Digital Commons Network^™

Are The Leadership Behaviors Of K–12 Leaders In Mid-Western Urban School Districts Influenced By Their Beliefs And Attitudes Regarding Spirituality?, Ericka M. Taylor

Dissertations

Working in a stressful and chaotic environment can be difficult for building principals in urban school districts (DeNisco, 2013; Stokley, 2002; Thompson, 2004). Presumably, the job is only expected to get more arduous with the increasing demands to improve student achievement (Allison, 2012; Kimball & Sirotnik, 2000; Queen & Schumacher, 2006). What is quite apparent today is that the role and responsibilities of the principal have changed dramatically over the past twenty years (Carlson, 2012; Hill-Yeverton, 2003) shifting from a factory model of management of learning to one in which teachers and principals have to create more student-centered and project-based …

Expanding A Path Analytic Model Of Quality Management To Include The Management Of Safety, Bruce J. Ladewski

Dissertations

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) reports that every year 4.1 million American workers are seriously injured from workplace accidents at an annual direct and indirect cost estimated at hundreds of billions (OSHA, 2012). At the public level, actions to reduce the workplace deaths, injuries, and associated costs in the form legislation. At the private level, actions taken include implementing behavior based safety programs focused on various ways of encouraging employee behaviors to reduce reported injuries. The most recent move to drive down worker injuries focuses on the implementation of management systems by adopting principles used to prevent product …

The Influence Of Training Procedures On Generalization Performance In Scent-Detection Rats, Erin Watkins

Dissertations

The global illicit trade in tobacco products leads to an overall increase in the availability of tobacco, and this increase in tobacco availability and consumption undermines effective health, safety, and taxation policies in place to protect current and future populations. Dogs working at ports and customs have been trained to detect tobacco products and research has shown rats can detect tobacco-soaked filters (Mahoney et al., 2014). Cigarette smoking is the most common form of tobacco use, and cigarettes are the most commonly trafficked product in the illicit tobacco trade. In the current study, rats were trained to respond to filter …

Dominican College Students’ Experiences Of Distress, Help-Seeking And Stigma, Laura Alicia Pacheco Del Castillo

Dissertations

The Dominican Republic has a population of over 10 million, from which an estimated 20% fall within the age range of 10 to 19 years old (OECD, 2012). The provision of education, particularly for Dominican youth, has been established as a long-term social and economic priority at the government level (OECD, 2012; Pimentel, 2002). Nevertheless, research suggests that education and health management in the Dominican Republic have been historically inadequate and insufficient (Schumacher, 2010; Vargas-Lundius, 1991). Further research is warranted to better understand Dominican students’ mental health experiences as they attempt to succeed in formal learning environments (Schumacher, 2010).

Furthermore, …

Interpersonal Dependency And Self-Efficacy On Intention To Return To A Domestically Violent Relationship Among Low-Income Women, Erin N. Jenkins

Dissertations

An interesting and often puzzling aspect of violent relationships is its cyclical nature. Despite the high probability of future victimization, many victims of domestic violence often leave and return multiple times. A considerable amount of research reports that although a woman might leave her abusive partner with the intention of not returning, after some time, she returns (Aizer, & Dal Bo, 2009; Anderson, 2003; Choice & Lamke, 1999; Drigotas & Rusbult, 1992; Gordon et al., 2004; Lerner, & Kennedy, 2000; Pape & Arias, 2000; Rhatigan, Street, & Axsom, 2006; Rusbult, & Martz, 1995; Strube, 1988; Strube & Barbour, 1983, 1984; …

Missouri Legislator And Administrator Perceptions Of Federal Government Involvement In Education, Roger Allen Woods Jr.

Dissertations

here are very few studies on the views of school administrators and state legislators regarding federal government mandates for schools. Bolman and Deal (2015) believed people align themselves to survive and thrive in the political framework where resources are scarce, and the aspects of power and conflict inform decisions (Douglas & Mehra, 2015; Pourrajab & Ghani, 2016). This study focused on the thought processes of both school administrators who implement federal mandates and state legislators who navigate funding for federal mandates. Leaders of the political parties of Missouri and school administrators were interviewed to gain insight into the motivation and …

Justice Involved Veterans’ Post-Release Employment-Related Experiences, James L. Dawson

Dissertations

In 2010, the cost to U.S. taxpayers was $39 billion to incarcerate individuals in State and Federal Correctional facilities. A sub-population of these prisoners is those that have served in the U.S. military, or “Justice Involved Veterans” (JIVs). Many Veterans are eligible for federal and state funds for Career Tech. Education to assist them with obtaining employment, which research shows often contributes to keeping them from re-offending. However, recent studies of employment after prison have all been quantitative investigations that do not incorporate the voices of JIVs describing their experiences in depth. Bush’s (2011), and Bolman and Deal’s (2008) theories …

Total Wellness Of Turkish International Students In The U.S. : Perceptions And Inherent Growth Tendencies, Mehmet Avci

Dissertations

The international student population in the United States has increased exponentially over the past decade. Students are coming from many countries including Turkey who often face stressors proper of migration such as cultural uprooting, family disruption and identity challenges that might influence their wellness while in America. The total impact that this academic adventure has on Turkish’s international students is not well known as there is a dearth of scientific data addressing their total wellness and specially their psychological wellbeing from a holistic perspective. This research study examined the perceived total wellness of Turkish students living in the USA. Survey …

Advocating For The Need Of A College And Career Readiness Preparation Accountablity Policy, Mellodie Brown

Dissertations

This proposed policy advocates for Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to adopt a College and Career Readiness Preparation Accountability Policy wherein CPS sets district-wide criteria and structures for student college and career readiness at every grade level and ensures that resources and supportive services are available for its most at-risk students in underperforming schools. Also, it is important that CPS recognize the limited capacity of its teachers to transition students toward meeting Common Core State Standards. This can be addressed through professional development aligned to a proposed matrix for college and career readiness for all students. Supplemental funds are needed to …

A Corporate Model: Aligning National Nonprofit Expectations With Regional/Local Efforts To Serve The Mission, Emma A. Powell

Dissertations

This study seeks to provide a body of knowledge and application of research to the national nonprofit audience. The focus is to study conditions that could lead to better alignment between regional staff understanding and implementation of the national expectations, by identifying alignment behaviors in five indicator areas. These indicators are fundraising, mission delivery, volunteer engagement, HR/operations, and PR/external communications.

Research in the areas of nonprofit structure design, motivation, and mission alignment continue to be significant to the sectors maturity and distinction. Corporate model nonprofit organizations structure is unique to other nonprofits within a local community. Understanding the corporate model …

A House Divided Cannot Stand: The Case For Latino-Black Coalitions, Sarah Perez

Dissertations

Ethnic and racial groups are increasingly challenging the African-American-White dichotomy that has historically characterized race relations in the United States. In an increasingly multiracial/multiethnic society, the question of racial and/or ethnic cooperation is an important aspect of the larger American political process. This study examines what attitudes will lead to increased support for coalition building between African-Americans and Latinos. The research questions are: what are the attitudes that are likely to produce strong coalitions between Latinos and African-Americans? Conversely, what attitudinal barriers stand in the way of potential multiethnic coalitions? There are four sets of limitations that could affect support …

Investigating Personality Traits Of Registered Nurses: Implications For Personnel Evaluation, Stephanie N. Means

Dissertations

The United States is currently facing a registered nurse (RN) shortage that is expected to reach the millions in the next few years. Since the beginning of the century, healthcare professionals and administrators have strived to develop and implement ways to increase recruitment and retention in the nursing field. It has been recognized that the key to recruitment and retention is to get the right nurse in the right place, which means focusing on clinical proficiencies as well as personality qualities and characteristics. Personality assessment has long been used to evaluate person-job (P-J) fit of applicants for positions across the …

Biosorption Of Pharmaceuticals And Noble Metals Nanoparticles By Algal Turf Communities, Haider Abid Faraj

Dissertations

Pharmaceuticals and nanoparticles are increasingly released into the aquatic ecosystem, while removing these contaminants from waters can be challenging. This study explores the use of periphytic algal turf communities to remove these contaminants. Initially algal turfs from different locations and aquatic systems were analyzed for pharmaceuticals commonly observed in wastewater outflows. Lab-grown turfs were exposed to a mixture of six representative pharmaceuticals of different functionality (acid, base, neutral and steroidal). Analysis of water column and the algal biomass showed pharmaceutical removal rates varied, specific to each pharmaceutical. Caffeine and estradiol had the highest removal rates while carbamazepine was not removed. …

Networked: An Investigation Into The Economic Contribution Of Manuel Castells, Darrick Brake

Dissertations

The central focus of this dissertation is contemporary network theory as discussed by Manuel Castells with an emphasis on his theoretical discussion on economic theory. This research centers on critically evaluating the works of Manuel Castells and discuss how his ideas on the theory of networks and the “network society” in relation to changes in the economic structure and information capitalism have made significant contributions to not only information society theory but also economic and sociological theory. This research was done as a two-part process in which there is a comparative analysis of the unique and underlying contributions contained within …

Subgroup Analysis And Growth Curve Models For Longitudinal Data, Nichole Andrews

Dissertations

In clinical trials and biomedical studies, treatments are compared to determine which one is effective against illness. Growth curve analysis can be beneficial in longitudinal biomedical studies, as we can evaluate the treatment effect on the response over time. The generalized growth curve model using polynomial regression is proposed for longitudinal data. An optimal degree for the polynomial is obtained using the BIQIF, an adaptation of the Bayesian information criterion. Quadratic inference functions are used to estimate the parameters of the model, which takes into account the fact that repeated measurements from the same subject are more likely to be …

Protecting Sensitive Data In Clouds Using Active Data Bundles And Agent-Based Secure Multi-Party Computation, Akram Y. Sarhan

Dissertations

Protection of data in cloud computing including distributed environments is a critical concern for many enterprises. This study proposes a solution that protects sensitive data outsourced to a cloud throughout their entire life cycle—both in the cloud as well as outside of the cloud (e.g., during transmission to or from the cloud). The solution enhances the existing data protection approach known as Active Bundle scheme, which uses a Trusted Third Party (ABTTP).

The Active Data Bundle (ADB) was formerly called an Active Bundle (AB). It is a software construct that encapsulates data, metadata, and a virtual machine (VM). The metadata …

Assessing A Punching Bag Feedback Performance Device, Neil Deochand

Dissertations

Physical exercise has been integrated into treatment efforts in reversing the number of overweight and obese individuals. Furthermore, exercise extends mortality, enhances general quality of life, and it is a protective health factor for preventing the progression some mental health disorders. Electronic athletic training equipment easily allows monitoring of real-time physical activity, and enables tracking of progress made toward individualized performance goals. There are limitations to only using visual feedback (e.g., visual depictions of heart rate, speed, distance traveled, or calories burned etc.) to track and improve exercise and athletic performance, especially for some sports, such as boxing. This issue …

Planning For A Medical Surge Incident: Is Rehabilitation The Missing Link?, Mary Kay Vonderschmidt

Dissertations

This study explores planning considerations for patients needing rehabilitative care in the event of mass casualty incidents, in particular, patient surge. While planning for a patient surge usually considers prehospital and hospital care, the final step for many disaster patients, rehabilitation is often overlooked. Rehabilitative care begins in the hospital, before discharge, with the consultation of a physician specialist. By including early physiatrist care there are documented decreases in hospital length of stay, fewer medical complications and better functional outcomes.

Based on past disaster studies, the variables of Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment (START), Injury Severity Score (ISS), and hospital …

Disenfranchised Grief And The Substance Abuse Counselor: A Heuristic Inquiry, Melissa Pettit

Dissertations

Grief and loss are a part of the substance abuse counselor experience. The purpose of this study was to generate a heuristic inquiry on how substance abuse counselors experience and manage disenfranchised grief in their work with the substance abuse population. A review of the literature indicated health care professionals experience disenfranchised grief. The experiences of disenfranchised grief was noted in relation to substance abuse counselors, who experience ongoing, client-related losses in the workplace. The researcher interviewed 10 Substance Abuse Counselors and asked the research questions, "How do you experience loss in your work as a substance abuse counselor?" and …

Big Data Analytics In Computational Biology And Bioinformatics, Kevin Byron

Dissertations

Big data analytics in computational biology and bioinformatics refers to an array of operations including biological pattern discovery, classification, prediction, inference, clustering as well as data mining in the cloud, among others. This dissertation addresses big data analytics by investigating two important operations, namely pattern discovery and network inference.

The dissertation starts by focusing on biological pattern discovery at a genomic scale. Research reveals that the secondary structure in non-coding RNA (ncRNA) is more conserved during evolution than its primary nucleotide sequence. Using a covariance model approach, the stems and loops of an ncRNA secondary structure are represented as a …

Investigating The Possible Relationship Between Participation In High School Athletics And First-Generation College Student Persistence To College Graduation, Connie Lindemann-Litzsinger

Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to investigate ways in which participation in high school varsity athletics impacted academic success of first generation college students. Through an anonymous online survey, this study compared quantitative demographic data of first-generation college students who participated in high school varsity athletics to those who did not. In addition, the qualitative research in this study explored first-generation college student perceptions of why they have been successful during college. Athletic focus group participants were asked questions related to college transition, what they gained through athletics, and long-term academic benefits of their participation in high school …

The Effect Of A Growth Mindset On Student Achievement Among Students With A Disability, Kristin Line Froedge

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate to what extent the mindset of students with disabilities relates to their Student Growth Percentile (SGP) on the K-PREP in both reading and math. In addition to exploring the influence of student mindset on academic growth, the study also examined if a correlation exists between teacher mindsets and mindsets of their students. This quantitative study utilized 2015 K-PREP assessment data from the Kentucky Department of Education and a mindset survey developed by the researcher. Participants for this study included 145 middle school students with disabilities and 46 middle school teachers from six …

Factors That Influence Physicians To Assume Leadership Roles: A Focus On Clinical Integration, Jennifer Lynne Jackson

Dissertations

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) drastically altered the healthcare industry in the United States. Along with multiple other directives, the PPACA mandated that physicians and hospitals work together in strategies known as clinical integration. For effective clinical integration to be achieved, interdependence among physicians and hospitals is required to provide the highest quality outcomes for patients at the best possible value. To this end, healthcare leaders have identified that the key to establishing successful clinical integration is the presence and commitment of physician leaders (Penlington & Marshall, 2016).

This study explores factors that influenced a …

Do You Want Kentucky?” “… No Thank You, I'M Not Hungry.”: A Case Study Of International Student Choice In Higher Education, Wouter Van Alebeek

Dissertations

In order to attract international students, it is important to know why students select a particular institution and how they experience the selection process. Additionally, there seems to be limited agreement among researchers on a conceptual framework for international student college choice and how it might differ from a model used to organize domestic students’ college choice experiences.

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to gain insight into the stages of college choice for international students by testing an expansion of the Hossler and Gallagher (1987) theoretical model that adds the push and pull factors related to the …

Synthesis And Detection Of Dna Damage, Xun Gao

Dissertations

The biological effects of DNA alkyl adducts are difficult to evaluate at the cellular level due to their instability. Synthesis of oligonucleotides that contain a single N7-alkylguanine has become a vital tool to achieve the above goal. However, the instability of N7-alkyguanines is not compatible with the phosphoramidite chemistry used by solid-phase oligonucleotide synthesis either. Development of chemically stable analogues of unstable DNA lesions enables accurate study of polymerase bypass. The design and successful synthesis of N7-hydroxyethyl-9-deaza-2′-deoxyguanosine and N7-oxoethyl-9-deaza-2′-deoxyguanosine as the stable analogues of N7-hydroxyethyl- 2'-deoxyguanosine and N7-oxoethyl-2′-deoxyguanosine, respectively, are reported. The synthesis of these two nucleosides whose N7 side …

The Design And Optimization Of Cooperative Mobile Edge, Xueqing Huang

Dissertations

As the world is charging towards the Internet of Things (IoT) era, an enormous amount of sensors will be rapidly empowered with internet connectivity. Besides the fact that the end devices are getting more diverse, some of them are also becoming more powerful, such that they can function as standalone mobile computing units with multiple wireless network interfaces. At the network end, various facilities are also pushed to the mobile edge to foster internet connections. Distributed small scale cloud resources and green energy harvesters can be directly attached to the deployed heterogeneous base stations.

Different from the traditional wireless access …

Understanding The Decline In Child Victimization: A National-And-State-Level Analysis Of Child Abuse And Neglect Trends, Maribeth L. Rezey

Dissertations

Figures from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) suggest that national rates of child maltreatment declined during the last decade of the 20^th century and into the 21^st century. These data, which are derived from official state child protective service agency record systems, have frequently been used to measure changes in child abuse and neglect in the U.S. and in individual U.S. states. However, because the NCANDS has yet to be assessed for methodological issues surrounding the validity of the data to measure temporal change, it is unknown if the decline revealed in the NCANDS …

Rn Perceptions Of Coworker Incivility And Collective Efficacy As Influential To Hospital Structures And Outcomes, Jessica G. Smith

Dissertations

An aging population and retiring workforce might affect United States health delivery care and could threaten the quality of care in hospitals. Nurses, as the largest profession in healthcare, can buffer these effects if supported in a safe nurse work environment. The purpose of this dissertation was to understand how peer-to-peer registered nurse workplace incivility as a mediator, and collective efficacy as a moderator, influence relationships among hospital structures (i.e. nurse manager leadership and staffing) and hospital outcomes (i.e. missed nursing care and patient safety cultures).

Donabedian's (1980) structure-process-outcomes conceptual framework was the theoretical basis for this study. A cross-sectional, …

Development Of A Comprehensive Safety And Preparedness Plan For Pregnancy Shelter Center, Catherine A. Marcum

Dissertations

Disaster has almost become a household word in America and around the world. Disaster Preparedness provides some since of control over the effects of disaster, however small that may be. The National Response Framework provides the structure under which all disasters are managed domesticallly (Veenema, 2013). It is scalable and flexible - having the ability to accomodate any disaster, from the smallest incident to a disaster of national proportions (http://emilms.fema.gov//IS700aNEW/index.htm; http://emilms.fema.gov/IS800Bindex.htm). Preparedness determines the degree of service disruption regardless of the nature of the disaster. The goal of preparedness within any entity is to expect the unexpected, …

Middle School Student And Teacher Perceptions About The Effectiveness Of The Technology Integration In The Classroom, David R. Irby

Dissertations

Technology in schools is not a new phenomenon, however, whether technology integration is successful or not is up for debate. Critics of technology in the classroom write about failed attempts to integrate technology into the classroom in a meaningful way. Research indicates that we still have teachers using technology in ways that may not be much different than traditional teaching practices.

The literature describes varying levels of technology usage in the classroom. Some researchers describe technology as overrated and not fulfilling the promise to improve the teaching and learning experience. Other research describes unique uses of technology that promote engaging …