Digital Commons Network^™

Safe Patient Care Act Advocation, Julia Rhodes

Honors Theses

This paper discusses advocating for the Safe Patient Care Act and how it affects people in society. This topic is very relevant because it affects a vast majority of people including nurses, patients, and the healthcare systems as a whole. Methods used to advocate for this bill include grass roots activism, composing and presenting speeches, scheduling and attending meetings, presenting to different nursing school cohorts, collaborating with the Michigan Nurses Association, and participating in hearings held by the Michigan House of Representatives. Results consisted of positive feedback from representatives and their word to vote for the Safe Patient Care Act. …

We Are The Reason We Stand Still In The Face Of Climate Change., Sydney Hemp

Honors Theses

Many different factors can impact the way any information is received but it is especially important to see how scientific information is received because it is often backed up by a great deal of evidence, especially in the case of global climate change. Many of these factors have nothing to do with science and everything to do with social influences, political parties, and other demographic measures. Discussion of these relationships is important when discussing communication in a broad sense, but it can be even more important when bringing up things like global climate change, which has become a political topic …

Book Review: Rethinking College Admissions: Research-Based Practice And Policy, Christopher W. Tremblay

Journal of College Access

No abstract provided.

Complete Issue, Christopher W. Tremblay, Patrick J. O'Connor Phd, Laura Owen, Diana Camilo, Moya Malcolm

Journal of College Access

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Aviation Technology On Human Complacency, Aurora Burton

Honors Theses

The thesis covers automation complacency in the aviation industry. The purpose being to provide a foundation of complacency-related accidents to support or dismiss the Federal Aviation Administration’s claim to automation-induced inattention. Complacency factors are outlined in a multitude of fields, creating a background for aviation discussion. To outline the parameters of literature review, behaviors associated with complacency are addressed. Next, a compilation of accident reports is examined and categorized. Specific, impactful accidents relating to complacency are detailed and explained. Summarily, three solutions to human-driven complacency are proposed, evaluated, and analyzed. Including the following: proficiency advancement, technology improvement, and change in …

Early Carbonate Diagenesis Of The Miocene Dam Formation In Southwestern Qatar, Mohammed Al-Musawi

Dissertations

The timing and mechanisms of platform-scale dolomitization have been the subject of a long and contentious scientific debate known as the “dolomite problem.” The current study provides new insights through an investigation of the Miocene mixed carbonate-siliciclastics-evaporites Dam Fm in southwestern Qatar. Petrographical, mineralogical, and geochemical data are integrated from two research cores, the Dam-01 and Dam-02. The Dam Fm provides an ideal site to investigate dolomitization because these rocks are: (i) relatively young, (ii) have not been deeply buried, (iii) exhibit no evidence of diagenetic resetting, and (iv) characterized by alternating meter-scale depositional cycles that help constrain the relative …

National Emergency Department Sample In Geriatric Subsequent Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Visits And Associations With Sex, Falls, Payor, And Discharge Outcomes, Carrie Ann Barrett

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the variables of sex (male, female), fall mechanism of injury, payor source, and emergency department (ED) discharge outcomes in patients aged >65 who presented with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) subsequent ED visits.

A secondary data analysis was performed to assess the relationship among the independent and dependent variables listed above. The independent variables were dichotomous for age (>65, < 65), sex (male, female), and fall mechanism of injury (yes, no), and categorical for payor source (Medicare, Medicaid, Private, Other). The ED discharge dependent variables were categorical [home; healthcare services (including skilled nursing facility, home care, and intermediary care)]. Logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate specific variables that increase the probability of affecting ED discharge outcomes. The software, SPSS v. 28 was used in the statistical calculations. The study was approved by the Western Michigan University Human Subjects Internal Review Board.

Investigation Of Public Trust In Science In Connection With Views About Tentative Nature Of Science And Epistemological Beliefs, Asghar Pervaiz Gill

Dissertations

Trust in science is contested in everyday discourse and decision-making. Science education research and instruction must delve into and contribute to enhancing public trust in science. In this context, nature of science (NOS), and epistemological beliefs (EBs) emerge as closely related research areas highlighting the tentative NOS and uncertain aspects of knowledge, which can potentially influence trust in science. In a series of three interrelated studies, this research explores the public trust in science in relation to NOS views and EBs.

The first study emphasizes the role of science education in building trust among undergraduate chemistry students. It assesses the …

A Phenomenological Investigation Of The Meaning Making Experiences Of Christian Women Who Had An Abortion, Anne E. Stocker

Dissertations

Whether or not a woman should have an abortion is a hotly debated topic, and little information is known about how women make sense of their abortion experiences. Even less is known about how women make sense of abortion experiences in the context of their religious or spiritual belief system. This qualitative study explores the phenomenon of how women who have had an abortion make meaning of their abortion experience in the context of their Christian identity. This phenomenon was explored via research questions related to a woman’s experience of having both an abortion history and a Christian identity, how …

Antiracist School Counseling Pedagogy: A Quasi-Experimental Multiple Regression Analysis, Star L. Zetocha

Dissertations

America’s K-12 schools, which were initially created exclusively for White children, are racialized institutions (Spring, 2019). School counseling ethics now obligate school counselors to engage in antiracist praxis in schools, yet school counselors-in-training (SCITs) are not typically provided with explicit training in antiracism, which allows them to enter the field with colorblind racial attitudes that inhibit them from recognizing and confronting racism in schools (Gibson & Fripp, 2022). The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between colorblind racial attitudes and antiracist behaviors of school counselors in-training who had and had not taken an antiracist school counseling course. …

Development Of S.T.E.A.M. Daises In Formal And Informal Environments For Educating Primary I Learners, Frances Neville

Masters Theses

The federal government has made education a competition among ourselves. Learning is not a rivalry to be imposed on our physical and cognitive development as humans. Escalating beliefs recognize education is more encompassing than CCSS, assessments and the grade level time frames in which standards are to be taught. On the precipice of anti-intellect, low expectations, and what has been termed “The Dumbing of America” an investigation into what it would take to close the achievement gap and increase student learning is overdue.

The goal for my Michigan based project, S.T.E.A.M. Daises, was to develop a program focusing on the …

Investigating The Effects Of An Island, And A Speed Sign Gateway To Decrease Driver Speeding, Louai Al Shomaly

Masters Theses

There are thousands of motor vehicle crashes every year, and the yearly cost of crashes is estimated to be $430 billion dollars (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). Twenty-eight percent of fatal related crashes in 2020 involve at least one driver speeding (CDC 2020). The application of a behavior analysis approach can be employed to reduce speeding and thereby decrease crashes. One way to reduce driver speeding behavior is the use of prompts. Van Houten and Van Houten (1987) and Van Houten et al. (2018) demonstrated the cost effectiveness approach of using prompts to decrease driver speeding at speed zones and …

Advancing Winter Weather Adas: Tire Track Identification And Road Snow Coverage Estimation Using Deep Learning And Sensor Integration, Parth Kadav

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of A Cue Associated With Alternative Reinforcement To Mitigate Resurgence, Hayley Brown

Masters Theses

Treatment relapse due to the extinction of a previously reinforced alternative behavior is known as resurgence. Understanding the conditions under which resurgence is mitigated may be important for improving the maintenance of the effects of interventions. One method that has been found to effectively mitigate resurgence is pairing a cue or stimulus with alternative reinforcement and then continuing to present that cue when alternative reinforcement is terminated. Animal studies have found that cues must be paired with alternative reinforcement and target extinction to be effective. However, this finding has not yet been replicated with humans. Demonstration of a similar effect …

Measuring Multicultural Competence In Counseling, Martha Mae Golubski

Dissertations

Pedersen (1999) described multicultural counseling as the “fourth force” in psychology. The description is used to imply that multiculturalism is the next theory to understand human behavior, complementary to the other three forces: psychodynamic, behavioral, and humanistic explanations. Despite the attention being given to multiculturalism, professional organizations, training institutions, and service providers are still trying to understand what it means to have competency in multicultural counseling. Researchers have made decades of efforts to define and measure multicultural counseling competence; yet, there is still limited data about how multicultural training efforts influence these competencies and how counselor multicultural competency affects clients’ …

Three Essays On Work And Marital Satisfaction In China, Peng Luo

Dissertations

This dissertation comprises three research papers that delve into the relationship between the work characteristics of married Chinese employees and their individual satisfaction in both marriage and work. A common feature of these papers is the meticulous pairing of data, which ensures that each observation includes vital information about their respective spouses. This dataset allows me to conduct a comprehensive exploration of how spouses' work attributes influence individuals.

The first paper employs cross-sectional data to study whether how spouses met through work, and differences in their respective industries are related to their marital satisfaction. The results reveal that how spouses …

Analysis Of Trauma Screening As A Potential Predictor Of Congregate Care Placement As A Key Factor In Caseworker Decision Making, Amy Louise Perricone

Dissertations

The placement of foster care children into congregate care (CC) facilities has been debated regarding whether CC can provide safety and healing, or if it is harmful and retraumatizing to children. In recent years CC has come under scrutiny due to high per diem costs and increasing reports of abuse and even death of children. In response, the federal Families First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) was enacted in 2018 with a goal of reducing the number of children in CC. Since then, efforts have been implemented nationwide to achieve this goal. This study explored the value of statewide trauma screening …

An Analogue Study Of Expected Working Alliance And Hope With Victims Of Military Sexual Trauma Among Civilian And Military-Oriented Therapists, Alishia D. Salyer

Dissertations

Victims of military sexual trauma (MST) face unique challenges as they pursue mental health treatment and supportive care. Understanding what factors impact potential treatment outcomes is critical in aiding in their recovery (Castro et al., 2015; Kroviak, 2020). Although a substantial amount of research has been conducted to evaluate prevalence and client factors associated with treating victims of MST (Teit et al., 2015; Turchik & Wilson, 2010), little is known about therapists’ factors including therapists’ expectations working with such clients. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between therapist type (military-affiliated versus civilian), therapist gender, client gender, …

Av Operation And Energy Efficiency Improved Through The Evaluation And Demonstration Of Av Sensor Technology, Nicholas Brown

Dissertations

The majority of states have passed legislation or have signed an executive order enacting safe testing, development, and deployment of level 4 and level 5 autonomous vehicles (AVs) in accordance with SAE standard J3016, which has led to an increase in the frequency of AV testing. The major driving force behind the push for AVs on public roads appears to be the increases the number of AVs on the road to decrease the chances of fatalities from distracted drivers. There are reports of disengagement from companies, which are required to report them to operate within California. The continuance of disengagements …

A Multi-Objective Stochastic Programming Model For Resilient And Sustainable Supply Chains Under Uncertainty, Mohammad H. Majdfaghihi

Dissertations

Supply chain resilience (SCRES) and sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) have garnered significant attention in the field of Supply Chain Management (SCM) science. This heightened interest is largely attributable to the increasing frequency and severity of uncertainty and disruptions in global supply chains. Resilience is a beneficial approach to managing uncertainties and preparing for and mitigating the adverse consequences of Supply Chain (SC) disruptions. Sustainability is a key concept in SCM, driven by governmental regulations and heightened stakeholder and customer concerns for environmental and societal well-being. Studies on SCRES have traditionally focused on preparing for and reacting to disruptions and …

The Effect Of A Specialized Training Program On The Knowledge And Attitudes Of First Responders About People With Communication Disabilities, Mariesa Rang

Dissertations

Individuals with disabilities experience emergencies more often than those without disabilities, and individuals with complex communication needs (CCN) are even more likely to have these experiences. As a result of experiencing both medical and legal emergencies, individuals with CCN have frequent encounters with emergency first responders (i.e., firefighters, EMS, and police officers; EFR). Despite being well-trained in many facets of their occupation, EFRs are not adequately trained for working with this vulnerable population. This may lead to less-than-optimal outcomes for individuals with CCN.

To better equip EFRs in their efforts to assist individuals with CCN, a 90-minute training session was …

Sustainable Diamond-Like Carbon Fabricated Gravure Cylinders For Printing Fine Lines Of Electrodes And Graphic Structures, Chandramohan Seetharamiah Srinivasaraju

Dissertations

The main objective of this work is to evaluate the potential of Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) as an alternative to chrome for use on gravure cylinders. DLC coatings consist of carbon atoms, arranged into a diamond-like structure that closely resembles that of natural diamond. In contrast to chrome, DLC is environmentally friendly. The focus of the study is to determine the viability of DLC as a substitute material for chrome to be used on gravure cylinders by determining key material properties and evaluating printing performance.

In the first research paper, four DLC variants (Standard DLC, A-DLC, S-DLC, and Organic Silica) and …

Teaching Without A Roadmap: A Mixed Methods Study Of New Teachers' Experience With A Missing Curriculum, Christopher Reid Williams

Dissertations

As new teachers enter the field of education, they face many challenges as they work to quickly adapt to the many demands of the job. One of the most pressing factors for new teachers is deciding what to actually teach each day. For educators, the curriculum represents the master plan that both guides their educational efforts and supplies the tools to get the job done. However, new teachers experience varying levels of curriculum support when they begin their careers, and some receive absolutely no support at all. This study describes those cases of beginning a teaching career with little to …

Opportunity That Transforms Lives: Exploring The Lived Experience Of Graduates From A New Community College In The Dominican Republic, Sally Joslyn Peña Martinez

Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of graduates from a recently established community college in the Dominican Republic (DR). The study sought to understand from graduates' perspective the influence of completing an associate degree at the first Dominican Community College, Instituto Técnico Superior Comunitario (ITSC), and if their experience was transformative. Enrolling in higher education initiates a potentially transformative journey, consciously or unconsciously (Taylor et al., 2000). These changes stem from personal reflections on new experiences, forming new beliefs and assumptions that infill life with new meaning (Brookfield, 1984; Mezirow, 1978). This phenomenon is evident in community college students …

A Framework For Flourishing: Belonging, Confidence, And Connectedness In Academic Libraries, Kathleen Anne Langan

Dissertations

Academic libraries support students to be successful in their lives post-graduation by adopting more human-centered missions, visions, and measurable outcomes Support and success in this sense means developing programmatic outcomes that bolster the concepts of human flourishing – potential and purpose – that drive students toward happiness in their personal, professional, and civic lives. Students are more than learners, they are whole persons with social, emotional, and life-long goals that go beyond classroom learning, and academic performance. Currently, academic libraries rely heavily on measuring the value they add to institutions of higher education (IOHE) through library initiatives for academic support, …

A Critical Comparison Of Answering Behavior Threshold Determination Methods As An Indicator Of Engagement On The 2015 Pisa Science Items, Lauri Elizabeth Mackelburg-Davis

Dissertations

The validity of low-stakes achievement tests is questionable when disengaged answering (i.e., rapid-guessing and rapid-omitting) is present in even moderate amounts. Thus, identifying these disengaged test-takers is important so that statistical or behavior mediation practices can be put into place. The first step in identifying disengaged examinees is to determine the divide between the engaged examinees and those that are disengaged. Many methods for discriminating between disengaged from engaged answering behavior on computer generated assessments exist. Many methods require expertise in statistical methods, while others require little to no mathematics knowledge. However, these simpler methods are routinely used with little …

Behavioral Economic Factors In Collective Bargaining, Cristal Cardoso Sao Mateus Cardoso Sao Mateus

Masters Theses

The present study evaluated the effects of delay, stake, and hypothetical group size on labor valuation in the context of increasing and decreasing labor demand. Challenges in collective bargaining are associated with work stoppages, which can cause economic losses, lack of service, and worker stress. Participants were asked to value their labor given a set of conditions in two experiments. Participants in experiment 1 (n = 49) valued their labor in both increasing and decreasing demand context. Conversely, participants in experiment 2 (n = 139) valued their labor in only one of the contexts. Delay to changes, stake size, and …

Wake Up America: Conceptualizing The Social Determinants Of Sleep, Nicole Eve Bray

Masters Theses

This paper is an attempt to understand racial, ethnic and gender disparities in sleep as a sociological problem. Public health and sociological researchers have looked at the connection between sleep disparities among minorities and the impact it has on health. However, they haven’t explained and applied the social structural factors that cause these disparities, as well as address how stress can serve as a moderator. In my investigation, I found that sleep troubles differ across race, ethnicity and gender. These differences relate to the distinguishable life situations of women and minorities in American society, such as stressful life circumstances that …

Investigating The Critical Literacy Practices Of Adult Learners: A Case Study Of Four Leveled Reading Courses At A Community College, Anna Fontaine

Dissertations

This study investigates the critical literacy practices of adult learners at a community college. Student participants were selected from four different leveled reading courses. In this study, four guiding questions were adopted from Klenner and Sandretto (2011): (1) How do students make personal connections to text?; (2) In what ways do students identify multiple points of view in the text?; (3) In what ways do students identify where people in the text and included or excluded from social situations?; (4) In what ways do students discuss the influences the text has had on their views of society? These four questions …

The Effects Of Mindfulness And Exercise On Symptoms Of Parkinson’S Disease: A Systematic Review, Collin Tyler Garner

Dissertations

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease affecting which affects motor control, emotional regulation, cognition, and sleep through degradation of dopaminergic neurons. As of 2019, PD affects approximately 8.5 million individuals worldwide, with prevalence estimated to increase to between 8.7 and 9.3 million by 2030. The primary therapeutic approach to PD management is pharmaceutical, relying on dopamine replacement therapy. However, recent research has identified promising complementary therapies such as exercise and mindfulness training.

This review was conducted to compile and present evidence related to the efficacy of exercise, mindfulness, and combined exercise and mindfulness protocols as complementary …