Digital Commons Network^™

Pathways To Success: The Role Of Self-Efficacy And Social Capital In Diversifying The Healthcare Workforce., Chelsey Louw

Pacific Journal of Health

The underrepresentation of first-generation and minority students in graduate-level healthcare programs remains a major barrier to diversifying the U.S. healthcare workforce. This study examined whether participation in the University of the Pacific’s Summer High School Institute (SHSI), a two-week immersive program featuring faculty networking, financial aid literacy, and hands-on medical device training, enhances students’ self-efficacy in applying to healthcare graduate programs. Using a retrospective, cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 95 participants and analyzed with descriptive statistics and independent samples t-tests to assess perceived changes in self-efficacy. Results showed that students generally reported increased confidence after completing the program, …

Enhancing Stroke Education: A Cross-Cultural Experience, Julia Feldmann

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Stroke is the 3rd leading cause of disability across the globe, accounting for 143 millions years of disability-adjusted life years (eClinicalMedicine, 2023). In Sri Lanka, 1.6 million people have a disability impacting daily life, a primarily cause being stroke. The impact of stroke symptoms, can affect the persons the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs), functional mobility and community engagement, sleep/rest, functional cognition, and communication (Kariyawasam et al., 2020).

The rise of disabilities and unmet rehabilitative needs can be due to limited resources and comprehensive care. Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million have 490 beds available in …

Program Development For Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Imaging, Johnathan Levis

Occupational Therapy Capstones

A 14-week experience completed at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Sports Medicine and Orthopedics Campus in North Liberty, Iowa

Exploring Musculoskeletal Ultrasound (MSK US) to utilize real-time ultrasound imaging (RTUS)in clinical practice.

Population served consisted of primarily adults in an orthopedic and hand-based therapy setting.

Site Mentor: Madisson Miller, MOT, CHT, CSCS

• 10 years of clinical experience.
• A clinical specialist OT at UIHC.
• Certified Hand Therapist
• Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist

Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Plutschack, OTD, BCPR

• Academic Professor OTD
• Board Certified in Physical Rehabilitation

Implementation Of A Nurse-Driven Early Mobility Algorithm In Critically Ill Adults, Andrea Saito

Doctoral Projects

Background: Early mobilization of critically ill patients is recommended in clinical practice guidelines to mitigate ICU-acquired weakness, delirium, and improve recovery. This intervention is inconsistently implemented in many health systems due to a variety of barriers. One frequent barrier is uncertainty regarding whether patients meet safety criteria for mobilization. Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement a nurse-driven early-mobility algorithm with a clinical safety screen in an adult medical-surgical ICU and evaluate its impact on patient mobility scores, delirium rates, and ICU length of stay.​ Methods: The intervention was evaluated using a quasi-experimental before and after …

Neuroscience-Based Intellectual Productivity: A Ten-Principle Methodology For Knowledge Workers, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Learning, Teaching, & Researching Optimization

This paper presents a comprehensive, neuroscience-grounded methodology for enhancing intellectual productivity among knowledge workers—particularly academic faculty and researchers operating under conditions of chronic cognitive overload. Drawing on ten foundational principles derived from contemporary cognitive neuroscience, we argue that substantial gains in research output, creative ideation, and knowledge integration are achievable not by working harder, but by working in deliberate alignment with the brain’s native computational architecture.

The ten principles address: strategic activation of the Default Mode Network (DMN) for incubation and creative insight; prefrontal cortex (PFC) energy management through temporal task separation; externalization of cognitive load via AI-assisted working memory …

Working Smarter, Not Harder: A Practical Guide To Intellectual Productivity, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Learning, Teaching, & Researching Optimization

This guide offers general suggestions drawn from recent research. Every person thinks, works, and recharges differently. Please treat what follows not as a checklist to follow slavishly, but as a menu of ideas — pick what resonates, adapt freely, and discard whatever does not fit your life.

Advancing Occupational Therapy In Pelvic Health: Empowering Education And Advocacy Through Digital Platforms, Christine Dennison

Occupational Therapy Capstones

My doctoral capstone project keys focus areas include advocacy, education, and clinical skill development through the creation of accessible, evidence-based social media content related to pelvic floor health and occupational therapy. This project integrates clinical mentorship and continued education to support accurate, evidence-based health education. Grounded in occupational therapy’s holistic and client-centered approach, the project emphasizes health promotion, awareness, and expanding understanding of the role of OT in emerging areas of practice. It also supports my professional development in leadership, collaboration, and health communication.

Clinical experience: Clinical experience took place at Athletico Physical Therapy in Ankeny South, where I …

Growing Together: Pediatric Groups And Community Connection In Rural Iowa, Haley Bird

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Rural & foster care children experience:

• Limited OT access
• Trauma & emotional dysregulation
• Participation challenges

Barriers

• Poor referral communication
• Limited caregiver education
• Insurance limitations

Purpose

Develop a trauma-informed pediatric group program to support:

• Social participation
• Emotional regulation
• Caregiver education

Tech It Easy: Ot And Smart Tech For Aging In Place, Kassidy Hackbarth

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Objectives

1. I will demonstrate in -depth competence by conducting client evaluations, developing client-centered interventions, educating clients, families, and staff, and promoting aging in place with smart technology in an ethical manner.

2. I will promote occupational justice by understanding barriers, demonstrating cultural humility, and being client-centered when developing assessments to meet the needs and preferences of diverse aging adults.

3. I will demonstrate the occupational therapy domain and process by utilizing evidence-based assessment and interventions that are backed by theories and frames of reference that could be tested when implementing the program of exploring smart technology’s benefits that are relevant for aging …

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181st University Of Notre Dame Commencement, University Of Notre Dame

Commencement Programs

• SCHEDULE OF EVENTS 4
• HEARING IMPAIRED INFORMATION 9
• GRADUATE SCHOOL 10
• MENDOZA COLLEGE OF BUSINESS GRADUATE BUSINESS 32
• GRADUATE ARCHITECTURE 38
• LAW SCHOOL 39
• UNIVERSITY COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY 42
• COLLEGE OF ARTS AND LETTERS 44
• COLLEGE OF SCIENCE 51
• COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING 55
• MENDOZA COLLEGE OF BUSINESS 61
• SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE 67
• KEOUGH SCHOOL OF GLOBAL AFFAIRS 67
• VALEDICTORIAN CANDIDATES 68
• EMERITI FACULTY 68
• HONOR SOCIETIES 69
• AWARDS AND PRIZES 77
• TASSELS 100

Impact Of Food Insecurity On The Management Of Children With Food Allergy: A Scoping Review, Kiranjit Atwal, Kate Maslin

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Child health and development are affected by food insecurity, which is an increasing phenomenon globally. The rates of food allergy are also increasing, and the multifaceted burden is well documented. The higher costs of allergen-free food, essential to food allergy management, may compound the levels of food insecurity, but evidence is still emerging. This scoping review was conducted with the aim to understand the impact of food insecurity on the management of children living with food allergy by mapping the current types of evidence, key concepts, and research gaps. Following JBI methodology, evidence about children aged ≤18 years living in …

Rehabilitation Belief And Engagement Transformation (Rbet) Model: A Grounded Theory Approach, Jade Ibhar V. Cuambot, Marc Eric S. Reyes, Karen Katrina V. Trinidad

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

Competitive sports injuries have significant physiological and psychological consequences for athletes. While rehabilitation medicine effectively addresses the physical aspects of injury recovery, the psychological and emotional journey of injured athletes remains neglected. Thus, the current study addresses this gap by examining athletes’ transforming belief systems and emotional experiences during injury rehabilitation. A qualitative research design grounded in grounded theory principles was conducted with professional athletes to understand how their beliefs toward rehabilitation evolved over time. Findings revealed a dynamic process of belief transformation consisting of seven interconnected stages, captured in the Rehabilitation Belief and Engagement Transformation (RBET) Model: (1) Pre-rehabilitation …

Influence Of Gas Atmosphere And Deposition Time On Si/Mno₂ Thin Films Properties Deposited By Magnetron Sputtering For Supercapacitor Application, Tansya Trisnatika Dewi, Boon Tong Goh, Reza Akbar Pahlevi, Ishmah Luthfiyah, Markus Diantoro

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

Thin films of MnO₂ were successfully deposited onto Si substrates using the magnetron sputtering technique in various gas atmospheres and deposition times to study their influence on the structural, morphological, electrical, and electrochemical properties for application as supercapacitor electrodes. Structural analysis using XRD showed that deposition under an Ar+O₂ gas atmosphere increased the crystallite size and crystallinity of the Si/MnO₂ films, while shorter deposition times reduced the crystallite size and lowered the crystallinity. Surface morphology observation using SEM showed that the film deposited in an Ar+O₂ gas atmosphere had smaller, more uniform, evenly distributed, and closely …

Influence Of Fiber Loading And Cu/Sio₂ Fillers On Mechanical And Physical Properties Of Sugarcane Bagasse Epoxy Composites, Ansor Salim Siregar, Indra Indra, Agung Fauzi Hanafi, Sunny Ineza Putri

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

The rising worldwide need for lightweight, high-strength, and eco-friendly materials has driven considerable investigation into natural fiber composites. This research offers an extensive examination of the creation and characterization of a new hybrid composite designed for high-performance sports equipment. The composite structure consists of an epoxy matrix strengthened with sugarcane bagasse fibers and synergistic blend of copper and silicon dioxide hybrid particulate fillers. Three unique composite variations were created, with systematically adjusted weight fractions of sugarcane bagasse fiber (35%, 31%, 27%) and hybrid fillers. A thorough assessment of mechanical and physical properties was carried out following ASTM standards. The results …

Yet Another Medieval Tower And Section Of Jerusalem’S Ancient Walls (Armenian Patriarchate Road), Jon Seligman

'Atiqot

No abstract provided.

A Byzantine Warehouse And Anchorage South Of Ashqelon, Peter Fabian, Yuval Goren

'Atiqot

No abstract provided.

Iron Age Ii Burials And Archaeological Investigations At Ḥorbat Menorim (El-Manara), Lower Galilee, Eliot Braun

'Atiqot

No abstract provided.

The Excavations At Site 917 In The ‘Uvda Valley, 1980, Itzhaq Beit-Arieh

'Atiqot

No abstract provided.

From Chennai To Texas: Major League Cricket, Glocalization, And The Uber-Sport Assemblage, Glenn Houlihan

Journal of Global South Sport Studies

This article examines Major League Cricket (MLC), an American professional Twenty20 (T20) cricket franchise league which began in July 2023 with a sold-out match at Grand Prairie Stadium in Grand Prairie, Texas. The fans in attendance were predominantly immigrants from South Asia, a region where cricket is the dominant sport. MLC’s connection to South Asia, however, extends beyond domestic U.S. fandom, as four of the league’s six franchises are operated by Indian Premier League (IPL) teams. Here, the IPL is expanding operations into the U.S. market, leveraging the recognizable branding of the league’s teams to offer the nascent MLC a …

Acute And Chronic Oral Administration Of Cannabidiol-Dominant Cannabis Products: Sex- And Formulation-Dependent Effects On Anxiety-Like Behavioral Patterns In Rats, Carlos R. Maestas-Olguin

Psychology ETDs

Interest in the anxiolytic-like effects of cannabidiol (CBD), the non-intoxicating phytocannabinoid found within the genus, Cannabis, has grown significantly in recent years. However, preclinical investigations of CBD’s anxiolytic potential often elect to forgo translationally relevant models that maximize external validity in favor of greater internal and mechanistic validity. As a result, the effects of relatively low dose (< 3mg/kg) oral CBD administration on anxiety-like behaviors are not yet fully characterized. The present studies examined the impact of two orally delivered CBD-dominant cannabis products – a “full-spectrum” formulation derived from the whole plant and a CBD isolate derived from the same chemovar – on innate defensive behaviors exhibited by adult male and female rats in various tests of anxiety. Results indicated that acute and chronic low dose oral CBD administration attenuated anxiety-like behavior in rats, regardless of sex or formulation. These findings extend the growing corpus of literature describing anxiolytic-like effects of CBD.

The Environmental Cost Of Artificial Intelligence, Ava G. O'Connor

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper addresses the increasingly innovative and evolving world of artificial intelligence. As artificial intelligence becomes more integrated within global economies and infrastructures, its  environmental and economic impact has grown significantly, but still remains understudied in the conversation surrounding societal advancement and growth. This thesis delves into the history and development of artificial intelligence, AI's integration into modern life, Big Tech jumping to get ahead of AI development through investment, the cost of artificial intelligence, and the ethical and environmental implications of increasing artificial intelligence usage. Using multiple case studies, this thesis deeply explores the emergence of artificial intelligence as …

Examining Associations Between Socioecological Factors And Addiction Cycle Domains In Separate Community And Treatment- Seeking Samples, Kara Link

Psychology ETDs

The Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment (ANA) is a multimodal clinical assessment framework designed to capture the heterogeneity of addictive disorders and inform personalized treatment. The ANA is grounded in three neurofunctional domains aligned with the Koob and LeMoal addiction cycle stages: incentive salience (IS; binge/intoxication), negative emotionality (NE; withdrawal/negative affect), and executive function (EF; preoccupation/anticipation). In addition to these primary domains, the ANA also proposes ancillary assessment domains thought to be related to these neurofunctional domains. However, the ANA developers do not provide a rationale for including these ancillary measures in the framework nor hypothesize about their relevance to the ANA …

A Characterization Of Fat Acceptance Across Identities In A College Sample, Brynn Liabraaten

Psychology ETDs

Weight stigma is a class of discrimination in which those who are of higher weight face biases and discrimination. This can lead to worse outcomes ranging from poor mental health to societal barriers. Fat acceptance is the idea that all people, regardless of weight, deserve respect and equal treatment. The study of fat acceptance is in its infancy in the field of psychology, and there is little research addressing what kinds of people may be more or less fat accepting. The present study utilized a college sample to create a characterization of which intersecting identities and characteristics may correlate with …

Predictors Of Opposite-Sex Antipathy, Mikayla R. Poe

Psychology ETDs

Evolutionary pressures have shaped men’s and women’s motivations to cooperate and compete with one another. Sexual conflict is generated in natural conditions but may be exacerbated by features of the modern world. The current study recruited participants from Prolific to respond to a Qualtrics survey (n = 812) to investigate the correlates of opposite-sex distrust/antipathy using the newly developed Opposite Sex Antipathy (OSA) scale, which is the first of its kind to allow cross-sex comparisons. Men and women’s antipathy for each other was predicted by perceptions that the opposite sex was of lower value to society, more harmful experiences …

Identity, Sexuality, And Gender: Perspectives From Self-Identified Sexually Fluid People, Mattilyn Wiseman

Psychology ETDs

Research on sexual fluidity has relied on categorical, gender-based measurement frameworks that prioritize quantifying change over exploring the lived experience of sexually fluid people. This study employed Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to qualitatively and ideographically explore how self-identified sexually fluid people made sense of their own sexual identity, gender (more broadly), and attraction as it relates or does not relate to gender. Three participants completed structured interviews with open-ended questions. Participants unanimously made sense of identity as a self-constructed journey and tied to their social realities. Participants’ lived experiences of their own gender identities informed their sense-making of gender more …

Blockade Logic: Settler Consciousness And The Petro-Security Apparatus, Sarah Seroy

Communication ETDs

This study examines contemporary CID legislation and surrounding political rhetoric in Canada and its implications for Indigenous communities. It reveals how settler consciousness is affirmed through such legislation and how discourse rooted in colonial logics serves to strengthen Canada’s petro-security apparatus. Drawing from Teun van Dijk’s (1995) method of Ideological Discourse Analysis and integrating Indigenous epistemologies, it offers a research approach of anticolonial discourse analysis. This analysis reveals CID legislation as a racialized, colonial tool and a form of biopower the settler-state exerts over Indigenous communities. It normalizes settler-state hegemony and justifies the ongoing dispossession of Indigenous communities. This study …

The Concept 'Pollination' And Bee Pan-Trap Color And Uv Reflectance Determine The Taxonomic Compositions Of Bee Taxa Captures Across An Elevation Gradient And Seasons In The Jemez Mountains Of New Mexico, Esther A. Burton, Kelly B. Miller, Paul J. Watson, David C. Witherington, Steven Poe, David Lightfoot

Biology ETDs

This thesis examines the pollinator concept and tests how sampling methods shape bee communities. Chapter 1 provides a conceptual and philosophical analysis, arguing that pollination is a process and that pollinators are context-dependent functional roles rather than fixed taxonomic categories. It traces the concept’s development from natural history to ecological theory, introduces a dual-goal model separating plant reproduction from visitor foraging, and proposes a classification framework based on evidentiary certainty and pollination potential to resolve ambiguity in pollination research.

Chapter 2 applies these ideas empirically by evaluating how pan-trap color and ultraviolet (UV) reflectance influence bee assemblages across elevation and …

[De/Re]Construct: On The Communion Of Nature And The Divine, Rhiannon E. Kuns

Honors Projects

Closely intertwined with my personal journey of faith and spirituality, [De/Re]construct has been a place to consider questions that repeat over and over. Each time I ask, I get a different answer. These questions are not new, but the idea that I can change my answer is. This project has been the place to map my thoughts, feelings, and beliefs using the familiar. The trees, the colors and the places are known to me; so is my creative process, the planning, sketching, and painting. I am using the regular to grapple with the unanswerable.

[De/Re]construct has evolved drastically since I …

Healthcare Professional Knowledge About Food Insecurity And Treatment Options, Amberlyn Jarman

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

Food insecurity is a significant social determinant of health associated with obesity, chronic disease, increased healthcare utilization, and higher mortality, particularly in rural and underserved populations. Healthcare providers are uniquely positioned to identity and address food insecurity; however, gaps in provider knowledge and awareness of available community resources persist. This scholarly project evaluated whether an educational intervention could improve healthcare providers' knowledge and awareness of food insecurity and local treatment options. A mixed-methods approach of quantitative and qualitative measure was utilized for research. Pre- and post-test design was used with healthcare providers from a four-state rural region, including Kansas, Missouri, …

Church Of Unity And Other Short Stories, Ashton C. Steele-Thomas

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

For my thesis, I wrote stories that focused on many of the emotions that often follow hand in hand with exploring trauma—Grief, disappointment, anger, vulnerability, and self-realization. I’ve learned from my own experiences, and that of others, that it is often easier to cope with these emotions and experience them if they are told through an otherworldly lens. Sometimes the emotions are too big to feel natural, so we look to the supernatural or darker sides of reality to cope. This is what I hoped to explore.

In “Church of Unity,” the ghost of a young boy attempts to protect …