Digital Commons Network^™

Improving Staff Satisfaction And Flu Vaccine Uptake Through Standardized Workflow Tools, Salma Adriana Blanco

Master's Projects and Capstones

Objective: Insufficient workflows can cause documentation to be confusing, which ultimately

limits staff engagement. This has led to staff dissatisfaction and a low vaccination uptake in

outpatient clinics. The implementation of a standardized workflow tool and proper staff

education and training can improve staff satisfaction and vaccination adherence, as indicated by

a review of literature. Aim: The purpose of this quality improvement project is to implement a

change in workflow in the electronic health record and staff training in an urban community

health clinic primarily serving low income and Latino patients. This intervention seeks to

increase medical assistant user satisfaction …

Media Disparity? Analyzing The Media Coverage Of Violent Vs. Non-Violent Crimes In Central Arkansas, Alicia Dorn

Theses and Dissertations

The media's disproportionate coverage of violent crimes compared to non-violent crimes may create a skewed public perception of crime rates and safety in Central Arkansas, potentially influencing policy decisions and community relations. This research examines whether news outlets in Central Arkansas cover violent crimes more frequently than non-violent crimes and compares this coverage to actual crime statistics from law enforcement agencies. The study aims to understand the potential impact of media representation on public perception of crime. The study employed a mixed-methods content analysis of three major Central Arkansas newspapers (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Pine Bluff Commercial, and Hot Springs Sentinel Record) …

Treating Atopic Dermatitis: Oral Jak1 Inhibitor Vs. Monoclonal Antibody, Abby Craft, Nicolle Holgate

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Objective: To compare symptom management of atopic dermatitis between injectable monoclonal antibodies and an oral Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) inhibitor. Design: Literature review. Methods: Searches were done in PubMed and CINAHL using the following terms: abrocitinib, Cibinqo, dupilumab, Dupixent, and atopic dermatitis. Filters included: randomized controlled trials, clinical trials, and scholarly journal. Results: Three studies met all criteria including Bieber et al, Reich et al, and Huang et al. Conclusion: Oral JAK1 inhibitor abrocitinib has been shown to have similar efficacy in symptom management of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis compared to monoclonal antibody dupilumab and should be considered when prescribing treatment.

Solving The Crisis Of Asthma/Copd Medication Nonadherence With New “Smart Inhalers”., Dalia Abdalla, Gregory Edward Suliga

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Asthma and COPD are two common chronic respiratory diseases that have the potential to result in acute life-threatening exacerbations¹. These episodes cost America’s healthcare system several billions of dollars annually and can be largely prevented through proper medication adherence². Objective: Assess the effectiveness of smart inhaler usage and biofeedback interpretation with medication adherence and quality of Asthma and/or COPD control. Design: Systematic literature review. Methods: Searches were done in PubMed, Wiley Online Library, ScienceDirect Database, and DynaMed utilizing the terms smart inhaler, asthma/COPD management, biofeedback, inhalation technique, SABA, LABA, and LAMA. In PubMed, the following limits …

Comparing Transcatheter Edge-To-Edge Repair (Mitraclip) To Surgical Approaches For Secondary Mitral Regurgitation, Iain Slater, Jordan Maddra

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Objective: To compare clinical outcomes of surgical mitral valve replacement (SMVR) and TEER with MitraClip therapy in patients with secondary mitral regurgitation.

Methods: We performed a review of the literature of primary research comparing clinical outcomes of surgical mitral valve replacement (SMVR) and TEER with MitraClip therapy in patients with secondary mitral regurgitation. A preliminary search of the medical database PubMed was conducted in October 2024 using the terms mitral valve, secondary mitral regurgitation, transcatheter edge-to-edge repair, surgical candidacy, and comparative outcomes. Limits included “published in the last 15 years, humans, English, randomized controlled trials, and cohort studies.”

Results: After …

Archives West At Twenty Years: Sustainability Through Community, Jodi Allison-Bunnell, Maija Anderson, Trevor J. Bond

Collaborative Librarianship

Archives West is a regional aggregation of descriptions of archival collections held by institutions in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain West. While many similar regional aggregations have struggled to reach sustainability, Archives West is one of a few that is fully funded by its participants, and continues to grow in both scale and scope. We hypothesize that there are unique cultural qualities of the Archives West community that have supported its growth, including a philosophy of empowering participants, transparent budget processes, clear statement of value to resource providers, and maintaining expectations that all institutions will contribute through service and fees.

Capstone Project Proposal: The Role Of Nutrition Education On Dietary Vitamin B12 Intake In Decreasing Postpartum Depression- A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial, Andrea Villalba Torres

Department of Nutrition Student Projects

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mental health condition that affects many women after giving birth but tends to go untreated. Research has identified that nutrition has an essential role in neurological health, including iron, folate, and the B vitamins. However, recent research regarding PPD and dietary interventions is limited. To address this gap, a 12-week-long pilot randomized controlled trial is proposed to evaluate the effectiveness of a text-based nutrition education program, encouraging dietary vitamin B12 intake, on reducing PPD symptoms in women 2-6 weeks postpartum. 128 participants will be recruited from 15 different Miami-Dade WIC clinics. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression …

Flooding Behavior Near The Us/Canada Border: Complications And Approaches, Maria T. Dodson

Honors College Theses

Flood forecasting remains a major challenge due to the nonlinear nature of hydrological systems and uncertainties in environmental data. This study aimed to address the prevalent challenges that arise from forecasting flooding behavior. To address the inherent complexity of hydrological forecasting, a machine learning framework was developed and trained on major contributing factors. To achieve an optimal balance between computational efficiency and predictive performance, a Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) was selected as the optimal machine learning model. As the chosen dataset, North American Land Data Assimilation System Phase 2 (NLDAS2), is known to have inaccuracies in the important feature Relative …

Implementation Science As Common Ground For Researchers And Practitioners, Robin P. Newhouse, Carol J. Howe, Maja Djukic

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Within the larger context of healthcare transformation, nurse scholars are crafting revitalized roles in both implementation research and implementation practice. The foci of these roles are overlapping and have hybridized into new models and activities that reflect quality improvement, change management, development of pragmatic research design and methods, and establishment of practice facilitation activities in healthcare delivery. The basics of implementation science will be described and demonstrated through case study analysis.

Bearing The How: Self-Compassion, Religiosity, And Basic Psychological Needs As Predictors Of Meaning In Life, Benjamin Wenndorf

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

While meaning in life (MIL) has been established as a significant contributor to psychologists’ understanding of wellbeing (Pollet & Schnell, 2017; Steger et al., 2008; Steger et al., 2011), some theorists believe MIL to be the fundamental human drive (Frankl, 1946/1962). Despite the significance that has been placed on MIL as a core component of human existence, little research has explored more than one variable at a time in relationship to MIL. Recent literature has explored self-determination theory’s (SDT) basic psychological needs microtheory as a predictive model for understanding MIL within a greater context of positive psychology (Martela et al., …

Spec Ops Tools Point Of Sale (Pos) Data Insights, Liam Mcgovern

Business Analytics Student Projects and Publications

No abstract provided.

The Adverse Digital Childhood Experiences (Adces) Framework: A Transformative Paradigm For Decoding Digital Adversity And Safeguarding Human Agency In Child Development And Lifespan Trajectories, Asrat G. Amnie

Publications and Research

Childhood is no longer confined to physical spaces; It increasingly unfolds within digitally saturated environments where algorithmically mediated technologies shape attention, learning, and identity formation from the earliest years. Traditional adversity frameworks, particularly the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) model, do not capture the distinctive, persistent, and often invisible risks of digital life. To address this gap, this study advances the Adverse Digital Childhood Experiences (ADCEs) framework, an empirically informed and theory-driven extension of ACEs that systematizes ten interrelated domains of digital adversity encompassing social, cognitive, and environmental stressors. These include cyberbullying and exploitation, commercial surveillance and privacy harms, technoference and …

Rekonstruksi Paradigma Transfer Of Sentenced Persons: Antara Kepentingan Narapidana Dan Kepentingan Negara, Serta Implikasinya Pada Tata Kelola Transfer Of Sentenced Person, Fitra Arsil

Jurnal Konstitusi & Demokrasi

This article analyzes the paradigm shift in the Transfer of Sentenced Persons (TSP) from a regime oriented towards the rehabilitation and social reintegration of prisoners to a new configuration increasingly driven by state interests, such as national security, prison population management, immigration policy, budget efficiency, diplomatic calculations, and human rights image. Based on a legal-normative approach combined with institutional analysis and a comparison of practices in various jurisdictions, this paper shows how the principle of consensualism, initially interpreted as "trilateral consent" (the sentencing state, the receiving state, and the prisoner), has fragmented into three models: compulsory, voluntary, and hybrid, with …

Rekonstruksi Mekanisme Seleksi Hakim Konstitusi Di Indonesia, Indah Sri Pangestu, Dwi Yuliani, Hertaty Dorothy Dewi Siburian

Jurnal Konstitusi & Demokrasi

The mechanism for selection and election of constitutional judges in Indonesia currently still shows a diversity of procedures in each proposing institution, namely the Supreme Court, DPR and President. The process implemented does not fully reflect the principles of transparency, participation, objectivity and accountability as mandated in the Law on the Constitutional Court. Therefore, it is necessary to standardize the procedures for selection and selection of constitutional judges to ensure a more professional system and integrity. One of the solutions offered is the establishment of an independent institution responsible for the selection and recruitment of constitutional judges with a system …

Mengenalkan Metode Empiris, Kuantitatif, Dan Eksperimental Dalam Penelitian Hukum Tata Negara, Yunani Abiyoso

Jurnal Konstitusi & Demokrasi

Almost all constitutional law research applies the doctrinal method to analyze normative texts and legal logic. In the context of the development of constitutional law, this method has limitations in evaluating the effectiveness of legal norms in societal reality. This article proposes the need for a paradigm shift in the use of constitutional law research methods, which should not only rely on a doctrinal approach but also integrate empirical methods, to align the needs of constitutional law studies with the dynamics of the Indonesian state after 25 years of constitutional amendments. There are three alternative methods that can be integrated …

Effects Of Beach Morphology On Nesting Behavior And Success Of Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta Caretta) In South Carolina, Reagan Rutkowski

Honors Theses

Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) rely on sandy beach habitats for successful reproduction, yet nesting success is strongly influenced by physical beach features. This study examines the impact of beach morphology on nest survivorship across six nesting beaches in Horry and Georgetown counties, South Carolina. Three key hypotheses were tested: (1) nests placed at higher elevations exhibit greater survivorship, (2) nests located further from the recent high tide line experience higher survivorship, and (3) overall beach morphology influences nesting behavior and outcomes. Beach morphology variables—including elevation, slope, and nest-to-water distances—were measured at individual nest sites, while survivorship data …

Models Of Funding Research And Development Infrastructure In Poland, Marcin Kardas

Studia i Materiały Wydział Zarządzania Uniwersytet Warszawski

Purpose: The aim of this article is to identify and analyse the basic models of funding research and development infrastructure, as well as the challenges associated with them.

Methodology: The research methods used include interdisciplinary literature studies (economics, law, management), regulations and reports, as well as interviews with stakeholders.

Results: Four models for financing R&D infrastructures embedded in the state aid regime were identified: scientific, mixed, experimental, and economic. National experiences with their application were discussed. Their characteristics, challenges, and risks were presented. Discrepancies in terminology were noted, and directions for their interpretation were suggested.

Research limitations/implications …

Analysing The Impact Of Bi-Directional Application Of Iliceto Shield Wire Scheme For Rural Electrification In Tanzania: A Chalinze-Hale Transmission Line Case Study, Santos Kihwele, Prisca Paul

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Clean energy accessibility including electricity remains a major challenge in Tanzanian villages despite the many efforts made by its government.  The primary obstacle is that these villages are located more than 100 kilometres away from high-voltage to medium-voltage (HV/MV) transformer stations. Therefore, electrifying these villages by conventional method is financially not feasible. One of the low-cost rural electrification techniques that can be used to solve the issue is the "Iliceto Shield Wire Scheme" (ISWS) technology, In Tanzania, the application of ISWS technology seems to be very promising.  However, the technology can be integrated with locally available renewable energy sources ( …

Netflix And Kill: The Role Of True Crime Consumption In The Development Of Acquired Capability For Suicide, Chandler Jayne Mcdaniel

Theses and Dissertations

The Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS) identifies acquired capability as a key factor contributing to suicidal behavior. Previous research has shown that violent media exposure can increase suicidal risk through desensitization, imitation, and trauma activation. However, little is known about the role of true crime consumption (TCC), a popular form of violent media engagement, in relation to IPTS constructs. This study examined whether TCC predicts acquired capability for suicide, perceived burdensomeness, and thwarted belongingness. A total of 215 participants were retained after data cleaning. Hypotheses predicted that higher TCC would be associated with higher acquired capability (H1), that TCC would …

Anxiety, Stress, And Depression As A Predictor Of Established Vaping Among High School Students, Autumn Schneider

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has linked initiation of e-cigarette use with mental health but has not identified how mental health factors impact patterns of use of these products in adolescents. I tested the hypothesis that adolescents who report vaping to cope with stress, depression, and anxiety have more established patterns of use with data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey. Crosstabulations and logistic regression outcome measures included current use, intensity of use, and cumulative lifetime use. Reasons for initial and current use related to mental health were associated with current e-cigarette use, more intense use, and higher cumulative use. Mental health plays …

Considerations For Cottonseed Oil As A Feedstock For Renewable Fuels, John Elmore

Theses and Dissertations

As the world population grows and the standard of living improves in developing countries, global energy demand will continue to rise, with energy use in the developing world expected to increase dramatically more than the per capita reductions in developed countries from efficiency improvements. Nearly a third of the total global energy demand is used for transportation, resulting in a substantial contribution to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While the demand for energy rises, initiatives and regulations are underway to mitigate the amount of GHG emissions to Earth’s atmosphere. As efforts progress in industry, governments, and society to reduce the total …

Responding To The Urban Canvas: Murals, Preservation, And Placemaking In Meridian, Ms, Katy Kemalyan

Theses and Dissertations

Public murals that depict elements of local culture and history are a creative placemaking tool increasingly used by preservationists invested in the revitalization of their historic districts. As this trend rises, it becomes necessary for preservationists to ask what should be painted, restored, or left alone? Research on public murals neglects Southern mid-sized towns, considerations of existing murals, and historic architecture used as substrates. Rectifying this omission and employing geographic surveys and stakeholder interviews, this study seeks to expand which genres of murals are considered for their creative placemaking value. Normally distinguished primarily by source in literature, community murals, ghost …

The Biology Of Green Antelopehorn Milkweed (Asclepias Viridis Walter) And Hemp Dogbane (Apocynum Cannabinum L.) And Response To Triclopyr Formulations And Other Auxin Herbicides, Kayla L. Broster

Theses and Dissertations

Studies were conducted in Oktibbeha and Clay Counties in Mississippi to determine the response of green antelopehorn milkweed and hemp dogbane to triclopyr and other auxin herbicides in non-cropland areas. These studies were conducted at four locations with well established populations for each species throughout 2020 to 2023, with applications repeated at each location the following year if populations persisted. Treatments included a high and low rate of each herbicide studied, with all four triclopyr formulations included for both species. Injury response data were collected two and four weeks after treatment and population density data were evaluated using individual stem …

Evaluating The Effects Of Biostimulants On Apple Coloration, Patrick G. Owens

Theses and Dissertations

Apple peel color is one determining factor of apple quality and is a highly sought after trait by both growers and consumers. Historically plant growth regulators (PGRs) such as daminozide and auxins have been used to induce a greater amount of red color in the peel, but these products typically have negative production impacts and raise environmental concerns. One new area of interest is in called biostimulants. This study investigated the effects of two experimental biostimulants (MCEN1 and MCEN2) applied at varying rates and timings, as well as a commercially available plant growth regulator (Blush® 2X), on ‘Honeycrisp’ apple color …

Leveraging Google Earth Engine For Computationally Efficient Pixel-Level Analysis And Vector Delineation From Satellite Data., Rishita Garg

Theses and Dissertations

Analyzing large-scale, high-resolution satellite imagery is a computationally intensive task requiring time and computing resources. This can be accelerated using cloud computing platforms such as Google Earth Engine (GEE) where computational and storage requirements can be scaled based on demand. However, cloud-based platforms for processing high-resolution imagery remain underutilized in environmental applications such as agriculture, and forest health. This thesis explored the application of GEE to two geospatial problems in agricultural conservation and disease mapping in forestry: 1) Extraction of agricultural field boundaries from Sentinel-2 satellite imagery, for use in conservation, precision agriculture, land management, and organization, etc., and 2) …

The Potential Use Of Generative Ai Technologies In The Work Of Female-Led Ngos To Redefine Peacekeeping: A Focus On The Russia-Ukraine War, Madison N. Wallace, Jennifer M. Ramos

Honors Thesis

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology has gained momentum in recent years. The potential of AI technologies continues to advance, demonstrating prospective utilizations in a variety of fields. This includes AI’s presence in war and war technology. AI has been especially critical for the defense strategies leveraged in the Russia-Ukraine War. But how can we use AI to positively impact human rights during war? Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Inter-governmental Organizations (IGOs) are fundamental groups that provide humanitarian aid in zones of conflict. Female-led NGOs and the feminist lens offer a revolutionary way to shape permanent peacekeeping efforts by emphasizing human rights and …

Interdependence In Practice: U.S. Travel Advisories And Turkey’S Economic Resilience, Matthew Michael Mccall

Honors Theses

This study examines the U.S. Travel Advisory and its economic impact on foreign nations, with a focus on Turkey between 2016 and 2024. Grounded in the theories of functional and asymmetrical interdependence, this approach employs a mixed-methods design, combining quantitative analysis of tourism revenue, GDP, and GNI with qualitative examination of geopolitical events that may raise or lower the Travel Advisory rating. Rather than assuming the advisory acts as a tool of coercive foreign policy, this study tests whether advisory changes meaningfully shape Turkey’s economic performance or whether they simply reflect moments of instability inside the country. The findings support …

Imagery Intelligence And Presidential Crisis Decision-Making: The Case Of The Cuban Missile Crisis, Codie Mcdonald

Honors Theses

Although the Cuban Missile Crisis was a short period of time relative to our nation’s history, this research has illuminated how much information, tension, and impactful moments lie within each minute; and the fact is, intelligence collection absolutely is a main factor in the de-escalation of the nuclear threat. Without the intelligence collection and production that was completed and given to Kennedy, policy would not be able to be made nearly as easy. Throughout each moment of the crisis, generally speaking, IMINT was able to provide and support the most aid to President Kennedy and his advisers. While the degree …

Polyminhash: Efficient Area-Based Minhashing Of Polygons For Approximate Nearest Neighbor Search, Alima Subedi, Sankalpa Pokharel, Satish Puri

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Similarity searches are a critical task in data mining. As datasets grow larger, exact nearest neighbor searches quickly become unfeasible, leading to the adoption of approximate nearest neighbor (ANN) searches. ANN has been studied for text data, images, and trajectories. However, there has been little effort to develop ANN systems for polygons in spatial database systems and geographic information systems. We present PolyMinHash, a system for approximate polygon similarity search that adapts MinHashing into a novel 2D polygon-hashing scheme to generate short, similarity-preserving signatures of input polygons. Minhash is generated by counting the number of randomly sampled points needed before …

Tindak Pidana Korupsi Oleh Partai Politik: Urgensi Dan Implikasi Hukum Terhadap Pembubarannya Dalam Sistem Ketatanegaraan Indonesia, Ivani Ananda, Alya Alania Basmine, Nadhira Putri

Jurnal Konstitusi & Demokrasi

Corruption has become an extraordinary crime that damages the integrity of the state and weakens the democratic system, including through the role of political parties that are supposed to be the main pillars of democracy. This research aims to answer the main question: can a political party be dissolved because it is proven to have committed a corruption crime? Using a normative-juridical research method, this paper examines the provisions in the Anti-Corruption Law, the Political Party Law, and the Constitutional Court Law and is associated with the e-KTP corruption case study. The results show that normatively political parties can be …