Digital Commons Network^™

The Relationship Between Adolescent Exposure To Community Violence, Depression, And Resilience, Nieves A. Esquivel

Dissertations

The present study experimentally investigated the development of depressive symptoms in adolescents who have been exposed to community violence. Participants (N=334) were asked to take a survey of 81 questions addressing one’s exposure to neighborhood violence, resilience, and depressive symptoms. Participants exposed to community violence reported more depressive symptoms in every category except Ineffectiveness. Participants who were exposed to community violence also reported higher resilience levels. Given the results, more research is needed to understand the specific factors of resilience that may prevent adolescents exposed to community violence from developing depressive symptoms.

Uniting African Philosophy With Traditional African Dance Rituals To Help Heal Mental Health Symptoms From The Impact Of The African Diaspora, Brittnea Jones

Dissertations

The mental health challenges of members of the African diaspora have been a worldwide occurrence for centuries, initially beginning with the transatlantic slave trade. Africans were scattered abroad to different countries and subjected to the severe psychological impact of enslavement. Despite the considerable financial systemic pressure of profit in the slave trade, it caused significant harm to the enslaved Africans and their descendants by erasing Africa's memory and their healing traditions from the hearts and minds of the population. Severe mental health symptoms can arise from oppression and the impact of the African diaspora. This dispersion has left many African …

The Impact Of Psychological Abuse On A Female’S Engagement In Subsequent Relationships And How They Heal From The Abuse, Nicole Kratimenos

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Objective: This study examined (a) the impact of psychological abuse on a female’s subsequent intimate relationships, and (b) what assisted the female victims of such abuse to heal and build subsequent healthy relationships. Psychological intimate partner abuse is connected to various long-term negative consequences, such as anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, self-esteem struggles and trust issues. However, no studies have investigated how these negative consequences affect the female victim’s subsequent intimate relationships, nor what helps the victim heal enough to move on to engaging in healthy subsequent relationships. This study is the first to examine both of these aspects of …

Categorizing Reentry And Reintegration Efforts Across Five States, Modena Stinnette

Dissertations

An average of 12,500 individuals are released from correctional control institutions in America each week. The reentry and reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals into communities has become a relevant concern. This collateral damage caused by mass incarceration continues to challenge correctional institutions and community-based service providers to create better pathways for individuals returning home. Ending the collateral damage caused by mass incarceration will require a change in the way reentry and reintegration are defined, policies are created, recidivism is defined, and services are provided to individuals affected by mass incarceration. This research explores reentry and reintegration practices across five states. …

Factors Influencing Community Responses To Hoarding: Evaluating Operational Culture Of Hoarding Task Forces, Stigma, And Successful Outcomes, Leslie Gail

Dissertations

Hoarding is generally recognized as a pervasive need to acquire and retain items past the point of maintaining safe living spaces. Ushered into popular culture through television shows highlighting conflict, awareness of hoarding has increased. Experts report this condition affects 2-5% of the adult population, but this figure does not include children, family, neighbors, and community members (Buscher et al., 2013; Minor and Youth Children of Hoarding Parents, 2021). A unique feature of hoarding is the myriad of ways it is discovered.” People who hoard may keep conditions a secret due to a lack of awareness, concerns about forced remediation, …

They Don'y Expect You To Know Much: Black African International Students Encountering And Countering The Afropessimistic Attitude Within Academic Spaces, Margaret Sergon

Dissertations

Black African international students in the United States are vulnerable to increased microaggressions because of their minority statuses. In addition to being Black and speaking with non-native accents, African students must contend with Afropessimism which in this study refers to the Western world’s negative perception of Africa. The study is a mixed methods study that seeks to understand how the Afropessimistic attitude impacts the way Black African international students are perceived and interacted with, within the academic spaces. The findings indicate that African international students consistently encounter the Afropessimistic attitude, and it impacts their academic engagement. The findings also suggest …

The Use Of Racialized Preferential Language On Dating And Hookup Apps Among Men Who Have Sex With Men, Lorenz Angeles

Dissertations

The use of racialized preferential language (RPL) to advertise desire or lack thereof on dating and hookup apps among men who have sex with men (MSM) is a point of contention: might such statements be expressions of sexual liberty, or might they be manifestations of racism and discrimination in the online space? To address this issue, 561 MSM were surveyed regarding their dating/hookup app use; awareness of as well as sensitivity and receptivity to racial diversity and gender equality; and acceptance of racialized partner discrimination. Relationships among participant attitudes, RPL dis/use, experiences of in/exclusion, and demographic characteristics were elucidated, as …

Activities Negatively Influencing Retention Of African American College Students And Leadership Strategies To Increase Retention, Melvaughn Thompson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to recognize the decrease in retention of African American college students. What are some of the reasons for a decrease in retention and what do the leaders do about it? Leadership can develop and implement to recruit and increase retention of some of these African American academic students. The college dropout rates on college campuses overall are 40%, with 30% of these students being freshman and sophomores. The theoretical framework for this study is based on the expectancy theory of motivation which is a process theory of motivation (Vroom, 1964). An individual's motivation (Valence) …

The Life Story Analysis Of Those Suffering From Autoimmune Thyroiditis, Azalea Di Nardi

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the pervasive impacts of autoimmune thyroiditis, specifically Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease. To accomplish this, the life story methodology was utilized to gather individual experiences from 11 participants diagnosed with Hashimoto’s or Graves’ disease. The participants completed a background and general health questionnaire and 45- to-100-minute virtual interview disclosing their journey from the onset of symptoms, through diagnosis, to their most recent state. Themes were compiled from the interviews, which allowed identification of the largest areas of impact, needs, and future implications for practitioners and providers. Major themes identified were decreased quality of …

Narratives Of Black Female Elementary School Teachers: Navigating The Normative Discourse Of Whiteness, Thera Tilmon

Dissertations

This narrative research study illuminates the experiences of Black elementary school teachers as they navigate through whiteness on their identity journey. The purpose of this study was to examine the counter-narratives of identity by Black female elementary school teachers within the discourse of Whiteness that remains dominant in the U.S. culture and public school system. This study included semi-structured interviews with six participating teachers from several school districts in a large Midwestern metropolitan city. critical race theory, Black feminist theory, intersectionality, and transcendental theories comprised the theoretical underpinnings of the study. Narrative research design was employed for data analysis resulting …

The Design, Synthesis, And Characterization Of Copper-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks For Their Investigation Against Cancer And Their Effect As Anti-Microbial Agents, Sandy Elmehrath

Dissertations

A wide range of nanomaterials have been developed for biomedical applications, such as drug delivery, biomedical imaging, and sensors. Nanomaterials can include nanoparticles (NPs) and nanofibers with various dimensions that are both natural and synthetic. A successful nanomaterial, for use in biological applications, is characterized by its biocompatibility, biodegradability, intrinsic high surfaces area, high interconnected porosity, and functionality. These features were achieved with the development of metal-organic framework (MOF) nanostructures. MOFs are assemblies of metal ions and organic linkers that are built into different geometries and can exist in all dimensions (up to 3-D). The choice of linkers with well-defined …

Organizational Culture In Schools: The Impact Of Positive Culture On Staff Retention At Vista Charter Academy, Karrie Elizabeth Munster

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Prevalence Of Lost Time Injuries And Fatalities Among Construction Workers In Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (Uae), Ghuwaya Humaid Alnuaimi

Dissertations

Migrants account for more than 80% of the total population of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Few population-based data were available about the burden of lost time injuries (LTIs) and fatalities among migrant workers employed in the construction industry. The proposed study aimed to estimate the prevalence of LTIs and associated factors, and fatalities among construction workers in Al Ain, of Abu Dhabi Emirate in the UAE. A cross-sectional study design was used to estimate the prevalence of LTIs resulting in one or more than a day of sick leave in a random sample (n=1,626) of male construction workers in …

Effects Of A Workplace Exercise Intervention On Cardiometabolic Health: Randomized Controlled Trial, Ali Muneer Al Rahma

Dissertations

Brief Introduction: The worldwide rising levels of physical inactivity, especially in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Eastern Mediterranean region, are alarming. The UAE reports one of the highest rates of mortality due to non-communicable diseases, and insufficient physical activity is a major underlying cause. Therefore, action is required to reduce physical inactivity using evidence-based strategies.
/="/">Aims: To evaluate the effect of a 12-week workplace structured exercise intervention on cardiometabolic risk factors and to determine whether the workplace exercise intervention improves physical activity levels four weeks post-intervention.
/="/">Methods: This is a pragmatic parallel, randomized controlled trial with …

An Evaluation Of The Effects Of Sub-Chronic Ketamine Exposure On Rodent Memory As Assessed By The Odor Span Task In Female Rats, Angela Marie Thomas

Dissertations

Though numerous studies have been undertaken to explore the mechanisms of action of antidepressant medications, little is known about the origins of the disorders they treat. Recently, the therapeutic value of ketamine as a treatment for depression was recognized by the Food and Drug Administration. Historically, ketamine has been used in the laboratory setting to induce ‘schizophrenia-like’ symptomology in humans and animals to allow for further study of those symptoms in a controlled environment; a correlation between ketamine use and deficits in memory and cognitive function has been suggested. This study evaluated the impact of sub-chronic sub-anesthetic ketamine on performance …

Channeling Influence On Noise And Aerodynamic Performance Of Naca 0012 Airfoil As A Possible Solution Of Wind Turbines Noise, Hussein Khudhayer Mohammad

Dissertations

This work numerically and experimentally investigates the effect of using channels inside airfoils on the noise level as a possible resolution for aerodynamic noise generated by wind turbines. The work also investigates aerodynamic performance and turbulence around the employed airfoils. The results reveal that some of the samples show some improvement in reducing the aerodynamic noise. The reduction of the aerodynamic noise is explained as the trailing edge blowing injection that reduces the wake momentum deficit of the blade and reduces the pressure fluctuation which is responsible for noise production. Particularly, the angles of channel inclination with respect to the …

Analysis Of The Zebrafish Olfactory System Using Immunohistochemistry And Enhanced Techniques Of Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (Desi-Ms), Tara Lynn Maser

Dissertations

Desorption electrospray ionization (DESI-MS) is an ambient ionization technique where the sample is analyzed directly from a surface with very minimal sample preparation under ambient conditions and follows ESI-like ionization mechanisms. DESI-MS has proven powerful in analyzing or imaging lipids and other small molecules directly from biological samples and even allows for subsequent histological staining and analyses. However, DESI-MS is less widely used for protein analysis due to a lack of sensitivity and the complex diversity of proteins in biological samples.

A major goal of this research has been to obtain new neurobiological knowledge by combining histology and mass spectrometry …

Factors In Graduate Student Resilience And Intention To Persist During Doctoral Study, Amber Mosley

Dissertations

Attrition is a major problem for the doctoral education system and in particular for underrepresented groups. Research has proposed several reasons for students dropping out that include both personal and programmatic variables. A review of the literature identified several factors that overlap in the research on attrition, resilience, and intention to persist however, there have also been varied results across studies and very few studies focused specifically on doctoral students. Doctoral education can be considered in three phases of the education process, each with its own stresses and challenges. Factors and variables that could be the most helpful for universities …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Nanojars And Their Anion Binding Ability, Wisam Abdulabbas Flayyih Al Isawi

Dissertations

Inorganic anions are an important class of inherently negatively charged species. Anions such as sulfate (SO42–) and phosphates (H2PO4–, HPO42–) are ubiquitous in nature and biological systems, whereas chromate (CrO42–) and arsenates (H2AsO4–, HAsO42–) are environmental pollutants. Because of the high interest in the sequestration of anions from aqueous media, different methods have been explored to bind anions. Among these, the use of noncovalent interactions to encapsulate anions by organic and metal-organic host molecules is particularly attractive, because the reversibility of binding allows for the easy recovery of the extracted anion and the recycling of the anion extracting agent.

Nanojars …

Diagnostics Of Dementia From Structural And Functional Markers Of Brain Atrophy With Machine Learning, Tetiana Habuza

Dissertations

Dementia is a condition in which higher mental functions are disrupted. It currently affects an estimated 57 million people throughout the world. A dementia diagnosis is difficult since neither anatomical indicators nor functional testing is currently sufficiently sensitive or specific. There remains a long list of outstanding issues that must be addressed. First, multimodal diagnosis has yet to be introduced into the early stages of dementia screening. Second, there is no accurate instrument for predicting the progression of pre-dementia. Third, non-invasive testing cannot be used to provide differential diagnoses. By creating ML models of normal and accelerated brain aging, we …

Understanding The Voluntary Moderation Practices In Live Streaming Communities, Jie Cai

Dissertations

Harmful content, such as hate speech, online abuses, harassment, and cyberbullying, proliferates across various online communities. Live streaming as a novel online community provides ways for thousands of users (viewers) to entertain and engage with a broadcaster (streamer) in real-time in the chatroom. While the streamer has the camera on and the screen shared, tens of thousands of viewers are watching and messaging in real-time, resulting in concerns about harassment and cyberbullying. To regulate harmful content—toxic messages in the chatroom, streamers rely on a combination of automated tools and volunteer human moderators (mods) to block users or remove content, which …

Improving The Performance And Evaluation Of Computer-Assisted Semen Analysis, Ji-Won Choi

Dissertations

Semen analysis is performed routinely in fertility clinics to analyze the quality of semen and sperm cells of male patients. The analysis is typically performed by trained technicians or by Computer-Assisted Semen Analysis (CASA) systems. Manual semen analysis performed by technicians is subjective, time-consuming, and laborious, and yet most fertility clinics perform semen analysis in this manner. CASA systems, which are designed to perform the same tasks automatically, have a considerable market share, yet many studies still express concerns about their accuracy and consistency. In this dissertation, the focus is on detection, tracking, and classification of sperm cells in semen …

Entrepreneurship And Heterogeneity Among Firms' Strategies: Three Essays, Xi Zhang

Dissertations

The first essay of this dissertation focuses on the entrepreneurship survival in the early stage, during which time an entrepreneur plays the game at the "edge of chaos" and improvises in real-time to learn the strategic playing field. It examines the social networks of entrepreneurs and the impact on new venture survival. Specifically, it explores how the entrepreneurs' social connections with other entrepreneurs and their types of employment differentially affect survival during the different stages of the entrepreneurial journey in the United States and India. Using the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) dataset, this study documents not only how the social …

Understanding The Interfacial Processes Of Reactive Nanobubbles Toward Agricultural Applications, Xiaonan Shi

Dissertations

There is a growing interest in nanobubble (NB) technology because of its diverse applications (e.g., detergent-free cleaning, water aeration, ultra-sound imaging and intracellular drug delivery, and mineral processing). NBs have a higher efficiency of mass transfer compared to bulk scale bubbles due to the high specific surface areas. The high specific surface also facilitates physical adsorption and chemical reactions in the gas liquid interface. Furthermore, the collapse of NBs creates shock waves and the formation of hydroxyl radicals (OH).

However, it remains elusive why or how NBs are stabilized in water and particularly, the states of internal pressures of NBs …

Representation Learning In Finance, Ajim Uddin

Dissertations

Finance studies often employ heterogeneous datasets from different sources with different structures and frequencies. Some data are noisy, sparse, and unbalanced with missing values; some are unstructured, containing text or networks. Traditional techniques often struggle to combine and effectively extract information from these datasets. This work explores representation learning as a proven machine learning technique in learning informative embedding from complex, noisy, and dynamic financial data. This dissertation proposes novel factorization algorithms and network modeling techniques to learn the local and global representation of data in two specific financial applications: analysts’ earnings forecasts and asset pricing.

Financial analysts’ earnings forecast …

Assessing Structural And Functional Brain Alterations And Work-Related Fatigue In Non-Hyposmic And Hyposmic Covid-19 Survivors, Rakibul Hafiz

Dissertations

In the year 2019, life began to change at the advent of a global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus. Mask mandates and mass vaccinations have mitigated the effects significantly, yet cases keep rising with new variants, especially, in densely populated countries, like India. Recent neuroimaging evidence shows the virus can attack the central nervous system (CNS). However, exactly which brain regions undergo structural and functional changes remain largely unknown. Many patients experience 'loss of/reduced sense of smell' (i.e., hyposmic) and an alarming number of survivors develop persistent symptoms ('long-COVID') for several months after initial infection. Fatigue is the most …

Development Of Novel Mass Spectrometric Methods For Reaction Screening, Oligosaccharide Detection, And Nitrosamine Quantitation, Qi Wang

Dissertations

Benefitting from its high detection sensitivity and specificity, mass spectrometry (MS) has become a powerful technique in academia and industry. The aim of this dissertation study is to develop new mass spectrometric methods for organic reaction screening, detection of oligosaccharide/glycan in complex matrices, and nitrosamine absolute quantitation.

First, an electrochemistry/mass spectrometry (EC/MS) platform is built to generate an N-cyclopropylaniline radical cation electrochemically and to monitor its reactivity toward alkenes, which leads to the discovery of a new redox neutral reaction of intermolecular [3 + 2] annulation of N-cyclopropylanilines and alkenes. Net redox neutral electrosynthesis is quite rare in synthetic organic …

Adversarially Robust And Accurate Machine Learning For Image Classification, Yanan Yang

Dissertations

Machine learning techniques in medical imaging systems are accurate, but minor perturbations in the data known as adversarial attacks can fool them. These attacks make the systems vulnerable to fraud and deception, and thus a significant challenge has been posed in practice. This dissertation presents the gradient-free trained sign activation networks to detect and deter adversarial attacks on medical imaging AI (Artificial Intelligence) systems. Experimental results show a higher distortion value is required to attack the proposed model than other state-of-the-art models on brain MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging), Chest X-ray, and histopathology image datasets. Moreover, the proposed models outperform the …

Bodipy-Based Light-Responsive Materials, Zhaoxiong Wan

Dissertations

The energy required for life on our planet is provided by light. In science, light is an important and powerful tool for measuring and modifying substances. For example, under the effect of illumination, light-responsive materials can change their physical and chemical properties. Photochemistry is a branch of research to study the effects of light irradiation on chemical structures and reactions. Some photochemical changes could lead to chemical bond dissociation (such as in photosynthesis) and structure isomerization (such as in the retina). Photochemistry has a strong relationship with human lives and it is essential in many ways. Among photophysics, fluorescence emission …

Design Of Self-Assembled Peptides For Wound Healing, Ka-Kyung Kim

Dissertations

According to the CDC, 15% of diabetic patients develop diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) and approximately 170,000 patients undergo non-traumatic amputation annually. DFU is a major complication of diabetes caused by non-healing full-thickness wounds through the dermis. The current treatments include blood sugar control, frequent debridement, offloading, moist wound care, infection treatment, and amputation. To achieve wound closure of DFU, appropriate wound care and antibiotic therapy are essential. Topical regimens include hydrocolloids, alginates, foam, silver-impregnated dressings, and hydrogels. Wound healing is a complex and dynamic interplay between the immune system, keratinocytes, and dermal cells (in case of cutaneous wound). Angiogenesis has …