Digital Commons Network^™

Interview No. 1810, Maria De Los Angeles Jaquez Escobar

Combined Interviews

Maria de los Angeles Jaquez Escobar is the youngest of her siblings. Raised in a small town in the municipality of Belisario Domínguez, Chihuahua, she grew up surrounded by farming and ranching, a way of life that fundamentally shaped her life. With parents who were agricultores, living directly from the land, she learned early on that food is more than sustenance; it is a foundation for community and identity. In the interview, Angeles recalls her first introduction to cooking, when preparing food began as a playful game with a friend. Guided by her mother’s teachings and her friend’s eagerness to …

Staff Education Workshop Focusing On Enhancing Nurse Knowledge And Adherence To The Time (Tissue, Infection/Inflammation, Moisture, Edge) Framework To Improve The Quality Of Wound Assessment And Care, Ijeoma G. Onyejiji

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This staff educational project focused on implementing training on the tissue, infection/inflammation, moisture, edge (TIME) framework to address gaps in nurses’ knowledge and improve adherence to the TIME framework during wound assessment. Current evidence shows inconsistent use of standardized wound assessment among nurses, which can lead to inappropriate treatment, delayed wound healing, increased infection risk, and higher healthcare utilization. This project’s question sought to assess whether implementing a staff education workshop focusing on the TIME framework would enhance nurse knowledge and adherence to the TIME framework. Six nurses participated in the training. Pre/post questionnaires were used to evaluate knowledge before …

Faculty Perceptions Of Efforts To Address The Underrepresentation Of Minority Full-Time Faculty In U.S. Nursing Programs, Akua Oxendine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem for this study is that, despite longstanding efforts to promote diversity in higher education, faculty from racial and ethnic minorities remain underrepresented in nursing programs in the United States. Guided by critical race theory, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore nursing faculty perceptions of the effectiveness and challenges of institutional efforts to address underrepresentation. Using purposive sampling, 12 nursing faculty members with knowledge of or experience with diversity initiatives were recruited as participants. Data were collected through semistructured interviews. Through a six-phase thematic analysis, nursing faculty identified five critical insights: (a) diversity messaging often …

Food Insecurity, Educational Attainment, And Type 2 Diabetes In African Americans In Rural Southern Us, Dana Elaine Lowe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Rural African Americans experience a higher prevalence of Type 2 diabetes compared to their White counterparts, yet little research has explored the roles of food insecurity and educational attainment in this disparity. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to examine whether food insecurity and educational attainment were associated with the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes among African Americans aged 18 to 65 years in rural Southern United States, using the World Health Organization’s social determinants of health framework. Data from the 2019-2022 IPUMS National Health Interview Survey (N=793) were analyzed both descriptively and using multiple logistic regression …

Predicting School Readiness In Head Start Children: The Role Of The Home Literacy Environment, Executive Function, And Cumulative Risk Factors, Danielle Davis-Newman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Children from low-income families often begin school behind their more affluent peers, showing delays in cognitive, social-emotional, and academic skills. This study examined how variations in the home literacy environment (HLE) and executive function (EF) contributed to school readiness gaps among children facing multiple risk factors. The purpose was to understand whether the HLE supported children’s EF skills, how cumulative family risk shaped these associations, and whether EF was a pathway linking the HLE to school readiness outcomes. Data were drawn from the 2019 Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES 2019), using a nationally representative sample of 1,482 …

Heat And Kidney Health: Exploring The Impact Of Rising Temperatures On Kidney Health And Vulnerable Populations, Hoimonty Mazumder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This dissertation examines how ambient temperature influences renal health across three complementary chapters by exploring: sex-stratified temperature-urine biomarkers relationships, a global comprehensive synthesis of evidence on renal colic, and mediation effect of BP in the biological pathway between ambient temperature and proteinuria. We used repeated measurements of urinary electrolytes, 24-h urine total protein (UTP), and volume as outcomes from a stepped-wedge RCT conducted in southwest coastal Bangladesh and collected daily ambient temperature data from Bangladesh Meteorological Board (BMD). We employed piece-wise linear mixed effect models using random intercepts to demonstrate ambient temperature and urine biomarker’s relationships. We summarized global evidence …

Examining The Longitudinal Association Of Weight-Adjusted Waist Index With Risk Of Arthritis, All-Cause Mortality, And Covid-19 Pandemic Related Effect On Wwi: Evidence From Health And Retirement Study, Edmore Madondo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The weight-adjusted waist index (WWI), calculated as waist circumference (cm)/√weight (kg) is positively associated with arthritis and all-cause mortality. However, its longitudinal association with arthritis and all-cause mortality among older population, where excess abdominal fat plays a key role in disease development and death, remains underexplored. Thus, the aim of this dissertation was to investigate the longitudinal association between WWI and the risk of arthritis and mortality among U.S aging population. We analyzed data from 3,765 participants aged 51+ in the Health and Retirement Study (2006–2022). Group-based trajectory modeling was used to create WWI trajectories. The relationship between WWI trajectories …

Improved Understanding Of Microplastic Transport In Agricultural Farms And Its Environmental Impact, Alireza Bakhshaee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The global escalation of plastic production has led to widespread microplastic (MP) contamination across terrestrial and aquatic environments, posing a growing environmental challenge. MPs, defined as plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, originate from the degradation of larger plastics as well as from direct inputs such as synthetic fibers, biosolids, and agricultural mulching films. Despite their ubiquity, limited knowledge exists regarding their behavior in soils and their influence on soil–water–plant interactions. This dissertation addresses this gap through an integrated series of controlled laboratory experiments and modeling analyses that examine how MPs modify soil–water–plant dynamics, how they are transported through infiltration …

Situated Learning And Social Capital In Rural Appalachia: An Ethic Of Care Among Women, Erika Marie Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The purpose of this narrative study was to describe how older women of rural Appalachia learned their cultural ways of care and caregiving. Using Situated Learning (Lave & Wenger, 1999; Lave, 2019), Care Focused Feminism (Noddings, 1984, 2002) and Bonding Social Capital (Putnam, 2000) theories, four women of rural Appalachia narrated stories from all stages of life. Findings supported the presence of Legitimate Peripheral Participation (LPP) (Lave & Wenger, 1991) as the primary method of learning as the women learned types of care and caregiving while in participation with family and friends. Types of care analyzed from the narratives were …

Pedagogical Training And Support Systems For Graduate Teaching Assistants, Alina Zaman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Computer science relies heavily on graduate teaching assistants (GTAs), yet most training available to them is generic, not tailored to CS pedagogy, and rarely responsive to the needs of international GTAs. At the same time, rising enrollments and limited instructional capacity make timely, high-quality feedback on code both essential and difficult to deliver—especially in low-resource departments. This dissertation addresses that problem by pairing programmatic GTA preparation with assistive, human-in-the-loop AI and by empirically mapping where, how, and under what conditions AI can responsibly augment GTA feedback practice. First, I worked with the GTA training team to design and deploy a …

Assessing Culinary Education With A Gardening Component In Children Ages 7-13, Cassy Tigner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Abstract Background Culinary education with a gardening component teaches individuals how to cook and grow their own food. The findings of this study are intended to assess the effectiveness of culinary education in children on healthy eating patterns and lifestyle changes. Objective The research aims to determine how effective Camp Chef, a culinary education camp with a gardening component, is at changing the lifestyle habits of children aged 7-13. Study Design Children in Shelby County, Tennessee completed one week of Camp Chef. Their healthy lifestyle habits were surveyed before and after camp. Participants There were 48 children, ages 7-13, that …

Trans-Tensional Chaos In Southeastern Death Valley: Geologic Mapping And Geochronology Of The Miocene China Ranch Beds, California, Sydney Beltran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This study investigates the sedimentary record of the Miocene China Ranch beds and structural evolution of the China Ranch Basin (CRB) in southeastern Death Valley, California. Geologic mapping and geochronological studies of the China Ranch beds document progressive sedimentary fill of a transtensional basin developed at the tectonic intersection of several strike- slip faults, including the right-lateral Sheephead and Grandview fault zones, and several left- lateral fault zones. New and existing geochronology from 40Ar/39Ar of plagioclase from volcanicash beds, and new detrital zircon U-Pb analysis of volcaniclastic sandstones constrain the depositional history of the China Ranch basin from approximately <11.2 Ma to >6.8 …

November 18, 2025 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Ertapenem As An Antibiotic Prophylaxis For Colectomies And Laparotomies: A Systematic Review, Stephanie Martinez Ugarte, Mokunfayo O Fajemisin, Beatriz Varman, Parker C Towns, Elias A Chamely, Renee W Green, William D Rieger, Susan H Wootton, Lillian S Kao

Library Staff Publications

Introduction: Given concerns for antibiotic resistance, broader spectrum antibiotic agents such as ertapenem are being used for pre-operative prophylaxis. We hypothesize that pre-operative ertapenem prior to laparotomies and colectomies is superior at decreasing surgical site infections (SSIs) compared with other widely used antibiotic agents.

Methods: Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were queried for studies until February 02, 2025. Studies were excluded if they did not evaluate ertapenem as a pre-operative antibiotic prophylaxis in patients undergoing laparotomy or colectomy, the outcome was not SSIs, or it represented a review of prior publications. Three reviewers independently extracted relevant …

Isolated Multiphase Series Capacitor Converters, Salahaldein Ali Rmila

Patents Granted

A multiphase power converter for converting electrical energy. The multiphase power converter includes at least one transformer providing isolation in the multiphase power converter. The multiphase power converter further includes a series capacitor in a series capacitor configuration. The multiphase power converter additionally includes a plurality of switches connected within the series capacitor configuration. Furthermore, the multiphase power converter includes a controller in electrical communication with the series capacitor and the plurality of switches, where the controller is configured to control power output by causing the plurality of switches to be switched according to a plurality of switching intervals of …

25 New Scholarships Provide Opportunities For Iwu Students, Chris Francis

Press Releases 2020-2029

No abstract provided.

Campus Assembly Minutes 11/18 & 11/20/2025, Campus Assembly

Campus Assembly

No abstract provided.

Minutes, Curriculum Committee Meeting, Tuesday, November 18, 2025, Curriculum Committee

Curriculum Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Association Of Obesity Severity With Cardiometabolic And Renal Disease Burden In The United States, Florina Corpodean, Michael Kachmar, Shengping Yang, Steven B. Heymsfield, Peter T. Katzmarzyk, Philip R. Schauer, Michael W. Cook, Vance L. Albaugh

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Objective This study examined the association between obesity severity and cardiometabolic and renal disease, using BMI as a surrogate for obesity severity. Methods This is a cross-sectional study using data from the United States Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 2011–2023. Survey-weighted logistic regression estimated odds ratios (OR) for the diagnosis of diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, kidney disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, and coronary artery disease among increasing BMI categories. Results Higher BMI was associated with increased odds of all conditions. For BMI ≥ 50 kg/m2, odds were notably elevated for diabetes (OR 8.32; 95% CI: 7.78–8.91), hypertension (OR 6.07; 95% CI: …

Advancing Nurse Practitioner Education Using Targeted Curriculum In Critical Care Obstetrics, Jennifer Brower, Caitlin Luebcke

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Purpose: Adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner (AGACNP) education has not held a historical emphasis on care of acutely ill obstetric patients. The aim of this study was to examine the knowledge base and self-efficacy of AGACNP students pre- and post-multimodal instruction in the care of this vulnerable patient population.

Background: Maternal mortality has risen in the United States from 7.2 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1987 to 23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. Obstetric patients are more likely to be of advanced age with chronic illnesses and using reproductive technologies than in previous years. An increase in …

Emotional Communication In The Healthcare Industry, Brandon Dolan

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Through conducting interviews with healthcare professionals and the study of data that reviews the role of emotional communication in the healthcare industry, I can conclude that there are several challenges that healthcare professionals experience when communicating emotions. To begin, there is the existence of implicit and explicit feeling and display rules that are demanded by both clients, patients, and organizations. There are expectations and obligations that healthcare professionals must meet in terms of the emotions they experience and the behaviors they express to ensure the functionality of their industry. In response to these feeling and display rules, employees often find …

Ghost Stories In Ancient Rome, Camille Lindsay

SPARK Symposium Presentations

The ancient Romans did not have a set definition of what constituted a ‘ghost story.’ They did, however, have folklore, which involved stories and common themes being passed down through generations via oral tradition; this folklore included ghost stories. Although not many records of Roman ghost stories have survived, the existing records show that ghosts and their stories often contain universal attributes. This presentation explores popular ghost stories from ancient Roman writers and their commonalities.

Wiggle Bots, Amber F. Rolph

STEM for Success Showcase

No abstract provided.

Implementation And Assessment Of The Openbci Platform As An Accessible Brain- Computer Interface, Jewell Norris

Honors Theses

OpenBCI is a low-cost, open-source platform for alternative brain-computer interface (BCI) software and hardware. This thesis evaluates OpenBCI’s electroencephalogram (EEG) and electromyography (EMG) capabilities by constructing and testing a 16-channel EEG system using the Ultracortex Mark IV headset and Cyton + Daisy biosensing board. The viability of the system was assessed through real-time BCI control and comparison to a clinical-grade EEG system. Real-time BCI control of an online falling-block game was tested via the use of eye blinks EMG (channels Fp1/Fp2) and head-tilt accelerometer inputs. The BCI game demonstrated reliable control despite minor latency and artifact sensitivity. For clinical comparison, …

William Ferguson, Tenor, Department Of Music, University Of Richmond

Music Department Concert Programs

No abstract provided.

Why Some Adventurers Chase Danger To Find Meaning, Jordan Karnbach

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – Climbing mountains or going adventuring in hostile terrain can be dangerous, even life-threatening. But a University of Mississippi marketing professor found the old adage that "with great risk comes great reward" holds clues to why thrill-seeking is so satisfying.

Insights Gained From A Randomized Controlled Trial In Simulation Modalities For Nursing Students, Valerie Pauli

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Background: Nursing programs have embraced the use of simulation-based learning to help students develop hands-on clinical skills, enhance critical-thinking, and improve student confidence within a controlled and safe environment. The purpose of this reflection was to (1) identify differences and challenges for nursing students between the web-based and low-fidelity simulation groups, (2) compare student satisfaction, and (3) evaluate resources and accessibility.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of a research study utilizing two simulation modalities was performed to reveal key lessons learned in order to improve future offerings of simulation-based learning.

Results: Several key themes emerged; the themes were (1) technology challenges …

Nursing Students As Advocates: Addressing Social Determinants Of Health Through Service-Learning, Rebekah Mullins

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

Advocacy is at the heart of nursing practice, and advocating for the social determinants of health (SDOH) is crucial when providing care to patients from vulnerable populations. Service-learning is a strategy that can be used to teach students advocacy skills. Chapter 2 of this dissertation portfolio presents a concept analysis that explores the definition of advocacy using the Walker and Avant method (2019). The concept analysis informed the development of the case study presented in Chapter 3 and the research study presented in Chapter 4. The portfolio includes original, qualitative research that was guided by the interpretive descriptive method. The …

Program Agenda 11-18-25, Angela Brock

Programs Committee (PC)

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Role Of Lead And Wax Shielding In Electron Beam Dose To Facial Tissue, Emma Abiri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

External Beam Electron Therapy is frequently used to treat facial cancers. Wax and lead shields protect the eye lens and adjacent structures, reducing long term-complications and exposure to healthy tissues. Although these materials attenuate radiation behind the shielding, their impact on surface dose to nearby tissue requires further investigation.

This project evaluated how shielding materials influence surface dose to facial structures using MOSFET detectors on a paraffin wax phantom developed from a patient’s Dot Decimal compensator. Relative surface doses were compared for 6MeV and 9MeV electron beams under varying wax and lead shielding configurations. Results indicate that while wax and …