Impact Of A Web-Based Instructional Module Of Alzheimer’S Disease Within Seven Content Knowledge Domains, Joyce Haynie

Dissertations

Abstract

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) has been classified as the most common form of dementia. Primary health care providers are usually the first clinicians to whom individuals present with symptoms of dementia. By 2050, it is expected that as many as 13.8 million Americans will be living with AD, and millions more will be placed in the challenging role of providing care for these individuals. However, studies continue to show that dementia is often underdiagnosed and under detected. The purpose of the study was to systematically inquire about the impact of AD education on level of knowledge about AD among primary …

An Exploration Of Contextual Factors Of Weight-Based Discrimination Against Business Leaders, Ellen Hermann Lynch

Dissertations

Two-thirds of the adult population of the United States are considered overweight (Ogden, Carroll, Kit, & Flegal, 2013) and are susceptible to weight-based discrimination in the workplace (Rudolph, Wells, Weller, & Baltes, 2009). The weight-based discrimination experienced by business leaders is relatively unknown. The present research used Leader Categorization Theory (Lord & Maher, 1991) as a framework to examine the extent to which a business leader’s weight is associated with their perceived leadership qualities and effectiveness in two studies. The first study isolated the relationship between the base rate of weight in an organization and the assumed weight of the …

Perceptions Of Exemplary Special Education Teachers: Instructional And Management Strategies For Special Education Students, Shawna Dawn Gruben

Dissertations

Students with disabilities are to be educated alongside their peers to the maximum extent possible as required by federal and state regulations. Research suggests students with disabilities are more successful when placed with peers in the general education classroom with appropriate support. This study was conducted to examine specific bestpractice strategies used by exemplary special education teachers. The participants within this study have been identified as Clarissa Hug Teacher of the Year Award recipients by the Council for Exceptional Children and are considered to be exemplary in the field of special education. Three research questions guided the study using the …

Leaders’ Emotional Intelligence And Followers’ Outcomes: An Emotional Contagion Perspective, Eman Helal Al Mansoori

Dissertations

The purpose of the present study is to examine when and how leaders’ emotional intelligence translates into particular work outcomes for followers, namely job satisfaction, turnover intention and organizational commitment. Specifically, the study aims to identify the mediating mechanism between leaders’ emotional intelligence and followers’ outcomes, and the boundary conditions associated with this relationship. Accordingly, this study examines “emotional contagion” as a moderator variable that influences leader affect and follower effect in order to measure the participants’ susceptibility to emotional contagion. Accordingly, if leaders can communicate positive affect to their followers, then the followers’ positive effect should result in more …

Critical Success Factors In Managing Government Funded R&D Projects In Abu Dhabi, Mariam Ibrahim Al Mahmoud

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the critical success factors affecting the research and development projects funded by Abu Dhabi, UAE. Abu Dhabi particularly began to adopt innovative and internationally accepted standards and practices in its public administration. Therefore, it is a challenge to develop public projects, which require time to implement, cost, and as well as smart objectives to achieve. It is necessary the great ability to manage such development, instead of traditional methods. research and development projects funded by the governments have been very challenging while trying to clarify various factors contributing to their success. Design/Methodology/Approach: …

An Investigation Into Knowledge Transfer From Expatriates To Uae Nationals: Organizational And Individual Factors Motivating Knowledge-Sharing Behaviour In Uae Organizations, Amna Khamis Alnakh

Dissertations

This study intends to identify the factors that influence knowledge sharing between individuals in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) context, specifically knowledge sharing from expatriates to UAE citizens, at both an individual and organizational level. This research aims to highlight the determinants of knowledge-sharing behaviours and the role of interpersonal relations (social trust) in the knowledge transfer process. These factors can subsequently be considered by organizations and human resource (HR) practitioners to facilitate the successful implementation of knowledge-sharing behaviour and knowledge transfer in UAE organizations and support UAE’s Emiratization policies and processes. This, in turn, can lead to higher organizational …

African Centered Education, The Maji Shujaa Online Academy: A Descriptive Case Study, Beverly Jackson

Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive case study framed by African centered theory, is to advance the knowledge about the online African centered educational programming, Maji Shujaa Academy. The researcher is the Chief Executive Officer( CEO) and lead teacher/lead developer of online educational media for the Academy. Considerable private African-centered educators with enterprenueural spirit have advanced and created online African centered global educational programming for the students of Africa and African Diaspora population groups today. Yet the available literature is shallow with regard to the workings of online African centered educational programming. This study explores in which the online Academy makes …

Interdisciplinary Collaboration In Exemplary Counseling-Enriched High School Programs: Integrating College & Career Readiness And Mental Health Wellness For Students With Emotional Disturbance, Amira S. Mostafa

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods multiple-case study was to describe how interdisciplinary collaborative teams support the college and career readiness and the mental health wellness of adolescents with emotional disturbance. A secondary purpose was to explore how team members describe and rate the importance of their interdisciplinary collaboration using the four essential elements (reflection, flexibility, newly created roles, and interdependence) based on the model established by Mellin (Mellin et al., 2010). Lastly, this study sought recommendations from team members on improved practices supporting adolescents with emotional disturbance.

Methodology: An explanatory sequential mixed methods multiple-case study design explored the …

Students Of Black Or African American Ancestry In Grades 10th -12th Perceptions Of Their Schooling Experiences, Annette Renee Kennedy

Dissertations

California continues to tackle blatant racist acts within school systems across the state as recent headlines read, “Deeply offensive blackface video of California high school student sparks backlash” (Yancey-Bragg, Guynn, & Rhor, 2019, n.p.) and “Four teachers and their principal placed on leave after cheerfully posing for photo with noose” (Lunning, 2019, n.p.). Gaining a greater awareness of the non-headlining actions that take place on a day-to-day basis that have an equally powerful adverse effect on the school experiences of black learners was the focus of this study. Microaggressions are “subtle, stunning, often automatic, and non-verbal exchanges which are put …

Superintendent Recruitment: Effects Of Superintendent Job Status, School Councils (Principal Selection Models), District Wealth, And Signing Bonus On Applicant Rating Of The Job, Mark Jeffery Martin

Dissertations

This nearly perfect replicated study (Millay, 2003) was a superintendent recruitment simulation with the purpose of investigating factors that influence recruiting qualified individuals to serve as district superintendents of public schools. The study was a factorial experiment involving a four-way 2 x 2 x 2 x (3 x S) fixed-factor betweenwithin analysis of variance (ANOVA) which yielded 24 cells. The participants in the study were Kentucky Superintendents (N = 72) and individuals in Kentucky certified to be a school superintendent (N = 72) but employed in another position.

The between-groups variables were superintendent job status (superintendent, certified), district wealth (high, …

The Big Five Inventory, Substance Abuse History, And Academic Success Among Students Majoring In Substance Abuse Counseling, Christi D. Myers

Dissertations

Students pursuing careers in substance abuse counseling may have higher rates of substance abuse histories than the general student body Previous research has shown that substance abuse is negatively correlated with Conscientiousness, yet academic success is positively correlated with Conscientiousness. This may put them at risk for academic difficulties. There is no previous research that has investigated the links betwe en personality traits, substance abuse history, and academic success. This study investigated the correlations between personality, substance abuse history, and academic success with 103 participants from an addict ion counseling program at a community college in South Texas. The Big …

Implementation Of The Focus Act In Tennessee: A Case Study, Carol Byrd Clark

Dissertations

The purpose of this single-case holistic descriptive case study was to document and describe the implementation of the FOCUS Act from the perspective of presidents and senior leaders at the Tennessee universities that transitioned from system-level governance by the Tennessee Board of Regents to governance by institutional boards of trustees. The decentralization of governance mandated by the FOCUS Act is an infrequent occurrence in higher education and presented a unique opportunity to examine how the universities prepared for the governance change and how university leaders viewed the governance change after implementation.

The central research question of this study was: What …

Breast Cancer Risk Perception, Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs And Screening Behaviors Of Chamorro Women In Guam, Teofila P. Cruz

Dissertations

Breast cancer is a serious public health issue in Guam and in the world. Chamorro women in Guam have the highest incidence and mortality rates of breast cancer among other ethnic groups of women living in Guam. Early detection reduces breast cancer morbidity and mortality. Little is known regarding factors associated with Chamorro women's breast cancer screening behaviors.

This qualitative descriptive study was designed to obtain a straight forward description of perspectives and insights of Chamorro women in Guam ages 45 - 65 years, about their breast cancer risk perception, knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and breast cancer screening behaviors.

The Risks Of Methemoglobinemia With The Use Of Two Antimicrobials In Low Birth Weight Infants, Denise J. Poirier Maguire

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of risk of methemoglobinemia and extent of skin breakdown when 0.5% chlorhexidine was used as a topical antimicrobial in a population of low birth weight (LBW) infants.

Gaining A Voice: A Study Of The Breastfeeding Experiences Of A Select Group Of Educated, Low-Income, Minority Women Supported By Peer Counselors, Maryanne Phyllis Locklin

Dissertations

This grounded theory study describes the experiences of a small select group of educated, low-income, culturally diverse women who were supported by peer counselors/breastfeeding advocates in their communities as they attempted to breastfeed. The study explores their issues and concerns. In-depth interview data from seventeen women (ten African-American and seven Latina) were analyzed, using constant comparative analysis. Findings from the study indicated that the perception of successful breastfeeding can have an empowering effect on women when support for their endeavors are gender--and culturally--appropriate, The five themes that emerged as primary descriptors of the experience were Making the Discovering, Seeking a …

Community Nursing Support For Schizophrenic Clients, Lora Humphrey-Beebe

Dissertations

Decreasing hospital stays necessitate various community supports for persons with schizophrenia. However, there is little research on the effectiveness of community-based nursing interventions for this population. A true experimental, post test only design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of a telephone nursing intervention in increasing community survival, and decreasing the number and length of stay of rehospitalizations for persons with schizophrenia.

Self-Efficacy, Social Support, Therapeutic Support And The Initiation And Duration Of Breastfeeding In Adolescent Mothers, Deborah L. Birk

Dissertations

This longitudinal investigation examines self-efficacy, social support and therapeutic support as predictors of initiation and duration of breastfeeding in adolescent mothers. It proposes that prenatal levels of self-efficacy, social support and therapeutic support are significant predictors of breastfeeding initiation in adolescent mothers. It also proposes that postpartum levels of these variables are significant predictors of the number of days breastfeeding after delivery in adolescent mothers.

Factors That Contribute To Anticipated Turnover Among Civilian Registered Nurses Employed In United States Army Hospitals, Carol Ann Huebner

Dissertations

In this study, selected factors believed to influence anticipated turnover among civilian registered nurses employed in Army hospitals were examined. Based on a theoretical model developed from existing models of nursing turnover, independent variables were clustered into three groups: individual factors (age, education, tenure, kinship responsibility); growth need strength, initial expectations of tenure, and career intentions; and perceptions of contextual factors (workload, group cohesion, instrumental communication, job characteristics, external and internal labor market, and pay satisfaction). The theoretical model proposed that independent variables influenced the dependent variable which was anticipated turnover, either directly or indirectly through job satisfaction.

Hypertonic Lower Extremities In Infants: Correlation To Motor Function Scores At Thirteen Months Of Age, Susan Jean Brillhart

Dissertations

Exploring a large data set, hypertonicity of the lower extremities has been incidentally identified as occurring in one out of every five infants, whether term or preterm. This retrospective, longitudinal, descriptive, quantitative study examined data from 463 functionally and structurally normal infants and identified infants that were considered to be hypertonic at either hospital discharge and at one month of corrected gestational age to determine what their motor capabilities were at 13 months of age. Understanding the correlation will assist in determining whether early intervention is indicated for these infants. Multiple statistical analyses revealed no correlation between hypertonicity as a …

Addressing The Theory-Practice Gap Relative To Teacher-Perceived Knowledge Of Effective Instructional Strategies, Laura Danielle O’Quinn

Dissertations

In the field of education, a theory-practice gap occurs when research is not applied with fidelity by practicing teachers in the classroom (Ford, 2018). Student achievement is negatively impacted when teachers do not implement research-based practices consistently (Stronge, 2018). This study involved an investigation into teacher perceptions of research-based instructional strategies as a possible cause of the theorypractice gap in education. Data were collected through a mixed-methods study involving an online survey and teacher focus group interviews. The online survey was used to measure teachers’ accuracy identifying the impact level of selected research-based instructional strategies from Hattie’s (2009) meta-analysis. Survey …

Implementing A Depression Screening And Referral Program In An African American Church Community, Mary S. Garner

Dissertations

The purpose of this quality improvement project was to launch a depression screening and stigma reduction program in a nondenominational church that serves mainly African Americans. Potential links between stigma, such as beliefs related to mental illness, and how education can influence help-seeking and health literacy among ministerial leaders were identified.

Influence Of The Economy On Teen And Adult Birth Patterns In Oklahoma 1980 Through 1995: A Time Series Analysis, Sandra Kay Cesario

Dissertations

Influence of the economy on birth patterns was examined separately for teen and adult women. Competing theories and conceptual frameworks currently exist to describe the cyclic patterns found in reproductive behavior and their relationships to economic condition. Pro-cyclic models suggest a lagged positive association between economic conditions and numbers of births whereas counter-cyclic models indicate that a negative or inverse relationship exists. Three distinct problems were addressed in this study. First, the competing economic models was addressed. Second, this study of daily and weekly births to allow greater sensitivity in testing the relationship of an economic variable number and timing …

Deciding To Withhold/Withdraw Life-Sustaining Treatments From Incompetent Adults Following Unanticipated, Catastrophic Illnesses: A Phenomenological Study Of Surrogate Decision Makers' Experiences, Carolyn M. Hayes

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the experience and meaning of having made a decision to withhold and/or withdraw life-sustaining treatments from an adult who was rendered incompetent following an unanticipated, catastrophic illness.

Development Of The Woman Abuse Screening Tool, Wendy K. Taylor

Dissertations

Researchers reported that 25%-33% of female trauma victims had injuries caused by battering. More than one million women per year seek medical care for injuries caused by battering. Of those who seek medical care, only one in ten is officially identified as a battered woman. Women are routinely screened for a variety of problems, conditions, or medical disorders, but violence is not included. An important issue related to identifying battered women is the lack of an appropriate comprehensive screening tool. The purpose of this study was threefold: (a) determine whether using a comprehensive abuse screening tool results in an increased …

The Lived Experience Of Women Who Quit Assisted Reproductive Technology Without The Birth Of A Live Child And Remained Childless, Linda L. Millenbach

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the experience of women who quit assisted reproductive technology (ART) without the birth of alive child and remained childless.

Developmental And Sex Modulated Neurological Alterations In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Azeezat Azeez

Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) was first described in 1943 by Dr. Leo Kranner in a case study published in The Nervous Child. It is a neurodevelopment disorder, with a range of clinical symptoms. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), used by clinicians to diagnose mental disorders, a child needs to have persistent social deficits, language impairments, and repetitive behaviors, that cannot be explained by neurological damage or intellectual disability. It is known that children diagnosed with ASD are often are developmentally delayed therefore alterations in the typical developmental trajectory should be a major factor in …

Modulation Of Corticospinal Excitability Induced By Paired Associative Stimulation Combined With Movement, Ahmad O. Alokaily

Dissertations

An essential feature of the brain is its capacity to undergo long-lasting morphological or functional changes in response to experiences or trauma. Advances in noninvasive brain stimulation techniques have led to increased interest in understanding neural mechanisms of neuroplasticity at the network level. Paired associative stimulation (PAS) is one of the most commonly used applications for noninvasive brain stimulation because of its clinical potential as an adjuvant rehabilitative intervention. However, the optimal method for incorporating PAS into rehabilitative activities remains unknown. This dissertation explores different approaches to combining PAS with movement and investigates the enhancement of the specificity of conventional …

Engineering Of Escherichia Coli 2-Oxoglutarate Dehydrogenase Complex With Mechanistic And Synthetic Goals, Joydeep Chakraborty

Dissertations

The Escherichia coli 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (OGDHc) compromises multiple copies of three enzymes - 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase (E1o), dihydrolipoyl succinyltransferase (E2o), and dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase (E3). OGDHc is found in the Krebs cycle and catalyzes the formation of the all-important succinyl-Coenzyme A (succinyl-CoA). OGDHc was engineered to understand the catalytic mechanism and optimized for chemical synthetic goals.

Succinyl-CoA formation takes place within the catalytic domain of E2o via a transesterification reaction. The succinyl group from the thiol ester of S8-succinyldihydrolipoyl-E2o is transferred to the thiol group of CoA. Mechanistic studies were designed to investigate enzymatic transthioesterification. His375 and Asp374 was shown to …

Improving Boron For Combustion Applications, Kerri-Lee Annique Chintersingh

Dissertations

Boron has received much attention as a potential additive to explosives and propellants due to its high theoretical gravimetric and volumetric heating values. The challenge, however, is that boron particles tend to agglomerate, have lengthy ignition delays and very low combustion rates. Prior research indicates that boron’s long ignition delays are due to its inhibiting naturally occurring oxide layer, impeding the diffusion of reactants for oxidation. For combustion, current studies report that boron particles have two consecutive stages, but the actual reaction mechanism is poorly understood. Despite many years of relevant research, quantitative combustion data on micron-sized boron particles are …

Analyzing Evolution Of Rare Events Through Social Media Data, Xiaoyu Lu

Dissertations

Recently, some researchers have attempted to find a relationship between the evolution of rare events and temporal-spatial patterns of social media activities. Their studies verify that the relationship exists in both time and spatial domains. However, few of those studies can accurately deduce a time point when social media activities are most highly affected by a rare event because producing an accurate temporal pattern of social media during the evolution of a rare event is very difficult. This work expands the current studies along three directions. Firstly, we focus on the intensity of information volume and propose an innovative clustering …