Digital Commons Network^™

The Lived Spiritual Experience Of Aging Adults (≥65), Eddie Doron Soffer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This phenomenological study explored the lived spiritual experience of aging adults (≥65), filling a gap in the literature relating to aging people’s spirituality in a variety of circumstances. The once-American youth-oriented society is growing older at an unprecedented rate as 76 million individuals of the baby-boomer generation (born 1946–1964) face retirement age. This demographic shift highlights a social problem of millions of aging baby boomers requiring a far-reaching change in the structure of society. This qualitative study aimed to gain insights into the lived experience of the spirituality of a sample of nine adults aged 65 and above by asking …

Mental Health Clinicians’ Experiences Of Treatment Length With Incarcerated Men In Therapeutic Community Substance Abuse Treatment, Crystal D. Nelson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over half of the incarcerated population suffer from a substance abuse disorder; however, less than 20% of those incarcerated have access to substance abuse treatment while incarcerated. In those facilities where substance abuse treatment is an option, pressures of overcrowding and financial constraints threaten the length of treatment programming offered to move more people through treatment quicker. Therapeutic communities (TCs) have been shown to be the best substance abuse treatment option for those who are incarcerated, but TCs were designed to be a phase-based program based on developmental changes and signs of growth through the program. The purpose of this …

Probation And Pre-Trial Officers' Perspectives On The Impact Of Maternal Incarceration On Children, Shaniqua Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Because of the mass incarceration of women, maternal incarceration has become a phenomenon within itself. This phenomenon has led to an increase in Black children with an incarcerated mother; however, there is a lack of information about how the cycle of the mass incarceration of Black women is perceived on the community supervision level. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to better understand probation and pre-trial officers’ perceptions of how the maternal incarceration of Black women impacts Black children. Three research questions explored how participants viewed the impact of maternal incarceration on Black children, recidivism, and positive reentry. …

From Cypherpunks To Congress: A Historical Analysis Of The Development, Uses, And Regulatory Landscape Of Cryptocurrencies, Andrew Moore

Honors Theses

As cryptocurrencies have begun to proliferate through the economy policymakers are asking questions of where they came from, how do they work, what they are used for and how should we regulate the market. Through a historical analysis, it can be seen that Bitcoin represented a legitimate innovation in money and provided significant improvements to earlier attempts at private commodity currency. Additionally, many of the criticisms lobbied against Bitcoin appear to be overstated, most notably the claim that it is a good tool for criminals. However, there has been a notable split in the market. The emerging crypto industry bears …

Sga 55 Senate 2024-05-03 Minutes, Niu Student Government Association Senate

Student Government Association Archives

No abstract provided.

Using Student Interests To Explore Inclusion In Undergraduate Chemistry, Sonja Hoversten

CSB and SJU Distinguished Thesis

For students who are not chemistry majors, but who are on a career track requiring four chemistry courses, taking the final reactivity chemistry course (CHEM 251) for pre-health students can be daunting. For this reason, this research is focused on the CHEM 251 course at The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University (CSBSJU) which is one of the four required chemistry courses for pre-medicine and some pre-physician assistant students, and all chemistry and biochemistry majors. Student perception of inclusion in the course increased through the implementation of group assignments including prompts for individual application of the material. The …

Teacher Experiences With Increased Attrition Post-Covid-19 Pandemic, Stacy Catherine Baker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed was a post-COVD-19 pandemic increase in teacher attrition at an A-rated suburban middle school in a southern U.S. state. The increased attrition placed additional strain on local schools, teachers, and district personnel and affected the academic progress of students. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore middle school teachers’ experiences with the increasing attrition and obtain recommendations for improving teacher retention. The conceptual framework was the jobs-demands-resources theory. The two research questions concerned middle school teachers’ experiences related to the increasing teacher attrition and their recommendations for improving teacher retention, respectively. The study used …

We Can Do It! But Should We? Reflecting On Projects And Priorities, Claire Du Laney Dunker, Wendy Guerra, Amy Schindler, Lori Schwartz

Criss Library Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

What happens when you combine archivists and non-archivists with good intentions, unprocessed collections, institutional push to seek grants, competing pressures and deadlines? At the University of Nebraska at Omaha Archives and Special Collections, this familiar scenario occurred during a period focused on prioritizing Latinx collections including personal papers, Office of Latino and Latin American Studies Records, and oral histories. During our presentation, we will share how archivists attempted to wrangle multiple funding streams to meet processing, outreach, and digitization goals while internal and external forces took a toll. These included stakeholder expectations, the complexities of student employment, campus events, and …

Comparison Of The Fluorescence Of Bulk Cadmium Sulfide And Cadmium Sulfide Nanoparticles, Jacob Goranson

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

The fluorescence of bulk cadmium sulfide and cadmium sulfide nanoparticles were compared. This was done using an 800-nm, unamplified Ti:sapphire laser producing 50-fs pulses. The pulses were frequency doubled using a beta barium borate (BBO) crystal. The 400-nm beam was used to induce fluorescence in the nanoparticles, while the original 800-nm beam was used to induce fluorescence in the bulk CdS by two-photon absorption. The bulk CdS showed a single fluorescent peak at 523 nm. The nanoparticles showed fluorescence at various wavelengths across the visible spectrum. In general, the nanoparticles showed a broad fluorescent spectrum between 500 nm and 750 …

Treatment Outcomes In Patients With Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma With Sarcomatoid And/Or Rhabdoid Dedifferentiation After Progression On Immune Checkpoint Therapy, Andrew W Hahn, Devaki Shilpa Surasi, Paul V Viscuse, Tharakeswara K Bathala, Andrew J Wiele, Matthew T Campbell, Amado J Zurita, Amishi Y Shah, Eric Jonasch, Jianjun Gao, Sangeeta Goswami, Omar Alhalabi, Priya Rao, Kanishka Sircar, Nizar M Tannir, Pavlos Msaouel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Metastatic RCC with sarcomatoid and/or rhabdoid (S/R) dedifferentiation is an aggressive disease associated with improved response to immune checkpoint therapy (ICT). The outcomes of patients treated with VEGFR-targeted therapies (TT) following ICT progression have not been investigated.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective review of 57 patients with sarcomatoid (S), rhabdoid (R), or sarcomatoid plus rhabdoid (S + R) dedifferentiation who received any TT after progression on ICT at an academic cancer center. Clinical endpoints of interest included time on TT, overall survival (OS) from initiation of TT, and objective response rate (ORR) by RECIST version 1.1. Multivariable models adjusted for …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Impact Of Iready On Student Reading Achievement For Students In Response To Intervention, Althia Gates

Dissertations

This qualitative case study aimed to explore teachers’ perceptions of the impact of i-Ready on student reading achievement for students in Response to Intervention (RTI). In this qualitative case study, participants were given an opportunity to voice their point of view and perceptions of the impact of i-Ready, including the benefits and barriers they experience when implementing i-Ready as an intervention tool for struggling readers. The need to hear teacher voices and perspectives on an RTI intervention tool is essential to providing students with the best learning experience and growth results. The study included five elementary teachers who implement i-Ready …

The Role Of Social Support In The Mitigation Of Social Worker Burnout During The Aftermath Of Hurricane Maria, Miguel Angel Soto

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers are among the first responders to be activated during a natural disaster, and they remain aiding victims through the final stages of the recovery process. During the aftermath of natural disasters, social workers are required to work under extreme pressure and are at an increased risk of developing mental health issues that can affect their ability to provide adequate services. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the experiences of social workers who responded to Hurricane Maria regarding the role of social support and its relation to burnout. A purposive selection methodology was applied to …

Evaluating Critical Thinking In New Graduate Nurses Through Reflective Journaling, Robbin Guynn

Sigma Foundation for Nursing Research Grant Reports

The purpose of this project is to look at the development of critical thinking in newly graduated nurses to see if reflective journaling can help accelerate the process.

Autologous Bone Marrow Mononuclear Cells To Treat Severe Traumatic Brain Injury In Children, Charles S Cox, David M Notrica, Jenifer Juranek, Jeffrey H Miller, Fabio Triolo, Steven Kosmach, Sean I Savitz, P David Adelson, Claudia Pedroza, Scott D Olson, Michael C Scott, Akshita Kumar, Benjamin M Aertker, Henry W Caplan, Margaret L Jackson, Brijesh S Gill, Robert A Hetz, Michael S Lavoie, Linda Ewing-Cobbs

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) infused after severe traumatic brain injury have shown promise for treating the injury. We evaluated their impact in children, particularly their hypothesized ability to preserve the blood–brain barrier and diminish neuroinflammation, leading to structural CNS preservation with improved outcomes.

We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-sham-controlled Bayesian dose-escalation clinical trial at two children's hospitals in Houston, TX and Phoenix, AZ, USA (NCT01851083). Patients 5–17 years of age with severe traumatic brain injury (Glasgow Coma Scale score ≤ 8) were randomized to BMMNC or placebo (3:2). Bone marrow harvest, cell isolation and infusion were …

Evaluating The Heterogeneity Of Hippocampal Avoidant Whole Brain Radiotherapy Treatment Effect: A Secondary Analysis Of Nrg Cc001, Hua-Ren R Cherng, Kai Sun, Søren Bentzen, Terri S Armstrong, Vinai Gondi, Paul D Brown, Minesh Mehta, Mark V Mishra

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Hippocampal avoidant whole brain radiotherapy (HA-WBRT) is the standard of care for patients needing WBRT for brain metastases. This study, using existing data from NRG Oncology CC001 including baseline tumor characteristics and patient-reported MD Anderson Symptom Inventory-Brain Tumor (MDASI-BT) scores, sought to identify subgroups of patients that demonstrate differential neuroprotective treatment response to HA-WBRT.

Methods: An exploratory analysis of NRG CC001, a phase 3 trial in which 518 patients were randomly assigned to WBRT plus memantine or HA-WBRT plus memantine, was performed. Rates of neurocognitive function failure (NCFF) were estimated between subgroups and stratified by arm. Covariate and subgroup …

Global Prevalence Of Aspirin Use For Primary Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study Of Nationally Representative, Individual-Level Data, Sang Gune K Yoo, Mark D Huffman, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Intermittent Glucocorticoid Treatment Improves Muscle Metabolism Via The Pgc1Α/Lipin1 Axis In An Aging-Related Sarcopenia Model, Ashok D. Prabakaran, Kevin Mcfarland, Karen Miz, Hima Bindu Durumutla, Kevin Piczer, Fadoua El Abdellaoui Soussi, Hannah Latimer, Cole Werbrich, Hyun-Jy Chung, N. Scott Blair, Douglas P. Millay, Andrew J. Morris, Brendan Prideaux, Brian N. Finck, Mattia Quattrocelli

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Sarcopenia burdens the older population through loss of muscle energy and mass, yet treatments to functionally rescue both parameters are lacking. The glucocorticoid prednisone remodels muscle metabolism on the basis of frequency of intake, but its mechanisms in sarcopenia are unknown. We found that once-weekly intermittent prednisone administration rescued muscle quality in aged 24-month-old mice to a level comparable to that seen in young 4-month-old mice. We discovered an age- and sex-independent glucocorticoid receptor transactivation program in muscle encompassing peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1 α (PGC1α) and its cofactor Lipin1. Treatment coordinately improved mitochondrial abundance through isoform 1 and …

Identifying Long-Term Survivors And Those At Higher Or Lower Risk Of Relapse Among Patients With Cytogenetically Normal Acute Myeloid Leukemia Using A High-Dimensional Mixture Cure Model, Kellie J Archer, Han Fu, Krzysztof Mrózek, Deedra Nicolet, Alice S Mims, Geoffrey L Uy, Wendy Stock, John C Byrd, Wolfgang Hiddemann, Jan Braess, Karsten Spiekermann, Klaus H Metzeler, Tobias Herold, Ann-Kathrin Eisfeld

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Patients with cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia (CN-AML) may harbor prognostically relevant gene mutations and thus be categorized into one of the three 2022 European LeukemiaNet (ELN) genetic-risk groups. Nevertheless, there remains heterogeneity with respect to relapse-free survival (RFS) within these genetic-risk groups. Our training set included 306 adults on Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology studies with de novo CN-AML aged <  60 years who achieved a complete remission and for whom centrally reviewed cytogenetics, RNA-sequencing, and gene mutation data from diagnostic samples were available (Alliance trial A152010). To overcome deficiencies of the Cox proportional hazards model when long-term survivors are present, we developed a penalized semi-parametric mixture cure model (MCM) to predict RFS where RNA-sequencing data comprised the predictor space. To validate model performance, we employed an independent test set from the German Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cooperative Group (AMLCG) consisting of 40 de novo CN-AML patients aged <  60 years who achieved a complete remission and had RNA-sequencing of their pre-treatment sample. For the training set, there was a significant non-zero cure fraction (p = 0.019) with 28.5% of patients estimated to be cured. Our MCM included 112 genes associated with cure, or long-term RFS, and 87 genes associated with latency, or shorter-term time-to-relapse. The area under the curve and C-statistic were respectively, 0.947 and 0.783 for our training set and 0.837 and 0.718 for our test set. We identified a novel, prognostically relevant molecular signature in CN-AML, which allows identification of patient subgroups independent of 2022 ELN genetic-risk groups.Trial registration Data from companion studies CALGB 8461, 9665 and 20202 (trials registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as, respectively, NCT00048958, NCT00899223, and NCT00900224) were obtained from Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology under data sharing study A152010. Data from the AMLCG 2008 trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01382147.

Creatively Reimagining Place And Community In A World Of Extreme Weather, Helena Grehan, Belinda Smaill, Michael J. Ostwald

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This chapter explores connections between place, community and narrative in the context of a world beset by extreme weather events. Drawing on insights and readings from three disciplines—theatre studies, screen studies and architecture—the chapter constructs a rich picture of the ways these fields contribute to definitions of place and can potentially enhance disaster preparedness and recovery activities. Edward S. Casey’s theories of place and community provide a connecting thread throughout the chapter, along with his ideas about selfhood, “implacement” and the environment as a source of danger. As both an example of a work that begins to address these themes …

Moving Beyond Recovery And Reconstruction: Imagining Extreme Event Preparedness Through Performing Arts, Jane W. Davidson, Sarah Woodland, Helena Grehan, Simonne Pengelly, Linda Hassall

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This chapter begins by examining the importance of resilience in response to extreme weather events, before considering the role of performing arts projects in dealing with the aftermath of disaster. Including First Nations approaches, examples from diverse cultural settings and the powerful potential of digital technology, it reveals how performing arts endeavours afford aesthetic opportunities that can give voice to and make sense of crisis experiences that precipitate mental health and wellbeing challenges as devastating as the events themselves. Drawing on critical research findings including those from the 10-year Beyond Bushfires study in Australia, the authors demonstrate how empathy and …

Has Russia Killed Article 2(4)? Evaluating The Effectiveness Of The Prohibition Of The Use Of Force In The Conduct Of International Affairs, Dr. Graham Melling

San Diego International Law Journal

The February 24, 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia represents an unambiguous breach of the United Nations Charter´s prohibition of the use of force. The significance of the prohibition of the use of force between States cannot be overstated and is recognised in practice and legal doctrine as being “one of the core values of the international community”. However, argument has been made that the United Nations Charter´s rules prohibiting the use of force are no longer relevant to the conduct of international affairs, especially involving major powers. It could be argued that by their conduct States have repudiated the …

Is Organized Gambling A Threat To The Integrity Of Transnational Individual Sport Competitions?, Ilias Bantekas

San Diego International Law Journal

Match-fixing is egregious at the mid and lower tiers of professional and semi-professional individual sports, particularly, if not exclusively, where the relevant governing body allows real time gambling of matches and tournaments at these lower tiers. Evidence demonstrates that in sports such as tennis and badminton, the bulk of the prize money is distributed to a small minority of athletes at the top tier and instances of match-fixing there are rare as a result. There are, however, many thousands of athletes at the lower tiers that are unable to make ends meet and whose expenses far outweigh any meagre prize …

Equity And Sustainable Development Under Climate Regime Of Bangladesh, Mahatab Uddin

San Diego International Law Journal

Equity and Sustainable Development are two important guiding principles of the international climate regime formed under the umbrella of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 1992. All international legal instruments concluded under the climate regime, including the recently adopted Paris Agreement, have acknowledged these two principles as their guiding principles. Consequently, all countries or parties to the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement require integrating these two principles with their national level climate change related laws and policies. Bangladesh, as a party to the UNFCCC and all other subsequent instruments including the Paris Agreement, is also required to incorporate …

The Protection Of Legitimate Expectations In International Law, Halil Rahman Basaran

San Diego International Law Journal

The argument of this Article is that international law has still not reached a stage wherein the protection of legitimate expectations can become a general principle of law. In that respect, the most favorable terrain for the protection of legitimate expectations, namely, inter-state negotiations, still largely remains outside international law. In pursuing this argument, this Article first examines the notions of national sovereignty, legal institution and inter-state boundaries. This paper then looks at the notion of general principles of law and highlights the principle of equity. Finally, the Article discusses the Bolivia v. Chile case and places international investment law …

Outsmarting Smart Devices: Preparing For Ai Liability Risks And Regulations, Kathryn Bosman Cote

San Diego International Law Journal

As AI technology continues to advance rapidly, establishing a new model for AI regulation will be crucial to protect both companies and consumers. The U.S. must consider consumer safety as well as innovation-conducive policies when assigning liability to AI. By using EU regulatory guidance as a starting point, this paper argues that a multi-tiered liability scheme coupled with a Uniform AI ethical framework and the creation of an independent AI regulatory agency would aid the U.S. in striking the right balance to effectively combat the risks posed by AI and IoT.

Help The People Help The Governments Help The Planet: Using Markets To Meet The Goals Of The Paris Agreement, Rachel Braby

San Diego International Law Journal

The urgency of the climate challenge requires that we address it in every way we can. Yet, current domestic regulations are insufficient to rise to the occasion, and there appears to be no plan geared toward harnessing the power of collective consumer action to supplement government efforts and push industries in the private sector to engage in greener practices. A majority of developed nations have mixed market-driven economies, and in such economies, consumers have immense power to drive change. Paris Agreement nations with mixed market-driven economies should incorporate a strategic plan in their next NDCs that “represent[s] a progression” beyond …

International Conformity To The Standard Minimum Age Of Criminal Responsibility: Comparing The Minimum Age Of Criminal Responsibility To The Minimum Legal Age Of Marriage, Malea Casillas

San Diego International Law Journal

As this data shows, countries across the globe, irrespective of culture, comply with and uphold the international MLAM. In contrast, they simultaneously fail to agree to the international MACR. The universal conformity with the international MLAM demonstrates that countries understand the negative consequences of marriage at a young age and care to protect children against child marriage. However, the even lower MACRs across the globe indicate that most of our world values prosecution over protection and likely sees offender first and child second.

This Comment will argue that MACR and MLAM should be recognized as similar legal concepts that are …

Free Speech Censorship In The Philippines: The Push To Decriminalize Libel, Carter Cordura

San Diego International Law Journal

Philippine criminal libel law is unjustly being used to suppress and censor the media and press; libel should be decriminalized and redefined to uphold the ideals of due process and freedom of expression enumerated in the Philippine Constitution.

This Comment takes a deep dive into Philippine libel law and argues for its decriminalization and redefining from an international perspective.

Fairness At The Forefront: Transgender Athlete Participation In The Olympics, Baylee Swidler

San Diego International Law Journal

This Article will examine how the IOC framework has developed over the years, focusing specifically on where it is now, and how it affects transgender athletes, cisgender athletes (athletes whose biological sex matches their gender identity), and future athletes. Players worldwide are affected differently by the decisions of each International Federation, depending on whether fairness or inclusion is prioritized. Sport at lower levels can be significantly influenced by the independent regulations of each sport federation, even for younger athletes. My proposal, rather than simply stating that reform is necessary after the implementation of the IOC 2021 framework, is instead, to …

Effectiveness Of Social And Emotional Learning Practices For Middle School Students With Asd As Rated By Educators: A Delphi Study, Linda Payne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This manuscript proposes the use of a Delphi study to gain knowledge from educators of neuro-divergent students attending a private, special needs grade school in the southeastern United States that specializes in meeting the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) needs of neurodivergent students, primarily with diagnoses of Level 1 Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The goal of this proposed Delphi study is to gain insight into the perspectives of educators on the challenges and strategies for helping middle school students with ASD learn social and emotional skills. Data will be collected through several rounds of surveys using the Delphi methodology. Results …