Digital Commons Network^™

Social Isolation And Firearm Secure Storage In The Usa: Results From The 2022 Brfss, Alexander Testa, Daniel Semenza, Dylan B Jackson, Karyn Fu, Sandra Mckay, Kyle T Ganson, Jason M Nagata, Jack Tsai

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Firearm secure storage (ie, storing firearms unloaded and locked) is recommended to reduce unintentional injuries and suicides. However, the relationship between psychological states, such as social isolation, and firearm secure storage practices is under-researched.

Methods: Data are from 7136 individuals with firearms in their households from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Multinomial logistic regression was used to explore the relationship between social isolation and firearm storage.

Results: Among respondents, 71.6% reported storing firearms unloaded, 14.2% stored firearms loaded and locked and 14.2% stored firearms loaded and unlocked. Most respondents reported feeling 'never' (40.7%) or 'rarely' (33.3%) socially …

The Importance Of Sports Physical Leading To The Diagnosis Of Loeys–Dietz Syndrome, Fnu Varnika, Anastasia Dihel, Michael Bereisha, Nergess Taheri

Cooper Rowan Medical Journal

Abstract

The pre-participation school or sports physical, introduced in the mid-20th century, remains a cornerstone of adolescent health screening, primarily aimed at ensuring athletic safety. While most evaluations reveal benign conditions, these encounters occasionally uncover critical yet asymptomatic disorders. This report highlights the incidental discovery of Loeys–Dietz syndrome (LDS) type 4 in a 17-year-old male during a routine sports physical, underscoring the clinical value of thorough cardiovascular assessment and recognition of subtle phenotypic cues in preventive settings.

Significance: Loeys–Dietz syndrome is a rare, autosomal dominant connective tissue disorder affecting fewer than 1 in 100,000 individuals, often misdiagnosed as Marfan syndrome …

Experiences Of Child Life Specialists Who Identify As Queer, Tori Hinton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Previous research shows that queer professionals experience underrepresentation, discrimination, harassment in the workplace (Kinitz et al., 2024; Ellsworth et al., 2020; Schatz & O’Hanlan, 1994; Eliason et al., 2011a; Katz-Wise et al., 2021). Across healthcare and psychosocial professions, queer professionals report discrimination, identity concealment, isolation and fears of professional repercussions related to disclosure. Such experiences are associated with decreased job satisfaction, increased stress, and barriers to career advancement (Cancela et al., 2024). Existing research on diverse child life specialists is limited and no published studies focus specifically on the experiences of queer child life specialists. One study by Gourley and …

Brief Of Amici Curiae Immigration Law Professors In Support Of Respondent, Peter L. Markowitz, Lindsay Nash

Amicus Briefs

Amicus curiae brief submitted by immigration law professors in support of the respondent in Bondi v. Lau before the Supreme Court of the United States. The brief argues that lawful permanent residents returning from travel abroad may not be treated as seeking admission unless they satisfy the statutory criteria set forth in the Immigration and Nationality Act. It further contends that ambiguities in deportation statutes should be resolved in favor of noncitizens under the longstanding immigration rule of lenity.

Precision Spectroscopy Of 2s-Ns Transitions In Atomic Hydrogen: A Determination Of The Proton Charge Radius, R. G. Bullis, W. L. Tavis, M. R. Weiss, Orellana O. Cisneros, A. J. Cheeseman, Ulrich D. Jentschura, D. C. Yost

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

We present absolute frequency measurements of 2S_1/2-nS_1/2 two-photon transitions with n=8, 9, and 10 in a cryogenic beam of atomic hydrogen. Each transition has been measured with a fractional uncertainty of ≈2.6x10^-12. Combining the results from this Letter and the 1S_1/2-2S_1/2 transition frequency, we extract a root-mean-square proton radius of rp=0.8433(31) fm and a Rydberg frequency of cR_∞=3 289 841 960 252.9(9.7) kHz. These are in good agreement with the CODATA 2022 recommended values.

Chemical Design Strategies For Hybrid Metal Halide Semiconductors With Enhanced Stability And Optoelectronic Properties, Ali Azmy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Metal halide semiconductors have rejuvenated the attention of the scientific community for the last two decades owing to their photophysical and electronic properties. However, these materials have some limitations that hinder their commercialization and widespread application. One major limitation of these materials is their instability under ambient and operating conditions of moisture, head, light and radiation exposure. Here, we report multiple chemical design strategies to address the stability issues of these materials while simultaneously maintaining their exceptional optoelectronic properties. Such design strategies allowed the acquisition of the first members of the family of porous metal halide semiconductors which exhibit record …

Riemann-Hilbert Problems For A Class Of Planar Orthogonal Polynomials, Abril Arenas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Planar orthogonal polynomials of degree n are monic polynomials defined by the orthogonality relation,

∫cPn(z)Pm(z)e-V(z) dA(z) = hnδn,m.

where the integration is over the whole complex plane with Lebesgue area measure dA, and hn is a positive norming constant. In this thesis we consider the potential V: CR of the type,

V(z) = |z|2p-2Re Σm j=1 tjzj

we characterize the planar orthogonal polynomials using novel matrix Riemann-Hilbert problems. We pro-pose a Riemann-Hilbert problem of size 2px 2p when the maximal degree satisfies m ≤ p. For m = 2p, we propose a Riemann-Hilbert problem of size 3px 3p for the …

Netflix, Between Intercultural Exchange And Monopolizing Tendencies: Streaming Consumption, Production, And Distribution In Romania, Ana-Maria Calancea

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the development and involvement of the SVOD platform Netflix in Romania in the context of a global media corporation engaging with a local market. Romania’s status as a former communist country acts as a good case study highlighting the long-term consequences of diverse content deprivation. I argue that in a country such as Romania, a service like Netflix can provide a so-called indirect intercultural exchange through the production and distribution of easily accessible diverse content, whether that diversity stems from nationality, ethnicity, race, sexuality, or any unconventional form of expression that was restricted or censored in the …

Clinical Features, Laboratory Characteristics, And Outcomes Of Covid-19 Patients In A Tertiary Care Reference Hospital In Panama City, Panama. A Retrospective Observational Study, Santiago E. Hernandez Bojorge

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Latin America experienced some of the world’s highest COVID-19 mortality rates, yet data on in-hospital outcomes and their social and geographic determinants remain limited. This dissertation investigated multilevel baseline factors associated with in-hospital mortality among adults with COVID-19 at Panama’s largest public tertiary hospital (Hospital Santo Tomás), integrating survival, mediation, and spatial-temporal modeling within a causal-inference framework.

A retrospective cohort of 1,526 RT-PCR–confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations (May 2020–November 2021) was analyzed using multivariable Cox proportional-hazards, Fine–Gray competing-risk, mediation, and Bayesian spatial models. Directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) pre-specified causal relationships and minimally sufficient adjustment sets. DAG-guided models quantified total effects without conditioning …

New Identities In The Character Table Of Symmetric Groups Involving Riordan Numbers, David J. Hemmer, Armin Straub, Karlee J. Westrem

Michigan Tech Publications

Amdeberhan recently proposed certain equalities between sums in the character table of symmetric groups. These equalities are between signed column sums in the character table, summing over the rows labeled by partitions in Ev(λ), where λ is a partition of n with r nonzero parts and Ev(λ) is a multiset containing 2r partitions of 2n. While we observe that these equalities are not true in general, we prove that they do hold in interesting special cases. These lead to new equalities between sums of degrees of irreducible characters for the symmetric group and a new combinatorial interpretation for the Riordan …

Inclusive Education Of Indigenous Belief Communities In Indonesia: Perspective Of Independent Learning, Muhammad Ghafar, Nunu Ahmad An Nahidl, Muhammad Thoyib, Rihab Wit Daryono Jr., Edi Junaedi, Neneng Habibah

The Qualitative Report

Indigenous belief communities in Indonesia continue to face marginalization in the national education system, limiting their access to education that aligns with their spiritual and cultural values. Our study investigates how the Sapta Darma community members perceive inclusive education and how their socio-cultural traditions can support educational practices rooted in independent learning. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach and a multi-site design, data were collected from 30 participants, including community leaders, parents, and youth in Banyuwangi, Kediri, and Yogyakarta through in-depth interviews, observations, and documentation. The results show that inclusive education in the Sapta Darma community, grounded in the spirit of …

Changes In Land, Ocean, Atmospheric Parameters Associated With The 2025 Myanmar (Mw 7.7) Earthquake, Feng Jing, Akshansa Chauhan, Ashwani Raju, Ramesh P. Singh

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Multiple parameters associated with the land, atmosphere, and ocean were analyzed to study short-term and immediate pre-earthquake changes associated with the 28 March 2025 Myanmar earthquake (Mw 7.7). Anomalous clear-sky outgoing longwave radiation (ClrOLR) and trace gases (CH₄, CO, and O₃) were detected within two months prior to the mainshock. Vertical changes at different pressure levels suggest a possible underground source. High-temporal-resolution observations of the infrared brightness temperature and surface air pressure revealed short-lived fluctuations shortly before the earthquake, which may reflect localized stress adjustments and surface latent heat flux release during the final stage of earthquake preparation. In the …

Using Diffusion Mri To Relate Hippocampal Subfield Microstructure To Delayed Verbal Memory In Cognitively Intact Individuals At Genetic Risk For Developing Alzheimer's Disease, Jennapher Lingo Vangilder, Andrew Hooyman, Sasha Hakhu, Kurt G. Schilling, Leland S. Hu, Yuxiang Zhou, Richard J. Caselli, Leslie C. Baxter, Scott C. Beeman

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Intervention to delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an important treatment strategy but detecting at-risk individuals before significant disease progression remains challenging. This study evaluates the relationship between hippocampal microstructure and verbal cognition in cognitively intact older adults, focusing on the differences between APOΕ ε4 allele carriers and noncarriers. Participants (n = 41 noncarriers, 33 carriers) over 60 years old (mean ± SD: carriers 71 ± 6.6; noncarriers 71 ± 6.4 years) underwent diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) and volumetric assessments. We assessed hippocampal structure, including microstructure, using Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging (NODDI), diffusion tensor …

A Study Of Transients From Ground-Based Surveys Reveals New Ultra-Compact Accreting White Dwarf Binaries, Jan Kára, Liliana E. Rivera Sandoval, Wendy Mendoza, Thomas J. Maccarone, Manuel Pichardo Marcano, Luis Salazar Manzano, Ryan J. Oelkers, Jan Van Roestel

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

AM CVn stars are ultra-compact semi-detached binaries consisting of a white dwarf primary and a hydrogen-depleted secondary. In this paper, we present spectroscopic and photometric results of 15 transient sources pre-classified as AM CVn candidates. Our analysis confirms 9 systems of the type AM CVn, 3 hydrogen-rich cataclysmic variables (accreting white dwarfs with near-main-sequence stars for donors), and 3 systems that could be evolved cataclysmic variables. Eight of the AM CVn stars are analysed spectroscopically for the first time, which increases the number of spectroscopically confirmed AM CVns by about 10%. TESS data revealed the orbital period of the AM …

Strain Gauge Analysis And Deformation Detection Of Maxillary Denture Bases Reinforced By Cad/Cam Milled Zirconia And Cobalt Chromium (Co-Cr) Frameworks: An In-Vitro Study, Maha Nagy Kamal, Marwa Ezzat Sabet, Ghada Mahmoud Elgindy, Hebatallah Tarek Mohamed

Dentistry

Background A lot of studies have demonstrated the increased hardness of the reinforced maxillary dentures. However, the amount of stress induced by different reinforcement materials under the reinforcement dentures and their effect on the underlying supporting tissues and on the deformation of the denture bases were questionable. This study was conducted to compare the stresses induced within the supporting oral tissues from maxillary denture bases reinforced with computer-aided designing/computer-aided manufacturing CAD/CAM zirconia framework or cobalt chrome (Co-Cr) framework, and to detect the deformation that occurred to these bases. Materials and methods Twenty-six maxillary complete dentures were fabricated and divided into …

System For Automated Offer Generation With Transaction Classification And Interactive Guidance, Morgan Robins, Matthew Miceli

Defensive Publications Series

Systems for generating employment offers can involve manual data entry, which may be inefficient and introduce errors that can lead to delays in a hiring process. An automation framework may be integrated within a host platform, for example, an applicant tracking system, to programmatically generate employment offer documents. The system can ingest data from various sources, such as approved requisitions and candidate profiles, and can use configurable schemas to populate offer templates. The framework could also include a logic engine to classify a transaction type, a validation module to audit an offer against business rules, and an interactive interface to …

Selectively Insulated Fastener For Signal Transmission In A Conductive Housing, Josh Cheng, Zoro Chang, Averill Chang

Defensive Publications Series

A system may utilize a structural fastener, such as a screw, as a dual-function component in compact electronic devices (e.g., smartphones, wearables, tablets). The fastener can be constructed from a conductive material and feature a selectively applied insulating coating on certain surfaces, for example, the threaded shank that engages with a conductive housing. The head of the fastener and a portion of its tip may remain uncoated to serve as external and internal electrical contact points, respectively. This configuration can allow the fastener to provide both mechanical fastening and an electrical conduit. This approach may facilitate a space-efficient, hidden wired …

Post-Silicon Performance Prediction, N/A

Defensive Publications Series

The present disclosure is directed to generating architecture-aware voltage-frequency (VF) scaling curves for semiconductor designs utilizing logic depth normalization to predict post-silicon performance across diverse process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) corners. An approach involves ingesting raw library characterization data for representative standard cells and converting target frequencies into a normalized metric based on cell-specific propagation delays. By iterating through multiple critical path compositions, the approach can identify a worst-case stage depth that represents the architectural speed limit of the design across all corners. This limiting constraint is then mapped back to the raw delay data across a full voltage spectrum …

Pearl's Perfect Last Will - Crushed By Infantilism Bias, Edward F. Fogarty Mr

Nebraska Journal on Advancing Justice

No abstract provided.

Dangerous Or Neglected, Amanda Landaverde

Nebraska Journal on Advancing Justice

No abstract provided.

Increasing Implementation Of Intimate Partner Violence Screenings In Patient Care To Improve Patient Outcomes, Emma Webb, Eliza Heinrich, Emma Foran

Scholars Week

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an issue that affects every patient population, age group, and gender. In order to detect intimate partner violence among patients in a healthcare setting, it is proposed that a standardized screening tool be implemented. A policy was created to implement universal IPV screenings in a healthcare facility.

Reducing Falls Through Innovative Assessment Scales, Emily Oliver, Alisa Helt

Scholars Week

Fall occurrences remain an important issue in hospital settings that contribute to longer hospital stays, higher healthcare costs, and increased health risks for patients. This evidence based practice project evaluates current research that addresses how to reduce the amount of falls that occur in hospitals, specifically through innovative fall risk assessments. Key findings from the studies include the use of the Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AM-PAC) and the Modified Dionne’s Egress Test as a means to evaluate patients mobility function, and therefore gain a better understanding of how at risk a patient is for falls.

Implementing Evidence-Based Fall Risk Assessment To Improve Identifying Home Fall Risks, Jade M. Oakley, Ellie Youngblood

Scholars Week

This evidence-based practice project addresses the significant risk of falls among home hospice patients by proposing the implementation of a standardized, multifactorial assessment tool. The project advocates for replacing subjective nursing judgment and the inadequate Morse Fall Risk Assessment with the validated Missouri Alliance for Home Care (MAHC-10) tool, accompanied by a new Fall Prevention Protocol and comprehensive staff education. Utilizing the MAHC-10 will ensure consistent, evidence-based assessment, allowing nurses to proactively implement fall prevention interventions and thereby improve patient safety and quality of life at home.

Reducing Nurse Burnout, Kaylee R. Mofield

Scholars Week

I presented an evidence-based project to a healthcare facility with interventions and a suggested policy change to help reduce nurse burnout. One suggested policy change I made was changing the staffing policy. Within this new policy I suggest that if the patient census was 25 patients it calls for 5 nurses, 17-20 patient calls for 4 nurses, 16 or less patients calls for 3 nurses; along with no calling off staff due to census but rather utilizing this staff as a float or resource nurse. Another suggestion I made was nursing leadership holding monthly “check-in” meetings separate from the monthly …

Decreasing Wound Healing Times By Decreasing Stress Levels, Bayleigh S. Kraus, Colson Burnett, Kelsey Spann

Scholars Week

The relationship between stress levels and delayed wound healing needs to be further investigated, particularly in hospitalized and chronically ill patients. Research shows that psychological stress can impair immune function, reduce tissue regeneration, and prolong inflammation, all of which slow the healing process. It is important to explore how both acute and chronic stress affect different types of wounds, such as surgical incisions, pressure injuries, and diabetic ulcers. Additionally, identifying which stress-reduction interventions are most effective in improving healing outcomes is essential. Understanding these factors can help nurses implement targeted, evidence-based interventions to promote faster recovery.

Lawyers’, Law Professors’ And Law Students’ Free Speech: The Rule Of Law, Civility, And Informed Engagement, Eli Wald

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

(Excerpt)

The Article is organized as follows. Part I summarizes the traditional doctrine governing lawyers’ free speech, as well as the related doctrines of free speech, academic freedom, and tenure on college campuses. Part II explores twenty-first century developments that have thrown these old established doctrines into a state of flux.

Part III consists of three sections. The first suggests a new understanding of lawyers’ free speech, arguing that unprecedented twenty-first-century attacks on the rule of law justify recognizing a third, narrowly tailored restriction on lawyers’ free speech. In addition to the traditional restrictions grounded in protecting clients from lawyers’ …

Some Thoughts About Free Speech And Hostile Environment Discrimination On College Campuses, Mark Tushnet

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

(Excerpt)

Section I examines which kinds of utterances may be considered in determining whether a hostile environment exists, and how those utterances may be taken into account. After distinguishing between targeted utterances directed at an identifiable individual and general statements that disparage a racial or nation-origin group, this Section focuses on targeted utterances.

Section II then turns to general statements, typically of a more clearly political sort. After describing the quite limited nature under which individuals can be held liable for general statements, the Section argues that such statements can be part of the “dossier” relevant to hostile environment discrimination, …

The First Amendment, Student Protest On Campus And The Law, Gene Policinski

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

(Excerpt)

After a brief background on the history of student protest and free expression, this Article examines campus speech policies developed in response to student protests in the 1960s, and present examples of how these codes and regulations recently have been reviewed and revised in light of campus protests and disruptions, with many involving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Next, this Article also examines the ongoing impact of federal legislation—specifically Titles VI and IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964—on campus speech. In addition, this section addresses public attitudes regarding campus protests and related on campus issues, as well as an …

Diversity Is More Than Non-Discrimination: Groupthink In Higher Education, Adam Goldstein, Sean Stevens, Nathan Honeycutt

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

(Excerpt)

In this Article, we seek to advance three claims. First, intellectual diversity is an essential bulwark against groupthink. Second, conflating intellectual diversity and non-discrimination undermines both concepts. Third, intellectual diversity should be pursued for its own sake and recognized as a separate and important goal of higher education.

We begin by sharing a set of definitions to identify the problem more precisely. Next, we examine the stakes of groupthink setting in. Then, we will introduce some of FIRE’s research on campus climate, which suggests the presence of an existing monoculture. Through the lens of a case study at Harvard …

Free Speech, The University, And The Wrong Turn In The Road, Donald Downs

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

(Excerpt)

I introduce this Article by examining the present state of campus free speech policy and politics. I pose questions raised by the demonstrations that erupted in the wake of the war between Israeli and Iranian proxies on October 7, 2023. I then present a skeletal model of the liberal university, followed by a discussion of how illiberal forms of free speech logic have influenced and shaped thinking in higher education and elsewhere since the 1960s. I conclude with a critique of higher education’s turn turning away from a liberal model of discourse.