Digital Commons Network^™

Forget-Me-Not: Facilitating Social Vibrancy In Spaces Designed For Alzheimer's Disease, Torilyn Mossner

Honors Theses

The objective of this capstone project is to create a foundation for vibrant community interactions and connections that support those living with Alzheimer’s disease, their loved ones, and the broader members of the community through interior design. This work is relevant because Alzheimer’s disease affects 1 in 9 people over the age of sixty-five worldwide. Without a cure, as people continue to age, there is going to be a constant need for development of care. Additionally, design should go a step further than healthy living and begin to prioritize creating a vibrant life and community integration for those living with …

Weakening Of Social Protection In Vietnam: Labour Legislation, Cicada Capital And Civil Society, Angie Ngọc Trần

SSGS Faculty Publications and Presentations

Using findings from a 2023 case study on Vietnamese workers in the wood-processing industry and critical content analysis of changes in the labour codes, social insurance laws and annual minimum wage increase policy, I demonstrate how the state’s rhetoric of ‘universal social coverage’ for workers has facilitated the recommodification phase, an authoritarian turn, in the ‘cycle of commodification’ ( Lin and Nguyen, 2021 ). I argue that the expansion of informal labour and unchecked prevalence of ‘cicada capitalism’ are enabled by weakening labour legislation, even weaker state enforcement of social protection laws, and suppression of civil society’s labour advocacy …

Utilization Of Natural Pumice Stone As A Low-Cost Ion Exchanger For Lead (Pb(Ii)) Removal: A Kinetics, Isotherms And Mechanisms Studies, Ahmad Sulaiman

Baghdad Science Journal

Pumice is one of the raw materials that is widely available, especially in the ``Middle East region and Turkey''. In this research, an ion exchanger was prepared from Syrian pumice by converting it into a low-silica ion exchanger (P_Na) for the removal of Pb²__MATH₀__⁺ uptake was 4.3 mmol/g (308.15 K). Removal efficiency was 100% at low concentrations and >80% at medium/high concentrations. The adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-first-order model, and the equilibrium data fit well to Langmuir, Freundlich, and Redlich-Peterson isotherms (R² > 0.99).

Molecular Characterization And Virulence Factors Of Streptococcus Mutans Isolated From Dental Caries In Type 2 Diabetic Patients, Tiba Abed Maarij Al-Ogaidi, Shaymaa Ismael Kadhim Al-Juboori

Baghdad Science Journal

Individuals with type 2 diabetes are particularly susceptible to frequent and uncontrolled dental caries. Streptococcus mutans, a main cause of dental caries, impacts millions each year and presents significant oral health challenges. Although extensively studied, the bacterium's pathogenesis remains incompletely understood, underscoring the need for further research. This study aimed to isolate and analyze the molecular characteristics of Streptococcus mutans in patients with type 2 diabetes. It explored the bacterium's capacity to infect, survive, and endure acidic oral environments. Samples were taken from 50 individuals with both type 2 diabetes and dental caries, 50 with dental plaque, and 20 …

Usa V. Aaron Lyons

2026 Decisions

USDC for the Western District of Pennsylvania

Strategies For Integrated Primary Care Clinics To Improve Administrative Costs Due To Medication Nonadherence, Michael A. Watkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Medication non-adherence is a pervasive issue that drives up administrative costs for integrated primary care clinics. Total administrative costs for medication non-adherence account for one-quarter of U.S. healthcare expenditures. The purpose of this integrative review was to identify cost-reduction strategies that integrated primary care clinic administrators can implement to offset costs associated with medication nonadherence. The theoretical framework for this integrative review was Bertalanffy’s general systems theory. The review question was to identify strategies that primary care clinics could implement to reduce administrative costs associated with patient medication nonadherence. A comprehensive literature search yielded 1,892 potential articles. A quality analysis …

Prenatal Care Access And Pregnancy Outcomes Among Black Women Ages 15–44 In Cook County, Illinois, Deandrea Heggins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Maternal health disparities affecting Black women in the United States remain a persistent public health concern due to inequities in prenatal care access and adverse birth outcomes. Prior research has shown that socioeconomic conditions, insurance coverage, and systemic barriers influence prenatal care utilization and maternal outcomes; however, limited research has examined how Medicaid coverage, household income, preterm birth, and birth weight are collectively associated with prenatal care access among Black women in Cook County, Illinois. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationships among these factors and access to prenatal care among Black women ages 15–44 …

Exercise Behavior Determinants Of The United States Military And Veterans, Ira Seth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite organizational policy and access to physical activity facilities, the U.S. Department of Defense has observed an increase in the prevalence of service members classified as overweight or obese. Guided by the social-ecological model, this quantitative study investigated the work-related exercise determinants within the U.S. military community. Voluntarily recruited current and former service members from Stars and Stripes completed the Office Exercise Behavior Determinant Scale and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, along with demographic and biometric questions, to identify physical activity behavior and potential barriers. Findings revealed statistical significance related to exercise duration and military variables (e.g., occupation, race/ethnicity), as …

Spartan Daily, April 28, 2026, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2026

Volume 166, Issue 38

20260428: Presidential Cabinet, 1926-2002, President's Office

Guides to University Archives

These items include materials from the Office of the University President. Items were received in the early 2000s and include notable materials from the Administrative Cabinet, Executive Committee, the President's Cabinet, College Council, Administrative Operational Objectives, the Commission on Planning, Commencement, and Institutional Profile data.This is not an exhaustive list. Please download the finding aid for a full list of contents.

Identifying Obstetric Care Needs Among Rohingya Refugee Women In Milwaukee: A Quality Improvement Project, Amulya Suresh, Sarah Yapo, Dahlia Tesfamichael, Manuel Lamptey, Dawn Wankowski, Jessica Kram, Elizabeth Corey

All Other Contributions

No abstract provided.

Key Issues For Speed Safety Cameras: Results From A Semi-Structured Interview Of Agencies In The United States, Sophia Semensky, Miguel Figliozzi

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Speed safety cameras (SSCs) are a recognized countermeasure for targeting speeding-related crashes, injuries, and fatalities. SSCs have been introduced in various cities and are steadily expanding in use both in the U.S. and internationally. The extensive literature review of domestic and international documents and research papers reveals that the U.S. has been comparatively slow to adopt SSCs, with some other countries implementing these systems more extensively and earlier. Many local agencies are eager to learn SSC best practices and implementation lessons within the U.S. context. In this research, key issues related to SSC implementation are explored through semi-structured interviews with …

Hybrid Fabrication Of An Electrochemical Electrode Via Inkjet Printing On 3d-Printed Substrates, Md Tawabur Rahman, Jessica Bone, Thomas J. Roussel, Judith L. Jenkins, Aron J. Huckaba

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Combinations of additive manufacturing methods such as inkjet printing and various 3D printing techniques have led to advances in customizable electronic devices by reducing the need for the complex assembly of individually fabricated components. Such combinations are particularly attractive for the fabrication of electrochemical sensing platforms, where the sizes and spatial configurations of electrodes enable (or limit) the sensitivity of the sensors. However, to realize the potential of the combined fabrication methods, the parameters of each printing technique must be mutually compatible. For instance, electrochemical sensing assemblies consisting of inkjet-printed metals on 3D-printed plastics require post-processing steps that convert nanoparticular …

Contests Of Masculinity: The Model Program, Notre Dame, And Collegiate Football, 1945-1972, Brian Michael Burns

Dissertations (1934 -)

This dissertation examines how collegiate football functioned as a contested site for defining masculinity and institutional identity in the United States between 1945 and 1972. Focusing on the leadership and interactions of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Football Foundation (NFF), and the University of Notre Dame, the project argues that these institutions promoted competing models of masculinity that reflected broader tensions between moral authority, institutional control, athletic success, and social change in postwar America. This dissertation argues that postwar collegiate football did not express a single dominant masculine ideal but instead became a site of ongoing institutional …

Academic Senate - Agenda, 04/28/2026, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Improving Undergraduate Nursing Student Self-Care Agency With The Moodfit App, Sarah C. Young, Susan Patton

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

The prevalence of nursing burnout syndrome is estimated to range from 14 to 38% (Ge et al., 2023); North America has the highest rate at 38%. Two systematic reviews and meta-analyses found the global prevalence of burnout syndrome in nursing students ranging from 23 to 35% (Kong et al., 2023, Hernandez-Mariano et al., 2024). Arian and colleagues (2023) found student nurse burnout positively correlates with academic semester. As students progress through each term, burnout risk increases.

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2021) includes the demonstration of “…healthy, self-care behaviors that promote wellness and resiliency” (p.53) as an essential …

Exploring The Perspectives Of Nurse Leaders On Motivational Interviewing For Workplace Well-Being, Quinais S. Yu

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Background: Nurse leaders face challenges in supporting staff well-being while managing their own, and effective communication is crucial.

Aim: This study explored nurse leaders' perceptions of factors influencing well-being, challenges they face, the impact of Motivational Interviewing skills, and their training needs in MI.

Methodology: Employing a qualitative, exploratory design, the study gathered insights from nurse leaders in Hong Kong clinical settings through individual semi-structured interviews, analyzed using thematic analysis.

Key Findings: Nurse leaders perceive MI as a valuable tool for effective communication and addressing staff ambivalence towards self-care. They emphasized the need for improved work environments, work-life balance, career …

The Role Of Otto In Indecent By Paula Vogel, Ben Turchiarelli

Student Theses

Between December 5th and 9th, 2025, Brooklyn College’s Department of Theater presented Indecent by Paula Vogel, directed by MFA directing candidate Sam Plattus. It was my privilege to play the role of Otto, a member of a troupe of dead actors, tasked with presenting a nearly coextensive play-within-a-play describing the controversial Broadway production of The God of Vengeance, by Sholem Asch. Otto presents several older male characters, including real-life figures; among them author I.L. Peretz, and actor Rudolph Schildkraut. Some of these scenes are depicted in the story as a play-within-a-play-within-a-play, and there are numerous musical interludes throughout wherein Otto …

Final Project Report Ai Based Heart Diagnosis System Using Ecg, Kiana Austin, Angello Martinez, John Wright, Noelle Poquiz

Engineering Senior Design Reports

Cardiac diseases are one of the leading causes of death across the world, and early detection heavily impacts the patient’s outcomes. This project focuses on developing an AI-based system capable of accurately classifying heart conditions from electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. The team designed a system that processes ECG data and identifies nine distinct cardiac conditions using different machine learning techniques to address these issues. The system is designed to be reliable, scalable, and accessible, to people in environments with limited access to medical professionals.

The system architecture consists of ECG data extraction from WFDB records, preprocessing and standardization, dataset organization and …

The Brief (Edition #45, April 2026), William & Mary Law School

The Brief

No abstract provided.

High Concordance Of Physician-Attestation With Manual Data Abstraction For Sickle Cell Type: An Ash Rc Data Hub Study, Alexis Thompson, Ashima Singh, Donna Neuberg, Amanda Brandow, Allison King, Sophie Lanzkron, Emily Semmel, Sam Walters, Susan Rogers, Kathleen Torres, William Wood

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States. The American Society of Hematology Research Collaborative (ASH RC) has built an SCD Data Hub (DH) to facilitate research and quality improvement using real-world data. To our knowledge, we report here the first analyses from the DH, focusing on cohort demographics and accurate identification of SCD diagnosis type. DH sites have data use agreements with ASH RC to extract and transfer electronic health record (EHR) data at least quarterly. Principal investigators (PI) provided additional attestation of SCD diagnosis based on existing local data sources deemed …

Cross-Sectional Associations Of Metabolically Healthy Obesity, Lifestyle Factors, And Steatotic Liver Disease In Adults From The Fels Longitudinal Study, Ariana L Garza, Audrey C Choh, John Blangero, Cici X Bauer, Stefan A Czerwinski, Miryoung Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To examine the associations of metabolic health and obesity phenotypes with liver fat accumulation and hepatic steatosis in adults.

Methods: We analyzed 676 non-Hispanic white adults (18-95 years; 55.8% female) from the Fels Longitudinal Study using a cross-sectional design. Participants were classified into metabolically healthy normal weight (MHNW), metabolically healthy obesity (MHO), metabolically unhealthy normal weight (MUNW), and metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) phenotypes. Metabolically unhealthy status was defined as the presence of ≥1 metabolic dysfunction, consistent with prior epidemiological definitions; secondary analyses using ≥2 were also performed. Obesity was defined using DXA-derived body fat percentage. Liver fat (%) was …

Serum Metabolites Associated With Depression And Anxiety In The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study Of Latinos, Xinye Qiu, Yu Zhang, Yogesh Purushotham, Qibin Qi, Bing Yu, Jan Bressler, Krista M Perreira, Humberto Parada, Martha L Daviglus, Alejandra Cid Vega, Carmen R Isasi, Linda C Gallo, Tamar Sofer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Omics signatures for psychiatric conditions have been under-investigated. In this study, we used data from a representative observational cohort study of Hispanic/Latino adults to identify serum metabolites associated with symptoms of depression or anxiety and to develop and assess metabolite risk scores (MRSs) of these phenotypes. We conducted a metabolome-wide association study of 768 metabolites with depression and anxiety symptoms, using two separate assay batches measured from baseline samples collected between June 2008 and July 2011 for discovery (batch 1: n = 4002 adults) and replication (batch 2: n = 2178 adults). We estimated the associations via survey-based generalized linear …

The Use Of Cognitive Biases In Russian Cyber Operations, Emma Manning

Honors Theses

This thesis examines how Russia has employed reflexive control through cyber operations to influence decision-making in foreign states, focusing on disinformation campaigns during the 2014 annexation of Crimea and the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Reflexive control, a concept rooted in Russian military doctrine, seeks to shape an adversary's perceptions and decision-making by providing carefully crafted information that leads targets to make choices favorable to the initiator. This research argues that while the fundamental objectives of reflexive control have remained consistent, technological advances have significantly expanded Russia's ability to conduct operations in developing cyber domains.

Using qualitative analysis of open-source intelligence, …

Executive Summary: Executive Leadership System Improvement Improving Depression Screening And Follow Up Processes, Rebecca Geneiveve Hidalgo Salomon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Depression remains a significant public health burden in the United States, contributing to disability, healthcare utilization, and economic cost. Internal 2024 audits at the project site identified variability in Patient Health Questionnaire 9 PHQ 9 screening and follow up processes, with 68% of screenings completed, 55% of follow ups timely, and disparities among patients with limited English proficiency. These findings indicate a systems level reliability and equity gap. This executive leadership system improvement project focused on developing a standardized, nurse led, electronic health record supported workflow to improve PHQ 9 completion and timely follow up. The practice focused question asked …

Final Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Quality Assurance Project Plan (Qapp), Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Quantifying Evapotranspiration From The Wetlands In The Peripheral Area Between The Most Downstream Stream Gages And The Open Water Body Of The Great Salt Lake, Motasem S. Abualqumboz, David G. Tarboton

Publications

Study region: The eastern peripheral area between the most downstream stream gages and the open water body of the Great Salt Lake (GSL), located in northern Utah within the semiarid western United States (US). 

Study focus: As GSL levels decline, the eastern peripheral area is expanding, exposing former lakebed, much of which has transitioned into natural and managed wetlands. Evapotranspiration (ET) from these wetlands consumes water that would otherwise reach the open-water lake body, yet these losses remain poorly quantified and directly affect the GSL water balance. This study compares a water-balance-based ET estimate for the wetlands in the peripheral …

The Importance Of Play-Based Learning, Nina Cavanaugh

Masters Projects

Play-based learning is a beneficial tool that can help support development of not only young children but students of all ages and abilities. While research may show that play-based learning has benefits for students’ development, many schools in the United States, including public schools in Macomb County do not have professional development opportunities to educate teachers on play-based learning. This project covers the benefits, theories, and implementation strategies of play-based learning. It explains how play-based learning can be beneficial for students cognitive and academic skills.  It also supports social emotional development, physical development, and language development. Not only does play-based …

Improving Reading Motivation For Upper High School Students: Thematic Book Clubs For The Ela Classroom, Isabella Haskin

Masters Projects

Though strong literacy skills are commonly understood to be essential for a successful life, reading comprehension rates continue to fall in the United States. A major factor in this literacy trend is a disinterest and lack of motivation to read among high school students. Research shows that students lose interest in reading as they progress through school, often due to a lack of choice and relevancy of school assigned texts. To address this issue, this project aims to provide educators with a replicable unit plan that will motivate students to read, and subsequently strengthen their literacy skills. It pairs a …

Addressing The Hidden Curriculum Through Trauma-Informed And Culturally Responsive Teaching For Multilingual Learners, Gabrielle Moeggenborg

Masters Projects

Multilingual learners (MLLs), including refugee, transient, and culturally and linguistically diverse students, often enter schools with experiences of trauma that impact academic performance, behavior, and sense of belonging. Additionally, the hidden curriculum in U.S. schools reinforces inequities for these students. The purpose of this project was to develop a high-quality, research-based educational handbook integrating trauma-informed practices with culturally responsive teaching to better support MLLs and mitigate the effects of the hidden curriculum. This project involved an extensive review of peer-reviewed and interdisciplinary research on learning theories, trauma, culturally responsive teaching, and multilingual education. Historical and contemporary literature was synthesized to …