Digital Commons Network^™

Investigating The Behavior Of Redox–Active Organic Molecules In Electrochemical Energy Storage Through Experiment–Guided Computational Simulations, Anton Perera

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

The long–anticipated implementation of using renewable sources such as solar and wind to meet the world’s energy demand is still limited by not having appropriate grid–level energy storage systems on a global scale. When considering grid–scale energy storage solutions, environmental concerns, and techno–economic viability play a crucial role in the practical implementation of such technology. To address this, redox–active organic molecules (ROMs) have been explored for many uses including serving as redox–active molecules in redox flow batteries (RFBs) and providing overcharge protection in lithium–ion batteries (LIBs).

Nevertheless, in order to be a major player in electrochemical energy storage, further optimization …

Effect Of A Brief Coping Intervention On Activity Of Target Organs Of The Sympathetic And Parasympathetic Nervous Systems During Stress, Kyle P. Rawn

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Stress is a critical aspect of the human experience and how an individual responds to stress can shape future outcomes, such as physical and mental health, as well as shape the patterns of stress responding that persist throughout one’s lifespan. Coping is a central element of stress responding and can strongly influence the outcome of the stress process. Successful coping can alleviate stress, but ineffective coping may lead to less-than-optimal responding. For example, aspects of the biological stress response, such as activity of target organs for the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, have important implications for future susceptibility to health …

Hormonal Effects On Adhd Symptoms In Adolescents Across The Menstrual Cycle, Ashley G. Eng

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Background: Females with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) become particularly impaired during adolescence, experiencing increased rates of depression and anxiety, as well as important public and personal health outcomes like increased suicide attempts, risky sexual behavior, and substance use. However, female-specific risk factors for ADHD have been vastly understudied despite this increased impairment and comorbidity. One particularly understudied risk factor is the dramatically rising and fluctuating levels of ovarian hormones during late puberty that begin cycling monthly. In adult women, rapid decreases in estrogen levels increase risk for ADHD symptoms across the menstrual cycle, particularly for those with high trait impulsivity. Preliminary …

A Mixed-Methods Study Exploring Free Nicotine Replacement Therapy As A Strategy To Promote Tobacco Treatment Equity At Cancer Center Cessation Initiative Sites, Marguerite A. Webster

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is a safe, efficacious smoking cessation treatment for cancer patients; however, equitable access is limited due to insurance gaps. Offering free NRT to patients with cancer has potential to increase tobacco treatment engagement and promote equity. This mixed-methods study aims to describe how some Cancer Center Cessation Initiative (C3I) sites implemented free NRT within their tobacco treatment programs (TTPs) to inform future development of equitable TTPs. Participating sites’ (N=9) TTP and patient population characteristics were assessed via survey and analyzed with descriptive statistics. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 individuals and analyzed using directed …

Bundle For Quantifying Vaginal Blood Loss After Childbirth, Mariana Torreglosa Ruiz, Nayara Freitas Azevedo, Cynthya Viana De Resende, Maria Paula Custódio Silva, Divanice Contim, Luciano Marques Dos Santos, Monika Wernet, Ana Linares

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Objective: To construct and validate the content of a bundle to quantify vaginal blood loss after childbirth.

Methods: This is a methodological study developed from February to August 2022, divided into bibliographic survey, instrument construction and content validity, by 14 experts. The instrument for validity consisted of 11 items selected from a systematic review. For each item in the bundle, a Likert scale was applied, and to check agreement among experts, the Concordance Index was calculated. Items with agreement above 80% were considered valid. Content validity was carried out in a single round of assessment.

Results: The final version of …

Mediators Of The Association Between Cognitive Function And Self-Care Behaviors In Patients Hospitalized With An Exacerbation Of Heart Failure, Jia-Rong Wu, Chin-Yen Lin, Abigail Latimer, Muna Hassan Hammash, Debra K. Moser

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Background: Patients with heart failure (HF) must engage in self-care, yet their self-care is often poor. Cognitive function commonly is impaired in HF and is associated with poor self-care. Heart failure knowledge and self-care confidence also are needed to preform self-care. Few investigators have examined mediators of the association of cognitive function with self-care.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether HF knowledge and self-care confidence mediated the association of cognitive function with self-care maintenance and management among patients with HF.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study of 164 patients with HF. Cognitive function was assessed …

Primary Care Providers’ Experiences Treating Opioid Use Disorder Using Telehealth In The Height Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sarah Alexandra Marshall, Lachan E. Siebenmorgen, Katherine Youngen, Tyrone F. Borders, Nickolas Zaller

Nursing Faculty Publications

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed a rapid shift in healthcare delivery towards telehealth services, impacting patient care, including opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment. Regulatory changes eliminated the in-person evaluation requirement for buprenorphine treatment, encouraging adoption of telehealth. This study focused on understanding experiences of primary care providers in predominantly rural areas who used telehealth for OUD treatment during the pandemic. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 primary care providers. Participants practiced in 13 rural and 9 urban counties in Kentucky and Arkansas. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Results: The pandemic significantly impacted healthcare delivery. While telehealth was …

Champions To Enhance Implementation Of Clinical And Community-Based Interventions In Cancer: A Scoping Review, Joseph Astorino Nicola, M. Muska Nataliansyah, Maria A. Lopez‑Olivo, Adebola Adegboyega, Kelly A. Hirko, Lou‑Anne R. Chichester, Nora L. Nock, Pamela Ginex, Shannon M. Christy, Paul Levett

Nursing Faculty Publications

Background Champions are integral across research in cancer, yet studies exploring their roles are limited and have produced mixed results. The current review examines and synthesizes descriptions of how champions emerged and the types of activities they most often performed. By examining evidence from across the translational research continuum, this scoping review aims to characterize the role of champions and strategies that facilitate their involvement in the implementation of cancer care interventions in both clinical and community‑based settings.

Methods This scoping review was designed and implemented in compliance with PRISMA‑ScR. The review focused on peer‑reviewed articles in English‑language journals. We …

Investigating The Impact Of Leaderboards, Badges, And Ebucks On High School English Language Learners’ Cognitive Engagement, Self-Efficacy And Intrinsic Motivation Toward Reading In English, Omar J. Almamoori

Theses and Dissertations--Curriculum and Instruction

This study examines the impact of gamification elements, in particular leaderboards, badges, and eBucks, on the cognitive engagement (CE), intrinsic motivation (IM), and self-efficacy (SE) of English Language Learners (ELLs) at a high school in the Southeastern United States. The investigation, conducted during optional weekly readings, utilizes a mixed methods design to investigate the effects of gamification on ELLs' learning experiences. Through pre-post surveys and semi-structured interviews, data was collected to assess the gamified intervention's impact. Utilizing a one-way covariate analysis (ANCOVA) in IBM SPSS Statistics (version 29), the study evaluates the effect of gamification while controlling for grade, gender, …

Functions Of Translanguaging Practices And Teachers’ And Students’ Perceptions Of Translanguaging In Esl Universities, Dongyang Yuan

Theses and Dissertations--Curriculum and Instruction

Integrating research on both linguistic and semiotic resources of translanguaging practices, this research was carried out using a case study design to understand how translanguaging was used by both ESL teachers and adult language learners in the ESL setting, what functions translanguaging performs, and how teachers and students understand their translanguaging practice. Nine adult ESL learners at the intermediate level and an ESL teacher participated in this research. Data sources included observations, interviews, field notes, and reflective journals. Discourse analysis was used to analyze the transcription of observations and interviews. Results showed that participants used various forms of translanguaging, including …

Enrollment Management Leadership Response To System Changes: Case Study, Christopher R. Jensen

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

While the impact of government funding for institutions of higher education has been researched extensively, little research looks at the impact of students as a funding source. This is important because students are one of the greatest contributors to higher education budgets. Within the Commonwealth of Kentucky, there has been a decline in high school graduates as well as state funding since the Great Recession in 2008.

This study uses systems theory as a theoretical framework to help understand the dynamic relationship between the external environment and institutions of higher education, as well as frame how leadership at regional institutions …

Onboarding New Administrators At Noblesville Schools, Janae Mobley

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

While many organizations invest in their leaders when onboarding them for their new role; oftentimes this process can be overlooked in the K-12 school setting when it comes to school administrators. As a result, this study focuses on analyzing the needs of new school administrators and how to better support them in their role when transitioning to a new district or from the classroom. This study utilizes Mixed-Methods Action Research methodology to assess and address the needs of new school administrators at Noblesville Schools, a K-12 public school district in Hamilton County, Indiana.

Leadership Strategies And Multi-Frame Thinking Of Rural School Superintendents’ During Periods Of Crisis, Steven J. Moses

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

This dissertation examined the leadership strategies used by rural, public-school superintendents in the Central Appalachian region of Eastern Kentucky during and following the flood of 2022 that was considered a natural disaster. The context of this study was framed by a 1 in 1000-year flooding event that devastated school districts and communities in Eastern Kentucky. The geographic boundaries of this study were limited to school districts that were part of counties identified as “Appalachian” by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). In addition, school districts in this study were also identified as rural by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) …

The Influence Of Independent Secondary School Heads On Shaping Organizational Culture, Ian D. Macphail

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

This dissertation examined the experiences and connections between head of school leadership and culture in small, independent boarding schools in New England. This study was the result of the participation of eight heads of school from eight separate institutions, engaging in semi-structured interviews. All of the schools were secular in their practice, all-gender, and had a formal dormitory-based boarding program. Each school enrolled 400 or fewer students, focusing the impact of these leaders on a tighter, interactional lens. This study explored a relatively under-researched area of K-12 education and used exploratory, qualitative methods to gather the stories of these formal …

Mc Means Mentor The Child: Examining School-Based Hip-Hop Clubs For Youth Empowerment, Leadership Development, And Capacity For Change, Daniel Wolford

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

This dissertation examined the relationship between students in a school-based hip-hop club and their ability to develop leadership capabilities through club activities. This study followed a hip-hop club at an urban high school in the Midwest to better understand how hip-hop spaces impact youth participants. The participants included four current members of the club and three alums, all of whom were African American. This study used qualitative methods through heuristic inquiry to understand the phenomenon of hip-hop clubs. Data collection methods included session notes, musical creations, semi-structured interviews, and a Microsoft Teams group chat. Additional heuristic data was collected through …

Answering The Call Of Late Registration, Brooke Justice

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

The topic of late registration in higher education is a term that must be clearly defined to properly compare and contrast academic success metrics. A standard definition for late registration has yet to be agreed upon. For the purposes of this mixed methods action research study, late registration is enrollment in a course 10 days preceding the beginning of the course.

Review of registration data at Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College uncovered a disparity between student academic performance of those who registered on time and those who registered late. The institution’s heightened focus on academic performance reflects the performance-based …

Distributed Leadership In International Schools Across The Asia Pacific: A Sequential Explanatory Study, Robert A. Appino

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

This explanatory study examined how distributed leadership is practiced in international schools. This included looking at principals’ readiness to practice a distributed perspective of leadership, how they practice leadership, the opportunities for teacher leadership, and the relationship between distributed leadership practices and school innovation and improvement. Principals have increasingly adopted distributed leadership, sharing responsibilities with others, in response to COVID-19 (Azorin, Harris, & Jones, 2020). However, this response was not by design but to survive (Harris & Jones, 2020). The demands of the pandemic left leaders stretched more than ever, and adopting distributed leadership practices was essential (Harris & Jones, …

The Co-Curriculum Of College Student Employment: Perspectives From Supervising Practitioners, Brittany Begley Wildman

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

College student employees are not only serving the overall mission of their institutions, but also developing career readiness skills through daily interactions while at work. In this study, I explore the perceptions of the supervisors of student employees as both managers and student affairs professionals. Through one-on-one interviews with supervisors, discussing their interactions with students, I explore the implicit and explicit curricula they provide to their students using a curriculum analysis framework. I then compare the resulting learning outcomes against those identified in industry standards. The supervisors described supporting student employees' personal development during the student employment experience as well …

An Evaluation Of Statistical Approaches Within A Higher Education Research Framework: How Does Online Distance Learning Impact Student Outcomes?, Nathaniel P. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Appropriate methodology choices are of the utmost importance in research, particularly in measurement and education research. When higher education administrators and researchers study topics related to student outcomes, choosing a statistical approach that produces unbiased estimates is of primary concern. Additionally, studying student outcomes in the context of nationally representative samples provides valuable insights into the state of higher education in the U.S. When examining these data, it is critical that the nested structure be taken into consideration prior to making methodological decisions.

The purpose of the following manuscripts is to demonstrate how education researchers can develop, implement and evaluate …

Dialogue Over Data: An Interview Study Of Evaluators At Institutions Accredited By Aaqep, Laura Mirochna

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

The university supervisor’s role is to evaluate student teachers during the field experience process. The processes for onboarding and evaluation of university supervisors vary widely at universities in the United States but are determined, in part, by the data collection requirements of the programmatic accreditation process. An interview study was done to show how different schools are onboarding and evaluating their university supervisors and collecting evaluation data for AAQEP as the programmatic accreditor. The overarching research question is: RQ1: What is the process for onboarding and evaluating university supervisors, if any is used? The study's results indicate that AAQEP does …

The Effect Of Visual Signaling On Psychomotor Learning: An Explanatory Mixed Methods Study In Physical Therapy Education, Julie Pfeiffer

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

The signaling principle states that people learn better when cues are used to highlight important information in a multimedia presentation. Prior research has shown that visual signaling improves learning by directing the learner’s attention to the relevant information of the instruction, improving the learner’s ability to select essential words and pictures. While the visual signaling principle has been applied to learning in the cognitive domain, the effect of visual signaling on learning within the psychomotor domain is limited. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the signaling principle on learning psychomotor skills from multimedia instruction, specifically …

Poc@Fwcd: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Black@ Instagram In K-12 Independent Schools, Chaka Cummings

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

The summer of 2020 saw many aspects of American society deal with the racial reckoning that arose in the wake of the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. Their murders sparked outrage, protests, and calls for action and change in the United States through a critical examination of race relations across numerous facets of society. Structures such as educational institutions were called to perform this critical examination much in the same way that cities and industries were. A catalyst in the calls for change came from students through their utilization of social media platforms.

This study is …

De Aquí, Y De Allá: Education, Culture, And Identity Development Of Transnational Latinas, Elizabeth Harris-Medina

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

De Aquí, y De Allá: Education, Culture, and Identity Development of Transnational Latinas This ethnographic case study examines the experiences of three transnational Latina women, descendants of families from Degollado, Jalisco, Mexico, exploring how their migration history and educational backgrounds influence their life trajectories. Focusing on these three women, the study aims to better understand their challenges and inform the development of resources to support their success in the U.S. education system. Using ethnographic interviews and Ecological Systems Theory, the research highlights how places and social systems shape views and life paths, offering insights into how best to support these …

Data In Higher Education: Exploring The Collection, Interpretation, And Utilization Of Information For Institutional Decision-Making Around Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion, Terri Berkley

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

This study investigates how higher education institutions in the Appalachian region collect, assess, and utilize data to inform diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and broader institutional transformations. It focuses on understanding how data influences policy reforms, operational practices, and cultural shifts within these institutions. Through a mixed-methods approach—comprising surveys, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups—the study examines the perspectives of key stakeholders, including DEI administrators, non-DEI administrators, and executive-level leaders.

The research identifies how institutional roles and positionality shape stakeholders' engagement with data and their ability to implement DEI-informed strategies. Key findings highlight discrepancies in data access, interpretation, and application, …

Black Girl Wisdom: A Black Feminist Analysis Of Success Strategies Of Professional African American Women At Predominately White Higher Education Institutions, Teasia Jordan

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

This phenomenological study examines the success strategies employed by professional African American women (AAW) at predominately white higher education institutions (PWIs). Grounded in Black Feminist Thought (BFT), the “Outsider Within” framework (Collins, 1986), and the concept of “failed citizenship” (Banks, 2017), it explores how AAW navigate and redefine success within environments shaped by exclusionary white patriarchal norms. Through interviews with ten co-laborers, two themes emerged: liberation from unsupportive environments and negotiation strategies to define success.

Findings reveal that AAW’s success strategies center on identity, self-awareness, and rejecting institutional oppression. Co-laborers articulated their liberation by naming the environment as oppressed, fostering …

Correlates Of Transactional Sex Among Black Men And Women Who Misuse Opioids, Shemeka Thorpe, Paige Orphé, Gabriella Pitcher, Kendall Mccleod, Natalie Malone, Danelle Stevens-Watkins

Kinesiology and Health Promotion Faculty Publications

The rise in opioid misuse coincides with increased sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV incidence. Transactional sex is an under-researched phenomenon among Black Americans who misuse opioids, and may increase their risk of STI or HIV transmission. Given the disproportionate impact of the opioid epidemic on Black Americans and the risks associated with opioid misuse, the current study aims to investigate sociostructural factors, history of violence, and sexual risk factors associated with transactional sex among Black men and women. A sample of n = 375 Black adult Kentuckians reporting opioid misuse completed a survey including transactional sex, sociostructural, violence history, …

Exploring Elementary Teachers’ Self-Efficacy And Propensity For Teaching Stem, Ashley Wilkirson

Theses and Dissertations--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

The following research is conducted in the interest in exploring self-efficacy (or the lack of) in pre- and in-service elementary school teachers when it comes to teaching STEM. In order to explore the issue of self-efficacy for STEM in elementary schools, it comes to defining what STEM education is and what self-efficacy is. These definitions guide research collected in building these future and current teachers’ self-efficacy, with factors ranging from resources available, pre-service training, professional development, content area knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, perceptions of teaching STEM, and opportunities to collaborate with other teachers were listed as some of the reasons. These …

Examining High School Mathematics Teachers' Research-Based Instructional Practices And Their Relationship To Students' Learning Outcomes: A Convergent Parallel Mixed-Method Study, Isiaka Busari

Theses and Dissertations--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

This convergent parallel mixed-methods study examines the relationship between high school mathematics teachers' research-based instructional practices and students' learning outcomes in Algebra 1 classrooms at a high school in a central region of a Southern U.S. State. The research addresses improving mathematics proficiency in the United States, where national performance remains below average. Guided by psychological and social constructivism, the study involved three Algebra 1 teachers and 171 students. Data were collected through classroom observations using the Mathematics Classroom Observation Protocol for Practices (MCOP²), teacher interviews, and student pre-and post-tests. Quantitative data from tests and MCOP² were …

The Aesthetics Of Environmental Risk In Paolo Bacigalupi’S The Windup Girl And The Water Knife, David Schwartz

Theses and Dissertations--English

Any work of environmentally oriented fiction that seeks to represent the wide-reaching effects of climate change is faced with the problem of scale. These texts must render visible change which is at once ubiquitous and microscopic, along with the cascade of side-effects generated in the wake of rising temperature, rising sea levels, and winnowing biodiversity. In short order, these texts must fully imagine what it means to live within the modern global risk society. Borrowing this sociological model from the late Ulrich Beck, I analyze the literary work of Paolo Bacigalupi, one of the foremost authors in the growing genre …

Spaces Of Citizenship: Negotiating Belonging Through Cold War Literature And Culture, Daria Goncharova

Theses and Dissertations--English

At the height of Cold War containment culture, when fears of Communism and nuclear warfare overlapped with anxieties about homosexuality, gender inversion, miscegenation, and juvenile delinquency, formal citizenship—narrowly defined as one’s legal status—did not provide all American citizens with a sense of belonging, equal access to civil liberties, and a reasonable degree of safety. Instead, spatialized identity, rather than civic responsibilities and legal rights, came to define the boundaries of proper citizenship. In this context, highly exclusionary suburbs, which sprang up outside major metropolitan areas in the late 1940s-1950s, emerged as a cornerstone of the cultural narratives defining American citizenship. …