Digital Commons Network^™

Long-Term Health Outcomes For Adult Women Who Experienced Sexual Assault, Jodie Flynn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to understand the impact of sexual assault pre- and post-sexual assault on health, health care experience, and health-related quality of life in adult women. Research identifying quality of life as a health outcome post-sexual assault is limited. No long-term studies to evaluate differences in health-related quality of life pre-and post-sexual assault have been conducted. In addition, only a few studies have investigated mental health changes over time. An exploration into self-perceived general health pre-and post-sexual assault and overall current quality of life needs to be conducted to determine improvements in health care services for …

Application Of Machine Learning For Predicting Iemi Upset In Multi-Architecture Microcontrollers, Daniel S. Guillette

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Four microcontrollers were programmed to execute a simple counting program. Pulsed RF signals – also known as Intentional ElectroMagnetic Interference (IEMI) – were injected into the clock input of the microcontrollers. At the same time, the output lines were monitored to determine whether the IEMI signal altered the output of the counting program – referred to as an upset. A state-of-the-art automated testing apparatus was used to collect and process 120,960 samples of IEMI upset data. The data was used to perform a traditional upset trends study and train a series of machine learning (ML) techniques – k-Nearest Neighbors, Support …

Soymeal Based Bio-Based Adhesive For Wood Application, Prashant Kote

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Introducing bio-based materials as an alternative to petroleum-based products has been the greatest challenge for the industry which may reduce environmental problems. Currently, most of the wood adhesive is prepared using formaldehyde which is a non-renewable source as well as toxic. In this research, soybean meal was used as a renewable bio-based source for wood adhesive which has a potential to replace formaldehyde-based adhesives. In this study, soymeal was chemically modified, characterized, and evaluated for its adhesion performance, flow behavior, service life, and thermal stability.

In the first, soymeal was modified using acid (HCl), alkali (NaOH), and salt (CaCl_{2 …}

Evaluation Of An Educational Presentation On Improving Nursing Students’ Knowledge About Medication Reconciliation, My Trinh

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

Medication reconciliation is the process of comparing a patient’s medications that they are currently taking and comparing it with newly ordered medications or comparing the list to another source of information. It is completed to avoid and reduce the risk for potential adverse drug events, medication discrepancies, and improve communication between transition of care settings. Although people acknowledge and perceive the value of medication reconciliation as an important process in reducing medication errors and patient harm, healthcare team members including nurses may receive little formal training and education in school. The purpose of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) scholarly …

Pregnancy Education In Rural Areas, Kayla Tinsley

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

Educating of the pregnancy population before, during and after pregnancy can help to ensure a healthy pregnancy and in turn reduce maternal mortality. The purpose of this research project was to understand education provided in the clinic and hospital setting in a rural area by those who take care of and talk to pregnant women and their support persons. A descriptive research design was utilized to discover the important education topics that are discussed, and the routine tests that are done throughout the pregnancy, during labor and at delivery, and even ask how prepared they feel they are equipped to …

Finding Wonder, Love, And Praise: Weaving The Threads Of Wesleyan And Methodist Theology And History Into A Twenty-First Century Worship Tapestry, Dirk Damonte

Doctor of Pastoral Music Projects and Theses

The United Methodist Church has seen a decline in membership for many decades. Accompanying this numeric decline has been a decline in the vitality of worship in many churches. This denomination traces its roots to a renewal movement in the Church of England, led by John and Charles Wesley, which spread across the Atlantic and took hold in the American colonies, where it soon became a separate church. This new church was characterized by lively and Spirit-filled worship and exponential growth. This thesis explores and analyzes the theology of the Wesley brothers and the Wesleyan movement, the history of that …

Neoliberalism And Perceptions Of Charitable Food Assistance Recipients, Lucas G. Hopper

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Previous research has suggested that recipients of charitable food assistance experience stigma and may be seen as undeserving. Neoliberal worldviews have also been identified in discourse around charitable food assistance (CFA) and CFA settings, and tied to stigma and undeservingness. However, there is relatively little research on the context of CFA overall and a paucity of research that has examined the relationship between these factors of CFA perceptions, particularly in individuals who are not directly involved as recipients or volunteers. This study consists of a quantitative survey administered to 266 psychology students at a large university measuring their perceptions of …

Pre-Pulse Inhibition In Mutated Mice: Studying Compromised Microglial Cells To Discover New Genetic Connections To Autism, Bailey R. Kramarik

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Microglial cells “play a pivotal role in refining neural networks during early critical periods” (Gabriele & Gray, 2020, p. 1). A disturbance in the functioning of these microglial cells contribute to specific characteristics of some neurodevelopmental disorders- including autism spectrum disorder. In this study, we used a mouse model to study disruptions in cell activity, as understanding the biological and genetic background of autism spectrum disorder could help us provide better treatment and therapy options to those diagnosed.

The mutated mice in this experiment have microglial cells with “compromised fractalkine signaling” (Gabriele & Gray, 2020, p. 4-5). We studied multimodal …

The Catholic Paradox Of Villette, Kevin R. Bie

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Villette, published in 1853, was Charlotte Brontë’s last novel. Brontë explores both narrative and religious complexities through her narrator, Lucy Snowe. Orphaned Lucy Snowe embarks on a new life in a predominantly Catholic country where her Protestant identity is challenged. Catholicism is presented as a temptation for Lucy. Brontë reveals Lucy’s story through her notable fictional autobiography structure, but Lucy Snowe complicates the relationship between narrator and reader. Lucy explicitly capitalizes on the structure of fictional autobiography, critiquing her narration and fostering a personal relationship with the reader.

This thesis analyzes the Catholic paradox in Charlotte Brontë’s Villette by …

Mr. Robert Rich

African American Funeral Programs

Mr_Robert_Rich.pdf - Funeral program for Mr. Robert Rich

From Patrons To Landlords: The Transformation Of Class Relations In Zanzibar Through Wakf Reform, Isabel Spafford

Honors Theses

This study examines the role of wakf reforms in reshaping class relationships in Zanzibar during the British protectorate. Prior to the establishment of the British protectorate in Zanzibar, wakf dedications maintained patron-client relationships between the landowning class and poor clients that were established during the time of slavery but continued after abolition. I argue that wakf dedications were essential to continuing these relationships, and therefore British wakf reforms were necessary to achieve British colonial goals of dissolving patron-client relationships and establishing a capitalist system based on wage labor and ground rent. I analyze the relationship of the British colonial class, …

Interview With Ryan Lama (East Village Café), Ryan Lama, Rolland Caulkins, Kelvin Chow

Pacific Food Empires

Rolland and Kelvin sit down with Ryan Lama, the new owner of East Village Café. They discuss the history of the café and the remnants of the old print-house that resides within. Ryan shares his stories of what it takes to bring the ‘real east’ to the Monterey community, and the compromises he makes to retain Nepalese authenticity. The trio discusses cultural fusion done right through the context of oat-chai, a new hit from the East Village team. A smattering more is discussed, but for that, you’ll have to listen.

How And Why School Counselors Use Twitter: A Phenomenological Study, Danielle R. Schultz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School counselors are often isolated in their role because of the unique nature of their job. Lack of connection, lack of relevant professional development, role ambiguity, high stress, high student-to-school counselor ratios, and lack of professional connections are all contributors to school counselor burnout. School counselors use Twitter, a social media tool, for a variety of purposes. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experience of school counselors who use Twitter to illuminate how and why school counselors use Twitter. This study found that school counselors see the purpose of their Twitter use as professional advocacy, professional connection, and validation. …

Global Community Of Practice: A Means For Capacity And Community Strengthening For Health Professionals In Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Diane Nguyen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Low- and middle-income countries face distinct challenges in providing health care services and training. The community of practice (CoP) has been described as a method of facilitating much-needed connections and conversations on this topic and has been adapted over time to include virtual CoPs. We describe the development and evaluation of a global Clinical Lead Forum (CLF) using a CoP framework to structure informal continuing professional development (CPD) and enhance the capacity of health care professionals in low- and middle-income countries.

METHODS: Baylor College of Medicine International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI) and its network of affiliated, independent non-governmental organizations …

Anxiety-Like Behavior And Anxiolytic Treatment In The Rett Syndrome Natural History Study, Caroline B Buchanan, Robin C Ryther, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Rett syndrome (RTT) is a neurodevelopmental disorder most often related to a pathogenic variant in the X-linked MECP2 gene. Internalizing behaviors appear to be common, but standard methods of diagnosing anxiety are not readily applied in this population which typically has cognitive impairment and limited expressive language. This study aims to describe the frequency of anxiety-like behavior and anxiolytic treatments along with associated clinical features in individuals with RTT.

METHODS: Parental reports and medication logs provided data from 1380 females with RTT participating in two iterations of the multicenter U.S. RTT Natural History Study (RNHS) from 2006 to 2019. …

Human Peripheral Blood Mononucleocyte Derived Myeloid Committed Progenitor Cells Mitigate H-Ars By Exosomal Paracrine Signal., Rishi Man Chugh, Payel Bhanja, Ximena Diaz Olea, Fang Tao, Kealan Schroeder, Ryan Zitter, Tanu Arora, Harsh Pathak, Bruce F. Kimler, Andrew K. Godwin, John M. Perry, Subhrajit Saha

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Radiation-induced loss of the hematopoietic stem cell progenitor population compromises bone marrow regeneration and development of mature blood cells. Failure to rescue bone marrow functions results in fatal consequences from hematopoietic injury, systemic infections, and sepsis. So far, bone marrow transplant is the only effective option, which partially minimizes radiation-induced hematopoietic toxicities. However, a bone marrow transplant will require HLA matching, which will not be feasible in large casualty settings such as a nuclear accident or an act of terrorism. In this study we demonstrated that human peripheral blood mononuclear cell-derived myeloid committed progenitor cells can mitigate radiation-induced bone marrow …

Nutrient Restoration Of A Large, Impounded, Ultra-Oligotrophic Western River To Recover Declining Native Fishes, Ryan S. Hardy, Tyler J. Ross, Kevin N. Mcdonnell, Michael C. Quist, Charlie Holderman, Bryan S. Stevens

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Declines in many fish populations in large, western rivers have been primarily attributed to the anthropogenic reduction of nutrient inputs and subsequent impacts to the food web. The largest known river fertilization program was implemented starting in 2005 on the Kootenai River in northern Idaho to restore resident fisheries. Annual electrofishing surveys were conducted at multiple sites in Idaho and Montana before and during nutrient addition to evaluate assemblage and population-level responses. Although few responses in fish assemblage structure were observed, the addition of liquid ammonium polyphosphate fertilizer (3 μg/L) to the Kootenai River increased fish abundance and biomass over …

Decentralized Intelligent Decision Making In Cyber Physical Social Systems, Nathan Patrizi

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

The accelerated evolution towards jointly considering the physical, cyber, and social space is expected to dramatically increase the interest of the research and industrial community to build efficient, resilient, and secure Cyber Physical Social Systems. In this dissertation, we focus our research activities on devising decentralized intelligent decision making models, frameworks, and algorithms to support the smooth operation of Cyber Physical Social Systems. The proposed decentralized intelligent decision making models are jointly exploiting theories from the field of Economics, such as Game Theory and Contract Theory, and from the field of Computer Science, such as Reinforcement Learning concepts. Reinforcement learning …

A Standardized Reading Intervention With Three Students With Dyslexia, Amanda Hanevik

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

According to The International Dyslexia Association, it is estimated that 15-20 percent of the world's population experience at least one symptom of dyslexia throughout their lives (International Dyslexia Association, 2022). Dyslexia is an unexpected difficulty in reading in an individual who has the intelligence to be a much better reader (Shaywitz, 2017). It is described as a learning disability in reading and the individual has trouble reading at a good and accurate pace, and without making mistakes when they are reading or spelling text. There are several early predictors of dyslexia that can be identified as early as when the …

Factors Influencing Vaccination Rates In Children Under Two In Southeast Kansas, Danielle Bennett

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

Introduction

A large Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Southeast Kansas has a 37% compliance of children completing the recommended combo 10 primary vaccination series before their second birthday. An additional 20% of children would be compliant if the flu vaccine was excluded, raising the compliance rate to 57%. This is still below the national average of 68-75%, leaving many children in Southeast Kansas and northeast Oklahoma unprotected from preventable childhood diseases.

Purpose

The purpose of this scholarly project was to identify barriers to vaccination, including vaccine hesitancy and socioeconomic barriers affecting completion of the primary vaccine series, or combo …

Improving Family Involvement Through Dementia Education Using A Video Sharing Service, Marissa Lynn Bernabe

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

Dementia is a growing issue among healthcare organizations within the United States (U.S.) with approximately 5.7 million individuals diagnosed. These numbers of affected individuals are expected to increase and reach approximately 152 million by 2050 globally. Dementia is a progressive disease of cognitive loss. Establishing goals or items the patient can perform can have a positive impact on patient care by allowing for a collaborative approach and initiating the family as necessary participants in the care of the dementia patient. Video sharing services such as YouTube have made learning easily accessible for a multitude of varied reasons.

A descriptive quality …

Genetics And Genomics In Nursing Practice: Assessing Barriers, Facilitators, And Tailoring Implementation Strategies, Jaanna Guillory

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

The Essential Nursing Competencies and Curricula Guidelines for Genetics and Genomics were published in 2006. These guidelines define the minimal competency in genetics expected of all nurses regardless of role, specialty, or level of education. However, research indicates that nurses lack knowledge and confidence in their role in genetics/genomics.

This quality improvement project aimed to assess barriers and facilitators of genetics/genomics integration into nursing. This study followed a cross-sectional design emphasizing a representative subset of the nursing practicing community at the Veterans Healthcare System of the Ozarks. Participants were invited to complete the Genetics and Genomics in Nursing Practice Survey …

Improving Palliative Care Education In The Acute Hospital Setting, Maria Klug

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

As the geriatric population grows rapidly, the importance of utilizing and understanding palliative services continues to rise. Although palliative and hospice care are included in different healthcare courses, misconceptions and lack of knowledge continue to serve as barriers to the utilization of palliative care. The purpose was to assess knowledge, improve palliative care education, and increase understanding of the perspectives of the interdisciplinary team involved in acute patient care. The setting was the telemetry unit in a 300-bed acute care Kansas hospital. A mixed design was utilized with a goal of quality improvement in the use of palliative care. The …

Provider Education On Physical Activity For Older Adults, Joseph Morris

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

PROVIDER EDUCATION ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR OLDER ADULTS

An Abstract of the Scholarly Project by

Joseph Morris

The purpose of this study was to educate nursing staff and providers on the importance of physical activity for older adults to prevent functional decline and maintain quality of life. The project was conducted online using Qualtrics survey software. Data was collected from October 25, 2021 to November 25, 2021. Nursing staff and healthcare providers (physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants) that are actively practicing medicine and have experience interacting with older adults participated by completing a two-part survey. The survey consisted of …

Reducing The Stigma Associated With Maternal Substance Use Disorder In A Rural Midwest Hospital And Clinic, Jami Vineyard

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

The purpose of this study was to determine if an educational resource provided to maternal healthcare providers, more specifically, providers in a Midwest regional hospital and clinic, would reduce the stigma associated with maternal substance use disorder (SUD). This project also aimed at increasing provider knowledge on the disease process of maternal SUD and current treatment guidelines.

A quantitative research design was used for this study. There was no control group; therefore, it is a quasi-experimental study. Qualtrics were utilized to design a pre-test and post-test. An email including a brief description of the study, an invitation to participate, and …

An Educational Project On Guidelines Of Treating Respiratory Syncytial Virus And Bronchiolitis In Rural Pediatric Patients, Mallory Revell

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

Bronchiolitis is the leading cause of hospital admission for infants. Eighty percent of bronchiolitis cases are caused by the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). While guidelines on the treatment of RSV/bronchiolitis have been published since 2006, the literature reveals that they are not widely followed. After completing a literature review on the current evidence-based treatment guidelines of RSV/bronchiolitis, nurses from a rural hospital in southeast Kansas were educated on these guidelines to improve their knowledge regarding treatments for RSV/bronchiolitis pediatric patients. This study utilized a pretest-posttest design to determine the knowledge gained after the educational presentation. The nurses completed a survey …

Improving Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis Knowledge Among Registered Nurses On A Medical-Surgical Inpatient Unit In The Midwest, Theresa Umscheid

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the third most common vascular disease and includes approximately 900,000 cases annually in the United States. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to enhance education regarding VTE prophylaxis for registered nurses on a medical-surgical inpatient unit at a hospital in the Midwest. This study was initiated due to one nurse’s perception that staff on this unit lacked confidence and expertise on the importance of VTE prophylaxis interventions. Participants completed a VTE knowledge pretest, followed by an educational intervention on VTE prophylaxis utilizing Health Stream. After the intervention, participants completed a VTE knowledge post-test. The …

One-Step Synthesis Of Corn Oil-Based Polyol For Highly Flame-Retardant Rigid Polyurethane Foams, Tenzin Ingsel

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Rigid polyurethane foams (RPUF), heavily utilized in construction, refrigeration, and the automotive industries, are a significant class of polyurethanes. They can substantially enhance energy efficiency by improving thermal insulation. However, the application of petrochemical sources in polyurethane has raised environmental concerns.

Such concerns call for the development and application of new bio-based polyurethanes to potentially reduce humanity's over-reliance on nonrenewable sources.

In this work, corn oil-based polyol was synthesized via popularized thiol-ene reaction. The obtained polyol was characterized by wet chemistry methods, spectroscopic evaluations, and chromatography. Non-halogenated flame retardants of cost-effective and environmentally friendly nature were incorporated into the polyurethane …

A Graduate Recital In Conducting, Noey De Leon

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

This thesis serves as a part of Mr. De Leon’s choral conducting recital and program notes. The music selected for this performance creates a tripartite concert structure. The first part will focus on the villancico from Baroque Mexico. The second includes pieces highlighting specific seasons of the Christian liturgical year. The final section is a choral response to the COVID-19 pandemic, music written for, during, and/or in response to the pandemic. These sections will include biographical information for each composer, performance notes, translations of texts, and other important information about each piece.

Community Bands: Creating A More Accessible Community Band Experience Through The Use Of Multi-Level Repertoire, Cooper Neil

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

This thesis hypothesizes that the use of multi-level repertoire in community bands will allow ensembles to more directly cater to their community member’s musical expectations while respecting the issue of time commitment for others. In this way, a community ensemble can become more accessible and, ideally, lead to a more diverse and representative group. Creating a volunteer community ensemble that accounts for musician’s available time, skill level, and desire for appropriate level of challenge is what this document seeks to address.