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Emergency Nurses’ Secondary Traumatic Stress and the Contribution of the Work Environment: A Mixed-Methods Exploration
No full textBackground: Emergency nurses (ENs) are vulnerable to secondary traumatic stress (STS) due to their frequent exposure to patients' trauma and suffering. This study explored the experience of STS among ENs and the factors influencing STS.Methods: A convergent mixed-methods design was used in this study. Quantitative data were collected from a national sample of ENs using surveys assessing demographics and work characteristics, life events (direct exposure to trauma), STS (using the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale), professional work environment (using the Professional Practice Work Environment Inventory), and organizational resources to support nurses. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, correlations, and hierarchical multiple regression to identify predictors of STS. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with ENs and nurse leaders and analyzed using inductive content analysis to explore their experiences and perceptions of STS, work environment, and organizational support. Results: Quantitative findings indicated that the work environment was a significant predictor of STS among ENs. The regression model explained 24.9% of the variance in STS (p < .001). Qualitative analysis revealed three themes: 1) STS is real, it’s going to happen, 2) We’re all in it together, and 3) What’s wrong with me? Mixed-method integration was used to combine the data related to ENs’ experiences with STS and recommendations for improving the organizational response to STS. Qualitative and quantitative data were confirmatory and also offered additional insights to shed light on practice environment elements of concern, including resources that nurses struggled to access. Additionally, nurses provided insight into their perceptions of high-yield resources. Conclusion: The study highlights the critical impact of the work environment on ENs’ STS and offers recommendations that ENs would find acceptable in managing their STS. Healthcare organizations play an essential role in improving the well-being of nurses and addressing STS through supportive resources and healthy work environments.2027-05-2
AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION - WISCONSIN SECTION. 48th Annual Meeting.
No full textProgram and abstracts from the 2025 Conference and Annual Meeting. April 10 & 11, 2025, Wisconsin Dells, WI
Hydrogen Production with Oxide Semiconductors
No full textPhotoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting can produce hydrogen gas as a means to store and transport renewable energy. One method of PEC water splitting uses n-type semiconductors made of metal oxides. We created oxide semiconductors by combining different ratios of metal solutions and heating them in air. The photocurrent production and catalytic activity were measured using SEAL and HARPOON experiments, respectively. Among the semiconductors tested in this study, bismuth vanadate with tungsten oxide (BiV-W) produced the best results at a 9:2 ratio, and bismuth vanadate with iron and nickel oxides (BiV-FeNi) produced the best results with a 0:1 ratio. Between these two semiconductors, BiV-W outperformed BiV-FeNi
Electromagnetic Interference Mitigation Toolset for Power Electronic Systems
No full textThe increasing demand for compact and efficient power electronic systems has intensified the challenge of managing electromagnetic interference (EMI). While wide-bandgap semiconductors are known togenerate substantial conducted EMI as a side effect of high edge rate and high frequency switching. Traditional EMI mitigation techniques often result in bulky, costly, and suboptimal solutions. This thesis introduces an innovative methodology leveraging machine learning and virtual prototyping, specifically genetic algorithms and surrogate modeling, to optimize EMI mitigation in power electronics applications. The developed EMI mitigation toolset integrates computationally efficient predictive models and multi-objective optimization techniques (NSGA-II) to effectively manage both common-mode and differential-mode noise. Detailed modeling and analysis, including simulation results using PLECS, demonstrate significant improvements in EMI performance while maintaining system efficiency and compactness. The results reveal the potential of machine learning techniques to revolutionize EMI management, providing scalable, robust, and optimized filtering solutions critical for advancing digital engineering practices in power electronics
The integrated application of mobile phone apps in improving Chinese high school students’ English listening and speaking
No full textA seminar paper presented to the graduate faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
In partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of science in education - English educationThis study explores the potential of integrating multiple mobile phone applications to enhance Chinese high school students’ English listening and speaking skills, particularly in the context of high-stakes oral exams. Traditional Chinese English education often prioritizes grammar and reading, neglecting listening and speaking proficiency due to exam-oriented teaching methods. This paper reviews the literature on Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) and blended learning, highlighting the effectiveness of interactive language apps, gamified learning, and pronunciation correction tools. The research proposes a multi-app integration framework, combining apps such as Xiyou English, Duolingo, and ELSA Speak to address specific skill deficits and align with exam requirements. The study identifies challenges in implementing MALL in Chinese high schools, including limited teacher training, infrastructure constraints, concerns about screen time, and the exam-oriented nature of education. Recommendations are provided to address these challenges through comprehensive professional development programs, infrastructure investment, balanced policy frameworks, and sequenced learning activities. The findings suggest that a systematic integration of mobile apps can create a more engaging and effective learning environment, bridging the gap between traditional teaching methods and innovative technologies to improve student outcomes
DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION AND ASSESSMENT OF NANOGRID BUILDING BLOCKS FOR ENERGY SECURE ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
No full textThis work presents zonal nanogrid building blocks (ZNBB) to enable a modular, scalable, cost-effective, and resilient solution to create \textit{ energy-secure} electrical power systems (EPS). The concept of ZNBB adapts zonal electrical distribution systems (ZEDS) from electrified shipboard power systems. ZNBBs can operate as separate islands within larger systems or can share power/energy if an electrical failure occurs within a ZNBB. This additional level of survivability is enabled through interzonal power sharing enabled by a novel distributed nanogrid controller for ZNBBs. The distributed controller used a pre-programmed state machine-driven events to coordinate power conversion and power distribution equipment to execute power routing when a zone experiences a loss of genset failure. The case study sets up the ZNBB in a three-zone system connected through an MVac ring bus. The distributed controller is validated through real-time controller hardware-in-the-loop (CHiL) simulation where Typhoon-HiL emulated the three-zone system and the distributed controllers are implemented in a National Instruments (NI) real-time controller. OPC UA (open platform communication unified architecture) is used for communication between the NI and Typhoon-HiL. Detailed simulation results are presented of the system transitions, synchronization events, switchgear and control actuation, and coordination during the loss of genset scenario. In addition, this thesis develops an integration framework to help bridge the gap between system-level metrics at the stakeholder level with low-level metrics at the equipment/subsystem through the adaptation of INCOSE (International Council on Systems Engineering) technical measures. This integration framework serves as a meta-level framework to help design and assess microgrid-based solutions for energy security. A microgrid protection design process is also introduced and validated through CHiL simulation based on a case study of a microgrid with parallel feeders. This protection design process provides a systematic process for designing and testing protection settings of power distribution equipment and ride-through setting for power conversion equipment. This process can be applied to the three-zone system and can be accessed through the integration framework. Lastly, this thesis provides simulation results of a digital twin of a BESS within a ZNBB to improve recovery under an electrical fault and loss of communications scenario
PYTHON CODE PACKAGE FOR MEASURING NANO INDENTATION IMAGE
No full textI construct an automated method for measuring the areas of nanoindents from atomic force microscope (AFM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. My automated image analysis code involves image segmentation including K-Mean Clustering, Simple Linear Iterative Clustering (SLIC) and Compact Watershed. Results show the tendency to overestimate the areas compared to measurements made by humans. I propose the essence of this issue originates from the Convex Hull algorithm and the SLIC segmentation method. Different segmentation algorithms should be experimented on with more diverse data to fully understand the boundary between background and target indented area
Playing Across Borders: Gender, Sexuality, and Identity in the Transnational Circulation of Japanese Video Games
No full textThis dissertation examines how discourses of gender, sexuality, and race operate across the transnational circulation of Japanese video games to US audiences. Through analyses of four prominent characters from the late 1990s to early 2000s - Cloud (Final Fantasy VII), Naoto (Persona 4), Raiden (Metal Gear Solid 2), and Sheik (Ocarina of Time) - I argue that scholarship examining queerness in games requires understanding how identities constructed through Japanese video games are shaped by specific economic, social, and political histories. US readings of Japanese characters as queer are inseparable from discourses of Orientalism, often perpetuating notions that position the West as inherently more progressive while sublimating Asian bodies. Furthermore, Japanese video games actively hybridize Western genres and play conventions, strategically deploying familiar fantasy tropes while maintaining cultural distinctiveness, with these discussions entangled in broader US-Japan political and historical relationship. The dissertation contributes to queer theory, game studies, and fan studies by examining how interpretive communities operate across cultural and linguistic boundaries. Ultimately, these characters often challenge certain aspects of heteronormative systems while inadvertently reinforcing others, particularly as US fans stake claims about what constitutes authentic queerness in Japanese media contexts
SEASONAL TRENDS IN MERCURY BIOACCUMULATION IN ZEBRA MUSSELS (DREISSENA POLYMORPHA) IN A TEMPERATE EUTROPHIC LAKE
No full textThe zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) invasion in North America began in the 1980’s, has led to the mussels becoming a significant part of the diet of many species of fish and birds as they spread to new water bodies. As such, they represent a new route of trophic introduction of mercury (Hg) in many North American lakes. Studies in estuaries and oligotrophic lakes have observed various seasonal patterns in zebra mussel tissue Hg concentration. However, there has never been a published study observing seasonal trends in Hg concentrations in zebra mussel tissue in an urban eutrophic dimictic lake. Hg concentrations in phytoplankton and zooplankton spike following fall turnover in eutrophic dimictic lakes due to MeHg produced in the hypolimnion during summer stratification mixing through the water column, making it accessible to the aquatic food web, including zebra mussels. We conducted a study examining seasonal trends in Biological Total Hg (BTHg) concentrations in zebra mussel tissue from summer through late fall. We collected 73 samples (n=73) across over 13 sampling events with 2 size classes (6-13 mm and 13-20 mm). We found that BTHg concentrations in zebra mussel tissue were highest in the summer when mussels were most metabolically active, decreased as water temperatures dropped in the early fall, and then increased post- turnover despite continued drop in water temperature.
These findings demonstrate that seasonal changes such as temperature and turnover events are important to consider when studying zebra mussel Hg bioaccumulation in eutrophic lakes