Digital Commons Network^™

Discovering Best Practices Of Leadership Development Across Generations In The Local Church : Effectively Passing The Leadership Baton To The Next Generation, Laura A. Saffell

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

How To Entertain Angels : Hospitality In Multicultural Churches In Urban London, Jason O'Neale Roach

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Elementary Disciple-Making : Making Disciple Makers, Joshua Romano

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Discerning The Expectation Of Lay And Priestly Ministry In The Rural Parishes Of The Dorking Deanery, Peter S. Nevins

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Mentorship Program Including Alumni, Nicole Brainin

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The landscape of advanced education in nurse anesthesia presents considerable challenges for Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists (SRNAs), accentuated by demanding clinical hours and the transition from experienced ICU nursing to novice learners. This study explores the implementation of alumni mentorship within Nurse Anesthesia Programs (NAPs) to alleviate these stressors. An initial survey gauged alumni interest in mentorship roles, while a follow-up survey assessed the program's impact on student satisfaction and communication. Findings suggest that engagement and communication frequencies are lower than optimal, while alumni mentorship is perceived positively. Recommendations for enhancing the program include diversified communication channels, structured interactions, and …

Emotional Intelligence And Srna Success Utilizing A Sim Experience, Melody Gassoway, Kaleigh Peters

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs) face many challenges in meeting the rigorous demands of their doctoral-level training. Research demonstrates that high levels of emotional intelligence (EI) contribute to SRNAs’ academic and clinical success and improve patient safety and quality of care. Simulation is emerging as an educational tool to enhance the EI skills of students training in highly stressful professions and demonstrates promising benefits for SRNAs, such as improved decision-making, critical thinking, self-awareness, and self-regulation (Moriber & Beauvais, 2017; Dix et al., 2021). This doctoral project aimed to determine the efficacy of a high-fidelity simulation for strengthening the EI skills …

Anesthetic Management Of The Parturient With Increased Intracranial Pressure Disorders, Madeline Olson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The parturient experiences various physiologic changes that contribute to the potential for increased intracranial pressure (ICP). Patients with preexisting neurologic conditions such as Chiari Malformation I, pseudotumor cerebri, and mass occupying lesions are at significant risk of increased ICP. A literature review was conducted to determine the safest labor anesthesia options for the parturient with increased intracranial pressure. After the literature review, a PowerPoint presentation and reference guide were given to a group of anesthesia providers at a central Illinois hospital that discussed the evidence-based recommendations. A voluntary survey was completed after the presentation to assess an improvement in knowledge …

Local Anesthetic Systemic Toxicity: Last Protocol Development, Implementation, And Evaluation For Healthcare Providers, Rachel Vaughn

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

LAST is an uncommon but deadly complication of local anesthetic administration. Healthcare facilities benefit from protocol implementation to help streamline best evidence-based practice. The American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine warrants a LAST emergency protocol for any healthcare facility practicing regional anesthesia. Healthcare personnel encountering patients at risk for LAST must understand the symptoms and treatment of LAST to improve response time and patient outcomes. The project implemented a LAST protocol at a rural hospital in Southern Illinois in July 2023. The investigator held an educational service to discuss the new LAST protocol and implementation. The educational service …

Education For Healthcare Professionals On Protocol For Prostate Cancer Screenings On Inmates, Heather Ackerman, Randi Janae Ballard

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Cancer is the leading cause of death for incarcerated individuals, prostate cancer awareness and screening guidelines are essential areas of focus for healthcare professionals (Puglisi et al., 2021). Prostate cancer screenings recommend that males between the age of 55-69 be informed of evidence-based guidelines and offered these screenings as a part of routine health maintenance (USPSTF, 2018). In 2019, the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) was ordered to follow these guidelines for incarcerated individuals (Raba, 2021). As of 2021, the IDOC had yet to implement these screenings for incarcerated individuals within the state facilities. Two separate one-hour educational sessions regarding …

Implementing The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale In The Emergency Department And Family Care Settings, Laura Hardiek, Thomas Dissette

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Postpartum depression affects approximately 10% to 20% of patients who have given birth in the year prior and can detrimentally affect maternal-child relationships. Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mood disorder following birth, whereas postpartum psychosis (PPP) is a severe mental illness and a medical emergency. If untreated, both disorders can have long-term harmful effects on mothers, infants, and families. Utilizing screening tools, providers can identify these disorders in applicable patients. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is an effective method of recognizing patients most at risk, with a positive score of >/=10 indicating the likelihood of depression. [SB1] The purpose …

Pneumococcal And Influenza Vaccine Co-Administration In The Incarcerated Population, Kaitlyn Stroh

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background/Significance: Streptococcus pneumoniae is responsible for 20-60% of U.S. bacterial pneumonia cases and has a mortality rate of 10-30%. Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) occurs when streptococcus pneumoniae invades otherwise sterile sites. Adherence to immunization guidelines is 60-70% effective at preventing IPD. Co-administration of pneumococcal and influenza vaccines has shown promise at increasing uptake of the pneumococcal vaccine and enhancing immunological response. Population/Setting: A state-run Department of Corrections (DOC) clinic system serving just over 30,000 individuals was the site for this project. Incarcerated individuals present an increased risk of contracting pneumococcal disease due to close living quarters. Other risk factors such …

Teachers’ Self-Efficacy And Cyberbullying: A Qualitative Investigation Of Teacher Perspectives, Shanda Salvant Theriot

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the self-efficacy of middle school teachers as they address cyberbullying in the classroom. A phenomenological research design using a purposive sampling method was used. To understand the teachers’ lived experiences and perspectives on cyberbullying, open-ended semi-structured interviews were conducted with seventh-grade teachers from two parochial schools and three charter schools. Participants completed a demographics questionnaire, which was used to gather additional information regarding the teachers’ background and experience. Seven themes emerged from coding the data collected from the teacher interviews and focus group session: 1) collaboration and communication, 2) professional development and training, 3) support and …

China's Nature-Based Solutions In The Global South: Evidence From Asia, Africa, And Latin America, Annah Lake Zhu, Niklas Weins, Juliet Lu, Tyler Harlan, Jin Qian, Fabiana Barbi Seleguim

Urban and Environmental Studies Faculty Works

China increasingly engages in environmental diplomacy through South-South cooperation across the developing world. Since 2019, the rise of the discourse of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) within this cooperation has been exponential. Coined just over ten years ago, NbS refers to the underexplored potential of leveraging the natural world to address socio-environmental challenges. The concept finds particular resonance in China, where it demonstrates strong parallels with the domestically-pioneered concept of Ecological Civilization – the ruling paradigm when it comes to all realms of Chinese environmental governance. Building on the global discourse, NbS has been adapted to the Chinese context, creating what some …

Ethical Dimensions Of Algorithmic Literacy For College Students: Case Studies And Cross-Disciplinary Connections, Susan G. Archambault, Shalini Ramachandran, Elisa Acosta, Sheree Fu

Librarian Publications & Presentations

This article addresses three key questions related to the ethical facets of algorithmic literacy. First, it synthesizes existing literature to identify six core ethical components, including bias, privacy, transparency, accountability, accuracy, and non-maleficence. Second, a crosswalk maps the intersections of these principles across the Association of College and Research Libraries' Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education and the Association of Computing Machinery's Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and Joint Statement on Principles for Responsible Algorithmic Systems. This analysis reveals significant overlap on issues like unfairness and transparency, helping prioritize topics for instruction. Finally, case studies showcase pedagogical strategies …

“I'M Not Searching The Right Words”: User Experience Searching Historic Clothing Collection Websites, Arden Kirkland, Monica Sklar, Clare Sauro, Leon Wiebers, Sara Idacavage, Julia Mun

Theatre Arts Faculty Works

This study investigates the search processes of users accessing public websites representing historic clothing collections, examining where their searches are supported by the metadata in the collection databases and what factors could make their experience more inclusive. With IRB approval from four universities, we performed a recorded experiment with twenty adults: ten students of historic dress and ten fashion professionals. Four tasks included search scenarios and images representing diverse historic garments. Results indicate that both the descriptive metadata and search features on collection websites present challenges for the typical user search process. Users search for historical dress content the way …

Rage Rhetoric And The Revival Of American Sedition, Jonathan Turley

William & Mary Law Review

We are living in what Professor Jonathan Turley calls an age of rage. However, it is not the first such period. Professor Turley explores how the United States was formed (and the Constitution was written) in precisely such a period. Throughout that history, sedition has been used as the vehicle for criminalizing political speech. This Article explores how seditious libel has evolved as a crime and how it is experiencing a type of American revival. The crime of sedition can be traced back to the infamous trials of the Star Chamber and the flawed view of free speech articulated by …

An Edge Computing System With Amd Xilinx Fpga Ai Customer Platform For Advanced Driver Assistance System, Tsun Kuang Chi, Tsung Yi Chen, Yu Chen Lin, Ting Lan Lin, Jun Ting Zhang, Cheng Lin Lu, Shih Lun Chen, Kuo Chen Li, Patricia Angela R. Abu

Department of Information Systems & Computer Science Faculty Publications

The convergence of edge computing systems with Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology has shown considerable promise in enhancing real-time applications across various domains. This paper presents an innovative edge computing system design specifically tailored for pavement defect detection within the Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADASs) domain. The system seamlessly integrates the AMD Xilinx AI platform into a customized circuit configuration, capitalizing on its capabilities. Utilizing cameras as input sensors to capture road scenes, the system employs a Deep Learning Processing Unit (DPU) to execute the YOLOv3 model, enabling the identification of three distinct types of pavement defects with high accuracy and …

Comparing The Effectiveness Of Different Forms Of Vitamin E Supplementation (Liquid Vs. Powder) On Serum Alpha-Tocopherol Concentrations In Developing Horses, Emilia Fong-Gallagher

Honors Scholar Theses

Vitamin E is an essential antioxidant in equines that has a significant role in the nutritional requirements of horses to keep bodily systems functioning at optimal levels. Vitamin E deficiency is often associated with serious incurable neuromuscular diseases such as equine motor neuron disease and equine protozoal myeloencephalitis. Many horses stabled in urban areas are often deficient due to the lack of adequate grazing time as their natural source of vitamin E is from grass, and therefore should receive supplementation. This study evaluated the effectiveness of different forms of Elevate vitamin E supplement on the serum alpha-tocopherol concentrations in fourteen …

Advancements In Crispr-Cas9 Gene Editing: Applications And Future Implications For Sickle Cell Disease And Β-Thalassemia Treatment, Swetha Battini

Honors Scholar Theses

This literature review explores the utilization of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology in addressing Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and Beta-Thalassemia. CRISPR, leveraging the Cas-9 enzyme inspired by bacterial defense mechanisms, serves as a precise molecular tool for targeted genetic modifications. The process involves guide RNA directing Cas-9 to specific DNA sites, allowing for meticulous gene editing. Focusing on the specific applications of CRISPR in SCD and Beta-Thalassemia, the review critically analyzes recent methods, including CRISPR-Cas9 editing targeting the BCL11A enhancer for SCD and the HBG1/HBG2 promoters for both SCD and Beta-Thalassemia. The synthesis of findings highlights the potential and challenges of …

How Does Hummock Creation In Submerging Salt Marshes Alter Nitrous Oxide Fluxes?, Juliette Doyle

Honors Scholar Theses

Climate change is altering ecosystems and the services they provide. Salt marsh ecosystems typically protect coastal areas and filter nitrogen out of water, but are rapidly submerging due to rising sea levels and human development that prevents landward migration. Recent restoration efforts to preserve salt marshes attempt to build elevation capital and promote vegetation and animal habitat, but it is unclear how such efforts affect salt marsh biogeochemistry and dynamics of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas. To better understand how adding sediment to submerging salt marshes may alter nitrous oxide fluxes, I leveraged a salt marsh hummock creation experiment …

The Sabellic Verbal Systems, Kaleb Demello

Honors Scholar Theses

A brief analysis of the known corpus of verbal forms in Oscan and Umbrian, going over the formation of each form, a speculative full conjugation for each language, and a short comparison to Latin. The Sabellic languages share some innovations from PIE in common with their much more famous cousin, but they also differ in the formation of a few important forms. Both branches have a system of thematic vowels across tenses and aspects, suggesting a purely ornamental function bleached of meaning dating back to Proto-Italic. The future tense is Sabellic is derived from the PIE aorist, rather than PIE …

Regarding The Gender Gap: Interrogating Mcarthur’S Hypothesis On Dyslexia, Anxiety, And Inattention, Caroline Lynch

Honors Scholar Theses

This study interrogated the pervasive gender gap in dyslexia diagnosis. In order to do so, we analyzed Dr. Genevieve McArthur’s recent hypothesis that poor reading is linked to poor self-concept, anxiety, and inattention, which begins the cycle once again. Using a subset of data from the Child Mind Institute’s Healthy Brain Network biobank (children aged 7-11, n=1,725), we evaluated McArthur’s proposed relationships, and possible gendered differences within those relationships through probing which factors were important predictors of if a child did or did not receive a dyslexia diagnosis. We looked at word reading, biological sex, anxiety and inattention as possible …

Factors Predictive Of Postgraduate Residency Placement: A Systematic Review, Hazel Billings-Chiu

Honors Scholar Theses

This systematic review aimed to identify pharmacy student and school characteristics that are associated with higher postgraduate residency placement. Studies had to be an observational or experimental investigation, analyze pharmacy students and/or pharmacy schools, and report the statistical association, correlation, MV regression, propensity score analysis or matched analysis between a student or school variable with match success. Only studies that utilized multivariate analyses were included. The NewsCastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Form for Cohort studies was used to assess risk of bias in the included studies. Student and school-level factors were then collected and synthesized via full text review. In total, there …

Use Of Cre-Lox Mice As A Model For Ependymogenesis, Poorva Bagchee

Honors Scholar Theses

Stem cells in the lateral ventricles of the brain undergo a process of development within the ventricular-subventricular zone. In early development neuroepithelial cells divide to form more neuroepithelial cells or convert to radial glial cells (RGCs). These RGCs, or stem cells, then divide to form neurons or other glial cells such as ependymal cells, which form a single-layered ependyma along the ventricular wall. These stem cells divide in two ways: symmetrically, producing two ependymal cells or asymmetrically, yielding one neural stem cell and ependymal cell. To further study this process the Cre-lox system in mice will be used. By breeding …

Analyzing The Impact Of Implicit Bias In Pharmacy And Healthcare-Related Professions, Jessica Bylyku

Honors Scholar Theses

American healthcare is a broad, complicated field of study and work. Those who work in healthcare may possess or be affected by implicit biases, which complicates matters more. Implicit bias is the unconscious mental tendency to create automatic associations with a particular group of people.1 As such, implicit biases have the potential to become explicit biases in the form of stereotyping, microaggressions, prejudice, and ultimately discrimination. Researchers believe implicit biases may have a biological basis in human brains, and several theories implicate bias in decision-making processes. The implications of bias have promoted researchers to perform many studies about effects on …

The Light Scattering Properties Of Amorphous Nanoparticles Formed By Poorly Soluble Drugs, Sarah Casella

Honors Scholar Theses

The research of amorphous drug formulations is an emerging field of study, which offers a promising strategy to improve the oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. A critical aspect of amorphous solubility is the measurement of particle size and light diffraction, which is measured using dynamic light scattering (DLS). DLS is a technique used to characterize the size of colloidal dispersions, where a laser beam illuminates a suspension of particles or molecules undergoing Brownian motion. In this experiment, a procedure was developed utilizing DLS to investigate the similarities and differences in light diffraction properties of particles among three different poorly …

Adaptive Apparel For People With Disabilities: A Systematic Literature Review And Future Research Agenda, Md. Rafiqul Islam Rana M.S.,Ph.D, Kerri Mcbee-Black, Ishtehar Sharif Swazan

Faculty Publications

This systematic literature review examines research on adaptive apparel for people with disabilities (PWDs), an underrepresented consumer group. Using the scientific procedures and rationales for systematic literature reviews (SPAR-4-SLR) protocol and the theories, contexts, characteristics, and methods (TCCM) framework, 51 articles from three academic databases were analyzed based on specific keywords and inclusion/exclusion criteria. The review highlighted advancements addressing the needs of PWD consumers, such as innovative designs, user-centered methodologies, and inclusive marketing. However, there remain gaps in areas like disability types, methodologies, cultural factors, and societal barriers. The implications of this research underscore the urgent need for the apparel …

Predicting 30-Day Unplanned Icu Readmissions Using Deep Learning And Natural Language Processing Techniques: A Mimic Iv Data Analysis, David Licerio

Computational and Data Sciences (MS) Theses

We design and implement a multi-stage modeling approach focused on predicting unplanned 30-day all- cause intensive care unit (ICU) hospital readmissions using the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC IV) dataset. Structured data consisting of demographic information, comorbidities, lab results, and vital signs are combined with features extracted from medical text data consisting of patients’ diagnoses, procedures, and discharge notes and further engineered using several methods, including Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA), and word embeddings.

We sequentially implement three distinct Dense Neural Networks (DNNs) combined with the LightGBM gradient-boosting framework. Our model attained a 5-fold cross-validated …

Identifying A Target Protein And Ligands For Autoimmune Disorders, Sarah Caruthers

Computational and Data Sciences (MS) Theses

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by unprovoked inflammatory responses that lead to tissue degradation. Patients suffering from SLE display an overexpression of master regulatory protein HIF-1 HIF-1is a transcription factor for pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-17A (IL-17A), which is highly involved in inflammatory reactions within the body. To search for a treatment for SLE, computer aided drug discovery techniques were utilized. The transcription factor complex for IL-17A was reconstructed through multiple protein docking techniques. The heteroprotein complex was profiled using 3D macromolecular visualization software and binding cavities within HIF-1 were calculated. Molecular docking simulations were run on the …

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Perceptions Of How Providing Patient Care During The Covid-19 Pandemic Affected Their Own Mental Health, Linda Cabage

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Public health concerns were prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly regarding rising cases of anxiety and depression among adults. U.S. healthcare providers were especially affected by the unrelenting demands on their time and service. Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNPs) provided patient care during the pandemic to meet the increasing need for mental health services as people began experiencing mood disturbances such as anxiety, depression, and grief. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceived effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of PMHNPs. A qualitative design using the interpretive description method allows researchers to …