Digital Commons Network^™

The Relationship Between Set Shifting And Lexical Retrieval In Healthy Individuals, Jessica Longa, Erin Dobson, Sydney Collier, Mia Greenberg

Academic Festival

Objectives:

• Is set shifting correlated with noun and verb retrieval in healthy individuals?
• Is set shifting correlated with noun and verb retrieval in adults in various stages of dementia?

Use Of Daily Sedation Vacation Protocol In Prevention Of Ventilator Associated Pneumonia, Theresa Cash

Academic Festival

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the onset or diagnosis of pneumonia within 48-72 hours of endotracheal intubation (Ignatavicus et al, 2021). VAP is one of the most common and deadly hospital-associated infections (HAI), increasing medical costs by $40,000 and lengthening hospital stay by an additional seven to nine days (Timsit et. al., 2017). The death rate of VAP patients is two to ten times more than that of non-VAP patients, highlighting just how important it is to decrease the incidence of this disease (Liu et. al., 2020). In implementing daily sedation vacation in the care of mechanically ventilated ICU patients, VAP …

Reasons For Abolishing The Death Penalty, Ashley Brosnan

Academic Festival

When it comes to the death penalty, I decided to delve into the issue and make my mind up for myself to see where I stand. After much investigation, I have seen why the death penalty should not be in place. This is not to say I do not understand the other side of the argument, I simply feel the negatives of the penalty outweigh the positives. Capital punishment is not only discriminatory and costly, but also morally wrong. It impedes on the most basic human right to life. It is a cruel and unusual punishment and costs more than …

When Should Grandpa Stop Driving?: The Need For New Mutual State License Renewal Regulations And Testing In Regard To Elderly Drivers, Christina Valdes

Academic Festival

All states should have mutual license renewal regulations and testing, in regard to elderly drivers, in order to decrease the crash death rates of elderly drivers and overall increase the safety of all individuals on the road.

The Impact Of Paid Family Leave On Infant And Maternal Health In The United States, Victoria Martens

Academic Festival

This research investigates the effects of paid family leave (PFL) on infant and maternal health outcomes. The inability of the United States to guarantee all postpartum mothers paid time off has resulted in adverse effects on both infant and maternal health outcomes. I will be investigating whether infant and maternal health outcomes would be improved by a national PFL requirement. The study will also determine whether a fully or partially paid national leave would be the most effective in terms of costs and effects.

Validity Of Maximal Heart Rate During An Intermittent Cycle Test, Ella Frisbie

Academic Festival

The purpose of this study is to validate a cycle ergometer field test to elicit maximal heart rate (HRmax) that can be completed in a fitness setting by the general population. Seventeen participants (F=14, M=3), aged 20 to 21yrs partook in the study. Each subject completed the incremental and a field test in a random order with an average 6.88 ± 1.80 days between the tests. During both test the subjects pedaled at 60 repetitions per minute (rpm) wearing the Polar H10 tracking heart rate (HR). Expired gases were measured by the Parvo metabolic cart. During the incremental test subjects …

The Impact Of Suctioning Frequency On Rates Of Ventilator Associated Pneumonia, Sarah Gehrlein

Academic Festival

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of continuous and intermittent subglottic secretion drainage in mechanically ventilated patients on the prevention of ventilator associated pneumonia.

From Marx To The Modern Day: Do The Economic And Social Impacts Of Socialism’S Myriad Experiments Discourage Future Trials?, Joseph Nowak

Academic Festival

As the length of time that has passed since the era of socialistic giants like the Soviet Union and China increases, there has been a concurrent rise in sympathy for such an ideology. The fading or non-existent memory of the threat posed by such regimes is reflected in a significant age striation in support for socialism, with each successive generation more amenable to it. But a similarly consequential reason is a fundamental misunderstanding of what “socialism” really is. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, this paper defines socialism from Karl Marx’s own writings in order to investigate the economic and social outcomes …

The Styles Of Sport & Their Impacts, Joseph Schuler

Academic Festival

Throughout society, there are many universal uniters that brings large groups of people together. Some of these universal uniters include national pride, religion, and even sports. To an ordinary observer, sports looks the same; an environment that brings people from all different social and economic classes together through the love of sports. At a young age, sports are introduced to the lives’ of the participants, where they learn the rules of the games they play. Eventually, these participants end up in one of three areas; the professionals, the fans, or those who choose to work in the world of sport. …

Investigating Key Characteristics Of Target Audience In Promoting Non-Profit Events, Lauren E. Jones, Mikela M. Pirri

Academic Festival

In early 2023, our faculty advisor, Dr. Nikki Wingate, was approached by a local church, Greenfield Hill Congregational Church, to help by providing marketing insights to promote their flagship annual event, Dogwood Festival, scheduled for May 13-14, 2023. We studied the United Zip Codes applicable to this area. Combining the data gained from our research with our marketing knowledge from taking MK201 Principles of Marketing, we produced two groupings of 10 segment profiles for each grouping. The first group of 10 segments are based on the demographic and psychographic variables and the second group of 10 segments are based on …

Psychological Disorders As Seen In Film, Tiffany Kellstrom

Academic Festival

I will discuss psychological disorders and how they are portrayed in the entertainment industry, specifically in movies and T.V. shows. This topic will be examined from a psychological perspective and a media perspective. I will be using a variety of sources to assist in determining whether films are accurately portraying mental illnesses.

Women Fighting For Their Executive Spot In The Workplace, Allyson Ferreira

Academic Festival

Woman in business face struggles of advancing in a particular profession. For decades, there has been a stigma around women in business. It's evident that males make up the majority of executive job positions. “Women hold 1 to 3% of top executive jobs in the largest corporations worldwide. For women who also experience race discrimination, the percentage is even less” (Peus, Claudia). The causes lie in changeable cultures and practices. This underrepresentation is due to corporate culture, traditional gender roles, and gender pay gaps. Women deserve to be seen as corporate leaders, so it is necessary to take action to …

Ethical Implications Of The Fashion Industry, Ciara Flood

Academic Festival

Abstract

The Fashion industry has been around since the beginning of human civilization. In the earliest societies clothing and fashion have always been a driving source of culture and identity. Beginning with clothing made of animal skins and vegetation in ancient times, ranging to the textiles and technologies we have today, fashion has existed since the existence of human kind. Daily, humans are subconsciously participating in the fashion industry by simply picking out an outfit for the day. The fashion industry starts at raw materials and exists until the disposal of clothes. It is a cycle that is constantly repeating …

Understanding The Mechanics And Flight Controls Of Drones: Challenges And Opportunities, Julia Piascik

Academic Festival

This project aims to understand the mechanics and flight controls of drones. Implementation methods included building a Raspberry Pi drone and setting up NewBeeDrones. Understanding the design and hardware (GPS, motors, ESCs, etc.) that go into building a successful drone is important. Although built, the Raspberry Pi drone has had problems with calibrating the ESC motors. It is expected to solve this issue to be able to fly the drone outside. The project's scope was changed to learning about NewBeeDrones to continue developing knowledge of drones. Current outcomes include successfully binding several drones to their radio controllers and FatShark goggles, …

Impact Of Sociological Views On Working Women And The Economy, Erin Washbourn

Academic Festival

There are many reasons women are derailed from the pipeline to executive positions before making sacrifices for more work-life balance. Keeping women on the pipeline benefits women and increases a business’s bottom line with female representation at the top. When companies implement changes to make work a more inclusive environment, society will create a work-life balance. For women in business to continue the pipeline path to executive positions in corporate America, society must make significant changes to workplace culture’s idea of work-life balance and the expectations of women both at work and in society.

Physician Assisted Suicide, Alexa Setteducati

Academic Festival

Death is inevitable. An individual can hope to live a long healthy life and end it peacefully. However, the reality of death is much different for some individuals. Death can be a painful and grueling process that hinders oneself from feeling any morsel of dignity. Patients with terminal illnesses can instate advanced directives, in which they can choose their preference of life saving resuscitation and comfort measures. However, these interventions in patients with terminal illnesses are not available until the patient has fully deteriorated. An article claims, “As the end-oflife approaches, the ability of medicine to heal and prolong life …

Tick Tock, Tiktok, Tic: An Examination Of Tiktok And Its Negative Effects On The Brain, Emma Basha

Academic Festival

TikTok is a social media application that can is used to create or watch short, entertaining videos. TikTok has over one billion users and around 33% of that population are teenagers who are susceptible to developing Functional Neurological Disorder and other neurological disorders. Recently, some studies began to show a trend that the female population has a higher predisposition to developing functional tics because of their use of TikTok. Functional neurological disorder, or conversion disorder, is a complicated psychological and neurological condition that has no direct etiology. The goal was to determine if there was a direct correlation between TikTok …

Measuring The Capacity For Endothermy In Open-Ocean Fishes, James Moore

Academic Festival

This study uses a new metric of temperature deviation, which was previously developed to assess tissue temperature changes in small mammals and birds, to better classify open-ocean fishes along a continuum of ectothermy to endothermy. The body temperature of an ectotherm changes with the surrounding water, while endotherms maintain a somewhat consistent body temperature regardless of the surroundings. Most open-ocean fishes experience water temperature fluctuations when searching for food at different latitudes and depths, but only a few species are considered “endothermic.” Endothermic fishes cannot maintain as constant a body temperature as large, endothermic mammals, and while the temperature of …

Patterns Of Snail Herbivory And Phenolics In Restored And Natural Spartina Alterniflora Populations In Long Island Sound, Amanda Kailher

Academic Festival

In recent years coastal restoration efforts have been at the forefront of reestablishing resilient salt marsh environments, which are essential in preventing coastal flooding and conserving biodiversity. However, the role of snail herbivory and plant chemical defenses in salt marsh restoration has been understudied. We aimed to determine if snail grazing patterns were linked to plant phenolic content in two naturally-occurring and two restored S. alterniflora populations by collecting 20 whole S. alterniflora stems from four locations in Connecticut: Milford Point (natural), Chaffinch Island Park (Guilford; natural), Stratford Point (two restored populations, one planted in 2015 and another planted in …

The Use Of Chlorhexidine In Combating Phlebitis, Gabrielle Gately

Academic Festival

There has been an increase in the number of patients developing phlebitis at the IV site after experiencing a chlorhexidine swab shortage. After speaking to the nurse managers and coordinator of the IV team, they felt that providing staff with education and the importance would benefit the department and aid in the decrease of infection rates.

The Relationship Between Non-Verbal Inhibition And Lexical Retrieval, Erin Dobson, Sydney Collier, Jessica Longa, Mia Greenberg

Academic Festival

Research Question: Is non-verbal inhibition correlated with lexical retrieval speed of both nouns and verbs in healthy individuals?

Hypothesis: Non-verbal inhibition will impact performance on lexical retrieval tasks for both nouns and verbs.

Decreasing The Incidence Of Cautis, Annie Patriarca

Academic Festival

The research presented discusses the effects that CAUTIs have on patients, their families, and hospitals. Nursing interventions to aide in the promotion of best practice are also discussed.

An Interdisciplinary Study On The Impact Of Work-Family Conflict On Employed Mothers, Nicole Ferrero

Academic Festival

Historically, women have been regarded as the primary caregivers in a family unit, while men have been deemed the financial providers. These norms in the heteronormative nuclear family have been assumed for centuries. With the integration of women in the workforce in the twentieth century, this ideology is presumed to have shifted in society. Scholars have found that “The population of working mothers has greatly increased over the past few decades, yet cultural norms and standards for women have not progressed at the same rate” (Forbes et al., 2019). This cultural shift – or a lack thereof – has burdened …

Autism Spectrum Disorder And Covid-19: How The Transition To Remote Learning Affected Students With Asd, Julia Hardesty

Academic Festival

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complicated neurological and developmental disorder that alters the way one communicates, socializes, and behaves. During the COVID-19 pandemic, and the subsequent shift to remote learning, students with ASD experienced drastic changes in their mental health, social skills, and educational progression. While schools, teachers, parents, and other providers attempted to make this transition smooth and nondisruptive for the students, the structure and integrity of special education programs crumbled at the expense of all students with ASD and other developmental disabilities. In bringing light to the difficulties that this transition has caused, teachers, administrators, and families …

The Rise Of A New Mental Health Epidemic: Tiktok And Social Media, And Their Negative Impact On Young Adults, Malia Piscitelli, Cameryn Engel, Haley Sullivan, Jessica Rockwell, Natalie Ricciardi

Academic Festival

The effects of TikTok and social media are explored to understand how detrimental social networking sites are to one's mental health. The research and literature show how the overuse of social media contributes to social media addiction, mental health issues, body dysmorphia, and cyberbullying. A study is analyzed that reports how many are affected by cyberbullying and whether they received counseling for their mental health. It was concluded that social media does much more harm than good, and users could try altering their lives by reducing the amount of time spent on social networking sites.

Does Voluntary Euthanasia Fulfill Or Contradict A Physicians’ Oath To “Do No Harm”, Sarah Margaret Carr

Academic Festival

Voluntary Euthanasia, or VE, is a practice which has been medically, and ethically, debated for decades. VE is a medical procedure in which a physician, with the explicit and informed consent of the patient, administers a lethal agent for the purpose of relieving a patients intolerable and incurable suffering (Euthanasia, 2022). The availability of this practice as an option for terminally diagnosed patients, to allow them to choose to die on their own terms, has been debated for its ethicality. Through my research, I strove to answer the question of whether VE fulfills, or contradicts, a physician’s oath to “do …

Assessment Of Human Anthropometry With A Markerless Motion Capture System, Christopher Riccitelli, Jenna Mowad, James Moore

Academic Festival

In this methodological study, we evaluate the accuracy and repeatability of the Theia markerless motion capture system for determining accurate anthropometric measurements. We will assess the correlation between linear measurements from a sample of human subjects (limb, torso, shoulder, limb segment lengths, bi-illiac breadth, body height, etc) as measured by the markerless system to those same measurements as assessed by hand. We will also calculate the intra-observer error of the markerless system’s measurements by repeating measurement sessions for each subject multiple times over several days.

We hypothesize that the markerless system will demonstrate low intra-observer error and a high correlation …

The Psychology Of Recovery, Abigail Keating

Academic Festival

Abstract:

The Psychology of Recovery

The human body is complex. It can complete advanced tasks, run at top speeds, and for some, lift more than twice its body weight. Even with how incredible the human body is, imperfections leave it susceptible to injury. Bones break, muscle tears and the repercussions of their damage can be daunting. In this paper, the concept of recovery is considered from not only a physical but also a psychological aspect. What role does mindset play in the recovery process for an induvial? Through looking at individuals, “the heroes of recovery,” who beat all odds to …

Should Children Be Encouraged To Participate In Contact Sports?, Alex Weiler

Academic Festival

In recent years, awareness of concussions or traumatic brain injuries have increased tremendously and is a fear of many, with the scapegoat falling onto sports, specifically ones that are defined as “contact sports”. In 2019, 56.1% of youth in the United States stated that they participated in a type of organized sport. Many children grow up playing some sort of organized sport and I am arguing that it is an important component that shapes human development. Contact sports as ones that are traditionally meant to have contact, these include American football, soccer, basketball, hockey, martial arts and many more. There …

The Impact Of Bilingual Nurses Within The Healthcare Setting, Julianna Leiva-Lopez

Academic Festival

Bilingual nurses working in the hospital setting are an essential component that can decrease health disparities. Providing patients with concordant care can begin to address the language barrier issues. When a patient is unable to properly communicate their needs to the healthcare team essential data and concerns can be missed which leads to not providing adequate care. Patients and nurses experience increased stress and anxiety when unable to communicate in their preferred language. A nurse is the bridge between patient and provider, and effective communication is required. Patients who have Limited English proficiency are at increased risk of readmissions, and …