Digital Commons Network^™

Black Males Accessing And Usage Of Sex Education In Mississippi, Devin D. Moss

Dissertations

in the United States, sex education curricula sponsored by public school districts varies from state-to-state. Nationally, this arrangement provides students with varied levels of exposure to critical sex education information. Sex education is mandatory in Mississippi, but is not required to be medically accurate, include HIV education, and be culturally appropriate or unbiased. Mississippi's sex education curriculum is mandated to be age appropriate and can promote religion. the parameters of sex education in Mississippi have led to sex information gaps for youth. Black males experience this lack of information and turn to other sources to fill in the resulting information …

Voices Of African American Women In Computer Science: Implications For K-12 Stem Education And Beyond, Yolanda B. Sanders

Dissertations

Voices of African American Women in Computer Science is a qualitative dissertation about African American women who have successfully completed a computer science degree. This research explored how computer science education departments in predominantly White institutions (PWIs) contribute to the oppression of African American females. Critical race feminism (CRF) provides the platform that places the voices of women of color who have successfully obtained a computer science degree despite difficulties that have been imposed by the reality of racial biases that are present throughout the American education system and American culture at large. This research was guided by the following …

Job Satisfaction As A Function Of The Five Factor Model Of Personality In The Community Mental Health Center Environment Of Northern Indiana, Robert Ryan

Dissertations

Problem

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the Big Five personality type indicators and job satisfaction in the community mental health setting. The focus of this study was to gain a better understanding of whether a not-for-profit can benefit from the use of a brief personality instrument to recruit and retain individuals with the highest probability of job satisfaction. This research complements previous research which has revealed a positive correlation between certain Big Five personality traits and job satisfaction in several sectors. The research population for this study consisted of community mental health employees working …

A Quantitative Comparative Study Of Employee Engagement Among Full-Time Seventh-Day Adventist Pastors In The North American Division Of Seventh-Day Adventists And Its Relationship To Level Of Participation In Annual Pastoral Continuing Education (Ce), Sharon Aka

Dissertations

Problem

Research was needed to determine the relationship between pastoral CE and employee engagement to guide policy implementation as well as future efforts for pastoral professional development within the Adventist organization.

Method

This study presents a new theoretical Adventist pastor development model integrating several theories and concepts including: the call, the Seven Core Qualities of an NAD pastor framework, andragogy, CE, SDT, and employee engagement. Employee engagement was measured using Herzberg's hygiene-motivation factor employee engagement theory. Comparisons were conducted on six groups of pastors related to selfreported participation in annual CE.

Results

Major research findings indicate that pastors, perhaps inevitably …

Exploring The Influence Of Racial Diversity On Church Growth: A Case Study Of Buffalo Suburban Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Lancaster, New York, Luis A. Mancebo

Dissertations

There is a growing phenomenon in the United States of America: multiracial churches. While earlier research indicates that church growth typically happens in more homogenous congregations, more and more churches are growing that are multiracial. This case study focused on the growth of Buffalo Suburban Seventh-day Adventist Church (BSSDAC), a multiracial church in Lancaster, New York. Data collection was done through focus groups of church leaders and members, and a review of any available church and membership records.

BSSDAC started as a White congregation in Buffalo in 1885 and moved to the suburbs in the 1980s where the initial transition …

The Inclusion Of Special Education Services In Seventh-Day Adventist Schools In New York City, Marlene Morris-Lambert

Dissertations

Problem

Over the past fifty years, there has been an increase in the number of students with special needs in the U.S., from 1.8% of students in 1977 to 5.7% of students in 2006 and 13.0% of students in 2015. Federal legislation such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the No Child Left Behind Act support equal education for this growing population of students, and special-needs educators have responded by implementing full-inclusion strategies. Public schools continue to make advances in implementing inclusion practices since they are legally bound to do so. The Seventh-day Adventist community is one of …

The Phenomenology Of Accompaniment: A Journey Of Transformation, Siobhan O'Donoghue

Dissertations

Accompaniment is a humanitarian approach that seeks to ameliorate the suffering of individuals and communities that are vulnerable, and often struggling with the effects of collective traumas. Despite the fact that accompaniment models are being utilized in various parts of the world, the topic has seldom been explored in the literature. the purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of accompaniment for migrants. Purposeful sampling was used to identify 28 participants who represented both accompaniers and the accompanied. Data were collected through 13 interviews and 3 focus groups and analyzed using Moustakas' (1994) transcendental phenomenological method …

Detection Of Pathological Hfo Using Supervised Machine Learning And Ieeg Data, Isabel L. Sicardi Rosell

Dissertations

Epilepsy is the second most common neurological disorder and it affects approxi mately 50 million people worldwide. One of the main characteristics of this disorder is the presence of recurrent seizures which tend to be controlled through medication. Nonetheless, 20% of the patients with this disorder are resistant to drug treatment meaning that they need to go through alternative procedures.

Finetuning Pre-Trained Language Models For Sentiment Classification Of Covid19 Tweets, Arjun Dussa

Dissertations

It is a common practice in today’s world for the public to use different micro-blogging and social networking platforms, predominantly Twitter, to share opinions, ideas, news, and information about many things in life. Twitter is also becoming a popular channel for information sharing during pandemic outbreaks and disaster events. The world has been suffering from economic crises ever since COVID-19 cases started to increase rapidly since January 2020. The virus has killed more than 800 thousand people ever since the discovery as per the statistics from Worldometer [1] which is the authorized tracking website. So many researchers around the globe …

Nanostructured Titanium Dioxide As Novel Electrodes For Water/Wastewater Treatment, Amir Ahmadi

Dissertations

Electrochemical redox processes have emerged as a viable option for water and wastewater treatment as they offer several advantages such as capable of degrading a wide range of contaminants, small footprint, capability to adjust to influent fluctuation, and less waste generation. In electrochemical treatment applications, the electrode material largely determines the efficiency of the treatment processes. However, electrodes commonly used for water treatment may either suffer low reactivity and/or stability (e.g. metal and mixed metal oxides such as SnO2, PbO2, IrO2, RuO2, and IrO2/RuO2 electrodes) or be subject to limited applications due to high cost and the scarcity of the …

An Embedded Defense-In-Depth Module For Detecting Cyberattacks On Interdependent Scada Controllers, Rishabh Das

Dissertations

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) is a process control architecture with interconnected computers monitoring and controlling physical processes using sensors and actuators. SCADA manages large cyber-physical systems like water treatment, gas pipelines, oil terminals, and power systems. These processes use a decentralized computing architecture. Small ruggedized digital computers (programmable logic controllers or PLCs) adapted for the control of industrial processes perform the distributed control. These computers do not have security built into them and rely on external nodes for the detection of cyber-attacks. This dissertation introduces an embedded intrusion detection system (IDS) inside the PLCs. The embedded intrusion detection …

A Comparative Study Of Text Summarization On E-Mail Data Using Unsupervised Learning Approaches, Tijo Thomas

Dissertations

Over the last few years, email has met with enormous popularity. People send and receive a lot of messages every day, connect with colleagues and friends, share files and information. Unfortunately, the email overload outbreak has developed into a personal trouble for users as well as a financial concerns for businesses. Accessing an ever-increasing number of lengthy emails in the present generation has become a major concern for many users. Email text summarization is a promising approach to resolve this challenge. Email messages are general domain text, unstructured and not always well developed syntactically. Such elements introduce challenges for study …

Evaluating Bert Embeddings For Text Classification In Bio-Medical Domain To Determine Eligibility Of Patients In Clinical Trials, Saurabh Khodake

Dissertations

Clinical Trials are studies conducted by researchers in order to assess the impact of new medicine in terms of its efficacy and most importantly safety on human health. For any advancement in the field of medicine it is very important that clinical trials are conducted with right ethics supported by scientific evidence. Not all people who volunteer or participate in clinical trials are allowed to undergo the trials. Age, comorbidity and other health issues present in a patient can be a major factor to decide whether the profile is suitable or not for the trial. Profiles selected for clinical trials …

Philosophy And Practice Of Wholistic And Physical Student Development At Select Seventh-Day Adventist Higher Educational Institutions And Work Colleges, Brenda Gay Palmer Chase

Dissertations

Problem and Purpose

There is an extensive array of literature and research espousing the importance of developing the whole student. Comparatively, there is limited research on examining how colleges and universities that promote wholistic student development incorporate each of the human dimensions into an integrated educational experience. There is, therefore, a need for scholarship that compares and contrasts how separate and distinct higher educational systems having a philosophy of educating the whole person define and implement the development of the physical dimension. Similarly, research is needed that examines how the differences in interpreting and implementing the development of the physical …

Community Violence Exposure Among Ethnic Minority Youth: Understanding The Predictive Roles Of Depressive Symptoms And Risky Behavior In A Community Sample, Amanda Nicole Burnside

Dissertations

Ethnic-minority youth residing in urban communities are disproportionately impacted by community violence exposure (ECV), and despite decades of research, rates of ECV in youth continue to increase. Further, person-based analyses have demonstrated variability in rates of ECV, even among youth who share similar risky demographic factors and it is important to examine the utility of psychological factors as predictors of ECV. Drawing from public health frameworks and the reciprocal-stress model, the current study seeks to better understand the longitudinal relationship between various components of depressive symptoms (depressed affect, somatic symptoms, depressive cognitions, suicidal thoughts and behaviors) in the prediction of …

Condition Assessment Of Composite Insulators, Meghana Ramesh

Dissertations

The application of composite insulators in high voltage transmission and distribution has progressively increased. In recent years, composite insulators have captured a large share of the market at certain voltages due to advantages of lightweight, low cost, superior contamination performance and low maintenance. These composite insulators have a fiberglass rod housed inside a polymeric sheath. The housing material is generally made of organic materials. The material nature of composite insulators makes them easily prone to deterioration due to moisture, heat, pollution and also electric discharges. The absence of intermediate metallic structures results in highly non-uniform voltage distribution along the composite …

Construction Of Classroom Community In A Full-Inclusion District: Comparative Case Studies With Elementary School Teachers, Tri Nguyen

Dissertations

This research documented how elementary school teachers build, structure, and maintain classroom community in a full-inclusion district. Specifically, this study applied Invitational Theory to investigate the relationship between a full-inclusion school model and the construction of classroom community. The study focused on the teachers’ behaviors to structure and maintain an environment of inclusion, care, and belonging. This qualitative comparative case study documented teachers’ behaviors over a series of 10 weeks at the start of the school year. Documentation evidence of classroom community- building were collected in two formats: classroom observations and teacher interviews. By the end of the observational period, …

Music Notation-To-Color Synesthesia And Early Stages Of Music Education: A Grounded Theory Study, Eduardo Sola Chagas Lima

Dissertations

Problem

Synesthesia is a neurological condition characterized by over-abundant neural connectivity between commonly highly specialized areas of the brain. The developmental form of the condition often results in automatic and consistent cross-sensory associations between perceived stimuli and commonly unrelated brain regions. This research contemplates the specific form of music notation-to-color synesthesia and its impact on early stages of music education. Synesthetes with this mode of the condition tend to involuntarily yet consistently associate music-notational concepts with colors, thus rendering their assimilation of these concepts unique and individualized. The purpose of this study is to determine the extent of these individualized …

Choice Of God/Higher Power, Perceptions Of God/Higher Power, Religious Beliefs And Behaviors, And Social Support As Predictors Of Length Of Sobriety, Satisfaction With Life, And Quality Of Life Among People Recovering From Alcohol Addictions In Three Midwestern States, Carlton Martin

Dissertations

Problem

An estimated 12.7% of the US population meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) criteria for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). The annual cost to the society, including emergency room visits, lost days at work, and accidents on the road is in the billions. The impact of this disorder on the family, the community, and the individual is immeasurable. A growing body of literature supports an association between religious and spiritual beliefs and behaviors and recovery from alcohol addiction. This project is an investigation of this association. The goal is to offer some …

Mother-Infant Attachment: Path Analysis Of The Predictive Role Of Trauma Therapy And Select Demographics On Mother's Cognitive Responses, Nicole D. Knapp

Dissertations

Problem

The best outcome for attachment when an infant is born would be a secure attachment, but this is not always the case. Insecure attachments are likely to be formed when the mother has experienced domestic violence given the right environment (Huth-Bocks et al., 2011; Theran et al., 2005). A previous study showed that changes to attachment due to postnatal intervention are based on external behaviors rather than internal though processes (Theran et al., 2005). Because of this, the purpose of this study is to compare therapy categories and each of the observable attachment factors.

Method

Participants completed a survey …

Spiritual Coping As A Mediator Of Distress And Posttraumatic Growth Among Adult Female Survivors Of Sexual Abuse By Religious Leaders, Angela R. St. Hillaire

Dissertations

Problem

Posttraumatic growth has been defined as the positive psychological and behavioral changes that come about in the aftermath of a struggle with traumatic life events. The literature notes the existence of posttraumatic growth among survivors of intimate partner violence, childhood and/or adult sexual abuse, bereavement, terrorism, and other events. This study explored posttraumatic growth in a sample of female survivors of sexual abuse by religious leaders by examining how distress, spiritual coping, and posttraumatic growth were related in this population. This study examined the mediatory role of spiritual coping between distress and posttraumatic growth.

Method

Surveys that measured spiritual …

Ethnic Identity Salience, Socioeconomic Status, And Attitudes Toward Seeking Mental Health Treatment As Predictors Of Receptivity To Community-Based Psychoeducation Among African American Men, Hadiya Suzanne Dubose-Smith

Dissertations

Problem

Distrust and socioeconomic barriers are widely recognized as contributors to disparities in the healthcare system, particularly as it relates to mental health care (Lindinger-Sternart, 2015; National Alliance on Mental Illness, n.d.). African Americans continually experience societal pressures to disassociate with African American culture and to assimilate into mainstream culture. Perhaps accessing mental health services via a counselor is an extension of that pressure. In this way, the traditional counseling model for mental health intervention is a culturally counterintuitive approach for developing mental health among African American men. Men are a subset of the African American community that tends to …

Coaching And Being Coached: A Qualitative Study Of The Experiences Of Education Leaders In The Florida Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Arne P. Nielsen

Dissertations

Problem

The Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists administration was concerned about its effectiveness as an evangelistic organization due to changes in societal norms. They felt a need for a paradigm shift to keep ministry relevant to its membership and to find new methods to reach people for Christ. There was an intentional focus on developing a model for effective ministry by equipping pastors and educators with new and different skills for the purpose of effecting personal and organizational transformation. For change to occur, it was decided to put in place a support system for leaders utilizing co-active coaching as the …

A Correlational Model Of Burnout And Personality Among Clergy In The United States, Nathanael M. Stephens

Dissertations

Problem

This study explored the relationship between personality and burnout. The facets of personality detailed in the Factor Five Model served as the independent variables, with burnout as the dependent variable. Research exists on the relationship between personality and burnout for individuals in helping professions. However, there is little research on the interaction between burnout and personality factors among Protestant clergy members.

Method

A total of 602 participants who self-identified as living in the United States were recruited through an advertisement on Facebook. Participants all indicated they were Protestant members of the clergy and had been in the ministry for …

Health Promotion And Cancer Screening Of Arab Americans, Lamyaa Alyaba

Dissertations

Introduction: Although Arab Americans represent one of the fastest-growing populations in the U.S., there is very little health data about their preventive health habits and health-promoting lifestyle, including cancer screening. Purpose: the purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between personal factors, health-promoting behaviors, and cancer-screening behaviors of Arab Americans while controlling for acculturation. Design: Pender's Health Promotion Model was the conceptual framework for the study. a cross-sectional correlational design explored the relationship between the study variables utilizing an online-based survey to collect data from Arab Americans. Multimodal recruitment was used to recruit a convenience sample of 287 …

Pediatric Providers' Perceptions Of Their Role In Early Detection Of Postpartum Depression, Laura Aime De La Pena

Dissertations

The birth of a child is usually a happy occasion in a woman's life. It is also often a time of overwhelming anxiety, stress and hormonal changes. Postpartum depression (PPD) could occur during the first year of childbirth in approximately 10-20% of mothers (Waldrop, Ledford, Perry, & Beeber, 2017). PPD is the most common maternal health problem within the first year after childbirth (the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2018). Recognition of mothers who are at risk for PPD allows health professionals to initiate care that can prevent further problems for the mother, infant, and the rest of their …

Dietary Intake And Executive Function In Youth And Emerging Adulthood: Environmental Correlates And Developmental Considerations, Amy Michelle Egbert

Dissertations

Obesity is a major public health concern impacting one in five young people in the U.S., and research suggests that consumption of high calorie, low nutrient foods may play a role in weight gain. Executive function (EF) has emerged as a factor that may play a role in dietary intake across youth development. Although biopsychosocial models of obesity emphasize the importance of identifying individual and environmental influences that may be associated with poor dietary intake, empirical research in this area is lacking. Therefore, the current set of studies seeks to 1) systematically review the literature on the association between EF …

"Lifting As We Climb": Black Feminist Action Research With Women Of Color Student Affairs Administrators, Paige J. Gardner

Dissertations

Black feminist action research is a methodology designed by Dr. Gardner to cultivate agency and solidarity among Women of Color student affairs administrators. by engaging participants as co-investigators, Women of Color student affairs administrators' co-constructed knowledge to examine the challenges and barriers experienced in career navigation as well as the strategies used to disrupt oppressive working environments at historically White institutions. in this study the principle investigator and co-investigators explored the following research questions: (1) How do Women of Color student affairs administrators define systems of support? (2) How and why do Women of Color student affairs administrators establish systems …

Identifying Transfer Of Care Gaps: Electronic Health Record Capture Of Perioperative Handoff Communications, Sharon Giarrizzo-Wilson

Dissertations

Transitions in patient care are held together by interdisciplinary handoff communications intended to coordinate the patient's ongoing care requirements. Patients with complexity in care encumber the transfer of care process requiring a higher level of care coordination between the interdisciplinary team (Coleman, 2003; Naylor et al., 2004). While the literature is abundant on the characteristics and quality of handoff communications, it is limited on the requirements of what data is necessary for ongoing care following transfer communications (Galatzan & Carrington, 2018). This dissertation explores the verbal information transferred during Operating Room (OR) to Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) nursing handoff …

Elucidating The Impact And Mechanism Of Hepatitis C Virus Cell-To-Cell Spread, Karina Durso-Cain

Dissertations

Virus cell-to-cell spread has been implicated in the establishment of persistent infection and has been shown to be involved in the transmission of antiviral resistant mutants. However, relatively little is known about how virus cell-to-cell spread impacts infection or the specific mechanisms by which cell-to-cell spread occurs. as such, this dissertation focused on investigating HCV cell-to-cell spread not only to learn more about this medically important virus, but also to determine the broader impact cell-to-cell spread has on viral infection dynamics, identify the cellular factors involved, and perhaps ultimately provide insight into antiviral strategies that might enhance the barrier to …