Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing The Effect Of Eating As A Distraction Factor While Driving On Drivers' Performance, Zinah Saihood, Ahmed Abdul Jabbar, Rasha Al-Rubaee

Engineering and Technology Journal

The increase in the number of traffic accidents, deaths, and injuries is a major concern for traffic and safety professionals. Distraction from the road is common, but increases safety concerns. Drivers engage in many behaviors that are a distraction from the task of driving, and these sources may be inside or outside the vehicle. The driver may not have a clear idea of the negative impact of such activities on achieving safe driving. The paper focused on one type of distraction that occurs inside the car, the factor of eating while driving in order to address the question of whether …

A Study Of Patient’S Pain Assessment Based On Facial Expression: Issues And Challenges, Elaf Saddam, Saad Mutashar, Wissam Ali

Engineering and Technology Journal

Pain is considered as an emotional experience and a restless feeling associated with tissue damage. When the interpretation begins in the brain, the sensation of pain occurs; a signal transmitted to the brain through the nerve fiber. Pain helps the body to stop further damage to the tissues. Since there are numerous ways to convey and feel pain, the perception of pain is special to all. Technology that promotes pain assessment is an urgent need to reduce restless feelings and suffering. This paper aims to demonstrate the issues and challenges facing the patient’s pain assessment based on facial expression. The …

Detection Of Confusion Behavior Using A Facial Expression Based On Different Classification Algorithms, Fatima I. Yasser, Bassam H. Abd, Saad M. Abbas

Engineering and Technology Journal

Confusion detection systems (CDSs) that need Noninvasive, mobile, and cost-effective methods use facial expressions as a technique to detect confusion. In previous works, the technology that the system used represents a major gap between this proposed CDS and other systems. This CDS depends on the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) that is used to extract facial features. The FACS shows the motion of the facial muscles represented by Action Units (AUs); the movement is represented with one facial muscle or more. Seven AUs are used as possible markers for detecting confusion that has been implemented in the form of a …

Implications Of Similarities And Differences Amongst Media Literacy Skills And Trust Across Communities Of Color, Erica Weintraub Austin, Nadia Ishrat Alamgir, Alexandra Elenitsa Fil, Sultana Ismet Jerin, Di Mu, Albert Junior Nyarko, Folake Racheal Okor, Pearl Omolara Oladele, Hae Yeon Seo, Andrew D. Sutherland

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

A 2020 survey of U.S. adults found that nonwhite respondents tended to report lower levels of media literacy than white respondents. However, their media literacy skills were associated with better COVID-19 knowledge and less acceptance of COVID-19 disinformation. This secondary analysis of the dataset (N=1264) explored how aspects of media literacy and media trust varied across communities of color. No significant differences in online information efficacy were found. White respondents scored higher than Hispanic/Latiné and Native American/Indigenous respondents on media literacy for source, and higher than Black and Hispanic/Latiné respondents on media literacy for content. White respondents also …

Imposter Syndrome And Self Determination In Clinical Social Work Supervision, Alexis Tarr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This doctoral project is focused on the social work practice problem of limited understanding of how social workers experience clinical supervision in the context of imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome can affect confidence, decision making, and overall wellbeing, making it an important issue in clinical social work practice. The purpose of this study was to explore how social workers describe and make meaning of their supervision experiences involving feelings of imposter syndrome. Guiding practice-focused research questions were used to examine how social workers experienced clinical supervision and described autonomy, competence, and relatedness. This study was informed by the self-determination theory, which …

Hotter Than The Fire: Analysis Of Indonesia's Forest And Peatland Fire Policy Contention, 2015–2024, Dede Setiono, Nunuk Retnandari, Putri Wulandari

Forest and Society

The catastrophic forest and peatland fires of 2015 served as a critical juncture for Indonesia, catalyzing an unprecedented wave of policy reforms aimed at fire prevention and ecosystem restoration. Despite this, major fire events recurred in 2019 and 2023, exposing a persistent gap between policy ambition and on-the-ground reality. This article investigates the underlying reasons for this continued policy failure. This study employs a qualitative, interpretive approach, drawing on 25 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders across government, the corporate sector, civil society, and local communities conducted between 2023 and 2024. The analysis reveals that Indonesia's fire crisis is not …

Selective Factors Impacting Charter High School Enrollment, Nathan Marshall

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined factors influencing high school choice among Utah families, comparing parent priorities between charter and traditional public high schools. Using one-way ANOVA with Tukey honestly significant difference (HSD) post hoc comparisons, parental priorities were analyzed across personal, school community, and academic factors. Parents choosing traditional public high schools rated personal and school community factors significantly higher, emphasizing relationships and school climate, while charter high school parents rated academic factors significantly higher, favoring rigor and instructional quality. Charter parents' priorities were not uniform, however, but varied significantly by school model, suggesting that the charter-versus-traditional divide masks meaningful differences within …

Unplanned Public Nature Interiority, Kendra Locklear Ordia

Interiority

This paper advances a theory of urban interiority through the concept of public nature interiority, integrating ecological thinking into the spatial, sensory, and temporal conditions of exterior spaces that feel interior. Drawing on works by Tine Poot, Richard Sennett, Liz Teston, and Suzie Attiwill, it challenges binary distinctions between interior and exterior, emphasising relational and dynamic urban conditions. Using Attiwill's notions of collective individuation and an ecology of subjectivity, interiority is reframed as being shaped not only by human perception and experience with nature but also by biotic relations and multispecies interactions. The theory is situated within terrain vague—indeterminate, overlooked …

Strategies Used By Silicon Valley Technology Leaders To Advance Latinx Employees Into Leadership Roles To Increase Firm Productivity, Elizabeth A. Garcia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The underrepresentation of Latinx professionals in leadership roles remains a challenge for technology leaders. Leaders who lack effective leadership development strategies for Latinx employees may experience reduced innovation, lower productivity, and decreased organizational competitiveness. Grounded in the resource-based view, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry research project was to identify and explore effective strategies used by Silicon Valley technology leaders to advance Latinx employees into leadership roles to increase firm productivity. Participants were 10 technology leaders with experience implementing strategies to hire, develop, and promote Latinx talent. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, public organizational documents, and industry publications. …

Modern Psychology And The Religious Experience: Faith Or Just Institutionalization?, Darin Challacombe

Psychology Faculty Publications

A literature review of Paloutzian’s (1996) “Religious Experience” chapter in Invitation to the Psychology of Religion is presented by outlining and critiquing works cited. Specifically, the combination of three distinct theories (e.g., schemas, attribution, and attachment) is presented and evaluated. Using these three theories, empirical research that has been done in this field can be explained. However, the main component of these theories has to be present: faith. Faith needs to be seen as being the opposite of institutionalization; rather, events that are religious must have faith and cannot be completely explained by institutionalization concepts of groupthink and manipulation. Further, …

Depressive Symptoms By The Quality Of Life Among Korean American Midlife Women, Yeeun Kim, Jiwon Baek, Dongmi Kim, Seulgi Ryu, Wonshik Chee, Eun-Ok Im

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Midlife women experience a major developmental transition involving multidimensional changes (physical, psychological, and social changes), before, during, and after their menopause (1-4). During this transition, the women’s depressive symptoms could be linked to their quality of life (5). However, few studies have been conducted on the women’s depressive symptoms by their quality of life. The aim of this study was to identify patterns of depressive symptoms by the QoL among Korean American midlife women and provide directions for future interventions for this specific population.

Methods: This is a part of an ongoing randomized controlled trial of Korean American midlife …

Lived Experiences Of Noise Exposure And Hearing Loss Among Native Americans, Melessa N. Kelley, Rose Wimbish-Tompkins, John Lowe, Camila Solorzano-Barrera, Oi Saeng Hong

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is an irreversible chronic condition resulting from prolonged exposure to loud noise and represents a major global public health concern. Native American (NA) populations are particularly vulnerable due to social and occupational determinants that increase exposure to high-noise environments, including construction, manufacturing factory, farming, and forestry. Hearing health has deep cultural importance for NAs, as oral communication is central to transmitting traditional knowledge and cultural teachings. Despite this, limited research has examined noise exposure, hearing protection practices, and the lived experiences of hearing loss within NA communities.

This study explores NA tribal members’ experiences with noise …

Exploring University Nursing Students’ Experiences Of Cross-Disciplinary Courses: A Qualitative Study, Hsueh-Wen Chung, Li-Yin Chien

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Cross-disciplinary education is increasingly emphasized in nursing programs to prepare students for complex professional roles, yet little is known about their actual learning experiences. This study aimed to evaluate the learning outcomes of cross-disciplinary education among undergraduate nursing students and explore how such experiences influence their professional perspectives and career development.

Methods: Using a semi-structured, in-depth interview design, this study purposively recruited 13 nursing students who had participated in cross-disciplinary programs at a top research university in Taiwan. Only those students with a GPA of >3.38 were allowed to apply for cross-disciplinary programs. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. …

Effectiveness Of A Microdebriefing Intervention In A Rural Hospital: A Quality Improvement Project, Adrienne Nicole Nelson, Judith Walloch, Sheila Huggins, Teresa Mcconkey, Kathy Williams

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Nurses, who experience a critical incident as a sudden unexpected event, can be devastated as second victims (Buhlmann et al., 2021; Edrees & Wu, 2021). The associated psychological stress negatively impacts coping, resulting in an increased risk of fixating on or reliving the critical incident for many years (Buhlmann et al., 2021; Cantu, 2020; Harvey & Tapp, 2020). The consequential impact on coping increases the likelihood for second victims to experience secondary traumatic stress, post-traumatic stress disorder, or other mental health issues. A lack of organizational support can lead to organizational consequences such as higher nursing attrition, poor patient safety …

From Didactic To Digital: Using Animated Videos To Transform Health Education In Nursing Informatics, Fiona Wing Ki Tang, Ricky Ahmat, Winnie Kwok Wei So, George Pak Kin Yau, Sally Wai Sze Lo

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: The integration of multimedia in clinical settings is rapidly expanding. Animated videos are effective in enhancing clients understanding across diverse health topics (Feeley et al., 2023). The post-COVID-19 era has accelerated the demand for remote health education. It is vital to equip nursing students with the competency to develop engaging animated health education resources (Brown et al., 2020; Risling, 2017). In a postgraduate nursing programme, a blended learning approach featuring micro-modules with animated content and video production workshops was implemented to enhance students’ competency and self-efficacy in nursing informatics.

Methods: A quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest design was employed. Four animated …

Exploring Adherence Barriers To Nutrition Intervention: A Qualitative Study Of The Pro-Heart Trial, Andrew Thomas Reyes, Angelina Nguyen, Alona D. Angosta, Rebecca Meraz, Kelly L. Wierenga, Jennifer Kawi, Lorraine S. Evangelista

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Altering the dietary habits of individuals with obesity, heart failure, and cardiometabolic comorbidities can enhance their health outcomes (Gjermeni et al., 2025). Adhering to these interventions remains challenging, leading to higher dropout and lower retention rates in clinical nutrition trials (Chao et al., 2021). To develop enduring, patient-focused interventions, it is essential to understand participants' experiences. Therefore, this qualitative sub-study explored participant-reported barriers to dietary adherence within the Pro-HEART randomized controlled trial, which evaluated the effects of high-protein versus standard-protein diets in individuals with heart failure and metabolic syndrome or Type 2 diabetes mellitus. The intervention in the Pro-HEART trial …

Acquisitions Unit Annual Report 2025-2026, Andrée J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Annual Report of the Acquisitions Unit, University Libraries, University of Rhode Island for FY2026. Covers personnel, work flow, special projects, and serial, monograph, and e-resource acquisitions. Supplemental files include data on library materials expenditures by a number of variables as well as important working documents from the year.

Postcolonial Cosmogram: Modern Interiority Of The Methodist Heritage Gallery In Sibu, Sarawak, Sanjeh Kumar Raman, Tong Jia Chian

Interiority

This study examines the conservation and transformation of the Ching Ang Methodist Church into the Methodist Heritage Gallery (MHG) in Sibu, Sarawak, highlighting its role in placemaking and identity construction within the Foochow-Methodist community. By exploring the interplay between colonial modernity, heritage interpretation, and ethno-religious provenance, the research situates MHG as a critical site of memory and cultural articulation. Using an interpretivist approach, this study employs building surveys, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis to investigate the architectural, social, and symbolic dimensions of the MHG. The findings reveal that the gallery's adaptive reuse not only preserves Methodist-Foochow heritage but also serves …

Rural Youth Activism Amid Multi-Arena Contestations Of Infrastructure, Industry, And Conservation Landscapes, Rajib Gandi, Lala M. Kolopaking, Didin S. Damanhuri, Sofyan Sjaf

Forest and Society

Rural youth in Indonesia are increasingly entangled in overlapping pressures of industrial expansion and ecological conservation that redefine local livelihoods and participation. In Cigombong, Bogor, West Java, where the Lido Special Economic Zone borders Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, youth confront intertwined political-economic and ecological exclusions that marginalize them from both development and conservation benefits. While state narratives portray youth as agents of rural transformation, many remain symbolically included but materially excluded from decision-making. This study examines how rural youth activists exercise agency and negotiate structural power within these contested arenas, analyzing how such interactions shape their livelihoods, participation, and …

Supporting Recovery: Intersections Of Health, Belonging, And Help Seeking After A Campus Mass Casualty Event, Sharon Jalene, Jason A. Ciccotelli, Lauren Gatto, Christian Ison, James Carbajal, Andrew Hooyman

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Mass casualty events (MCE), such as campus shootings, can severely impact the mental health of students, faculty, and staff. This study examined the psychological effects of an MCE at a minority-serving institution and explored how sense of belonging, cardiorespiratory fitness, and treatment preferences influenced recovery. To measure the impact of the MCE on mental health an anonymous survey was administered four to five months post-MCE to university students, faculty and staff. Within the survey, participants were asked to retrospectively report their depression (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7) symptoms as they recalled them two weeks prior to the MCE, and as they …

Temporal Dynamics Of Sleep Value: How Momentary States And Individual Differences Shape The Valuation Of Sleep, Brandon Pattillo

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Objectives Sleep value is the relative worth individuals place on sleep. Although previous work has validated trait-level measures of sleep value, little is known about the valuation process that determines sleep’s value over time. This study examined hourly fluctuations in sleep value and identified predictors of these changes.

Methods Ninety undergraduates completed baseline questionnaires assessing demographic, sleep, and health variables, including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Values Inventory (VI), and Monetary Sleep Value Questionnaire (MSVQ). Participants completed hourly 24-hour surveys assessing activity, activity value/pleasure, sleepiness, sleep ability, sleep/wake desires and intentions, and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for sleep. Confirmatory factor analyses …

Determinants Of Patient Health Engagement In Post-Surgery Oral Cancer Patients, Tao-Wen Hsiao, Yu-Chi Chen, Shiow-Ching Shun, Hui-Ying Yang

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Introduction: Patients with oral cancer often face persistent physical and psychological challenges after surgery, which may hinder their engagement in care. Identifying the determinants of patient health engagement (PHE) is essential for guiding targeted, supportive care interventions throughout the treatment trajectory. This study aimed to examine key determinants of PHE among post-surgery oral cancer patients.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a medical center in northern Taiwan. Postoperative patients were recruited using purposive sampling. Data were collected from medical records and structured questionnaires, including demographics, disease and treatment characteristics, communication ability, psychological distress, and PHE. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses …

A Mathematical Decision-Making Framework For Athlete Development In A Collegiate Taekwondo Community: Prioritizing Coaching Interventions Using Statistical Analysis And The Analytic Hierarchy Process, King Harold A. Recto, Hazel Jade L. Antonio, Jhyrald Anthony P. Dalida

Electronics, Computer, and Communications Engineering Faculty Publications

Athlete development within collegiate sports communities requires informed decisions regarding the prioritization of coaching interventions and allocation of developmental resources. However, such decisions are frequently guided by experience and intuition, limiting opportunities for systematic and evidence-based decision-making. This study develops a mathematical decision-making framework for athlete development by integrating statistical analysis and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) within a collegiate taekwondo community. Data were collected from 25 collegiate taekwondo athletes who satisfied established eligibility criteria, including participation in University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) competitions during the previous three seasons. Athletes evaluated coaching practices across five dimensions: Training and …

The Role Of Media And The Digital World In The Formation Of Digital Identity And First Impressions, Author Information Removed

JMLE Submissions Open for Review

This study investigates the relationship between media literacy, identity structures, and social perception among Georgian higher education students and explores how Media Literacy affects the Formation of First Impressions through the mediating roles of Social Identity and Digital Identity. The results demonstrate a strong positive correlation between Media Literacy and both Social Identity and Digital Identity. While the direct link between literacy and impression formation was non-significant. The mediation model revealed a psychological mechanism: Media Literacy significantly reduces superficial reliance on digital profiles only by strengthening a conscious and reflective Digital Identity. In the Georgian context, these findings suggest that …

Accessible Media Literacy Education: A Universal Design For Learning Framework For Including Disabled And Deaf Learners, Author Information Removed

JMLE Submissions Open for Review

Media literacy education has built a robust evidence base for interventions that strengthen resilience to misinformation, yet its pedagogies presuppose a nondisabled learner: participants with disabilities are rarely reported, materials are rarely accessible by design, and disability is absent from the field's equity turn. Disabled and deaf learners consequently face a double exclusion, from the media environment by inaccessibility and from media education by protectionist safeguarding. This conceptual article develops the Accessible Media Literacy Education (AMLE) framework through a four-step synthesis of three literatures: media literacy education, research on disabled and deaf people's media practices, and Universal Design for Learning. …

Integration Of Media Pedagogy In Teacher Education Classrooms, Author Information Removed

JMLE Submissions Open for Review

In an era where classrooms are increasingly influenced by media and socio-cultural dynamics, teacher education must evolve to incorporate critical dimensions like gender sensitization and media literacy. This study explores the role of media pedagogy in developing gender awareness among pre-service teachers in India. The study focuses on conceptualization of media pedagogy, intersectionality and teacher education classrooms and adopts an interdisciplinary approach for media and gender. A module was developed and then implemented with 30 preservice teachers, followed by focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews with 10 teacher educators. The research study is guided by Methodology for Interdisciplinary Research (MIR) …

"It's Probably Like A Web": Complex Relationships Between Pain And Mental Health Among Bisexual+ Women With Chronic Pain, Aster Harrison, Mansha Mirza

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Bisexual+ women experience higher rates of both mental illness and chronic pain when compared to either straight or lesbian women. Their experiences of the relationship between their mental health and chronic pain remain underexplored. This article presents an intersectional Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of the experiences of six bisexual+ women with chronic pain.

METHODS: Each woman completed two semi-structured interviews. Interviews were analyzed with Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, beginning with in-depth case study analysis of each person's interviews before moving to comparison across cases.

RESULTS: Results indicated a complex web of multidirectional relationships between mental health and chronic pain. These relationships …

Examining Variations In Non-Conventional Health Care Utilization Among Students At A Hispanic-Serving Institution, Monideepa B. Becerra, Karina E. Corral

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

The use of non-conventional health care, such as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and traditional healing practices, is increasing in the United States. Little is known, however, about its prevalence and influencing factors among college students—especially of varied racial/ethnic background. This study examined these patterns among college students using a cross-sectional survey conducted at a Hispanic-serving institution. Participants reported their use of non-conventional care, and demographic and motivational factors were analyzed using descriptive and bivariate analyses. Of the 641 participants, a majority reported CAM use (96%) and visits to a traditional healer (83%), with higher prevalence among Hispanic and female …

Limited Australian Clinical Guidelines For Pain Assessment In Hospitalized Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment: Implications For Safe And Quality Care, Rosemary Saunders, Kaoru Nosaka, Seng Giap Marcus Ang, Natasya Raja Azlan, Aaron Alejandro, Rohini Sharma Bhardwaj, Olivia Gallagher, Irene Ngune, Amineh Rashidi, Yan Hui Celestine Wee, Nilufeur Mckay

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction – Pain assessment remains challenging in healthcare settings in patients who are unable to self-report their pain. More than 50% of individuals with dementia and other forms of cognitive impairment (CI) experience pain daily. However, pain is frequently overlooked and inadequately assessed by healthcare professionals due to their lack of knowledge and guidelines to inform pain assessment. Pain is also a leading cause of hospital presentation and inappropriate pain assessment can impact on pain management and compromise safe and quality care. Evidence-based guidelines that inform appropriate pain assessment and management are therefore essential. This scoping review aimed to explore …

Incretin-Based Medications In Women And Reproduction: A Systematic Scoping Review And Consensus Guidelines For Clinical Practice, Kate Maslin, Jill Shawe, Sinead Blowers, Michael Ceulemans, Kathryn Hart, Sam Schoenmakers, Amihai Rottenstreich, Heather Hopper, Mojca Jensterle, Angela C. Flynn

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Introduction: Pregnancy concurrent with incretin-based medications is contraindicated due to unknown risk of teratogenicity, as is breastfeeding. The aim of this systematic scoping review was to investigate potential risks and benefits of incretin-based medications in relation to preconception, pregnancy, and postnatal health, and to propose expert guidelines for clinical practice.Methods: An international expert multidisciplinary group was formed. Research questions relevant to women's reproductive health and incretin-based medications were refined collaboratively, utilizing a lifecourse approach. A systematic search was undertaken on July 23, 2025, across several databases and grey literature sources. Primary data from human studies were prioritized above animal studies. …