Digital Commons Network^™

The Thermodynamic Fate Of Isolated Quantum Systems, John Keim, Isabel Martinez-Robles, Nicolaus A. Chlanda, Sage M. Thomas, Maja Teofilovska, Sarah E. Spielman, Jordyn Strunk, Tina Zhao, Juniper J. Bauroth-Sherman, Hannah Conley, Philip Conte, Aidan Kirk, Thomas J. Carroll, Michael W. Noel

Physics and Astronomy Summer Fellows

Isolated quantum systems are typically observed to come to thermal equilibrium. The weak Eigenstate Thermalization Hypothesis (wETH) states that the vast majority of eigenvectors are thermal. This implies that most initial states should thermalize. Studying the rare cases in which they fail to thermalize could reveal insight into quantum dynamics. In our experiment, we excite Rydberg atoms and allow them to exchange energy via dipole-dipole interactions. We find that they do not thermalize. We present numerical and theoretical results that show that our experimental initial state is not typical.

Bridges And Mirrors: An Examination Of How Empathy Is Illustrated Through The Elements Of Quest Stories, Faith A. Rendles

Masters Theses

Stories are a gift. From generation to generation, in different cultures, through wars, festivals, pandemics, across dinner tables, and over a vast expanse of other connection points, stories have been a way for human beings to connect and empathize with each other and themselves. Quest stories specifically have been a mirror and bridge of life through the call to step out of the ordinary into courage, facing trials with bravery, and being challenged to practice empathy through the path that we walk. Through quest stories, readers learn to be aware of the moments on their journey that they are not …

Syllabus For Com 3800 (Principles Of Public Relations), Rachel Kovacs

Open Educational Resources

This syllabus reflects the basic principles underlying the theories and practice of public relations.

Increasing Behavior-Specific Praise Use And Variability With Secondary Education Teachers Using Behavioral Skills Training, Tactile Prompts, And Multiple Exemplars, Cecilia Pannone

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Teachers often receive minimal training in classroom management strategies, leading to punitive-based teacher-student interactions. Negative interactions (e.g., reprimands) may decrease behaviors momentarily but do not yield lasting behavior change. Behavior-specific praise (BSP) is a low-response effort classroom management strategy that positively impacts students’ behaviors and academic performance. However, training does not guarantee that BSP will be used throughout the academic years or across student cohorts, leading teachers to revert to negative interactions to manage classroom behaviors. Limited research has investigated the components of praise that increase effectiveness and saliency. This study aimed to increase teachers’ use of BSP using tactile …

Developmental Consequences Of Benevolent Sexism: How Awareness Can Change Women’S Lives, Bianca F. Brenes Rojas

Student Works

Benevolent forms of sexism become increasingly evident as society evolves, making everyday sexism more challenging to recognize and confront (Feigt et al., 2022; Watson et al., 2018). When unaware, benevolent forms of sexism can adversely affect women’s self-esteem, create feelings of inferiority, and may potentially increase women’s psychological stressors (Becker & Swim, 2011; Becker & Wright, 2011; Moradi & Subich, 2004). According to the ambivalent sexism theory, benevolent forms of sexism, while expressed in a positive tone, can potentially affect women due to the underlying belief that women are inferior to men (Glick & Fiske, 1996). Some women perceive benevolent …

Quality Improvement Project: Perioperative Recruitment Process Improvement Through Nursing Student Clinical Experience, Traci Boren

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Perioperative nursing is experiencing greater shortages than any other specialty and has been largely removed from undergraduate education. This DNP quality improvement project aimed to impact the recruitment of perioperative nurses through undergraduate nursing clinical exposure and experience. The project addressed the lack of clinical nursing student opportunities in the perioperative department at the partner site to increase interest in perioperative nursing and recruit core staff nurses from the pool of new graduates. Kotter’s Eight-Step Change Model and the Social Career Cognitive Theory framed the project’s design and implementation for two cycles, between January and March 2024 and 2025. Using …

Implementing An Antibiotic Stewardship Program For Acute Respiratory Tract Infections In Urgent Care, John Childree

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Antibiotic overprescription for acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) remains a persistent challenge in urgent care, contributing to antimicrobial resistance and increased healthcare costs. This quality improvement project evaluated whether a structured educational intervention an Antibiotic Stewardship Program (ASP) could improve providers’ knowledge and self-efficacy in evidence-based prescribing. A quasi-experimental, single-group pre-post design was used with seven urgent care clinicians. Data were collected through a custom Antibiotic Stewardship Questionnaire and a Self-Efficacy Survey administered before and after the intervention. Results demonstrated a 17% increase in knowledge scores (from 9.3 to 10.6 out of 11) and a statistically significant improvement in self-efficacy …

Quality Improvement Project Education And Implementation Of I-Pass Handoff Between Critical Care Clinicians And Anesthesia Staff, Kimberly Woody

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Medical errors, specifically communication errors, cause adverse patient outcomes, death, and an estimated annual cost to institutions of over two million dollars. Despite numerous studies highlighting the need for standardized communication during patient transfers and recommendations from regulatory bodies such as the Joint Commission, the gaps in standardized handoffs remain. The Doctor of Nursing Practice's (DNP's) quality improvement project aimed to increase knowledge of the intensive care unit (ICU) and anesthesia clinicians through interprofessional education (IPE) about the illness severity, patient summary, action plan, situational awareness/contingency plan, synthesis by receiver (I-PASS) handoff tool to promote consistent, complete tool use during …

Proceedings Of The Cuny Games Conference 11.0, Robert O. Duncan, Grace Axler-Diperte, Joe Bisz, Christina Boyle, Devorah Kletenik, Carolyn Stallard

Publications and Research

The CUNY Games Conference combines workshops, idea exchanges, interactive participant presentations, playtesting, and playing tabletop games into a one-day online event to promote and discuss game-based learning. The conference focuses on creative pedagogy, such as playful learning activities or games, that teachers can use in the classroom every day. The conference is online and features interactive presentations by attendees, informal idea exchange sessions, and workshops by the conference organizers.

Effective Strategies For Placing Underrepresented Women In Senior Management Positions: Shared Strategies, George Alexander Pegram Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Underrepresentation of women in senior management positions within the tech industry poses a significant challenge in terms of organizational equity and effectiveness. Business leaders are concerned with this disparity, as it reflects systemic barriers to women’s advancement. Grounded in the people’s capability maturity model (P-CMM), the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies that senior executives in the Washington, DC tech industry use to promote women to senior management positions. The participants were eight senior women executives purposefully selected for their leadership roles. Data was collected using semistructured interviews. Through thematic analysis, four themes were identified: personalized …

International Space Station Deorbit: A Qualitative Study On Aerospace Employees Perceptions Of Their Job During Decommission, Jesse Hudson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The decommissioning of the International Space Station (ISS) represents a significant organizational transition. Despite parallels with previous National Aeronautics and Space Administration program closures, research has not fully examined the human impact of such mission-driven disruptions. Employees face uncertainties regarding job roles, the relevance of specialized skills, and the future within a rapidly commercializing space sector. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore how aerospace employees perceive and navigate the psychological and professional challenges associated with the ISS decommissioning. Bridges’ transition model and affective events theory grounded this study. The participants were 12 current aerospace employees who …

Olfactory Training: Reclaiming Our Wellbeing, Nathan Smetzer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The connection between the sense of smell and memory offers a promising avenue for enhancing cognitive, emotional, and mental health, thereby contributing to overall wellbeing. This research explores how olfactory stimuli relate to memory and emotion, aiming to expand understanding of the effects of scent-based interventions on mental health. Utilizing a 12-week longitudinal phenomenological approach with experimental components, the study engaged seven participants in a regimen of olfactory training twice daily. Participants used essential oils—citrus, cloves, eucalyptus, and rose—applied to cotton and kept in sealed containers, along with a pen and daily planner. Data were gathered through recurring qualitative interviews …

Strengthening Communication Between Staff And Health Providers In A Mental Health Setting, Michael Tricoli

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Communication between nursing staff and providers is essential for supporting optimum patient outcomes. Each component of the communication process needs to be clearly defined to create an environment of safety for both patients and caregivers. The SBAR (situation, background, assessment, recommendation) is a nurse-driven protocol that is widely used as a communication and documentation template in health care organizations. This format is currently not being used effectively on the mental health units where the evidence-based project was implemented. Recognizing and reiterating the value of SBAR as a communication tool is necessary when communication deficits are noted. The purpose and scope …

Building Resilience In Ministry With Effective Supports Amid The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study Of Long-Tenured Pastors In The Southeastern United States, Tina Marie Powell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study, which involved long-tenured pastors in a southeastern state in the United States, explored how these pastors framed resiliency in ministry during COVID-19 and what tools or practices helped them to be resilient. The study also explored the effects of social distancing on the demands of ministry, on pastors, and their congregations, and if earlier resiliency practices continued to suffice. Pastors were often the first professionals people went to when guidance was needed in every aspect of life. Pastors aided with not only spiritual guidance, but also, they were sought after for guidance in mental health and emotional …

Exploring Orchestration's Influence On Harmonic Analysis: A Conductor's Perspective, Tyron C. Barnes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite emphasizing training and conducting techniques and overall music interpretation, minimal research investigates how orchestration impacts harmonic analysis when studying music scores. Conducting textbooks often emphasize the ability to study a music score; however, they place minimal emphasis on how orchestration influences harmonic analysis. A research gap on the impact of orchestration on harmonic analysis presents potential for professional growth for aspiring and seasoned conductors. By investigating novel methodologies, conductors can enhance their comprehension of the intricate relationships between instrumental components and harmonic frameworks in wind band compositions. Examining the viewpoints of fifteen beginner and experienced band directors from public …

Working Paper No. 100, Social Realism And Socialist Realism, Amanda F. Worman

Working Papers in Economics

This inquiry sees to establish that as a genre, “social realism” reflected values of the American system of market capitalism out of which this art style emerged. During the same timeframe, what has been categorized as “socialist realism” reflected values of the Soviet system out of which this art style also arose. The “Great Depression” that dogged the American economy and society through the 1930s, as well as the “Iron Fist” rule characteristic of Joseph Stalin’s heavy industrialization drive for Soviet Russia, appears to have promoted and shaped these two distinct but similar art styles under consideration, as responses to …

Recruitment And Retention Of Men Of Color In A Higher Education Initiative Program, Jamar Isaiah Green

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is on the recruitment and retention of men of color in higher education initiative programs. The study focuses on the Project Educate Men program at Mid-Atlantic University. The purpose of the study was to understand how recruitment and retention could be improved in programs like Project Educate Men and what makes students who enter through such programs successful and unsuccessful. This study also discusses mentorship relationships between mentors and their mentees and what makes for strong relationships and communication amongst the individuals. The findings in this multiple methods study yielded that a program like Project Educate Men is …

Wireless Bus Interconnects For Enhanced Small Satellite System Integration And Reliability, Adam Fifth

Theses and Dissertations

In small satellite engineering systems, managing numerous subsystem interconnections presents a significant design challenge directly impacting mission success. Traditional CubeSat subsystems rely on the PC/104 header system for integration, which consumes substantial board area and adds considerable vertical spacing between subsystems. This rigid wired architecture severely restricts subsystem density, complicates assembly and testing procedures, and prevents reconfiguration of interconnections after deployment. This dissertation presents a transformative approach to satellite subsystem integration by developing and validating a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) wireless interconnect system replacing traditional wired connections. This research addresses wireless implementation challenges. Through iterative prototype development, I demonstrate a …

We Are Forever Marianist, Eric F. Spina

President's Blog: From the Heart

While some universities grapple with their mission and identity in our rapidly changing world,we know who we are. We are forever Marianist.

Housing Refugees Amid Administrative Change: Local Agency Innovation, Christine Kramer

Public Administration Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

Ongoing affordable housing and housing supply challenges in the US are presenting significant challenges for refugees. According to the US Census Bureau, the average monthly cost of rent plus the cost of utilities and fuels adjusted for inflation grew faster annually (3.8%) than real median home values (1.8%) in 2023 for the first time in 10 years. This is the largest annual increase in rental costs since 2011 (US Census Bureau, 2024). Homelessness has also increased by 18% since 2023 (USDHUD, 2024, pg. 3). Even in this current reality, the federal policies for housing refugees haven’t changed in over a …

In Vivo Direct Lentiviral Gene Therapy Improves Disease Pathology In A Mucopolysaccharidosis Iva Murine Model, Betul Celik, Estera Rintz, Shaukat Khan, Andrés F. Leal, Fnu Nidhi, Shunji Tomatsu

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

Mucopolysaccharidosis IVA (MPS IVA) is an autosomal recessive disorder that causes the accumulation of keratan sulfate (KS) and chondroitin-6-sulfate in bone and cartilage. This results in progressive skeletal dysplasia, with no effective treatment available. Our study hypothesized that direct lentiviral vector (LV) gene therapy could produce active enzymes from transduced cells, impacting bone and cartilage lesions in MPS IVA. We developed LVs carrying the GALNS gene under three promoters: ubiquitous (CBh), collagen type II (COL2A1), and Mac-1 integrin subunit (CD11b). At the newborn stage and 4 weeks, Galns-knockout mice received intravenous injections at different doses (5 × 10^{9 …}

Lehr Names Newly Discovered Snake For Conservationist Jane Goodall, Julia Perez

Press Releases 2020-2029

No abstract provided.

Editor’S Introduction, Michael D. Pante

Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints

No abstract provided.

Respectful Patient-Provider Communication And Patient Portal Usage In Pregnant People Of Color, Amy H. Goh, Christopher Lee, Chisolum Nkenke, Joyce K. Edmonds

College of Health Professions Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Patient-provider communication (PPC) increasingly occurs in online patient portals. Variations in portal usage might worsen communication inequities for pregnant people of color (POC), widening the digital divide. The objective of this study was to examine the relationships between respectful PPC, patient portal usage, and digital health literacy (DHL) in pregnant POC.

METHODS: A multimethod cross-sectional survey design was used. Ordered logistic regression was performed to determine the relationship between PPC and portal use, controlling for trimester prenatal care was initiated, insurance type, age, gestational age, and parity. The moderating effect of Digital Health Literacy Instrument (DHLI) was tested on …

Hierarchy Viz: A Visual Analytics Framework For Visualizing Hierarchical Data Using Machine Learning, Vinay Kumar Uppalapati

Theses and Dissertations

Automated visualization systems aim to generate visualizations directly from raw data with minimal user inputs. However, while existing systems focus on data visualizations mainly using line charts and scatter plots to explore the data patterns, they struggle with hierarchical data representation where data relationship is essential. Hierarchical visualization, crucial for understanding multi-level relationships, typically requires users to manually define hierarchies and have expertise in visualization tools to create meaningful representations. This makes the process complex, time-consuming, and reliant on domain knowledge. To address this, we propose HierarchyViz, an automated system that detects multiple hierarchies in raw datasets and generates intuitive …

Election Performance In The Mountain West, 2008-2020, Monserrat Cristando-Romo, Maryam Raja, Annie Vong, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Elections & Governance

This fact sheet presents data on the Election Performance Index (EPI) and voter turnout in the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah for the 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections, as originally reported by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Election Data & Science Lab in their Elections Performance Index.

Resist!: Sustaining Forest Carbon Sequestration And Wood Production After Insect Disturbance, Christopher M. Gough, Ben Bond-Lamberty, Robert T. Fahey, Catherine Mcguigan, Brandon C. Alveshere, Cameron Clay, Erin Darby Mcclain, Charles E. Flower, Kayla C. Mathes, Ariel Johnson, Lisa T. Haber, Kalyn Dorheim, Derek M. Johnson, Lucas E. Nave, Kerstin Niedermaier

Michigan Tech Publications

Disturbances from insect pests threaten ecologically and economically important goods and services supplied by forests, including wood production and carbon sequestration. We highlight the factors that influence these services’ resistance, a term quantifying the initial response to disturbance. Insects inflict damage through a range of mechanisms, prompting distinct plant physiological responses that scale to influence ecosystem processes and, with time, goods and services. The degree and timing of tree mortality and defoliation affect the amount of residual vegetation available to support compensatory wood production and influence carbon sequestration by changing rates of detritus-fueled decomposition. Compounding, or sequential, insect attacks may …

Harnessing Natural Product Compounds To Target Dormancy Survival Regulator (Dosr) In Latent Tuberculosis Infection (Ltbi): An In Silico Strategy Against Dormancy, Mandeep Chouhan, Mukesh Kumar, Vivek Dhar Dwivedi, Vivek Kumar Kashyap, Himanshu Narayan Singh, Sanjay Kumar

School of Medicine Publications

Dormancy occurs when Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) enters a non-replicating and metabolically inactive state in response to hostile environment. During this state, it is highly resistant to conventional antibiotics, which increase the urgency to develop new potential drugs against dormant bacilli. In view of this, the dormancy survival regulator (DosR) protein is thought to be an essential component that plays a key role in bacterial adaptation to dormancy during hypoxic conditions. Herein, the NP-lib database containing natural product compounds was screened virtually against the binding site of the DosR protein using the MTiopen screen web server. A series of computational analyses …

Mining Waste Materials In Road Construction, Nuha Mashaan, Bina Yogi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Resource depletion and environmental degradation have resulted from the substantial increase in the use of natural aggregates and construction materials brought on by the growing demand for infrastructure development. Road building using mining waste has become a viable substitute that reduces the buildup of industrial waste while providing ecological and economic advantages. In order to assess the appropriateness of several mining waste materials for use in road building, this study investigates their engineering characteristics. These materials include slag, fly ash, tailings, waste rock, and overburden. To ensure long-term performance in pavement applications, this study evaluates their tensile and compressive strength, …

Neil S. Braun, Dean Emeritus, Neil S. Braun

Oral History

Neil Braun, Dean Emeritus of the Pace University Lubin School of Business, talks about his life, career, and experiences as Dean, from the year 2010 to 2020. He also spoke about his initiation of the mentorship program, and its rewarding impact on students, as well as himself.