.

Results: CKD impairs bone quantity and quality through mechanisms involving uremic toxins, hormonal imbalances, metabolic acidosis, medications, and secondary hyperparathyroidism. While dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) remains the standard for assessing bone mineral density, additional insights are provided by bone turnover markers, high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT), and bone biopsy. Both antiresorptive and anabolic …

Larry Shemen V. Cincinnati Insurance Co

2026 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

Machine Learning Based Models For Simulation And Analysis Of Bulk Earth Melt System, Abin Shakya

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Understanding the segregation of bulk Earth melt systems into metallic (core) and silicate (mantle) phases under high-pressure and high-temperature conditions is central to modeling Earth’s interior, yet relevant experimental and computational studies remain limited. This work develops a machine learning–based simulation pipeline that iteratively couples first-principles (quantum mechanical) calculations with neural network training to generate high-fidelity force fields. Using major-element Fe–Mg–Si–O melt systems, with and without H and N, as testbeds, we demonstrate that this framework enables large-scale molecular dynamics simulations at near first-principles accuracy. We further introduce a sequence of phase identification methods, progressing from statistical binning of elemental …

Current Status Of Msk Diagnostic Ultrasound Education In Doctorate Of Physical Therapy Programs In The United States: A Survey, Lesley Parrish Dr., Heather E. Mount, Casey Charlebois

Innovations in Health Sciences Education Journal

Musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSK-US) is a dynamic, cost-effective imaging modality increasingly integrated into Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) curricula. Despite growing interest, variability exists in the integration and implementation of MSK-US in entry-level DPT programs. This study aimed to assess the current status of MSK-US education in accredited DPT programs across the United States. A cross-sectional survey was distributed to all 294 accredited DPT programs in the U.S. via email. The survey consisted of 32 questions that addressed curriculum content, instructional methods, faculty qualifications, and barriers to implementation. Participation was voluntary, and 44 programs responded. No experimental interventions were applied. The …

A Tv-Bm3d Iterative Algorithm For Vmat-Ct Reconstruction

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Volumetric modulated arc therapy-computed tomography (VMAT-CT), which is the CT reconstructed using the portal images collected during VMAT, can potentially be an effective onsite imaging tool. The goal of this study was to propose an iterative reconstruction algorithm that can further improve the image quality of VMAT-CT and reduce the number of failed reconstructions. An iterative algorithm combining total variation (TV) with block-matching and 3D filtering (BM3D) was proposed, addressing the L1-L2 regularization problem using the split Bregman method. We collected portal images from 67 VMAT cases including 50 phantom and 17 real-patient cases. Both Feldkamp-Davis-Kress (FDK) and TV-BM3D iterative …

Career Adaptability Of Prospective Teachers With Disabilities In Indonesia: A Phenomenological Study, Rr Dwi Umi Badriyah, Erfan Ramadhani, Ramtia Darma Putri, Syska Purnama Sari, Amândio De Araújo Sarmento, Kadek Suhardita

Jurnal Kajian Bimbingan dan Konseling

Pre-service teachers with disabilities face career transitions shaped by personal aspirations, accessibility barriers, stigma, and limited role models. In Indonesia, little is known about how they build career readiness for teaching within inclusive unequal educational contexts. This study explores the career adaptability of pre-service teachers with disabilities in Indonesia. Grounded in Career Construction Theory, it examines concern, control, curiosity, and confidence, while extending the framework by considering resilience and flexibility as relevant dimensions. A qualitative phenomenological design was used. Twenty-five students with disabilities enrolled in Primary School Teacher Education and Special Education programs at an Indonesian university participated in semi-structured …

Exploring Sequential Technical Practices Towards Skill Development And Musical Expression In Violin Performance And String Pedagogy Methods, Erin Kim

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation proposes the Erin Kim System, a pedagogical framework designed to support sequential technical development and musical expression in beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels of violin performance. This system examines how structured technical progression, guided repertoire sequencing, and a nurturing learning environment with the teacher and parents can foster skill acquisition and long-term musical engagement among violin students. Musical enjoyment and inspiration serve as primary motivators for learning, particularly when students are encouraged to work toward performing aspirational repertoire such as the Sibelius Violin Concerto. By organizing repertoire and supplemental exercises in a clear step-by-step process, this system enables …

Modelling The Temporal Dynamics Of Microsporidia Mb Prevalence In Anopheles Mosquitoes Under Environmental Variability, Charlène N. Mfangnia, Matteo Pedercini, Henri E. Tonnang, Jeremy K. Herren

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Releasing Microsporidia MB-positive mosquitoes is being investigated as a promising component of Integrated Vector Management (IVM) strategies for malaria control. In this study, we developed a System Dynamics model to replicate the observed interactions between humans, mosquitoes, the Plasmodium parasite, and the symbiont MB. The model accounts for the impact of environmental variables - such as humidity, rainfall, and temperature - on mosquitoes, Plasmodium, and MB, using exogenous inputs derived from daily climatic observations (rainfall, relative humidity, and temperature) recorded during the mosquito field surveys. We calibrate the model using data collected from Ahero in Kenya, available for 3 years …

"Deep In The Trenches": A Multi-Perspective Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Of Student Mothers Navigating The Hidden Realities Of Postpartum Anxiety, Rhonda Harris

Theses and Dissertations

Despite availability of effective treatments women with postpartum anxiety (PPA) commonly go untreated because of barriers to care. Student mothers are a particularly vulnerable subgroup of women as they tend to be younger, are less likely to be married, and have lower incomes than non-student mothers. As anxiety rates in college women are higher than the general population and higher than college men, student mothers are at high risk of the adverse effects of untreated PPA. There is a paucity of existing literature about student mothers and mental health. The aim of the current study is to understand the help-seeking …

Two-Dimensional Inverse Scattering Solution Using Nurbs Expansion And A Deep Learning Method, Meisam Shafaee

Turkish Journal of Physics

This paper presents a novel framework for solving two-dimensional (2D) inverse scattering problems by integrating nonuniform rational B-spline (NURBS) parameterization with convolutional neural networks (CNNs). Tra ditional pixel/voxel-based deep learning methods often suffer from high dimensionality and discretization artifacts, while purely geometric approaches lack robust inversion mechanisms. To address these limitations, we propose a hybrid frame work where the relative permittivity profile of an unknown scatterer is compactly represented as a NURBS surface, parameterized by a sparse set of control points and weights. This approach reduces the problem dimensionality over 16 times. On the other hand, using NURBS expansion ensures …

Ai's Double Edged Sword: Fighting Against Synthetic Csam, Shekhinah Adra Green

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

The rapid advancements in generative artificial intelligence has introduced new challenges in the production and distribution of synthetic child sexual abuse material (CSAM). AI has the capabilities of creating highly realistic imagery and videos, which  raises serious legal and ethical concerns, increasing the risk of harm, exploitation, and revictimization.

This paper discusses the legal improvements needed in order to lower the change of legal loopholes, how digital forensic analyst use advanced tools to identify and investigate synthetic material, and different methods to start the reduction of synthetic CSAM.

The Mosaic, Georgia Southern University

George-Anne Media Group: Newsletters & Magazines

No abstract provided.

Escaping Isolation: An Analysis Of Virtual Machine And Container Breakout Vulnerabilities, Felix Iov

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

Cloud computing providers rely on multi-tenant architectures to maximize resource efficiency. This infrastructure depends on virtualization, which provides isolation between clients. This comes primarily in the form of Virtual Machines (VMs) and Containers. However, “breakout attacks” or “escapes” are a critical threat where attackers bypass these isolation layers to gain unauthorized access to the host system and neighboring environments. This paper surveys virtualization escape threats and analyzes three case studies: a runc container escape (Leaky Vessels), a VMware ESXi VM escape (VSOCKPuppet), and an NVIDIA GPU container escape (NVIDIAScape). Each demonstrates different attack surfaces, including file descriptor misuse, kernel driver …