Digital Commons Network^™

Academic Excellence And Student Experience Committee, August 7-8, 2025, Coastal Carolina University

Board of Trustees Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Administration, Governance And Advancement Committee, August 7-8, 2025, Coastal Carolina University

Board of Trustees Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Athletics Committee, August 7-8, 2025, Coastal Carolina University

Board of Trustees Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Executive Committee, August 7-8, 2025, Coastal Carolina University

Board of Trustees Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Facilities And Planning Committee, August 7-8, 2025, Coastal Carolina University

Board of Trustees Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Finance And Audit Committee, August 7-8, 2025, Coastal Carolina University

Board of Trustees Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Legal And Compliance Committee, August 7-8, 2025, Coastal Carolina University

Board of Trustees Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Use Of Ai Agents In Teaching Doctor-Patient Communication Skills, Valeriu Mirzac, Alyssa M. Thallemer, Ming-Chun Yu, Yu-Ting Chen, Chun-Hua Tsai

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Publications

The integration of AI-powered agents in medical education offers a significant opportunity to enhance communication skills among future physicians. This study introduces a novel dual-agent AI system, leveraging large language models, to simulate realistic patient interactions during a neurology visit for memory loss and to evaluate communication proficiency. The patient simulator engages medical students in history-taking exercises, while the evaluator agent provides immediate, actionable insights and structured feedback directly aligned with the Core Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) framework. Findings from a participatory design process with three neuroscience experts indicate that while the agent effectively delivers medical information and fosters dialogue, …

Set Up For Success: The Lived Experiences And Perceptions Of Nonviolent Offenders And Their Challenges Of Successfully Reentering Society, Ciera Lee'nette Day

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This dissertation firmly highlighted the critical necessity for effective diversion plans tailored to nonviolent offenders, presenting a compelling qualitative analysis of the lived experiences of 12 former nonviolent offenders and their views on diversion centers. The research employed in-depth interviews as the primary data collection method, engaging participants aged 18 and older who had committed nonviolent offenses, had no pending legal cases, and had been released from incarceration or probation within the past six months. To analyze the data, NVivo 15 and MAXQDA software were utilized, ensuring a rigorous and systematic approach to organizing and interpreting unstructured data, developing robust …

Enhancing Care Coordination Through Staff Education In Interdisciplinary Communication Best Practices, Sharane Bowlin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Effective communication is essential in psychiatric treatment, where patient status continuously evolves and needs to be addressed with quick decision-making to ensure optimal care results. Delayed communication, especially in the virtual setting, can affect patient care significantly. In this staff education project, I examined whether daily hybrid meetings with situation background, assessment, and recommendation (SBAR) protocol affect care coordination on a knowledge and attitudes survey. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice staff education project was to address communication breakdowns and coordination issues among an interdisciplinary psychiatric health care team. The intervention involved administering a presurvey; an in-person session …

Design Of A Fan-Based Test Stand For Evaluating Multicopter Handling In Turbulent Flow, Salim Roig

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

With the innovation of eVTOL rotorcraft the need to analyze how turbulence-induced disturbances from orthogonal flow affect various rotorcraft configurations outside of simulations have grown significantly. To investigate the behavior of this type of flow and how it interacts with various rotorcraft configurations, a turbulent inducing test stand was designed and constructed. The test stand will have two walls of computer fans arranged in an L-shape frame, creating wind gusts that simulate the non-linear turbulent wind experienced by eVTOL. This also aids the Eagle Flight Research Center (EFRC) in their efforts to better understand how disturbances affect the handling qualities …

Global Erk/Mapk Activation Determines Oncogenic Fitness In Kras-Mutant Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Rachel A. Burge

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), ~95% of cases harbor an activating KRAS mutation. The most common KRAS mutations in PDAC are KRAS^G12D (42%), KRAS^G12V (31%), and KRAS^G12R (15%). Patients harboring KRAS^G12R mutations have increased overall survival compared to those with KRAS^G12D/V-mutations. While KRAS^G12D/Vare common in all KRAS-mutant cancers, KRAS^G12Ris only common in PDAC.

KRAS^G12R is unable to activate the lipid kinase PIK3CA, a KRAS effector that is important for tumorigenesis in murine models. To investigate the tumorigenic potential of KRAS^G12R and the mechanisms that enable this mutation …

Retrofitting Fair Use: Art & Generative Ai After Warhol, Lin, Patrick K.

Santa Clara Law Review

The fair use doctrine has been technology companies’ most valuable legal justification for systematically extracting and scraping content from the internet to train their generative artificial intelligence tools. Although fair use has historically protected the public from the monopolization of creative expression and intellectual property, in its current state, the doctrine enables powerful technology companies and movie studios alike to hoard copyrighted content while disenfranchising individual artists and creators. In May 2023, the United States Supreme Court ruled on Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. v. Goldsmith, a dispute about whether Andy Warhol’s use of Lynn Goldsmith’s original …

Cardiac-Specific Knock-Out Of Pdha1 Leading To Mitochondrial Dysfunction And Progressive Heart Damage, Collin T. Schulte, Grace K. Nielson, Reesa M. Wilcox, Han-Jun Wang

Posters: 2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Background Genetic mutations that create pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHc) deficiencies are a primary cause of congenital lactic acidosis (CLA). CLA is a rare genetic disorder in which the mitochondrion is unable to effectively metabolize excess amounts of pyruvate and lactate. It is estimated that ~250 – 300 live births per 1,000 are affected in the U.S each year. Mutations found in the X-linked gene for the E1α subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase (pdha1) account for the majority of PDHc deficiency conditions. As pyruvate dehydrogenase acts to convert pyruvate into Acetyl CoA to be further utilized in generating ATP within the mitochondria, …

Preventing Injuries In Cdl Drivers: An Occupational Therapy Approach, Jerika Eumecha Arnsworth, Cassandra Nelson, Lee Ann Hoffman

Summer 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Commercial drivers are at heightened risk for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) due to prolonged sitting, inadequate ergonomic environments, and limited access to health education. This doctoral capstone project aimed to address these challenges through the development, implementation, and evaluation of a five-week educational program focused on improving ergonomic awareness and occupational health among CDL drivers. Grounded in the Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) model, the program was implemented in collaboration with a small commercial logging company in Texas and featured weekly modules on hydration, preparatory movements, assistive technology, seating posture, and mental health.

A needs assessment revealed limited ergonomic knowledge among participants and a …

Advancing Workforce Development In Digital Health: A Regional Model From The Gcc, Manal Almalki, Osama El-Hassan, Jawad Ahmed, Amr Jamal, Mowafa Househ, Evelyn Hovenga, Paul Barach

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

This study examines the evolution of ZIMAM's role in the Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) taskforce on workforce development in digital healthcare. Established in 2016 and formalized as a non-profit organization in 2023, ZIMAM integrates international best practices, regional insights, and innovative strategies to develop a scalable digital health knowledge and skills framework. ZIMAM's methodology includes competency mapping aligned with the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA), stakeholder engagement, and iterative validation to ensure relevance and adaptability. Key ZIMAM initiatives encompass the development of governance structures, capacity-building workshops, annual conferences, and recognition programs such as the ZIMAM-ELSEVIER Digital Health Awards. …

Development Of A Health Knowledge And Skill-Based Framework For The Digital Age, Evelyn Hovenga, Osama El-Hassan, Manal Almalki, Jawad Ahmed, Paul Barach, Mowafa Househ, Amr Jamal

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region is tackling a significant digital healthcare workforce skills gap by creating a computable unified digital health competency framework and repository. Digital technologies and global competency standards are leveraged to professionalize the digital health knowledge domain and facilitate the development of clear career pathways in digital health. A mixed-methods approach was employed to develop the framework. A standardized categorial structure and information model has been developed to support the creation of this computable framework for workforce evaluation and competency-based career development.

Epidemiology, Clinical And Microbiological Characteristics, And Outcomes Of Enterococcus Bacteraemia: A 5-Year-Experience Of A University Hospital In Oman, Mohammed Al Abri, Hashim Ba Wazir

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: This study aimed to describe the prevalence, clinical characteristics and outcomes of bacteraemia caused by Enterococcus species at a university hospital in Oman. Methods: This observational retrospective study was conducted over a 5-year period from 2015 to 2019 at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman. Adult patients (18 years and above) with bacteraemia caused by Enterococcus species were included. Data were collected retrospectively from the hospital information system using a standardised data collection form. Results: A total of 142 cases of bacteraemia were observed, with E. faecalis being isolated in the majority of cases (n = 88, 62%) compared …

Improving Occupational Health For Tribal Buffalo Workers, Elinor Bowen-Keyes, Mystera M. Samuelson

Posters: 2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Occupational health and safety of Tribal buffalo workers is essential to many Tribal food sovereignty initiatives taking place within Tribal nations across the country, supporting the broader effort to bring the buffalo home. In response to requests from Intertribal Buffalo Council (ITBC) members, we developed occupational health cards identifying top zoonotic disease risks to improve patient–clinician communication. Each card links via QR code to a comprehensive clinician guidance booklet that includes etiologic agents, transmission routes, symptoms, occupation-specific screening questions, and reporting resources. Using a One Health approach, we mapped county-level data for ITBC buffalo herds, including elevation, ecosystem type, and …

Development Of Low-Cost Small-Batch Flibe Filtration, And A Comparison Of Uranium Tetrafluoride And Ionic Oxygen Oxidation In Flibe, Jacob D. Christensen

Theses and Dissertations

Low-cost benchtop-scale molten fluoride salt cleaning was investigated in FLiBe (LiF-BeF2), focusing on electrochemical cleaning and filtration. FLiBe filtration was demonstrated using both pressurized and open filtration systems. Copper and 400 Monel meshes were effective and reusable. Wetting appears to be the primary obstacle to FLiBe filtration. Oxygen oxidation behavior in FLiBe was examined using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and cyclic square wave voltammetry (CSWV) techniques. Standard addition height measurement was used to determine electrode surface area. Results support a single-step 2-electron process, matching observations in literature. Pt electrodes may be prone to oxidative side reactions, although more investigation is required. …

In Good Times & Bad: Measuring Ambivalence In Custodial Grandparents, Marin Gail Olson

Theses and Dissertations

Like other forms of caregivers, custodial grandparents experience both the joys and trials of raising their grandchildren. This culmination of positive and negative feelings is called “caregiver ambivalence." It has only recently been studied in relation to caregiver burden and wellness in the form of caregiver ambivalence theory (CAT). By collecting data from approximately 395 custodial grandparents via an online survey, the current study aimed to test if custodial grandparents’ feelings of burden influence their perceived well-being and if feelings of ambivalence mediate this relation. Implications of this research include identifying areas of strength and growth within custodial grandparents and …

Analyzing Heat Transfer Mechanisms In Tapered Microgaps And Film Boiling With Computational Modeling Incorporating Nucleation Sites And Subcooled Fluids, Divyprakash Pal

Theses

Applications such as nuclear reactors, data centers, and microelectronics require an understanding of the hydrodynamic and thermal behavior of liquid and vapor phases on heated surfaces. Phase change and interfacial dynamics enhance heat transfer in evaporation and condensation systems. This study simulates film evaporation, subcooled nucleate boiling, and confined boiling in tapered microgaps using customized Ansys Fluent with user-defined functions (UDFs) for sharp interface tracking and temperature-gradient-driven mass transfer. In film evaporation, the peak local heat transfer coefficient (HTC) reached 2170 W/(m²·K) at 0.5 mm film thickness. The maximum Nusselt number was 5.69 at 0.5 mm and the minimum was …

From Policy To Pedagogy: Applying Infodemic Governance To Instructional Design, Bethany S. Mcgowan

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

This article presents a Delphi study that defines key ethical and regulatory principles underpinning Finland’s national strategy for managing infodemics. Drawing on three rounds of consultation with Finnish experts from health, policy, and library sectors, the study surfaces foundational elements of national infodemic management—including transparency, accountability, inclusion, and adaptability—as well as gaps in digital equity, curricular responsiveness, and cross-sector collaboration. These expert-defined priorities are analyzed alongside the World Health Organization’s Infodemic Management Agenda, which serves as a pedagogical scaffold for identifying instructional tensions in health information literacy education. Findings are further interpreted through four information diplomacy anchors: agenda-setting, persuasive framing, …

Branching Out: Expanding Pediatric Occupational Therapy Through Nature-Based Practice, Sarah Kelly

Occupational Therapy Student Capstones

The current intake and outtake process lacks uniformity and there is no structured system in place to effectively monitor client progress and outcomes during the program or after its completion. Develop a streamlined process for screening, goal setting, and following up on goal progression at the end of camp.

From Heart To Eyes: Barriers Impacting Diabetes Management In Lses Areas, Robert Swayze

Occupational Therapy Student Capstones

Problem statement: Individuals with diabetes in LSES communities often experience challenges in managing their health due to barriers affecting daily routines, motivation, and health literacy, leading to comorbidities like DR & CHF.

Occupational Therapy Home-Based Treatment To Improve Feeding In Kids With Arfid And Other Eating Disorders, Taylor Renee Sanders

Occupational Therapy Student Capstones

The project aimed to spread research-based interventions and strategies to parents whose children are receiving occupational therapy for feeding challenges.

Gym Inclusivity For Individuals With Physical Disabilities, Sergio Rodriguez

Occupational Therapy Student Capstones

Project purpose: Provide staff with the recommendations necessary to make the Fitness Center more ADA compliant. Provide staff with the training necessary to better understand different types of disabilities, laws and regulations and how to interact with individuals with disabilities. Provide students with the necessary tools to advocate for change within the fitness community.

Independence Beyond Sight: Occupational Therapy's Role In Promoting Functional Independence In Low Vision Communities, Kristina Holcomb

Occupational Therapy Student Capstones

Many individuals with low vision experience a multitude of barriers limiting access to community and healthcare services. Interviews highlighted the need to expand outreach to youth, build an updated community resource guide, and the need for community events for all programs.

Empower, Educate, Engage: Supporting Hispanic Families With Diabetes Through Occupational Therapy, Luis E. Perez

Occupational Therapy Student Capstones

The population of interest is Hispanic individuals and familiaes managing diabetes. Purpose: Close gaps in health literacy, daily routine-building, and family engagement through OT-designed tools and resources. Advocate for integration of OT into multidisciplinary diabetes-care teams, expanding access to holistic self-management support.

Play With Intent: A Community Based-Approach In Promoting Inclusive And Child-Led Engagement With Easterseals Superior California, Margerie Vergara Vinoya

Occupational Therapy Student Capstones

Neurodiverse children may require additional environmental support to successfully engage, socialize, and adapt due to differences in their sensory systems. However, there’s a lack of inclusive, child-led, and sensory-rich environments that promote meaningful participation and social success.