Digital Commons Network^™

There’S No Magic Pill: A Multimethods Qualitative Study Exploring Routine Fatigue Care In People With Multiple Sclerosis, Emma O’Connor, Sophie Fawson, Tom Sanders, Tracy Finch, Nicole Dodsworth, Harriet Waine, Olivia Tamburro, Jennifer A. Freeman, Pam Bostock, Wendy Hendrie, Rona Moss-Morris

School of Health Professions

BACKGROUND: Fatigue is a common and debilitating symptom for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Evidence suggests that behavioral treatments, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy and some exercise therapies, are effective in reducing MS fatigue. However, few people are offered these treatments in routine care, and little is known about the reasons for this research-to-practice gap. The aim of this study was to explore how routine care is currently delivered for MS fatigue. METHODS: Health care professionals (n = 28) took part in 6 focus groups and 6 one-to-one interviews exploring experiences with assessing, managing, and treating fatigue. How health care professionals …

Social Development Dynamics Of Students In Inclusive Education In Indonesia, Nur Hidayat Nh

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

This narrative review analyses the social development of students with special needs in Indonesian inclusive schools by synthesising five high-quality empirical studies (indexed SINTA 1–3) published between 2018 and 2023. Addressing three research questions, the synthesis reveals heterogeneous and generally limited social development trajectories shaped primarily by ecological interactions rather than inherent disability characteristics. Key barriers include symbolic inclusion, inadequate teacher training in multimodal strategies, low peer acceptance, and systemic resource deficits, whereas facilitators encompass contextualised multimodal communication, active family involvement, and supportive institutional leadership. Effective interventions depend on coordinated teacher–parent–peer triangulation, leveraging local sign language, structured peer-mediated activities, and …

Greenhat’S Greenlight To The Cftc: The Case For A Jurisdictional Shift Of Financial Transmission Rights From The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission To The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Timothy K. Shaw Ii

DePaul Business & Commercial Law Journal

Regional Transmission Organizations and Independent System Operators are a relatively new platform to buy and sell wholesale electricity and transmission service of that electricity. These groundbreaking organizations have been around since 1996 after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) issued Order 888. FERC regulates the physical electricity wholesale sale and transmission service market managed by a Regional Transmission Organization (“RTO”) or Independent System Operator (“ISO”),through its Federal Power Act mandate. Many RTOs and ISOs offer a product called a Financial Transmission Right (“FTR”). Traditionally, FTRs assist the holder by providing price certainty, or a hedge, in the capacity market. This …

Choosing The Best Entity For Investments Trading After Understanding The Tax Limitations And Restrictions, Ray A. Knight, Joseph Lakatos

DePaul Business & Commercial Law Journal

The trading of various securities is subject to market rules. However, when securities trading is completed within a business entity, the entity is subject to tax limitations and restrictions. The tax benefits cannot be the dominant purpose for the entity structure; economic substance including profit motive and business purpose for each transaction must be able to be shown.

The trading of investment securities must be housed in the right entity to gain the best economic results as well as to minimize the tax burden. The entity selection process must first consider the characteristics and nature of the securities (e.g., currencies, …

Volume 23 - Front Matter

DePaul Business & Commercial Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Exploring Outcomes For Patients With Spinal Cord Injuries Participating In A Day Treatment Program, Christina Kane, Alexa Chappell, Kristen Frack, Sarah Salluom, Brittany Meurs

Occupational Therapy Annual Research Colloquium

Purpose: This study explored program outcomes of the Brooks Spinal Cord Injury & Related Disorders Day Treatment Program in Jacksonville, Florida. By examining secondary data, using both the Self-Reported Functional Measure (SRFM) and the Spinal Cord Independence Measure–III (SCIM-III), researchers determined the change between admission and discharge scores in both patient- and therapist-reported outcomes of self-care skills. This study also studied if a correlation existed between the SRFM (patient-reported) and SCIM-III (therapist-reported) outcomes.

Participants: Data from 49 participant records were collected in 2022-2023, with 42 participants data qualifying for this study.

Methods: Using secondary de-identified data, statistical analyses were conducted …

Occupational Participation Among Children With Neurodivergent And Related Conditions: A Mixed Methods Study, Shirish Lala, Darian Amacker, Anne Martens, Alexa Rodefeld, Danielle Toth, Elyssa Wider

Occupational Therapy Annual Research Colloquium

Background: This study explored occupational engagement of children with neurodivergent and related conditions in home, school, and community settings. Children aged 6 to 16 years and their caregivers were recruited to investigate how occupational engagement differs across contexts.

Methods: A mixed-methods approach assessed quantitative data from 51 participants using a modified version of the Child and Adolescent Scale of Participation. Qualitative data were collected from 6 semi-structured interviews. The Model of Human Occupation and its components of volition, habituation, and performance capacity, including environmental factors, informed the research process and methodology. Engagement among children with neurodivergent diagnoses is shaped by …

Sexuality And Sexual Activity Of Adults 21 To 35 Years With High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mariana D'Amico, Aisha N. Maldonado, Gina Fuentes, Andrea Meston

Occupational Therapy Annual Research Colloquium

Purpose

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) report having less sexual experience and engaging in fewer social-sexual behaviors when compared to those without ASD. The purpose of this study is to discover how the quality of sexual education has impacted individuals with high-functioning ASD (HFASD) engagement in sexual activity.

Methods

This qualitative phenomenological study used semi-structured interview questions based on the purpose of the study and identified research questions. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants.

Results

Findings indicated that female adults with HFASD received inconsistent and incomplete sexual education impacting their sexual experiences, safety, and quality of life. All …

Perspectives Of Occupational Therapy-Led Caregiver Education On The Quality Of Life Of Caregivers Of Stroke Survivors, Yu Hsiang Liang-Paultre, Stefani Costanzo, Alaunte Major, Krisyadlee Mercado Lugo, Olivia Schrader

Occupational Therapy Annual Research Colloquium

Purpose

Occupational therapy plays a vital role in equipping caregivers with the knowledge and skills needed to support individuals recovering from a cerebrovascular accident. Caregiver training provided by occupational therapy practitioners helps families manage post-stroke care and reduce the risk of secondary complications. This study explored caregivers’ perspectives on occupational therapy-led education, focusing on the type, quality, and perceived effectiveness of training before discharge.

Methods

Originally designed as a mixed-methods study, the research was modified to a qualitative design after hurricanes affected recruitment. Using a phenomenological approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with caregivers of individuals who had a cerebrovascular accident …

Executive Function Among Older Adults With Bipolar Disorder: A Gage-Bd Analysis, Federica Klaus, Martha Sajatovic, Peijun Chen, Nicole Fiorelli, Ashley N. Sutherland

Faculty Scholarship

Objectives Executive function deficits in bipolar disorder (BD) are major contributors to disability in older age BD (OABD). We investigated the difference between OABD and age-equated healthy comparators (HC); and, in the OABD group, the associations of executive function with age, symptom severity, global cognition, and daily functioning. Design Cross-sectional analysis of executive function in OABD versus HC. Setting Analysis of large archival dataset harmonized from 12 international OABD studies. Participants Older adults (≥50 years) with OABD ( n = 614) and HC ( n = 192). Measurements Executive function was assessed via Trail Making Test B (TMT-B) completion time; …

Southern Adventist University Commencement Winter 2025, Southern Adventist University

Commencement Programs

Program for Southern Adventist University Winter 2025 graduation. The commencement service took place on December 18, 2025 at 7 pm in Iles Physical Education Center.

Transforming Shrm; Applying The Kotter Method To Niu Shrm, Hunter J. Egelhoff

Honors Capstones

This capstone project examines how Northern Illinois University’s Society for Human Resource Management transformed its organizational structure and programming to better prepare students for today’s competitive job market. With workforce demands shifting toward practical experience, employer expectations have exceeded what traditional classroom education alone provides, creating a growing gap between student readiness and career requirements. To address this disconnect, NIU SHRM applied Kotter’s Eight-Step Change Model to restructure leadership roles, integrate experience-based learning, and enhance student engagement through workshops, partnerships, and leadership development opportunities. This change initiative resulted in increased visibility, participation, and measurable short-term successes that now serve as …

Housing Burden And Insurance Expenditures, Melanie M. Lytell

Honors Capstones

Housing costs shape the way families spend on protection and security. This study looks at how the share of income devoted to housing, the housing burden, influences household spending on four types of insurance: vehicle, life, personal, and health. Using data from nearly 92,000 households and regression models that account for state differences, I find that even small increases in housing burden shift insurance choices in meaningful ways. A one‑percentage‑point rise in housing burden is linked to a 2.1% increase in vehicle insurance spending and a 0.5% increase in life insurance, but a 0.7% decrease in personal insurance and a …

Investigating Factors That Affect Total Ige Antibody Levels Of A Canine Population In Louisville, Ky, Iris N. Gillespie

Undergraduate Theses

Canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) is a genetically predisposed condition that causes inflammatory and pruritic (itchy) skin reactions in response to environmental and food allergens. The main purpose of this study is to determine if there is a correlation between pollen counts and total canine IgE antibody levels of dogs living in Louisville, KY. Additionally, data is analyzed to look for trends documented in previous studies related to the impacts of sex, age, and allergic symptoms on total IgE count. In collaboration with the Downtown Animal Hospital, blood samples were drawn from 16 dogs at one point in February (when pollen …

The Heart Of Leadership: What Is The Importance Of Emotional Intelligence In Leadership?, Catherine E. Lee

M.S. in Leadership

Emotional intelligence is a concept that has been gaining traction in recent decades, and organizations have been trying to assess its place within leadership and training. Previous research on this topic has shown the growing importance of emotional intelligence in the workplace, with particular attention to employee retention and satisfaction. By using a mixed methods approach to understand the importance of emotional intelligence (EI), this paper explores the specific components of EI employees look for in an organization and a leader. Using a survey of almost one hundred respondents and six in-depth interviews, EI was determined to have a significant …

Health-Related Quality Of Life In The Era Of Immune Checkpoint Blockade: What Do Patient-Reported Outcomes Reveal?, Alexandra M Dunker, Neha Malik, Kathryn J Krause, Emily Z Keung, Jason B Liu, Elise F Nassif Haddad, Neeta Somaiah, Heather G Lyu, Christina L Roland

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer treatment by providing durable survival gains, but understanding their effects on patient health-related quality of life (HRQL) is critical.

Methods: We performed a narrative review of cross-sectional surveys, early-phase trials, and large-scale phase II and III randomized controlled clinical trials assessing FDA-approved ICIs, including programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors, programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors, and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) inhibitors, with emphasis on patient-reported HRQL. Validated HRQL instruments were summarized, and for pivotal trials, the positioning of HRQL outcomes as primary, secondary, or exploratory endpoints was taken …

Improving Communication To Enhance Health Literacy And Self-Management Of Heart Failure: Protocol For A Multimethod Study, Neda Karimi, Francesco De Toni, Walter Abhayaratna, Blake Askelin, Philip Currie, Karol Edge, Christopher Etherton-Beer, Elizabeth Fewster, Liza Goncharov, Nisha Jijo, Susy Macqueen, Nilufeur Mckay, Suzanne Raine, Amineh Rashidi, Christopher Rouen, Rosemary Saunders, Peter Schulz, Rhea Tecson, Diana Slade

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction Self-care plays a pivotal role in the management of heart failure (HF). Health literacy and empowerment are considered the prerequisites of effective self-care. This project aims to improve self-management in people with HF by describing, analysing and enhancing the communication practices of clinicians and patients to support people with HF to increase their health literacy skills and participate in shared decision-making. Methods and analysis A multimethod research design incorporating an interview component, a concurrent mixed-methods component and a pilot intervention study is used. The study is currently being conducted at two Australian hospitals in metropolitan areas (one public and …

Economics Of The Olympics: Impact Of Bidding For And Hosting The Olympic Games On International Openness, Adalynn Cherry

Pennsylvania Economic Review

This study investigates how hosting and unsuccessfully bidding to host the Olympic Games impacts total international trade and influences a country’s openness. This relationship is analyzed using the gravity model of trade to perform a regression analysis of total trade levels from 2000 to 2018. The results of this study did not support the idea that hosting the Olympic Games impacts total trade; although, they did show a strong and permanent positive relationship between unsuccessfully bidding to host the Olympic Games and total international trade. These findings highlight the benefits of the Olympic bidding and candidature process as a policy …

The Safety Kuznets Curve: Context In Occupational Safety, Andy Knickerbocker

ASEM Capstones

2025 ASEM 620 Capstone Project

Operationalizing Flourishing In Bsn Nursing Education: A Cipp- Driven Strategy, Kennedy E. Hochstedler, Elizabeth Morse

DNP Projects

Operationalizing Flourishing in BSN Nursing Education: A CIPP- Driven Strategy

Double Burden Stress In Women And The Role Of Psycho-Religious Worship In Alleviating It, Fahmi Mandala Putra, Zata Ismah, Rizky Indah Syahfitri, Citra Cahyati Nasution, Az-Zahra Atika Putri, Fitria Amirah, Tri Amelia Rahmitha Helmi

Folia Medica Indonesiana

It has been recognized that women are twice as likely to experience depression compared to men. In addition to biological vulnerability, there is also a combined effect of bearing the burden of household responsibilities while contributing financially through employment. One coping strategy that helps women endure these challenges is meditation, which in Islam includes the practice of dhikr (remembrance of God). This study aims to analyze the phenomenon of double burden stress in women and how psychoreligious practices can help reduce stress levels. The study employed a prospective cohort design, tracking the respondents' dhikr habits over a 21-day period. On …

Closeness, Conflict, And Achievement: The Role Of Parent–Child Relationships In Homeschooled And Public-Schooled Children, Celeste Gonçalves Tomaz

Honors Capstones

The parent–child relationship has been found to be a predictor of children’s academic and socio-emotional outcomes, with parent-child closeness linked to motivation and persistence (Mo & Singh, 2008; Silinskas & Kikas, 2022) and parent-child conflict associated with emotional and behavioral difficulties (Dotterer et al., 2008; Pinquart, 2017). The homeschooling context may increase these associations since children spend more time with their parents, who have caregiving and instructional roles (Padilla, 2021; Thomas, 2016). Even with growing research on academic and socio-emotional outcomes, few studies have examined whether the strength of the parent–child relationship is influenced negatively or positively by schooling type. …

Ract: Ranking-Aware Chain-Of-Thought Optimization For Llms, Haowei Liu, Xuyang Wu, Guohao Sun, Hsin-Tai Wu, Zhiqiang Tao, Yi Fang

Computer Science and Engineering

In information retrieval, large language models (LLMs) have demonstrated remarkable potential in text reranking tasks by leveraging their sophisticated natural language understanding and advanced reasoning capabilities. However, conventional supervised fine-tuning approaches for specializing LLMs in ranking tasks often lead to significant degradation of the models' general-purpose abilities. To address this fundamental challenge, this paper presents a novel methodology that strategically combines Chain-of-Thought (CoT) prompting techniques with an innovative two-stage training pipeline consisting of Supervised Fine-Tuning followed by Ranking Preference Optimization (SFT-RPO). The Chain-of-Thought prompting component encourages models to explicitly articulate their reasoning process during ranking decisions, creating a transparent pathway …

Changing Opinions: The Supreme Court After Dobbs, Lora E. Judge

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Reception Of Neurodiversity Represented Within Netflix’S Wednesday, Anna Stevens

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

This paper explores how neurodiversity is represented through popular media - particularly Netflix's show Wednesday - and aims to discuss the effects this representation could have in regards to how it's received by the public, as well as those who are neurodiverse.

Factors Associated With Medication Adherence And Systolic And Diastolic Blood Pressure Of Hypertensive Patients, Hamka Ziddan, Meity Ardiana, Linda Dewanti, Anudya Kartika Ratri

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Uncontrolled hypertension can cause complications such as heart disease, brain disease, kidney disease, and other diseases. Medication adherence is a primary factor in controlling blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive patients. This study aims to provide an overview of the factors associated with medication adherence of hypertensive patients treated at Taman Public Health Center in Sidoarjo, Indonesia. This study used a cross-sectional approach involving hypertensive patients. This study employed consecutive sampling, with the number of samples comprised of patients undergoing outpatient care from January 2, 2023, to February 25, 2023, totaling 103 respondents. The study employed the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale …

How Risk Factors Significantly Affect The Incidence Of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus In Tarus, Kupang, I Made Subhawa Harsa, Prisilia Christin Velisites Masneno, Eva Diah Setijowati, Andra Agnez Al Aska

Folia Medica Indonesiana

The incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is influenced by both unmodifiable factors, such as age, family history, education, and employment status, as well as modifiable factors, including obesity, diet, physical activity, and smoking habits. Researchers have recognized the necessity of research on risk factors for T2DM across various regions. However, the findings have been inconsistent. The absence of research on risk factors for T2DM in some regions has necessitated the conduct of studies in these areas, particularly in primary health care facilities such as Community Health Centers (\textit{Puskesmas}). This study aims to control the risk factors that contribute …

Innovative Offshore Transition-To-Practice Model For International Nurses Using Tele-Simulation, Lisa Mceathron, Christian Striggow, Jose Arnold Tariga

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Empirical evidence underscores the importance of optimal nurse staffing in delivering high-quality patient care, improving outcomes, and enhancing nurse well-being. Internationally educated nurses (IENs) play a crucial role in addressing staffing shortages in the United States, yet they face challenges in bridging gaps between varying international nursing standards and US healthcare practices. Innovative approaches are essential to ensure their readiness to integrate effectively prior to arrival.

The International Transition to Practice Program leverages tele-simulation as a pioneering strategy to address these challenges, providing an offshore, immersive learning experience for IENs. This program was implemented from July 2023 to September 2024, …

A Mobile Meditation Application To Impact Nursing And Nursing Student Stress, Lisa Corry

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Nurses care for all members of the community and are expected to be representatives of good health. They often place the needs of their patients before their own while they are faced with a variety of stressful situations and working environments (Linton & Koonmen, 2020). Nurses experience high levels of stress which can have negative effects on an individual. Over time, untreated stress for nurses may lead to burnout or compassion fatigue which has been associated with poor patient outcomes, decreased patient satisfaction, and high attrition rates (Bonamer & Aquino-Russel, 2019). This can result in increased costs related to callouts, …

Elm: The Case Of Experiential Programming, Matthew Miller, Lynette Campogiani

Faculty and Staff Publications & Presentations

Experiential Programs (EPs) provide immersive, destination-focused experiences within luxury resort settings. However, research has yet to apply the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) to examine how guests evaluate their experiences with EPs, particularly within luxury tourism or resort contexts. Using the ELM framework, this study examined how the experience of luxury resort EPs influences guests’ revisit intentions. Guests’ experiences were categorized into central and peripheral processing cues and qualitative interview responses were analyzed. The findings indicate that elements such as ambient music and scenic views associated with peripheral processing had a significantly stronger positive impact on guests’ intentions to return than …