15093 research outputs found
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Variability in Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Diversity and Composition Between Habitat Types in Felchner Brook, Vermont
No full textAquatic macroinvertebrates are a key organism that serve as bioindicators of aquatic ecosystems. Within the State of Vermont aquatic macroinvertebrates that inhabit large streams and rivers are sampled annually by the Department of Environmental Conservation. However, small tributaries like Felchner Brook go unsampled and remain understudied. We sampled over 70 sites along Felchner Brook to determine if habitat type, water parameters/chemistry, and canopy cover impact the diversity and composition of aquatic macroinvertebrates. We found no major differences of aquatic macroinvertebrate abundance and order richness between the habitat types of pools, riffles, and runs. However, depth, velocity, and canopy cover significantly impacted aquatic macroinvertebrate abundance and community composition. It was also found that aquatic macroinvertebrates per sample increased with seasonality, highlighting the potential recovery of aquatic macroinvertebrates after summer flooding. This data provides the first record of aquatic macroinvertebrate sampling within Felchner Brook and baseline data on what variables within small tributaries impact aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity and composition.First place in the 2024 Friends of the Kreitzberg Library Award for Outstanding Student Research in the Advanced Undergraduate Researchers:Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) category
Implementation of New Preventative Methods of Intensive Care Unit Delirium
No full textObjective: To assess and determine if there are more appropriate methods than current
standard practices for preventing and managing intensive care unit (ICU) delirium.
Background: Delirium is a fluctuation in the cognition and attention of acute onset,
frequently occurring in the ICU setting and associated with poor patient outcomes.
Significance: Delirium results in a financial cost of billions of dollars every year. This cost
could be avoided by adequate prevention and early identification of this condition. Patients
who develop delirium have increased length of stay and increased ventilator usage.
Theoretical Framework: Betty Neuman's theory states that each person is a complete
system, and nursing aims to support client system stability. Delirium happens due to the lack
of holistic care and only focusing on the physical problem when they are hospitalized.
Methods: A literature review was conducted by researching peer-reviewed articles published
on CINAHL using intensive care delirium, delirium prevention, management, better patient
outcomes, and delirium risk factors as keywords.
Results: Standard practice discusses tools used to identify delirium in ICU patients, but there
is no standardized approach for prevention. Nurses lack education on how to identify
delirium in its early stages and how to differentiate its subtypes. Light sedatives reduce the
risk of developing ICU delirium when compared to the current conventional medication
regimen. Sleep deprivation is a risk factor that can be changed by environmental
interventions like turning lights off at night.
Conclusion: Nurses should be able to identify early manifestations of delirium, which would
decrease the associated outcomes and the high cost of treating it
An Investigation of Structural and Mechanical Tree Defects at Norwich University, Vermont
No full textUrban forests provide a wide range of benefits from decreasing environmental pollutants to providing economic and aesthetic value. Maintaining and managing tree health is critical to conserve the benefits provided by urban trees. One of the most detrimental health problems to urban trees is structural and mechanical defects. We surveyed over 50 trees on the main campus of Norwich University, Northfield, VT for structural and mechanical defects as well as morphological attributes (diameter at breast height, canopy cover, and height). Structural and mechanical defects were identified, categorized, photographed, and analyzed. Results indicate that Acer platanoides exhibited the highest number of defects of all tree species, primarily bark inclusions and bole wounds. Defects found can likely be attributed to frequent human activity and lawncare equipment. Conversely, Pyrus calleryana displayed the fewest defects, possibly due to its location having minimal external disturbances. We found no significant correlation between diameter at breast height or height of trees and defect count, suggesting that tree location plays a greater role in defect abundance than age or size. However, tree height (a proxy of age) was positively correlated to defect surface area indicating as a tree ages the defect surface area increase. These findings emphasize the need for targeted management strategies, including improved maintenance practices and species selection, to enhance tree health and minimize risks of structural failure on campus.2025 Friends of the Kreitzberg Library Award candidat
In Adults with Benzodiazepine Addiction, Does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Medication Assisted Treatment Reduce Dependency and Improve Anxiety Compared to Individual Discontinuation?
No full textPurpose: This integrative review assesses the efficacy as well as the risks of benzodiazepines for treatment of anxiety and panic disorders. This includes the short-term benefits, the limitations that come with long-term use, as well as the importance of careful prescribing and consider alternatives like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and medication assisted treatment (MAT).
Methods: Recent literature was reviewed including studies on the effectiveness, risk for dependency, withdrawal symptoms, the potential cognitive impact that they can have, and alternative therapies. An extensive systematic search for peer reviewed articles published from 2018-2023. Sources were found using PubMed, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library and the search terms used were “Dependency”, “Alprazolam”, “Xanax”, “Addiction”, “CBT/MAT”, “Adults with Xanax dependency”. Ultimately, nine out of 82 articles were selected for inclusion.
Results: The findings from this review show that benzodiazepines may provide effective short-term relief, but render long-term risks including withdrawal, dependency, and cognitive impairment. Considering this, careful prescribing and deprescribing is necessary. For individuals struggling with benzodiazepine addiction, it is important to incorporate medication assisted treatment (MAT) in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to optimize patient outcome and decrease the risk of side effects associated with these medications.
Conclusions: Caution and careful consideration should be used when prescribing and deprescribing. Alternatives should be explored before resorting to benzodiazepines especially for long-term care. The use of benzodiazepines should be limited to acute relief and should be monitored closely.Second place in the 2025 Friends of the Kreitzberg Library Award for Outstanding Student Research in the Emerging Undergraduate Researchers: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) category
Political Participation: The Role of Ideology and Party Identification
No full textThe 2024 Presidential Election is less than a year away, and determining who, and more
importantly how, people will politically participate can make or break a candidates’ likelihood of
success and shift the direction of a community, state, and our country. This research study
examines survey data from the 2022 American National Election Survey and connects different
modes of political participation and political ideology and the importance of party identification.
The results indicate that there are significant relationships between the previously mentioned
variables, especially that liberal ideologic individuals and those who believe that their party
identification is important to their identity are more likely to participate in all of the different
participation forms analyzed. The conclusions indicate that although there are significant
relationships between the aforementioned variables, the degree of participation heavily
influences the amount of participation. These results are in line with the existing literature, and is
insightful information that can help create and shape campaigns and events.Second place in the 2024 Friends of the Kreitzberg Library Award for Outstanding Student Research in the Emerging Undergraduate Researchers: Humanities, Arts, and Sciences (HASS) category
The Palace of Versailles: Symmetry and Order as Symbols of Status in 17th Century Architecture
No full textThe Palace of Versailles, situated on the outskirts of Paris, is one of the most renowned palaces in European history, and one of the greatest achievements of 17th century architecture. Commissioned by King Louis XIV of France and designed by a team of architects including Jules Hardouin-Mansart, Robert de Cotte, and Louis Le Vau, Versailles served not only as a royal residence but also as a symbol of absolute monarchy and dynastic power. At the heart of Versailles' architectural design lies a profound emphasis on symmetry and order, reflecting the hierarchical structure of society and the power of kingship. The palace transcends typical architecture, it exudes the symmetry and order of a building which embodies its owner's status. Every feature of the Palace of Versailles’ symmetrical design principles, from its carefully placed axial pathways and gardens, to its ornamental water features radiating outward from the central palace, serves as a manifestation of the status, authority, and prestige during the reign of Louis XIV. The bi lateral, repetitious, and rotational symmetrical arrangement of Versaille’s gardens, rooms, and decorations, symbolizes the absolute authority and control of the monarch over his realm, reflecting the rigid hierarchical structure of society.First place in the 2025 Friends of the Kreitzberg Library Award for Outstanding Student Research in the Emerging Undergraduate Researchers: Humanities, Arts, and Sciences (HASS) category
The Impact of Next-Generation Refrigerants on Environmental Sustainability
No full textRefrigerants are essential working fluids required in heat transfer applications, which is critical, yet they are often overlooked in daily life. Due to specific thermophysical and thermodynamic properties, they are practical in various applications, including refrigeration, air conditioning, heat pumps, chillers, and manufacturing, to name a few. Over the past century, various types of refrigerants have been created, implemented, studied, researched, and even phased out, as each is unique in terms of its properties and uses. Trade-offs such as environmental impacts, efficiency, safety, sustainability, and practicality must be considered. Ongoing research and development in recent years have been critical in identifying new generation alternatives for the 21st century to phase out more dangerous refrigerants with ones that work potentially more efficiently and have fewer negative impacts. This review serves to highlight the significant types of refrigerants, concepts, and ideas of recent scientific studies conducted on the evolution and implementation of refrigerants to create a sustainable future in which the increase in refrigerant usage does not leave as much of a lasting impact on the environment, including climate change and the ozone layer depletion.Second place in the 2024 Friends of the Kreitzberg Library Award for Outstanding Student Research in the Advanced Undergraduate Researchers: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) category
End of floral season pollinating habits
No full textPollinators are a necessity for the pollination and subsequent survival of a large number
of plants, both fruit bearing and flowering. Bees, in particular, are responsible for
pollinating a large number of foods that humans regularly consume (Khalifa et. Al;
2021), most notably fruits, nuts, and oil producing plants. Though bees are not the sole
pollinators on our planet, they are often the first cited and play a vital role in the overall
pollination of a variety of plants
From Pulpit to Battlefield: Religious Motivations Igniting the American Revolution
No full textThis essay delves into the unknown inspirations of the American Revolution, shedding light on the often-overlooked role of profound religious motivation that fueled the colonists' resistance against British dominance.First place in the 2024 Friends of the Kreitzberg Library Award for Outstanding Student Research in the Advanced Undergraduate Researchers: Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS) Categor
America’s Political Independents: Undercover Partisans
No full textAmerica’s two-party system has existed for nearly as long as the country, and this system has since
pitted different ideologies against each other for the past two centuries. The current iteration sees the
Democratic Party against the Republican Party, with ever-growing conflicting ideologies and perspectives that
are polarizing and dividing the country at an alarming rate, with the main difference primarily resting in
Republicans favoring a smaller government and Democrats favoring a larger government1. However, there is
another growing segment of the population that is tired of this polarization and wants to identify as a middleground
between these two perceived extremes. While our two-party system does not have an established party
for them to affiliate with, we commonly refer to them as Independents. During the 2024 Presidential Election
Cycle, many claimed that the outcome would be based on which candidate was able to attract independents to
their campaigns and policies. However, prior research has generally disregarded the role and presence of
independents within the traditional understanding of party identification. With that said, who are these
independents? Are they truly in the middle of this binary political spectrum, and if so, what does that mean for
the future of the two-party system? If not, where does America currently sit, and what does that mean for the
future of our country? This paper aims to examine where Independents fall into the concept of party
identification and argue that they are, by and large, actually undercover partisans rather than truly politically
independent individuals.Second place in the 2025 Friends of the Kreitzberg Library Award for Outstanding Student Research in the Emerging Undergraduate Researchers: Humanities, Arts, and Sciences (HASS) category