Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Behaviors Of Women Who Are Mentally Thriving With Autoimmune Disease: A Mixed Methods Approach, Emilie Ann Ellenberg

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Autoimmune diseases encompass a variety of conditions that impact millions of Americans, with a higher prevalence among women than men. These diseases involve immune system dysregulation, leading to tissue damage and dysfunction. Despite progress in understanding their underlying mechanisms, important aspects remain inadequately understood, such as the relationships among immune dysregulation, medical outcomes, and psychiatric comorbidities. Preliminary qualitative research indicates that perceived diagnostic invalidation leads to the mental health needs among women with autoimmune diseases often being unmet, and behavioral health help-seeking behaviors being reduced. Although perceived diagnostic invalidation can lead to increased mental health symptomology and decreased help-seeking behaviors, …

Marigold-Silver Nanoparticles (Agnps) Complex: Characterization, Therapeutic Potential, And Future Approaches For Lung Injury Via Antioxidant And Anti-Inflammatory Effects, Navdeep Kaur

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) and other lung conditions are a key cause of the problems facing global health, as they greatly increase morbidity, death, and the financial burden. In order to achieve the third Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations, which is to reduce premature mortality from non-communicable illnesses by one-third by 2030, updated epidemiological statistics are crucial for directing prevention, control, and treatment measures. One of the major reasons of illness and death globally is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Lung damage and the emergence of CRDs, such as asthma, emphysema, COPD, and other respiratory disorders, are largely …

Longitudinal Case Studies: Using Pat Data To Inform Teaching And Learning, Shani Sniedze, Marc Kralj

Assessment and Reporting

The ACER Progressive Achievement approach includes PAT assessments that measure what students know, understand, and can do across the domains of Reading, Spelling, Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation, Maths, Science, Inquiry and Problem Solving in STEM Contexts, and Critical Reasoning. The results of PAT assessments are available immediately to schools. This helps schools diagnose student needs and implement teaching and learning strategies in a timely manner. If PAT assessments are used at recommended intervals, schools can also see student learning growth over time. This collection of Progressive Achievement Test (PAT) case studies conducted across 2022–2024, demonstrates how PAT assessments are used …

Increasing Mevalonate Kinase Activity By Mutating A Variable Active Site Residue Identified In Natural Variant Alignments, Sylvia Sarnick, Joel L. Kaar, Daniel K. Schwartz, Yannick J. Bomble

Enzyme Engineering XXVIII

Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Study Finds Community Violence Exposure Influences Behavior In School, Jordan Karnbach

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – Children sometime misbehave at school for a variety of reasons. But new research from the University of Mississippi sheds light on how exposure to violence outside of school may lead some children to act out in the classroom.

Kenyon Collegiate - October 21, 2025

Kenyon Collegiate

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Role Of Culture And Bilingualism In Programming Activities: Lessons From African Educators, Emma R. Dodoo, Katharine Childs, Ethel Tshukudu

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The delivery of culturally relevant content in K-12 computing education is widely recognized as essential for engaging students and fostering meaningful learning experiences. However, in many African contexts, K-12 computing teachers feel unprepared to address this need. Course materials often fail to reflect the cultural and linguistic diversity of the students they serve. In this study, we conducted participatory design sessions with education stakeholders, including primary and secondary school teachers, to develop culturally relevant programming activities for a national programming outreach initiative in Botswana. Our findings emphasize the importance of relatable examples and a balanced approach to integrating cultural elements …

Injectable Microparticle-Nanoliposome Hydrogel For Extended Release Of Small Hydrophilic Molecules, Gil Aizik, Wonmin Choi, Claire A Ostertag-Hill, Matthew Torre, Daniel S Kohane

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Achieving sustained local release of small hydrophilic drugs is challenging and is particularly important when the drugs are toxic. To address these challenges, we developed a hybrid system comprising drug-containing microparticles embedded within a nanoliposomal hydrogel matrix. This system forms through salt-induced gelation using physiologically relevant sodium chloride concentrations (0.9%), allowing for microparticle encapsulation without harsh chemical processes. In vitro, the hybrid system exhibited a slower release of encapsulated cargo compared to microparticles or hydrogel alone. In vivo proof of principle was provided with tetrodotoxin (TTX), a small hydrophilic and ultrapotent local anesthetic, which can cause systemic toxicity if the …

Contextualizing Introductory Computer Science: Insights From African Faculty, Ethel Tshukudu, Ismaila Temitayo Sanusi, Oluwakemi Ola, Sally Hamouda, Linda Marshall, Oluwatoyin Adelakun-Adeyemo, Emma R. Dodoo, G. Ayorkor Korsah, Sandani Luvhengo, Jack Parkinson

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Contextualizing computer science education has been recognized as a key factor in enhancing student engagement and learning outcomes. This study investigates the initial perceptions of university computer science faculty in Africa regarding the benefits, adoption challenges, and institutional support required for the successful integration of contextually relevant materials into introductory computer science (CS1) courses. Faculty then assessed a set of previously developed contextually tailored materials, grounded in Banks' Additive Approach to curriculum reform and aligned to the CS curricula 2023. The research adopted qualitative methods, gathering data through open-ended surveys from 22 CS faculty across 9 African countries. Thematic analysis …

A Global Overview Of Anatomical Science Education And Its Present And Future Role In Biomedical Curricula, Michael Hortsch, Virginia Claudia Carneiro Girão-Carmona, Ana Caroline Rocha De Melo Leite, Ilias P. Nikas, Margaret K. Gatumu, Nii Koney Kwaku Koney, Benjamin Arko-Boham, Doris George Yohannan, Aswathy Maria Oommen, Yan Li, Jian Yang, Alexandra F. Trollope, Amanda J. Meyer, Sonya E. Van Nuland

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The four main anatomical sciences, gross anatomy, histology, neuroanatomy, and embryology, are fundamental subjects for most health professionals and biomedical students. Usually taught as part of preclinical basic science training, the anatomical sciences provide a structural understanding of human or animal bodies at both macroscopic and microscopic levels. This overview characterizes how the anatomical sciences are currently taught around the globe, highlighting similarities, differences, and recent curricular transformations that were partially in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Globally, educators of the anatomical sciences navigate similar pressures, including expectations of curricular integration and reduced time for anatomical teaching. Student-centered teaching approaches …

Emergency Department-Initiated Palliative Care Screening Among Older Adults: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Protocol, Eric D Isaacs, Daniel Markwalter, Naomi George, Alison E Hay, Rita Manfredi, Erica Westlake, Murtaza Akhter, Jason K Bowman, Naomi Rebollo-Lee, Brian Gacioch, Alexander D Ginsburg, Justin Kenneth Brooten, Sarah Pajka, Katie Selman, Paul Bain, Joshua J Davis, Shan Liu, Kei Ouchi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: The rapidly growing population of older adults (individuals aged 65 years and older) presents a new set of challenges for healthcare providers in the emergency department (ED), given the prevalence of severe and life-threatening conditions among this group, such as chronic cancer, Alzheimer's disease/dementia and congestive heart failure. ED encounters often represent a critical point in an older patient's trajectory of care and can thus be an important opportunity for various interventions such as palliative care consultation. Therefore, identifying those who will benefit most from palliative care is of high importance, especially in determining the course of future treatment. …

Quality Of Maternal And Newborn Services And Maternal Satisfaction At A Primary Health Center, Himanshu Vyas, Pankaj Bhardwaj, Mariam O.J

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Availability and utilization of maternal and newborn services at a public health facility does not ensure that quality of services is maintained. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the quality of services and maternal satisfaction with the available services.

Detailed abstract attached.

Nurses At The Nexus Of Clinical Care Provision And Organizational Structure, Amber Welborn, Meredith Gringle, Tracy R. Nichols

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

This qualitative study explores the effects of power dynamics within the neonatal intensive care unit and hospital organizational structure upon clinical care delivery for infants from a substance-exposed pregnancy in the NICU. Results suggest that power imbalances can inhibit the delivery of high-quality care, especially with high workload demands.

Detailed abstract attached.

"I’M Certain Covid Has Permanently Changed Nursing": How Pandemic Perspectives Can Inform Nursing Transformation, Elizabeth Polinard, Ellen S. Duke, Kimberly A. Lewis, Tiffany N. Ricks

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Learn how acts of radical storytelling and the creation of a repository for nurses stories of the pandemic are being used to amplify the voice of nursing, ultimately facilitating professional healing and transformation.

Detailed abstract attached.

Executive Committee - Agenda, 10/21/2025, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of Icu Rns Of A Healthy Care Environment During A Covid Pandemic, Nancy Rollins Gantz

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore the perception of RNs in four ICU units in a Pacific Northwest university hospital of a healthy work environment during a COVID pandemic and with a comparison between two units.

Detailed abstract attached.

Recognition Of Service: Information For Faculty Seeking Tenure, Certificate Of Continuous Employment (Cce), And Promotion, The Center For Excellence In Teaching, Learning, & Leadership, Soniya Munshi, Elena Sigman

Open Educational Resources

Service is an important element of the faculty experience at Queens College. In Spring 2025, the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Leadership (CETLL) convened two panels about fulfilling expectations for service activities for QC faculty at various stages of tenure and promotion. Each of the panels was comprised of deans, department chairs, and faculty members, including a Provost’s Faculty Fellow.

The panels aimed to address recurring faculty questions about service, including:

• what activities are recognized as faculty service

• how to document service activities

• how service activities factor into tenure, promotion, and CCE decisions

This informational document condenses the …

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Positive Childhood Experiences, And Digital Media Use Among Children And Adolescents In The United States, Elizabeth L. Crouch, Cheri Shapiro, Emma Kathryn Boswell, Monique J. Brown, Kevin J. Bennett

Publications

Compensatory internet use has been demonstrated to be a potential coping mechanism for stressors, which may lead to heavy digital media use. Little is known about what family-based factors may contribute to heavy digital media use among children and adolescents. This study used cross-sectional data from the 2021–2022 National Survey of Children’s Health to examine the prevalence of adverse and positive childhood experiences (ACEs and PCEs) and how these rates may vary by light, moderate, and heavy digital media use among children and adolescents in a nationally representative sample in the U.S (n = 52,256). Bivariate analyses were used …

What Influences Changes In Gait Spatiotemporal Parameters In Boys With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy? Focusing On Contractures, Muscle Strength, And Gait Deviations, Anita Bagley, Susan Sienko, Cathleen E. Buckon, Kent Heberer, Loretta Staudt, Eileen Fowler, Jason Newsom, Craig Mcdonald, Michael D. Sussman

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Aim: The absence of dystrophin in patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) causes muscle fiber necrosis and fibrosis and eventually muscle weakness and contractures. This study aimed to investigate the timing and extent of lower limb contracture development and to examine how contractures, muscle strength, and kinematic (e.g., limb position or joint movement) deviations relate to longitudinal changes in gait spatiotemporal parameters.

Methods: Seventy-five ambulatory boys with DMD participated in this prospective longitudinal study of contractures, isometric muscle strength, and gait analysis. Nonlinear mixed modeling (NLMIXED) exponential growth curve models were developed to investigate the effects of contractures, muscle strength, …

Naturalizing Motherhood: Neoliberal Femininity And The Re-Traditionalization Of Gender In Turkey, Canan Tanir

Sociology Faculty Publications

The recent trends in the social construction of “good mothering” through “naturalism” have become remarkably definitive in Turkey in the last decade. This study presents data from in-depth interviews with naturalist mothers in Istanbul demonstrating four operative mechanisms in their narratives with regard to their conception of gender. Practices of naturalist motherhood depart from systemic criticism and opposition to the ongoing neoliberal conservatization process in Turkey. However, at the same time, they are congruent with the normalization of a patriarchal gender order in this context. I propose that addressing this controversy is contingent on problematizing the focus on choice and …

Owning Workplace Safety: Investigating Safety Locus Of Control Among Nurses, Archana Manapragada Tedone, Jessica Mesmer-Magnus, Julie J. Lanz, Chockalingam Viswesvaran

Faculty Publications

Workplace accidents and injuries continue to be a challenge in high-risk industries such as healthcare, where safety is a daily critical concern. Although organizational factors such as safety climate have been well-established as predictors of safety-related outcomes, less is known about the role of individual differences in workplace safety. This research investigates safety locus of control, which captures an employee’s tendency to believe that their safety-oriented behaviors actually play a role in preventing safety incidents. Individuals with a highly internal safety locus of control tend to recognize the importance of their own and others’ safety actions for promoting workplace safety …

Coaching Fast–Coaching Slow: Applying Positive Psychology, Behavioral Economics And Neuroscience To Leadership Coaching, Ray Forbes

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

What can the rapidly expanding esoteric field of Neuroscience or Brain Science possibly offer the very pragmatic “hands on” Leadership Coaching profession? How can research findings from the fields of Positive Psychology and Behavioral Economics be productively used by the practicing Leadership Coach? Does a choice of coaching style and speed of interaction actually matter in producing successful coaching outcomes? This paper will explore answers to these questions, discuss some of the relevant research and offer practical applications and insights that can be used by the practicing leadership coach to become more effective. The intent of this work is to …

The Implementation Of The Pause Debrief Process In An Emergency Room, Sophia Robinson-Harris

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

This presentation is a review of findings after the implementation of the Pause Debrief Process following sudden patient death in an emergency room setting and it's effects on the perception of support and resilience among clinicians.

Detailed abstract attached.

Interprofessional And International Collaboration: Building Sustainable Relationships, Joan M. Creed

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

A sustainable international and interprofessional collaboration that developed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 by faculty at three universities and with three professions was found to be a creative and unique way to collaborate with global partners to benefit student and faculty growth and development.

Detailed abstract attached.

Trauma-Informed Professional Development: An Intervention Mapping Study, Heidi Gilroy, Amanda Davis, Kimberly Mcintosh, Rosemary Pine, Becky Thayer

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Almost one-third of nurses have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Trauma-informed professional development is a framework that allows nursing professional development practitioners to plan interventions to decrease risk for PTSD and facilitate recovery. This presentation will include the results of an intervention mapping study to develop those interventions.

Detailed abstract attached.

Healing The Heart Of Healthcare, Loren E. Hand, Nicole M. Probst, Leigh Griffis

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Learn how to help healthcare workers in your community heal from the trauma caused by being on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic so that they can return to work feeling proud, validated, and with a renewed sense of purpose for the profession.

Detailed abstract attached.

Examining The Relationship Between Incivility And Sense Of Belonging To The Nursing Profession, Sarah E. Patel

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Incivility experienced in clinical by staff nurses can impact undergraduate nursing students need to belong, or fit, within the nursing environment. While staff nurse incivility impacts nursing students' overall sense of belonging in the profession, it does not impact the acceptance of students in their peer group.

Detailed abstract attached.

Spartan Daily, October 21, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 165, Issue 25

Biodiversity Conservation Depends On The Expansion Of Taxonomy And Systematics Research, Luis A. Ruedas, Scott L. Gardner

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Despite mammals constituting fewer than 0.3% of all described species, their conservation is compelling for a number of reasons. They contribute to biodiversity and are important in maintaining and regulating ecological communities. Many mammals have significant cultural and economic value, serving as sources of food, medicine, and tourism revenue. Furthermore, the conservation of mammals often leads to the protection of entire habitats, benefiting numerous other species and preserving ecosystem services that are critical for human well- being. Humans share a unique evolutionary history with other mammal species, making their preservation important for scientific research, education, and understanding of our own …

The Impact Of Sglt2 Inhibitors On Pulmonary Artery Pressures And Pulmonary Hemodynamics In Patients With Heart Failure: A Systematic Review, Kritick Bhandari, Maria Qadri, Rochak Dhakal, Sagun Ghimire, Gyanendra Jora, Santosh Basyal, Et. Al.

Michigan Tech Publications

Background: Heart failure is a major global health burden associated with high morbidity and mortality. Elevated pulmonary artery pressures (PAP) are linked to worse outcomes in heart failure patients. Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, initially developed for diabetes, have demonstrated cardiovascular benefits, but their specific effects on pulmonary hemodynamics remain unclear.

Methods: This systematic review analyzed randomized controlled trials and observational cohort studies evaluating the effects of SGLT2 inhibitors on mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) in heart failure patients. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases was conducted until August …