• HOSPITAL ASSOCIATED DELIRIUM: PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT BY REGISTERED NURSES

  Goldsmith, Melissa; Pado, Audrey Erin (The University of Arizona., 2022-05)

  Purpose: To explore various hospital associated triggers of delirium in the acute care setting and develop best practice recommendations focusing on nonpharmacological interventions and environmental alterations informed by the evidence found. Background: Delirium is one of the most common organ dysfunctions in acute care patients yet is profoundly under-diagnosed and misdiagnosed, leading to poor outcomes including mortality. An effective way to reduce the incidence of delirium is to implement environmental prevention and management strategies to identify and treat acute, precipitating, modifiable risk factors. Approach to practice: The best practice recommendations are based on a literature review conducted through a search on CINAHL using the following search terms: "delirium," "hospital or acute setting," "causes or factors," "precipitating factors," and "prevention or treatment or management." There are ten articles included in this review that were published between 2013 and 2021. Outcomes: Fifteen evidence-informed best practice recommendations were developed. These recommendations aim to educate registered nurses (RNs) in acute care settings on delirium prevention and management by environmental alteration in order to decrease delirium incidence. A theoretical dissemination plan for the implementation of these recommendations was proposed. Conclusions: Recommendations made in this thesis can be used as a starting point for delirium prevention and management in acute care settings by RNs, but a wider base of high-level evidence, interventional research is required to further validate the significance of evidence-based recommendations involving environmental alteration to prevent and manage delirium.
• Sustainable Data Centers for Smart City Development

  Reed, Julie; Wiegand, Chloe; College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture; Bernal, Sandra (The University of Arizona., 2025-05)

  Data centers are an essential component for data driven societies. They are large contributors to energy and water consumption, leading to the importance of developing sustainably operating data centers. Due to the significance of sustainability, locations must meet criteria of sustainable data center site selection. Smart cities and developing smart city locations require a data center to progress with their smart city objectives of sustainable operation for the betterment of quality of life with social, economic, and environmental benefits. This study aims to analyze the progression of developing smart cities with the implementation of a sustainable data center by identifying site selection requirements for green data centers to determine its compatibility with the developing smart city location, and what benefits they produce as a result. Through a comprehensive case study, interview, and secondary analysis, qualitative data is analyzed to determine Tucson as an ideal sustainable data center location, and how a sustainable data center enhances its progress toward a smarter city through social, economic, and environmental determinants. The analysis of Tucson’s landscape contributes to the eligibility of a sustainable data center with renewable energy, water conservation, and other factors aligning with smart city objectives. Tucson would further its smart city development from implementing a sustainable data center due to the smart objectives of connecting communities with data-driven technologies to enhance the quality of life. Social, economic, and environmental elements, for example smarter healthcare, expansion into secondary markets, water conservation, renewable energy, stronger networks, and other aspects of growing smart cities are benefiting from the incorporation of a green data center, allowing Tucson to strengthen its community and smarter development. The data in this research suggests that developing smart cities should evaluate their compatibility with green centers to increase the expansion of sustainably operating data center locations; by understanding the importance of sustainable data centers roles in smart city development, cities further benefit communities while mitigating negative social, economic, and environmental impacts from unsustainable centers.
• Evaluating Commercial Cervical Immobilization Devices for Prehospital Use: Identifying the Most Comfortable Model for Adults

  Rice, Amber D.; Lara, Justin Vicklynn; Gaither, Joshua B.; Mosier, Jarrod (The University of Arizona., 2025)

  Cervical Immobilization Devices (CIDs) are a routinely used intervention in the prehospital and in hospital care of patients with suspected cervical spinal injury. However, there is limited evidence regarding the comfort of CIDs, especially given the increasing number of commercially available immobilization devices on the market. This study aimed to address the current literature gap by evaluating comfort levels, pain and perceived movement restriction in various commercially available CIDs. Descriptive and statistical analysis were used to compare the results, and linear regression was performed to examine the effects of various covariates. A convenience sample of fifty subjects (18 Female, and 32 Male) were recruited. Mean age 35.9 years old (SD) 1.85 years. Results showed that the relative risk (RR) of a participant an abnormal positioning while wearing a collar was lowest with Collar C (SipQuik Cervical Collar, Soft Collar) (RR 0.25, 95% CI 0.09 - 0.70) (Table 2 & Figure 3). Although the remaining collars (A, D, and E) also had lower RR values, these were not statistically significant. The RR of experiencing pain or tenderness after three minutes collar application, was similar across all models (Table 2 & Figure 4). None of the results reached statistical significance, indicating that no collar was definitively superior in reducing discomfort. Results also showed that the more rigid collar types (A and B) showed the highest number of participants (n=14 and n=12) respectively reporting an inability to move their head in any direction. On the other side, Collar C had the highest number of participants stating that they could fully move their head in any direction. There were no statistically significant effects from the covariates, except for one instance, Collar D, where a positive correlation was found between weight and movement restriction (p < 0.05). While the current study gives valuable insights on the preferred model cervical collar when healthy adults are the sole participants, more research into subjective experiences while wearing cervical collars is still needed. The study findings show that the chosen collar type may be more dependent on specific aspects such as correct application and immobilization capabilities than on the participants physical attributes such as weight, height, and age. With the ongoing controversy, further research on collar comfort preference is still required. This study highlights variations in comfort and movement restriction among different commercially available cervical collars. While many studies have examined the biomechanical effectiveness of cervical collars, limited research has focused on their impact on patient comfort, a crucial factor influencing compliance and tolerance in both prehospital and in-hospital settings. This study contributes to the broader conversation about best practices in prehospital trauma care. If certain collars are found to cause significant discomfort without offering superior stabilization benefits, reconsideration of current immobilization protocols may be warranted. Ultimately, this research supports a more evidence-based approach to cervical spine immobilization, prioritizing both patient safety and experience in trauma management.
• Discursive Constructions Of Homosexuality In Kenya: A Corpus-Driven Discourse Analysis Of The German Press

  Jacobs, Joela; Kiptoo, Gideon; Oduro-Opuni, Obenewaa; McGregor, Janice (The University of Arizona., 2025)

  (Recent) legislations surrounding LGBTQ+ discourses in Kenya and beyond have invited visibility and coverage from both local and international media outlets. Building on studies that examine LGBTQ+ social justice and human rights, this study analyzes how German Newspapers in particular frame news surrounding homosexuality in Kenya. In this study, I use LexisNexis, a corpus data source to source newspapers that thematize Homosexualität in Kenia between 2014 to 2024 and then I apply Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) by Van Dijk, to interpret and analyze the results through a macrostructural perspective. The study quantitatively employs a corpus-based analysis, in which Sketch engine, a corpus linguistic tool is used to determine concordances, collocations, and keyword analysis. The study borrows from qualitative theories in which the concepts of Representation by Stuart Hall and the Frankfurt school theory by Theodore Adorno are applied. The results highlight the dominance and intersection of discourses such as the prevalence of homophobia, Western influence, the discursive positioning of Uganda and South Africa, and the reporting of a collective Africa. The study is relevant in unraveling the discursive strategies that inform and shape how the state of homosexuality in Kenya is reported about from a German newspaper perspective. It is necessary to examine German media perspectives of homosexuality in Kenya to gain a more nuanced and historical understanding of how these discursive patterns of German witnessing about Africa get made/remade in media contexts.
• Case Study: Academic Capitalism & Academic Coaches’ Working Conditions, Emotional Labor, & Compassion Fatigue

  Rhoades, Gary; Kimura, Alex; Kiyama, Judy Marquez; Ozias, Moira (The University of Arizona., 2025)

  Student affairs within higher education encompasses a wide range of professions, including academic coaching. Although most academic coaching programs have only been around for the past 20 years, much of the research has focused on its justification and value as a profession by evidence of students’ increased grade point averages (GPAs), retention rates, and goal attainment (Alzen et al., 2021; Capstick et al., 2019; Losch et al., 2016; Vanacore & Dahan, 2021). There remains a gap within the literature that falls short of examining the everyday experiences of academic coaches within university settings. This critical case study looked to give a platform for academic coaches to voice their experiences with their working conditions, emotional labor, and compassion fatigue. Through the means of 22 qualitative semi-structed interviews, the findings concluded that University of Arizona (UA) academic coaches exist within an institutional environment that promotes and upholds academic capitalist structures. This negatively effects their working conditions, while also advancing elements of emotional labor and compassion fatigue. Although collectively experienced across the university, department affiliation dictates the different ways or levels to which these elements of working conditions, emotional labor, and compassion fatigue are felt by academic coaches. Through evidence of these findings, recommendations and implications for academic coaches and university management are provided.
• Scaling Data Driven Building Energy Modeling using Large Language Models: Prompt Engineering and Agentic Workflow

  Zhang, Liang LZ; Khadka, Sunil; Jung, Wooyoung WJ; Ryan, Alyssa AR (The University of Arizona., 2025)

  Data-driven building energy modeling (BEM) faces scalability challenges due to the complexity of diverse building and data types as well as integrating them into effective models. Large language models (LLMs) offer significant potential to enhance code generation and reasoning capabilities, which could facilitate broader adoption and implementation of data-driven BEM. In this paper, I hypothesize that LLMs can incorporate domain-specific knowledge into data processing and modeling, enabling automation of data-driven BEM across building types (residential and commercial), modeling output (zone temperature and energy consumption), and specific modeling needs. This paper leverages LLMs in the forms of prompt engineering and agentic workflow. A Machine Learning Operations (MLOps)-based prompt template is developed to systematically generate Python code for data-driven modeling. Experiments are carried out around four BEM scenarios and results indicate that both approaches are effectively scalable for implementing data-driven BMS solutions where bi-sequential prompting achieves the highest success rates of 95% in code accuracy. The agentic workflow, a paradigm where agents utilize planning, action, tools, and memory, further improves the automation, self-correction, and interaction with LLM, and resulting in improved accuracy to 100%.This framework can help energy engineers, facility managers, and sustainability consultants in automating BEM workflows, especially where coding expertise is limited, or scalability is a priority.
• Story-ing Possibility Space: Becoming With/in Refugee/(Im)migrant Education

  Koyama, Jill; Combs, Mary Carol; Kasper, Julie; Koyama, Jill; Combs, Mary Carol; Gómez, Reid; Bertrand, Melanie; Nguyen, Chi (The University of Arizona., 2025)

  This dissertation is a story—one among many intra-active (Barad, 2007) stories in a web of differing versions (Gómez, 2019)—that is being told about refugee/(im)migrant education. Theoretical, methodological, and practical in its goals and applications, the project described in this dissertation brought together fourteen teachers/learners/leaders across the United States to discuss, explore, and (re)imagine refugee/(im)migrant education through co-created and co-creative story-ing processes and diffractive methodologies. As a research community, we didn’t start with an end in mind but rather followed our stories where they took us, stepping into curiosity and making knowledge “otherwise—as a mode of wondering and wandering, as a matter of what happens if?” (Taylor, 2021, p. 32). The project articulated in this dissertation, including through three co-written texts that comprise chapter five, shares methodological entanglements and theoretical weavings that may allow for different ethico-onto-epistemological engagements in refugee/(im)migrant education policy, practice, and research. Through story-ing and space making—intra-activity rooted in love and of an intimacy often forgotten in education leadership and policy research—possibility space is forming, becoming with (Haraway, 2016) and in refugee/(im)migrant education.
• Women in Greek and Roman Athletics

  Soren, David; Karr, Geneva; Futrell, Alison; Stephan, Robert (The University of Arizona., 2025)

  This thesis addresses scholarly debate about whether women participated in athletics in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. Some people still argue today that women could not participate in ancient athletics, using restrictive definitions of what is considered as athletic and sometimes omitting important evidence. The assumption that women did not participate in ancient athletics was also the basis of Victorian era arguments against women’s inclusion in sports. Pierre de Coubertin, for example, vehemently opposed women’s inclusion in the modern Olympics, citing “ancient ideals” as a reason not to allow women in sports. This work provides a great deal of evidence that women did participate in ancient athletics, assessing both literary and material evidence from the ancient world. There is a particular emphasis on material evidence to provide a sense of what female athletics were like in the ancient world without the biases of ancient authors. Ancient literature especially demonstrates how women’s participation in athletics was received at the time. This work also draws connections to the modern era, outlining how participation in women’s sports has increased since the Victorian era and arguing against the misuse of ancient evidence in the modern world to bolster claims that women should not participate in sports.
• Quantifying the Fate and Transport of Energetic Compounds through Bench Scale Experiments, Field Scale Observations, and Modeling

  Dontsova, Katerina; Karls, Benjamin; Root, Robert; McIntosh, Jennifer; Polyakov, Viktor (The University of Arizona., 2025)

  Energetic materials are used around the world in training operations and combat. When energetics munitions function as designed, most of their constituent compounds are expended leaving small amounts of residue on the soil surface. However, occasional low order detonations, also known as failed or incomplete detonations, can result in significant deposition of energetic material. The deposition of explosive contaminants in particulate form onto the soil surface during low-order detonations and continual regular use can lead to ground and surface water contamination. The understanding of the fate and transport of these potentially toxic compounds is needed to predict their environmental impacts. The recent introduction of insensitive munitions (IMX-104 and IMX-101), which are safer in handling than legacy munitions (Comp B and TNT), have resulted in the need to examine the environmental fate and transport of their constituent compounds. This dissertation presents a comprehensive approach to this problem by showcasing bench scale experiments, field scale observation, and modeling to quantify and predict their environmental behavior. In Chapter 2, I present an experimental study that explores the impact of overland flow and rill erosion on the transport of IMX-104 constituent compounds 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-5-one (NTO), 2,4-dinitroanisole (DNAN), hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX), and octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX). In Chapter 3, I present a review that summarizes the current available information about factors affecting fate and transport of both legacy munitions (TNT [2,4,6-trinitrotoluene] and Comp B [TNT, RDX, and HMX]) and newer insensitive munitions (IMX-101 [DNAN, NTO, and NQ (nitroguanidine)] and IMX-104 [DNAN, NTO, and RDX]). This chapter suggests approaches for predicting site-specific parameters for their fate and transport in soils and in overland flow. Chapter 4 combines field observations of energetic compound deposition and transport in overland flow with modeling that predicts their fate and transport. The training range we worked with was Florence Military Reservation (FMR) in Florence, Arizona. By picking this field site we were able to explore the fate and transport of energetic compounds in arid environments, which is challenging to predict due to limited information and understanding.
• Improving Prehospital Providers’ Confidence in Performing Cricothyrotomies via Simulation and Cognitive Aid

  Herring, Christopher; Johnstone, Victoria; Reed, James; Modrzejewski, Dan (The University of Arizona., 2025)

  Purpose: The primary purpose of this quality improvement project was to improve prehospitalproviders’ confidence in performing an emergency surgical cricothyrotomy after implementing a cognitive aid and hands-on training with a high-fidelity cricothyrotomy simulator. Additional goals of this project included enhancing prehospital providers' self-assessed competence, knowledge, and procedural skills. Background: Failure in airway management continues to be a leading cause of preventable patient harm (Joffe et al., 2019). Simulating emergency airway skills can improve performance, speed, and confidence in providers, and the use of cognitive aids in emergencies is shown to improve the speed, performance, and accuracy of providers (Añez Simón et al., 2019; Marshall & Mehra, 2014). Despite the evidence of utilizing these tools, many prehospital providers in Southern Arizona do not have access to and are not utilizing high-fidelity airway simulation. Additionally, no standard cognitive aid is currently being utilized in this region. Methods: This education-based quality improvement (QI) project utilized a pre-post design. Participants were assessed using an adapted confidence scale (C-scale), a perceived competence survey, a knowledge-based quiz, and a cricothyrotomy skills assessment tool while performing a surgical cricothyrotomy on an inexpensive high-fidelity simulator. Results: Significant improvements were observed post-intervention compared to pre- intervention in provider confidence (p < 0.01; d= 2.03) and perceived competence scores (p<0.01; d= 1.96). Participants demonstrated statistically significant improvements in skill performance and enhanced adherence to critical steps based on skills assessment scores (p < 0.01; d= 0.97). There were also statistically significant improvements in procedural efficiency 13 (p<0.01; d= 0.81), as evidenced by the average time to procedural completion being 54 seconds faster post- versus pre-intervention. Knowledge scores showed a slight, non-significant improvement (p >0.05; p = 0.083). Conclusion: This project supports the efficacy of a cognitive aid and high-fidelity simulation to improve provider confidence, competence, and skill in performing emergency surgical cricothyrotomy. With these findings, it can be concluded that the use of a cognitive aid with high-fidelity procedural simulators is effective at increasing provider confidence, competence, and skill in successfully performing a surgical cricothyrotomy.
• Do Investors React Differently to Interim Target Disclosures for Emissions Reduction Goals Depending on the Difficulty of the Target?

  Hewitt, Max; Jennings, Robert M.; Douthit, Jeremy; Van Landuyt, Ben; Sandvik, Jason (The University of Arizona., 2025)

  Regulators are mandating interim target disclosures for firms disclosing long-term emissions reduction goals. I examine how interim target disclosure affects investors’ perceptions of a firm’s commitment to its long-term emissions reduction goal and subsequent investment decisions. I predict that the difficulty of the interim target moderates the effect of interim target disclosure on investors’ perceptions of the firm’s goal commitment. I find consistent results testing these predictions using a 2 × 3 between-participants experiment where I manipulate the presence and difficulty of an interim target. Specifically, goal commitment perceptions increase in response to an interim target disclosure when the target appears difficult. However, this effect backfires and goal commitment perceptions decrease if the interim target does not appear difficult. I also predict and find that this effect on perceptions of goal commitment ultimately affects investment decisions. The finding that interim target disclosures can backfire, and thus mandates can be counterproductive to investors’ interests, is important for regulators and improves theoretical understanding of investors’ decision making.
• The Curious Case of Copper: Copper’s Novel Stress Response and its Effect on Combined Stress

  Sutphin, George; Hull, Bradford T.; Paek, Andrew; Johnson, Michael D. L.; Weinert, Ted; Maggert, Keith (The University of Arizona., 2025)

  Cells encounter various forms of stress over time–oxidative stress, protein misfolding, DNA damage–and respond by activating specific, well-defined stress response pathways. As we age, the burden of stress increases while our cells’ ability to deal with the resulting damage becomes diminished due to dysregulation of cellular stress response pathways. Copper is a well-studied physiological stressor that is implicated in a variety of age-associated diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and many more. Though generally considered to be an oxidative stressor, here I describe a novel stress response where copper creates toxicity through an alternate mechanism in C. elegans. I show that this toxicity is independent of the oxidative stress response and several other canonical stress response pathways and is dependent on several genes previously unassociated with copper stress. Next, I describe copper’s protective mechanisms over several other physiological stressors and show that, similar to the individual stress response, this protective mechanism is independent of the oxidative stress response. I select the CuSO4- NaCl combination for further investigation and begin to characterize the genes involved in the C. elegans transcriptional response to the combined stress, identifying several key genes with functions related to immune response, protein processing, and membrane carbohydrate binding activity. In addition to the copper work, I also develop a protocol for longitudinal monitoring of individual worm lifespan, healthspan, and fluorescence in an environment that mimics manual agar lifespan assays. Finally, I propose a set of guidelines for the C. elegans stress response field in order to set standards for experiments and make future work more directly comparable.
• Stratospheric Modulation of the Madden-Julian Oscillation: Potential Influence Mechanisms and Implications for the Behavior of the North Pacific Storm Track

  Hood, Lon L.; Castro, Christopher L.; Hoopes, Charles Andrew; Hood, Lon L.; Castro, Christopher L.; Wood, Kim; Lofverstrom, Marcus; Galarneau, Jr., Thomas J. (The University of Arizona., 2025)

  The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) is an eastward-propagating, convectively-coupled wave packet, and functions as a key driver of subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) variability in tropical convection and precipitation. Recent research has shown that both the phase and the amplitude of the MJO may be modulated by the stratosphere, via both an oscillation of the stratospheric zonal wind known as the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) and by changes in stratospheric ozone production induced by variations in solar UV activity. This dissertation investigates, in detail, potential mechanisms behind this modulation, its extent in the tropics, and its implications for mid-latitude weather patterns, including aspects of S2S predictability. Published, peer-reviewed papers resulting from this research are presented in Appendices A and B. Results that are in a near-final form but not yet submitted for publication are presented in Appendices C and D. In Appendix A, we investigate a wave forcing mechanism for the existence of the QBO-MJO connection, one which may explain both its exclusivity to the boreal winter and its relatively recent development within the observational record. In Appendix B, we investigate the possible influence of shorter-term 27-day rotational solar UV variations on MJO behavior. We find significant and long-lasting effects on the effectiveness of MJO propagation past the maritime continent barrier, stemming from static stability changes associated with such short-term solar UV variability. Appendices C and D focus on possible implications of stratospheric MJO modulation on the mid-latitude storm track. In Appendix C, we focus on interannual sources of stratospheric variability, such as the QBO and the 11-year sunspot cycle. The MJO-induced changes in the North Pacific Storm Track (NPST) produced by these stratospheric forcings are compared to well-known ENSO-related NPST influences. In Appendix D, we extend on the findings of both Appendix B and Appendix C by linking changes in the MJO induced by 27-day rotational solar UV variations to lagged effects on the NPST. The nature of the statistically-derived effects on the NPST provide insight into the mechanism leading to stratospheric influences on the MJO-NPST relationship, which is centered on the generation and propagation of Rossby waves. The results of these studies have implications for mid-latitude S2S predictability, given the found stratospheric influence on the NPST, while also providing evidence for a specific mechanism for the modulation of the MJO via the stratosphere. This implicated mechanism may be useful in addressing some of the deficiencies in simulating observed stratosphere-troposphere connections in current-generation global climate models.
• School Counselor Education and Professional Identity Formation: A Content Analysis of Graduate School Counseling Programs in the United States

  Falco, Lia D.; Hirdes, Cassandra L.; Tashjian, Amanda; Mayes, Renea D. (The University of Arizona., 2025)

  School Counselors continue to grapple with questions surrounding their professional identity as ongoing debate persists over whether they should be viewed primarily as counselors, educators, or a balanced combination of both. This identity formation process often begins in graduate school as students explore different programs, complete coursework, engage in practicum and internship experiences, and interact with faculty and peers. While previous research has identified variation across school counseling programs (Pérusse et al., 2001; Pérusse et al., 2015), few studies have examined how these differences might influence the development of school counseling students’ professional identities. Using content analysis, this study examined the structure and characteristics of 212 school counseling graduate programs in the United States. The results reveal ongoing inconsistencies among programs and provide valuable insight into the continued identity confusion within the profession, differences that may shape how students understand and define their roles within their educational environments.
• Operating Room To Ozone: Advancing Sustainability In Inhalational Anesthesia – A QI Project

  Herring, Christopher; Harms, Beau Alexander; Hoch, Kristie; Elam, Reginald (The University of Arizona., 2025)

  Purpose: This quality improvement (QI) initiative aimed to increase anesthesia providers' awareness of the environmental effects of inhaled anesthetics. The goal is to lower greenhouse gas emissions from anesthesia services and promote eco-friendly practices among providers. Background: Climate change is identified as the primary health concern of the century due to increasing anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions leading to ongoing global warming. Operating rooms, known for their high energy consumption, play a significant role in GHG emissions in healthcare. Anesthetics for inhalation, previously vital for anesthesia, are a major contributor to the environmental impact in healthcare. Sustainable anesthesia practices are becoming increasingly important globally in the fight against the climate crisis. Methods: Anesthesia providers employed by Summit Anesthesia were recruited via email to participate in project education. Over two weeks, a pre-recorded educational presentation on current practices in sustainable anesthesia was made available to the group’s anesthesia staff. Following the educational intervention, participants were asked to complete a digital retrospective post-pre-survey to assess their knowledge of the content and intent to change practice. Results: Following the educational intervention, anesthesia providers demonstrated a significant increase in cognitive knowledge and intent to implement sustainable anesthetic practices. Mean knowledge scores improved across all three assessed domains: overall knowledge of sustainable anesthetic practices increased from 3.00 to 5.71 (90.48% increase), knowledge of volatile agent selection enhanced from 2.43 to 5.86 (141.18% increase), and understanding of low fresh gas flow (LFGF) techniques rose from 2.57 to 5.71 (122.22% increase). Additionally, post-education scores increased across all CPD-Reaction Questionnaire constructs, with the most substantial improvements in intention (44.3%), beliefs about capabilities (42.2%), and social influence (33.4%). These findings indicate that targeted education can enhance anesthesia providers’ knowledge and motivation to adopt environmentally sustainable practices. Conclusions: This quality improvement (QI) initiative improved anesthesia providers’ knowledge and intent to implement sustainable practices. Findings highlight the effectiveness of targeted education in promoting eco-friendly anesthesia practices. Continued efforts are essential to reinforce sustainable behaviors and mitigate the environmental impact of inhaled anesthetics in healthcare.
• Orpheus, Pre-Socratics, Exegesis, and the Near East: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of the Derveni Papyrus

  Bauschatz, John; Hanson, Garrett; Friesen, Courtney; Waddell, Philip (The University of Arizona., 2025)

  This thesis is a holistic analysis of the Derveni papyrus and a survey of the many influences on the text from across the broader Mediterranean world. Each chapter of the thesis separates the Derveni papyrus into a discrete, generic category, and draws fruitful parallels with Greek and non-Greek texts to highlight the seemingly disparate sections of the Derveni papyrus. In chapter 1, I analyze the Derveni papyrus as a piece of Orphic literature. I first highlight the aspects of the text that are considered Orphic and clarify methodological points about the classification of texts as Orphic. I then compare the Derveni papyrus to attestations of other surviving Orphic texts, such as the Eudemian Theogony, the Hieronyman Theogony, and the Rhapsodies. I also analyze the connection between these Orphic theogonies more broadly, and Hesiod’s Theogony. I then turn my attention to the broader Mediterranean to evaluate potential comparisons with texts from the non-Greek world, such as The Kumarbi Cycle of the Hittites, the Babylonian poem Enûma Eliš, the Vedas of India, Zoroastrian cosmologies, and Phoenician cosmologies. Finally, I consider the archaeological context of the papyrus, comparing the context to that of the Thurii Tablets. In chapter 2, I evaluate the influences of Pre-Socratic philosophers on the Derveni text, such as Heraclitus, Anaxagoras, Parmenides, Empedocles, and Democritus, followed by an analysis of non-Greek philosophy, in the form of the magoi from the Achaemenid Persian Empire. In chapter 3, I evaluate the Derveni papyrus as a commentary, starting with an overview of ancient commentaries, such as the Alexandrian commentaries, and the tradition of allegorical exegesis. I then turn to non-Greek traditions of commentaries, such as the tradition of Babylonian commentary on the Enûma Eliš, and the Qumran pesharim. Finally, I conclude that this method of comparison is intellectually valuable for discerning basic facts about the Derveni papyrus, such as its date of composition, and for certain facts about the intellectual background of the Derveni author.
• Dose-Dependent Temporal Dynamics of FOXO1 and 53BP1 in Response to H2O2-induced Oxidative Stress

  Paek, Andrew; Haghiri, Saba; Capaldi, Andrew; Weinert, Ted (The University of Arizona., 2025)

  Oxidative stress driven by reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), plays a pivotal role in regulating cellular homeostasis and genomic stability through activation of stress response pathways, including DNA repair mechanisms. This study investigates the temporal dynamics of Forkhead box-O1 (FOXO1), a key transcription factor for maintaining cellular homeostasis and p53-binding protein-1 (53BP1), a crucial player in the DNA damage response, in response to varying doses of. H2O2-induced oxidative stress. Cells harboring FOXO1 and 53BP1 fluorescent reporters were exposed to increasing concentrations of H2O2 and FOXO1 activation and 53BP1 foci formation were tracked using live cell microscopy over a 24-hour period. Quantitative image analysis revealed that FOXO1 nuclear localization exhibited a rapid but variable activation pattern across cells, with duration increasing in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, 53BP1 foci formation showed a surprising slower accumulation at higher H2O2 concentrations, suggesting possible impairment of double-strand break (DSB) DNA repair or a shift towards alternative repair pathways. Our findings indicate that oxidative stress modulates DNA repair dynamics in a dose-dependent manner, with higher levels of H2O2 potentially altering the efficiency or pathway choice of DSB repair mechanisms.
• Unraveling the Relationship Between Central, Peripheral and Cerebral Arteries Function in a Mouse Model of Marfan Syndrome: Benefits of Exercise Training on Vascular Function and Blood Flow

  Gonzales, Rayna J.; Esfandiarei, Mitra; Gusek, Brikena; Hale, Taben (The University of Arizona., 2025)

  Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a connective tissue disorder caused by mutations in the fibrillin-1 gene affecting the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and pulmonary systems, with a notable vascular effect leading to aortic aneurysm, dissection, and rupture. In recent decades, better diagnostics and advances in medical and surgical treatments have increased the life expectancy in individuals with MFS, hence, other vascular complications have become more concerning. Aging is the dominant risk factor for clinically significant atherosclerotic lesions affecting most often the carotid arteries and carotid artery tortuosity is highly associated with connective tissue diseases, particularly MFS. There is an increased prevalence of intracranial aneurysms and ischemic stroke in hospitalized patients with MFS when compared with healthy controls. Despite these reports our understanding of cerebrovascular and carotid artery function and structure in MFS is very limited. In addition, the cardiovascular benefits of moderate exercise training have been well documented in the literature. Numerous studies have shown that aerobic exercise can improve cognitive function, decrease neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative symptoms. This study sought to explore the impact of mild aerobic exercise on the progression of vascular complications in both male and female MFS mice, utilizing high-resolution in vivo ultrasound imaging for precise analysis. The research focused on assessing the functional properties of multiple key arteries, including the aorta, posterior cerebral, carotid, coronary, pulmonary, and renal arteries, in both male and female MFS mice. The study also aimed to explore the relationship between MFS-associated structural and functional changes in the aortic root and phenotypic alterations in other arteries, with the objective of identifying key predictors that could provide insights into vascular health and the potential impact of exercise on arterial structure and function. At 6 weeks of age, male and female control (Fbn1+/+) and MFS (Fbn1C1041G/+) were divided into three experimental groups: Ctrl, MFS, MFS + exercise. MFS mice were subjected to an exercise regimen of 8m/min, 30min/day, 5days/week. At 7 months of age, in vivo ultrasound imaging was performed to measure aortic root diameters and pulse wave velocity, the carotid artery pulse wave velocity (PWV), wall thickness and distensibility, and the peak systolic velocity (PSV) of the posterior cerebral arteries, coronary, pulmonary, and renal arteries. Our data showed significant increases in aortic root diameter and pulse wave velocity (PWV), carotid wall thickness and arterial stiffness, along with reduced carotid distensibility, in both sexes in MFS mice compared to controls. Peak systolic velocity (PSV) was significantly reduced in the pulmonary and posterior cerebral arteries of MFS mice, with no changes observed in coronary or renal arteries. Mild exercise mitigated aortic and carotid pathology by reducing aortic root diameter, PWV, and carotid wall thickness, while restoring carotid distensibility and posterior cerebral artery blood flow, especially in female MFS mice. Sex-specific analyses showed that aortic PWV was a strong predictor of posterior cerebral artery blood flow and pulmonary artery flow in males, whereas sinus of Valsalva diameter strongly predicted carotid artery PWV and wall thickness in both sexes. However, the relationships involving arterial distensibility differed between males and females. These findings highlighted the vascular impact of MFS, the therapeutic potential of exercise, and significant sex-specific differences in disease progression and associated metrics.
• University Belongingness Among Professional Doctoral Alumni in the US Transnational Education in China: A Mixed Methods Case Study

  Ozias, Moira; Guo, Yaxin; Vance, Hillary; Kim, Jeongeun (The University of Arizona., 2025)

  This mixed-methods case study investigates university belongingness among professional doctoral alumni within a US transnational education program in China. Guided by socialization theories, the study employed explanatory sequential design, beginning with an online survey and followed by in-depth interviews. The study addresses two main questions (RQ): RQ1: What are the key factors shaping the sense of belonging in transnational education programs? RQ2: How does the transnational nature of educational programs shape students’ sense of belonging toward the US and Chinese partner universities? The findings indicated that the academic reputation of partner universities, curriculum design, peer relationships, career background, and professional development were the primary influential factors of professional doctoral alumni's sense of belonging. Secondary influential factors included institutional culture, academic support, location and geopolitics, instructional methods, program requirements and structure, faculty-student interaction, staff-student relationships, educational background, interpersonal connections, and networking and collaboration in professional community, which interacted with primary factors to significantly affect alumni satisfaction and their sense of belonging toward both partner universities. The transnational setting itself enabled alumni to navigate multiple cultural and educational landscapes, thereby shaping a dual sense of belonging. This study addresses a gap in the literature on university belongingness among professional doctoral students and alumni in US transnational education in China. It contributes to the theoretical framework of socialization in contexts of transnational and professional community contexts, offering insights for administrators to enhance practice and policy, thereby improving the sense of belonging among transnational alumni. These insights are instrumental in guiding the design of structured student and alumni services that enhance the educational experience with both partner universities.
• Kindness Versus Compassion: Prioritizing Kindness for Improved Healthcare Professionals and Patient Outcomes

  Bouchard, Lindsay; Guinn, Kelsey; Edmund, Sara; McGrew, Shelly (The University of Arizona., 2025)

  Purpose: This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to provide education for the staff of apediatric inpatient psychiatric unit about kindness and ultimately change staff’s knowledge, perception, and intention to implement kindness techniques. Background: Historically, healthcare has encouraged its ’professionals care compassionately for patients, but by maintaining this position, the healthcare system has created unrealistic expectations of behavior for its ’employees that are unsustainable and contribute to compassion fatigue, staff burnout and shortages, high rates of suicide, depression, and anxiety, job dissatisfaction, workplace incivility, and unhealthy work environments. However, kindness has proven to achieve the same, if not better, healthcare professional and patient outcomes. By educating hospital staff on kindness in healthcare, and how it differs from compassion, there is an opportunity to positively impact the health and wellbeing of healthcare staff, as well as the productivity, culture, and cost of healthcare organizations, and patient outcomes. Methods: This QI project used pre- and post-educational surveys in conjunction with an asynchronous educational presentation to provide education to hospital staff on the difference between kindness and compassion in healthcare. The pre- and post-educational surveys were used to assess changes to staffs ’knowledge, perception, and intention to implement the information before and after viewing the asynchronous educational presentation. Results: There was a mix of Registered Nurse (RN) and Program Specialist (PS) participants in the sample. Eight participants completed only the pre-educational survey and seven completed both the pre- and post-educational surveys. The comparison of the pre- and post-survey data showed an overall improvement in the knowledge, perception, and intention to implement kindness into healthcare practice. Conclusions: An asynchronous educational intervention regarding kindness in healthcare was an effective approach to improving the knowledge, perception, and intention to implement kindness techniques of hospital staff on a pediatric inpatient psychiatry unit. Kindness is largely subjective and further research is necessary to create standardized tools to objectively measure kindness in healthcare.

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