Digital Commons Network^™

Improving Nursing Staff Knowledge To Provide High-Value Dementia Care, Kimone L. Johns

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This staff education project aimed to increase nurses' knowledge to provide high-value dementia care. At the project site, nurses indicated low self-confidence and knowledge in providing quality dementia care. Providing low-value care to persons with dementia (PwD) contributes to suboptimal clinical outcomes and poor quality of life and adversely influences nurses' satisfaction. Therefore, the project question addressed whether a staff education program would increase nurses' self-perceived ability and confidence to provide high-value dementia care. The staff education objective was to enhance patient-centered dementia care, provision of quality care that can improve quality of life (QoL) of PwD. Twenty peer-reviewed journal …

Staff Education On Burnout For Mental Healthcare Staff Mitigation Strategies For Psychiatric Outpatient Staff, Kadine Foreman-Westly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this project is to determine whether implementing a staff education program in a psychiatric clinical setting can improve healthcare staff knowledge of strategies to prevent burnout. The project addresses a critical practice problem: a lack of structured education programs specifically targeting burnout recognition and management among mental healthcare staff. Burnout not only negatively impacts staff well-being but also affects patient safety and the overall quality of care. This project was designed to fill this gap by providing an educational intervention, with effectiveness measured through pre- and post-intervention surveys assessing staff knowledge. This staff education project was strengthened …

Counselors’ Experience Of Vicarious Trauma Symptoms During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Aleah B. Curley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As caseloads increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, counselors experienced a shift to telehealth counseling and double exposure to trauma and pandemic elements. Some counselors experienced symptoms of vicarious trauma (VT). A gap in the literature existed regarding the interaction of the pandemic among clients and counselors’ experiences of VT symptoms. The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to explore the lessons learned by capturing the stories of counselors who experienced VT symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research question concerned the retrospective experiences of counselors who self-reported experiencing VT symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Seven licensed professional counselors who experienced …

Towards A Typology Of Mental Health Crisis Care Services For Children And Young People In England And Wales: A Cross-Sectional Survey And Analysis Of Implementation Practices, Clare Bennett, Claire Fraser, Ben Hannigan, Leanne Sawle, Jessy Williams, Aled Jones, Steven Pryjmachuk, Mair B. Elliott, Martin Elliott, Nicola Bennett, Euan Hails, Iain Mcmillan, Rachael Vaughan

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Background: The mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is a global concern. Alongside approaches emphasising mental health promotion in schools, communities and in the home, many countries are also investing in crisis services. These aim to meet the needs of young people experiencing acute psychosocial distress. A recent synthesis of the international evidence found a paucity of research in this area. This study sought to address this gap while simultaneously situating the findings within the international context and drawing out implications for policymakers and practitioners. Methods: A cross-sectional study aiming to describe and map approaches to the …

Liahona Project Data Set 4 Up To 2023, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Spiritual Proficiency

This document is a collection of highlights extracted from more than 1000 articles from the Japanese online Liahona magazines, spanning from July, 2021 to the end of 2023. Each article was individually checked to extract inspirational principles and highlights from personal experiences, serving as a resource to develop Spiritual Proficiency and build the foundation for Wits Psychology (With the Spirit Psychology). The document is 69 pages long.

University Band & Wind Symphony Present: “Of Song And Dance”

Bailey School of Music Concert Programs

David Roush, Conductor

Artem-Is For Erp: Agreed Reporting Template For Eeg Methodology-International Standard For Event-Related Potential Experiments, Giorgio Ganis

School of Psychology

The choices we make during the recording, preprocessing and analysis of event-related potentials (ERP) data can affect study outcomes. As such, it is critical that they are transparently reported to allow for reproducibility. Yet, systematic reviews of reporting practices in the field have shown that journal articles often do not meet this goal and that existing reporting guidelines have not resulted in a sufficient improvement in reporting transparency. An easier workflow for transparently documenting pipelines used in regular journal articles is needed. The ARTEM-IS (Agreed Reporting Template for EEG Methodology—International Standard) initiative is working towards addressing this issue by building …

The Impact Of Parking Services On Mental Health At Bowling Green State University, Callie Oyster

Honors Projects

The current research investigates the effects of parking on daily stress and emotional stability and perceptions of equity at Bowling Green State University (BGSU). It draws from the perspective of students, faculty, and staff via a quantitative survey of over 500 respondents that assessed parking behaviors, mental health indicators, and institutional trust. The results indicate that unpredictability, rather than simply lack of space, is the largest source of stress related to parking. Commuter and resident students reported arriving at least 20-30 minutes earlier than expected. Faculty, staff, and students reported feelings of anticipatory anxiety about driving to BGSU, with emotional …

Prosodic Comparisons Between Speech And Music For Different Emotions, Reagan Brothers

Honors Projects

This study compares the prosodic acoustic characteristics between different emotional expressions in speech and clarinet playing and evaluates the similarities in prosody between these two domains. The prosodic features analyzed include pitch, loudness, and duration, which are the psychoacoustic terms referring to fundamental frequency [f_o], intensity, and rate of time. The American folksong “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” was both spoken and performed with three emotions: neutral, sad, and happy. The first comparison was how each prosodic characteristic compared across the three different emotions within each domain, and then prosody was compared across the two domains …

Growing Through It: How Adolescent Romantic Partners Shape Drug Use Trajectories Into Emerging Adulthood, Grady Schulz

Honors Projects

This study is focused on understanding how adolescent romantic partners influence drug use trajectories into young adulthood utilizing the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS). By utilizing a theoretical framework based on social networks theory and Elder’s life course perspective (Elder 1998) our analysis emphasizes social influences among adolescents and their longitudinal changes. This analysis is focused on two hypotheses: (H1) adolescents mimic the drug use behaviors of their romantic partner, and (H2) this mimicry will stop and the influence of this partner will dissipate as an adolescent ages into young adulthood. Using Waves 1 through 5 of TARS, collected between …

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