Digital Commons Network^™

Dean, Chairs And Program Directors List 2023-2024 (Spring), Saint Mary's College Of California

Chairs and Program Directors lists

No abstract provided.

Six Months To Live, Jessica Bloom

Yalobusha Review

No abstract provided.

The (Dis)Advantages Of Device Free Time: A Mixed -Methods Digital Detox Study, Sandrah Burrill

Longwood Senior Theses

Digital detox practices are periods of device restriction, reduction, or abstinence aimed to seek improvements in the negative outcomes associated with frequent device use. There are numerous gaps in digital detox literature including unsustainable periods of detox, imprecise definitions of digital detox, a lack of investigation into mediating mental health constructs, no collection of participant-driven qualitative data, and a failure to control for compensatory behaviors. Gaps like these could account for continued mixed findings in areas like anxiety, depression, and life satisfaction, salient to mental well-being. The present study aims to further parse the role that device-free time plays in …

Diachronic Demographic Patterns Of Enslaved People At Mulberry Hill, Quincey Urban

Longwood Senior Theses

The Atlantic Slave Trade was responsible for forcibly importing captive Africans to North and South America as enslaved laborers for white plantation owners. This process acted as a catalyst for the creolization of enslaved African communities inside plantations across the Americas. This research thesis discusses the diachronic demographics of one such plantation community, Mulberry Hill, located in Charlotte County, Virginia. The goal is to determine which of the enslaved Africans were brought to the planation directly from Africa, and which ones were acquired from existing plantations in the Americas. The specific combination of these sources for Mulberry Hill’s enslaved community …

Multigenerational Consequences Of Environment And Loss On Maternal Behavior, Anxiety, Boldness, And Memory In Rats, Alayna Palamar

Longwood Senior Theses

Maternal behavior has long been studied for the implications it presents for offspring outcomes. In the present study, we examined the interplay between the positive effects of environmental enrichment and the negative consequences of loss – defined as a 50% litter cull – on both mothers and their offspring. In this multigenerational study, maternal Sprague Dawley rats were separated into one of four of the following conditions: enriched/control, enriched/loss, standard/control, and standard/loss. Maternal rats (P generation) were assessed using the following behavioral assays: Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) for anxiety-like behavior and boldness, Object Location Maze (OLM) for spatial memory, and …

Everyone Deserves A Dental Home, Loren C. Baim Dds

The New York State Dental Journal

With knowledge and preparation, dental practices should be able to accommodate the growing population of people on the autism spectrum.

Does A Reduction In Receiving Assistance With Daily Activities Among Older Adults In Mexico Indicate An Increase In Unmet Needs Or A Decrease In Needs For Care?, Brian Downer, Rafael Samper-Ternent, Philip Cantu, Matthew Miller, Rebeca Wong

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: The percentage of older adults in Mexico with difficulty completing activities of daily living (ADL) who receive assistance from family appears to be decreasing. We compared 2 birth cohorts of older adults in Mexico to investigate whether this trend reflects an increase in unmet caregiving needs or a decrease in the need for care.

METHODS: We selected Mexican Health and Aging Study participants aged 60-76 in 2001 (n = 4,805) and 2018 (n = 6,494). ADL tasks were dressing, walking, bathing, getting in and out of bed, and toileting. Participants who reported difficulty with an ADL were asked if …

The Dementia Care Study (D-Care): Recruitment Strategies And Demographic Characteristics Of Participants In A Pragmatic Randomized Trial Of Dementia Care, Mia Yang, Rafael Samper-Ternent, Elena Volpi, Aval-Na'ree Green, Maya Lichtenstein, Katy Araujo, Pamela Borek, Peter Charpentier, James Dziura, Thomas M Gill, Rebecca Galloway, Erich J Greene, Kristin Lenoir, Peter Peduzzi, Can Meng, Jordan Reese, Amy Shelton, Eleni A Skokos, Jenny Summapund, Erin Unger, David B Reuben, Jeff D Williamson, Alan B Stevens

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Pragmatic research studies that include diverse dyads of persons living with dementia (PLWD) and their family caregivers are rare.

METHODS: Community-dwelling dyads were recruited for a pragmatic clinical trial evaluating three approaches to dementia care. Four clinical trial sites used shared and site-specific recruitment strategies to enroll health system patients.

RESULTS: Electronic health record (EHR) queries of patients with a diagnosis of dementia and engagement of their clinicians were the main recruitment strategies. A total of 2176 dyads were enrolled, with 80% recruited after the onset of the pandemic. PLWD had a mean age of 80.6 years (SD 8.5), …

Differential Effects Of Type 2 Diabetes Treatment Regimens On Diabetes Distress And Depressive Symptoms In The Glycemia Reduction Approaches In Diabetes: A Comparative Effectiveness Study (Grade), Jeffrey S Gonzalez, Ionut Bebu, Heidi Krause-Steinrauf, Claire J Hoogendoorn, Gladys Crespo-Ramos, Caroline Presley, Aanand D Naik, Shihchen Kuo, Mary L Johnson, Deborah Wexler, Jill P Crandall, Anne E Bantle, Valerie Arends, Andrea L Cherrington

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: We evaluated whether adding basal insulin to metformin in adults with early type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) would increase emotional distress relative to other treatments.

Research design and methods: The Glycemia Reduction Approaches in Diabetes: A Comparative Effectiveness Study (GRADE) of adults with T2DM of < 10 years' duration, HbA1c 6.8-8.5%, and taking metformin monotherapy randomly assigned participants to add insulin glargine U-100, sulfonylurea glimepiride, the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist liraglutide, or the dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor sitagliptin. The Emotional Distress Substudy enrolled 1,739 GRADE participants (mean [SD] age 58.0 [10.2] years, 32% female, 56% non-Hispanic White, 18% non-Hispanic Black, 17% Hispanic) and assessed diabetes distress and depressive symptoms every 6 months. Analyses examined differences at 1 year and over the 3-year follow-up.

Results: Across treatments, diabetes distress (-0.24, P < 0.0001) and depressive symptoms (-0.67, P < 0.0001) decreased over 1 year. Diabetes distress was lower at 1 year for the glargine group than for the other groups combined (-0.10, P = 0.002). Diabetes distress was also lower for liraglutide than for glimepiride or sitagliptin (-0.10, P = 0.008). Over the 3-year follow-up, there were no significant group differences in total diabetes distress; interpersonal diabetes distress remained lower for those assigned to liraglutide. No significant differences were observed for depressive symptoms.

Conclusions: Contrary to expectations, this randomized trial found no evidence for a deleterious effect of basal insulin on emotional distress. Glargine lowered diabetes distress modestly at 1 year rather than increasing it. Liraglutide also reduced diabetes distress at 1 year. Results can inform treatment decisions for adults …

Does Emotional Distress Predict Worse Glycemic Control Over Time? Results From The Glycemia Reduction Approaches In Diabetes: A Comparative Effectiveness Study (Grade), Andrea L Cherrington, Ionut Bebu, Heidi Krause-Steinrauf, Claire J Hoogendoorn, Gladys Crespo-Ramos, Caroline Presley, Aanand D Naik, Ashok Balasubramanyam, Michaela R Gramzinski, Tina Killean, Valerie L Arends, Jeffrey S Gonzalez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To evaluate whether baseline levels of depressive symptoms and diabetes-specific distress are associated with glycemic control in Glycemia Reduction Approaches in Diabetes: A Comparative Effectiveness Study (GRADE), a large randomized controlled trial comparing the metabolic effects of four common glucose-lowering medications when combined with metformin in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Research design and methods: The primary and secondary outcomes were defined as an HbA1c value ≥7%, subsequently confirmed, and an HbA1c value >7.5%, subsequently confirmed, respectively. Separate Cox proportional hazards models assessed the association between baseline levels of each exposure of interest (depressive symptoms measured with …

Emotional Distress Predicts Reduced Type 2 Diabetes Treatment Adherence In The Glycemia Reduction Approaches In Diabetes: A Comparative Effectiveness Study (Grade), Claire J Hoogendoorn, Heidi Krause-Steinrauf, Diane Uschner, Hui Wen, Caroline A Presley, Elizabeth A Legowski, Aanand D Naik, Sherita Hill Golden, Valerie L Arends, Janet Brown-Friday, Jonathan A Krakoff, Colleen E Suratt, Andrea H Waltje, Andrea L Cherrington, Jeffrey S Gonzalez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: We examined longitudinal associations between emotional distress (specifically, depressive symptoms and diabetes distress) and medication adherence in Glycemia Reduction Approaches in Diabetes: A Comparative Effectiveness Study (GRADE), a large randomized controlled trial comparing four glucose-lowering medications added to metformin in adults with relatively recent-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Research design and methods: The Emotional Distress Substudy assessed medication adherence, depressive symptoms, and diabetes distress in 1,739 GRADE participants via self-completed questionnaires administered biannually up to 3 years. We examined baseline depressive symptoms and diabetes distress as predictors of medication adherence over 36 months. Bidirectional visit-to-visit relationships were also …

Transitioning From An In-Person Intervention To Augmented Text Messaging During Covid-19 In Mexican Americans With Prediabetes: The Starr County Diabetes Prevention Randomized Clinical Trial, Sharon A Brown, Mary A Winter, Heather A Becker, Alexandra A García, Mary M Velasquez, Hirofumi Tanaka, William B Perkison, Eric L Brown, David Aguilar, Craig L Hanis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to explore the feasibility of using commonly available technology, such as text messaging, for diabetes prevention in rural Mexican American communities during COVID-19.

METHODS: Participants were selected from a diabetes prevention study funded by the National Institutes of Health that, prior to COVID-19, involved in-person group intervention sessions. Participants were predominantly female adults born in Mexico and Spanish-speaking. A subsample (n = 140) was divided into 3 cohorts: (1) 50 who completed the initial in-person intervention prior to the COVID-19 research pause, (2) 60 who needed additional support sessions to complete the intervention …

Leading Change During Crisis: Nonprofit Leaders’ Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jose A. Diaz Jr.

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover which experiences from the COVID-19 pandemic led to leadership and organizational changes within nonprofit organizations located in southern Florida. Data for the study were collected by interviewing leaders of five nonprofit organizations that provided human and social services to individuals and families before, during, and after the pandemic. The participants discussed some of the challenges they experienced with social distancing protocols, service delivery continuity to service users, and the concerns among staff and volunteers. Four themes were common among the participants of the study: operational restrictions, technological adaptations, staff morale and …

The Impact Of Using Embedded Learning Assistants In Mathematics Courses, Lyyne Y. O'Dell

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This study’s purpose was to determine whether the use of course-embedded learning assistants compared to sections that did not use course-embedded learning assistants in intermediate algebra courses impacted student performance at a community college. The sample was composed of 5,738 students who were enrolled in an intermediate algebra course between fall 2016 and fall 2019. The study’s research methodology was considered causal-comparative, and a non-probability, convenient, and purposive sampling technique was used for all students using archived pre and post-test scores for all participants, then by student demographics African American and socioeconomically disadvantaged students. Statistically significant treatment effects were observed …

On Wings Of Hope, Volume 28, No. 2, 2024, Phadp, Esther Brown, Anthony Boyd, Jeffery Lee, Bart Johnson, Earl Mcgahee, Jovon Gaston, Nicholas Smith, "G.C."

On Wings of Hope

April–June 2024 edition.

Otherization And Healthcare: A Philosophical Analysis Of Gender-Based Discrimination In Medicine, Rachel M. Beare

Honors Thesis

Healthcare interactions are a core feature of medical practice and medicine cannot function without these relationships. Moreover, the physician-patient relationship within healthcare have revealed varying problems that arise within the interpersonal interactions. These problems were even more concerning when they showed gender discrimination occurring within medical interactions, such as workplace discrimination of female physicians, higher risk of misdiagnosing and mortality of female patients, and an overall medical culture that invalidated women. Understanding the extent of these problems was achieved through analyzing philosophical structures presented within the philosophical writings of G. W. F. Hegel and Simone de Beauvoir. Application of Hegel’s …

Experimental Evidence On Leadership Experience And Women’S Political Participation In Malaysia, Grace Burns

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

Across the globe, there is a lack of gender parity in the political realm (Darcy, Welch, and Clark 1994). Solving this important issue will ensure increased representation for women’s issues (Bratton 2005), greater diversity and effectiveness in leadership styles (Kathlene 1994), and better outcomes for countries as a whole (Cole et al. 2017; Garikipati and Kambhampati 2020). In Malaysia, women rank highly on many indicators such as literacy and labor force participation (“World Bank Open Data” n.d.), but lowly in political polarization, due to cultural and religious factors (Ariffin 1992). Women are not socialized to view themselves as leaders and …

The United Kingdom And Brexit: A Case Study In Affective Polarization, Tannah Carter

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

Political polarization has become an increasingly hot topic in recent years as countries around the world have seen a greater divide in their national politics. In general, polarization refers to the process whereby people become increasingly sorted into separate camps that hold distinct and opposing identities and interests (McCoy, Rahman, and Somer 2018). However, this divide is not limited to ideology: countries have also seen an increase in affective polarization. Affective polarization occurs when individuals move beyond simple policy disagreements into seeing themselves as belonging to an “in-group” while those who oppose them belong to the “out-group” (Iyengar, Sood, and …

Character Education And Its Effects On Athletic Performance, Melissa Brandenburg

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research was driven by the researcher's current interest in character education for female student-athletes and if the presentation of character education lessons plays a role in player performance. Along with the effects of character education and performance, the researcher also tried to decipher if timing of lesson delivery had an overall impact on the performance of the student-athlete. This quantitative action research took four weeks to complete with presentation of weekly lessons and student-athlete feedback in the form of a Google Form questionnaire. The researcher, a varsity head softball coach, enlisted in the voluntary help of her current …

The Effects Of Self-Efficacy On The Accuracy Of Self-Assessments, Griffin Forberg

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Self-efficacy plays an important role in academic performance and self-concept development. This action research investigates the effects of self-efficacy on self-assessment accuracy among engineering students during a 3D modeling unit. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study contains Likert scales to assess self-efficacy and quantitative methods to determine student's predicted and actual performance. Findings reveal that while self-efficacy improves over time, students become more likely to underestimate their abilities. The study suggests the need for a variety of feedback sources and highlights potential limitations in the tested self-assessment practices. Future research should explore other subject areas and different assessment formats to …

Improving Social And Emotional Learning In Middle School, Casey Canaday

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Research shows that social-emotional learning has a direct impact on the academic and overall success of students in educational environments and beyond. Effective social-emotional programs and strategies implemented with fidelity can improve school climate and culture, positively impacting students, teachers, staff, and families. Without explicit teaching of social-emotional concepts, students are not given the opportunities to reach their full potential to be well-rounded individuals with developed social-emotional skills that support their overall wellness. The findings of a variety of research related to social-emotional learning guided the school improvement plan that was created to successfully implement social-emotional learning practices into schools. …

Implementing Writing Strategies In Secondary Classrooms Across Multiple Content Areas, Julia R. Campie

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This school improvement plan integrates different writing strategies, such as (a) collaborative writing; (b) peer editing; (c) technology integration; and (c) writing for a specific task, purpose, and style to improve writing scores in a rural school district in the Midwest. Through the use of a pilot team, members will test what specific writing strategies are effective in each content area and apply it in their own classrooms. Then, the pilot team will coach staff members in writing strategies and implementation in their own content areas for a building-wide initiative to increase self-efficacy with writing and improve student Iowa Statewide …

Using Restorative Practices To Ensure Students Feel Seen, Heard, And Valued, Rylie Zyzda

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research project was driven by the researcher's interest in understanding students' emotions and feelings after engaging in restorative practices. The research included two first-grade male children and the action researcher, a first-grade teacher. The participants were expected to follow classroom rules during their special subject area. Special subject areas include art, music, computer lab, character education, P.E., and library. When challenging behaviors arose during these times, the researcher disciplined the participants using two different strategies: zero-tolerance and restorative practice. The participants immediately drew a picture related to their feelings following the discipline act. Findings revealed that children feel …

Improving Employability Competencies For High School Students, Angela Williams

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This School Improvement Plan aims to enhance the employability skills of high school students at Clayton Ridge by strategically addressing components essential for success in the modern workforce. Employability skills, encompassing a range of personal qualities, communication abilities, digital literacy, and leadership proficiencies, are paramount for students' future careers. The plan focuses on developing a structured framework, integrating reflective practices, and documenting career opportunities within Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs to better prepare students for success in the workforce and lifelong learning. Through collaboration with local businesses and industry professionals, students will gain invaluable insights into industry expectations and …

Navigating Literacy Proficiency: Merging Science Of Reading And Guided Approaches, Amber Toms

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research was prompted by the recognition that a "one-size-fits-all" instructional approach may not cater to the diverse needs of all students, particularly those in special education. The study emphasizes science of reading principles with an appreciation for incorporating guided reading elements to enhance implicit learning and to fast-track learning in order to close the gap, while still catering to the child’s specific needs. The researcher, currently serving as a PK-2^nd grade special education teacher, adjusted the current norms to promote student success. Rather than allocating the usual 45 minutes per day for group instruction with her second-grade …

Play Having Its Place In Early Childhood Education, Emily Streicher

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This literature review and school improvement plan focuses on the power of play for early childhood learners. Play is an innate characteristic in humans and various species alike. Despite the overwhelming evidence supporting play for children, academic demands and pressures felt by teachers and administrators are causing play in early childhood settings to be eliminated or reduced. Teachers, along with administrators, play a key part in this. Early childhood research suggests that teachers' beliefs indicate the likelihood of teachers' intentions to develop a child-centered curriculum and pedagogy that meet children's development and needs (Cheung et al., 2022). Ergo, this school …

The Impact Of Modernization On Mating Strategies In Iran: A Comparison Across Cities Versus Small Towns, Saeed Koohgard, Kai Lin Lynn Tan, Norman P. Li, Marzie Hashemi

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The mating market in Iran has shown an increased rate of relationship formation. In such relationships, the most important pillar is physical attractiveness. We adopt an evolutionary perspective to understand this trend. Through comparing districts with different levels of modernization, this study explores the effects of modernization on mate preferences in Iran. We propose that rapid modernization reduces the preference for long-term relationships and has led to a rise in short-term mating strategies. We predict that the rise of short-term mating strategies will be reflected in higher frequencies of relationships and prioritizing physical attraction in mateseeking in modern versus non-modern …

Efficacy Of Digital Mental Health Interventions For Ptsd Symptoms: A Systematic Review Of Meta-Analyses, Yue Qi Germaine Tng, Xun Ci Soh, Xun Ci Soh, Andree Hartanto, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Background: The present systematic review aimed to synthesize the results of meta-analyses which examine the effects of digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and investigate whether intervention characteristics (i.e., technique, timeframe, and therapeutic guidance) and methodological characteristics including outcome measures and sample inclusion criteria (age, gender, socioeconomic status, country, comorbidity) moderate the efficacy of digital interventions. Methods: A systematic search of various sources (ECSCOhost PsycInfo, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCOhost ERIC, Google Scholar, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses) including five peer-reviewed journals was conducted to identify relevant meta-analyses up to December 2023, and 11 meta-analyses …

Exploring Caregiver Support For Advanced Practice Nurses Following An Error, Sunnie L. Nield

Student Works

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) are a growing population of employed individuals within the healthcare system, working in outpatient and inpatient settings. Like other healthcare professionals, nurse practitioners can and do make errors while practicing. Nevertheless, little to no research has focused on them. This research aimed to better understand nurse practitioners’ attitudes towards error approach, perception, and cause using the Medical Error Attitude Scale (MEAS). Additional purposes included the further exploration of APRNs' experiences following an error and support they may or may not receive. A convenience sample of ARPNs licensed in Utah was sent an electronic survey via …

The Last Colony Of The Mind: Narrative, Legal Advocacy, And The Decolonization Of Legal Knowledge, Ayodeji Kamau Perrin

Faculty Scholarship

Philippe Sands’ The Last Colony¹ tells the story of how Chagos Islanders won the right to return to the lands of their birth through a 2019 Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).² In 1965, while the United Kingdom stood in the midst of conceding to the independence claims of myriad anti-colonialists throughout its imperial holdings, it took the anachronistic step of creating a colony—the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT).³ In flagrant violation of UN Resolution 1514,⁴ the United Kingdom detached the Chagos Archipelago from the colony of Mauritius. And between 1967 and 1973, …