Digital Commons Network^™

Improving Care For Emergency Department Boarders, Gemma Vecchiarino, Mariana Virote

Academic Festival

Changes to implement to decrease the volume, and improve the quality of care and safety for emergency department boarders.

People Over Profit: Greed In Hospital Administrations As The Source Of Nursing Shortages, Eva Cassellius

Academic Festival

The profession of nursing has been facing numerous workplace issues for decades. The rise of Covid only made these issues that had been continuously swept under the rug more apparent. Understaffed units leave nurses overworked and burnt out, driving them to leave their jobs or even their careers. Hospitals claim that a nursing shortage perpetuates the ongoing staffing struggles, but research points to the greed permeating hospital administrations as the root of these problems. These top executives would rather cut corners to save costs and maximize profit and nurses who want to provide the best care possible to their patients …

Free Will, Tyler Cramer

Academic Festival

The debate of whether or not we as humans truly are in possession of free will dates back to the earliest philosophers. This argument might never cease to exist; however, from a philosophical standpoint, it is my belief that free will is an illusion and something that humans can never be capable of. This position raises a lot of questions about the ethics and morality of humans but also prompts one to think about the possibility that maybe we are just characters in some cosmic movie. Bound to follow a script that we do not even realize exists. Although most …

Clinical Site Visits, Meaghan Reck, Cecile Bamberger, Lizzie Sherwood

Academic Festival

Cardiac rehabilitation programs including aerobic and resistance training improve quality of life, physical function and exercise capacity (average increase of 5.2 ml/kg/min). Resistance training increases muscle strength (from 20% 1-RM to 80%), endurance, and exercise performance.

The acute response during resistance training is an increased blood pressure and heart rate due to higher pressure response. This response is based on load and intensity.The Valsalva maneuver should be avoided as it may increase this response.

Individuals with untreated HTN experienced 5mmHg decrease SBP and 3mmHg decrease DBP.

It is the combination of aerobic exercise with resistance training that is more beneficial …

Early Mobilization As A Strategy To Decrease Rates Of Ventilatorassociated Pneumonia, Grace Conboy

Academic Festival

Ventilator associated pneumonia is an infection developed in patients as a complication of being mechanically ventilated. “Ventilator-associated pneumonia is a lung infection that develops in a person who is on a ventilator” It is a hospital-acquired infection that occurs as a result of prolonged mechanical ventilation. Prevention of ventilator associated pneumonia is considered a priority when caring for patients who are on mechanical ventilation, usually in the intensive care unit. The incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia is correlated to the quality of care provided by nurses in the clinical setting. There are many interventions implemented when caring for patients who …

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

Academic Festival

Concussions are a risk to contact sports, but also to any sort of physical activities. In this paper, it is argued that the low incidence of concussions shown in even the most intense contact sports do not make it necessary to eliminate these sports. Current evidence also doesn’t show that concussions sustained as a child have a direct correlation to long-term effects as an adult. The benefits that come from contact sports have a greater impact on the lives of children than the potential risk for sustaining head injuries. If proper safety measures continue to be implemented and updated, we …

Profiting From Imprisonment, Simon Trebon

Academic Festival

Our government's presence in society is to keep the public safe, and to that end they use criminal prosecution as a means. The government has a responsibility to house the human beings it has convicted.

Exploration Of Vertical Oscillation During Running Using Marker-Less Motion Capture, Isabella Rogler

Academic Festival

INTRODUCTION: The spring-mass model explains the way one’s center of mass (COM) fluctuates during running gait. The ‘spring’ represents the structures of the leg that undergo compression and rebound during the stance phase of running. At initial foot contact, the spring compresses and the COM lowers to its maximally compressed state.1 Measurements are taken at the maximally compressed state and the most superior COM position.2 The vertical displacement of the center of mass in running is known as vertical oscillation (VO).

PURPOSE: To develop norms with marker-less motion capture (MLMC) and assess the reliability of measuring VO with MLMC.

METHODS: …

What Are The Long-Term Effects Of Ocean Pollution, And Why Should We Care?, Elli Forgione

Academic Festival

The astronomical decrease in marine life populations has become detrimental to our ecosystems. This is primarily due to the increase in ocean pollution. Previous research has suggested that the increase in plastics, waste, and man-made pesticides is all to blame. As these issues continue to fester in our waters, marine animals begin to ingest and incorporate these foreign materials into their environment. The lack of care for our oceans has caused these animals to live in great distress, ultimately affecting their populations and livelihoods. In comparison, humans who ingest fish are now also becoming affected by the pollution, since the …

Di-Butyl Phthalate Disrupts Muscle, Motor And Sensory Neuron Development In Embryonic Zebrafish, John Paul Giacalone, Michael Fumo, Evelyn Paquette, Nicole Roy

Academic Festival

Phthalates are added to plastics to enhance its flexibility, durability and transparency. Phthalates are found in a wide range of goods including household, agricultural and medical products as well as building and industrial materials. Phthalates are not covalently bound to plastics and leach into the environment. Phthalates are now pervasive and ubiquitously present in the atmosphere, soil and sediment, surface and wastewater. Phthalates are known endocrine disruptors and their effects on male and female reproduction are well noted. However, studies on the developmental effects of di-butyl phthalate (DBP) are limited. Here we investigate the developmental toxicity of DBP on motor …

Hypersensitive Narcissism's Relationship To Defensiveness, Sandra Lezcano, Rosalyn Gutierrez

Academic Festival

The current pilot study tested five hypothetical scenarios that were designed to induce defensiveness. We created high and low threat hypothetical scenarios within these domains: academic, health, romantic, alcohol use, and friendship. Participants were randomly assigned to read and respond to one high threat scenario and one low threat scenario. This poster will focus on the participants who received the high threat scenario first. Post-scenario questions included open-ended questions about how they feel and would respond to the hypothetical scenario and likert-scale questions about their level of defensiveness and sense of responsibility. This poster presents the results for an individual …

Rise In Vaccine Distrust As A Result Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Katherine Sandt

Academic Festival

Since the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020, there has been a decrease in vaccine administration due to the increased spread of misinformation and disinformation. This is a result of distrust in healthcare following the global pandemic. The spread of misinformation and disinformation in social media about the Covid-19 vaccine has caused parents to question routine childhood vaccines as well. This has increased the cases of viral outbreaks that could be prevented by vaccination and lead to reemergence of previously tamed viruses and an ultimate downfall in global health. These risks are preventable by spreading awareness of the problem of the …

What Happens When Hyperactivity Turns Inward; Adhd Presentation In Females, Kaitlyn Brooks

Academic Festival

ADHD is a neurodevelopmentaldisorder most oftencharacterized by hyperactivity, inattentiveness, and impulsive behavior.Societal gender norms, misunderstandings of ADHD presentation in females, and a lack of inclusion in research and education leads to underdiagnosis of ADHD in females and results in problems in academic success, mental health, and social relationships.

Bilateral Symmetry Of Tibial Loads During A 5-Week Training Block In Dancers, Kaitlin Broyles

Academic Festival

INTRODUCTION: The relationship between tibial acceleration and dance is a limited field of study. Injuries, both from overuse and asymmetry, are prevalent in the dance world, especially towards a dancer’s dominant leg.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the presence of asymmetry among contemporary and ballet dancers in their typical classes.

METHODS: Two experienced female dancers (22/22 years of age, 177.8/160cm, 83.9/55kg, 13/19 years experience) participated in the study and wore tibia-mounted IMU devices bilaterally during five routine dance classes (one ballet, one contemporary). A custom Python script filtered tri-axial accelerations collected at 1600Hz, computed resultant acceleration …

The Marijuana Dilemma, Michael Salvo

Academic Festival

After a long day of work or school, it is the human response to want to go relax and relieve some of the stress they have. People achieve this in many ways by exercising, watching television, having a drink, or more common in recent times; smoking marijuana. With an increase in the legalization of the drug, it is important to see if this is the right decision. Are the effects worth the long-term effects that it could be causing? That is something often overlooked by many people while looking for a quick way to achieve relaxation.

Consuming marijuana has become …

Evaluating High- And Low-Tech Visual Scene Displays In Children With Complex Communication Needs, Colleen Goldrick, Tara Shipos, Gabrielle D'Andrea

Academic Festival

Visual Scene Displays (VSDs) are a form of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) that utilize pictured scenes with hot spots to provide individuals with the opportunity to develop language in a contextualized environment. This investigation identified and assessed 12 peer-reviewed articles pertaining to the implementation of high- and low- tech VSDs for children and adolescents presenting with a range of complex communication needs. All articles were evaluated and scored using a published rating scale consisting of 11 predetermined criteria. Following assessment of the articles, it was found that VSDs are an effective form of AAC for children and adolescents with …

The Relationship Between Attention And Working Memory In Healthy Individuals, Mia Greenberg, Jessica Longa, Erin Dobson, Sydney Collier

Academic Festival

Research Question : Does performance on tasks of non- verbal attention and non-verbal working memory impact performance on lexical retrieval for both young adults and older adults?

Hypothesis: Attention and working memory will have additive impact on lexical retrieval. The impact will be most significant for older individuals.

Native And Invasive Aquatic Plant Responses To Amphipod And Snail Grazing, Xanthe Robinson, Latina Steele

Academic Festival

Invasive species can negatively affect biodiversity and may be connected to plant chemical defenses. However, the extent to which small grazers affect growth and chemical defenses in native and invasive aquatic plants is not well understood. The effect of amphipod (mostly Hyalella azteca) and snail (Physella sp.) grazing on growth and phenolic content was compared in a native aquatic plant (coontail, Ceratophyllum demersum) and an invasive aquatic plant (Eurasian watermilfoil, Myriophyllum spicatum) in two laboratory experiments. In each experiment, growth of each plant was measured as changed in wet mass, and at the end of the …

Exploring The Advantages Of A Four-Day School Week: ​ Improving Learning, Wellness, And Work-Life Balance​, Kaylee Bowman

Academic Festival

A four-day instructional school week will allow teachers to become more effective educators and empower students to be creative and explore their interests. In the United States, education is the second most awarded Masters degree, yet there is a nationwide teacher shortage. A four day school week should not be implemented with the intention of cutting costs, rather it should be implemented to further develop student learning and improve careers in education.

Entertainme!, Trevor Neal, Brandon Cassidy, Remi Rosa

Academic Festival

In an ever-expanding ecosystem of streaming services, how does one wade through thousands of TV shows and movies to get recommended the right content, especially when they are split between dozens of different streaming services? This is where EntertainMe! steps in to fill the gap. EntertainMe! allows a user to enter a movie or series and find alternate titles to watch based on what was entered across various streaming services. Users can create watchlists that contain all their previously watched content, where selecting a title will recommend titles based on that selected title. Furthermore, EntertainMe! allows users to perform user …

Optimization Of A Dna Extraction Protocol For Meiofaunal Identification, Joanna Coreno, Lilly Bove

Academic Festival

Meiofauna are a diverse group of benthic invertebrates that range between 0.04 mm and 1mm in size. They represent 24 of the 35 animal phyla and are ideal for biomonitoring. Their fast population turnover means that community composition can indicate anthropogenic influence and environmental health. The long-term goal of this project is to determine if visual identification of meiofauna at the level of phyla is sufficient to investigate community changes along a disturbed shoreline (Seaside Park; Bridgeport, CT); or if it is necessary to identify lower taxonomic levels via DNA metabarcoding. The latter would allow for the identification of taxa …

The Crossroads Of Shu Saacs, Stephanie Campbell

Academic Festival

The student Chapter of the American Chemical Society at Sacred Heart University aims to bring science to the community and bring Sacred Heart closer to chemistry.

The Inclusion Of Transgender Athletes In Higher Level Athletics, Sydney Abitanto

Academic Festival

In recent years, the presence of the transgender community has increased in our society. Although identifying as a transgender person has become more supported and normalized, transgender athletes are still struggling in the participation of sports. The issue of transgender participation in sports is becoming a more widely recognized and discussed topic in the media as well as within many different sports organizations. Specifically with transgender females competing in cisgender female sports; many believe transgender females have a physiological advantage. The NCAA recently updated the transgender participation policy by supporting a sport-by-sport approach which appears to be the best current …

The Silent Killer, Irene Katehis

Academic Festival

Mental health is not considered, valued or treated correctly based on individuals needs due to the stigma that surrounds it, the cost it takes to treat it, and the lack of education for individuals in our society about what mental illness is.

Have you heard of it? There is a silent killer. Yes, you heard it right there is a silent killer out there, and it is one that lives in your own brain. Did you know that one in four teenagers over the age of 18 suffer from a diagnosable mental illness? Did you know that suicide has become …

Black Women's Journey To Self-Worth, Shikeda Paucar

Academic Festival

The purpose of this study is to explore Black women's societal standards and upbringing within their community, and how it impacts their mental health awareness and self-esteem.

Research has supported the hypothesis that Black women live up to impossible standards set up by a society that has been built off racism. Overall, not being themselves have begun to take a toll on this marginalized community. Because of this the self-love/ self-worth in Black women particularly dark skin women has been sustained. "Dark skin females remember the terms White, you’re right, if you’re yellow, you’re mellow, if you’re brown, stick around, …

The Psychology Behind The Lack Of Female Ceos, Isabella Scarmack

Academic Festival

The most vigorous and highly regarded title in business is the CEO, the chief executive officer. When thinking of a chief executive officer, CEO, what comes to mind. Do you think of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffet, Tim Cook, and Mark Zuckerberg automatically? What do these individuals all have in common? They are all men. There is very limited diversity in the executive office of American corporations and an underrepresentation of women in these positions. In business school, individuals are taught to have a mindset of a CEO however, the examples that are given are of those who are …

The Relationship Between Resolution Of Semantic Interference And Non-Verbal Inhibition, Sydney Collier, Mia Greenberg, Jessica Longa, Erin Dobson

Academic Festival

Research Question: Is difficulty with resolution of semantic interference correlated with non verbal inhibition ability in healthy controls and individuals with Alzheimer's?

Hypothesis: Individuals who have difficulty with nonverbal inhibition will also have difficulty with resolution of semantic interference.

Effect Of Caffeine Ingestion On Softball Pitching Velocity And Accuracy, Rebecca Del Toro

Academic Festival

The efficacy of caffeine on sports performance has been extensively researched during steady-state sports, but the influence on motor skills remain understudied. Purpose: The present pilot investigation sought to determine the effects of moderately low caffeine ingestion on softball pitching accuracy and ball velocity. Methods: In a single blind design, five (n=5) female club softball players were either given a pill containing either caffeine (3 mg/kg body weight) (CAFF) from a commercially available product or a non-stimulant carbohydrate-based powder (maltodextrin) as a placebo (PLAC).After an hour of rest and self-selected warm-up post-ingestion, participants performed a total of 30 pitches (20 …

Jail Reform: An Examination Of United States Justice System, Dominick Scardigno

Academic Festival

1 in 100. Those are the approximate odds of a U.S. citizen being incarcerated during their lifetime. This statistic alone is enough to prompt discussion regarding the efficiency of the United States criminal justice System. According to the National Institute of justice, an estimated 44% people that have been arrested in the United States are arrested again within the span of a single year and 77% are arrested again within 5 years. These statistics provoke conversations on a global level as to what the actual goals of a criminal justice system should be. It seems nearly impossible to declare an …

Marijuana Legalization, Grace Langdon

Academic Festival

Marijuana is a psychoactive drug used for both recreational and medical purposes which can be smoked or consumed. It is a term for the dried flowers and leaves of the plant Cannabis sativa. This drug is used by millions of individuals across the United States, both legally and illegally. While some of these users are smoking prescribed medical marijuana (CBD-based) to treat concerns such as anxiety, epilepsy, and pain, the majority of marijuana usage is recreational (THC-based). Within the past several years, more and more states have been continuously legalizing this drug in both its medical and recreational form. These …