Digital Commons Network^™

‘Greenness’ In The Eye Of The Beholder: Comparing Perceptions Of Sustainability And Well-Being Between Artificial And Natural Turfgrass, Michael R. Barnes, Eric Watkins

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

Turfgrass lawns are a central component in urban green space and provide a variety of ecosystem services. Traditionally, natural turfgrass lawns can have substantial input requirements (e.g., water, herbicides), which if not managed properly can have harmful ecological effects. A proposed solution that has already been adopted in many cities are artificial turfgrass lawns which do not require some of the traditional inputs of natural lawns. However, understanding perceptions of the sustainability and well-being benefits between these two surfaces are unknown. We surveyed adults in the United States in order to understand perceptions of sustainability and well-being between artificial and …

Interaction Gardens And Butterfly Catalogues: A Joint Strategy To Promote Capacity Development In Protected Areas And Reduce The Extinction Of Experience In Cities, Leila Teruko Shirai, Mariana Alves Stanton, Giulia Bagarolli D'Angelo, Thiago Borges Conforti, André Victor Lucci Freitas, Massuo Jorge Kato, Lydia Fumiko Yamaguchi

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

More than half of the world’s population live in cities. Increasing numbers of generations are now born and raised in urban landscapes with decreasing opportunities towards interacting with natural environments. This extinction of experience leads to environmental apathy and lack of bioliteracy, which is a central aspect to be tackled in conservation strategies. At the same time, people who live near or at non-urban settings are closer to natural habitats but do not have similar access to concepts of environmentalism and may lack incentives to lean towards nature conservation, instead of its exploitation or even illegal activities. We here propose …

Evidence For The Effects Of Wind On The Biogeography Of Soil Mites In Urban Tree Wells, John R. Mceachern

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

The theoretical predictions of island biogeography have been applied successfully by a number of researchers studying the population and community structures of invertebrates living in large urban parks and remnant natural areas. Few, however, have examined the biogeography of smaller patches and the role that specific dispersal techniques play in shaping species distributions. In this study, I examine the impact of several biogeographical and environmental factors, including wind channelization effects, on the abundance of soil mites in small, urban tree wells in Westminster, Maryland. By testing five models that include the variables of well area, isolation, and dominate wind direction, …

Review Of Eider Duck Interaction With Mussel Farms, Carrie J. Byron

Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Report on eider duck interaction with mussel farms prepared by Carrie J. Byron, UNE School of Marine and Environmental Programs, for World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in September of 2022.

Impact Of Adjuvant Radiation Therapy After Definitive Surgery In Senior Adults >80 Years Old With Advanced Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma On Overall Survival., Joann M Butkus, Meghan Crippen, Voichita Bar-Ad, Adam Luginbuhl

Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Faculty Papers

Background: Adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) following surgical resection confers a survival benefit for adult patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We aim to investigate if adjuvant RT provides a similar survival advantage to patients ages 80+ through a national curated database.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study queried the National Cancer Database (NCDB) for all cases of HNSCC between 2004-2016. Patients treated with surgical resection alone were compared to those treated with surgery plus adjuvant RT. Overall survival (OS) was compared within adult (age <80 >years) and senior adult (age ≥80 years) cohorts using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Hazard ratios …

Microstructural Origin Of The High-Energy Storage Performance In Epitaxial Lead-Free Ba(Zr 0.2 Ti 0.8 )O 3 Thick Films, Jun Ouyang, Xianke Wang, Changtao Shao, Hongbo Cheng, Hanfei Zhu, Yuhang Ren

Publications and Research

In our previous work, epitaxial Ba(Zr 0.2 Ti 0.8 )O 3 thick films (~1–2 μ m) showed an excellent energy storage performance with a large recyclable energy density (~58 J/cc) and a high energy efficiency (~92%), which was attributed to a nanoscale entangled heterophase polydomain structure. Here, we propose a detailed analysis of the structure–property relationship in these film materials, using an annealing process to illustrate the effect of nanodomain entanglement on the energy storage performance. It is revealed that an annealing-induced stress relaxation led to the segregation of the nanodomains (via detailed XRD analyses), and a degraded energy storage …

A Systematic Analysis Of The Impact Of An Ambulatory Ophthalmology Urgent Care Clinic, Sally S.E. Park, Rohin Vij, Jeff Wu, Bryan Zarrin, Jee-Young Moon, Jason Oliveira, Jeffrey S. Schultz, Anurag Shrivastava

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

Abstract

Importance A same-day ophthalmic urgent care clinic can provide efficient eye care, a rich educational environment, and can improve patient experience.

Objective The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate volume, financial impact, care metrics, and the breadth of pathology of urgent new patient encounters based on their site of initial presentation.

Design, Setting, and Participants A retrospective analysis was performed on consecutive urgent new patient evaluations in our same-day triage clinic at the Henkind Eye Institute at Montefiore Medical Center between February 2019 and January 2020. The cohort of patients who presented directly to this urgent care …

Mutation Of Aspergillus Sp. Using Ultraviolet Light And Nitrous Acid For Amylase Production From Banana Peels, Cyprian Erumiseli Oshoma, Johnson Oche Akor, Beckley Ikhajiagbe, Marcel James Ikenebomeh

Makara Journal of Science

Strain improvement through mutagenesis is important in the commercial development of microbial fermentation. This study aimed to produce amylase from banana (Musa sapientum) peels by using mutant Aspergillus sp. strains obtained via ultraviolet (UV) radiation and nitrous acid-based mutagenesis. Results revealed that banana peels pretreated with 0.8 N HCl had a biomass yield of 3.02 g/L and amylase activity of 2.81 U/L. Of the UV mutants, strain AUV1 had the highest biomass and amylase activity of 4.50 ± 0.21 g/L and 3.46 ± 0.14 U/L, respectively. Subsequently, HNO₂ mutants showed that strain ANA6 had 30.64% and …

Comparative Study Of Bismuth Ferrite Deposition Method On Tio2 Nanotube And Performance Of Hydrogen Evolution In A Photoelectrochemical Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Tandem System, Yunita Yunita, Muhammad Iqbal Syauqi, Jarnuzi Gunlazuardi

Makara Journal of Science

Hydrogen is a renewable and environmentally friendly energy source that can replace fossil fuels by utilizing solar energy through water splitting. The hydrogen production was conducted in this research by using a tandem system of dye-sensitized solar cell–photoelectrochemical cell (DSSC–PEC) and a TiO₂ nanotube coated with BiFeO₃ (BiFeO₃/TNT) as a photoanode in the PEC. The deposition of BiFeO₃ on TNT was prepared using the following three methods: successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR), ultrasonication-assisted SILAR, and ultrasonic– immersion method by varying the number of deposition cycles in each method. In this study, the optimum …

The Diamond, September 30, 2022, Dordt University

Dordt Diamond

• Front Page: Silver Maple Removed from Campus; A Minor Improvement; Torah Scroll Donated to Dordt
• News: Doughnuts After Dark; New Covenant Hall Wing to Increase Housing Space; Dordt Ranked Top University in Iowa; New Bilingual Church in Sioux Center; Who Is Representing You?; Long Grille Lines; Dance Team Welcomes 14 New Freshmen
• Opinion: Girls Can Be Zombies Too; Coke vs. Pepsi; The Woman King: War Like Never Before
• Art & Entertainment: What's With the Arts?; Minions: The Rise of Gru Takes 2022 by Storm; While We Were Out
• Feature: Lisa Mouw Joins Education Department; The Dutch Organist; Sioux Center's …

A Comparative Study For Estimate Fractional Parameter Of Arfima Model, Ammar Muayad Saber, Rabab Abdul Rida Al-Bakri

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

Long memory analysis is one of the most active areas in econometrics and time series where various methods have been introduced to identify and estimate the long memory parameter in partially integrated time series. One of the most common models used to represent time series that have a long memory is the ARFIMA (Auto Regressive Fractional Integration Moving Average Model) which diffs are a fractional number called the fractional parameter. To analyze and determine the ARFIMA model, the fractal parameter must be estimated. There are many methods for fractional parameter estimation. In this research, the estimation methods were divided into …

Distinguishing Shapes Of Breast Cancer Masses In Ultrasound Images By Using Logistic Regression Model, Luay Adil Abduljabbar, Omar Qusay Alshebly

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

The last few years witnessed great and increasing use in the field of medical image analysis. These tools helped the Radiologists and Doctors to consult while making a particular diagnosis. In this study, we used the relationship between statistical measurements, computer vision, and medical images, along with a logistic regression model to extract breast cancer imaging features. These features were used to tell the difference between the shape of a mass (Fibroid vs. Fatty) by looking at the regions of interest (ROI) of the mass. The final fit of the logistic regression model showed that the most important variables that …

Estimation Of Reliability Through The Wiener Degradation Process Based On The Genetic Algorithm To Estimating Parameters, Mostafa Abdul-Jabbar Dawod, Entsar Arebe Fadam

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

In this paper, the researcher suggested using the Genetic algorithm method to estimate the parameters of the Wiener degradation process, where it is based on the Wiener process in order to estimate the reliability of high-efficiency products, due to the difficulty of estimating the reliability of them using traditional techniques that depend only on the failure times of products. Monte Carlo simulation has been applied for the purpose of proving the efficiency of the proposed method in estimating parameters; it was compared with the method of the maximum likelihood estimation. The results were that the Genetic algorithm method is the …

Semi Parametric Logistic Regression Model With The Outputs Representing Trapezoidal Intuitionistic Fuzzy Number, Ayad H. Shemail, Mohammed Jasim Mohammed

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

In this paper, the fuzzy logic and the trapezoidal fuzzy intuitionistic number were presented, as well as some properties of the trapezoidal fuzzy intuitionistic number and semi- parametric logistic regression model when using the trapezoidal fuzzy intuitionistic number. The output variable represents the dependent variable sometimes cannot be determined in only two cases (response, non-response)or (success, failure) and more than two responses, especially in medical studies; therefore so, use a semi parametric logistic regression model with the output variable (dependent variable) representing a trapezoidal fuzzy intuitionistic number. the model was estimated on simulation data when sample sizes 25,50 and 100, …

Semi Parametric Estimators For Quantile Model Via Lasso And Scad With Missing Data, Aws Adnan Al-Tai, Qutaiba N. Nayef Al-Qazaz

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

In this study, we made a comparison between LASSO & SCAD methods, which are two special methods for dealing with models in partial quantile regression. (Nadaraya & Watson Kernel) was used to estimate the non-parametric part ;in addition, the rule of thumb method was used to estimate the smoothing bandwidth (h). Penalty methods proved to be efficient in estimating the regression coefficients, but the SCAD method according to the mean squared error criterion (MSE) was the best after estimating the missing data using the mean imputation method

Robust Estimation Of The Partial Regression Model Using Wavelet Thresholding, Ekhlass Abdulameer Al-Azzawi, Lekaa Ali Alalawy

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

Semi-parametric regression models have been studied in a variety of applications and scientific fields due to their high flexibility in dealing with data that has problems, as they are characterized by the ease of interpretation of the parameter part while retaining the flexibility of the non-parametric part. The response variable or explanatory variables can have outliers, and the OLS approach have the sensitivity to outliers. To address this issue, robust (resistance) methods were used, which are less sensitive in the presence of outlier values in the data. This study aims to estimate the partial regression model using the robust estimation …

Prediction Of Neonatal Growth Restriction In Fetuses With Gastroschisis By Early Third Trimester Ultrasonography Utilizing Contemporary Birth Weight Percentiles, Madeline Mckenna

Student Scholarship

Objective: To identify the estimated fetal weight (EFW) formula and threshold for the optimal prediction of fetal growth restriction (FGR) at 26–34 weeks' in fetuses with gastroschisis. Methods: Late second and third trimester ultrasound data were used to calculate the EFW utilizing eight different formulas: Hadlock I-IV, Honarvar, Shepard, Siemer, and Warsof. EFW and birth weight percentiles were assigned from US population growth curves. FGR and small for gestational age (SGA) were defined as EFW and birth weight less than the tenth percentile for gestational age; Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to compare formula performance for FGR diagnosis …

The Distinctive Pathologies Of Free Speech Jurisprudence At The U.S. Supreme Court And European Court Of Human Rights, Thomas Keck

Political Science - All Scholarship

This paper explores the distinctive pathologies of free expression jurisprudence at the U.S. Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). On the U.S. side, modern First Amendment law has effectively guarded against state censorship, particularly content-based censorship, and has cleared space for a diverse array of private speech platforms to operate in the marketplace of ideas. But First Amendment law’s single-minded focus on state suppression leads it to over-police certain state actions whose threats to free expression values seem minimal and to under-police certain private actions whose threats to free expression values seem substantial. On the European side, …

Annual Fire Safety Report, 2021, Illinois State University, Environmental Health And Safety

Fire Safety Annual Reports

The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) requires all institutions of higher education that provide residential housing facilities for students to develop an annual fire safety report. Elements of Illinois State University’s campus fire safety program consists of: fire prevention policies and practices, fire safety educational and training initiatives, description of fire protection equipment in the residence halls, emergency evacuation procedures, fire safety statistics, and plans for future improvements to the residence hall campus fire safety program. The annual fire safety report summarizes the elements of the campus fire safety program, which is administered and maintained by Environmental Health and Safety …

From Political Contracts To Policies: Clientelistic Or Programmatic?, Aldhayavira Julia Rahman, Dirga Ardiansa

Jurnal Politik

Community Action Plan (CAP) is a priority program of the governor in structuring residential areas use a collaboration method with the society, both in planning and implementation of development. This program is regulated through Governor Decree Number 878 of 2018 and Governor Regulation Number 90 of 2018. However, before it became a public program and policy, the initial formation of the CAP program came from a political contract agreed by members of the JRMK (Jaringan Rakyat Miskin Kota) with Anies Baswedan ahead of the 2017 local elections, to encourage efforts a winning number of polling stations in the JRMK working …

A Numerical Study On The Powder Flowability, Spreadability, Packing Fraction In Powder Bed Additive Manufacturing, Yeasir Mohammad Akib, Ehsan Marzbanrad, Farid Ahmed, Jianzhi Li

Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

The powder bed fusion (PBF) process is widely adopted in many manufacturing industries because of its capability to 3D print complex parts with micro-scale precision. In PBF process, a thermal energy source is used to selectively fuse powder particles layer by layer to build a part. The build quality in the PBF process primarily depends on the thermal energy deposition and properties of the powder bed. Powder flowability, powder spreading, and packing fraction are key factors that determine the properties of a powder bed. Therefore, the study of these process parameters is essential to better understand the PBF process. In …

Public Health Information Seeking, Trust, And Covid-19 Prevention Behaviors: Cross-Sectional Study, Emmanuel Kwabena Tetteh, Todd Combs, Elvin Hsing Geng, Virginia Ruth Mckay

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Preventative health measures such as shelter in place and mask wearing have been widely encouraged to curb the spread of the COVID-19 disease. People's attitudes toward preventative behaviors may be dependent on their sources of information and trust in the information.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to understand the relationship between trusting in COVID-19 information and preventative behaviors in a racially and politically diverse metropolitan area in the United States.

METHODS: We conducted a web-based cross-sectional survey of residents in St. Louis City and County in Missouri. Individuals aged ≥18 years were eligible to participate. Participants were …

Help Is Available: Supporting Mental Wellness Through Peer Health Navigation With Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men With Hiv, Donald R Gerke, Jeff Glotfelty, Maria Freshman, Julia Schlueter, Alex Ochs, Katie Plax

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Young black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) with HIV experience disproportionate rates of trauma, incarceration, poverty, racial discrimination, and homophobia. The synergistic effects of these adverse experiences, along with increased rates of mental health disorders, increase their risk for poor health. To address this need, the study authors adapted a current HIV service model to include a peer-health navigation intervention (WITH U) to attend to behavioral health, health literacy, linkage to services, and psychosocial support for YBMSM with HIV. This longitudinal, mixed-methods, nonexperimental study reports on the mental health burden among participants and the association between participation in …

Stroke Genetics Informs Drug Discovery And Risk Prediction Across Ancestries, Aniket Mishra, Carlos Cruchaga, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Previous genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of stroke - the second leading cause of death worldwide - were conducted predominantly in populations of European ancestry

Reducing Intubation Time In Adult Cardiothoracic Surgery Patients: A Review Of Data Under The Direction Of A Board Certified Critical Care Intensivist, Rebecca Gooch, Lauren Grip, Chance Nadritch, Kimberly Vent

Nursing Research and EBP Day 2022

Background: Prolonged intubation after cardiac surgery increases the risk of morbidity and mortality and lengthens hospital stays. Factors that influence the ability to extubate patients with speed and efficiency include the type of operation, the patient’s baseline physiological condition, and provider practice patterns. The purpose of this research was to prove that the change of practice patterns that followed the addition of an intensivist lessened extubation times in cardiac surgery patients. It was hypothesized that the interventions brought on by the introduction of an intensivist would greatly reduce the amount of time a patient is intubated while in the intensive …

Assessing Primary Care Rns Impact On Quality Patient Care, Elizabeth Carreira

Nursing Research and EBP Day 2022

The purpose of this work was to examine how a large multi-site primary care based organization established an organizational structure that supported the determination, definition, measurement, and reporting of nursing sensitive indicators (NSIs) specific to ambulatory care nursing. NSIs capture the value of care provided by nurses and are a critical component of ANCC Magnet designation. The organization considered that successful pursuit of Magnet designation in an all ambulatory organization would involve establishing a framework to report NSIs that included defining nursing units and NSIs meaningful to the organization.

A multidisciplinary team led by nursing was established to examine and …

Experiences Of Nurses And Nurse Leaders During The First Year Of The Covid-19 Pandemic: An Integrative Review, Jessica Powell

Nursing Research and EBP Day 2022

This research aimed to examine the experiences of nurses and nursing leadership who worked through the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding their experiences will help better support those suffering from burnout. An integrative review was done by searching three databases in February 2022. Search terms included: burnout, compassion fatigue, Nurs*, leadership, and COVID-19. A total of 288 studies were retrieved, with 11 eligible for review. Seven themes were identified: information, safety, psychological and physical impacts on nurses, patient needs vs. pandemic needs, acknowledgment, protective factors and positive things from their experience, and changes in responsibilities. Understanding the nurses’ and nurse leaders’ experiences …

Ehealth@Home: Avoiding Readmissions For Heart Failure Patients, Krysta Harrington

Nursing Research and EBP Day 2022

The purpose of this evidence-based project was to reduce readmission rates for congestive heart failure (CHF) patients. It was hypothesized that targeted, nursing led care would reduce readmission rates. To test the hypothesis, we engaged patients post-discharge to enroll in eHealth@Home. eHealth@Home is a program at Rochester Regional Health (RRH) that serves high need CHF patients with frequent acute care utilization. These patients receive intensive monitoring and follow-up from a dedicated eHealth nurse, nurse practitioner and community health worker who work in tandem with a patient’s RRH provider to ensure that seamless and quality care is delivered. Visits were done …

Lost In Translation: Mitigating The Effects Of Language Barriers On Patient Outcomes, Megan R. Van Dorp

Nursing Research and EBP Day 2022

The purpose of this research was to describe the development, implementation, timeline, and future evaluation of an evidence-based initiative to improve the outcomes of limited English proficiency patients. It was hypothesized that bridging the communication gap between patients of lesser English proficiency and their healthcare providers would increase patients' participation and understanding of their hospital stay. Improving discharge instructions and ensuring comprehension would promote well-being and health as patients are adequately equipped at discharge to assume their own healthcare needs. To test the hypothesis, a literature search was conducted of professional databases. Fifteen scholarly articles contributed to the research base …

Development And Implementation Of An Ambulatory Nursing Shared Governance Council, Patricia K. Fioravanti, Maria Larner

Nursing Research and EBP Day 2022

The purpose of this work was to research, develop, and implement an ambulatory nursing shared governance council (ANSGC) to support the pursuit of Magnet designation within the Primary Care and Specialty Institute (PCASI) ambulatory care nursing environment at Rochester Regional Health. PCASI is comprised of over 115 practices located throughout 8 counties. Literature supports shared governance as a mechanism to increase nurse engagement, nurse retention, improve patient outcomes and promotes partnership between front line nurses and administration. Nursing Shared Governance is a pillar of the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet culture and a critical component of Magnet designation.

PCASI …