Digital Commons Network^™

Staff Education To Improve Knowledge Of Probiotic Use And Benefits For Best Patient Outcomes, Rebecca M. Hoover

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract The staff education project to improve knowledge of probiotic use and benefits with antibiotic use, has shown to improve patient recovery and outcome. The post-implementation impact of the project is increased awareness of probiotic use and their benefits to prevent Antibiotic. Associated Diarrhea at the project site organization. I identified no limitations in the project. Staff education can be used worldwide to prevent digestive diseases with the use of probiotics supplements or probiotic food. Probiotics use is to improve patient outcomes by maintaining gut microbiome and digestive health. The evidence-based practice solution of a staff education on probiotic use …

Windkessel Parameter Estimation For Cardiovascular Feature Identification In Photoplethysmography Data, Calvin Boyce

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Features of cardiovascular health such as blood pressure, cardiac output, arterial compliance, and blood viscosity are important in evaluating heart health and disease risk, but are currently largely measured invasively and therefore only in critical settings. Here we explore the potential for Windkessel models to extract cardiovascular features from photoplethysmography (PPG) data in an attempt to evaluate heart health non-invasively. We show the capacity of a constrained Newton's method optimization scheme to estimate parameters and explore the tractability of the resulting parameters. While Newton's method is able to produce parameters that closely approximate PPG data, we found that using a …

Listening To Life In A Noisy World: The Pitfalls And Promise Of Urban Acoustic Ecology, Leah O'Barr

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines the application of soundscape ecology principles to urban settings. Soundscape ecology is the study of the entire sonic makeup of a community, composed of biophony (biological sound), geophony (environmental sound), and anthrophony (human-generated sound). By examining the changes in and qualities of the soundscape, researchers can gain information about the biological makeup and ecological quality of an area, and the temporal and spatial distribution of resident species. Recent technological advances in recording equipment and machine learning methods are making soundscape ecology an increasingly relevant and practical tool.

Applying soundscape ecology methods to urban ecosystems introduces unique challenges, …

Introduction - The Crown, Vol. 2, The Crown

The Crown: Syracuse Honors Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Expanding Access To Justice: The Case For Remote Victim And Family Access To Criminal Trials, Linda Baguma

The Crown: Syracuse Honors Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Teachers’ Emotional Appraisals And The Reframing Of Student Change In Post-Pandemic Schools, Rachel Gaines, Mei-Lin Chang, Kristen Mosley

Faculty Articles

Introduction:

The return to “normal” schooling after the COVID-19 pandemic reactivated many of the emotional, instructional, and moral tensions teachers experienced during emergency remote teaching. Yet, little is known about how teachers’ emotional appraisals of post-pandemic classrooms intersect with deficit-oriented “learning loss” discourses. Guided by appraisal theory and Frenzel’s reciprocal model of teacher emotions, this qualitative study examined how mid- and late-career teachers interpreted perceived changes in students and how these appraisals shaped their emotions, emotion regulation, and adoption of or resistance to deficit framings.

Methods:

Ten K–12 teachers from the southeastern United States participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were …

Multiple Application Models For Monte Carlo Analysis In Excel, Tom Arnold, Deniz Besik, Xia (Summer) Liu, Nancy Tran

Finance Faculty Publications

Monte Carlo simulation techniques are performed in Excel with multiple applications for option pricing: a single Geometric Brownian motion (GBM) process, a GBM process with volatility bootstrapping, and two correlated GBM processes.  This leads to the creation of a “generic” Monte Carlo simulation framework that can be applied to many different models in addition to the demonstrated commercial real estate valuation/transaction model.   Because the models are all programmed in Excel with minimal VBA programming, the techniques become very accessible for practitioners.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Various Monte Carlo simulation techniques are implemented in Excel to perform option pricing applications with (1) a …

Platforms, Privacy, And Power: Examining Predictors Of Online Intimate Information Disclosure And Expression, Alexis Shore Ingber, Danielle Keats Citron, Jonathon W. Penney

Articles & Book Chapters

When intimate privacy is violated, self- and relational development is impaired to the detriment of individuals and society. Despite these costs, there is a lack of systematic empirical and theoretical study of intimate privacy and efforts to protect it. This research helps fill this void through two complementary studies. Through a longitudinal experimental design, results from Study 1 highlight that partner trust and response-efficacy were not only positively predictive of online intimate disclosure, but also strengthened following knowledge of intimate privacy protections. In Study 2, we find individuals are more likely to engage in public-facing online sexual expression if the …

The Impact Of Social Media On Social Inclusion: A Case Study On Gun Violence, Ruolin Xu

Honors Scholar Theses

As TikTok increasingly becomes a primary platform for everyday communication and even an important venue for political communication, concerns have emerged about the potential negative effects of its algorithmic design. Prior research suggests the effect of echo chamber that social media may reinforce users' pre-existing attitudes by repeatedly exposing them to belief-consistent contents and limiting opportunities to encounter diverse viewpoints. Such selective exposure can undermine social inclusion by reducing individuals' openness toward people who hold different backgrounds or political beliefs. Meanwhile, gun control, as one of the most polarizing sociopolitical issues in the US, provides a particularly relevant context for …

Understanding Crime Through Harm: A Multi-Stage Study Of Rochester, Ny, Hayder Alhafedhi

Theses

This capstone project develops, critiques, and applies a Crime Harm Index (CHI) for the City of Rochester, New York, as an alternative to traditional crime measures that rely solely on raw counts. Rather than treating all offenses as equal “one crime = one unit,” the project weights crimes by the severity of harm they cause, using New York State sentencing guidelines as the core metric. Across four working papers, the project moves from conceptual foundations and limitations of harm-based metrics, to the construction of a Rochester-specific Crime Harm Index, and finally to a set of spatial regression models that link …

Understanding The Relationship Between Mental Health And Criminal Justice Involvement: Pathways, Disparities, And Improving System Responses, Haley Bly

Theses

This capstone project examines the complex relationship between mental health and involvement in the criminal justice system, emphasizing how pathways, external conditions, structural inequities, and system responses interact to shape long-term outcomes for persons with mental illness (PwMI). While mental illness alone is not a predictor of criminal behavior, the intersection between psychological disorders, social strain, stigma, and systemic failures significantly heightens the risk of criminal justice involvement. Combining four working papers, this capstone examines these relationships across individual, environmental, institutional, and community levels, ultimately arguing that treatment and rehabilitative-centered reforms are essential for improving the experiences of individuals with …

Table Of Contents - The Crown, Vol. 2, The Crown

The Crown: Syracuse Honors Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Commonthought (2025), Commonthought Staff

Commonthought

This issue features works created by Lesley University students and covers a broad range of topics. The work itself crosses many disciplines from creative writing to visual arts.

Crisis Response In Nursing Education: An Integrative Review Of Nursing Programme Adaptation To Covid-19, Monina A. Hernandez, Gina B. Diaz, Pearl Ed G. Cuevas

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Purpose: To synthesize and examine published research on the ways in which undergraduate Nursing education programmes in various countries adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Whittemore and Knafl’s (2005) integrative review approach informed this review. This approach was chosen by the researchers because it allows inclusion of various research methodologies to highlight different perspectives regarding a research problem. The five-stage framework includes: problem identification, literature search, data evaluation, data analysis and presentation of findings.

Key words were used in conjunction with Boolean operators, truncation, and spelling variants to search three electronic databases. The search terms used were: “nursing education” OR …

Leveraging Social Capital For Value Creation In Public Procurement: The Role Of Strategic Purchasing Integration, Iryna Malacina, Jad El Bizri, Frederik G. S. Vos, Elina Karttunen, Aki Jaaskelainen

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose Although the integration of the purchasing function within strategic decision-making has been extensively studied in the context of the private sector, its significance for the effective functioning of public procurement (PP) remains underexplored. Effective PP is critical for suppliers, users of public services and society at large. This study investigates how the strategic integration of PP influences operational, environmental and innovative value creation by developing social capital in buyer–supplier relationships. Design/methodology/approach This study empirically examined how strategic purchasing integration contributes to the development of social capital in buyer–supplier relationships, which in turn affects value creation. It utilizes survey data …

Plant Preservation: The Contribution Of Bacteriophage And Transposons To Pathogenic Xanthomonas Evolution, And The Demographic And Reproductive Analysis Of Castilleja Parvula, Ciara A. Green

Theses and Dissertations

Plant preservation, whether through disease research or endemic extinction analyses, plays an important role in the relationship between humans and our surrounding environment. In these analyses, both the role of mobile elements in the evolution of pathogenic Xanthomonas sp. bacteria, and the demographic and reproductive analysis of Castilleja parvula, an imperiled alpine plant, are evaluated. Xanthomonas species are one of the top agricultural threats, and are known to evolve rapidly. Until now, the contributions of mobile elements and particularly bacteriophage have not been thoroughly evaluated. The contribution of these agricultural diseases to food insecurity and the devastation of crops that …

Inelastic Behavior Of Three-Story Buildings With Concrete-Filled Composite Plate Shear Walls Subjected To Wind Loads, Joshua John Blom

Theses and Dissertations

Although elastic design of the main wind force resisting system in a building is the conventional approach it is not always desirable. In this study, nonlinear static and dynamic analyses are used to predict the inelastic behavior of a three-story building with concrete-filled composite plate shear walls subjected to wind loads. To explore the potential for inelastic design, two types of planar composite shear wall buildings are examined: individual shear walls designed using an elastic approach, and coupled shear wall pairs designed using an inelastic approach adopted from seismic design provisions. Nonlinear static "pushover" analyses are run using an assumed …

Using It And Accounting Education Pedagogy To Address Smaller Firms' Cybersecurity Concerns, Darlene A. Adkins, William Lyle, Walter Smith

The North American Accounting Studies

This study begins by exploring the cybersecurity activities and practices of small public accounting firms. It also examined how a cross-disciplinary curriculum design could be useful to accounting programs that are challenged to integrate cybersecurity-related content while preserving the core accounting knowledge valued by smaller accounting firms. Through interviews with current practitioners from small and regional firms, the research investigated the extent to which cybersecurity concerns impact their practice, how cybersecurity activities are staffed, and the perceptions of current practitioners on the state of accounting education related to information technology (IT) and cybersecurity. The participants expressed a desire for accounting …

Medical Cannabis Conversation Between Adult Oncology Patients And Provider: The Impact Of Provider Education, Jodi Mcclain

DNP and Student Works

Background: It is estimated up to 40% of adult oncology patients use medical cannabis (MC) for a myriad of symptoms, including not limited to, nausea, pain, appetite, and anxiety. Conversely, less than one-third of oncology health care providers (HCPs) feel confident making cannabis recommendations. Furthermore, studies have shown low disclosure rate and poor communication between oncology patient and provider regarding integrative medicine, which includes cannabis. This study sought to examine the degree of correlation between the desire for information regarding cannabis in the adult oncology population, the level of communication regarding cannabis between patients and providers, and educational efforts to …

Back To Normal? Perspectives Of Faculty And Teaching Librarians On Information Literacy Instruction After The Lockdowns, Catherine Baird, Cara Berg, Anthony C. Joachim, Drew Wallace

University Libraries Scholarship and Creative Works

Objective - While LIS scholars have extensively studied the widespread disruptions to library instruction during the lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a relative dearth of research concerning the longer-term implications for teaching information literacy (IL). This exploratory survey sought to examine how faculty have introduced IL skills to students before, during, and after the COVID-19 lockdowns. After returning to in-person operations in 2021, the authors observed a change in how faculty have engaged with libraries to teach IL to their students. Methods - Utilizing parallel survey instruments, we asked faculty and librarians for their perceptions of current …

Integrating Chatgpt In Teacher Education: Examining Early Childhood And Elementary Pre-Service Teachers’ Experiences In Ai-Assisted Math Lesson Planning, Hae Min Yu, Hyeseong Lee, Seung Kim

Education Department Faculty Articles

This study examines how pre-service teachers in early childhood education (ECE) and elementary education (ELE) integrate ChatGPT into mathematics lesson planning. Using a mixed-methods case study framed by the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) with Contextual Knowledge (XK) framework and AI literacy, we analyzed the experiences of 44 pre-service teachers (24 ECE, 20 ELE) in mathematics method courses at a university in the Midwestern United States. Data sources included pre- and post-assessments, documentation of ChatGPT interactions, lesson plans, and reflection papers. Findings reveal significant gains in participants’ knowledge of and confidence in using ChatGPT, with increased willingness to incorporate generative …

Migratory Songbirds As Potential Ectozoochorous Protist Dispersal Vectors, Silas E. Fischer, Joy J. Jackson, Elise C. Hoffman, Henry M. Streby, Trisha L. Spanbauer

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

Protist biogeography, speciation, and systematics continue to generate debate and inquiry because protist distributions and dispersal remain poorly resolved. Identifying potential vectors and basibionts for epibiont protists would contribute to our limited understanding of their ecology. Migratory animals seasonally link disparate landscapes, incidentally transporting other organisms in the process. Waterbirds are known microbe dispersers, but evidence for other avian groups is limited-such as taxa that often migrate longer distances. We asked whether terrestrial songbirds (Passeriformes) host diatoms (Bacillariophyta) by sampling tail plumage of four thrush species (Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus, Swainson's Thrush C. ustulatus, Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina, American Robin …

Pronatalism In The United States: How Political Ideals Surrounding Family And Reproductive Health Care Contribute To Neglect In The Foster Care System, Carson Sebree

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Within the past decade, conservative reproductive politics in the United States have experienced an ideological shift from pro-life toward pronatalism. This has been intensified through the rollback of reproductive rights and the rise of Christian nationalism. However, there has been no commensurate additional funding for the foster care system. This project asks the interrelated questions of: “how is pronatalism linked to neglect within the foster care system?; and, how do theories of democratic care highlight the necessity to rethink support for the foster care system and create policies that will address its shortcomings, given the rise of pronatalist aw and …

Eyetracking Measures Of Performance On The Traveling Salesperson Problem, Kanan Levy

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Human solutions to the Traveling Salespersons Problem (TSP) have been proposed to employ heuristics integrating global and local spatial information (Pizlo et al., 2006). Because different neuroanatomical regions may be involved in local vs. global processing, as well as attentional shift between levels, performance on the TSP may provide useful insight into changes that occur in the brain as a result of age or of neurodegenerative disorders (Slavin, 2002). In a previous study, we compared the cognitive processes used to solve spatial problems on a large scale (moving through space) and on a small scale (on a sheet of paper). …

Smart Capsule Technology Could Make Treatments Easier, More Effective, Clara Turnage

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – University of Mississippi researchers have designed a 3D-printed capsule that can release medication at exactly the moment a patient needs it, improving care for those who suffer from chronic illnesses.

The Gray Bird Sings: The Extraordinary Life Of Betty Kwan Chinn (Second Edition), Karen M. Price Ph.D.

Trade & Scholarly Monographs

“Touched by childhood tragedy, Betty Chinn brings hope to those who have fallen on hard times. Left homeless as a child in China, Chinn became mute. When she came to America, she found both her voice and her mission: aiding those without shelter on our own shores. ” -Barack Obama, awarding Betty the Presidential Citizens Medal

As a child during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, she was separated from her family, imprisoned, and ruthlessly tortured. As an immigrant to the United States, she worked tirelessly to shelter and feed thousands in her community. How she survived monstrous conditions, challenged impossible odds, …

Fabrication Of Three-Dimensional Seaweed-Based Scaffolds And Evaluation Of Cell Attachment And Viability For Cultured Meat Applications, Srishti Tandon

Honors Scholar Theses

Global demand for animal protein is increasing rapidly, underscoring the need for sustainable meat production. Cultured meat is a promising alternative to traditional meat production techniques, but it requires optimization before it can be implemented on a large scale. Scaffolds are an important component for making cultured meat, as they provide structural support for cell attachment and mimic the texture of meat. Scaffolds need to be biocompatible, mechanically supportive, and biochemically active to promote proper cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. This project investigated brown seaweed extract (SWE) hydrogels as a scaffold for cultivated meat applications and compared their mechanical and …

Development And Validation Of A Pronation-Supination Testing Protocol For Rat Elbow Joint Function, Genevieve Jarrell

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study

Post-traumatic joint contracture (PTJC) of the elbow results in pain, stiffness, and loss of motion that can substantially impair daily function. While flexion-extension deficits in PTJC have been well characterized, the effects on pronation-supination remain poorly understood due to limited testing capability. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a method for quantifying rat elbow pronation-supination motion to better characterize elbow dysfunction. An existing load-controlled cyclic testing protocol was adapted using a rack-and-pinion system to convert linear displacement into forearm rotation, generating torque-displacement curves from which range of motion (ROM) and stiffness were evaluated. The protocol was …

A Competency Based Pressure Injury Management Program, Madina Qadir

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This project aims to implement a simulation-based wound management program to address critical gaps in nurses’ competencies for managing pressure injuries (PIs). The initiative seeks to enhance nurses’ knowledge, clinical skills, and confidence in wound assessment and advanced therapies, fostering evidence-based practice and consistent care delivery. Effective PI management is vital for improving patient outcomes, reducing healing times, and minimizing complications. Yet, nursing education and competency gaps often lead to inconsistent care and increased healthcare costs. A structured competency-based pressure injury management (CB PIM) program integrates evidence-based didactic lectures and interactive simulation-based skills stations to cover essential topics, including wound …

Building Your Epic Life: Your Journey, Your Way, Your Masterpiece, Luciano Castillo

Purdue University Press Books

Building Your Epic Life empowers young people to understand that failure is an inevitable—and essential—part of the journey to success. The author shares his own challenges and struggles, showing that no path to success is linear and without setbacks. The book teaches the value of building a healthy body, mind, and spirit, and includes exercises that offer actionable plans for individuals to realize a meaningful, self-defined life based on their core values. A proven roadmap workbook and short lectures guide readers through a series of practical steps to discover their purpose, vision, and understand the value of mentorship—and why each …