Digital Commons Network^™

Blunt Trauma Causing Thrombotic Occlusive Myocardial Infarction, Jace Bradshaw, Alleabelle Bradshaw, Rishab Agarwal, P. Logan Weygandt

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

Introduction: Traumatic myocardial infarction (TMI) is a rare but serious complication of blunt chest trauma, typically arising from coronary artery dissection, intramural hematoma, or myocardial contusion. Early recognition and intervention are critical, but diagnosis can be challenging given the broad differential for chest pain in trauma patients.

Case presentation: A 66-year-old female presented to a quaternary academic emergency department after a motor vehicle collision with progressive chest pain. Initial electrocardiogram (ECG) showed hyperacute T-waves in lead III, ST depression with T-wave inversion in aVL, and ST depression in V2, with posterior leads revealing ST elevation in V7–V9. Trauma imaging ruled …

Maternal Stress And Infant Anxiety: Examining The Link Through Fear Temperament, Melissa Ayala

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between maternal stress and infant fear temperament. Infant temperament is important because it allows the caregiver to understand the individual variation in the emotional and social needs of the child. Due to previous research, it can be inferred that maternal stress can influence the development of infant fear temperament. The current study looks at the relationship between maternal stress and infant behavioral fear temperament. In this study there was no relationship between maternal stress and infant behavioral fear when collapsing the across conditions and emotions expressed during the Lab-TAB. However, infants varied in their fear …

Prevalence Of Electrocardiographic Changes And Risk Factors For Qtc Prolongation Among Steady State Sickle Cell Disease Patients: Cooperative Study Of Sickle Cell Disease, Mohammed B. Nawaiseh, Rund R. Haddadin, Yara B. Nawaiseh, Mohammad Z. Salameh, Abdallah A. Shurman, Osama Abu-Shawer, Asma I. Aljesrawi, Ibrahim A. Abuelbeh, Allaa Roto, Hadil Zureigat, Lana Mango, Munir Q. Zaqqa, Hanna K. Al-Makhamreh, Nakhleh Abu-Yaghi

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

Objectives: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is associated with several cardiovascular adverse events. Corrected QT (QTc) interval prolongation is one of the potential life-threatening complications that predispose patients to sudden cardiac death. This study aims to assess the prevalence of electrocardiogram (ECG) changes and to investigate risk factors associated with increased propensity of QTc prolongation. Methods: This study utilized data from the Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease Cardiac Ancillary Study. QT intervals were corrected using the Bazett formula, and prolongation was defined using sex-specific thresholds. The study population included African American patients with steady-state SCD across four clinical centers located …

A Study On Sentence-Level Argument Identification In Imbalanced Student Essay Corpora, Rishabh Lingam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Writing is an essential skill that affects success in nearly every academic subject and professional field. For undergraduate students, strong writing helps them organize ideas, communicate clearly, and perform better in both written assignments and overall coursework. Good writing also supports critical thinking, which is key to problem-solving and academic growth. Beyond school, writing continues to be important in the workplace, where it is used for emails, reports, presentations, and formal documents. Yet, despite its importance, many students and graduates do not have strong writing skills, and this gap is noticed by employers. A recent survey by Ashley Finley [1] …

Veterans In Times Of Crisis: The Impact Of Veteran Status On Unemployment, Lubor Olsovsky

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of veteran status on unemployment in times of crisis. Driven by the social identity theory, we argue that people’s identity deriving from his or her military background makes them more valuable assets in the work environment, specifically in times of crisis, because of their human capital. We utilize the coronavirus pandemic as the exogenous shock in the labor marketplace, capturing the crisis environment. Due to the veterans’ human capital driven by their leadership and entrepreneurial characteristics from their military experience, we argue that individuals with veteran backgrounds have stronger labor …

Does Mean Arterial Pressure Augmentation Improve Neurological Recovery Of Blunt Spinal Cord Injuries: An East Multicenter Trial., Aimee Lariccia, Stephanie Doris, Bhairav Shah, Tanisha Kashikar, Erik Teicher, Lindsey Perea, Jennifer Huber, Malia Eischen, H Akin Erol, Michael Steven Farrell, Lauren Colom, Stephanie Scott, Brian Daley, James Bardes, Gregory Schaefer, Melissa Moncrief, William Devoe, Ryan Peter Dumas, Caitlin Anne Fitzgerald, William Brigode, John D Berne, Dalier R Mederos, Scott Armen, Melissa Linskey Dougherty, Asanthi Ratnasekera, Emily Alberto, Alison Smith, Bradley M Dennis, Stephen Gadomski, Jeffry Nahmias, Claudia Alvarez, Salina Wydo, Jennifer Schweinsburg, Carlos H Palacio, M Chance Spalding, Joshua Hill

Trauma and Acute Care Articles

BACKGROUND: Treatment of blunt traumatic spinal cord injuries (SCIs) often includes maintaining elevated mean arterial blood pressures (MAP) to enhance perfusion to the spinal cord. Optimal hyperperfusion protocols and treatment algorithms have yet to be delineated due to a paucity of large volume prospective studies. This study aims to identify predictors of neurological improvement in American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment score following blunt SCI.

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective (January 10, 2021 to June 1, 2023) multicenter study included blunt SCI patients age >18 with complete neurological examination documented on hospital arrival. Patients were divided into two groups: neurological improvement and …

Continuous Quality Improvement In Social Needs Screening: Evaluation Of An Intervention In Bariatric Specialty Care, Claire Chang, Samantha Cooley, Bradley Iott, Jordan Greene, Dilhara Muthukuda, Renuka Tipirneni

Student Publications

_{Introduction:}

With growing recognition of the influence that social risks, such as food insecurity and housing instability, have on individual and population health, social risk screening and social care interventions have proliferated across the health system. Social needs intervention research on screening and referral in specialty care is limited, despite evidence that social needs influence access to and outcomes of surgical and specialty care.

_Methods:

This study is a qualitative, formative evaluation of a quality improvement-oriented social needs screening and referral pilot program implemented in a bariatric surgery practice and aims to share lessons related to the structure and process …

Enhancing The Research Enterprise At A Health Sciences University: A Call For An Institutional Paradigm Shift, Bryan G. Beutel, Taryn Bissing, Aaditya Patel, Nicolette Duong, Jan Talley

Student Publications

Background:

There exists a rapidly growing need for a universally robust research enterprise at health sciences universities because of recent changes in the medical education landscape. This study aimed to evaluate student perceptions of (and challenges conducting) research and to implement effective strategies to expose students to enhanced resources and training.

Materials and Methods:

An anonymous survey developed using participatory research methods was disseminated to all students at a graduate health sciences university in 2023. This measured their engagement in research, resource needs, and barriers. Descriptive statistics quantitively analyzed factors that influence student participation in research, perceived benefits, and obstacles …

The Impacts Of A Problem-Based Learning Unit On Computational Thinking Skills In A 7th Grade Lego Robotics Classroom, Madison Beeler

Graduate Research Papers

The primary focus of this study was to determine what impact problem-based learning (PBL) has on developing computational thinking skills, self-efficacy, and earth science understanding in a middle school robotics classroom. Twenty-eight students took part in a 36-day instructional unit based on the 5E Learning Cycle. Students explored Martian geology, analyzing rock data collected by the Perseverance rover mission to make connections between landforms, integrating Earth science with computational thinking tasks. Pre and post-test data assessed growth of computational thinking and self-efficacy. Statistical analysis showed significant growth in student self-efficacy, while gains in computational thinking were not statistically significant. Students …

The Effect Of Political Ideology On The Persuasiveness Of Gainvs. Loss-Framed Climate Change Messages: Testing Competing Hypotheses, Sada Rice

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Motivating climate change mitigation is a critical priority. This study examined how message framing (gain vs. loss) interacts with political ideology to influence persuasion. Two competing hypotheses were tested. The Regulatory Focus Fit Hypothesis predicted that liberals (promotion-oriented) would prefer gain-framed messages, while conservatives (prevention-oriented) would prefer loss-framed ones. The Differential Context Hypothesis predicted the opposite: liberals would respond better to loss frames due to alignment with threat-based media narratives, while conservatives would prefer gain frames due to lower reactance and perceived novelty. Messages were also tailored to match individual regulatory focus or the broader political context. Results did not …

The Meaning Of Spiritual Practices For Caregivers Of Children With Cancer In Thailand: A Heideggerian Phenomenological Study, Wipawee Ponkaew

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Caring for children with cancer may bring short and long-term challenges to families due to added healthcare activities focused on the ill child or adolescent. Among available resources and support strategies, religiosity/ spirituality (R/S) have been increasingly identified as a source of comfort.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience and interpret the findings of spiritual practices for caregivers of children with cancer in Thailand. A purposive sampling method was used to recruit participants, with semi-structured interviews. Swanson’s Theory of Caring provided the theoretical underpinning of the study, and Deikelmann’s seven-stage process was adapted for …

“This Generation Of Women Is Finished”: Misogyny As Social Bonding On Social Media And Patriarchal Constructions Of Femininity, Emma Mierzejewski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores online discourse between users on social media platforms, specifically Instagram, in an effort to better understand the patriarchal influence on American social culture. Users on the platform regularly write off misogynistic comments as simply “dark humor” or an extreme expression of one’s “freedom of speech.” At the same time, supportive comments are also influenced by those same misogynistic expectations. I argue that misogynistic thinking in comments and a willingness to uphold them for social bonding provides deeper insights into our society’s attitudes towards women, their roles, and conceptions of femininity in general. I conducted a content analysis …

“Thank You For Hearing Me”: Listening To Stories Of Linguicism, Caroline Asher Webb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the effects of linguicism on nonnative speakers of English who are currently studying in higher education in the United States or other English-dominant countries. Linguicism, also called linguistic discrimination, others and discriminates against people based on their oral or written language use. Rooted in master narratives of Standard English, monolingualism, and the native speaker, linguicism, unlike other forms of discrimination, such as gender or racial discrimination, is subtle and unmarked, thus permeating the consciousness of even the most well-intentioned of people.

Using a Critical Race Theory framework, the present study utilized a storytelling methodology to gather first-hand …

Hurricane Damage In The Bahamas: Leveraging Spatial Analysis To Inform Adaptive Measures For Housing Resiliency, Chia Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the transition from disaster recovery to adaptation planning in the wake of extreme climatic events, with a specific focus on housing resilience. It examines the key factors influencing successful adaptation planning and how innovative strategies can contribute to sustainable and equitable communities. The study focuses on Abaco, The Bahamas, a region devastated by Hurricane Dorian in 2019, where recovery remains ongoing, and hurricane threats persist. Given the vulnerability of The Bahamas’ low-lying geography, it is crucial to implement adaptive planning measures that consider both the physical impact of hurricanes and the need for strategic housing allocation. By …

Pid Auto-Tuning For Usvs: A Multi-Evolutionary Optimization Ai Approach, Xavier Navarro Vicent

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

USVs play a critical role in a wide range of marine applications, where precise station-keeping is essential for tasks such as autonomous launch and recovery of an onboard aerial drone. Maintaining a stable position in a dynamic marine environment requires robust control strategies to counteract external forces, including wind, waves, and currents, which can introduce vehicle oscillations and positional errors. To optimize the operability limits of the vehicle based on sea state, weather conditions, and mission requirements, the USV must be carefully tuned. Traditionally, the tuning is performed manually, which is time-consuming and can lead to operational delays. This study …

Making Hot Chocolate: Connecting Hypersexuality And Violence Against Black American Women In 20th And 21st Century Literature, Ashlan Stewart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

African American literature in the early 20th and 21st centuries have been employed as a method of protest against the deleterious stereotyping of Ebonic (read: Black American) people in the United States, addressing and challenging the monolithic notions that define Ebonic people in life and media. In the process of expressing these protests, challengers to racist social norms utilize the Ebonic female body and image for the benefit of their personal interests through a combination of hypersexuality and violence. This thesis addresses the lack of accountability in these political lenses and assesses the ways in which authors objectify and abuse …

Influences Of Dynamic And Static Retrieval Cues On Memory Accuracy And Reaction Times, Megan S. Smithwick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prior research on recognition memory has utilized static stimuli (e.g., words) to evaluate the time course of retrieval for different types of information —familiarity-based item memory and recollection-based associative memory. The present study investigated this time course in dynamic stimuli. Participants (N = 188) viewed videos at encoding, depicting 64 actors performing unique actions. At test, participants viewed either videos or images presented for short (733 ms) or long durations (1,466 ms). The test item types included old (same actor and action pairing), conjunction (novel pairing of familiar actor and action), new actor (unfamiliar actor, familiar action), and new action …

The Observer & The Observed, Azarakhsh Shafieikadkani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the concept of the gaze and its role in shaping identity, particularly in relation to marginalized genders, including women and non-binary individuals. Rooted in feminist and psychoanalytic theories, the research interrogates the power dynamics between the viewer and the viewed, exposing the ways in which patriarchal structures influence visual representation. Drawing from personal experiences of growing up in Iran and the complexities of immigration, the project critically engages with how societal norms manipulate identities and reinforce objectification. Through experimental photography, I distort and deconstruct the human form using materials such as hair gel on plexiglass and matte …

Investigating The Portrayal Of Native Americans In Florida’S K-12 Social Studies/History Textbooks: A Critical Content Analysis, Marisa Miceli Schnirman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Textbook bias is an enduring and contentious issue in the United States. U.S. textbooks have long been criticized for perpetuating bias and reinforcing dominant narratives that marginalize minority groups, such as members of Indigenous nations. This study confirms that biases continue to exist in textbooks and promote the harmful narrative that Indigenous peoples are people of the past. This narrative undermines the survivance (Vizenor, 1998), contributions, and very existence of Indigenous peoples. Using a critical lens, this content analysis examines the portrayal of Indigenous peoples in select fourth-grade, eighth-grade, and high school social studies and history texts used in Florida …

Cultivating Mindsets Of Persistence: Experiences Of Undergraduate Women Students In Stem Programs At A Public Research University, Etina Qirjo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), women's representation is disproportionately low across high school, higher education, and professional sectors. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the factors influencing the persistence of undergraduate women STEM students at a public university by identifying available resources, uncovering obstacles and investigating their personal experiences. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews with a sample of 12 female participants enrolled as undergraduates in STEM majors at a public university. The research design chosen for the study was qualitative, focusing on stories from women’s experiences that provide an understanding of what …

Examining Relationships Between Sediment Nutrients And Halodule Wrightii In The Southern Indian River Lagoon, Sarah Newton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), FL, seagrasses have declined 58% since 2009, largely due to eutrophication. Efforts to improve IRL water quality are ongoing, but there has been a lag in seagrass recovery, with Halodule wrightii being the focus of restoration efforts. Because seagrasses uptake nutrients through their rhizomes and blades, this lag may be associated with undocumented pore water nutrient pollution. Thus, deciphering relationships between sediment nutrients and H. wrightii is necessary. In this study, sampling at nine sites in the southern IRL (SIRL) was conducted in spring and summer 2024 during which H. wrightii tissue, sediment, and …

The Quiet Gnosticism Of Samuel Beckett’S Endgame, Andrew Dean Chapman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis draws on and extends previous Gnostic readings of Samuel Beckett’s fiction which has located the figure of the demiurge mostly in the background and finds through close reading that in Endgame the demiurge takes the foreground.

This thesis proposes that Endgame’s gnosticism goes further than recreating gnostic themes and tropes. Rather, Endgame’s gnosticism fuses the gnostic laughter of the gnostic Christ, Schopenhauerian tragedy, and Quietist paradoxes to create a system of progressive enlightenment which culminates in a revelation evidenced by a laugh that, in Beckett’s Watt, is called the mirthless laugh. This laugh, I propose, is the laugher’s …

Predictive And Generative Modeling For Biomedical Data Analytics, Magdalyn E. Elkin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biomedical data analytics is a broad interdisciplinary field that has seen vast amounts of data collected with recent technological advancements. Computational studies are required for time and cost-efficient methods to characterize, summarize, and interpret these datasets to advance public health. This thesis presents research studies done with predictive and generative models with regards to subdomains in clinical research, healthcare and bioinformatics. Our research with predictive modeling presents (1) extensive feature engineering methods, ensemble models and feature selection ranking in order to provide data-driven models to evaluate relevant evidence for clinical decision making; and (2) network analysis and unsupervised link prediction …

Digitally Collaborative: An Analysis Of Peer Review In Fyc Classes And The Affordances Of Digital Tools, Arianna Bartolone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Digital technology has significantly impacted students and their learning environments. Jobs that do not require at least an entry-level understanding of basic computer skills are nearly impossible to find. Online platforms have become integrated into our daily lives and are now essential in the classroom. Students are expected to grasp the functions of technology and its intersection with the curriculum. Universities utilize various online learning technologies in their classrooms. While basic computer literacy and understanding are crucial components of university education, students require additional support when using these platforms in their writing. I will explore how to integrate digital literacy …

Essays On Entrepreneurship And Government Policy, Abdul-Kadir Ameyaw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Government policy has long been used as a lever to stimulate entrepreneurship, yet its outcomes vary widely across contexts, prompting renewed interest in how such policies shape entrepreneurial activity. This dissertation investigates the multifaceted relationship between government policy and entrepreneurship using a two-essay framework that draws on extant literature and qualitative field data. It examines how policies not only create structural conditions but also activate symbolic mechanisms that influence individual behavior and occupational choices.

The first essay conducts a systematic review of 166 articles published in leading management and entrepreneurship journals between 1993 and 2024. It maps theoretical perspectives, methodological …

Analysis Of The 2-Person Combinatorial Games Split-S-Nim And Chomp On 2 Rows, Daniel Gray

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Split-S-Nim is a variant of Nim in which each player on their turn can choose to make any legal move in the traditional version of Nim or add q coins to a heap, where q is some element of a predetermined subset of integers, S. We classify all sets that have the property in which the winning strategy is equivalent to the winning strategy for a version of the game with a set that has cardinality 1.

If S has a smallest non-negative even value, q, then we conclude that it must either have a winning strategy identical to a …

Geospatial Methods For Interpreting And Managing Coastal Landscape Dynamics, Nithish Manikkavasagam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Coastal landscapes are dynamic interfaces shaped by natural forces and human activity, requiring precise, multiscale monitoring for effective conservation. This research investigates some of the coastal monitoring challenges related to shoreline erosion, terrain modeling, and mangrove species classification at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area (ONA), a 120-acre coastal preserve in southeast Florida. The first study applies conditional entropy and partial correlation to assess the relationship between shoreline retreat and environmental variables using UAS-derived shoreline data collected from 2017 to 2023. The second study enhances Digital Terrain Model (DTM) accuracy, a critical factor in erosion assessments, by applying RandLA-Net, …

Analisis Pengaruh Kualitas Institusi Politik Terhadap Konsentrasi Pm2.5 Di Negara G20, Afif Dhia Pratama, Dwi Rahmayani

Jurnal Ekonomi dan Pembangunan Indonesia

This study aims to analyze the influence of political institutional quality, proxied by democracy, political globalization, and good governance, on PM2.5 concentration in G20 countries as well as prove the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) Hypothesis and Pollution Halo Hypothesis (PHH) from 1998 to 2022. The Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) method is employed in this analysis. The results show that democracy reduces PM2.5 concentration only in the long run. However, good governance decreases PM2.5 concentration in the short term but increases it in the long run. Political globalization shows no significant influence on PM2.5 concentration. Furthermore, the study also revealed that …

Total Factor Productivity Industri Mikro Dan Kecil Di Kawasan Timur Indonesia, Marella Dea Manganti, Budyanra Budyanra

Jurnal Ekonomi dan Pembangunan Indonesia

The Micro and Small Industries (MSIs) sector, part of non-oil and gas processing industry, is a key driver of the Indonesia’s economy. However, in Eastern Indonesia (EI), the number of industries and workers in the MSIs sector does not match the level of output, unlike in Western Indonesia, where the industry is more stable and aligned. This difference is mainly due to variations in technological progress, known as Total Factor Productivity (TFP). This study analyzes TFP in the MSIs sector across provinces in EI from 2013 to 2022 using panel data regression. Results show that South Sulawesi has the highest …

Peran Kawasan Ekonomi Khusus (Kek) Terhadap Pertumbuhan Ekonomi Wilayah: Analisis Spasial Eksternalitas, Rizani Violita, Khoirunurrofik Khoirunurrofik

Jurnal Ekonomi dan Pembangunan Indonesia

This study examines the impact of SEZs in Indonesia on regional economic growth, including impacts on neighbouring regencies and cities, using a Dynamic Spatial Durbin Model. The study indicates the impact of SEZs is only evident in tourism SEZs, while manufacturing SEZs have no discernible impact. The impact of SEZs on regional growth is transient. The significant variables are prior regional growth, Domestic Investment (PMDN), Labor Force Participation Rate (TPAK), Availability of Information and Communication Technology, Human Development Index (HDI), and GRDP growth. Influencing variables in the surrounding areas include GRDP growth and the diffusion of information and communication technologies.