Digital Commons Network^™

Home Economics And Food Literacy: An Investigation Into The Factors Influencing The Effective Delivery Of Food Literacy Curricula In Irish Post Primary Schools As Perceived By Key Stakeholders, Aisling Geraghty

Dissertations

In 2018 the new Junior Cycle specification for home economics was introduced. This year also saw the recommendation by the Irish State to make home economics compulsory for all Junior Cycle students. Home economics is a multifaceted, inter disciplinary subject that seeks to empower students with the skills to cultivate reflective, critical decision-making abilities they require to deal with practical perennial problems. Food literacy exists as a key contextual strand to home economics, and to this new Junior Cycle curriculum in particular. This study seeks to identify influences, both positive and negative, that impact on the effective delivery of food …

Finetuning Bert And Xlnet For Sentiment Analysis Of Stock Market Tweets Using Mixout And Dropout Regularization, Shubham Jangir

Dissertations

Sentiment analysis is also known as Opinion mining or emotional mining which aims to identify the way in which sentiments are expressed in text and written data. Sentiment analysis combines different study areas such as Natural Language Processing (NLP), Data Mining, and Text Mining, and is quickly becoming a key concern for businesses and organizations, especially as online commerce data is being used for analysis. Twitter is also becoming a popular microblogging and social networking platform today for information among people as they contribute their opinions, thoughts, and attitudes on social media platforms over the years. Because of the large …

Food In Tourism And The Role Of The Artisan Food Producer In Ireland: A Phenomenological Study, Rebecca O'Flynn

Dissertations

This research study examines the role that the artisan food producer plays, as a food tourism provider, in food in tourism in Ireland. With the increasing convergence of food and tourism, food in tourism has become both a lever for economic prosperity as well as a draw for visitors who are seeking authentic food experiences that connect them to people, place and culture. Sitting between production and consumption, artisan food producers, as purveyors of handcrafted foods, are uniquely placed to meet visitors’ expectations and help achieve these economic objectives. Considering then, the important role they play, and look set to …

Feasibility Of Online Nutritional Counseling And/Or Remote Self Weighing In Pregnant Women With Obesity, Rebecca Mattson

Dissertations

Purpose

The purpose of this feasibility study is to determine the magnitude of effect using a combination of weekly weights and an online registered dietician to control excessive gestational weight gain in pregnant women with obesity using a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Specific Aims

There are three specific aims. Aim 1: Describe the study population in terms of sociodemographic influences (e.g., ethnicity, age, weight, and height) and obstetrical influences (i.e., parity and pregnancy weight). Aim 2: Measure participant satisfaction with the study interventions of weekly weighing and online nutrition counselling. Aim 3: (a) Explore the differences in gestational weight …

Time To Medical Help-Seeking For Adults Who Experience Symptoms Of Stroke In A California-Mexico Border Region, Jean Rockwell

Dissertations

Background: Acute thrombolytic therapy for ischemic stroke must be administered within 4.5 hours of stroke symptom onset. Despite its proven efficacy fewer than 12% of those suffering acute ischemic stroke receive this treatment. The most common reason for low utilization is late medical help-seeking. Though the relationship among predictor variables and time to medical help-seeking have been explored in previous studies, it stills remains uncertain which predictors are most influential. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with time to medical help-seeking for patients who experienced symptoms of stroke within a U.S. Southern California-Mexico border region. This …

Understanding The Role Of Lipids Derived From The Gut Microbes In A Mouse Model Of Obesity-Induced Peripheral Pain, Raiza Rafael-Bonomo Hardy

Dissertations

The increase in obesity has been accompanied by a rise in the prevalence of painful peripheral neuropathy. Recently, studies have suggested a role for gut microbiome in the development of some peripheral pain, including chemotherapy- induced pain and fibromyalgia. In the present dissertation, we showed that modulation of gut microbiome in obese mice alleviated neuropathic indices, concurrent with changes in immune cell profile within the peripheral nerve system. We demonstrated that fecal transplantation from lean to obese mice decreased obesity-induced pain and restored nerve density in the skin. These improvements were accompanied by changes in peripheral nerve system gene expression, …

From The Outside Looking In: Black Gay, Bisexual, And Queer Men Experiences In Men Of Color And Black Male Initiative Mentorship Programs In Higher Education, Quortne Reginald Hutchings

Dissertations

Men of color (MoC) and Black male initiative (BMI) mentorship programs create a complicated experience for men who identify as gay, bisexual, and queer. The purpose of this phenomenology and arts-based research study unearths the experiences of Black gay, bisexual, and queer men (BGBQM) within these programmatic contexts. This study sought to explore the essence of gender identity, gender expression, and sexuality utilizing interviews, podcast-style focus groups, and individual art projects. Findings unearthed a complex reality, Blackness preferred, queerness deferred, to exist in the intersections of their myriad identities. Consequently, these men experience a Masc-ing Phenomenon that limits how they …

Longitudinal Associations Among Individual Factors, Parenting Behaviors, And Medical Responsibility In Youth With Spina Bifida: Mediation, Moderation, And Growth Analyses, Alexa R. Stern

Dissertations

The objective of this research was to examine how youth individual factors (neuropsychological functioning and depressive symptoms) and maternal and paternal acceptance, behavioral control, and psychological control were associated with child medical responsibility among youth with spina bifida (SB). These longitudinal studies examined multimethod, multi-informant data from families of youth with SB, their parents, and teachers. The first study used bootstrapping methods to examine two competing, mediational pathways through which depressive symptoms, executive functioning, and attention were associated with medical responsibility over time. The second study used moderation analyses to examine how parenting behaviors moderated the relationship between these cognitive …

Perceptions Of Funder-Mandated Performance Metrics On Nonprofit Service Provision, Melissa Iverson

Dissertations

Nonprofit organizations provide essential services to diverse client populations that often address complex and multifaceted personal and social issues. As part of the nonprofit funding process, organizations receive financial support from external sources, such as foundations, government contracts, or corporate giving, and often have to engage in performance evaluation, a process frequently driven by funder priorities or evaluation requirements. As agencies continue to navigate these funder expectations and requirements, understanding nonprofit staff perceptions on the influence of funder-mandated metrics upon service provision becomes more relevant. This qualitative study utilized a grounded theory methodology to explore the perceptions of administrators and …

Chemical Oxidation And Photoinduced Electron Transfer By Nickel And Copper Complexes, Niharika Krishna Botcha

Dissertations

The energy appetite of our global society is enormous with the need only expected to double by midcentury and triple by 2100. The global energy demand calls for diversifying our energy sources and relying more on sustainable energy resources. Transition metals are ubiquitous in nature and central to many organic and biochemical transformations. Activation and catalytic conversion by multielectron redox reactions are crucial for the production of fuels (e.g., hydrogen) or useful chemicals (e.g., organic compounds). In this dissertation we will present our efforts on finding catalysts that can do organic transformations under ambient conditions. We also investigated different multi-component …

Engineering And Functional Modification Strategies For T Lymphocytes Using Therapeutic Macromolecules, Polymers, Micro And Nanoparticles, Venkata Sesha Sai Abhinav Ayyadevara

Dissertations

T cells are crucial components of the adaptive immune system and are known for secreting various cytokines, which induce the proliferation of many immune cells, including T cells themselves. A subset of T cells, called the CD8+ T cells, are known for their ability to kill infected cells and cancer cells. Naturally, the potential in using T cells for immunotherapy of cancer is tremendous. For this purpose, however, it is often required to engineer T cells specifically to treat a particular type of cancer. For example, the FDA-approved immunotherapies, KymriahTM and YescartaTM, which come under the adoptive T cell therapy, …

The Effects Of Altitude On The Aerodynamic Performance Of Monarch Butterflies, Madhu Kandikere Sridhar

Dissertations

The aerodynamic efficiency behind the annual migration of Monarch butterflies, the longest migration among insects, is an unsolved mystery. Monarchs migrate 4000 km at high altitudes to their overwintering locations in the mountains of Central Mexico at an altitude of 3000 m. The air is thinner at higher altitudes, yielding reduced aerodynamic drag and enhanced range. However, lift is also expected to decrease in lower density conditions. The objective of this research is to test the hypothesis that aerodynamic performance of Monarch wing improves at reduced density conditions at higher altitudes. First, we experimentally measured and documented the wing and …

Exploring School Psychologists' Perceived Preparedness, Self-Efficacy, And Motivations For Practice In Urban Schools, Kiley Callahan

Dissertations

The fundamental goal of school psychological service delivery is to enhance the learning and mental health of all students, regardless of their school setting. However, there is evidence to suggest that school psychologists' professional needs and experiences may differ based on the context in which they work. The urban school context, in particular, is associated with several challenges that may impact school psychology practice, including the impact of systemic barriers, systematic marginalization of children and families, and limited resources. To better prepare school psychologists to support urban learners, efforts to understand their training needs must be prioritized. Still, the views …

Baccalaureate Nursing Students' Lived Experiences Of A Leadership Role During Clinical Practicum, Gisela E. Schmidt

Dissertations

Problem

Leadership is an essential component of professional nursing practice used in many aspects of the Registered Nurse (RN) role. Baccalaureate nursing (BN) programs have the responsibility of preparing graduating nursing students with leadership orientation and practice. Excellent professional preparation of RNs starts with their education during nursing school. The fast-paced and high-demand healthcare environment needs RNs who can be accountable for patient care that enables excellent patient outcomes and sound patient-centered care. Taking this into consideration, nursing educators are in a special position to promote nursing education which prepares their students with leadership education and training. The purpose of …

A Multiple Case Study Of The Training Of Instructors Teaching Inclusive Postsecondary Education Students In Typical College Courses, Enoh Nkana

Dissertations

Problem

Limited research exists regarding the professional development program processes and components used to train instructors to equip students with intellectual and developmental disabilities to receive greater support and access to the benefits of a postsecondary educational experience.

Purpose of the Study

The principal purpose of this research was to conduct a multiple case study of inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) programs known as Transition Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID) and/or Comprehensive Transition Programs (CTP) at institutions of higher education across the United States to examine training provided to instructors teaching students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who …

A Hybrid Neural Network For Stock Price Direction Forecasting, Daniel Devine

Dissertations

The volatility of stock markets makes them notoriously difficult to predict and is the reason that many investors sell out at the wrong time. Contrary to the efficient market hypothesis (EMH) and the random walk theory, contribution to the study of machine learning models for stock price forecasting has shown evidence of stock markets predictability with varying degrees of success. Contemporary approaches have sought to use a hybrid of convolutional neural network (CNN) for its feature extraction capabilities and long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network for its time series prediction. This comparative study aims to determine the predictability of stock …

The High Confidence Data Classification Method With Near Zero Classification Error, Truong Xuan Tran

Dissertations

Many machine learning applications require a high degree of confidence in the correctness of the classification results. Ideally, no decision made by the classification model should be a misclassification. However, no classifier can guarantee to provide a correct classification for all data items. Therefore, it is reasonable to allow the classification model to classify a data item only when the certainty level is high and reject to make a decision if the certainty level is not high. In this dissertation, a high confidence data classification method is developed. The method helps the classification model avoid classifying data items that are …

Energetic Neutral Atom Flux From The Inner Heliosheath And Its Connection To Termination Shock Properties, Bishwas L. Shrestha

Dissertations

The energetic neutral atom (ENA) fluxes observed by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft show power-law-like spectra in the energy range ~0.5 to 6 keV. However, the temperature of the thermal core solar wind (SW) protons in the inner heliosheath (IHS) measured by Voyager 2 spacecraft is too low to create keV ENAs with Earth-directed trajectories. On the other hand, the temperature of the pickup ions (PUIs) that are reflected and energized in the upstream motional electric field of the heliospheric termination shock (HTS) is too high to create a significant number of ENAs in the IBEX-Hi energy range. Instead, …

The Development Of The Country Satisfaction Scale, Daewon Kim

Dissertations

In light of nation-wide events and its impact on mental health, this study developed the Country Satisfaction Scale (CSS) to measure individual’s country satisfaction. This study interviewed 7 participants in the United States to generate scale items, collected data for preliminary factor analysis (N = 371), and for final factor analyses (N = 802). The results confirmed a 3-factor (Systemic Structures, Equality & Acceptance, and Resources & Benefits) structure with two additional complementary factor models: second-order 3-factor model and bifactor-(S-1) model with general (G) factor and 2 specific factors. Further validity tests also confirmed the CSS. The results of this …

Disrupting The School-To-Prison Pipeline: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review Of Alternative Discipline Practices To Reduce Exclusion And Promote Equity, Cara Diclemente

Dissertations

Zero tolerance policies were designed to create safety by implementing automatic exclusion (e.g., suspensions, expulsions) for misbehavior in response to rising school violence in the United States. However, evidence over the past four decades shows that these policies fail to increase objective and subjective safety, and instead foster poor school climate and disproportionate rates of minority groups in the school-to-prison pipeline. Previous research and literature reviews suggest there are a host of developing Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) practices that have promising potential to reduce exclusionary outcomes and foster equitable treatment of vulnerable student populations, such as Positive Behavioral Intervention …

Ecological Systems In The Contexts Of Foster Care And Parental Incarceration, Lauren A. Hindt

Dissertations

This bundled dissertation sought to advance research about children in the contexts of foster care and/or parental incarceration. The first study, “Developmental Differences in Children's Visits with Their Parents in Jail,” expanded upon previous research of young children's experiences visiting jail by including a sample of 3-17-year-olds. The study described children's visitation through quantitative (measured by the Jail-Prison Observation Checklist) and qualitative (themes gleaned from observations of children's visits with parents in jail) analyses with an ecological systems framework. The second longitudinal study, “Visits with Fathers Involved in the Criminal Justice System and Behavioral Outcomes among Children in Foster Care,” …

Social Determinants Of Economic Self-Sufficiency (Ess) In Health Profession Opportunity Grants (Hpog): Focusing On The Process Of Health Care Career Pathways, Jang Ho Park

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the social determinants of economic self-sufficiency among low-income jobseekers in a federally sponsored healthcare career pathways program. Particularly this dissertation focused on the effects of the process element of self-sufficiency called psychological self-sufficiency, which consist of perceived employment barriers (PEB) and employment hope (EH) (Hong 2013; 2016). Although many studies have evaluated the effectiveness of workforce development programs that focus on economic outcomes, little empirical research has been conducted to examine the psychological prerequisites for achieving economic self-sufficiency. To address this gap in the literature, this dissertation examined potential effect of psychological …

Calibration Of The Extreme Universe Space Observatory, Malek Mastafa

Dissertations

The most energetic particles in the universe are ultra high energy cosmic rays UHECRs with energies up to 3×10^20 eV eV. However, their flux is strongly suppressed at the highest energies (~1 particles /〖km〗^2 /century for E = 10^19.75 eV), leaving the sources and the acceleration mechanisms unknown. The detection of UHECRs from space via fluorescence method is very compelling because of the large area that can be observed. The Extreme Universe Space Observatory on a Super Pressure Balloon (EUSO-SPB) collaboration is developing and flying balloon-brone prototypes of a satellite instrument to make such observations. The EUSO-SPB1 instrument is the …

Self-Efficacy And Self-Regulation As Predictors Of Academic Motivation Among Undergraduate Students In The United States, Fatimah Aljuaid

Dissertations

Problem

Some undergraduate students demonstrate lack of academic motivation which negatively affects engagement and perseverance in higher education (Busse & Walter, 2017; Rizkallah & Seitz, 2017; Dresel & Grassinger, 2013). Amotivated students are more likely to drop out of school and disengage from learning activities or underachieve (Wang & Pomerantz, 2009). Although the lack of academic motivation is correlated with deficiency in self-regulation and self-efficacy, relatively little studies have been conducted to examine the impact of these factors on academic motivation particularly in the U.S. This study constructed a hypothesized model to investigate the role of self-regulation and self-efficacy in …

Measures Of Student Engagement As Predictors Of Grade Point Average (Gpa) And Degree Completion At Andrews University, Michael D. Milmine

Dissertations

Purpose of the Study

In a time of rising costs, social discourse questioning value of an undergraduate degree, and declining enrollment, institutions of higher education are under increasing pressure to provide stakeholders and potential students with measures of accountability and student success. These pressures renew the need to leverage student engagement data to understand what makes undergraduates successful in their academic programs. An understanding of student engagement factors is key to helping all students succeed, but especially to identifying areas that colleges and universities can devote their attention in order to improve their students’ likelihood of success. The purpose of …

Involvement In Community Service And Spiritual Activities As Correlates Of Socially Responsible Leadership Among Undergraduate Students At Asia-Pacific International University, Thailand, Naltan Lampadan

Dissertations

Problem

Institutions of Higher Education invest considerable resources to provide students with leadership experiences through extracurricular activities, especially in community service and spiritual programming. The inter-relationship among these variables (socially responsible leadership, spiritual and community involvement) have not been investigated in faith-based institutions of higher education in Southeast Asia.

Purpose of the Study

This study had four purposes: (a) to examine the extent of student involvement in community service and spiritual activities; (b) to investigate the level of socially responsible leadership among undergraduate students; (c) to examine whether socially responsible leadership might be related to gender, nationality, class status, and …

Marketing Adventist Higher Education In North America : College Choice - Motivators And Barriers, George Charles Dart Jr.

Dissertations

Purpose/Problem

It is estimated more than 75% of Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) college-bound students (rising freshmen) who live in the North American Division (NAD) do not attend an SDA college/university. This is a major challenge for the NAD colleges/universities. Discovering motivators and barriers for SDA college-bound students is vital in understanding what influences this population in their college choice selection.

Method

This is a quantitative, cross-sectional, comparative study. An electronic survey using Qualtrics was sent to over 14,000 students with 461 respondents as the sample size. Respondents were sorted into four study groups, using the type of high school attended and …

An Exploratory Study Of Mathematics Anxiety In Caribbean Preservice Teachers, Franka Atwell-Chin Hong

Dissertations

The Problem

Correlational studies suggest that gender, attitudes to mathematics, mathematics performance, the number of college mathematics courses taken, and mathematics teacher efficacy beliefs may be related to mathematics anxiety among preservice teachers (Boyd et al., 2014; Gresham, 2018; Jaggernauth & Jameson-Charles, 2015). Exploratory studies of mathematics anxiety and teacher self-efficacy among elementary teachers exist in Trinidad and Tobago (Jaggernauth 2012; Jaggernauth & Jameson-Charles, 2015). However, the differences in samples, and weakness in methodology, may make it challenging to generalize the results to the preservice teacher population. In addition, no studies have found which variable or combination of variables is …

How Faculty And Student Preferences For Active And Traditional Instructional Methods Relate To Their Beliefs, Quantity, And Quality Of Experiences, Knowledge Of The Benefits, And Professional Training, Tammy R. Shilling

Dissertations

Purpose

The complexity of preparing students for clinical practice and the mitigating factors that influence pedagogical preferences impact the current realities of health professional education. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study is to explain the relationships between faculty preferences and student preferences for active over traditional methods and their beliefs, the frequency and positiveness of their experiences, and the amount and extent of the knowledge or training they have had regarding active and traditional teaching methods. Results may further inform and refine health professional education infrastructure changes to support faculty in pedagogical change as they prepare students with the …

Healthcare Leadership In The Context Of Cognitive Diseases Of Aging: A Community-Based Participatory Research Model, Dean Sherzai

Dissertations

The Problem

The world is facing a tsunami of chronic diseases of the brain such as dementia, Parkinson's, and stroke. But all populations are not affected equally. Though we are all at greater risk of developing these diseases, minority communities such as the Black and Hispanic populations are at much greater risk of succumbing to these conditions. To date we have spent billions of dollars on research and public health measures that have repeatedly failed, but over the last decade it has become evident that much of these diseases can simply be averted through effective public health and community-based measures …