Digital Commons Network^™

Living Arrangements And Depression Among Elderly Persons In China: A National Cross-Sectional Study, Yue Lyu, Seung Chun Paek, Patreeya Kitcharoen, Thammarat Marohabutr

Journal of Health Research

Background: While the positive effect of living alone on depression among elderly persons has been demonstrated by multiple studies in China, evidence regarding other types of living arrangements, specifically considering family size, is scarce. This study assessed the effect of living arrangements, as measured by family size, on depression among elderly persons.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of 6,678 adults aged 60+ from the 2020 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study was conducted using descriptive and binary logistic regression analyses.

Results: Of the analyzed elderly persons, 35.43% (n=2,366) exhibited depression. Elderly persons living alone exhibited higher levels of depression than those …

Effectiveness Of Self-Management Education On Behavior Improvement Among Stroke Survivors In Indonesia: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Yurike Septianingrum, Ratna Yunita Sari, Lono Wijayanti, Rizqa Septiana, Andis Yuswanto, Ah Yusuf, Ika Yuni Widyawati, Nor Aziyan Yahaya

Journal of Health Research

Background: This study aimed to investigate the impact of stroke self-management education (SSME) on improving self-management behaviors among stroke survivors.

Methods: An individual randomized controlled trial was conducted from June to August 2024 in an educational hospital in Surabaya, Indonesia. Participants were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria and then randomly assigned via computer-generated randomization to the intervention and control groups. After 3 weeks of intervention, the self-management behavior of stroke survivors was evaluated using the Stroke Self-Management Behavior Questionnaire (SSMBQ). A per-protocol analysis was used to compare the intervention groups, which included only those patients who completed …

Attitude And Confidence In Managing Pre-Existing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus During Pregnancy Among Thai Women, Ratchanok Phonyiam, Chiao-Hsin Teng, Catherine S. Sullivan, Aunchalee E.L. Palmquist, Eric A. Hodges, Yamnia I. Cortés, Marianne Baernholdt

Journal of Health Research

Background: The trend of rising T2DM prevalence is more pronounced in females and is of particular concern for pregnancy. The rate has jumped from 0.7% to 1.5% of all pregnancies over the past 14 years. Additionally, pregnancies affected by T2DM have higher rates of abortion and perinatal mortality compared to those with type 1 diabetes mellitus and gestational diabetes mellitus. The objective of the study was to explore the attitudes and confidence in managing T2DM among Thai women during pregnancy.

Methods: This qualitative study was a part of a parent study using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design. A purposive sampling …

A Hybrid Roberta–Rule-Based Aspect-Based Sentiment Analysis Model For Hospital Patient Reviews: Development, Validation, And Case Application In India, Akash Gajanan Prabhune, Karpaga Priya P S, Vinay R Sri Hari, Akhila Rayampalli, Ankur S Thakur, Ebin M Yohannan

Journal of Health Research

Background: Patient Online Reviews (PORs) provide real-time, unsolicited feedback that complements traditional satisfaction surveys. However, existing sentiment analysis tools often handle only monolingual data, broad sentiment categories, or lack review authenticity checks. This study develops a hybrid Aspect-Based Sentiment Analysis (ABSA) model combining RoBERTa with a rule-based aspect detection layer to extract fine-grained sentiment insights from Indian hospital reviews.

Methods: We curated and manually annotated 4,862 Google Maps reviews from 25 Indian hospitals across six aspects—Doctor Behavior, Staff Behavior, Cleanliness, Facility Experience, Cost, and Waiting Time. Though the scheme included positive/negative/neutral labels, the final model used binary polarity (positive vs. …

Pm2.5 And Respiratory Symptoms Among Primary Schoolchildren In Bangkok, Thailand: A School-Based Cross-Sectional Study, Monrudee Chokprajakchad, Dongruethai Buadong, Lawan Singhasai, Chayannan Jaide

Journal of Health Research

Background: Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been linked to adverse respiratory health in children. However, limited studies in Bangkok have examined the combined influence of environmental exposure and health perceptions. The objective of this study is to investigate the association between PM2.5 concentrations and respiratory symptoms among primary schoolchildren aged 7—12 years in Bangkok, across districts categorized by differing levels of air pollution.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 388 primary schoolchildren in Bangkok, recruited through cluster sampling from districts classified into three PM2.5 pollution zones based on data from the Pollution Control Department. Respiratory symptoms were …

Prediction Of Lung Vital Capacity Value From Thoracoabdominal Expansion In Young Adults, Aung Myo Htun, Aung Aung Nwe, Chatchaya Jaimanee, Thiwaphon Chatprem, Saowanee Nakmaroeng, Chatchai Phimphasak

Journal of Health Research

Background: Vital capacity (VC) is a fundamental indicator of pulmonary health, but its routine assessment often depends on spirometry devices that may be unavailable (i.e. because of access, cost) in many clinical or community settings. In contrast, lower costal (LC) and upper abdominal (AB) expansions are simple, equipment-free methods commonly used in physiotherapy.

Method: This cross-sectional study was aimed at developing prediction equations for VC using LC or upper AB expansion alongside demographic and anthropometric variables. The study involved 116 healthy nonsmokers (53 male and 63 female individuals) aged 18–39 years. VC was measured via spirometry using a …

Healthy Weight Intervention Effect On Weight Control Intention Among Overweight School-Aged Children, Pornthip Nawajongphun, Jumpee Granger, Dongruethai Buadong, Autchareeya Patoomwan

Journal of Health Research

Background: The incidence of overweight and obese children is rising all over the world. Various factors are involved, and those deficits affect these children's physical and mental health.

Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental research study to examine the effectiveness of a Healthy Weight Intervention (HWI) on weight control intention among overweight school-aged children using the theory of planned behavior. Participants were 9-12 years old, and there were 31 participants in each group. The study duration was six weeks for both groups. The data were collected using questionnaires on demographics, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived self-efficacy, and intention toward weight …

Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, And Environmental Factors Associated With Self-Directed Ageism Among Older Thai Adults, Jirawan Wittayanukorn, Piyawat Katewongsa, Yothin Sawangdee, Rossarin Gray, Tawanchai Jirapramukpitak

Journal of Health Research

Background: Self-directed ageism occurs when older adults internalize negative age-related stereotypes, a process that undermines self-esteem, reduces social participation, and leads to poorer health outcomes. Understanding the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental factors that contribute to self-directed ageism is essential for developing more effective interventions to reduce it.

Method: Data were drawn from the Survey on Conditions of Society, Culture, and Mental Health (Thai Happiness) 2014, a nationally representative survey. Managed by checking for completeness, duplicates, and missingness, 8,998 people (aged 60 years and over) were included. Factors associated with self-directed ageism were analyzed using binary logistic regression analysis, taking into …

Association Of Abo Blood Groups With Dengue Fever And Its Severity: A Study In Surabaya, Indonesia, Sulistiawati Sulistiawati, Linda Dewanti, Ronald Pratama Adiwinoto, Raissa Manika Purwaningtias, Bilqis Inayatillah, Jan Nouwen

Journal of Health Research

Background: Indonesia, a dengue-endemic country, has high morbidity and mortality rates. Dengue infection manifestations vary from asymptomatic to mild to severe. One of the risk factors for infection that plays a role in this severity is blood type. A better understanding of the risk factors for dengue infection is required to prevent and control it.

Methods: This analytical observational cross-sectional study was conducted at three hospitals in Surabaya from March to May 2013. Consecutive sampling included 95 patients aged >12 years with confirmed dengue infection (IgM/IgG positive) and without comorbid severe illness. Data were collected using questionnaires, interviews, and checklists, …

Artificial Intelligence Powered System For Dynamic And Personalized Interactive Learning From Video Content, Prameela Kavya Thummuru, Aravind Reddy Ayuluri

Defensive Publications Series

Educational video content may result in passive consumption and suboptimal knowledge retention by viewers of the video content who most often are children. Existing interactive viewing solutions may be limited by pre-scripted questions, a lack of personalization for individual or multiple viewers, and/or an inability to adapt content across viewing sessions. Described herein is the use of an artificial intelligence (AI) model to enhance video-based learning. The AI model analyzes video transcripts to intelligently identify optimal moments in the video content for interaction with the video based on pedagogical principles and viewer profiles. Breakpoints are inserted in the video content …

Enhancing Topical Delivery Of N-Acetylcysteine And Collagen Via A Novel Electrospun Collagen/Pmma Nanofibrous Mats As Facial Mask Development: Nanofibers Optimization And In Vitro Experiments, Samar A. Salim, Galala University, King Faisal University, Badr University, National Research Centre, City Of Scientific Research And Technological Applications (Srta-City),, Badr University

Nanotechnology Research Centre

This study endeavours to craft a potent topical facial mask using electrospun nanofibers. The nanofibers were carefully fabricated based on loading of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) onto electrospun marine collagen (MC), and poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanofibers. Through precise adjustments of electrospinning parameters, a uniform array of nanoscale fibres with a smooth surface was achieved. The morphology and chemical structure configuration of nanofibers (NFs) were examined using SEM, FTIR, and XRD analyses. Furthermore, the cytotoxic impact was assessed on a human normal fibroblast cell line (BJ1), while protein levels were gauged using the Bradford dye-binding assay (Coomassie assay). Also, the antioxidant potential …

Mental Health First Aid Certification's Impact On Filipino Nurses' Ability To Increase Personal Help-Seeking Behaviors, Self-Awareness Of Health Changes, And Improved Self-Connection, Maria Elena Holguin, Brenda Marshall, Faith Atte, Katherine J. Roberts

School of Nursing Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Background

Post COVID-19, almost 50% of nurses reported severe depression, and over 30% moderate to severe anxiety. Nurses from minority racial and ethnic backgrounds, including Filipino nurses, accounted for more than 54% of COVID-related deaths, despite comprising only 24.1% of the nursing workforce. Filipino nurses, making up only 1% of the U.S. population, comprise 4.5 % of the nursing workforce and face significant barriers to seeking mental health services, including stigma, a sense of shame, and adherence to cultural values that view mental illness as unacceptable.

Aim 

To assess the impact of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) certification among Filipino …

Absolute Extraction: Utilizing Rural Critical Criminology To Examine Appalachia’S Toxic Dependence On Extractive Industries, Andrew Kennedy

The Mid-Southern Journal of Criminal Justice

Brought forth by common rhetoric, Appalachia is often viewed as the closest space to that of an empyrean domain. Separated from the sleepless city, its allure rests in its created identity of a quiet, green escape from the city, which offers serenity on all fronts. Although Appalachia can fulfill this profile, such an ascension ignores the burning yellow grass below. The purpose of this paper is to examine the history of the destruction of Appalachia through the lens of extractive industries and the region’s designation as a sacrifice zone. Through the application of rural critical criminology, this paper holds that …

Welcome From The Editors: Criminal Justice Systems Helping Communities: Provision Of Resources And Experience For Positive Change, Cassandra B. Whyte Dr., Stephen Young

The Mid-Southern Journal of Criminal Justice

No abstract provided.

Reducing Rates Of Child Abuse And Neglect: An Analysis Of Three Potential Solutions, Lauren C. Heil

The Mid-Southern Journal of Criminal Justice

Child abuse and neglect are prevalent problems, affecting an estimated one million children worldwide each year. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and analyze three potential solutions to reduce the rates of child abuse and neglect. The three programs that were suggested were: improving overall access to healthcare, therapy and counseling, and other support services for children and families who need them, implementing more Nurse-Family Partnerships across the United States for first time mothers with visits from a registered nurse, and increasing parent’s access to economic resources and improving families overall financial security. These programs were researched extensively, …

The Controlled Substances Act: A Menagerie Of Arbitrary Regulation And Failure Of Purpose, Dylan Andrus

The Mid-Southern Journal of Criminal Justice

The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) is the primary regulatory and criminal legislation surrounding drugs in the United States. Passed in the 1970s, the CSA established the drug classification scheduling system we use today. Despite being over 50 years old today, the CSA has not achieved its goal of eliminating or even significantly reducing drug use and offenses. This paper conducts an analysis of the CSA's legislative intent versus its actual results through reviews of measures such as incarceration rates, inconsistent regulation, and disproportionate racial effects to argue that the Controlled Substances Act has failed in its mission while causing significant …

Bridging The Gap Between Substance Use Treatment Barriers In Rural Areas, Dakota Baker

The Mid-Southern Journal of Criminal Justice

The purpose of this paper is to examine the continued concern about substance abuse/misuse and limited access to treatment in rural areas. Rural areas lack the adequate treatment needed to combat substance use disorder (SUD), mainly due to the lack of sufficient providers trained to identify, treat, and support those dealing with SUD. Additional barriers such as the high cost of treatment, stigma surrounding substance use disorders, geographical barriers, and the criminalization of substance abuse are other barriers that will be discussed in this paper (Griffin & Botvin, 2010; Hargons et al., 2023; Khazaee-Pool et al., 2024; National Center for …

Lost In Translation: How Health Literacy Impacts Pharmaceutical Transactions From Healthcare Professionals To Patients, Grace Nwaege

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

Health literacy is a core element of public health, involving the ability to access, understand, evaluate, and use information to maintain well-being. In the United States, it aligns with an average reading level of about an eighth grader, which continues to decline over time. As pharmacists serve as the final point of contact in most outpatient settings, their ability to communicate effectively at this literacy level is crucial. This study examines how pharmacies address this challenge using qualitative methods, including health literacy assessments of patient consent forms and stakeholder interviews with pharmacy technicians about resource use. Findings show materials higher …

Teachers' Perspectives On Humane Education Implementation, Rebecca Ann Bartaway

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Humane education (HE) encompasses multiple concepts, including animal ethics, ecological environment, and social justice. The problem prompting this study was that individuals who have graduated from a higher education HE program face challenges in successfully integrating HE into their K–12 classrooms. Grounded by Weil's solutionary approach to HE, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the teaching experiences of individuals who graduated from a higher education HE program and successfully integrated HE into their classrooms. Participants were purposefully sampled from a small population of educators who completed a U.S. degree or certificate program in HE and successfully …

Leadership Strategies For Capturing And Transferring The Knowledge Of Experienced Workers In Canadian Higher Education Organizations, Dean Allan Bulloch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Higher education institutions face a risk of knowledge loss when they fail to implement strategies for transferring knowledge from experienced to less experienced employees. Canadian higher education managers are particularly concerned about the adverse impact of losing explicit and valuable tacit knowledge. Grounded in the socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization model, this qualitative pragmatic inquiry study identified and explored successful strategies employed by eight Canadian higher education managers to capture and transfer knowledge from experienced employees, thereby sustaining performance. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and a review of public documents, including strategic plans, annual reports, and accountability statements. Through …

Intersectionality, Epistemic Injustice, And Silencing: The Operationalization And Reification Of Intersectionality In Academic Research And Institutional Practices, Emery Lockwood

Theses - ALL

Intersectionality is a powerful analytic tool that can be used to better understand the role that oppression plays in society and how it shapes the way people affected by multiple systems of oppression interact with society. Recently, the unit of analysis for intersectionality has started to shift from intersecting systems of oppression to overlapping identities, which has changed intersectionality from being a tool used to analyze systemic oppression to individual’s experiences. This work explores the implications this shift has on academic research and the practice of several disciplines. Using a lens of epistemic injustice through theories of hermeneutical bastardization (Drury, …

Longitudinal Association Between Sleep Disturbance And Disordered Eating In Adolescents: The Mediating Role Of Emotion Dysregulation, Antonia Louise Hamilton

Theses - ALL

Accruing evidence suggests a significant relationship between sleep disturbances and disordered eating. Early adolescence is a period of heightened vulnerability for sleep disturbances and disordered eating. However, the longitudinal relationship between sleep disturbance and disordered eating remains unclear in early adolescent samples. The current study aims to examine if sleep disturbance longitudinally predicts disordered eating in early adolescents three years later, how the odds of having clinically significant disordered eating change per each unit increase in sleep disturbance, and if emotion dysregulation mediates these relationships. It is hypothesized that baseline sleep disturbance will predict greater disordered eating at follow-up, and …

Novel Origin Of Sperm Heteromorphism In The Drosophilidae, Karan Bhatt

Theses - ALL

Sperm heteromorphism, the production of two or more discrete sperm types or morphs within a single testis, occurs in diverse taxa. This phenomenon is believed to represent a division of labor by male gametes, with only one morph (the "eusperm") participating in fertilization and the other morph(s) specialized to perform some other (typically unknown) function within the female reproductive tract. One of the most intensively investigated systems is the Drosophila obscura species group, for which sperm heteromorphism evolved once in the common ancestor to the group, with all examined descendent species exhibiting sperm length heteromorphism. The absence of additional sperm …

Investigating The "Tend-And-Befriend" Stress Response As A Risk Factor For Sexual Victimization Among College Women, Emily Kathleen Presutti

Theses - ALL

Sexual victimization of college women is a significant public health concern on U.S. college campuses. Traditional research on the human stress response has focused on the "fight-or-flight" model, which may not adequately capture female-typical responses in stress-inducing situations. Using a mixed-methods design, we sought to determine whether the "tend-and-befriend" stress response serves as a potential correlate of sexual victimization among college women and examine whether it contributes additional variance beyond established correlates of sexual victimization such as alcohol use, history of sexual victimization, and involvement in campus party culture. The study was conducted in two phases. In Phase I, 128 …

Comparing The Antibacterial Efficiency Of Chitosan And Dextran As Nanocomposites Against Escherichia Coli, Saja Sachit, Alaa Al-Taie

Baghdad Science Journal

Nanoparticles (NPs) are widely used in many different fields and applications. In this study, Silver (Ag) NPs and Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) NPs were generated using the laser ablation method by using Q-switched Nd: YAG laser. In addition, Chitosan (CS) and Dextran nanopolymers were chosen to prepare the nanocomposites by combining the two types of nanopolymers with the generated NPs in different ratios to obtain the samples: CS and Dextran as a control, CS-Ag, CS-TiO₂, CS Ag-TiO₂, Dextran-Ag, Dextran-TiO₂, and Dextran Ag-TiO₂. Several tests were carried out on these nanocomposites such …

Biosynthesis Of Silver Nanoparticles From Halophilic Green Algae (Dunaliella Viridis) Extract And It Is Antibacterial Activity, Payman Omer Salih, Trifa Kamal Jalal, Hoshyar Abdullah Azeez

Baghdad Science Journal

Biological synthesis of nanoparticles is a new area of nanotechnology that has advantages in terms of cost and the environment compared to chemical or physical synthesis methods. The current work is carried out to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) utilizing green algae (Dunaliella viridis Teodoresco 1905) extract as a reducing and capping agent and to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of AgNPs. The. The measures of UV-V spectroscopy, XRD, TEM, SEM-EDSand FTIR were used to characterize the synthesized silver nanoparticles. Additionally, agar well diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) methods were used for antibacterial activity. The plasmon absorbance of AgNPs was …

Policies Of Pain: Neoliberal Rhetorics Of The Opioid Epidemic In Culture And Policy, Gina Arlene Stinnett

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation outlines and examines the Neoliberal rhetorics of choice and responsibility, and how these rhetorics are utilized in policy and culture related to the Opioid Epidemic in the United States. Through this examination of neoliberal rhetorics in policy and culture, I unpack the circular influence these two have on each other—i.e., cultural assumptions inform policy decisions, and established policy can slowly influence cultural assumptions. The key area in which these two influence each other is through rhetoric, therefore I argue that in addition to an economic and cultural structure, neoliberalism is a rhetorical structure—it shapes our society specifically through …

The Aurora Survey: Robust Helium Abundances At High Redshift Reveal A Subpopulation Of Helium-Enhanced Galaxies In The Early Universe, Danielle A. Berg, Ryan L. Sanders, Alice E. Shapley, Michael W. Topping, Naveen A. Reddy, Evan D. Skillman, Erik Aver, Fergus Cullen, Callum T. Donnan, James S. Dunlop, Tucker Jones, Ali Ahmad Khostovan, Derek J. Mcleod, Desika Narayanan, Pascal A. Oesch, Anthony J. Pahl, Max Pettini, N. M. Förster Schreiber, Daniel P. Stark

Physics Faculty Scholarship

We present the first robust helium (He) abundance measurements in star-forming galaxies at redshifts 1.6 ≲ z ≲ 3.3 using deep, moderate-resolution JWST/NIRSpec spectroscopy from the AURORA survey. We establish a high-z He sample consisting of 20 galaxies with multiple high-signal-to-noise-ratio (>5σ) He i emission-line detections, including the critical near-infrared λ10833 line. This is the first study at high redshift leveraging λ10833 to break degeneracies between temperature, electron density, optical depth, and He+/H+, enabling reliable He abundance determinations in the early Universe. We use a custom Markov Chain Monte Carlo framework incorporating direct-method electron …

Surgical Treatment Of Post-Traumatic Elbow Stiffness In Pediatric Patients: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Roya Khorram, Areeb Ahmad, Reza Vafadar, Ronald Joseph Shamus, Surena Namdari, G. Russell Huffman, Amir R. Kachooei

Rothman Institute Papers

BACKGROUND: Post-traumatic elbow stiffness (PTES) has been reported in up to 21% of pediatric patients following elbow fractures and can profoundly compromise a child's function, and independence. The primary surgical approaches include open and arthroscopic arthrolysis, both of which have demonstrated improvements in range of motion (ROM) and functional scores. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to compare the effectiveness, ROM, and complication rates between open and arthroscopic release in pediatric patients with PTES.

METHODS: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were utilized to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis on surgical treatment for PTES. Comprehensive …

Espacios De Cambio: Evaluating Community-Based Art Therapy Within The Latinx Community, Bennie Guzman

Theses - ALL

This research presented in this graduate thesis explores the social-emotional benefits of community-based approaches of art therapy within the Latinx community. The literature contextualizes the socio-historical experiences of the Latinx community and presents an argument for the use of a community-based approach of art therapy. This study evaluates the social-emotional benefits of the “Arts as Mindfulness” program, an initiative created by the author in collaboration with La Casita Cultural Center at Syracuse University. Methods of data collection include creative reflections and a focus group with program participants. The research conducted data analysis using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Themes that arose …