Digital Commons Network^™

Conducting Effective Literature Searches And Writing Strong Abstracts, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

This invited presentation for students at Poland's War Studies University communicates ideas on how Ph.D. students at this institution can enhance their research quality. Specific content includes formulating your research question, determining research aims and methodology, reviewing a research question checklist, understanding the meaning of search terms you propose to utilize, devising effective search strategies, consulting multiple varieties of information resources from multiple countries, finding gaps in literature, being able to distinguish between nuances in literature and data, writing succinct abstracts, and enhancing the clarity of your prose.

Health Risk Assessment Of Heavy Metal(Loid)S Intake From Beverages In The United States, Hannah T.V. Stoner, Tewodros Rango Godebo, Pornpimol Kodsup Taylor

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Heavy metals in beverages can pose health risks in an exposure-dependent manner, however, few studies in the United States have evaluated their metal content and health risks. This study determined the concentrations of eight metal(loid)s, As, Al, Cd, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn, in 60 beverages via inductively coupled plasma[sbnd]mass spectrometry (ICPMS). The highest median concentrations (µg/kg) were found in mixed fruit juices for Ni (45.7), Cr (14.8), and As (4.5); tea for Mn (5,300), Al (730), and Pb (1.4); and plant-based milk for Zn (835) and Cd (1.1). Chronic daily intake (CDI) across age groups was calculated using …

Mixed Chamber Ensembles

Bailey School of Music Concert Programs

FACULTY COACHES

Julie Coucheron

Adelaide Federici

Yinzi Kong

Charae Krueger

Kenn Wagner

John Warren

Staff Education For Nursing Staff, Tina Clarke Cherry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Executive Summary: Staff Education Project

Tolkien's Cosmology: Divine Beings And Middle-Earth By Sam Mcbride, Phillip Fitzsimmons

Faculty Articles & Research

Mythlore book review by Phillip Fitzsimmons.

Introducing 'Society Work': The Professionalization And Localization Of Chinese Social Work In A New Era, Ke Cui, Timothy Sim, Chenxi Huang, Bowen Mcbeath

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study focuses on current discussions around the newly-built Society Work Department in China. It argues that ‘society work’ helps to clarify the internationally recognized concept of ‘social work’ and this institutional reform promotes development of the social work profession and discipline, it also helps to decolonize social work in China.

How Bats View Their Flowers: Exploring The Use Of Visual Floral Cues By Nectarivorous Neotropical Bats, Lindsey R. Dennison

Theses

Neotropical nectar bats in cloud forest ecosystems must navigate and forage in dark, complex landscapes containing an incredible diversity of flowering plants. Despite these challenges, nectar bats are extremely successful at exploiting nectar resources from plants. Much of the sensory ecology behind these bat-plant interactions has been investigated and we know from previous studies that echolocation and olfaction are critical sensory modalities to nectar bats. Echo-acoustically conspicuous floral and vegetative structures as well as sulfur-containing volatile compounds function as signals, allowing bats to sense plants. However, not all plants exhibit conspicuous echo-acoustic and/or olfactory characteristics. Furthermore, many neotropical bat-pollinated plants …

Analysis Of Nitrogen Accumulation And Gene Expression In Hydroponically-Grown Chenopodium Genotypes, Teal Kalt

Theses and Dissertations

Nitrogen (N) is an essential macronutrient required by all plants to complete their life cycles. Inefficient N uptake contributes to over fertilization and subsequent environmental and sustainability issues resulting in the need for improved nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Chenopodium quinoa is a resilient pseudocereal crop that is relatively adapted to N-deficient soils. Previous studies have uncovered the unique genetic structure of quinoa and its physiological responses to N availability; however, gaps remain in understanding its molecular mechanisms for NUE. This study investigates four quinoa genotypes (Real-1, 0654, KU-2, and QQ74) hydroponically grown in N-deficient conditions. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis identified …

Prolonged Impact Of Simulation Education On Athletic Training Students’ Perceived Self-Confidence In Recognizing And Managing Exertional Heat Stroke: A Follow-Up Study, Hannah L. Stedge, Valerie Herzog, Beth L. Kinslow, Malissa Martin

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Research on simulation education in athletic training has shown promise for preparing future clinicians with clinical skills, confidence, and patient communication after initial interventions. Little is known regarding the lasting impact of these simulation interventions. Recent qualitative studies have explored the longitudinal impact of simulation interventions on athletic trainers’ professional clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term effects of simulation education on self-confidence in recognizing and managing exertional heat stroke (EHS) among athletic training students (ATS) 18 months after their initial simulation encounters. Method: This study used a non-experimental, exploratory research design. Participants were …

Continuous Purification Of A Parvovirus Using Two Aqueous Two-Phase Extraction Steps, Natalie Nold, Sheridan Waldack, Grace James, Trisha Colling, Lynn M. Manchester, Taravat Sarvari, Amanda P. Bekkala, Seth Kriz, Madison Baldwin, Emily Agustin-Mazariegos, Michael J. Betenbaugh, Caryn Heldt

Michigan Tech Publications

Aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) are a liquid–liquid extraction method that offers low-cost, continuous-adaptable virus purification. A two-step ATPS using polyethylene glycol (PEG) and sodium citrate that recovered 66% of infectious porcine parvovirus with 2.0 logs of protein removal and 1.0 logs of DNA removal in batch has now been run continuously. The continuous system output of < 10 ng/mL DNA regardless of starting DNA titer agreed with batch studies. However, the continuous system had a five-fold higher contaminating protein titer than batch studies, likely because of incomplete mixing or settling. Turbidity was tested as a measure of mixing and settling efficiency. Monitoring in-line absorbance at 880 nm directly after mixing and before collection in the settling reservoir could track both mixing and settling during operation. Settling time was reduced by changing the settling line material from PVC to PTFE, which is more hydrophobic. A flow-through AEX filter tested to make impurity removal more robust recovered 90% of PPV and removed an additional 87% of host cell DNA. The filter did not add any additional protein removal. In the future, in-line absorbance sensors could be implemented along with conductivity sensors to measure salt concentration, refractive index sensors to track the PEG-citrate interface, and scales to track mixer and reservoir volumes to enable automated, continuous ATPS. Our vision is to integrate continuous ATPS into a fully continuous end-to-end production for viral vectors.

Introduction To Prompt Engineering, Mary Rubin, Rachel Vacek

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This presentation explores the fundamentals of effective prompt engineering, which involves well-crafted instructions for AI models to generate meaningful responses. Effective prompts can be written using frameworks like CLEAR and TRACI. The CLEAR Framework focuses on conciseness, logical structure, explicitness, adaptability, and reflection, while TRACI emphasizes task, role, audience, creation, and intent.

Additionally, the presentation addresses ethical considerations and best practices in prompt engineering, including academic integrity, attribution and transparency, and the importance of evaluation and assessment. By mastering these techniques, users can optimize their interactions with AI models, ensuring accuracy, relevancy, and minimizing bias.

Acute Pain Treatment In Patients With Sickle Cell Disease Transitioned To Buprenorphine: Evidence Of Equivalent Pain Relief, Christopher P. Carroll, Elizabeth J. Prince, Ashley P. Lauriello, Lydia H. Pecker, Sophie M. Lanzkron

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

Objectives Buprenorphine is a novel opioid analgesic with complex receptor pharmacology. It is safer than high dose chronic treatment with full agonist opioids. However, buprenorphine can inhibit conventional opioids, complicating acute pain treatment. Methods We compare acute pain treatment outcomes in 55 sickle cell disease patients in the year before and after transition to buprenorphine. Infusion center visits, ED visits, and hospital admissions were compared before and after transition, and pain outcomes were compared using linear mixed effects models with patients entered as random effects to account for differential contribution to the outcomes by visit rates. Results Acute care visits …

Enhancing Emergency Department Communication: Structural Requirements And Outcomes Of Standardized Handover Processes, Bridgette A. Moss-Sherman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Effective communication during patient handovers is crucial for ensuring safe, quality care in the emergency departments (EDs) of small to medium-sized hospitals. The absence of standardized communication tools presents significant challenges, potentially leading to errors and hindering care coordination. This integrative review evaluates strategies for implementing standardized handover processes while examining their outcomes, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced communication practices. Grounded in the Donabedian quality conceptual framework, which encompasses structure, process, and outcomes as interconnected components of healthcare quality, the review identifies five key themes: (a) standardized communication protocols, advocating for the adoption of structured tools like SBAR and …

K-12 Administrators' And Teachers' Perceptions Of Legal Requirements For Providing Inclusive Education, Rebecca Kay Berger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At a large school system in the northwestern United States, students who received specially designed instruction services at the middle school study site were not always included with nondisabled peers in general education classes to the extent possible. The theoretical framework guiding this study was Vygotsky’s social constructivist paradigm, which says shared experiences shape people. Using a mixed methods, nonexperimental research design, data were collected using a concurrent, embedded strategy using a pre- and posttreatment online survey with 17 teacher-participants for the pretreatment survey and 11 participants for the posttreatment survey. The treatment in this study was a district-approved professional …

Unh Student Awarded Prestigious Graduate Fellowship, Sarah Schaier

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Kidder Award Recipients Recognized At Annual Pride And Pancakes Celebration, Jeremy Gasowski

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

White Matter Integrity Of Hearing And Cognitive Impairments In Healthy Aging, Samaneh Nemati, Meisam Arjmandi M.Sc., Ph.D., Jean Neils-Strunjas Ph.D, Ccc-Slp, Roger Newman-Norlund Ph.D., Sarah Newman-Norlund B.S., M.A., Laura Droege, Leonardo Bonilha, Julius Fridriksson Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Age-Related Hearing Loss (ARHL), or presbycusis, affects two-thirds of U.S. adults over 70 and is linked to cognitive decline and an increased risk of dementia. This study examines associations between white matter integrity and hearing and cognitive function in healthy aging using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). We recruited 126 participants (92 female) aged 20–79 years () from the Aging Brain Cohort Study at the University of South Carolina (ABC@UofSC). Cognitive performance was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and hearing was evaluated through pure-tone thresholds (PTT) and words-in-noise (WIN) thresholds. White matter integrity was measured with fractional anisotropy (FA) …

Distinguishing Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome In Children From Typhus Using Artificial Intelligence: Mis-C Versus Endemic Typhus (Ai-Met), Angela Chun, Abraham Bautista-Castillo, Isabella Osuna, Kristiana Nasto, Flor M Munoz, Gordon E Schutze, Sridevi Devaraj, Eyal Muscal, Marietta M De Guzman, Kristen Sexson Tejtel, Tiphanie P Vogel, Ioannis A Kakadiaris

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: The pandemic emergent disease multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) following coronavirus disease-19 infection can mimic endemic typhus. We aimed to use artificial intelligence (AI) to develop a clinical decision support system that accurately distinguishes MIS-C versus endemic typhus (MET).

Methods: Demographic, clinical, and laboratory features rapidly available following presentation were extracted for 133 patients with MIS-C and 87 patients hospitalized due to typhus. An attention module assigned importance to inputs used to create the 2-phase AI-MET. Phase 1 uses 17 features to arrive at a classification manually (MET-17). If the confidence level is not surpassed, 13 additional features …

Left Ventricular Entry To Reduce Brain Lesions During Catheter Ablation: A Randomized Trial, Gregory M Marcus, Roderick Tung, Edward P Gerstenfeld, Trisha F Hue, Feng Lin, Jing Cheng, J Peter Weiss, Wendy S Tzou, Henry Hsia, Ashkan Ehdaie, Daniel H Cooper, T Jared Bunch, Jeffrey Arkles, Babak Nazer, Adam Lee, Alexios Hadjis, Duy T Nguyen, Mihail G Chelu, Joshua Moss, Jonathan C Hsu, Miguel Valderrábano, Prashant D Bhave, Andrew D Beaser, Arvindh Kanagasundram, Oussama Wazni, Jason Bradfield, Grace Wall, Kathleen Chang, Michelle Yang, Gabrielle Montenegro, Sabrina Jarrott, Joel H Kramer, Anthony S Kim, Yvonne M Morris, William P Dillon

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Catheter ablation of ventricular arrhythmias, one of the most rapidly growing procedures in cardiac electrophysiology, is associated with magnetic resonance imaging-detected brain lesions in more than half of cases. Although a retrograde aortic approach is conventional, modern tools enable entry through a transseptal approach that may avoid embolization of debris from the arterial system. We sought to test the hypothesis that a transseptal puncture would mitigate brain injury compared with a retrograde aortic approach.

Methods: The TRAVERSE trial (Transseptal Versus Retrograde Aortic Ventricular Entry to Reduce Systemic Emboli) was a multicenter randomized controlled comparative effectiveness trial. Patients with left …

Morphogenic, Molecular And Cellular Adaptations For Unidirectional Airflow In The Chicken Lung, Kamryn N Gerner-Mauro, Lisandra Vila Ellis, Guolun Wang, Richa Nayak, Peter Y Lwigale, Ross A Poché, Jichao Chen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Unidirectional airflow in the avian lung enables gas exchange during both inhalation and exhalation. The underlying developmental process and how it deviates from that of the bidirectional mammalian lung are poorly understood. Sampling key developmental stages with multiscale 3D imaging and single-cell transcriptomics, we delineate morphogenic, molecular and cellular features that accommodate the unidirectional airflow in the chicken lung. Primary termini of hyper-elongated branches undergo proximal-short and distal-long fusions, forming parabronchi for air conduction. Through the parabronchial smooth muscle, neoform termini extend radially to form gas-exchanging alveoli. Supporting this radial alveologenesis, branch stalks halt their proximalization, defined by SOX9-SOX2 transition, …

Lineage Tracing And Single-Cell Rna Sequencing Reveal A Common Transcriptional State In Breast Cancer Tumor-Initiating Cells Characterized By Ifn/Stat1 Activity, Eric P Souto, Ping Gong, John D Landua, Ramakrishnan Rajaram Srinivasan, Abhinaya Ganesan, Lacey E Dobrolecki, Stephen C Purdy, Xingxin Pan, Michael Zeosky, Anna Chung, S Stephen Yi, Heide L Ford, Michael T Lewis

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

A tumor cell subpopulation of tumor-initiating cells (TIC) or "cancer stem cells" is associated with therapeutic resistance, as well as both local and distant recurrences. Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) activity is elevated in TICs in claudin-low models of human triple-negative breast cancer, which enables enrichment of TICs using a STAT-responsive reporter. Lineage tracing of TICs as they undergo cell state changes could enable a better understanding of the molecular phenotypes of TIC and uncover strategies to selectively target TICs. In this study, we developed a STAT-responsive lineage-tracing system and used it in conjunction with the original reporter …

A Screening Question To Assess Risk Of Using Antibiotics Without A Prescription: A Diagnostic Study, Ashley Collazo, Eva Amenta, Kiara Olmeda, Marissa Valentine-King, Lindsey Laytner, Azalia Mancera, Roger Zoorob, Michael K Paasche-Orlow, Richard L Street, Barbara W Trautner, Larissa Grigoryan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objectives: Non-prescription antibiotic use (using antibiotics without medical advice) is potentially unsafe and promotes antimicrobial resistance. We studied predictors of prior non-prescription use and whether screening for prior non-prescription antibiotic use predicted intention of future non-prescription antibiotic use.

Methods: The survey was performed from January 2020 - June 2021 in six public primary care clinics and two private emergency departments. Prior non-prescription users were respondents who reported taking oral antibiotics for symptoms without contacting a clinician. Intended use was defined by answering yes to the question, "would you use antibiotics without contacting a doctor/nurse/dentist/clinic." We examined predictors for prior non-prescription …

Staff Update On Type 2 Diabetes Education, Toochukwu Endaline Mba

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The current rise in Type 2 diabetes among middle-aged individuals poses significant risks of health complications such as kidney damage, heart disease, stroke, nerve damage, vision loss, and skin problems. Research has shown that proper education on the causes and risk factors of Type 2 diabetes would increase people’s knowledge about the medical problem, helping promote positive health outcomes. This project was a staff education program using didactic and interactive case studies.

Clinical Practice Guideline Workflow For Medication Prescription, Patience Morikang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The type of project was a clinical practice guideline (CPG) workflow for medication prescriptions. The practice problem was the lack of an evidence-based approach regarding medication prescriptions, resulting in increased errors. It is essential to address this problem to promote safe prescribing, increase team knowledge, and encourage patient safety in the organization and within nursing practice. The practice focused question was the following: Will a clinical practice guideline for medication prescription workflow be approved by experts for use in an outpatient mental health clinic to promote the reduction of errors? The project aimed to seek expert approval of a CPG …

Title 1 Third-Grade Teachers' Experiences With Writing Strategies To Improve Students' Writing Proficiency, Kim Robertson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Third-grade students are not meeting minimum proficiency in opinion and informational writing, as determined by scores from the annually mandated Georgia Milestones Assessment (GMAS) in the 19 elementary schools in a local school district in central Georgia. Guided by Vygotsky’s social-constructivist perspective, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore Title 1 third-grade English Language Arts teachers’ experiences with using writing strategies designed to improve students’ writing proficiency on the GMAS in the Title 1 elementary schools in a local district in central Georgia. Data were collected using semistructured interviews with 10 third-grade teachers who were chosen from …

Numerical Analysis Of The Seir Model, Abigail R. Beckelhimer

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Epidemiological models delineate the spread of diseases within a population. In this research project, the Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Recovered (SEIR) Model was examined numerically for comparison between several methods. Approximations were obtained through Euler’s Method, Taylor’s Method, Runge-Kutta Methods, and Multi-step Methods. Hypothetical situations with parameter alterations were considered in order to better understand the effects the parameters have on the model. The goal of this project was to portray the usefulness of numerical approximations for predicting the behavior of the SEIR model and thus the course of a pandemic.

Academic Senate - Agenda, 4/15/2025, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Aesthetics In Instructional Design, Dennis M. West

Theses and Dissertations

This multi-article dissertation examines how aesthetics enhances instructional design to foster engaging, transformative learning experiences. Despite its potential, aesthetics is often granted a secondary status in design practice, being seen as less important than functionality. The first article explores philosopher Monroe Beardsley's five aesthetic criteria--object-directedness, felt freedom, detached affect, active discovery, and wholeness--through a theoretical literature review, proposing their application to elevate learner engagement and interest. The second article, a qualitative investigation, analyzed the Cybermatics Playable Case Study (PCS; a cybersecurity simulation) from the perspective of Beardsley's aesthetic criteria. This investigation involved four students and two designers interviewed hermeneutically over …

Analysis Of Radial Inlet Distortion On Transonic Fan Performance, Tyler M. Reedy

Theses and Dissertations

Improving fan design and performance prediction requires an understanding of the impacts of inlet distortions. Inlet distortion describes any non-uniform distribution in the flow, usually referring to deviations in pressure and temperature. Using full annulus Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes (URANS) simulations, the effects of both hub and tip radial distortions on the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) Rotor 4 fan are analyzed. Overall performance, total pressure (Pt) distortion transfer, and total temperature (Tt) distortion generation are presented and compared for three operating points: near-stall, design, and choke. Hub radial inlet distortion magnitudes of 15% and 20%, and a tip radial …

Data Quality And Enterprise Architecture: An Analysis Of The Awareness And Knowledge Of Data Quality Artifacts, Principles, Practices, And Application In Enterprise Architecture, Jason Alan Minton

Theses and Dissertations

Enterprise Architecture (EA) is a discipline, approach, and practice that aims to align the enterprise’s technical infrastructure, strategy, processes, and technology investments with the organization’s strategy to fulfill the mission and vision. Data quality is conformance to data specifications (Talburt, 2015, p. 192), and low data quality has significant implications for decisions and outcomes across the enterprise. Scant literature and research exist surrounding the intersection, integration, and impact of data quality within EA practices. This research examines the awareness and understanding of Enterprise Architect and Technology Architect populations regarding data quality concepts, artifacts, and tools. The research aims to answer …